This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com
  

  

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On Thursday (Feb. 11), 'Shonda Rhimes Thursdays' made its return to ABC with a huge lineup of winter premieres, including Grey's Anatomy. Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington made his TV directorial debut with last night's shocking episode called "The Sound of Silence," which surrounded Meredith Grey being brutally attacked by a patient.

Meredith was looking after a patient named Lou, who began seizing on her watch. After the seizure ended, Meredith was left alone with him. Unfortunately, Lou fell victim to post-seizure hyperagression and began throwing her around like a rag doll. Meredith's was the center of the mid-season premiere as fans watched her get horrifically beaten then struggle to recover from the incident.

The dramatic cinema effects of this episode were brought to you by Washington. While many fans might recognize Washington from his vast collection of film work, the Equalizer star has also dabbled in the directing arena as well.

A photo posted by Grey's Anatomy Official (@greysabc) on Jan 21, 2016 at 1:20pm PST

"He's a powerhouse, and it was really exciting to get the chance and opportunity to work with him," Sarah Drew, who plays Dr. April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy, told ABC News.

The 61-year-old New York native starred and directed in Antwone Fisher (2002) and The Great Debaters (2007). Not only was this Washington's first time sitting in the director's chair for television, but it was also the first time he wasn't featured in his directed project.

Drew and her colleagues were starstruck by the Golden Globe-winner's presence on set and were initially intimidated. The cast was ultimately put at ease after realizing how "easy going and funny" Washington is.

"Whenever you get to work with somebody that understands both sides of the craft  in front of and behind the camera  it's a treat," Jerrika Hinton, who plays Dr. Stephanie Edwards, told People. "They understand what language to use. We're using some unusual shots and points of view. I have a feeling that it's is going to end up looking more cinematic than [the] show usually does."

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In the hours leading up to the premier of Kanye West's much-anticipated The Life Of Pablo, a new flip of an older cut has surfaced. It turns out that Nicolas Jaar of DARKSIDE remixed the 2013 Yeezus track "Blood On The Leaves" back in 2014 as part of a soundtrack for the short film Picturing Barbara Kruger, but the atmospheric rework is only just making its rounds of the internet now.

Picturing Barbara Kruger was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for its ART+FILM series in 2014, Pitchfork reports. It was directed by Pippa Bianco and produced by Erin Wright, Lana Kim and Jett Steiger of Ways & Means.

The five-minute-long visual tribute is narrated by the feminist conceptual artist herself as she details her creative process over a montage of her decades-spanning work set to an original score by Jaar.

As the dreamy electronic rendition of "Blood On The Leaves" plays in the background, Kruger discusses "the arbitrariness of fame and prominence." The artist explains "there are so many visual practitioners whose work we don't know and the reason is sometimes brutally arbitrary," The Fader reports.

The groundbreaking visual artist known for appropriating images and overlaying them with aggressive campaign-like directives such as "I shop therefore I am" apparently requested the Kanye remix personally, MixMag reports.

The film premiered the same year it was created at the museum's ART+FILM Gala honoring Kruger alongside Quentin Tarantino for their unique, indelible contributions to visual art. It then made its public debut at 2015's SXSW festival.

Check out Jaar's version of "Blood On The Leaves" as well as the brief video here.

2016 so far has seen Jaar busy with his serial imprint, Other People, which operates much like a magazine with new content released every week. This week's offering features new music from Budapest-based duo 12z.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Michael Lang, one of the founding organizers of the original Woodstock festival that drove thousands to Max Yasgur's family farm in Bethel, NY for three days of peace, love and music in August of 1969, has revealed that a 50th anniversary concert is being planned.

Following the seminal 1969 event that featured performances from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Joan Baez and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young among others, anniversary concerts were held in 1994 in Saugerties and again in 1999 in Rome, New York. Lang had attempted to organize a 40th anniversary concert in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, but as Stereogum reports, that idea never materialized.

Lang, who currently lives in New York's Ulster County which is home to the town of Woodstock--notably an hour and a half drive from the actual site of the original Woodstock where Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts now sits--announced that "discussions are under way with potential partners and different locations are being explored," JamBase.com reports.

The organizer also hinted that an international installment of the festival to be held overseas in addition to a stateside festival is also a possibility. Details regarding potential lineups have yet to be revealed.

Lang also stated that he ultimately plans on staging an annual festival to continue beyond the 50th anniversary event, using the same name. "Woodstock is the original and most famous festival brand. With the prevalence of festivals out there, and all the excitement about them, maybe it's time for that," the Poughkeepsie Journal reports.

In the almost-50 years since 400,000 festival goers left Yasgur's farm at the close of the 1969 event, Bethel Woods has hosted countless concerts and museum events. However, Mysteryland USA is the only production to be granted multi-day access--including camping--to the full grounds of the original festival.

Relive one of the crowning moments of the 1960s, when Jimi Hendrix thrashed his way through "The Star Spangled Banner" at the original festival, below.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
President Barack Obama may have a soft spot for a certain daytime talk show host, because he broke his own "no selfie" rule for her. Before the POTUS stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show to take a fun photo, he explained why he's tired of taking selfies to an Illinois crowd on Wednesday (Feb. 10). He also couldn't resist leaving the show without sending FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, a special Valentine's Day message.

The Commander-in-Chief set out to the Midwest to make address the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield, Illinois. President Obama is only the fourth POTUS to make such a historic speech in the area. Frustrated by society's need to communicate through technology instead of face-to-face, he announced to the audience that he would not be taking any selfies. Instead, he was looking to speak with people who came out to see him and shake their hands.

The 54-year-old Hawaii native had a change of heart when he sat down to chat with DeGeneres for the Friday (Feb. 12) episode of her show. She snapped a picture of the two of them together and posted it to her Twitter. DeGeneres is infamous for taking epic selfies (i.e. her 2014 Oscar selfie with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum, and more.)

"If we had had smart phones when I ran for president, I'm not sure I would've run because folks just have their phones; they won't shake my hand anymore," President Obama told the Illinois crowd, according to BuzzFeed. "It's like, 'Hey! I'm here! Live! In front of you!' So we're not taking selfies, but I want to shake as many hands as possible."

He might have given in to her selfie wishes, but President Obama stood his ground when it came to dancing on the show. After the two got comfortable, DeGeneres praised President Obama for his contributions to the country. The father of two returned the favor by complimenting the comedian for being a genuinely loving and "influential" person.

DeGeneres surprised President Obama with a funny Valentine's message from Michelle, so they decided to film an equally funny message to send back to her. Promising to shower her with love and make her favorite edible dishes, President Obama knew just the right things to say to reach his wife's heart. This will be the last Valentine's Day the two share in the White House.

"After about 15 years, I figured out she's always right." President Obama gushed about his wife on the show. "I love you so much. I Obamacare about you," He joked in his Valentine's Day message. "Michelle, I've made a lot of great decisions as president. The best decision I ever made was choosing you. Thank you for putting up with me."

The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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On 8th Feb, 2016 NEDuet university which is amongst the most popular engineering Institutes of the country, invited us for a motivational talk on Entrepreneurship and Corporate Slavery . This orientation ceremony was organized by the IEEE NED Computer Society with an intention to welcome the new batches with positive energy and offer them productive counseling on how to make best possible use of their four years bachelor's journey. This was my second most memorable visit to Civil Audio Visual Hall of NED after "BluePrint to PlanB" seminar. Last time I presented there as a student and this time I was honored to present as an Alumnus. I am extremely grateful to NED administration especially Dr Muhammad Khurram for all their love and respect. Today's blog post will discuss all important highlights of the event that took place and some untold stories which followed afterwards.

Event Venue and Hosts

The orientation session was organized inside Civil Audio Visual Hall and hosted by the IEEE NED Computer Society. Popular IT disciplines which participated in the event were:

Computer & Information System Engineering (CIS) Software Engineering (SE) Department of Computer Science and Information Technology (BCIT).

Event Page: IEEE NCS Orientation 2016

Topic: BE THE FIRST YOU!

Important elements of the discussion were:

Sugar coated truth about higher studies Bitter truth of Silicon Valley White and Black Entrepreneurship Plan A and Plan B The human survival race, Corporate slave mentality New faces of ancient black slave traders, Online business myths and facts Becoming a Programmer or Inventor My journey as a student to becoming a father, A surprise message to INDIA!

Important Highlights of the Discussion

When it comes to facing a crowd, it's something I love the most. This presentation was different because I had rarely slept properly since a month due to new year's projects and some pending clients' work. I only had 4 hours to prepare the slides before the event could start and yet attend calls from friends ( including family of a hard working tailor who also wanted to know more about online business ) who wished to attend this motivational session. Somehow I managed to get prepared, take my laptop and drive straight to the venue.

What I saw next was a house-full auditorium with a humble and enthusiastic crowd of over 300+ students. Their hospitality and kind gestures deserves an applause. After a routine introduction of the orientation ceremony, I was invited to attend the stage.

This time my focus was more on advent of corporate slavery after Industrial revolution in 18th-19th century and how it effected our academic goals, living standards and priorities in life. I explained in brief that though different empires abolished black slavery completely back in 19th century but it has taken a whole new shape in modern era.

Back in old age, feudalists or capitalists needed black labors to work in their firms on fixed wages. Later as the world changed and got illuminated with education, capitalists started drafting new laws to attract a more skilled generation of workers towards their factories and empires.

Amongst their biggest success was reshaping the academic system to achieve their goals. They did succeed in giving the mindset to work hard in school to get enrolled in a good college then work hard in college to reach a good institute then work hard in university to get a good internship and finally a good job! Millions of dollars are invested each month in advertisements, seminars and workshops where students are taught how to write a good CV, how to prepare for a job interview and how to become a good employee. Today the primary goal of higher education is transformed into employment.

Believe it or not, today the biggest dream of our youth is joining a multinational firm. To explain it in more better words: youth today dream of getting enslaved in a corporate firm on fixed wages. Every IT student today dreams to join silicon valley and to become the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates but rarely do some choose to become the first him or her.

Mark Zuker Berg, Bill Gates and Steve jobs were all lovers of education but to live up their passion they preferred creativity and invention over following the social trends of better grades or GPA. They were considered as back benchers by their classmates but rarely did anyone realized that they were living a dexterous life that I call PLANB.

I am against higher education but never against higher education + skills combined.

Education is good only if applied else it will set you on a roller coaster ride with no direct path and goal in life. Academic education without skills equals multiplying equity with zero.

What good is that education if a MBBS doctor can not prescribe you a good tablet compared to a salesman who works in a pharmacy. What good is that education if is a car mechanic knows more about how to tune an engine compared to an automobile engineer who read it only in books. What good is that hard work when a student gets 100% in an exam paper but fails to remember even 50% of it the next day. What good is that 16 years of education when a vegetable stall owner is earning more than a graduate doing job today?

All this is happening because we remember 80% of what we see and do compared to 20% of what we read.

Parents and teachers today are concerned mostly about a kid's grades but rarely do they care if the kid is provided with tools and resources to polish his technical skills.

A single Photoshop course at the age of 11, transformed me into a professional web developer today. Imagine if I had also practiced basics of programming at that age, I would have been an excellent programmer long before I joined the university.

Let me quote my last seminar speech here:

Today institutes, teachers and parents pay great focus to 100% excellence in education but rarely do they motivate students to distribute 70% of their time to education and the remaining 30% to extra curricular activities, innovations and building Tech skills. They would encourage a student with full attendance, great marks but never a student with 70% study performance who dedicated the remaining 30% to develop entrepreneurship skills. Nick D' Aloisio was an average school going guy but his summly App that he created during his 10th grade got sold out for $30 Million US Dollars to Yahoo. The credit goes to his parents who taught him programming skills at an early age when he was just 15! I salute such parents and such students.

To build an iOS app you need to have strong programming skills of Objective C. What Nick learnt at the age of 10, graduates today learn it after spending 2 years in a job that means at the age of 24-26!

Advice for parents and teachers:

Human is the most complex machine built by God with unlimited potentials. Where is it written that to learn or practice something you first need to wait for 16 years of education? Why can't our children be taught that they can practice a technology long before time.

Dozens of student commit suicides in India, Pakistan and USA because they fail to achieve their desired GPA in order to receive scholarships. Students today are so over loaded with assignments, exams, tests and forced attendance that they rarely get a chance even to put their creative ideas to execution.

We can't change this social system of education but we can at least change the way we counsel our children and attach expectations with them. Parents must allow their children to play with tools, learn their field related courses before time and participate in extra curricular activities. Buy your children an Apple laptop and iPad and ask them to start building apps. Give them such tools, the Dexter inside them will rise by itself.

Don't just buy them fancy books but also buy them gadgets to practice. When they break a toy or smartphone, don't punish them instead ask them to mend it through reverse engineering. Send them to participate in mini workshops, ask them to build an online store by learning web development, ask them to start a blog to share their random views with the world and cultivate in them the thirst for a startup business no matter small or big.

The benefits of such counseling are countless. They will be more mature than their classmates and financially established long before their graduation.

Advice for Students

Once a person came to Prophet Mohammad ( PBUH ) and he asked him that what to do for living. The Prophet ( PBUH ) advised him three things based on decreasing priority:

Start a business or Do farming or Find a job

The lowest priority was given to employment. Today the biggest priority is given to Jobs by the highly educated community of Indo-Pak. If you read the stats, most of the businessmen, stock market tycoons, real estate tycoons, transportation and textile tycoons are people with no Harvard or MIT degree but with simple 10th Grade certificates.

You need to choose one option out of the three below to decide your goals in life:

Study like a nerd and work like an ass for a firm - PlanA Don't waste time studying and instead only develop skills to establish a business - PlanC Study like a nerd, develop skills to start a business and work like an ass to live up your dream! - PlanB

I chose the third option i.e. PlanB when I was a student and I am really thankful to God for this selection. Now it's your time to decide whether you will live someone else's dream or you will work hard to live a life of your own.

If you are an IT student, don't wait for years to learn programming from your professor, go learn it within few months from a nearby credible institute. Practice all basics programming languages within a year and start building mobile/web apps the same year. Yes your code will look ugly the first day but the more you practice it and take inspiration from successful products in the market, the better will you program. If you have 2-4 years before graduation than start a blog and share tutorials on whatever tools and technologies you know best. This blog could become a parallel source of income for you in future after graduation just like it become a source of living for me.

Can a Pakistani Student earn 2000 in two days?

Utilizing your energy and applying your skills in positive things can help you do wonders. Just now when I am writing this tutorial, I received a surprise visit from one of my closest high school classmates, Hussain Ali. His story is something that could be an inspiration to those who are seeking education abroad and fail to meet their educational expenses.

While Hussain was pursuing his bachelors in civil engineering degree from Imperial College London, he started looking for ways to afford his academic expenses which was around 26,000 annually. Instead of working like a normal boy at McDonalds or some other cafe, he used online technology to find students for tuition. Just within a year he managed to earn 2000 each weekend that helped him pay his annual 26,000 university fee. He did it by simply posting free ads on sites like thetutorpages and gumtree. This is one practical example of using online power!

PS: I am sorry Hussain but I had to share your story and photo because your story does surely deserves an applause! =)
Sarkodie should have been bigger than ...
Calaveras County, CA  The Friday Night Live (FNL) Mentoring Program, which pairs area high schools and middle schools in Calaveras County, beat out big city schools in the state to win the recognition award along with some cash.

The Calaveras County Office of Education (CCOE), along with five other FNL mentoring programs statewide, won the 2015 Lozano Smith Foundation Mentoring Program Award. The foundation is a California education and public agency law firm. CCOE Youth Development Director Kathryn Eustis had this reaction, We were so honored because of the large number of nominations. Also because this is the first year for this award and its statewide.

The award includes a $500 donation to the program and the crystal trophy that can be viewed in the upper left-hand image box. The program unites 60 students, which split into 30 paired from Bret Harte High School to Mark Twain and Avery middle schools and Calaveras High School with Toyon students. The seventh and eighth graders team up with tenth and twelfth graders who mentor them for about 25 weeks during the school year from Sept. to March. In handing down the award, the foundation applauded Calaveras program for having an established evaluation program, which does a good job of measuring its progress. Eustis says another key element that made it stand out, Our program is so clearly youth led. The high school students create the programing and lead the program. That kind of youth and leadership skills development is a real hallmark of young peoples success in the future.

This is the 9th year of the program and Eustis acknowledges that it is a huge feather in the students cap, noting, It has evolved to really represent what the students in the program want. For our students it is a pat on the back for what they have created and what they think the youth mentoring program should be for our county.

The foundation provided this list of other award recipients:

Premier = $1,500

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Elk Grove Unified School District

Signature Winners = $500

Coalinga-Huron Unified School District

Paso Robles Joint Unified School District

Ontario-Montclair School District

Calaveras County Office of Education
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Sacramento, CA  Proponents claim charter schools take billions from state school districts and should be shut down.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla gave the greenlight to begin collecting petition signatures Thursday. The initiative calls for the elimination of charter schools by repealing all laws governing charter schools effective July 1, 2017. It would require charter schools to convert to traditional public schools or close, at local school districts discretion. All remaining funding and property would be transferred to the state. Steve Zeltzer with the Committee to Repeal Charter Schools Laws, the group behind the petition says, We need our public money to make the public schools better and we need transparency. If a taxpayer, which I am, is giving money to public schools, we have the right to go to a school board meeting and say what goes on in the public schools. We dont have that same right in a charter school. A charter operator can pretty much do what they want. That is unfair to the people of California and to the children.

State Legislative Analyst and Finance officials breakdown the of fiscal impact on state and local government estimating about $5 billion in state funding and operational costs would shift from charter schools to school districts. However, it also points to hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for school districts to close charter schools statewide due disposing or repurposing of property, staff, and equipment replacements including textbook.

To qualify for the November ballot the proponents must collect 365,880 registered voters signatures and submit them by August 8.
Here's what you need to know about Central Florida's weather for the rest of the week:



Warmer end to the week



Finally warming up



Temperatures starting to moderate



A weak cold front will be passing through overnight, bringing only a few clouds and no rain. Wind will be shifting out of the north and increasing Saturday, so temperatures wont be quite as warm as Friday. Most will only have highs reach into the mid-60s. Valentines Day will start off cold as temperatures dip into the 40s again. By afternoon, the wind will be turning around from the east, so expect clouds to invade off the ocean with isolated coastal drops possible.



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Two more cold fronts will be moving through over the next 5 days, one dry, the other bringing a chance for rain. The first cold front is passing through tonight with only a few clouds. Our wind has been out of the south lately, the main reason why temperatures wound up in the 70s Friday. Saturday will become a bit breezy with a wind from the north so we dont expect to make it out of the 60s in most cases. The weekend still looks great as a whole however, we will be waking up Sunday morning to temperatures in the 40s. Late Sunday, clouds will start to build back our way from the east allowing for a warmer Presidents Day. Next best chance for rain comes Monday night into Tuesday with the next cold front arrival. Happy Valentines Day!



For surfers Saturday, waves will be flattening out with a wind turning out of the north and increasing. Rip current threat will be on the rise too. Water temperatures are near 54 at Daytona Beach and 62 at Cocoa Beach. Boating conditions will become hazardous as seas build 4 to 6 feet.

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Show us what the weather looks like in your neighborhood. Your photo could end up on News 13 and mynews13.com/weatherpics.
The Texas Friendly Hospitality Program fosters best practices in customer service to improve customer satisfaction.

We offer Instructor Training Workshops for business and community leaders to use the Texas Friendly model to host your own customer service workshops. We are here to show leaders how to empower their employees, explore how to retain loyal customers, provide an edge for your business and improve both external and internal customer service.

For more information about the program and to register: https://texasfriendly.tamu.edu. Registration deadline: Feb. 24, 2016. Online registration only; no walk-ins.

The program will be presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Hale County.

The program will be held on Thursday, March 3, 2016; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Cost: $150.

There is a 'Refresher' discount available for Texas Friendly certified instructors.

Location: Hale County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at 225 Broadway St, Suite #6, Plainview, TX.

For more information you may contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Hale County at 291-5270 or come by 225 Broadway.

Deana Sageser is Texas AgriLife Extension Service Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences.
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At least four parishioners from Our Lady of Guadalupe on the West Side are traveling to Ciudad Juarez across from El Paso for one of the biggest spiritual experiences of their lives.

They scored hotly sought-after tickets to attend the open-air Mass that Pope Francis is scheduled to celebrate next week.

Mirta Rubalcava, 63, Shannon Haase, 58, Andrea Chapa, 56, and Sandy McIver, 79, are psyched for the trip, which theyre taking with their parish priest, Father Michael Bouzigard.

It will bring worldwide attention to Juarez and the people who are impoverished and suffering, said Haase, an oncology nurse wholl carry prayer petitions from cancer patients to the papal Mass.

Maybe the drug cartel will pay attention. Evil is there, evil is everywhere, she said. God will send abundant prayer to Juarez.

Tthe Roman Catholic pontiff is expected to land in Cuba on Friday afternoon and then head to Mexico for a six-day visit, his first as pope. Hes scheduled to be in Juarez on Wednesday for the Mass, which will take place at the citys fairgrounds within walking distance of the border, with its fence between the two countries a stark reminder of issues the pope is expected to address.

Though its not certain that the pope will walk to that fence, a group of Francis VIPs are getting tickets to be on the other side, ready for that possibility  among them immigrants, refugees and other marginalized groups.

The four San Antonio women will be on the Mexican side, among the crowds expected at the Mass or on the route to it, more than 450,000 people, according to an estimate reported in the El Paso Times.

Many faithful are expected the pope to deliver messages of hope to a region beleaguered by violence, drugs, corruption, human trafficking and people fleeing despair.

The people are longing for this, said Chapa, a schoolteacher with relatives in Juarez. He has made them special. Hes saying, Youre important to me, so are your children.

The four women said they are grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

This is an opportunity, Haase said, tears coming to her eyes. Its also an answer to a prayer.

eayala@express-news.net

Twitter: @ElaineAyala
A Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested by fellow deputies Thursday afternoon after she allegedly charged more than $2,000 to a former inmate's bank account.

Laura Ramos, 43, faces charges of credit card abuse and theft by a public servant, according to a BCSO press release.
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An angry judge in San Antonio reluctantly gave a Qatari military officer and his wife probation and ordered them deported immediately for abusing two female servants who were brought to the U.S. to clean the couples posh home in the Dominion.

The women were locked in an empty apartment for the few hours they werent working, werent allowed to use the bathroom at the home in the Dominion and one of them was hit in the head when she tried to dig food out of the trash at the the couples home.

Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, still bothered by the plea deal prosecutors reached with lawyers of Hasan Al-Homoud, and his wife, Zainab Al-Hosani, threatened to jail them.

Al-Homoud, 46, a colonel in the Quatariwas in San Antonio to train and study. He brought his wife and two servants, one from Bangladesh and the other from Indonesia. One of the servants reported their mistreatment to police.

At sentencing hearings Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson read statements from the women, who said they had no idea they would be brought to the United States and believed that they would be working in the Middle East.

They said their passports were taken by their employers and werent allowed to communicate with relatives..

The Qatari couple pleaded guilty to visa fraud as part of a plea deal in which they agreed to voluntarily depart the U.S. They also agreed to pay $60,000 to each woman. Separately, they agreed to pay them more as part of a confidential settlement. Richardson said both women were doing well and receiving help from nonprofit organizations.

Richardson said neither woman wanted to testify and that without their testimony, it would be difficult to make a strong case at a trial.

The judge called the Qatari couples actions barbaric and ordered them to leave the country, saying that if they hit a snag on their departure, hed order them returned here to wait in jail until the issue was resolved.

This person is never, ever to enter the U.S. again. Never. Ever, Garcia said. I want them to leave. Out.

The judge wanted Al-Homoud to admit to the allegations, but his lawyer, Gerry Goldstein, argued that his client couldnt because there were discrepancies in what the women told police at the time and what they said now in their statements.

Al-Homoud read a statement when Garcia asked him to speak: I take full responsibility for my conduct. My conduct has brought shame upon myself, my lovely wife, upon my family and upon my country.

Thats it? the judge said. No apology to the victims?

He called a recess, and afterward, Al-Homoud apologized, as did his wife. Her lawyer, John Convery, told the judge that she was terrified.

Afterward, Convery said there are differences in culture and language that would have to be taken into account to get a better picture of how the servants were treated.

The Qatari couple left San Antonio on one-way flights to their home country Wednesday. There were no reports of any snags.

gcontreras@express-news.net
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State and local law enforcement officers investigated a North Side bar hosting a leather fetish event late Saturday night that police believed could have violated a city ordinance prohibiting the display of sexual activity.

But, the organizer of the Alamo City Leather and Fetish Weekend, hosted at The Mad Marlin Bar, denies that any such activity took place at the event  and said believes the event was possibly targeted for being an LGBT event.

And, law enforcement officers seemingly found no direct evidence of the suspected activity, issuing no citations and making no arrests linked to the allegations.

RELATED: Cowboys Dancehall could lose liquor license after multiple violations

According to a San Antonio police report, three detectives with the San Antonio Police Department's vice unit and one agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission inspected The Mad Marlin Bar at 8123 Broadway Street at around 10 p.m. Saturday.

Detectives received information that the fetish event was scheduled to take place, San Antonio police spokesman Officer Douglas Greene said.

According to the report, detectives believed that the event could include "acts that violate the [city's] Human Display Ordinance" regarding sexual activity, according to the report.

Officers with both agencies initiated a joint investigation of the Mad Marlin Bar to see if operators had addressed previous violations levied against it since it first opened in January 2015, the report said.

RELATED: These San Antonio bars were cited by TABC for serving drunk people in 2014, 2015

Cody Rene Castro, the bar's owner, told the investigators that the leather event was being held downstairs in the bar's downstairs area, which was not covered under the bar's alcoholic beverage license.

However, detectives and the agent found a bar located in the downstairs area serving drinks where the event was taking place.

Officers told Castro to shut down alcohol sales in the downstairs area, according to the report. A person told attendees over the microphone that they could no longer purchase alcohol in that area and told them to buy booze upstairs.

Festival attendees then began to leave the event after police arrived, the report says.

RELATED: 4 strippers arrested by undercover cops in San Antonio for allegedly showing butt cracks

The bartender in the downstairs area told police that festival participants had been "fisting"  a sexual act involving using a fist to penetrate an anus or vagina  prior to the officers' arrival, according to the police report.

The report says police spoke to an event organizer who detectives told about the alleged activity.

The organizer  unnamed in the report  did not explicitly deny the allegations and asked "where could this act be performed," according to the police report.

RELATED: San Antonio strippers lose a battle against Tiffany's Cabaret

Steven Parker, organizer of the Alamo City Leather and Fetish Weekend, disputes the allegations of "fisting" at the Saturday event. He said the event did not feature nudity or sex acts.

"We were in the tail-end contest which didn't include any sort of acts," Parker said in a phone interview. "Wherever they came up with that, I have no idea."

Parker told mySA.com that attendees felt intimidated by the presence of law enforcement at the event and believes the festival could have been targeted for being an LGBT event.

The event was "supposed to be about people being comfortable about themselves and getting comfortable with other people. When you come in and intimidate people, this is not cool," Parker said.

RELATED: Bexar County: 125 people arrested in 2015 for driving drunk with a kid in the car

San Antonio police spokesman Officer Douglas Greene said allegations that police intentionally targeted the event are "absolutely false."

Greene said officers with the vice unit regularly inspect bars for compliance with city ordinances, including ordinances regulating nudity.

"From our standpoint, there's no targeting of anybody," Greene said.

RELATED: Alleged drunken drivers in Bexar County killed 11 people during 2015

In all, San Antonio police issued 11 citations to the bar for various violations involving fire extinguishers, proper signage and permits.

TABC cited the bar on 31 violations of the state's alcoholic beverage code, according to the police report.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
A San Antonio woman who had pleaded guilty to murder was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for stabbing her husband to death in 2013.

Annamarie Salinas Jeitani was 38 when she killed her husband, Toni Jeitani, 29, in front of one of their daughters, a toddler. He was stabbed 17 times, according to testimony.
Two people are dead and a third has been flown to a San Antonio hospital following a shooting at a residence near Kerrville.

According to the Kerr County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to the shooting around 6:30 a.m. on Friday morning in the 2500 block of Goat Creek Road, about 70 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio.
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Legendary rancher Richard King paved the destiny of Corpus Christi by hosting the mayor and a colonel in the Corps of Engineers with a hunt at King Ranch and a bottle of whiskey at the "Big House." There, they settled on the site for what would become Port Corpus Christi, officially opening on September 14, 1926.

Perched on a bluff, Corpus Christi owns the distinction as the highest point along the tide between Miami, Florida and Veracruz, Mexico.

It was this positioning, which mitigates destruction from hurricanes, plus the convenience of four railroad lines that sealed Corpus Christi's fate as an international port city.

After hurricanes devastated the area in 1916 and 1918, business leaders pushed for the development of a port. The site was settled on a fall hunting trip at King Ranch in 1921, and five years later, the city dedicated Port Corpus Christi.

RELATED: Vintage photos show King Ranch, through the years

The photographs in the above gallery are from the archives of the San Antonio Express-News as the paper covered the evolution of Corpus Christi from a quiet seaside town with tourist appeal to a developing industry hub.

In the early 1910s and 1920s, stately hotels opened their doors drawing an air of glamour to the quiet seaside community. The Plaza, the State Hotel, the Nueces Hotel, the Beach Hotel (renamed the Breakers) and the Princess Louise Hotel  all but one have since been demolished. The Princess Louise is now an apartment building, according to the Corpus Christi Caller Times.

In the 1930s, Corpus Christi developed its seawall, dubbing it their very own eighth wonder of the world.

RELATED: Vintage photographs from Port Aransas portray a budding Texas vacation spot

Before your next visit to the "Texas Riveria," now a mecca of budget resorts and industry, recall its earlier history when the city was just beginning to publicize itself as a "port of play and profit."

jmscott@mysa.com
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"Maybe, you should vote for more than just a pretty face next time."

That's a line delivered by actress Amy Lindsay in the latest Ted Cruz ad titled "Conservatives Anonymous."

But, it could easily be the Cruz campaign's new mantra for vetting potential cast members after staffers missed a crucial fact: Lindsay is a soft-core porn actress.

RELATED: Mysterious dude in Iowa is following Ted Cruz around and accusing him of liking Nickelback

Lindsay  a Houston native who graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin  has an extensive history of appearing in pornographic films with titles like "Kinky Sex Club," "Milf," "Carnal Wishes" and "Animal Lust."

A photo posted to the actress' Twitter account shows her posing with famous male porn star Ron Jeremy.

In the ad launched on Thursday, conservative voters open up during a group therapy session about being betrayed by Marco Rubio, Cruz's primary opponent.

RELATED: Protesters perform exorcism on Ted Cruz at New Hampshire event

The Cruz campaign yanked the ad, but left its companion website running, late Thursday after The Daily Caller first reported the revelations about Lindsay.

"The actress responded to an open casting call," Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler told Politico. "She passed her audition and got the job. Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the casting company. Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad. The campaign is taking the ad down and will replace it with a different commercial."

RELATED: Johnny Depp nails Donald Trump in this incredible spoof biopic of the candidate

Lindsay, who also appeared in non-pornographic movies, voiced disappointment that the campaign pulled the ad in an Instagram post early Friday morning.

"Extremely disappointed the #TedCruz campaign pulled the national television spot I had a role in..." Lindsay said, using the hashtag #myvotecounts.

RELATED: Donald Trump trolled at rally by man standing behind him with bizarre 'steak' sign

The actress told Buzzfeed News that the campaign staffer who hired her didn't know about her background, but earlier said the staffer "absolutely knew everything that I had done."

"I have clearly talked to the filmmakers and stuff and just to be clear, I assumed that they knew, but none of the filmmakers or the casting director knew about my complete filmography in the past that you're talking about, so I was wrong in that statement," Lindsay said.

Lindsay, who told Buzzfeed she identifies as a Christian conservative and Republican, said she's currently choosing whether to support Cruz or his opponent Donald Trump.

The actress told Buzzfeed that she thought it was "cool" that someone who previously appeared in soft-core porn flicks could also star in a Cruz ad.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
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Judicial elections are becoming more about party affiliation, and less about qualifications and a candidates ability to do the job.

This does not bode well for the future of our judicial system. Political persuasion should not play such a major role in the selection process of those presiding over our criminal and civil courts.

Well-qualified jurists are falling victim to alternating partisan voting patterns, and we are being saddled with lawyers ascending to the judicial ranks before they are ready. This has caused a troubling culture shift that has diminished respect for the judiciary.

Texas imposes very minimal requirements on candidates for county court-at-law and district court benches. Possession of a license to practice law comes with no guarantees about the quality of the education, breadth of experience or knowledge about the law, or an individuals demeanor and ability to interact in a professional and respectful manner with others.

A recent change in state law  removing requirements for judicial candidates to obtain signatures from registered voters before they can place their name on the ballot  has made it even easier for frivolous candidates to toss their names in the ring.

Who can blame unprepared lawyers for seeking a bench when its on par with buying a lottery ticket? The investment is minimal, but the dividends could be immense. Regrettably, the general public is the loser here, having to endure less than qualified lawyers on the bench when they win.

The Express-News Editorial Board has long supported ending partisan judicial elections and replacing them with a selection system known as merit/retention. Under that system, the governor would appoint judges who have been screened by a bipartisan committee that includes legal professionals. After serving a term, the judge would face voters  without an opponent  for an up-or-down election on whether they stay in office.

We urge voters to do their homework on the candidates before going to the polls. We have, and we make the following recommendations.

There are eight contested judicial races in the Democratic primary, none in the Republican primary  signaling expectations that down-ballot Democrats will fare better in November. Seven are district court races, and one is for a county court-at-law bench to fill the unexpired term of a judge who resigned after being appointed to an intermediate appellate court.

In the 57th District Court race, we recommend Edward L. Pina, 59, for the Democratic nomination. A civil rights attorney with 30 years experience, Pina offers a much needed change in this civil court.

Pina has the breadth of knowledge and experience needed on this bench. He has participated in more than 100 trials and an equal number of mediations.

The incumbent, Antonia Toni Arteaga, ruffled many feathers at the courthouse when, as a political newcomer, she defeated a well-respected incumbent in 2008. Her first few years on the bench were rocky due to her lack of experience. Things have stabilized to some degree; however, her judicial temperament and abrasive manner of dealing with county staff have not improved.

In the 131st District Court race, we recommend Norma Gonzales as the Democratic nominee for the civil court seat. This bench is being vacated by District Judge Johnny Gabriel who has held the post for more than two decades.

Gonzales, 56, is a sole practitioner with 31 years of experience in both criminal and civil law. A former prosecutor, she has participated in more than 150 jury trials. She has taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the St. Marys University School of Law since 1999. Her extensive experience in family law would be an asset in this court, where the bulk of the cases are family law.

This race has drawn three candidates, including the retiring judges son, Devin Gabriel, who has been licensed to practice law since 2010.

We recommend Catherine Torres-Stahl for the 175th State District Court in the Democratic primary. The bench is being vacated by retiring District Judge Mary Roman.

Torres-Stahl, 49, served as judge of the 144th District Court for four years before losing a bid for re-election during a sweep by the opposing political party. The opponent who defeated her is currently serving time in prison on public corruptions charges.

A former prosecutor, municipal court judge and private practice attorney, Torres-Stahl has proven she can handle the job. She is currently employed as deputy director and general counsel for the Bexar County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. She has innovative ideas on streamlining the operations of this court, using the knowledge she has gained from working within the probation department.

We offer no recommendation for the Democratic nomination in the 386th District Court race. The seat is currently held by Laura Parker, a longtime, well-respected juvenile court judge who drew no opposition in the Republican primary. The two candidates in the Democratic primary lack juvenile court experience.

Ray Olivarri merits a second term on the 399th District Court bench. Olivarri served one term as a county court-at-law judge before losing that seat in a Republican sweep in 2010. He came back the next election cycle and was elected to a district court bench.

Olivarri, 60, was a probation officer before pursuing a legal career, and he brings a unique perspective to the court. While serving as a county court judge, he was selected by his peers to manage the newly formed veterans court. Olivarri has a proven track record.

In the race for the 408th District Court civil bench, the most competitive race on the ballot with five Democratic candidates, we recommend Kristal Cordova Thomson for the nomination.

The bench is being vacated by Larry Noll, one of the countys most respected civil court judges whose retirement will create a major void. During his long legal career, Noll has mentored many lawyers. Cordova Thomson, 40, a board-certified family lawyer, is among them.

Cordova Thomson has practiced family law in Bexar County for 14 years. If elected, she plans to focus on issues surrounding the growing pro se docket, which is comprised of cases in which nonlawyers represent themselves in court.

In the 438th District Court race, the civil court bench is being vacated by retiring District Court Judge Gloria Saldana. We recommend Rosie Alvarado for the Democratic nomination.

Alavardo, 39, has 14 years legal experience, and has handled complex tort and personal injury cases, as well as family law and criminal cases. Her diverse legal background will be an asset to this court.

The other candidate in this race is Lauro Bustamente, a perennial candidate who has filed for everything from mayor to Congress in the last 19 years. He has had troubles with the State Bar of Texas relating to professional misconduct.

In the race for the only county court bench on the ballot, we recommend John A. Longoria as the Democratic candidate to fill the unexpired term in County Court-at-Law No. 5.

Longoria, 71, a former county commissioner who served briefly as county judge and went on to the Legislature for 10 years, was appointed to fill a vacancy created when Jason Pulliam was appointed to the 4th Court Appeals by the governor.

During his brief tenure on the county court bench, Longoria has gained the respect of his colleagues and was selected to serve as the county court administrative judge. Longoria has 42 years as a lawyer and is well-versed in the law. He is the better qualified candidate.
The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is between a candidate who wants to ignite a revolution and another who promises a push for progressive incrementalism.

Choosing the former may be enticing to some, but the latter is far more preferable if you are interested in what is far more doable. That difference alone makes Hillary Clinton the best choice for president in the Democratic primary, but she is far better prepared for the job as well.

It is not that the problems Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders outlines arent real  former U.S. Sen. and Secretary of State Clinton broadly agrees on many of these problems. And its not that many of the nations ills couldnt benefit from dramatic reform. Its that Sanders solutions  a single-payer health system and free college, for instance  have no chance to gain traction in what is still going to be a deeply divided Congress after November.

Clinton has been dogged by her choice to use a private email server while she was secretary of state. And the GOP field has also tried to yoke her with the deaths that occurred at Benghazi while she served in President Barack Obamas Cabinet.

The first, in the absence of action by the Justice Department, is a case of isolated bad judgment. And the charges in the second havent stuck through several congressional and other inquiries simply because this was a tragedy that would have unfolded as it did whoever was president or whoever was secretary of state. There was no dereliction of duty. The most current House inquiry was revealed as a political inquisition designed to damage Clinton in the presidential race.

And we see attempts  principally by Donald Trump  to link Clinton to her husbands sexual scandals as way off-base. Sexist, even. She was a victim here, not the perpetrator.

But most important, as first lady, a U.S. senator from New York and secretary of state, Clinton has demonstrated a broader sense of proportion, pragmatism and accomplishment than has Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist.

Moreover, all the key issues Sanders says require remedy, from income inequality to Wall Street abuses, are those that Clinton would also target. It is largely a matter of fantasy versus reality.

Though, on guns, she has a far better record.

As secretary of state, Clinton was a superstar, the tragedy of Benghazi notwithstanding. Yes, as a U.S. senator, she erred in voting for the war in Iraq that President George W. Bush launched. But she wouldnt be alone in having been fooled, and she has acknowledged the mistake since. And as secretary of state, she helped Obama chart a foreign policy course weighted more properly toward diplomacy than military might, while talking about gender equality and other human rights around the world.

Her service as U.S. senator and secretary of state  and the many hits she has taken simply because she bears the name Clinton  have forged a steely and calm approach that makes her more presidential than Sanders.

Sanders has struck a chord among progressives. Without his presence, Clinton would have probably been campaigning as the presumptive centrist(ish) nominee and as the antidote to some of the craziness spouted on the GOP side.

Clintons nomination by Democrats would say much about how far the country has come on gender, but ultimately she is simply the better candidate  by far  in the Democratic race.

We recommend Clinton for her partys nomination.
Yves here. Sanders has been able to achieve a great deal of momentum in a short period of time. But can he make inroads into the great brand name advantage with black voters, which are core to Clintons strategy?

Let me add some complicating factors to Gaius story. One is that Im puzzled by the fixation on Afro-American voters, and how much less attention is being paid to Hispanics, although that may be due to the fact that Hispanics, even though a larger demographic group, are much less inclined to be in the Team Dem camp than blacks are. However, in New Hampshire, minority voters went 49% for Sanders.

Another factoid Ive seen in Twitter but not confirmed in more official sources yet is that in New Hampshire, one of the few demographic groups that went for Clinton, in addition to voters over 65 and in households with more than $200,000 of income is.union members, who allegedly preferred Clinton by 9 points. My understanding is the UAW made a big push for Clinton. Im not sure that that will be as successful with other unions that have endorsed her, like the SEIU and the National Education Association, where rank and file opposition to the leadership stance has been loud.

By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. Originally published at at Down With Tyranny. GP article archive here.

Though Ive written about this myself, I dont want to advocate, but present. So consider this a horse race post. Clintons self-admitted firewall is South Carolina in particular and the southern states in general, states with large numbers of minority voters. Words like less diverse when used about New Hampshire and Iowa are code for white, or too white to lead to a Democratic primary victory.

The Clinton campaign is clearly and openly putting its Sanders-stopping eggs in the minority basket; in particular, counting that victory will come from the hands of the African-American voters. Recent polls show her far ahead of Sanders among those voters, with two contests with a more diverse electorate, Nevada and South Carolina, up next.

For example, from a recent PPP poll (pdf) of the national races (my emphasis):

On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders 53/32. Sanders does keep gradually moving closer- our previous couple polls had her leading 56/28 in December and 59/26 in November. But he still has some weaknesses that may make it hard for him to catch up. Primary among these is African American voters- Clinton leads 82/8 with them and has a 79/9 favorability compared to 27/23 for Sanders. That does suggest some possibility for Sanders to improve his position- part of his problem is just that black voters dont really know him yet- but hes starting at a tremendous disadvantage that will make the upcoming run of Southern primaries very difficult for him.

Other polls show her losing by less, but by any measure the difference in support is considerable. So the horse race question  can Sanders make up that difference in the time left to do it? The Nevada caucus is February 20. The South Carolina primary is February 27. Super Tuesday is March 1. Each will occur in just a few weeks.

Hillary Clinton & the Black Vote

Enter widely respected author and academic, Michelle Alexander, writing in The Nation. Alexander is best known for her book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, so she has special expertise in the recent history of black America. She starts by detailing the relationship that both Clintons have enjoyed with African-American voters:

Why Hillary Clinton Doesnt Deserve the Black Vote

From the crime bill to welfare reform, policies Bill Clinton enactedand Hillary Clinton supporteddecimated black America. Hillary Clinton loves black people. And black people love Hillaryor so it seems. Black politicians have lined up in droves to endorse her, eager to prove their loyalty to the Clintons in the hopes that their faithfulness will be remembered and rewarded. Black pastors are opening their church doors, and the Clintons are making themselves comfortably at home once again, engaging effortlessly in all the usual rituals associated with courting the black vote, a pursuit that typically begins and ends with Democratic politicians making black people feel liked and taken seriously. Doing something concrete to improve the conditions under which most black people live is generally not required. Hillary is looking to gain momentum on the campaign trail as the primaries move out of Iowa and New Hampshire and into states like South Carolina, where large pockets of black voters can be found. According to some polls, she leads Bernie Sanders by as much as 60 percent among African Americans. It seems that weblack peopleare her winning card, one that Hillary is eager to play.

Which sets up her punch line: And it seems were eager to get played. Again.

The rest of the piece walks through the troubled Clinton legacy  again, both of them, since Hillary strongly and vocally supported the Clinton era policies  and the horrific effect those policies have had on the black community. The overview (my emphasis):

When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, urban black communities across America were suffering from economic collapse. Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs had vanished as factories moved overseas in search of cheaper labor, a new plantation. Globalization and deindustrialization affected workers of all colors but hit African Americans particularly hard. Unemployment rates among young black men had quadrupled as the rate of industrial employment plummeted. Crime rates spiked in inner-city communities that had been dependent on factory jobs, while hopelessness, despair, and crack addiction swept neighborhoods that had once been solidly working-class. Millions of black folksmany of whom had fled Jim Crow segregation in the South with the hope of obtaining decent work in Northern factorieswere suddenly trapped in racially segregated, jobless ghettos. On the campaign trail, Bill Clinton made the economy his top priority and argued persuasively that conservatives were using race to divide the nation and divert attention from the failed economy. In practice, however, he capitulated entirely to the right-wing backlash against the civil-rights movement and embraced former president Ronald Reagans agenda on race, crime, welfare, and taxesultimately doing more harm to black communities than Reagan ever did.

Alexander discusses the reasons that black voters should have seen it coming, including this chilling detail:

Reagan had won the presidency by dog-whistling to poor and working-class whites with coded racial appeals: railing against welfare queens and criminal predators and condemning big government. Clinton aimed to win them back, vowing that he would never permit any Republican to be perceived as tougher on crime than he. Just weeks before the critical New Hampshire primary, Clinton proved his toughness by flying back to Arkansas to oversee the execution of Ricky Ray Rector, a mentally impaired black man who had so little conception of what was about to happen to him that he asked for the dessert from his last meal to be saved for him for later. After the execution, Clinton remarked, I can be nicked a lot, but no one can say Im soft on crime.

As I said, these are policies that Hillary fully supported at the time. For example, this is Hillary Clinton talking about the 1994 crime bill: They are often the kinds of kids that are called super-predators. No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel. Note the code word predators echoing the Reagan-era racist depiction of black criminals.

Both Clintons have since recanted. Alexander notes:

To be fair, the Clintons now feel bad about how their politics and policies have worked out for black people. Bill says that he overshot the mark with his crime policies; and Hillary has put forth a plan to ban racial profiling, eliminate the sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine, and abolish private prisons, among other measures.

But is that enough? she asks. Its a valid question, whether you consider the answer to be yes or no.

Mass Incarceration: The New Housing Program for the Urban Poor

The section on mass incarceration is particularly chilling, especially since many of the non-violent men and women are still in prison. A very small taste of this painful-to-contemplate section of the article:

[T]he Clinton administration didnt reduce the amount of money devoted to the management of the urban poor; it changed what the funds would be used for.  Billions of dollars were slashed from public-housing and child-welfare budgets and transferred to the mass-incarceration machine. By 1996, the penal budget was twice the amount that had been allocated to food stamps. During Clintons tenure, funding for public housing was slashed by $17 billion (a reduction of 61 percent), while funding for corrections was boosted by $19 billion (an increase of 171 percent), according to sociologist Loic Wacquant effectively making the construction of prisons the nations main housing program for the urban poor.

Alexander also notes how government statistics, which dont count the incarcerated in the unemployment rate, hid the true unemployment rate among young black men. When Clinton left office in 2001, the true jobless rate for young, non-college-educated black men (including those behind bars) was 42 percent. This section is more than chilling; its horrifying.

Sanders Is Not Blameless

Alexander brings Sanders to task as well, and includes many of the offsets to her anti-Clinton argument, such as the fact that black community leaders were similarly concerned with crime in their neighborhoods. She notes: This is not an endorsement for Bernie Sanders, who after all voted for the 1994 crime bill. I also tend to agree with Ta-Nehisi Coates that the way the Sanders campaign handled the question of reparations is one of many signs that Bernie doesnt quite get whats at stake in serious dialogues about racial justice. He was wrong to dismiss reparations as divisive, as though centuries of slavery, segregation, discrimination, ghettoization, and stigmatization arent worthy of any specific acknowledgement or remedy. But recognizing that Bernie, like Hillary, has blurred vision when it comes to race is not the same thing as saying their views are equally problematic.

Which leads Alexander to this indictment: In short, there is such a thing as a lesser evil, and Hillary is not it.

Moving the Needle?

Theres much more in the article  please do read it through. Whatever position you take, notice first that the argument is nuanced  it acknowledges all of the yes, buts that can reasonably be raised  and second, that its incredibly well written. (Im officially jealous of her talent in this regard.)

But this not about Clinton and the arguments for and against her vis-a-vis the African-American community; thats a question primarily for them to decide. Nor is it about Sanders and what can be said for or against his racial policies and awareness. Theres a lot of that was then and this is now one can offer in this discussion.

My real interest in bringing this to your attention is this. The South Carolina primary is February 27. Super Tuesday is three days later, with its cluster of southern and other more diverse states. Conventional (and Clinton campaign) wisdom holds that these states are out of Sanders reach, that he can never make up the difference in support that the polls, exemplified by the one cited above, show to be great.

Losing 82-8 with African-American voters is the largest differential weve seen in this Democratic primary. Its almost a no-brainer to call the next rounds hers, and its not too unreasonable to imagine that the next four weeks or so could be do-or-die for Sanders, regardless of your preference. Still, this is a Black Lives Matter moment  thank god for that; its been needed since forever, meaning 1619  so the electoral outcome could be far from certain.

Given my belief that this election will be the most important in any of our lifetimes, for a variety of reasons, Im watching the coming contests with great interest. Sanders has promised to take it to the convention, and Im glad to hear that. What he takes to the convention could be decided very soon, as I see it.

Will thought-leaders in the African-American community, people like Michelle Alexander and former NAACP head Ben Jealous, be able to move the needle sufficiently and in time? Were clearly into popcorn territory. Stay tuned.
Yves here. This is an interesting theory, but Im not sure I buy it. McEndrees argument is basically that US shale players werent the main target of the Saudis because they havent succeeded in lowering their production. The fact that the effort so far has not worked as perhaps planned isnt proof that it wasnt the Saudis aim, particularly since they said at the very outset that they as the low cost producer, should not be the swing producer.

Note I find the main target to be a bit of a straw man, since even at the time of the Saudi refusal to cut production to support prices, many observers (including yours truly) argued the Saudis were targeting not just the US but all higher cost producers, including its geopolitical enemies like Russia and Iran.

The mistake of the Saudis (and most oil analysts) was one not made by John Dizard of the Financial Times. Dizard correctly predicted that the shale players would keep pumping as long as they had access to financing. Indeed, as weve seen, they are continuing to pump strictly to keep servicing debt. And the need to produce revenues (which is the motivation for most major oil producing nations, since they need oil income to finance their national budgets) means all the producers are locked into a bad equilibrium: they are all going to keep producing at levels higher than the markets can absorb until either a deal or an external force makes them stop. With the frackers, it will be access to financing.

And what I believe McEndree also misses, but I welcome informed criticism if I have this wrong, is that fracking wont be so easily resumed once fracking companies start hitting the wall and/or defaulting. Their old business model presupposed much higher prices and high leverage. I doubt well see prices above $60 a barrel, nor will we see anywhere near as much gearing of shale gas plays as in the past. How many fields are economically viable if one assumes the odds dont favor oil over $60 for at least the next few years, much higher levels of equity financing, and you also factor in your required equity return greater regulatory risk (curbs or outright ban in some areas due to earthquake risk and the impact on water supplies)?

By Dalan McEndree, whose career has focused on the Soviet Union and Russia, and has included fifteen years in Russia as a U.S. diplomat, in business, working both for international and Russian businesses, and in consulting. Originally published at OilPrice

Do the Saudis have an oil market strategy beyond pumping crude to defend their market share? Are they indifferent to which countries oil industries survive? Or, alternatively, are they targeting specific global competitors and specific national markets? Did they start with a particular strategy in November 2014 when Saudi Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali al-Naimi announced the new market share policy at the OPEC meeting in Vienna and are they sticking with it, or has their strategy evolved with the evolution of the global markets since?

And, of course, what does the Saudi strategy beyond pumping crude portend for the Saudi approach to some OPEC members calls for coordinated production cuts within OPEC and with Russia?

Conventional Wisdom

Conventional wisdom has it that the Saudis are focused primarily on crushing the U.S. shale industry. In this view, the Saudis blame the U.S. for the supply-demand imbalance that began to make itself felt in 2014. U.S. production data seems to support this. Between 2009 and 2014, U.S. crude and NGLs output increased nearly 4 million barrels per day, while Saudi Arabias increased only 1.64 million barrels per day, Canadas 1.06 million, Iraqs 0.9 million, and Russias 0.7 million (Saudi data doesnt include NGLs).

In addition, the Saudis, among many others, believed that U.S. shale would be the most vulnerable to Saudi strategy, given relatively high production costs compared to Saudi production costs and shales rapid decline rates and the need therefore repeatedly to reinvest in new wells to maintain output.

Yet, if the Saudis were focused on the U.S., their efforts have been unsuccessful, at least in 2015. As the table below shows, U.S. output growth in 2015 outstripped Saudi output growth and the growth of output from other major producers in absolute terms. In addition, many observers also came to believe that U.S. shale production will recover more quickly than production in traditional plays once markets balance due to its unique accelerated production cycle and that this quick recovery will limit price increases when markets balance.

Is the U.S. Really the Primary Target?

The above considerations imply the Saudisif indeed they primarily were targeting U.S. shaleembarked on a self-defeating campaign in November 2014 that could at best deliver a Pyrrhic victory and permanent revenues losses in the US$ hundred billions.

Is the U.S. the primary target? U.S. import data (from the EIA) suggests the U.S. is not now the Saudis primary target, if it ever was. Like other producers, the Saudis operate within a set of constraints. Domestic capacity is one. In its 2015 Medium Term Market Report (Oil), the IEA put Saudi Arabias sustainable crude output capacity at 12.34 million barrels per day in 2015 and at 12.42 million in 2016. Export capacityoutput minus domestic demandis another.

Rather than maintaining crude output at 2014s level in 2015, the Saudis steadily increased it after al-Naimis announcement in Vienna as they brought idle capacity on line (data from the IEA monthly Oil Market Report):

This allowed them to increase average daily crude exports by 460,000 barrels in 2015 over 2014 average export levelseven as Saudi domestic demand increasedand exports peaked in 4Q 2015 at 7.01 million barrels per day (assuming the Saudis keep output at average 2H 2015 levels in 2016, and domestic demand increased 400,000 barrels per day, as the IEA forecasts, the Saudis could export nearly 7 million barrels per day on average in 2016):

The Saudis did not ship any of their incremental crude exports to the U.S.in other words, they did not increase volumes exported to the U.S., did not directly seek to constrain U.S. output, and did not seek to increase U.S. market share. Based on EIA data, Saudi imports into the U.S. declined from 1.191 million barrels per day in 2014 to 1.045 million in 2015and have steadily declined since peaking in 2012 at 1,396 million barrels per day. (OPECs shipments also declined from 2014 to 2015, from 3.05 million barrels per day to 2.64 million, continuing the downward trend that started in 2010). Canada, however, which has sent increasing volumes to the U.S. since 2009, increased exports to the U.S. 306,000 barrels per day in 2015:

Also, the Saudi share of U.S. crude imports declined 1.9 percentage points in 2015 from 2014, and has declined 2.6 percentage points since peaking at 16.9 percent in 2013; during the same two periods, Canadas share increased 4.5 and 9.9 percentage points respectively (and has more than doubled since 2009):

Other Markets

The Saudis presumably exported the incremental 606,000 barrels per day (460,000 from net increased export capacity plus 146,000 diverted from the U.S.) to their focus markets. Since other countries import data generally is less current, complete, and available than U.S. data, where these barrels ended up must be found indirectly, at least partially.

In its 2015 Medium Term Market Report (Oil), the IEA projected that the bulk of growth from 2015 to 2020 will come in China, Other Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while demand will remain more or less stagnant in OECD U.S. and OECD Europe:

The Saudis find themselves in a difficult battle for market share in China, the worlds second largest import market and the country in which the IEA expects absolute import volume will increase the most through 20201.5 million barrels per day (it projects Other Asia demand to increase 2.0 million). The Saudis are Chinas leading crude supplier. However, their position is under sustained attack from their majorand minorglobal export competitors. For example, through the first eleven months of 2015, imports from Saudi Arabia increased only 2.1 percent to 46.08 million metric tons, while imports from Russia increased 28 percent to 37.62 million, Oman 9.1 percent to 28.94 million, Iraq 10.3 percent to 28.82 million, Venezuela 20.7 percent to 14.77 million, Kuwait 42.6 percent to 12.68 million, and Brazil 102.1 percent to 12.07 million.

As a result of the competition, the Saudi share of Chinas imports has dropped from ~20 percent since 2012 to ~15 percent in 2015, even as Chinese demand increased 16.7 percent, or 1.6 million barrels per day, from 9.6 million in 2012 to 11.2 million in 2015. Moreover, the competition for Chinese market share promises to intensify with the lifting of UN sanctions on Iran, which occupied second place in Chinese imports pre-UN sanctions and has expressed determination to regain its prior position (Irans exports to China fell 2.1 percent to 24.36 million tons in the first eleven months of 2015).

Moreover, several Saudi competitors enjoy substantial competitive advantages. Russia has two. One is the East Siberia Pacific Ocean pipeline (ESPO) which directly connects Russia to Chinaimportant because the Chinese are said to fear the U.S. Navys ability to interdict ocean supplies routes. Its capacity currently is 15 million metric tons per year (~300,000 barrels per day) and capacity is expected to double by 2017, when a twin comes on stream. The second is the agreement Rosneft, Russias dominant producer, has with China National Petroleum Corporation to ship ~400 million metric tons of crude over twenty-five years, and for which China has already made prepayments. Russia shares a third with other suppliers. Saudis contracts contain destination restrictions and other provisions that constrain their customers ability to market the crude, whereas those of some other suppliers do not.

Marketing flexibility will be particularly attractive to the smaller Chinese refineries, which Chinese government has authorized to import 1 million-plus barrels per day.

While they fight for market share in China, the Saudis also have to fight for market share in the established, slow-growing or stagnant IEA-member markets (generally OECD member countries). Saudi exports to these markets declined 310,000 barrels per day between 2012 and 2014, and 490,000 barrels per day between 2012 and 2015s first three quarters. Only in Asia Oceania did Saudi export volumes through 2015s first three quarters manage to equal 2012s export volumes. During the same period, Iraq managed to increase its exports to Europe 340,000 barrels per day (data from IEA monthly Oil Market Report).

It is therefore not surprising that the Saudis moved aggressively in Europe in 4Q 2015successfully courting traditional Russian customers in Northern Europe and Eastern Europe and drawing complaints from Rosneft.

As with China, the competition will intensify with Irans liberation from UN sanctions. For example, Iran has promised to regain its pre-UN sanctions European market sharewhich implies an increase in exports into the stagnant European market of 970,000 barrels per day (2011s 1.33 million barrels per day minus 2015s 360,000 barrels per day).

Might the U.S. be an Ally?

Without unlimited crude export resources, the Saudis have had to choose in which global markets to conduct their market share war, and therefore, implicitly, against which competitors to direct their crude exports.

Why did the Saudis ignore the U.S. market? First, U.S. crude does not represent a threat to the Saudis other crude export markets. Until late 2015, when the U.S. Congress passed, and President Obama signed, legislation lifting the prohibition, U.S. producers, with limited exceptions, could not export crude. Even with the prohibition lifted, it is unlikely the U.S. will become a significant competitor, given that the U.S. is a net crude importer. Therefore, directing crude to the U.S. would not improve the Saudi competitive position elsewhere.

Second, the U.S. oil industry is one of the least vulnerable (if not the least vulnerable) to Saudi pressureand therefore least likely and less quickly to crack. Low production costs are a competitive advantage, but are not the only one and perhaps not the most important one. Financing, technology, equipment, and skilled manpower availability is important, as are political stability, physical security, a robust legal framework for extracting crude, attractive economics, and access and ease of access to markets. The Saudis major export competitorsRussia, Iran, and Iraqare far weaker than the U.S. on all these areas, as are its minor export competitors, including those withinNigeria, Libya, Venezuela, and Angolaand outside OPECBrazil.

Third, in the U.S. market, the Saudis face tough, well-managed domestic competitors, and a foreign competitor, Canada, that enjoys multiple advantages including proximity, pipeline transport, and trade agreements, the Saudis do not enjoy.

Finally, the Saudis may be focused on gaining a sustainable long term advantage in a different market than the global crude export marketthe higher value added and therefore more valuable petroleum product market. Saudi Aramco has set a target to double its global (domestic and international) refining capacity to 10 million barrels per day by 2025. Depressed revenues from crude will squeeze what governments have to spend on their oil industries and, presumably, they will have to prioritize maintaining crude output over investments in refining.

In this Saudi effort, the U.S. could be an ally. The U.S. became a net petroleum product exporter in 2012 (minus numbers in the table below indicate net exports), and net exports grew steadily through 2015. Growth continued in January, with net product exports averaging 1.802 million barrels per day, and, in the week ending February 5, 2.046 million. U.S. exports will lessen the financial attractiveness of investment in domestic refining capacity, both for governments and for foreign investors in their countries oil industries (data from EIA).

Saudi Intentions

The view that the Saudi market share strategy is focused on crushing the U.S. shale industry has led market observers obsessively to await the EIAs weekly Wednesday petroleum status report and Baker-Hughs weekly Friday U.S. rig countand to react with dismay as U.S. rig count has dropped, but production remained resilient.

In fact, they might be better served welcoming resilient U.S. production. It may be that the Saudis will not change course until Russian output declines, Iraqs stagnates, Irans output growth is stuntedand that receding output from weaker countries within and outside OPEC would not be enough. If this is case, the Saudis will see resilient U.S. production as increasing pressure on their competitors and bringing forward the day when they can contemplate moderating their output.

NOTE: Nothing in the foregoing analysis should be understood as denying that the U.S. oil industry has suffered intensely or asserting that this strategy, if it is Saudi strategy, will succeed.
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WASHINGTON  South Carolina, the nation turns its troubled heart to you. And we expect you will rip it apart.

In Texas, they say, politics is a contact sport. In South Carolina, it is a savage, gladiatorial spectacle. Case in point: The George W. Bush forces who ran the John McCain Straight Talk Express off the road in South Carolina and then pulverized it. McCain didn't know what hit him.

And when a not-insignificant number of New Hampshire voters say they are torn between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, that is a confused electorate.

Historians undoubtedly will say that one reason for the wild 2016 electoral ride was that Americans had lost faith in their institutions and didn't believe government worked for them. A pox on all their houses.

Another factor has been the strange pull of celebrity on our psyche. Wealthy celebrities such as the Kardashians and Justin Bieber do outrageous things, but we're still fascinated by them. Trump says ridiculous, profane, stupid, insulting things, and he keeps winning.

Possibly the strongest reason for our chaotic political system, in the short term, is that we are more polarized than we have been since the Civil War. Democrats are moving way to the left; Republicans are moving way to the right. The center does not hold.

Iowa spoke. New Hampshire nodded. And now, after a brief interlude in Nevada, the South will yell.

Are Sanders and Trump the inevitable nominees? Nope.

The reason is that we don't elect our government by popular vote; we have the Electoral College. Percentages of the popular vote elect delegates who elect nominees both for the primaries and the general election. Super delegates (establishment types) will help Hillary Clinton. Independents will hurt Trump. (And we can never forget that in 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote but not the presidency.)

Does that mean Sanders and Trump are finished? Nope.

Trump has one-third of Republicans in his pocket, and his supporters are having a great time listening to him spout nonsense. He says so many outrageous things that we forget from week to week his latest assault on civility. Remember when he was saying he could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose a vote? Remember when he bragged he's got a great gene pool because his uncle taught at MIT? Remember when ... well, it's too disheartening.

Sanders also is having a great time, reminding us inadvertently of how irritatingly insufferable Clinton can be. And what's up with her friends telling us we're going to hell if we don't vote for her and, really, young women voting for Sanders are just interested in stud muffins flocking to the campaign. Really? Sanders?

At this stage, it is still a horse race.

Oh, no. Chris Christie is faltering. Oops, he's out. Here comes Marco Rubio, riding hard on the inside stretch. Oh no. He stumbled. And there is John Kasich, the long shot, getting everyone's blood pumping. Oh my goodness. Jeb Bush is still flogging his horse, Also Ran, refusing to give up.

And what about what's her name, Carly Fiorina, who can't even persuade the boys to let her on the debate stage. Oops, she's gone too. Does anybody know what happened to Ben Carson?

After the Nevada Democratic caucuses and the South Carolina GOP primary Feb. 20, the Nevada GOP caucuses Feb. 23, and the South Carolina Democratic primary Feb. 27, we've got Alabama, the Alaskan GOP caucuses, the American Samoa Democratic caucuses, Arkansas, Colorado caucuses, Democrats abroad, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota caucuses, North Dakota GOP caucuses, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming GOP caucuses. All on one day!

Mark March 1 on your calendars for another long night of TV. MSNBC's Brian Williams is salivating. He's ba-a-ck.

But the pundits (those self-important, despised, always-wrong political prognosticators) say we might not know who the nominees will be until well into May. We can only hope, what with "The Good Wife" going off the air.

Oh yes, friends, we have miles to go before the nominating conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia in July. Miles and miles and miles and miles. Isn't this fun!

Be gentle, South Carolina.
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Islanders making sense of presidential primaries

On March 15, Florida residents will be casting the nation's first winner-take-all votes for the candidate to represent the Republican party in November's presidential election.

The Caxambas Republican Club of Southwest Florida has worked to assure that local republicans are as informed as possible as to the issues and positions of candidates. Their process started with a survey identifying the character traits that would make an excellent candidate and, more importantly, an excellent president. They voted on some 16 researched characteristics and selected the top six characteristics. These were.

Honesty: Truthful, trustworthy, talks with candor, not influenced by donors or lobbyists.

Leadership: Projects confidence and commitment to principles, decisive without concern for polls nor political correctness.

Management: Experience managing organizations, motivating others, balancing budgets and creating jobs.

Communications: Motivational, persuasive and optimistic speaker, avoids teleprompter and gains respect and admiration, a good listener.

Conflict resolution: Handles unexpected conflicts and able to negotiate settlements with other nations, party's and dissenters.

Knowledge: Knowledge and experience on most major issues from immigration to national debt and deficits, to tax reform, foreign affairs and homeland security.

In early January, members of the club rated each of the top six candidates on each of these characteristics. The candidates were Bush, Carson, Cruz, Fiorina, Rubio and Trump. Details of the survey results can be obtained by contacting the club's president, Bob Rommel.

A summary of the highlights of the survey results were; overall scores for the 6 characteristics were Trump: 82 percent; Cruz: 77; Fiorina: 72; Rubio: 70; Bush: 65; Carson: 63.

Finally, last week the Club held its first ever "Presidential Mock Debate" where these six "candidates" held a mock debate covering numerous keep issues. Some 160 people attended the debate and some 87 percent stated that the debate was informative. Some 64 percent, however, stated that the debate "did not change their mind as to who they would vote for." They then provided information on which candidate they would be supporting.

The results were: Undecided: 27 percent; Rubio: 34; Trump: 26; Fiorina: 6; Bush: 3; Cruz: 2; Carson: 2.

The Caxambas Republican Club's mission is to work to inform local Republicans of key issues and candidate positions and to support the eventual Republican candidate to win the Presidential race in November. It recognizes the importance of this mission and hopes to increase its membership.

Please contact the Club's President, Bob Rommel, for details at 239-821-2297 or bob@bobrommel.net.

John Arceri

Vice President, Caxambas Republican Club

Embrace strong urban fertilizer management

It is time for the city of Marco Island to adopt a strong urban fertilizer ordinance. Marco Island is the only gulf coast municipality between Naples and Tampa without one.

Marco Island would be joining 81 other municipalities and 10 coastal counties that have adopted strong ordinances since 2007 that include the rainy season application ban, the 50 percent slow-release nitrogen requirement, the fertilizer-free zone, and more.

Since the City Council is poised to vote on its own strong ordinance, it is time to refute a 2015 guest commentary by Eileen Ward published in the Marco Eagle. In so doing, a succinct argument for a strong Marco Island ordinance can be made.

The science behind the state's many strong ordinances is voluminous. Each and every county that has adopted a strong ordinance since 2007 has a public record of all of the science it used to determine the viability of a strong ordinance in their respective watershed. In 2009, Florida Statute mandated that each ordinance stronger than the FDEP Model ordinance be "science-based, and economically and technically feasible." Since that date, ordinances covering more than 79 municipalities and counties have been adopted and implemented without legal challenge.

In December 2014, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) updated the labeling requirements for DIY bags of turf fertilizer in the state to include the following language: "Check with your county or city government to determine if there are local regulations for fertilizer use." FDACS recognizes the stronger local rules and has never challenged the legality or the science behind any of the existing ordinances.

The "Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certification," Florida Statutes 482.1562, was adopted in 2009 and mandated limited certification for all commercial fertilizer applicators by January 1, 2014. The certification process and test includes the following topics: Overview, Lawn & Landscape, Irrigation, Fertilizer, Pesticides. The training also includes a pre-instruction test and a post-instruction test which is identical to the pretest. It can be taken in person (price varies but normally under $30) or can be taken online or by DVD  the online test costs $15. A passing grade is 75 percent which means that the test taker could get every single "Fertilizer" or every single "lawn and landscape" related question on the test wrong and still pass the test. In as much, the certification process is certainly not the only thing local governments should depend upon for protection from fertilizer pollution when water bodies are at risk.

Most relevant to any discussion regarding urban fertilizer management is the fact that you could have a Ph.D. in urban fertilizer and still be at the mercy of our South Florida downpours. No matter who applies fertilizer during the rainy season, the product is likely to be washed down the storm drain before it can be utilized by the landscape plant which is exactly the reason for the broadly accepted and implemented rainy season application bans along South Florida's gulf coast and the Indian River Lagoon.

There are very good reasons to focus on urban fertilizer: 1. Strong ordinances are low-cost alternatives that can make the difference without onerous enforcement measures; 2. Preventing fertilizer pollution is much more cost-effective than taxpayer-funded clean up projects; 3. Strong ordinances have been successful in both reducing the amount of nutrient pollution in at-risk water bodies and maintaining lush Florida landscapes.

This wet winter is a great example of how when it rains, it pours pollution into our waterways. A wet winter may be a surprise, but we know that heavy rains will fall during the summer. It is now time to adopt strong fertilizer management practices that will lead professionals and citizens alike to more wisely manage residential fertilizer all year long, no matter the weather.

Cris Costello

Sierra Club Senior Regional Organizing Representative
A Muspa village model on display at the Marco Island Historical Museum shows patrons what the tribe communities could have looked like. Patrick Riley/Staff

SHARE FILE - In this Wednesday, May 14, 2014 file photo, a customer walks toward the entrance to a Walgreens store, in Boston. Walgreen on Monday, Dec. 8, 2014 announced it is testing a new telemedicine service that lets patients see a doctor without leaving home or even visiting any of the drugstore chain's clinics. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) A life-size replica of an ancient Calusa village shows museum visitors different scenes from the Indiansa daily life. Patrick Riley/Staff

1. Museum making history

The Marco Island Historical Museum may soon have a room with only one peer in the county: The Baker Museum of Art in Naples.

It also hopes to have for that room a loaned trove of artifacts that came from its own shores: A good collection of the some 2,000 artifacts excavated on Marco by Frank Hamilton Cushing in 1896, to reveal a totally unknown Native American culture, the Calusa Indians.

And finally, it will certainly will have something few, if any, museums around the country have: A historical narrative done on its outside walls, literally doors and windows to history.

The museum's board and staff are so excited about this trio of events it is opening the museum 3-5 p.m., Sunday, to explain their "Windows and Doors to History" project and what it is doing for the museum. The organization is well on its way to the $1.2 million it needs to upgrade the security of the special room that would house the artifacts and, if possible, the priceless statue of the half-feline, half-human Key Marco cat.

The museum, working within the department of Collier County Museums, has applied for loans for the historical objects from at least three different museums that hold them, and will submit approvals, as they receive them, to the board of county commissioners.

But in the meantime, they are finishing what may be the most colorful one of their projects. The installation of artist-created scenes depicting the history of Marco Island.  Harriett Heithaus/Staff

Staff and historical society members will be available to talk Sunday with visitors, and the event is open to the public:

Where: Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island

When: 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Phone: 239-642-1440 or 239-389-6447

2. Breakthrough: Scientists detect Einstein's gravity ripples

In an announcement that electrified the world of astronomy, scientists said Thursday that they have finally detected gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted a century ago.

Some scientists likened the breakthrough to the moment Galileo took up a telescope to look at the planets.

The discovery of these waves, created by violent collisions of massive celestial objects, excites astronomers because it opens the door to a new way of observing the cosmos. For them, it's like turning a silent movie into a talkie because these waves are the soundtrack of the universe.

"Until this moment we had our eyes on the sky and we couldn't hear the music," said Columbia University astrophysicist Szabolcs Marka, a member of the discovery team. "The skies will never be the same."

An all-star international team of astrophysicists used a newly upgraded and excruciatingly sensitive $1.1 billion set of twin instruments known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, to detect a gravitational wave from the crash of two black holes 1.3 billion light-years from Earth.

3. Walgreens rolls out drug disposal kiosks at 500 stores

Walgreens is installing medication disposal kiosks in more than 500 drugstores across the U.S. in an effort to combat prescription drug abuse.

The initiative will allow for the safe disposal of unwanted and expired medications, including opioids and other controlled substances, ensuring the drugs are not misused. The installation of kiosks began in California and will expand to 39 states this year.

Most of the kiosk locations will be at 24-hour Walgreens stores, the Chicago-area company said.

An estimated 6.5 million Americans misused a prescription drug in 2014, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths, including prescription and illegal drugs, during the same year.

Improper disposal of medications may have environmental implications, with the Environmental Protection Agency recommending pharmaceutical take-back collection programs over flushing or other methods. Studies have found, for example, fish absorbing enough antidepressants in waterways to affect their behavior.

Walgreens also said it will make naloxone available without a prescription at more than 5,800 of its drugstores this year. Naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of heroin or other opioids in the event of an overdose. The medication became available last week at Walgreens pharmacies in New York, and will roll out to Indiana and Ohio stores this month.
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By Leslie Williams Hale

When times were good in Southwest Florida, substitute teaching was a lucrative part-time gig.

It's still nice work, if you can get it, but tough economic times have placed substitute jobs in such heavy demand that Lee County residents who once made full-time work of substitute teaching are struggling to get calls.

"Three years ago, the story would have been that we were short 100 teachers every day," said Lee County Schools Superintendent James Browder. "Then, there was no unemployment, times were good and you couldn't find anybody who would work for $100 a day."

The Lee County School District has a list of 1,200 active substitute teachers, and has been using an average of 240 of them each day this year, said district spokesman Joe Donzelli.

That is a reduction from last year, said Marvin Goetz, president of the Lee County Association of Substitute Teachers. At the organization's January meeting, he addressed the uptick in substitutes looking for work, encouraging the members to expand the schools they are willing to work in. Many substitute teachers keep a short list of two or three schools where they will work, like Karen Leskin.

Leskin, who has been a substitute since her youngest child entered kindergarten five years ago, said she hasn't suffered by keeping her list short, though.

"With subs, it's almost like you have to be around more to get more work," she said. "I personally get more calls from teachers than the computer."

In Lee County, a computerized system is used to contact substitute teachers when a regular teacher calls in sick. In many cases, teachers who are planning absences request specific substitutes or even approach them personally to ask that they fill in.

Leskin mainly tries to stick to Bonita Springs Middle School, where her seventh-grader attends, and a couple of other schools in the area. She said she gets about three calls a week ? enough to keep her busy.

Liz Stanforth wishes she was so lucky.

Stanforth, who has worked as a substitute in Lee County schools for seven years, said she used to get four to five calls a week. Her last job, a long-term substitute assignment at Lehigh Acres Middle School, ended at the start of January. Stanforth, who has been looking for a permanent job as a teacher for several years, said she went the entire month of November with no calls until the phone rang Nov. 17.

"The day before, I was on my knees saying, ?Please, God, don't let any teachers get sick for this, but let me get a job,'" she said. "The next day I got a call."

Substitutes like Stanforth said they noticed their work starting to dry up about a year ago, coinciding with the steady drop in the markets and rise in unemployment. Because of the influx of applicants to the district's substitute teacher list, the district was forced to freeze the application process about eight months ago, said Browder.

"A lot of people left us and went to real estate and mortgage jobs," said Browder. "Those are the same people that are looking for jobs now."

The situation is vastly different in Collier County, though, where a change in the application process has weeded out some candidates.

Debbie Terry, director of instructional staffing and recruiting for the Collier County School District, said Collier had a glut of substitute teachers last year. This year, the district upgraded its requirements for guest, or substitute, teachers, requiring them to have at least an associate's degree instead of a high school diploma.

"We haven't had as many (substitutes) this year as we have had in the last couple of years," she said.

Terry said the district made the change because officials believe if a teacher is going to be out, a guest teacher should be someone who would be able to continue the students' education.

"We wanted people in there who could go in, follow a lesson plan and allow the education to continue," she said. "We want high quality personnel educating our students at all times."

She added that all of the district's Title I schools, which are the schools with a great percentage of children living in poverty, require substitutes to have an associate's degree.

Substitutes in Lee County, if they do not have an associate's degree, four years of teaching experience or a professional substitute certificate, are required to have a high school diploma and be in the process of completing at least 60 college credits.

But still, in Lee County the situation could become more extreme if the district is forced to make layoffs this year, which Browder said was likely to happen if the district has to make an expected $40 million to $50 million in cuts. He warned the School Board at a Jan. 6 meeting that it could translate to 400 job cuts in the district.

At the Jan. 20 substitute teachers association meeting, Goetz warned the 50 or so attendees what that might mean for them.

"Please keep in mind those 400 teachers that get laid off are going to slide over into the sub category and they'll probably get first priority," said Goetz.

Browder has said the cuts will be spread out evenly, so not every position cut would be in the classroom.

But for now, many of those teachers are working whatever hours they can and avoiding taking time off, most observers say.

"At a lot of the schools, the teachers are not being gone," said substitute teacher Linda Carter. "They're not taking absences. They'll lose their jobs."

Each school receives a budget for paying substitutes, and Goetz said he thinks schools are rationing that money very carefully. Some substitutes, like Carter, say they think schools are avoiding hiring teachers with higher education degrees because those substitutes are eligible for higher pay.

The lowest pay rate is $80 a day. At the other end of the spectrum, teachers with a bachelor's degree or higher or with 10 years of public education work experience can make $108 a day. Long-term subs make $135 a day in Lee County.

"If I had a master's degree I'd take a job at the lower pay because jobs are tight," said Carter, who said she is one credit shy of earning an associate's degree. "I would love to get four or five calls a week like I was last year. It is the slowest, and I see it getting worse."

Staff writer Katherine Albers contributed to this report.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. The mosquito is a vector for the proliferation of the Zika virus currently spreading throughout Latin America. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

By Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News

Two more cases of travel-related Zika virus have been confirmed, bringing the statewide number to 20, according to the Florida Department of Health on Friday.

The two new cases were found in Alachua County, where Gainesville is located, and Broward County. The states public health emergency spans eight counties, including Lee County which has three travel-related Zika cases.

All of the cases are travel-related, where the infected individuals had traveled out of the country and were diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus after their return.

About one in five people infected become symptomatic, which generally involves a low-grade fever, rash and joint pain. Pregnant women are at risk if their unborn babies are exposed to the virus, which can lead to birth defects.

U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Bonita Springs, has filed legislation to fight the Zika virus with federal research dollars and by using money allocated for Ebola.

Specifically, Clawsons bill would provide a 10-percent tax credit to any company for qualified research toward development of a vaccine for Zika and he calls for reauthorizing $200 million over 5 years for mosquito control programs, according to the measure.

A third component of his measure would take excess money for Ebola that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has and direct it to the Zika response.

The explosive spread of this mosquito-borne virus, exacerbated by a lack of vaccines and reliable diagnostic tests, must be curbed utilizing every tool at our disposal in a coordinated international response, Clawson, a dengue fever survivor, said in a press release.

Given the tropical nature of Southwest Floridas Gulf Coast, my district is highly susceptible to an outbreak, with 20 travel-related cases already reported in the state of Florida. The Aedes aegypti species of mosquito, the main carrier of the virus, is widely found in Florida. The Zika virus is sneaking up on us and were not paying enough attention. If we deal with it prior to an outbreak we will be much better off.

The state health department encourages residents to drain standing water in any containers, which is the breeding source for mosquitoes; cover exposed skin with long-sleeved shirts and pants, and to wear mosquito repellent outdoors.

For more information, go to www.FloridaHealth.gov
An Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. The mosquito is a vector for the proliferation of the Zika virus currently spreading throughout Latin America. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

By Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News

State public health officials report a new case of travel-related Zika virus in Lee County for a total of three cases in Lee and 18 statewide.

No cases have been identified in Collier County but clinicians at walk-in centers and hospitals are watching for suspected cases in order to alert the state Department of Health.

Lee Memorial Health System directors were briefed Thursday about the mosquito-borne virus that causes mild symptoms of low-grade fever in about 20 percent of people who become infected.

The bigger concern is preventing pregnant women from getting infected because Zika in Brazil is linked to severe birth defects in newborns with small heads and potentially incomplete brain development.

Lee Memorial saw one patient with Zika and a blood sample was sent to the state health department with results in five days, Dr. Mary Beth Saunders, a medical epidemiologist, told the board.

"The patient, luckily, is recovering very well," she said.

Saunders declined to say when the patient came into the system, whether through an emergency room or doctor's office, because of patient privacy.

The hospital system is following directives from the state health department in Lee, which gets its guidance from state health officials in Tallahassee and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, said Steve Streed, a hospital epidemiologist.

The hospital's technology department has a tool which prompts clinicians to get a travel history of patients, which is the best means now for screening, he said. The tool was put in place for Ebola two years ago.

What's also critical is Lee County Mosquito Control's program for eliminating mosquitoes. Saunders said.

Clinicians at the NCH Healthcare System are in daily contact with the Collier health department and are tracking guideline revisions from the CDC as more information about Zika is gathered, said Georgine Kruedelbach, director of infection prevention and control for NCH.

All patients who register for medical treatment are asked about travel history and the health department is contacted if someone who traveled to an affected country has symptoms. That way, a blood draw can be sent to a state lab for Zika testing, she said.

"We had one patient who came into the emergency department who had traveled but did not meet the criteria to have the Zika virus test," she said. "We don't decide to conduct the test. The health department makes that decision, but the patient did not meet the criteria."

The CDC's list of countries for the travel history has expanded, which broadly involves Latin America, and the patients are asked about their travel over the last 21 days, Kruedelbach said.

"It is a really fluid situation right now," she said.

Gov. Rick Scott ordered a public health emergency last week, now in effect in Lee and six other counties, and he received 950 extra Zika antibody tests from the CDC.

He also directed the state to purchase 4,000 tests for active Zika virus, which brings the statewide capacity to 5,104 people for active virus and 1,418 for Zika antibodies.

The key prevention message is avoiding mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved clothing, using repellent and removing standing water in containers where the mosquito species that carries Zika prefers to breed. The carrier mosquito does not breed in water in ditches, according to mosquito control officials.

The state health department does believe a "point of entry" for detecting infected patients will be urgent care centers and emergency rooms, Kruedelbach, with NCH, said.

Marti Van Veen, spokeswoman for Physicians Regional Health System in Collier, said the hospitals are following the CDC's directives on identifying potential Zika in patients.

"Our providers will perform a travel history, and if symptoms are consistent with Zika and the patient has traveled to an affected area, we will work with state and local health departments as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," she said in an email.

The catch is that symptoms are mild, consisting of fever, rash and joint pain, so patients don't often recognize they are ill and seek care.

"We are continuing to monitor the CDC's recommendations and updates as we know this is a quickly evolving situation," Van Veen said.

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CDC sends Florida 950 kits to test for Zika virus antibodies

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Two cases of travel-related Zika virus reported in Lee County

Zika virus not a threat to SWFL  yet

Infographic: Zika virus locations, symptoms

3 in Florida have Zika virus after visiting South America
By Melhor Leonor of the Naples Daily News

Signs reading, "We say no to Charter Schools USA" were scattered throughout the room as developers of a charter school planned for Golden Gate Estates promised residents they didn't scope out their neighborhood to damage their way of life.

The meeting Thursday was the second time residents and the developers gathered since news surfaced that the charter school was planned for Immokalee Road and Eighth Street Northwest. Collier Charter Academy would be Collier's sixth operating charter school.

Some residents continued to protest the location of the building, arguing that the 65,000-square-foot facility doesn't belong in the rural area.

Some also expressed frustration over a development process that doesn't require their approval.

"You should not be given the same allowances as a (traditional public school)," said area resident Bob Dorta.

Because charter schools are considered public under Florida statutes, the area's land code does not require conditional use permits to build on the land. In contrast, private developments would need to come before the Collier County commissioners to seek approval.

Ryan Cos., the developer, fielded questions from residents for more than an hour.

Developers are proposing to build access to the school on Immokalee Road, which does not exist right now. The only way to access the parcel is through 25th Avenue Northwest  the road that would carry construction traffic to the site until access from Immokalee Road is built.

Residents living along the street protested the traffic on 25th Avenue Northwest, a residential road, and expressed concerns about safety of passers-by and the impact on traffic.

Developers promised to pay for an off-duty police officer to monitor traffic along the road until the bridge is built. Developers wouldn't agree to halt construction until the bridge is built because it would impact their timeline.

A representative of Charter Schools USA said they plan to be ready to start classes Aug. 15. Construction has not yet started.

The location would make it the only charter school in Collier County located in the eastern part, excluding a charter school in Immokalee.

One mother in the audience said she wants the school because she now drives 30 minutes to drop off her daughter at a charter school on Airport Road South. Another mother of two, Pamela Moncada, said she hopes to enroll her children at Collier Charter Academy.

"We moved here from New York where my kids were in a charter school, and they were doing well," Moncada said.

Other residents Thursday, who protested the school, simply expressed frustration at how suddenly a company from outside the county moved into their rural area.

"I don't know you from jump street, partner. You snuck into our neighborhood," said area resident Craig Wood.
SHARE Holocaust survivor Rena Finder speaks in front of a crowd of over 450 people at Chabad Naples on Thursday, February 11, 2016. (Scott McIntyre/Staff) Holocaust survivor Rena Finder, center, chats with Russell and Diana Rosen, right, and Kelsey Scobee before she spoke in front of a crowd of over 450 people at Chabad Naples on Thursday, February 11, 2016. (Scott McIntyre/Staff)

By Maria Perez of the Naples Daily News

When Rena Finder was a child, she and her family were sent to Krakow's crowded ghetto after the Nazis invaded Poland.

Three years later she was taken to the AuschwitzBirkenau concentration and extermination camp, where millions of Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

Finder survived it all.

Thursday night, Finder, one of the roughly 1,200 survivors rescued by Oskar Schindler, told her story to more than 400 people gathered at Chadbad Naples.

"It's quite an honor to have so many people show up," said Finder, now 86.

She spoke about how, at 10 years old, she became an enemy of the state because of her religion. She talked about her family leaving their apartment in Krakow and moving to the ghetto with the few belongings they were allowed to take.

She spoke about survival.

Decades later, she said, it's still difficult to speak about what she went through.

"It is very painful," she said. "It makes me feel that I am where I was."

But she thinks it's necessary. She wants the younger generations to remember the Holocaust so nothing like it ever happens again. And, she said, there are not many chances to hear a first-hand account of an Auschwitz survivor.

"I am one of the few left," she said.

Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, who organized the event, said he was happy so many people wanted to hear to Finder speak. They had a waiting list of 500 people, he said. Audience members came from all walks of life.

"We welcome them all, so they can hear this story," he said.

Gary Indianer attended the event with his wife, Adi Indianer. They said they wanted to know what Finder had gone through. They had never heard from a survivor.

"We think it's important to never forget," he said.

Robert Berman attended Finder's presentation because he hadn't heard a testimony like it before.

"It's such a magnificent story," he said. "It's a miracle, absolutely a miracle."

At the event Finder received a proclamation from Naples City Councilman Bill Barnett. She said she was just happy to be in front of the audience.

"So many years went by," she said, "when no one wanted to listen."
Wrinkles the Clown has been spotted around Southwest Florida since late 2014 at fairs and Halloween parties. Local filmmaker Cary Longchamps said he is planning a documentary in an attempt to reveal the man behind the mask. (Source: YouTube)

SHARE Cary Longchamps In this file photo, Cary Longchamps, a volunteer at the Baker Museum, is dressed as a clown for community day at Artis-Naples on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. (Samuel Wilson/Staff) Wrinkles the Clown has been spotted around Southwest Florida since late 2014 at fairs and Halloween parties. Local filmmaker Cary Longchamps said he is planning a documentary in an attempt to reveal the man behind the mask. (Source: YouTube) The duplex filmmaker Cary Longchamps rents off Bayshore Drive in East Naples. The bush in front of the front window appears to be the same bush in a Wrinkles video from June 2015. Note the white security camera in the window. The reflection of that camera can be seen in the Wrinkles video. (Ryan Mills/Staff)

By Ryan Mills of the Naples Daily News

Wearing a white mask and a red-and-white polka dot jumpsuit, Wrinkles the Clown stood motionless in front of an East Naples duplex before stealing the balloons tied to the mailbox for a little girl's birthday party.

The creepy display was caught on security video, shared June 20 on a Web page dedicated to all things Wrinkles.

In tony Naples, where streetscapes are perfectly manicured, powerful CEOs live out their golden years and downtown is known for high-end restaurants and boutiques, there is a cranky, 65-year-old clown walking around in public, at times scaring kids. At least that's the story told about the character known as Wrinkles.

Over the past year or so, tales of Wrinkles stalking local fairs and popping up outside people's windows have gone national.

First the Palm Beach Post wrote a story about him. The Washington Post wrote two. Jimmy Fallon and James Corden have joked about him on their television talk shows. He was the subject of a question on National Public Radio's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me." He's been featured in the Huffington Post.

Now local aspiring filmmaker Cary Longchamps is trying to raise $45,000 through a Kickstarter campaign for a documentary about Wrinkles. But there is evidence the story of Wrinkles may be just that, a story, the creation of a few creative minds in on the Wrinkles joke, like Longchamps and his friends.

What is known is there is little evidence Wrinkles has ever been "the talk of Naples," as media put it last week. Law enforcement in Fort Myers, Naples, Collier County and Lee County say they've never received complaints about an old guy dressed in a clown outfit and creepy mask stalking neighborhoods, stealing things, walking the streets or scaring local kids. And members of the Naples clowning community  the people who keep tabs on this kind of thing (and yes, there is a clown community)  haven't heard of him.

"I've never seen him," said Jackie Nolder, a former Collier deputy who has been performing around town as Melody Merrymaker for 28 years. "Everybody wants to go viral. I think that's what somebody's done."

Ask Longchamps, and he plays it straight: A purveyor in oddities, horror and fetish art, he said he grew interested in Wrinkles only after seeing photos of him online.

But what about the evidence that at least one of the submitted Wrinkles videos, the security camera footage that purports to capture the clown stealing a girl's balloons, was filmed in front of Longchamp's East Naples duplex?

And then there's this. In the days before the first Wrinkles photos appeared on Longchamp's social media pages in 2014, Longchamps appeared as a clown at an Artis  Naples Community Day event wearing what appears to be Wrinkles' red-and-white polka dot clown jumpsuit. C'mon, Cary Longchamps. What gives?

"Wrinkles is Wrinkles," he said. "I'm Cary Longchamps."

***

To the uninitiated, Wrinkles is a ghoulish clown in a white mask with a wide red frown, black patches for eyes and a receding hairline. There are photos and videos of him lurking outside people's windows, stalking local festivals, and even dancing at bars.

This is not the kind of behavior most clowns condone.

Pam Moody thinks it does a disservice to her art. Moody, who performs in Iowa as Sparky the Clown and is the vice president of the World Clown Association, had never heard of Wrinkles. "Don't say you're a clown," she said when asked about him. "You're a person in a scary costume scaring the crap out of people."

One of the first Wrinkles "sightings" is one of the creepiest, and that's saying a lot.

Grainy security camera footage shows a little girl who, so the caption says, is sleeping on a trundle bed in Sarasota. Slowly, the drawer under the bed opens to reveal Wrinkles. He doesn't disturb the girl. Rather, he places a stuffed animal on her bed.

He then turns his crazy clown gaze to the camera and reaches for it. The video goes to static.

A description of the video says it was shot in June 2013, but not published to YouTube until Nov. 8, 2014. It gives two explanations. The first: a local homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, captured the video, and has no idea how the clown got in or under his daughter's bed.

Surely someone called the cops on this psycho clown guy under their daughter's bed?

"I have nothing," Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kaitlyn Johnston said. "I spoke with my Captain. He would have remembered something like this. And we also searched our database of crime reports and things like that, and we have nothing on this incident."

The second explanation, which the writer says is offered from Wrinkles himself: He was hired to do this to "strike fear into a misbehaving child."

***

Cary Longchamps has spent most of his 39 years on this Earth in Naples, but he takes every chance he can get to get away. He enjoys exploring abandoned towns, empty prisons and mental hospitals, where he shoots video for his side business, Anomalous Curiosities, which sells stock footage of "anything weird and curious," according to his website.

"This town is boring," Longchamps said in a phone interview with the Daily News (he turned down a request for a face-to-face interview.). "If you're not down at Larry's getting hammered every night, or at the beach or at the mall, there's nothing to do here."

The Anomalous Facebook page is littered with photos of doll parts, medical oddities and horror-themed memes. It also seems to have the first documented post about Wrinkles; a photo of him outside a sleeping man's bedroom on Oct. 26, 2014.

Longchamps posted two more photos of Wrinkles creeping outside of windows days later, on Oct. 28 and Nov. 1. About a week later, he set up a Google+ page tagged HvUSeen Wrinkles. Longchamps also maintains Instagram and Twitter pages, all to document Wrinkles.

"I didn't meet him until after the whole Google+ page," Longchamps said of Wrinkles. "His picture started showing up online and I was fascinated by it."

The Wrinkles sightings came on the heels of similarly creepy clowns in 2014 showing up on streets, front porches and security footage across the country, from California to Jacksonville.

Shortly after the Wrinkles sites surfaced, local photographer Krislin Kreis  and longtime Longchamps collaborator  just happened to spot the clown at the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church fair. She snapped a photo of the paunchy clown waving to her in front of the Silver Streak. She got closer with a shot of a sad looking Wrinkles across the carousel. She snapped another shot by the Berry Go Round.

"He made for a very good photo subject," Kreis said. "I just showed up because I wanted to do a photo project with the fair. It was interesting. I didn't expect to see a clown there."

Longchamps reported additional Wrinkles sightings over the next few months, including a photo of him at the Collier County fair, a video of him next to a trash bin in Naples and a video of him waving on the side of U.S. 41 in Fort Myers.

The Wrinkles legend really blew up last November, after NBC-2 tracked him down in North Naples' Victoria Park on Halloween.

"People pay me to go scare their friends. People pay me to go dance at their parties, bar mitzvahs and what not," the clown said in a thick  almost too thick and sometimes inconsistent  Northeast accent during the interview. "Ever since these kids put me on the Internet my phone rings nonstop. It's ridiculous."

National attention soon followed. Wrinkles told The Washington Post he is a 65-year-old retired transplant from Rhode Island and military veteran. Divorced and without family ties, he moved to Southwest Florida to escape the New England winters and took up the clown shtick to have some fun, the newspaper quoted him as saying.

After the story blew up online, Longchamps said he reached out to Wrinkles about shooting a documentary.

"I started bugging him. I was like, 'You've got to let me film a documentary about you.' He was like 'No, no, no.'" Longchamps said. "It took months, but he agreed."

Earlier this month, Longchamps launched his Kickstarter campaign, hoping to raise $45,000 by March 4. As of Thursday afternoon, he's raised less than $2,000 from 49 people.

***

So what's real?

There have been documented "sightings" of Wrinkles around town, but most people who know anything about him seem only to know him from social media hyped by Longchamps and media coverage based on Longchamps' hype. It's unclear who is actually behind the mask.

Longchamps isn't completely candid when asked about details.

For instance, in the June video claiming to show Wrinkles stealing the birthday girl balloons off her mailbox, Lonchamps said it came from an anonymous East Naples man. But stand in front of Longchamps' duplex near Bayshore Drive, it's so obvious the video was shot in his front yard. The same large bush in front of Longchamps' window is in the video. And the white security camera, seen on video in the window's reflection, is still there today.

Longchamps, after prodding by a reporter, acknowledges the story wasn't true.

"It's called viral marketing, bro," he said.

But he stuck to his guns, insisting that it is, in fact, Wrinkles  not him  in the video.

"I've had the guy over to my house before. Big deal," he said.

OK bro, but what about the photo of you wearing the Wrinkles red-and-white polka dot clown suit in Naples at the community event  the same day you posted the first Wrinkles photo on your Anomalous Facebook page. Longchamps said it's just a coincidence. (Nevermind that a Google search turns up hundreds of stylish, creepy and sometimes cute clown costumes to choose from.)

"This is an art project," Longchamps said. "It's my art project, something I've been working on for a long time."
SHARE

William N. Butler, Naples

Afghanistan

Washington Post columnists, recently reprinted in the Naples Daily News, describe "the new American mindset" regarding Afghanistan as expecting U.S. ground forces to be there "for decades"  said mindset being that of senior military commanders and foreign policy advisers.

This is based on an assumption: that the United States accepts as part of its foreign policy the responsibility for combatting Taliban and al Qaida forces on the ground there.

Does the American public support this policy? Are taxpayers willing to have billions of U.S. dollars spent on this continuing war? Is this what our members of Congress intend? Do the current candidates for president support it? (Perhaps all who do would like to go down to their nearest Army recruiting office, with their children and grandchildren, and all those who are eligible sign up for a hitch?)

It would really be good to hear the candidates of both parties disclose their intentions in this matter. Then the primaries and general election would reveal what the voters want regarding the continuing expenditure of Americans' lives and treasure.
SHARE

Donald Scott, Naples

Disgusted

On Jan. 28 at 10 p.m. as an alternative to election news, I turned to NBC to watch a relatively new program called Shades of Blue. When I saw the lead actor and another man have oral sex, I turned it off.

This is outrageous and the amount of profanity and depictions of actual sex on prime time TV is inexcusable. I do not want my grandchildren to see it. The readers of this newspaper who agree should file a complaint with the FCC at fcc.gov and boycott their advertisers.
SHARE

Angelina Spencer, Naples

We're for Sorey

When endorsing candidates for office, the Greater Naples Better Government Committee (GNBGC) interviews each candidate individually, discusses their qualifications and platforms, and then votes. An endorsement requires a 60 percent majority vote by the interviewers and is not always easy to attain.

For mayor of the city of Naples, GNBGC endorses the incumbent, John Sorey.

Sorey, a former ROTC officer who saw combat in Vietnam, and mayor of Naples for the past four years, works for his constituents and is responsive to voters. He directly answers questions, providing facts, figures and data in support of his actions and ideas.

Sorey feels he still has good work to do for the city of Naples, including completing the Freedom Memorial and Baker Park, maintaining the Naples beaches, rebuilding the City Dock and building an alternative water system.

His civic involvements, such as working with numerous charity organizations and service on many boards, are exemplary and help to make the city of Naples one of the best in the state.

We are proud and pleased that John Sorey has chosen to continue to make a community contribution as mayor, and GNBGC congratulates him on this well-deserved endorsement.
Ryan Frost, senior director of airport operations for the City of Naples Airport Authority, has earned the International Airport Professional designation, awarded jointly by Airports Council International and the International Civil Aviation Organization.



IAP candidates must, within three years, successfully complete six courses on topics including the global air transport system; airport operations, safety and security; airport planning, development and environmental management; and airport commercial and financial management, as well as two electives, in a mix of weeklong classroom training sessions and online modules. Roughly 1,000 executives representing 100 nations have earned the IAP designation through the Global ACI-ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme.



Frost joined the Airport Authority in 2002; he was promoted to director in 2007 and to senior director in December 2015. He is responsible for ensuring that Naples Municipal Airport is in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation regulations and oversees the airports nationally recognized customer service operations, as well as the customs facility, fire and aircraft rescue department and air traffic control tower.



Frost, who came from a family of pilots, began flying at 14 and took his first solo flight at 16. He began his aviation career that year, washing airplanes for a flight school in Lexington, Kentucky. He later worked at Birmingham International Airport in Alabama and spent 10 years with Raytheon Aircraft Services at Tampa International Airport before joining the Naples Airport Authority.



Naples Municipal Airport, a certificated air-carrier airport, is home to flight schools, air charter operators, car rental agencies and corporate aviation and nonaviation businesses as well as fire/rescue services, mosquito control, the Collier County Sheriffs Aviation Unit and other community services.

All funds used for the airports operation, maintenance and improvements are generated from activities at the airport or from federal and state grants; the airport receives no property tax dollars. The Florida Department of Transportation values the airports economic impact to the community at $283.5 million annually. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, the airport accommodated 99,569 takeoffs and landings.



For more information or to subscribe for email updates about the airport, visit www.FlyNaples.com.
Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, a Civil Rights Legend who participated in the 1963 Jackson Woolworth Sit-in, is bringing her stories about the Civil Rights Movement to Barron Collier High School. The community will have an opportunity to see a screening of her documentary, An Ordinary Hero, followed by a Q & A session on Monday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. in the Barron Collier High School Auditorium.

Along with the Jackson Woolworth Sit-in, Mulholland participated in over 50 sitins and protests by the time she was 23 years old. She was a Freedom Rider, helped plan and organized the March on Washington, and helped plan and organize the 1964 Freedom Summer.

For her actions, she was disowned by her family, attacked, shot at, cursed at, put on death row and hunted down by the Ku Klux Klan for execution. Her path has crossed with some of the biggest names in the Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Robert F. Kennedy, John Lewis, Diane Nash, John Salter, and Harry Belafonte, to name a few.

Joan also broke color barriers by being the First WHITE woman to get initiated into the prestigious largest African American Greek Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. It was Gamma Psi Chapter at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. She will be greeted by members of the Collier County Alumnae Chapter and the Collier County Community.

Inspired by Charlayne Hunters (her soror) strength by intentionally enrolling in an all-white university, Joan decided to do likewise and enroll in an all back college. She believed that integration shouldnt be a one-way street: Whites had to make the journey, too. It was at Tougaloo Southern Christian College in Mississippi that she found her first loveDelta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Mulholland has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in the Civil Rights Movement. She was recognized, along with other female Freedom Riders, by President Barack Obama, received Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.s Annual Award of Honor, the Anti-Defamation League Annual Heroes Against Hate Award, and a resolution was passed by her home state of Virginia recognizing her life-long achievements and contributions.
Ally Financial will start offering mortgages and credit cards later this year  a signal that the company remains focused on its growth strategy in the face of a revolt by some shareholders.

The decision to expand into two new  and fiercely competitive  areas of consumer finance is part of an effort by Detroit-based Ally to combine the two pillars of its business. Currently, the company's fast-growing online bank has little customer overlap with its decades-old auto-lending franchise. Ally hopes that its upcoming forays into the mortgage and credit card businesses will allow it to sell more products to both its auto-loan borrowers and its online depositors.

But that strategy will take time to execute, and Ally's shareholders have been growing impatient with the firm's sagging stock price. Shares in Ally have fallen by about 36% since its initial public offering in April 2014, amid investor fears about a bubble in auto lending.

Ally's inaugural investor day, held Thursday, was meant to assuage the concerns of shareholders. But investors seemed unimpressed, as shares in the company were down by nearly 6% late Thursday, outpacing a broader sell-off of banking stocks.

During the four-and-a-half-hour session, Chief Executive Jeffrey Brown suggested that Ally's poor stock performance has been driven by myths, false rumors and short sellers.

Referring to the current stock price, which is currently equal to 63% the book value of the company, he said, "It's unfathomable."

Ally had previously hinted that it was eyeing an expansion into mortgage and credit card lending. Its presentations at Investor Day were meant to convey that it is tiptoeing into the credit card business, and back into the mortgage market, in a low-risk way.

Ally repeatedly made distinctions between its new mortgage strategy and its failed efforts in the home-lending business a decade ago, when the company was known as GMAC. Large losses at GMAC Mortgage were a big reason the company had to be bailed out by the U.S. government in 2008 and 2009.

"This is very different from the GMAC Mortgage of the past," Brown said Thursday.

Starting late this year, Ally expects to originate mortgages directly to its existing customers.

Some of the loans will fit standards set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and will be sold to an unnamed financial partner. Ally will also originate higher-dollar jumbo mortgages, and plans to keep those on its balance sheet. Ally said that it will not service any of the loans.

"We're not doing anything crazy. We'll have very rigorous credit standards, strong controls in place," said Ally Bank CEO Diane Morais.

Ally Bank's credit card is expected to be unveiled in the second quarter. The company released few details about the product, though a presentation for investors described it as a cash-back card. Like Ally's new mortgages, the credit cards will be targeted initially at the company's existing customers.

Ally is wading into the credit card business in a way that limits its risks but also its earnings potential.

The new card will be cobranded with an unnamed company that will issue the product, according to Morais. Over time, Ally will have the option to move the credit card loans onto its own balance sheet, she said.

"The revenue projections are pretty modest for the first few years," Morais acknowledged.

Ally executives faced tough questions from analysts about its strategy in credit cards and mortgages, where the company will face off against experienced, sophisticated competitors.

Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, noted that other online banks have tried to enter the mortgage market and later retreated. Notably, Discover Financial Services decided to leave the home-loan business in 2015, just three years after jumping into it.

But Morais said that Ally's decision to enter the mortgage market is well-considered. She argued that some financial firms exited the mortgage business in recent years because of the large costs of updating systems in order to comply with new disclosure rules, which are now in effect.

Another analyst, Kenneth Bruce of Bank of America, questioned Ally's decision to outsource key parts of its two new business lines to other companies. He wondered whether that move will result in less-satisfied customers, since strong customer service has been a big factor in Ally Bank's success.

"Quite frankly, I feel like it's quite a big departure," Bruce said.

Morais responded that Ally gave careful consideration to customer service when it chose its partners in both the credit card business and the mortgage industry. She said that Ally wants to keep as much control as possible over the customer experience.

"And in both instances, we feel like we've been able to do that," she said.

Ally is scheduled to hold its annual meeting on May 3. Unless a compromise can be reached before then, the company faces a showdown with Lion Point Capital, a hedge fund shareholder that has proposed two candidates for election to Ally's board.

Lion Point is the public face of a group of shareholders pressuring management to outline plans for boosting its stock price and, eventually, returning more capital to shareholders.

In December, Lion Point asked Ally's board to set up a committee that would explore the firm's sale, but Ally rejected that idea.
(As delivered)

I am glad to be back in Munich.

The Munich Security Conference is an important platform for debate and dialogue.

And this is especially important now when we are faced with a new and more demanding and challenging security environment.

And Im coming directly from Brussels where we, yesterday and during the two days of ministerial meeting of the NATO Defence Ministers, made many important decisions addressing how we respond. We decided to increase the military presence of NATO forces in the eastern part of the Alliance. That will be multinational forces. They will be there and they will also do exercises and increase our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.

In this context I very much welcome the announcement of the plans of the US to significantly increase its military presence in Europe. With more troops, with prepositioning of heavy equipment, with more exercises, with investment in critical infrastructure.

And I think this signals a very strong unity in the Alliance, the strong transatlantic bond in the NATO Alliance.

Then we also decided yesterday to assist with the migrant and refugee crisis in Europe. This is the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War Two. We will send our standing maritime group to the Aegean. We will increase monitoring and surveillance along the Turkish-Syrian border. This is not about sending back the boats but it is about NATO helping our Allies, Greece, Turkey and the European Union to better cope with the migrant and refugee crisis. And we will do so by providing critical information, surveillance, monitoring, so we can better coordinate the efforts, so we can better enable all the different authorities, which are addressing the migrant and refugee crisis, to better cope with the situation.

The migrant and refugee crisis in Europe is mainly fueled by the war in Syria. And therefore I welcome very much the agreement that was reached here in Munich late last night. The important thing now is of course the implementation, that we see that this agreement is translated into realities on the ground.

At the same time I think that its very important that we remember that we have to stay focused on the fight against ISIL.

The importance of degrading and destroying ISIL, our common enemy.

So Im looking forward to discussing these and many other issues during my stay here at the Munich Security Conference today and tomorrow.

Q: Your message here today?

My message is that we will welcome a more constructive role of Russia in the fight against ISIL. So far Russia has manly targeted opposition groups and not ISIL and the intense airstrikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated peaceful solution. But I welcome the agreement reached here yesterday evening. The important thing now is to see this agreements full implementation on the ground.

Q: Comment on ceasefire agreed for Syria?

Weve seen before that ceasefires are not always respected. At the same time, we all have to do whatever we can to support the renewed efforts to find a negotiated peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria. What we need is a lasting ceasefire, we need help to the civilians, a politically negotiated solution and of course, an agreement on transition which can create a lasting peaceful solution to conflict.

Q: Situation in Ukraine?

Ukraine will be on the agenda and of course we are very focused on how we can continue to supporting the efforts to the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements. Thats about respecting the ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and allowing international monitors full access to the area so they can monitor and make sure Minsk is implemented. Of course it is also about making sure that Ukraine regains full control of its international borders, including that with Russia.

Q: Role for Kurds in solution for Syria crisis?

The important thing now is to do whatever we can and support the efforts to try find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. In this context I welcome the agreement last night. We all have to support, try to do whatever we can to make sure it is turned into reality. Kurds are part of the conflict in Syria, but also in Iraq, and therefore they should also be part of the solution. Thats why all parties need to contribute to a negotiated solution in Syria.

Q: NATO increased presence in the Eastern part of the Alliance - challenge to Russia?

This is a decision taken by 28 Allies. We are responding to a pattern of behaviour which weve seen from the Russian side overs several years. A more assertive Russia, which is investing heavily in defence, which is conducting snap exercises and which has used military force to change borders in Europe. What NATO does is to respond to that. We do that in a proportionate, defensive way, and fully in line with our international commitments. If NATO hadnt responded, it would have been a reason to criticise us. Because NATO has to adapt when the world is changing. And this is what we do now.
Antidepressant use skyrocketing, despite lack of long-term safety evidence

(NaturalNews) You might think that because they have "anti" in their name that they combat depression and make everything better. But a new review published in the(BMJ) found that, among all age groups, antidepressant drugs actually increase the risk of aggressive behavior and suicide, especially in users under age 18.A comprehensive assessment of 70 different trials looking at the safety and effectiveness of the most common antidepressant drugs on the market today, revealed that, despite what drug manufacturers often claim , antidepressants are exceptionally high-risk. Individuals under the age of 18 who take them have a doubled risk of suicide, the actual data shows, though you'd be hard-pressed to find this information in the popular media.The reason for this is that drug manufacturers have obscured the most incriminating data from regulatory purview, which has resulted in a "serious underestimation of the harms" associated with these popular drugs. Many users and their family members have reported erratic and often violent behavior associated with antidepressants drugs , and evidence continues to mount suggesting that depression sufferers are likely better off just skipping the drugs altogether."Antidepressants don't work in children, that is pretty clear," maintains Professor Peter Gotzsche, lead author of the study, from the Nordic Cochrane Centre. "In the randomized trials, children say that they don't work for them, but they increase their risk of suicide."Commenting on the drug industry's tendency to hide unfavorable data that reflects badly on its chemical potions , Prof. Gotzsche stated publicly that what's taking place in the name of treating depression these days is unsettling, echoing the sentiment of outside experts who have also commented that the findings are "deeply worrying." Prof. Gotzsche also expressed disgust over the complete lack of concern within the drug industry over what these drugs are doing to people, especially children."What I get out of this colossal under-reporting of suicides is that [antidepressants] likely increase suicides in all ages," he stated. "It is absolutely horrendous that they have such disregard for human lives."Many of the highly-publicized mass shootings that have taken place in recent years have been linked to antidepressant use , which from a purely observational perspective, suggests that such drugs aren't exactly safe. Drug companies tend to downplay these and other horrific side effects , though such information is present in the fine print of drug package inserts.But many doctors don't disclose these side effects to their patients, and the consequence of this is nothing short of disastrous. Antidepressant use continues to skyrocket among Western countries, with Iceland currently holding the title for the most antidepressant prescriptions of any country in the world. Also up there on the list is Australia, Portugal, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom."People in the UK are consuming more than four times as many antidepressants as they did two decades ago," says Dr. Joanna Moncrieff from University College London, noting that about four million Britons currently take antidepressant drugs daily  about twice the number compared to 10 years ago."Despite this, we still do not fully understand the effects of these drugs ," she adds, as quoted byOne way that drug companies are obscuring antidepressant-induced suicides is by misreporting them as "emotional instability" or "worsening of depression," as if such behavioral changes would have occurred regardless of whether or not the patient took an antidepressant. Drug giant Eli Lilly is one such offending company that removed drug-induced suicides and attempted suicides in some 90 percent of its trials."The analysis suggests that clinical study reports, on which decisions about market authorization are based, are likely to underestimate the extent of drug related harms," added Dr. Tarang Sharma, also of the Nordic Cochrane Centre.
Daily challenges of living in a Wi-Fi world with EHS

The link between Wi-Fi and cancer

Plants, pets also impacted by dangers of Wi-Fi radiation

(NaturalNews) Most people go about their day without thinking twice about possible health effects that may be caused by the Wi-Fi radiation that surrounds them. The majority of us can shop, work and engage in hobbies with ease.However, that's not the case for 63-year-old Mary Coales. She represents just one person among a growing number of people who are recognizing the detrimental health effects caused by Wi-Fi radiation.The Britain resident says she suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity intolerance syndrome (EHS), in which she experiences pain when she's in Wi-Fi environments. The pain is so intense that she wears a special shirt over her regular clothing that's designed to help protect against the dangerous waves. "At its worst," Coales says, "it has felt like I'm being tasered inside my mouth."She explains how she must wait outside of buildings for appointments until the last minute when she's called in, that trips to the supermarket are extremely quick and that she even avoids movie theaters, restaurants and airports - most of the things the average person does day in and day out - due to the pain she experiences."I've had to change my entire life to find ways to avoid being exposed to Wi-Fi and phone signals," she says. "Wi-Fi is everywhere now, so it's very difficult to avoid. It's even more difficult to avoid people with mobile phones."The notion of health hazards cause by Wi-Fi radiation seem to be all over the board. Some argue that there's no cause for concern, while others say there should be.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example, notes that no scientific evidence exists to prove that cellphone use can cause cancer. They do mention, however, that they use radio frequencies (RF) which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified as a "possible human carcinogen." Laptops, routers and the like have also been linked to cancer and other conditions or ailments.So, which way is it?Many people beyond Coales are adamant that the link between Wi-Fi radiation and ill health is irrefutable.Ethan Wyman, a young New Zealand boy, was diagnosed with brain tumors just three months after he was given an iPod with a Wi-Fi connection. His parents, who later discovered that their child was sleeping with the iPod under his pillow, are demanding that the school Ethan attended rid their classrooms of Wi-Fi now that they're convinced of the harm it causes. Ethan ended up dying less than a year after his diagnosis.In the United States, where over 90 percent of adults own cellphones, Diane Schou made a significant lifestyle change to escape the problems she encountered with electronic radiation.She moved from her hometown in Iowa to Green Bank, West Virginia where Wi-Fi is actually banned. The area's been dubbed a kind of haven for those like her who have suffered from the effects of Wi-Fi sensitivity."I used to be sick all the time when I lived in Iowa. I was in constant pain. If anyone came near me with a cellphone or a device with Wi-Fi I would be in agony," Schou says. "But since I've moved to Green Banks the illnesses have cleared up."It's not just people that are impacted by Wi-Fi radiation, either.Ninth graders in Denmark conducted an experiment in which they planted seeds, some near routers that gave off about the same amount of radiation as a cellphone, others in a different room away from routers. The shocking results? Ones planted near routers didn't grow. The other ones thrived.Pets, too, can be impacted.Deborah Cooney, a former San Diego, CA resident who moved to Green Bank after a Wi-Fi meter was installed near her home, says that her cat was bothered by Wi-Fi. She explains that "Mimi went from being a typical house cat to one that would never stay home and eventually she ran away and never came back."Sources for this article include:(1) http://www.dailymail.co.uk (2) http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/cell_phones._FAQ.html (3) http://au.ibtimes.com (4) http://www.pewresearch.org (5) http://www.dailymail.co.uk (6) http://www.globalresearch.ca
Reprogramming targeted gene has a cascade effect that manifests over time

Regulatory paradigm for GMOs inherently flawed; current safety testing ignores how genes actually express themselves

(NaturalNews) A basic premise of the official biotechnology narrative is that genetically-modified (GM) food crops contain genes that affect only specific proteins in isolation, and that the rest of the organism functions as normal and is substantially equivalent to its natural counterpart. But this is hardly the case, as the genetic blueprints of individual organisms are vastly complex and operate from a basis of interconnectedness rather than specificity, as is claimed by the biotech industry.An extensive, four-year research effort pioneered by the United States National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) proved this back in 2007, demonstrating that individual genes function much like the individual load-bearing beams in a house or other structure. Each one relies on all the others to hold the building up and keep it from collapsing - or in the case of organisms, to keep them functioning as they should.Swapping out a gene or reprogramming it to perform another function, in other words, not only affects the so-called "targeted" gene or protein, but also all the other genes and proteins and how they express themselves. This means that changing just one facet of an organism could end up changing the entire organism, though the full consequences of this cascade of changes could take many years to fully manifest."... genes appear to operate in a complex network, and interact and overlap with one another and with other components in ways not yet fully understood," reads an analysis of this NHGRI study published by(NYT) back in 2007."Evidence of a networked [interacting] genome shatters the scientific basis for virtually every official risk [safety] assessment of today's commercial biotech products, from genetically engineered crops to pharmaceuticals."What this means is that GM crops specifically designed to resist Roundup herbicide, for instance, also interact with organisms in many other variant ways as well, though these interactions don't have to be reported to regulators. The long-term effects of these deviations on humans is thus not fully understood, nor is their effect on the natural environment and other crops with which they come into contact.This is all too convenient for biotechnology companies like Monsanto, which are able to easily conceal the many other hazards associated with GMOs that are not required by government agencies to be reported. These companies are getting away with murder by only reporting what they observe concerning altered genes and their direct interactions just with targeted proteins."Because gene patents and the genetic engineering process itself are both defined in terms of genes acting independently, [government] regulators may be unaware of the potential impacts arising from these network [interacting] effects," states Jack Heinemann, a professor of molecular biology from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.This is the impetus behind a recent paper published by Cornell University, which stresses that a much more stringent precautionary principle is necessary to avoid the "black swans" associated with biotechnology, or the unforeseen and unforeseeable events of extreme consequence that accompany modified organisms."Many biotech companies already conduct detailed genetic studies of their products that profile the expression of proteins and other elements," adds Heinemann, as quoted by investigative journalist Jon Rappoport. "But they are not required to report most of this data to regulators, so they do not. Thus vast stores of important research information sit idle."
Love and Science: A Memoir Jan Vilcek Seven Stories: 2016. 9781609806682 | ISBN: 978-1-6098-0668-2

Medical students in communist Czechoslovakia in the early 1950s were taught that Mendelian genetics was bourgeois pseudoscience. The theory of heredity that toed the party line came from Soviet agronomist Trofim Lysenko: Stalin championed his idea that acquired traits could be inherited. Jan Vilcek was one of several students of the time who saw through this nonsense, but kept quiet. The budding virologist already had two decades of experience of staying under the authoritarian radar  a frustration that would later prompt him to break free in spectacular fashion.

In Love and Science, Vilcek traces that tumultuous, ultimately triumphant journey. He takes us from his birth in 1933, to Jewish parents in Bratislava (in what is now Slovakia), to his current position of president and co-founder, with his art-historian wife Marica, of the Vilcek Foundation in New York City. This multimillion-dollar philanthropic enterprise uses Vilcek's royalties from the autoimmune drug Remicade (infliximab) to honour the contribution of immigrant scientists and artists to US society. Jan Vilcek at medical school in Bratislava in the 1950s. Credit: Jan Vilcek's Personal Archives

Vilcek begins with how he discovered the drug. He cut his research teeth on interferons  proteins produced in response to infection  at the Bratislava Institute of Virology in the early 1960s. But it was in 1988 at New York University's School of Medicine that the main event occurred: the development of a monoclonal antibody against the inflammation-inducing molecule tumour necrosis factor (TNF). As Vilcek and others revealed, people with rheumatoid arthritis had high levels of TNF. Remicade was the first TNF-blocking agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, initially for treating Crohn's disease, in 1998. Today, it is used against multiple autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, and remains one of the world's five top-selling prescription drugs.

Vilcek hymns the importance to medicine of fundamental science, serendipity, collegiality and some risk-taking. He supports funding for translational medicine, but cautions that without continued support for basic research, there might be nothing to translate. However, the book's early detail about science, clinical trials and intellectual-property processes behind Remicade could be intimidating to those who picked up the autobiography for its personal tale. Love and Science becomes more engaging in its second section, when it steps back to the memories of a Jewish boy born in the year that Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany.

It is a tale of ingenuity and near misses. Vilcek's mother officially converted to Catholicism in 1939, his father in 1942, allowing both to be exempted from the Czechoslovakian government's punitive measures against Jews. They placed Jan in a Catholic orphanage at the age of eight, in a further attempt to keep him from being deported. Through several moves and periods of separation, the family survived the Second World War, and re-established a comfortable lifestyle in Bratislava in 1945. The democratic republic of Czechoslovakia had been reinstated after years of occupation and division during the war, but upheaval returned in 1948 when the Communist Party gained political power and quickly imposed a totalitarian system.

Vilcek decided early on to pursue research. He joined the Institute of Virology immediately after graduating from medical school in 1957, and soon published a single-author paper in Nature (J. Vilcek Nature 187, 7374; 1960). The young scientist doggedly established contacts with Western researchers, and these efforts paid off when he and Marica defected in 1964. Carrying no official documents, they were waved across the border from Austria to West Germany  a scene rendered poignant in light of the current European refugee crisis. The ease with which Vilcek procured job offers from US colleagues is also hard to imagine now. He joined New York University as an assistant professor with no interview, a beneficiary of the US government's competitive research investments during the cold war.

The final section of the book I found the most original. Here, Vilcek reverts to the story of Remicade's success, and his unexpected wealth. His first quarterly royalty payment in 1999 was just less than his annual salary as a professor; by 2005, the portion of his future royalties pledged to New York University was projected to eventually reach more than US$105 million. At first, Jan and Marica ate at restaurants and caught taxis more often; they helped family and friends, and replaced their second-hand furniture with European art-deco pieces. But they had no interest in luxury living, so as the royalties grew, they established what would become the Vilcek Foundation in 2000.

They began by supporting their workplaces, the New York University School of Medicine and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They endowed professorships, lab space, scholarships and curatorships, earning a place among the top 15 US philanthropists of 2005. After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, they began to see chinks in the US welcome for foreigners. Accordingly, in 2006 they launched annual Vilcek Prizes to recognize extraordinary achievements by immigrants to the United States in biomedical science and the arts and humanities. Aware that many of their prizewinners, from cancer biologist Joan Massague to cellist Yo-Yo Ma, were already lauded, the Vilceks established annual prizes for creative promise in 2009 to honour up-and-coming talent. Prizewinners so far have included the Iranian-American scientist Pardis Sabeti, for her work on pathogen evolution (see N. L. Yozwiak Nature 518, 477479; 2015).
A lawsuit, a massive amount of data, and your children are at the heart of what could be a growing controversy.

A California group called the Concerned Parent Association has won, in court, the right to data collected through the years by the California Department of Education about students from grades K-12.

The CPA won the case after claiming that the State's public schools have improperly treated students with disabilities, in some cases denying them the education they need. The CDE denies the charges, but admits it has to turn the data over.

And that's where things get controversial.

"We understand the desire to provide redress to an underserved population," said Eva Velasquez, President of the Identity Theft Resource Center. "However, the right to privacy for all students cannot be dismissed."

That data could include names, addresses and Social Security numbers.

Kids and privacy is always a sticky situation. Because kids have Social Security numbers, for example, they're prime targets for identity thieves, because the young people don't even access their Social Security statements for many years. The fact that these kids are public school students means the state is in charge of informing parents of the court's decision. That alone is a tough task.

The CPA says the data will be protected, and someone called a "Special Master" will be appointed to oversee the transfer of data and to keep things private. The group insists its goal is not to violate student's privacy, but to ensure that students - especially disabled students - are getting the education they deserve.

An important point for parents who are concerned about their children's data is this: An opt-out clause. You can get more information on how to opt out, by visiting the California Department of Education website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/ws/documents/form2016jan26.pdf

Scott tracks tech & privacy on Twitter: @scottbudman
Yelp users bestowed a high honor on the Bay Area restaurant scene Wednesday, with several of the regions eateries snagging prime positions on the review site's annual Top 100 Places to eat in the US list.

Curated using community opinion, the list includes only those restaurants that have garnered stellar reviews. Within the top 10 alone.

Cheese Board Pizza, a co-op in Berkeley that offers organic vegetarian pizzas, snagged the number two position. The restaurant is a favorite among UC Berkeley students thanks to live music, interesting ingredients and whole pizzas that can easily be squeezed into a tight budget.

San Franciscos famed Gary Danko came in at number six. Its no surprise, considering the eatery is beloved by locals and tourist alike. Though the menu is a tad pricey, users on Yelp have applauded the restaurants foie gras and roast Maine lobster. Its probably not a great spot for a quick lunch, but for a celebratory evening it appears to be perfect.

A slew of other Bay Area restaurants fall outside of the top ten, but are still featured within the list. All told, San Francisco and New York City make the most appearances on the ranking.

The French Laundry (57), Little Lucca Sandwhich Shop & Deli (87), The Codmother Fish and Chips (83), Arizmendi Bakery (55), Lous Cafe (53), Kokkari Estiatorio (26) and Ikes Place (24) are some of the other restaurants featured.
Protecting the privacy of law-abiding citizens from the government is a pillar of Ted Cruz's Republican presidential candidacy, but his campaign is testing the limits of siphoning personal data from supporters.

His "Cruz Crew" mobile app is designed to gather detailed information from its users' phones  tracking their physical movements and mining the names and contact information for friends who might want nothing to do with his campaign.

That information and more is then fed into a vast database containing details about nearly every adult in the United States to build psychological profiles that target individual voters with uncanny accuracy.

Cruz's sophisticated analytics operation was heralded as key to his victory in Iowa earlier this month  the first proof, his campaign said, that the system has the potential to power him to the nomination.

After finishing a distant third in New Hampshire, Cruz is looking to boost the turnout of likely supporters in South Carolina and in Southern states with primaries on March 1, where voters are more evangelical and conservative.

The son of mathematicians and data processing programmers, Cruz is keenly and personally interested in the work.

"Analytics gives the campaign a roadmap for everything we do," said Chris Wilson, data and digital director. "He has an acute understanding of our work and continually pushes me on it."

Data-mining to help candidates win elections has been increasing among both Republicans and Democrats. Mobile apps by other presidential campaigns also collect some information about users.

But The Associated Press found the Cruz campaign's app  downloaded to more than 61,000 devices so far  goes furthest to glean personal data.

The Cruz app prompts supporters to register using their Facebook logins, giving the campaign access to personal information such as name, age range, gender, location and photograph, plus lists of friends and relatives. Those without a Facebook account must either provide an email address or phone number to use the app.

By contrast, the app offered by GOP candidate Ben Carson's campaign asks supporters to surrender the same information as Cruz from their Facebook accounts, but also gives an option to use it without providing any personal information. Carson's app separately asks users to let the campaign track their movements and asks them to voluntarily supply their birthdate and gender  including options for "male," ''female" and "other."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's campaign app doesn't request personal information from supporters, but it repeatedly nags users to let the campaign track their movements until they answer yes.

Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders' app, "Field the Bern," requires supporters to sign in using their Facebook account or an email address, and it also repeatedly asks to let the campaign track their movements until they answer yes.

The other 2016 presidential contenders, including Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, appear not to have officially sanctioned campaign apps in Apple and Android stores.

The Cruz app separately urges users to let it download their phone contacts, giving the campaign a trove of phone numbers and personal email addresses. The campaign says that by using its app, "You hereby give your express consent to access your contact list," but Wilson said the campaign will not do this to anyone who declines to allow it when the app requests permission.

Cruz's app also transmits to the campaign each user's physical location whenever the app is active, unless a user declines to allow it. The campaign said it does this "so that we can connect you to other Cruz Crew users based on your particular geographic location."

The campaign tells users it can share all the personal information it collects with its consultants or other organizations, groups, causes, campaigns or political organizations with similar viewpoints or goals.

It also shares the material with analytics companies. Cruz's campaign combines the information with data from a group called Cambridge Analytica, which has been involved in his efforts since fall 2014. A Cambridge investor, Robert Mercer, has given more money than anyone else to outside groups supporting Cruz.

Sanders' campaign said it shares personal information from supporters with its consultants and vendors but not analytics companies.

Cambridge has a massive 10 terabyte database  enough to fill more than 2,100 DVDs  that contains as many as 5,000 biographical details about the 240 million Americans of voting age. Cambridge considers its methodology highly secretive, but it may include such details as household income, employment status, credit history, party affiliation, church membership and spending habits. Cambridge uses powerful computers and proprietary algorithms to predict Americans' personality traits.

The Cruz campaign paid Cambridge $3.8 million in 2015, accounting for more than 8 percent of all its spending. Two outside groups supporting Cruz, including one directly funded by $11 million from Mercer, paid the firm $682,000 since December. Cambridge has five employees at Cruz headquarters in Houston and 70 others split between New York City and the Washington suburbs.

The power of Cruz's data-driven systems was on display in Iowa.

The GOP candidates held similar positions on issues such as abortion and gun control. Cambridge helped differentiate Cruz by identifying automated red light cameras as an issue of importance to Iowa residents upset with government intrusion. Potential voters living near the red light cameras were sent direct messages saying Cruz was against their use.

"Everything in this campaign is data-driven. I've never seen anything like it," said Jerry Sickles, a paid field representative in Hooksett, New Hampshire, who uses the Cruz Crew app. "We just know exactly who our voters are, and we will make sure they get out to vote."

Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, has been outspoken about protecting Americans' personal information from the government, including the National Security Agency. "Instead of a government that seizes your emails and your cellphones, imagine a federal government that protected the privacy rights of every American," he said when announcing his campaign.

Cruz campaign officials say it's different for the government versus a campaign to collect data. Sickle said Cruz is building on the use of big data pioneered by the successful Democratic campaigns of Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

"It's not like we're giving it to the NSA," Sickle said.

A campaign spokeswoman, Alice Stewart, added: "Why wouldn't we want to use every tool available to us to win?"

The scope of Cruz's system is formidable. Cambridge's database combines government and commercial data sets such as voter rolls and lists of people who liked certain Facebook posts, along with consumer data from grocery chains and other clients that can provide a voter's preferred brand of toothpaste or whether he clips coupons. In Iowa, where identifying evangelical voters was key to Cruz's victory strategy, Cambridge's employees scoured the Internet for such useful information as church membership rolls.

Cambridge CEO Alexander Nix said the company categorizes every American into one of five basic personality types derived from academic research and up to 50,000 questionnaires conducted each month.

"We've quantified the personalities of every adult American," Nix said. "We can reach out and target those different clusters with messages about the things they care about most, but that have been nuanced to resonate with their personality type."

For example, a Cruz campaign worker about to knock on the door of a house would access information about the household's members through the Cruz Crew app, receiving prepared scripts about what issues each person was likely to care about, modified to appeal to their personality.

Even within issues such as the right to bear arms, Nix said personality types will tailor the message. For voters who care about traditions or family, a message may resonate about guaranteeing the ability of a grandfather teaching shooting lessons. For someone identified as introverted, a better pitch might describe keeping guns for protection against crime.

Cambridge and the Cruz campaign stressed that anyone providing personal information through the app does so voluntarily. Data uses are outlined in legal disclosures available on the campaign's website.

Cambridge said it operates behind firewalls on its computer servers to secure its data and follows all applicable U.S. laws. Cambridge runs its operations out of the U.S.; they would be illegal in Europe under stricter privacy laws there.

In the hours before the Iowa vote, the campaign pushed urgent messages through its app to users who had Iowa contacts listed in their phones. The app displayed pre-written text messages the supporters were encouraged to forward to their Iowa acquaintances, urging them to caucus for Cruz.

The chief technologist at the privacy advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology, Joe Hall, said politicians are unlikely to strengthen privacy protections as their campaigns become more and more reliant on mining personal data to squeeze out votes.

"This is a form of political-voter surveillance," Hall said. "If people understood that this amount of fine-grained, sensitive data was being used by political campaigns, they would likely feel betrayed."
In an ad that debuted Wednesday, Rep. Ken Dunkin was criticized for allegedly colluding with Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and acting against the interests of his constituents.

"Ken Dunkin has sold you down the river to Gov. Bruce Rauner and his boys, the ad by Citizens Against Corruption chairman William J. Kelly says.

Dunkin has come under fire from fellow democrats after holding out on a bill that could have prevented cuts from social services.

Dunkin also received a $500,000 campaign contribution from a group with Republican ties. The donation is the largest in the history of the state.

Murders are up, jobs are gone but Ken Dunkin don't care 'cause he just got paid $500,000 dollars from Bruce Rauner's boys, the ad says.

Dunkin responded to the ad, claiming his district is suffering as a result of political gamesmanship.

"It just shows that Mike Madigan and the party bosses will stop at nothing to maintain their power," Dunkin told Ward Room. "I wish they would spend as much time and energy trying to bring people together, as they do tearing our communities apart."

Dunkin earlier made headlines after Rauner's State of the State address when he came to a news conference with a backpack and sleeping bag promising to camp out at House Speaker Michael Madigans office until the states budget stalemate was resolved.

"I fought the speaker and the governor to get $2 billion in funding released for my constituents," Dunkin said earlier this week. "My opponent's plan is to follow the speaker's plan, which is to remain silent. The quickest way to ensure the residents of the 5th District don't have a voice is to turn our district over to another Mike Madigan rubber stamp."

The ad also chastises Dunkin for endorsing Emanuels 2015 mayoral campaign.

Dunkin endorsed Rahm - Rauner's other boy - too, the ad says. Ken Dunkin is for Rahm and Rauner. He isn't for us."

Kelly broke campaign finance caps in 2014 when he donated $100,000 to his own mayoral campaign.

The ad will begin playing on radio stations in Dunkins 5th District this week.
This week, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and John McCain debated the funding of Russian-built rocket engines that the U.S. uses to power national security satellites.

In the wake of the Russian annexation of Ukraines Crimea territory in 2014, the U.S. imposed stringent sanctions against the country.

The United Launch Alliance, a corporation created by Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., has continued to use Russian-made rocket engines to power their satellites.

The defense authorization bill of 2016 called for nine Russian engines for space-launch services. Nonetheless, a provision was introduced to the bill by a group including Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Shelby that allows ULA to buy an unlimited amount of Russian rocket engines.

The pork-barrel impulse is so strong that some lawmakers are now trying to have American taxpayers subsidize Russias Vladimir Putin and his cronies, McCain said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Sunday.

McCain fears that hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on Russian technology while the country occupies Crimea. McCain is also concerned about Russias relationship with Iran and their bombing of U.S.-backed troops fighting in Syria.

Such dark-of-the-night shenanigans have too often been typical in Washington, McCain said. But in all my years in elected office I have rarely seen a more cynical scheme to undermine the will of Congress and the American people.

McCain has since introduced legislation to repeal the provision and claims that U.S.-made engines are ready for use.

The good news is that we dont need to buy more Russian rocket engines, McCain said. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James recently testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that ULAs Delta IV and SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets, both of which have American-made engines, can provide assured access to space.

Durbin responded to McCains op-ed Thursday in a letter written to the Wall Street Journal.

Despite Sen. McCains statement in your newspaper, the secretary of the Air Force has made it clear that it will take at least five years before we have an American-made substitute rocket engine and that to prohibit the use of Russian rocket engines before then could endanger our national security, Durbin said. My colleague from Arizona is unmoved by that warning.

Durbin claims that he called the first hearing between CEOs of ULA and SpaceX with the goal of ending ULAs monopoly on national security launches. McCain, chairman of the Armed Services committee, never held a similar meeting, Durbin claims.

The Illinois senator also noted that he included appropriations to fund competition for an American-made replacement to the Russian rocket.

He claims that McCains proposed Delta IV rocket would likely cost taxpayers in excess of a billion dollars more than the plan put forward by the Air Force.

Durbin made it clear that he does not sympathize with Putin or support the actions of the Russian government.

I am co-chairman of the Ukrainian Caucus in the Senate and my long-held feelings about President Vladimir Putins bloody invasion of that sovereign nation are well established, Durbin said. Having been personally invited by Sen. McCain to accompany him to Ukraine, he knows his suggestion that he is the only one truly willing to confront Mr. Putin is shameless.

Durbin addressed the U.S. Senate Wednesday to discuss McCain's op-ed and the need to transition to American-made rocket engines.
Gov. Bruce Rauner declared that Republicans were "winning" the state's budget dispute during a Wednesday night speech in Tuscola that focused on taxes and his Turnaround Agenda.

Now were winning, but its taking longer than Id like, Rauner said. But what Ive said I wont do is raise taxes on the people of Illinois until I know were getting more value for your taxes, and weve got real strong economic growth creating jobs in the state.

Rauner told the roughly 150 people at the Douglas County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner that he would fight against a wasteful bureaucracy and turn Illinois into a pro-growth state.

People think its a fight about the budget, he said. Its not really about the budget. Its about the future of the state.

Rauner has been steadfast in his opposition to tax increases during the states budget impasse. Illinois has been without an official budget since July of last year.

Speaker Madigan and his legislators, what they want to fight me on is to raise taxes, Rauner said. Thats not the answer. Or to cut services. Thats not the answer either.

Rauner addressed the states budget stalemate directly and stressed the impact its having on funding for colleges and universities as well as social services.

Having no budget hurts people, he said. We should be funding our MAP grants. I believe low-income kids deserve a scholarship. Weve got to provide our human services for our most vulnerable but weve got to stop spending money we dont have and weve got to start growing our economy so our kids have a future.

As a result of the budget impasse, some students have already lost scholarships and some colleges and universities may be forced to close due to lack of funding. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, the states largest provider of social services, has also been forced to make cuts.

President Barack Obama also addressed the budget crisis during his historic speech in Springfield Wednesday.

"When I hear voices in either party boast of their refusal to compromise as an accomplishment in and of itself, Im not impressed," Obama said. "All that does is prevent what most Americans would consider actual accomplishments, like fixing roads, educating kids, passing budgets, cleaning our environment, making our streets safe."

During his speech, Rauner also endorsed U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, who is seeking an 11th term in Congress, and Brad Halbrook, who is vying for the seat in the 102nd House District.
Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Tammy Duckworth asked the Environmental Protection Agency Monday to evaluate the effectiveness of regulations controlling the amount of lead and copper in water and to create a new limit for lead in drinking water that is consistent with health risks.



This is troubling as almost 80 percent of Chicago homes are connected to lead-containing pipelines and public health officials agree that there is no safe level of lead, the Illinois legislators said in a statement.

Durbin and Duckworth also urged the EPA to work with state and local officials to inform the public when lead contamination has been found.

Nancy Grantham of the EPA told Ward Room that the agency would respond to Durbin and Duckworth's letter.

"EPA is committed to improving the public health protection provided by the Lead and Copper Rule and is actively considering potential revisions to the rule," Grantham told Ward Room. "EPAs primary goal is to improve the effectiveness of the Lead and Copper rule in reducing exposure to lead and copper from drinking water."

A 2013 EPA study found elevated levels of lead in half of the Chicago homes that were tested, according to a recent Chicago Tribune report.

This comes on the heels of the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The problem arose after the city began sourcing their water from the Flint River in 2014 and corrosive water caused aging pipes to leach lead into the citys water supply.

The current tragedy in Flint, Michigan, is a startling example of what can happen when these issues go untreated, the statement said. The EPA must not wait until another city faces a lead contamination water crisis before acting.
A 94-year-old former SS sergeant went on trial Thursday in western Germany on 170,000 counts of accessory to murder, based on accusations that he served as a guard in the Auschwitz death camp as hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews and others were gassed to death there.

Reinhold Hanning seemed in good condition for his age, walking into the court in the city of Detmold without even the help of a cane and appearing to listen attentively as the indictment against him was read aloud.

No pleas are entered in the German system. Hanning, who ran a local dairy after the war until he retired in 1984, declined to give an opening statement to the court.

He showed no reaction as the first witness, Leon Schwarzbaum, a 94-year-old Auschwitz survivor, read moving testimony about his own experiences, then looked directly at Hanning and made an emotional plea.

"Mr. Hanning, we are about the same age and we will both soon be before the highest court," Schwarzbaum said, his voice quavering and hands trembling. "Speak here about what you and your comrades did!"

The trial is one of four expected this year against two other former SS men and one woman alleged to have served in Auschwitz. The 11th-hour prosecutions come after a new precedent was set in 2011, when former Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk became the first person to be convicted in Germany solely for serving as a death camp guard, with no evidence of involvement in a specific killing.

Prosecutors successfully argued in the Demjanjuk case that simply serving in a death camp, and thus helping it operate, was enough to convict someone of accessory to the murders committed there. Although Demjanjuk always denied serving at the death camp and died before his appeal could be heard, prosecutors last year successfully convicted SS sergeant Oskar Groening, who served in Auschwitz, on 300,000 counts of accessory to murder using the same reasoning.

Hanning admitted to investigators when first questioned that he had served in the Auschwitz I part of the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, but denied serving at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau section, where most of the 1.1 million victims were killed.

As the trial opened, however, his attorneys filed a motion asking to exclude that statement, saying that Hanning had been "surprised" when authorities showed up at his house and wasn't fully aware he was under investigation. It wasn't clear when the judges would rule on the motion. His attorney, Andreas Scharmer, would not say whether the defense was planning to try and argue that Hanning did not serve in the camp at all if his statement was excluded.

Prosecutor Andreas Brendel told The Associated Press after the hearing that there was also other evidence that Hanning was there, including SS company lists.

Reading the indictment, Brendel told the court that Hanning served in two different SS Death's Head companies in Auschwitz as a guard. He said those companies were used to guard prisoners used as slave laborers outside the camp, and also were called to Birkenau to help with the tens of thousands being brought in during the so-called "Hungarian action" in 1944 and unloaded from trains onto a ramp.

On the ramp, Nazis stripped the prisoners of their possessions and sorted them into groups: those who would be immediately taken to the gas chambers and those fit enough to be used as slave labor, and likely worked to death.

"The decision over life and death lay with the SS men on the ramp," Brendel said.

Doctors have advised that the trial sessions can run no longer than two hours, in deference to Hanning's age and health.

Schwarzbaum, one of about 40 Auschwitz survivors or their relatives who have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs as allowed under German law, had his testimony cut short before he could finish answering questions. He's due to take the stand again when the trial resumes Friday.

After the proceedings, he told the AP his main hope for the trial is that Hanning will tell his story so the world will better know what happened in Auschwitz and why SS guards did what they did.

"He's an old man," Schwarzbaum said. "He should tell the truth."
A playful new political attack ad that compares Donald Trump to a child joins a long tradition of using kids to make a point in a presidential race.

Called "Playing Trump," Sen. Ted Cruz's ad features three boys playing with a Trump action figure who "pretends to be a Republican," listing Democratic politicians that Trump has supposedly supported: "Hey Hillary, I'll give you money to be my friend," one says.

It culminates with one boy, imitating Trump, telling a woman he's taking her "lousy" house using eminent domain, and the boys gleefully destroying a doll house as two terrified parents look on.

"We wouldn't tolerate these values in our children. Why would we want them in a president?" the narrator concludes.

Trump's campaign didn't respond for a request for comment, though Trump did tweet Friday that if Cruz didn't stop "doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen."

Some of the best known ads of all time have featured children, including "Daisy," which President Lyndon B. Johnson used to cast doubt on his 1964 opponent Barry Goldwater's ability to wield American military power.

That ad opened with a girl in a field counting the petals of a daisy. The ad moved to a close-up of her face as a military-sounding countdown tracked back to 0, before a bomb exploded into a mushroom cloud. "These are the stakes," Johnson said.

According to one political observer, the new Cruz ad is notable for letting the kids do the mudslinging, rather than merely pointing out the stakes in political spats.

"Children were not used to attack in the past," professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center told NBC Owned Television Networks.

Jamieson said older political ads featuring children fall into two categories. Some show that the United States is vulnerable, including "Daisy" and a 1984 Walter Mondale ad in which the song "Teach Your Children" played over footage of missiles launching.

Others serve to show the president as part of a family, whether his own - as Franklin D. Roosevelt and George H. W. Bush did - or the broader American family, as Ronald Reagan did in his famous 1984 "Morning in America" ad. Reagan's ad prominently featured children looking up at an American flag being raised.

The Cruz ad, with more than 236,000 views on YouTube, leaves almost all the talking to the children. Whether it gets its message across across is another question.

"The diction in the ad is pretty bad, making it unlikely that the `message' (such that it is) will get across," said Stanford political science professor Shanto Iyengar in an e-mail.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified which school hosts the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Passengers home from the Anthem of the Seas said waves as high as their windows are not what they were expecting.

Veteran cruise ship passenger Deena Abbate said, "I like the calmness of the water, the rocking, gentle rocking."

There was nothing gentle about the rocking aboard the Anthem of the Seas, with 4500 passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship when it hit the storm Sunday. Passengers had been ordered confined to cabins but that was wild too.

"The suitcases came out from underneath the bed," she said. "All we could do was sit or lie down on the bed, because you really couldn't even stand up. It was quite rocky, quite harrowing."

She said the damage was primarily cosmetic. The toppled furniture and broken glass was cleaned up but she never did get to warmer weather.

The ship came under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge Wednesday night, back to Bayonne.

That was the end of the line for William Gibbs and his wife. They didn't wait til morning to go home to New Haven. She went to the doctor she was so nervous and stressed.

"I really thought that was it," he said. "I've never seen anything like that."

" I would get on a boat again," said Cris Digovanni. "I'm just not sure with young children at this point in time...."

He and his wife Lauren and son Josh were in an elevator when the storm rocked it to a stop. They had to crawl through a three-foot-wide space to get to their cabin, where relatives had their three-year-old daughter.

"Cece took a nap during the longest and most hard part of the storm and Josh for the most part was very very upbeat through the whole process," he said.

Digovanni said the ship's captain was doing damage control, talking with passengers, on the last day of the trip to the Bahamas turned trip to nowhere.

"He saved us once we were in that situation but I think the consensus among passengers on board was, should we have been in that situation?," he said.

"I would probably get on a boat again at this point."

Royal Caribbean is giving passengers their money back plus fifty percent of what they spent will be good toward another cruise, within a year.
During a stop to reSET in Hartford, Gov. Dannel Malloy continued his pitch that he started last week to cut spending and transform government spending.



reSET is a non-profit organization that supports entrepreneurs based in Hartford. With a ping-pong table in the back, shared tables with neon colored chairs, Gov. Malloy said its an example of what more businesses will look like in the future. He said with that in mind, state government has to adjust to meet their economic development needs.



"Quite frankly its just making people aware that the world is changing outside of Connecticut and if Connecticut wants to continue to be a player, it's got to change very rapidly."



Malloy pointed to his administrations investments through the Small Business Express program and other initiatives that make the projects at a place like reSET possible. reSET is where robots are developed and programmed by Movia Robotics to help educate children on the autism spectrum. The WearSafe tag is also a product with a home at reSET, which is used in tandem with a smartphone to tell loved ones someone is safe.



"We started when we got elected doing them and we've got a long way to go to catch up to Brooklyn or Orange County or Chicago or Boston but we were dead in the water a few years ago Gov. Malloy said.



Pointing out Boston is key because thats where General Electric announced it would relocate to last month, a blow to Malloys administration.



With a nod to improving the states business climate, the governor proposed a budget that slashes state spending by more than $1.5 billion over two years, roughly 15 percent overall. He said the state has to respond to changing economic times and that includes through spending cuts and layoffs.



"If we have revenue then we can debate how we spend it Gov. Malloy said. If we have less revenue we have to debate how we preserve our assets. You can't have the growth argument whether you have growth or not."



The budget Malloy presented is based on revenue estimates in the 1 percent range rather than 4 percent which had become standard in the years before the 2008 recession.



Malloy argues that if the state gets its fiscal house in order while protecting what he describes as core services then a better business climate will follow, with the state not relying on tax hikes to companies and small businesses as the way out of tough times.



"I think that there's a begrudging recognition that things have got to change he said.
The Connecticut family members of a missing airman from Dover Air Force Base who was last seen on Super Bowl Sunday are appealing for help to find him.

Senior airman Keifer Huhman, a member of the 436th Communications Squadron, was last seen between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday when he was leaving his Dover, Delaware apartment, according to police in Dover, Delaware.

Huhman never reported for duty on Monday and he was reported missing on Wednesday, according to Dover Police.

It's been a difficult week for the family and Huhman's cousin, Renee Schwarzkopf, said she learned on Monday that her cousin was missing while attending the funeral for her grandmother, who was Huhman's great-grandmother.

Schwarzkopf said Huhman's mother grew up in Connecticut and he has several aunts, an uncle and several cousins here. They are hoping that someone will have some information that will help them find him.

According to police, Huhman was driving a blue 1997 Ford Ranger with Florida license plates and an aerial search of the area he was last seen in revealed that Delaware State Police towed his truck from the shoulder of a bridge around 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Police are now searching the truck for evidence and are treating this as a missing person's case. A spokesperson for the Dover Police Department said on Friday afternoon that there were no additional updates on the case.

The U.S. Air Force has sent out Huhmans photo in the hopes of finding him.

The safety of Team Dover personnel is vitally important, and Dover Air Force Base considers itself a tight-knit family, said the Air Force in a news release. Base and local authorities are taking every possible step to locate Airman Huhman.

The Air Force asked anyone with information on Huhman to call 302-677-6664 and Dover police are asking people to call 302-736-7130.
A group of black and Hispanic high school students visiting Texas A&M University say they were harassed, taunted and told by white students they were not welcome to attend the university, according to Texas Sen. Royce West (D-23rd District).

West's office released a statement Thursday saying two black female high school juniors were part of a larger group touring the campus when they were approached by a white female Texas A&M student who asked the girls if they liked her earrings -- which were replicas of the Confederate flag.

Nearby, a group of white male and female students began harassing the larger group of 60 high school students by using racial epithets and telling them to "go back where you came from."

The group of students, from Dallas' Uplift Hampton Preparatory School, were visiting the campus as part of the school's Road To College at Uplift Education Program.

Jayla Alex-Johnson was one of about 60 juniors touring the campus.

Some students were really upset about it," said Alex-Johnson.

Standing towards the back of the crowd, she could only hear some yelling. It was not until later that she learned exactly what was being said to her classmates.

I hope that their attitude changes," Alex-Johnson said. "The way they think, the way they believe in everything.

Parents at Hampton Prep say those involved in the alleged campus harassment at Texas A&M should be expelled.

I hope they catch those people and find out who it was and they kick them out of whatever, said Anna Alvarenga, a parent of a student at Hampton Prep.

According to West, the confrontation was witnessed by TAMU officials accompanying the students. A campus police officer initially said the university students were expressing their First Amendment rights, though a report was made on the incident.

Following their tour, Alex-Johnson said TAMU officials met with students to discuss the incident and assure them that the behavior was not in line with the university's beliefs or ideals.

They were really sincere," she explained. "And they couldnt believe what happened, like neither of us could, and they just really apologized and told us that this shouldnt be happening at their school.

A group of black high school students visiting Texas A&M University say they were harassed, taunted and told by white students they were not welcome to attend the university, according to Texas Sen. Royce West (D-23rd District).

West said the incident is now being reviewed by executive leadership at the university, including Chancellor John Sharp.

"While high level meetings are taking place among A&M administrative, faculty and student leaders, those meetings need to produce results that say that overt acts of racism will not be tolerated anywhere within the university system," West said. "I expect a response that is swift and similar to those taken at the University of Oklahoma. The students responsible for these reprehensible actions should be strongly disciplined, if not expelled."

West implored action must be taken swiftly or the university runs the risk of damaging its credibility. West added that the university has a history of recruiting minority students from urban schools, has established outreach centers in Dallas and elsewhere and has made scholarship monies available to minority students.

"But actions such as what took place Tuesday can undo whatever good has been done. When those student's stories are told to parents and friends, they could undoubtedly, further the belief that the home of the Aggies has a campus environment that has been hostile to Black students; that is those who are not athletes," West said.

Texas Sen. Royce West (D-23rd District) speaks out after a group of high school students visiting Texas A&M University said they were harassed and told they were not welcome to attend the university.

Michael K. Young, president of Texas A&M University, said in a statement released Wednesday he was outraged and tremendously disappointed in the behavior of his students and that "appropriate action will be taken."



"I deeply regret the pain and hurt feelings this incident caused these young students. Be assured that we take such allegations very seriously," Young said in a statement. "While the actions of a few certainly do not represent our institution as a whole, it is the responsibility of all of us to stop any incidents that could be considered hateful or biased-based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other factor."

Uplift Education released a statement Thursday afternoon saying they were "proud of our scholars for the grace and composure with which they responded to the college students who chose to engage in a disrespectful and unacceptable manner."

Uplift added they appreciated the swift response from university leadership and that they hope the incident can broaden the national conversation about inclusion and cultural awareness so that everyone can feel safe and welcome.

At this time, the students involved have not been identified by the university.

Students at Texas A&M University react to news that a group of black and Hispanic high school students visiting the campus said they were harassed.

Uplift Education Statement

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NBC 5's Caroline Connolly and Kevin Cokely contributed to this report.
No longer the desolate space it was a few years ago, downtown El Paso is ripe with new hotels, bars, restaurants  and bulldozers that herald the planned construction of a streetcar, a children's museum, a Mexican-American cultural center and new mixed-used buildings.

The far West Texas city is ready to shed its long-held reputation as a center of illegal immigration and show off its revitalized streets to the tens of thousands of tourists hoping to get a glimpse of Pope Francis, who will cap a five-day visit to Mexico on Feb. 17 in neighboring Ciudad Juarez with a Mass in a large field near the border that many will be able to see from downtown.

El Paso's renewed energy stems from many young people who left the economically challenged city in search of better opportunities but returned to make a difference. Mexicans who left Juarez at the height of its violence also contributed to the city's growth, opening businesses across the border and coming here to shop.

"Ten years ago, I remember friends telling me this was 'Hell Paso' and they wanted to move away," said Rep. Claudia Ordaz, who at 30 years old is the youngest member of the City Council and lived in Washington, D.C., and Austin before coming home and running for office.

Decades ago, El Paso was one of the busiest places for illegal immigration, second only to San Diego. Residents who lived along the border described regularly seeing migrants in or around their backyards. But the Border Patrol shifted its policies in the 1990s, and within months, the number of illegal crossings in El Paso dipped from 10,000 daily to 500.

And the notion that El Paso and its downtown in particular were unsafe grew as extreme violence in Juarez  at one point considered a homicide capital with multiple daily murders  took shape around 2006. But El Paso is continually ranked one of the safest of its size: The city of about 680,000 reported just 2,671 violent crimes in 2014, about half of that in smaller cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kansas City, Missouri.

El Paso still has its issues. The median household income is only about $40,000 a year and only 23 percent of residents over the age of 25 hold bachelor's degrees or higher, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Education is obviously our biggest challenge. We need to make sure we get these kids educated and get them into the workforce," Ordaz said, adding that another factor is a "brain drain"  the exodus of bright young people who move to bigger cities to seek better opportunities.

Voters in November 2012 approved more than $470 million in bonds to fund updates to downtown and new tourist attractions. Among those projects included San Jacinto Plaza, the historic city square in the heart of downtown. Residents have been critical of how long it has taken: Renovations began in 2013 and were supposed to be complete a year ago but continue.

City leaders tout Juarez and El Paso as one big, symbiotic metropolitan area, and El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser says he regularly works with the mayor ofJuarez.

"We travel together to talk about the message of El Paso and Juarez and to help create jobs for our community, and to take the fences down. There is no border as far as we're concerned. We are one city," Leeser said late last month at a news conference that touted El Paso's preparations for the pope's visit.

City officials are expecting to spend about $1 million on security measures, even though Pope Francis won't cross into El Paso. Several downtown neighborhoods, city government and a portion of the border highway will be closed for what the City Council called an "unparalleled high-profile event." For those who won't be in the large field in Juarez, the Catholic Diocese of El Paso is hosting a livestream event at the Sun Bowl, a stadium that holds more than 50,000 people.

The streetcar line eventually will run near that stadium, which is on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, as well as around downtown.

City Council member Peter Svarzbein, a 35-year-old who spent years away from El Paso in college and working in New York City as a photographer, was instrumental in reviving the city's long-gone streetcar. The $97 million project, funded by a state grant, is expected to be complete by 2018.

"It makes El Paso more competitive economically and culturally," Svarzbein said.

Joe Gudenrath, executive director of the El Paso Downtown Management District, credits the relatively new ballpark for downtown's growing popularity. The Chihuahuas, a Triple-A professional baseball team, began playing at the new Southwest University Park in 2014. The first game was a sellout and the ballpark saw nearly 550,000 visitors by the end of the first season.

"I think it's addressed a lot of perceptions and reconnected a lot of people with downtown," Gudenrath said.
An NBC 5 Investigation found Dallas-Fort Worth is now one of the worst spots in the country for cargo theft.

New video lifts the veil on the shadowy world of thieves who target big trucks. Some of the stuff theyre stealing could wind up on the dinner table or medicine cabinet, raising big safety concerns.

Just one stolen trailer full of cargo can net the crooks millions of dollars  depending on whats inside.

Investigators agreed to give NBC 5 Investigates access to photos and videos showing the scale of these crimes, how they costly they can be and why police in Texas are struggling to keep up.

Theyre running a business and their business is to steal this stuff, said Spence Gates, a police detective with Grand Prairie Police Department.

Police in Grand Prairie discovered a virtual shipping center run by a suspected cargo theft ring.

"We are a major hub," said Gates.

Police video obtained by NBC 5 Investigates shows pallets of soft drinks and other popular products apparently stolen by an organized group that drove off with entire trucks. Other cargo crooks simply break into trailers.

Videos provided by Travelers Insurance show how thieves use bolt cutters to crack open locks and then go "trailer shopping," tearing open boxes in search of specific items they can sell.

These folks are smart. They know what theyre after, said National Insurance Crime Bureau special agent, Phillip Harris.

Harris has seen it all including a truckload of stolen cowboy boots worth more than a million dollars, stolen diet supplements and giant arcade games.

But the most popular items for thieves are beverages and food.

One truckload of stolen beef was intercepted, bound for a black market sale to a Dallas restaurant.

You know the people that steal this stuff and sell it, do you think they care about the date it expires? No. said cargo theft expert, JJ Coughlin.

Coughlin said stolen food and drugs are often sold online or in mom-and-pop stores putting unsuspecting customers at risk.

The companies that lose the cargo often pass on the cost to consumers.

If you buy a TV youll be paying $5 extra because of the loss. You buy food youre paying so much more, said Coughlin.

Cargo theft is costing this country $25 billion every year, said Harris.

When you map out the crimes, the Dallas and Fort Worth area is one of the nations worst hot spots according to CargoNet, an industry group that tracks cargo theft across the country. Statistics show Texas is one of the top three states in the country for cargo theft because so much high-dollar cargo travels Texas highways.

Despite big losses across the state, many local police departments dont have investigators with special training to work cargo cases and Texas does not have a statewide cargo theft task force to target the bad guys. Florida is the only state that has such a statewide force.

Theres really low risk that youre going to get caught, for the most part, at least in some jurisdictions, said Fred Lohmann with the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Lohmann doesnt believe there are enough police dedicated to dealing with the problem.

Shippers are turning to companies like LoJack Supply Chain Integrity. They track trucks from command center in the DFW area, using technology that sounds an alert if a truck veers from its scheduled route.

The insurance industry is fighting back as well. Travelers Insurance is providing police with bait trailers, wired with cameras to catch crooks in action.

"The best thing you can do is keep the cargo moving," said truck driver, Gary Babbit.

Truckers like Babbit are avoiding extra stops and watching their backs.

"Im looking for suspicious vehicles that may have been following me for quite a while," said Babbit.

Truck yards are installing cameras to catch thieves, like the ones caught on camera at a truck yard in Grand Prairie managed by Angelo Chokas. Surveillance video caught thieves slamming into a fence as they stole a rig in broad daylight.

"I mean theyre in and out of that truck. Its kind of like that movie Gone in 60 Seconds. Its actually less than 60," said Chokas.

Grand Prairie is one of a handful of local cities with officers dedicated to cargo cases and theyve already made number of major arrests.

We have to start somewhere. Weve got to fix the problem, said Gates.

Industry leaders said they need help across the state.

Now we need more boots on the ground to get the job done, said Lohmann.

Creating a statewide task force to battle cargo theft would require action from the Texas legislature. The state already collects a $2 fee on auto insurance policies to fund an auto theft task force which investigates some truck theft cases where entire rigs are stolen.

Last year the state collected about $44 million from those auto insurance policy fees. Under state law about $22 million of that money could be appropriated to the auto theft task force. But the legislature chose to appropriate only $15 million to the auto theft task force.

Some in the insurance industry have suggested a portion of the remaining funds could be used to target cargo theft.

NBC5 Investigates asked the top two legislators in charge of the budget process if they would support such a move.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Senator Jane Nelson told us she would like to see more data first. Nelson pointed to a Legislative Budget Board report that raised questions about the effectiveness of the state's auto theft task force. In a statement Sen. Nelson said, "....we have to make sure every dollar we spend is achieving results. Questions have been raised about how these funds are actually being used, and we need better data moving forward."

House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Rep. John Otto, provided a statement saying, "In light of the national increase in cargo theft and Texas' undesirable status as a top cargo theft state, we will continue to review the Department of Motor Vehicles and its grantees to ensure that the state is appropriating sufficient resource to fight cargo theft."
An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing at D/FW International Airport Friday afternoon.[[368639331,C]]



Flight 1318 took off from San International Jose Airport in California headed for D/FW.

The pilot declared an emergency on final approach when an indicator light in the cockpit reported a possible mechanical issue with the landing gear, according to an American Airlines spokesperson.

An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing at D/FW International Airport Friday afternoon.

No injuries were reported.


Below is the statement from Texas A&M President Michael K. Young released after a group of black high school students were harassed and taunted while on a tour of Texas A&M University in College Station.

MICHAEL K. YOUNG STATEMENT (UNEDITED)

Tremendous Disappointment Regarding Racial Slur Incident On Campus

MICHAEL K. YOUNG PRESIDENT

February 10, 2016

MEMORANDUM

TO: The Texas A&M University Community

I am outraged and tremendously disappointed in the behavior displayed by a group of students on our College Station campus yesterday  one in which a group of ethnic minority high school students from the Dallas area reported that racial slurs were directed toward them during their campus tour. I deeply regret the pain and hurt feelings this incident caused these young students. Be assured that we take such allegations very seriously. Our police department responded to the scene following the reported incident and we are currently fully assessing it. In addition, we had administrators and students from campus who met with our visiting guests to assure them that they are welcome and respected by the vast majority of Aggies. This troubling incident will be thoroughly investigated to the fullest extent possible and appropriate action will be taken.

While the actions of a few certainly do not represent our institution as a whole, it is the responsibility of all of us to stop any incidents that could be considered hateful or biased-based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other factor. This type of behavior goes against our A&M core values and in addition to immediate intervention, Texas A&M has the website http://stophate.tamu.edu/ available for the reporting of any non-emergency hateful or biased-based incidents.

Today I met with our student-led inclusion council seeking input into ways that Texas A&M can improve in making all people feel welcome and safe on our campus. Some positive and constructive suggestions came from that discussion and I have charged my respective Vice Presidents to engage with student, faculty and community leaders where appropriate. I also understand that a deeper discussion about freedom of speech and inclusion needs to take place. I look forward to sharing more thoughts on these subjects in the near future but in the meantime I ask all of you to reflect on your role in making Texas A&M a place where all are made to feel welcome and included.

Michael K. Young
The California Coastal Commission voted to oust its executive director, a victory for developers and business groups who do not feel they have gotten a fair chance under his leadership.

The shake-up at the California Coastal Commission, decided after a day-long meeting Wednesday, raises questions about the direction of an agency often caught in the friction between property owners and conservation along the 1,100-mile coast -- large stretches of it prized for pristine beaches edged by jutting cliffs.

From an Encinitas homeowner trying to protect his property with a sea wall to the controversy over seals at La Jolla's Children's pool, the CCC rules on environmental issues; those issues get heated and political when they involve money, especially when it comes from the pockets of business owners and developers. The commission manages development along more than 1,100 miles of shorelines.

Environmental Attorney Marco Gonzalez supports commission executive director Charles Lester and the work he has done with the coastline.

"The beach is popular, the beach belongs to all of us and if we don't have people up there waiting to stand firm in the face of certain development pressures, we're just going to lose it, Gonzalez said.

Many coastal activists showed up at Wednesday mornings meeting with similar praise. No one disputes Lester's importance and power in shaping policy and recommendations for commission votes, which is why, even though no reason was given for his proposed dismissal, few people wondered where it came from.

"Clearly I do believe the environmentalists consider him one of them and the business community is concerned he is more concerned with environmental issues than not taking into consideration business and economic impacts, said John Dadian, a political analysis.

Critics pointed to aggressive and overreaching policy under Lesters leadership since 2011. The commission has been at the center of fierce battles over beach access in celebrity enclaves, and it's facing a lawsuit after banning SeaWorld from breeding captive killer whales at its San Diego marine park.

Former Commissioner Steve Blank, who was viewed as an environmental advocate and resigned in 2013, said the move to oust Lester was not a surprise and developers have long sought greater influence at the agency that regulates them.

"A lot of people in the business community and basically with common sense did not think the coastal commission should have jurisdiction with how to breed animals, Dadian said.

The move to replace Lester comes in the midst of a long-running review of a proposed development of nearly 1,400 homes, a resort and retail space known as Banning Ranch in the Newport Beach area. Companies involved in the project include real estate firm Brooks Street, Cherokee Investment Partners and Aera Energy, which is jointly owned by affiliates of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Exxon Mobil Corp.

I think the people I represent and the general public, I'd think they'd be very happy that we have someone up there willing to put his foot down and say no to some of these folks, Gonzalez said.

San Diego's representative, Supervisor Greg Cox, did attend today's meeting and was replaced by his alternate, Escondido City Councilmember Olga Diaz. NBC 7 San Diego reached out to Supervisor Cox through his communication director, who said the supervisor would not be making on comments on the matter.

Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat who appoints four of the commission's 12 voting members, declined to comment on Lester's possible dismissal through a spokesman in January.

The Associated Press' Michael R. Blood contributed to this report.


WATCH CONTEST: Live on Red Bull TV.

The Mavericks big-wave surf contest, officially called Titans of Mavericks, was last held off Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay back in January 2014.

And as the waves pick up, along with the world's top surfers, plenty of crowds are starting to show up for Friday's one-day competition that's only held when conditions are just right. Waves between 15 and 25 feet are expected this time around.

The competition is invitation-only. This year, 24 of the world's best surfers are competing for a $120,000 purse, with $30,000 going to the winner.

The contest was supposed to start at 7:30 a.m., but actually kicked off at 8 a.m. It should end by late afternoon, depending on conditions.

ITS ON! FRIDAY @RedBullTV pic.twitter.com/NbylQ4eJRH  Titans of Mavericks (@titansofmavs) February 10, 2016

But don't expect to see anything from land. Since a rogue wave wiped out some spectators during the 2010 contest, there is no access to the bluffs or the beach at Pillar Point, and authorities are expected to block roads.

Event organizers will not be a hosting viewing party with a big-screen simulcast as they have in past years. Instead, surf fans are encouraged to watch on Red Bull TV.

Fans can watch the event on screens at six places in Half Moon Bay and Princeton-by-the-sea including the Mavericks Surf Shop; Half Moon Bay Brewing Company; Flavor; Old Princeton Landing: Public House and Grill; Miramar Beach Restaurant; and Cameron's Inn, Pub and Restaurant, according to organizers. In Santa Cruz, fans can watch the competition at Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery, Berdels, New Bohemia Brewery Co. and Pono Hawaiian Grill. In Pacifica, fans can watch the surfers at La Playa Taqueria and in San Francisco, fans can catch it at Pete's Tavern and the Wipeout Bar and Grill, according to the event's website.

The best option for those hoping to see the action in person seems to be to charter a boat, although the Coast Guard advises that spectators who chose "to view the event from the water should do so at their own risk."

More information can be found on the event's website at titansofmavericks.com.

Santa Cruzs own Ken Collins has been surfing Mavericks for 23 years, seen a million things happen, but he says he learns something new every time.

Bay City News contributed to this report.
Major world powers reached an agreement on a cease-fire to end the conflict in Syria, NBC News reported.

The deal, announced in Munich, calls for a nationwide cease-fire, expansion of humanitarian aid and resumption of peace talks in Geneva. The cease-fire does not apply to military against terror groups like ISIS or al-Nusra Front.

The U.S. and Russia would lead a task force for a "cessation of violence of hostilities," according to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. He said the truce would be a crucial pause allowing parties to negotiate, but by itself, would not end the conflict.

Russia must also halt air strikes against the opposition if a cease-fire is to be successful.
Unreleased court documents from the corruption case of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver could be made public in two weeks after lawyers for NBC New York and the New York Times argued it was it was past time for a federal judge to allow the public to have access to the records.

After sealing the materials for the duration of the trial, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni agreed that some of the records, the contents of which are unknown, should be released. Speaking in court Thursday, she said that she planned to unseal those materials with redactions and would issue an opinion explaining her analysis.

Attorneys for Silver, who was convicted of federal corruption charges last year, have asked to keep the documents secret and will have a chance to file an appeal to keep the documents secret before the judge issues her opinion and analysis.

If there are no appeals, or any appeal failed, she said she hoped to have the documents released as early as two weeks from Thursday.

NBC 4 New York was the first media outlet to ask the court to release the documents tied to the federal probe into the $4 million in payments and legal fees Silver received in exchange for using his office to help real estate developers and a doctor seeking state funding grants.

During the hearing, NBC 4 attorney Daniel Kummer argued along with attorneys for the Times that the First Amendment right of access to the courts allows for the release of the documents.

The only people excluded from this conversation right now are all the people for whom these people govern, Kummer said.

Good point, Caproni replied.

Kummer added that it was the first time in his career he has argued for the release of documents he knew nothing about.

"This is the first access matter that I can recall in my career in which we came in with absolutely no idea what it is we are seeking access to," Kummer said.

Attorneys for Silver urged the judge to keep the records secret, arguing that any release of materials that were not entered into evidence at trial would further damage Silvers reputation and harm his chances should he succeed on appeal to win a new trial.

Prosecutors in the case against Silver, meanwhile, agreed some materials can now be released but said portions need to be redacted.

No one has described the what is in the sealed documents. Caproni suggested the documents could include unindicted or unnamed third parties.

We are confident that at least one of them was never mentioned at trial," she said.

The judge sealed the courtroom for a time Thursday to give attorneys for those third parties to argue why they want the documents kept secret. Well-known defense lawyer Abbe Lowell was one high-profile defense attorney seen in the courtroom.

Lowell did not respond to a request for comment as to whether or who was representing. It is unclear if any of the unnamed third parties are other Albany politicians, powerful business leaders or relatives or associates of Silver.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled for the crucial support of black and Hispanic voters in Thursday night's Democratic debate, a polite but pointed contest that marked a shift in the primary toward states with more minority voters.

After splitting the first two states with Sanders, Clinton also deepened her assertion that her unexpectedly strong rival was energizing voters with promises "that cannot be kept." And she continued to closely align herself with President Barack Obama, who remains popular particularly with black Democrats.

Seeking to boost his own support with minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system."

"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.

In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to address a criminal justice system that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities. But she cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.

"We're going to emphasize education, jobs and housing," said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay. Both disagreed with a new series of raids authorized by Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally.

"We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can," Clinton said.

Both candidates were largely restrained in their head-to-head contest  a contrast to their campaign's increasingly heated rhetoric on the campaign trail. While Clinton played the aggressor in the previous Democratic debate, she is mindful of a need to not turn off Sanders' voters, particularly the young people that are supporting him in overwhelming numbers.

Clinton is hoping to offset Sanders' backing from those young Americans by drawing support from the black and Hispanic voters who make up a big share of the electorate in Nevada, South Carolina and other states that come next on the primary calendar.

The former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system. Clinton said those proposals come with unrealistic price tags. And she accused Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40 percent increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.

Sanders didn't put a price on his policies, but neither did he shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.

"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," Sanders said.

Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively on a call to break up big Wall Street banks and overhaul the current campaign finance system that he says gives wealthy Americans undue influence. His campaign contends that his message will be well-received by minority voters, arguing that blacks and Hispanics have been hurt even more by what he calls a "rigged" economy.

Sanders' strength has startled Clinton's campaign. He defeated her by more than 20 points in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, drawing the majority of men, women, independents and young people.
The number of children victimized by a school volunteer and youth choir director who police say forced children to perform sex acts on camera has climbed to 12.

Prince George's County Public School officials told parents on Thursday officials will work to ensure children's safety.

I, like many, was shocked, appalled, disgusted, and disheartened by the allegations that a former PGCPS employee harmed students and vulnerable children," school district CEO Dr. Kevin M. Maxwell said.

The family of an 11-year-old boy in the choir at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School, named only as John Doe 2, filed for a class-action lawsuit on Thursday against the Prince George's County school board and the school's principal.

The family's lawyer, David Simpson, said the case against Deonte Carraway, 22, seems to be growing.

"Unfortunately, the more we keep looking, the more we keep finding and the broader the whole matter seems to be getting," he said.

The suspect, a Glenarden resident, is accused of having filmed "vile sexual acts" between children age 9 to 13 at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary, the Glenarden Municipal Center, the Theresa Banks Memorial Aquatic Center and in private homes.

The family of a 9-year-old boy filed a lawsuit Wednesday, claiming the child was told by Carraway that he would be part of a "club" if he participated in sex acts the school volunteer filmed.

Parents flocked to the school Thursday night for a meeting with administrators.

"We go to work hoping that everything is safe, and we don't feel any safety now," one father said.

Carraway was arrested Friday after after the uncle of that 9-year-old victim saw a disturbing image on the child's phone, in the app Kik, police said. He admitted being involved in producing child pornography, police said.

The school's principal, Michelle Williams, was placed on leave out of an "abundance of caution, Maxwell said. The family of the first child's family to file a lawsuit in the case said misconduct by Carraway had been reported but that Williams took no action, saying teachers had no proof.

Carraway's pastor, Dr. Henry Davis of First Baptist Church of Highland Park, said that looking back, he sees some red flags in the young man's behavior.

"The strange part was that I never knew his family. He used to come by himself," Davis said.

Carraway was always alone at the church, the pastor said.

Parents at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary said at the school he was often surrounded by kids.

He was just always around children -- at the playground, walking to and from school with them, mother Monique Ganntte previously said.

Nothing criminal was found in Carraways background check before he started working for the school in November 2014, officials said.

Here's what PGCPS officials said in an update Thursday that they will do to keep students safe:

At the administrative level, PGCPS leaders met with the Judge Sylvania Woods community to share information on the incident and review policies and procedures for reporting abuse and suspicious activity. Counseling and psychological support will be provided to students and families upon request, and those services will remain in place as long as they are needed. A second meeting will take place at the school this evening.

Dr. Maxwell will also convene a taskforce of internal and external partners to review current policies and procedures and identify areas of immediate improvement. The district will also consult with national experts in this field to ensure the taskforce recommendations are aligned with best practices from across the country.



Next week, staff from the PGCPS Office of General Counsel will address principals during a systemic principals meeting and review all laws, policies, and procedures related to an employees obligation to report abuse and suspicious behavior.

At the school level, principals will hold mandatory meetings with staff to review the August 2015 training materials and October 2015 memorandum on procedures for reporting abuse and suspicious activities. Professional school counselors will reach out to students and conduct lessons in the classroom that address the differences between appropriate and inappropriate physical contact; personal body safety rules and when to use them; and how to identify trusted adults to whom they can report when they feel unsafe.



We will work closely with our community partners and use all possible resources to foster a safe and supportive environment for all students and families, added Dr. Maxwell. It goes without saying that these type of acts are intolerable and unacceptable.



If parents or community members have any additional information regarding this case, they should call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A probe of a mine waste accident in Colorado that fouled rivers in three states with arsenic, lead and other toxic substances has found further evidence that government workers knew a spill from the gold mine was possible, according to documents released Thursday by a U.S. House committee.

Hays Griswold, a U.S. Environmental Protection agency official in charge of the Gold King mine at the time of the August accident, said in an email that he "personally knew" the plugged, inactive mine could contain large volumes of water.

The email was sent Oct. 28 to other EPA officials. It was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press as the House Natural Resources Committee released the findings of its Republican-led probe.

An EPA cleanup crew triggered the spill during excavation work at the mine's entrance, unleashing a 3 million-gallon deluge that contaminated rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and highlighted the dangers posed by tens of thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S.

The Colorado release dumped more than 880,000 pounds of heavy metals into Colorado's Animas River, forcing the closure of downstream public water systems until the plume passed and raising concerns about long-term environmental impacts.

"I personally knew it could be holding back a lot of water, and I believe the others in the group knew as well," Griswold wrote in the email.

EPA spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said the agency was reviewing the House committee's findings and had no further comment at this time.

The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, said Republicans were using the EPA's role in the accident to shift responsibility away from the mining industry for toxic mines that have been abandoned by owners.

The spill occurred when workers for EPA and its contractor, Environmental Restoration LLC, started excavation work that was intended to allow them to safely drain the mine.

An Interior Department investigation pinned responsibility on the EPA for not checking to see if the mine held pressurized water. EPA officials previously said workers on site determined there was no or low pressure from water backed up inside the mine.

The email from Griswold suggests that the determination of low water pressure was based in part on mistaken assumptions about the location of the top of the mine's buried entrance, known in mining as the brow.

The excavation work was intended to clear away debris blocking the entrance before the mine was to be drained at a later date, he wrote.

"We and or I particularly thought we were four or maybe five feet above the brow," Griswold wrote. "However, as it turned out we inadvertently got to probably within a foot or two of the brow. That proved to be too close when rock at the exposed face crumbled out, providing an outlet for the water."

Griswold's email also raised new questions about the accuracy of the investigation by the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, which examined the causes of the spill. The email used such terms as "patently false" and "mischaracterization of the facts" to describe parts of the report.

Griswold wrote that a Reclamation report, released in October, incorrectly described what his crew was trying to do at the mine, and that it understated how much water Griswold thought was inside.

Griswold also wrote that bureau officials took soil samples from the wrong material at the mine site when they were investigating the spill, and that a bureau official "slept through my interview and presentation" about the incident.

Colorado officials have also disputed key parts of the report.

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah said federal officials still have not turned over some information on Gold King requested by his committee, and the government appeared to be engaged in a "pattern of deception" about events surrounding the spill.

Reclamation spokesman Dan DuBray said Thursday the agency stands behind its report on the accident.
An energized John Kasich heads into South Carolina's Republican presidential primary hoping to build on a strong showing in New Hampshire, but he's refusing to tailor or shift his message to fit the state's more conservative electorate.

"People told me: 'They're really conservative down there,' " Kasich joked to a crowd Wednesday in Mount Pleasant, his first campaign stop in the state since a debate in mid-January. "And I'm like, 'wait a minute, people are people  we all have the same concerns.' "

Kasich is making a three-day swing through the state with stops along the coast and in several population centers, making sure to hit the state's more moderate corners along the way.

In town hall meetings packed to the brim with supporters or curious voters, Kasich is making the case for a brand of conservatism that leaves no one behind. And he's defending himself as attacks against his conservative credentials start flying, chiefly over his decision to expand Medicaid in Ohio despite resistance from his GOP-led Legislature.

Gov. Kasich is a good guy, and he's been a good governor, Jeb Bush said at a campaign stop Thursday in Columbia. "But my record as a conservative reformer far exceeds his, and that's not attacking, that's not negative, that's what you call comparing and contrasting."

Bush said Florida taxpayers "are appreciative" of the decision not to undertake expansion efforts, while Kasich "led the charge in Ohio to expand Medicaid. ... He can defend that all he wants, but that's the difference."

It's an accusation Kasich may hear again as the Republican campaign shifts to the South for the next month. From the Carolinas west to Oklahoma and Texas, none of the GOP-run states has embraced Medicaid expansion, and several of Kasich's Southern counterpart governors have been openly hostile to President Barack Obama's health care law, calling it a federal overreach  and worse.

But Kasich isn't backing down, arguing his decision has helped people suffering from mental illnesses or drug addiction and is a good deal for the state in the long run. As of December, roughly 650,000 Ohioans had enrolled under the expansion, and according to the state, Ohio's total Medicaid spending was nearly $2 billion below estimates for the fiscal year that ended in June  despite more newly eligible enrollees than projected.

His defense of Medicaid expansion dovetails with a key theme of his campaign: the idea that helping society's most vulnerable is a central piece of what it means to be conservative.

"It makes total sense to have a package that can make sure everybody has a chance to rise and I think the public loves it," Kasich told reporters Wednesday. "Somebody wants to hit me on it or hammer me on it, God bless them  I'm not going to back off this."

Still, that may be tough to sell in South Carolina and beyond. The governor here, Nikki Haley, won easy re-election in 2014 on her staunch rejection of Medicaid expansion and refusal to run a state-based exchange to sell private insurance policies, the other pillar of Obama's health care law.

"It's safe to say a majority of South Carolina Republicans are opposed to Medicaid expansion," explained state Rep. Murrell Smith, whose legislative committee handles health care policy. "It can be viewed as expanding government, which to put it mildly is just not very popular in South Carolina."

There's also the matter of the "Obamacare" law's namesake. Haley, who often called the law "wrongheaded" and "unconstitutional," mentioned the president often in her blistering critiques.

The president twice won Kasich's Ohio  and New Hampshire  but in South Carolina, Obama peaked at 44.9 percent of the vote in 2008. Moreover, a Winthrop University poll taken in December found that 93 percent of likely South Carolina GOP presidential primary voters disapprove of Obama's job performance.

Kasich emphasizes his overall opposition to the health care overhaul law, even as he defends Medicaid expansion.

It's just one of the positions that may not be popular with a deeply conservative electorate. Still, Kasich is not shying away.

"You notice my answers here are not pandering, because I'm not going to pander," he said at a Thursday town hall in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Kasich rarely offers up the type of red meat that his rivals such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz place at the center of their speeches. He's telling voters, for example, that he doesn't believe in deporting the millions of people living here illegally, because ripping people out of their homes and away from their children is un-American. And he readily admits that working with Democrats is essential to getting things done.

Kasich's campaign isn't expecting a victory in South Carolina. Rather, they're hoping to pick up delegates as they continue on to more favorable territory, starting with a couple of states in the Northeast and Minnesota on March 1 and Michigan's primary on March 8. But Kasich, still energized from Tuesday night's second-place New Hampshire finish, says he's ready to run hard everywhere, from the deep South to the Midwest.

He seems to relish questions from voters about where exactly he fits on the political spectrum.

"You know what I am?" he said Thursday afternoon. "I'm a Kasich Republican."
Pope Francis met Friday with Patriarch Kirill in the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, an historic development in the 1,000-year schism that divided Christianity that may, however, be more about Russia asserting itself than any new ecumenical progress.

"Finally!" Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havana's airport, where the three-hour encounter was taking place. "We are brothers."

They kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: "Now things are easier."

Francis was having the brief talks in Cuba before heading off on a five-day visit to Mexico, where the pontiff will bring a message of solidarity with the victims of drug violence, human trafficking and discrimination to some of that country's most violent and poverty-stricken regions.

The meeting and signing of a joint declaration was decades in the making and cemented Francis' reputation as a risk-taking statesman who values dialogue, bridge-building and rapprochement at almost any cost.

Indeed, while the meeting with Kirill has been hailed by many as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The joint declaration is expected to touch on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

It is being signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin America's first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirill's willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding within the West and the Orthodox Church at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine. Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

The Russian church has long sought greater influence over the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.

"This isn't benevolence. It's not a newfound desire for Christian unity," said George Demacopoulos, the Greek-Orthodox chairman of Orthodox Christian studies at Fordham University in New York. "It is almost entirely about (Kirill) posturing and trying to present himself as the leader of Orthodoxy."

Popes as far back as Paul VI have met with the ecumenical patriarch, who is the "first among equals" in the 250 million-strong Orthodox Church and the only patriarch who can speak for global Orthodoxy. But the Russian Church is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful in Orthodoxy, and has always kept its distance from Rome.

Catholic and Orthodox split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands. Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

The most vexing issue in recent times centers on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the country's second-largest, which follows eastern church rites but answers to the Holy See. The Russian Orthodox Church has considered western Ukraine its traditional territory and has resented papal influence there.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, the head of the Vatican office that deals with Orthodox relations, said the Ukrainian church will certainly come up in the two-hour private talks between Francis and Kirill.

"I think it would be impossible to meet without discussing such issues," he told Vatican Radio. But he said the future significance of the meeting could not be overstated.

"It will certainly forge relations within Orthodoxy: We still don't have contact with a lot of Orthodox patriarchs, and this meeting could help develop intra-Orthodox relations ahead of the pan-Orthodox council," he said. "Improved understanding between Rome and Moscow will certainly have positive effects on the theological dialogue."

Such hoped-for progress may seem naive, since the Russian church has always been reluctant to engage in theological dialogue over the primacy of the pope, said the Rev. Stefano Caprio, one of the first priests who arrived in Russia in 1989 to minister to the Catholic community and now is a professor of Russian history and culture at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

He said the Russian position has long been: "We're interested in ecumenism only in the sense of collaboration in managing the crises of a Christianity that is attacked in some countries by violent forces ... and above all to unite against global secularization," he said.

He noted, for example, that Friday's meeting doesn't include any joint prayer  purely talks. "It's not an ecumenical encounter," he said.

While a papal trip to Russia is still a long-sought dream, Caprio ruled it out for the foreseeable future.

"It would be a bigger scandal than Pussy Riot," he said.

Immediately following his meeting with Kirill, the pontiff will fly to Mexico for a weeklong tour that will take him once again to uncharted papal territory.

Among his stops will be the crime-plagued Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, where his visit will shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the government's failure to solve entrenched social ills that plague many parts of Mexico  inequality, rampant gangland killings, extortion, disappearances of women, crooked cops and failed city services.

He will also visit the mainly indigenous southern state of Chiapas, which has the country's highest poverty rate. There he will celebrate a very Indian Mass and present a decree authorizing the use of indigenous languages in liturgy.

Francis will end his trip in the violent northern city of Ciudad Juarez, where he will pray at the border for all who have died trying to cross into the U.S.  a prayer he hopes will resonate north of the border.

NBC 6's Julia Bagg is in Cuba and will provide live reports. Follow her on Twitter for updates and information.

This is a developing story and will be continually updated throughout the day.




The director of the Centers for Disease Control will testify before a senate committee Thursday morning to discuss the threat of the Zika virus.

CDC director Tom Frieden along with Anthony Fauci from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will appear before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services.

Senators will discuss President Obama's request for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat Zika as well as the emerging health threat of the virus.

While work on a Zika vaccine is under way, the disease continues to rapidly spread across South America, prompting many in the U.S. to worry about the potential for travelers to bring Zika to the United States.
UPDATE: Storm-Battered Cruise Ship Has More Than 'Superficial' Damage: Coast Guard

A cruise ship battered by rough seas and powerful winds in the Atlantic Ocean cut short its voyage and docked at its New Jersey port Wednesday night, as thousands of weary passengers streamed out of the ship describing what one woman called "a cruise from hell."

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas pulled into Bayonne's Cape Liberty at 9 p.m. Passengers were seen on the decks waving and cheering as the ship docked.

"This was the most unbelievable trip, it was just something you can't even imagine," said a Bronx woman named Elaine who took the trip with her husband Freddy.

The ship was met at the dock by a team of U.S. Coast Guard inspectors. The inspectors finished their initial check of the ship Wednesday night and will continue the investigation Thursday, Coast Guard officials said. The extent of the damage to the ship was not immediately made available by the Coast Guard.

The ship, carrying more than 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, departed Saturday on a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas. But the 1,141-foot vessel sailed on Sunday into a major winter storm.

The captain asked passengers to stay in their cabins as powerful 120-mph sustained winds and waves as high as 30 feet tossed the vessel around beginning Sunday afternoon.

"Everything was blowing open, the closets were flying open, glass was breaking," said Elaine, who has been on over 30 cruise trips with her husband. "It was a cruise from hell."

As passengers stayed inside their rooms, the captain made periodic announcements every two hours, then stopped altogether at midnight to allow people to sleep.

"Who's sleeping?" said an incredulous Kim Robinette, describing the tumult inside her family's sleeping quarters as they rode out the storm. "The boys are holding onto their beds."

"We didn't get out until 8 in the morning, we were stuck in our room," said Robinette, of Southampton, Massachusetts. "And when everybody got out in the morning, they were just looking at the damage that was done."

Gus Kompas of Queens, who was on the trip with his wife and two children, said, "I don't know what was going on in the control room but as the ship was rocking, [the captain] held it to the point where it was good, where everything came to safety after a few hours. He was good."

Royal Caribbean says four passengers reported minor injuries and the ship sustained some damage to its public areas and staterooms.

Passengers will get a full refund and a certificate toward 50 percent off a future cruise.

Royal Caribbean apologized "for exposing our guests and crew to the weather they faced, and for what they went through."

"The event, exceptional as it was, identified gaps in our planning system that we are addressing," the company said in a statement. "Though that system has performed well through many instances of severe weather around the world, what happened this week showed that we need to do better."

Superficial damage to the Anthem of the Seas ship has been repaired, and the ship is expected to resume its planned itinerary for next week's cruise, Royal Caribbean says.

The ship's misadventure prompted Florida Sen. Bill Nelson to call for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the voyage.

Nelson questioned the cruise line's decision to proceed with the voyage in the face of a threatening storm.

The National Weather Service's Ocean Prediction Center had issued an alert for a strong storm four days in advance. The first warning was issued Saturday for possible hurricane-force winds in the area the ship was scheduled to sail through.

Passenger Robinette said the captain "did tell us in the beginning that we were going into bad weather but he thought he could get around it. The only thing I can say is, he did kind of comfort us" during the storm.

Royal Caribbean said the storm far exceeded forecasts, but the company would be strengthening its storm avoidance policy and adding resources at its Miami headquarters to provide additional guidance to ships' captains.
A school bus driver was arraigned Friday morning after police said he crashed a bus with 11 students on board while driving drunk on Thursday afternoon in Dudley, Massachusetts.

Police responded around 3 p.m. to find the bus on Hayden Pond Road with wires from a utility pole on its roof. None of the children were injured. All of them were taken from the area by another bus shortly after the crash, Dudley Police Chief Steve Wojnar confirmed.

Police spoke with the driver, 42-year-old Scott Poirier of Dudley, and determined that he was drunk. He was arrested after failing field sobriety tests and charged with operating under the influence.

He faces charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and eight counts of child endangerment while operating under the influence. The bus company that employs him, First Student, said it has already initiated the protocol to terminate him.

Poirier appeared in court Friday morning and was released on personal recognizance bail, despite a request from prosecutors for $50,000 cash bail. He was ordered to have a GPS monitoring device installed and not to have any contact with children except his two sons.

It was not immediately clear if Poirier had an attorney.

Wojnar described the crash as "minor," saying preliminary investigation shows that the bus backed into a utility pole, causing damage to the pole.

"You put your kids on the bus, and you expect them to be safe," said Tracy Donais, whose daughter had been on the bus.

"It's kind of surprising," said that girl's father, Andrew Donais. "Right after our daughter gets off the bus, right down the road, the bus driver has an accident. It's just surprising."

Power was knocked out to 280 customers in the area, National Grid said. It was expected to be returned Thursday night.

School officials said they're reviewing the incident as well, and that Poirer is employed by First Student, a company with which the district has a transportation contract.

In a statement, Dudley-Charlton School Superintendent Gregg Desto called the situation "exceptionally rare."

"There has never been a similar incident in the 43 years we have been a district," he added.

Poirier is scheduled to return to court on March 31.
If you're looking for some fun to kick off Valentine's weekend ...or to kick off a weekend where you care nothing about V-Day, you're in luck, because we have some amazing shows in town. At the Belly Up, Thee Oh Sees return to town, which is always a blast, or you can dig the electronic vibe of the Knocks at the Casbah. In North Park, catch Portland's indie rockers STRFKR or go a little more east to Soda Bar for Mrs. Magician. Tim Pyles hosts Nicely and the Bulbs for the free Mary Jane's Underground show this month at the Hard Rock Hotel, and Shwayze brings the party to Music Box. There's so much to do -- Valentine or not -- that you should make a point of finding some fun.

Friday, Feb, 12:

Thee Oh Sees, Pow! @ Belly Up

The Knocks, Cardiknox, Sofi Tukker @ Casbah

STRFKR, Com Truise, Fake Drugs @ Observatory North Park

Mrs. Magician, Dead Heavens, Jimmy Ruelas @ Soda Bar

Mary Jane's Underground with Nicely, the Bulbs @ Mary Jane's, Hard Rock Hotel -- watch the Bulbs' SoundDiego Spotlight segment



Shwayze, Felly, W!ldcard, City Reef @ Music Box

Soft Lions, Boy King, Diamond Lakes @ Bar Pink

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy @ Sycuan

Panic Is Perfect, Anya Marina @ The Loft, UCSD

The Lovebirds, Lisa Sanders, Nathan Welden, Ricky Ruis, Robin Henkel, Peter Bolland, Marion Law, Bobo Czarnowski @ Java Joe's

Atomic Groove @ Belly Up (5 p.m.)

Bert Turetzky's 83rd Birthday Performance & Celebration @ Dizzy's

Cumbia Machin, DJ Viejo Lowbo @ Ken Club

Peach Kelli Pop @ The Hideout

Death By Dancing @ Whistle Stop

Caitlin Evanson, Kennady Tracy, Tim Connolly @ Lestat's

Kelly McGarry Presents @ House of Blues

School of Rock @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues

Blue Halas, Three Chamber Heart, Terrans @ The Merrow

Cowgirls From Hell @ The Bancroft

The Salty Dukes, Brave Native, Poppy's Field @ 710 Beach Club

Wild Nights Band @ Tio Leo's

The Reflectors @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5 p.m.)

Rising Star @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (9 p.m.)

Kids in Heat, the Fink Bombs, Bat Lords, the Fuzzy Junkies @ Tower Bar

Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen @ Winston's

Mother, Clean Room @ Til-Two Club

Generation Party @ Bluefoot

DJ Greyboy @ El Dorado

Chris Kennedy @ Fluxx

Firebeatz @ Bassmnt

Jack Beats, Hotfire @ Bang Bang

Lil Jon @ Omnia

DJ Turbulence @ Parq

Sunny Rude @ Gallagher's Irish Pub

Club Musae @ Boar Cross'n

Rosemary Bystrak is the publicist for the Casbah, the content manager for DoSD, and writes about the San Diego music scene, events and general musings about life in San Diego on San Diego: Dialed In. Follow her updates on Twitter or contact her directly.
Tobacco smoke from cigar and hookah lounges is endangering the health of customers and workers in adjoining businesses throughout San Diego County, according to the American Lung Association.

The nonprofit organization said the polluted, dangerous air seeping into these local businesses is a serious public health problem. The group is urging licensing agencies to close what it calls a loophole in the Californias non-smoking laws.

There isnt any safe exposure to secondhand smoke, said Deborah Kelley, advocacy director for the American Lung Associations local San Diego chapter. That level of (tobacco) particulate matter is an instant threat to anyone who already has heart disease. And even if its just burning your eyes or nose or causing your eyes to water, those are all acute effects.

Kihyun Kim invested his savings to buy Do-Re-Mi Korean Restaurant in Kearny Mesa four years ago. He told NBC 7 Investigates the smell of tobacco smoke from Excalibur Cigar Lounge, next door to his restaurant, is seeping through the walls, ceilings and air vents.

I only smelled it a little bit during the night time, when I first opened, and I thought it was coming from the front door, Kim said.

He said the smell becomes progressively worse as more cigar smokers visit the lounge.

In mid-January, American Lung Association experts used equipment to test the air inside Do-Re-Mi.

Dr. Neil Klepeis, an environmental health scientist, helped supervised the air quality testing inside the restaurant and analyzed the results. He said the test confirmed there is smoke inside the restaurant.

"I was struck at how high the (tobacco particulate) levels are, Klepeis said. He is an expert in second-hand smoke exposure and adjunct professor of public health at San Diego State University.

On a Friday night, when Lung Association staffers said they counted at least 20 cigar smokers inside the cigar lounge, Klepeis said test results revealed smoke levels inside the restaurant spiked to 10 times the acceptable exposure level recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Comparable to what you might get if you smoked a cigarette in a car, or you smoked a cigarette in a small bedroom," he said.

Klepeis said the Lung Association tests -- conducted around the clock for eight days and nights -- show the smoke is coming from Excalibur, not the Do-Re-Mi kitchen.

"Every time the cigar bar was open, you see high levels. Every single time, Klepeis said. And as soon as the cigar bar closes, you see the levels going down. So that's a smoking gun, so to speak."

Excaliburs owner declined to answer specific questions about the problem, but in a written statement said a malfunction in its ventilation system caused tobacco levels to spike inside the restaurant.

An upgrade to the extensive ventilation system was completed with building management supervision in January 2016, according to Excaliburs statement.

Click here to read the full statement.

According to Kim, the strong odor of unwelcome cigar smoke continues and is hurting his business. "The customers tell me, 'We can't stay here because of the kids, and they get up and leave," he told NBC 7 Investigates.

Distaste for the cigar odor is apparent online. On the website Yelp, one reviewer said, "the smell of smoke has been kind of suffocating.

"It made the place smell like an ashtray," wrote another.

"It always smells like cigarette smoke...it will be extremely disgusting for you," another diner warned.

Fans, vents and air filtering machines in both businesses have not helped. Kim said his landlord told him to install an exhaust fan above the front door.

Klepeis said that would not help because the smoke is most likely leaking through electrical and lighting outlets and other gaps in the common wall and spaces where the wall meets the ceiling. Klepeis said the only possible, partial solution would be to demolish and completely rebuild those structures.

Kim said he has spent hours on the phone, trying to get help from a local or state agency. NBC 7 Investigates called around too and learned there are no regulations limiting the seepage of smoke from a licensed cigar or hookah lounge into a neighboring business.

"No, I'm not surprised, Kelley said. Its very frustrating.

Kelley said her and other no-smoking advocates are working now to close what she calls a loophole in California law.

According to the law, a business is permitted to allowing smoking inside if they do not serve food or alcohol.

NBC 7 Investigates found Do-Re-Mi is one of more than 100 San Diego businesses that could be sharing common walls, ceilings and vents with cigar, tobacco or hookah lounges, according to a list obtained from the Lung Association.

Those businesses include a downtown youth hostel, a Clairemont Mesa jewelry shop and a dental office in Mira Mesa.

Kelley said cigar, tobacco and hookah lounges should be physically isolated from other businesses in special "stand-alone" locations. "They can only be good neighbors if they have no neighbors," she said.

NBC 7 Investigates also has learned the Excalibur lounge serves liquor to customers under a valid state liquor license. The California Attorney General and the state Legislative Counsel have both opined that any licensed tobacco lounge that serves alcohol and/or food will have voided its non-smoking exemption.



Excalibur's owner disagrees. In the statement to NBC 7 Investigates, the owner said, we adhere to and exceed the requirements of every license, permit, and regulation for our industry."

A San Diego Police Department spokesman said the department is looking into this apparent violation.


PACIFICA -- Sonja Thompson lives so close to the edge of an 80-foot bluff above the Pacific Ocean that when paragliders fly by "you can almost high-five them."

Having the Pacific as your backyard has its benefits, and its dangers. Crumbling cliffs have forced dozens to leave their homes and others like Thompson may have to join them as El Nino-fueled storms batter the coast.

Last summer, whale watching was at its prime and people who live on the crumbling cliffs of Pacifica were treated to more than 200 dolphin sightings. The moon and sun rises are spectacular, and the air feels like it's a million miles away from smoggy cityscapes.

"All the nature and wildlife I read about in New York I get to see here up close and personal here," said Druth McClure, who moved from the East Coast to a waterfront apartment here 20 years ago.

But some residents last month came home from work to find yellow "restricted use" tags on their front doors, which required them to start packing.

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"At some point and time we won't be able to live here. These cliffs are primarily packed sand so they will no doubt crumble away," said Jackie James, who occasionally stays with her fiance at an ocean-view apartment still safe to occupy. "What do they say about nature? It's a relentless march."

Pacifica, which means peaceful in Spanish, is anything but that when heavy rains and big surf batter this largely working class city of roughly 40,000, about 10 miles south of San Francisco.

The area is one of the two most erosion-prone stretches of the state's coastline, along with the Monterey Bay area, according to Patrick Barnard, a coastal geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Instead of avoiding the situation surrounding the protests from Thursday night, the Kings are embracing the chance to make a difference. And on Sunday, they had help from the Boston Celtics.

Sediment from watersheds that historically sustained these beaches and served to protect the cliffs has been greatly reduced by human activity such as damming, flood control and dredging, Barnard said.

Sea level rise has exacerbated the problem, and its projected acceleration over the next century will expose the coast to more wave attack and erosion, he added.

The Pacifica cliffs have been crumbling for decades, as aerial photographs from the California Coastal Records Projects show.

The toll has been heavy in recent years. In 2010, two apartment buildings undermined by previous storms were evacuated and face demolition. Last month, during El Nino storms, residents of another apartment building and two homes were forced to move out. Continuing erosion has left the apartments sitting unsafely on the edge of an 80-foot bluff.

"We're not fearful of falling off. They've been so diligent that they are going to tell us if we are in any imminent danger," said Thompson, who lives in an oceanfront apartment with her wife, Karlie Thompson. The benefits of the beautiful spot, she said, outweigh the worry.

"The paragliders, they are so close you can almost high five them," she said, adding there was one in a Santa suit over the holidays.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier and city officials have pledged to seek state and federal assistance. The Pacifica City Council on Thursday approved emergency work on Beach Boulevard, Sea Wall and Promenade.

Still, many forced-out residents say they feel abandoned, left alone to find money for moving, storage lockers and new housing in the pricey San Francisco Bay Area.

"Some of us tried squatting on the first night and almost got arrested," said Gordon King, a 73-year-old disabled Vietnam vet and former merchant marine who lived in a cramped apartment with his wife Lana.

"We've been fighting time," he said while packing their possessions.

The Red Cross gave them $250 but local hotels go for nearly $200 a night so they say they'll likely rely on friends until they can find a new place to plant roots.

Jeff Bowman is in a similar situation.

"I have no job, nowhere to go," he said. Now 55, he is unemployed after being laid off from a job at a supermarket.

"It should be my choice (to stay) rather than being told, 'You gotta go,'" he said, standing not far from the cold pizza on the counter and crushed beer cans in the garbage.

Bowman was paying $1,200 a month for his subsidized apartment, far less than what places go for in San Francisco or other parts of Pacifica.

"I'm just going to get rid of the rest of this stuff, cash in these coins and figure out the rest of my life," he said, pointing to a water jug filled with money.

Just four months before he was told to leave, Michael McHenry, 41, an addiction recovery coach, moved into his one-bedroom oceanfront apartment.

"I'm going to keep fighting," he said. "I don't couch surf nor will I let the city dump me in a homeless shelter to get me to go away."

Standing outside his back door, he looked over the ocean then to the ground. "See the depression starting to form over there? That's all going over very soon."

He knew the apartment was someday going to be deemed unsafe, but figured he had more time.

"I thought I had a year," he said.
Millions of public school students will soon have their personal information and school records handed over to a nonprofit community organization.

The Concerned Parents Association fought for the data in federal district court and won over the objections of the California Department of Education.

The nonprofit said it needs the information to see if California schools are violating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other related laws. The database it will have access to includes all information on children, kindergarten through high school, who are attending or have attended a California school at any time since Jan. 1, 2008.

The database contain students' names, social security numbers, home addresses, course information, behavior and discipline information, progress reports, mental health and medical information, along with suspensions, expulsions and more.

That doesn't sit well with privacy groups. Beth Givens with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse said it's "shocking that the court would release this sort of information."

Eva Velasquez with the Identity Theft Resource Center agreed.

"A lot of that information could be used to commit identity theft if it gets into the wrong hands," she said.

The attorney for the Concerned Parents Association, Rony Sagy, told NBC 7 the information will only be accessible to a handful of people and will have a "Special Master" who will certify that security measures are followed.

"The issue isn't why they want it," said Velasquez. "The issue is that it creates vulnerabilities and access points."

Students and parents can opt-out of the list by following detailed instructions from the district court. However there appears to be very little being done on the state or local level to inform parents of the disclosure.

To find out more about the court case and how to opt-out, visit the ID Theft Center's website at this URL: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/alertcaparents.html. The form, which you can find here, must be submitted by April 1.
Brazil has signed an agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus, adding the goal is for the vaccine to be ready for clinical testing within 12 months.

Health Minister Marcelo Castro said at a news conference that the government will invest $1.9 million in the research, which will be jointly conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and the Evandro Chagas Institute in the Amazonian city of Belem.

He said the Health Ministry also has reached vaccine partnerships with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is looking to work with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline because of its role developing a vaccine against Ebola after a deadly outbreak in West Africa in 2014.

Brazil's Zika outbreak has become a public health crisis since researchers here linked the mosquito-borne virus to a surge in a rare birth defects compromising infants' brains. The connection has yet to be scientifically proven, but the CDC has pointed to strong evidence of a link between the two and called on pregnant women to avoid travel to 22 countries and territories in the Americas with active outbreaks.

Brazilian officials have previously said any vaccine for Zika could take as many as five years but Castro on Thursday said he was more optimistic, saying that it could be ready for distribution within three years.

As part of a stream of foreign researchers and regulators arriving to the South American nation in the coming days, representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet with their Brazilian counterparts to ensure that clinical testing of the vaccine can take place as quickly and smoothly as possible.

"This isn't just Brazil's concern; it's the world's concern," he said.

While Castro said the government's main focus now is on quickly developing a vaccine, reports about the virus' evolution continue to emerge.

On Thursday authorities reported a third adult death in Brazil with possible links to Zika: a 20-year-old woman who died last April in Rio Grande do Norte state after being hospitalized with a severe respiratory problems.

Castro said doctors had been perplexed by the death, which occurred before the Zika outbreak had been discovered and was originally classified as a result of pneumonia. But test results made known this week confirmed traces of Zika in the woman's blood.

"We're still studying this in greater detail," Castro said, cautioning that it's impossible to know what role, if any, Zika caused in her death that the death, which was reported to the WHO.

Castro said World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan is expected to visit Brazil on Feb. 23 to help coordinate the government's response with other agencies around the world. An initial delegation of 15 researchers from the CDC was slated to arrive in Brazil on Friday, he added.
A Virginia lawmaker says the issues of African-Americans in the state Senate are not being addressed.

Portsmouth Democratic Sen. Louise Lucas, who is African-American, criticized the Democratic leadership this week, saying there has been a disparate treatment of black lawmakers in the Virginia legislature, the Virginian-Pilot reported.

She directed much of her criticism at Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw. She said he fails to resolve grievances of some Democratic senators. She also says some of her concerns directed at the Republican majority leader have been ignored.

"As a member of the Black Caucus, I feel like a lot of our issues are not addressed, and they're like secondary," Lucas said.

Earlier this week, Lucas agreed to cast a vote with Senate Republicans in their choice for a state Supreme Court seat. She later recanted that vote. She says her concerns go beyond the Supreme Court vote.

"There were underlying things that gave birth to the straw that broke the camel's back," she said.

Lucas, Saslaw, Sen. Mamie Locke and Majority Leader Tommy Norment discussed Lucas' concerns Wednesday with Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Saslaw says he thinks he has done a good job in his role but acknowledged he could have been more communicative in some instances.

"She's entitled to her opinion," he said. "I think most of the people think I'm doing a pretty good job."
Less than six minutes is all you get to save someone after they collapse from sudden cardiac arrest, something Aleksander Macander discovered when, on a rainy Saturday, the 74-year-old went to the gym and hopped onto his favorite elliptical machine.

"I was close to one hour on the machine, he said. Then I felt a little queasiness, a weakness in myself, like I better give up, turn the resistance down, and I was about to do that  and then things become blank."



Macander's heart had stopped.

But a man working out on the elliptical next to him remembered seeing a metal box hanging over the water fountain at their gym inside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland. He grabbed the AED inside and used it so quickly, he literally brought Macander back from the dead.



"The AED, the defibrillator, that was the responsible piece of equipment that brought me back to life," Macander said.



Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein calls AEDs amazing machines because they really do work when your heart has an electrical failure.

Most folks do come back, he said.



But Goldstein explained that for every minute that goes by, your chances of surviving decreases by 10 percent.

If it takes three minutes to apply the AED, you have a 70 percent chance at survival.

"If you work in a facility, live in a facility, frequent a facility where there is an AED, take the step to get the basic training," Goldstein said.



Montgomery County Fire Capt. Bob Lindsey showed us how easy they are to use.

"The nice thing about defibrillators is they will tell you exactly what to do," he said as he opened an AED he uses for training.

Capt. Bob Lindsey of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue shows the News4 I-Teams Tisha Thompson what to do if someone collapses and how to use an AED device to try to save a life.

He hit a button, followed the machines instructions on where to place two pads and then listened as the machine analyzed our training dummy. The AED then told us to stand back so we could deliver a shock by pressing a button. It then prompted us to start CPR.

Even if youve never had any AED training but see a defibrillator, you should use it, Lindsey said. He explained the machine will not deliver a shock unless its necessary and its very difficult to cause any additional harm to the patient.

The worst thing to do, he said. Is nothing.

But the devices won't work if the batteries aren't charged.

Laurel Mayor Craig Moe said the batteries powering their old AEDs were supposed to last several years.

But we found out the hard way, he said. Found out that the battery was dead. So it got to be too much for an individual, which is why we looked at the service contract."

Laurel now spends $26,000 a year to pay an outside company to check the batteries and the pads on more than 100 devices located throughout the city and even in police cars, Moe said.

And they did it just in the nick of time, Moe said. The newly charged units have already saved at least one life. "It's $26,000 well spent."



You can often tell if a device is charged by looking through a small glass window, typically found on the top right hand corner of the device. Depending on the model, you should see a slow, green blinking light, a check mark or a battery symbol  all which indicate the device is ready to go.

The News4 I-Team checked out more than 100 AEDs throughout the D.C. area within the past month and found about half clearly showed the batteries were working, including devices at Martin Luther King Library in the District and at Reagan National and Dulles Airports.

At Tyson's Corner Center, the I-Team even saw a visible list of recent inspection dates.

Fairfax County reports it has more than 400 AEDs in its county buildings, all of which are checked by their internal emergency management department.

But the I-Team couldn't tell if the batteries were charged in about 8 percent of the devices because we couldn't see a light or any type of marking.

We contacted the locations. All said they inspected the devices after our call and reported each was in working order.

"Make sure somebody checks the AED to ensure the battery is still in place," Chief Goldstein said. If you dont, when you go to use it, youll have an inoperable AED.

Macander said he's grateful the JCC in Rockville regularly checks its AED, so it was ready for him when he needed it most.

"I thank God for looking after me, he said. I am truly thankful to God because I have a family -- wife, daughters, grandchildren -- I have a lot to live for."

Reported by Tisha Thompson, produced by Rick Yarborough and Ashley Brown, shot by Jeff Piper and Steve Jones, and edited by Jeff Piper.
The News4 I-Team checked out more than 100 automated external defibrillators  or AEDs  throughout the region but couldnt actually find about twenty percent of them without asking a lot of questions.

We started searching for them after hearing the story of Falko Koehler.

The 48-year-old thought he was in great shape and never felt any pain. He had no idea his heart was about to stop.

I play badminton every Saturday, and one Saturday I just collapsed, he said.

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When other players at Wisconsin Place rec center in Friendship Heights told Clovia Jones Koehler had collapsed, she went straight for the AED, she said.

I just grabbed it, she said. I immediately went to him, opened the case and started the process."

Her colleague Ashley Mendoza said they started working on Koehler within less than a minute because she knew exactly where to find the AED because each morning, at the start of their shift, Jones always checks to make sure the device is working.

"Those precious moments make a big difference between life and death," Mendoza said.

Montgomery County Fire Capt. Bob Lindsey agreed.

The statistics show that if the patient is defibrillated within the first minute of cardiac arrest, a 90 percent chance of survival, he explained. For every minute after that, their chances of survival decrease by 10 percent."

He showed us how easy the devices are to use.

Capt. Bob Lindsey of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue shows the News4 I-Teams Tisha Thompson what to do if someone collapses and how to use an AED device to try to save a life.

All you have to do is open the device, hit the button and the machine will tell you what to do.

Which is why Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said the devices should be out in the open -- available to everyone -- and never out of sight.

"If it's not in plain sight, it's not going to get used," he said.

But when the I-Team checked out those 100 AEDs throughout the area, it couldn't actually find one out of every five without having to call management and tracking them down.

For instance, at the Smithsonian, the I-Team found AEDs near the bathrooms at the Portrait Gallery but couldnt find them at the Air and Space Museum.

A spokeswoman said they keep almost all 100 of their devices behind their security desks.

The I-Team couldn't locate AEDs in many malls, including the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City and Westfield Montgomery, who said their AEDs are onsite in security offices or on mobile units. A spokeswoman promised the officers can call for one in an emergency.

The I-Team found AEDs out in the open at D.C.'s Wilson Aquatic Center and Martin Luther King Junior Library but couldn't find them anywhere in the Wilson Building. It took several days for a spokesman to say they're located in the security office.

"If you don't know it's there, you as the bystander can't call for somebody else to grab the AED," Chief Goldstein said in response to what the I-Team found.

He explained buildings need to advertise they have the devices available by putting them in the most visible place possible because, as the I-Team found, multiple medical studies show the real reason people don't use defibrillators is they're locked up or people just don't see them.

"When we have an emergency, we revert back to muscle memory," Goldstein said. "We go back to our most basic skills. And having to dig through a cabinet or open a cabinet or a desk or a locker to get that medical equipment is not what's going to benefit the patient."

The I-Team checked out many Metro stations and found every device had been moved out of their boxes and into manager kiosks at each station. A spokeswoman told us the kiosks offer a climate-controlled environment for the AEDs, which can be negatively affected by the extreme heat and cold at some stations, rendering them inoperable.

Which is why both Jones and Mendoza said theyre not shy about asking where the devices are in every building they visit.

I want to able to see the AED or know at least where it is, Jones said. Had we not had that AED machine, he would not have made it out of here."

It's a habit Koehler said he's especially thankful for.

"I would have really died, he explained. I was dead for a minute or two, but thanks to the defibrillator, I am alive again."

Reported by Tisha Thompson, produced by Rick Yarborough and Ashley Brown, shot by Jeff Piper and Steve Jones, and edited by Jeff Piper.
D.C. is warning residents not to eat some fish caught in District waters because of elevated levels of toxins.

The Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) said Wednesday that rockfish, aka striped bass; carp and American eel caught in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and their tributaries, including Rock Creek, should not be eaten. The fish have unhealthy levels of toxic chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the department said.

DOEE also recommends that residents be cautious about eating other fish caught in D.C., including sunfish, blue catfish, northern snakehead, white perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead catfish and channel catfish.

This second category of fish should only be consumed if it meets D.C.'s fish preparation guidelines. These guidelines emphasize skinning and trimming away the fat of the fish, then cooking it to get rid of any remaining fat.

"Our goal is to protect the health and well-being of our residents," DOEE director Tommy Wells said in a statement. "This advisory helps ensure that residents who enjoy fish from District waters are aware of the health risks associated with consuming certain fish species."

More information about recommended number of fish servings per month can be found here.

Commercial fishing is prohibited in D.C., so the fish that appear on D.C. restaurant menus and in D.C. grocery stores should not contain the same toxins as the fish listed above.
Two New Hampshire renters are under arrest after police said a severely neglected dog living in deplorable conditions was discovered at a property that they rented.

Londonderry Police were first alerted to the dogs predicament when a landlord entered the property, believing it to be abandoned by the tenants. There, she found a severely malnourished and neglected 2-3 year old Shih Tzu, living in what police described as deplorable conditions.

According to the report, the officer could not see the dogs face, as it was covered in severely matted fur, a statement from the department reads. The report states that the dog was walking into walls and attempting to eat random small items.

The dog was also walking with limps in its front and back legs, police said. The animal was taken to Southern New Hampshire Veterinary Hospital for extensive injuries, including: severely matted fur, an ulcerated and infected skin mass on its forehead, blindness, deafness, dermatitis, anemia, displaced knee camps, fleas, infections in its ear canals and a lame hind leg.

The dog continues to receive 24-hour care and medication at the facility. More information will be released if its condition improves and becomes available for adoption, police said.

Jada Demas and Jennifer Moscardini turned themselves into police Thursday on charges of three counts of cruelty to animals. Bail was set at $2,000.

Both are due back in Derry District Court Friday morning.
A 70-year-old Massachusetts man shot another 70-year-old man 10 times, killing him in the victim's Wareham home earlier this week over a love triangle with the arrested man's dead girlfriend, prosecutors allege.

John Wittey of Berkley was arraigned in Wareham District Court Friday on one count of murder in the shooting death of John Williams, who was found dead in his Glenn Charley Road home on Tuesday.

Investigators say they believe Wittey shot Williams 10 times in the head and back after allegedly learning the two men had been involved in what's described as something of a love triangle.

"His girlfriend of 25 years passed away in late January and he had recently discovered that she and the victim, unbeknownst to him prior, had been involved romantically," Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Joseph Janezic said.

It wasn't immediately clear if Wittey had an attorney.

Williams was a father, grandfather and long-time pilot who worked at the Salvation Army Family Store.

"He was a great guy, he was a guy that worked hard in the community that everybody knew, he was the guy that you'd kind of like to go out with and have a drink or so with him," District Attorney Timothy Cruz said.

Investigators says they were able to link Wittey to the crime through Beck's beer bottles found at the scene, as well as a GPS device allegedly showing he had driven to the victim's home.

"Preliminary forensics revealed the presence of human blood on interior portions of Mr. Wittey's vehicle and on Mr. Wittey's hands," Janezic said.

Cruz called this a brutal homicide with jealousy as the only motive.

"When you're a 70-year-old man, in your own home and you are completely taken down in your home and murdered in a vicious fashion like that, there's no excuse for that and we're going to make sure that he's held accountable," he said.

Wittey is being held without bail. He is due back in court March 14.
A brutal crime has the Waterville, Maine, police chief troubled and making a controversial call for action.

Police say early Sunday morning, 32-year-old Mark Halle broke into an elderly womans home and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.

"It was very concerning," said Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey. "The age, the fact that it was random, the level of violence: those three factors make it unusual."

Police tracked down Halle hours later, and said he later admitted to the assault.

"He showed no emotion, and gave no reason why he did it," said Massey.

While Massey is relieved Halle is behind bars, he worries other residents may not be fully protected.

"One thing I know for sure: if you have a gun accessible to you at the time your life is being threatened, it gives you an option to defend yourself," he said.

Massey said law abiding citizens should take a safety course and keep a gun in a safe place at home.

"More people arming themselves seems to reduce crime," said Massey.

But some gun regulation advocates say his comments are harmful.

"We would hope our law enforcement officials would know better than to make this kind of statement," said William Harwood, founder of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. "It's a tiny, tiny number of cases in which the home owner successfully defends himself or herself and the family. Too often, because the intruder has the element of surprise, it's the intruder who ends up with the gun."

Chief Massey said it's a personal decision for anyone to have a firearm, and hopes residents do so legally and safely.

Halle is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 17. He is being held at the Kennebec County Jail on $225,000 bail.
Former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn was hospitalized after crashing his car into his neighbor's home in South Boston.

Flynn, 76, says he passed out while driving and sustained a concussion in the crash.

"Thank God nobody got hurt. After working out at the Boston Athletic Club for a couple of hours this morning, I drove home and while parking my car on my street, I got weak and completely passed out," Flynn said in a statement. "Minutes later I woke up, but my car unfortunately had crashed into another house on my street."

The former mayor thanked responders and current Mayor Marty Walsh for their help.

There was substantial damage to the home across the street from the former mayor's, and roommates Maggie Cole and Kelley Lynch need another place to stay because there could be structural damage to the building on Flint Place.

"I don't even know how he could be going that fast," said Cole. "It's a little alley."



"That's definitely not what I wanted to walk home to," said Lynch. "I'm hoping that everyone's OK."

Lynch added that the home's basement is a mess and that their "stuff is kind of ruined."

Flynn served as Boston's mayor from 1983 to 1993, when he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. He also ran unsuccessfully for Massachusetts' 8th congressional district seat in 1998.

Neighbors are grateful Flynn is expected to be alright.

"I ran into him a couple of other times, and he said he was the former mayor of Boston. I was like 'Oh, you know, thats cool. You're my neighbor,'" said Lynch. "He's just really nice, his wife is really nice. They always said, 'If you ever need anything, feel free to just knock on the door, let yourself in.'"

Lynch described him as a fatherly figure and recalls him telling her and her roommate not to go out alone late at night.

It's unclear what caused the crash.

Note: Mayor Walsh's office initially said Flynn was not injured.
A Massachusetts man is guilty of raping and murdering his wife's twin sister while his wife was at the hospital to give birth to their child, a jury found Thursday.

Steven West, 24, was found guilty of murdering 20-year-old Alyssa Haden in October of 2012. Authorities said he raped and strangled her while his wife, Caitlin West, was at the hospital preparing to deliver the couple's child.

Haden shared an apartment on Pleasant Street in Spencer with the Wests and their infant son.

According to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., West gave inconsistent statements about Haden's death, initially claiming gang members from his native state of Indiana killed her, then saying another man was responsible.

West had told authorities that Haden died accidentally during sex. An autopsy confirmed Haden died of asphyxiation and that her face, neck and chest had been compressed.

Early noted that West weighed more than 400 pounds when he killed Haden.

West is scheduled to be sentenced Friday. First-degree murder in Massachusetts carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.
A toddler who wandered away from a day care center is in critical condition after bieng pulled from a stream in Waterbury, Vermont.

Vermont State Police told WPTZ-TV that the 3-year-old boy wandered away from a group activity Thursday at Elephant in the Field day care center in Waterbury. The child was found in sthe stream around 4 p.m.

The child - whose name has not been released - was taken to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, and later transferred to University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

The investigation is ongoing, and it isn't clear yet if charges will be filed.
As a remote worker who is based in New Zealand but does most of his work in the U.S., I'm all too aware of the cost, complexity, and stress of international payments. I generally receive payments in one of two ways: either via PayPal or via direct bank transfer. The odd client still pays with physical checks, but luckily that seems to be decreasing. There are pros and cons to the two systems that make up the majority of my inbound payments - PayPal is fast and easy, but expensive. Bank transfers tend to be cheaper, but are pretty much unpredictable in terms of timing.

Which is why I'm interested to hear what Wayerz is cooking up. Wayerz is a software platform that helps digitize the formerly broken bank-to-bank relationship. Wiring, inter-bank billing, reporting, and reconciliation are all tasks that have no standard methodologies, and no common platforms to offer transparency. Wayerz is looking to change that with its Global Payment Network (GPN).

The proposition of the GPN is pretty simple. By using it, financial institutions and their enterprise clients can easily track international wire payments and receive real-time status notifications, similar to tracking a package in the mail. So, rather than having to hope that a client's promises are true and that a payment is actually on its way, I will have a real-time view of where the funds actually are.

The GPN platform integrates directly with banks' current payment programs to create a more predictable payment process without having to replace current platforms or jump through any compliance hoops. It also provides digital tools to analyze customers' payment activity, so third-party developers can integrate and develop their own tools with this information and offer those tools to banks and their business clients.

"The lack of transparency in bank-based payments makes both banks and their customers consider alternatives," said Menny Shalom, CEO of Wayerz. "With our Global Payment Network, banks and clients alike will finally gain transparency into their international wire payments by being able to access and monitor their transactions in real-time through a central and secure platform. We're providing banks with a practical enhancement to simply their clients' payment processes while meeting the strict banking guidelines of regulation, security and confidentially."

Of course, simply providing transparency for payment flow, while a useful addition to banking payments, doesn't solve the other problems around cost and complexity. I wince every time I receive an international payment. Even though bank international payments are cheaper than PayPal, they're still more expensive than they need to be - banks at both ends take a significant cut, and foreign exchange rates always seem to work against me.

Wayerz's core offerings, a suite of tools aimed at helping bank-to-bank processing of payments, aims to help in this regard. It is, however, a more difficult nut to crack since it is far closer to banks' internal systems, and hence one assumes it is more resisted than GPN, which is, in essence, a reporting overlay to existing bank transaction systems.

Banking is up for a serious shakeup over the next few years as technological advances reduce barriers to communication and disruptive approaches threaten their very core. Whether banks will see this and disrupt themselves before third parties disrupt them is anyone's guess. Tracking the progress of vendors like Wayerz will give some indications about that.
Google executives defended the company's recent U.K. tax settlement before a hostile parliamentary committee on Thursday.

Last month, Google announced that it had agreed what some have described as a "sweetheart" deal with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs [HMRC], the U.K.'s tax authority, following an audit of its tax affairs dating back to 2005.

The deal went down badly with Britons in the process of filing their taxes, and prompted Meg Hillier, chairwoman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, to summon Google and HMRC to London to explain the deal to members of Parliament.

Despite having called the company representatives to present evidence on Thursday, committee members seemed on occasion unwilling to hear them out.

Matt Brittin, Google's president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, was interrupted before he could begin an explanation of how the U.K. subsidiary functioned.

"Mr. Brittin, I know the way you operate," Hillier said.

Attempting to raise doubts about Hillier's knowledge of the company, he only got as far as, "I'm not sure," before she interrupted him again.

+ ALSO: Google will be asked to explain 'cosy' UK tax deal to lawmakers +

On other points, though, it was Brittin who was reluctant to answer.

Britons in the process of calculating their tax liabilities for the last year were angry that Google had paid so little, Hillier remarked.

"I fully understand the anger," Brittin said.

Hillier retorted: "Do you really understand the anger? What do you get paid, Mr. Brittin?"

Brittin ducked the latter question repeatedly, offering to disclose the information to the committee privately if it was relevant to its inquiry then, when pressed, saying, "I don't have the exact figure."

Hillier responded incredulously: "You don't know what you get paid, Mr. Brittin? Perhaps you could give us a ballpark figure. Forget the share options, what's your basic salary?" Brittin still declined to answer.

The reason that Google's tax deal went down so badly with the British public and parliamentarians was that the U.K. subsidiary only reported 642.4 million (US$920 million) in revenue in to U.K. tax authorities in its 2013 fiscal year, despite its U.S. parent saying it made 10 percent, or $5.6 billion, of its global revenue in the U.K. that year.

Despite that, U.K. profits generate a small fraction of the overall tax bill, Hillier said. In 2013 the U.K. subsidiary had set aside 21.6 million for tax on net profit of 49.2 million.

The commitee previously suggested that the proportion of Googles global tax paid in the U.K. ought to be closer to the proportion of its global sales made there, rather than the much smaller sum it reported as its U.K. economic activity.

"If those were the rules, that's what we would do, but the rules are, you pay tax on the profit on your economic activity," he said.

Google's settlement with HMRC reflected that principle, he said. "It was the conclusion of a rigorous 10-year tax audit in which we are paying tax at 20 percent like every other U.K. company."

Brittin's attempts to pass complicated financial questions to the parent company's global head of taxation, Vice President of Finance Tom Hutchinson, were brushed aside by committee member Stewart Jackson.

"I'll decide who I ask the questions, thank you very much," Jackson snapped.

Hutchinson was allowed to explain that the sum Google agreed to pay HMRC was not a negotiated settlement. "That's not the way the process works," he said. The 130 million was derived directly from application of the tax rules, he said, with 18 million of the sum due to interest.

None of that sum, though, was paid as a result of a new diverted profits tax widely known as the "Google tax" because it was intended to catch multinational companies using transfer pricing and other techniques to report revenue in the most fiscally favorable jurisdiction. Google was unaffected, said Hutchinson, because the new tax was in effect for only three months of the 10-year period covered by the settlement.

Brittin and Hutchinson spent much of their time trying to explain to committee members that Google recorded its revenue and profit in the country where value was created, and that the vast majority of Google's engineers building the system creating value are in the U.S.

Asked why HMRC's audit took six years -- "longer than the Second World War," one committee member remarked -- Brittin explained: "We did provide them with an awful lot of information."

That information included contracts, interviews with staff, and details of how the company's products operate.

HMRC "listened to customers calling us so they could understand the facts of our operation. We were fully transparent with them," Brittin said.
The student Capella of Calvin College, Grand Rapids, will sing polyphonic works of Victoria, Palestrina, and Durufle at a celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite on the First Sunday of Lent, February 14, starting at 12:30 pm, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The colleges select, touring choir, Capella is under the direction of internationally renowned conductor, Dr. Pearl Shangkuan.Sacred Heart Parish offers the Traditional Latin Mass as a Missa Cantata every Sunday and major feast day. A number of school and college choirs are presenting settings of the Mass Ordinary at this Mass as a way to experience the works of great composers of Latin liturgical music in their authentic setting. Father Robert Sirico is the pastor of Sacred Heart; Daniel Bennett Page is the director of Sacred Music.
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Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia.

Buprenorphine (as hydrochloride) Consumer Medicine Information WARNINGS Limitations of use TEMGESIC should only be used when your doctor decides that other treatment options are not able to effectively manage your pain or you cannot tolerate them. Hazardous and harmful use TEMGESIC poses risks of abuse, misuse and addiction which can lead to overdose and death. Your doctor will monitor you regularly during treatment. Life threatening respiratory depression TEMGESIC can cause life-threatening or fatal breathing problems (slow, shallow, unusual or no breathing) even when used as recommended. These problems can occur at any time during use, but the risk is higher when first starting TEMGESIC and after a dose increase, if you are older, or have an existing problem with your lungs. Your doctor will monitor you and change the dose as appropriate. Use of other medicines while using TEMGESIC Using TEMGESIC with other medicines that make you feel drowsy such as sleeping tablets (e.g. benzodiazepines), other pain relievers, antihistamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids (e.g. gabapentin and pregabalin), cannabis and alcohol may result in severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma and death. Your doctor will minimise the dose and duration of use; and monitor you for signs and symptoms of breathing difficulties and sedation. You must not drink alcohol while using TEMGESIC.

What is in this leaflet This leaflet answers some common questions about TEMGESIC. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking TEMGESIC against the benefits they expect it will have for you. If you have any concerns about taking TEMGESIC, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.

What TEMGESIC is used for TEMGESIC is a "pain killer". It is used for the short term relief of severe pain. TEMGESIC belongs to a group of medicines called opioid (narcotic) analgesics. Opioid analgesics act directly on the brain and spinal cord to block the sensation of pain. Your doctor may have prescribed TEMGESIC for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why TEMGESIC has been prescribed for you. TEMGESIC contains the active ingredient, buprenorphine (as hydrochloride). People who take buprenorphine to relieve short term pain do not usually become addicted to it. It is important that you discuss this issue with your doctor.

Before you are given TEMGESIC.

When you must not use it You should not take TEMGESIC if you are: allergic to buprenorphine or to any of the other ingredients in this medicine (see Product Description at the end of this leaflet). allergic to opioid (narcotic) medicines. pregnant. breast-feeding. a child suffering from severe or acute respiratory disease Do not take TEMGESIC after the Expiry Date printed on the pack. If you take this medicine after the Expiry Date has passed it may not work as well. Do not take TEMGESIC if the package is torn, shows signs of tampering or the tablets do not look quite right.

Before you are given TEMGESIC You must tell your doctor if: 1. you have been given TEMGESIC (buprenorphine) before and had any problems with it 2. you have any allergies to any ingredients in this medicine (see Product Description at the end of this leaflet). other strong analgesics (pain killers) eg. morphine any other substances such as foods, preservatives, or dyes. 3. you have any of these medical conditions: asthma or other breathing problems thyroid problems prostate problems problems with excess alcohol use Addison's disease Kyphoscoliosis (hunchback disease) Low blood pressure problems liver problems kidney problems if you are pregnant biliary tract problems head injuries or a condition where you have increased pressure within your head stomach (abdominal) pains severe mental problems or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there) It may not be safe for you to be given TEMGESIC if you have any of these conditions. Tell your doctor if you are currently taking or have been taking other opioid medicines or drugs. Some people who are taking or using opioid medicines or drugs may experience opioid withdrawal effects when they are given TEMGESIC.

Taking Other Medicines Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop, before you begin treatment with TEMGESIC. You should not use benzodiazepines (medicines used to treat anxiety or sleeping problems) whilst you are taking TEMGESIC tablets unless they are prescribed by your doctor. A number of medicines may change the effects of TEMGESIC. These include: other strong pain killers (eg morphine) cough medicines containing opioid-related substances certain medicines for treating HIV/AIDS certain medicines for treating fungal and bacterial infections certain drugs for treating high blood pressure certain antidepressants including monoamine oxidase inhibitors certain medicines for treating epilepsy (fits) sedatives sedating anti-histamines certain anti-anxiety/anti-psychotic medicines certain medicines for treating nerve and muscle pain, including fibromyalgia certain medicines for treating nausea/vomiting general anaesthetics naltrexone cannabis The above medicines may be affected by TEMGESIC, or may affect how well it works. Do not drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol while you are being treated with TEMGESIC. Alcohol and certain other medicines (as listed above) may increase the sedative effects of TEMGESIC, which can make driving and operating machinery hazardous. Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or to avoid while taking TEMGESIC.

How to take TEMGESIC TEMGESIC tablets must be placed under the tongue (sublingually). The tablets should be kept under the tongue for about 10 minutes. The tablets will not work if you chew or swallow them whole, or are split or broken before you take them. The usual recommended dose is 1 to 2 tablets dissolved under the tongue every 6 to 8 hours, or as required. If you have any questions about the dose given to you, ask your doctor.

How long to take it When used for the relief of pain, TEMGESIC tablets are usually taken for short periods of time.

If you forget to take it If you forget to take a dose of TEMGESIC take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you have missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Overdose If you or someone else receive too much TEMGESIC (overdose), call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Keep the person awake by talking to them or gently shaking them every now and then. You should follow the above steps even if someone other than you have accidentally used TEMGESIC that was prescribed for you. If someone takes an overdose they may experience one or more of the following symptoms: slow, unusual or difficult breathing drowsiness, dizziness or unconsciousness slow or weak heartbeat nausea or vomiting convulsions or fits. If you think you or someone else may have used too much TEMGESIC, you should immediately: phone the Poisons Information Centre (in Australia telephone 13 11 26 or in New Zealand telephone 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766), or contact your doctor or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. When seeking medical attention, take this leaflet and remaining medicine with you to show the doctor. Also tell them about any other medicines or alcohol which have been taken.

While you are taking TEMGESIC

Things to be careful of Athletes should be aware that this medicine may cause a positive reaction to "anti-doping" tests. You should not drive or operate machinery until you know how TEMGESIC affects you. TEMGESIC can cause drowsiness, which may be made worse if you also drink alcohol or take certain other medicines. If you are drowsy, do not drive or operate machinery. TEMGESIC may cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly, causing you to feel dizzy if you get up too quickly from sitting or lying down. If you feel lightheaded or dizzy or faint, get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up.

Things you must not do Do not take TEMGESIC to treat any condition other than the one prescribed for by your doctor. Do not give TEMGESIC to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem the same as yours. It may harm them.

Addiction You can become addicted to TEMGESIC even if you take it exactly as prescribed. TEMGESIC may become habit forming causing mental and physical dependence. If abused it may become less able to reduce pain.

Dependence As with all other opioid containing products, your body may become used to you taking TEMGESIC. Taking it may result in physical dependence. Physical dependence means that you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking TEMGESIC suddenly, so it important to take it exactly as directed by your doctor.

Tolerance Tolerance to TEMGESIC may develop, which means that the effect of the medicine may decrease. If this happens, more may be needed to maintain the same effect.

Withdrawal Continue taking you medicine for as long your doctor tells you. If you stop having this medicine suddenly, your pain may worsen and you may experience some or all of the following withdrawal symptoms: nervousness, restlessness, agitation, trouble sleeping or anxiety body aches, weakness or stomach cramps loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea increased heart rate, breathing rate or pupil size watery eyes, runny nose, chills or yawning increased sweating TEMGESIC given to the mother during labour can cause breathing problems and signs of withdrawal in the newborn.

Side effects. TEMGESIC, like all medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. Drowsiness or sleep from which you can be easily awoken is very common, particularly if TEMGESIC is used to relieve pain following surgery. Other very common side effects include vertigo, dizziness and nausea. Less common side effects include: vomiting sweating blood pressure changes causing dizziness or fainting blurred vision headache difficulty breathing or slowed breathing Uncommon side effects include: changes in heart rate or blood pressure difficulty urinating dry mouth weakness/fatigue malaise mood changes slurred speech tremor paleness of skin feeling of "pins and needles" confusion nervousness or uneasiness depression hallucinating dreaming skin rash/itchiness flushing/warmth chills/cold tinnitus (ringing in the ears) constipation heartburn flatulence conjunctivitis coma Rare side effects include: loss of appetite diarrhoea hives convulsions (fits) lack of body co-ordination agitation Cases of hypersensitivity reactions have been reported. Signs and symptoms include, rashes, hives, and skin itchiness. Serious, life threatening allergic reactions have occurred, including, difficulty breathing, swelling, and anaphylactic shock. Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell, even if it is not on the list. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.

After taking TEMGESIC.

Safe Storage Keep your tablets in the original pack (blister) until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the box or the blister pack they may not keep well. Keep it in a cool, dark and dry place where the temperature stays below 30C. Keep medicines where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Disposal If you no longer need to use this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not use the medicine after the expiry date.

Product Description TEMGESIC Sublingual Tablets are available in blister packs of 20 tablets and 50 tablets. Each tablet contains 216 micrograms of buprenorphine hydrochloride (equivalent to 200 micrograms of buprenorphine) as the active ingredient. The other ingredients in the tablet are: lactose monohydrate, mannitol, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate, citric acid and sodium citrate dihydrate. Each blister pack of TEMGESIC Sublingual Tablets is marked with Australian Registration Number AUST R 34091.
Almost all of our genes may be influenced by the food we eat, suggests new research published today in the journal Nature Microbiology. The study, carried out in yeast - which can be used to model some of the body's fundamental processes - shows that while the activity of our genes influences our metabolism, the opposite is also true and the nutrients available to cells influence our genes.

The behaviour of our cells is determined by a combination of the activity of its genes and the chemical reactions needed to maintain the cells, known as metabolism. Metabolism works in two directions: the breakdown of molecules to provide energy for the body and the production of all compounds needed by the cells.

Knowing the genome - the complete DNA 'blueprint' of an organism - can provide a substantial amount of information about how a particular organism will look. However, this does not give the complete picture: genes can be regulated by other genes or regions of DNA, or by 'epigenetic' modifiers - small molecules attached to the DNA that act like switches to turn genes on and off.

Previous studies have suggested that another player in gene regulation may exist: the metabolic network - the biochemical reactions that occur within an organism. These reactions mainly depend on the nutrients a cell has available - the sugars, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins that are derived from the food we eat.

To examine the scale at which this happens, an international team of researchers, led by Dr Markus Ralser at the University of Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute, London, addressed the role of metabolism in the most basic functionality of a cell. They did so using yeast cells. Yeast is an ideal model organism for large scale experiments at it is much simpler to manipulate than animal models, yet many of its important genes and fundamental cellular mechanisms are the same as or very similar to those in animals and humans.

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The researchers manipulated the levels of important metabolites - the products of metabolic reactions - in the yeast cells and examined how this affected the behaviour of the genes and the molecules they produced. Almost nine out of ten genes and their products were affected by changes in cellular metabolism.

"Cellular metabolism plays a far more dynamic role in the cells than we previously thought," explains Dr Ralser. "Nearly all of a cell's genes are influenced by changes to the nutrients they have access to. In fact, in many cases the effects were so strong, that changing a cell's metabolic profile could make some of its genes behave in a completely different manner.

"The classical view is that genes control how nutrients are broken down into important molecules, but we've shown that the opposite is true, too: how the nutrients break down affects how our genes behave."

The researchers believe that the findings may have wide-ranging implications, including on how we respond to certain drugs. In cancers, for example, tumour cells develop multiple genetic mutations, which change the metabolic network within the cells. This in turn could affect the behaviour of the genes and may explain with some drugs fail to work for some individuals.

"Another important aspect of our findings is a practical one for scientists," explains says Dr Ralser. "Biological experiments are often not reproducible between laboratories and we often blame sloppy researchers for that. It appears however, that small metabolic differences can change the outcomes of the experiments. We need to establish new laboratory procedures that control better for differences in metabolism. This will help us to design better and more reliable experiments."
While e-cigarette use is increasing worldwide, little is known about the health effects e-cigarettes pose for users. A University of Louisville researcher is working to change that status.

Daniel J. Conklin, Ph.D., professor of medicine in UofL's Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, will discuss his early research identifying potentially harmful effects of e-cigarettes at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting.

Conklin will be among a three-member panel discussing "New and Emerging Tobacco Products: Biomarkers of Exposure and Injury," Friday, Feb. 12, from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Marshall Ballroom East of the Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Rd. Northwest, Washington.

Conklin will share new data showing that e-cigarettes have been shown to speed up atherosclerosis - the plaque-causing disease that leads to heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. When atherosclerosis affects the arteries of the heart, it is known as coronary artery disease, a condition that affects more than 15 million Americans and causes 500,000 deaths annually.

"Currently, we do not know whether e-cigarettes are harmful," Conklin said. "They do not generate smoke as do conventional cigarettes but they do generate an aerosol - the vapor - that alters indoor air quality and contains toxic aldehydes. We investigated the direct effects of these toxins on cardiovascular disease in the laboratory."

Conklin and his team exposed one set of mice to varying levels of e-cigarette aerosol, tobacco smoke, smokeless tobacco or to an aldehyde produced by tobacco, acrolein, which is thought to pose 80-85 percent of the non-cancer health risk of tobacco smoke. Another set of mice was exposed to nicotine alone to understand whether nicotine by itself had any effect.

Not surprisingly and consistent with previous studies, exposure to tobacco smoke increased the amount of atherosclerosis in mice. At the same time, the research team found that either e-cigarette aerosol or smokeless tobacco exposure alone also increased atherosclerosis.

Conklin was particularly intrigued by the results seen with exposure to acrolein or nicotine alone. "Somewhat surprising was the finding that either nicotine alone or acrolein alone at levels equivalent to those present in smokeless tobacco or mainstream smoke also increased atherosclerosis in mice.

"These findings indicate that multiple tobacco-derived constituents have cardiovascular disease-causing potential."
Liberty University has joined the ranks of U.S. doctoral universities, according to a widely-used classification system within higher education.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education updates every five years, and published its latest listings last week.

To be considered a doctoral university in the latest update, a school must have granted at least 20 research and scholarship doctoral degrees to individual students during the 2013-14 school year.

The classification has three subcategories at the doctoral level based on an assessment of the amount of research performed at the school. Liberty gained entrance with an R3 designation, which denotes moderate research activity. R1 represents the highest research activity.

Liberty is one of four R3 schools in Virginia, along with Shenandoah University in Winchester, Regent University in Virginia Beach and University of Management and Technology in Arlington. The University of Virginia at Charlottesville is an R1. The College of William & Mary is an R2.

Its a really big week for Liberty to finally make that move and finally get the recognition that weve always thought Liberty deserved, so we are very, very proud of it, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell said.

The Carnegie Classification system dates back to the 1970s and is supervised by researchers at Indiana University.

Victor Borden, project director for the Carnegie Classification system, said his system counted 255 research and scholarship degrees awarded by Liberty University during the 2013-14 school year, with most of those in the fields of education or theology. Not all doctorate degrees are eligible. For example, law degrees are doctorate degrees, but are considered professional doctorates rather than research doctorates.

The system counts just 335 of the more than 4,660 post-secondary institutions in the United States as doctoral universities. About a third of those are classified as R3.

Borden said the 40-year-old system is designed to be value-free, meaning it is trying to parse out what kinds of higher-education institutions individual colleges and universities are, rather than which is better or worse.

Borden said the Association for Research Libraries and several granting agencies look to R1 and R2 universities when considering where to give research funding. Also, U.S. News and World Report uses the classification to decide whether universities are national or regional universities.

Doctoral schools are automatically considered for its national rankings, while Masters universities are relegated to regional rankings.

Villanova has been waiting for years to move into the research category, Borden said, using the Pennsylvania school as an example of a place that has pushed hard to build up its doctorate program to be able to snag the R3 designation. They think they can fare well in the national university rankings.

Borden said he has no idea whether or not Liberty will do well when compared against other doctoral universities by the publication.

As of the most recent list, Liberty University is tied for 80th in the Southern Region, with Florida Gulf Coast University and Northern Kentucky University.

Falwell said he looks to see Liberty make the national universities best colleges list down the road, if not in its first year of eligibility.

According to the schools website, Liberty offers law and osteopathic medicine doctorate degrees on campus, and practical nursing doctorates both online and on campus.

Its online doctorate programs include various Doctor of Education, Doctor of Business Administration, and Doctor of Ministry degree programs, as well as a Doctor of Worship Studies degree program, according to its website. Its two online Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs are in Theology and Apologetics and Counselor Education and Supervision.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ronald Hawkins said the university is working toward adding PhD programs in English, history, biomedical sciences and exercise sciences within the next four years unless plans change. He said the school always looks hard at whether there will be a market in terms of potentially interested students before starting a new degree.

The school also is working to boost undergraduate research as part of its Quality Enhancement Plan required for its routine reaffirmation of accreditation by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Boy Thunder's secret identity will be revealed in January's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11 - but who is he?

Boy Thunder is secretly "someone DC fans have known for decades" - but who?
Develop love for your heart

This alarming figure, therefore, demands that people pay attention to heart disease. In TT , according to the Trinidad and Tobago Heart Foundations chairman for its Go Red for Women Campaign, Sabita Harrikissoon, people are reporting cardiovascular diseases at younger ages.

Women, especially need to understand the importance of caring for and loving their hearts, Harrikissoon said in her phone interview with Newsday.

It is with this salient message that foundation will host its fund-raising luncheon entitled Love your heart. The event is scheduled for Sunday Valentines Day at Hyatt Regency Trinidad from 11 am to 3 pm.

At this event, Dr Tricia Cummings, a consultant cardiologist at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope will be honoured.

But what is most important for the foundation is being able to care for and love ones heart.

Harrikissoon said, It is something we need to educate the public on.

It is not just loving your heartyou dont exist without your heart.

People have to become committed to taking care of their heart. It is to get people to make a commitment to caring for their physical heart  to get them to not drink alcohol, to get regular screening done, to develop a heart-healthy menu. Prevention, for Harrikissoon and the foundation, is indeed better than cure since the cost of an angiogram privately is approximately $150,000.

While a lot has been done to educate the public on cardiovascular diseases and heart health in TT , there is still a long road to travel, Harrikissoon said.

She said 37-year-olds are now having massive heart attacks in TT and so the public needs to know precisely why it is so important to care for and love ones heart.

With the funds raised from the event, the foundation hopes to have a number of public outreach and educational programmes aimed at increasing heart health awareness.

The foundation-which began in December 1996 has hosted a number of events aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles among them A Video Heart documentary, acclaimed by Pan American Health Organisation as the best production on health matters; The inaugural heart month in June 1998, which resulted in the now annual Heartbeat Walk/Run event; The Inter-American Heart Foundation has also since adopted June as Heart Month in the USA; heart month typically includes nation-wide public educational campaigns, cholesterol and blood pressure testing as well as other health-related activities and events.

The annual Heart Walk/Run has evolved into a major event on the sporting/health calendar and attracts thousands of participants and supporters.

The South Fun Walk and Health Fair, initiated in October 2000, continues to be a well-attended and supported event. In 2001, the TT HF together with the Ministry of Education launched a threepart school initiative that involved providing teachers and students of Common Entrance/ SEA classes with training and information as part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme. Tickets for the event will cost TT $600 and is being held under the patronage of the wife of President Anthony Carmona, Reema Carmona, patron of the foundation.
Kalicharan wins...again

The results were announced yesterday afternoon by Convenor of the San Fernando Carnival Committee (SFCC) Deputy Mayor Junia Regrello, in the presence of several band leaders gathered in a room on the compound of the San Fernando City Corporation. It was a hat-trick win for Kalicharan Carnival, a family-run band that has been on the scene for the last 36 years - this year also recorded the bands 24th year copping the coveted Band of the Year title in the southern city.

Its a joyous, great and happy time for the band, for the management for everyone, elated band manager of Kalicharan Carnival, Aaron Kalicharan said in a brief interview after the release of the results. Our queen Gloria Dallsingh won the National Queen of the Band, and also San Fernando Queen of the Bands - this year was a successful year for our King and Queen. The bands King Marlon Rampersad with his portrayal Drums of War also won San Fernando King of the Bands title.

Aaron is the son of veteran San Fernando masqueraders Ivan and Wendy Kalicharan.

He attributed the bands string of successes to basic team work at the management level.
Chase Village scores Carnival beaver-trick

Led by Danzo Ramroop and Indra Charles, the dominant band registered the unprecedented beaver-trick with section after section of colourful masqueraders and splendid individual characters parading before thousands at the Couva Carnival Centre.

Placing second in the Band of the Year competition was Central Elite with The Universe; third was Watap Promotions Fan 2 See; while Madness Crew placed fourth with Nostalgia. Central Elite scored a major double in Couva mas, taking both King of the Bands and Queen of the Bands titles, with Marlon Francis portrayal of Eclipse of the Stars and Dionne Chevaliers Lunar Blossom. Chase Village Carnival had to settle for second place in both competitions through Subash Dookies King Bat and Juliets Chows Tac Tac Doh Bite Me Pomerac.

The Original Whipmasters, led by veteran Ronald Alfred, won Traditional Mas accolade for yet another year with his whip-cracking presentation of Traditional Warriors. Second place was taken by Runaway Drunken Sailors with its presentation of the same name. Third position went to Warriors of the Mountain, presented by Vintage People.

Individual of the Year (Male) was Jamal Anaup with Bun Them from Chase Village Carnival.

Central Elites Arrissa Garcia took the Female Individual of the Year crown with her portrayal of Whirl Wind.

CCC Chairman, Ramchand Rajbal Maraj, thanked the thousands of patrons who turned out for the committees six days of festivities and commended them for their exemplary behaviour.

We had wonderful celebrations in Couva.

While the downturn in the economy resulted in a smaller turn-out of bands this year compared to last year, there was no downturn in the actual celebrations in Couva.

We had larger crowds for all our shows in 2016. This year we raised the bar through a unique partnership with Errol Fabien and Gayelle the Caribbean television which saw our major shows broadcast live. The committee will conduct its usual review and look at ways to improve Couva Carnival even further, he said.

MAJOR RESULTS OF COUVA MAS

Monday Night Band of the Year

1st - Watap Promotions - Fan2 See

2nd - Central Elite - The Universe

3rd - Chase Village Carnival - Not So Traditional

King of the Bands

1st - Marlon Francis (Central Elite) - Eclipse of the Stars

2rd - Subash Dookie (Chase Village Carnival ) - King Bat

3rd - Rakesh Mohammed (Return of the Hot, Wild & Ready)

Queen of the Bands

1st - Dionne Chevalier (Central Elite) - Lunar Blossom

2nd - Juliet Chow (Chase Village Carnival) - Tac Tac Doh Bite Me Pomerac

3rd - Jenna Dass (Madness Crew) - Zia, Protector of the Medallion

Traditional Mas

1st - Original Whipmasters - Traditional Warriors

2nd - San Fernando School of the Arts & Culture - Kaisoca Moko Jumbies

3rd - Return of the Hot, Wild & Ready  Jab Jab.

Band of the Year (Tuesday)

1st - Chase Village Carnival - Not So Traditional

2nd - Central Elite - The Universe

3rd - Watap Promotions - Fan 2 See.
There Were Rules on Handling

Asbestos. They Were Ignored
(Newser)  In 1982, a low-ranking diplomat by the name of Carl Gettinger received one of the State Department's highest honors for his "creative dissent." The ceremony was public, but the details were highly classified. Now a story at ProPublica reveals those details, which revolved around the infamous 1980 murders of three American nuns and a fourth US woman, a missionary, in El Salvador. It was because of Gettinger that the Salvadoran soldiers who raped and killed the women were eventually convicted. "The full story of how one of the most junior officers in the US embassy in San Salvador tracked down the killers has never been told," writes Raymond Bonner. "It is the tale of an improbable bond between a Salvadoran soldier with a guilty conscience and a young American diplomat with a moral conscience."

The piece describes in fascinating detail how Gettinger established a relationship with that Salvadoran lieutenant. Even though the White House pushed back aggressively against any investigation that would implicate the Salvadoran government, Gettinger wouldn't be deterred. He convinced his informant to work with him on the caseat one point, the informant tape-recorded a conversation about the killings with the officer in charge of the operationand they eventually turned up the names of those involved. The killings and subsequent trial remain "a pivotal event in the history of US interventions in Central America," writes Bonner, and it's largely thanks to this unlikely pair. "Different as they were, both men shared a willingness to risk their lives in the name of justice." Read the story in full here. (Read more El Salvador stories.)
(Newser)  Police say a Pennsylvania man kept a 15-year-old girl in shackles as collateral for a loan to her father, the AP reports. Thirty-year-old Christopher Wiley Brown of Brownsville was jailed Thursday on kidnapping, indecent assault, and other charges. The Herald-Standard reports that the girl agreed to care for Brown's disabled fiancee as part of the loan agreement, which also required her father to repair Brown's home. But the girl tells police Brown restrained her Tuesday with leg shackles, handcuffs, and a ball gag. She says Brown made her touch his genitals, then sleep in the leg shackles. Police say the girl freed herself and texted her father, who called 911. The girl's father isn't facing charges. (Read more kidnapping stories.)
(Newser)  An NYPD officer faces 15 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter Thursday for the 2014 shooting of an unarmed man in Brooklyn, NBC New York reports. According to the New York Times, Officer Peter Liang fired his gun after opening a door into a dark stairwell while patrolling a public housing building. Liang's defense argued the shooting was an accident, and Liang claims he had his finger away from the trigger but was startled by a sound and the gun went off. The bullet bounced of a wall and struck 28-year-old Akai Gurleya father of twowho was walking down the stairs with his girlfriend at the time. The bullet went through his heart.

Liangwho had only graduated from the police academy a year earlierdidn't report the shot immediately. Instead, he argued with his partner about who should report it out of fear he would be fired. He was also found guilty of misconduct for not helping Gurley after realizing someone had been hit. Gurley's girlfriend says she was trying to keep her boyfriend alive as Liang stopped briefly before continuing on his way down the stairs. Liang says he was "panicking" and "shocked." He also claims he got bad training at the police academy and didn't feel comfortable performing CPR. Liang received oxygen as he was transported to the hospital for a ringing in his ears. His sentencing is scheduled for April. According to the Times, it's rare for officers in New York to even be put on trial for a death in the line of duty, let alone to be found guilty. (Read more police shooting stories.)
(Newser)  In what may be a House first, Rep. Duncan Hunter pulled out his e-cigarette and blew out a cloud of vapor during a hearing on banning use of the devices on planes. "So this is called a vaporizer," the Republican from California said, per CNN. "There's no combustion, there are no carcinogens," he said. "There is no burning, there is nothing noxious about this whatsoever." Hunter, a prominent advocate of vaping, argued that e-cigarettes are "the future" and they had helped many smokers, including himself, quit, the Verge reports.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, unmoved by the stunt, voted 33-26 to include a vaping ban in legislation on new Federal Aviation Administration policy, USA Today reports. "I don't think we want to have clouds of vapor inside the aircraft," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, a Democrat who helped ban cigarette smoking in planes 30 years ago. Republican Rep. Bill Shuster countered that if mere vapor is banned, body odor could be next. "I've been on the floor before talking to some of you, and I've had to take a step back," he quipped. Vaping is apparently still allowed in the House chamber, which banned smoking in 1896. It wasn't banned in the rest of the House side of the Capitol until 2007. (Read more vaping stories.)
(Newser)  Hillary Clinton claimed Bernie Sanders wants to grow the US government by "about 40%" during the opening minutes of Thursday's democratic debate in Milwaukee, CNN reports. She went on to claim "the numbers don't add up" when looking at what Sanders is promising in services versus what citizens will pay in taxes. She said they "should level with the American people" about how much their proposals will cost, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Sanders fired back that there "will be a limit" on the size of the government if he's elected president. But he's for fixing what needs fixing, be it healthcare or injustice, regardless of the initial cost to the government. He says the government has a "moral obligation" to look out for its people. Sanders' biggest proposal is single-payer healthcareor "Medicare for all"that he maintains would save Americans money. (Read more Election 2016 stories.)
(Newser)  Remember the hacker who broke into CIA Director John Brennan's personal email as well as the accounts of other high-ranking US security officials? Turns out he's just 16or so police believe. British authorities and the FBI say they arrested alleged hacker "cracka" in England on Tuesday after information on 20,000 FBI employees and 9,000 Homeland Security agents surfaced online this week, reports CNN. He's a "16-year-old computer nerd," one US official tells the network. In the past, "cracka" has allegedly hacked accounts linked to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and the home phone of President Obama's science and technology adviser, per ABC News. The hacker has said in anonymous interviews that he works with a group called Crackas With Attitude, and conducts his attacks in support of Palestinians.

Another member of the group identified as "Cubed" tells the Daily Dot that the goal was to have the US government cut ties with Israel. Asked why Crackas With Attitude backed the "Free Palestine" movement, he wrote: "We just support it. Its [sic] not right." Officials say the arrest was hurried by the suspect's apparent access to a shared computer drive that held sensitive documents. He's charged with multiple counts of suspicion of conspiracy to commit unauthorized access to computer material, though "Cubed" says his associate has been released on bail. "Anyone got a good lawyer?!?!?" a Twitter account believed to be linked to "cracka" tweeted on Wednesday. Police are investigating whether others are involved. (Read more hacking stories.)
(Newser)  A killer is on the loose in Dayton, Ohio: Police say Brittany Russell, 29, was shot in the head while in her car outside an apartment complex, with her 6-month-old daughter in the backseat. An officer tells the Dayton Daily News that the child was uninjured, but "her saving grace" was that the car was running with the heater on. It isn't clear how long Russell's body sat slumped over the steering wheel before it was discovered by the property manager around 9:30am Wednesday, reports WLWT and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Russell lived about 30 miles away in Middletown, and police are trying to retrace her last steps. What they know so far: Russell convinced a babysitter to let her take her daughter, Haven, around noon on Tuesday, though she didn't have custody. Haven's father, Chris Edwards, says Russell told him over the phone that she would return the child later that night.

A witness tells ABC 22 that she saw Russell's car running in the apartment parking lot around 11pm Tuesday and then spotted it again several hours later. But it wasn't until Russell failed to show up at Edwards home by 5am that he called police. According to a police report, Edwards said Russellalso the mother of a 10-year-old girlwas planning to give a ride to a drug dealer. His mother adds that Russell suffered from heroin addiction but had been clean in recent weeks and was scheduled to start a treatment program. Police say they found no drugs in her vehicle. There was no gun, either, and authorities say they don't believe Russell was robbed. (Read more Ohio stories.)
(Newser)  We all have days we don't want to work, but not all of us react the way Danny L. Gonzalez allegedly did in Kentucky Friday. Police were called with reports of a timber-hauling semi-truck driving recklessly on Interstate 65 and even running cars off the road around 6:30am, WAVE reports. They arrived to find Gonzalez and his truck in a field parallel to the roadway, stuck. Police say that after he hit a truck that crashed into the roadway's cable barrier, he exited the interstate and ran a Cadillac off the road before intentionally ramming it, then ran over a number of street signs and a stop sign before entering the field and becoming stuck.

"A Bullitt County Deputy pulled up and ordered Gonzalez out of the truck," per a news release provided to WDRB. "He initially did not comply. Eventually, the Deputy was able to take him into custody. Gonzalez stated he just 'snapped' and was tired of people messing with truck drivers. He also made statements that he was told he had to continue to work and he did not want to." The Texas man was arrested on charges of first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief, and leaving the scene of an accident. A puppy was found inside his semi, and an animal cruelty case has also been opened related to that. (Read more Kentucky stories.)
(Newser)  President Barack Obama, who's spending another Valentine's Day apart from wife Michelle, did the next best thing short of celebrating the lovers' holiday with her: On Friday's broadcast of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the president recited a love poem he says he had planned to deliver to the first lady in person. "Somebody call the Situation Room because things are about to get hot," said Obama as he stood in front of a red curtain and amid bouquets of red roses and white lilies as Barry White-style music played in the background. "Michelle, this Valentine's Day I'm going to treat you right. I'm going to make you some zucchini bread. Then I'll spread out some veggies on a plate just the way you like them."

He wasn't done. "Then I'll give you a massage while you watch 'Ellen's Design Challenge' on HGTV. Because I love you so much, I Obamacare about you more than you even know." Turning serious, Obama followed that up with: "Michelle, I've made a lot of great decisions as president. The best decision I ever made was choosing you. Thanks for putting up with me. I love you." Obama taped the appearance on Thursday. Mrs. Obama had surprised her husband earlier in the broadcast by popping up on tape to recite her own poem. "Roses are red, violets are blue, you are the president and I am your boo," she said, joking about writing the ode while doing 100 pushups to help get her "creative juices" flowing. Sunday is their final Valentine's Day as president and first lady. (Read more Barack Obama stories.)
Hillary Clinton has received a key endorsement from the members of the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee.

The chair of the caucus' PAC, Gregory Meeks, said that endorsing Clinton over Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Presidential nominee was "the right thing to do."

Meeks, a representative from New York, said to CNN's Carol Costello, "One of the individuals that has been with us time and time again has been Hillary Clinton. She has been, her whole career, an individual that has been fighting for issues that are important to the African-American community."

Clinton had won 90 percent of the votes by board members. Sanders did not receive any at all. Although the CBC PAC voted in favor of Clinton, Meeks noted that the endorsement is not from the CBC as a whole. Some members of the CBC spoke out against the endorsement.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D), who supports Sanders, tweeted, "Cong'l Black Caucus (CBC) has NOT endorsed in presidential. Separate CBCPAC endorsed withOUT input from CBC membership, including me."

Ellison was not allowed to vote because he does not sit on the PAC board.

The endorsement took place at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee.

Clinton released this statement after the endorsement:

"I pledge a new and comprehensive commitment to equity and opportunity for communities of color. That means reforming our criminal justice system and rebuilding the bonds of trust between our communities and our law enforcement officials. But it also means making major new investments to create jobs, to make it easier to start and grow a small business, to end redlining in housing, and to build reliable public transit systems."

Sanders' campaign has been gaining ground with a huge win in New Hampshire.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp is remarkably known for his legendary versatility with his renowned roles as the clever Captain Jack Sparrow, mad hatter, and of course as a transcendental scientist. As the presidential hype goes up, the Pirates of Caribbean actor went blonde and perfectly acquired that Trump's Queens accent to play a spoofed role of the real-estate-mogul-turned-presidential-republican-front-runner Donald Trump.

According to Times of India report, Depp fitted in the spoofed Donald Trump role based on the book titled 'Trump: The Art of The Deal'- set in 1980s New York as Trump established his business empire by closing on a dozen deals including a desperate attempt to acquire the Taj Mahal Casino Resort from the Hiltons.

Streamed on the comedy website Funny or Die, the hour-long film also had a slew of equally impressive stars like Ron Howard and Patton Oswalt.

"Everyone who was involved in the project is super cool and people with whom we have great relationships. They all understood the importance of keeping this a secret with the understanding that the Internet loves to be surprised. Also there was a lot of begging," remarked Funny or Die editor-in-chief Owen Burke as quoted saying by CNN.

The spoofed comedy biopic of the current media sensation and political hopeful includes a number of unforgettable gamey lines like "I love minorities - they're sensual ... they're exotic ...", "I'm making the opposite of a mistake - a good-stake", and "It's called real estate! Not fake estate" as mentioned in an article written by Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz was forced to remove one of his two attack ads over a female actress who reportedly has a history in soft porn.

In the 30-second ad, a self-help group is gathered in a circle to talk about how they felt after being lied to. A man speaks up and talks about how he voted for "a guy who was a Tea Party hero on the campaign trail" who later "cut a deal on amnesty." The man adds that he felt "dumb for trusting him." A woman then says, "Maybe you should vote for more than just a pretty face next time." After her comment, the scene moves to a latecomer who is wearing a Marco Rubio t-shirt.

Although the ad appeared to be a simple and straightforward attack on Rubio, Cruz pulled it immediately after his campaign found out that the actress, Amy Lindsay, who made the "pretty face" comment had previously starred in porn.

Cruz's campaign spokesman Rick Tyler told Buzzfeed News, "The actress responded to an open casting call. She passed her audition and got the job. Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the production company. Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad."

Lindsay tweeted her disappointment at Cruz's decision to pull the ad.

She wrote: "Extremely disappointed the #TedCruz campaign pulled the national television spot I had a role in... @CNN @Foxnews#moretocome #myvotecounts"

In the other ad, which has remained on the air, Cruz attacks Trump for forcing a woman, Vera Coking, off of her property in Atlantic City, NJ simply because he wanted to build a parking lot in that particular spot for his casino.

The one-minute ad says, "Trump uses power for personal gain. Imagine what he could do as president.

Cruz recently finished third in the New Hampshire primary after Trump, who won with 35.3 percent of the votes, and John Kasich, who received 15.8 percent of the votes.
Indonesian authorities stated that they will be asking Facebook and the highly popular app, WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, to get rid of all of their same-sex emojis. The authorities had already asked the messaging service, Line, to ban the use of these emojis.

Ismail Cawidu, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, argued that social media should represent and respect the ideologies of the country, reported by a news outlet, Detik. The agency also reported that companies who do not listen to the nation's recommendation might have to face the Negative Content Management Panel.

Line agreed on Tuesday to remove all stickers linked to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community from its Indonesian store. Ismail praised the company's decision, stating that Line "understands the norms, culture and religions in Indonesia."

The New York-based Human Rights Watch, on the other hand, stated that the "hateful rhetoric by public officials against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people is very concerning. The group penned a letter asking President Joko Widodo to take a stand and "defend the fundamental right of all Indonesians."

"President Jokowi should urgently condemn anti-LGBT remarks by officials before such rhetoric opens the door to more abuses," said Graeme Reid, LGBT rights director at HRW, reported by the Jakarta Post. "The President has long championed pluralism and diversity. This is an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment."

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) echoed the HRW's statement, condemning the statements made against the LGBT community and calling on the law enforcement to continue to protect the rights of every Indonesian, regardless of sexuality.

Although the President has not commented, some leaders have spoken out in support of the LGBT community. The Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan stated on Friday that LGBT members "are still Indonesia citizens and have rights to be protected."

Same-sex relationships are not illegal in Indonesia, where 95 percent of the population is Muslim. They are, however, heavily shunned upon.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Nigeria:

Local Nigerian officials say a teenage girl packed with explosives by a Nigerian rebel group ripped off her vest to avoid taking part in an attack on a refugee camp.

Two others with her, however, walked into the middle of hundreds of people lining up for food before they blew themselves up in an attack Tuesday that killed 58 and wounded 78 in Dikwa, northeast Nigeria.

Self-defense fighter Modu Awami said today that the third bomber, looking about 14, has confessed.

Awami, who helped question the girl, says she was scared because she knew she would kill people.

A rescue official says the girl has given officials information about other planned bombings.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mumbai:

On the 5th day of deposition before Mumbai court, 26/11 terror attack accused David Coleman Headley told that LeT was unhappy that Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets.

He added, "I visited Gateway of India, Cuffe Parade, Worli to select landing site for 26/11 attackers & later finalized Cuffe Parade."

"Went back to Pak after my Mumbai visit from 9th to 15th April 2008, met Sajid Mir & Major Iqbal, showed them video of possible landing sites. They were unhappy that Mumbai airport was not selected," Headley told special court via video conferencing.

On Thursday he raised a furore in political circles after claiming that Ishrat Jahan was a Let Operative and worked as a suicide bomber in a seperate incident.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested today in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over holding of an event at the prestigious institute against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The case was registered yesterday under Section of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP.

Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested in connection with the case, a senior police official said.

Two policemen in plain clothes came to the JNU campus today and picked up Kumar for questioning. He was later arrested, sources said.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

The event occurred despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as anti-national.

The JNU administration has already instituted a disciplinary enquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

Media was abuzz today with reports saying no-frills carrier AirAsia Indias Managing Director and CEO Mittu Chandilya has quit.

However, reports could not independently be confirmed.

The media reports said Chandilya has put in papers amid differences over management issues.

While repeated calls and messages to Chandilya went unanswered, an AirAsia India spokesperson declined to comment.

Chandilya, who was appointed as CEO in 2013, was elevated as managing director in August last year. The carrier started operations in June 2014.

The airline is a three-way joint venture in which AirAsia Berhad owns 49 per cent, Tata Sons has 30 per cent and the rest is with Arun Bhatias Telestra Tradeplace.

In December last year, Bhatia had expressed unhappiness over the state of affairs at the budget carrier, saying decisions are being taken by its Malaysian parent AirAsia.

If you ask the CEO (of AirAsia India) what is happening, he says sir what can I do? I dont have any information, everything is controlled by Malaysia, that is the situation today, he had said.

Amid stiff competition and tough market conditions, AirAsia India saw its net loss widening to nearly Rs 65 crore in the 2015 September quarter.
Rating



Star Cast

Tabu, Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur

Director

Abhishek Kapoor

Genre

Drama

Duration

131 minutes

New Delhi:

Tabu, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur starrer 'Fitoor' presents a soulful journey of love which is beautiful in terms of visuals, enigmatic in terms of situations, artistic in terms presentation and tad slow like a tortoise who eventually wins the race.



Soulful love lying in the arms of tragedy happens to be as daunting as a person sleeping and smiling in a den. Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor) justifies the feeling by playing character of a very talented sketch artist who is innocent and in love with Firdaus (Katrina Kaif).



SPOILER ALERT!



Noor, a Kashmiri boy from poor upbringing, falls in love with Firdaus who belongs to a rich elite family in Kashmir. Her mother famous as Begum (Tabu) separates both the kids to ensure her loyalty towards hatred for love against social divide. Few years later, Noor and Firdaus meet in New Delhi but situations have changed; love cannot be magical again as she is getting engaged to a Pakistan minister. But, here is a twist Noors love is still roaring high with an attitude  Chahie to chahie  as he says in the film.



Noors journey to re-claim his love is awe-inspiring, grueling, passionate and slow. Though, the visuals have been crafted so well that it nowhere lets boredom take the front seat but still leaves ample gaps to disconnect audiences.



Tabu is a star; she nails her act to perfection. She has given a performance which comes only with experience and talent. Be it begum of Kashmir or classy diva in London; viewers are bound to cherish her role in the movie.



Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina are whimsical but with Tabu on the other side they look customary.



While the pairing is magical, the disappointment rests with underutilization of set based at heaven on earth. Being in Kashmir and not using much of it certainly restricts audience to the stars; this pulls down rising charisma of the drama.



Interestingly, director Abhishek Kapoor has stitched it well enough to hide flaws in the script. The story is good but not as impressive as its presentation; all thanks to the power acts of the cast.



On musical noted film is a treat. The music has already found its place in many chartbusters and their tempo rises when they get drizzled with the flow of the film. Arijit Singhs Yeh Fitoor Mera and Amit Trivedis Pashmina are the highlights you would not want to miss at any cost.



Final Verdict: Fitoor is a must watch for those who were craving for a power packed performance since long time. Its soulful, melodramatic and slow but still comes with all reason to bag one time watch badge.
Mumbai:

Against the backdrop of the tragedy at Murud beach where 14 college students drowned, the Bombay High Court today said government should form a comprehensive policy on safety measures at tourist places.



The court, which is hearing a petition on the issue of beach safety filed by NGO Janhit Manch in 2006, had pulled up the court on the last occasion following the Murud incident for not implementing existing government resolution on the issue.



Tourism is increasing. This (safety measures) will increase tourism activity. You should form a comprehensive policy (on safety measures at tourist places), the bench said, advising the government to examine the safety measures in Goa which is famous for its beaches.



Everywhere in the world tourism is big industry, the court observed, adding that it has a great earning potential.



People who visit do not know about beaches, the dangers of going into the sea. You must inform them, said Justice Patil, adding that there should be watch towers and lights on the beaches apart from the lifeguards, and there must be clear instructions on every beach as to how far it would be safer to go in the sea, as this would vary from beach to beach.



Referring to 2006 GR on the issue, the court said there should be implementation monitoring cell.



Everything is there on paper....the problem in our country is implementation, said Justice Patil.



We expect the government to form a comprehensive policy in view of the safety of tourists, the court said, adjourning the hearing for four weeks.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

If god does not discriminate between men and women, why should discrimination exist in temples, the Supreme Court asked today as it said it would examine the issue of entry ban on women of menstrual age in the historic Sabarimala temple on the basis of constitutional parameters.



We want to test this on constitutional parameters, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said and asked senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the Travancore Devaswom Board, to apprise it whether this practice was intricately fundamental to religious custom or practice and hence cannot be interfered with.



The bench, also comprising Justices P C Ghose and N V Ramana, referred to the Bhagwad Gita and said that neither the Vedas, nor the Upanishads discriminate on the grounds of gender.



The God does not discriminate between men and women, so why there should be gender discrimination in premises of the temple, the bench said and referred to a mythological story about Sati Anusuyia who had turned Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh into kids and asked how can you stop the mother from entering the temple.



Venugopal, who sought six weeks time for filing evidence including documents and ancient scriptures on the issue, said this practice of prohibiting women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala was being followed for centuries, an aspect which should be kept in mind while deciding the matter.



The bench also took note of Kerala governments recent stand and termed it as somersault saying, You have filed an affidavit by taking an opposite stand. We will test it also as to whether a can take a somersault or U-turn.



A state or a party can always correct its earlier erroneous stand, senior lawyer V Giri, appearing for Kerala, said.



Kerala government, in its recent affidavit, has said that banning entry of women of menstrual age in the temple was a matter of religion and it was duty-bound to protect the right to practice the religion of these devotees.



Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for an intervenor, said women were part of the human race and they have to be allowed entry.



Women can also observe celibacy, she said while countering Venugopals submissions.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya today stoked a new controversy by wondering why tongues of traitors who hail Pakistan while living in India should not be chopped off.



Should not the tongues of those traitors who hail Pakistan while living in India be chopped off? he asked in a series of tweets.



In the tweets, the BJP general secretary said an ex-serviceman asked him that soldiers stake their lives on the border while people inside the country hail Pakistan and nobody says them anything.



Referring to his conversation with the former soldier, he said, Why tongues of such traitors who hail Pakistan while living in India are not chopped off? It seemed to me that the the former soldier was voicing the thought all patriotic Indians.



Vijarvargiya, however, also wondered if such a punishment was possible in a democratic country like India which follows constitutional practises.



Vijarvargiyas comments have earlier also kicked up controversies in the past.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
United Nations:

UN chief Ban Ki-moon today hailed Indias women peacekeeping unit in Liberia as an inspiration for all as the first-ever all-female police unit deployed ended its operations after nine years.



Through their unwavering performance, professionalism and discipline, including during the Ebola epidemic, these brave women gained the respect of both the Government and the Liberian people, the Secretary Generals spokesman said in a statement.



The 125 women and supporting personnel will return to India this weekend.



According to the statement, Ban commended the Formed Police Unit (FPU) for their contributions in creating an environment for Liberia to assume fully its security responsibilities by June 30, 2016, as mandated by the Security Council.



Through their work, they managed criminality, deterred sexual and gender-based violence and helped rebuild safety and confidence among the population, Ban said.



Ban underscored that the conduct of the FPU served as an example of how the deployment of more female uniformed personnel can help the United Nations in its efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse.



The Secretary-General thanked all the women who served in the FPU for inspiring all Liberians, as well as current and future generations of female police officers, and becoming role models for gender equality.



He also payed tribute to the outstanding contribution of the Indian government in support of the United Nations peace operations.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
800,000 people have signed a petition against the Belgian governments nuclear policy

Germany has expressed concern about Belgium extending the lifespan of 40 year old nuclear reactors. The German city of Aachen is suing officials at Belgiums Tihange nuclear power plant on the grounds that restarting the aging facility is dangerous.

Belgium owns two nuclear power plants at Doel, close to the port of Antwerp, and at Tihange by Liege. They have seven reactors in all, which collectively generate nearly 60 percent of the countrys energy. Over the past few years, however, multiple episodes have caused many to be skeptical about the safety of the reactors. According to the BBC, these events included:

One of Doels four reactors, Doel 4, was hit by an unresolved case of sabotage

Another, Doel 3, was shut down for 21 months after the discovery of micro-cracks in the reactors pressure vessels

A few days after being restarted, Doel 3 was shut down again on New Years Eve after a water leak was found

At Tihange, a fire started in the electricity supply system on 27 December

Micro-cracks were also found in the pressure vessels of a Tihange reactor

In Tihange, operator Electrabel said an external audit had been conducted and that the structural integrity of the power plant has been assured. Regardless, this has not eased the worries of Belgiums neighbors. Germany plans to shut down all of its commercial nuclear reactors by 2022.

A Fukushima-like disaster in Belgium

The Belgian government intended to close its oldest reactor, Doel 1, a year ago. They then decided to turn it back on and try keep the reactor running for an additional ten years.

German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks met with Belgiums interior minister. Hendricks insisted that a border assessment of environmental impact ought to be required for both new reactors and the reuse of old ones.

Belgium has assured us that experts will respond to the questions from the German government in February, she said.

Many worry that extending the lifespan of nuclear reactors increases the risk of a Fukushima-like disaster occurring in Belgium. According to Energy specialist Prof Damien Ernst from the University of Liege, a higher risk of accident due to the presence of micro-cracks but the risk is still very low.

Similar cracks have been discovered in many other nuclear reactors vessels, including several cases in France. Some fear that the vessel would break and that of course would be a catastrophe, contaminating the soil and underground water, it would be a Belgian Fukushima.

Thousands of people sign petition protesting extension of reactors

A report issued last month by the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) suggested distributing iodine pills to the entire population of the kingdom, so that the tablets would be available in the event of a nuclear accident. An online petitioned from the campaign group Avaaz protesting the reactors has acquired more than 800,000 signatures.

Christoph Schott of Avaaz told sources that Belgium is placing the lives of people throughout Europe in the hands of chance.

Belgiums reckless plan to switch on their ageing and crumbling nuclear reactors without proving they are safe is at best dangerous and at worst deadly, he told sources.

On the hand other, Belgian interior ministry claims they wouldnt restart the power plant if they thought the reactors posed a threat to the general population.

Belgiums refusal to acknowledge the risks attached to nuclear energy has caused the German city of Aachen to sue the the operators of Belgiums Tihange nuclear power plant.

In recent weeks, the nuclear power plants Doel and Tihange have had several hazardous incidents. People in the three-country region [of German, Belgium and the Netherlands] are deeply unsettled and worried, said a press release from Aachen officials.

The city plans to first bring the suit to Belgium, and then possibly sue operator, Electrabel, in EU court in Brussels.

Sources include:

(1) BBC.com

(2) RT.com

Submit a correction >>
Chinas cyberattacks and hacking will continue and increase: Security firm

(Cyberwar.news) Despite a recent agreement between the U.S. and China to limit cyber espionage, hacking and other digital attacks, a security firm is warning that Beijing-based attacks are going to continue and perhaps even increase in the coming years.

As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, the cyberattacks against U.S. government and private sector information systems is part of a larger intelligence-gathering mission, the firm, CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity and intelligence company, warned in an annual threat report made public last week. CrowdStrike is regularly consulted by private industry and government, The WFB reported.

Some of the larger cyberattacks last year by Chinese hackers include theft of healthcare data on 80 million Americans, as well as the records of 22 million current and former federal government employees from a hack of the Office of Personnel Management.

Gathering Americans personal data is part of a new trend in Chinese hacking. This targeting underscores that intrusion operations associated with nation-states pose a significant risk to all data, no matter how uninteresting it may seem, the report said.

In addition the 2015 Global Threat Report says that the U.S.-China agreement to not conduct cybertheft of commercial data has not had much of an impact on Beijings cyber activities.

Beneath the surface, however, China has not appeared to change its intentions where cyber is concerned, the report noted.

If there is any reduction at all in Chinese hacking this coming year it is probably only going to be temporary, the firm warned. Also, any reduction may only be the result of using more hard-to-trace methods of conducting cyber espionage after a major military reorganization of Beijings cyberwar capabilities.

The military changes will likely increase [Chinas] reliance on its civilian intelligence agencies and associated contractors, all of which generally employ better tradecraft, said the report.

If observed campaigns in late 2015 were any indication, it is unlikely China will completely cease its cyber operations, and 2016 will show the new direction it is headed, it added.

As Cyberwar.news reported, the U.S. government is set to hand off cybersecurity to the U.S. military in the coming year, mostly because the Pentagon is much more adept at providing security to information systems than disparate government agencies.

We believe that moving the cybersecurity initiative to the military is a good option for all government agencies, Carl Wright, general manager of TrapX Security, a cyber defense firm, told Cyberwar.news.

Attackers include both organized crime and nation states. There is often too much inertia across the multitude of federal agencies to hire the necessary experts, make architectural decisions, implement through rapid procurement and then deploy state-of-the-art cyber defense, Wright, a former chief technology officer for the U.S. Marine Corps, added.

See also:

Washington Free Beacon

Cyberwar.news

Cyberwar.news is part of the USA Features Media network of sites. For advertising opportunities, click here.

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North Korea now has capability to nuke the entire United States and a madmans finger rests on the big red button

North Korea claims it wishes to resolve its nuclear issues with the United States through negotiations, warning that the country is capable of attacking America with its tested hydrogen bomb.

The threat follows a declaration from North Korea last month, when the outcast state claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb. North Korea released footage of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which they claim could deliver the weapon.

Experts the world over have said the development of a hydrogen bomb following the production of nuclear bombs is commonplace and have predicted North Korea would develop thermonuclear weapons technology. But the United States in its state of psychological avoidance refuses to admit to [the reality], North Korea said.

North Koreas H-bomb test called out for bluff

Authorities have called North Koreas H-bomb test out for bluff, stating the explosion wasnt powerful enough to qualify as a fully-functional thermonuclear device, which would be 100 times stronger. The KCNA state news agency said that the test wasnt intended to threaten or provoke anyone.

Despite these remarks, North Koreas activities did provoke major world leaders. The U.S. and South Korea have started formal talks about the deployment of an advanced missile defense system, which would shield the country from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Pyongyang claimed North Korea had no need to test a hydrogen bomb since the country already has the ability to create nuclear weapons, and to upgrade its weapons of mass destruction.

We have told the United States if they cease their aggressive invasion exercises aimed at [North Korea], we would hold off on a nuclear test, North Korea said.

This request was never fulfilled, according to Pyongyang, adding it had the means necessary to make an unlimited supply of hydrogen bombs that could decimate the U.S. mainland. Had North Koreas territory been as large as the United States, they could have tested a bomb a hundred-fold more powerful, reports state media.

According to a California-based Middlebury Institutes James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), North Koreas H-bomb test failed catastrophically, which had to be covered up with doctored footage.

Tensions grow between North and South

Although North Korea may have a shortage of H-bombs, they do not have a shortage of threats. South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned additional provocations from the North, like cyber terrorism, were possible. She pressed new and tougher sanctions ought to be issued.

We are cooperating closely with the United States and allies to come up with effective sanctions that will make North Korea feel bone-numbing pain, not only at the Security Council but also bilaterally and multilaterally, she noted in a speech.

Park added that South Korea and China were talking about a U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea. China has said many times that it would not tolerate the Norths nuclear program. China is the Norths foremost ally and trade partner but is against its weapons. Meanwhile, China and South Korea have become close in the past few years.

I am certain that China is very well aware if such a strong will isnt followed by necessary steps, we will not be able to stop the Norths fifth and sixth nuclear tests and we cannot guarantee true peace and stability, Park said. I believe the Chinese government will not allow the situation on the Korean peninsula to deteriorate further.

The general consensus among Washington is that a stronger reaction is needed to North Koreas threats. U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo endorsed a North Korea sanction, which passed without opposition at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The legislation involves penalties for North Korea cyber offenses, and sanctions for trade on metals that could be used by the country to manufacture weapons.

Sources include:

(1) UPI.com

(2) Express.CO.UK

(3) DailyMail.CO.UK

Submit a correction >>
Virginia Republicans move to strip Gov. McAuliffe of armed security in response to unilateral attack on Americans gun rights

Turmoil in the Commonwealth of Virginia over Attorney General Mark Herrings unilateral attempt to push more unconstitutional gun control measures, has prompted the states Republican political base to threaten drastic changes to Governor Terry McAuliffes security apparatus.

Herring recently tried to enact a new measure that would cut reciprocity ties with 25 other states that have concealed carry laws more lenient than those of Virginia. In essence, residents of these 25 other states who carry concealed weapons would no longer have legal protections while traveling through or residing within the borders of the commonwealth.

Gov. McAuliffe, a Democrat, had apparently supported the effort, as well as aligned himself with a gun control group known as Everytown for Gun Safety, which quickly made him a target not only of gun rights groups, but also of the state legislature.

Recognizing that Gov. McAuliffe relies on an entourage of individuals who conceal-carry for his personal protection, several state lawmakers have threatened to have the budget for this protective detail cut.

A lot of the governors power is deferred to the General Assembly at that point and Ill be getting with my colleagues to circumvent everything this governor has done on this point, Sen. Carrico told The Daily Caller.

I have a budget amendment that Im looking at to take away his executive protection unit. If hes so afraid of guns, then Im not going to surround him with armed state policemen.

Compromise provokes infighting between gun control advocates and Democrats

The move prompted Gov. McAuliffe to change his tune, according to Breitbart. He has since struck a compromise deal that will reverse Herrings dictate, and allow reciprocity with the 25 states in question to continue  but with a few caveats.

While the new plan, which still awaits approval from the General Assembly, would expand gun rights on some fronts, it threatens to curb them on others. The new rules would expand the penalties for individuals subject to two-year protective orders who possess guns, for instance.

According to The Washington Post, abusers of the law would face stricter charges, and if convicted, would be barred from ever owning a firearm again. State troopers would also be ordered to attend every gun show in the state in order to conduct background checks for private sellers.

Gov. McAuliffe says the new measure wont satisfy either side, and both sides seem to agree. Gun control advocates are the most upset, though, as theyre now in the process of circulating a petition that they plan to deliver to the governors office within the next week.

Republicans, however, seem to be satisfied with the measure, which they say defends the right of law-abiding citizens to possess and conceal firearms. Many are dubbing it a bipartisan attempt to protect Second Amendment rights, while ensuring that criminals are less able to access guns for nefarious purposes.

This legislation is not a Republican versus Democrat right, stated Republican Senator Bryce Reeves, who co-sponsored the new bill and helped lead negotiations with the administration, but simply doing the right thing by law-abiding Virginians.

The restrictive aspects of the new legislation are set to be voted on separately in the form of two additional bills, which have yet to be presented before the General Assembly. These companion bills will attempt to quell opposition from the anti-gun left, which had hoped for a much stricter proposition.

Insanity is the word I think of when I see gun control groups such as this one, wrote one Breitbart commenter about Everytown for Gun Safety. All the gun violence occurs among the population of thugs who get guns illegally. So they want to ban legal guns. Real sharp thinking: really insane thinking.

Sources for this article include:

WND.com

Breitbart.com

WashingtonPost.com

Submit a correction >>
BROOKFIELD  A fire consultant hired by developers proposing a controversial six-story apartment complex near the Four Corners tried to douse fire safety concerns voiced this week by town officials.

During a public hearing before the Zoning Commission, Assistant Fire Chief Andy Ellis reiterated concerns that Brookfields volunteer department would need extensive training and new equipment to respond to fires at the 156-unit complex proposed for 777-763 Federal Road called The Renaissance.

We have a huge concern about the training demands that would be required of members of the fire company if this project is approved, Ellis read from a letter submitted to the commission. The command staff of the fire company believes this would deter members from joining and force some of our current members to resign. The loss of personnel would force the town to hire career staff at a significant cost to the taxpayers.

Ellis also said the departments trucks cannot be used in high-rise rescues without being parked inside the buildings collapse zone, which would put firefighters at risk.

Because the proposal sets aside 30 percent of the apartments as affordable, it qualifies under Connecticuts 8-30g housing law that enables developers to trump local zoning restrictions. The statute allows the town to reject the project only if health and safety concerns outweigh the need for affordable housing.

At the earlier public hearings, many residents and officials objected to the size of The Renaissance, saying that it would not conform to redevelopment plans for the Four Corners area.

But officials pitched concerns about fire safety as perhaps the best argument for rejecting the project.

But consultant Joe Versteeg, who is advising the developer on fire issues, refuted such claims, saying there is a very low risk of collapse and that developers would help provide firefighters with the necessary training.

Wall collapses are rare in new buildings, Versteeg said. They are purposely designed to resist wind and earthquakes and are protected throughout with automatic sprinkler systems.

Versteeg failed to quell the fears of Ellis and some members of the Zoning Commission, like Jeff Cordisco, who said the World Trade Center was supposedly designed to withstand fires, but still crumbled after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Versteeg conceded that there is some risk, though small, and that firefighters can assess the dangers and decide whether it is safe to park vehicles in the collapse zone.

Ellis disagreed, saying it is not worth the risk.

All buildings fall down, Ellis said. If I put a vehicle in the collapse zone and kill people, Im in deep trouble. I would probably go to jail.

First Selectman Steve Dunn also said he was not swayed by Versteegs arguments.

After all Ive heard tonight, I still have not changed my mind as to the safety of our volunteer firefighters, Dunn said. This building can put them at risk. Their safety is paramount to the safety of Brookfield and I dont think you should approve this project.

The public hearing on the project will continue later this month.

awolff@newstimes.com; 203-731-3333; @awolffster
Skaters lace up in pink on the Rideau Canal to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

OTTAWA, Feb. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) -- As official sponsor of Ottawa's annual Winterlude festival and presenting sponsor of the Rideau Canal Skateway, CIBC invites visitors to don pink for a special "CIBC Skate for the Cure" on February 14 in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF). The event will help raise awareness for the estimated one in nine Canadian women expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016



10:30 a.m.



WHERE: Rideau Canal Skateway

CIBC Rest Area on Fifth Ave.



WHO: Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson

Marie-Jose Barrette, Senior Manager, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC

Run for the Cure

Derek Mainville, District Vice-President, Ottawa East, CIBC

Thousands of visitors including CBCF volunteers, CIBC team members, family and

friends



WHAT: Raise breast cancer awareness

Wear pink to show your love and support for those affected by breast cancer



ACTIVITIES: Meet CBCF volunteers and warm up at CIBC Rest Area's fire pit;

Enjoy a hot beverage, including pink tea

Free sleigh rentals Feb. 13-15, courtesy of CIBC

Onsite entertainment and surprise giveaways







About CIBC

CIBC is a leading Canadian-based financial institution with 11 million individual, small business, commercial and institutional clients. CIBC and its employees invest in the social and economic development of communities, with a focus on Kids, Cures and Community. In 2015, CIBC contributed more than $65 million to support community initiatives across Canada. This year, CIBC will mark its 20th year as title sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure and over two decades of support for breast cancer research and treatment. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre/ or by following on Twitter @CIBC, Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIBC) and Instagram @CIBCNow.

About the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is the leading community-driven organization in Canada dedicated to creating a future without breast cancer. Its investments in innovative and relevant research and education have led to progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Since 1986, CBCF has been at the forefront of a nationwide movement supporting and advocating for the breast cancer community. For more information, visit www.cbcf.org

SOURCE Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Image with caption: "Alison Phillips, General Manager, CIBC and volunteer Regional Run Champion, laces up in pink for the CIBC Skate for the Cure to help raise breast cancer awareness and prevention. (CNW Group/Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160212_C5826_PHOTO_EN_619410.jpg

For further information: Caroline Van Hasselt, Director, External Communications, CIBC, 416-784-6699, [email protected]
By Olivier Ferret 12 February 2016 - 20:00





Contesting their first rally with the Abu Dhabi Total WRT, Craig Breen and Scott Martin produced a solid performance on the frozen roads of Rally Sweden. The crew ended todays opening leg eighth overall. Khalid Al Qassimi/Chris Patterson finished the day 23rd, whilst Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle were stopped in the tracks when running second.

With recce reorganised and the shakedown and eight stages cancelled, the Rally Sweden schedule was radically changed at the start of the week. In fact, the weather conditions were so mild for February that there was prolonged uncertainty as to whether or not the event would actually go ahead!

After the Thursday evenings ceremonial start confirmed the undiminished enthusiasm of the Scandinavian crowds, the competitors left parc ferme this morning for a leg featuring six stages, contested in Norway and in the Swedish province of Varmland.

Thanks to the hard work of the organisers, the drivers were able to race on entirely safe roads against a snow-covered backdrop.

Embracing his status as the Abu Dhabi Total WRT lead driver, Kris Meeke wasted little time in getting among the leaders. Despite his less than ideal position in the running order, the Northern Irishman held third place at the end of the first loop. In the afternoon, when a significant amount of snow finally began to fall, Kris upped his pace to take the stage win on Svullrya 2. Having moved up into second position and seemingly on course to challenge Sebastien Ogier for the overall lead, his progress was then brought to a grinding halt after around ten kilometres on Rojden 2 (SS8). His car suffered a broken suspension arm after hitting a hidden rock on a corner Kris and his team-mate Paul Nagle will rejoin tomorrow under Rally2 rules.

As Kris went quickest on Svullyra, another of the teams drivers produced an impressive performance: with the third fastest time, Craig Breen confirmed the progress he had been making since the start of the rally. Despite spinning on the next test, the Irishman continued to take the fight to local hero Henning Solberg. He made it back to parc ferme at Karlstad in eighth position, less than two seconds behind his rival.

Driven by Khalid Al Qassimi, the teams third car ended the opening leg in 23rd place. Improving as he completed more stages, the Abu Dhabi driver was pleased to have completed the day without making any major mistakes, despite the very tricky conditions.

Rally Sweden continues tomorrow, with the traditional stages of Fredriksberg, Vargasen and Rammen.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Craig Breen (#15): The conditions were better than we had been expecting, especially this morning. The afternoon loop was more complicated with all this snow. Its pretty incredible to say that there was too much, when we have been waiting for it to fall all week! I wont forget the feeling at the end of SS7 in a hurry! I couldnt believe it when I was told that I had just set the third fastest time Its been a fantastic opening day with the Abu Dhabi Total WRT, even though I made a couple of minor mistakes on the last two stages. In total, I must have lost about thirty seconds but I couldnt be happier this evening. Tomorrow, my goal will be to keep learning and improving.

Khalid Al-Qassimi (#14): It was a difficult day, especially because the stages were so different to what we experienced in recce. The road conditions were good, with a lot of ice. It was more complicated on the second pass. There was a lot of snow and therefore less grip. We played with the set-up of the shock absorbers and we have a lot of information this evening that we will be able to use with the engineers. The aim is to keep working to increase the stability of the car and enjoy driving it even more.

Kris Meeke (#7): We had made a pretty good start to the rally. Without pushing too much, we were third after the morning loop, despite having a less than ideal starting position. Our position became an advantage when the snow started to fall in the afternoon and we grabbed a stage win. I wasnt taking any more risks when we ran into trouble on the next stage. We hit a stone buried in the road on a slow corner and the suspension arm broke. Obviously, its disappointing but well be back tomorrow to get more experience.
By www.wrc.com 12 February 2016 - 10:25





Sebastien Ogier held a slender lead at Rally Sweden following Friday mornings opening speed test at Torsby.

The Frenchman was fastest by three-tenths of a second from Volkswagen Polo R team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen on roads much improved from two days ago when they tackled the recce in soft and muddy conditions.

The road is pretty hard, it was OK, said Ogier. With no test or shakedown in these conditions it was good to try hard.

However, all was not well with the third member of the Volkswagen squad, Jari-Matti Latvala. He was right on Ogiers pace at the midpoint but reached the finish 23.1sec down.

The driveshaft broke 2km from the end. I dont know what spares we have in the car, said Latvala before rushing off to work on the car. With no mid-leg service, there is no opportunity for his team to examine the damage until they return to the rally base in Karlstad tonight.

Kris Meeke completed the top three in Citroens DS 3, 4.4sec off Ogiers pace. Credit to the organisers, theyve worked hard on this stage. I was quite steady at the beginning. Its all about picking your braking point, said the Ulsterman.

Dani Sordo was fourth in a Hyundai i20 but a warning light on the dashboard signalled a high water temperature, with team-mates Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon completing the top six.

Both Khalid Al Qassimi and Lorenzo Bertelli escaped lurid moments on the final bend of the stage.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday regretted that Boko Haram chose to welcome German President, Joachim Gauck, into the country with...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday regretted that Boko Haram chose to welcome German President, Joachim Gauck, into the country with the bombings at the Dikwa camp of Internally Displaced Persons on Wednesday.Despite the incident that claimed over 58 lives, however, Buhari told Guack, who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that his administration had succeeded in stopping the sect from attacking installations and towns as it used to do.Buhari spoke at a joint press conference after their close-door meeting.He said at the inception of his administration, he sought to know the reasons behind the failure of the Nigerian military to secure 14 local governments out of the countrys 774.He, however, said the reasons had been revealed with the the $2.1bn arms purchase scandal.Buhari said it had become clear that some officials of the past government shared the money meant for military equipment, therefore forcing soldiers into mutiny.He added, It is a pity Boko Haram welcomed you with explosions in Maiduguri that took so many lives, but I have attempted to explain in so many fora that Boko Haram is not what it used to be.While they were firmly holding 14 out of 774 local governments when we came in, they are not holding any local government now.What they have resorted to is using improvised explosive devices to cause maximum casualties on soft targets as they did yesterday (Wednesday).But for them to organise conventional attacks on military, police installations and take hold of towns, I think they are not able to do that. They send groups to kill vulnerable targets.Buhari admitted that the Federal Government must redouble its efforts to rehabilitate displaced persons.He regretted that children and orphans constitute over 60 per cent of the two million IDPs, saying the least his administration could do was to quickly resettle the children and rebuild schools.He commended Germany for helping Nigeria in the fight against Ebola and polio as well as its assistance in the IDP camps.Buhari sought Germanys support for Nigerias quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.Outside bilateral, in the United Nations, Nigeria and other African countries feel we are qualified by our number, by our size and by our position in Africa to have a seat on the United Nations Security Council. We hope that Germany will support us, the President said.Guack, who spoke through an interpreter, promised Europes support of $50m for African Unions initiative to fight terrorism.He said Germany saw in Nigeria one of its most important partners on the continent. He also declared his support for the countrys anti-corruption and anti-terrorism campaigns.Guack added, You (Buhari) personally have made it clear that it is in a determined way that you intend to fight Boko Haram and its methods that deeply violate the principles of humanity.We intend to support you because we believe that it is a very good approach that you have chosen and that is something; we would make available financial support and that approach consists of joining forces with neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram together.You have already taken steps in that direction as members of the African Union. We, as Europe, will support that initiative with $50m.He said he told Buhari during their meeting that development was not possible without good governance.He promised that Germany would continue to provide humanitarian support, especially for women and children.Meanwhile, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the United States have condemned the attacks on the IDP camp in Dikwa, Borno State, on Tuesday.Osinbajo said the countrys security agencies would hunt down the masterminds of the attack.
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday refused to grant an application stopping the arraignment of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)...

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday refused to grant an application stopping the arraignment of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Rickey Tarfa.Justice Mohammed Idris held that he lacks jurisdiction to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arraigning him.The commission charged Tarfa with unlawful obstruction of investigation and perversion of the course of justice before Justice Aishat Opesanwo of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere.No fewer than 34 SANs enlisted to represent Tarfa, but six of them were in court on Friday, namely Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, Dr. Joseph Nwobike, Mr. Babajide Koku, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, Mr. Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu.They brought an application praying the court to order the release of Tarfas phone and vehicle allegedly seized by EFCC.Tarfa also filed a N2.5billion suit against the EFCC on February 9, seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights.Ayorinde urged Justice Idris to make a consequential order that parties should maintain status quo.But EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, opposed the application, saying such an order would restrain the EFCC from arraigning Tarfa.I will urge Your Lordship not to hearken to that prayer. As of today, the applicant before Your Lordship is to be arraigned before your learned brother Honourable Justice Opesanwo of the Lagos State High Court next week Thursday. The defendant has been notified to produce the applicant on that date.If Your Lordship makes an order to maintain the status quo, then the honourable court would be crippling the defendant from arraigning the applicant, Oyedepo argued.He said Ayorindes application was designed to frustrate Tarfas arraignment.
There was a mild drama on Wednesday at a plaza on Plateau Club Road, Jos, Plateau State as the head of a suspected burglar got stuck bet...

There was a mild drama on Wednesday at a plaza on Plateau Club Road, Jos, Plateau State as the head of a suspected burglar got stuck between burglarproof bars while he was trying to escape with items he stole from a shop within the facility.It was learnt that the 32-year-old suspect, Solomon Clement, had entered the shop through the roof in the night.He was said to have stolen seven pieces of suits, two blankets, 13 pairs of shoes and three pieces of bed sheets after which he tried to escape with the loots through the window. He had forced his body out of the window but was unfortunate as his head was trapped between the burglarproof bars.It was gathered that he struggled in vain to free himself, until daybreak when the police were alerted to the incident. He was arrested, while the stolen items were recovered.A trader, who spoke with our newsmen on condition of anonymity, said there had been cases of burglary in the plaza before the Wednesday incident, adding that she suspected there was connivance between the perpetrators and insiders.He said, That was not the first time burglars attacked shops here. We normally close around 6pm. I suspect they connive with insiders, who might have been giving them information. Most times, they (burglars) break the bars. It was God that orchestrated the mans (Clement) arrest. I learnt that he had entered through the roof. It was the security man who was moving around the complex that saw him with his head stuck. The shop is owned by one Daniel. I learnt he stocked the shop with suits and shoes recently.I want the police to handle this matter seriously and mete out appropriate punishment to the suspect. Maybe through that, others would learn to desist from the act.An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Julius, said Clement was freed after a welder was employed to cut the bars.He was there for hours. We called the police from the A Division who arrested him. We had to get a welder to cut the bars, he said.The Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abuh Emmanuel, said investigation was ongoing into the incident. He added that the suspect would be charged to court when the investigation was concluded.He said, The suspect, Solomon Clement, is from Agwa Mission, Gudu-Wada, Jos. People in that area alerted the police and he was arrested. Seven pieces of suits, two blankets, 13 pairs of shoes and three pieces of bed sheet, stolen from the shop, were recovered. The suspect is under investigation.
Previous studies conducted by researchers demonstrated that some Nigerians were immuned to the Zika virus infection, Minister of Health ...

Previous studies conducted by researchers demonstrated that some Nigerians were immuned to the Zika virus infection, Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole said yesterday.Adewole, who spoke in Abuja on his ministrys efforts to contain Lassa fever and ZIka virus, claimed that as far back as 1954, some Nigerian scientists working in Western part of the country discovered Zika virus.He said: Further studies in the years 1975 to 1979 showed that 40 per cent of Nigerian adults and 25 per cent of Nigerian children have antibodies to Zika virus, meaning they are protected against this virus.It is important however, to state categorically, that until now in Africa and Nigeria inclusive, this virus does not cause any serious illness and those so far infected individually recover fully with no serious complications.The minister noted that although two African countries, Cape Verde and Gabon, had reported transmission in between 2015 and 2016, causal relationship between Zika virus infection, birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established in the continent.Adewole warned that despite the fact that some Nigerians are immune to the infection as demonstrated by previous studies, it was important and advisable that Nigerians should be careful and protect themselves from mosquito bites.The minister said that he would not advise against Nigerian contingent attending the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil over the Zika outbreak in South America.But Adewole said he would stop pregnant women from going to Brazil as the minister of health.He advised that suspected case should be referred to hospitals or this line: 097000010-19He said: There is as of now, no known specific treatment for Zika virus disease. Treatment is therefore generally supportive and it includes rest, fluids, and use of pain killers and antipyretics. In a pregnant woman with laboratory evidence of Zika virus in serum or amniotic fluid, serial ultrasounds should be considered to monitor fetal anatomy and growth every three to four weeks. Referral to a maternal-fetal medicine or infectious disease specialist with expertise in pregnancy management is recommended.He added: There is no vaccine for Zika virus, and no cure other than rest, plenty of fluids and perhaps over-the-counter medication to reduce fevers, aches and pains as previously mentioned. This therefore means that prevention is most effective means of preventing transmission.I advise all Nigerians, particularly pregnant women, to avoid travelling to countries infected by this virus in these periods. If, however, you are to visit any country where Zika virus is now being actively transmitted, you are advised to protect yourselves from mosquito bites.Pregnant women considering travel to affected areas may wish to consult their health-care providers prior to travel and after return. They should also practice personal and household steps to prevent mosquito, including putting mosquito repellant on their clothes and skin, wear long sleeves and pants, and sleep underneath mosquito nets at night, where possible.I wish to call on all Nigerians to support our pregnant women and help them access anti-mosquito repellants.The minister called on states to embark on health education campaigns to empower communities take actions to protect themselves from Zika Virus as well as other mosquito-borne diseases.The minister assured Nigerians that Lassa fever has been contained in the country, as evidenced by decline in new suspected cases; new laboratory confirmed cases and newly reported cases.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Friday said his men are on the trail of ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government E...

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Friday said his men are on the trail of ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo following the issuance of a warrant for his arrest by a Federal High Court in Lagos.We are looking for Tompolo and my men are on his trail. We will arrest him anywhere we see him, Arase told reporters in Ado Ekiti.Tompolo was slammed with a 40-count charge bordering on money laundering and fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).The ex-militant chief has refused to heed EFCCs summons for interrogation.He also failed to appear before the court prompting the warrant of arrest.He has since been declared wanted by the EFCC.
Armed robbers invaded some banks in Ikirun, the headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State in the evening today, making...

Armed robbers invaded some banks in Ikirun, the headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State in the evening today, making away undisclosed sums of money.It was gathered that the robbers gained entry into the banks by blowing up the entrance.Some residents said three banks were raided while some said the robbers attacked two banks during the operation.The robbers were said to have detonated some of the explosives close to the banks to scare away residents in order to allow them to operate freely.The banks in Ikirun are: First Bank Plc; Skye Bank Plc; Union Bank and a community bank.Sources in the town claimed the three commercial banks there were raided, but the claim could not be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.One of the residents who identified himself as Bola said, The three banks were attacked and there are many casualties on the site of the robbery, the police and the residents.The robbers didnt make a clean getaway, however, as the police responded promptly to the distress call from the town and prevented the robbers from escaping with their loots.It was gathered that the police team deployed in the town barricaded all the roads to the town and engaged the robbers in a gun duel which lasted for over 30 minutes.Three members of the gang were shot dead by the police team while one was injured and another one was arrested, witnesses said.One of the policemen was said to have been killed by the robbers before they abandoned the vehicles they brought for the operation and fled.A police source, who confirmed the development, told our correspondent that two robbers were killed while one was wounded and another one was arrested. He also said a policeman was shot dead during the shootout.The police source added that two pistols were recovered from the hoodlums as well as the money stolen by the armed robbers.The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Kola Sodipo, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent through the phone, said some of the robbers were killed.He said, I cannot give you any figure now but there are casualties. We are still in Ikirun now, we are combing the bushes; we dont want any of them to escape.We have demobilised their vehicle and we are combing everywhere to arrest those injured and the fleeing members of the gang.The CP urged members of the public to inform the police of presence of any strange face sighted in their area.
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Dakota Johnson starts a new life in New York in 'How To Be Single'

((WARNER BROS))

Romantic comedies get a lot of abuse, most of it from the people who make them.

We know the dull drill: Act One, meet cute, Act Two, break up over some awkward secret/stupid misunderstanding, Act Three race to the airport/chapel before it's all too late.

And the writers behind "How To Be Single" know the drill, too. Which is why they've ignored it.

No one should be surprised; they've done it before. With 2009's surprisingly solid "He's Just Not That Into You," Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein took Liz Tuccillo's vague self-help book, threw away almost everything but the pre-sold title, and spun an enjoyable ensemble rom-com.

Now in "How to Be Single," (along with rom-com colleague Dana Fox) they've adapted a novel by Tuccillo. But it's the same multi-character approach. And, even better, it has the same sort of surprises and shifting moods.

We meet four women - college grad Dakota Johnson, party girl Rebel Wilson, lonely doctor Leslie Mann and cynical romantic Alison Brie. We also meet the (many) men in their lives.

These women all have their own storylines, too. Johnson decides to play the field. Wilson turns her daily Walk of Shame into a Stride of Pride. Mann is suddenly, goofily baby-crazy. Brie is, methodically, looking for The One.

But here's the thing: Nothing is quite as predictable as it seems.

Some of those women will still be alone at the end of the film. Some will be with the men we expected, and some with the men we didn't. And yet, best of all, all of them will be happy.

The movie has some problems. Johnson, who plays a paralegal at a top firm, never seems to work and - not to be ungallant - it's a slight stretch to accept the 40-ish Mann as her sister. (I also expect bloggers to unleash a slew of scolding think pieces about the Wilson character, who likes to get blackout drunk and have sex with strangers.)

And yet the movie also has a few nice quiet touches, like featuring an interracial romance (without ever once mentioning race). And Wilson - who has made aggressive-sexuality her go-to joke for years - refreshingly continues to be funny without ever being made fun of.

Not all of the actors connect. Brie comes off as more needy than quirky, and as usual in these things, the male performers could be stronger (not surprisingly, although big actresses regularly sign on for male-driven films, big actors rarely return the favor for female ones).

But Jackson is winning as a nice Wesleyan girl trying to navigate her first year in New York, and Mann is very strong (she has a great scene with probably the year's most adorable movie infant). And the audience I saw it with loved it (when one of the heroines shortsightedly broke up with a very sweet boyfriend, the woman behind me offered "I'll take him!")

I give it three out of four Cosmos.

Although for best results, before you see it, you should probably do the same.





Ratings note: The film contains strong language, sexual situations and substance abuse.

'How To Be Single' (R) Warner Bros. (110 min.) Directed by Christian Ditter. With Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie. Now playing in New Jersey.

Stephen Whitty may be reached at stephenjwhitty@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwhitty. Find him on Facebook.


Spontaneity can be romantic, but not when it leaves your only Valentine's Day dinner options at 4 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. We scoured OpenTable.com Thursday night and Friday morning to find 14 restaurants spanning both the state and tastes with reservations still available -- but start clicking, because they're going fast.

Mistral, Princeton: Chef Ben Nerenhausen's Valentine's Day four-course menu features duck sausage dumpling, tea-smoked quail and veal breast confit ($85). 66 Witherspoon St., 609-688-8808.

Khloe Bistrot, Fort Lee: This tiny restaurant, done up like a drawing room of a French libertine, has a special dinner menu for Valentine's Day, including steak au poivre with cognac sauce. 200 Main St., 201-461-9700. BYO, cash only.

Mistral's special Valentine's Day cocktail My Bloody Valentine, made with bourbon and blood orange.

Labebe, North Brunswick: Dish-hop around the Mediterranean here, with offerings ranging from merguez to kibbeh to risotto fritters to bouillabaisse. 2150 U.S. 130 North, 732-658-6400.

Sax, Stone Harbor: The elegant dining room at the Reeds at Shelter Haven resort has a three-course Valentine's Day menu as well. Your choices include grilled octopus with chorizo and prawns a la plancha, 9601 Third Ave., 609-368-0100.

Due 360, Summit: With an emphasis on tapas, this fusion Argentinian and Italian restaurant has an extensive menu, including crispy oysters and lemon gnocchi. 50 Maple St., 908-608-0222. BYO.

Stockton Inn, Stockton: The historic but recently revamped restaurant has updated classics, including ginger and lime-scented seafood chowder and venison Bourguignon. 1 Main Street, 609-397-1250.

etc. Steakhouse, Teaneck: That it's kosher is secondary. That it's delicious and ambitious is foremost. Try the sweetbreads with grapefruit salad if it's available. 1409 Palisade Ave., 201-357-5677. BYO (kosher meshuval wines only).

Estia Taverna, Marlton: This rustic chic Greek restaurant, an offshoot of Philadelphia's Estia, specializes in whole grilled fish, but there's also a raw bar and traditional dishes. 140 W. Route 70, 856-596-5500.

Nicholas, Red Bank: Yes, there's even a few tables left at Nicholas, consistently at the top of the Zagat ratings. You could begin and end at its extensive cheese list alone. 160 Highway 35, 732-345-9977.

Mr. Chung's Contemporary Asian, Morristown: It earned raves from The Star-Ledger's Cody Kendall for its commitment to true Asian fusion, and there's also ishiyaki, do-it-yourself hot stone cooking. 78 Speedwell Ave., 862-260-9558. BYO.

Osteria Morini, Bernardsville: Chef Michael White's Jersey outpost has a Valentine's Day menu featuring duck and foie gras terrine, fennel- and coriander-crusted tuna and chocolate buttermilk cake ($55 a person). 107 Morristown Road, 909-221-0040.

Villaggio Iccara, Yardville: There are intriguing takes on traditional Italian here, from the pasta with shrimp and scallops in a spicy brandy pink sauce to cannelloni filled with wine-braised short ribs. 104 Yardville Allentown Road, 609-585-7277.

Union Republic, Jersey City: If your turn-ons include ramen, roasted bone marrow and all things pork, look no further than this airy spot specializing modern American cuisine. 340 Third Ave., 551-200-6598.

Verve, Somerville: A finalist in Peter Genovese's Best Bar contest last year, Verve also can boast about its menu, from the crispy pork belly to the butter-poached lobster. 18 E. Main St., 908-707-8655.

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out TV Hangover, the podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here.
Pennsville native Tim Pangburn was only 5 when he became an artist.

"I would get mad when I couldn't get the perspective right," he said, of his drawing habit.

As a toddler, creating artwork with the "crayons-on-paper" method, Pangburn probably never imagined he would, one day, be sending employees from his own tattoo studio to appear at the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention. But this weekend, that's exactly where he'll be when artists from Pangburn's Art Machine Productions in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia attend the convention.

And it was there, during a convention a few years ago, that word spread about his talent as a cover-up artist, leading him to land a spot on "America's Worst Tattoos."

The beginning

Pangburn started drawing at a very young age. When Pangburn was about 10, he started reading comic books and watching the "awesome, early '90s cartoons," which sparked his interest in illustration.

"I wanted to draw comic books and get tattoos," he said. "My great grandfather was an old sailor and had all these great tattoos. Then my older brother started getting tattoos, and I thought it was so cool."

When Pangburn finally got his first tattoo at 17, he fell in love with the art, the atmosphere and the lifestyle.

"You got to hang out and listen to music," he said. "It was the coolest job and I wanted to be able to create that kind of art in that kind of freedom."

And so the tattoo artist was born.

The journey

After Pangburn graduated from Pennsville Memorial High School in 1997, he began pursuing a career in the tattoo arts.

"I knew a guy who did tattoos," he said. "He was good friends with my brother."

The experienced tattoo artist agreed to take Pangburn under his wing as an apprentice, but shortly thereafter, got fired.

Luckily, the shop owner allowed Pangburn to stay on and continue learning the craft. Over the next few years, he worked in a few different shops -- in South Jersey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Atlanta, Georgia, before coming back to his roots to open his own studio in 2010.

"I opened a private studio with a guest booth because a lot of my (artist) friends traveled," he said. "I did good with it, but it was lonely."

After almost two years, Pangburn hired seven additional tattoo artists and opened the spacious, welcoming studio he currently owns in Philadelphia.

"I realized I had to have other people around to talk to and bounce ideas off of," he said.

Covering up

All tattoo artists do cover-ups and reworks of tattoos to some degree, but Pangburn found his niche in fixing other artists' -- or clients' -- mistakes.

"In 2005, I was working at Evolution (Tattoo in Mantua)," he said. "A guy came in with a tattoo he wanted covered up."

Pangburn said it was a large, colorful tattoo that no one else at the shop wanted to tackle.

"I had no business trying to cover it, but I said 'I'll do it,'" he said.

After successfully covering that tattoo, Pangburn realized there could be a market in fixing or "removing" old, unwanted tattoos.

"After a few years of trial and error, I figured out which colors, patterns and textures worked best for cover-ups," he said.

Word spread about his talent as a cover-up artist and, while participating in the 2012 Philly Tattoo Convention, he was approached by TLC television network concerning their upcoming show, "America's Worst Tattoos."

"It was before they shot the pilot and they were casting," Pangburn said. "Someone sent them to my booth and they asked me to do an interview on camera."

A couple months later, he got the call to come on the show as a cover-up artist.

"It was great because it brought a lot of attention to the shop," he said.

During the show's two seasons, Pangburn said he repaired approximately 20 tattoos.

"There was one guy who came in from New England," he said of one very memorable subject.

The man had formerly lived and tattooed in Philly.

"I didn't know it, but apparently, when he lived in Philly, he had a bad drug problem," Pangburn said.

A tattoo the man had gotten during that bad time was the subject of the episode.

"He didn't even want to come back to Philly," he said of the client. "But that tattoo was a reminder of a terrible time in his life. He got past his drug problem, but the tattoo was still there."

After Pangburn covered the tattoo, the client had an emotional moment.

"He cried," Pangburn remembered. "You get a certain satisfaction from doing cover-ups."

For more information about Pangburn and Art Machine Productions, visit timpangburn.com.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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James Geiger of Stewartsville holds hands with his girlfriend, Paloma Kelly of Butler, as they enjoy Valentine's Day dinner at the White Castle in South Plainfield in 2006. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

Still in need of something to do for Valentine's Day? Here's a quick rundown of last-minute ideas.

Take her/him to White Castle

The fast food chain's Valentine's Day promotion has become a tradition amongst the Slider-loyal. Just call your local castle to reserve your spot in a Valentine's Day dinner that runs from 3 to 9 p.m. on heart day. The perks (tableside service! hostess seating! Shrimp Nibblers!) may just do the trick of setting your V-Day experience apart from all those fancy-schmancy exclusive dinners. If you can't make it on Valentine's Day Sunday, the chain has strawberry and cream waffles with "special heart sprinkles." Visit whitecastle.com for more.

-- Amy Kuperinsky

Cork/bottle, Laurita Winery (Laurita Winery)

Chocolate, Therapy and romantic music

What more do you need, right? Laurita Winery in New Egypt will hold a Valentine's Day dinner on two nights - Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13.

The $55 dinner includes fresh burrata, lobster bisque, choice of tenderloin of beef or mahi mahi, and Belgian chocolate lava cake. The wine list includes Laurita's Therapy dessert wine. There will also be a piano player. First course begins at 7 p.m. each night. For more info, visit lauritawinery.com

-- Peter Genovese

Adele: Live in London, without the jetlag

What could be more romantic than a serenade by the one and only Adele? Tickets to her upcoming tour sold out within minutes, but BBC America has the hour-long special "Adele: Live In London," at 10 p.m. She'll mix her classics with songs of her blockbuster "25," and also perform "Skyfall" for the first time live since the 2015 Oscars.

-- Vicki Hyman

Mars and Venus, LIVE!

Though Valentine's Day is probably more about oneness than separation between lovers, some light-hearted theatre and stand-up detailing our differences isn't so bad. Head to New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark Sunday for a one-man performance of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus LIVE!," taken from the famous John Gray book. There are even gender-specific drink specials! Performances at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, tickets are $59, available here.

-- Bobby Olivier

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings "Romeo and Juliet" to Princeton Sunday.

Romeo and Juliet

So this particular romance doesn't end so well. But there are still tickets available to the State Ballet Theatre of Russia's production of the classic "Romeo and Juliet" at 3 p.m. Sunday, with a score by Prokofiev and choreography by Mikhail Lavrovsky. It's at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton; tickets are $50-$62 here.

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NEWARK -- A Superior Court judge has rejected a motion by Orange school officials to dismiss the complaint against them from a former teacher who was fired for allowing her third-grade students to write "get well" letters to a convicted cop killer.

Judge Stephanie A. Mitterhoff ruled Marylin Zuniga may continue pursuing her lawsuit over claims that Orange school board members violated the state's Open Public Meetings Act when they voted at a public meeting in May to terminate her non-tenured employment.

Since board members did not discuss the matter amongst themselves or with members of the public before casting their votes, Zuniga has alleged they violated the Act by discussing her case privately before the public meeting. Zuniga had requested that the matter be discussed publicly.

While Zuniga has said in court documents that she has no direct evidence of such private discussions, Mitterhoff indicated in her Jan. 22 written decision that Zuniga will be allowed to obtain evidence to prove that those alleged talks occurred.

"In viewing Plaintiff's complaint in a 'generous and hospitable approach,' as is required on a motion to dismiss, and giving the Plaintiff the benefit of all reasonable inferences, the court concludes that Plaintiff has sufficiently stated a claim for which relief may be granted," Mitterhoff wrote. "Accordingly, the Board's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim is denied."

Zuniga and Orange resident Fakhair Spence are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the school board and the city are named as the defendants. Through the lawsuit, Zuniga is seeking to have the board's termination decision declared invalid.

Ronald Hunt, an attorney representing the school board in the lawsuit, has previously rejected the allegation about a private meeting by board members.

"I have no proof or evidence that that occurred," Hunt said in November. "They can make whatever allegations they want."

Before the board voted to terminate Zuniga's employment, Hunt said a private meeting was held in an attempt to resolve the matter. Attendees at that meeting included the superintendent, the board attorney, Zuniga and her representatives, but no board members were present, according to Hunt.

As part of their motion, school board members have said they properly voted to terminate Zuniga's employment and argued they were not required to engage in a public dialogue before casting their votes.

"The mere fact that the Board after listening to the Plaintiff and her supporters had no dialogue before voting, denied her nothing," according to a brief filed with the court by the school board's attorneys in support of the motion.

Hunt could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.

In a statement on Friday, Jeena Shah, one of the attorneys representing Zuniga and Spence in the lawsuit, said that by Mitterhoff denying the motion to dismiss the complaint, "the Court recognized that by voting to terminate Ms. Zuniga without any public discussion on the matter, the board may have violated NJ's Sunshine law."

"Now that the case can move forward, Ms. Zuniga and the community in Orange will have an opportunity to learn what truly motivated the school board to terminate an exceptional teacher and whether they actually had the children's best interests at heart," Shah added.

The legal battle stems from how Zuniga allegedly permitted her students in April to write "get well" letters to Mumia Abu-Jamal. Formerly on death row, Abu-Jamal is serving a life sentence for killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981.

Zuniga began working at Forest Street Elementary School in September 2014, representing her first teaching job since receiving a master's degree at Columbia University.

According to Zuniga, she presented her students with an assignment in February 2015 to consider the main idea of the following quote from Abu-Jamal: "So long as one just person is silenced, there is no justice."

Zuniga has said she allowed the students to write the letters after she told them about Abu-Jamal's failing health in April and they said they would like to write "get well" letters to him.

After learning about the students' letters through news reports, school officials suspended Zuniga with pay on April 10. At the time, officials said they had no prior knowledge about the letters, and said Zuniga did not seek prior approval or notify parents about this "unauthorized activity."

Following her suspension, Zuniga told school officials she wanted a public discussion about her case, according to the lawsuit.

Zuniga and her supporters later addressed board members at two board meetings, but board members did not publicly discuss her employment status at either meeting, the lawsuit states. Spence attended both meetings, the lawsuit states.

After hearing from Zuniga and others at the first meeting on April 14, board members met in closed session for about 40 minutes. When board members returned to the public meeting, then-school board attorney Melvin Randall said the matter would be tabled.

At the second meeting on May 12, Zuniga addressed the board, followed by members of the public who mostly spoke in her favor.

Soon after the public comments were finished after midnight on May 13, board members unanimously approved a personnel agenda and abruptly adjourned the meeting without discussing or explaining what they just voted on.

After being contacted by a reporter, Orange Superintendent Ronald Lee confirmed later that day in an email that the board had voted to terminate Zuniga's employment as part of the personnel agenda.

In a May 13 letter to Zuniga, Lee said the board voted to terminate her employment due to her "non-compliance" with board policies and "your unprofessional conduct." The letter indicated Zuniga would remain suspended with pay until June 11, when her termination would take effect.

The letter was one of the exhibits filed along with the board's motion.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A New Jersey man who was part of a crew who placed skimming devices on automatic teller machines in New Mexico was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison.

A skimming device that was placed on an ATM at a New Jersey bank is seen in a file photo.

Michael Silva, 25, of West Orange took part in a scheme that stole account information from bank customers in three counties in New Mexico during March and April 2015, the U.S. Attorney's Office there said in a news release.

Silva and his cohorts than used the PIN codes and magnetic data to make new ATM cards. On at least one occasion Silva used a fraudulent card to withdraw $600 from a an ATM machine in Albuquerque.

Originally indicted on a 15-count charge, Silva pleaded guilty to two counts of access device fraud on Nov. 12, 2015. He was arrested on Sept. 11 of last year.

Silva will also be subject to three years of supervised release after finishing his prison term.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
GLASSBORO -- Borough authorities are seeking the public's help in identifying an individual wanted for burglarizing a small local business.

Glassboro Police Department are seeking the identification of the individual in this photo, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 (Photo provided by Glassboro Police Department | For NJ.com)

Glassboro Police released photo surveillance of an unidentified person who broke into the business Feb. 2.

Authorities did not provide any more information on the actual burglary at this time.

Anyone with information or who can identify the individual in the photo is asked to contact the Glassboro Police Department using Tip 411 by texting GLASSPD to 847411.

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
GLASSBORO -- The Rowan University Board of Trustees will again consider a measure next week to sell land to Inspira Health Network for construction of a new hospital in Harrison Township.

The measure was tabled last month after the head of Kennedy Health objected to the deal.

A special Rowan trustees session is scheduled for Tuesday morning to consider this issue only, according to the agenda.

The trustees will hold their regular monthly meeting the next day.

Under the deal, Inspira would pay Rowan $9.5 million for the 100-acre parcel on Route 322 at the Route 55 interchange in Harrison Township. As part of this agreement, Harrison Township would transfer 34 acres of land at the southern tip of the West Campus to Rowan. That land is valued at about $1 million.

During last month's trustees meeting, Kennedy Health President Joseph Devine spoke out against the agreement, saying building at that location would oversaturate the market. Kennedy operates a hospital six miles away in Washington Township.

After hearing Devine's concerns, the trustees voted 10-2 in favor of tabling the measure to allow more time for review.

Devine said he has not ruled out legal action to stop construction of a hospital at that location.

In response to Devine's concerns, Inspira CEO John DiAngelo has countered that continued growth in the region will allow both facilities to operate successfully.

Inspira plans to to relocate inpatient services from its hospital in Woodbury to the new location, keeping the Woodbury site open for other medical services.

If the land deal is approved, a state review process will examine how a new facility would affect local residents' access to care. That process includes a public comment period.

A statement issued this week by Kennedy spokesman Nicole Pensiero reiterated the concerns Devine raised last month.

"Our stance has not changed. We believe that building a hospital on a property only five miles from our Washington Township campus would result in redundancy of services and could potentially drive up health care costs as a result. We are confident the Rowan Board of Trustees has taken our concerns into account in their decision process related to this issue."

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The House Jan. 6 committee plans to unveil "surprising" details at its next public hearing about the 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol. The session Thursday afternoon is likely to be the last public hearing before midterm elections next month. The panel is expected to include new evidence from the U.S. Secret Service about its actions with Donald Trump that day. Ahead of a report later this year, the panel is summing up its findings. The committee says Trump, after he lost the 2020 presidential election, launched an unprecedented attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory. They say the result was the deadly mob siege of the Capitol.
A walk down the aisle in the Pontalba Buildings: The wedding of John Lyle and Edwin Monell
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Wanderlust. How do you know you have it? For my wife and me, it all started with a walk. In 2003, my wife, Michelle, and I went for a walk after supper.

Wanderlust. How do you know you have it?For my wife and me, it all started with a walk. In 2003, my wife, Michelle, and I went for a walk after supper. After putting double payments on the house and the vehicles for several years, we realized that we were almost debt free.We also felt we needed some kind of break from our respective jobs. I told her about a teacher who took semesters off and travelled. Until that time, we had travelled only to Jamaica, Mexico, and England. We werent sure about the process, but I told her Id look into taking some time off.After our walk we decided to sit down and write a list of destinations. When we read each others lists, we realized that wed have to take a year off. The more we looked at our now-combined list, the more excited we became.That was it. Requests were made and approved, and we began to plan for a round-the-world trip. We sold our house, the majority of its contents and one vehicle, and left in July 2008, with an eye to returning in April 2009.Leaving from Toronto, we visited 22 countries in 10 months, travelling the equivalent of 2.5 times around the world. Yep, wanderlust had definitely set in.Fast forward to 2015 and we did it all over again. Not 10 months this time, but 6 months.Nevertheless, the amount of planning was the same. When we started planning back in 2006, it was extremely difficult to do anything online, so a travel agent was necessary. When we set off in 2008, Facebook was in its infancy and we had to find other ways to keep friends and loved ones informed.For this journey, technology allowed us to plan the entire trip on our own with no travel agents. The flights, however, continued to prove impossible to book on our own  cheaply. Thankfully, we came across a company called Air Treks (http://www.airtreks.com/) and they were able to plan our entire flight plan for half of our best price using the Internet.How much planning was involved? Well, I guess it depends on your personality.Some people dont plan and travel by the seat of their pants. Thats not us. We needed to plan everything out well in advance and to create an itinerary that set out what we would be doing almost daily.Thats why our dining room table had a three-inch binder full of calendars, flight e-tickets, escorted tour itineraries, visa applications, house rental agreements, hotel confirmations, airport transfers vouchers, cruise ship boarding passes, day tour confirmations, currency exchange rates, checklists, to-do lists, immunization records, clothing lists, emergency contact numbers for everything from banks to embassies to family to credit card companies.It was exhaustive and time-consuming. What it wasnt was stressful. We would have found it much more stressful to have to find transfers, hotels, tours, guides, etc. once we arrived at our destination.So how different is this journey from the last journey? Last time, we travelled west to east, more or less  South Korea, China, Nepal, India, Dubai, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.This time, our journey began in northern Europe and we travelled south, more or less. Instead of travelling with only backpacks, we each brought a large suitcase and carry-on because we added 20 or so days on a cruise and dress clothes were required.We brought more camera equipment and electronics than we did in 2008-2009. Rather than spend hours in Internet cafes, we brought an iPad and a Macbook Air. Blogging and uploading photos to Facebook was done from the laptop from either our hotel room or the hotel lobby area.So were did we go this time? Once again we decided to visit places that would be difficult to do on a short holiday. In July, we headed to Copenhagen. The journey from there took us to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, South Africa, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.We left on July 5 and returned to Canada on Dec. 18. The world is a beautiful place and we saw things that took our breath away and we saw things that brought tears to our eyes and broke our hearts. We loved every minute of our journey. Despite some stressful moments, we would not have changed anything.Every time we leave Canada it reinforces the greatness of this country. We fall in love all over again with the things weve taken for granted: Water you can drink from the taps; the availability of food in stores; electricity, lighting, peace, relative safety and security. And good Lord, how weve missed our bed and our pillows!Travelling the world and, sometimes, getting out of ones comfort zone will open ones eyes. In the immortal words of Mark Twain, Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.That being said, its good to be home.Dan and Michelle Boisvert live in Greater Sudbury.
Canadian country music mainstay George Canyon will be making a tour stop in Sudbury on March 7 at the Caruso Club.

Canadian country music mainstay George Canyon will be making a tour stop in Sudbury on March 7 at the Caruso Club.At 45 years old and with nearly 26 years in the music business under his cowboy belt buckle, Canyon just released his 11th full length album, I Got This, on Feb. 5 and kicked off his tour in Calgary on the same day.The cross-country tour is a ritual for Canyon when releasing an album, and all these years and tours and cities later he's still loving every minute of it.I'm still like a 12-year-old in my mind when it comes to this  it's playing music for a living, said Canyon, whose tour will make 40 stops across the nation over a six-week span.I guess because I was very lucky that I got to pay my dues and play bars back when it was a lot different and the industry was a lot different, so because I got to do that it helped me for when I did get my break and it's something that I'm so grateful for every day, to have support from fans and my country, it's definitely something that I don't take for granted.Canyon's latest release was a few years in the making and he says that he came at this album with a fresh approach while still putting the Canyon stamp on it.I didn't want to recreate (myself), but I wanted to create something fresh and new, said Canyon.I just took my time and wrote some songs that got thrown out and just tried some different things and just had fun. After 26 years it's important to remember why you went into the business and to have fun and enjoy it.Canyon says the song styles can range between George Strait and Sam Hunt. While Canyon is best known for his country music affiliations, he is a lover of all music and has even been dabbling in the hip-hop genre recently.I actually just watched 'Straigh Outta Compton' because my son said that I had to watch it, so I've actually been listening to a little bit of rap, said Canyon. I've been more so studying the process of how they make their music and it's a lot of work and these guys are really talented .. . there's no rap songs on my record though, I don't think anyone would ever want to hear me rap.Canyon is touring as a solo act, but has been bringing local acts in to open his shows, something he's very proud and happy to do.It's really important because we want the communities to get behind and support their local talent so at every venue we've had a local artist or group open, said Canyon.It's been awesome, just to see the excitement on their faces and the excitement of the community getting to celebrate artists from their home.For more on George Canyon's tour and music visit www.georgecanyon.com Facebook and Twitter
It was the most precise measurement in the history of the world, and it was 100 years in the making. But on Thursday, scientists announced they had confirmed the last major prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

It was the most precise measurement in the history of the world, and it was 100 years in the making.



But on Thursday, scientists announced they had confirmed the last major prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.



Scientists at the LIGO Scientific Collaboration announced they had confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, after measuring the effects of a collision of two black holes, the most dense bodies in the known universe.



The gravitational waves were detected on Sep. 14, 2015 at 5:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time by both of the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, USA, the LIGO group said in a news release Thursday.



The LIGO Observatories ... discovery, accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters, was made by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (which includes the GEO Collaboration and the Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy) and the Virgo Collaboration using data from the two LIGO detectors.



According to Einstein, rather than an invisible force, gravity is a displacement of space and time. Chris Jillings, a dark-matter physicist working at SNOLAB in Sudbury, said it's similar to dropping a bowling ball on a trampoline. In this scenario, space is the surface of the trampoline.



"You then flick a marble near the bowling ball, Jillings said. The marble will curl under the influence of gravity. But really what's going on is the space is distorted in such a way the marble is just trying to travel in a straight line and because space is curved, it ends up getting bent and travelling around your bowling ball.



"With something as simple as our Earth going around our sun, it's not that there's some gravitational force pulling on the Earth, but the space itself is subtly distorted by the gravitational effect and that causes the Earth to travel in this orbit around the sun."



Under Einstein's theory, Jillings said he predicted that two very heavy objects orbiting one another would create a gravitational wave.



A gravitational wave is a ripple in the strength of gravity, Jillings said.



It is a prediction of Einstein's theory that there would be waves of gravity that could travel through space at the speed of light. And what the wave in fact is is not an increasing or decreasing force ... but it's actually a stretching and a contraction, a distortion of space itself."



Because the wave is so weak, it's incredibly hard to detect and was only possible because of the size of the two colliding black holes and the precision of the laser measuring tool, which bounced a beam off a mirror several times in a four-kilometre tunnel.



"The distortion of space that they measured, they measured a change in length to a part in a thousand billion billion," Jillings said. "Without question, it is the most precise scientific instrument ever made ... Its absolutely fabulous."



While it may not be obvious to non-scientists, Jillings said the existence of gravitational waves is a major leap forward for his colleagues around the world trying to understand how the early universe formed.



"In terms of understanding the universe ... it is absolutely enormous. It is comparable to the discovery of the cosmic microwave background."



Thursday's news was just the latest in a series of scientific achievements to hit the media. In recent years, scientists have confirmed the Higgs-boson particle and have landed on a comet far, far away. Jillings' SNOLAB colleague, Art McDonald, won the 2015 Nobel Prize for his work on neutrinos. And last year, a NASA probe sent back high-resolution pictures of Pluto.



"We took photographs of Pluto! Detailed, high-resolution photos of Pluto, Jillings said. "We are in a field where in the last 20, 25 years neutrinos, cosmology, astrophysics has taken off in an enormous way and have allowed us to learn a great deal."



There are many reasons why so many scientific boundaries are being breached now, he said. For one, many experiments and projects begun decades ago were well funded and are bearing fruit now. And the equipment scientists use is advancing much more quickly than in the past.



"As people push these experiments, the technology gets better, and things that people have been working on are starting to line up," he said. "All of a sudden in the 1990s, these brilliant satellite experiments started. And we learned a great deal about the early universe."



But the confirmation of gravitational waves may top them all, he said.



"There's a quote -- 'the hardest thing to understand about the universe is that it's understandable,' he said. Well, we can make sense of what's going on in the universe.



"So this is a big, big deal. This is one of the most beautiful and complicated and difficult and challenging experiments ever built. I know what I'm putting my 2016 Nobel Prize wager on."

For more information, visit www.ligo.caltech.edu
Environment Canada issues extreme cold warning

With windchill values between -40 and -45 C on the way, Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for Greater Sudbury and vicinity.

The Homelessness Network of Sudbury has announced that an extreme cold weather alert will be in effect for the next 24 hours. File photo.

With windchill values between -40 and -45 C on the way, Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for Greater Sudbury and vicinity.



Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.



An Arctic ridge of high pressure sliding southward through the Prairies continues to usher in moderate north winds and frigid temperatures over Ontario, said the statement, issued by Environment Canada at around 11 a.m. Feb. 12.



As a result all of northern Ontario will experience extreme cold today, tonight and into Saturday morning.



While anyone who isn't dressed warmly is at risk in cold weather conditions, some are at greater risk than others for frost bite and hypothermia: homeless people, outdoor workers, people living in homes that are poorly insulated (with no heat or no power), people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and diseases affecting the blood vessels, people taking certain medications including beta-blockers, winter sport enthusiasts, people who consume excess alcohol, infants and seniors.



Environment Canada issued the following tips:



-Wear appropriate clothing.

- Always wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Synthetic and wool fabrics provide better insulation. Some synthetic fabrics are designed to keep perspiration away from your body which keep you dry and further reduce your risk.

- Dress in layers with a wind resistant outer layer. You can remove layers if you get too warm (before you start sweating) or add a layer if you get cold.

- Wear warm socks, gloves, a hat and scarf in cold weather. Be sure to cover your nose to protect it.

- If you get wet, change into dry clothing as soon as possible. You lose heat faster when you're wet.



The Homelessness Network of Sudbury has also announced an Extreme Cold Weather Alert for the next 24 hours.



The program is funded by Greater Sudbury to protect those who are most vulnerable to intensely cold weather conditions.



This Alert will put into action a short-term emergency plan to increase community services when the temperature drops below -15 degrees C or when Environment Canada issues a storm watch or weather warning, the network said in a release.



Please be advised that a new trigger has been added as of Nov. 1, 2012, in which a daily low of -20 degrees C with a windchill will also warrant that an Extreme Cold Weather Alert be issued.



People on the street are encouraged to access shelters and services. Individuals who may be at risk due to low temperatures in their homes are also eligible for these services.



Under a community partnership agreement, agencies will implement or extend the following community services:



Hot Line: 675-6422: LAssociation des jeunes de la rue will operate an overnight phone line to direct callers to appropriate services and to take calls from concerned citizens.



Shelters: Emergency shelter programs for homeless persons are available 24 hours through Salvation Army mens shelter, Cedar Place for women and children and lAssociation des jeunes de le rue for youth.



Emergency Warming Centre: The Elgin Street Mission will become an emergency warming centre and extend their regular hours of operation by remaining open 24 hours during an Extreme Cold Weather Alert. As part of its emergency response, they will also provide a hot meal at night.



Out of the Cold Shelter Program: The Out of the Cold Shelter Program (OOCS) that started as a pilot project in late 2013 continues into the 2015-2016 winter season. The OOCS provides temporary cots and a warm, safe place to sleep for persons who are under the influence or otherwise disconnected from mainstream shelter services. The shelter, located at 200 Larch St., will run from 8 p.m. until 7 a.m. every night until April 15.



Outreach: LAssociation des jeunes de la rue (Community Outreach Program) will provide overnight services to make contact with people on the street and to transport individuals to shelters. Outreach workers will be equipped with extra clothing, blankets and coffee for those who choose not to access shelters.
Laurentian University will be leaving Barrie in May 2019. The Laurentian University board of governors of Laurentian University decided Feb.

Laurentian University will be leaving Barrie in May 2019.The Laurentian University board of governors of Laurentian University decided Feb. 12, after careful consideration of all options available in exercising its fiduciary responsibilities, to no longer resource Arts and Management programs in Barrie as of May 2017, and to no longer resource Social Work programs in Barrie as of May 2019.No first year students will be admitted by Laurentian in Barrie. Laurentian will completely exit Barrie by May 2019.It becomes the fifth university in recent years to stop delivering programs in the Georgian College  University Partnership Centre.All students currently enrolled in Laurentians programs in Barrie will be able to complete their studies and graduate with a Laurentian degree, through a combination of on-campus, on-line and distance courses.Individual meetings are being scheduled with every student currently registered at Laurentian in Barrie.An increasing proportion of university-bound students from Simcoe County  88 per cent - leave the region to pursue university studies. Barrie is the largest census metropolitan area in Canada without a university campus.The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has set constraints on the powers of the Board of Governors and on the Senate of Laurentian in Barrie since 2010, including a program moratorium. In May 2015, the Ministry did not approve the Universitys submission for Major Capacity Expansion in Barrie.Laurentians vision is for students who pay university tuition to be able to complete four-year degrees fully taught by university faculty in Barrie. This vision is not shared by Georgian College or by the Ministry.Ministry restrictions would deprive students from adequate space conducive to a vibrant university experience and to the development of a sense of belonging.Two of our core values as a university are putting students first, and excellence. Accepting restrictions proposed by the Ministry would not be in the best interest of our current and future students, said Michael Atkins, chair of the board of governors of Laurentian University.These are not winning conditions to attract and retain top university students and faculty in Barrie or to fuel creativity and innovation in the community we serve. They do not allow us to be competitive or sustainable in Barrie. Mayor Jeff Lehman, who has been an exceptional champion for university expansion, knows that we have left no stone unturned to fulfill our shared vision.We would like to pay tribute to and thank especially the Mayor, City staff, members of City Council, our Governors from Simcoe County and our numerous community and industry partners and supporters for their unwavering support. Barrie is fortunate to have such outstanding leadership. It has been a privilege to work closely with them, Atkins said.Of Laurentians 696 students in Barrie, the 186 students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program will be able to complete their degree in Barrie by April 2019.The 291 students currently enrolled in third and fourth years of the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Commerce programs will be able to complete their four-year degree in Barrie by April 2017.The remaining 219 students will be presented with a range of personalized options, including completing their degree in Sudbury with financial support or on-line, completing a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Barrie, having a Letter of Permission to take courses in another university to meet degree requirements, or transferring to another university.Laurentians office on Georgian Colleges campus will be opened and fully staffed Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. for students who wish to discuss personalized options for degree completion.Students may also visit Laurentians office on Georgian Colleges campus any time from Tuesday, Feb. 16 to Feb.19, from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.Students are advised to check their Laurentian email account or visit www.laurentian.ca/Barrie for further information. For additional questions, students can call 1-855-675-1151 ext. 3469 or email LUBarrie@laurentian.ca All 23 Laurentian full-time faculty in Barrie will be offered a position in Sudbury.Collective agreement provisions and university policies will apply for Laurentians faculty and the 11 full-time non-academic staff in Barrie. The services of 32 Laurentian part-time sessionals will no longer be required by 2019.We thank Georgian College for its hospitality since 2001. It has outstanding faculty and staff. We wish them well in the future, said Dominic Giroux, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.Our focus in the coming days is to support our Barrie students, faculty and staff in this transition. Moving forward, Laurentians full attention will be on its thriving main campus in Sudbury, where students will soon benefit from more full-time faculty in the Arts, Management and Social Work. New innovative programs in IT Security and Criminology which had been contemplated by Laurentian in Barrie with the support of industry partners will be launched in Sudbury.
EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies is pairing with the Jewish Community Centers (JCC) of Chicago on a unique event this Sunday, Feb. 14 to share the expertise of Northwestern University professors with the public.

The Allan and Norma Harris Day of Jewish Study will bring eight Northwestern faculty members to two off-campus locations in Jewish Community Centers to lecture on their research and expertise for a day of study. The event is free and open to the public.

The Day of Jewish Study will be held in two locations. The morning session will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 14, at Bernard Weinger JCC, 300 Revere Drive, Northbrook, Ill. The afternoon session will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at Florence G. Heller JCC, 524 W. Melrose St., Chicago.

The program is named for a couple who were instrumental in creating Jewish Studies at Northwestern. This years program is being held in lieu of an annual lecture that is given in their name. It is the Crown Centers first collaboration with the JCCs of Chicago, and the goal is to attract both the large public audience that already enjoys the centers programs and their communities.

Highlights of lectures in the program include:

Esther in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, presented by Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, professor of Jewish Studies and Jewish History, whose research focuses on early modern and modern Jewish history with an emphasis on Eastern Europe.

Arabs in a Jewish State: Between Integration and Alienation, presented by Elie Rekhess, Crown Visiting Professor in Israel Studies, associate director for Israel Studies and professor of history, who studies the political history of the Arab minority in Israel and political Islam in Israel and Gaza.

The Talmud as Icon, presented by Barry Wimpfheimer, associate professor of religious studies and law and director of the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies, who specializes in the Talmud and Jewish law.

A Plea for Rescue: Leslie Howards Anti-Nazi Films, presented by Phyllis Lassner, professor of instruction in the Writing Program, gender studies, and Jewish Studies, who specializes in Holocaust representation in literature, art and film.

Einstein Goes to Berlin, presented by Peter Fenves, who is the Joan and Sarepta Harrison Professor of Literature and specializes in German-Jewish thought and literature from the late 18th to the early 20th century.

The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies is part of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern. The Crown Center hosts four annual named lectures and additional smaller programs as well, and it has embarked on this new community day of study to amplify its engagement with the community.

The goal of the Allan and Norma Harris Day of Jewish Study is to share the resources and expertise of Northwestern faculty with the JCC community and Chicago area audiences for a day of community education and discussion.

The name was chosen to honor Norma Harris service to the Jewish Studies program at Northwestern. A proud Northwestern alumna, Norma Harris was involved in helping establish the Crown Center as it operates now. The upcoming event is named in honor and memory of her and her husband, Allan.

The Crown Center, home of the Jewish Studies Program at Northwestern, is a vibrant community of teachers and scholars dedicated to transmitting and expanding knowledge, both in the classroom and through numerous lectures, symposia and other events of interest to the general public as well as the campus population.

The Crown Center-JCC event is being promoted on Facebook and through the websites of both organizations.

To register, call Andrea Maremont at 773-975-8375 or email amaremont@jccchicago.org. Advance registration is not necessary, but organizers would appreciate being notified by guests who plan to attend.

For more information, contact Nancy Gelman at 847-491-2612 or jewish-studies@northwestern.edu.
LINCOLN (AP)  Nebraskas tobacco tax could more than double under a bill that is drawing praise from health officials but strong criticism from retailers, grocers and smokers.

A legislative committee heard testimony Thursday on a bill by Sen. Mike Gloor, of Grand Island, that would bump Nebraskas cigarette tax from 64 cents to $2.14 per pack. It would generate an estimated $120 million in state revenue that would be directed partly to tax relief and partly to health care and public safety providers.

Gloor said Nebraskas cigarette tax is currently the 40th lowest out of 50 states. The proposed increase would make it the 13th highest.

But Rich Marianos, a Washington-based law enforcement consultant, said states with high cigarette taxes have created a lucrative black market that attracts organized crime, especially when neighboring states have low taxes, like Missouris 17 cents per pack.

We dont want to create an environment where people are going to come from the other states with product and sell them in this area, Marianos said. Every time a state increases its tax base on these things, it increases the criminal activity.

Marianos, a former assistant director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said some groups use tobacco products as a currency, trading them for guns and narcotics.

The bill would also increase a tobacco product tax from 20 percent to 31 percent of the purchase price. Cigar shop owners said that would put them at a greater competitive disadvantage with online sellers, who buy in states without such taxes.

Gloor said the measure would also give $45 million to direct personal property tax relief and estimated it would save the state $2 million Medicaid dollars over the next five years.

But some questioned if a cigarette tax is the correct way to address Medicaid costs and property tax relief, the two biggest issues facing the Legislature this year.

Conservative think-tank Platte Institute for Economic Research opposed the bill in a statement, calling cigarette taxes an unstable source of revenue, and saying consumers respond to higher prices with counterproductive behaviors.

Papillion Sen. Jim Smith said he cannot support taxing an addiction to fund other programs.

I do not believe that a tax shift is good tax policy, Smith said. In this particular case, were providing property tax relief to all Nebraskans, smokers and non-smokers, on the backs of smokers, and to me that just doesnt feel right.

Gloor said in addition to revenue for the state, the measure provides Nebraska smokers an incentive to quit and prevents youth from starting in the first place. Smoking kills 2,200 Nebraskans a year and price increases are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, he said.

Health professionals from the Nebraska Medical Association and Nebraska Hospital Association praised the bill, telling the committee it is the best way the Legislature can impact the health and well-being of Nebraskans this year.

The measure would allocate the revenue to researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University, tobacco cessation programs, public health entities and volunteer fire departments.
SCHERERVILLE  With its rich history, traditions and diversity, Northwest Indiana is a microcosm of America, Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Catholic Diocese of Gary told members of the Lake County Advancement Committee during Fridays monthly meeting at Teibels Restaurant.

It is rural, urban, suburban, Hying said about the Region. It is economically wealthy and economically challenged.

In November 2014, Pope Francis appointed the Wisconsin native as the fourth bishop of Gary.

Weaving a message about the need for social justice and helping people flourish, Hying encouraged those gathered to continue working together for the betterment of Lake County and the entire Region. He used the seven Catholic social principles to illustrate how religion and community can accomplish this in tandem.

Every system must serve the dignity of every person, the bishop said, putting emphasis on individuals with special needs. I recently read that 92 percent of unborn children diagnosed or misdiagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

Family and community are the building blocks of society, Hying said. We are better together than we are separated.

Rights and responsibilities must also be intertwined, he said.

As Americans we are good at demanding our rights, but not as good with responsibilities. With every right comes a responsibility, Hying said. There is too often a misuse of power. Power divorced from love and service ends up destroying rather than building up.

People of many faiths are called to work with the poor and vulnerable, the bishop said. We are called to go to the margins  (to) know people who are economically poor, know their stories.

Another principle focuses on the dignity of work and the rights of workers.

Work is a privilege, Hying said. We have a right to work, a right to organize.

The bishop also encouraged solidarity, a word he said was frequently used by Pope John Paul II.

We live in an era of economic and political fracture, Hying said, citing the current presidential campaigns and debates. We need all the pieces to work together.

Finally, caring for creation means looking at the world of nature and how we can preserve it for future generations, he said.

(These principles) apply to the Region. There is abundant opportunity to put these principles into action, Hying said, adding that the Gary Diocese is recalibrating our justice and peace committee toward advocacy and empowerment for legislative and social change.

The goal is a just and peaceful society. Weve never needed to build a just and peaceful society more (than now), he said. You can count on our diocese as partners with the community.
No matter where you go, each community has its own unique history. It gives residents their identities and the ability to tell their stories. This even applies to the community of Northwest Indiana.

For instance, in 1822, the French fur trader Joseph Bailly established the first permanent settlement within the dunes, along the Little Calumet River, in Porter County. For many years, Joseph was successful trading with the Indians of the area.

By the 1830s, the settlers began to arrive in large numbers. In 1834, land claims were made at Cedar Lake and Solon Robinson, Crown Points founder, arrived on Oct. 31. Then, in 1837, the Hervey Ball family settled at Cedar Lake. This family would make significant social and educational contributions to Lake County. This includes the efforts of Timothy Ball, who became an educator, minister and the first historian of Lake County.

In 1896, civil engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute conducted glider experiments at Miller Beach. He also served as a consultant to the Wright Brothers as they worked on their aviation experiments. The Wright Brothers would use Chanutes design of his double-decker glider for their prototype plane used in the flight experiments at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Not too much later, in 1898, ecologist Henry Chandler Cowles would be studying the vegetation succession within the dunes of Northwestern Indiana. During this time, he would coin the word ecology. Because of his studies, it was seen how important the dunes were, which would lead to their preservation.

This is just some of the unique history that Northwest Indiana has to offer. It makes me very proud to be part of this community.
A Gary woman was shot by the father of one of her children during an argument early Thursday and fired back with an assault rifle, killing him while her four kids were in another room at their Gary home, police said.

Nicole Handley, 31, was a good mother and likely saved her children's lives, her aunt Kim Roby said.

"It's sad that the only consolation is that the person who killed her  she killed him and saved her children," Roby said.

Police were called about 1:30 a.m. Thursday to the residence in the 5200 block of Adams Street in Gary's Glen Park section for a gunshot victim and found the bodies of Handley and Larry Bray, 35, of Gary. Roby said the two had an on-and-off relationship but that Handley ended it about a month ago.

Bray and Handley were arguing when an adult witness told them to stop because the children were in the house, police said.

Bray pulled out a .40-caliber handgun, and Handley picked up an assault rifle. The witness got the children into another room before Bray fired the first shot and Handley shot back, police Lt. Thomas Pawlak said.

Handley was struck in the stomach and died at the scene, according to police. Bray was shot twice and also died at the scene, Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey said.

Bray had a permit for his gun, and no permit is necessary to own an assault rifle, Pawlak said.

Roby said Handley's four boys are ages 11, 10, 8 and 6.

She said Bray never had much to do with his son. He promised to step it up at one point, but Handley eventually ended the relationship, she said.

Handley recently started a cleaning business, she said.

"She was heading in a new direction," Roby said. "She was trying to do more for her children."

Bray didn't like it when Handley's business began to take off, she said.

"It just spiraled out of control, with him not being able to control her," she said. "It's really pathetic."

Roby said Handley had not told of any recent abuse by Bray. Police said Handley had not filed any complaints against him. Bray's family could not immediately be reached for comment.

Roby said the shooting was senseless.

"It's a very traumatic situation that's taken our family to the brink," she said.

Handley was fun-loving and kind and protective of her children, Roby said. At the holidays, she brought it all together.

"These children have no mother," Roby said. "My sister has four children she now has to raise. It is a lot, so as a family we're all going to have to step in and play a role."

Roby said she pays attention to the news and is dismayed by all of the shootings.

"All this senseless violence, it has to stop," she said. "It's like people are out of control."

Handley and Bray's deaths are the fifth and sixth homicides in Gary this year. The city had logged four homicides at this time last year and ended 2015 with a total of 51.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jeff Minchuk, of the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit, at (219) 755-3852. To remain anonymous, call (866) CRIME-GP.
WHEELER  With the correct spelling of the word dynamite, Esha Mishra, 14, became the first-place winner of the Lake-Porter District Spelling Bee on Thursday night at Wheeler High School.

Mishra is an eighth-grader who attends Forest Ridge Academy in Schererville.

Fifteen elementary and middle school students from Lake and Porter counties vied to correctly spell words like gibbous, commodious, oubliette, anemone, and pulchritude.

Spellers were given their words by pronouncer Scott Simerlein, and they could ask for information about the word, such as the definition, the use of the word in a sentence, and language of origin before attempting to spell the word.

Matthew Gerona, 13, a seventh-grader at Robert Taft Middle School, in Crown Point, placed second, while third place in the contest went to Adam Akan, 11, a sixth-grader at Montessori Childrens Schoolhouse, in Hammond.

This marks the first year that the bee was scheduled for a weeknight rather than a Saturday, said Kankakee Valley REMC communication and marketing director Amanda Steeb.

Families want their weekends free, Steeb said.

Steeb said her company also provides $50 to the schools for each student enrolled in the competition, so that more students and schools can participate.

It helps offset some of the cost for them, Steeb said.

The bee, now in its seventh year, is sponsored by Kankakee Valley REMC. The top 10 finishers from Thursdays competition will go on to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee on March 12 at Wheeler High School against winners from the LaPorte County Bee, which takes place Wednesday.

The winner of the Regional Spelling Bee will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 25-26 in Washington, D.C. Kankakee Valley REMC will pay the winning spellers expenses to the national bee.
GLENDALE, Ariz.  Two students were shot and killed Friday at a high school in a Phoenix suburb but the danger at the campus was over, police said, as hundreds of worried parents crowded outside nearby stores to await word on their children.

Two 15-year-old girls were shot once at Independence High School, but it was not clear what led up to their deaths, Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters. Authorities were not looking for anyone else, and a gun was found near the bodies, she said.

The circumstances suggested the possibility of a murder-suicide or double-suicide, but Breeden said no determination had been made. She had no information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene and were found near an administration building.

Police arrived within two minutes of being called, and the school of more than 2,000 students went on lockdown, Breeden said.

Hundreds of worried parents soon began arriving at nearby discount and convenience stores. Breeden told parents awaiting word on their kids that "your children are safe."

Cheryl Rice said she went to a store after a friend called about the shooting and asked after Rice's 15-year-old daughter. But the girl called as Rice arrived at the store.

"She said, 'I'm OK,' so I of course started crying," Rice said.

She said it was horrible waiting for word about her child.

"You don't know if it's your daughter or not. You don't know who's being bullied. You don't know who is being picked on. You don't know anything. It could be anybody," Rice said.

School district officials said parents will be bused to the school to be reunited with their children. Other students who got permission from their parents left campus on their own.

Glendale Union High School District alerted parents to the shooting through emails and automatic phone calls and released information on social media, Superintendent Brian Capistran said.

Students typically are not allowed to use their cellphones during lockdowns, but as calls from parents flooded the district, officials asked teachers to have students call family, Capistran said.

Social workers and counselors will be available to students and staff when school resumes Tuesday, the superintendent said.

___

Davenport contributed from Phoenix. Associated Press photographer Matt York contributed to this report.
Marc Chase Editor Marc Chase is a veteran investigative reporter, columnist and editor of more than two decades. He currently leads The Times news staff as local news editor. He can be reached at 219-933-3327. Follow Marc Chase Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Huddled under a Lakeshore Drive bridge on Chicago's north side, Joseph and Maria Murray awoke to 18-degree temperatures and the familiar hollowness of homelessness.

They had no idea they soon would find shelter from a different bridge  not molded in concrete but formed by the generosity of the human heart and leading to the warmth of a home and life in Lowell.

So many wrong or unfortunate turns led to their multiple years of homeless life, the Murray couple told me Thursday from the warmth of my Crown Point office.

But it was a wrong turn, or rather a missed exit, about three weeks ago leading to their discovery by Steve Farrell, 45, of Lowell.

On Jan. 19, Farrell had just finished coffee with his wife and hopped into his car, noting the 6-degree reading on his vehicle's temperature gauge.

Heading into the city for work, Farrell, a nutritional supplement salesman, made his way from the Region to Lakeshore Drive in Chicago.

"But I missed my exit heading north," Farrell said. "I ended up parking on Wilson Avenue to finish a phone conversation before heading back to Lakeshore Drive."

That's when Farrell noticed a makeshift encampment under the Wilson Avenue viaduct, some folks huddled in tents and others under mounds of blankets.

What do you need?

Farrell, who describes himself as a deeply spiritual Christian, said he immediately was touched by what he saw.

After speaking with his wife Tricia and good friend Melissa Debras, of Highland, later that night, he decided to share the experience on Facebook.

Melissa also created a website, a long desire of hers, called whatdoyouneedNWI.com, and Farrell shared what he saw on that page as well.

Ultimately, Farrell and his wife decided they wanted to find a way to help the Wilson Avenue viaduct folks, putting out a Facebook plea for donations to fill 15 bags with hygiene products, hats, gloves and other useful materials for the folks in need.

"Instead, enough people responded that we had about 100 bags filled with things like toilet paper, socks, hand warmers and some of those other items," Farrell said.

By Sunday, a caravan of more than 16 Region residents, largely from Lowell and Highland, arrived at the Wilson Avenue viaduct with the bags, food and fellowship.

While passing out the material to "some of the most grateful, caring people," Farrell learned of another encampment of homeless folks under the Lawrence Avenue viaduct.

So the Region caravan of goodwill went there, too.

One of the first people Farrell met was tall, long-haired Joseph Murray.

When Farrell told Murray why he was there, "he put me in a bear hug," Farrell said.

"I'm a hugger," Joseph Murry acknowledged. "He needed a bro hug."

Wanting to do more

Joseph said he immediately was overcome by Farrell's desire to help and to listen to the needs and circumstances of the folks living under the viaduct.

"People had stopped before to give us things to help," Joseph said. "But they never stayed to talk to us  to ask us what we needed or just to listen.

"This group from a small town in Indiana was doing that."

Farrell also met Joseph's wife, Maria, 41, who remained huddled in a tent trying to stay warm.

When Farrell asked what they needed, their requests were simple: Joseph needed a package of boxer-briefs, and Maria wanted some way of keeping warm.

Farrell's daughters, Jessica, 28, and Allison, 18, were both along for the ride. They drove to a nearby McDonald's and purchased about 40 cups of coffee for the folks in the encampments.

By day's end, Farrell and his wife purchased a portable propane heater for the couple, a tent for one of the other men living in the encampment and Joseph's coveted underwear.

The Farrells and their caravan returned to the Region that night, knowing they wanted  in their heart, needed  to do much more.

More of the stories were shared on Facebook and the web page. Still more help in the forms of money, supplies and prayer flowed in for the homeless folks, Farrell said.

The next day, Steve and Tricia Farrell returned to the Lawrence Street viaduct, meeting up with the Murray couple and taking them out to dinner at a city Subway sandwich shop.

Joseph Murray said he'll always remember the night as the first time his wife dined, as a couple, with another couple.

A place to call home

During that dinner, the Farrells learned more about the Murray's circumstances.

Joseph, a former laborer, became homeless two years ago after losing his job. Maria, college educated and a former Chicago city employee, said she became homeless after a painful divorce and seeking comfort in alcohol  a habit she's since kicked.

The couple were married in November after panhandling for the $70 needed in marriage license fees at City Hall.

From his conversations with the Murray couple  and with others from the viaduct encampment  Steve Farrell said he witnessed a quality scarce in most communities.

"They all look out for and care for one another," said Farrell, noting some members of the encampments stayed up at night to maintain security while others would share what food or supplies they had with the group.

"They do the things for each other that we're all supposed to be doing."

It emboldened Farrell, his wife and a growing list of hundreds of Region supporters to do more, he said.

The next Sunday, Jan. 31, Farrell and his wife returned with their caravan of Region good will, bringing more food and supplies.

By Feb. 2, the generosity of folks who had read about the situation online had grown to a new level.

Farrell and dozens of other donors put up enough money to lease a $900-per-month Lowell home for the Murray couple. In fact, the donors have committed to keeping the Murrays in the home, all expenses paid, for at least three months while they seek work and a new life in Northwest Indiana.

Farrell said a number of job offers are pouring in for the couple. The Murrays said they're eager to explore those leads after they get settled in.

This coming Sunday, Farrell and his caravan plan a return trip, to pray with the folks in the encampment and bring more supplies and friendship.

Farrell said his goal is to find housing for more of the encampment inhabitants and opportunities for work.

"It's become a ministry," Farrell said. "That's really what this effort has become."

It took a small Northwest Indiana town to do what the big city couldn't, said Joseph and Maria Murray, noting the difficulty of people who lack a viable address to receive any government aid.

It took a wrong turn  a missed exit, really  by one caring man who challenged himself, and others, to turn that caring into action.
Government bodies frequently relax rules and lower hurdles in the name of inducing progress and development.

Our city and town councils sometimes offer tax breaks or other amnesties in the name of attracting businesses that bring new jobs, a broader tax base or a higher quality of life for residents.

The goal is no different under a bill, which already passed the Indiana House and is in the hands of the Senate, that would create a new tool for attracting visitors and generating revenue at Indiana State Parks.

The measure would allow the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to obtain a new "state park" classification of alcohol permit to sell liquor at any or all of its facilities. Alcohol and other sales are an important part of the formula for repairing and developing the crumbling Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion into a destination spot.

The bill would allow the DNR to bypass traditional rules for obtaining alcohol permits  including local review.

The issue looms large for the future fortunes of Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, where developers plan to renovate the old pavilion with a banquet hall, restaurant and other amenities.

Indiana senators should consider passing this bill on to the governor as a bipartisan measure to invigorate our state park system as a whole.

The Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion represents a public-private partnership that could make a beautiful state park more user-friendly and attract more users  which should be the goal of any government recreational facility.

Some Region folks, opposed to the development of the pavilion in general, argue the pending House bill would bypass the ability of people to oppose such liquor licenses in traditional hearings.

But the reality is a number of these critics already testified against the bill in House committee earlier this year. They're getting their say on the matter, as they should in any democratic system.

In the end, our state parks, like any other entity trying to survive and attract attendance and revenue, must evolve with the times, or they most certainly will crumble and fade.

The concept of a new classification of state park liquor permits could provide an evolving way of growing attendance and commerce.
A jury has found NYPD Officer Peter Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct in connection with the shooting death of an unarmed Brooklyn man in 2014. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.



There was absolute silence and nervousness around the court room as the jury of seven men and five women unveiled the fate of NYPD officer Peter Liang.

Liang bowed head and covered his eyes with his hands as a defense attorney tried to console him.

Then, the jurors were questioned about their decision as Liang continued to hold his head.



Liang was convicted of shooting and killing Akai Gurley, who was unarmed, in a dark staircase at the Pink Houses in Brooklyn back in 2014. The rookie officer said his gun accidentally went off, but Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said the officer had his finger on the trigger and pulled, causing Gurley's death.



"It's that simple," Thompson said. "And this conviction is not a conviction of the entire NYPD. It's the greatest police department in the world. This is a conviction of one officer. And at the end of the day, Akai Gurley's life matters. That's what this verdict means."

Liang testified in his own defense, saying as he entered the unlit staircase with his gun and flashlight, he was startled by a sound, he tensed up and his gun went off.

His defense says this verdict is devastating.



"I gather the fact that the prosecution changed their gameplan and changed their entire argument in their closing argument, where they started to argue that it was some sort of an intentional crime, that may have had something to do with it. But there's no way of us knowing," said Robert Brown, Liang's defense attorney.



One juror said it was a difficult decision to convict a police officer.



"'I've got to face my family. Half of them are cops. Leave me alone, please," the juror said.



"I want to thank God, and then I want to thank the district attorney's office and the entire staff at the district attorney's office. They did an awesome job presenting the evidence to the jury in the court," said Sylvia Palmer, Akai Gurley's mother.



Liang was immediately fired by the NYPD because of the conviction.

On Friday, Liang's former partner Shaun Landau was also fired. Landau was with Liang during the shooting and testified during the trial.

The police union says the verdict sends the wrong message to officers. In a statement, PBA President Patrick Lynch said, "We are very disappointed in the verdict and believe that the jury came to an absolutely wrong decision. This was a terrible and tragic accident and not a crime. This bad verdict will have a chilling effect on police officers across the city because it criminalizes a tragic accident."

Liang will be sentenced in April.
Seen last fall in a larger version at the Grand Palais in Paris, this show of 79 portraits (and one landscape) is the first retrospective and only the second exhibition of Vigee Le Bruns work in modern times. It has been organized at the Met by Katharine Baetjer, curator in the department of European paintings, working with Joseph Baillio, a Vigee Le Brun scholar, and Paul Lang, deputy director and chief curator of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, where the exhibition will make its final stop. Ms. Baetjer said that this was the first monographic exhibition devoted to a woman during her 40 years in the department.

Vigee (pronounced Vee-ZHAY) Le Brun was born with a surfeit of natural talent and ambition as well as beauty, charm, a head for business and making connections, and a gift for conversation that kept her sitters entertained. Her father, a successful artist of pastel portraits, recognized his daughters gifts and taught her to paint but he died when she was 12. To distract her from her grief and from a step-father she loathed, her mother, a hairdresser of some reputation, chaperoned her daughter on visits to private and public collections around Paris. Vigee briefly attended a small drawing academy run by a fan painter, and received informal instruction from the landscape painter Joseph Vernet. The best of her early portraits depicts her mother as a woman of refinement with a gentle but appraising gaze; a 1778 portrait of Vernet holding brush and palette in beautifully painted hands is similarly sensitive.

Mostly, Vigee taught herself by looking and copying and starting to work. Even in her late teens she was helping to support her family  so productively that in 1774, when she was 19, the authorities sealed her studio until she joined a guild. (She was operating without a license.) To escape home life, she made a marriage of convenience in 1776 with Jean Baptiste Pierre Le Brun (1748-1813), a painter and prominent art dealer, who wooed Vigee by lending her paintings to copy. He took her to Holland and Flanders to see those of Rubens and the Dutch masters, promoted her work and partly lived off her money. Soon Madame Le Brun, as she was known, became one of the most sought-after portraitists of her moment. Her position was solidified by Marie Antoinette, whose favor included helping the painter gain entry into the Royal Academy, which excluded artists married to art dealers, in 1783.
Museumgoers most likely presume that period rooms remain static, but many are being overhauled. Major institutions are upgrading furnishings, adding technological and musical flourishes, and exploring the lives of the forgotten artisans and patrons who made the original decor possible.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has begun a comprehensive rethinking of its 16 period rooms, ranging from formal 18th-century parlors to a 1910s hallway designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a 1920s kitchen for German apartment houses. In April, the museum will display Anthony Marchettis recent photographs of the buildings where the rooms came from or the sites where they stood. The institutes room of pine paneling came from a Connecticut farmhouse that was torn down to make way for a reservoir.

By years end, the museums gilded French salon from the 1730s will be redone to look as if aristocrats were playing cards there and partaking in coffee and chocolate by candlelight. In two rooms salvaged from early-18th-century British homes, the curators plan to display needlework and botanical studies  pieces highlighting the role of women in 18th-century salon culture  as well as scientific equipment like telescopes and microscopes that amateur male and female scientists tried out.

In rooms from a 1770s house in Charleston, S.C., the museum will display artifacts related to Cherokee tribes in South Carolina and African-born slaves, who brought rice cultivation techniques with them. The house originally belonged to Col. John Stuart, a Scottish immigrant and slave owner who devoted decades to negotiating with American Indians. The museum has found descendants of a branch of the Stuart family who intermarried with Cherokees.
Bill Cosbys wife of 52 years, Camille, will have to give deposition testimony in a defamation case against the entertainer, but she will not have to answer questions about her private conversations with her husband, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday.

Under the states marital disqualification rule, spouses are typically exempted from testifying about such conversations.

Mr. Cosbys legal team had sought to prevent Mrs. Cosby, 71, from being forced to give any testimony on a variety of grounds. Thursdays ruling came in a federal civil case filed against him by seven women who say he defamed them.

United States District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni said in his ruling that Mrs. Cosby had a unique role in defendants life for over 50 years, she may possess a good deal of relevant, nonprotected information which can be uncovered in a deposition.
Sue Klebold speaks with Diane Sawyer about what was going on in her home before her son Dylan and his friend Eric Harris embarked on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in 1999. American Masters pays tribute to the blues master B. B. King. And the filmmaker Marjorie Sturm unravels the con behind the writer known as JT LeRoy.

Whats on TV

SILENCE BROKEN: A MOTHERS RECKONING 10 p.m. on ABC. In this special edition of 20/20, Sue Klebold speaks with Diane Sawyer in her first television interview, nearly 17 years after her son Dylan Klebold, with his friend Eric Harris, shot and killed 13 people and wounded 20 at Columbine High School in Colorado before committing suicide. Ms. Sawyer also reports on teenage mental health and how parents might determine if a child is in crisis. Ms. Klebolds memoir, A Mothers Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, is to be released Monday. (Image: Ms. Klebold, right, with Ms. Sawyer.)
The Miser once made the mistake of scheduling a second date on Valentines Day. An attempt to keep things casual and minimize expectations instead turned into a horrifying glimpse at an unhappy domestic future. The evening didnt make for a lasting relationship, but it later provided good material for a cautionary tale.

Dont we all have stories like this  our misadventures in love? That, at least, is the premise behind Bookforums annual salute to St. Valentine, this year titled Trial & Error. This free event on Friday  in the New Museums Sky Room, which has a panoramic view of Lower Manhattan  features five writers sharing their romantic histories: the funny, the sad, the downright disastrous.

The lineup includes the novelists Mary Gaitskill and Christopher Sorrentino; A. O. Scott, the co-chief film critic for The New York Times; and Patricia Marx, a writer for The New Yorker and a Saturday Night Live alumna. Perhaps most at home with baring her personal history will be the memoirist Vivian Gornick, who explored various forms of relationships in her books Fierce Attachments and The Odd Woman and the City. Each person will read from published material, or from something written for Trial & Error.

(Friday at 6 p.m.; 235 Bowery, at Prince Street, Lower East Side; 212-475-4000; bookforum.com; reservations are required: trialanderror@bookforum.com.)
After John Cryan took the helm of Deutsche Bank in July, he set out to quickly clean up the mess left by his predecessors. The bank has taken earnings-crushing charges, slashed costs and pulled out of countries that it has been in for decades.

Mr. Cryan, a cerebral British banker, is even getting down into the minutia. He is personally helping to decide which complex derivatives trades to close as he tries to free up scarce financial resources for better investments.

But in recent weeks, the markets have wondered whether Deutsche waited too long to mend itself.

Shares in the bank, Germanys largest, have plunged nearly 40 percent so far this year. The market now effectively values Deutsche at a third of its liquidation value, an astonishing discount that suggests investors do not believe that Mr. Cryan will be able to squeeze solid earnings out of the banks businesses. Investors in credit markets have even begun to bet that some of Deutsche Banks bonds will not be repaid in full.

We took our medicine early, Gary D. Cohn, president of Goldman Sachs, said on Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg TV, when asked about Deutsche Bank. I think some of the European banks have been slow to getting themselves recapitalized and getting their financial balance sheet in the best place it can be.
WASHINGTON  The Senate gave overwhelming final approval Thursday to the most comprehensive overhaul of customs law in decades, giving presidents new tools to combat unfair trade, yet falling short of bipartisan demands for penalties against other nations that manipulate their currencies.

Senators voted 75 to 20 for the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, a blend of bills the House and Senate passed separately nearly a year ago. The bipartisan compromise was reached by negotiators in December, with White House support, and was quickly approved by the House. Senate action stalled partly because of an unrelated dispute over taxing Internet sales.

The White House, in a statement, hailed the bills passage as an important milestone in our overall trade agenda, and said President Obama would sign it into law to help strengthen enforcement of the rules and level the playing field for American workers and businesses.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee that is responsible for trade issues, called the package a major step forward in advancing a robust agenda for international trade that better reflects the realities of the 21st-century global economy.
Welcome to Social Capital, a series devoted to analyzing the social-media presences of celebrities.

Rivers Cuomo, the 45-year-old frontman of the rock band Weezer, tweets as if he cant drink yet. Sometimes he tweets as if hes not even old enough to drive. Since he joined Twitter in 2008, Cuomo has opined at length about crushes, friendship, memes and, his new favorite medium, Snapchat. i hate it when you dont open my snaps in which i looked extremley [sic] cute :(, he tweeted at his over one million followers on Nov. 17, 2015. (The first reply? gosh you tweet like a 18 years old.) If you were to open the aforementioned snaps, you would find almost exclusively demure selfies. You would also find that at 5-foot-6, with large square glasses and a haircut fit for an eighth grader, Cuomo looks far more like the boy his tweets suggest than the middle-aged father only investigation will reveal he has become.

Weezers pop-culture apogee was from the mid-to-late 90s to the early aughts, which means for people like me, born just in time for the Clinton administration, songs like Buddy Holly were the music we put on our first iPods and jammed to at the middle-school Spring Fling. The Weezers and the Blink-182s and the Green Days and the Smash Mouths were the loud guitar-playing men with teenage attitude who would carry us from AOL 4.0 toward a new millennium. Soon after, the idea of the man-child  the hero of the Judd Apatow film, the hilarious older brother of the sitcom  entered our cultural consciousness, peaking with movies like Superbad and Knocked Up. Men in their 20s werent marrying anymore. Thanks to a recession and a growing gender gap in education, many of them werent doing much of anything besides sleeping, playing video games, trying to hit on increasingly younger women who hadnt yet realized that their cool older boyfriend was actually not cool and perhaps plucking absent-mindedly on a guitar.

Cuomo  both on social media and in reality  does not seem to be a man-child in this traditional sense. He has a grown-up life. He has children. He works hard, having released a 2014 album with Weezer that was well received by critics. He isnt dragged down by drug use or other criminal drama, nor does he constantly chase women 20 years younger in a public and embarrassing way. Hes just . . . consistently angsty. Or at least he has constructed his entire social-media presence to suggest as much.

Cuomo tweets about listening to 1d and getting excited when his dad calls. He uses the word cute with a frequency that rivals a fashion pictorial in Seventeen magazine. He often writes as though hes a pubescent fan of Weezer instead of its most recognizable member, rarely (if ever) saying we or us when referring to the band. His YouTube channel, last updated four years ago, includes videos of him doing vocal exercises while someone accompanies him on piano and videos of him doing physical exercises at Equinox. Theres also a series of videos of him learning to dance to remixes of songs by Rihanna and Hot Chelle Rae.
With the conviction of Sheldon Silver, the former speaker of the State Assembly, all that seemed left for the judge was a defense motion for a new trial and Mr. Silvers sentencing, both of which are pending.

But there has long been an aspect of the case that Mr. Silvers lawyers have strenuously fought to keep secret.

From the tidbits of information gleaned at a hearing on Thursday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, it appeared that prosecutors had argued last fall  in a closed hearing and in sealed court papers  to be able to use certain evidence against Mr. Silver at trial. His lawyers appear to have vigorously objected and the matter ultimately did not surface at trial.

Mr. Silver, 71, a Democrat, was convicted on Nov. 30, 2015, of charges that included honest services fraud, extortion and money laundering.
Updated, 11:14 a.m.

Good morning on this frostbitten Friday.



Hat, scarves and gloves? On.

Hot coffee in hand? Check.

Bundled up in layers? Oh, yes.

The temperatures are bitingly cold, and theyre forecast to get even icier this weekend, plunging below zero degrees. What more can we do to stay warm outdoors?

Aside from giving up completely and spending the day inside at someplace toasty, like a hotel bar, of course.

We asked for advice from some New Yorkers who work outside all day, no matter the weather.

I listen to rap music, thats the best music to stay warm, said Shakhboz Jurakulov, 22, at his fruit and vegetable stand on the Upper West Side.
A New York City police officer was convicted of manslaughter on Thursday for killing an unarmed man who was hit by a ricocheting bullet fired from the officers gun in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project in a case that highlighted concerns over police accountability.

The officer, Peter Liang, and his partner were conducting a so-called vertical patrol on Nov. 20, 2014, inside the Louis H. Pink Houses in the East New York neighborhood. At one point, Officer Liang opened a door into an unlighted stairwell and his gun went off. The bullet glanced off a wall and hit Akai Gurley, 28, who was walking down the stairs with his girlfriend, and pierced his heart.

Mr. Liang, a rookie officer who had graduated from the Police Academy the year before the shooting, was also found guilty of official misconduct for failing to help Mr. Gurley as he lay on a fifth-floor landing. Mr. Gurleys girlfriend, Melissa Butler, had testified that while she knelt in a pool of his blood trying to resuscitate him, the officer stopped briefly but did not help before proceeding down the stairs.

The verdict, delivered in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, comes amid a national debate on the policing of black neighborhoods after a string of killings of unarmed black men by police officers. And the jurys decision is a rare instance in which a police officer was convicted of killing someone in the line of duty.
The police continued to search on Thursday for the man they believed fatally stabbed a 26-year-old homeless woman and two of her daughters at a Staten Island motel where the victims had been placed by New York City, officials said.

The man, identified by the police as Michael Sykes, 23, of Brooklyn, made his way from the scene at the Ramada in the Willowbrook section of Staten Island, to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal on Wednesday after the stabbings, officials said.

Less than an hour after the killings, a man matching Mr. Sykess description was seen aboard a Manhattan-bound ferry that had left the terminal at 9:30 a.m., a law enforcement official said. A passenger on the ferry contacted detectives on Wednesday night to say that the man had been fidgeting with a cellphone before breaking it apart and tossing it overboard, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. The man in question was later seen elsewhere in the city, the official said.

As Mr. Sykes was fleeing, the authorities said, a housekeeper at the hotel discovered the bodies of Rebecca Cutler, 26, and her three daughters. Two of the girls, Ziana, 1, and a 4-month-old whom the police identified as Maiyah, but who was identified on her mothers Facebook page as Maliyah, later died. Ms. Cutler had been stabbed more than two dozen times, and the girls had been stabbed multiple times as well, the official said.
A Queens man who said he disliked Chinese people has been charged with hate crimes after robbing and assaulting two Chinese women, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The man, Key S. Lee, who is Korean, faces counts of robbery and assault as hate crimes, as well as other charges, in connection with two episodes in Flushing, Queens, the most recent on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Queens district attorneys office.

I dont like the Chinese, Mr. Lee, 34, said, according to prosecutors, and I went to Flushing to look for Chinese people.

Mr. Lee, himself a resident of Flushing, was ordered held on $1 million bail. His lawyer did not immediately respond to messages for comment.
Should the getaway driver in an armored-car raid remain in prison 40 years longer than the ringleader and others who killed three people in the robbery?

This week, a group of 13 of New York Citys most prominent lawyers  including judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and a law school dean  put that question to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and urged him to grant clemency to Judith Clark, who waited in a tan Honda a short way from her confederates as they robbed a Brinks truck in Rockland County on Oct. 20, 1981, killing a guard and two police officers.

Ms. Clark has already served nearly 35 years, and by virtually all accounts, the 31-year-old woman who was arrested as a fist-clenching, unrepentant zealot has become a temperate and widely admired force for good in prison.

An important part of the arguments made by the lawyers, all of them past presidents of the City Bar Association, was that as serious as Ms. Clarks actions were, others with equal or greater culpability had already been released or were about to be. In fact, the letter said, Mutulu Shakur, the man portrayed as the ringleader of the robbery, was scheduled to be paroled this month.
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Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

 Hillary Clinton on the attack.

The Democratic candidate, defeated soundly in New Hampshire, sought to break Bernie Sanderss popularity and to appeal to new segments of voters at a debate in Milwaukee on Thursday night.

She introduced many new lines of attack, including on foreign affairs, which Mr. Sanders parried by questioning her judgment on Iraq and Libya.
4. The widening gap between rich and poor, one of the most powerful themes of the presidential campaigns, includes a disturbing disparity in life spans. New research looking at both ends of the income spectrum showed that the gap, which has not been fully explained, has more than doubled since the 1970s, to about 14 years. This may be the next frontier of the inequality discussion, one analyst said.

_____
After five months of suffering and destruction under unrelenting attacks by Russian aircraft, the Syrian people have at last received some good news: an agreement announced early Friday morning in Munich between the United States and Russia to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian cities, followed by at least a temporary cessation of hostilities.

As Secretary of State John Kerry noted, The real test is whether all parties honor those commitments. Given the brutality and dictatorial ambitions of Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad, and the duplicitous behavior of his chief ally, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, that is a huge if. But for the moment it is worth celebrating a step toward what could be the first sustained halt in the fighting in Syria since the civil war began in 2011.

The halt will not begin for a week  assuming it is not derailed  and does not include all the combatants, including the Islamic State. Nor was it clear that it includes all of the rebel groups that have been fighting Mr. Assad, with diminishing success. For this to be anything more durable than a temporary and fragile respite will depend on further peace talks.

In addition, some diplomats noted that the pause essentially freezes a status quo that favors Mr. Assad and the Russians  and that Moscow may have been more amenable now since the airstrikes and Mr. Assads ground operations have helped Mr. Assad regain control over much of the countrys populated western areas, driving opposition forces out of Aleppo.
THESE days, its practically unheard-of for those on the left to embrace ideas promoted by the likes of the Koch brothers and the conservative Heritage Foundation. But it would be a shame if partisan distrust kept Democrats from supporting a proposal favored by the right: a measure that would bolster the idea that a criminal conviction should require proof of what lawyers call mens rea  literally, a guilty mind. Thats because it can be harnessed to aid some of those who are especially ill treated by the criminal justice system: the poor and racial minorities.

As a legal principle, mens rea means that causing harm should not be enough to constitute a crime; knowingly causing harm should be. Walking away from the baggage carousel with a suitcase you mistook for your own isnt theft; its theft only if you knew you didnt own it. Ordinary citizens may assume that this common-sense requirement is already the law of the land. And indeed law students are taught that prosecutors must prove not just that a defendant did something bad, but also that his frame of mind made him culpable when he did it.

But over the years, exceptions to the principle have become common because mens rea requirements have not been consistently detailed in laws. In one often-cited case, the president of a company that mistakenly shipped mislabeled drugs was convicted of a crime even though he had no way of knowing that the labels were incorrect. In another, a truck driver crossing the Canadian border into Washington to deliver cases of beer was convicted of drug trafficking even though prosecutors produced no evidence that he knew or should have known that the truck had a secret compartment filled with drugs. In these cases and many more like them, the prosecution secured conviction without showing that the defendant had a guilty mind.

Congress is now considering a measure sponsored by Representative James Sensenbrenner, Republican of Wisconsin, that would require that mens rea be proven in many more cases. For instance, a law making it a crime to mislabel drugs would automatically be interpreted as criminalizing knowing mislabeling. The measure would not affect statutes that make clear that no mental state need be shown for guilt  for example, laws criminalizing sex with minors.
It was a lot of fun watching Chris Christie pants Senator Marco Rubio and steal his lunch money, causing the Marcobot to break down  a murder-suicide, it seems to be. And what fan of Lincolnesque elocution didnt enjoy Donald Trump calling Ted Cruz a girlie man, while belittling Jeb Bush for needing his mommy. Great stuff from the Granite State.

But at some point, the show becomes a governing reality for this gasping democracy of ours, a reality that touches every country in the world. To that end, the most likely Republican nominees have left a precise guide of what they would do on Day One in office. From violating the Geneva Convention on war crimes and torture, to becoming a renegade nation on climate change and trade, to kicking millions of people off health care, its a hefty list of first-day promises.

The front-runner, Trump, is a big Day One man. His election itself will usher in so much winning, as he said, that you will get bored with it. But there will also be so much torturing. Trump has vowed to inflict cruelties on our enemies that are a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. Endless possibilities there, though hed have to contend with the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which was ratified by the United States.

Dignity, class, humility and the truth would all be immediate Day One casualties of a Trump presidency. He lies without flinching, and makes up his own facts with the dexterity of a sociopath, dating to his insinuation that President Obama was not born in this country. He would govern the same way. Its well known that Trump does not recognize climate change. But less publicized are his truther statements about basic economic facts.
FROM the earliest days of Barack Obamas presidency, a comforting assumption developed among much of the center-right political world. The thinking went like this: President Obama was far more liberal than the majority of the country. But given his extraordinary political talents, the fatigue of the George W. Bush years, the economic crisis and the excitement of electing the first African-American president, the country picked him not because of his ideology but in spite of it.

Once this unique political figure was no longer on the ballot, America would revert to the less liberal, more center-right direction that was the norm after World War II. Under this scenario, President Obama wasnt some profound historical shift but more of an eccentric diversion.

Now its February 2016 and an obscure socialist  O.K., a Democratic Socialist  from a tiny state just beat one of the most powerful forces in the Democratic Party in the New Hampshire primary. On the Republican side, a man whom National Review, the conservative movements flagship publication, has vigorously denounced, also won New Hampshire in a rout.

How did we get here?

When he entered the presidential race in 2007, Mr. Obama had amassed a voting record that was ranked by National Journal as the most liberal in the United States Senate. In the Democratic primary, Hillary Clintons campaign warned that the young senators record would lead to defeat in November. In that general election, Senator John McCain prosecuted the same ideological case, with little success. Big hunks of America had fallen in love with Mr. Obama.
In a farcical abuse of common sense and the American taxpayer, the Internal Revenue Service has granted Crossroads GPS, the dark-money machine of Karl Rove, the Republicans guru of attack politics, status as a tax-exempt social welfare organization. This means it can keep its deep-pocketed campaign donors secret. The ludicrous I.R.S. finding that the group is not primarily what it so obviously is  a strident G.O.P. operation that should be required to name its donors  is essentially a license for it to run amok in the current federal election cycle with anonymous, unlimited donations.

The ruling, quietly made in November and brought to light this week by the Center for Responsive Politics, signals a shameful retreat by the I.R.S. from enforcing regulations intended to prevent abuses of the nonprofit tax law by campaign operatives. The agency had come under attack from Tea Party and other right-wing groups for questioning their claims to be social welfare exemptions, and the Rove ruling is the latest result. It can only invite more partisan operatives to pretend to have societys nonpolitical interests at heart as they fill campaign troughs with money from hidden donors.

Since pioneering this fiction, Mr. Rove has proved to be no Mother Teresa of a social welfare advocate, as he strategizes obsessively for Republican hegemony. His group has spent $330 million on election ads and candidate support since it was created in 2010, after the Supreme Court freed corporations and unions from political spending limits, according to the centers watchdog blog, Open Secrets. The dodge has become bipartisan, with President Obamas re-election helped by the Democrats Priorities USA Action operation as a social welfare organization under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code.
It was a change in the opposite direction for everyone else. For the first time in at least five years, other designers seemed to veer toward the cast of raciness that the Versace brand has been honing for decades. Gone was the industry-wide minimalism  the brogues and camelhair outerwear; eyelashes got extensions and bare lips were suddenly red. At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci sent girls down the runway in exposed lingerie and liquid bedroom robes; Marc Jacobss collection was showgirl-inspired; Paco Rabannes was heavy on the chain mail. Versace herself noticed it, and seems to have taken it as neither compliment nor insult.

More exciting to her than the newly sex-positive design pivot or her own rave reviews was the behavior of the models themselves. The girls are competing again! she almost-screamed. Oh my god, you can see it. I havent seen this kind of competition since the 90s! Since Naomi! Since that stomp. When pressed, Versace admitted that she does indeed encourage a certain affect. I want their personalities to come out, she explained, to walk as they walk in the streets. In the street you dont do this  here she imitated an exaggerated hip thrust  I dont understand why you do this to me!

This show was for women, Versace said. And later: Wherever you look  in books, in movies, in the news  women are not empowered yet. We are paid less than men, there hasnt been an American president who is a woman, at this she cocked her head and raised her eyebrows  an appreciative allusion to Hillary Clinton, personified. We are not yet as empowered as people think we are.
The Devil and the Lord fight a war by proxy for the soul of a sweet but feckless fellow in Cabin in the Sky, an all-black musical from 1940 that kicks off the Encores! season at City Center. A central mission of this beloved series, now more than two decades old, is resurrecting musicals whose scores still shine even as their books have faded into irrelevance. This production  musically vibrant, dramatically a dud  for better and worse offers a prime example of the genre.

Michael Potts plays the nominally central figure, Little Joe Jackson, who is on his deathbed  literally  as the musical begins. A powerfully sung a cappella version of the spiritual Gods Gonna Trouble the Waters (anyone whos seen Alvin Aileys Revelations more than once could probably sing along) kicks the show into high gear on the musical front. Although the ample score is by Vernon Duke (music) and John LaTouche (lyrics), Cabin in the Sky features a couple of traditional spirituals, and this production also includes Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe, a much-recorded standard written by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg for the movie version, which jettisoned many of the original songs.

Image From left, Chuck Cooper, Michael Potts and Norm Lewis in Cabin in the Sky. Credit... Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Little Joe, a lifelong neer-do-well, has technically expired, and an emissary from the Devil, called the Head Man and played with saucy relish by Chuck Cooper, is getting ready to haul him off to hell when God decides to give him a second chance. Acting through his own underling, called the Lords General and played with suave nobility by Norm Lewis, God decides to resurrect Little Joe and give him six months to mend his ways, leaving the Head Man and his minions fuming. Game on!
A humanitarian group says six of its eight water stations for migrants crossing the Sonoran Desert have been vandalized, including one that was shot at and had the carcass of a coyote next to it. The group, Humane Borders, says the water stations help keep alive migrants who are crossing illegally from Mexico through the southern Arizona desert. Joel Smith, director of operations, said he found during an inspection Tuesday that most of the stations had been vandalized. Humane Borders has had water stations in southern Arizona since 2000. The 55-gallon stations have been vandalized in the past, Mr. Smith said. The number of migrant deaths in the Sonoran desert has fallen in the past few years but remains an issue. The United States Border Patrol reported 107 desert deaths in the Tucson Sector, which constitutes most of Arizona, in fiscal year 2014. There were 307 total reported deaths by the Border Patrol that year.
A blowout at a natural gas well that gushed uncontrollably for 16 weeks and drove thousands of residents from their Los Angeles homes was plugged Thursday, a utility said. While the well still needs to be permanently sealed with cement and inspected by state regulators, the announcement by the utility, Southern California Gas Co., was the first time the leak has been under control since it was reported Oct. 23. If the plug holds and the well is sealed, the upscale Porter Ranch community in the San Fernando Valley could begin to return to normal after schools were closed and about 6,000 families were uprooted as they complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms. Health officials blamed their woes on an odorant added to gas so it could be detected and have said they do not expect long-term health effects. The leak at the largest underground gas storage reservoir in the West was declared an emergency by the governor. At its peak, it was estimated to contribute about a quarter of the states climate-altering methane emissions. Some called it the worst environmental disaster since the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday gave the state until June 30 to fix its system of financing public schools, or face a court-ordered shutdown before the next school year begins.

Rather than improve the way it doled out state money, the court ruled, the Republican-controlled Legislature has failed to cure inequities between rich and poor school districts.

The legislatures unsuccessful attempts to equitably, i.e., fairly, allocate resources among the school districts not only creates uncertainty in planning the 2016-2017 school year but also has the potential to interrupt the operation of Kansas public schools, the court said.

The decision is the latest blow to Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, and the state Legislature, which will probably have to find tens of millions of dollars in its budget for additional education funding.
An officer in suburban Atlanta has died after being shot twice by a suspect during a law enforcement operation Thursday, the police said. The suspect was also wounded, Riverdale Police Chief Todd Spivey said. Riverdale officers were assisting Clayton County police at an apartment complex in Riverdale around 11:15 Thursday morning, Assistant Chief Michael Reynolds said. He did not release any details about the police operation or say what led to the shooting. He did not release any details about the suspects condition.
Gov. C. L. Otter said Thursday he was concerned by the number of children who had died in Idaho because their parents had chosen faith healing for religious reasons over medical assistance. Mr. Otter, a Republican, said he had asked state House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill to form a committee to study the issue in the next few months. At what point does that become child neglect or abuse is a question I cant answer, Mr. Otter said. Idahos faith-healing exemption allows families to cite religious reasons for medical decisions without fear of being charged with neglect or abuse. The exemption has attracted criticism over the years amid deaths from treatable conditions of children among members of the Followers of Christ in southwestern Idaho.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  Senator Marco Rubio, opening a more aggressive phase of his campaign as he tries to reinvigorate his bid for the Republican nomination, suggested Thursday that Donald J. Trump may be too crude to be president and that Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, may be too inexperienced.

Mr. Rubio expressed disgust with Mr. Trumps use of obscene language earlier this week, describing how his two young sons had watched a news clip of Mr. Trump insulting Senator Ted Cruz on the eve of Tuesdays New Hampshire primary. When the boys, age 8 and 10, asked their father what word had been bleeped out, Mr. Rubio said, he was at a loss.

The commentator said it was another word for cat, Mr. Rubio said in an interview on Thursday aboard his campaign plane, which touched down here for a rally. My boys wanted to know, What was the word? What was the word? I said, I cant tell you. I had to make something up. And it bothered me.
MILWAUKEE  Hillary Clinton, scrambling to recover from her double-digit defeat in the New Hampshire primary, repeatedly challenged the trillion-dollar policy plans of Bernie Sanders at their presidential debate on Thursday night and portrayed him as a big talker who needed to level with voters about the difficulty of accomplishing his agenda.

Foreign affairs also took on unusual prominence as Mrs. Clinton sought to underscore her experience and Mr. Sanders excoriated her judgment on Libya and Iraq, as well as her previous praise of former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. But Mrs. Clinton was frequently on the offensive as well, seizing an opportunity to talk about leaders she admired and turning it against Mr. Sanders by bashing his past criticism of President Obama  a remark that Mr. Sanders called a low blow.

With tensions between the two Democrats becoming increasingly obvious, the debate was full of new lines of attack from Mrs. Clinton, who faces pressure to puncture Mr. Sanderss growing popularity before the next nominating contests in Nevada and South Carolina.

She is wagering that even voters excited by Mr. Sanderss inspiring message will reconsider their support when they learn of his lack of experience in foreign policy and his vague explanations for how he will pay for his expansive government programs.
Heres our coverage of the sixth Democratic debate, and our live fact checks.

Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders met in Milwaukee Thursday evening for the first Democratic debate since Mr. Sanderss blowout victory in the New Hampshire primary. As Mrs. Clinton works to convince voters that her early stumbles can be overcome, Mr. Sanders is hoping to keep up his momentum. Here are the highlights:

 Mr. Sanders used his opening statement to highlight his central campaign theme: the need for a political revolution to lessen the influence of big money. Mrs. Clinton agreed that the economy is rigged in favor of those at the top, but pledged to go a step further, saying she would protect African-Americans facing discrimination, as well as immigrant families.

 In perhaps their sharpest exchange, Mr. Sanders attacked Mrs. Clinton for praising Henry Kissinger, whom he called one of the most destructive secretaries of state in memory. Mrs. Clinton said she had sought the insights of many people. I know journalists have asked who you do listen to on foreign policy and weve yet to hear who that is, she said. Mr. Sanders replied, Well it aint Henry Kissinger.

 Mrs. Clinton assailed Mr. Sanders for past criticisms of President Obama, saying she expected such attacks from Republicans, not a Democratic candidate. Madam Secretary, that is a low blow, Mr. Sanders said, praising Mr. Obama but adding that senators were allowed to disagree with the president at times. One of us ran against Barack Obama, he said of Mrs. Clinton. I was not that candidate.

 Mr. Sanders noted, as he often has, that he opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2002, drawing a contrast with Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton replied, I do not believe that a vote in 2002 is a plan to defeat ISIS in 2016. Mrs. Clinton added that President Obama, who campaigned against her in 2008 on his opposition to the war in Iraq, trusted her enough to name her secretary of state.
WASHINGTON  Nearly five years after a scandal broke over the botched gun-smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious, some federal agencies have failed to take adequate steps to prevent a repeat of the episode, according to a report released on Thursday.

The agency at the center of the scandal  the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives  has made significant progress in fixing the flaws exposed in the operation, said the report from the Department of Justices inspector general.

But other federal law enforcement agencies have not, it found. In particular, the F.B.I., the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshals Service have not done enough to minimize the risks connected with their own gun investigations, the report said.

In the Fast and Furious operation, the A.T.F. and federal prosecutors in Arizona allowed American gun traffickers linked to Mexican drug cartels to take high-powered firearms across the southern border in order to gather evidence and build a bigger criminal case.
WASHINGTON  A Moroccan judge on Thursday ordered the release of a former detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison who had remained in custody for nearly five months despite diplomatic assurances that he would probably be freed shortly after his transfer to Morocco.

Though the former detainee, Younis Shokuri, walked free for the first time in 15 years, he still faces the possibility of criminal charges related to allegations that he was involved with a Moroccan Islamist group before his capture in 2001; he has denied the allegations.

This is a positive step, said his Moroccan lawyer, Khalil Idrissi. We hope that it will be followed with the charges being dropped.

Mr. Shokuris case has drawn scrutiny because the Moroccan authorities apparently told the United States that they would most likely release him without charges within 72 hours of any transfer, but instead kept him in custody and opened the criminal investigation. His situation highlighted the difficulties that the United States has faced in paring the ranks of detainees at its prison in Cuba.
JOHANNESBURG  Weakened by scandal and policy missteps, South Africas president, Jacob G. Zuma, pledged in a state of the nation address on Thursday to revive the countrys economy and cut excessive spending. But the speech was delayed and repeatedly interrupted by opposition lawmakers who angrily demanded his resignation.

In a sober address that experts had considered critical to shoring up his presidency, Mr. Zuma focused largely on the stagnant economy, and on repairing some of the recent damage caused by what some see as his mishandling of the finance ministry.

Analysts say that South Africas economy, Africas second largest and its most sophisticated, could slip into a recession because of government mismanagement, severe drought and the economic slowdown in China.

Acknowledging that the countrys government debt was at risk of being downgraded to junk status, Mr. Zuma highlighted measures  including policies to facilitate investment, streamline state enterprises and pursue nuclear energy  that were clearly designed to fend off such a move by credit agencies.
MEXICO CITY  For more than a century, the Mexican government has treated the Catholic Church with a deep suspicion, if not outright hostility. Battles have literally been fought between church and state, while anticlerical laws stayed on the books until just a couple of decades ago.

But gauging by the Mexican governments enthusiasm ahead of Pope Francis visit, the popular leaders arrival may do more than offer salvation for the masses. It might also provide a much-needed boost to the governments flagging credibility  or so it hopes.

To welcome the pope when he arrives on Friday night, the first lady produced a song in his honor. For the first time, the president will welcome a pope in the National Palace. Francis will receive a key to Mexico City, which placed a giant billboard along the airport highway that perhaps most accurately sums up the sentiment: Pope Francis, Mexico City is your home.

While Pope John Paul II remains a revered figure in Mexico, having visited the nation five times during his papacy, the new pontiff offers a profile that few Latin American governments can resist: a Spanish speaker beloved by many.
BRUSSELS  All but a few of the 40 countries in the coalition now fighting the Islamic State have stepped up to do more in the last months and days, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said on Thursday after a meeting here with defense ministers from the group.

Mr. Carter said 90 percent of the countries had made pledges, but he did not offer many specifics on what the contributions would be. It also remained unclear what effect any new assistance would have on the battlefield, or even how many ministers would be able to deliver on their commitments.

Theres just a great deal going on, Mr. Carter said at a news conference after the meeting. He added that he was happy to see so much going on but that were also impatient.

We want the pace to accelerate, he said.

Mr. Carter organized the meeting after President Obama asked him to coax members of the coalition into bolstering their contributions to the campaign to defeat the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. In recent months, Mr. Carter has laid out how the coalition countries can contribute, saying the campaign requires more air support, as well as more help training Iraqi security forces and money to rebuild battle-shattered cities.
WASHINGTON  The Obama administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on three Islamic State leaders it said were crucial figures in sustaining the organization through oil revenue and the recruitment and deployment of foreign fighters. The move by the Treasury Department was the latest effort by the United States to choke off the terrorist groups flow of cash and personnel.

The department said it was targeting Faysal al-Zahrani, a top oil official in Syria; Husayn Juaythini, who has worked with the groups leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to establish a foothold for the organization in Gaza; and Turki al-Binali, a recruiter and senior religious adviser for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

The sanctions, which freeze any assets or property belonging to the men and bar Americans from having financial dealings with them, are intended to isolate the Islamic State from the world financial system by opening anyone who conducts business with them to penalties.

But the efforts to cut off the flow of the groups vast wealth and steady flow of revenue face formidable obstacles, given that much of the money it collects is derived from its control of territory. Last year alone, the Treasury Department found, the Islamic State brought in $500 million from oil and gas sales. The American-led coalition battling the group has in recent months begun bombing Islamic State-held oil and gas fields and supply routes through an operation known as Tidal Wave II.
The money troubles of Illinois, which faces a roughly $4.6 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year and has been without a budget since July, are real. But the troubles of the Lincoln papers, according to interviews with a dozen people familiar with the projects history, also stem from the byzantine politics surrounding the Lincoln museum and library, which opened to fanfare in 2005 but has since suffered from declining attendance, outdated exhibits, staff departures and internal rivalries.

Mr. Rauner, a former businessman, and Mr. Madigan have floated differing proposals to separate the museum from the preservation agency. An independent report on the museum released last January opposed a separation but painted a dire picture of an institution whose scholarly functions had been hampered by a political and bureaucratic culture and a convoluted governance structure akin to a ball of spaghetti.

The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, a joint project of the museum and the preservation agency, has had some financial independence from the spaghetti. Since 2008, less than a third of its roughly $800,000 annual budget has come from the state, with federal grants and private donations making up the rest. Except for Mr. Stowell, who is a state employee, the rest of the staff members are paid through the University of Illinois, which has been a co-sponsor since the 1980s.

But at the September meeting, Amy Martin, the director of the preservation agency, informed Mr. Stowell that the agency would not sign a new contract with the university and was requesting an investigation of the project.

The reason, according to a letter by six members of the projects advisory board that was sent to the states political leaders on Sept. 11, involved questions about two longstanding outside gift accounts that collect private donations to the project. Ms. Martin said that those accounts, which are run by the University of Illinois Foundation and the Abraham Lincoln Association, had not been formally authorized by the preservation agency.

Image A letter from Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war. Credit... Papers of Abraham Lincoln

In the letter, the advisory board expressed incredulity that the agency was suddenly denying the existence of relationships that had been openly in place for years.
LONDON  Michael Wolf, who was ousted as Swedbanks chief executive this week, has been referred to financial prosecutors in Sweden for suspicion of violating market abuse laws, the bank confirmed on Friday.

Swedbank, based in Stockholm, announced on Tuesday that Mr. Wolf was leaving immediately at the request of the board.

Mr. Wolf, who was chief executive for seven years, had faced criticism in the Swedish media over his handling of a scandal involving real estate deals and potential conflicts of interest by two senior managers, one of whom has since left the bank. The Financial Supervisory Authority of Sweden initiated an investigation into the potential conflicts of interest last year.

On Tuesday, Anders Sundstrom, the Swedbank chairman, said that the board sought Mr. Wolfs departure primarily because of a need for a change in leadership of the bank, but acknowledged that the investigation played a role.
After several years of turbulence, including the indictment of J. Dennis Hastert, a former House speaker who led its public policy practice, the once-prominent Washington law firm Dickstein Shapiro is folding and becoming part of a larger Philadelphia firm, Blank Rome.

Dickstein Shapiro has been buffeted in recent years as the legal economy has changed. Known particularly for its regulatory, litigation and intellectual property practices, the 53-year-old firm in its heyday had 400 lawyers with five offices, including one in New York. Its profit per partner  a public measure of the firm rankings by the publication The American Lawyer  was around $1 million as recently as 2014.

But a year earlier, the firms fortunes began to change when it lost 17 percent of its partners, including its insurance coverage practice group, to other firms. More recently, a major firm rainmaker, Barbara Van Gelder, left for another firm. She is one of Washingtons more prominent female lawyers, representing a number of Bush-era officials.

That occurred in the wake of the indictment of Mr. Hastert, 74, who joined the firm in 2013 to help rebuild its lobbying practice. In May 2015, Mr. Hastert, a former Illinois lawmaker, resigned from the firm after he was indicted on charges of violating federal mandatory banking reporting requirements by withdrawing cash in small amounts. The money was used for payments to conceal past questionable conduct.
Experts have long known that rich people generally live longer than poor people. But a growing body of data shows a more disturbing pattern: Despite big advances in medicine, technology and education, the longevity gap between high-income and low-income Americans has been widening sharply.

The poor are losing ground not only in income, but also in years of life, the most basic measure of well-being. In the early 1970s, a 60-year-old man in the top half of the earnings ladder could expect to live 1.2 years longer than a man of the same age in the bottom half, according to an analysis by the Social Security Administration. Fast-forward to 2001, and he could expect to live 5.8 years longer than his poorer counterpart.

New research released on Friday contains even more jarring numbers. Looking at the extreme ends of the income spectrum, economists at the Brookings Institution found that for men born in 1920, there was a six-year difference in life expectancy between the top 10 percent of earners and the bottom 10 percent. For men born in 1950, that difference had more than doubled, to 14 years.

For women, the gap grew to 13 years, from 4.7 years.

There has been this huge spreading out, said Gary Burtless, one of the authors of the study.
Were no longer living around people who have been threatening us for 50 years, Mr. Rukun, a sweet-faced, gentle optometrist whose eyes gleam like black pearls, said, speaking in Indonesian as Joshua Oppenheimer, the director, translated. Both films opened a space that never existed before, and led to an enormous acknowledgment of the suffering and prison of silence and fear wed been living in. We feel our stories are on the lips of everyone. 

I no longer feel afraid, he added. I dont feel afraid at all.

Indeed, Mr. Rukun said, he was more worried for Mr. Oppenheimer, who was last in Indonesia in 2012 and, out of safety concerns, has no expectations of being able to return soon. When Mr. Oppenheimer, who is American but lives in Denmark, traveled to the United States, Mr. Rukun urged him to wear a bulletproof vest, Mr. Oppenheimer said, because he figured the number of mass shootings would provide easy cover should powerful forces in Indonesia decide to target the filmmaker.

Mr. Rukun was visiting the United States to promote the film as part of its final Oscar push, an activity he has embraced with vigor since audiences first beheld his story in Venice and gave him a standing ovation. He and Mr. Oppenheimer then journeyed to film festivals in Telluride, Colo., and Toronto, not only to raise awareness of the film but also to advance its mission of forcing Indonesian authorities to come to terms with their countrys bloody past. During the awards-season crush, the dissonance between the subjects of documentaries and the glitz of the red carpet often feels especially extreme, and Mr. Rukuns presence at this years Oscars will prove no exception.

After the ceremony, Mr. Rukun plans to open an optometry shop with funds raised by the True/False Film Festival.
But many also rued the years spent while, they say, Ms. Hrynenko harassed them in her greedy pursuit of higher rents. Prosecutors cited her greed as the driving force behind the explosion.

I was actually shocked charges were brought at all, and that it happened so quickly, said Kim-Nora Moses, a tenant who said she had studied building codes and needled inspectors for years about the exhaust system. But I always felt like she won, because she blew the place up. She said a lot of mean and hurtful things to people; it was clear she wanted to get rid of anyone with a rent-regulated apartment.

Ms. Moses husband, Robert Schmidt, said the illegal gas hookup was of a piece with Ms. Hrynenkos stubbornness over the exhaust system, which was cited in a 2010 Buildings Department violation.

Wed like to think if city agencies had been more definitive with her earlier, about really requiring her to follow good practices, follow the regulations, that this would never have come about, Mr. Schmidt said.
A police officer opened the door to a stairwell in a Brooklyn housing project, sidearm in hand, and squeezed the trigger. The gun, in its brutal simplicity, did exactly what it was designed to do. Far more complicated was how the racially charged atmosphere  in New York City and across the country  in which the shooting occurred might shape the legacy of what amounted to an accident in the dark.

The manslaughter conviction on Thursday of the officer, Peter Liang, in the death of an unarmed black man, Akai Gurley, was greeted by the victims family and supporters as a long-overdue response to broader demands for law enforcement accountability.

Outside the city, those pushing for such accountability said that Mr. Liangs conviction, the first of a New York City officer involved in a line-of-duty shooting in over a decade, suggested the possibility of change in a criminal justice system in which the police have rarely suffered consequences for killing unarmed blacks.

In truth, the conviction probably owed more to the specific details of the case and its wrong-place, wrong-time narrative.
To the Editor:

It gave me great pleasure to read Fridays lead article, With Faint Chirp, Scientists Prove Einstein Correct, in which Albert Einstein and his 1,000 contemporary co-conspirators usurped that coveted position away from the presidential candidates and various Mideast wars. At least for one day our pitiable earthly problems had to yield to the monumental collisions of higher powers.

God bless Einstein, the world of science and your wonderful science writer, Dennis Overbye, for placing our local woes in their proper perspective.

BENJAMIN BEDERSON

New York

The writer is emeritus professor of physics at New York University.

To the Editor:

Bravo to the scientists for this magnificent discovery and to Congress for funding much of their research in this endeavor. Making America great includes properly funding scientific agencies that do work that no commercial enterprise would be interested in.

EDWIN ANDREWS

Malden, Mass.

To the Editor:

On a frigid Friday morning, well into the bleakest part of winter and resigned to the working mom juggling act with my son home sick from school, I saw your eloquently written article about Einstein. It captured my seventh-grade sons attention as he skimmed the front page, and we ended up snuggled in bed, reading every last word of this lengthy story about a chirp from a billion light-years away that proved not only Einsteins theory about black holes and space-time, but also that humans have the power to sustain a dream that can transform imagination.
To the Editor:

In Why College Is Not Home (Education Life, Feb. 7), A. Douglas Stone and Mary Schwab-Stone, current and former Yale professors, argued against colleges being equivalent to the home environment. And Erika Christakis, a Yale lecturer and associate master of one of its residential colleges, is portrayed as a victim of anti-free-speech crusaders in Educator Recounts Painful Experience of Halloween Email Furor at Yale (news article, Feb. 7).

The Times articles miss two critical points: This is not a free-speech issue, and Yale promotes residential college living space as, well, home.

Ms. Christakiss job as associate master is to nurture a small number of students in Yales Silliman College. She sent an email to Silliman students using her residential colleges imprimatur to implore them to disregard a Yale College deans office email urging thoughtfulness when they chose Halloween costumes. She complained, Is there no room anymore for a child or young person to be  a little bit inappropriate or provocative or, yes, offensive? She then characterized calls for her to resign as suppression of free speech.

As a Yale professor, I could urge that we all dress up as Ku Klux Klan members, if I thought that was a good idea. Free speech is sacrosanct at Yale.
LONDON  Scientists are weeks, not years from developing a test for the fast-spreading Zika virus, but large-scale clinical trials for a potential vaccine are at least 18 months away, the World Health Organization announced on Friday.

The W.H.O. declared Zika a global public health emergency on Feb. 1, only the fourth time it had raised such an alert. The Zika virus  a mosquito-transmitted infection related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus  has spread through Latin America. It was first detected in Brazil in May, and as many as four million people worldwide could be infected by years end, the health organization has said.

The main public health concern is a suspected link between the virus and two neurological disorders: microcephaly, which is associated with unusually small heads and, often, brain damage in infants; and Guillain-Barre syndrome, in which a persons immune system attacks part of the nervous system, leaving some almost completely paralyzed for weeks.

Scientists are close to confirming those links, Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, the W.H.O. assistant director general for health systems and innovation, said at a news conference in Geneva.
In January we started a passion project of sorts: We introduced a complete catalog of Donald Trumps Twitter insults since his declaration to run for president last summer. He has tweeted thousands of times, and, for better or worse, weve read, tagged and quoted every single one  because someone must.

Today were continuing a series that began last week, one we hope to continue as long as we have the stamina to do so: a weekly roundup of everything Mr. Trump has disparaged on Twitter in the last seven days.

This weeks tally: one presidential candidate, one presidential campaign, two news media organizations, one media mogul, one Republican consultant, one sporting event and one country.

We again begin by welcoming new entries to the list. There were just two, bringing our count to 196.
Its a tragic incident, said Officer Tracey J. Breeden, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Police Department, who suggested that the killings did not occur at the hands of a third person.

We dont believe there are any outstanding suspects, she said. These two young women were found next to each other. There was a weapon found beside them.

The relationship between the two girls was not immediately available.

Lanie Walter, a senior at the school, said the shootings were heartbreaking because everyone is so loving there, according to The Associated Press.

School and police officials sought early on to reassure the community that the shooting was isolated. The school and neighborhood are safe, the department said in a Twitter post.
LOS ANGELES  President Obama on Friday designated three new national monuments in the California desert, a 1.8-million-acre landscape of mountain ranges, lava flows, Joshua trees and sand dunes that nearly doubles the amount of public land he has protected as president.

The designations were a project of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California. She asked Mr. Obama last summer to use his powers under the Antiquities Act, a 110-year-old law, to create the monuments after legislation to protect the lands was thwarted by feuding between environmentalists, mining companies and hunters.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Eric Schultz, the White House deputy press secretary, said the designations built on the administrations commitment to protect our land and water for future generations.

As Mr. Schultz spoke, the presidential plane was flying over some of the land, near Joshua Tree National Park, that Mr. Obama had designated. The pilots had deviated slightly from the normal route between Los Angeles and Palm Springs to give Mr. Obama and his passengers a view of the sun-baked terrain.
The reason why he is making such an absurd statement at all is that he knows that Im well ahead in the polls and heading for a strong primary victory, Mr. Grayson said in a statement. Thank goodness that he will be gone from Washington, D.C., when I am sworn into the Senate.

Members of the Democratic Party establishment in Florida and Washington have made it clear that their preferred candidate is Representative Patrick Murphy, Democrat of Florida, who the party leaders see as having a better chance of defeating the still unknown Republican nominee. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Mr. Murphy in May.
DENMARK, S.C.  Hillary Clinton forcefully attacked Senator Bernie Sanders before a heavily black audience Friday, highlighting his criticism of President Obama, the Affordable Care Act and for what she suggested was a single-minded focus on economic fairness at the expense of racial justice.

One day after the two squared off at a debate that emphasized issues relating to race and gender, Mrs. Clinton made clear that she intends to run in this states primary by effectively seeking Mr. Obamas third term  and claiming Mr. Sanders would be a threat to the first black presidents accomplishments.

He has called the president weak, a disappointment. He tried to get some attention to attract a candidate to actually run against the president when he was running for re-election, Mrs. Clinton told a gymnasium full of voters near the campus of a historically black college here.

It was a reprisal of her offensive at Thursday nights debate, but she escalated her assault further, portraying Mr. Sanders as an impediment to the health care law so associated with Mr. Obama that, she noted, it bears his name.
Neither of the officers tried to help Mr. Gurley, and they both told a State Supreme Court jury in Brooklyn that they had not felt qualified to perform CPR. The jurors found Officer Liang guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct on Thursday, and he was immediately dismissed by the Police Department.

At the time of the shooting, Officer Landau, like Officer Liang, was still within his two-year probationary period, said Stephen Davis, the chief spokesman for the Police Department.

Based on his actions that day, he was terminated today, Mr. Davis said. He was on probation at the time of the incident and we waited until the trial was over, and at this time the police commissioner decided, with his discretion, to terminate him.

Michael Cibella, Mr. Landaus lawyer, said his client was disappointed by the Police Departments decision, but not surprised. Mr. Landau cannot appeal the decision because he was within his two-year probationary period when the shooting happened, his lawyer said.

The officer had hoped to return to the Police Department full time, Mr. Cibella said, adding, But now thats not going to happen.
The theme of what conservatives call amnesty has divided the candidates into two groups: One, including Mr. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, favors strict immigration policies that would never grant legal status to undocumented immigrants. The other, including Mr. Rubio and Mr. Bush, who are both trailing in the polls, has endorsed a crackdown on illegal immigration without ruling out legal status for people in the country illegally at some distant point in the future.

Here in South Carolina, Mr. Cruz is airing a television ad attacking Mr. Rubio for his involvement in an attempted overhaul of the immigration system and branding him as having worked with liberal Chuck Schumer to give illegals amnesty. A super PAC supporting Mr. Cruz has sent campaign mail to voters here and in Nevada showing Mr. Rubios face alongside those of Mr. Schumer, Democrat of New York, and Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, and accusing Mr. Rubio of supporting amnesty.

Kellyanne Conway, a strategist for the pro-Cruz group, Keep the Promise, said support for legalizing undocumented immigrants was a complete deal-breaker, an unpardonable sin, among the base.

But Mr. Cruz, who won the Republican caucuses in Iowa in part on the strength of his immigration message, is also facing newly harsh criticism of his own record. A conservative advocacy group, the American Future Fund, is running commercials that say he proposed mass legalization of illegal immigrants, as part of a larger attack on Mr. Cruzs national security credentials.
The central component of Snapchats political coverage is the live story, which is a carefully edited piece that uses a few of the tens of thousands of videos uploaded daily by Snapchat users. Snapchat calls these live stories experiential, because the viewer can see what the snapper sees. But the live story experience is sometimes lacking a crucial element: hard news. Little of what, in this election cycle, is considered central to political coverage  fact-checking candidate speeches, explaining complex issues and analyzing polls  fits neatly into the 10-second snippets that make up a live story.

And while the rough amateur footage shot by all those users provides viewers a sense of being there, it is sometimes lacking in production values, like framing or audio quality, with a candidates remarks often inaudible or hard to discern.

The stories can also be lacking at times in the use of footage from the central political event being covered. In the live story of Saturdays Republican debate, which was composed of 48 segments, only six contained footage from the actual event. In the Snapchat story of the first Republican debate in August, the signature moment  Donald J. Trump squaring off against the moderator Megyn Kelly  was barely present, and when it was, the audio was soaked in an echo and difficult to discern.

Mr. Hamby is quick to highlight how the difference in approach sets Snapchat apart, focusing on the experiential nature of live stories, which lives in tandem with the more explanatory journalism found via the Discover tab of the app and in Snapchats new original political show, Good Luck America.

If youre watching TV, its a lot of analysis and punditry, Mr. Hamby said. And Snapchat is out there allowing people to experience what its like. In Iowa, we were in every corner of the state, we were inside caucus precincts, we were in get-out-the-caucus events. We were there when Sanders canvassers ran into Clinton canvassers.

Mr. Hamby will often insert himself into a political story to offer context, using the selfie camera to talk about what is happening, like explaining that the event in Bedford was Mr. Bushs debate day warm-up, and that the campaign told him it was a capacity crowd.
He won Iowa, then placed third in New Hampshire, but Senator Ted Cruz has firmly established himself as the class of the Republican field in at least one respect: by producing humorous, barbed and biting political campaign ads.

With three new commercials released in South Carolina, he increasingly seems to be trying to bring a sketch comedy sensibility to the political trenches.

Scene: Three little boys fight over a Donald J. Trump action figure. What does he do? one asks.

He pretends to be a Republican, another answers, all three of them laughing hysterically.

The boys then destroy a dollhouse, shouting Eminent domain! as their parents look on, appalled. We wouldnt tolerate these values in our children, a narrator intones. Why would we want them in a president?
In a joint declaration released afterward, they called for an end to the conflicts raging in the Middle East and for an end to the persecution of Christians in the region, the land in which our faith was first disseminated and in which they have lived since the time of the Apostles, together with other religious communities.

Addressing the schism between their religions, the two also declared, It is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re-establishment of this unity willed by God.

For decades, the Vatican has sought a meeting with the Russian patriarch as popes tried to heal the rifts between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity. Analysts say Francis, who has made deepening ecumenical ties a centerpiece of his papacy, was able to achieve a meeting because of a complex confluence of factors.

Analysts note that Mr. Putin could have blocked the meeting but apparently concluded that it could burnish his global standing and undermine Western efforts to isolate Russia with sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. Mr. Putin has sought to portray Russia as a defender of beleaguered Christians in the Middle East, including in Syria as he props up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Kirill is trying to burnish his image at home after corruption scandals swirling around church property. He also is preparing for a major council of Orthodox leaders in June on the Greek island of Crete. The council is being organized by his rival, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christianity. Meeting Francis only enhances the Russian patriarchs stature.

He sees this as projecting himself as a global Orthodox leader, said Aristotle Papanikolaou, co-founder of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. It is also a way of projecting Russia globally.

The roots of the East-West split in Christianity can be traced to the Schism of 1054. The Eastern churches led by the patriarch of Constantinople separated from the Western church led by Pope Leo IX, as each leader angrily excommunicated the other side. Russian Christians fell under the orbit of Constantinople.
BEIJING  Britain has issued its strongest public criticism of China to date over the apparent secretive abduction of a British citizen, Lee Bo, from its former colony, Hong Kong, to the Chinese mainland.

The British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said in a report released on Thursday that the case of Mr. Lee, a bookseller, was a serious breach of treaty commitments between Beijing and London that were meant to preserve Hong Kongs legal autonomy.

I am particularly concerned by the situation of Mr. Lee Po, a British citizen, Mr. Hammond said in the report, using an alternate spelling of Mr. Lees name. The report is the latest of the British governments assessments, issued to Parliament every six months, about the state of Hong Kong and of Britains ties to the special administrative region that reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

We urge the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing to take the necessary steps to maintain confidence in the system and the sanctity of the rights, freedoms and values it upholds, the report concluded, referring to Mr. Lees case and what it suggested were other worrisome signs of erosion of Hong Kongs special status.
While officials said the gathering was not an anti-China meeting, Washington is clearly trying to exert its leadership in Southeast Asia through investment, analysts said.

Chinas actions in the South China Sea have undermined its narrative of a peaceful rising and fostered new suspicions about its economic and geopolitical intentions in the region, said Kevin G. Nealer, a China expert and a partner with the Scowcroft Group, based in Washington. Americas most difficult relationships in the region are healthier and more high-functioning than Chinas best relations, and the deep and consistent American investment there has created habits of cooperation and shared goals with Asean that trade alone doesnt yield.

China has been Aseans largest trading partner since 2009, with two-way trade surpassing $366 billion in 2014, according to Asean trade data. The United States was fourth last year behind the European Union and Japan. Southeast Asia was also Americas fourth-largest export market that year.

However, Americas strategy has focused on direct investment, where it is far ahead of China. American companies poured $32.3 billion into Southeast Asia from 2012 to 2014, according to Asean data, compared with $21.3 billion from China.

From 2000 to 2014, the United States invested $226 billion in Southeast Asia, according to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, more than American investment in China, Japan and India combined.

The United States aims to maintain its dominance in investment while taking the lead in trade, according to analysts, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the chief weapon in that quest. Four of Aseans 10 member states have already joined the pact, while three others  Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand  have either declared their intention to join or said they were considering doing so.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  The Pakistani military said on Friday that it had foiled an attempt to free Ahmed Omar Sheikh, the British-born militant who was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the 2002 killing of the American journalist Daniel Pearl.

Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa, the militarys chief spokesman, said militants had planned to break into a prison in Hyderabad, a city in Sindh Province in Pakistans south, to free Mr. Sheikh and other prisoners being held there. General Bajwa spoke at a news conference in the port city of Karachi, about 100 miles southwest of Hyderabad.

Mr. Pearl, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was working on an article on militant Islamic groups in Pakistan with links to Al Qaeda when he was kidnapped, and subsequently beheaded, in Karachi. Mr. Sheikh was found to have masterminded the journalists abduction.

General Bajwa said the prison break plan was 90 percent complete when intelligence agencies broke it up. He said the plotters had rented a house in Hyderabad and planned to breach the prison with the help of a jail constable, who has been arrested. At the news conference, General Bajwa presented a handmade map of the prison, which he said the plotters had drawn with the constables help.
PARIS  The French authorities announced plans on Friday to dismantle part of a migrant camp near the northern city of Calais within a week and evacuate nearly 1,000 people living there.

Thousands of people live in the sprawling camp, which is known as the jungle. Fleeing war, poverty or repression in Syria, Sudan and other countries, many of the migrants are trying to cross the English Channel into Britain, where they will have family ties, a better understanding of the language and easier access to the job market.

Fabienne Buccio, the prefect for the Pas-de-Calais administrative department, said at a news conference in Calais that the authorities would inform migrants in the 120-acre southern half of the camp that they had a week to leave the area.
LONDON  The Independent, a newspaper that shook up Britains journalism establishment in the 1980s before falling on hard times, will stop printing after nearly 30 years and instead publish only online, its owner said Friday.

The demise of the print editions of The Independent  and its weekly counterpart, The Independent on Sunday  is a blow to Britains vibrant and fiercely competitive media scene, where the newspapers swashbuckling spirit made it an editorial force even as it struggled with losses. At its heyday in the late 1980s, it had a weekday circulation of 400,000 copies; today, it is just over 40,000.

The Independent tried to put a positive spin on its announcement, calling itself Britains first national newspaper title to move to a digital-only future, but in an internal memo, Evgeny Lebedev, who owns The Independent, said that print publication was no longer economically viable.

Instead, Mr. Lebedev said, he wanted to focus on making The Independent a global digital brand. We faced a choice: manage the continued decline of print, or convert the digital foundation weve built into a sustainable, profitable future, he wrote.
In Latvia  which has a substantial ethnic Russian minority that includes Mayor Nils Usakovs of Riga  migration has emerged as a politically charged issue. An agreement with the European Union to take in 531 refugees over two years has been a political flashpoint in this nation of just under two million people  even though only six of the refugees have arrived so far.

The new prime minister, Latvias 13th since it gained independence, is Maris Kucinskis, a 54-year-old economist and former mayor of a town known for a glassmaking factory and a well-regarded craft brewery nearby. Unlike the brewery, Mr. Kucinskis is a relative unknown.

I was a dark horse, Mr. Kucinskis told reporters on Thursday, as Parliament approved his new cabinet, by a vote of 60 to 32. Up to now, I had not been visible. I had not been among the political stars. He added: I have never aimed for the prime ministers post, and somehow all the circumstances were in favor of my being a candidate.

Mr. Kucinskis, a member of an unusual center-right party made up of an alliance of farmers and environmentalists, needed help from two coalition partners, one of which is a far-right, anti-immigration party, the National Alliance. Though the parties making up the countrys governing coalition have not changed, the National Alliance pressed Mr. Kucinskis to take a harder stance against immigration than his predecessor, Laimdota Straujuma, as a condition of its support.
CAIRO  On the night he vanished, Giulio Regeni left his apartment and walked past four stores with surveillance cameras that might have provided vital information 10 days later, when his body turned up with welts, burns and fractures that were unmistakable signs of torture.

One eyewitness said the footage would have shown Mr. Regeni, an Italian, being led away by two men believed to be Egyptian security agents. Three security officials said Mr. Regeni had indeed been taken into custody, bolstering Italian suspicions of an official hand in his death.

But the Egyptian police have yet to request the footage, say the shopkeepers who own the cameras, a lapse that human rights advocates say is typical of police investigations here, indicating negligence or a possible cover-up.

If Mr. Regeni had been an Egyptian, his case might now be all but forgotten. He would have been just one of hundreds of Egyptians who have disappeared into the custody of the authorities in the past year. But the fate of Mr. Regeni  who was pursuing a doctoral degree at Cambridge  has attracted international news media attention as well as a formal investigation by the Italian government into the mysterious circumstances and possibility of police abuse.
AMIRIYAT FALLUJA, Iraq  When Iraqi ground forces and American aircraft began assaulting the city of Ramadi more than a month ago, Ghusoon Muhammed and her family fled to the governments front line, as did many other Sunni Arab families who had been trapped for months. Soldiers sent her and the children one way, and her husband another, to be interrogated in a detention facility.

She has not seen him or heard from him since. She and her children, who will most likely not be able to go home to Ramadi for months given the destruction, have been left to wait in a ramshackle tent camp here in Anbar Province. She is desperate, and adamant: The innocent people in jail need to be released! she said.

Standing nearby on Sunday was another woman, Karima Nouri. Her son, an auto mechanic, was also taken away by the authorities, and she has had no word about him for weeks. Ms. Nouri said the government considered civilians who remained in Ramadi to be sympathizers of the Islamic State. But we had no ability to leave, she said. We are very poor.

The retaking of Ramadi, the provincial capital, has been held out as a vital victory by Iraqi officials and their American allies, and one of the most crucial first steps in the governments reclaiming of Anbar Province and other Sunni Arab places.
KILIS, Turkey  The morning after the United States and Russia agreed on a cease-fire plan for Syrias nearly five-year-old war, a dozen Syrians huddled at the border gate here on Friday delivered a unanimous verdict. Asked if the bombing would stop, they jerked their heads up and back in unison: Syrian for No way.

Waiting in a cold drizzle, the men, who had come to Turkey to earn money, were trying to cross the border back into Syria to bring their families out to safety. But they found themselves locked out, just as tens of thousands of civilians fleeing the most intense bombing of the war are locked in.

Forces backing President Bashar al-Assad continue to push north to the border, helped by Russian airstrikes. Western and Arab backers of insurgent groups are declining to increase military support. Turkey refuses to open the border. So the deal hammered out in Munich overnight seemed like just another irrelevant set of words dictated by diplomats in a foreign capital.

The deals they make there are so isolated and detached from this reality here, said Faisal, 25, who gave only a first name to protect relatives still inside Syria.
BRUSSELS  The United Arab Emirates has agreed to send special forces to Syria to train rebels fighting the Islamic State, the American defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, told reporters on Friday.

American military planners want the Emirati commandos, along with forces from Saudi Arabia, to train the rebels so they can ultimately be used to reclaim the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State. American officials have concluded that hundreds more trainers, advisers and commandos are needed.

The commitment by the United Arab Emirates is one of the more significant that the United States appears to have received from the coalition of countries that have pledged to defeat the Islamic State.

Mr. Carter has been lobbying members of the coalition to enhance their efforts, and that has been the focus of a conference he convened on Thursday in Brussels. After the conference, Mr. Carter said that 90 percent of the countries had stepped up to do more in the last months and days, though he offered few details.
When the bureau followed up with some of the consumers, they didnt know a complaint had been filed with the bureau on their behalf, and told similar stories about being contacted by a firm offering to help them recover lost funds. Consumers generally reported paying a few hundred dollars, but some paid $1,000 or more. Many of the complaints originated with a company in Florida, but the victims came from multiple states.

Its a nationwide issue, Ms. Canan said. The bureau identified more than 400 complaints.

The Federal Trade Commission took action last October to shut down an asset-recovery firm in Florida that had duped consumers who had previously lost money on fraudulent investments in time shares or precious metals.

Its not clear how the operators of these firms identify consumers who have been previous victims.

But Amy Nofziger, director of regional operations with the AARP Foundation and manager of its Fraud Watch Network call center, said criminals often re-targeted the same victims, having had success the first time. Criminals, she said, also maintain and sell lists  the F.T.C. calls them sucker lists  of people who have been previously tricked. Theyre re-scamming that same victim, she said.

Consumers may feel embarrassed that they were duped out of their money, she said, so may be susceptible to offers of getting their funds back.

Maggie Flowers, associate director for economic security with the National Council on Aging, said older people were often targeted for fraud because they are perceived as having money, even if it is just a monthly Social Security check. Criminals are creative, she said, and are constantly coming up with new ways to scam older adults.
LOS ANGELES  When writing episodes of Broad City, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs like to get physical with their comedy. In the series third season premiere, Wednesday, Feb. 17, on Comedy Central, Ilana Glazer gets chained to the back of a truck whizzing through New York traffic, and her co-star Abbi Jacobson is trapped in a porta-potty.

Call it slapstick feminism: Broad City is rife with sexual oversharing, drug-fogged high jinks and toilet humor. One sequence from the new season compresses months of the womens bathroom activity  farting, vomiting, dancing, pregnancy testing and reading a Hillary Clinton book  into an epic montage of goofy grossness.

We like big pants-down moments that feel very real, said Ms. Aniello, sitting with Mr. Downs in a cafe near the Silver Lake Reservoir here. And the two are profoundly expanding the terrain of graphic female humor on TV.

Feminism is a big part of their agenda, Ms. Glazer said, which lines up perfectly with the Broad City approach.
On its doomed flight in early May of 1937, the silver-skinned zeppelin Hindenburg sailed 600 feet above the earth, from Frankfurt, Germany, to Lakehurst, N.J. Traveling at just under 80 miles an hour, carrying 97 passengers and crew, it would take four days on its trans-Atlantic voyage.

From the ground, the Hindenburg must have been an astonishing sight  over 800 feet long, 135 feet wide, nearly 13 stories high. On its tail fins, huge black swastikas reminded the world that Nazi genius had created it. Within its rigid metal frame hung huge fabric bladders of combustible hydrogen, sufficiently capacious to lift its gargantuan mass into the sky. As Ariel Lawhon vividly writes in her new novel, Flight of Dreams, they looked like the giant inflated lungs of a sentient beast. There was also, ominously, a smoking room on one of the passenger decks, along with a lounge, a dining room, bar and sleeping quarters  all located inside the dirigible, not in a gondola below.

Like the 1975 movie The Hindenburg, Flight of Dreams makes use of the actual passengers on that last flight to populate its story. And like the film, the novel beautifully exploits the unique, excruciating kind of suspense in which the poor horrified reader knows from the start exactly whats going to happen. Well, maybe not exactly.

Few people today believe the explosion of the Hindenburg as it attempted to dock was the result of sabotage; an electrostatic spark was the likely culprit. But as our own era makes only too clear, its always possible to prefer conspiracy to fact. Almost at once, rumors began to spread: that a bomb had been detonated, that someone had fired a pistol, that an anti-Nazi agent had brought down Hitlers magnificent symbol of prestige. A novelist, of course, has no choice but to torment us with every possibility.
Foxes are fable animals: Their fur carries the electric charge of literary history. As with cats, their faces suggest they have no need of us, and in literature they have all the power that goes with independence. There are the foxes in Machiavellis The Prince (One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps. . . . ) and Jean de La Fontaines verses, and theres Disneys Robin Hood, matinee idol that he was. For me the most memorable literary fox until now has been the baby fox in Ted Hughess poem Epiphany  a distilled ball of mannerless energy and old smell, and a test of the poets ability to bend his life and marriage to fit the presence of something so wild and destructive, and so beautiful. Pax, the eponymous fox of Sara Pennypackers new novel, is built on the model of Hughess cub, half wild and half domesticated, a galvanic presence fit to join the ranks of fictions great foxes.

The novel is told through alternating chapters, with one strand following 12-year-old Peter and the other Pax, as each grows wilder and tougher. After the death of his mother, we learn, Peter had rescued a baby fox from the cold and reared it as a pet and friend. When his father enlists in an unspecified war (Its heading for our town. Theyll take the river), Peter is sent to live with his grandfather, and Pax is sent into the wild, the car speeding away as he watches in bewilderment.

In the opening chapters Peter rebels, slipping out in the night to walk 200 miles back to the spot where Pax was released. What follows is, structurally, a classic quest narrative; Peter walks through dark woods both literally and metaphorically, breaks his foot, encounters characters who help or threaten him. The most vivid of these is Vola, a female war veteran with a prosthetic leg who takes Peter in, and together they face down their own traumas: the suffering of war, physical pain and inherited anger. What makes the book truly remarkable are two things: the quality of Pennypackers prose, which is sharp and restless and vulpine, and the pull of the love between Peter and Pax.
MY AMERICAN DUCHESS

By Eloisa James

Avon. Cloth, 389 pp., $25.99; paper, 422 pp., $7.99.

James is a star in the world of historical romance; her latest features Merry Pelford, a Boston heiress who escapes to London in 1803 after two broken engagements only to find her love life becoming more complicated still. Merry has just accepted Lord Cedric Allardyces proposal when she meets his twin brother, the Duke of Trent. Cedric is aristocratic, sartorial perfection, yet while he claims to love her, his attitude is increasingly condescending and critical.

Merry discovers she likes  and possibly loves  the duke, who is less concerned with decorum and more inclined to treat her with respect. When the duke steps in and marries her (The girl who was too tall, who had no manners, whom no Englishman would want to marry . . . that American girl was now a duchess), its only the first step toward a happy-ever-after, since, despite their intense compatibility, Trent is clear he will never love anyone, especially someone with so fickle a past.

Romance novels often quietly advance the idea that women deserve to be accepted for who they are, and this amusing and heart-wrenching story offers a perfect example of a character who fights for the life and love she wants, not once but twice.

BLUEBERRY BOYS

By Vanessa North

147 pp. Riptide, paper, $16.99.

L.G.B.T.Q. romance is a rising (though still small) percentage of the market, but last year saw a watershed moment when no fewer than three L.G.B.T.Q. titles were nominated for the industrys Rita awards. Norths short, touching contemporary novel explores the romantic dance between Connor Graham, a New York fashion photographer who escaped his rural New England roots, and Jed Jones, the religious, stuttering, basically closeted blueberry grower who leases the farm Connor inherited.
Lizzie Borden took an ax,

Gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one.

While many young people with a passing interest in American pop culture may have heard this disturbing ditty, it is unlikely that they know much about the person behind the rhyme or, as Sarah Miller puts it, that nearly everything in those four lines is wrong. Miller has written two historical Y.A. novels, but The Borden Murders is her first nonfiction work. Its an engaging  and at times extremely graphic  moment-by-moment narrative of one of the most bizarre murders and trials in American history, even if the woman at the center remains, as Miller admits, an enigma  a symbol of either tortured innocence or insensible evil.

The basic facts are these: On the morning of Aug. 4, 1892, in Fall River, Mass., someone violently murdered Lizzie Bordens father, Andrew, and her stepmother, Abby, in their home by striking them in the head with an ax. Thirty-two-year-old Lizzie was accused and then acquitted of the crime after a 13-day trial. She always claimed to be innocent. No other person was ever implicated in or confessed to the murders.

Like a historical version of Law & Order, the book chronologically reviews and defines the case in lively prose, from the gruesome discovery of the bodies to the jurys final judgment, drawing from primary-source witness statements and testimonies. Miller presents the macabre subject matter so objectively that readers will find their opinions of Bordens criminal potential shifting from chapter to chapter. Even Millers epilogue is equivocating. Though she concludes that most scholars agree with the jurys verdict, she also states that we may never know if Borden was truly innocent. Readers will have to decide for themselves.
We open this novel with the understanding that there will be death. It is a certainty. A story about a heart transplant is impossible without this inevitable equation: One body must give, and one must receive. From the first line of the French writer Maylis de Kerangals layered, meditative novel, we know that 19-year-old Simon Limbres will lose his heart.

But first, in a joyous, teenage moment, three boys go surfing. The black, pre-dawn water is dark, marbled, veiny, and Simon and his two friends thrum with life. We meet the living Simon only briefly. We surf one cold, heavy wall of water with him, and then in a road accident, he is gone. Throughout The Heart, he remains elusive  a secretive teenager, his life left unfinished and unknown. Even in flashbacks, he is closed and contradictory. We watch as the people who love him subjectively recreate him, and the effect is hollow and fractured. We come away with the impression of an absence rather than a presence.

The story unfolds in an intricate lacework of precise detail. Each character is introduced in particle form, and then the details compound until a wholeness is reached, a person takes shape and steps forward. We meet Simons mother, Marianne, who, not sensing disaster, falls back asleep when she first hears the phone ring, and who clings to each moment of borrowed time before the unimaginable understanding breaks over her. We meet Simons father, Sean, to whom Marianne must relay the news. She listens to her husbands unsuspecting voice knowing that it was the voice of life before, and that she will never hear it again. We meet the doctor who must gently extinguish all hope. And we meet the organ-coordination nurse, a man of enormous, delicate integrity, who must broach the subject of donation. He sings to know he is alive, keeps a goldfinch and, despite the presumed-consent laws of France, believes in respecting the wishes of the family absolutely. These characters feel less like fictional creations and more like ordinary people, briefly illuminated in rich language, beautifully translated by Sam Taylor, that veers from the medical to the philosophical.
A great void rises in Yann Martels new novel, and for the three men who act as the loose tethers of its three interwoven stories, the means of filling that void lies deep in the northern stretches of the Iberian countryside, among the scrubland and the stones. Spreading its action over the course of the 20th century, The High Mountains of Portugal probes the tender center of grief: Each of its three sections follows the fallout that results from the death of a mans wife.

The first, Tomas, sets out from Lisbon in 1904, procuring one of the first automobiles in the country as he tries to find a lost relic: Resolve surges in him. There is a church in the High Mountains of Portugal waiting for him. He must get to it. This metal box on wheels will help him. . . . Isso e minha casa. This is home. The car takes on mythical, almost magical trappings  it delivers unwieldy power and fear, which have their own dire consequences.

Tomass narrative burns with energy and mystery, but the two that follow, featuring men named Eusebio and Peter, drag to a slow swirl, entwined in a dense, allegorical dialogue that ranges from the nature of theodicy to the work of Agatha Christie to the behavior of the great apes. The cultural and physical landscape of Portugal looms over every page. This is a country solemn in its beauty, with its great outcrops of round rocks. Dark green vegetation that is dry and scrubby. Wandering flocks of goats and sheep. But it is the mountains that inspire the novels central characters, men constantly seeking what they may never find.

Crucial to the mood of the narrative is the Portuguese concept of saudade, an untranslatable word that conveys a desire for a past moment that may be forever unattainable. Saudade bleeds into the Portuguese language, which sounds, as Martel puts it, like a slurred mournful whisper. It can also manifest itself in the countrys people; one man notes that everyone he encounters smells of time and radiates solitude. At key moments, saudade is even manifest in the actions of the characters: Tomas chooses to walk backward, unable to tear his eyes from where he has been, objecting to the loss of what he once had.
The customs officer at Changi Airport in Singapore gestured at my girlfriends suitcase as it rolled out from the X-ray machine. He repeated his question for a third and final time: Are you sure you dont have anything in your bag that youd like to tell us about?

By now, panic had spread across my girlfriends face. If we confessed to what was in there, we would be in trouble. If we didnt and they searched her bag, things would only be worse.

She looked at me questioningly, as if this were my country, not hers. No, she said to the officer. We declared everything.

Thats right, I seconded with a fake, jet-lagged smile.

I wondered if, instead of getting engaged during our Asian holiday, we might be jailed. The contraband we had failed to declare was two cartons of cigarettes, but less than a dozen cartons can land you three to six months in prison in Singapore, even for a first-time offense. No wonder the officer had given us so many chances to confess.
The children sleep in an all-white box under another Ingo Maurer fixture, with light bulbs that sport wings and seem to fly through the air. After his first child was born, Mr. Hakakian said, the rooms theme  air  took on a double meaning for him, because my son is my heir.

The master suites theme is water, and there is little separation between bed and bath. Its not a bedroom or a bathroom, but a spa, he said. I think its the wave of the future. Its whats already happened with kitchens, which have become integrated into living spaces.

While the toilet is hidden in a closet with walls covered in aquamarine glass tile, the sinks are part of the main room, as are the steam shower and the stainless-steel bathtub, which sit in a glass box in one corner. This is the best thing I did in the apartment, Mr. Hakakian said. Sometimes I will throw my kids into the tub, and they will play while I am taking a shower.

He flipped a switch, and the opaque side wall of the glass box turned clear, making the bathing area visible from the main hallway. When I have people over, I will put candles inside this glass box, he said. It glows and really opens up the space. People walk in, and theyre shocked to see your bathtub, and it evokes an emotion, which is what I think design is all about.

Mr. Hakakian said his father, Nader, who founded DDC on the Upper East Side in 1991, taught him that selling furniture is an emotional business. He told me that people will forget what you say to them or what you do for them, but they wont forget how you make them feel, he said.

His father and maternal grandfather, Hedi Khalifian, ran successful furniture businesses in Iran before the 1979 revolution. And then they lost everything, said Mr. Hakakian, who immigrated from Iran when he was 9 and grew up in Kings Point, N.Y. He went to work at DDC in 1992 and was subsequently joined by his younger brothers, Siamak and Daniel.

A major turning point for the company, he said, was its risky move in 2000 from the heart of the Upper East Side decorating district to Madison Avenue and 34th Street, an area then best known for antique carpet showrooms. But DDC has since expanded to a second store at Madison and 31st Street, and B&B Italia, the Italian luxury furniture company, is building a store across the street.
This technology is expected to transform the real estate industry and, some say, make house-hunting more efficient. It can help to reduce the stress of relocating to a new city or buying from abroad and also allow buyers to visualize properties in development.

In some cases, the excitement of providing virtual-reality technology to clients has created an outsize sense of the technologys importance. One company was keeping its VR prototype secret, lest a competitor try to steal it. But whether the technology is ready for widespread use  and whether consumers really want it  remains an open question.

What is now available to consumers and growing more popular is the 3D walk-through. This is an updated version of the panoramic camera shots that were all the rage a decade ago. Theres no headset. Users move their mouse or arrow keys from their computer keyboards and devices to navigate through rooms and zoom in on apartment features. Halstead has 3D walk-throughs available for 30 listings, including one on Cornelia Street in the West Village, but its goal is to get its entire inventory online. Mr. Leone said that people stay on a page with a 3D walk-through 10 times longer than those without.

The Boerum, a 20-story condominium at 265 State Street in Brooklyn, wont be finished until late this year. But at the showroom of the developer and designer, Flank, brokers pull up renderings of specific apartments on a large-screen TV, using an iPad to move around. They can even take potential buyers over to the window to see the exact view, captured via drone. Buyers will know, for example, if their view might be blocked by another building.
Such is the forbidding allure of Los Angeless ever-expanding Arts District. In the last two years, more than 24 galleries have moved into the warehouses and decommissioned factories in downtown Los Angeles on either side of the desiccated Los Angeles River, including the Arts District and neighboring Boyle Heights, offering a new party destination for the citys thriving art scene.

Influential galleries from New York and London, including Venus Over Los Angeles, Maccarone and Ibid, have set up outposts alongside local galleries with fancy pedigrees like the Box (run by the artist Paul McCarthys daughter, Mara McCarthy) and Wilding Cran (owned by Anthony Cran and Naomi deLuce Wilding, the granddaughter of Elizabeth Taylor).

On the scrappier end of the spectrum are do-it-yourself artist spaces tucked into sunbaked strip malls, with their free-flowing beer and taco-fueled late-night ragers. High-end coffee shops and trendy restaurants have also arrived, creating a social hub far removed, both geographically and philosophically, from the stranglehold of Tinseltown

Its very similar to what I was doing at my spaces in New York, said Jeffrey Deitch, the former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, who is known for his scene-making Deitch Projects in SoHo in the late 1990s and 2000s. The social aspect is essential for artistic innovation. Artists working in isolation rarely have the same achievement.
His wedding-planning passion extends to his own life. Hes getting married in Ireland this year, as an ode to the heritage of his partner, Richard Durant.

Following are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Semple.

Q. How did you become a wedding concierge?

A. Ive had a great opportunity to work with some of the most talented decorators, photographers and entertainers throughout my 30-plus-year career in the hospitality industry and 23 years in South Florida. Since then, Ive built relationships through networking and involvement with groups like the Gay Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber and the Pride Center at Equality Park. So thats how I got the resources to create celebrations.

Was there a wedding that was particularly memorable?

I hosted a wedding in May for two women. One is an artist, and everything she did for her wedding was hand painted. There were personal touches on everything, from favors to place cards to gifts for her guests. Her partner, though, was the handier one. They had a beach theme, so she built props like a hand-painted surfboard and an Adirondack chair with their names engraved. She built a guesthouse for family coming from Paris.

And one that was emotional for you?

A couple Ive known in the community for many years came to me about having a simple yet elegant reception. The two had different ideas or surprises they wanted to wow the other with. The simple reception turned into this spectacular party because each had surprises that the other knew nothing about. I felt so emotional because I could see how committed couples that have been together for 30-plus years are to each other  especially now that they have the opportunity to be recognized.
Rates

From about 150 euros, or $158 at $1.05 to the euro.

Basics

The NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina opened last winter in a 17th-century palazzo that was, in the early 1900s, the home of Antonio Gramsci, the politician who co-founded the Communist Party of Italy. The 160-room hotel is part of the NH Hotel Group but offers slightly more luxurious lodging than is typical for the Spanish-based brand, known for its basic rooms and moderate prices. The historic five-story property has been given some modern touches, like the futuristic light installation and artistic photo-collage that greet guests at reception. But many period details have been preserved, including beautiful stone mosaics in a large central courtyard surrounded by arcades, which are suggestive of the covered walkways called portici that hug miles of boulevards and vast piazzas around the city.

Location

Conveniently located in central Turin on the southeastern corner of Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, the hotel is equidistant from the Po River and the grand Piazza San Carlo. Its a short walk to the train station, most museums and tourist attractions, as well as to the historic quarters many restaurants and aperitivo bars.
It was not exactly in keeping with Washingtons public image to enter the whiskey trade. One scholar, Dennis Pogue, notes that in 1755, Washington failed to win election to Virginias House of Burgesses after refusing to match his opponent in passing out whiskey, rum punch and beer. (The next time, Washington gave out alcohol and won.) He had been disgusted when his troops were incessantly drunk, and unfit for service, and he had offenders punished. (In 1840, one Baltimore society that tried to help people who drank too much honored his demands for moderation by naming itself the Washingtonians.) As president, he sent 13,000 militiamen to put down the Whiskey Rebellion by distillers in western Pennsylvania, who had risen up against the federal whiskey tax (designed by the secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton) and threatened those who enforced it.

But Washington was not averse to alcohol. He is said to have liked sweet wines, rum punch and whiskey. During the Revolution, he declared that the benefits arising from moderate use of strong Liquor have been experienced in all Armies. In 1782, American soldiers were given daily rations of four ounces of whiskey, which was supplanting rum as the nations most popular liquor because it didnt require molasses from the British West Indies.

And although he was happy to gain the additional income if the venture worked out, Washington, who had always taken great pains to make sure he was presented to the public as a leader worth emulating, may have feared having it widely known that he had become a whiskey baron. Feeling (or feigning) mixed emotions, the general was soon writing to a friend that Anderson had run me into a very considerable expence (contrary I may say to my intention, or wishes) to build a large new distillery, which was completed by the spring of 1798, and is considered, at a minimum, to be one of Americas largest of the time.

As it turned out, Washingtons whiskey business was a smashing success  he and Anderson couldnt produce the spirit fast enough. In October 1799, he wrote another nephew, Two hundred gallons of Whiskey will be ready this day for your call, and the sooner it is taken the better, as the demand for this article (in these parts) is brisk. According to Mount Vernon scholars, that year he produced nearly 11,000 gallons, which achieved a profit of about $7,500 (about $142,000 today).
Families that have members with disabilities are eagerly awaiting the debut this year of tax-free savings accounts that will help them set aside money for short- and long-term needs.

Known as 529 Able or 529A accounts, the special accounts are modeled somewhat on the 529 college savings account. Able accounts were made possible by the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, also called the ABLE Act.

Advocates for the disabled say the accounts are sorely needed. Without them, its hard for people with disabilities and their families to save without running afoul of limits on the funds they can accumulate, and still qualify for some government benefits. For instance, to remain eligible for Medicaid health coverage or Supplemental Security Income, which assists low-income people who are disabled, a disabled person generally cant have more than $2,000 in savings or other assets.

Funds in an Able account, however, wont count toward that total. So a disabled person can save for the future, or use the money for a range of needs, like health care, transportation and education, without risking the loss of government help.
Your portfolio of American stocks may have suffered lately but, to judge from major indexes, your portfolio of foreign stocks has probably done much worse for far longer.

Much of the difference can be explained by faster economic growth in the United States and a stronger dollar, which reduces the value of assets priced in other currencies. But all good  or less bad  things must come to an end, and many are encouraging investors to prepare for a shift in leadership and a prolonged period of relative strength overseas.

In the rest of 2016 youre going to have lots of opportunities in foreign markets, more than in the U.S., said Komal Sri-Kumar, president of Sri-Kumar Global Strategies, an investment consultancy. Foreign markets have had better valuations, and theyre correcting much more sharply.

Fundamental factors like the interest-rate policies of central banks also could make prospects more favorable for foreign stocks. The Federal Reserve just raised rates for the first time since before the financial crisis and signaled that it would do so four more times this year, although Wall Street is skeptical that domestic economic growth will warrant such aggressive credit-tightening. Other central banks, meanwhile, are headed the opposite way.
For $6,000 a year (and whatever their insurance pays), patients in its new Concierge Medicine Practice will get round-the-clock access to their doctors (initially, there will be three in the practice), as well as personalized nutritional, exercise and wellness counseling.

The idea of wealthy people paying doctors a retainer for exclusive service is not new. With concierge medicine, which was introduced in the 1990s, patients pay physicians a monthly or annual retainer and expect more personalized care and greater access. A concierge patient who signs up for a practice is not only looking for quality care, they are looking for unfettered access to their provider, said Dr. Michael R. Jaff, the medical director of Mass Generals Center for Specialized Services and a professor at Harvard Medical School.

There are pros and cons to concierge medicine  or direct primary care, a similar model  which, according to the industry trade magazine Concierge Medicine Today, is embraced by about 6,000 doctors across the country. (Another 6,000, the magazine estimates, are in practices that offer some form of retainer or concierge service.)

The upside is that it gives more time for patient-physician interaction, and the data shows that generally the more time a patient has with a physician, the better the outcome, said Dr. Wanda D. Filer, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The downside is that it can be very exclusive and difficult for middle- and low-income patients to afford. So theres a concern that youll have a two-tier system.

In recent years, concierge medicine and similar types of programs have spread from private practices to hospitals. Mass Generals embrace of it may prove influential.
Owning an island is the quintessential Ive arrived declaration, but many among the well-heeled are arriving through an alternate route: Theyre renting.

Farhad Vladi, president of Vladi Private Islands, a brokerage firm, has rented Fregate Island in Seychelles to Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, for $150,000 a week, he said. And Paul McCartney rented Cousine Island, also in Seychelles, for around 5,500 euros or $6,000 a night from Mr. Vladi.

Ownership does not have the cachet it once commanded, and renting is shedding its declasse image. Even among the very wealthy who could easily afford to buy an island, renting simply makes more sense.

And not just renting property. In other luxury categories, including exotic automobiles, designer frocks, private jets, flashy diamond jewelry, spacious villas and sleek yachts, the well-to-do are taking a cue from the broader shift to a sharing economy, epitomized by the ride-hailing service Uber, city bike programs and the peer-to-peer sharing of many goods and services.
Trust the experts, the saying goes.

But what happens when the experts cant be trusted?

Thats the question wealthy investors are asking after a string of cases in which advisers or sellers with blue-chip reputations have been accused of either staggering incompetence or outright fraud that led to multimillion-dollar losses.

Unwitting buyers have been left with forged paintings that were promoted as undiscovered Modernist masterpieces, counterfeit wines and even an apparently faulty estate plan that caused a $2.7 billion  yes, billion  tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service.

I think there is a real assumption that when you go to top professionals youre going to get top advice, and thats a fallacy in a lot of different professions from accounting to law to medicine, said Andrew Stoltmann, a securities lawyer in Chicago, who represents people who lost money in bad investments.

While faith in the experts is often justified, it is not an infallible strategy.

The estate plan, for example, was created by Deloitte Tax, a unit of one of the countrys biggest consulting and accounting firms.
LONDON  In an analysis of the challenges that gallerists are facing, Marc Spiegler, the global director of the Art Basel fairs, suggested last month that about 80 percent of the artists selling well today would be basically unsellable in 20 years.

But that is perfectly fine, Mr. Spiegler wrote in The Art Newspaper, because collecting contemporary art is about engaging with the zeitgeist.

It remains to be seen whether such a result will be fine with the thousands of buyers who have been led to believe that contemporary art is also a lucrative investment.

But Mr. Spieglers pronouncement, coming at what he characterized as a starkly transitional moment in the art world, is a timely reminder of the extent to which collecting is, and always has been, a gamble.
Perhaps its not surprising that many families know little about palliative care; it only became an approved medical specialty in 2007. It has grown rapidly in hospitals: More than 70 percent now offer palliative care services, including 90 percent of those with more than 300 beds.

But most ailing patients arent in hospitals, and dont want to be. Outpatient services like Mount Sinais have been slower to take hold. A few hundred exist around the country, estimates Dr. Diane Meier, who directs the Center to Advance Palliative Care, which advocates better access to these services.

Dr. Meier said she expects that number to climb as the Affordable Care Act and Medicare continue to shift health care payments away from the fee-for-service model.

Because most people with serious illnesses are older, seniors and caregivers should understand that palliative care offers more care as needed, not less. Unlike hospice, patients can use it at any point in an illness  many will graduate as they recover  without forgoing curative treatment.

Like hospice, however, palliative care focuses on quality of life, providing emotional and spiritual support for patients and families, along with drugs and other remedies to ease symptoms. Its practitioners help patients explore the complex medical decisions they often face, then document their preferences.

It pays off for patients and families. In 2010, a randomized trial of 151 patients with metastatic lung cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital found that those who received early palliative care scored significantly higher on quality of life measures than those receiving standard care, and were less likely to suffer from depression.

They were also less likely to get aggressive end-of-life treatment like chemotherapy in their final weeks. Yet they survived several months longer.
Jose (Kiko) Garcia July 3, 1992 During a struggle with police officers in the lobby of an apartment building, Mr. Garcia, a 23-year-old Dominican immigrant who the police said was carrying a revolver, was shot twice by Officer Michael OKeefe. What happened: Later that year, a grand jury cleared Officer OKeefe, supporting the officers assertion that Mr. Garcia reached for a gun before he was shot.

Ernest Sayon April 29, 1994 Mr. Sayon, 22, was standing outside a Staten Island housing complex when police officers on an anti-drug patrol tried to arrest him. Mr. Sayon suffocated because of pressure on his back, chest and neck while he was handcuffed on the ground. What happened: A grand jury declined to file criminal charges against any of the three police officers involved, apparently concluding that the officers had used reasonable force in subduing Mr. Sayon.

Nicholas Heyward Jr. Sept. 27, 1994 Nicholas, 13, was playing cops and robbers with friends in a Gowanus Houses building stairwell when Officer Brian George, mistaking the teenagers toy rifle for a real gun, shot him to death. What happened: The Brooklyn district attorney decided not to present the case to a grand jury, saying the real culprit was an authentic-looking toy gun.

Anthony Baez Dec. 22, 1994 Mr. Baez, 29, a security guard, was playing football outside his mothers Bronx home when a stray toss landed on a police car. Mr. Baez died after an officer applied a chokehold while trying to arrest him. What happened: Francis X. Livoti, who had been dismissed by the force for using an illegal chokehold, was convicted on federal civil rights charges and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, two years after he won acquittal in a state trial.

Amadou Diallo Feb. 4, 1999 Mr. Diallo, a 22-year-old immigrant from Guinea, was killed by four officers who fired 41 times in the vestibule of his apartment building in the Bronx. They said he seemed to have a gun, but he was unarmed. What happened: In February 2000, after a tense and racially charged trial, all four officers, who were white, were acquitted of second-degree murder and other charges, fueling protests. The city agreed to pay the family $3 million.

Patrick Dorismond March 16, 2000 Mr. Dorismond, 26, an unarmed black security guard, was shot dead by an undercover narcotics detective in a brawl in front of a bar in Midtown Manhattan, after Mr. Dorismond became offended when the detective asked him if he had any crack cocaine. What happened: By late July, a grand jury declined to file criminal charges against the detective, Anthony Vasquez, concluding that the shooting of Mr. Dorismond was not intentional. The city agreed to pay $2.25 million to his family.

Ousmane Zongo May 23, 2003 Mr. Zongo, 43, an art restorer, was shot and killed by a police officer during a raid at a Chelsea warehouse that the police believed was the base of a CD counterfeiting operation. What happened: In 2005, Officer Bryan A. Conroy was convicted at the second of two trials and sentenced to probation. The judge placed the blame for the killing primarily on the poor training and supervision by the Police Department. The city agreed to pay the family $3 million.

Sean Bell Nov. 25, 2006 Five detectives fired 50 times into a car occupied by Mr. Bell, 23, and two others after a confrontation outside a Queens club on Mr. Bells wedding day. He was killed. What happened: After a heated seven-week nonjury trial in 2008, the judge found Detectives Gescard F. Isnora, Michael Oliver and Marc Cooper not guilty of all charges, which included manslaughter and assault. In 2012, Detective Isnora was fired, and Detectives Cooper and Oliver, along with a supervisor, were forced to resign. The city agreed to pay the family $3.25 million.

Ramarley Graham Feb. 2, 2012 Mr. Graham, 18, was shot and killed by Richard Haste, a police officer, in the bathroom of his Bronx apartment after being pursued into his home by a team of officers from a plainclothes street narcotics unit. Mr. Graham was unarmed. What happened: A grand jury voted to indict Officer Haste on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter, but a judge dismissed the indictment a year later. Prosecutors sought a new indictment. In August 2013, a grand jury decided not to bring charges in the case. The city agreed to pay the family $3.9 million.

Eric Garner July 17, 2014 Mr. Garner, 43, died after Officer Daniel Pantaleo restrained him using a chokehold, a maneuver that was banned by the New York Police Department more than 20 years ago. The officers were trying to arrest Mr. Garner, whose death was attributed in part to the chokehold, on charges of illegally selling cigarettes. What happened: A grand jury, impaneled in September by the Staten Island district attorney, voted not to bring criminal charges against Officer Pantaleo. The city agreed to pay the family $5.9 million.
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The presidential candidates turned their focus to South Carolina, where the Republicans primary comes Feb. 20 and the Democrats a week later. Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz courted evangelicals at Bob Jones University. Donald Trump challenged his chief rival in the state via Twitter, How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest? A Cruz ad showed a boy explaining the features of a Trump action figure, saying, He pretends to be a Republican.
NYU study finds high rate of injection-related risk behaviors among young heroin injectors in two cities with emerging drug injecting populations

In the early 1990s, drug production in Colombia diversified to include heroin as well as cocaine, and since then the countrys role in the heroin trade has substantially increased. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Colombia produced approximately 70 to 100 metric tons of heroin between 1998 and 2004. Studies have found an increase in local heroin use since the mid-1990s. This is a strong cause for concern, given the potential for HIV to spread through networks of injection drug users and disseminate to the general public.

In 1999 the Colombian Ministry of Health confirmed the first cases of HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID). The threat of an HIV/AIDS epidemic in Colombia may be especially pressing, as increased incidence of heroin injection has accompanied the rise in heroin use. However, despite such concerns, drug injection in Colombia remains a largely understudied practice.

A recent study by Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, PhD, principal investigator with New York University's Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) and NDRI, Inc., examined injection risk behaviors among heroin injectors in the Colombian cities of Medellin and Pereira to explore the implications for possible increased HIV transmission within PWID.

The two cities were chosen because they are epicenters for street level drug sales and preliminary research indicated a sizeable number of young PWID in both cities, said Dr. Mateu-Gelabert.

Published in the journal of Substance Use and Misuse, the study, Heroin Use and Injection Risk Behaviors in Colombia: Implications for HIV/AIDS Prevention, began with six non-randomly selected PWID seed participants over the age of 18, who were chosen to recruit their peers, who in turn recruited their peers. Through six to seven waves of recruitment in each city, the study accumulated a total of 540 participants. Field researchers conducted a structured hour-long interview with each participant, and collected a small blood sample via finger prick to test for HIV. On average, participants were 25 years of age, with the median age being 24. By sample design, all participants injected heroin.

For their first time injecting, most participants (60%) report they were assisted by a close friend, 12% reported they were helped by other known people, and 17% reported they self-injected. On average, participants started injecting drugs at 21 years of age. Participants reported an average of 3.2 injections per day, 73% responded one to three times a day, and the other 27% reported injecting four or more times per day.

Syringe sharing was quite common among participants, says Dr. Mateu-Gelabert. "42% said they used previously used syringes provided by other PWID. Forty-nine percent of participants also reported sharing cookers, filters, or rinse water."

These participants gave several reasons for using shared syringes, most (59%) report doing so because they did not have their own syringe. However, 43% thought it was safe because they were selective of whom they shared syringes with, and 33% thought it was safe because they cleaned the syringe before using it. Of those participants who cleaned used syringes, 72% tended to clean them with only water, 18% with alcohol, and 7% with another cleaning agent (e.g. bleach or soap/detergent).

Sixty-two percent of participants reported giving their used syringe to a close friend for injection. Many participants also reported giving their used syringe to a stranger (27%), an associate (25%), a primary sex partner (11%), someone who paid them for help injecting (10%), or a first time injector (7%).

Notably, 55% of participants reported that the police or other authorities confiscated their injection equipment at least once in the previous six months.

Results from the blood samples collected found 2.7% of participants tested positive for HIV.

This figure is similar to the previously reported 2% estimated prevalence rate for the population of PWID in Medellin and Pereira, said Dr. Mateu-Gelabert.

By contrast, the HIV prevalence among PWID is 11% in the United States.

Both countries deal with a new generation of young injectors, says Dr. Mateu-Gelabert, in Colombia, driven by heroin production, in the US, driven by the recent epidemic of prescription opioid misuse in youth which has evolved into widespread injection drug use.

While HIV prevalence in Colombia is still low, Mateu-Gelabert warns this may be time-limited. The findings of his study indicate high rates of injection-related risk behaviors, coupled with limited knowledge of HIV prevention techniques. Colombia has an opportunity to prevent an HIV epidemic by implementing harm reduction interventions among PWID, says Mateu-Gelabert.

By highlighting the importance of such interventions in Colombia, the study underscores issues that may have important public health implications for other countries and regions faced with similar emerging heroin markets. Dr. Mateu-Gelabert says further research on heroin consumption in Colombia and heroin distribution routes to neighboring countries could serve as an early warning regarding the spread of heroin-related HIV epidemics elsewhere in Latin America.

Researcher Affiliations: Pedro Mateu-Gelabert a, Shana Harris b, Dedsy Berbesi c, Angela Maria Segura Cardona c, Liliana Patricia Montoya Velez c, Ines Elvira Mejia Motta d, Lauren Jessell a, Honoria Guarino a, and Samuel R. Friedman a

a National Development and Research Institutes, New York, New York, USA; b University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA; c Universidad CES, Medellin, Colombia; d University of the Andes, Bogota, Colombia

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Funding

This study was supported by the Colombian Ministry of Health and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime. The time of authors Mateu-Gelabert, Guarino, Jessell, and Friedman was partially supported by Grant No. R01DA035146 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Harris was supported as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Behavioral Sciences Training in Drug Abuse Research Program with funding from the National Insti-tute on Drug Abuse (5T32 DA07233). Points of view, opinions, and conclusions in this paper do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Government or National Develop-ment and Research Institutes, Inc.

About CDUHR The mission of the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) is to end the HIV and HCV epidemics in drug using populations and their communities by conducting transdisciplinary research and disseminating its findings to inform programmatic, policy, and grass roots initiatives at the local, state, national and global levels. CDUHR is a Core Center of Excellence funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #P30 DA011041). t is the first center for the socio-behavioral study of substance use and HIV in the United States and is located at the New York University College of Nursing. For more information, visit www.cduhr.org.

About New York University College of Nursing NYU College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science with major in Nursing, a Master of Science and Post-Masters Certificate Programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development. For more information, visit https://nursing.nyu.edu/
Southwest Airlines could soon be winging its way to and from Long Beach Airport.

The airline has been granted access to four flight slots at the capacity-controlled facility, an airport official confirmed Thursday.

Whether Southwest takes the slots is still up for grabs. Originally the airline sought nine slots that became available after studies showed the airport could add the flights without violating Long Beachs noise ordinances.

The company will need to determine whether that level of capacity makes initiating LGB service financially viable, said airport spokeswoman Stephanie Montuya-Morisky.

The airport offers flights from JetBlue, American and Delta Air Lines.

Of the nine new slots, JetBlue was offered three and Delta two.

No one can offer California what we do on a daily basis, especially with the attractive addition of our low-fare service at Long Beach, said Gary Kelly, Southwests chairman, president and chief executive, at an employee rally in Las Vegas.

Southwest so far has not announced destination cities to and from LBG.

The airline has about 180 days to begin operation at the airport. Its application must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Southwest operates flights out of John Wayne Airport. This summer, the airline added flights to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Chicago, Austin, Texas, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Southwest also added two nonstop routes in late November to Kansas City and St. Louis.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
HUNTINGTON BEACH  The city is back to where it started in its quest to find property on which to build affordable and high-density housing.

On Tuesday, after four hours of often emotional testimony from an overflow crowd at City Hall, the Planning Commission unanimously rejected the latest proposal by city staffers to provide for more than 500 units of state-required low-income housing.

The plan presented here was the worst solution, said Commissioner Dan Kalmick. We spent a lot of time and money to take us back to where we were two years ago.

With the vote, the Planning Commission also rebuffed the City Council, which had tasked the Planning and Community Development Department with finding diverse sites that could accomodate high-density housing.

City staff had been working for nearly five months on an amendment to the citys housing plan, and on Tuesday presented eight sites covering 16.5 acres with the potential for 519 units.

It was nearly universally condemned by the residents who came to the meeting  as well as the commission.

Talking about the seeming loggerheads among the City Council, Planning Commission and citizenry, commissioner Lyn Semeta said, Were between a rock and a hard place.

Mayor Jim Katapodis said Wednesday that he didnt necessarily see a disconnect between the commission and the council.

They flip things back to us all the time, he said.

Residents distaste for the latest plan to address the citys shortage of low-income housing nearly mirrors reaction to the original plan.

I think the citizens are pretty clear, Katapodis said. They want to stop affordable and high-density housing for the moment.

More than 50 residents signed up to speak about the proposal and all opposed it. Commissioners also said they received hundreds of e-mails in opposition.

It doesnt fit, Gino Bruno said about a plan to rezone land adjacent to Central Park that could provide 30 units of housing.

Bruno called the plan to rezone the area, arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable treatment of the Armstrong nursery property, adding that it would undermine pre-existing uses and rights of adjacent property owners.

Huntington Beach has been under pressure to find ways to rectify its low-income housing shortage since it received a letter from the State Department of Housing and Community Development saying it was out of compliance with state law. The rejected amendment would have brought the city back into compliance in the eyes of the state.

Also, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in November upheld a suit by the Kennedy Commission housing advocacy group asking that an earlier higher density plan be reinstated. That too, would have brought the city into compliance with the law, but the ruling has been stayed and it is under appeal from the city.

In May 2015, the City Council removed zoning to allow up to 4,500 housing units in the Beach/Edinger area, called the Beach Edinger Corridor Specific Plan.

Instead, the council voted to cap the housing at 2,100 units  after receiving complaints about the size and aesthetics of the proposed projects, as well as the impact on traffic, parking and noise.

When the city originally adopted the Beach-Edinger plan in 2010, it included up to 783 units for low- and very-low-income housing. After the changes, the number fell to 123 units. The state requires 533.

City staff originally responded by essentially resurrecting parts of the orginal Beach-Edinger plan. However, the council asked staff to look for additional sites.

After turning down the latest plan, the commission voted 4-2 for the staff to return to the Beach-Edinger plan and see if it could be reworked to fulfill low-income housing requirements.

One avenue the commission explored was possible outcomes if the city remained out of compliance. Jennifer Villasenor of Community Development said the state could impose a moratorium on issuing building permits in the city.

That brought a chorus of cheers from the audience.
Dita Von Teese knows a thing or two about fashion and beauty. For well over a decade the internationally known burlesque star and model has donned a variety styles that have been photographed and featured in numerous fashion publications and websites.

Whether shes out and about sporting her signature vintage pin-up girl look, walking the red carpet in one-of-a-kind gowns created specifically for her by some of the worlds top designers or stripping down to a barely there costume during one of her elaborate burlesque shows, Von Teese has dedicated her self-built career to all things extravagant and luxurious.

Shes now sharing all of her secrets via a brand new book, Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour, which she will be signing at Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach on Tuesday.

I wanted to write the book that I wish I had when I was first playing with retro-style glamour, the now 43-year-old said during a recent phone interview. The extremely detailed and hefty hardcover guide came out in December and she has since been out on a book tour and meeting women and men across the country who share her passion for fashion.

I love when I see girls that are getting better at being me than me, she said with a laugh. Theyre really getting the message of every day practice and creating some really great looks.

The local signing is also a bit of a homecoming for Von Teese, who now lives in L.A., but grew up in Irvine and was then known as Heather Renee Sweet. It was during her time at University High School when she started experimenting with vintage fashion and makeup. She grew frustrated as she skimmed through beauty guides in the 80s and 90s that focused on nice, natural and tasteful makeup.

There were just all of these rules like, You cant do this or that or mix this with that, she said. I wanted to write a book for people that dare to be different and dont want to follow the rules of beauty, but are instead interested in redefining what beauty really means.

As she worked as a cashier at Rubinos Pizza in Irvine and eventually took a job working in the lingerie department at Robinsons-May at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and Main Place Mall in Santa Ana, she admits that she went through a ton of trial and error with a variety of looks. Not having much money, she began purchasing secondhand vintage clothing.

I used to study old photographs, books and watch old movies and try to put them on pause at the right time to try to figure out on my own how to do my hair like them, she said. I just kind of came up with my own methods of doing things because I had no idea how it was done. I did that for years and years, and now I ended up putting the short cuts in this book so hopefully it will help people out.

The book, which she worked on with fellow Orange County girl Rose Apodaca, is much more than just a detailed guide to looking like Dita Von Teese. It has a lot of personality and several personal stories and interviews with fashion icons as well as fitness and beauty experts.

Von Teese said she thinks that beauty has a lot to do with general health and state of mind, which is why she included her Pilates and stretching workout routine and some of her favorite healthy recipes. However, she doesnt gloss over the fact that she will treat herself to a good alcoholic beverage and a slice of pizza every once in a while.

I do try to keep healthy things around the house so Im not gnawing down junk food, she said. I will keep small pieces of dark chocolate around, you know, stuff that isnt too naughty.

Throughout the book there are quotes and old photographs from beauty icons such as Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and Jayne Mansfield, whom Von Teese and Apodaca refer to as glamorous eccentrics that to this day remain powerful weapons of mass seduction.

The main thing is that you can see the way they transformed themselves, Von Teese said. Even if you try it and you dont end up looking like Marilyn Monroe, you can still capture that spirit. It doesnt matter what size you are, your shape, your ethnicity or your age. Glamour is something you decide for yourself. Its not about what youre born with.

Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com
For all the fear surrounding what prison realignment might mean for Orange County and the local crime rate, a recent county report on the programs first four years suggests that very little has changed for residents  despite nearly 8,000 former and would-be state prisoners being released to county supervision.

Nearly 1 in 4 of those felons were convicted again within a year of their release, under the new system set up under Assembly Bill 109. A little more than 1 in 3 re-offended within two years. And by year three, nearly half were convicted again.

But despite the dim picture those numbers paint, the re-conviction rates match up almost identically with and sometimes better than the historical numbers for how Orange County parolees fared under supervision of the state-run parole system, according to the report presented this week to the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The California Legislature passed AB109 in March 2011 in an attempt to reduce the states prison population by shifting responsibility for some inmates from the state to counties. Thousands of prisoners were sent to local jails, and others, who were set to be released, were relinquished to the supervision of county probation officers rather than the state parole system.

It was the largest shift in the criminal justice system that Ive seen in my 30 years, said Orange County Chief Probation Officer Steven Sentman. But as you look into year three and four, we have had a lower rate of recidivism than other state numbers.

Those state figures, however, included some inmates who had committed more serious or violent crimes, which means they wouldnt qualify for county oversight under the new law.

When AB109 was passed, law enforcement agencies around the county and state said the change would increase crime rates. Instead, Orange Countys eight largest cities saw huge crime drops from 2012 to 2014, with violent crime dipping 6 percent and property crime decreasing 18 percent, according to FBI statistics.

A Public Policy Institute of California report published in September says prison realignment did not produce the statewide spike in violent crime that some feared, but also did not provide the reduction in re-conviction rates that proponents had suggested it might.

Last year, many cities in the county experienced large jumps in property crime, but police departments have largely blamed those increases on Proposition 47  another effort to reduce prison populations, this time by downgrading some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors, giving some offenders little or no jail time for drug possession and minor thefts. More formal analyses on the effects of Prop. 47 are still lacking.

Even though prison realignment never became the boogeyman that some said it would be for the general public, the Orange County Sheriffs Department said it had one substantial impact locally: changing the makeup of county jails.

These are more sophisticated criminals, more prone to violating the jail rules, Assistant Sheriff Steve Kea said of the former and would-be state prisoners who entered county jails. As we integrated that population into the jails, we faced a security threat in those jails because of the high density of high-threat-level inmates.

Weve been playing catch-up since that time, he said.

From 2009 to 2013, inmate-on-inmate crime rose 99 percent in county jails, Kea said, citing a 2014 department report. During that same time, incidents where inmates were caught high on drugs or in possession of narcotics increased 418 percent, he said. County medical costs for inmates have also skyrocketed, he added.

But while AB109 has managed to reduce state prison populations, the law hasnt quite lived up to the other promise proponents made: that local agencies can do a better job in rehabilitating inmates.

Orange County has received $309 million in state funding since the start of the prison realignment to help with implementation, but most of that money has gone toward reopening some county jails and hiring probation and jail personnel, the county report said. Now, the Sheriffs Department says it will shift more of that money toward community programs to help those former inmates stay out of jail once they leave.

This month, the department plans to submit a grant proposal to the state to fund a program to help released inmates with drug abuse issues get clean. An expansion to the minimum-security James A. Musick Facility in Irvine, proposed to open by late 2018, would include new medical, education and other treatment programs. Other work-release, vocational and mental health programs have also been bolstered recently.

Establishing consistent programming is the next step, said Chris Bieber, chief deputy for the Orange County Probation Departments field operation bureau. I know it has been four years, but to be honest, were still catching our breath.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7960 or jgraham@ocregister.com
A 19-year-old woman who died Thursday after being hospitalized following a two-vehicle crash this week was identified by the Orange County coroner as Brenda Arriaga.

Arriaga was a rear passenger in a 2004 Ford Explorer traveling south on Coast Highway around 9:10 p.m. Monday when the SUV swerved across the northbound lanes near El Moro Elementary School in Laguna Beach and drove onto the shoulder and a dirt embankment.

The SUV overturned onto the north lanes and crashed into a Dodge Caravan. Arriaga and a 19-year-old man were thrown from the vehicle. She was taken to Mission Hospital, where she died shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday.

The man was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center. His condition was unclear Thursday night.

A 10-year-old girl also in the SUV was taken to the Childrens Hospital of Orange County with minor injuries.

A 56-year-old Portland, Oregon, woman in the Caravan was also hospitalized, but expected to survive.

Arriagas physician will determine her cause of death, said Kelly Keyes of the Orange County coroners office.

The driver of the Explorer, Kathia Isabel Rodriguez, 19, of Fullerton, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and wrong-way driving. She was released Wednesday from Orange County jail. The Orange County District Attorneys Office declined to file charges against her, according to jail records.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
CAIRO  When a doctor at a Cairo hospital told a police officer that his cut didnt require stitches, the response was startling and brutal. Police beat up the doctor and a colleague and dragged them off into custody.

The incident spiraled into protests by thousands of doctors in the Egyptian capital on Friday, a rare show of public outrage over police abuses that rights group say have escalated in the country. Such public demonstrations have become unusual in Egypt, where tens of thousands of political dissidents have been arrested and street protests without prior police permits have been banned since 2013.

While protesters gathered outside the building of the doctors union, known as the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, inside members called for the resignation of the health minister  in part because of his lack of support  and threatened to go on partial strike.

The standoff between policemen and doctors suggested that Egypts powerful security forces may have overstepped their limits by clashing with one of the countrys most respected professions. On Friday, the Arabic hashtag support the doctors syndicate was trending on Twitter in Egypt. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a prominent local rights group, said the doctors assault was a reflection of the level of police abuse of authority these days.

The protests were sparked by an assault on Jan. 28 in Cairos Matariya hospital, one of the largest in the city, which serves around 2,000 patients a day drawn from one of Cairos poorest neighborhoods.

The hospital entrance is surrounded by piles of garbage, and the surrounding streets are crowded with hawkers selling everything from used clothes to chickens freshly slaughtered on the pavement. A police office is attached to the hospital building so that officers are on hand to intervene in the regular scuffles.

Around 10 minutes walk away is Matariyas main police station, described by EIPR as a slaughterhouse because 14 people have died while in police custody there over the past two years.

The deputy head of the hospital, Mamoun Hassan el-Deeb, told The Associated Press that two young doctors named Ahmed Abdullah and Moamen Abdel-Azzem were attacked by two policemen  the officer with a scratch on his forehead, and his colleague.

According to the online and televised testimonies of Abdullah and Abdel-Azzem, they were beaten up by the policemen and one officer pulled out his gun and threatened other hospital staff.

A vehicle carrying around seven more policemen then rushed from station to arrest the doctors, according to a nurse who witnessed the assault. When one of the doctors tried to resist, he fell to the ground and a policeman stomped on his head with his boots. She spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal. The nurse was among a dozen hospital staffers who later testified in front of a prosecutor.

Inside the police station, high ranking policemen intervened to rescue the doctors and offered an apology.

The apology was not accepted by the doctors, who were deeply humiliated, hospital chief el-Deeb said.

A senior police officer at the Matariya station denied the assault took place, saying the doctors in question were members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. The accusation is commonly used to shed doubt on the motives of any dissenters in Egypt. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Abdel-Azzem said on his Facebook page that initially he filed an official complaint at the police station but later withdrew it for fear of detention inside Matariya police station, after officers filed a counter-complaint against him, accusing the medics of assault.

The withdrawal of the doctors official complaint added fuel to the syndicates anger. The union shut down the hospital for eight days and doctors threatened mass resignations if officers werent held accountable.

The general prosecutor ordered an investigation into the incident and on Wednesday, 13 days after the assault, nine policemen were questioned and two were detained. All were released on Thursday pending further investigation, but the Interior Ministry announced Friday that the two police officers have been temporarily suspended from work.

These measures have not been enough to stem doctors anger, and medics gathered in their thousands outside the syndicate calling for strikes and dignity for doctors.

I am the doctor, who is going to stitch my injury? read one sign held by a young female doctor. Next to her a medic raised a banner that depicted a rifle shooting at a white doctors coat together with the caption: Police are thugs. Others held posters for detained doctors including Ahmed Said, a rights activist and a surgeon detained since November for political activism.

Meanwhile, syndicate members voted to offer free services in public hospitals and to call a partial strike in two weeks time unless the officers involved are held accountable, measures are taken to protect medics from police intimidation and the health minister submits his resignation. The union said that any hospital in which doctors are assaulted will be closed.

This is a turning point in our unions history, said Hussein Khairy, the chairman of the syndicate, addressing a crowd of doctors so large it filled all three floors and the roof of the building. We want the rule of law. Assaulters, whether they are a doctor or a policeman, must be punished.

Pro-government media outlets painted the protest as politically-motived. Al-Assema, a private TV network, questioned whether Mona Mena, deputy head of the syndicate and a Christian, is an Islamist. Mena had urged doctors during Fridays gathering not to chant political slogans.

Yet others saw in the doctors revolt echoes of Egypts January 2011 uprising against longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. The January revolution hasnt died and today is a new chapter, Egyptian writer Mahmoud Mohamed Hegazy wrote on his Facebook page.

Outside the syndicate, Rashwan Shaaban, a doctor and a union official, addressed a cheering crowd, saying, I cant treat a patient while a gun is pointed to my side or a knife at my neck.
LOS ANGELES  Federal wildlife officials recommended Friday that three fox subspecies native to Californias Channel Islands be removed from the endangered species, saying their populations have made an historic recovery.

The foxes on islands lying just off the states southern coast were once on the brink of extinction.

Weve been able to stop impairment and recover a species, said Russell Galipeau, superintendent of Channel Islands National Park, which encompasses five of the archipelagos eight islands.

Four fox subspecies that live on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina islands were placed on the endangered species list in 2004. Disease and predators had dramatically reduced their populations.

Golden eagles that migrated to San Miguel and Santa Rosa devoured the foxes, leaving only around 15 on each island by 2000. The number of foxes on Santa Cruz Island dipped to a low of 62 in 2002.

The golden eagles were able to spread to the islands because the islands native bald eagles, which didnt prey on foxes, were wiped out there by the discharge of the now-banned chemical DDT into coastal waters.

Wildlife officials and biologists crafted a plan that included relocating the non-native golden eagles from the northern Channel Islands, killing off Santa Cruzs huge population of feral pigs that lured golden eagles, reintroduction of bald eagles, vaccinating the foxes against canine distemper and breeding the foxes in captivity.

Officials said Friday the fox populations have now recovered to self-sustaining levels. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is calling their resurgence the fastest successful recovery of any mammal listed under the Endangered Species Act.

As of last year, there were 520 native foxes on San Miguel and 874 on Santa Rosa, according to the group Friends of the Island Fox. The number of foxes on Santa Cruz Island had risen to 1,750.

It was a challenge but one of the nice things is we were separated by ocean so we could control a lot of the potential impact, Galipeau said.

On Santa Catalina, canine distemper brought over from the mainland reduced the fox population to 103 in 2000, but last year it was 1,717.

Officials are recommending native foxes on Santa Catalina island be reclassified from endangered to threatened, saying the potential for disease outbreak is a remaining threat.

Two other subspecies on San Nicolas and San Clemente arent endangered. There were 263 foxes on San Nicolas and 1,230 on San Clemente.

Tierra Curry, senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, credited the Endangered Species Act for saving the island foxes.

Thanks to its remarkable power, we can celebrate the successful recovery of the island foxes, Curry said in a statement.

Once the home of Native Americans, the Channel Islands were reached by early European explorers, fur hunters seeking sea otters, seals and sea lions, and then became a base for fishermen, according to the National Park Service.

Later came ranching, agriculture and military defense operations before preservation efforts began. Santa Catalina became and remains a destination for tourists and recreational boating.
Thousands of people in Flint, Mich., are turning to the courts to seek compensation for the contamination of their water supply. But, despite clear evidence of widespread lead exposure, they face formidable legal obstacles and long waits for any money they ultimately might receive, according to experts.

Ten separate lawsuits, including several class-action suits, have been filed so far in federal, state and county courts, as well as in a special court established by Michigan to hear claims against the state. The remedies sought include compensation for lead poisoning, refunds for water bills and damages for deaths caused by a Legionnaires disease outbreak allegedly linked to the tainted water.

One class-action lawsuit asks a judge to order the state to quickly restore drinkable water for Flints 95,000 residents. Another, which seeks damages, already has attracted 2,000 potential plaintiffs. Yet another was filed by a couple who say their 2-year-old daughter may already have been harmed by lead in the water.

On the face of it, the lead scandal in Flint, Michigan, looks like it should be a billion-dollar mass tort, said Nora Freeman Engstorm, a professor and expert on tort law at Stanford University. You have a clear villain . . . and you have very sympathetic plaintiffs. But, she said, the most likely thing that happens to you in this country when you are negligently injured is you never see a penny.

A similar saga in the District of Columbia shows how long the legal journey can take. Half a dozen lawsuits over lead-tainted water, the first of which was filed in 2009, continue to plod through the courts. A judge rejected a bid for a class-action filing in 2013. Though the facts in Washington are different from those in Flint, no one who has claimed harm from contaminated water, discovered as early as 2001, has collected a dime.

The main obstacle for the Flint legal actions is the well-established doctrine of sovereign immunity, which shields state and federal governments from lawsuits except in a few, narrowly drawn circumstances. The state of Michigan is immune from suit. Full stop, said Gil Seinfeld, a professor at the University of Michigans law school. This is recognized as a matter of law.

But attorneys who have filed some of the lawsuits said they are confident they will secure big damage awards. And an expert not connected to the case agreed the lawsuits could succeed.

The concept is that the government is taking away life, liberty or property without due process, said John Fiske, a California environmental lawyer who specializes in water-related cases. What were seeing in this case is that the right to clean water, especially if youre paying for it, should not be taken away.

The number of citizens lining up to sue grows almost daily. Many are driven by health concerns and plunging property values  and the sense that the legal system might right the wrongs that have occurred in Flint.

The only recourse we have left after all the marching, the meeting, the protesting, the petitioning, the phone calls and the basic begging for them to do their job and help us, is to go to the courts, said Melissa Mays, a mother of three who has signed on to five different lawsuits.

But even as people flock to the courts, they face significant legal hurdles in addition to sovereign immunity.

Individuals who may be responsible for the catastrophe have a form of protection, known as official immunity, that raises the bar for anyone trying to prove they or government insurance policies should pay damages, according to Seinfeld, the University of Michigan law professor. The city of Flint doesnt have immunity, he added, but its dire financial straits make it an unappealing target for anyone seeking compensation.

But some attorneys behind the lawsuits say they believe that they can overcome the roadblocks.

Brian McKeen, an attorney who represents Luke Waid and Michelle Rodriguez, the parents of the 2-year-old girl, said that one exception to sovereign immunity is gross negligence by the individuals involved. That should be possible to prove, he said, because the state has admitted that it neglected to ensure that anti-corrosive chemicals were added to the water when Flint switched its water supply to the Flint River.

This wasnt 1 just negligent; it was intentional, said Trachelle Young, a former Flint city attorney who is now representing local families in several class-action lawsuits. Immunity was not meant to protect someone when they are not carrying out their duties in good faith.

Attorney Geoffrey N. Fieger is also accusing several state employees of gross negligence in the four Legionnaires disease cases in his $100 million lawsuit. Michael L. Pitt, the attorney in yet another class-action suit, said his goal is to create a fund that would pay to treat the damaging effects of lead on childrens neurological systems. He said the fund could require $1 billion.

Yet another suit may skirt the sovereign immunity problem by asking mainly for a judge to order officials to provide Flints residents with clean water.

Were not asking for monetary damages, so we dont run into the problem of sovereign immunity that other claims might have, said Dimple Chaudhary, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the groups behind the effort. What were asking for is for government officials to take actions to solve the problem.

David Murray, a spokesman for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), said in an email that it would be inappropriate to discuss pending litigation. The Flint city attorneys office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Should the cases ever see a courtroom, Stanfords Engstorm said, the plaintiffs will face a difficult task proving it was lead in the water  and not lead in other parts of the environment or a disease  that caused each childs problems. Specific causation in lead cases is really difficult, she said.

That was one problem with the D.C. case. A judge declined to certify a class and allow a mass claim in part because the plaintiffs had too few common characteristics.

Ironically, the single biggest obstacle to compensation is the victims themselves: Excluding motor vehicle collisions, only 10 percent of the people who suffer accidental injuries ever seek redress, and only 2 percent ever file suit, according to a 1991 study of the tort system by the Rand Institute for Civil Justice.

That may not turn out to be true in Flint, where anger against government agencies has stirred up a huge pool of potential plaintiffs  possibly all 95,000 Flint residents, or at least the 9,000 children exposed to lead. Young said roughly 100 local residents a day  more than 1,500 and counting  have been signing up to join her lawsuits.

Fiske said settlements should be reached with the people of Flint quickly. I would want to come to the table right away, regardless of the technical aspects of the law, and morally and legally try to make this right, he said.

This is not the one you play hardball with. . . . You just do the right thing.
WASHINGTON  The chairman of the House Oversight Committee said Friday he has invited Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy to testify about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah said he appreciates Snyders willingness to appear before the committee and looks forward to McCarthys testimony as well.

No date for the hearing has been set.

Snyder said in a statement that he asked for the opportunity to testify about how local, state and federal governments have failed Flint. The Republican governor has come under heavy criticism for the Flint crisis, which occurred after a state-appointed emergency manager switched the citys water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to save money.

Democrats have complained that GOP leaders in Congress were reluctant to call Snyder to testify, despite multiple requests by Democrats to invite him. Snyder rejected a request to appear at another hearing Democratic lawmakers held earlier this week.

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said he was glad Snyder agreed to testify under oath about the Flint crisis after declining multiple requests to appear before Congress.

The governors administration and his state-appointed emergency financial managers created this crisis and he must answer questions so that the whole truth can be found, Kildee said. Flint families deserve answers from the governor and immediate solutions from the state about what is being done to make things right for the people of Flint.

Flint is under a public health emergency after its drinking water became tainted when the city switched from the Detroit system and began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014 to save money. The impoverished city was under state management at the time.

Regulators failed to ensure that water was properly treated, and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply. Some childrens blood has tested positive for lead, a potent neurotoxin linked to learning disabilities, lower IQ and behavioral problems.

In addition to Snyder and McCarthy, Chaffetz said he has called Susan Hedman, the EPAs former Midwest region chief, and Darnell Earley, who was the emergency manager for Flint when the source of water supply was changed. Former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling also has been invited, as well as Miguel Del Toral, an EPA water expert who wrote a June 2015 memo about lead problems in Flint that was not made public for months.
Public health officials repeatedly say the best protection against the flu is the flu vaccine. That advice is especially important for caregivers who work in hospitals and could pass the bug on to patients, who could face deadly complications from contracting a virus.

But not every health care worker heeds that advice.

Figures released this week by the California Department of Public Health show that vaccination rates for the flu among employees varied greatly last flu season at Orange County hospitals, from 36.2 percent at Kindred Hospital Westminster to 98.6 percent at Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Countywide, the rate was 86.6 percent.

Both Kindred and CHOC treat vulnerable patients.

Kindred is part of a chain of hospitals that provides transitional care to patients who need long-term assistance, including with dialysis, rehabilitation and respiratory therapy. The hospitals chief of operations in California, Brooke Saunders, said the vaccination figure is low because the campus houses regional administrative staffers who dont come in direct contact with patients.

At CHOC, the importance of getting the flu shot is communicated to new hires during orientation, and when flu season rolls around the shots are available to employees directly in their work areas, spokeswoman Denise Almazan said.

Its part of our culture, she said.

Some states mandate flu shots for health care workers, but California does not. It does, however, require the vaccines be offered for free to employees. Anyone who declines the shot must sign a form. Hospitals track that data and submit it to the state.

Some hospitals  CHOC and Kindred included  take the extra precaution of requiring non-immunized employees to wear masks during flu season.

We also monitor our employees for illness, and if any employees exhibit signs or symptoms of the flu we would ask them to stay home until they feel better, said Kindreds Saunders.

Nationally, 64 percent of hospital employees got the flu vaccine last season. In California, 82 percent were vaccinated in counties that require masks for unvaccinated employees and 78 percent for those that dont require masks.

Most workers who decline the flu shot say they dont think the vaccines work, according to a nationwide survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last years flu vaccine was only about 23 percent effective against the virus. Its typically about 60 percent effective.

The CDC survey also found that vaccination coverage was about 20 percentage points lower in hospitals that did not have policies requiring or recommending flu vaccination.

Contact the writer: jchandler@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @jennakchandler
SANTA ANA  The union that represents Orange Countys sheriffs deputies sued Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and the department Thursday, alleging that staff reductions, unsafe jail conditions and a series of critical missteps contributed to last months escape of three inmates.

The lawsuit contends that the department had further reduced staffing on Jan. 22  the day of the escape  and that in recent months a deputy no longer had been assigned to the roof of the Central Mens Jail, which the inmates used to make their way to freedom.

In addition, the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs alleges jail contractors may have inadvertently left behind construction equipment in the jail in areas easily accessible by inmates and that cutting blades were discovered in inmate areas just weeks prior to the escape.

Kimberly Edds, the associations spokeswoman, said the union filed the lawsuit to compel the departments leadership to meet with deputies before initiating staffing or other changes at the jail in the wake of the jail escape.

Hutchens will review the lawsuit and respond next week, said Lt. Mark Stichter, the departments spokesman, Thursday.

We are and always have been concerned about the welfare of our employees. Staffing is one of the many issues that are part of the ongoing review and administrative investigation (into the jailbreak), Stichter said.

Last week, Hutchens launched an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escapes, which went undetected for 15 hours and sparked a nationwide manhunt.

The lawsuit contends an inadequate number of overtaxed deputies were on duty Jan. 22 when inmates Hossein Nayeri, 37; Jonathan Tieu, 20; and Bac Tien Duong, 43, broke out of Central Mens Jail. All three were awaiting trial for violent crimes.

The trio managed to cut through steel bars and a metal grate, climb through a sewer tunnel and make their way to the jails roof, where they used a makeshift rope of bed sheets to climb down five stories.

The prisoners remained at large for about a week before Duong surrendered in Santa Ana and Nayeri and Tieu were arrested in San Francisco.

The date of the escape  Jan. 22  marked the first shift change of 2016 at the jail and the first day of a staffing reduction on the night shift, according to the deputies association.

No night jail staff had been assigned to the roof since the fall of 2015, including the evening of the the escape, Edds said Thursday.

Due to staffing reductions, deputies at the jail that night were overwhelmed by a fight in which an officer broke his hand, an in-custody death of an inmate and the discovery that Nayeri, Tieu and Duong had escaped, the suit said.

The combination of three major events on a single shift diverted deputies at the Central Mens Jail from their normally assigned duties, and the workload was such that deputies were diverted from other nearby jail facilities to provide assistance, according to the suit.

Citing another possible factor in the escape, the deputies association contends that contractors screened by nonsworn employees in the past inadvertently left construction equipment behind that is easily accessible to inmates.

The association said it has learned Sawzall reciprocating saw blades, designed to cut wood or metal, were discovered on two separate occasions in inmate housing areas in weeks leading up to the escape.

Some of the deputies who worked in the Central Mens Jail during that time frame were unaware of the discovery of these dangerous and potential deadly weapons, the suit stated.

The lawsuit also contends that a serious problem exists in the jail regarding the ability of staff to communicate with each other due to radios that are unreliable.

Deputies have adapted to relying on communications akin to the inmates they supervise, according to the suit. Jingling keys and pounding footsteps are a cause for alarm for deputies, indicating a deputy is in a hurry somewhere and may need assistance. The lack of reliable communication inside Central Mens Jail does not go unnoticed by inmates.

Deputies have been voicing concerns to superiors about safety issues for years, said Tom Dominguez, president of the Association of Orange County Sheriffs Deputies.

Those longstanding concerns coupled with a more violent inmate population and the recent significant staffing reductions at the Central Mens Jail forced us to take immediate action and file this lawsuit, he said. This is about the safety of our members, the jail staff, the inmates and ultimately the public we are sworn to protect.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 or sschwebke@ocregister.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline
BEIRUT  Diplomats trying to secure a ceasefire for the civil war in Syria fell short in organizing an immediate truce but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary cessation of hostilities in the coming week.

Foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group also sealed an agreement early Friday to accelerate and expand deliveries of humanitarian assistance to seven besieged Syrian communities. Those deliveries are to begin immediately after a working group meets on the matter Friday in Geneva.

Speaking for the group, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the results but noted they were commitments on paper.

The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them, he said.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had been pressing for a ceasefire to begin March 1, said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both the working group on humanitarian aid as well as the group that will try to deal with the modalities of the temporary truce. However, it was not clear if deep and festering differences between the U.S. and Russia on these issues could be overcome.

While humanitarian access is critical to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians in the short term, a durable and lasting ceasefire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assads government and the opposition are to resume on or before the U.N.-set target date of Feb. 25. The talks broke down last month before they really started, due largely to gains by Assads military with the heavy backing of Russian airstrikes.

Russia had proposed the March 1 ceasefire, but the U.S. and others saw that as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting. Both countries appeared to have made concessions on that front.

Despite the concession on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force, which will include military officials, will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago. At the moment, only two groups  the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front  are ineligible for the truce because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, should not be eligible for the ceasefire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assads military would continue against terrorist groups.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a broad endorsement of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted tangible gains in Iraq and Syria by March.

We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight, he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar U.S. aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.
The practice of politics today is perverse. Politics in a democracy should center around bipartisanship and compromise with members of all parties working together for the common good. Unfortunately, bipartisanship and compromise are virtually nonexistent in todays political arena. This has resulted in polarization and gridlock as Democrats and Republicans engage in a political battle of one-upmanship.

In todays political environment, who would want to run for elected office? My guess is: individuals who view politics as the last refuge of the faintly talented. Running for an elected office requires no experience or particular skills anymore. The only thing you need is an ability to get elected in perpetuity.

Of course, there are candidates for elected office that are exceptions. Intelligent, altruistic, honorable and principled people do run for elected office. Such a candidate is Ben Lindy, a 35-year-old Democrat, running in a contentious six-person primary race to determine who will be the Democratic candidate for the Ohio House 31st District seat (the Cincinnati area).

Lindy grew up in Cincinnati and attended local public schools. After graduating from Yale Law, Lindy came back to Cincinnati and founded the Southwest Ohio Teach For America program. Lindy today is executive director of the program.

The reason for the news coverage on Ben Lindy has to do with a Yale Law School research paper he wrote in 2009. The paper, The Impact of Teacher Collective Bargaining Laws on Student Achievement, was published in 2011 in the Yale Law Journal and just recently was included in a brief the governor of New Mexico filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. Lindy had nothing to do with the decision to cite his paper in the brief and had no knowledge it had been used.

Union leaders in Cincinnati viewed the paper as anti-union because they felt it could weaken worker collective bargaining rights. In a letter to Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke the union leaders called for Lindys party privileges to be revoked.

Despite Lindy subsequently stating I support the rights of people to bargain collectively (including teachers), union officials and Burke did not seem satisfied. I share a great deal of concern about what was said in that paper. Burke said I know Ben has a different view today, but its still a very bothersome piece. Burkes quote was taken from a story in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

What is so troubling about the HCDP response (aside from holding someone accountable for academic research seven years previously) is the fact that no one recognizes that Ben Lindy has devoted himself to bettering the education system for our children. He is someone who has worked diligently on education policy at the federal level and as an elected official would have the ability to make the system better.

For almost a week this matter was debated in the local press. Then at a February 4 HDCP committee meeting Lindy was grilled (local medias description) for 35 minutes by the 50+ member committee.

Subsequently, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer, two resolutions were put up for a vote. The first would censure him and revoke his party privileges. The second resolution requested by union officials, would chastise Lindy and reiterate the important role unions play in Democratic politics.

The Enquirer furthered reported by a small margin the HCDP committee voted down the first resolution and by an even narrower margin did the same on the second resolution.

It is appalling that party leadership would consider censuring someone for publishing a highly respected, empirical academic research paper because it does not toe the line 100 percent with the partys special interests. It is truly shameful that an individuals principled opinion and intellect is not respected and celebrated.

A college friend of Lindys perhaps said it best: If you met Ben, he would be the nicest and most trustworthy person you know. He has committed himself to education, which is the first step in building a better world for our children. If our state capitols were filled with people like Ben, wed have balanced budgets, flying cars and kindergartners doing calculus.

Ian Lamonts columns cover regional, state and national issues. Reach him at ilamont@lbregister.com.
KAMPALA, Uganda  South Sudans president appointed his fierce rival as his deputy in a possible government of national unity, raising hopes for peace even as the rebels described the move as inconsequential.

President Salva Kiir expects rebel leader Riek Machar to travel to South Sudan to become the countrys first vice president, presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told The Associated Press Friday.

I dont see any reason why he should not come to Juba, Ateny said, referring to the South Sudanese capital. If there is a reason, then he should tell the world.

Machars appointment will have no impact on the formation of the government, said James Gatdet Dak, a spokesman for Machar, who has been living in Ethiopia.

The appointment has come as a surprise because of the wrong sequence, but we have accepted it, and we have welcomed it, and it is in line with the implementation of the peace agreement, he said. Only it comes at the wrong time.

He added: We thought (Machar) should have arrived first in Juba and then be appointed.

Implementation of the peace agreement, signed in August, has stalled because Kiir ordered the creation of 28 states from the existing 10, undermining a power-sharing provision in the deal that gave Machars side control of two of the original states. Machar also wants the government to pull its troops from Juba, as called for in the peace deal.

The U.N. on Friday welcomed the appointment and urged Machar to return to Juba, the spokesman for the secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters.

Sporadic fighting has continued between government forces and rebels in some parts of the oil-producing East African country.

Machar had been Kiirs deputy until July 2013, when his firing triggered a political crisis that later boiled over into a rebellion following a violent split among the security forces in Juba. Some of the fighting was along ethnic lines, and both sides have been accused of carrying out serious crimes against civilians.

Despite the peace accord, both sides continue to seek new weapons, according to a report released last month by a U.N. panel of experts.

The panel said that as of mid-September, South Sudans government was apparently trying to arrange payment for four attack helicopters from a Uganda-based company, Bosasy Logistics. The rebels have received ammunition and arms from neighboring Sudan, the report said.
U.S. Immigration officials turned over to Turkish authorities Friday a former pharmacist who worked in Orange County and had wired money to Pakistan meant to support terrorists in 2010 and 2011.

Oytun Ayse Mihalik, 43, formerly of La Palma, was sent back on a commercial flight escorted by immigration enforcement officers, ICE officials said in a Friday statement. Mihalik is a Turkey native.

After arriving at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, officers transferred Mihalik to the custody of Turkish law enforcement.

She pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists and was sentenced to five years in federal prison in March 2013. In her guilty plea, Mihalik admitted she sent money to someone in Pakistan intending that the money be used to prepare for and carry out attacks against U.S. military personnel and others overseas, immigration officials said.

Using the alias Cindy Palmer, Mihalik sent $2,050 in three wire transfers to someone in Pakistan in late 2010 and early 2011. She was arrested on Aug. 27, 2011, as she prepared to board a flight to Turkey with a one-way ticket and has been in custody since.

As part of her plea, Mihalik agreed to forfeit her lawful permanent resident status and be removed to Turkey after serving her prison sentence. Department of Homeland Security databases show Mihalik arrived in the U.S. in July 2006 on a work visa and became a lawful permanent resident in January 2011.

She had fulfilled her prison term, spending at least some of her sentence in Dublin, Ca. Then she was released to immigration officials, who in essence kicked her out of the country.

Becoming a lawful permanent resident of the United States is a privilege, Adrian Macias, director for Enforcement and Removal Operations in San Francisco, said in the statement. ICE will move aggressively against those engaged in actions that seek to harm those responsible for safeguarding the very freedoms that privilege affords.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com
Investors headed by Freedom Communications CEO Rich Mirman will not be making an initial stalking horse bid to acquire The Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise in a bankruptcy auction, but said Thursday they still will be a bidder for the newspapers and related assets.

Friday is the deadline for stalking horse bids to be made to Freedom, the Santa Ana-based newspaper publisher that filed for bankruptcy protection in November. A court-run auction for the two newspapers and related real estate is set for March 16.

Mirman had announced at the time of the bankruptcy filing that his group would try to win the stalking horse bid, which creates an opening price for a bankruptcy auction. Mirman on Thursday told employees in a letter that his group made a strategic choice to wait for the auction.

We believe our interests are better served in letting the auction determine a fair price, rather than prematurely anticipating the right price, Mirman wrote in a letter to Freedom employees distributed Thursday.

Another group could be selected as the stalking horse. If this happens, we will have an opportunity to compete with their bid in an open auction process just like they would have had an opportunity to compete with ours had we been selected as the stalking horse.

Mirman added that, our decision to wait does not reflect any change in our desire to pursue the assets of the company, nor in our enthusiasm to actively participate in the bidding process. We continue to be optimistic about the prospect of winning the auction.

Freedoms assets are expected to draw significant bidder interest. One of Freedoms financial advisers told the court that bids could start at $40 million.

At least two other publishing companies may attempt to win the stalking horse position: Tribune Publishing, owner of the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune; and Digital First Media, owner of the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram and numerous other California newspapers. An acceptable stalking horse bid is not required for the auction to proceed. The sale is set to be completed by March 31.

Freedom filed for bankruptcy after an ill-fated expansion plan cost the company $40 million. But Freedoms ongoing operations are performing well, Mirman told employees.

January revenues exceed plan by nearly 9 percent and beat the year ago levels by nearly 2 percent, reversing a longstanding trend of declining revenues  a tremendous accomplishment, Mirman wrote. That growth helped the business generated positive cash flow, significantly exceeding the companys plans and 2015s performance.

It is a challenging time for our company to be sure, Mirman told employees. I hope you will take consolation in the fact that the bankruptcy situation is only temporary. It will soon pass.

Contact the writer: jlansner@ocregister.com
BRUSSELS  NATO dispatched warships to the Aegean Sea on Thursday to target people-smuggling operations, marking the most direct intervention by the military alliance in Europes efforts to control the huge wave of migrants seeking to reach the continents shores.

The operation  cobbled together during overnight talks  puts ships from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the front lines in combating smuggling networks in Turkey, a member of NATO. The smugglers provided a pipeline for more than 1 million migrants who entered the European Union last year, setting off humanitarian and political crises across the continent.

NATO officials said Thursday that their efforts will be aimed at monitoring and disrupting the smuggler networks, which have reaped massive profits by sending migrants and refugees across the narrow straits separating the Turkish coast and Greek islands.

But it remains unclear how NATOs plans will work in practice, given the complexities of integrating a military alliance into a policing and border-control operation.

NATOs mission will be sea-based, while smugglers remain on land after asylum seekers push off into Aegean waters, often on flimsy rubber boats. Also left unclear is the degree of NATO responsibility for assisting refugees in distress as boats overturn or sink in rough seas. German officials said Thursday that asylum seekers picked up by NATO vessels will be returned to Turkey.

Experts on Thursday cast doubt on the missions prospects. Alexander Betts, a refugee and migration studies expert at the University of Oxford, said the operation may not do very much other than potentially increase the price and risk of what is already a very dangerous journey.

The NATO mission reflects Europes continuing difficulty in managing a crisis that has strained resources and exposed internal divisions. Although a NATO role has been discussed for months, the decision to launch the operation was unexpected and came together only after a blitz of talks following a proposal from Germany, Greece and Turkey.

The last piece came Thursday morning when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced U.S. backing, just days after other American officials had played down the idea.

Minutes after Carter spoke, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that he had directed NATO maritime forces to immediately move toward the eastern Aegean.

It is important to respond swiftly because this crisis affects us all, Stoltenberg said.

Boatloads of migrants  sometimes more than 1,000 people a day  continue to attempt the risky journey to islands in Greece despite frigid waters that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent weeks.

Greece, a NATO member, has struggled to deal with the nonstop flow of people  most fleeing violence in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflict zones. The exodus shows no sign of abating as international efforts to broker a Syrian peace deal founder.

Speaking in Brussels, Carter commended requests from Turkish, Greek and German authorities to create a joint maritime mission.

This is peoples lives and destinies at stake here, and its important to act quickly, Carter said.

Under the plan, five NATO vessels under German command are to be tasked with reconnaissance and surveillance of known illegal trafficking routes. They will work in close cooperation with the European Union border force, known as Frontex, as well as the Greek and Turkish coast guards. Canadian and Italian ships are also involved in the mission.

Stoltenberg added that other NATO countries are looking to assist the operation in the coming months. He stressed that the goal was to counter criminal activity, not to block refugees from reaching Europe.

This is not about stopping and pushing back refugee boats, Stoltenberg said.

But in Germany, the NATO operation was seen as the last, best effort by the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel to put a dent in the number of asylum seekers, which is already far outpacing the rate of 2015. Merkel, whose political future depends on her ability to uphold a pledge to the public to drastically reduce numbers, has grown frustrated as European partners have reneged on commitments and as Greece has struggled to patrol its own borders.

At least on the German side, this is an attempt to finally get some action on the refugee issue  to show that were doing something, said Josef Janning, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations Berlin office. The talks with the Greeks are stalled, and Merkel doesnt have time anymore. She is under pressure, she needs to deliver lower numbers of arrivals, no matter how she does it.

The NATO mission, analysts say, could begin to change the dynamic by going after the smugglers who are integral to the flow of people into Europe.

These are established criminal networks, which are squeezing out millions from these people, benefiting from them and condoning as thousands are drowning, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday in Brussels.

German opposition politicians, however, harshly criticized the mission as a militarization of the refugee crisis. Some argued that it was not directed against the traffickers, as the government claimed, but against the refugees themselves. In a statement, the German refugee advocacy group Pro Asyl decried the mission as an attempt to block escape routes through Turkey.  This will lead to human rights abuses.

Other proposals to combat people smuggling, including an EU plan to challenge operations off the Libyan coast, have had relatively little impact and have struggled to get off the ground.

But in this case, the key could be cooperation between Greece and Turkey, former regional foes who remain wary of one another.

Greece has long accused Turkey of not doing enough to stop the flows. Turkey, in turn, has charged the EU with being hypocritical and overly demanding, given the strains placed on Turkey by the massive numbers of refugees who have flowed across its border with Syria. Stoltenberg said the new agreement ensures that Greek and Turkish forces will not operate in each others territorial waters.

NATOs top military commander said Thursday that the alliances new mission in the Aegean came together overnight Wednesday, following the Turkish, Greek and German proposals. It was, said U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, very prompt, quick political decision-making.

But he acknowledged that much of the detail surrounding how the operation will function in practice remains to be clarified, including protocols on aiding sinking vessels.

I cant talk about the specifics, Breedlove told reporters. There was rapid decision-making, and now we have to go do some military work.
I have a friend who emails me a ton of little writings of his, sort of just thoughts or little philosophizing kinda tidbits. I have no idea who he is as he has never given me his name, all I know is that he surfs, is a plumber and plays the banjo. And he has some interesting views on many things.

He sent me one the other day that nudged me into todays subject, which is on recovering. I had been thinking of this for a while and just had not had it coagulate in my pea brain enough to put down on paper yet. His mail did the trick and I think I am ready to try and lay this little ponderment down.

In surfing, as in life, you go through a zillion recoveries all the time. Like just now, I was in the middle of this sentence and made a typing mistake and had to fix it. That is sort of a tiny little recovery. Or like one night when my pal Bones Bellman was over for dinner. Also there that night was another friend and his wife who live in Mexico. Bones asked the guy, who is originally from New Zealand, where he lived before moving to Mexico. The guy said Texas.

Texas? Bones gasped. Why would anybody want to live in that horrible awful stinky ugly dirty cactus infested armpit of the world? (It was actually longer and more critical than that.) There was a pause while everybody waited for the answer. Then the guy very matter of factly said, Well, my wife is from Texas.

Without missing a beat Bones smiled all big and with a perfectly honey laden delivery says, Well yeah, the most beautiful women in the world come from Texas.

THAT was a nice recovery. He didnt get away with it, we all laughed our heads off. But it was a really great try.

Of course recovering can go many different ways. Like at my age it seems that I am constantly recovering from one injury or ache or pain or something that has to do with my body going through premature decomposition. And in my mind its always like I think I am gonna be all-better as soon as this one heals. Like there wont be another one right on top of it. It is just a constant state of recovery.

Which finally brings me to surfing.

I remember way back when I was a little kid growing up in Surfside and learning to surf. I loved to go to the surf movies and watch the really good guys so I could go out the next day and try to copy what I saw on the big screen. The hard part was dealing with surf movie curse. For some reason every single time there would be a surf movie, the next day would be flat. I would get up before light just to get out there and try out my new Phil Edwards head bob, or Mike Doyle nose tweak. And it would be flat.

But that really doesnt have anything to do with my story, so let me get back to the point. Another recovery, see what mean? Anyway, I used to love watching the surf movies. John Severson was one of the top movie makers, and he also published SURFER magazine. One time he offered a series of 8 mm movies for sale. We had a 8mm projector at home that we got when my dad bought a 8 mm camera so he could take surf movies of us.

I remember the night of the big showing when we saw hours of seagulls flying by and boats going by and neighbors walking by and a couple tail ends of our rides. Everybody wanted to kill my dad. That ended his surf movie-making career. But, we did have the projector, so I ordered all the movies from the ad in SURFER. One shot that always stood out in my mind from those little movies was of Paul Strauch at Makaha. He was doing a cutback and lost his balance falling backwards. But he put his hands behind his head like he was yawning or something and somehow pulled himself out of the fall and kept going. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen and that image stuck with me.

Through the years when people ask me what makes a truly great surfer, one of the things that comes to my mind is the ability to be totally out of control and keep you mind in such a calm state that you can just let it happen, flow with it and pull it back together. The really good surfers, like musicians, can do that and make it look like it was exactly the way they meant to do it all along. Kinda like the way I write these columns, its an art. (O.K., shut up. I heard that!)
HAVANA  Pope Francis met Friday with Patriarch Kirill in the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, an historic development in the 1,000-year schism that divided Christianity that may, however, be more about Russia asserting itself than any new ecumenical progress.

Finally! Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havanas airport, where the three-hour encounter was taking place. We are brothers.

They kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: Now things are easier.

Francis was having the brief talks in Cuba before heading off on a five-day visit to Mexico, where the pontiff will bring a message of solidarity with the victims of drug violence, human trafficking and discrimination to some of that countrys most violent and poverty-stricken regions.

The meeting and signing of a joint declaration was decades in the making and cemented Francis reputation as a risk-taking statesman who values dialogue, bridge-building and rapprochement at almost any cost.

Indeed, while the meeting with Kirill has been hailed by many as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The joint declaration is expected to touch on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

It is being signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin Americas first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirills willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding within the West and the Orthodox Church at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine. Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

The Russian church has long sought greater influence over the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.

This isnt benevolence. Its not a newfound desire for Christian unity, said George Demacopoulos, the Greek-Orthodox chairman of Orthodox Christian studies at Fordham University in New York. It is almost entirely about (Kirill) posturing and trying to present himself as the leader of Orthodoxy.

Popes as far back as Paul VI have met with the ecumenical patriarch, who is the first among equals in the 250 million-strong Orthodox Church and the only patriarch who can speak for global Orthodoxy. But the Russian Church is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful in Orthodoxy, and has always kept its distance from Rome.

Catholic and Orthodox split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands. Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

The most vexing issue in recent times centers on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the countrys second-largest, which follows eastern church rites but answers to the Holy See. The Russian Orthodox Church has considered western Ukraine its traditional territory and has resented papal influence there.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, the head of the Vatican office that deals with Orthodox relations, said the Ukrainian church will certainly come up in the two-hour private talks between Francis and Kirill.

I think it would be impossible to meet without discussing such issues, he told Vatican Radio. But he said the future significance of the meeting could not be overstated.

It will certainly forge relations within Orthodoxy: We still dont have contact with a lot of Orthodox patriarchs, and this meeting could help develop intra-Orthodox relations ahead of the pan-Orthodox council, he said. Improved understanding between Rome and Moscow will certainly have positive effects on the theological dialogue.

Such hoped-for progress may seem naive, since the Russian church has always been reluctant to engage in theological dialogue over the primacy of the pope, said the Rev. Stefano Caprio, one of the first priests who arrived in Russia in 1989 to minister to the Catholic community and now is a professor of Russian history and culture at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

He said the Russian position has long been: Were interested in ecumenism only in the sense of collaboration in managing the crises of a Christianity that is attacked in some countries by violent forces  and above all to unite against global secularization, he said.

He noted, for example, that Fridays meeting doesnt include any joint prayer  purely talks. Its not an ecumenical encounter, he said.

While a papal trip to Russia is still a long-sought dream, Caprio ruled it out for the foreseeable future.

It would be a bigger scandal than Pussy Riot, he said.

Immediately following his meeting with Kirill, the pontiff will fly to Mexico for a weeklong tour that will take him once again to uncharted papal territory.

Among his stops will be the crime-plagued Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, where his visit will shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the governments failure to solve entrenched social ills that plague many parts of Mexico  inequality, rampant gangland killings, extortion, disappearances of women, crooked cops and failed city services.

He will also visit the mainly indigenous southern state of Chiapas, which has the countrys highest poverty rate. There he will celebrate a very Indian Mass and present a decree authorizing the use of indigenous languages in liturgy.

Francis will end his trip in the violent northern city of Ciudad Juarez, where he will pray at the border for all who have died trying to cross into the U.S.  a prayer he hopes will resonate north of the border.
SAN FRANCISCO  Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley began mobilizing a global smartphone network Friday to detect earthquakes and someday send out life-saving early warnings before dangerous temblors shake the distant ground.

In a crowdsourcing program called MyShake, the scientists released the first quake-detecting mobile app for Android phones, available free on Google Play, and said a second app for Apple iPhones will be available soon.

The MyShake app has been tested with 300 volunteer smartphone users across an area of nearly 4,000 square miles and it showed that the quake-detection system performed well, said Richard Allen, director of UC Berkeleys Seismological Laboratory, who is leading the project.

But we would need many more than that in the real world, he said. About 3,000 would be a good number, and the system will always be better the more phones there are participating.

The next step, he said, is to refine the system to send out alerts seconds to minutes before dangerous seismic waves shake the ground.

Modern mobile phones contain built-in motion sensors called accelerometers that can detect a phones smallest vibrations. The phones also contain GPS systems that activate periodically to determine their precise location.

When an earthquake ruptures the ground, smartphones with the MyShake app can sense the first shaking, analyze it, and instantly relay the information to a specialized cloud server that collects it from other phones in the system and determines the quakes magnitude, Allen said.

A ground-based early-warning network called ShakeAlert is now being developed and tested with hundreds of traditional seismic stations in California and the Pacific Northwest.

MyShake wont replace traditional seismic networks for quake detection, Allen said. But we think it can make earthquake early warnings faster and more accurately in areas that do have a traditional seismic network, and could provide life-saving early warning in countries that experience many destructive earthquakes but have very few conventional seismic detectors.

Crowdsourced networks of mobile phones could prove to be the only option for many quake-prone regions of the world where seismic stations are rare and populations are dense, but smartphones are widely used, Allen said.

For example, Allen noted that an estimated 1.6 billion mobile phones are now in use around the world, and more than 80 percent of them run on the Android operating system. In Nepal alone, he said, some 6 million smartphones are in use and 600,000 of them are in Kathmandu, the nations densely populated capital.

A violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck there last April, killing more than 8,000 people. Its epicenter was some 50 miles from Kathmandu.

There are hardly any conventional seismic stations in the region there, Allen said, but a network of mobile phones in full operation would have detected that quake and, based on its distance from the capital, the network would have provided 20 seconds of early warning that could have saved many lives.

At the UC Berkeley seismology lab that Allen directs, graduate student Qingkai Kong developed the first quake detection algorithm for MyShake smartphones and tested its ability in the strong vibrations produced by 45 simulated earthquakes at the universitys large seismic shaketable at the Richmond Field Station.

This cutting-edge research will transform seismology, Kong said. Using smartphones with low-cost sensors will give us a really good, dense network in the future.

Allen announced the MyShake project Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington. A report on its progress is published in the journal Science Advances.

Developing the MyShake system is supported by a $1 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and other essential algorithms were developed by Silicon Valley programmers at the Deutsche Telekom Innovation Center in Mountain View.

We do telephones, we write code, and now we do seismology, said Louis Schreier, vice president of the center who is also a co-author of the report in Science Advances.

Another system linking smartphones to dangerous earthquake detection and early warning of ground shaking is being developed by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, and early versions are being tested in Chile.
FARGO, N.D.  A North Dakota police officer died Thursday of a gunshot wound suffered while responding to a domestic disturbance hours earlier, becoming just the second Fargo officer to die in the line of duty and the first in more than a century.

Officer Jason Moszer, 33, a six-year veteran of the force with a wife and two children, died about 12:45 p.m. Moszer was hit while standing outside a house near downtown about 7 p.m. Wednesday, and police had warned overnight that he wasnt expected to survive.

Family members visited him in a hospital early Thursday to say goodbye, Fargo Police Chief David Todd said.

Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said in a statement the city was profoundly saddened by the death of Moszer, who won a Silver Star commendation after he and another officer were credited with risking their lives in 2011 to rescue two children from an apartment fire.

A tragedy affecting our men and women in uniform impacts our entire community, Mahoney said in a statement.

Moszer graduated from Fargo South High School in 2001 and from North Dakota State University in 2009.

The suspected shooter, Marcus Schumacher, 49, was found dead shortly before dawn Thursday. Police said they werent sure whether Schumacher died of a police bullet or shot himself.

Schumacher was convicted in 1989 in the shooting death in Grand Forks a year earlier of 17-year-old Maynard Clauthier. Schumacher was initially convicted of manslaughter and reckless endangerment, but won a new trial and was eventually convicted instead of negligent homicide and sentenced to five years.

Separate court documents show that Schumacher was convicted of disorderly conduct in January 2013. He received a 30-day suspended jail sentence and served a year of probation.

The violence shook Fargo, which is North Dakotas largest city but has a low crime rate. The only other Fargo police officer killed in the line of duty was Frederick Alderman, who was shot to death July 5, 1882, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a national nonprofit group that keeps records of fallen officers.

Late Thursday, about 200 people gathered for a candlelight vigil in Moszers honor, KFGO-AM reported.

Moorhead Police Officer Nicole Reno said Moszer made jokes when he needed to get through the day and was just really a great officer, the station reported.

Todd said earlier that Schumacher had exchanged gunfire with a SWAT officer. He said a squad car at the scene was fired on and he believed Schumacher was targeting police. A SWAT team in an armored vehicle retrieved Moszer and took him to a hospital.

Police said officers were initially sent to the scene after Schumachers son called dispatchers and said Schumacher had fired a gun at his mother, Schumachers wife. The caller and his mother escaped the home unharmed.

Police said they tried to communicate with Schumacher through negotiators, but that he didnt respond and the SWAT team eventually entered the house and found the body.

Sarah Stensland, 26, lives less than a block from the suspects home. She said she and her girlfriend locked the doors, turned off the lights and hunkered down in the basement for the night.

We were scared. We could hear gunshots very clearly, even from the basement, she said. I felt like my nerves were on edge all night. Im just exhausted.
FERGUSON, Mo.  As Ferguson prepares to do legal battle with the Justice Department, the citys leaders have acknowledged the possibility that they might someday disband the police department and cede law enforcement to another agency.

The question is: Would anyone else want it?

The federal government sued Ferguson on Wednesday, just a day after an agreement to radically reshape the citys police and municipal court practices fell apart.

On Tuesday, the Ferguson City Council approved the settlement, but with seven amendments. In the eyes of the Justice Department, that amounted to rejection.

Among the attempted changes was a statement that the terms of the agreement would not apply if another agency takes over duties currently provided by Ferguson, such as policing.

But Attorney General Loretta Lynch said allowing the city to evade terms of the agreement by transferring control of the police to another state entity was simply unconscionable and would allow local leaders to escape the requirements almost anytime.

Wesley Bell, the Ferguson city councilman who authored the amendments, said Wednesday that giving up control of police duties would be a last resort.

Our goal is to have our police department do our policing and be the gold standard of policing in the region, if not the country, Bell said. However, if it came to a point where we did need to contract with another department, we are open to language that guarantees constitutional policing.

He acknowledged that takeover could eventually prove necessary if the city cannot afford the reforms, which is possible. A recent financial analysis estimated the cost of the mandates at up to $3.7 million in the first year alone.

We dont want language that would discourage other agencies from providing services to assist the city of Ferguson, Bell said.

The federal lawsuit was just the latest fallout from the federal scrutiny that followed the police shooting death of Michael Brown. The unarmed, black 18-year-old was fatally shot by white officer Darren Wilson in August 2014 during a street confrontation.

A grand jury and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Wilson, concluding evidence backed his claim that he shot Brown in self-defense after Brown first tried to grab the officers gun during a struggle through the window of Wilsons police vehicle, then came toward him threateningly after briefly running away. Wilson resigned in November 2014.

The following year, a Justice Department report found that Ferguson police disproportionately targeted black residents with stops and searches and arrested many without legal justification.

Ferguson is among 90 municipalities in sprawling St. Louis County. Many have their own police departments, ranging from a few officers to nearly 100 in the biggest towns, Chesterfield and Florissant.

Fifty-one municipalities contract with St. Louis County for some police services, including 17 that give total policing control to the county, according to county police spokesman Brian Schellman.

In March, a week after the critical Justice Department report, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar wrote to then-Attorney General Eric Holder seeking to take over in Ferguson, according to records released by county police to The Associated Press on Thursday.

As the events precipitated by the Michael Brown shooting continue, it has become clear that despite their best efforts, the Ferguson Police Department does not have the resources or wherewithal to handle the events in a manner that is beneficial to the region, Belmar wrote on March 12.

But Belmars request included the caveat that the county would not be subject to conditions of any Justice Department mandate.

The Justice Department turned down the request. Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, said in a letter to Belmar than it would be up to Fergusons government and residents to decide whether to disband the department.

If the county is ever asked to take over policing in Ferguson, we would consider the implications of the agreement before entering into any arrangement, Schellman said Wednesday.

Otherwise, options are few.

Most other departments near Ferguson are too small to take on the additional responsibility. Florissant borders Ferguson to the north and has about twice as many officers as Ferguson. It was not clear if the city would consider contracting. The police chief was out of the office Thursday, and a police spokesman declined comment.

Four tiny municipalities near Ferguson  Vinita Park, Vinita Terrace, Wellston and Charlack  formed into one police department last summer, known as the North County Police Cooperative. The chief is Tim Swope, who did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Remy Cross, a criminology professor at Webster University in suburban St. Louis, said that in the end, cooler heads will prevail and some agreement would be reached if Ferguson police disbanded.

You dont want basically a lawless area, Cross said. The county could bring in neighboring towns and say, Lets not be children here. Come to the table and figure out how to do this.
SACRAMENTO  Current state plans for a $68 billion high-speed rail system would not get passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the time voters were promised when they approved the project, attorneys for a group of landowners opposing the system argued in court Thursday.

In addition, estimated ridership figures for shorter trips are not reliable, and operation and maintenance costs are likely to exceed projections, the lawyers said.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny heard the arguments in the second phase of a court challenge filed in 2011. Landowners and Kings County sued the California High-Speed Rail Authority, arguing that the state can no longer guarantee it will follow through on promises made in 2008 when voters approved selling nearly $10 billion in bonds for the system.

Voters were told the nations first high-speed trains would whisk travelers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in two hours and 40 minutes and the system would operate without a government subsidy. It was also pitched as a stand-alone system that would not have to share tracks with other rail lines.

Since then, state officials have made political compromises to ensure the projects survival, but opponents argue that the changes make it impossible to follow through on the promises to voters.

Also at issue in court Thursday was how much latitude rail planners have to deviate from the plan laid before voters in 2008.

What theyre doing is something they cant finish, at least at the moment, plaintiffs attorney Stuart Flashman argued. And thats not financially viable.

Deputy Attorney General Sharon OGrady said all the rail authoritys decisions are in voters best interests. She said engineers remain confident about the claims, including the ability for trains to travel between San Jose and San Francisco in 30 minutes, despite a so-called blended system in which high-speed rail would share tracks with Caltrain commuter trains.

Its saving $30 billion to go with the blended system, which should be in the interest of the taxpayers, the voters and everyone, OGrady said.

High-speed rail spokeswoman Lisa Marie Alley said the agency is designing and building a system capable of achieving the requirements.

In recent months, rail officials have touted construction of a viaduct in Madera County, the first visible sign of construction.

However, officials have been working for years to acquire the thousands of parcels of land required for the project, but currently have only about two-thirds of the parcels needed for the first 29 miles in the Central Valley.

Opposition has mounted in Southern California, where bullet train officials are weighing four potential routes.

Judge Kenny previously ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, agreeing the state had failed to meet the mandates that it identify funding for the first useable segment before starting construction and have all the needed environmental clearances in hand. An appeals court reversed the ruling, saying the lawsuit was premature.

The judge has up to 90 days to issue a decision.
Super King Markets will replace a former Ralphs location at 2741 W. MacArthur Blvd. in Santa Ana which closed on Oct. 23. Super King Markets plans to open this summer.

Super King Markets currently has six locations, including one in Anaheim. The grocer offers a variety of international foods.

Over the last year, Ralphs has downsized its presence in Orange County, as the field of niche supermarket brands continues to grow here. Last year Ralphs also closed locations at E. Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim and a Tustin location on Irvine Boulevard, off Newport Avenue, at the Tustin Heights Shopping Center

Ralphs is among a handful of conventional grocery brands competing with niche players entering the Southern California market including Orange County.

Haggen and Fresh & Easy both filed for bankruptcy and exited the market last year.

Even so, niche players are finding Southern Californias grocery marketplace irresistible. Gelsons Markets and Smart & Final will be expanding in the county. Discounters Aldi and Grocery Outlet are also looking to create a foothold in Orange County. Grocery Outlet has already opened a handful of locations, while Aldis grocery stores will open in March.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
One if by land and two if by Talbert Lake.

The British are coming this weekend for the first Revolutionary War reenactment at Central Park. Brought to you by the same group that stages the popular Huntington Beach Civil War Days, the Revolution, as its billed, will follow a similar format with troops encamping in the park and battles being waged over two days.

Although it wont be of the size and scale of the Civil War event, now in its 23rd year, the Revolution  to be held Saturday and Sunday  has room to grow.

There will be two cannons instead of 12, said Darrell Rivers, president of the Huntington Beach Historical Society, which is staging the event.

However, the Huntington Beach Colonial reenactment will be the largest of its kind on the West Coast.

The reenactment will also serve as a kind of homage to Maureen Rivers, Darrell Rivers grandmother, who died recently at age 79.

Shes the voice in the back of my head saying the Revolution is more important than the Civil War, Rivers said with a laugh.

Maureen Rivers came to California from Lexington, Mass. and wanted to create a reenactment like those she witnessed as a child. Although she helped organize several small Revolutionary War-themed events at the historic Newland House in the 1990s, and there were presentations by the Historical Society during Presidents Day weekends, according to Darrell Rivers, this takes it to a new level.

While Revolution reenactments are common on the East Coast, they are rare in the west. The closest similar events are The American Heritage Festival in Arizona and the Fourth of July Colonial Heritage Festival in Utah that draws 40,000 visitors and participants annually.

Were not surrounded by (U.S.) history in California, so we have to make our own, Rivers said.

Unlike the Civil War reenactment, there should be no flag flaps. Last year, there was a bit of a stir about the use of Confederate battle flags in the wake of the killing of nine black parishioners in South Carolina last June and racial strife and issues nationally.

With the Revolution, there is little debate about race, Northern aggression, states rights or other issues that continue after the Civil War.

This event isnt nearly as political, Rivers said. I think everyone can get behind the destruction of tyranny.

The event will have David Grace as George Washington leading the rag-tag Continental Army and militia. There are also rumors that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams will also make appearances.

Ben Franklin, portrayed by Gregg Hardy, will be on hand to talk about the life of the Founding Father and, among other things, some of the scientific advances he helped spur.

Hardy, who is part of the Colonial Heritage Foundation in Utah and does 20 to 40 events a year as Franklin, is happy to see the Revolution come to Huntington Beach.

He said the Revolution and similar events are important to help people understand how we became the Americans we are today.

Ryan Doezie, 27 of Placentia, works in construction most of the year, but on the weekend he will recall his familys lineage as French royalty when he portrays the Marquis de Lafayette.

Doezie, who also regularly participates in Civil War Days, helped recruit the reenactors for this event and calls it a labor of love.

I personally think its a very important time period, he said of the Revolutionary period. Its good to remember what people sacrificed.

He said reenactments help history come alive.

While boys and bigger boys may enjoy the gun and cannon fire, there will also be demonstrations of crafts, womens fashions, dancing and music from the period, he said.

The Crown will be represented by a group from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, led by Jack Pritchard.

A retired firefighter who lives in Norco, Pritchard, 63, has led his troops in events at the Nixon and Reagan libraries and did demonstrations in the past as part of Huntington Beachs Civil War Days.

Well have a good group out there, he said, adding that in addition to the fusiliers, there would be other living history actors teaching about a wide array of aspects of Colonial life.

For many of the reenactors, there is tremendous attention to detail and authenticity.

So, what is the toughest parts about being a Revolution reenactor to Rivers? No facial hair.

In the 18th century there was no evidence of facial hair, said Rivers, who normally wears a full beard. Even two weeks stubble was unseemly.
Bravos Top Chef left us with a cliffhanger last week as Part 1 of the show classic, Restaurant Wars, ends with Amar Santanas team failing to complete lunch service within the allotted time.

After seeing lunch service, we learned exactly what not to do for dinner, Santana says as the competition gets underway for his District LA team.

But as executive chef for Part 2 of Restaurant Wars, can Orange Countys Santana lead his team to victory? Will his strategy of letting Phillip Frankland Lee take front of the house duties backfire or prove brilliant?

Heres how Episode 10 plays out.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Episode: Restaurant Wars, Part 2

Elimination Challenge: After a lousy lunch service led by hot shot Crudo King Jeremy Ford, Santana takes over at dinner. But District LA is woefully unprepared. Fords critical error to VIP the judges at lunch puts them way behind on prep, theyre still serving the other guests while theyre supposed to be prepping for dinner.

Everyone is scrambling to get dishes ready.

Over at Palate, Karen Akunowicz is in the weeds with her trout, and has abandoned her duties as front of the house. Marjorie Meek-Bradley a proven all-star utility player steps up to pinch hit. She runs to the dining room to instruct the servers, allowing the in-over-her head Akunowicz to finish her fish prep.

Over at District LA, the kitchen is tense. Ford is disorganized and Lee and Kwame Onwuachi are still butting heads over how to plate Lees strawberry salad with the soupy dressing. Lee, who is taking on general manager duties, caves and allows Onwuachi to take a shortcut.

Before service begins, the always cocky Lee instructs the servers how to serve his strawberry dish. He wants them to tell guests to smash the leafy greens and fresh strawberries with the sauce. Santana stops him cold: Dont teach people how to eat.

Besides taking on the pressure of executive chef, Santana prepares two courses: a chilled avocado gazpacho with king crab salad and a main entree of slow braised pork belly with a barbecue sauce consomme.

The judges hit Palate first and call the tasting menu ambitious. Host Padma Lakshmi raises an eyebrow when she sees tripe (cow stomach lining)  something she rarely eats. But restaurateur Bill Chait of Bestia clues her in that organ meats are now more commonplace because younger foodies are adventurous eaters.

Turns out Lakshmi likes it, and Meek-Bradleys bread which judge Gail Simmons calls savory monkey bread. Though head judge Tom Coliccho moaned at another crudo dish, he and the other judges found Carl Dooleys appetizer delicious. Issac Toups, solid as executive chef during lunch, is cook and expeditor. He makes a braised lamb shoulder with couscous that also impresses the judges.

Palates loser dishes were Meek-Bradleys strange panna cotta dessert and Akunowiczs terrible overcooked trout.

Back at District LA, service is not getting any better. Fords rib-eye steaks are sent back raw. Onwuachs foamy cucumber amuse-bouche is not wowing anyone, especially the judges.

Its horrible, Colicchio and Chait both say.

Lees overly complicated strawberry dish angers judge Gail Simmons. It felt stupid. Like it had no purpose.

Sensing errors are snowballing, Santana lowers the boom: If I go home for one of your mistakes, Im gonna come find you.

His avocado gazpacho with lemon pudding and fried tortillas drew a slightly better reaction. It was odd but I kept going back for more, Simmons said.

But a snarky Colicchio said it was the best nachos hed eaten all day.

It gets worse. Service is clunky with wait staff topping off wine that hasnt been sipped, and clearing plates too early. Theres not a lot of finesse, Chait says of the hospitality.

The judges also ding Lee for going on and on at each table as he boasts about his Los Angeles restaurants.

Fords risotto dish is flavorless and gluey. Onwuachis roasted Amish chicken thigh is bland. Santanas pork belly has a funky vinegar sauce that makes Simmons cringe.

As service ends, its clear that District LA played the every man for himself game, while the Palate Team pulled together with egos in check.

Judges table: Theres no way Bravo could edit in suspense on who wins Restaurant Wars. Lakshmi said it was neck and neck at lunch, but after dinner the clear winner is Team Palate.

Ragin Cajun Toups, who was picked last, comes out the winner. Throughout lunch and dinner, the judges could not fault him on anything.

I havent won a challenge so far and not only that I won a challenge but I won Restaurant Wars, Toups says, followed by a primal scream.

As District LA gathers for a scolding, Santana is the first to speak out about their disastrous team play: One of the problems that happened at lunch, there was no communications with front of house and expeditor.

Colicchio says lunch was not the issue.

Lee is faulted for his forced and amateurish hosting duties at dinner. The amuse-bouche was not amusing. Both starters missed the mark. Colicchio calls out Santana for not tasting Fords risotto dish, described as one of the worst in Top Chef history. (Note: Risottos and desserts are consistently cursed dishes on this show, so this label hurts.)

I feel like I was not in the position to say Hey change your dish, Santana tells the judges.

As the judges mull over who to eliminate, Ford and Onwuachi are deemed safe because they produced stellar dishes at lunch. Lakshmi says its between the two roommates: Santana and Lee.

If youre a Santana fan, you stop breathing at this point. Executive chefs nearly always take the fall for bad food, right?

In the end, Colicchio says its hard to give Lee another pass; he has been on the bottom more than Santana. Lee is told to pack his knives.

His reaction is not surprising and probably a key reason for the judges finally giving him the boot: To be quite honest, Im very surprised, Lee said, insisting he didnt do anything wrong.

Next week: The chefs leave Los Angeles and head to the Bay Area, where theyll meet noted Fleur de Lys French chef Hubert Keller and California cuisine pioneer Jonathan Waxman.
ORANGE  After sifting through more than 1,300 customer comments on bus service changes to reverse declining ridership, county transit officials on Thursday presented a revised proposal that has received praise and recommendation for approval.

The final 2016 Bus Service Plan makes 14 modifications to the 35 route changes Orange County Transportation Authority staff members originally suggested in November. It spares service the public spoke out for in the systems central core, a direct connection to downtown Los Angeles, and routes heavily used by students, the elderly and disabled.

With the Transit Committees unanimous recommendation, the plan moves to the full OCTA board for final approval on Feb. 22.

One of the things I said was we were not going to ignore the comments of the public, and we didnt,OCTA Planning Director Kurt Brotcke said Thursday. We want to strike that balance between the fiscal constraints and the community needs. What we have today we think is fair and balanced to that regard.

Two north-south bus lines connecting Santa Ana to Costa Mesa  Route 51 on Flower Street and Route 145 on Raitt, Greenville and Fairview streets  will be eliminated, but a new Route 150 will cover major portions of the two lost routes on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Brotcke said Route 150 has gained support from Santa Ana Colleges president, who was among many people who decried service cuts at a public hearing late last month.

I think we had a good approach before, but I think that this is even better and weve gotten into the fine detail, which matters, and its a strong package, said Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who is also on the OCTA transit committee and board.

Two other routes that riders rallied for, the 701 and 721 with direct service from Huntington Beach to downtown Los Angeles, will remain with their existing service levels. In addition, OCTA will expand marketing of Route 701 to residents around the Golden West Transportation Center to boost ridership, and will consider adjusting fares.

Route 178 connecting Huntington Beach to Orange Coast College and UC Irvine, strongly backed by students and hosts in the World International Student Exchange program, will lose Saturday service but continue to run on weekdays.

Huntington Beach resident Theresa Salisbury, one of only two public comment speakers Thursday, thanked transit officials for keeping the route.

Im a disabled person and I go to physical therapy twice a week, and the 178 gets me to my appointments, she said.

If approved by OCTA board members this month, most of the service changes would go into effect in June, and most service cuts would be in October.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com Twitter: @JessicaGKwong
Martin Shkreli, after attracting attention with a $10 million offer to musician Kanye West, now wants to fight a two-front battle with the government in court. The former pharmaceutical executive, who faces criminal securities fraud charges, is challenging a request from prosecutors to put a parallel civil case against him on hold.

The civil case, brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, jeopardizes Mr. Shkrelis livelihood, reputation and future career prospects and should move forward, his attorneys said in a court filing Thursday. The lawyer charged along with Shkreli, Evan Greebel, also asked to allow some information-sharing to proceed in the SECs case.

Shkreli, the 32-year-old biotechnology company founder who gained notoriety after raising the price of a rare drug by more than 5,000 percent, was arrested at his Manhattan apartment in December. He stands accused of illegally using assets in one of his former drug companies, Retrophin Inc., to pay off investors who lost money in hedge funds he ran.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, N.Y., have asked to delay the SECs parallel civil proceedings while the criminal case continues. Shkreli faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. The SEC is seeking monetary penalties and an order barring Shkreli from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

Defendants facing parallel civil and criminal securities cases sometimes seek to move forward on both fronts to get a glimpse of the prosecutions evidence. Civil cases are usually put on hold, though, at the governments request.

An outspoken social-media personality who live-streams himself for hours each day, Shkreli has generated further attention for his antics in the music world. Those included purchasing a one-of-a-kind album from hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan for $2 million and publicly feuding with one of its members, Ghostface Killah.

On Thursday he set his sights on West by crafting an offer letter asking that the musicians new album, The Life of Pablo, be provided only to Shkreli for $10 million.

I believe you (and your partners) will find this financial arrangement more attractive than your current course of action, Shkreli said in the letter, which he posted to his Twitter account. Journalists from outlets including USA Today, Fox News, Billboard, Huffington Post, Fortune and others seized on the offer. Wests spokesman Gabe Tesoriero didnt immediately return a call seeking comment on it.

Shkreli, who stepped down as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG after his arrest Dec. 17, is already facing severe consequences from the filing of the SEC action and the indictment, his attorneys said in their court filing. As a result of the serious allegations against him, not only is his livelihood threatened but the future viability of at least two pharmaceutical companies is threatened as well.

Ousted by Retrophin in 2014, Shkreli founded Turing in 2015 and later bought a majority stake in KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc. He was chief executive officer of KaloBios but was fired after his arrest. The companys stock price plunged, and it filed for bankruptcy protection.

Earlier this month, prosecutors told a judge that Shkreli may need to put up more assets for his $5 million bail after it was discovered that a $45 million E*Trade Financial Corp. account he used as security was loaded with mostly KaloBios stock. The value of the account has dropped to between $4 million and $5 million, prosecutors said.

Shkreli and Greebel have pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
COLUMBIA, S.C.  Jeb Bush says he was better at real estate than Donald Trump, and the former Florida governor is even embracing the establishment label.

Marco Rubio is unloading on nearly all of his presidential rivals, Trump and Bush included, declaring them unprepared for the national security responsibilities of the job.

Ted Cruz says Trump isnt conservative enough for South Carolina. John Kasichs throwing a few elbows amid his nice-guy pitch.

And Trump, who leads them all in the polls, is on his way to Louisiana, which doesnt even vote until March 5  two weeks after South Carolina, known for rough-and-tumble Republican primaries, takes its shot at bringing order to this scrambled Republican race for the White House.

The Democratic presidential contest had its moment Thursday, too. As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were preparing for their evening debate in Milwaukee, Clinton got the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee, part of the two rivals continued drive for minority voters ahead of the Nevada caucus and a slate of Southern primaries that will give non-whites their first major say in the nominating contest.

Perhaps more noteworthy was civil rights hero John Lewis, a Georgia congressman, dismissing Sanders work in the civil rights movement as a college student in the 1960s. Never saw him, Lewis said.

Among Republicans, several candidates embraced the chaos Thursday as they felt out the best strategies to survive South Carolina and advance into a grueling March primary schedule, when 58 percent of the partys delegate total will be at stake.

Rubio, looking to re-establish his footing after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, lashed out at Trump, Cruz and Bush as he addressed retirees near the resort town of Hilton Head.

Of real estate mogul Trump, Rubio said, Negotiating a hotel deal in another country is not foreign policy experience. A first-term senator, Rubio also said Bush, at one time Rubios mentor in Florida politics, has no foreign policy experience. Rubio accused Cruz, another first-term senator, of hurting U.S. military might with his budget stances.

In Sumter, South Carolina, Bush effectively called Trump a failure. The former Florida governor, himself once a commercial real estate executive, said he didnt go bankrupt four times and call that success.

Bush cited his brother and father, both former presidents, as well, saying he embraces the establishment label  generally anathema in this election defined by voter anger. His campaign confirmed former President George W. Bush will campaign in South Carolina next week.

Kasich, the Ohio governor, continued his town hall tour, pledging a positive campaign and alluding to continued efforts by the Bush campaign to label him as weak on defense. Im worried about Jeb. Its all negative, Kasich said. Im going to keep doing what Im doing. Either it will work or it wont.

The web of punches and counterpunches thus far in South Carolina reflects the fractured nature of the primary and the Republican electorate. The GOP primary here is expected to draw more than 700,000 voters, dwarfing the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. The total will include sizable groups of all GOP factions: religious and social conservatives, business and fiscal conservatives, and national security hawks.

With polls suggesting Trump has a healthy lead, it could become a matter of simply trying to claim momentum and a handful of delegates. South Carolina Republicans award 29 out of 50 delegates to the overall statewide winner. The other 21 delegates are distributed evenly to the winners of the seven congressional districts.

That leaves candidates to gamble on where to prioritize their efforts as they await a Saturday debate in Greenville, S.C., that could afford some of them their lone opportunity to move large numbers of voters.

Cruz, who has run second in South Carolina polling, will try to catch Trump by leaning heavily on evangelicals. Iowa and New Hampshire exit polls show Trump competed well with Cruz among voters who call themselves born-again Christians.

The Texas senators schedule through the weekend targets evangelicals. You run first by energizing your base, Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Thursday.

Rubio banked on coming into South Carolina as the clear favorite for traditionalist Republicans wary of Trump and Cruz, creating effectively a three-man race going forward. Instead, he finished New Hampshire looking up at Kasich and Bush, and now finds himself trying to peel votes from all the other campaigns.

The two governors are concentrating their early efforts along the South Carolina coast, which includes many transplants, veterans and active military  and which has trended in the past to more moderate candidates like Mitt Romney, the GOPs 2012 nominee, and John McCain, the 2008 nominee.
SACRAMENTO  Whistleblower tips alerted Californias auditor to $370,000 in waste and forgery at certain state agencies, according to a report released Thursday.

Auditor Elaine Howles office said investigators scrutinized state psychiatric hospitals and other agencies based on anonymous information from employees. The audits were concluded in the last six months of 2015.

One audit found that four psychiatrists at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino regularly lied about working less than the 40 hours per week required in their collective bargaining agreement. The report said their undue pay cost the state about $300,000.

Patton officials said theyll train employees on attendance expectations by April and are working to update the collective bargaining agreement.

The auditors office said in the report that the hospitals effort appears to be insufficient to curb the attendance problem.

Another audit found that an unnamed psychiatrist at a state hospital failed to disclose a nearly $30,000 payment from a pharmaceutical company while acting as the facilitys medical director in 2013 and 2014. Filing officials failed to prevent the error, the report said.

The Department of State Hospitals did not immediately comment Thursday on the undisclosed check.

The whistleblowers led the auditors office to other, lower-cost mismanagement of money in the departments of Developmental Services, Correctional Health Care, Public Health, Water Resources, Industrial Relations, General Services and Fish and Wildlife.

The California Whistleblower Protection Act shields the identities of people who provide information and individuals involved in the claims.
Data from Japans Justice Ministry show that the country received a dramatic surge in applications for refugee status last year, with the total figure almost doubling to 7,586. But despite this surge in applications, Japan only granted refugee status for 27 people.

That means that, in total, just 0.4 percent of applications for asylum status were accepted. While that is an ever-so-slight increase in the rate of acceptance for refugees (the year before, when just 11 people were accepted, the rate was around 0.2), its still remarkably low. These 27 people didnt necessarily apply for refugee status last year, either. Some may have been waiting for years to have their case granted. According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, as of June last year, there were 10,830 applicants stuck in immigration limbo.

That number looks especially low given the scale of the global refugee and asylum crisis. Japan may have pledged millions of dollars in aid to help refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war, but a recent report from Oxfam suggested that given the size of its economy, it simply wasnt doing enough. The country is also one of the few high-income countries in the world that has not pledged to resettle any Syrian refugees at all, though a handful of Syrian refugees have been granted refugee status in the country over the past few years. Instead, almost 80 percent of applicants for refugee status come from Asia, Asahi Shimbun reported last month, with Nepalese by far the largest national group.

Outside of the standard Japanese asylum system, the Justice Minister is able to grant special permission to remain in the country for humanitarian reasons, though the numbers also remain low here. Last year, 79 people received this status.
IRVINE  Six new tenants, including the first Orange County location of a San Diego-based taco shop, will join the dozen-odd tenants previously announced for Los Olivos Marketplace, a new retail center near Irvine Spectrum.

The Irvine Co., which owns and manages the property, has said the center will add 120,000 square feet of store space by spring 2016.

The new tenants announced Thursday include four eateries and two retail stores:

 Puesto: This eatery serving Mexico City-style tacos has locations in downtown San Diego and ritzy La Jolla. Puesto is run by brothers Eric and Alan Adler, plus their cousin Isidoro Lombrozo. The Irvine store will be Puestos first Orange County location.

 Burnt Crumbs: The owners of food trucks The Burnt Truck and Dogzilla previously teamed up to launch Burntzilla Modern Eats. Now Los Olivos Marketplace will host the second Orange County location of a gourmet sandwich shop, Burnt Crumbs, created by the same truck partners.

 CUPS Frozen Yogurt: Customers to this self-serve frozen yogurt shop will choose from 24 flavors of froyo and more than 50 toppings and sauces to create their dessert.

 Phans55: This will be the third location for Phans55, which serves Vietnamese comfort food such as spring rolls and pho.

 Polished Perfect by Twila True: This nail studio is owned by Newport Beach investor and entrepreneur Twila True, who also runs True Investments with her husband Alan. The store also has its own line of nail polishes, skin care lotions and fragrances.

 SwimSpot: Designer swimwear. The store has locations in eight California malls, including the Spectrum, and one in Hawaii.

Previously announced tenants include Angelinas Pizzeria Napoletana, womanswear boutique Blue Eyed Girl, Burger Lounge, Hoag Medical Group, tabletop and kitchen store Newport Colony, Mediterranean restaurant chain Panini Cafe, Radiant Hot Yoga, Chase Bank, WellsFargo, RiteAid and Starbucks.

Many of the stores, including the 40,000-square-foot anchor store, Whole Foods, are expected to open next month, according to the Irvine Co.

The upscale grocery store is set to open March 16 ahead of a grand opening for the marketplace on March 19.

The shopping center is at 8673-8697 Irvine Center Drive.

Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com
The European Union has, at most, six weeks to stem the flow of migrants arriving on its shores via Turkey before it will be forced to abandon its internal borderless travel zone, according to the Czech envoy to the bloc.

A deal with Turkey to stop migrants isnt producing the desired result, and if it fails Germany will close its frontiers to passport-free travel as early as March, said Tomas Prouza, the Czech Secretary of State for EU Affairs. That would trigger a domino effect of border controls coming down through Austria and across the Balkans to Greeces northern border, shutting down the so-called Schengen area.

If the deal with Turkey fails, do we want to have this moving of closing borders done in a very unorganized way that would create a lot of bad blood among neighbors? he said in an interview in Prague on Wednesday. Or should we do this in an organized way and simply agree that the northern Greek border is a second defense line and the only defense line we have? Our preference is to do this in an organized way.

Europes refugee crisis is roiling politics across the continent, threatening to end free-movement, a principle that underpins the 28-nation trading bloc, and hobble economic growth. With EU countries expecting at as many as 1 million migrants to arrive this year  matching last years numbers  leaders will address the crisis at a summit in Brussels next week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has unsuccessfully tried to convince other EU members to help alleviate the burden on her country  the desired destination for most of the refugees primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan  by agreeing to bloc-wide quotas for sheltering migrants. The deal with Turkey, which initially agreed to keep the migrants within its borders in exchange for 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in aid, has failed to stem arrivals into the EU, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned there may come a time when Turkey will open the doors and let all the refugees leave.

The only way to end the flood of illegal migration into Greece was for the EU to take some people directly from Turkey in return for the government in Ankara helping to stop illegal entries, Merkel said on Feb. 8 during her visit to Turkey. In response to her plea for help, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance agreed on Feb. 11 to launch a naval mission to track refugee boats in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to help stop human traffickers who bring migrants to Greek islands.

To prevent a domino effect of countries imposing border controls, the bloc should temporarily seal the northern Greek border with Macedonia and Bulgaria and give those three countries financial and other assistance, Prouza said. The Czech Republic is prepared to help by offering policemen, soldiers and financial aid, he said.

Of course the primary solution should be the EU-Turkey deal, but the things we want Turkey to do arent materializing, said Prouza. We really need to be ready for the other option.

Like Hungary and other eastern EU members, the Czechs have rejected quotas for sheltering refugees. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the first EU leader to build a border fence to keep people out, said he wants to block the agreement between Germany and Turkey. Hungary, along with Slovakia, has filed a lawsuit to try to block the mandatory distribution of migrants.

The crisis has begun to strain social services and inflamed anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany, emboldening Merkels political rivals and challenging her decade-long grip on power. The German chancellor has toughened her tone on asylum seekers following sexual assaults in Cologne on New Years Eve by groups that involved some migrants.

If the flow continues through March, there will be significant pressure in Germany and some other countries to start closing the borders, Prouza said.
Jonathan Cheban, whose claim to fame so far has been his close association with the Kardashians, is starting a new venture  a school that educates rich kids on the nuances of leading a wealthy lifestyle.

At the International School of New York, where Cheban will serve as the Dean of Pop Culture, students will be groomed in subjects that arent covered in regular schools  right from identifying different types of caviar, to choosing leather seats for private jets. So basically, the kind of stuff that will help them become bigger, better snobs.

Photo Jonathan Cheban/Facebook

Cheban believes this is essential learning that needs to be imparted to every child that comes from a wealthy household. This is the social stuff you need to know to survive in a city like this with a lot of money, he said, speaking to New You. If you are buying a diamond you need to know the clarity and if you are buying a private jet you need to know the different leathers and seats. I am developing the entire pop culture program for this school here in the Trump Tower.

Other lessons will include private aviation, social media management, economic lessons and other fundamental undergrad and grad classes. The curriculum will be designed by Cheban himself, based on his knowledge of an upper-class lifestyle. The school is actually quite similar to his other venture, The Dishh, a lifestyle company that he started because people were constantly looking to me for advice on where to go, what to eat.

via Tech Insider
Text100, continuing to widen its integrated communications footprint, this week announced a management restructuring at the firm, underscored by several key senior-level appointments meant to strengthen the agencys digital communications toolkit.

The move comes after Text100 parent holding company Next Fifteen last year acquired content marketing agency Republic Publishing and UK-based digital marketing firm IncrediBull World, integrating both agencies into the Text100 fold.



Hynes

Text100 Global CEO Aedhmar Hynes told ODwyers that the agency, which has been providing integrated communications campaigns for its clients for several years, is evolving in response to changes in the communications landscape.

As an agency that operates in a highly competitive market, we know that we have to do everything we can to continue to evolve so that we stay ahead of the rapidly changing communications landscape, Hynes told ODwyers. Now that Republic Publishing and IncrediBull are fully integrated and operating as one unified Text100 team, we felt that the time was right to initiate a new structure that would help continue to drive our digital transformation. This new structure will allow us to respond to the fast-pace high demands of the industry by offering our clients the best, most well-rounded portfolio of integrated capabilities.

As part of its recent digital transformation, Text100 has announced a spate of leadership appointments and newly created agency roles reflecting the agencys restructuring.

James Beechinor-Collins, formerly executive vice president at the agency, has been named chief digital officer. Beechinor-Collins was previously managing director of Republic Publishing Ltd. until its acquisition last year by Text100 parent Next Fifteen. In the new role, Beechinor-Collins will now be responsible for guiding the agencys worldwide integrated communications initiatives.

James Holland, a former vice president at Republic Publishing, has been named Text100 North Americas vice president of creative technology. Holland now oversees creative client technology applications at the agency, and hell also work with Beechinor-Collins to integrate the agencys design and development teams for the purpose of launching a services lab for global proprietary products.

Joe Rider has been named global head of insights and analytics, and will contribute product research and analytics support to the agency, and Michael Grumley has been named IT global director, and will collaborate with Beechinor-Collins for the development of new technological tools to better serve clients. Jeppe Christensen has been named Text100 North America senior vice president, and will guide the agencys content and social offerings, and Jeremy Woolf has been named integrated communications strategy senior vice president, and will specialize in strategic consulting and business development.



Global communications agency Text100, which was founded in 1981 in the UK, is headquartered in New York and maintains nearly two dozen offices worldwide.
Brett Pulley, a journalism vet who moved to PR last year, has joined Weber Shandwick as an EVP and managing director for corporate content and media strategy.

Brett Pulley

The former dean of Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism was a reporter for the Times Union, Orlando Sentinel, Wall Street Journal and New York Times. He was also an editor for Forbes and writer for Bloomberg News around a stint in New York's dot-com realm.

Paul Jensen, who heads Weber's North American corporate practice, praised Pulley's seasoned storytelling skills as the firm places content and media strategy and the core of its client work.

He was dean of the 400-student Hampton j-school from 2011-15 and took an advisory role with Burson-Marsteller last year.

He penned a book about BET founder Robert Johnson, "The Billion Dollar BET."
A meeting of doctors and scientists on electrosensitivity at the University of Paris Feb. 11 said that "It is finally time to discuss this major public health issue."



More than 50 doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals signed a document calling for research to "better understand and recognize electro-hypersensitivity."



The meeting expressed disappointment that the disease is still not recognized by French authorities.



"This pathology is complex and multifactorial," said the declaration. "We are clueless about the victims of hypersensitivity, whose physical suffering is real. Although scientific controversy remains in some respects on the subject, such patients exist and responses must be made to alleviate their suffering."



Translating the document from the French to English was U.K. electrosensitive campaigner David Ashton. He discusses the subject in a 16-minute YouTube segment.





Symptoms in Cellphone Users



Symptoms of cellphone users reported by doctors include headache and stiffness or pain in the neck; ringing in ears; visual disturbances including blurred vision;false vertigo, malaise; muscle disorders including twitching, spasms, joint stiffness, and cognitive disorders.



"Second stage" victims of EMF, says the document, may experience "severe cognitive disorders including attention deficit and loss of concentration and loss of short term memory; chest tightness and heartbeat irregularities; insomnia, chronic fatigue and possibly depressive tendency."



Especially vulnerable are children, the meeting concluded.



They may experience headache and sleep disorders, dyslexia, attention disorders and lack of concentration, loss of memory, and behavioral problems.



"Electromagnetic fields appear to partly explain the appearance of these disorders," the meeting concluded.



Scientists and doctors who met at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels in May 2015 signed a declaration that electrosensitivity is a "true cause of debilitating conditions," the Feb. 11 meeting noted.



A conclusion of the Feb. 11 meeting was that "An independent and thorough research should be conducted on the subject and electrosensitive persons should be able to take refuge in 'white areas.'"



The absence of treatment and protection measures results in "progressive constitution of pathologial lesions, totally irreversible delirium, absences, spatial disorientation or temporal state of dementia resembling Alzheimer's disease which also may occur in young subjects."
Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph. Haile Selassie
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The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus a public health emergency. President Obama called Monday for $1.8 billion to fight it. The CDC put its emergency operations center on its highest level of alert. All to prevent what media outlets are calling a devastating birth defect, severe brain damage or a horrible abnormality.

Meanwhile my son, who's been diagnosed with microcephaly, just wants to know when Mickey Mouse is coming back on TV.

The condition, in which children have smaller than normal heads, affects about 0.1 percent of children in the U.S., according to the CDC. A recent spike in cases in Brazil, possibly triggered by the Zika virus, has doctors worried not only because of the number of new cases but their severity.

Like many conditions, microcephaly has a wide spectrum. Some children will be severely affected, with much smaller heads and severe developmental disabilities, including dwarfism, cognitive impairments and trouble with daily tasks. Others will be hardly affected at all.

Meet my 4-year-old son and the first thing you notice probably wont be his microcephaly; his head doesnt look radically small. Instead, youre much more likely to notice his bright orange wheelchair and the cerebral palsy that keeps his muscles from obeying his brain. Then youll see his grin.

Microcephaly can be prompted by a wide variety of causes: genes, alcohol or drugs during pregnancy, malnutrition, rubella, STDs and more.

In my sons case, there are a lot of unknowns. He was adopted from Uganda about a year and a half ago, from a town about 200 miles from the Zika Forest, where the Zika virus was first identified about 70 years ago. Theres probably a chance Zika is to blame. Or it could be any number of other causes.

We dont know if his microcephaly is the primary condition that led to his other diagnoses, or if it just tagged along for the ride.

What we do know is that hes adorable. Hes loving. Hes communicative, even though he struggles to speak. Hes patient. Hes resourceful, finding ways of making his needs and desires known when I would have long since given up. Hes charming, convincing all of the girls in his preschool class to build block towers for him to knock over. Hes ornery, finding it hilarious when the guy on AFV tumbles off a ladder or falls on his face. Hes funny, cracking us up with his preschool crush on Adele.

As Gwen Hartley, a mother of two daughters with microcephaly, told the Kansas City Star, I can list 50 reasons why it sucks. But I can list 1,000 reasons why its freaking awesome.

He brings challenges with him, to be sure. There are multiple trips to the hospital for therapy and doctors appointments every week. He struggles to sleep through the night without waking up in pain. Trips to the store or a friends house mean packing a variety of adaptive equipment and planning on things taking a bit longer. Trips out of town require scads of planning and checklists.

But we wouldnt trade it for anything.

We know that were blessed to care for our son in the United States and particularly in Omaha, where we have access to specialists, therapists, health insurance and a school system that accepts him, integrates him and pushes him to excel. Many of those in Brazil and elsewhere do not have that support and will find it harder for their children to thrive.

The attention given to Zika and its possible repercussions is welcome. By all means, lets see if we can wipe out this disease. But the children living with its effects are far from impersonal horror stories of suffering. Theyre more than microcephaly. Theyre individuals, with individual needs, desires, tastes and personalities.

Some may continue to treat each case of microcephaly as a terrible tragedy, as one doctor was quoted recently. But in our house, for us and for our son, each new day is a joyful celebration.

***

Dan Golden is a breaking news editor at The World-Herald. He and his wife have two boys, ages 3 and 4, and are adopting a 1-year-old girl.
The biggest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S. plans to buy one of the biggest such distributors in Nebraska.

Miami-based Southern Wine & Spirits of America expects to close on the acquisition of Sterling Distributing Co. of Omaha by the end of the month, pending regulatory approval.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wayne Chaplin, president and chief executive of Southern Wine & Spirits, said he contemplated building a location here from scratch but instead reached a deal with Greg Alevizos, chairman of Sterling Distributing.

All of Sterlings approximately 90 employees are expected to keep their jobs, Chaplin said.

Greg agreed if Southern came in that we would be able to take the business and get it to grow and really give some security to the employees and people there, Chaplin said.

Sterling already is among the top Nebraska distributors of wine and spirits.

The company in December ranked second in terms of volume of spirits sold and third in terms of wine sold, according to figures from the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission.

Alevizos said the deal will take Sterling to the next level.

Southern Wine & Spirits has almost $12 billion in annual revenue and ranked No. 25 on Forbes 2015 list of Americas largest private companies.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1534, cole.epley@owh.com
A human resources expert said its possible that the activist investor with a big stake in Cabelas played a role in this weeks shuffle in the companys executive suite.

Earlier this week, Cabelas split the roles of president and chief executive. Scott K. Williams was appointed president and will report to Chief Executive Tommy Millner, who previously held both roles.

Cabelas said in a statement that the change was part of its Vision 2020 plan, announced in October just before Elliott Management, the activist hedge fund, declared its holdings. The plan would make in-store changes and scale back annual store growth.

John Challenger, president of employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas in Chicago, said that without being in the board room, its hard to say what the move means.

Still, he said, you can see the title change on the surface  that suggests theres more ferment underneath, Challenger said.

Cabelas didnt comment for this story.

Its possible its a move, a step in the direction, of moving the current CEO out, but you just dont know what goes on inside that board room, Challenger said.

Sometimes the split is made so that a CEO can focus on big-picture, visionary changes. The president then can focus on day-to-day operations.

Sometimes you see that kind of a split in roles because they want to have two kind of different sorts of focuses, Challenger said.

It also can be a signal that the person who is appointed president may be next in line to lead the company, he said.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1414, paige.yowell@owh.com
Bob Batt had a dream that he was homeless, staying in the Open Door Mission. He woke up, but realized that homelessness is a reality for people who miss what he had: good luck, good friends, a supportive family, a chance for an education.

Youve got to have a heart, he said.

Batt was reading a newspaper story about a young man, driving drunk after leaving a bar, who had an accident that killed two friends  two lives wasted because of alcohol.

I was trying to comprehend that, he said. Every time I see where kids run into a tree or a bridge because theyve been drinking  I hate that.

And Batt loves the story about Henry Monsky giving money to the Rev. Edward J. Flanagan in 1917 to start a home for boys, a touching account of a Jew helping a Catholic priests charity for children.

That was always an impressive story to me, he said.

Batt, 67, who is ending a lifelong career at the Nebraska Furniture Mart, didnt just think about such things.

Determined to reduce alcohol-related tragedies, he gained a seat on the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and has toughened the states alcohol enforcement.

To help less fortunate people, he and his wife, Janice, support charities that battle poverty, among other causes.

And following in Monskys footsteps, Batt will become the newest member of Boys Towns national board of trustees, continuing the Omaha tradition of Jewish support for the Catholic nonprofit that helps young people.

Although he has left the day-to-day operations of the Furniture Mart, Batt still has business interests. He is a partner with Omaha attorney Jerry Slusky in an apartment development company.

Batt will continue his official efforts to end alcohol abuse. His Boys Town work is just beginning.

And Batt is the informal historian for the family descended from the late Rose Blumkin, the Furniture Marts founder and his grandmother, widely known as Mrs. B.

Robert Batt was born in 1948 to Mrs. Bs daughter Frances and Norman Batt. His cousins, brothers Irv and Ron Blumkin, run the Furniture Mart. They are the sons of Frances brother, Louie, who was Mrs. Bs right-hand man at the furniture store.

Bob Batt grew up in the business-oriented family.

At about age 8, he helped stock the toys that his grandmother sold, alongside the furniture, at 2205 Farnam St.

His father had joined the business in 1946 and retired in 1984 as secretary-treasurer. One day, when Bob was 14 or 15, his father gave him a handful of ledger cards.

Call these people and tell them theyre overdue, Norman told Bob, so he did, learning how to make an assumptive close, such as, What day will you send a check?

He drove a delivery truck and manned a forklift in the warehouse. For years, his telephone line at the Mart was listed in the newspaper for people to apply for work. He served as credit manager and, later, risk manager, finding ways to make workplace injuries and illnesses less frequent and less serious  steel-toed shoes in the warehouse, for example, and an early ban on smoking.

For Ron Blumkin, Batt is both a colleague and childhood friend. They grew up next door to each other and, being the same age, attended school together through Central High.

At the Mart, Blumkin said, Batt would tackle any project that needed to be done, anything that was outside our normal wheelhouse. For example, Batt helped assemble the land for the Marts year-old Texas store, meeting with local officials and landowners.

Before an expansion, the Mart had three warehouses east of 10th Street that were inefficient, requiring goods to be raised and lowered on elevators. It opened a modern warehouse at 400 S. 77th St. in 1965 and Nebraska Furniture Mart West at 700 S. 72nd St. in 1968, operating two Omaha stores until it sold the downtown property in 1980 to the Federal Reserve Bank.

On May 6, 1975, Batt was at the downtown store when a tornado devastated a long swath of central Omaha, causing $5 million in damage to the 72nd Street location.

The insurance company that built the structure had installed a bomb shelter as a precaution against nuclear war. As the tornado approached, about 45 employees and shoppers took refuge in the bomb shelter, and nobody was hurt.

Batt remembers Mrs. B saying, Well be all right, dont worry. Its OK. She donated money to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, which helped people who werent able to recover so quickly from the storm. That always stuck with me, Batt said. When somebody gets whacked, you need to step up and help them.

Thats the sort of lesson from Mrs. B U that made up Batts business education, to supplement his 1976 bachelors degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

In 1983 came two big events: Batt became an adoptive parent, and Berkshire Hathaway bought a majority of the Furniture Mart.

Although the family continued to run the store, there were changes, Batt said. For example, the Marts old inventory system worked like this:

If six sofas were delivered to the warehouse, the receiving clerk would write 6 sofas in pencil on the inventory sheet. When the first one sold, he would erase the 6 and write in a 5, and so on as the sofas sold. Other practices under the familys supervision were similarly SOP, Batt said  seat of pants.

But as part of a publicly traded corporation, he said, every single thing has to be in order every day. We had a big responsibility to Berkshire to make sure everything functioned according to the book.

When college student groups make pilgrimages to see Berkshire Chairman and Chief Executive Warren Buffett, Batt usually gives them a tour of the Mart, discussing how a Berkshire-owned business works.

Batts public service began in Omaha, including the Citys Personnel Board, hearing employee discipline appeals; and the Omaha Civil Rights Hearing Board, reviewing allegations of discrimination. He served on the State Comprehensive Capital Facilities Planning Committee and, in 2008, was appointed by then-Gov. Dave Heineman to the Liquor Control Commission. His second term expires in 2019.

Hobert Rupe, executive director of the commission, said that as chairman of the three-member commission, Batt has toughened the states enforcement of liquor laws and licensing rules and brought businesslike practices to the commission, insisting that bar owners manage their sales properly.

He favors keeping homemade liquor  moonshine  illegal and views the commission as teaming up with police, sheriffs, citizen groups, prosecutors and the courts to prevent alcohol-related problems.

Rupe said that if bar owners have made mistakes and are trying to improve, Batt will work with them. But if he feels that youre a threat to public health and safety, he has no problem coming down on you like a ton of bricks.

Batt showed both leniency and determination during a recent Liquor Commission hearing in Lincoln.

The operator of an Old Market bar admitted that a staff member stepped up while the bartender was away and sold a beer to a teenager working for the State Patrol. The operator said he had trained his staff, had fired the staffer and would run the staff through an official training program.

The location had been a troublesome bar under the previous management, Batt noted, and the new manager was sincerely trying to comply with all the rules. We want this to succeed down there, Batt said, agreeing with other commission members on a penalty but allowing the license to stand.

But when owners of a Lincoln motel failed to appear for a hearing on a second State Patrol inspection that found fruit flies in 11 liquor bottles and no certified manager present, Batt said, I vote for cancellation, and the commission pulled the motels license.

In 2010 Batt suggested making it a felony for someone to serve a minor who is then involved in a fatal driving accident, a concept turned into law by the Legislature in 2011. He favors making bar owners personally responsible for overserving customers, especially those who might drive.

Batt joined the board as the commission was upgrading its technology, starting to collect fees electronically and computerize records. He was really able to work with us internally and bring some business practices to our internal operations, Rupe said.

For example, when Batt joined the commission, the fee for a liquor license was $40, as it had been for decades, even though it cost the state $324 to process.

What, are you trying to make it up on volume? he asked. The fee was raised to $400.

At the Furniture Mart, Batt had bought the first office computer and remembers being kidded that the ungainly machine would never replace typewriters and adding machines. Now the Mart can change the prices on its shelves remotely with the touch of a finger.

His technology interest will come into play in an unlikely way: Boys Town is shifting toward online fundraising, and when Batt joins Boys Towns 15-member national board of trustees in April, he will serve on the development and marketing committees.

Boys Towns executive director, the Rev. Steven Boes, said the trustees have included several Jewish trustees over the years, starting with Father Flanagans appointment of Henry Monsky at a time when Jews were regularly excluded from such positions.

Once Batt was tapped as a future trustee, Boes gave him a framed photo of Monsky and Flanagan, inscribed, To my Monsky.

He really has a heart for kids, especially troubled kids, Boes said. He had some good things happen to him in his life, and he wants to share that with others, just like Monsky did and just like Flanagan did.

Boes and Batt have another common interest. Boes worked at an Indian mission in Winnebago, Nebraska, before coming to Boys Town in 2005 and has talked with Batt about Whiteclay, a Nebraska community that has been controversial because of its high volume of alcohol sales to residents of a nearby Native American reservation. The Liquor Commission has wrestled with ways to reduce the impact of alcohol sales on reservation residents.

Batt said his interest in helping young people comes partly from having adopted a daughter, Sara, and his admiration for his brother, Larry, an attorney who died of cancer in 2002 at age 56 after helping many families adopt children. (Their sister, Ellie, lives in New York City.)

Talking with Father Boes, I became a believer in the mission, Batt said. I see so many kids who are screwed up, whether it was through alcohol or drugs by themselves or their parents, and they have the chance to come out and be productive citizens.

Batt said his parents, both of whom have died, and Mrs. B also taught him about charity work. We got lucky, he said. They said you should always give back.

The Marts three locations likely rank as the nations highest-sales furniture stores in the nation, making the Blumkin family members who work at the store, as the expression goes, comfortable.

But Mrs. B and her children always remembered that she had started the business from scratch, Batt said. Years ago, family members used to take driving tours of their former homes  the 2100 block of Grace Street, the 3800 block of Franklin Street, to see their old, more modest neighborhoods.

The lesson was clear, Batt said: Be humble, because not everyone has the advantages his family has enjoyed. And dont forget.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Cabelas Chairman Jim Cabela moved 11.2 million company shares last year into charitable trusts, according to documents filed Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. At the stocks current price, thats nearly a half-billion dollars in stock.

Its unclear when in 2015 the shares were transferred to the trusts. The documents indicate only that the move happened sometime during 2015  the same year that an activist investor took a big stake in Cabelas and said it would press for changes.

An investment banker says the move could be a red flag pointing to a coming sale of the Sidney, Nebraska retailer. Other professionals who work with trusts and estates also said the transfer could point to a coming sale of the company.

It could mean that hes expecting that thats going to happen soon, said Jim Zipursky, managing director of Omahas Corporate Finance Associates MidWest, which handles mergers and acquisitions. Its just another signal that somethings coming down.

The holdings that were put into trusts appear to be nearly all of Jim Cabelas personal holdings in the company, according to public documents.

Putting the shares into a charitable trust shields them from a massive tax bill. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires the move to be reported within 45 days from the end of the year in which the shares were transferred.

Now that the shares are in trusts, if the shares are sold or liquidated  like what would happen if Cabelas were sold to a private entity  the gain in value from their original cost is not subject to capital gains taxes or estate taxes, said Ted Bridges, president of Bridges Investment Management in Omaha.

Charitable remainder trusts hold assets, such as real estate and stock, until the trustee dies. In this case, the trustee is Jim Cabela, according to the SEC documents. He will retain the voting rights associated with the shares. That means hell still hold sway as a holder  through his trusts  of about 16 percent of the company.

Jim Cabela didnt respond to a message left at his home.

Once he dies, the assets must be distributed to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, said Donald Mundy, president of The Solutions Group Inc., an Omaha financial advisory firm. Before then, the manager of the trust can extract an annual salary based on the persons age and the value of the trust, Mundy said.

That could mean one nonprofit is in for a windfall donation, or the money could be distributed to several different charities. It also could go to the Cabela Family Foundation, which already exists.

Often, the beneficiaries of such trusts are not made public before funds are distributed, said Lee Dunham, an associate professor of finance at Creighton Universitys Heider College of Business. The funds are sometimes transferred to a foundation, which then doles out cash to various charities as it sees fit.

Whatever the plan upon 76-year-olds Jim Cabelas death, the formation of the trusts raised some eyebrows. Many older, wealthy people establish charitable trusts to shield assets from taxes and allow them to contribute more to charity. But Jim Cabelas move comes the same year the company is in the sights of an activist investor.

The transfer to a trust would be consistent with a person expecting to receive tax benefits in the near future, said Jonathan Moreland, founder of InsiderInsights.com, which analyzes trading of people close to companies. It certainly will not dispel any rumors that corporate action is possible.

That corporate action could be the sale of the company.

Cabelas has been under pressure since activist hedge fund Elliott Management declared an 11 percent stake in the company in October. New York-based Elliott said it would push for changes, including a breakup or sale of the retailer.

Elliott said in an Oct. 28 government filing that in light of the robust environment for private equity investment in retail companies, potential strategic interest in Cabelas and the companys assets  including real estate and a valuable credit card business  there exist multiple pathways for Cabelas to unlock significant unrealized value.

Elliott Management and Cabelas both declined to comment for this story.

Cabelas said in December that it would undergo a strategic review  often Wall Street speak for the sale of the company or parts of the company.

Reuters news service has reported that Cabelas is shopping itself around to private equity firms. Bloomberg News reported last year that competitor Bass Pro Shops was interested in making a bid for the company. Bass Pro wouldnt comment.

Other Cabela family members still own significant blocks of Cabelas shares, according to federal documents that large shareholders must file. The Cabela Family LLC owned 8 percent of the company as of April of last year. That means the Cabela family  including Jim Cabelas new charitable trust  together controls about 24 percent of the company.

Cabelas shares have been trading at about $40 per share. (They closed Thursday at $39.10 each on the New York Stock Exchange, down about 16 percent so far this year.) But if a buyer were to make a bid for the company, the buyer most likely would pay a premium over the current share price to entice shareholders into accepting the deal.

If a buyer paid $60 or $70 per share for the company, Jim Cabelas 11 million shares would be worth nearly $1 billion.

Once assets are put into the trust, he cant take them back, said Zipursky, the investment banker who doesnt have any connection to Cabelas.

There is a reason for this, he said.

World-Herald staff writer Steve Jordon contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1414, paige.yowell@owh.com
TreeHouse Foods is on a mission to win back business ConAgra Foods lost.

TreeHouse closed Feb. 1 on its acquisition of ConAgras beleaguered private-label business. It expects to spend the next two years integrating the business into its own operations and building up sales at the combined firm, with help from 280 employees based in Omaha, executives said Thursday.

As TreeHouse has been talking with grocery customers, the reception to the deal has been uniformly positive, Chief Executive Sam Reed told analysts.

There had been in the past several years substantial losses of business under ConAgra ownership, Reed said, noting that orders picked up in the last five months under ConAgra.

The company expects sales to double in 2016 because of the acquisition but said it expects weakness and flat growth in the overall packaged food industry.

Despite that, Reed said TreeHouse and its customers see room to grow because of TreeHouses now-wider product lineup and production capabilities. He said supermarkets are seeing growth on either end of the price spectrum  value-priced products and higher-end, better for you products  and slower sales in midpriced foods.

We have yet to encounter a single situation where a customer indicated there was anything but upward possibilities, Reed said.

Still, TreeHouse has to earn that business back, executives said. They cant assume things will go back to the way they were under Ralcorp, the St. Louis company ConAgra bought the business from in 2013.

You have to re-establish your relationship, you have to re-establish that trust and prove that you can do what you used to do, chief financial officer Dennis Riordan said.

Omaha workers who have been hired by TreeHouse handle customer service, finance, information technology, research and development and supply chain roles. TreeHouse also has a deal with ConAgra under which ConAgra provides some back-office functions during the two-year transition period.

Hiring 280 Omaha workers, Riordan said, was the most efficient and seamless approach toward business integration, and it provides a transparent approach to handling our existing customer relationships.

The company combines the largest and second-largest private-label firms in North America, with projected 2016 sales of $6.3 billion to $6.5 billion.

While the company is looking for savings out of its suddenly larger fleet of factories, a gain of 32, it isnt necessarily interested in closing any, which is good news for the 9,000-some manufacturing employees who formerly reported to ConAgra.

Rather, TreeHouse will work to use its manufacturing lines more efficiently, executives said.

TreeHouse also Thursday reported fourth-quarter sales of $865.4 million, down 4.2 percent from a year ago, due to falling volume, pricing concessions and an unfavorable Canadian exchange rate. Net income of $37.2 million was up from $33.9 million a year ago.

Earnings per share were 85 cents, up from 78 cents a year ago. Adjusted for items including acquisition costs, earnings per share rose to $1.08, from 99 cents a year ago.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com
A former Bank of the West employee who admitted stealing thousands from elderly customers has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Amy N. Fisher, 43, of Papillion, also received five years of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for Nebraska. She pleaded guilty to embezzlement in June.

According to the release, an FBI investigation found that Fisher, a financial services officer with the banks Bellevue branch, had made unauthorized withdrawals from customer accounts.

The bank confronted Fisher in March 2014, and she admitted embezzling.

Judge Laurie Smith Camp found that Fisher had engaged in 55 such transactions affecting 17 customers, all of whom were between 82 and 97 years old. Camp ordered her to pay $158,942 restitution to the bank, which has reimbursed the affected accounts.
President Barack Obama has sent Congress his final budget, proposing to spend a record $4.1 trillion next year. While the president proposes some worthy new spending  particularly for care of veterans and much-needed cybersecurity improvements  it is yet another budget that fails to balance. Even with $2.6 trillion in proposed new taxes, this budget would lead to sharply higher deficits, totaling $9.8 trillion over the next decade, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, the current national debt, topping $19 trillion, amounts to $158,902 per taxpayer. And Washington types wonder why so many voters are angry.
Is India finally on way to have a bigger say on Indian Ocean?

Feature

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

India's decision to conduct an international fleet review in Vishakahapatnam with participation of over 50 nations earlier this month was a significant step towards achieving a stronger maritime status in South Asia, particularly in relation to China.

Oceans are important avenues of global trade and means of conduct of international relations. The Indian Ocean, particularly, has emerged as a significant strategic threatre with major powers of the world, including China, eyeing to consolidate their positions there.

The Chinese have focussed on building all sorts of infrastructure around India and as their financial stakes grow fast in the Indian Ocean region, they are also aiming to develop infrastructure as part of a new maritime silk route. For India, that is enough competition to kickstart its own abilities.

From prioritising the West, India's new maritime environment is more about China

India traditionally has focussed on the western forces in the Indian Ocean (US, France, etc) but with China's growing maritime clout in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, India's own maritime policies can no longer delay a necessary transformation. New Delhi today needs to come out of its 'zone of peace' mindset and focus on a rapid modernisation of its naval infrastructure and diplomacy, including that vis-a-vis other littoral states.

India must IORA & IONS initiatives

To have a robust maritime policy vis-a-vis Beijing, New Delhi needs to work on its political relations with maritime neighbours like Sri Lanka and Maldives and island states like Seychelles and Mauritius, which the former, too, cultivates strategically. New Delhi can make the best use of maritime multilateralism through initiatives like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) to execute a naval diplomacy that gives it big returns.

Though the IORA was revived and IONS was launched during the UPA era, it is the current NDA government which has pursued the aim of serving its own geo-political, economic and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region more actively.

Naval forces need modernisation

The issue of modernisation of the naval force is also another aspect India needs to address besides engaging more with other maritime nations. India has planned a global maritime meet in April but parallelly, it also needs to ensure that many of its naval projects are also freed from red-tapism. Only then can it aspire to build on the success of the recently held fleet review.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force chief Admiral Tomohisa Takei, who took part in the fleet review, said India is an important country in the Indian Ocean region and needs to take responsibility for security in the area. This is a very realistic reminder for our policy-makers and they will do India a big service by lending it a serious ear.
Number of accidental deaths in chemical industries down by 41 per cent

PM Modi to hold review meet with MHA, NDMA at 4 pm over cyclone Amphan

Integrating Social Media with Various Aspects of Disaster Management

Feature

oi-Lisa

A need was felt by the Government of India to be prepared with disaster management plans after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001. A high powered committee was set up to make recommendations on the preparation of disaster management plans and suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms.

On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which envisaged the creation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the PM, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective CMs, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.

The Academy has evolved to a great extent from those days. Today Prime Minister Modi tweeted his best wishes to NDMA as they integrate social media with various aspects of disaster management. PM Modi has in the past suggested that SAARC nations should conduct regular joint exercises on disaster relief and rescue.

Do follow @ndmaindia. My best wishes as they integrate social media with various aspects of disaster management.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2016

I suggested to PM Sharif that SAARC nations should conduct regular joint exercises on disaster relief & rescue.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2015

Use of social media for disaster management:

A lot of social media activity was witnessed during Kashmir Floods of 2014. Similar efforts were witnessed when Chennai was submerged in water. Indian Army was also seen co-ordinating rescue operations during Kashmir Floods by using its Facebook page and Twitter handle.

Anyone needing RESCUE or FOOD in #Chennai or offering help, please add it to https://t.co/tBMY75nCMl or tweet to us so that we can add it.  VOICE@InCrisisRelief (@InCrisisRelief) December 2, 2015

It therefore comes as natural progression when NDMA too joined hands with @TwitterIndia towards making India a disaster risk resilient country. NDMA launched its Facebook page on the 3rd of September 2014. NDMA has been periodically using tweets to inform people about the various rescue operations it keeps on undertaking across India.

Darjeeling Landslide. NDRF Rescue Team(45 persons) on way to Darjeeling. 4 Teams being sent to Siliguri to provide assistance to State Govt.  NDMA India (@ndmaindia) July 1, 2015

Twitter recently has been flooded with tweets requesting blood of a particular group at certain hospital as well as with maps for relief distribution during disasters like Kashmir and Chennai Floods, Nepal and North-East India Earthquakes, etc.

Spread ==> Manipur State Emergency Control Room [ Helpline Numbers ] #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/v2hL8knB4w    (@AnupamkPandey) January 5, 2016

#Chennai A-ve blood Urgent at

SUGAM Hospital, thiruvottiyur Pls Call 7299690920. 12Dec. via @bld4needy  Blood Donors India (@BloodDonorsIn) December 12, 2015

180 people evacuated to safer place in Darbhanga. Helped 264 people coming from Nepal to relief centre at Hajarimal High School Raxual.  NDMA India (@ndmaindia) April 29, 2015

Tweets informing volunteers about post disaster cleaning up were also seen along with tweets informing people about free check-up camps held by doctors.

All set to start the #cleanupchennai @ Srinagar colony, Saidapet. Please come to volunteer! Cc @SpotFixChennai pic.twitter.com/Hq1Q1Lwiev  Srini Swaminathan (@srini091) December 13, 2015

#ChennaiRainsHelp

3 Doctors conducting free health camp in CHENNAI https://t.co/jAHcCyPPRz

Please spread the word pic.twitter.com/WspUMMzDg9  OYOcare (@OYOcare) December 12, 2015

Positive tweets about people rescued brought smiles on many a faces.

Five rare moments from Chennai floods that will bring a smile on your face https://t.co/EzI0hl138G pic.twitter.com/TU0kcczQms  Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) December 11, 2015

Early days of NDMA:

NDMA for the first time in its history began review disaster preparedness plans of 13 departments of Government of India from 21-23 July 2014. The departments reviewed were: Water Resources, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Agriculture and Co-operation, Health and Family Welfare, Mines, Housing and Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development, Environment and Forests, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fertilizers, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals.

NDMA has since 5th of August 2014 also been tweeting about situations that could be possible disasters or not. NDMA had tweeted on the 5th August 2014 that, "There was no immediate threat of flood in Kosi River, Bihar as slight rainfall in upstream and steady release of pondage water in River Sunkoshi, Nepal".

Success stories:

For NDMA managing Cyclone Phailin was a success story that the Academy also learnt from.

Collaborating with other nations:

NDMA had been collaborating with numerous nations with regards to disaster management in the interest area of the individual nation. Kenya had sent its delegation of seven members to study about drought management.
Siachen row like "two bald men fighting for a comb": Is it worth for India & Pak?

Feature

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

The country mourned the death of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, an army soldier who was rescued after getting buried under snow in an avalanche in Siachen on February 2. Nine other colleagues of Hanumanthappa had also lost their lives in the natural disaster. [Siachen braveheart Hanumanthappa passes away after gritty fight]

Both sides lose men in harsh Siachen conditions

The deaths of 10 Indian armymen leave our hearts heavy but it is not that just India has lost its jawans in such adverse conditions since 1984 when Indian troops were first deployed in the area. [Bad weather holds up airlifting of mortal remains of 9 Siachen martyrs]

In April 2012, 130 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a massive avalanche on the world's highest battlefield. Both sides lose their personnel in the freezing conditions of Siachen regularly but yet, the respective establishments believe there is very little option as withdrawing the troops from the dominating heights of the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro ridge will expose Ladakh to possible attacks from Pakistan and China.

[Why George Fernandes also deserves credit for Hanumanthappa's fight]

Both the neighbours, despite several other problems they face, spend whopping amounts to maintain the outposts in the harsh conditions in Siachen (India spends Rs 5 crore a day) and continue to lose precious men and material resources there. India has lost nearly 900 soldiers in Siachen so far and a report by the Strategic Foresight Group published in 2005 warned that conditions on the Siachen glacier might kill around 1,500 soldiers between 2006 and 2010, and that without firing a single shot.

What's the viability of these posts?

So, what is the utility for either countries to deploy so much resources on a place and lose them unnecessarily? This is a question which is being asked, not just by civil society members on either side, but also military experts and peace activists.

Can't the two countries reduce their trust deficit on Siachen?

While a retired Indian Army brigadier said the Siachen and the mountainous terrain surrounding it has little strategic significance and stands contrary to any possible rapproachement between the two neighbours, other observers have questioned the financial viability of maintaining the posts in Siachen.

A play was released in Pakistan last year on Siachen

In Pakistan, too, questions have been raised about the justification of giving so much efforts on Siachen. Last year, a play was made in Pakistan titled 'Siachen' which asked the need for fighting in Siachen, something that Stephen Cohen of Brookings Institute described as "two bald men fighting over a comb".

But everything comes to the nationalist vigour at the end of the day

But there is another aspect to this story on Siachen and that is about the negative feeling called 'nationalism'. The establishments on both sides use the Siachen border as a means to keep the flames of nationalism burning. "We sleep because they remain awake," is the common statement heard on both sides whenever we discuss about the armymen and their contribution in giving the nation an identity by safeguarding the borders. But at the end of the day, it is those soldiers who suffer, even dedicate their lives and we continue to fuel our nationalistic flames with their sacrifice.

Siachen has its strategic significance but can't India & Pak work on improving the trust deficit so that lives can be saved?

True, Siachen is not entirely without a staregic significance. Following the cessation of the Shaksgam Valley to the Chinese in 1963, the construction of Karakoram highway close to the Siachen Glacier and the beginning of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir-where Chinese personnel would be deployed-Siachen is important for the security of Nubra and Shyok Valleys, as also Ladakh.

The Indian Army occupies the higher points and would be apprehensive about its Pakistani counterpart capturing them if it withdraws (Kargil is still a burning memory) but there lies the biggest challenge for both New Delhi and Islamabad in bridging the serious trust deficit so that they do not lose human lives and materials unnecessarily.

Among other things, can Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif also take up the issue with similar intensity so that no more bravehearts are sacrificed.
From Yakub Memon to Afzal Guru: Here is what their last wish was before they were hanged

JNU to J&K: An attempt being made to bring the ghost of Afzal Guru back

Feature

oi-Vicky

There is a great deal of similarity in the cases of both Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat. Intelligence Bureau officials have been warning that many groups are attempting to rake up the Afzal Guru issue and this was seen at Pathankot, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jammu and Kashmir and now New Delhi.

When Afzal Guru was hanged after being held guilty in the Parliament attack, there were fears that there would be a rising in Kashmir.

However, everything was quiet barring a few protests. Today the scenario is gradually changing and with the name of Afzal Guru cropping up time and again, Intelligence Bureau officials warn that this undercurrent may have its effects in Kashmir.

The slogan raising at the JNU has two sides to it. Condemning a hanging surely does not mandate a sedition charge, but raising anti national slogans sure does.

However, the bigger issue is that the ghost of Afzal Guru is gradually returning and it looks exactly like the Maqbool Bhat case.

Bhat, the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, held guilty of two murders was hanged at the Tihar jail in 1984. While there was not much of trouble in the immediate aftermath of the hanging, the issue was used in 1989, the year we witnessed one of the biggest uprising in Kashmir.

Afzal Guru can still trouble India:

It was on February 9 that a strike was organised in Jammu and Kashmir by the Hurriyat Conference to mark the death anniversary of Afzal Guru. At that time it was warned by the IB that this could spread to different parts of the country.

[Delhi Shocker: 'Afzal Guru Amar Rahe', anti-India slogans rocked Press Club]

What one got to witness in Delhi was exactly what the IB spoke about. Several protests relating to Kashmir have emerged from the JNU in the past.

Prior to this, there was an attempt made by the Jaish-e-Mohammad to raise the Afzal Guru bogey. The name of Afzal Guru resurfaced during both the attacks at Pathankot and Mazar-e-Sharif (Afghanistan) recently.

In both these attacks the fidayeens had left behind pamphlets singing praises of Afzal Guru. It had become a clear strategy to capitalise on his name and start a movement in Kashmir.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the attempt was replicate what was done post the hanging of Bhat. The hanging of Maqbool Bhat in 1984 had become the focal point of the Kashmir movement five years later.

There are desperate attempts being made by both Pakistan based terrorist groups and also the Hurriyat Conference to stir up passions in the name of Afzal Guru.

Immediately after his hanging three years back there was no uproar in Kashmir. However, if one looks at the case of Bhat, then it is something to worry about.

This because there was a relative calm in Kashmir after his hanging in 1984. Five years later several groups used the hanging to stir up passions which led to a violent movement in Kashmir.

What is the message the Afzal Guru fans are sending out?

SAR Geelani has stated that the intention is to tell the people that both Guru and Bhat are part of the Kashmir freedom movement. It is a clear attempt to stir up passions and one needs to be careful or matters could well go out of control, says an officer with the Intelligence Bureau. We have alerted the police to be on high alert, the officer also added.

Both the recent attacks at Pathankot and Mazar-e-Sharif too attempted to send out one common message and that was to Kashmir. The Jaish-e-Mohammad made it extremely clear that they want to stoke emotions and make Kashmir a rallying point once again.

The terrorists who stole the vehicle of the Superintendent of Police (Gurdaspur) had left a note. The note read Long live Jaish-e-Muhammad.

From Tangdhar to Sambha Kathua you will find loyalists of Afzal Guru who will readily lay down their lives for him.

A similar message was found at Mazar-e-Sharif as well. Here the message read, "Afzal Guru- a martyr for whom there will be a 1,000 fidayeens."

Both these messages make it amply clear that the Jaish-e-Mohammad is using the Afzal Guru slogan to churn sentiments in Kashmir. Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief of the JeM has written a lot about Afzal Guru in some magazines published by his outfit.

He had repeatedly tried to say that India had been running a smear campaign against Afzal Guru so that there is no reaction in Kashmir.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the message that the Jaish-e-Mohammad is trying to convene is extremely clear. They are hoping to replicate the events that occurred following the execution of Bhat.

They believe that they can still evoke sentiments in Kashmir quoting Afzal Guru. While it is a worrying trend, Indian officials, however, feel that the times have changed and the Jaish-e-Mohammad may not be successful this time around.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2016, 15:39 [IST]
Why we must ignore Basit's statement on de-militarisation of Siachen

Feature

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Bleeding ulcer or a useless fight over an icy barren land is what many have termed the Siachen Glacier as. Ten soldiers laid down their lives guarding the glacier recently. Lance Naik Hanumanthappa who survived however lost the battle on Thursday throwing an entire nation into a pall of gloom.

In the midst of all this came a statement from the Pakistan High Commissioner, Abdul Basit in which he said that de-militarisation of the Siachen Glacier is the best option to avoid loss of lives on both sides.

India-Pakistan reunison can end Siachen tragedies, says Retd Air Marshal

It is easier said than done and several persons in the Indian army that we spoke with ask whether Basit can ensure that his government be trusted.

Why India cannot let go of Siachen?

Siachen is at a very strategic location with Pakistan on the left and China on the right. Major General Sheru Thapliyal points out in his book, "Strategic Importance of Siachen that the conflict here arises from an incompletely demarcated territory on the map of this region.

After the India and Pakistan war in 1971, the Shimla Agreement was signed, but there was no clear mention of who would control the glacier.

With Pakistan on the right and China on the left, Pakistan re-interpreted it as the North Eastwards to claim an area beyond the Saltoro Ride and beyond Siachen as its own.

Pakistan was aware that this would give it direct connectivity to China apart from a strategic advantage over the Ladakh region. In the early 1980s Pakistan sent an expedition to the glacier with an intent of taking control over the region.

This began a tussle as India was aware that this expedition was carried out with the blessings of the Pakistan government. It was in the year 1984 that India launched a military operation and took control of the Siachen Glacier.

Why George Fernandes also deserves credit for Hanumanthappa's gritty fight

Talks of demilitarisation have failed

There have been more lives lost due to the weather. In fact it is the weather that it is the biggest enemy for both countries in this region. There have been talks on various occasions to demilitarise the region.

Among the various suggestions that were made the two countries had even spoken about joint patrolling and an international peace keeping force. However all attempts to strike a deal at the Glacier have failed.

Officials say that there was a time when there would be a gentleman's agreement that when the weather turns extremely bad, both sides would withdraw forces temporarily.

However, that agreement does not stand today with India saying that there have been instances of Pakistan sending back forces when the temporary agreement was in force. This has only ensured that the Glacier is manned all through the year irrespective of how bad the weather is.

India says that if the de-militarisation has to take place, it cannot be achieved only through talks and statements. Action has to be taken on the ground and the maps too will have to be re-drawn. There was a draft agreement on this issue signed in 1989 between Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto.

Further Dr Manmohan Singh in 2005 had said that he would like to convert it to a mountain of peace. However all attempts have been futile.
4 men abducted me at knife point, says Snapdeal employee after returning home

India

oi-PTI

Ghaziabad, Feb 12: The 24-year-old Snapdeal employee returned home today after she went missing on Wednesday and said that she was abducted by four men at knife point while she was on her way back home in an auto-rickshaw.

Deepti Sarna narrated her ordeal to the police during questioning, where she said that the auto which she boarded from Vaishali Metro station had made a halt near Sahibabad village due to some snag, Senior superintendent of police Dharmendra Singh said.

Later, she boarded another auto in which four men (in their mid-twenties) and a girl were travelling. The men forcefully offloaded the girl passenger near Hindon river bridge, following which the auto took turn towards Morti village in Raj Nagar extension area, Singh said.

In the midway, they blindfolded Sarna at knife point and thereafter bundled her in a car and ferried her to some unknown place.

After travelling for nearly three hours, the car reached a place where she was kept in a room. The kidnappers never talked in her presence and maintained silence, Singh said.

The girl said that she was not assaulted sexually or physically and was offered food and snacks. Today around 4 AM, they dropped her at some unknown railway station platform from where she boarded a Delhi-bound local train.

When the train reached Narela railway station, she asked one of the co-passenger (a senior citizen) to make a call to her parents from his mobile phone. Police is preparing the sketch of the four men involved in the abduction and they will be nabbed soon.

Due to some glitches in Sarna's abduction story, police is trying to verify the events narrated by her. "She will also be persuaded to get medically examined at government hospital," SSP Singh said.

Earlier in the day, the girl had called up her family to tell them that she was on a train from Panipat in Haryana. Suspense remained on the circumstances of Sarna's disappearance, with Superintendent of Police (city) Salman Taj Patil saying that they are investigating the case.

PTI
With LiFE, India leads the world in mission on climate change | 10 points

'Is this the respect for women?': Mallikarjun Kharge asks PM Modi over release of Bilkis case convict

From DefExpo to Kedarnath darshan, PM Modi's itinerary as diverse as it gets

7th Pay Commission: Good news for govt employees! Panel may double minimum basic pay

India

oi-Reetu

New Delhi, Feb 12: There is good news for the central government employees who are waiting for the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission.

According to reports, the percentage of pay hike recommended by the pay commission may be doubled.

7th Pay Commission: Good news for defence personnel! Govt to address concerns over OROP, allowance

According to a Zeenews report, "Empowered Committee of Secretaries processing the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission(7thCPC) in an overall perspective, are likely to double the percentage of pay hike recommended by the pay commission.

As per reports, central government employees are likely to expect basic pay hike of around 30%, which will be effective January 1, 2016."

Reportedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered officials to speed up review process so that it could be implemented soon. Modi has asked Committee of Secretaries to provide maximum benefits to central staff.

The recommendations when implemented would have bearing on remuneration of 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners. Subject to acceptance by the government, the recommendations will take effect from January 1, 2016.

The 7th Pay panel suggested 23.55% hike in pay and allowances of government employees. Pay will go up by 16%; increase in allowances will be 63%; increase in pension will be 24%.

Seventh Pay Commission: Good News! PMO orders to speed up process; notification soon

Pay Commission recommends 3% annual increment and 24% hike in pension for central government staffers.

Recently, the Defence Ministry also sought a fresh analysis of the concerns raised by the Army, Navy and the Air force- over the recommendations of the seventh pay commission.

The government has studied representations from the armed forces vis-a-vis the 7th Pay Commission and their concerns will be addressed "in the near future", Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

OneIndia News
Bad weather holds up airlifting of mortal remains of 9 Siachen martyrs

India

oi-Oneindia

By OneIndia Defence Bureau

New Delhi, Feb 12: The mortal remains of nine other soldiers who were martyred after a massive avalanche hit their post on February 3 are still to be brought to the Siachen base camp.

Army sources told OneIndia on Friday morning that the officials were still waiting the weather to get cleared.

"For the last couple of days the weather has really deteriorated in the region. Even last night there was heavy snowfall. Today morning, the weather had cleared up a bit," an official attached to the Army camp in Udhampur told OneIndia over the phone.

According to him, the Army Commander General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command, Lieutenant General D S Hooda had summoned a meeting on Friday morning to discuss the possible plan.

"Everything depends upon the weather so that the planes can land. The bodies have to be shifted from to base camp first," the official said.

Another Army official told OneIndia that the aviation assets have been kept on a stand-by mode in the last two days.

"We were lucky that we could bring down Lance Naik Hanumanthappa to the base camp by a chopper. We had a patch of opening of weather for half an hour on the day he was pulled out alive. The weather is extremely bad since then," an official said.

The bodies are still kept at one of the forward posts at Siachen.

Among the 10 soldiers died, four are from Tamil Nadu, three from Karnataka (including Lance Naik Hanumanthappa) and one each from Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

OneIndia News
David Headley named Ishrat Jahan as LeT operative in 2010 too

India

oi-Preeti

Bengaluru, Feb 12: David Coleman Headley, one of the key conspirators of deadly Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, on Thursday, Feb 11, made an explosive revelation calling Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old girl, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter, as a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative and a female suicide bomber.

However, this is not the first time when Headley has made the same disclosure about Ishrat Jahan. In the past too, he has made these allegations on Ishrat. Let's have a look at past instance, when Headley named Ishrat Jahan as a terrorist. [Ishrat Jahan case: A timeline]

2010: During an interrogation with four-member team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Law department, in the Chicago jail, Headley had termed Ishrat as an LeT fidayeen (suicide bomber), who was recruited by Muzammil, a top Lashkar commandar.

Lashkar had claimed that Ishrat was an LeT member, in LeT-owned magazine-- "Ghazwa Times". However, in 2007, when Lashkar was renamed as Jamaat-ud-Dawaa (JuD), it apologised to Ishrat's family by claiming that she was not an LeT member. [Headley, home ministry termed Ishrat a 'terrorist']

2009: In 2009, an affidavit submitted by the home ministry before the Gujarat High Court said that Ishrat Jahan had links with the Pakistan-based terror outfit.

The affidavit also said that Ishrat and her colleagues were planning to carry out a major operation in Gujarat. It was also said that one of her partners, Javed, had converted to Islam but secured a passport in his Hindu name and went to Dubai to participate in LeT activities.

He reportedly met Ishrat in Thane in Maharashtra, where he persuaded the latter to join the LeT. It was said that since Ishrat had no criminal background, the LeT man found it convenient to rope her in so that nobody would suspect her.

What happened on June 15, 2004?

19-year-old second-year BSc student at Mumbai's Guru Nanak Khalsa college, Ishrat Jahan and three men, Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar (both Pakistan nationals), were killed in a police encounter in the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The police held that the group had links to Lashkar-e-Taiba and were planning to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

What CBI chargesheet said in 2013?

According to testimonies by 20 policemen, the CBI said that Ishrat and her friends -- Javed Sheikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were abducted and were confined in different farmhouse in and around Ahmedabad. The four people were confined illegally in the farmhouses for over a period of two months.

Zeeshan was taken to Ahmedabad on April 27, 48 days before the encounter. One month later, Javed brought Amjad and handed the latter over to Gujarat Police. Reason behind Javed's move of handing Amjad over to the state police has not been explained yet.

Later, Ishrat and Javed were picked up by the police at a check post in Vasad near Anand, on June 12 when the duo were on their way to Ahmedabad. Ishrat and Javed began their journey from Nasik in Maharashtra in a blue Indica.

On June 13, Rajendra Kumar, the then Gujarat station chief of the Intelligence Bureau, had interrogated Ishrat in a farmhouse where she was confined illegally. A day later, Kumar along with senior police officers DG Vanzara and PP Pandey had hatched the plan of fake encounter. [Gujarat Crime Branch fired 70 rounds at Ishrat & others: CBI]

One police officer allegedly was asked to collect weapons including a AK-47 from IB office. The weapons were planted at thew shooting site to make it seem like Ishrat and her friends were armed. [How Ishrat, others were killed in Gujarat, explains CBI]

A police officer on June 15 had driven Ishrat and others in Javed's Indica to the Kotarpur Waterworks road where they were gunned down by a group of policemen. ['Bihar's daughter' Ishrat: 'Secular' JD(U) at play?]

Ishrat's death concealed all facts with her?

It has been almost 12 years when Ishrat was killed in an encounter, but the mystery behind her motives still remains a question mark. [We are sure that Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist, says her family member]

OneIndia News
Have we forgotten to spare a thought for Siachen rescue men?

India

oi-Staff

By Super Admin

Bengaluru, Feb 12: In the emotive gush, all, including the media while delineating gratitude to martyrs, appeared to have forgotten one aspect in Siachen incident, that is of rescue operators. What is the scale of people who spoke about the rescue team operating at Siachen battling the furious nature?

Air Marshal (retired) B K Pandey raises a valid point subtly questioning the eyes those are blind on the hard plight of army men tasked with tough work of carrying the rescue operation at Siachen.

"While all eyes of the country are today on Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, as indeed they should be, spare a thought for the valiant men of the Indian Army who threw themselves into the search and rescue mission in that god forsaken land," Pandey touched a real point.

Pandey, in an E-Mail conversation with OneIndia puts in perspective the efforts of rescue workers. He putting across the facts says, the Sonam post where the avalanche occurred is located at an altitude of approximately, 20, 500 feet. The temperature averagely at this cold geography hovers around - 25 degree Celsius (day) to - 45 degree Celsius. The condition is hard to carry out rescue operation.

Moreover, workers have to shoulder the burden of carrying rock drills, electrical saws, specialised equipment, survival rations and personal gear, which put together would measure up to 40 kgs. "Each person has to carry all these equipment," Pandey explained.

The ice debris, an impact of avalanche, covered an area of 800 meters to 1000 meters, in other words 25 feet to 30 feet in terms of depth. The ice boulders of colossal size, a few size of small room had submerged the post. Most of these are ice blue as hard and as tough as concrete.

The rescue operators braving snowstorms, bizarre cold conditions where the personal risk is high- cut, drilled, sawed and dug through tons of ice and snow. Thanks to their morale. Through night and day, 6 days in a row, they kept at it, throwing everything they had into it, Pandey said.

Chances of finding a survivor in an avalanche, they say goes down to approx 20 % within 3 hours. In 6 hrs, that goes down further to 1%. But that didn't daunt or shake the resolve of these 200 odd men. Pandey further continued saying, for these men, probability never counts, what utmost matters is lives of their own men tragically trapped inside the sheets of ice, and trapped once have to be pulled out at any cost.

Pandey moving towards technical details says it is interesting to understand the logistic back up chain that came up to aide 200 rescue men. At these heights, a Chetak helicopter, can carry just one to two jerrycans of fuel or kerosene at a time.

The fuel and kerosene required to light up the area, specialised equipment like radars and power communication equipment and others would require hundreds of flying hours.

The logistics chain shall require pushing in of fuel, equipment, rations, standby troops, medical support, weather warning radars. Even by the most modest estimate, that shall translate to tens of thousands of man hours over a six day period, Pandey added.

All this to rescue ten men, who by every acknowledged line of reasoning, rational or otherwise stood no chance in hell of having survived.

OneIndia News
Ishrat Jahan case: When the IB stopped reporting to the government

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Feb 12: Two premier agencies of the country were at loggerheads, thanks to the Ishrat Jahan case!

It was probably one of the worst scenarios in the country when the CBI was asked to take over the probe into the Ishrat Jahan case. [Headley's Ishrat revelation: What difference will it make to the CBI case?]

The problem began when the CBI began probing Rajinder Kumar a senior intelligence bureau officer on the allegations that he had stage managed that encounter and even provided arms to the cops to carry the shoot out. [Day 5 Updates: ISI happy with Headley's efforts]

Ishrat Jahan along with Amjad Ali Rana, Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Shaikh and Jishan were killed in an encounter near Ahmedabad on June 15 2004. There were allegations that the encounter was fake. Further it was said that an innocent girl had been killed.

A deep divide that set a bad precedent:

It was a very bad precedent that had been set in this case. The IB and the CBI was completely divided. The Intelligence Bureau in particular was unhappy that the CBI was targeting their officer who had only provided information.

The IB felt that its job was to pass on information of threats and it is for the police to act upon it.

The Intelligence Bureau also felt that if its officers are going to be prosecuted for passing on information then it would be very difficult to work. However the worst scenario was when many officers in the Intelligence Bureau decided to stop passing on information to the government.

There was a time when the government was not getting any information from the IB and this was seen as a mark of protest.

Many officers in the agency say that this was probably one of the worst things that could have happened. If two premier agencies of the country that is the IB and the CBI are at logger heads, then national security does get compromised.

The IB officials enjoy a certain amount of immunity. The CBI ought not to have jumped the gun on the issue.

Officers say that while many termed Ishrat Jahan as innocent, there was no such thing being said about the rest of the persons who were with her. None had disputed that the rest of them were terrorists.

This called for an explanation as to what she was doing with them, but this question was not answered. Further while the CBI had termed the encounter as fake, it did not even go into the key point whether Ishrat was a terrorist or not.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2016, 10:22 [IST]
ISI, Lashkar-e-Tayiba tried to make 26/11 attack look Indian: David Headley

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Feb 12: Pakistan's ISI and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba made every effort to give a saffron colour to the 26/11 attack. The testimony by David Headley today confirms this fact.

During his deposition made this morning, he says that he had visited the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai and while also shooting a video of the premises he purchased saffron coloured or sacred bands. [Day 5 Updates of Headley deposition]

The same was handed over to Sajir Mir who felt that it would be a good idea for the terrorists to wear so that it would appear they were Indians. While Pakistan is known for such tactics, what surprised many was that some Indians too bit the bait.

There were many who had also tried to say that the killing of the then ATS chief Hemanth Karkare was at the hands of some Hindu groups.

The diversionary tactic:

It does surprise one and all why Pakistan attempts this very obvious tactic. When the terrorists entered Mumbai and started the attack even a kid in school would have said that they were from Pakistan.

The style of the attack bore the signature of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba which has carried out similar sort of attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. It was clearly a fidayeen attack.

The use of saffron threads was not the only attempt made by Pakistan to make it look like an attack by Indians.

Each one of the terrorists were carrying with them identification cards bearing names such as Sameer Chaudhary etc.

In addition to this, the terrorists also underwent a session in Hindi tutions. Their tutor was Abu Jundal who is currently facing trial in the Mumbai court where Headley is making his deposition.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2016, 15:13 [IST]
Justice eludes family of Dalit boy murdered for writing love letter to an upper caste girl

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Bengaluru, Feb 12: It has been more than seven months since 17-year-old Dalit boy Anil Parasuram Metri was allegedly murdered at Mirji village of Bagalkot district in Karnataka.

He was allegedly poisoned to death for 'writing' a love letter--a charge that the bereaved family refutes--to a girl who belongs to an upper caste family.

According to his family members, it was the girl's father, brother and one more accused who first thrashed Anil. Thereafter, the boy was allegedly kidnapped by few youths in the village who took him to a sugarcane field and forcefully made him consume poison.

The incident took place on July 1, 2015. On July 6, Anil died in BLDE Hospital, Bijapur, where he was undergoing treatment. Anil's brother Vittal lodged a complaint at Mudhol Police Station in Bagalkot district on July 4.

The FIR, a copy of which is with OneIndia, mentions three main accused-Basappa Hanamanth Bisanakoppa (girl's father), Hanamanth Basappa Bisanakoppa (girl's brother) and Kallappa Payannavar (an acquaintance of the first two accused). Following the FIR, the three accused were arrested and were in police custody for a month, after which they were released on bail.

The accused have been booked under Section 323 of the IPC (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 324 of the IPC (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) and Section 34 of the IPC (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention).

They were also booked under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Vittal told OneIndia, "Police officers are not cooperating. They've refused to share the updated version of the chargesheet with us. Till date, no public prosecutor has been appointed to fight the case on our behalf."

When OneIndia contacted Bagalkot SP MN Nagaraj, he said that he was recently transferred to the district and busy with zila and taluk panchayats (ZP/TP) elections, slated on February 13 and February 20. "I have recently been posted as the Bagalkot SP. I am aware about the case, but I can't share the details with you right now. I am busy with election duty."

Further when informed about the slow progress of the case, Nagaraj added, "Ask Mr Vittal to meet me in my office."

Anil's family, including his father, mother and four brothers, work and stay in a six-acre agricultural land, which belongs to one Venkanagouda. The girl's family also stays in the neighbourhood.

"On July 1, 2015, around 9 pm, my parents saw Anil being brutally beaten by Basappa, Hanamanth and Kallappa in Basappa's house. Both my father and mother tried to rescue Anil, but could not. They accused that Anil wrote a love letter to Basappa's daughter. This angered the girl's family as they belong to an upper caste and we are Dalits. My parents were also beaten by the three accused," said Vittal.

"My parents came home and narrated the harrowing episode to me. Immediately, three of us (Anil's mother, father and Vittal) went back to Basappa's house. However, Anil was not there. We looked for him everywhere but couldn't trace Anil.

Next day, on July 2, we found Anil lying in a sugarcane cultivation area. He was badly injured, but was alive. We took him to the Mahalingapura government hospital, close to our village. Doctors at the hospital advised us to shift him to Hanchinal hospital as his condition was critical.

Again from the second hospital, we shifted him to Rabakavi hospital, as suggested by the doctors. He was not only beaten, but was also forced to consume poisonous chemicals. So, doctors at the hospital made him vomit. As his condition was deteriorating, we again took him to the BLDE Hospital in Bijapur district. Anil was undergoing treatment at the BLDE hospital till he died on July 6," added Vittal.

Before he died, Anil told his family members that on the wee hours of July 2, he almost managed to reach his home. However, few local youths kidnapped him and took him to a secluded area. The youths pushed Anil from a hillock and grievously injured him. Thereafter, he was forcefully made to consume poison.

"The youths belong to a gang of local village boys. In fact, it was the leader of the gang, Praveen Ramanna Karannavar, who had asked Anil to hand over a letter to the girl. Praveen and the girl were in a relationship.

My brother told the girl's family that the letter was written by Praveen and he was asked to deliver it. But they did not believe him and beat him. Even though Praveen also belongs to the upper caste Reddy community like the girl, her family members did not approve of their relationship.

Fearing further backlash from the girl's side, Praveen and his friends poisoned and killed my brother," said a teary-eyed Vittal.

Vittal, also accused the police of protecting Praveen and his gang members. "The police refused to include the assault and poisoning of my brother in the FIR despite the post-mortem report declaring that poison was found in Anil's body," said Vittal.

Based on a complaint filed by Y Mariswamy, a Dalit rights activist and state organiser of Samajika Parivarthana Andholana (SPJ), a movement for people's rights, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPC), has taken up the case.

"We want justice for Anil. The accused should be prosecuted and punished according to the law. As per the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, we demand full financial compensation for the family.

As the family is very poor and engaged in agricultural labour, we want the government to give a job to one of the family members on compensatory ground," said Mariswamy.

Anil is not the only Dalit boy who faced the wrath of upper caste people in Mirji village. Recently, another Dalit youth from the village was brutally beaten up allegedly by several upper caste men. Due to severe injuries, the boy can't walk anymore.

Vittal told OneIndia that after his brother's murder the family is facing social ostracisation. "Most of the land belongs to upper caste families in the village. Since our brother has been murdered by upper caste people and we have approached the police to get justice, nobody is giving us any work.

We have also been barred from using the public toilets in the village. Even the Dalits in the village have stopped any kind of communication with us. They are afraid of antagonising the upper caste people," said Vittal.

After Anil's death, local Dalits initially staged protest rallies against the brutal incident. "However, everyone has forgotten about Anil's death now. But I will fight till the culprits are punished," said Vittal.

OneIndia News
Matter of pride that Shiv Sena is on hit-list of terrorists: Sanjay Raut

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Feb 12: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today said it was a matter of pride for the party that Pakistan-based terror outfits consider it their enemy.

He was reacting to the Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's statement in a Mumbai court that terrorist outfit LeT might have been interested in a strike on the Sena Bhavan -- the party headquarters -- or assassinate its head (the late Bal Thackeray).

"We are not surprised that terrorists are interested in doing a recce of Sena Bhavan or Matoshree (Thackeray residence). Pakistan has always had both on hit-list. It is a matter of pride for us that Pakistan considers us to be their enemy and we are on their hit-list," the Rajya Sabha MP told PTI.

"We are not scared of any of them. If any of us is targeted by them, it would mean like winning a Maha Vir Chakra." Bal Thackeray consistently fought against Pakistani and Khalistani terrorists for 50 years and considered himself to be "fortunate" to be a target of terrorists, Raut said.

"What would have happened had he (Bal Thackeray) been harmed is a different matter. The main point is Balasaheb's name sends shivers down the spine of terrorists in Pakistan," Raut said.

Headley, deposing from the US through video-conference, said he had tried to befriend Rajaram Rege, a local Sena leader, to get access to Sena Bhavan, as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba, which later carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, might be interested in attacking the Sena Bhavan or "assassinate its head".

PTI
No offence made out against Salman, Shahrukh: Cops tell court

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 12: Delhi Police on Friday told a court here that no cognizable offence was made out against actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who were alleged to have outraged Hindu beliefs on the sets of 'Big Boss 9'.

The police said there was no intention to hurt religious sentiments as the promotional event of the actors entering the sets of a temple wearing shoes while shooting for the reality show was done in a studio.

In its action taken report (ATR) filed in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) V K Gautam, the police said the promotional event was not shot to disturb sanctity of a religious place or to hurt religious sentiments.

"In view of the facts and report, no cognizable offence is made out. The promo was not shot to disturb the sanctity of a religious place or disturb or hurt the religious sentiments of any individual, group, community or section of the society.

"However, the undersigned is ready to abide by the order passed by the court," the report forwarded by SHO of Roop Nagar Police Station and filed by sub-inspector Naveen Kumar said.

The ACMM was on leave and link magistrate Joginder Singh posted the matter for March 2 for hearing arguments. The court had earlier directed the police to file an ATR explaining as to what action it has taken on the complaint filed by advocate Gaurav Gulati.

The complaint had sought the court's direction to the cops to register an FIR against the two actors, Colors channel and director and producer of reality show 'Bigg Boss 9' for the alleged offences under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The police, in its report, also mentioned that a similar complaint was filed in a Meerut court, which has already dismissed the application.

The police also referred to the reply of channel producer of 'VIACOM 18' in which it was stated that Shah Rukh Khan had appeared on the set of 'Big Boss 9' and met Salman Khan with whom he had worked in Bollywood movie 'Karan Arjun' a long time ago.

"As they (actors) had met after a long time, the director thought of an idea showing them reuniting on the sets of 'Kali Mandir' in a similar manner as they had reunited in the movie 'Karan Arjun' in Kali temple after their re-birth in the film.

"This idea was not motivated by any intention of hurting any religious sentiments of any religious group and shooting of the promo was done in a studio and the subject incident never took place," police said, citing the channel's reply.

The complaint filed against the actors had alleged that in a video being circulated, Shah Rukh and Salman were seen wearing shoes on the sets of temple of goddess 'Kali' while shooting for an episode of Bigg Boss where the idol can be seen in the background.

"It is a disrespect to the Hindu religion and its belief as it is strictly prohibited to come in the temple with shoes and also they were showing their back to the idol which is also deemed to be an insult to the Hindu goddess... (sic)," it had alleged.

Maintaining that it seemed to be a "well-planned malicious act to outrage Hindu feelings", the plea had also claimed that any kind of misdeed committed by them affected the masses.

PTI
'Nyaya Yatra' reaches Namma Bengaluru

India

oi-PTI

Bengaluru, Feb 12: "Nyaya Yatra", a march for justice that aims to create nationwide awareness about speedy, fair and transparent justice system, reached the city today.

The march has been organised by the Forum for Fast Justice. As part of the yatra, two motorcades had left from Delhi on January 30 -- one from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and the other from Kutch to Kolkata. The 'Yatra' will terminate at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 4.

The forum will hold its annual national convention in Delhi on March 5 and 6 that will be attended by delegates from across the country. It would pass a resolution which will contain demands for fast tracking of judiciary, the forum members said. Pointing out there are more than three crore cases pending in various courts in the country, they said at the current rate and procedure it may take at least more than 100 years for the disposal of pending cases.

Kumar Jahgirdar, President of NGO called CRISP (Children's Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting), said the budget allocated to the judiciary should be increased and justice should be made time bound. He said, "The budget allocated for judiciary is 0.2 per cent of our GDP; we are demanding the union government to make at least 2 per cent increase in the GDP so that more courts can be opened and more judges are appointed."

He also charged that politicians don't want speedy justice. CRISP and National Litigant Bench are supporting and coordinating the Yatra's activities here. The forum plans to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of Karnataka and the Governor.

PTI
International news brief: Confident of Pak's commitment, ability to secure its nuclear assets, says US & more

From 'dangerous' to 'secure and confident': US makes a u-turn after Biden's comment on Pak

Pak violated UNSC resolution by facilitating the 26/11 attack: Former R&AW official

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Feb 12: In the four days that David Headley has been testifying he has made several comments about the involvement of the ISI in the 26/11 attack.

While the statements on Ishrat Jahan do hold a great deal of importance as it does settle a debate on whether she was innocent or not, one must not lose focus of the other points in the Headley testimony.

More importance needs to be given to the links of the ISI and the 26/11 attack and one must ensure that his testimony is not mired in political mud slinging. If we continue to do so then we are just ensuring a victory for Pakistan.

Focus on Pakistan:

V Balachandran, former official with the Research and Analysis Wing tells OneIndia that his evidence is important for shaping higher strategic steps against Pakistan.

His revelations have given enough details of how Pakistan's official agencies had strategised, trained, equipped, exported and monitored terrorist activities against India.

Pakistan has clearly violated the UNSC Resolution No: 1373(2001) 2(a) and UNGA Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2006) Annexe II(1) bind member states " from organasing, instigating, facilitating, participating in , financing, encouraging or tolerating terrorist activities".

Pakistan, by signing these conventions, is also bound to take measures to ensure that its territories are not used for locating terrorism camps, training, or terrorist acts against other states, Balachandran says.

We need to use his evidence properly and ensure it does not get embroiled in politics. If India can ensure that the evidence is used correctly considering it has been made before a court of law then it will set in motion a process which will finally compel Pakistan to abandon terrorism as a coercive foreign policy instrument against India.

OneIndia News
Possible DMK-Cong alliance: Azad to meet Karunanidhi on Saturday

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Feb 12: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi here tomorrow to discuss a possible electoral alliance with the latter's party to oust ruling AIADMK in the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

Though Azad said it would be 'courtesy call' on the DMK patriarch, the meeting is however expected to set the ball rolling for the two parties striking a poll pact. Azad's visit to Karunanidhi comes in the wake of the DMK leader inviting Congress and DMDK as part of his efforts to cobble up a strong alliance against the Jayalalithaa led AIADMK.

Recently, TNCC President E V K S Elangovan had said that Azad would hold talks with Karunanidhi on the alliance issue. DMK, which was a key constituent of the Congress led UPA government since 2004,broke out of the alliance in 2013 on the Sri Lankan issue.

However Congress had later supported Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha polls that year. Azad, who will be accompanied by his colleague and Congress in charge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik and Elangovan, had said he was meeting Karunanidhi on a courtesy call.

PTI
A great tragedy say activists after 200 bodies are recovered from roof of Pakistan hospital

International news brief: Confident of Pak's commitment, ability to secure its nuclear assets, says US & more

From 'dangerous' to 'secure and confident': US makes a u-turn after Biden's comment on Pak

The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married

'India won't listen to anyone': Anurag Thakur gives strong reply to PCB

Resolution passed against Valentine's Day in restive NW Pakistan

India

oi-PTI

Peshawar, Feb 12: Valentine's Day celebration was today banned in northwest Pakistan with authorities in the restive region saying that the western tradition has no place in Islam.

The day's celebration on February 14 had often been criticised by Islamists as 'insult' to Islam.

District Council Peshawar unanimously passed resolution against Valentine's Day being observed across the globe every year on February 14, stating it has no place in Islam and is in contravention to Pushtoon traditions and values.

The resolution, which was presented by Khalid Waqas of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), said that the Valentine's Day has no place in our tradition and values.

The resolution states that the celebration was of western tradition. Separately, District Nazim Kohat also imposed ban on sale of Valentine's Day cards and gifts and directed the police to confiscate all such goods from the shops.

PTI
'This may give sleepless nights to some': Eknath Shinde on sharing dais with Sharad Pawar

Not just future of Sena but democracy at stake, says Uddhav

Murud beach tragedy: Safer beaches would promote tourism, says Bombay High Court

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Feb 12: Against the backdrop of the tragedy at Murud beach where 14 college students drowned, the Bombay High Court today said government should form a comprehensive policy on safety measures at tourist places.

The court, which is hearing a petition on the issue of beach safety filed by NGO Janhit Manch in 2006, had pulled up the court on the last occasion following the Murud incident for not implementing existing government resolution on the issue.

"Tourism is increasing. This (safety measures) will increase tourism activity. You should form a comprehensive policy (on safety measures at tourist places)," the bench said, advising the government to examine the safety measures in Goa which is famous for its beaches.

"Everywhere in the world tourism is big industry," the court observed, adding that it has a great earning potential.

"People who visit do not know about beaches, the dangers of going into the sea. You must inform them," said Justice Patil, adding that there should be watch towers and lights on the beaches apart from the lifeguards, and there must be clear instructions on every beach as to how far it would be safer to go in the sea, as this would vary from beach to beach.

Referring to 2006 GR on the issue, the court said there should be "implementation monitoring cell".

"Everything is there on paper....the problem in our country is implementation," said Justice Patil.

"We expect the government to form a comprehensive policy in view of the safety of tourists," the court said, adjourning the hearing for four weeks.

PTI
International news brief: Confident of Pak's commitment, ability to secure its nuclear assets, says US & more

'Why tongues of traitors hailing Pakistan should not be chopped'

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 12: Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya today stoked a new controversy by wondering why tongues of traitors who "hail" Pakistan while living in India should not be "chopped off."

"Should not the tongues of those traitors who hail Pakistan while living in India be chopped off?" he asked in a series of tweets. In the tweets, the BJP general secretary said an ex-serviceman asked him that soldiers stake their lives on the border while people inside the country "hail" Pakistan and nobody says them anything.

Referring to his conversation with the former soldier, he said, "Why tongues of such traitors who hail Pakistan while living in India are not chopped off? It seemed to me that the the former soldier was voicing the thought all patriotic Indians."

Vijarvargiya, however, also wondered if such a punishment was possible in a democratic country like India which follows constitutional practises. Vijarvargiya's comments have earlier also kicked up controversies in the past.

PTI
If you can yet manage to ride this covered train without tickets, you cant without your umbrellas

350 couples marry in Manila mass wedding

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Manila, Feb 12: Some 350 Filipino couples were married in a mass civil wedding on Friday in Manila's commercial district of Malate, two days ahead of the Valentine's Day.

One septuagenarian couple, each aged 74 years old, took their wedding vows at the government-sponsored ceremony in San Andres Sports Complex after 42 years of living together out of wedlock, EFE news reported.

"We could not get married before because our families did not allow us," said Eduardo Munoz, 74, explaining that his family was Roman Catholic while his partner Angelina Manalo belongs to the Philippine Independent Church, a local religious sect that experienced a schism with the Catholic Church in 1902.

"As soon as I saw her, I was attracted to her, but her parents did not allow her to marry me because I was not one of them, so we did not go to the altar out of respect for our elders," said Munoz, adding joyously "Now our elders are all dead ... So we can do whatever we want!"

The 2.5-hour nuptial rites were officiated in the flower-decked gymnasium by former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada with over 1,000 friends and family members of the brides and grooms attending.

"It was very lively and happy, with a lot of jokes. The government even gave a flower bouquet and a small money gift in an envelope to each of the newlyweds," said an attendee.

Mass weddings are often organised in the Philippines by local governments under the Civil Registrar Offices nationwide to help impoverished couples take their wedding vows.

"Many of these people are here because they want to formalise their relationship, but have no money to even pay a church to marry," said Joey Cabresa, the director of the Registrar's Office for the city of Manila, which spent 350,000 pesos ($7,300) on the nuptial rites for the 350 couples.

"We host this type of ceremony whenever we can, because for Filipinos, family and unity are very important," Cabresa added.

IANS
At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats

American help to Pak contributes to counterterrorism ops: Toner

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Feb 12: American security assistance to Pakistan contributes to its counter terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, a senior Obama administration official has said amid growing call from lawmakers to stop the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad.

"We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

"These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks, and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan. So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the US and in the interests of the region more broadly," he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry has received a letter from Senator Bob Corker in which Corker has said that he would block the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, saying organisations like the Haqqani network, with support from people within the establishment, are using terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan for attacks against US soldiers in Pakistan, Toner said.

"No country in the region has been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan. We believe it is in our vital national security interest to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks.

"We believe it is an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan. So and in that regard we would welcome Pakistan's efforts to support Afghan- led reconciliation talks, for example, they hosted the Heart of Asia ministerial recently and two of the first three meetings of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group," he said.

Toner said Pakistan has carried out multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil.

"We believe that eliminating those networks is in our national security interest, as well as the security interests of the region," he said while refusing to comment on the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

"We do not comment on proposed arms sales or transfers, or even our preliminary consultations with the Capitol Hill prior to any formal congressional notification. But we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges," Toner added.

PTI
Are you awake?: EAM Jaishankar recalls when he got a call from PM Modi at midnight

Gunmen kidnap ex-Afghan provincial governor from Islamabad

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, Feb 12: A former governor of Afghanistan's Herat province was kidnapped today from the Pakistani capital by unidentified gunmen. Sayed Fazalullah Wahidi was here with his family to get a visa for the UK.

A police official said the governor was staying in a guest house in the capital and went with his grandson to a nearby market when he was kidnapped. The kidnappers left the child and took Wahidi away.

"A search has been launched to recover the former governor," the official said. A case has been registered at Kohsar Police Station located in the Jinnah Supper Market area on behalf of the family and the Afghan embassy.

Afghan ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal expressed "serious concern" overthe kidnapping of the governor.

Wahidi was close to former president Hamid Karzai and his disappearance could sour ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan ahead of the planned start of talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials by the end of the month.

PTI
A great tragedy say activists after 200 bodies are recovered from roof of Pakistan hospital

International news brief: Confident of Pak's commitment, ability to secure its nuclear assets, says US & more

From 'dangerous' to 'secure and confident': US makes a u-turn after Biden's comment on Pak

The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married

Pakistan launched $500 million projects for Afghanistan

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Islamabad, Feb 12: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal announced that Pakistan has launched $500 million worth of projects for Afghanistan's education, health and infrastructure sectors, the media reported on Friday.

Iqbal on Thursday said that 3,000 scholarships had been offered to Afghan students in different universities of Pakistan and 100 Afghan students would study in the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Dawn online reported.

Talking to an Afghan delegation comprising academicians, lawmakers, students and civil society members here, the minister said that Pakistan had desired to forge friendly relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan.

He underlined the need for greater exchanges of scholars, artists, businessmen and others to boost cooperation and friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries.

"We have to start a new chapter in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations by focussing on social and economic dimensions of the friendship," Iqbal said, adding that two countries shared hundreds of years of history.

Obama administration proposes 0 mn in aid for Pakistan

He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would play an important role in bringing people of the region closer besides improving economy of the entire region.

"If an untoward incident happens in Afghanistan, Pakistan will be the first country to feel its heat and it will affect the rest of the world later on," he added.

IANS
Russia to support Iraq in anti-IS fighting

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Baghdad, Feb 12: Russia on Thursday confirmed its support to Iraq in fighting against the Islamic State militant group which has seized large parts of the country.

Visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin held meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday, which concluded with a cooperation agreement to boost bilateral ties in various aspects, Xinhua reported.

"Moscow can meet the needs of the Iraqi leadership in the fighting against terrorism through the exchange of information, training of security forces and providing military equipment," Rogozin said during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

He said Moscow will provide such support "if the Iraqi government submitted a formal request for it."

Heading a delegation of about a hundred Russian officials and economic, military and investment experts, the Russian deputy premier said the two sides agreed to boost cooperation in transportation, health care and civil aviation.

The Iraqi foreign minister said the agreement would cover oil, electricity, water resources and industry.

Earlier in the day, Jaafari and Rogozin co-chaired the Russian- Iraqi inter-governmental commission in its meeting in Baghdad between the Russian delegation members and their Iraqi counterparts.

Rogozin, who arrived in Baghdad Wednesday for a two-day visit, also met with Iraqi President Fuad Masoum and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri.

IANS
At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats

US ships Zika test for pregnant women; Puerto Rico at risk

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Feb 11: The US government is shipping Zika virus tests for pregnant women to health departments, as travelers try to tell if they returned with an infection that could put a developing baby at risk.

But officials warn there could be temporary shortages. Health officials don't expect widespread transmission of the mosquito-borne virus in the continental US.

But they said today that Puerto Rico is especially vulnerable as they sought emergency funding from Congress to battle an outbreak quickly spreading through Latin America.

Zika is suspected of causing abnormally small heads in developing babies, a defect called microcephaly that may indicate underlying brain damage. Federal health officials advise pregnant women not to travel to Zika-affected areas. Those who already have can seek testing to help determine their risk, although the tests aren't perfect.

AP
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The president of Zimbabwe has congratulated Nigeria s president Muhammadu Buhari on his recent reelection victory.

In a tweet shared via his official twitter handle, Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe wished Nigerias President all the best in his quest to move the country towards progress and developmet.

See tweet below:

Congratulations @MBuhari on your re-election as President of Nigeria. I wish you all the best as you continue to lead your country towards further progress and development, and fulfil the high hopes the people of Nigeria have placed in you.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

POLICE are looking for Lebohang Moakamedi, who is believed to be in his early 30s.Daily Sun reported that he is suspected of stabbing a man in a tavern at Eldorado Park, south of Joburg.The police said it is suspected that Moakamedi had an argument with the victim and stabbed him to death with a knife.Eldorado Park SAPS spokesman Captain Phillimon Korombi said the man died in the tavern.He said a warrant of arrest was issued by the magistrate but the suspect had left the area after the incident and has not been seen again.He said the police are investigating a case of murder."We appeal to the community to assist us with information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect," said Korombi.He said anyone with information should call the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Chris Moses, on 011 946 0300.
Reprinted from Mike Malloy Website

A word not often used in politics is: inevitable. However some Republican voters are now using it to describe a Trump victory in the primaries as well as in the general election this November. And, these are not -- emphatically not -- Trump supporters. They could be described as conservative, Republican, evangelical, or any combination of those terms.

Bloomberg Politics and the firm Purple Strategies conducted a focus group -- hosted by Mark Halperin (a regular on MSNBC's "Morning Joe") in South Carolina in order to get a sense of what is the consensus of the least politically knowledgeable sub-group in the broader US voting public -- white Southerners.

Admittedly, the group was small, as are most focus groups; in this case, 10 participants. The questions regarding Trump explored the anticipated outcome of not just the South Carolina primary on February 20th, but also the so-called "SEC" primary states voting on March 1st -- Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia with North Carolina still to decide. What a collection, eh? The focus group, while giving evidence of some of Trump's potential weaknesses in Southern states, agreed that is nomination was "inevitable."

Their primary objection to him personally? The reason they would not vote for him regardless of his "inevitability?" He's a potty-mouth. And he's not a "religious person." Oh, my. This from residents living in that part of this country with some of the highest murder, incest, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, domestic violence, gun deaths and suicide rates. Not to mention shitty education standards, bigotry, and general stupidity. Trump cusses. Damn! One female participant who listened to some of Trump's campaign speeches buried her face in her hands and moaned. "It's crass," she said. "It's not how you want your president to present" Present?? The report doesn't say whether or not this poor, um, lady also got the vapors and had to be given a sip of sherry in order to recover her composure.

So, according to one group of Southerners, the cloak of "inevitability" is slowly being draped around Trump's shoulders -- not unlike the cape (towel?) that was reverently placed on a twitching, jerking, Soul Brother Number One, James Brown, at the end of his sweat-drenched concerts. The mind reels.

This, then, is what the racist, bible-beating, gun-toting, holier-then-thou, completely wacko Southern white voter has in his and her futures. Not Franklin Graham, not Focus on the Family, not Pat Robertson, not Rafael Cruz, Jr. No ... it's DONALD TRUMP!

Quick! Look up in the sky! The last time something like this occurred a star appeared in the east!!!


Donald Trump has Iranian's scratching their heads and asking, .Who is this guy?.

(Image by Gage Skidmore) Details DMCA



Iranian students claim lifting US-led sanctions is a mixed bag

Franklin Lamb

Tehran

The remaining 5 Republican candidates, winnowed from the original dozen, push to ingratiate themselves among South Carolina's Republican voters, who like a majority of their countrymen, are angry at Washington 'pay for play' politicians. The day before that state's February 27 primary, Iranian voters will have gone to the polls for their own crucial election on 2/26/2016.

Iranians will vote in twin elections for the Iranian parliament and to elect a more powerful separate body known as the Assembly of Experts. And yes, The Donald is now a factor in both Iranian elections. Before Trump involved himself, the Iranian election had already proven divisive because many relatively moderate candidates were rejected by hard-liners during the vetting phase. Many of these blocked candidates support President Hassan Rouhani, a key architect of the Iran nuclear deal.

For his part Rouhani has been traveling abroad to begin Iran's process of reintegratng global trade. His recent travels are viewed among many in Iran as part of an effort to shore up support in this month's elections, given that it is partly a referendum on his record and the nuclear agreement.

Hardliners in Iran and the US have joined the election campaign on the nuclear issue. Candidate Trump has referred to all supporters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreements on Iran's nuclear file as "stupid." During recent campaign interviews his approach, which is a melange of nativism, conservatism, and populism is being closely monitored in Tehran while at home no other current candidate is matching its breadth. The Donald insists that the Obama administration completely botched the negotiation with Iran, whereas being the master deal-maker, he would have obtained a much better outcome for America.

Trump assures voters that he would have spared America from having to pay to Iran what he wrongly claims are $150 billion. He would have easily done this by telling the Iranians:

"Look guys, we Americans owe $19 trillion in debt. We're a country that has no money. We can't give you the $150 billion dollars." The Iranians, claims Trump, would have said, "But we want it. It's ours!" And Trump says he would have responded, "We can't give it! We don't have it! We don't have it!" Trump assures audiences that he would have stood his ground and absolutely refused to pay the $150 billion. At that point, the meeting would have broken-up with no agreement. But then, two days later, the Iranians would have folded by calling Trump and saying, "Let's make a deal." Iran would then have agreed that America would not be required to pay the $150 billion.

What has many Iranians scratching their heads and asking American visitors "Who is this is guy?" is partly the fact that Trump seems not even to know that frozen Iranian funds were never part of the US budget and no one has ever seriously claimed that they don't belong to Iran. The US is obliged under JCPOA to return seized Iranian money being held in frozen accounts pending the resolution of the sanctions against Iran.

During an interview last week with CNN, Trump, ignorant about the facts of the deal, had no clue that this money always belonged to Iran. Yet this does not prevent him from lambasting the nuclear deal and pledging to tear it up as soon as he becomes president. He appears to have no idea what he is talking, and uses AIPAC 'fact sheets' which repeat Israel's PM Netanyahu's hysterical claims that Iran will be awash with up to $ 250 billion cash to fund more terrorism.

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The new book This Is An Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century by Mark Engler and Paul Engler is a terrific survey of direct action strategies, bringing out many of the strengths and weaknesses of activist efforts to effect major change in the United States and around the world since well before the twenty-first century. It should be taught in every level of our schools.

This book makes the case that disruptive mass movements are responsible for more positive social change than is the ordinary legislative "endgame" that follows. The authors examine the problem of well-meaning activist institutions becoming too well established and shying away from the most effective tools available. Picking apart an ideological dispute between institution-building campaigns of slow progress and unpredictable, immeasurable mass protest, the Englers find value in both and advocate for a hybrid approach exemplified by Otpor, the movement that overthrew Milosevic.

When I worked for ACORN, I saw our members achieve numerous substantive victories, but I also saw the tide moving against them. City legislation was overturned at the state level. Federal legislation was blocked by war madness, financial corruption, and a broken communications system. Leaving ACORN, as I did, to work for the doomed presidential campaign of Dennis Kucinich might look like a reckless, non-strategic choice -- and maybe it was. But bringing prominence to one of the very few voices in Congress saying what was needed on numerous issues has a value that may be impossible to measure with precision, yet some have been able to quantify.

This Is An Uprising looks at a number of activist efforts that may at first have appeared defeats and were not. I've listed previously some examples of efforts that people thought were failures for many years. The Englers' examples involve more rapid revelation of success, for those willing and able to see it. Gandhi's salt march produced little in the way of solid commitments from the British. Martin Luther King's campaign in Birmingham failed to win its demands from the city. But the salt march had an international impact, and the Birmingham campaign a national impact far greater than the immediate results. Both inspired widespread activism, changed many minds, and won concrete policy changes well beyond the immediate demands. The Occupy movement didn't last in the spaces occupied, but it altered public discourse, inspired huge amounts of activism, and won many concrete changes. Dramatic mass action has a power that legislation or one-on-one communication does not. I made a similar case recently in arguing against the idea that peace rallies fail where counter-recruitment succeeds.

The authors point to disruption, sacrifice, and escalation as key components of a successful momentum-building action, while readily admitting that not everything can be predicted. A plan of escalated disruption that involves sympathetic sacrifice by nonviolent actors, if adjusted as circumstances call for, has a chance. Occupy could have been Athens, instead of Birmingham or Selma, if the New York police had known how to control themselves. Or perhaps it was the skill of the Occupy organizers that provoked the police. In any case, it was the brutality of the police, and the willingness of the media to cover it, that produced Occupy. The authors note Occupy's many ongoing victories but also that it shrank when its public places were taken away. In fact, even as Occupiers continued to hold public space in numerous towns, its announced death in the media was accepted by those still engaged in it, and they gave up their occupations quite obediently. The momentum was gone.

An action that gains momentum, as Occupy did, taps into the energy of many people who, as the Englers write, are newly outraged by what they learn about injustice. It also, I think, taps into the energy of many people long outraged and waiting for a chance to act. When I helped organize "Camp Democracy" in Washington, D.C., in 2006, we were a bunch of radicals ready to occupy D.C. for peace and justice, but we were thinking like organizations with major resources. We were thinking about rallies with crowds bussed in by labor unions. So, we planned a wonderful lineup of speakers, arranged permits and tents, and brought together a tiny crowd of those already in agreement. We did a few disruptive actions, but that wasn't the focus. It should have been. We should have disrupted business as usual in a way carefully designed to make the cause sympathetic rather than resented or feared.

When many of us planned an occupation of Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., in 2011 we had somewhat bigger plans for disruption, sacrifice, and escalation, but in the days just before we set up camp, those New York police put Occupy in the news at a 1,000-year flood level. An occupy camp appeared nearby us in D.C., and when we marched through the streets, people joined us, because of what they'd seen from New York on their televisions. I'd never witnessed that before. A lot of the actions we engaged in were disruptive, but we may have had too much of a focus on the occupation. We celebrated the police backing down on efforts to remove us. But we needed a way to escalate.

We also, I think, refused to accept that where the public sympathy had been created was for victims of Wall Street. Our original plan had involved what we saw as an appropriately large focus on war, in fact on the interlocking evils that King identified as militarism, racism, and extreme materialism. The dumbest action I was part of was probably our attempt to protest a pro-war exhibit at the Air and Space Museum. It was dumb because I sent people straight into pepper spray and should have scouted ahead to avoid that. But it was also dumb because even relatively progressive people were, in that moment, unable to hear the idea of opposing war, much less opposing the glorification of militarism by museums. They couldn't even hear the idea of opposing the "puppets" in Congress. One had to take on the puppet masters to be understood at all, and the puppet masters were the banks. "You switched from banks to the Smithsonian!?" In fact, we'd never focused on banks, but explanations weren't going to work. What was needed was to accept the moment.

What made that moment still looks, in large part, like luck. But unless smart strategic efforts are made to create such moments, they don't happen on their own. I'm not sure we can announce on day 1 of anything "This is an uprising!" but we can at least continually ask ourselves "Is this an uprising?" and keep ourselves aimed toward that goal.

This book's subtitle is "How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century." But nonviolent revolt as opposed to what? Virtually nobody is proposing violent revolt in the United States. Mostly this book is proposing nonviolent revolt rather than nonviolent compliance with the existing system, nonviolent tweaking of it within its own rules. But cases are also examined of nonviolent overthrows of dictators in various countries. The principles of success seem to be identical regardless of the type of government a group is up against.

But there is, of course, advocacy for violence in the United States -- advocacy so enormous that no one can see it. I've been teaching a course on war abolition, and the most intractable argument for the massive U.S. investment in violence is "What if we have to defend ourselves from a genocidal invasion?"

So it would have been nice had the authors of This Is An Uprising addressed the question of violent invasions. If we were to remove from our culture the fear of the "genocidal invasion," we could remove from our society trillion-dollar-a-year militarism, and with it the primary promotion of the idea that violence can succeed. The Englers note the damage that straying into violence does to nonviolent movements. Such straying would end in a culture that ceased believing violence can succeed.

I have a hard time getting students to go into much detail about their feared "genocidal invasion," or to name examples of such invasions. In part this may be because I preemptively go into great length about how World War II might have been avoided, what a radically different world from today's it occurred in, and how successful nonviolent actions were against the Nazis when attempted. Because, of course, "genocidal invasion" is mostly just a fancy phrase for "Hitler." I asked one student to name some genocidal invasions not engaged in or contributed to by either the U.S. military or Hitler. I reasoned that genocidal invasions produced by the U.S. military couldn't fairly be used to justify the U.S. military's existence.

I tried to produce my own list. Erica Chenoweth cites the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, where armed resistance failed for years but nonviolent resistance succeeded. A Syrian invasion of Lebanon was ended by nonviolence in 2005. Israel's genocidal invasions of Palestinian lands, while fueled by U.S. weapons, have been resisted more successfully thus far by nonviolence than violence. Going back in time, we could look at the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968 or the German invasion of the Ruhr in 1923. But most of these, I was told, are not proper genocidal invasions. Well, what are?

My student gave me this list: "The Great Sioux War of 1868, The Holocaust, Israel's genocidal invasions of Palestinian lands." I objected that one was U.S.-armed in recent years, one was Hitler, and one was many many years ago. He then produced the alleged example of Bosnia. Why not the even more common case of Rwanda, I don't know. But neither was an invasion exactly. Both were completely avoidable horrors, one used as an excuse for war, one allowed to continue for the purpose of a desired regime change.

This is the book that I think we still need, the book that asks what works best when your nation is invaded. How can the people of Okinawa remove the U.S. bases? Why couldn't the people of the Philippines keep them out after they did remove them? What would it take for the people of the United States to remove from their minds the fear of "genocidal invasion" that dumps their resources into war preparations that produce war after war, risking nuclear apocalypse?
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and rival Hillary Clinton trek to a meeting with the Reverend Al Sharpton for two reasons. The first is Sharpton himself. President Obama paid absolutely no heed to the by now ritualistic anti-Sharpton name calling by the assorted menagerie of right wing talk show hosts, pundits, and unreconstructed bigots who take giddy delight in spinning the line that he is an ego driven, media hogging race baiting agitator and opportunist who will jump on any cause to get some TV face time. He's their favorite racial punching bag in part because of who many perceive him to be and the influence that he has on the street with many blacks, Latinos, the poor and community activists. This is a constituency that no liberal or moderate Democrat, least of all Sanders and Clinton, can afford to ignore or alienate.

Sharpton's appeal is his media pull and image. The lines between the two are hopelessly blurred. A sound bite, photo-op, rock star and Hollywood celebrity allure can mean as much if not more in determining a candidate's political fate than what they have to say about global warming, the deficit, Syria, the Middle East conflicts, Russia and North Korea, campaign reform, or Wall Street domination, or even health care reform.

The two Democratic presidential contenders by no means are the first politicians in need of a boost to turn to the Rev Al. Black politicians, and various Democratic candidates have leaped over themselves to get mug shots, endorsements, and a spot on the dais at the National Action Network's confabs. At times, even some Republicans have saber rattled fence sitting white voters with the dread of Sharpton.

This is not to say that he is the consummate political king or queen maker. But that doesn't much matter in the glare of the cameras. A beaming President Obama standing before a bank of TV cameras with Sharpton at his side shows for the moment that the man who many love and many more love to hate is in his camp. For Sharpton it showed that he was important enough for Obama to want him in his camp.

The other reason Sanders went to Harlem to meet Sharpton and Clinton met with him too is not brain surgeon stuff. It can be summed up in three words: the black vote. From virtually day one of each candidate's campaign, the black vote has never been far from their calculation. Clinton has a long memory. She knows that South Carolina is as New Hampshire and Iowa an early primary state. Black voters make up the majority of Democratic voters there, and in the 2008 battle with then Democratic rival Obama, her campaign came unglued there.

This time around she's spent countless days courting any and every black Democratic official she can to make sure that doesn't happen again. Sanders after establishing himself as a real contender has moved quickly to try and make up ground with black voters in the state. South Carolina is no anomaly. Blacks make up either the majority or near majority of the Democratic vote in several other Southern states and those states' primaries will follow close on the heels of South Carolina. A big win in these states will do much to seal the nomination for either one.

Beyond the immediate importance of the black vote this election go around, the black vote has been the Democrats' trump card in every election for the past half century, win or lose. Black voters have been so reliable, maybe too reliable, that Democrats have been repeatedly rapped for plantationism; that is for taking the black vote for granted and offering little tangible benefits in return for their unyielding support. If black voters had not turned the Democratic primaries in 2008 into a virtual holy crusade for Obama, and if Obama had not openly in the South Carolina primary and subtly in primaries thereafter stoked the black vote, he would have been just another failed Democratic presidential candidate. The fight for the White House then may well have been between 2008 GOP presidential candidate John McCain and Clinton.

This bears heavily on a brutal racial political reality. The emergence of Trump and Cruz as real threats to grab the GOP presidential nomination, their thinly disguised anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-woman pandering, the droves of ultra-conservatives, and evangelicals that buy this line, and their stoking the fury of lower income blue collar white workers disillusioned, disgusted and hostile toward government, have made the black vote loom bigger still in the Democrat's 2016 calculus. There's little margin of error with this vote. Clinton or Sanders needs a reasonable facsimile of the November 2008 black vote outpour to win the White House, save as many Democratic seats as possible, and serve as a partial shield against the extreme peril that a Cruz or Trump triumph would pose to everything from a total right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court to a gut of the Affordable Care Act.

That horrific prospect is more than enough to speed any Democratic presidential candidate to trek to anyone who can help make sure that doesn't happen. In this case, that someone happens again to be Sharpton.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is Trump and the GOP: Race Baiting to the White House (Amazon Kindle) He is a frequent MSNBC contributor. He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network
Reprinted from WSWS

Only four days after his public defense of torture and "a hell of a lot worse" in US military-intelligence interrogations, billionaire Donald Trump added assassination to his foreign policy arsenal as well. Speaking Wednesday on the "CBS This Morning" program, Trump said that his solution to the US conflict with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program would be to eliminate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly," Trump told interviewer Norah O'Donnell. When she followed up by asking if that meant having Kim Jong-un assassinated, Trump replied, "Well, I've heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guy's a bad dude."

Trump was responding to the declaration by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday that Pyongyang had made progress in developing both nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and could conceivably reach parts of the United States with a nuclear warhead.

The billionaire demagogue, fresh off a victory in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday that confirmed his status as the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, said the US government could engineer Kim's removal through China. Beijing has "absolute control" over North Korea, he said, and "I would force the Chinese to do it -- economically."

"I wouldn't leave it up to them. I would say, 'You gotta do it. You gotta do it,'" Trump said.

If China refuses, he said he would repeat the demand and "do it a little more forcefully."

Trump was escalating the thuggish, gangster language that has been the hallmark of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. At last Saturday's debate in New Hampshire, he declared his support for waterboarding, adding, "I would bring back waterboarding and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."

At a campaign rally the next day, Trump used a vulgar term for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, one of his major rivals for the nomination, because Cruz expressed some reservations about waterboarding, suggesting that its use should be infrequent rather than widespread.

The candidate took the same tack in a series of appearances on Sunday network television interview programs. On CNN, NBC and ABC he was asked about his comments on waterboarding, and each instance he reiterated his support for torture, although he declined to spell out what methods of interrogation would be "a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."

On CNN, interviewer Jake Tapper pointed out that US law bans treatment of prisoners that causes "serious and nontransitory mental harm," like waterboarding, then asked Trump, "How would you bring it back, if it is currently a war crime under US law?"

Trump responded, "I would go through a process and get it declassified, frankly." He portrayed this form of torture as necessary retribution for the methods of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, even if it was ineffective in extracting information. "They laugh at us when they hear that we're not going to approve waterboarding," he said, "and then they will have a James Foley and others where they cut off their heads. And, you know, you can say what you want. I have no doubt that it does work in terms of information and other things, and maybe not always, but nothing works always. But I have no doubt that it works. But, more importantly, when they're chopping off the heads of people, and innocent people in most cases, beyond waterboarding is fine with me."

On NBC's "Meet the Press" program, interviewer Chuck Todd asked Trump what was worse than waterboarding, but Trump declined to define it.

Todd suggested, referring to ISIS, "They want to be barbaric. We're not barbaric." Trump disagreed, declaring, "OK. They can do it, but we can't?" Then he added, "You can do waterboarding and you can go a step beyond waterboarding. It wouldn't bother me even a little bit."

On the ABC program "This Week," interviewer George Stephanopoulos asked directly, "As president, you would authorize torture?" Trump replied, "I would absolutely authorize something beyond waterboarding. And believe me, it will be effective. If we need information, George, you have our enemy cutting heads off of Christians and plenty of others, by the hundreds, by the thousands."

This exchange followed:
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A lorry driver was last Friday sentenced to two years in prison by the Khomas Regional Court for transporting cannabis worth close to N$1 million.The New Era reported that last Tuesday Ulrich Herman, 40, pleaded guilty to a charge of dealing in a prohibited dependence-producing substance. He admitted that on December, 10, 2010 he transported 312 kg of cannabis  with a streetmarket value of about N$936 000  in a lorry of which he was the driver east of Windhoek.The matter was then remanded to last Friday for sentencing. Magistrate Sarel Jacobs sentenced him to seven years in prison, of whichfive were suspended for a period of four years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension.Herman was arrested on December 10, 2010 and has been in custody ever since. In a guilty plea read out by his defence lawyerMilton Engelbrecht on Tuesday, Herman said, "I admit that on December 10, 2010 at or near Seeis in the district of Windhoek, thatI was the driver of the white Mercedes Benz truck with registration number N117-201W."On that particular day I was requested by my friend to transport cannabis from Seeis to Windhoek," the confession stated, adding, "Iam sorry for what I have done and beg for the mercy of this honourable court." On Tuesday the State and the defence addressedMagistrate Jacobs on the sentence to be imposed.Engelbrecht pointed out that Herman came to court to plead guilty: "Society did not suffer any consequences, as Herman was arrestedbefore the drugs reached the streets." The defence asked that the court take into account the time Herman has spent in custody,and asked that his client be fined N$20 000, or given a seven-year sentence in prison, of which five years were to be suspended.Prosecutor Seredine Jacobs argued that while Herman's guilty plea may be seen as a sign of remorse, it is likely that there was noother option open to him. The prosecutor said in transporting the drugs, Herman "fuelled the current drug market.""He may have received compensation, which counts against him," she said, adding that Herman should be sentenced to eight yearsin prison without an option of a fine.
State's lawyers raise the bar with latest move

The Oregon Bar, headquartered in Tigard, is considering big changes to its lawyer disciplinary process.

(John Givot)

One of the most ambitious and controversial disciplinary cases in the history of the Oregon State Bar concluded a year ago when the state Supreme Court exonerated high-powered corporate attorneys Barnes Ellis and Lois Rosenbaum of ethical transgressions.

The reverberations of that landmark case are still being felt as the Bar considers sweeping changes to its disciplinary system intended to speed up the process and remedy other shortcomings highlighted by the Ellis-Rosenbaum case.

The proposals would make the process less transparent, keeping complaints secret until the Bar makes the decision to move ahead with a disciplinary case. They would also grant considerable new authority to a "professional adjudicator," who will oversee the system and serve as a judge on all disciplinary cases.

Veteran Portland lawyer Barnes Ellis (left,) shown here at a 2007 luncheon thrown in his honor.

The proposals are controversial, dividing even the committee formed to study the issue. Three committee members issued minority opinions critical of some or all of the recommendations.

The Bar's board of governors is scheduled to decide on the proposals on March 12. It is accepting written feedback from the public until March 2 and will hear public comments Friday at its meeting in Salem.

One of the primary functions of the Oregon State Bar is reviewing the hundreds of complaints it receives each year about lawyers' conduct in the state. In 2014, the Bar got more than 1,800 complaints. The Bar's disciplinary counsel's office opened 240 files and moved forward on 105 of those cases.

The Ellis-Rosenbaum decision was a bruising setback for the Bar's disciplinary counsel's office, which had spent seven years trying to prove its case. The flap stemmed from Ellis' and Rosenbaum's representation of Wilsonville defense contractor Flir Systems Inc. and several of its employees in an accounting fraud case dating back to 2000.

The matter eventually prompted investigations and charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's office. Criminal defense attorneys for the individual Flir executives and the government questioned the multiple representations by Ellis and Rosenbaum, both of whom at the time worked for Stoel Rives, one of Portland's largest and most prestigious law firms.

In May 2013, a trial panel found the two lawyers guilty of conflicts of interest and misrepresentation and issued a public admonition.

Ellis and Rosenbaum immediately appealed. Last Feb. 19, the Supreme Court sided with Ellis and Rosenbaum on every issue and overturned the trial panel's ruling.

The Bar was already in the process of reviewing its disciplinary system. It asked the American Bar Association to take a hard look at the Oregon system in late 2014. Ellis has made it a personal priority to force change.

Ellis wrote letters to Bar leadership accusing the organization's disciplinary lawyers of misrepresenting facts. He volunteered to serve on the committee reviewing the process and has issued his own concurring opinion praising the proposed changes.

In an interview Thursday, he dismissed the current system as slow and inconsistent. Bar disciplinary rulings are reversed on appeal at an alarming rate, he added.

"I'd had a very unhappy experience of being a respondent in a very protracted Bar proceeding," Ellis said. "Based on that, I really felt that there were improvements that needed to be made. The length of time these cases take is obscene. That's bad for the lawyers and from a public protection point of view."

Arden Olson, of the Harrang Long firm in Eugene, said he's optimistic that creation of the "chief adjudicator" role who will serve as judge in all disciplinary cases will result in better decisions, too. "This will professionalize the Oregon State Bar and bringing it into step with other states," he said.

Richard Weill, another Portland attorney who also served on the committee, blasted its findings and Ellis in his minority report. Ellis' goal, Weill wrote, was "not public protection but how to protect lawyers such as themselves from the reputational consequences to an accused attorney and the economic consequences to an attorney of a disciplinary matter."

Weill was out of the country and could not be reached for comment.

Mary Cooper worked in the Bar's disciplinary counsel's office for 24 years before retiring last year. The Bar's pursuit of Ellis and Rosenbaum "was a totally righteous case," she said in an interview Wednesday.

As for the proposed rule changes, Cooper said it amounts to "regulatory capture," the phenomenon of regulatory agencies that cater to the interests of the industry it regulates rather than the public.

-- Jeff Manning

503-294-7606, jmanning@oregonian.com
lightbar

A Columbia River High School student suffered non-life-threatening injuries but was treated at the school for an open wound on his head, authorities said.

(The Oregonian/File)

A Clark County student has been taken to a hospital after another student hit him in the head with a metal object, authorities said.

The student, from Columbia River High School, suffered non-life-threatening injuries but was treated at the school for an open head wound, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

The Columbia River High School student accused of striking him has been taken to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center pending a felony assault charge.

Deputies responded to the report of an assault at about 11 a.m. Thursday, the news release said. One of the students confronted the other student and hit him over the head with a "metal club like instrument" before leaving the area, deputies said.

Authorities found the suspect on school grounds, and search and rescue volunteers found the weapon in a wooded area near the school.

The case is under investigation.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
AL cocktails interurban.JPG.jpeg

Interurban's Leave it to Me #2 features gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and raspberry gomme syrup.

(Interurban)

It's not just the roses that are red this time of year. Bars are whipping up cocktails to set a romantic mood for Valentine's Day, and that means plenty of drinks with hues from pink to burgundy.

Interurban's Leave it to Me #2, which features gin, lemon and maraschino liqueur, gets its shade from an old-fashioned syrup made of raspberries and feels like the love child of an Aviation and a Clover Club.

"Serving it over crushed ice lengthens the drink, plus it's a fun way to show off that gorgeous pink color from the raspberry gomme syrup," says bar manager Jeff Seymour.

The Heathman Restaurant and Bar also uses raspberries in its Oregon Berries & Bubbles, while Oso Market + Bar opts for a strawberry-balsamic shrub in its drink Giant Steps and the Country Cat pairs cherry with the romance of bubbles in its SWAK (Sealed With a Kiss).

Of course, as Renata reminds us, the sweetness of love is often tempered with bitterness. The Italian restaurant balances both in its Amor d'Alma. Firehouse also takes an aperitif approach with Spritz a Roonie, an amaro-based drink with notes of chocolate, another Valentine's favorite.

Local bars have shared some of their specials with us. Hopefully, there's at least one you'll fall in love with:

Interurban

The drink: Leave it to Me #2

Go out and get it: 4057 N. Mississippi Ave., 503-284-6669, www.interurbanpdx.com

Make it at home: Shake 1 1/2 ounces Beefeater London dry gin, 1/4 ounce Maraska maraschino liqueur, 1/2 ounce raspberry gomme syrup and 1/2 ounce lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cherry.

What they say: "I adapted this cocktail from a lesser-known drink I came across after reading the Savoy Cocktail Book, a book that captures the romance of the craft cocktail movement in 1930s London. ... It's light and refreshing, perfect for a Valentine's Day sipper." (Jeff Seymour, bar manager)

Ember, Lechon

Lechon

The drink: Ember

Go out and get it: 113 S.W. Naito Parkway, 503-219-9000, lechonpdx.com

Make it at home: Shake 2 ounces habanero- and pineapple-infused reposado tequila, 1/2 ounce Townshend's No. 5 smoked tea liqueur, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, 3/4 ounce blood orange juice and 1 ounce grenadine with ice. Pour everything in a double rocks glass rimmed with salt (blend of 3 parts kosher salt, 1 part bonfire salt). Using a squeeze bottle with equal parts passion fruit puree and orange juice, drizzle in enough to provide a glowing effect. Garnish with blood orange wheel on rim and lime zest.

What they say: "Ember is a reminder of all our life loves and the passion we feel in those true moments. Alive with all the energy from which fire is birthed, captured in the sweetness of the moment, saddened by its absence but warmed by the glow of memories past and yet to come." (Paul Neiswonger, bar manager)

Oso Market + Bar

The drink: Giant Steps

Go out and get it: 726 S.E. Grand Ave, 503-232-6400, osomarket.com

Make it at home: Stir 1 1/2 ounces Flor de Cana 4-year rum, 1 ounce Bonal aperitif, 3/4 ounce strawberry-balsamic shrub and a dash of Angostura bitters with ice. Julep strain into a lowball glass over a big ice cube and garnish with a slice of fresh strawberry.

What they say: "This drink is full of exciting layers, from the rich balsamic notes to the floral and spiced Bonal aperitif. For a holiday that is all about love too, the strawberry centerpiece adds a classic staple of Valentine's celebration." (Colin Howard, owner-beverage director)

Spritz a Roonie, Firehouse

Firehouse

The drink: Spritz a Roonie

Go out and get it: 711 N.E. Dekum St., 503-954-1702, firehousepdx.com

Make it at home: Combine 1 1/2 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, 1/2 ounce Amaro Nardini and 4 dashes of New Orleans coffee bitters in a flute. Top with dry sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon peel.

What they say: "Italy is the land of aperitifs, so with this cocktail, I wanted to create a winter aperitif-driven spritz that will stimulate the appetite before heading into a big Valentine's Day dinner. The Amaro Nardini and New Orleans coffee bitters bring out notes of chocolate, and the effervescence from the sparkling wine keeps it bright and festive." (Kate de Paepe, co-chef and bar manager)

The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar

The drink: SWAK (Sealed With a Kiss)

Go out and get it: 7937 S.E. Stark St., 503-408-1414, thecountrycat.net

Make it at home: Poor 1 ounce Maraska maraschino liqueur into a flute. Drop in an amarena cherry in and stir. Top with cava and garnish with a lemon twist.

What they say: "We love this drink because it is simple, celebratory and sexy. Perfect for Valentine's Day." (Jackie Sappington, owner)

Oregon Berries & Bubbles, the Heathman

The Heathman Restaurant and Bar

The drink: Oregon Berries & Bubbles

Go out and get it: 1001 S.W. Broadway, 503-790-7752, heathmanrestaurantandbar.com

Make it at home: Shake 1 1/2 ounces New Deal Vodka, 1 1/2 ounces lemon elixir (equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup) and 1/2 ounce raspberry puree with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with 1 1/2 ounces of Argyle Brut Willamette Valley sparkling wine. Garnish with raspberries.

What they say: "This is one of our most popular cocktails. It's a complex and refreshing drink with a bubbly elixir and some of our favorite local ingredients." (James Rahn, sommelier)

Note: The Heathman is offering a special Valentine's dinner and a movie ("Big Night") at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Details at their website.

Clyde Common

The drink: Sound + Vision

Go out and get it: 1014 S.W. Stark St., 503-228-3333, clydecommon.com

Make it at home: Shake 3/4 ounce London dry gin, 3/4 ounce Swedish Punsch (see below), 3/4 ounce lime juice and 1/2 ounce Monin orgeat with cracked ice and double-strain into a chilled coupe.

Swedish Punsch recipe: Steep four thinly sliced lemons in a mixture of one 750-milliliter bottle Appleton Estate signature rum and 1/2 bottle of Batavia Arrack for at least six hours. Separately, make a sweetened tea mixture of 2 cups sugar, 375 milliliters hot water, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of loose black tea. Let stand for no longer than seven minutes. Strain off tea and cool. Strain off the lemons from your rum blend but do not juice them. Add tea mixture to rum and let sit overnight. Refrigerate.

What they say: "With the Swedish Punsch rounding out the drink and adding new levels of flavor, you are left with a very subtle, sexy and delicate cocktail that packs a slight punch and is perfect to start out a night with your valentine." (Benjamin Amberg, bartender)

Amor d'Alma, Renata

Renata

The drink: Amor d'Alma

Go out and get it: 626 S.E. Main St., 503-954-2708, renatapdx.com

Make it at home: Stir 2 ounces Alma cocoa nib-infused rye (see below), 1/2 ounce Carpano Antica vermouth, 1/2 ounce Punt e Mes vermouth, 1/2 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, 1/8 ounce Giffard Pamplemousse grapefruit liqueur and 1/8 ounce Amaro Sibilla. Serve over ice with a broad grapefruit twist.

Infused rye: Add 200 milliliters of rye to 1 1/2 cups cocoa. Let rest for one day and strain.

What they say: "As one of our regulars says, 'With such a contrast of sweet and bitter, this cocktail truly emulates love.'" (Gabriel Lowe, bar director)

Raven & Rose

The drink: Bed of Roses

Go out and get it: 1331 S.W. Broadway, 503-222-7673, ravenandrosepdx.com

Make it at home:Stir 1 1/2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin, 3/4 ounce Petal & Thorn vermouth, barrel-aged, 3/4 ounce Cocchi Americano and 2 dashes Teapot Bitters for 10 seconds. Place rose petals in the bottom of an old fashioned glass, add a large ice cube and pour cocktail over.

What they say: "A guest described it to me as 'a love potion.' I asked who she had fallen in love with? She wouldn't tell me." (Estanislado Orona, bar manager)

Little Bird Bistro

Drink: A mer Amour

Go out and get it: 215 S.W. Sixth Ave., 503-688-5952, littlebirdbistro.com

Make it at home: Stir 1 ounce Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac, 1/2 ounce Picon aperitif, 1/2 ounce Combier orange liqueur and 1/2 ounce verjus with ice. Julep strain into a snifter over 2 medium cubes. Top with 2 ounces rose, garnish with a grapefruit twist.

What they say: " A complex cognac marrying with floral, bitter orange Picon and acidic verjus -- all rounded out with the sweet orange of Combier and a gorgeous dry sparkling wine. " (JP Peterson, bar manager)

Horizon, Imperial

Imperial

The drink: H orizon

Go out and get it: 410 S.W. Broadway, 503-228-7222, imperialpdx.com

Make it at home: Stir 1 1/2 ounces Hennessy VSOP (or any cognac), 3/4 ounce tea-infused Dolin blanc vermouth (see below), 1/4 ounce Farigoule thyme liqueur and 2 dashes orange bitters with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the oils of a lemon twist over the drink and discard. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Tea-infused vermouth: Combine 6 bags of Steven Smith Lord Bergamot Black Tea and 750 milliliters Dolin Blanc vermouth, refrigerate 2 hours and strain out tea.

What they say: " I think the timing of Valentine's Day is a perfect balance between the end of the holiday season and the beginning of spring. This Manhattan variation is a cool weather cocktail that reminds you spring is near. A great cocktail to sip on with your partner while you discuss the year ahead and the memories you hope to make." (Lindsay Baker, bar manager)

New American

The drink: Cherry Blossom

Go out and get it: 2103 N Killingsworth, 971-229-0570, newamericanpdx.com

Make it at home: Blend 1 ounce Flor de Cana gold rum, 1 ounce amaretto, 2 ounces pomegranate juice, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 1/2 ounce Coco Lopez, dash of Angostura bitters and 1 1/2 cups ice on high until creamy and smooth. Serve in a margarita or martini glass, garnish with a flower or an umbrella.

What they say: "With pomegranate, coconut and amaretto, the Cherry Blossom is a blushing, blended sweetheart of a drink." (Faith Dionne, co-owner)





Great Gambler, Bollywood Theater

Bollywood Theater

The drink: G reat Gambler

Go out and get it: 3010 S.E. Division St., 503-477-6699, 2039 N.E. Alberta St, 971-200-4711, bollywoodtheaterpdx.com

Make it at home: Combine 1 ounce Aperol and 1 ounce East India Sherry in a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and garnish with orange slice

What they say: "The romance between bartenders and sherry is undeniable, as sherry cocktails are making a mark on menus around the world. This is my take on an Americano, using Aperol in place of Campari and Lustau East India Sherry in place of the sweet vermouth. East India Sherry is a blend of Olorosso and Pedro Ximenez that is made to mimic the unique aging certain barrels of sherry would undergo on their voyage on East India Co. trade ships. It's low-proof, so you can drink several without losing control." (Daniel Osborne, Bull in China collaborator for Bollywood Theater cocktail menu)



Burnside Brewing Co.

The drink: Smokey Valentine

Go out and get it: 701 E. Burnside St., 503-946-8152, burnsidebrewco.com

Make it at home: Shake 1 1/2 ounces mezcal, 1 ounce simple syrup, 1 ounce lime juice and 1/2 ounce triple sec with ice. Strain into a martini glass half-rimmed with sugar.

What they say: "In Mexico, mezcal is recommended to be consumed in both times of good and bad. A liquor that is both unique in its taste and origins. Smokey Valentine describes the flavor of the mezcal with the spirit of holiday -- also the birthday of the state of Oregon." (Mary Powell, pub manager)

Granada de Amor, Andina

Andina

The drink: G ranada de Amor

Go out and get it: 1314 N.W. Glisan St., 503-228-9535, andinarestaurant.com

Make it at home: Shake 1 ounce Damiana liqueur, 1 ounce Espolon Blanco tequila, 2 ounces Granada Mix (see below) with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze one orange wedge and half of a key lime on top.

Granada Mix: Soak 2 large cinnamon sticks in 1 1/4 cups water overnight. Strain, add 1 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, slowly stir in 1 1/4 cups sugar. Once cool, mix 1 1/4 cup of the syrup with 2 1/2 cups pomegranate juice and 1 1/4 cups lime juice.

What they Say: "The Granada De Amor is a very slight twist on a cocktail we used to have on the menu that some of our regular guests often ask about. We took it off of the menu because we were having trouble sourcing Damiana liqueur. Damiana is a plant that is native to Baja California and has been used for centuries to make teas and such. It is said to boost your sex drive and help with relaxation. With pomegranate being in season and Valentine's Day approaching, it seemed like a good idea to bring it back." (Eddie Johnson, bar manager)



RingSide Steakhouse Uptown

The drink: L'amour

Go out and get it: 2157 W. Burnside St., 503-223-1513, ringsidesteakhouse.com

Make it at home: Shake 1 1/2 ounces Dolin dry vermouth, 1 ounce cherry brandy, 1/2 ounce lemon juice and 1/2 ounce raspberry gomme syrup with ice. Strain into a champagne flue, top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon zest.

What they say: "I truly wanted to incorporate brandy into this red-letter day cocktail, simply because it's rarely used in modern day beverages. Also, the use of raspberry gomme yields a bright yet smooth liquid with concentrated berry flavor, while offering a delightful texture to the drink itself." (Sean Hall, bartender)



Smallwares

The drink: #shamecave

Go out and get it: 4605 N.E. Fremont St., 971-229-0995, smallwarespdx.com

Make it at home: Combine 2 1/2 ounce of cocktail base (see below), 1/2 ounce lemon juice and 1/2 ounce simple syrup in a Collins glass. Stir and add ice. Top with sparkling wine (optional) and about 1/2 ounce pomegranate juice. Garnish with lemon peel and a cherry.

Batched cocktail base (Makes enough for 5 cocktails): Combine 3 ounces Jim Beam whiskey, 3 ounces Union gin, 3 ounces Monopolowa vodka, 3 ounces Becherovka herbal liqueur, 1 1/2 ounce Batavia Arrack, 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters and 3 bags of black tea. Let steep for 3 hours. Remove tea bags.

What they say: "Coming up with a typical romantic cocktail seemed obvious and not everyone has a great Valentine's Day! So we thought it would be fun to put a really boozy cocktail on the menu for those who might not be having the best date or just want to let loose a bit. It is a play off a Long Island Iced Tea using black tea to add some richness and aromatic notes. We love Becherovka because of it's cinnamon and herbaceous flavors that go well with the pomegranate juice." (Johanna Ware and Dee Wallace, owner and bartender)



Muselet Restaurant and Wine Bar

The drink: Gentlemen Prefer Redheads

Go out and get it: 3730 S.W. Bond Ave., 503-265-8133, museletpdx.com

Make it at home: Add 1 ounce Bols Genever gin, 1 ounce blood orange juice, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce honey syrup and barspoon of Benedictine to flute. Stir and top with 2 ounces Anne Amie Vineyards 2011 "Marilyn" Brut Rose

What they say: "Inspired by the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blond," ala Marilyn Monroe, we change it to Gentlemen Prefer Redheads, as red is the color of February. It was inspired by the new release Pinot Noir Brut Rose from Anne Amie Vineyards with the label "Marilyn" from the owner of the vineyards. A single vineyard first vintage of Pinot Noir Sparkling rose." (Ron Acierto, owner and wine steward)

The Petal, Aviary

Aviary

The drinks: T he Petal and the Thorn

Go Out and Get it: 1 733 N.E. Alberta St., 503-287-2400, aviarypdx.com

Make it at home: For the Petal, shake 1 1/2 ounce AppleJack apple brandy, 1/2 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur, 1/2 ounce orgeat, 1/4 ounce lemon juice and 1/4 ounce grapefruit juice with ice. Double-strain into coupe, garnish with a twist of lemon.For the Thorn, stir 1 ounce resposado tequila, 1/2 ounce mezcal, 1/2 ounce cinnamon-orange syrup, 3/4 ounce Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, 2 dashes bitters and 2 dashes chocolate bitters and pour over a large ice cube in an old fashioned glass.

What they Say: " I 'm going with a "duality of love" sort of theme for Valentine's Day and will have two themed cocktails for that night. The first, a sweet, fruity and bright drink will be the Petal. The second is called the Thorn; it's spicy and smoky and leathery. You can do what you want with that imagery. There is a good balance to the sweet, flowery, fruity Petal, and I think I earn extra points for making a rose reference here in Portland." (Justin Garcidiaz, b ar manager)

Sorella

The drink: Presidential Suite

Go out and get it: 526 N. Coast St. Newport, 541-265-4055, sorellanyebeach.com

Make it at home: Shake 2 ounces smoked apple-infused Laird's AppleJack (see below), 3/4 oz. grenadine, 3/4 ounce lemon juice and 1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters with vigorously with ice for about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with a smoked apple slice.

Smoked apple-infused AppleJack: Soak 4 ounces Applewood chips for 10 minutes. Drain well and smoke 2 Braeburn or other flavorful red apples, sliced 1/8-inch thick, for 30 minutes to an hour until they have softened a little. Pull out of the smoker and put in a large heat-proof container. Pour a 750-milliliter bottle of AppleJack apple brandy over it. Allow to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Reserve the apple slices for garnish

What they say: "This drink is a riff on the Jack Rose, a drink popularized by Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. We've added smoke for a little more heat on what is usually a quickly consumed drink. Making your own grenadine is not only easy, it makes a world of difference in simple drinks like this, with only a few ingredients." (Tony Bixler and Chris Russell, bar manager and bartender)

*

COMING UP | Spring cocktails

Local bartenders, what to have your spring cocktail featured in our roundup? Send it cpowers@oregonian.com by Thursday, March 24.

-- Colin Powers
OSU president Ed Ray speaks with OEB

Ed Ray, the president of Oregon State University since 2003, spoke with The Oregonian Editorial Board on Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Dave Killen / staff

(Dave Killen/The Oregonian)

Ed Ray, Oregon State University's president, said Friday he is "100 percent committed" to improving the graduation rate for all students while eliminating achievement gaps among the increasingly diverse student body.

In a sweeping noontime speech, Ray said OSU is "failing to demonstrate the inclusive excellence" students' faculty and staff are committed to by not graduating enough students.

"I will not walk away from this job without one more all-out effort to significantly - and successfully - increase student success at every level," Ray, who is in his 13th year as president, said.

The remarks came during Ray's annual state of the university speech to a packed ballroom of 700 alums and business and political leaders at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

OSU's six-year graduation rate is just 63.1 percent Ray, said, and for underrepresented minority students that figure is 10.8 percentage points lower. The school intends to raise the overall success rate to 70 percent for all students by 2020. He described the current rate, and the burdensome student debt crisis as "absolutely shameful."

The biggest applause line in the speech came when Ray discussed a recently awarded raise.

Ray donated a $20,000 pay raise to student scholarships and other services last month, and he said he will continue to direct future raises as long as he remains president. "I do not care about the money," he said. "This is personal. This is personal for me and I hope for you."

In case you missed it, here's The Oregonian/OregonLive story on OSU's growth and plans for the future.

Here are a few other highlights from Ray's speech:

- Coming off a $1.14 billion capital campaign which finished in 2014, the school raked in $130.8 million from donors in 2015, the best fundraising year in the university's history.

- A $60 million to $70 million Oregon Forest Science Complex will open in Corvallis, which Ray said will help revive high-paying wood science jobs in rural Oregon.

- OSU's fundraising campaign will direct $189 million toward student scholarships and fellowships.

- By 2020, Ray said the school needs to improve ways to make the school more affordable for all "qualified Oregonians.

- Media from 50 different countries have covered the discovery of mammoth bones on OSU's campus this year.

- This fall, more than 41 percent of OSU freshman students came in with 3.75 or higher GPAs.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
eugene students science project space.jpg

From left to right: student Garrett Price, science teacher Kathleen Taylor, student Ray Newell and student Kobe Skidmore. The student's project about liquid repelling material will be tested in space. (Courtesy Eugene School District 4J)

An experiment designed by three Eugene middle school students will be tested on the International Space Station.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, launched by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education in 2010, gives hundreds of students the chance to design and propose experiments to launch on the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. Winning experiments are carried out by astronauts on the Space Station.

A project created by three students at Eugene's Arts & Technology Academy was among those selected for space flight on Mission 9 this summer.

Eighth-grade students Kobe Skidmore, Ray Newell and Garrett Price suggested testing Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surface, or SLIPS, a man-made substance inspired by the pitcher plant, to see if the material has the same properties on Earth as it does in microgravity. The SLIPS material repels all liquid, and the students hope to determine if the material could help with design and maintenance of space equipment.

The experiment was selected from more than 150 proposals created by Eugene students from the Arts & Technology Academy and Churchill High. It will join experiments created by students in 20 other communities in Canada and the United States.

Two experiments-- one from middle and high school students to grow chia seeds and another from a high school team to test sea monkey activity- were semifinalists. A project from eighth grade students about sodium acetate crystallization received an honorable mention.

--Laura Frazier

lfrazier@oregonian.com

503-294-4035

@frazier_laura
Ed Ray first visited Oregon in 2003, but the longtime Ohio State University administrator was a quick study.

Among his observations: Oregonians enjoy discussing important issues, but struggle to move from Kumbaya moments into action. Ray, a 71-year-old economist with a wily East Coast charm, has no such qualms.

"The point of having really meaningful conversations is to actually decide what you're going to do," Ray said, his voice rising as he emphasized the adverb, "and then actually do something."

Ray took over as Oregon State University's 19th president in July of 2003, shortly after campus leaders had conducted interviews with 700 people and spent a lot of time plotting the school's future. The groundwork was there, Ray said, but the ambition wasn't.

"There was no vision to it," Ray said of the draft report. "It was not very good."

But Ray, who had spent 27 years in leadership roles at one of the nation's largest universities before landing in Corvallis, quickly understood what he had at OSU. He was struck by the deep connection Oregonians felt with the land-grant university, which has extension offices or agricultural experiment stations in each of the state's 36 counties.

Inside the Numbers

$307.9 million

- Research grants awarded in 2015, which Ed Ray said is more than Oregon's other six public universities combined (not including OHSU)

1,936 - Tenured/tenure track faculty and professors at OSU in 2015, up 41 percent since 2003

8,400

- Out-of-state students attending OSU in Corvallis, more than one-third of student body.

32

- Major new construction or renovation projects on campus in Corvallis or in Bend that were completed since 2004 or are under construction now (projects of $2 million or more included and provided by OSU)

$732.25 million

- Estimated cost of those projects, which were funded by variety of sources (university resources, capital campaign dollars, state funding and private donations)

$167.5 million

- Estimated cost of sports facilities that primarily benefit student-athletes, such as expansion of Reser Stadium, the Valley Football Center, Basketball Center and others

3,328

- International students attending OSU, roughly 11 percent of student body

6,754

- Students of color, roughly 22.8 percent of student body

(Sources: OSU)

"We are clearly an integral part of all of the communities in this state," Ray said in a recent interview, in advance of his annual state of the university speech Friday in Portland. "It's just a wonderful heritage and just a real privilege to try to help sustain and build on that."

Oregon State is unique among the state's public colleges and universities. Rather than being tied to a single campus - or offering programs or classes in a few cities - OSU under Ray is doubling down on its mission as a border-to-border, truly statewide institution. You can see researchers in Malheur County experimenting with irrigation in the high desert and teams in Astoria studying sustainable seafood, and OSU is in the process of developing a significant new campus in Central Oregon and massive expansion on the Oregon Coast.

Thirteen years into Ray's administration, the signs of OSU's momentum are evident in a growing student body and relatively stable finances at a time when Oregon's funding for higher education overall remains one of the lowest in the nation.

OSU is both larger and more diverse than it was in 2003. Student enrollment is up 56.8 percent and the nonwhite population has more than doubled.

The university also carved a niche in the increasingly competitive world of online education, with more than 4,530 students enrolled in e-courses - up from roughly 650 pre-recession.

George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System from 2004 to 2013 and now executive director of a national trade group representing state education leaders, said OSU has changed a lot during Ray's administration.

"They've grown remarkably, and increased the diversity of that student body noticeably and intentionally," Pernsteiner told The Oregonian and Oregonlive.

Work on the first wave of a $62.9 million development at the school's long awaited Bend campus is underway, with a dorm and two academic buildings scheduled to open this fall. A $50 million expansion of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport is moving forward, as well.

Ray helped rally the alumni base and finish the school's first capital campaign, raising an estimated $1.14 billion from more than 100,000 donors between 2007 and 2014. The bounty will help OSU recruit and retain faculty, renovate facilities and pad student scholarships and fellowships.

While the other public colleges in Oregon remain in various degrees of leadership or fiscal flux - the University of Oregon is on its fourth president in seven years and Portland State University is pushing for a tax on metro-area businesses to help fund scholarships - Beaver Nation appears to be humming along steadily.

Ray is quick to deflect praise for OSU's growth and accomplishments, saying the people whose names rarely appear in the newspaper are "the heart and soul of the enterprise."

But his long tenure and leadership do matter.

"It's rare in higher education for a major university president to stay in one place as long as President Ray has done," said Ben Cannon, executive director of Oregon's Higher Education Coordinating Commission. "That longevity, that commitment, pays off in spades."

Friday, in the state of the university talk, Ray is expected to tell OSU friends and alums the next mission is all about improving outcomes for students.

Growth plans

OSU can only grow so much on its 531-acre Corvallis campus. Ray said the school will cap enrollment there at 28,000 there, so it has set its eyes elsewhere to keep growing.

It has its eyes on Bend, for starters, where slightly more than 1,100 students currently take classes through OSU.

By 2025, OSU hopes to have as many as 5,000 students enrolled in Central Oregon.

Ray on Race and Sexual Assault

Ray's tenure hasn't been without controversy.

OSU has faced criticism for its handling of alleged sexual assaults on campus, including the 1998 gang rape of Brenda Tracy, which predated his administration.

"We all ought to be ashamed that it's only in the last three or four years we've gotten serious about domestic violence and sexual assault," Ray said, saying he reached out to Tracy after The Oregonian's stories. "It's not like it's a new thing. What the hell were we thinking."

The power structure was rightly challenged, Ray said, and he pledged further changes.

Despite a more diverse student body, OSU is still overwhelmingly white. Ray and other administration officials attended a campus speak out last fall where students of color discussed their fears and treatment on campus. "What we heard was incredibly heartbreaking and sad," Ray said, adding that while his office took some actions in 2011 to make the campus more welcoming, those actions "obviously failed."

"Business as usual is not going to get it done, so we've got to do different things," he said.

Ray's experience overseeing Ohio State's Columbus headquarters and its five regional campuses has proven to be formative, according to OSU-Cascades Vice President Becky Johnson.

Ray stressed the importance of ensuring Bend's campus is on equal standing with the mothership in Corvallis, rather than being viewed as a lesser extension. "He just encouraged me to the extent possible to make sure that we had really strong programs here," she said.

With construction already underway on several buildings on Bend's west side, OSU recently bought a 46-acre former pumice mine next door to give itself even more room to grow. The school is also eyeing a nearby 76-acre property owned by Deschutes County.

In Newport, meanwhile, the $50 million planned expansion of the Hatfield Marine Sciences Center could attract another 500 students and have an economic benefit extending up and down the coast.

Oregon Rep. David Gomberg, an OSU graduate who represents Newport, said the expansion is a "remarkable" proposal that would help put the Oregon Coast on the map as a global leader in ocean science and climate change studies.

OSU still hasn't finalized where to site a new building in Newport, and some issues like housing and where the expansion will occur remain either unknown or controversial.

But the state is chipping in considerable resources to expansion plans in Central Oregon and on the coast, including half of the $50 million Newport sticker price. "Carrying the state's portion of this expansion plan was something that I felt very, very strongly about," Gomberg said.

What's next

Ray, a widower following the 2014 death of his wife Beth, signed a five-year contract extension in 2015.

He was awarded a $20,000 raise by OSU's board this year, but he donated it to student scholarships. "I don't need more money, I want to see us succeed with students," he said.

The school has made gains in some academic metrics. OSU increased the number of degrees awarded to students who identify as nonwhite (black, Hispanic, international and other student groups) by 81 percent since 2003, far outpacing other state schools.

But the six-year graduation rate for students admitted in 2008 was just 67.6 percent, 4 percent lower than at University of Oregon.

With the capital campaign complete and expansion plans underway, Ray said his primary focus in the next five years is to improve that figure.

Along the way, OSU seems likely to check off another accomplishment.

Officials expect the school to pass Portland State this year in awarding the largest number of undergraduate and graduate degrees of any higher education institution in the state.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
Demon 1.jpg

A Polish wedding doesn't go quite as planned in "Demon," one of the offbeat entries in the PIFF After Dark series.

(Northwest Film Center)

It may be staring headlong at its 40th birthday next year, but the Portland International Film Festival doesn't seem to be indulging in much of a midlife crisis. The city's most popular cinematic event popped the cork on its 2016 edition on Thursday, Feb. 11 with an opening night film from Finland called "The Fencer." Over the next couple of weeks, dozens of countries, from Albania to Venezuela (sorry, Zimbabwe, nothing from you this year), will be represented on screens across the city.

There will be Korean costume dramas and European existential angst. There will be stories about Danish soldiers, Argentine cab drivers, and Italian film directors (there are always Italian movies about film directors). But there will also be movies that stretch the boundaries of what audiences have come to expect from PIFF. Late-night weekend screenings at Cinema 21 will feature the PIFF After Dark sidebar--eight titles that compose a shadow festival of sorts.

This is the fifth, and largest, edition of PIFF After Dark, and the second to be programmed by Northwest Film Center Publicity and Promotions Manager Nick Bruno. And in it, you're more likely to find Polish demons or Danish zombies than you are the familiar tropes of international cinema. Genre films from various corners of the world have made inroads in the American market in recent decades, and some of the After Dark titles are proud participants in that trend.

The fest's opening weekend features intense-looking horror. "Baskin" (Feb. 12) is a Turkish chiller about a group of police officers who stumble upon a bizarre creature during a nighttime call. It's preceded, as all the After Dark films are, by a short film: "The Chickening" is a singularly bizarre piece of cinematic graffiti in which Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is remixed and digitally contorted into a five-minute story about a family staying not at the Overlook Hotel but at an enormous poultry processing plant perched on top of a volcano. It must be seen to be believed.

It's too bad "The Chickening" doesn't play in front of "Demon" (Feb. 13), since this Polish tale reportedly combines the Jewish legend of the dybbuk, a possessing spirit, with homages to "The Shining." But maybe that would have been too much Kubrick in one night. Other unsettling After Dark entries include Lucile Hadzihalilovic's "Evolution" (Feb. 19), a dark French fairy tale of sorts set on an island populated only by young boys and their mothers, and "What We Become" (Feb. 21), a Danish take on the zombie apocalypse.

Not every movie in the sidebar is designed to freak you out. Maybe the most unusual is "Coz Ov Moni 2: Fokn Revenge" (Feb. 21), an hour-long screwball comedy/hip-hop musical from Ghana performed in pidgin English. It's exactly the sort of thing festivals like this were made for, and you'll probably never have another chance to see it in a theater.

(The Portland International Film Festival runs through Feb. 27, with After Dark films playing every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Visit http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff39 for a full schedule.)

PIFF doesn't have a total monopoly on foreign films this week, however. The Lithuanian lesbian teen romance "The Summer of Sangaile" plays at the Clinton Street Theater starting Friday, Feb. 12. If the phrase "lesbian teen romance" calls to mind last year's "Blue Is the Warmest Color," that's understandable, but this film take a more lyrical, less carnal approach. Sangaile is a shy 17-year-old with a fascination for acrobatic stunt flying. At an air show, she meets Auste, a girl her age but possessed of more confidence and flair. Flirtation and infatuation ensue, before director Alante Kavaite shifts the focus to Sangaile's struggle to overcome her fear of flying (metaphor alert!) and experience airborne adrenaline thrills first hand. ("The Summer of Sangaile" plays Friday, Feb. 12, through Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Clinton Street Theater.)

The Clinton Street is also showing a fascinating counter-cultural relic this week. After the success of "Easy Rider," Dennis Hopper went into the Amazonian jungle to make his follow-up, "The Last Movie." It was a critical and commercial disaster, and has essentially disappeared from circulation. (It's never been released on DVD or Blu-ray.) Photojournalist Lawrence Schiller and filmmaker L.M. Kit Carson ("David Holzman's Diary") collaborated on a making-of documentary, though, which has emerged from the fog of history. "The American Dreamer" is a fascinating, fly-on-the-wall look at an irascible, idealistic, ambitious auteur coming face to face with the practical reality of shooting an epic film in the wilds of Peru. For fans of Hopper, it serves as a pot-scented predecessor to Les Blank's "Burden of Dreams." ("The American Dreamer" plays Monday, Feb. 15, through Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Clinton Street Theater.)
1wage.JPG

Rural residents with concerns about raising the minimum wage address staffers from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's office at a hearing Jan. 14, 2016, at the Capitol in Salem.

(Denis Theriault/Staff)

Oregon's leaders have a curious strategy to try to prevent really bad public policy from getting approved through ballot measures: They're opting to beat initiative backers to the punch by cramming slightly-less bad public policy through a short legislative session first.

That's the takeaway from efforts to hurriedly devise, amend and vote on Senate Bill 1532, which would boost the minimum wage statewide. The bill, passed by Senate Democrats on Thursday, would create a three-tiered system of minimum wages depending on an employer's location with increases phased in over the next six years. By 2022, Portland employers would pay the highest minimum wage of $14.75 an hour, while employers in suburban and rural counties, where the cost-of living is lower, would be required to pay minimum wages of $13.50 and $12.50 an hour, respectively.

Certainly, the state should be aiming to lift low-income families out of poverty and off public assistance. But, as we've noted before, it's entirely speculative that hiking Oregon's minimum wage -- which has been one of the highest in the country for years -- will achieve that. Backers instead point to studies such as a University of California, Berkeley paper, which projects that the benefits of a minimum wage hike in Los Angeles -- a city of about 4 million people -- would outweigh costs.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2016



Get Oregon centered

Better leadership in education

Make Portland a city that works

Build Oregon prosperity

Protect and expand personal freedom

Get pot right

_______________________________

Worse, in the rush to pass the legislation, there's been little consideration of the unintended consequences that a blanket wage hike would trigger. It's not just businesses warning of layoffs to compensate for higher costs, or seniors on fixed incomes who will have to stretch their limited dollars to cover more expensive food and other staples. Local governments are weighing in on the double whammy that Oregonians will face on the local level, with a reduction in both county jobs and services to the public as a result of such a mandate.

Consider first that no one really has a solid idea of what the total cost to public employers will be. The bill has evolved rapidly over the past two weeks of the session and the fiscal analysis that accompanies the bill concedes that the direct cost of raising the minimum wage is "indeterminate." The fiscal office also did not attempt to calculate such indirect costs as "the effect on the salaries of other employees who are making slightly above minimum wage, often referred to as salary compression; the potential for increased contractor costs; increased prices for services and supplies; pressure in the collective bargaining process; and changes in eligibility for benefits or assistance." Those, the analysis notes, are once again "indeterminate."

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are Helen Jung, Erik Lukens, Steve Moss and Len Reed.

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That's not exactly comforting for anyone who understands that taxpayers are the ones who cover such costs, indeterminate or not. Nor is it reassuring when considering that public employers -- school districts, county governments, state agencies and others -- will be devoting extra dollars to cover wage increases at the same time that they will be ramping up contributions for public employees' pensions. The pension system, currently underfunded to the tune of $20 billion or so, is expected to eat up as much as 40 percent of some agencies' payrolls in coming years. Every dollar -- or million -- that goes to PERS catch-up contributions and wage increases means fewer dollars to pay for teachers in the classroom, to provide mental health services or to fund affordable housing initiatives.

The hit public employers will take with both PERS and a wage increase has not been a focus for policymakers in considering the minimum wage hike, concedes Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who drafted the proposal.

But it has for Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist and several other county representatives who have seen legislators saddle their counties with other financial burdens, such as mandatory sick pay, regardless of their ability to cover such costs. While Multnomah County may be seeing strong job growth and a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.7 percent in December 2015, rural counties still weigh in at 7 and 8 percent unemployment. The state, the Association of Oregon Counties argues, should be focusing its resources on creating better jobs and educational opportunities. Instead, the state is doubling down on making low-skill jobs the norm.

Nyquist raised the question of whether the higher minimum wage amounts to an unfunded mandate prohibited by the state Constitution, an issue that he expects to press in court. While the office of Legislative Counsel offered its preliminary opinion that a minimum wage hike won't amount to an unfunded mandate, it concedes that the question is "not free from doubt."

Dembrow deserves credit for trying to fashion a bill that is sensitive to the economic constraints of rural Oregon, unlike the backers of the two proposed initiatives who seem to believe Portland is a state of its own. He also recognizes that the rush to approve the bill during an abbreviated session means that legislators have not had time to figure out how to avoid some of the probable negative consequences of the law, such as as reduction in youth employment opportunities. That is one of the loose threads that will need to be quickly addressed in the 2017 session, he told The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board.

But as Dembrow himself acknowledges, it will take far more than a wage hike to help low-income families achieve financial stability, from child-care support to better workforce training. Unfortunately, the path being pushed by Democrats will make it tougher.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board
Nevada rancher Cliven D. Bundy asked for a court-appointed attorney as he made his first appearance Thursday in federal court following his arrest the night before at Portland International Airport.

Bundy, 69, his thinning salt-and-pepper hair slicked back, shuffled into the courtroom, chains at his ankles and wearing standard blue jail garb.

He pulled a pair of eyeglasses from a pocket of his jail shirt and spent nearly 30 minutes sitting beside an attorney, reviewing a 32-page federal complaint stemming from the 2014 standoff at his ranch northeast of Las Vegas.

Assistant federal public defender Ruben Iniguez was appointed to represent Bundy for the day but said his office couldn't continue to represent him because it represents others in the case.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart directed Bundy to present a financial affidavit to the court before a court-appointed attorney could be assigned.

"The court only appoints counsel for those who can't afford an attorney,'' Stewart said.

The federal complaint filed Thursday charges the Bundy patriarch with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, assault on a federal law enforcement officer, carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, obstruction of justice and interference with commerce by extortion.

The complaint alleges that Bundy and four unnamed co-conspirators organized and led a massive armed assault against federal law enforcement officers in and around Bunkerville, Nevada, in April 2014 to thwart them from seizing and removing 400 cattle on public land.

The co-conspirators aren't named in the complaint but appear to be Bundy's sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, Ryan Payne and Pete Santilli, based on the complaint's allegations.

Bundy has refused to comply with four lawful court orders since 1993 that required him to pay fees or obtain permits from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to graze cattle on public land, the complaint says. Bundy owes the agency $1 million in unpaid fees and penalties.

Bundy's request for a court-appointed lawyer sparked outrage on social media, with many questioning on Twitter and Facebook how someone who is so anti-government suddenly wants the government to pay for his legal representation.

The federal government plans to seek Bundy's continued detention as a flight risk and danger to the community, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles F. Gorder Jr. told the court.

A detention hearing was set for next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for next Friday.

Iniguez told the court that Bundy needs his prescription medication, noting that his blood pressure was dangerously high, recorded at 188 over 122, when he arrived at the downtown jail in Portland on Wednesday night.

The public defender asked the judge if U.S. marshals could locate the carry-on bag Bundy had brought to Portland that held the medication. Iniguez said he understood that deputy marshals had looked for the medication but didn't find it and asked that they look again.

The judge urged Bundy to go through the "normal course'' of getting evaluated by medical staff in the jail. The U.S. marshals usually take away medication that defendants have on them once they are booked into custody, Stewart said.

At some point, Bundy is expected to be returned to Nevada to be prosecuted there, said Billy Williams, Oregon's U.S. attorney.

If convicted, Bundy faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years in prison on the obstruction of justice charge, up to 20 years in prison on the assault on a federal law enforcement and interference with commerce by extortion charges and a mandatory minimum consecutive seven years on the use and carry of a firearm in relation to a crime a violence charge. The charges could also bring up to $250,000 per count.

His court appearance came about two and a half hours after the last four holdouts at the occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge surrendered to authorities.

Bundy's two sons, Ammon Bundy, 40, and Ryan Bundy, 43, are in custody in Portland - two of now 25 people indicted on a separate federal conspiracy charge stemming from the 41-day armed takeover of the wildlife sanctuary outside Burns.

The occupation leaders have said they took over the refuge Jan.2 in protest of the resentencing of Harney County ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steve Hammond and to show their opposition to federal control of public lands.

Cliven Bundy had traveled to Portland intending to visit with his sons, participate in a news conference to decry their continued detention and possibly travel to Burns. Those plans were derailed when FBI agents took him into custody at 10:10 p.m. at the airport.

A federal indictment also was unsealed Thursday naming seven more people associated with the occupation.

They were arrested in six states on the single federal conspiracy charge: Blaine Cooper, 36, of Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona; Corey Lequieu, 44, of Fallon, Nevada; Neil Wampler, 68, of Los Osos, California; Jason Charles Blomgren, 41, of Murphy, North Carolina; Darryl William Thorn, 31, of Marysville, Washington; Wesley Kjar, 32, of Manti, Utah; and Eric Lee Flores, 22, of Tulalip, Washington.

Each is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday or Friday in the jurisdictions where they were arrested, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland. Two other unnamed defendants were also indicted but are still being sought.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
News / Local

by Nqobile Tshili

POLICE have warned Bulawayo residents that there is a suspected serial rapist on the loose following attacks on two women within three days. The suspected rapist is said to have pounced on his first victim on Saturday before striking again on Monday.He is said to have selected his targets from couples who were fondling each other at Centenary Park, before pouncing on the women once they were alone while claiming that he was a municipal police officer.The suspected rapist is said to monitor couples in the park until the time they separate before approaching the female and threatening to arrest her for indecent exposure.In fear, his victims are alleged to have complied with his orders.Police spokesperson for Bulawayo Province, Inspector Precious Simango, said the suspected rapist poses as a city council security officer before attacking his victims.It is not clear how he attacked his victim on Saturday but on Monday he allegedly threatened to arrest his victim for indecent exposure."He's unknown and introduced himself as Bulawayo City Council police officer before raping and robbing his victims. He followed his victim from Centenary Park, boarded with her a kombi before threatening to arrest her for indecent exposure," said Insp Simango."This led to him disembarking from the kombi with his victim and they went back to Centenary Park where he raped her once and robbed her of her cell phone and tablet."Insp Simango urged members of the public to demand official identification from those wanting to arrest them."We appeal to members of the public to ask for identification from those purporting to be police officers. They should be shown positive identification before being arrested," said Insp Simango.She urged couples to desist from meeting at secluded places."They prey on those meeting in secluded places. Couples risk being robbed and raped if they meet in such places. They will rather lose money securing a safe place rather than going to secluded places where they get raped and robbed," she said.
News / Local

by Felex Share

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe heads to Mashonaland Central province today where she is expected to meet the people and assess the effects of El-Nino induced drought affecting the country.Last year, the Zanu-PF secretary for Women's Affairs moved around the country handing over irrigation equipment in a move aimed at resuscitating irrigation schemes. The First Lady also donated foodstuffs and clothes.Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson Dickson Mafios said Mugabe would meet supporters at Kanyemba Secondary School in Chiweshe."It's a Zanu-PF rally in Mazowe South to be addressed by Amai (Mugabe)," she said."She wants to meet the people and assess the effects of drought and see how as a mother of the nation she can assist."This is her first visit of the year to the province and we are excited to host her."She'll come with innovative projects which will help women and the youths to alleviate the challenges they are encountering at the moment."We've mobilised our people and it is good that the rally is coming after her wise speech at the Zanu-PF headquarters this week where she centred on unity."As she said, there is no need to fight while people are suffering. It is time to work hard and fulfil the election promises we made as a party in 2013."
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The MDC has condemned President Mugabe for insulting opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.Mugabe had earlier said that the MDC no longer existed as a political party, while addressing party supporters ahead of its Politburo meeting.The MDC has said instead of focusing on berating the MDC, President Mugabe should focus on the economy.MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu rubbished Mugabe's sentiments, saying that Mugabe should Morgan Tsvangirai remained the most popular politician in the country.He added that Zanu-PF has lost the plot and as a result is now focusing on unimportant issues.
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News / Local

by Liberty Dube

EVEN in his death, the late controversial dealer, Josiah Jarzin' Mutopera has continued courting controversy.His legal marriages to two wives have opened a can of worms, with some people calling for investigations on those who solemnised the unions.Manica Post reported that during interviews contacted last week, Jarzin's second wife Jane, revealed that she was legally married to Jarzin under the African Marriage Act and tied the knot in May 2007, while his first wife also revealed to the same publication that she wed him on October 27, 2007 under the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11).Mutare lawyer, Farai Matinhure, said it was criminal to contract a monogamous marriage during the subsistence of a polygamous one or vice versa."In terms of Zimbabwe's laws, not only is it unlawful, but it is also criminal to contract a monogamous marriage during the subsistence of a polygamous one, the vice-versa is also true."Again an individual cannot contract a monogamous marriage during subsistence of another monogamous marriage. The purported subsequent marriage is for all intent and purposes null and void. What is simply entails is that an individual has to choose what type of marriage regime he or she wants to contract. You cannot mix the two because by definition and purpose they are like water and oil, they never mix and there is no middle of the path approach. Either your are polygamous or monogamous, its non negotiable in terms of the criminal law (Codification Act Chapter 9:23 section 104 it's a crime called bigamy," he said.Another legal practitioner, Passmore Nyakureba, said a person in a polygamous marriage, that is a marriage under the African Marriages Act, cannot enter into a monogamous marriage without first dissolving the polygamous marriage."In actual fact doing so constitutes a criminal offence of bigamy which is punishable by imprisonment. However, in this case where the person who actually committed the offence has died, the situation of the innocent spouse who might have entered into that marriage with the deceased presumably unaware of the existence of the polygamous marriage cannot be compromised because at law she is not the offending party."She stands to be recognised by the law because for her innocence she cannot be punished for the wrongs of the fraudulent party," said Nyakureba.He added that for inheritance purposes, it was possible that the court would recognise both women as the deceased's wives mainly because the second marriage can only be deemed to be voidable which means it can be enforced for other purposes but not for seeking reliefs such as adultery damages.Memory Mandingwa, a local-based lawyer, said although the African Marriage Act gives one a room to marry more wives, one is not legally allowed to go and marry another woman under a Chapter 5:11 which is monogamous."One is, however, allowed to upgrade the marriage from the African Marriages Act to Chapter 5:11 only with the same marriage," she said.
Michigan auto dealers and potential future employees  students at Northwood University  will have an opportunity to network and discuss marketing and retailing trends at the first Northwood University/Cox Automotive Interactive Dealer Summit set for Feb. 18 at Northwood Universitys campus in Midland.

Running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the universitys Griswold Communication Center, the summit will focus on information sharing, best practices and networking among the universitys faculty and students, presenting Cox Automotive executives and attendees from leading Michigan dealerships. Highlights of the days agenda include:
MILLER PLACE, N.Y. (AP)  A sex worker who disappeared near a remote stretch of Long Island beach highway that was later revealed to be a suspected serial killer's dumping ground for bodies might have been strangled, according to a new autopsy.

Shannan Gilbert vanished in May 2010 after fleeing the home of a client in Oak Beach, New York. The search for the missing woman led to the surprise discovery of 11 sets of human remains, including Gilbert's. No suspects have ever been arrested, or identified, in any of the killings. But investigators believe a possible serial killer  perhaps more than one  is responsible.

Although detectives have long maintained that Gilbert's death is unrelated to the killings of 10 others along Ocean Parkway in suburban New York, John Ray, an attorney for the Gilbert family, said Friday that an independent autopsy suggests the 24-year-old Jersey City, New Jersey, woman may have been strangled.

An autopsy by the Suffolk County medical examiner following the discovery of Gilbert's badly decomposed skeletal remains in a marsh in December 2011 ruled the cause of death undetermined.

Ray subsequently asked noted forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to conduct an independent review.

Baden found that while "there is insufficient information to determine a definite cause of death," the autopsy findings "are consistent with homicidal strangulation." Baden's letter to Ray also said there is no evidence "that she died of natural disease, of a drug overdose or of drowning."

Ray said at a press conference with Gilbert's mother and sisters that he has requested the Suffolk County homicide squad re-activate the investigation into the woman's death.

Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said in a statement Friday that detectives are waiting to review Baden's findings. Sini announced in December that the department has brought in FBI investigators to assist local detectives with the probe.

A K-9 officer and his cadaver dog were on a training mission searching for Gilbert in December 2010 when they happened upon what would become by spring of the following year 10 sets of human remains  eight women, a man and a toddler. The remains were found strewn along several miles of thicket adjacent to Ocean Parkway, just east of Jones Beach.

The 10 other victims  including at least four other sex workers  were found at least three miles west of where officials found Gilbert's body. Some of the other remains were found more than 10 miles away from Gilbert's, and officials later linked some of those body parts to dismembered victims found more than 40 miles from Ocean Parkway since 1996.
News / Local

by Tendai Gukutikwa

A MARANGE family that is being tormented by avenging spirits has sought the court's intervention for help.Willard Nukuya, whose father is fingered as the cause of the misfortunes bedeviling the family has dragged his brother's children Francis, Martin and Brenda Nukuya to Mutare Civil Courts seeking protection against them.Mutare magistrate, Yeukai Chigodora presided over the matter.Willard told the court that he had had enough of incessant insults from the trio who claim that his late father killed a Mozambican national whose spirit is now wreaking havoc."They insult and threaten me with death, claiming that if I do not appease the spirit they would kill me. At one time when we were in a commuter omnibus they started shouting that they wished for the bus to be involved in an accident so that I could die since I was sitting at the front with the driver," he said.He told the court that he now feared for his life and needed protection.In response, Martin brushed off Willard's claims and told the court that his sister was not feeling well due to the avenging spirit.Francis told the court that the spirit was even tormenting him at the courts demanding to know what he was doing there with a traitor'"An invisible being was trying to suffocate me just outside this courtroom as it asked me why I was here with Willard. I almost died and it is all because of him. I have had enough and if it is possible the court must order him to help us in appeasing this spirit since it is his late father who killed the Mozambican," begged Francis.The protection order was granted to Willard against Francis, Martin and Brenda Nukuya, but they were not barred from visiting him since he is the father figure of the family.
A local boy is turning his story into a chance to help others.

Jacob Laczko, 13, was born with DiGeorge Syndrome/22q deletion, which branches into multiple issues. For Jacob, that includes truncus arteriosus, a congenital heart defect. In addition to heart surgeries, he has also undergone brain surgery and kidney surgery.

As Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is this week, Jacob and his mother, Heather, decided that they would set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Pediatric Cardiology Unit at C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital.

Jacob and I have been at C.S. Motts since the beginning, so 13 years now, Heather said. I stayed at the Ronald McDonald House and hotels so much I always had a bag packed. We have seen the same doctors and some of the same nurses since then. Its really comforting and I know helps Jacob cope better when we have to go there.

Jacob said C.S. Mott is great because it helps him feel better.

I want to help other children feel better, too, he said.

Since Jacob will turn 14 on March 1, they chose a fundraising goal of $1,400. He has already raised more than half of that amount.

To help Jacob reach his goal and celebrate a huge victory before his birthday, visit www.gofundme.com/twjk8efz.
UTAPAO, Thailand  The opening ceremony for Cobra Gold 16 brought together more than two dozen participating countries, Feb. 9 at Royal Thai Marine Corps HQ, Sattahip Chonburi Province, Thailand.

Thailand and the U.S. co-host the annual, multilateral Cobra Gold 16 exercise, which is one of the exercises included in three Pacific pathways missions - in which the U.S. partners with countries across the Indo-Asian Pacific.

We all face the same challenges we can only solve them by working together, said U.S Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand Glyn T. Davies during the Cobra Gold 16 opening ceremony.

Cobra Gold is the largest exercise in the pacific region and every soldier has a special part in developing partnerships in order to work together during this multinational exercise.

Everyone who values the security and development of the Asia Pacific region knows about Cobra Gold and its excellent reputation as the largest, the most wide ranging and most valuable military exercise in this vital part of the plant, said Ambassador Davies. It is known around the world as the gold standard for multilateral military exercises.

Looking out today at the uniforms of over two dozen countries gathered as one team underscores that point, explained Ambassador Davies.

This is my second time attending Cobra Gold, said Cpl. Sapajong Itsariya, a member of the Royal Thai Air Force. Itsariya had the opportunity to speak with soldiers from many different militaries before the opening ceremonies. A smiling Itsariya said, This exercise is the biggest in the country [of Thailand].

U.S. Soldiers and Royal Thai Armed Forces have different vantage points during Cobra Gold but the same objective, which is to address regional, global security challenges and to promote International Corporation and stability in the region.

Having the opportunity to fellowship with the Thai Army is unique said Spc. Robert Crawford, native to Austin, Texas, and air condition mechanic in Headquarters Support Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. Crawford held the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) Flag during the Cobra Gold opening ceremony as a representative the U.S. Armys partnership in Cobra Gold 16.

After standing in the ceremony Crawford said he was thinking about the unity of all the militaries and counties present that day.

I probably will not have another chance like this, said Crawford. All glory to God, Ive always wanted to travel the word and that is what I am doing.

Crawford is working in Thailand as part of the set up and operation for the U.S. Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Early Entry Command Post (EECP) in Utapao, Thailand.

The CPX is a combined task force with multinational planning scenarios and objectives for partner nations to conduct security operations, humanitarian missions, and counter-piracy.

Col. James P. Smith, a native of Casper, Wyoming and assistant chief of staff for information operations, 25th Infantry Division, says the CPX helps work out some of the processes that go along with planning joint missions, multinational language barriers and different cultural backgrounds when called to respond to mutual regional security interest.

I work with our partner nations, making new and awesome friends, said Smith.

As national security professionals, Ambassador Davies says, our duty as a military is to stay vigilant and prepared to address new threats, such as diseases, natural disasters, terrorism, piracy and climate change.

Practicing makes us better prepared to handle real world events, explained Smith. This is my first time here, and I am glad to be apart of it [CG 16]. I have met great officers from other nations and hope to see them again.

Although the multinational soldiers participating in Cobra Gold as part of Pacific Pathways 16-01 are coming together with different cultural and language vantage points they all share a mutual goal of building interpersonal relationships for progress across the Pacific region.

All soldiers share a common language, said Smith. They know how to shoot, march and follow and lead. It is valuable for them to experience other counties. Ambassador Davies agrees, The value of Cobra Gold 16 is indisputable.
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  Ellyn Dunford, spouse of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, visited the Armed Services YMCA on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam February 10 to talk to children, spouses, and staff members.

During the tour of the facility Dunford held a discussion with spouses and staff members to talk about some of the difficulties of operating in an overseas environment, and providing programs to the young men and women of the armed services who need them. Some of the key issues discussed were childcare waiting lists, background checks, the lack of volunteers, and funding.

So there are two challenges that were raised here. One is that there is a waiting list, because there are so many people who desire these kinds of services in this area and recognize the value of starting early childhood education, said Dunford. The other is being able to get enough staff to serve them. There are people who want to do it, but the vetting process takes an unreasonable amount of time; and that interferes with the ability to expand services and maintain services.

Dunford told the staff that she will take these concerns back with her to Washington and begin working on resolutions to help support the facility.

Having her here really helps highlight the services we provide and the organization itself, because one of our biggest challenges is getting the word out about our programs, said Laurie Moore, executive director of Armed Services YMCA. We want to share what we do so that we can have more people participate and provide the services and programs to those that need it and want it.

Dunford also took the opportunity to interact with the staff and children during a sing-a-long, dance, and display of arts and crafts.

I love seeing the children. They are a tonic that makes you feel good and makes you feel like the world will be ok, because we have all these wonderful little faces, said Dunford. It was really nice to see so many people working together to make sure this next generation grows up with a good education, a love for learning, and knowing that their educators care about them. Thats really important.

The staff members were happy to host Mrs. Dunford and appreciated her ability to relate to the difficulties military families face.

It was so great for our staff because our staff really felt very encouraged by her visit. Also, the parents of some of the children at the school that had the opportunity to interact with her; were delighted to be able to speak military spouse to military spouse and share common joys, frustrations, and she just related so beautifully to everyone she came in contact with, said Moore. I really think it was a very uplifting visit for our program participants and the staff, too.

The Armed Services YMCA of Honolulu provides quality social, educational, and recreational programs to meet the needs of military service members and their families in the state of Hawaii. Last year the non-profit organization served over 43,000 service members. After the ASYMCA visit, Dunford continued her tour advocating for military family support programs on Oahu.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe has warned some highly placed Zanu-PF officials to stop all sinister machinations meant to intimidate and force President Robert Mugabe to hand over power to them.Addressing a rally at Kanyemba High School in in Chiweshe, Mazowe South today, Dr Mugabe said the First Family is aware of all sinister plans, among them a planned assault on the life of their son, Bellarmine [Chatunga] and the botched plan to bomb the Gushungo Dairy."Some people have over-stayed their welcome. Vagarisa vachangopinda. Next rally tinenge tavakutaura nemazita, watch that space," she warned."We are aware that some people were planning to kill my son, Bellarmine, and do you think we are fools when we smile at you? You also recruited some soldiers to go and bomb Gushungo Dairy, thinking that would intimidate us and make President Mugabe hand over power to you," added Dr Mugabe."We are aware that some people had been recruited to come and disturb this rally. On Wednesday, people who wanted to come to Harare to welcome President Mugabe after a successful tenure as AU Chairman, could not come as they were blocked, while some were beaten up so that they don't get into the buses to Harare. We don't want that, we don't want to scare away investors with such violence, what we want is peace."Dr Mugabe castigated pompous and too ambitious leaders who are always consulting traditional healers (n'angas) for them to gain powerful positions."Some people think they are more important than others because they went to war. Some say 'I don't get advice from Amai Mugabe,' but I have told one war veteran that stop what you are doing. Some move spreading falsehoods, saying I want to succeed President Mugabe. Pane kutonga kushoma pane kwandinako? Hierarchy yataurwa pano inoti pamusoro panaVaMugabe neni, kozouya maVice Presidents, saka nyanga dzandinoda ndedzipi manje?" said Dr Mugabe.In what some people would interpret as clear reference to a recent exchange of harsh words between ministers Jonathan Moyo and Chris Mutsvangwa, where the latter accused the former of being the son of Ndabaningi Sithole, Dr Mugabe said "There is nothing as bad as saying bad things about someone's parents. What if we tell you that all the children you are taking care of are not yours?""Do you think Jonathan [Moyo] is a fool? Such an intelligent person like Jonathan being a fool, and quarreling alone? He will be talking to other people who speak just like him," said Dr Mugabe, adding that leaders must have dignity like President Mugabe.She said some people's promiscuity is so unbelievable that they don't deserve to be declared national heroes.Still on factionalism, Dr Mugabe castigated the wearing of attire labeled 'Lacoste,' saying it is an abuse on President Mugabe's tortem.She said: "You think we are fools? We have seen people among them youths wearing t-shirts with Zimbabwean flags and labeled 'Lacoste,' and when we asked them, they said 'Lacoste' is a perfume, we are not fools."Dr Mugabe's rally was attended by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, ministers: Professor Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Mandi Chimene, Advocate Martin Dinha and several party officials.
BLOOMINGTON  A visit to an adult website led to a year of sexual assaults and death threats, a Bloomington teen testified Thursday in the trial of his alleged attacker.

Sixto Martinez, 49, of Lafayette, Ind., is charged with criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and child pornography. Allegations relate to meetings between the then-14-year-old boy and Martinez that started in September 2013.

In lengthy questioning by Assistant State's Attorney Jacob Harlow, the teen said Martinez threatened "to shoot the first person who opened the door" of his Bloomington home if he ended the relationship.

The teen admitted he logged onto a website in search of a relationship but denied he wanted sex.

Martinez reportedly responded to the alleged victim and requested a meeting. The teen admitted that he had lied about his age, saying he was 16 when he was 14, but agreed to see Martinez because of the death threats.

Martinez picked up the teen and took him to several hotels in the Twin Cities and his Indiana home and raped him, the teen testified.

At one point, the boy left a note for Martinez's son at the suspect's home.

"I'm a 14-year-old boy your father brought to his house and raped me," said the note read in the trial overseen by Judge Scott Drazewski.

The witness said he also left messages to the suspect's Facebook contacts about the alleged abuse but received no response.

In cross-examination by defense lawyer Harold Jennings, the teen admitted he asked his alleged assailant for money during the year the two were meeting and received a total of about $200. He said he received clothing and a watch from Martinez.

The alleged sexual assaults reportedly ended in August 2014 after the boy's mother found text messages on her son's phone related to the meetings.

The witness said he regretted his involvement with the website that led to an exchange of pornographic photos.

"I thought at the time it was partially my fault all this happened," said the teen.

The trial is expected to conclude Feb. 18 after testimony from Martinez.
Cheers

... to Heartland Community College and its continuing efforts to create course offerings that can lead to a career.

The most recent is the physical therapy assistant program, highlighted in a Pantagraph story.

Community colleges offer classes, workshops and more for people who want to learn a new skill, increase their knowledge, earn a degree or change careers.

If you've never visited Heartland or its website (www.heartland.edu), make the time to do so.

Cheers

... to LIFE Center for Independent Living for taking over the certification needs for people with disabilities who want to use Connect Transit's Mobility service.

The service provides door-to-door transportation for people with special physical needs, but those riders must be certified. LIFE CIL is best suited to make those decisions and probably is already working with some of them.

Cheers

... to Guardians of the Children, Central Illinois chapter, for realizing the need for children to have a "strong someone" in their corner during court hearings and also providing gifts of bicycles and teddy bears.

The Guardians are motorcycle riders from throughout the state who banded together for a common cause: making sure children feel safe when they are in a scary situation like a courtroom.

Cheers

... to the city of Bloomington for considering whether to ban large commercial trucks on Clinton Boulevard, between Empire and Emerson streets.

The residential area provides a quick cut-through from one side of town to the other, but that section of Clinton is a quintessential old-fashioned street, with street parking, narrow lanes and a boulevard to separate traffic.

There are other north-south streets that can be used for commercial vehicles.

A thought

... the idea of a cooperative grocery store in a so-called "food desert" is a great idea, but if there's not enough public interest to finance the venture, organizers should consider putting the idea on hold.

For several years, Green Top Grocery has pitched a program in which people buy a "share" of the grocery that focuses on locally sourced food. After much back and forth, the grocery announced it would lease space in the 900 block of East Washington Street in Bloomington at a retail development not yet built.

But the venture remains short of money and hasn't made much headway since October. We urge organizers to reconsider their plans, at least for the time being.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has commended the Townsend High School in Bulawayo for releasing results of students who were owing the school outstanding fees thereby avoiding a bruising legal battle.In a statement the ZLHR) said it believes that education is a fundamental building block of human development in a society."We consider education as one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty, improving health, gender equality, building peace, stability and prosperity," reads the statement."To us education is indeed a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realising other human rights. Hence, today, we are celebrating together with two Ngwasha sisters Tanaka and Takudzwa after they finally got their Ordinary Level certificates which had been withheld by Townsend High School in Bulawayo for non-payment of fees or levies."ZLHR said Tanaka and Takudzwa completed their studies in 2013 and 2014 respectively and Townsend High School was adamant that their certificates were not going to be released because of issues relating to outstanding amounts in school fees or levies."The two sisters visited ZLHR's offices in Bulawayo seeking legal assistance after being enlightened concerning legal messages issued at one of ZLHR's Mobile Legal Clinics held recently where those in attendance were enlightened about how the use of the law (litigation) can equip one to access their constitutional social, economic and civil rights," reads the statement."ZLHR lawyers Lizwe Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa swiftly responded by writing a letter to the school head at Townsend High School on 8 February 2016 stressing that the conduct of using children as pawns to force payment is unlawful."ZLHR said in a speedy response, the School Head Mrs M Moyo took heed to the lawyers' intervention and released the Tanaka and Takudzwa's Ordinary Level certificates to the girls' legal practitioners on 09 February 2016 thereby saving the school from unnecessary legal battle.
Satin Patel, M.D., who specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and founder of North Texas IVF at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, discussed what are the possible causes of infertility and how they diagnose it.

Dr. Patel said that the age of women and the "ovarian reserve" is crucial to fertility. But women isn't just to blame because men can also play a factor in infertility, too. He said about one-third of infertility cases are due to men and their age also contributes to the problem.

He said if his patients are facing fertility challenges, he first takes all the necessary details such as history and physical health. Then he proceeds with fertility evaluation, which involves testing patient's fallopian tube to ensure there is nothing hampering the conception.

After which, a woman needs to undergo hormone analysis and antimullerian hormone test or AMH to see how many eggs she has left. Then after a series of tests and reading the results, Dr. Patel said the data collected will serve as his guide, so he can recommend treatment.

If the result shows a woman has low AMH, "... it may lead her to either accelerate her family-building plans if she's in a relationship or see a fertility clinic and freeze her eggs to make sure she has options for the future," Dr. Patel explained to Parenting.com.

And if the root of the problem is the woman failing to ovulate and she's younger, the remedy for this problem is often in the form of fertility pill that can improve her ovulation. But for many cases, which involve older women or women with blocked fallopian tubes or the man has low sperm count. The doctor also said that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the best solution.

When asked what is the best advice he can give to avoid infertility, Dr.Patel said "not to delay childbearing, because female age is your worst enemy."
A Houston couple was arrested after their 38-year old Nigerian nanny escaped and called the human trafficking hotline. The nanny was alleged to have been forced into slavery for two years without pay, serving the couple and their five adopted children, and having been subjected to physical and verbal abuse.

According to a press release of the U.S. Department of Justice, as reported in The Daily Beast, the Nigerian woman suffered from bizarre abuse while living with the couple. She was not allowed to wash her hair and was made to strain milk from leftover cereal to be used for her tea.

At one point, the wife, dragged the nanny by the hair when she was scolded due to an improper way of carrying the baby. She was also beaten because she made one child wear the wrong pair of socks.

The nanny also experienced being slapped with a slipper on the face. Whatever bruises she sustained, she was said to have been denied access to adequate medical treatment.

The Nsobundus - Chudy, 56, and Sandra, 50, were charged with forced labor. They were also charged with visa fraud and withholding documents. The Nigerian-born couple, who became naturalized American citizens, allegedly took advantage of the lack of education of the nanny. Houston Press reported that in the complaint, the nanny only attained grade-school level education and was made to believe by the Nsobundus that she will take care of their children, the reason why she signed a five-year contract with them.

It was also alleged in the complaint that the only possession the nanny was allowed was a copy of her Bible. She was also made to throw her clothes away. She toiled for 20 hours and was not allowed to sit or to watch television.

Wayne Heller, the Nsobundus' lawyer, he was shocked by the accusations hurled by the nanny against his clients. He said, "What a strange set of new allegations."

In defense of the Nsobundus, Heller added, "Let me say this about Chudy, he's a very religious man. He's active in his church." He also mentioned that his client had "never been in any sort of trouble in his entire life."
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has reiterated the importance of embracing automation of its business processes to increase operational efficiency.This was discussed during the opening of the Authority's Strategic Planning Conference which is being held in Bulawayo from 9 to 12 February 2016 under the theme "Innovation for progressive Tax Administration-Leveraging Information Communication Technology (ICT) for continued growth."Officially opening the ceremony, ZIMRA Commissioner General, Gershem Pasi underscored the need to look at ICTs as a modern avenue of increasing efficiency and effectiveness of ZIMRA's operations."We are looking forward to great exciting times ahead of us because of technological advancements that have and will continue to bring the common good. It is no longer business as usual as we have to embrace the use of technology to ease our operations", he said."This year is the turning point for full ICT usage as this will become a balanced and cohesive strategy that ensures continuity and efficiency in revenue management particularly when we have modern systems. I urge all of you to walk and reengineer this modernisation journey so that we are not left behind."Let us all be on the same track so that we travel together and reach our target destination. I am confident that with dedicated, knowledgeable and competent team like you we will continue to overcome any other challenges that can we come across together," emphasised Mr Pasi.The ZIMRA Commissioner General's remarks came at a time when ZIMRA has been celebrating progress in ICT usage including among other things, e-documentation, implementation of the enterprise resource management system and the recently introduced Tax Management System which seeks to ease client's transactions in line with upholding the Authority's Client Charter of effectively and efficiently giving seamless service to the transacting clients.
Reality star Kris Jenner opens up about what it is really like to be a "momager" and an ex-wife of a world-renowned athlete who is now a transgender. She has been getting a lot of negative remarks from the public, which is why she wanted everyone to know the things she is dealing with especially on reports about her exploiting her own kids.

In an interview with Harper Bazaar, the celebrity mom sat down and shared how she manages to stay strong from all the controversies she is facing after nine years of being on the show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," especially now that she's just turned 60.

The Inquisitr revealed that among the things that help her keep up with the pressure of the industry is the fact that she has a boyfriend named Corey Gamble, 35. Her current man is visiting her often in her house in Hidden Hills, California.

When asked about her ex-husband Bruce Jenner's transition to Caitlyn, she didn't deny that it was among the greatest challenges in life that she had to face and that she could only turn to God for guidance. It is not easy being married to someone for 23 years and one day you will just learn that the person you are married to decided to come out to finally become a woman.

But amidst the whole divorce and transition of her ex-husband, she still manages to be friends with her that she even visits her house.

"I think at some point, although it was difficult and, uh, a challenge ... I just have to let it go. And try to be tolerant. Prayer. God. You know, just trying to understand. It takes time. But time is a wonderful healer. And we have two children together. It's important for my kids to see our family strong and united," Jenner said.

As for the issue that she is exploiting her own family for business, Jenner denies it and said that she is only doing what she thinks is best for her kids.
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Its been a fairly mild winter across the globe but colder days and snow are most certainly in our near future. You didnt really think wed get off that easy, did you? Instead of dreading the snow, however, roll around in it, because once its 90+ degrees outside youll be desperate for a quick snowy escape. Plus, rolling around in the snow is fun. For backyards bathed in white and Jacuzzis to keep you warm, check into one of these Airbnb digs.

?We love this all white chic home (it is the Hamptons, after all) complete with a crackling fireplace to snuggle up next to. $200/night.

The living room and bedroom both have fireplaces in this pad. Need we say more?? $325/night.

?Enjoy this cozy cabin tucked away in the Black Bear Resort community.? $119/night.





Park City Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty

?Perfect for a large group, this six-level house offers a hot tub for some post-slope refuge. $739/night.

?This affordable apartment above a massive house provides just what skiers needa place to rest their tired legs.? $160/night.

?Enjoy incredible views of the Green Mountains from this luxury barn situated in the middle of an 80-acre estate. ?$89/night.

?This historical house is full of art and was built in 1807. $185/night

?What this cabin close to Smugglers Notch and Stowe lacks in space, it makes up for in land120 acres of it to be exact. ?$110/night.

?This tiny cabin looks up to Mount Mansfield and is perfect for two. ?$121/night.



Jay Peak Photo courtesy of Jay Peak Resort

?This wooden ski house is perfect for a weekend at Jay Peak Resort. ?$175/night.

?This rustic house is quintessential Vermont. It even has a small creek on property. ?$150/night.

?This cottage may be small but its bursting with character and color. Ideal for skiers, this home is close to Stratton Ski Resort.? ?$92/night.

?Down the road from Stowe Ski Resort, this place is furnished with antique and vintage pieces collected by the owner over the years. ?$235/night.

?An 1800s restored schoolhouse is perfect for seclusion and will impress even the most seasoned travelers. $185/night.

If style is a priority, head to this incredibly chic and well-designed cabin nestled in the middle of nature. $400/night.

With vaulted ceilings and tons of sunlight, this place oozes relaxation. $199/night.

A home for your soul, this off-the-grid 1226 space is equipped with a rain water sink and solar powered lights. Our eco-friendly hearts just skipped a beat. $99/night.

Enjoy a wood burning stove in this cute designer cabin located on seven acres of land. $180/night.



Mount Hood Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty

Enjoy the architecture of this home, designed with tongue and groove cedar ceilings and an amazing open floor plan with floor to ceiling windows. $285/night.

Head to what is described as a cabin in the woods but bigger to enjoy lots of natural sunlight and chic design elements. $300/night.

This authentic log cabin is the perfect place to reconnect with nature. $157/night.

This gingerbread cottage will make you feel like you found a little slice of heaven while you chill out next to the gas fireplace. $99/night.

Merideth is a New York City based Fashion Stylist and freelance style & travel writer. She runs a lifestyle blog for travel nomads and fashion lovers.
LG is ready to go head-to-head with some of its biggest rivals in mobile, including Samsung and HTC. Later this month at Mobile World Congress, LG is slated to unveil its next generation flagship smartphone, the LG G5.

The LG G5 is a direct successor to 2015s LG G4, a popular phone thats coveted thanks to its sleek leather back, gorgeous display, strong camera performance and expandability. This year, we can expect more innovative features from LG. After all, the G5 is expected to have some stiff competition in the high-end phone space, including the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10.

With a rumored metal body and a focus on photography and expandability, the LG G5 wont be cheap, but it should fall in line to retail for $600 contract-free. Here are five rumors about the LG G5 that we are particularly excited about:

According to serial leakster Evan Bass, the LG G5 will ditch the plastic body of the G5 for an all-metal finish. This will make the G5 a strong contender against Apples aluminum-clad iPhone 6s and HTCs all-metal HTC One designs.

The metal build will give the phone a more premium feel, and its something that LG has toyed with on the V10, a premium phone with a removable plastic rear cover and steel side rails. The LG G5 is expected to have a flat back, straight sides and curved corners, a nod to the design of the iPhone 6s and the HTC One A9.

Unlike these rivals, the G5 will come with a removable 2,800 mAh battery. This is a bit smaller than a few other flagship smartphones from 2015, the good news is that if your battery dies, you can just swap it for a freshly charged spare rather than having to search for a power outlet.

LG may be bucking the bigger is better trend with G5 by reducing the screen size of the G5. The G5 is rumored to come with a 5.3-inch screen, down from a 5.5-inch display on its predecessor.

The reason? LG may want to further differentiate the G series from the V series, similar to what rival Samsung does with the mainstream Galaxy S and larger Galaxy Note series. This way, the smaller 5.3-inch G5 wont compete directly against the 5.7-inch V10.

Rumors suggest that the V10s smaller 1440  2560-pixel display will also get added to the G5, giving the handset a similar dual display setup, but its unclear if this information is accurate. One of the purpose of the dual display on the V10 is that the smaller screen gives users access to the date, time and notifications, even when the main display is off.

However, there may no longer be a need for a second screen given that LG had announced on its Facebook page that the G5 will come with an Always On screen, similar to what Motorola has done on the Moto X Pure Edition. With this always on screen, users will always have access to the time and notifications on the main screen.

Recently, smartphone manufacturers like Nokia (now Microsoft Mobile) and Motorola have relied on AMOLED screen tech to power their always on displays. AMOLED conserves power as the entire display doesnt need to be powered on, but in the past, Nokia and Palm have both used LCD for their always on screens. Its unclear if the G5 will ditch the 2560  1440-pixel IPS LCD screen on the G4 for the same resolution AMOLED panel.

Whereas the LG V10 introduced a dual camera setup to the front of the device for selfies, the G5 may use a similar setup, but with the main rear-facing camera. This means youll get two 16-megapixel cameras on the rear.

The dual-lens setup allows the V10 to capture a closer photo with one camera and a wider field of view with the second camera. The advantage of the wider angle lens is that you can capture more of your scene in your picture. To capture portraits, you may want to use the regular lens, which comes with less distortion than a wide angle lens.

To combat lens distortion with a wide-angle lens, PhoneArena suggests that the G5 may capture an image with both lenses simultaneously and use software algorithms to help create a detailed photo.

Other camera elements include two LED flash bulbs, LGs infrared sensor for laser fast autofocus and an RGB sensor to aid with autofocus and scene recognition, according to a report on VentureBeat.

For selfie-takers, the G5 will ship with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera for detailed shots of your mug. However, if you need a little assistance, LGs Beauty Mode can help soften out skin tones, harsh lines and wrinkles for your self-captured closeup. Other sources suggest that LG will use a Sony-made 20-megapixel camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter.

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Powering the G5 will be Qualcomms new Snapdragon 820 chipset along with 3GB RAM and significantly better graphics performance. Qualcomms marketing claims suggest that the 820 chip delivers up to twice the processing performance and 40% better graphics performance than the Snapdragon 810 released last year. The Snapdragon 820 should be a significant upgrade to the Snapdragon 808 processor on last years G4.

New to the G5, and a carryover from the V10 released late last year, is the inclusion of a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button, which sits at the rear of the device, a position that LG argues is more natural to reach when youre holding the phone. However, when the phone is set on a desk, the rear placement makes it impossible to use the fingerprint reader. To combat the limitation of this design, LG is rumored to include some sort of iris scanner, similar to what Microsoft used on the Lumia 950 smartphone.

Whats new is that LG moved the volume rocker, which flanked the power button on the rear of the G4, to a more standard position to the side of the phone on the G5. Its unclear what spurred the change, but the rear of G5 is getting busy with a dual camera array, increased number of sensors, LED camera flashes, and a fingerprint scanner.

The G5 is expected to ship with 32 GB of on-board storage. Its unclear if LG intends on equipping the G5 with a microSD card reader to add extra storage, but the phone may come with its own expansion system.

Dubbed the Magic Slot, the bottom-placed slot is believed to host expansion cartridges, like better cameras or serve as the port to connect virtual reality glasses. Its unclear what LG intends for the Magic Slot, but its an interesting idea that pays homage to the old PDA days with the Compaq iPaq sleds or the Handspring, later acquired by Palm, Springboard slot.

The LG G5 will likely launch with Android Marshmallow and come with LGs custom skin.

LG will augment its flagship line with some in-house designed accessories. One accessory that we know of is the LG Quick Cover, which uses a metallic mesh design with a clear plastic window cover. Users will be able to interact with the phone, performing basic functions like answering a call, without opening the smart cover.

Its unclear if LG will be offering other cases to complement the G5s design.
Political songs are one of the most under-appreciated aspects of a presidential election. For reasons that would take a behavioral psychologist 300 pages to explore, artistic people who find themselves swept away by political currents are often inspired to write songs for their candidate of choice.

I consider myself one of the worlds foremost connoisseurs of these voter-generated tunes, and like any wise critic, I appreciate them on multiple levels. The melody is important, of course, but these songs often borrow melodies from famous songs, so thats not the critical factor. Lyrics matter very muchone of the charms of the political music genre is the amateurish, forced nature of the words. You wouldnt think it was possible to sneak an entire policy proposal into a verse, but brother, youd be wrong. Then of course, theres the performance. Sometimes you dont get to see the artists on screen, but when you do, let me tell you: Its a real mixed bag. Once in a while a fluid performer will surprise you, but very often, the only adjective that applies is awkward.

A few things: First, since most artists tend be of a liberal and/or populist persuasion, most songs tend to go to liberal and/or populist candidates, ie Democrats. Apologies to our Republican friends. Second, Hillary Clinton does not seem to inspire these creative effortsmake of that what you will. The only conclusion we can draw is that in recent politics, this is a fight between President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders.

That being said, we have to recognize that in the annals of political music, Barack Obama is king. Theres no dispute. But lately, Bernie Sanders has begun to give him a surprising run for his money. Were still early in the primary process, and its worth noting that back in 2008, at the peak of song-inspiring powers, Obama had all the way up to the general election in November to rack up his career numbers. Its not clear whether Bernie will last that long, but even if he doesnt, hes putting together an impressive resume, and you could argue that hes quickly sneaking up on the prez.

So lets hash it out: Bernie vs. Obama, song-style. First up

The idea for this post came from a USA Today article I saw this morning about a new song called Hold Me Closer, Bernie Sanders by Mel Flannery and Danny Sher:

Its an instant classic. Melody: Elton John. Lyrics: Cumbersome, wonky. Performance: N/A, but great use of old Bernie photos to set the mood.

Seriously, check out how the song starts:

Brooklyn baby

Dad immigrated

Polish-American Jew

Four-eyed

Hair of white

Got em shaking in their shoes!

Hair of white! Thats the kind of lyric youll only find in a political song. Not to mention that the fourth line, four-eyed is an insulthe wears glasses didnt fit there. I give this one a solid B+, but it could have been an A if the performers were on camera looking uncomfortable.

Next up, Mr. Sanders Bring Us a Dream by Crackin Foxy:

Folks, this is a winner, a flat-out A. Catchy, solid lyrics, and a sepia-toned performance with folky costume.

Mr. Sanders,

Bring us a Dream

Government Reform like weve never seen

Military spending is out of control

Rebuild our country should be the goal

Its not a great political song until you have a line that the performers have to sing really, really fast because it has too many syllables for the melody. Thats exactly what we get in government reform should be the goal. And then, brilliantly, they leave off the ing in rebuilding in order to make the final line scan.

Thoroughly enjoyable. A solid A-grader.

Now, fair warning: I cant go through every song. There are 28 examples on this site alone, and who knows, maybe some day Ill write a post ranking them all. For now, well feature a couple more. Starting with Feel the Bern, by Alex Vans and the Hide Away:

Whoa! This is legitimately pretty good, right? Unlike 99 percent of political songs, it almost seems like it could be considered cool. At times, you can barely understand the lyricsjust like a real rock song! Its also an original, which gives it huge bonus points, and a catchy chorus.

And speaking of real, did you know that Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes wrote his own song?

Its a classic hippy-dippy feel-gooder, and a famous guy wrote it! I mean, is it pretty clear that Ebert put this one together in about ten minutes? Sure. Definitely. But he did it, mannn. A- all the way.

Ill leave you with this one, The Bernie Sanders Song, from Julia Kate Davis:

From the birthday cake=wealth inequality metaphor at the start, to the great melody, to the great voice, to the great guitar-ing, I just love this. And I mean that without irony. She also distills the question of how a voter should become informed into an absolutely perfect couplet:

Go on the Internet

But, youve gotta give a shit

Okay. Now youve seen a sampling of what Bernie has to offer. With that, we turn our attention to:

Oh, Bernie. Bernie Bernie Bernie. You thought you could compete with Young Jeezy, and Mariah Carey, and Jay-Z, and Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie f***ing Wonder? Look at this mans top ten songs Heavy hitters doesnt begin to describe it.

Some of those songs were written after his inauguration, and are technically ineligible, but the truth is that Obama doesnt even need them.

Yup. That one was released in February 2008, in the thick of primary season, and features more famous people than you can shake a stick at. By the summer, it had 21 million views. Thats what we call deadly ammo. And as The Daily Beast pointed out, some of those songs were just as terrible as if an amateur had written them. Famous people can be hacky too! Im amazed Hillary lasted as long as she did.

But Obama had some populist songs too. One of my favorites of all-time is called No Ones As Irish as Barack Obama:

This is so, so sing-able. And the performance is so, so awkward, complete with flop sweat. I wish the guy was wearing a tie so he could tug on it nervously. Plus, its Irish! What charm!

Its actually sort of hard to find many populist songs written for Obama when he was first running for president. Not because they dont exist, but because so many celebrities got on board that they saturate any and all Google searches. And if you look up Obama song on YouTube, you get a lot of conservative parodies (many of them quite racist!) and those other mash-ups where they take one word at a time from his speeches so that he ends up singing a pop song.

But what makes Obama the champ is that he crosses all genres. While Bernie is making a killing on the populist side, only Obama could inspire a real-life, sexy, sultry love song:

That was written in 2007, even before the first primary. It has 27 million views. The king stays the king.
This column, Escape Artist, is a series about folks who have escaped. More importantly, this biweekly column is for those thinking about trading in their 9-to-5, leg-shackled-to-the-desk existences in order to grab life at the roots and forge their own way. The brave outliers featured in these collection of interviews are the digital nomads, the online entrepreneurs, and the lifestyle trendsetters, who decided it was time to say to hell with the humdrum and go elbow deep to grab life by the roots.





Photographer

Gary Arndt runs Everything-Everywhere.com , a travel blog with more than 2 million followers. Arndt sold his house in 2007 and has been traveling the world since. Hes visited all seven continents and more than 170 countries. Arndt has been named Travel Photographer of the Year by both the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association. In 2016, hes launching an online photography course, starting a YouTube channel and hosting live events across the United States.

Paste Travel The escape the 9-to-5 mentality seems to be growing. What have you noticed?

Gary Arndt When I started traveling in 2007, a few people were doing it, but it has become really popular since then. Once The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss came out (in April 2007), the trend really started. Now places such as Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Oaxaca, Mexico, are full of expats. The Internet has made this possible.

PT What was the aha moment that sparked this for you in 2007?

GA I started an Internet company in the 1990s and sold it in 1998 and started another one soon after that. After the dot-com bubble burst, we lost our biggest account and decided to close shop. I didnt know what to do and went back to school. I started a PhD program in geology and geophysics at the University of Minnesota and realized I didnt like research as much as I like learning. I was in my mid-30s in 2005 and decided to travel around the world. It took a year and a half to sell my house, tie up loose ends and hit the road.

PT Why did you decide to focus on photography, and how did you teach yourself?

GA I bought a camera when I began traveling so I would have great images to put on my walls when I returned. I never intended to become a travel photographer. About nine months into my trip, I was in Hong Kong and realized I should either stop doing my website or start taking it seriously. I looked at travel magazines and put together a plan. I started focusing on photography and over time got better at it. Ive posted a photo every day for eight years, and that has forced me to be a better photographer.

PT Do you have a favorite anecdote youd like to share with Paste readers?

GA Im responsible for changing a law in a country! Early in my travels in August 2007, I went to Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, which at that time was the only island in the Pacific that required Americans to get a visa. Its a tiny country that had no embassy, and I took a special trip to Fiji to get the visa. I was at the embassy when it opened Monday morning and got the paperwork done. Typically you get a sticker in your passport, but for Kiribati it was a rubber stamp and ballpoint pen. On my way back to Kiribati, it rained and all of my belongings were soaked. The ballpoint bled off the page, and they wouldnt let me in the country. I had my hotel and return flight reserved and had nowhere to go. I had to wait in the airport six hours and take a flight back to Fiji. It was the only time during these nine years that I threw a massive fit. I wrote an email to the Minister of Tourism and explained that nobody benefitted from me being barred from the country. I didnt spend my money and didnt take any pictures to share. It was a complete waste for us all. It turns out he forwarded my email to the prime minister of the country. Now Americans can go there without a visa.

PT Whats one tip you have for readers who want to live a life like yours?

GA Make the decision, pull the trigger and do it. When youre on a trip, its always in the back of your mind that eventually youll go home, and with this one, it took me months to realize that I no longer had a home. Many people have never had that experience, and thats difficult. People also try to over-plan their trip, and its far more important to adapt and be flexible. Plus, youll find that travel is cheaper than you think. Youre not paying vacation prices on top of your rent or mortgage. When you get rid of your utilities, car, car insurance and gas, thats a lot of money. I believe everybody should travel for three months at some point in life, whether you go during high school, college, a sabbatical or retirement. You dont have to sell your house for three months of traveling, but its long enough for you to have an eye-opening experience that goes beyond a vacation.

Carolyn Crist is a freelance journalist based in Georgia. She writes about travel, health and business for regional and national publications.
The word daiquiri, invokes an image of a frozen, syrupy, fruity, alcoholic beverage. But like many cocktails that are easy to overlook, the daiquiri has a history, and has evolved from its original form. Alcohol Professor recounts the story of a mining engineer, Jennings Cox, who created the first version of the drink in the late 1800s. Living near the beach town of Daiquiri, Cuba, he was hosting a soiree when he ran out of gin. In a pinch, he made a punch with rum, lemon, mineral water, sugar, and ice. Later, in the late 1930s at famed Cuban bar, La Floridita, Hemingway became a huge proponent of the daiquiri, even having his own variation, El Papa Doble, named after him. Hemingways drink was frozen.

The daiquiri first appeared in the U.S. in 1909 when it was served at Washington D.C.s Army & Navy Club. In his 1948 cocktail book, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David A. Embury includes the daiquiri as one of the six basic drinks. Its basic ingredients include rum, citrus juice, and a sweetener. In post-World War II America, the blender became a hot appliance for frozen drinks. The strawberry daiquiri is featured in Mabel Stegners 1952 book, Electric Blender Recipes. The late 1960s saw the advent of the commercial slushy machine, and from that point the trend of slushy drinks continued, giving us the artificial daiquiris we know and dont love today.

With the ongoing revival of handcrafted cocktails, mixologist Thomas Houston of Superior Seafood in New Orleans is working to bring the daiquiri to its former, turn of the century glory. When he arrived to Superior Seafood, they were already serving frozen drinks, and he ambitiously decided to try his hand at a frozen Moscow Mule. Making a cocktail drink in such a large batch requires a scientific thought process. Houston explains that, The frozen drink process is a lot more trial and error than regular cocktails. When I was making the Mule, I spent a month just refining the flavor. Sugar and juice react differently, taste wise, when they get close to frozen. I would make a batch, approve of the pre-frozen flavor, get it in the machine, taste it, and hate it frozen. Then I would pull it from the machine and wait for it to unfreeze before I adjusted the ratios.

Houston adds that one of the bigger challenges is refining the consistency. Unlike cocktails, the texture is an important part. When making a non-frozen drink, the mouth feel is never taken into account, for the most part. With a daiquiri, the way it feels in your mouth is as important as how it tastes. Nobody wants a melted daiquiri nor do they want a super thick milkshake texture.

Houston works to keep the flavors fresh by keeping the choices seasonal. Currently on tap are the French 75, Pomegranate Mojito, and Mimosa. To experiment at home, hes shared his recipe for a Frozen French 75 for a gallon home slush machine.

The French 75 Daiquiri

Ingredients

1 bottle Gin

1 bottle Champagne

2 1/3 quarts of Ice

16 oz. sugar

16 oz. lemon juice

Directions: Pour in a gallon slush machine, wait for it to blend. Enjoy!

And take a look at the gallery to see the evolution of the daiquiri, from the original handwritten recipe from Jennings Cox to Houstons interpretations of the cocktail at Superior Seafood.

Madina Papadopoulos is a New York-based freelance writer, author and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

1 of 10 Jennings Cox's handwritten recipe.

2 of 10 Hemingway enjoying his drink.

3 of 10 "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" by David A. Embury.

4 of 10 "Electric Blender Recipes" by Mabel Stegner

5 of 10 Fat Tuesday Daiquiris.

6 of 10 Big Bucket full of Strawberry Daiquiri.

7 of 10 The Winter Trifecto.

8 of 10 Pomegranate Mojito

9 of 10 Mimosa

10 of 10 French 75
Lets be honest: Ensemble romantic comedies are usually terrible. They feature a distracting number of Hollywood A, B and C-listers and are too disjointed to follow an engaging narrative. Occasionally one emerges ahead of the pack ( Hes Just Not That Into You, which is underrated and charming, dammit), but most are the equivalent of cinematic cotton candy: fun in theory, but ultimately disappointing (Who actually likes cotton candy?). From mildly terrible (Love Actually) to offensively terrible (New Years Eve), theres an audience for these films. Mercifully, How to Be Single isnt terrible whatsoever. What the film lacks in general cohesion it makes up for with a zippy energy, talented cast and smart script.

Alice (Dakota Johnson), recently out of a long-term relationship, takes a job at a law firm where she meets Robin (Rebel Wilson). Robin is chronically single and happy about it, so she takes Alice under her wing, showing her just how exhilarating single life in New York City can be. Also along for the ride are Alices overworked, baby-obsessed doctor sister Meg (Leslie Mann) and Lucy (Alison Brie), a woman who seems to have dating down to a science while remaining single. Thats really all you need to know. All four women experience a myriad of terrible dates, embarrassment, and newfound confidence over the films 110-minute running time.

How to Be Single starts with a montage; Alice narrates as the camera pans to singles partying and going about their days. The camerawork is frenetic but also gorgeous, casting New York City as a joyous adult playground filled with never-ending possibilities. The film maintains this energy throughoutwhen the end credits roll, it barely even feels like it began.

The cast is all game with the material theyve been given, to varying degrees of success. Rebel Wilson is funny, though her character disappoints; overly confident, selfish, wild, and able to rein it in when need be, shes essentially Fat Amy from the Pitch Perfect films, and Wilson is certainly capable of more. Dakota Johnson is a highlight, the voice of reason and also the character who learns the most about herself. As in other films, she tends to register as frigid, but here it works. Fumbling over her newfound single lifestyle, Alice is frustrating yet relatable. Leslie Mann gives quite possibly the films best performance as a woman who decides to have a baby without the aid of a man by her side. Shes sympathetic without seeming pathetic, and her scenes range from blisteringly funny to underscored and sweet.

The big question mark is Alison Brie, who is charming and lovely in a role that doesnt make much sense. How to Be Single never addresses how her character knows the other three womenLucy doesnt utter a single line of dialogue toward any of them. She interacts with the owner of the bar she lives above (Anders Holm), who has a fling with Alice, but thats about as close as she gets to fitting into the plot. She is seen at Alices birthday party as well, but her relationship to anyone remains a mystery. Brie has some genuinely hilarious scenes and she holds her own quite well, but its odd that she seems to have no purpose with anyone else.

Based on the book by Liz Tuccillo, the films screenplay, by Dana Fox, Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, respects these women and takes them in directions that typical rom-coms do not. The result is ultimately satisfying, and will put a smile on your face. How to Be Single isnt groundbreaking, but its fun and different enough to stand as an impressive entry in the genre canon. You could do much worse for something to watch around Valentines Day.

Director: Christian Ditter

Writers: Dana Fox, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, based on Liz Tuccillos book

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Leslie Mann, Anders Holm, Jake Lacy, Nicholas Braun, Damon Wayans, Jr., Colin Jost

Release Date: February 12, 2016

Andy Herren is an adjunct professor and occasional reality show winner. When hes not lying to people on national television, he contributes to Paste. You can follow him on Twitter. Olive Penderghast is his soulmate.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Political analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya has said if President Robert Mugabe can be able to diffuse potential party split at 92 then he is a capable leader than those in the opposition who have failed to control their party members creating fragmentation in their parties.Ahead of the Thursday Zanu PF Politburo meeting there were serious squabbles among the party members which might have cause a split in the party if the crisis was not properly handled, but to many people's surprised it appears Mugabe managed to quill the fights and brought members together for the continuation of the party much to the disappointment of many who wanted to see the ruling party immediately crumbling due to the escalating fights."He may be 92 but if he manages to diffuse potential party splits and unite his party and focus on the bigger picture (2018 election) then age is just a number to President Mugabe. Mugabe is creating a coalition within his party. Where is your coalition you my good for nothing warring opposition friends?" Ruhanya said.Ruhanya said Zimbabwe's opposition is not fit for purpose if they are bitten by a 92-year old President at the levels of political method and strategy."Give it to President Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. When most people think that there will be splits, summary expulsions and anarchy, the Prince of Power has shown that differences within the rank and file of Zanu PF should not always lead to expulsions especially when faced with critical assignments such as the 2018 election. The opposition says its democratic but differences always lead to splits, a very intolerant lot full of contradictions," he said.
Lissie, in many ways, is emblematic of the millennial/post-millennial generations golden promise: follow your dream, work social media, find believers, win! Moving to California, her progressive folk found advocacy in Lenny Kravitz, who took her on tour; Paste, who named her the Best of Whats Next in 2010; major-label support from Columbia UK and the trajectory a wunderkind voice of a generation long on cred should expect.

For all the acclaim, the young Midwesterner with the intriguing, earthy altoone that contains hurricanes of emotion without feeling wrought, then glimmers like a flicker of light on waterfinds her most potent work measuring what many would consider defeat. After banging against a plateau, Lissie came to grips with the liars poker nature of the dreams Hollywood feeds you.

The result: My Wild West. Pondering the loss of innocence, rise of awareness and acceptance over 12 songs and 45 minutes, Lissie demonstrates resilience in the wake of California/stardoms illusionary appeal.

A rich duskiness tempers her Mama meet at the station/Im comin home for a while in the opening Hollywood, suggesting exhaustion more than defeat. While she confesses, Oh, Hollywood, you broke my will/ Like they said you would, it is not a capitulation, but recognition.

Primal drums pump and her voice ratchets uprecalling Tori Amos or Florence Welch in both ballast and controlas Wild West follows, assessing the reality and costs of her life chasing an ephemera. It travels across the spaghetti Western slink of failed grasping that stains Hero and the washed-out quiet piano-driven Sun Keeps Rising, suggesting shes haunted by losing those loved in a world that just goes on.

Careening from obvious loss also tempers Together and Apart. But Apart suggests the quickening of her resolve; in it, Lissies strength and sunshine emerge. Dont You Give Up On Me, with acoustic guitar notes showering down and a brisk tempo, buoyantly declares her emancipation.

Not that she doesnt waver. Later, Stay faces faithless peers, parsing the reasons people disappear, and Shroud, a minor-keyed back-and-forth with Alanis Morissette-style evocation, finds her burying the betraying dream.

For a generation coming of age with fewer opportunities, uncertain political realities, rising prices and stagnant wages, West is for the times and of the moment. What makes it truly matter is its reliance on faith and self-awareness. Emerging into the light, Go For A Walk employs Lissies minimalist folk-pop to find her own joy and reason to be, embracing her true place as an artist, then Ojai says goodbye to what was and welcome home to where she belongs.

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Check out Lissie performing They All Want You on a Brooklyn rooftop in the player below.
In 2012, one question author Travis Mulhauser tried to dodge was that inevitable writer-at-a-dinner party query: Hows the writing going? Seven years had passed since the release of Greetings from Cutler County, his debut short-story collection, and he was juggling teaching work at a North Carolina community college with novel rejections and an ever-growing database of unused material.

I learned to say that the writing was going good, but I hadnt published anything recently, Mulhauser says, sipping coffee before a recent book reading in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

But as standard as that answer might sound coming from a writer, big things were brewing in Mulhausers fictional Cutler County, a Michigan locale based on his far-north hometown of Petoskey. Cutler County started to grow full of quirky, country-hardened locals that bring to mind more southern tales, like Daniel Woodrells Winters Bone or, at their most extreme, Donald Ray Pollocks warts-and-all portrayal of Northeastern Ohio in Knockemstiff. And though you might expect a massive tome to emerge from this effort, Mulhauser produced something else entirely. A lean gutpunch of a novel surfaced from Cutler County this month, and its name is Sweetgirla lyrical tale that practically demands to be read in a single sitting.

Sweetgirl tells the story of Percy James, a 16-year-old drop-out who stumbles upon a neglected infant during one of Northern Michigans infamous blizzards. In her quest for helpand at some points, survivalPercy untangles complicated questions on family, loyalty and growing up in a cultural vacuum.

We recently caught up with Mulhauser in the midst of his book tour to discuss writing about Michigan, crafting flawed characters and what hes working on next.

Paste: Both Sweetgirl and your 2005 collection of short stories take place in your fictional Cutler County. Are you looking to build a bigger, self-contained world with this location?

Mulhauser: Yeah. My first book with University of Michigan press was short stories, and what Im working on now is back in Cutler County. I like that idea of having a place. I know it well enough that it seems that I know where to go back to. I feel comfortable writing about it in a way that I might not feel writing about the South, where I live now. I feel like I havent earned that credibility for some reason. But growing up in a place, I feel like it grants me a certain amount of authority. Also, I just like it. It hasnt gotten old to me.

Paste: Is that a regional impulse, to earn your keep in an area? You see writers discussing, say, Detroit who dont live in the city, and Detroiters are quick to point out if something doesnt feel authentic. Do you feel that even after living in the south for 16 years?

Mulhauser: I kind of do. My wife is a death penalty lawyer. People are always like, why dont you write in that world? Part of it is that I dont want to. Its a super dark, depressing world where very little good happens, even if it would be very marketable. Also, I live in Durham now. Its not really the South. Its like New Jersey, but in the state of North Carolina. But Ive written some non-fiction stuff about my time in the South that I feel comfortable with.

I feel like when you write about the South, its really easy to come off wrong. Their literary culture is so fantastic. I dont know that they need me to chime in. [Laughs] I was a little bit conscious of that with [Sweetgirls narrator] Percy, because she had a bit of a southern vibe to her. It made sense to me that her mom would be from South Carolina as a way to incorporate that and still make it work. With everyone whos read it from the state of Michigan, I havent had anyone say that it didnt feel [true to] the state. I feel good about that part of it.

Paste: People can be defensive about Michigan, especially given the current events. But it seems thatdespite a cast that includes drug addicts, alcoholics, bad parentsreaders are still responsive if it feels right.

Mulhauser: Im sure that with some readers, it would piss them off. Actually, I taught at a community college in Johnston County in North Carolina. It just had to do with the language, and they shut that reading down. It didnt surprise me that much, but I havent had any reaction like that from the folks in Michigan. But some people look at things really black and white.

I read some of the comments on GoodReads, which I probably shouldnt look at. Its totally positive, but people will be like, Despite the despicable lifestyle You forget that there are people who assume that if youre a drug addict, youre a bad person. That always surprises me. Or if someone says something like, Why can someone who is uneducated say something like that? Im irritated by that particular critique. Sometimes you say really smart shit when youre drunk and on drugs. Do people not know that? Some of those folks are still out there.

Paste: Weve seen your fictional take on the state of Michigan, but what was your own experience like?

Mulhauser: I grew up in Petoskey, which is 40 minutes south of the [Mackinac Island] bridge. It was a unique experience: growing up pre-Internet in a period that might be hard to duplicate in terms of cultural isolation. Like, I never heard of hummus until my mid-20s. I never heard of a chick pea until I moved to Greensboro, and I was like, What the fuck is a chick pea? Thai food, Id never had Thai food. Sushi? Never had sushi. My parents are educated, its not like we were out in a field or something, but there was nothing. There was a movie theater with one movie, and if we had to go school shopping, we would go to the mall in Traverse City. That was a treat, because we got our clothes there instead of the J.C. Penney downtown.

In winter, theres just nothing. Its so cold. I almost think now theyve got it easier with global warming. Its probably brighter, they dont know what true darkness and cold was. You couldnt do anything ever, you could just go outside and sled or whatever. So I was always bored and entertaining myself with my own brain. I think thats why, becoming a writer, I was very comfortable in solitude and making things up. Thats what everything was back then. Its not like we were playing with wooden dolls or anything, but my mom would try to take us and get us culture when she could.

Paste: When did you start writing for real?

Mulhauser: When I was 19 or 20, I decided I wanted to write fiction. I think I took it about as serious as a 20-year-old could take anything. I wish I took it less serious. Im an all-or-nothing, and I spent a lot of time working on my stuff. I think, in some ways, I should have been doing other things. I dont mean like having other experiences, I just mean like putting pressure on myself to be this writer guy. As soon as I decided that I was going to do it, I really tried to do it, and I made it a little more difficult than I needed it to be. I would not say that I was a writer in public. It was more of an internal thing, where I was holding myself up to some standard. But with the guys I hung out with in high school, if I said it then, they wouldve said, What is that?

Paste: The idea of leaving Michigan is a major theme throughout this book, and I think life-long residents can definitely relate to a certain anxiety in leaving the state. Was that a theme you wanted to instill in this book as your debut?

Mulhauser: Yeah, leaving your home and also the idea that your parents areI felt like Percy had to completely disconnect from her mother, and thats a really hard decision to make. A lot of people dont make it, because its really terrifying and they feel so guilty about it. A lot of people suffer for that. A lot of people are in certain situations where you have to cut bait, when you tell people that you love more than anyone else in the world that you cant live in their world anymore. A lot of kids would be better off if they made that decision. That decision to bail and just run away from home, there are situations where that has to happen. That was definitely what I saw her arc being.

Paste: Did that come before the story?

Mulhauser: No, the story started from the perspective of the parent of the [neglected] baby. In the original version, he was an alcoholic. It was from his perspective, and I finished that novel and got feedback on it, which was, Its good, but we hate your main character because hes such a dick. I looked at Percy, and the image of her finding that baby really stuck with me. I knew she was in trouble, was a troubled kid, but I didnt realize it would be about her escaping the clutches of her mother.

Paste: That story went from featuring a very unlikable character to a very flawed, likable character. What attracts you to characters who are just on the cusp of keeping their lives together?

Mulhauser: I think theyre interesting, and I grew up with a lot of them. One of my lines was that Im not a badass, but I hung out with a lot of badasses. And I learned that theyre a lot more than the bad decisions they make. Theres something interesting about that. Portis, in particular, was a guy who made a lot of mistakes, but theres still this good in himhell do the right thing when it matters. There are so many guys like that, and that interested me.

I found myself hanging around these characters in my real life, who in some ways were larger than life. To tie it into my wife and her death penalty work, you learn that there are not many people who are just monsters. All of her clients, there are so many things that theyve done that are admirable in some ways. Her thing is like, these guys are never the sum result of the worst thing that theyve done. Theyre more than the worst thing that theyve done.

Paste: Youve talked before about how your students personal essays had a big impact on how you shaped Percy. What would this book have been like without reading those experiences year after year?

Mulhauser: I think it helped me with the voice, and it helped me with the world view. I remember reading papers from kids who had horrible things happen to them. Just reading thistheyre trying to fulfill a three-to-five page assignment for Englishand they write about this horrible thing that happened and try to make sense of it by page five. Theyd try to order their experience, try to move on, and it was mind-blowing. Eighty percent of it was mind-numbing trash, but some of it was really mind-blowing stuff. To give myself some credit, I think I made myself an open audience, but theyd let it all hang out. If anything, it taught me how a kid in a situation would try to process this situation.

Paste: How much material is between your 2005 short story collection and Sweetgirl?

Mulhauser: A lot. I sent out two different novels, then the version that would have been this one. I have a database where I looked at the entry for just this novel, and there were 750 entries of copy-pasted text. Part of that is because Im a non-linear writer, and if it doesnt fit I set it to the side, maybe itll come back. The character in Sweetgirl, the Roy Orbison impersonator who picks up Shelton when hes hitchhiking, I tried to write a whole story about him. I really love that guy. In the story, hes trying out for this traveling music thing, and he gets really pissed because theyre not giving credit to artists like him. He gets really pissed because this Kansas tribute gets kind of booed off the stage, and he drives toward the snowstorm. Thats when his story stops. And then Im writing Sweetgirl, and then theres this scene. Its almost like he came out of the storm, and its like I copied and pasted him in there. And I wrote that like five years ago. Im not sure how smart that is to talk about, its kind of like thats how the sausage is made, but some of it is really non-linear with me. Some of that is just being open to changing things all of the time.

Paste: Readers have been reacting favorably to the humor in this book. Youre a funny guy in person, but is that a craft you had to hone? Was there intent behind the humor?

Mulhauser: My standard reply to that is that Im only funny when Im not trying to be. Ive given talks and Q&As where Im baring my soul, and people are fuckin laughing. I guess its funny, but thats the way I see it. With the book, I just wrote it. It just happened that way, and thats what Ive found that people react to. If I ever try to be funny, its a disaster. I just feel comfortable enough with myself to write things and see what happens, though I do appreciate the humor in things I watch and read. That goes a far way with me as a consumer. I dont want to sit through a three-hour, depressing slog. Im never going to watch Schindlers List again. [Laughs] Ill get upset with my wife when she ropes me into watching these depressing movies that I dont know that Im getting intoso, laughters huge and a good coping mechanism in life. You can laugh about it or feel shitty about it.

Paste: Can you talk about what youre working on now?

Mulhauser: Its set in Cutler County, and its going to be fast and tense and hopefully funny. Ive kicked around a lot of ideas in a lot of directions. I hope to have a readable draft fairly soon.
It looks like a new patent war front has just opened up against Apple. Earlier today Immersion Corporation, a developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, published a press release announcing that they've both filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") against Apple Inc., AT&T Inc., and AT&T Mobility LLC and a patent infringement complaint against Apple, AT&T and AT&T Mobility in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

The complaints allege that the Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6s, Apple iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition infringe certain Immersion patents covering haptic feedback systems and methods in electronic devices.

Immersion's CEO Victor Viegas noted in the press release that "Immersion and its employees have worked diligently for over 20 years to invent solutions and build an ecosystem of content and playback devices that enable realistic and rich digital experiences. Touch matters, as it informs, excites and humanizes the digital world we interact with every day. Many of our licensed customers are market leaders that benefit from our innovation in touch technology."

Viegas added that "While we are pleased to see others in the industry recognize the value of haptics and adopt it in their products, it is important for us to protect our business against infringement of our intellectual property in order to preserve the ecosystem we have built and the investments that we have made in continuing to advance haptic experiences. We will vigorously defend the intellectual property we have developed when it is infringed."

In the ITC complaint, Immersion is seeking an exclusion order preventing the importation, sale for importation, and sale after importation of infringing Apple devices into the United States by the defendants and appropriate cease and desist orders. In the U.S. District Court suit, Immersion is alleging infringement of the same patents and is seeking to stop further infringement by the defendants, and to recover damages.

The complaints assert infringement by the Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6s, Apple iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.





According to Immersion, there are two distinct patents that Apple and others have infringed, specifically U.S. Patent No. 8,619,051: "Haptic Feedback System with Stored Effects," and U.S. Patent No. 8,773,356: "Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations"

The complaints also assert infringement by the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus of the following Immersion patent: U.S. Patent No. 8,659,571: "Interactivity Model for Shared Feedback on Mobile Devices"

It's safe to say that Apple will take up this infringement battle with everything they have. Apple was first to introduce touch displays with their advanced touch centric iOS in the revolutionary iPhone and more recently reinvented touch by introducing 3D Touch that has no equal. So stay tuned because something tells me that Apple is going to respond very sharply, very soon.

Should important details arise in the actual patent infringement documents filed with the court, Patently Apple will promptly post a follow-up report in the days ahead.

Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of certain legal cases/ lawsuits which are part of the public record for journalistic news purposes. Readers are cautioned that Patently Apple does not offer a legal opinion on the merit of the case. A lawyer should be consulted for any further details or analysis. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments. See our Legal Archives for other patent infringement cases.
On Monday we posted a report titled "A Seattle Law Firm is looking to file a Class Action Lawsuit against Apple over the 'Error 53" Controversy," and late yesterday the law firm of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala (PCVA) filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple in federal court. Today's report covers the law firm's press release and part of their court filing introductory commentary. To further serve the Apple community, we've also enclosed a full Scribd document covering the full class action filing that will fill you in with all of the details that may be interest to you.

PCVA's Official Press Release In-Part

Apple has been under fire for its policy of permanently disabling (a practice referred to as "bricking") iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units that have had their fingerprint sensors damaged or had hardware replaced by third-party repair stores. The phones are bricked after users install a phone update. Once bricked the phone is essentially useless. 'Error 53' refers to the message displayed to users who are no longer able to use their phones after installing the update.

"The first objective is to get all the affected iPhone customers re-outfitted with working phones, and without the overwhelming costs that thousands of people are facing right now with error 53 codes and bricked phones," said Darrell Cochran, lead attorney for the class action lawsuit. "That will provide immediate relief to the consumers and, in the end, it will also help Apple," Cochran said.

Apple representatives have claimed the policy of disabling phones was a security measure to protect users from having their personal data compromised. But PCVA attorney Cochran doesn't buy into Apple's security safeguard explanations.

"If security was the primary concern, then why did the phones work just fine, sometimes for several months, without the software update," Cochran asked. "Error 53 only rears its ugly head when downloading a newer version of Apple's operating system."

Cochran said Apple's failure to give a warning about the consequences of its update on phones, including the loss of all information in the phone, has consumers crying foul.

"No materials we've seen from Apple ever show a disclosure that your phone would self-destruct if you download new software onto a phone," Cochran said. "If Apple wants to kill your phone under any set of circumstances and for any reason, it has to make it crystal clear to its customers before the damage is done."

Compounding the problem, according to Cochran, is how disagreeable Apple's reaction to the problem has been. "The error code 53 signals the death of the phone, and Apple's response has been to say 'you have no options; it's not covered under warranty, and you have to buy a new phone.'"

The Lawsuit's Introduction In-Part

In PCVA's lawsuit filed with the court, they note in their introductory commentary that "Almost a decade ago, the Apple Corporation pioneered the cellular phone industry with the advent of the iPhone, a device that hundreds of millions of consumers across the globe have purchased. The iPhone has become a technological and cultural phenomenon, creating an enormous influence that has impacted all age groups and all socio-economic levels. The Apple Corporation has been both ingenious in its creation of these influential products and complete in its control of all aspects of their marketing, distribution, and repair. Apple's enormous success with the iPhone has resulted in what is frequently described as a "cult-like following," and the establishment of a powerful control over the technology marketplace now reflected in its corporate market capitalization of over $700 billion.

As is invariably true of power and control, too much of a good thing becomes problematic and, even, abusive. Apple's Error 53 code, for which this lawsuit seeks redress, represents Apple's control over the product gone too far. Error 53 is the result of an imbedded function within iOS, Apple's operating system, that affects iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus smartphones (collectively, "Affected Models"; generically, "device" or "devices" or "iPhones"). The code has rendered thousands of the Affected Models completely disabled or "bricked" after its users updated iOS or restored the device from a backup. After spending hundreds of dollars purchasing Affected Models, the Plaintiffs here had their phone rendered useless.

Consumers began receiving an Error 53 code in early 2015 and likely earlier. Many consumers raised the issue with Apple representatives immediately because an inoperable phone represented hardships both personally and professionally. Apple representatives told consumers that disabled phones could not be fixed under warranty and were a problem the consumer created by using an unauthorized repair service to fix a hardware issue with the phone.

Some consumers had used a repair service other than an Apple service to fix problems such as broken screens and "Home" buttons, but they pointed out to Apple representatives that nothing in marketing materials or purchase documents ever disclosed that their iPhone products would be destroyed by an imbedded software code if they had repaired iPhones using an independent service and then updated to certain iOS versions.

Other consumers advised Apple representatives that no repairs had been done but the error code had disabled their iPhone anyway. Apple has regularly advised consumers who have experienced the Error 53 code that their situation will not be fixed under warranty and, frequently, that the only solution is to purchase a new phone.

Despite months of opportunity to provide a replacement iPhone and/or restore existing iPhones, Apple has offered no remedy to or relief for its customers. This lawsuit seeks to provide both remedy and relief for consumers of the Affected Models who have experienced the Error 53 code.

As of November 2015, it was estimated that more than 62 million units of the Affected Models were in use in the United States, meaning that Apple's misleading and unfair practices as alleged in this Complaint have had and will continue to have a widespread impact on consumers throughout the nation."

Note that all emphasis in yellow noted in the introduction above was generated by Patently Apple and not PCVA.

Due to the level of details found in PCVA's formal court document, Patently Apple presents you with a Scribd version of the document below for your convenience. The court filing covers: Factual Allegations, Class Allegations, Causes of Action, Prayer for relief and more.

Patently Apple: The PCVA "Error 53" Class Action Lawsuit





The Class Action against Apple was filed in the California Northern District Court, San Francisco Office. At this time no Judge has been assigned to case 3:2016cv00705.

Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of certain legal cases/ lawsuits which are part of the public record for journalistic news purposes. Readers are cautioned that Patently Apple does not offer an opinion on the merit of the case and strictly presents the allegations made in said legal cases / lawsuits. A lawyer should be consulted for any further details or analysis. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments. See our Legal Archives for other patent infringement cases.
At the top of the month we posted a report titled "Europe's Antitrust Chief Determined to Pursue Apple in Tax Case." Last October the EU found Starbucks wasn't paying their fair share of taxes and laid out a penalty/remedy. At that time Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, stated: "Tax rulings that artificially reduce a company's tax burden are not in line with EU state aid rules. They are illegal. I hope that, with today's decisions, this message will be heard by Member State governments and companies alike. All companies, big or small, multinational or not, should pay their fair share of tax." It's no secret that that Apple's CEO has been very vocal against the EU Commission over taxes, calling the process "Political Crap" and today we learn that the U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew called on the European Union to reconsider tax probes targeting U.S. companies on Thursday, arguing that such moves represented disturbing precedents.

Secretary Lew made the plea in a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Lew wrote: "While we recognize that state aid is a longstanding concept, pursuing civil investigations - predominantly against U.S. companies - under this new interpretation creates disturbing international tax policy precedents. We respectfully urge you to reconsider this approach."

European Commission spokesman Cardoso flat out denied any bias against U.S. companies, saying EU laws apply to all companies doing business in Europe. "In its state aid decisions on tax rulings to-date, the Commission has ordered member states to recover unpaid taxes mostly from European companies," he said.

Last month, Vestager ordered Belgium to recover about 700 million euros from 35 multinational companies including Anheuser-Busch and BASF because of their participation in an illegal tax scheme. Now that the tax probes are well under way, the EU is unlikely to budge on this issue unless the U.S. retaliates.



On the other hand, there are some in Europe that are already uncomfortable with the EU Commission's hard line taken against foreign companies. Today Reuters published a second report on the issue that covered what some of the European Union Finance Ministers were stating: The "New rules to tackle multinationals' tax avoidance should not go beyond the scope of international guidelines, raising concerns about some of the proposals made by the European Commission in January.

Although criticized by some lawmakers and activists for not being ambitious enough, the proposals in some areas went beyond guidelines, known as BEPS, agreed at international level by the G20 group of the world's largest economies and by members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. For more on this, read the full Reuters report here.



About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.
Thanks to Jeff Chadwick for bringing this item to my notice:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/rivlin-welcomes-israels-new-sharia-judges-in-jerusalem-ceremony/

Its interesting from several angles. Ill mention two:

* Many in the United States are worried, or claim to be worried, about the possible imposition of sharia upon non-Muslims in America. In striking contrast, Israel, which has a proportionally much larger Muslim population than the United States and which experiences considerable friction with Muslim communities both foreign and domestic, doesnt seem to be worried.

* Both the Israeli justice minister and the Joint (Arab) List favored the appointment of female qadis or judges to the sharia court. That move was blocked not by Muslims, but by Jews.
My latest article for CRUX asks what Pope Francis is doing by planning to go to Sweden in the Fall to commemorate the Reformation

Pope Francis has built bridges with Protestants in remarkable ways. His personal friendship with the late Anglican-style bishop Tony Palmer, and his video greeting to American pentecostal preachers followed by a personal meeting, raised eyebrows among many Catholics and raised a cry of dismay among the most vocal of conservative Catholics.

Pope Francis outreach to Protestants will go to new lengths when he travels to Lund in Sweden in October to attend a service marking the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation.

Is this something to celebrate?

Francis critics would say the Reformation is something to be lamented, not celebrated. They observe that the Protestant Reformation not only shredded Catholic Christianity; it also plunged the body of Christian believers into endless schism, resulting in thousands of Protestant sects. The Reformation led to decades of war, revolution, and endless division and strife in Europe. Was it worth it? Instead of celebrating, shouldnt the pope be inviting Protestants to repent of their rebellion and come home to Rome?
Patna: Patna University that has been infiltrated by criminals posing as students witnessed explosion of bombs outside Darbhanga House within the campus following an incident of eve-teasing on Thursday. A 16-year old girl who was just passing by was hurt in the incident.

According to the police report, students of Iqbal Hostel, after a clash with other students who dared to protest their boorish behavior with a fellow student went back to their hostel rooms and returned with several bombs that they exploded on the lane between Darbhanga House and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

A girl who happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time was hurt by flying shrapnel and was rushed to the PMCH where she was being treated for her injuries. Her condition was not said to be life threatening.

Hearing the news of the bomb explosion, a team of policemen led by City Superintendent of Police (SP) Chandan Kushwaha arrived at the spot and rounded up nearly 50 students from their rooms.

Security has been beefed up in the campus to prevent any follow up violence.
Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Bihar demanded an unconditional apology from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for calling Ishrat Jehan, the girl who was killed in a police encounter in Gujarat in 2004, a 'daughter of Bihar', after David Coleman Headley, an American terrorist of Pakistani origin who is now serving 35 years in a US prison, told the law enforcement officials that Jehan indeed was an LeT operative.

"Are Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav going to apologize for their support to a terrorist? Both of them called a terrorist 'Bihar ki Beti' (daughter of Bihar) thus bringing shame to the entire state. We want a public apology from both Nitish and Lalu for coming out in defense of a terrorist," former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said on Thursday.

Headley who, in collusion with Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, masterminded the 2008 bomb blasts in Mumbai that lasted four long days and took lives of nearly 200 people along with several hundred injured, recently told the Indian authorities in a video deposition that Ishrat Jehan was in fact an LeT operative and was to act as a suicide bomber in a major blasts to take place in Gujarat.

"Both Nitish and Lalu, by supporting a terrorist like Ishrat Jehan, put India's security in jeopardy and the two must be held accountable for that. They knew she was a terrorist but they did not want to risk their Muslim vote bank so they decided that it was more important for them to declare Ishrat the 'daughter of Bihar' than the security of the entire nation," senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh said.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, another BJP leader and a minister in the former NDA government in Bihar, demanded resignation of Nitish Kumar for supporting a terrorist.

Born in Munger and spent some early years in Patna, Ishrat Jehan grew up in Mumbai where she was radicalized by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav have yet to respond to the allegations of supporting a terrorist.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
News / National

by Samuel Kadungure

ORGANISED black market maize dealers in Manicaland have penetrated the foreign market where they are importing truckloads of grain for sale in drought stressed parts of the province at a cost of $7 per bucket.Most of the grain is imported from Zambia for $220 per tonne.Manica Post reported that Transport costs $2000 from Zambia to Harare. In South Africa maize prices are $309 per metric tonne.The stampede to import grain follows a serious food shortage and reports that the country has only a few months' supply of maize in strategic grain silos.The country is holding 150 000 tonnes in reserves against a national requirement of 1,8 million metric tonnes.The cartels are making brisk business targeting communal farmers whose 2015/16 crop has suffered the severe effects of drought as lack of rain and scorching heat left it having stunt growth, caused pastures to dry up and forced some to leave fields untilled.The severe weather vagaries destroyed livelihoods of farmers in Lowveld, Buhera and Mutare districts and parts of Nyanga South, Makoni South where most could not till their land because it was not worthwhile.The lean period has also negatively affected the water levels of most farm dams and major rivers in Manicaland putting even the irrigated crop at risk.Farmers with irrigated crop are failing to complete scheduled irrigation cycles due to fast dwindling water levels.This has put the province in danger of failing to produce enough to meet food requirements of its growing population and livestock.Government on Tuesday issued a national and international appeal for over $1, 5 billion to cope with the current El Nino drought induced drought threatening about three million Zimbabweans.President Mugabe last week declared a state of emergency, igniting the concerted appeal by Government and the international community. Funds were being mobilised to cater for food and nutrition, agriculture, water, education and energy sector.About $717 292 000 is required for grain imports, $350 million for irrigation and infrastructure and $199 659 077 for school feeding programmes.The grain dealers have huge stacks of grain in Mutare, Rusape and Chipinge, where the vulnerable can access the staple grain with ease."This drought presents an opportunity and in a way we are assisting in a small way to fight hunger. We are importing the grain from Zambia at a cost of $250 per tonne. We arrived on Monday with three 30 tonne trucks," said Maticha Chamwada.Another dealer, Richard Mandizha, said: "There is a stampede for grain in Zambia, and this has resulted in an upsurge in the prices and strict control measures of grain movement in that country. The product is affordable and we are providing variety for affected families".Agritex head for Manicaland, Godfrey Mamhare, on Wednesday, said Manicaland was extremely dry, having last received moderate rains, which gave farmers hope to plant two weeks ago.Even in Makoni, Odzi, Mutare, Mutasa, Nyanga and Chipinge which are the hubs of the staple maize production in Manicaland, the situation is dire.In Buhera and the Lowveld areas, which are perennially dry as they lie in the rain shadow, livestock was dying indiscriminately due to grazing pastures and water shortages.
Press Reports Reveal Abuse Against Afghan Students in Iranian Schools

02/12/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Afghan students are being subjected to physical punishment and discrimination in Iranian schools, according to media reports in Iran that the government has tried to suppress.

News about abused students in general, and Afghan students in particular, only pop up in the media by accident because the monitoring agencies and the Education Ministry try to suppress these incidents, Shirzad Abdollahi, an expert in Iranian educational affairs, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Iran is host to one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with 950,000 Afghans registered in 2015, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The mistreatment of Iranian children in schools, whether it is bodily punishment or verbal abuse and humiliation, is common in Iran, according to Abdollahi, but it is worse for Afghan children because they have fewer protections. The educational system tends to deal with these incidents without punishing abusive staff, and they try to hide it from the press, he told the Campaign.

Many undocumented Afghan children also face bureaucratic obstacles that prevent them from attending school, a violation of international law that guarantees the right to education.

An Afghan student from the city of Pakdasht was beaten and expelled from school for not paying tuition, according to the most recent report appearing January 16, 2016 in the Vaghaye Ettefaghieh newspaper.

The parents were only able to afford one million rials (about $33) of the 2.3 million rials ($76) demanded by the school. The student was told not to come back to school until tuition was paid in full.

On January 5, 2016 Shargh newspaper reported that the principal of a school in Damavand beat five young Afghan students with a hose and left marks on their faces and bodies, telling them, You Afghans have to leave. There are too many of you.

We went and complained to the districts school administration and they sent an investigator to the school, one of the parents told Sharg, But after all that, the schools headmaster told us it was better not to drag things out further.

He said our kids were being rowdy and they caused the principal to get angry, said the parent.

Last year a teacher from another school in Pakdasht punished four Afghan elementary students by forcing them to put their hands inside a toilet, according to a February 10, 2015 report from Tabnak news.

The mistreatment of Afghan students is not systematic within the educational system but rather its at the school level, depending on the personal beliefs of the headmasters, principals or teachers, Abdollahi told the Campaign.

Teachers and administrators are not sufficiently trained about childrens rights, he added.

In the short-term, there should be better monitoring of headmasters and teachers and any violations should be countered with greater firmness, he said.

Honorable teachers, who are more than a few, should stand up to colleagues who are abusive, said Abdollahi, adding that The media should also raise awareness about the rights of children and make society more sensitive towards the mistreatment of students.

Theres no official directive condoning physical violence against Afghan students. The problem is societys views, Abdollahi told the Campaign.

A few years ago a group of families in Tehrans Kan district rallied in front of their neighborhood school to stop Afghan students from enrolling there, he said.

In addition to physical abuse and discrimination, Afghan students are also financially more vulnerable because their parents, most of whom are refugees, often earn less than average Iranians.

Since last year, the tuition issue has been somewhat resolved and schools are no longer required to demand tuition from Afghan students, said Abdollahi. They may be asked to make voluntary contributions for certain school expenses, but its not clear whats voluntary and whats not.

Nevertheless, regulations state that Afghan students have the same rights as their Iranian classmates and no one has the right to mistreat them, he said.

In 2011, the Education Ministrys international affairs deputy announced that foreign students were banned from enrolling in special schools for the gifted, as well as in exemplary public schools and vocational schools, a violation of the internationally guaranteed right to higher education.

Educational policies should not be subject to seasonal changes in taste or governments. Education is a recognized childrens right regardless of nationality, ethnicity, residency status or financial means, Abdollahi told the Campaign.

This right must be completely respected without any impact from changing governments and policies, he said.
U.S., Russia, European Powers Agree To Syrian Truce In Week

02/12/16

Source: RFE/RL

Major powers agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria and to expand delivery of humanitarian aid to people caught up in the conflict, top diplomats said in Munich on February 12.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters after an hours-long meeting with envoys from Russia and more than a dozen other countries in the Syrian Support Group, said the target for implementing the nationwide end of fighting was a week's time.

He said all participants had agreed that formal negotiations to establish a more lasting peace on Syria should resume in Geneva as soon as possible.

Kerry called the agreed-on truce a "pause," not a "cease-fire," which he said would be "far more permanent -- an end of conflict."

"The objective is to achieve a durable long-term cease-fire at some point in time" but that can only come through "genuine negotiations," Kerry said, adding that the commitments made in Munich are only "on paper" and need to be borne out in practice.

The truce would not apply to Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda's Syrian affliate, and other extremist groups, he said.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the agreement could only be considered a "breakthrough" it if succeeds in stopping Russia from supporting Syrian government forces with air strikes as they advance against opposition strongholds in Aleppo.

"If implemented fully and properly...this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria," Hammond said. "But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behavior by the Syrian regime and its supporters."

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States and Russia would co-chair both a new working group on humanitarian aid in Syria as well as a group establishing the "modalities" of the temporary truce.

While humanitarian access is critical to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians, a cease-fire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition are to resume by the UN's target date of February 25.

Peace talks broke down on February 3 before they really started, due largely to gains by Assad's military in Aleppo province with the heavy backing of Russian air strikes, gains which have continued to the present day.

Thorny issues that stymied earlier negotations remain unresolved, including which groups besides Islamic State and Al-Nusra should be considered terrorist and excluded from the peace negotiations.

Russia and Syria contend that groups they are fighting in Aleppo, some of which are supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the West, are in the terrorist category.

Lavrov on February 12 said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against such terrorist groups, suggesting that Moscow could continue to justify bombings in Aleppo citing the "terrorist" exception to the truce.

Much is at stake in the latest attempt to end the nearly five-year civil war in Syria. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on February 11 raised the spectre of an interminable conflict or even a world war if the peace talks fail, given open discussion by the United States and Saudi Arabia of sending ground troops to join in the conflict.

Even without such escalation, the damage from the war has been monumental, with hundreds of thousands of people killed, the spawning of Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II, and the rise of the Islamic State, which declared an Islamic caliphate on territory it carved out in Syria and Iraq.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Capture Of U.S. Sailors Reenacted At Celebrations Of Iran's 1979 Revolution

02/12/16

By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL

The capture of 10 U.S. sailors by Iranian forces last month was reenacted at rallies in Iran celebrating the anniversary of the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Images published by Iranian news agencies and shared on social media show actors in fatigue pants walking in the streets, some with their hands tied and with chains around their necks.



The reenactment of the capture of U.S. sailors - Tehran, February 11

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)





In images from a rally on February 11 in the city of Qom, a man wearing red lipstick is apparently posing as the female U.S. sailor who was among those detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on January 12 after mistakenly straying into Iranian territorial waters.

A similar scene played out in the Iranian capital, Tehran.















The reenactment of the capture of U.S. sailors - Tehran, February 11.

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)





The sailors were released on January 13 following several phone calls between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Their capture was a moment of glory for Iranian hard-liners who consider Washington their enemy despite an accord reached last year by Tehran and global powers including the United States that places restrictions on Irans nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The hard-liners, who are worried that their power could be diminished as the result of the deal and the opening up of Iran, have repeatedly used images of the U.S. sailors on their knees with their hands behind their heads for propaganda purposes.

They have also released footage and images that appear to show one of the sailors apologizing and another crying.

They seem clearly aimed to embarrass the United States and project an image of power to an Iranian audience.

Despite the nuclear accord, which has significantly decreased tensions between Tehran and Washington, at some of the rallies in Iran the U.S. flag was set on fire while some of those participating in the carnival-like gatherings held signs with Death To America slogans.

Deal or no deal, annual U.S. flag burning ritual during Iran revolution celebration. pic.twitter.com/OuOLooGN2j  Thomas Erdbrink (@ThomasErdbrink) February 11, 2016



Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Iranian authorities warn shops not to sell Valentine's Day gifts

02/12/16

Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iranian security forces have warned retailers that selling Valentine-themed gifts and balloons is illegal, and the police will be on the lookout to confront such violations.





cartoon by Firoozeh Mozaffari, Iranian daily Shargh





The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that the police have issued warnings to retailers against "the promotion of Western culture through Valentine's Day rituals" through the sale of items with a Valentine theme.

The reports says the police emphasized that no gathering of boys and girls exchanging Valentine gifts will be tolerated.

Two years ago, Iranian Customs announced a ban on Valentine-themed items entering the country for retail purposes.

Despite government efforts to prevent Valentine's Day activities, young Iranians widely engage in the customs of Valentine's Day and mark it with heart shaped gifts and chocolates and cards.
US keeps bans against Iran's Mahan Air

02/12/16

Source: Press TV

The US Treasury Department is reportedly keeping sanctions against Iran's Mahan Air despite the last month removal of the economic bans against the country.





Mahan Air



Almost a month after Iran saw a series of nuclear-related economic sanctions lifted, new indications show certain segments of the Iranian economy still remain shut out in what could be a violation of the nuclear deal that the country reached with the P5+1 last summer.

The US Treasury Department is reportedly warning European countries and companies to shut out a leading sanctioned Iranian airline - Mahan Air - or risk US retaliation.

"Treasury is engaging closely with stakeholders around the world, including our partners in Europe, regarding our sanctions targeting Iran," a Treasury official told Al-Monitor. "Regarding Mahan Air specifically, we are doing this by working with our partners to prevent Mahan Air from acquiring aircraft and aircraft parts and software, preventing the opening of new routes and working to get existing routes canceled."

Certain economic sanctions against Iran were lifted in mid-January when a deal that the country had reached with the P5+1 - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - was implemented.

A central sector that saw the sanctions lifted was Iran's aviation industry and a lucrative contract that the country later signed with Airbus over the purchase of planes clearly testified to that.

Even before the JCPOA was implemented, US President Barack Obama ordered to lift a decades-long ban on the sales of planes to Iran.

The Treasury official - who has not been named by Al-Monitor - has emphasized that the JCPOA "does not preclude us from designating any entities that support Mahan Air or facilitate its activities."

Iranian officials are yet to react to this.

Mahan Air, which isn't sanctioned by the European Union, currently operates flights to Milan, Athens, the German cities of Dusseldorf and Munich, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and several other destinations in the Middle East and Asia. Mahan Air had announced that flights to Copenhagen, Denmark, were to start next month but the route opening was discreetly delayed last month.
BASF to invest $4bn in Iran petchem plan

02/12/16

Source: Press TV

Iran said on Friday that Germany's BASF, the world's largest chemical producer, plans to make an investment of as much as $4 billion in its petrochemical industry.







Marziyeh Shahdani, the managing director of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), has been quoted by the media as saying that negotiations are underway with BASF to construct a petrochemical township in southern Iran.

The German company will have a share of 60 percent in the project which will be constructed in Parsian Special Industrial Zone.

Hamid Reza Rostami, the NPC director for planning affairs, said in December last year that BASF's planned investment in Iran will also involved a guaranteed market as well as the transfer of technology.

"BASF has decided to make direct investment in Iran, bringing in capital, technology, management and a guaranteed market for products which we welcome," said Rostami.

Iran's officials had already announced that Germany's Linde and Japan's Mitsui are also negotiating with Iran over investments in the country's petrochemical industry.

BASF and Linde sent their executives with German Minister of Economy Sigmar Gabriel to Iran in July to discuss investment and transfer of technology.

Iran has already unveiled plans to become the leading producer of petrochemicals in the Middle East by significantly expanding the range and volume of its petrochemical production.

Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh has said the lifting of sanctions would enable Iran to fulfill its 20-year vision plan, including its target to produce $70 billion of petrochemicals a year at current prices.

The country seeks to more than double this capacity in the next decade, which requires between $7 billion to $10 billion of annual investment.
Googles virtual reality plans may include more than just headsets with smartphones inside.

Citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is working on a standalone VR headset that doesnt connect with a PC or rely on a smartphone. The idea would be to occupy a middle ground between devices like Samsungs Gear VR, which uses a smartphone for the display and processing power, and Facebooks Oculus Rift, which must be tethered to a high-end PC.

Google is reportedly partnering with machine vision company Movidius on the project, an interesting tidbit given that the two companies worked together on Googles Project Tango phones and tablets. These devices use outward-facing cameras to detect and digitize their surroundingssomething that has obvious applications for virtual and augmented reality.

Moreover, Movidius has long boasted about the energy efficiency of its motion-tracking chips, so it would make sense for Google to include the technology in a standalone, untethered VR device. Its worth noting that the two companies announced a deeper partnership last month, in which Google will source Movidius processors while contributing to Movidius neural network technology roadmap.

This effort is reportedly separate from the phone-based VR headset that Google also may be working on. Last week, the Financial Times reported that Google is working on a successor to existing Google Cardboard headsetswith solid plastic instead of flimsy cardboard containersalongside a VR-optimized version of Android. Google could reveal this project during its I/O developers conference in May.

The standalone headset, meanwhile, is still in its early planning stages according to the Journal. It could arrive as early as this year, or it could be cancelled before seeing the light of day.

Why this matters: Although the Journal casts this rumored device as a VR headset, the mention of outward-facing cameras and motion tracking sounds like it might try to straddle the line between virtual and augmented reality. To achieve both, its unlikely that users will have all the necessary technology built into their smartphones, which may explain why Google is considering a standalone headset instead. Ditching the phone or PC connection is the natural endpoint for VR and AR anyway, and Google may have a hidden advantage if Movidius chips can sense the world around them without burning through battery life.
On the heels of the James Burrito comes another Hemet entree sure to be a hit at San Jacinto Valley potlucks  the massive King Kong Burger served at Steves Burgers.

For those who missed it, I recently wrote about the James Burrito, a Hemet tradition at the Taqueria Rancho Grande.

While tasty, it is dwarfed by the also popular, $7.79 gargantuan King Kong Burger. I weighed one. At one pound, 10 ounces, it can be divided to feed four.

Besides the usual lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, pickles, thousand island dressing and mustard, the sandwich is fabricated with two big burger patties, a large pile of warm ham and a stack of hot, sliced pastrami.

Potluckers will laugh when the dish is lugged to a group feast. They still will be laughing when they eat all of it together. Trust me. Its funny to watch.

Attempting to eat a King Kong Burger has been a tradition in Hemet for more than 20 years, according to Steve Magoulas, founder of the three-restaurant Steves Burgers chain. He has since sold all three of his Greek-style hamburger joints and retired.

He said his late brother, Paul Magoulas, created and named the burger when the two operated a restaurant in Moreno Valley before opening in Hemet.

My brother was hungry, he said. He put it all together.

The burger was a hit. They brought it with them to Hemet.

At the eastside Steves at Dartmouth Street and Florida Avenue  owned by Imelda Alanis  counter worker Elizabeth Martin said they sell about five or six King Kong Burgers daily. Only about half the customers finish them.

She was amazed when a petite young woman recently came in with her boyfriend. They ordered a King Kong Burger. The girl ate it. Herself.

K.C. Klug, a ceramics artist residing in Valle Vista, finished King Kong Burgers with gusto a long time ago. No more. He remains a fan though he hasnt eaten one in 15 years.

Klug, who is 52, no longer can stomach a full one. He still relishes the memory.

They are good, he said. The pastrami adds a lot of flavor.

His son, 16-year-old Trevan Klug, quite happily carries on the family tradition.

He will go through one, said K.C.

Thursday, Josh Gwatney of Hemet took one on for the first time. He especially liked the pastrami.

Its good, he said. Ill give it a thumbs up.

He tried mightily, but only could finish two thirds of the burger. He considered taking the leftovers to eat at his manufacturing plant shift that evening.

Its probably all I will eat all day, he said.

Contact the writer: bpratte@pressenterprise.com
Mothers, daughters volunteer at Camp Pendleton

TEMECULA  Fifty members of the National Charity League, Temecula Valley chapter volunteered at a military baby shower Jan. 30 at Camp Pendleton.

The chapter handed out baby toiletries and manned carnival games, according to a news release. It says the shower was presented by the National Charity League and MOM4USA  Military Outreach Ministry.

The National Charity League is non-profit organization of mothers and daughters who perform community service.

 Staff report

LOMA LINDA  Spirit Stores presented a check for $54,100 to Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital on Feb. 2. The hospital says the money will go to the child life program, in which specialists work to minimize the fears and stress experienced by children, teenagers and families during hospitalization.

Spirit Stores hosted the Spirit of Children fundraiser at all of its Southern California locations last fall, according to a news release from the hospital. It says customers were invited to donate funds to support the child life program.

 Staff report

REGION  A bald eagle count is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13.

Counts will take place at Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead/Lake Gregory, the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, Lake Hemet and the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.

Volunteers do not need to register.

For more information, go to the News & Events section on fs.usda.gov/sbnf.

 Staff report

REDLANDS  Volunteers are bringing cats and dogs from the Redlands Animal Shelter to two area businesses this weekend in the hopes of finding them homes.

REDFOSA (Redlands Friends of Shelter Animals) will be at Stell Coffee & Tea Co., 1580 Barton Road in Redlands, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. Plus, Stell will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from that day to REDFOSA.

REDFOSA will also have cats and dogs available for adoption from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at Petsmart, 595 E. Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino.

 Staff report

RIVERSIDE  The Riverside Transit Agency has partnered with Mountain High Ski Resort to offer free lift tickets to bus riders.

Customers who ride a xed-route RTA bus on any Friday through March 18 will receive a coupon for a ski or snowboard lift ticket good for any Wednesday night until the end of the ski season. Plus, visitors to RiversideTransit.com can enter for a chance to win a family pack to Mountain Highs North Pole Tubing Park. Winners are picked weekly.

 Staff report

SAN BERNARDINO  LifeStream is holding a special Valentines Day promotion.

On Friday, Feb. 12, donors at all LifeStream centers will receive a Valentines Day T-shirt while supplies last.

On Saturday, donors at LifeStream centers in San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario and Victorville will receive a Snow Valley lift ticket, movie ticket and Bakers Drive-Thru meal card. The center are open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Information: LStream.org.

 Staff report

TEMECULA  St. Jeanne de Lestonnac will present Shakespeare in the Grotto from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 in the schools courtyard. Seventh-grade student teams will be performing scenes from Shakespeare plays. The free event includes dessert, coffee and hot chocolate.

The school address is 32650 Avenida Lestonnac.

 Staff report

SAN BERNARDINO  Car enthusiasts are invited to recreate a Cal State San Bernardino parking lot as it would have appeared when the campus was founded in 1965. Model year 1960-1969 cars are invited to participate in a parade and car show on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the CSUSB 50th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration.

The parade lineup is from 1 to 3 p.m. with the parade to Coussoulis Arena starting at 3:30 pm. Cars will be on display from 4 to 7 p.m.

Car registration is free, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 909-537-7360 or email cdixon@csusb.edu to register.

 Staff report

TEMECULA  U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, will discuss issues concerning the Inland Empire at the Tuesday, Feb. 16 luncheon meeting of Temecula Valley Republican Women Federated. The meeting will be held at Wilson Creek Winery, 35960 Rancho California Road. The general business meeting begins at 11 a.m., with Calverts presentation set for 11:30 a.m.

The price of the luncheon is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

Information: Colleen Nielsen at 951-223-3500 or cnielsen14@roadrunner.com.

 Manny Otiko

Send items for possible inclusion in Community Notes to community@pressenterprise.com.
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

First Lady Grace Mugabe has lashed out at people whom she said label her as a 'harlot'.She said she was properly married to Mugabe.Mugabe who turns 92 in come weeks, is 41 years older than Grace."I am not President Mugabe's harlot. I was properly married.""I'm abused.. hanzi kamukadzi aka hakazi munhu, ko imi mune vakadzi 1000 munotaurwa here. Mugabe munhu, munhu akadzikama. If you see a men bedding multiple women, you don't have respect for women" she thundered at a rally in Mazowe South constituency today."The couple has three children.Grace also said women are deceptive as they tell their husbands "look at our baby, the baby resembles you. She says they would often be lying."
The gates to the pink-walled Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage were closed to the public Friday, Feb. 12 for the visit of President Barack Obama.

Obama is expected to arrive at Palm Springs International Airport around noon Friday for a summit Monday, Feb. 15 and Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Sunnylands with heads of state from Southeast Asian nations.

An attendant sat under a white tent in front of the 200-acre compound, directing motorists away from the property.

A sign on the gate says Sunnylands will reopen Saturday, Feb. 20.

No protestors were outside the grounds Friday. Groups have announced plans to rally during next week,s meetings.

Reach Stephen Wall at swall@pressenterprise.com

This story is developing. Check back on pressenterprise.com for updates.
A U.S. House member who represents the bulk of Temecula, Rep. Duncan Hunter, caused a bit of stir on the hill Thursday by vaping during a hearing.

Hunter broke out his vaporizer pen, which he has said he uses in lieu of tobacco products, to illustrate how harmless the activity is during a conversation about use of the devices on airplanes.

In a video that has been posted on political and pop culture websites, Hunter can be seen puffing from the pen and blowing out a cloud of vapor.

He goes on to say that vaporizer devices eventually will be used to deliver other types of drugs, such as Prozac and anything else you could need.

Hunters district is dominated by land in the northern reaches of San Diego County but there is a fist-shaped portion that juts into Temecula, covering Old Town and parts of the city served by Temecula Valley and Great Oak high schools. Chaparral High and Harveston are not located in his district.

Hunters colleagues on the committee seemed wary of the devices, which are treated like cigarettes or cigars in Temecula and banned wherever smoking is banned, and Congress is expected to ban the devices on all commercial planes.

Hunter has been praised by vaping fans and criticized by people who felt he is setting a bad example for youth.
A judge is giving Charles Chase Merritt until Feb. 25 to possibly retain private counsel to represent him in the 2010 McStay family quadruple murder trial.

During a pre-trial hearing before San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Michael Smith on Thursday, Feb. 11, Merritt said he is trying to retain private counsel, but needs more time to work out details.

Although Merritt did not mention anyone by name, he spoke to Riverside attorney James E. McGee II before and after the hearing.

McGee said outside court, There are conversations that are going on. If there is an agreement, it would be joint representation with another Riverside attorney, Rajan Maline, McGee said.

Merritt, 58, is charged with murdering the McStay family parents and their two children. They disappeared in 2010 and their skeletal remains were found buried in the desert near Victorville in 2013.

The defendant, a business associate of father Joseph McStay, lived in Homeland at the time of his arrest in 2014 but previously lived in Apple Valley.

Britt Imes, a San Bernardino County supervising district attorney, reiterated a concern during the hearing that Merritts actions to terminate his defense team, then ask for more time to decide his legal representation amounted to a stalling tactic. The district attorneys office is ready for trial and Imes said Merritts last minute antics are fraught with peril.

Merritt replied that it may take two weeks to finalize legal representation and he wants to move forward as soon as possible.

The judge said a trial would be scheduled within 90 days of the Feb. 25 hearing. Because he terminated his previous legal team, Merritt represented himself Thursday.

He left open the possibility that he may continue to represent himself and ask the judge to appoint an advisory legal counsel, which he had about a year ago before he changed his mind and sought a court-appointed legal team.

Victorville attorney Jimmy Mettias headed up that legal team but they parted ways recently when the attorneys needed more time to prepare for trial and Merritt wanted to speed up the process.
Just three years after voting to unionize, nurses at the Corona Regional Medical Center took steps to secede from that union in an effort to improve bargaining with their employer.

More than half of the hospitals 331 nurses submitted signed cards Feb. 4 stating they did not want to be represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, hospital Chief Executive Mark Uffer said.

Tammie Rattray, a labor attorney representing the hospitals parent company Universal Health Services Inc., said UHS has verified that over 50 percent of the current bargaining unit RNs signed cards indicating they did not wish to be represented by the union.  Therefore, the hospital is withdrawing recognition of the union effective immediately.

Jennifer Guzman, a nurse at Corona Regional, was one of the first to rally support for leaving the union.

There were a lot of nurses that wanted to sign but were scared to, Guzman said. They were scared if the union found out theyd signed a card, theyd lose their job.

In January 2013, nurses at the hospital voted 155 to 116 to join UNAC/UHCP. It wasnt until nearly two years later that the nurses started bargaining with management, due largely to appeals by Universal Health Services, which contested the votes legitimacy.

Denise Duncan, president of UNAC/UHCP, said hospital management has done everything in their power to deny nurses their voice, then dragging their feet in negotiations.

Now management is walking away from the bargaining table to avoid meeting the nurses demand for a voice in patient care, Duncan said.

In August 2013, Corona Regionals pediatric unit was slated for closure. A week later, the hospitals then-CEO Kevan Metcalfe resigned. Uffer took over as CEO two months later, and almost immediately announced the pediatric unit would reopen. Earlier this year, the hospital broke ground on a $35 million emergency department.

The nurses who came forward told me they have significant trust in leadership now that the hospital is moving in the right directions, Uffer said a day after the nurses voted to de-unionize. They said they feel real progress is being made.

Corona Regional has hired dozens of registered nurses and nursing assistants over the past 18 months, and Guzman said the morale is improving every day.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9644, poneill@pressenterprise.com, @PE_PatrickO
After weeks of burglaries in the Morongo Valley, deputies raided a home in Joshua Tree and hauled away about $40,000-worth of stolen property, sheriffs officials say.

Detectives and an auto theft task force raided the property Tuesday, Feb. 9, along Sunny Sands Drive.

No one was home, but there was plenty of reportedly stolen loot.

Property recovered included several vehicles, a Sea-Land Conex shipping container and thousands of dollars worth of tools, investigators said in a written statement. Detectives are in the process of returning all recovered property to the owners.
Meetings will begin Saturday, Feb. 13, aimed at helping overcome hostility and fear of Muslims in Riverside after the Dec. 2 terrorist attack, carried out by Muslims who once lived in the city.

The monthly series, Riverside Together: Fellowship Instead of Fear, will be sponsored by the Riverside Human Relations Commission and held at houses of worship and City Hall to help deter the kind of anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic incidents that have taken place in Riverside since the San Bernardino attack  including people being threatened or followed.

Muslims have been followed in stores, said Human Relations Commissioner Monrow Mabon, associate pastor at Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Riverside.

A man approached the traditionally dressed wife of a Muslim Riverside Human Relations commissioner at a Riverside department store and told her not to go into the knife section, said Mabon, a retired Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant.

After San Bernardino, there was a lot of incidents that arose where members of the Islamic community and the Jewish community were targets of unfriendly activity, Mabon said. People started to think all Muslims were extremists.

Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, lived on Riversides Tomlinson Avenue until about six months before their attack on the Inland Regional Center, where they killed 14 people and wounded 22 others. They lived in Redlands at the time. Farook had attended the Islamic Center of Riverside.

The mass shooting and a gun battle with police later that day  which injured two officers and killed the couple  were carried out with assault weapons bought by the couples former next-door neighbor on Tomlinson, Enrique Marquez. The Muslim convert allegedly plotted with Farook a few years earlier to kill people at Riverside City College and on the 91.

Riverside City Councilman Andy Melendrez, whose Ward 2 used to include the mosque, asked commissioners to open a community discussion about religious differences after hearing about the backlash.

Four events  with panels featuring leaders from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, elected officials, law enforcement and community members  will try to bridge the gap between Muslims and the larger community, Mabon said.

Meetings are open to the public and will start with social gatherings, followed by forums. The first will be at 2 p.m. at Allen Chapel, 4009 Locust St., Riverside. The final one will be held at City Hall. Other dates have not been set.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9444 or shurt@pressenterprise.com
The messages are similar: a rigged Wall Street, a rigged economy and a rigged political party system.

Thanks to the Associated Press, we now know the insider secrets explaining how Hillary Clinton tied Bernie Sanders in Iowa and lost badly in New Hampshire, yet has a delegate lead of 394-44. Its blatantly clear that the governing Democratic Party insider superdelegates, including our own Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, already have the fix in for Secretary Clinton. It gives a new, onerous meaning to one person, one vote. It is now their one vote superseding our many.

Now is the time for us  the outsider Democrats, young and old alike  to say enough is enough. Lets give our ruling party elite a real taste of genuine, grassroots Democrat reflux  let them feel the Bern!

Howard Denton

Sun City

The commie bogeyman

Re: Generation S [Opinion, Feb. 7]: Staff columnist Joel Kotkin mentions ignorance of Stalinist and Maoist purges as if Bernie Sanders is what Republicans paint him as: an evil communist. I almost didnt read the rest of his column.

Sanders is a democratic socialist. He does not want centralized planning of the economy, just a government that helps the people, not the wealthy few. If you think millennials would balk at ever more intrusive government, ponder why they are not rushing to a party that spews racial hate in the form of voter ID laws, religious hate in the form of abortion restrictions and gay-bashing and environmental hate in the form of, well, the list is long: Keystone XL, climate change denial, etc.

Repeat: Sanders is a democratic socialist, much like FDR.

Joel Kotkin doesnt need to try to scare his readers with the commie bogeyman. Bernie doesnt hide under your bed. Youre thinking of the right-wing, evangelical bedroom police.

David Di Pinza

Wildomar
News / Press Release

by Moses Manyengavana - PDP Youth Assembly President

Zimbabwe has no government12 February 2016The People's Democratic Party (PDP) condemns with disgust and contempt the neglect of government duties by ZANU PF as it focuses on factional fights at the expense of the economy and national development.In the past week, the desperate ZANU PF government declared a national disaster on the drought and said it required US$1.5 billion to feed over 3 million citizens until the next harvest in 2017. It appears, however, that this regime is lost to the reality that they are responsible for Zimbabwe's rot and in any case it is them who are Zimbabwe's most devastating national disaster.ZANU PF has abandoned all government business as it engages in bare knuckled fights to succeed its nonagenarian leader who for all intents and purposes is past his sell by date. We in the PDP have long declared that Mugabe is no longer fit to govern Zimbabwe as he has all but ruined the country and is no longer of a stable mind.The economy growth rate for the year will be in the negative, averaging -2.7%, school children will continue to drop out of school and fail to register for their examinations because of financial challenges and the bulk of the youths and women will continue languishing in unemployment. Poverty will increase and health institutions will continue to be death traps.The realignment of laws in the country has been negated as parliament is also a factional battle ground for ZANU PF succession wars. Devolution laws are yet to be set up almost 3 years after the passing of the constitution into law thus denying the people their right to be represented and heard which they demanded by voting for the constitution at the 2013 March referendum.It is against this soft genocide that Mugabe and his government has shown that they do not care about the people of Zimbabwe. We have argued that as a country we are better off without this government.This government is responsible for allowing the looting of over US$2 billion of diamond revenue by a clique of military elites in cahoots with their Chinese counterparts, this government ruthlessly siphoned US$180 million for meaningless foreign trips, this very government blew US$120 million on various holiday packages in 2015, it is incapable of paying its workers, has demolished hundreds of homes and abducted an innocent citizen, Itai Dzamara, for demanding that Mugabe must go.Such a rogue government is of no relevance to the people of Zimbabwe.What the people of Zimbabwe need is a responsible government that will help them make a better life, the people want a government that create decent employment for them, offer them quality affordable health for all, ensure that they do not have to starve year after year when they have land, build houses for them and not demolish what they have built and provides an environment of family and personal security.The people of Zimbabwe want a government that will end the vicious circles of violence and exclusion that ZANU PF has perfected over years; they want a government that will put their interest at the centre of national planning. What the people want is what ZANU PF has failed to provide in the 36 long years it has ruled this country.As PDP youths we call on all young people from different political persuasions to come together and mobilize for massive demonstrations to push Mugabe and his clique of looters out of power. Our future cannot continue to be mortgaged while we stand back and fold our hands. We must come together as democrats push the ZANU PF criminals out of power.As young people we must be at the fore of pushing for the realization of a government which is compassionate, competent and can deliver the economic, social and political goals which the people need in their lifetime.
President Abraham Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Kentucky.

Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He saw the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery.

His Gettysburg Address was delivered on Nov. 19, 1863.

He was shot on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

At 10:15, Booth slipped into the Lincolns private box above the stage and fired his .44-caliber single-shot derringer into the back of Lincoln's head. Booth broke his leg escaping but he managed to leave the theater and escape from Washington on horseback.

A 23-year-old doctor was in the audience. He raced to Lincoln and found him slumped in his chair, paralyzed and struggling to breathe.

Soldiers carried Lincoln to a house across the street. When the surgeon general arrived at the house, he concluded that Lincoln could not be saved and would die during the night.

Lincoln was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. April 15, 1865.

The president's body was taken to the White House, and on April 18 it was carried to the Capitol rotunda to lay in state.

On April 21, Lincoln's body was boarded onto a train headed to his hometown of Springfield, Ill. Thousands of people lined the railroad route through 180 cities in seven states to see the funeral train, which was in Harrisburg April 21-22.

MORE: Where Abraham Lincoln went in central Pa. and the artifacts that have found their home here.
A suspended Pennsylvania State Police trooper faces criminal charges following an investigation into his conduct and use of force while on duty last year.

Chris Siennick, 25, claimed Trooper Ryan S. Luckenbaugh verbally and physically abused him in May 2015. The claims spurred an internal investigation by state police, and police documents filed Friday say the trooper kicked the Harrisburg man in the face while he sat on the ground with hands handcuffed behind his back.

Luckenbaugh, 36, of Mechanicsburg, now faces two counts of official oppression and a single count each of simple assault and harassment, online court records show. Official oppression and simple assault are misdemeanor offenses, while harassment is a summary charge.

State police arrested and filed charges against Luckenbaugh on Friday, and the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office will prosecute the case. Luckenbaugh has been suspended without pay, according to a Friday news release from state police.

"Since this is an ongoing criminal prosecution, the state police will not comment further on this matter," according to the release.

Luckenbaugh was assigned to Troop H, Carlisle and enlisted in Pennsylvania State Police Academy in June 2006 where he underwent the six-month training to become a trooper. He was first placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation.

In this 2014 file photo, Chris Siennick marches with protesters from the Governors Mansion to the Pennsylvania State Capital. Siennick filed a civil right lawsuits against two state troopers in 2015. (James Robinson, PennLive.com)

State police released information following the May 16 incident that reported Luckenbaugh was one of two troopers who passed 25-year-old Chris Siennick just after 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of Second and Locust streets in Harrisburg. Police said Siennick hit the car and spit at it before trying to run from a trooper attempting to arrest him.

"Siennick was subdued via Taser deployment and taken into custody after a physical altercation during which he spat upon the trooper multiple times," the news release read.

The district attorney's office asked state police to investigate the troopers' use of force. Dauphin County District Attorney Edward Marsico Jr. told PennLive in July that the issue was brought to the attention of his office and colleagues in his office reviewed video footage from the incident.

Siennick told PennLive following the incident that he had been commuting by skateboard to work when he was passed by the state police cruiser and became the target of a slur.

According to Siennick's account of the event:

He answered the troopers' "unkind words" with "an unkind nonverbal middle finger" before complying with the troopers' request to move from the roadway.

He said the troopers looped their cruiser around to slowly pass him and then left the vehicle "to ambush and subdue" him.

Siennick got "spooked" and ran from the troopers, who he says never told him to stop.

"Having two state troopers come out to violently snatch you is a terrifying thing," Siennick said. "I was causing no problems [that night]. I figured an escape would serve all involved parties the best possible outcome."

Christopher Siennick, 25.

The troopers hit Siennick with batons, pepper sprayed, kicked him in the face and used "multiple electrified projectiles until [he] fell in a frightening paralysis." He added that he was handcuffed and detailed how his pants dropped to his ankles as he was dragged to the sidewalk.

Siennick said he called for help and yelled about the "violence inherent in the system" as he was arrested.

He was initially held in Dauphin County Prison on $250,000 bail on 14 charges, including aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest and public drunkenness, but all of the charges were withdrawn.

According to online court records, no charges have been filed against Trooper Michael Trotta, who was on duty with Luckenbaugh. Trotta, who was also the subject of the internal affairs investigation linked to the May 16 incident, was fired from his position with state police in November.

State Police spokesman Trooper Robert Hicks told PennLive at the time of Trotta's firing that he was removed "for internal matters."

"It has nothing to do with an ongoing investigation or pending lawsuits, but because of internal personnel matters," Hicks said in November.

When reached on Friday afternoon, Marsico said he does not intend to press charges against Trotta.

"He was not involved in the physical assault," Marsico said.

Siennick also filed a civil lawsuit against the troopers in connection with the incident last year.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to include comment from state police and District Attorney Ed Marsico Jr.
Manheim Township School Board battle

Manheim Township School Board president Bill Murry, center, speaks with fellow board members after refusing public calls for his resignation at a Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 meeting.

(Colin Deppen)

Embattled Manheim Township School Board president Bill Murry will not be stepping down amid public calls for his resignation, telling a crowd of opponents at a meeting Thursday, "you're not going to get what you came for."

"I've thought a lot about what everybody said tonight but unfortunately, Renee, you're not going to get what you came for," Murry said, referring to Renee Heller, a Lancaster woman who gathered more than 1,700 signatures in support of his removal in just the past five days.

Murry acknowledged the board has "a lot of work to do" after leaked audio allegedly revealed him instructing members in how to circumvent transparency law requirements, but said "I'm here to listen. We're here to change and we know we have some work to do."

Bill Murry is pictured at Thursday's meeting.

Concerns about board secrecy came to a head in recent weeks as members began their search for a new superintendent and questions about the legality of that process arose. An official look into the matter has been launched by local and county law enforcement.

On Thursday, resident after resident stood to address the board and to call on Murry to remove himself saying there was enough evidence against him already.

"If you do indeed have the best interest of our district in mind, as you have claimed to, then you will voluntarily resign tonight because trust has been broken and it's too far gone to be restored as long as you're on the board," Heller said earlier in the evening.

After his refusal, Heller said her attempts to remove Murry from his post will not stop there.

An online petition calling for his resignation and that of board solicitor Bob Frankhouser references a procedure in the school code whereby a certain number of residents can file a petition with the court seeking the removal of a school board member or certain members of the school board who have "willfully neglected their duties, including Sunshine Laws."

A protester is pictured outside of Thursday's school board meeting in Manheim Township.

It was not immediately clear what the next step will be.

But Murry remained defiant on Thursday, and instead of stepping down called on residents to be more forthcoming and communicative as well, implying that transparency is a two-way street.

In the end, he reserved his harshest comments for the person who leaked the audio recording at the center of the controversy.

"Whoever taped that board meeting violated eight people's rights and they threw a bomb in that board room where the board members don't trust each other now 'cause they don't know who taped it, and you haven't been in that situation," he told the crowd.

Also on Thursday, a motion to begin accepting bids to replace Frankhouser as solicitor was tabled for a later date. The board did, however, approve a measure at first read that would make members available for office hours one Saturday a month to meet with community members unable to make it to their Thursday meetings.
Medical Marijuana

Harrisburg council members talked about changes to the city's marijuana possession law Thursday night, during a meeting that drew a handful of supporters for marijuana legalization.

((AP Photo/Jim Mone,File))

HARRISBURG- Harrisburg council members didn't act on a proposal to downgrade marijuana possession to the same level as a traffic ticket Thursday night, but several members of the public and council expressed support for the shift.

Five members of the public addressed council about the proposal, which mirrors similar changes in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Most of them supported the city's proposal, but asked for reduced fines and for the crime to stay at the level of a traffic ticket indefinitely.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse's proposal carried a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and a requirement that a third arrest would revert back to a misdemeanor crime. In Philadelphia, the fine is $25 and there is no "three strikes, you're out" provision.

Most of the supporters who showed up at Thursday night's meeting favored a more progressive version of the bill, and said they hoped Harrisburg's efforts would help move the state toward decriminalization.

But one member of the public said any reduction in penalties from the status quo would open the door to more crime and prompt users of other drugs to ask for similar changes

Another member of the public asked whether the move was legal for a third class city and whether arrestees would still lose their driver's license. Papenfuse said his legal team was still researching that.

Council President Wanda Williams said she asked for the marijuana modification last year after learning about Philadelphia's change. She said she didn't support the use of drugs but that the shift would provide more equality in the law.

Papenfuse said he proposed the measure to free up police resources that are currently being wasted on marijuana possession cases. He also said drug arrests disproportionately affect minorities and a shift would reduce that negative impact.

Papenfuse defended his proposed fine schedule, saying it included a provision for judges to assign community service to arrestees who face financial hardships. He said he was open to discussing a lowering of the fine, especially since some council members supported it, but that he didn't want to do anything to encourage drug use.

"I'm looking forward to a good conversation," he said.

Councilman Jeff Baltimore said he wanted to eliminate the three-strikes language to keep the crime as a summary offense.

"Cigarettes and alcohol in my opinion are far more destructive to individuals and society and have no medicinal value," he said. "Pot never should have been classified as a schedule 1 drug alongside heroine and cocaine."

Baltimore also said the criminalization of marijuana possession has helped feed the unfair mass incarceration of black and brown people.

The bill will be discussed at a public safety committee meeting in the next few weeks. The date and location had not been set, but Cornelius Johnson said he was looking for a venue that would be more easily accessible for the community.
Vantage

A federal judge has approved a $320,000 settlement of a wage underpayment dispute involving workers at a Cumberland County meat packaging plant.



The deal U.S. Middle District Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner sanctioned this week will result in payouts to more than 1,500 workers at the Vantage Foods Inc. facility that opened in late 2013 in Lower Allen Township.



Canada-based Vantage denies any employment law violations or wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement, which both sides said will avoid a long-term and likely costly legal battle over a class-action lawsuit.



An employee, Leannish Pacheco of Harrisburg, filed that suit in 2014, claiming Vantage was violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act by not paying food processing workers for all the tasks they performed. Specifically, she claimed the company wasn't fully paying those employees for time they spent washing their hands and donning protective garments.



Vantage officials replied to the suit by insisting the workers were "properly compensated" for those tasks. Vantage operates the $40 million plant under a contract with Ahold USA, owner of the Giant Food Store chain. The plant supplies meat products to Giant supermarkets in Pennsylvania and Maryland.



The settlement calls for affected workers to receive added pay, in increments of minutes, covering the period from October 21, 2013, when the plant opened, to June 20 of last year, when the deal was tentatively reached.



The accord requires that $210,000 be set aside for compensating the workers. Pacheco is to receive an extra $2,500 for filing and "diligently pursuing" the suit. The remaining $107,500 will pay the legal fees and costs the law firms of Winebrake & Santillo of Montgomery County and McEldrew Young of Philadelphia which represented the employees.



http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/01/giant_is_preparing_to_increase.html
Nearly two years after the shooting death of her son, Xavier Garriga's mother sobbed uncontrollably Friday as a Lancaster County jury returned a first-degree murder conviction against his killer.



The verdict carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for 25-year-old Matthew Morales, who was convicted after a weeklong trial in Lancaster County Court.



Afterward, Morales' father said he had "no words." But the family has previously struggled to make sense of his involvement in Garriga's death, saying they never knew Morales to have a temper or be violent.

Mathew Stefan Morales

Through a victim coordinator with the court, Garriga's family similarly declined comment.



Morales was charged with killing Garriga after a June 2014 dispute outside a Lancaster Turkey Hill, an incident described as random by police, as well as fueled by drugs and alcohol.



In closing arguments Friday, Morales' defense challenged the state's evidence against him, including the testimony of a star witness who they said traded his cooperation in this case for leniency in another against him, a claim dismissed by prosecutors.



Defense attorney Ed Pfursich told jurors the witness, Luis Fuentes III, was "a person who had every reason in the world to lie to you, and that's exactly what he did."



"This is a tragedy but justice is not done by convicting an innocent man," he added.



In addressing jurors before deliberations, Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman rejected depictions of Morales as innocent, or a non-violent family man, saying Morales was observed on video, and by a gas station clerk, acting aggressively toward Garriga before the shooting. Morales has said he was simply trying to defuse the situation.



"He did this," Fetterman said to jurors. "It was senseless but he did it. He was angry and took out a gun and cut this man down ... Pause and think about the evidence but don't hesitate."



He added, "just because this is senseless doesn't mean it didn't happen. We live in a world where senseless homicides happen and this is one of those times."



Morales' sentencing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Jury ponders fate of drive-by suspect
Terri Roberts

Terri Roberts, right, is pictured during an interview with CNN on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016.

Tonight, Sue Klebold will break her silence more than 16 years after her son helped carry out one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

Dylan Klebold was one of two students responsible for the murder of 11 classmates and one teacher at Colorado's Columbine High School in 1999.

His mother's first TV interview since the tragedy will air at 10 Friday night on ABC.

In advance of it, CNN talked with Terri Roberts whose son Charles killed five in a mass shooting at an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County in 2006.

In speaking with CNN's Brooke Baldwin, Roberts recalled her experience as the mother of a mass shooter, a life shattering day, she said, but one that led her to find forgiveness for herself and her son.

"If I didn't forgive him I would have the same hole in my heart that he had," Roberts told the Daily Mail in November of last year.

Both Sue Klebold and Terri Roberts have written books about their ordeals.

In a preview of Klebold's interview ABC, the mother said she believed that if anything were wrong with her kids she would know, but added "I didn't know and it's very hard to live with that."

UPDATE: This article has been updated to correct the name of CNN's Brooke Baldwin.
Mount St. Mary's University

A plan to identify freshmen most likely to fail has erupted into a scandal, faculty firings and a demotion at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., after the Catholic school's president reportedly likened the students to baby rabbits that should be killed. (Bill Green/The Frederick News-Post via AP)

(Bill Green)

In the sphere of higher education scandals, Mount St. Mary's University is usually off the radar.

Recently, though, the bucolic mountain-rimmed university across the Pennsylvania border in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is at the center of a firestorm that pits the university against freedom of the press and academic integrity.

The controversy revolves around university president, Simon Newman and his plan to get rid of struggling freshmen in order to improve retention rates (and thus school ranking) and a statement he made about students.

Simon Newman

The firestorm has led to the firing of two faculty members and propelled the typically quiet private Catholic school near the Catoctin Mountains to the forefront of such news outlets as The Washington Post and The New York Times.

The faculty dismissals is fueling outrage across the academic world.

The maelstrom broke out in the wake of a January 19 report (written by students) in the school's newspaper - The Mountain Echo - detailing Newman's plans to cut 20-25 freshmen students in order to improve the school's retention rates. Newman was pushing a survey intended to identify students who were struggling and apt to drop out.

We received letters to the editor from several readers concerning our Jan. 19 special issue:



From Karen Stohr,... https://t.co/DMVhG3OJKi  The Mountain Echo (@MSMMountainEcho) January 27, 2016

Amid some faculty concerns and challenges to the survey, Newman was quoted as saying: "This is hard for you because you think of the students as cuddly bunnies, but you can't. You just have to drown the bunnies...put a Glock to their heads."

Both Newman's plan to boost ranking by culling struggling students and his loaded quote unleashed an immediate firestorm.

Newman declined a request for an interview with The New York Times, but, speaking through a spokesman, apologized for his choice of words. The Times wrote that Newman "explained that his retention proposal was intended to help students at risk of academic failure and possibly suffocating debt."

According to The Times, in a statement, Mount St. Mary's said that Ed Egan, the former faculty adviser of the campus newspaper, had been fired for violating the "code of conduct and acceptable use policies."

Egan told the news outlet that he had no doubt that the article was the cause of his termination. "There's no other possible explanation," he told The Times.

In addition to Egan, professor Thane Naberhaus was terminated earlier in the week. The Washington Post quoted a university spokesperson giving the reason that "his actions violated multiple university policies and the University's standards of ethical conduct."

The terminated faculty members have garnered support from higher education organizations and thousands of colleagues. More than 4,000 university professors and staff across the country have signed a petition calling for their reinstatement.
Opinion / Columnist

"Boisterous fighters of the liberation struggle had to abandon their planned demonstration yesterday, which was meant to show support of their embattled leader, Christopher Mutsvangwa, as well as stopping Higher and Tertiary Education Minister , Jonathan Moyo, from attending the Zanu-PF's Politburo meeting," reported Fingaz.No one with half brain is surprised that the war vets developed cold feet and called off their demo.The war vets have become used to behaving as if they are a law into themselves notably when they carried out the often violent seizure of white owned farms and who can ever forget Jabulani Sibanda and his war vet thugs frog-marching villagers to Zanu PF rallies in 2008. Demonstrating against Zanu PF members were common place in 2014 with the purge of Joice Mujuru and her supporters, the modus operandi was for bussed in war vets or women's league members to besiege the party offices and demand the ouster of the individual. This demo was not going to be the same as those in the past.This demo against Minister Jonathan Moyo, a G40 faction member; this is the faction started and sustained with the tacit support of the president himself, and therefore the demo was tantamount to a demo against the Mugabe himself  a red line that no one ever dared to cross. The very fact that the demo was undemocratic in that it was seeking to stop the Minister from attending the, for all intent and purpose, a private meeting made it worse. President Mugabe is renowned for his strict adherence to the letter and spirit of the law, if that is to his ad-vantage even when the legality of the matter is not clear; when it is clear he relishes it!The war vets were outwitted and outmanoeuvred by the Women's League members who stage a counter demo targeting to occupy the same space at the same time to clash with the war vet's demo. The women were supposedly demonstrating to express their thanks to President Mugabe for successfully chairing the AU for a year. What could be more innocuous than that!Yes we are now in the realm of George Orwell's Animal Farm with the "Thanks to Comrade Napoleon, how sweet this water taste!" Zimbabwe's revolution has run its full course and it is now a fully-fledged dictatorship!There are those, especially in the MDC leadership, who have argued that MDC did not implemented any of the security sector reforms during the GNU because the Zanu PF hardliners would ignored the reforms anyway. The above story proves that war vets are boisterous as long as they know they have Mugabe's tacit support, withdraw that tacit support which is what the reforms do by severing the undemocratic power and influence the president has over the Police and Judiciary. The instance the war vets know they will be arrested and punished like anyone else if the broke the law their boisterous arrogance will disappear like morning mist in the morning African sun.The only reason MDC leaders failed to implement even one single democratic reform in five years of the GNU is because they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent! Of course MDC leaders sold-out!
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Opinion / Columnist

A CARTOON depicting two scantily dressed young women engaged in a conversation suggesting that for young girls in Matabeleland and Midlands, prostituting one's body is an alternative to education has been described as "un-Zimbabwean and abominable".Speaking to journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Monday evening, a descendant of the last Ndebele king, King Lobengula, Zwide Khumalo, said the cartoon published in the Chronicle last week was an "insult to women and Ndebele people"."As Zimbabweans, we should change our attitudes and respect each other and uphold value systems such as gender and nationhood," he said.Khumalo likened the "spirit behind the cartoon" to the spirit behind the Gukurahundi genocide of the 1980s."We cannot be proud of being Zimbabweans when some of us selectively fuel tribalism and discrimination in the name of being part of the majority in Zimbabwe," he said. "I am sure there are so many members of the so-called majority that do not subscribe to this horrible behaviour."When some journalists argued that the cartoon could be interpreted in many ways, Khumalo, shot back saying, "it's not the business of Ndebeles or the women, who are affected to count the number of interpretations"."I am addressing the general interpretations picked by the people of Matabeleland," he said. "That cartoon is abominable. The young Ndebeles in Matabeleland are unhappy. It's not our responsibility to grope for interpretations."We are unhappy. The cartoon was wayward. It's not about his surname. I don't know him. I don't need to know him. I don't want to know him. Even if it was Ndabezinhle Khumalo, I would still be sitting here, saying what I am saying right now," he said referring to the cartoonist.When journalists pointed to the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) as an avenue to address such problems, Khumalo said the council's processes were good for the media and "not necessarily for the angry people of Matabeleland"."We don't solve our problems by running to someone in Harare," he said. "Off course, the Chronicle apology was a good move."Popular French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, has on several times been accused of crossing the line in its representation of ethnic minorities, particularly blacks and Muslims, leading to a shooting at the publication's offices.Recently, the magazine ran a cartoon that imagined Alan Kurdi, a three-year old Syrian, who died in the sea in September last year on his way to Europe, as an adult, depicting him as a groper and sexual abuser.The cartoon was an attempt to satirise and mock claims that many assailants of sexual abuse in Germany were refugees, including Syrians.However, a lot of people described the cartoon as racist and in bad taste.
Opinion / Columnist

For the past thirty-four years the proponents of the People First project led by Dr Joyce Mujuru the former Vice President of Zimbabwe, were in government enjoying the benefits that come with one being in top echelons of the ruling elite. They enjoyed their stay in government without problems.They saw nothing wrong with anything that the government in general and ZANU PF in particular was doing. From their point of view being in government was the best ever chance that have happened in their lives. Enjoying government perks and driving state of the art vehicles made the Mujuru cabal to see nothing sinister about anything in government until the December 2014 ZANU PF Congress that resulted in cabal being thrown out of ZANU PF and government altogether.Surprisingly the same individuals especially former VP Mujuru wants to make people believe that her People First project would be a blessing to the relatives and friends of those who perished during the Gukurahundi era. Mujuru wants to seek political relevance by bringing the issue of Gukurahundi atrocities to the people as a campaign tool. Her thrust that the Gukurahundi era should be revisited and solutions sought is an effort by her to seek the Matabeleland and Midlands regions votes. Mujuru wants the public to take her as a saint yet everything happened in her full view doing nothing to avert that. She was there enjoying herself in government and also celebrating the massacre of innocent people during that unfortunate era of Gukurahundi.Addressing some alleged PF leadership from Matabeleland North in Harare recently, the PF project leader Joyce Mujuru told them that the Gukurahundi victims should be compensated and those who lost their parents should be assisted to get the identification documents. Mujuru sought again to put herself in a good standing to the Matabeleland regions by going against President Mugabe's assertion in 1999 that the Gukurahundi era was "a moment of madness", saying that it was wrong to refer that period as such. Mujuru wanted to appear good to her Matabeleland North audience by disowning what she also supported during her time in government that the time of Gukurahundi was "a moment of madness" as espoused by President Robert Gabriel Mugabe.In fact Mujuru needs to realise that the issue of Gukurahundi is something which cannot bring her votes as she failed to denounce that when she was still in government. It is an open secret that Mujuru has no people at heart because she failed to act with sympathy to those who were in need of help when that was necessary for her to assist. Actually those who suffered a lot during that time with a lot of people losing their lives know quite well that everything happened under Joyce Mujuru's watchful eye as her fallen husband General Solomon Mujuru was the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. If Mujuru is genuine with what she wants people to believe today that she has heart and feeling sorry for what happened during that time, she could have told her then influential husband General Mujuru to stop that brutality against the innocent individuals. Instead she saw nothing wrong about that because she enjoyed that era as if she was watching a horrific movie on her flat TV screen.Mujuru is not qualified to tell the nation that the Gukurahundi solution can only be solved by letting people talk about it nearly more than three decades of her silence over that calamity. The People First leadership should be aware that cheap politicking has no room in the modern day Zimbabwe and people need bread and butter issues that can sustain their livelihood.It is naive and uncalled for that the People First leader, Joyce Mujuru kept quiet when the people of Matabeleland and Midlands regions were facing the brutal civil war that left some of them without parents and guardians. The same Mujuru now wants the people from the same regions to believe that she can rescue them from the dilemma of losing when she kept quiet for such decades. She further wants people to believe that she can be their saviour yet she had nothing to show which can equate her as a good candidate for the Matabeleland region saviour.Actually, while Mujuru in government, she was not someone who thought she can get any advice from that Matabeleland region. Today Mujuru sees good from the same people of Matabeleland in where she despised the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo as she called him "senile" when the late Vice President simple questioned her why she was hell bent on denying Mr Strive Masiyiwa's Econet a licence to operate in the country. From her point of view she thought herself being powerful and failing to respect her elders like the late VP Joshua Nkomo. Now she is calling for support from the same people whom she had insulted one of their exalted and respected nationalist, the revered Father Zimbabwe.To make matters worse, Mujuru has never come to realise that she needs to apologise for insulting the man of Dr Joshua Mquabuko Nkomo's stature. Today she thinks that she can mislead the people of Matabeleland and the whole country into believing that she can compensate them for the loss they incurred during the Gukurahundi era. Mujuru now is calling for the government to apologise to the Gukurahundi victims of what happened yet she is also failing to apologise to Dr Joshua Nkomo's family and people for the insult she did to the late Father Zimbabwe.People should not be misled by mischievous politicians who always want to use their political gains by abusing the status of other people. The reality is that Mujuru has no people at heart but she is now trying to come back in the political limelight by bringing into the agenda the Gukurahundi issue. She knows quite well that for her to get sympathy from people in Matabeleland region, she must bring forward the issue of the Gukurahundi into the political agenda.If Mujuru and her People First project are genuine messiahs of the suffering people, they should also look at the disadvantaged people who failed to get compensation for their involvement in the war of liberations. Quite a number of some individuals lost their parents and guardians during that period but Mujuru is only focussing on the Gukurahundi era alone as a matter of seeking the Matabeleland region support failing to see the importance of the victims of the armed struggle. A lot of people lost their livestocks and even their savings during that era and for Mujuru to ignore that is something that boggles the mind.Such a hypocritical approach by the PF project shows that they are not here for the betterment of ordinary people but they want to replenish their depleted wallets that have been affected by their demise from government in which they have been enjoying a lot for more than three decades.
When I was told I better write a story about Ruth Sandvik turning 100 years old the first thing I thought was, Who is Ruth Sandvik?

I knew of her of course. Her name is synonymous with art, books and a general zeal for life, one of the cornerstones of cultural life in Petersburg. But I didn't know who she was. I certainly didn't know how to encapsulate her, 100 years of her, in one newspaper story.

I can try though to glean a few clues, and perhaps pick out a pattern, from the collection of things and people that have accumulated around her during some of that time.

I can peek around her small room in Mountain View Manor. A cassette, George Orwell's "1984", is lodged in her audio book player. Stacks of CDs-Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Mozart-sit on shelves.

A blue and purple flyer hangs on the room's wall advertising a free public lecture, hosted for two days at her old home, on transcendental mediation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

On another wall a framed picture hangs with a quote from Epictetus, the Greek Stoic philosopher who taught that we choose how to define our character, and ultimately, our lives.

She echoed that philosophy on her 100th birthday invitations: "Every morning you walk out that door, your mood will largely determine how your day goes. Do your best to greet any situation with a smile and a positive attitude. And it's bound to turnout better."

Sitting in Sandvik's Mountain View Manor room, her daughter Diane remarks at the open-mindedness, the blast of color and inspiration her mother has embodied and brought to both of their lives.

"Mom's always been interested in everything," Diane said. "As a big city girl you come to Petersburg and it's more provincial. Any class that came through Petersburg, whatever the topic, my mother participated in because she was eager for stimulation and new ideas."

Diane stopped talking to me and turned to her mother.

"I've always admired that," Diane said. "You're willing to try anything."

Sandvik traveled to Petersburg on a steamship in 1941 for a job. Sandvik was a teacher, a librarian, and a globe trotter. She was an artist and an adventurer. After retirement she travelled to Europe, Africa, China and India. She was a founder of KFSK. In 1995, at the age of 79, she met a long-time goal to hike and camp with her family on Petersburg Mountain.

"The view was spectacular as ever and the town was sparkling with night lights," she said in an interview for a Petersburg Pilot story in 1996.

In the 70s, Sandvik wrote a weekly column for the Petersburg Pilot entitled "The Purple Librarian." In an April 16, 1975 edition she ended her article, "Remember, take time to smile."

She certainly beamed as a room packed with friends, family and admirers-many of whom were draped in purple-sang Happy Birthday at the Holy Cross House for her 100th birthday party on Monday.

Could she have imagined, riding on that steam ship 75 years ago, that a future mayor of her soon to be life-long home would read a proclamation naming a day after her?

From the 25 year old eager and adventurous Petersburg-bound Sandvik making her way up the Inside Passage on a steamship from Portland, Oregon, to the 100-year-old purple clad, tiara crowned birthday girl last Monday, Ruth Sandvik seems to exude, like a smattering of sunshine and blue sky through grey Petersburg skies, a sense of joy and curiosity that has touched Petersburg.

Certainly she's not impervious to suffering. She has doubtless experienced the same pain and loss that affects everyone at one time or another. But it's clear she is not a victim of that suffering. She does not despair over it and it does not control her.

I asked her, a few days before the party, how it felt to be turning 100 years old, to have experienced so much of the ebb and flow of life.

"I feel just the same as I did before," she said.

She said it smiling.
Kochanny: We did one last hike before the longest day of the year

The longest day of the year has come and passed already in June. If you ask me, though, this past Monday is when time began to stand still.
AstraZeneca and MedImmune are linking with the University of Michigan and Eli Lilly in a project aiming to identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The RPC2 consortium will combine extensive clinical and molecular data collected by the Universitys Professor Matthias Kretzler and stored on a renal database with the R&D expertise of the pharma firms to advance research in the area.

The consortium will access the database to explore key pathways that drive disease progression and identify potential new targets for medicines, and members can investigate targets of interest independently.

CKD affects more than 200 million people worldwide, but currently there are no curative treatments to stop kidney deterioration in patients aside from kidney transplantation.

We have to find ways to bring new therapies to our patients faster, said Prof Kretzler. The RPC2 gives us the opportunity to combine large-scale clinical and molecular data exploration with the development expertise of the pharmaceutical industry.

Marcus Schindler, head of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Innovative Medicines Unit at AZ, said joining the consortium represents a great step forward in our aspiration to become a leader in the treatment of CKD.

We believe that knowledge generated in the consortium will lead to an expansion of our portfolio with targets that have a strong patient-based foundation.

The Anglo-Swedish drugs giant is already in an alliance with the University in which targets from its cardiovascular and metabolic disease portfolio are validated for their potential in treating CKD.
Opinion / Columnist

The confusion and misunderstandings currently taking place in the opposition, MDC led by Welshman Ncube, depicts how that party is heading towards its political grave.Ncube has been attacked by members of his political party for his autocratic tendencies that he is presently exhibiting. Watching the proceedings in that MDC, reports have it that Ncube expelled his former secretary-general, Moses Mzila-Ndlovu accusing him of incompetence among other issues.The MDC leader has shown his true colours that he is a poor leader. As it stands, the definition of a poor leader can best be described by Ncube's activities. Quoted in a local daily press, Ndlovu rightly noted that his dismissal from the party by Ncube was a hallmark of a dictatorial style of administration since dictators do not want consensus but only want their views endorsed.Following Mzila-Ndlovu expulsion it is clear to see how Ncube's road is mapped directly to the realm of dictatorship.As a leader, Ncube should be transparent in all his activities. However, this is contrary with most opposition party leadership. Ncube is accused of lack of financial clarity by his party members. It is imperative for all party leaders to leave clean lives so that they are get the trust and respect they deserve from their supporters. Because of his crooked leadership, Ncube is being disregarded by his party members. MDC party members openly declared that their political future was no longer in the hands of Welshman Ncube.If Ncube is able to read between the lines, it's high time he passes the baton stick to the next person before it's too late. One would wonder if Ncube can lead the entire nation if he is failing to direct a political party.It is disgraceful that Ncube has never known peace in political life. From the onset of its formation, the MDC party has been struggling to make its ends meet. Ncube's lack of political judgement has always led his party in disarray. It is unfortunate that Ncube fails to realize his blunders which are affecting the growth of that opposition party.The stage at which Ncube's dictatorial control is at, can destroy that MDC forever. MDC members should desist from such type of leaders who only think of enriching themselves at the expense of expanding the party.Also, Ncube has been criticized for nepotism. Nepotism in a political party has many consequences in party activities. For MDC to survive, Ncube should do away with nepotism. How can he appoint new members without any party history to big positions in that party's national executive?It is saddening that active party officials are seen as a threat by this MDC leader. Ncube's failure to appreciate the significance of other party members is one of the major causes of the downfall of the MDC. As a political leader, Ncube should ensure that he engages his executive before jumping into conclusion. In other words, Ncube could have borrowed his idea of autocratic ruling from his former boss, Morgan Tsvangirai.No wonder why Mzila-Ndlovu said Ncube was running MDC like a tuck shop. On a serious note, a person cannot do the whole shopping in tuck shop. The same applies with Ncube's MDC. One cannot safely declare that MDC is a home to stay.Some reports have it that Ncube was planning to purge more individuals being accused of destabilizing that opposition party before it holds its congress. In actual fact, Ncube could be dismissing his party members who are much competent so that he will remain unchallenged at their party congress.By virtue of being a professor, Ncube's reasoning capacity should be sharp. Why then is the man failing to watch the space and act rightly. If Ncube's level of education is affecting him politically, it's high time he leaves that field and look for other avenues of surviving.Greedy and overzealous politicians cannot stand a chance in Zimbabwe's political arena. Truth be told, there is no vibrant opposition party in Zimbabwe. Most opposition leaders exist not because they are committed politicians but because they are in a profession. However, becoming a politician is far from being the only way into a career in politics.
Opinion / Columnist

Bearing in mind that at the signing of Sino-Soviet relations soon after the World War 11 China made a declaration: "After the founding of the People's Republic, the Chinese leadership was concerned above all with ensuring national security, consolidating power, and developing the economy. The foreign policy course China chose in order to translate these goals into reality was to form an international united front with the Soviet Union and other socialist nations against the United States and Japan. Although for a time Chinese leaders may have considered trying to balance Sino-Soviet relations with ties with Washington, by mid1949 Mao Zedong declared that China had no choice but to "lean to one side"--meaning the Soviet side." ( see Country Studies.us/china/128.htm)On-going Presidential electoral processes in the United States of America have a bearing on world politics and in particular its impact on the current and future African foreign relations in consolidation of her sovereignty, independence and freedom. America is a democracy and as such, political parties' contestations center on achievable economic and ideological perspectives than sheer hopes and wishes narrative. I make a brief comparative study of America and Sino-Soviet relations and the impact it has on African political behavior on foreign policy formulations. Has, for example African tyrannical tendencies any bearing from foreign influence and if so who?Watching American electoral processes, no doubt one sees the dynamism demonstrated in the freedom of speech at its highest displaying the maturity political processes take even though naivety has its moments occasionally. Both humour and seriousness characterises the American political democratic processes. The conclusion is in contrasting the dry humour typical prevalent in African politics except for threats and punishment on opposition political parties including harsh punitive actions of arrests and jailing of opponents.One asks a relevant question: Is what happens in western democratic processes foreign to Africa and its leadership or is it simply that fear of defeat overwhelms political leaders on the African continent making them resort to Chimpanzees and guerilla warfare tactics to win than follow free and fair electoral process?Today in the United States of America unperceived but overwhelming preliminary victory of Bernie Sanders as an independent democrat against Hillary Clinton baffles good judgement and experience on best practices in governance. Speaking so much on revolution as a weapon for change raises eyebrows on American philosophy of liberty and freedom. Could it be that this is the polishing of democratic democrats from outside to within in order to accommodate and improve Sino-Soviet relations? Doubtful as this may appear on face value, the American society is changing. In his address of 10 February 2016 on CNN television to his hometown constituency of Illinois in the General Assembly President Obama admits that American politics is tough regretting though at the ugly hand of mistrust between American parties that still looms in the background. Race relations have their ugly hand also.The perception on change in the world everywhere by the young generation standards today is a slow process. American political system thrives on competition and efficient employment of labour and capital. American capitalist system depends on the strength of rule of law and support of the New York Wall Street money merchants. Is Bernie Sanders realistic to promise people to fight and put down capitalism from its foundations or are we missing something in the narration? This though is very interesting to African people who must be eager to see radical change in a western economy.American democratic culture has further developed a capitalist niche called super packs' in politics. Suffice, to say the dynamics of intra-political conflicts against economic control of power is an advantage used by those with interests in supporting presidential candidates. Ironically, super packs preserve a system that thrives on safeguarding inequalities. In the context of the above , are super packs' not a better way to deal with reality check on fast tracking development towards employment creation using the same money owners to cooperate with government? It is debatable and could be pro-development. China, for example, has created money but has not achieved the high mark on human respect and freedoms which stages are haunting Africa still in her choice of economic alliance and foreign relations policy formulations.Rather difficult position to swallow when looked at from a formerly colonized and disadvantaged country, but, however, realistic to agree that it suggests that more money creates a more jobs situation pushing for equality by creating more and better wage earning jobs. The concern is whether a revolution can be sweet and enjoyable when radically displacing haves' with have-nots'? Has this not caused worry over the destabilization of a democracy? The balance is what lacks in order to gear an economy for growth under a safeguarded transition.Invariably a one-man government for many years is neither a choice of the suffering Africans either. The painful reality of African-western foreign relations is that unlike western nations where debate sharpen prudence in national decision making processes, Africa thrives on suppression of opinions and views against the government of the day. Africa has few choices on foreign friends. For a start, she prematurely disengaged herself from former colonies without having developed a better negotiations stance in her foreign and economic development policies. Today she gasps in desperation meandering between Sino-Soviet, American and European foreign relations strategies.It is strange that even though both China and Russia hate western control they have a permanent seat at the UN while they cannot ask the same for Africa. Africa is pushing for permanent seat at the UN with great difficult because she has no consensus on who can be that country. In my opinion, the push to come out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) again confirms the fears of African citizens on bad governance intention by African governments from this move. One feature of Sino-Soviet poor influence on Africa is the lack of respect for human rights. Arrest, detentions and possibly death for political detainees is common in China and Russia same as in Africa.Although evidence on internal interference by western nations into African political violent states is and was an open secret, African leaders regrettably, appear unable to learn anything from repeated evidence of bad history. Foreign relations has been used as a defense tool for attacking than a lobbying device to pave the way for better understanding based on mutual respect. When both Mugabe and Gaddaffi were installed Chairmen of the AU, they both made it a practice to castigate other world leaders under UN pretext. This was and is bad diplomatic relations practice.The question though is whether such frontal attacks on western leaders improved relations among African, American and European nations or made it worse. An American European coalition responded by attacking Libya dictator Gaddafi enabling citizens of that country to trigger serious civil war still simmering than quelling today. One of the salient features therefore of Robert Mugabe and Maummar Gaddafi foreign policy collaboration was that they precipitated mature democracies to protect brutality meted on Libyans who were lobbying against Gaddafi savagery from both inside and outside.Africa has to learn to choose smart diplomats as leaders who strategically promote their nations and African Union affairs than putting second-rate failures that are running down their economies and ill-treat citizens. Political democratic processes such as recently demonstrated through Tanzania national elections displayed maturity in internal political party dialogues. Permission for international observers marked a strong departure from politics of fear characteristically a dictatorial content.In 2013 American junior Central Intelligence Agent technician unlawfully withheld national valuable security information and voluntarily surrendered himself in the hands of the archenemy of America, Russia. The story of Edward Snowden become world news headlines and remained for a while until it died a natural' death. Edward Snowden is a youth trusted then with sensitive information on his country of birth.America is changing gradually and not dramatic as voters may anticipate from tones of campaigners in 2016. The only fear is that American youths may fall victims into the hands of Sino-Soviet demagogy literature deliberately placed to attract traction and destabilization. The worry is once they are in that network it may be difficult since all nature of revolutionary cabbage may resonate with its fury accomplishment. Race relations escalating crisis of violent outbursts depicts the world influence from what is surrounding us. Americans aught do their best avoiding words too strong for their political culture?Could the surging of Bernie Sanders as an independent democrat in Presidential contestation be a tribute to President Valdmir Putin of Russia for great counter-intelligence through none political American population to draw back western civilization founded on capitalism? It is without explanations and bad coincidence that Snowden sought Russia as his domicile for asylum. Changes in American political perceptions among the semi-literate population could be to trigger American downfall in influence. The world has become a battle for emotional intelligence dividing the world into east and West influencing ideological centers.Africa at independence in the 1960s urged for 100% alignment to western nations by virtue of cultural and economic dependence. Africa has, however, since sought disengagement from western influence through a none-alignment policy. Non-alignment initiatives were then eastern bloc Nations efforts to reduced western influence in the world while strengthening its collective bargaining authority at world bodies such as United Nations.China, more than Russia, has made inroads investing on Sino-African partnership in railway lines; mining technology and reducing African IMF debt through soft loans. No doubt, a strong and promising foreign relations pack is growing between Africa and Sino-Soviet bloc that keeps reducing European and American influence on the continent. Time will tell how Russia in particular want to contest for world supremacy and political control and influence on Africa and the Middle East against American and European nations.Ten years ago, Russia was insignificant in the Middle East political equation unlike today where Russia involvement in peace brokerage is a prerequisite for ceasing hostility. Russia though has no record of developing new nations. Self-management discipline than sheer dependence for the sake of it proves why Africa compared, for example to Malaysia is still poor. Africa is growing dependent on Sino-Soviet foreign policy hoping to build strong independent economies away from western nations influence.
Opinion / Columnist

The much awaited explosive ZANU PF, politburo meeting came and it passed without much of the anticipated drama as some sections of the media and the revolutionary party's protagonists made us to believe.If the general public was made to believe a storm was brewing in the ZANU PF camp and needed to brace up for thrilling political action, what more of those sponsoring the agenda? Certainly there is no pay for the parrots of regime change as ZANU PF defy the odds.Clearly someone is betting on their opinion than facts that lay bare on the ground for one to simply dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s. Rumours and corridor talks will not make the opposition grow spine rather they are exposing them of a heightened political desperation of just bad wishing ZANU PF.It is no secret that the electorate has eyes, ears and above all sound memory that will aid on their decision making once in the ballot box.However, if there is anything fascinating in Zimbabwean politics it is the disintegrated opposition. In their respective camps they know ZANU PF is too big for any of them standing alone. The idea of a coalition was then mooted with an overdrive of zeal to oust ZANU PF. This was regardless of their diverse political background, ideologies, luck and misfortunes.A miracle is thus one thing that will make Zimbabweans see this coalition. It will however be one of its kind; oxymoronic. If by chance it happens to see the day of light, pardon me, the world can brace for a "satanic-messiah". This is not to be blasphemous noble readers.The opposition is dotted just like tuck shops. They know that, save for the near focused lances which deceives them to think only Welshman Ncube's MDC establishment resembles a tuck-shop. The idea is no comprehensive shopping can be done at a tuck-shop. The establishments are for convenient purposes and nothing more. There ought to be a one stop shop for the electorate with clear cut indigenous beneficiation.The idea of buying a cigarette here and a lighter on the next tuck shop is an unnecessary hustle. An amalgamation of the entities is equally impractical given the insatiable appetite for personal profits of these tuck-shop operators.In a nutshell Zimbabwe is poised to have a plethora of these political mis-projections for politicking as the opposition is evidently not prepared to offer the nation any meaningful business.There might be drama at ZANU PF but significant strides towards the well being of its electorate can be traced right to its headquarters. For the opposition to get carried away that ZANU PF will one day self destruct is unyielding stubborn faith.Of course many have been thrown out of ZANU PF on most cases for over estimating their influence. The party can shake thereafter but not crumble as is the case of many other sprouting political parties speaking with a borrowed accent.To then craft insensible propaganda which by the after event leaves no iota of evidence indexical to what is actually transpiring on the ground bears a severe backlash on the opposition.The electorate cannot waste time to come out in the open and say but you lied to the politicians, rather they understand the power of their vote. Because of their complacency the leaders of the conveyer belts of lies after losing the election they then tout of the rigging mantra.The rigging element is only mentioned at the helm of leadership not the electorate. Surprisingly the electorate rarely talk avidly of this tired election excuse. Thus the leaders are perhaps the ones rigging people's opinion.The pattern of events is clear since the emergence of MDC in the late 90s. It is however, time the opposition make themselves useful by initiating working alternatives than undoing every government effort and cheering ZANU PF in-house misunderstandings with the hope it will yield on their part.Zimbabweans are tired of opportunistic politicking with no candid beneficiation on the electorate.
Opinion / Columnist

Moses Chamboko is a pro-democracy activist and interim Secretary General for Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE). He can be contacted on chambokom@zunde.org or info@zunde.org

"My generation has played its part, at times not as well as we should have. It is now time for a new generation to take over". This is paraphrased from the late Masipula's Sithole's Struggles within the Struggle (rest in eternal peace talented but humble professor), a very incisive account of contradictions that characterised our struggle for independence.To imagine that it was way back in 1977 when Ndabaningi Sithole realised that time for a new generation had come, sounds weird in 2016, nearly 40 years later, given that a key player from that "expired" generation is still in charge of our affairs today, President Robert Mugabe.What prompts me to reflect on Struggles within the Struggle are the incessant squabbles in ZANU PF as it becomes increasingly evident that the sunset is nigh. However, the opposition must not be gullible to the extent of being excited by these spats some of which are quite deceptive and well-choreographed. ZANU PF has always existed in turbulent environments but never collapsed. However, this is not to say it cannot collapse.Kenneth Kaunda, in 1975, was so frustrated with fierce friction and power struggles in ZANU that culminated in Chitepo's assassination to the extent that he ultimately lost his patience and sent the wolves packing. Fortunately for those implicated in the assassination, Samora Machel was there to accommodate them and give them a second chance.However, while in Mozambique, Struggles within the Struggle continued unabated especially around 1977 when a junior cadre was propelled to the highest level of the movement. The ultimate prize of these infights was Josiah Tongogara's life (rest in eternal peace our gallant and luminary hero). Interestingly but rather ominously, there was public admission or at least speculation by one of the two vice presidents recently that General Tongo did not die in a car accident as widely reported. This, coming from a protagonist whose close relationship with the late general is a matter of public record, cannot be simply wished away or ignored.The intention of this reflection is never to open old wounds. Rather, it is to give some context and historical perspective to ZANU PF's current infighting. From inception in 1963 to the present day, one person has consistently benefitted from these internal fissures. When analysts including Ibbo Mandaza, argue that Mugabe actually enjoys the current melee in his party, I think we should take them seriously.In the lead-up to the meeting of Wednesday 10 February 2016, which was called crunch politburo by several analysts and media houses, one would have thought that finally, gloves were going to come off. Alas, it all turned out to be a dummy, nothing but a well-planned Women's League rally which ended up with a light closed door discussion on social media, Mugabe's AU guff as well as his upcoming birthday in what was expected to be an explosive politburo meeting.If somebody was too scared to mention the economic crisis, they should have, at least, reminded King Herod and his aides about something called ZimAsset. Zimbabweans do not eat slogans or insults. A bold statement on how to fix the economic crisis and some feedback or progress report on the so-called mega deals with the Chinese, would have been appropriate.Instead, the whole fiasco simply degenerated into a praise-singing platform with Sarah Mahoka snatching the Oscar award for being the most entertaining moron of the day. Who needs Cde Chinos when Madam Sarah is around? True to form, for now, Oppah has been ditched and it's Sarah in the ring. When it suits them, Oppah, Mahofa or somebody else will be recycled. In the meantime, the emperor will still be in power. Didymus Mutasa once said that Bob had an exceptional talent in winning checkers (tsoro) while in prison. He is still doing the same today, in real life.The supersonic swing of allegiance by George Charamba from G40 to Team Lacoste is not an accidental development. President Mugabe is keeping a cunning balance between opposing forces in ZANU PF so that he remains a key central player until he drops dead on the job, exactly his grand plan. He is least worried about the morning after.It was interesting to hear the Nutty Professor proclaiming allegiance "to the appointing authority" having "learnt my lesson in 2004". One thing for certain is that Jonathan Moyo is not foolish, not at all. I personally told some of my colleagues that politburo was going to be business as usual after following a few of Jonso's defiant tweets. Indeed, Mugabe at his very best! Hapana bofu rinoti ita uone risina charakatsika kana kufumbata. Moyo's current mantra "Handei tione!" shows that he is stepping or leaning on something. Chris Mutsvangwa has his assurances too.Therefore, the opposition movement must not at all fall for this deception and start celebrating ZANU PF's crumble or implosion prematurely. Instead, we must strategise, strategise and strategise in order to be fully prepared for 2018. A key component or consideration for such strategy must be speedy construction of an effective coalition or at least convergence cognisant of the fact that time is running out. Those who think they can do it alone, aren't aware of the height of the mountain to be climbed!As we speak, ZANU PF is already in election mode part of which is putting in place rigging mechanisms. Let's not read too much into their sideshows and start focusing on what really matters most. Come 2018, all feuding parties in ZANU PF will suddenly start pulling in the same direction with the view to win or snatch another term of office. An interesting but rather controversial Herald columnist who has suddenly changed his "Bondi or revolutionary tone", captured this very well when he recently said that if not threatened by anybody, ZANU PF is always fighting itself but will instinctively regroup for survival. This is true, and very true.Like siblings or baboons, when they are on their own, they always fight amongst themselves. Let there be an intruder, invader or outsider, they quickly team up and fight collectively to survive. This, ZANU PF has done in the past and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. The opposition must know this by now. Mugabe is a fox, a typical fox.
TRENTON - Gov. Christie said Thursday that he had requested federal aid to help New Jersey respond to the storm that brought flooding and record snowfall late last month.

In a statement, Christie said he had requested aid for 17 of New Jersey's 21 counties, including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, and Cumberland. The storm was particularly damaging in Cape May County Shore towns.

"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected county and local governments, and that federal assistance is necessary to supplement the efforts and available resources of state, county, and local governments and disaster relief organizations," Christie said.

His office said the storm had left up to 30 inches of snow in parts of the state and caused 270,000 power outages, as well as flooding from a storm surge. It caused $82.6 million in damage in the affected counties, the governor's office said.

Christie faced criticism when the storm hit in late January. While campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in New Hampshire, he first said he would not come home to New Jersey for the weekend storm, then changed his mind.

When he returned to New Hampshire, a young woman at a town-hall meeting asked the governor why he was campaigning there while New Jersey was still cleaning up. She said relatives in New Jersey had reported flooding "all over the state."

"All over the state?" Christie responded with mock seriousness. "There's been one county that's flooded in the state; that was Cape May County."

He added, "I don't know what you expect me to do. You want me to go down there with a mop?"

Christie faced criticism over the remark and later played it down as a joke He withdrew from the race this week.

aseidman@phillynews.com

856-779-3846 @AndrewSeidman
LOS ANGELES, CA  Many of this years presidential candidates are descending on South Carolina this week, and superstar Allie Haze will be there to welcome them with one of the finest stage acts in the country.



Friday night there will be a drawing to win a dinner date with Haze for the following night. Theyll be going to an undisclosed four-star restaurant for what is sure to be a five-star experience.



We are going to have a blast this weekend in Myrtle Beach, Haze said. Between the dancing and the date, this is going to be an unforgettable experience for me and some lucky fan!



Strip Club Weekly recently published an interview with Haze that praised her feature act.



Allie Haze is a carnival of non-stop thrills, the publication stated. She just might do anything at anytime, so the best way to understand just how incredible her shows are is just to flat-out experience it. One part girl next door, one part who knows what will happen next!



Allie Haze will be at The Master February 12-13. The club is located at 1901 Mr. Joe White Ave, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577; call 843-916-0972 for more information.
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Inaugural Unibet Poker UK Tour Brighton Kicks Off Friday, February 12

February 11, 2016 Matthew Pitt Editor

Head to the Rendezvous Casino Brighton this weekend and you'll find it packed to the rafters with poker players looking to become the first-ever champion of the Unibet Poker UK Tour.

For 200+20, players in the inaugural Unibet Poker 2016 UK Tour Brighton Main Event receive 25,000 chips and have the opportunity to compete for a share of a prize pool guaranteed at 40,000. Two starting flights are available, one at 7:00 p.m. on February 12, with the second and final Day 1 commencing at 1:00 p.m. on February 13. The tournament concludes on February 14 after a 1:00 p.m. kick off.

The Main Event is played to a reentry format, which means anyone busting on either Day 1a or Day 1b can reenter and take another shot at glory. Alternatively, players can opt to play on both starting flights and take their largest stack through to the final day on February 14.

Speaking of hosting the opening stop of the Unibet Poker 2016 UK Tour, the Venue Director at Rendezvous Casino said: "We were thrilled to get such an overwhelmingly positive response to the poker tournament launch event last month at the Red Lounge. It has set us up as the number one destination for poker in Brighton and the South East. All eyes are now on this weekend's Unibet Poker main event which features a phenomenal 40,000 guaranteed prizepool. With such high stakes on offer, Rendezvous Casino Brighton will offer the biggest buzz in town."

Tour Heads to Nottingham, Glasgow, and Manchester

Alea Casino in Nottingham is the next venue to play host to the new Unibet Poker 2016 UK Tour with this leg scheduled for April 15-17. Like all other legs, entry is 200+20, the starting stack is 25,000, and play revolves around a 40-minute clock.

Following the Nottingham leg is a return to the Rendezvous Casino from June 3-5, then the tour heads north of the border to Alea Casino Glasgow (October 7-9), before calling Manchester235 home from December 2-4.

Grab a Free 4 Qualifier Ticket

All new Unibet Poker customers from the United Kingdom receive a free 4 qualifier ticket for the fledgling tour in addition to the usual welcome bonus. Download Unibet Poker via PokerNews and you receive a bonus of up to 200.

The bonus releases into your account balance once you hit certain rake milestones, as shown in the table below:

Level Rake Cash reward Reward % 1 2 1 50% 2 10 4 40% 3 50 15 30% 4 150 40 27% 5 588 140 25%

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For the last year or so, the Washington Post has been gathering data on fatal police shootings of civilians. Commentators have taken the Posts data as evidence that the police are gunning down unarmed blacks out of implicit bias. But a close examination of the Posts findings presents a more complicated picture of policing and casts doubt on the notion that these shootings were driven by race.

The Post began its police shootings project in response to the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The results: As of Jan. 15, the Post had documented 987 persons killed in police shootings in 2015, about twice the number historically recorded by federal agencies. Whites were 50 percent of the fatalities, and blacks were 26 percent. By comparison, whites are 62 percent of the U.S. population, and blacks, 13 percent. The ensuing debate has largely centered on whether the disproportionate number of black deaths is a result of police racism or the relatively high rate of crime in black neighborhoods, which brings black men into more frequent, and more fraught, encounters with the police.

Last August the Post focused its research on shootings of "unarmed" black men, who the paper said were seven times more likely than unarmed white men to die by police gunfire. The article noted that 24 of the 60 unarmed deaths up to that date  some 40 percent  were of black men, helping to explain "why outrage continues to simmer a year after Ferguson." By years end, there were 36 unarmed black men (and two black women) and 31 unarmed white men (and one white woman) among the total of 987 persons killed by police. The rate at which unarmed black men were more likely than unarmed white men to die by police gunfire had dropped, but was still six-to-one.

But the numbers dont tell the whole story. It is worth looking at the specific cases included in the Posts "unarmed victim" classification in some detail, since that category is the most politically explosive. The unarmed label is literally accurate, but it frequently fails to convey highly-charged policing situations. In a number of cases, if the deceased ended up being unarmed, it was certainly not for lack of trying. At least five black suspects had reportedly tried to grab the officers gun, or had been beating the cop with his own equipment. Some were shot from an accidental discharge triggered by their own assault on the officer. And two individuals included in the Posts unarmed black victims category were struck by stray bullets aimed at someone else in justified cop shootings. If the persons killed were not the intended targets, then racism could have played no role in their deaths.

In one of those unintended cases, an undercover cop from the New York Police Department was conducting a gun sting in Mount Vernon, just north of New York City. One of the gun traffickers jumped into the cops car, stuck a pistol to his head, grabbed $2,400 and fled. The officer gave chase and opened fire after the thief again pointed his gun at him. Two of the officers bullets accidentally hit a 61-year-old bystander, killing him. That older man happened to be black, but his race had nothing to do with his tragic death.

Unfortunately, innocent blacks like the elderly Mount Vernon man probably do face a higher chance of getting shot by stray police fire than innocent whites. But that is because violent crime in their neighborhoods is so much higher. The per capita shooting rate in Brownsville, Brooklyn, with its legacy of poverty and crime, is 81 times higher than in working-class Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, a few miles away, according to the New York Police Department. This exponentially higher rate of gun violence means that the police will be much more intensively deployed in Brownsville, trying to protect innocent residents and gangbangers alike from shootings. If the police are forced to open fire, in rare instances a police bullet will go astray and hit a bystander. That is tragic, but that innocents chance of getting shot by the police is dwarfed by his chance of getting shot by criminals.

Other unarmed blacks in the Posts database were so fiercely resisting arrest, judging from press accounts, that the officers involved could reasonably have viewed them as posing a grave danger. In October 2015, a San Diego officer was called to a Holiday Inn in nearby Point Loma, after hotel employees ejected a man causing a disturbance in the lobby. The officer approached a male casing cars in the hotels parking lot. The suspect jumped the officer and both fell to the ground. The officer tried to Tase the man, hitting himself as well. The suspect repeatedly tried to wrench the officers gun from its holster, according to news reports, and continued assaulting the officer after both had stood up. Fearing for his life, the officer shot the man.

It is hard to see how race entered into that encounter. Someone who tries for an officers gun must be presumed to have the intention to use it.

Read Complete Article at the Marshall Project.
The FBI arrested 46 current and former correction officers who worked at nine facilities in Georgia Thursday, as a result of a two-year undercover operation.

The indictments revealed "staggering corruption within Georgia Department of Corrections institutions," said John Horn, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

Among those arrested were five members of an elite squad aimed at busting up drug dealing in prison, called the Cobra unit. Also rounded up in the bust were two civilians and one inmate, CNN reports.

The probe found that prison guards and staff were smuggling contraband such as liquor, tobacc,o and cell phones into the cell blocks for money. Inmates used the illegal cell phones to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft.

Officers are also charged with using their badges to facilitate drug deals on either side of the prison wall. The trafficking is said to include multiple kilos of cocaine and meth in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe money.
Image: NLEOMF

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund today released the following statement from CEO Craig Floyd:

Seven law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in as many days, six shot, underscoring the danger faced by the men and women who work to protect us all. This is tragic news for these officers, their families and the departments in which they served. Each was doing their job. Each played a vital role in their community. Each will be greatly missed.

This news is shocking. I cannot recall any time in recent years when six law enforcement professionals have been murdered by gunfire in multiple incidents in a single week. Already this year there have been eight officers shot and killed, compared to just one during the same period last year and represents a very troubling trend.

Hopefully, this serves as a stark reminder that there are some 900,000 law enforcement officers who go out every day and put their lives at risk for the safety and welfare of others. They have earned our respect and gratitude. We must now strengthen our resolve as a nation to always honor and remember the fallen, provide much needed support to the surviving family members, and do everything possible to make it safer for those officers who continue to serve.

Yesterday in Clayton County (GA), Major Greg Barney of the Riverdale (GA) Police Department was shot and killed while assisting the Clayton County (GA) Police Department execute a no-knock drug warrant at a house. Major Barney was working the exterior of the house when the suspect exited through the rear. The suspect shot Major Barney and was then shot by Clayton County police officers. Major Barney was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. He is the eighth officer to have been shot and killed in 2016 and the first peace officer fatality from the state of Georgia this year.

Also yesterday, Fargo (ND) Police Officer Jason Moszer died of a gunshot wound sustained the previous day. Officer Moszer responded to a domestic disturbance call and the suspect was armed. While on the perimeter of the scene, Officer Moszer sustained a single gunshot wound, which eventually took his life. Officer Moszer is the seventh law enforcement officer to have been shot and killed in 2016 and the first law enforcement officer fatality in the state of North Dakota this year.

On Wednesday, two Harford County (MD) Sheriff's Deputies were shot and killed after responding to a call about a suspicious person at a local restaurant. Deputy Patrick Dailey, the first killed, engaged the suspect at a table in the restaurant. The suspect pulled a gun and shot the deputy with no warning. Deputy Dailey is the fifth law enforcement officer shot and killed in 2016 and the first from the state of Maryland. The second, Deputy Mark Logsdon, was killed by the suspect as he fled after shooting Deputy Dailey. Deputy Logsdon is the sixth law enforcement officer to die of gunshot wounds in 2016 and the second from the state of Maryland this year.

Mesa County (CO) Deputy Sheriff Derek Greer died from gunshot wounds he received on Tuesday in Grand Junction (CO) while questioning a young man who was reported by citizens to be armed. During the interaction, the suspect pulled out his handgun and shot Deputy Greer several times, despite being tasered by the deputy. Deputy Greer is the fourth officer killed by gunfire in 2016 and the first from the state of Colorado.

Tulare County (CA) Deputy Sheriff Scott Ballantyne and a civilian pilot died yesterday in a plane crash. They were assisting deputies in the apprehension of a suspect when the aircraft lost altitude and crashed into a mountain. Deputy Ballantyne is the first officer to die in an airplane crash in 2016 and the first officer fatality from the state of California.

On February 5, Seaside (OR) Police Sergeant Jason Goodding was shot and killed while he and his partner were serving an arrest warrant. The officers approached the suspect on the street after recognizing him as someone with an outstanding felony warrant. After resisting arrest and being tasered, the suspect shot Sergeant Goodding three times. His partner shot and injured the shooter. Sgt. Goodding is the third officer to be shot and killed in 2016 and the first law enforcement fatality from the state of Oregon this year.

About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund built and now operates and maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 20,538 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now building the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.
Cris Martinez chose to make IPT two-way batteries part of the Murrietta PD's communications upgrade.

Southern California agencies have had ongoing issues when transmitting critical information to dispatchers due to antiquated systems, poor reception, and even dead radio batteries.

With its population increasing more than 69%, Chief Sean Hadden of the Murrieta (CA) Police Department tasked Capt. Dennis Vrooman and Cris Martinez, Training and Radio Systems Administrator, with improving communications. Ultimately they chose the County of Riverside's new Public Safety Enterprise Communications (PSEC) digital system. Because Murrieta borders other areas handled by Riverside County Sheriff's, now seamless interoperability between agencies was possible.

Next, Murrieta PD assessed its two-way radios. Their original Motorola backbone was reliable, but they needed a quad band radio platform. Martinez selected Harris Unity XG100 full spectrum radios.

These upgrades were paramount to protecting personnel. However, although the agency was happy overall with the Harris radios, they wanted the batteries to last longer.

"I found Impact Power Technologies (IPT) and tested their batteries, along with a few other companies'," said Martinez. "We quickly determined that IPT's batteries lasted about a day-and-a-half longer than the Harris batteries."

Martinez recommended Murrieta convert to IPT, contingent on three things: The batteries must cost the same or less than the OEMs, include a city logo label, and deliver in bulk for immediate deployment. IPT easily accommodated all three.

Martinez stated, "The customer service was outstanding. And the savings from IPT as compared to other vendors allowed us to buy double the batteries and 50% more chargers. We definitely got more for our moneyand more performance, too."

Murrieta officers no longer needed to swap out batteries until the end of their second day's shift. As a result, Martinez referred IPT to other nearby agencies including the Indio and Hemet Police Departments, and the Riverside Sheriff's Department.

About Impact Power Technologies

Headquartered in Braintree, MA, Impact Power Technologies (IPT) LLC, designs and manufactures portable power products for land mobile communications, bar code scanners, UPS systems, and portable printers. IPT's mission is to provide the highest quality control and customer support in the industry. IPT's proprietary Lithium Polymer and Lithium Ion chemistries, combined with their exclusive Battery Management System (BMS), guarantee the maximum runtime, recharges, and lifespan. IPT's engineers can custom-design battery solutions for almost any need. IPT's Technology Center in Stuart, FL, works with ISO-9001, QS-9000 certified production partners in the United States, Asia, and Taiwan. www.impactpowertech.com
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Hillary Clinton isnt messing around when it comes to taking on Republican efforts to harm African Americans.

After earning the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to take on issues facing African Americans, including the epidemic of gun violence, Republicans disenfranchising voters and rolling back voting rights and reforming the criminal justice system.

2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in a statement that the stakes couldnt be higher in this election, African Americans cant wait for solutionsthey need results now. We need a President who can stand up to the Republicans and win.

The former New York Senator vowed, Ill take on the gun lobby to address the epidemic of gun violence. Ill take on the Republicans who are disenfranchising voters and rolling back voting rights. And I pledge a new and comprehensive commitment to equity and opportunity for communities of color. That means reforming our criminal justice system and rebuilding the bonds of trust between our communities and our law enforcement officials.

Clinton also noted, But it also means making major new investments to create jobs, to make it easier to start and grow a small business, to end redlining in housing, and to build reliable public transit systems.

Saying she was honored to have the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, which has been fighting for enduring progress for almost 50 years, Clinton added, I have been proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my close friends in the CBC in these fights. As a Senator from New York, I partnered with CBC members on bills to ban racial profiling, prosecute hate crimes, and promote equal pay for women. As Secretary of State, I created the Global Diaspora Forum, which helps Americans of African descent build partnerships with the countries their ancestors came from.

This endorsement from the CBC highlights one of the challenges 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders will face going forward, especially in states like South Carolina. The Clintons have not only a long history with African Americans, but a widely-known history with African Americans. Senator Sanders, who also has a record of working for civil rights, will need to prove himself to the voters on this issue.

After a rocky few days, Hillary Clinton nailed this. The Democratic base likes Clinton the best when shes fighting Republican efforts to dismantle rights.
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A new poll revealed that Bernie Sanders has erased Hillary Clintons double-digit lead and the race in Nevada is tied at 45%-45%.

A Washington Free Beacon/TargetPoint poll showed the candidates tied at 45% in Nevada, and Hillary Clinton leading 34%-32% among those who have definitely made up their minds. This is a conservative poll, so they asked which candidate was most honest and trustworthy. Sanders led Clinton 52%-29%. On the question of which candidates cares more about people like you, Sanders led Clinton 49%-36%. Sanders also led Clinton 49%-36% on the question of which candidate was more progressive.

The poll also found that Hillary Clintons paid speeches to the big banks have the potential to do her great harm. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said the speeches made it less likely that they would support her. The survey was conducted by landline and mobile phone with 1,269 likely Democratic caucusgoers based on a modeled list of registered Democratic voters.

A conservative polling company and a conservative media organization have ample motive to produce a poll that boosts Bernie Sanders and shows Hillary Clinton running weak in Nevada. (Republicans are dying to run against Bernie Sanders). This poll should be taken with a serious grain of salt. However, there is some evidence of growing Sanders momentum in Nevada. The Sanders campaign has been advertising and organizing in the state for months. The results in Iowa suggested that the Sanders campaign can effectively organize a caucus.

The Democratic contest is tight. Polling in Nevada is extremely sparse, but a Gravis Marketing Survey done in December had Clinton leading Sanders 50%-27%. The exact numbers of the TargetPoint poll will probably end up being contradicted by future polls, but Sanders has serious national momentum.

The one clear conclusion that can be drawn is that the Democratic race is very close, and it may be a longer expected struggle for whoever wins the nomination.
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Most human beings have personal priorities that affect their personal lives and unless they are dyed-in-the-wool evangelicals, their priorities affect only themselves. The same cannot be said of Republicans, whether in state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, or governors mansions who are in the bad habit of imposing their personal religious priorities on their constituents instead of dealing with problems that are intrinsic with Republican leadership. Plus, religious Republicans are wont to use their personal religious priorities to distract their constituents attention away from reliably failed policies that should prompt any sane human being to crusade tirelessly to get Republicans out of government and into the tax-exempt preacher business to terrify the faithful and control evangelical womens lives.

The latest Republican governors anxious to use their Christian bona fides to distract their residents from bad policies are Ohios John Kasich and Sam Brownback of Kansas. The news out of Ohio on the heels of a second-place finish to big-time wrestling celebrity Donald Trump in New Hampshire is that Kasich is just giddy to sign theocratic legislation defunding Planned Parenthood. In Kansas, Sam Brownback distracted his states residents from his trickle down disaster driving the state deeper in debt every day by making defunding Planned Parenthood a primary topic of his state of the state speech a couple of weeks ago.

Both men have important issues that should be their highest priority, but with an easy target and a superstitious citizenry is so easily distracted, leave it to religious Republicans to take the low road and discount the importance of womens lives; it is, after all, biblical precedent. The big theocratic push to attack women via Planned Parenthood at the state level is solely because the theocrats in Congress are unable to get past a strong womens rights advocate in President Obama. The latest ploy is using legislation to bar Planned Parenthood from participating in a federally-funded program, Medicaid. It is something that Kansas and Ohio learned from five other theocratic Republican legislatures that used religion and hubris to interfere with and control a federal program since last July.

Many Americans complain that these theocratic machinations and ploys to control womens lives is due to a religious organizations highly-edited videos to portray Planned Parenthood in a terrible light, but that is not the case. Oh, may be a really bad excuse, especially after everyone and their dog knows Planned Parenthood was completely exonerated from any wrongdoing, but it is not solely why Republicans are taking action. It is, besides a great distraction and a means of controlling women, recompense for the evangelical vote that keeps failed Republicans in office.

In Ohios case, Republican Governor Kasich feigns high regard for women to distract from his disregard for poisoned residents. He said Im for making sure we have robust funding for womens health and Im going to sign a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, so you shouldnt be confused. When a woman dared mention the myriad other functions provided by Planned Parenthood for womens health, Kasich threw up his hands and walked away, saying, Were done.

Kasich knows that in all of Ohios 27 clinics, only three perform abortions, but the bill, HB 294, defunds all of them because it is an evangelical priority. As state Representative Kathleen Clyde (D) remarked,

This bill uses Planned Parenthood as a stand in punching bag for Ohios women. By passing this bill, Ohio is showing women where they are on the priority list and it shows they are at the bottom. Ms. Clyde likely understands that women rank alongside poisoned Ohioans in Sebring; something also at the bottom of Kasichs priority list.

Ohio has its own very serious water contamination issue regarding lead-tainted water poisoning residents like in Flint Michigan. The issue that should be first and foremost on Republicans and their religious governors priority list is addressing the poisoned water in Sebring; not attacking women by defunding Planned Parenthood. Apparently the pro-life Republicans do not consider existing life worth protecting; it is the same in Kansas.

Sam Brownback is no stranger to distracting residents from disastrous policies with the fetus. In the lead up to the 2014 midterms when Brownback was trailing his Democratic opponent badly, an opponent that over 100 high-ranking Republicans endorsed because of Brownbacks catastrophic trickle down disaster, Brownback brought out his super-secret October surprise; the fetus, and he easily won re-election.

Now, with the state still drowning in revenue shortfalls and Brownback cutting highway, education, healthcare, and child care programs to death, his and Republicans highest priority is defunding Planned Parenthood to both control women and distract the people from noticing the states economy is tanking.

Brownback said, We must keep working to protect our most innocent Kansans, the unborn. We have become the champions of life. Except of course, for the lives of innocent living Kansans who have seen their social programs, including health, nutrition and safety programs, slashed to the bone to preserve Brownbacks trickle down tax cuts for the rich. As an aside, and for what seems like the 200th time, according to Brownbacks own bible, the unborn are not living beings. They are certainly not living beings any more than they are innocent Kansans; they are fetuses.

If this abominable drive toward theocracy, distraction from Republican failings, and dastardly attempt to control women through religion were confined to just one Republican theocracy it would be horrid enough. However, it is a creeping disease infecting nearly every Republican-governed state. And with the GOP controlling a majority of the states, and gaining influence in many more, one would expect that every American with a sister, mother, daughter or wife would stand up and take action; sadly that is not the case.

Republicans may be abject failures in every possible area of governance, but they are masters at distracting their constituency and it extends from local communities to the U.S. Congress. These hideous attacks on womens rights are, to be sure, recompense to evangelicals for their electoral support as much as purpose-driven distractions. However, it is also a concerted effort to control Americas women and perpetuate patriarchy; patriarchy facing an existential threat from half the population that is not easily distracted by theocrats and Republican misogynists.
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Michael Savage is freaked out by Bernie Sanders. He is not alone in this. Republicans of all stripes are freaked out by Sanders and this should not be a surprise when you consider how much the centrist Hillary Clinton freaks them out (of course, her gender is cause enough when it comes to conservatives).

According to Savage, the Sanders revolution will claim the lives of rich white people and the middle class by mobs of you know who. This puts Sanders in good company because they said this about Barack Obama as well.

Which must be why white people like Bernie Sanders so much, right? Go figure. Many of the people whos lives will allegedly be cut short by the Sanders revolution are young people, many of whom are also white.

Numbers vary from poll to poll, but Sanders took the 17-29 demographic 84 percent to 14 percent among Iowa Democrats and led in the same demographic in New Hampshire somewhere around 89 percent to 11 percent.

In fact, Sanders is so popular among young people that Colbert quipped, Its like youre puppy monkey baby. He asked, Why do you think the young ones like you?

Bernie Sanders explained that is is because of what The Daily Caller calls his notion that that American life is corrupt and unfair:

Two reasons. One, by definition young people are idealistic. And they look at a world with so many problems and they say, why not? Why cant all people in this country have healthcare? Why cant we make public colleges and universities tuition free? Why not? The crowd cheers. But the second part that I think young people are thinking about is how does it happen that even with all the technology and productivity and our economy, they are likely to have a lower standard of living than their parents, while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%. Theyre not dumb. Theyre saying, we want a fair share as well.

So young people like Sanders because theyre not dumb. But Republicans see a different puppy monkey baby. Michael Savage shows that dumb does reign among certain segments of the demographic by putting his own spin on Martin Niemollers famous poem:

First they came for the rich, but you were not rich and you did not stand up for the rich; then they came for the middle class, but you didnt stand up for the middle class because you were not even of the middle class; and then when they started to come up for the poor there was no one else to stand up for you because everyone else was taken out.

Maybe Savage is freaked out because Cliven Bundy finally got the jail cell he deserved.

Savages bootlicking is an obscenity. Sanders is a socialist and Martin Niemoller presents socialists as the first of the Nazi victims.

Microphones can be stupid too, according to Donald Trump, in another epic rant, but thats nothing compared to Savages race-baiting:

Obama is pure evil. But hes nothing compared to what Bernie Sanders would do. Savage predicted that Sanders would impose naked communism in this country and use the street gangs that burned down Baltimore, the street gangs that burned down Ferguson, they will use them as government enforcers as sure as Im sitting here, they will deputize them, theyll give them green uniforms and theyll be used to intimidate the middle class as sure as Im sitting here.

Thats right. Bernie Sanders will unleash the race war Obama never did! Because thats how Republicans respond to the idea of giving working class Americans and minorities and equal shot at wealth. Its not just class warfare now, but race war.

And Savages proof that it can happen here?

Well it just happened two weeks ago in Oregon. They shot a man dead in Oregon, the thugs from the federal government  or was it the Oregon state police?  killed a man who was protesting on federal land and no one in the media covered it. You say it cant happen here, it is happening here. It is happening here, little by little by little. Police are being shot like bowling pins throughout the country by you know who, do I have to spell it out for you?

The man in Oregon was an insurrectionist. He had stolen government property, intimidated federal agents, and was armed to boot, and drawing his weapon when he was shot. To use LaVoy Finicum as a an exemplar of the middle class is absurd.

What Finicum was, is an exemplar of the sense of entitlement felt by rich ranchers who want to steal our public lands for their own  not that of the American public  but their own private use.

What Finicum represented was white greed and entitlement, the chorus to this countrys institutionalized racism.

The only people Americans have to worry about are the ones wrapped in an American flag who come Bible in one hand, AR-15 in the other. And those people are not socialists, but conservatives, and Michael Savage is cheering them on.
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Republican senators who had been blocking some Obama State Department nominees for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) handed the presidential candidate a loss by lifting their holds and confirming the nominees.

The Hill reported:

The Senate approved the nominations of Azita Raji to be ambassador to Sweden, Samuel Heins to be an ambassador to Norway and John Estrada to be an ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Brian Egan to be a legal adviser to the State Department and Thomas Shannon to be an under secretary of State for political affairs by a voice vote.

..

Before Friday, Republican senators had blocked each of the nominees on behalf of Cruz, who has been away from Washington.

The Texas Republican has been campaigning in early-voting states, but has pledged to block State Department nominees over the Iran nuclear deal. He is scheduled to campaign in South Carolina on Friday.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, had also been blocking Egans nomination amid his battle with the State Department over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top aides.

Grassley removed his hold after the State Department responded to his requests, so Ted Cruz lost another piece of Senate campaign platform. In reality, this was a move by Senate Republicans to undercut Cruz and demonstrate how much they dont like him.

It would have been impossible to imagine Senate Republicans denying a request made by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) when he was running for the partys nomination in 2008. Cruz has been using the Senate as a media platform for his presidential run since he arrived in Washington. He has nuked bridges with all of his fellow senators. It would be difficult to find a senator who has been less liked than Cruz is by his colleagues in modern history.

Ted Cruz is so disliked that Republicans would rather confirm Obama nominees than do anything to help him win the nomination.
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
Uber Agrees To Settle $28.5M Class-Action Lawsuit Over Safety Claims

Trending News: Uber Just Agreed To Pay Out A Settlement To Roughly 25 Million Customers

Why Is This Important?

Because Uber is paying its users back, but don't expect too much.

Long Story Short

Uber agreed to the largest settlement in the company's history with a $28.5 million class-action lawsuit over safety claims.

Long Story

You might have noticed a flat "safe rides fee" on your Uber ride costing from roughly a buck and some change to as much as $4.50. Well, although safe ride has a nice ring to it, the fee, meant to recoup the company for driver background checks on drivers and 24/7 support, has been ruled to be misleading  sort of like the word "home-made" on the box of that ready-made meal.

Besides being forced to change the wording of the fee to "booking fee" and getting rid of the words "industry-leading" or "best in class" when describing its background checks, Uber has agreed to pay out $28.5 million to about 25 million passengers who used the service in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2013 and Jan. 31, 2016, according to the New York Times.

Yay free money! There is a problem though  riders will only get 82 cents after money is paid out for lawyer fees, reports Business Insider. Wa, wa, waaa goes the trumpet.

Riders that qualify will be getting an email with the option of accepting the money back on their credit card or as a ride credit.

While not being that much dough back in your pockets, this case is significant in that it's the biggest settlement Uber has had to dish out in its six year history, according to The Verge. Also, a similar suit has influenced rival taxi app Lyft to change its "trust and safety fee" to "trust and service fee".

Slowly but surely, the rebellious apps meant to challenge over-regulation and incompetence in the taxi biz are getting regulated more and more. How much longer will Uber and Lyft be able to do what it does in the exact way they like?

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Will Uber eventually become so regulated that it becomes something similar, or worse, than our current taxi system?

Disrupt Your Feed: Between battling cities who don't want its services and these class-action suits, Uber must be on the clock for dozens, if not hundreds, of lawyers.

Drop This Fact: Taxi drivers have been protesting Uber in Philadelphia, London and Montreal  and that's just in the past few days.
Yes, at the GEC voting center at the Westin.

Yes, at one of the satellite voting centers open on Saturdays.

No; I'm voting on Nov. 8.

No; I'm not voting in the general election.

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I tried to watch tonights debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Ive managed to do it before. But this time, after about half an hour, I had to call it quits. It is just too aggravating to watch a socialist demagogue debate a liar doing a weak impersonation of a socialist demagogue.

Lets turn, instead, to the a recent batch of State Department documents released by Judicial Watch this week. Judicial Watch had requested: All emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013 using a non-state.gov email address.

In response, it received records showing that Hillary Clinton and two top aides at the State Department, Abedin and Jake Sullivan, received and sent classified information on their non-state.gov email accounts. In addition, Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne of Fox News report that two other top Clinton aides, Cheryl Mills and Philippe Reines, as well as Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy, also received classified information on their email accounts.

In a particularly incriminating development, we learn that Hillary used the clintonemail.com system to ask Huma Abedin (also on a non-state.gov email account) to print two March 2011 emails, which were sent from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Jake Sullivan on Sullivans non-state.gov email account. The highly-sensitive nature of the Blair emails is indicated by the fact that the Obama State Department redacted these emails under Exemption (b)(1) which allows the withholding of classified material. The material is marked classified as Foreign government information and foreign relations or foreign activities of the US, including confidential sources.

The newly released Abedin emails also include a lengthy exchange giving precise details of Clintons schedule. An email to Abedin and Clinton (on unsecured email systems) provides exact times (including driving times) and locations of all appointments throughout the day. Another email serves up details about a meeting at the United Nations, including the disclosure that this would mean wheels up from Andrews at approximately 12:00pm/12:15pm. The security risk of putting this information on unsecured email systems is obvious.

On a more humorous scheduling note, we find Clinton asking how meetings in Washington, including a four-hour meeting concerning Americas war on Libya, would impact her beach time. In response to an email about the sensitive meetings, Clinton asks Abedin, on her non-state.gov email account, What time would I get back to Hamptons?

Abedins email account appears to be the tip of a big iceberg. How many non-state.gov accounts handled top secret intelligence that was found on Hillary Clintons server and recently deemed too damaging for national security to release? According to Herridge and Browne, the number could be as high as 30.

Herridge and Browne say there is no public evidence that the people who received classified information on these private accounts were authorized in every instance to receive it. As Andy McCarthy points out, highly classified information is accessible to government officials only on a need to know basis. Thus, even if an official has a security clearance, as former-Secretary Clintons top staffers and other relevant subordinates undoubtedly did, that does not necessarily mean the official was entitled to access to all secret intelligence (e.g., the top secret Blair emails referenced above that Abedin apparently printed out).

McCarthy also describes the intelligence catastrophe associated with e-mail trains, involving several exchanges and multiple participants, on private email systems. Dan McGuire, a long-time Defense Department strategic planner, confirms McCarthys general assessment:

[T]he intelligence community is undoubtedly conducting damage assessments and evaluating the viability of any ongoing operation that may have been exposed to unauthorized personnel. The vulnerability of HRCs server to foreign government hacking cannot be overlooked  even the DCI, John Brennan, has been the target of hackers.

According to McGuire, its widely believed among those in the intelligence community that a typical employee would already be behind bars if [he or she] had apparently compromised sensitive information, as reported.

Speaking of which, Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan, Cheryl Mills, Philippe Reines and Patrick Kennedy all may now be in legal jeopardy by virtue of having sent and/or received top secret information on private email accounts.

And yet, as I type these words, the person responsible for this wreckage is participating in a presidential debate, and as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
The U.S. and Russia have agreed to a cessation of hostilities Syria. The cessation wont begin for about a week, but there supposedly will be immediate humanitarian access to desperately besieged areas of Syria.

Before discussing this agreement, its worth looking at the current humanitarian, military, and political disaster in Syria, and to ask how it came about.

The disaster currently is most clearly manifested in Aleppo, an ancient city with a population of around 2 million. It has been a stronghold of anti-Assad regime rebels. Now, it is under siege by Russia, Iran, and the Assad government. You can get a sense of the resulting disaster in this article, From stalemate to slaughter by CNN.

Russia is the main culprit in Aleppos tragic descent from stalemate to slaughter. According to the Washington Post, it has engaged in indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets, using banned cluster munitions. The bombing campaign defies a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia voted for.

The situation in Aleppo is just the tip of the humanitarian disaster iceberg, though. It is estimated that the civil war in Syria has produced at least 300,000 deaths. It has also generated a refugee crisis that is roiling much of Europe.

So tragic is the humanitarian disaster that it almost seems heartless to discuss who is winning. Yet, it matters a good deal that the winners in the Syrian civil war include Russia, Iran, and ISIS. Russia because it is gaining massive influence in the region; Iran because it is gaining a puppet in the form of the Assad regime; ISIS because while Assad and his foreign allies concentrate on pounding rebels in the west, it controls large swaths of territory and key cities and towns in the east.

The big losers are the non-jihadist Syrian opposition (not coincidentally, the forces we have halfheartedly backed); the U.S., unless one assumes (as President Obama seems to) that Russia and Iran are not our enemies; and most of all, the people of Syria.

How did this disastrous situation come about? It came about to a significant extent because of decisions made by President Obama.

Michael Ignatieff and Leon Wieseltier identify the main two. First, instead of getting strongly behind the non-jihadist rebels, Obama contented himself with empty declarations that Assad must go and halfhearted, at best, arms shipments.

Second, he allowed his alleged red line on Assads use of chemical weapons to be crossed. This made it clear that the U.S. wasnt willing to take on the regime in even a limited way. The clear signal to Assad and his backers was that anything goes.

Even before Assad crossed the red line, Obama should have instituted a no-fly zone in Syria. It would have prevented Assads air force from engaging in the bombing that has killed tens, if not hundreds, of thousands. It likely would have prevented Assad and Iran from gaining the upper hand. It would have prevented Russia from later unleashing its air power, the move that seems to have been decisive in Syrias descent from stalemate to slaughter.

Once Assad crossed the red line, any good excuse for not instituting a no-fly zone evaporated.

But this was not the end of Obamas fecklessness. When Aleppo came under sustained attack, the U.S. could have instituted a no-fly zone for the area from that city to the Turkish border. As Ignatieff and Wieseltier argue, this would have prevented the bombardment of civilians and refugees and kept open the corridor to Turkey, thus enabling the transport of aid and supplies to people trapped in the area.

Would Russia have challenged such a no-fly zone? Its very unlikely. Putin is too smart to risk taking on the U.S. military in the name of slaughtering Syrians. But if he had, we could have taught him an important lesson.

Instead, Obama opted for the peace talks that led to the temporary cessation of hostilities. What should we make of his arrangement?

First, as noted, Russia did not agree to an immediate cessation. Tellingly, it wanted the cease fire to begin on March 1. Under the compromise reached, it goes into effect in about a week.

Thus, Russia is free to keep pounding Aleppo, thereby creating even more favorable facts on the ground. These facts will strengthen its already powerful position if negotiations proceed (about which, more below).

Second, its not clear whether there will be a meaningful cessation of hostilities at any time. Even John Kerry admitted that all we have is words on paper.

And even assuming that there is a cessation, hostilities can be renewed at any time. Apparently, some rebel forces, perhaps sensing a full sell-out by the U.S., have not agreed to stop fighting. (In taking this position, they reportedly have been encouraged by Assads enemies in the region  Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia).

Thus, the Russians will have a ready excuse to start bombing again whenever they feel it serves their interests. Not the Russians will feel they need an excuse.

Third, as Max Fisher says, even if the Russians cease hostilities, there is no guarantee that Assads forces will comply. And even if both Assad and Russia comply, their control over pro-Assad Shia militias is not complete.

Even so, the possibility that significant humanitarian aid will reach Aleppo, even if only in the short-term is welcome news. The Syrians in this area desperately need a reprieve.

Why have the Russians agreed to provide one. I speculate that they view the cessation of hostilities as a win-win.

Russia, Assad, and Iran win if the Obama administration, using the cessation of fighting as cover, makes one of its characteristic deals. Russia has reason to hope that, given its clear upper-hand and the pressure on Obama to make better progress in the fight against ISIS in Syria, the U.S. will capitulate insofar as the fight against Assad is concerned. More importantly, given how little the U.S. has done in this fight), Russia probably hopes the U.S. will pressure some of the opposition groups to give up the fight.

Alternatively, Russia, Assad, and Iran win (or at least dont lose) if, after a brief cessation of hostilities, they resume the slaughter. In this scenario, Russia can tell the world it tried in good faith to end the war, but failed because the rebels were intractable.

The Obama administration is always looking for an off-ramp. When the red line on Assads use of chemical weapons was breached, the Russians offered one, and Obama snatched it. In so doing, he sold out the Syrian rebels and, indeed, the Syrian people.

My sense is that Russia is constructing an off-ramp for Obama in the expectation of a repeat performance. Obama, I suspect, is eager to oblige.
As we celebrate the anniversary of Lincolns birth today, I want to take a look back at the 2012 film Lincoln. Until reading David Brookss obtuse column about the film, I was unsure that I knew enough to comment intelligently about it. Brooks persuaded me that I know at least as much as he does, however, and accordingly prompted me to offer the following in the way of notes for interested readers. I put just about everything important that I know about Lincoln into these notes and want to take the liberty of revisiting them in observation of Lincolns birthday today.

The film deserves to be seen and, in my view, makes an important contribution to understanding Lincoln. Directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, the film focuses on the brief period in January 1865 after Lincolns reelection during a lame duck session of Congress when Lincoln moved heaven and earth to secure the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in the House of Representatives (where it had failed once previously). The film purports to be based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwins Team of Rivals, but it expands greatly on a tiny sliver of that doorstop of a book.

A.O. Scotts New York Times review describes the film with scrupulous accuracy, and I entirely agree with Scotts witty conclusion:

Go see this movie. Take your children, even though they may occasionally be confused or fidgety. Boredom and confusion are also part of democracy, after all. Lincoln is a rough and noble democratic masterpiece  an omen, perhaps, that movies for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Kushners responsibility for the screenplay raised concerns on my part about the film. He does not portray Lincoln as a gay caballero, although he well might have. Kushner is rightly impressed by Lincolns greatness, but holds that its a film where the political parties occupy the opposite sides of the spectrum that they currently occupy. Republicans are the heroes of the story. Democrats are an obstacle to be overcome. How can this be? This is terribly confusing for an avant garde man of the left. Suffice it to say that a lot could have gone wrong here that didnt. Despite Kushners confusion, the screenplay gets this gloriously right.

The movie powerfully rebuts the portrait of Lincoln that bright high school and college students absorb directly or indirectly from Richard Hofstadters incredibly influential essay Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth, collected in The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It. Hofstadter depicted Lincoln as essentially indifferent to the wrongs of slavery and disparaged the Emancipation Proclamation as a glorified nullity.

Among other things, Hofstadter famously observed that the Proclamation had all the moral grandeur of a bill of lading and did not in fact free any slaves. Eric Foner is Hofstadters successor at Columbia. Foner accurately noted that Hofstadter pointedly juxtaposed Lincolns 1858 speech in Chicago affirming the equality of man with his address the same year in pro-slavery Southern Illinois in which he insisted that he opposed bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the black and white races.

Hofstadters portrait of Lincoln cannot survive this film. It is a great vehicle for learning and teaching something true and important about Lincoln. To paraphrase Lincoln himself, all honor to Kushner for getting Lincolns hatred of slavery right and making it the centerpiece of this film.

The film accurately presents the Thirteenth Amendment  the amendment that abolished slavery  as the fulfillment and guarantor of the Emancipation Proclamation. Amazingly, at least to me, the film accurately represented Lincolns thinking on precisely this point. It provides a lesson in the acuity of Lincolns thought on things that mattered.

Following the promulgation of the Emancipation Proclamation, prominent Democrats whose cooperation Lincoln coveted in the war effort repeatedly urged Lincoln to rescind it. Lincoln simply responded: The promise, being made, must be kept. The Thirteenth Amendment assured that the promise would in fact be kept. Allen Guelzo presents Lincolns thought on these points in great depth in Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America.

Harold Holzer may be the only prominent Lincoln scholar to have commented publicly on the film, as he did in a New York Post column. Holzer testified to the perfection of Daniel Day-Lewiss performance as Lincoln. It is a performance of surpassing beauty. At the end of the film, one feels gratified to have had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in Lincolns company. One is struck by the sheer largeness of spirit on display. Here there is no pettiness. Here there is no triviality. Here one is elevated.

The film sets Lincolns political struggle off against brief depictions of the death and destruction of Civil War battles. Lincoln was the president who chose to fight the war rather than accept disunion. He was the president who turned the war into a new birth of freedom. He was the president who declined to accept anything less than the unconditional surrender of the forces of the Confederacy. This is all on display in one way or another in the film.

Two more notes. David Brooks touted the film as promoting a view of politics as noble because it involves personal compromise for the public good. This is a self-restrained movie that celebrates people who are prudent, self-disciplined, ambitious and tough enough to do that work. Yet there is no compromise to be seen in the film on any important point.

Tony Kushner to the contrary notwithstanding, the film allows one to reflect on the continuity of the films Democratic and Republican parties with their modern counterparts. The Republican Party was founded in the belief that it was the imperative duty of Congress to prohibit in the Territories those twin relics of barbarism  Polygamy, and Slavery, as the party platform of 1856 put it. The partys contemporary concerns about traditional marriage and the promotion of freedom have deep roots in the origin of the Republican Party.

Lincoln criticized slavery as embodying the tyrannical principle he called the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it. Dont tell Tony Kushner, but the contemporary Democratic Party is preeminently the party of the same old serpent that says you work and I eat.

STEVE adds (2015): I agree with every word of this post, including and and the. Especially the discussion of the potentially problematic screenwriter Tony Kushner. No one doubts his talent as a writer, but when I heard he was doing the screenplay I expected the worst. But it didnt happen that way. Lots of reasons why. However, at the time the movie came out and it was evident that Spielberg (whom I generally dislike, too) and Kushner got it right, I ranted for quite a while along this line: Why couldnt one of our peoplea conservative Lincoln admirerhave written the screenplay? To be sure, there are few conservative writers placed in the industry to be in position to write a screenplay for Spielberg, but then it is also true that dramatic screenwriting is a mode of writing that few conservatives practice, myself included. This is something that ought to change.
The Republican Party campaign team said former U.S. President, George Bush, would hold a campaign rally on Monday with his brother, Jeb, a contender for presidential nomination of the party.

The team said on Friday in Washington that Bush would appear with his brother at a rally in Charleston, South Carolina, which would host the next Republican primary vote on Feb. 20.

They said that the outing would be very historic, because Jeb was hoping to revive his candidacy in the campaign that had been dominated so far by billionaire businessman, Donald Trump.

Report said that Bush, a former governor of Florida, came in fourth on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary with 11 per cent of the votes, in a tight pack between senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

It noted that along with Ohio governor, John Kasich, who came in second, both candidates are trying to claim the mantle as a viable alternative to Trump.

The report said that Bush had walked a fine line when mentioning the family political dynasty, which included father and George Bush.

It said that Jeb had publicly defended his brother against political attacks, while distancing himself from the legacy of the largely unpopular George, who left office with the U.S. embroiled in two wars and a financial crisis.

Their mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, hit the campaign trail for Jeb in New Hampshire, and George Bush had already appeared in a radio advertisement on his brothers behalf.

Recent polls showed that after seven years on the sideline, the older brother was seen by the public in a more positive light than when he left office.

Bush praised his brother as a leader with a steady, calm demeanour who would be a great commander in chief for our military.

(dpa/NAN)
An Australian Minister resigned on Friday following an internal investigation into a controversial private trip he made to China, and ahead of an expected government reshuffle.

The resignation of Human Services Minister, Stuart Robert, leaves at least four portfolios for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to fill in the pending reshuffle.

Mr. Robert took the 2014 trip to Beijing with a Liberal Party donor and attended the signing of a mining deal when he was assistant defence minister.

Chinese officials regarded that as acting in an official capacity, Mr. Robert later described as a private trip.

A statement by China MinMetals Corporation said that the assistant minister had extended his congratulations on behalf of the Australian Department of Defence, and presented a medal bestowed to him by Australian prime minister in honour of remembrance and blessing.

Martin Parkinson, the official who conducted the investigation, said Mr. Robert had acted inconsistently with the statement of ministerial standards.

Dr Parkinson notes that Mr Robert appears not to have received any financial benefit from the visit, Turnbulls office said.

The resignation highlights a widening rift between Turnbull and other conservatives in his coalition government, and follows other ministerial resignations.

New deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, openly defended Mr. Robert, saying there was no wrongdoing.

In December, Cities Minister, Jamie Briggs, resigned following a late night scandal involving a female diplomat in Hong Kong.

A few days later, another minister, Mal Brough, resigned after Australian police launched an investigation over the alleged illegal procurement of a diary of an ex-speaker.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, and Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, announced that they would retire from the front bench.

(dpa/NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an immediate investigation into allegations of fraudulent padding of allocations in the 2016 budget, with strict orders that all cases of discrepancies, errors and ambiguities be resolved promptly, a senior government official told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday.

An extensive analysis of the budget by PREMIUM TIMES exposed questionable details, with the National Assembly on Tuesday suspending deliberations on the document indefinitely.

The chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, (APC-Gombe State), and his House of Representatives counterpart, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC-Kano), said the suspension was necessary to enable the National Assembly carry out proper clean-up of the budget.

Earlier, a senior presidency official blamed budget mafia for the controversial contents, in reference to civil servants responsible for preparing the budget.

Another top administration official on Thursday gave PREMIUM TIMES further details on how the government was responding to the embarrassing budget allocations.

He pleaded anonymity, and said the government was avoiding publicly stating its position on the matter for now to avoid playing into the hands of its critics.

The official said both the Finance and Budget & National Planning ministries were determined to effect the necessary corrections and turn in a clean copy of the document for approval.

He blamed most of the errors in the budget on over-ambitious civil servants in the budget office who handled the preparation of the document prior to the appointment of ministers by Mr. Buhari.

He said by the time the ministers were eventually appointed, they had no sufficient time to properly scrutinize the budget for errors, in view of the tight deadline each of the ministries got before the final presentation to the joint session of the National Assembly on December 22, 2015.

To enable the budget to be cleaned up of all the controversial allocations, the official said a high-powered panel had been constituted with a mandate to investigate all observations and concerns by individuals, media and agencies, particularly the National Assembly.

The presidency has ordered the immediate investigation of all the allegations and issues, particularly on padding, raised by the National Assembly on various ministries, departments and agencies of government, he said.

The investigative panel is expected to critically look into the budget item-by-item, incident-by-incident, with particular attention to the reactions from the National Assembly, ministries, media, civil society groups or indeed anybody that raised concerns regarding the padding of the budget.

All corrections would be made to ensure that the budget was passed as soon as possible. I assure you government is working cautiously on the corrections with the intention of correcting any error or malfeasance spotted in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. If there is any error whatsoever, it is being sorted out straight away, the official added.

It remained unclear what sanctions the government was considering for officials that might be found to be involved in padding the budget. Our first source had said those involved might be fired.

The House of Representatives had asked government to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to arrest and prosecute top civil servants behind the budget padding scandal.

On its part, the Senate said, apart from the prosecution of the civil servants, the Minister of National Planning and Budget, Udo Udoma, and other top officials of the ministry should also be sanctioned.

However, the official exonerated the minister, saying That the budget could be presented the day it was presented and in the manner it was done was due to the extra effort and hard work by the ministers who inherited what the civil servants had already prepared.

By the time they took over, most of the ministers did not have a good grasp of the details of the budget of their ministries.
The Nigerian Army on Thursday announced that it had handed over 12 top ranking officers to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigations, in connection with the ongoing probe into how money meant for the procurement of arms were spent.

A statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Sami Usman, said the officers comprised three serving Major Generals, and one retired; three Brigadier Generals, four Colonels and one Lieutenant Colonel.

Mr. Usman, a colonel, did not disclose the names of the officers.

He however said any of the officers found culpable after the EFCC investigation would also be punished by the army.

However, it should be noted that at the end of the Commissions investigations those found culpable will be tried by a military Court Martial, Mr Usman said.

The handover of the officers is a new twist in the ongoing probe into the alleged diversion of funds for the procurement of arms and ammunition meant for the war against the extremist Boko Haram sect.

The EFCC is already probing several high-ranking serving and retired Air Force officers, including the immediate past Chief of Defence State, Alex Badeh, and a former Chief of Air Force, Adesola Amosu, a retired Air Marshal.

Others being probed in relation with the alleged fraud are Air Vice Marshal A. M. Mamu, Air Vice Marshal O. T. Oguntoyinbo, Air Vice-Marshal T. Omenyi, Air Vice Marshal J. B. Adigun and Air Vice Marshal R. A. Ojuawo.

Also being interrogated are Air Vice Marshal J. A. Kayode-Beckley; Air Commodore A. O. Ogunjobi; Air Commodore G. M. D. Gwani; Air Commodore S. O. Makinde; Air Commodore A. Y. Lassa; and Colonel N. Ashinze.
The Nigerian Army on Friday released 275 detainees after they were cleared of being members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Hassan Umaru, the Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, handed over the detainees to Governor Kashim Shettima at a ceremony in Maiduguri.

Mr. Umaru, a major general, said the detainees included 271 Nigerians and two nationals each of the republics of Cameroon and Niger.

Today we are releasing 275 persons who have been in detention over suspicion of being involved in terrorism.

Our crack team of joint investigators has screened and cleared the persons that are in the process of being released here today, he said.

He said that the detainees included 142 males, 49 females, 22 under aged and 50 children of cleared females.

`The persons being released comprise 142 males 49 females, 22 under aged, 50 children of cleared females, two Nigeriens and two Cameroonians, the theatre commander said.

He said that they were being released in line with the principles of justice and fair play.

In line with the principles of justice, equity and fairness, we deem it fit to release them to their families, he said.

He expressed sadness over their detention and urged them to consider it as their contribution to efforts to return peace in the country.

Their stay in detention had not been palatable due to restrictions imposed on them and loss of freedom.

However, I see it as their sacrifice and contribution toward the return of peace in our country, Umaru said.

He said that the army transferred eight other suspects to the police for further investigations.

Eight cases that are criminal in nature will be transferred to the police for further action, Umaru said.

We wish to assure Nigerians that no individual will be unjustly or unduly incarcerated.

We remained committed to the protection of fundamental Human rights of every citizen of Nigeria and foreigners alike.

Receiving the detainees, Governor Shettima commended the military for a job well done.

Today bears a sense of professionalism, justice, equity and fairness of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The 275 suspects were picked from several locations at different times and were adjudged to be clean after through investigations, he said.

Mr. Shettima said that the action had confirmed that the military was a respecter of the law.

This action bears testimony to the fact that we are running a very professional force, contrary to insinuations from several quarters speculating arbitrary killings, detention and dehumanisation of suspects.

This is about the third or the fourth time we are receiving detainees to be reunited with their families, he said.

Mr. Shettima added: The Nigerian Army deserves special commendation for all the sacrifices it has been making for us to have peace in this part of the world.

We want to urge the detainees to be worthy ambassadors to go back home and be the catalysts for promoting peace and development in our society.

As a responsible government, we are going to give tokens to each of the detainees.

Those that can be trained in vocational skills and other professions will be trained in specific professions.

For those of school age, we will insist with the parents that they must have access to education.

Education is a right and not a privilege and it is compulsory in this part of the world, the governor said.

(NAN)
The Code of Conduct Tribunal has issued notice to resume the trial of President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on March 10.

The spokesperson for tribunal, Ibrahim Alhassan on Friday said the body had issued and served notice of hearing on parties to the matter.

The office of the Attorney General of the Federation had dragged Mr. Saraki before the tribunal, slamming 13-count charge of false assets declaration, anticipatory declaration of assets and other abuses on him.

The prosecutor said the offences violated Nigerias Code of Conduct for public officers.

Mr. Saraki, who has denied any wrongdoing, had challenged the tribunals jurisdiction and constitution up to the Supreme Court which struck out his appeal last Friday.

The notice of resumption of trial was, therefore, sequel to the Supreme Court ruling which upheld Mr. Sarakis trial at the Tribunal.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, had asked the Tribunal to issue date for resumption of Mr. Sarakis trial, following the Supreme apex courts ruling.

One of Mr. Sarakis counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, said he was not aware that a notice of resumption of trial had been served.

May be the notice was served at either the chamber of J.B. Daudu or Mahmud, Mr. Raji told PREMIUM TIMES, in reference to other defence lawyers.

Messrs Daudu could not be reached Friday night. He did not answer or return multiple calls made to his telephone.

The lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacob, did not also answer or return calls seeking comments.

Mr. Sarakis media assistant, Bankole Omishore, also said he had no details on the matter.

Mr. Saraki was docked by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on a 13-count charge on September 18 for alleged corruption and false declaration of assets.

He was specifically accused of deliberately manipulating the asset declaration form he submitted prior to his assumption of his current position as senate president.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges even as he subtly attributed his predicament to his emergence as senate president on June 9 against the wishes of his party, the All Progressives Congress.
The Supreme Court in Abuja on Friday gave reasons for upholding the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

The court had delivered the judgement on January 27 but said it would explain the reasons for it on February 12.

In arriving at the ruling, it set aside the judgements of the River State Governorship Election Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which nullified Mr. Wikes election.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who read the unanimous judgement, explained that the inability of the tribunal to be properly constituted during the determination of the matter amounted to lack of fair hearing of the governors case.

She said the action of the tribunal was a good ground to set aside the entire proceedings before it, but that since it was an election matter which was time-bound, according to section 289 (6) and (7) of the constitution, it was necessary to consider the appeal according to its merit.

On the alleged violation of documents tendered at the tribunal and the appeal court, she said the function of the card reader, though quite commendable in the conduct of the 2015 elections, is solely to authenticate the owner of the voters card and prevent multiple voting by a single voter.

She said the card reader cannot replace the voters register, recognised by the constitution.

Mrs. Kekere-Ekun further said the 49th prosecution witness (PW), who is an assistant director of information communication and technology at the Independent National Electoral Commission, acknowledged that the report she had testified to, was prepared by a certain Mrs. Nnena, a staff of her unit.

She added that the witness also told the tribunal during cross examination that she was not in Rivers State during the election and did not examine the card reader after the exercise.

She said since the witness did not take part in any stage of the accreditation of voters, she was not in any position to testify as to how the card reader functioned during the election.

The position of the law is that there is a difference between admissibility (relevance) and probative value (proof) to be attached to the said evidence, Mrs. Kekere-Ekun said.

Where the maker of a document is not called to testify, the document should not be accorded probative value, not withstanding its status as a certified copy document.

The justice further stated that the testimony of PW49 is evidence to the fact that exhibit A9 could be a conclusive proof of the number of accredited voters at the election.

Mrs. Kekere-Ekun said witnesses at the tribunal had testified that where the card reader failed to read a voters PVC, incident forms were used, but that none of the forms were tendered by the first and second respondent.

She also noted that out of the 11 voters registers tendered for 11 out of 23 Local Government Areas of the state, no attempt was made to link them to exhibits A9, which contained the number of accredited voters.

She added that documents before the court proved that the number of accredited voters stated in forms ECA8 was different from the number stated in exhibit A9.

This, she said, was grossly inadequate in proving non-compliance, which is expected to have been done, poling units by poling units, according to the provision of the constitution.

She said, Section 139 of the Constitution states that where a petitioner complains of non-compliance with the provisions of the act, he has an onerous task of proving it, poling unit by poling unit, ward by ward and the standard of proof is on a balance of probabilities.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has described the controversial 2016 Budget of the Federal Government as a confirmation that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari were never prepared for governance.

If a government cannot prepare a common budget, it should just be concluded that those in the government never prepared for governance and such a government may not be able to achieve anything, Mr. Fayose said.

He said the padding of the budget with strange figures, which are being denied by Ministers was a clear intention to steal, adding that; What those who prepared the budget did was to steal in advance. It is clear advance fraud and be it civil servants, political appointees or consultants, those responsible for this national embarrassment must be fished out and prosecuted.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Pubic Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said, With almost everyone disowning provisions in the budget, the latest being the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the most honourable thing to do is for President Buhari to withdraw the budget formally and put an end to this national shame that the budget has become.

The governor, who commended the National Assembly for suspending the budget passage, said he was highly embarrassed when he saw the BBC Africas tweet that our Minister of Heath said rats invaded Nigeria Budget documents and smuggled foreign items.

The statement read; On Wednesday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed openly disowned the N398 million being part of the budget estimates by his ministry meant for the purchase of computers. The Minister who was reacting to questions on the N230 million and N168 million voted for the purchase of computers for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the Film and Video Censors Board, said he was not aware.

To worsen the situation, an official of the ministry of information said that only N5 million was proposed for the item in the original budget of the Film and Video Censors Board. How then did N5 million rew to N398 million?

Before the Wednesday denial by Lai Mohammed, the Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, had said that the proposal drawn up by the ministry and submitted to the budget office had been doctored and that foreign appropriations, different from what was submitted, had been sneaked in as the height of national embarrassment.

Also, we are now being told that the sum of N10 billion which was questionably smuggled into the budget of the Ministry of Education for an allegedly questionable subhead was typographical error, and one wonders how N10 billion could have been included in a national budget through typo error.

Denials, typo errors, existence of Budget Mafia in the Presidency, N3.87 billion allocated for capital projects at the State House Clinic meant for the President, Vice President and their families alone and error in the date on the letter with which the President presented the corrected version of the budget, among other shocking discoveries, the reality of an unprepared people in government is no doubt staring Nigerians in the face.

In saner climes, the President would have openly admitted to the people that he made mistakes, apologise and withdraw the budget.

It is however not too late for this honourable path to be followed by the President. He should realise that he is human and capable of committing errors. He should therefore admit that his first budget was full of errors, withdraw the budget formally from the National Assembly and prepare another budget.

Most importantly, Nigerians must know those who caused this national embarrassment. They must be fished out and prosecuted.
A 48 year-old woman caused a mild drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after she allegedly vomitted 15 wraps of white, powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine.

Saidat Hassan, a mother of three, was arrested at the central screening section of the departure hall during the screening of passengers on an Egypt Airline flight to Jedda, Saudi Arabia, en-route Cairo.

She was immediately apprehended by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) who discovered that she had ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 904 grammes, the agency said in a statement on Friday.

Hamisu Lawan, the NDLEA Abuja airport commander said efforts were made to protect her from any harm resulting from drug ingestion.

As soon as we discovered that the suspected wraps she vomited tested positive for cocaine, we took measures to ensure her safety by preventing any harm that may result from drug ingestion, said Mr. Lawan.

While under observation, she excreted sixty-five similar wraps. In all, she ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 904 grammes; her case is under investigation.

Mohammad Abdallah, the NDLEA Chairman, who expressed satisfaction with her arrest said her action negates every principle of good parenting.

This is gross ineptitude on the part of a mother saddled with the responsibility of nurturing her children into future leaders, said Mr. Abdallah, a retired colonel.

I am glad that she did not die from drug ingestion and she is alive to face trial. Besides escaping the risk of swallowing cocaine, this arrest also saved her because drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia is punishable by death.

She will soon be charged to court because the law must run its full course. I expect the general public to learn lessons from this case that drug trafficking leads to pain, ignominy and untimely death.

The NDLEA boss said his approach to drug control is both pragmatic and scientific.

Every action taken must be based on best global principles while lessons learnt will influence our implementation strategies in our day to day operations, he said.

The Agency will continue to sensitize members of the public by presenting facts and figures of drug trafficking as well as the larger picture of its ruin and devastation.

Mrs. Hassan, a native of Idiroko, Ogun State who resides in Lagos Island claimed to be a business woman dealing in clothing materials.

I am a business woman and I sell women clothes at Balogun market, she said in her statement to the NDLEA.

I used to buy my goods from Ghana. I was introduced into the drug business by a friend and business partner. The drug was brought from Abidjan, Ivory Coast and we were to share the proceeds equally.

Until my arrest, I never knew that the cocaine I ingested would have led to my death in Saudi Arabia. I thank God for keeping me alive.

A female drug trafficker, Ifeoma Daniel Joy, a native of Ukwa in Ukwa Local Government Area of Abia State, who vomited wraps of cocaine at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja, Lagos later died as a result of cocaine bust in 2007.

Ms. Joy, 29, was said to have died after one of the wraps of drugs she ingested burst while preparing to board an Ethiopian airline heading for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

She had ingested 79 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine with a weight of 1.32 kilogrammes.
A former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Monday Eleanya, has been shot dead.

Mr. Eleanya, who recently decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, was shot as he was driving out of his residence on Ada George Road, Port Harcourt, on Thursday night.

He represented Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni constituency in the state legislature between 1999 and 2003 on the ticket of the PDP.

The spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Ahmad Muhammad, confirmed the killing of the politician, who was fondly called World Bank.

He said investigations were still in progress and assured that the culprits would be apprehended.

Were working assiduously in order to ensure that the culprits are apprehended, the police spokesperson said.

Mr. Muhammad explained that the police met the deceased already dead when they arrived at the scene of the incident.

He said at the time he was rushed to the hospital, the identity of the deceased was not known to the police.

Also speaking on the incident, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Tam Geroge, expressed sadness on the killing of the lawmaker.

He expressed the sympathy of the government to his family.

Mr. George said he could not explain what led to the incident because police investigations were still in progress.
Fourteen months after a U.S. army-led combat training for Nigerian soldiers was aborted, American authorities have announced a resumption of the programme.

The American Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, Tuesday, that the training would resume this February.

Speaking on U.S. strategy against Boko Haram at a meeting in Washington DC, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said U.S. expects would inaugurate the first round of training for an infantry battalion later this month.

The resumed training program is part of a broad U.S. strategy against the terror group and, part of the new deal the Obama administration entered with President Muhammadu Buhari during his official trip to America last July.

Our counter Boko Haram Strategy is an integrated, interagency effort to help Nigeria and its neighbors in their fight to degrade and ultimately to defeat Boko Haram, said Ms. Thomas-Greenfield adding that the Obama administration engaged Mr. Buharis military leadership to draw up a range of new and continued security assistance.

We have stepped up information-sharing efforts, we are jointly evaluating new efforts to counter improvised explosive devices, developing better tools to assess harm to civilians, and assess the potential for U.S. advisory assistance, the Assistant Secretary of State said.

One of the reasons the Jonathan administration gave for terminating the previous U.S. training program in December 2014 was Americas reluctance to share real-time intelligence with the Nigerian military and refusal to sell Cobra helicopters to Nigeria.

While Ms. Thomas-Greenfield did not indicate specifically if real-time intelligence sharing and sale of military equipment are part of the deal with the Buhari administration, she said the U.S. had already sent 90 combat personnel and was committed to sending a total of 300 soldiers to support the governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria by providing airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations that help our African partners degrade and defeat Boko Haram.

In apparent reference to Amnesty Internationals recent report on alleged war crimes committed by Nigerian soldiers, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield cautioned that the fight against Boko Haram goes beyond the battlefield.

Equipment and training are only useful when employed by professional forces that respect human rights and earn the respect of the population, our bilateral security discussions will continue to be paired with discussions regarding human rights, she said, adding that Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin countries must address the drivers of extremism that gave rise to Boko Haram, these drivers include weak, ineffective governance, corruption, lack of education, and lack of economic opportunities and jobs for the burgeoning young population.

The previous training programme, which started in April 2014, engaged American soldiers and special operators as instructors for a 650-strong Nigerian ranger battalion to fight Boko Haram.

Itwas the first time ever that US troops would train their African counterparts for a mission other than peacekeeping.

Ms. Thomas-Greenfield was one of three lead speakers at the Tuesday meeting on regional impact of Boko Haram. It was hosted by Congresswoman Karen Bass with diplomats and diaspora Nigerians in attendance.
Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, on Thursday revealed that the Bank Verification Number (BVN), and Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System had helped the Federal Government discover 23,000 ghost workers in the civil service.

Mrs. Adeosun made the revelation when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance to defend her ministrys budget yesterday.

She lamented that having ghost workers in the civil service had caused grave leakage to Nigerias revenue.

Mrs. Adeosun also explained how the use of the BVN assisted the IPPIS to detect the fraud perpetrated through the creation of ghost workers.

She said, As we speak now, we have about 23,000 that we need to investigate. Those whom either the BVN is linked to multiple payment or the name on the BVN account is not consistent with the name on our own payroll.

If we are able to get everybody onto the BVN platform, we will be able to save a considerable amount of personnel cost.

She added that economic crimes investigative agencies would prosecute the banks, firms and individuals working in cahoot to defraud the Federal Government by padding it payroll.

My job is to get them off our payroll, what happens from there on goes to the investigative agencies; we will pass our files onto them and they will take a decision as to what sanctions they will take.

Not only will we remove those people from our payroll, but we will also be going after the banks involved to collect our money.

The chairman of the committee, John Enoh, commended the ministry for the discovery.

Mr. Enoh added that government should not only recover monies from those found guilty of the fraud but also hand them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution.
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has accused Benin palace chiefs of distorting Oduduwa history, saying their comments were capable of triggering discord between the Yoruba and people of the Benin Kingdom.

The group also said the research being relied on by the chiefs to deny the relationship between people of the two races lacked credibility.

The National Coordinator of the congress, Gani Adams, said in a press statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the comments credited to the palace chiefs about Yoruba origin were unhistorical and unreliable.

Mr. Adams said such poorly researched claims lacked historical credibility, could be inflammatory and could set the two noble race against each other.

He said the relationship between the Yoruba Omo Oduduwa and the Edo was rooted in history and shrouded in mystery in other to keep the two vibrant nations together and oil the chord of communal relationship for ever.

Even, though some writers of historical documents about the relationship and chord of brotherhood between the two have allowed personal sentiments and pecuniary consideration to overrule their sense of judgement, clarity, fairness, objectivity and harmonious cohabitation. And the purported statement from an high chief of Benin belong to this trend, the OPC leader said.

We should not indulge in diluted information coined by agents of destabilization which emphasised those things that divide us instead of talking of those things that unite us.

Whatever angle or point of view any writer come out with in this discourse, the fact remains constant that there is a bond of relationship which is not fleeting but fundamentally essential between the Yoruba Omo Oodua and the Edo Omo Eweka the Great.

He appealed to the traditional institutions in Benin and Ile-Ife to be wary of palace chiefs who he said were only out to pitch the two noble royal houses against each other by their sheer impetuosity and face service.

Mr. Adams commended the royal sagacity and visionary posture of the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, not only for remaining calm, but for refusing to dignify the sender of those ill-researched statements with any response.

I must also commend the political maturity and sagacity being displayed by the Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, who has been consistent in his peace diplomacy shuttle among the traditional Obas in Yoruba land which has kicked  off a brand new era of harmonious relationship among the Obas in the south  west, Mr. Adams said.

He warned those he described as scripters of divisive statements, the procurer of false history and the spreader of ill -researched historical fallacy to put a stop in their unholy act and allow peace, unity, harmony and era of brotherly interaction take control among the traditional rulers in the South West including their sibling in Edo State.

We are warning them to stop sowing seeds of discord among the Omo Oduduwa and their siblings in Edo State, the OPC leader said.

The Ooni of Ife had on Tuesday said Benin Kingdom in Edo State remained part of the expansive Yoruba race, a pronouncement that may spark fresh rivalry and altercation between people of the two ancient kingdoms.

The monarch made the comment in reaction to a statement credited to the palace of the Oba of Benin challenging the claim by the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo, that the Ooni of Ife remained the pre-eminent spiritual leader in Yorubaland and environs.

Oba Ogunwusi, via a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, had said he was not interested in any supremacy battle with anyone but that he would continue to put the records straight and avoid distortion of history from any quarters.

The monarch said going by historical evidence detailing the Oduduwa lineage, Benin Kingdom remained part and parcel of Oduduwa House.

We in Oduduwa land have always seen and regarded our people in Benin kingdom as part and parcel of Oduduwa House. They are our brothers and sisters, coupled with historical facts to back up this position, Ooni Ogunwusi said.

The Alake had, while hosting the Oba Ogunwusi in his palace on February 7, rated the Ooni as the number one monarch in Yorubaland and other territories considered part of the Oduduwa House.

In his rating, Oba Gbadebo said Oba Ogunwusi was number one of the five principal Obas in Yorubaland, followed by the Alaafin of Oyo, then by the Oba of Benin (in third position), the Alake of Egbaland (fourth) and the Awujale of Ijebuland (fifth).

But in a swift reaction on Tuesday, the Esogban of Benin and Odionwere of the Kingdom, David Edebiri, rejected the ranking, saying the Ooni of Ife was a son of the Oba of Benin and that the Oba of Benin stool has no relationship with the Yoruba race.

The Esogban said, We wanted to discard this report as something that was not necessary at all. We do not see how the Alake of Egbaland suddenly woke up to think that the Oba of Benin is also a Yoruba Oba.

There is no basis for such classification; Oba of Benin has nothing to do with the Yoruba Obas. It is simply unnecessary, unless they simply want to stir up an unnecessary controversy.

We are not in Yorubaland. To be frank, it is because many of them are not willing to come up with the truth, the word Oba is alien to Yoruba monarchy; it is not part of their title from time immemorial.

For instance, the one they call the Oba of Lagos, these are recent adaptations. In the 50s, there was no Oba of Lagos, what we had was the Eleko of Eko. That is the title of the King there. In Ibadan, you have the Olu Ibadan. You come to Abeokuta, you have the Alake of Egba land. You come to Oyo, you have the Alaafin of Oyo. In Ilesha, you have the Owa-Obokun of IIesha. So no Yoruba monarch had as part of his titles the word Oba except the Oba of Benin.

That word Oba is indigenous to Benin. It is only in recent times you find everybody bearing Oba. When the Western Regional conference of traditional rulers took place in Benin City in 1942, go and check the attendance, there was no other monarch in the whole of the Western Region then that bore the title of Oba, except the Oba of Benin.

So it is an unnecessary excursion, an unnecessary attempt to turn history upside down by the Alake by classifying the Oba of Benin as third in the hierarchy of kings.

Our own traditional history says that the Ooni of Ife was a Benin Prince who wandered from here to Ife, settled there and became the ruler there. That is the position, if they dont know, they should send people here; we will teach them.

We will show them landmarks. So this is unnecessary misrepresentation of history. Maybe the Alake wanted to mention a different place and not Benin.

The monarchical rulership in this part of the world started from Benin during the era of the Ogisos. It was the son of the last Ogiso, Owodo, that wandered from here to Ife and he became a ruler there, carrying everything about the Benin monarchical system to that place. There is no basis for such classification.

The Ooni of Ife, by historical facts, is a son of the Oba of Benin, so they are not in the same class. The Oba of Benin is the only one that answers Oba, the rest dont. But today, we hear Oba here and there, they are all recent adaptations. I am saying categorically that the word Oba is indigenous to Benin and not to Yoruba nation.
Decisions taken by NATO defence ministers regarding the alliance's eastern flank and U.S. declarations on a strengthened military presence in Europe were discussed by Minister Krzysztof Szczerski with Victoria Nuland, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Present was head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) Pawel Soloch.

Szczerski told PAP that his conversation with Nuland focused on the consequences of the recent decision of NATO ministers who had approved plans to strengthen the alliance's military presence on its eastern flank. The announcement was made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who added that this presence would be rotational, supplemented by a programme of training and supported by the infrastructure necessary to quickly move troops and equipment.

Krzysztof Szczerski said that the point was now to decide what this presence would look like. According to the minister, this military presence will increase Poland's security and defence abilities.

Discussed was also the U.S. declaration of USD 3.4 billion to be spent on strengthening its military presence in Europe as part of the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI).

"We are happy that the U.S. military are returning to Europe after a period of withdrawal," Krzysztof Szczerski said.

Preparations for the NATO summit in Warsaw were another topic of the talks. "We agreed that NATO must be capable of independently defining the security level in the region and not external actors," minister Szczerski stressed. (PAP, own information)
WASHINGTON  It was just a tiny, almost imperceptible chirp, but it simultaneously opened humanitys ears to the music of the cosmos and proved Einstein right again.

In what is being hailed as one of the biggest eureka moments in the history of physics, scientists announced Thursday that they have finally detected gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space and time that Einstein predicted a century ago.

The news exhilarated astronomers and physicists. Because the evidence of gravitational waves is captured in audio form, the finding means astronomers will now be able to hear the soundtrack of the universe and listen as violent collisions reshape the cosmos.

It will be like going from silent movies to talkies, they said.

New Jersey native and Montclair State University physics professor Marc Favata was among the more than 1,000 scientists involved with the work.

The key is its opening up a new way of doing astronomy by giving us access to new information thats closer to hearing instead of seeing, Favata, 37, of Fairview, Bergen County, told The Press of Atlantic City. Its almost as if you were deaf your whole life and suddenly you can now hear.

An all-star international team of astrophysicists used an exquisitely sensitive, $1.1 billion set of twin instruments known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, to detect a gravitational wave generated by the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light-years from Earth.

Einstein would be beaming, said National Science Foundation Director France Cordova.

The proof consisted of what scientists called a single chirp  in truth, it sounded more like a thud  that was picked up Sept. 14. Astronomers played the recording at an overflowing news conference Thursday.

Thats the chirp weve been looking for, said Louisiana State University physicist Gabriela Gonzalez, scientific spokeswoman for the LIGO team. Scientists said they hope to have a greatest hits compilation of the universe in a decade or so.

Some physicists said the finding is as big a deal as the 2012 discovery of the subatomic Higgs boson, known as the God particle. Some said this is bigger.

Its really comparable only to Galileo taking up the telescope and looking at the planets, said Penn State physics theorist Abhay Ashtekar, who wasnt part of the discovery team.

Physicist Stephen Hawking congratulated the LIGO team, telling the BBC: Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionize astronomy.

Gravitational waves, postulated by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his theory of general relativity, are extraordinarily faint ripples in space-time, the continuum that combines both time and three-dimensional space. When massive objects like black holes or neutron stars collide, they generate gravitational waves that stretch space-time or cause it to bunch up like a fishing net.

Scientists found indirect proof of gravitational waves in the 1970s by studying the motion of two colliding stars, and the work was honored as part of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics. But now scientists can say they have direct proof.

Its one thing to know sound waves exist, but its another to actually hear Beethovens Fifth Symphony, said Marc Kamionkowski, a physicist at Johns Hopkins University who wasnt part of the discovery team. In this case, were actually getting to hear black holes merging.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




- Express delivery from northern Morocco to the DHL global hub in Leipzig will allow reduced delivery times and extended pickup limits for Morocco customers

TANGIER, Morocco, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DHL, the world's leading international express services and logistics company, today announced the launch of a new direct daily flight between Ibn Battouta airport in Tangier, Morocco to DHL's global hub in Leipzig, Germany, connecting northern Morocco's high-growth economic zones to Europe. The service provides customers in Morocco with a reduction in delivery time by 4 hours and an extended pickup time limit by up to 3 hours.

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150811/8521505246LOGO

The Tangier-Leipzig route via Alicante, Spain utilizes a B737 jet with a 15-ton capacity for five weekly flights. As DHL's second dedicated air service for Morocco, the route compliments the current six times a week flight from Casablanca to Europe via Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris with a B757 and Airbus aircraft daily.

Nour Suliman, CEO, DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, said, "As the MENA region continues to register sustained economic growth, it is essential that businesses have access to logistics services that keep pace with their expansion into global markets. The new connection from Tangier reinforces our commitment to not just Morocco's fast-growing industry clusters, but a growing number of businesses across the Maghreb using Morocco as a strategic gateway into European markets."

"Northern Morocco is seeing massive economic growth as a result of heavy government investment in industries ranging from automotive to textiles, with Morocco's automotive exports growing around 34% in 2014 -- and driving growth in GDP from 2.5% in 2014 to 4.5% in Q3 2015[1] -- as a result of financial and trade initiatives in clusters like the Tangier Automotive City. DHL itself has seen double-digit growth in trade volumes from Morocco to Europe, largely caused by rapid upscaling of automotive production from northern Morocco to around 400 thousand vehicles per annum[2]," said Faysal El Hajjami, Vice President and Maghreb Area Manager, DHL Express.

"For these industries to keep sustaining Morocco's revitalized economy, it is imperative that they be supported by highly reliable on-time logistics directly linking the country's production hubs to demand in Europe and the rest of the world. This latest connection will enable northern Morocco's industries to further accelerate their growth as well as that of Morocco and the greater Maghreb region."

Bachi Spiga, Head of Operations, DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, said, "The introduction of the new express flight from Morocco to Europe reinforces our commitment in one of the most high-potential economic zones in the world. DHL already operates Morocco's largest vehicle fleet, with 120 courier vehicles servicing all major Moroccan cities, along with its state-of-the-art logistics gateway in Casablanca."

"As economic activity reaches new peaks, DHL continues to invest in raising the bar with the quality of our services and in continuing to optimize our express deliveries, including the reduced delivery time and pickup burdens generated by the new Tangier-Leipzig route."

[1] http://www.theworldfolio.com/news/tangier-quickly-becoming-the-african-detroit/3306/ and http://www.tradingeconomics.com/morocco/gdp-growth

[2] http://www.tac.ma/node/53

-- End --

DHL -- The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. DHL's family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With more than 325,000 employees in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, they connect people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including e-Commerce, technology, life science and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world".

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 56 billion euros in 2014.

http://www.dhl.com/en/press.html

Related Links

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SOURCE DHL
NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 21 in Barcelona, Huawei, Light Reading, and TM Forum, will host the Digital Operations Transformation Summit, a one-day summit exploring the trends, opportunities and challenges in the digital transformation of the ICT industry. The summit taking place one day prior to Mobile World Congress, at the Crowne Plaza Barcelona, Fira Center, will include content from the summit's partners, Light Reading and TM Forum.

The Digital Operators Transformation Summit will discuss the latest trends and strategies for digital transformation and agile business models for a healthy ICT ecosystem, specifically focusing on insights and strategies for global carriers to navigate digital operations transformation. The summit will include keynotes, panels and roundtables on a range of essential topics, including:

Hyperadoption, Consumer Needs & the Opportunity for the Telco of the Future

The Future of 21 st Century Communications

Century Communications Huawei's Vision & Practice on Digital Operations

The Challenges & Strategies of Digital Operations Transformation

Agile Operations & Digital Transformation

The summit will feature speakers from leading operators and research companies, including:

John Donovan , Chief Strategy Officer & Group President, AT&T Technology & Operations

, Chief Strategy Officer & Group President, AT&T Technology & Operations Harmeen Mehta, Group CIO, Airtel

Radhika Venkatraman , SVP & CIO, Network & Technology, Verizon

, SVP & CIO, Network & Technology, Verizon Ken Wang , President, Global Marketing and Solution Sales, Huawei

, President, Global Marketing and Solution Sales, Huawei Dong Sun , Ph.D, Chief Architect of Digital Transformation, Huawei

, Ph.D, Chief Architect of Digital Transformation, Huawei Stephen Saunders , CEO & Founder, Light Reading

, CEO & Founder, Light Reading Caroline Chappell , Practice Leader, Heavy Reading

, Practice Leader, Heavy Reading Peter Sany , President & Chief Executive Officer, TM Forum

, President & Chief Executive Officer, TM Forum Barry O'Reilly , Founder & CEO, Antennae; Founder, ExecCamp

, Founder & CEO, Antennae; Founder, ExecCamp Crawford Del Prete , Executive Vice President, IDC

, Executive Vice President, IDC James McQuivey , Ph.D, Vice President, Forrester Research

, Ph.D, Vice President, Forrester Research Rob Rich , Managing Director, TM Forum Insights Research (Round Table Moderator)

Results from a Heavy Reading and TM Forum Digital Operations survey of 67 operators worldwide will be available at the Summit.

"Digital operations are clearly on the agenda for operators around the world," said Caroline Chappell, Practice Leader at Heavy Reading. "The survey shows that their implementation is strongly linked to network virtualization initiatives, which will turn network capabilities into cloud-hosted digital services alongside IT-based digital services. Operators see digital operations as critically delivering the speed and user experience they need to compete effectively in the digital services economy."

Over 30 C-level executives from top-tier communications companies around the world will be in attendance. These include Verizon, Orange, Swisscom, MTN Group, Bharti Airtel, Indosat, China Mobile, Accenture, Deloitte, Gartner, Ovum, Amdocs, IBM and Microsoft. For additional information on The Digital Operations Transformation Summit, visit http://www.huawei.com/en/mwc2016/summit/digital-operations-transformation.

About TM Forum

TM Forum is the global industry association for digital business, connecting talented individuals, leading companies, and diverse ecosystems to accelerate our members' successful digital business transformation. The collective experience and interests of our member community comprised of tens-of-thousands of professionals within 900+ market-leading organizations drives everything we do, from thought-provoking research and publications, to practical guidance, collaboration programs, tools and best practices, hands-on events, and training for business and IT leaders. To accelerate your R&D and join our digital journey as a valued member and collaborator, please visit www.tmforum.org.

About Light Reading

Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) helps the global communications industry make informed decisions. The Lightreading.com site is the definitive source for next-generation communications analysis for more than 450,000 users each month, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content and reputation. Light Reading also produces live events for executives charged with monetizing cable, New IP, optical, Ethernet, mobile, gigabit cities, security, virtualization, components, communications drones, next-gen analytics, Internet of Things and wireline networks.

SOURCE Huawei
ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) employees today receive their portion of the company's $1.5 billion profit sharing earned in 2015  the largest payout in the history of corporate profit sharing programs. Individual payouts equal more than 21 percent of employees' eligible 2015 earnings.

Delta Employees Take Home their Piece of Largest Profit Sharing Payout in U.S. History

"We are often asked what makes Delta different," said Delta's Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson and President Ed Bastian in a memo sent to employees today. "The difference is you. Our unique people-focused culture, built on the Rules of the Road and working together, is the advantage that none of our competitors can match."

Employee celebrations across Delta's global network today honor employees for their record-breaking performance. To take record-setting one step further, the airline erected a 50-foot tall greeting card at the Delta General Offices, which included the names of every Delta employee  all 80,000 of them.

The airline also thanked employees with ad placements in U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, among others.

Delta reported a historic adjusted pre-tax profit of $5.9 billion for 2015 and had an industry-leading year in operational excellence including a total of 161 days with zero mainline cancellations and an on-time rate of 85.9 percent.

In addition to profit sharing, Delta's Shared Rewards program pays out monthly bonuses for meeting corporate operational goals throughout the year.

In 2015, Delta employees earned more than $94.9 million in Shared Rewards as the company achieved history-making operational and financial results. Delta has paid out $4.1 billion to employees in profit sharing and Shared Rewards during the past five years.

The airline will operate on a conservative 2016 budget with the goal of maintaining a sustainable business that is committed to paying down debt, investing in its employees and rewarding customers and shareholders.

Check the Delta News Hub for photos and updates, and follow updates throughout the day on Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, #DeltaProud.

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 328 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit,Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle,Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.

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SOURCE Delta Air Lines

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CINCINNATI, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AssureCare, the leading provider of healthcare management software and solutions, announced today the appointment of Dr. Yousuf Ahmad as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Ahmad brings more than 20 years of experience and a proven track record of leadership to the company.

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Dr. Ahmad is a hands-on executive with experience leading and managing reputable, multi-billion dollar healthcare organizations. Dr. Ahmad most recently served as the Senior Vice President of System Development for Mercy Health  the largest health system in the State of Ohio and one of the largest in the United States. He also served as the President of the system's Behavioral Health Institute. Prior to this role, he was the Market President and CEO of Mercy Health for its Cincinnati market.

"Dr. Ahmad has a track record of driving success with no set playbook or precedence, which will serve him well in his transition to leading the high growth software company. His background of innovation includes implementing the region's first Epic Electronic Medical Record System, and leading the formation of the region's first and only Accountable Care Organization, which now serves as one of the largest ACOs in the country. With healthcare experience including both CIO and CEO roles, Ahmad brings an impressive background of leadership and technology to AssureCare," said Mahendra Vora, Chairman of the Board of AssureCare and Managing Director of Vora Ventures. "AssureCare is experiencing tremendous growth and we are extremely fortunate to have a leader like Dr. Ahmad join the team at Vora Ventures to lead this exciting company."

Dr. Ahmad is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) in the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) and an active member of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Dr. Ahmad holds a Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Kentucky, a Master's of Health Administration and a Master's of Business Administration from Xavier University. He earned his undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems from Eastern Kentucky University.

"I am extremely excited and feel privileged to lead AssureCare, which offers a unique opportunity to utilize my background in technology, innovation and healthcare. Coordination and optimization of care is a personal passion of mine, and AssureCare is in a position to help millions of patients, including Medicare, Medicaid, private and self-pay patients," said Dr. Ahmad. "We will continue to serve this population and lead the care management market through innovation in our products and services. I am thrilled to be joining a great team at Vora Ventures and AssureCare, and I look forward to building upon the momentum we have in the market."

About AssureCare

AssureCare's health management software platform empowers healthcare and human services organizations to efficiently and confidently make decisions that dramatically improve the quality of care for millions of members and patients on a daily basis. AssureCare is transforming the health management industry as an innovative provider of cloud-based solutions that enable its customers to improve medical care coordination, as well as the quality and delivery of care to improve patient outcomes and reduce avoidable healthcare costs. AssureCare's experienced leadership and significant investments in R&D provide the knowledge and technologies that large healthcare organizations need to stay in front of rapid and constant change.

AssureCare is a Vora (Ventures) Group portfolio company with headquarters in Cincinnati. For more information, visit www.AssureCareSoftware.com.

Contact: Paulie Anthony, Marketing Director  614.397.7490

SOURCE Vora Ventures

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PHOENIX, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hastings & Hastings provides advice on getting the most out of a free consultation. Accident victims should arrive prepared with as much documentation as they can. This could include but may not be limited to medical records, expense receipts, police reports, insurance information, pay stubs, and any written correspondence with other parties involved in the accident.

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During the consultation, accident victims will be asked to describe the circumstances of their accident. It is best to be clear and concise when describing the details. Accuracy is also key. Hastings & Hastings notes, the more information that can be provided, the better. This will allow the consulting attorney to better advise the accident victim on the best course of action to take.

At Hastings & Hastings, free consultations are not handled by paralegals, but by attorneys themselves. Hastings & Hastings further advises accident victims to avoid talking with insurance companies until they consult with an attorney. Victims should avoid make statements on the record at all costs. If they have any questions regarding their accident situation, the best time to bring it up is during the consultation.

"I have always believed that offering free legal consultations is an important part of being a respectable personal injury firm. Everyone should have access to legal guidance and representation follow an accident. It is one of the most traumatic experiences someone can go through. They need someone by their side, fighting for them," said David Hastings, the founder of Hastings & Hastings.

About Hastings & Hastings

Hastings & Hastings is an Arizona consumer law firm. We are an experienced trial law firm that represents personal injury and wrongful death victims at a Discount Fee.

Contact Information

Kristy Guell

(480) 706-1100

[email protected]

http://hastingsandhastings.com

SOURCE Hastings & Hastings

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PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spot market freight volume declined 9.1 percent in January, and truckload line haul rates edged down, compared to December. The month-over-month decline was typical of seasonal norms, according to the DAT North American Freight Index. January freight availability increased in only three of the past 20 years represented in the Index. The exceptions were January 2010, 2013 and 2014.

DAT Freight Index reports expected seasonal spot market load volume decline in January 2016.

By equipment type, van freight availability declined 15 percent, and refrigerated ("reefer") volume lost 8.9 percent, but flatbed trailers added 6.1 percent, compared to December. Spot market rates declined 1.3 percent for vans, 1.1 percent for reefers, and 0.6 percent for flatbeds, month over month, not including fuel surcharges.

Compared to January 2015, overall spot market freight availability fell 35 percent. This continues a 13-month trend of year-over-year declines, due to a combination of tepid freight growth and abundant capacity.

Van demand was down 32 percent, reefer volume fell 37 percent, and flatbed freight availability lost 42 percent, year over year. Line haul rates declined 7.4 percent for vans, 7.9 percent for reefers, and 8.1 percent for flatbeds, year over year.

Total rates paid to the carrier declined by 14 percent compared to January 2015, however, due to a 49 percent decline in the fuel surcharge, which comprises a portion of the rate.

Intermediaries and carriers across North America listed more than 95 million loads and trucks on the DAT Network of load boards in 2015. As a result of this high volume, the DAT Freight Index is representative of the ups and downs in North American spot market freight movement.

Reference rates are the averages, by equipment type, of thousands of actual rate agreements between freight brokers and carriers, as recorded in DAT RateView. Rates are cited for line haul only, excluding fuel surcharges, except where noted. The monthly DAT North American Freight Index reflects spot market freight availability on the DAT Network of load boards in the United States and Canada. Beginning in January 2015, the DAT Index was rebased so that 100 on the Index represents the average monthly volume in the year 2000. Additional trends and analysis are available at DAT Trendlines.

About DAT Solutions

Based in Portland, Oregon, DAT Solutions provides actionable information to transportation professionals in North America. It operates the industry's largest network of load boards and is a trusted source of supply and demand trends, rate benchmarking, and capacity planning information. Related services include a comprehensive directory of companies with business history, credit, safety, insurance and company reviews; broker transportation management software; fuel tax, mileage, vehicle licensing, and registration services; mobile resource management; and carrier onboarding.

Founded in 1978, DAT Solutions LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Technologies, a diversified technology company and constituent of the S&P 500, Fortune 1000 and Russell 1000 indices. www.dat.com

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SOURCE DAT Solutions

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PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Many voice problems improve dramatically with the help of a speech language pathologist. Appropriate loudness, pitch and quality can be achieved with the assistance of speech language services.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160212/332863

Speech therapy can help Parkinson's patients with problems such as soft or hoarse voice, mumbled or monotone speech, and swallowing difficulties that start early in the disease process and progressively diminish quality of life.

The speech therapy method William Damelio uses is the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT). LSVT is the "gold standard" in treating speech disorders in people who have Parkinson's disease and consists of an intense therapy that teaches patients to develop the strength required to speak at a normal vocal loudness. The strong theoretical and clinical research base behind LSVT has demonstrated substantive results including improved vocal loudness and intelligibility, improved ability to swallow, and increased facial expression.

Speech therapist William Damelio works with people who have difficulty talking or understanding language, difficulty swallowing, and with people who have cognitive, reading or writing disorders. Evaluation services include the full range of speech and language disorders, clinical swallowing assessment and modified barium swallow. His patients' diagnoses include stroke, head injury, head and neck cancer, laryngectomy, Parkinson's disease, ALS, MS, developmental disorders, and related disorders of communication and swallowing. Home program is usually an integral part of the treatment plan.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

William Damelio M.S., CF-SLP is licensed in the state of Florida as a speech and language pathologist and is a LSVT LOUD certified clinician. He holds a master's degree from Nova Southeastern University. Speech Therapist William Damelio evaluates and treats speech, voice, and swallowing disorders. William specializes is voice, swallow, cognitive, and fluency (stuttering) disorders. William Damelio CF-SLP also volunteers at Parkinson's disease support group sessions for the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) and the National Parkinson's Foundation of South Florida (NPF).

Contact:

Name: William T. Damelio

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.careplusspeechtherapy.com

West Palm Beach, FL

Ph: 914-563-9343

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE William Damelio

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 7 : Terming the recent death of 10 soldiers in an avalanche on the Siachen glacier "painful", Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday that withdrawing troops from the world's highest battlefield could not be a solution.

"This incident is painful to me personally, but the solution that is suggested is not a proper analysis," he said, referring to demands that Indian soldiers be withdrawn from the glacier.

Asked if the proposal to convert Siachen into a "peace mountain" still exists, the minister said: "The decision (on deploying troops) on Siachen is based on the security of the nation."

He said the loss of human lives on the Siachen had come down in recent years due to improved facilities.

"We have lost thousands of soldiers to get control (of the glacier)... The loss of life is less in the last few years," he told reporters on the sidelines of an International Maritime Conference here.

He said the incident had nothing to do with preparedness. "I don't find any loose ends. It's an avalanche... These are unpredictable in nature."

Parrikar said the search operation was on though there was little hope of survival of the soldiers.

"The hope of any survival is nil. They are covered in tonnes of ice," he said.

Then prime minister Manmohan Singh suggested in 2005 that the world's highest battlefield be converted into a "peace mountain" without redrawing the boundaries between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan maintain permanent military presence at heights of over 6,000 metres or 20,000 feet. Both have lost many men to extreme cold in the area where temperature can dip to minus 50 degrees Celsius.

The army has meanwhile deployed advanced equipment to search for its men. These include wall penetrating radars.

Ten soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were buried on Wednesday after an avalanche hit their post located 19,000 feet above the sea level on the southern side of the glacier.
Baghdad, Feb 8 : Islamic State (IS) extremist militants executed over 300 people over the past few days in the IS-held city of Mosul in Iraq, a Kurdish security source said.

"All those executed were ex-police, ex-army members and civilian activists accused by Daesh (IS group) of collaborating with the Iraqi security forces," Xinhua quoted the source as saying on Sunday.

The source did not specify when the executions took place.

"The mass executions proved that Daesh militants have real fears from Mosul residents who are against the group's extremist Islam," he said.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, is the capital of Nineveh province.

The city has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces fled, abandoning their weapons and posts.
Kohima, Feb 8 : In a move to bring lasting peace to Nagaland, a group of people representing the civil society in the state has reached Myanmar to bring the NSCN-K back on the peace path.

Representatives of the apex body Naga Hoho and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) planned to meet leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, informed sources said.

The NSCN-K, led by its chairman S.S. Khaplang, signed a ceasefire with the Indian government in 2001. But in March last year it dumped the accord and resumed armed attacks on security forces.

Last year, the outfit ambushed a convoy at Chandel in Manipur and killed 18 soldiers. The central government then banned the outfit for five years.

"A joint team comprising eight members representing the Naga Hoho and ENPO has reached Myanmar and is waiting to meet Khaplang. Let us see what the outcome is," ENPO president Khoiwang Konyak said in a statement.

The joint statement by the ENPO and Naga Hoho said the team met Kyaw Win Swe, an emissary from the Ceasefire Monitoring Group of the NSCN-K, at Mandalay.

The statement said Khaplang had been urged to again go for a truce with New Delhi.

The Nagaland assembly last year resolved to urge the central government and the NSCN-K to go back to the ceasefire agreement to create the right atmosphere for a political dialogue in Nagaland.
Washington, Feb 9 : Following Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley's testimony in a Mumbai court, the US has reiterated its commitment help India bring to justice those responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The US Justice Department had made Headley now serving a 35-year sentence in Chicago, "available by video link to a court in Mumbai to provide his testimony on his involvement in the attack," US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters here Monday.

"For our part, the United States has committed to doing all we can to assist the Government of India in pursuing every possible lead to bring to justice those responsible for that attack to the fullest extent permitted by US law," he said.

"But this was a decision and this was an event set up and established by the Justice Department," he said and the State department "wouldn't have gotten involved in that."

Kirby noted that the US has "a very strong relationship with India on a lot of levels, and law enforcement's one of those."

"Obviously, we'll always look to try to improve our cooperation across all different aspects of the relationship," he said declining to prejudge the "strategic value" of Headley's testimony.

"Certainly it's indicative of our commitment to making sure the perpetrators of that attack are brought to justice, and I think it's indicative of a close relationship with India, again, in a law enforcement realm, but across all others as well," Kirby said.

Asked if Headley will be freed from the Chicago jail following his testimony in the Mumbai case, he said it was an issue for the Justice Department to comment on.

Son of a Pakistani father and an American mother, Headley changed his birth name Daood Sayed Gilani at the behest of LeT to avoid suspicion for his five spying missions in Mumbai to scout targets for the attacks, which killed 168 people.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 10 : In keeping with the government's initiative to showcase the prowess of the country's robust manufacturing sector, 'Weaves of Banaras' will be unfurled as part of the Make in India Week.

The commerce and industry ministry and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in collaboration with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) will host the show in Mumbai on February 14 at the ITC Grand Central.

Conceptualised and executed by the FDCI -- India's apex fashion body -- the show will celebrate the crafts of Banaras, its luxurious weaves and the skills of the weavers, read a statement.

"Banaras is not merely the fountain head of civilisation but of textile, fabric and weaving. In Banaras, the master craftsmen weave magic and create the most exquisite pieces using Indian colours and design," said Amitabh Kant, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) secretary.

"Weaves of Banaras is a once in a lifetime show bringing together India's finest contemporary designers highlighting its traditional strengths," he said.

FDCI president Sunil Sethi thanked Amitabh Kant for giving "FDCI a coveted opportunity to collaborate with them".

"We assure that the audience will be riveted by the charms of the Banarasi weaves created by FDCI designers. It is an honour to contribute to the 'Make in India' movement which is now gaining momentum."

The 'Make in India' initiative is about showcasing India's creative prowess, said V. Sunil, the director of the project.

"It is also about packaging India's tremendous potential in a way that is relevant to the India's global partners and India's youth. Weaves of Banaras show is great example of this repackaging: the unrivalled artistry of Banaras, reimagined by our country's foremost creative minds," Sunil said.

Make in India Week 2016 will be organised in Mumbai from February 13.
Chennai, Feb 10 : Actor Aadarsh Balakrishna, who is currently busy shooting for Allu Arjun starrer Telugu actioner "Sarainodu", has landed an important role in the yet-untitled Telugu remake of Tamil film "Neram".

"Aadarsh plays an important role which has been included in the remake. He is expected to join the sets soon," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

The film, which features Sundeep Kishan and Anisha Ambrose in the lead, also stars Bobby Simhaa and Mahat Raghavendra in important roles.

Being directed by Anil Kanneganti, the film is produced by Anil Sunkara.
Visakhapatnam, Feb 10 : As the International Fleet Review concluded, the massive warships lined off the Visakhapatnam coast bid adieu to the coastal city in an impressive and first ever Passage Exercise (PASSEX).

The 54 foreign and Indian ships that were anchored for review by President Pranab Mukherjee sailed out of Visakhapatnam on Tuesday evening.

As per the maritime tradition, visiting foreign ships are generally escorted to the open seas on their way home.

"The PASSEX was aimed at fostering greater cooperation and camaraderie with friendly foreign navies, increasing interoperability, providing the requisite operational element to IFR," a Navy official said on Wednesday.

The Passage Exercise was conducted in two groups, centred on Indian Naval aircraft carriers - INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat.

The ships sailed out in two groups of 27 ships each, with the first group under the command of Rear Admiral Ravneet Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

The second group was under the command of Rear Admiral S.V. Bhokare, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet embarked on board the aircraft carrier INS Viraat and included manoeuvres and flying operations.

A ceremonial steam-past, wherein Indian and foreign warships sailed past each other in formation, provided an opportunity for participants to bid adieu to fellow seafarers and marked the finale of the exercise.

The flying operations included landing of a helicopter from Royal British Navy ship HMS Defender on board INS Viraat to commemorate the historic association of the aircraft carrier with the Royal Navy.

"The unprecedented scale and scope of the PASSEX are indicative of India's growing stature in the maritime domain and the bridges that have been painstakingly built by the Indian Navy towards achieving the motto of the International Fleet Review in letter and spirit - 'United through Oceans'," the official added.
New Delhi, Feb 10 : A lawyer who filed a complaint here against the cast and director of adult comedy film 'Mastizaade' seems headed for trouble with Delhi Police mulling issuance of a notice to him instead.

Delhi-based lawyer Gaurav Gulati filed his complaint on Tuesday at the Adarsh Nagar police station in north Delhi, objecting to a scene in the Bollywood movie wherein condoms are discussed inside a temple, police said on Wednesday.

However, police now say they plan to issue him notice for "unnecessarily raising a wrong issue to gain publicity". If Gulati has any objection, he should move a court of law, Station House Officer Sanjay Kumar told IANS.

"We have received the lawyer's complaint, but plan to issue him a notice. He is unnecessarily raising the issue to gain publicity," he said.

In his complaint, the lawyer complained against actress Sunny Leone, actors Vir Das and Tusshar Kapoor and director Milap Zaveri, police said.

He had recently also filed a complaint against actors Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan after they were shown wearing shoes on a set of a temple during a reality show.
Baghdad, Feb 12 : Russia on Thursday confirmed its support to Iraq in fighting against the Islamic State militant group which has seized large parts of the country.

Visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin held meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday, which concluded with a cooperation agreement to boost bilateral ties in various aspects, Xinhua reported.

"Moscow can meet the needs of the Iraqi leadership in the fighting against terrorism through the exchange of information, training of security forces and providing military equipment," Rogozin said during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

He said Moscow will provide such support "if the Iraqi government submitted a formal request for it."

Heading a delegation of about a hundred Russian officials and economic, military and investment experts, the Russian deputy premier said the two sides agreed to boost cooperation in transportation, health care and civil aviation.

The Iraqi foreign minister said the agreement would cover oil, electricity, water resources and industry.

Earlier in the day, Jaafari and Rogozin co-chaired the Russian- Iraqi inter-governmental commission in its meeting in Baghdad between the Russian delegation members and their Iraqi counterparts.

Rogozin, who arrived in Baghdad Wednesday for a two-day visit, also met with Iraqi President Fuad Masoum and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri.
Ghaziabad, Feb 12 : The enraged Ghaziabad residents lifted a sit-in from outside a police office which blocked traffic on Hapur road here after the SP City assured of speeding up the recovery process of a kidnapped woman engineer.

A 23-year-old woman engineer, working in the IT department of online shopping website Snapdeal, was abducted, police said on Thursday. Residents protested the crime, blocking roads and holding the sit-in.

Deepti Sarna, who works at the company's Gurgaon office, failed to return home in Kavi Nagar area of Ghaziabad on Wednesday night.

She usually took the Delhi Metro up to Vaishali station in Ghaziabad, and from there, she took an auto-rickshaw to her house, located around 8-km from the station.

On Wednesday night, she left the Metro station around 8.30 p.m. and took a "shared" auto-rickshaw along with three other passengers, including a woman.

After getting into the vehicle, she telephoned her father Narendra Sarna.

After travelling a distance of around 3-4 km, the woman co-passenger was reportedly forced to get down.

Sensing danger, Deepti called her father again and said the auto-rickshaw was taking her in a wrong direction. Her mobile phone then went switched off.

Her father along with some political leaders contacted police and filed a complaint.

Superintendent of Police (City) Salman Taj Patil said a case was registered and police launched a combing operation in the area, but nothing was found.
Islamabad, Feb 12 : National flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started taking action against some 165 of its employees for their involvement in a strike that caused week-long flight suspension, the media reported on Friday.

The PIA management said 11 contractual employees were terminated from their positions on Thursday for their alleged role in the strike that caused cancellation of over 800 international and domestic flights and about 4 billion Pakistani rupees (about $38 million) loss to the national exchequer.

An official source told Dawn online that the PIA management had begun firing "main characters" of the strike on the "direction" of the government.

"The PIA management issued show-cause notices to another 30 employees on Thursday increasing the total number to 165. Members of the Joint Action Committee of the PIA employees may also face the axe as they have been served with notices," he said, adding that those served with notices were from all major stations, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta.

They have been given a 72-hour deadline to explain their position.

PIA workers on Wednesday alled off the strike against a government privatisation plan after they were invited for talks to listen to their demands.

Two PIA employees were also killed when the law enforcement agencies clashed with the protesting workers in Karachi last week.

The government planned PIA's privatisation as it runs into losses mainly because of over-staffing.
Brasilia, Feb 12 : Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro has announced an international partnership to produce a vaccine against the Zika virus, the media reported on Friday.

The virus has recently become an international health issue with suspected links to microcephaly. It is also believed to trigger Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease, in individuals with a propensity for the disease.

Castro on Thursday said the two institutions -- Brazil's Evandro Chagas Institute and the University of Texas -- will work to speed up initial research, and a vaccine might be ready for a two-year test in 12 months.

"We know it will take time but we are optimistic that we can develop the vaccine in a shorter time," said Castro.

The Brazilian government will invest $2 million in the project while the amount to be invested by the US side is yet to be disclosed.
New Delhi : Once I worked in a country where officials angrily denied rumors that the premier was dead by announcing that: "His health is normal for a man of his age." So I pointed out in my column that the normal state of health for a 93-year-old was "dead".

My editor was furious, but then the guy died anyway, so the discussion became moot.

Death is a touchy subject, but a powerful one that can even be used to make your children revise their clothing choices.

"If you die tonight, what you're wearing is what your ghost has to wear forever. That's how it works," I say. (Teenager rushes back to bedroom to change.)

Your columnist was musing on the topic of death after reading a report about a woman arrested recently for drunk driving in Australia.

A breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.48, which is above the level at which normal humans die. Police shrugged and stayed with their diagnosis of drunk driving rather than doing the obvious thing of recognizing her as an undead harbinger of the coming zombie apocalypse.

Not that I'm worried. Zombies don't really do anything except wander around looking for something to eat, which pretty much describes most of my friends, most of the time.

Or perhaps the undead driver was a journalist, many of whom are superhuman drinkers.

Last week, one particular colleague of mine donated blood, and I just hope whoever gets it likes cheap Chardonnay. In one of her few lucid moments, this lady shared her outrage over a story she had read which said that a UK man was recently charged with drunk driving despite the fact that he wasn't driving, but sitting in the passenger seat advising a learner driver. Police said legal liability stands with the person giving instructions. Interesting.

I'm going to try this next time I'm stopped for speeding. "The kids in the back seat told me to go faster, officer. They're naughty."

But going back to zombies, did you know that humans can function well with partial brains? A reader sent me a news report about a Spanish man who played the saxophone while he was having brain surgery. There was also a patient a while ago in the US who played the guitar while having his gray matter rearranged. You can see the advantages. Patient: "I can't remember the next verse." Surgeon: "Let me jog your memory. There."

The medical logic is that if patients are active during surgery, doctors get useful clues as to the exact functions of the bits of brain they are slashing out. Patient: "I think Trump would make a classy addition to the pantheon of world leaders." Surgeon: "We must have taken out all his intelligence circuits, quick, put some back."

If I ever have brain surgery I am going to ask if I can juggle live porcupines while riding a unicycle during the op. That way I'm sure of retaining saleable skills when it's over.

Still, death is not the big thing it used to be. On the list of five most frightening things in the world, I reckon death has been edged out by: 5) "Virus detected"; 4) Phone hotline robots; 3) Tyra Banks; 2) People talking in the cinema; and 1) "No connection, consult your ISP."

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments via the author's Facebook page)
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Krishna Raj Kapoor, wife of late actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor has been admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital here for age-related ailments, her eldest son Randhir Kapoor said on Friday.

"She has been hospitalised. She is stable now and shall be getting discharged soon. It is just age-related issues... Nothing to worry about," Randhir, father of Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan, told IANS.

Media reports have speculated that Krishna Raj Kapoor has been hospitalised since a fortnight, but Randhir did not disclose anything.

Randhir and Rishi have been visiting their mother, who is also being taken care of by her daughter Rima Jain.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Home Minister Rajnath Singh, announcing stringent action against students who raised anti-India slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, said on Friday they will not be spared.

"If anyone raises anti-India slogans and tries to raise question on nation's unity and integrity, they will not be spared," Rajnath Singh told media here.

"Stringent action must be taken against them who raised anti-India slogans in JNU."

Students of the JNU on Tuesday organised a meet to mourn the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were also raised.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : An American prince in 1830s Afghanistan, the notorious but unlikely double agents of the Second World War and the Cold War, a corpse that deceived the Nazis, a famous German philosopher's sister trying to set up a colony in 19th century South America - it is some extraordinary, history-changing stories that Ben Macintyre has brought into limelight, from his penchant for "complex characters".

"I am attracted to double, different characters... complex characters... of some unlikely people in unexpected settings," the British historian, columnist and author told IANS in an interview. Macintyre, who was here for the Jaipur Literature Festival, has 10 books to his credit including a biography of Ian Fleming and his famous spy character, while his latest is on double spy 'Kim' Philby.

His debut "Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche" (1992) is the story of Friedrich Nietzsche's sister and her failed bid to set up a "racially pure" (and vegetarian!) German colony in Paraguay in the 1880s. It then goes on to tell how, once back home, she entwined her own theories on race and nationalism to create a distorted version of his philosophy - snapped up by Hitler and the Nazis to their own ends.

Macintyre confesses he was drawn to this topic by the motif of "unlikely people, with a rich vein of eccentricity, who willingly transplant themselves into a completely new culture".

After "The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth" (1997) and "A Foreign Field" (2001), about four British soldiers, who cut off behind enemy lines in France during World War I, lived in a village for over an year before being betrayed and shot as spies, he returned to this theme of "transplanted" people.

"The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan" (2004) is the story of Quaker Josiah Harlan (1799-1871), who reached British India and became an army surgeon, served Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then found himself in Afghanistan, where he became the prince of Ghor and raised the American flag on the Hindukush range during an expedition.

Macintyre says he came across Harlan's name in a historical piece on Afghanistan following the American invasion in wake of 9/11 and intrigued, dug into research including reading his memoirs which are unpublished and "possibly unread".

"Harlan was an extraordinary, complicated figure. He was not an obvious hero... was a very tricky and difficult man," he said of the American who eventually went back home and died in penury.

Equally engrossing is Macintyre's trilogy of World War II deception operations. "Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman" (2007) is about a British conman captured by Germans and agreeing to work for them but supplying disinformation to his handlers, even in face-to-face encounters.

"Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II" (2010) is about how a varied cast including an eccentric RAF officer, a gifted Jewish barrister, a famous forensic pathologist, a gold prospector, a beautiful secret service secretary, a submariner, three novelists, a transvestite English spymaster, an irascible admiral, and a dead Welsh tramp - who framed a plan that convinced Germans that the Allies were poised to invade Greece, not Sicily in 1943. "Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies" (2012), which deluded Germans on the Normandy landings, has an equally strange cast - a bisexual Peruvian playgirl, a Polish fighter pilot, a Serbian seducer, a wildly imaginative Spaniard, and a hysterical Frenchwoman.

Macintyre said that while there have been several books on these operations, most were "propaganda" written post-war and not based on documented evidence but he benefitted from declassified archival material. "It was a huge amount and full of details... very interesting," he said.

"A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal" (2014) is on the British spy who long worked for the Russians.

"Philby was complete double character... nobody does it better. He was the spy in the enemy camp who ended up running it, but always remained an enigma. His motives are still unclear," he said.

Noting Philby figures in several novels, Macintyre says his life was so extraordinary that "you don't need to make fiction of it".

"If it (his life) was presented as fiction, no one would believe it," he said.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
Bujumbura, Feb 12 : At least 26 people were injured in a grenade blast near the city centre here, Burundian police said.

Nine of the injured were in a serious condition, Xinhua quoted police as saying.

According to the police, two people riding a motorcycle blasted the grenade on Thursday.

The police said two Kalashnikov, five chargers filled with ammunitions and two bombs were seized on Thursday in a search operation at Mutakura in the north of the capital.

Since April 2015, with the outbreak of protest against the third-term bid of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza and his controversial re-election in July 2015, violence has left over 400 dead in the east African nation, according to civil society groups.
Mumbai, Feb 12 : National Award winning designer Neeta Lulla, known for exquisite bridal and trousseau designs, will showcase an exclusive Paithani collection consisting of contemporary separates, as part of the 'Make in India' initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The fashion show is scheduled to be held in Mumbai on February 17 under the 'Maharashtra Textiles Show/ Make in Maharashtra' event, which is a part of the 'Make in India' campaign.

"'Make in India' as an initiative has great potential and I am truly humbled to be a part of this nationwide phenomenon. To me, it's about celebrating the true spirit of Maharashtra and India," said Lulla.

The designer is to showcase a Paithani range with the collection ranging from flowing lehangas to long kurtas to jackets, dhoti pants and sarong skirts which have been embodied to perfection to bring out the richness of Paithani.

The collection will showcase the diffused nature of colours to create a romantic tenor. It is made from natural silk in cotton with precious gold and silver metal threads to enhance rich jewels tone colours like emeralds, amber, garnet or cobalt.

Talking about it, Lulla said: "Maharashtra has always held a special place in my heart; this has been home to my whole life and art. I have chosen to showcase the intricacies, elaborateness and immaculacy of Paithani, a legacy of Maharashtra."

"Paithani uses the ancient technique of tapestry where multiple threads of different colours along with gold and silver threads are woven together to form a fascinating piece of silk and has a special place in the life of women who are the pillars of every family and society."

"Paithani collection is inspired and a tribute to the rich, giving and spectacular culture. I am absolutely confident that this range would stand out and make an impact", she added.
New York, Feb 12 : Fighting ants, giant soldier termites and foraging worker ants recently discovered in 100-million-year-old amber pieces from Myanmar provide direct evidence of advanced social behaviour in ancient ants and termites, say researchers.

Advanced sociality, or eusociality, a hallmark of which is reproductive specialisation into worker and queen castes, is essentially a phenomenon of the group of invertebrates known as arthropods.

However, before the new work, the earliest termites ever found that could definitively be tied to a caste system were from the Miocene epoch, a mere 17 to 20 million years ago.

"In the Cretaceous amber we examine, the ants and termites represent the earliest branches of each evolutionary tree, and the species are wildly different from what their modern relatives look like today," said study co-author Phillip Barden from Rutgers University in New Jersey, US.

The new work, led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Kansas, was published in two papers in the journal Current Biology.

"We wanted to know how social these creatures were, if they were social at all," Barden noted.

A number of spectacular pieces of amber recently recovered from Myanmar gave Barden and colleagues a clear answer: Eusociality was going strong in both groups - ants and termites during the Cretaceous period.

In termites, the researchers made this determination based on the diverse anatomy of the animals, indicating the presence of castes.

The amber ant fossils froze a number of eusocial behaviours in time. Those include the presence of different castes, including queen ants and workers; groups of worker ants in single pieces of amber, probably nestmates foraging together; and two workers of different ant species engaging in combat, the researchers said.
Damascus, Feb 12 : Sixteen people were killed on Friday in air strikes against towns in Syria's central province of Homs, a monitor group reported.

Warplanes carried out at least 16 air strikes against areas in the rebel-held towns of Ghanto and Dar al-Kabira in the countryside of Homs, Xinhua quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the toll could rise as many of the injured were in critical conditions.

It added that air raids also targeted other areas in northern Homs, namely the rebel-held city of Talbiseh, leaving many injuries.

Meanwhile, Syrian helicopters also dropped barrel bombs on the town of Tair Maleh in northern Homs, said the Observatory, stopping short of giving details about possible deaths.
New York, Feb 12 : Mechanical engineers from University of Wisconsin-Madison are developing an innovative energy harvesting and storage technology that can reduce reliance on batteries in mobile devices and charge your smartphone as you walk.

Tom Krupenkin, professor of mechanical engineering, and senior scientist J Ashley Taylor described a technology that could capture the energy of human motion to power mobile electronic devices.

This could enable a footwear-embedded energy harvester that captures energy produced by humans during walking and stores it for later use.

The technology could prove useful for the military as soldiers carry heavy batteries to power their radios, GPS units and night-vision goggles in the field.

"Human walking carries a lot of energy. Theoretical estimates show that it can produce up to 10 watts per shoe and that energy is just wasted as heat. A total of 20 watts from walking is not a small thing, especially compared to the power requirements of the majority of modern mobile devices," explained Krupenkin.

Krupenkin said tapping into just a small amount of that energy is enough to power a wide range of mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and flashlights.

A typical smartphone requires less than two watts of energy.

"We have been developing new methods of directly converting mechanical motion into electrical energy that are appropriate for this type of application," Krupenkin noted in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The researchers are using "reverse electrowetting" -- a phenomenon under which mechanical energy is directly converted into electrical energy when a conductive liquid interacts with a nanofilm-coated surface.

The engineers are looking for industry to commercialise the technology through their startup company, InStep NanoPower.
New York, Feb 12 : Want better action between the sheets tonight? Increase the volume of your favourite number and reap the results as the loud sound will ensure your way to better and steamier sex, an interesting study has revealed.

To reach this conclusion, audio hardware company Sonos and Apple Music surveyed 30,000 people on how they think about music.

They chose a cross-section of 30 families (109 people) from around the world to participate in a much deeper, ears-on investigation, tech website Mashable reported.

"Throughout most of the world and for most of human history, music-making was as natural an activity as breathing and walking and everyone participated," said Daniel J Levitin, a neuroscientist who approved the data sampling.

Levitin, former musician and author of the book titled "This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession", has been studying music's effect on humanity for more than 20 years.

He set the in-home test methodology and find the right statistical approach for releasing results.

During the two-week study, families spent the first week without music played aloud.

In the second week, they were given the Sonos system and Apple Music and played 8,124 songs over the course of more than 44,000 hours of logged activity.

The findings showed that in the second week, families talked more to each other, smiled, laughed, sang out loud, danced and spent more time together.

Over all, the music listeners reported having 67 percent more sex.

According to Levitin, the results are consistent with what he has observed in the laboratory that music changes people's brains by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine that gives people a warm feeling of contentment.

Listening to music also helps release another neurotransmitter oxytocin -- the love hormone.

What happens next is for anyone to guess!
New Delhi : Here's an idea for thoughtful people. Aways carry around a large number of prosthetic limbs, so if you're assassinated the guy who does the chalk outline will be able to create a fascinating piece of conceptual art. Of course, it's obviously better if one doesn't get knocked off, but it's important to be considerate, right?

The fact is a steady growth of civility and politeness is seeping into the whole evil-doer/law-enforcer paradigm. I started thinking about this when a reader sent me a news cutting about cops raiding a suspected drug house in the US state of Illinois. During the 90-minute search for evidence, a regular stream of drug-buyers turned up at the front door with cash, and police had to post officers there to politely deflect them.

The actual conversations (repeated at least 10 times) were not recorded but must have gone something like this. "Here for illegal drugs?" "Yes, please!" "Terribly sorry, but we're doing a major police raid here. Would you mind coming back later? Have a nice day."

The report reminded me of a robbery in Malaysia some years ago. Armed villains took over a 7-Eleven store to steal stuff from the stock room. To buy themselves time, some gang members put on staff coats and served customers who came in. Afterwards, witnesses told investigators that the only suspicious thing was that shop staff were more courteous and attentive than normal.

That tale in turn reminded one of my colleagues about a thief who went into a McDonald's in Sydney and demanded cash from the till. The quick-thinking manager said: "Sorry, we can't open the till unless you buy something." The robber checked his pockets to see if he had enough cash to buy the cheapest thing on the menu. He didn't. Again the exact words of the exchange were not recorded, but must have been on these lines: "Sorry, bit short of cash today, I'll come back another time." "Sure, don't be a stranger."

Now of course committing robberies is still illegal whether you're polite or not, right? Maybe not. Your columnist asked a lawyer who said that a bank robber in the US last summer tried to use his civility as a legal defense. He argued that since he had waited in line, asked for the cash politely, and used the terms "please" and "I would appreciate it" on the note he handed over, the demand should be seen as a friendly request and the money handed over seen as a gift. The defense failed, but I do think he should have won some sort of award for Largest Public Display of Chutzpah.

The same goes for the prisoner from the famous lock-up at Guantanamo Bay who posted his profile on a big dating websites, describing himself as "detained but ready to mingle". He had been locked away for eight years, so "ready" was probably a bit of an understatement. But then "half-crazed with desperation" might have come across as needy.

Always better to play it cool. Unless you work at a certain 7-Eleven, where it might make folk suspicious.

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send comments via his Facebook page)
Kathmandu, Feb 12 : Ahead of Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's upcoming visit to India, Kathmandu has finalised a comprehensive wishlist it wants New Delhi to fulfil.

Projects related to infrastructure and hydel development and power transmission top Oli's agenda for the six-day visit commencing February 19, officials here said.

The wishlist for Oli's visit -- his first foreign tour since assuming office in October last -- includes finalisation of two hydro-power projects of a total 750 MW capacity that have been on the table for quite some time now.

The two projects together would cost about $1 billion.

Nepal is estimated to have the potential to generate 42,000 MW of hydropower but today produces 800 MW -- far less than the domestic demand of 1,400 MW.

The two power projects were among agenda-points that Nepal's Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had proposed to his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a visit to New Delhi earlier this month.

India has already promised $2 billion in aid during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in August 2014.

Another $1 billion in assistance was pledged by India in June 2015 at the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction following the April 2015 earthquake.

Out of the $1 billion, $250 million is aid and the remaining $750 million is soft loan to carry out various post-quake reconstruction works.

The other major proposals on Oli's wishlist are completion within five years of the India-assisted Hulaki Road (postal road) project in Nepal's southern Terai area; laying of cross-border power transmission lines and developing a state-of-art hospital in Kathmandu.

Nepal and India have recently installed 400 kv power transmission lines and have also proposed to build six power corridors at various border points.

According to finance ministry officials here, Poudel also sought Indian assistance to build one national institute of technology, establishment of eight technical schools and the setting up of an ayurveda university.

Other areas of discussion are the early implementation of the 6,720 MW Pancheshwor multipurpose project, construction of a second international airport in Nepal, and fast-tracking of construction of the Kathmandu-Terai road besides some security issues.

Nepal relies heavily on foreign aid and assistance from India has contributed to major infrastructure development in the Himalayan nation.

Grants from India helped to build the airport in Kathmandu, the flood control Koshi Barrage, Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, Trauma Centre, a number of irrigation projects and important highways like Tribhuvan Highway -- connecting capital Kathmandu to the Birgunj-Raxaul border with India -- and Siddhartha Highway -- connecting the Terai region in southern Nepal with the mountain region in northern Nepal.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)
Phnom Penh, Feb 12 : A Cambodian court on Friday sentenced disgraced former Phnom Penh Municipal Court President Aing Mealdey to three years in prison with one year being suspended on the charge of "unlawful exploitation".

The court decided to downgrade the charge against the former court president from embezzlement, which can carry a maximum prison term of 10 years, to unlawful exploitation, which carries a jail term of less than five years, Xinhua reported.

The court also ordered the convict to pay a fine of 5 million riel ($1,250).

Mealdey, 59, was removed from his post in February last year after Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a public speech that he might have taken a multi-million-US dollar bribe to release two suspects connected to a high-profile assassination case.

He was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in August last year. After the investigation, the former court president was not found guilty of taking bribe in the assassination case, but he was found guilty of giving an Audi SUV confiscated from a suspected drug dealer in 2014 to his son.

In a trial session late last month, Mealdey recognised his mistake and requested the court to change the charge from embezzlement to unlawful exploitation.

It was the first time in the country that an ex-court chief was sentenced over corruption-related charge.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : AAP leader Kumar Vishwas on Friday urged the central government to take "stern" action against the students who raised anti-India slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

"This is high time India as a system sets an example by punishing all those who have shouted/supported anti-India slogans in the JNU," Vishwas tweeted.

"Indian rule of law has set sections against such activities. The GOI (government of India) should take stern action against these anti-national minds," he added.

He advised police to take quick action against those who shouted anti-India slogans in JNU.

"Delhi Police that is often quick to take action against 'set targets' should rather act quick in JNU matter and detain anti-nationals," he tweeted.

Students of the JNU on Tuesday organised a meet to mourn the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were raised.

Police have arrested president of JNU's students union, Kanhaiya Kumar in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy.
New Delhi, February 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday told counsels appearing for the State government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that the Vedas, Upanishads and scriptures do not discriminate between men and women.

The apex court made the observation while hearing a petition filed by Indian Young Lawyers Association challenging the bar on women aged between 10 and 50 to enter Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala.

The TDB, which manages the affairs of the temple, bars women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the hill shrine citing age old traditions that prohibit menstruating women from offering worship at the temple since the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is a perpetual bachelor (naishtika brahmachari).

On Friday, senior counsel K K Venugopal, appearing for the TDB, said as much and wondered why the practice dating back a 1000 years was being questioned now.

A three-judge bench led by Justice Dipak Misra asserted that the court wanted to strike a balance between the right to equality and the right to religious practice.

The bench wondered whether the fundamental right to equality could be given the go-by in the name of tradition.

Stating that the scriptures do not discriminate between men and women, the bench directed the TDB to file an affidavit in six weeks giving details of when such discrimination started in history.

The court appointed senior counsels Raju Ramachandran and K Ramamurthy as amici curiae saying that the legal, constitutional and spiritual issues related to the case needed to be looked into further.

The Kerala government had earlier filed an affidavit supporting the TDB stand on the issue, saying that the ban on women has its basis in traditions and beliefs and that the government was duty bound to protect the right of devotees to practice their religion.
London, Feb 12 : Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have announced that they are prosecuting Foodles Production (UK) Ltd., Walt Disney's subsidiary, responsible for the filming of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in the country, for violating workplace health and safety laws.

The producers are charged over an on-set mishap that seriously injured actor Harrison Ford, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The 73-year-old actor was left with a broken leg after he was struck by a hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon during the filming at the famed Pinewood Studios Buckinghamshire.

"By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers - this is as true on a film set as a factory floor," the HSE said in a statement.

"We have investigated thoroughly and believe that we have sufficient evidence to bring the case to court," the statement further read.

Foodles Production responded: "Cast and crew safety is always a top priority. We provided full co-operation during HSE's investigation into the on-set accident that occurred in June 2014 and are disappointed in HSE's decision."

The company is facing four charges. Their representatives are expected to appear in court for the first hearing on May 12 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to put on hold criminal proceedings against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald case but expunged all adverse observations, inferences and conclusions by the high court.

A bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan also exempted the Gandhis and others from personal appearances, noting that their presence in the trial court would cause more "inconvenience, than convenience".

However, it said the trial court was free to have their presence as and when needed.

"When people of such prominence are there, they are not going to run away. If on a particular occasion when you need them, you can call for them. There will be more chaos with these people going to the court than not going to the court," the court told BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the complainant, as he said that power to grant exemption was vested in the magistrate.

As Swamy tried to read an earlier apex court ruling in support, Justice Khehar said that one option was that they ask the Gandhis and others to make an application for exemption from personal appearances and direct the magistrate to grant it or do it themselves.

In yet another relief to the Gandhis, the court permitted them to raise all the issues, including the locus of Swamy, who has initiated the criminal proceedings.

"Whatever you want to say, you say at the time of the framing of the charges," the court said as senior counsel Kapil Sibal sought to assail maintainability of Swamy's complaint and his locus.

Making it clear that they were not going to reverse the high court order, Justice Khehar said that their interference would be limited to the adverse inferences and conclusions by the high court.

"We are not happy with what the high court judge has said. That is the limited interference (of expunging them) we can do.

"So far as determination rendered by the high court in rejecting the prayer for quashing of the proceedings against the petitioners are concerned, we find no justification in intervening with the order.

"On factual position in paragraph 31 and conclusion in paragraph 39 of the high court judgment, we are of the view that it will not be open (for trial) court recording any findings based on conclusions and same has to be decided after recording of the evidence. so paragraph 31 and paragraph 39 are expunged," the court said.

The high court in paragraph 31, while holding that a political party was free to tap other avenues to augment its income, however said that the allegations against the Congress office bearers are that of "siphoning off the party funds in a clandestine manner".

Questing the propriety of the party "extending interest free loans to a separate legal entity i.e. AJL", it had said that "what crops up in the mind of a prudent person is as to where was the need of extending interest free loans to a public limited company engaged in a commercial venture of publishing newspapers".

In paragraph 39, it had said: "After having considered the entire case in its proper perspective, this court finds no hesitation to put it on record that the modus operandi adopted by petitioners in taking control of AJL via special purpose vehicle i.e. Y.I., particularly, when the main persons in Congress party, AJL and Y.I. are the same, evidences a criminal intent."

"Whether it is cheating, criminal misappropriation or criminal breach of trust is not required to be spelt out at this nascent stage," it said.

Directing Gandhis and others to appear before the trial court, the high court had said it could not be argued that no case for their summoning has been made out, and the "questionable conduct of petitioners needs to be properly examined at the charge stage to find out the truth and so, these criminal proceedings cannot be thwarted at this initial stage".
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Friday arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy, the police said.

Kumar was arrested on the charge of raising anti-India slogans at an event organised by the students to mark the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in the Tihar Central Jail here on February 9, 2013.

The JNU student leader was arrested from a hostel in the university campus hours after union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called for action against 'anti-national' elements.

Police claimed that Kumar and other people were seen in a video raising anti-national slogans.

Kumar was presented before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen who remanded him in three-day police custody.

The police told the court that Kumar's interrogation is needed to ascertain his alleged links with some terrorist groups and identify other people shouting anti-national slogans along with him during the event.

The police informed the court that they were in search of five others identified as Umar Khalid, Anirvan Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Anant Prakash and Rama Naga.

The magistrate also saw the video footage of the event submitted to him by the police.

Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that the police has implicated him in a false case.

Terming the case politically motivated, Kumar said he neither shouted any slogan nor said anything against the integrity of the country.

He said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent any clash between ABVP supporters and the students organising the event.

On Thursday, the police had registered a case on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy against "unknown students" following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha member Maheish Girri and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students' organisation associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The university witnessed violence between two student groups on Tuesday night over the holding of the event after which police was deployed there to maintain law and order.

The event allegedly saw the raising of anti-India slogans. The JNU authorities have instituted an inquiry as to how did the event take place despite withdrawal of permission and said they would wait for the probe report before taking action.

Another meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where too anti-India slogans were allegedly raised and objectionable placards displayed.

The police on Friday registered an FIR against unknown people on a complaint filed by the PCI management against the organisers of the event for shouting pro-Afzal Guru slogans.
Bamako, Feb 12 : Two Guinean peacekeepers in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed and 30 injured in an attack in Mali on Friday.

The attack began around 6.55 a.m. (local time) when rockets were launched on the UN forces camp in the town of Kidal, Xinhua quoted sources as saying.

The attack lasted for less than two hours but left numerous victims. Eyewitnesses said a UN helicopter also came under attack.

The UN force reacted immediately. "A fighter jet has been deployed to track down the terrorists," an official said.

Security measures have been reinforced around the UN Mission in Kidal.

The attack occurred when the German president is expected in Mali this Friday for a 24-hour visit.

Germany is currently leading the European mission that trains the Malian army. Berlin is soon expected to send 650 additional soldiers to the UN Mission in Mali.
Chennai, Feb 12 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) only notes cases of loan default but does not take any action and the only reform needed in India is action against wilful loan defaulters, said a top leader of a major bank employees union.

"The fact is that RBI does only hissing but will not bite... This is the politics behind bad loans. The RBI acknowledges that there are 7,035 wilful defaulters involving about Rs.58,800 crore. Why can't criminal action be taken against these defaulters?" C.H.Venkatachalam, general secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) told IANS in an interview.

Reacting to government owned banks reporting steep fall in profits or net losses, ballooning of provisions against bad loans and write-offs of bad loans, he said the RBI has been in the know of the bad loans as it has its representatives in every bank board. There is also a RBI audit, he noted.

"The only banking reform that is required is a very strong law to take stringent action of loan defaulters. Writing-off bad loans is one thing but what about accountability?" asked Venkatachalam.

Asked as to how unions can absolve themselves of the blame as there are two employee directors in every bank, he said: "No doubt union leaders are functioning as directors on the boards. But they have a limited role. They act as watchdog in many cases.

"They protest, object, disapprove and dissent whenever any wrong decisions are taken. But the functioning of the board permits nothing more than this. They are personally bound by secrecy oaths and so have their limitations."

Noting there have been workman directors in the banks since 1971, he said that in the last more than four decades of experience, there is not a single case where these directors are found to be involved in any wrong doings.

"Top bank managements find us as a hindrance and resent us as we are effective. In some cases, our union nominee directors are targeted for victimisation and harassment because they took strong positions on some of the wrong decisions of the management in the board meetings," he said.

In 22 public sector banks (PSB) out of 25, AIBEA has its representatives as nominee directors.

Venkatachalam said during the last two decades creating bad loans have become an exquisite art.

"These bad loans are daylight robbery and loot of national wealth. Provisioning, write off, one time settlement, interest waivers, restructuring, asset reconstruction and others are the tools by which the bad loans are hidden from public glare," he contended.

While the banks have collaterals for most of the loans, but they are hardly enforceable.

"In many cases, the personal guarantee of the top man of the company is waived," he said.
Dhar (Madhya Pradesh), Feb 12 : Amid tension and heavy security in the Bhojshala here, a Hindu group on Friday shunned the site for conducting the special Basant Panchami puja while the administration escorted a small group of Muslims into the place for a token namaz.

Bhoj Utsav Samiti, supported by Hindu Jagran Manch, said it was shunning the site because the administration had turned it into a garrison by deploying hundreds of security personnel and stationed plainclothesmen inside the site where puja was to be conducted.

"We find people inside Bhojshala who have nothing to do with Sarawati puja. So, we will conduct our puja outside," Ashok Jain of the Bhoj Utsav Samiti said in the morning as he led the Hindu devotees outside the site.

The Hindus come to Bhojshala for puja, not to engage in war, he said.

The Samiti conducted the special Basant Panchami puja of goddess Saraswati outside the Bhojshala site, Dhar district's Public Relations Officer Shravan Singh told IANS.

He said about 25 members of the Muslim community were taken inside Bhojshala through a back door and upstairs on the terrace for namaz -- a measure confirmed by Health Minister Narottam Mishra who is in charge of the district.

After the puja, the Hindu groups took out a procession in which a large number of people took part. Later, a Hindu leader, Shankaracharya Narendranand Giri, sat on a dharna to protest against the attitude of the administration.

Bhojshala is a historical site in Dhar district of what was believed to be a Saraswati shrine built by Raja Bhoj, who ruled between circa 1000 and 1055, and the Kamal Maula mosque.

According to an arrangement put in place by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the site, Hindus are allowed to worship at Bhojshala on Tuesdays as well as on Basant Panchami, while the Muslims can offer prayers there every Friday.

Controversy arises when Basant Panchami falls on a Friday - which was the case in 2003, 2006 and 2013.

This year the Bhoj Utsav Samiti demanded that the Hindus be allowed to use the site for the whole day as Basant Panchami was a special day of reverence for goddess Saraswati.

The administration barricaded Bhojshala and deployed about 6,000 police and security personnel to prevent any communal flareup.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes birthday greetings to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif but attacks me, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said, questioning Modi's commitment to "cooperative federalism".

"You go and wish Nawaz Sharif happy birthday and attack me. Am I worse than Pakistan?" Kejriwal asked in an interview to Outlook magazine ahead of the first anniversary of his AAP government.

Kejriwal squarely blamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the AAP government's unending impasse with the centre and said the Modi government had turned the concept of cooperative federalism on its head in Delhi.

"Cooperative federalism is a sham. 'Bewakoof bana rahein hai saari duniya ko' (They are fooling everybody)," Kejriwal told the magazine.

"The centre sent paramilitary forces and annexed our Anti Corruption Bureau. Is this cooperative federalism?

"The Lt. Governor declares my orders on raising circle rates for agriculture land null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?

"If I transfer an officer or take action against him, they declare it null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?"

Although Modi hosted him for tea after his election as the chief minister of Delhi in February 2015, Kejriwal said it took him two months to get an appointment with the prime minister in August.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said he and Modi had not met formally in the last six months.

Asked why he thought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a confrontation mode with him, Kejriwal said: "There is no answer... Other than vengeance (for the 67-3 drubbing the AAP gave the BJP).

"It does not make political or logical sense. It does not make any sense at all.

"It is the PMO, especially Nripendra Misra (Principal Secretary to the PM), who is masterminding the entire operation (to derail my government)."

Kejriwal also hit out at Modi's governance since he became the prime minister in May 2014.

"The events of the last two years are scary. The issue of intolerance ... people call it religious fundamentalism, communalism. I call it 'goondagardi'.

"They are not concerned about any religion or community. If you say or do anything they don't like, they will teach you a lesson. That's the lesson they want to give.

"What was (Bollywood actor) Aamir Khan's fault? He just said his wife doesn't feel safe. As a PM, he should have sent two guards. Instead, they cancelled all his contracts and ads."

Kejriwal denied he had national ambitions but predicted that the AAP would sweep the Punjab assembly election next year -- as it did in Delhi.

But he denied he would vacate the Delhi chief ministership to concentrate on the Punjab election.
Athens, Feb 12 : The Greek parliament on Friday approved a controversial bill amendment on TV licensing that has sparked fierce reactions by opposition parties, media owners and employees' associations.

The new media legislation passed with 154 votes of the ruling coalition and the vote of an independent member of the parliament while 104 lawmakers voted against and 14 abstained, Xinhua reported.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the government aims to put order to the media landscape, clear it from corruption, and gain revenues for the country for the first time in 25 years.

Since the end of state monopoly on TV broadcasting in 1989, owners of private media stations have been operating with temporary licenses without paying fees for the use of frequencies.

When the radical left SYRIZA party came to power a year ago, Tsipras pledged to break the so-called "triangle of corruption" between media oligarchs, corrupt politicians and bankers.

Under the bill, the government will launch an international tender on fast track procedures for four nationwide TV licenses, half of the number of the private TV channels currently on air.

The starting price in the auction will be determined by a joint decision of Greece's finance minister and state minister, and licenses will be valid for four years.

The amendment will ensure the viability of private broadcasters by minimising their dependence on the banking system and under-the-table deals with politicians, according to the government.

It has said critics within the assembly, who may serve the interests of current media oligarches, will try to block the tender.

However, critics of the amendment have claimed that the bill is unconstitutional and will undermine press freedom, accusing the government of attempting to establish a new media landscape that will be more government friendly.

Meanwhile, journalist associations have expressed fears that the shrinking of Greece's TV landscape will lead to further mass layoffs in a country suffering from record unemployment since the start of the debt crisis in late 2009.
Tbilisi, Feb 12 : As many as four NATO ships arrived in Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on Friday for a month-long training mission to increase compatibility of NATO and Georgian border guard ships, the government said.

The ships, which are part of a standing NATO mine countermeasures immediate reaction force, will participate in various joint training missions and exercises with the Georgian navy in the Black Sea, Xinhua reported.

The fleet, led by the head of NATO United Marine Forces, Giorgio Lazio, will stay in the port till February 15.

During the port visit, Lazio will meet Georgian government officials on future cooperation between the two sides.

NATO launched a joint training centre in Georgia in 2015 as part of the "substantial package" of cooperation with Georgia. The centre will start tactical training of Georgian soldiers in May.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The faculty association of AIIMS here has decided to contribute money to help an ex-colleague who they say was removed without proper inquiry from the institution for allegedly manhandling a patient.

The decision to help Kuldeep Kumar in his legal fight was taken in the general body meeting of the faculty association on Wednesday.

"A decision of contributing money by all the members of the faculty association was taken recently. This is to support one of our colleagues Kuldeep Kumar, who was removed without proper inquiry," Nand Kumar, President of the faculty association of AIIMS, told IANS.

According to the association, a candle-light march and a silent protest will also be held in the coming week.

"The doctors have decided to protest against the removal of Kuldeep Kumar by wearing black badges in the hospital," said Nand Kumar.

The AIIMS had on January 10 terminated the services of Kuldeep Kumar of the medicine department for allegedly misbehaving with a patient and manhandling him in September last year.

A committee was set up under department head S.K. Sharma, which in January took the decision to terminate the services of Kuldeep Kumar and another doctor.

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued a notice to the AIIMS administration, demanding a reply by April 4 as to why was the doctor not given a chance to have his say.
Ahmedabad, Feb 12 : Pakistan-American terrorist David Coleman Headley may now have said that young Mumbai women Ishrat Jahan was an LeT operative. But the Gujarat government did not wait for his claim before reinstating the police officers accused of killing the 19-year-old and three others in an alleged 2004 shootout.

It reinstated in decent positions all the senior suspended police officials involved in this and two other alleged staged killings. This was within days of Narendra Modi taking over as prime minister and BJP leader Anandiben Patel stepping into his shoes as the chief minister in May 2014.

The police officials, including Deputy Inspector General D.G. Vanzara, who has since retired, are undergoing trials in special courts of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Vanzara, who has been barred from entering Gujarat, told a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday that his team's "finding" that Ishrat was a terrorist was vindicated by Headley's deposition.

Three inquiry reports stated that Ishrat Jahan's to be a fake encounter. The most stinging denunciation came from the CBI.

The central agency's two chargesheets go into minute details of how seven Gujarat Police and four Intelligence Bureau officials plotted the conspiracy, kidnapped and then held the girl and three others in confinement, planted weapons on them, and eventually killed them in cold blood on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

One of the chargesheets was so voluminous that CBI officials could not bring it to the court room while filing it. They told the crowded open court in the presence of journalists that the bulky chargesheet had to be deposited in the record room.

The policemen who led the so-called killer team were led by Ahmedabad Crime Branch's Vanzara, whose name also figures in two other fake shootouts. The Intelligence Bureau team was led by Special Director Rajinder Kumar, now retired, who also figures in another alleged fake shootout.

Besides Vanzara, the other police officials are Additional Director General P.P. Pandey and Superintendents N.K. Amin, G.L. Singhal, J.G. Parmar and Tarun Barot. Besides, the name of a police commando, Anaju Chaudhary (who died later), also figured in the CBI chargesheet.

The Intelligence Bureau officials included Assistant Director M.K. Sinha, Deputy Superintendent Rajeev Wankhede and P. Mittal, who allegedly facilitated the killings by generating fake intelligence inputs as well as by remaining present at the crime scene.

The two other sensational shootouts were the triple murder of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kauserbi and accomplice Tulsiram Prajapati. The three were killed separately in 2005 and 2006. Sadiq Jamal Mehtar was killed in another such "encounter" in January 2003.

The name of Gujarat's former minister of state for home and now BJP president Amit Shah had figured in the investigations in all three alleged extrajudicial killings. He also went to jail in the Sohrabuddin case and resigned from his post.

Going by the Gujarat Police officials involved in all the alleged fake shootouts, the terrorists had come to assassinate then chief minister Narendra Modi to avenge the 2002 riots.
Hyderabad, Feb 12 : A techie here has been arrested for sending vulgar messages through a fake email created in the name of a woman doctor whom he wanted to marry.

Narayandas Ashok Kumar, the software engineer hailing from Mahabubnagar district of Telangana and working in Britain, had come to Hyderabad to seek an alliance.

According to police, the 40-year-old met a woman and they moved close for some time. However, they could not marry due to some differences.

Ashok Kumar, who had become possessive about her, started harassing her and her family members and sending them abusive messages. According to an official of detective department at Central Crime Station, the techie bore a grudge due to the separation.

The accused created an email address in her name and was sending vulgar messages from this account to her relatives and friends. Police said this damaged her reputation.

Police have seized an Apple iphone and a laptop he was using for the offence.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the school principals of Vidya Bharti, the educational wing of RSS, to work towards addressing the social challenges.

"Vidya Bharti can be a catalyst for the change. Principals should work towards instilling excellence in every aspect of students' lives so that image of the institution can be further raised," Modi said at Akhil Bharatiya Pracharya Sammelan organised by the Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan.

The prime minister asked the principals (pracharyas) to work to prepare sportspersons who could win gold medals at the 2020 Olympics.

"We should focus how the schools of Vidya Bharti reach the top. We succeeded in expanding the number of schools but what about quality. Let's make one Vidya Bharti in every state and make it the top school in that state. Why can't we prepare sportspersons who could win gold medals at the olympics," he said.

Modi said that students of Vidya Bharati schools can also work towards bringing positive changes in society especially in areas such as cleanliness and energy conservation.

"Can children from our schools become ambassadors for energy conservation and cleanliness campaign? There are 35 lakh students in Vidya Bharti and if a student go to a single family and pushes them for using LED bulbs, we can save 25000 MW of power," Modi said.

The prime minister emphasised the need to use technology in all aspects of education and to take full advantage of the benefits it offers.

He urged the principals to become torch-bearers of positivity.

Union Minister for Human Resource and Development Smriti Irani was also present on the occasion.

Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan is the educational wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that runs a network of schools across the country.
New Delhi : A Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders clash in the US presidential elections could be God's Gift to political cinema.

Some outlines for a script come to mind: Clarence Darrow versus William Jennings Bryan, on two sides of the famous Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925.

Or the epic battle between Ed Murrow of CBS News and Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch hunt.

One can pack Trump's anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic invective in the script. But where is Sanders in all of this?

I suspect, the Darrow-Bryan contest will work better. The scene is set in the criminal court of Tennessee. On trial is a substitute High School teacher, John Scopes, for violating the Tennessee Act which prohibits teaching human evolution as enunciated by Darwin. The result was the classical Fundamentalist-Modernist clash focused on whether or not any reality exists outside the Bible.

In a country where evangelicals constitute 40 percent of Republican voters, a debate on Homo sapiens evolving from apes may yet raise a storm in pockets even today.

William Jennings Bryan, who felt that a study of human evolution was anti- Christian, actually contested the presidential race on three occasions. He was Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State, later humiliated by the famous Defence Attorney Clarence Darrow. Bryan and Trump come from an abiding tradition of anti-intellectualism.

Darrow and Murrow represented the streak in American liberal decency which makes Sanders' campaign for the Democratic nomination so compelling.

The world changed when the West, led by the US, interpreted the collapse of the Soviet Union not as a victory for freedoms but as the triumph of the Market, of rampaging capitalism.

Nation states, more petrified than elated, allowed themselves to be stitched together as two party systems, beholden to corporate and global finance. Within a short span, every electoral democracy gave out a foul stench of crony capitalism.

Establishments across the board had lulled themselves into complacency. The global media, Murdochized, would manage public opinion in their favour. This turned out to be a delusion. Murdoch today is a bad name in serious media circles.

Remember how new media technologies were being developed in Washington to create colour revolutions - orange, rose, cedar - bypassing local controls. Soon, advanced models of these technologies were available with every West Asian terrorist group. Lightening spread of the Internet has opened up a plethora of the new parallel media, more credible than mainstream information sources.

Not just electoral democracies but all other systems of government are now under scrutiny by the people. The result is that two party systems in democracies are being challenged. People are placing question marks on other forms of government too.

When the Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi ignited the Arab Spring by setting himself on fire in December 2010, ordinary people began to occupy centrestage for the first time in dictatorships. The late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sensed this settlement at the grassroots. He rained $135 billion on his people.

Then, step by step, the Syrian and Yemeni theatres were opened up to externalize internal upheavals. Today, the Saudis are riding two tigers from neither of which can they dismount.

In India the electorate demonstrated its autonomy from the two party strait jacket by delivering 67 out of 70 seats in the Delhi state assembly to a barely two-year-old party called AAP.

Joko Widodo in Indonesia, Pablo Iglesias in Spain, Alexis Tsipras in Greece, Antonio Costa in Portugal, Justin Trudeau in Canada, all newcomers, represent a wholesale rejection of new economic policies bringing corruption and economic disparities in their wake. Jeremy Corbyn as the new leader of the British Labour party, and series of electoral verdicts in Nordic and East European counties are also a manifestation of disgust with establishments.

This global trend would tend to suggest that Bernie Sanders, self avowed Socialist, is not a rank outsider any more. But his popularity among young voters is pitted against the powerful establishments behind Hillary Clinton. And establishments are at this stage being corroded, not exactly toppled. But the process of toppling them is seriously underway.

Hillary has been First Lady for two terms, Senator and Secretary of State. Does her performance as Secretary of State commend her as President? Under her watch, Ambassador Christopher Stevens was brutally killed in the US mission in Benghazi.

There she was announcing to the media "I came, I saw and he died". She was talking of Qaddafi's death. This alongside footage of Qaddafi sodomised by a knife.

The next memorable image of Hillary concerns her management of the Syrian crisis. "Get out of the way, Assad," she proclaims with an imperious wave of the hand. And Assad is nowhere close to bowing out.

If voters persist with their quest for the novel, how is Hillary Clinton a repository of any novelty?

And yet, the celebrated intellectual, Noam Chomsky, is probably right.

"Bernie Sanders is a decent honest New Dealer." A "New Dealer", Chomsky explains, is "someone who is far out to the left of the field." Chomsky spots the conflict between the people and establishments doggedly fighting to stay on.

Sanders is unlikely to make it to the White House in the system of "Bought Elections", Chomsky says. How then has he come this far?

How does Chomsky explain Trump's popularity? "It is a reflection of depression, hopelessness, concern that everything is lost." Trump's propagandist strategy is in line with a history of directing anger "on straw men such as immigrants, welfare cheats, trade unions and all kinds of people who you think are getting everything you are not getting".

(A senior commentator on political and diplomatic affairs, Saeed Naqvi can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)
On eve of glittering "Make In India Week" starting tomorrow, PM Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben joined Good Samaritan Mission's token hunger strike for Mumbai slumdwellers at Azad Maidan, here on ... Image Source: IANS News

On eve of glittering "Make In India Week" starting tomorrow, PM Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben joined Good Samaritan Mission's token hunger strike for Mumbai slumdwellers at Azad Maidan, here on ... Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Feb 12 : In a development that took many here by surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben on Friday joined members of an NGO on a day-long token hunger strike in support of slum dwellers here.

Jashodaben -- whose arrival was not known even to the local police -- was flanked by five National Security Guard commandos as she joined 'Good Samaritan Mission' non-governmental organisation's volunteers to demand a halt to demolitions of slums in Mumbai during the monsoon.

"Every year, we witness the inhuman spectacle of hundreds of slums being demolished just before or during the monsoon and people being thrown out in the streets. We are demanding that the authorities concerned should put a stop to this practice," Brother Peter Paul Raj, Good Samaritan Mission founder and ex-aide of Mother Teresa, told IANS at the protest venue.

Jashodaben sat on the token hunger strike for a few hours before departing without much fanfare.

Brother Raj said Jashodaben's presence and support would prove invaluable for the cause of the slum dwellers and their children who are the worst sufferers of demolition activities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch the high-profile 'Make In India Week' here on Saturday evening in the presence of a galaxy of VVIPs, including three foreign heads of governments.

Prime ministers Juha Petri Sipila, Kjell Stefan Lofven and Algirdas Butkevicius of Finland, Sweden and Lithuania, respectively, will join Modi at the inaugural function at National Sports Club of India ground, Worli.

Also present will be Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, several union and state ministers, secretaries of various departments, diplomats, top industrialists and businessmen from across India and other stakeholders.
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said the global terror network Al Qaeda wanted to attack India's National Defence College in New Delhi as he also revealed a medley of Lashkar-e-Taiba plans to strike terror in the country.

Headley, who has been testifying through video-conferencing since Monday before a special court in Mumbai for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, claimed that Al Qaeda considered the defence college as "a good, high-value target with many senior military officers".

He said he visited the college campus casually for a survey in 2007 at the instance of Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

In his ongoing deposition before Special TADA Judge G.A. Sanap, Headley revealed how the Lashkar nefariously planned to eliminate Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray.

Headley, 56, spoke of developing close links with Rajaram Rege, the former PRO of present Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, by luring him with a business offer to access Shiv Sena Bhavan which was also on the target list of LeT.

"I took videos of the Shiv Sena Bhavan from outside and inside... I thought LeT would be interested in attacking it or even carry assassination of its (then) head (Bal Thackeray)," Headley said.

He said he provided two-three videos to his Pakistani handlers Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

Rege admitted that he knew Headley but said he never took him to the Shiv Sena Bhavan.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the Thackerays and the party have always been targeted by international terror groups "since we are the only ones who speak out against Pakistan".

The terrorist-turned-approver also talked about the Lashkar plans to hit Mumbai's famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple and attempts to recruit staffers from the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to tap them for "classified information".

"The ISI wanted to recruit BARC staffers for future... to get classified information from them," Headley said.

The Lashkar operative, jailed in the US for his terror activities, said that he came in touch with actor Rahul Bhatt, son of veteran film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, through the in-charge of the upmarket Moksha Gym. Headley was a member of the gym from October 2006.

He said he again surveyed the NDC, Chabad Houses in international tourist destinations like Goa, Pune and Pushkar after the Mumbai attack on the instructions of Kashmiri.

He said he handed over videos of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station to his main contacts Mir and Iqbal.

Outside the temple, he said, he bought a bunch of around 15 red and yellow coloured sacred threads and sent them to Mir so the terrorists could tie them around their wrists and pass off as Hindus and avoid detection.

Headley claimed to have discussed the temple and other terror plans with his LeT handlers and the ISI discouraged them from targeting the temple, Indian Navy's air force station, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Gateway of India in Mumbai as they were very heavily guarded sites when he surveyed them.

On his spying activities, Headley said he followed the progress of Indian Army and on one trip to Mumbai, he bought a book "Indian Army-Vision 2020" from Nalanda Books & Record Shop in Hotel Taj Mahal Palace.

He had purchased four other books - "Royal Rajasthan", "India's Jewish Heritage", "The Grand Trunk Road" and "Polo In India" - but the army book was of great interest to him, he said.

"The other four books were mostly pictorial and there was nothing sinister about them."

At this, Judge Sanap enquired whether there was anything "sinister" (motives) about the book on Indian Army, Headley replied: "Yes... My Lord!"

At one point in the deposition, Nikam suddenly shot a question about a

woman named Kainaz.

"She was a friend from Mumbai," Headley replied.

"Friend or girlfriend," Nikam countered.

"Not a girlfriend, just a friend," a visibly irritated Headley replied.

Later, identifying a picture of the captured and hanged terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Headley said the LeT was "saddened" by his arrest during the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attack.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Even as TERI sent sexual harassment accused R.K. Pachauri on an indefinite leave, women rights activists said it is too little too late as he still retains his post.

Pachauri, who had been the head of the institute since 1982, was accused of sexually harassing a 29-year-old female colleague in 2015, and has fresh charges levelled against him by another The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) employee this week.

Senior lawyer Vrinda Grover, who has been vocal in the case, said that the action "does not mean anything".

"Pachauri's leave doesn't mean anything as he still holds the posts. He retains his office as the chancellor (of TERI University) and it is illegal and he needs to be removed by the Human Resource Development Ministry and by the varsity board," Grover told IANS.

"Sending him on leave doesn't make it tenable... He (Pachauri) cannot hold that office. The authorities will have to remove him. It is not his discretion if he holds that position or doesn't," she said.

Vanani, a woman activist from Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Saheli, echoed similar views.

"Sending him on a leave is not the solution. They have done this before back in 2015. The responsibility they (TERI) have towards the law, towards the women in their workplace in their university is completely unacceptable," Vahini told IANS.

"It is shameful. If TERI governing body can't take action against him, what do you think the situation of the woman complainant is going to be? It is outrageous."

Kalyani Menon of Women Against Sexual Violence said it was "sad to see that none from the energy sector took a stand on the issue".

"They must punish him, not reward him."

"The complainant and her colleagues were hounded. This shows that the internal culture in TERI is toxic," she said.

People from various women's rights group staged a protest in front of the TERI office here on Friday against Pachauri.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : TERI on Friday asked its executive vice chairman R.K. Pachauri, mired in a sexual harassment case, to proceed on indefinite leave, a move the women activists said "meant nothing".

The Energy and Resources Institute's move comes in the face of flak from various quarters over making him the executive vice chairman, the first ever in TERI.

Pachauri was accused of sexually harassing a 29-year-old female colleague in 2015.

Meanwhile, TERI university acting vice chancellor Rajiv Seth told IANS that varsity vice chancellor Leena Srivastava, on a sabbatical since August 2015, is likely to rejoin soon.

The university will hold its convocation on March 7.

"Pachauri, who has been institute head since 1982, will be on leave from TERI, TERI Governing Council and TERI University till the issue is reviewed by the governing council given the sub judice nature of the matter," a TERI statement said.

Senior lawyer Vrinda Grover, who has been vocal on the whole issue, said the action did not mean anything as Pachauri continued to retain his posts.

"Pachauri's leave doesn't mean anything as he still holds the posts. He retains his office as the chancellor (of TERI University). It is illegal and he needs to be removed by the Human Resource Development Ministry and by the varsity board," Grover told IANS.

The statement also mentioned that Ashok Chawla, a former finance secretary and former chairman of the Competition Commission, will be the new TERI chairman.

"The council welcomed Ashok Chawla as its new chairman. The council looks forward to his leadership of this important institute. The council also inducted the new director general Ajay Mathur as a council member who will operate with full executive powers."

Meanwhile, a protest was staged outside TERI office here by women activists opposing the scientist's reappointment at the institute.

After sexual harassment charge, Pachauri stepped down as chairperson of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February last year and proceeded on leave from TERI where he was the director general.

Later, Pachauri was removed as TERI head in July and Ajay Mathur appointed in his place. In November, the woman researcher who accused him of sexual harassment quit her job at TERI, alleging she was treated badly. TERI denied the charge.

On Monday, Pachauri was appointed the executive vice chairman.

Soon after, another woman employee of the organisation also levied similar charges against him and called him a "serial sexual harasser".

Meanwhile, a TERI press release on Friday said it is a "unique organisation with a global presence", adding that 33 percent of its 1,200 employees and 14 of the 30 directors are women.

"The governing council of TERI supports the rights of women and has consistently ensured the provision of a secure environment and a safe workplace for its employees," the statement said.

The woman, who had made the sexual harassment allegation last year, ripped into the statement.

"It is really sad that they are speaking through press releases after such a massive public outrage. The release does not make my allegations or the case the focus, but is discussing TERI operations," the complainant told IANS.

"They are saying they protect women; why wasn't I protected?"

Women rights group had been vocal in opposing Pachauri's reappointment.

Students of TERI university, of which Pachauri is a chancellor, had also sent letters to the acting vice chancellor Rajiv Seth that they would not accept their degrees from Pachauri.

TERI alumni from the 2013-15 batch, Sunil Gupta, one of those who sent a letter to the acting vice chancellor, said disciplinary action should be taken against Pachauri.

"A disciplinary action is needed, sending him on leave is not enough," Gupta told IANS.
Kolkata,a : Kolkata,A Feb 12 (IANS) Lashing out at efforts to cobble up a Congress-Left Front alliance in the coming West Bengal assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dubbed the proposed tie-up as a "mistake" and "devoid of any ideology" and said it would come a cropper.

"The (Left Front spearhead) Communist Party of India-Marxist used to abuse the Congress. They used to call Rajiv Gandhi 'Bofors Gandhi' (a reference to the alleged Bofors scandal which broke out during Gandhi's prime ministerial stint when various members of the Swedish and Indian governments were accused of receiving commission from Swedish gun supplier A B Bofors with regard to the purchase of 155 mm howitzer field guns).

"The CPI-M used to call Indira Gandhi autocrat and painted pictures depicting her in poor light on the walls. The very same CPI-M is now making a volte face. They now want to team up with the Congress. And the Congress leaders are also dancing to the CPI-M tune and welcoming the idea," Banerjee said at a Trinamool Congress programme here.

She said even if the alliance comes into being, it would not dent her party's prospects at the hustings.

"They are making a mistake. They have jettisoned their ideals. Those who forego their ideals, they lose their credibility."

Highlighting the importance of ideology in politics, she said even if a party becomes weak, it remains a loner by sticking to its ideology. "But those who sell off their ideological beliefs for the sake of power, become non-existent."

In contrast, she said, her Trinamool has never compromised on its ideals.

Referring to the Trinamool pulling out of the United Progressive Alliance-2 coalition in 2012 on the twin issues of diesel price hike and retail FDI, Banerjee said her party's ministers had resigned rather than going against its ideals.

"Those who change their ideals,.. the CPI-M, Congress alliance is a big mistake. BJP is also with them. The three parties have come together against us in elections also.

"We don't care if there is any alliance.. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party. As long as I live I will live like a lion. But I want them to forge an alliance, so that they can evaluate their political standing."
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to put on hold criminal proceedings against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald case but expunged all adverse observations, inferences and conclusions by the high court. The Congress expressed satisfaction over the order.

A bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan also exempted the Gandhis and others from personal appearances, noting that their presence in the trial court would cause more "inconvenience, than convenience".

However, it said the trial court was free to have their presence as and when needed.

"When people of such prominence are there, they are not going to run away. If on a particular occasion when you need them, you can call for them. There will be more chaos with these people going to the court than not going to the court," the court told BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the complainant, as he said that power to grant exemption was vested in the magistrate.

In yet another relief to the Gandhis, the court permitted them to raise all the issues, including the locus of Swamy.

"Whatever you want to say, you say at the time of the framing of the charges," the court said as senior counsel Kapil Sibal sought to assail maintainability of Swamy's complaint and his locus.

Making it clear that they were not going to reverse the high court order, Justice Khehar said that their interference would be limited to the adverse inferences and conclusions by the high court.

"We are not happy with what the high court judge has said. That is the limited interference (of expunging them) we can do.

"So far as determination rendered by the high court in rejecting the prayer for quashing of the proceedings against the petitioners are concerned, we find no justification in intervening with the order," it said.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party has always believed that conclusions recorded by the single judge bench of Delhi High Court were "neither appropriate on the merits of the case nor in accordance with the established tenets of law".

"Millions of Congressmen and women have a deep sense of satisfaction qua ends of justice having been met with the decision of Supreme Court today in National Herald case," he said.

Sibal said they told the court that no case of cheating or breach of trust had been made out.

He said they contended that Swamy has no locus standi in filing a private complaint in matters relating to cheating and breach of trust because and it is only the person cheated who can complain to the court.

"As we stand today, there is no observation, no conclusion of any judicial authority for any wrong doing by any office-bearer of the Congress including Congress president or the vice-president. There is no prima facie finding of any illegality," he said.

Sibal called upon BJP to be more circumspect in its observations.

"We are very glad that now we will have the opportunity in the trial court to in fact expose Swamy and his malicious allegations and the propaganda machinery of the BJP," he said.

The Gandhis had earlier this month moved the apex court against the summons issued to them by a trial court in the National Herald case. They had also challenged the Delhi High Court's December 7, 2015 order, rejecting their plea against their being summoned.

The high court had also dismissed the pleas by Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Gandhi family friend Suman Dubey and party leader Oscar Fernandes against the summons issued by the trial court on June 26, 2015 on Swamy's complaint alleging "cheating" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) by Young India Ltd. (YIL) - "a firm in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 percent stake".

Swamy had claimed that the Gandhis, as majority shareholders of YIL, benefited from the acquisition of AJL, which published National Herald.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Hitting back at former prime minister Manmohan Singh over his criticism of Narendra Modi governments' economic policies, the BJP said on Friday that the problems are his gift to the nation.

"He rightly identifies a lot of issues Indian economy is facing. These problems are his gift to the nation. He himself admits that when they were in power, people complained of tax terrorism. Can he tell us if he addressed this problem?" the ruling party said here in a statement.

"But we believe in solutions and not problems, and are solving all legacy problems left by UPA," it added.

Manmohan Singh, in an interview, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party government for its economic policies, saying it has not been able to benefit from falling oil prices and "fortuitous circumstances" to boost the rate of investment in the country.

The Bharatiya Janata Party also hit out at Singh for being critical of the Modi government.

"We are absolutely delighted with the fact that Manmohan Singh has finally found his voice in the Modi regime. We welcome him to a free India where everyone can speak what he thinks unlike the India when even he as the PM was denied his free speech," the party said.

"When he was the PM his silence and inability to act against corruption hurt India's image internationally and put citizens trust in the Government at an all time low," it added.

The BJP also accused Manmohan Singh of batting only for one family rather to the nation.

"Perhaps he hasn't been following the news properly enough and so gives the rich advice that the PM belongs to the entire nation. 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and India First are our government's guiding mantra. He conveniently forgets that he was a PM who batted only for one family," the party said.
Chennai, Feb 12 : In a possible attempt to revive the alliance with DMK that was snapped couple of years back, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will call on DMK president M.Karunanidhi on Saturday.

Though Azad told reporters here that it will be a courtesy call as he always meets Karunanidhi whenever he is here, the meeting is however seen as a possible attempt for the two parties to align again.

According to Azad, the president of Congress party's Tamil Nadu unit E.V.K.S.Elangovan and Mukul Wasnik the party's in-charge for the state will also accompany him to meet the DMK leader.

In 2011 with some hard bargaining, the Congress got 63 seats to contest in the assembly elections.

The DMK came out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013 charging the government of not handling the Sri Lankan Tamils issue properly.
Microfinance services have helped make Fatma's small business possible ( Enda Inter Arabe) The 18th Microcredit Summit is a perfect platform to exchange knowledge, ideas, and experience and to promote financial inclusion. -- H.E. Abdulla S. Al Darmaki (Khalifa Fund)

The Microcredit Summit Campaign and the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development today announced a strategic partnership for the 18th Microcredit Summit: Frontier Innovations in Financial Inclusion to be held in Abu Dhabi next month.

The 18th Microcredit Summit will gather global policy makers and microfinance experts to explore how microfinance services and other innovative financial inclusion strategies can create clear pathways to economic and social inclusion and for the betterment of the lives of the most vulnerable segments of society. The four-day conference will run from March 14th to the 17th and is co-organized by the Microcredit Summit Campaign and the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND).

The Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) has signed up as a sponsor of this important event. Both Khalifa Fund and AMF will enrich the Summit agenda with their experience in developing sustainable economic growth in the MENA region. Khalifa Fund's expertise includes creating technical and financial programs such as the Sougha Initiative, which aims to enhance entrepreneurial and technical skills of Emirati artisans from across the UAE in partnership with key support partners.

H.E. Abdullah Saeed Al Darmaki, CEO of Khalifa Fund, said, "Our partnership with the Microcredit Summit Campaign falls under our strategic objectives of benefiting from different international expertise, enhancing capabilities, and creating a suitable environment for innovation in the region and responding to the funding requirements for small and medium enterprises."

"We work to strengthen the bonds of cooperation," Al Darmaki continued, "to support a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable growth, which makes the 18th Microcredit Summit a perfect platform to exchange knowledge, ideas, and experience and to promote financial inclusion."

Al Darmaki also stressed on the fact that for the past eight years, Khalifa Fund has develop a number of microcredit programs such as "Khutwa" program, "Al Hasila," and a funding program in Egypt.

AMF will contribute valuable insight on national financial inclusion strategies that create the appropriate policies and regulatory frameworks promoting financial inclusion and contributing to social inclusion. H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman A. Al-Hamidi, director general chairman of AMF, stressed that the Summit represents an excellent opportunity to shed light on this important topic to understand the dimensions of improving financial inclusion to address the challenges of unemployment in the Arab countries. He noted that it represents a key priority for AMF as part of its strategy for the coming years.

Registration for the Summit is open. To register and learn more, please visit http://18microcreditsummit.org.

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The Microcredit Summit Campaign (the "Campaign"), a project of RESULTS Educational Fund, is a global network of institutions and individuals involved in microfinance and is committed to expanding microfinance to the worlds poorest families and helping them lift themselves out of extreme poverty. The Campaign convenes a broad array of actors involved with microfinance to promote best practices in the field, to stimulate the exchange of knowledge and to work towards alleviating world poverty through microfinance. http://www.microcreditsummit.org

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development was launched in 2007 to help develop local enterprises in Abu Dhabi, with a total capital investment of AED 2 billion. In addition, the Fund aims to create a new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs by instilling and enriching the culture of investment amongst young people, as well as supporting and developing local small to medium-sized enterprises. Khalifa Fund provides integrated and comprehensive programs to meet the needs and requirements of investors seeking to establish or expand investments. http://www.khalifafund.ae

The Arab Monetary Fund was created in 1976 as part of the Arab League. The organization facilitates monetary cooperation, trade and financial market development, and sustainable growth in the region. Its 22 member states include Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, and the U.A.E. http://www.amf.org.ae
[Kimberly] Cornell brings years of experience at local hospitals as well as with a number of volunteer medical organizations in international settings.

Licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Kimberly Cornell, has recently joined Aria DermSpa in Madison, Conn.

Cornell brings years of experience at local hospitals as well as with a number of volunteer medical organizations in international settings. At Aria DermSpa, she provides dermatologic treatment that helps patients overcome a variety of skin conditions including skin cancer, psoriasis, skin growths, acne, and eczema.

She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Conn. with a BS in nursing and a MSN as a family nurse practitioner. Most recently, Cornell worked in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH), and also gained experience in a variety of specialties as a pediatric float nurse at YNHH.

On an annual basis, Cornell has been serving as a volunteer with a number of international medical teams, bringing medical and surgical care to those without access to healthcare. So far she has volunteered in Ecuador, Haiti, and parts of Africa.

About Aria DermSpa

Located on the beautiful Connecticut shoreline, Aria DermSpa Dermatology & Aesthetic Center offers the latest in dermatology and cosmetic treatments. Conveniently based within New Haven County in Madison, Aria DermSpa is the premier health and beauty destination along the shoreline.

Aria DermSpa treats each patient with personalized care dependent on their conditions, desires and needs. Under the expertise of Dr. Lisa Donofrio, Aria DermSpa patients will receive the most advanced body contouring and skin rejuvenation treatments performed with state-of-the-art technique for optimal results.

Aria DermSpa strives to provide the best body contouring and skin rejuvenation treatments available to help each patient achieve their desired body and healthy, youthful skin.

About Dr. Lisa Donofrio

Lisa Donofrio, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon practicing in New Haven, New York and New Orleans, performing procedures that address the signs of aging. She is internationally renowned as a top expert in liposuction and fat grafting, as well as periorbital rejuvenation with dermal fillers and fat.

Dr. Donofrio received her medical degree from Tulane University where she also did her dermatology residency and is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor teaching cosmetic procedures and aesthetic dermatology to the Tulane dermatology residents. Dr. Donofrio practices in New York and Connecticut as well where she is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven.

Dr. Donofrio is a member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery where she previously served on the Board, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. She is an invited speaker at many international dermatology, plastic surgery, and cosmetic surgery meetings. Dr. Donofrio frequently lectures on fat transfer, liposuction, fillers, and surgical techniques at the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meetings, as well as regional fillers courses through the country.

Dr. Donofrio has written numerous textbook chapters and an article in peer reviewed journals, and is currently Assistant Editor for The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, serving as a guest editor for the prestigious Fillers issues. She has been featured in many beauty and health magazines and publications and news outlets, including 20/20, The Wall St Journal, Connecticut Magazine, The New York Times, Allure, Health and many others.

More information on Aria DermSpa in Madison, Conn., Dr. Donofrio, and Kimberly Cornell may be found at ariadermspa.com or by calling 203-421-6674.
Outskirts Press, a full-service self-publishing and book marketing company, today announced their 5th annual Show Us Your Love contest, a social media event and video contest where authors create a short video about their love for their book (and for Outskirts Press!). The winner will receive a brand-new 15.6-inch HP touch-screen laptop with Windows 10.*

Here's how it works:



Authors can use a video camera, smartphone, or iPad and record their own artistic 1- to 3-minute video creatively demonstrating their deep and abiding love for their bookand their love for Outskirts Press.

Video files must be emailed to love(at)outskirtspress.com by midnight on Friday, February 19, 2016.

Outskirts Press will share these videos on their Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, and Twitter Feed, increasing exposure for the authors and their books.

The three finalists receiving the most "likes" on the Outskirts Facebook page from among all the posted entries will be selected for a public vote on their blog to determine the winner from February 22-26.

The winner of the free HP laptop computer with Windows 10 will be announced on the Outskirts Press blog Monday, February 29, 2016.

Past winners videos include Patricia A. Hawkenson, Tommy Baker, Tiriq Callaway, and Jokima Hiller. Not only did these authors share their love for their books and for Outskirts Press AND win a great prizethey also got great publicityfor free!

For more information, visit: http://wp.me/pinnY-4ow

About Outskirts Press, Inc.: Outskirts Press offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at http://www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press, Inc. represents the future of book publishing, today.

# # #

Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134

http://outskirtspress.com 1-888-OP-BOOKS
The film is much more relevant now (...). Two decades ago, people would have cringed at the thought of gender reassignment surgery, but now in the advent of transgender awareness, the conversation has started and Accidental Babe is more significant.

'Accidental Babe' is a fictional and satirical comedy, which was filmed in 1993, about Henry Hole, a person who accidentally undergoes a sex change operation. Writer and Director Jose L. Torres, AKA Durango Savage, of Savage Services Limited had plans to release the film two decades ago, but did not have enough funds for the final post-production. Now, with new technology and a more open culture to transgender issues, he has finished the film, and it is now available on iTunes and Amazon.

Since the release of Final Cut Pro Studio by Apple, I have been able to edit the film in high definition myself, which would have cost over 13 million dollars at the time the movie was shot, said Durango Savage. The film is much more relevant now than 23 years ago. Two decades ago, people would have cringed at the thought of gender reassignment surgery, but now in the advent of transgender awareness, the conversation has started and Accidental Babe is more significant.

In 1993, 'Accidental Babe' was shot in 21 days on 16 mm film. Due to lack of post-production funds, writer and director Durango Savage was unable to finish the movie and it was shelved shortly thereafter. For the last five years, he has spent thousands of hours in post-production and it is now ready in HD and 5.1 surround sound. The film offers a nostalgic look, while exploring current LGBT themes.

The protagonist in the story, Henry, returns home, after leaving five years prior in disgrace. The new change she undergoes brings up heartache and questions about faith and destiny as she tries to make it in her small conservative town. Viewers are sure to laugh as they watch Henry accept the loss of his manhood, become a lesbian and learn how to behave like a lady.

A trailer of the movie can be viewed on YouTube.

About Savage Services Limited:

Founded in Denver, Savage Services Limited is a film and video production company. Founder Jose L. Torres, aka Durango Savage, has produced the feature film, 'Accidental Babe,' and the music video, 'One Ton Tomato.' Visit http://www.accidentalbabemovie.com to view the new website for more information.
Dignity Health named Dr. Scott Bingham the Facility Medical Director of the new Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital Emergency Room Mesa. The new facility is licensed under Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital, which opened last year in the West Valley.

Dr. Bingham is an excellent leader and will ensure our new freestanding emergency room delivers the highest quality care to Mesa and the surrounding communities, said Robert Bob Honeycutt, President and CEO of Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital.

Dr. Bingham received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and his medical degree from the University of Health Science College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. Before joining Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital Emergency Room, Dr. Bingham served as an Emergency Department Physician at both John C Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona and Cobre Valley Hospital in Globe, Arizona. He is board-certified in emergency medicine and has over 15 years practicing emergency medicine.

The Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital Emergency Room is a full-service emergency room, licensed by the state, and open 24-7. The new facility is staffed by board-certified physicians, emergency trained registered nurses and radiology technologists and equipped with a full radiology suite and an accredited laboratory. Additionally the new emergency room has full access to Dignity Healths network of physicians and specialists.

The new Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital Emergency Room in Mesa is located at 1833 North Power Road, Mesa, Arizona 85205. For more information, visit http://www.azgeneraler.com/locations/mesa.

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About Dignity Health, Arizona Service Area

Dignity Health in Arizona includes five outstanding hospitals  Chandler Regional Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center, which includes Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Westgate Hospital and Arizona General Hospital. From this foundation, Dignity Health in Arizona has expanded into a comprehensive health care system, which includes imaging centers, clinics, specialty hospitals, urgent cares, insurance providers, an accountable care organization and other clinical partnerships. The Dignity Health Medical Group includes more than 40 practices and covers a wide range of specialties. Dignity Health in Arizona is part of Dignity Health, one of the nations largest health care systems. For more information, please visit http://www.dignityhealth.org/arizona.

About AdeptusHealth Inc.

Adeptus Health (NYSE:ADPT) is a leading patient-centered healthcare organization expanding access to the highest quality emergency medical care through its network of freestanding emergency rooms and partnerships with premier healthcare providers. In Texas, Adeptus Health owns and operates First Choice Emergency Room, the nation's largest and oldest network of independent freestanding emergency rooms. In Colorado, in partnership with University of Colorado Health, Adeptus Health operates UCHealth Emergency Rooms. In Arizona, with Dignity Health, the company owns and operates Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital and freestanding emergency rooms. All Adeptus Health freestanding facilities are fully equipped emergency rooms with a complete radiology suite of diagnostic technology (CT scanner, ultrasound, and digital X-ray), on-site laboratory, and staffed with board-certified physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. According to patient feedback collected by Press Ganey Associates Inc., Adeptus Health provides the highest quality emergency medical care and received the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for exceeding the 95th percentile in patient satisfaction nationwide. For more information please visit us on the web at adhc.com.

About Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital

Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital is a full-service healthcare facility, licensed by the state as a general hospital. Spanning 39,000-square-feet, the hospital has inpatient rooms, two state-of-the-art operating rooms - for inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures, an emergency department, a high-complexity laboratory and a full radiology suite offering the latest technologies. Furthermore, patients have full access to the Dignity Health area facilities and physicians, and the hospital provides Phoenix-area residents with 24/7 access to emergency medical care. Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital Emergency Room is a fully-equipped off-campus emergency department, located within the community to bring a greatly needed access point to emergency medical care. For more information, visit azgeneraler.com.
From L-R, Chad Bennett and Rachel Tourgeman Education brings a lot with it: professionalism, responsibility, among other things and enhances everyone's ability to do well in life. - Chad Bennett, Jimmy John's Franchise Owner

Today Florida National University (FNU) announced a new partnership with Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches. FNU Community Relations Director Rachel Tourgeman presented Jimmy Johns Franchise Owner Chad Bennett and the Hialeah franchise location with a scholarship opportunity, titled the Jimmy John's Freaky Fast Track to Higher Education Scholarship.

This scholarship will allow one employee or customer from the restaurant to open the door to his/her future by pursuing higher education at FNU.

We're honored and truly gracious to President Regueiro for the scholarship and to be considered a part of the FNU family, said Bennett. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for both of our organizations.

We are elated by this great partnership with Jimmy Johns and look forward to generating a positive transformation in our community, said Dr. Regueiro. The scholarship was established to recognize a fellow supporter in the community and to enhance the educational opportunities of their employees and customers.

Florida National University aspires to contribute to the education of a population of diverse cultures, providing educational and cultural programs intended to enrich the community it serves. Similarly, Jimmy Johns prides itself on its loyalty to people, the community, and to building America.

Education brings a lot with it: professionalism, responsibility, among other things and enhances everyone's ability to do well in life, said Bennett. We, as an organization, pride ourselves on the concept of doing well by doing good.

In light of Bennetts philosophy of doing well by doing good, the Jimmy Johns franchise owner and FNU will honor his mentors and best friends, Roderick and Lucy Petrey, by dedicating the Freaky Fast Track to Higher Education Scholarship to them.

If you have any interest in joining with Florida National University to help your business and employees grow with higher education, please contact us at: (305) 821-3333 to speak to someone today! If you are in need of a delicious, freaky fast sandwich, make sure to visit Jimmy John's at 1295 W. 49th St. Hialeah, FL 33012.

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About Florida National University

Florida National University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, and master degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida National University.

The purpose of Florida National University is to contribute to the education of a population of diverse, presently predominantly Hispanic, cultures. The University realizes this mission through the employment and development of a faculty of scholars who are proficient in the art of teaching. The University strives to prepare the students for employment in their chosen career or advanced studies through the acquisition of the required skills and knowledge needed for the successful completion of the program of studies.

Florida National University strives to provide the educational facilities and resources that support intensive sessions of study in small classes, in order to foster in the student the attainment of a quality university education according to the students personal goals, and the advancement of modern technology.

Furthermore, Florida National University provides educational and cultural programs intended to enrich the community it serves.

About Chad Bennett & the Jimmy Johns Franchise

Chad Bennett received a Bachelor's Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle University. In the past, he worked Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm and a market leader in securities, asset management and credit services. After working for years in finance, he proceeded to work for a non-profit titled the Collin Center for Public Policy.

Finally, after much research and dedication, Bennett opened his own Jimmy John's franchise two years ago. The franchise continues to do well under his leadership, as his direction brings in many guests into the restaurant.

Contacts:

For more information on this partnership, please contact:

Chad Bennett

Owner

Jimmy Johns

1295 W. 49th St

Hialeah, FL 33012

chadb9(at)aol(dot)com

Rachel Tourgeman

Community Relations Director

Florida National University

4425 W. Jose Reguiero (20th)Ave

Hialeah, FL 33012

rtourgeman(at)fnu(dot)edu

Maria Victorero

Corporate Educational Liaison

mvictorero(at)fnu(dot)edu
Northeast Ohio as a whole is experiencing tremendous economic growth as nearly 640,000 job openings are expected by 2025.

This year marks the 44th annual National Sales and Marketing Executives (NSME) Awards, which will be held on Tuesday, February 23rd at Tangier in Akron, Ohio. The theme of this years award ceremony is Accent on Excellence, and there are 30 professionals chosen to receive the 2016 Achievements in Excellence Award. Out of those 30 businesses, 10 are based in Canton, Ohio which is a testament to the growth of the area.

Ten Canton CEOs will be recognized for their exemplary thought leadership:

Kelly A. Brown of Sanctuary Marketing Group

Jamie L. Smart of North Canton City Schools

Karen Krantz of AultCare

Doug Lane of the North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce

Kristin Selby of Grabowski & Co.

Jeffrey M. McMahan of Innis Maggiore

Cullen Hardman of Mercy Medical Center

Ernie Blood of Secure Data 365

Jolene A. Colant of Hall, Kistler & Company

Tobias C. Hoy of Residential Bancorp

Northeast Ohio as a whole is experiencing tremendous economic growth as nearly 640,000 job openings are expected by 2025 according to a recent report from the Cleveland Plus. Total employment in the region stands at 1.86 million compared to 1 million in Central Ohio.

CEO Kelly Brown of Sanctuary Marketing Group credits much of his companys growth to their expertise in B2B digital marketing, which is in high demand; especially in the manufacturing sector. Integrating a manufacturer's already established traditional marketing efforts with digital marketing strategies, Sanctuary has been a refuge for companies who need to be heard in a booming marketplace. Ohio has the 3rd largest manufacturing workforce in the USA and gained more than 16 billion in the manufacturing sector from 2010 to 2014 according the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The manufacturing industry is a cornerstone in Canton and promises continued economic growth.
Fresh Press Media, a marketplace connecting advertisers with blogging and social media influencers, has announced it will host an event for the fitness niche in Chicago in March.

The event is the first in a series of Perfect Pitch workshops that immerse a small group of bloggers in a day-long exercise of creating a presentation to showcase their ideas for promoting a brand. A select group of brands will also participate in each event to offer guidance based on the advertisers view of the pitch process and to meet with bloggers to create actual campaigns.

The first workshop, held in Chicago on March 12th and 13th, will focus on the fitness niche. Bloggers and social media influencers who lead tribes of health and fitness enthusiasts are invited to submit applications to attend the event. Only 30 spots are available. Fitness brands sponsoring the event will also be limited to just 3.

We are in the business of making connections between bloggers and brands, said Influencer Engagement Specialist, Amy Powell. This event allows us to bring them into the same room and have them work on the details for campaigns that will be successful for both sides of the table.

Early bird rates, a $100 savings, are available for influencers through February 14th. Those interested in learning more about the event can do so at: https://events.freshpress.media/fitness-niche/
The Warner Law Group, a western suburban, Naperville, IL real estate, personal injury, and estate planning law firm, is pleased to announce that DuPage attorney Richard W. Warner was recently named a 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star and 2015 Emerging Lawyer.

Only 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state of Illinois are selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list published by Thompson Reuters, Chicago Magazine, and Illinois Super Lawyers each year. This marks Attorney Warners 2nd year in a row of being selected. Candidates must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for less than 10 years. In addition, only two percent (2%) of all lawyers licensed to practice law in the State are named Emerging Lawyers each year. This list is published by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, the Chicago Lawyer Monthly Magazine, Sullivans Law Directory, Midwest Real Estate News, Illinois Real Estate Journal, Leading Lawyers Magazine, and many other titles. Emerging Lawyers are all 40-years or under as of July 1 of that year or have been practicing law for ten years or less.

Richard W. Warner earned his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL, his B.A. from Illinois State University in Normal, IL, and graduated from Marmion Academy high school in Aurora, IL. Rick concentrates his legal practice on real estate transactional matters including purchases, sales, short sales, foreclosure defense, and mortgage modifications. He also handles legal matters pertaining to complex personal injury litigation and estate planning by drafting comprehensive family trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. In his practice with the Warner Law Group, Mr. Warner routinely practices before the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of DuPage County, the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Kane County, the 1st Judicial Circuit Court of Cook County, and is licensed to practice before the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts as well as the Federal 7th Circuit and Appellate Courts.

His passion for the law and dedication to his clients shows through in the tremendous effort he puts forth every day. Outside of the office, Mr. Warner is highly committed to his local legal community. He is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association, as well as a member of various local and state-wide real estate professional organizations. When not practicing law, he is busy spending time with his wife and young daughter, practicing & playing the violin and guitar, and riding his motorcycle.

About the Warner Law Group: Western Chicago suburban real estate, personal injury, and estate planning law firm Warner Law Group is a full service, registered, licensed, and insured law firm committed to providing clients with superior quality legal representation in a cost-effective manner. Our skilled attorneys routinely assist individuals and families in the purchase or sale of their homes, advise on difficult estate plans, and prosecute complex personal injury claims. In addition, we offer a full range of services to businesses, unions, municipalities, individuals, self-insured employers, and insurance companies in litigation and transactional matters.

Contact the Warner Law Group at: (630)446-0087 or visit our website at: http://www.rwarnerlaw.com.
On Tuesday, February 2nd, an educational roadshow that will make stops in cities across the country, kicked off in Phoenix. It launched the national expansion of a movement called 1in9. Chronic kidney disease affects 26 million Americans; that is 1 in every 9 adults, and most dont even realize it. The goal is to create hope and change the trajectory of kidney disease.

Free of charge, attendees of the 1in9 Roadshow will learn about kidney disease prevention, awareness, treatments, and health screenings.

The American Academy and Board of Regenerative Medicine (AABRM) is partnering with this project and will share news on innovative advancements for kidney disease and related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The 1in9 movement also includes a documentary that will chronicle Raymond Scotts 18-year journey, from kidney failure starting at the age of 29 to and through his competition at the 10th anniversary of Dancing with the Stars, AZ benefitting the National Kidney Foundation of AZ and follow Raymond and his wife Analyn as they travel and speak to groups across the United States.

1in9 Founder Analyn Scott shared, 1in9 is honored and proud to partner with the AABRM to highlight and support the great work they are doing and educate the public on what the future holds in the fight against kidney disease.

The American Academy and Board of Regenerative Medicine strongly supports 1in9s efforts to raise awareness and promote action related to chronic kidney disease. We are excited about this partnership and the prospects of finding better answers for this debilitating disease. - Dr. med. Christian Paulus, AABRM CEO

About 1in9

The mission of 1in9 is to ignite a worldwide movement to promote awareness and prevention campaigns, as well as support expedited research and development of treatment options being developed in the field of Regenerative Medicine. Visit http://www.1in9kidneychallenge.com for more information.

About AABRM

AABRM is a multidisciplinary community of physicians and scientists with a mission to advance the science, technology and practice of Regenerative Medicine to treat disease and lessen human suffering. The AABRM advances the specialty of Regenerative Medicine and serves its members. The AABRM is a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation.Visit http://www.aabrm.org for more information.
CaseBank Technologies Inc., the leading provider of software solutions for equipment fault isolation and defect trend analysis, has announced that it will be exhibiting at Field Service Medical 2016, February 16-18, 2016, in San Diego, California. On February 17, CaseBank will be presenting the keynote, Youthenize Your SMEs  Enable Everyone to Act Like an Expert and hosting the roundtable discussion, Next Generation Support as a Corporate Objective  Building the Business Case. CaseBank will also demonstrate its SpotLight solution in Booth #4. CaseBanks solutions enable manufacturers to improve the speed and accuracy of product support and gather accurate feedback from the field regarding performance and equipment defects.

Field Service Medical is a great forum for medical device and equipment manufacturers to meet face-to-face and stay current with the latest service and support technology and trends. CaseBank looks forward to sharing our expertise with manufacturers and service providers, enabling them to improve the support, reliability and performance of their products, said Tony OHara, CEO of CaseBank Technologies, Inc. OHara added that By accelerating accurate diagnosis and repair, CaseBank solutions consistently increase first-time fix rates for equipment, decrease no-fault-found rates of replaced parts, improve uptime and reduce operating and warranty costs.

Held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, Field Service Medical 2016 will highlight proven strategies and provide key takeaways and developments from leading manufacturers and service organizations. The conference program is geared toward customer and product support professionals in over 15 different medical device and medical equipment manufacturing verticals, such as surgical and medical instruments, analytical laboratory instruments, electro-medical and electrotherapeutic instruments, and pharmaceutical preparation. Attendees will learn ways to improve customer satisfaction, field support, and resource planning and technician utilization. Worldwide Business Research Field Service conferences have provided senior level service and support executives with best-practice service and support strategies for over a decade. For more information, visit http://fieldservicemd.wbresearch.com.

About CaseBank Technologies

CaseBanks software solutions improve fault isolation and defect trend analysis of complex equipment and systemssupporting engineers and technicians as they respond to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance eventsin a variety of industries, including medical, aviation and defense, rail and transit, automotive and heavy equipment, high technology, energy exploration and extraction, and continuous process industries.
Huper Optik USA, an industry leader in the window film industry, held their 2016 National Dealer Meeting in Las Vegas, NV, at the Bellagio hotel last week. The pioneer of the Multi-Layered Nano-Ceramic Window Film honored their National and Regional dealers of the year, along with recognizing their 2016 CORE members.

Four window film companies received the largest honors for their national successes in 2015. The Huper Optik Horizon Awards are given to dealers that have made the largest impact within the network as well as in sales over the last 12 months. This years Horizon Large Market Award was presented to Window Tint LA from California, and the national Horizon Small Market Award was presented to D&M Shutter and Blind, Inc., from Utah. The Huper Optik Synergy Awards are given to dealers nationally for going above and beyond in a lot more ways than just sales. This years Synergy Large Market Award was presented to Adams Window Tinting LLC from Oklahoma, while the national Synergy Small Market Award was presented to Blinds & Designs LLC. from North Carolina. When asked about award criteria, Huper Optik's National Director of Business Development Harry Rahman stated, Our awards dont always go to the dealer that has the most purchases, they are given on a more holistic basis.

Six more window film companies received Regional awards: Glas-Tint, LLC (New Jersey), All Pro Window Tinting (Georgia), Advanced Film Solutions (Florida), Sun Shade North Inc. (Michigan), Solar Art (California) and Suntech Glass Tinting (Houston).

The CORE (Circle of Regional Excellence) is made up of Huper Optik dealers that represent the voice of each region, and are the sounding board for new initiatives nationally. Huper Optiks 2016 CORE dealers are Eric Hofer (XLNT Tint/Mid Atlantic), Todd Smith (TintSmith), Jeremy Shapiro (High Impact Glass Solutions), Dan Wubs (Clearview Solutions), Matt Darenzio (Solar Art) and Dave Kratz (Adams Window Tinting).

The meeting was Huper Optiks largest meeting to date in its 16-year history. With a buildup of excitement brought on from new distributors, shorter ship times and the effort of adopting only industry leading practices to increase the brand experience for the end user, the Huper Optik dealer meeting set the stage for what is to come in 2016. Our growth of over 25% in 2015, in our 16th year, is attributed to the growth of our dealers and their loyalty. Our 2016 initiative to focus on industry leading practices instead of the industry standard, is a way to show our appreciation to the dealers that have made us industry leaders," said Harry Rahman, National Director of Business Development.

Huper Optik USA is a market leader in German engineered, multi-layered nano-ceramic and traditional solar control film technology, providing energy savings and security solutions for commercial, residential, automotive and marine industries through a strategic network of authorized dealers in the United States, Mexico, South America and Canada. The company is known for its innovations in ceramics, including its patented dual layer nano-ceramics and neutral-toned products with low interior reflectivity. For more information or to become a dealer, visit https://www.huperoptikusa.com or contact communications(at)huperoptikusa(dot)com
We truly value the Archdioceses passion towards educational technology and look forward to providing them with our innovative and complete school management system.

Seeking the best student information system for managing Catholic schools, the Archdiocese of Mobile, AL has partnered with Rediker Software. Citing integration, affordability and ease of use as the foremost reasons for selecting Redikers Administrators Plus for their school management needs, the Archdiocese expects to implement the software in 13 of its elementary schools during the spring of 2016.

Associate Superintendent for Academics Karen Abreo said the Archdiocese began looking at SIS solutions last year when their current system stopped meeting their needs. They narrowed their search to three vendors, but made the decision to partner with Rediker when they saw how well they worked with other schools.

"One of the greatest challenges we faced was finding an affordable software solution that addressed the total needs of our schools, including student data, attendance, discipline, and report cards, Abreo said. Rediker Software has designed the software with Catholic schools in mind and with an incredibly accessible approach, she said.

She added that with Redikers TeacherPlus Gradebook and the family of interactive web portals for parents, students and teachers, the 13 elementary schools will have the integration they are seeking to enable school administrators and teachers to instantly share data and engage with parents and students in a secure environment. Plus, the Diocesan Manager for Administrator's Plus will provide their Archdiocesan education office with complete management of all student, staff and school data across all schools in the Archdiocese.

We can now quickly call up a student or staff member in any school in our Archdiocese to view their photos, their demographic information, and any other data we often need, Abreo said.

Rediker Software President Andrew Anderlonis is excited to be working with another great Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Mobile has been providing top notch education to its community for almost 200 years and we are honored to have them join the Rediker Software family, stated Anderlonis. We truly value the Archdioceses passion towards educational technology and look forward to providing them with our innovative and complete school management system.

About the Archdiocese of Mobile

The Archdiocese of Mobile is comprised of 86 parishes and missions, and a successful Catholic Social Services system found in all parts of the Archdiocese, along with two Catholic high schools, one middle school, and 16 elementary schools, and a variety of ministries addressing the changing dynamics of the Catholic population. Today, the Archdiocese encompasses 22,969 square miles and includes the lower 28 counties of the state of Alabama.

About Rediker Software

For more than 35 years, Rediker Software has been a leader in school administrative software for public, private, international, religious and independent schools. Through its innovative solutions, Rediker Software helps schools in more than 120 countries manage administrative tasks, maximize school-to-home communication and inspire student performance and success. The companys products include AdminPlus, a cloud-based SIS solution, TeacherPlus Gradebook, Plus Portals for parents and students, Admissions Plus Pro, and Teacher Evaluator. Rediker Software offers experience, reliability, unsurpassed technical support, ease of use, and leading-edge features not found in any other system.

For more information about Rediker Software, please visit http://www.rediker.com.
Western Electrical Contractors Association, Inc. (WECA), a California-based trade association supporting the electrical and low voltage industries, will hold a career fair on March 3rd, 2016. The fair will be held at the associations Rancho Cordova Headquarters and Training Facility, 3695 Bleckely St., Rancho Cordova, CA 95655. The career fair will allow job-seekers to meet and interview with WECA Member Contractors, explore career and training opportunities, and examine products and services offered by WECA Industry Partners.

WECA Member Contractors are known for their commitments to safety, skill, and the development and training of their employees. Contractors who are actively hiring and have already committed to attendance at the fair include Royal Electric; H&D Electric; System 3, Inc.; Butterfield Electric; Helix Electric; Rex Moore Group, Inc.; Bergelectric; Mark III Construction; Vasko Electric; Republic Electric West; Barnum & Celillo Electric; Sebastian; and Ample Electric.

The career fair is suitable for individuals at all levels of their careers, from entry-level employees eager to break into the electrical and low voltage trades, to certified electricians and low voltage technicians looking for their next great position. Prospective apprentices and current electrician trainees are encouraged to attend and interview as well.

WECA is committed to developing and promoting workforce growth opportunities for our industry, now and into the future, explains Wendy Flanagan, WECA Workforce Development Manager. This career fair will be an opportunity for job-seekers to meet many hiring contractors, and vice versa. It should be a win-win for everyone.

Access more information about WECAs upcoming career fair, including a growing and frequently-updated list of attending contractors, at http://www.goweca.com/Careers/2016JobFair.aspx. Attendees may optionally pre-register to receive event updates and reminders, but day-of walk-ins will also be welcome.
AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce that Dr. Mehran Maalekian, AIMs Research and Development Manager, will present his white paper Effects of Ag, Ni and Bi Additions on Melting and Solderability of Lead-Free Solders at TMS 2016 on February 16th, 2016 at 4:25 pm in room 201A of the Tennessee Music City Center.

Dr. Maalekians white paper covers the effects of Ag, Ni and Bi additions on melting and wetting behavior of the Sn0.7Cu alloy. Sn-0.7Cu eutectic composition can be an attractive option among lead-free alloys due to its low cost and relatively good solderability. However, it has relatively high melting point. Dr. Maalekian will cover the role Ag, Ni and Bi play in the melting point of this alloy. In addition, the wetting behavior of the alloys will be compared and effect of alloying and melting temperature on wettability will also be discussed.

Dr. Mehran Maalekian is experienced in materials engineering with a focus on physical metallurgy, soldering, modelling in materials engineering, and thermo-mechanical processes. Since the start of his career Dr. Maalekian has received numerous recognitions such as; the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Award, the Henry Granjon Prize, and IWS-Sossenheimer Award. Dr. Maalekian has been involved in numerous research studies and papers in the industry.

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, preforms, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit http://www.aimsolder.com.

Upcoming Events:

March 1, 2016  SMTA Houston  Stafford, Texas

March 3, 2016  SMTA Dallas  Plano, Texas

March 15-17, 2016  IPC Apex  Las Vegas, Nevada

March 15-17, 2016  Productronica China  Shanghai, China
Impact Pediatric Health, the SXSW Interactive pediatric healthcare innovation pitch competition, today announced that Sesame Ventures is on board as one of the judges for the 10-company competition. Additionally, Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Seattle Children's Hospital and Stanford Childrens Health have joined the four founding hospitals, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Texas, to help put on the March 14, 2016 event. All eight hospitals will also be judges, and have contributed to a $50,000 prize for the winner. The deadline for startups to apply is Monday, February 15, 2016. For more information or to apply to present, go to http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia came together to create Impact Pediatric Health, a one-of-a-kind pitch competition to help showcase, and support, the best pediatric healthcare innovations. SXSW Interactive is working with the founding hospitals on this event which is part of Startup Village, http://www.sxsw.com/interactive/startup-village, at the Hilton Downtown Austin.

Recently, other top pediatric organizations including Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Seattle Children's Hospital and Stanford Childrens Health have joined the effort to put on this event and will also have representatives from each hospital serving as judges, including:



Kevin Maher, MD, director, Cardiac Intensive Care, co-Director, Center for Pediatric Innovation, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Jessica Rousset, director of the Center for Innovation, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP, executive director, Digital Health, Seattle Children's Hospital

James Wall, MD, assistant professor of Pediatric Surgery and Bioengineering at Stanford Children Health/Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford.

Sesame Ventures, a new initiative of the 45+ year old Sesame Workshop, is on board to serve as one of the judges for Impact Pediatric Health. Since its founding in 1969, Sesame Workshop (formerly the Childrens Television Workshop) has been a creative workshop for kid-focused advancement. By partnering with the best and brightest in developing technologies, Sesame Ventures seeks to break new ground in the education, health and social welfare for kids. By partnering with mission-aligned companies, Sesame Workshop can greatly expand its impact and global reach. Will Fowler, Vice President, Strategic Planning, of Sesame Workshop will be part of the team of judges.

Companies interested in being considered as one of the ten 2016 finalists may submit an application on http://impactpediatrichealth.com/ anytime from now through Monday, February 15, 2016. Startups  both digital health and medical device  focused on the pediatric market are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates for the Impact Pediatric Health pitch competition are companies focused in the areas of:



Health and Wellness, specifically patient safety, population health and management, prematurity, remote care, or hospital to home transitions

Precision Medicine, specifically genomics,

Med Tech, specifically robotics or minimally invasive surgery, 3D printing or artificial intelligence.

Impact Pediatric Health showcases technologies that promise to deliver solutions specifically created for young patients. Startup CEOs have three minutes to pitch how their company is solving unique healthcare needs of children, from babies to teens. The Monday, March 14 stage presentation is followed by questions from the emcee and judges. A winner from among the 10 finalists will be announced at the end of the event and will receive a set of prizes. All participating companies will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the presenting pediatric hospitals. You must have a SXSW Interactive, Gold or Platinum badge to attend this March 14 event.

This event is possible thanks to the four founding hospitals and the four additional supporting hospitals announced today, as well as organizations like HopeLab, PediaWorks, and REDI Cincinnati that helps support growing biohealth companies in Greater Cincinnati.

For more information or to apply to present, go to http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

About Impact Pediatric Health:

Now in its second year, Impact Pediatric Health is a one-of-a-kind pitch competition held annually at SXSW Interactive that is dedicated to showcasing and supporting the best pediatric healthcare innovations. Four of the largest and top ranked (according to US News and World Report) childrens hospitals in the U.S. came together to create Impact Pediatric Health. Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborate to help next generation pediatric healthcare companies, especially those focused on digital health and medical devices, accelerate their businesses. For more information see http://impactpediatrichealth.com/ or follow us on twitter @pediatricpitch

About SXSW Interactive

The 23rd annual SXSW Interactive Festival returns to Austin from Friday, March 11 through Tuesday, March 15. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the 2016 event features five days of compelling presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable lineup of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to discover the technology of tomorrow today.

Join us in March 2016 for the sessions, the networking, the special events, the 18th Annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW Trade Show, the SX Health & MedTech Expo, SX Create, The Job Market, cross-industry conversations with attendees from SXSW Film and SXSW Music, and, most of all, the unforgettable inspirational experiences that only SXSW can deliver.

SXSW Interactive 2016 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy, Capital One, Bud Light, Deloitte Digital, McDonalds, Ten-X and The Austin Chronicle.
Our numbers have improved over last year, and this is a direct result of the diligent and dedicated work by our franchisees and international headquarters team.

As more businesses and job seekers in Jacksonville, Florida, continue to rely on the services of staffing firms, the demand for new offices grows for Express Employment Professionals.

The growing list of small- to medium-sized businesses that benefit from staffing firms has sent Oklahoma City-based Express Employment Professionals on an expansion campaign in Florida. There are currently 30 offices throughout the state and the company is looking to open an Express franchise in Jacksonville by the end of 2016.

Express Employment Professionals is ranked as the No. 1 staffing franchise in the U.S. in 2016, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, and also ranked No. 70 on the publications Franchise 500 List. Criteria for making the Franchise 500 List is based on financial strength and ability, growth rate and the number of years a company has been in business.

Its a great accomplishment and honor to be ranked again on the Franchise 500 List, said Bob Funk, CEO of Express Employment Professionals and a former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board in Kansas City. Our numbers have improved over last year, and this is a direct result of the diligent and dedicated work by our franchisees and international headquarters team.

This is the 10th year in a row that Express has been on the Franchise 500 List and fifth year to be named the No. 1 staffing franchise.

According to the American Staffing Association, more than 3 million people work for a staffing company during an average week. During the course of a year, staffing companies hire more than 14 million temporary and contract employees.

Express offices employed more than 20,000 Florida residents through temporary help, flexible staffing, evaluation and direct hire in 2015. Expansion plans will allow Express to create more jobs while offering a valuable resource to local businesses.

Were a small business operating with a great purpose, said David Lewis, vice president of franchising for Express Employment Professionals. Every time a new Express franchise opens, an average of 600 more people find jobs annually.

About Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.02 billion in sales and employed a record 500,002 people in 2015. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For information about owning an Express franchise, visit ExpressFranchising.com.

For More Information:

Sherry Kast, APR

Corporate Communications and PR Manager

Express Employment Professionals

9701 Boardwalk Blvd.

Oklahoma City, OK 73162

(405) 840-5000

Sherry(dot)Kast(at)ExpressPros(dot)com
Its a conference about discovering the right SaaS and e-commerce strategies and we feel theres nobody better qualified to assist them in that task than FastSpring.

Acclaimed global e-commerce industry leader FastSpring (FastSpring.com) is announcing its role as an official Silver Sponsor of the Recurring Revenue Conference (RecurringRevenueConference.com), which takes place on February 23, 2016 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.

FastSprings sponsorship of this premier one-day conference will help to empower leaders from throughout the industry as they join to analyze and discuss the subscription economy and how recurring revenue can reshape the futures of their businesses. The one-day event will explore a variety of vital and topical industry issues, including such aspects as:



Why investors continue to pay premium prices for companies with subscription revenue models;

How leaders of successful subscription-based businesses are managing explosive growth;

Why building/optimizing ongoing customer relationships is the lifeblood of subscription businesses;

With a targeted focus on the subscription economy, from monthly consumer renewals, to the range of SaaS solutions that truly help to enable companies to focus on their core expertise, the Recurring Revenue Conference is a must-attend event. The Conference will provide tips, tricks, insights, and strategies that will help companies emulate those companies that are already valued at ten to twenty times their revenues.

"FastSpring is pleased to sponsor The Recurring Revenue Conference in 2016," comments FastSpring CEO Chris Lueck, who will also be speaking at the conference. "Its a conference about discovering the right SaaS and e-commerce strategies and we feel theres nobody better qualified to assist them in that task than FastSpring. Were looking forward to being a resource and sharing our proven tips and strategies with those who attend." Lueck will be speaking from 9:45 a.m.  10:15 a.m. on the SaaS is Making Cash Registers Ring panel.

With insights from FastSpring leaders, industry investors and other key e-commerce giants, the Recurring Revenue Conference will help others learn from the successes and challenges of others in order to find their own leading investors, streamline their criteria, and strategize their SaaS strategies. It promises to be a full day of learning and networking from major industry leaders on the grandest scale.

About FastSpring

Founded in 2005, FastSpring provides thousands of customers worldwide with a highly acclaimed, all-in-one e-commerce, subscription management and billing platform.

Specifically designed to meet the needs of software, SaaS, and other online service companies, the FastSpring platform will help maximize conversions, increase sales, and grow business  all while providing an award-winning client service experience 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

FastSprings awards and honors include multiple Stevie Awards, CODie Awards, and inclusion in the Inc. 500 and Software Magazine Top 500 lists, in addition to multiple appearances on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list through 2016. To find out more, please visit FastSpring.com.

For more information on FastSpring and its participation in this years Fork & Cork Classic, please contact Christina OToole, at (805) 259-3557 or cotoole(at)FastSpring(dot)com.

All companies referenced in this press release, including FastSpring and more are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Coast Dental North Lakeland team members Terrell Moore, Dr. Everet Lake, and Suzan Sweeney, RDH, volunteered at Dentistry of the Heart on Feb. 5, 2016. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had.

For Coast Dental dentist Everet Lake, DDS, the smiles began at dawn. He joined Coast Dental hygienist Suzan Sweeney, RDH, and dental assistant Terrell Moore shortly before 7 a.m. to volunteer at Fridays Dentistry from the Heart event in New Port Richey. They joined dozens of dental professionals, donating their time and skills to help hundreds of uninsured and underinsured people receive much-needed dental care.

This was Dr. Lakes fourth year volunteering at the event, and the second for his hygienist. They worked from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., treating dozens of patients who needed a teeth cleaning, filling, or an extraction. Altogether, the group of 19 doctors and 7 hygienists treated close to 400 people.

"It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had," said Suzan Sweeney. "I've been a dental hygienist for 33 years and it was very rewarding to give back to the community. Everybody is so thankful that were there to help them."

"People wait all year for this. They camp out all night. At the end of the day, youre tired and beat, but you feel good," said Dr. Lake, who works at Coast Dental North Lakeland.

The Dentistry from the Heart event was started by Dr. Vincent Monticciolo, and takes place at his private dental office. Volunteers have treated 450,000 patients and contributed $50 million in donated dental care since 2001.

Dental decay is rampant, with 92% of adults over the age of 20 having had at least one cavity in a permanent tooth, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. If untreated, the decay can reach the nerve and create a sharp or persistent toothache. Fortunately, regular teeth cleanings combined with proper oral hygiene at-home can remove plaque build-up and reduce costly problems. To make an appointment with Coast Dental, call 1-800-32-SMILE or visit CoastDental.com.

# # #

About Coast Dental

Coast Dental, P.A., with its professional associations, is one of the largest providers of general dentistry and specialty care in the United States with affiliated practices operating as Coast Dental and SmileCare in Florida, Georgia, California, Nevada and Texas. Coast Dental offers family dentistry services at all of its locations, plus many offices offer orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, and pediatric dentistry. Coast Dental Services, LLC is a privately-held practice management company that provides comprehensive, non-clinical business and administrative services to its affiliated practices.
Why join just one wine club when you have access to dozens of premium wines?

The San Luis Obispo County Visitor's Guide, The #1 travel magazine on the Central Coast is launching a new wine club to meet the discerning palates of visitors and locals alike.

The newly launched San Luis Obispo County Visitors Guide Wine Club will deliver four premium local wines for just $99, plus shipping, four times per year. The first shipment of the wine club will go out in April, with subsequent shipments in July, October, and January.

"Why join just one wine club when you have access to dozens of premium wines?" asks Scott Brennan, the magazine's publisher. "Paso Robles won Wine Enthusiasts 'Wine Region of the Year.' We have over 250 wineries in 11 AVAs with over 40 wine grape varieties. Our wine club members will get to taste a wide selection of the varietals, viticultural areas, and styles of wine making in the area," he says.

"Visitors and friends are always asking me where to go wine tasting, so I thought I would put together a wine club of my favorites to send them throughout the year," Brennan says.

Each quarter the publisher will taste dozens of premium local wines and hand-select four for the wine club. Each shipment will include one white wine and three red wines, some exclusive to club members.

"Whether youre just discovering our wine country or already know it, have the best of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo wines delivered to your door with our new wine club," he says.

Members will receive additional perks

First 100 members will receive a free gift

Detailed tasting notes for each wine

Exclusive virtual tastings with winemakers

Discounted shipping offers for additional purchases

Referral bonuses for recommending new members

No-fuss cancellations  Cancel anytime with no obligation

The San Luis Obispo County Visitors Guide Wine Club is being launched with the help of local wine expert Chris Kern and WorldsBestWineClubs.com. In 2014, Kern launched PasosBestWines.com, an online wine retail website dedicated exclusively to small boutique wineries of Paso Robles. A graduate of Princeton University, Kern launched the culinary tour company Words & Wine in 2006 and was creator and host of the Sunday Night Chef Fights culinary competitions. He has been featured in Imbibe Magazine, La Cucina Italiana, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, Palm Springs Life, and was the wine columnist for 951 Magazine and Great Taste Magazine.

Kern's wine clubs feature over 40 current winery partners including Cass Winery, Chateau Lettau Winery, Clavo Cellars, Dunning Vineyards, Parrish Family Vineyard, Poalillo Vineyards, Ranchita Canyon Vineyard, Record Family Winery, Victor Hugo Winery, Vista Del Rey Vineyards and Windward Vineyards with many more on the way.

San Luis Obispo County Visitors Guide is the leading travel guide in the county featuring wine tasting, dining, spas, lodging, shopping, events and attractions. It is published four times a year and boasts over 250,000 readers annually. The guide has over 100 pages of stories, maps, recommendations and advertisements promoting visitor hot spots.
We have worked diligently to make this week an enriching experience for all our students, and we are thrilled to continue this tradition

Now in its third year and fast becoming a tradition at Riviera Preparatory School, Bulldog Breakout Week offers the school's sixth through twelfth grade students an opportunity to travel and explore different parts of the United States and Canada alongside their peers and teachers.

For one week, beginning Feb. 22, classroom academics are suspended and students in each grade have the option to participate in an out-of-state educational trip. This years sites include Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Toronto. The school's junior class will participate in a Florida college tour.

For students who aren't attending one of these all-inclusive excursions, they will instead be greeted with a different educational experience each day of the week. This ultimately offers all students -- both near and far -- an out-of-classroom adventure of sorts.

For students who opt out, days will consist of delving into the arts, exploring career choices, learning how to stay fit and healthy, experiencing unique aspects of Miami, and participating in varied and impactful community service events.

We have worked diligently to make this week an enriching experience for all our students, and we are thrilled to continue this tradition, stated Associate Director Peter Cohen.

About Riviera Schools

Riviera Schools provide a unique educational setting for children that helps them develop as educated leaders while challenging them to explore their various talents. Rivera Schools has cutting edge technology for students to engage with, as well as an academic honors program for qualified students. To learn more, visit http://www.rivieraschools.com.
The CROIG X British Customs Mad Max-Themed Motorcycle Being Given Away for Charity to be Revealed at The One Moto Show, With Winner Announced March 31

The CROIG X British Customs Mad Max-themed custom motorcycle that will be given away to raise awareness for charity will be debuted at the upcoming One Moto Show in Portland, OR. The motorcycle will be given away to one lucky winner, and is part of an initiative to raise awareness for Riders for Health, a charity dedicated to saving lives by delivering medical supplies to communities in need throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

The idea for the motorcycles unique style came from the community, and was a powerful demonstration of the remarkable abilities of what can happen when a community comes together. The motorcycle was dubbed Furiosa, named after one of the leading characters from Mad Max: Fury Road. Designer Jeremy Lacy rendered the concept art for the bike, and custom motorcycle builder Andrew Blaschko built the motorcycle itself as a series of eight BC Weekend Projects. Each weekend project consists of a group of parts designed to work as a package that will transform any section on a motorcycle, including appearance, controls, driveline, handling, lighting, and performance. These packages, available from British Customs, are meant to eliminate the guesswork by providing all the parts needed and can all be installed with common tools and minimal technical knowledge. There are currently over 150 packages for any modern Triumph Bonneville, Thruxton, Scrambler, America, Speedmaster, Street Triple, Speed Triple, and more.

BC Weekend Projects is about helping people reconnect with their past by working with their hands, bonding over shared experiences, and creating something together. BC Weekend Projects is an initiative to bring the community together and giving back to be a part of something greater.

BC Weekend Projects are immensely powerful, stated Blaschko. Being able to customize a motorcycle so extensively and so easily is an incredibly gratifying experience.

Blaschko is honored to have shared the experience of building a custom motorcycle with the motorcycle community, and is eager to show the fruits of his labors at the upcoming One Moto Show. He hopes his work will inspire others to take the step to begin personalizing their own motorcycles, with the knowledge that it is more accessible than commonly believed.

Furiosa is part of a giveaway to raise awareness and donations for charity. The giveaway is eligible internationally, including residents of Australia, the UK, Thailand, India, and Indonesia. Donate and register to win the bike here. BC Weekend Projects is proudly powered by GoPro, Nixon, Simpson Race Products, Abel Brown, Thursday Boot Co., Hagon Shocks, Saint, RAEN, Aether, and Stance.

About British Customs:

British Customs is a Southern California-based lifestyle brand and designer of aftermarket motorcycle parts. They are known for making the highest quality factory-spec bolt-on parts that only require common tools and minimal technical knowledge to install. With any of their parts upgrades, the average rider can completely customize his or her motorcycle in a weekend.

About Riders for Health:

Riders for Health is a social enterprise and registered charity that manages and maintains vehicles for health-focused partners in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They work with ministries of health and other, smaller community-based organizations to help manage two- and four-wheeled vehicles of outreach health workers, allowing them to reach rural villages. Riders provides maintenance and management of these vehicles, and training for health workers in safe riding and driving.
ASI keynote speaker JR Martinez You can control your attitude, your willingness to learn, your willingness to grow, JR Martinez told trade show audience in Dallas.

J.R. Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran who suffered debilitating burns while serving in Iraq, brought a business audience to tears Thursday at ASI Show Dallas with a keynote address on his journey from hospital bed to Hollywood.

You can control your attitude, your willingness to learn, your willingness to grow, said Martinez, who refused to let his injuries define or stop him, instead devoting his life to motivating others after his near-death experience at age 19. Now 32, Martinez (@iamjrmartinez) went on to become a sought-after speaker, New York Times best-selling author, actor and winner of TV's Dancing with the Stars.

The keynote was a highlight of ASI Show Dallas (#asidallas), hosted by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), the largest member organization in the $22.2 billion promotional products industry. ASIs annual trade show was held Tuesday, February 9, through Thursday, February 11, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, bringing together distributors, suppliers and decorators from 38 states and five countries.

Martinez shared his touching story of survival, hope, persistence and success with a rapt audience who applauded his strength and perseverance with two standing ovations. It all starts with your attitude, said a lively, often funny Martinez. Focus on controlling what you can control.

Thelma Leal-Robles, of McAllen, Texas, said the amazing speech made her realize how critical attitude is to success. Its what we need to remember: Start every day with a positive attitude, she said.

Over 3,000 distributors and 466 suppliers (including 75 new this year) visited ASIs Dallas show, which took place in the No. 1 region in the country for ad specialty sales of branded or logoed products, with Texas alone representing $2.3 billion in sales. The show featured 143 Dallas-area companies, 233 women-owned companies and 215 minority-owned businesses.

ASIs Dallas show continues to be a strong draw for suppliers, distributors and decorators who want to extend their professional network, close deals, take classes and preview the very latest products in a destination city that has it all: easy access, great restaurants and historical significance, said Rita Ugianskis-Fishman, senior VP and GM of ASI Show.

The Fox 4 TV news station in Dallas, with Emmy Award-winning Consumer Reporter Steve Noviello, featured ASI and the industrys hottest products during a morning show segment on day two of the show.

All told, 22 distributor companies chose Dallas to host meetings, a 10% increase over 2015. ASI also partnered with three large regional associations at Dallas  the Promotional Products Association of the Southwest, Houston Promotional Products Association and the Sunbelt Promotional Products Association.

The ASI Show is the one mecca place to go to put our distributors in a setting with our preferred suppliers, said distributor Forrest Fairley, of Safeguard. ASI is so generous in providing us the meeting space and hospitality. The show is just a great networking opportunity for the exchange of ideas.

Busy suppliers said they appreciated steady show floor traffic.

We exhibit at ASI Show Dallas because there is nowhere else we can meet all of these distributors and make these relationships, said David Dick, of Sling Grip. There is no way we could get in front of this audience unless we were at the ASI Show.

Everywhere you go at the Dallas show, there are new people to meet and great connections to be made, said Timothy M. Andrews, ASI president and CEO. You can discover unique products in the morning, close a deal by the afternoon and kick back at dinner that night, knowing youve put in the time to make the most of the show experience and really grow your business.

About ASI Show

The ASI Show Family of Events  ASI Show, fASIlitate, ASI Roadshow and Engage  fosters business-building relationships throughout the promotional products industry. Visit http://www.asishow.com for more information.
Courtyard Glenwood Springs Lobby

Courtyard by Marriott Glenwood Springs welcomes guests to enjoy a relaxing stay in the Rocky Mountains with the new Soak & Stay package. The package includes one night stay accommodations, two tickets to Iron Mountain Hot Springs, two towels and one tote to take home after the stay. Package starts at $209 + tax per night. Iron Mountain Hot Springs is a mineral hot springs on the bank of the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, located just a short five minute drive from the Courtyard. For more information about Iron Mountain Hot Springs, please visit http://www.ironmountainhotsprings.com.

One of Glenwood Springs newest hotels, the Courtyard by Marriott Glenwood Springs hotel makes your trip to Glenwood Springs, Colorado a memorable one, by providing exactly what the leisure and business traveler requires: clean and spacious hotel rooms with numerous hotel amenities. The newly remodeled lobby features an in-house hotel restaurant, perfect for casual dining with plenty of healthy dining options.

All hotel guest rooms feature comfortable Serta beds and 32 flat-panel HDTVs. The hotel offers 600 square feet of meeting space, ideal for small business meetings, training and seminars. The on-site business center has computer workstations with printers as well as free wireless internet throughout the hotel. Courtyard is close to popular attractions such as Downtown Glenwood, Glenwood Hot Springs, the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Iron Mountain Hot Springs.

For more information or to make reservations, please call (970) 947-1300 or visit http://www.courtyardglenwoodsprings.com. Courtyard by Marriott Glenwood Springs is proudly managed by Stonebridge Companies in Denver, Colorado.

Founded in 1991 by Navin C. Dimond, Stonebridge Companies is a privately owned, innovative hotel owner, operator and developer headquartered near Denver, Colorado. Its diverse listing of properties includes select-service, extended-stay, mid-scale and full-service hotels in markets throughout the U.S. For detailed information, visit our website at http://www.sbcos.com.
Amboy Crater within the new Mojave Trails National Monument "This is one of the most significant land conservation gains in the past two decades." - Brian ODonnell, Executive Director of the Conservation Lands Foundation

The Conservation Lands Foundation welcomed President Obamas planned designation of the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains National Monuments in the California desert.

The California desert is a remarkable area with one of the most diverse landscapes in our state," said Mariana Maguire, Southern California Associate Director for Conservation with the Conservation Lands Foundation. This designation comes in response to nearly a decade of collaboration by local leaders, business owners, off-road vehicle groups, veterans, local conservation organizations, faith leaders and members of Californias congressional delegation. Local leaders understand that we can both protect the natural wonders that draw visitors to the California desert and support outdoor recreation and tourism important to our economy.

The three new national monuments  Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains  are about a four-hour drive from Los Angeles. These monuments will protect important wildlife habitat for mountain lions, bighorn sheep and California desert tortoises and more than 250 species of birds as well as incredible natural features including year-round streams, rugged mountains, extinct volcanoes and sand dunes. These designations will also preserve ancient petroglyphs and areas of historical importance.

The designation of the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains National Monuments is one of the most significant land conservation gains in the past two decades. The permanent protection of public lands in the California desert is a major conservation win for the American people, commented Brian ODonnell, Executive Director of the Conservation Lands Foundation. In particular, the Mojave Trails National Monument will preserve striking desert lands linking Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. Conserving and connecting this habitat will help the desert, its wildlife and communities adapt to a changing climate and maintain it scenic beauty.

The national monuments will be accessible to the public for recreation activities including hiking, horseback riding, backpacking, fishing, and bird watching. The designations also protect important aspects of our countrys history, including the longest undeveloped stretch of historic Route 66 and stunning cultural sites, including Native American petroglyphs.

This region welcomed almost 4.2 million visitors to areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and more than 3.2 million visitors to the three desert national parks. The designation of the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains National Monuments will enhance public recognition for these areas, bringing more attention and visitors to the area.

Once again, we see that its possible to balance the protection of America's natural, cultural and historic legacy with support for local economic growth, existing mining claims and renewable energy development in appropriate areas, stated Doug Wheeler, former California Secretary for Natural Resources and member of the Conservation Lands Foundations Board of Directors.

The Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow National Monuments will continue to be managed by the BLM and become part of the growing system of protected lands around the West that are set aside for conservation and managed by the BLM as part of the National Conservation Lands.

There are few actions that a President can take that will be celebrated by future generations, said ODonnell. Through these designations, President Obama has given California and all Americans an enduring gift.
Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Kenneth Fisher joined Governor Brian Sandoval, City of North Las Vegas Mayor John J. Lee, Nevada Military Support Alliance president Scott Bensing, and Peggy Kearns Director, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System yesterday to dedicate the newest Fisher House at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. This will be the first Fisher House in Nevada, and will provide free lodging for families of wounded, injured and ill military and Veterans while their loved one undergoes treatment at both VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System and Mike O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base.

This beautiful home will not only create an instant community for its residents, united by their common mission of supporting a sick or injured loved one, but also will provide each individual with a secure and private refuge after a long day at the hospital to rest and recharge.

The 16-suite, 13,500 sq.-ft. comfort home joins the other 65+ Fisher Houses operating in the United States and Europe, and was gifted to VA as part of todays ceremony. Each bedroom suite comes equipped with a private, handicapped-accessible bathroom. Common areas include a spacious kitchen, large communal living, dining and family rooms, laundry room and patio.

The Nevada communitys decision to support this project was instantaneous and inspiring, said Mr. Fisher. We clearly saw how seriously the people of Nevada take their commitment to honor and serve their Veterans by how quickly this home became a reality. I want to thank all of those who made it happen, and who will continue to support their military community for years to come.

We are honored that our medical center was selected to be the home of the first Fisher House in Nevada, said Ms. Kearns. Although its our Veterans and active-duty members who serve on the frontlines, they are not alone  especially in a time of need. This beautiful home will enable family members to be close to their loved ones during hospitalization, ensuring we continue to honor our commitment to take care of those who have served our nation  both on the war front and the home front. On behalf of the future Veterans and family members who will benefit from this facility I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this vision a reality through their commitment and support of this project.

"This is a proud day for Nevada, said Mr. Bensing. When the call went out to the community to rally around this project, Nevada responded in record time with open arms and overwhelming support. This Fisher House will provide a place to stay and heal for thousands of military families and warriors throughout its lifetime. The Nevada Military Support Alliance salutes Fisher House Foundation and the work they do around the world to give back to our troops.

Construction of this Fisher House was supported by: Nevada Military Support Alliance, Engelstad Family Foundation, Alfred E. Mann Foundation, Heather and Jim Murren, MGM Resorts International, NV Energy Foundation, Bigelow Aerospace and Perry M. Di Loreto.

About Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans families an estimated $320 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.

http://www.fisherhouse.org

About the Southern Nevada VA Healthcare System

The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System provides delivery of health care to more than 57,000 Veterans and ensures outpatient and inpatient services are available to more than 158,000 Veterans residing in an official catchment area of Clark, Lincoln and Nye counties.

About the Nevada Military Support Alliance

The Nevada Military Support Alliance (NMSA) is a statewide 501c3 organization established in 2003 with a mission to organize and promote the recognition, support and appreciation of Nevadas men and women of our armed forces, veterans and their families. The NMSA is proud to be the primary fundraising entity for the Las Vegas Fisher House in the memory of the 57 Nevada warriors killed in defense of our great country.

HI RES EVENT PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM AESTILL(at)FISHERHOUSE(dot)ORG.
American Tree Farm System ATFS has been successful at engaging many of these families and individuals across the country but we can do more to grow the impact of the work we do on the ground, by engaging and supporting more landowners," said Kathryn Fernholz.

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) today kicked off its celebration of the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), the largest and oldest sustainable forestry program for family forest owners. In celebration, AFF's governance, Tree Farmers, volunteers and partners have pledged to measurably increase their impact on the clean water, wildlife habitat and wood supply that comes from family-owned forests.

Our woodlands are facing incredible challenges today  a changing climate, catastrophic wildfires, insect epidemics, development pressures, and much more, said Tom Martin, President and CEO of AFF. Yet we continue to need the clean water, wildlife habitat and wood supply we depend on from our forests. Tree Farmers exhibit the most exceptional forest stewardship that helps protect and enhance these benefits.

ATFS originated in 1941 with the dedication of the first Tree Farm in Washington state. The program was created, by the then known American Lumber Manufacturers Association, as a way to engage and support landowners in order to ensure the health and safety of the forests and wood supply that came from them.

ATFS was founded on the concept that recognizing landowners who practiced good forest stewardship, would encourage their neighbors to do the same, said Salem Saloom, a Tree Farmer from Brewton, Alabama. But what really happened was a social movement that many describe as the greatest voluntary forest conservation movement in this countrys history.

ATFS leaders made critical shifts in the program over time, evolving the mission to stress that good stewardship is more than growing trees for wood fiber, but also to provide clean water, home for wildlife and space for recreation, all of which are exemplified on the ATFS sign. Today, the program is internationally recognized and endorsed by the global Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), with more than 80,000 Tree Farmers sustainably managing more than 21 million acres of forest.

As part of the 75th celebration, kicking off at the ATFS annual leadership conference, this year held in Seattle, AFF and ATFS leaders have committed to growing the impact of the program on some of the most critical issues facing society: providing clean water and addressing the wildfire threats especially in the West, enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable wood supplies for the forest products we consume every day.

Family forest owners own the largest share of forests in the U.S., said Kathryn Fernholz, Chair of the AFF Woodlands Operating Committee and Executive Director of Dovetail Partners, a Minnesota-based environmental think tank. ATFS has been successful at engaging many of these families and individuals across the country but we can do more to grow the impact of the work we do on the ground, by engaging and supporting more landowners."

AFF, taking a regional approach, conducted a series of assessments, and surveyed partners and ATFS leaders to identify opportunities where family forest owners could have an increased impact.

In the West, 78 percent said wildfire, and its impact on the water supply, was the most critical issue, where family forest owners could play a role. In the Northeast, 70 percent identified wildlife habitat as the top opportunity, where forest owners could make a difference, noting the majority of wildlife habitat in the region falls on family and individual properties. In the South, 80 percent agreed engaging more forest owners in forest management to meet the growing wood supply needs while conserving habitat, was the top priority.

AFF in the coming weeks will publish measurable goals around its commitment, pending the completion of assessments and Board of Trustee approval.

# # #

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) works on the ground with families, teachers and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our nations forest heritage. A commitment to the next generation unites our nationwide network of forest owners and teachers working to keep our forests healthy and our children well-prepared for the future they will inherit.
Coco Libre, the maker of coconut water beverages with a purpose, is proud to announce their participation in Red Carpet Events LA GRAMMYs Style Lounge Event. Coco Libre will offer musicians and celebrities the companys signature Organic Coconut Water, a delicious and healthy way to stay hydrated before the big event. The invitation-only gifting suite, held this year at the W Hollywood Hotel, has become a pre-show must for GRAMMY attendees. The 58th GRAMMY Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2016, at 8 p.m., on CBS.

Were excited to introduce people to Coco Libre at an event that celebrates creative ambition, said Candace Crawford, CEO of Maverick Brands, Coco Libres parent company. At Coco Libre, we ask, what do you thirst for? That questionwaking up your ambition to make something newis the start of so much greatness in the world. Thats what Coco Libre is all about. Making beverages that help people reach for more.

Celebrities will also take home Coco Libre Organic Coconut Water in the Style Lounge Tote Gift Bag. Coco Libre Organic Coconut Water is known for its delicious flavor with no added sugar, certified USDA organic, OU kosher, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified.

ABOUT THE GRAMMYS

The recording industrys most prestigious award, the GRAMMY, is presented annually by The Recording Academy. A GRAMMY is awarded by The Recording Academys voting membership to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions. The annual GRAMMY Awards presentation brings together thousands of creative and technical professionals in the recording industry from all over the world. See full GRAMMY Award coverage on GRAMMY.com.

ABOUT COCO LIBRE

Coco Libres flagship Organic Coconut Water is the nutritional foundation for a growing family of purposeful beverages. Coco Libre is a 2015 NCW Eco-Excellence Award winner and a finalist for Best New Product Line Extension at the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2014. Coco Libre beverages are available in grocery, natural, specialty and online retailers in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more visit CocoLibreOrganic.com, Facebook.com/CocoLibreOrganic, twitter.com/CocoLibre and Instagram @CocoLibre. Liberate your thirst.

Media contact: Celina Cooper  celina(at)maverickbrands(dot)com, (650) 739-0555
GW Hunters It has been a privilege to serve my patrons the finest fare possible for the past thirty-five years. Past News Releases RSS

It has been a privilege to serve my patrons the finest fare possible for the past thirty-five years, said GW Hunters owner George Peichev. And in honor of our Post Falls location being open for the past fifteen years, we recently added a full bar to complement our cuisine and are developing an extended wine list.

GW Hunters is also renovating its patio, which will include two big screen TVs, and will implement a happy hour menu during the summer. Additionally, family owned and operated GW Hunters, which is famous for its quality steaks, is bringing back its signature steak and lobster special. The restaurant is also renowned for its exotic game dishes, including alligator, buffalo, elk lasagna and yak burger.

When our patrons are in a daring mood, they can try one of these expertly prepared wild game dishes, said Peichev. You wont find these delicacies anywhere else in the area. We are not your average steakhouse.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call (208) 777-9388.

About GW Hunters

GW Hunters prepares its cooked-to-order meals with the freshest ingredients. Although synonymous with steaks, it also serves pasta, seafood and chicken, as well as unique wild game dishes. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and hosts private events such as smaller wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, family reunions, meetings and more. GW Hunters is located at 615 N. Spokane Street, Post Falls, ID 83854.

About the NALA

The NALA offers local business owners new online advertising & small business marketing tools, great business benefits, education and money-saving programs, as well as a charity program. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Screenshot: A new paradigm in experiential travel to Europe, an era of authenticity Luxury travel is now finally about people and authentic encounters, not just conspicuous spending

Tired of business as usual in European luxury & experiential tourism, serial travel entrepreneur Marc Mekki launches Ode to Joy, a new path to enriching, life-affirming and authentic travel & life experiences in Europe.

Foregoing the typical mass inventory approach, Mr Mekki and his team set out across Europe to seek out and engage local luminaries, facilitators and guides, small scale and deeply entrenched in their local culture, often with unprecedented insider access. Ode to Joy challenged these Storytellers to design a range of travel experiences, unique stays and journeys unlike any Europe has seen. These remarkable experiences are called Stories...

Some of the Story examples currently available on Ode to Joy:

Lunch in a secret Icelandic cave, accessible only by sea

Join a submarine research team in the search for Roman shipwrecks

Exclusive gourmet dining on the grass pitch of FC Barcelona

Visit Skellig Michael, the island featured in the last scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Planned and operated by Ode to Joy, these short trips or longer journeys involve the highest calibre local partners, painstakingly sought out and selected from Europe's travel industry elite.

Guests are invited to browse, select and submit Stories and Journeys for further discussion and travel planning. Ode to Joy is not a live booking platform but a comprehensive concierge and travel planning company. All trips are operated by Ode to Joy, assisted by local partners.

Marc Mekki previously founded Mandarin Journeys, a luxury travel company based in Asia. He is a frequent guest at major invitation-only trade shows like ILTM, Pure, Connections and the Private Leisure Forum. In May 2016 Marc will be a guest speaker at the planned AMADEUS symposium in Dubai.

The full story of Ode to Joy's creation and origin can be found on Medium:

What Beethoven taught me about hope
"We help franchisees execute a new grand opening each and every month that gets new customers in the door!

Our Town America, the nations premier New Mover Marketing franchise, will be sending a half-dozen executives, employees and franchisees to the 56th Annual IFA Convention hosted by the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX from February 20-23, 2016.

This will be the 11th straight IFA convention appearance, and the 8th straight as an exhibitor, for CEO Michael Plummer, Jr. and the Our Town America team. According to Plummer. Jr., the IFA Convention  the biggest franchising event of the year hosted by the International Franchise Association  is particularly important to his company; one of the few in attendance that operates as a franchise while serving other franchise systems as a supplier.

We truly understand the nuances and challenges franchisors and franchisees face because we live it day in and day out, says Plummer, Jr. The IFA Annual Convention is so powerful for us because we can share experiences and valuable lessons learned with thousands of attendees from a franchisor and supplier perspective. This helps us stand out at our trade show booth, in private meetings, and in business roundtables because we get it from both sides  allowing us to contribute to conversations on a personal and professional level as a true problem solver.

Plummer, Jr. and the Our Town America team will be interacting with dozens of leading franchise minds throughout the IFA Convention at exhibit hall booth #723. Theyll be discussing how Our Town America helps more than 600 franchise brands, spanning dozens of industries within franchising, reach out to more than 8 million movers in local communities around the country each year. Additionally, they'll be able to share specific success stories that helped the company reach the following strategic benchmarks in 2015:



Increasing systemwide revenues by 13.5% when compared to 2014

Increasing the systemwide sponsor base by 6.3% when compared to 2014

And increasing the number of new movers reached systemwide by 1.5% compared to 2014

Our Town America will also be offering one month free to each franchise location who signs up at (or immediately following) the IFA convention. Plummer, Jr. says hes more than willing to make the offer because he believes Our Town Americas New Mover Marketing program will generate results that will keep customers for life.

This IFA convention offer mirrors the recommendations we give our sponsors each day, says Plummer, Jr. We help local franchisees offer free gifts to new movers that inspire them to try out the business as soon as they get to town. These offers position franchise owners as true community fixtures and help them build long term, loyal relationship with new movers who truly appreciate the thoughtful gesture. In other words, we help franchisees execute a new grand opening each and every month that gets new customers in the door!

Were confident in the consistency and performance of our New Mover Marketing services and were excited to show IFA convention attendees how we can get their franchisees started!

To learn more about Our Town America, please visit http://www.ourtownamerica.com.

To learn more about the IFAs Annual Convention, please visit http://convention.franchise.org/home.

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About Our Town America

For more than 40 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local neighborhood businesses in a premium welcome package. Since the company started franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking #16 in 2015 for franchisee satisfaction.

Our Town America's dedication to the sponsor exclusivity concept, meaning Our Town America will only recommend one of each business type in any specific zip code within its welcome packages, has been one of the key catalysts for the companys long term success. In addition, sponsors consistently rave about other unique aspects of the new mover marketing program  such as their ability to reach a brand new audience of impressionable new movers each month and the insightful data/metrics delivered by Our Town Americas innovative pinpoint tracking system.

Due in large part to Our Town Americas devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchisees validate Our Town America's concept as a viable business opportunity.

It is Our Town Americas mission to assist new movers adjusting to their community, help businesses gain new and loyal customers and provide franchisees with an excellent opportunity. The eight million households who receive Our Town America's welcome packages each year prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on that mission statement.

For more information, visit the Our Town America website at ourtownamerica.com.
Coming together and providing for children of all backgrounds is what this charity drive is all about, and His House has consistently made a positive impact in the lives of Florida young people.

Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services, a family managed insurance firm that provides coverage to hundreds of businesses and families in the Southern Florida region, is joining forces with His House Childrens Home in an effort to stem the effects of poverty on young people in Broward County.

His House is a Fort Lauderdale-based organization dedicated to providing support and critical services to underprivileged and fostered young people who reside in and near Broward County. By employing community-oriented, faith-based principles, His House works to improve outcomes for children in the area who have nowhere else to turn.

Coming together and providing for children of all backgrounds is what this charity drive is all about, and His House has consistently made a positive impact in the lives of Florida young people, says Mike Burke, owner and manager of Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services.

To publicize the charity event, Burke and his team are constructing an online social media portal and launching an email awareness campaign to draw in support from families in nearby communities. Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services will also launch a full page feature of the charity drive in the upcoming edition of Our Hometown, a monthly magazine published by the firm: http://www.flinsuranceservices.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_39.

As well as working with His House to assist young people in Broward County, Burke and the Fort Lauderdale Insurance team have committed to an ongoing charity program that will involve working with a new Florida-based non-profit every 60 days in the months to come.

Readers who want to join the Fort Lauderdale Insurance team and His House during this charity effort are encouraged to visit the following page and make a personal contribution: http://www.flinsuranceservices.com/Bettering-Young-Lives-In-Our-Community_12_community_cause. Readers interested in following the growing number of charities supported by Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services can bookmark the firms Community Causes page here: http://www.flinsuranceservices.com/community-cause.

About Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services

As a Personal Financial Representative in Fort Lauderdale, Mike Burke knows many local families. A special knowledge and understanding of the people in the Fort Lauderdale community helps Burke and his team to provide clients with an outstanding level of service. Fort Lauderdale Insurance Services is here to help families like yours protect the things that are important  your family, home, car and more. Burke and his associates can also help you prepare a strategy to achieve your financial goals. To speak with a helpful and knowledgeable expert from Fort Lauderdale Insurance services, please visit http://www.flinsuranceservices.com/ or call 954-565-3100.
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A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. For this purpose, Google Analytics uses"cookies", which are text files placed on your computer.The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website - standard internet log information (including your IP address) and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form - will be transmitted to and stored by Google including on servers in the United States. Google will anonymize the information sent by removing the last octet of your IP address prior to its storage.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website and compiling reports on website activity.We not use, and not allow any third party to use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any personally identifiable information of visitors to this site. Google may transfer the information collected by Google Analytics to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google`s behalf.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.You may refuse the use of Google Analytics cookies by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The add-on communicates with the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js) to indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.Cookies are also used to record if you have agreed (or not) to our use of cookies on this site, so that you are not asked the question every time you visit the site.You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services.
Ethan Canin. Random, $28 (576p) ISBN 978-1-4000-6826-5

The mysteries of higher mathematics and the even deeper mysteries of the human heart are the unlikely themes of Canins (America America) novel. With stunning assurance and elegant, resonant prose, Canin follows the life of Milo Andret, who is both blessed and afflicted with mathematical genius. Milos aspirations take him from a lonely boyhood in northern Michigan to Berkeley, Princeton, the hinterlands of Ohio, and, finally, to a defeated return to the rural Midwest. Essentially asocial and so unworldly that he didnt taste alcohol until graduate school, Milo is gradually embittered by his failures at love and his jealous relationships with his colleagues. Meanwhile, he pursues the exquisitely arduous process of constructing complex mathematical theorems in his mind. When, at age 32, Milo proves one of the greatest theorems in the history of mathematics, he becomes a scientific superstar. But by then he is an alcoholic, and he destroys his career in acts of reckless abandon. Fascinating in its character portrayal and psychological insights, the novel becomes even more mesmerizing in its second half, which is narrated by Milos son, Hans (the first half features close third-person narration on Milo). Hans also has a brilliant mathematical mind but is scarred by his fathers cantankerous, often vicious behavior and poisonous disillusionment with ambition and higher knowledge. Hanss exorbitantly lucrative career as a high-frequency futures trader founders when he becomes addicted to drugs, but his redemption comes through marital and familial love.
The unreliable narrator is a favorite device of speculative fiction authors. Mishell Baker turns that concept on its head with the narrator of Borderline, creating a protagonist who is entirely aware of her own minds distortions and doing her very best to keep in touch with reality. Yes, shes unreliable, but through her own narration of her disconnected moments, she convinces the reader that she can be trusted, at least as far as she trusts herself.

The title refers both to the border between the human world and the world of magical creatures who are referred to as the fey, and to the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) that Millie Roper drags around like a lead weight, wields like a weapon, and ponders like a puzzle. When the book opens, Millies frittering away her inheritance from her father on a berth in an institution where she reluctantly acquires tools for managing her BPD, suicidal depression, and trauma from the suicide attempt that left her with scars and necessitated the amputation of both her legs. The promise of a job in the film industryHollywoods holy grail, especially for those who are too ill or damaged to acquire work through conventional meansis enough to lure her away from that safe space and into the Arcadia Project, which employs people with mental illnesses to police the fey who visit our world and inspire the greatest filmmakers.

It turns out that if youre already a little shaky on the concept of real, youre much less likely to balk at the concept of magic. And Millies coping mechanisms for the symptoms of BPD are just as effective (which is to say, mostly but not completely) for helping her deal with the charming evasions of a famous director, the mystery of a missing fey lord, and the predations of a literally vampiric agent. This isnt a strong urban fantasy novel that just happens to have a lot of characters with disabilities, nor is it a portrait of disability that just happens to have some magical elements. Like the Arcadia Project, Borderline puts its disabled characters to work, making their limitations and their talents both absolutely integral to the story.

Portrayals of disability are rare in fantasy and SF, and where they exist, theyre often handled badly: the disability is the entirety of the characterization, balanced out by extraordinary abilities, or used as window-dressing, a sign of evil, or a punch line. In this context, the portrayals of Millie and her Arcadia Project colleagues are a breath of fresh air. They dont get compensatory superpowers. (Millies surgical steel implants and metal prostheses do allow her to inhibit the magic of the iron-averse fey, but Baker takes care to make that as much of a liability as a benefit.) Instead, they get opportunities to apply the skills, perception, and self-knowledge that theyve developed through years of hard work. This approach, and Bakers consistent, caring integration of the realities of disability into the narrative, makes Borderline one of the most purely respectful portrayals of people with disabilities that Ive ever had the pleasure of reading, and that in turn makes it an excellent launch to a very promising urban fantasy series.
The 25th annual Havana Book Fair, held February 11-21 at the San Carlos de La Cabana Fortress, opened with a new feature this year: The American Books Exposition. A display of books published by nearly 40 American houses, the collection marked the first time U.S. publishers have exhibited at the show.

Although individual American publishers and authors have attended the fair, the ABE--which is jointly organized by Jon Malinowski and Janet Fritsch of Combined Book Exhibit, as well as Publishers Weekly--is the first organized group of American publishers to have an event space at the event. For Malinowski, American involvement in the book show is "historic," and marks the beginning of a more open flow of business between the U.S. publishing industry and the Cuban one.

Among the 40 publishers included in ABE's stand in Havana are: Fulcrum Publishing, HarperCollins Espanol, MIT Press, NBM Publishing, Rosen Publishing, and Triumph Books. Overall, ABE is displaying 600 titles at the fair.

The fair, which opened on Tuesday, was packed with Latin American dignitaries and Cuban government officials. Among those attending were the Vice President of Uruguay and Zuleica Romay Gerra president of The Cuban Book Institute part of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, (the ministry organizes the show).

Held at a sprawling 16th-century fort that dates back to the beginnings of Cuba, the fair is virtually a city in and of itself; walking around the grounds allows visitors to take in a mix of Cuban history, as well as the ability to glimpse the country's future. With relations between the U.S. and Cuba having just opened up, attending the show--and seeing the ABE's presence--reminds one that Cuba is entering a new phase politically, not to mention a new era in publishing.

For Malinowski, the trip marks the beginning of a new era and, more specifically, more publisher-driven trips to Cuba. "I'm optimistic about future cooperation with the Havana Book Fair and The Cuban Ministry of Culture."
MOLINE -- Leaders of West Gateway Partners have resurrected plans to build an 8,000-square-foot retail strip mall in Moline's Floreciente neighborhood.

Prospective tenants are sought to continue the project, said Bob Ontiveros, described as the "driving force behind the development" in a news release about the project.

The proposed development at 1106 4th Ave., Moline, now includes an additional project -- an outdoor air market to be named "Mercado on Fifth" -- Mr. Ontiveros said.

He formed West Gateway Partners in 2007 to build the Community Health Center, Familia Dental Clinic and the Boys and Girls Club teen center. He also had hopes at that time to build the strip mall, but the recession delayed those plans.

He said Moline's increasing economic growth and development make him believe the time now is right to launch the project. All he needs are tenants, he said.

The projected space, with ample parking and drive-through capabilities, will be adjacent to the new Amtrak train station and an extended-stay hotel. It also will feature competitive lease rates, Mr. Ontiveros said.

He added the project is near and dear to his heart. He said he grew up in the Floreciente neighborhood when it was vibrant.

"It gives me great satisfaction to see all this happen," Mr. Ontiveros said. "I want to make sure I finish what I started there, but I had to wait for the right time."

No start or end date for the project has been announced.

"It's all dependent on the number of prospective tenants," Mr. Ontiveros said. "But I'm excited by the process of what's developing."

As its name suggests, he said, the organization's goal is to develop the city's western downtown gateway.

For information or to sign up, call 309-736-8108 or 309-781-7001 or email Bob.Ontiveros@gmail.com.
EAST MOLINE -- A meet and greet with several Democratic candidates running for various offices within Rock Island County was held Thursday night at Gaines Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

About 50 people saw a PowerPoint presentation given by East Moline Police Chief John Reynolds about a body-worn camera system and how it is expected to help police gain the trust of citizens.

Mr. Reynolds said the cameras will range from $300 to $700 each, but the challenge will be storage of the footage recorded by them. He said the computer server would cost about $5,000, but the information technologies technician who would run the system could set the city back $50,000 a year.

Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos said he hopes to have the body-worn camera systems countywide, at a cost of $15,000, and agreed with Mr. Reynolds that the biggest cost will be maintaining the footage.

"There are pros and cons with the body-worn camera programs that are out there, but from my perspective, and this is only my perspective, they are are here to stay," Mr. Bustos said. "We have to get used to the idea that they are coming."

Candidates each were given two minutes to state their case on why they deserve a vote in the March 15th primary.

Circuit Court judge candidate Kathleen Mesich told attendees that she has been endorsed by four judges, including Judge Michael Meersman, who retired last year. She is looking to take his place.

"If elected, I promise to all of you to remain even-tempered at all times when on the bench and treat everyone who enters the courtroom with dignity, fairness and respect," Mrs. Mesich said.

Her opponent in the primary, Clayton Lee, asked for everyone to take a look at both candidates' credentials before making the decision on who to send on to the general election.

"As of right now, we don't have a Republican on the ballot, so the winner that comes out of the primary is probably going to be your judge," Mr. Lee said. "Based on that, and our age, I think you want to make a smart, educated decision, because whoever comes out of that primary is going to be your judge for the better part of 25 to 30 years."

Sharon Webb, of East Moline, who is a member of the church, said she thought the meet and greet was "very informative."

"I have gotten to the point where I am kind of torn between a couple of people, but it was good to find out about them," she said.

Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney recommended early voting to avoid lines. The wait time now has been about three minutes, but she expects that to grow on Election Day. She also said there is a shortage of election judges and asked for anyone interested to contact her office.

Ms. Kinney said 144 Democratic and 44 Republican ballots have been cast so far.
MOLINE -- The Moline Public Library's board chose staffer Bryon Lear as its new director during the board's regular Thursday meeting.

Lee Ann Fisher, Mr. Lear's predecessor, left in September. She voluntarily retired, according to a settlement agreement between the city and Ms. Fisher.

Mr. Lear became the interim director a short time later. Thursday's vote was unanimous, with Sue Blackall not present.

Mr. Lear thanked the board for its support and said he had a good staff. "I know we're going to do some terrific things," he said.

Mr. Lear said his first position with the library was as a page in the old downtown location when he was 15. He has served professionally with the library for 22 years, holding various positions.

Before being promoted to interim director, his title was circulation and systems coordinator, he said. In that role, he oversaw technology and the circulation department, which is responsible for keeping track of materials and enrolling patrons.

Mr. Lear said that the big tasks ahead of him as director include:

-- Helping develop a new strategic plan to cover the next few years.

-- Helping the library transition from RiverShare, a materials-sharing consortium of about 20 Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities libraries, to the Illinois-centered PrairieCat.

-- Getting ready for the "Booked for the Night" fundraiser.
PAJU, South Korea (AP)  South Korea has cut off power and water supplies to a factory park in North Korea, officials said Friday, a day after the North deported all South Korean workers there and ordered a military takeover of the complex that had been the last major symbol of cooperation between the rivals.

It is the latest in an escalating standoff over North Korea's recent rocket launch that Seoul, Washington and their allies view as a banned test of missile technology. The North says its actions on the Kaesong complex were a response to Seoul's earlier decision to suspend operations as punishment for the launch.

On Thursday night, the 280 South Korean workers who had been at the park crossed the border into South Korea, several hours after a deadline set by the North passed. Their departure quashed concerns that some might be held hostage, and lowered the chances that the standoff might lead to violence or miscalculations.

But they weren't allowed to bring back any finished products and equipment at their factories because the North announced it will freeze all South Korean assets there.

The North also said it was closing an inter-Korean highway linking to Kaesong and shutting down two cross-border communication hotlines.

"I was told not to bring anything but personal goods, so I've got nothing but my clothes to take back," a manager at a South Korean apparel company at the complex, who declined to give his name, told The Associated Press by phone before he crossed to the South.

Chang Beom Kang, who has been running an apparel company in Kaesong since 2009, said from South Korea that his company has about 920 North Korean workers  who didn't show up Thursday  and seven South Korean managers at Kaesong.

He said one of his workers, who entered Kaesong earlier Thursday, was about to cross the border to return to South Korea with thousands of women's clothes produced at the factory. But at the last minute the employee had to drive back to the factory to unload the clothes because of North Korea's announcement that it would freeze all South Korean assets there.

"I'm devastated now," Kang said by phone, saying he's worried about losing credibility with clients because of the crisis.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said in a statement Friday that it had stopped power transmissions to the factory park. Ministry officials said the suspension subsequently led to a halt of water supplies to Kaesong.

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said the North Korean action was "very regrettable" and warned the North not to damage South Korean assets in Kaesong.

The South Korean government said Friday it will extend loans, provide low-interest loans, and defer taxes and utility bills for the companies forced out of Kaesong. Many of the companies now have to find new jobs for their employees who normally work in Kaesong and build new production lines so they can keep supplying their buyers.

The current standoff flared after North Korea carried out a nuclear test last month, followed by the long-range rocket launch on Sunday that came after Seoul had warned of serious consequences.

In one of its harshest possible punishment options, South Korea on Thursday began work to suspend operations at the factory park. Seoul said its decision on Kaesong was an effort to stop North Korea from using hard currency earned from the park to pay for its nuclear and missile programs.

The North's reaction was swift.

The country's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement later Thursday that the South's shutdown of Kaesong was a "dangerous declaration of war" and a "declaration of an end to the last lifeline of North-South relations."

Such over-the-top rhetoric is typical of the North's propaganda, but the country appeared to be backing up its language with its strong response.

The statement included crude insults against South Korean President Park Geun-hye, saying she masterminded the shutdown and calling her a "confrontational wicked woman" who lives upon "the groin of her American boss." Such sexist language is also typical of North Korean propaganda.

North Korea has previously cut off cross-border communication channels in times of tension with South Korea, but they were later restored after animosities eased.

North Korea, in a fit of anger over U.S.-South Korean military drills, pulled its workers from Kaesong for about five months in 2013. But, generally, the complex has been seen as above the constant squabbling and occasional bloodshed between the rival Koreas, one of the last few bright spots in a relationship more often marked by threats of war.

Park, the South Korean president, has now done something her conservative predecessor resisted, even after two attacks blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans in 2010. She has shown a willingness to take quick action when provoked by the North. When North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test last month, for instance, she resumed anti-Pyongyang propaganda from loudspeakers along the border, despite what Seoul says was an exchange of cross-border artillery fire the last time she used the speakers.

A group of people braved the rain for hours on the southern side of a cross-border bridge on Thursday anxiously waiting for their family members and co-workers to return to South Korea.

"I don't think I want my husband to ever work in Kaesong again," commented a woman who declined to give her name but said her husband was a manager at Taesung, a maker of cosmetics products.

"Whenever the North does something provocative, we worry about our loved ones," she said.

The factory park, which started producing goods in 2004, has provided 616 billion won ($560 million) in cash to North Korea, South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said.

Combining South Korean initiative, capital and technology with the North's cheap labor, the industrial park has been seen as a test case for reunification between the Koreas. Last year, 124 South Korean companies hired 54,000 North Korean workers to produce socks, wristwatches and other goods worth about $500 million.
The approval covers a 100-120m wide corridor defined by infrastructure manager SNCF Network as the optimal route for the line, which is forecast to cost 5.52bn at 2014 prices. The final alignment will be decided at a later stage.

Two stations are planned, one serving the Narbonne area with the other located near the A75 highway northeast of Beziers. Connections to the conventional network are planned at Villeneuve-les-Beziers and Rivesaltes near Perpignan.

The Montpellier - Beziers and Rivesaltes - Toulouges (Perpignan) sections will be designed for mixed traffic operation.

Last year the European Commission agreed to contribute 11.7m from the Connecting Europe Facility towards the 23.3m budget for studies into the new line over the next four years. However, no timetable has been given for the implementation of the project.
No progress has been made in contract talks between the New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition, which consists of 11 unions representing more than 4,000 workers, and NJ Transit. A strike or lockout may occur in Mid-March, leaving tens of thousands of rail passengers without service.

Both sides pledged to continue negotiating, according to a Coalition press release, and the current talks have been under way since Presidential Emergency Board 249 selected the unions final offer as the most reasonable.

Under Section 9a of the Railway Labor Act, the current cooling off period expires 12:01 am on March 13, 2016. If no deal is reached by then, the unions can strike and/or NJT can lock its workers out, the Coaltion said. A strike or lockout can only be ended by the parties agreeing to a settlement, or Congress passing a law to end the dispute, which both sides believe would be highly unlikely.

The unions adopted the recommendations of PEB 248 as their final offer. The recommendations call for a contract averaging 2.5% per year in increases over roughly six years coupled with what they say are significant increases in employee health care contributions. NJTs offer, according to the Coalition, is for 0.6% net wage increases per year, with workers paying between roughly $400 and $700 more per month in health insurance premiums, which would all but negate a wage increase, according to SMART Transportation Division General Chairman Stephen Burkert. Nobody in their right mind would sign an agreement where they lose money, he remarked at a Feb. 10 NJT board meeting.

NJ Transit officials have said that wage increases and rising employee health care payments would cost the agency an additional $138 million between now and 2018 and would force a fare hike. NJT fares rose an average 9% beginning in October 2015. The agencymainly due to the states often-contentious politics and the propensity of its politicians to wield their influencehas typically not imposed fare increases for several years running, then hit customers with large hikes, rather than make smaller, incremental adjustments based on the cost of living index or other factors.

The last thing we want is a strike, a Coaltion spokesperson said. We have gone five years without a contract. Our settlement proposal is modest and fair. All we are asking is what has been recommended by two expert neutral panels. Congress changed the Railway Labor Act to try to prevent commuter train work stoppages by having a second PEB recommend the most reasonable offer, with penalties imposed on the side that doesnaccept the recommendation. That has almost always led to a settlement. Yet now, NJT refuses. We call upon NJT to end this dispute without disruption to the riding public.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who on Feb. 10 dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination for President, is reportedly threating to impose a lockout. Christie is not known for being union-friendly.

The New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition includes every NJT rail union: American Train Dispatchers Association; Power Directors;Train Dispatchers; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division-IBT; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1573; System Council No. 7, IBEW; National Conference Firemen & Oilers/SEIU; SMART-Mechanical; SMART-Transportation Trainmen; SMART-Transportation Yardmasters; Transport Workers Union; Transportation Communications Union/IAM;ARASA Division; BRC Division; and Clerical Division
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Asian satellite operator Thaicom has posted consolidated net profit of THB2,122 million (US$60 million) in 2015 up 32.5% on the year before, on the back of successful capacity bookings for Thaicom 7.





The Thai company also reported a separate net profit of THB794 million, down 22% from 2014 due to exchange rate fluctuations and impairment loss on investment in an Australian subsidiary.Thaicom earned THB12,453 million from sale of goods and rendering of services  a 4.7% increase on 2014  due to continued growth in its satellite business, the company said in a statement.Our broadcast business saw significant growth, with improved signal and more channels. Currently, the number of Thaicoms satellite TV channels increased from 702 to 792, with 126 HD channels. Thaicom 7 is now 100% booked and there is already more demand for Thaicom 8, which yet again demonstrates the growth in HD, said Paiboon Panuwattanawong, CEO, Thaicom.From here on out, Thaicom will focus on growing both its satellite and end-to-end services for customers in Thailand as well as abroad. We are moving forward with Thaicom 8, which is slated to launch in the first half of this year, while looking into the feasibility of Thaicom 9 as well as other future satellites, he added.Thaicoms supplementary communications businesses include Cambodian DTV Network (CDN), which it said made gains for increased sales of satellite receiver sets in 2015.
US locals NBC10 WCAU and Telemundo62 WWSI in Philadelphia have announced their joint sponsorship of Headed to the White House, an exhibit at Philadelphias National Constitution Centre.





The exhibit is designed to engage students, families and visitors with the presidential election season by leading them on an interactive journey through the electoral process.NBC10 and Telemundo62 are proud to partner with the National Constitution Centre, said Ric Harris, president and general manager of NBC10 and Telemundo62 . Were excited to share fascinating stories about the democratic process and its impact on our viewers throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.Headed to the White House was created by the National Constitution Centre, and uses artefacts, interactive modules, multimedia and role-playing opportunities to guide visitors along the campaign trail and into the Oval Office. The exhibit is timed to coincide with the 2016 presidential election and the National Democratic Convention taking place this July in Philadelphia.The National Constitution Centre has a valuable outreach partner in NBC10 and Telemundo62, said Vince Stango, COO of the National Constitution Centre. We look forward to working with them to further engage English- and Spanish-speaking audiences throughout the region with this timely interactive exhibit.
Bavaria Fernsehproduktion is expanding to include new areas of television development and production in the international arena.





Established in 1919 as Bavaria Film , the company now plans to move into the international television series business. To spearhead the effort, the new position of executive producer, International Television Series will be filled by Moritz Polter.Polters responsibilities include securing and developing new projects, positioning them at networks and gaining financing. He will set up co-productions with international partners and will produce them.International productions, especially in the series area, are a growth market. I am therefore very happy that we were able to sign Moritz Polter as executive producer, says Jan Kaiser, MD, Bavaria Fernsehproduktion. He has broad experience, a wide range of contacts and has produced exciting shows. With him on board, we will develop and grow this new business venture for years to come.Polter was most recently VP of production and producer at Tandem Productions. The opportunity to build something new in an internationally renowned company is very compelling, he said. The timing is perfect - the interest for international series and co-productions thrives. At Bavaria, there is a sense of renewal as the television market changes rapidly. We want to utilise this potential to inspire viewers, together with new co-production partners.
Given huge impetus by the likes of Netflix in the country, Swedens video services are truly in demand as well as on-demand, according to research from GfK.





The analyst has found that in Sweden, going from live TV to time-shifted and video-on-demand (VOD) viewing, and most interestingly on more than one connected screen, is becoming the new normal. Gfk quoted statistics from the annual report from Stiftelsen for internetinfrastruktur (The Internet Foundation in Sweden) showing that 70% of Internet users, the equivalent of 91% of all Swedish adults, watched film and video on the Web in 2015. This was up 18 percentage points year-on-year. In addition, GfKs own data showed that sales of catalogue video films fell by 19% over the same period, showing, said the company, the appeal of movies on sites like Netflix and HBO. GfKs Viewscape study , which measures the total viewing ecosystem by types of content, platform and service in 15 countries, calculated that Swedes spend around a total of four hours a day watching TV and video content on any device. Furthermore, a quarter (26%) of the population was found to have used Netflix and 39% use any other form of VOD or subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service . Indeed, smart TV is the most popular screen for watching Netflix, more so than the laptop, thanks to easy access to the Netflix app on-screen and the high definition viewing experience.The report also showed just how much smart TVs are contributing to the growth of VOD viewing, with 64% of all TV sets sold in Sweden in 2015 being smart TVs. This compares with 60% in Germany, 54% in the United Kingdom and Italy with 34%.Yet despite all this growth with flexibility of choice leading to more video consumption, GfK warned that the industry had to prepare for new business model, especially video retail.
Moscow court refuses to dismiss prosecutor in Russias top anti-corruption official case

MOSCOW, February 12 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court which is currently hearing the case on abuse of power against Russias top anti-corruption official, Denis Sugrobov, has refused to dismiss prosecutor Petr Philipchuck and question him as a witness, lawyer Eduard Isetsky told RAPSI on Friday.

Our motions were dismissed, the lawyer said.

According to investigators, Sugrobov and his deputy Boris Kolesnikov tried to provoke a Federal Security Service (FSB) officer by offering him $10,000 a month for his protection. Sugrobov was charged with organizing a criminal group, abuse of power and bribery last May.

Kolesnikov was arrested in February 2014. In June, he jumped out of a window during questioning at the Investigative Committee. Later the Basmanny District Court said no evidence was found of assisted suicide.

In late August, Moscows Basmanny District Court seized assets owned by Sugrobov and Kolesnikov, which have been reportedly estimated at over 300 million rubles ($4.1 million).

Sugrobov, 39, is one of the youngest police generals. Kolesnikov was 36 when he was promoted to general.
Ex-Russian senator Pugachev sentenced to UK jail for contempt of court

Moscow, February 12 (RAPSI, Vladimir Yaduta) - Sergei Pugachev, a former Russian senator, has been sentenced to two years in British jail on Friday for contempt of court.

Pugachev was found guilty of consistently failing to comply with orders of the High Court in London as he was engaged in litigation with the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) linked to the insolvency of Mezhprombank.

Pugachev breached 12 of 17 court orders, including giving false evidence and failing to list two cars, according to court records.

"The ruling of the London court is unfair. It is a direct consequence of unfair rulings which were passed by the court earlier that violate the basic human rights, such as the right to liberty of movement, the right to property," Dmitry Morochenko, a spokesman for Pugachev, told RAPSI.

He added that the ruling of London's High Court "will have no legal consequences" for Pugachev who holds a French passport.

Pugachev plans to appeal the ruling. After all means of remedy are exhausted in the UK, a complaint will be filed with the European Court of Human Rights, Morochenko said.

Mezhprombanks license was revoked and it was declared to be insolvent in late 2010. An investigation into the bankruptcy was launched on charges of illegal operations in the process of filing for bankruptcy and deliberate bankruptcy. In December 2013, the agency, that had been appointed as liquidator to Mezhprombank, turned to the Moscow Commercial Court seeking to recover 75 billion rubles. Pugachev, together with some former top managers of Mezhprombank, was named a co-defendant in the case.

The DIA alleged that Pugachev extracted money from the bank for his benefit when it was already bankrupt.

In April 2015, Russian court found all the defendants guilty of bankruptcy fraud. An Interpol arrest warrant was issued afterwards for him at Russia's request.

In the meantime, the High Court in London in July of 2014 issued an order freezing $2 billion of Pugachevs assets.

Last March Pugachev was prohibited from leaving the UK. The court dismissed his motion for a complaint challenging seizure of the passports and prohibition to leave the country.

In breach of this prohibition, since June Pugachev resides in France. He left Britain on security concerns because of an assassination threat, according to Dmitry Morochenko, a spokesman for Pugachev.

Interestingly, on December 3 London's High Court issued an arrest warrant for Pugachev as he could not guarantee his presence at a hearing in the case. At that time Morochenko told RAPSI that hat the arrest warrant was a technicality. Later Pugachev appeared in court through a video feed.
Russian Finance Ministry proposes to increase tax on gambling business tenfold - report

MOSCOW, February 12 (RAPSI)  The Ministry of Finance of Russia has proposed to increase tax on gambling business tenfold, Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday.

The Ministry has also suggested making bookmakers pay deductions with 10% of their earnings from online gambling.

A bill with these proposals is expected to be complete by December 2016.

Gambling business was prohibited in Russia on July 1, 2009 with the exception of four specialized gambling zones: Kaliningrad Region, Primorsky Krai, Altai Krai and Krasnodar Krai. According to Kommersant, Russia has only four legal casinos: Oracle and Nirvana in Krasnodar Krai, Altai Palace in Altai Krai and Tigre de Crystal in Primorsky Krai.
Khaama Press, February 10, 2016

In an attempt of suicide, a pregnant woman has jumped from a four-storey building in western Herat province of Afghanistan.

The woman who has severely hurt herself is now in Herat Regional Hospital.

Doctors say the baby had already died before the woman was brought to them.

In her initial investigation, the woman said she wanted to commit suicide due to domestic violence.

But she later changed her statement and told investigators that she took the decision because of the pressure she had from pregnancy.

Due to her opposing statements, police arrested her husband and the case is under further investigation.
thepeoplesvoice, February 11, 2016

By Stephen Lendman

Four weeks post 9/11, Washington launched naked aggression on Afghanistan, a country posing it no threat.

Planners had endless war and permanent occupation in mind - an imperial scheme planned months in advance, the 9/11 mother of all US false flags the phony pretext.

On October 28, 2007, candidate Obama lied, saying I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do.

He systematically violated every major promise made, continuing endless war on Afghanistan Bush began, maintaining permanent occupation - both leaders responsible for millions of deaths, vast destruction, unspeakable human misery, and a nation-state ravaged and destroyed, turned into nightmarish harshness for its people.

Whoever succeeds Obama in January 2017 will continue the same ruthless imperial agenda. America came to Afghanistan to stay, the fundamental rights of its people to live free at peace entirely ignored - longstanding US global policy at home and abroad, running roughshod over rule of law principles and democratic values.

Interviewed by the Washington Post, outgoing US-led NATO Afghan commander General John Campbell indicated escalated Pentagon involvement ahead in the war-torn country after over 14 years of endless US naked aggression, assuring more mass slaughter, destruction and endless misery for its long-suffering people.

US officials in a position to know understand the grand illusion of a long ago lost US war. Another generation or two of fighting wont change things. Yet conflict continues despite Obamas to end it throughout his tenure.

His successor and likely others to follow will inherit war without end. How many more millions of Afghan deaths will it take to change things?

How much more vast destruction and intolerable human misery? Most Americans have no idea whats ongoing in their name.

Their ignorance and indifference let endless horrors persist - the nations resources squandered on imperial madness, a maniacal quest for unchallenged global dominance, raping one country after another to achieve its objective.

Campbell is a longtime warrior, the only way stars atop shoulders are gotten. Im not going to leave (Afghanistan) without making sure my leadership understands that there are things we need to do, he blustered. He has lots more deaths and destruction in mind.

In December 2014, Obama declared an end to US combat operations in Afghanistan. Calling it a milestone, he lied saying the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.

It was lawlessly irresponsible from inception, continuing seamlessly from his first day in office to his duplicitous 2014 declaration to today, with no end of US combat operations and occupation planned.

Pentagon commanders urge decades of US occupation and combat ahead, part of Americas long war, former vice president Dick Cheney earlier saying it wont end in our lifetime.

In congressional testimony, Campbell claimed Afghanistan has not achieved an enduring level of security and stability that justifies a reduction of our support - code language for wanting congressional support for endless war and occupation.

In January, Obama authorized expanding Americas military footprint in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Campbell want US commanders given more flexibility in how they conduct operations - empowering the Joint Chiefs and their field subordinates over civilian authorities if approved, putting important foreign policy decisions in their hands, making America more than ever a modern-day Sparta under these conditions.

Ending Washingtons combat role in Afghanistan on the pretext of serving only in an advisory role was always a ruse, a thinly veiled scheme for permanent war - like in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

US civilian and military officials deplore peace and stability. Endless wars take precedence, an agenda perhaps ending in mass-annihilation. Living by the sword assures perishing by it, humanity hugely at risk today.
During the Republican presidential debate on Dec. 15, the good half of the candidates spoke about the futility of democracy promotion. While these debates typically stand out for their scarcity of fact-based arguments, this specific line of discussion, from the political party that puts democracy promotion at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy, points to the confusion that marks the implementation and the results of efforts to promote democracy.

Here is an example from a post-Soviet state that has been a long-term recipient of democracy promotion, and a one-time aspirant to greater democratization:

On Dec. 6, 2015, Armenia undertook a constitutional reform. It effectively moved from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system. The research tells us that a parliamentary system is more conducive to democratization than a semi-presidential one, since it is supposed to provide people with more direct power.

Yet these seemingly democratic reforms have done more to preserve autocratic power than to encourage meaningful democratization. The latter would require moving beyond formal changes and addressing the challenges inherent to the current regime: perpetually rigged elections, abuse of administrative resources by the ruling party, corruption, and limits on press freedom, to name a few. Yet there seems to be little if any political willingness for democratic progress among the ruling elites.

The opposition in Armenia has claimed that constitutional changes were carried out with the single goal of ensuring incumbent president Serge Sarkisian's power once his second term comes to an end, after which he is banned from running by the Constitution. Temporarily swapping positions with someone else, as was done in Russia in 2009, was out of the question for Sarkisian. Among other reasons, Sarkisian's ability to control his coalition does not match that of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thus, another largely rigged vote seems to provide a quicker fix than complicated coalition-building, or fair elections that are likely to result in a transfer of power from the incumbent. At the same time, moving to a parliamentary system provides a cloak of democratic progress, one needed during ongoing negotiations with the European Union, and in order to dodge criticism from the United States.

This specific abuse of democratic principles is indicative of larger trends in domestic democratization, and in international democracy promotion.



For starters, even as democratic rhetoric is on the rise, real democratic behavior is declining. Take Russia as the prime example. The initial promise of its speedy democratization is long gone, and Moscow has managed to consolidate its authoritarian regime. Yet even if the notion of democracy is not particularly popular among the public, its presence is easily visible in official rhetoric. Terms such as managed democracy or suverennaya demokratia (sovereign democracy) are meant to show that Russia's democracy is beyond all reproach. This is not to say that Russia's regime is inherently democratic, but it underlines that the Russian political elites have also agreed to the global dominance of the democratic script and have been paying it lip service. There are virtually no countries in the world that would refrain from styling themselves as some sort of democracy.



Second, while the debate in the 1990s and early 2000s was dominated by the understandings of democratic contagion or democratic learning, the 2010s are about authoritarian learning. The latter has come to attention specifically after the initial events of the Arab Spring: The experiences of toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt taught other authoritarian governments to become savvier in preventing similar outcomes. Moldova is usually considered a frontrunner in democratization among post-Soviet countries. But Chisinau followed Russia's example and passed anti-gay propaganda legislation, which it later overturned in anticipation of signing an Association Agreement with the European Union. EU member Lithuania has been considering a similar law, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a known admirer of Russia's illiberal practices. Less surprisingly, Kyrgyzstan followed Russia's example and adopted the so-called foreign agent law.



Third, democracy promoters prefer stability even if it often comes at the expense of democracy. This results in an absence of pressure on countries that fail to implement democratic reforms but remain strategically important. Differentiated treatment of Belarus and Azerbaijan by both the European Union and the United States is one of the most vivid examples of the unevenly applied pressure. This much-criticized preference further adds to the resilience to change of authoritarian regimes, and to their growing ability to adapt to the demands and interests of democracy promoters without tangible change.

(AP photo)
Forecast

Recent developments show that previously deadlocked U.S.-Russia talks over the standoff in Ukraine could advance.





A broad deal to end the Ukraine crisis is unlikely, but progress in areas such as cease-fire observations, heavy weaponry pullouts and local elections in separatist regions cannot be ruled out.





Russia's worsening economy, the conflict in Syria and other factors will ultimately shape the extent to which Moscow and the West are willing to compromise.





Analysis

The United States and Russia may be moving closer to an understanding on the conflict in Ukraine. In recent weeks, diplomatic activity between U.S. and Russian officials has resumed at a frenzied pace. There are rumors of a political reshuffle in the separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukrainian and Russian media have even reported that a "secret deal" is in the works that would serve as a compromise between the political and security demands of the separatists and Moscow, on one hand, and Kiev and its Western backers on the other.

Yet there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of such rumors. Ukrainian officials have made unequivocal statements that there would be no political concessions from Kiev until Moscow completely implemented the security provisions of last year's Minsk agreement. These provisions include the withdrawal of all foreign - meaning Russian - troops in eastern Ukraine as well as the restoration of control of the border between the separatist territories and Russia to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow has reiterated that Kiev must pass key constitutional changes that would grant greater autonomy to the separatist regions before the security components of Minsk are implemented.

The Ukrainian conflict has already had its fair share of fruitless negotiations and cease-fire breakdowns. Simply continuing the status quo would understandably be more likely. But the drop in global oil prices and the subsequent weakening of the Russian economy, as well as Russia's extensive involvement in Syria, could be giving new life to negotiations among Kiev, Moscow and the West. A grand bargain over Ukraine is far from near, but there may be room for compromise over what so far have been intractable issues.

Toward Negotiations

Talk of a potential deal began when U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland held an unannounced meeting with Russian presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov on Jan. 15. Nuland, who was at the time in the middle of a tour of EU and NATO countries in Eastern Europe, flew to the border of Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to meet with Surkov. The meeting, which reportedly lasted over four hours, immediately led to speculation of a "secret agreement" between the United States and Russia over Ukraine. The details of what the deal would entail have varied from source to source. Some outlets claimed the separatist Donbas region would formally be part of Ukraine's territory but would be given special status and allowed to conduct its own foreign policy. Others reported that Russia would concede on granting Ukraine control of its border with the separatist territories. Some even suggested that Russia was considering replacing current leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist territories with figures who are more cooperative with Kiev in a bid to move negotiations forward.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry then met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Zurich on Jan. 20. Just two days later, Kerry said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that U.S. sanctions against Russia could be lifted "within months" if the Minsk agreement were fully implemented. The statement was notable, since the United States has taken a hard line relative to European countries on maintaining sanctions against Russia. But while the European Union recently voted to extend sanctions on Russia for six months, several European officials have made it clear that they wish to lift EU sanctions on Russia when they come under review in July and have pressured Moscow and Kiev to do more on implementing Minsk protocols.

For Russia, getting sanctions removed is paramount. The drastic drop in global oil prices has caused Russia's budget, which depends on energy revenues, to shrink and its deficit to explode, and the ruble is becoming more volatile. Oil prices could continue to fall, but even if not, sustained low oil prices over the next year or two put Moscow in a precarious position. Thus, Moscow is reconsidering its position on Ukraine, perhaps becoming more accommodating with Kiev and the West, as Surkov's meeting with Nuland would suggest.
Paul Scham is executive director of the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies at the University of Maryland. This piece has been published in collaboration with the Middle East Institute. The views expressed here are the author's own.

It may seem counterintuitive, or even downright strange, but Israel's geopolitical position is probably stronger now than at any time in the country's history. This is likely to continue at least in the short-to-medium term, but looming long-term challenges should give some pause to Israel's current leaders. They should recall that even way back in the 1960s, then-Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol sardonically referred to Israel as "Shimshon der nebekhdiker," or "poor little Samson."

It is therefore rich with irony that it is undisputed among Republican presidential candidates that President Barack Obama has "thrown Israel under the bus," while Hillary Clinton promises "no daylight" between the United States and Israel, instead of advocating policies that would strongly encourage Israel to ameliorate the Palestinians' untenable situation. It is, moreover, ironic that Bernie Sanders, who once spent a year on a kibbutz as a young man, prefers to avoid the issue entirely.

It is worth reviewing Israel's markedly changed security situation since its establishment in 1948. At that time Israel considered itself in genuine existential danger from the Arab world, and with good reason. This danger lessened with its victory in the 1967 Six Day War, and the Jewish state's safety from an Arab attack was largely sealed with its 1979 treaty with Egypt. However, a sense of insecurity still pervaded Israel once it became clear that peace with Egypt was not going to be followed by normalization with the rest of the region.

The Oslo process of the 1990s led to formal agreements with only two Arab governments, Jordan and Palestine -- the latter not being a state -- but all recognized that the regional atmosphere had changed markedly. Israel developed informal, often semi-secret relations with Arab countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and the Persian Gulf sheikdoms. The Israeli right warned that Arabs had not given up their dream of destroying Israel, but that went against the zeitgeist, and did not resonate with ordinary Israelis. Then came the breakdown of the Oslo Accords, the Second Intifada, and a general cooling of relations with the Arab world. This included the Durban "Zionism is Racism" reprise, the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, and, since 2006, three asymmetrical wars with Hamas and one with Hezbollah. There was more pressure on Israel to accede to a Palestinian state, and a general perception that Israel was heading toward the pariah status it had experienced in the 1970s and 1980s.

Israel has responded by electing ever more right-wing governments, issuing almost daily accusations of anti-Semitism, increasing friction with the United States, and all but repudiating the two-state solution. The recent wave of stabbings and car-ramming attacks that have caused the deaths of at least 30 Israelis and 150 Palestinians are -- if not a dangerous to the state -- unnerving to say the least.

So how can one claim Israel's position is stronger than ever?

Israelis are stuck in the insecure mindsets of 1948 and 1967, despite the region's dramatic changes. Though the word "Israel" still elicits anger from most Arabs, such passion no longer poses a threat to Israel's existence for the following reasons:

-- Israel is now an integral part of the regional status quo; Arab governments want stability more than anything else, as does Israel. This has been true at least since the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002. The only issue keeping most Arab governments from normal diplomatic relations with Israel is the absolute need to have a Palestinian state to show their people that they haven't capitulated completely. No Arab state at this point would benefit from Israel's disappearance.

-- The most important Sunni countries in the region actually see Israel as a de facto ally. These include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the rich Gulf sheikdoms, and, of course, Jordan. This is largely because of a shared fear of Iran, but also an equally pervasive fear of state collapse and of militant Islamic movements like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The failed states of Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen serve as daily warning of the dangers of instability.

-- It is more than likely that Iran, if it ever truly was an existential threat, will recede as one in the coming years. There is a desperate fight going on within the Iranian elite, pitting reform-minded President Hassan Rouhani and his supporters against the clerical lobby and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is generally conservative but occasionally empowers Rouhani, is almost 80 and reportedly ailing. So far, Iran has completely fulfilled the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, though it has pushed back in other directions. However, it is palpably eager to rejoin the world economy and rebuild its own, which would give it a lot to lose if it is found in violation of the nuclear pact. However, even if Iran does switch directions, the risk to Israel is less than it was in years past. The world is awake to that danger, and Israel's interests and those of the rest of the world are more aligned. Israel, in addition to being under the American nuclear umbrella, is widely believed to posses its own nuclear weapons arsenal, and the Iranian leadership has never shown any appetite for bringing certain destruction on itself.

-- Widespread regional turmoil makes Israel a secondary issue. For example, Hezbollah may have 100,000 missiles pointed at Israel, but it has its hands full with the Syrian civil war. Even without that, there is a balance of terror of Cold War proportions between Hezbollah and Israel, and Hezbollah does not want to see Lebanon become like Gaza.

-- Israel's economic prowess is unprecedented. The discovery of massive natural gas fields off its coast, combined with its role as a high-tech powerhouse, means Israel now has deep economic pockets. Even if economic warfare were levied against it, the country would likely be able to withstand it.

It is solely Israel's insistence on holding onto the territories it occupied in 1967 that prevents most of these elements from being publicly acknowledged and undeniable. Israel, because of its own experiences and those of the Jewish people, is stuck in a mindset that was forged in the 1940s, but that is out of kilter with the current era. Of course, it is still in a dangerous neighborhood, but most of its neighbors are now anxious to be friends. How long will Israel refuse to take notice of that and accept its rightful place in the region?

(AP Photo)
Property details:

800x600 This is a NO RESERVE auction . . . The high bidder wins ... PERIOD  This is NOT AN ALL CASH AUCTION. YOU ARE BIDDING ON THE DOWN PAYMENT ONLY ... FOR THE LAND AND an Amish built LOG CABIN (to be constructed) PACKAGE However, you can buy just the land only without the Amish built Log Cabin  If you want to do that, just reduce the price show below by $9,900  and let me know that is your choice. THIS IS A CHANCE TO BUY A COMPLETE COUNTRY GETAWAY PACKAGE WITH ONLY A SMALL DOWN PAYME...

Price: $ 495 Seller State of Residence: New York Property Address: 153 High Street State/Province: New York City: Angelica Type: Recreational, Acreage Zoning: Residential Zip/Postal Code: 14709 Location: 147**, Angelica, New York

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Coziness reigns supreme in Asheville, North Carolina, according to a new report sponsored by the makers of Honeywell Heaters. The manufacturer collaborated with environmental health scientist, Dr. Ted Myatt, ScD to search for these coziest cities in the United States.

Take a look at the top five in the list below:

Asheville, North Carolina

Dominating the charts is Asheville, NC. The huge number of bookstores and plenty of places for you to enjoy looking at the beautiful mountain views of NC. You also get to enjoy the moderate temperatures and the snow. Getting all comfy is so easy to do here.

Boston, Massachusetts

It gets very cold up in Boston. Last year, the amount of snow was so high that a lot of residents around here stayed indoors for a very long time. But thanks to the sumptuous bread from the many bakeries here, plus the dozen of coffee shop, winter will always be the perfect time to get cozy.

Salinas, California

Making it to the list is the sunny Salinas, CA. It was able to land a spot in the list this year. Plus, it was also able to get a new moniker, "Salad Bowl of the World,". This highly agricultural city is definitely the place to be for all of the yummy veggies, bakeries, and tons of specialty shops.

Portland, Maine

Coffee and Winter make a good team. Curl up under the sheets with your favorite piece of literature and watch as the snow falls down Portland, the top 5 coziest city in the US. This beautiful city by the sea is also well known for all its specialty stores, bookshops, pubs, and top notch coffee shops.

Santa Rosa, California

Wine isn't the only thing that Santa Rosa, California is proud of. It's also dotted with bookshops, bakeries, wineries, and coffee shops. The city is very near farms and forests giving it a quite homey vibe.
Downtown Kelowna will soon be seeing a 104,000-square-foot facility that is being built at the corner of Doyle and Ellis streets. This new construction symbolizes Okanagan Valley citys transformation into a top technology and economic hub, which may attract more investors.

The building is a $35-million Okanagan Centre for Innovation which is funded by the building's owner, Kelowna Sustainable Innovation Group, and also by the provincial and federal governments.

Its a public-private project, Kelowna mayor Colin Basran said in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. Some of it is for non-profit, like our tech incubator, called Accelerate Okanagan. It will also have a private component so space will be leased to tech businesses and tech start-ups.

The six-storey building is inspired by Pixar, Apple and Google campuses, with the goal of making the center the most innovative and entrepreneurial hub in Canada.

The technology sector has been growing in the Okanagan Valley contributing about $1 billion to the economy and has a growth of about 13 per cent since 2010. What contributed to the increase is the sale of Club Penguin to Disney for $700 million, and the Metabridge which is an annual local tech summit.

With this, Kelowna will not merely be known as having an economy that depends on tourism and agriculture since it is already transforming into a diverse commercial center. It was recently announced by the Colliers International in Vancouver that they will be taking over the ownership of a Kelowna affiliate, thus adding four more brokers to the operation.

The office will evolve, said Kirk Kuester, the managing director of Colliers International in Vancouver. Well look to grow it and look to add key people  to be able to service an economy thats very diversified and I think is positioned for a lot of growth over the next 10 to 20 years.

An additional 3 million square feet of commercial space would be needed to house new business by the year 2030, the city's Official Community Plan estimates said. Aside from that, it would need about 800,000 square feet of new space within the next five years.
The most expensive listing in the market today surely hits some scores for people who love the beach. Vero Beach in Florida is in the no. 1 spot according to Realtor and apart from the magnificent tresses that it offers, the outlet also tells many new amazing properties added in the most expensive listing.

1. 3700 Ocean Dr, Vero Beach, FL

Price: $35,000,000

This property is a zeal of gold located in Vero Beach. You will enjoy the understated resort amenities in this property and the magnificent view of the beach' horizon in this newly-built home in Florida. Not too cheap, the home is now priced at $35 million and is currently available in the market.

2. 1270 Shadow Hill Way, Beverly Hills

Price: $32,000,000

The second most expensive listing in the market is a towering beauty that illuminates a Spanish-style home. This refreshing abode is even redecorated by the celebrated Architect Tim Morrison. The luxurious design dates back in 1959 and even includes a private spa.

3. Undisclosed Address, Manalapan, FL

Price: $26,500,000

This home is no doubt one pricey estate with exciting perks for new owners. The home known as "Aqua Liana" or Water Flower was built in 2009. One thing that will surely make prospective buyers enjoy this is the unique design of the home which is "Tahitian-inspired" and its 2,000 gallon aquarium.

4. 1644 Prince Creek Rd, Carbondale, CO

Price: $24,795,000

If you're more laid back and want to live in the countryside, this home in Colorado will suit you. This property generously offers 600 acres of land and the majestic view of the Rocky Mountains.

5. 114-124 Victoria Dr, Mountain Village, CO

Price: $22,000,000

This estate located in Colorado includes "five lots and two full residences." The style of this property details a Contemporary design which includes nine bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms.
"Parasitic" homes are cropping up in Paris lately. Today, it is not uncommon to see a "unique" kind of architecture in the city where a small piece of construction is popping up or leaning on an existing structure. It's not really a pretty sight, but it apparently provides solution for Paris' condensed and limited real estate.

According to Architectural Digest, the so-called "parasitic" architecture that's becoming a trend now in Paris is one of the low-cost housing solutions in dense cities such as the French capital. Today, these "parasitic" homes can be observed in centuries-old streets in Paris such as near Canal Saint-Martin. According to the site, the small apartments that seem to have sprouted from the existing buildings there are part of the 3BOX project by the local company Stephane Malka Architecture.

The project's official site says that these 3BOX "democratic houses" "do not require any lot acquisition; the rights to built is obtained in exchange for a common parts of the existing building's renovation... Then, we are able to propose a green housing 40% below the real estate market price, built without any nuisance in workshops, in extremely short time thanks to our patented panels and unique technique of prefabrication."

The site further explains that building the "parasitic" apartments on top of roofs of existing buildings provides various benefits as it is deemed as an ecological and economical solution, and at the same time it reportedly provides a new perspective to the city as you get to discover "a new Paris above the horizon."

Citylab further reports that such "rooftop parasite homes" could be "the future of affordable housing" in the French capital, even though it wouldn't necessarily satisfy the architectural taste of some people. According to the site, the Paris apartments are rectangular and are made of steel and glass, and the interest in such kind of home has apparently gone through the roof (pun intended). As unusual as they may seem, these "parasitic homes" may indeed be an effective affordable solution to Paris real estate.
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9 students awarded scholarships

The Andy Peek Livestock Scholarship of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation recently awarded nine scholarships totaling $14,500 during the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale.

The 2016 recipients were: Megan Banwarth ($2,000), Trase Bell ($2,000), Chloe Fowler ($2,000), Ryan Gifford ($2,000), Mackenzie Hayden ($1,500), Taylor Herman ($1,500), Erin Clendenen ($1,500), Mikayla Duchi ($1,000) and William Macdonald ($1,000).

Peek was former president of Western Video Market, a past president of the California Livestock Marketing Association and served as a board member for the National Livestock Marketing Association. He also was past chairman of the Shasta District Fair Board and was named 2007 Tehama County Cattleman of the Year.

The scholarship fund was established in honor and memory of Peek.

Radiothon will help Make-A-Wish

The 2016 Results Radiothon is Feb. 18-19 and it will benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The event will be broadcast live at the Mt. Shasta Mall in Redding. Listeners will be able to hear children with life-threatening medical conditions share their inspiring stories.

Those at the mall during the Radiothon will have the opportunity to bid on auction items. In addition, a child will have their wish granted live at 11 a.m. on Feb. 18.

This year's Radiothon Wish Ambassador is 11-year-old Kinzie, who battles cystic fibrosis. Her wish was granted to go on a Disney Cruise live at last year's Radiothon.

Donations will be accepted by calling toll-free 844-696-9474.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at david.benda@redding.com.
Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Shasta College student Ben Torres of Big Valley practices Thursday for the ax throwing competition during the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference at the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson.

SHARE PHOTOS BY Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Students from Metteer Elementary school in Red Bluff watch a log loading demonstration Thursday at the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference. Russell Garrison, left of Oak Run, and his father, Dennis Garrison of Palo Cedro, talk to students from Anderson Heights and Metteer Elementary school in Red Bluff about logging.

By David Benda

Two-thirds through Thursday's talk on forests and water yields at the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference, moderator Jim Ostrowski asked the audience about the governor's mandate for a 25 percent statewide water use reduction.

"Maybe we need to tell the governor we got a better a deal," Ostrowski said.

He was referring to the PowerPoint just given by Rob York, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor who for years has been studying the role of sustainable timber harvesting as way to reduce fire risk, restore the forest and increase water available for agriculture and residential users.

Reducing the forest canopy cover by 30 percent can mean an extra 6 inches of water, York said.

"When you think about it, 6 inches, that's a big storm," York said.

Ostrowski, a consulting forester, said 75 percent of the state's drinking water comes from timberlands.

"When we look at what we do, we understand that. But does the public understand that?" Ostrowski told the audience. "People will say what do I care about the forests in Northern California? Well, next time you jump in the swimming pool, think about where the water comes from."

York and Ostrowski were joined on Thursday's panel by Ray Haupt, a Siskiyou County supervisor who spent more than 30 years with the Forest Service; and Sara LaPlante, deputy district ranger on the High Sierra District of the Sierra National Forest.

The afternoon presentation at the Shasta District Fair grounds was titled "Forestry and California's Water Supply  Connections and Solutions."

Both Haupt and Ostrowski have been involved in a research project on water yields in Siskiyou County.

Haupt also has worked with North State Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, on forest management legislation.

"It's a tough hill to climb, and what is most difficult, I guess, is that we out here in the West are probably at the forefront of most of the (forest management and water) issues and the magnitude of those issues are really hitting us hard," Haupt said.

York is the research stations manager for Berkeley's Center for Forestry.

Drawing on pop culture and the Taylor Swift lyric "haters gonna hate," York said among the counter arguments that forest harvests can increase water yields are the yields are too small and they are short-lived.

But channeling Swift again, York told the crowd you have to "shake it off" because the value of water is only increasing and the sustainable management of our forests is possible.

"When we talk about water yield, it's tough to convince people that (harvesting) alone" will get it done, York said.

That's why you have to bring up how forest management with sustainable harvests can reduce fire risk and restore timberlands, York said.

Meanwhile, also at Thursday's logging conference was education day. Fourth-graders from 13 schools toured the Shasta District Fair grounds to learn more about forest management and the timber industry.

The conference continues Friday with the public exhibits opening at 9 a.m.

Schedule of events

What: 67th annual Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference

Where: Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson

When: Public exhibits open 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

More info: Full schedule at sierracascadeexpo.com.
In this Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, photo, an iPad with a Boston Symphony Orchestra interactive program is displayed next to sheet music on a stand at Symphony Hall in Boston. The BSO is loaning iPads to concertgoers during performances in hopes of drawing new audiences to classical music. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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By PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP)  A night at the symphony usually means silencing cellphones and mobile devices before the music starts.

But as part of an effort to draw in a younger audience, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is loaning select patrons iPads loaded with content specific to each performance.

They'll be able to view sheet music for the pieces being played, video interviews with musicians, podcasts about the composers and analysis on the works themselves. They'll also get a close-up view of the conductor from the musicians' point of view from video monitors set up in the hall.

The storied orchestra, which was founded in 1881, is the first to offer audience members use of customized iPads, according to Kim Noltemy, the group's chief operating and communications officer.

But other orchestras are also trying to incorporate technology.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is among a handful that has developed its own mobile application to let audience members follow along with program notes, like translations of vocal parts, in real time from their personal devices.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic rolled out "VAN Beethoven," a customized van that gave residents last fall a chance to enjoy a performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony using virtual reality headsets.

And the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Virginia Symphony Orchestra are among those offering "tweet seats," specially designated sections where concertgoers are encouraged to interact on Twitter with a concert official as they gave running commentary during select performances.

Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, an approximately 800-member group based in New York, says orchestras are trying to appeal to a new generation's changing expectations for the concert experience.

"It's about enhancing the visual experience of listening to a symphony orchestra," he says. "It's also about making the experience more intimate and creating a more visible contact between the performer and the audience, which is something younger audiences really seem to value."

The Boston orchestra is rolling out the iPads as part of a broader effort to draw patrons, particularly younger ones, to their underperforming Friday concerts.

During "Casual Fridays," symphony tickets are being offered at significantly lower prices, ranging from $25 to $45, down from as much as $145, patrons are being encouraged to dress casually, and the hall is hosting pre- and post-concert receptions with live music, snacks and a cash bar.

The first performance was Jan. 15; two others have so far been scheduled for Feb. 12 and March 18.

Efforts to appeal to new audiences are not without opposition from symphony traditionalists.

"There's been resistance all along to screens in concert halls" observes Rosen, of the League of American Orchestras.

Jeremy Rothman, vice president for artistic planning at the Philadelphia Orchestra, says concerns over its LiveNote app, which debuted this season at select concerts, have diminished as concertgoers and musicians alike saw the technology in action.

The app, he says, has helped some patrons become more informed and therefore more engaged in the performance while the app's design -- grayscale text on a black background -- minimizes the impact on others.

"No one is more concerned about preserving the live concert experience as we are," Rothman says. "This is absolutely at the core of what we do. So we asked a lot of the really hard questions up front and are continuing to listen to feedback now that we've put it in people's hands."

In Boston, Noltemy says the symphony orchestra has taken steps to make sure it isn't alienating its core audience.

For now, the iPads will be offered only to the 110 people seated in the rear orchestra. That section is under the balcony overhang, she notes, helping limit the impact of screen glow on other audience members.

The devices will also be on a dim setting, and patrons will be given headphones to tune into the video and audio segments.

"We'd prefer people watch the iPad podcasts before the concert during the pre-concert reception," Noltemy says. "But, as you can imagine, we have no control over that."
In this photo taken Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, Moshe Gordon sits outside his guest house advertised on Airbnb international home-sharing site in Nofei Prat settlement at the West Bank. Palestinians say that by contributing to the settlement economy, Airbnb, like other companies doing business there, is perpetuating the expansion of Israels settlement enterprise. The criticism puts the travel site in the crosshairs of a burgeoning boycott movement and highlights the intricacies of the sharing economy in a legal anomaly such as the settlements, where residents are Israeli citizens but the land is occupied. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

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By TIA GOLDENBERG, Associated Press

NOFEI PRAT, West Bank (AP)  Like many vacation rental operators around the world, Moshe Gordon has listed his property on Airbnb, luring visitors with a stunning vista of desert landscape and boasting of proximity to both Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. What it doesn't mention is that the "cozy fully furnished" apartment, with its cable TV, Internet and hiking trails, is in a West Bank settlement.

Airbnb is coming under Palestinian criticism for such listings, which some find misleading for failing to mention the property is on occupied land claimed by the Palestinians. Such criticism puts Airbnb in the crosshairs of an increasingly aggressive global boycott movement and has injected a dose of Mideast politics into the sharing economy.

The Palestinians say that by contributing to the settlement economy, Airbnb, like other companies doing business in the West Bank, helps perpetuate Israel's settlement enterprise. Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat sent a letter to Airbnb's CEO last week demanding the company cease working with settlers.

"Any international company like Airbnb that profits from the occupation and from our blood must be held accountable and brought to justice," said Husam Zomlot, a Palestinian ambassador at-large and former adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The complaint coincides with the release Tuesday of a report by Human Rights Watch that said that businesses operating in settlements contribute to and benefit from "an inherently unlawful and abusive system that violates the rights of Palestinians."

Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war and began building settlements soon after. While Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the settler population in east Jerusalem and the West Bank has ballooned to almost 600,000. The Palestinians claim these areas as parts of a future state, a position that has wide global support.

The Palestinians and much of the international community have grown impatient with Israel's settlement policies, saying the construction runs counter to the goal of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

On Monday, the European Union, Israel's largest trading partner, said that all its agreements with Israel must "unequivocally and explicitly" show that they cannot apply to occupied territories. The move followed a November decision to label Israeli products made in the West Bank. Many Israelis fear the step could be a precursor to a full-fledged ban on settlement products such as wines, dates and cosmetics, which make up a tiny percentage of Israeli exports but would set an ominous precedent.

Also alarming to Israel has been an international movement calling for boycotts against settlement products or any company doing business in the West Bank. The so-called BDS movement claims responsibility for pressuring some large companies to stop or alter operations in Israel or the West Bank, including carbonated drink maker SodaStream, French construction company Veolia and international mobile phone giant Orange.

Although the boycott movement's economic impact has been minimal, it has helped tarnish Israel's international image.

While the Human Rights Watch report said it was not calling for a boycott, it urged businesses to cease their settlement operations. The report said Palestinian laborers in the settlements are often paid well below Israeli minimum wage, and that companies operating in settlements receive preferential treatment over Palestinian rivals. It followed repeated claims by World Bank and others that Israeli policy in the West Bank has stifled Palestinian development.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon rejected the report's conclusions as well as the criticism against Airbnb. "The Palestinians should stop whining and take their fate in their own hands and stop blaming Israel for their incapacity to build their own economy," he said.

In an email, Airbnb said it "follows laws and regulations on where we can do business." It said it encourages guests to talk to their host about the listing before any trip and that the platform uses Google Maps to determine locations a website on which Jewish settlements, as well as Palestinian cities, are not listed with an affiliated country. Under its terms of service, Airbnb specifies that it will not accept responsibility for the accuracy of listings posted on the site, saying this lies with hosts.

Airbnb, which charges users a service fee, also has listings in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus and Moroccan-annexed Western Sahara, among other disputed territories. Listings there vary, with some marked only as a city, and others linked to Northern Cyprus or the unoccupied southern half. The few properties in Western Sahara are listed as in Morocco.

Owners of Airbnb properties in the settlements reject the criticism. Even though Israel has never annexed the West Bank, they see their communities as essentially part of Israel and point to biblical history as proof of the Jewish connection to the land. Unlike Palestinian residents of the West Bank, settlers are governed by the same laws as residents of Israel proper and vote in Israeli elections. They also enlist for compulsory military service, pay taxes inside Israel and can serve in Israel's parliament.

"It is Israel," said Gordon, who charges about $60 a night for his apartment. "I don't really understand the controversy here."

Settlements stretching the entire length of the West Bank play host to Airbnb properties, according to the site's listings. Tourists can overnight in a desert camp in Judea and Samaria, the biblical name for the West Bank, or in a yurt in the Tekoa settlement. A perusal of more than two dozen listings showed very few reviews, indicating limited business  which may also be connected to the fact that settlements periodically come under attack by Palestinian militants.

Settler officials say there is a blossoming lodging industry in the settlements that has until now mainly targeted Israeli tourists. But with Airbnb experiencing growing name recognition among settlers, Miri Maoz-Ovadia, a spokeswoman for the Yesha settler's council, said she expects more settlement properties on the site.

"International platforms such as Airbnb are very positive," she said. "Any of these platforms should be allowed ... to show also places that are here in the heartland of Israel."
Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight John Cal Howe II is shown Thursday in Shasta County Superior Court in connection with a misdemeanor battery case.

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By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

A 42-year-old Shasta County man who federal prosecutors said falsely claimed to be a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran in order to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs of healthcare and other benefits was back in another courtroom on Thursday.

John Cal Howe II was in Shasta County Superior Court to set a March 22 trial date on an unrelated 2015 misdemeanor battery case. He's also charged with being a felon in possession of a stun gun in that case.

Howe had a $5,000 bench warrant issued for his arrest after he failed to be in court when his early morning case was called on Thursday.

But that bench warrant was recalled when Howe, who showed up 20 minutes late, said his tardiness was due to being involved in a minor traffic accident on his way to the courthouse.

Howe pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento to 23 misdemeanor counts related to fraud and stealing from the government, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento said.

According to spokeswoman Loren Horwood, Howe obtained health care benefits from the Veterans Affairs Health Benefits Program.

He was also able to obtain fraudulent travel reimbursements from the VA and applied for a VA pension, she said.

Although Horwood said Howe claimed he was a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the recipient of three Purple Heart medals, he never served in the military.

Howe faces a maximum of one year in federal prison, up to $100,000 in fines and one year supervised release for each count when he's sentenced April 25 in the federal case, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
What prompted this post is this article in Torontos 24-hr news radio station 680 News, entitled Jian Ghomeshis trial highlights need for deep legal reform: lawyer. Now I am not suggesting that you should listen to 680 News for deep thoughts, but it is a great place to go to see what the Mainstream Medias current zeitgeist is, because 680 is both too stupid and too sane to deviate much from the received wisdom.

So why does the lawyer quoted by 680 News think our criminal justice system is broken?

A Toronto lawyer whos called for substantial reforms to how the legal system handles sexual assault cases says the Jian Ghomeshi trial shows that the adversarial model presently in place is structurally ill-suited to deal with such allegations.

The current system is basically trial by war.

The reason why our justice system involves trials by war is that trials necessarily represent two irreconcilable interests: the interests of the guy who doesnt what to go to prison, as well as the people who want to send him there. Non-adversarial criminal trials may sound superficially nicer but in practice will mean that one side will not be fairly represented. You either have kangaroo courts  where the rights of the accused are waived  or you have a paradise for criminals. I am old fashioned enough to not favour either option.

That is probably the worst thing to do to complainants who are coming forward to talk about very intimate and distressing violations of their sexual integrity, he said.

What about the distress that an innocent man will have to endure for the next ten years in a federal prison?

The high-profile Ghomeshi case has seen witnesses alter their statements under relentless cross-examination that often focused on details of memories dating back more than a decade

This is an interesting point, and illustrates the need for a statute of limitations on sexual assault. These cases, especially after an intervening decade, devolve into a question of he said  she said, with no physical evidence or corroborating testimony available for either side. If memories are as unreliable as has been demonstrated in the Ghomeshi trial, how can anybody be found guilty of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt after a decade has passed?

 a tactic deemed common among defence lawyers.

This tactic is also common among prosecutors. This, because it is useful for separating truthful witnesses from perjurers and false accusers.

Moving away from an adversarial model, I think, is going to be necessary because look at the Ghomeshi trial  who would voluntarily put themselves through that?

Somebody with a desire for vengeance against a person who has done them grievous harm? Of course, that assumes, grievous harm has actually been inflicted.

Canadas legal system has made strides in the last few decades in trying to recognize the unique nature of sexual assault cases, including the implementation of rape shield laws that bar using a womans sexual history to discredit her.

If the Ghomeshi trial illustrates anything at all, it is the absolute necessity of vigorous cross-examination. The testimony of every complainant was full of contradictions and fanciful stories that made no sense at all. If they hadnt been exposed by cross-examination, what chance would Ghomeshi have to prove his innocence?

Sexual violence is nonetheless often kept secret: a Statistics Canada survey found that only five per cent of sexual assaults were reported to police in 2014, a proportion consistent with previous studies.

Really? So how do you go about counting something that is, by definition, unreported? I smell a statistical fish here - as well as another story about the corruption in our sciences.

Whats their solution?

Creating a specialized court to deal with sexual assault cases, like those earmarked for young offenders or those accused with mental health issues, could help, although those tend to focus on the circumstances of the offender, Witelson said.

A specialized court that focuses on the circumstances of the complainant? Sounds like a kangaroo court to me.

In order to convict, the criminal justice system requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, a standard that is almost impossible to meet, particularly in cases when the complainant and accused have an existing relationship, Butt said.

The civil system, meanwhile, needs only for one side to be more believable that the other, which increases the likelihood that someone will be held responsible, he said.

See, what did I tell you. This validates what I said in my previous article:

I also think this case points out how dangerous The Left really is. They demonstrate through their actions that they do not want justice at all - in any recognizable form of the word. What they want to do is to mete out group justice, like the way the Bolsheviks meted out group justice to the kulaks, or how Pol Pots Khmer Rouge exterminated a third of Cambodia. If this assessment seem harsh, then let me ask you this: in what way is the feminist idea of justice in sexual assault cases different from communist persecution?

You know, the social justice warriors are not going to stop. They are going to keep going until they achieve Pol Pots Year Zero. And green-eyeshades conservatives who just want to focus on balancing the books while leave the messy, culture-war stuff to the Left, are inadvertently aiding and abetting them.

For this nonsense to stop, good men (and women) have to step up to the plate and stop them.
Timothy Wilkins

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An emergency room doctor who was set to begin standing trial next week for having sex with an underage girl he once treated as a patient pleaded guilty today in Shasta County Superior Court to four sex-related felonies.

Timothy William Wilkins, 41, of Redding pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, said Deputy District Attorney Sarah Van Slyke.

Wilkins also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one misdemeanor count of providing lewd material to a minor.

Under the plea bargain pact, Wilkins, who is scheduled to be sentenced April 5, is facing up to a year in Shasta County Jail and formal probation for three years.

Wilkins would also have to successfully complete a sex-offender-related treatment program.

He would not have to register as a sex offender unless he fails to complete the course or violates probation, Van Slyke said.

Wilkins had rejected a plea bargain offer in May that would have required him to register as a sex offender.



Arrested in June 2014, Wilkins was released from Shasta County Jail on a $75,000 bond, which has been exonerated.

Wilkins, who worked at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, was arrested following an investigation into allegations he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a then 17-year-old girl.

He was placed on administrative leave and surrendered his medical license.

He was charged with 13 felonies and four misdemeanors.

In addition to the sexual intercourse charges, it was alleged by prosecutors that Wilkins provided alcohol and showed pornographic images to the girl and her younger sister.



According to a Redding police report, the 17-year-old girls mother, who said she had known Wilkins for about 13 years, made the allegations after she said she found a series of text messages and photographs on her daughters cellphone suggesting a sexual relationship with Wilkins, investigators have said.



One of those photographs reportedly showed Wilkins kissing the teen.

The mother later confronted her daughter, who said she and Wilkins were together, an investigative report says.

Investigators have said Wilkins cared for the victims mother for years and came into contact with the then 16-year-old girl when she went to the hospital for medical treatment for an injury.


Thomas Matthews of Redding, left, addresses the audience with Lloyd Pendleton Thursday at Sequoia Middle Schools McLaughlin Auditorium. Pendleton spoke about how Utah implemented housing first programs at The Womens Fund event. Matthews said he used to be homeless and got off the street with the help of the Good News Rescue Mission.

SHARE Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Lloyd Pendleton addresses an audience today at Sequoia School's McLaughlin Auditorium. Pendleton spoke about how Utah implemented "Housing First" at The Women's Fund event.

Create a vision, get started and learn as you go to get homeless people into homes, Utah's housing first expert Lloyd Pendleton told about 500 people this afternoon in Redding.

"Don't wait for the strategic plan," he advised during the 90-minute talk at the McLaughlin Auditorium at Sequoia Middle School.

Pendleton was invited to share how he led an effort in Utah that reduced chronic homelessness by 91 percent by the Women's Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation, Shasta Community Health Center and the Record Searchlight.

He directly addressed certain leaders in the audience, including Redding City Councilwoman Kristen Schreder, who privately commissioned a study on homelessness. He brought her on stage and introduced her as the community's champion in the effort to reduce homelessness, and called on Shasta County Board of Supervisors Chair Pam Giacomini and Redding Mayor Missy McArthur and others to convene the people she needs to lead the charge.

He also got leaders to agree -- on the spot -- to a five-month deadline for Redding to find permanent housing for five homeless people and for Shasta County to do the same.

As he lauded Schreder's efforts to commission a study, he said "there have been hundreds of communities who have had such studies. And only two have implemented them."

Someone cried out from the audience that Redding would be the third.

The presentation included a few words by a local man who had once been homeless. Thomas Matthews said two years ago he found help at the Good News Rescue Mission. "They gave me lunch, a bed to sleep in and clean clothes," he said.

He also got sober through the Rescue Mission's programs, and proudly said he is 16 months sober and now "I have my own place to live, I sleep in my own bed, I have my own furniture. I work every day at the Rescue Mission."

The overriding message Pendleton had for Shasta County was to create a unified vision, identify a champion to move it forward, and don't wait to get started. He said when he got his team together, they learned as they went along.

As for the vision, he said to make it positive, not negative. "It shouldn't be, 'We want to end homelessness.' It should be we want to put people in housing.'"

He suggested Shasta County create a committee that includes Shasta County and Redding's top elected officials, the sheriff and Redding Police Chief and Kristen Schreder to lead efforts.

He stressed that it will be important to bring in different viewpoints to create the energy needed to bring change.

As for nuts and bolts of implementing housing first models, Pendleton said Utah turned to local housing authorities to identify, own and operate the housing. He showed pictures of a number of hotels that were transformed into housing. "The residents are active in their communities," he said. "They shop there, help with service projects."
SHARE Mark Lawrence Brewer

A 56-year-old Red Bluff man who attacked a Cottonwood woman and her 74-year-old mother with a hammer in December 2014 has been sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison, Tehama County prosecutors announced today.

Mark Lawrence Brewer was sentenced to 18-years, 8-months in prison.

Brewer was arrested in January 2015, after being sought for allegedly forcing his way into a Cottonwood home and attacking the two women with a hammer, hitting them both in their heads and chests, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said deputies found the injured women, who were known to Brewer, lying on the kitchen floor near a hammer that was covered in blood and human hair.

A $1.5 million arrest warrant was subsequently issued for Brewer, who was finally spotted Jan. 7, 2015, in a vehicle in Cottonwood.

Prosecutors said Brewer, who realized that he had been spotted, drove toward one of the officers and tried to swerve at him while armed with a shotgun.

That officer had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, prosecutors said, adding that Brewer then drove away, prompting a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds of 100 mph,

The 18-mile pursuit ended when Brewer crashed into a telephone pole, prosecutors said.


Why Redding is taking lead on state homeless program

The Housing and Homeless Incentive Program will help connect the unsheltered population with housing services and medical care.
Sindi,18, who came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor from Honduras in March, tells the story of her dangerous journey. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS)

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By Alfonso Chardy, El Nuevo Herald

MIAMI  A contract dispute is threatening to disrupt efforts in Miami to provide legal representation to unaccompanied Central American children seeking U.S. asylum.

If not resolved, hundreds of children in immigration court proceedings could be forced to board deportation flights to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The situation has sparked alarm among immigrant rights advocates, nonprofit groups that assist the children, and religious leaders including Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski.

This is unacceptable, Archbishop Wenski said recently in a letter to Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health & Human Services. HHS is the federal department that oversees the unit that handles services for unaccompanied children, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Many of these cases are time sensitive, and if they do not receive immediate attention, the affected children face imminent deportation, Wenski wrote.

Two respected nonprofits that for years have provided attorney services for thousands of Central American unaccompanied children recently saw their funding cut off and some services awarded to a different contractor, according to people familiar with the issue.

Attorneys for Americans for Immigrant Justice and Catholic Legal Services (CLS) only have remaining funds to cover their 500 existing cases for a few more months, and together the two agencies have 800 children facing deportation on their waiting lists.

Miami has the third-busiest immigration court docket for unaccompanied children cases in the country, and Americans for Immigrant Justice and CLS devised a system whereby the two groups ensure that on a daily basis, there is an attorney present with every child needing assistance.

Children who appear before a judge without an attorney are more likely to be ordered deported than those who have a lawyer, according to people familiar with immigration courts.

Officials at HHS said concerns are largely unfounded because the agency will continue funding services for unaccompanied Central American children either through the current nonprofits or different ones.

Andrea Helling, an HHS spokeswoman, said the situation will return to normal once a new contract is awarded.

We are committed to awarding this contract for direct representation (of the children) as quickly as possible, Helling said.

The Huffington Post first reported on the issue in a recent posting on its website.

How Americans for Immigrant Justice and CLS came to lose their funding is a convoluted story.

The problem arose last summer when ORR announced plans to make the prior award competitive and combine contracts for shelter services and court cases.

In the previous year, both Americans for Immigrant Justice and CLS had received government funding through a one-year pilot program to help hundreds of unaccompanied children with their court cases. Together these two groups had a combined 20 attorneys and eight paralegals dedicated to helping children under the contract that expired in September.

Vera, the organization that for 10 years had subcontracted with Americans for Immigrant Justice to provide legal services to unaccompanied minors in South Florida shelters, applied for the combined contract. CLS was included in the proposal.

Americans for Immigrant Justice and CLS were told they would provide the services if Vera won the contract.

Another organization, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), applied for the same contract. In September, ORR awarded the contract to USCRI.

The decision stunned people who monitor unaccompanied children cases because the organization USCRI picked to assist the children  Youth Co-Op  had no immigration attorneys on its staff. Youth Co-Op has largely provided social services, people familiar with the situation said.

Youth Co-Op says it has experience.

Youth Co-Op has been serving South Florida for over 42 years, said Maria Rodriguez, the Youth Co-Op president. It was founded for the purpose of promoting the social well-being of immigrant children in 1973.

Youth Co-Op did not previously provide legal services to immigrant children. It created a legal services corporation on Oct. 5  after the award was made. Its website shows job postings for 17 attorneys.

A decision on a new contract is expected sometime this month.



2016 Miami Herald

Visit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A drone hovers at the DJI booth during CES International, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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By Rick Schmitt and Stuart Silverstein, FairWarning

WASHINGTON  On a Saturday night in early December, Chinese exchange student Owen Ouyang went out to the front yard of his Martinez, Calif., home and launched a sleek new drone he had recently bought for about $1,000.

The 2.8-pound drone, advertised as easy to fly, proved anything but. Soon after takeoff, the drone veered dangerously toward a power line. It then climbed more than 700 feet  right into the path of a California Highway Patrol helicopter. A head-on collision was averted only after the choppers crew made a sharp right-hand turn at the last moment.

The harrowing episode illustrates a growing safety concern as more and more drones, particularly ones used for recreation, take flight into the national airspace. Their popularity is booming in the United States, with sales of drones that weigh more than a half-pound expected to reach 1 million this year. At the same time, critics fear that the chances of a catastrophic collision with a manned aircraft  possibly even a commercial jetliner  also are soaring.

If we dont act now, its only a matter of time before we have a tragedy on our hands, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a news release last June.

Some critics focus the blame on the companies that market drones for recreational use, which can sell from under $100 to $3,000 or more. These drones, like Ouyangs device, can zoom to impressive altitudes but, the critics say, usually lack the navigation and communications systems and design quality needed to ensure safe flying.

Paul Hudson, president of the airline passenger advocacy group FlyersRights.org, said drone industry lobbyists had succeeded in coaxing the Federal Aviation Administration to grant a de facto waiver of basic aircraft regulations to drone makers and sellers.

Industry officials say fears are overblown and that they already are adding new safety features. The record we have to date should speak for itself, said Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI, the Chinese drone company that dominates the recreational market. The recreational drone world has tens of millions of operational hours, I would estimate, and not a single fatality.

Still, Feinstein, along with Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is pushing legislation to give the FAA broad authority to regulate hobbyists who fly drones. The measure also would direct the aviation agency to require manufacturers of drones built for recreation or business to add safety features such as limits on how high, or where, their devices can fly.

The bills supporters include Chesley Sully Sullenberger, the retired airline pilot famed for successfully executing an emergency water landing in the Hudson River in 2009 when his aircraft was disabled after striking a flock of geese. In an October 2015 news release from Feinsteins office, Sullenberger said: The huge upsurge in the numbers of drones and of reckless actions by drone users has greatly increased the risk to everyone who flies.

Feinstein has vowed to press her case during the debate over the reauthorization of FAA programs that Congress is scheduled to take up in March. The industry appears ready to put up a fight, although much of its focus is on pending regulations for operators of commercial drones.

The Small UAV Coalition  which includes manufacturers such as DJI, along with Amazon, Google X and Intel  spent $890,000 last year lobbying Congress and federal agencies. That was four times the coalitions spending on lobbying in 2014, when it was founded, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group. UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicles, another name for drones.

Already, worrisome incidents abound. A report released in December by Bard Colleges Center for the Study of the Drone identified 327 close encounters between drones and manned aircraft over a 21-month period that ended last September. That included 51 cases in which the drones and conventional aircraft came within 50 feet of each other, and 28 incidents in which a pilot maneuvered to avoid a collision.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Drones flying above a dozen wildfires last summer in California forced authorities to pull back firefighting planes in some cases to avoid midair collisions. Drones also have flown close to some of the nations busiest airports and have approached commercial planes carrying hundreds of passengers.

Concern also has emerged that easily available high-flying drones could become a difficult-to-defeat weapon for terrorists. When asked about that threat during a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing in October, Mykel Kochenderfer, a Stanford University aeronautics expert, replied: I would have to say theres relatively little we can do about that now.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Regulation has been slow to come, however. Aside from a federal registration requirement announced in December, recreational drone users have operated largely under voluntary FAA guidelines dating to 1981 for model aircraft. The guidelines, among other things, say users should limit flying to 400 feet aboveground. But there are no requirements for operators to be trained or for their drones to have FAA certification. The FAA can fine those who fly recklessly, but the agency has rarely used that authority.

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

Among the harshest critics is W. Hulsey Smith, chief executive of Aero Kinetics, a Fort Worth, Texas, company that sells sophisticated commercial drones that cost $10,000 or more to automate tasks such as inspecting cellphone towers or refineries. He calls most recreational drones toys and says their manufacturers should be using higher-quality designs and installing better navigation and communications systems.

There is no reason for them to wait to adopt these basic principles of safety other than for greedy profit, Smith said. These companies, he added, are putting the public at risk, both in the air and on the ground.

Meanwhile, the FAA issued a proposal last February that would ease standards for small drones used for commercial purposes such as aerial photography, power-line surveillance and crop monitoring. The agency said it expected to issue the final rule by late this spring.

The amount of damage a drone can inflict on a commercial or another manned aircraft remains speculative because theres little or no data on the issue. The FAA only recently began research on the collision hazards posed by drones. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said the agency hoped to get some findings by September.

In the meantime, experts offer varying assessments. Jim Williams, who until last June was the FAAs top drone official and who now advises drone companies for the law and lobbying firm Dentons, said it was theoretically possible, but unlikely, that a drone could bring down a commercial aircraft. He said the dangers got a little more serious for small private planes and helicopters because, among other reasons, they were more fragile than jetliners.

Other experts such as Scott Strimple, a United Airlines pilot for 25 years and an experienced drone operator, expressed deeper concerns. In a collision with a Cessna or another small plane, a drone could easily come through the window and kill the pilot. Its just Plexiglas, Strimple said. Thats like a frozen chicken coming through at 50 knots. A drone, Strimple said, also could cause an engine shutdown or a cracked windshield on a larger aircraft.

Industry groups argue that the key to improved safety lies in education. They have promoted, with the FAA, an informational program called Know Before You Fly.

Yet even fairly sophisticated aviation enthusiasts can get into trouble. Ouyang, 23, is no stranger to flying: He is close to getting his private pilots license.

He is apologetic about the California Highway Patrol helicopter incident but has registered his drone with the FAA and is flying again, and taking new precautions, while his case remains under investigation.

One of the most common worries among critics, though, is how drone technology has enabled novices with no background in aviation to fly devices that could create havoc in the air.

They have no situational awareness or appreciation for safety, said Ella Atkins, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. They think it is a game. They do not realize it is for real.



(This story was reported by FairWarning (www.fairwarning.org), a nonprofit news organization that specializes in public health, safety and environmental issues.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Thomas Matthews of Redding, left, addresses the audience with Lloyd Pendleton Thursday at Sequoia Middle Schools McLaughlin Auditorium. Pendleton spoke about how Utah implemented housing first programs at The Womens Fund event. Matthews said he used to be homeless and got off the street with the help of the Good News Rescue Mission.

SHARE Lloyd Pendleton addresses an audience Thursday at Sequoia Schools McLaughlin Auditorium. Pendleton spoke about how Utah implemented housing first programs at The Womens Fund event. Lloyd Pendleton brings Redding City Councilwoman Kristen Schreder to the stage as he addresses an audience Thursday at Sequoia Schools McLaughlin Auditorium. He said Schreder was a champion for the cause locally. Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti raises his hand as Lloyd Pendleton addresses the chief and his views at a presentation on housing first programs at a Womens Fund event at Sequoia Schools McLaughlin Auditorium.

By Jenny Espino and Carole Ferguson of the Redding Record Searchlight

Create a vision, get started and learn as you go to put people living on the streets into homes, Utah's housing first expert Lloyd Pendleton told about 500 people Thursday afternoon in Redding.

"Don't wait for the strategic plan," he said, challenging leaders inside McLaughlin Auditorium at Sequoia Middle School to house at least five to 10 people by July 1. "Start. Learn."

In his 90-minute talk, Pendleton shared how he led an effort in Utah that reduced homelessness by 91 percent and told people to not shy away from conflict but embrace it as a sign that they are challenging their assumptions. Under the housing first model, chronically homeless people are put into housing with few strings attached. They pay minimal rent, but they're not required to have a job, be clean and sober or participate in programs to stay in the housing.

Pendleton's visit was sponsored by the Women's Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation, Shasta Community Health Center and the Record Searchlight.

He spoke directly to certain leaders in attendance. To Mayor Missy McArthur, he asked what day she wanted to pick to house five people. He acknowledged Police Chief Robert Paoletti's different view on the issue and later encouraged the public not to expect the police to solve the community's homeless problem. He held up Jonathan Anderson of the Good News Rescue Mission for the work the shelter is doing, saying it was better than what he has seen from the mission in Salt Lake City.

He had housing officials identify themselves and told them they are key players.

"The opportunity is here. We actually knew that," said Larry Lees, Shasta County executive officer, who after the forum was headed to one more meeting with Redding City Manager Kurt Starman, and Pendleton. "The opportunity is for us to grab hold and run. It's time to start running."

Pendleton invited Redding City Councilwoman Kristen Schreder to the stage and introduced her as the community's champion in the effort to reduce homelessness. Independently from her role on the council, Schreder is working with consultants to deliver in March an analysis on how much homelessness costs the community and in June, a strategic plan to begin moving people into permanent, stable housing. He called on McArthur, Shasta County Supervisor Pam Giacomini, Lees, Starman and other officials to bring her the people she needs to lead the charge.

Starman said he would probe more in his meeting with Pendleton on the structure of the housing first model. That part, detailed in the last 15 minutes of the presentation, was not as fleshed out as Starman had hoped to see.

He spoke of the shared responsibility in the community to solve homelessness, something that Pendleton stressed and Paoletti said validated his point.

"This is a real social issue and we have to have the resources to be able to deal with that, not just from the officers on the street but the places to take them to get them help," he said. "Right now we just don't have a lot of those resources."

The chief is supportive of recommendations in the Blueprint for Public Safety to create a sobering center, mental health facility and drug treatment programs.

The five-month deadline for Redding and Shasta County to each find permanent housing for five homeless people came toward the end of the forum. Earlier, when she was asked, McArthur had given March 15. But she was unsure if the timeline was realistic and whether it was better to wait until after Schreder completes the strategic plan. Pendleton told the community not to wait for the strategic plan.

Nonetheless, Pendleton provided numerous examples to show the audience urgency for action.

The national average for chronic homeless population is 10 percent to 12 percent. In Shasta County, nearly half of the people who are homeless are in that category  either long-term or repeated bouts of homelessness.

Pendleton noted the hundreds of communities who have done studies to eliminate homelessness. Of 400, only two have implemented them, he said.

Someone cried out from the audience that Redding would be the third.

Lees liked Pendleton's suggestion to target specific groups, such as veterans. He was not ready to prioritize any groups over others and waited to share with his counterparts what each took away. "You start using that (targeting groups). You start measuring that, and I believe that's how you get success," Lees said.

Starman and Schreder endorsed the idea of starting small.

"I thought his point was well taken. If you start small with a pilot, you get a sense of what works well for your community and what might not," Starman said.

The inspirational talk included a few words by a local man who had once been homeless. Thomas Matthews said two years ago he found help at the Good News Rescue Mission. "They gave me lunch, a bed to sleep in and clean clothes," he said.

He also got sober through the Rescue Mission's programs, and proudly said he is 16 months sober and now "I have my own place to live, I sleep in my own bed, I have my own furniture. I work every day at the Rescue Mission."

The overriding message Pendleton had for Shasta County was to create a unified vision, identify a champion to move it forward, and don't wait to get started. He said when he got his team together, they learned as they went along.

As for the vision, he said to make it positive, not negative. "It shouldn't be, 'We want to end homelessness.' It should be we want to put people in housing.'"

Regarding the relationship between social and criminal issues, he rejected lumping criminal activity with homelessness. But he also urged his audience not to criminalize the homeless for using bathrooms or getting food.

He suggested Shasta County create a committee that includes Sheriff Tom Bosenko and Paoletti, Lees, the Redding mayor and Schreder to lead efforts.

He stressed that it will be important to bring in different viewpoints to create the energy needed to bring change.

As for nuts and bolts of implementing housing first models, Pendleton said Utah turned to local Housing Authorities to identify, own and operate the housing. He showed pictures of a number of hotels that were transformed into housing. "The residents are active in their communities," he said. "They shop there, help with service projects."
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By Dylan Darling

Linking the Siskiyou Mountains to the Cascades, the Siskiyou Crest is a biologically diverse hot spot, says the group trying to have it declared a national monument.

"It's just an absolutely extraordinary landscape," said Laurel Sutherlin, a grass-roots organizer for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in Ashland, Ore. "It's a real natural treasure that we have right here in our backyard."

For a decade the nonprofit group has pushed to make the mountains in the Siskiyou Crest, which covers about

600,000 acres as it straddles the border between Yreka and Ashland, a monument. That's drawn opposition from people who say the effort could crimp the rights of property owners whose land is next to or surrounded by the public land.

"This would be a terrible thing for the Siskiyous and the communities up there," said Chuck Cushman, executive director of the American Land Rights Association in Battleground, Wash.

The nonprofit group started in 1978 in an effort to stop the National Park Service from taking over land from private property owners. Cushman's chief concern about the Siskiyou Crest Monument is that people whose property is within the monument would be forced to give up their land.

Adding to his concern, he said, is how the monument would be formed ? by executive order of the president. He said that worries him because Congress isn't involved in the creation of the monument.

And he said he's worried it could restrict the leaders of cities and towns within the monument from making decisions without approval from federal agencies.

But Sutherlin said those worries won't become realities if the monument is created.

Sutherlin said he went to a Thursday night meeting held by the American Land Rights Association in Applegate, Ore., a small town west of Ashland. He said about 50 people showed up to the "Say No to the Siskiyou Crest Monument" meeting.

"It was a frightening display of misinformation and fear-based tactics," Sutherlin said.

While aiming to protect and revive the land in the proposed Siskiyou Crest, one of the few east-west running mountain ranges in the country, Sutherlin said, the property rights of those whose land is next to and in it would be preserved. All the land in the proposal already is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, he said, so there would be a change for people who own neighboring lands or inholdings.

There's already the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument near the proposed new monument. President Bill Clinton created the monument by proclamation on June 9, 2000, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM oversees the 52,000 acres centered on Pilot Rock.

Sutherlin said that the Forest Service would manage the Siskiyou Crest monument and that there would be restrictions on grazing, logging and mining inside the monument's boundaries. The goal is to help the habitat of the pacific fisher, salamanders and rare flowers found on the crest.

The Forest Service has yet to receive a formal plan or proposal, said Tom Lavagnino, spokesman for the Klamath National Forest. Part of the Klamath potentially would be a piece of the monument.

"Everyone has a different map, a different polygon and a different idea," he said. "It's just someone's wild plan for now," he said.

Siskiyou Crest National Monument

siskiyoucrest.org

American Land Rights Association

landrights.org
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As Iowa voters headed to their caucus sites, 94-year-old Rosanell Eaton sat in the first row of a federal courtroom in Winston-Salem, N.C., to witness the closing arguments of a trial challenging North Carolina's new voter identification law.

Eaton, who is African-American and grew up in the Jim Crow South, had to recite the preamble to the Constitution from memory to register to vote. She had been participating in elections for 70 years when North Carolina passed its strict voter ID law in 2013. Lawyers for the North Carolina NAACP played a videotaped deposition during the trial of Eaton recounting how the names on her driver's license and voter registration card did not match. To get her paperwork in order, Eaton had to make 11 trips to different state agencies in 2015, totaling more than 200 miles and 20 hours.

"I'm disgusted," Eaton told the News & Observer, Raleigh's daily paper, as she left the courtroom.

North Carolina is one of 16 states that have new voting restrictions in place since the last presidential contest, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, accounting for 178 electoral votes, including in crucial swing states such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia.

The voting changes include requiring government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot, cutting early voting, eliminating election-day voter registration and demanding proof of citizenship to register. For voters like Eaton, how and if they'll be able to cast a ballot will be as big of a question as who they'll vote for this year.

The nationwide push to make it harder to vote began in earnest after the 2010 election, when Republicans gained control of an unprecedented number of states. Their goal was to make the electorate older, whiter and more conservative compared with the younger and more diverse electorate that turned out in record numbers for Barack Obama in 2008.

Although the connection isn't obvious to everyone, these voting restrictions disproportionately affect the core of Obama's political coalition, including young people (some states exclude student IDs from the list of acceptable documents) and minority voters (who are more likely to vote early and less likely than whites to have state-issued IDs). A new study by political scientists at the University of California at San Diego found that "a strict ID law could be expected to depress Latino turnout by 9.3 points, Black turnout by 8.6 points, and Asian American turnout by 12.5 points."

Many new voting laws were blocked by the Justice Department and federal courts during the 2012 election; and Republican attempts to restrict the franchise may have led to a backlash among minority voters. In 2012, for the first time in U.S. history, black turnout rates exceeded white turnout rates.

But in 2013, voter suppression efforts got a powerful shot in the arm when the Supreme Court invalidated the centerpiece of the Voting Rights Act, ruling that states with the longest histories of voting discrimination no longer had to approve their election changes with the federal government. As a result of the decision, new restrictions were allowed to take effect in states such as Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi. The 2016 election will be the first presidential contest in 50 years where voters cannot rely on the full protections of the Voting Rights Act.

Of course it's not just former Confederate states that have moved to gum up the democratic process. New Hampshire has a new voter ID law on the books. Those without the required ID can still cast a regular ballot by signing an affidavit, but they will have to let poll workers take their pictures, which could lead to voter intimidation and longer lines at the polls. Wait times increased by 50 percent when the voter ID law was partially implemented, without the camera requirement, during the 2012 election.

The latest struggle over voting rights is at root a battle over the country's changing demographics and how much political power minority populations can exercise. The 2016 electorate will be the most diverse in American history, with voters of color making up 31 percent of eligible voters, up from 29 percent in 2012, according to the Pew Research Center.

Given the Republican Party's reliance on white voters and unpopularity among minority voters, it should come as no surprise that the leading GOP presidential contenders have all supported tough voting restrictions. Ted Cruz was an early proponent of voter ID laws; Marco Rubio defended the cutbacks to early voting in Florida that led to six-hour lines in 2012; Jeb Bush presided over a disastrous voter purge during the 2000 election in Florida that kept thousands from voting; John Kasich signed legislation in Ohio cutting early voting and eliminating same-day voter registration.

The differences between the parties on voting rights have never been starker. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have called for restoring the Voting Rights Act and expanding reforms such as early voting and automatic voter registration. These are positive developments, but it's ultimately bad for democracy when access to the ballot becomes a bitterly partisan issue.

Ari Berman is a senior contributing writer for the Nation and the author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America."
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The man who led a successful statewide effort to crush chronic homelessness in Utah had a lot to say Thursday about giving people the opportunity to have a roof over their heads.

But it was something he said about leadership that will really stick with us.

"If you're barrier-oriented, you'll find plenty of barriers," Lloyd Pendleton told the crowd of around 500  loaded with community leaders  at Sequoia Middle School's McLaughlin Auditorium. "If you're solution-oriented, you'll find a solution."

Pendleton showed the instincts of a man accustomed to people trying to tell him no  or trying to agree and then do nothing. Several times during his presentation, and during smaller group meetings during his visit to Redding, he called out specific leaders such as Redding Mayor Missy McArthur and Shasta County Board of Supervisors Chair Pam Giacomini by name and put them on the spot to make an immediate commitment.

In their case, it was to house five currently homeless people each by a specified deadline. McArthur initially offered up March 15, but later asked if Pendleton thought that realistic. "No," he said. They settled on a date five months out  right there, in front of the whole audience.

These are not the kinds of conversations we're used to having in Shasta County. And yet, there was nothing disrespectful in Pendleton's tone or approach. He simply wants to be sure there's a commitment to action.

The Record Searchlight co-sponsored the forum with The Women's Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation and Shasta Community Health Center.

This page has for years called for action, coordination and leadership in our community.

If we can come together around the issue of homelessness, we can come together around mental health. And the economy. And the achievement of our young people. And addiction.

This is not an either-or proposition. It's a matter of starting somewhere, and most importantly starting fresh.

It should become embarrassing in our community to be the one in the room who's explaining why things can't be done. That's not an argument for lockstep boosterism or for anyone to support bad ideas. But that's not the problem we've had for decades. The problem we've had is that either nobody led or nobody helped, or both.

There are many specific points from Utah's approach that are worth noting. We'll be discussing them in greater detail in an editorial on Sunday, and the conversation is continuing at https://www.rebelmouse.com/ShastaHousing.

For now, it's worth starting with the basics. Leadership, vision and hope.

We can solve this. And we can tackle the rest of our community's issues. We can have a human landscape that is just as extraordinary as our natural one. That is a choice.
No one wants to go to jail. But last week a couple hundred people sat in the gymnasium of the Mental Health Transition Center at Cook County Jail and they were happy, filling the place with smiles and applause, vivid visions on the wall and what felt like hope in the air.

More than 100 of them had to be there. They were prisoners awaiting trial for a variety of non-violent crimes such as drug possession, retail theft, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

There were heavily armed guards. They had to be there, too; it's their watchful job. There were some CCJ administrators and other staff. There were some members of the city's artistic community, a few relatives of the incarcerated men, four members of the press and a professional photographer named Christopher Jacobs, who said, addressing this crowd, "This is surreal to be here."

But he was the reason the people were there, for an event billed as the "1st Cook County Jail Mental Health Transition Center Photography Exhibit."

Jacobs first saw the jail over the summer when he was on assignment for the American Psychological Association to take a photo of Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia, the newly named executive director of the Cook County Department of Corrections (i.e., warden). She is believed to be the first clinical psychologist or psychiatrist to lead a major jail or prison in the United States. That makes her a wise selection since, of the roughly 9,000 male and female inmates in the jail, most of them black and most of them poor, an estimated 35 percent suffer from serious mental illness.

"We talked a lot," Jacobs recalls, "and as she explained her mission I was blown away by her thought process, her ideas. I was just compelled to ask her, 'Can I volunteer to do something here?' "

Over a series of emails and face-to-face conversations, that something turned out to be Jacobs teaching a photography class. It started in September, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. twice a month for four months. There were 26 men who started the class but, for various reasons  basically being released or being convicted and sent to prison  12 made it to the end.

In the first class Jacobs showed the men and asked them to talk about  critique, actually  photos by such greats as Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz. Then they were free to take their own photos, each using bright blue Vivitar digital cameras that Jacobs bought on his own dime after various companies rebuffed his request to donate cameras for this experimental program. He also enlisted the help of a few artist friends, not all photographers, to visit the classes and talk about their work.

Unable, of course, to get an Uber and travel to photo-friendly locations such as the lakefront, the prisoners had a limited canvas, just themselves and the relatively bare MHTC grounds, which do include a garden where colorful vegetables and flowers grow.

"After each class I would go back to my studio and download each student's images," Jacobs says. "To see their visions was like opening presents."

For the photo exhibit, the prisoners were transported by buses to the MHTC from the jail, which looms forebodingly just to the southwest. It was only a two-minute ride but it took them to a different world, of sorts. Tall fencing topped with barbed wire encircles the facility but in its low-rise spaciousness it is almost bucolic compared with the overcrowded, claustrophobic jail.

This area was opened in 1997 to serve as a "boot camp" to prepare inmates for possible careers in the military. But the military wasn't much interested in welcoming former prisoners, so in 2014 the area became the MHTC. There are now 120 prisoners receiving treatment and medication and using the facility daily  they live in the jail  for counseling, learning jobs skills, preparing for the outside world  and taking pictures.

The photos, mounted creatively on pieces of cardboard and attached to the walls of the gymnasium, were filled with flowers and faces, artful and compelling.

On one portion of the wall were portraits of the photographers, taken by Jacobs, the men dressed in sport coats he bought for them. On another part of the wall were pieces of paper on which some of the prisoners had responded in handwriting to printed questions. These are some of those questions/answers:

Did you enjoy this photography class?

"It is something new to me. I never experience such a thing."

"Because I learned how to tell a story by taking pictures."

How did this class impact your thought process?

"It has brought me peace through pictures."

"It allows you to look at things different than before."

What can you utilize from photography that perhaps you could use in your life?

"To inspire myself to maybe take this to another level. Side job!"

"Create a story of everyday life."

Tom Dart, the Cook County sheriff, was not there for the one-day exhibit. His five young children did not have school that day and, he says, "I will take any chance I get to spend time with them."

But he saw the photos the day before and says, "I was blown away."

"A couple of years ago, mostly because of my kids, I went out and bought a 35-millimeter camera," he says. "I do take photos but have very limited knowledge of photography. To see what these men have done has inspired me. The shadows, the lighting, the composition.

"These are lives of few if any positive accomplishments, and to be recognized, acknowledged for their work, well, that can change their perspective and be so empowering."

The debate has long raged about the needs of prisoners, the function of jails and prisons.

"Now, we have reached the lowest point of all: bedazzled by the myth of rehabilitation, we are manufacturing habitual criminals in our prisons," John Bartlow Martin wrote in Harper's magazine. "Isn't it about time to try a new method of dealing with wrongdoers? Prison is not just the enemy of the prisoners. It is the enemy of society."

Martin wrote that in  are you ready?  1954. He died in 1987.

Earlier this week Dart said: "The situation is worse than anybody could imagine. Eighty-five percent of the people who get out come right back in. It is our job to help fix them. We've got to give these people tools so that they are better off, have a better chance, than when they came in."

He went on to talk about anger management classes, guitar and chess classes. "I will listen to any idea, any innovative idea for programs," says Dart. "But photography was not on my radar screen. But, like I said, I was just blown away."
'Headley's testimony indicates to what extent the Pakistan government and its proxies can go to destroy not only Indian scientific talent but also international expertise.'

Vappala Balachandran, the former senior RA&W official and member of the two-member committee which investigated the police performance during the 26/11 attacks, assesses the terrorist's testimony.

David Coleman Headley's statement that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had planned an assault on a defence scientists' conference at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai was a surprise to many of us.

The 26/11 accused revealed this on February 9 while being questioned in Special Judge G A Sanap's court in Mumbai via video conference. This is the first time we are hearing a first person account on the planning which was reported to have taken place in 2007 in Muzzafarabad by the Lashkar leadership.

During this meeting it was decided to send Headley to Mumbai to video record 'the entrance and exit of the Taj Mahal Hotel and the location of the convention halls.' The LeT leadership had 'information there would be a meeting of Indian defence scientists in the near future... the plan was to attack during the meeting.'

The Taj was one of the targets in Mumbai assigned to him for reconnaissance and video recording. Headley also told the court that he visited Mumbai seven times using a fake passport for completing the job. He did a perfect job in facilitating wanton destruction of Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

It is not clear whether any such conference was at all held at the Taj after this meeting in 2007. It is, however, true that an international nuclear power conference was indeed held in Mumbai in 2008 coinciding with the attack dates. Fortunately this conference was not held at the Taj although some prominent delegates stayed there. More fortunately, this conference had concluded on November 26.

During our inquiries on the 26/11 attacks, this information came to our notice but not from official sources. The two-man high level 26/11 inquiry committee -- under the chairmanship of Ram Pradhan of which I was the second member -- was constituted by the Maharashtra government to inquire into the police response during the attack.

At that time a friend of mine, a French national of Indian origin, who stays in Paris, had called me conveying that he had come to attend an important conference at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on November 24-26, 2008. This was the 19th annual conference on 'Nuclear Technology -- Role of Industry.'

Neither the local Intelligence Bureau nor the police had any idea about this important conference. The attendees included some of the best brains in the world in the field of nuclear power. Also present were delegates from the Atomic Energy Regulating Board, BARC, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, the Nuclear Fuel Complex, the Heavy Water Board, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, the Uranium Corporation of India Limited, the Electronics Corporation of India Limited and the Indian Atomic Industrial Forum.

During this conference the famous French nuclear physicist M George Vendryes, considered the father of the fast breeder reactor, who was then vice-president of the French Atomic Energy Commission, received the first lifetime achievement award.

One shudders to think what would have happened had the conference been held at Taj. Or if the 10 heavily armed Laskar terrorists had steered their rubber boat towards the eastern Mumbai sea shore, instead of Machimar Nagar and landed near BARC during the day time when the conference was still on.

It was fortunate that they had no clue of this conference. Otherwise they could have almost eliminated the entire nuclear power industry leadership in the world.

Although the Central Industrial Security Force guarding the complex could have put up some resistance, they would not have been able to match the fire power of these terrorists. Vendryes and his wife, who were staying at the Taj, were trapped during the siege, but were rescued.

Indian intelligence agencies had warned long ago about the possibility of attacks by Pakistan's proxies on our coastal nuclear installations like BARC in Mumbai or the Tarapur atomic power station.

In fact, our Intelligence Bureau had constituted a special cell even in the 1970s to undertake security audit of our atomic research and power installations, knowing well how sensitive these are for national security. In other countries this realisation came only after the 9/11 attacks. The US, for example, elevated the security of nuclear power plants to a national security issue only after 9/11 by passing the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Even then our patchwork coastal security is highly unsatisfactory. On July 30, 2006 a prominent national television channel said the then national security adviser had warned Maharashtra that BARC might be targeted through the sea. The channel then undertook a survey of our western coastal protection measures by interviewing fishermen and employees working on Mumbai coastal areas including port authorities, BARC, the naval armament depot at Trombay, and found that coastal patrolling was nowhere to be seen. It concluded: 'Even though BARC is now heavily guarded by the CISF, it's the approachability through the sea that is a cause for concern.'

Headley's testimony is highly important. It indicates to what extent the Pakistan government and its proxies can go to undermine and destroy not only Indian scientific talent but also international expertise.

The fact that they missed the targets on November 26 by failing to attack an international conference should not be taken lightly. This should be taken up at higher international levels to expose Pakistan's nefarious plans.

Under the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted by member States on September 8, 2006 after the commitment made by world leaders at the 2005 September Summit, each member country is bound to exchange timely and accurate information concerning the prevention and combating of terrorism.

The conspiracy to kill attendees of the proposed defence conference was hatched within Pakistan's territory in 2007 with official backing since Headley has testified that the Inter Services Intelligence and Lashkar worked hand in hand.

The fact that it was not carried out is not relevant. Why are we then fighting shy of taking this up with the UN to move for appropriate action against Pakistan?

The Latest Congressional Research Service publication Pakistan-US relations: Issues For the 114th Congress (May 2015) begins with this preamble: 'Pakistan is a haven for numerous Islamist extremist and terrorist groups, and successive Pakistani governments are widely believed to have tolerated and even supported some of these as proxies in Islamabad's historical tensions and conflicts with neighbours.'

Unfortunately our successive governments have only resorted to mere verbal fusillades without any effective action on the ground to move for UN sanctions against Pakistan.

Hurling empty threats intermittently is no solution.

Vappala Balachandran is a former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, and a member of the high-level committee which inquired into the police performance during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
'We rarely choose to fight when the threat is still a nascent threat.'

'When we do fight, we fight when the invaders reach Panipat and are preparing to knock on the gates of Delhi,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).

In a perceptive analysis of India's strategic culture in a recent article ('Does India have a strategic culture? Yes, it is slowly beginning to develop one'), Air Marshal Arjun Subramaniam quotes George Tanham, formerly of the RAND Corporation, as having concluded that 'India lacks a strategic culture.' Does it really?

Actually, India has a very distinctive strategic culture. India's strategic culture has always been one of timidity, of helpless rage -- that of behaving like a soft State that whines, but does not retaliate even in the face of the gravest provocation.

We tend to blame all our national security problems, like everything else, on our karma and are historically and culturally habituated to offer the 'other cheek' when slapped on one.

Our five thousand-year-old 'glorious civilisation' has conditioned us to suffer in silence.

We have always believed that ours is the land of peace, of Ram Rajya, of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi -- the land of renunciation and ahimsa.

Ours is the defenceless land that was trampled upon and ravaged through the ages by barbarian invaders from the West who poured through the Khyber Pass.

By Alexander the Great of Greece. By Mahmud of Ghazni -- 17 times. By Muhammad Ghori. By Changez Khan. By Timur, the Lame. By the Mughals. By Nadir Shah. By the East India Company that ruled India by pitting Indians against Indians.

And now, by the so-called mujahideen -- rapists, cold-blooded murderers, looters, terrorists -- soldiers of fortune. Anything but the jihadis they claim to be.

Our strategic thinking is plagued by what Air Commander Jasjit Singh, former director, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, had characterised as the 'Panipat Syndrome.' We rarely choose to fight when the threat is still a nascent threat. When we do fight, we fight when the invaders reach Panipat and are preparing to knock on the gates of Delhi.

When threatened, almost invariably, our response has been to shy away from taking the initiative and delivering a knockout punch. We tend to seek refuge in the moral high ground.

In 1948, when the Indian Army was knocking on the gates of Muzaffarabad, we took our case to the United Nations Security Council and pulled a stalemate (if not defeat) out of the jaws of victory. Almost one-third of Jammu and Kashmir is under Pakistani occupation and we call it an 'issue', not a dispute.

In the 1950s, we not only rushed to recognise China's sovereignty and suzerainty over Tibet (arguably the real Himalayan Blunder) but failed to even ask our 'Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai' friends to settle the land border as a condition for our support.

In 1962, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru first approved the disastrous 'forward policy' against military advice and then ordered an ill-equipped and ill-clad Indian Army to 'throw out the Chinese.'

We were the foremost advocates for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the People's Republic of China. Till today, China has not reciprocated our magnanimous gesture.

We choose not to learn a key lesson of history: There is no place for gratitude in international relations.

When China went nuclear in 1964, we clandestinely pursued a nuclear research programme and, ten years later, carried out a 'peaceful' nuclear explosion, but failed to weaponise and sign the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty as a nuclear-armed State.

When we did weaponise in May 1998, the wrath of the international community descended on us. Mercifully, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had the courage to run the gauntlet.

To the victor go the spoils of victory, but, in 1971, after India's greatest military victory, we repatriated over 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war without resolving the Kashmir dispute or extracting any other concession because of our innate belief in being magnanimous in victory.

Over a quarter century of Pakistan's low-cost, high-payoff 'proxy' war has elicited only a muted response from us. We have opted to fight the proxy war within our own territory when its roots clearly lie in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Pakistan.

Despite having a 7,600 km coastline and a 2.2 million square km Exclusive Economic Zone, as a nation we lack a maritime tradition.

In keeping with our strategic culture, or lack of it, our national security decision-making apparatus is woefully inadequate, as was evidenced while dealing with the terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in January.

We are the only major democracy in the world in which the headquarters of the armed forces are not functionally integrated with the ministry of defence. We still do not have a chief of defence staff.

Our defence budget has declined to 1.74 per cent of the GDP and is now almost as low as it was just before the 1962 debacle. Contrary to what the bureaucracy in the MoD might say, our defence preparedness has declined to precariously low levels in terms of the obsolescence of weapons and equipment and the stocking levels of critical items of ammunition.

We do not educate our officers in strategic studies. We still do not have a National Defence University. Only a handful of universities have defence studies departments and even these find it extremely difficult to attract students. 'Generalist' bureaucrats provide inputs for defence policy decisions to the political leadership.

In the words of H M Patel, India's first defence secretary, 'The ignorance of civilian officials in defence matters is so complete as to be a self-evident and incontrovertible fact.'

Sadly, we appear to be headed for yet another military disaster if do not shake ourselves out of our slumber.

Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) is the former director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.
The members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Friday took out a protest march at India Gate in New Delhi against an event in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at Jawaharlal Nehru University, following which 90 of them were detained.

Terming the event by a group of JNU students as an "anti-national" activity, the ABVP has been demanding the expulsion of its organisers from the varsity.

Sakshi Bharwaj, a JawaharlalNehruUniversity student and a member of the ABVP, said "I was there during the event at campus. I was even manhandled by leftist groups. This is total abuse of our Constitution and shameful for our motherland. We want their suspension and if they think we are intolerant, then yes we are."

The ABVP's Delhi Secretary Saket Bahuguna said, "How can such activities be tolerated at an educational institution? Democracy does not mean we can abuse the Constitution which guarantees us democracy."

"As many as 90 protesters were detained and taken to Parliament Street police station," said DCP New Delhi Jatin Narwal.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him.

Meanwhile Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, when asked on Twitter about the incident, said "my views are not different from millions of Indians. It is Shocking. Bharat ki Barbadi Chahte hai? #Shameful."

"It is Shocking. And frightening to think that few people have so much venom against their own country, (sic)" the actor said.

When asked what should be done to sanitise JNU, he wrote, "Clean up."

IMAGE: ABVP activists protest against an event at JNU supporting Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/ PTI
On Day 4 of his testimony, Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley outline how the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Inter-Services Intelligence wanted to spread terror in India.

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley on Friday said Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to recce NationalDefenceCollege in Delhi as it was a primary target for the outfit and that he had also videographed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was asked to recruit someone from there to work with ISI.

Headley, who has been testifying before a special Mumbai court in the 26/11 case via video-link from the US since Monday, also revealed that the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and naval station.

He also claimed that he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought LeT would be interested to either attack the Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head.

Headley also said that he never visited the control room in Karachi from where instructions were given to the 10 attackers during the 26/11 terror strikes, in which 166 people were killed and 309 injured.

He identified a photograph of Ajmal Kasab, one of the 10 perpetrators of the attack who was caught alive, when it was shown to him.

Headley told the court that his handlers in the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the 26/11 terror attack.

Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack, said the 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the case.

Headley said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI, he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

In further disclosures, he said that after he had recced Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

He told the court that Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to go to India again as they were also interested in carrying out terror activities in India.

Ilyas Kashmiri asked me to recce NationalDefenceCollege in Delhi as it was a primary target for Al Qaeda, he said.

Headley revealed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, prior to the 26/11 attacks, he had surveyed and videographed the Chabad House in south Mumbai.

I dont know who was staying there. Sajid Mir and Pasha asked me to survey this place and said that it was an international location as it had Jewish and Israeli people, he said.

Headley said he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack.

I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the 10 attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only, he said.

He said that he tried to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that Lashkar-e-Tayiba might be interested to either attack Sena Bhawan or aassassinate its head, a reference to Bal Thackeray.

I met one Rajaram Rege inside Shiv Sena Bhawan in Dadar during 2006-2007. I attempted to develop closer relation with him. I was interested in accessing that building (Shiv Sena Bhawan) at that time.

I thought LeT would be interested in the future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head, he said answering questions put to him by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam regarding all those people in Mumbai with whom he had developed friendly relation.

Continuing to spill beans on the brazen terror attack, he said for the 26/11 terror attack, LeT handler Sajid Mir and Abu Kahfa, on instructions from Zaki Sahab, decided to go with the stronghold option which means stay put in the place of the target and keep on fighting.

The second option was to leave the place of target and go to Kashmir and continue fighting with the troops there, he said.

Headley said Kahfa told him that the second option was discarded as if it was in the mind of the person (attacker) that he has to leave then he will not fight well.

Headley told the court that Sajid Mir had got the 10 attackers Indian cellphones so that they could guide them during the terror attack.

I tested one of the phones. Sajid Mir asked me to go to Wagah border if the signal was working in the phone. I did so and informed Sajid Mir that the signals were working, he said.

Headley also told the court that they got to know from Indian media that one of the 10 terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was captured after the attack.

Sajid Mir and everybody in LeT were saddened by this, he said.

When Nikam showed a photograph of Kasab, Headley identified him and said, Yes this is Ajmal Kasab... Rehmatullah...this means God bless him or God forgive him.

When asked about the control room in Karachi from where the LeT handlers were giving instructions to the 10 attackers during the terror attack, Headley said he never visited the control room and did not meet any other handler, apart from Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abu-al-Kama.

He disclosed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, he had also gone to Siddhivinayak temple and made a video of it.

I purchased the red and yellow wrist bands.... I forget the name of it. I thought that the 10 youths could wear it as a cover so that people would think they were Indians.

Nobody asked me to do so. I saw a man selling it outside the temple, so the thought occurred to me. After I returned to Pakistan, I gave those wrist bands to Sajid Mir and explained to him that practising Hindus in India wear this and hence, it would be a good idea if the 10 (attackers) also wear it as it would look like they are Hindus, he said.

Headley also said that during his last visit, he had purchased five books from a shop at the Taj Hotel.

During the same visit I also visited the Nalanda book shop inside Taj Hotel where I purchased five books. One of the books was Indian Army Vision 2020. I was interested to know the progress of the Indian Army in the future, he said.

When Judge G A Sanap asked Headley why he had purchased the other four books, he said, The other books were pictorial and beautiful, hence I purchased them. There is nothing sinister about those books. The first book was sinister.

Headley told the court that he had finalised BadhwarPark in Cuffe Parade as a landing site for the 10 attackers, as the area is covered with shanties and hutments from the main road, and hence he thought it would give tactical advantage to the terrorists.

In May 2008, I visited US. I could not meet Tahawwur Rana (Headleys business partner), but I spoke with him on the phone. I said that I had gone to India and selected landing site, he said.

Headley said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman wanted to finalise Gateway of India as the landing site for the 10 terrorists as it was very close to the Taj hotel.

I, however, said it was not a good idea as the attackers would be required to go through Gateway of India by crossing naval installation and they could be detected. Zaki Sahab and others agreed to my suggestion, he said.

When Zaki Sahab saw the targets I had selected, he said this was very important and has to be done properly. Zaki Sahab said surveillance for the attacks should be done properly. He said this would give a chance to take revenge for all the bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan. Zaki Sahab wished me good luck, he said.

He told the court that the idea to divide the 10 terrorists in different groups was also discussed in one of the meetings in Pakistan.

He also told the court that he had informed his first wife Shazia about the 26/11 attack.

On November 28, 2008, Shazia sent me an e-mail congratulating me for the 26/11 attack, he said.

Headley is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Denouncing the protest march in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said that the nation will never tolerate "insult" to Mother India.

"I only want to say that today is the day of worship of Goddess Saraswati. Saraswati blesses every family that whatever they speak is for progress and strengthening the nation. Let Mother India be praised. The nation will never tolerate insult to Mother India," she told reporters when asked to comment on the incident at the JNU.

In her speech earlier at an event organised by an RSS-linked body working in the field of education, Irani made a veiled reference to the protests at JNU, saying that when she heard 'Vande Mataram' and "prayers to the mother" being recited by students, she experienced a sense of satisfaction.

"I felt satisfied that there are teachers who teach children to pray for the nation and not anti-India slogans," she said.

Her comments come against the backdrop of a controversy at the JNU, which erupted earlier this week when some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against what they claimed was "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination" at the varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad objected to the event and wrote to the vice chancellor that such kind of protest should not be held on the campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order cancellation of the march as they "feared" it might "disrupt" peace.

Jagdeesh Kumar, the Vice Chancellor of JNU, on Friday said that the varsity is not a platform for activities that violate the Constitution even as it barred the entry of outsiders into the campus in view of the ongoing protests.

"While the JNU community upholds the right to free debate on campus, the university strongly condemns its use as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. However, there could be aberrations where fringe sections misuse the freedom provided," said Kumar.

The vice chancellor also appealed the students to go beyond this incident and help the campus return to "normalcy".

"The university takes serious note of the incidents on campus on the evening of February 9. A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter and take appropriate action as necessary," he said.

Protests in the university continued to rock the campus for the third day on Friday with the students demanding university's intervention into the manner in which police picked up students for questioning.



The JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested Friday afternoon after police had picked him for questioning.

On Thursday, the Delhi police had registered a case of sedition against "unknown persons" in connection with the event, following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maheish Girri and the ABVP.
'Tweeting' as the layman say is in. From gay rights to freedom of speech, this chirpy sounding word has become the lynchpin of the vocal, often youthful expression that speaks out on issues as diverse as cat videos and astrophysics.

Rediff.com takes a look at the great moments on Twitter in 2015, from single Tweets that captured our imagination to hashtags that sparked global conversations.

#PrayForParis: The world united to pay tribute to the victims of a series of deadly attacks in the French capital in November, while locals offered shelter to stranded fellow Parisians with the #PortOuverte hashtag. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/ Reuters

#BlackLivesMatter: What started as a discussion on Twitter became a civil rights movement, amid protests over the treatment of minorities by law enforcement in Ferguson, Baltimore and across the country. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/ Reuters

#RefugeesWelcome: People around the world voice their support for people from the Middle East seeking refuge in Europe. Photograph: Yannis Behrakis/ Reuters

#LoveWins: Twitter celebrated the historic Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. Photograph: Gary Cameron/ Reuters

#JeSuisCharlie: People paid tribute to the victims of a shooting at the offices of French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Hooded gunmen stormed the Paris offices of the weekly satirical magazine known for lampooning Islam and other religions. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/ Reuters

#IStandWithAhmed: Twitter users, including President Barack Obama, showed their support for Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Texas teenager who was arrested after his homemade electronic clock was mistaken for a bomb. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/ Reuters

#HomeToVote: Irish ex-pats shared their experiences traveling home to vote in a historic referendum on allowing same-sex marriage. Ireland became the first country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage by popular vote, with 62 percent of the electorate backing the referendum. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/ Reuters

#PlutoFlyby: Space enthusiasts celebrated the historic flyby of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which came within 7,750 miles of Plutos surface and captured close-up images of the icy dwarf planet. Photograph: NASA

#CallMeCaitlyn: Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Olympian Bruce Jenner, introduced herself to the world on Twitter, amassing a record one million followers in just over four hours. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/ Reuters
Students affiliated to ABVP protest outside the office of the vice chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi to vent their ire over a programme describing the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as judicial killing. Photograph: PTI

Amid the furore over an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asserted that strict action will be taken against the demonstrators and said that anti-national elements will not be tolerated.

When someone is in the country and raises anti-national statements, raising questions on Indias unity, diversity and sovereignty then they wont be forgiven. What happened in JNU was unfortunate and for that, I have already given the necessary instructions to the Delhi Police Commissioner, Rajnath said.

Promising firm action against the demonstrators, he reiterated that anti-national statements cannot be forgiven.

You cant raise anti-national statements while you stay in India, he added.

On Thursday, the Delhi police had registered a case of sedition against unknown persons for the event in which students shouted slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124 A of the Indian Penal Code (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) had been registered at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members, who termed the activity as anti-national.

The JNU administration has already instituted a disciplinary enquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

-- With inputs from ANI
World Report 2016 - Mali

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Mali, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd992f15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The human rights climate in Mali worsened as a result of a significant increase in violence and a marked deterioration in security, notwithstanding the June signing of a peace agreement envisioned to end the military and political crisis in the north. Attacks and violence progressively spread from the north into several southern regions and the capital, Bamako.

Throughout the year there were frequent incidents of banditry and rampant criminality; clashes between armed groups; and deadly attacks by armed Islamist groups on United Nations peacekeepers, Malian government forces, and to a lesser extent, civilians. The violence severely undermined the delivery of humanitarian aid. Government forces responded to the attacks with military operations that on several occasions resulted in arbitrary arrests, executions, torture, and other mistreatment.

Malian authorities made scant effort to investigate and hold accountable those implicated in serious abuses committed during the 2012-2013 armed conflict. The release in 2015 of some 70 men from detention, including some implicated in serious violations, raised concern of a de facto amnesty.

Rule of law institutions countrywide were weak, in part due to unprofessional practices, such as the solicitation of bribes, and inadequate budgetary allocations for the criminal justice system. Corruption, endemic at all levels of government, further impeded Malians' access to basic health care and education. There was little progress in security sector and justice reform or in addressing development challenges, such as the delivery of basic healthcare and education.

Concerns about the deteriorating security situation and the movement south of armed groups allegedly linked to Al Qaeda generated sustained diplomatic interest in Mali. The French government played a key role in military matters, the European Union (EU) on training and security sector reform, and the UN, through the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), on rule of law and political stability. However, these actors were largely reluctant to publicly call for investigations into past and ongoing crimes.

Abuses by Armed Groups in the North

Throughout 2015, armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda, along with opposing ethnic Tuareg and Arab groups, engaged in numerous clashes, attacks on Malian soldiers and neutral peacekeepers, and to a lesser extent, on aid workers and other civilians. Many civilians were wounded or killed either in these attacks or by landmines and improvised explosive devices on major roads. Groups arbitrarily detained and often mistreated combatants from opposing sides.

The attacks by Islamist armed groups increased in the north and spread into central and southern Mali. Attacks occurred in Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, and Koulikoro regions as well as Bamako, where Islamist assailants killed five in a March attack on a nightclub, and at least 18, including many foreigners, during a November attack on an upscale hotel. An attack in August on a hotel in the army garrison town of Sevare, in central Mali, killed five civilians including four UN contractors. These groups executed at least 13 civilians accused of being informants for the government, the majority in central Mali.

In 2015, there were at least 30 attacks by armed men on humanitarian agencies, hampering their efforts to deliver aid. In March, a driver with the International Committee of the Red Cross was killed when their clearly marked truck was ambushed by an Islamist armed group.

At least 10 UN peacekeepers were killed in 2015 after being deliberately targeted by Islamist armed groups, bringing the number to 42 killed since MINUSMA's creation in 2013. Armed groups took responsibility for many of these attacks, including an attack in July that killed six peacekeepers from Burkina Faso.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) at time of writing, held two foreign hostages: one from Sweden, and a dual British and South African national. AQIM released a French hostage in December 2014, and French forces freed a Dutch hostage in a military operation in April 2015.

Abuses by State Security Forces

Government forces committed numerous violations against suspected supporters and members of Islamist armed groups. Violations included arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and extrajudicial execution. The most frequent and serious abuse was meted out by army soldiers and members of the pro-government militia Groupe Autodefense Touareg Imghad et Allies (GATIA), largely targeting men from the Peuhl and Tuareg ethnic groups. In May, GATIA militiamen allegedly executed six Tuareg men including a humanitarian worker in the northern village of Tin Hamma.

The abuse usually stopped after detainees were handed over to government gendarmes, who increasingly fulfilled their mandated role as provost marshal. The military made little effort to investigate and hold to account soldiers or militiamen implicated in violations. Members of the security forces, notably the army, were also implicated in acts of extortion, bribe taking, and theft, mostly from detainees.

Accountability for Abuses during the 2012-2013 Armed Conflict

The government made little progress in holding to account those from all warring factions responsible for law-of-war violations committed during the 2012-2013 armed conflict. With few exceptions, judicial authorities failed to investigate over 100 complaints filed by victims and family members. Moreover, the 2012 torture and enforced disappearance of 21 elite "Red Berets," which in 2013 and 2014 resulted in charges against some 25 soldiers, including former coup leader Gen. Amadou Haya Sanogo, had, at time of writing, failed to move past the investigations phase.

During 2015, the authorities freed at least 74 detainees, including several allegedly implicated in serious international crimes during the 2012-2013 armed conflict. The releases, characterized by the government as a "confidence-building measure" in the context of negotiations, were carried out without regard to whether the men might have been responsible for serious crimes. The peace accord lacked provisions to address impunity and the need for justice for serious crimes committed by all sides during the conflict.

On September 18, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its first arrest warrant in the context of its Mali investigation. On September 26, Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi was surrendered to the ICC from Niger after being charged with the destruction of historical monuments, the first case of its kind before the ICC. In July 2012, Mali, a state party to the ICC, referred "the situation in Mali since January 2012" to the ICC prosecutor for investigation.

Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism

In 2014, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita established the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission by executive order. The Commission will have a three year mandate, covering the period from 1960 to 2013. It is to consist of 15 members and seven working groups. It will function under the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Development of the North. In August, the government appointed Ousmane Oumarou Sidibe as Chair of the Commission; however, his appointment and the credibility of the body were limited due to the government's failure to consult sufficiently with a wide variety of stakeholders on the Commission's membership, mandate powers, and degree of independence.

Judiciary

During 2015, there was some progress in ensuring access to justice for residents of the northern Timbuktu, Gao, and Kidal regions, demonstrated by the continued rehabilitation of local courthouses and jails and the redeployment of prosecutors, judges, and judicial police who had fled during the armed conflict. Their ability to conduct investigations outside major towns was limited by the precarious security situation. Some judicial and corrections personnel fled their posts in central Mali after attacks by armed groups.

Neglect and mismanagement within the Malian judiciary countrywide led to striking deficiencies, including insufficient staffing and logistical constraints. These shortfalls hindered efforts to address impunity for perpetrators of all crimes, contributed to violations of the right to due process, and led to incidents of vigilante justice. For example, in March, two children suspected of planting an explosive device near a police station in Gao were beaten to death by a mob.

Due to the courts' inability to adequately process cases, hundreds of detainees are held in extended pretrial detention in overcrowded jails and detention centers.

Recruitment of Children

Armed groups in the north continued to recruit and use child soldiers, some as young as 12 years old. During 2015, some 15 schools in the north were at various times occupied by members of the armed groups, and, to a lesser extent, government forces. Several children suspected of supporting the armed groups were detained in the Bamako Central Prison, in contravention of a 2013 protocol stipulating that children were to be placed in a care center managed by the UN Children's Rights and Emergency Relief Organization (UNICEF).

Key International Actors

In June, the UN Security Council renewed the mandate of MINUSMA and authorized 12,680 peacekeepers, including 40 military observers. A UN inquiry into the January shooting of three men by UN policemen from Rwanda during a protest in Gao found they had used "unauthorized and excessive force." The UN peacebuilding fund supported reconciliation and justice projects. The UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, Suliman Baldo, conducted two missions to Mali.

Algeria led peace talks, supported by members from the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union, the UN, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as regional governments.

The 3,000-strong regional French operation  known as Operation Barkhane  continued operations in Mali as well as in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. The United States military provided logistical support to Barkhane.

The EU Training Mission in Mali continued to train soldiers, and in February established the EU Capacity Building Mission to train the police, gendarmerie, and National Guard.

MINUSMA, the UN Development Programme, the EU, the Netherlands, and Canada took the lead in programs to support the justice sector and address corruption. However, their lack of coordination undermined progress in improving the sector.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Malaysia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Malaysia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993013.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Malaysia's respect for human rights plummeted in 2015, with increased harassment and persecution of human rights defenders, activists, political opposition figures, and journalists. The government reacted to rising public discontent over issues ranging from allegations of corruption to the treatment of former political opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim with a wave of repression, often relying on broad and vaguely worded criminal laws to target its critics.

Freedom of Expression

The biggest threat to free speech remains the Sedition Act, which has been used to prosecute those who criticize the government or the judiciary, or make remarks the government considers to be derogatory toward the sultans (traditional Malay state rulers) or disrespectful of religion.

The Federal Court rejected a constitutional challenge to the law in October. More than 33 people, including seven opposition parliamentarians, have been charged with sedition since 2013. Parliamentarians who receive fines of more than 2,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$475) or are sentenced to more than a year in prison lose their seats and are banned from politics for five years.

In April, the ruling Barisan Nasional, or National Front, coalition passed amendments to the Sedition Act to increase the penalties for violations and to make it easier to use the law against online speech. The amendments created a new offense of "aggravated sedition," providing a penalty of up to 20 years in prison for "seditious" statements that result, even indirectly, in harm to property or bodily injury. The strengthening of the law was a major reversal by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who had repeatedly promised to revoke the Sedition Act and replace it with what he called a Harmony Act.

The government continued to use the Printing Presses and Publication Act (PPPA) to suppress publications and limit content. The PPPA requires all publishers to obtain a license and enables the government to ban publications "likely to be prejudicial to public order," or "likely to alarm public opinion." In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs used the PPPA to suspend the publication of two newspapers for three months after they reported on allegations of corruption involving the government-owned investment fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), whose board of advisors is chaired by Prime Minister Najib. The High Court overturned the suspension in September.

The government also used the PPPA to ban "any yellow coloured clothing" bearing the logo of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (known as Bersih, meaning "clean" in Malay) and any publications about a planned Bersih rally. Despite the ban, which came into effect two days before a major rally Bersih organized in downtown Kuala Lumpur, tens of thousands of people wore yellow Bersih t-shirts to the peaceful 34-hour rally August 29 to 30. The government has instituted criminal investigations of several opposition politicians for wearing Bersih t-shirts.

The government has also used laws criminalizing defamation and statements that could lead to a breach of the peace to arrest and prosecute opposition politicians and activists for critical speech. Article 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which outlaws any communication the government considers "obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive," has been used to prosecute users of social media, investigate media, and block websites reporting on the 1MDB scandal or publishing information about the Bersih rally in August.

Lena Hendry, programme manager for the Pusat Komas Freedom Film Fest, was set to go on trial in December for allegedly violating the Film Censorship Act for her involvement in screening the documentary film "No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka" in Kuala Lumpur in July 2013. The Malaysian Federal Court in September 2015 rejected Hendry's constitutional challenge to the Film Censorship Act.

Freedom of Assembly and Association

A series of major demonstrations took place in Malaysia during 2015. In most instances, the police did not interfere with the rallies, but subsequently arrested and charged many of those involved with "unlawful assembly" or other offenses under the penal code, or with sedition, for statements they made during the rallies. Authorities declared the rallies "illegal" at least twice before they even took place.

In October, the Court of Appeals upheld the provision of the Peaceful Assembly Act that allows for criminal prosecution of rally organizers who fail to give police 10 days' advance notice, directly contradicting an April 2014 decision by the same court. After the decision, the government promptly charged opposition politician Nik Nazmi, who had successfully challenged the law in 2014, for failure to give notice of the very rally that was the basis for his constitutional challenge. The authorities also charged two of the organizers of the August Bersih rally with failure to give proper notice, even though Bersih organizers twice met with the police more than 10 days before the rally.

The Societies Act restricts the right to freedom of association by requiring that organizations with seven or more members register with the registrar of societies. The law gives the minister of home affairs "absolute discretion" to declare an organization illegal, and also gives the government supervisory authority over political parties. As of November, the registrar remained locked in a dispute with the opposition Democratic Action Party, refusing to recognize the party's central executive committee or its 120 branch offices after more than two years of investigation. According to the Registry of Societies' website, the registrar rejected more than 38 percent of the applications submitted in 2015 to form organizations.

Political Prosecution of Anwar Ibrahim

The government's politically motivated prosecution of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges  a textbook example of the political use of discriminatory laws  culminated in February, when the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence of five years' imprisonment. Since entering prison he has suffered from a variety of health problems, including a shoulder injury and back problems. In October, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined that Anwar was being arbitrarily detained and demanded his immediate release and reinstatement of his political rights.

Police Abuse and Impunity

Police torture of suspects in custody, in some cases resulting in deaths, and excessive use of force in apprehending suspects continued to be serious problems in 2015. Human rights NGO Suara Rakyat Malaysia documented at least 10 suspicious deaths in police custody in the first nine months of the year, despite promises by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in May 2014 to install closed circuit television equipment in all places of police detention.

The government continues to ignore calls from the Malaysian Bar Council and civil society groups to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission with the power to receive complaints about police conduct, independently investigate abuses, and sanction those found to have engaged in misconduct. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appointed a new chairman and new commissioners for the existing Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission in November 2014.

On November 3, 2015, the commission for the first time issued a report finding that the police were responsible for a death in custody, holding that physical violence during custody and interrogation was the cause of the death of a young man from Johor detained in November 2014. The inspector general of police has stated that the police officers responsible will not be shielded from criminal charges, but at time of writing had done little to implement that promise.

Criminal Justice System

In December 2015, the government rushed through a broad and vaguely worded National Security Council Act that empowers the prime minister to declare security areas within which restraints on police powers would be suspended and the authorities would have the ability to conduct arrests, searches and seizures without warrants. In April, the government passed a new, restrictive Prevention of Terrorism Act, which gives a government-appointed board the authority to impose detention without trial for up to two years, renewable indefinitely, to order electronic monitoring, and to impose other significant restrictions on freedom of movement and freedom of association, with no possibility of judicial review.

The authorities invoked the similarly restrictive Security Offenses Special Measures Act, which allows for preventive detention of up to 28 days with no judicial review, to detain two people involved in efforts to expose government corruption. Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang were arrested on September 18 and October 8, respectively, for filing police reports about 1MDB in several foreign countries.

They were subsequently charged with attempting to commit economic sabotage of the state under Penal Code section 124L. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Malaysia retains the death penalty for various crimes, including drug trafficking, and is not transparent about when and how decisions are made to carry out executions. Nearly 1,000 people are estimated to be on death row.

Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Trafficking Victims

The discovery of mass graves on the Thai-Malaysia border containing the remains of suspected victims of trafficking highlights the continuing problem of trafficking in Malaysia. Approximately 99 bodies, many reportedly ethnic Rohingya from Burma, were found in May, and another 24 graves were discovered in August. Little information has been made public about progress in identifying and investigating suspects involved in these trafficking camps or government officials who may have aided and abetted operations.

The Malaysian government has failed to effectively implement the amendments passed in 2014 to Malaysia's 2007 anti-trafficking law, in particular by taking the necessary administrative steps to provide assistance and work authorization to all trafficking victims who desire it, while ensuring their freedom of movement. Despite these failures, the United States government in July upgraded Malaysia in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report in what appeared to be a political move connected to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement for trade.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is pervasive in Malaysia, and that discrimination reaches the highest levels of government. Prime Minister Najib was reported to have asserted at an international seminar on August 18 that sexual and gender minorities pose a threat to Malaysian society, arguing that "groups like the Islamic State and lesbians, gay, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT) both target the younger generation and seem successful in influencing certain groups in society."

The Federal Court decided in October to reverse a lower court ruling that the state of Negeri Sembilan's prohibition on "a male person posing as a woman" was unconstitutional. The ruling seriously undermined the rights of transgender people. In June, nine transgender women were convicted by a Sharia court in Kelantan under a similar state prohibition.

On September 10, two men wielding iron bars brutally beat one of Malaysia's most prominent transgender activists, Nisha Ayub, outside her apartment building, requiring her hospitalization. She reported the apparent hate crime to the police, but at time of writing the police had not identified any suspects.

National Human Rights Commission

In November, the Malaysian government announced plans to cut its funding to Suhakam, the national human rights commission, by 50 percent, in what is widely seen as retaliation for the commission's independent reporting.

Key International Actors

Malaysia was the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit in 2015 and is a member of the UN Security Council. The country positions itself in the UN and the international community as a moderate Muslim state prepared to stand up to Islamist extremism, earning support from the US and its allies. Malaysia also has continued its engagement with China, its largest trading partner.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Libya

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Libya, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9931e.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Amid tenuous United Nations-led peace talks, Libya's political and security crisis deepened as two rival governments competed for legitimacy, control of vital institutions, and international support. Despite some factions signing a political deal in December, there was no end in sight to the crisis. As armed clashes continued, the country edged towards a humanitarian crisis, with almost 400,000 people internally displaced and increasing disruption to basic services, such as power and fuel supplies.

Forces engaged in the conflict continued with impunity to arbitrarily detain, torture, unlawfully kill, indiscriminately attack, abduct and disappear, and forcefully displace people from their homes. The domestic criminal justice system collapsed in most parts of the country, exacerbating the human rights crisis.

Armed groups that pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) continued to commit serious human rights abuses, including unlawful killings and summary executions, and succeeded in expanding and gaining control over towns in the center of the country, including Sirte.

The widescale breakdown in law and order enabled tens of thousands of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to transit through Libya as they made their way towards Europe. In Libya, they faced violence, ill-treatment, and forced labor, while at least 3,100 died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in flimsy boats provided by networks of criminal people smugglers. Over 143,500 people arrived in Italy by boat from North Africa, the vast majority from Libya, between January 1 and end of November 2015.

Armed Conflicts and War Crimes

Armed conflicts continued to rage in the east, west, and south. In Benghazi, forces loyal to the internationally recognized government battled against a coalition of Islamist militias, including ISIS and Ansar al-Sharia. Some civilians remained trapped in the areas of fighting. In the west, forces allied with the self-declared government in Tripoli continued to clash with opposing groups based in western coastal areas. In the south, Tebu and Tuareg militias clashed intermittently.

Warring factions indiscriminately shelled civilian areas, arbitrarily seized people, tortured and looted, burned, and otherwise destroyed civilian property in attacks that in some cases amounted to war crimes. Some forces also used cluster munitions and antipersonnel landmines, which are internationally prohibited weapons.

Political Process

An UN-sponsored dialogue that spanned a year sought to achieve agreement on the formation of a government of national unity and an end to fighting.

In December, some factions signed a political agreement in Skheirat, Morocco, designating a prime minister and a presidential council with a view to establishing a national unity government, and the UN Security Council passed a resolution recognizing this new entity as the sole legitimate Libyan government. However, by December the new entiy was operating from Tunisia due to key factions in Libya opposing the deal. In November, Martin Kobler took over as chief UN negotiator and special representative of the secretary-general in Libya.

Those engaged in the dialogue included in the east, members of the internationally recognized government, the House of Representatives (HoR), Libyan National Army, and affiliated militias, and in the west, members of the rival Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, as well as the rump General National Congress (GNC) and a host of armed militias affiliated with the Libya Dawn alliance.

The talks centered on a power-sharing agreement that would see the HoR remain as the main legislative authority, alongside a consultative State Council formed from GNC members.

In practice, the rival authorities continued to operate parallel institutions from al-Bayda and Tripoli, effectively creating two separate administrations, with the former also creating its own national oil company, investment authority, and national bank.

In May, Abdullah al-Thinni, head of the internationally recognized government, said he survived an assassination attempt in eastern Libya.

In October, the HoR, the legislature of the internationally recognized government, voted to extend its term of office, which legally expired on October 21, without conducting new elections, leaving a possible constitutional vacuum.

Constitution and Legislation

Libya remains without a permanent constitution. The Constitution Drafting Assembly, elected in February 2014 to draft a new constitution, hampered by political infighting and a boycott by Amazigh groups, published a first draft in September 2015. Some political groups called for readopting the 1951 Constitution of the Libyan monarchy.

The HoR failed to amend the counterterrorism law that it adopted in September 2014, although several provisions could be used to curtail free speech and rights to peaceful assembly and movement. The law prescribes harsh punishments for vaguely defined acts "that harm national unity," includes an overly broad definition of "terrorist acts," and stipulates life imprisonment for establishing or leading a "terrorist organization" and 10 years with hard labor for joining a "terrorist organization," without requiring any evidence of violence.

In July, the HoR passed a General Amnesty Law. It stipulates that those who commit crimes of terrorism, rape, torture, corruption, and murder by race or ethnicity may not receive an amnesty. However, it fails to rule out amnesties for other serious human rights crimes, such as forced displacement, enforced disappearances, and unlawful killings.

Arbitrary Detention, Torture, and Deaths in Custody

In what may amount to a crime against humanity, prison authorities and militias continued to arbitrarily detain thousands of Libyans and foreigners  including some held since 2011  without charges, trial, or due process rights, and ill-treat them in detention.

Human Rights Watch gained rare access in April to detainees in facilities controlled by the military and Interior and Justice ministries in eastern Libya and in September interviewed detainees in prisons run by the Justice Ministry of the self-proclaimed government in Tripoli and Misrata. Although conditions varied, in most facilities, detainees reported torture and other ill-treatment, and in some, deaths in custody caused by abuse.

In August, an online news site leaked video tapes in which officials and guards at al-Hadba Prison in Tripoli seemed to ill-treat several detainees, including al-Saadi Gaddafi, one of the sons of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The General Prosecutor's Office announced an investigation into the incident.

Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system collapsed or was dysfunctional: in the east, there were no prosecutions or trials, and in Tripoli, the Supreme Court's ability to exert judicial oversight and afford impartial remedy was threatened by the effective division between two rival authorities and deteriorating security conditions. ISIS-affiliated groups suspended the criminal justice system in the coastal city of Sirte and installed their own Islamic Court based on Sharia law.

International Justice and the International Criminal Court

Authorities failed to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court (ICC); he is wanted there for crimes against humanity related to the 2011 uprising that overthrew his father, Muammar.

The ICC prosecutor failed to open a new investigation into the grave and ongoing crimes within the court's jurisdiction being committed in Libya.

Death Penalty

More than 30 articles of the penal code still provide for the death penalty. Since Gaddafi's overthrow in 2011, civil and military courts around the country continued to impose death sentences. At time of writing, however, authorities had not carried out any judicial executions. The total number of people sentenced to death is unknown.

On July 28, Tripoli's Court of Assize convicted 32 former Gaddafi officials on charges of alleged crimes committed during the 2011 uprising. The court sentenced Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in absentia and eight other defendants to death, including former intelligence chief Abdullah Sanussi, and former Gaddafi-era prime ministers, al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi and Abuzaid Dorda. Serious due process violations, including denial of access to legal counsel for defendants, undermined the trial. In September, Human Rights Watch gained rare access to al-Hadba detention facility in Tripoli and met with Sanussi, Dorda, al-Mahmoudi and another son of Gaddafi, al-Saadi.

Women's Rights

The HoR failed to amend penal code provisions that deem sexual violence a crime against a woman's "honor" rather than the woman herself. The code continues to permit a reduced sentence for a man who kills his wife or another female relative because he suspects her of extramarital sexual relations. Libyan law inadequately prohibits domestic violence.

Abductions and Enforced Disappearances

Militias and criminal groups throughout Libya continued to abduct and forcibly disappear hundreds of civilians, including civil society activists, politicians, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) workers with impunity.

According to the Libyan Red Crescent, at least 600 people went missing in such circumstances between February 2014 and April 2015. Those still missing in November 2015 included four Italian oil company workers abducted in western Libya in July 2015, Suliman Zubi, a former GNC member abducted by Zintan groups in July 2014, and Abdelmoez Banoon, a Tripoli-based activist who disappeared in July 2014.

Freedom of Speech and Expression

Armed groups continued to harass, attack, and kill journalists. Victims included Muftah Al-Qatrani, who worked for a media production company prior to his murder on April 21 in Benghazi. Some international journalists reported harassment by Tripoli authorities, including questioning over contents of reports and threats of expulsion.

The fate of Sofiane Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari, two Tunisian journalists who went missing in September 2014 while on assignment in Libya, remains unclear. Groups affiliated with ISIS claimed in April that they had killed both men.

In November, the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said there were 31 individual attacks against journalists in Libya in 2015. The NGO also said that Libya ranked 154 out of 180 countries on the 2015 press freedom index.

ISIS and Other Extremist Groups

ISIS-affiliated groups continued to commit serious rights abuses while extending their presence and control of territory within Libya. They remained present around Derna and in Benghazi in the east, in the Tripoli area in the west, and in the south, and took total control of Sirte and its environs.

In January, ISIS militants attacked a Tripoli hotel, killing at least 12 people, mostly civilians, including foreign nationals. They also claimed responsibility for attacks on the Iranian ambassador's residence and the embassies of Algeria, Morocco, and South Korea. In September, ISIS-affiliated groups attacked a militia-run prison within the Mitiga airbase in Tripoli, which resulted in the reported deaths of at least three prison guards.

In Derna, ISIS militants maintained a reign of terror from January until June marked by public lashings and summary, extrajudicial executions of residents who opposed them, as well as at least four LGBT men. On February 20, ISIS said it carried out car bomb attacks in al-Qubba, a town near Derna, which killed at least 45 people, mostly civilians. In June, the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC), an Al-Qaeda affiliated militia, forced ISIS militants to withdraw from Derna's center, but in November armed clashes continued. In October, ISIS militants killed one man after forcing him to dig his own grave, and killed another by dragging him through streets.

ISIS militants took control of Sirte and the nearby villages of Harawa and Nawfaliyah, and in February 2015, issued a video showing them beheading 21 mostly Egyptian Copts in Sirte. Another ISIS video issued in April appeared to show the killing of at least 30 Ethiopian Christians in separate incidents in Sirte and southern Libya. In August, ISIS militants established a public administration and an Islamic Court in Sirte. Armed clashes between local residents and ISIS-affiliated groups resulted in at least 29 reported deaths, mostly fighters but also some civilians.

In October, masked members of ISIS publicly beheaded two men accused of sorcery, and crucified an elderly Sufi Sheikh.

Internally Displaced People

The local council of Misrata and affiliated militias continued to prevent 40,000 residents of Tawergha and residents of Tomina and Karareem from returning to their homes in what amounts to a crime against humanity, and collective punishment for crimes they say were committed by some Tawergha residents during the 2011 revolution. Those displaced remained scattered in makeshift camps and private housing around the country, but continued to face harassment and arbitrary detention. Libyan authorities failed to end this ongoing crime, while perpetrators continued to benefit from impunity since 2011.

According to the United Nations, around 400,000 people remained internally displaced due to the ongoing armed hostilities in all parts of the country, which forced them to leave their homes.

Migrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

Significant numbers of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants reached Europe from Libya by sea in 2015. Over 143,500 arrived in Italy from North Africa, the vast majority from Libya, by the end of November. However, at least 3,100 others perished at sea during the same period. In May, the European Union significantly increased search and rescue missions in the central Mediterranean.

Libya's remaining active coast guard provided only limited search and rescue operations, citing a lack of resources.

The Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration continued to detain asylum seekers and migrants found without official residence documents and hold them in inhumane conditions, where prison guards abused and ill-treated them with impunity and they lacked access to medical care.

Criminal smuggler networks also abused migrants and asylum seekers and subjected them to forced labor.

Key International Actors

The UN, the United States, EU states, and Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all played significant roles in the Libya conflict. The US, United Kingdom, and France issued several statements supporting the UN-led peace initiative.

In February, Egyptian warplanes carried out air strikes against purported ISIS targets in the eastern city of Derna, in retaliation for the alleged killings of 21 mostly Egyptian Coptic Christians by ISIS militants, killing at least seven civilians. In June, the US conducted airstrikes in the eastern city of Ajdabiya in an attempt to kill Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an Al-Qaeda operative. At time of writing, Belmokhtar's death remained unconfirmed.

In March, the UN Human Rights Council agreed to begin an investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) into ongoing rights abuses in Libya since January 1, 2014 (OIOL).

The first OIOL oral update in September said violations included attacks on civilians and civilian objects, reprisals in the form of destruction of homes, shelling of hospitals, unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, and other ill-treatment, in some cases leading to death. The report also mentioned abductions based on origin and abduction of activists and journalists. It said refugees and asylum seekers remained vulnerable to abuses.

The UN Security Council renewed the mandates of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Panel of Experts on Libya in March, and reaffirmed the international arms embargo on Libya, despite efforts by Libya and Egypt to overturn it. In July, Russia and China vetoed a council resolution that would have imposed sanctions on two individuals for obstructing the UN peace talks.

In May, the EU approved the establishment of EU NAVFOR MED, an air and sea operation empowered to use force against people smuggling networks in Libya. In October, the EU announced that the renamed "Operation Sophia" entered its second phase where it would "conduct boarding, search, seizure and diversion, on the high seas, of vessels suspected of being used for human smuggling or trafficking."

In November, leaked communication alleged the UAE had violated the existing arms

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Lebanon

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Lebanon, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9932c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Lebanon's political institutions were paralyzed as the country remained without a president, and parliamentary elections  initially planned for June 2013 and then November 2014  were postponed again until 2017. The government's failure to provide basic services, including garbage removal, led to a wave of protests starting in August. In some instances, security forces used excessive force to quell these protests.

New entry regulations in January 2015 seriously restricted Syrian refugees from accessing Lebanese territory, while stringent residency renewal regulations rendered many Syrian refugees without legal status in Lebanon. With limited international support, the government struggled to meet refugees' needs. Draft laws to stop torture and improve the treatment of migrant domestic workers stalled in parliament.

Lengthy Pretrial Detention, Ill-Treatment, and Torture

Amid increased security threats, the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces (ISF) arrested suspects in relation to attacks on civilians in Lebanon or involvement with armed groups in Syria. Some of these suspects have suffered from lengthy pretrial detention and told Human Rights Watch that security forces had beaten, severely whipped, and tortured them, including with sticks, cigarettes, batons, and rifle butts.

In the context of conducting security operations, forces also targeted Syrian refugee settlements, sometimes arbitrarily detaining all adult males and later ill-treating or torturing some of them.

In June 2015, leaked videos showed ISF members torturing inmates in Roumieh prison north of Beirut following a prison riot. The interior minister confirmed the authenticity of the videos. Media reports said that 12 ISF members were referred for investigation; no update was provided regarding the outcome of the investigations.

Lebanon has not yet established a national preventive mechanism to visit and monitor places of detention, as required under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which it ratified in 2008. Legislation to create such a body has stalled in parliament for several years.

Refugees

By November 2015, approximately 1.1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In 2015, Lebanon set new entry regulations for Syrians that effectively barred many asylum seekers fleeing Syria from entering Lebanon, save for those who qualified for entry under exceptional humanitarian criteria.

In April, the Ministry of Social Affairs requested that UNHCR deregister all refugees who entered Lebanon after January 5 as part of ongoing governmental efforts to decrease the number of Syrian refugees in the country. Since May, UNHCR suspended the registration of Syrians in compliance with the government's request. Lebanon is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and refugees lacking legal status therefore risk detention for illegal presence in the country. Approximately 70 percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon reportedly fall below the poverty line and rely on aid to survive.

Human Rights Watch also documented a few isolated incidents of deportations of Syrians and Palestinians back to Syria, putting them at risk of arbitrary detention, torture, or other persecution. Two Syrian inmates disappeared following their transfer into the custody of General Security in October and in November 2014; their relatives fear they have been forcibly deported to Syria.

Approximately 45,000 Palestinians from Syria are living in Lebanon, joining the estimated 400,000 Palestinian refugees already in the country. In 2015, Palestinians from Syria were still banned from entering the country. As of July, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) suspended its cash assistance for housing to Palestinians from Syria due to a shortage of funds.

Freedom of Assembly and Expression

In August and September, police used excessive force in a number of instances to disperse protesters demonstrating against the government's failure to resolve a trash removal problem, as well as corruption. On August 22 and 23, Lebanese security personnel used rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, rifle butts, and batons to control protesters. Security forces also fired live ammunition in the air. On August 19 and 29, and September 1 and 16, police officers also beat and arrested protesters.

Lebanon's State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud tasked a military prosecutor, who under Lebanese law has jurisdiction over crimes involving the security forces, to investigate the violence. Detained protesters charged with violence have been referred to military trials.

While freedom of expression is generally respected in the country, defaming or criticizing the Lebanese president or army is considered a criminal offense that can carry a jail sentence.

In January, Lebanese authorities summoned Al Jazeera journalist Faisal Qassem over charges of insulting the army in Facebook posts and, given his failure to show up to two hearings, issued an warrant of search and inquiry against him.

In October, political activist Michael Douaihy was released after General Security arrested and held him for nine days, and ordered him to pay a fine of $200 over a Facebook post criticizing the agency. Douaihy was indicted under article 386 of the Lebanese penal code that criminalizes libel and defamation against the president, public officials, and private individuals. Also in October, journalist Mohammed Nazzal was sentenced for six months in abstenia and fined US$666 for a Facebook post criticizing the Lebanese judiciary.

Migrant Workers

Migrant domestic workers, primarily from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Nepal are excluded from the labor law and subject to restrictive immigration rules based on the kafala system, visa sponsorship that ties workers to their employers and puts them at risk of exploitation and abuse.

The most common complaints documented by the embassies of labor-sending countries and civil society groups include non-payment or delayed payment of wages, forced confinement to the workplace, refusal to provide time off, and verbal and physical abuse. Migrant domestic workers suing their employers for abuse face legal obstacles and risk detention and deportation due to the restrictive visa system.

In December 2014, six Lebanese workers submitted a request to the Labor Ministry to form a union for domestic workers. With support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade Union Federation (ITUC), and the Federation of Trade Unions of Workers and Employees in Lebanon (FENASOL), approximately 350 domestic workers of various nationalities gathered for the union's inaugural congress on January 25, 2015.

The Labor Ministry denounced the formation of a domestic workers union on the grounds that it was illegal, as domestic work was not covered by the labor law. According to union members, the application for the union had yet to be decided at time of writing.

Starting in May 2014, nearly a dozen female migrant workers, many longstanding residents of Lebanon, reported being denied residency renewal for themselves and their children. Some were told their children were not allowed to remain with them in Lebanon and were given a short period of time to leave the country.

In March 2015, after months of advocacy by Human Rights Watch and other international and local nongovernmental organizations, General Security reversed this decision and migrant workers and their children are once again being issued residency renewals.

Women's Rights

Despite women's active participation in all aspects of Lebanese society, discriminatory provisions remain in personal status laws, nationality laws, and the criminal code.

Judges have issued scores of temporary protection orders since the enactment of the 2014 Law on the Protection of Women and Family from Domestic Violence. The new law establishes important protection measures and related policing and court reforms but leaves women at risk, as it still fails to criminalize all forms of domestic violence, including marital rape. Some women continued to report that police were unwilling to investigate their complaints, and the fund to assist victims of domestic violence has not yet been set up. Women continue to face obstacles in pursuing criminal complaints of domestic violence, mostly due to lengthy delays.

Under the 15 various Lebanese personal status laws, which are determined by an individual's religious affiliation, women across religions continue to suffer discrimination, including unequal access to divorce, child custody, and property rights. Unlike Lebanese men, Lebanese women cannot pass on their nationality to foreign husbands and children and continue to be subject to discriminatory inheritance laws.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Lebanon's penal code punishes "any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature" with up to one year in prison. In recent years, authorities conducted raids to arrest persons allegedly involved in same-sex conduct, some of whom were subjected to torture.

Legacy of Past Conflicts and Wars

Lebanese authorities continue to take no meaningful steps towards acting on proposals to set up an independent national commission to investigate the fate of people forcibly disappeared during the country's 1975-1990 civil war and its aftermath.

In October 2012, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi put forward a draft decree to the cabinet to establish a national commission to investigate the fate of the "disappeared," but no further action was taken. In September 2014, the government finally provided the families of the disappeared with the files of the Official Commission of Inquiry that had been appointed in 2000 to investigate the fate of the kidnapped. These showed that the government had not conducted any serious investigation.

Key International Actors

Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia maintain a strong influence on Lebanese politics through local allies and proxies, and increasingly so as the conflict in neighboring Syria drags on.

Many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, members of the European Union, Canada, and various Gulf countries, have given Lebanon extensive, albeit insufficient, support to help it cope with the Syrian refugee crisis and to bolster security amid spill-over violence.

The Lebanese Armed Forces and ISF also receive assistance from a range of international donors, including the US, EU, UK, France, and Saudi Arabia. Some of these actors have taken steps to improve the compliance of these forces with international human rights law, but more pressure by the international community remains necessary.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Kuwait

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Kuwait, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993355.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The government aggressively cracked down on free speech throughout 2015, using provisions in the constitution, the national security law, and other legislation to stifle political dissent, as well as passing new legislation criminalizing or increasing penalties for various forms and means of expression.

In an effort to curb local terrorism, according to authorities, Kuwait became the first country to pass a law requiring that all Kuwaiti citizens and residents provide DNA samples, in violation of the right to privacy.

Freedom of Expression

Kuwaiti authorities have invoked several provisions in the constitution, penal code, Printing and Publication Law, Misuse of Telephone Communications and Bugging Devices Law, Public Gatherings Law, and National Unity Law to prosecute over a dozen people over the last few years for criticizing in blogs or on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media the emir, the government, religion, and the rulers of neighboring countries.

Those prosecuted have faced charges such as harming the honor of another person; insulting the emir or other public figures or the judiciary; insulting religion; planning or participating in illegal gatherings; and misusing telephone communications. Other charges include harming state security, inciting the government's overthrow, and harming Kuwait's relations with other states. From January to October, courts convicted at least five of those charged, imposing prison sentences of up to six years and fines.

In June 2015, Kuwait passed a new cybercrime law that includes far-reaching restrictions on Internet-based speech. Article 6 of the law imposes prison sentences and fines for insulting religion and religious figures, and for criticizing the emir on the Internet. Article 6 also prohibits Internet-based statements deemed to criticize the judicial system or harm Kuwait's relations with other states, or that publicize classified information, without exceptions for disclosures in the public interest.

Article 7 imposes a punishment of up to 10 years in prison for using the Internet to "overthrow the ruling regime in the country when this instigation included an enticement to change the system by force or through illegal means, or by urging to use force to change the social and economic system that exists in the country, or to adopt creeds that aim at destroying the basic statutes of Kuwait through illegal means." The law empowers authorities to close for one year all outlets or locations in which these crimes are committed and confiscate devices used in committing them.

Treatment of Minorities

At least 105,702 Bidun residents of Kuwait remain stateless.

After an initial registration period for citizenship ended in 1960, authorities shifted Bidun citizenship claims to administrative committees that for decades have avoided resolving the claims. Authorities claim that many Bidun are "illegal residents" who deliberately destroyed evidence of another nationality in order to receive benefits that Kuwait gives its citizens.

Members of the Bidun community frequently take to the streets to protest the government's failure to address their citizenship claims, despite government warnings that Bidun should not gather in public. Article 12 of the 1979 Public Gatherings Law bars non-Kuwaitis from participating in public gatherings.

In media interviews during the year, government officials suggested that Kuwait may "solve" the Bidun community's nationality claims by paying the Comoros Islands to grant the Bidun a form of economic citizenship, thus regularizing them as foreign nationals in Kuwait and rendering them liable to legal deportation from Kuwait  possibly violating their right to family life.

Migrant Workers

About 2 million of Kuwait's 2.9 million population are migrant workers. Abuse and exploitation of migrant domestic workers  who comprise a large proportion of the migrant worker population  continued to be reported, including withholding of salaries, and physical and sexual abuse.

In June 2015, Kuwait passed a new law giving domestic workers enforceable labor rights for the first time. The law grants domestic workers the right to a weekly day off, 30 days of annual paid leave, a 12-hour working day with rest, and an end-of-service benefit of one month a year at the end of the contract, among other rights.

However, it has only unspecified "hours of rest" and lacks other key protections found in the general labor law, such as an 8-hour day; one hour of rest after every 5 hours of work; and detailed provisions for sick leave, including 15 days at full pay.

The domestic worker law also falls short by failing to set out enforcement mechanisms, such as labor inspections. It prohibits employers from confiscating workers' passports, a common abuse, but fails to specify penalties. The new law does not guarantee the right to form a union. It came into force on July 26, 2015, when it was published in the Official Gazette. The Interior Ministry is required to issue regulations to implement the law by January 2016.

Women's Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity

Women continue to face discrimination in many aspects of their lives, and large legal gaps remain in protections for them. Kuwait has no laws prohibiting domestic violence, sexual harassment, or marital rape. Legislation proposed in April 2014 to penalize sexual harassment was not passed in 2015. Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis, unlike Kuwaiti men, cannot pass on their citizenship to their children or spouses. Kuwaiti law also prevents a woman from marrying a partner of her choice without her father's permission.

Same-sex relations between men are punishable by up to seven years in prison. Transgender people can be arrested under a penal code provision that prohibits "imitating the opposite sex in any way."

Counterterrorism

In July 2015, in response to a suicide bomb attack on the Shia Imam Sadiq Mosque that killed 27 people, Kuwait became the first country to pass a law requiring that all Kuwaiti citizens and residents provide DNA samples to the authorities as part of a new counterterrorism law.

Death Penalty

Kuwaiti authorities are currently seeking the death penalty for 11 suspects in the Shia Imam Sadiq Mosque bombing. In 2013, they carried out five executions, the first time the country had applied the death penalty since 2007.

Key International Actors

In the 2015 US State Department annual Trafficking in Persons report, the United States classified Kuwait as Tier 3  among the most problematic countries  for the ninth consecutive year. The report cited Kuwait's failure to prosecute, convict, or sentence a single trafficking offender during the reporting period.

It found that the government failed to develop procedures to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations or a referral mechanism to provide adequate protection services to victims.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Kyrgyzstan

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Kyrgyzstan, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99336.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Unaddressed human rights problems and new setbacks marred Kyrgyzstan's rights record in 2015. Authorities targeted and harassed some human rights groups, journalists, and lawyers. Impunity for ill-treatment and torture persist, and there is still no justice for victims of interethnic violence in 2010. Human rights defender Azimjon Askarov is still wrongfully serving a life sentence.

Domestic violence against women and girls is prevalent, and multiple barriers hinder survivors from accessing help or justice. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people face discrimination and harassment. Draft laws discriminating against LGBT people and restricting the work of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) advanced further in parliament.

Kyrgyzstan held parliamentary elections in October, which international observers found to be "competitive." In August, Kyrgyzstan became a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a common market of five Eurasian states, led by Russia.

Parliamentary Elections

The election monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) found that October's parliamentary elections were "competitive and provided voters with a wide range of choice," but had concerns about the inclusiveness of the voter list, ballot secrecy, and significant procedural problems.

In November 2014, rights defenders challenged the constitutionality of a 2014 law requiring citizens to submit biometric data as a prerequisite to vote. Parliament in June dismissed Klara Sooronkulova, a judge in the Constitutional Chamber of Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court, after she was accused of publicly sharing her views on the law before the Constitutional Chamber issued its ruling. In September, the Constitutional Chamber found the law constitutional. The president of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission called on Kyrgyzstan to introduce guarantees for the independence of constitutional judges and to review Sooronkulova's dismissal.

Access to Justice

The authorities continue to deny justice to victims of the June 2010 interethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan. Ethnic Uzbeks were disproportionately killed, subjected to arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and torture, and house destruction. In April, Mahamad Bizurukov, an ethnic Uzbek on trial since 2011 in connection with the 2010 violence, was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for murder. He was released in August on parole. A handful of other June 2010-related cases are still under judicial review.

In June, during a Central Asia visit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on authorities to investigate human rights violations related to the June 2010 violence, prosecute those responsible for serious crimes, review convictions tainted by torture, and work with civil society "to promote interethnic reconciliation," including through transitional justice and reparations for victims.

On the fifth anniversary of the violence in June, the OSCE high commissioner on national minorities noted that "a sense of insecurity is still prevalent among the ethnic Uzbek community" and "little progress" has been made in investigating cases related to the June 2010 violence.

Torture

Authorities acknowledge that torture is a problem and, in May, created a specialized investigative unit in the Prosecutor General's Office. Nevertheless, the National Center for the Prevention of Torture, an independent, specialized anti-torture body, reported that "measures are not being taken to prevent and eradicate torture."

Human rights groups and lawyers say that criminal investigations into allegations of ill-treatment and torture are rare, often delayed, and ineffective, as are trials. After a four-year trial, a Sokuluk court in October acquitted four police officers charged with torture after the death of Usmanjon Kholmirzaev, an ethnic Uzbek who, in 2011, died of injuries sustained in police custody. According to information provided by the Prosecutor General's Office to the Coalition Against Torture, a group of NGOs working on torture prevention, authorities declined to open criminal investigations into 146 of 180 registered complaints of torture between January and June.

Civil Society

Despite widespread local and international criticism, parliament adopted in its first reading a "foreign agents" bill, which would require organizations that receive foreign funding and engage in broadly defined political activities to register as "foreign agents" or risk fines and closure. At time of writing, the bill was still under parliamentary review.

In March, the State Committee on National Security (GKNB) searched the homes and offices of two human rights lawyers in the city of Osh. Officials confiscated confidential client material, computers, and other equipment. The lawyers sued the GKNB, and in June, the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan upheld a ruling finding the GKNB's searches unlawful.

Human rights defender Azimjon Askarov, who is serving a life sentence after a prosecution and trial marred by serious violations of fair trial standards and allegations of torture that were never investigated, received the United States Department of State Human Rights Defender Award in July. The complaint he filed in 2012 with the UN Human Rights Committee remains pending.

Violence against Women

Domestic violence against women and girls remains a serious problem. Despite a 2003 domestic violence law, the absence of services and the authorities' inaction or hostility toward victims obstruct survivors' access to protection and justice. Police do not systematically enforce protection orders and few domestic violence complaints reach the courts. Pressure to keep families together, stigma, economic dependence, and fear of reprisals by abusers hinder some women from seeking assistance. The government is currently drafting a new domestic violence law.

In their 2015 reviews of Kyrgyzstan, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) raised concerns about the prevalence of domestic violence and called on the government to provide adequate shelter and access to justice for survivors and to train law enforcement and judicial officials.

Human Rights Institutions

Parliament considered a draft law limiting the activities of and curbing the independence of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture. Dissatisfied with the human rights ombudsman's annual report, parliament dismissed him in June, in breach of stipulated procedures. The United Nations in the Kyrgyz Republic issued a statement that "the principles of independence and pluralism of Ombudsman Institutions are not sufficiently guaranteed" by law.

Freedom of Expression

Article 19, an international media freedom rights group, published a statement noting "how government officials frequently prevent journalists from accessing information of public interest," despite an access to information law. In June, a court awarded 2 million som (US$27,750) in damages after the Prosecutor General's Office, on behalf of President Almazbek Atambaev, sued a local journalist for defamation, after the journalist wrote about the June 2010 events.

Some journalists face interference in their work. In March, national security officials arrested Umar Farooq, an American freelance journalist, in southern Kyrgyzstan, and accused him of possessing "extremist" material, charges he denied. Farooq was deported on March 29 for working without accreditation.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

LGBT people in Kyrgyzstan experience ill-treatment, extortion, and discrimination from both state and non-state actors. There is widespread impunity for these abuses. In April, assailants firebombed the office of the LGBT rights group Labrys; no one was hurt. On May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, nationalist youth groups raided a private LGBT event at a cafe in Bishkek, threatening and filming those present at the event. The police opened an investigation on charges of hooliganism.

Parliament continued to consider an anti-LGBT bill banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations," which appears aimed at silencing anyone seeking to openly share information about same-sex relations in Kyrgyzstan. When discussing the draft law, public officials used homophobic and discriminatory rhetoric.

Freedom of Religion

The government has escalated its efforts to combat religious extremism, but many investigations have been accompanied by violations of detainees' rights, according to local rights lawyers. Members of ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to abuse. In October, a court convicted popular Imam Rashot Kamalov to five years in prison on charges of inciting religious hatred and disseminating extremist material. His sentence was increased to 10 years in prison on appeal. Kamalov and his supporters believe he was targeted after publicly criticizing the police in December 2014.

According to Forum 18, an international organization that promotes religious freedom, a new draft religion law appears not to address a Constitutional Chamber ruling from September 2014 finding components of the existing law unconstitutional, such as a restriction that a religious organization can only carry out activities at its legal address. Forum 18 also decried police abuse of Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, during and after their gathering at a cafe in Osh in August.

Key International Actors

In January, Kyrgyzstan underwent its second Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. States commended Kyrgyzstan's adoption of a new constitution in 2010 and of a national preventive mechanism against torture, but raised concerns about violence against LGBT people, draft "foreign agents," and anti-LGBT "propaganda" bills, and the disproportionate prosecution and conviction of ethnic Uzbeks following the June 2010 violence.

In April, the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families identified discrimination against migrant workers, especially in employment, education, and health. It urged Kyrgyzstan to raise awareness among migrants to Russia, who "are often targets of hate crimes," and provide consular assistance there.

In May, the European Union held its annual human rights dialogue with Kyrgyzstan. Officials raised the case of Azimjon Askarov and discussed problematic draft legislation, but missed other opportunities to publicly register concern about Kyrgyzstan's poor rights record, including on the fifth anniversary of the June 2010 events.

On July 21, Kyrgyzstan terminated a 1993 Kyrgyz-US cooperation agreement, after the US State Department granted Askarov a human rights award.

In its July concluding observations, the UN CESCR issued recommendations to the government, including: end persistent discrimination on ethnic and other grounds in accessing employment and health care; withdraw anti-gay "propaganda" and "foreign agents" bills; address gender inequality, domestic violence, and bride-kidnapping; and ensure evictions are carried out in strict compliance with international human rights law.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Kenya

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Kenya, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993415.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Kenya's human rights environment faced serious challenges in 2015 as the security crisis escalated. Persistent deadly attacks by Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based Islamist armed group, culminated in the April 2 massacre of 148 people, including 142 students, at Garissa University in the northeast. The government responded to Al-Shabaab attacks with efforts to expand police and security agency powers, and curtail basic rights through new legislation. Government policies have targeted human rights organizations for closure, tried to stifle media, and threatened refugee communities with forced returns to Somalia.

Security forces continued to be implicated in extrajudicial killings, torture, disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly during counterterrorism operations in Nairobi, Mombasa, the coast and in the northeast, and rarely faced investigations or prosecutions.

At least 28 bills necessary to implement the 2010 constitution had not been passed by the five-year deadline on August 27. The constitution was negotiated after the 2007-2008 post-election violence as key in addressing past injustices. There has been no tangible progress on accountability for crimes committed during the post-election violence, which left at least 1,100 dead and 650,000 displaced.

Key security sector, land, and accountability reforms identified in 2008 as crucial to address Kenya's political crisis have also not been implemented. Throughout the year, human rights activists and civil society groups reported harassment and threats for their work on justice and accountability.

Abuses by Al-Shabaab

Suspected Al-Shabaab fighters targeted and killed at least 226 unarmed people between November 2014 and July 2015, along the coast and in the northeast. During three separate attacks on quarry workers and on a bus in Mandera county and in another attack on Garissa University, Al-Shabaab fighters singled out and killed those who could not recite an Islamic creed.

Conduct of Security Forces

Following alleged Al-Shabaab attacks in Lamu and Tana River counties in June and July 2014, security officers from multiple agencies raided communities, beating, harassing and extorting money from residents. Hundreds of predominantly Muslim and ethnic Somalis were targeted and detained without charge for periods well beyond the 24-hour limit set by Kenyan law.

After Al-Shabaab's massacre in Garissa in April 2015, the military and police were again implicated in kidnapping, killings, and disappearances of terrorism suspects in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, in northeast Kenya.

There have been no investigations into at least 10 cases of extrajudicial killings and other cases of disappearance of terrorism suspects by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) in Nairobi in 2014.

Security Laws Amendments

In December 2014, the ruling Jubilee administration proposed the Security Laws Amendments that expanded police stop and search powers, introduced new criminal offences with harsh penalties, limited the rights of defendants, and restricted freedoms of expression and assembly. The High Court in February struck down eight potentially repressive clauses as unconstitutional. However, other provisions were left intact, such as allowing pretrial detention of terrorism suspects for up to 90 days with court orders.

Accountability

Kenya has made no progress on accountability for post-2007 elections violence, including for sexual violence, but authorities continued with attempts to undermine the International Criminal Court (ICC) cases on Kenya by seeking to politicize the proceedings.

Many women and girls who survived sexual violence after the 2007 elections have serious physical injuries, illnesses, and psychological disorders and require medical care, financial, and psychosocial support.

In December 2014, the ICC prosecutor withdrew crimes against humanity charges against President Uhuru Kenyatta due to insufficient evidence that the prosecutor blamed on noncooperation by Kenyan authorities and widespread witness interference. Kenyatta's deputy, William Ruto, and former radio journalist Joshua arap Sang are standing trial on similar charges. Victims in the Kenyatta case are seeking to challenge the prosecution's decision to suspend investigations.

Both sets of Kenyan cases at the ICC have been dogged by claims of witness tampering. The trial chamber in the Ruto and Sang case found sufficient evidence of tampering to admit into evidence the prior statements of six witnesses who subsequently refused to cooperate with the prosecution, setting off a new effort in parliament to seek Kenya's withdrawal from the ICC. In early September, the court unsealed arrest warrants against two Kenyans on accusations of attempting to bribe prosecution witnesses in the case against Ruto and Sang. The arrest warrants against lawyers Paul Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett come two years after an arrest warrant was unsealed against journalist Walter Barasa on similar charges. There has not been any progress on investigations by Kenyan authorities into the late 2014 disappearance and death of Meshack Yebei, who was claimed as a witness by Ruto's defense team.

In late 2014, an ICC trial chamber indicated that the government of Kenya had not met its obligations to cooperate in the prosecution's investigations in the Kenyatta case but decided not to send a formal finding of non-compliance to the court's Assembly of States Parties for enforcement. The Office of the Prosecutor appealed the decision, and in August 2015, the Appeals Chamber referred the matter back to the Trial Chamber for review.

In March, President Kenyatta said that a report of the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions indicated that, due to lack of evidence, it would not be possible to prosecute cases arising out of the 2007-2008 post-election violence and that "restorative" approaches should be used instead.

Kenyatta issued a general apology for human rights violations committed by the government and instructed the treasury to set aside Ksh10 billion (US$9.5 million) over the next three years for victim reparations for past injustices dating back to 1963, including victims of the recent post-election violence, as recommended in the report of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

Although the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has made some progress with groundbreaking investigations into reports of police abuses since it was founded four years ago, Jubilee party legislators have called for its disbandment, accusing it of inhibiting counterterrorism efforts with demands for police accountability.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Administrative Justice and IPOA lack adequate financial support to achieve their mandates. Their reports and recommendations on human rights abuses are largely ignored by the key government officials including the president.

Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders

Reports of intimidation and harassment of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and activists continued in 2015. In April, the Inspector General of Police included two prominent human rights groups, Haki Africa and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI)  known for their work in exposing security forces' abuses at the coast  in a list of 86 individuals and organizations alleged to have terrorism links. The government also froze the organizations' bank accounts, paralyzing activities. Kenya Revenue Authority raided their offices on April 20 and 21, seizing documents and hard drives in connection with possible tax evasion investigations. In June, a court cleared the organizations of any links to terrorist activity, but their bank accounts remained frozen. They only managed to access their bank accounts after a court order in November.

The government also froze the organizations' bank accounts, paralyzing activities. Kenya Revenue Authority raided their offices on April 20 and 21, seizing documents and hard drives in connection with possible tax evasion investigations. In June, a court cleared the organizations of any links to terrorist activity. Their bank accounts remained frozen at time of writing, despite a court order in November that the accounts should be unfrozen.

The Jubilee party continued attempts to introduce tough legislative and administrative measures seemingly aimed at controlling NGOs. In 2014, the administration proposed amendments to the Public Benefits Organizations (PBO) Act, 2013, a bill seeking to amend the PBO Act to increase executive control over the public benefits authority. Parliament rejected the amendments in December that year.

In 2015, the government created a task force to gather public views to begin another process of amending the PBO Act. The Nongovernmental Organizations Coordination Board, the government regulatory body, has been drafting fresh amendments since July 2015. In October, the board said it would deregister more than 900 NGOs, alleging failure to comply with regulations and links to terrorism, but the decision was later suspended by the minister overseeing the board to allow more time for the organizations to comply.

Treatment of Refugees

Hostile and inflammatory rhetoric against Somali refugees from public officials increased, particularly in the wake of the April attack in Garissa. Authorities have, without any clear evidence, repeatedly blamed Somali refugees for security challenges facing the country.

On April 11, Deputy President William Ruto gave the United Nations an ultimatum to close Dadaab refugee camp within 90 days or the government would shut it down. Kenya backed down on the threat after a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in early May.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Homophobic groups violently attacked two gay men in Kwale County in February 2015. Both required hospitalization but feared filing statements with police.

In February 2015, police in Kwale county arrested two men on charges of "carnal knowledge against the order of nature"  the only instances in which this colonial-era penal code provision, understood to criminalize sex between men, has ever been used. Police submitted them to forced anal exams in order to compile "evidence," a degrading and illegal practice. The criminal case against them continued at time of writing. The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC), an NGO, filed a petition in September challenging the constitutionality of anal exams.

In April, the High Court overturned the NGO board's refusal to register NGLHRC on the grounds that the penal code "criminalizes gay and lesbian liaisons." The victory followed three 2014 court judgments that recognized rights for transgender and intersex people. Deputy President Ruto responded to the ruling by saying, "There is no room for gays and those others in Kenya." In a rare comment on LGBT rights, President Kenyatta said in July that "gay rights are a non-issue."

Key International Actors

Kenya plays a prominent regional role particularly regarding counterterrorism efforts. Kenyan forces remain in Somalia as part of the African Union forces. President Kenyatta also actively participated in peace negotiations in South Sudan.

Anti-Western rhetoric by Kenyan public officials declined, and relations between Kenya and Western countries improved after the ICC dropped crimes against humanity charges against President Kenyatta in December 2014. Previously, President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto had claimed that Western governments supported the ICC cases against them.

Despite having made little progress on accountability for the post-election violence, international pressure on the Kenyan government to do so has diminished.

In July, US President Barack Obama visited Kenya for the first time as president, a significant sign of improved dialogue between the two countries. Obama used the opportunity to voice concerns about human rights abuses and simultaneously pledged new security sector support worth $65 million to several African countries, including Kenya. He also hosted a meeting with civil society and emphasized the importance of not suppressing independent voices.

Kenya did not accept critical recommendations that several countries made during the examination of its rights record under the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in June, such as working to eliminate all forms of torture, ill-treatment, and disappearances of persons.

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World Report 2016 - Jordan

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Jordan, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9936c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Jordan hosted over 633,000 Syrian refugees in 2015, although authorities tightened entry restrictions and limited new refugee arrivals. The government curtailed freedom of expression, detaining and bringing charges against activists, dissidents, and journalists, sometimes under broad and vague provisions of the country's counterterrorism law. Authorities replaced the heads of major security agencies in May, but did not publicly demonstrate police accountability for abuses.

Freedom of Expression and Belief

Jordanian law criminalizes speech deemed critical of the king, foreign countries, government officials and institutions, as well as Islam and speech considered to defame others.

Jordanian authorities increasingly used counterterrorism provisions to detain and prosecute activists, dissidents, and journalists for speech offenses, relying largely on 2014 amendments to its counterterrorism law that broadened the definition of terrorism and included acts such as "disturbing [Jordan's] relations with a foreign state."

In February, Jordan's State Security Court sentenced a senior Muslim Brotherhood figure, Zaki Bani Irsheid, to 18 months in prison after convicting him of "disturbing [Jordan's] relations with a foreign state," based on a Facebook post he authored criticizing the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In June, authorities arrested Eyad Qunaibi, a university professor, over Facebook comments criticizing what he considered un-Islamic social phenomena in Jordan and its cooperation with Israel.

Jordan curtailed media freedom in 2015 by detaining and bringing charges against at least nine journalists and writers, sometimes under broad and vague provisions of the country's counterterrorism law. These included Jamal Ayoub, a freelance columnist, whom authorities arrested between April 22 and August 17 for writing a column that criticized Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign in Yemen, and Seif al-Obeidat and Hashem al-Khalidi, journalist and publisher respectively with the Soraya News website, jailed between January 28 and March 8 after the site posted an article on negotiations between Jordan and ISIS over the release of captured pilot Mu`ath al-Kasasbeh.

In 2015, a Ministry of Justice committee issued a proposed penal code overhaul that would amend at least 180 articles of the 1960 law. The draft amendments provided alternatives to imprisonment, such as community service, for the first time, but did not amend or remove articles long-used by authorities to limit free expression.

Freedom of Association and Assembly

Since the amended Public Gatherings Law took effect in March 2011, Jordanians no longer require government permission to hold public meetings or demonstrations. However, Amman hotels and other venues continued to seek the General Intelligence Directorate's permission to host public meetings and events.

The State Security Court delivered judgments in cases against political activists and demonstrators arising from protests and social media activism. In most cases, the court threw out the charge of "undermining the political regime," a terrorism charge under the penal code, and issued convictions on lesser charges carrying three-month jail sentences, which can be substituted with a fine under Jordanian law.

Refugees and Migrants

By November 2015, over 633,000 persons from Syria had sought refuge in Jordan since 2011, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Of these, approximately 79,000 were housed at the Zaatari Refugee Camp in northern Jordan, down from over 200,000 in 2013; 27,000 lived in Azraq Camp, 100 kilometers east of Amman; and 6,300 others were at the Emirates Jordan Camp in Zarqa Governorate. The rest were living outside refugee camps.

Beginning in March 2015, Jordanian authorities severely restricted informal border crossings in the eastern part of the country, stranding hundreds of Syrians in remote desert areas just inside Jordan's border for days and weeks with limited access to food, water, and medical assistance.

Jordanian authorities in 2015 initiated a "re-verification process" for all Syrians living in urban communities, requiring Syrians to prove they had proper documentation and legal status in order to obtain a service card that will later be required to receive humanitarian assistance, access medical care, or enroll children in public schools. The re-verficiation process adversly affected undocumented Syrians and those who left refugee camps irregularly, leading to cases of forced encampment in largely-closed refugee camps.

In 2015, Jordanian security forces continued to turn away Palestinian refugees seeking to enter Jordan from Syria at the country's borders. Security forces also detained and deported Palestinians who entered at unofficial border crossings using forged Syrian identity documents, or who entered illegally via smuggling networks.

In May, Jordan endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, committing to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including implementing the Guidelines on Protecting Schools from Military Use.

Jordan hosted around 80,000 migrant domestic workers in 2015, mostly from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Nongovernmental organizations repeatedly referred domestic workers who had suffered multiple abuses to labor ministry investigators who, however, rarely classified them as victims of the crime of trafficking. Instead, they treated each aspect of abuse, such as non-payment of salaries, separately, sometimes even detaining workers for "escaping" employers.

Women's and Girls' Rights

Jordan's personal status code remains discriminatory despite a 2010 amendment that included widening women's access to divorce and child custody. Marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men, for instance, are not recognized.

Article 9 of Jordan's nationality law does not allow Jordanian women married to non-Jordanian spouses to pass on their nationality to their spouse and children. In 2015, authorities began extending special privileges to non-citizen children of Jordanian women, including free education and access to health services in government institutions, as well as provision of Jordanian ID cards and drivers' licenses. The privileges, however, did not apply to children whose mothers had not resided in Jordan for a minimum of five years.

Penal code articles 98 and 340, which allow reduced sentences for perpetrators of "honor crimes," remained in force. News reports indicated that at least 10 women and girls were killed by male family members in 2015, including a woman shot four times by her father after leaving her family home and reportedly having a relationship with a man her family refused to let her marry. Authorities arrested her father at the scene.

Criminal Justice System and Police Accountability

In December 2014, Jordan revived capital punishment by executing 11 Jordanian men by hanging, ending an eight-year de facto moratorium on the death penalty. Courts had previously convicted all 11 men of murder. On February 4, only hours after the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) released a video showing its murder of a captured Jordanian pilot, Jordan executed two Iraqis, both long-term death row inmates affiliated with Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the precursor group to ISIS. All executions were carried out at Suwaqa prison, 70 kilometers south of Amman.

Perpetrators of torture or other ill-treatment appeared to enjoy impunity due to the authorities' reliance on special police prosecutors and judges to investigate allegations against, prosecute, and try fellow officers. At the Police Court, where many such cases are heard, two out of three sitting judges are serving police officers appointed by the police, and authorities rarely release information on the results of Police Court trials. To date, Human Rights Watch has not received evidence that a police or intelligence officer has ever been convicted of torture under article 208 of the penal code.

In May, Jordan announced the resignation of the heads of major security bodies, including the minister of interior, head of the Public Security Directorate, and head of Gendarmarie Forces. A Jordanian security official told Reuters that the high-level changes stemmed partly from the "heavy-handed police crackdown" in the southern city Maan in recent years, as well as the death of a detainee, Abdullah al-Zoubi, in early May, for which authorities arrested four police officers and later charged three.

Local governors continued to use provisions of the Crime Prevention Law of 1954 to place individuals in administrative detention for up to one year in circumvention of the Criminal Procedure Law. The National Center for Human Rights reported that 20,216 persons were administratively detained in 2014, some for longer than one year.

Key International Actors

In August 2015, the European Union granted Jordan 55 million (US$59 million) to help offset the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in the education sector.

In February, Jordan signed a non-binding, three-year memorandum of understanding with the United States, in which the US pledged to provide $1 billion in aid to Jordan annually, up from $660 million in recent years. The US did not publicly criticize human rights violations in Jordan in 2015, except in annual reports.

In March, Jordan joined the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that launched airstrikes and other military action against Houthi forces in Yemen. Jordan remained a participant in US-led attacks against ISIS and other extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.

In May, the Saudi Development Fund signed two grant agreements with Jordan worth $80 million to finance infrastructure projects for new industrial estates. The grants were part of the $5 billion promised to Jordan by Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2011 for development projects.

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World Report 2016 - Israel/Palestine

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Israel/Palestine, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99376.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Israel continued in 2015 to enforce severe and discriminatory restrictions on Palestinians' human rights, and to build unlawful settlements in and facilitate the transfer of Israeli civilians to the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities also arbitrarily detained peaceful Palestinian demonstrators, including children.

There was a sharp rise in killings and injuries related to Israeli-Palestinian hostilities beginning in October. Overall, Palestinians killed at least 17 Israeli civilians and 3 Israeli soldiers, and injured 87 Israeli civilians and 80 security officers in the West Bank and Israel as of November 27. Israeli security forces killed at least 120 and injured at least 11,953 Palestinian civilians in West Bank, Gaza, and Israel as of the same date, including bystanders, protesters, and suspected assailants.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities took inadequate action against Israeli settlers who injured 84 Palestinians and damaged their property in 130 incidents as of November 23, the United Nations reported. Israeli security officers arrested three Israelis in connection with an arson attack, which killed a Palestinian couple and their toddler.

Israeli authorities destroyed homes and other property under discriminatory practices that severely restrict Palestinians' access to construction permits and forcibly displaced hundreds of Palestinian residents in West Bank areas under Israeli control, as well as Bedouin citizens of Israel. Israeli courts have been unwilling to rule on the legality of the settlements under international law.

The Palestinian Authority arrested students allegedly for their affiliation with Hamas or political criticism, some of whom alleged mistreatment in detention. Hamas security forces allegedly tortured or ill-treated 258 people as of July 31, and Palestinian armed groups launched 20 rockets into Israel from Hamas-controlled Gaza as of October 31.

Neither Israeli nor Hamas authorities have prosecuted anyone for alleged crimes committed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza war, which, according to the UN, killed 1,462 Palestinian civilians, including 551 children, and 6 civilians in Israel, including one child. Israel and Egypt have maintained their partial but highly damaging closure of Gaza's borders, an unlawful act of collective punishment; they impeded the rebuilding of Gaza's devastated economy by severely restricting exports from Gaza.

Palestine also acceded to the International Criminal Court treaty and became an ICC member in April. Following a January 2015 declaration by the Palestinian government giving the ICC a mandate back to June 13, 2014, the ICC prosecutor opened a preliminary examination to determine whether the criteria have been met to merit pursuing a formal investigation.

Gaza Strip

Israel

In 2015, the Israel Defense Forces conducted 50 military incursions in Gaza as of November 23, according to the UN.

As of the same date, Israeli forces had killed 21 people in Gaza, including those shot during demonstrations at the border fence and those killed in air strikes, and injured more than 100. They also continued to shoot at Palestinian civilians in the "no-go" zone that Israel imposes just inside Gaza's northern and eastern borders and at fishermen who venture beyond six nautical miles from the shore  the area to which Israel restricts Gaza fishing boats.

In June, a UN commission of inquiry released a report regarding the 2014 Israel-Gaza war that found Israeli forces committed serious laws-of-war violations, including attacking residential buildings without an apparent military target, using artillery and other high explosive weapons indiscriminately in populated areas, and apparently targeting civilians not participating in hostilities.

Israel's military advocate general launched criminal investigations into 10 incidents, some of which he closed without indictments, even where the commission found credible evidence of violations. He indicted three soldiers, but only on charges of looting. Citing overly broad security grounds, Israel barred Gazans who had complaints that its forces had unlawfully killed their relatives from traveling to Israel to testify in court cases.

Closure

Israel's punitive closure of the Gaza Strip, particularly the near-total blocking of outgoing goods, continued to have severe consequences for the civilian population and impeded reconstruction of the 17,000 housing units severely damaged or destroyed during the 2014 war.

Egypt also blocked all regular movement of goods at the crossing it controls, and imposed increased restrictions on the movement of people. More than 70 percent of Gaza's 1.8 million people are forced to rely on humanitarian assistance.

Israel allowed incoming goods to Gaza that amounted to less than half of 2006 pre-closure levels. From the August 2014 ceasefire until September 2015, 2 million tons of construction material entered the coastal strip through the only functioning crossing point for goods  about 9 percent of the total need, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha. As of September, Gaza was unable to build some 250 new schools needed to adequately serve the population, according to Gisha.

Egypt's military-backed government maintained tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Sinai, citing attacks by armed groups in the Sinai against Egyptian security forces. The crossing has been closed, including for humanitarian assistance, since October 24, 2014, except for 37 days of partial openings, according to the UN.

A monthly average of about 2,000 Gaza residents passed through the crossing, down from 20,000 in 2013. Egypt did not permit regular imports or exports of goods through Rafah and destroyed or closed many of the tunnels beneath the border that have been used for smuggling, leading to increased prices and unemployment, particularly in the construction sector.

Hamas and Palestinian Armed Groups

The UN Commission of Inquiry report released in June regarding the 2014 Israel-Gaza war found that Palestinian armed groups committed serious violations, including firing mortars and rockets into populated areas of Israel, and unnecessarily firing from within or near civilians in Gaza, putting them at risk.

In 2015 Palestinian armed groups launched 20 rockets into Israel from Gaza as of October 31, causing no casualties but generating fear in affected cities and towns. These rockets cannot be accurately aimed at military objectives and amount to indiscriminate or deliberate attacks on civilians when directed at Israeli population centers. Hamas, which has internal control over Gaza, is responsible for policing the border and acting to ensure that illegal attacks do not take place.

The Hamas internal security agency and police allegedly tortured or ill-treated 258 people as of July 31, according to complaints received by the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), a Palestinian rights body.

West Bank

Israel

In the West Bank, as of November 27, Israeli security forces and settlers fatally shot at least 96 Palestinian civilians and wounded at least 10,854, including those suspected of attacking Israelis, according to UN and Human Rights Watch monitoring.

In July, an Israeli colonel fatally shot Mohammed al-Kasbeh, 17, apparently while he was fleeing after throwing a rock at the colonel's vehicle. In August, Israeli forces killed Falah Abu Marya and shot his son in the legs during a raid on the family's home in Beit Ummar. According to witnesses, the soldiers did not face serious danger at the time of the shooting.

During an escalation in violence that began in October, Israeli security forces and settlers killed 8 protesters and 28 others suspected of attacking Israelis. In some cases, video footage and witness accounts strongly suggest that excessive force was used. In some cases, security forces appeared to shoot multiple times suspected attackers who were lying on the ground, apparently neutralized, raising concerns of extrajudicial killings.

Israeli authorities took inadequate action against Israeli settlers who injured Palestinians and destroyed or damaged Palestinian mosques, homes, schools, olive trees, cars, and other property. As of November 23, the UN reported 130 such attacks in which settlers injured 84 Palestinians.

In July, an arson attack, apparently carried out by Israelis, against two houses in the Palestinian village of Duma killed a toddler, Ali Dawabshe, and both his parents. In December, Israeli security officers arrested three Israelis in connection with the attack.

Settlements, Discriminatory Policies, Home Demolitions

Israel continued to provide security, administrative services, housing, education, and medical care for around 560,000 settlers residing in unlawful settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

It also increased its settlement activity, authorizing construction work on 566 new settlement housing units, 529 of which were completed during the first quarter of 2015, an increase of 93 percent in housing starts and 219 percent completions over the same period in 2014, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.

Building permits are difficult or impossible for Palestinians to obtain in East Jerusalem or in the 60 percent of the West Bank under exclusive Israeli control (Area C). Palestinians in these areas have limited access to water, electricity, schools, and other state services, all of which the state makes readily available to the Jewish settlers there.

As of November 23, Israeli authorities demolished 481 Palestinian homes and other buildings in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), displacing 601 people, including 296 children. In August, Israel demolished 22 homes in four communities in an area that Israel has designated for future settlement construction, called E-1. These communities are among 46 Bedouin villages Israel has earmarked for forcible "relocation" to three sites in the West Bank.

In May, the Israeli Supreme Court permitted the demolition of Susya, a Palestinian village in the south Hebron Hills in the West Bank with about 340 residents. The villagers built their homes on their agricultural land after Israel forcibly displaced them and designated the village as an archeological site.

Freedom of Movement

Israel maintained onerous restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank, including checkpoints and the separation barrier. Settlement-related movement restrictions forced Palestinians to take time-consuming detours and restricted their access to agricultural land.

Israel continued construction of the separation barrier around East Jerusalem. Some 85 percent of the barrier falls within the West Bank rather than along the Green Line, isolating 11,000 Palestinians on the western side of the barrier who are not allowed to travel to Israel and must cross the barrier to access livelihoods and services in the West Bank. Palestinian farmers in 150 communities on the eastern side of the barrier were separated from their lands on the other side, the UN reported.

Arbitrary Detention and Detention of Children

Israeli military authorities detained Palestinian protesters including those who advocated nonviolent protest against Israeli settlements and the route of the separation barrier.

Israeli security forces continued to arrest children suspected of criminal offenses, usually stone-throwing, in their homes at night, at gunpoint; question them without a family member or a lawyer present; and coerce them to sign confessions in Hebrew, which they did not understand. The Israeli military detained Palestinian children separately from adults during remand hearings and military court trials, but often detained children with adults immediately after arrest.

As of September 30, Israel held 315 Palestinian administrative detainees without charge or trial, based on secret evidence. Israeli prison authorities shackled hospitalized Palestinians to their hospital beds after they went on long-term hunger strikes to protest their administrative detention.

Palestinian Authority

Complaints of torture and ill-treatment by West Bank Palestinian Authority security services persisted. The ICHR reported 113 complaints as of July 31.

PA security services arrested students for their alleged affiliation with Hamas or political criticism, some of whom alleged mistreatment in detention. In January 2015, police arrested Bara al-Qadi, a media student at Birzeit University, and held him for 13 days for criticizing a PA official on Facebook. In April, police arrested Jihad Salim, a student representative of a Hamas-affiliated student group at Birzeit University in Ramallah, following the group's victory in the student council election. Salim said officers beat him and held him for about 24 hours.

Palestinian governing authorities in the West Bank, as well as in Gaza, delegated jurisdiction over personal status matters such as marriage and divorce to religious courts. In practice, women seeking marriage and divorce suffered discrimination. Courts required Muslim women to obtain a male relative's consent to marry and to obtain the husband's consent to divorce, except in limited cases.

Israel

During an escalation of violence beginning in October, Palestinian civilians killed 18 Israeli and other civilians and 3 Israeli soldiers and injured 138 civilians in Israel and the West Bank as of November 30, according to the Israeli Security Agency and Human Rights Watch's monitoring.

In Israel, Israeli security forces acting alongside Israeli citizens killed five Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis.

In two separate attacks in June in the West Bank, Palestinian civilians shot at Israelis in their car. In August, an Israeli military prosecutor indicted seven Palestinian men in connection with the attacks. Two additional Israeli civilians were killed in attacks by Palestinians in April and September.

Israel passed a number of laws that risk violating rights. A law approved by Israel's Supreme Court in April makes it a civil offense to advocate for a boycott of Israel or settlements. Two laws passed in July permit the force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners

Bedouin citizens of Israel who live in "unrecognized" villages suffered discriminatory home demolitions on the basis that their homes were built illegally. Israeli authorities refused to prepare plans for the communities or approve construction permits, and rejected plans submitted by the communities themselves. In May, the Supreme Court approved the state's plan to raze the entire Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran, displacing between 750 and 1,000 residents, to implement plans to build a Jewish neighborhood on these lands.

According to the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Inequality, Israeli authorities demolished 32 Bedouin homes in the Negev, and destroyed the crops of nine unrecognized Bedouin villages (two villages' fields were destroyed twice). In al-Araqib, an unrecognized village that has been embroiled in a years-long legal battle with the state, authorities demolished all the shacks seven times.

Israel continued its openly stated policy of applying coercive measures to make the lives of about 40,000 Eritrean and Sudanese "miserable" and "encourage the illegals to leave," in the words of former Israeli Interior Ministers Eli Yishai and Gideon Sa'ar, respectively. These measures include branding them "infiltrators" under Israeli law; prolonged detention; freedom of movement restrictions; rejecting 99.9 percent of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum claims; ambiguous policies on permission to work; and severely restricting access to health care. Between January 2013 and July 2015, 5,316 Sudanese and 3,039 Eritreans left Israel.

In August, the Israeli High Court ruled the authorities could require "infiltrators" to live in the Holot "Residency Center"  a de facto detention center located in Israel's Negev desert  but required the state to reduce the maximum time from 20 months to a more reasonable policy.

Pending a new policy, it held that anyone detained for 12 months or more should be released. Authorities officially banned all released detainees from living and working in Eilat and Tel Aviv, violating their free movement rights.

Israel continued to delegate jurisdiction over marriage, divorce, and some other aspects of personal status to Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze religious courts. In practice, women seeking divorces suffered discrimination, such as refusal of divorce by state-funded Jewish religious courts without the husband's consent in up to 3,400 cases per year, according to women's rights groups. The government did not publish figures of spouses denied divorce, but women were reportedly the vast majority.

Key International Actors

The United States allocated US$3.1 billion in military aid to Israel in 2015 and $441 million in assistance to Palestinian security forces and economic support to the PA.

In January 2015, the Palestinian government lodged a declaration, giving the ICC jurisdiction dating back to June 13, 2014, for crimes committed in or from Palestine. It subsequently acceded to the Rome Statute, becoming an ICC state party in April. Based on its policy for when it receives declarations accepting the court's jurisdiction, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine to determine whether the criteria have been met to merit pursuing a formal investigation into crimes committed in and from Palestine.

The US criticized Palestine's accession to the ICC, and Israel in January froze the transfer of $473 million in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority for more than four months.

Israel and the US successfully pressured the UN not to include Israel on its annual list of countries responsible for grave violations against children in armed conflict, even though the draft 2015 report prepared by the secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict recommended adding Israel and Hamas to the list due to their repeated violations against children. The UN also did not include Hamas on the list.

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World Report 2016 - Iraq

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Iraq, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99386.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Armed conflict between the armed extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) and an array of Kurdish and central Iraqi government forces, pro-government militias, and a United States-led international air campaign dominated the human rights situation in 2015.

According to the United Nations, summary executions, car bombs, assassinations, artillery shelling, and aerial bombardment killed and injured over 20,000 civilians. Pro-government militias carried out assassinations, property destruction, and enforced disappearances. Since June 2014, the conflict has displaced close to 3.2 million Iraqis, and interrupted school for over 3 million children as well as access to medical care, food, and clean water.

Government forces recaptured the area around Tikrit in March and Beiji in October, and Kurdish forces took Sinjar in November, while ISIS took Ramadi on May 17. Ongoing battles for Ramadi, areas north of Tikrit, and in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Niniveh continue to inflict heavy casualties on both sides.

Islamic State Abuses

ISIS claimed responsibility for two devastating bombings that killed over 115 people in Khan Bani Saad, north of Baghdad, on July 17, and 67 people at Jamila Market in Baghdad's Sadr City, on August 13.

Iraqi media reported ISIS agents killing of thousands of people, sometimes in staged summary executions. On August 7, the forensic medicine department in Mosul said ISIS requested death certificates for 2,070 persons executed in Nineveh province since June 2014. Victims included candidates or elected members of local or national bodies, police, and military. Those executed included scores of former security officers, tribal leaders, and others who refused to pledge allegiance to ISIS, or whom the group suspected of cooperating with the Iraqi government.

On July 1, ISIS reportedly executed 22 members of the Jubur tribe in Badush, north of Mosul.

The reported execution of ISIS' own fighters also increased in 2015. On May 10, ISIS reportedly executed 20 of its Kurdish fighters in Sinjar and Tell Afar, and on July 10, 40 of its fighters in Hawija for weakness in battle.

ISIS also executed persons for allegedly violating what it claimed were crimes against Islamic law, including persons for alleged homosexuality, adultery, "insulting" God, and sorcery. ISIS repeatedly executed men accused of homosexual conduct, although Iraqi law does not criminalize homosexual conduct.

ISIS often executed persons by extremely cruel and painful methods such as burning, drowning, electrocution, and stoning.

In 2015, ISIS recruited children for suicide missions and to carry out executions. In June, Anbar Provincial Council Member Farhan Muhammad told reporters ISIS had abducted 400 children for military training.

Abuses by Pro-Government Forces

Mostly Shia militias fighting ISIS, such as Badr Brigades, League of the Righteous, or Imam Ali Battalions, carried out widespread and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in particular, demolishing homes and shops in recaptured Sunni areas.

Militia fighters as well as Iraqi security forces in late August 2014 succeeded in driving ISIS fighters from the Shia Turkmen and Sunni Arab town of Amerli and subsequently raided several dozen neighboring Sunni villages driven by revenge and expelled Sunni Iraqis to alter the area's demographic. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters told Human Rights Watch of 47 villages that Shia forces methodically destroyed. Raids included looting, burning, and demolition by explosives, as well as the abduction of at least 11 local men.

After recapturing Tikrit in March 2015, militia forces torched and blew up hundreds of buildings and destroyed large sections of neighboring al-Dur, al-Bu 'Ajil, and southern al-Alam. Militias also forcibly disappeared some 200 men and boys.

Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also carried out, or failed to prevent, destruction of Arab homes and looting of shops in areas recaptured from ISIS. Witnesses implicated Peshmerga forces in the wholescale destruction of the village of Barzan, in Zumar district, in September 2014, as well as in nearby Bardiya town, where KRG forces, at a minimum, allowed Kurdish civilians to raze Arab houses.

Displacement and Movement Restrictions

The central government and KRG, militias, and ISIS on different occasions barred people from fleeing to safer areas. Following ISIS' capture of Ramadi on May 17, government security forces blocked many of the over 100,000 fleeing residents from crossing into Baghdad province without a local guarantor.

KRG authorities required fleeing Arab Iraqis to have local Kurdish guarantors to enter Kirkuk province, and, from there, Sulaimaniya, Erbil, or Dohuk provinces. In late 2014, KRG authorities required Arab Iraqis to obtain renewable residency permits and issued temporary permits for travel between Kurdistan's provinces.

Peshmerga and Asayish forces barred some Arab residents from returning to their villages and towns after they had cleared the area of ISIS. In some areas, such as Rabi'a in Nineveh, returnees required permits.

ISIS tightened its grip on Fallujah and Mosul and prohibited anyone from leaving. Some managed to leave, citing medical reasons and paying bribes of up to tens of thousands of US dollars, or leaving family behind who faced execution if the person failed to return.

Freedom of Assembly and Expression

ISIS executed over one dozen journalists, including Firas al-Bahar on May 19, Jasim al-Jubur, on May 20, and Suha Radhi on July 7, all in Mosul, the Iraqi Observatory for Press Rights said. In late May, ISIS named five "mercenary so-called journalists led astray," threatening their lives. In August, ISIS forces tied dozens of Rutba residents to light poles for several days as punishment for publicly protesting the execution of a fellow tribesman, several Iraqi media outlets reported.

KRG authorities arrested and prosecuted critics. On February 2, Asayish security forces detained and charged Sabah al-Atrushi with terrorism over public comments critical of senior Peshmerga commanders. On August 4, intelligence agents of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party arrested Esa Barzani over pictures on Facebook supporting Kurdish leaders rivaling KRG President Masoud Barzani. On October, KDP authorities shut down NRT and Kurdish News Network, two opposition TV stations, and banned Muhammad Yusif Sadiq, the speaker of parliament from the opposition Change Movement, from Erbil, the seat of parliament.

Iraqis who publicly criticized officials and corruption faced threats and prosecution. In June, the Publication and Media Court awarded Ala' Rasul Muhi al-Din, inspector-general of the Electricity Ministry, 3 million Iraqi dinars (US$2,696) for "defamation" by Ibrahim Zaidan, a journalist, after he questioned the inspectorate's integrity. On July 25, Ala' al-Subaihawi, a correspondent for Sumeria Satellite TV, faced charges of "spreading false news" for reporting that Maysan's police chief had resigned. On August 20, 2015, Najaf Deputy Governor Tala Bilal physically attacked Dhiya' al-Gharifi, editor-in-chief of Najaf Now magazine, because he disliked his article two weeks earlier about workers protesting to be paid.

Since July, Iraqis in large numbers have peacefully protested against a lack of services and corruption. On August 14, several journalists at anti-corruption demonstrations in Baghdad reported that security forces instructed media to stop live coverage. Journalists in Dhi Qar and Karbala governorates received similar orders. On August 21, thugs claiming to be with the Popular Mobilization Forces, the official militia umbrella organization, attacked reporters and camera persons for the TV channels Mada, Sharqiya, and Baghdadiya covering the Baghdad protests. On August 24, the Iraqi Observatory for Press Freedoms registered eight cases of assault, expulsion, threats, and incitement to murder against journalists in Basra, Samawa, Baghdad, and Diyala covering the demonstrations.

Accountability and Justice

Iraqi courts continue to impose the death penalty. In October 2014, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported with regard to the death penalty that "persistent and serious flaws remain in the ... criminal justice system, notably ... violations of due process and fair trial rights."

In the first KRG execution since instituting a moratorium in 2008, Kurdish authorities in August executed a man and his two wives for the abduction and murder of two schoolgirls in 2011 and 2012. In July, Iraq's cabinet proposed for parliamentary ratification procedural changes to speed up executions by empowering the justice minister to ratify execution warrants if the president has not done so within 30 days. In August, President Fuad Masum signed 21 execution warrants, but also expressed reservations about the cases of some of more than 700 persons on death row.

In July, Iraq's Central Criminal Court tried 28 persons for participating in the June 2014 ISIS massacre of up to 1,700 Shia military cadets. The trial lasted only a few hours, and the court sentenced 24 to death, despite defendants claiming their confessions were extracted under torture and that they could not choose defense lawyers.

Accountability for grievous crimes remained weak. There was no accountability for the abduction and murder of Sheikh Qasim Janabi in February 2015 by suspected Shia militants posing as security officials. Armed men grabbed Janabi, a Sunni sheikh engaged in intersectarian dialogue, in plain daylight with eight others, including his nephew, who survived. Prime Minister Abbadi ordered an investigation, but no suspects had been named or apprehended at time of writing. In Baghdad and Diyala, criminal gangs who Sunni victims say are affiliated with the Iraqi security services and Shia militias carried out uninvestigated assassinations and threats.

In one case, courts held Shia militiamen accountable. Baghdad's Rusafa Criminal Court in May sentenced to death an unknown number of defendants for their role in the August 2014 massacre of 30 Sunni worshippers at the Musab bin Umair mosque in Diyala province.

Women's and Girls' Rights

ISIS continued to sexually enslave and abuse Yezidi women and girls. By September, over 2,000 Yezidi women and girls had escaped, but over 5,200 remained in the hands of ISIS, according to Vian Dakhil, a Yezidi member of Iraq's parliament. Human Rights Watch documented a system of organized rape and sexual assault, sexual slavery, and forced marriage by ISIS forces. Yezidi women and girls told Human Rights Watch how ISIS members forced them into marriage; sold, in some cases a number of times; or given as "gifts" to ISIS fighters.

In 2015, ISIS reportedly forced Muslim women into marriage with fighters, imprisoning or executing those who refused, and instituting a female "Khansa," or morality, department to enforce morality codes among women of Mosul.

In June, the Karamsha and Shawi tribes of Basra agreed to settle their dispute over the murder of a Karamsha woman by the Shawi tribe handing over 10 unmarried tribeswomen as compensation. Karamsha men could then marry these women. Civil society pressure and tribal and official negotiations did not undo the agreement, and though no women had been handed over by September, they continued to remain at risk of forced marriage.

The government did not introduce measures to combat illegal arrests, due process violations, and assaults of women, to which security forces subjected many of the over 1,000 women in detention.

The KRG banned female genital mutilation by law in 2011, and several campaigns have since contributed to a decline in its prevalence, although its use continues for about half of all girls in Iraqi Kurdistan, German-Iraqi campaign group WADI reported.

Key International Actors

The United States and Iran supported Baghdad's military campaign against ISIS with equipment, training, intelligence, and advisors. Lebanon's Hezbollah group and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Al-Quds Force sent forces into combat in Iraq.

The US-led coalition bombing ISIS positions included France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, and Australia. Denmark and the US reviewed several airstrikes following allegations of civilian casualties. Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the Czech Republic, among others, also provided military equipment, including to Peshmerga forces. The US remained the largest provider of military equipment to Iraq.

Iraqi militias implicated in human rights abuses used US and Iranian weapons in their operations. The US State Department's 2014 annual report on end-use monitoring provides only cursory information on withheld military export licenses. Washington has not made available any further information, despite legal requirements that the government make information about suspended units public, to "the maximum extent practical." In its annual report on export controls for 2014, the European Union noted three denials of licenses to Iraq based on human rights and international humanitarian law concerns.

The US FY16 National Defense Authorization Act tightens obligations on the Defense Department to report on its security aid to the Iraqi government  including on end-user monitoring, suspending support for certain Shia militias, and addressing grievances related to the illicit arrest, detention, and unfair trials.

The UN Human Rights Council in March condemned abuses by ISIS after an OHCHR report earlier that month found that the group may have committed genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It failed to condemn possible war crimes by government forces.

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Lent is a season of drawing into a deeper intimacy with Jesus. Watching sacred films during Lent is one method I use to draw closer to Christ. Here are seven films I recommend watching this Lent:(2016) It opens in theaters on February 19, 2016. While I have yet to see this film, the reviews are wonderful! Catholic World Report reviews it as does Our Sunday Visitor and Lisa Hendey gives her endorsement. (2012) Filmed in Europe, the first full-length feature movie on Augustine uses a historic backdrop to tell the true story of one of the Church's most beloved and well-known Saints. Its message of sin, conversion, redemption is as timely today as it was in the 5th century of Augustine. It is the story of a gifted man who pursues fame and fortune without a moral compass - and the dramatic changes that occur in his soul when challenging events lead him to see the light of truth. It also chronicles the collapse of the Roman world and how Augustine laid the intellectual foundations of what became Europe. With Augustine, the stories of two other great saints, Monica and Ambrose, are also portrayed.(1959) Charlton Heston plays Judah Ben-Hur, a proud Jew who runs afoul of his ambitious boyhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) in this epic that boasts an unforgettable chariot race and earned 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Heston) and Best Director (William Wyler). Condemned to life as a slave, Judah swears vengeance against Messala and escapes, later crossing paths with Jesus.(2004) Oscar-winning actor-director Mel Gibson helms this epic that focuses on the last 12 hours of Jesus's life -- from the betrayal, trial and death of Jesus to his brutal crucifixion and resurrection from the tomb. Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Maia Morgenstern as Jesus's mother and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene, The Passion is spoken entirely in Latin and Aramaic, and the violent Crucifixion scenes are incredibly graphic.2005) Director Philip Groning's study of the Grande Chartreuse monastery introduces a world of austere beauty as it follows the daily activities of the resident monks, whose silence is broken only by prayer and song. With no sound save the natural rhythms of age-old routines, the documentary -- a Special Jury Prize winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival -- captures the simplicity and profundity of lives lived with absolute purpose and presence.(2005) This film is one of my all-time favorites! It is an outstanding film on the amazing life of St. Anthony. It presents Anthony as a dynamic and appealing person who sacrificed wealth, popularity and family for the Kingdom of God.Born into a Portugese noble family in 1195, Anthony defied his father's wishes to become a knight and, instead, followed the call of God to become a monk, eventually joining the Franciscans as a follower of St. Francis of Assisi. Anthony became renowned for his powerful preaching and his miracles that won countless souls to Christ. The film follows his travels through Italy, his mission to Morocco and his meeting with St. Francis. It beautifully portrays the power of his preaching, the holiness of his life, his love for the poor and oppressed, and the wonders of his miracles.(2014) In Mexico in the late 1920s, President Calles institutes a vicious ban on Catholicism that results in many deaths and prompts retired general Gorostieta to join the motley militia groups fighting to preserve religious freedom throughout the country.For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain't the Lyceum.
World Report 2016 - Indonesia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Indonesia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993915.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

President Joko Widodo's record during his first year in office was mixed. His administration signaled it would more actively defend the rights of Indonesia's beleaguered religious minorities, victimized by both Islamist militants and discriminatory laws, but made few concrete policy changes. He granted clemency in May to five of Papua's political prisoners and released another one in October, but at time of writing had not freed the approximately 70 Papuans and 29 Ambonese still imprisoned for peaceful advocacy of independence.

In May, the president  commonly referred to as Jokowi  announced the lifting of decades-old restrictions on foreign media access to Papua but then did not follow through, allowing senior government officials to effectively defy the new policy without consequences. In August, Jokowi announced that the government would form a "reconciliation commission" to address gross human rights abuses of the past 50 years, but left out the details.

Jokowi's outspoken support for the death penalty and his decision to make execution of convicted drug traffickers a symbol of his resolve reflected serious backsliding on his reform agenda. Indonesia executed 14 convicted drug traffickers in 2015, including a Brazilian who reportedly had severe mental disabilities, in the face of intense international criticism. Under Jokowi's predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia had executed only 20 people in 10 years.

Indonesia's two largest Muslim organizations, the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, declared their commitment to promote human rights, campaign against violence committed in the name of Islam, and dampen Sunni-Shia sectarian divisions.

Starting in August and continuing through November, thick haze from fires set during annual forest clearing produced an environmental and health crisis in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Singapore, and Malaysia. In response, the National Police arrested seven plantation executives, including one from Singapore-based Asia Pulp and Paper, and fined dozens of other palm oil companies.

Religious Freedom

There were 194 incidents of violent attacks on religious minorities in the first 11 months of 2015, according to the Setara Institute, a nongovernmental organization that tracks religious intolerance. That number equals the total for all of 2014, demonstrating that religious violence remains a serious problem.

Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Saifuddin took steps in 2015 to more actively counter harassment of religious minorities, a welcome change after a decade of passivity and at times complicity by officials. In January 2015, Saifuddin took to Twitter to defend an academic in Aceh province who had been falsely accused of committing blasphemy on campus. In August, Saifuddin announced that his ministry was drafting a bill to ensure religious freedom for all Indonesians, "including those outside the six main religions of Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism."

On June 15, after the Aceh Ulama Council declared the Gerakan Fajar Nusantara sect to be "heretical," the Banda Aceh district court convicted the sect's leader and five members of blasphemy, sentencing them to prison terms of three to four years. In October, local authorities in Singkil regency, Aceh, forced Christians to close 10 churches after Muslim militants burned down one church. A Muslim was shot to death in a clash outside one of the churches.

Also in June, the Constitutional Court rejected a petition to allow inter-religious marriage, ruling that the 1974 Marriage Law was valid because it legalized marriage "in accordance with the respective religious beliefs of the bride and groom."

On July 8, the South Jakarta district administration ordered the closure of an Ahmadiyah mosque in Bukit Duri in response to pressure from Sunni militants. That same month, three churches were forced to close in Bandar Lampung, Yogyakarta, and Samarinda.

On July 17, ethnic Papuan Christian militants demanded that a mosque in Tolikara district, Papua, not use a loudspeaker to broadcast its Idul Fitri prayer, burning down the mosque and dozens of nearby food stalls when mosque authorities refused to heed their demand. Security officers fired at the protesters, killing one and wounding 11 others.

On September 2, the Islamic People's Forum (Forum Umat Islam), a militant group connected to the Indonesian Ulama Council, declared that Sapta Darma traditional faith believers in Rembang, Central Java, were "blasphemers" and forced them to stop renovations to their temple. Police and government officials refused to intervene and instead persuaded the Sapta Darma to delay the renovations for an unspecified period of time.

Women's and Girls' Rights

Indonesia's official Commission on Violence against Women reported that as of October, national and local governments had passed 31 new discriminatory regulations in 2015, leaving Indonesia with 322 discriminatory local regulations targeting women.

The Indonesian armed forces and police require female applicants to undergo abusive, discriminatory, and unscientific "virginity tests." After Human Rights Watch research put a spotlight on the issue in 2015, some officials criticized continued use of the tests but did not ban them. "We need to examine the mentality of these [female] applicants. If they are no longer virgins, if they are naughty, it means their mentality is not good," said Indonesian military spokesman Maj. Gen. Fuad Basya.

In July, the Ministry of Defense issued a regulation allowing male employees to take second wives if their first wives are unable to bear children. The regulation forbids female personnel from practicing polygamy. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has emphasized that "polygamy violates the dignity of women," constitutes "inadmissible discrimination against women," and "should be definitely abolished wherever it continues to exist."

In June, the Constitutional Court rejected a petition to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18. Only one judge, the sole woman on the nine-member panel, dissented. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Indonesia ratified in 1990, defines a child as anyone under age 18, and the CRC Committee has determined that 18 should be the minimum age for marriage regardless of parental consent.

Papua

The Jokowi government has sought to take a new approach to the provinces of Papua and West Papua ("Papua"), home to a low-level insurgency and a larger peaceful pro-independence movement. On May 9, Jokowi visited the Abepura prison and released five political prisoners, promising to release other Papuans imprisoned for political crimes in consultation with the parliament. There were at least 45 political prisoners in Papua at the end of September, according to the monitoring group "Papuans Behind Bars." Papua's most famous political prisoner, Filep Karma, was released in October.

Meanwhile, suppression of the rights to freedom of expression and association in Papua continued. On May 20-22, police detained dozens of activists of the West Papua National Committee, a pro-independence group, during peaceful rallies in the cities of Jayapura, Manokwari, and Merauke. Police subsequently arrested four of those activists  Alexander Nekenem, Yoram Magai, Mikael Aso, dan Narko Murib  on charges of "public incitement." In November, they were sentenced to one-and-a-half year jail terms.

New incidents of security force violence also continue to be reported. Two allegedly drunken soldiers opened fire on a crowd in Koperapoka, Mimika regency, on August 27, killing two people and wounding two others. In December 2014, security forces allegedly shot and killed five peaceful protesters in the town of Enarotali; a year later, the government had still not released the results of official investigations into the shootings or arrested any suspects.

On May 10, President Jokowi announced the lifting of restrictions on foreign media access to Papua. A month later, the Foreign Ministry announced the abolition of the "Clearing House" that had screened Papua access applications of foreigners for decades. But numerous senior government and security forces officials balked and openly resisted the change. In August, the Ministry of Home Affairs unveiled a new regulation that would have imposed onerous new reporting restrictions on foreign media nationwide. Jokowi ordered its cancellation the next day. However, the National Police still require accredited foreign journalists to apply for a travel permit to visit Papua, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also still requires such journalists "to notify" the ministry of their schedules and activities in Papua.

Military Reform and Impunity

In June, the government announced it would establish a "reconciliation commission" to seek a "permanent solution for all unresolved human rights abuses," including the 1965 anti-communist massacres that killed an estimated one million people and numerous other gross human rights violations since that time.

The government did not provide details about how the commission would work, apart from saying it would not conduct investigations into specific abuses but focus on creating a "settlement mechanism" for victims and their survivors. As such, it appeared highly unlikely it would include powers to pursue criminal accountability for the most responsible senior officials, despite continuing demands for justice from victims.

In August Brig. Gen. Hartomo was promoted to become governor of the Military Academy in Magelang. In 2003, Hartomo, then Special Forces commander in Papua, was tried and convicted by a military tribunal for his involvement in the killing of Papuan leader Theys Eluay.

Disability Rights

Tens of thousands of Indonesians with psychosocial disabilities spend their lives chained or locked up in homes or institutions instead of receiving community-based mental health care. The government passed a new mental health law in 2014 to address Indonesia's dire mental health care situation but has yet to implement it.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, pending in the Indonesian parliament at time of writing, was expected to pass in 2016. While the bill represents a major advancement, activists say it does not fully comply with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Indonesia ratified in 2011.

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

In May, the government acceded to international pressure and began rescuing boatloads of ethnic Rohingya from Burma and Bangladesh stranded at sea for weeks on poorly provisioned, unseaworthy vessels. Although Indonesia agreed to bring rescued asylum seekers and migrants ashore, it said that they would only be sheltered temporarily and would need to be resettled to third countries after a year.

As of August, there were 13,110 refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, all living in legal limbo because Indonesia is not a party to the Refugee Convention and lacks an asylum law. This included 1,095 children detained in immigration centers, of which 461 were unaccompanied minors.

Key International Actors

The United States, an important trade partner, continued to seek closer military ties with Indonesia. President Jokowi made his first state visit to the US in October, but it was cut short because of the Asian haze crisis, and neither side publicly addressed human rights issues. Jokowi focused largely on attracting US-based companies to invest more in Indonesia. In April, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom again placed Indonesia in Tier 2, the second worst category, where it has been since 2003.

In June, the Melanesian Spearhead Group, a regional organization largely made up of southern Pacific island nations, gave observer status to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, the umbrella organization of pro-independence Papuans.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors after Indonesia executed citizens of the two countries on January 18 for drug crimes. Australia similarly recalled its ambassador after Indonesia executed two Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, on April 29.

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World Report 2016 - Honduras

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Honduras, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993b15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Rampant crime and impunity for human rights abuses remain the norm in Honduras. Despite a downward trend in recent years, the murder rate is among the highest in the world. Efforts to reform the institutions responsible for providing public security have made little progress. Marred by corruption and abuse, the judiciary and police remain largely ineffective.

Journalists, peasant activists, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are among those most vulnerable to violence. Government efforts to investigate and prosecute violence against members of these groups made little progress in 2015.

The Council of the Judiciary has ignored due process guarantees in suspending and dismissing judges, thus increasing their vulnerability to political pressures. In December 2012, Congress arbitrarily dismissed and replaced four Supreme Court judges.

Police Abuse and Corruption

The use of lethal force by the national police is a chronic problem. Investigations into police abuses are marred by inefficiency and corruption; little information about them is made public; and impunity is the rule.

Efforts to address endemic corruption within the police force have made little progress. According to police documents cited by the newspaper El Heraldo, some 20 top officers who had been fired for failing confidence tests  including criminal background checks and polygraphs  were in service in mid-2015, as were several officers convicted of criminal activities.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez has expanded the military's role in combating violent crime, although military intervention was first announced in November 2011 as a temporary intervention pending reform of the national police. Allegations of human rights abuses by the military have increased notably since then. Military police were accused of involvement in at least nine killings, more than 20 cases of torture, and about 30 illegal arrests between 2012 and 2014, a Reuters investigation found, and at least 24 soldiers were under investigation in connection with the killings.

Judicial Independence

Judges face politically motivated intimidation and interference. In December 2012, Congress voted to remove four of the five justices in the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber after the justices ruled that a law aimed at addressing police corruption was unconstitutional. A month after the appointment of four replacements, in January 2013, the new court rejected a legal challenge by the dismissed justices.

In April 2015, at the petition of ruling party legislators, the court struck down a long-standing constitutional prohibition of presidential re-election. The decision will allow President Hernandez to run for a second term in 2017 if he chooses to do so. A proposal by former President Manuel Zelaya to call a referendum seeking to revoke the same constitutional prohibition was one of the main reasons the military gave for overthrowing Zelaya in 2009.

The replacement of the four Supreme Court justices was part of a broader pattern of interference. In 2015, lawyers' groups accused the Council of the Judiciary, which has the authority to appoint and dismiss judges, of using the threat of disciplinary action to intimidate judges and influence judicial decisions.

The selection process for the council, which was established by a 2011 constitutional reform, lacked safeguards to protect against political interference, according to the International Commission of Jurists, and irregularities included the exclusion of representatives from one of Honduras's two judicial associations. By December 2014, the Council had fired 29 judges and suspended 28, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although the basis for disciplinary action and the applicable penalties had yet to be defined by law.

Attacks on Journalists, Lawyers, and Human Rights Defenders

Journalists, legal practitioners, and human rights defenders continue to suffer threats, attacks, and killings. Forty-three journalists were murdered between 2010 and 2014, according to the National Human Rights Commissioner (CONADEH). The IACHR received reports of eight more murders of journalists between January and July 2015. In most cases, authorities fail to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists. By the end of 2014, only 12 cases had been brought to trial, according to the government.

In February 2015, Carlos Fernandez, a news presenter for Channel 27  whose offices are on the island of Roatan  was shot and killed on his way home from work. A candidate in local elections in 2013 and a critic of the 2009 coup, Fernandez was a member of the opposition party LIBRE and was reported to have received threats in connection with his reporting.

The IACHR received reports of the killing of 86 legal practitioners and 22 human rights defenders between 2010 and 2014.

In May 2015, the government enacted a law to protect human rights defenders, journalists, and legal practitioners. The law creates a 14-member National Council for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, with representatives from human rights organizations, press associations, and associations of lawyers, judges, and prosecutors, as well as a "protection system" headed by the Secretariat of Justice, Human Rights, Governance, and Decentralization.

Rural Violence

More than 90 people have been killed in recent years in land disputes in the Bajo Aguan Valley, most of them since 2009, according to a March 2013 report by CONADEH. Scores more have been victims of attacks, threats, abductions, and police brutality.

The land disputes often pit international agro-industrial firms against peasant organizations over the rightful ownership of lands transferred following a 1992 reform to the country's agrarian law. While most victims have been peasants, private security guards have also been killed and wounded.

Honduran authorities have been ineffective at investigating abuses or providing protection for those at risk. A Human Rights Watch investigation in 2013 into 29 cases of homicides and two abductions committed in Bajo Aguan between 2010 and 2012 found that none of the cases had been successfully prosecuted. In April 2014, a special prosecutorial unit was set up to investigate the crimes. The unit's chief prosecutor stated in an August 2015 press interview that it had yet to solve any of them.

Indigenous leaders active on environmental concerns have also suffered violent attacks carried out with impunity. In April 2015, Luis de Reyes Marcia, a member of the Tolupan indigenous community in Locomapa, Yoro  which has opposed local logging and mining activities  was stabbed to death at night in his home. Three other leaders from the same community were shot dead in 2013, and their alleged killers remained at large at time of writing. De Reyes' wife, Dilma Consuelo Soto, was one of 18 community members who received protection measures from the IACHR following the 2013 killings.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Homophobic violence is a major problem. The IACHR received reports of 174 bias-motivated killings of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people from 2009 to 2014. In August 2013, the government set up a special unit in the attorney general's office to investigate and prosecute such killings and those of members of other vulnerable groups. According to official figures, 10 people had been convicted of such crimes by October 2014; 42 cases had been brought to court.

Violence against Children

Children experience high levels of violence, largely perpetrated by armed gangs. Many are recruited into these gangs or are frequently under pressure to join them, according to press reports. Fear of violence drives hundreds of other children every year to leave their homes and head north, often unaccompanied, to Mexico and the United States. A 2014 report by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) found that 43 child migrants from Honduras (out of a sample of 98) identified violence by organized armed criminal actors as a motive for leaving their home country. Some migrants who had been deported back to Honduras told Human Rights Watch they were living in hiding and were afraid to go out in public.

Prison Conditions

Inhumane conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, and poor sanitation, are systemic in Honduran prisons. Designed to hold up to 8,600 inmates, the country's jails were holding more than 15,000 in February 2015 according to the prison service. Corruption among prison officials is widespread. Prison guards in many facilities have effectively relinquished control and discipline to the inmates, which has led to abuses, extortion, and violent confrontations.

Key International Actors

In May 2014, Honduras's human rights performance was assessed as part of the United Nations Human Rights Council's periodic review process. Honduras agreed to consider a US recommendation that it comprehensively reform its police forces and phase out the involvement of the military in policing duties.

In March 2015, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, who visited Honduras in July 2014, reported that, despite government reforms, women continued to be discriminated against and subject to violence and sexual and reproductive rights violations.

In June 2015, the Committee on the Rights of the Child published its concluding observations on Honduras's combined fourth and fifth periodic reports. The committee recommended that Honduras strengthen measures to investigate, prosecute, and sanction cases of death and extrajudicial killings of children.

In October 2015, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Honduras to have violated the rights of four judges who were dismissed for opposing the 2009 military coup against former President Zelaya. The court ordered the judges reinstated.

In January 2015, in response to an influx of unaccompanied child migrants to the US, President Barack Obama asked the US Congress to approve an unprecedented US$1 billion in aid to Central American countries. Three hundred million dollars of the aid was aimed at improving police efficiency, backing community-led plans to tighten security, and strengthening prosecutorial capacity to deal with violent crime.

In a 2014 report based on interviews with 35 Honduran migrants in detention in the US or recently deported to Honduras, Human Rights Watch found that virtually all were summarily deported. Of those who expressed fears to US Border Patrol officials about returning, fewer than half were referred for a further assessment of whether their fears were "credible" or "reasonable."

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World Report 2016 - Haiti

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Haiti, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993c15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The terms of the majority of lawmakers in Haiti ended in January 2015 without new elections to replace them, shutting down the parliament. While President Michel Martelly governed pursuant to constitutional provisions permitting government institutions to continue operations, the lack of a legislature and protracted political stalemates over elections hindered the Haitian government's ability to meet the basic needs of its people, resolve longstanding human rights problems, or address continuing humanitarian crises.

As of June, only 3 percent of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake remained, according the International Organization for Migration. Authorities, however, failed to assist many of the remaining 60,000 IDPs to resettle or return to their places of origin, and many continued to face environmental risks and the threat of forced evictions.

Haiti's cholera epidemic, which has claimed more than 9,500 lives and infected over 770,000 people in five years, surged in the first four months of 2015 following a significant decrease in 2014. There were more than 20,500 suspected cases and 175 deaths as of August 1.

A controversial regularization plan for foreigners in neighboring Dominican Republic caused an influx of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent into Haiti; authorities were ill-prepared to meet their humanitarian needs.

Elections

At time of writing, nearly all elected national and local positions were open or filled by appointees; the only exceptions were the president and one-third of Haiti's senators. Negotiations between the provisional electoral council, executive branch, and political parties culminated in a March presidential decree mandating three election dates: first-round legislative elections on August 9; second-round legislative, first-round local and municipal, and presidential elections on October 25; and a presidential run-off election on December 27.

Haitian human rights groups raised concerns about some acts of violence in the pre-election period. They also documented irregularities in the August elections, leading to a repeat of first-round legislative elections in 22 of 119 districts, held concurrently with the first-round presidential elections.

The October 25 elections were mostly nonviolent, but were marked by low voter turnout. Approximately a quarter of registered voters participated and some electoral monitors and watchdogs raised concerns about voter fraud and transparency at voting centers and at the tabulation center where votes were counted. Police fired tear gas at and arrested protesters at recurring protests contesting the first-round presidential results. On November 18, two presidential candidates alleged that police fired on them at a protest, one saying he was struck in the head by a rubber bullet.

Election authorities rejected calls for an independent commission to verify the first-round presidential election votes. Eight presidential candidates, including first-round second place finisher Jude Celestin, issued a joint statement on November 29 stating that fair elections could not take place without reforms to the electoral commission and police, and that, absent such changes, the December 27 elections should be cancelled and a transitional government established to conduct a national dialogue, draft a new constitution, and prepare for free and fair elections at a much later date. The government's response to the joint statement and outcome of the December elections were not known at time of writing.

Criminal Justice System

Haiti's prison system remains severely overcrowded with many inmates living in inhumane conditions. Analysts trace much of the overcrowding to high numbers of arbitrary arrests and overuse of pretrial detention (according to the United Nations, more than 70 percent of suspects are held pending trial), which is often prolonged as cases take a long time to come to trial. The UN and other international partners have supported a number of initiatives to address this, including opening new legal aid offices and computerizing the case registry system in one jurisdiction in Port-au-Prince.

The limited capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP) contributes to overall insecurity in the country. While the government and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the UN peacekeeping operation in the country, have made police reform a priority, there have been difficulties training sufficient numbers of entry-level cadets. Training of 1,500 new cadets began in August, along with screening of another 7,700 candidates, suggesting the target number of police could be met by the 2016 deadline.

Barriers to Education and Illiteracy

Approximately one in two Haitians age fifteen and older is illiterate. The UN independent expert on Haiti said in 2015 that action to eradicate illiteracy is one of the top human rights priorities in Haiti.

The quality of education in Haiti is generally low, and 90 percent of schools are run by private entities. Human Rights Watch found in 2014 that even some newly constructed schools lack adequate water and sanitation facilities. The minister of education said in September that the national education budget needed to at least double if his reform efforts were to survive.

Accountability for Past Abuses

Former President Jean-Claude Duvalier, who returned to Haiti in January 2011 after nearly 25 years in exile, was accused of financial and human rights crimes allegedly committed during his 15-year tenure as president from 1971 to 1986.

When the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal ruled in 2014 that the statute of limitations could not be applied to crimes against humanity, and ordered additional investigation into the charges against Duvalier, victims of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, torture, disappearances, summary executions, and forced exile, hoped that they might finally see justice. However, Duvalier died six months after the ruling, without ever having been brought to trial. The Human Rights Committee and the UN independent expert on Haiti have both called on Haiti to continue the investigation and bring to justice all those responsible for serious human rights violations committed during Duvalier's tenure. At time of writing, a reopened investigation into crimes committed by Duvalier's collaborators was still pending.

Violence against Women

Gender-based violence is a widespread problem. Haiti does not have specific legislation criminalizing rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, or other forms of violence suffered by women. The shutdown of parliament in 2015 prevented any progress towards consideration of a draft law to address this gap in protection.

Child Domestic Labor

Use of child domestic workers  known as restaveks  continues. Restaveks, most of whom are girls, are sent from low-income households to live with wealthier families in the hope that they will be schooled and cared for in exchange for performing light chores. Though difficult to calculate, some estimates suggest that 225,000 children work as restaveks. These children are often unpaid, denied education, and physically or sexually abused.

Haiti's labor code does not set a minimum age for work in domestic services, though the minimum age for work in industrial, agricultural, and commercial enterprises is 15. Most of Haiti's trafficking cases are restaveks. In 2014, Haiti passed legislation outlawing many forms of trafficking, including hosting a child for the purpose of exploitation.

Key International Actors

MINUSTAH has been in Haiti since 2004 and has contributed to efforts to improve public security, protect vulnerable groups, and strengthen the country's democratic institutions. In January 2015, permanent representatives of the UN Security Council traveled to Haiti for the first time in three years on a mission led by US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power and Chilean Ambassador Cristian Barros Melet.

In March 2015, MINUSTAH began reducing its personnel, operations, and geographical presence in accordance with a drawdown plan adopted by the Security Council in October 2014. The UN Security Council extended MINUSTAH's mandate through October 15, 2016.

In March and September 2015, the UN independent expert visited Haiti and highlighted the poor conditions that Haitians deported by the Dominican Republic face in camps on the border between the two countries.

In 2012, a member of the 2011 Independent Panel of Experts on the Cholera Outbreak in Haiti convened by the UN secretary-general stated that "the most likely source of the introduction of cholera into Haiti was someone infected with the Nepal strain of cholera and associated with the United Nations Mirebalais camp."

Responding to the UN's dismissal of claims for compensation from 5,000 victims of the epidemic, the victims' representative, the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, and the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux filed a lawsuit in 2013 before a US court. In January 2015, the case was dismissed. At time of writing, an appeal was pending. To date, there has been no independent adjudication of the facts surrounding the introduction of cholera and the question of the UN's involvement.

According to figures from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, at least 102 allegations of sexual abuse or exploitation have been made against MINUSTAH personnel since 2007, including 7 between January and July 2015.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Guinea

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Guinea, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993d15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Violence in the months leading up to and following the October presidential elections resulted in some 10 deaths, deepened ethnic tensions, and exposed ongoing concerns about abuses by the security forces. However, during 2015, there was some progress in strengthening the judiciary and rule of law and addressing the serious human rights problems that characterized Guinea for more than five decades.

The 2015 presidential election, won by incumbent president, Alpha Conde, was plagued by serious logistical problems but deemed largely free and fair by international observers. Local elections, not held since 2005, failed to take place, further stoking political tensions.

Reports of human rights violations by security forces declined. However, security forces were implicated in numerous incidents of excessive use of force and unprofessional conduct, including theft and extortion, as they responded to election-related protests.

The government made some progress in the dispensation of justice and in ensuring accountability for past atrocities, including the 2009 stadium massacre of unarmed demonstrators by security forces. However, concerns about prison overcrowding, unprofessional conduct by judicial personnel, and the lack of judicial independence remained.

International actors  notably the European Union, United Nations, France, the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), and the United States  actively focused on resolving election-related disputes between the ruling party and the opposition, though they were reluctant to push for progress on accountability. Donors supported programs to address the aftermath of the Ebola health crisis, strengthen the rule of law, and improve discipline within the security sector.

Impunity and Accountability for Crimes

Since 2010, the judiciary has opened several investigations into serious violations by security forces, including the 2007 killing of some 130 unarmed demonstrators; the 2009 massacre and rape of opposition supporters in a Conakry stadium; the 2010 torture of members of the political opposition; the 2012 killing of six men in the southeastern village of Zogota; and the 2013 killing of demonstrators protesting the delay in holding parliamentary elections.

In 2015, investigative judges took steps to move most of these investigations forward, but their efforts were hampered by the failure of some members of the army, gendarmerie, and police to respond to judicial summons. At year's end, no trials had taken place.

Justice for the 2009 Stadium Massacre

More than six years on, domestic investigation continued into the September 2009 massacre of opposition supporters at a rally in Conakry, largely by members of the elite Presidential Guard. Security force members are implicated in the killing of some 150 people and rape of over 100 women during military rule under Moussa Dadis Camara.

Since legal proceedings began in 2010, the panel of judges appointed to investigate the massacre has made important strides, having interviewed more than 400 victims and charged 14 suspects, including several high-level members of the security forces. Meaningful steps taken in 2015 included the charging of former coup leader Moussa Dadis Camara and his then-vice president, Mamadouba Toto Camara.

Judiciary and Detention Conditions

Some steps were taken to reverse the striking deficiencies in the judiciary, despite the low operational budget, which remained at around 0.5 percent of the national budget. Unprofessional conduct in this sector, including absenteeism and corrupt practices, contributed to persistent detention-related abuses.

Prisons operate far below international standards. Prison and detention centers in Guinea are severely overcrowded as a result of the systematic use of provisional detention, weak case management, and the failure of the Cour d'Assises  which hears matters involving the most serious crimes  to meet regularly. Guinea's largest detention facility, designed for 300 detainees, regularly accommodated more than 1200. An estimated 60 percent of prisoners in Conakry are held in prolonged pretrial detention.

Meaningful progress in 2015 was evident in the February adoption of a 2015-2019 judicial reform plan; improved conditions for judges; the sanctioning of several judges for corruption and unprofessional conduct by the newly established Superior Council of Judges (Conseil Superieur de la Magistrature); progress in the revision of key legal texts  including the penal code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Code of Military Justice  to bring them in line with international standards; the recruitment of some 50 new magistrates; improvements in case management; improvement in the delivery of water and healthcare in Guinea's largest prison; and the construction, underway, of a new prison envisioned to address overcrowding. The Military Tribunal was also established, though it had yet to begin hearing cases at time of writing.

Efforts to ensure justice for mob and communal violence were accompanied by allegations of a lack of judicial independence. In April 2015, a court sentenced 11 people to life in prison for the mob killing of eight health workers, local officials, and journalists in Womey village, in Guinea's southern forest region, during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. However, human rights groups said the judiciary failed to investigate the attacks or hold to account members of the security forces implicated in rape, pillage, and other abuses in the Womey incident aftermath.

Similarly, 13 convictions of men implicated in a deadly spate of 2013 communal violence in the southern region of N'Zerekore, which left some 200 people dead, failed to investigate the role of several politicians perceived to be close to the ruling party in the violence. Judicial bailiffs, responsible for the execution of many judicial decisions, denounced the frequent political interference with their work.

Legislative and Institutional Framework

Human rights progress in the legislative framework was evident in the late 2014 adoption of the National Strategy for Justice Sector Reform; the January 2015 establishment of an independent human rights institution as mandated by Guinea's 2010 constitution, albeit not in line with the Paris Principles; and the June 2015 passage of the Public Order Bill strengthening civilian control over the security services.

Guinea has still not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, or the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Furthermore, Guinea has yet to codify the crime of torture into its penal code. Guinea has also not ratified the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Civil Liberties, created in 2012, actively promoted respect for human rights, despite budgetary constraints. Minister Gassama Kalifa Diaby visited prisons, liaised with civil society, and advocated for strengthening the judiciary and respecting freedom of the press.

Security Forces

Discipline within and civilian control over the security forces appeared to have improved, and authorities seemed to show slightly increased willingness to sanction those implicated in violations and ensure security force personnel response to judicial summons. The military hierarchy ensured that the army and presidential guard remained in barracks, and those mandated to respond to civil unrest  the police and gendarmerie  did so proportionally and subject to civilian control.

However, in 2015, members of the security forces were implicated in numerous incidents of excessive use of lethal force, resulting in the deaths of several protesters, abusive conduct and the mistreatment of detainees as they responded to protests and criminality. The security forces were also implicated in numerous acts of extortion, bribe-taking, outright theft and banditry, and, to a lesser extent, torture and rape.

The security forces have long demonstrated a lack of political neutrality evident in the use of racial slurs, and failure to provide equal protection to citizens of all ethnic and religious groups, notably those supporting the political opposition.

Key International Actors

Guinea's key international partners, notably the UN, ECOWAS, the EU, France, and the US largely focused on keeping the presidential elections on track, while donors supported programs to address the aftermath of the Ebola health crisis, strengthen the rule of law and improve discipline within the security sector. These actors rarely issued public statements pushing for progress on accountability.

The EU, Guinea's biggest donor, financed projects in justice, security sector reform, transport, and Ebola relief. In the aftermath of the 2014 Ebola crisis, multiple international donors significantly increased their development aid to Guinea. Additional funding announced in 2015 included 450 (US$749) million from the EU and $37.7 million from the International Monetary Fund, as well as $650 million from the World Bank for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The EU and the UN Development Programme took the lead in providing support to strengthen Guinea's judicial system and in security sector reform.

The country office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regularly documented abuses, monitored detention conditions, and supported the Human Rights Commission, but failed to publicly denounce human rights concerns. In September, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura  whose office continued to support accountability for crimes committed during the 2009 stadium massacre and rapes  visited Guinea to encourage further progress on investigation.

Guinea underwent Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in January 2015. UPR recommendations addressing torture, enforced disappearance, unlawful detention, prison conditions, judicial and security reform, impunity within the security forces, and women's and children's rights were accepted by Guinea in June.

The UN Peacebuilding Commission funded programs supporting security sector reform, reconciliation, and conflict prevention in Ebola-affected regions. After the February killing in Conakry of the UN peacebuilding fund coordinator in what the government alleged was a criminal assault, the PBF deployed a mission to Conakry to push for the killing to be investigated.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), which in October 2009 confirmed that the situation in Guinea was under preliminary examination, continued to engage the national authorities on progress in the investigation and the importance of conducting proceedings within a reasonable time frame. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda visited the country in July to assess progress, marking the second visit by her office in 2015.

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World Report 2016 - Guatemala

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Guatemala, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993e15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

President Otto Perez Molina resigned in September after being implicated by the United Nations-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) in a million-dollar tax-fraud scandal. The commission was established in 2007 to investigate organized crime and reinforce local efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Guatemala. In 2015, after the Guatemalan Congress voted to strip both President Perez Molina and Vice President Roxana Baldetti of their immunity, prosecutors charged them and more than 35 other government officials with corruption.

Guatemala's efforts to promote accountability for human rights atrocities committed during the 1960-1996 civil war have had mixed results. While the Attorney General's Office has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases, the vast majority of victims have not seen any form of justice for the violations they endured.

Accountability for Past Human Rights Violations

Former Guatemalan head of state Efrain Rios Montt was found guilty in May 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison, but several days later the Constitutional Court overturned the verdict on procedural grounds. The retired general had led a military government from 1982 to 1983 during which period the military carried out hundreds of massacres of unarmed civilians.

In August 2015, a trial court declared Rios Montt mentally unfit for retrial, ruling instead that he should be represented by his lawyers in a special closed-door proceeding that is scheduled to start in January 2016.

In October 2015, an appellate court rejected a two-year old petition by Rios Montt's attorneys to apply a 1986 amnesty decree that would put an end to his prosecution. The court ruled that the decree, applicable to "all political and related common crimes" committed between March 1982 and January 1986, does not apply to genocide and crimes against humanity.

Guatemala's Congress passed a resolution in May 2014 denying that acts of genocide were committed during the country's civil war, despite findings to the contrary by a UN-sponsored Truth Commission in 1999.

In addition to pursuing the case against Rios Montt, the Attorney General's Office has, in recent years, convicted several other former members of security forces for human rights crimes committed during the war. Five members of the army's special forces received lengthy sentences for their role in the 1982 Dos Erres massacre of more than 250 people, and former National Police Chief Hector Bol de la Cruz received a 40-year sentence for ordering the disappearance of a student activist in 1984.

In July 2014, Felipe Solano Barillas became the first ex-guerrilla to be convicted in connection with atrocities committed during the country's civil war. Found guilty of ordering the massacre of 22 residents of the town of El Aguacate in 1988, he was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

In November 2014, the government approved a reparations policy and allocated funds to address human rights violations suffered by the communities that were displaced by the construction of the Chixoy Hydroelectric Dam in 1975.

In January 2015, former Police Chief Pedro Garcia Arredondo was sentenced to 90 years in prison for a raid on the Spanish embassy in 1980 in which 37 people burned to death.

The Guatemalan judiciary inaugurated a third "high-risk court" in October 2015 to hear cases of grave crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, among others. The new court was opened to help resolve cases more quickly and effectively, and ease the workload of the two existing high-risk courts.

Public Security and the Criminal Justice System

Violence and extortion by powerful criminal organizations remain serious problems in Guatemala. Corruption within the justice system, combined with intimidation against judges and prosecutors, contributes to high levels of impunity. Gang-related violence is also one of the principal factors prompting people, including unaccompanied youth, to leave the country. Frustrated with the lack of criminal law enforcement, some communities have resorted to vigilantism.

Despite such problems, prosecutors in recent years have made progress in cases of violent crime, as well as some cases of extrajudicial killings and corruption  due in significant part to support the Attorney General's Office has received from CICIG.

In April, a CICIG investigation uncovered a US$130 million tax fraud scandal involving more than 50 high-ranking members of the government that led to charges against then-President Otto Perez Molina, Vice President Roxana Baldetti, and 35 others.

Attacks on Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, and Trade Unionists

Acts of violence and intimidation against human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists remain a serious problem. More than 70 trade unionists were killed between 2004 and 2015 according to the International Trade Union Conference.

In 2014, 39 journalists were victims of violence, according to the human rights ombudsman. Between January 1 and March 10, 2015, another 20 journalists were subject to attack, the ombudsman reported, and in March, 2 journalists were shot dead by a pair of gunmen in Mazatenango, Suchitepequez. A third journalist was injured in the attack. At time of writing, three men were awaiting trial for their participation in the killings.

Key International Actors

The UN-backed CICIG, established in 2007, plays a key role in assisting Guatemala's justice system in the prosecution of violent crime. The CICIG works with the Attorney General's Office, the police, and other government agencies to investigate, prosecute, and dismantle criminal organizations operating in the country. It is empowered to participate in criminal proceedings as a complementary prosecutor, to provide technical assistance, and to promote legislative reforms.

The CICIG's mandate was scheduled to terminate in September, but in April, then-President Perez Molina announced that he would request that the UN extend the mandate for an additional two years. The UN confirmed the extension in May.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has maintained an office in Guatemala since 2005. The office monitors the human rights situation in the country and provides policy support to the government and civil society.

In Spain, despite a recent ban on universal jurisdiction cases, Judge Santiago Pedraz has said that he will continue investigations of eight Guatemalan officers implicated in human rights abuses during Guatemala's civil war.

The US State Department, in February, requested that Congress allocate $1 billion in assistance for Central America for 2016, which would represent a nearly three-fold increase in foreign aid to the region. More than 90 percent of the proposed $220 million earmarked specifically for Guatemala would go to civilian institutions to address the underlying risk factors that lead to crime and violence, and to strengthen "rule of law institutions."

The US continues to restrict military aid to Guatemala on human rights grounds. Before full aid is restored, the US Consolidated Appropriations Act 2014, requires the Guatemalan government to take "credible steps" to implement the reparations plan for communities affected by construction of the Chixoy Dam. It also requires the government to support the investigation and prosecution of military officers implicated in past atrocities and to ensure that the army's role is limited to combating external threats.

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World Report 2016 - Georgia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Georgia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd993f15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Georgia's human rights record remained uneven in 2015. The numerous investigations into alleged crimes by former officials raised questions as to whether they were being pursued on the merits of the cases, or were the result of selective justice and politically motivated prosecutions.

Law enforcement officers continued to use torture and ill-treatment and in many cases were not held accountable for abuses they committed. Media pluralism was threatened by the closure of several political debate programs and a dispute involving past and present high-level officials' alleged interference in the ownership and management of the most-watched television station, Rustavi 2. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested the court's authorization to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the August 2008 war with Russia.

Justice

The Georgian Dream coalition government continues to investigate dozens of criminal cases against former officials who served under the previous government, led by the United National Movement (UNM) party. Authorities selected these cases from thousands of complaints citizens filed after the UNM was voted out of office in 2012. UNM members and supporters allege that the prosecutions are politically motivated, pointing to the absence of clear criteria for determining which cases to prosecute, and that investigations overwhelmingly target UNM members.

In September, the Tbilisi city court sentenced Gigi Ugulava, the UNM leader and Tbilisi ex-mayor, to four-and-a-half years in prison on misappropriation charges. Ugulava was acquitted of separate money laundering charges. The verdict came the day after his release from pretrial detention following a Constitutional Court decision that Ugulava's 14-month detention exceeded the constitutionally mandated limit of 9 months.

In October, a court in the city of Kutaisi ordered pretrial detention for three activists from the UNM party and its affiliated nongovernmental organization (NGO), Free Zone, following a confrontation with a Georgian Dream parliamentarian during a protest in front of parliament. Georgia's public defender, Ucha Nanuashvili, called the court decision to remand them into custody "excessive," and accused the courts of selective justice. He noted that courts had not taken pro-government suspects into custody in similar cases, involving violent attacks against opposition UNM parliamentarians.

Also in October, police briefly detained Tabula television station's chief and producer, as well as an activist, as they hung posters criticizing government negotiations with Russia's energy giant, Gazprom, on a fence and street lamp in Tbilisi. The three faced misdemeanor charges. Tabula is known for criticism of officials.

Targeting Political Opposition

In October, pro-government groups, including local municipal employees, held rallies outside UNM party offices in at least 19 towns. The groups variously nailed or welded doors shut, shattered windows, painted graffiti, and splattered red paint on UNM offices. Media reported that police present at some locations of the attacks did not intervene.

Following the group attacks, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili publicly called the UNM a "criminal organization," and said that "aggression" against the party is "natural." Some NGOs said Garibashvili's remarks effectively condoned the violence.

The attacks on UNM offices occurred after the online publication of a graphic video of prison officials sexually abusing two detainees in 2011, when UNM was in power. The videos appeared after polls showed a decline in public support for the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, leading to UNM accusations that the authorities may have leaked the videos to distract public attention.

Pro-government supporters organized public outdoor screenings of the video in downtown Tbilisi and Zugdidi on October 18. Local officials from the ruling coalition participated in the Zugdidi screening. Georgia's public defender and NGOs condemned the screenings.

In September, pro-government groups held multiple rallies outside the private residences of the constitutional court chairman, condemning the court's decision to release former Tbilisi Mayor Ugulava from pretrial detention, threatening the chairman and his family, and throwing tomatoes and eggs at his home. Under Georgian law, threatening a judge is a criminal offense, and holding a protest outside a judge's residence is a misdemeanor. In October, the chairman informed the authorities of the threats, but police did not respond.

Torture and Ill-Treatment

Georgia does not have an effective, independent mechanism to investigate crimes committed by law enforcement officials, resulting in frequent impunity. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA), a leading human rights group, received at least 41 allegations of torture and ill-treatment in 2015 through October; 23 of them concerned abuse by police, and 18 by prison staff. According to GYLA, the authorities failed to effectively investigate those allegations.

In November, a lawyer, Giorgi Mdinaradze, said that he was beaten at a police station by five policemen, including the station chief, after advising his client to exercise his right to silence. Authorities arrested the police chief on charges of abuse of office with use of violence.

In June, the prosecutor's office brought defamation charges against Giorgi Okropiridze, a pretrial detainee in Tbilisi, for allegedly providing false testimony to the public defender about ill-treatment in custody. A court imposed additional time in pretrial detention following the defamation charges. The public defender said the decision undermined trust in his institution and violated international obligations to prohibit official retaliation when people provide information to the national mechanism for the prevention of torture.

Freedom of Media

An ownership dispute over Georgia's most-watched television broadcaster, Rustavi 2, raised concerns about ongoing government interference in media. Kibar Khalvashi, Rustavi 2's owner from 2004 to 2006, filed a lawsuit in August to reclaim his shares, saying that in 2006, then-UNM government leaders forced him to sell. In November, the Tbilisi City Court ruled in Khalvashi's favor, and also appointed interim management for Rustavi 2, a move local human rights groups criticized as an attempt to effect the channel's editorial policy. A week later, the Constitutional Court suspended the civil procedure code clause that had allowed the appointment of temporary managers. Rustavi 2's current owners allege that the lawsuit is a government-orchestrated move to take over the opposition-minded station and plan to appeal the court decisions. Rustavi 2 claimed significant financial and logistical constraints from the lawsuit, including a court-ordered asset freeze against it and its majority shareholder company.

In October, Rustavi 2 Director Nika Gvaramia alleged that a government official threatened to leak a personal video of him if he refused to "step aside" from the station. Prosecutors initiated an investigation into the alleged threat. A few days later, secret recordings appeared online, allegedly of Gvaramia receiving instructions from former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, to prepare for possible "physical confrontation" with the authorities to defend the station.

Many of Georgia's international partners expressed concern about the Rustavi 2 case, including the United States Department of State and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) representative on freedom of media.

In August, Imedi TV, the second most-watched station, suspended its political talk shows. Inga Grigolia, a host of one and co-host of another talk show, alleged interference from authorities in the decision.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In October, the Tbilisi City Court acquitted a Georgian Orthodox priest and three other men on charges of disrupting an anti-homophobia rally in Tbilisi in May 2013, citing lack of evidence to prove the defendants' guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Thousands of counter-demonstrators, including some Orthodox clergy, had violently disrupted the peaceful rally. Although police evacuated rally participants to safety, they failed to contain the mob, which threw stones and other objects at a van carrying participants.

In August, a court acquitted a man of premeditated murder after he stabbed to death a transgender woman, Sabi Beriani, and set her apartment on fire, apparently to cover up the crime, in November 2014. The court sentenced the defendant to four years' imprisonment for violence and property damage. Rights groups urged the prosecutor's office to appeal the decision and recognize hate as an aggravating circumstance in the crime.

Key International Actors

The ICC prosecutor requested the court's judges to authorize an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the 2008 conflict between Georgia and Russia, including by South Ossetian forces (in some cases, with the possible participation of Russian forces) and also by Georgian forces.

In its March European Neighborhood Policy progress report, the European Union noted some improvements, but also highlighted the need to ensure separation of powers and judicial independence, avoid "political retribution, confrontation and polarization," and increase the accountability of law enforcement.

In March, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture visited Georgia. He noted progress, but also highlighted areas for improvement, including more contact between prisoners and family members and prisoners' access to recreation.

In an October resolution, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe criticized Georgia for "abuse of pretrial detention," including to "discredit or otherwise neutralize political competitors."

Also in October, the assembly's co-rapporteurs for Georgia issued a statement following a country visit highlighting key issues, including media freedom, criminal justice reform, and the electoral system.

In a November statement, the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission, the primary bilateral dialogue to deepen cooperation between the countries, commended Georgia's reform efforts, but called for improvements, including in elections, media freedom, and judicial independence.

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World Report 2016 - Ethiopia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Ethiopia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994131.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In Ethiopia in 2015 there were continuing government crackdowns on opposition political party members, journalists, and peaceful protesters, many of whom experienced harassment, arbitrary arrest, and politically motivated prosecutions.

The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the ruling party coalition, won all 547 parliamentary seats in the May elections, due in part to the lack of space for critical or dissenting voices. Despite a few high-profile prisoner releases ahead of the June visit of United States President Barack Obama, there was no progress on fundamental reforms of the deeply repressive laws and policies constricting Ethiopian civil society organizations and media.

Elections and Political Space

May's federal elections took place in a general atmosphere of intimidation, and concerns over the National Electoral Board's lack of independence. Opposition parties reported that state security forces and ruling party cadres harassed and detained their members, while onerous registration requirements effectively put opposition candidates at a disadvantage.

Opposition parties reported that government officials regularly blocked their attempts to hold protests and rallies in the run-up to the election by denying permits, arresting organizers, and confiscating equipment.

These restrictions, alongside the absence of independent media and civil society, meant there was little opportunity for dissenting voices to be heard or meaningful political debate on key issues ahead of the elections.

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly

Eighteen individuals identified as leaders of the Muslim protest movement that swept across Ethiopia from 2012-2014 were convicted in July under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and sentenced in August to between 7 and 22 years each after closed, flawed trials. Authorities detained them in July 2012 when some Muslim communities were protesting against perceived government interference in their religious affairs.

An unknown number of ethnic Oromo students continued to be detained, many without charge, after protests throughout Oromia in April and May 2014 against the planned expansion of Addis Ababa's municipal boundary into Oromia. Security personnel used excessive and at times lethal force, including live ammunition, against protesters in several cities, killing at least several dozen protesters, and arrested hundreds.

There have been no investigations by Ethiopian authorities into the deaths and the use of unlawful force. Those released said they were tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention. Ethnic Oromos make up approximately 45 percent of Ethiopia's population and are often arbitrarily arrested and accused of belonging to the banned Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

Freedom of Expression and Association

Media remained under government stranglehold, with many journalists having to choose between self-censorship, harassment and arrest, or exile. At least 60 journalists have fled into exile since 2010. Tactics used to restrict independent media included targeting publishers, printing presses, and distributors.

In June, journalist Reeyot Alemu and five other journalists and bloggers from the Zone 9 blogging collective were released from prison ahead of President Obama's visit to Ethiopia, On October 16, the remaining four imprisoned Zone 9 bloggers were acquitted of terrorism charges after 39 hearings and 539 days in detention. A fifth charged in absentia was also acquitted. Many other journalists, protesters, and other political opponents continued to be prosecuted under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, and many journalists including Eskinder Nega and Woubshet Taye remain in prison.

The 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSO law) continues to severely curtail the ability of independent nongovernmental organizations to work on human rights. The law bars work on human rights, good governance, conflict resolution, and advocacy on the rights of women, children, and people with disabilities if organizations receive more than 10 percent of their funds from foreign sources.

The government regularly monitors and records telephone calls of family members and friends of suspected opposition members and intercepts digital communications with highly intrusive spyware. Leaked emails from Milan-based Hacking Team, which sold spyware to the Ethiopian government, reveal that despite warnings of the risk of Ethiopia misusing their spyware, they issued a temporary license to Ethiopia while they began negotiations in April on a new contract worth at least US$700,000.

Torture and Arbitrary Detention

Ethiopian security personnel frequently tortured and otherwise ill-treated political detainees held in both official and secret detention centers to give confessions or provide information. At its UN Universal Periodic Review in 2014, Ethiopia accepted a recommendation to "adopt measures which guarantee the non-occurrence of cases of torture and ill-treatment in places of detention," but there is little indication that security personnel are being investigated or punished for carrying out these abuses.

The Liyu police, a Somali Regional State paramilitary police force without a clear legal mandate, continued to commit serious human rights abuses in their ongoing conflict with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in Ethiopia's Somali Region, with reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and violence against civilians who are accused of supporting or being sympathetic to the ONLF.

Andargachew Tsige, a United Kingdom citizen and secretary-general of the Ginbot 7 organization, a group banned for advocating armed overthrow of the government, remains in detention in Ethiopia after his unlawful 2014 deportation to Ethiopia from Yemen while in transit. He had twice been sentenced to death in absentia for his involvement with Ginbot 7. UK consular officials visited Andargachew only three times, amid growing concerns about his mistreatment in detention. In April, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called on Ethiopia to release and compensate Andargachew.

Forced Displacement Linked to Development Programs

Some donors, including UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank, rechanneled funding from the problematic Protection of Basic Services (PBS) program in 2015. PBS was associated with the abusive "villagization program," a government effort to relocate 1.5 million rural people into permanent villages, ostensibly to improve their access to basic services. Some of the relocations in the first year of the program in Gambella region in 2011 were accompanied by violence, including beatings and arbitrary arrests, and insufficient consultation and compensation.

Some Gambella residents filed a complaint in 2013 to the World Bank's Inspection Panel, the institution's independent accountability mechanism, alleging that the bank violated its own policies on indigenous people and involuntary resettlement. The Inspection Panel identified major shortcomings in the PBS program in its November 2014 recommendations, although the World Bank Board largely rejected the findings in February. A translator who worked with the Inspection Panel in Gambella was arrested in March and charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation in September 2015.

In February, in the course of a court hearing on a complaint by an Ethiopian farmer that the UK violated its partnership principles by supporting the PBS program, DFID announced that it was ending support to the PBS program. DFID cited concerns over Ethiopia's civil and political rights record, including concerns related to "freedom of expression and electoral competition, and continued concerns about the accountability of security services."

There are ongoing reports of forced displacement from development projects in different regions, often with minimal or no compensation and little in the way of prior consultation with affected, often indigenous, communities. Allegations have arisen from commercial and industrial projects associated with Addis Ababa's expansion and the continued development of sugar plantations in the Lower Omo Valley, which involves clearing 245,000 hectares of land that is home to 200,000 indigenous people. Communities in Omo have seen their grazing land cleared and have lost access to the Omo River, which they relied on for crops. Individuals who questioned the development plans were arrested and harassed.

Violent incidents, both between different ethnic groups and between the government and ethnic groups, increased in 2015 partly due to the growing competition for grazing land and other resources. The reservoir behind the Gibe III dam began filling in January 2015, reducing the annual natural flood that replenished the agricultural lands along the banks of the Omo River.

Key International Actors

Ethiopia enjoys strong support from foreign donors and most of its regional neighbors, based on its role as host of the African Union and strategic regional player, its contribution to UN peacekeeping, security and aid partnerships with Western countries, and its progress on development indicators. The African Union(AU)  the only international body that monitored the May elections  declared the elections "credible" despite the severe restrictions on opposition political parties, independent media, and civil society.

Ethiopia continued to facilitate negotiations between warring parties in South Sudan, and its troops maintained calm in the disputed Abyei Region. Ethiopia deploys troops inside Somalia as part of the AU mission, and in 2015 there were growing reports that abusive "Liyu police" forces were also deployed alongside the Ethiopian Defense Forces. Ethiopia continued to host hundreds of thousands of refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.

Ethiopia is one of the largest recipients of donor aid in Africa, receiving almost $3 billion in 2015 despite allegations of human rights abuses associated with some development programs, including forced displacement in Gambella and the Omo Valley. There are no indications that donors have strengthened the monitoring and accountability provisions needed to ensure that their development aid does not contribute to or exacerbate human rights problems in Ethiopia.

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World Report 2016 - European Union

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - European Union, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9941c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In a year marked by horrific attacks by armed extremists in Paris in January and November, and a deepening refugee crisis, the European Union and its member states struggled to develop an effective and principled response to the hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants who reached Europe. Narrow government interests too often displaced sound policy responses, delaying protection and shelter for vulnerable people and raising questions about the union's purpose and limits.

Migration and Asylum

Poor management and disagreements among EU member states escalated a crisis, as large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers reached Europe, most by sea. At time of writing, more than 850,000 people had crossed the sea during the year to reach Europe. The vast majority  an estimated 82 percent  of people crossed the Aegean Sea, from Turkey to Greece, and only 17 percent crossed the central Mediterranean, from North Africa to Italy, historically the most common sea route.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 84 percent of those arriving by sea came from the refugee-producing countries of Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, and Somalia. Nigerians, Gambians, Sudanese, Pakistanis and Malians together made up seven percent of the new arrivals.

The EU tripled the budget and resources of patrol operations in the Mediterranean following the deaths at sea of more than 1,000 people in a single week in April. Frontex, the EU's external border agency, began patrolling in international waters near Libya and increased patrols in the Aegean Sea, carrying out search-and-rescue and border enforcement activities. While tens of thousands of people were rescued throughout the year, including by private humanitarian initiatives, more than 3,500 migrants died or went missing at sea.

Many of those who reached Greece by sea continued their journey over land through the Western Balkans, encountering police abuse in EU candidates Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and EU member Hungary, and appalling detention conditions at times in Macedonia and Hungary.

In September, thousands of migrants and asylum seekers were stuck at various borders with inadequate shelter, unable to proceed with their journeys but with no genuine alternative, and at times dispersed by tear gas and water cannons. Hungary effectively closed its border with Serbia to asylum seekers and migrants in September, and with Croatia in October. Slovenia and Croatia at times blocked access for asylum seekers and migrants in September and October. In late November, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia imposed border restrictions for asylum seekers and migrants, allowing only certain nationalities, including Syrians, to enter.

EU governments worked fitfully over the course of the year to implement a set of proposals on migration and asylum policy that the European Commission made in May. An EU-wide refugee resettlement scheme was established, with countries pledging over 22,000 places over the next two years. Following a fractious debate and over the objections of Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania, EU governments agreed to a program to relocate over the next two years a total of 160,000 asylum seekers who had landed in Italy, Greece, and potentially other countries experiencing significant arrivals. The United Kingdom opted out. At time of writing, only 159 asylum seekers had been relocated from Italy and Greece to other EU member states under the scheme.

The majority of the commission's proposals focused on measures to limit arrivals, strengthen border controls, and accelerate returns of people not granted the right to remain in the EU. The EU took some positive action, including pledges of increased aid to countries hosting large refugee populations and to humanitarian assistance organizations. Yet efforts to intensify immigration cooperation with origin and transit countries raised concerns about enabling rights abuses and denying people effective protection. Combating smuggling networks remained central to the EU approach, with a naval mission in the Mediterranean poised, beginning in October, to board, seize, and divert vessels used by smugglers.

The full package of recast directives making up the Common European Asylum System entered into force in July, imposing revised common standards and rules with respect to procedures and reception conditions. Asylum seekers continued to face a protection lottery, with wide disparity among EU member states in recognition rates, accommodation, and integration measures. The European Commission stepped up its own enforcement, opening 74 infringement proceedings against 23 member states for failure to abide by EU asylum laws.

Discrimination and Intolerance

Attacks by armed extremists in Paris in January left 20 people dead  12 staff members of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, four people taken hostage in a kosher supermarket, a police officer, and three attackers. In Copenhagen in February, attacks on a free speech debate and a synagogue left three people dead, including the attacker. The attacks underscored the serious problem of anti-Semitism in the EU. An October report by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights showed that many EU governments fail to collect adequate data on hate crimes against Jews, a finding that reflects a wider failure to collect disaggregated hate crimes data.

Hate crimes against Muslims are also a serious problem, with spikes in incidents reported in France and the UK. The acceptability of intolerance against Muslims was demonstrated in September when several EU leaders said they only wanted Christian, as opposed to Muslim, refugees in their countries.

In September, the UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, criticized ongoing forced evictions of Roma and Travellers in several European countries in recent years. He highlighted France's "systematic national policy to forcibly evict the Roma" and urged Bulgaria to halt forced evictions, "which are devastating to the affected communities."

By enacting the Gender Recognition Bill in July, Ireland became the fifth country in the world to offer legal recognition to the gender of people's choice, excluding children under the age of 16. Ireland brought into effect a law permitting same-sex marriage in November following a successful constitutional referendum guaranteeing marriage equality in May.

Following its review of the EU, in September the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) raised concerns about children with disabilities living in institutions in EU countries who have no access to mainstream inclusive education. The committee also expressed concern about the negative effects of austerity measures on services for families with children with disabilities. The committee also noted concerns about the detention of refugees and migrants with disabilities, and the fact that many persons with disabilities have their legal capacity restricted, affecting their ability to make their own decisions.

Counterterrorism

The November attacks in Paris, the most deadly in Europe in more than a decade, prompted emergency measures in France (see below), a major security operation in Belgium, stepped-up border checks, including inside the Schengen free movement area, and a renewed push for stronger EU security and intelligence cooperation. Past experience of major attacks in Europe raised concerns that human rights protections would again be weakened in the name of security.

The publication in December 2014 of a redacted version of a report by the United States Senate on torture by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) again threw a spotlight on the complicity of EU states with programs of rendition and torture and their limited progress towards accountability. The European Parliament civil liberties committee in February decided to resume its investigation into EU states' complicity in torture.

Lithuanian prosecutors announced in April that they had reopened an investigation into allegations that their country hosted a secret CIA detention facility. Romanian authorities continue to deny that their country hosted a secret CIA facility, despite an admission in April by the former President Ion Iliescu that he authorized a CIA site. There were few signs of progress during the year in investigations in Poland and the UK into complicity by state officials in torture and rendition (see below).

In March, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner raised concerns about plans in several European countries to increase surveillance powers of security services without prior judicial authorization.

In July, the UN Human Rights Council appointed Joseph Cannataci as the first special rapporteur on the right to privacy. His mandate includes reviewing government policies and legislation on interception of digital communications. In August, Cannataci criticized the weakness of the UK's surveillance oversight mechanism.

Croatia

More than 441,931 asylum seekers and migrants entered Croatia by the end of November. Almost all stayed only for a short period before going on to Hungary (until it closed its border) or Slovenia. Croatia struggled to meet asylum seekers' and migrants' basic needs and at times closed border crossings from Serbia and restricted entry at its borders to certain nationalities in November.

Fewer than 5,000 people have claimed asylum in Croatia since 2006, and as of July 2015, only 165 had been granted some form of protection, 32 of them in 2015. Long-term asylum seekers and refugees face difficulties in accessing housing, health services, and education. Unaccompanied migrant and asylum-seeking children continue to be placed in a residential home for children with behavior problems and in reception centers for adults, without adequate guardianship or specific protection.

While the Croatian government made some progress in protecting the rights of people with disabilities, the guardianship system continues to deny roughly 18,000 people with disabilities the right to make decisions about their lives. Implementation of a 2011 deinstitutionalization plan progressed slowly and excludes people with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals and foster homes for adults. More than 7,500 people remained institutionalized as of September. In April, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urged the Croatian government to ensure that its domestic laws protect the rights of people with disabilities.

More than 220 war crimes cases have yet to be addressed by national courts. In February, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Croatia violated the fair trial rights of a dual Croatian-Serbian national convicted in his absence of war crimes and unable to obtain a retrial.

In April, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted concluding observations on Croatia, including concerns about discrimination and violence against members of ethnic minority groups, particularly Roma and Serbs.

Serbs stripped of tenancy rights during the war faced ongoing difficulties in benefitting from the 2010 government program that permits the purchase of property at below-market rates.

Stateless Roma faced particular difficulties accessing basic state services, such as health care, social assistance, and adequate housing. Roma children are de facto segregated in the education sector.

Estonia

Estonia ranks 10th in terms of stateless populations worldwide. According to the Interior Ministry, as of June 2015, about 6.3 percent of the country's population of 1.3 million is stateless.

In 2015, the government adopted measures to decrease child statelessness and simplify the naturalization process for older people. In January, the government amended the Citizenship Law to allow children born to stateless parents to automatically obtain Estonian citizenship at birth; previously, parents had to apply. Parents can reject Estonian citizenship on behalf of their children within a year. The amendments also exempt people 65 and older from the written portion of the mandatory Estonian language exam for naturalization.

Language test requirements remain the most significant naturalization challenge for the country's Russian-speaking population. The cost of naturalization, including application and language exam preparation, and the income requirements for citizenship, continue to disenfranchise poorer long-term residents, and have contributed to statelessness among the Russian speakers. The up-front cost of language classes to prepare for the test poses a considerable financial obstacle for non-citizens with modest or no income. The state reimburses language class fees only after the applicant passes the test.

Stateless residents do not enjoy full employment rights and are barred from occupying several professions, such as posts in the national and local civil service, police, and customs, and they may not become prosecutors, judges, or notaries.

The government has not taken sufficient steps to prepare for implementation of the Co-habitation Act, which was passed in October 2014 and enters into force in 2016. The act extends the rights of married couples to unmarried  including same-sex  couples.

Estonia maintains a minimalist refugee policy. The government agreed to accept 329 asylum seekers over a two-year period under the EU relocation scheme, but at time of writing, no one had yet been relocated. Asylum seekers encounter serious obstacles in receiving translation support in their language during refugee status determination interviews.

France

France suffered deadly attacks in January and November. Multiple attacks in Paris and the suburb of Saint-Denis on November 13 killed 130 people and wounded hundreds. On November 20, parliament passed a law extending by three months the state of emergency declared by President Francois Hollande following the attacks. The law also expanded the government's emergency powers including to conduct searches without a warrant and to place people under house arrest without judicial approval, raising concerns about the rights to liberty, freedom of movement, and freedoms of association and expression.

Over three days in early January, attacks on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a police officer, and a kosher supermarket left 20 dead, including the three attackers, who died in shootouts with the police. A surge in Islamophobic acts followed, and the government recorded over 50 attacks and threats against Muslims between January 7 and 12.

On January 12, the minister of justice instructed prosecutors to respond with criminal law to speech "glorifying terrorism" and anti-Semitic and racist speech in relation to the Paris attacks. By March 24, the French judiciary had opened 298 cases involving "glorification of terrorism"  an overly broad term that can include speech that does not incite violence  including 185 cases in which it was the only offense.

Anti-Semitic acts, including violent attacks and threats, increased by more than 100 percent in 2014 compared with 2013, according to the annual report of the National Consultative Commission of Human Rights published in April.

In a June review of France, the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concern about discrimination against migrants and "people of foreign origin" in access to employment, housing, culture, and health care, and difficulties they face in education.

In September, the UN high commissioner for human rights criticized France's "systematic national policy to forcibly evict" migrant Roma. According to rights groups, between January and September 2015, 8,714 Roma were evicted from 79 places in France, in most cases without alternative accommodation.

According to official estimates, around 4,500 asylum seekers and migrants lived in unsanitary conditions in a makeshift camp in Calais with limited daytime access to showers, electricity, and food in a center equipped to serve 1,500. In November, the Council of State ordered the government to equip the camp with water taps, toilets, and garbage collection, and to ensure emergency services can access the site if needed.

A law passed by parliament in July requires authorities to register asylum claims within three days of an asylum seeker lodging an application, or ten working days if there are large numbers of simultaneous claims. The law also ends the detention of unaccompanied children in transit zones if they intend to seek asylum in France, but provides for exceptions, such as when children are from a country the authorities consider to be "safe." Other unaccompanied children who do not assert an intent to claim asylum can continue to be detained for up to 20 days in a seaport or airport.

In July, France enacted a law permitting the government to conduct sweeping digital surveillance on broad grounds and without prior judicial authorization, in breach of the right to privacy. Following a July review, the UN Human Rights Committee urged France in August to ensure surveillance activities are necessary and proportionate and subject to judicial approval and oversight. In November, the French parliament passed a law permitting the surveillance of electronic communications sent or received from abroad.

In five ground-breaking rulings in June, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered the state to compensate victims of discriminatory identity checks. The court found that the failure to record checks deprived victims of an effective remedy. The government has failed to introduce stop forms, a key measure in addressing abusive identity checks, despite President Hollande's commitment to fight against abuses during such checks when he was a presidential candidate in 2012.

In a February report on his visit to France in September 2014 on a range of human rights concerns, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner found France "lagging significantly behind" in making public places and transportation accessible to persons with disabilities, and noted high unemployment among persons with disabilities.

Germany

Authorities increased staff and budget of the federal asylum office in response to a significant increase in new asylum applications, and created new reception centers around the country. The government estimated Germany would receive one million new asylum applications by year's end.

In October, the Federal Parliament adopted legislation to accelerate asylum procedures, improve integration measures, replace cash support with benefits in kind, and expedite construction of new accommodation. Lack of unified, binding standards meant wide disparities in quality of asylum accommodation, including lack of safeguards to protect women and children from harassment and abuse.

The legislation adds Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro to the list of safe countries that already includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia. Syrians were the largest national group of asylum seekers, followed by Albanians and Kosovars. Nationals from countries considered safe are presumed not to need international protection and are subject to accelerated procedures, raising concerns about the quality of individual examinations and the consequences for the many Roma applicants from the Western Balkans.

Federal police registered 473 attacks on asylum accommodations in the first nine months of the year, more than double the total for 2014, and expressed concern about the rise of right-wing extremist groups. Anti-migrant protests flared throughout the year, particularly in the east.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concern in May about broad police stop-and-search powers leading to ethnic profiling and inadequate investigations of racially motivated attacks. In July, a law entered into force giving prosecutors greater powers to investigate racially motivated crimes, now subject to more severe punishment.

Germany's constitutional court ruled in March that a 2004 ban in North Rhine-Westphalia on teachers wearing the headscarf violated religious freedom and was discriminatory. The ruling renders unconstitutional similar bans in other states.

A new data retention law attracted concerns of unjustified interference with privacy rights and the criminalization of whistleblowing. The federal commissioner for data protection said the law was unconstitutional.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities said in May that Germany's system of guardianship denies equal recognition under the law and expressed concern about the widespread institutionalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities.

Greece

Political uncertainty, mass immigration, and instability marked Greece's year. In June and July, the UN independent expert on foreign debt and human rights urged the European institutions, the International Monetary Fund, and the Greek government to ensure that new austerity measures did not undermine human rights.

Thousands of migrants and asylum seekers arriving on Greece's Aegean islands and also in Athens faced appalling reception and detention conditions. Poor registration systems on the islands failed to identify people with special protection needs, including people with disabilities or medical conditions, and women and children, exacerbating risks for these groups.

At time of writing, almost 726,000 people, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan, have taken the sea journey from Turkey to Greece since the start of 2015. According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 588 died crossing from Turkey in 2015.

There were continuing allegations that Greek border guards engaged in collective expulsions and pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the land borders with Turkey. In October, the authorities indicated they were investigating 20 such allegations brought by human rights groups. Unidentified armed masked men disabled boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea, pushing them back to Turkish waters.

Asylum-seeking and migrant children registered as unaccompanied minors by the authorities were often detained much longer than adults or children traveling with their families, while authorities sought shelter facilities for them. There is no reliable estimate of the number of unaccompanied migrant children who entered Greece during the year.

In February, the government revoked a ministerial decision that had allowed detention of migrants beyond the 18 months permitted by EU law, and announced the immediate release from immigration detention of vulnerable categories of asylum seekers, as well as of people whose detention exceeded a six-month period. Conditions in immigration detention remain poor.

The ECtHR held Greece responsible for inhuman and degrading treatment in immigration detention in five separate cases since December 2014.

Despite improvements in the asylum system and significant increases in Greece's protection rates, asylum seekers face serious difficulties in accessing the asylum procedure. According to the Greek Asylum Service, only 10,718 people had applied for asylum in Greece as of the end of October. The authorities have yet to clear the backlog of asylum appeals under the old system operated by the police.

Attacks on migrants and asylum seekers and LGBT people continued, with a network of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) recording more than 460 incidents over the last four years. In October, an Athens court published its written judgment in a 2014 conviction and sentence of life imprisonment for two men for the murder of a Pakistani man. The judgment clarified that the court found that the murder was racially motivated, the first such case in Greece for a serious offense.

In May, the UN special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism urged Greece to set up efficient mechanisms for victims of racist attacks to seek remedies and ensure their access to justice as well as the due punishment of perpetrators. A law adopted in July introduced residence permits on humanitarian grounds for undocumented victims and witnesses of hate crimes.

In April, the government repealed a health regulation used in 2012 to round up dozens of women alleged to be sex workers who were then forced to take HIV tests. In early February, the new government of Alexis Tsipras announced the end of Operation Xenios Zeus, a police operation that targeted migrants and foreigners. However, the police continued to stop, arbitrarily detain, and harass homeless people and those who use drugs and sell sex, interfering with their ability to access health care and support services.

In a report published in February, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance noted discrimination and police harassment toward LGBT people, notably against transgender persons.

Hungary

Hungary saw an enormous increase in asylum applications in 2015, stressing a flawed and inefficient asylum system. By late August, authorities had registered over 150,000 asylum applications since the start of the year, a tenfold increase compared to 2014.

In response, the government erected a fence along its border with Serbia, completed in September, and erected a fence on its border with Croatia in October. Through legal changes in July and August, authorities also introduced a new border regime, criminalizing irregular entry and establishing Serbia as a "safe third country," thus permitting the quick return of asylum seekers transiting through that country. As of late October, more than 500 people had been convicted of irregular border crossing and placed in immigration detention pending deportation, in most cases to Serbia.

Further changes included an accelerated asylum procedure, which jeopardizes due process rights, and a three-day limit for judicial reviews, which undermines the right to effective remedy. A September law authorized the army's deployment to the border and allowed soldiers to use non-lethal force, including tear gas grenades and rubber bullets, against migrants and asylum seekers.

In September, Hungarian border and counterterrorism police used tear gas and water cannons against asylum seekers protesting the closure of a border point with Serbia, some of them violently. The UN high commissioner for human rights criticized the use of force by police as disproportionate.

Police also beat three international journalists with batons, dragged them from Serbian to Hungarian territory, arrested them for 24 hours, and charged them with irregular border crossing. Charges were later dropped.

During the first part of 2015, the government engaged in an anti-migrant campaign, including a biased questionnaire to Hungarian citizens that linked migration and terrorism in April, and an anti-migrant billboard campaign in May.

The government also continued to restrict media freedom. In January, the CEO of RTL Klub, the independent broadcaster, moved his family abroad and hired bodyguards after being threatened with violence. In July, the Office of Immigration and Nationality denied Hungarian media access to refugee reception centers, arguing that the presence of journalists could impinge upon the personal rights of asylum seekers.

The Council of Europe's Venice Commission issued an opinion in June on Hungary's media stressing ongoing concerns about vague broadcast content regulation, particularly the ban on criticizing religious or political views and on content that violates privacy rights.

By October 31, 2015, 71 homeless people were charged with misdemeanors under local decrees banning the homeless from residing habitually in public spaces, a significant decrease from 234 reported by end of November 2014. In late January, the High Court annulled sections of a municipal decree that banned the homeless from living in the streets of certain areas of Budapest, effective May 31.

Roma continue to face discrimination and harassment. In May, the Supreme Court ruled that evictions of Roma in 2014 constituted unlawful discrimination. The European Roma Rights Center documented a pattern of police fining Roma for petty offenses, such as lack of bicycle accessories, and sometimes jailing those unable to pay. In September, Hungary's Equal Treatment Authority found the practice discriminatory.

Italy

By the end of November more than 143,000 migrants and asylum seekers had reached Italy by sea. Their main countries of origin were Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Gambia. New asylum applications decreased compared to 2014 because most new arrivals quickly transited out of Italy.

Italy faced ongoing challenges providing accommodation to asylum seekers. As of August, 86,000 asylum seekers were staying in official centers and hundreds of temporary facilities. The government committed to creating 10,000 additional places in special shelters for asylum seekers and refugees. Residents in neighborhoods hosting emergency asylum centers periodically protested, sometimes violently.

An EU-supported screening center  a "hotspot"  began operating in Lampedusa in September, with four more planned to be fully operational by the end of the year. Rights groups reported concerns over triage procedures, with certain nationalities effectively prevented from applying for asylum and ordered to leave the country.

In May, the UN special rapporteur on migrants' rights expressed concerns about access to, and conditions in, asylum centers, as well as inadequate protection for unaccompanied migrant children. According to Save the Children, at least 7,600 unaccompanied children arrived in the first eight months of the year. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture conducted a week-long visit in September to assess treatment and conditions of detained migrants.

The ECtHR ruled in July that Italy's failure to provide any kind of legal status to same-sex couples violated the right to privacy and family life. At time of writing, parliament had yet to adopt a long-debated bill to recognize same-sex civil unions.

In September, the ECtHR ruled that the 2011 detention of a group of Tunisians, first in Lampedusa and then on ships, and their subsequent expulsion to Tunisia, violated their rights to liberty and security, to an effective remedy, to protection from inhuman or degrading treatment in detention, and against collective expulsion.

Latvia

Latvia has a large population of stateless people. According to the UNCHR, as of late 2014, more than 12 percent of the country's population is effectively stateless (those referred to by the authorities as "noncitizens"). Despite a 2013 reform to address the status of children who are born and live in Latvia without a nationality, 7,800 children in Latvia were stateless as of early 2015, according to a report by the nongovernmental organizations European Network on Statelessness and Latvian Centre for Human Rights.

Discrimination persists against Russian speakers, particularly in the spheres of employment and education. Latvian non-citizens are barred from occupying certain posts in the civil service and other professions. They also face restrictions on owning land.

State-imposed limits on Russian as a language of instruction in schools continue to impact the quality of education in regions where Russian speakers live. In Latvian public secondary schools, at least 60 percent of the curriculum must be in Latvian.

In 2015, the authorities continued efforts to sanction individuals and organizations, including a museum and a local council member, for alleged failure to use Latvian in professional communications.

In June, the Latvian capital Riga hosted EuroPride 2015, an annual European event celebrating LGBT pride, hosted by a different European city each year. It was the first time EuroPride had been held in a former Soviet state. However, also in June, the Latvian parliament voted to require schools to provide "constitutional morality education" to schoolchildren in line with the constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Netherlands

In an April resolution, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe reaffirmed a 2014 decision by the European Committee of Social Rights that the Netherlands must offer decent humanitarian conditions to rejected asylum seekers until they leave the country. That same month, the government announced a "bed, bath, bread agreement" providing temporary shelter at night, a shower, and two meals a day. But the agreement is limited to the five largest municipalities and can be terminated if the person refuses to cooperate with removal from the Netherlands.

In August, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination criticized the government's approach, saying that basic needs of migrants should be provided unconditionally. In November, the Dutch Council of State, the highest administrative court, said the Dutch government is generally entitled to place conditions on the provision of shelter to rejected asylum seekers, such as their cooperation with removal from the Netherlands, other than in exceptional circumstances, such as those related to the person's psychological state.

In June, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child noted with concern the deportation of children in "vulnerable situations" to their countries of origin, where they may end up in orphanages, and urged the authorities to take measures to prevent such deportations.

In August, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concerns over racial profiling by Dutch police and urged the Netherlands to adopt measures to ensure that stop-and-search powers are not exercised in a discriminatory manner. The committee also expressed concerns over reports that citizens seeking to protest peacefully against portrayals of the traditional "Black Piet" (Zwarte Piet) figure of the Sinterklaas festival have been denied authorization to conduct such protests at a meaningful time and place and have been subjected to violent attacks and other forms of intimidation, which have not been adequately investigated.

In June, the Netherlands paid compensation to relatives of victims of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995 who were forced to leave a UN compound by Dutch peacekeepers. A court in the city of Arnhem ruled in April that a former Dutch commander and his two adjutants would not be prosecuted for complicity in war crimes and genocide at Srebrenica.

In November, the Netherlands ratified the Council of Europe's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as the Istanbul Convention).

Poland

There was little sign of progress in the Krakow Appellate Prosecutor's longstanding criminal investigation into a secret CIA detention and interrogation program. Following the release of the US Senate torture report, former President Aleksander Kwasniewski acknowledged authorizing a secret CIA detention facility. In February, the ECtHR upheld its decision of July 2014 concerning Poland's complicity in the detention program, and confirmed its order that Poland pay compensation to two former "black site" detainees. In September, a Polish court rejected an application for victim status in the case brought on behalf of a Saudi former detainee at Guantanamo Bay.

In May, the prosecutor general published a report on racist and xenophobic crimes. Despite a significant rise in the number of reported cases, convictions remained low. In June, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance urged Poland to take further measures in addressing racial crimes, hate speech, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Draft legislation on introducing civil partnership was again rejected by parliament's lower house in August.

Access to reproductive and sexual health rights continued to be restricted, with limited access to legal abortion and comprehensive sex education. In October, the Constitutional Tribunal considered the legality of elements of the "conscience clause," a code allowing medical personnel to decline to provide reproductive health services if that conflicts with their personal values or beliefs. The Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the legal obligation to refer the patient to another medical professional in the event of such a conflict is unconstitutional.

In October, parliament failed to override the president's veto on legislation that would have significantly improved the legal recognition process for transgender people.

In February, parliament enacted a law ratifying the Istanbul Convention. Violence against women remained a serious problem, and continued underreporting of cases limits survivors' access to services and justice.

Spain

Changes to Spain's immigration laws entered into force in April, allowing for summary expulsions from the country's enclaves in North Africa, Ceuta, and Melilla. Access to asylum offices established at the borders remained difficult for many, with Morocco at times closing the border, including to Syrians. An ECtHR challenge to the summary return of migrants from Melilla in 2014 was pending at time of writing.

A Melilla judge closed the cases against eight border guards on charges of degrading treatment, and against the local Guardia Civil chief on charges of obstruction of justice, in relation to use of force to return a group of migrants to Morocco in October 2014.

In April, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture renewed its concerns about prison-like conditions in immigration detention facilities and criticized severe overcrowding in the center for migrants in Melilla.

A revamped criminal code and a new public security law, in effect since July, include provisions that define terrorism offenses in overly broad terms and infringe on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly  including steep fines for spontaneous protests and "lack of respect" for law enforcement officers, and stiffer penalties for resisting authority in the context of a protest. UN experts earlier warned these measures could lead to disproportionate or discretionary enforcement. The new criminal code introduced the crimes of stalking and forced marriage.

In September, parliament passed legislation requiring parental or guardian consent for 16- and 17-year-old girls to receive an abortion, despite protest and UN concerns over interference in the right to privacy and autonomy. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed alarm, in July, at the prevalence of violence against women and urged a series of reforms in legislation and practice.

In July, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concerns about ongoing ethnic profiling by law enforcement bodies, despite some positive legislative reforms, excessive use of force by such bodies, and discrimination against immigrants and minorities, including Roma. The committee renewed its recommendation that Spain abrogate incommunicado detention, as well as the 1977 amnesty law that prevents accountability for torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions during the Franco regime.

In September, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights found that Spain violated the right to adequate housing in the case of a woman unable to contest a mortgage foreclosure on her home.

UK

In May, the newly elected government announced that it would propose legislation for a "British Bill of Rights" to replace the Human Rights Act, which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law. Statements by ministers suggest the new bill could weaken human rights protections.

A committee tasked by the government in December 2013 with conducting an investigation into UK involvement in renditions and overseas torture had yet to report at time of writing. Criminal investigations in UK officials' alleged involvement in several rendition cases involving Libya were ongoing.

In March, parliament passed the Modern Slavery Act with the aim of combating slavery, trafficking, forced labor, and servitude. However, the law fails to adequately address abuse of migrant domestic workers, whose immigration status is tied to their employer. An independent review of the domestic worker visa, commissioned by the government, had yet to report at this writing.

In November, the government proposed a bill that would enshrine broad government surveillance practices in law and expand them further, with only limited judicial involvement. In a June report, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation called for judicial authorization of interception warrants.

The London Metropolitan Police recorded respective increases of 22 percent and 46.7 percent in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic crimes in London between January and July 2015, as compared with the previous year.

In August, UK forces killed three members of the armed extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in a drone attack in Syria. Prime Minister David Cameron announced the attack was lawful under international law but refused to publish the legal guidance used to authorize the strike.

The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, enacted in February, allows authorities to confiscate passports of persons suspected of intending to travel abroad to participate in terrorism-related activities and to prevent UK citizens suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities from returning to the UK for up to two years, making them de facto stateless for that period.

In August, the UN Human Rights Committee urged the UK to bring its counterterrorism laws in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

In July, the government suspended the "detained fast track," an accelerated procedure for assessing claims that UK authorities consider can be decided "quickly." In June, the Court of Appeal had ordered its suspension after the High Court ruled the procedure was unlawful and structurally unfair for appellants. In November, the Supreme Court refused an application by the government to appeal the June ruling.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Egypt

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Egypt, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994315.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took office in June 2014  a year after ousting Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's first freely elected president  leads a country still in crisis. Authorities have imprisoned tens of thousands, effectively banned protests, and outlawed the country's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood. Courts have sentenced hundreds to death, including Morsy, after unfair trials.

In the northern Sinai Peninsula, fighting between the government and an affiliate of the armed extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) escalated, despite Egypt's commitment of significant additional forces. The government claimed that the army killed thousands of "terrorists" in the Sinai but allowed no independent observers into the conflict area, and residents said the army had killed an unknown number of civilians.

Al-Sisi issued a sweeping counterterrorism law that expanded the authorities' powers. Law enforcement forces, especially the Interior Ministry's National Security Agency, committed torture and enforced disappearances, and deaths in custody continued. Mass trials mostly targeting Brotherhood members failed to establish individual guilt. At least 3,000 people were charged or sentenced in military courts.

The authorities continued to restrict freedom of expression and association by investigating independent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), arresting people suspected of being gay or transgender, and prosecuting those accused of defaming religion.

Armed Groups and Counterterrorism

A constellation of insurgent groups throughout Egypt, including the ISIS affiliate known as Sinai Province, escalated their attacks dramatically from an average of 30 per day throughout 2014 to 100 per day between January and August 2015, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Though civilians were rarely the target of attacks, in 2015 they were killed at three times the rate of the previous year, the Tahrir Institute found. A June 29 car bombing in Cairo killed General Prosecutor Hisham Barakat, the first high government official to be assassinated since 1990.

The Egyptian government said that its counterterrorism operations in North Sinai killed at least 3,091 "terrorists" between January and July 2015. The government did not allow independent observers into the area of fighting and did not acknowledge any civilian deaths in the Sinai. In September, Egyptian security forces killed 12 civilians, including eight Mexican tourists, in the Western Desert region after apparently mistaking their sightseeing convoy for ISIS fighters. Prosecutors investigating the incident imposed a media gag order four days later.

Between October 2014 and August 2015, the armed forces demolished 2,715 buildings and evicted thousands of families on the border with the Gaza Strip, violating human rights law and possibly the laws of war. The government claimed that a "buffer zone" there would eliminate the smuggling of weapons and fighters from Gaza.

Al-Sisi  who governed in the absence of a parliament for most of the year  issued a counterterrorism law in August that gave prosecutors greater power to detain suspects without judicial review and to order wide-ranging and potentially indefinite surveillance of terrorist suspects without court orders. The law authorized a US$64,000 fine and possible one-year work ban for anyone who publishes news regarding terrorism that contradicts the Defense Ministry's official statements.

Security Force Abuses

On July 1, a special police unit acting on information from the Interior Ministry's National Security Agency raided an apartment in a Cairo suburb and killed nine Brotherhood officials. The government claimed the nine belonged to a "special operations committee" and died in a shootout, but relatives said the men did not carry weapons, and Human Rights Watch found that the deaths may have constituted extrajudicial executions.

National Security officers were responsible for dozens of enforced disappearances, often targeting political activists. Human Rights Watch documented the cases of five forced disappearances and two likely forced disappearances between April 2014 and June 2015. Three of these cases resulted in death. The Egyptian human rights group Freedom for the Brave documented 164 enforced disappearances between April and June.

The National Security Agency banned scores of Egyptians  including activists, politicians and academics  from traveling. It did so with little or no oversight from judges or prosecutors and did not provide those who were banned with any way of challenging the decision, violating the fundamental international right to freedom of movement.

Police regularly used torture in their investigations. A January 2015 report by an Egyptian human rights law firm said its lawyers had interviewed 465 alleged victims of police torture and ill-treatment between October 2013 and August 2014 and filed 163 complaints to prosecutors, of which only seven reached the courts.

Accountability

On June 11, an Egyptian court sentenced a lieutenant in the Central Security Forces to 15 years in prison for the killing of Shaimaa al-Sabbagh, a member of a socialist political party shot dead when police dispersed a small protest in a downtown Cairo square on January 24. The verdict in al-Sabbagh's case marked the first time since Morsy's ouster in July 2013 that a law enforcement officer in Egypt received a prison sentence for killing a protester, despite hundreds of such deaths.

At time of writing, no government official or member of the security forces had been charged for the killing of at least 817 protesters in Cairo's Rab'a al-Adawiya Square on August 14, 2013  a likely crime against humanity. On August 13, a court halved a 10-year prison sentence handed to a police officer who participated in the tear gas suffocation of 37 people whom police had arrested from Rab'a Square.

Detentions

In October, the Interior Ministry announced that nearly 12,000 people had been arrested on terrorism charges in 2015, adding to the 22,000 people security officials said had already been arrested as of July 2014. The actual number is likely higher; the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights documented more than 41,000 arrests, indictments, or sentencings between July 2013 and May 2014.

On September 23, al-Sisi pardoned 100 prisoners, including youth activists  some in poor health  and Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, but many political prisoners did not receive pardons, including Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel, founders of the April 6th Youth Movement; Mahienour al-Masry, a human rights lawyer from Alexandria; and at least 18 journalists, including photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid, whom police arrested in August 2013 and whose trial began in December.

The Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, an independent group, documented 47 deaths in custody between January and June and said in an October report that 209 detainees had died due to medical negligence since al-Sisi took office in June 2014.

Due Process Violations and Mass Death Sentences

On June 16, a criminal court sentenced Morsy and 114 others to death in two related cases based almost entirely on the testimony of security officials, who claimed that Morsy and the Brotherhood had conspired with Hamas and Hezbollah to break out of prison during the 2011 uprising and had killed police officers in the process. Human Rights Watch found that prosecutors presented no evidence to substantiate the security officials' testimony and that the case appeared to be politically motivated.

Since Morsy's removal, courts have handed down at least 547 initial death sentences in cases connected to political violence, most involving Brotherhood members. Nearly all those sentences remained on appeal in 2015. The state carried out one execution in a case of political violence in March and executed another six men  accused of belonging to a militant cell and killing army officers in a shootout  in May following an unfair military trial.

Mass trials also involved those not belonging to the Brotherhood. In February, a judge sentenced activist Ahmed Douma, women's rights defender Hend al-Nafea, and 228 others to life in prison for participating in a December 2011 protest.

Between January and September 2015, authorities charged or sentenced at least 3,164 people  most of them alleged Brotherhood members  in military courts.

Freedom of Association, Expression, and Assembly

The government did not follow through on a November 2014 ultimatum to force independent NGOs to register under an onerous 2002 law but increased pressure on such groups. In June, government investigators visited the office of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and asked for registration and financial documents. National Security agents banned Mohamed Lotfy, executive director of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, from travel to Germany in June to attend a roundtable at the German Parliament.

Freedom of Religion

In February and March, courts handed prison sentences to two men, who later went into hiding, for allegedly supporting atheism online. In June, prosecutors in Beni Suef governorate ordered a local man arrested for allegedly posting cartoons online that insulted the prophet Mohamed. In October, an appeals court upheld a five-year sentence against TV presenter Islam al-Behery for contempt of religion, but al-Behery appealed the ruling to a higher court.

In June, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent group, released a study documenting 51 sectarian attacks since the 2011 uprising that were resolved through "customary reconciliation," an extrajudicial process sponsored by the security services that does not abide by Egyptian law and often allows the security services to impose conditions on Coptic Christians.

Violence and Discrimination against Women

On January 26, an Egyptian court for the first time issued a conviction for female genital mutilation (FGM), which remains widely practiced despite being made illegal in 2008. The court sentenced the doctor to two years in prison for manslaughter and the father to a three-month suspended sentence.

In April, the government released its five-year national strategy to combat violence against women. The strategy included more shelters for women, better information collection in government ministries, and a new training manual for prosecutors and law enforcement officers. But the strategy also defined rape as "having sexual intercourse with a female against her will," which does not include anal rape or penetration with an object, and made no mention of sexual assault by multiple offenders  an enormous problem in Egypt  or sexual assault by law enforcement officers.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In January, a court acquitted 26 men who had been accused of debauchery in connection with a raid on a bathhouse allegedly used by gay men, but in February, morals investigators arrested seven allegedly transgender people who had met at a Cairo club to celebrate a friend's birthday. Police also arrested two allegedly transgender people on prostitution charges in May and 11 allegedly gay men, also accused of prostitution, in September.

Egyptian authorities routinely subject allegedly gay men arrested for "debauchery" or "insulting public morals" to forced anal exams, which amount to torture.

Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Migrants

Egypt was home to 236,090 refugees and 25,631 asylum seekers as of December 2014, the most recent date for which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided figures. About 130,000 of those refugees were Syrians, UNHCR said. Egypt has yet to develop national asylum procedures and institutions, and the country's political strife puts refugees and asylum seekers at risk of arbitrary arrest, deportation and harassment, according to UNHCR.

On several occasions, Egyptian security forces fired on refugees attempting to embark from the country's northern coast on smuggling boats across the Mediterranean Sea. In August, an 8-year-old girl, thought to be Syrian, was reportedly killed in one such incident.

About 3,000 to 4,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria who fled the country since 2011 remained in Egypt as of September, according to UN sources.

Key International Actors

In March, the United States announced it would resume the delivery of major military equipment that it had placed on hold after Morsy's removal. The decision allowed the US to send 12 F-16 fighter jets, 20 Harpoon missiles, and 125 M1A1 tank kits. The US earlier delivered 10 Apache helicopters in December 2014 to aid Egypt's counterterrorism efforts. But President Barack Obama announced that he would end Egypt's ability to buy US equipment on credit and restrict military aid to four sectors  Sinai Peninsula, counterterrorism, border security, and maritime security  beginning in 2018.

In August, the US held its first strategic dialogue with Egypt since 2009. Following the meeting in Cairo, Secretary of State John Kerry said that Egypt and the US were returning to a "stronger base" but that he had been "crystal clear" on human rights concerns and had raised the issue of radicalization "that can take place through imprisonment."

Over the course of the year, al-Sisi visited Berlin, Paris and London. In July, France began delivery of 24 Rafale fighter jets that Egypt purchased in February. In September, Egypt bought two Mistral class French warships  some of the most advanced in any Middle Eastern navy.

In March, Egypt joined the Saudi Arabia-led military intervention in Yemen's conflict, sending four warships to the Gulf of Aden. The extent of Egypt's troop commitment to the intervention remained unclear, and the military denied deploying ground forces.

In February, an ISIS affiliate in Libya beheaded 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians whom it had abducted over the prior two months. Egypt responded by launching air strikes against ISIS-affiliated forces in Derna that killed at least seven civilians.

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World Report 2016 - Ecuador

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Ecuador, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994415.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The administration of President Rafael Correa has expanded state control over media and civil society and abused its power to harass, intimidate, and punish critics. In 2015, thousands of people participated in public demonstrations against government policies. Security forces on multiple occasions responded with excessive force. Abuses against protesters, including arbitrary arrests, have not been adequately investigated.

Other ongoing concerns include limited judicial independence, poor prison conditions, and women's and girls' limited access to reproductive health care due to fear of prosecution.

Conduct of Security Forces

Ecuadorian security forces repeatedly used force against peaceful protesters in 2015. In August, a minority of participants in largely peaceful nationwide demonstrations attacked security forces with rocks, sticks, spears, and Molotov cocktails, leaving 116 officers injured. Security forces responded with at times unnecessary and unlawful force, beating or arbitrarily arresting dozens of demonstrators and bystanders, and illegally entering the homes of people who were not participating in the protests.

French-Brazilian journalist and academic Manuela Picq, for example, was demonstrating peacefully in Quito when police officers kicked and beat her. Picq was detained and left the country after her visa was arbitrarily revoked. Manuel Asuncion Poma Poma, a resident of Saraguro, Loja Province, said he was leaving a store close to where a demonstration was taking place when security forces attacked him with batons, knocking out five teeth and damaging his jaw.

Authorities charged 130 people for their alleged responsibility in violent incidents but appear to have made no serious effort to investigate officials who used brutal force to disperse anti-government protests, according to information provided by the Attorney General's Office in October. President Correa congratulated security forces for their performance.

In recent years, prosecutors and judges in Ecuador have charged anti-government protesters with "terrorism" and "sabotage." A new criminal code that entered into force in August 2014 narrowed the previously vague and overly broad definitions of both offenses, but judges failed to act promptly to use the new provisions to review unjust convictions in cases where high-level government officials signaled satisfaction with the convictions.

In October, the National Court of Justice sentenced five protesters to 18 months in prison for paralyzing public services, accusing them of forcibly entering the offices of Ecuador TV, the public television channel, during a police mutiny in September 2010. The protesters were demanding an opportunity to speak to the public after the government had ordered all stations to transmit Ecuador TV's programming. Among those convicted was a student who was accused of supporting the group's actions with his applause.

Freedom of Expression

A 2013 communications law gives the government broad powers to limit free speech. The law requires all information disseminated by media to be "verified" and "precise," opening the door to censorship by allowing the government to decide what information meets these vague criteria. It also prohibits "media lynching," defined as "repeatedly disseminating information with the purpose of discrediting or harming the reputation of a person or entity." In addition, it prohibits what it terms "censorship," which, under the law's definition, includes the failure of private media outlets to cover issues that the government considers to be of "public interest."

The Superintendency of Information and Communication (SUPERCOM), a government regulatory body created by the 2013 Communications Law and separate from the Communications Ministry, has in dozens of cases ordered media outlets and journalists to "correct" or retract reports, or publicly apologize for their contents, including in opinion pieces and cartoons. SUPERCOM has also accused outlets of engaging in "censorship" by not publishing information officials deemed important.

The Correa administration repeatedly used the communications law to order media outlets to publish information favorable to the government. In July, the newspaper El Mercurio reproduced an article by the Spanish news agency EFE on the Pope's visit to Ecuador with the heading: "Extraordinary Welcome in Quito to Pope Francis and Loud Whistling against Correa." The communications minister ordered El Mercurio to publish a correction under the headline "Correa Was Not in Papal Motorcade." SUPERCOM has repeatedly imposed high fines on media outlets that refuse to publish corrections using the exact terms ordered by the Communications Ministry.

Journalists, media outlets, and social media users who openly criticize the government have been subjected to harassment and threats from anonymous sources. In February, an Ecuadorian activist who had posted satirical memes on Facebook and Twitter, including one picturing President Correa at a shopping mall in Europe, received an anonymous death threat after President Correa revealed his identity during the president's weekly television show; the threat came in a note with a floral arrangement delivered to the house where the activist was staying. The president had previously called on his followers to "join the fight to end abuses in social networks."

In September, an Ecuadorian TV producer who had worked on multimedia campaigns questioning government policies received anonymous death threats on Twitter and in a note delivered with a floral arrangement to his home. The Attorney General's Office has failed to adequately investigate the two incidents.

Criminal defamation remains a concern, despite a 2014 legal reform narrowing the definition of the crime. In May, President Correa had a criminal case for contempt opened against three men who he said had slandered him in 2010. They had asked the attorney general to investigate whether the president had broken the law when he ordered an armed assault on a hospital during a 2010 police mutiny. The three fled to avoid prison sentences of up to 18 months, but one turned himself in after his mother became sick and served his six-month sentence. None paid the $180,000 fines they had also been assessed.

The government frequently requires private media outlets to transmit official broadcasts responding to unfavorable news coverage. During several of the 2015 demonstrations, the Communications Ministry ordered radio stations to transmit live broadcasts of pro-government marches, speeches by President Correa, and government-produced spots. Private radio and TV news broadcasts were interrupted to transmit mandatory broadcasts accusing private media of "conspiring" against the government in their protest coverage.

Judicial Independence

Corruption, inefficiency, and political influence have plagued Ecuador's judiciary for years. President Correa received a popular mandate in a 2011 referendum to fix the problems. As part of his sweeping judicial reforms, however, the Council of the Judiciary appointed and removed hundreds of judges, including all magistrates of the National Court of Justice, through highly questionable mechanisms that have undermined judicial independence.

A 2014 report by three international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)  the Due Process of Law Foundation, Dejusticia, and the Institute for Legal Defense  documented routine executive interference with judicial decisions, misuse of the penal system to target individuals who question the government's policies, and misuse of the judiciary's internal disciplinary system to punish judges whose rulings are inconsistent with the Correa administration's policies.

Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society

In 2013 President Correa issued an executive decree that grants the government broad powers to intervene in NGO operations, to the point of dissolving groups on the grounds that they have "compromise[d] public peace" or have engaged in activities that are different from those they identified when registering with the government. That December, the government dissolved the Pachamama Foundation, a highly regarded NGO that had engaged in environmental and human rights advocacy.

In August 2015, President Correa adopted a new decree that maintains his broad powers to regulate and dissolve groups. In September, the Communications Ministry opened an administrative process to dissolve Fundamedios, a local group that monitors free expression, on the grounds that it had engaged in "political" activities by publishing tweets linking to blogs and news articles criticizing the government. Weeks later, after several international monitors, including rapporteurs from the United Nations and the Inter-American Human Rights systems, urged authorities to halt the dissolution process, the ministry withdrew the proceeding. However, in October, it ruled that Fundamedios could not state in its statute that one of its purposes was to defend freedom of expression, arguing that only the state has the power to "respect" and "protect" basic rights.

Activists continue to be subject to prosecution for openly questioning government policies. In February, Javier Ramirez, an activist from Intag, Imbabura Province, who opposes a mining project there, was accused of attacking workers of the mining company, despite compelling evidence that he was home receiving treatment for a knee injury on the day of the attack. He was convicted of "rebellion" and sentenced to 10 months in prison. He was released on the day of his conviction since he had already served his sentence during pretrial detention.

Human rights defenders and lawyers have reported anonymous threats and acts of intimidation. Juan Pablo Alban is a lawyer who represents several victims of abuse during the current and previous governments; a note showed up at his Quito office in October 2014 telling him to "lay off our glorious army and police," and warning him, using a crude insult, that he would be killed. He told Human Rights Watch that he has noticed cars following him and that, although he is formally under a state-run program to protect witnesses, victims, and lawyers, he has never met or seen any indication of the officers supposedly assigned to protect him.

Right to Privacy

In July, news sources leaked what appear to be classified government documents showing that the National Intelligence Secretariat conducted illegal surveillance of human rights defenders, environmentalist activists, indigenous groups, academics, and political opponents of President Correa. Under Ecuadorian law, surveillance can only be authorized by a judicial order. The leaked documents include evidence that the intelligence agency sought to trace foreign funding of NGOs and indigenous organizations.

Prison Conditions

Prison overcrowding and other poor prison conditions are long-standing problems in Ecuador. Since 2012, the government has spent millions of dollars to construct new detention centers, but their distant locations and strict and limited visitation rules impede prisoners' contact with family members. Some visitors have reportedly been subjected to vaginal and anal inspections.

Accountability for Past Abuses

Progress has been slow on efforts to hold Ecuadorian officials to account for human rights violations committed from 1984 to 2008, the period covered by a truth commission set up by the Correa administration. In 2010, a special prosecutorial unit was formed to investigate 118 cases of abuse involving 456 victims, including 68 victims of extrajudicial execution and 17 of enforced disappearance.

At time of writing, prosecutors had brought charges in seven cases, including two in which suspects were convicted, and the National Court of Justice was set to begin hearing Ecuador's first-ever trial for crimes against humanity.

Reproductive Rights

The right to seek an abortion is limited to instances in which a woman's health or life is at risk, or when a pregnancy results from the rape of a "woman with a mental disability." Fear of prosecution drives some women and girls to have illegal and unsafe abortions and impedes health care and services for victims of sexual violence. Fear of prosecution also hinders detection and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. Official statistics show that one in four women over 15 years old in Ecuador has been a victim of sexual violence.

Key International Actors

The government refused to participate in all but one public hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and stated that it would not comply with the commission's recommendations.

In March, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed its concern about women's limited access to therapeutic abortion and their consequent resort to unsafe abortions, in addition to breaches of confidentiality by health care personnel who report to authorities women who seek an abortion or health care after a miscarriage.

In May, Ecuador endorsed the global Safe Schools Declaration, committing to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including by implementing the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use.

In June, Ecuador donated US$1 million to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. A month later, members of the Organization of American States appointed Patricio Pazmino, an Ecuadorian lawyer who continues to serve as a judge on Ecuador's Constitutional Court, to the court.

In August, the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples called for a fair and impartial investigation into all acts of violence during the August 2015 protests, including claims that police and military forces used excessive force.

In September, the Inter-American Court ruled that Ecuador had violated the rights of a three-year-old girl who was infected with HIV at a public hospital in 1998. The court ordered the government to adopt measures to prevent or address discrimination faced by persons with HIV/AIDS, especially children.

In October, the UN General Assembly elected Ecuador to become a member of the Human Rights Council between 2016 and 2018.

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World Report 2016 - Dominican Republic

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Dominican Republic, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994513.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Dominican Republic's treatment of Haitian migrants and Dominican citizens of Haitian descent dominated human rights developments in 2015. Government authorities are still responding to a 2013 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that stripped citizenship from tens of thousands of Dominicans of migrant descent, mostly of Haitian origin, by dual policies of re-registering denationalized citizens and carrying out mass deportations. At the same time, the government began its first comprehensive effort to regularize the status of undocumented migrants, mostly Haitians.

In November 2014, the Constitutional Tribunal also broadly jeopardized human rights protections when it declared the government's 1999 accession to the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACrtHR) unconstitutional. The decision created a legal limbo that remains unresolved.

Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality

A 2013 ruling by the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal retroactively stripped Dominican nationality and citizenship from tens of thousands of people. According to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the decision affected more than 200,000 people, though the government says the number is closer to 100,000.

In 2014, President Danilo Medina's administration adopted a Naturalization Law designed to mitigate the ruling. While the law was meant to restore various citizenship rights to those affected by the 2013 decision and provided a promising legal framework, its implementation has been fraught with flaws. Many eligible people have been unable to resolve their citizenship status and remain at risk of deportation.

Migration and Deportations

Between June 2014 and June 2015, the government also implemented a national "regularization" plan to legalize the status of hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants  mostly Haitians  who had been living and working in the Dominican Republic before 2011. By the end of the regularization period in June 2015, more than 288,000 individuals had submitted applications to regularize their status.

Officials reported that, in the summer of 2015, more than 66,000 immigrants voluntarily returned to Haiti. Rights groups, however, have challenged the "voluntary" nature of these returns, as some migrants report having been forcibly removed, or having fled the country for fear of mob violence. Acts of vigilante violence against Haitians punctuated the regularization process, including the lynching of a Haitian man in February and the murder of another Haitian man in August.

Rights groups have also raised concerns regarding the lack of clear deportation protocols and the possibility of racial profiling in the deportation process.

Prison Conditions

While the government has created "model prisons" as part of a program to improve prison conditions, the majority of inmates remained in severely overcrowded traditional facilities. As of August, more than 26,000 prisoners were held in a system with an intended capacity of 14,000. La Victoria, the largest prison in the country, had an official capacity of 2,000 yet holds more than 8,000 inmates.

Violence against Women

Violence against women and girls remains a problem. The National Police has a dedicated unit to respond to such cases. However, between January 2008 and October 2014, the National Police reported more than 1,300 deaths due to gender-based violence. A bill proposing a series of judicial reforms to address the problem was still pending before the lower house of Congress at time of writing.

Reproductive Rights

In late 2014, the Dominican Republic decriminalized abortion in cases of rape, incest, certain fetal malformations, and when the pregnancy threatens the life of the woman. In December, the high court ruled that the reform was unconstitutional and reinstated an absolute criminal prohibition on abortion dating from the 19th century.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

The constitution of 2010 defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The law offers no comprehensive provisions against discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. In 2015, LGBT rights groups reported instances of discrimination and violence, including murder, particularly against transgender individuals.

Key International Actors

In November 2014, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the Dominican Republic's 1999 accession to the jurisdiction of the IACrtHR was unconstitutional because it was enacted by a presidential decree and not ratified by lawmakers. Such a ratification was not required by the constitution then in force.

National and international legal experts decried the ruling as a violation of the country's obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights. The government has not formally withdrawn from the convention, nor has it ratified the jurisdiction of the IACrtHR, creating a situation of legal uncertainty that calls into question the juridical security of all treaties in the Dominican Republic.

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World Report 2016 - Democratic Republic of Congo

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Democratic Republic of Congo, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9946c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In 2015, security and intelligence officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo clamped down on activists and political opponents who opposed political maneuvers to allow President Joseph Kabila to stay in power beyond his constitutionally mandated two-term limit, due to end in December 2016. Security forces shot peaceful demonstrators, jailed activists and political party leaders, and shut down media outlets, as the government increasingly resorted to violent acts of repression.

In the country's east, the security situation remained volatile. Numerous armed groups carried out deadly attacks on civilians, while government security forces also committed serious abuses.

Freedom of Expression and Peaceful Assembly

In January, security forces brutally suppressed demonstrations in the capital, Kinshasa, and other cities by those opposed to proposed changes to the electoral law requiring a national census before national elections could be held, effectively extending Kabila's term for several years.

Police and Republican Guard soldiers fatally shot at least 38 protesters in Kinshasa and 5 in Goma, in eastern Congo. Dozens were wounded and at least five people in Kinshasa were forcibly disappeared. Soon after a delegation of political opposition and civil society leaders visited wounded protesters at Kinshasa's General Hospital on January 21, Republican Guard soldiers entered the hospital and fired indiscriminately, wounding at least three visitors.

In the lead-up to the demonstrations, the government shut down two television stations that had aired messages calling on people to demonstrate: Canal Kin Television (CKTV) and Radio Television Catholique Elykia (RTCE). RTCE was reopened in June while CKTV remained blocked at time of writing. During the January demonstrations, the government also shut down text messaging services and Internet access for several days.

The same week, security forces arrested nearly a dozen prominent political party leaders and activists. Most were first detained by Congo's National Intelligence Agency (Agence Nationale de Renseignements, ANR) and held without charge for weeks or months with no access to lawyers or family members. In March, the ANR arrested about 30 youth activists and others attending a workshop in Kinshasa to promote the democratic process.

At time of writing, human rights defender Christopher Ngoyi, youth activists Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala, and political party leaders Jean-Claude Muyambo, Ernest Kyaviro, and Vano Kiboko remained in detention at Kinshasa's central prison. On September 14, Kiboko was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison on trumped up charges of racial hatred, tribalism, and spreading false rumors. On September 18, Kyaviro was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for provoking and inciting disobedience toward public authorities. Trials based on politically motivated charges were ongoing for the others at time of writing.

In Goma in March and April, the authorities arrested and later released at least 15 activists from the LUCHA youth movement who were demonstrating peacefully to demand the release of their colleagues detained in Kinshasa. Some alleged that intelligence agents beat or tortured them through a form of near-drowning. In September, four of them were convicted of inciting disobedience to authorities and sentenced to a suspended 6-month prison term and a 12-month probation period. Twelve other people were arrested during a peaceful LUCHA demonstration in Goma on November 28. Nine remain in detention at time of writing, including two LUCHA activists.

During an opposition rally in Kinshasa on September 15, a group of thugs hired and instructed by members of the ruling political party and senior officials in the security services attacked demonstrators with clubs and wooden sticks, injuring more than a dozen. Only when demonstrators turned on the assailants  beating some so badly that at least one later died of his wounds  did the police intervene.

After seven senior politicians from Kabila's political coalition, known as the G7, sent a public letter to Kabila on September 14, demanding he respect the constitution's two-term limit, security forces surrounded many of their homes, intimidated their supporters, and shut down a radio station that belonged to Christophe Lutundula, a signatory of the letter.

Attacks on Civilians by Armed Groups

Dozens of armed groups remained active in eastern Congo. Many commanders controlled forces responsible for war crimes, including ethnic massacres, killing of civilians, rape, forced recruitment of children, and pillage.

In February, the army launched military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a largely Rwandan Hutu armed group. The FDLR has been responsible for some of the worst atrocities in eastern Congo over the past decade. United Nations peacekeepers, who were closely involved in planning the military campaign, withdrew their support following the government's last-minute appointment of two generals to lead the operation. Both have been implicated in past human rights violations. The government then suspended military cooperation with UN peacekeepers. The FDLR military leader, Sylvestre Mudacumura  sought on an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court  remained at large.

In Beni territory, North Kivu, unidentified fighters continued to commit sporadic massacres of civilians, killing dozens. Further north, in Ituri province, the Patriotic Resistance Front in Ituri (FRPI) rebel group also committed serious human rights abuses, particularly rape and pillage. In Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province, bandits and armed groups kidnapped dozens of civilians for ransom.

In Nyunzu, in the north of former Katanga province, ethnic Luba fighters attacked a camp for displaced people on April 30. The assailants killed at least 30 civilians from the marginalized Batwa community, known as "Pygmy," with machetes, arrows, and axes and burned down the camp. Dozens of others remained missing and feared dead. The attack followed deadly raids on Luba by Batwa militias.

Justice and Accountability

Mathieu Ngudjolo, the first defendant to be acquitted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), returned to Congo on May 11. On September 2, the ICC opened the trial of Bosco Ntaganda, who faces 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Ituri province in 2002 and 2003. He faced no charges for alleged crimes later committed in North Kivu province. The ICC prosecutor has said that her office is continuing investigations in Congo.

On December 19, two Congolese rebel leaders convicted at the ICC, Germain Katanga and Thomas Lubanga, were returned to Congo to serve the remainder of their ICC sentences in Kinshasa. Katanga faces national war crimes charges in Congo that were filed against him before he was transferred to the ICC.

On September 28, a court in Stuttgart, Germany, convicted Ignace Murwanashyaka and Straton Musoni, respectively the former president and vice president of the FDLR, and sentenced them to 13 and 8 years in prison. Murwanashyaka was found guilty of war crimes in relation to five FDLR attacks in eastern Congo and of leading a terrorist organization. Musoni was found guilty of leading a terrorist organization but acquitted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

From April 27 to May 2, the Congolese Ministry of Justice and Human Rights convened a large conference in Kinshasa to evaluate its judicial reform program and recommend priority reforms that should be implemented, including the establishment of specialized mixed chambers to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since the 1990s.

In August, the civilian Appeals Court in Lubumbashi opened a trial against 34 members of the Luba and Batwa communities in northern Katanga for crimes against humanity and genocide, a first for Congo's civilian courts.

FRPI leader Justin Banaloki, known as Cobra Matata, was arrested in Bunia on January 2 and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. At time of writing, he had not been brought to trial.

Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, wanted on a Congolese arrest warrant for crimes against humanity for the mass rape of nearly 400 people in 2010, remained at large at time of writing. His troops continued to commit serious abuses.

No progress was made in bringing to justice those responsible for the summary executions of at least 51 young men and boys and the enforced disappearance of 33 others during a police campaign in Kinshasa, known as Operation Likofi, from November 2013 to February 2014, or for the summary executions during the January demonstrations.

The government failed to exhume the mass grave in Maluku, a rural area about 80 kilometers from Kinshasa, where it admitted burying 421 bodies on March 19. On June 5, family members of those forcibly disappeared or executed by Congolese security forces during Operation Likofi and the January demonstrations filed a public complaint with the national prosecutor requesting exhumation.

Key International Actors

Little progress was made in implementing the "Framework Agreement" signed in February 2013 by 11 African countries (later joined by two other countries) to end the rebellion of the M23  an abusive Rwandan-backed armed group defeated in November 2013  and address other regional security issues. Many former M23 fighters and commanders remained in Uganda and Rwanda, including six former officers sought on Congolese arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity who are also listed on UN and US sanctions lists.

In July, the US State Department appointed Thomas Perriello as new US special envoy for Congo and the Great Lakes Region, succeeding Russ Feingold. Perriello and other senior US officials continued to raise concerns publicly about the importance of national elections being held on time to prevent further violence, repression, and instability.

The UN, US, and European countries publicly condemned the arrests of pro-democracy youth activists, and in July, the European Parliament adopted an urgency resolution calling for their immediate release and condemning other acts of political repression.

In October, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Maman Sidikou, a former foreign minister of Niger and senior African Union official, as his special representative in Congo and head of MONUSCO, succeeding Martin Kobler. Sidikou will be tasked with implementing MONUSCO's strong mandate in support of human rights and the rule of law during what is likely to be a volatile elections period in Congo.

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World Report 2016 - Colombia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Colombia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994743.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Civilians in Colombia continue to suffer serious abuses perpetrated by guerrillas, as well as by successor groups to paramilitaries that emerged after an official paramilitary demobilization process a decade ago. Violence associated with Colombia's internal armed conflict has forcibly displaced more than 6.8 million Colombians, generating the world's second largest population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) after Syria. Human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, indigenous and Afro-Colombian leaders, and other community activists face death threats and violence, but perpetrators are rarely held accountable.

The Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas have engaged in peace talks in Cuba since 2012, and at time of writing had reached an agreement on four of the six items on their negotiating agenda. In June, the government and FARC agreed to create a "Truth Commission" to carry out non-judicial investigations of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law committed during the conflict.

In September, the government and FARC announced an agreement that would create a new Peace Tribunal to try those responsible for gross human rights violations committed during the armed conflict. Under the agreement, those responsible for crimes against humanity and serious war crimes who cooperate with the new judicial system and confess their crimes would spend between five and eight years under "effective restraint of liberty" but face no prison time.

Exploratory talks between the government and National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's second largest guerrilla group, continued at time of writing.

Guerrilla Abuses

FARC guerrillas continue to attack civilians, although credible evidence suggests that abuses decreased during two unilateral ceasefires agreed on with the government starting in late 2014. There are credible reports that FARC continued to engage in serious abuses, including killings, forced displacement, and threats against civilians in the municipality of Tumaco in 2015. In June, an attack on an oil pipeline in Tumaco left almost 200,000 people with limited access to water for several days and led to complaints of lingering health problems.

The ELN also continues to commit serious abuses against civilians. In the province of Choco, for example, the ELN has been responsible for kidnappings, killings, forced displacement, and child recruitment. In March, ELN guerrillas released a mayor from that province whom they had kidnapped in December 2014.

The FARC and ELN continued to use antipersonnel landmines in 2015. The government reported that landmines and unexploded ordnances killed 17 people and injured 113 between January and July 2015. In May, after an agreement reached in Cuba, members of FARC and the army started demining the El Orejon zone in Antioquia.

Paramilitaries and their Successors

Between 2003 and 2006, right-wing paramilitary organizations with close ties to security forces and politicians underwent a deeply flawed government demobilization process in which many members remained active and reorganized into new groups.

Successor groups, often led by members of demobilized paramilitary organizations, continue to commit such widespread abuses as killings, disappearances, and sexual violence.

In Buenaventura, a largely Afro-Colombian port on the Pacific coast, atrocities by paramilitary successor groups that include dismembering victims continued in 2015 despite a "special intervention" initially announced by the government in May 2014 to dismantle the groups. The municipality has one of the highest rates of forced displacement in Colombia, with 22,383 residents fleeing their homes in 2014, and 1,385 between January and September 2015.

Successor groups have also engaged in gross abuses in Medellin. In October, the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences reported that 24 people had been dismembered in that city in 2015, presumably by successor groups.

Paramilitary successor groups have at times benefited from the tolerance and even collusion of state agents.

Implementation of the Justice and Peace law of 2005, which offers dramatically reduced sentences to demobilized paramilitary members who confess their crimes, has been slow. As of August 2015, only 115 of the more than 30,000 paramilitary troops who officially demobilized had been sentenced under the law, and over 1,000 remained in pretrial detention. The convictions cover a small portion of the nearly 70,000 crimes confessed by the more than 4,000 defendants seeking the law's benefits.

In November 2014, the Attorney General's Office obtained its first conviction in a case it designated "high priority" two years earlier. Twelve leaders of a paramilitary group responsible for hundreds of crimes between 1994 and 2004, including enforced disappearances, homicides, and rape, were convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison.

"Parapolitics" investigations into current and former members of Congress accused of conspiring with paramilitaries continued in 2015. As of August, 63 legislators had been convicted of crimes related to "parapolitics" since 2006.

Abuses by Public Security Forces

Between 2002 and 2008, army brigades across Colombia routinely executed civilians. Under pressure from superiors to show "positive" results and boost body counts in their war against guerrillas, soldiers and officers abducted victims or lured them to remote locations under false pretenses  such as with promises of work  and killed them, placed weapons on their lifeless bodies, and then reported them as enemy combatants killed in action. There has been a dramatic reduction in cases of alleged unlawful killings attributed to security forces since 2009, though credible reports of some new cases continue to emerge.

The government does not keep statistics for "false-positives" as a category of crime distinct from other types of unlawful killings. However, as of May 2015, the Attorney General's Office was investigating more than 3,700 unlawful killings allegedly committed by state agents between 2002 and 2008, and had obtained convictions for over 800 of them. Authorities have failed to prosecute senior army officers involved in the killings and instead have promoted many of them through the military ranks.

In June and October, the Attorney General's Office summoned a total of nine generals, including former army commander Mario Montoya, to testify on their alleged role in false-positive cases. At time of writing, no charges had yet been brought against any of them.

In July, the government replaced the army's top commander, Gen. Lasprilla Villamizar, who commanded a brigade allegedly responsible for 48 extrajudicial killings. General Rodriguez Barragan, however, continued at time of writing to command the armed forces despite strong evidence implicating him in false-positive killings.

Peace Negotiations and Accountability

In September 2015, the government and FARC announced an agreement to create a new peace tribunal to try those responsible for gross human rights abuses committed during the armed conflict.

Under the agreement, those responsible for crimes against humanity and serious war crimes who cooperate with the new judicial system and confess their crimes would spend between five and eight years under "special conditions" that would entail "effective restraint of liberty" but no prison time. While the details of the agreement had not been finalized at time of writing, such "special conditions" could fail to provide punishments that reflect the gravity of the crimes as required under international law.

Other parties to the armed conflict would also benefit from the agreement, likely including members of the armed forces responsible for false-positive cases. The government announced that members of the armed forces could participate in the process under terms that are "differentiated" but "equitable" to those governing participation by guerrillas.

In April, the government dropped legislation intended to expand military jurisdiction, which could have derailed the ongoing prosecution of false-positive cases.

Internal Displacement and Land Restitution

More than 6.8 million Colombians have been internally displaced since 1985, government figures reveal. The government registered more than 180,000 newly displaced people in 2014, and over 37,000 from January to October 2015.

The government's implementation of land restitution under the Victims' Law continues to move slowly. The law was enacted in 2011 to restore millions of hectares of abandoned land and land stolen by armed groups and civilians to internally displaced Colombians. At the time, the government estimated that more than 150,000 land restitution cases would be settled by the end of 2015, but as of November, the government had obtained rulings in just 2,983 of the nearly 85,000 claims it had received.

Dozens of land restitution claimants have been murdered, and no one has been held accountable for the majority of those killings.

Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread in Colombia. Lack of training and poor implementation of treatment protocols create obstacles for women and girls seeking post-violence care and can impede timely access to essential medical services. Perpetrators of GBV crimes are rarely brought to justice.

In 2014, the government enacted a law to improve access to justice and protection for sexual-violence survivors. A challenge by four nongovernmental organizations to a provision of the law making it optional for health providers to use post-rape protocols remained pending before the Constitutional Court at time of writing.

In July 2015, the government enacted a law that created the crime of "femicide"  defined as a murder of a woman because of her gender  and established comprehensive measures to prevent and prosecute GBV, such as creating a special unit at the Attorney General's Office and establishing victims' right to free and specialized legal assistance.

Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, and Trade Unionists

Rights advocates and journalists continue to be targeted with threats and attacks. Despite an Interior Ministry program that assigns guards to protect human rights defenders, trade unionists, and journalists, local groups report that dozens of rights advocates and community activists were killed in 2015.

The Foundation for Free Press (FLIP), a respected Colombian NGO that monitors press freedoms, reported that two journalists were killed and 60 were threatened between January and October 2015. As of August, no one had been charged in the 2013 shooting attack against investigative journalist Ricardo Calderon.

As of February, the government had reported 121 trade unionist killings since 2011, and the Attorney General's Office had achieved convictions in only six. The National Labor School, Colombia's leading labor rights NGO, reported 17 new killings between January and August 2015.

The Inspector General's Office continued its disciplinary investigation against Senator Ivan Cepeda, a prominent victims' rights advocate, for collecting information about possible paramilitary abuses. The investigation, which relates to Senator Cepeda's interviews of ex-paramilitaries about former President Uribe's alleged ties to paramilitaries, appears to be entirely unfounded and could have a chilling effect on others who seek accountability for human rights abuses.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In 2011, the Constitutional Court determined that, if by June 2013 Congress had not passed a law recognizing same-sex unions, such couples could go before notary publics and judges to "formalize and solemnize" their union. In the face of congressional inaction and the still unclear status of such unions, the court held a follow-up hearing in July 2015 to address whether same-sex couples should be granted the right to marry under Colombian law. It had not issued a ruling at time of writing.

In November, the Constitutional Court ruled that sexual orientation could not be used to prohibit someone from adopting a child.

Key International Actors

The United States remains the most influential foreign actor in Colombia. In 2015, it provided approximately US$280 million, mostly in military and police aid. A portion of US military aid is subject to human rights conditions, which the US Department of State has not enforced; in September, it again certified that Colombia was meeting the conditions.

The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to monitor Colombian investigations of crimes that may fall within the ICC's jurisdiction. In November 2015, the OTP reported that it would "carefully review and analyse the provisions of the agreement [with FARC], in particular with respect to the restrictions of liberty in special conditions and the inclusion of state agents," and expressed its concern about limited progress on prosecutions of sexual and gender-based crimes in the ordinary justice system.

In November 2014, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights condemned Colombia for enforced disappearances committed by military troops after the recapture of the Palace of Justice in 1985.

In March 2015, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern about the continuing recruitment of children by non-state armed groups and successor groups of the paramilitaries. In May, the UN Committee Against Torture called on Colombia to ensure that military courts do not try military members accused of human rights abuses.

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World Report 2016 - Cuba

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Cuba, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99476.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Cuban government continues to repress dissent and discourage public criticism. It now relies less on long-term prison sentences to punish its critics, but short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others have increased dramatically in recent years. Other repressive tactics employed by the government include beatings, public acts of shaming, and the termination of employment.

In December 2014, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would ease restrictions on travel and commerce and normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba. In exchange, the Cuban government released 53 political prisoners and committed to allow visits by international human rights monitors. The two governments restored diplomatic relations in July 2015.

Arbitrary Detention and Short-Term Imprisonment

The government continues to rely on arbitrary detentions to harass and intimidate people who exercise their fundamental rights. The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, an independent human rights group that the government views as illegal, received more than 6,200 reports of arbitrary detentions from January through October 2015. While this represented a decrease from the number of detentions during the same 10-month period in 2014, it was still significantly higher than the number of yearly detentions prior to 2012.

Security officers virtually never present arrest orders to justify the detention of critics. In some cases, detainees are released after receiving official warnings, which prosecutors can use in subsequent criminal trials to show a pattern of delinquent behavior.

Detention is often used preemptively to prevent people from participating in peaceful marches or meetings to discuss politics. Detainees are often beaten, threatened, and held incommunicado for hours or days. Members of the Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco)  a group founded by the wives, mothers, and daughters of political prisoners and which the government considers illegal  are routinely harassed, roughed up, and detained before or after they attend Sunday mass.

Lazaro Yuri Valle Roca, a blogger and videographer who often covers the Sunday demonstrations of the Ladies in White, wrote that police arbitrarily detained him on June 7 and drove him 30 miles from Havana, where they took him from the car at gunpoint, made him kneel on the grass, and put the gun to his neck, telling him he was "on notice" to stay away from the demonstrations.

The artist Tania Bruguera was arrested on December 30, 2014, hours before her planned performance art piece in Havana's Revolution Square, in which she was to have invited passersby to walk up to a podium and express themselves at a microphone for one minute. Security officials confiscated her passport and computer. Bruguera was released the following day but was detained and released twice more during the next two days. Cuban dissidents and independent journalists who had planned to attend the event  including Reinaldo Escobar, Eliecer Avila, and Antonio Rodiles  were also arrested on December 30. Bruguera was again detained in May during the 12th Havana Biennial Art Exhibition. She was released the same day.

On August 9, a few days before US Secretary of State John Kerry was to attend a ceremony to mark the opening of the US embassy in Havana, 90 people  including an estimated 50 Ladies in White  were arrested and detained after Sunday mass in the Havana neighborhood of Miramar during a peaceful march against political repression.

During the visit of Pope Francis in September, police detained some 100 to 150 dissidents to prevent them from seeing him. Miriam Leiva, a freelance journalist and blogger and a founder of the Ladies in White, was invited by the Papal Nuncio in Havana to greet the Pope twice, on September 19 and 20, but was detained for several hours each time, preventing her attendance.

Political Prisoners

Despite the release of the 53 political prisoners in conjunction with the agreement to normalize relations with the US, dozens more remain in Cuban prisons, according to local human rights groups. The government prevents independent human rights groups from accessing its prisons, and the groups believe there are additional political prisoners whose cases they cannot document.

Cubans who criticize the government continue to face the threat of criminal prosecution. They do not benefit from due process guarantees, such as the right to fair and public hearings by a competent and impartial tribunal. In practice, courts are subordinated to the executive and legislative branches, denying meaningful judicial independence.

Graffiti artist Danilo Maldonado, known as "El Sexto," was arrested in December 2014 and charged with "contempt for authority" for attempting to stage a performance involving two pigs painted with the names "Raul" and "Fidel"  a satire of the current and former heads of state. He was released on October 20.

Freedom of Expression

The government controls virtually all media outlets in Cuba and restricts access to outside information, severely limiting the right to freedom of expression.

A small number of journalists and bloggers who are independent of government media manage to write articles for websites or blogs, or publish tweets. However, the government routinely blocks access within Cuba to these websites, and those who publish information considered critical of the government are subject to smear campaigns and arbitrary arrests, as are artists and academics who demand greater freedoms.

Only a fraction of Cubans are able to read independent websites and blogs because of the high cost of, and limited access to, the Internet. In July, Cuba increased Internet access by opening 35 Wi-Fi hot spots in parks and city boulevards nationwide. The US$2-an-hour Wi-Fi connection fee is expensive in a country where the average wage is approximately $20 a month.

Travel Restrictions and Family Separation

Reforms to travel regulations that went into effect in January 2013 eliminated the need for an exit visa to leave the island. Exit visas had previously been used to deny the right to travel to people critical of the government  and to their families. Since then, many people who had previously been denied permission to travel have been able to do so, including human rights defenders and independent bloggers.

Nonetheless, the reforms gave the government broad discretionary powers to restrict the right to travel on the grounds of "defense and national security" or "other reasons of public interest." Such measures have allowed the authorities to deny exit to people who express dissent. For example, Jose Daniel Ferrer, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), was denied the right to travel abroad in August for "reasons of public interest," authorities said.

The government restricts the movement of citizens within Cuba through a 1997 law known as Decree 217, which is designed to limit migration to Havana. The decree has been used to prevent dissidents from traveling to Havana to attend meetings and to harass dissidents from other parts of Cuba who live there.

Prison Conditions

Prisons are overcrowded. Prisoners are forced to work 12-hour days and punished if they do not meet production quotas, according to former political prisoners. Inmates have no effective complaint mechanism to seek redress, and those who criticize the government or engage in hunger strikes and other forms of protest are subjected to extended solitary confinement, beatings, restrictions on family visits, and denial of medical care.

While the government allowed select members of the foreign press to conduct controlled visits to a handful of prisons in April 2013, it continues to deny international human rights groups and independent Cuban organizations access to its prisons.

Labor Rights

Despite updating its Labor Code in 2014, Cuba continues to violate conventions of the International Labour Organization that it has ratified, specifically regarding freedom of association, collective bargaining, protection of wages and wage payment, and prohibitions on forced labor. While the formation of independent unions is technically allowed by law, in practice Cuba only permits one confederation of state-controlled unions, the Workers' Central Union of Cuba.

Human Rights Defenders

The Cuban government still refuses to recognize human rights monitoring as a legitimate activity and denies legal status to local human rights groups. Government authorities harass, assault, and imprison human rights defenders who attempt to document abuses.

Key International Actors

In January, a month after announcing plans to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama called on the US Congress to lift the economic embargo of Cuba imposed more than four decades ago. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly called on the United States to end the embargo, most recently in October by a vote of 191 to two.

At time of writing, Cuba had yet to allow visits to the island by the International Committee of the Red Cross or by UN human rights monitors, as stipulated in the December 2014 agreement with the US.

The European Union continues to retain its "Common Position on Cuba," adopted in 1996, which conditions full EU economic cooperation with Cuba on the country's transition to a pluralist democracy and respect for human rights. After a meeting in April 2014 in Havana, EU and Cuban delegates agreed on establishing a road map for "normalizing" relations. A fifth round of negotiations towards an EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement took place in Havana in September 2015, and a sixth round was scheduled for late November.

In November 2013, Cuba was re-elected to a regional position on the UN Human Rights Council, despite its poor human rights record and consistent efforts to undermine important council work. As a member of the council, Cuba has regularly voted to prevent scrutiny of serious human rights abuses around the world, opposing resolutions spotlighting abuses in North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Ukraine. However, Cuba supported a landmark resolution the council adopted in September 2014 to combat violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

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World Report 2016 - Chile

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Chile, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994915.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Chile's parliament in 2015 debated laws to strengthen human rights protection, as promised by President Michelle Bachelet, but none had been enacted at time of writing. These included measures to reform Chile's counterterrorism law and to decriminalize abortion in limited circumstances. Other long-needed reforms, however, including an expected bill to end the jurisdiction of military courts over human rights abuses by the Carabineros  the police responsible for public order and crime prevention  had not been introduced as of November.

While courts continue to prosecute individuals for abuses committed during military rule, the Supreme Court has used its discretionary powers in many cases to reduce sentences against human rights violators, resulting in punishments incommensurate with the gravity of the crimes.

Confronting Past Abuses

In March 2015, the chief justice reported that 1,056 cases of human rights violations committed during military rule (1973-1990) were under investigation, 112 of them for torture. According to the Ministry of the Interior's human rights program, as of December 2015, 344 individuals had received final sentences for human rights violations, including killings and enforced disappearances. One hundred and seventeen were serving prison sentences.

While some individuals convicted of extrajudicial executions initially receive long prison sentences, the Supreme Court's criminal chamber has in many cases reduced the penalties on final appeal on the basis that the time elapsed since the crime justifies a lesser, or even a non-custodial, sentence. Two of the five judges on the panel have consistently dissented from this position.

In addition, the prison service and appeals courts have granted benefits such as day release and parole to individuals convicted of crimes against humanity, which the Supreme Court has upheld.

Gen. Manuel Contreras, who commanded Pinochet's secret police, the DINA, died in a military hospital in August 2015. Contreras was responsible for summary executions, enforced disappearances, and torture that claimed thousands of victims during the early years of the dictatorship. At the time of his death, he was serving accumulated sentences of 529 years, and other cases against him were pending.

Secrecy continues to cast a shroud over past human rights crimes. The problem was dramatically demonstrated in 2015 following the publication of a former soldier's testimony that an officer had set fire to two teenagers, Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana, after their detention during a 1986 street protest. Rojas died of his injuries in hospital; Quintana was left permanently disfigured after multiple operations for her burns.

The official version, based on military witnesses who allegedly had been instructed and intimidated, was that the victims had accidentally burned themselves with a Molotov cocktail. In November 2014, a former soldier testified that a patrol commander had ordered them to be doused with gasoline and set on fire, confirming Quintana's account of what happened. Based on this testimony, in July 2015 Judge Mario Carroza charged 12 former soldiers with first degree murder.

In August, the minister of defense formed a human rights unit, headed by a former judge, to coordinate and facilitate military cooperation in cases under judicial investigation.

Counterterrorism Law

A bill presented by the government in November 2014 to replace Chile's counterterrorism law was still under discussion in the Senate at time of writing. The current law lacks sufficient due process protections, and its definition of terrorism is overly broad. The 2014 bill would update and narrow the definition of terrorism, excluding crimes against private property, which had previously formed the basis for terrorism prosecutions of Mapuche indigenous activists. It would also strengthen due process guarantees, giving defense attorneys the right to be informed of the identity of protected witnesses, question them about their evidence, and probe their credibility.

Military Jurisdiction

Military courts continue to exercise jurisdiction over abuses committed by the uniformed police, the Carabineros. Criminal proceedings in military courts lack the independence and due process guarantees of ordinary criminal proceedings. Investigations are secret, the proceedings are conducted mainly in writing, and lawyers have limited opportunities to cross-examine witnesses.

Many legitimate complaints of human rights abuses that are filed with military courts are dismissed. Sentences are often inappropriately reduced by the military appeals court. Both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court have opposed military jurisdiction in such cases.

In May 2014 the minister of defense promised to present draft legislation before the end of June 2015 that would overhaul the military criminal code and end military jurisdiction over crimes committed against civilians by the armed forces (including Carabineros). At time of writing, the bill had still not been presented.

Police Abuses

In May 2015, a student, Rodrigo Aviles, was knocked off his feet by a police water cannon and severely injured when his head struck the sidewalk during a street protest in Valparaiso. The Carabineros initially denied responsibility, but after a video on state television showed Aviles being hit by a jet of water fired by police at short range, the Carabineros dismissed the officer responsible. They also announced that disciplinary action would be taken against two officers shown in a video to have struck a teenage girl without provocation during the same demonstration, leaving her unconscious on the ground.

Appeals courts have repeatedly called on the Carabineros to observe strict protocols on the use of force when entering Mapuche indigenous communities in the context of land conflicts in southern Chile. In February 2015, the Supreme Court ordered the Carabineros to respect the right to liberty and personal security (amparo) of three Mapuche teenagers who were allegedly pursued, detained, and beaten by police in October 2014. Cases of brutality and the disproportionate use of force, however, continue to be reported. Women and children have been among the victims of these abuses.

Torture

Torture by police and prison guards is a recurrent problem. Following Supreme Court rulings against military jurisdiction over alleged abuses by Carabineros, some cases were, at time of writing, under investigation by civilian prosecutors and were expected to be heard by civilian courts. Chile's criminal code still lacks a specific reference to torture as defined in international instruments. President Bachelet promised in her state of the nation address in May 2015 to present a bill to rectify this.

Prison Conditions

Despite measures adopted in 2010-2013 to reduce the prison population, many of Chile's prisons are still grossly overcrowded. Conditions remain poor, and violent abuses by prison guards are common. A survey of more than 2,000 prisoners conducted in 2013 by the Gendarmeria, the Chilean prison service, revealed that more than a third claimed to have suffered violence from prison guards and more than a fifth said that they had been tortured. In January 2015, 18 prison guards were given suspended sentences of 61 days for beating a group of 57 prisoners in Rancagua prison following an escape attempt.

Reproductive Rights

Chile is one of four countries in Latin America (the other three being El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua) with an absolute prohibition on abortion, even in the event of medical necessity or rape. In January 2015, President Bachelet presented legislation to decriminalize abortion in cases of rape or fetal unviability, or where there was a risk to the life of the woman or girl.

In August, the Chamber of Deputies' Health Committee approved the legislation in principle, the first stage of the parliamentary approval process. However, the bill was opposed by the Catholic Church, which exercises great influence in Chile, by sectors of the Christian Democrat Party, and by legislators of the opposition Alliance for Chile, who said they would challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

A "civil union" bill presented by former President Sebastian Pinera in 2011 that provides legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples became law in April 2015 and went into effect in October. Another bill tabled by five senators from different parties in May 2013 to achieve legal recognition of the gender identity of transgender people was under discussion in the human rights committee of the Senate at time of writing.

Human Rights Defenders

In April 2015, three opposition members of the Chamber of Deputies presented a motion proposing that the chamber ask the Supreme Court to dismiss the director of the National Human Rights Institute (INDH), Lorena Fries, for "manifest and inexcusable negligence." Their action followed a complaint by the chief of police about a school text on human rights distributed by INDH, which argued that Carabineros made numerous arrests during street protests in part to deter marchers from exercising their freedom of assembly.

The questioned passage was supported by official statistics showing that the number of arrests in demonstrations far outnumbered the individuals actually charged with an offense. After hearing Fries' defense, the Chamber of Deputies in June rejected the dismissal request by a two-to-one margin. The dismissal request and chamber vote  a disproportionate reaction to the INDH's criticism of the police  showed the agency's vulnerability to political reprisals.

Key International Actors

In July 2015, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights published its concluding observations on Chile's fourth periodic report to the committee. The committee called on Chile to strengthen its legislation against discrimination and to increase the resources provided to the INDH. It also recommended that Chile expedite adoption of the pending abortion bill and consider broadening the circumstances in which abortion is permitted to ensure the bill's compatibility with women's right to health and life.

Also in July, the UN special rapporteurs on freedom of assembly and association, freedom of opinion and expression, and human rights defenders sent a joint letter to Chile's ambassador to the UN expressing concern at the action taken by legislators against the INDH's director.

In May, Chile endorsed the global Safe Schools Declaration, committing to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including by implementing the Guidelines on Protecting Schools from Military Use.

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World Report 2016 - Canada

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Canada, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994b13.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Canada's global reputation as a defender of human rights was tarnished by the failure of the Stephen Harper government, in power until October, to take essential steps to remedy serious human rights problems. Particular areas of concern include the rights of indigenous peoples, the legal status of sex work, restrictive counterterrorism measures, the impact of Canada's extractive and garment industries abroad, and the rights of asylum seekers and migrants.

Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls

Growing public concern over missing and murdered indigenous women and girls has led to numerous calls from provincial leaders, opposition political parties, civil society, and in 2015, two United Nations committees, for a national inquiry into the violence.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women concluded that Canada had committed a "grave violation" of the rights of indigenous women by failing to promptly and thoroughly investigate the high levels of violence they suffer. The committee also called attention to their mistreatment by the police, an issue that Human Rights Watch documented in its 2013 report Those Who Take Us Away.

The UN Human Rights Committee expressed similar concern over the violence facing indigenous women and girls, as well as Canada's failure to provide adequate and effective responses. Both UN committees recommended that Canada conduct a national inquiry to address the issue, a recommendation the Harper government rejected but which the newly elected Liberal government of Justin Trudeau has pledged to implement.

In October 2015, eight police officers of the Surete du Quebec (Quebec Provincial Police) faced suspension over allegations of abuse of indigenous women in the mining city of Val-d'Or. At time of writing, the province had no plans for an independent civilian investigation of the allegations, but had appointed a civilian auditor to oversee an investigation by the Montreal police, a separate municipal organization.

Rights of Indigenous Peoples

During the 19th and 20th century, approximately 150,000 indigenous children were removed from their families and communities and placed in residential schools, where they were forbidden to speak their own languages or practice their culture. Many also suffered physical and sexual abuse.

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, mandated to provide former students and others affected by residential schools with an opportunity to share their experiences, found that the Canadian government pursued a policy of "cultural genocide" using residential schooling as a central element. According to the commission, the government's goal was to divest itself of its legal and financial obligations to indigenous peoples and to gain control over their land and resources.

The commission made a number of recommendations to uphold indigenous peoples' rights and to promote reconciliation. The UN Human Rights Committee subsequently endorsed the recommendations in 2015, but the Harper government did not accept them.

Indigenous groups have criticized Canada for failing to respect land agreements with indigenous communities or to consult adequately with them, including with regard to resource extraction plans on traditional lands. The government has yet to pay adequate attention to severe poverty, housing, water, sanitation, healthcare, and education problems in indigenous communities, particularly those in remote and rural areas. Inadequate access to clean, safe drinking water continues to pose a major public health concern in a number of indigenous communities.

Sex Work

Following the 2013 ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada striking down previous restrictions that the court deemed violated the rights and security of sex workers, the parliament in December 2014 passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, which criminalizes communicating for the purposes of selling sexual services in public, or buying, advertising, or benefitting from the sale of sexual services. As sex workers, researchers, and human rights groups outlined in testimony before parliament, the act severely limits sex workers' abilities to take life-saving measures, such as screening clients. Criminalizing communication disproportionately impacts street-based sex workers, many of whom are indigenous, poor, or transgender, forcing them to work in more dangerous and isolated locations.

Counterterrorism

In June 2015, Canada passed the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law that imperils constitutionally enshrined human rights, including the freedoms of expression and association.

Vague and overbroad provisions in the law empower the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to engage in operations that could disrupt legitimate acts of dissent and even violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms with virtually no oversight. The law's authorization of unfettered information-sharing among 17 government agencies invites violations of rights to privacy and procedural protections to prevent torture and ill-treatment. The act also denies meaningful due process to persons placed on Canada's no-fly list and to non-citizens facing deportation. Its new criminal offense of "advocating terrorism" could undermine free speech. It also significantly lowers the threshold and lengthens the period for detaining a suspect without charge.

The UN Human Rights Committee expressed similar concerns about the act, calling on Canada to refrain from adopting legislation that imposes undue restrictions on the exercise of civil and political rights.

Mining Industry Abuses

Canada is the mining industry's most important global financing hub, home to a majority of the world's mining and exploration companies. These firms have an enormous collective impact on the human rights of vulnerable communities worldwide. Yet the Canadian government neither regulates nor monitors the human rights practices of Canadian mining companies at work abroad.

In 2013, Human Rights Watch documented allegations that Vancouver-based Nevsun Resources' flagship Bisha gold mine in Eritrea was partly built using forced labor deployed by the local state-owned contractor Segen Construction. The following year, three Eritreans filed a lawsuit against Nevsun in a Canadian court, alleging that the company was complicit in the use of forced labor by Segen at the Bisha mine. The plaintiffs claim that they worked at the mine against their will, that they were forced to work long hours, and that they lived in constant fear of threats of torture and intimidation.

In 2015, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea reported that it had collected evidence that most workers at the Bisha mine were in fact conscripts performing their national service. Nevsun has rejected all of these allegations.

In 2011, Human Rights Watch documented widespread violent abuses, including brutal incidents of gang rape, carried out by employees of Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold at the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea. The company has taken numerous steps to prevent further abuses and in 2015 provided remedy packages to more than 100 women who suffered abuse at the hands of company employees. The company has commissioned an independent assessment to evaluate the extent to which that program conformed to international norms and positively impacted the women involved.

In 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee called on Canada to enhance the effectiveness of existing mechanisms to ensure that Canadian corporations respect human rights standards when operating abroad, to consider establishing an independent mechanism with powers to investigate human rights abuses by such corporations abroad, and to develop a legal framework that affords legal remedies to victims.

Garment Industry Abuses

Canada is among the top four markets for garments and textiles from Cambodia, where garment workers often work in discriminatory and exploitative labor conditions. Workers, who are mostly young women, have trouble asserting their rights, and labor under short-term contracts that make it easier to fire and control them, with poor government inspections and enforcement and aggressive tactics against independent unions.

Canadian clothing brands have a responsibility to promote respect for workers' rights throughout their supply chains, including both direct suppliers and subcontractor factories. As documented in the 2015 Human Rights Watch report Work Faster or Get Out, not all Canadian companies have fully lived up to these responsibilities.

In spite of abuses, Canada has not introduced regulations to provide incentives or require international apparel brands domiciled in Canada to make non-financial, human rights-related disclosures, such as the names of their suppliers and subcontractors, to facilitate labor rights compliance throughout the supply chain.

Asylum Seekers' and Migrants' Rights

In 2012, parliament passed Bill C-31, which permits the government to designate a group of incoming migrants as "irregular arrivals," subjecting them to mandatory detention with limited judicial review and risking the prolonged detention of refugees and children 16 and older. Bill C-31 created a Refugee Appeal Division, but asylum seekers from 27 "designated countries" that have a history of respecting human rights are not allowed to appeal their denials, although the Federal Court may review their denials. C-31 also places a five-year ban on "irregular arrivals" from applying for permanent residence, which impinges upon the right of separated refugee families to reunite.

In July, the Federal Court held that denying applicants from "designated countries" the right to appeal a rejected claim violates equality rights under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Three people had challenged the constitutionality of the policy: a gay man from Croatia and gay partners from Hungary, who all feared persecution based in part on their sexual orientation. The government is appealing the decision.

Also in 2012, Canada modified the Interim Federal Health Program to limit access to essential healthcare services to many asylum seekers, a decision that a Canadian court subsequently declared a form of "cruel and unusual treatment," and thus unconstitutional. In response, the federal government introduced a temporary health program providing partial health care coverage for some refugees.

In 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee urged Canada to refrain from detaining "irregular migrants" for indefinite periods, to ensure that detention is used as a measure of last resort, and to provide refugee claimants from "designated countries" with access to an appeal. The committee further recommended that Canada reinstate essential healthcare services to all refugee claimants, irrespective of their status.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Cambodia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Cambodia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994c6.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's government launched new assaults on human rights in Cambodia, especially during the second half of 2015, arresting and jailing members of the political opposition and activists, and passing a draconian new law on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that the government rushed through the National Assembly on July 13. Other repressive laws were also proclaimed or proposed, including laws or regulations on the Internet, as Hun Sen, who has ruled since 1985, increasingly undermined fundamental human rights.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy attempted to establish a "culture of dialogue" with Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), but his initiative failed to stem arrests or attacks on the opposition, and on November 13, 2015, a politically motivated arrest warrant was issued for him based on a conviction for peaceful expression in 2011.

Land confiscations also continued in 2015, and corruption remained rampant. Cambodia is a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention, but authorities refused to register more than 300 Vietnamese Montagnard asylum seekers for determination of their claims and summarily deported at least 54 of them to Vietnam.

Politically Motivated Prosecution and Assault

On July 13, a Phnom Penh court launched an investigation to consider bringing defamation and interference with justice charges against prominent NGO figure Ny Chakriya, who had raised questions about the independence of the judiciary in a land-grabbing case.

On July 21, 11 opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) organizers, on trial since 2014 on trumped-up charges of leading or participating in an anti-government "insurrection," were suddenly convicted and sentenced by a Phnom Penh court to 7 to 20 years in prison. Despite the absence of evidence connecting them to any criminal acts, they were found responsible for crowd violence that erupted when government security forces broke up a peaceful CNRP-led demonstration calling for the reopening of Phnom Penh's "Freedom Park" on July 15, 2014. The convictions were accompanied by official warnings that seven CNRP National Assembly members also charged with insurrection in connection with the same incident could be convicted and imprisoned despite their parliamentary immunity. Following this, Hun Sen convened a closed meeting of almost 5,000 of the top CPP security force officials at which he issued an "absolute order" that security forces must "ensure there would be no color revolution" in Cambodia by "eliminating acts by any group or party" deemed "illegal."

On August 4-5, following Hun Sen's public call for more arrests of those allegedly responsible for the July 2014 Freedom Park violence, police detained three CNRP activists who were then charged with participating in the purported insurrection, while arrest warrants were issued for several others.

On August 13, Hun Sen ordered the arrest of Hong Sok Hour, an opposition party senator who the previous day had posted a video clip on Facebook including footage of the Cambodia-Vietnam border and of a badly translated excerpt from the 1979 Cambodia-Vietnam friendship agreement. Disregarding the senator's parliamentary immunity, a "counter-terrorism" security force contingent under the authority of Hun Sen's son-in-law detained him. More arrests followed between late August and early October 2015, including of a student who posted a Facebook message advocating a "color revolution."

On October 26-27, following public encouragement by Hun Sen to conduct anti-CNRP demonstrations, elements of the prime minister's bodyguard unit and others in civilian clothes brutally assaulted two CNRP parliamentarians outside the National Assembly. Three persons were arrested and charged with the attack, but others involved who were photographed were not taken into custody. The CNRP thereafter stopped attending National Assembly sessions, citing security concerns.

On November 13, following repeated warnings by Hun Sen that Sam Rainsy was liable to criminal prosecution, the Phnom Penh court issued an arrest order to belatedly enforce a judicial ruling of March 2013 confirming a two-year sentence related to Rainsy's allegation that Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong was implicated in crimes committed when the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia. The French Supreme Court, citing international human rights standards, had previously ruled that these comments were a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression. On November 19 and December 1, the Phnom Penh Court targeted him with additional new trumped-up criminal actions.

Legislation Restricting Civil Society

The new NGO law allows the authorities to arbitrarily deny NGOs registration and shut them down. The law is aimed at critical voices in civil society and could seriously undermine the ability of many domestic and international associations and NGOs, as well as community-based advocacy movements, to work effectively in Cambodia.

Its restrictions on the right to freedom of association go well beyond the permissible limitations allowed by international human rights law. The law gives the interior, foreign affairs, and other ministries sweeping, arbitrary powers to shut down domestic and foreign membership groups and organizations, unchecked by judicial review, and allows them to prohibit the creation of new NGOs. It requires registered groups to operate under a vaguely defined obligation of "political neutrality," on pain of dissolution, and criminalizes activities by unregistered groups.

After passage of the law, Hun Sen and other government officials launched a campaign against human rights-oriented NGOs, including those focusing on land disputes and women's rights. The authorities began to insist that grassroots civil society activities could no longer be carried out unless those involved had registered with the government in accordance with the new provisions, giving the government wide authority to decide what activities can and cannot take place.

On August 19, the government issued a sub-decree upgrading the status of an anti-cybercrime unit and empowering it to "investigate and take measures in accordance with the law with regard to actions via the internet of instigation, insult, racial discrimination, and generation of social movements," particularly those that might lead to a "color revolution."

On November 30, the government put a draft telecommunications law before the National Assembly, even though doing so was not inscribed in the legislature's agenda. The draft had never been made available for discussion by concerned civil society organizations. The CPP adopted it without parliamentary debate. The law gives government authorities arbitrary powers to issue orders to telecommunications operators, to secretly monitor and record telecommunications, and to imprison people for using telecommunications in a manner deemed to endanger "national security."

Arbitrary Detention, Torture, and Other Ill-Treatment

The authorities, especially in Phnom Penh, launched repeated street sweeps that detained hundreds of alleged drug users, homeless people, beggars, street children, sex workers, and people with disabilities in so-called drug treatment or social rehabilitation centers. Detainees never saw a lawyer or a court, nor had any opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention. Detained individuals received no meaningful training or health care, and faced torture, ill-treatment, and other abuses including, in some centers, forced labor. During 2015, at least three died in suspicious circumstances.

Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Numerous public statements by Cambodian officials and the start in June of publication of previously confidential court materials revealed numerous instances of government non-cooperation with the United Nations-assisted Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), set up to prosecute those most responsible for crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge from 1975-79.

While the government allowed a trial of two former leaders of the Khmer Rouge government, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, on charges of crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes, it refused to carry out orders by a UN secretary-general-nominated investigating judge to arrest two other former Khmer Rouge leaders, Meas Muth and Im Chem.

This violated the 2003 UN-Cambodia agreement establishing the ECCC and continued a long pattern of opposition by Hun Sen to additional prosecutions. The government's non-cooperation has seriously undermined possibilities for investigating suspects whom Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge commander, does not want brought to justice.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Since late 2014, a wave of Montagnard ethnic minority asylum seekers from Vietnam has arrived in Cambodia. Most of them practice forms of Christianity that Vietnamese authorities characterize as "evil way" religion. In early 2015, Cambodia recognized 13 as refugees but refused to allow more than 300 other Montagnards to register as asylum seekers. At least 54 were summarily returned to Vietnam in violation of the Refugee Convention, while those remaining in Cambodia faced the threat of similar deportation, and some decided their best option was to return "voluntarily" to Vietnam.

In June 2015, the government implemented a deal with Australia to resettle some of the refugees held on the island of Nauru, but conditions for refugees in Cambodia were so inadequate that only four refugees agreed to relocate. In September, one of the four decided to leave Cambodia.

Key International Actors

China, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea were Cambodia's leading foreign investors in 2015, while Japan, the European Union, and the United States were the leading foreign donors. Vietnam was by far Cambodia's most important partner in security matters, followed by China. The US provided limited military training, and was more outspoken than others about human rights violations in Cambodia. The EU only rarely commented on human rights in public, and almost all others were silent.

The World Bank, which suspended new lending to Cambodia in 2011 because the government had forcibly evicted people in a manner violating the bank's policy, considered resuming funding for government land projects in 2015 but at time of writing had not done so. The bank said nothing publicly about government repression of land rights advocates.

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World Report 2016 - Cote d'Ivoire

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Cote d'Ivoire, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994d13.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Alassane Ouattara won a second term in the October presidential elections, deemed free and fair by international observers  another step towards recovery from the 2010-2011 post-election crisis. In the lead-up to the elections, however, clashes between ruling party and opposition activists, particularly supporters of the former president, Laurent Gbagbo, left at least three people dead and dozens injured. The government's prohibition of several opposition protests, and the subsequent arrest of dozens of demonstrators, threatened freedom of assembly. Several opposition activists were held in unauthorized detention facilities without access to legal assistance.

Cote d'Ivoire's strong macroeconomic growth continued and led to some gradual improvement in social and economic rights, such as access to education and basic healthcare. However, the government has made insufficient progress in tackling corruption and strengthening the judicial system. Members of the security forces continued to be implicated in illegal detentions and torture, albeit less often than in previous years, but extortion and racketeering by security forces was pervasive. Gender-based violence remained widespread, although the government's September 2014 adoption of a national strategy against sexual violence led to some positive steps to address it.

The Ivorian judiciary made progress in investigating atrocities committed during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, although concerns persisted about the government's willingness to prosecute pro-Ouattara forces.

Land dispossession remained a key driver of inter-communal tensions and local-level violence in western Cote d'Ivoire. The 1998 land law, designed to increase certainty over land ownership by converting customary claims to legal title, is largely unimplemented.

Cote d'Ivoire's key partners  France, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States  continued to favor private advocacy to push the government to pursue accountability for past crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is scheduled to begin the trial of former President Gbagbo and Charles Ble Goude, a former youth minister and leader of a pro-Gbagbo militia, in early 2016. However, the ICC made little progress in the investigation of crimes by pro-Ouattara forces.

Accountability for Past Abuses

The Special Investigative Cell, the body responsible for investigating crimes committed during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, in late 2014 received sufficient funding to conduct effective investigations. In 2015 it charged more than 20 perpetrators in relation to human rights abuses committed during the crisis, including commanders from President Ouattara's side.

However, no individual has yet been tried in national civilian courts for atrocities committed during the 2010-2011 post-election violence. Former First Lady Simone Gbagbo, as well 78 of President Gbagbo's former allies, were tried by a civilian court in early 2015: she was convicted, along with 59 others. However, this was for offenses against the state, not human rights crimes. Concerns about evidentiary weaknesses in the case also raised doubt about Ivorian courts' capacity to fairly try human rights cases. The beleaguered military justice system tried several cases involving killings of civilians by pro-Gbagbo soldiers during the post-election crisis, but discontinued a case against two commanders for indiscriminate shelling after the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence.

In March 2015, the National Assembly passed legislation amending the criminal code and criminal procedure code to ensure conformity with the Rome Statute of the ICC. However, the government refused to transfer Simone Gbagbo to the ICC to face trial for crimes against humanity committed during the 2010-2011 crisis, despite in May 2015 losing an appeal at the ICC against the admissibility of the case against her.

The much-criticized Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its final report to President Ouattara on December 15, 2014. However, the government had not yet publicly released the report at time of writing, although President Ouattara has pledged to make 10 billion CFA (US$16.5 million) available for the indemnification of victims. The first group of victims began receiving financial and medical assistance in August 2015, but victims' groups criticized the lack of transparency of the reparations process.

Judicial System

Ongoing efforts to strengthen the judicial system continued throughout 2015, including the rehabilitation of court buildings and detention facilities, and training of judicial personnel. However, more fundamental problems, such as political interference in the judiciary and corruption, persisted. Prolonged pretrial detention remained the rule rather than the exception, and most prisons are overcrowded and lack adequate nutrition, sanitation, and medical care.

Conduct of Security Forces

Security forces continued to be implicated in arbitrary arrest and detentions and, less frequently, mistreatment and torture of detainees. They were also frequently implicated in criminal conduct, notably extortion. Very few security forces members faced judicial or disciplinary actions for these violations. Several commanders credibly implicated in atrocities during the 2010-2011 crisis remained in key positions in the security forces.

The military justice system is severely under-resourced, with one military tribunal in Abidjan for the whole country, and needs reform to strengthen its independence from the executive.

Cote d'Ivoire's Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program officially ended on June 30, 2015, and the government claims to have reintegrated almost 60,000 former combatants. The DDR process, however, has been one-sided, mostly benefitting forces who fought on President Ouattara's side during the post-election crisis. Former rebel commanders who fought with Ouattara had particularly close control over which ex-combatants obtained jobs as customs, prison, and forestry officers.

Corruption

Security forces continued to plunder revenues through smuggling and parallel tax systems on cocoa, timber, diamonds, and other natural resources. In its April 2015 report, the UN Group of Experts, appointed by the UN Security Council to monitor the sanctions regime in Cote d'Ivoire, identified several army officers involved in the illicit exploitation of natural resources, including gold and cocoa.

Extortion by security forces at illegal checkpoints remained an acute problem, particularly on secondary roads in rural areas. A specialized anti-racket unit has been undermined by inconsistent financial support from the government and the failure of the military tribunal to consistently prosecute perpetrators.

Land Rights

Land dispossession remains a key driver of inter-communal tensions and local-level violence between ethnic groups in western Cote d'Ivoire. Although customary authorities and local officials have successfully mediated many cases related to the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, the outcome of mediation often allows those who acquired land in bad faith to remain and frequently discriminates against women. Those implicated in illegal land sales are rarely prosecuted.

In 2013, the Ivorian government passed several reforms to land tenure and nationality laws designed to facilitate implementation of the 1998 land law, which seeks to convert customary land ownership into a land certificate and eventually legal title. However, the procedure for obtaining a certificate is too complicated and expensive, and so few landowners have applied for one. The government is considering reforms to simplify the process.

Violence against Women

Gender-based violence remained widespread, although the government has taken some positive steps to address it. In the first five months of 2015, the UN secretary-general's report on the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) reported at least 80 cases of rape and other sexual abuses, fewer than in previous reporting periods.

In September 2014, the government launched a national strategy against sexual violence, with a strong commitment to prosecute perpetrators, and has conducted sensitization trainings for the security forces. In March 2015, the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Public Liberties instructed law enforcement officials that a medical certificate is not required to open a rape investigation, although fear of stigmatization still prevents victims from reporting rape cases. The cour d'assises mandated to try rape cases rarely functions, and many cases are downgraded to indecent assault, which carries a more lenient penalty, in order to be heard in regular courts.

Trafficking of women and girls, often from Nigeria, into Cote d'Ivoire for commercial sexual exploitation continues to be a problem.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Cote d'Ivoire does not criminalize same-sex conduct. However, same-sex couples can be prosecuted for public acts of indecency. Additionally, the penal code codifies discrimination by establishing a higher age of consent for same-sex couples. No law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.

Police have failed to arrest anyone in relation to a series of attacks in January 2014 on Alternative-Cote d'Ivoire, a nonprofit working on LGBTI rights and HIV prevention.

Human Rights Defenders

International and national human rights groups generally operate without government restrictions. In June 2014, the government passed a law that strengthened protections for human rights defenders, described as the first as its kind in Africa, though the government has so far failed to adopt a decree to facilitate the law's implementation.

Key International Actors

France, the European Union, and the United States continued to be the Ivorian government's main partners on justice and security sector reform, along with UNOCI, whose mandate the UN Security Council extended until June 30, 2016. The UN's new independent expert on capacity-building and technical cooperation with Cote d'Ivoire in the field of human rights published his first report in April 2015. The report praised the government's efforts to pursue sustainable economic development, but underscored the need to prosecute human rights crimes committed by both sides in the post-election crisis.

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World Report 2016 - Burundi

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Burundi, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994ee.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Burundi's progress toward democracy and stability has suffered serious setbacks, as political upheaval and widespread killings by security forces and armed opposition groups gripped the country.

In April, demonstrations broke out in response to the news that President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek election for a third term. Police used excessive force and shot demonstrators indiscriminately, killing and injuring scores of people.

The government launched a crackdown against civil society activists and journalists and closed the four most popular private radio stations. Leading human rights activist Pierre Claver Mbonimpa was seriously injured in an assassination attempt.

Around 200,000 Burundians fled the country, most to Tanzania and Rwanda. Dozens of journalists, civil society activists, and opposition party members remain in exile.

Killings escalated after July's presidential election that returned Nkurunziza to power. Most opposition parties boycotted the election. Government forces, armed opposition groups, and unknown assailants killed more than 100 people in the second half of the year.

Abuses by Security Forces

In late April, the announcement by the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) that Nkurunziza would stand for a third term ignited protests in the capital Bujumbura, and later in other locations. Many Burundians complained that the president's third term violated a 2000 peace agreement that sets a maximum of two five-year presidential terms. Police suppressed the protests violently, shot dead dozens of demonstrators, and injured many others.

Following a failed coup d'etat by a group of military officers on May 13, the government intensified its crackdown on protesters. Police arrested hundreds of people, including suspected opponents, many arbitrarily, and detained them for prolonged periods without trial.

Police and intelligence agents ill-treated or tortured scores of those arrested, in some cases making them stand on their heads, and beating them with electric cables while naked to force them to admit they were leaving the country to join an armed rebellion. Members of the ruling party's youth league, known as Imbonerakure, also arrested and beat people, despite not having legal powers of arrest.

Attacks by protesters against the police prompted police to seal or raid some neighborhoods of the capital. Men in police uniforms then entered these areas, allegedly searching for weapons, and shot dead a number of unarmed residents, in some cases indiscriminately.

Senior ruling party officials used inflammatory and apparently threatening language in public speeches and statements. In a speech to local officials on October 29, Senate President Reverien Ndikuriyo repeatedly used the word "gukora," which means "to work" in the Kirundi language. The same word was used to incite people to mass violence before and during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

President Nkurunziza warned on November 2, that anyone who failed to hand over weapons by November 7 would be "punished in accordance with the anti-terrorist law and fought like enemies of the nation." He told security forces they could use all means at their disposal to restore security. Search operations began on November 8.

Violence by Armed Opposition Groups

While anti-Nkurunziza demonstrations were initially peaceful, some demonstrators resorted to violence, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails and shooting marbles with sling shots at the police. On May 7, demonstrators in Bujumbura killed an Imbonerakure by throwing stones at his head and hitting him with clubs. They then put a tire around his body and burned him.

Government opponents in certain Bujumbura neighborhoods stepped up their violence after the July elections, throwing grenades at police patrols and attacking police stations. At least 26 police were killed and many others injured.

There were persistent reports of an armed rebellion, elements of which were believed to be based in Rwanda, others inside Burundi. Cross-border incursions led to clashes between these groups and the security forces, notably in Kayanza and Cibitoke provinces.

Other Killings

In August and September, unknown gunmen shot dead several high-profile people in Bujumbura, including Adolphe Nshimirimana, the former head of the intelligence services; Jean Bikomagu, former army chief-of-staff; and Patrice Gahungu, spokesperson for the Union for Peace and Development-Zigamibanga (UPD) opposition party, whose president, Zedi Feruzi, was killed in May.

Members of the opposition Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (MSD) and National Liberation Forces (FNL) parties were also killed, as were several members of the ruling CNDD-FDD, in what appeared to be reprisal attacks. Army Chief-of-Staff Prime Niyongabo escaped an attack on September 11. Some of his bodyguards were killed in the attack.

In the second half of the year, dead bodies were discovered on the streets of Bujumbura, and in other locations, on an almost daily basis. Some had been shot in the head. Others bore injuries or scars indicating they may have been tortured. Many victims remained unidentified.

Civil Society and Media

On January 20, Bob Rugurika, director of the private station Radio publique africaine (RPA), was arrested, days after his radio station broadcast a series of reports about the September 2014 murder of three elderly Italian nuns in Bujumbura. He was charged with conspiracy to murder, violating confidentiality in criminal investigations, harboring a criminal, and failing to uphold "public solidarity." The Court of Appeal ordered his release on bail on February 18.

In late April, soon after protests against Nkurunziza's third-term bid started, the government closed RPA. It also stopped two other private stations, Radio Isanganiro and Radio Bonesha, from broadcasting outside the capital, disabled their telephone land lines, and prohibited all three stations from broadcasting live from demonstrations.

The day after the attempted coup d'etat, on May 14, people presumed loyal to the president attacked the offices of RPA, Radio Bonesha, Radio Isanganiro, and Radio-Television Renaissance. Armed men in police uniforms threw a grenade in Radio Bonesha's office and destroyed its broadcasting equipment. The pro-ruling party Radio Rema FM was also attacked. The government announced an investigation into these attacks, the results of which are not known. The radio stations remained off the air at time of writing.

The prosecutor general set up a commission of inquiry into the demonstrations. The commission's report, published in August, described the protests as an "insurrectional movement." It claimed the damage to the radio stations was the result of "mutineers who guarded the stations" and that the director of Radio Bonesha, Patrick Nduwimana, had asked insurgents and military putschists to destroy Radio Rema FM.

The report named 24 civil society activists and several opposition politicians as having participated in the "insurrection" and said casefiles had been opened against some of them. The commission failed to investigate the use of excessive force by police during demonstrations.

On August 3, an unknown gunman on a motorcycle shot leading human rights activist, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, in the face, when he was in his car. Mbonimpa survived with serious injuries. An outspoken critic of government abuses, Mbonimpa, president of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH), had been arrested and detained for four months in 2014. Mbonimpa's son-in-law, Pascal Nshimirimana, was shot dead outside his house in Bujumbura on October 9, and his son, Welly Nzitonda, was shot dead on November 6, after being stopped by the police.

On August 2, members of the intelligence services severely beat Esdras Ndikumana, correspondent for Radio France Internationale and Agence France-Presse, as he was taking photographs at the murder scene of former intelligence chief Nshimirimana.

Antoine Kaburahe, director of the independent newspaper Iwacu, was summoned to the prosecutor's office in Bujumbura twice in November in connection with his alleged complicity in the May coup attempt.

On November 23, the interior minister suspended the activities of 10 Burundian civil society organizations, including APRODH, after the prosecutor general ordered their bank accounts to be frozen.

Extrajudicial Executions in Cibitoke

In late December 2014 and early January 2015, the Burundian National Defense Force and police, assisted by armed Imbonerakure, committed at least 47 extrajudicial executions following a clash with an armed opposition group in Cibitoke province. Cibitoke borders the Democratic Republic of Congo where some Burundian armed opposition groups are believed to operate. The victims were members of the armed group who had surrendered, following gun battles with the security forces. Police, military, or Imbonerakure then shot or beat many of them to death.

The prosecutor general set up a commission of inquiry to investigate these allegations, but the commission members failed to talk to key witnesses. Some local authorities intimidated witnesses, especially those who they believed had spoken to "foreigners", and warned them not to talk about these events. The commission's report, published in April, was deeply flawed and misrepresented information collected from some witnesses. It claimed that almost all the combatants died during the fighting, with the exception of three who were killed by policemen acting on their own initiative. It stated that these policemen were arrested.

Key International Actors

Many governments and intergovernmental organizations, including the African Union (AU), the United Nations, and the European Union, expressed strong concern at the deteriorating human rights situation. Partly in response to the extrajudicial executions in Cibitoke, the United States and the Netherlands, as well as other European countries, suspended part of their assistance to the Burundian military and police.

The EU announced a review of its aid to Burundi in the framework of the Cotonou agreement. In September, the EU imposed sanctions on three senior police and intelligence officials and one opposition member who took part in the failed coup. In November, the US imposed sanctions on the minister of public security, the deputy director general of the police, and two leaders of the failed coup.

On November 12, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning human rights violations in Burundi, urging a rejection of violence, and calling for the resumption of dialogue. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also issued several strong statements of concern.

The UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB) was set to withdraw by the end of the year. A team of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights remained in place in Burundi, and the AU deployed human rights observers. In September, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously agreed to consider the human rights situation in Burundi at its three main sessions in 2016.

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World Report 2016 - Burma

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Burma, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd994fc.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The transition from military to civilian rule in Burma that started in 2011 slowed down and reversed in some sectors in 2015. Despite a significantly improved environment for freedom of expression and media, in key areas the government's commitment to improving its human rights faltered or failed. The landslide victory of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) in November elections, the first relatively open national elections in 25 years, seemed poised to reenergize reforms in some areas, but it was too early to gauge at time of writing.

Elections

Nationwide parliamentary elections were held on November 8, with 91 parties and hundreds of independent candidates contesting over 1,100 seats. The NLD won a majority of seats in both national houses of parliament and in regional and state assemblies, with more than 85 percent of seats.

The Union Electoral Commission (UEC) lacked independence and impartiality in the lead-up to elections. Its chairman repeatedly said he hoped for victory by the military-backed ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and the commission itself issued guidelines prohibiting political parties from criticizing the military in policy platform speeches broadcast over state-controlled media.

Due to changes in political party laws and enforcement of the draconian 1982 Citizenship Law, the applications of more than 50 Muslim candidates were disallowed during candidate eligibility screening, including those of two sitting ruling party members of parliament who identify as Rohingya Muslims. Neither the USDP nor the NLD fielded a Muslim candidate anywhere in Burma, and no Muslim citizen was voted into parliament nationwide.

The nationwide repeal of temporary citizenship cards (the so-called white cards) disenfranchised over 800,000 people who had previously been permitted to vote in the 2008 constitutional referendum and the 2010 elections, many of them Rohingya in Arakan State.

Despite these serious defects, the two-month campaign was surprisingly open, with few reports of intimidation, violence, or irregularities. Party rallies were conducted peacefully throughout the country, and there were no significant curbs on freedom of expression or media. Polling was conducted in a transparent manner with large numbers of domestic and international observers, and political parties observing the count. The UEC acted professionally through the tallying period with daily updates on results.

Constitution

Despite calls from ethnic communities and opposition parties, the Burmese military refused to permit consideration of any amendments to the 2008 constitution in the national parliament in June and July. The constitution allocates 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military and requires 75 percent of parliament to vote to approve constitutional changes, giving the military an effective veto.

Amendments that were rejected included a proposed change to section 59(f) on eligibility for the presidency, which bars opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the position because she has children that hold foreign citizenship, and proposed changes to sections 261 and 262, giving the president rather than state and regional assemblies the authority to select the influential chief ministers of 14 of Burma's 15 states and regions.

Religious Minorities

Discrimination and threats against the Muslim minority in Burma, a manifestation of growing ultra-nationalism, intensified in Burma in 2015 with the increased prominence of the Buddhist-monk-led Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha.

Ma Ba Tha successfully urged the government to draft and pass four so-called "race and religion protection laws": the Population Control Law, passed in May; and the Buddhist Women's Special Marriage Law, the Religious Conversion Law, and the Monogamy Law, passed in August. The four laws are discriminatory and violate religious freedom by, for example, creating special rules for Buddhist women who marry  or seek to marry  non-Buddhist men; introducing vaguely defined acts against Buddhism as grounds for divorce, forfeiture of child custody and matrimonial property, and potential criminal penalties; and empowering authorities to limit the number of children that members of designated groups can have.

In contrast, the parliament did not pass the comprehensive Violence Against Women Law, a bill that would have strengthened women's rights protections.

Burmese civil society organization leaders who publicly criticized the laws were accused of being "traitors" by senior Ma Ba Tha officials and some reportedly faced death threats. In September, nine embassies in Rangoon made a public statement against the misuse of religion in the 2015 elections, sparking a rebuke from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While some political parties, notably the NLD, voted against the laws, other political figures promoted the laws as protecting Burma from Muslim threats. President Thein Sein took credit for the laws in a social media video as election campaigning began in September. Ma Ba Tha held a series of nationwide victory rallies lauding the laws as protecting the Buddhist faith against an Islamic "invasion" and in some cases declared its support for the USDP, marking its growing involvement in electoral politics.

Prominent Ma Ba Tha member and leader of the "969" anti-Muslim boycott movement U Wirathu threatened the UN special rapporteur on Burma, Yanghee Lee, during her January visit to Burma, calling her a "bitch" and a "whore," and exhorting followers to assault her. The government took no steps to respond to this incitement, and no prominent public figure in Burma has openly criticized the rising discrimination and threats endorsed by Ma Ba Tha or its intimidation of civil society.

Freedom of Association and Assembly

The numbers of political prisoners in Burma rose in 2015 as the government's commitment to ending the imprisonment of activists waned. At year's end, an estimated 112 people were incarcerated for alleged violations of the flawed Peaceful Assembly Law and other political offenses, a notable rise in cases since the large prisoner amnesties of 2012. At least 486 more were facing trial.

The leadership of the joint committee overseeing political prisoner releases  composed of representatives of the government, former political prisoners, and political parties  was changed in February with the hardline deputy minister of home affairs, a serving military officer, made chair. Prominent activist Ko Bo Kyi was removed from the committee.

On March 5, plainclothes police auxiliaries, suspected to be members of the Swann Arr Shin (Masters of Force), which had not been deployed against protesters since 2007, assaulted a small group of student protesters and activists from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Group who were peacefully assembling to criticize the government's education law. Police then arrested the protesters.

Five days later, on March 10, security forces blocked a small group of student protesters in the town of Letpadan from marching on Rangoon. When students attempted to tear down the barricades, police forces abandoned all discipline and violently assaulted the students, arresting over 80 of them. Students who were injured in the assault say they received only rudimentary medical care. At time of writing 50 students remain in custody in Tharrawaddy Prison on charges of rioting, assaulting police officials, and illegal assembly.

After the March violence, the European Union, which has been providing technical assistance to the Burma police force as part of a community policing and crowd control project, criticized the authorities and called for an investigation. In September, the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission issued a report calling for abusive police to be punished, as well as any student demonstrators who may have acted to provoke officials. No police officers had been prosecuted at time of writing.

Land rights activists in Burma are regularly arrested and charged with unlawful assembly and trespass for protesting land appropriation and displacement. Authorities arrested a number of land rights activists and farmers in Karen State in June and August who had been calling for compensation and redress for land they claim was unlawfully seized. Prominent activists such as Su Su Nway were also arrested in 2015, and authorities sentenced a number of leaders of the long-running protests in the Letpadaung copper mine case in Monya, including veteran activist Naw Ohn Hla, to four years in prison for peaceful protests they led outside the Chinese embassy in Rangoon.

Rising intolerance against Burma's LGBT communities was voiced by senior government officials, including a security minister in Mandalay Region who called on police to arrest and "educate" transgender people.

Refugees

The maritime exodus of Rohingya Muslims dramatically increased in 2015, with Rohingya families departing from Burma and Bangladesh on smuggling vessels, at times joined by large numbers of Bangladeshi migrant workers.

The United Nations estimates that 94,000 people made the journey between January 2014 and May 2015. In May 2015, some 5,000 people on boats were abandoned by smugglers and denied entry to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with at least 70 dying during the ordeal. After intensive international media coverage, Malaysia and Indonesia finally permitted boats to land, and then promptly interned the new arrivals.

Thailand did not formally allow landings, but when boats made it to shore anyway, authorities detained those on board. Boats intercepted by authorities in Burma were towed to Maungdaw in Arakan State, and Bangladeshi citizens were repatriated back to Bangladesh.

A regional conference in Bangkok on May 29 hosted by Thailand and attended by 17 countries failed to adequately address the dispossession and abuse of Rohingya in Arakan State that continues to fuel the maritime crisis. At time of writing many observers were forecasting a resumption in maritime flight by desperate Rohingya, accompanied by serious human rights abuses, starting again in late 2016, when sailing conditions improve in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

Some 140,000 mostly Rohingya Muslims remain in internally displaced person camps in Arakan State, subject to strict restrictions on movement and access to basic services. Although access by humanitarian agencies to the camps improved somewhat in 2015, allowing for provision of limited health and education services, the situation remains dire. Poor conditions in the camps and the threat of renewed violence against the Rohingya are an important driver of maritime exodus. On the positive side, the government assisted an estimated 10,000 internationally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2015, helping them rebuild homes in the areas from which they had been displaced in 2012.

An estimated 110,000 refugees who fled Burma during decades of civil war remain in nine camps in northwest Thailand. UNHCR, international and national nongovernmental organizations, and the Thai government continue to discuss a plan for voluntary repatriation of members of this group. Refugees continue to express concerns about insufficient participation in planning for their return and the uncertain security situation in Burma, including the prevalence of land mines in some of the areas to which they may return.

Ethnic Conflict and Forced Displacement

Armed conflict between the Burmese military and non-state armed groups escalated in 2015. Clashes between the Burmese army and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops continued sporadically, reportedly involving disputes over natural resource extraction.

In northern Shan State, fighting between the army and the Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), often in conjunction with insurgents from the Arakan Army and Shan State Army-North, continued throughout the year and several thousands of civilians were displaced by conflict. In central Shan State, fighting between the Burmese army and Shan rebel forces escalated around the November elections, displacing some 6,000 civilians.

On February 17, two volunteers from the Myanmar Red Cross Society were injured when their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants. They were part of a marked Red Cross convoy that was evacuating civilians displaced by fighting in Shan state. Four days later, a Myanmar Red Cross volunteer was injured in an attack on a marked Red Cross convoy traveling from Laukkai.

In March, fighting began in the northern Shan State special region of Kokang between the army and forces of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). Burmese forces used airstrikes and heavy artillery bombardments, allegedly indiscriminately, during the fighting against the MNDAA. Tens of thousands of civilians were displaced in Kokang areas, with many fleeing to China.

The government sought to conclude a nationwide ceasefire with 16 non-state armed groups in 2015. Instead, conflict escalated to levels not seen since before the fighting in Kachin State entered an uneasy truce in 2013. Some 130,000 Kachin civilians remain internally displaced in camps, with many IDPs in KIA-controlled areas receiving little international assistance, largely due to Burmese army obstruction.

Child Soldiers

The Burmese military continues to recruit and use child soldiers, as do many paramilitary and militia forces under Burmese army command, and child soldiers have reportedly been recruited and deployed by many non-state armed groups as well. The Burmese military has maintained its support for the 2012 Action Plan agreed to with the UN and international groups to end child soldier recruitment, and has allowed monitors to visit army and militia camps.

Key International Actors

Influential bilateral partners of Burma including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia maintained their support for the limited reforms of the Thein Sein government despite increased concerns over renewed assaults on basic freedoms. Numerous governments praised the relatively open November elections and the conduct of parties and the UEC.

The EU continued to sponsor Burma resolutions in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and General Assembly in 2015. In July, the HRC passed a resolution condemning persecution of Rohingya and other minorities in Burma and called on the government to ensure human rights protections for all groups.

China did not raise human rights concerns in 2015 but sharply criticized Burma for its failure to stem fighting in Kokang that spilled over the border, particularly for air strikes that killed a number of Chinese civilians.

Russia continues to sell Burma conventional arms, and there are reports that Burma and North Korea maintain military links. The US, UK, and Japan engaged in limited military-to-military engagement with Burma in 2015.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Brazil

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Brazil, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd9950c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Chronic human rights problems plague Brazil, including unlawful police killings, prison overcrowding, and torture and ill-treatment of detainees. Some recent efforts to reform the criminal justice system aim to address these problems, but others would exacerbate them.

The judiciary in 2015 worked with state governments toward ensuring that detainees are promptly brought before judges after their arrest, as required by international law. But in August, the Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional amendment that would allow 16- and 17-year-old children to be prosecuted as adults for serious crimes, in violation of international standards. At time of writing, enactment of the amendment still required two additional votes by the Senate.

Internationally, Brazil continued to lead efforts to strengthen protections for the right to privacy in 2015, but its overall record at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) was mixed. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of refugees admitted in the country doubled, reaching a total of 8,400 people.

Public Security and Police Conduct

The number of killings by police officers, including those off-duty, went up by almost 40 percent in 2014 to more than 3,000, according to official data compiled by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Brazilian Forum on Public Security. In Rio de Janeiro  the state with the highest rate of killings by police  569 people died at the hands of on-duty officers from January to October 2015, an increase of 18 percent over the same period in 2014. In Sao Paulo, on-duty officers killed 494 people in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 1 percent over the same period in 2014.

Police routinely report these deaths as the result of shootouts with criminals. While some of these killings result from legitimate use of force, others do not, as Human Rights Watch and other groups have reported and Brazilian criminal justice officials have recognized.

Police officers in several states have also been implicated in death squad-style killings. In the state of Para, 10 people were killed in November 2014 after the killing of a police officer who  according to an investigation carried out by the state legislature  had led a death squad. Prosecutors have accused 14 military police officers of failing to help the victims or pursue the killers. In Amazonas, 12 police officers and 3 civilians were detained for allegedly forming a death squad that killed at least 8 people in July, during a weekend in which 36 people were murdered in Manaus, the state capital. In Sao Paulo, 8 police officers were detained on charges of involvement in the killing of 19 people  including 2 children  within a few hours after the August killing of a police officer.

Also in Sao Paulo, 3 police officers were detained in connection with the September killing of two 16-year-old children and two 18-year-olds. Police investigators believe that the killings were an act of revenge against the youth for allegedly stealing the purse of the wife of one of the detained officers.

Prison Conditions

Many Brazilian prisons and jails are severely overcrowded and plagued by violence. The number of adults behind bars jumped 80 percent in the past decade, and in June 2014 it exceeded 600,000 people  over 60 percent more than the prisons were built to hold  according to the latest data from the Ministry of Justice's Integrated System of Penitentiary Information (InfoPen).

Overcrowding and lack of sufficient staff hinder prison authorities from maintaining control within the prison grounds, leaving inmates vulnerable to violence and gang activity. The crowded conditions also impact prisoners' health. The prevalence of HIV infection in Brazil's prisons is 60 times  and of tuberculosis almost 40 times  that of the overall population, according to InfoPen. A lack of adequate medical screening, prevention, and care, along with poor sanitation and ventilation, contribute to the spread of disease among inmates.

With support from the National Council of Justice (known as CNJ, using the Portuguese acronym), which oversees the judicial system, all of Brazil's states have begun to bring detainees before a judge promptly after arrest, as required under international law, although the programs only apply to certain geographic areas in each state for now. In the absence of those "custody hearings," detainees may wait many months for a first hearing with a judge, contributing to prison overcrowding.

Maranhao was the first state to begin the practice, in October 2014. According to data published by the CNJ in November 2015, in 50 percent of the custody hearings held in the state, judges determined that pretrial detention was not warranted and ordered the detainees released pending trial. In contrast, when custody hearings were not held, judges ordered pretrial release in only 10 percent of the cases, according to the stateAs judiciary. At time of writing, Brazil's congress was discussing a bill to make custody hearings mandatory throughout the country.

Those hearings also allow judges to detect torture or mistreatment of detainees, a major problem in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, almost 20 percent of detainees who had a hearing during the first month of the program said that they had been mistreated by police, according to the state's Public Defender's Office.

In March, the National Mechanism for Preventing and Combating Torture started work, designing a plan of action to monitor detention centers. Its 11 members are authorized to conduct unannounced visits to any detention center and to make recommendations to authorities. The mechanism is part of the National System to Prevent and Combat Torture, created by law in August 2013.

Children's Rights

In two votes in July and August 2015, the Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional amendment that would allow 16- and 17-year-old children accused of serious crimes to be tried and punished as adults. The proposal, which would need to be approved by the Senate in two votes to be enacted, would violate international norms calling on states not to prosecute people under 18 as adults.

In July, the Senate passed a bill that would increase the maximum time a child can be confined in a juvenile center from three to 10 years. If approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the bill would aggravate overcrowding. Juvenile centers held close to 22,000 children in 2014, but facilities only had capacity for about 18,000, according to the latest data published by the National Council of the Prosecutor's Office, which inspects those units.

Freedom of Association and Expression

In October, the Senate approved a counterterrorism bill that contains overbroad and vague language that could be misused to prosecute as terrorists demonstrators and others engaged in dissent. A vote at the Chamber of Deputies was pending at time of writing.

At least seven journalists and bloggers had been killed in 2015 at time of writing. Two were tortured before they were executed. All had reported on corruption or crime and had criticized local politicians. During the past five years, at least 17 journalists have lost their lives in direct relation to their work, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an international press freedom group.

Reproductive Rights

Abortion is prohibited except in cases of rape, anencephaly  in which the fetus has a fatal congenital brain disorder  or when necessary to save a woman's life. In 2015, conservative members of Congress pushed a bill and a constitutional amendment that would eliminate those exceptions by awarding embryo and fetal rights. Both proposals are under discussion in the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

Women and girls who obtain an abortion illegally face sentences of up to three years in prison, while people who perform abortions face up to four years in prison. Abortions performed in clandestine clinics put women at high risk. For example, Tatiana Camilato, a 31-year-old mother raising three children alone in Rio de Janeiro, died in July 2015 during an unsafe procedure, according to press interviews with her relatives.

Disability Rights

In June, Congress approved a disability rights law that requires public agencies to give priority to people with disabilities when providing services related to health, education, work, housing, culture, and sport. The law also instructs cities to adapt sidewalks and public spaces for people with disabilities.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In March, the Supreme Court upheld the right of same-sex couples to adopt children, on the basis of the Court's 2011 approval of same-sex marriage. In 2013, the National Council of Justice ordered all notary publics to register same-sex marriages. But a committee of the Chamber of Deputies was, at time of writing, debating a bill that would define a family as a union between a man and a woman.

The national Human Rights Ombudsman's Office received 522 complaints of violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the first half of 2015.

Labor Rights

Since 1995, the Ministry of Labor has documented more than 48,000 cases of workers being subjected to forced labor, degrading working conditions, and other abusive working conditions that under Brazilian law rise to the level of "slave-like" working conditions. From May 2013 to May 2015, 420 companies faced penalties for employing people in "slave-like" conditions.

In December 2014, in response to a petition by a trade group, the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to stop publishing the list of companies penalized by the Ministry of Labor for employing workers in abusive conditions. Local NGOs have been able to get around that order by using the Transparency Law to request that the Ministry of Labor release the data.

Rural Violence

Rural activists and indigenous leaders involved in conflicts over land continue to face threats and violence. According to the Pastoral Land Commission, a Catholic NGO, 46 people involved in land conflicts were killed from January to November. Many of those killings, the commission noted, were allegedly ordered or carried out by large landowners or illegal loggers.

For instance, in Mato Grosso do Sul, the Guarani-Kaiowa people, who are fighting to regain rights to their ancestral land, in 2015 suffered violent attacks by militias linked to landowners, according to the Indigenous Missionary Council of the Catholic Church. A member of that indigenous group was killed in August after a group of landowners arrived at a piece of contested land occupied and claimed by the Guarani-Kaiowa. At time of writing, the police had not publicly identified any suspect in the killing.

Confronting Military-Era Abuses

In December 2014, a national truth commission published its final report after more than two years of work investigating human rights violations from the military rule of 1964 to 1985. The commission found that violations were "widespread and systematic" and were planned by officials at the highest level. The report identified 377 individuals responsible for human rights violations, including torture, killings, and enforced disappearances.

The perpetrators of these crimes have been shielded from justice by a 1979 amnesty law. In April 2010, the Supreme Court reaffirmed lower court rulings that the amnesty law barred most prosecutions of state agents involved. Six months later, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that this interpretation violated Brazil's obligations under international law.

Federal prosecutors have pursued some cases against former military officers for killings during the military era. Federal courts in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have allowed the prosecution of at least two cases against former military officers for killings during the military era. The Supreme Court, in decisions in 2014 and 2015, temporarily halted both cases, pending its reexamination of the validity of the amnesty law.

Key International Actors

After an August visit to Brazil, the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment called on the government to address prison overcrowding and show a "genuine commitment" to combating torture. In September, after a visit to the country, the UN special rapporteur on minority issues urged Brazil to "fulfill promises of equality" for minorities.

In a joint statement issued in November, four UN rapporteurs criticized the counterterrorism bill approved by the Senate, saying that it is "too broadly drafted and may unduly restrict fundamental freedoms."

Also in November, two UN rapporteurs said the steps taken by the Brazilian government and two mining companies to prevent harm after the collapse of a tailing dam, which contained waste from mining operations, were "clearly insufficient." The accident killed at least 15 people, left 4 people missing, and released toxic chemicals into the Doce River. Brazil's government considers it the biggest environmental disaster in the country's history.

As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Brazil was inconsistent, abstaining on a key resolution by the council on Syria in March, but voting in June to condemn Syrian human rights violations. Brazil abstained on a resolution to renew the mandate of the special rapporteur on Iran, who has denounced human rights violations there.

Brazil continued to lead on privacy rights in the digital age, co-authoring with Germany a resolution approved unanimously by the Human Rights Council to appoint a special rapporteur to promote and protect the right to privacy worldwide. Brazil was also a sponsor of Human Rights Council resolutions condemning racism and highlighting the corrosive impact of institutional corruption on human rights.

In May, Brazil endorsed the global Safe Schools Declaration, thereby committing to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including by implementing the Guidelines on Protecting Schools from Military Use. The 2014 guidelines were developed by representatives from 14 countries as well as human rights and humanitarian organizations.

The number of refugees admitted to Brazil has doubled over the past five years to a total of more than 8,400 in 2015, according to the Ministry of Justice. About a quarter of those admitted since 2011 have been Syrians. Brazil renewed a resolution that facilitated issuing humanitarian visas to Syrian citizens and developed new policies to better respond to the needs of refugees, especially for obtaining identity papers.

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World Report 2016 - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Bosnia and Herzegovina, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99519.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Despite parliament's commitments for reforms, there was little change in 2015 regarding human rights for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Severe floods in 2014 worsened the already bleak economic and social prospects for internally displaced people and those who returned home after the war.

Journalists remained vulnerable to intimidation and threats. The authorities failed to make progress on ending discriminatory restrictions political office candidacy for Jews, Roma, and members of other minority groups. Roma remain the most vulnerable group, subject to widespread discrimination. The 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide highlighted the limited progress on justice for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ethnic and Religious Discrimination

The government made no progress toward amending the constitution to eliminate ethnic and religious discrimination in candidacy for the national tripartite presidency and the House of Peoples. Currently, the constitution requires candidates for these institutions to come from one of the three main ethnic groups  Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. The European Court of Human Rights in 2014 ruled to affirm a previous judgment that this limitation in the constitution violates the European Convention on Human Rights.

Authorities failed again to make changes to the voting system in the city of Mostar, ordered by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Residents of the city have been unable to vote in local elections since 2008.

Roma remain the most vulnerable group in the country, facing widespread discrimination in employment, education, and political representation. Lack of a free and universal birth registration system means that many Roma are not on the national public registry that records births, deaths, and marriages. This impedes their access to public services, including health care.

Accountability for War Crimes

The 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide shone a spotlight on the limited progress toward justice for war crimes committed in Bosnia. While the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has convicted 14 people of crimes committed at Srebrenica, and the trials of the alleged architects of the genocide continue in the Hague, progress in the national courts has been more limited.

At time of writing, the defense case in the trial of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime general, was in progress at the international tribunal. Mladic has been charged with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including in Srebrenica. In late 2014, ICTY judges granted the prosecution's request to reopen the case to put forth new evidence of a mass grave discovered in the village of TomaAica, in the Prijedor municipality, the presentation of which concluded in July. The trial judgment is expected in November 2017.

In July, Bosnian Serb wartime President Radovan Karadzic, also on trial at the international tribunal on many of the same charges as Mladic, demanded a new trial, citing unfair treatment and prosecution errors. His claim was rejected and his trial continued. Closing arguments were heard in late September and a verdict was expected in the first quarter of 2016.

The Bosnian government remained slow to implement the national war crimes strategy, adopted in 2008 to improve the prosecution of domestic war crimes. Prosecutors still lack sufficient capacity and funding, particularly at the district and cantonal levels. According to current estimates by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, there is a backlog of more than 1,200 cases in Bosnian courts involving several thousand suspects.

By September 2015, the War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina had reached 15 verdicts (3 acquittals, 9 convictions, and 3 partially acquitting verdicts) at the first instance in relation to 24 defendants, and 18 verdicts (1 acquittal, 15 convictions, and 2 partially acquitting verdicts) at the second instance in relation to 27 defendants, increasing the total number of completed cases to 290 since the court became fully operational in 2005. Throughout 2015, Zeljka Cvijanovic, prime minister of the Republika Srpska entity, repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of the state court and the state prosecutor's office.

The State Court sentenced two Bosnian Serb soldiers to 10-year prison terms in June for rape during the 1992 to 1995 conflict, and in a landmark ruling, granted financial compensation to the victim. Previously, rape survivors have had to seek compensation through the civil court.

The Appeals Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in February revised the sentence of Milorad Trbic in relation to his criminal conviction for genocide, from 30 years to 20 years in prison. Trbic was among dozens of people convicted of war time abuses whose sentences were vacated or convictions were quashed by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a 2013 European Court of Human Rights ruling that Bosnian courts had wrongly applied law not in force during the war, when the offenses were committed.

In August, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina indicted Naser Oric and Sabahudin Muhic for war crimes related to the killing of three prisoners during the war. In October, the Prosecutor's Office indicted Dzordze Ristanic for war crimes committed against several hundred Bosniaks and Croats in the territory of Brcko.

National Security

Imad Al Husin, a naturalized Bosnian from Syria detained in 2008, remained in indefinite detention on national security grounds, despite a 2012 European Court of Human Rights ruling that required Bosnia and Herzegovina to charge him, release him, or find a safe third country in which to resettle him.

Zeyad Khalaf Al Gertani, an Iraqi citizen, detained without charge on national security grounds from 2009 until 2014, remained under a supervision order confining him to the Bosnian town of Banovici, away from his family. At time of writing, the conditions of his release were under review by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Freedom of Media

Journalists continued to face threats and intimidation. As of July, the national journalists' association registered 52 cases of violations of media freedom and expression, including 4 physical attacks and death threats, and 12 cases of threats and pressure. Local and national political authorities interfere with journalists' work, subjecting some media outlets to bogus financial and other governmental inspections. State response to these threats and intimidation is often ineffective, and police investigations rarely yield results.

Freedom of Assembly and Expression

No progress was made on the allegations that police in Sarajevo and Tuzla used excessive force during protests in February 2014, as well as during the subsequent detention of protesters.

Sarajevo Open Centre, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights organization, documented 75 cases of hate speech, 15 cases of hate crimes, and 6 cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the first 9 months of 2015. There was no progress in the police investigation into a 2014 attack on a film festival organized by Sarajevo Open Centre.

Key International Actors

In August, the Council of Ministers adopted a strategy for the implementation of the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which was ratified by Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013. The convention creates a comprehensive legal framework to tackle all aspects of violence against women and girls.

In April, on the occasion of International Roma Day, the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe called for greater efforts by Bosnia and Herzegovina to end Roma exclusion. The organization emphasized that institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina should allocate funding necessary for the implementation of OSCE action plans on housing, education, health, and employment for Roma.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in its concluding observations urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to amend the constitution as well as the electoral law to abolish discriminatory treatment on the basis of ethnicity. Additionally, it called upon the state to ensure the sustainable reintegration of returnees and to combat direct and indirect discrimination against minority returnees.

The United States State Department annual report on human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, published in June, highlighted the considerable number of allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Additionally it underline harsh, and sometimes life-threatening, conditions in prisons and detention centers.

In its annual progress on Bosnia and Herzegovina published in November, the European Commission highlighted the inadequate legal and institutional framework for the observance of human rights, intimidation of journalists, deterioration in the conditions for freedom of expression, and ongoing threats and attacks against the LGBTI community.

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World Report 2016 - Belarus

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Belarus, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99525b.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

President Aliaksander Lukashenka released on humanitarian grounds six opposition figures who had been imprisoned on politically motivated charges, but the overall human rights situation in Belarus did not improve.

The death penalty remains in use. Officials pressure and arrest human rights activists and critics on spurious charges. Authorities regularly harass independent and opposition journalists. Legislative amendments further restricted freedom of expression, in particular Internet freedom.

Observers deemed the October presidential elections insufficiently transparent and flawed due to significant irregularities with vote counting. While Belarus held its first human rights dialogue with the European Union since 2009, authorities continued to refuse cooperation with the United Nations special rapporteur on Belarus. In a positive development, in September, Belarus signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities but has yet to take the necessary steps to become a full party to the treaty.

Death Penalty

Belarus remains the only European country to use the death penalty. In 2015, the country took no steps to introduce a moratorium or to abolish it. In April, at the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, a Belarusian parliamentarian stated that Belarus is "ready to discuss the issue of the abolition of the death penalty with the Council of Europe."

In July, an appeals court in a closed hearing upheld the March death sentence of Siarhei Ivanou, 21, for the murder of a young woman. In November, a regional court sentenced Ivan Kulesh to death for the murder of three women.

Arrests and Harassment of Human Rights Defenders and Critics

The authorities continue to routinely use arbitrary detentions, searches, and interrogations to harass government critics.

In February, authorities forced leading human rights lawyer Elena Tonkacheva of the Legal Transformation Center to leave the country after annulling her residence permit on spurious grounds. Tonkacheva, a Russian citizen who had lived in Belarus for more than 30 years, was barred from re-entering for 3 years.

In March, the police searched the Viasna Human Rights Center's Mahilau office, seizing computers in conjunction with a libel case against a local newspaper editor. Authorities did not return the computers until August, although the investigation was closed in April. The group's representatives believe that authorities searched the computers for information about their human rights work.

In February and March, Leanid Sudalenka, chairman of the Legal Initiative's Homiel branch, received death threats against him and his family, making specific reference to Sudalenka's human rights work. The authorities refused to investigate. In early April, the authorities searched the Social and Political Center in Homiel, which hosts Sudalenka's organization and other groups, as well as Sudalenka's home. Police seized computers and questioned Sudalenka under a criminal investigation for alleged distribution of pornography from his email. Sudalenka believes the investigation is in retaliation for his human rights work; he said that his email account had been hacked months before, and he stopped using it.

On August 22, President Lukashenka pardoned and released on "humanitarian grounds" six men sentenced in politically motivated trials: Mikalai Statkevich, Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Yauhen Vaskovich, Artsyom Prakapenka, and Yuri Rubtsou. Like others convicted in political trials and released since 2011, the criminal records of those pardoned were not expunged, preventing them from occupying governmental jobs or standing in elections. Once released, such individuals remain on law enforcement "preventative watch lists," authorizing police to question them frequently. Some have also been forbidden, without explanation, from leaving Belarus.

On August 11, in Minsk, police detained five youth activists for graffiti in public places. Police released two of them, but detained and later charged Maksim Pekarski and Vadzim Zharomski with "hooliganism committed by a group of persons." Pekarski and Zharomski were released after confessing and paying damages, but the criminal investigation continues. A third man, Viachaslau Kasinerau, was not charged, but was hospitalized with a jaw fracture, allegedly inflicted in police detention to pressure him to testify against the others.

Freedom of Expression

Authorities routinely harass and interfere with the work of independent and opposition journalists and bloggers. Law enforcement officials intensified prosecutions of independent freelance journalists for cooperation with unregistered foreign media, bringing 28 cases against 13 journalists through August, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists. All resulted in significant fines.

December 2014 amendments to the law on mass media, hastily adopted without public discussion, authorized the Ministry of Information to block website access without judicial review after issuing two warnings, and made website owners responsible for unlawful content. In December 2014, the ministry blocked dozens of websites, including the largest independent information agency, the Belarusian Private News Agency, or BelaPAN, and opposition sites.

In the first half of 2015, the ministry denied access to 26 sites on the grounds that they were "distributing drugs," published profanity, or in one case, criticized the World War II Victory Day celebration and its participants. The latter involved an article calling on the authorities to use resources to assist war veterans, rather than organize a parade. Access was restored to two sites after they sought to remedy "the committed violations." December 2014 amendments to the criminal code introduced sentences of up to two years' jail for online defamation.

The ministry issued 30 warnings to 29 media outlets through August for violations such as using the acronym "RB" instead of the official Republic of Belarus in their materials. After two or more warnings, the ministry may request a court-ordered closure.

The December 2014 amendments also require distributors of print and broadcast media to register with the Ministry of Information and entitle the ministry to withdraw distribution rights on numerous grounds.

In December 2014, a draft law on "protecting children from information harmful for their health and development" was introduced in parliament. The law proposes to restrict dissemination of factually neutral or positive information about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, blatantly discriminatory on the basis of sexual orientation.

Freedom of Association

Authorities continue to enforce legislation criminalizing involvement in an unregistered organization, and at the same time arbitrarily deny registration to and attempt to dissolve nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

In March, the Ministry of Justice attempted to dissolve the only officially registered regional human rights organization, the Mahilau Human Rights Center, citing problems with its legal address. The group's representatives maintain that security service officials pressured their landlord to revoke their rental agreement. Authorities brought a similar lawsuit against the group in 2014. In April, the ministry withdrew the lawsuit.

In June, the Supreme Court deemed lawful the Ministry of Justice's refusal to register the Human Rights Association "For Fair Elections." The association's founders believe the grounds for refusal were minor and correctable, and that the denial, the third since 2011, was arbitrary and politically motivated.

On August 31, President Lukashenka signed a decree that the government said would improve procedures for NGOs receiving foreign donations. Belarusian NGO experts counter that the decree tightens reporting requirements and state control over use of foreign donations, and preserves existing restrictions, including wide latitude to refuse permission for foreign donations and severely penalize groups receiving unregistered foreign aid.

For the first time since 2001, the authorities invited monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to observe the October presidential election. In its pre-electoral statement, PACE emphasized that public broadcasters are obligated to ensure equal access for candidates without privileging the incumbent president. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) also observed the elections. The OSCE observers found that significant problems, particularly during vote counting, undermined the integrity of the election and concluded that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections.

Key International Actors

Belarusian authorities appeared to be seeking a political rapprochement with European governments and institutions, and hosted a number of high-level visits. Yet the European visitors failed to take full advantage of the opportunity to secure tangible rights improvements.

The government continued to actively oppose and refuse to cooperate with the mandate of Miklos Haraszti, the United Nations special rapporteur on Belarus, appointed in 2012. In June, the UN Human Rights Council extended the rapporteur's mandate for another year.

In February, authorities invited Andrea Rigoni, PACE rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, to visit. Rigoni met with officials, opposition activists, and NGO leaders. Rigoni called on PACE to seize the "favourable momentum" and encourage further initiatives to improve human rights and full normalization of Council of Europe (CoE) relations. Yet he stopped short of specifying what steps Belarus should take.

At the May UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of Belarus, states raised concerns about the death penalty, politically motivated imprisonment, torture, and freedoms of assembly, association, and speech, but Belarus did not commit to specific reforms of its restrictive legislation. Belarus was urged to fully cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms.

In Brussels in July, the EU and Belarus held their second-ever human rights dialogue; the dialogue had been suspended since they first met in 2009. Topics included establishment of a national human rights institution; freedom of expression, assembly, and association; the death penalty; combating torture; and children's rights. The EU also raised the detention of human rights defenders and activists on politically motivated charges. There is no publicly available information on the government's response or any concrete outcomes.

On July 31, 24 Belarusian officials were removed from the EU's list of individuals subject to travel bans and asset freezes. In October, in response to the release of opposition figures and in the context of improving EU-Belarus relations, the EU suspended for four months restrictive measures applying to 170 individuals and three entities in Belarus.

Key international actors, including the EU, the CoE, and the United States, welcomed the release of six political prisoners in August, while making clear that further steps were needed for Belarus to move toward normalized relations.

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World Report 2016 - Bolivia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Bolivia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99526.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Impunity for violent crime and for human rights violations remains a serious problem in Bolivia. Extensive and arbitrary use of pretrial detention  and trial delays  undermine defendants' rights and contribute to prison overcrowding, despite recent legal reforms.

The administration of President Evo Morales has created a hostile environment for human rights defenders that undermines their ability to work independently. Threats to judicial independence, violence against women, and child labor are other major concerns.

Impunity for Abuses and Violent Crime

Bolivia has prosecuted only a few of the officials responsible for human rights violations committed under authoritarian governments between 1964 and 1982, according to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. A contributing factor has been the unwillingness of the armed forces to provide information on the fate of people killed or forcibly disappeared during this period. In March, the deputy solicitor general announced plans to create a truth commission to investigate these crimes, but the government has not yet defined its scope.

Efforts to bring to justice those allegedly responsible for killings during violent clashes in 2008 between supporters and opponents of President Morales have made little progress. As of September 2015, a La Paz court had yet to rule in a case involving Leopoldo Fernandez, former prefect of Pando Department, and three local officials charged in 2008 for their roles in the killing of 13 people.

The government has not reopened an investigation into the April 2009 killing of two Hungarians (one of Bolivian birth) and an Irishman who the government alleged were mercenaries involved in a separatist plot. Police shot them dead after storming into their hotel rooms in Santa Cruz. Independent reports suggest that at least two of the three may have been extrajudicially executed.

Prosecutors have yet to investigate fully allegations that police in 2011 gagged, stripped, and beat protesters when dispersing a largely peaceful demonstration against a proposed highway in the Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory (known as "TIPNIS"). In April 2015, the Attorney General's Office dismissed the criminal case against a former vice minister of interior and at least 10 members of the National Police whom the Ombudsman's Office had implicated in the violations.

The lack of justice has led to mob attacks (or "lynchings") against citizens or police officers believed responsible for crimes. Ten people were killed in lynchings from January to November 2014, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In September 2015, a mob tied a suspected criminal to a pole and beat him to death in El Alto, according to press reports. Impunity for lynchings remains the norm.

Military Abuses and Jurisdiction

Human rights violations against soldiers remain a problem. The Ombudsman's Office reported that four soldiers died on military premises between January and August 2015, and no one has been held accountable for their deaths.

The Constitutional Court ruled in 2012 that a civilian court should have jurisdiction in the case of a conscript who died in 2011 following a combat training exercise during which instructors allegedly beat him on the head and chest. The court urged lawmakers to reform Bolivia's military justice code to ensure that human rights violations are heard in civilian courts. In August 2015, a civilian court convicted three military officers for the conscript's death, but, at time of writing, the code had not been reformed.

Judicial Independence

The Bolivian justice system has been plagued by corruption, delays, and political interference for years. The 2009 constitution provided for judicial elections to overhaul Bolivia's highest courts, but the Plurinational Assembly selected candidates through a process that lacked transparency and did not adequately consider their qualifications. In January 2015, President Morales announced a new judicial reform process, but the government has not yet defined its scope.

Due Process and Prison Conditions

As of June, 78 percent of inmates in Bolivian prisons had not been convicted of a crime. Extended pretrial detention and trial delays have led to increased overcrowding and poor conditions in prisons. As of May, there were 13,793 inmates in prisons with a maximum capacity of 5,126.

A 2014 law decreased the maximum periods of pre-trial detention in most cases, but eliminated the maximums for certain crimes. Decrees adopted since 2012 allow the president to reduce the sentences of those convicted of crimes and pardon those in pretrial detention for minor crimes. As of August, more than 3,300 people had benefited from the changes.

Human Rights Defenders

Human rights defenders continue to face harassment and threats, including from government officials, undermining their ability to work independently.

In 2013, President Morales signed a law and adopted a decree granting the government broad powers to dissolve civil society organizations. Under the decree, any government office may request that that Ministry of Autonomy revoke an organization's permit if it performs activities different from those listed in its bylaws, or if the organization's legal representative is criminally sanctioned for carrying out activities that "undermine security or public order." As of September 2015, a case brought by the Ombudsman's Office challenging both provisions was still pending before the Constitutional Court.

In August 2015, Vice President Garcia Linera accused four Bolivian NGOs of trying to "impede the development" of Bolivia; in June, President Morales said that any international NGO engaged in activities "detrimental to the exploitation of natural resources would have to leave Bolivia."

In 2013, the government expelled the Danish nongovernmental organization IBIS, which had worked with indigenous groups, accusing it of engaging in "political interference."

Freedom of Expression

While public debate is robust, the Morales administration periodically lashes out at journalists, accusing them without basis of publishing what it calls lies and politically motivated distortions. In September, the minister of the presidency accused local outlets of participating in an international conspiracy against Bolivia and President Morales.

Bolivia lacks transparent criteria for using government funds to purchase media advertisements, and some media companies have accused the government of discriminating against outlets that criticize government officials. There is no national law ensuring public access to information held by government bodies.

Indigenous Rights

The 2009 Bolivian Constitution includes comprehensive guarantees for the rights of indigenous groups, including collective land titling, intercultural education, prior consultation on development projects, and protection of indigenous justice systems. A 2011 law establishing jurisdictional boundaries between indigenous and ordinary justice systems has yet to be fully implemented.

Indigenous peoples' right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) regarding legislative or administrative measures that may affect them is not fully embodied in Bolivian legislation. A current mining law limits FPIC to the exploitation phase of land concessions, but international standards call for FPIC through all stages of projects that impact on indigenous peoples' right to land and resources.

Gender-Based Violence and Reproductive Rights

Women and girls in Bolivia remain at high risk for gender-based violence, despite a 2013 law that sets forth comprehensive measures to prevent and prosecute violence against women. The law created the crime of "femicide" and called for the establishment of shelters for women, as well as special prosecutors and courts for gender-based crimes.

As of April 2015, a special police force created by the law had received some 60,000 complaints of gender-based violence, including 8,394 in 2015. In August, official sources reported that 115 "femicides" had occurred in Bolivia since 2013, and prosecutors had obtained convictions in 10 cases.

Women and girls face numerous obstacles to accessing reproductive health products, contraceptives, and services including abortion after rape (one of the few circumstances in Bolivia in which abortion is not penalized). Between 2008 and 2013, 775 women were criminally prosecuted for having an abortion, according to Ipas, a local nongovernmental organization, and thousands sought medical care for incomplete abortions.

In January 2015, the Health Ministry instructed public and private health services to comply with a 2014 Constitutional Court ruling that prior judicial authorization and prosecution of the alleged offender were not prerequisites for post-rape abortion.

Child Labor

In 2014, the Plurinational Assembly adopted legislation allowing children as young as 10 to work, violating international standards and making Bolivia the first country in the world to legalize employment at such a young age. In February 2015, the Ombudsman's Office said that 850,000 children worked in Bolivia, most of them less than 14 years old.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Impunity for acts of violence and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity persist. No one has been held accountable for the killings of more than 55 LGBT persons since 2004, according to local groups.

The 2009 constitution defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. A proposal to legalize civil unions remained pending before the Plurinational Assembly at time of writing.

Key International Actors

President Morales announced in 2013 that he was "seriously considering withdrawing" from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, but Bolivia participated in hearings there in 2015.

In July, during its review of Bolivia's compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the CEDAW Committee expressed concern at the prevalence of different forms of violence against women in Bolivia and the continuing impunity enjoyed by most perpetrators.

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World Report 2016 - Bangladesh

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Bangladesh, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995315.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Bangladesh headed in an authoritarian direction in 2015. Bangladesh has not had an effective parliamentary opposition since the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted national elections in 2014. In place of parliamentary debate, 2015 saw the BNP taking to the streets and the government under Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina cracking down on free expression and civil society.

In several instances, commuters were killed or injured when street protests turned violent. The frequent blockades and strikes also prevented many children from attending school or sitting examinations.

The government responded by deploying troops to quell the street violence, detaining thousands of opposition members, and restricting BNP leader Khaleda Zia to her office ahead of planned opposition protests. Key opposition leaders were arrested, accused of serious offenses, some of which were trumped up. Many remained in hiding, fearing arrest. Security forces committed serious abuses including killings, "disappearances," and arbitrary arrests, with few investigations or prosecutions of those responsible.

Freedom of speech came under increasing attack. Media critical of the government continued to face closure, and editors faced charges and arrest. Four bloggers with atheist sympathies were hacked to death. Instead of denouncing the attacks, the government called on bloggers to use restraint in their exercise of free speech. Civil society activists and journalists faced lawsuits from ruling party supporters for criticizing the government, and contempt of court allegations for criticizing unfair trials.

Bangladesh made some progress in ensuring better safety regulations in garment factories following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which killed and injured thousands of workers in 2013. There were some improvements to labor laws in 2015, including the removal of arbitrary legal hurdles to unionize, but some factory owners still used threats and violence against union leaders to stymie union formation.

Security Force Abuses and Impunity

The ruling Awami League entered office promising zero tolerance for serious human rights abuses, but such abuses have continued unabated and in some areas have increased. The Detective Branch of the police, the Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB), and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been responsible for serious abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and killings.

Opposition BNP spokesman Salahuddin Ahmed was abducted on March 10, 2015, from a friend's apartment where he was in hiding. Witnesses said the abductors identified themselves as member of the Detective Branch, while other witnesses reported RAB vehicles in the area. In May, Ahmed was found in India and was charged by Indian authorities with illegal entry. He sought protection from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), saying he had been abducted by unknown gunmen and feared for his life if returned to Bangladesh. The government failed to investigate the possible role of security forces in this and other disappearances, even in cases where family members identified the perpetrators to be members of RAB or police.

The opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party claims its activists were arrested and tortured by the police, including its Detective Branch, and says several members were killed by security forces. For instance, witnesses saw the police arrest Ahmadullah, a 22-year-old student supporter of the party, on January 31; his body was found the next morning. The police claimed that he was killed in crossfire between security forces and Jamaat supporters.

Several Jamaat supporters said that the police took them into custody and deliberately shot them in the knee or shin to disable them. Odhikar, a Bangladesh human rights group, documented at least 30 cases where people were shot in the leg  sometimes after arrest. The police claimed the shootings occurred during efforts to disperse violent mobs.

According to the Bangladesh human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra, of the 135 people killed by security forces between January and September 2015, 90 were by the police, 33 by RAB, and the rest by other security agencies including the BGB.

In August, RAB was identified as responsible for the killing of three ruling party activists, leading to dismay among government supporters.

Attacks on Civil Society

The government increased its attacks on civil society organizations and critics in 2015, and drafted a new law restricting foreign funding to Bangladeshi groups.

The human rights organization, Odhikar, was regularly harassed, its access to foreign funding blocked. In August, after Odhikar published a report on extrajudicial killings, the police issued a statement warning that activities that harm the reputation of the security forces are considered acts of subversion. Criminal charges remain pending against its secretary, Adilur Rahman, and director, ASM Nasiruddin Elan, for allegedly publishing false information.

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), another prominent human rights organization, remained under pressure for reporting on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. In May 2014, ASK reported an attempt by security forces to abduct its director of investigations, Mohammad Nur Khan. Groups working on indigenous and minority issues continued to report intimidating surveillance, and humanitarian groups working with the refugee Rohingya population faced ongoing restrictions.

Freedom of Expression

In several instances, critical editors and journalists were sued by government supporters. In August, university teacher Muhammad Ruhul Amin Khandaker was convicted for a 2011 Facebook comment blaming the prime minister for a rise in fatal traffic accidents. Later in August, journalist Probir Sikdar was arrested for a Facebook post that alleged to have "tarnished the image" of a ruling Awami League leader, a relative of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and a member of her cabinet.

Journalists and civil society activists critical of Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal (see below) faced contempt charges and trials. Journalist David Bergman was found guilty of contempt for criticizing the tribunal. When a group of 49 civil society actors signed a petition against his conviction, they were charged with contempt as well. Most of them offered unconditional apologies to avoid convictions.

Several bloggers and their publishers were hacked to death by Islamist militants in 2015 for promoting secularism. Ansar Al Islam, an insurgent group linked to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility and threatened further attacks. Although Sheikh Hasina promised to take action against the attacks, she also warned the bloggers against "hurting people's religious sentiments." The killings of three foreigners in October and November, this time claimed by the armed extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS), heightened anxieties over what appeared to be increasing violence in the name of religion.

Labor Rights

Intense international and national scrutiny following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex in April 2013 led to efforts to shore up safety conditions and workers' rights across the garment sector. International brands pledged to conduct fire and safety inspections across all factories they used in Bangladesh and to make their reports public. Concerns remained about inspections carried out by Bangladeshi authorities, however, as these were not made public. Union leaders and those seeking to join unions faced threats and opposition from factory managers and owners, including physical violence in some instances.

Labor conditions remain poor in other industries. The government continues its de facto policy of not enforcing labor and environmental laws against tanneries in Hazaribagh, a residential area of Dhaka. Workers in the tanneries continue to suffer from highly toxic and dangerous working conditions, and local residents complain of illnesses caused by the extreme pollution of air, water, and soil resulting from tannery operations. Some tanneries have begun to build new premises at a dedicated industrial zone in Savar, but production had not started, and the seriousness of the government's commitment to better regulating tanneries there remained unclear at time of writing.

Early and Forced Marriage

Bangladesh has the highest rate of marriage in the world for girls under 15. Sixty-five percent of girls in Bangladesh marry before age 18. While the legal age of marriage for women is 18, the law is almost entirely unenforced. Local government officials often facilitate child marriages by collecting bribes in return for furnishing forged birth certificates.

The government failed in 2015 to take decisive steps to end the practice. Eliminating child marriage will require ending associated school costs that lead to drop-outs, despite free tuition; making schools responsible for helping to prevent child marriages; taking appropriate action against government officials who facilitate child marriage; strengthening criminal justice responses to child marriage and sexual harassment and threats against girls; improving girls' access to information about family planning and to contraceptive supplies; and improving public awareness about the health and legal consequences of child marriage.

In 2014, Sheikh Hasina pledged to end marriage of children under age 15 by 2021 and under 18 by 2041. Her government subsequently proposed to lower the age of marriage for girls to 16.

Overseas Workers

Many Bangladeshis work in Persian Gulf countries as domestic workers. The government has sought to increase the recruitment of such workers without putting in place adequate protection mechanisms. Bangladeshi workers in the Gulf report being deprived of food and forced to endure psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Bangladesh has set a minimum salary equivalent to around US$200, the lowest minimum salary of all sending countries  and its embassies in the region do not provide adequate protection and assistance to many Bangladeshi nationals there.

Refugees

Nearly 32,000 long-term Rohingya refugees live in camps administered by UNHCR along Bangladesh's border with Burma. These refugees, and another 200,000 stateless Rohingya in Bangladesh, face often terrible conditions, and humanitarian groups seeking to provide assistance to them in border regions face highly restrictive conditions.

War Crimes Trials

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), set up to address laws of war violations committed during Bangladesh's 1971 independence movement, continued its operations in 2015 without addressing serious procedural and substantive defects that lead to unfair trials.

In April, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, a leading member of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged. His trial violated basic fair trial standards, arbitrarily curtailing the ability of the defense team to submit evidence, including witnesses and documents, and to challenge the credibility of prosecution witnesses by confronting them with prior inconsistent statements.

In July, the death sentence against BNP member Mir Qasem Ali Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury was upheld on appeal. Both he and Ali Ahmed Mohammed Mujahid were executed on November 21 after the president rejected their last-minute clemency petitions. Several other accused were awaiting final appellate judgments at time of writing, including Motiur Rahman Nizami, who was sentenced to death in October 2014.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Same-sex sexual behavior, dubbed "carnal intercourse against the order of nature," is criminalized in Bangladesh. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights groups reported continuing threats, particularly after homophobic public comments by Islamic leaders.

In 2013, the cabinet issued a circular indicating legal recognition of a third gender, called hijra, a traditional cultural identity for transgender people who, assigned male at birth, do not identify as men. The third gender status came with no official definition but could ostensibly accord hijras education, health, and housing rights. However, the decree did not indicate any process by which legal recognition as a third gender should be conferred. In December 2014, a group of 12 hijras were selected for a government employment scheme, and in early 2015 they were subjected to invasive and abusive exams as part of the hiring process. The hijras said they were asked humiliating questions about their bodies, and some reported that the physicians in charge of the exams called them "disgusting" and then instructed hospital janitors and security guards to conduct physical exams, which included touching their genitals. Shortly after the medical exams, the hijras' names were exposed in a newspaper article that declared them impostors because they were "really men." The 12 were denied their employment positions and report increased harassment from neighbors.

Key International Actors

In June, Bangladesh and India signed a border agreement which allowed the two countries to exchange small land enclaves; prior to the agreement, people living in the enclaves had been effectively stateless, many without legal title to their property.

Influential bilateral partners, including the United States, United Kingdom, and India failed to press for an end to government repression of the political opposition and civil society. These and other countries welcomed the government's efforts to curb extremist groups but failed to demand proof or challenge its claims that opposition political parties were engaged in "terrorism," a claim it used to justify attacks on opponents.

The US Department of Justice funded and trained an internal investigations program within RAB, but the program produced no human rights prosecutions or convictions, and the US said little publicly to signal the importance of RAB accountability.

India pledged in 2012 to prosecute members of the Border Security Force for serious abuses against illegal Bangladeshi migrants crossing the border, but made little progress in 2015.

After intense international and national scrutiny following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex in April 2013, two large international cooperative agreements  one involving largely European companies (Bangladesh Accord) and the second involving largely North American companies (Alliance)  pledged to conduct fire and safety inspections across all factories they use in Bangladesh. However, when the accord pushed for labor law reforms, the government insisted that the accord's mandate was restricted to safety inspections. The US refused to reinstate Bangladesh's GSP plus status, arguing that it had not made sufficient improvements in labor sector reforms.

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World Report 2016 - Bahrain

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Bahrain, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995415.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In 2015, further evidence emerged of the torture and mistreatment of detainees, pointing to the ineffectiveness of institutions established since 2011 to safeguard detainees, and the persistent failure of authorities to hold officials accountable for torture and other serious rights violations.

Anti-government protests continued despite a ban on freedom of assembly, and police used excessive force to disperse demonstrators. Authorities continued to restrict freedom of expression, prosecuting high profile activists and opposition figures for speech-related offences and subjecting them to unfair trials. The government used repressive new legislation to arbitrarily strip rights activists and political dissidents of their citizenship, in some cases rendering them stateless. Authorities attributed the deaths of three police officers in two incidents to terrorist attacks.

Torture

Torture of detainees continued due to the failure of authorities to implement effectively recommendations for combatting torture that the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) put forward in 2011.

Individuals detained at the Criminal Investigations Directorate between 2013 and 2015 described a range of torture methods used there, including electric shock, prolonged suspension in painful positions, severe beatings, threats to rape and kill, forced standing, exposure to extreme cold, and abuse of a sexual nature.

In 2011, the BICI report had identified all of these methods of torture and concluded that the authorities "followed a systematic practice of physical and psychological mistreatment, which in many cases amounted to torture, with respect to a large number of detainees in their custody."

Bahraini lawyers complained about official practices that have the effect of circumventing the country's legislative safeguards against torture, particularly the authorities' failure to divulge the whereabouts of detained suspects, often for weeks at a time.

Former detainees and families of inmates held at Jaw Prison alleged that security forces firing tear gas and bird shot used disproportionate force to quell violent unrest among prisoners there on March 10, 2015. They then subjected inmates to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including forcing hundreds of prisoners to stay outside in open areas, where they beat and humiliated them. One prisoner described how security forces made inmates strip to their underwear and perform exercises while shouting chants in support of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Another described how officers broke an inmate's collarbone and then left him without medical attention. A group of inmates accused of encouraging the riot were taken to a separate building, where some were severely beaten in toilets and administration rooms, where there are no cameras.

The institutions that the authorities established in response to the BICI report findings and recommendations, in particular the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman, are still failing to hold security forces and high officials accountable for torture and serious mistreatment of persons in custody.

The SIU has not conducted investigations or prosecutions that have led to the conviction of any individuals for acts of torture in cases relating to Bahrain's political unrest. The ombudsman, who accepts individual complaints and directs them to the appropriate investigatory authority, did not provide details concerning the 83 cases his office referred to the SIU, so it is unclear how many may have related to allegations of torture.

Freedom of Expression and Fair Trial

Bahraini authorities continued to prosecute individuals, including high-profile activists and opposition figures, for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

In April, authorities arrested the prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab after he criticized the authorities on social media. Rajab had repeated allegations that authorities had tortured Jaw Prison inmates in the aftermath of unrest at the jail on March 10, and criticized the Bahraini military's involvement in the conflict in Yemen.

In May, a court of appeal upheld a six-month sentence Rajab received in late 2014 for "offending national institutions" after he criticized the government on social media for using counterterrorism laws to prosecute human rights defenders and said that Bahraini security forces foster violent beliefs akin to those of the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS).

In July, authorities announced that King Hamad had pardoned Rajab for unspecified health reasons, but at time of writing he still faced charges relating to the comments that led to his arrest in April and remained under a travel ban.

In July, authorities arrested Ibrahim Sharfi, secretary general of the opposition National Democratic Action Society, and accused him of encouraging the government's overthrow and "inciting hatred" in a speech that consisted solely of peaceful criticism of the government and calls for political reform.

Authorities had released Sharif from prison two weeks earlier, nine months before the end of a five-year sentence. In 2011, a court found Sharif guilty of "terrorism" on the basis that he was one of a group of individuals who chose to "advocate the declaration of a republic in the country." At time of writing, Sharif remained in pretrial detention with a December 15 trial date.

On June 16, 2015, a Bahraini court convicted Sheikh Ali Salman, secretary general of the country's largest legally recognized opposition political society, Al Wifaq, of three speech-related charges and sentenced him to four years in prison. The presiding judge refused to allow Sheikh Salman's defense lawyers to present potentially exculpatory evidence, including recordings of speeches for which he was prosecuted, on the grounds that "the intent of them is to raise doubts about the substantiating evidence that has persuaded the court." At time of writing, Salman's third appeal hearing was scheduled for December 12.

In August, the Bahraini cabinet discussed a draft law on "criminalizing contempt of religions," which would also criminalize "any hate and sectarian discourse that undermines national unity." At time of writing, the cabinet had referred the draft to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for further study.

Revocation of Nationality

As a result of a 2014 amendment to Bahrain's citizenship law, the Interior Ministry can, with cabinet approval, revoke the citizenship of any person who, according to authorities, "aids or is involved in the service of a hostile state" or who "causes harm to the interests of the Kingdom or acts in a way that contravenes his duty of loyalty to it."

On January 31, the minister of interior revoked the citizenship of 72 Bahrainis stating that they had been involved in "illegal acts," including "inciting and advocating regime change through illegal means," "defaming brotherly countries," and "defaming the image of the regime."

The 72 individuals included former parliamentarians, doctors, politicians, human rights activists, and several Bahrainis alleged to have left the country to join ISIS. The government did not inform the individuals concerned, some of whom are living in exile abroad, of the specific reasons for revoking their citizenship.

Women's Rights and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Law no. 19 of 2009 on the Promulgation of the Law of Family Rulings regulates matters of personal status in Bahrain's Sunni courts. It does not apply in the country's Shia courts, with the result that Shia women, who comprise the majority of women in Bahrain, are not covered by a codified personal status law.

In May, a parliamentary committee called for the repeal of article 353 of the penal code, which allows rapists to escape punishment if they marry their victim. The article was not amended by the end of 2015. In August, the king ratified the Law on Protection from Family Violence, which for the first time provides measures to protect individuals from domestic violence, including requiring authorities to investigate and assist domestic violence victims, and allows public prosecutors to issue temporary protection orders for victims.

In November, Bahrain's Supreme Council for Women announced the launch of a National Strategy for the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence.

Same-sex conduct is not criminalized in Bahrain. However, there is no law that prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Key International Actors

Bahrain joined the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that began attacking Houthi forces in Yemen in March. Coalition airstrikes caused thousands of civilian deaths and injuries in Yemen, while a coalition-imposed sea and air blockade threatened to cause widespread starvation.

In June, the United States State Department lifted restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain stating that the government had made "some meaningful progress on human rights reforms," while acknowledging that the human rights situation was not "adequate."

In September, 33 states, including the US and the United Kingdom, supported a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva  the fifth since June 2012  criticizing Bahrain and calling for the release of political prisoners and for the revision of laws that restrict freedom of expression. Both the US and the UK signed the statement.

On July 9, the European Parliament adopted an emergency resolution on the rights situation in Bahrain, and on the case of Nabeel Rajab in particular. Rajab received a pardon from the king four days later. The US and the UK had also criticized his original conviction.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Armenia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Armenia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99563d.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Armenia's rights record remained uneven, with serious concerns related the government's interference in freedom of assembly. Other concerns include media freedom, poor prison conditions, including overcrowding and ill-treatment, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

In December 2015, Armenia held a referendum on constitutional amendments, proposed by the ruling party, to move from a presidential to a parliamentary system. Some critics said the amendments are intended to allow the party to remain in power, although the Council of Europe's Venice Commission said that the draft constitution was "in line with international standards." Following the referendum, some domestic and international observers reported allegations of large-scale vote-buying, ballot box stuffing, and intimidation and violence against observers.

Freedom of Assembly and Political Dissent

Authorities in several cases interefered with freedom of assembly in 2015, including by force. Some protestors faced violence. In September, Smbat Hakobian, of the Alliance of Freedom Fighters, an independent group critical of the government, was savagely beaten by several men he did not know, after a protest march. Police had charged three suspects in an investigation ongoing at time of writing.

On June 19, hundreds gathered in central Yerevan to protest a proposed 17 percent hike in electricity tariffs in round-the-clock demonstrations dubbed "Electric Yerevan." On June 22, demonstrators marched toward the presidential palace and, after police blocked them, occupied a central avenue until early June 23, when police issued warnings and then used water cannons to disperse the protest. Police officials told media that at least 25 people, including 11 police officers, were injured. Several protesters sought medical assistance. Activists and media reported that police attacked and detained numerous reporters, in some cases, smashing or confiscating cameras and deleting photos and videos of the events.

Police detained more than 200 demonstrators and held them for most of the day before releasing them without charge. In at least two cases, police refused access to lawyers. By evening, thousands gathered on the avenue to protest police actions. Police did not interfere. Many stayed until the police cleared them without incident on July 6. After an internal inquiry into the July 23 incidents, one officer was demoted and eight received reprimands for failure to demonstrate restraint. A criminal investigation into police conduct was ongoing, and no one had been charged at time of writing. Authorities eventually dropped a criminal investigation into "hooliganism" regarding the protests.

Police forcibly dispersed another peaceful protest against the rate increase on September 11, temporarily detaining approximately 50 protesters.

On April 7, Yerevan police arrested five members of the opposition movement Founding Parliament, including Chairman Garegin Chukaszyan, and Jirair Sefilyan, Varuzhan Avestisyan, Pavel Manukyan, and Gevorg Safaryan. The group had received permission to hold a rally in Yerevan on April 24, the 100-year anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Authorities charged the men with planning a mass disturbance, after searching their homes and office and seizing wooden bats, kitchen knives, a stun gun, and a publicly available pamphlet, as well as their laptops and flags. On April 10, a Yerevan court remanded all five to pretrial custody, but on May 4, the prosecutor general released them pending the investigation, which was ongoing at time of writing.

In 2015, appeals courts upheld the verdicts against controversial opposition leader Shant Harutyunyan and 13 of his supporters, who were arrested in 2013 after clashes with police during an attempted march on the presidential administration in Yerevan. In 2014, a Yerevan criminal court convicted them of violence against authorities and imposed prison terms of one to seven years.

Harutyunyan and activist Vardanyan alleged that police beat them following their detention. The authorities refused to investigate the allegations. In June, penitentiary officials granted their petitions to serve their remaining sentences in solitary confinement, due to their fear of politically motivated violence in prison.

On September 15, a Yerevan court sentenced Hayk Kyureghyan to nine years in prison for shooting air pistols to protest the 2014 trial of Harutyunyan and his supporters. Many local activists consider the sentence disproportionate, and retaliation for Kyureghyan's political views.

Freedom of Expression

Authorities continue to curtail media pluralism, and impunity for attacks on journalists, including by the police, remains the rule. The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression reported that if the law on television and radio remains unchanged, provisions will take effect in January 2016 limiting each region to one television station, and at least 10 stations will have to close.

The committee documented 19 cases of violence against journalists in 2015, including 13 during the June Electric Yerevan protests, and, aside from the reprimands noted above, reported that no one was held responsible for any of the attacks.

In a positive step, the Constitutional Court ruled in October that journalists are not obliged to reveal confidential sources in cases not involving serious crimes. The decision resolved a multi-year attempt by the Special Investigative Service to force the Ilur.am news portal and Hraparak newspaper to disclose confidential sources.

Torture and Ill-Treatment in Custody

Despite new guidelines issued to law enforcement officers, human rights groups reported that torture and ill-treatment in custody remain serious problems in pretrial and post-conviction facilities, especially to coerce confessions. Some victims do not file complaints, fearing investigations will not be effective. Impunity for torture remains a key concern.

The Armenian Helsinki Association reported that, in April and August, appeals courts in Yerevan upheld Aik Agamalyan's 10-year prison sentence for murder. Authorities refused to investigate claims that investigators tortured and ill-treated Agamalyan, 16 at the time of his arrest in 2013, and his relatives to coerce a confession.

According to the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor, a human rights monitoring group, in May, a woman in Yerevan rebuffed a police officer who whistled at her. Four officers handcuffed her and took her to the station, where they insulted and ill-treated her for three hours. A forensic exam revealed bruises and psychological distress. Her appeal of the Special Investigation Service's decision to dismiss her complaint was under court review at time of writing. She was charged with insulting an officer, and two preliminary hearings on the charges had been held at time of writing.

Authorities opened an investigation into allegations that some witnesses were pressured to testify against Karen Kurngurtsev, whose murder trial was ongoing at time of writing, but refused to investigate Kurngurtsev's allegations that police ill-treated him after his arrest in 2013.

Military Service

Although Armenia has taken significant steps to correct long-standing problems with military service, including by providing for alternative service for conscientious objectors, Armenian rights groups reported that violence among conscripts and a high number of non-combat deaths remain concerns.

Palliative Care

Armenia continues to discuss reforming its complicated and time-consuming prescription and procurement procedures for opioid medications. A national action plan on palliative care remained pending for more than a year at time of writing. Current regulations obstruct the delivery of adequate palliative care, condemning most terminally ill patients to unnecessary suffering. Tight police controls on injectable opioids and restrictive policies on procurement, prescription, and disbursement are inconsistent with many of the World Health Organization's recommendations on palliative care.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Activists reported that LGBT people continue to face discrimination, harassment, and physical violence. The government has not addressed hate speech or discrimination against LGBT people. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not included in anti-discrmination or hate speech laws, limiting legal recourse for many crimes against LGBT people.

On October 17-18, the LGBT rights group PINK Armenia held the first Armenian forum to discuss problems faced by LGBT people. An article about the event and a photograph of participants posted on PINK Armenia's website and re-posted by various media outlets, received a slew of homophobic comments and threats in social media, including calls to burn and kill the forum participants. PINK Armenia filed a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the threats and had not received a response at time of writing.

PINK Armenia reported that five men attacked two transgender sex workers in a Yerevan park in August, causing serious injuries, including brain trauma. The victims attempted to seek assistance from security officers, who refused to help them. The case was under investigation at time of writing.

In April, an appeals court rejected the appeal by 16 plaintiffs whose lawsuits against the Iravunq newspaper were dismissed by a court in October 2014. Iravunq had published several online articles calling for LGBT people and activists to be excluded from public life and for their families to shun them. One article included a "blacklist" of 60 such people, with links to their social media sites. The newspaper refused to publish a retraction.

Women's Rights

Following her April visit, Anne Brasseur, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, called for immediate action to combat violence against women and domestic violence, echoing the March report by the council's human rights commissioner. Despite evidence that violence against women remains common, Armenia has no law criminalizing domestic violence and has not become a party to the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Key International Actors

On June 23, following police assaults on journalists in Yerevan, the OSCE's Mijatovic called for authorities to investigate the incident and ensure journalists' safety.

On June 24, Michael Georg Link, director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, called on the Armenian authorities to respect the right to freedom of assembly and investigate the detentions of protestors.

In May 2015, the UN special rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography visited Armenia and noted gaps in awareness campaigns, detection, and reporting mechanisms for cases of abuse and violence against children.

In its March European Neighborhood Policy progress report, the European Union noted that "Armenia made limited progress on deep and sustainable democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms," and urged it to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, and ensure accountability for attacks and threats against human rights defenders.

PACE adopted a declaration in January on the failure of the Armenian authorities to condemn incitement of hatred against LGBT people and to call for implementation of a Committee of Ministers' recommendation on combating discrimination.

Armenia underwent its second universal periodic review at the UN Human Rights Council in January, with the resulting recommendations calling on Armenia to strengthen children's rights protections, adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, and end impunity for attacks against journalists and human rights defenders, among others.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Australia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Australia, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd99566.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Australia has a solid record of protecting civil and political rights, with robust institutions and a vibrant press and civil society that act as a check on government power. However, the government's failure to respect international standards for asylum seekers and refugees continues to take a heavy human toll.

In 2015, Australia's practices of mandatory detention of asylum seekers, abuses related to offshore processing, and outsourcing of refugee obligations to other countries were heavily criticized by United Nations experts, foreign governments, and even some Australian government-funded inquiries.

However, senior government officials dismissed such criticism and even attacked and tried to discredit institutions such as Australia's Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the UN. The government has also instituted overly broad and vague counterterrorism laws and has done too little to address indigenous rights and disability rights.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Australia outsources some of its obligations to asylum seekers and refugees to poorer, less well-equipped, and unsafe countries such as Nauru and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Australia has also returned several boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers to Sri Lanka and Vietnam, despite their poor rights records. Australia has also towed boats carrying asylum seekers back to Indonesia, endangering lives, and in May, Indonesian police and asylum seekers accused Australian officials of paying more than US$30,000 to people-smugglers to turn a boat back to Indonesia.

As of October 31, 2015, 929 asylum seekers and refugees were detained on Manus Island, PNG, while 621 were in a center on Nauru. Three years after Australia first started sending asylum seekers to PNG, not a single refugee had been resettled. In August, an asylum seeker detained on Manus Island for more than two years was persuaded and paid by Australian officials to return to Syria. He has said he was detained by intelligence officers upon arrival in Damascus, and in October, was injured by shelling.

The immigration department established an independent review of detention conditions in the Nauru center that found evidence that children and adults were sexually and physically assaulted. Thirty-three asylum seekers allege they have been raped or sexually assaulted at the center. A parliamentary senate inquiry found that the conditions on Nauru were "not adequate, appropriate or safe," and recommended that all children be removed from the center as soon as possible.

An AHRC report into conditions in Australian mainland immigration detention centers and facilities on Christmas Island in February found that mandatory and prolonged detention had profoundly negative impacts on the mental and emotional health and development of children. More than 300 children committed or threatened self-harm in a 15-month period in Australian immigration detention, and 30 reported sexual assault.

Following the report's release, senior government officials made personal and unsubstantiated attacks on the credibility and integrity of the president of the AHRC, Professor Gillian Triggs, including calling for her resignation. The chairman of the International Coordinating Committee, the UN body responsible for accrediting national human rights institutions, described these attacks as intimidating and undermining the independence of the AHRC.

In March, the UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, concluded that by failing to provide adequate detention conditions, end the practice of detaining children, and put a stop to escalating violence in processing centers, Australia was in violation of the Convention against Torture. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott responded by stating that Australia was "sick of being lectured" by the UN.

In September, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants postponed a visit to Australia due to the "lack of full cooperation from the government regarding protection concerns and access to detention centres." A High Court challenge on the legality of offshore detention centers was heard in October, and at time of writing was awaiting judgment.

In May, parliament passed the Australian Border Force Act, making it a crime punishable by two years' imprisonment for anyone who works directly or indirectly for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, including contractors such as doctors and aid workers, to disclose information obtained by them while doing that work. Medical groups have spoken out against the new law.

Under a refugee transfer deal struck with Cambodia, four refugees agreed to be relocated from Nauru to Cambodia in June. A fifth refugee was relocated in November. To gain Cambodia's cooperation, Australia promised Cambodia A$40 million ($US29 million) in development aid and allocated a further A$15.5 million ($US11.2 million) to fund refugee resettlement in Cambodia.

The Migration Act continues to provide for the mandatory and indefinite detention of "unlawful non-citizens," including children. According to the December 2014 amendments to the Migration Act, non-citizens can have their visas canceled for committing certain offenses or failing a "character test," which is affecting migrants, long-term Australian residents (including those from New Zealand), and refugees. In November 2015, violence broke out on Christmas Island following the death of an Iranian refugee who escaped the center and whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff.

Counterterrorism Laws

Australia has adopted extensive and overly broad new counterterrorism laws in response to the threat of "home-grown terrorism." Amendments to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Act in October 2014 criminalize disclosure of information "that relates to a special intelligence operation" punishable by 5 or 10 years imprisonment. The offenses will have a chilling effect on whistleblowers, human rights defenders, and journalists, and impede reporting that fosters legitimate public debate and is in the public interest.

In March, the government passed the Telecommunications Amendment bill, requiring telecommunications companies to retain metadata for a period of two years so that Australian intelligence organizations can access the data.

In June, the government introduced the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) bill, which provides that dual citizens who act in a manner "contrary to their allegiance to Australia," including engaging in or supporting terrorist activities, will be stripped of their citizenship. The bill includes problematic provisions that operate retrospectively. Further legislation was introduced in November, allowing control orders to be applied to children as young as 14, and introducing a new offense of advocating genocide.

Indigenous Rights

In February, the prime minister's "Close the Gap" report highlighted the continued disadvantages that indigenous Australians face. While there were modest improvements in education and health outcomes, there was little progress on closing the life expectancy gap. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples still live on average 10-12 years less than non-indigenous Australians, have an infant mortality rate almost two times higher, and continue to die at alarmingly high rates from treatable and preventable conditions such as diabetes and respiratory illness.

Indigenous Australians continue to be disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Aboriginal women are the fastest growing prisoner demographic in Australia.

In November, the High Court upheld the Northern Territory's "paperless arrest" powers that allow police to detain individuals for up to four hours for minor, fine-only offenses.

A report from the Northern Territory's children's commissioner made public in September revealed serious shortcomings in juvenile detention practices in the territory. Youths in detention were subjected to isolation in cramped quarters, sometimes for nearly three weeks at a time, as well as to excessive use of force. In response to a disturbance in one Darwin juvenile detention center, staff used tear gas on six children, hooded and handcuffed them, including two who had taken no part in the disturbance, and temporarily moved them all to an adult prison.

Across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under age 18 are seriously overrepresented in youth detention facilities, representing more than half of child detainees. Indigenous children are often held in detention on remand, despite the international requirement that the detention of children be used as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

Disability Rights

Women and girls with disabilities in Australia face higher rates of violence in the community and in institutional settings than other women and girls. Some face coerced sterilization and forced psychiatric interventions. To date, the Australian government has done little to address such violence.

In September, a school principal was fired for building a metal cage in a classroom and using it to restrain a 10-year-old boy with autism. The incident prompted an inquiry into how schools respond to students with "complex needs and challenging behaviors."

According to the AHRC, people with intellectual disabilities are overrepresented in the prison population and have limited access to justice. There is also a lack of community-based independent living arrangements and support services for people with disabilities.

Sexual Orientation

Australia does not recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry. There is increasing public support for same-sex marriage in Australia, and some parliamentarians are pushing for a plebiscite or referendum on the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Foreign Policy

Australia rarely raises concerns publicly about human rights violations in countries with which it cooperates on border protection matters, or in countries with which it has significant trade relationships.

The public outcry over Indonesia's execution in April of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for drug trafficking pushed senior Australian officials and politicians to condemn the executions and reiterate Australia's stance against the death penalty more broadly. In July, the government established an inquiry to review how Australia engages internationally to promote the abolition of the death penalty.

In 2015, Australia announced its candidacy for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for the 2018-2020 term. To date, with observer status at the council, Australia has a mixed record, advancing certain thematic issues but not playing a leadership role on grave country situations globally. Australia has often responded dismissively to recommendations made by UN experts about its own domestic human rights record.

In November, Australia's domestic rights record was reviewed for the second time as part of the council's Universal Periodic Review process. More than 100 countries spoke up at the review, and nearly half of them  from every corner of the globe  criticized Australia's asylum laws and refugee policies and its treatment of indigenous people.

Because New Zealand citizens bear the brunt of changes to Australia's immigration laws and face detention and deportation, criticism from New Zealand has increased. In November, New Zealand Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne called Australia's immigration detention policies "savage and inhumane" and stated that "the modern concentration camp approach Australia has taken is simply wrong."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Argentina

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Argentina, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995715.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Argentina enjoys robust public debate, but existing and proposed laws threaten free expression, and harassment of judges threatens judicial independence. Prison conditions are poor, police at times use excessive force against demonstrators, violence against women is endemic, access to reproductive services is imperiled, and indigenous peoples do not enjoy the rights afforded to them by law.

Argentina continues to make significant progress regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights and in prosecuting officials for abuses committed during the country's "Dirty War" (1976-1983), although trials have been subject to delays.

On December 10, Mauricio Macri began a four-year term as president after winning a run-off election in November.

Impunity for the AMIA Bombing

Twenty-one years after the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and injured more than 300, no one has been convicted. From the outset, judicial corruption and political obstruction hindered criminal investigations and prosecutions.

The investigation stalled when Iran, suspected by the Argentine judiciary of ordering the attack, refused to allow Argentine investigators to interview Iranian suspects in Argentina. In 2013, Argentina and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to allow an international commission of jurists to review evidence and question Iranian suspects  but only in Tehran.

Because interviews conducted in Iran would likely not be admissible in an Argentine criminal court, a coalition of Argentine Jewish groups mounted a legal challenge against the MOU. The MOU has never been implemented. The perpetrators of the AMIA attack continue to go unpunished.

In January, Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor in charge of investigating the bombing, was found dead in his home with a single gunshot wound to the head. His body was discovered only days after he filed a criminal complaint accusing then-President Cristina Fernandez and her foreign affairs minister of conspiring with Iran to undermine the Argentine criminal investigation of Iranian suspects. A pistol matching the wound was found beside the body.

In May, a federal court dismissed Nisman's complaint, and as of November, the courts had not determined if Nisman was murdered or committed suicide.

In August 2015, a Buenos Aires court began the trial of several officials  including former President Carlos Menem, his head of intelligence, and a judge  for their alleged interference with the initial investigation into the bombing.

Judicial Independence

Government officials and supporters have harassed judges, threatening judicial independence.

In February, former President Fernandez castigated the judges and prosecutors who were pressing for a rigorous investigation of Nisman's death, accusing them of being part of a "judicial party" seeking to "destabilize" the government.

A three-member panel of federal judges was expected to rule on the constitutionality of the MOU with Iran by the end of June. However, on June 25, government supporters in the Council of the Judiciary removed from office one of the three judges, Luis Maria Cabral, who had been expected to rule against the MOU.

The lawyer whom the council appointed to replace Cabral was suspended from his position weeks later by a higher court, following a legal challenge to the law the council had relied on in making the appointment. In November, the Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional, saying it did not provide for proper participation by the executive or legislative branches and undermined judicial independence. At time of writing, the courts had yet to decide on the constitutionality of the MOU with Iran.

Confronting Past Abuses

Several cases of human rights violations committed during the "Dirty War" waged by Argentina's military dictatorship (1976-1983) against political opponents were reopened in 2003, after Congress annulled amnesty laws that had been passed in the 1980s. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled the amnesty laws unconstitutional, and federal judges subsequently struck down pardons favoring former officials convicted of, or facing trial for, Dirty War human-rights violations.

As of June 2015, courts had decided 142 cases of crimes against humanity committed by the dictatorship, resulting in 592 convictions. The Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) reported that, as of November, 56 suspects had been acquitted and 2740 had been charged.

Given the large number of victims, suspects, and cases, prosecutors and judges face challenges in bringing those responsible to justice while also respecting the due process rights of the accused. Other concerns include significant trial delays, the failure to capture two convicted military officers who escaped in 2013, and the unresolved fate of Jorge Julio Lopez, a torture victim who disappeared in 2006  a day before he was due to attend the trial of one of his torturers.

Argentina has made significant progress both in identifying children of the disappeared who were illegally abducted and given to other families during the dictatorship, and in reuniting them with their biological families. As of November, 118 children illegally taken from their parents during the Dirty War had been found. The National Bank of Genetic Data, created by the government in 1987, has been of enormous help in his effort, but its usefulness was severely limited by a 2009 law. Local human rights activists have challenged the law, and the case was pending at time of writing.

Freedom of Expression

In December 2014, Congress adopted a law to regulate access to the Internet and telecommunication services. The law establishes that telecommunications are a "public service," granting the government broad regulatory powers, and creates an implementing body that would have authority to sanction service providers who do not comply with its terms.

An antidiscrimination bill being debated in Congress would grant authorities broad powers to punish "discriminatory acts," which are defined in vague terms, and would increase criminal penalties for such acts. The bill would also require online news outlets that allow users to post comments to "adopt necessary measures to prevent broadcasting of discriminatory content," opening the door to prior censorship.

The absence of transparent criteria for using federal funds, and in some provinces state funds, to purchase media advertisements creates a risk of discrimination against media that criticize government officials or policies. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that while media companies have no inherent right to receive public advertising contracts, government officials may not apply discriminatory criteria when deciding where to place advertisements.

Argentina lacks a national law ensuring public access to information held by government bodies at all levels. A presidential decree ensuring access to information issued in 2003 applies only to the federal executive branch, though some provincial and local governments have adopted regulations for their jurisdictions. The public's access to information about the function of local, provincial, and national government remains piecemeal and haphazard.

In 2009, Congress approved a law that included provisions to increase plurality in the media, and four years later the Supreme Court established parameters regarding how the law should be implemented to protect free expression, including that a diverse range of perspectives should be heard in state-run media programming. So far, the federal agency in charge of implementing the law has not successfully addressed the overwhelmingly pro-government editorial line of state-run media. In 2014, the agency unilaterally tried to limit the number of broadcasting outlets owned by the Clarin Group, the biggest private media group in Argentina. The Clarin Group challenged the government's proposal, and the case remains pending before the courts.

Police Abuse

Police abuse remains a serious problem. Security forces ocassionally employ excessive force against protesters, despite a 2011 commitment by authorities in at least 19 of Argentina's 23 provinces to ensure that force would be used proportionately. In August 2015, dozens of protesters were injured when local police dispersed a largely peaceful demonstration in the province of Tucuman by firing rubber bullets and beating protesters with batons.

In May, a policeman in Buenos Aires province was convicted of torturing Luciano Arruga, a teenager who was arbitrarily detained in 2008 and whose whereabouts remained unknown until 2014, when his body was found buried in a cemetery in Buenos Aires.

Prison Conditions

Overcrowding, ill-treatment by guards, inadequate facilities, and inmate violence continue to be serious problems in Argentina's prisons. The National Penitentiary Office, an official body created by Congress, reported 33 deaths, including 17 violent ones, in federal prisons between January and September 2015. The office also documented 796 cases of torture or ill-treatment in federal prisons in 2014, and 241 cases between January and April 2015. In June 2015, a federal court convicted four officers of the Federal Penitentiary Service for their participation in the torture of a detainee in 2011.

Indigenous Rights

Indigenous people in Argentina face obstacles in accessing justice, land, education, healthcare, and basic services. Argentina lacks a law to protect indigenous peoples' right to free, prior, and informed consent when the government adopts decisions that may affect their rights.

A 2006 law that requires the government to survey land occupied by indigenous communities is being implemented slowly. Communities are reportedly being evicted from their lands even though the law, as amended, suspends evictions until 2017.

Women's Rights

Abortion is illegal in Argentina, except in cases of rape or when the life of the woman is at risk. But even in such cases, women and girls face numerous obstacles to obtaining an abortion. They also have trouble accessing reproductive services such as contraception and voluntary sterilization. These barriers mean that women and girls may face unwanted or life-threatening pregnancies and that they are subject to criminal prosecution for seeking abortions.

In a landmark ruling in March 2012, the Supreme Court determined that prior judicial authorization was unnecessary for abortion after rape, and urged provincial governments to ensure access to legal abortions. The Association of Civil Rights found that as of March 2015, more than half of Argentina's 23 provinces still had not adopted protocols that met the court's requirements.

Despite a 2009 law that includes comprehensive measures to prevent and punish violence against women, gender-based violence remains a serious concern, as manifested in June demonstrations throughout the country that were attended by thousands of people demanding reforms to curb such violence. In response, the government agreed to develop a national registry of "femicides and homicides aggravated by gender" and to provide official statistics on the number of women killed nationwide. No such database was available at time of writing.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage. The Civil Marriage Law allows same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages and provides for equal rights and the legal protections of marriage afforded to opposite-sex couples, including adoption rights and pension benefits. Since 2010, nearly 12,500 same-sex couples have married nationwide.

In 2012, the landmark Gender Identity Law established the right of individuals over the age of 18 to choose their gender identity, undergo gender reassignment, and revise official documents without any prior judicial or medical approval. Surgical and hormonal reassignment procedures are covered as part of public and private health insurance.

In October 2015, Diana Sacayan, a transgender human rights defender, was found dead in her apartment, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Former President Fernandez condemned the killing and called for an investigation.

Key International Actors

As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Argentina supported UN action to scrutinize human rights violations in North Korea, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Iran, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Syria. In 2015, Argentina co-led the development of the global Safe Schools Declaration, whereby states commit to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including through implementing the UN Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.

In March 2015, during an informal meeting at the UN Human Rights Council, Argentina and the International Committee of the Red Cross presented a "good practice guide" on the use of forensic genetics in investigations of human rights and international humanitarian law violations.

Prompted by a debt crisis, Argentina pushed for an international framework on debt restructuring, arguing that it would help governments to fulfill certain rights obligations. In September, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a set of principles for sovereign debt restructuring, including that negotiations be transparent.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
World Report 2016 - Angola

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Angola, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995813.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The government of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos continued to violate human rights in Angola despite several new pledges to improve its record. In March, the Angolan government said it would accept many of the recommendations resulting from the Universal Periodic Review of the country held by the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2014. In the same month, it passed a restrictive law regulating the work of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Security forces continued to crack down on independent media, human rights activists, and other critics through criminal defamation lawsuits, arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, intimidation, harassment, and surveillance. Two prominent human rights activists were sentenced to prison terms following unfair trials, sending a clear message that dissident voices would not be tolerated.

Security forces arbitrarily arrested and used excessive force against critics of the government, in addition to stopping a number of peaceful anti-government protests and other gatherings. In June, police arrested 15 activists who had gathered to read and discuss books on peaceful resistance. In Huambo province in April, police killed an unknown number of followers of a religious sect during an operation to arrest their leader.

Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression continued to be severely restricted in Angola due to government repression, censorship, and self-censorship in state media and in private media outlets controlled by ruling party officials. There were some slight openings in 2015 when some media outlets, including state television TPA and private TV channel Zimbo, began to allow opposition and civil society groups to participate in their weekly live discussions on human rights, security, and youth activism. However, such public discussions on these sensitive topics remained extremely rare.

The government continued to regularly use criminal defamation laws and other abusive laws to silence journalists. In March, the minister of justice and human rights, Rui Jorge Mangueira, welcomed the concerns raised about the right to freedom of expression in Angola by the Human Rights Council, but insisted that current provisions on defamation in the country's constitution were compliant with international standards. The Angolan government defended the constitutional provisions on defamation, slander, and similar offenses, saying it protects the interests of the offended party and does not violate or restrict the right to freedom of expression.

Internet blogs and social media remained the main channels for open debate in Angola. In July, several people including Jose Gama, whom authorities believe is linked to the Club-K news website, and Rafael Marques, editor of Maka Angola news website, were questioned by the intelligence services about the content and origin of articles about the attorney general published on their websites. The articles suggested that the attorney general, Joao Maria Moreira de Sousa, was using his office to deliberately and unlawfully target a businesswoman.

In May, Rafael Marques, a prominent Angolan journalist and human rights activist, was sentenced to six-months' imprisonment, and suspended for two years, for criminally defaming seven high-ranking army generals in a book published in Portugal in 2011. The court ordered Marques to withdraw the book from publication and not translate it. Marques had accused the plaintiffs of involvement in torture, rape, and killings. The lawsuit proceeded despite that the legal time limit to present formal charges expired in June 2014. The Attorney General's Office shelved a complaint filed by Marques against the generals and business associates in 2012 and failed to investigate the allegations.

In June, a group of 15 prominent activists, most of them members of the Revolutionary Movement, were arrested in Luanda, the capital, following a meeting where they read and discussed books about nonviolent protest methods. Two other female activists were also questioned in August, but not jailed. All were accused of preparing acts of rebellion and plotting against the president and state institutions. If found guilty they could face heavy prison sentences.

At least four activists went on hunger strike to protest their arrest and detention. Henrique Luaty Beirao ended his hunger strike after 36 days following requests by his family and friends. A trial date was set for November. Some of the 15 jailed activists were kept in pretrial detention for more than 90 days before being formally charged, exceeding the 90 days allowed by Angolan law

Journalists covering protests in Luanda and elsewhere, including in the oil-rich enclave of Cabinda, were also harassed and detained by state security officials. In August, Nelson Sul d'Angola from Deutsche Welle was briefly held by police in Luanda, after visiting the 15 jailed activists. Also in August, VOA's Coque Mukuta was detained in Luanda when relatives and friends of the 15 jailed activists attempted to hold a peaceful march. Police seized his equipment.

Right to Peaceful Assembly

Article 47 of the Angolan Constitution permits citizens to protest without prior authorization, provided they inform authorities in advance, but the government has continued to respond to any kind of peaceful anti-government protest with excessive force and arbitrary arrests, claiming that some of the protests were organized by people with the intent to destabilize the country. In 2015, there was no record of any peaceful anti-government protest or march that authorities permitted. Authorities banned attempts by supporters of the 15 jailed activists from the Revoluntionary Movement to hold vigils or peaceful marches.

Those who tried to organize protests were frequently arrested, detained, and tried in unfair judicial proceedings. In March, Arao Bula Tempo, human rights lawyer and president of the Cabinda Provincial Council of the Angolan Bar Association, was charged with rebellion for planning a peaceful demonstration against corruption. He was conditionally released pending trial. In September, Marcos Mavungo, a prominent human rights activist who had been arrested in March, was sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to organize a protest against bad governance and human rights violations in Cabinda province. In October, Cabinda authorities prevented the Association for Justice Peace and Democracy (AJPD) from holding workshops about transparency in the oil industry.

Conduct of Security Forces

Security forces continued to be implicated in excessive use of force. In April, the opposition party, National Union for the Total Independece of Angola (UNITA), accused the Angolan security forces of killing hundreds of members of a Christian religious sect, the Seventh-Day Light of the World, led by Jose Kalupetaka in Caala, Huambo province. Police said that during the unrest, 9 police officers and 13 of Kalupeteka's bodyguards were killed, but denied a massacre had taken place. Authorities permitted media and MPs to visit the area, but only under police escort. Authorities refused requests from local human rights groups, opposition members of parliament, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for an independent commission to investigate the events. In October, Kalupeteka was formally charged with crimes of murder, civil disobedience, and illegal possession of guns. He was awaiting trial at time of writing.

In a rare case of security officials being held to account, seven police officers and state security agents were sentenced in March to between 14 and 17 years in prison for the murder of two protest organizers, Isaias Sebastiao Cassule and Antonio Alves Kamulingue. The two men were abducted, tortured, and killed in 2012 after organizing a protest by former presidential guards and war veterans over complaints of unpaid salaries and pensions.

Civil Society

A new law regulating NGOs in Angola, Presidential Decree 74/15, went into effect in March and severely restricts civil society independence. It requires civil society organizations to register with multiple authorities including the Foreign Ministry before they can operate, obtain a "declaration of suitability" issued by the government, undertake activities that align with government policies, be subject to supervision by authorities, provide funding agreements for prior approval, permit authorities to determine the programs and projects they should carry out, and the location where projects should be undertaken. During the 57th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights in Banjul, the Angolan secretary of state for external relations met with Angolan and international rights groups and pledged to resolve any "grey areas" of the decree.

In September, the director of the Open Society Foundation in Angola, Elias Isaac, was questioned by the Angolan police over allegations that the organization financed the website Club-K, which is critical of the government. Isaac had previously been accused by ruling party members of financing anti-government protests. The Open Society Foundation denied all accusations.

Key International Actors

Angola's oil wealth and military power continued to make it an influential power in Africa. Dos Santos played an important role in the region, most notably in conflicts in Africa's Great Lakes. In 2015, France hailed Angola as a stable presence in the region and the United States praised Angola's presidency of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). Angola continued to hold its non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a mandate that lasts until 2016

The Angolan government did not accommodate criticism from international partners. In May, following reports of the alleged massacre in Huambo, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged the Angolan government to conduct "a truly meaningful, independent, thorough investigation" into the events. The government accused OHCHR of violating its own procedures and demanded an official apology.

In September, following a European Parliament resolution on human rights in Angola that called on the authorities to investigate and end arbitrary arrests and detentions and torture by the police and security forces, Angola denied the allegations and said the resolution was based on a partial and subjective report by a European parliamentarian privately visiting the country.

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World Report 2016 - Algeria

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Algeria, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995915.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The government again failed in 2015 to introduce reforms promised since 2011 and severely restricted human rights. Authorities continued to stifle free speech and rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and protest, arbitrarily arresting and prosecuting trade union and human rights activists. They also continued to block the legal registration of several national and international human rights organizations. In July, communal violence in the Ghardaia region  600 kilometers south of Algiers  between local Sunni Arabs and members of the Amazigh, or Berber, minority left 25 people dead and more than 70 injured, mostly by gunfire.

Freedom of Assembly

The government continued to suppress peaceful protests by prohibiting all public gatherings held without prior approval. Article 97 of the penal code makes it a crime to organize or participate in an unauthorized gathering, even if it is peaceful, and imposes a penalty of up to one year in prison for demonstrating in public spaces.

The courts imposed prison sentences on at least nine labor rights activists convicted of engaging in peaceful protests in support of unemployed workers. On February 11, the First Instance Tribunal of Laghouat sentenced eight members of the National Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Unemployed Workers (Comite National pour la Defense des Droits de Chomeurs, CNDDC) to one-year prison terms, half of which it suspended, after convicting them of "unauthorized gathering" and "exercising pressure on the decisions of magistrates," under penal code articles 97 and 147.

Police arrested the eight union activists two weeks earlier when they gathered outside the court to protest against the trial of Mohamed Rag, a CNDDC activist arrested in January, who received an 18 month prison sentence for engaging in another protest. The sentences were all confirmed on appeal.

Freedom of Association

The Ministry of Interior continued to block the registration of several human rights and others organizations, impeding their ability to operate legally and exposing them to risk of dissolution. In 2012, the government enacted Law 12-06, which requires all associations  including those that had already successfully registered  to re-file registration applications and obtain a registration receipt from the Interior Ministry before they can operate legally.

In practice, however, the ministry refused to issue such receipts, without providing reasons, to a number of associations, thus making their legal status uncertain. Law 12-06 gives authorities wide discretionary powers to refuse to deny new associations legal status and to order the dissolution of associations that already have legal status.

For example, authorities can refuse to register any association whose activities they deem "contrary to public order, public morality, and the provisions of existing laws and regulations." They can also deny registration to a formerly registered association on vague criteria, such as deeming it to be "interfering with the internal affairs of the country" or "harming its sovereignty," or because it has received foreign funding without obtaining government approval or is deemed to be conducting activities not specified in its statute.

The Algerian League for Human Rights (Ligue Algerienne des Droits de l'Homme, LADDH) and Youth Action Rally (Rassemblement Action Jeunesse, RAJ) were among a number of formerly registered associations whose new applications for registration received no answer from the Ministry of Interior, leaving them in legal limbo.

Freedom of Speech

Although a new press law enacted in 2012 removed imprisonment as a penalty for defamation and other speech offenses  such as "contempt" of the president, state institutions, or courts  authorities continued to arrest, prosecute, and imprison critics using penal code provisions. They also threatened media deemed critical of the government.

Police arrested Rachid Aouine, a labor rights activist, on March 1 after he posted an ironic comment on Facebook in response to a government announcement that law enforcement officers who staged protests would face disciplinary action. Authorities charged him with "inciting an unarmed gathering" under article 100 of the penal code. On March 9, a court convicted Aouine and sentenced him to six months in prison.

In April, authorities censored "Weekend," a satirical talk show broadcast by the privately owned El Djazaira TV after the show's presenter in its April 17 edition referred to the Paris apartments of several Algerian ministers, hinting at possible corruption and embezzlement. The state Broadcasting Regulatory Authority promptly summoned the talk show's producer, Karim Kardache, and warned him of possible penalties against the TV station, and publicly accused the program of "sarcasm and mocking people including state symbols" and of breaches of professional ethics punishable under media and broadcasting laws.

On October 4, the general prosecutor in Al Bayadh tribunal brought charges against Hassan Bouras, a freelance journalist who has been critical of the government, for "insulting state institutions" and "attacks intended to overthrow the regime." He has been in detention since then. Algerian authorities have previously targeted him for alleging local corruption in al-Bayadh.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

At least nine Algerian soldiers were killed in an attack on July 17 when their patrol was ambushed by members of the armed extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) at Souq al-Attaf in northwestern Ain Defla province. The attack was one of the most lethal in the country since a mass hostage-taking by attackers linked to Al-Qaeda at the In Amenas natural gas plant in eastern Algeria killed 40 people in January 2013.

Algerian authorities arrested and prosecuted several political and minority rights activists on terrorism charges despite weak evidence. On July 9, police arrested Kameleddine Fekhar, an Amazigh activist and advocate of autonomy for the northern Sahara Ghardaia region who had previously accused the government of "complicity in crimes against humanity by Sunni Arabs against the Amazigh, or Berber," and 24 others. Authorities charged all 25 with participating in a terrorist act and inciting hatred during violent confrontations on July 7 between members of the Amazigh and the Arab communities in the Ghardaia.

Women's Rights

The People's National Assembly, the lower chamber of parliament, adopted a draft law in March to amend the penal code to criminalize physical violence against a spouse and sexual harassment in public spaces, but amid opposition from Islamist and conservative parties by September, the Senate had still to debate and vote on the proposed law. There is no other specific law on domestic violence that provides measures to protect individuals from domestic violence, including allowing authorities to issue temporary protection orders for victims. Marital rape is not explicitly recognized as a crime under Algerian law.

Accountability for Past Crimes

Perpetrators of human rights crimes and abuses during the internal armed conflict of the 1990s continued to enjoy impunity under the 1999 Law on Peace and National Reconciliation. This law criminalizes comments deemed to denigrate the security forces or state institutions for their conduct during the political strife of the 1990s, during which state forces committed torture, enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, and other serious abuses.

Associations representing the families of the disappeared continued to face official harassment and pressure to accept state offers of compensation provided under the same law, and to abandon their demands for details of the fate of those missing and for truth and justice.

Key International Actors

On March 29, for the first time in more than a decade, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the "imprisonment of workers and human rights activists in Algeria," calling on the Algerian authorities "to ensure the safety and security of civil society activists and human rights defenders and their freedom to pursue their legitimate and peaceful activities."

The Algerian government has only permitted one United Nations human rights mechanism, namely the special rapporteur on the rights to education in early 2015, to visit Algeria since 2011. Pending requests for access included those of the UN special rapporteurs on torture and on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and of the UN Working Groups on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and on Arbitrary Detention.

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World Report 2016 - Afghanistan

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 January 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, World Report 2016 - Afghanistan, 27 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bd995ac.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Fighting between the Taliban and government forces in Afghanistan escalated in 2015, with the Taliban seizing control of Kunduz and holding the city for nearly two weeks before Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), with United States air and ground support, regained control. The Taliban also seized a number of district centers and threatened other provincial capitals. The United Nations deemed nearly half of the country's provinces as being at high or extreme risk.

The upsurge in violence had devastating consequences for civilians, with suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and targeted attacks by the Taliban and other insurgents causing 70 percent of all civilian casualties. The number of civilians killed during government military operations, particularly ground offensives, increased too.

While both President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah publicly affirmed the government's commitment to human rights, their National Unity Government (NUG) failed to address longstanding concerns, including violations of women's rights and attacks on journalists. The government launched an action plan to curb torture and enacted legislation criminalizing the recruitment of child soldiers, but impunity for both continued.

Parliamentary and provincial elections scheduled for 2015 were postponed indefinitely pending contested electoral reforms. More people became internally displaced due to conflict than in any previous year since 2002; the 100,000 new IDPs in 2015 brought the nationwide total to almost 1 million.

Armed Conflict

IEDs planted by insurgents remained a leading cause of civilian casualties. Such weapons function as anti-personnel landmines, and their indiscriminate use violates international humanitarian law. Hundreds of Afghan civilians were also killed and injured in suicide attacks.

With the Taliban insurgency appearing increasingly splintered  particularly following revelations that senior Taliban officials had kept the 2013 death of Mullah Omar, the movement's spiritual leader, a secret  it was impossible to attribute responsibility for many acts of violence.

In Nangarhar province, a group saying it was affiliated with the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for some attacks, although such claims were hard to verify, including an April 18 suicide attack on the Kabul Bank in Jalalabad that killed at least 30 people and injured more than 100. On August 7, insurgent attacks killed 50 people and injured 350 in Kabul, the bloodiest single day in the capital since 2001.

Targeted attacks on civilians by the Taliban also increased in 2015. In statements released in April and May, the Taliban vowed to kill government officials, specifically judges, prosecutors, and employees of the Ministry of Justice. The Taliban also identified Afghans and foreigners working for aid organizations as targets, a policy that helped make Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country for humanitarian aid workers.

Among those killed were nine Afghan staff members of the organization People in Need, including one pregnant woman, shot on June 2 in Balkh province. On May 13, 14 Afghan and foreign civilians were shot in an attack on the Park Palace guest house in Kabul for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.

Government forces were increasingly responsible for civilian casualties during ground offensives, mainly through the use of mortars and rockets used indiscriminately in civilian-populated areas. During fighting in Helmand in April, most civilian deaths were caused by mortar fire; journalists were blocked from traveling to the area at the time. On August 28, President Ghani issued an order to all security agencies to assess their operating procedures and take steps to reduce civilian casualties.

On February 2, Ghani signed into law a decree criminalizing recruitment by Afghan security forces of soldiers less than 18 years old. However, Afghan Local Police (ALP) and pro-government militias in some provinces continued to recruit children. The Taliban recruited boys as young as 14 to fight and carry out suicide bombings.

The UN also reported a significant increase in attacks against schools between April and June, mostly by the Taliban. Threats from both pro-government militias and insurgents led to school closures in Kunduz, Ghor, and Nuristan. In May, Afghanistan endorsed the global Safe Schools Declaration, thus committing to do more to protect students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict, including through implementing the Guidelines on Protecting Schools from Military Use.

As fighting intensified in northern provinces, Afghan officials reactivated pro-government militias to bolster security. In Faryab, Kunduz, and other provinces, these militia forces were accused of abuses against civilians.

The year also saw an increase in abductions and hostage-taking of civilians by insurgent groups, including two incidents in Zabul province: the November 9 kidnapping and killing of 7 civilians, and the February 23 kidnapping of 31 bus passengers, 19 of whom were released, with the fate of the others unknown. In both cases the victims were apparently targeted because they were ethnic Hazaras. Five employees of the nongovernmental organization Save the Children were kidnapped in Uruzgan on March 3 by the Taliban and killed when demands for the release of Taliban prisoners were rejected.

Women's Rights

When the Taliban took control of Kunduz, they looted the offices of women activists, shelters, and female-run radio stations, and issued threats that compelled dozens of activists to flee the city.

Early in the year, the new Ghani administration publicly affirmed its commitment to preserving and enhancing protections for women's rights. However, the government failed to take steps to improve enforcement of the Elimination of Violence against Women Law (EVAW) and to stop prosecutions of so-called moral crimes, which lead to imprisonment of women fleeing domestic violence and forced marriages.

A February report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, concluded that 65 percent of cases filed under EVAW that involved battery and other kinds of serious abuse were resolved through mediation, while only 5 percent led to criminal prosecution.

The March 19 murder of Farkhunda Malikzada, 27, by a Kabul mob after she was falsely accused of burning a copy of the Quran galvanized women's rights activists, who launched public demonstrations demanding justice. Of the dozens of mostly young men who beat Farkhunda, ran her over, and then lit her on fire, 30 were eventually arrested; an unknown but large number remained at large. The trial was held in haste, and some of the accused alleged that their confessions had been coerced. Of the 30, 18 were acquitted, 4 sentenced to death, and 8 sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment; the death sentences were later reduced to prison sentences. Of the 19 police charged, 11 were convicted, and 8 acquitted. Eleven police officers were sentenced to one year in prison for failing to protect Farkhunda.

The Afghan parliament delivered another setback to women's rights on July 8 when it rejected President Ghani's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Anisa Rasouli, head of Kabul's Juvenile Court and the nation's first-ever female nominee. Conservatives had campaigned against her, saying that a woman could not serve on the Supreme Court. Ghani promised to choose another woman for the post, but by November, no further nominations had been made.

On June 30, Ghani launched Afghanistan's National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security, which outlines how Afghanistan will implement Security Council Resolution 1325 and ensure women's "equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security."

To the frustration of activists and donors, the NAP was not accompanied by an implementation plan, and women were not included in the government's first "official" negotiations with the Taliban in Pakistan in July. At a September meeting with donors, Ghani reportedly agreed to develop an implementation plan for the NAP by the end of 2015 to be put into effect in the first half of 2016.

Accountability for Torture by Security Forces

In January, President Ghani launched a national action plan to eliminate torture. The working committee for the plan was not established until May 4, and progress on finalizing both policy and legislation was slow. On June 25, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan's security agency, issued an order reiterating the prohibition on torture, particularly its use in obtaining confessions.

However, documented cases of torture by police and NDS officials, which had declined slightly in some provinces in 2014, increased again in 2015. According to a UNAMA report in February 2015, one-third of detainees in Afghan detention facilities are tortured and unofficial detention centers continue to function, with four such centers in Kandahar alone. There were no reported investigations into incidents of torture documented by UNAMA, and no reported prosecutions.

A September 2015 amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code, imposed by presidential decree, allows Afghan authorities to detain for a renewable one-year period anyone suspected of "crimes against internal or external security," or believed "likely to commit such a crime."

Freedom of Expression

Despite modest progress in some areas, reporting restrictions and increasing violence against journalists meant that Afghanistan's media continued to function under threat in 2015. On May 5, the government scrapped the Media Violations Investigations Commission, a body long used to harass and intimidate journalists, and promised to consult with journalists and civil society groups in establishing a Mass Media Commission to adjudicate disputes over reporting. As of October 2015, the commission had not been established.

On March 1, the government imposed restrictions on reporting from combat zones and barred all government officials except police chiefs from speaking to the media about security issues. In August, on orders of the National Security Council, the NDS summoned six journalists for questioning on suspicion of running a popular and anonymous Facebook page dedicated to political satire.

Key International Actors

Although most international forces had withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, approximately 10,000 US forces and military from other NATO countries remained without a combat role as part of NATO's Resolute Support training and support mission.

During an official visit to Washington by President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah in March 2015, the US agreed not to reduce its military presence any further through 2015. In October, Obama announced that the current number of US troops would remain through 2016, and be cut back to about 5,500 by the end of 2016 or early 2017. Germany, Turkey, and Italy agreed to keep their deployments in Afghanistan at current levels of 850, 760, and 500 troops, respectively, through 2016.

US Special Forces continue to carry out counterinsurgency operations in the country. Although US air support for Afghan government security operations officially ended in 2014, the US military bombed Taliban positions during a battle to retake the symbolically important district center of Musa Qala in August 2015. US drones also launched air strikes with greater frequency against targets believed to belong to the Taliban and those affiliating themselves with ISIS.

On October 3, a US warplane acting in support of Afghan and US ground forces repeatedly fired upon a hospital in Kunduz run by the aid organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, leveling the building and killing at least 30, including 13 health workers and 10 patients, and wounding dozens more. The US military inquiry launched an investigation into the incident; by mid-November the findings had not been made public.

In August, the US reopened a criminal investigation into the 2012 murders of 17 civilians in Wardak province who had been detained by an Army Special Forces team. Previous investigations exonerating US forces had not interviewed family members and other witnesses.

The International Criminal Court continued its preliminary examination of allegations of serious international crimes in Afghanistan which it began in 2007.

At the London Conference on Afghanistan in December 2014 and the Senior Officials Meeting in Kabul in September 2015, most donors showed little enthusiasm for holding the government to specific human rights benchmarks, including those outlined in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework, although several countries continued to push for specific indicators of progress on women's rights and media freedom.

While a number of donors have sought to maintain their support for Afghanistan, aid has fallen significantly in recent years, in part due to competition from other global crises, including the needs of refugees and migrants crossing into Europe, many of whom are Afghans.

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Ban deplores twin suicide bomb attack on camp for displaced persons in northeast Nigeria

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 February 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban deplores twin suicide bomb attack on camp for displaced persons in northeast Nigeria, 11 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda45b40c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 February 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the recent double suicide attack carried out by suspected Boko Haram elements in the Dikwa Camp in Borno State in restive northeastern Nigeria.

[Mr. Ban] deplores the death of scores of internally displaced persons (IDP) and injuries to many others, said a statement issued by his spokesperson, referring to the February twin suicide bombings on the IDP camp, which, according to media reports, left more than 70 people dead and at least that many injured.

The Secretary-General extends his deepest sympathy and condolences to the Government and people of Nigeria and to the bereaved families. He also wishes a speedy recovery to those injured, said the statement.

The UN chief in his statement also called for an end to all acts of terrorism and sectarian violence in Nigeria and reaffirmed the support of the United Nations to the Government in its fight against the scourge.

He reiterates his call for a comprehensive approach to preventing and countering the scourge of terrorism, and addressing its root causes in compliance with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, the statement concluded.
In Canada, Ban applauds country's commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 February 2016 Cite as UN News Service, In Canada, Ban applauds country's commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, 11 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda47240d.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 February 2016 - During his fifth visit to Canada as United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon today applauded the country's commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, stressing that they deserve opportunity, human rights protection and peace.

Although I will be in Canada for only three days, we are laying plans to strengthen our collaboration for years to come, Mr. Ban told journalists at a press conference in Ottawa.

The weather here is quite cold, but the relations between the United Nations and Canada are very, very warm, he added. Since the United Nations was founded, Canada has always been one of our most important partners, he said.

The UN chief said he and Prime Minister Trudeau had a very constructive dialogue on a number of important issues. We spoke about climate change, peacekeeping, sustainable development, and the situation of migrants and refugees. We also spoke about the world's hot spots, including Syria, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ban recalled that at the climate conference (COP21) last December, Prime Minister Trudeau's leadership helped the UN secure the breakthrough it needed for the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.

Now we need Canada to put the Agreement into action and help keep the rest of the world on track, he said, noting that he invited the Prime Minister to attend the signing ceremony in New York on 22 April, which coincides with Mother Earth Day.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) is welcomed by Stephane Dion, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, on arrival in Ottawa. UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with newly-arrived Syrian refugee families in Ottawa. Photo: UNSG

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hold a joint press conference in Ottawa. Photo: UNSG

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon talks with students at Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa. Photo: UNSG

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon talks with students at Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa. Photo: UNSG

 

He also commended the Canadian leader for committing to addressing United Nations human rights recommendations on indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly violence against indigenous women and girls.

Later today, Mr. Ban is expected to visit the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, building on his many meetings with refugees and migrants around the world. They have lost their homes and their family members, he told reporters.
UN presses donors to continue vital support for Malian refugees in Mauritania

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 February 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN presses donors to continue vital support for Malian refugees in Mauritania, 11 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda49240b.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 February 2016 - Three United Nations humanitarian agencies today urged donors to mobilize the necessary resources to maintain the vital assistance to 50,000 Malian refugees in Mberra camp in south-eastern Mauritania.

In a joint press release, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), warned that current funding will barely cover the needs until the end of April.

The overall humanitarian situation in the Mberra camp has gradually improved since 2012, especially in terms of access to clean water, health care and community services for all refugees. These achievements are the result of joint efforts and must be maintained, said UNHCR Representative in Mauritania, Mohamed Alwash.

Funding at this stage of the operation is crucial to sustain the progress made, he underscored.

Since 2012, the agencies have been working very closely with the Mauritanian Government and non-governmental organizations to help Malian refugees who fled the conflict in northern Mali and depend on outside help to meet their needs.

UNHCR provides protection to refugees and access to primary education, health, housing, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as managing the camp and distributions of food and basic items. It also supports the self-reliance of refugees, especially through adult literacy classes, vocational training, and support to livelihoods and income-generating activities to reduce dependence on external assistance and to provide tailor-made assistance for the most vulnerable.

For its part, WFP is providing food and nutrition assistance to Malian refugees Mberra camp. It provides food each month to all refugees and distributes nutritional supplements enriched with vitamins and trace elements for children under five, and pregnant and lactating women to treat and prevent malnutrition. WFP also provides a daily hot meal for camp primary school children.

Refugees in the camp have lost almost everything, and for many of them, food and nutrition assistance provided by WFP is a lifeline, said the Director of the WFP office in Mauritania, Janne Suvanto. We have seen the negative impact that the successive cuts in food rations in 2015 have had on the health of refugees, increasing the number of children and pregnant women falling into malnutrition. We know that the slightest change in food assistance could have dramatic consequences, she added.

In Mberra camp, which hosts some 36,000 children, UNICEF continues to strengthen access to quality basic social services in terms of nutrition, health and education. Thanks to UNICEF and its partners, children have access to formal and non-formal education.
Police beat journalists covering opposition candidate's arrival

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 11 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Police beat journalists covering opposition candidate's arrival, 11 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda50140b.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the action of the police in beating journalists who went to Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport to cover the arrival of Gen. Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, a newly declared presidential candidate. The violence was clearly designed to prevent pluralistic media coverage of next month's election.

About a dozen journalists were the victims of the violence, which occurred at around 7:30 p.m. on 9 February as they awaited Gen. Mokoko's arrival. A former adviser to President Denis Sassou Nguesso and currently based in Bangui as special representative of the African Union president, Mokoko announced his decision last week to run in the presidential election that was brought forward to 20 March.

According to several observers, about 40 uniformed and plainclothes policemen were brought in two buses without licence plates to the airport, where they joined approximately 30 policemen who were already there. Before Gen. Mokoko's plane landed, they fired teargas with the aim of dispersing the journalists and members of the public awaiting his arrival.

The police beat several journalists and seized or damaged their equipment. The victims included Alphonse Ndongo, Jeune Afrique's business correspondent, Makouangou Sidney of TPT television, an MCRTV journalist identified as Sathoud, and journalists with DRTV and MNTV.

Mokoko was himself enveloped in teargas and stones were thrown at him, while the relatives of arriving passengers were also affected by the teargas. The police chief, Gen. Jean-Francois Ndenguet, has yet to offer any explanation for his men's behaviour.

"This kind of violence is unacceptable and bodes ill for the transparency of the coming election," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "We urge the Congolese police authorities to shed all possible light on what happened and to guarantee freely-reported coverage of political developments in the coming months."

After resigning as the president's peace and security adviser on 3 February, Mokoko immediately announced his intention to be a candidate in next month's presidential election, which was originally scheduled for July.

Mokoko criticized last October's referendum on a constitutional amendment that allows Sassou Nguesso to run for another term as president, a position he has held for more than 30 years. The Internet and Radio France Internationale's signal were disconnected throughout the country on the day of the referendum.

The Republic of Congo is ranked 107th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
RSF condemns attacks on newspapers, appeals for calm

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 11 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF condemns attacks on newspapers, appeals for calm, 11 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda52140c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Turkce / Read in Turkish

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the armed attacks on the headquarters of two pro-government dailies that took place in quick succession early today in Istanbul, and regrets that the media have yet again suffered the effects of the mounting tension in Turkey.

At around 5 a.m., masked individuals threw Molotov cocktails at Yeni Safak's entrance and fired shots at its windows. Half an hour later, the headquarters of Akit Media, the company that owns the newspaper Yeni Akit, was the target of a similar attack.

"We hope that the investigation that is under way identifies those responsible for this unjustifiable violence," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.

"This use of violence is yet further evidence of the dangerous level of polarization in Turkish society. We urge the government, political class and news media of all political tendencies to renounce aggressive rhetoric and the language of hate once and for all."

The past few months have seen a series of targeted attacks on news providers. The well-known journalist Ahmet Hakan was assaulted outside his home in September after being the target of aggressive verbal attacks in the pro-government daily Star. A few weeks before that, angry demonstrators attacked the Istanbul headquarters of the daily Hurriyet twice. And a bomb was defused outside the Star headquarters in July.

Yeni Akit and Yeni Safak are well known for waging vitriolic verbal campaigns against government critics and all those who oppose their Islamist and nationalist editorial line.

(Photo: Bianet)
UAE: Jordanian Journalist Held Incommunicado

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 12 February 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, UAE: Jordanian Journalist Held Incommunicado, 12 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56bda5eb4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

A Jordanian journalist working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been held incommunicado since the UAE Criminal Investigations Department in Abu Dhabi summoned him on December 13, 2015. UAE authorities should immediately disclose where they are holding the journalist, Tayseer al-Najjar, 42, and immediately allow him to contact a lawyer and his family.

"Al-Najjar's case bears all the marks of the UAE's shameful practice of forced disappearances and incommunicado detentions," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director. "We don't know why Al-Najjar is missing but we know that he was last seen in police headquarters of a country with zero tolerance for free speech."

UAE authorities have curtailed the access of international rights groups, journalists, and academics to the country, deported bloggers and proponents of media freedom, and imprisoned people who have provided information to nongovernmental organizations.

On December 3, UAE authorities blocked al-Najjar at Abu Dhabi International Airport, where he intended to board a flight to Jordan to visit his wife and children, al-Najjar's wife told Human Rights Watch. She said al-Najjar, a journalist for more than 15 years, had been working in the UAE since April 2015, when he became a culture reporter for the UAE-based newspaper Dar.

Al-Najjar's wife said she has not received any information from Jordanian or UAE authorities on al-Najjar's whereabouts or well-being and does not know why UAE authorities blocked him from traveling or summoned him to the Criminal Investigations Department. On February 10, 2016, Jordanian media outlets reported that the Jordanian Foreign Affairs Ministry had confirmed with UAE officials that al-Najjar is in detention and had not been harmed. Jordanian officials pledged to push a request for family members to visit him.

On January 26, 51 members of Jordan's lower house of parliament called on the Jordanian government to follow up with UAE authorities to find out what happened to al-Najjar. On January 28, the Jordan Press Association announced that it had received no word on al-Najjar's status despite requests for information to the Jordanian Foreign Affairs Ministry and UAE Journalists' Association.

Human Rights Watch has documented nine cases of enforced disappearances by UAE authorities in recent years, including three Libyans whom authorities forcibly disappeared for three months after their arrest in August 2014. The Libyans were held in incommunicado detention for four months at a state security facility where previous detainees - including four other men detained during the same period - have alleged that interrogators tortured them into confessing to links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The whereabouts of an Emirati academic, Nasser bin Ghaith, whom authorities forcibly disappeared on August 18, 2015, also remain unknown, as do the whereabouts of four members of the Alabdouli family, sisters Amina and Moza, and their brothers Mosab and Walid. Local sources told Human Rights Watch that men believed to be state security officers arrested Amina, Moza, and Mosab at their home in the emirate of Fujeirah on November 19. Officials detained Walid Alabdouli on November 29. Human Rights Watch has been unable to speak to any family members of bin Ghaith or the Alabdoulis.

International law defines enforced disappearances as:

[T]he arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.

"If authorities are holding al-Najjar at the notorious Abu Dhabi state security facility, then we are extremely concerned about his physical and mental well-being," Stork said.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Theatre open house

The Abilene Community Theatre Center for Theatre Education will conduct an open house and registration for its second semester of theater classes from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 809 Barrow St. The class is open to students ages 9-14. For more information, go to www.abilenecommunitytheatre.org.

Go Red for Women

The Abilene Go Red for Women Luncheon will be presented from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. Trudi Spring and Abby Vasek will be the keynote speakers. Tickets are $40. Proceeds go to research and education for cardiovascular disease and stroke. For tickets, go to AbileneGoRed.heart.org.

Art film

A showing of the art documentary 'Robert Motherwell and the New York School: Storming the Citadel' will begin at noon Wednesday at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. A discussion will follow. Participants are invited to bring a lunch.

Book reading

A reading of the children's book 'Olivia Saves the Circus' and an art activity will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Admission is $10 per family, including a copy of the book, or $5 without the book. Advance registration is required. For more information, go to thegracemuseum.org.

Mac class

The MacUser Group will conduct a free Mac computer class at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. For more information, call 325-692-1087.

Music at the Neon Parrot Lounge

Tony Barker will perform at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Neon Parrot Lounge, 181 Pine St. Eric Sommer will perform at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20.

Auto racing

The Ice Breaker races will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 and at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Abilene Speedway, 6825 W. Highway 80. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for military, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and younger. For more information, go to www.abilenespeedway.com.

Roadshow

The 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. More than 100 vendors will be present. Admission is $4.

Suez Shrine Potentate's Ball

The Suez Shrine Potentate's Ball will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd. Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys will perform. Tickets are $100. For tickets, call 325-949-0551.

Mom and son superhero event

Queen B Royal Events will present a superhero experience for mothers and sons from 3-6 p.m. Feb. 20 at The Place, 401 Loop 322. Games, lessons, photos and more will be available. Tickets are $40 per couple, $20 per additional child, and $10 for an optional cape and mask. For more information, go to www.queenbroyalevents.com.

Military appreciation

Military Appreciation Day will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 at Buffalo Gap Historic Village, 133 N. William St., in Buffalo Gap. Admission is free for active and retired military and their families.
Incident reports released Thursday by the Abilene Police Department:

Aggravated robbery, 5100 block of Highway 277 South, Thursday

A business reported that someone wearing a mask demanded money from the cash register.

Theft, 3000 block of East North 10th Street, Wednesday

A homemade trailer containing welding equipment was reported stolen. The trailer was valued at $8,050.

Theft, 1600 block of Vogel Avenue, Wednesday

Motorcycles valued at a total of $6,000 were reported stolen.

Burglary, 700 block of Peach Street, Wednesday

An estimated $1,815 in property was reported stolen from a residence.

Theft, 5200 block of Coronado Court, Wednesday

A woman reported that her $500 tablet was stolen from her room while she was away.

Theft, 4000 block of South Treadaway Boulevard, Wednesday

A business reported that a former employee is suspected of stealing between $1,800-$2,000 during an event.

Theft, 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road, Wednesday

A purse and cellphone worth a total of about $955 were reported stolen.

Criminal mischief, 5300 block of South First Street, Wednesday

A woman reported that someone caused $1,500 in damage to her truck.

Credit card abuse, 3600 block of North Sixth Street, Wednesday

A woman reported that someone stole her credit card and charged $280 on it.

Theft from vehicle, 1300 South 14th Street, Wednesday

A $250 cellphone was reported stolen.

Forgery, 3600 block of North Sixth Street, Tuesday

A man reported that his brother was writing checks stolen from him. The bank kept the checks but did not cash them, according to police.
A look at elections in Taylor County and beyond
BAIRD  Supporters of slain Abilene police officer Don Allen cheered Thursday in 42nd District Court as the judge declined to reduce the bond of the man suspected in Allen's death.

The small uproar came as Judge John Weeks ruled that the bond for Phillip Jay Walter Jr., 29, would remain at $600,000. Walter remains in the Taylor County Jail on charges including first-degree felony murder, second-degree felony robbery and third-degree felony theft of a firearm.

Allen's fiancee found the officer's bound body in the master bedroom of his Clyde home on Aug. 31.

Two weeks ago, Weeks reduced the bond of Walter's wife, Violet Walter, who faces identical charges in Allen's death, from $600,000 to $75,000. She posted bond within hours and was released.

Judge John Weeks denied bond reduction for Phillip J. Walter, Abilene man accused of policeman #DonAllen murder. pic.twitter.com/PZTTUfwUZU

 Titus (@ARN_Titus) February 11, 2016

In seeking the reduced bond for Phillip Walter, his attorney, Jeff Propst, called Phillip J. Walter Sr. and Rhonda Walter to testify on behalf of their son.

Phillip Walter Sr. said his three grandchildren have been negatively affected by the absence of their father.

"It definitely bothers them," he said. "The oldest one, Charlie, goes to counseling."

The couple said their son would stay with them at their Abilene residence if he were released and that he would not flee the area.

"He wouldn't leave his kids," Rhonda Walter said.

"He's a good dad," she said. "He takes very good care his kids. He did everything for his kids."

Rhonda Walter, who said she raised five boys, told the court that she and her husband were "shocked" to hear the allegations against their son.

"That's not something he would do," she said. "He's never (really) been confrontational."

Citing the financial setback that would be created by borrowing against their 401(k) and selling their two vehicles, estimated to be worth a total of $8,000, the couple said they could not afford to pay the necessary 10 percent of the current $600,000 bond to have their son released on bond.

A bondsman who said he was familiar with Phillip Walter Jr. also testified, saying that he wished all of his clients were like Walter.

To express authorities' concerns that Walter might flee if released on bond, Shane Deel, district attorney for Callahan County, called Texas Ranger Danny Crawford to testify.

"I'd be concerned," Crawford said. "He's never been indicted on charges such as these."

Crawford added that law enforcement had been investigating Phillip Walter Jr. on various "minor" charges before his Sept. 3 arrest on charges connected with Allen's death.

"But when you're charged with taking a person's life, to me, that's an impetus to possibly leave," Crawford said.

Noting that Phillip Walter Jr. was unemployed, among other issues cited, Crawford said people like the suspect "don't have anything to hold them" from fleeing. Crawford said he believes Phillip Walter Jr. would take "desperate measures."

Additionally, Crawford said there is a video recording by investigators of Violet Walter detailing what she says happened during the time of Allen's death.

According to Crawford, Violet said that she and her husband responded to a Craigslist advertisement "to engage in some activities."

Furthermore, Crawford testified, Violet said on the video that she became upset during the couple's meeting with Allen and left the house, leaving her husband talking with Allen, who she said was alive when she went outside.

In other news related to the case, Weeks on Thursday signed affidavits for search warrants of the Google email records of Violet Walter and Allen, sought by officials in Callahan County.

According to court documents, Allen "posted a Craigslist ad on or about Aug. 23 advertising for a sexual encounter."

Violet Walter responded via Craigslist, according to the documents, and they shared email correspondence at least two days before  and on the day of  Allen's death by what the medical examiner has found to be strangulation.

Included in the exchange is "information on how the suspect Walter could find the deceased's address," according to the document.
The Abilene City Council opted on Thursday to delay the purchase of new work benches for the laboratory where the city tests its water supply because of the high cost of the environmental laboratory-grade benches, despite cross-contamination in testing caused by the current equipment.

The purchase failed 4-3. Councilmen Bruce Kreitler, Jay Hardaway, Steve Savage and Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Williams voted down the motion.

The Water Utilities Department asked the council to approve the purchase of work benches used in the Abilene Environmental Laboratory to test water, wastewater and stormwater samples and store equipment. The city received one bid from Gray and Green Laboratory Systems Inc. for $277,000.

That cost was too high for Savage, who asked the item be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion.

"I just have a hard time with this dollar amount," he said. "The people I represent, I told them I would try to be responsible about how I spend their tax dollars, and this seems like a large sum that's not filling potholes or for emergency personnel."

Rodney Taylor, water utilities director, said staff had made attempts to repair the existing work benches in the past by re-coating them with painted steel, but he said that caused a "tremendous rust issue." Taylor said there was "surface rust in every part of the lab."

"It gets everywhere, and one of the most important analyses they do is of metals down in the parts per billion or less," he said of the water tests. "When you've got a continual iron contaminant in the air and on everything that you touch, we have seen there is cross-contamination."

Taylor added that his department was following the council's direction on upgrading the lab incrementally instead of waiting until the city needs to pass another bond election to do so. He said his laboratory manager, considered an expert in his field, selected these work benches and that he supports his choice.

"There probably is a cheaper one," he said. "There's possibly as many that are more expensive than this one."

"That's hard to believe," Kreitler said in response.

Williams said he knew it was political season for the council, which is usually accompanied with a lot of "grandstanding," but that the discussion needed to stay on topic.

"These funds cannot be used for potholes, cops or streets. We know that. So to say that is pretty disingenuous," he said. "We should always have conversations about how to reduce spending, but we ought to do so in a frank and honest way."

Kreitler said the water utilities funds could be used to repair aging water mains, such as those underneath Ambler Avenue. He also said these were the kinds of questions the council members should be asking. Savage agreed, saying he thought it would be irresponsible to approve everything staff requests without first vetting them.

Councilman Shane Price said that was what the panel was doing by asking staff questions.

"When we get a request from the police department, we don't go through the list of all the things that are going to be in a police vehicle or everything that's going to be on a firetruck because they're the ones who are going to use it," he said. "The water department has brought to us a bid, saying we have a job to do to make sure the water we provide the citizens of Abilene is meeting all the standards of TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)."

City Manager Robert Hanna said he trusted his staff to choose the best product for the laboratory but he understood the council wanted to make sure the bid it received reflected the "middle ground."

Taylor said the department could issue more bids asking for alternatives but it would take time. Mayor Norm Archibald said council members should remember that the next bids may be more expensive or nonexistent.

In other business, the council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that would regulate transportation network companies like Uber, which currently operates in the city. A final vote and public hearing will be held Feb. 25.

Assistant City Manager Mindy Patterson said after nine months of negotiations the city and Uber were unable to reach a compromise, so staff brought the item to council for direction. The main point of contention was the police department's desire to background check drivers, which this ordinance would not allow. The ordinance, which came directly from Uber, would add a new chapter to the city code just for transportation network companies.

Hanna said the city also was in talks with local taxicab companies about amending the ordinance that regulates them. If the Uber ordinance is passed Feb. 25, the taxicab companies want to discuss no longer allowing the police department to vet their drivers but to do it themselves.

Additionally, the council approved rezoning about 100 acres at 750 E. Overland Trail to allow Cinemark to build a 12-screen movie theater with luxury seats.

The theater design would reflect the Cinemark in La Quinta, California, which has a cafeteria-style concession stand and electric recliners with cup holders and footrests that can be reserved, said Sylvia Laulom with Cinemark. She said the company would submit construction documents to the city Monday and present plans in April. She expected a spring 2017 opening.

Twitter: BrookeCrum_ARN
A Republican presidential race that has lurched to and fro lurched yet again Tuesday night in New Hampshire, as the slow sorting continued behind prototypical outsider and resurrected Donald Trump.

On the Democratic side, fellow non-establishmentarian Bernie Sanders validated polls that showed him comfortably ahead of Hillary Clinton. Coupled with their virtual tie in Iowa, that tees up Nevada and South Carolina, with Clinton needing to hold serve against an emboldened Sanders in states considered more favorable to her message.

Trump, off an unexpected loss in Iowa's GOP caucus, regained some of his swagger by effectively lapping the field in New Hampshire. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz contended with a less favorable demographic but managed to lodge himself in the pack far behind Trump.

Trump showed strength among independents and voters who rated the economy and terrorism as top issues. New Hampshire might not have been a must-win for the self-funded Trump, but a second defeat would have raised serious questions.

Below Trump, the "establishment lane" contenders  Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie  battled for plausibility, perhaps outright survival.

Rubio's bump from a solid third in Iowa dissipated before the first New Hampshire vote was cast after a struggling debate effort. Kasich surged into second, and Bush nosed ahead, as well. The irony was that Christie's debate elbows did much to bring Rubio down, but the New Jersey governor benefited least.

All campaigns aren't created equal, of course, and differences in funding and organization will become more apparent going forward.

Kasich, for instance, focused almost all of his energies on New Hampshire. But he appears to lack the ground game for South Carolina and Nevada, not to mention the delegate-rich "SEC primary" states March 1, with Texas the big prize.

Clinton's campaign, once considered unbeatable in the Democratic race, still may be. She's leading Sanders in polling among pivotal African-American and Hispanic voters who will be more plentiful now that the campaigns have passed Iowa and New Hampshire.

The GOP side, meanwhile, is sorting itself out, but taking its time to get there.

The Dallas Morning News
Lynn Ingalsbe, Abilene

Please accept this letter as my endorsement of James Hicks for the position of criminal district attorney of Taylor County. As a criminal defense lawyer I have tried numerous cases against both Mr. Hicks and his opponent and find both of them to be fine lawyers and excellent prosecutors.

However, having held the office of criminal district attorney in the late 1970s, I know that there is a lot more to the efficient administration of the duties of that office other than merely prosecuting criminal cases.

As a matter of fact, the duties of that office require that all litigation against Taylor County be answered, that each elected public official have access to the district attorney for advice and the answering of questions, and that the district attorney be able to efficiently supervise over 30 employees as well as the administration of a very substantial budget.

Consequently, I believe James Hicks possesses the business acumen to properly and efficiently administer the many nonprosecutorial duties of that office. James Hicks has my unwavering support.
Today in history: On Feb. 12, 1976, actor Sal Mineo is stabbed to death in Hollywood. Witnesses said a white man with brown hair fled the area where Mineo, 37, was found with a deep wound to his chest behind his apartment. He died at the scene. He starred in "Rebel Without a Cause," "Exodus" and "Escape from Planet of the Apes." A man in Michigan arrested for check fraud bragged he had killed Mineo, and police would match his knife to the wound. Lionel Williams was given a life prison sentence.
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This just in...
On the first night of the Year of the Monkey, Hong Kong saw the biggest clashes between police and citizens for half a century, on the streets of Mong Kok, leaving more than 120 people injured.

However, the very next day, without any investigation, the government announced that the incident was a "riot" conducted by "violent radicals," without looking at any of the events that preceded it, nor the consequences.

They just relied on the public abhorrence of violence to whitewash their own responsibility for the deterioration in relations between the public and the police.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said whatever the causes of the incident, be they a breakdown of trust in the administration [of chief executive Leung Chun-ying], problems with the management of food vendors, or a backlash from the Umbrella Movement, all of these are still "excuses."

What she meant by this was that we must concentrate on the perpetrators of violence and on bringing them to justice, because these explanations couldn't possibly be what motivated the "mob."

But if we don't agree with their behavior, and we accept that none of these reasons account for it, then it can only be explained by a sort of irrational recklessness, or even a hysterical impulse to violence.

However did she come to that conclusion?

What would bring such a violent mob together in the Hong Kong of 2016, all at the same time, gathered in Mong Kok like that? And why would they then vent their anger on police, who were trying to enforce the law?

Excuses

Carrie Lam seems unwilling to face up to a cold analysis of the riots. She just wants to win over public opinion, to declare the perpetrators to be "rioters" and their actions as "rioting."

She's not thinking about the abnormal level of "iron fist" law enforcement measures taken to clear the area of food hawkers during the Chinese New Year holiday period as a contributing factor.

Nor is she linking the attitude of confrontation towards police as being linked to similar clashes on Long Wo Road [in Mong Kok] during the Occupy Central movement [of 2014].

Or to the way in which the methods used by the police force under [former police commissioner] Andy Tsang against [the Umbrella Movement] may have sowed the seeds of a desire for revenge, making it harder for officers on the ground to enforce the law, and unfortunately turning them into targets for public anger.

But her head-in-the-sand approach is in itself an excuse aimed at saving her from having to look at the embarrassing truth, and enabling the government to avoid legitimate blame.

In the face of the biggest scenes of violent unrest in half a century, the Special Administrative Region government should set up an independent inquiry to investigate the causes of this incident, and to deal very carefully with the aftermath, to prevent something similar from happening again.

Abusing state power

But it looks as if chief executive Leung isn't seeking truth from facts, nor is he seeking to make the facts clear and to share responsibility so as to avoid a repeat of this incident.

Instead, he is planning to round up and charge the perpetrators, even to the point of abusing police powers and smearing youth groups like Scholarism.

The aim of this bunker mentality is to use state power to suppress any dissenting voices and to force through his policies, as opposed to working to gain public trust and recognition for them through consensus-building.

If he carries on like this, Leung will continue to see a number of "small matters" escalating into big ones, much as the management of food vendors escalated into violence.

He may also see his lies become a self-fulfilling prophecy in the form of protracted social unrest, especially now that people are realizing that peaceful reforms are out of the question, because our rulers in Beijing don't understand humility, and instead impose the tyranny of minority rule on them.

I believe that some people will no longer hesitate to go beyond the limits of nonviolence to sacrifice themselves in the fight against that tyranny.

The pro-establishment camp currently only commands 40 percent of public support, but it controls more than 80 percent of votes in the electoral college [for chief executive], and more than 60 percent of seats in the Legislative Council.

Top-heavy system

This top-heavy system of political power is bound to produce unjust policies and institutions.

And when mainstream public opinion has only a weak voice in key government executive and legislative bodies, and when those in power don't understand why this is an issue, then the people of Hong Kong may reject their political fate.

And when that happens, the conflict that should take place within political institutions will spill out onto the streets.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.



Yiu-ming To is a political scholar and assistant professor in the journalism department of Hong Kong's Baptist University.
Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have stepped up their targeting of unofficial "house" churches not regulated by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ia its Three-Self Protestant Association.



The Zhongfu Wanmin Church in Guangdong's industrial city of Dongguan has been forced to move premises after it received an official letter from the local religious affairs bureau requiring it to "cease all illegal religious activities," its pastor told RFA on Friday.



"A lot of churches are getting these letters saying they are carrying out illegal religious activities now, and requiring them to stop," pastor Li Peng said.



"Some have been forced to stop gathering for worship, while others have been forced to move premises," he said.



"[We have been] inspected and told to stop," Li said. "Then I requested an administrative review, and then I filed a lawsuit, but that failed."



Li said the church is continuing to meet in premises bought with loans taken out by the congregation.



The crackdown in Guangdong comes after authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang launched a regional campaign targeting visible church crosses for demolition as "illegal structures" in the name of civic pride.



According to Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, Guangzhou now seems to be following suit, albeit with slightly different tactics.



"A lot of churches in Guangzhou are being persecuted, including the Guangfu church run by Ma Zhao and others," Zhang said.



"Churches in Shenzhen have also been targeted, but not to the same degree," he added.



Passing out leaflets



Elsewhere in the province, police detained and questioned a woman after she handed out leaflets and tried to spread her Christian faith in Shantou city.



Jiang Junying of the Zhongfu Tongxin Church was detained as she paced the streets of Shantou's Chenghai district, handing out leaflets to passersby during the Chinese New Year holiday in a bid to make new converts to her Protestant faith.



"It was at about noon on the first day of the new year, while she was handing out leaflets about the Gospel," a fellow church member surnamed Guo told RFA.



"She was taken to the Chenghua police station by officers who were from that police station," she said.



"She wasn't released until six or seven in the evening," Guo said. "Now we can't get in touch with her, and we think she's still out there, handing out leaflets."



Guo said police had been keen to identify which church Jiang attends, but that she had refused to answer.



"They asked which church, but she wouldn't tell them. She just said she was handing out leaflets on her own initiative," she said, adding that Jiang cannot speak Mandarin.



Zhang Mingxuan told RFA that the Zhongfu Tongxin church, which Jiang used to attend, has been targeted by the authorities before.



"They moved to new premises, and then on the first day of the New Year, one of their members  Jiang Junying  was detained," Zhang said.



"She went there with a big group of other people to hand out leaflets and spread the Gospel," Zhang said. "They also searched her belongings and kept her locked up there until the evening."



Zhongfu Tongxin Church was forced to abandon its former place of worship after the authorities closed it down, saying its members were "following an illegal religion."



The church was later forced to find new premises after the authorities put pressure on the landlord of the previous property, Guo told RFA.



New CCP guidelines



Earlier this month, the Chinese Communist Party issued new guidelines banning its members from following any religion, even after they retire from official life, amid an ideological campaign by President Xi Jinping targeting any activity seen as "importing" values and cultural practices from overseas.



Xi has cited religion in particular as a means by which "hostile foreign forces" seek to exert a subversive influence in China.



The "opinion" comes on the heels of a months-long campaign by religious affairs officials in Zhejiang province to tear down publicly visible crosses from churches in the region, which is known as "China's Jerusalem" for its high concentration of Protestant believers.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
The U.K. has accused the ruling Chinese Communist Party of breaching an international treaty under which the former colony of Hong Kong was handed back to China by removing bookseller Lee Bo, whose "disappearance" alongside four colleagues has been linked to the plans to publish a book about the Chinese president.



In a six-monthly statement to parliament on the implementation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration under which Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Lee, a British citizen, was "involuntarily removed" across the internal immigration border to mainland China.



"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," Hammond said in the statement.



"We have called, in our contacts with the Chinese government at the highest level, for Mr. Lees immediate return to Hong Kong," he said.



The statement called on Beijing "to reassure the people of Hong Kong that law enforcement in [Hong Kong] is exclusively the responsibility of the Hong Kong ... authorities, and that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents will continue to be fully protected," it said.



Causeway Bay Books store manager Lee Bo, 65, was last seen at work on Dec. 30, while four of his associates, publisher Gui Minhai, general manager Lui Bo, and colleagues Cheung Jiping and Lam Wing-kei have gone missing since October.



There is no record of Lee leaving Hong Kong, prompting fears that he was spirited across the internal immigration border by Chinese police, while Gui, who holds a Swedish passport, was apparently detained while on vacation in Thailand.



Gui was later paraded on state-run CCTV in January, "confessing" to having killed a woman in a hit-and-run car accident some years earlier.



Lee has repeatedly said through his wife that he is "assisting in an investigation" at an unknown location in mainland China, amid fears he is being manipulated by police to avoid harsher reprisals.



Repeated calls to Lee's wife Sophie Choi rang unanswered on Friday.



The strongest criticism



The U.K. statement is the strongest criticism of China's detention of the booksellers since they began to go missing last October.



It also throws its support behind the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central movement, which campaigned for fully democratic elections, rejecting a plan from the Chinese parliament that would have restricted the choice of candidates to those approved by Beijing.



"The best way to secure the future of 'One Country, Two Systems' is through a transition to universal suffrage which meets the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong," it said.



It said disappearances like Lee's would be less likely with greater political accountability.



"A more democratic and accountable system of government would help strengthen those rights and freedoms which have come under increasing pressure over the past two years," the statement said.



Hong Kong was promised a "high degree of autonomy" in the Joint Declaration and its mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and the maintenance of separate law enforcement, immigration and judicial systems, as well as freedom of expression and association for 50 years after the handover.



The FCO report said high voter turnout rates in district elections last November show that Hong Kong people continue to have a strong appetite for democratic participation in their government, "despite the unsuccessful conclusion of the political reform process."



In June 2014, an unofficial referendum saw 400,000 people vote in favor of universal suffrage and public nominations, despite a central government white paper asserting that the city's autonomy is subject to the will of Beijing.



But just two months later, the NPC published an approved reform plan allowing all of Hong Kong's five million eligible voters to cast ballots in the 2017 race for the next chief executive, but limiting the slate to candidates vetted by Beijing.



It was rejected by pan-democratic lawmakers and protesters at the 79-day Occupy Central, or Umbrella, movement as "fake universal suffrage," because pan-democratic candidates were highly unlikely to be nominated.



Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) dealt a death blow to the reform package on June 18, 2015, in a humiliating defeat for the city's chief executive Leung Chun-ying and Beijing, voting it down by 28 votes to eight after 34 pro-Beijing lawmakers walked out in an unsuccessful bid to stall the vote.



Reported by Hai Nan for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
In anticipation of international sanctions this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military to begin stockpiling food last year, as he planned the countrys fourth nuclear test and long-range missile launch in early 2016, according to sources inside the country.



Last year, Kim Jong Un had ordered the military to prepare by stockpiling rice for the next three years and has occasionally checked on their progress, a source from the capital Pyongyang told RFAs Korean Service while he was visiting China earlier this month for the Lunar New Year holiday.



North Korea defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket on Sunday just a month after testing a nuclear device.



The United States, South Korea, Japan and other members of the international community condemned the launch, which North Korea said had successfully put a satellite into orbit. The U.N. Security Council vowed to impose sanctions on the hard-line communist state for both the missile launch and its fourth nuclear test.



On Wednesday, South Korea said it was closing the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the joint inter-Korean economic project north of the demilitarized zone, in retaliation.



The move prompted the North Korean government the next day to order all South Koreans out of the industrial complex, freeze all South Korean assets there, and declare the area to be under the military control.



Most North Korea residents did not pay special attention to Kim Jong Uns order to the military last year to build up its food supplies, because they were not aware of the purpose behind it, the source from Pyongyang said.



[But] senior officials or perceptive ones guessed that Kim was preparing for something big, the source said. Now it turns out to be because of the nuclear test and missile launch.



Squeezing the system



There is no realistic way to provide more food for the military other than squeezing yet more grain out of North Korean farmers, the source said.



Now it is understandable that Kim Jong Un could not keep the promise of production allocation under the small unit management system, he said referring to whats known as bunjo, or the system of individual farm production units in certain parts of the country.



The government put the system in place more than three years ago as part of wider reforms to improve the overall economy and lives of people in the impoverished nation grappling with chronic food shortages and food rationing.



Under the policy, cooperative farm work units consisting of 10-25 people are divided into smaller units of three to five members who are responsible for farming smaller portions of fields. The state takes 70 percent of the target production, while farmers are supposed to receive the remaining 30 percent plus any surplus if they exceed their targets.



But farmers have complained about the systems many shortcomings, such as the government taking more than its fair share to feed the army, which has left them feeling exploited.



At the end of 2013, for example, the government took 90 percent of the grain yields and allocated them to the military, North Korean sources told RFA at the time.



Since the military extorts almost all agriculture products from each farming unit, there is nothing left for the work units members, a source from North Hamgyong province told RFA.



The countrys wheat, barley and potato supplies are also affected by droughts and floods each year. This means that the food rations that North Koreans are subjected to fluctuate from time to time, but are usually less than the United Nations daily recommended amount of 600 grams (21 ounces) per person.



The food rationing situation has been aggravating people in Pyongyang, which is subject to special rationing, the source said. This is related to Kims order to prepare rice for the military for the next three years.



Self-strenuous efforts



Authorities have lectured citizens that there will be a great war for unification this year, and that newly recruited solders are referred to as unification soldiers, the source in North Hamgyong province said.



All culture courses teach us repeatedly that Americas hostile policy and sanctions are responsible for the countrys economic challenges, he said. As a way to overcome the challenges, the government recently replaced the phrase self-survival with self-strenuous efforts.



For North Koreans not to starve under the current circumstances, they must continue to rely on food aid from other countries.



There is no other way than relying on Chinese and Russian aid as Kim Jong Un makes preparations in response to international sanctions, said a Chinese source who lives in China and is familiar with what is happening in North Korea.



But because aid from China and Russia will also be limited this time around, North Korean residents will suffer the burden even more, he said.



The U.S., South Korea and Japan began preparing a U.N. draft resolution to impose tough sanctions on North Korea and discussing it with other Security Council members weeks ago in anticipation of the missile launch, which Pyongyang announced in advance. It is believed that China, North Koreas main ally, is against such sanctions.



Although North Korea maintains that its space program is purely scientific in nature, the U.S. and its allies believe that its rocket launches are aimed at developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland.



Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Ahreum Jung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Authorities in western Chinas Sichuan province have detained two senior Tibetan monks on suspicion of holding prayers for the good health of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, an India-based Tibetan rights group said this week.



Khenpo Paga and Geshe Orgyen, both high-ranking monks at Chokri monastery in Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, were taken into custody only a few days after they organized a prayer ceremony on Jan. 25, the Tibetan Centre For Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said.



The prayer ceremony was held following the news of the Dalai Lamas medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, TCHRD said in a Feb. 8 statement.



Video and photos circulating on social media sites and obtained by RFA show hundreds of Tibetan men, women, and children seated before a large shrine at the monastery and praying before a large image of the Dalai Lama, whose photos are banned by Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas.



The Dalai Lama, 80, fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 and is reviled by Chinese leaders as a dangerous separatist who seeks to split the formerly self-governing region from Beijings rule.



In what he calls a Middle Way Approach, though, the Dalai Lama himself says that he seeks only a meaningful autonomy for Tibet as a part of China, with protections for the regions language, religion, and culture.



News of the prayers at Chokri spread widely following the ceremony, prompting authorities on Jan. 31 to issue a ban on the sale of photos of the exiled spiritual leader in shops and stores in the county, with punishment threatened for store owners failing to comply, TCHRD said.



Paga, aged about 40, and Orgyen, aged about 50, had both completed religious training at Tibetan monasteries in exile in South India before returning to Tibet, TCHRD said.



Following the detention of the abbot and the senior monk of [Chokri] monastery, local authorities have deployed a large number of Chinese security forces to monitor and control both the monastic and lay community in Tehor [township], the rights group added.



Sporadic demonstrations challenging Beijings rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008.




Taiwanese authorities have prevented the executive chairman of an international Uyghur organization from participating in a human rights conference to be held in Taiwan later this month, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) said Friday.



Dolkun Isa, WUCs executive chairman, will not be able to attend the Asia Pacific Religious Freedom Forum on Feb. 18-21 because of likely pressure from Chinese authorities, the Munich, Germany-based organization of exiled Uyghur groups said in a statement.



It is a true shame that a democratic country such as Taiwan should be so influenced by the will of the Chinese government, the statement said. China has consistently maintained that human rights defendersand those supporting the Uyghur community in particularshould be treated like criminals.



The conference, which is by invitation only, will be a meeting of religious freedom advocates, including lawmakers, government representatives, nongovernmental organization officials, and religious leaders who are committed to advancing religion freedom in the Asia Pacific region.



Isa, who received an invitation from conference organizers three or four months ago, told RFAs Uyghur Service that Taiwanese authorities informed him that they would not allow him to enter the self-governing island over which China claims sovereignty.



No matter what, Taiwan is a democratic country, Isa said. Their blocking me from entering will stain Taiwanese democracy.



I do believe that there is a Chinese hand in it, he said. I am sure that this blockage will be lifted after the Democratic Progressive Party takes charge in Taiwan again.



Opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Taiwans independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won a landslide victory in presidential elections on the island in January. The DPP will officially assume power as Taiwans ruling party on May 20, controlling both the presidency and parliament.



A security threat



When Isa visited Taiwan 10 years ago to take part in an event held by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for the protection and promotion of the human and cultural rights of indigenous people and minorities, he said he encountered no obstacles. The DPP was in power at the time.



The Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim, Turkic-speaking minority group that lives in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region where it has complained about pervasive ethnic discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression by Beijing.



But in 2009, after the nationalist Kuomintang Party regained control of the government, false reports circulated that Isa had entered Taiwan with 11 other Uyghurs ahead of the World Games, which took place in Kaohsiung in July that year, and would pose a security threat, the WUCs statement said.



In response, Taiwans National Immigration Authority has issued a ban on Isas travel to the country, it said.



I was told that they [Taiwanese lawmakers] debated in parliament about my possible entry and whether or not to forbid me [from entering], Isa said.



Now the problem has resurfaced again, he said.



Even though the Democratic Progressive Party has won the elections, the Kuomintang party is still in charge, so I have not been allowed to enter Taiwan, and that is very unfortunate and regrettable, he said.



Reported by Mamatjan Juma for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has suffered many casualties and is "on the run" in Afghanistan.

Ghani told the annual Munich Security Conference on February 12 that IS militants "have lost 150 people in Afghanistan."

Ghani also said that an IS-operated radio station in eastern Afghanistan has been "silenced."

According to U.S. and Afghan officials, the so-called Voice of the Caliphate radio near the Pakistani border was destroyed by two air strikes on February 1.

The radio had been broadcasting the IS's extremist message across eastern Nangarhar Province since late 2015.

Afghan officials said the attack also killed eight people who worked for the radio and its website.

IS is a relatively new force in Afghanistan. U.S. officials believe it has some 1,000 to 3,000 members in eastern Afghanistan and was attempting to establish a base of operations in Nangarhar.

Concerned about the group's increasingly global reach, U.S. President Barack Obama granted the U.S. military broad authority to strike IS in Afghanistan in January.

On February 11, a U.S. military spokesman said the United States has expanded its air strikes against IS in eastern Afghanistan.

Officials said 20 strikes have been launched there in the last three weeks.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
MUNICH, Germany -- World powers wrestled with the challenges of a "bleak" global security environment at a conference clouded by Russia's vow to continue bombing targets in Syria despite a deal on a cessation of hostilities.



Senior officials opening the Munich Security Conference on February 12 welcomed the agreement, which was reached hours earlier at a meeting on Syria in the German city that broke up after midnight.

But Western and Middle Eastern leaders warned that the agreement will only work if it is implemented on the ground, and worried that Russia's refusal to halt air strikes could scuttle the chances of a negotiated solution to the five-year war.

"If Russia does not end its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, a cease-fire reached by major powers will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 12.



Cavusoglu also accused Russia of targeting schools and hospitals as part of its bombing campaign, and blamed Moscow for a wave of tens of thousands of people who have arrived at the Turkish border in the past week.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed in the conflict, which began with President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on protesters and flared into civil war pitting government forces against opponents ranging from Western-backed rebels to Islamic State (IS) militants.

Opening the Munich conference, its chairman, Wolfgang Ischinger, called the Syria war a "full-fledged regional conflict" that -- along with the death and destruction -- has driven the biggest wave of refugees since World War II.

"The global strategic environment is bleak," Ischinger said at the conference, whose attendees included U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.



"The international order, in my view, is in its worst shape since the end of the Cold War," he said. "Overwhelmed and helpless guardians are faced with increasingly boundless crises and empowered and reckless spoilers."



Speeches at the security conference on its first day focused largely on the threat from the extremist group IS, which seized swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and has terrorized the people in its path.

Speakers also talked about how to handle the refugee crisis confronting the Middle East and Europe, which is deeply interlinked with IS and the Syria war and has undermined unity in the West at a time when it faces a persistent challenge from Russia on its eastern flank.



The defense chiefs of core EU members Germany and France welcomed the agreement on a cessation of hostilities, but said it must be implemented.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the deal will only be effective "if air strikes by Syrian and Russian forces stop." Another attendee, King Abdullah of Jordan, said that "the killing in Syria has to stop...if we are to find a solution."

The White House said the agreement is significant, but that work is far from over in the peace talks.

"In the coming days, we will be looking for actions, not words, to demonstrate that all parties are prepared to honor their commitments," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters in a briefing on February 12.

The agreement for a truce is intended to allow humanitarian aid to reach people in Aleppo, the target of a major Russian-backed government offensive in the past weeks, as well as other besieged Syrian communities nationwide.

However, the agreement allows attacks to continue against groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council, including IS (also known as Daesh) and the Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria.



Western diplomats have said privately that they worry Russia might seek to continue bombing Western-backed opposition forces despite the peace deal by claiming the attacks are against "terrorist" groups excepted from the accord.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by AFP as saying that "the truce does not apply to terrorists, and that is stated in today's document." He added, "The military operation against them will be continued."

Moscow and Damascus have often broadly labeled Syria's many rebel groups as terrorist organizations, and Western officials say a substantial majority of Russia's air strikes have targeted groups other than IS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Russian campaign will go on as long as the Syrian government offensive, and Moscow has adamantly insisted that Assad's exit from power cannot be a precondition for a solution.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, meanwhile, vowed on February 12 to retake the "whole country," saying that just because negotiations are taking place, "it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."

Western nations and Syrian neighbors such as Saudi Arabia want Assad out and say there can be no lasting solution if he stays in power.

Speaking to reporters in Munich after a meeting with Lavrov, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of "mainly target[ing] opposition groups and not ISIL," using another abbreviation for IS. "Air strikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated, peaceful solution."

Stoltenberg said that the cessation of hostilities agreement "has to the first step toward a lasting cease-fire" and that the important thing now is to see it implemented on the ground.



British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the humanitarian truce "will only succeed if there is a major change of behavior by the Syrian regime and its supporters."



A key rebel coalition, the Higher Negotiating Committee, said it welcomed the deal "in principle." But the Saudi-based grouping said, "We want deeds, not just sayings."

The cessation accord was struck by the United States, Russia, and a dozen other countries composing the International Syria Support Group (ISSG).

Announcing the accord, Kerry said the truce is a "pause" and not a formal "cease-fire."



He said that the ISSG members had agreed that formal negotiations to establish a more lasting peace should resume in Geneva as soon as possible.

Representatives of the 17 ISSG countries were meeting in Geneva on February 12 to hold talks on how to ensure humanitarian access to needy communities across Syria.



Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council who will chair the UN meeting in Geneva, said the accord "could be the breakthrough we have been waiting for to get full access to desperate civilians inside Syria."

But he said the deal "requires that all those with influence on all sides of the conflict to put pressure on the parties."

Western officials worry that gains made by government forces since Russia launched an open-ended bombing campaign on September 30 may have reduced the incentive for Moscow ally Assad to seek a diplomatic solution.

Meanwhile, prospects for formal Syrian peace talks to resume in Geneva remain uncertain.



UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said plans to reconvene the talks are still "cloudy" but that he hopes they will resume on February 25.



The latest round of Syrian peace talks began in Geneva on January 29 but derailed almost immediately over opposition groups' anger at escalating Syrian government and Russian air attacks on rebel areas around Aleppo.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, and dpa
Swiss operator Air Zermatt became the first company to entirely retrofit their H135 helicopter in-house using the operator's own technicians. The process, employing a kit shipped from Airbus Helicopters in Germany, brought the former T2 aircraft to current T3 performance, and opens the door to other operator-led upgrades.

When Airbus Helicopters launched its H135 helicopter in 2014, the manufacturer announced a retrofit option at the same time to upgrade its previous versions to current standards. The solution appealed to Rene Lauber, technical director at Air Zermatt. The company performs Emergency Medical Services operations in the mountains near the southern Swiss border, placing high and hot demands on their aircraft in the summer season. Air Zermatts 13-year-old T2, while a workhorse when it first entered service, is lower in performance levels compared to other competitors in its class today.



Air Zermatt needed performance for operations in the high mountains, says Ralf Nicolai, sales promotion manager at Airbus Helicopters in Donauworth, Germany. When we introduced the upgrades to the H135 with a service bulletin, Air Zermatt was interested because the retrofit would give them exactly the performance they were looking for.



The process began with a learning curve for both parties, as the helicopter would be the first with Turbomeca engines to be retrofitted outside of Airbus Helicopters facilities. Frequent exchanges between the two companies ensured documentation and approvals were done correctly. In this particular case the starting point was a T2 version which had to be transformed into a T2+ and finally to a T3. In addition, the certification of some STC installations had to be extended to the T3 version as well.



After we signed the contract, there was never a discussion that Airbus Helicopters would do the retrofit, says Lauber. The advantage was always that our maintenance shop could do the retrofit itself. Airbus Helicopters delivered the parts and was always in contact. At the end, it was a great project.





Besides the retrofit*, Air Zermatt took advantage of the downtime to improve other aspects of its aircraft as well, adding to what would ordinarily be about a one and a half month operation. From a kit of parts and components delivered from the Airbus Helicopters site at Donauworth, along with manuals and service bulletins, the retrofit consisted of replacing the H135s main rotor blades, both Turbomeca digital engine control units (DECU), horizontal stabilizer and some cockpit instruments. Because the main gearbox wasn't compatible with the T3 version, the MGB was replaced as well.



We upgraded the avionics and we did the 1,000-hour inspection at the same time, says Lauber. The biggest job on the retrofit itself was the modification of the air inlet covers. We were able to do this because we have a technician who is very experienced in composite work.



Because Air Zermatts maintenance crew is licensed for the 135 series of helicopters, there was no need for additional training to tackle the retrofit. We know the helicopter very well, having flown it for more than 5,000 hours, says Lauber. We were already very experienced, so doing the retrofit was not a big problem. Ordinarily, any maintenance shop should be able to do it if they have experience on the H135 family.



Experience also counted at Airbus Helicopters end. Four separate teams in Donauworth contributed to preparing the retrofit materials. One of the most important teams is the service bulletin team, says Nicolai. Then the engineering department had to verify the configuration for this particular aircraft. No retrofit is 100 percent identical from one helicopter to another. That makes it more challenging. And then there is the executor, who brings all the parts from the MRO department in Germany, in connection with the technical support team.



The helicopter has now flown over 100 hours. I can say today, we would do it again, says Lauber. It was one of the best work the technicians have ever done, and one of the best for everybody in our company.





The Air Zermatt crew responsible for the retrofit.





Posted By Charles D'Alberto








Azerbaijan says at least five Armenian soldiers have been killed in a clash with Azerbaijani forces near the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The Defense Ministry said on February 12 that the incident had taken place overnight.

De-facto officials of Nagorno-Karabakh rejected the statement, saying Azerbaijani snipers had shot a shepherd dead on February 11-12 and shelled the breakaway region's positions with grenade launchers and mortars.

Azerbaijan denied that its forces had killed the civilian.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for over two decades.

Armenia-backed separatists seized the mainly ethnic Armenian-populated region during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people.

International diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have brought little progress.

Based on reporting by trend.az and panarmenian.net


With concern growing about Ukraines government and its commitment to cleaning up corruption and cronyism, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has spoken to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for the second time in as many days.

The February 12 phone call from Biden -- the White Houses point man on Ukraine -- came just days after the resignation of reformist Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who angrily accused top officials in the Poroshenko administration of hindering badly needed reforms.

Western ambassadors have been vocal in urging Poroshenko to do more, and the International Monetary Fund has signaled that $1.75 billion in bailout funds could be in doubt.

The White House said Biden told the Ukrainian leader that reforms need to be passed quickly to ensure the IMF funds.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of unity among Ukrainian political forces to quickly pass reforms in line with the commitments in its IMF program, including measures focused on rooting out corruption," it said in a statement.

Poroshenko had been seen as committed to cleaning up Ukraines notorious corrupt and untransparent government, and Abromavicius had been one of several foreign-born officials brought in as part of that effort.

But the push to eliminate problems like bribery, kickbacks, and preferential hiring for wealthy insiders has proceeded at a slow pace, resulting in growing frustration both inside Ukraine and among Western officials and lenders.

The resignation of Abromavicius sparked fears that the government of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk might collapse. That would undermine efforts to cement the Minsk accords that brought a shaky cease-fire to the fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russia-backed rebels and government troops.
Bosnian officials say a bank owner and three other officials have been arrested in a controversy over a loan to the president of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Republika Srpska.

Bosnia's state prosecutor's office said on February 11 the arrest of Slobodan Pavlovic, owner of the Pavlovic International Bank, and the three other officials (Petar Lazic, Ljiljana Garic, and Blago Blagojevic) came after raids at the bank.

Police said the arrests were made in the Bijeljina and Mostar areas and that those detained are suspected of committing "crimes of abuse of office or authority and money laundering related to the operation of the Pavlovic Bank."

Pavlovic, a U.S.-based businessman, had been questioned by prosecutors in December.

He told local media at that time that investigators were looking for evidence related to a loan the bank gave to Milorad Dodik, the Republika Srpska president.

The loan, which was reportedly for 1.5 million Bosnian marks ($870,000), was for the purchase of the villa in Belgrade in 2007.

Dodik is fighting with Bosnian state institutions over their authority in ethnic Serb areas Bosnian state institutions over Serb areas of Bosnia.

Based on reporting by Reuters and balkaninsight.com
With Russia's monthslong air campaign in Syria now focused on a key rebel stronghold, Moscow can claim success in putting its stamp on the conflict and strengthening the hand of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

Concentrated on the northern province of Aleppo, the bombing campaign launched in late September after Assad's military suffered a string of defeats has significantly boosted Damascus's negotiating position for peace talks.

But the advancements made by Russia and Syria come with high costs.

Rebellion Is Reeling

With Russian air support, as well as reinforcements from Lebanese and Iranian Shi'ite militias, Damascus has clawed back much of the territory it lost and gone firmly on the offensive.

Now, with Assad's troops progressively encircling Aleppo, Damascus could be on the verge of its biggest victory yet.

"Should the rebel-held parts of the city ultimately fall, it will be a dramatic victory for Assad and the greatest setback to the rebellion since the start of the uprising in 2011," Emile Hokaymen, senior fellow for Middle East security at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), wrote in Foreign Policy magazine recently.

This not only puts rebel forces on their back foot, but give the Assad regime military momentum that will be hard for outside actors backing Syrian rebels to reverse.

"Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the rebellion's main supporters, are now bereft of options," observes Hokaymen. He says neither country appears willing to give rebels antiaircraft missiles out of fear of Russian punitive actions, leaving the rebels without cover from further air assaults.

Peace-Talk Script Rewritten

The redrawing of the Syrian battlefield likely means it will be the opposition, not the regime, that feels the greatest need to negotiate a peace.

That is clearly not the result envisioned by the various forces fighting Assad, or their outside supporters, just a few short months ago.

With intra-Syrian peace talks still a possibility, world powers managed to agree to the need for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria following talks on February 11. The move could be seen as a positive for the holding of peace talks, which were suspended in early February as Russia's air campaign intensified even as negotiators were assembled in Geneva, and the main Syrian opposition coalition welcomed the announcement.

But the cease-fire agreed in Munich by the 17-member International Syria Support Group, which would go into effect in mid-February, would not halt Russia's bombing of what it considers terrorist targets in Aleppo.

In effect, Russia is bombing Assad's enemies into a corner.

"I think [U.S. Secretary of State John] Kerry has delivered a very clear message to the opposition that the negotiation room is where they can achieve the most, given the Russian intervention," says Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group in London.

The challenge for the West will be to still broker a peace in Syria that leads to an elected representative government and the departure of Assad from power. But how and when that happens could now hinge largely on Moscow's readiness to force Damascus to make concessions in the interest of stabilizing the country.

"This is what we are heading towards, a deal in which Russia has influence, cements its presence in the Mideast, preserves the interest of its allies, but also forces them to compromise," says Kamel.

Partnership Prospects Take A Hit

Moscow's role as deal-broker will not come cost free, however. Russia's unilateral actions in Syria add to an already very mixed assessment in the West of whether it can be a reliable partner in solving global crises -- a role that President Vladimir Putin has pushed often as a counterweight to the world's negative reaction to his interference in Ukraine.

Russia's notable contributions to the deal struck between world powers and Tehran to end the Iran nuclear crisis gave some traction to the idea that Moscow could help, rather than hinder, international efforts against terrorism and drug trafficking.

But Moscow's decision to carry out air strikes during the UN-brokered peace talks that opened in Geneva last month was roundly criticized by Western diplomats, straining the already tenuous faith in Russia as a potential partner.

The cease-fire agreed in Munich on February 11 did little to assuage concerns. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov both took a cautious approach in assessing the agreement, which the BBC quoted some diplomats as saying was "not worth the paper it's printed on."

Those diplomats, no doubt, were well aware of Russia's response to calls by the UN Security Council just a day earlier to halt its bombing around Aleppo. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, in rejecting the idea, labeled it an effort to exploit the humanitarian crisis in Syria for political purposes.

The reluctance to stop concentrating on Aleppo strengthens long-standing doubts about Russia's stated reason of getting involved in Syria -- fighting the Islamic State extremist group.

If that is Moscow's true intention, the West has argued, then Moscow should stop bombing rebel-held areas of cities and direct its fire toward IS extremists.

As recently as February 3, the United States said Russian forces do not attack IS unless its fighters are battling Assad's troops, and that only some 10 percent of Russia's air strikes so far have targeted the extremist group.

The prospect of Assad retaking Aleppo with Russia's help would not only add to the questions about Moscow's intentions, it has led to worries that the Islamic State or Al-Qaeda-linked militants could benefit, and regional stability could suffer further.

"The now plausible rebel collapse in the Aleppo region could send thousands of fighters dejected by their apparent abandonment into the arms of Nusra or IS," warns Hokaymen of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

High Human Cost

The ongoing campaign around Aleppo has caused tens of thousands of people to flee the city for the Turkish border. The exodus has added to the Syrian refugee crisis that already has seen 4.5 million people flee to neighboring countries and Egypt. Since last year, thousands have moved on further to seek refuge in Europe, helping fuel the migrant crisis there.

No certain statistics are available for how many civilians have died in Syria as a result of the intense Russian bombardment of populated areas held by anti-Assad rebels. But in January a Britain-based independent monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the civilian death toll from Russian air strikes since September at 1,015. It said 238 of those killed were children.

Some of the deaths have come with the use of internationally banned weapons.

Human Rights Watch reported on February 8 that joint Russian-Syrian Army operations over the past two weeks used cluster bombs in at least 14 attacks, killing at least 37 civilians. Because of their indiscriminate impact, cluster munitions are banned under an international convention that went into effect in 2010.

The Russian military previously has denied it has cluster munitions in Syria.
The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday. Viewers can suggest topics via Twitter @PowerVertical or on the Power Vertical Facebook page.

A transcript of today's edition of The Daily Vertical can be found here.
The timing of last night's agreement with Russia on a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria is highly appropriate.

It came exactly one year after the Minsk cease-fire, which was supposed to stop the war in Ukraine.

And we all know how that worked out.

So you'll forgive me for having a foreboding sense of deja vu.

In fact the patterns in Ukraine and Syria have been disturbingly similar.

First, Russia launches a military offensive to establish facts on the ground, all the while lying about what it is actually doing.

In Ukraine, Moscow denied it was doing anything, when in reality it was using its military to carve out fictitious separatist "republics" in Donbas.

In Syria, it claimed it was fighting terrorists, when in reality it was helping its ally, Bashar al-Assad, crush his opponents and expand the territory he controls.

Next, the Kremlin legalizes and legitimizes its ill-gotten gains in a cease-fire deal.

It's the military equivalent of money laundering.

This was captured brilliantly yesterday in a tweet by Jackson Diehl, the Washington Post's Deputy Editorial Page Editor:

"Putin's Ukraine-Syria model: 1) gain a winning military hand 2) offer a bad political deal for a cease-fire 3) ignore the cease-fire."

Russia did all three of these things in Ukraine. And so far it's done the first two things in Syria -- but stay tuned.

Number three can't be far behind.

Keep telling me what you think in the comments section, on the Power Vertical's Twitter feed, and on our Facebook page.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told EU leaders on October 20 that Russian attacks that have destroyed a large portion of Ukraine's energy infrastructure are aimed in part at provoking a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries.



"Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many problems as possible with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter, and for as many Ukrainians as possible to go to your countries, he told an EU summit in Brussels.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

This should be "answered immediately," primarily by more air defense systems sent to Ukraine, the president said.



"We must do everything possible to make it completely impossible for Russia to destroy our energy system with missiles and drones," Zelenskiy said in a virtual speech to EU lawmakers, calling on Ukraine's partners to provide systems "to create a truly reliable air shield."



Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure facilities since October 10, mainly using kamikaze drones that Ukraine and its Western allies say are Iranian-made. Moscow and Tehran have denied the accusations.



Zelenskiy also warned that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine, and if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding.



Zelenskiy said Ukrainian workers have been thrown out of the facility, leaving Russians in control. He asserted that Russia "has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack."

He called for an international observation mission and the return of Ukrainian personnel to ensure the mines are removed from the dam and its units.



Zelenskiy's comment came two days after Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed head of the Kherson region of Ukraine, announced an "organized, gradual displacement" of civilians from four towns on the right bank of the Dnieper River to the left side.



Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of planning to destroy the dam and also warned of "an immediate danger of flooding."



The Moscow-installed authorities of Kherson said on October 20 that about 15,000 people had left the region.

The Moscow-appointed deputy head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, encouraged people to cross over to the left bank of the Dnieper River and posted a video of a column of buses on Telegram.



Kyiv has denounced Moscow's move, calling it a "deportation" of Ukrainian civilians to Russia.



But Stremousov said people should follow the evacuation instructions and leave Kherson, one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia.



"Give the military a chance to do what they have to do," he said, claiming that the Russian army will not surrender Kherson.



Zelenskiys office said that Ukrainian forces on October 20 had mounted 15 attacks on Russian military strongholds in the Kherson region. Russias Defense Ministry spokesman said the Kremlins forces repelled Ukrainian attempts to advance with tanks on three Kherson villages.



Another Russian-installed official in the region, Vladimir Leontyev, said Ukrainian forces had launched five missile strikes against the Kakhovka dam.



Ukraine earlier on October 20 began restricting electricity consumption for the first time since the start of Russia's invasion as the country sustained serious damage to its infrastructure following waves of Russian air strikes targeting its electricity grid ahead of the onset of winter.

Oleksandr Kharchenko, an adviser to the energy minister, said on October 19 that there would be outages, including some that are scheduled.



"Unfortunately, according to new data, about 40 percent of the total infrastructure is seriously damaged. Repair and connection work is ongoing, but outages are expected today and tomorrow," Kharchenko said on Ukrainian television.



The supply restriction started at 7 a.m. (0800 Prague time) and was due to last until 11 p.m. Grid operator Ukrenergo urged Ukrainians to charge their mobile phones and have blankets on hand for warmth.

In the latest Russian attack, an energy facility was struck and damaged in the Kryvorizka district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the head of the regional administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, reported on October 20.

Earlier, a missile strike hit a major coal-fired power station in the city of Burshtyn in western Ukraine, the region's governor said.

"Our region experienced missile fire today. The Burshtyn thermal power station was hit, which caused a fire," Svitlana Onyshchuk, governor of Ivano-Frankivsk region, said in an online video statement.

The Burshtyn power station supplies electricity to three western regions and 5 million consumers.

Ahead of the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed lawmakers in Berlin on October 20, condemning Russia's latest drone attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine and saying that "such scorched-earth tactics will not help Russia win the war."

Scholz said such tactics by Russian President Vladimir Putin would "only strengthen the resolve and the will of Ukraine and its partners to persevere."

"In the end, Russia's bombing and missile terror is an act of desperation -- just like the mobilization of Russian men for war," Scholz said. "He wants to sow fear, divide, and intimidate. He is speculating on our weakness, but he is wrong -- we are not weak."

Scholz said the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war would be a "generational task in which the entire civilized community of states must join forces."



In London, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace will also make a statement to parliament on Ukraine later on October 20, the House of Commons said on Twitter.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and BBC
Iran is cracking down on Valentines Day celebrations in an effort to fight decadent Western culture."

Iranian police have told shops not to display or promote Valentines Day items.

The police directive also said that coffee shops and juice bars should prevent gatherings in which boys and girls exchange Valentines Day gifts, including flowers, chocolate, and stuffed animals.

Despite similar warnings and crackdown attempts, the annual February 14 Valentines Day celebrations have in recent years become increasingly popular among young Iranians.

The romantic holiday is being celebrated even among the residents of Irans holy city of Qom, Iranian conservative media have reported.
MUNICH -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini issued calls for increased cooperation among the nations of the Middle East.

Zarif and Mogherini spoke in a joint appearance at the Munich Security Conference on February 12.

They said the kind of political will and flexibility that enabled Tehran and global powers to reach a landmark deal to curb the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief could serve as a model for a new approach among Middle Eastern neighbors whose relations are tense.

All we need to do...is change our paradigm, Zarif said. I can assure you, Iran is ready.

Mogherini said that in the wake of the nuclear accord, "We have started preparing high-level political dialogue between the European Union and Iran."

"This will include talks on investments, economy, trade, energy, climate, but also culture, or what we call people-to-people exchanges, because our people know each other," she said.

Mostly Shi'ite Muslim Iran and mostly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia differ deeply over Syria, where Tehran supports President Bashar al-Assad while Riyadh wants him out.

Tensions between the two countries flared in January, with a crowd storming the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed to defeat the Islamic State militant group in the country this year.

"We intend this year to make it the final year and the last year for the existence of Daesh in Iraq," Abadi told a security conference in Munich on February 12, using the Arabic term for the militant group.

Abadi said government forces have won back half of the territory previously under the control of the militants.

"The area we have liberated so far is more than half of what was occupied by Daesh before," he said.

His comments came as hundreds of Iraqi soldiers arrived at a northern base to prepare for operations to retake the city of Mosul from IS militants.

In an interview with the German news agency dpa on February 12 in Berlin, Abadi said the Iraqi military will likely launch a full campaign next month to regain Mosul, IS's de facto capital in the country.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP




On September 1, 2015, Thai PBS aired a citizen-journalist



On September 12, 2014, the Royal Thai Government submitted an



On November 12, 2015, Tungkum Ltd. filed charges of criminal defamation under the Thai Criminal Code and the Computer Crimes Act as well as other charges against journalist Ms. Wirada Saelim; then-Director-General of Thai PBS Mr. Somchai Suwanbun; Mr. Korkhet Chantalertluk, Director of the News Department at Thai PBS and Mr. Yothin Sitthibodeekul, Director of the Television and Radio Department at Thai PBS; and Thai PBS itself. The charges allege that nationally broadcasted media and online content from the citizen-journalist news clip damaged the reputation of the company.



The Bangkok Criminal Court scheduled a preliminary hearing on March 21, 2016 to consider the merits of the charges against Thai PBS and its employees.



Thai PBS carried out its duties to report news and provide a platform for public discourse, said Amy Smith. These charges not only offend the right to freedom of expression, but also seek to deprive the Thai people of a vital media service.



In addition, in November, 2015 the Tungkum Ltd. lodged two separate criminal defamation complaints against the 15-year-old schoolgirlone to the Provincial Office of Juvenile Observation and Protection in Loei Province and another to the Minburi Metropolitan Police in Bangkok.



The Juvenile Observation and Protection Office and Minburi Police station are investigating the merits of the companys complaints against the 15-year-old schoolgirl to determine whether the cases should be referred respectively to the Juvenile and Family Court and the public prosecutor.



These defamation charges and complaints infringe on the right to freedom of expression in Thailand, Fortify Rights said.



The right to freedom of expression is protected under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a state party. Under international law, restrictions on freedom of expression are permissible only when they are provided by law, proportional, and necessary to accomplish a legitimate aim. The complaint and charges against the 15-year-old schoolgirl and Thai PBS and its employees represent an overly broad application of defamation laws in violation of the right to freedom of expression.



Imprisonment for defamation is a disproportionate punishment that infringes on the right to freedom of expression, according to the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders also provides principles to protect the work of individual human rights defenders and organizations. Thailand affirmed its commitment to protect human rights defenders through a UN General Assembly resolution adopted on December 17, 2015.



Thailand should immediately decriminalize defamation and establish a legal framework and effective mechanisms to protect human rights defenders, Fortify Rights said.



Tungkum Ltd.s parent companyTongkah Harbour Plc.received permission to conduct an initial exploration for mineral resources in Loei Province in April 1990. Tungkum Ltd. officially started operations to extract minerals from the mine in 2006.



In 2007, villagers from six communities surrounding the mine formed a community-based groupthe Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group (KRBKG)to advocate for a clean environment and to oppose the mining operation. The KRBKG is demanding that the authorities and company permanently close down the gold mining operation, and address environmental contamination and health impacts potentially linked to the mining operation.



State and non-state actors have reportedly threatened, intimidated, and used violence against members of the KRBKG, Fortify Rights said.



For instance, on May 15, 2014, at least 100 unidentified men in black masks carrying wooden sticks, knives, and guns surrounded Na Nong Bong villagelocated next to the mineand assaulted several villagers, according to witness testimony provided to the Loei Provincial Court on October 28 and 29, 2015. The unknown militia reportedly held several villagers and leaders of the KRBKG captive while trucks transported material out of the mine site and village. The incident went on for almost six hours. According to witness testimony, police failed to intervene and did not respond to several complaints by local community members that evening. The masked militiamen injured at least 13 villagers and allegedly stole property, taking a camera, a gold necklace, and money from villagers. The militia also destroyed barricades established several months earlier by local members of KRBKG that blocked the road to the mine site.



Between 2007 and 2015, Tungkum Ltd. has brought at least 19 criminal and civil lawsuits against 33 members of the KRBKG. The company has demanded 320 million Thai Baht (US $8.93 million) in compensation from villagers, not including the most recent charges against Thai PBS, for allegedly damaging the companys business and reputation.



Fortify Rights recommended that Thai authorities and Tungkum Ltd. immediately and unconditionally withdraw all criminal complaints against the schoolgirl, Thai PBS, and the others accused of criminal defamation and to immediately drop the civil defamation suit filed against six additional villagers. Thai authorities should instead commit resources to investigate allegations of environmental contamination potentially linked to the copper-gold mine and to investigate the violent attack against villagers on May 15, 2014.



Everyone has the right to express their opinion and the right to enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, said Amy Smith. Rather than investigate human rights defenders, children, and members of the press, the authorities should look into longstanding allegations of environmental contamination in the community. These cases typify the egregious use of criminal defamation in Thailand to silence critics and human rights defenders, said Amy Smith, Executive Director of Fortify Rights. Ironically, the company is damaging its own reputation by pursuing criminal defamation charges against a child and the media. They should drop the complaints immediately.On September 1, 2015, Thai PBS aired a citizen-journalist news clip about a youth camp that was raising awareness about environmental protection in Wang Sa Pung District, Loei Province. A 15-year-old schoolgirl who attended the youth camp narrated the Thai PBS news clip, in which she alleged six villages in the gold mining area have been environmentally affected from the gold mining industry. She went on to say that the River Huay has been contaminated, and villagers cannot use it for drinking or household consumption.On September 12, 2014, the Royal Thai Government submitted an official communication to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stating that a committee of government engineers and environmental experts found that water surrounding the Tungkum Ltd. mining operation was contaminated with cyanide, cadmium, and manganese. The Thai government further stated that the cause of the contamination was unclear as, according to the geologists opinion, the area is also known to be covered by volcanic activities in the past.On November 12, 2015, Tungkum Ltd. filed charges of criminal defamation under the Thai Criminal Code and the Computer Crimes Act as well as other charges against journalist Ms. Wirada Saelim; then-Director-General of Thai PBS Mr. Somchai Suwanbun; Mr. Korkhet Chantalertluk, Director of the News Department at Thai PBS and Mr. Yothin Sitthibodeekul, Director of the Television and Radio Department at Thai PBS; and Thai PBS itself. The charges allege that nationally broadcasted media and online content from the citizen-journalist news clip damaged the reputation of the company.The Bangkok Criminal Court scheduled a preliminary hearing on March 21, 2016 to consider the merits of the charges against Thai PBS and its employees.Thai PBS carried out its duties to report news and provide a platform for public discourse, said Amy Smith. These charges not only offend the right to freedom of expression, but also seek to deprive the Thai people of a vital media service.In addition, in November, 2015 the Tungkum Ltd. lodged two separate criminal defamation complaints against the 15-year-old schoolgirlone to the Provincial Office of Juvenile Observation and Protection in Loei Province and another to the Minburi Metropolitan Police in Bangkok.The Juvenile Observation and Protection Office and Minburi Police station are investigating the merits of the companys complaints against the 15-year-old schoolgirl to determine whether the cases should be referred respectively to the Juvenile and Family Court and the public prosecutor.These defamation charges and complaints infringe on the right to freedom of expression in Thailand, Fortify Rights said.The right to freedom of expression is protected under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a state party. Under international law, restrictions on freedom of expression are permissible only when they are provided by law, proportional, and necessary to accomplish a legitimate aim. The complaint and charges against the 15-year-old schoolgirl and Thai PBS and its employees represent an overly broad application of defamation laws in violation of the right to freedom of expression.Imprisonment for defamation is a disproportionate punishment that infringes on the right to freedom of expression, according to the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders also provides principles to protect the work of individual human rights defenders and organizations. Thailand affirmed its commitment to protect human rights defenders through a UN General Assembly resolution adopted on December 17, 2015.Thailand should immediately decriminalize defamation and establish a legal framework and effective mechanisms to protect human rights defenders, Fortify Rights said.Tungkum Ltd.s parent companyTongkah Harbour Plc.received permission to conduct an initial exploration for mineral resources in Loei Province in April 1990. Tungkum Ltd. officially started operations to extract minerals from the mine in 2006.In 2007, villagers from six communities surrounding the mine formed a community-based groupthe Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group (KRBKG)to advocate for a clean environment and to oppose the mining operation. The KRBKG is demanding that the authorities and company permanently close down the gold mining operation, and address environmental contamination and health impacts potentially linked to the mining operation.State and non-state actors have reportedly threatened, intimidated, and used violence against members of the KRBKG, Fortify Rights said.For instance, on May 15, 2014, at least 100 unidentified men in black masks carrying wooden sticks, knives, and guns surrounded Na Nong Bong villagelocated next to the mineand assaulted several villagers, according to witness testimony provided to the Loei Provincial Court on October 28 and 29, 2015. The unknown militia reportedly held several villagers and leaders of the KRBKG captive while trucks transported material out of the mine site and village. The incident went on for almost six hours. According to witness testimony, police failed to intervene and did not respond to several complaints by local community members that evening. The masked militiamen injured at least 13 villagers and allegedly stole property, taking a camera, a gold necklace, and money from villagers. The militia also destroyed barricades established several months earlier by local members of KRBKG that blocked the road to the mine site.Between 2007 and 2015, Tungkum Ltd. has brought at least 19 criminal and civil lawsuits against 33 members of the KRBKG. The company has demanded 320 million Thai Baht (US $8.93 million) in compensation from villagers, not including the most recent charges against Thai PBS, for allegedly damaging the companys business and reputation.Fortify Rights recommended that Thai authorities and Tungkum Ltd. immediately and unconditionally withdraw all criminal complaints against the schoolgirl, Thai PBS, and the others accused of criminal defamation and to immediately drop the civil defamation suit filed against six additional villagers. Thai authorities should instead commit resources to investigate allegations of environmental contamination potentially linked to the copper-gold mine and to investigate the violent attack against villagers on May 15, 2014.Everyone has the right to express their opinion and the right to enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, said Amy Smith. Rather than investigate human rights defenders, children, and members of the press, the authorities should look into longstanding allegations of environmental contamination in the community.

For more information, please contact: Amy Smith, Executive Director, +66.87.795.5454 (Thailand), amy.smith@fortifyrights.org , Twitter: @Amy Alex Smith, @fortifyrights



Matthew Smith, Executive Director, +66.85.028.0044 (Thailand), matthew.smith@fortifyrights.org ; Twitter: @matthewfsmith , @fortifyrights
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has urged his country's Kurdish autonomous region to reject any plans for independence.

"The Kurdistan region will not develop without Iraq and Iraq must be united in all its components," said Abadi on February 11 after talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Kurdistan is part of Iraq and I hope it will remain so," he added.

Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani said last week that the "time has come" for Iraq's Kurds to hold a referendum on statehood.

But the region faces economic problems as sinking oil prices hurt the Iraqi economy.

Discontent has mounted over unpaid salaries and wage cuts in the government sector, with doctors and traffic police in the Kurdish region protesting this month.

"Iraqi oil revenues have fallen to just 15 percent of the revenues we had two years ago," said Abadi. "This is a major decline and we therefore have great difficulties."

World oil prices have dropped by 70 percent since June 2014.

Merkel announced on February 11 a credit line to Iraq worth some 500 million euros ($560 million) to help Iraq's "economic recovery [through] infrastructure projects."

Based on reporting by AFP and Al-Arabiya
QARAGHANDY, Kazakhstan -- The mother of a Kazakh lawyer jailed for hitting a judge with a fly swatter says her son has been on hunger strike since January 13.

Yevgeny Tankov's mother, Valentina Tankova, told RFE/RL on February 12 that her son is demanding that inmates' rights are respected. This includes receiving proper meals, having access to information, and being allowed regular phone calls with relatives.

Tankov made headlines in March 2014 after he put a fly swatter on the desk of a judge during a trial in the Qaraghandy region. He then hit the judge on the head a few times with another swatter.

The lawyer said he offered the judge "a duel with fly swatters" to show that the justice system in Kazakhstan is "a joke."

Tankov was later found guilty of "assaulting a judge" and sentenced to three years in jail.


Moldovan prosecutors say Russian-backed separatists in southeastern Ukraine have been hiring Moldovan mercenaries to fight on their side, sometimes promising as much as $3,000 monthly.

Dozens of Moldovans are known to have fought along the separatists for money, officials under the Prosecutor-General's Office said at a news conference on February 11.

Ten suspected mercenaries have been arrested and place under investigation since the beginning of the year, and two of them have already been sentenced to three years in prison each, said Igor Popa, the acting prosecutor-general for Moldova's capital, Chisinau.

Under Moldova's current legislation, serving as a mercenary abroad is punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Popa said criminal cases are continuing against the remaining eight, aged 26 to 32, most of whom are Russian speakers from southern Moldova.

At the time of their arrest, all were carrying documents showing they belonged to separatist units from southeastern Ukraine.

"I regret to say it, but tens of Moldovans have been fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine," Popa said. "We have documented cases where Moldovan citizens have been injured and we don't rule out possible deaths of our citizens during this military conflict."

The precise number of Moldovans fighting in Ukraine is not known, but Moldovan security services say they are making every effort to identify suspected mercenaries.

Since they are usually ex-members of special military or police units, according to Popa, they pose a threat to Moldova's national security.

"Ukraine's security service promised during a joint meeting with its Moldovan counterpart that Kyiv would give them a list of all Moldovans known to be involved in the conflict," Popa said.

While empathy with the separatists' cause may have played a role in the recruitment of ethnic Russians from Moldova, the main incentive remains money.

"For example, one individual who was sent to court in January has admitted that he was promised from the outset that he would be paid some $3,000 monthly," said Nicu Sendrea, the deputy prosecutor for Chisinau.

Two other suspects were apprehended upon reentering Moldova with large sums of Russian rubles after fighting alongside separatists in Ukraine.

"Both individuals admitted to being paid sums of money in Russian rubles -- one 15,000 rubles ($180), and the other one 40,000 rubles ($500) monthly," said Denis Rotaru, the head of Moldova's antiorganized crime unit.

More than 9,000 civilians and combatants have been killed since the war erupted in southeastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists in April 2014. Fighting has diminished markedly after a second cease-fire was signed in Minsk in February 2015, but violations are frequent and a deal aimed to resolve the conflict has gone largely unimplemented.

RFE/RL Moldovan Service correspondent Nicu Gusan contributed to this report from Chisinau
MUNICH -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed an agreement for a cessation of hostilities in Syria but indicated there was no promise from Russia to stop its bombing campaign.

Stoltenberg spoke to reporters after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 12.

He said the cessation of hostilities agreement reached by powers overnight "has to be a first step" toward a "lasting cease-fire" and that "the important thing now is to see it implemented on the ground."

Stoltenberg did not answer directly when asked whether Lavrov had vowed to stop Russian air strikes, which he said have mainly been directed not at Islamic State (IS) militants but against the opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

He said he would welcome "a more constructive role by Russia" in fighting IS.

But Lavrov has been quoted since the cessation deal's announcement as saying that "the truce does not apply to terrorists...[and] the military operation against them will be continued."

Stoltenberg also said he and Lavrov had discussed efforts to convene a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, after a hiatus of more than a year, but had not reached agreement.

He said that, for NATO, it is essential that such a meeting address Ukraine, because Russia's actions there are the reason that ties between NATO and Russia are tense.
A Moscow court has rejected opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's lawsuit against President Vladimir Putin accusing the Russian leader of a conflict of interest in the awarding of $1.75 billion in government financing to a company partly owned by his son-in-law.

Anastasia Dzyurko, a spokeswoman for the Tverskoi district court, said on February 12 that a judge rejected the lawsuit Navalny filed a day earlier because it did not qualify for consideration under "administrative proceedings," Russian media reported.

Public records show that Putin in October tasked his government with allocating $1.75 billion in state financing for a massive refinery being built in western Siberia by Sibur, Russia's largest gas and petrochemicals processor.

The second-largest shareholder in Sibur is Kirill Shamalov, who has been identified in Russian and Western media as the husband of one of Putin's daughters.

Navalny said in his lawsuit that Putin was required by Russian law to disclose a conflict of interest when he instructed officials to finance the Sibur project.

Both Shamalov and the Kremlin have refused to confirm reports that he is married to Putin's younger daughter but have not denied them.

Shamalov, the son of a longtime associate of Putin's, holds a 21.3 percent stake in Sibur, making him the company's second-largest shareholder.

A Reuters investigation last year found that the company received the loan last year from Russia's National Wealth Fund at an unusually low interest rate.

Navalny reacted sarcastically, saying on Twitter that he was "dumbfounded and shocked" by the decision.

Ivan Zhdanov, a lawyer who works with Navalny, said in a February 12 Facebook post that the judge had no right to reject the lawsuit and that they would appeal the decision.

Navalny, a driving force in the opposition street protests that preceded Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012 following a four-year stint as prime minister, wrote on his blog that "the truth is on our side."

"It is an undeniable fact that Putin personally made the decision to give his son-in-law's company $1.75 billion from the National Welfare Fund," he wrote. "Any normal person (even if he is a supporter of Putin) will agree that there is a conflict of interest here."

Irina Yarova, a member of Putin's ruling United Russia party and head of the security committee in the lower house of parliament, said that Navalny's lawsuit was aimed at discrediting Putin ahead of a high-profile annual security conference that kicked off in Munich on February 12, the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the state-owned TASS news agency as saying on February 11 that Putin was unaware of the lawsuit.

With reporting by Interfax, Business FM, Reuters, and RIA Novosti
WASHINGTON -- A top OSCE official has warned that the human rights situation in eastern Ukraine is worsening and the transatlantic security organization is still barred from entering the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula to investigate alleged abuses there.

Michael Georg Link, of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also warned on February 11 that a lack of regional cooperation was hampering Europes response to the refugees flooding the continent from the conflicts in the Middle East.

In eastern Ukraine, the human rights situation in these certain areas.... They are increasingly affected. The longer the war goes, the longer the conflict goes, the more affected they are certainly, Link told the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a government agency that monitors international adherence to the 1975 Helsinki Accords.

Those accords were a landmark human rights compact signed by 35 countries at the height of the Cold War. They also gave birth to the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which comprises 57 European, North American, and Central Asian countries.

Link, who heads the OSCEs Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said the group was very, very concerned about the plight of the Crimean Tatar population on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

With signs that an anti-immigrant backlash is building in Europe amid the flood of refugees arriving from Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere, Link echoed earlier calls from European leaders for a coordinated approach to the problems.

The lack of regional cooperation among states...is a problem. This refugee crisis cannot be solved by one side alone, there must be a joint action, he said.

He also warned the commission about increasing dangers to journalists among its member states, and he focused specifically on Azerbaijan, where Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative reporter and RFE/RL contributor, has been jailed.

Journalists are key to early warning, by the way. A free media landscape, a free media press, is part of the normal early warning process that should happen in a civil society, Link said. So if you shut down...independent media, if you dont have a pluralistic approach in media, as diverse a approach as possible, then a society can go very, very wrong.




Pakistan says it has arrested a collective of 97 militants from three banned groups in the port city of Karachi.

Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa announced on February 12 that the militants had been arrested over the past months.

Bajwa said they belonged to the groups Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Tehrik-e Taliban, and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent.

He said the men, who have been coordinating on logistics and planning, were accused of involvement in multiple attacks on Pakistani air bases, a major airport, and police facilities.

Several of the arrested were in the advanced stages of planning a jailbreak attempt on a jail in Hyderabad, according to Bajwa.

Khalid Omar Sheikh, who kidnapped and killed U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, was to be released during the attack. The plotters also had a list of 35 inmates they wanted to kill.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and Dawn


Russian Deputy Prime Minister Russia Dmitry Rogozin in a visit to Baghdad offered to provide more military aid and step up commercial ties, potentially eroding U.S. influence in the war-torn country.

Rogozin led the largest Russian delegation in years with nearly 100 government and business officials.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said on February 11 that discussions revolved around providing military assistance to defeat Islamic State militants who seized a third of Iraq in 2014.

"We need international support from multiple sources, be it from within the international coalition or outside of it," he said, referring to the U.S.-led coalition aiding Iraq in its fight against IS.

Russia has invested millions of dollars in Iraq's energy sector and last year opened a command center in Baghdad under an intelligence-sharing agreement with Iraq, Iran, and Syria aimed at combating IS.

Russian and Iraqi officials signed wide-ranging measures to more than double bilateral trade and boost Iraq's electricity production, which falls far short of peak demand during hot summer months.

Trade last year was nearly $2 billion. Rogozin said Russia could provide Sukhoi Superjet airliners for Iraq's civil aviation.

Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS


Pope Francis was holding a historic meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, in Cuba on February 12, the first meeting between the heads of the two churches in nearly a millennium.

The pope and Kirill embraced as they met in a private room at Havana airport on February 12.

"Finally!" Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the airports small VIP room, where the planned three-hour meeting was being held. "We are brothers."

The two men kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told Francis through an interpreter: "Now things are easier."

It was the first meeting between the heads of the Catholic Church and what is now the largest church in Eastern Orthodoxy since the Christian world split in the Great Schism of 1054.

The two are expected to unite in an appeal for an end to the persecution and killing of Christians in the Middle East.

The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the pope as the head of Christianity is the main reason for the historically poor relations between the two churches.

Relations have suffered more recently over the conflict in Ukraine, as the patriarch has been a fervent backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies.

Francis, who became pope in 2013, said in an interview this week: "I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers."

He also framed the meeting as a chance to engage Russia, which he said could serve as a key partner to promote peace in the world.

The meeting comes at a time when Russia has faced scathing criticism of its military actions abroad, from the takeover of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 to what critics say is an indiscriminate bombing campaign that has killed large numbers of Syrian civilians.

Kirill, who was greeted by Cuban President Raul Castro, 84, upon his arrival on February 11, was on an 11-day trip to Latin America that will also take him to Brazil and Paraguay.

The 79-year-old Francis was also met by Castro when he stepped onto the tarmac on February 12.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Western leaders are welcoming a deal for a humanitarian truce in Syria while warning that Russia must stop bombing Western-backed opposition strongholds for the accord to hold.

World powers agreed in Munich overnight on February 11-12 to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria -- where hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been forced to flee since civil war broke out five years ago -- to begin in a week's time.

"If Russia does not end its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, a cease-fire reached by major powers will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 12.

The truce is intended to allow humanitarian aid to reach people in Aleppo and other besieged Syrian communities nationwide.

However, the truce agreement allows attacks to continue against groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council, including Islamic State (IS, also known as Daesh) and the Al Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria.

Western diplomats have said privately that they worry Russia might seek to continue bombing Western-backed opposition forces despite the peace deal by claiming the attacks are against "terrorist" groups excepted from the accord.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the cessation of hostilities but indicated there was no promise from Russia to stop its bombing campaign. He said he would welcome a more "constructive role" by Russia in fighting Islamic State.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying that "the truce does not apply to terrorists, and that is stated in today's document." He added, "The military operation against them will be continued."

Moscow and Damascus have often broadly labeled Syria's many rebel groups as terrorist organizations.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to retake the "whole country," saying that just because negotiations were taking place, "it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the humanitarian truce "will only succeed if there is a major change of behavior by the Syrian regime and its supporters."

A key rebel coalition, the Higher Negotiating Committee, said it welcomed the deal "in principle." But the Saudi-based grouping said, "We want deeds, not just sayings."



There has been no official comment from Damascus yet on the accord, which was struck in Munich by the United States, Russia, and a dozen other countries composing the International Syria Support Group (ISSG).



Announcing the accord, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the truce is a "pause" and not a formal "cease-fire."



He said that the ISSG members had agreed that formal negotiations to establish a more lasting peace should resume in Geneva as soon as possible.



Representatives of the 17 ISSG countries will meet in Geneva on February 12 to hold talks on how to ensure humanitarian access to needy communities across Syria.



Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council who will chair the UN meeting in Geneva, said the accord "could be the breakthrough we have been waiting for to get full access to desperate civilians inside Syria."



But he said the deal "requires that all those with influence on all sides of the conflict put pressure on the parties."



Meanwhile, prospects for formal Syrian peace talks to resume in Geneva remain uncertain.



UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said plans to reconvene the talks were still "cloudy" but that he hopes they will resume on February 25.

The latest round of Syrian peace talks began in Geneva on January 29 but derailed almost immediately over opposition groups' anger at escalating Syrian government and Russian air attacks on rebel areas around Aleppo.

The war in Syria and the related refugee crisis are high on the agenda as senior officials gather in Munich, Germany, for the annual Munich Security Conference on February 12-14.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Middle Valley Church of God announces that Pastor Mitch McClure will speak on the topic,"There Are Those Who Are Tough To Love" in the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday. This is part of a new sermon series titled 'Loving, Accepting, And Forgiving Will Work.' This series of sermons will focus on the need of all Christians to examine relationships and discover ways in which they can be people of healing to others.

Pastor McClure will lead the church in a time of prayer and worship during the 6:30 p.m.

service on Sunday.Each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school classes are available for all age groups.Presently Pastor McClure is leading a Bible study on a book called, 'Horizontal Jesus' by Dr. Tony Evans. This will be a multimedia study of Dr. Evan's book. This Bible study will occur each Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Administrative Classroom.All are invited and encouraged to participate in any or all of these services.Middle Valley Church of God is located at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson. For additional information, contact the church office at 423-843-1539.
The United States has expanded its air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan since President Barack Obama granted commanders broader authority to target the group there, a U.S. military spokesman said on February 11.

IS is a relatively new force in Afghanistan, where the militant group has challenged the Taliban. Concerned about the group's increasingly global reach, Obama granted the U.S. military broad authority to strike IS there in January.

"The change in authorities has given us additional flexibility" and "significantly increased" the number of strikes, said military spokesman Brigadier General Wilson Shoffner.

Officials said 20 strikes have been launched in the eastern part of the country in the last three weeks. They credited the strikes, in combination with Afghan and NATO joint operations, with containing IS in eastern Afghanistan.

Shoffner said IS has some 1,000 to 3,000 members in eastern Afghanistan and was attempting to establish a base of operations in Nangarhar. NATO aircraft struck an IS radio station there this month.

While IS has been an increasing problem in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition efforts have been more focused on the south, where the Taliban has been launching attacks since October.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Major powers agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria and to expand delivery of humanitarian aid to people caught up in the conflict, top diplomats said in Munich on February 12.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters after an hours-long meeting with envoys from Russia and more than a dozen other countries in the Syrian Support Group, said the target for implementing the nationwide end of fighting was a week's time.

He said all participants had agreed that formal negotiations to establish a more lasting peace on Syria should resume in Geneva as soon as possible.

Kerry called the agreed-on truce a "pause," not a "cease-fire," which he said would be "far more permanent -- an end of conflict."

"The objective is to achieve a durable long-term cease-fire at some point in time" but that can only come through "genuine negotiations," Kerry said, adding that the commitments made in Munich are only "on paper" and need to be borne out in practice.

The truce would not apply to Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda's Syrian affliate, and other extremist groups, he said.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the agreement could only be considered a "breakthrough" it if succeeds in stopping Russia from supporting Syrian government forces with air strikes as they advance against opposition strongholds in Aleppo.

"If implemented fully and properly...this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria," Hammond said. "But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behavior by the Syrian regime and its supporters."

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States and Russia would co-chair both a new working group on humanitarian aid in Syria as well as a group establishing the "modalities" of the temporary truce.

While humanitarian access is critical to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians, a cease-fire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition are to resume by the UN's target date of February 25.

Peace talks broke down on February 3 before they really started, due largely to gains by Assad's military in Aleppo province with the heavy backing of Russian air strikes, gains which have continued to the present day.

Thorny issues that stymied earlier negotations remain unresolved, including which groups besides Islamic State and Al-Nusra should be considered terrorist and excluded from the peace negotiations.

Russia and Syria contend that groups they are fighting in Aleppo, some of which are supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the West, are in the terrorist category.

Lavrov on February 12 said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against such terrorist groups, suggesting that Moscow could continue to justify bombings in Aleppo citing the "terrorist" exception to the truce.

Much is at stake in the latest attempt to end the nearly five-year civil war in Syria. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on February 11 raised the spectre of an interminable conflict or even a world war if the peace talks fail, given open discussion by the United States and Saudi Arabia of sending ground troops to join in the conflict.

Even without such escalation, the damage from the war has been monumental, with hundreds of thousands of people killed, the spawning of Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II, and the rise of the Islamic State, which declared an Islamic caliphate on territory it carved out in Syria and Iraq.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to quickly reestablish a unified government and carry out reforms sought by the West.

The need to move quickly to quell a political crisis in the wake of the resignation last week of Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who cited corruption within the government, was discussed in a phone call between the two leaders on February 11, the White House said.

The conversation came one day after Poroshenko talked with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde and assured her that he remains committed to economic reform and rooting out corruption despite Abromavicius's charges.

Lagarde had warned that Ukraine's $17.5 billion loan program was at risk unless the government proceeds with reforms linked to the financial aid.

"The vice president urged the governing coalition to quickly establish unity to allow Ukraine to move forward with reforms, in line with the commitments in its IMF program," the White House said.

Biden and Poroshenko also discussed an uptick in violence in eastern Urkaine and "expressed serious concern about the worsening security situation" there, it said.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters


Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev grabbed global headlines this week with his interview in the German newspaper Handelsblatt in which he was quoted as warning that the Syria conflict could lead to a new world war.

But did Medvedev actually utter a phrase suggesting World War III is potentially nigh?

That question is the center of a kerfuffle that drew critical remarks from the U.S. State Department ahead of the annual Munich Security Conference, which kicked off February 12.

In the interview, published February 11, Medvedev was asked his opinion about the prospect of Arab countries sending fighters to Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad, Moscows staunch ally, is battling both the extremist Islamic State group and more moderate opposition groups. Some of those moderate groups have received backing from the United States and its allies.

Handelsblatts German translation quoted Medvedev as saying that such a move could spark einen neuen Weltkrieg, or a new world war.

The word Weltkrieg and its English translation was, in journalistic parlance, sexy enough to earn a spot in the headlines of the Handelsblatt story. Global news agencies like Reuters, the Associated Press, and AFP also used the word.

The world war quote even made its way into the daily State Department press briefing in Washington the same day, in a question posed to spokesman Mark Toner. He said the specter of a broader conflict was concerning but accused Russia of exacerbating the Syria conflict with its support for Assad.

But the accuracy of the Handelsblatt translation was called into question on social media after Medvedevs office released a Russian-language transcript of the interview that quoted him uttering a notably softer phrasing.

Medvedev, who spoke Russian during the interview, was quoted as saying that world powers must force all sides to sit down at the negotiating table and not start yet another war on Earth. (In Russian:      .)

Russias state-funded global news network RT, meanwhile, accused Reuters of misquoting Medvedev by reprinting Handelsblatts incorrect translation.

The [Reuters] report referred to a German translation of his words, which is incorrect and implies that Russia is warning that a full-scale war between leading world powers may be ignited from the Syrian conflict, RT wrote in a February 12 post on its website that did not include a byline.

Massaged Transcripts

The translation tempest ultimately prompted Handelsblatt to issue a clarification and defend its use of the phrase world war.

In a note on the English-language version of the newspapers website, Kevin OBrien, editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global Edition, wrote that the Kremlinapproved a German-language version of the interview.

The German quote approved by the Kremlin contained the term einen neuen Weltkrieg, or a new world war, OBrien wrote.

The Kremlin and Medvedevs office operate in separate bureaucratic structures, and it was not immediately clear whether OBrien intended to refer to the prime ministers office as the Kremlin. Typically, Medvedevs staff would manage such an interview.

OBrien did not respond immediately to an e-mail seeking clarification about the Kremlins potential role in approving the German translation. In an earlier e-mail, he referred questions about Medvedevs verbatim quote in Russian to correspondent Mathias Brueggmann, who spoke Russian to the prime minister during the interview.

Brueggmann, head of Handelsblatts foreign affairs desk, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. He interviewed Medvedev together with the newspapers editor in chief, Sven Afhueppe, who spoke in German during the meeting.

The Russian government has previously massaged or omitted contentious comments by foreign and domestic officials in official records of public statements.

Standing next to Putin at a May 2015 news conference in Moscow, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in German, called Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula the previous year verbrecherisch, or criminal.

The official Russian-language interpreter at the press conference, however, omitted the word criminal during the event, and the official Kremlin transcript left out the word as well.

It is, however, included in the transcript published by Merkels office.

At last years Munich Security Conference -- an influential gathering that draws diplomats, foreign ministers, business leaders, and academics -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded to hoots of derision from the audience at his defense of the Crimea takeover being in line with international law by saying, in Russian: I guess its funny.

He suggested that he found things said earlier funny as well, but I controlled myself.

These comments were not included in the Foreign Ministrys official transcript of the event.

Whether Medvedevs office took similar liberties in transcribing his interview with Handelsblatt was not immediately clear.

Of course, publicly releasing the audio recording of the interview would certainly settle the matter once and for all.
An April 19 trial date has been set in the "circumstantial" murder case against an Atlanta man.

Defense attorney Bill Speek on Thursday afternoon said the state has no evidence to show that Eric Fitzgerald Williams, 44, killed his associate, Daniel Adams, at the Pinewood Apartments in Brainerd on April 3, 2014.

He noted that blood from Williams and the victim were inside the apartment, but there was also blood from an unidentified third person.

However, prosecutor Lance Pope said the evidence was strong against Williams. He said Adams had given statements implicating both of them in the purchase of 12 pounds of marijuana that was delivered by FedEx to another local residence earlier.

Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz said attorney Speek had made a compelling case, but he kept the bond at $360,000 on the second-degree murder charge. Williams remains charged in the marijuana case.

Detective Matthew Puglise said Adams died of two gunshot wounds to the head. He said one was close up - execution style.

He said there were signs of a struggle inside the apartment that belonged to Adams' girlfriend, Nancy Fortson. There was a shoe print on the wall of the bedroom, a mattress pulled off the bed and pillows strewn about the living room.

The detective said the murder is believed to have happened between midnight and 1 a.m., but the body was not reported until Ms. Fortson came home the next morning. Neighbors reported hearing shots after midnight.

Detective Puglise said video showed a Ford Fusion leaving the apartment complex around the time of the shooting, then Williams showed up at a local hospital driving a Ford Fusion. He had been shot and was treated for a minor injury.

There were two different caliber bullets found at the scene and pulled from the victim's body. No weapons were retrieved.

There was unknown DNA lifted from under the victim's fingernails.

Finger prints belonging to Williams were lifted from a Lysol can in the bathroom.

Police said the marijuana was delivered to a residence that Williams and Adams kept for partying and entertaining women.

Williams left town after the incident and was arrested 11 days later at Mapleton, Ga. He has been in jail since his arrest.

Prosecutor Pope said Williams previously was given a 10-year sentence on a drug case.


The images endure. As the Iron Curtain fell and the Soviet Union imploded, people took to the streets to celebrate a new birth of freedom. A performance of Beethovens Ninth Symphony symbolized humanitys thirst for freedom. The end of the Cold War brought hope to countries once engulfed in East-West contention. Presidents and world leaders spoke the language of liberty. Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev forged relationships that blessed mankind. Pope John Paul radiated hope.

Those were the days, friends.

They came to an end.

In its annual report on the status of freedom in the world, Freedom House says that freedom has been in retreat for a decade:

The world was battered by crises that fueled xenophobic sentiment in democratic countries, undermined the economies of states dependent on the sale of natural resources, and led authoritarian regimes to crack down harder on dissent. These developments contributed to the 10th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.

The number of countries showing a decline in freedom for the year  72  was the largest since the 10-year slide began. Just 43 countries made gains.

Over the past 10 years, 105 countries have seen a net decline, and only 61 have experienced a net improvement.

Ratings for the Middle East and North Africa region were the worst in the world in 2015, followed closely by Eurasia.

Over the last decade, the most significant global reversals have been in freedom of expression and the rule of law.

The United States continues to earn status as free yet its rating has slipped below many of its peers. Canada, for one, enjoys a higher score. Countries in Western Europe do, too. Lands with socialist economies also do better than the U.S. Freedom House observes freedom objectively; it does not pursue an ideological agenda.

A grave disappointment in recent years has been the failure of the so-called Arab Spring to secure lasting progress. Perhaps only Tunisia has shown improvement. The Islamic State and other extremist entities have besieged a vast arc. The challenge for the free countries is to preserve liberty while battling threats to their security. Political divisions even in democracies have led to attacks on voting rights. Citizens confront impediments to exercising the franchise. The Republican Congress refuses to resurrect the Voting Rights Act.

Although President Obama delivered stirring speeches during his trips to Africa and on other occasions he has not followed the examples set by Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Last October 25, in a Commentary column titled Virginias road to resiliency, I wrote, Coastal Virginia leads the way in pulling together federal, state, regional and municipal resources to develop best practices for dealing with flooding. Since then, Virginia has assumed a position of national leadership and has witnessed impressive initial results.

Those results have been noticed in Washington. Visiting Old Dominion University in November, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described the university as an institution to emulate. The work that ODU is doing in sea-level rise, Kerry said, is work that every university should be doing.

In January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Virginia $120.5 million to address sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The grant application focused on shovel-ready projects as well as economic resilience initiatives in Hampton Roads.

Meanwhile, Virginia created an innovative living-with-water approach, thRIVe: Resilience in Virginia. The goal of this plan is to unite the region, create coastal resilience, build water management solutions, improve economic vitality and strengthen vulnerable neighborhoods.

Pulling all of these initiatives together will require research and technical expertise. To address this challenge, the General Assembly is considering  under the leadership of Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the chairman of the Joint Flooding Subcommittee, Del. Chris Stolle  HB 903, a proposal to create and fund the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency. The plan has also won the support of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Scott Rigell and Rob Wittman.

The center would leverage the strengths of Old Dominion and the College of William and Mary to provide support for state and local planners and decision-makers and to help Virginia win critical federal funds such as the HUD grant.

The planning for the center exemplifies the strong relationship between Old Dominions sea-level-rise initiative and William and Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science, as well as between the leaders of the institutions, John R. Broderick and W. Taylor Reveley III. Other partnerships have sprung up to address these challenges, bringing together the Hampton Roads Planning District, local municipalities and the military.

While these results are impressive, recent coastal and inland flooding such as we have seen in Hampton Roads and Floyd County demands we keep these partnerships on task and focused on resiliency challenges across the commonwealth. Through this collaboration, Virginia will remain in the vanguard in the race against sea-level rise.

The leadership in the commonwealth understands this. In October, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran, in partnership with Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Joseph Ward, began a project funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security  the Regional Resiliency Dashboard Initiative  to define the key resiliency indicators across Virginia, so we can better allocate our limited resources.

As a commonwealth, we should be proud of our recent accomplishments and the accolades we are receiving by federal and not-for-profit organizations. But we must not linger too long on the awards podium, for in the race against rising sea levels, time and tide wait for no one.
A diverse yet powerful panel of community leaders in Nashville delivered a letter to the Metro Nashville Board of Education last week. It was signed by some top men and women who represent a wide-ranking cross section of Tennessees largest city and includes education, business, religious and diversity superstars. You need to understand the urgency behind the letter. Davidson County has just entered its eighth month without a school superintendent.

The well-written letter noted what strides had been made under Jesse Register, who resigned last June. While not directly mentioning the fact the first attempt by the school board to replace Register was botched, the most interesting note in an accompanying 192-page study of what Nashville most needs and desires for its schools included this:

In September 2015  (the Metro School Board) began discussing the best way to reboot the search process for a new director of schools. Realizing the importance of bringing others into the search process more intentionally, (the school board) proactively reached out to newly-elected Mayor Megan Barry and the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) to form a community advisory committee to help kick-start the search process. This group of 17 community leaders was announced in November, and we began our work in earnest in December.

In short, the Metro board enlisted the communitys help in searching for the best possible candidate. Today the two biggest principals of the Chattanooga 2.0 education initiative have asked the Hamilton County Board of Education to consider the same thing. We are not, nor will not, pick the next superintendent. The school board was elected to do that. But we want to use our resources to help find the best candidates and let our community become part of the discussion, said Jared Bigham, Chattanooga 2.0 top executive. What we want to do is everything we can to help.

Just as importantly, Chamber of Commerce president Bill Kilbride is joining Dr. Bigham in this First 100 Days of the initiative in an effort to actively and aggressively enlist a larger army in a massive movement to redeem Hamilton County public education. I spoke to the United Way executive board earlier this week and the response was wonderful, Dr. Bigham said. I have never seen so many people who really want to actively get involved in helping the children of this community get a wonderful education.

As a result, Chattanooga 2.0 is ready to build that army. They are asking for your help. You are badly mistaken if you think your voice is too insignificant to be heard. No, the more voices the greater the strength of the initiative by utilizing the new website, Chatt2.org. We are each asked to share our individual input on both immediate and long term solutions, identify problems, and expose any gripes. Are you willing to offer your time, get personally involved? They are eager to hear and act on your beliefs on what can better education in Hamilton County.

Registering is easy to do. Once you confirm your intent on Chatt2.org by return email, each person will get updates, be allowed to read what others think on a stories tab, and  most importantly -- add their own comments, thoughts and suggestions. After a person is registered, each can and should go to the stories tab and give your views and comments on our broken system and how we should try to fix what our public school has become.

You need to understand this: In the letter the Nashville leaders presented to the Metro Board of Education there was this unflinching belief: There is a restlessness within the community about what about what comes next, about how to balance the need for greater urgency with the challenge of creating confidence and sustainability in a consistent direction for the school system.

Stronger still -- There is also a feeling of divisiveness and rancor that has come to characterize the debate about our schools, which many fear impedes our ability to move forward in the way Nashville historically has broached deep, complex challenges. This backdrop against which you must find and hire a new director of schools both makes the imperative of finding the right leader all the more tantamount and the recruitment effort complex and difficult.

If that doesnt sound familiar you havent been reading the tea leaves in Chattanoogas cup. While Register left Nashvilles Department of Education on sound footing, the same cannot be said for Hamilton County and in the belief that it takes a village to raise a child, the Chattanooga 2.0 educational initiative is relying heavily on teachers, parents, grandparents, students, our pastors and rabbis, and anyone else willing to help in a quest to become the smartest city in the South.

Chattanooga 2.0 is a collaborative effort of the Chamber of Commerce, the Benwood Foundation, the Public Education Foundation and the Hamilton County Department of Education to address the urgent and immediate need for a well-prepared work force as large companies have now joined our community. The report, issued in December, showed the need for vast improvement in our Department of Education is critical and an overhaul of the system is long past due. (An Executive Report of Chattanooga 2.0 is available on Chatt2.org and those who subscribe for updates can download the entire report.)

Nashvilles advisory committee has been thrilled to be asked to work with members of the Metro board. We (have) found that, while we represent very different community perspectives, we are remarkably united around a path forward.

We believe this search could not only yield a strong, innovative leader who can take our schools forward on an accelerated path, but also turn the page to a new chapter in Nashvilles pursuit of a world-class public school system, read the letter, exactly mirroring what an overwhelming public wants in Hamilton County.

Done properly, the search could bring about greater urgency for improvement, stabilize the environment, better mobilize and organize the community behind the school improvement efforts, and bring about a more cohesive and less divisive relationship between all of the stakeholders in our community, including the School Board.

The Nashville advisory group understands in no way will it usurp the Metro School Board. We are honored to have been asked to lend ideas and support to this process, and each of us remains committed to supporting the Board as you enter the more formal search and recruitment phase. Not only do we represent our respective organizations, but we have other deep, personal connections to our public schools.

Many of us are graduates of public school. Several of us have children in the public schools or children who graduated from the public schools. Some of us have been public school teachers or have family members who have dedicated their lives to serving as public school educators.

Are you kidding me? What a thrill it would be for community-minded and good-spirited Chattanooga leaders to stand behind the school board by providing resources the Hamilton County Board of Education could tap in no other way.

What I am feeling everywhere I go, and from everybody I talk to, that this is far more than a school-board problem. It includes all of us, from the families in our best schools to, more urgently, the families in our poorly-performing schools, said Dr. Bigham. This is a tremendous opportunity for our public schools, it is unprecedented. I know I speak for every group and business we have met  it is time we join hands and create a better path to our future.

* * *

CHATTANOOGA 2.0 ENDORSEMENTS TO DATE

ArtsBuild

Benwood Foundation

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Causeway

CHASE

Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce

Chattanooga NAACP

Chattanooga State Community College

CO.LAB

Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga

Creative Discovery Museum

Enterprise Center

Electric Power Board

Footprint Foundation

Girls, Inc.

Hamilton County Department of Education

Hamilton County Education Association

Hamilton County PTA Council

JP Morgan

Lamp Post Group

Lyndhurst Foundation

Maclellan Foundation

McKenzie Foundation

Public Education Foundation

Read 20

Tech Town

Tennessee Aquarium

Tenn. Valley Authority

United Way of Greater Chattanooga

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

UnifiED

Unum

Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Inc.

WTCI

* * *

Any businesses, organizations or groups that would like to join those on this list in support of the Chattanooga 2.0 public education initiative are urged to contact Dr. Jared Bigham at drjardbigham@gmail.com or through the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce at 423 756-2121.

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Ashleigh Cook of the Col. Return Jonathan Meigs Children of the American Revolution and president of the State Society of the Children of the American Revolution presented the February program on the Smoky Mountain Service Dogs to the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the Daughter of the American Revolution. As a service project, Ashleigh is raising money to sponsor a dog for a wounded veteran.

Smoky Mountain Service Dogs is a 501C Nonprofit organization that trains Labrador and Golden Retrievers to assist wounded veterans in daily activities. Dogs who begin their training as young as eight weeks old will spend 2 to 2 1/2 years in training prior to being placed with a veteran. The cost of this training is $12,500.

To place the dog with a veteran costs $20,000; however, the only expense to the veteran is the cost of the harness that is specifically designed to fit the dog and meet the needs of the veteran. Once placed with a veteran, all the expenses of the dog, including food, grooming, and veterinary services, are covered by the organization.

To learn more about the Smoky Mountain Service Dog organization, go to www.smokymountainservicedogs.org/

To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.






The Radford University photography program is collaborating with other colleges in the region for the new Southwest Virginia Juried Student Photography Competition. The resulting exhibition is at the Radford University Art Museum Downtown from Feb. 19 through March 3.

This competition includes work by students from 11 colleges and universities, including Roanoke College. Entry was open to current undergraduates who are taking photography courses as part of their studies.

There are many smaller photography programs in Southwest Virginia, so I wanted to find a way to connect students and teachers to a broader photography community than they may find within their schools, said Andrew Ross, Radford University assistant professor of art, who organized the effort.

Ross started planning the competition a year ago when he pitched an idea to the Department of Art. He also felt that the competition could serve as a recruitment tool for both the undergraduate and graduate photography programs at the university.

He found a sponsor for the project in the Society for Photographic Education Southeast Region after making a pitch to the members meeting.

Another important part of his organizational process was bringing in an outside juror with no local biases. Nationally exhibited photographic artist Diana Bloomfield is the inaugural juror. She is well-versed in a variety of photographic processes and is featured in several books on 19th-century printing techniques.

I view photography as a visual language  a language where that singular image (or series of images) is all we have to tell our story, Bloomfield said of her photographic philosophy. No accompanying explanatory text exists, and we are not there to offer a backstory as to the why and how.

Consequently, we need to be fluent in this visual language and make our images so strong that they easily convey a feeling or emotion, a simple message, or a complete compelling narrative. I simply want to look at an image and be transported  if only for an instant  to another time or place, to a thought or memory, or to a new way of seeing and understanding.

She is doing the jurying in two parts. The first is complete. It involved a blind process where she viewed digital images of all the entries without the photographer or their school identified. From these she selected pieces for inclusion in the exhibition. For the second part, she will select award winners based on the artworks once these are on display.

The competition includes works in digital, silver (darkroom-based) and alternative process (handmade emulsion) photography. Bloomfield will give out awards in each category.

Three photography students from Roanoke College who have work in the exhibition are Jaina Lanum, Jerrika Moore and Min Thein.

There is a portfolio-sharing event for the visiting student photographers following the reception, where they can show their work and receive feedback from faculty and peers.

Along with the undergraduate student exhibition, an adjacent show called Now and Then will feature photographic work by Radford Universitys MFA alumni and current graduate students.

The opening reception is at 5 p.m., Feb. 19 at the Radford University Art Museum Downtown, located at 1129 E. Main Street in Radford.

For more information about the Southwest Virginia Juried Student Photography Competition or the Radford University photography program, email aross13@radford.edu or call 831-2570.

Submitted by Leslie King
Two men who live in Salem are featured as calendar guys in a statewide calendar published by the Virginia Health Care Association. They were selected out of nominations from the entire state as Faces and Stories in Virginias Long Term Care Facilities.

Andy Bryant is Mr. June, and Bobby Bell Fenderson is Mr. February. Bryant is the self-appointed ambassador at The Oaks at Richfield Retirement, where he has lived for three years. Fenderson, who was known for hosting a dance party-style program for Roanoke Valley teenagers on WSLS TV, is a resident at Richfields Recovery and Care Center.

Bryants big smile and his enthusiasm for everybody and everything at The Oaks make him seem far younger than his 90 years.

Im so glad youre back, he told resident Polly Frith, giving her a big hug as she entered the Alleghany Room where his own surprise party was about to happen, unbeknownst to him. That kind of enthusiasm is typical for Andy.

I just love living here, and love the people and the staff, he explained. Theyre just one big family.

Daughter Nancy Robbins of Salem explained, Why he looks so youthful is because hes happy, at a reception for her dad Jan. 20.

Bryant even pitched in to help The Oaks life enrichment coordinator Debbie Tingler decorate the Alleghany Room that morning without knowing he was going to be the guest of honor later. The first moment he realized something was up was when he saw a huge photograph of himself on the big screen that afternoon.

He just helps do all kinds of things around here, Tingler said. Each month, he helps create the new calendar bulletin board with seasonal decorations, she pointed out in his nomination letter for the calendar, and loves decorating the dining room windows for residents to enjoy as they have their meals.

Bryant also delivers fliers to rooms and reminds everyone of activity times. He visits fellow residents at the hospital or Richfields Rehab Center, and lets them know that they are loved and missed until they can return.

He always has a collection of stuffed animals waiting to go home with children who come to visit at The Oaks.

Those visitors include seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a great-grandchild. They and daughters Nancy Robbins and Debby Patsel of Vinton spend time with him by taking him shopping for the adult coloring books he loves to color and reminiscing about the past and planning the future, Tinglers nomination letter pointed out.

Bryant is also recognizable by his big, 18-wheeler belt buckle that is a tribute to his years of driving a tractor-trailer for Rowe Furniture where he worked for 40 years.

Fenderson grew up in Covington. The veteran, 82, is remembered by Roanoke Valley residents for his time in the 1950s as the host of the teen dance party on WSLS that was similar to the Dick Clark Dance Party. Pictures from that era show Fenderson spinning records on air while he was a radio broadcaster and DJ. He was also a radio engineer. Radio took him across the United States, to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Family, including his wife, Jenny, and friends recall Bobby Bells generous and compassionate nature. They related a story of how he was so moved to help a co-worker who was struggling financially that he gave them his entire Christmas bonus. Richfield Recovery and Care Life Enrichment Director Stacy Richardson nominated Fenderson. As another example of his compassion, she mentioned how he tried to save a drunk driver, and even after the driver died, he stayed with the family to console them.

Submitted by Meg Hibbert
An investigation by special agents with the human trafficking Unit of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, along with several other agencies, resulted in a Georgia man being arrested on multiple charges, including human trafficking of a 17-year old female.

On Jan. 19, acting on a tip from the nonprofit Second Life Chattanooga, TBI special agents and Chattanooga Police Department vice officers learned that a 17-year-old female was being trafficked at a hotel at 7014 McCutcheon Road in Chattanooga.

During the course of the investigation, an undercover officer contacted the female through a phone number listed on a Backpage.com ad and arranged to meet her for sex in exchange for money. The officer located the female in the hotel room, and she was placed into protective custody by the Department of Childrens Services.

The investigation revealed that Hector Velasquez oversaw and controlled a victim during the transactions. He also stayed in the hotel room, paid for by funds made by the female as a result of the trafficking. It was determined that Velasquez was an absconded sex offender with an active warrant out of Okeechobee, Fl.

Following a human trafficking operation last week run jointly with the TBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, TBI Director Mark Gwyn emphasized the importance of sharing information with other law enforcement agencies to help combat the trafficking issue.

Cooperation is always important in law enforcement, but it is never more important than when we set out to protect children, Mr. Gwyn said. These operations give us an opportunity to share our experience, information and resources to make sure there is no safe place to hide for individuals who victimize the most vulnerable among us.

On Jan. 19, Hector Velasquez, 41, of Rossville, was arrested and charged with one count of human trafficking, one count of promoting prostitution, and one count of criminal impersonation. He was booked into the Hamilton County Jail, where he is being held without bond and on a hold from Florida.
RICHMOND  Virginia moved a step closer to a voter referendum on charter schools Friday as the House of Delegates narrowly passed a proposed constitutional amendment to give the state the authority to create public charter schools without the approval of local school boards.

The House voted 52-47 on an amendment to give the Virginia Board of Education the power to create charter schools, a proposal Republicans have said would increase the number of charter schools in the state by overruling opposition at the local level. Democratic opponents have argued that decisions on charter schools should be left to local officials and could exacerbate problems for struggling school systems.

If approved by the Senate, the question could be put to voters in November. Constitutional changes require approval by the General Assembly in two consecutive years, followed by a public referendum. The amendment passed the legislature in 2015, setting up the potential vote later this year.

During floor debate Friday, Republicans said Virginia lags behind other states in establishing charter schools because localities have been unwilling to approve them.

Del. Rob Bell, R-Charlottesville, said Virginia has nine charter schools compared with 52 in Maryland and 127 in North Carolina.

This has become not just local input or local control, but a local veto, said Bell, the amendments patron.

Others argued that school boards are in the best position to know the needs of their localitys students.

This would clearly override the authority of the local school board, said Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Chesterfield County.

Several accompanying bills dealing with charter schools won initial passage Friday.

Del. Dave Albo, R-Fairfax County, successfully pushed for an amendment to the charter-school creation rules to require the state or the entity applying for a charter school to pay for construction costs. The amendment passed on a 66-28 vote after arguments that without it, localities could be left on the hook to build charter schools they didnt approve.

Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, said the constitutional change could make schools even more segregated than they are today, a comment that drew protests from Republican lawmakers. McClellan said she wasnt accusing colleagues of wanting to segregate schools, but said evidence has shown charter schools elsewhere have increased racial segregation.

There is de facto segregation, McClellan said. And there is segregation by law.

Backers of the charter-school legislation said public school systems should not fear competition.

Parents want school choice, said Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William County. They see the need clearly, even if politicians dont.
RICHMOND  The Democratic state senator who stunned Gov. Terry McAuliffe and other allies this week by briefly siding with Republicans in a judicial battle said she rebelled because leaders of her own party have not taken the concerns of black lawmakers seriously.

Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, said her short-lived alliance with the GOP had little to do with who sits on the judiciary.

Instead, she said, her move was the culmination of long-simmering grievances with fellow Senate Democrats, who she said have passed over black senators for key committee assignments, taken their votes for granted and failed to help them in partisan and personal battles with Republicans.

This has been going on for five years, and Im getting tired of being treated like Im invisible and that what we, the members of the black caucus, think and feel and say doesnt matter, Lucas said in an emotional hour-long interview with The Washington Post and the Virginian-Pilot. Its always just, You sit there and you be good and just vote with us and well take care of you. Well, I didnt get elected to do that.

Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax County, said he has pushed hard for Lucas and other members of the black caucus, while juggling all of his responsibilities as the Democratic legislative leader.

Its no state secret, I can be a little insensitive from time to time, said Saslaw. I do have a lot of things going on. Sometimes people feel ignored.  [But] I have an impeccable civil rights voting record. Ive done a lot of things behind the scenes, prevented a lot of bad things from happening. Sometimes people dont see that.

Lucass brief break with the Democrats appears to have had no impact on the long-running drama over which judge should fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court, which is back to a stalemate. But the episode has laid bare a painful racial rift within the Democratic caucus. The rift comes at a particularly awkward time for McAuliffe, just a few weeks before Virginias March 1 presidential primary, as the governor tries to persuade the same minority-heavy coalition that twice played a key role in sending Barack Obama to the White House to back his close friend, Hillary Clinton.

But there was some upside for McAuliffe, too. Lucas credited him for taking her complaints against fellow Democrats seriously and summoning party leaders to his office Wednesday in an attempt to work them out. He also managed to talk Lucas out of helping the GOP replace his pick for the high court, heading off what would have been a humiliating loss.

In the interview, Lucas said Saslaw has not done enough to resolve a long-running battle she has had with Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City County. In explaining the underlying beef with Norment, Lucas described a profane verbal clash that took place in a private lounge just off the Senate floor. She also recalled a fight that she said nearly turned physical, in another Senate anteroom, between herself and another female Democratic senator.

Both accounts present a sharp break with the seemingly genteel operations of Richmonds upper chamber, where senators publicly observe strict protocol even in the midst of fiercely partisan debates.

Norment, in particular, usually stands as a symbol of that gentility, enforcing arcane rules, lacing speeches with old-fashioned flourishes, and decking out his slight frame in formal three-piece suits. Lucass description puts him in the middle of a verbal street fight  one that erupted three years ago when she asked Norment why he had not wanted her to serve on a panel studying Hampton Roads transportation, a top concern in her traffic-choked district.

Tommy said, The reason why I dont want to vote for you is because you aint gonna do s---,  Lucas said. And I said, Just watch my black ass.  And he says, I dont want to watch your black ass. And I said, Well you then keep your little narrow white ass, little J.C. Penney, little-boys-department wearing suits out of my [expletive] face. 

Through a spokesman, Norment said Lucass account was a prevarication. He also said that he put himself on the transportation panel, instead of Lucas, because it did not have a senator representing the Peninsula, a part of the state that he serves.

Lucas said the exchange three years ago prompted several other people in the room to erupt into laughter. But when Saslaw walked in and she called him over, he chose not to get drawn into the argument.

He makes a beeline out, she recalled.

While Lucas said her relationship with Norment has not improved, what upsets her most is that she thinks Saslaw has done little to mediate. She described Saslaws relationship with Norment as cozy, cozy.

Lucass frustration with Saslaw, and her feeling that she is often cut out of the action, led her to briefly strike the judicial deal this week  ironically, with Norment playing a key role.

Rumors were flying on Tuesday that another Democrat was going to agree to back the GOPs pick for the Supreme Court, Appeals Court Judge Rossie Alston, in exchange for getting to elevate a judge from their district to Alstons slot.

Lucas wondered why she never seemed to get chances to make deals like that. After talking with Norment, she offered her vote to the GOP, as long as a judge she supported from Portsmouth would get to replace Alston.

As news of the deal with Lucas spread, the Democrats bore down. Lucas was summoned to meet with McAuliffe on Tuesday afternoon. Soon afterward she issued a statement saying the judge she had wanted to elevate was not interested in a promotion. She said she no longer planned to side with the GOP.

I said [to Saslaw], If Ive got to work my own deals because I cant get you to resolve the differences between us ,  she recalled in the interview, her voice trailing off and tears coming to her eyes. But it was the wrong time, wasnt it? I picked the wrong thing.

Lucas said she thinks fellow Democrats have taken her vote for granted for years. She described nearly coming to blows years ago with Sen. Janet Howell after the Fairfax County Democrat chastised her for not supporting a different judicial nominee.

She said, Where were you when I needed your vote?  Lucas recalled. And I said, When did I become your [expletive] servant? 

The argument, which began on the floor of the chamber, grew so loud that the Senate clerk shooed them into a back room, Lucas said.

I start taking my coat off because it was about to be on, Lucas said. She said the clerk broke up the fight.

Howell did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. On Wednesday morning, McAuliffe brought Howell, Saslaw and caucus chairman Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Richmond, to his office to meet with Lucas and Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, another member of the black caucus who shares Lucass concerns.

In the interview, Lucas described a succession of perceived slights that have built up over the years. She noted that she and Howell took office on the same day in 1992, but Howell, who is white, landed a seat on the prestigious Senate Finance Committee 16 years ahead of her. Howell also has served as a budget negotiator in the crucial deal-making that happens when the House and Senate try to reconcile their spending plans. Lucas said she has sought but never been given that opportunity.

She said she has complained over the years not just to Saslaw but to McEachin, who in addition to chairing the Democratic caucus is also a member of the black caucus. But she put the blame for her frustration squarely on Saslaw. She said McEachin has listened, even traveling to Portsmouth at times to hear her out. But working through Saslaw, she said, McEachin has been unable to help.

Through an aide, McEachin said he would not comment on internal caucus matters.

Saslaw defended himself in two brief phone interviews with The Post, saying he had tried to help Lucas advance in a chamber where party control has changed back and forth several times in recent years.

The only time weve had committee assignments since Ive been in leadership was in January 2008, and she got put on Finance then, he said. I made things happen for her.

Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, defended Saslaws leadership as tenacious, fair and perhaps underappreciated, because so much of what he pulls off is done behind the scenes.

Dick is a very decent and fair leader, she said. He has a lot of stuff to deal with. Hes got personalities. Hes got peoples personal agendas  some of them good, some of them bad. Hes got leadership issues. Hes got the governor to deal with. And he manages it all with grace and humor, and his values are in the right place. . . . You dont want to be in a foxhole with anybody else but Dick Saslaw.
The developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline said Friday they will propose a new route for the 550-mile interstate natural gas pipeline that avoids sensitive areas of national forests that the U.S. Forest Service has put off limits.

Dominion, the Richmond-based energy giant that leads the $5 billion initiative, said the pipeline company will propose an alternative route next week that will avoid portions of national forests in Virginia and West Virginia that provide habitats for endangered or threatened animal species.

The company said it would propose the change in response to concerns expressed by the U.S. Forest Service and staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing the application for the pipeline.

We will submit the route to avoid two geographic locations  Cheat Mountain and Shenandoah Mountain  because of the sensitive species that inhabit those areas, Dominion spokesman Aaron Ruby said Friday.

The alternative route follows a previous proposal to extend the pipeline south of Cheat Mountain in West Virginia, as well as a new path south of Shenandoah Mountain in Virginia. Portions of the two national forests crossed by the currently proposed route provide habitat for the Cheat Mountain and Cow Knob salamanders, as well as the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel and sensitive red spruce forests.

The new route would increase the pipelines overall length by about 30 miles, but reduce the portions that traverse the George Washington and Monongahela national forests from 29 to less than 19 miles.

However, the alternative route would affect an additional 249 landowners in Highland, Bath and Augusta counties in western Virginia, as well as Randolph and Pocahontas counties in West Virginia. Previously, Bath, south of Highland, had not been affected by the proposed route.

We are contacting landowners along the alternative route to request permission to survey their properties so the route can be thoroughly evaluated, the company said in a statement Friday. Atlantic will submit a preliminary analysis of the route to the FERC next week, and plans to hold a series of public informational open houses along the route in early March.
One of the prosecutions key witnesses testified Thursday in the federal trial related to the slaying of Waynesboro reserve police Capt. Kevin Quick.

Leslie Casterlow, 51, provided some of the first detailed information about Gert Wright, also known as Halisi Uhuru, and Anthony Stokes alleged roles in assisting the four other defendants after Quick was killed on Jan. 31, 2014. Both face charges of obstruction of justice and racketeering under the federal RICO Act.

Prosecutors assert that the 99 Goon Syndikate is a gang affiliated with the Bloods, and that Uhuru, 24, is its ringleader in Virginia. Stokes, 33, is alleged to be the second-in-command.

Casterlow described herself as a substance abuser who first began using crack cocaine when she was 26. She testified that she had been clean for 10 years until Nov. 30, 2013, when she relapsed. She said she first met Stokes, whom she knew as Face, in mid-December of 2013 through two of her housemates. He moved in shortly afterward, and soon introduced her to Gritty, who was identified in court as Uhuru. Face had asked me if Id go pick [Uhuru] up. He lived in Danville, Virginia, Casterlow said.

She said that Uhuru would stay for a week to 10 days and then she would drive him back to Danville.

Casterlow testified that both Stokes and Uhuru told her they were members of the Bloods gang and that Uhuru had the word Blood tattooed under his eye.

When her lease was terminated in January 2014, she moved first to a hotel and then to Value Place in Manassas.

On Feb. 1, she went to a Quality Inn in Manassas to get a $20 piece of crack from Stokes. When she entered the room, she saw five people shed never met. In court she identified them as defendants Kweli Uhuru (no relation to Halisi Uhuru), Daniel Mathis, Shantai Shelton and Mersadies Shelton.

Casterlow said the fifth person was Anthony White, who testified earlier in the week for the prosecution and was not in court Thursday.

During the Super Bowl the following day, Face or Gritty got a phone call to come pick up a couple of people in Louisa. None of us knew where that was, she said. She and Stokes left around 11:30 p.m. During the trip, she said she learned that they would be picking up four people, not two, and that it was because Daniel shot someone at a party.

They picked up Mathis, White, Shantai Shelton and Mersadies Shelton in Louisa County and drove them back to the same Quality Inn room, arriving before dawn.

Casterlow testified that she disposed of a bloody jacket given to her by Mersadies Shelton, burned papers including a vehicle registration with Kevin Quicks name on it, and cut up Quicks debit card and flushed it down a toilet at a Walgreens.

The defense attorneys hammered at Casterlow under cross-examination, questioning her numerous versions of events in at least six interviews with police.
Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. honored the 2015-2016 John C. Stophel Distinguished Students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga during the firms annual Stophel Scholars reception on Thursday, Feb. 11. The reception at the Chambliss Conference Center in Liberty Tower offered the 10 award recipients, including one graduate and nine undergraduate students, the opportunity to meet and engage with members of Chattanoogas business community.

Sharing how the Stophel Scholars program impacted him, one of last years Stophel Scholars Aaron DeLaughter explained, Being a Chambliss Stophel Scholar allowed me to be mentored by a prominent figure in the Chattanooga business community. Thanks to his advice, I am looking forward to joining groups in the near future such as Leadership Chattanooga as I continue to progress as a leader and contributor to this thriving city.

These students are more than overachievers in the class room, said Mike St. Charles, managing shareholder at Chambliss. They excel in their activities for the university and the community. It is appropriate for these outstanding individuals to be recognized for their achievements and commitment to excellence. Were pleased to introduce these students to local business leaders who will offer valuable practical insight and advice, as well as serve as real-life examples of the benefits of hard work.

The Stophel Scholars program, now in its ninth year, aims to foster local talent and encourage promising students to build long-lasting mentor relationships with Chattanooga professionals. The John C. Stophel Distinguished Student Award recognizes students with high potential in the UTC College of Business who are emerging leaders. Award recipients are chosen based on their strong leadership, decision-making, and communication skills, as well as the presence of a high degree of self-motivation.

This years recipients include:
De Beers has been forced to cease exploration of the Tango extension near the Victor mine at Attawapiskat, Ontario as a result of local opposition, according to CBC News cited by IDEX Online.

De Beers had hoped to explore the Tango deposit, which is located close to the Victor mine in the James Bay lowlands of northern Ontario, and determine its feasibility.

The Attawapiskat First Nation is divided in support of the project, with Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon claiming that De Beers Canada has presented the community with an unfair ultimatum. It's either a yes or a no ... or no Tango he wrote.

De Beers Canada claimed that if the work is delayed until next winter, it would likely create production delays beyond the slated 2018 closing of the Victor mine, making the Tango extension more expensive. The company said that the extra costs of the potential delay of mining operations would have to be considered before deciding how to proceed.




What's the job market like for chemists? Dude -- it's always bad.*

How bad is it? How the heck should I know? Quantifying the chemistry job market is what this blog is about. That, and helping chemists find jobs.

E-mail chemjobber with helpful tips, career questions or angry comments at chemjobber -at- gmail dotcom. All correspondence is kept confidential. (Didn't get an e-mail back? It's okay to try again.)

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(*For the literal-minded, this is a joke. Mostly.)
Angolan diamond company, Endiama said it is elated with the recent discovery of what is considered the countrys largest kimberlite mine, which is expected to start production end of next year.

With a projected annual output of between 8 million carats and 10 million carats, the mine would lift Angolas annual output beyond 16 million carats, generating more than $2 billion in revenues.

Company chief executive Carlos Sumbula told the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town that the kimberlite, which they found together with Russias Alrosa last year, was bigger than Catoca.

Catoca currently produces about 80 percent of the countrys total diamond output.

I am happy to give you some good news that last year we found the biggest kimberlite in Angola, he said.

Luaxe is bigger than Catoca, which you know is the fourth largest kimberlite in the world.

Although the data was still preliminary, Luaxe was expected to have a 30 year-lifespan and its reserves stood at about 350 million carats.

Endiama said prospecting would be completed mid-next year, while a technical, economic and financial feasibility study would be developed thereafter.

Luaxe was approved by the Angolan cabinet council last September.

Meanwhile, Sumbula reiterated the companys calls for investment in diamond prospecting.

Come and invest in diamond prospecting, so we can find kimberlites as big as Luaxe inside Angola, he said.

Angola had 127 diamond prospecting projects available for investment.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, from Cape Town, South Africa, Rough&Polished




Fresh off his lop-sided victory in the New Hampshire primary, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders looked to build on his momentum Thursday in the latest Democratic debate against Hillary Clinton.

Sanders, the upstart self-proclaimed democratic socialist, did not aggressively attack the former Secretary of State as the debate returned to the fairly civil give-and-take that has marked most of their encounters.

Facing off at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, the debate showed again that the candidates have much more in common than not, although they have some differing views on how to accomplish their goals.

In fact, Sanders saved his best shots for businessman Donald Trump, who leads the polls in the Republican race.

Sanders reiterated his call to revolution to all those who are tired of the establishment and as usual in Washington. He repeatedly tried to paint Clinton as a key member of that establishment.

Clinton was trying to spark her campaign after a narrow win in the Iowa Caucus before getting thumped in New Hampshire.

She tried to tap into the anger that permeates the middle and lower classes - speaking of breaking down barriers while emphasizing her experience as someone who can get things done.

Both went to great lengths to talk about Wall Street and the need for regulation as well as the need to keep U.S. ground troops out of the Middle East.

They also took on topics such as race relations, prison reform, immigration and campaign financing.

Next up for the Democrats is the Nevada caucus on February 20th and the South Carolina primary on February 27th.

The Republicans have the South Carolina primary on February 20th and the Nevada caucus on February 23rd.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Commerzbank AG (CRZBY.PK) reported 2015 consolidated profit attributable to shareholders of 1.06 billion euros compared to 266 million euros, prior year. Earnings per share was 0.88 euros compared to 0.23 euros. Operating profit rose to 1.91 billion euros from 689 million euros.

Revenues before loan loss provisions was 9.76 billion euros compared to 8.76 billion euros, previous year. Net interest and trading income was 6.28 billion euros compared to 5.95 billion euros.

Commerzbank said the year 2016 will be a challenging one due to the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. Commerzbank expects a moderate increase in loan loss provisions due to lower recoveries from impaired loans. The Bank expects a slight increase in net profit.

Commerzbank said the Board of Managing Directors plans to propose a dividend of 20 cents per share for the 2015 financial year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Subsequent to the shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Zone, South Korea has cut off all its communication hotlines with Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Seoul has alleged that North Korea has been using the returns from the park, to the tune of $120 million per year, for upgrading its military capabilities. It has suspended the operations of the industrial area a few days back. More than 50 thousand North Korean workers were employed at 124 South Korean companies at the border.

On Thursday, Pyongyang has decided to close down the factory jointly run at the border. North Korea has said that it would deploy military forces to run the industrial park and would freeze the south Korean assets.

As an immediate reaction, Seoul has decided to cut telephone and fax hotlines. It has evacuated its citizen from Kaesong area.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
 Master  12  2016, 06:10

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Aggression intensifies its strikes on Nehm district





SANAA, Feb. 12 (Saba)  The Saudi-led aggression coalition intensified on Friday its hostile raids on Nehm district of Sanaa province, targeting different areas in the district.



The coalition war jets waged four raids on the areas of Bani Sharifa, Maswara and Bait al-Dahila, causing large damage to houses of citizens and farms, a security official said.



The hostile war jets targeted with five raids al-Ashraf area in Maswara and waged a sixth raid on Kherbat Fatrah area, which led to big destruction in the houses and agricultural lands in the area.



Two of aggression strikes destroyed a house and a shop belonging to a citizen in Maswara and a restaurant in Maswara souk, as well as the injuries among civilians and damages in a number of houses and property.



Furthermore, the enemy war jets targeted in two raids Mahalli area, while a third raid targeted Al-Batana bridge, leaving large damage in the bridge and agricultural lands.



The official condemned the Saudi aggression barbaric bombing on the populated areas and markets by, deploring the shameful silence of the international community and rights organizations towards the aggression crimes against the Yemeni people since over 11 months.



BA

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[13/February/2016]
Busy billionaire philanthropist and retired US Army Colonel Jennifer Pritzker will be honored next month for her ongoing preservation work. The nonprofit Landmarks Illinois will honor Pritzker, along with Isobel Neal, Jeanette Sublett, Langdon Neal, and others at their annual Legendary Landmarks gala. The recognition comes on the back of a number of successful projects from Pritzker and her family-owned company Tawani Enterprises. Pritzker's knack for restoration has seen several historic Roger's Park properties find new life such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Emil Bach House conversion to vacation rentals, the 1919 Lang House relaunch as a bed and breakfast, and the 1912 former Morse Theater building's transformation into the Mayne Stage performance space. Her efforts also saw two Evanston bed and breakfasts, dubbed the Stone Porch by the Lake and The Stone Terrace, open inside a pair of carefully restored 19th century Tudor style mansions.

Jennifer Pritzker, who brought the Pritzker Military Library to the heart of the Michigan Avenue Cultural Mile in 2003, was also behind the full restoration of the nearby 1912 Monroe Building and its ornate tile lobby in 2012. In addition to restoring many historic Gold Coast private rowhomes, Pritzker and Tawani are also in the process of constructing new townhomes at Clark and Chestnut. The Legendary Landmarks event will also honor three generations of the Neal family for their ongoing commitment to historic preservation and Chicago-based construction company W.E. O'Neil for restoration work on such projects as the Oriental, Palace, Auditorium, and Chicago Theatres, as well as the Medinah Temple Bloomingdale's conversion.

Jennifer Pritzker Opens Second Evanston Bed and Breakfast [Curbed Chicago]

Previous Jennifer Pritzker coverage [Curbed Chicago]
By SA Commercial Prop News

The Marche International des Professionels dImmobilier (MIPIM) takes place in Cannes every year. The global event attracts cities from across the world as well as property developers, investors and international financiers.



Marche International des Professionels dImmobilier (MIPIM), the worlds property market event, brings together the most influential players from all international property sectors  office, residential, retail, healthcare, logistics and industrial.

MIPIM 2014 will shine the spotlight on the increasing interest from real estate specialists and urban developers in 'smart' buildings and cities.



The 25th edition of the world's leading international property market event will include a presentation from the European Commission on financing plans to support the development of smart cities.

Organised by Reed MIDEM, a subsidiary of Reed Exhibitions, the 25th edition of MIPIM will be held in Cannes from 11 to 14 March.

From the exhibition area to the MIPIM Innovation Forum, by way of the conference programme, the new technologies that are designed to support sustainable property will be represented throughout MIPIM 2014.



An increasing number of cities exhibiting at MIPIM are striving for innovation. For the past three years, Coventry has been testing out City Lab Coventry - a laboratory designed to transform the city of 350,000 inhabitants into a zero-carbon zone by 2020. "Coventry City Council and Coventry University together own a large proportion of the land within the city centre and that allows us to use it as a real-life experimentation environment where users and producers can co-create and test innovations," explained Martin Yardley, Director of City Services and Development on the Coventry City Council.



The city of Derby, which will also be present in the exhibition hall, has begun an extensive urban regeneration scheme by creating the Global Technology Campus, located next to Rolls Royce's head office, and by planning the construction of 300 homes on the site of an old hospital.



Barcelona, in partnership with another MIPIM exhibitor GDF Suez, has developed a smart urban platform enabling the collection, analysis and optimised use of data in an effort to better manage the city's territorial policy.



The city of Turin is also currently transforming its Spina 2 business district through the construction of the Intesa Sanpaolo Tower. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the building's design and completion meet strict requirements both in terms of construction and environmental standards.



Following its successful launch last year, the MIPIM Innovation Forum will be highlighting the emergence of new stakeholders who are experts in innovative solutions for the property sector. This concept, which includes an exhibition and conference area, will facilitate discussions between all professionals sharing the common aim of building a sustainable, cost-efficient city.



New requirements from users and investors, combined with regulatory obligations, are encouraging professionals in the property sector to build increasingly innovative, efficient infrastructures. The European Commission has set aside a budget of 92 million to support the development of smart cities and neighbourhoods. The Commission will present the financing plan to participants at MIPIM. Furthermore, in an effort to meet this growing need for innovative technologies, major international players like Cisco, Philips, the BREEAM label, BASF, Schneider Electric, Somfy, Daikin, Taliance and Manhattan Software will be explaining, within the context of the MIPIM Innovation Forum programme, how their skills can be put to use in the property sector.



The MIPIM conference programme will also offer an opportunity to find out about the latest architectural designs and innovation. Designed to produce more energy than they consume, positive-energy buildings are shaping the 21st-century property sector. A conference titled "Getting to zero today: how zero net energy buildings will define the next decade of development," will address this issue by stressing the added value and the profitability of these buildings.

From now on, these buildings will be designed to evolve based on their users and their urban environment. At the forefront of harmonising this ecosystem, architects are increasingly focusing on mobility and flexibility. Winy Maas, Dominique Perrault, Kynne Frandsen and Auguste van Oppen will be addressing this topic at a Masterminds discussion devoted to architecture, on Thursday 13 March. Flexibility has also taken on an increasingly important role in office layout, both for the owners and the businesses using them. Three sessions will be held on the development of workspaces in the years ahead:



-'Workspace in transformation: which face of tomorrow's office' (Wednesday 12 March)

-'Functional diversity: shared buildings and spaces' (Thursday 13 March)

-'Workplace & space management: paying strategies' (Thursday 13 March).



To view the MIPIM conference programme, click here.
A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border

What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the
Slick Chicago Audio Tours From Groupon Founder Andrew Mason Coming In May

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 12, 2016 6:11PM



Navy Pier, a potential audio tour site (photo via amateur photography by michel on Flickr)

A new audio tour app, which Groupons ex-CEO started in San Francisco, is expanding into Chicago.

Detour, Andrew Masons new app, will roll out here in May, according to the company's open call for pitches. The Detour team will be in Chicago from March through August, producing their namesake Detourshighly-produced audio tours, which Detours marketing-speak terms like walking around inside a movie.

So far, theyve listed the following as must-do subjects for Chicago audio tours:

* Chicago Architecture

* Wrigleyville

* Millennium Park

* Navy Pier

* Capone / Mobster History

* Chicago Food (pizza, sausage, steak)

* Something about local life, maybe set in Wicker Park, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, or Logan Square

Heres how the app works so far, in San Francisco: Users can use their smartphones to stream the audio tours, narrated by locals and set to fancy scores. Using iPhone magic, as the Detour site puts itwhich probably translates to GPS stuffthe tours give you directions as you walk. Theyre basically immersive podcasts tailored to your exact location. Theres a group-sync feature, too, so that when you go on a tour with friends, you all react to the tour together.

As much as I want to be snarky about Masons latest enterprisebecause like, he once put out an album of motivational business musicthis just seems like a really cool addition to the city.

For an even better understanding of how Detour works, watch the app's trailer below:

(Disclosure: I worked at Groupon while Mason was CEO.)

[h/t Curbed]
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9 Great Things For Single People To Do On Valentine's Day Weekend

By Chicagoist_Guest in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 12, 2016 5:24PM

By Sarah Gouda

Lets get this out of the way now: being single on Valentines Day sucks. Were not going to pretend its not depressing when the most you get out of the holiday is an I love you! text from your mom. Lucky for us, though, we live in a city full of endless distractions, places to meet-cute, and calorie-dense foods to smother our feelings in. Whether youre looking to blow off some steam or track down the one you accidentally left-swiped, theres plenty to do on V-Day to remind you why you havent traded in your independence just yet. Without further ado, here are the best places to be single in Chicago this weekend.



The bar at Beauty Bar (photo via Facebook)

Best If Youre Still Getting Over Someone

Valentines Day Karaoke at Beauty Bar

Sunday at 8 p.m., $5 cover

Beauty Bar, the always-fun dance spot inspired by the hair shops of the late sixties, knows that there is a certain type of catharsis that only a haunting karaoke performance can provide. Thats why theyve partnered with independent literary festival Chicago Zine Fest to bring you a night of amateur song and dance hosted by the KJ mega duo, complete with drink specials and manicure stations. Whether youre all in on Since U Been Gone or more of an I cant make you love me type, youll be surrounding by like-minded people down for a good time. Proceeds benefit the Chicago Zine Fest.

Beauty Bar is located at 1444 W. Chicago Ave.



Danny's photo by Seth Anderson

Best If Youre On The Prowl

Drinks and dancing at Dannys Tavern

Anytime, no cover

Its a scientific fact that every person on earth looks at least 45 percent hotter when alight in the low glow of Dannys Tavernthe cozy Bucktown bar basically functions as a real life Instagram filter. Here the drinks are strong, the DJs play vinyl records, and strangers actually talk to each other. With a perfectly tiny dance floor and plenty of corners for intimate conversation, this is the ideal place to meet the next person youll sorta date. But bring cash! They're cash only.

Dannys Tavern is located at 1951 W. Dickens Ave.



(Photo via Basheere Tome on Flickr)

Best If Food Is Love

The Chili Synthesizer Cook-Off at the Empty Bottle

Sunday at 7 p.m., $5 cover

Ward off any potential feelings of emptiness by staying uncomfortably full throughout the day whose name we shall not speak. The easiest way to do that? Head over to the annual Chili Synthesizer Cook-Off, hosted by the Empty Bottle. There, a bunch of musicians will present their best meat-and-bean concoction to guests and perform a song inspired by their crockpot masterpiece. Its up to you to crown the king of the event.

The Empty Bottle is located at 1035 N. Western Ave.



People running in their undies for a good cause (photo via Facebook)

Best If You Like Hypothermia For Some Reason

Cupid Undies Run at John Barleycorn

Saturday at noon, $55 entry

You may not think that stripping down to your skivvies and raising money for the Childrens Tumor Foundation have much in common, but youd be wrong. The Cupid Undies Run begins in Wrigleyville with a one-mile jog alongside a bunch of near-naked potential mates and ends with a party attended by aforementioned potential matesplus you can feel good knowing that its all in an effort to help kids in need. Run solo or get a team togetherfor each friend that signs up, you get $25 towards prize and they get 25% off their registration fee.

John Barleycorn is located at 3524 N. Clark St.



The DJs behind Party Noire (photo via RJ Eldridge/Facebook)

Best If You Need to Day Drink

Party Noire at The Promontory

Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., no cover

The Party Noire series was created by the incredibly cool trio Nick Adler, Lauren Ashe, and Chicago DJ Rae Chardonnay as a space for black peoplespecifically, black womento have fun, connect, and share experiences. This week, DJ Gemini Jones joins in, mixing sultry beats that will have you feeling yourself in a major way. Plus, the food at The Promontory, especially the lamb burger, is so good.

The Promontory is located at 5311 S. Lake Park Avenue.



The cast of #DateMe (photo via Facebook)

Best If You Need to Heal From The Horrors of Online Dating

#DateMe: An OKCupid Experiment at Up Comedy Club

Saturday at 8 and 11 p.m. and Sunday at 7 and 10 p.m., $55 a ticket

Commiserate about the good, the bad and the scary bad of online dating with the talented improvisers of Second City. The premise: eight undateable fake profiles were posted onto a dating site, pursued by real people, and now the subsequent interactions serve as fodder for a relatable show on the intersection of technology and romance. Its a hilarious night and the perfect way to kick off a galentines get-together, or a night of tender bromance.

Up Comedy Club is located at 230 W. North Ave.



Seasonal drinks at the Peninsula Hotels bar (photo via Facebook)

Best If You Want To Feel Fancy

A fancy cocktail night at the bar at the Peninsula

Anytime, a lot of money



Treating yourself to a night at the Peninsula is a great way to make yourself feel richer and more important than usual. Isnt that what love is about anyway? Opt out of sweatpants this Sunday and head downtown to absorb some fabulousness by osmosis at this plush, leathered out lounge. The classic bar, replete with scotch flights and whiskies from rare distilleries, is the perfect excuse to include a bit of luxury in your #selfcare routine.

The Peninsula is located at 108 E. Superior St.



The musicians of Folkified (photo via Facebook)

Best If You Need To Remember the Simpler Times

Folkified at Bub City

Sunday at noon, no cover

Bub City is loudvery loudwhich can be useful when youre trying to forget what day it is. Gorge on some barbecue and sit back as you enjoy the musical stylings of Folkified, a Naperville-based band that folks up all your favorite songs. A great option for groups whove been friends so long itd be creepy to consider each other dating material.

Bub City is located at 435 N. Clark St.



Photo via Facebook

Best If You Want To Escape The Confines of Reality

Some light reading at The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore

Anytime, not a lot of money

Just because youve chosen to not love a human doesnt mean that inanimate objects are off the table. Theyre always there for you, especially at the historic Seminary Co-Op Bookstore, a beloved refuge for Hyde Parks literature-obsessed. The books here range from utterly abstract theory to novels with plotsand its community owned, which gives the whole space a permanently chill vibe. Youll wonder where the day went.

The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore is located at 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave.

Sarah Gouda is a writer living in Roscoe Village. Please follow her on Twitter.


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Feb-11-2016 17:34 TweetFollow @OregonNews The Crisis of High Suicide Rates in Jordan: Who is Responsible? 21% of suicides in Jordan were due to unemployment

Courtesy: awdnews.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - A few days after a young man tried to set fire on himself in the northern Hashemi region, the crisis of the high rates of suicide came to back to the forefront. A security source explained that the young man threatened to set himself on fire while he was inside his house, but later was dissuaded from committing suicide. Social network users questioned Jordanian authorities' claims that the young man was suffering from mental disorders, stressing that the new attempt to commit suicide happened due to difficult economic conditions plaguing the young man for the past three years. On the other hand, the Director of the National Center for Forensic Medicine, Momin Hadidi, stressed that "in the past few years suicides increased to 50-70 attempts, while it was 20 cases annually in the years that preceded it." A report released by the World Health Organization and the International Society for the prevention of suicides disclosed that 21% of suicides in Jordan came due to unemployment. As these numbers are based only on annual report of the CID of Jordan, many believes that the numbers might be far beyond the official report presented by the Jordanian authorities. The Jordanian al-Ghad newspaper addressed prevalent corruption, poverty, unemployment and the failure of the state to establish vital and developmental projects for young people in the governorates of Jordan and the impact of these factors on the increasing numbers of suicides in the country. Observers consider this dangerous phenomenon as the result of the absence of law and the fight against corruption and the supremacy of law for every citizen regardless of their social background.

Foreign-affairs | Human-rights | Military | Business | Most Commented on





Articles for February 11, 2016 | Articles for February 12, 2016
World Bank is ready to help Serbian economy to develop through implementation of new technologies, said Tony Verheijen, World Bank Country Manager for Serbia on Thursday.

Presenting the World Bank's annual development report, with this year's topic "Digital Dividends", Verheijen cited one of its conclusions that "countries who invest more into digital technologies achieve bigger growth".

"We wish to help Serbia so that in following 4 to 5 years it could make more benefit from the implementation of new technologies with private business as the driving force of its economy, and not state companies" he said.

World Bank Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends ranks Serbia among upper middle income countries who are still in a process of transition towards universal internet use with only 4-5 percent of its GDP coming from digital economy.

According to the report, priorities of such countries in the area of digital economy should be to "build effective competition regulation and enforcement capacity, teach advanced cognitive and socio-emotional skills that complement technology, and move toward effective e-government system."

Verheijen noted that Serbia needs more investments into infrastructure and promotion of the private-public partnership, but welcomed the country's decision to implement e-government strategy so that a number of services, such as registration of new born babies and electronic building permits, became available online, thus reducing costs and saving time.

However he said that e-government should cover more areas such as pensions, healthcare, education system and other public services.

President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Cadez said that digital technologies have great importance both for citizens, economy and the state because they create new work places based on high technology, knowledge and well-developed infrastructure. Endit
Adrian Martinez thrives in K-State offense

Turning Adrian Martinez loose has not come back to bite Kansas State. The senior quarterback has yet to turn the ball over this year.
 Flash

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry on Thursday during a phone call agreed to resume Syrian talks in Geneva as soon as possible.

"While expressing common regret over the fact that the UN-brokered intra-Syrian dialogue has been temporarily suspended, Lavrov and Kerry agreed to make necessary efforts to ensure that this pause is as short as possible," said an online statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The two diplomats confirmed their participation of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting on Feb. 11 in Munich, Germany.

"(The meeting) is suggested to review all aspects of the Syrian settlement in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254," the ministry said.

During the conversation, Lavrov expressed concern with unacceptable preconditions set by certain Syrian opposition members over the establishment of a sustainable negotiation process with the Syrian government.

Both sides urged all Syrian parties to take measures to ensure humanitarian access under United Nations auspices to besieged Syrian regions by government forces and opposition groups.

"Lavrov and Kerry agreed on possible coordinated actions on delivering humanitarian aid to certain areas of Syria by air with the use of means of military-transport aviation," said the statement.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Wednesday announced "a pause" of the intra-Syrian peace talks, saying that the talks are to resume in Geneva on Feb. 25.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Lavrov and Kerry would continue their discussion on international and regional key issues during their meeting at Munich Security Conference on Feb. 12-14.

The topics would mainly cover anti-terrorism fight, Ukrainian conflict, Syrian developments, as well as security situation and migration crisis in Europe.

Zakharova also warned of politicization of humanitarian issues in Syria.

Certain conflicting sides could use the issues as tools to strengthen themselves, while terrorists could use the aid in their own interests, Zakharova said.
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Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Sixty chairs were set up for Wednesday evenings Caltrans Highway 126 Safety Enhancement scoping meeting but it soon became apparent more seating was needed for the crowd, including those that strongly objected to the long controversial plan.

Citizens and elected officials alike voiced their concern about the proposal to widen the highway, adding a median and roundabouts including ranchers that live and work along the stretch of the 126 targeted by the proposed project for 7 miles from Santa Paulas Hallock Road to Fillmore.

Santa Paula City Councilmembers Ginger Gherardi and John Procter as well as Vice Mayor Jenny Crosswhite attended the session, as did Mayor Martin Hernandez who introduced Supervisor Kathy Long.

Hernandez noted the great turnout and said Long would offer remarks regarding how we got here tonight

A series of horrific accidents led to the initial meeting in 2008 to address how to turn around the fatality accident rate on the 126.

Caltrans was asked to address the situation and Long said traffic calming methods  such as rumble strips, lowering the speed limit and signage telling drivers how fast they were traveling  were initiated.

As for doing more, Long said We heard then and will hear again tonight, how those living and ranching operations that line the 126 on either side will be able to access the highway and not be impeded by what is proposeduntil now much was done on this for a variety of reasons, but the scoping process now has been formally launched.

Long said she hoped attendees would not just voice their concerns but also offer ideas of alternatives, but, You cant legislate stupid, and bad drivers will always be an issue.

Although there is no question the corridor has improved, with the traffic calming improvements, Long noted there still have been crossover accidents.

The purpose of scoping a Caltrans representative told the crowd is to help the agency define the project and alternatives, as well as identify major environment issues as You are the experts on your community that know potential impacts and issues of concern.

Another agency representative detailed the project background noting a traffic investigation report was launched in 2007-2008, a 2011 report recommended a median barrier, and in 2014 a federal road safety assessment was done. The median option was added in 2015 including the roundabouts.

Some comments by and images used by Caltrans officials puzzled those in attendance including concerns about bulky, slow farm equipment traveling the highway  Never seen that! several audience members told each other  and animation of a roundabout.

The Range of Options shown during the Power Point is no build, a concrete median barrier and a raised median island with visual markers. The latter two options also include four roundabouts; railroad crossings would have an additional truck lane so the vehicles would not slow traffic.

Brian Frazer, a Caltrans design reviewer, explained the roundabout concept noting the design may be new to Caltrans with about 300 statewide but more common nationwide with about 5,000.

Roundabouts offer great reductions in accident severity and fatalities, with 35 percent less overall crashes and 76 percent reduction of fatalities by slowing traffic to 25 mph to 35 mph and not providing potential of a T-bone or head on collision.

Such safety measures are also extended to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Tami Podesta, branch chief of the Caltrans Division of Environmental Planning, said the agency is the lead agency for the state and federal studies, which are expected to be finalized later this year with a project introduction in the spring of 2017.

The EIR will include a range of studies from community impacts, traffic circulation and hazardous waste to construction, water quality/runoff and visual and aesthetic impacts.

We value your comments, to help Caltrans make a better project.

There was a 15-minute question and answer period requested by Supervisor Long after the Fillmore scoping session where no public comment was allowed.

Podesta said the Caltrans representatives would answer general questions, we dont have all the answers now

Many of the questions and comments focused on the no build option with growers and citizens questioning anything other than more basic traffic calming enhancements.

Caltrans representatives said it is too early in the process to abandon same as studies must be completed and more input is necessary.

Youre spending a lot of money for something that is probably not necessary, said one resident who asked why Caltrans did not use more traffic calming measures and more policing.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The Santa Paula City Council heard about the concept to transfer the California Oil Museum from the city to a new nonprofit foundation.

The council heard of the plan at the February 1 meeting from Jeanne Orcutt, the former longtime executive director of the historic museum, located at the corner of 10th and East Main streets.

The concept said Orcutt, is to transfer the museum from the city to the foundation, headed by President Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson.

Henderson and other board members of the newly formed California Oil Museum Foundation were in the audience at Mondays meeting.

Orcutt noted the museum was opened in 1950 by Union Oil  later Unocal  which in 1990 spent more than $2 million in renovating the building and adding the room that now houses a vintage working oil pump.

The remodel included High-quality exhibitions and a complete restoration, including the former second floor business offices where the incorporation of Union Oil was signed in 1890.

In the mid-1990s Unocal decided they no longer wanted to run a museum, and the city stepped in leasing the building at a minimal price and continuing the museum operation.

Now owned by Chevron, Orcutt told the council the funding for the operation is covered by fees and admissions, about two-thirds of the operating cost, with the balance covered by the citys former Redevelopment Agency.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2016 -- Wind energy is the power extracted from wind using wind turbines. A wind turbine is a device that transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Wind energy is a renewable form of energy that is available in ample quantity and extensively. It is an alternative to fossil fuels which are depleting in quantity. Wind energy is the cleanest resource; it has neither toxic gas emissions nor greenhouse gas emissions. Wind turbines are connected to the network of electricity transmission. The onshore and offshore wind that is trapped is an inexpensive, competitive and significant source of energy. Wind energy contributed to 4% of the total global electricity usage in 2013.



The application of wind turbines is primarily in wind mills that are used to generate electricity. These wind turbines in wind mills can be used to avail off-grid electricity in the remote regions. It has been known to empower rural electrification initiatives. Three fourths of the small wind turbines are present in the remote regions of the world and are the only sources of energy. For instance, wind power systems are fuelling the telecommunication towers in the secluded places between Argentina and Chile. Another application of wind turbines is associated with the hybrids of wind and solar power generation devices. Wind and solar sources complement each other in changing climatic conditions. Wind turbines have vital applications in off-grid, low-power systems in which the storage of batteries is avoided. Wind turbines also have application in cathodic protection pipes in which its electric charge neutralizes the galvanic corrosion of pipes laid in reactive soils. Wind turbines are used to charge electric fences, yacht and boat batteries efficiently. Wind turbines have been used to pump water for decades, and they remain a significant application in both developed and developing economies. The end use industries of wind turbines can be broadly classified into industrial, commercial and residential. The industrial use can be further divided into power generation, agriculture, industrial automation, engineering and telecommunication. Despite being commercially niche market at present, wind turbines are expected to expand due to increasing government subsidies and incentive programmes on the use of wind energy.



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The global wind industry produced about 37,000 MW in 2013. Latin America, in particular, has provided the industry with an essential substitute growth market for wind power. In 2013, Latin America alone represented approximately 45% of the installed capacity of North and South America combined. It was largely driven by the wind markets of Brazil and Mexico which can be regarded as the dual pillars of the Latin American market. The average price of wind energy contracts in Brazil is US$ 50/MWh and gives wind energy an edge over conventional fossil fuels there. This is a major driver for the wind turbine market in Brazil. The wind power in Mexico provides power to over 65,000 households and exports it to US. Food and beverage company, Nestle, had invested US$ 60.7 million in wind energy in Mexico, and employed wind energy for its 85% electricity requirement. The cumulative wind capacity in Mexico reached 1988 MW by the end of 2013 indicating a 31.4% growth rate. The installed capacity in 2013 was 76 MW in Argentina, 200 MW in Chile, 30 MW in Peru, 11 MW in Uruguay, and149 MW in Venezuela.



Strong wind resources, and rising electricity prices and energy demand are driving the demand for renewable energy higher. The Latin American industrial policies are effective as they have tailored depreciation tax policies which enable industries to actively partner with wind energy generators for their energy usage. Also, wind plants do not need to be in the vicinity of the end user and just need a connection to the Latin American power grids. Feed-in electricity tariffs have been introduced to motivate the use of renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, thermal energy and biomass energy. This encourages investment in renewable energy as the government makes provisions for higher retail rates for electricity for the producers of new energy technologies.



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Consistently declining monopoly in the Latin American electricity sector had paved way for wind turbine manufacturers. The current wind turbine market is competitive. Gamesa is the leading turbine supplier in Mexico and holds 73.5% of the market. It is followed by Vestas with 22% of the market contribution. GE is also a major turbine manufacturer with 4.5% market share in Mexico. Besides, the collapse of the Spain-based OEMs (Other Equipment Manufacturers) wind market has compelled companies to expand their business in Latin America.



By 2015, Latin America is expected to have 3 GW of installed wind capacity annually, surging up to 4.3 GW by 2022. The manufacturers have to meet certain mandates on wind turbine components and their materials. It is a challenge for most OEMs to deliver high quality wind turbines while still ensuring an economical Latin American wind market.
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A team of biologists and robotic researchers from Australia and Germany has solved a mystery of how wasps make sure that they find their way home.

The team, led by Prof. Jochen Zeil of the Australian National University, analyzed learning flights in ground-nesting wasps (Cerceris australis) using synchronized high-speed cameras.

The scientists found wasps gather views of their environment during the flights each day with their focus always on their nest to ensure they know the way home after foraging.

The learning and homing abilities of wasps make them smarter than anything humans know how to build, Prof. Zeil said.

He and his colleagues created a wasps eye view, using 3D models and stereo cameras, so they can understand why wasps gather certain information during learning and homing.

Wasps move along arcs centered on the nest entrance, whereby rapid changes in gaze assure that the nest is seen at lateral positions in the left or the right visual field. Between saccades, the wasps translate along arc segments around the nest while keeping gaze fixed, the scientists said.

We reconstructed panoramic views along the paths of learning and homing wasps to test specific predictions about what wasps learn during their learning flights and how they use this information to guide their return.

Our evidence suggests that wasps monitor changing views during learning flights and use the differences they experience relative to previously encountered views to decide when to begin a new arc, they said.

Upon encountering learned views, homing wasps move left or right, depending on the nest direction associated with that view, and in addition they appear to be guided by features on the ground close to the nest.

The findings were published online this week in the journal Current Biology.

It will be important now to investigate whether and to what extent our findings generalize to the learning and homing flights of other insects, Prof. Zeil and co-authors added.

It also remains to be understood how the near-goal learning choreography we have analyzed here transitions into the landscape-wide exploration flights, as they have been recorded with harmonic radar in honeybees and bumblebees.

The scientists hope that their findings will assist with the development of autonomous flying robots.

Ground-nesting wasps navigate using panoramic vision which generates a lot of information at low resolution, Prof. Zeil explained.

Roboticists look to replace expensive high resolution cameras and reduce power consumption without losing information that is crucial for visual navigation and our research could help with this.

_____

Wolfgang Sturzl et al. How Wasps Acquire and Use Views for Homing. Current Biology, published February 11, 2016; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.052
A new study by Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) on the climate change and geochemical process of waters and lake sediments on the Tibetan Plateau show that global warming affects geochemical processes such as glacier melting, soil erosion and sediments release. This deteriorates water quality of rivers and lakes, thus significantly impacting the lives of 40 percent of the world's population living in the area.

According to the results concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead in high-altitudes lake sediments where there is less human activity were significantly higher compared to low-altitude areas where more people live. This finding indicates that atmospheric long-range transportation of pollutants in remote areas of the Himalayas might deposit at high altitudes. Precipitation during the monsoon season in the region has high concentration of nutrients implies that atmospheric pollution is possibly being transported to the Himalayas from South Asia by the India monsoon, which means human activities in the surrounding area have effects on the waters of the Tibetan Plateau.

The research also found that arsenic concentrations in rivers in the Southern Tibetan Plateau were higher than the guideline for drinking water set by World Health Organisation (WHO) due to the existence of thermal spring in this region.

Tibetan Plateau has an extensive permafrost cover and there is a lot of carbon stored in it. The temperature in the area has been increasing for the past 500 years and the climate in the central plateau has been warming more than other regions in the last century. Rising temperatures export old carbon stores from ancient permafrost into contemporary rivers in the Tibetan Plateau. Global warming will continue to release more carbon to the water system, which will, in turn, intensify the regional climate change and affect water quality.

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau on earth and is also known as the "Third Pole" and "water tower of Asia." Water quality is an essential issue for the inhabitants around the Himalayan area. The water quality in this region is under the threat of climate change as well as human activities as the two population-heaviest countries, China and India, are located in the area. However, local citizen's awareness on understanding of climate change on water quality and mitigation actions on are very limited. Researchers analysed the impacts of climate change on water quality of the lakes, precipitation, as well as headwaters in three major Asian rivers in the Tibetan Plateau: Yangtze River, Yarlung Tsangpo River and Ganges River.

Professor Mika Sillanpaa, the director of the project, also calls for urgent research to be done to understand the carbon cycle at the Himalayas.

"Global warming is releasing increasing amounts of carbon matter from permafrost to waters and then to the atmosphere. This will intensify the regional and even global climate change. It will affect human livelihoods, rangeland degradation, desertification, loss of glaciers and more." Mika Sillanpaa said.
Two new hominin fossils have been found in a previously uninvestigated chamber in the Sterkfontein Caves, just North West of Johannesburg in South Africa.

The two new specimens, a finger bone and a molar, are part of a set of four specimens, which seem to be from early hominins that can be associated with early stone tool-bearing sediments that entered the cave more than two million years ago.

"The specimens are exciting not only because they are associated with early stone tools, but also because they possess a mixture of intriguing features that raise many more questions than they give answers," says lead researcher Dr Dominic Stratford, a lecturer at the Wits School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental studies, and research coordinator at the Sterkfontein Caves.

The first fossil specimen, which is a very large proximal finger bone, is significantly larger and more robust than any other hand bone of any hominin yet found in South African plio-pleistocene sites.

"It is almost complete and shows a really interesting mix of modern and archaic features. For example, the specimen is markedly curved -- more curved than Homo naledi and is similarly curved to the much older species Australopithecus afarensis," says Stratford.

The level of curvature is often linked to arborealism, but it lacks the strong muscle attachments that are expected to be present.

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"The finger is similar in shape to the partial specimen from Olduvai Gorge that has been called Homo habilis, but is much larger. Overall, this specimen is unique in the South African plio-pleistocene fossil hominin record and deserves more studies," says Stratford.

The other fossil is a relatively small, nearly complete adult 1st molar tooth that also has striking similarities to species Homo habilis.

"In size and shape it also bears a resemblance to two of the 10 1st molars of the H. naledi specimens, although further and more detailed comparisons are needed to verify this."

The shape of the tooth and particularly the shape and relative sizes of the cones on the surface of the tooth suggest this specimen belonged to an early member of the Homo genus and can be associated with early stone tools dated recently to 2.18 million years ago.

"The two other hominin fossils found are still being studied and further excavations are planned to hopefully find more pieces and expand our understanding of who these intriguing bones belonged to and how they lived and died on the Sterkfontein hill more than two million years ago," says Stratford.

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The Sterkfontein Caves have been one of the most prolific palaeoanthropological sites in the world, since the discovery of the first ever adult Australopithecus by Robert Broom, 80 years ago this year. Since this incredible discovery, some of palaeoanthropology's most famous finds have come from the Sterkfontein Caves, including Ms. Ples and Little Foot.

Sterkfontein remains the richest Australopithecus-bearing locality in the world and continues to yield remarkable specimens. The underground network of caves at the site extends over 5kms and the caves are filled with fossiliferous sediments that have been deposited underground over a period of more than 3.67 million years.

However, very few of these deep deposits have been systematically excavated and so remain largely unknown. The Milner Hall, where the four new hominin fossils were found, is one such chamber where several large deposits have been identified but never excavated.

The excavations that yielded these new hominin fossils were being conducted as part of a new phase of exploratory excavations away from the known hominin-bearing areas. Excavations in the Jacovec Cavern, Name Chamber and Milner Hall have been started under Dr Stratford's direction. Each has yielded exciting new fossils that shed further light on the story of our evolution and life on the Sterkfontein hill more than two million years ago.

During the second phase of excavation in the Milner Hall, which were started early in 2015 with student Kelita Shadrach, four hominin fossils were excavated from the upper layers of a long sequence of deposits that document the long history of fossil deposition in the cave, starting over 3.67 million years ago.
It's official: There really was a giant, flightless bird with a head the size of a horse's wandering about in the winter twilight of the high Arctic some 53 million years ago.

The confirmation comes from a new study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the University of Colorado Boulder that describes the first and only fossil evidence from the Arctic of a massive bird known as Gastornis. The evidence is a single fossil toe bone of the 6-foot tall, several-hundred-pound bird from Ellesmere Island above the Arctic Circle. The bone is nearly a dead ringer to fossil toe bones from the huge bird discovered in Wyoming and which date to roughly the same time.

The Gastornis (formerly Diatryma) fossil from Ellesmere Island has been discussed by paleontologists since it was collected in the 1970s and appears on a few lists of the prehistoric fauna there, said Professor Thomas Stidham of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. But this is the first time the bone has been closely examined and described, he said. Gastornis fossils also have been found in Europe and Asia.

"We knew there were a few bird fossils from up there, but we also knew they were extremely rare," said Eberle, an associate professor in geological sciences who conducts research on fossil mammals, reptiles and fishes. In addition to the Gastornis bone from Ellesmere, another scientist reported seeing a fossil footprint there, probably from a large flightless bird, although its specific location remains unknown, Eberle said.

A paper by Stidham and Eberle appears in the most recent issue of Scientific Reports, an open access, weekly journal from the publishers of Nature.

About 53 three million years ago during the early Eocene Epoch, the environment of Ellesmere Island was probably similar to cypress swamps in the southeast U.S. today, Eberle said. Fossil evidence indicates the island, which is adjacent to Greenland, hosted turtles, alligators, primates, tapirs and even large hippo-like and rhino-like mammals.

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Today Ellesmere Island is one of the coldest, driest environments on Earth, where temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, said Eberle, also the curator of paleontology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History.

Originally thought to be a fearsome carnivore, recent research indicates Gastornis probably was a vegan, using its huge beak to tear at foliage, nuts, seeds and hard fruit.

A second Ellesmere Island bird from the early Eocene also is described by Stidham and Eberle in the new paper. Named Presbyornis, it was similar to birds in today's duck, goose and swan family but with long, flamingo-like legs. The evidence was a single humerus, or upper wing bone, collected by the same paleontology team that found the Gastornis bone.

Like Gastornis, Presbyornis was mentioned in several lists of Ellesmere Island fauna over the years but the bone had never been described, said Stidham.

Stidham compared casts of Presbyornis bones excavated in ancient Wyoming to the single bone from Ellesmere Island, including all of the marks for muscle attachments. "I couldn't tell the Wyoming specimens from the Ellesmere specimen, even though it was found roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) to the north," he said.

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While the diversity of plants and animals on Ellesmere was surprisingly high in the early Eocene, one of the biggest challenges to life on the island may have been the Arctic winters, said Eberle. "Since Ellesmere Island is high above the Arctic Circle, the lights still went out there for several months of the year, just as they do today."

It is not known whether Presbyornis migrated north to Ellesmere Island every year or lived there year-round, said Stidham. "Given the fossils we have, both hypotheses are possible," he said. "There are some sea ducks today that spend the winter in the cold, freezing Arctic, and we see many more species of waterfowl that are only in the Arctic during the relatively warmer spring and summer months."

The paleontology team working on Ellesmere Island in the 1970s and who found the Gastornis and Presbyornis bones in the 1970s included Mary Dawson, Robert "Mac" West, Howard Hutchinson and Malcolm McKenna.

The new study has implications for the rapidly warming Arctic climate, primarily a result of greenhouse gases being pumped into Earth's atmosphere by humans.

"Permanent Arctic ice, which has been around for millennia, is on track to disappear," Eberle said. "I'm not suggesting there will be a return of alligators and giant tortoises to Ellesmere Island any time soon. But what we know about past warm intervals in the Arctic can give us a much better idea about what to expect in terms of changing plant and animal populations there in the future."
A team of Montana State University paleontologists have identified several new types of dinosaurs from fossil evidence discovered in eastern Idaho, demonstrating the presence of a much more diverse group of theropods in the area than was previously known.

The findings were published earlier this month in Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. MSU doctoral student L.J. Krumenacker in the MSU College of Letters and Science's Department of Earth Sciences was the lead author of the study. Others who contributed to the work were Krumenacker's adviser, MSU paleontology professor David J. Varricchio, MSU graduate student Garrett Scofield and current Boise State University adjunct professor and former MSU graduate student Jade Simon.

The fossils, found in the Wayan Formation, which occurs on lands administered by Caribou-Targhee National Forest, represent at least three newly discovered types of theropod -- the family of dominantly carnivorous dinosaurs which include animals such as Tyrannosaurus rex. In fact, these formerly unrecognized dinosaurs, which date back to about 95 million years ago, include small- to mid-sized tyrannosauroids, Krumenacker said. Based mostly on fossilized teeth, he estimates the possible larger tyrannosauroid was about the size of a horse, with the small tyrannosauroid being similar in size to a retriever-sized dog.

Also among their findings were a pair of fossilized eggs of a large oviraptorosaur -the largest dinosaurs known to have existed in Idaho. The eggs are the first evidence that oviraptorosaurs lived in the area at that time.

The discoveries are significant, Varricchio said. Dinosaur fossils are rare to find in Idaho and these are some of the few that date back to the middle Cretaceous period.

"We don't really have many dinosaurs from this time period," he said. "This new evidence is really filling in the time, temporal and spacial gap."

Krumenacker, who hails from Idaho, has been searching his home state for dinosaur remains for more than a decade -- since he was an undergraduate at Idaho State University.

"He's made himself the expert on Idaho dinosaurs," Varricchio said. "He's largely been the person to describe the Idaho dinosaurs."

But aside from fossilized evidence of Oryctodromeus cubicularis -- a burrowing dinosaur that lived around the same time as these newly discovered tyrannosauroids -- the Idaho finds have been limited at best.

"It's just disappointing," Krumenacker said. "You'd like to find more. But it just drives me to look more. Persistence pays off -- now we've found these other fossil localities giving a lot of more data on the animals present at the time.

"The challenge is identifying the animals based on the fragmentary specimens we find," he added. "I put my best effort into it. It's possible I could discover some identifications are wrong if we find more complete remains later. But I'd be thrilled because then we'd have an even better understanding. I'd really like to find more."

The specimens will be curated at the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello, which holds the permit that allowed the collection of these fossils. A permit is required for all vertebrate fossils collected from federal lands.
FLORENCE, S.C.  GOP presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will be in Florence on Monday for a campaign rally ahead of the Republican primary.

According to the Cruz campaign, the event will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology on the campus of Florence-Darlington Technical College.

The rally is free to the public, but all those who want to attend are asked to either print a ticket prior to the event or be ready to show a ticket on a mobile device.

Tickets can be found at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/florence-sc-ted-cruz-rally-tickets-21534169280?aff=ebapi

Candidate schedules are subject change, according to campaign officials.

Cruz finished first in the Iowa caucuses and third in the New Hampshire primary. He has been campaigning heavily in South Carolina since his third place finish.

Stay with the Morning News and SCNow.com for complete coverage of this event.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush slammed GOP frontrunner Donald Trump at a campaign stop in Florence on Thursday afternoon, drawing comparisons to Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton and calling him too hotheaded to lead.

After a happy birthday greeting, Bush told the crowd of about 300 at Venus Restaurant that when it comes to social issues like abortion and health care, Trump is closer to liberal than most.

In Florida we eliminated partial-birth abortions, the horrific procedure that Donald Trump just 12 or 13 years ago supported, he said. Ive never met a person other than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump who has that radical of a view.

Bush said Trump, along with liberal counterparts like Clinton and President Barack Obama, thrives on divisive tactics. He said Trump has insulted numerous groups, namely veterans and the disabled, to make himself look better.

Its based on this notion that if everybody reaches their full potential, whatever that is, that is divinely inspired, then extraordinary things will happen for our country, Bush said. Trump, across the board, doesnt understand this. Neither does our president. Its dangerous to have a president like ours today whose best skill is to divide people in order to make himself look better.

Bush took questions from the audience, reaffirming his support for traditional marriage, his pro-life sentiment and touching on his firm belief in Catholicism.

I dont talk about it publicly, but Christ is my savior and my guiding light, Bush said. I make decisions in lots of ways. I listen to the people I respect, I think it through, I dont worry about the focus groups or the polls that other politicians seem to be obsessed about. At the end I pray about it and it gives me comfort and clarity to make the kinds of decisions you want a president to make.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham , a former GOP candidate and a South Carolina native, was also at the event to show his support for Bush. He said Bush is the only candidate qualified enough to handle the responsibilities of the oval office.

With Jeb you know what you get, Graham said. When you look at what he did with shaking up the education system, streamlining the disability system, growing jobs and balancing the budget in Florida, hes got a record I think most conservatives would be proud of.

Several attendees said they havent decided who they will vote for next Saturday, but said they have havent discredited Bush despite weak showings in Iowa and New Hampshire.

I certainly think hes qualified. Clearly, the last seven years weve had the wrong person, said Jeff Hyman. We need someone who understands military, understands the concerns of the seniors and understands that you cant beat people down then ask them to vote for you.

While others also remained undecided, a common theme was deep admiration for former President George W. Bush.

I loved the last Bush president, I dont care what people say about him, said Sylvia Philipp. I do think we need a governor, somebody with executive experience. I do like Jeb but I like Kasich too, so well have to see.
The fire onboard Bunga Alpinia has been contained and currently, further cooling efforts onboard are ongoing, MISC said in a statement.

MISC said bodies of two more seafarers were found on Friday and named Malaysian-national, Shahril Azmi Bin Baharudin, a greaser was the seafarer whose body was would on Thursday following the fire which happened while the 38,000 dwt chemical tanker was loading methanol. On Saturday the Malaysian Star reported that a fourth body had been located 6.5 nm from the stricken tanker. One remains missing.

The Labuan Fire & Rescue Department will conduct an assessment of the vessel before authorising a search effort to be conducted onboard for the missing four crew members, MISC said.

Local police believe a lightening strike may have caused the blasts and fire that wrecked the vessel. MISC said it was fully cooperating with the authorities in relation to investigations.
The owners of the tug and barge Woodman 38 and Woodman 39 lost contact with the vessels on 27 July while a on voyage from East Malaysia to Indonesia.

The 12 crew from the vessel were rescued on 31 July from two life rafts by Philippine authorities in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

On 4 August two vessels matching the description of the missing tug and barge were reported to have been found at Gensan Shipyard in the Philippines. The shipyard manager reported that Woodman 38 and Woodman 39 were in distress and drifting off Gensan shipyard on 31 July at or about 1700hrs, a report from ReCAAP ISC said. The six crew onboard the vessels were reported to have fled during the operation.

The vessels have been take in custody by the Philippines coastguard and the tug had been renamed Odi.
Shipping Corp of India (SCI) will soon start services to Iran as Indian insurers have agreed to offer up to $100m of cover per voyage, according to SCI chairman Sabyasachi Hajara. Iran is hit by EU sanctions from 1 July that saw insurers withdraw their coverage for tankers carrying Iranian crude oil.

As far as India is concerned, we are bothered about our sovereign requirements. We took a pragmatic view, Hajara was quoted saying.

Indian government officials have said India will follow sanctions imposed only by the UN and is not bound by the US and EU measures against Iran.
The insurance will be available through a new multi-billion-dollar line of state credit, according to Mohammad Ali Khatibi, Iran's Opec representative.

Iran is ready to give total insurance for the transport of its oil... and the commitments by Iranian insurers are no different from those by Western insurers and therefore all risks and dangers are insured, he was quoted saying in a state-run newspaper.

Crude oil buyers also have the option of using Iran's fleet of 47 oil tankers or their own, he added.

The Iranian government had given central state insurance agency Bimeh Markazi a line of credit worth several billion dollars to insure the tankers, reports said.

European insurers accounted for 90% of coverage for Iran before the sanctions took effect on 1 July 2012.

Before the EU sanctions, Iran exported around 2.5m barrels of oil per day. Estimates suggested the country's exports have fallen to around 1.5m barrels per day.
Port Klang, Malaysia's premier port, was the major container port moving around 5m teu of boxes, up from 3.67m in the previous year, according to Kong Cho Ha, Malaysia's transport minister.

Kong said Port Klang improved to 13th spot in 2011 from 16th placing in 2007 in world ranking, while Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor moved up one notch to 17th position from 18th in 2007 and 2008.

Overall, Malaysian ports still recorded a positive growth in container handling in the first half of this year, he was quoted saying.
Regional anti-piracy body ReCAAP said a Malaysian-registered tugboat Woodman 38, towing barge Woodman 39 was last contacted on 27 July near Balabac Island in the Philippines, two days after the vessels left Miri, Malaysia bound for Samarinda, Indonesia.

After the last contact the vessel with 12 crew onboard had its tracking system switched off. The vessels failed to arrive in Samarinda on 31 July and the Malaysian owner alerted ReCAAP, who in turn alerted the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.

The ReCAAP ISC requests all vessels transiting the area to look out for Woodman 38 and Woodman 39 and to report sightings of the vessels to the nearest coastal State. The tug boat, Woodman 38 originally painted blue may have been repainted and renamed, ReCAAP said.

Vessels that have been hijacked in Southeast Asia are frequently renamed and repainted to trade as so-called "phantom" ships.
MISC said on Monday the body of the fifth missing seafarer had been found onboard the 38,000 dwt chemical tanker which was ravaged by fire and explosions early on Thursday morning while loading methanol in Labuan, East Malaysia.

The fire has now been completely extinguished and cooling operations are underway. However, a spill has been detected from the vessel. Initial observations indicate that there is a minor slick emitting from Bunga Alpinia, which is currently largely being contained around the vessel by anti- pollution containment booms, MISC said.

The authorities and industry experts engaged by MISC have increased their efforts to contain the spill in ensuring the continuous protection of the environment and surrounding communities.
George Tsavliris, chairman of the International Marine Environment Protection Association (Intermepa), and principal of Tsavliris Salvage Group, has masterminded the creation of a raft of marine protection agencies around the world.

Tsavliris, who has through his salvage work seen at first hand the consequences of marine pollution, but whose voice was a lonely siren call for a costs-obsessed Mare Forum audience in Abu Dhabi last month, is calling on Dubais dynamic maritime community to spearhead the initiative.

It is of vital importance to elevate and encourage all those involved in the shipping industry with educational and other public awareness programmes which will serve the objective of protecting the marine environment, Tsavliris told Seatrade Maritime News in an exclusive interview.

With one-third of the worlds crude- and product-tanker traffic operating daily in the Arabian Gulf, the consequences of an oil or similar spill for the marine environment are too awful to contemplate. He said Lloyds List Intelligence showed around 60 casualties were identified within the Arabian Gulf last year.

No major pollution incidents were reported. Asked if there had been any recent near misses of late in the Gulf, he said: This is difficult to answer as we actually rarely find out about the near misses in the shipping industry. We are not aware of any significant near misses in the area of the Arabian Gulf.

Although shipping has often been criticised as a major cause of pollution, environmental concerns, increasing regulation and technological progress have added to a very challenging business climate.

The shipping industry in general is showing growing sensitivity to the environmental question, [but] it needs to become more proactive in combating pollution and the industrys ecological impact, he said.

Umbrella-organisation Intermepa, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary, helps coordinate the global effort to prevent marine pollution.

It was founded in Greece by the four national MEPAs, Greece, Cyprus, Australia and Turkey. Since then, three more members, North America, Uruguay and Ukraine, have joined. HELMEPA, representing Greece, was first to be founded, in 1982.

Intermepa and all MEPAs enjoy the support of international organisations such as the IMO, BIMCO, UNEP, USCG and others, in the efforts to raise the environmental [awareness] of shipping, he said.

The failure of the Paris Summit to make explicit reference to the IMOs responsibility for reducing CO 2 emissions in shipping gives rise to fears that the issue will not be properly dealt with.

The [recent] Paris Agreement now leaves it unclear which bodies have overall responsibility to reduce emissions from the shipping sector, he said. Unilateral or regional regulation would be disastrous for shipping and disastrous for global CO 2 reduction.

Low oil prices had in effect eroded the financial viability of gas at a time when its environmentally friendlier footprint would have promoted cleaner air and enhanced energy security, he said.

The current market conditions make [it] even more difficult to introduce new environmental regulation until we return to higher oil prices.

None of the UAEs seven emirates is without major stretches of coastline. In the past two decades, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water has declared marine protected areas in five emirates.

"The UAE's marine and coastal environment experiences several pressures caused by many years of development, expansion and over-exploitation of natural coastal and marine resources," its 2015 State of the Environment Report said.

"[Given] the strategic geographical location of the UAE, the increasing traffic, the size of ships and the ever expanding volume of trade, it is of vital importance to have contingency plans in place in order to maximise the protection of the marine environment in the area," Tsavliris said.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2016-28

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged an unregistered broker in Oceanside, Calif., with fraudulently selling purported stock in a medical device company and pocketing investors money.

The SEC alleges that Gregory Ruehle raised approximately $1.9 million from more than 100 investors but never delivered or transferred the securities as promised while using the money to pay gambling debts among other personal expenditures.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California today announced criminal charges against Ruehle.

We allege that Ruehle lied to investors, sent them phony documents to further his deception, and spent their money on living expenses and gambling, said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SECs Los Angeles Regional Office.

According to the SECs complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California:

Ruehle began his scheme as early as 2012, misrepresenting to investors in California and Minnesota that he would sell them his personally-owned securities in a La Jolla, Calif.-based medical device company called ICB International, Inc. He was a former consultant for the company.

Ruehle, however, sold investors far more securities than he actually owned, and those he did own were not transferable. Ruehle never disclosed these facts to investors.

Ruehle compounded his fraud by creating fabricated documents that he told investors were from the company.

He disseminated fake company stock certificates purportedly informing the investor of the number of shares they owned in ICB.

He transmitted the fake stock certificates with a letter falsely stating that the certificates had been transferred from Ruehle to the investor.

Ruehle also fabricated and sent investors an additional document that served as a phony confirmation that his shares had been transferred to the investor. The document falsely appeared to be on ICB letterhead and signed by the companys CEO.

The SECs complaint seeks a permanent injunction as well as disgorgement plus prejudgment interest and penalties against Ruehle, who is charged with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and acting as unregistered broker-dealer. Investors can quickly check whether people selling investments are registered by using the SECs investor.gov website.

The SECs continuing investigation is being conducted by Matthew Montgomery and Robert Conrrad, and the litigation will be led by Gary Leung. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


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The main contractor on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge says Caltrans owes it nearly $50 million  a large chunk of what could add up to $140 million in cost overruns on the project.

Caltrans revealed the demand Thursday from the main contractor, a joint venture called American Bridge/Fluor. Officials did not say what the disputed costs were for, but they acknowledged that the state will probably have to pay at least some of them, depending on the outcome of an expected arbitration process.

As a risk manager, I need to be conservative in my approach, said Caltrans official Patrick Treacy, who said he was including the full $49.9 million bill from American Bridge/Fluor in his estimate that the bridge could end up $140 million in the red. Im trying to capture the pessimistic outlook.

Treacy delivered his estimate at a meeting in Oakland of the bridge projects oversight panel, consisting of the heads of Caltrans, the state Transportation Commission and the local Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Youre assuming we basically lose all of our arguments with American Bridge/Fluor, said Steve Heminger, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and a bridge project board member.

The majority of them, yes, Treacy said. To get this, we need a bad result in arbitration.

Caltrans, however, has its own issues with American Bridge/Fluor. In September, it demanded $11 million from the joint venture for problems with high-strength steel rods on the bridge, including the failure of 32 of them on seismic-stabilizing structures in 2013. Caltrans also held American/Bridge Fluor responsible for flooding problems in the bridge towers foundation that could expose more than 400 anchor rods to corrosion.

American Bridge/Fluor challenged the penalty, and that issue will now be part of the arbitration, said Andrew Fremier, deputy director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

American Bridge/Fluor representatives have not commented about the project, but they have previously defended the quality of the joint ventures work, and said they would help Caltrans fix the tower rods problem. They did not appear at the meeting Thursday.

Construction delays and environmental protection efforts are contributing to the potential $140 million deficit on the bridge project, which already has cost $6.4 billion. Transportation officials have said there is enough money in toll-payer-financed funds to cover the repairs without having to bump up the cost of driving across Bay Area bridges. Tolls were last raised in 2010.

Heminger expressed frustration that costs continue to escalate, including tens of millions in Caltrans staffing expenses as demolition on the old eastern span and other work continues. He said the panel has tried to cut such costs, without success.

Its not making sense to me  that (overhead) number continues to grow every quarter, no matter what we do, Heminger said.

We do have issues where theres a lot of uncertainty about them, said Treacy, referring to costs for environmental measures to protect nesting birds on the old span and reduce lead contamination in the bay as the structure is dismantled.

Jaxon Van Derbeken is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com
A 47-year-old man found dead inside a jeep Thursday morning after a passerby spotted it at the bottom of a cliff in San Mateo County was a water distribution operator in the area, relatives said.

Coroners officials identified the man as Jeffrey Adan, of Woodside, who was last seen leaving his wifes house Tuesday night.

My daughter just found out this morning, said Andrea Lazarus, Adans mother-in-law. Were still recoiling from the shock of just having heard.

Lazarus said Adan had a water supervising role in San Mateo County. He is listed as a water distribution operator in Woodside, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.

Adans wife, Nicole Lazarus, works as a scientist in immunology at Stanford University, she said.

Adan and his wife live separately, and he was on his way home to his developmentally disabled 16-year-old daughter from a previous marriage when the accident occurred, Lazarus said.

His daughter, Nova, is in good condition. Adans previous wife lives next door and can care for her, she said.

A resident of Woodside noticed skid marks on Skyline Boulevard across from Old La Honda Road about 11 a.m. Thursday, then spotted a red Jeep Cherokee at the bottom of an embankment, said Officer Art Montiel, a California Highway Patrol spokesman.

Officials said it appeared the car had been there for more than a day. He had not been reported missing.

Investigators said it appeared Adan was heading north on Skyline, also known as State Route 35, when he crossed the double lines into the south lanes, then veered off the west side of the roadway, plummeting about 150 feet.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Adan was not wearing a seat belt and suffered from blunt force trauma, Montiel said.

Investigators are investigating the cause of the crash.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
Human skeletal remains were discovered Thursday evening along Interstate 280 near San Jose City College, just one day after another set of remains were found outside Gilroy.

A woman stumbled upon the remains Thursday about 6:30 p.m. after an argument with a friend, who had thrown the womans cell phone over a chain-link fence near Moorpark and Richmond avenues, according to Officer Ross Lee, a California Highway Patrol spokesman. When she hopped the fence to retrieve the phone, she came across what appeared to be a human skull and called San Jose police.
Leaders of the San Francisco neighborhood that sees more motor oil illegally dumped in its gutters and vacant lots than any other place in the city are turning to a new tactic to halt the hazardous practice  art.

A massive mural unveiled Thursday in the Bayview district aims to curb the practice of dumping waste into one of the citys poorest neighborhoods.

The 100-foot-long community mural  created by funds from a state grant  is a dramatic depiction of the mass amounts of oil leaking into San Francisco Bay and its ill effects on marine life. City officials at the unveiling said its partially an advertisement for 311, which people can call to report illegal dumping.

Its a beautiful mural, said Debbie Raphael, director of the city Department of the Environment. But its talking about something ugly.

City officials and community members say its typically businesses from outside the area doing the dumping.

They come from everywhere, said lifelong Bayview resident Bernard Robinson, 68, just as a man walked by and threw a bag of garbage onto the sidewalk. See? They dont care. They dont keep the community clean.

City officials estimate that between 2012 and 2014, clean-up crews collected more than 6,000 gallons of abandoned motor oil from across San Francisco, half of which was found in the Bayview. Personnel in the Public Works Department have gone as far as conducting late-night stakeouts to find out whos behind the dumping, Raphael said.

Just a gallon of motor oil that makes its way into the ocean can pollute millions of gallons of water, Raphael said. She called the practice careless and lazy given the multitude of places  three in the Bayview  where people can legally dispose of motor oil.

Thats not right, said Cameron Moberg, the muralist. Every time you come to the neighborhood you see it.

Reginald Daniels, 65, who has lived in the neighborhood his whole life, said motor oil is just one of many hazards in the area. He said he has seen green toxic sludge on the ground near the waterfront.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
A counseling center for convicted sex offenders, yielding to pressure from prospective neighbors, has dropped plans to move into new quarters in the Upper Market area.

Sharper Future, which had planned to open Tuesday inside a long-vacant pharmacy at Duboce and Church streets, said it was abandoning the plan following a community meeting on Monday night attended by hundreds of neighbors, many of whom loudly protested the proposed move.

Sharper Future has decided to immediately halt efforts to move into 100 Church St., said Sharper Futures president, Mary-Perry Miller, who is also a psychologist. After (the) meeting, it is clear that our presence would be divisive for everyone concerned.

Out of respect for the community and the very critical work that we do, weve elected to seek an alternate location.

Company spokeswoman Evette Davis said Sharper Future would look for another site in San Francisco because its current office at 1540 Market St. is scheduled for demolition. Its contract with state authorities requires it to be located and accessible to its clients in San Francisco, Davis said. The company, founded in 1995, operates a chain of counseling centers throughout California for convicted sex offenders.

We feel good about their decision to pull the plug, said Dennis Roybal, president of the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association. Sharper Future is not something that the residents of our neighborhood felt warm and fuzzy about. Were looking forward to a different neighbor moving into that location.

Roybal said his members objected to the controversial nature of Sharper Futures service, and that the neighborhood had not been informed of it before the move was announced.

Im surprised they backed out so quickly, said another neighborhood resident, a few doors from the proposed facility, who did not want to be identified.

But its probably the best decision for all concerned.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said after Thursday nights Democratic debate he expects to endorse a candidate in the 2016 presidential race before Wisconsins April 5 primary.

So far among Wisconsins 20 Democratic superdelegates, whose support isnt decided by popular vote, only U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, of Milwaukee, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, of Madison, have committed to a candidate. Both back former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Pocan, whose Madison-area constituency leans more toward Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll, said as first vice-chairman of the Progressive Caucus hes been urging both candidates to take more liberal positions.

Largely the candidates have done that, Pocan said, though he added that one area hes still working on is getting them to support a voting rights constitutional amendment. My attitude has been youre much more able to convince campaigns to do that if youre not siding with one campaign or the other.
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The San Francisco police officers who shot and killed Mario Woods acted lawfully to protect themselves and bystanders from a man who was armed with a knife, refused to obey commands and tried to flee while under the influence of methamphetamine and other drugs, the city attorneys office said.

City lawyers laid out a defense of the officers in a response to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Woods relatives, who say video footage of the encounter shows officers firing at the 26-year-old man from all sides, even though he was shuffling slowly along a wall and did not directly threaten the police.

In their response, city lawyers claimed for the first time that the shooting was lawful and justified.

The Dec. 2 shooting in the Bayview neighborhood, which is under investigation, set off a fierce debate in the city and prompted Mayor Ed Lee to ask for a review of the San Francisco police force by a U.S. Department of Justice division that seeks to heal police-community relations. That review is now under way.

Police officials have said five officers who shot Woods  Winson Seto, Antonio Santos, Charles August, Nicholas Cuevas and Scott Phillips  did their best in a situation where a stabbing suspect still had a knife, wouldnt heed commands and wasnt subdued by pepper spray and beanbag rounds. The video of the shooting showed one officer stepping in front of Woods, with the gunfire coming moments later from officers who had surrounded him.

Failing to surrender peacefully, Woods posed an imminent threat to bystanders and officers, wrote Deputy City Attorney Sean Connolly in the lawsuit response, which was filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Woods, while still armed with a weapon, attempted to flee by walking past the officers and toward the area where numerous bystanders congregated.

The city attorneys office said police officers need not use the least intrusive form of force when dealing with an armed suspect who poses a threat to the public or police officers. Police officers need not wait until they or a member of the public are assaulted before using lethal force.

The city filing said Woods told the first officers to arrive that they would have to shoot him before he would drop the knife.

An autopsy on Woods, released Thursday by the city medical examiner, found Woods died after suffering 20 bullet wounds, many from behind, and one additional probable gunshot graze wound to his right cheek. Investigators found at least 27 bullet-shell casings at the scene. Woods also had four clear bruises from beanbag rounds.

A blood toxicology exam found that at the time of his death, Woods had methamphetamine, marijuana, cough medicine, antidepressants, caffeine and nicotine in his system.

Attorney John Burris, who filed the civil rights lawsuit against San Francisco police, said the number of gunshot wounds confirms my view that the shooting was excessive. Many and most were in the back. He said the autopsy report showed that the officers should have taken the time when they saw he was not responding, and not created a confrontation with him.

Burris told The Chronicle Friday that he wasnt surprised by the city attorneys response.

I guess what hes saying is 20 shots in the back were lawful, Burris said. That doesnt make it true.

Vivian Ho and Demian Bulwa are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: vho@sfchronicle.com, dbulwa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo, @demianbulwa
Getting it together

The hottest social network before The Social Network has been purchased by Time Inc. Thats right: Myspace  yes, it really does still exist  is part of Viant, which Time is buying for an undisclosed amount so it can give marketers access to more than 1.2 billion users. Myspace peaked in 2008 with an estimated 76 million U.S. visitors before Facebook basically wiped it from the face of the Earth. News Corp. sold the company to Justin Timberlake and other investors in 2011 for $35 million. The site now plays music videos and songs.

See you in court

Uber will pay $28.5 million to settle a class-action suit over the companys claims that its driver background checks were industry leading. The settlement, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, requires Uber to pay roughly 25 U.S. million riders and reword the language around the fee it charges for each ride. Uber will rename the fee, called the safe ride fee, to a booking fee. It said it would use the fee to cover safety as well as additional operational costs that could arise in the future. Lyft, a main Uber rival, has made a similar change, Uber said.

Huh?

As Whole Foods Market tries to appeal to younger, budget-conscious shoppers, its new 365 chain might include other businesses  such as, uh, tattoo parlors. The new locations will help Whole Foods reach more communities than we would be able to with our mother ship, co-CEO Walter Robb said in an interview on Bloomberg TV.

The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle
Oakland police are asking residents in West Oakland and Berkeley to keep their hands off of any firearms they find as authorities continue to search for the gun a man pointed at people while purposefully hitting dozens of cars Wednesday morning.

Officers arrested the 55-year-old man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, pointing a firearm and several vehicle violations among other crimes after his Wednesday morning rampage. His name has not been released.

Oakland police spokesman Officer Johnna Watson said the gun the man used to point at people as he intentionally rammed their cars has not been found.

Those in West Oakland and the area around the 1300 block of McGee Avenue in Berkeley should report but avoid touching any weapons they find, police said.

We want to alert and advise everyone, that if you find what you suspect to be a firearm, whether in public or private property (yards, bushes, roof, etc.). Do not touch it. Please safeguard the location, call 911, and remain on scene until the police arrive, the department said in a statement Thursday.

Someone called police about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when the driver of a dark Mitsubishi sedan intentionally slammed into a car near East 23rd Street and Coolidge Avenue, Oakland police Lt. Chris Bolton said.

From there, the man hit dozens of cars, including three or four Oakland police cruisers and at least two Berkeley police cars, Watson said. He also hit a car with a pregnant woman inside. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police detained the man when he casually walked away from the car in Berkeley after a dangerous chase in Oakland. Officers had to use beanbag rounds to restrain him, Watson said.

No officers were injured.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
John Locher/Associated Press

LAS VEGAS  The arrival of Uber and Lyft in Nevada last fall and a state audit accusing regulators of allowing cabs to charge $47 million in excessive fees each year have the powerful Las Vegas taxi industry and its overseers in the hot seat, facing down a recommendation that the agency be disbanded and its duties passed to another entity.

Nevada lawmakers met this week to discuss the fate of the Nevada Taxicab Authority, which regulates cabs in the Las Vegas area, and get its board members side of the story. Legislators are postponing any decisions about whether to abolish the agency until a second, taxi company-funded audit is complete, but the meeting laid bare how cabs are struggling to keep pace with new technology and increased competition.
MILWAUKEE  Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled for the crucial backing of black and Latino voters in Thursday nights Democratic debate, and clashed heatedly over their support for President Obama as the presidential race shifted toward states with more minority voters.

Clinton, who has cast herself as the rightful heir to Obamas legacy, accused Sanders of diminishing the presidents record and short-changing his leadership.

The kind of criticism I hear from Sen. Sanders, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone seeking the Democratic nomination, Clinton said in a sharp exchange at the close of the two-hour debate in Milwaukee. Her biting comments followed an interview in which Sanders suggested Obama hadnt succeeded in closing the gap between Congress and the American people  something Obama himself has acknowledged.

Sanders responded: Madam Secretary, that is a low blow. And he noted that Clinton was the only one on the stage who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential race.

Long viewed as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic race, Clinton has been caught off guard by Sanders strength, particularly his visceral connection with Americans frustrated by the current political and economic systems. Clintons own campaign message has looked muddled compared with his ringing call for a political revolution, and her connections to Wall Street have given Sanders an easy way to link her to the systems his supporters want to overhaul.

Seeking to stem Sanders momentum, her campaign has argued that his appeal is mostly limited to the white, liberal voters who make up the Democratic electorate in Iowa and New Hampshire. Clintons team says that as the race turns now to Nevada, South Carolina and other more diverse states, her support from black and Latino voters will help propel her to the nomination.

Attempting Thursday night to boost his own support from minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a broken criminal justice system that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities.

At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country, he said.

In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to fix the criminal justice system, but cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.

We also have to talk about jobs, education, housing, and other ways of helping communities, said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast to Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.

We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up, said Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both Clinton and Sanders also disagreed with raids authorized by President Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally.

We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can, Clinton said.

Both candidates were restrained through much of their head-to-head contest  a contrast to their campaigns increasingly heated rhetoric. Clinton is mindful of a need to not turn off Sanders voters, particularly the young people who are supporting him in overwhelming numbers.

Still, the former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system. Clinton said those proposals come with unrealistic price tags. And she accused Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40 percent increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.

Sanders didnt shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.

In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living, Sanders said.
Act Now to Save Christians from Genocide Contact: Lisa Jones,



WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2016 /



For centuries, millions of Christians have been the victims of religious persecution in many countries around the world. But in recent months, brutality against members of the Christian faith in Iraq and Syria has been escalated beyond every historical level by ISIS, the Islamic extremist group which claims it is determined to snuff out the very existence of opposing religious groups.



Christians, and Yazidis, a minority sect living primarily in Kurdish parts of Iraq, have been forced from their homes, tortured, raped and murdered by fanatical Islamists throughout a region spanning Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Libya.



According to Christian Freedom International president Jim Jacobson, "the Obama Administration makes it impossible for persecuted Christians to seek asylum in the U.S. At the same time, the Obama Administration is allowing tens of thousands of Muslims to pour into the country."



Send President Obama the message that his rejection of Christians who are targeted for genocide in the Middle East does not reflect the values of the American people.



"Congress should act immediately to save as many Christians as possible," says Jacobson.



Sign the petition.



Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress, and mobilize your friends now to support Congressman Dana Rohrabacher's "Save Christians from Genocide Act" H.R. 4017.



For more information and to sign the petition go to



Christian Freedom International is a non-denominational human rights organization for religious liberty providing real solutions to conditions of human misery caused by religious persecution.

Share Tweet Contact: Lisa Jones, Christian Freedom International , 800-323-2273WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- We need to support Rep. Dana Rohrabacher who has introduced legislation that designates Christians and Yazidis in the Middle East as targets of genocide. His bill specifically provides for the expedited processing of 'immigrant and refugee status' for these persecuted religious minorities.For centuries, millions of Christians have been the victims of religious persecution in many countries around the world. But in recent months, brutality against members of the Christian faith in Iraq and Syria has been escalated beyond every historical level by ISIS, the Islamic extremist group which claims it is determined to snuff out the very existence of opposing religious groups.Christians, and Yazidis, a minority sect living primarily in Kurdish parts of Iraq, have been forced from their homes, tortured, raped and murdered by fanatical Islamists throughout a region spanning Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Libya.According to Christian Freedom International president Jim Jacobson, "the Obama Administration makes it impossible for persecuted Christians to seek asylum in the U.S. At the same time, the Obama Administration is allowing tens of thousands of Muslims to pour into the country."Send President Obama the message that his rejection of Christians who are targeted for genocide in the Middle East does not reflect the values of the American people."Congress should act immediately to save as many Christians as possible," says Jacobson.Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress, and mobilize your friends now to support Congressman Dana Rohrabacher's "Save Christians from Genocide Act" H.R. 4017.For more information and to sign the petition go to www.christianfreedom.org or call 800.323.2273.Christian Freedom International is a non-denominational human rights organization for religious liberty providing real solutions to conditions of human misery caused by religious persecution.
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BURNS, Ore.  Surrounded by FBI agents in armored vehicles, the last four occupiers of a national nature preserve surrendered Thursday, and a leader in their movement who organized a 2014 standoff with authorities was criminally charged in federal court.

The holdouts were the last remnants of a larger group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge nearly six weeks ago, demanding that the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. For the first time since Jan. 2, the federal land was fully under the control of the U.S. government.

Meanwhile, Cliven Bundy, who was at the center of the 2014 standoff at his ranch in Nevada, was arrested late Wednesday in Portland, Ore., after encouraging the Oregon occupiers not to give up. Bundy is the father of Ammon Bundy, the jailed leader of the Oregon occupation.

On Thursday, the elder Bundy was charged in the standoff from two years ago. Federal authorities may have feared Bundys presence would draw sympathizers to defend the holdouts.

Bundy, 69, was charged with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapons charges and other crimes. Hes accused of leading supporters who pointed military-style weapons at federal agents trying to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle from federal rangeland.

Federal authorities say the Bundy family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill.

The FBI said the final four occupiers were arrested as they walked out of the refuge to the FBI checkpoint. No one was injured and no shots fired.

The four were scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Portland. The holdouts and 12 others connected with the Oregon occupation have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.

The occupiers were 27-year-old David Fry of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nev.; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho.

The FBI began moving in on the holdouts Wednesday evening, surrounding their encampment with armored vehicles. Over the next several hours, the occupiers panic and their negotiation with FBI agents could be heard live on the Internet, broadcast by a sympathizer of the occupiers who established phone contact with them.

The Oregon standoff began when Ammon Bundy and his followers took over the refuge south of Burns.
LOS ANGELES  A blowout at a natural gas well that gushed uncontrollably for 16 weeks and drove thousands of residents from their Los Angeles homes was plugged Thursday, a utility said.

While the well still needs to be permanently sealed with cement and inspected by state regulators, the announcement by Southern California Gas Co. marked the first time the leak has been under control since it was reported Oct. 23.

We have temporarily controlled the natural gas flow from the leaking well and begun the process of sealing the well and permanently stopping the leak, Jimmie Cho, a SoCalGas senior vice president, said in a statement.

If the plug holds and all goes according to plan to seal the well, the upscale Porter Ranch community in the San Fernando Valley could begin to return to normalcy after schools were closed and about 6,000 families were uprooted as they complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as an intermittent stench wafted through the area.

Public health officials blamed their woes on an odorant added to gas so it can be detected and have said they dont expect long-term health impacts.

The leak at the largest underground gas storage reservoir in the West was declared an emergency by the governor.

At its peak, the leak was estimated to contribute about a quarter of the states climate-altering methane emissions, leading some to call it the worst environmental disaster since the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

While the gas was invisible, its impact could be seen in half-vacant subdivisions, two shuttered schools and on the faces of angry residents who packed public meetings and community forums and demanded the Aliso Canyon storage facility be shut down.

The blowout happened in a 60-year-old well that was built to pump oil from porous rock a mile-and-a-half below the Santa Susana Mountains. After the oil ran dry in the 1970s, the field of 115 wells was reused to store natural gas.
NEW YORK  A new study says a persons risk of becoming depressed or hooked on smoking may be influenced by DNA inherited from Neanderthals.

Researchers found evidence that one bit of Neanderthal DNA can boost the risk of tobacco addiction, while others can slightly raise or lower the risk of being diagnosed with depression.

Its the latest in a series of studies of the Neanderthal genetic heritage in modern people. Past studies have suggested it raises risk of allergies, for example.

Neanderthals and modern people split off from each other on the evolutionary tree hundreds of thousands of years ago. But ancestors of modern people interbred with Neanderthals about 50,000 years ago after leaving Africa. So in people of Asian or European ancestry, around 2 percent of DNA can be traced to Neanderthals.

Studying that DNA might help give insights into the biological roots of some diseases, said Tony Capra, an evolutionary geneticist at Vanderbilt University. He is senior author of the study, which was released Thursday by the journal Science.

The DNA linked to depression or tobacco addiction affects risk, and doesnt by itself produce those conditions.

The researchers focused on bits of Neanderthal DNA that had been identified in prior research. They looked for effects from about 1,500 of them in medical records of some 28,000 Americans of European ancestry, for whom they had genetic information.

One analysis supported a previously suggested influence on the risk of depression, with some DNA bits raising the risk and others lowering it. Overall, the analysis found, this DNA affected the risk by about 1 percent. For an individual, the effect would depend on just which bits that person carried, Capra said.

A second analysis found evidence that a particular bit of Neanderthal DNA, one quite rare in the population studied, roughly doubled the risk of getting hooked on smoking.

Tobacco was not available to Neanderthals, so they were not walking around puffing on cigarettes, Capra told a press conference Thursday. Its hard to say what effect, if any, that bit of DNA had on them, he said.

Kenneth Kendler, a genetics expert at Virginia Commonwealth University who didnt participate in the study, said he was skeptical that the effect on smoking addiction could be so strong, given previous studies of genetic influence on tobacco behavior.

Overall, Kendler said he found the evidence suggestive but not convincing for the proposed influences on depression and tobacco use.

The study also linked Neanderthal DNA to risk for some other modern-day conditions, such as scaly skin patches called actinic keratoses, urinary system symptoms and an unusually strong tendency toward blood clotting.

Sriram Sankararaman of the UCLA, who led a 2014 study of Neanderthal DNA in modern people, said he found the new work really exciting.

Capra said the Neanderthal DNA may have helped early humans adapt and survive in their ancient environment. But in todays world, he said, most of that genetic legacy is either neutral or mildly harmful.
1 Cell phone surveillance: Covert cell phone tracking devices have been used by the New York Police Department on at least 1,000 occasions since 2008, according to documents obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union. The documents, which the civil liberties group released Thursday, offers the first glimpse into how the nations largest municipal police department has used the surveillance devices while avoiding any public debate or any major courtroom review of the constitutionality of what it was doing.

2 Officer dies: A North Dakota police officer died Thursday of a gunshot wound suffered while responding to a domestic disturbance hours earlier, becoming just the second Fargo officer to die in the line of duty and the first in more than a century. Officer Jason Moszer, 33, a six-year veteran of the force with a wife and two children, died about 12:45 p.m. Moszer was hit while standing outside a house near downtown about 7 p.m. Wednesday.
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WASHINGTON  President Obama invoked the 1906 Antiquities Act on Thursday to designate three new national monuments in the California desert, protecting 1.8 million acres of Mojave Desert lands, including the longest remaining undeveloped section of historic Route 66.

Among the largest continental monument designations in recent times, they nearly double the combined acreage of all of Obamas previous monument designations. Obama acted at the direct request of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and made the designations even larger than the 1,380,350 acres the California Democrat requested.

The Mojave Trails, Castle Mountains and Sand to Snow monuments protect key wildlife and scenic corridors in one of the largest intact ecosystems in the United States. They will provide buffers near the deserts three big national parks: Death Valley, Joshua Tree and the Mojave National Preserve.

The White House said the designations demonstrate the administrations strong commitment to aggressive action to protect the environment for future generations.

Feinstein said she was full of pride and joy knowing that future generations will be able to explore these national monuments and that the land will remain as pristine as it is today. To a city girl like me, this expanse of desert, with its ruggedness and unique beauty, is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Decades-long effort

Feinsteins push was part of her decades-long effort to expand protection of the Mojave Desert. By sheer acreage alone, the designations, combined with her 9.4 million-acre Desert Protection Act of 1994, ensure Feinsteins legacy as one of Californias great conservationists.

Much of the land that became protected Thursday was under threat of massive solar and wind development in 2008 and 2009, instigated in part by Obamas push to site renewable energy on public lands to tackle climate change. Fueled by roughly $50 billion in stimulus money, solar developments were proposed along the Route 66 corridor, a stunning vista of pristine desert lands that most travelers today view from Interstate 40 as they travel between Barstow and Needles (San Bernardino County).

New plant species

Long considered a scrub wasteland, the desert hosts huge numbers of plant species that scientists are now discovering at a rate rivaling the Amazon. They also are finding that undisturbed desert soils act as a significant carbon sink. Bulldozing those soils to make way for solar panels or wind towers releases the carbon, scientists say, erasing any advantage of locating renewable energy plants there.

The designations are the pinnacle of a 15-year effort to preserve the heart of the Mojave Desert, said David Myers, head of the Wildlands Conservancy, which bought 1,000 square miles of former railroad lands now in the Mojave Trails monument for $45 million in 1999, cleaned the property of a century of trash and gave it back to the federal government, only to see the government open the property for industrial development.

We just have unqualified praise for Sen. Feinstein and President Obama for doing this, Myers said.

Feinstein turned to Obama after failing for six years to move a broader desert conservation bill through Congress because of Republican opposition to restrictions on public lands.

At 1.6 million acres, Mojave Trails is the largest of the three monuments, protecting 105 miles of Route 66 and linking Joshua Tree National Park with the Mojave National Preserve. Castle Mountains is a high desert grassland with thriving Joshua tree forests that completes the Mojave Preserve. Sand to Snow preserves a critical elevation corridor from the desert floor near Palm Springs to the San Bernardino Mountains.

All the work weve done has paid off, said Jim Conkle, a former Marine known as Mr. Route 66. We are able to save our desert and the areas designated as monuments forever, for posterity, for our childrens children. ... Of all the things Ive done, its the one thing I can be proudest of.

The Antiquities Act

The 110-year-old law Obama employed gives the president power to create national monuments on public lands. President Herbert Hoover used the Antiquities Act to establish Death Valley as a monument in 1933, and his successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, designated Joshua Tree as a monument under the act in 1936.

Republican opponents of the monument designations are expected to condemn the action as executive overreach.

Nonetheless, GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Paul Cook, the San Bernardino Republican who represents the affected district, has proposed legislation that would create the same three national monuments. The key difference is that Cook wanted to open the Mojave Trails to mining.

Randy Banis, who represents the California Off-Road Vehicle Association, worked for years on Feinsteins bill, which also included congressional protections for off-road vehicles. Feinstein said she will continue to press her bill, but Banis said legislation may be dead now. If so, the additional Feinstein protections for off-road vehicle use  a necessity for many desert travelers  and additions to the national parks and new wilderness may fall by the wayside.

I don't see a path forward with the crown jewel that held together the diverse parties being cherry picked out, Banis said.

The Bureau of Land Management will now begin the arduous process of creating a new management plan for the monuments. An outdoor enthusiast who craves desert solitude, Banis said he worries that when its time for me to go back to the desert to camp and recreate, there will be fewer places for me to go in my Land Rover because of roads being closed.

But dozens of desert communities, as well as environmentalists, pushed for the monument protections. Feinsteins first Desert Protection Act passed the Senate by a single vote in 1994, but eventually was widely embraced as tourism replaced mining and cattle grazing as the linchpin of the desert economy.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. E-mail: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
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DENVER  A probe of a mine waste accident in Colorado that fouled rivers in three states with arsenic, lead and other toxic substances has found further evidence that government workers knew a spill from the gold mine was possible, according to documents released Thursday by a U.S. House committee.

Hays Griswold, a U.S. Environmental Protection agency official in charge of the Gold King mine at the time of the August accident, said in an e-mail that he personally knew the plugged, inactive mine could contain large volumes of water.
NEW YORK  The author of a childrens book pulled last month because of its smiling depiction of slaves says she herself objected to the illustrations and had expressed early concerns with the publisher, Scholastic.

In her first interview since Scholastic withdrew A Birthday Cake for George Washington less than two weeks after it was published, Ramin Ganeshram also said she and illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton had little communication and essentially worked separately.

The public does not know that the authors (of picture stories) are not in full control of their books, she said. The public feels if you write the book, the book is yours and you make the decisions. But in childrens publishing at least, that is entirely untrue. Authors and illustrators often do not speak, or interact. I never had a conversation with Vanessa, just a few tweets.

The Washington book was published Jan. 5 and set off a wave of criticism from reviewers, and on social media and Amazon.com, where 270 out of 371 reader reviews were one star as of Thursday morning. Scholastic initially defended A Birthday Cake, which centers on Washingtons head chef, the slave Hercules. But on Jan. 17, it halted publication, explaining in a statement that the book may give a false impression of the reality of the lives of slaves.

Ganeshram says she was informed of the decision by her editor, Andrea Davis Pinkney.

And I said to her, As you know, I have always had issues with these illustrations, Ganeshram said.

Scholastic spokeswoman Kyle Good said that the publisher would have no comment. Brantley-Newton, an award-winning illustrator and author, has not responded to phone and e-mail requests for comment.

Ganeshram said that she and Brantley-Newton have never met.
SF Gay Mafia

In response to a vicious beating of a gay man in the Marina last week, a Facebook group called SF Gay Mafia is mounting a takeover of HiFi Lounge, the bar outside of which the assault took place. Dubbed the Marina Bar Gay Takeover, the action will be part grand statement, part circuit party, says an organizer. "What we are doing is in some ways a response to the incident in the Marina, but it is not a protest," says Saul Sugarman, one of the group's leaders. "We also just thought it would be fun."

No one has been arrested in the wake of Saturday's assault on Jeffery Lafayette, a 28-year-old man who was allegedly surrounded, beaten, and spat upon by about 20 men. The victim did not file a police report. "I just wanted to go home," he told CBS. "I was covered in blood." It's unclear who the assailants werewhether they were locals or tourists or Super Bowl attendees, or even whether they were patrons of HiFi. After the attack, Lafayette set up a GoFundMe campaign for his medical expenses, as SFist notes. The campaign is no longer active.
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Milwaukee

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled for the crucial backing of black and Hispanic voters in Thursday night's Democratic debate and clashed heatedly over their support for President Barack Obama as the presidential race shifted toward states with more minority voters.

Clinton, who has cast herself as the rightful heir to Obama's legacy, accused Sanders of diminishing the president's record and short-changing his leadership.

"The kind of criticism I hear from Senator Sanders, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone seeking the Democratic nomination," Clinton said in a sharp exchange at the close of the two-hour debate in Milwaukee. Her biting comments followed an interview in which Sanders suggested Obama hadn't succeeded in closing the gap between Congress and the American people  something Obama himself has acknowledged.

Sanders responded sharply: "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow." And he noted that Clinton was the only one on the stage who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential race.

After splitting this year's first two states with Sanders, Clinton also renewed her assertion that her unexpectedly strong rival was energizing voters with promises "that cannot be kept."

Seeking to boost his own support with minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system."

"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.

In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to address a criminal justice system that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities. But she cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.

"We're going to emphasize education, jobs and housing," said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Long viewed as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic race, Clinton has been caught off guard by Sanders' strength, particularly his visceral connection with Americans frustrated by the current political and economic systems. Clinton's own campaign message has looked muddled compared to his ringing call for a "political revolution," and her links to Wall Street have given Sanders an easy way to link her to the systems his supporters want to overhaul.

Seeking to stem Sanders' momentum, Clinton's campaign has argued that his appeal is limited to the white, liberal voters who make up the Democratic electorate in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton's team says that as the race turns now to Nevada, South Carolina and other more diverse states, her support from black and Hispanic voters will help propel her to the nomination.

The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.

"We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up," said Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both Clinton and Sanders disagreed with a series of raids authorized by President Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally. Immigration advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have condemned the raids, calling them inhumane.

"We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can," Clinton said.

Both candidates were largely restrained in their head-to-head contest  a contrast to their campaign's increasingly heated rhetoric on the campaign trail. While Clinton played the aggressor in the previous Democratic debate, she is mindful of a need to not turn off Sanders' voters, particularly the young that are backing him in overwhelming numbers.

The former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system.

Sanders did not shy away from expanding government.

"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," Sanders said.
We cannot escape history, President Lincoln declared in his Second Annual Message to Congress in December 1862. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.

Lincoln was aware that historians could misrepresent the facts. Lincoln contemporaries testified that Lincoln had no faith in history or biography. But he understood that his decisions could change the course of human events. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, Lincoln said as he signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Churchill himself would comment: Everyone can recognize history after it has happened; but it is only the wise person who knows at the moment what is vital and permanent, what is lasting and memorable.

Long-time Lincoln friend Joshua F. Speed, himself a Kentucky slaveowner, differed from Lincoln on slavery. Once in the White House, they discussed the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln talked about a period in early 1841 when he had been much depressed after a breakup with his future wife Mary Todd. Lincoln reminded Speed that he had told him that he had done nothing to make any human being remember that he had lived. Lincoln recalled that conversation and told Speed: I believe that in this measure (meaning his Proclamation) my fondest hopes will be realized.

When World War II broke out in Europe, Churchill was at work on his History of the English-Speaking Peoples. He had completed the multi-volume work through the American Civil War, but his publisher wanted Churchill to complete the series to the 20th century. World War II intervened. And thus Churchill had the opportunity to craft his own pivotal role in English-speaking history with his six-volume memoir, The Second World War.

For decades, Churchill had studied and written historical works. During the 1930s when Churchill was out of office, in the wilderness, his primary occupation and source of income was writing. Abraham Lincoln also studied history during the 1850s when he was out of office  primarily to draft well-researched speeches opposing the extension of slavery.

Churchill, gifted historian that he was, learned lessons from the history he wrote. He certainly understood the importance of patience and hard work from writing his four-volume biography of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough. The real reason why I succeeded in my own campaigns is because I was always on the spot  I saw everything, and did everything for myself, the first Duke of Marlborough observed.

In March 1932, while visiting America, Churchill gave a speech on Anglo-American relations at the Westchester County Center  just a few months after he had been seriously injured in a Manhattan auto accident. Words are the only things that last forever, Churchill told his White Plains, N.Y., audience. The most tremendous monuments or prodigies of engineering crumble under the hand of Time . . . But words spoken two or three thousand years ago remain with us now, not as mere relics of the past, but . . . leaping across the gulf of ages  they light the world for us today.

During his wilderness years out of high office during the 1930s, Churchill wrote a British official that you assume the future is a mere extension of the past whereas I find history full of unexpected turns and retrogressions. An unexpected turn in May 1940 would elevate Churchill to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom  a job he performed both as a war statesman and a keen historian. A World War II contemporary observed that Churchill looks back on the story of Great Britain and the English-speaking races with the eye of an historian, he looks forward to its future with the eye of a prophet and a statesman. He has seen that his part in it is recorded. No one will deny him his glory.

Past experience carries with its advantages, the drawback that things never happen the same way again, wrote Churchill in his memoirs. Otherwise I suppose life would be too easy. Few things enchanted Churchill so much as discussing great men of history. In 1942, British Admiral Andrew Cunningham reported a lunch at 10 Downing St. with two American Generals, and the Prime Minister being full of new ideas for confounding our enemies. The conversation switched to the battles of the American Civil War, about which Mr. Churchills knowledge was amazing. I confided to my relative that I thought him an extraordinary man.  Churchill cherished his mastery of American history. His mother was an American.

In 1943, Churchill went with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the presidential retreat in the hills of Maryland. As the Anglo-American leaders passed through Fredericksburg, FDR told Churchill a bit about the Civil War story of Union patriot, Barbara Fritchie. Then FDR recited a few lines from John Greenleaf Whittiers poem about her. Churchill responded by reciting the entire Fritchie poem from memory to the astonished American president.

Lincolns memory was as good as Churchills, but Lincolns opportunity to study British history had been very limited. In February 1865, Lincoln attended a peace conference in Virginia. After Lincoln set stiff Union conditions for any negotiations, one of the Confederate commissioners argued, as a precedent, that King Charles I had reached agreements with rebels during an English Civil War. I do not profess to be posted in history, said Lincoln in concluding the discussion. All I distinctly recollect about the case of Charles I, is, that he lost his head in the end.

When it came to the future judgments of history, Winston Churchill had an advantage over Lincoln. History will be kind to me for I intend to write it, the British Prime Minister told World War II associates. Abraham Lincoln, however, had his own advantage. More even than Churchill, perhaps, Lincoln was attuned to the realities of the present and the promises of the future. In his 1862 Message to Congress, Lincoln revealed in a single line his ability to adapt up to whatever came: As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.

Greenwich resident Lewis E. Lehrman, co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, is author of Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point (Stackpole, 2008) and Lincoln by littles.  (TLI, 2013).
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Mario Woods suffered 20 gunshot wounds, many of them from behind, when he was killed by San Francisco police officers in December, according to an autopsy report that also indicated the presence of methamphetamine, marijuana, antidepressants and cough medicine in his system.

The report by Chief Medical Examiner Michael Hunter, released Thursday, found the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds, including to Woods head, back, abdomen, buttocks, legs and hands.

The autopsy report provides more insight into a shooting that remains under investigation and which garnered nationwide attention after video of the Dec. 2 encounter in the Bayview neighborhood was posted to social media.

Police officials said five officers who shot Woods did their best while trying to subdue a stabbing suspect who still had the knife and refused to comply with commands even after being hit with pepper spray and beanbag rounds. But Woods relatives and others said officers recklessly used deadly force on a person who did not directly threaten them.

The video of the shooting showed one officer stepping in front of Woods, who was 26, as he shuffled along a wall, with the gunfire coming moments later from officers who had surrounded Woods. The report lists Woods as 5-foot-9, 156 pounds.

It is unclear exactly how many bullets struck Woods. While the autopsy found 20 clear bullet wounds and one additional probable gunshot graze wound to Woods right cheek, its possible that some individual bullets caused multiple wounds. Investigators found at least 27 bullet-shell casings at the scene, according to the report.

Based on a review of the autopsy report alone, there are 21 total gunshot wounds to the body and 11 of these are perforating, meaning they went through the body, said Judy Melinek, a board-certified forensic pathologist and author unaffiliated with the case. The 21 gunshot wounds could have been caused by a maximum of 21 or a minimum of 10 projectiles.

In 16 of the wounds, the trajectory of the bullet as it struck Woods was described as back to front, though the report does not provide a sequence for the shots, and its not clear how many of them were fired from behind. One of the back to front wounds was to Woods right index finger.

Melinek explained that the medical examiner labeled the trajectory by anatomical standards. Depending on how Woods reacted when he was first shot, a bullet could have pierced the back of his arm from the front, had he swung it in a certain way.

She counted at least 10 wounds that entered at the back or the back of the head.

Woods suffered at least five bruises from the less-than-lethal beanbag rounds, on his left chest, his left forearm, his left hip and his left thigh, said the report, which also noted superficial injuries likely caused by bullet fragments.

Shooting excessive

John Burris, an attorney who filed a civil rights lawsuit against San Francisco police on behalf of Woods family, said Thursday that the number of gunshot wounds confirms my view that the shooting was excessive. Many and most were in the back.

Police officials, however, said the report appears to corroborate facts gathered by investigators in the aftermath of this tragic incident.

It is difficult for anyone to watch videos of the shooting. Similarly, it is equally as difficult to read the medical examiners report, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman. She said the department is committed to a thorough review of the shooting, and this report will be an important component of all three ongoing independent investigations.

A blood toxicology exam found that at the time of his death, Woods had methamphetamine, marijuana, cough medicine, antidepressants, caffeine and nicotine in his system.

DNA match

In a response to the lawsuit filed by Woods family, the city attorneys office described the drugs in Woods system as a volatile combination. The response, filed Thursday, also stated that DNA evidence from the knife recovered at the scene matched that of the earlier stabbing victim.

Woods family has said that he suffered from psychiatric issues and that he may have been in an altered mental state when the officers encountered him. Burris said the report provides further evidence that the officers should have taken the time when they saw he was not responding, and not created a confrontation with him.

Burris said the issue was if the officers had a legitimate reason to shoot him, regardless of his level of intoxication.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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MUNICH  Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, said they had agreed on the delivery over the next few days of desperately needed aid to besieged Syrian cities, to be followed by a cease-fire that is supposed to clear the way for renewed peace talks.

We have agreed to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities in one weeks time, Kerry said. That is ambitious.

The real test is whether all the parties honor those commitments, he said, sitting next to Lavrov.

If executed, the agreement, forged by the International Syria Support Group, would mark the first sustained and formally declared halt to fighting in Syria since the civil war began in 2011, early in the Arab uprisings.

But the cease-fire would be partial  it excludes the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front, both designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations  and highly fragile.

Kerry and Lavrov could not say whether leaders of all the fractious rebel groups have agreed to go along.

Of more concern to U.S. officials, the cease-fire would essentially freeze in place the recent battlefield gains that President Bashar Assads forces have made with the help of Russian air strikes. The city of Aleppo, in rebel hands for four years, has been encircled by Assads troops and bombed by Russian aircraft.

Russia had proposed the March 1 cease-fire date, which the U.S. and others saw as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting.

Kerry and Lavrov said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both the working group on humanitarian aid as well as a task force that will try to deal with the modalities of the temporary truce. That task force will include members of the military along with representatives from countries that are supporting various armed groups in Syria.

The Syrian government and the opposition would both have to agree to the details.

There are many reasons to question whether either the relief effort or a meaningful cease-fire will come to pass, or achieve the goal of ending a five-year-long conflict.

But the announcement early Friday in Munich marked the first time there was hope of a break in the violence since the civil war broke out in 2011. And it would mark the first large-scale aid to the country, from where millions have fled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
The U.S. Supreme Courts decision to consider the case against the Environmental Protection Agency (Legal setback on climate change, editorial, Feb. 11) has nothing to do with whether the climate is significantly impacted by human activity. Instead it is entirely concerned with authority. The Chronicle seems to believe that every government agency should have the unfettered ability to do whatever it wishes if it believes it is in the public interest. If that happened, we would go from being the best country to live in to one of the worst.

Rather than fault the conservatives on the court, The Chronicle should be condemning the four liberal justices who repeatedly place ideology over legality.

Bill McGregor, Berkeley

Over the top

Your Feb. 11 editorial Legal setback on climate action seemed a fair discussion of the recent Supreme Court decision. However, in the last sentence you refer to overwhelming evidence that climate change is a serious threat. Im afraid you are a little too easily overwhelmed.

Donald Breyer, Sonoma

Next steps

So this is what humanitys future depends on: five men, in the most powerful institution of the most powerful country in world history, will decide whether to allow us to take a tiny step toward preserving a habitable world for our species. If they say no, as now seems likely, will we have to renege on our Paris promises and destroy the momentum that finally seems to be gathering to reduce worldwide emissions?

Republicans can go beyond opposing President Obama and propose a better solution instead: a revenue-neutral carbon fee with all of the money refunded to American households.

This bipartisan policy will address emissions through the entire economy, not just power plants. It will improve most peoples standard of living, especially the poorest, who generally consume the least and will benefit most from an equal dividend. And it wont expand government: The market will decide how to wean our economy from fossil fuels in the most efficient way possible.

Harry Chomsky, Albany

The GOP game

The Republicans have spent well over a year demonizing Hillary Clinton, and it seems to have worked. The young people supporting Bernie Sanders are just pawns in the GOP political game and they are too naive to see what is happening. We are going to have a Republican president.

Gloria Judd, San Francisco

People power

Dissatisfaction with policies that have served the few very well, such as financial inequality and the invasion of Iraq, have fueled the fervent desire for a political revolution. How fortunate that we are being shown the way to exert people power by Bernie Sanders. He gives us hope that we can, through the electoral process as envisioned so many years ago by our founding fathers, start to set things right.

Money in politics, which many thought impossible to change, has been shown to be vulnerable. That fact alone is remarkable. Best of all, we are being brought together by the realization that it is us, the voters, that can change the direction of this country by working within the system designed to do just that. We the People!

Barbara Krings, Sacramento

Russias burden

Has Russia taken in any refugees from Syria? It seems that since Vladimir Putin is committed to intervening militarily, Russia should be primarily responsible for accommodating Syrian refugees.

David Kelso, Oakland

Facultys plight

Im glad to see The Chronicle paying attention to the potentiality of a strike in the CSU. As a full-time adjunct lecturer in the system for the past 17 years, however, I am discouraged by suggestions that a strike is unwarranted or that faculty are being greedy and unreasonable.

In 2006, a 15 percent raise was agreed upon by the then chancellor and Board of Trustees. As a result of the economic crisis of 2008, the raise (at 3 percent a year for five years) was taken off the table. Its incredible that only eight years later weve forgotten this long overdue increase and now the CSU is suggesting that it cant afford the cost of paying faculty reasonable wages. An independent arbiter forced the CSU board into giving raises to faculty in 2013; most of us saw a 1.6 percent increase.

None of us got into academia for the money. But I imagine that we also didnt anticipate needing roommates well into middle age, being shut out of housing markets around the nation, and having to wait tables to supplement our salary as professors.

Randi Rulayne Picarelli, Los Angeles

A better question

The recent article (Oil firms accused of hiking prices, Feb. 9) is self-admittedly laughable. But, then, the public wants to believe oil companies are evil. As a former oil company engineer and veteran of the gas shortages of the 1970s, I know that rigging the price of gasoline could only be achieved by government fiat, as in the 1970s, or by company collusion so massive that it would quickly become public knowledge and send the colluding executives to jail.

The real question  never answered during my employment by oil companies  is why gasoline on the west coast is historically 15 to 20 percent higher than elsewhere in the U.S. Rather than wasting ink and paper with silly accusations, why not investigate the price difference?

James Earhart, San Francisco

Why publish?

I am happy and relieved that CHP officers were able to prevent a woman from jumping from the Bay Bridge on Tuesday, but I am appalled that the agency posted photos of the encounter on its Facebook page and that The Chronicle published one of them.

Anne Stafford, Oakland

Great challenge

Dear Donald Trump: Please offer us some specifics which go beyond your trademark response about Make American great again and a smug look on your face. Because you are running to be my national leader, I need some basis to judge beyond you are going to take care of things or everything will be great.

I need to vote with my head rather than gut. What are the whats, whys, whos, and hows for your plan?

Donald Peter, San Mateo

Whole community

Congrats to Whole Foods for taking the risk of opening a new store in an underserved neighborhood. Its pretty much what the Tenderloin needs to help with its transition into a family friendly neighborhood. What it doesnt need is a politically motivated, Speedo-clad supervisor who has a problem with an evil chain store that sells quality products.

Ron Baum, Mill Valley
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Scientists at UC Berkeley began mobilizing a global smartphone network Friday to detect earthquakes and someday send out life-saving early warnings before dangerous temblors shake the distant ground.

In a crowdsourcing program called MyShake, the scientists released the first quake-detecting mobile app for Android phones, available free on Google Play, and said a second app for Apple iPhones will be available soon.

The MyShake app has been tested with 300 volunteer smartphone users across an area of nearly 4,000 square miles, and it showed that the quake-detection system performed well, said Richard M. Allen, director of UC Berkeleys Seismological Laboratory who is leading the project.

But we would need many more than that in the real world, he said. About 3,000 would be a good number, and the system will always be better the more phones there are participating.

The next step, he said, is to refine the system to send out alerts seconds to minutes before dangerous seismic waves shake the ground.

Modern mobile phones contain built-in motion sensors called accelerometers that can detect a phones smallest vibrations. The phones also contain GPS systems that activate periodically to determine their precise location.

When an earthquake ruptures the ground, smartphones with the MyShake app can sense the first shaking, analyze it, and instantly relay the information to a specialized cloud server that collects it from other phones in the system and determines the quakes magnitude, Allen said.

A ground-based early-warning network called ShakeAlert is being developed and tested with hundreds of traditional seismic stations in California and the Pacific Northwest.

MyShake wont replace traditional seismic networks for quake detection, Allen said. But we think it can make earthquake early warnings faster and more accurately in areas that do have a traditional seismic network, and could provide life-saving early warning in countries that experience many destructive earthquakes but have very few conventional seismic detectors.

Worldwide network

Crowdsourced networks of mobile phones could prove to be the only option for many quake-prone regions of the world where seismic stations are rare and populations are dense, but smartphones are widely used, Allen said.

For example, Allen noted that an estimated 1.6 billion mobile phones are now in use around the world, and more than 80 percent of them run on the Android operating system. In Nepal alone, he said, some 6 million smartphones are in use and 600,000 of them are in Kathmandu, the nations densely populated capital.

A violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck there in April, killing more than 8,000 people. Its epicenter was some 50 miles from Kathmandu.

Early warning

There are hardly any conventional seismic stations in the region there, Allen said, but a network of mobile phones in full operation would have detected that quake and, based on its distance from the capital, the network would have provided 20 seconds of early warning that could have saved many lives.

At the UC Berkeley seismology lab that Allen directs, graduate student Qingkai Kong developed the first quake detection algorithm for MyShake smartphones and tested its ability in the strong vibrations produced by 45 simulated earthquakes at the universitys large seismic shake table at the Richmond Field Station.

This cutting-edge research will transform seismology, Kong said. Using smartphones with low-cost sensors will give us a really good, dense network in the future.

Allen announced the MyShake project Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington. A report on its progress is published in the journal Science Advances.

Developing the MyShake system is supported by a $1 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and other essential algorithms were developed by Silicon Valley programmers at the Deutsche Telekom Innovation Center in Mountain View.

Another system in works

We do telephones, we write code, and now we do seismology, said Louis Schreier, vice president of the center who is also a co-author of the report in Science Advances.

Another system linking smartphones to dangerous earthquake detection and early warning of ground shaking is being developed by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, and early versions are being tested in Chile.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. E-mail: dperlman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @daveperlman
Who among us hasnt wished for a do-over in our lives from time to time? How different things might have turned out had we made another decision. If wed taken that job, we might be wealthy. If we hadnt said what we did, we might not have lost a friend or perhaps a life mate. You cant spend your life wondering what if, but it inevitably crosses your mind.

Stephen Kings best-seller 11.23.63 asks us to consider what might have happened if history had turned out differently: What if Lee Harvey Oswald had been stopped before he could assassinate President John F. Kennedy in the early afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963? One of the great tragedies of the 20th century would be averted, but then what? How would the next day, week, year, decade have played out? If you believe that everything is connected in life, the butterfly theory posits that altering one incident at one moment in time theoretically reverberates through every other moment thereafter.

Kings 2011 novel has been adapted for an engaging eight-hour miniseries premiering on Monday, Feb. 15, on Hulu Presidents Day. (Maybe Hulus programming department could use a do-over on that one.) Its somewhat uneven and doesnt always make perfect sense, but, in a way, the absence of predictability becomes one of the shows most useful assets.

Jake Epping (James Franco) is a newly divorced English teacher in the town of Lisbon, Maine. He frequents a diner that specializes in a decidedly unhealthy fatburger for the unheard of price of a buck and a quarter. Al Templeton (Chris Cooper) runs the diner, but hes got a secret: Hes what would be called a conspiracy nut about the Kennedy assassination. But unlike others who are obsessed with the events in Dallas that day and the subsequent investigation by the Warren Commission, Al is trying to do something about it. Hes trying to stop the assassination from happening by taking regular forays down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole in the back of a closet to go back in time. He may disappear from the present for only a couple of minutes, but when hes back in the early 60s, every minute equals a year, so hes aging fast. Nearing death, he wants Jake to finish what he knows he wont live to do.

Changing the past isnt easy, though, as Jake soon learns. The past doesnt want to be changed, Al warns him. In fact, the past is a formidable adversary, as Jake soon learns when he falls through the portal and arrives three years ahead of November 1963. Almost at once, he encounters a wraithlike figure who ominously warns him, You shouldnt be here. Others utter the same piece of advice.

Jake has to cool his heels for a while because he knows from his own time that at this point, Oswald is in Russia. Jake passes the time by preventing a bully named Frank Dunning (Josh Duhamel) from murdering most of his family. He also acquires a sidekick in young Bill Turcotte (George MacKay) who is sufficiently convinced that Jake (now going by the name of Jake Amberson) is not crazy and is, in fact, from the future.

Once Oswald (Daniel Webber) is back in Texas with his Russian wife, Marina (Lucy Fry), and met at the airport by his overprotective mother, Marguerite (Cherry Jones), Jake and Bill track his every move. If they are able to get Oswald arrested when he makes an assassination attempt on right-wing Gen. Edwin Walker (Gregory North), they can keep him from killing Kennedy.

The plot gets intentionally sidetracked along the way, as Jake meets and falls in love with a pretty school librarian named Sadie Dunhill (Sarah Gadon). In the real past, that never happened, but Jake is altering other aspects of the past every minute he spends in the early 60s.

What he doesnt know until he gets Back to the Future (so to speak, because, yes, the miniseries evokes memories of that film franchise, but with a delicious Stephen King twist) is when you change the past, you change everything that comes after that. Many assume that, had JFK lived, there would be no Vietnam War, that with two terms, he could have accomplished greatness as president. But we dont know that for sure, obviously. Maybe making even the minor change for the momentary good will beget opposite results down the road.

Bridget Carpenters solid adaptation of Kings novel refracts the butterfly effect theme through Jakes relationship with Sadie and his effort to keep Manning from killing most of his family. The whole thing ends ... well, several times. The final episode resolves one major plot issue, only to show Jake, and us, the perils of changing time.

Director Kevin McDonald elicits strong performances from the supporting cast, especially Cooper, Duhamel, Webber, Gadon and Mackay, but Franco is only intermittently convincing as the time-traveling English teacher.

The series depiction of the early 60s is lavish and instantly convincing  so dazzling that we can overlook the weaker moments in Francos performance. Costumes, cars, signage, music, hairstyles, language and, most important, social and political attitudes have been re-created to convincing perfection. The attention to detail provides an indispensable foundation for the time-twisting theme of the story.

The story does meander from time to time, especially in the early episodes, but 11.22.63 eventually finds its way. It was just a matter of time.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. E-mail: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV. Follow me on Facebook

11.22.63: Eight-part miniseries, based on the novel by Stephen King. First episode available for streaming on Monday, Feb. 15, on Hulu. Weekly episodes available thereafter.
MONTERREY, Mexico  Mexicos deadliest prison brawl in many years was a bloodbath in which inmates attacked each other with hammers, cudgels and makeshift blades, authorities said Friday, underlining yet again the power that drug cartels wield inside many of the countrys lockups.

Jaime Rodriguez, governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, said 60 hammers, 86 knives and 120 shivs were used in the previous days fighting at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, where 49 inmates were hacked, beaten or burned to death, and a dozen more injured.

At least 40 of the victims died from wounds from stabbing and cutting weapons, blows from hammers and clubs, Rodriguez said at a news conference.

Authorities also seized various kinds of contraband items from marijuana and cocaine to televisions and USB memory sticks.

A dispute between rival factions of the Zetas cartel was believed to be behind the violence.

What we have to see as a reality in the entire penitentiary system is that there is self-rule by the inmates, Rodriguez said. All this corruption inside the prison creates the conditions we have today.

He acknowledged that prisoners effectively lord over the facility and that there were not enough guards watching them: Nobody wants to be a guard, he said, because of the meager pay.

About half the inmates at Topo Chico have been sentenced for minor offenses or are suspects still awaiting trial. Nevertheless they are housed in the prisons overcrowded general population alongside many of the countrys most hardened killers.

Gov. Rodriguez blamed the violence on the old, outdated, obsolete system under which Mexican prisons are run and suggested after having visited the United States that his country may have to move to U.S.-style, privately operated prisons.

We have to think about efforts with private initiative, he said. We have not been doing rehabilitation work.
CALAIS, France  Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting refugees in night attacks in Calais and elsewhere in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums and deepening concerns the city is becoming a tinderbox of antirefugee, anti-Muslim rage thats fueling a budding nationalist movement.

The stalkers, sometimes masked, slip through the night armed with clubs, brass knuckles, pepper spray or knives, according to accounts by refugees and groups working to provide medical and legal help.

After months of what appear to be organized attacks, police made their first arrests Thursday, taking seven men armed with iron bars and extendable batons into custody for a suspected attack on five Iraqi Kurds at Loon-Plage, a port town between Calais and nearby Dunkirk. The seven faced charges of violence in a group and forming a group to commit violence, said Dunkirk prosecutor Eric Fouard. Some of the men, aged 24-47, said they sympathized with extreme-right movements in Calais identified as xenophobic, he said.

The ideas they peddle are that there are too many migrants in France, Fouard said by telephone, noting that one of the seven was from Brittany and another from the Paris region.

The head of a legal center set up for the refugees in the makeshift Calais camp alleged on Friday that those living there are regularly subject to police violence, as well. Marianne Humbersot told reporters she was filing 13 complaints  five for violence by militia and eight at the hands of police.

I have a 13-year-old who had his foot broken. And 10 days before being attacked by police, he had his nose broken by racists, Humbersot said.

Refugees  who have converged in northern France hoping to sneak into Britain  have also long complained about police brutality, accounts backed up by medical units that treat them. But attacks in recent months, accounts suggest, are organized and carried out by a militia-style group or groups, opening a new dimension of violence.

A growing security crackdown aimed at keeping thousands of refugees from reaching Britain is giving Calais a fortress-like look.

The city bristles with tall barbed wire fences, blinks with police lights and is disfigured by open spaces cleared of brush  including at the two entrances to the camp  so police can better survey.

On Friday, officials in Frances northern Pas-de-Calais region said that half of the sprawling makeshift refugee camp will be evacuated. Prefect Fabienne Buccio said between 800 to 1,000 refugees will have to leave their dwellings in the camp on the edge of Calais, which now has shops, mosques, churches and schools built by refugees and volunteers.
While you're here, I hope you will discover a thought-provoking idea, a little inspiration and encouragement to brighten your day, new ways to make your life less complicated and a lot more fun, or even a new recipe.





Always remember that God loves you and has great plans for your life (See Jeremiah 29:11 ).





If you have time, I would love to hear your comments and suggestions. Please come back anytime.
Australian steel maker Bluescope is to make a A$350 million write down on the value of its New Zealand Steel and Pacific Steel businesses, more than halving the net value of its kiwi assets as part of a A$570 million write down across its Australasian portfolio.

In a bare bones announcement to the ASX this morning ahead of a Feb. 22 trading results announcement for the half year to Dec. 30, Bluescope said the write downs followed "the review of external steel and iron ore price forecasts and discount rates in light of macroeconmic and global steel market changes."

The global steel market is over-supplied and prices have collapsed in the last five years. The net carrying value of Bluescope's New Zealand segment assets was A$634.8 million, according to the 2015 Bluescope annual report.

The company gave no detail of how the write down is apportioned, but the NZ Steel operation includes rights to mine onshore ironsand deposits at Taharoa and an associated export shipping operation, as well as the Glenbrook steel mill, where the company has been undertaking a cost-savings drive to reduce annual expenses by a targeted NZ$50 million a year. Further detail is expected at the Feb. 22 announcement.

The New Zealand unit announced in October that it had reached a new deal with Glenbrook's unionised workforce to save around NZ$12.5 million from changes to the way the collective contract will reward workers in years when the operation is unprofitable, comprising around half the savings it hoped to make from workforce restructuring.

Bluescope added the Pacific Steel operation to its New Zealand operations in 2014 and last year described them as a "valuable domestic business."

For the year to June 30, earnings before interest and tax from New Zealand operations showed a loss of A$30.3 million from a A$73.6 million profit the previous year. That included an A$11 million accounting entry reflecting the reduced value of ironsands inventories.

The full year Bluescope accounts also recognised NZ$44 million in tax losses available to NZ Steel to offset against future income, but no further such losses will accrue "until a return to taxable profits can be demonstrated," the company said at the time.

Today's announcement includes a A$30 million write down on "carried forward tax assets", as well as a reduction of A$190 million in the carrying value of Bluescope's Australian Steel Products business. On the upside, the company raised the carrying value of its existing 50 percent interest in North Star Bluescope Steel by A$700 million, following a revaluation requirement triggered by taking 100 percent ownership in October.

Bluescope also flagged stronger earnings for the half year to Dec. 31 than previously expected, with preliminary unaudited underlying earnings before interest and tax expected to be around A$230 million, compared with earlier guidance of A$180 million.

The company was not immediately available to comment on the composition of the New Zealand asset write downs.

At its full year annual results briefing last August, the company said it needed "significant cost savings or to pursue an alternative business model" in its New Zealand and Australian operations, with two choices laid out for New Zealand: restructuring to save A$50 million annually in operating costs or moving to importing steel for the New Zealand market, which would see Glenbrook either mothballed or closed.

On Taharoa ironsand mining, it said break-even mining costs of around US$60 per tonne would drop to US$50 per tonne by the second half of the current financial year, but that cash outflows, excluding capital expenditure, were forecast to be A$20 million a year for the next three financial years at an ore price of US$50 per tonne. While initial capex to expand mining to March 2016 had been approved, a decision had yet to be made on further investment of up to A$45 million.

The Bluescope move is similar, but less drastic, than the 2013 write down of the value of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter from NZ$606.9 million to just NZ$14.8 million.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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The co-founder of ASX-listed Innate Immunotherapeutics is suing the New Zealand and Australian-based medical biotech company for royalties he claims are owed to him through the sale of patented products.

The case being heard in the High Court at Auckland centres on a royalty agreement which Frank Gelder claims was triggered when a quantity of anti-bodies were transferred to former product development manager, Chris OLoughlin, in 2009 in apparent settlement of an employment dispute.

The company has designed and manufactured a technology used to induce the human immune system to fight certain cancers and infections or modulate immune mechanisms in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The first drug candidate developed using the technology, MIS416, is undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials on Australian patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

In a recent earnings update to shareholders, Innate Immunotherapeutics said it had informed Gelder that in the companys view there had been no commercialisation of products which are subject to the royalty agreement between the parties, and accordingly, no royalties are due to him.

The update says when acquiring the intellectual property in 2000, the company granted the vendors  a number of its original shareholders including the technologys inventor Gelder  royalties totalling 6 percent from the future net revenues which may result from the IPs use. Gelders share under the royalty agreement is the largest at 3.25 percent.

Formerly known as Virionyx Corporation, the company was set up in New Zealand by Gelder and the late Wayne Watkins, initially focusing on developing an anti-HIV therapy. Its lead drug HRG214 was a treatment for AIDS patients for whom then existing therapies were failing.

But the company nearly folded due to a shortage of funds, shareholder disagreement over fundraising, and internal in-fighting which led to Gelder leaving.

In 2009 the company changed its name, secured more funding, halted the programme relating to the anti-HIV treatment, and focused instead on developing MIS416.

In court today, expert witness accountant Kevin Gillespie amended his estimate of what the total royalties owed to Gelder would be to date, a figure of just under $8 million when daily compounded interest is added. Innate argues the royalty agreement doesnt state the daily interest should be compounded.

Gillespie said it was difficult to assess the value of the materials transferred to OLoughlin which the companys chief executive Simon Wilkinson had said in earlier testimony had no real value.

He based his royalty assumptions on information provided by Gelder and OLoughlin, cross-checked against invoices of sales of the stock which varied in type and purity. It also included what he called a savage discount for the limited market for the products which he thought could take up to five years to sell and sell for less when marketed in volume.

He has business experience rather than expertise in medical biotechnology and the court was told he has given expert testimony before in cases associated with Gelders lawyer Brian Henry and is a former client of his.

Gillespies calculations were attacked by Innates lawyer Edward Grove, including because Gillespies original assumptions amended today in a new calculation presented to court, were riddled with arithmetical mistakes and contained no independent, third-party verification of the fair value of the stock.

The case will continue on Monday when Innates lawyers will open their defence.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Michael Hill International, the listed jewellery retailer, increased first-half profit 5.1 percent as it improved its performance in its key Australian market and boosted margins in New Zealand and Canada.

Profit rose to A$24.9 million, or 6.48 cents per share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from A$23.7 million, or 6.15 cents, in the year earlier period, the Brisbane-based company said in a statement. Revenue increased 9.7 percent to A$310.8 million.

The retailer grew revenue and earnings in Australia, its largest unit, after posting weaker earnings last year. Its New Zealand and Canadian units boosted earnings and profit margins, while its US unit was impacted by store changes.

"It was particularly pleasing to see both revenue and (earnings before interest and tax) growth come from our largest market, Australia, given the continuing lack in consumer confidence in many parts of the country," said chief executive Mike Parsell. "The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian segments performed well during the period and are expected to continue to show strength through the second half."

The company's 166 Australian stores increased ebit 2.9 percent to A$32.4 million as revenue rose 4.2 percent to A$175.6 million. The profit margin slipped to 18.5 percent from 18.7 percent in the year earlier period. Same store sales grew 3.4 percent following a 1.9 percent decline in the year earlier period.

Its 52 New Zealand stores grew ebit 10 percent to $15.3 million as revenue rose 6.7 percent to $67.5 million, aided by a strong Auckland economy. The profit margin improved to 22.7 percent from 22 percent.

Michael Hill's Canadian unit improved ebit 47 percent to C$7.4 million as revenue jumped 19 percent to C$53.3 million. Store numbers increased to 65 from 59 and the profit margin widened to 13.9 percent from 11.3 percent.

"The Canadian segment continues to grow and improve as it reaches critical mass in the larger provinces in Canada," the jeweller said.

In the US, the first half was impacted by increased marketing spending, the three-month closure of Woodfield Mall in Chicago, and by the costs associated with opening a new store at Roosevelt Fields in New York, the company said.

The operating loss in the US widened to US$1.5 million from US$600,000 in the year earlier period, although revenue increased 25 percent to US$7.4 million. The number of stores increased by two to 10.

"We remain confident of further improving our US model over the coming half year and are committed to continuing testing of our model in this lucrative market," the retailer said.

The company said it will assess its Emma & Roe chain at the end of the financial year and decide whether to proceed with a full expansion. The brand, which sells charm bracelets and accessories, was launched in April 2014 and has 11 stores.

Michael Hill will pay a 2.5 cent dividend on April 1, unchanged from the year earlier period.

Its shares last traded at 95 cents and have slid 4 percent so far this year.

The stock is rated a 'buy' according to three analyst recommendations compiled by Reuters.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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BENGALURU: With the advent of technology, finance sector has seen impeccable growth. Global investment in financial technology more than tripled to more than $12 billion in 2014 from $930 million in 2008. A recent trend in the financial industry is Fintech, a line of business based on using software to provide financial services. Financial technology companies are generally startups founded with the purpose of disrupting incumbent financial systems and corporations that rely less on software. 2015 saw a major rise in food and commutation startups in India. This year is expected to bring in more fintech startups which will give tough competition to banks and financial organizations. Nandan Nilekani, the entrepreneur and bureaucrat describes this growth in fintech startup as a "WhatsApp like movement.

Adding to the spree, Accenture and a group of 10 leading financial institutions have recently opened the application period for the second class of the FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific, kicking off a competitive search for the top fintech innovators in the region. The 12-week program helps early- and growth-stage financial technology innovators accelerate product development and gain exposure to top-level financial industry executives. Entrepreneurs developing potentially game-changing technologies for financial services  particularly in the areas of alternative currencies, big data and analytics, mobile and wireless payments, risk management and compliance, as well as social media and collaboration technologies  were invited to apply. Fintech can lead to innovations in financial services that help make customers lives easier and banking less costly, which is what makes mentoring startups so exciting for us, said Jon Allaway, Accentures Group Technology Officer for Financial Services, who oversees the FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific.

In addition to established competitors, FinTech companies often face doubts from financial regulators. Data security is another issue regulators are concerned about because of the threat of hacking as well as the need to protect sensitive consumer and corporate financial data. Any data breach, no matter how small, can ruin a FinTech company's reputation. The online financial sector is also an increasing target of distributed denial of service extortion attacks. Marketing is another challenge as most FinTech companies as they are often outspent by larger rivals. This security challenge is also faced by historical bank companies since they do offer Internet connected customer services.

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New Delhi: After receiving a tremendous response to its 10,999 Le 1s smartphones in the first two flash sales, Chinese smartphone maker LeEco will launch the device in silver colour in its next flash sale which is slated for February 16.

Having sold 70,000 Le 1s devices during its first flash sale in a flat two seconds and 95,000 smartphones in 20 seconds during the second flash sale on e-tail major Flipkart, the company has also set up 555 service centres across the country.

"We are enthralled on getting such a brilliant response from the Indian market for our phone. We have got 95,000 orders for the phone in this flash sale," Atul Jain, COO, smart electronics business, LeEco India, told IANS.

The company had on January 20 launched two "superphones" -- Le Max and Le 1S -- in the Indian market.

The Le 1s with all its features and a price of 10,999 is a good buy.

Display quality, good user interface, fast charging, lag-free multi-tasking and handy design that lets user work with one hand are some of the features to look for in the phone.

The phone boasts of 2.2 GHz Octa-core Mediatek MT6795 Helio X10 processor with PowerVR G6200 GPU and 3GB DDR3 RAM with 5.5-inch display and 32GB storage.

It has 13-megapixel auto focus rear camera with ISOCELL technology and blue glass infrared filter and 5-megapixel front camera, dual 4G/LTE, 3,000 mAH battery and a mirror-finish fingerprint identification system.

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BENGALURU: As the days are passing by Chinese investors are drawing closer to the Indian market. And the profound startups of the Indian hemisphere are welcoming them with open arms.



Abhishek Bansal, founder of hyper-local logistics startup Shadowfax, was in China for a week in November to meet investors and understand how the online-tooffline market had evolved there. "Chinese investors have seen market trends and potential in O2O, so the confidence they show about it is much different as compared to Silicon Valley," said Bansal, 26, who previously worked in China as a consultant for about a year. MakeMyTrip has also follow suit: taking their endeavor to the eastern prominence rather than hitting up private equity funds in the West. Recently, the company announced a $180-million (Rs 1223.1 cr) investment from China's largest online travel firm Ctrip. "We believe MakeMyTrip and Ctrip can help each other to remain leaders in our respective markets by sharing wisdom and perhaps a few battle scars as well-earned along the way," MakeMyTrip's CEO Deep Kalra said on an analyst call on January 29. Given that MakeMyTrip is valued at about $645 million and Ctrip at $15 billion, it is clear who will be the bigger brother in this relationship.

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BENGALURU: With the discovery of gravitational wave, ecstasy touched the heart of every science lover and yes there is Indian element in it. When the scientific world is gripped in euphoria, Indians have legitimate reasons to rejoice and feel proud in approval for legendary Einsteins hypothesis. Not only Indian Scientists have embossed their hallmark of ingenuity on history of scientific revelations by playing vital role in discovery of the most talked about wave but also they have made us proud.

Indian scientists, more than 60 in all have played a major role in major scientific discovery of 21st century, reports FirstPost

Sanjeev Dhurandhar

Sanjeev Dhurandhar, professor emeritus at the Inter-University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, is one of the 1,000 key scientists involved in discovery of the gravitational waves. The Pune born Scientist was brought into IUCAA by the founder Jayant Naralikar, to develop signal detection techniques. In 1980s when the community of scientists had belief in electromagnetic waves, Dhurandhar vehemently suggested existence of gravitational waves, which could be capable to detect black holes, another complex topic in astronomy. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) was founded in 1997 and Dhurandhar led various groups to research theory of gravitational waves on the data provided by the observatories.

Other Contributors

The Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observatories (IndIGO) was set up in 2009 with over 60 scientists from various institutions of the country like  CMI Chennai, ICTS TIFR Bengaluru, IISER Kolkata, IISER  Trivandrum, IIT Gandhingar , IPR Gandhinagar, IUCAA Pune, RRCAT Indore and TIFR Mumbai. Major tasks carried out by these groups were to study the dynamics of the black hole, to decipher the LIGO response to signals, and to analyse the energy radiated at the time of the collision of the black holes. Bala Iyer  a scientist at the Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, led a group in collaboration with French scientists, to calculate the gravitational waves emitted by the black holes and neutron stars.

PM Modis reaction

As always our Prime Minister doesnt miss out a chance to congratulate as he expressed his joy on the social media platform, Twitter, for Indias contribution in this discovery.

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New Delhi: Nine agreements were exchanged between India and the UAE, including on cyber security and infrastructure investment, as the two sides agreed to further boost bilateral ties on Thursday, the second day of the three-day visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Apart from cyber security and infrastructure investment, the other agreements are for cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, space exploration, insurance, culture, skill development, trade and business, and currency swap arrangement, according to the ministry of external affairs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Mohamed held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House here during which the two leaders discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders agreed that promoting bilateral cooperation would drive forward the strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and India. The two leaders also discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Modi expressed his happiness on the occasion of this important visit which would serve the interest of the two nations. He also praised the special relationship the UAE and India enjoy.

Sheikh Mohamed was accompanied in the visit by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister and minister of interior, and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Court among others.

Sheikh Mohamed expressed his happiness on visiting India, saying that the country has a special relationship with the people of the UAE and the Arabian Gulf dating back centuries.

He added that this deep-rooted relationship has helped to strengthen the bonds of friendship that the two nations enjoy today.

He said the UAE, under the leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was keen on pushing its relationship with India forward on the solid basis of mutual respect and common interests. He also commended the contributions of the Indian community to the development and growth of the UAE.

There are around 2.6 million expatriate Indians in the UAE, 60 percent of whom are blue collar workers.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including current developments in the Middle East such as violence and terrorism.

The two leaders concluded their talks by stressing that the two nations have passed a milestone in the path of their strategic relationship, expressing their keenness on pushing this relationship forward.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police officers continue to search for the suspect in the sickening slayings of a mother and her two young daughters at the Ramada Inn in Willowbrook on Wednesday.

Slain in the hotel horror were Rebecca Cutler, 26, and her daughters, Ziana Cutler, 1, and Maiyah Sykes, 4 months. The family was homeless and had been staying at the Ramada since the beginning of December.



Police are searching for her boyfriend, Michael Sykes, in the slayings.



Here are the latest developments:





STILL AT LARGE

Sykes, 23, of Brooklyn, remains at large and the focus of an NYPD manhunt. He was last seen on surveillance cameras at the St. George Ferry Terminal.



PRICE ON HIS HEAD

NYPD's Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest and indictment. Wanted fliers have been distributed around the city, including on utility poles, bus stops and street signs near the Ramada at 535 North Gannon Ave.



MIRACLE STILL ALIVE

The sole survivor of the rampage, a 2-year-old girl named Miracle, continues to fight for her life. She is in critical but stable condition at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, according to sources with knowledge of the case, although authorities caution at her age her condition remains dangerous. Family members continue to keep vigil over her.



INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

NYPD crime scene investigators remained at the Ramada Thursday in protective scrubs outside room 114 where the murder took place, according to a source with knowledge of the case. The hotel, however, was open for business.



'HIS HAND WAS SHAKING'

A little more than an hour before police believe Sykes killed Cutler and her children, a worker at a deli on Victory Boulevard said he acted suspiciously and shouted profanities. "His hands were shaking," the clerk said, as Sykes used the victim's EBT card to purchase Pop-tarts and a soda.



HOMELESS FAMILIES CLEARED

All 28 homeless families that were being housed at the Ramada by the Department of Homeless Services have been relocated, officials confirmed.





CITY RECENTLY ASSESSED RAMADA SECURITY

Several weeks before the stabbing, a special adviser for security at the Department of Homeless Services was sent to the Ramada and three other hotels in Travis after elected officials here raised quality-of-life and safety concerns over using them as temporary shelters and their impact on surrounding communities.





PHOTOS BELIED VIOLENCE

Social media photos and messages on the Facebook pages of Sykes and Cutler painted the picture of a couple in love and raising a beautiful family -- in stark contrast to what police believe happened at the Ramada.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - When Isabella Gorishnya, 17, of Great Kills, traveled to the International Moot Court Competition in the Netherlands, she got a taste of life in a courtroom.

The New Dorp High School junior traveled to Den Hagg for 10 days in the beginning of 2016 to compete in the event against students from 16 countries.

"We received all these case documents, an intelligence report from the army, affidavits, a brief from the actual case," said Gorishnya. "Not once did I feel like it wasn't real, every team took it super-seriously."

Gorishnya acted as a defense lawyer on one of the two USA teams, and went up against teams from Mongolia, Poland, Germany and Bulgaria.

The USA teams had students from all five boroughs, and each team had different coaches from different law firms. To compete in this competition, the students had to go through two different auditions, with the last being in front of a panel of law firm officials who narrowed it down to the final teams.

The competition was sponsored by the Justice Resource Center and Clifford Chance LLP, a global law firm.

The trial Gorishnya worked on was written by a Georgetown Law graduate, who based it off a real-life case.

Since attending New Dorp High School, Gorishnya has joined the city, national and now international moot court competition teams. She said she plans to pursue law as a career in the future and owes all her success to her teachers.

"The faculty and the teachers at New Dorp, they've always supported and I owe them a big thank you for the experience," said Gorishnya. "It's crazy to think it all started at New Dorp, all this success I've had."

UPDATE: This story has been updated to correct information about the USA teams and the competition.
NYC Hotel Stabbing

New York City police investigate the stabbing at the Willowbrook Ramada Inn, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio stressed the need for security at hotels sheltering the homeless after a mother and two of her children were stabbed to death at the Ramada Inn.

That was less than a day after Human Resources Administration Commissioner Steve Banks implied that additional security might not have prevented the tragedy.

"We believe security is necessary at these facilities and we're providing it," de Blasio said at an unrelated event in Manhattan Friday.

Homeless families were moved out of the Ramada Inn shortly after the killings Wednesday. The city offered full-time security resources to 40 other hotels that will still used as temporary shelter.

The Willowbrook hotel had a security officer on duty from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night. Police believe Rebecca Cutler, 26, and three of her daughters were attacked around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

A toddler survived but Cutler and two of the children, ages 1 year and 4 months, were killed. The youngest victim's father, Michael Sykes, is suspected in the stabbing and was still being sought by police on Friday. Officials said he regularly visited the Ramada Inn to see the family.

Banks, currently overseeing the Department of Homeless Services, wrote in a letter to the state on Thursday that a security camera at the Ramada caught Sykes holding his baby girl before entering the family's hotel room and leaving four minutes later.

"There was no indication on the video of a dispute that would have alerted security or other residents in the building of a problem," Banks wrote.

De Blasio said he had not seen what Banks wrote because the city sends "a lot of letters from a lot of agencies."

"We all know there can be exceptional situations in any one incident, but the bottom line is we're going to have security at all these hotels," he said.

The city has promised to completely phase out using Staten Island hotels as temporary shelter. Plans are being developed as part of a three-month review of the city's homeless services.

For now, the city will continue to offer temporary housing at the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn on Wild Avenue in Travis. Each accepted the city's offer of additional security.

Hundreds of homeless families have been put up in Staten Island hotels in recent months -- a stopgap measure as more and more people seek a place to stay. They live in the hotels while their eligibility for shelter is assessed and the city determines if there are other options before placing them at permanent facilities, most located outside off the borough.

Homeless families have been staying at the Ramada Inn since August. Cutler and her children moved there on Dec. 6.

"Prior to this incident there were no incidents at the hotel involving violence of any kind reported to DHS," Banks wrote to the state.

Unlike commercial hotels, the city's homeless shelters have around-the-clock security.
Oddo.jpg

A judge sided with Borough President James Oddo in naming streets in the Mount Manresa development, but the BP said it's not a victory because the development is still going forward. (Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Future residents of the development on the former Jesuit-owned Mount Manresa site will be living on streets named Cupidity Drive, Fourberie Lane and Avidita Place after a judge upheld Borough President James Oddo's authority to name the streets.

Oddo has opposed the development, which has been fraught with controversy for tearing down trees, developing densely and fraudulently hiding asbestos contamination.

A judge had ordered Oddo to issue house numbers for the streets after he initially refused to do so. While developers Savo Brothers submitted nine street names, like Pearl View Lane, Silver Bridge Drive, Timber Lane, Lazy Bird Lane and Amber Heights Drive, Oddo countered with Cupidity Drive, Fourberie Lane and Avidita Place.

Cupidity means "an inordinate desire for wealth," Fourberie means "trickery, deception" and Avidita means "consuming greed."

The developer argued the street names were issued in an arbitrary and derogatory manner.

Oddo argued the nine names the developers submitted were too long and some were too similar to existing street names on Staten Island.

In his decision Thursday, the Hon. Philip Minardo, wrote, "These provided names, which mean greed, trickery and deception, are not considered insensitive nor will they inflame controversy."

The judge then suggested that the borough president could have perhaps chosen to name the streets after local fallen heroes like Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis or Army Sgt. Ian T. Sanchez.

"It is within Borough President James Oddo's discretion to decide if the street names of the residents of the Borough of Staten Island should reflect greed, a Lazy Bird or a fallen hero," Minardo wrote.

In a post on Facebook, Oddo celebrated the court victory, at least in part.

"The fact is that the names chosen are auricularly pleasing and historically illuminative. This is not a victory. Victory would have been the agencies allowing us to rezone the property years ago to prevent this proposed project. Victory would have been the Jesuits not being so singularly focused on selling the property to the highest bidder, or at the very least, giving those of us in local government sufficient time to cobble together the resources needed to purchase this property. Victory would have been a developer heeding the community's concerns and attempting to do right by - to some degree - the trees, the sacred buildings and the natural topography. This court decision is not a victory because it will not bring back the trees or the historic structures that were wantonly and spitefully destroyed. One trip down Fingerboard Road demonstrates the sad fact that those are gone forever and Judge Minardo's correct ruling can't ameliorate that loss. As this project proceeds through the land use process, we will continue to stay vigilant on behalf of the community."

An attorney for the developer did not immediately return calls for comment.
Lighting up the American flags When Simi Valley resident Hayden Kelly was in elementary school, she learned the proper etiquette when it comes to the American flag. She enjoyed looking at flags around town and...

Local racer makes a winning pass at auto championship Storied track pushes drivers to their limits

James Landry of Simi Valley., won the Honda Challenge 4 class championship Sept. 18 at the 2022 National Auto Sport Association Championships. Landry captured the title by making a pass...

Fall is a festive time of year at the farm READY FOR AUTUMN At right, 7-year-old Martin Segura of South Gate, drives a peddle tractor Oct. 9 during the Fall Harvest Festival at Underwood Farms in Moorpark. The festival runs...

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The European Union and Sint Maarten have over the years enjoyed cooperation in a number of development areas. The Head of Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, Ambassador Jernej Videtic, was on Sint Maarten earlier this week to get a firsthand update on the progress of the EU funded programmes.





Ambassador Videtic met with Prime Minister, Honorable William Marlin, in discussions related to the EU's development assistance programmes in Sint Maarten and the Caribbean OCTs regional program. Under the 11th European Development Fund [EDF] Sint Maarten has been allocated EUR 7 Million, which focusses on the securing of water and sanitation. Euro 4.75 Million under the 10th EDF contributed to a project for the upgrading of the sewage, drainage, drinking water and road infrastructure in Dutch Quarter. Sint Maarten is managing on behalf of the Caribbean OCTs, 40 Million Euro regional program on Marine Biodiversity and access to Sustainable Energy.





During his visit Ambassador Jernej Videtic met with Dutch representatives and French administrative authorities and conducted site visits in the Middle and Dutch Quarter regions. He ended his tour of Sint Maarten by unveiling a plaque commemorating 9th EDF projects in Middle Region that contributed over 4 Million Euro to improve access to sanitation.





Photo - L to R





Support Staff to EU Ambassador Cristobal Delgado Matas,

EU Ambassador Jernej Videtic

Lenny Priest - President of the Middle Region / Defiance Community Council

Kurt Ruan - Dept Head New Projects - Min VROMI

Marc Arnold - Dept Head Interior & Kingdom Relations- Min General Affairs




The new age of climate exploration

Posted on 12 February 2016 by Guest Author

On December 12, the 21st annual meeting of the worlds climate negotiators closed with adoption of the Paris Agreement. The task agreed by consensus among 195 nations is clear, ambitious, and complex: re-engineer the infrastructure of the global economy to eliminate practices that destabilize Earths climate system, while ensuring ongoing and expanded prosperity for all people everywhere.

That the task is difficult should not put us back on our heels. As we move into new territory, we will face new obstacles. This is how we learn, how we know if we are up to the challenge, how we know which adjustments to make, and how we succeed in crossing an unknown ocean.

For centuries, explorers have sought to navigate the Northwest Passagea shortcut from Europe to Asia that wouldnt require sailing around the southern extremes of Africa or South America. For much of that time, the idea was something between a flight of fancy and a dangerously unapproachable challenge. Many have died making the attempt.

Twenty-one years ago, in the summer of 1994, a 57-foot fiberglass sailboat named Cloud Nine set sail, with captain Roger Swanson at the helm. Cloud Nine carried a crew of six, who were attempting to transit the fabled Northwest Passage from east to west. There was a tremendous amount of pack ice choking off all the routes through the Passage that summer, and the crew of Cloud Nine was forced to abandon the voyage and retreat out of the Arctic.

In Barrow Strait, near the Canadian village of Resolute, Cloud Nine encountered dense pack ice that could trap and sink even a larger vessel. The crew were forced to turn back to ensure their survival. Photograph: David Thoreson

Thirteen years later, in the summer of 2007, Cloud Nine returned to the Arctic for another east-to-west attempt. This time around, the crew of six discovered little to no ice in the Northwest Passage. To the astonishment of those on board and of those watching their transit, the nearly 7000-mile voyage took only 73 days, and Cloud Nine never touched one piece of ice.

Shot at the same place as the above photo from the 1994 expedition, this 2007 photo clearly shows open water where there should be close and dangerous pack ice. Photograph: David Thoreson

The Passage was wide open and completely ice-free. Cloud Nine was the first American vessel in history to complete the east-west transit of the Northwest Passage. Members of the crew acknowledged they got an assist from a changing Arctic, characterized by far less ice.

The reliable deep cold of the polar regions is part of what gives us a stable climate system: with extreme cold at the poles, the warmer climate bands of lower latitudes are more stable and defined. That defined differentiation of climate bands keeps the Polar Vortex swirling in the Arctic. Cold reinforces cold, which keeps the climate bands steady. As the Arctic warms, the warmer air mixes more readily with the climate of lower latitudes, and the Polar Vortex bleeds into those other latitudes, bringing deep Arctic winter to more temperate regions.

This is climate destabilization.

Captain Roger Swanson navigates, without the benefit of satellite navigation. Photograph: David Thoreson

When Cloud Nine first ventured into the Arctic in 1994, there was limited computer and GPS technology and no satellite communication. By the time the pioneering vessel returned to the Arctic in 2007, however, the technology had changed. Through the Internet, it has become possible to study records of the Arctics ice extent, using photos and data mapping from satellites launched in the late 1970s. A clear downward trend was beginning to emerge by 2007.

NASAs Earth-observing satellites monitor polar ice cover, among other vital signs. In summer 2007, when Cloud Nine transited the Northwest Passage, NASA satellites showed the Passage entirely free of ice. Photograph: NASA

In the 13 short years between those two sailing expeditions to the far north, there had been a forty-percent loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. That is a 40% loss of our North Polar ice cap. This change is happening outside of Earths natural and geological cycles. Human activity is having a profound and sudden impact on our planetary climate systems and the Arctic is experiencing the most rapid and visible change.

A look at annual ice cover readings shows a steady decline in Arctic Ocean ice, down 40% by 2007. Illustration: David Thoreson, NSIDC

We stand at the dawn of a new age of exploration. We have sailed the oceans and photographed the Earth from space. Now, we see entire regions changing so quickly, our exploration of the physical world is becoming an exploration of how Earths life-support systems work, where they are vulnerable, and what our choices have to do with it.

Our civilization has been designed by human beings. The design we have inherited is generating this unprecedented global challenge. How we respond requires people to work together politically.

Six heads of state join the heads of the World Bank and OECD to advocate for smart carbon pricing, on the first day of the COP21. Photograph: Joseph Robertson

The halls of power often resemble the Arctica sparsely populated remote vastness full of peril, where success is almost out of the question. It requires real moral courage to stand up and to do the work of an engaged citizen.

While staying on familiar shores is comfortable, the political challenge of getting all of this right means all of us are called to venture out. Some of us go and speak to our lawmakers. Others must build new civic spaces for shared decision-making. Even in nations transitioning from conflict to a new civil state, individuals can steer events by their presence, by giving voice to their conscience, by learning from others, and by staying engaged over time.

Click here to read the rest

Joseph Robertson is Global Strategy Director for the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Citizens Climate Lobby.

David Thoreson is a documentary photographer and the first American to sail the Northwest Passage in both directions.
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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01fad78)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f020bab8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01fad78)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f020bab8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01f1528)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f020bab8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f020bab8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573ef8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0207008)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0207008)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

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/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612e2574868)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0210b28)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612e2574868)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0210b28)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01eaf98)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0210b28)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0210b28)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2572fa0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01dab90)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01dab90)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
William Yang is best known for his candid photographs of Sydney parties in the 1980s that capture the freedom of the sexual expression movement and the emergence of Sydney's gay communities. All the while he's been wrestling with a personal struggle of self-acceptance and identity as a gay Chinese Australian.

His solo exhibition at Stills Gallery, Stories of Love and Death: Performance, Portraiture and Documentary in the work of William Yang, canvasses some of his most well-known images  of public figures such as Brett Whiteley, Patrick White and Cate Blanchett  as well as the narrative of his own search for identity, featuring self-portraits inscribed with handwritten reflections on his experiences.

Detail of William in scholar's costume, 2008. Inkjet print, 79 x 52cm. Courtesy of the artist and Stills Gallery, Sydney. Credit:William Yang

His exploration of his Chinese heritage is of particular poignancy:

"I learned Taoism, a Chinese philosophy, and this led to me embracing my Chinese heritage, which hitherto had been denied and unacknowledged. People at the time called me 'born-again Chinese' and that's not a bad description, as there was a certain zealousness to the process. But now I see it as a liberation from racial suppression and prefer to say I came out as a Chinese," Yang wrote on a photograph of himself resplendent in traditional Taoist costume.
An apologetic thief has left a note blaming addiction and poverty after breaking into a cafe in the NSW Central West last week.

Hundreds of dollars of gourmet food, $200 in cash and $100 in tips were taken from the Byng Street Local Store and Cafe in Orange, west of Bathurst, last Friday.

A note left by thieves who broke into the Byng Street Local Store and Cafe.

When the store's owner Jeremy Norris arrived to open up the cafe in the morning, there was no immediate sign something was amiss.

Then, he found a surprise in the cash register.
Canberra's new direct international flights will unlock freight opportunities for the Canberra region and help diversify the local economy, Chief Minister Andrew Barr told a conference on Friday.

The government will release a new Canberra region freight hub strategy next month as part of plans to use international flights to transport goods from the region around the world. The announcement came in the same week as Singapore Airlines hosted travel agents and other tourism representatives at a special event to celebrate new direct flights to Canberra and Wellington, New Zealand.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has signalled some "tightening" of eligibility for government concessions. Credit:Chris Pearce

Mr Barr told the Canberra Region International Freight Symposium event at Canberra Airport that the government's goals for regional development included the construction of key infrastructure and improved efficiency for federal government, business and public service travel.

The new strategy will seek to build upon investments made by the government including the Majura Parkway and see benefits to a group of Canberra regional councils cooperating on tourism and business efforts.
When decimal currency was introduced to Australia on February 14, 1966, Reg Walters and Dick Redman were at the coalface of what was a monumental practical and cultural shift for the nation.

They were on the buses on what was known as Conversion Day or "C Day" when pounds, shillings and pence were replaced with dollars and cents.

Retired Canberra bus drivers Reg Walters, 75, of Watson; Dick Redman, 87, of Ainslie, and Pat Torpy, 79, of Dickson. They were at the coalface of the switchover to decimal currency 50 years ago on Sunday. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Both men were bus drivers in Canberra and from early in the morning had to deal with passengers who were paying in the old currency and receiving change in the new.

Mr Walters, 75, of Watson, remembers there was a period of grace for all concerned but it was still a little stressful dealing with all these new notes and coins.
Small businesses and residents in Queanbeyan have spent hours cleaning up after a severe storm that tore through the region on Thursday night, bringing hail as large as golf balls.

One car salesman in Queanbeyan, who declined to be named, said staff and management were distraught after their cars were damaged by the hail.

"We are in the process of getting the damage assessed at the moment but everyone in Queanbeyan got hail damage on Thursday night," he said.

The storm, which only lasted close to an hour on Thursday evening, caused dramas for businesses across the region with the roof of Woolworths in Queanbeyan partially collapsing.
When the big four banks make up about a quarter of the sharemarket's value, this question is likely to be crucial for investors, who have so far this year had very little to celebrate. UBS analyst Jonathan Mott this week summed up the attitude big equity investors have towards banks. "In banking, boring is good," he wrote. Consider then that this week has been anything but dull. The banks were thumped on Tuesday as a group with falls of more than 4 per cent, on Wednesday only CBA escaped damage after unveiling a promising result, and on Thursday everyone took a breather before resuming the bank bashing on Friday. Almost $20 billion was wiped off the combined value of the big four, in a dramatic sell-off blamed on a long list of fears. I still think they've got lower to go. Watermark Funds Management's Omkar Joshi

The global rout has been driven by exposures to the plunging oil price and the associated damage to resources companies, slowing growth in China, rising funding costs, and chronic weakness in European banking. Domestically, investors point to the banks' narrowing profit margins, slower credit growth, and tougher regulation. Deutsche doubts Another source of gloom came when Deutsche Bank felt the need to release a statement reassuring jittery credit markets it could meet its bond payments in 2017. For one of the world's biggest banks to take such a step sparked comparisons with Lehman Brothers, the United States giant that collapsed at the peak of the financial crisis. The sharpness of the falls means they are being taken seriously not just by investors, but ome of the country's most powerful regulators, and top banking executives.

Yet so far, they are suggesting the sharemarket gloom is overdone, though it remains early to assess any potential economic fallout. Regulators calm RBA's Glenn Stevens says markets have dropped their bundle. Credit:Luis Ascui Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens on Friday said financial markets were "dropping their bundle" as they tried to make sense of the plunge in commodities, oil prices, and capital flowing out of China. "One key question will be whether the recent financial turbulence itself will have a material negative effect on aggregate demand  in Australia or abroad. I don't expect that we will be able to answer that question for a little while yet," he said.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres reiterated his view that the country's financial system is "fundamentally sound", despite turbulence in shares and credit markets. "Nothing that has happened in the past couple of months has changed that position," he said. "We are keeping a close eye on global developments, but the declines in stockmarkets and the increases in credit spreads that have occurred in recent times have been quite manageable given the sector's strong starting position." The credit markets referred to by Byres are an added source of anxiety because unlike the sharemarkets, credit markets can directly hit banks' cost of funding. How risky are the banks?

Concerns about Deutsche Bank this week caused tremors in an arcane market known as credit default swaps (CDS), which provide insurance against a bank default. CDS spreads, a proxy for the cost to banks of borrowing from big investors, shot up to their highest level since 2013, as shown in CBA's CDS spread, which is a benchmark for the sector. Yet Stevens on Friday said these increases in funding costs were not severe enough to support banks raising their lending rates independently of the central bank. Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev said when he looked for actual signs of stress in the economy  rather than the volatility on sharemarkets  he thought traders were overreacting. "We would have to say that as we sit today, the market reaction has been out of proportion to the underlying trends," the CBA boss said, after delivering a $4.8 billion half-year profit, a 4 per cent rise.

Further calming the fears of investors, CBA left its highly prized dividend intact at $1.98 a share for the first half. Capital rules have impact Despite the relative calm projected by top bankers and regulators, however, investors continue to debate whether there is even more pain to come for the big four banks. They point to the profit-sapping impact of tougher rules forcing banks to run larger capital buffers for absorbing losses. About $18 billion in new equity was issued by the big four last year to satisfy these rules, and Byres used a recent speech to remind banks that capital requirements will be climbing "somewhat higher" in 2016.

And they point out that banks' earnings have been propped up by a historically low proportion of loans going sour  a trend that cannot continue indefinitely. Watermark Funds Management investment analyst Omkar Joshi falls into the more negative camp on the big four. He said CBA's headline result disguised festering signs of weakness that are likely to challenge the sector this year, including flat profit margins, a creep-up in bad loans and stubbornly high cost growth. Pressures are real CBA's total loan impairment expense did rise $16 million during six months to $548 million, which was slightly higher than expected. Margins were flat  even though CBA raised mortgage rates twice without any move from the RBA last year  and cost growth was strong at 6.1 per cent.

All of these forces could pressure dividends, and Joshi believes it could drive bank stocks lower still. "I still think they've got lower to go," he says. Aside from the softness Joshi saw in CBA's results, he points to the weakness in ANZ's institutional business, the competitive pressure in NAB's heartland in business banking, and views Westpac as the "best of a bad bunch". Veteran CLSA analyst Brian Johnson also saw plenty of weak points in CBA's result beneath the headline figure. These included the "writeback" benefits where previously bad assets had their values increased; strong income from the volatile markets business; and tax recoveries from the previous year.

Johnson maintains CBA will need $10.7 billion more in equity capital to meet future regulatory targets  which remain uncertain. Some investors are positive More-positive voices in the market found plenty to like in CBA's profit. Credit Suisse analyst Jarrod Martin said the equity market was in an "unforgiving" mood, yet the result had still provided welcome relief for the battered banking stocks. PM Capital portfolio manager Uday Cheruvu says that in a skittish market environment, bad news is being pounced on while promising signs within banks tend to be overlooked. Uncertainty over how much more capital the banks may need  something that probably won't be resolved until late this year  is making the rout more severe.

Cheruvu says uncertainty about capital is preventing some investors who might otherwise buy the banks at these prices, which be believes assume an "overly bearish" outlook. "From the analysis that we've done, we think that the market is probably pricing in a lot of downside," he says. He says it's "very challenging" to own the banks on a six-month view because of all the uncertainty surrounding capital, but they look more appealing in a three-to-five-year horizon. Besides, the challenges facing banks in 2016 go beyond convincing investors of their financial health. Culture under scrutiny

Regulators have also made it clear they will be tightening the screws to weed out bad behaviour, as they seek to tackle what are perceived to be deep-seated cultural problems in some parts of finance. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is on the verge of launching legal action against ANZ amid a massive industry-wide investigation into manipulation of the bank bill swap rate (BBSW), it was reported by Fairfax Media this week. While ASIC officials would not confirm this at Senate estimates hearing this week, chairman Greg Medcraft stepped pressure on the banks to co-operate, urging them to "Plead guilty". And the ASIC probe is just one example of the heat on banks over the behaviour of some staff, with APRA also setting up a team to focus on improving the industry's culture.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO Ian Narev sounded a worried note in an earnings call on Wednesday, and there was an echo from Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens on Friday. With good reason: this week's jolt to banking risk across the globe could hurt the nation's largest lenders, whose total bonds outstanding swelled to a record in September.

It's not just that Australia's banks have more traded debt than ever. For every dollar they have lent, they borrowed 31 cents, the highest ratio since 2010. To change that, they either stop borrowing, or lending, or both - not good outcomes for the economy.

This week's jolt to banking risk across the globe could hurt the nation's largest lenders. Credit:Paul Rovere

Australia's four biggest banks had more than $500 billion of long-term borrowings at September 30, according to the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority, three times more than what they owed a decade ago. Another $227 billion is payable by the end of this year's third quarter.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. Deposit growth has been negative at times, and lending has far outpaced the speed at which Australians save. So the only way banks can keep lending, growing and generating profits is to borrow from global investors. And better if they do so with debt that is due in several years, such as bonds.
Crude prices surged briefly last month on speculation the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries would team up with Russia to cut production. Credit:Alexander Zemlianichenko

Instead they were greeted by a cacophony of voices from some of the largest oil producers, refiners and traders delivering the same message: There are few reasons for optimism. The world is awash with oil. The market is overwhelmingly bearish.

The thousands of attendees seeking reasons for optimism didn't find them at the annual International Petroleum Week.

Prices will stay low for up to a decade as Chinese economic growth slows and the US shale industry acts as a cap on any rally, according to Ian Taylor, chief executive of Vitol Group, the world's largest independent oil trader.

Even refiners, whose profits have held up better than expected, are seeing a worsening outlook.

The sliding oil price has been the icing on the cake for miners.

"The oil industry is facing a crisis," said Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of Total SA, Europe's biggest refiner. BP Plc boss Bob Dudley described himself as "very bearish" and joked that the surplus is so extreme that people will soon be filling swimming pools with crude.

As the world runs out of places to store oil, "I wouldn't be surprised if this market goes into the teens," said Jeff Currie, head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs Group.
The pub sector is running hot with investors buying up licences in the suburban fringes.

One of the latest deals was by the diversified hospitality operators Colonial Leisure Group, which has made its first move into NSW with the acquisition of the leasehold interest in the Newtown Hotel from the Keystone Group.

The Newtown Hotel's leasehold has been bought by the Colonial Leisure Group through JLL. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Colonial, whose interests include the Townsville Casino, Perth Hotel landmarks Print Hall and The Raffles, Botanical in Melbourne and the Colonial Brewery in Margaret River, moved to acquire the award-winning Newtown Hotel business in an off-market transaction managed by JLL national director John Musca.

The sale follows recent acquisitions of Sydney food and beverage-centris leasehold hotels by the Melbourne-based Dixon Group in the lead-up to a mooted 2016 float.
Sources close to Woolworths were stunned by these reports amid investor anxiety over the urgent need to install a new boss to herald a new era at Australia's biggest supermarket chain.

Gordon Cairns is under pressure to deliver a new boss for Woolworths by the end of the month. Credit:Daniel Munoz

With just over two weeks until the end of February, some supermarket insiders suggest the job is still up for grabs and no one candidate is in the frame.

Time is running out for Woolworths chair Gordon Cairns to meet his own deadline and bring on a new boss to lead the embattled retail operation.

"The last time I checked, that six months is up at the end of February, so I don't know why people are getting impatient."

Mr Cairns admitted in January that a number of Australian candidates had turned down the opportunity to run Woolworths, which clocked up losses of $600 million from its disastrous Masters business, which in turn put pressure on its core supermarket operation.

At the time, Mr Cairns warned the process could take longer than expected but he now appears to be working to the end of February deadline, suggesting the process is nearly concluded.

"I'm not going to apologise if we get to March and I'm saying 'Look, give me another couple of months or so' because we are nearly there," Mr Cairns said in January.



Talk suggests the shortlist has been whittled down to just two candidates and market watchers suggest a new chief could be announced at the half-year results on February 26.

Brad Banducci speculation
Flying to New York and JFK this past week I started to think about John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I thought about how it takes a conscious effort to overcome the automatic use of the acronym and not forget the great man who said at his inauguration "ask not what your country will do for you, ask what you will do for your country".

And of course it was another great US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, who said " the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself".

So as we filed off the plane from an Australian summer into snow covered NY I realised that change, fear and the need for personal responsibility were what this visit was about.

One of the recent changes in the city that never sleeps, is that all public schools now close for a day to celebrate Chinese New Year. This phenomenon is sweeping the world from east to west.
For many, love may simply have to be conducted over the internet. Indeed lovers would be moved  like Transurban with the lofty discount rates it ascribes to the value of its future cash flows  to discount the future value of their relationships by beating up risk factors and forecasting lower returns. Neither is the grass much greener over yonder. In Sydney, the escalation and proliferation of tolls has even prompted people to move house. Tolls can already surpass $500 a month for those commuting from the north-west of the city to the south via the M7 Motorway, the Hills M2, the Lane Cove Tunnel and the Harbour Bridge. Credit binge

Clandestine arrangements between corporations and governments are a rising concern. With little in the way of disclosure, and therefore accountability, a government can now whack its infrastructure deals on the state credit card. Build a road now and compel future motorists and taxpayers to pick up the tab, with interest. Following the lead of NSW and its backroom deal with James Packer for the casino at Barangaroo, the Victorian government is now accepting unsolicited infrastructure proposals, too. Its Western Distributor extension, due to be finalised with Transurban in March, is a case in point. It's all shrouded in secrecy, but we know Transurban is the sole contender for this $5.5 billion deal. It will cost a lot more than that, although the company rejects estimates by actuary Ian Bell that put the nominal value of the concession at $20 to $30 billion.

Whatever the case, Transurban has a track record of trumping state governments on deal terms, so unless there is enough transparency and debate Victoria will be put to shame again. CityLink now charges $8.48 in tolls, one-way. It was $4.24 in December 2000 soon after the tollway opened. Tolls are up by 100 per cent over 15 years while the CPI has risen just 48 per cent. If tolls had increased by CPI, as is the case with most other tollways in Australia (including EastLink and the Queensland tollways recently bought by Transurban) the current CityLink one-way toll would be just $6.28. Projecting a 4.5 per cent annual price increase forward another 18 to 19 years gives you a one way maximum toll of about $20 at the end of the current concession period and $30 at the end of the 10- to 12-year concession extension.

A spokesman for Transurban said the 4.5 per cent escalator had been due to end last year, after 16 years, and revert to CPI. However, as part of negotiations for the $1.3 billion Tullamarine widening, the government agreed to extend it until mid-next year. As talks are now afoot for the Western Link, you can bet that 4.5 per cent base escalator will be on the negotiating table. The spectre of politicians wanting a quick deal  prodding their Treasury bureaucrats in talks with patient and crafty corporate types from the monopoly transport giant  is not a salutary one for motorists or taxpayers. Who wins? The state sometimes wins in a public-private partnership. Two Queensland toll-road projects and two in NSW collapsed, leaving the respective states with good assets on the cheap. When it comes to Transurban, though  and this is a credit to its management  shareholders are the winners. Looking at transport deals more broadly, economist and transport planner Cameron Murray has created a database of 38 major projects over the past 20 years. What stands out, he says, is that PPPs are generally sold on nonsense traffic projections, while their costs are similar.
For tourism operators catering to the rapidly growing Chinese market, it has been a very good week.

"Chinese New Year has been brilliant  we are so pleased," Sydney Opera House director of visitor experiences Jade McKellar said, citing 25,000 Mandarin language tour bookings for February. "We have had over 35 per cent growth in Chinese visitation each year for the last two years."

China is now the biggest international market for tours of the Sydney Opera House. Credit:Jamie Williams

The growth in Sydney Opera House tours  now undertaken by one of every five Chinese visitors to Sydney  is outpacing the overall growth in the Chinese market.

The latest Australia Bureau of Statistics data for the 2015 calendar year released on Friday showed a 22 per cent rise in visitors from China to a record 1.023 million.
Will Aussies pay six bucks a month to keep up with the Kardashians in a crowded subscription video market?

As the new-look National Broadband Network gradually brings faster internet to Australian lounge rooms we're starting to look more attractive to foreign streaming video services. We're still a nation of pirates and geo-dodgers but the rush to embrace Australian Netflix shows we also have an appetite for legit streaming services.

Catching up with the Kardashians  will Aussies pay for their reality TV fix? Credit:E!

Ask people which foreign services they'd like to see come to Australia and they're likely to ask for Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, HBO Now or BBC's iPlayer. Of course it's not hard to sneak into all these services, whatever technological countermeasures they put in place, but they're dragging their feet when it comes to officially launching in Australia  Global iPlayer was on the iPad for a while but the Beeb killed it off last year.

For now you'll have to be satisfied with NBCUniversal's new Hayu, which is coming to Australia, the UK and Ireland in March.
The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) is investigating Apple to determine whether a security measure that can transform an otherwise healthy and fully functioning iPhone into a thousand-dollar paperweight contravenes consumer protection and competition laws.

At the heart of the matter is whether Apple had given its customers enough warning about this potentially phone-killing feature and whether it is deemed to be part of a strategy to stifle competition in the iPhone and iPad repair market.

The Error 53 malfunction occurs when an iPhone or iPad with the new Touch ID fingerprint recognition technology sustains damage to that apparatus or undergoes repairs affecting the Touch ID sensors.
When arts events fall over - Homebake, Spring Dance, the Sydney Cabaret Convention and Cockatoo Island Film Festival among others - they rarely come back.

But two months after Tropfest was cancelled when founder John Polson discovered a debt "well into six figures", the famous short film festival returns to Centennial Park on Sunday.

The Nichols brothers in Identical.

That is a great relief to the filmmakers behind the 16 short films that will screen. It looked as though they had lost the chance to join the directors whose careers were launched at Tropfest.

"It's awesome," said Mark Nichols, an actor-director who has made Tropfest for the first time with Identical. "Having a 100,000 people hopefully laughing at your jokes is the biggest thing I'm looking forward to."
CSIRO's media team has been in a maelstrom ever since, trying to justify the move. CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall. Even if the climate modelling and monitoring units do get back 35 new hires as executives indicate, their programs will still be half their current size. Insiders say there is no coherent plan on what positions must stay. Monitoring benefits Some seemingly obscure work will stay because CSIRO has contracts with outside partners and can't unilaterally retrench those positions.

For instance, monitoring ocean salinity levels is one way to tell how oceans are changing and can help the navy to know where submarines are seeking a place to hide. Salinity and even the thermal gradient of oceans can affect how sound waves are received, potentially masking the whereabouts of potential threats. And climate modelling is also the place to identify some major long-term risks facing a country that occupies the world's driest inhabited continent and is also home to a famously variable climate. CSIRO's modelling team now has 26 researchers. CSIRO executives claim that half will eventually remain but the fact is the cuts may exceed 13 before any new hires are made. "The decision to decimate a vibrant and world-leading research program shows a lack of insight, and a misunderstanding of the importance of the depth and significance of Australian contributions to global and regional climate research," the letter from 2900 scientists, including one-third from the US, states. "Yahoo! decision'

That CSIRO should blithely jettison talent and expertise gathered over decades bemuses scientists such as Tony Haymet, who ran California-based Scripps Institution of Oceanography, after heading CSIRO's then marine and atmospheric research division. "It's a sort of Yahoo! decision," Haymet says, referring to the US technology firm that soared and then dived, hiving off or restructuring businesses in a so far vain bid to halt its decline. Stanford Business School "would have some work to do" trying to understand Marshall's plan and its execution, he says. What is becoming clear in the week or so since Fairfax Media broke the news of the cuts is that CSIRO executives failed to consult widely. As the appearance by CSIRO executive squad before Thursday's Senate estimates hearing  itself one for the historians to parse  revealed, careful research was not so evident.

For instance, a so-called "Deep Dive" submission prepared in December by Kenneth Lee, the business manager of Oceans and Atmosphere, recommended about 30 positions be cut from the 422 employed across the whole division. Suggested new hires would result in no net loss. With little further interaction, however, Lee was told in late January the equivalent of 100 full-time jobs would have to go. A former board member who requested anonymity said that good corporate governance would have required the board to assemble at least to consider if not approve the changes. At the Senate hearings, however, Marshall was unable to recall when the board was informed. Deputy chief Craig Roy eventually stepped in to clarify that the board was told of the changes on February 2, two days before staff and the public found out.

Repeated queries from Fairfax Media to CSIRO have failed to clarify whether the board members even gathered for a conference call  let alone met. Bureau warning The Bureau of Meteorology learned of the moves only a day in advance, despite being directly impacted. The Prime Minister's office was alerted of the changes, as was the office of Science Minister Christopher Pyne, CSIRO told the hearings. But as, Fairfax Media has reported, the PM was apparently caught unawares that climate science was in the firing line  an impression his office has yet to correct if false. Pyne's spokesman won't disclose what the minister was told.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman told ABC Radio on Friday he had called Pyne's phone repeatedly over the past week to learn more about how the cuts would hit his state  without hearing back. A spokesman for Mr Pyne said the minister "discussed CSIRO changes today and a meeting is planned" next week for more talks. "The Minister and his office has been in regular contact with the Tasmanian Government regarding a variety of issues across his portfolio including CSIRO," the spokesman said. "Arse about' An exasperated Tasmanian senator Peter Whish-Wilson told the CSIRO executives at estimates that public science, which is not easily made profitable but is essential, is at risk.

"Without being rude, it seems to be to the average person who's watching what's going on here, you've got this arse about," the Greens senator said. "You haven't looked at the consequences before you've announced you're going to cut these areas." Hobart, with its cluster of science teams working on Antarctic and ocean research, stands to lose a globally competitive edge. "It's something Australia does well, and it's something we should be proud of," Whish-Wilson said. "It guts me to think we're going to be ripping resources out of this area that is so important not just to climate science but to our economy and the communities that rely on these scientists."

Water opportunity Marshall, though, is so far sticking to his guns. "We have to choose where we invest to deliver the most value," Marshall told the senators. "What can CSIRO do to change things, where can we be really unique and what are the areas we need to work on?" Part of his mission to the US is to secure deals. CSIRO is "investigating helping a large overseas country who badly, frankly, needs our help solving some water problems there", Marshall said.
It was little-known tensions between Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison that prompted the Prime Minister to push previously secret Treasury modelling into the public realm on Friday - earlier than originally planned.

Sources say relations between Mr Turnbull and Mr Morrison have become strained over the extent of tax reform policy, with the Treasurer keen for more ambitious reform including significant income tax cuts which would be paid for by a politically unpopular 50 per cent hike to the GST.

There are also differences between them over the scandal engulfing the now dumped human services minister Stuart Robert.
Images of bottled water discarded at the Nauru tip or deteriorating outdoors have emerged, following reports that water shortages on the island mean asylum seekers use a washing machine as little as once a month and have limited access to drinking water.

In one video, water bottles well within their use-by dates are abandoned in the tip alongside unopened shave sticks and other toiletries. Photographs show scores of large water containers piled outdoors among weeds, exposed to the elements.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection would not confirm the veracity of the images.
Since the start of the year, we've seen increasing volatility on global sharemarkets. This is scaring the pants off professional and retail investors alike. It shouldn't. If you're a small investor making decisions based on a stock's value rather than sentiment, this is a great time.

You see, more and more investors are paying less and less attention to a stock's fundamentals. More than 20 per cent of Australia's $2 trillion superannuation pool is invested in the local market, much of it by index trackers or corporate or industry funds so large that they're more costly versions of the same thing.

Value-driven small investors should welcome the rise of robo-advisers  it's less competition. Credit:Rocco Fazzari

Most of this money ends up in the big-cap stocks, often without a thought paid to valuation. This isn't stupidity on the part of the big active manager, either. They can't get enough stock in an attractively priced small company to make a difference to their returns. They have to go big, even if it means being merely average (minus the fees) in the long run (which it inevitably does).

So index funds don't pay any attention to valuation by definition and big active funds pay less than you think in fear of being the odd man out.
On Wednesday, local government minister Paul Toole announced the troubled Auburn council would be suspended and its planning decisions reviewed, putting the political aspirations of deputy mayor Salim Mehajer  he of the wedding of the century  on ice. Here's how it all unravelled.

January 2012: A pre-politics Mehajer comes to local attention for the wrong reasons after his Ferrari 612 Scaglietti runs over a mother and daughter on the streets of Lidcombe. He was acquitted of a negligent driving charge on appeal but his insurer later pays the women $1.7 million.

September 2012: Ten councillors including Mehajer are elected from a highly competitive field, which is marked by tensions at the stump. A candidate's wife, who took issue with another candidate filming her husband arguing with yet another candidate, allegedly struck the woman with a biscuit tin.

November 2012: The council's new Liberal mayor Ned Attie requests staff to investigate wiring his office and reception area with "camera surveillance and listening devices". Developer councillors Mehajer and Ronney Ouiek take advantage of new state government laws to vote in favour of rezonings that include their own developments.
He was a social media predator who befriended young girls by telling them he was a famous actor and photographer before pressuring them to send naked images, sexually assaulting them and threatening to kill their families if they spoke up.

The Hunter man, 24, was jailed in Sydney District Court on Friday to 16 years' jail with a non-parole period of 11-and-a-half years after being found guilty of five counts of aggravated sexual assault, one count of indecent assault, one count of procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity and a series of charges relating to grooming, soliciting child pornography and using a carriage service to threaten serious harm.

The charges relate to 20 under-age girls during 2011 and 2012, although the Newcastle Herald can now reveal that the police investigation set up to look into the man, Operation Gilroy, had spoken to more than 50 girls.

The man, who can not be identified because a suppression order remains on his name, would contact the young girls via social media before asking them for naked photographs.

He would also threaten to expose the girls and their photographs online and to friends and family if they refused to send more or meet him.
Despite her inscrutable public demeanour, Megan Latham, the head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, does not lack a sense of humour. During her swearing in ceremony as a Supreme Court judge in 2005, a senior lawyer recalled challenging her logic in a case she was presiding over. Latham responded, "Mr Harrison, if the world were a logical place, men would ride side-saddle." The lawyer, Ian Harrison, recalled "I have never been able to get that remark out of my head."

Latham speaks in a soft voice, but as head of the ICAC she arguably carries a bigger stick than she did during her days on the bench.

This week it became clearer than ever that she is in the fight of her legal life, pitted against two other high-profile members of the legal fraternity in New South Wales, ICAC Inspector David Levine (whose job is to oversight the watchdog) and the feisty deputy senior Crown prosecutor, Margaret Cunneen, SC.

When the dust settles  depending on where it settles  at least one of this trio is likely to be looking for another job. It's high stakes, not just for Latham but for the reputation and future of the corruption watchdog itself.
The future of Australia's relationship with China has never been brighter, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a crowd of hundreds who gathered for a Chinese New Year lantern festival.

Intriguing treats from the many regions of China sizzled away as young families strolled through central Sydney's Tumbalong Park on Friday evening, waiting for the sun to set and the lanterns' glow to herald the arrival of the year of the monkey.

"My friends, the future is so bright": Malcolm Turnbull with Chinese Consul General Mr. Li Huaxin. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Thousands are expected to visit the five lantern installations which will be running near Darling Harbour from Friday until Wednesday.

Addressing the buzzing crowd, Mr Turnbull used the opportunity to speak of the strong ties between Australia and China.
"There's definitely a downturn, there is no denying that. During peak times, numbers aren't as high as they used to be," he said.

Bar Century, guises of which have held licences in the same George Street spot since 1940, is to close after an untenable rent increase and the "contributing factor" of NSW state government drinking regulations, said manager Cavan Pugh.

As debate rages over Sydney's controversial lockout laws, another popular inner city bar is set to close, its demise blamed in part on a drop in night-time trade.

With a long-standing closing time of 1:30am, the home of the $4 beer is not directly affected by the 2014 legislation. Between five and 10 staff are yet to learn whether they will remain employed by parent company Oscars Hotels.

Bar Century will pour its last $4 beer on February 27. The art deco site is slated to become a gaming venue and capsule hotel. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Duty manager Kiran Gurnani said that while business had remained strong, "there's a definite decrease in foot traffic" in the area.

"There's just straight up not as many people on the street as there were. Weekends in the city are just not what they used to be," he said.

Known for its sticky walls, bad smells and drinks with prices straight from the 1990s  its famous $3 vodka raspberries went up to $4 two months ago  the bar has for many years been a stop for revellers before and after seeing gigs at the Metro nightclub. A post announcing its imminent closure on Facebook garnered over 1900 comments from patrons expressing their bewilderment at losing the "great establishment."
Ms Cunneen notes Ms Tilley is on her P-plates and therefore not allowed to have alcohol in her system. Ms Cunneen worried there might be complications with the insurance for the car, which was hers.

Explosive secret recordings also capture the prosecutor expressing the hope that the delay would mean an ambulance would be called and the woman, Sophia Tilley, would record a blood alcohol reading of zero once tested.

Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen told a tow truck driver she had sent a message to her son's girlfriend "to start having chest pains" after a car accident to delay a breath test as she had been drinking alcohol.

"My only reservation, just between you and me, is that, that naughty girl, had alcohol had, had oh no that's all right I can cover that," Ms Cunneen said, according to an excerpt from the recording transcript relayed to Fairfax Media.

Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen. Credit:Daniel Munoz

"But she had drunk, she's on her P plates. But it had been some time ago which is why I sent her the message to start having chest pains and get the ambulance because it's bought her a few more hours. Just hoping it goes down to zero cause otherwise there might be complicated insurance issues."

Fairfax Media has also been told by two sources that there was no mention of breast implants in the conversations. This is despite Ms Cunneen publicly stating references to fake chest pains were a joke about Ms Tilley's breast implants.

The Australian Crime Commission recording and its transcript were made available to state MPs on a parliamentary committee on Thursday after being tendered by Independent Commission Against Corruption chief Megan Latham.
A man believed to have gone into hiding after witnessing the alleged bashing of Logan pair Cory Breton and Iuliana Trescaru has been found by detectives investigating their alleged shooting deaths.

Police probing the alleged murders of Mr Breton and Ms Trescaru on the night of January 24 found the 32-year-old Crestmead man on Friday morning.

They are currently interviewing him over the suspected drug-related shooting deaths but, on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson said he was not a suspect.
One of two victims allegedly shot, gagged and stuffed in a box over what police believe was a drug debt has been remembered as a loving father whose big blue eyes and huge personality helped win his soul mate.

The other, a sister-in-law who was more like a sister and friend to all, had left behind three kids and an army of friends who'd pledged to party rather than cry.

Friends and family of Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru are in mourning after police pulled a steel box containing their bodies from a dam in Logan on Thursday morning.

Five men and a woman were facing Brisbane Magistrates Court charged with their murders as a crane hauled the box from the water while detective feared the worst.
The Liberal National and Labor parties have stepped up their campaigns ahead of the lock out legislation debate next week, travelling across Queensland's regions spreading their message.

Both parties have sent MPs to north Queensland, which is shaping up as the biggest battleground, and the Fraser Coast in recent days, while courting the Katter's Australian Party MPs for their support.

Labor is one confirmed vote short of passing the legislation.

The LNP, which officially announced its intention of opposing the laws earlier this week, are two votes short of handing the minority Palaszczuk government its biggest defeat.
A Queensland virologist has warned against losing sight of other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue in the "hysteria" around the Zika virus.

Zika has been linked to birth defects in children as its outbreak in Brazil mirrors that of the rare neurological condition microcephaly, which can lead to children being born with small heads and underdeveloped brains.

The link was yet to be proven but concerns were serious enough for the World Health Organisation to declare a global public health emergency on February 2.

But University of Queensland virology expert Ian Mackay warned the level of panic in the wake of a pregnant woman being diagnosed in Queensland with the disease on Tuesday was not helpful.
Professor McClelland is the director of the centre for gravitational physics at the Australian National University. He also leads the Australian LIGO consortium, part of a global enterprise involving more than 1200 scientists in 15 countries. The Monash LIGO team, (from left) Paul Lasky; Yuri Levin; Chris Whittle; Duncan Galloway; Letizia Sammut; Eric Thrane. Credit:Steve Morton/Monash If it hadn't been for Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity and the dedicated work of engineers and scientists that made LIGO a reality, we would never have witnessed this event. And Australian scientists have played a critical role. A simulation of two black holes colliding. Credit:LIGO

The machine that detected the gravitational waves is a very sensitive laser, called an interferometer. "The interferometers are four-kilometre-long systems using light to sense the separation between points," Professor McClelland said. As the gravitational waves passed this detector they stretched the lasers by an infinitesimally small amount  10,000 times shorter than the width of a proton. The lasers have to be very carefully calibrated with their reflecting mirrors as to be able to detect this shift. Putting the optical coating on mirrors for use at LIGO in the CSIRO Precision Coating Lab in Lindfield, Sydney. Credit:CSIRO "The ANU developed a system which brings the mirrors in the interferometer into 'lock'," Professor McClelland said. "The University of Adelaide role has been to [develop] a correction system to adjust for mirror distortions. And UWA's expertise [was used] to ensure we avoid [mirror] instabilities."

Optical scientists at work in the CSIRO Precision Coating Lab in Lindfield, Sydney. Credit:CSIRO Professor McClelland said: "These contributions give the Australian consortium a stakeholder position in the LIGO project." Researchers at these three universities, alongside others at Monash University, Melbourne University and Charles Sturt University, were also involved in analysing data coming from the LIGO project. CSIRO was specifically contracted to polish and coat the laser mirrors at LIGO. "At the start of the century, CSIRO was recognised as one of only two places in the world that could calibrate the mirrors to the required accuracy," Professor McClelland said.

"The CSIRO Centre for Precision Optics has coated mirrors for the advanced LIGO project and, as I understand it, their coatings are the best that are in that device." The coatings are among the most uniform and highly precise ever made. This precision ensures that LIGO's laser remains clean and stable as it travels through the detectors. Details of the discovery and Australia's role were announced in Canberra on Friday. Nobel laureate and ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt said it was "one of the great, exciting days of my life". "A fundamental discovery about the universe only happens every couple of decades," Professor Schmidt said.

Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist, said that as a physics enthusiast you "dream of days like this". He said he expected it would be the "most significant announcement in cosmology in my lifetime". A hundred years in the making, what is amazing is how quickly gravitational waves were detected. "We are only at one-third of the design sensitivity of the LIGO project," Professor McClelland said. "In September we reached this stage and settled the instruments down and decided to initiate what is called an 'observing run' for three months to see if we might make a discovery. Data revealing the colliding black holes emerged within a week. Eric Thrane at Monash University said that the LIGO team has only analysed the first 16 days of data from this "observing run".

"It takes a village of scientists to make this all work," Dr Thrane said. He and his team at Monash worked on the theoretical designs of LIGO to ensure background 'noise' was controlled and has worked on analysing the data. So have there been any more encouraging signals in the data? "I can't comment," Dr Thrane told Fairfax Media. Given that the first gravitational waves were detected within days of the LIGO project running, Professor McClelland says it is "definitely the case" that we are likely to pick up many more examples. "Our expectation is that once we are at full sensitivity in two years or so we will be seeing these sorts of signals monthly or weekly.
Some are sent bonkers by their neighbour's barking dog or the sound of honking car horns, for others it is the traffic in the sky that is driving them to distraction.

Traffic reporting helicopters have long aggravated East Melbourne residents  now fresh complaints are emerging from CBD apartment buildings close to busy helipads on the Yarra River.

A helicopter flies through Melbourne skyscrapers along the Yarra River. Credit:Leigh Henningham

Things get tense during major events. Docklands resident Todd Henderson said during the Portsea Polo this year he counted 81 different comings and goings from helicopters near his Docklands apartment, ferrying posh partygoers to the Mornington Peninsula.
Total fire bans have been declared in much of northern Victoria on Saturday as the state braces for severe fire danger.

Total fire bans have been declared in the Mallee, Northern Country, North East and North Central districts  campfires cannot be lit and solid and liquid fuel barbecues and ovens are also banned.

There is a bushfire warning for parts of Victoria on Saturday. Credit:Tom Jacobs

Bushfire conditions will ramp up tomorrow with temperatures in the high 30s and winds.

The Mallee, Northern Country and North Central districts have all been rated as Severe Fire Danger while the remainder of Victoria, except East Gippsland, is rated Very High Fire Danger.
Colin Hahne had been accused of preying on Ms King by using her credit cards to withdraw more than $40,000 when she was vulnerable and smoking five or six joints a day to try to cope with the loss of her third husband from a shark attack.

A man who former magazine queen Nene King would jokingly call her nephew because they were like family has been found not guilty of ripping her off when she was a drug addict.

In his defence, Mr Hahne said Ms King's spending had been out of control and he had had an arrangement with her to use her credit cards and always did so with her authority.

Nene King says her life 'went off the rails' after her third husband's death. Credit:Vince Caligiuri

He denied taking over taking over Ms King's accounts using internet banking and her passwords, intercepting her mail to make sure she did not see her bank statements, and using her credit cards to go gambling at the Crown casino.

Ms King, 72, who became editor of Woman's Day in 1988 and went on to edit both Woman's Day and The Australian Women's Weekly, told the jury how she trusted Mr Hahne and his then partner, Larry Sutcliffe, when they were living rent-free in her Caulfield South home.

She said both men were good company which was what she needed after her life had unravelled following her father's death in April 1996 and the loss of her third husband, Pat Bowring, five weeks later from a shark attack when diving off Bondi.
A Malaysian man wanted over a serious sexual assault in Scarborough 20 years ago is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday morning.

The 49-year-old was arrested when he flew into Sydney airport on Thursday evening and WA police subsequently successfully sought his extradition over the 1996 attack.

Police allege the man, who was studying in Perth at the time, broke into a Scarborough villa in March 1996 and committed numerous offences against a (then) 38-year-old female resident.

The man is expected to arrive in WA on Friday afternoon and faces the following charges;
A Perth family has been forced to shower and use the toilet outside the front of its public housing home due to delays from government maintenance workers.

The Newton family told Nine News Perth it reported water damage to the Housing Department in November, which lead to renovations in the bathroom in January.

The facilities were ripped out of the South Lake public house, forcing the family to shower and use the toilet outside for the past month.

Father James Newton said this week's heatwave made a refreshing shower impossible for him and his children.
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Detainee Mohammed Bwazir's fateful decision to stay in a cell at Guantanamo rather than start anew in Europe came down to a calm, 10-minute stand-off when the warden of the war-on-terror prison urged him to board a cargo plane carrying two other captives to new lives.

Bwazir, 35, feared going to the unnamed country that offered him sanctuary and waffled before he was due to depart after 15 years of US military detention without charge. He'd gone through the formalities of leaving the base and about a week's segregation with two other captives and was shackled at the ankles, wrists and waist at "the bottom of the ramp of the aircraft', US Army Colonel David Heath said on Tuesday.

Military guards exit an area known as Camp Delta at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba this month. After 14 years, the detention centre is winding down. Credit:AP

The Yemeni captive "made it clear that, 'I do not want to leave. I want to go back to my cell.' So that's what we did," the still surprised colonel said of the January 20 episode. "It was disappointing."

Bwazir is one of 91 prisoners at the sprawling detention centre that US President Barack Obama wants closed. In years past others among Guantanamo's almost 800 captives have rejected certain offers of third-country sanctuary, and subsequently left voluntarily. But none has been known to make it that far  through health checks, would-be host country and International Red Cross exit interviews  all the way to the steel-grey ramp of a US Air Force cargo plane.
The administration has been under pressure from its allies to stop the flow into Europe of what are now nearly 1 million refugees. Partners in the Middle East have also openly despaired of what they see as declining US leadership in the region. The closed Turkish-Syria border gate this week in Kilis, Turkey. Credit:Getty Images Beyond its recent appearance of allowing Russia to act with impunity, the administration has long resisted calls from regional partners to increase its relatively low level of military aid and training to opposition forces, even as President Obama insisted that Assad would have to step down. Failure of the Munich effort would have presented the administration with a decision on whether to reverse course and expand its assistance to the opposition. Some diplomats here noted that the Russians may been more amenable now to an early cease-fire, since the airstrikes and Iran-aided ground operations have achieved their goal of regaining control for Assad over much of the country's western population centres. This month's bombing has driven opposition forces out of areas of Aleppo and the surrounding province they had occupied almost since the civil war began in earnest four years ago. Displaced Syrians at a temporary refugee camp in northern Syria near the Bab al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey. Credit:IHH

"Everybody's calculations have shifted" following events of the past few weeks, one diplomat said. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the still-tentative plan and closed-door negotiations. Mr Kerry met with Mr Lavrov earlier in the day for nearly 90 minutes. "We're going to have a serious conversation about all aspects about what's happening in Syria," he said before reporters were ushered out of the room. "Obviously, at some point in time," he said, "we want to make progress on the issues of humanitarian access and cease-fire". Syrian children wait to return to their homeland at the Turkish border crossing with Syria in Kilis, Turkey, this week. Credit:AP The plan, drafted by United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura, in consultation with Mr Kerry and the Syrian opposition, assumes that Assad's government, which is not represented here, would be pressed by Russia to agree. Parties to the talks said that the first relief drops could occur as early as this weekend. Opposition leaders had said they were optimistic after talks with Mr Kerry and others. "We'll wait two days and see if all the promises they made are kept," Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for a negotiating team appointed by the Syrian opposition to open UN-sponsored talks with the government, said before the agreement was announced. "Hopefully, we'll see something by Monday."

People cross through the Turkish border crossing into Syria in the outskirts of Kilis, south-eastern Turkey, this week. Credit:AP Mr Meslet said the opposition would return to talks with the government if the plan is implemented. But, he said, "we have to see something  food go to children who are starving to death. Then we'll go sit at the same table" with the government. "I can't stop Putin," he said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Can you say no to Putin?" he said, referring to the US and its allies. An air strike on a militant base in the province of Latakia, Syria, in an image taken from footage posted on the Russian defence ministry website. Credit:AP The initial session of the negotiations was suspended last week after the opposition protested the lack of humanitarian access and that escalated Russian airstrikes near Aleppo.

Under the draft plan as it stood early Thursday, Russia would take responsibility for humanitarian airdrops, avoiding potential problems of US or allied military aircraft flying over combat zones in sovereign Syrian territory. Although the US and its allies have conducted thousands of airstrikes over Syria in the past 18 months, all have targeted the Islamic State in areas beyond the government's control, and with its tacit acceptance. This child at the Turkish borderon near Kilis is among 11 million Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes. Credit:AP Under the agreement as initially drafted, two committees would be formed of the 17 countries that are part of the so-called International Syrian Support Group, or ISSG, formed in November at Mr Kerry's urging. The group, including Russia and Iran in addition to US allies in Europe and the region surrounding Syria, developed a formula for peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition, with a UN resolution mandating its terms for a cease-fire, formation of a transition government and eventual negotiations. The Munich meeting, the fourth the group has held, was initially intended to bless and monitor talks that were supposed to start early this month. Instead, it has turned into an emergency session to put the process back on track. One of the new committees would monitor humanitarian access and deliveries, troubleshooting and adjudicating claims of interference. The second committee would monitor the cease-fire. Details of what some diplomats called a less-formal "cessation of hostilities" have still not been firmed up.
Munich: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised the spectre of an interminable or a world war if powers failed to negotiate an end to the conflict in Syria and warned against any ground operations by US and Arab forces.

The Russian Prime Minister's comments came as Russia continued to carry out bombing sorties around the key city of Aleppo, in support of advances by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Mr Medvedev, speaking to Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper on the eve of talks between major powers on Syria in Munich, said the United States and Russia must exert pressure on all sides in the conflict to secure a ceasefire.

Asked about Saudi Arabia's offer last week to supply ground troops if a US-led operation were mounted against Islamic State, he said:
Beirut: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he would keep "fighting terrorism" while peace talks took place and saw a risk of Saudi and Turkish intervention in the Syrian conflict, according to an interview with news agency AFP published on Friday.

In the interview, Mr Assad said he intended to carry on fighting until he had returned the entire country to his control and the "political" and "military" tracks to end the war were separate, meaning he would keep up his attempts to win the war even if peace talks went ahead.

"We have fully believed in negotiations and political action," he told the French news agency AFP. "However, if we negotiate, it does not mean we stop fighting terrorism."
Glendale, Arizona: Two 15-year-old girls were fatally shot at a high school in Glendale, Arizona, early on Friday, authorities said.

The teenagers' bodies were found near an administration building at Independence High School, police said. They were declared dead at the scene.

A police officer tries to give instructions to parents waiting to reunite with their children in Glendale, Arizona after two teenage students were shot on Friday at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb. Credit:Matt York

"It's a tragic incident," said a police spokeswoman, Officer Tracey Breeden, who suggested that the killings did not come at the hands of a third person.

"We don't believe there are any outstanding suspects," she said. "These two young women were found next to each other. There was a weapon found beside them."
GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Dr. Virginia Asin Oostburg, Head of the Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, recently returned from a Caribbean Multi-Country Program (2012-2016) Assessment Workshop held in Jamaica about the United Nations (UN) Population Fund (UNFPA).

The UNFPA is an international development agency that is committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young persons potential is fulfilled.

The Fund operates in over 136 countries and supports programs in more than 156 countries and territories to increase access of women, men and young people to sexual reproductive health and rights, assisting 22 countries in the sub-region in implementing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

The program areas of focus are: family planning; maternal mortality; adolescent sexual and reproductive health; HIV; gender based violence; disaster risk mitigation and adaptation; data for development.

The self-assessment workshop took place to identify key lessons from the last program cycle that need to be factored in the design of the new multi-country program; secondly, to contribute to the accountability to national and sub-regional stakeholders and to the UNFPA.

The program covered the English and the Dutch-speaking Caribbean, encompassing the design of the program, the implementation process and the results achieved, and in connection with the context in which UNFPA has been operating.

The dimensions of analysis took into consideration relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, strategic positioning and sustainability.

Based on the discussions that took place at the workshop, participants proposed actionable recommendations for the design of the new Multi-Country Program for the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean.

The UNFPA will now review the Strategic Document that will also be a part of other UN plans and other Regional programs. According to Dr. Asin, this is a very important milestone as it would mean support from UNFPA would lead to the finalization of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and the preparation for implementation of family planning on Sint Maarten.

The meeting took place February 2-3 at The Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica.
PHILIPSBURG:--- A group of 26 students from several universities in Panama currently on a Group Campus Crusade (Cru) visited the University of St. Martin (USM) to explore the campus, the degree programs, and possibilities of establishing a branch of their organization at USM.

President of USM, Dr. Francio Guadeloupe, welcomed the group and discussed with them the programs and degrees USM offers and the benefits of studying on St. Maarten. Dr. Guadeloupe welcomed the Panamanian students to take a semester at USM in the near future.

The group, according to the leaders Tamara Morgan and Alfredo Adams, who attend the Technical University of Panama (UTP), is about sharing real world business experiences in the areas of leadership, spirituality, ethics, and integrity. The organization is established in 200 countries already, and they wanted to explore the possibilities on St. Maarten and at the USM.

The USM Student Government Association President Kiran Manglani then spoke with the visiting group as per the students perspective, after which she gave the students a tour of the campus. It is a good opportunity for USM, and it is nice to have this group recognize us. We can exchange information about leadership, integrity; so it becomes an experience that both can grow from.

During some free time on campus, the foreign students can be seen conversing with USM studentsit was good to see said the President as the USM is internationalizing. With the cooperation with UVI we will be able to attract these international students.

In photo: President of USM with the visiting students and USM SGA members
PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & trade Association along with the Organizing committee for the 2016 Culinary Competition St. Maarten/Saint Martin are pleased to announce the winners of the Senior Chef placement on the National Team to represent St. Maarten in the Taste of the Caribbean in Miami. Mr. Pieter Holstein  Executive Chef of the Food Collective BBA Rum & Peas  St. Maarten and Mr. David Cudicio  Dreams Restaurant  Nettle Bay FWI. Both Chefs earned their position during the competition on Saturday February 6th, by competing against an impressive group of 1 Chefs all-vying for a place on the team. In addition to the winners, two chefs were chosen as the substitute Chefs on the team in the event that one of the chefs is unable to provide representation. Substitutes are Mrs. Mariana Shah  Dish DLish and Mr. Nick Dillinger  Moomba Restaurant. Substitutes will train alongside the team during the preparations for Taste of the Caribbean to be held on June 6th through 10th, in Miami.

The Culinary Competition St. Maarten/Saint Martin 2016 was held at the Sundial School, who graciously agreed to host the chefs in their Hospitality Sector Kitchen and Restaurant. Chefs were required to prepare and present a dish within an hour. The challenge however was in the fact that chefs were presented with a mystery basket further underlining their need to bring their expertise and experience to the competition. At 8.30 am sharp the competition commenced with the first round of 14 chefs preparing their dishes, bringing out their skills, creativity and on the spot thinking. The Judges, supporters and spectators were treated to beautiful plated dishes and flavors of the final products presented by the Chefs. The final decision was announced a little after 5 pm. In the coming weeks, the team will continue to take form and begin their training. St. Maarten has not taken part in the Taste of the Caribbean, since 2009. In order for the island to be properly represented at the competition, the trainings will be imperative.

To ensure that the team is able to truly compete at the international level, the SHTA is calling on both the private and public sector to support the efforts of the team by way of sponsorship. Several businesses have already expressed their interest in the sponsorship options. Merchant Market, who assisted in providing the necessities to be able to have the Chefs compete, is one such business. SHTA thanks Merchant Market for their generous assistance. International sponsors, the Netherlands based companies Fisch Fix and PFresh also assisted with sponsorship and provided the fresh fish prepared during the competition.

We hope that the public entities join in with the private sector in an effort to put this team together and ensure their participation by way of their sponsorship. St. Maarten has always performed well at these competitions and we would like to continue to perform well. Only providing the team members with the correct resources and tools can the execution of their highest skills be achieved, said the Organizing committee.

The SHTA would like to thank the Sundial School management, Hospitality Sector, Hospitality 4 Students and the organizing committee for their hard work in organizing the competition. The association would also like to thank to the Judges, for their time and expertise, and the supporters who cheered on, and encouraged their favorite chef.

Two more competitions are scheduled to complete the National team. This time participants will be vying for the spot (position) of Pastry Chef and Bartender on the team. SHTA will announce the open call for registration in a subsequent press release. More information regarding the competition, updates and pictures can be found on the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Associations FaceBook page and/or on www.shta.com .

The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices at 542-0108 or visit our website at www.shta.com
Puppet Labs Announces Two New Executive Hires

PORTLAND, OR  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  , the leading provider of IT automation software, today announced two new additions to the companys executive team, coming on the heels of another year of stellar growth while nearing cash-flow profitability. Simon Hayes joins the company as senior vice president of business and corporate development to build upon Puppet Labs dynamic partner ecosystem. Jamie Hull joins as vice president of product, and will drive further innovation in Puppet, the worlds most widely used IT automation tool.

Im happy to announce two great additions to our executive team who will accelerate product innovation and drive further growth in our ecosystem during an important time of our growth, said Luke Kanies, founder and CEO of Puppet Labs. Jamie and Simon will be fantastic assets to Puppet Labs. Their strong leadership skills will propel Puppet Labs forward as we bring automation and its benefits, from 15 percent penetration, to the entire market.

As the head of business and corporate development, Simon will drive Puppet Labs partner strategy and execution. Simon joins Puppet Labs from Citrix where he was vice president of portfolio, strategy and alliances. In that role, Simon built the strategic alliances organization to create and manage partnerships with global technology companies like Cisco, Microsoft, SAP, IBM and Fujitsu, all of which were key to Citrixs success. During his time at Citrix, he was also responsible for the Citrix Ready ecosystem program and the companys open source development organization, and led the portfolio strategy team for Citrixs Enterprise Service Provider Business.

Puppet Labs leadership in IT automation has been enabled by the most robust partner ecosystem in the industry, and a strong commitment to collaboration and customer success, said Simon. I look forward to helping Puppet build its next phase of growth through strategic partnerships and by building a world-class ecosystem.

Jamie Hull will lead the Puppet Labs product team. As the former vice president of mobile products at Evernote, Jamie will bring an empirical user-first perspective to how Puppet Labs builds, develops and ships software to its users. At Evernote, Jamie headed up the iOS and Android product teams and led development of the two core mobile platforms, from initial design through development and to deployment. Prior to joining Evernote, Jamie led product and development teams at a mix of consumer product and B2B service companies, including Comcast (Plaxo), UpMo, Blurb and AOL/Advertising.com. She began her career in web development, where she managed engineering, product development and user experience.

Puppet Labs has a long history of building products that its users love, and that provide real results for businesses, said Jamie. Im excited to work with Luke and his team to build upon these successes and to shape the future of Puppet for the next decade.

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Puppet Labs, Inc. is the leader in IT automation. Puppet Labs software provides system administrators the operational agility, efficiency and insight they need to proactively manage dynamic infrastructure, scaling from tens of servers to thousands, both on premise and in the cloud. Thousands of the worlds leading organizations use Puppet Labs software to configure and manage their IT infrastructure, including Bank of America, Cisco, NYSE, Salesforce.com and WebEx. Based in Portland, Oregon, Puppet Labs employs 400 people. The company is backed by investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Google Ventures, VMware, Cisco, True Ventures and Radar Partners. To learn more, please visit .

Media Contact

Justin Dorff

PR Manager

(510) 875-9608
Shaw Awards $1.28 Million in Scholarships Through the Paul Robertson Family Educational Scholarship Program

CALGARY, ALBERTA  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX: SJR.B)(NYSE: SJR) today announced it has awarded scholarships of $2,500 to 512 children of Shaw employees enrolled in post-secondary institutions in honour of Paul Robertson, the late President of Shaw Media.

Paul was an extraordinary leader and friend, said Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications Inc. Nothing was more important to Paul than his family and its fitting that this scholarship will help the families of our employees. He made a significant difference in this world and we hope that each scholarship will foster a love for learning in all the recipients.

In total, Shaw will distribute $1.28 million in scholarships through the Paul Robertson Family Educational Scholarship Program. Children of Shaw employees will be eligible to receive one $2,500 scholarship during their studies. Scholarships will be awarded annually to students in a full-time diploma, degree, or trade program who have a parent or guardian currently working at Shaw for at least two years.

About Shaw Communications

Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, serving 3.2 million customers through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw serves consumers with broadband Internet, WiFi, Digital Phone and Video products and services. Shaw Business Network Services provides business customers Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, Video and fleet tracking services. Shaw Business Infrastructure Services offers North American enterprises colocation, cloud and managed services through ViaWest. Shaw Media provides Canadians with engaging programming content through one of Canadas largest conventional television networks, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX: SJR.B)(NYSE: SJR). For more information, please visit .

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Chethan Lakshman

VP, External Affairs

(403) 930-8448
Tech Budgets Focusing on Security and Cloud Computing in 2016

Posted by Publisher Hardware

FRAMINGHAM, MA  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  IDG Enterprises  the leading IT media brand dedicated to being the voice of business technology  highlights the 2016 tech priorities for organizations in its annual (). As technology continues to be a business differentiator and provide competitive advantage, tech budgets are increasing for almost half of organizations (46%). Tech leaders are focusing on business priorities that will help their organizations contain costs, optimize and automate business processes, and accelerate business processes and agility.

Two major themes within enterprise technology are the need for additional security and how cloud computing will continue to reshape enterprise IT. It is not surprising that in 2016 organizations will increase spending on security (50%), cloud computing (48%), business analytics (41%), mobile apps (36%), and virtualization (35%). As business-critical applications and infrastructure move to the cloud, on-premise software, data center modernization and modernizing/replacing legacy systems are receiving fewer dollars.

IT is moving beyond traditional core tech responsibilities as organizations look to drive digital business. Tech leaders shared that cloud computing, security, and legacy system updates/replacements rank as the single most important tech project they are working on in 2016. However, for tech leaders at enterprise organizations (1,000+ employees) the primary goals behind their most important projects have them stepping outside traditional IT with a focus on improving customer satisfaction and experience, generating new or increase existing revenue streams, and maintaining and improving service levels.

Digital transformation continues to grow as strategic priority. Technology leaders are positioned to drive this change through strategic investments that boost organizational efficiency and a deeper focus on customer solutions and experience, said Brian Glynn, chief revenue officer, IDG Enterprise. We look forward to addressing the opportunities and challenges organizations face in becoming a digital business, from determining what solutions will help advance their goals and then finding the right talent to effectively carry out those initiatives, at the AGENDA16 conference next month.

As building a digital enterprise continues to grow in importance, tech leaders are exploring new technologies. Nearly one-third of organizations (29%) are planning to spend money on Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives, followed by high-performance computing (HPC  18%), and energy-saving and carbon reducing technologies (16%). Exploring new tech solutions and strategies does not stop there, the majority of enterprise organizations are adopting strategies around agile development and DevOps. This focus has grown from 48% in 2015 to 61% in 2016.

As technology trends advance, the promise of efficiencies is appealing; however having the right skillsets in place is vital for solutions to be fully utilized. While 37% of organizations are planning to increase headcount this year, finding employees with the necessary skillsets is proving difficult. Organizations are challenged to find employees with security, BI and analytics, cloud/SaaS, and programming/App Dev experience. These skillsets closely align with the areas receiving additional spending. Additionally, 42% are looking for employees with both a technology and business background to articulate ITs value, showcasing that IT continues to embrace its new role as an organizational agent of change. Within organizations planning to increase head count, the most in-demand positions are IT architecture, programming/application development, project management and big data.

Join technology and business decision-makers as they discuss driving business through digital transformation at the conference. To learn more about attending or sponsoring the March 21  23, 2016 conference visit .

Computerworld conducted its Forecast Survey 2016 to determine IT priorities for 2016 in areas such as spending, technologies and staffing. Survey results are based on 181 respondents who are IT decision-makers across multiple industries.

Learn more about tech trends discussed in this study by downloading the 2016 Computerworld Forecast Study .

Computerworld is the leading IT media brand helping senior IT, business decision-makers and key influencers navigate change with effective business strategy. As the voice of business technology, Computerworld enables the IT value chain with unique editorial coverage from setting strategies to deriving value. Computerworlds award-winning website (), focused conference series, strategic marketing solutions and research forms the hub of the worlds largest (40+ edition) global IT media network and provides opportunities for IT vendors to engage this audience. Computerworld leads the industry with an online audience of over 7.5 million monthly page views (Omniture, July 2015  December 2015 average) and was recognized in BtoBs 2013 Media Power 50 list; recognition Computerworld has received for more than 5 consecutive years. Computerworld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the worlds leading media, events and research company. Company information is available at .

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Marketers Can Now Make Even More Strategic Investment Decisions With Attribution Data in Allocadia

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  Marketing organizations  and CMOs especially  are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their impact on a companys bottom line. Thats why its more important than ever for marketers to know which efforts are truly moving the needle, in order to reallocate their marketing dollars accordingly.

To better enable CMOs, Marketing Operations, and all marketers on a team to make these important decisions, Allocadia has announced the addition of an attribution engine to its Marketing Performance Management (MPM) solution.

Marketing attribution is another layer of performance data that all marketing organizations need, but it is only by linking this data to investments that we can determine the true value of marketing  the I in ROI, said Katherine Berry, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder, Allocadia.

Allocadias offering is unique not only in the way attribution data is linked to investments, but also in the types of strategic views of performance that are available. We like to think of it as another tool in your MPM toolbelt  one that, ultimately, gives marketing leaders a better chance at hitting their strategic targets, continued Katherine.

Using Attribution Data to Understand Return on Investment

Marketers today are increasingly using attribution solutions to assign credit to a set of actions to determine performance in terms of campaign impact, lead acquisition or revenue generation.

Unlike other attribution solutions, however, Allocadias built-in attribution engine not only compares the performance of different activities but links this attribution data to investment inputs, enabling marketers to understand performance in terms of return on investment.

CMOs also get a more high-level, strategic view of performance because they can view attribution-based performance not only by campaign, but also by region, corporate objective, business unit or product line. They also benefit from a forward-looking forecasted view of marketing performance, because actual performance data is merged with planned performance.

In this way, Allocadia enables true Marketing Performance Management by allowing marketers to plan, budget and measure the results of marketing investments all in one platform  and then strategically reallocate those investments.

Allocadia software supports several types of attribution models including: first-touch, last-touch and multi-touch attribution. The attribution engine is platform agnostic; it can be leveraged with any Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Sugar CRM, Oracle and SAP.

For more information on Allocadias attribution engine, please visit: .

About Allocadia

At Allocadia, we believe in a world where marketers make every dollar count. Allocadia provides marketers with planning, budgeting and performance software that replaces spreadsheets and also connects to finance, sales, and other marketing technologies to deliver the central system of record for marketing. As a result, CMOs and marketers can optimize spend and drive real business results. The recognized leader in Marketing Performance Management (MPM), Allocadia serves more than 150 customers and thousands of users, and manages billions of marketing dollars. Our customers include Juniper Networks, VMware, Arcteryx, and Charles Schwab, and we partner with market leaders including IBM, Oracle, Workfront and Marketo. For more information visit , follow us @allocadia or stop by our headquarters in Vancouver, Canada.

Contacts:

Kasia Finkelstein

Allocadia

604.305.0362
CORRECTION  Seismics Robust Sales Asset Management Capabilities Highlighted in New SiriusDecisions Report

BOSTON, MA  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  In the news release, Seismics Robust Sales Asset Management Capabilities Highlighted in New SiriusDecisions Report, issued Wednesday, February 10, by Seismic, we are advised by the company that the last line of the boilerplate should read Jackson Square Ventures rather than Jackson Square Partners as originally issued. Complete corrected text follows.

BOSTON, MA  Feb 10, 2016  , the premier end-to-end sales asset management solution, today announced that they were featured in research and advisory firm  new SiriusDecisions Sales Asset Management SiriusView report. The report, which examines the increasingly prominent sales asset management space and reviews solutions offered by 12 vendors in the field, highlights Seismics advanced capabilities in serving large-scale enterprise organizations.

With the proliferation of ad hoc content repositories and the ever-expanding number of documents they house, more and more B2B organizations are coming to the realization that effective sales asset management is a requirement for driving high levels of sales productivity, said Heather Cole, Sales Enablement Strategies Service Director at SiriusDecisions. The SiriusDecisions Sales Asset Management SiriusView report provides a comprehensive comparison of capabilities that helps companies discern between point solutions and full-suite platforms, allowing them to determine the best sales asset management solution for their goals.

SiriusDecisions new report validates the need for enterprises to look towards solutions that ensure their sales teams are equipped with the right content at the right times for any interaction, said Douglas Winter, CEO of Seismic. We couldnt be more honored with our position in the report, with a product that provides unparalleled value to sales and marketing teams looking to align content designed to advance prospects through the entire engagement lifecycle, from pitch to close.

The report evaluates vendor performance across 25 different capability functionalities in six categories, ranging from the ability of the product to provide a central repository of content for sales teams to real-time alerts when a prospect engages with a piece of content. The report also highlights specific aspects of Seismics product, such as integrations with popular CRM and email products, as well as its coveted  technology.

The demand in this market is growing at a rapid clip, said Cole. As a result, there is a tremendous amount of innovation occurring in the race to differentiate. However, as more and more capabilities are added, there is an increasing level of confusion by buyers regarding what functionality is most valuable in driving sales and marketing productivity and alignment.

Seismics notable position in the report comes hot on the heels of in the companys history: In 2015, the company raised a $20 million Series B funding round, expanded to five offices globally, and increased employee headcount to 145 currently, all while maintaining a growth rate of more than 120 percent for the third consecutive year.

Much of Seismics success can be attributed to the growing awareness among enterprises that time wasted by sales reps looking for content directly translates into wasted dollars and opportunities, said Winter. As we look towards the rest of 2016, the new SiriusDecisions report presents this problem that many more companies will uncover in their ranks, while providing the best solutions, as well.

Click to download the SiriusDecisions Sales Asset Management SiriusView report.

Seismic is the leading end-to-end sales asset management solution that increases sales productivity and marketing effectiveness by delivering the right content at the right time on any device. By creating, customizing and analyzing sales materials with Seismic, customers dramatically increase time spent selling and improve win rates. With offices in San Diego, Boston, New York City, Chicago and Melbourne, Seismic is privately held by its three-time serial entrepreneur executive team and investment firms JMI Equity and Jackson Square Ventures.

Jason Fidler

Seismic

978-505-9148
SysGen Opens New Office in Red Deer

CALGARY, ALBERTA  (Marketwired)  02/11/16  SysGen Solutions Group, IT consulting firm for SMBs (small to medium-sized businesses) in Western Canada, today opens its doors in Red Deer, Alberta. This is SysGens fourth location in Western Canada, with offices currently located in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

SysGens new office reflects a demand for dynamic, proactive, and personalized IT support in Red Deer, says Lyle Richardet, President & CEO, SysGen Solutions Group. Were excited to open our doors to businesses looking for a strong managed service provider leveraging technology to meet corporate objectives.

SysGens Red Deer Office can be reached by phone at 587-823-2011 or by mail at 394, 5212 48 Street, Red Deer AB T4N 7C3.

About SysGen Solutions Group

is a client-focused IT consulting organization. Headquartered in Calgary with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Vancouver, SysGen is a leading IT provider for small to mid-sized businesses in Western Canada. Defined by our personal and focused approach to client services, SysGen understands the vital role technology plays in your business, and were dedicated to ensuring optimum network performance. Follow us on Twitter @sysgensays and visit us at .

Contacts:

Media Contact

Kersti McDonald

Communications & Marketing Associate

SysGen Solutions Group

(403) 266 0994 (ext. 218)
Gravitational waves detected with help from high-purity quartz glass from Heraeus

By supplying a super-high-tech material of quartz glass for gravitational wave detectors, Heraeus contributed to the proof of Einstein?s general theory of relativity. At a press conference yesterday, experts from the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) Scientific Collaboration in the United States announced their sensational detection of gravitational waves, a discovery sure to be nominated for a Nobel Prize. The researchers struck gold with the help of a pair of enormous L-shaped antennas, one in Livingston, Louisiana, the other in Hanford, Washington. The scientists detected a faint ripple in space-time and recorded signals caused by a collision of two black holes.

Quartz glass from Heraeus played a special role in the LIGO experiments, which used gravitational wave detectors to investigate one implication of Einstein?s theory of relativity. Gravitational waves ? ?wrinkles? in the spacetime continuum ? are emitted by distant astrophysical events such as supernovas, neutron stars and black holes. Gravitational wave detectors utilize highly sensitive optical interferometers with perpendicular arms 4 km (2.5 miles) long. They function as a photon reservoir and contain quartz glass with extremely high transmission values and optical homogeneity. The optical components of the instruments, which are essential for the measurements, contain Heraeus Suprasil 3001. ?We have greatly improved the absorption in our quartz glass, thereby making a significant contribution to improving the instrument?s sensitivity. This makes the gravitational wave detector extremely sensitive,? says Ralf Takke, Vice President Optics at Heraeus Quarzglas. These antennas have now detected exceedingly rare evidence of gravitational waves.

Quartz glass optimized via special assignments

Dr. Ralf Takke has been working with this exceptional material for over 30 years. As head of R&D activities during the 80s and 90s, he and his staff created many new types of quartz glass and found new applications for it. ?For projects such as the LIGO experiment, we often have to stretch the very limits of what is technically feasible,? states Takke. It?s precisely this type of extraordinary project that brings added value ? and not just for the company. ?We constantly use these special assignments and technological challenges to build in-house know-how and expand our expertise in manufacturing precision, high-performance quartz glass,? explained the quartz glass expert. ?Experiments help us improve our understanding of the material.?

Suprasil 3001 is optically isotropic, highly homogenous and suited primarily for manufacturing multidimensional optics such as prisms, extremely curved lenses, beam splitters, beam controlling systems and retro reflectors. For these reasons, this type of quartz glass is best suited for high-energy lasers that operate in the near infrared range. Everyday applications include diode lasers in the field of medical technology, materials processing and spectroscopic optics.

Gold and platinum also at work in discoveries in space

Heraeus has also contributed to highly precise experiments in space. As part of the joint international LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) project, the European Space Agency (ESA) is searching for evidence of the gravitational waves that Einstein posited in his general theory of relativity. Also on board their satellites: perfectly identical cubes made of a special gold/platinum alloy from Heraeus, with edges 50 millimeters in length. These precious proof masses will allow researchers to measure minute changes in distance likewise caused by gravitational waves, despite their small magnitude. The preliminary experiments are now underway, and the two cubes should float free in space for the first time in mid-February.





Heraeus, the technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a leading international family-owned company formed in 1851. With expertise, a focus on innovations, operational excellence and an entrepreneurial leadership, we strive to continuously improve our business performance. We create high-quality solutions for our clients and strengthen their competitiveness in the long term by combining material expertise with technological knowhow.

Our ideas are focused on themes such as the environment, energy, health, mobility and industrial applications. Our portfolio ranges from components to coordinated material systems which are used in a wide variety of industries, including the steel, electronics, chemical, automotive and telecommunications industries. In the 2014 financial year, Heraeus generated product revenues of ?3.4 bn and precious metal revenues of ?12.2bn euros. With around 12,600 employees worldwide in more than 100 subsidiaries in 38 countries, Heraeus holds a leading position in its global markets.
Courtesy of Richard Woodruff(SALT LAKE CITY) -- A therapy kangaroo is bringing hope to retired servicemen while hopping around a home for veterans in Salt Lake City.



Charlie the kangaroo has been working at the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home since March 2015, Noralyn Kahn, an administrator at the home, told ABC News.



"His job is just to love them," Kahn, who also owns Charlie, said. "They can hold him and give him a bottle, or he will go and jump around and make everybody smile."



"It's been proven that therapy animals lower blood pressure, and they lessen the need for a lot of anti-depressants because they just uplift everybody. For those residents who sometimes seem like they are not there with us, we can put an animal in their arms and it is just the most amazing thing," Kahn said. "They just love Charlie."

Charlie will be recognized for his achievements next month when he is honored as the American Red Cross' "Animal Hero of the Year," Rich Woodruff, communications director for the Utah region of the American Red Cross, told ABC News.



"The Red Cross has an annual event called Everyday Heroes, and we have all kinds of categories that people are nominated for, and a few years ago we started a category called Animal Heroes," Woodruff said. In the past they have honored canines, but this year Charlie the kangaroo was nominated.



Kahn explained that one of Charlie's greatest contributions to the home is bringing families together. The presence of a kangaroo attracts previously wary or timid visitors.



"Oftentimes the grandkids won't come in this building because of the way Grandpa acts, or because he has an oxygen machine or there are people they don't know," Kahn said, "but they come and see Charlie and they are always so happy."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $550 jackpot

Here's everything you need to know about Powerball from how to play for the lottery jackpot to when the next drawing will be.
Oak Creek to host outdoor 2022 World Cup watch party

A partnership between Morans Pub in South Milwaukee and the city of Oak Creek will offer residents food, drinks, music and games on Nov. 25.
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Tributes have been paid to a teenager who was killed in a horrific motorway crash on his way to work this morning.

Morgan Power, 17, was a passenger in the van when it crashed on the M4 near Swansea shortly after 6am.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash which is thought to have involved just one vehicle.

Morgan, of Milford Haven, was heading to work when the collision happened - the driver of the Peugeot Partner van was taken to hospital where he is being treated for injuries. His condition is unknown.

Morgan's heartbroken girlfriend, Leah Edwards, wrote on Facebook: "Today I received the most devastating news ever!

"Not only was Morgan my boyfriend he was my best friend! I love you millions my boy.

"Such devastating news, he was amazing and always made me happy. Thoughts go out to your family at this very hard time."

Another friend, Billy Abbott, wrote: "R.I.P Morgan Power, we will miss you mate! See you soon."

And Teegan Davies said: "Absolutely devastated, R.I.P morgs, you will be missed fella! Thoughts go out to family and friends."

A police spokesman said: "South Wales Police is investigating a fatal road traffic collision which happened on the M4 in Swansea earlier today.

"The incident happened at 6.13am on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 45 and 46.

"A male passenger of a Peugeot Partner van has suffered fatal injuries. The driver has been taken to Morriston Hospital.

"South Wales Police family liaison officers are supporting next of kin at this time."

The M4 has since re-opened following the crash.
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In the past you would point at an object in the sky and ask "What star is that?" Today you can pull your phone from your pocket and find out.

Being out under the stars on a clear night can be "food for the soul," and it's been known to trigger a lifelong passion for astronomy in more than one impressionable youngster - myself included! But it can also leave you wondering what you're looking at. Is that bright object a star, or a planet, or even a satellite? Where does one constellation end, and the next one begin? And where can I find that comet that everyones been talking about? Is it even visible from where I live?

It's not always convenient to consult an astronomy book, or magazine star chart, in the dark, and not everyone has access to these aids. But nearly everyone has a mobile device these days, and there are plenty of apps available for sky watchers of all ages and knowledge levels. In this series of columns, we'll explore astronomy the 21st century way  with astronomy and space-related apps and gadgets.

Here, we'll explain how to navigate the sky and learn some prominent stars and constellations. We'll learn why different stars are visible at different times of the year. We'll cover how the planets move along the ecliptic (the plane of the solar system), and where to find it. We'll study the moon's motion across the sky, and why it occasionally eclipses a star  or the sun! We'll start off by helping you configure the app so you're ready for the next clear night. [Smart Space Apps to Explore the Universe]

For telescope owners, astronomy apps can offer advice on what to observe, and whats likely to be visible with your equipment, large or small. Many naked eye stars are actually double or multiple systems, often comprised of stars of different colors - and these can be enjoyed in a backyard telescope. Most of these multiple stars were named before the invention of the telescope, so they only bear a single name. Other stars vary in brightness on a repeating schedule that you can track yourself by observing how they vary compared to their neighbors in the eyepiece field of view. Advanced astronomy apps provide background information of the story behind the names, and the interesting science around the stars behavior.

Apps have opened up the universe to anyone with a mobile device, anywhere at anytime. (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: SkySafari Astronomy Software for Android and iOS

If you're a planet enthusiast, an astronomy app can tell you where the four Galilean moons of Jupiter are, and whether they are eclipsing one another, or casting their little round black shadows on the great planet's face. Jupiter rotates once every 10 hours or so, so your app is a great aid to determine when to look for the Great Red Spot. We'll explain how to configure and use the app to do all of these tasks.

Deep sky objects, nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies populate the night sky year round. While most galaxies are beyond the reach of backyard telescopes, several are easy to see with unaided eyes, if you know where to look. The Great Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, is six full moon diameters across, and the light you're seeing now left there 2.5 million years ago! Messier 31 is one of a list of 110 famous deep sky objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771, many of which can be spotted without a telescope. We'll cover how to generate lists of these objects for your location and observing date, and use your app to find them.

Astronomy and Space VR is coming and well be there to cover it. (Image credit: Shutterstock/Alexandru Nika)

Not all apps are created equal. While we won't play favorites, we will identify the simple ones for beginners, and highlight the ones with advanced features that budding astronomers and even teachers can use, indoors or out, to fully learn the science. When new apps are released or old favorites updated, we'll review them and highlight what's new.

From time to time, we'll explain the purpose for many of the features, like the red screen mode for night vision, the meridian and ecliptic reference lines, and the various coordinate grids that can be switched on. Some of the apps allow you to explore the universe by flying from place to place and seeing the sky from another star. Or view our solar system as seen from another planet.

Some of the apps even allow you to connect to a computerized telescope and drive it around the sky. We'll cover that, too.

Mobile devices have given a 21st century technology boost to even the simplest of stargazing aids. (Image credit: Terminal Eleven)

This Mobile Stargazing column will go beyond stargazing. We'll look at the apps for various space telescope and planetary exploration missions, including apps that tell you how to see the International Space Station, or watch spacewalks on your phone. There are even apps to alert you when to head outside and look for auroras, also known as northern lights. We'll also see how stargazers use mobile devices as astronomy aids, from taking smartphone astrophotographs, to leveling your telescope tripod, to catching that perfectly composed photograph by predicting where the moon or other objects will be on a given day and time.

In the next column, we'll highlight how mobile devices and apps represent a fundamental shift, allowing us to make a connection with the sky that we just couldn't before. We'll highlight common features found on most astronomy apps and how to set them up for best results. I'm also interested to hear what you want to know about, so please send questions and ideas for topics to cover in future columns. Until then, keep your eyes on the skies!

Editor's note: You can reach Chris Vaughan via email, and follow him on Twitter @astrogeoguy, as well as Facebook and Tumblr.

This article was provided by Simulation Curriculum, the leader in space science curriculum solutions and the makers of the SkySafari app for Android and iOS. Follow SkySafari on Twitter @SkySafariAstro. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
People around the world cheered yesterday morning (Feb. 11) when scientists announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves  ripples in the fabric of space-time whose existence was first proposed by Albert Einstein, in 1916.

The waves came from two black holes circling each other, closer and closer, until they finally collided. The recently upgraded Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) captured the signal on Sept. 14, 2015. Not every scientific discovery gets this kind of reception, so what exactly is all the hype about, and what's next for LIGO now that it has spotted these elusive waves?

First of all, detecting two colliding black holes is thrilling by itself  no one knew for sure if black holes actually merged together to create even more-massive black holes, but now there's physical proof. And there's the joy of finally having direct evidence for a phenomenon that was first predicted 100 years ago, using an instrument that was proposed 40 years ago. [Gravitational Waves Detected by LIGO: Complete Coverage]

But what is truly monumental about this detection is that it gives humanity the ability to see the universe in a totally new way, scientists said. The ability to directly detect gravitational waves  which are generated by the acceleration or deceleration of massive objects in space  has been compared to a deaf person suddenly gaining the ability to hear sound. An entirely new realm of information is now available.

"It's like Galileo pointing the telescope for the first time at the sky," LIGO team member Vassiliki (Vicky) Kalogera, a professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern University in Illinois, told Space.com. "You're opening your eyes  in this case, our ears  to a new set of signals from the universe that our previous technologies did not allow us to receive, study and learn from."

"Up until now, we've been deaf to gravitational waves," LIGO Executive Director David Reitze, of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), said during an announcement ceremony in Washington, D.C. "What's going to come now is we're going to hear more things, and no doubt we'll hear things that we expected to hear  but we will also hear things that we never expected."

With this new sensory view of the universe, here are some of the things scientists hope to discover.

New windows on the universe

Moving masses generate waves of gravitational radiation that stretch and squeeze space-time. See how gravitational waves work in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

LIGO is particularly sensitive to gravitational waves that come from violent cosmic events, such as two massive objects colliding or a star exploding. The observatory has the potential to locate these objects or events before light-based telescopes can do so, and in some cases, gravitational-wave observations could be the only way to find and study such events.

For example, in yesterday's announcement, scientists reported that LIGO had identified two black holes spinning around each other and merging together in a final, energetic collision. As their name suggests, black holes don't radiate light, which means they are invisible to telescopes that collect and study electromagnetic radiation. Some black holes are visible with light-based telescopes, because material in their immediate vicinity radiates, but scientists haven't seen examples of merging black holes with radiating material around them.

In addition, the black holes spotted by LIGO are 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, respectively. But Reitze said that as LIGO's sensitivity continues to improve, the instrument could be sensitive to black holes that are 100, 200 or even 500 times the mass of the sun that are further away from Earth. "There could be a really nice discovery space that opens up once we get out there," he said.

Scientists already know that studying the sky in different wavelengths of light can reveal new data about the cosmos. For many centuries, astronomers could only work with optical light. But relatively recently, researchers built instruments allowing them to study the universe using X-rays, radio waves, ultraviolet waves and gamma-rays. Each time, scientists got a new view of the universe.

In the same way, gravitational waves have the potential to show scientists totally new features of cosmic objects, LIGO team members said. [Study of Gravitational Waves Could Unravel Many Mysteries (Video)]

"If we're ever lucky enough to have a supernova in our own galaxy, or maybe in a nearby galaxy, we will be able to look at the actual dynamics of what goes on inside the supernova," said LIGO co-founder Rainer Weiss of MIT, who spoke at the announcement ceremony. While light is often blocked by dust and gas, "gravitational waves come right out [of the supernova], boldly unimpeded," Weiss said. "As a consequence, you really find out what's going on inside of these things."

Other exotic objects scientists hope to study with gravitational waves are neutron stars, which are mind-bogglingly dense, burned-out stellar corpses: A teaspoon of neutron-star material would weigh about a billion tons on Earth. Scientists aren't sure what happens to regular matter under such extreme conditions, but gravitational waves could provide extremely helpful clues, because these waves should carry information about the interior of the neutron star all the way to Earth, LIGO scientists said.

LIGO also has a system set up to alert light-based telescopes when the detector seems to have spotted a gravitational wave. Some of the astronomical events that LIGO will study, such as colliding neutron stars, may produce light in all wavelengths, from gamma-rays to radio waves. With LIGO's alert system in place, it's possible that scientists could observe some astronomical events or objects in various wavelengths of light, plus gravitational waves, which would provide a "very complete picture" of those events, Reitze said.

"When that happens, that'll be, I think, the next big thing in this field," he said.

Relativity

Gravitational waves were first predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, which was published in 1916. That famous theory has stood up to all kinds of physical tests, but there are some aspects that scientists haven't been able to study in the real world, because they require very extreme circumstances. The extreme warping of space-time is one example of this.

"Until now, we have only seen warped space-time when it is very calm  as though we had only seen the surface of the ocean on a very calm day, when it's quite glassy," Kip Thorne of Caltech, another founding member of LIGO and an expert on warped space-time, said at yesterday's ceremony. "We had never seen the ocean roiled in a storm, with crashing waves. All that changed on Sept. 14. The colliding black holes that produced these gravitational waves created a violent storm in the fabric of space and time." [The History & Structure of the Universe (Infographic)]

"This observation tests that regime beautifully, very strongly," Thorne continued. "And Einstein comes out with beaming success."

But the study of general relativity via gravitational waves is far from over. Questions remain about the nature of the graviton, the particle believed to carry the gravitational force (just like the photon is the particle that carries the electromagnetic force). And scientists have many questions about the inner workings of black holes, which gravitational waves may help illuminate (so to speak). But all of that, the scientists said, will be revealed slowly, over the course of many years, as LIGO and related instruments collect more data on more events.

A legacy for the future

Using laser beams, scientists have detected the physical distortions caused by passing gravitational waves. See how the LIGO observatory hunts gravitational waves in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Looking toward the next three years, Reitze said the collaboration is focused on increasing LIGO's sensitivity to its full potential. This will make the observatory  which consists of two big detectors, one in Louisiana and the other in Washington state  more sensitive to gravitational waves. But scientists don't know how many events LIGO will see, because they don't know how often many of these events occur in the universe.

LIGO detected the binary black hole merger even before the instrument began its first official observation campaign after its recent upgrade, but it's possible that this was a lucky break. To get the gravitational astronomy train rolling, LIGO simply needs more data.

When asked to comment on LIGO's impact on the world beyond the scientific community, and about how gravitational-wave science might influence people's daily lives, Reitze simply said, "Who knows?"

"When Einstein predicted general relativity, who would have predicted that we'd use it every day when we use our cellphones?" he said. (General relativity provides an understanding how gravity influences the passing of time, and this information is necessary for GPS technology, which uses satellites that orbit further away from the gravitational pull of the Earth than people on the surface).

LIGO is "the most sensitive instrument ever built," said Reitze, and the technological advances that have been made while building the observatory may feed into technologies that will be used in ways people can't yet predict.

Thorne said he sees the larger contribution of LIGO slightly differently.

"When we look back on the era of the Renaissance, and we ask ourselves, 'What did the humans of that era give to us that's important to us today?' I think we would all agree it's great art, great architecture, great music," he said.

"Similarly, when our descendants look back on this era, and they ask themselves, 'What great things came to us?'  I believe there will be an understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe and an understanding of what those laws do in the universe, and an exploration of the universe," Thorne added. "LIGO is a big part of that. The rest of astronomy is a big part of that. And I think that cultural gift to our future generations is really much bigger than any kind of technological spin-off, than the ultimate development of technology of any kind. I think we should be proud of what we give to our descendants culturally."
Reconstruction of the path of an asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on Feb. 15, 2013. This year, on Feb. 9, researchers held a press conference to discuss the study of asteroids and the dangers of impacts.

An international band of asteroid experts gathered Tuesday to discuss the future of asteroid research and avoidance in preparation for the second annual Asteroid Day.

On June 30, 1908, a large meteorite or comet exploded above the remote Russian countryside, flattening 770 square miles (1,990 square kilometers) of forest. Now, June 30 is Asteroid Day, part of a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of an asteroid strike on Earth.

At a press conference Feb. 9, the organizations behind Asteroid Day announced their plans for the latest effort, inviting a panel of experts to speak about the need for more study of asteroids as well as a commitment to preventing a large body from striking the Earth. The event was held at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). [Near-Earth Asteroids: Famous Space Rock Flybys and Close Calls]

Strikes from asteroids and comets big enough to threaten people are rare in any given year, but over time they are just about inevitable, the researchers said. For instance, on Feb. 13, 2015, a meteor fell near Chelyabinsk, Russia, and exploded some 18 miles (29 km) above the Earth's surface, the shock wave breaking windows and causing injuries to 1,500 people.

"An event like Chelyabinsk happens about once every 50 years, and we don't have a system designed to discover and track these things," Mark Boslough, a physicist at Sandia National Laboratories who is one of the founders of Asteroid Day, said at the conference.

(Even more recently, reports came in of a meteorite that may have killed a person in India, but it is unclear whether the object was actually a meteorite.)

At a press conference Feb. 9, researchers gathered in Noordwijk, Netherlands, to announce Asteroid Day 2016. The European Space Agency's director of technical and quality management, Franco Ongaro, is pictured on the screen. (Image credit: ESA)

The organizers of Asteroid Day, among them Brian May, an astrophysicist and former guitarist for the rock band Queen, noted that concerted efforts are needed to find asteroids that might collide with the Earth, and to send spacecraft to study them.

"This is not about fearmongering," said Grig Richters, filmmaker and co-founder of Asteroid Day. "It's about being aware there is a potential threat, and understanding better where we are from."

"Bringing space technology to bear to deflect asteroids will require widespread public support," said Tom Jones, a former space shuttle astronaut who also chairs the Association of Space Explorers' Committee on Near-Earth Objects. "We only need modest resources compared to the cost of absorbing impact. Asteroid Day is to educate the public so we can work together to avoid an impact."

To that end, the scientists who came to ESTEC highlighted some of the work being done to study asteroids  to learn more about them, understand what they are made of and come up with better strategies for preventing a disaster by avoiding getting hit.

One such mission is the proposed Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA). Planned for a 2020 launch, the spacecraft in this mission would approach the asteroid 65803 Didymos, a binary asteroid that consists of two bodies, one about 800 meters (2,600 feet) across and the other about 150 m (490 feet) across. The craft would orbit the larger of the two bodies, launching a 660-lb. (300 kilograms) impactor at the smaller asteroid as it makes a close approach to the Earth. (While Didymos can get within a few million miles of the planet, there's no danger the object will hit Earth.)

Researchers would measure how much the impact moves the smaller asteroid, and how the asteroid's structure and surface hold up after the strike. [100-Foot Asteroid to Buzz Earth Next Month]

Aside from sending probes to investigate what asteroids are made of, the first big task is to catalogue where the possible threats are, said Detlef Koschny, the Space Situational Awareness Near-Earth Object co-manager at the European Space Agency. ESA established a near-Earth object segment in 2008 to help Europe detect such asteroids by observing wide swathes of the sky. One part of the program, at the University of Pisa in Italy, will track where the asteroids are going; ESA is also discussing further work with other countries.

In Europe, a prototype telescope that can scan the whole sky should be in place next year, said Patrick Michel, a planetary scientist and senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. (He noted that the United States has its own efforts in place as well.) And citizens can help, too, he said: "You need to make sure you observe an object again, to make sure we don't lose it again. Amateur astronomers play an important role."

Detection is so important because the further out you find an asteroid, the easier it is to move it, the researchers said. The nuclear bomb approach, made famous by the movie "Armageddon" (and the 1979 film "Meteor") would only be worth doing if there is very little warning, Boslough said, "and we wouldn't be able to test it in space."

The technology, he said, isn't ready yet in any case.

Famed science communicator Bill Nye was also a panelist, and said since humans have the capacity to alter asteroid paths if necessary, it behooves humanity to do it. "We've no evidence the dinosaurs had a space program," he said, "and it cost them."

You can Follow Jesse Empsak @Mad_Science_Guy. Follow us @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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Theory versus Practice

The nucleus of Merkel's plan is an offer to take a predetermined number of refugees each year -- a range of between 200,000 and 300,000 is currently making the rounds in the Chancellery. They would then be distributed throughout Europe, with every member state required to take refugees from the Middle East in accordance with its size and capabilities. Ideally, all of those who sought to make their way from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands on their own would be turned back to Turkey. They could then decide whether to apply to be included in the quota bound for Europe or to return to their homeland.

That, at least, is the theory.

In practice, though, Merkel has made very little progress towards this goal. Since October, she has negotiated with the Turkish government six times, most recently on Monday. But there is little indicating that success is imminent. On the one hand, Turkey would like the quota plan to act as a kind of pressure-release valve. The country is currently sheltering 2.5 million refugees and Ankara would like to send all newcomers onward to Europe as part of the quota plan. But that would contradict Merkel's aim of providing European partners with a clear ceiling on the number of refugees the EU would accept as a way of limiting the flow.

On the other hand, Turkey is demanding that the refugees who are allowed to travel onward to Europe are not just chosen from among those already in Turkey, but also from a buffer zone on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Chancellery, however, is opposed to that idea because officials believe the demand is part of a Turkish strategy to secure international assistance in its efforts to infringe on Kurdish areas in Syria. The Kurds are currently fighting for their own independence in northern Syria. Still, bargaining leverage would seem to be in Ankara's hands, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is perfectly aware. "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses," Erdogan told European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk in November, according to a secret protocol of their discussion that was published earlier this week by the Greek news site Euro2day. On Thursday, Erdogan confirmed the authenticity of the document.

Either way, Merkel's plan would only work if the Turkish police were to stop migrant smugglers from sending refugees across the Aegean to Greece -- and Ankara hasn't seemed particularly interested in the task. But even if Turkey wanted to, securing its Aegean coast line, which stretches for hundreds of kilometers, would be an enormous task. "Forget it," Turkish EU Ambassador Selim Yenel told the Guardian this week when asked about Merkel's refugee plan. "It's unacceptable and it's not feasible."

Looking for Successes

NATO warships are soon slated to begin patrolling the Aegean to help locate smugglers who ship migrants to the Greek islands. That, at least, represents a small success for Merkel, given that Greece and Turkey have long been unable to even agree on the exact coordinates of the maritime border. Now, though, the two NATO allies have agreed to allow the alliance to patrol the seas between them. Still, it is completely unclear as to whether that will slow the influx of refugees in any meaningful way. The NATO ships, after all, have not been tasked with stopping refugee boats themselves.

Small successes aren't going to be enough for Merkel to get the public and political support she needs. And this winter has made it clear that the refugee influx isn't going to go away by itself. "Even with a substantial fall  in January, the figures remain high for the winter months as compared to previous years," notes a Commission report released on Wednesday. In January, 60,000 people arrived in Greece, hardly a number that Merkel can sell to the German people as a triumph.

Plus, for the quota solution with Turkey to receive approval in Germany, Merkel needs support from other European countries. CSU head Seehofer has made it clear to the chancellor that he would reject the plan were Germany stuck sheltering the refugees from Turkey on its own.

Merkel is fully aware that she won't be able to count on broad European support for her plan. The Chancellery has identified 13 countries that might be open to joining such a coalition of the willing: countries like Luxembourg, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands. A pre-summit meeting with her supporters is to take place in the Austrian representation in Brussels.

The fact that it is even taking place underscores how deep divisions are in Europe right now. Indeed, Merkel and her willing have plenty of opponents within the bloc, a whole series of countries that fundamentally reject the idea of accepting any refugees at all. "Quotas only increase incentives for migration," says Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, for example.

'Averting the German-Turkish Pact'

Merkel's opponents have gathered around Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, who was against Merkel's policies from the very beginning and who accused the German chancellor of "moral imperialism" last September. Orban, along with Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar, are not interested in entering into complicated negotiations with Turkey and they certainly are not intending to approve any solution that might mean their countries would have to take in Muslim refugees. "One of the most important tasks in the upcoming period is that of averting the German-Turkish pact," Orban reportedly said on Wednesday during a meeting with parliamentarians from his right-wing national party Fidesz.

Orban and his allies have begun implementing a plan that stands in direct contradiction to Merkel's proposal. They want to assist Macedonia in completely closing its border to Greece as a way of blocking the refugee trail through the western Balkans.

Macedonia is not a member of the EU, but Hungary and other countries have already sent 80 officials to the country to assist with closing the border . At a meeting of the Visegrad Group -- which includes Eastern European EU members -- planned for next Monday, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are to discuss ways in which the Balkan route can be closed off for good. Slovakian Foreign Minister Lajcak says he doesn't want to provoke a confrontation with the German chancellor with the plan. "But as long as there is no joint European strategy, it is legitimate for countries along the Balkan route to protect their borders. We are helping them do so."




Sneak Peek 4









A PATIENT FROM MEREDITHS VERY FIRST SURGERY IS READMITTED TO GREY SLOAN MEMORIAL, ON ABCS GREYS ANATOMYMy Next Life  A patient from Merediths very first surgery as an Intern is readmitted to Grey Sloan Memorial with a new aneurysm, and Amelia takes her case. Meanwhile, Maggie suspects that Richard knows about her relationship with Andrew, and Arizona debates dating again, on Greys Anatomy, THURSDAY, MARCH 3 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network.Greys Anatomy stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery, Sarah Drew as April Kepner, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Jerrika Hinton as Stephanie Edwards, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Jason George as Ben Warren, Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs and Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca.Guest starring is Samantha Sloyan as Penny Blake and Skyler Shaye as Katie Bryce.Greys Anatomy was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder). Betsy Beers (Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder), Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan), Rob Corn (Chicago Hope), William Harper, Stacy McKee, Zoanne Clack and Debbie Allen are executive producers. Greys Anatomy is produced by ABC Studios.My Next Life was written by William Harper and directed by Chandra Wilson.










Rizzoli & Isles returns this Tuesday, Feb. 16

at 9/8 C on TNT.

Check out Rizzoli & Isles this Tuesday on TNT at 9/8 C.

Previously on Rizzoli & Isles, Jane's apartment was burned down due to what they thought was faulty wiring. However when a case takes Jane and Maura to Los Angeles and back, they realize that instead her apartment was deliberately targeted by a stalker with Jane in his or her sights. When another clue makes them think Jane is in imminent danger, she is given a bodyguard against her protests and benched to desk duty, which she hates even more. When the countdown ends with nothing happening, Jane realizes they misinterpreted the clues. Instead of sending a time, the stalker actually sent a verse and the penal code for kidnapping. Frantic that her mother might be in danger, they all converge on a baffled Angela who was about to take a bath. Little do they know that the target is not Angela but Maura. Receiving a bogus homicide call, Maura goes out to do her job but instead gets kidnapped.Picking up right where the last episode left off, Maura is no damsel in distress. She puts up one heck of a fight, but in the end the kidnapper is successful. She wakes handcuffed to a pipe in an abandoned building just outside of Boston proper. From this point on it's up to her to use her smarts to give herself a fighting shot at survival, leading to some of the best scenes of the episode. Things are a bit slower pacing-wise on the police station front. Even with everyone working together, they still must slog through lots of paperwork and examine all the evidence. With her best friend's life on the line, Jane's frustration is palpable but it leads to some of the more poignant moments, including a Jane monologue to someone unexpected and the return of someone that surprised me. While I wish they had spent a little more time on Maura and less on the procedural elements, this is a great return for Rizzoli & Isles and I'm confident fans will be pleased.Biggest Hint - the kidnapper is someone we already knowBest Reason to Watch - the storyline is far more complicated than just one stalker/kidnapper, which should lead to a great plotline for this seasonBest Scene - Maura fights back andBest Character Interaction - Korsak and JaneBest Call - Korsak for realizing the black smudge is actually importantBest Way to End - on a laugh, even if not everyone thinks it's funnyBest Return - ?????Worst Technology - spoofingMost Important Girl Scout Rule - always take a buddy, which is why they need another officer for these thingsMost Useful Accessory - a beltMost Improved Character - KentMost Insightful Conversation - Jane andMost Competent / Smartest Cookie in the Bunch - MauraMost Creepy - old mental hospitals / tunnelsBiggest Question - What is the reason behind any of this?Biggest Fan Pleasing Scene - the ending emotional sceneHardest Job - Angela who has toFavorite Child - Jane this week because she gets the homemade brownies"How about we work more, randomly theorize less?" "Fair enough.""I really don't want to hit you again. It seems unsporting, you being tied up and all.""Is that a fact?" "Yeah." "Well you can take your fact and shove it up your""It's not a witch. It's not a Big Bad Wolf. It's just some jacka** that we've got to get to before he hurts Maura.""Thank you." "For what? Doing my job?""This is not your fault. How could you possibly anticipate that someone would lure Maura into a trap? You were just protecting the most vulnerable person in your circle." "And Maura" "Is strong, she's smart, she is capable. She will do her part. Now we have to do our part, alright?""This isn't over." "It's over for now.""We work in silence.""Why me? Why me?" "Why not?""You know I worked so hard to deal with my feelings about your job. I just didn't know I was supposed to be dealing with my feelings for her job too."Screencaps by TNT Talk About Telefilm , and Coub
WHEN THE GANG FINDS OUT ABOUT BERNADETTES PREGNANCY, THEY CELEBRATE BY SINGING KARAOKE, ON THE BIG BANG THEORY, THURSDAY, FEB. 18The Positive Negative Reaction  When the gang finds out about Bernadettes pregnancy, they celebrate by singing karaoke. Also, Bernadette is concerned when Wolowitz freaks out over her pregnancy announcement, and Wolowitz is convinced he must make more money to provide for the baby, on THE BIG BANG THEORY, Thursday, Feb. 18 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.CHEAT TWEET: Oh Baby, Baby! The gang celebrates the news of the new baby by singing Karaoke @BigBang_CBS 2/18 8pmET http://bit.ly/1XnDPA5REGULAR CAST:Johnny Galecki (Leonard)Jim Parsons (Sheldon)Kaley Cuoco (Penny)Simon Helberg (Wolowitz)Kunal Nayyar (Koothrappali)Mayim Bialik (Amy)Melissa Rauch (Bernadette)WRITTEN BY: Eric Kaplan, Jim Reynolds, Saladin K. PattersonTELEPLAY BY: Steven Molaro, Steve Holland, Maria FerrariDIRECTED BY: Mark Cendrowski




 BBC Pictures

About the Author - Sandi

Sandi is part of the Senior Staff at SpoilerTV having been a contributor from back in the Lost days of DarkUFO, and who now writes previews for Banshee, The Musketeers, Poldark, and other UK shows. She also enjoys watching and commenting on other shows such as Vikings, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones and The Flash. All Reviews)

Recent Reviews & Articles

John le Carres The Night Manager hits our screens on 21st February. Exploring love, loss and revenge as the story is given a contemporary twist, shifting the action from South America to the start of the Arab spring uprising. The six-part series follows former solider Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) as he infiltrates the inner circle of Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), who on the surface is an international businessman, yet those unfortunate enough to have witnessed his darker side call him the worst man in the world.As well as bringing the events from the book up to date, one other difference is that the role of Leonard Burr, the intelligence officer that recruits Pine, has been switched to Angela Burr (Olivia Colman). La Carre is extremely pleased with the casting, hailing Colmans performance as shrewd, gutsy, in turn dour and sparkling...I dearly wish I had written her into the novel instead of her ponderous husband.Shes a tenacious character, resolutely honest and unwilling to compromise or back down when shes knows that shes right. This fierce spirit is what has caused her to become a bit of an outsider when it comes to some of the dodgier elements that are working in the service, She has been ousted a bit, and when we meet her shes working in this pretty dingy, damp office, desperately trying to get funds to do what she thinks is right says Colman. Burr knows that Roper is an arms dealer of the filthiest kind and that hes making a fortune out of peoples death, misery and poverty. She is determined to take this monster down.As is Jonathan Pine, the titular character whom Hiddleston describes as a lost soul...a mystery to all men and to himself  the uniform and the face he prepares to meet others is a mask that protects him from having to know who he is. He is drawn into the seedy underworld of the arms dealing after the mistress of a gangster that Roper is doing business with in Cairo hands him some documents to hold on to as insurance in case anything happens to her. To begin with he just wants to help Burr with a piece of vital intelligence, but before long he finds himself embroiled further into a plot to take Roper out.In order to be accepted as a crook with a jet set lifestyle worthy enough to stand a background check, Pine must of course become a notorious criminal, and once he is in Ropers inner circle he cannot let the mask slip for a second. This isnt easy when usurped chief of staff, Major Corky Corkoran (Tom Hollander), is highly suspicious and determined to win his place back as his bosss right-hand man. Then there is Ropers partner, Jed (Elizabeth Debicki), who has secrets of her own and develops feelings for Pine after he heroically saves Ropers son from a vicious kidnapping  which was all a set-up in reality, the way in so to speak.Which brings up to Richard Roper, the one role we are meant to hate, yet I imagine many viewers will be questioning the worst man in the world monika after the first couple of episodes. Laurie brings warmth, humour and a touch of class to his character, but dont be fooled into thinking that there isnt a callous, despicable monster lurking underneath all the charm. We will see his darker side as the series progresses, although even as a villain Laurie ensures that Ropers world has a certain allure, as Elizabeth Debicki puts it I think what Hugh does is really humanise someone who could be very black and white. I feel like when you watch Roper you love and hate him equally at the same timeThe glamour of the dark side will be something Pine finds hard to resist while undercover. As Susanne Biere, the Emmy award winning director says Its a very sexy, attractive and glamorous world that audiences cant help being attracted to, even if in the back of our minds we know we shouldnt. I think thats how Pine feels too. Laurie also teases Because Roper gives his monstrosity and the evil things he does a kind of logic...There are moments when Pine teeters on the brink of the dark side, when you wonder which way he will go.- Series Premiere. In Cairo at the height of the Arab Spring, hotel night manager Jonathan Pine receives a plea for help from an elegant, well-connected guest. His actions draw him into the terrifying world of Richard Roper, business-man and arms dealer, labelled worst man in the world. On the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Ropers life of luxury and calm is shattered. Six months earlier, Burr continues her recruitment of Pine, sending him to Devon to build his cover story. While he continues to recuperate in Ropers villa, Pine starts to dig up secrets about the other members of the household. Meanwhile, Burr and Steadman seize on an opportunity to recruit a new asset. Roper welcomes Pine into his inner circle, leaving Corky out in the cold. Meanwhile, Burr has concerns for the safety of her source, when she suspects key information has been leaked to the River House. A suspicious Roper gathers his entourage around him in an attempt to root out the traitor, forcing Pine to play a dangerous game. In London, Burr and Steadman face mounting opposition from Whitehall. Series Finale. Roper and his team return to Cairo for the deal, reuniting Pine with an old enemy. Pine risks it all to put his plan in motion. A discredited Burr makes one last stand.
Carmarthen, Wales-based breeder John Eirian Davies of the Teilo flock will be following in the footsteps of Tom Redman, Alan Draper and Steve Williams when he places the Texel classes as one of a panel of judges to adjudicate the Texel classes when they take place at the event on Sunday 28 February.

Classes will include those for rams and ewes, with these split by age and also specific classes for carcass traits and wool quality.

Commenting on the decision of the organisers to invite a British Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates said it was a mark of the respect French breeders had gained for British Texel genetics in recent years. An increasing number of exports of British Texel genetics to France and the wider European Continent in recent years, including Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Italy, have cemented British Texels firmly in the minds of Continental breeders.

Leading French breeders have been prominent in buying British Texels in recent years, including a ram lamb exported from the Teilo flock in 2015. In 2014 the British Texel Society through, the Royal Highland Show, invited French breeder Yves Lacroix to be the first French Texel judge to adjudicate at this prestigious national event and the invitation for John Eirian to judge in Paris is a further sign of the knowledge exchange between the two countries.
Craven Cattle Marts high profile Christmas primestock shows and the Great Northern Pork Pie Competition staged at the end of November last year featured charity sales of pork pies, Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fruit cakes, sponges and fodder hay  all donated by willing participants and fought for enthusiastically at the ringside by generous bidders.

Brooklands School received 1,000, part of which will be used to help fund a residential course and sightseeing visit in London for pupils this May. The remainder will be utilised to the benefit other pupils not involved in the trip.

Brooklands is already making good use of its previous years donation, which helped fund an Eye Gaze machine in the sensory room, a high-tech system that allows those with severe physical disabilities to access a computer by sight-only.

Headteacher Denise Sansom welcomed representatives of CCM, Manorlands and Addingham Sheepbreeders, along with reigning Great Northern Pork Pie champion Janet Green, of Farmhouse Fare in Skipton, to a presentation ceremony staged as part of the schools afternoon assembly.

She said: We all want to say a big thank you to all the people who have again so generously given this money. It continues to make a real difference to us here at Brooklands.


We've all heard inspiring stories of one spouse heroically supporting the other through the startup phase of a business. But what about when both spouses are involved in startups? You might be surprised to learn that the challenge of having two entrepreneurs in one household can actually strengthen your marriage -- if you know how to handle it.

It takes hard work to make a marriage succeed. Starting a business is no breeze, either. Juggling both requires dedication, flexibility and attentiveness. Keep these five guidelines in mind as you and your spouse both embark on the startup journey:

1. Rethink the concept of time management.

When you're working at a startup, your to-do list never ends, and you never have enough hours in the day to get it all done.

At the earliest stage of a business you always can have something to do, and it's even easier to neglect the person we care for the most, hoping that your partner understands -- until the day he or she doesn't.

Rather than focus on the idea of managing time, focus on managing yourself and your priorities. This subtle yet powerful shift in thinking can improve both your business and your marriage.

Related: How Not to Be Too Busy for Your Own Good

2. Adjust your strategy to fit new circumstances.

If entrepreneurs excel at one thing, it's quickly shifting strategy in order to survive. Surviving the pressure of a dual startup marriage is really no different.

When you're both entrepreneurs, there's no time for the lingering, romantic dinners of the past. My wife and I had to think of new ways to spend quality time together. Because exercise is important to both of us, we decided to start working out together, and it has been a blast. Exercise is a crucial stress release, and knowing that it's our time together keeps us vigilant not to skip sessions.

3. Stop gabbing about work 24/7.

Speaking of exercise: You know how an athlete needs to give his muscles a break when training? Entrepreneurs need to do the same thing -- and stop talking about work all the time. Choose when and where your work-free zone is, and stick to it.

You and your spouse will have to train yourselves to stop talking about work during the assigned time. Enforcing the rule won't be easy, but it's very important to try.

Take time to connect with your spouse over the things that initially brought you together and the interests you have beyond work. Plus, taking a break and allowing your "work" muscle to rest often results in a-ha moments when you return to the grind.

Lastly, you might not want to admit it, but many couples get competitive about their startups. Avoiding shop talk ensures you won't go down this treacherous road -- at least temporarily.

Related: 7 Ways Exercising Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur

4. Remember the little things.

In addition to finding new ways to spend time together, think of other ways to stay connected given your hectic schedules. Think about what really speaks to your spouse -- maybe it's something physical like a quick neck massage in the morning or a handwritten note tucked in her briefcase. If you know what sort of communication is most important to your spouse, then you can convey your love and support in time-efficient yet meaningful ways.

5. Look for the silver lining.

You may not have fancied yourself an optimist before becoming an entrepreneur, but looking for those silver linings is an absolute necessity when running a startup. In those (many) moments of chaos, stress and exhaustion, we often develop strengths we didn't know we -- or our spouses -- had.

Though you and your spouse may be involved in completely different types of businesses, don't lose sight of the fact that you are on a larger journey together: that of an entrepreneur. The maddening pace of a startup might be exactly what prompts you to dig deeper and connect further with your loved one than you ever thought possible, which is a beautiful irony -- and the biggest silver lining of all.

Related: An Ode to an Entrepreneur's Supportive Spouse

Related:

Don't Let Dual Startups Cast a Plague on Both Spouses

An Entrepreneur's Guide to Explaining Your Job to Your Kids

New Jersey Photographer Often Provokes Tears of Joy at Her Boutique Family Portrait Studio



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
It takes seconds to create chaos. It takes far longer to get it back under control.

That can be true whether it involves a childs tantrum, a highway accident or an oil spill in the ocean.

Tantrums, accidents and spills may have tangible repercussions, but are not intentional. The so-called swatters who cleared several state schools this week may not follow through on lethal threats, but their actions are executed with intent. Those who make the threats should pay the price of restoring order. Lets not give it euphemistic names: This is pure thuggery.

Its loathsome to think anyone could derive pleasure from taunting law enforcement officials and jeopardizing children in the state where 26 people were slain in a school just three years ago. This is far more repugnant than yelling fire in a crowded theater. Threats made to six schools in Connecticut this week sent Special Response Team officers scrambling into school hallways clad in body armor and armed with carbines. Neighborhood arteries were blocked off by fire trucks as snipers took elevated positions in quiet neighborhoods and bomb-sniffing dogs went to work.

Threats of violence were made Tuesday at Stamford High School, West Haven High School, Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford and Bristols Central High School and South Side Elementary. A bomb threat made the following day to Stamford Academy followed a different pattern than the cowardly trend of using technology to hide in anonymity as police resources are squandered and parents stomachs churn with anxiety.

We are long past the day of prank phone calls as spoofed on The Simpsons. These hoaxes are not harmless. Similar incidents have resulted in accidents involving emergency responders and medical distress for victims. They also bear a heavy cost to taxpayers, who ultimately pay for tactical responses as well as appropriate training.

The incidents are also expanding in scale. A year ago, Greenwich had a second major police response to the false report of a hostage situation, leading officials to shut down a road as 16 residences were checked.

Stamford Mayor David Martin was right to call on state lawmakers to enact stiffer penalties to anyone who calls in such threats. Serious prison time should be on the table. Additionally, lawmakers should consider following the lead of California, which was the first state to require responsible parties to pay the expenses of emergency responses.

We also suggest a collaborative effort among police, the courts, educators  and activist students  to spread the word through schools that there are consequences to such juvenile actions. The problem wont be solved in seconds; but the repercussions can resonate for years.
I nvestors saw the founder of SuperGroup dump shares in the fashion group and took it as a cue to do the same.

Julian Dunkerton, who started the group in the mid-Eighties but stepped down as chief executive in 2014, sold four million shares at 1200p a pop, making 48 million to fund a divorce settlement.

He still has a 27% stake in the Superdry brand owner, but shareholders were in a ruthless mood and sent the stock down 105p or 8% to 1224p.

The FTSE 250 company said Dunkertons shares went to institutional investors, who lapped up the chance to snag shares at a knock-down price, having seen them top 1700p in December.

The stock market bulls were relieved to see a recovery from yesterdays lashing as the FTSE 100 surged 87.27 points or 1.6% to 5624.24, with miners and banks  those worst hit on Thursday  leading the charge.

Traders hung up on BT, off 4.15p to 446.3p as UBS downgraded it to Sell after its 12.5 billion EE takeover.

The broker suggested the market is underestimating the risk of rising competition, with Sky set to take on the mobile market, Virgin Media expanding, and a potential merger of Vodafone and John Malones Liberty Global.

Footsie new boy, Provident Financial, rose 118p to 2926p after a boost from Barclays which upgraded it to overweight with more confidence in the specialist lenders growth prospects.

Countryside boss Ian Sutcliffe admitted he was exhausted today after floating the housebuilder and regeneration firm in the most turbulent markets for years. The float was at the bottom of the range  225p  putting a 1 billion price tag on the firm.

Management have cashed in a 2.5% stake worth around 25 million and retain a 7.5% share in the business. The shares ticked up 10p to 235p in grey market trading.

Investors bailed out of Canaccord Genuity as the Toronto-based stock broker suspended its dividend after third-quarter pre-tax losses swelled to C$22.4 million (11 million) in tough conditions for the sector.

Shares dropped 34.25p to 185.75p, with a write-down on its capital markets business to blame for the deficit.

Elsewhere, shares in AIM-listed mobile payments firm Monitise were nudged 0.05p higher to 1.73p despite half-year losses quadrupling to 211 million, caused by a 167 million impairment charge on the value of the profit warning-prone companys older business.
T he most hopeful aspect of the ceasefire in Syria planned for a weeks time is that it has the backing of 17 states including Russia, Iran and the US. The civil war in Syria is also a regional conflict, as well as a proxy war for a Sunni-Shiite struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Trouble is, the internecine struggle between the Assad regime and several disparate rebel groups, and the regional and global powers, has taken its toll on innocent civilians: perhaps as many as half a million people have died while the number displaced from their homes amounts to perhaps 13.5 million. That number will be bolstered by refugees fleeing Syrias second city, Aleppo, which was taken by the rebels last year and now seems likely to fall to government troops, backed by Russia.

Given that the truce only starts in a week, it seems quite likely that the Russians and the Assad government forces will try to create facts on the ground before it begins by taking Aleppo before that, a possibility which has created the flow of refugees from the city. Much depends on how the Russian-Assad forces conduct themselves in the offensive. They must spare innocent civilians.

What do the US, Britain and the West want to achieve, not just from the truce, but from the Geneva negotiations? The overriding priority for us is, or should be, the annihilation of Islamic State in Syria, which should facilitate its defeat in Iraq. IS is a hydra-headed beast, and has surfaced in Libya, where we may well have to deal with it next, but Raqqa in Syria is its centre of operations. So far the policy of the west in seeking both to attack IS and to back the rebels opposing the Assad regime is incoherent. But we must also seek to persuade the Russians to use their leverage to make President Assad step down to enable a settlement. It may be possible to keep his regime and party in place for now in the interests of stability but the man himself must go if there is to be any coherent peace deal. This conflict is not a faraway matter; its casualties are making for Europe right now.

PM has his work cut out

The Prime Minister may have been hoping for a more effusive vote of confidence in his EU draft deal than he has received from the Tory mayoral candidate, Zac Goldsmith, who has described the reforms he has negotiated as not very impressive. However, these Eurosceptic noises may actually be a help to him in his talks with Angela Merkel before delivering a speech in Hamburg tonight. The point these interventions emphasise is that he really does need full support from other EU leaders to see off these challenges. Trouble is, his hard-fought concession on a temporary block on EU migrant benefits may have no real effect on the numbers coming to the UK. As for the draft agreements commitment to supporting the eurozone, it may have troubling implications for the City. Mr Cameron has his work cut out tonight with his talks with Angela Merkel and a speech that must appeal both to sceptics at home and the Germans in front of him. The stakes are high.

Readers, thank you

The 3.5 million raised by our Give to GOSH charity appeal is extraordinary  and exceeds even the wildest expectations. That this has been possible is thanks primarily to you, our readers, as well as the generosity of corporate donors and the Treasury. For Great Ormond Street Hospital it means a massive boost for medical research, for the development of its new heart unit and for the needs of the Louis Dundas Centre for palliative care. In short, your money will save lives  it really is as simple and as wonderful as that.
N othing says I love you like a model refuse truck made out of icing sugar.

A six-inch high wedding cake topper, fashioned like a petrol gully emptier, is going on show at the Museum of London this Valentines Day weekend.

It was made almost 80 years ago for the wedding of Eileen and Reg Flavell, who met while working at Mechanical Cleansing Service in Dulwich.

Their son Den, who gave it to the museum, said the model was a copy of the companys pride and joy  an Albion petrol gully emptier used to clean drains. Mr Flavell, 70, of Leatherhead, said: My grandfather set up the firm and mum worked there as a secretary and dad was an accountant.

Wheel deal: Reg and Eileen Flavell get married in Dulwich in 1937. Their son has given the cake topper, modelled on an old waste disposal truck, to the Museum of London

After the wedding it sat in a glass case on dads filing cabinet in his office until he retired and was then brought home where it took pride of place in their dining room. I think they would have been amazed and really proud that people were able to see it at the museum.

The model forms part of a display, on show from today, telling the stories of four London couples through mementoes from their relationships, including a pop-up Valentines card from 1860.

The elaborate card, which includes layers of lace paper covered in poems and flowers and a gold ring in a paper drawer, was made by Jonathan King for his wife Emily the year before they wed. They went on to set up a Fancy Valentine Shop in Victorian-era Islington.

The exhibition also includes a recording of Marinetta Giacon talking about how she met her Italian husband in 1944 while he was a POW at a camp in Barnet  and how they were reunited and married in London three years later.

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Z oolander 2 begins so promisingly: Justin Bieber gets shot. Not just a little bit either. After being chased through the streets of Rome by assassins on motorbikes, he is riddled with bullets. Yet, as he lies dying, he finds the strength to take one last selfie. Not just one, actually  he takes a bundle of himself pulling a killer look: can it be nothing less than Derek Zoolanders signature pout, Blue Steel? And then he scrolls through the takes before choosing just the right one to send to his Instagram feed. You cant kill us all  we will protect the Chosen One, he says, defiantly, before expiring at last.

At the headquarters of Interpols Fashion Police, ridiculously hot agent Valentina (Penelope Cruz, ridiculously hot) says hes the sixth pop star to die this year  all with that look. Theres only one person on earth who would know how to interpret that look... Derek Zoolander himself.

Unfortunately, in the 15 years that have passed since the events chronicled in the original Zoolander of 2001, our dumbo hero has met with disaster. We left Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) celebrating the opening of the Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Cant Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too, with Dereks wife Matilda and their cute little boy, with the totally evil fashion magnate Mugatu (Will Ferrell) behind bars.

Tragically, the project collapsed, literally, killing Matilda, disfiguring Hansel and resulting in Derek being declared an unfit parent when he cant work out how to make the spaghetti go soft. I will retire from modelling and live as a hermit crab, he proclaims.

Zoolander 2 Exclusive Interview With Penelope Cruz, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig & Justin Theroux

So hes up in extreme North Jersey, living as a wildly bearded and be-furred mountain man, while Hansel, sporting an ornate eye mask to cover his terrible injuries, is off the grid too, practising yoga in the sand dunes of uncharted Malibu territories, with only his orgies (Kiefer Sutherland, numerous celebrities who I wouldnt recognise and a goat, possibly also a pygmy hippo) to sustain him.

Can Derek and Hansel be persuaded back into the world of fashion and modelling after all this time? Billy Zane is ready to give it a go, telling them they are wanted by the new Rome-based empress of fashion, Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig, completely lost under insane prosthetics), a woman who not only wears clothes so crazy she somehow has to glide rather than walk but has had so much plastic surgery she cant actually speak intelligibly any more. Her protege, anti-fashion fashion god Don Atari (Kyle Mooney), thinks Derek and Hansel are so out of it, so lame that theyre hot again, almost.

TODO: define component type brightcove

So off they go to Rome, meeting again for the first time in years, initially hostile but soon bonding again  I miss not knowing things with you, says Derek, dumb as ever. He even encourages Hansel to take off the mask concealing his disfigurement: I think I know the real you and it has nothing to do with the way you look, he says, surely not meaning it, as his disgusted reaction to what is revealed confirms (overlooking once again the fact that Wilsons nose, as always, travels in at least four contradictory directions before eventually reaching its tip).

Installed in the totally recyclable Palazzo di Caca, made from human waste and equipped with farm-to-table wi-fi, they are introduced to the biggest supermodel in the whole world, All (Benedict Cumberbatch), one who is not defined by binary constructs and has just married himself or herself, mono-marriage being finally legal in Italy. Sadly, all Hansel wants to know is: Do you have a hot dog or a bun? After All has flogged them on the catwalk, he decides definitely a hot dog. Derek feels desperately humiliated: We were a total laughing stick.

Then the plot, still modelled after all this time on The Da Vinci Code, kicks in. Valentina consults Derek about that selfie  Its Blue Steel, right?

Not even close, says Derek. Its an old one from the Nineties  I called it Aqua Vitae.

Zoolander 2 London Premiere 1 /20 Zoolander 2 London Premiere Cast and crew Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Penelope Cruz, Christine Taylor, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig and Justin Theroux Dave Benett Leading the glamour Penelope Cruz on the red carpet Dave Benett Suited and booted Ben Stiller arrives at the London premiere Dave Benett Braving the cold The Zoolander team don't seem bothered by the chilly weather Dave Benett Star style Penelope Cruz looks glam in a shiny silver gown Dave Benett Posing for the cameras Kristen Wiig poses on the red carpet Dave Benett Blue Steel Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson give their trademark pose Dave Benett All that glitters Penelope Cruz head in to see the film Natalie Dormer attends a Fashionable Screening of the Paramount Pictures film "Zoolander No. 2" at Empire Leicester Square Dave Benett Neelam Gill attends a Fashionable Screening of the Paramount Pictures film "Zoolander No. 2" at Empire Leicester Square Dave Benett Zoolander 2 twitter feed showing the picture taken at the film's UK premiere in London of Ben Stiller's successful bid to break the record for a photo taken by the world's longest selfie stick Ben Stiller Myleene Klass, Lara Stone, Camilla Rutherford, Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Will Ferrell, Valentino Garavani, Matt Johnson, Christine Taylor, Penelope Cruz, Owen Wilson and guests break the longest selfie stick world record at a Fashionable Screening of the Paramount Pictures film "Zoolander No. 2" at Empire Leicester Square Dave Benett Will Ferrell attending the Zoolander 2 UK premiere, held at the Empire, Leicester Square, London Ian West/PA Myleene Klass attends a Fashionable Screening of the Paramount Pictures film "Zoolander No. 2" at Empire Leicester Square Dave Benett Millie Mackintosh attends a Fashionable Screening of the Paramount Pictures film "Zoolander No. 2" at Empire Leicester Square Dave Benett

The fountain of youth! People would kill for that, right? And then Derek finds that his estranged son Derek Jr (Cyrus Arnold) is at a luxury orphanage right there in Rome. The plot thickens, if that were possible. Meeting his boy, Derek is aghast to discover he is both fat and intelligent. Youre like a walking tyrannosaurus, he says.

You mean a thesaurus, says Derek Jr, wearily.

But then the kid is kidnapped. Who can be behind this horrifying concatenation of events? Surely not the monstrous Mugatu, in Hannibal Lecter-like solitary confinement in a stylish high-security island prison?

The original Zoolander had the bad luck to hit cinemas in September 2001, when audiences were not in maximum-snigger mood. Its cult reputation grew slowly, via DVDs. Ben Stiller (again directing as well as starring) admits: This movie has been a long time in the making. We probably would have made a sequel the year after the movie came out but nobody came to see the first one in the theatre really, so no one wanted it. Since then the project has been through multiple incarnations, maybe even a bit of development hell, and it shows.

Catwalk capers revisited: Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) bond together again in the name of fashion

Despite that selfie start and a few other vaguely vlogger jokes it is not really up to date, with all the social media changes that have taken place in the past 15 years, and it doesnt hit the democratisation of total narcissism hard enough. One of the first true-life cameos comes when Derek and Hansel arrive at Rome airport and think the crowd of paparazzi are there for them but in fact they are there for ... Susan Boyle. Susan Boyle? In which intervening year did that seem a funny idea?

Then again, the original Zoolander was genuinely quite surprising, quite vicious, about the shallowness and stupidity of the fashion world. But, being a bit thick perhaps, they have taken it to their heart, they have embraced it and in Zoolander 2 extensively collaborated with it, so that there are, for those outside that world, just too many cameos crowding in from fashion stars and designers, all desperate to be involved.

There are Kardashians, there is Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Anna Wintour. Valentino obliged to the extent of allowing Derek and Hansel to shoot a surprise sequence at a genuine Paris fashion show, to the amazement and ultimate delight of the crowd.

Nothing thats so embraced by its target really constitutes satire any more. Its more like a celebration, an in-joke. Only the Cumberbatch gender-fluidity tease teeters near the edge and that doesnt last long or go far enough.

There are perfectly funny lines  I liked Hansel telling Derek Youre the most narcissistic, self-involved person Ive ever met, only for him to reply with genuine puzzlement But thats not how I think of me.

But then comedies are peculiarly hard to judge at a screening in the middle of the day among cheerless critics. If you want to see this, see it addled. With a fashion crowd, if thats not an oxymoron. Or something.

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Sofus Graae (Grey) and Birgit Marie Schmidt (Smith) make up jewellery design duo SMITH/GREY, which has become known for its sculptural and forward-thinking creations. Here, we talk to the pair about how they started their Clerkenwell-based business, what trends to look out for in 2016and what it's like to be a jewellery designer.

How did you become a jewellery designer and do you have any advice for those hoping to break into the industry?

Birgit: After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2011, the idea of creating a brand together with Sofus (who had recently graduated from Vancouver Film School and was working in Soho at that moment) basically happened over night. We realised we had lots of concrete ideas for designs and collections. Looking back Id say we were quite starry-eyed working from our kitchen table with next to no budget but with a will to create and get our hands dirty. We had to learn quickly, made tons of mistakes, but had a lot of successful moments that kept us going.

Sofus: For those breaking in the industry: be bold, go with your gut and do as much as possible yourself: I am talking making samples, testing different producers, doing your own website and so on - it will save you money, keep your eye close on your brand and give you full control over your image and the way you communicate. And be alert about the industry you are in: know the trends but dont necessarily follow them.

SMITH/GREY's proto-botanical rings / SMITH GREY

What jewellery trends do you predict for the coming year?

B: I think the focus will be on earrings once more: there is still so much potential in terms of how to wear them, shapes, sizes and materials. In terms of style I think we will see both clean lined pieces as well as more organic ones in combinations with coloured gemstones.

Are you working on any special new designs or projects at the moment?

B: We are sampling our first ever fine collection for A/W16 which we are very excited about! It is a quite geometrically-inspired collection in 18k yellow gold with a few 18k rose gold pieces combined with a beautiful selection of coloured gemstones. The pieces are effortless and easy to wear and we cant wait to finally wait to reveal them.

"Be alert about the industry you are in: know the trends but dont necessarily follow them."

Whats your favourite piece from your archive?

B: For me it would be two pieces: The large Twisted Horse Necklace for one, as it was the starting point of SMITH/GREY and embodies the most sculptural aspects of our brand so far. The second would be the Metamorphosis Ring from our upcoming Protobotanics collection. It was inspired by developments in Synthetic Biology and imagines a future in which plants can be programmed to accumulate solvent gold to produce finished jewellery pieces. It was also one of the first pieces we designed that incorporated coloured gemstones.

Twisted Horse earrings, as modelled by FKA Twigs / SMITH GREY

Where do you seek design inspiration?

S: The visual language of our collections tends to vary slightly, depending on what we feel drawn to at that moment in time, and as a matter of fact it can be anything! One day a collection can be inspired by a scientific article, the day after by a beautifully styled woman on the tube and a day later by architectural drawings. Inspiration can hit you from anywhere, you just have to keep your eyes and ears open.

What was last piece of jewellery you bought?

B: We usually wear our own jewellery but the last piece was actually a present from my dad: The Bee Necklace by Alex Monroe which I adore! The bee is a hint to my nickname but mainly I have just always loved that piece, its a jewellery classic.

BIrgitte sketches out some designs / SMITH GREY

Do you have a favourite jewellery boutique in London or beyond?

B: One of our favourite stores for jewellery - and much more - is Colette in Paris (colette.fr). Colette was the very first stockist we gained and they have been buying our collections ever since. We love the way they tend to mix young and more established designers to create a really inspiring and unique selection of brands and designs.

If in London, visit Parla in Shoreditch (boxpark.co.uk) - it stocks small independent jewellery labels, which I think is a real statement of support for young brands.

Do you have any tips for people to looking to invest in a piece of jewellery?

B: There are two routes in my opinion: either go for a classic yet slightly unusually designed fine jewellery piece that will keep its intrinsic material value as well as set itself apart from ordinary designs. Alternatively, go for a silver or fashion jewellery piece that stands out due to its specific design or sculptural value.

S: To invest in an heirloom or personal piece with emotional or sentimental value is ultimately the best you can do: We are often approached by clients who are looking to have a unique piece commissioned that reflects their personality or familys history. Its a beautiful way to capture meaning and will definitely stand the test of time.

What piece of jewellery could you not live without?

B: I have a couple of rings given to me by my mother which are dear to my heart. Small gold rings she received from my dad when she was very young: I have one that is a snake twisting around your finger, one with a small heart and another one with a lovely rose quartz cabochon. They all hold emotional value which I think is the most beautiful aspect of jewellery.

Nick Clements

S: My Ivy Noir Signet Ring. Its one of my favourites because it was our first piece of mens jewellery we made, so obviously very personal.

Describe a day in the life of a jewellery designer

S: We usually start with a large cup of coffee whilst going through requests and having a chat about the day ahead. Then we get on with either meeting clients, arranging orders, overseeing and being part of the making process. In between we are sharing moments and inspirations on Instagram and Facebook or curating content for our newsletters.

During times when we are designing it can get really messy with dozens of sketches and moodboards we create to express a design direction. We do a lot of 3D modelling and sketching as well. We never sit still for more than two hours straight... but that might just be all that coffee!

smith-grey.com

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate_lough
O utspoken academic and writer Richard Dawkins has pulled out of a tour of Australia and New Zealand after suffering a minor stroke.

The 74-year-old was taken ill on Saturday but is expected to make a full recovery and has already returned home from hospital, according to a statement on the Sydney Opera House website.

The biologist and noted secularist author of The God Delusion had been due to begin his tour at the landmark venue on February 28.

The statement said: "On Saturday night Richard suffered a minor stroke, however he is expected in time to make a full or near full recovery.

"He is already at home recuperating.

"This unfortunately means Richard will be unable to make his planned Australian and New Zealand tour.

"He is very disappointed that he is unable to do so but looks forward to renewing his plans in the not too distant future."

By Thursday, he was well enough to use social media, tweeting a plug for a book, for which he had written the foreword.

My dear friend Dan Barker has written a wonderful book, for which Ive done the forward, that you should read. https://t.co/pnQHaQT7h0  Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) February 11, 2016

The tour was based on his recently publish second memoir and 13th book, Brief Candle in the Dark.
A teenager who kicked a Good Samaritan repeatedly in the face after she gave him directions before bottling and stabbing a stranger in an off-licence has been jailed for 18 years.

Abdul Rahim Sowe, 19, attacked his first victim in Haverstock Hill, north-west London, after asking her for directions to the local mosque, a court heard.

He became abusive, accusing her of lying and punching her in the face several times until she fell to the ground.

Sowe kicked her in the face repeatedly before stealing money from her purse and walking away, a court was told.

Later that day, he entered an off-licence in Camden High Street and hit a male shopper over the head with a glass bottle full of alcohol until he passed out.

Sowe smashed bottles over his face, before stabbing him in the throat with a pair of scissors as he lay unconscious, leaving him in a coma and needing extensive re-constructive surgery.

Having viewed the CCTV footage of the off-licence attack, Judge Peter Clarke said "This is the most extreme violence I have seen recorded in my 43 years at the bar, I have not seen anything like it."

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and five additional years on licence after pleading guilty to attempted murder and ABH at Blackfriars Crown Court.

Detective Constable Sham Razzak, from Camden community safety unit said: "His first victim was attacked as she guided him to a place of worship whilst the second victim spent two months in hospital and is still being fed through a tube - through his stomach - due to the extensive injuries he suffered in his throat.
A man was today appearing in court accused of posing as a police officer to attempt to kidnap school children in north London.

Abdi Waise, 29, of no fixed address, was due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court,

He has been charged with six counts of attempted kidnap, five counts of impersonating a police officer, false imprisonment, stalking and one count of inciting a 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.

Waise was arrested on January 20 after police stepped up patrols around three secondary schools in Hornsey, north London.

He had been on police bail until yesterday when he was charged.
A man repeatedly stabbed his housemate in a fit of rage after discovering he was in a secret relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Bernardas Petreikis, 23, knifed Mantas Augenas at their home moments after his former partner Elianna Podlesnaja broke the news about her fling with Mr Augenas.

The trio had been socialising at the home they all shared in Bounds Green, north London, shortly before the attack on the evening of August 30 last year.

When Petreikis was told by Ms Podlesnaja about the relationship, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and found Mr Augenas in his bedroom, stabbing him in the chest and back.

The 35-year-old died from multiple stab wounds before reaching hospital.

Petreikis, a Lithuanian national, of Shrewsbury Road, Bounds Green, was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on Friday and will be sentenced on Monday.

Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Piscopo, of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said:"Bernardas Petreikis killed his housemate, Mantas Augenas, in a fit of rage after being informed that his former partner was in a relationship with the victim.

"Mr Augenas had been sleeping in his room and had no opportunity to defend himself against Petreikis.

"Mr Augenas was a husband and a father. The vicious attack inflicted upon him by Petreikis has devastated his family and has deprived his child of her loving father."
A reward of up to 10,000 is being offered to help catch the person behind a series of random violent attacks on women in south London.

Three women were assaulted and punched in the face and head in separate incidents in December and January.

Detectives yesterday released CCTV footage of a person they want to speak to in connection with the attacks and Crimestoppers is now offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

In all three attacks, the lone women have been attacked from behind and the level of violence has increased each time, a Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said.

The first attack, against a 31-year-old woman, happened between 1.15am and 2.15am on December 4 in Commercial Way, Peckham. The victim suffered a head injury.

CCTV: Detectives want to speak to the person pictured / Metropolitan Police

A 30-year-old woman was assaulted and left unconscious during a second attack between 6.15am and 6.45am in Hanover Park on December 13.

The victim was found lying in the street by a passerby.

The most recent attack took place on New Years Day, where an 18-year-old suffered serious assault injuries to her head and face after being attacked at the junction of Creekside and Deptford Church Street, Deptford.

Detective Superintendent Terry Sharpe, from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Commands Complex Case Team, said: We are grateful to Crimestoppers for the offer of a reward, and I urge anyone with information on who the person in the CCTV is, or who may be responsible for these violent attacks, to come forward and help our investigation.

These have been increasingly violent attacks and very traumatic for all the victims. The person responsible needs to be brought to justice. Not just for the victims, but to stop anyone else suffering another terrifying attack.

As our enquiries continue, I urge women in and around the areas affected, to continue to be alert and follow personal safety advice that can be found at our website www.met.police.uk.

The full reward will be handed over only if information is passed to Crimestoppers. Information given to the Metropolitan Police will not qualify for all of the reward money.

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Anyone who believes they have been victim of a similar attack or any witnesses should call the Mets investigation team on 020 8217 6541 or 101.
F our people have been taken to hospital after a disturbance at a fish and chip shop in south-east London.

Police and paramedics were called to Lee Fish Bar in Burnt Ash Road, Lee, at 6.50pm on Friday.

Two men and two women, who were all working at the shop, sustained injuries during what police described as a disturbance and were taken to a south London hospital.

All four are in a stable condition, a Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said.

A worker at the takeaway restaurant told the Standard "a couple of drunk boys" were involved in a fight.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and criminal damage and a woman was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs.

They were all taken in to custody at a south London police station.

Lewisham CID are continuing to investigate.
T wo men have been jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years after a peacemaker was shot as he tried to stop an argument at a wake.

Michael Otshudi, 37, and Joseph Smith 27, attended a memorial at Andover Community Centre in Holloway, with a group of unknown men on May 13 last year.

An argument began between the group and another man between 11.44pm and 11.50pm and a 54-year-old man tried to step in and diffuse the situation.

The peacemaker was shot as he tried to help the other man, who was assaulted, and the gang fled the scene.

The 54-year-old was taken to a south London hospital with serious injuries and he is still recovering.

Otshudi, of North Road, Highgate, was arrested after DNA was found outside the venue and he was identified in CCTV footage.

CCTV: Detectives want to trace the three men pictured in connection with the incident / Metropolitan Police

He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was today jailed at Blackfriars Crown Court for 18 months.

Smith, of no fixed address, was arrested after his image was circulated by the Metropolitan Police Service. He later admitted possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear and violent disorder and was jailed for a total of four years.

Officers from the Trident and Area Crime Command are now appealing to find three other men involved in the incident and have today released CCTV images of men they would like to trace.

Detective Constable Irfan Khalifa, from Trident and Area Crime Command, said: The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to tackling gang and gun crime. This was a reckless act, resulting in serious injury to an innocent person.

Trident Gang Command has today secured convictions against two individuals and now appeals to the public to help identify those yet to be brought to justice.

Anyone with information should call Trident on 020 8358 0045 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T he junior doctor who ambushed Jeremy Hunt live on TV today revealed he had been praised by his mother-in-law for making the Health Secretary look like a rogue trader.

Dr Dagan Lonsdale, 32, a specialty registrar in intensive care medicine, said he feared his decision to confront Mr Hunt near Parliament might backfire and harm the junior doctors campaign against unsafe new contracts. He had just finished an interview with Sky TV when Mr Hunt appeared at the Millbank studios after telling MPs that he was imposing new contracts on junior doctors.

Dr Lonsdale, who works at St Georges hospital in Tooting, told the Standard: I went away completely terrified, though the adrenaline was helping.

I was a bit worried I was going to look like a bit of a fool walking after the Health Secretary, but I think it is telling he is just walking away from the questions. I spoke to my mother-in-law last night. She said it looked a lot like one of those episodes of Rogue Traders where the guy is just running away. My colleagues have mercifully been very supportive.

Today the British Medical Association said there would be a period of reflection before it decided its next move. Last years ballot of doctors allows it to call further strikes.
C ampaigners against female genital mutilation have accused the British Museum of celebrating the practice by holding an exhibition about a mask used by cutters in Sierra Leone.

The museum displayed a Sowei mask, which is worn by members of the Sande society  a womens association in Sierra Leone which prepares girls for adult life. This has traditionally included FGM.

To mark the launch of the exhibition the museum also hosted an event where the dance performed during FGM ceremonies was recreated.

Survivors of FGM living in London said they still suffer flashbacks to the mask, which they said is used at the end of cutting ceremonies in Sierra Leone to terrorise young girls into keeping quiet about their ordeal.

Criticised: The British Museum has been accused of "celebrating" the practice of female genital mutilation / Getty Images

Survivor Sarian Kamara, who was cut in Sierra Leone, said: The British Museum is celebrating the practice  the mask is a symbol of cutting.

The mask always brings bad memories. What heritage is it celebrating? If a family doesnt know about the law in the UK [which bans FGM] they would think the British Museum is recognising it as our heritage. It undoes all the good work that is being done to stamp out FGM.

Alimatu Dimonekene, who underwent FGM in Sierra Leone when she was 16, said the mask is synonymous with the practice.

It is worn by the chief cutter and known as the Bando Devil. She has nightmares about it.

I have seen that face every day of my life, she said. This is glamorising it and putting it in high esteem.

The mask, which is stained black with a face carved into it, is still part of the museums online collection. It is worn with a raffia and textile costume to hide the wearers identity.

It was on display in an exhibition at the museum in 2013, and a poster advertising the event has recently been circulating on social media.

Campaigners said the museum should give a better explanation of what the mask is used for. Mrs Dimonekene said: It should say the garments are worn by women who cut genitals.

Campaigner Leyla Hussein said FGM is child abuse, adding: We wouldnt have a picture of Jimmy Savile representing Britain any more, but this represents Sierra Leone.

The British Museum said: The Sande society still plays an important role in womens lives today in Sierra Leone. However, the practice of female circumcision which traditionally takes place during Sande initiation continues to provoke serious debate both within Sierra Leone and internationally.

"In the 2013 exhibition visitors were directed to literature engaging with the ethical debates.

The British Museum felt this allowed visitors to gain an understanding of the current concerns and some of the wider issues relating to female circumcision.

The museum seeks to respect different belief systems, values and practices and to present them in a balanced manner. It does not condone female circumcision.
T he parents of a toddler who choked to death on a jelly cube in a nursery called today for the centre to be closed after bosses admitted breaching health and safety regulations.

Victim Tiya Chauhan, aged 22 months, fell unconscious during a play session at Dicky Birds nursery in Wimbledon.

Its rooms were left open so children could move about in free flow to enjoy different indoor and outdoor activities. One game was a sensory table that included spaghetti and cubes of jelly.

There were 11 members of staff supervising 30 young children but none saw Tiya pick up a bit of jelly and choke.

Staff found her unconscious and not breathing. She was taken to St Georges Hospital in Tooting, where she died later that day in August 2012.

Tragedy: parents Dipa and Chetan Chauhan at the inquest into the death of daughter / Central News

A jury at Westminster coroners court delivered a verdict of accidental death with neglect in 2014. It heard claims that the nurserys operations manager Derek Hayes deliberately minimised the incident in his formal report to Ofsted, which the nursery denied. Yesterday Dicky Birds pleaded guilty at Kingston crown court to two counts of contravening health and safety laws.

It will be sentenced on March 21 and is expected to receive a fine  but Tiyas mother Dipa and father Chetan felt they had not received justice.

IT consultant Mr Chauhan, 39, said: The nursery will be fined but the big thing for us is its criminal conviction that other parents will be able to see on the health and safety website.

This is about supervision and risk assessment across the nursery, where they allowed free flow to happen. They were trying to do too many things and there werent enough people.

They put out dangerous activities unsuitable for children Tiyas age and messed up that day. It wasnt well managed. After Tiyas death the nursery was temporarily shut for two weeks but Mr Chauhan said: We are disappointed. I think Ofsted should close it down. It shouldnt be allowed to operate.

Administrator Mrs Chauhan, 37, said: That day we thought Tiya would be in the baby room. We werent told what free flow meant. Its hard to hear that no one saw her take the jelly cube and put it in her mouth then collapse.

If a child dies its surely in Ofsted powers to shut a nursery down. I dont feel we will ever get justice.

Dicky Birds Nurseries director Rachel Berry said: My thoughts are with Tiyas parents at what must continue to be a very difficult time for them.

Ofsted said it initially suspended the nurserys registration but added: After investigation, we were satisfied children there were not at risk of harm and decided to lift the suspension.
T he links of mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khans former brother-in-law to one of the UKs most notorious extremist organisations are revealed today.

Top London lawyer Makbool Javaid was married to the Labour Party candidates sister Farhat Khan until 2011.

In the Nineties Mr Javaid took part in events in London with the extremist group Al-Muhajiroun while he was Mr Khans brother-in-law, having married the Labour politicians sister in 1989.

He appeared alongside some of the countrys most notorious hate preachers, including the now banned cleric Omar Bakri, in 1997 and 1998.

Mr Javaids name appeared on a fatwa in 1998 calling for a full-scale war of jihad against Britain and the US.

Makbool Javaid at the Rally Against Oppression

Mr Khan attended a conference alongside his then brother-in-law in 2004 but today said that he has had no contact with Mr Javaid for at least 10 years and that he has always condemned extremism.

Al-Muhajiroun  founded in the Eighties by Bakri and another well-known radical London preacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons  became notorious after praising the 9/11 atrocity, the 7/7 bombings and other al Qaeda acts of terror.

It became a banned organisation in 2005. In literature from the Nineties, on which Mr Javaid is described as a spokesman for the group, it calls on Muslims to fulfil their Islamic duty and launch jihad physically, financially and verbally.

One video of a Trafalgar Square rally in 1997 shows him railing against regimes of the kufr, a derogatory term for non-Muslims.

He calls for the re-establishment of an Islamic state, berates the West for introducing the diseases of nationalism, of racism, of secularism and urges followers to further the faith until Islam becomes dominant or until they kill me.

'I was naive': Makbool Javaid

In his animated address at the foot of Nelsons Column a crowd can be heard shouting Allahu Akbar.

His name appeared next to Bakris on the fatwa declaring war on the UK and US in 1998, the year he attended another event in Trafalgar Square.

Mr Javaid, 54, now a partner of law firm Simons, Muirhead and Burton, denies ever being a spokesman for the group, says he never authorised his name being included on any of the groups literature or the fatwa and condemns its contents.

Today he said he regrets his Trafalgar Square speech and added that he was naive at the time.

The former London School of Economics student now has links with the controversial advocacy group Cage, according to his Facebook page.

He is friends on Facebook with its research director Asim Qureshi, who described Islamic State butcher Jihadi John as a beautiful young man.

He is also a Facebook friend of Cage director Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee released without charge following his arrest after travelling to the Middle East.

Mr Javaid says he has not used Facebook for years, adding that it does not reflect his friendships.

Mr Javaid speaking at a Rally for Islam in July 1998

In another video unearthed by the Standard, he appeared in a 2012 broadcast by The World This Week  and was described as a patron of an organisation called Cageprisoners.

The group, which morphed into Cage, has been linked to the late Anwar al-Awlaki, an al Qaeda figurehead who praised the killing of western civilians. Mr Javaid says he was never a patron of Cageprisoners and appeared on the programme as a human rights lawyer.

He appeared on the 2012 broadcast alongside the brother of Syed Talha Ahsan, from Tooting, who in 2013 pleaded guilty after being extradited to the US for providing material to support terrorism by running a pro-jihadist website from London.

His co-defendent was Babar Ahmad, for whom Mr Khan campaigned to try to stop his extradition to the US before being elected as an MP in 2005. Ahmad later admitted terrorism charges.

Mr Khan attended at least four meetings organised by the Stop Political Terror group campaigning for Ahmad, also a Tooting resident, and spoke outside Woodhill Prison alongside Adnan Siddiqui  now a prominent member of Cage  in 2004. He was also billed as a speaker at two similar events alongside Ahmads family in February and March 2005. He shared a platform with Ahmads father at an event in Parliament as recently as 2012.

Mr Khan says he supported the campaign for Ahmad to be tried in the UK in his then role as a human rights lawyer and chair of human rights group Liberty.

According to records, Mr Javaid and Ms Khan registered their marriage with Lambeth council in 1989.

However, it is understood the pair divorced in 2011 after separating five years earlier.

Campaigner: Sadiq Khan at a rally outside Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes in 2004.

Mr Javaid lived with Mr Khans sister and their children in a 500,000 semi-detached house in Norbury, south London. He was formerly head of litigation services at the UK Commission for Racial Equality  now the Equality and Human Rights Commission  and has been described by The Legal 500 journal as a highly respected discrimination law practitioner who is business minded.

Mr Javaid, former chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, was billed as a speaker at several Al-Muhajiroun rallies and his name appeared on several press releases and leaflets for the group during the mid-Nineties.

Some call for the domination of the world by Islam and for all Muslims to dismantle western governments and establish an Islamic State, or Khilafah.

Other literature refers to the West as evil, berates Israel as a cancerous entity and urges Muslims not to vote in elections. Mr Javaid is billed as a speaker at events outside London mosques in the literature.

He claims he did not know at that time that Al-Muhajiroun was a hate group and never authorised his name being included in its literature.

Top lawyer: Makbool Javaid

Al-Muhajiroun has for years been linked to a number of extremists  including Lee Rigbys killer Michael Adebolajo, who attended meetings and demonstrations, and Abdul Waheed Majeed, from Crawley, who became the first British suicide bomber in Syria in February 2014.

Today Mr Javaid said: Of course I regret the speech I gave and some of the things I said and did in my younger years.

Twenty years ago I was naive. I certainly didnt realise how easily some of my actions could be interpreted as being critical of Britain  the best country in the world.

This was nearly two decades ago now and I have grown and changed. I love Britain, I love the rich diversity of London and I love our culture.

Mr Khan told the Standard: I have had no contact with him for more than a decade. I have always condemned the hideous organisations that promote extremism.

Extremism is a cancer in British society that must be rooted out. I have outlined tough plans to root out extremism and tackle radicalisation as Mayor of London.

It is understood that the mayoral hopeful attended the 2004 event in his capacity as a lawyer and human rights campaigner.

He did not comment on when he became aware of Mr Javaids involvement with Al-Muhajiroun.
A heavily pregnant journalist took a hidden camera onto the Tube to shame commuters for not giving up their seats.

Mum-to-be Miri Michaeli Schwartz, who works for Israeli TV news service Channel 10, took to Facebook to complain how she has spent nine months visibly wearing a Baby on Board badge on her commute to work, in the hope that fellow passengers would let her sit down.

Fed up with being ignored and forced to stand, the 31-year-old took a covert camera onto the London Underground network to film just how bad the situation really was.

Writing on Facebook, she said: Almost nine months of commuting in the Tube with the Baby on board badge have come to an end.

At first I thought it is a brilliant London invention. How will other people know its not easy traveling with morning sickness if I dont yet have a real big baby bump?

Israeli TV news correspondent Miri Michaeli Schwartz MART photography, Tammy Kazhdan / Miri Michaeli Schwartz / MART photography by Tammy Kazhdan

Now, from the top of 38 weeks of pregnancy, when theres absolutely no way to ignore my huge bump (with a cute little baby girl inside of it), I can tell you - London Tube commuters just dont care.

Schwartz, who lives in St Johns Wood, north-west London, told the Standard: I just want people to be aware that it is just unbelievable how commuters completely ignore pregnant women.

I just dont get it.

All day I have to run around interviewing people and reporting from all sorts of places around London.

Sometimes I get on the Tube six, seven, eight times a day and no-one offers their seat.

I have a pretty big bump, its not hard to miss.

In the opening clip of the video, which has had more than 6,000 views, a woman can be seen helping a child to do his homework, while he sits in a priority seat, as Schwartz stands nearby.

Schwartz wrote on Facebook: I think the first woman in the video, doing homework with her child on the Jubilee line, missed a chance to teach him a much more valuable lesson - how to respect others and be a little less selfish.

At no point in the video, which was filmed in a day, does she approach a passenger and ask them for a seat.

Later in the clips, two passengers in priority seats awkwardly avoid eye contact with Schwartz, staring down at their phones.

She added: I wanted to show people how they look when they just completely ignore me.

I already know how people look when they try to act like they havent seen me.

The newspaper is held up a little higher, the phone comes out, headphones are placed in ears or sometimes they stare at my bump and just dont care.

At the end of the footage, the news correspondent can be heard profusely thanking a young man wearing a scarf, who finally gives up his seat for her.
K ids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh has denied she secured funding for the collapsed charity because she was able to mesmerise the Prime Minister.

The youth organisation folded amid a storm of controversy last August - just days after receiving a 3 million government grant in a final bid to keep it afloat.

Ms Batmanghelidjh said she presented ministers with "robust" arguments and expected them to make their own decisions.

And she told the BBC she had been the victim of malicious media attacks and "very racist" comments in the wake of the charity's demise.

She was responding to a report by the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee earlier this month which criticised the relationship between the Government and Ms Batmanghelidjh.

The report said: "Ms Batmanghelidjh and Kids Company appeared to captivate some of the most senior political figures in the land, by the force of the chief executive's personality as much as by the spin and profile she generated for the charity. As a consequence, objective judgments about Kids Company were set aside."

It added the charity received more than 42 million of Whitehall funding between 1996 and 2015, thanks in some part to Ms Batmanghelidjh winning "unique, privileged and significant access to senior ministers and prime ministers".

But speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Ms Batmanghelidjh said: "I think that it's sad that people think in this day and age that you can mesmerise people.

"I present arguments that I hope are robust, and people that I deal with, I hope, have the intelligence to scrutinise my arguments and make their own decisions."

Additional reporting by PA
T he father of a 13-year-old boy left in a coma after he was hit by a driver being chased by police today pleaded with UK authorities to let his mother enter the country and be at his bedside.

Saboor Gul is in hospital with devastating brain injuries after he was knocked down in a hit-and-run four months ago in Shepherds Bush.

He was walking towards Westfield, where he was due to take extra English and maths lessons, when he was struck by uninsured driver James McDonagh.

He has undergone 11 operations but his condition has not improved since the accident on October 17. Doctors fear he will never fully recover.

His father, IT engineer Ghafoor Gul, 30, said the situation was made even worse as his wife and twin daughters have been barred from seeing Saboor in the UK by the Home Office.

He said: Our lives have been changed forever. Im alone. I feel like a broken man. One of the greatest things that could happen in my life would be if they could come over and support me.

Even the hospital has requested his mother be allowed to come and visit to talk to him and make Saboor aware she is here. Doctors said if his mother could talk to him it might make a difference.

Mr Gul fled the Taliban in his native Afghanistan 15 years ago and eventually settled in west London. Saboor joined him two years ago so he could have a western education.

But his wife Marjana, 29, wanted to bring up Saboors twin sister Anaru and younger sister Zoubaiba, six, in the Middle East and was given residence in Dubai.

Since the accident the rest of the family have been desperate to see Saboor but have had four visa visitor applications turned down amid fears Ms Gul would never leave Britain again.

Mr Gul said: He reacts to me as well. Sometimes when I look at him and speak to him he moves his eyes. But he needs to have someone around him all of the time and he needs his mother. But the British embassy has rejected her visa four times. They do not think she would return to Dubai at the end.

I have given them 500 pages of evidence to prove that she would. She wouldnt stay in the UK. She has a life in Dubai, but Saboor needs his mother.

The Home Office rejection letters told Ms Gul they had considered the compassionate circumstances surrounding your case but were not satisfied that you are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of your visit.

Mr Gul said: Everything is stacked against us and I just want Saboor to recover. When I walked into the hospital to see him it was the worst thing Id ever seen.

I had to leave the house we were living in because I could not walk past his bedroom every day. It is very hard.

McDonagh, 36, of Tottenham, hit Saboor after he fled in a green Ford Focus from police, who suspected him of selling fake Apple laptops.

Last month at Isleworth crown court he admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop, failing to report an accident and driving with no insurance. He was due to be sentenced today.

A Home Office spokesman said: All applications are considered on their individual merits, including any exceptional or compassionate circumstances, and in line with the Immigration Rules. He said it does not comment on individual cases.
W althamstow's dog track is bathed in a vivid neon glow once more after a 100,000 restoration to return its iconic facade to its former glory.

Once dubbed the Victoria Lines Las Vegas the Thirties art deco stadium has featured in films, album art and music videos, but fell into disrepair after the track closed in 2008.

Now the neon has been painstakingly restored by local craftsman Andy Cook in a 100,000 project back by L&Q, the housing association marketing 300 new homes on the site. Mr Cook, of Linton Signs in Chingford, repaired the neon 20 years ago. He said: To have it restored is a far better than having it made new because you would have lost the history  it tells a little story, [such as] how those days everything was lead-coated to to give it longevity.

On his first day on the job you look at it and because its such a huge building you have to blinker yourself and look at each individual letter. That way I could b ak it down into small chunks.

Everything had to be documented and photographed and the work was done in consultation with Historic England. The stadium was opened by aviator Amy Johnson in 1933. Winston Churchill addressed 20,000 people there during the 1945 election campaign. The neon was installed in 1951 ahead of the coronation in 1952.

Claire Brady, of Historic England said: It is an amazing art deco piece, of the finest quality.

Jerome Geoghegan, a director at L&Q, added: Im delighted we have been able to restore this iconic facade to its full glory.
O wners of homes and businesses damaged when a speeding car crashed into buildings could receive compensation after a climbdown by the Met.

Police initially denied they were pursuing the car and owners of the buildings in Park Road, Crouch End, claimed they were told they were not entitled to compensation.

However, after intervention by the Standard, officers have said the incident will be categorised as a police chase.

Officers signalled for the car to stop in Muswell Hill on January 25, but the occupants drove off and through the window of a mobile phone repair shop, damaging other buildings, including offices and flats.

The crash was widely reported as a police pursuit and officers said drugs were found in the car. Three men were charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, with one charged with possession of a Scorpion machine gun and ammunition, possession of a stun gun and dangerous driving.

Footage showed police cars arriving seconds after the crash and witnesses said they saw a police helicopter.

Computer engineer Renaz Ameen, 29, escaped death by diving over a counter when the car crashed into the Mr Dweeb shop. Police said she was not entitled to compensation, despite being told immediately after the incident that officers had chased the car.

A Met spokesman said the driver had forced his way out of a roadblock, colliding with two police vehicles before driving off at speed and being followed by officers.

He said an investigation concluded the incident had been a pursuit within the definition provided by the College of Policing and MPS policy.
Z ac Goldsmith today dealt a blow to David Camerons attempts to unite Conservatives around his European Union reforms by dismissing the draft deal as not very impressive.

The Tory mayoral candidate said he was holding back his final verdict out of courtesy to the Prime Minister, but his remarks were seen as a strong hint he may campaign for an Out vote in the referendum, expected this summer.

As a courtesy to him I will wait and see what he comes back with before formally taking a view, he said. But if you look at the reforms that are currently on offer theyre not very impressive. Mr Cameron has trumpeted his draft deal on reforms, which include an emergency brake on benefits designed to slow down mass migration, as the basis for a vote to stay in the EU.

The Prime Minister travelled to Germany today to gather more EU support for his proposals. No 10 sources said he would use a speech at a St Matthews Day banquet in Hamburg to explain his demands and to argue that, providing the changes are agreed, it will be in the UKs interests to stay in the EU.

But in fresh signs of Tory divisions at home, 130 councillors signed a letter calling on Mr Cameron to admit that the deal fell short of his goals. It called on him to unite your party and Britain by campaigning for Brexit.

Senior government sources say Mr Cameron is planning a reshuffle of reconciliation after the referendum battle to patch up party wounds.

It could see a Cabinet return for Liam Fox, who has shot up the leadership rankings since campaigning for an exit from the EU, and Employment Minister Priti Patel, another possible Outer.

Mr Cameron will be battling to defend the reforms currently on offer, rather than to improve on them, when the 28 European leaders gather at a crunch summit in Brussels next week.

British negotiators are battling against France to stop attempts to tie the City of London into financial rules designed mainly to stabilise the eurozone.

The draft deal has been amended to emphasise a duty to co-operate with the further integration of the single-currency economies.

I want him to do a good job and I wish him well, Mr Goldsmith told the Daily Telegraph. But if its not enough then I will vote to come out.

Mr Cameron will hold private talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel before his speech.
J eremy Corbyns suggestion that the UK should seek back channel talks with the Islamic State has today been roundly rejected by the British public.

More than half of respondents to the BMG Research poll for the Standard said ministers should not seek talks with the terror group. Asked whether the Government should or should not seek to open any sort of dialogue with the group known as Islamic State, 57 per cent of people said it should not.

Twenty two per cent said the Government should seek a dialogue, and 21 per cent did not know.

BMG research director Dr Michael Turner said: A majority of supporters for all the major political parties were in opposition. Most strongly against were Ukippers and Conservatives.

Labour supporters also felt it was a bad idea, with just over 50 per cent indicating the Government should not seek to open a dialogue.

In a BBC interview in January, Mr Corbyn pointed out the Government had maintained a back channel with the IRA and the Taliban.

Asked if Britain should open a dialogue with IS, he said: No, dialogue is perhaps the wrong word to use... There has to be some understanding of where their strong points are, where their weak points are, and how we can challenge their ideology.
A n Indian woman cut off her brother-in-laws penis before she walked into a police station and presented it as evidence after claiming she was raped.

The 32-year-old attended the station with her three children in Churhat area in the Sidhi district on Thursday to hand officers the severed organ, the Times of India reported.

Police made attempts to reach the man to give him medical attention but he killed himself before officers arrived.

His body was reportedly found hanging from a tree near their house.

The woman told police she used a sickle to cut off her brother-in-laws genitals as it was the only way he would stop attacking her.

She alleged she had been raped for several days while her husband had been working more than 700 miles away in Nashik

Sidhi police spokesman Abid Khan told the Times of India the woman has been arrested for attempted murder.

He said: "This is a rare case and has to be investigated for a proper chargesheet.

Police added the woman was of sound mind and had no regrets over what she had done.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of rapes in India increased by 9 per cent to 33,707 in 2014.
A Japanese MP who sparked a national debate on paternity leave has resigned after admitting to having an affair while his wife was pregnant.

Kensuke Miyazaki bowed repeatedly and apologised profusely at a news conference broadcast live on Japanese television today.

I did something very cruel to my wife who just delivered a baby. I am in deep remorse, he said.

Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun had earlier this week published a photo of Mr Miyazaki and a woman, said to be a 34-year-old professional kimono dresser, leaving his home in Kyoto.

He met the woman when she was helping Mr Miyazaki and other politicians dress in ceremonial garb for the opening of Japans parliament in January.

The tabloid said the photo was taken days before his wife, fellow politician Megumi Kaneko, gave birth.

Both Mr Miyazaki and Ms Kaneko are members of the ruling Liberal Democrat Party.

Mr Miyazaki said he remembered meeting the kimono dresser three more times.

Ive explained everything to my wife...I sincerely apologise for causing an uproar, he told reporters.

Mr Miyazaki caused a stir in Japan last month when he became the countrys first ever male MP to request paternity leave.

To those who took serious interest in the issue of men taking paternity leave, I deeply, deeply apologise, he added.
B ritain today warned Russia to stop bombing moderate anti-Assad rebels under the temporary ceasefire in Syria due to take effect in days.

In a glimmer of hope for the war- ravaged country, world powers including Russia and the US agreed the cessation in hostilities.

Diplomats from 17 nations meeting in Munich also backed delivering humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of people in besieged areas.

The fragile agreement, due to come into force within a week, did not call for an end to military action against extremist groups including IS and the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.

However, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warned that the plan by the International Syria Support Group would fail if Russia continues bombing moderate opposition groups fighting tyrant Bashar Assad.

It will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its supporters, he said.

Russia, in particular, claims to be attacking terrorist groups and yet consistently bombs non-extremist groups including civilians.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian air strikes on terror groups would carry on and denied attacks on civilians in rebel-held areas.

US Secretary of State John Kerry described the proposed truce as a pause in the conflict. He stressed that a long-term solution depended on Assads regime and opposition groups engaging in genuine negotiation towards a Syrian-led political transition.

But some diplomats were dismissing the deal as not worth the paper its printed on.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the five-year civil war, which has forced up to 13 million to flee their homes.

Fierce fighting around Aleppo, as Assads troops  backed by Russian air strikes  seek to take ground held by rebels, has led to a new exodus of civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have risked their lives to seek a safe haven in the EU, and more than 400 migrants have already drowned in the Mediterranean this year.

Turkey has threatened to send millions of refugees on to EU countries, accusing the West of failing to deliver billions of pounds in promised aid.

Nato yesterday agreed to deploy ships to the Aegean to target people traffickers, and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said migrants rescued at sea would be taken back to Turkey.

Two people-smugglers have gone on trial in Turkey in connection with the death of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose drowning off the Turkish coast last September shocked the world. They claim Aylans father organised the trip but he denies this.
D avid Walliams has been announced as the host for this years Jameson Empire Film Awards.

The comedian will make his film awards hosting debut at the annual ceremony in front of a star-studded audience next month.

It's a huge thrill to be hosting the Jameson Empire Awards. I have read the magazine for as long as I can remember and am super excited to find out which Hollywood stars are attending this year, he said.

I have long been a massive fan of Davids work - even if my ribs dont always thank me for it  so Im absolutely over the moon that hes agreed to host this years Jameson Empire Awards, said Empires Editor-In-Chief Terri White.

With such a brilliant host and more gongs up for grabs than ever before, it's sure to be a night to remember.

This years awards are expected to be the biggest yet as 11 new categories have been introduced.

Hosted by the film magazine, the 2016 ceremony will honour the best of this years film, television and gaming.

The 21st annual awards are voted for by the public instead of a panel of experts, with readers from all over the world invited to cast their votes.

The shortlist of nominations will be announced on February 18 with the ceremony taking place on March 20.


Its Valentines Day weekend. Will you be a hero or a goat? Even if your opinion of Valentines Day doesnt extend past a Hallmark holiday definition, there are plenty of activities for couples, singles and families alike.

On Friday, the Midwest Theater will continue its run of Oscar-nominated films by showing Anomalisa at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 14. The films lone Oscar nomination is for Best Animated Feature Film. Even though Anomalisa is a stop-motion animated film, its rated R. The story follows author Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis), who is a man crippled by the mundaneness of his life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where hes scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in the form of an unassuming Akron baked goods sales rep, Lisa (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh), who may or may not be the love of his life.

Anomalisa was written by Charlie Kaufman, who, for me, will always be known for great movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.

Friday night will kick off the Valentines Day weekend with Deb and the Brute. Hosted by Debby Wagner and Gabriel Tyce The Brute Bruton, the live music night will be held at Beer and Loathing, 206 S Chestnut St. in Kimball.

I messaged Gabriel and said I wanted to create an event on Facebook and asked if he could think of something funny and witty. He had nothing, Wagner laughed. Gabe is sometimes called Brute, so I said lets go with that.

The acoustic set will include covers popular songs ranging from Selena Gomez to Radiohead, with Wagner singing and playing the piano and Bruton singing and playing the guitar.

From 9-11 a.m., on Saturday, the SHS Drill Team is having its annual Princess for a Day at Bluffs Middle School. The day will be filled with painting nails and faces, doing crafts, having story time and dress up and snacks. The cost is $20 and will be used for the trip to the NDA national dance competitor in Orlando, Florida, at the end of February. To get more information or to register, email Angie Hinze at ahinze@sbps.net or text 308-631-2768.

Valentines Day at Riverside Discovery Center will be on Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14 throughout the day. The fun-filled event includes learning about the many animals that RDC patrons love. The self-guided family event includes a scavenger hunt and Valentines Day cards for many of the animals spread throughout the zoo, ready for children to sign, decorate and send love to the animals. Children who complete the scavenger hunt can turn in the card for a prize.

With Valentines Day falling on Sunday this year, Saturday is the big night this weekend. For those looking for a fun getaway, look no further than the Midwest Theater. Grammy award winner Richard Marx will be performing an acoustic show at 8 p.m.

And even if his name doesnt sound familiar, his music certainly will. Marxs influence spans decades with hits such as Hold On to the Nights, Satisfied, Hazard, and the worldwide classic, Right Here Waiting.

With less than 25 seats remaining as of Thursday, you better act fast. Tickets are $35 for members and $40 for non-members and are available at the Midwest Theater, by calling 308-632-4311 or by logging onto www.MidwestTheater.com.

Also on Saturday, the Dugan-Kramer Chapel in Scottsbluff will be hosting the Widowed Persons Valentine Party at 2 p.m. Along with snacks, an Air Link representative will be the guest speaker.

Whether its enjoying great local musicians or a world-renowned songwriter and singer, have fun and enjoy what our community has to offer.
DENVER (AP)  A probe of a mine waste accident in Colorado that fouled rivers in three states with arsenic, lead and other toxic substances has found further evidence that government workers knew a spill from the gold mine was possible, according to documents released Thursday by a U.S. House committee.

Hays Griswold, a U.S. Environmental Protection agency official in charge of the Gold King mine at the time of the August accident, said in an email that he "personally knew" the plugged, inactive mine could contain large volumes of water.

The email was sent Oct. 28 to other EPA officials. It was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press as the House Natural Resources Committee released the findings of its Republican-led probe.

An EPA cleanup crew triggered the spill during excavation work at the mine's entrance, unleashing a 3 million-gallon deluge that contaminated rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and highlighted the dangers posed by tens of thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S.

The Colorado release dumped more than 880,000 pounds of heavy metals into Colorado's Animas River, forcing the closure of downstream public water systems until the plume passed and raising concerns about long-term environmental impacts.

"I personally knew it could be holding back a lot of water, and I believe the others in the group knew as well," Griswold wrote in the email.

EPA spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said the agency was reviewing the House committee's findings and had no further comment at this time.

The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, said Republicans were using the EPA's role in the accident to shift responsibility away from the mining industry for toxic mines that have been abandoned by owners.

The spill occurred when workers for EPA and its contractor, Environmental Restoration LLC, started excavation work that was intended to allow them to safely drain the mine.

An Interior Department investigation pinned responsibility on the EPA for not checking to see if the mine held pressurized water. EPA officials previously said workers on site determined there was no or low pressure from water backed up inside the mine.

The email from Griswold suggests that the determination of low water pressure was based in part on mistaken assumptions about the location of the top of the mine's buried entrance, known in mining as the brow.

The excavation work was intended to clear away debris blocking the entrance before the mine was to be drained at a later date, he wrote.

"We and or I particularly thought we were four or maybe five feet above the brow," Griswold wrote. "However, as it turned out we inadvertently got to probably within a foot or two of the brow. That proved to be too close when rock at the exposed face crumbled out, providing an outlet for the water."

Griswold's email also raised new questions about the accuracy of the investigation by the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, which examined the causes of the spill. The email used such terms as "patently false" and "mischaracterization of the facts" to describe parts of the report.

Griswold wrote that a Reclamation report, released in October, incorrectly described what his crew was trying to do at the mine, and that it understated how much water Griswold thought was inside.

Griswold also wrote that bureau officials took soil samples from the wrong material at the mine site when they were investigating the spill, and that a bureau official "slept through my interview and presentation" about the incident.

Colorado officials have also disputed key parts of the report.

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah said federal officials still have not turned over some information on Gold King requested by his committee, and the government appeared to be engaged in a "pattern of deception" about events surrounding the spill.

Reclamation spokesman Dan DuBray said Thursday the agency stands behind its report on the accident.
Saturday, March 5, the Sioux County Democratic Party will be hosting a Presidential Caucus. The caucus will begin at 2 p.m. at the Harrison House Hotel at the South end of Main Street in Harrison. The Nebraska Democratic Party began using the caucus method to determine support for Democratic Presidential candidates in the 2008 primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Participation in the caucus ensures input as to who will be the Democratic Presidential Candidate for Nebraska.

In order to participate in the caucus, you must be a resident of Sioux County and you must be registered as a Democrat. Non-Partisans, Republicans, Greens etc., may all participate but they must register as a Democrat either via the county clerk at the Sioux County Court House or at the caucus site prior to the start of the caucus on March 5. Students may also participate if they will be 18 years of age on or before Nov. 8.

During the caucus, Democrats are encouraged to actively campaign for candidates Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton or Martin OMalley. They may organize, give speeches, pass out literature, balloons, cookies  whatever they think might sway participants to shift their support. Voting is done by moving to different sections of the room: one section is designated for each candidate and one for undecided. At regular intervals a participant may move to a different group and realign with a different candidate. A candidates group must have at least 15 percent of the total participants to remain viable. At the end of the caucus, the Caucus Chair reports the percentage support Sioux County is granting each Presidential Candidate.

Democrats who are unable to attend the caucus may complete an Absentee Presidential Preference Card Request form, downloaded from www.nebraskacaucus2016.org. Your vote must reach the NDP by March 1.

Observers are welcome, but only registered Democratic Party participants may vote on caucus matters. Guests will be asked to sit in a separate area, must remain quiet, and may not become involved in caucus discussions.

If you have questions or concerns, the Sioux County Caucus Contact Person is: Cheryl Averill, Sioux County Democratic Party Chair, ancfarm@hughes.net or 308-247-2475.
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Friday, 12 February 2016 17:09:38 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

The European Commission has announced that it has decided to impose a provisional antidumping duty on imports of certain cold rolled (CR) flat steel products originating in China and Russia





The commission found dumping margins of 19.8 percent to 26.2 percent for cold rolled flat steel imports from Russia and margins of 52.7 percent to 59.1 percent for imports of the same products from China . While the provisional duties for Russia reflect the full dumping margin for that country, the duties for China are set at a level of only between 13.8 percent and 16 percent.





The investigation was initiated on April 1, 2015, upon a complaint lodged by the European Steel Association (EUROFER) on behalf of producers representing more than 25 percent of total EU production of certain cold rolled flat steel products.





The extremely low level of import duties for China may not stop the flood of Chinese cold rolled flat steel imports. This is a result of the lesser-duty rule applied by the EU. There is almost no other country in the world that gives such a favor to unfair imports. The US would most likely apply a duty at the full range of 59 percent in a similar case. The EU must therefore urgently remove the lesser-duty rule to effectively address the Chinese steel trade distortion as the root cause of the EU steel crises, commented EUROFER director general Axel Eggert.





The products in question currently fall under Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers 7209 15 00, 7209 16 90, 7209 17 90, 7209 18 91, 7209 18 99, 7209 25 00, 7209 26 90, 7209 27 90, 7209 28 90, 7211 23 30, 7211 23 80, 7211 29 00, 7225 50 80 and 7226 92 00.
Friday, 12 February 2016 16:18:25 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

According to Turkish Ministry of Economy, Turkey has imposed preliminary antidumping (AD) duty on Chinese seamless pipe imports. The products in question include seamless steel pipes with an outer diameter of less than 168.3 mm, while stainless steel pipes are excluded since they are not being produced in the domestic market.

The preliminary duties for individual Chinese companies range from 22.15 percent to 32.16 percent and the nation-wide duty rate stands at 50.35 percent. The preliminary duties will be valid for six months maximum.

The antidumping duty investigation was launched in May last year upon the application by Turkish steel pipe producers Sardogan, Tufanoglu Boru Metal Mak. San. ve Tic. Ltd. Sti., Kalibre Boru San. ve Tic. A.S., Borusan Mannesmann Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. and Antes Celik Boru San. Tic. Ltd. Sti.

The products subject to the preliminary duty currently falls within Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers 7304.19.10.00.11, 7304.19.10.00.12, 7304.23.00.10.00, 7304.29.10.10.00, 7304.31.20.10.00, 7304.31.20.90.00, 7304.31.80.10.00, 7304.31.80.90.00, 7304.39.10.00.00, 7304.39.92.10.00, 7304.39.92.90.00, 7304.51.12.00.00, 7304.51.81.10.00, 7304.51.81.90.00, 7304.51.89.10.00, 7304.51.89.90.00, 7304.59.10.00.00, 7304.59.32.00.00, 7304.59.38.00.00, 7304.59.92.90.00, 7304.90.00.10.00 and 7304.90.00.90.00.




Friday, 12 February 2016 20:31:47 (GMT+3) | San Diego

AK Steel Corporation, ATI Flat Rolled Products, North American Stainless , and Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC, the four principal US producers of stainless steel sheet and strip, filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions today charging that unfairly traded imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China are causing material injury to the domestic industry.





The antidumping margins alleged by the domestic industry range from 53.69 percent to 83.24 percent ad valorem. The domestic industrys countervailing duty petition alleges that the Chinese government has provided significant subsidies to Chinese producers. The petitions were filed concurrently with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission.





The domestic industry filed its petitions for relief in response to large and increasing volumes of low-priced imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China over the past three years that have injured US producers. The volume of imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China has increased by 133 percent since 2013. Chinese products accounted for 81.2 percent of the total increase in U.S. stainless steel sheet and strip imports during the past three years.





Surging imports of unfairly low-priced stainless steel sheet and strip from China have devastated pricing in the US market and caused severe injury to the domestic industry, commented Kathleen W. Cannon, of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, the petitioners trade counsel. The domestic industry looks forward to the opportunity to present its case to the Commerce Department and US International Trade Commission to obtain relief from unfairly traded imports from China and to restore fair competition in the US market.




Friday, 12 February 2016 15:59:01 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

Demand for Turkish wire rod in the export markets is still slack, not having recorded any recovery over the past week, while Turkish wire rod prices have declined by $5/mt in the same period to $325-335/mt FOB.The main reasons behind the decline seen in Turkish wire rod export offers are the ongoing pressure exerted by buyers on prices and ex-CIS wire rod offers, especially to the US, which constitute aggressive competition for Turkish wire rod . Meanwhile, ex-CIS wire rod offers to the US are on average $30/mt lower than Turkish wire rod quotations to the same destination. Accordingly, US buyers prefer to conclude deals for ex-CIS wire rod
BRYAN, Ohio  The Ohio company that has produced or owned the Etch A Sketch for decades has sold the classic toy to a toy firm in Toronto.

Bryan-based Ohio Art Co. sold the Etch A Sketch and the spinoff Doodle Sketch to Spin Master Corp. for an undisclosed price. The Blade in Toledo reports Ohio Art announced the surprise move Thursday.

Its president, Martin Killgallon, says handing over the iconic toy is bittersweet but was done in consideration of the business's long-term future. The company plans to focus more on metal lithography, the craft on which it was founded over a century ago.

The Etch A Sketch was created by a French inventor. The brand was produced or owned by Ohio Art since 1960, when it bought the rights for $25,000.
Following is a list of some of the medical research grants awarded to scientists in the area.

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The Scientists: Mae O. Gordon, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and of biostatistics and Dr. Michael A. Kass, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences

The Grant: $11.9 million from the National Eye Institute

The Project: This funding will support a nationwide study to determine whether efforts to prevent or delay the onset of glaucoma have been effective over the course of many years. The new study is a follow up to research led by the same Washington University scientists in the 1990s.

Gordon and Dr. Kass led the original Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) study, which was conducted at 22 clinical sites in the United States and followed 1,636 subjects ages 40-80. Now, 20 years later, the same researchers are leading a follow-up study to see how their original conclusions have held up.

The Scientist: Dr. Jean Schaffer, the Virginia Minnich Distinguished Professor of Medicine and professor of developmental biology

The Grant: $2,011,997 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

The Project: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a common complication of obesity and diabetes that can lead to serious liver dysfunction; however, it is not known precisely how excess fats cause liver damage. Our laboratory has recently identified small RNAs that mediate the toxicity of excess lipids in cells. This study will uncover the mechanisms through which these small RNAs function in liver cells. Furthermore, we will test whether these RNAs contribute to progressive liver dysfunction in models of fatty liver disease. Our study could lead to new therapeutic targets for prevention of liver disease in obesity and diabetes.

The Scientist: Dr. George Macones, the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Grant: $2 million from the March of Dimes Foundation

The Project: This funding will support the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center at Washington University. This research provides a team-based research approach to discovering the causes of preterm birth in order to develop new strategies to prevent it.

The Scientist: Jinbin Xu, PhD, instructor in radiology

The Grant: $1.7 million from the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The Project: Using brain tissue from autopsies of patients with Parkinson's disease, the researchers will look for links between biomarkers in certain brain regions and how they relate to the severity and duration of the disease. These biomarkers may further help with diagnosing the disease and act as possible drug targets in the search for treatments.

The Scientist: Mary K. Hastings, MS, DPT, associate professor of physical therapy and of orthopaedics

The Grant: $1.6 million from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

The Project: The purpose of this grant is to examine, longitudinally, the factors that contribute to forefoot deformity in people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. Included in the study is a foot specific exercise program to assess the ability of neuropathic foot muscle and joint to respond a strengthening and flexibility program.

The Scientist: Dr. Robyn S. Klein, professor of medicine and of pathology and immunology and of neuroscience

The Grant: $419,375 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The Project: This study will determine whether the blood vessels in the brains of males and females differ in their ability to protect the brain from inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The scientist  Dr. Enrico Di Cera, Alice A. Doisy professor and chairman of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University

The grant  $1,515,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The study  To study how the coagulation factor prothrombin functions in the blood, building upon the pioneering structural work from Di Cera's group.
The Missouri health department has sent 17 blood samples to federal health officials to test for Zika virus, which has caused outbreaks in Central America and South America and may be linked to birth defects. The samples came from people who became sick after traveling to countries where the mosquito-borne virus is circulating, health officials said.

The samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is handling most of the U.S. testing. Illinois has confirmed three cases of Zika in residents who traveled outside the country, including two pregnant women. Nationwide, there have been 52 cases reported across 16 states and Washington, D.C., all acquired outside the country.

The CDC advises pregnant women to consider delaying travel to at least 30 countries where the virus has been confirmed.

In Brazil, an epicenter of the outbreak, the spike in Zika infections has coincided with a mysterious rise in cases of microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in newborn children. It is also possibly linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological condition that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis.

American doctors have been advised to consider Zika infections in patients who report rapid onset of fever, rash, joint pain or pink eye within two weeks of traveling to one of the affected countries. The symptoms typically start within 12 days of an infection, and the virus then stays in the blood for about a week. It is believed that the risk to a developing fetus is highest during the active infection of a pregnant woman.

Its important to remember that for most people the Zika virus causes mild or no symptoms, said Dr. Alexander Garza, associate dean for public health practice at St. Louis University and former medical chief for the Department of Homeland Security.

Ebola is still fresh in peoples minds, and we learned significant lessons from that, Garza said. Theres the public health issue, but part of that is also messaging, making sure were walking that line between telling people this is important and we have to pay attention without tipping it over into provoking anxiety.

A possible vaccine to prevent Zika infection is at least 18 months away from large-scale clinical trials, the World Health Organization said Friday. The administration of President Barack Obama has asked Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight Zika at home and abroad, including developing a vaccine, studying the link to birth defects and eradicating mosquitoes.

At Washington University, teams of scientists and students are seeking answers to how to prevent, diagnose and treat the virus. The researchers have taken Zika virus samples and infected mice to study their reactions to it. A key priority for the team is learning how the virus is passed to a fetus during pregnancy.

This field has been moving very quickly, said Dr. Michael Diamond, a lead researcher and professor of pathology and immunology. Almost every day new information is coming out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
EDWARDSVILLE  John Holmon III of Granite City was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the beating death of his girlfriend's son in 2012.

A Circuit Court jury deliberated about three hours before giving its verdict in the four-day trial. Holmon, 42, remained in the Madison County Jail awaiting sentencing.

Testimony showed that Jaesean Rusher, 21 months, suffered more than 50 injuries when left alone with Holmon on Sept. 10, 2012. They and the boy's mother, Dollie Rusher, lived in the 2000 block of 14th Street in Granite City.

The normal Illinois sentencing range for murder is 20 to 60 years, but Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said Holmon is liable for a longer sentence because of his victim's age. Associate Judge Neil Schroeder will set sentencing after post-conviction reports are filed, usually in six to eight weeks.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A woman from O'Fallon, Ill. was sentenced this week for billing the federal government for home health services while she was actually on a Caribbean cruise and in Costa Rica.

Ann Marie Sheppard, 55, was sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation, with the first six months in home detention, on charges she engaged in a scheme to steal from a health care program and for committing two related mail frauds, according to James L. Porter, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

Sheppard was also ordered to pay more than $34,000 in restitution to the Home Services Program, a Medicaid program designed to help people stay in their homes instead of going into a nursing home. Sheppard worked as a personal assistant and falsely billed the program between June 2013 and April 2015.

Sheppard was among at least twelve people in southern Illinois who were indicted as part of a nationwide health care fraud sweep that led to charges against 243 people accused of bilking Medicare and Medicaid, the government announced in June.
ST. CLAIR  Police on Friday released the names of the two men who were killed Jan. 31 when their car slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer truck that was leaving a rest stop on Interstate 44.

They are Brandan R. Sutherland, 22, and William J. Weekley, 19, both of Marietta, Ohio.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said the names weren't released sooner because authorities were waiting for relatives of one of the men to make positive identification.

Weekley was the driver; Sutherland the passenger. They were in a 2009 Ford Focus, heading east on I-44 near St. Clair. The crash happened near a rest stop that is squeezed into the median of I-44 and serves both eastbound and westbound motorists.

At about 7 p.m, a tractor-trailer driven by Lei Liu, 33, of Covina, Calif., was leaving that rest stop, heading east. Because of the layout of the rest stop, those leaving the rest stop have to merge directly into the fast lane, and big trucks often have trouble getting up the speed they need in a relatively short merging lane, the police chief of St. Clair has said.

According to highway patrol investigators, Liu's tractor-trailer was in the left lane, accelerating with its hazard lights on. He was trying to get into the right lane.

The patrol said Weekley "failed to keep a proper lookout" and the Ford Focus he was driving hit the trailer portion of the truck. Weekley died at the scene. Sutherland died at Mercy Hospital in Washington, Mo.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
UPDATED at 5:45 p.m. Friday with information on arrest

O'FALLON, MO.  Police on Friday afternoon announced they've arrested the person they believe attacked and seriously injured a teenage boy Thursday evening at the Pin Oak mobile home park.

Police said the arrest was made about 4:15 p.m. in the area of the mobile home park but did not provide further details. Police said charges will be sought through the St. Charles County prosecutor's office.

The incident happened just before 6 p.m. Thursday in the 100 block of Oakfield Drive. Police did not provide details about the assault. KTVI (Channel 2) reported the boy, 13, was stabbed in the neck.

Police said he had surgery and was in stable condition at an area hospital Friday afternoon.

Earlier Friday, police said the man being sought might be carrying some type of "edged weapon" and have a speech impediment or be under the influence of drugs, police say. He was last seen in the Pin Oak and Rolling Meadows mobile home parks, police say.
The Missouri Ethics Commission has fined Selena Amerson, a member of the Ritenour School Board, $2,000 for violating campaign finance laws.

The commission investigated three ethics complaints against Amerson concerning her campaign for school board last spring and released its order on Jan. 25. The commission found that Amerson failed to disclose an in-kind contribution of yard signs with the St. Louis County Board of Elections. She also did not file regular, cumulative campaign finance reports as required by law. There is probable cause to believe that Amerson did so knowingly, the commission's order states.

Amerson, who was elected to the School Board on April 7, may pay $200 of the $2,000 fee by the end of February for the rest of the amount to be stayed. If she violates further campaign finance laws in the next two years, she would have to pay the rest of the fine, the order states.
ST. LOUIS  In the past two years, about half of St. Louis district schools have shown significant improvement. But two that remain at the bottom of the pack are Sumner and Vashon high schools, where more students dropped out last year than graduated.

Superintendent Kelvin Adams unveiled his vision for both schools Thursday at a meeting at Carr Lane Middle School, where the Special Administrative Board began formal planning for the 2016-17 school year.

The proposals are part of a package of initiatives that include opening an elementary school for gifted students north of Delmar Boulevard, bringing custodial management services in-house, and rethinking how the district provides alternative education to students with behavioral challenges. Adams wants to start school 20 minutes earlier and return to 2014-15 bell times  after parents were upset with this years later start times. He is not proposing any school closures.

For several years, Adams has directed much of his focus on St. Louis Public Schools lowest performing schools, pouring more resources and support into 18 of the least-successful buildings in the form of social workers, counselors and math specialists. Those efforts have paid off. Fifteen of those schools showed improvement last year over 2014  six did so well they would be considered fully accredited standing on their own.

But those efforts havent made much of a difference at Sumner or Vashon.

Adams wants to build on Sumners historic roots as the first high school for African-Americans west of the Mississippi River by aligning curriculum so that it emphasizes the influence of black history and culture. He wants to give students the chance to take dual enrollment classes for credit at area colleges and universities, and have access to career tech education at Ranken Technical College.

At Vashon, Adams wants to build upon an existing partnership between the school and Wells Fargo Advisers and create college-prep classes focused on international business and finance. There would be project-based instruction around the stock market, for example.

In both schools, the district would increase the amount of tutoring available to students weak in math and reading. Character education would be infused throughout both buildings to help students understand why theyre in school and how it could improve their lives.

This is another attempt to rebrand for both of these schools, Adams said before the meeting. Despite all the growth that has taken place its been very difficult to move these two schools. This is another look at trying to do that.

After being pressed on whether the district has the resources to enact his plan, Adams told the Special Administrative Board that potential cost is a concern for him.

It is my intent that this is a cost-neutral proposal, he said.

The proposed $281.6 million budget is less than the current $285.6 million one. District officials project a 1.5 percent enrollment drop, with about 24,510 children in district schools next year. Though two charter schools are closing  Jamaa and Better Learning Communities Academy  one will be opening. About a dozen will be adding grades and growing.

The proposed budget does not make any assumptions concerning Proposition 1, the 75-cent property tax proposal for schools the voters will consider in April. The $23 million that could be generated by the tax is not included.

Instead, Adams said he plans to cut costs by eliminating 50 full-time jobs through attrition. Adams also wants to bring custodial management services in-house, rather than contracting with a vendor.

The package of initiatives focuses on equity in gifted education. At two public forums on Feb. 3, Adams told parents he wanted to provide more than just accelerated learning at the gifted magnet schools, and be more aggressive in identifying gifted children, particularly those who come from immigrant, low-income and minority families.

Adams told parents that he would like more children to be included in the gifted category, by categorizing those in the 90th percentile of intelligence and above as gifted, rather than just those at and above the 95th percentile. For the next three weeks, about 70 parents in three advisory groups will be meeting to give him recommendations.

At Carr Lane on Thursday, Adams said the issue of equity also applies to the alternative schools, where 600 to 700 children are placed each year because of behavioral challenges. But theres no indication that any of the four schools are helping the students.

Recidivism is high, indicating that the schools arent successful at changing behavior.

The district spends about $6 million on alternative education a year. Is this the best use of our dollars? Adams asked.

Two forums are planned on the proposals. They are scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Central VPA High School, 3125 South Kingshighway, and 6 p.m. Feb. 22 at Vashon, 3035 Cass Avenue.

Kristen Taketa of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to include the correct budget amount, projected enrollment loss and to state that custodial management services would be brought in-house.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri House this week was primed to send a bill to the Senate that would change the state's status as the only state without a prescription drug monitoring program.

But the bill has attracted mixed reviews from Republicans concerned about privacy, and the GOP sponsor of the proposal is fending off opposition within her own party.

Under Rep. Holly Rehder's bill, the state Department of Health and Senior Services would start collecting data on patient painkillers prescriptions. Prescription drug monitoring programs, or PDMPs, are designed to help prevent "doctor shopping"  when patients visit multiple doctors seeking multiple painkiller prescriptions to sell or fuel their own addictions.

Opioid painkillers such as Vicodin or OxyContin are in the same class of drugs as heroin. While they're effective at treating pain, they're also addictive  and the amount of prescription painkillers dispensed in the United States has quadrupled since 1999, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The agency says a shift in doctor prescribing behaviors is partially to blame.

The 163-member House has passed Rehder's bill with an overwhelming majority the last two years with 107 yes votes last session and 112 the year before. It takes 82 votes to move bills forward.

But Rehder said there is an new lobbying campaign this year against the bill by the conservative nonprofit Missouri Alliance for Freedom. Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, is also opposed and has been trying to line up opposition, Rehder said.

She is trying to corral as much support as possible before it's debated. The Senate could be an even tougher sell, where similar proposals have been filibustered in the past.

"We've had quite a few members drop off from our 107 (votes) that it passed with last year," Rehder said Thursday. "And so we're going to wait a few days ... and try to work through some concerns that those members have before we bring it to the floor. I'm hopeful that that will only be a few days lag time."

Barnes said one of his concerns is with the way the data will be collected.

"Dragnets are un-American," Barnes said. "The PDMP proposal would track private medical information of innocent Missourians without their consent. There's no reason an innocent person should have their activity tracked, especially when it regards medical information."

But Rehder said that state already tracks sales of pseudoephedrine, cold medicine that can be used to make meth. In addition, Rehder said "more invasive" medical records are already stored with the state through Missouri HealthNet, which administers health services for low-income and vulnerable Missourians.

This is no different than our electronic medical records, Rehder said in an interview, and if you werent standing on your head saying the sky is falling when those went into place, which are much more invasive, you dont need to be doing that now.

Rehder said her bill weaves in other protections. No governmental agency could bar someone from having or obtaining a concealed carry permit based on prescription histories. It would be a felony to wrongfully disclose any information from the database. And Rehder said medical records also require greater encryption to prevent hacks.

Even so, Barnes said that in many of the 49 states where PDMPs are in effect, they "haven't worked as advertised."

"An addict is going to get their fix whether their purchases are being tracked or not," Barnes said. "How are they going to get their fix? Well, if they don't get pain pills, they're going to get heroin."

Rehder said that having the information brings problems out into the open.

"If they've gotten five prescriptions in the last month, the physician can say 'look, we need to address your addiction,'" Rehder said. "Those are conversations that need to happen on the front end, not after the addiction has progressed so much that their children have been taken away or they've been arrested."

Republican Rep. Ron Hicks of St. Peters said he understands concerns about a database, but said that pharmacists in his district say the state needs a PDMP.

"There's going to be some push back," Hicks said. "I think there's going to be a good debate on the House floor, and that's what I'm waiting for, to tell you the truth. I will make an absolute final decision when it's on the House floor, but right now I'm a 'yes.'"

The bill needs 82 votes to move onto the Senate. Republicans control 117 seats. Rep. Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis and minority floor leader, said Democrats have locked in support.

Meanwhile, Missouri, like the rest of the country, is grappling with what politicians and medical professionals have called an opioid "crisis" or "epidemic." In Missouri, hospital treatment due to opioid painkillers has increased 137 percent over the last decade, according to a recent study by the Missouri Hospital Association.

Rehder's bill is House Bill 1892.
JEFFERSON CITY  After months of tough talk aimed at the University of Missouri, legislative leaders appeared to tone down their rhetoric against the embattled institution Thursday.

A day after Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon said threats by Republicans to slash funding to the university are little more than grandstanding, GOP leaders cautioned that budget cuts being discussed in the capital city now may not be the reality when the Legislature approves a final state spending blueprint in mid-May.

In comments to reporters, House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said initial approval of a plan to reduce Nixons spending request for Mizzou by nearly $27 million was merely a starting point in the negotiations.

His counterpart across the Rotunda, Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said he thinks University of Missouri officials need time to deal with the fallout from a tumultuous 2015.

Im just going to take a deep breath and let them work through their issues. They deserve that at least, said Richard, who previously has said the university should face some kind of funding reduction.

The Republican responses came after Nixon told the Post-Dispatch editorial board on Wednesday it would be very wrong for legislators to reduce funding to such an important state asset.

Youre not going to stop the Legislature from getting up and saying stuff. Thats what they do. Its just a question of what effect it will have. And I dont think it will have a tremendous effect, Nixon said.

Lawmakers have been threatening to punish the UM system after racial turmoil on the Columbia campus led to a leadership shake-up last fall. Members of the House and Senate have threatened special audits and have called for the removal of Mizzou assistant communications professor Melissa Click, who was caught on video in November trying to block journalists from recording student demonstrations.

The university systems Board of Curators also has seen its two black members resign their seats, leading to a dust-up between Nixon and Richard over finding replacements.

On Wednesday, a House budget panel voted down a $26.8 million increase recommended by Nixon for performance funding for the university. The money was supposed to help freeze tuition.

Richardson said that cut may change in the coming months.

I do think you see in that budget some frustration reflected at the University of Missouri, but I dont see it as something thats ultimately going to end up being punitive. We want the University of Missouri to be successful. I believe the University of Missouri can be successful. I believe it should and is the premier flagship institution of this state, he said.

But we want to be confident going forward that leadership is in place to take that university in a positive direction.

State Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has been a frequent critic of his hometown university.

But he wouldnt offer an opinion on the merits of the House budget action Thursday.

Their process is so much different over there, Schaefer told reporters after the Senate adjourned for the week. We just wait until they get done with their process, wait to see what they actually pass out and send to us.

Richard stood by Schaefers response, saying, Hes months away from taking up MUs budget, so lets let the House do what they do.

Jack Suntrup of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
JEFFERSON CITY  When it comes to cruel and unusual punishment, some Missouri prison inmates might say it arrived in the form of a lemon meringue-flavored protein bar.

Or maybe it was that bite of a Titos brand hot dill pickle.

Those particular items are among more than 100 snack foods, drink mixes and other sundries on a list of products compiled by the Missouri Department of Corrections that fell short in a taste test conducted by a panel of inmates.

In other words, some companies seeking to have their products stocked in prison convenience stores are peddling items judged not even good enough for hardened criminals who dont have many options.

Its a process that could cost vendors some big bucks.

According to Corrections Department figures, most of the states 21 prisons each sold more than $1 million worth of goods in 2014. Farmington Correctional Center and the Northeast Correctional Center in Bowling Green each was responsible for more than $2 million in inmate purchases of snacks and over-the-counter medicines that year.

Tops among the products purchased was ramen noodles. Mini Tootsie Rolls and iced honey buns also are popular.

Some products, however, dont make the cut.

Corrections spokesman David Owen said the screening process for products sold at prison commissaries was developed in order to avoid having to dump items that few prisoners want to buy.

Similar to a retail or grocery store, products that do not sell in the canteens can tie up inventory and may end up expiring before being purchased, which can lead to products being written off and destroyed, Owen said in an email.

According to the department, the latest list was developed with the assistance of nine randomly selected offenders, typically at one of the prisons near state prison headquarters in Jefferson City.

During a taste test, offenders sit three to a table and are asked not to speak during the testing or the voting process. The offenders participating in the test will taste one item at a time and are then asked if they would purchase the product from the prison store.

If a majority of the panel answers yes, the product is approved, Owen said.

If a majority gives the product a thumbs down, however, it goes on the states nonqualified product list and is not sold to the states more than 32,000 male and female prison inmates.

In neighboring Illinois, the Department of Corrections doesnt use inmates as guinea pigs.

The IDOC does not conduct official taste tests or customer satisfaction surveys before purchasing commissary products. However, the department does have the right to request samples from potential vendors, said Nicole Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Illinois agency.

Documents in Missouri dont offer specific reasons why various items didnt pass the taste test.

But, among the products banned from the shelves are Gurleys Lemon Drops, Granny Goose Cheese Puffs and Wortz Vanilla Wafer cookies.

For vendors looking to cash in on the captive market behind bars, there is no appeal process.

But, said Owen, manufacturers are encouraged to resubmit their products for another taste test after they tinker with the formula or ingredients.

Taste isnt the only reason a product might fail to qualify.

According to the four-page list, some items arent allowed in the stores because they lack a bar code, require refrigeration or have packaging that doesnt meet prison specifications.

Many of the items on the list arent available to the general population outside of prison because they are made specifically for the inmate canteen market.

But, if a consumer were to run across a pouch of Brushy Creek brand mackerel fillets, know that it received a negative review by a panel of Missouri prison inmates.
Danny Thompsons kidneys have failed and he needs a transplant, but in some ways, hes lucky: Both of his sons want to give him one of theirs, and his Medicare coverage will take care of most of his expenses.

Yet Thompson, 53, of California, is facing another daunting obstacle: He doesnt have the money for his share of the medical bills and follow-up drugs, and he cant buy supplemental insurance to help cover his costs.

Its frustrating to be in the shape Im in, said Thompson, who depends on dialysis instead of his kidneys to cleanse his blood. My plan is to get a transplant so I can go back to work.

Almost 1 in 4 Medicare beneficiaries has such a policy, known as Medigap, which is sold by private insurance companies. It can help pay for costs Medicare doesnt cover, including the 20 percent coinsurance required for medical expenses, including certain drugs, plus deductibles and co-payments. Those expenses have no out-of-pocket limit for beneficiaries.

Federal law requires companies to sell Medigap plans to any Medicare beneficiary age 65 or older within six months of signing up for Part B, which covers doctor visits and other outpatient services. If they sign up during this guaranteed open enrollment, they cannot be charged higher premiums because of their medical conditions.

But Congress left it to states to determine whether Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million people younger than 65 who qualify for Medicare because of a disability.

In 20 states and the District of Columbia, home to more than 2 million disabled Medicare beneficiaries, insurers are not required to sell Medigap policies to customers under 65. In other states, insurers cannot reject applicants if they enroll when they first join Medicare. Companies in some states, including Virginia, can still charge higher premiums to younger beneficiaries or those with kidney disease, often making policies unaffordable.

In California, Massachusetts and Vermont, insurers are required to sell Medigap policies to anyone with Medicare, except to people who, like Thompson, are under 65 and have end-stage renal disease.

If it was the reverse  if you were discriminating against somebody because they were 65 or older as opposed to younger  people would be outraged, said Bonnie Burns, policy specialist for the consumer group California Health Advocates and a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Medigap committee.

The federal health law provides no relief for these younger Medicare beneficiaries. One of its most popular provisions prohibits discrimination by insurance companies in the non-Medicare market based on pre-existing conditions or age, but the law is silent on Medigap.

Thompson, who lives in Menlo Park, near San Francisco, said 12 Medigap insurers had turned him down. Buying a health plan through Covered California, the states health insurance exchange, is not an option because he has primary insurance through Medicare. That is for people who dont have insurance, and I have insurance, he said. But it is as if I dont.

The transplant costs are substantial, and Thompson said he did not have the resources to cover his share. Kidney transplant patients can expect the preparation, surgery, tests and treatment for the first year to run more than $262,000, according to the American Kidney Fund. The immunosuppressant drugs, which patients will need for the rest of their lives to ensure their body does not reject the new kidney, cost another $2,000 to $4,000 a month.

Hospitals and doctors are not required to provide care for Medicare patients unless its a medical emergency, a Medicare official said.

Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, said that they could turn away Medicare patients for any number of reasons, including inability to pay their share of the bills or because providers are not taking new patients.

Medicare beneficiaries under 65 with end-stage renal disease get an organ transplant if they agree to pay their share of the costs Medicare doesnt cover, said Lisa Kim, a spokeswoman for Stanford Hospital, where Thompson has sought treatment.

To help Thompson find financial assistance, a Stanford social worker referred him to Christina Dimas-Kahn, who heads the San Mateo County office of the California Department of Agings Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). She said he was one of several clients with end-stage renal disease that HICAP counselors had tried to help in the past few years. But people with the disease dont have a whole lot of options if they are under 65, she said.

Prospects for a nationwide solution are dim because expanding Medigap coverage could lead to these beneficiaries with disabilities receiving more care and raising costs for the Medicare program. Congress is looking for strategies to curb Medicare spending, not increase it, Burns said.

The health insurance industrys trade association opposes expanding Medigap to include all Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 with end-stage renal kidney disease. Because treatment for those patients can be so expensive, adding them would increase Medigap premiums for everyone, said Cindy Goff, a vice president at Americas Health Insurance Plans. She pointed to Medicare statistics that show that when the program covers patients over 65 with end-stage renal disease, their care averages nearly nine times more than other Medicare beneficiaries.

Older adults are super price-sensitive and raising premiums would basically price them out of being able to get the Medigap protection they want, Goff said.

The insurance company knows that these patients coming through the door are going to use services, said LaVarne Burton, president of the American Kidney Fund. In most instances, if they dont get treatment, they will die.
On January 28th Japan displayed, for the first time, its X-2 stealth fighter. This prototype aircraft is to make its first flight by the end of February so there was no point in trying to keep it hidden from public view anymore. Japan admits that it will take about a decade to get the X-2 into service, assuming all the technical and fiscal obstacles can be overcome. China and Russia are also trying to develop similar aircraft while the U.S. has already done so, several times, since the 1980s (when the F-117 appeared).

The X-2 is actually a demonstrator aircraft for testing stealth concepts. The stealth tech that works would then be incorporated into a new Japanese designed fighter. This is needed to replace the locally built F-2s by the end of the 2020s. This F-2 replacement would be called the F-3 (or ATD-X). While Japan has already ordered some American F-35s it is possible Japan might go ahead with both the F-35 and F-3, depending on how dangerous their neighborhood gets.

In 2011 Japan decided to purchase 42 American F-35 fighters to replace its 110 elderly F-4Js. The F-35A is a 31 ton, single engine fighter that is 15.7 meters (51.4 feet) long and with a 10.7 meter (35 foot) wingspan. The F-35A can carry 8.1 tons of weapons in addition to an internal 20mm four-barrel autocannon. Japan will pay about $127 million for each F-35, which includes training, maintenance equipment, and a supply of spare parts. The Japanese will assemble the F-35 in Japan as the AX-1 and some of the components will be made in Japan. Despite the AX-1 deal Japan is still exploring a locally

Japan originally wanted to buy the American F-22 but was not allowed to. In 2010, wary of the continuing delays (and rising costs) of the F-35 program, Japan seriously considered buying another 50 locally made F-2s. This is a Japanese F-16 variant with a 25 percent larger wing area and better electronics. The 22 ton F-2 carries nearly nine tons of bombs. This plane is twice as expensive (at $110 million each) as the F-16, part of that is due to the better electronics (like an AESA radar), but mostly this is due to higher production costs in Japan. The F-2 has been in service since 2000 and 98 have been built so far.

Japan is concerned with the growing belligerence of China and North Korea, plus a simmering territorial dispute with Russia. More warplanes, and the modern ones at that are needed, just in case. The rapid Chinese development of its new stealth fighter, the J-20, also alarmed the Japanese. The delays in the F-35 program are seen as less critical now. South Korea is now more likely to buy the F-35, if only to keep up with their ancient rival Japan.
The U.S. is openly criticizing Moslem nations in the Middle East for saying they are eager to help destroy ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) but do little about it. Too many of these allies are much talk and little action. Then there is the delicate subject of Turkey and some Gulf Arab states quietly supporting al Qaeda affiliated Islamic terrorist rebels in Syria because they consider the Iran backed Syrian government more of a threat than al Qaeda. Turkey and these Arab states also see al Qaeda as much preferable to ISIL.

The Saudis and the other Gulf Arab states are mainly concerned with Iranian aggression. Iran has made it very clear that they believe they should control the Moslem holy places in Saudi Arabia and be the dominant military and political power in the region. That means having a veto over Arab diplomatic moves and generally returning to their ancient role of regional superpower. The Gulf Arabs are very hostile to this sort of thing but reluctant to go to war over it because the Iranians have an impressive history of battlefield victories.

In response the Sunni Arab states have tried to use Islamic terrorist groups as a weapon against the Shia threat. Thus Yemeni Shia rebels blame the Sunni Gulf Arabs of supporting al Qaeda in Yemen. This Islamic terrorist group has always been very hostile towards Shia and the growth of al Qaeda in Yemen was a primary reason for the Yemeni Shia rebelling in the first place. There is some truth to the Yemeni Shia accusations as many Sunni Gulf Arabs do support al Qaeda and have long provided cash donations and recruits. This terrorist support is not government policy with these Gulf States although some Gulf Arab states, like Qatar, have actively supported Islamic terrorist rebels in Libya and Syria.

There is a lot of popular support for Islamic terrorism among Sunni and Shia as it is common to believe that the non-Moslem world is actively at war with the Islam and Islamic terrorists are the only effective weapon to strike back with. This sounds absurd to non-Moslems, especially Westerners and Arab diplomats insist that there is no such terrorist support. But anyone perusing Arab language media immediately sees this support and some of it even shows up in English language versions of Arab media. That despite the fact that the Arab editors of the English language news outlets know that the Arab support for Islamic terrorism is not acceptable to Western audiences and try to remove it from the English language sites. The Iranians understand all this, as do other non-Moslems (like Indians) who have lived next to Moslems for a long time. So when the Yemeni Shia complain of Gulf Arab Sunni support for al Qaeda in Yemen it has a different meaning to other Moslems (who take it as fact) and Westerners (who dismiss it as a paranoid delusion).
The Taliban continue to earn their pay from the drug gangs by disrupting government efforts to halt the production (mostly in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the south) and exporting of heroin and other drugs via routes in the south, east, north and west). Because of this there is lots of violence in the north, which is largely non-Pushtun (the Taliban is largely a Pushtun outfit) and hostile to Pushtuns and drugs. Pushtuns dominate the drug trade nationwide. There is also a lot of violence in the east, despite the presence of a lot more Pushtuns living there. Thats because Pakistan backed Islamic terrorists have long sought sanctuary along the Pakistan border and often try to control the local tribes via terror. The situation in the east has gotten worse since mid-2014 because of thousands of Pakistani based Islamic terrorists being chased out of their sanctuary (North Waziristan) by a major Pakistani military offensive. This has meant nothing but trouble for the Afghans living in those border areas, which have now turned into a war zone.

The drug gangs prefer to use bribes to create safe smuggling routes but if that doesnt work the Taliban supply the muscle. That gets the headlines while the bribes rarely do. When a large group (usually less than a hundred) of soldiers or police, including their commanders switch sides the cause is usually cash. Mercenary attitudes are acceptable in Afghanistan and an ancient tradition. Afghanistan is on the highway to India and passing armies often offered lucrative, if dangerous, opportunities for Afghan tribesmen. Those who returned with loot told exciting stories that became part of the folklore and tribal history. In this part of the world the legends are a lot more meaningful than elsewhere.

With most foreign troops gone the traditional warfare techniques are more effective. As a result the government is losing control of more territory. The problem is that the traditional methods, as practiced by the Taliban and drug gangs are very effective. These ancient methods use attacks on civilians and lots of terror to demoralize foes and keep allies in line.

Government forces cannot use these methods without endangering the billions of dollars in annual foreign aid that keeps the government and the security forces functioning. The drug gangs receive even more cash each year from producing and exporting opium and heroin. The only decisive edge the security forces had were the foreign troops and especially the Western support forces. This was especially true with air power (smart bombs and lots of air transport) and logistics. The presence of lots of foreign troops also reduced the corruption which is a problem for the government as well as the enemy.

American experts on Afghanistan pointed out that this would happen and now it cannot be denied. It is more likely, but not assured, that American air power and support forces (especially special operations and intel forces) will increase. Doing that is not popular in the United States or the West in general. Over 2,300 Americans (and 1,100 other foreigners) have died in Afghanistan since 2001 and over $100 billion spent so far to rebuild and sustain democracy and the economy in Afghanistan. Yet the withdrawal of Western troops caused panic inside Afghanistan and that crippled economic growth (which went from 14 percent in 2012 to less than two percent in 2014.)

Most Afghan military and police commanders believe that more (as in two or three times more) Western air power would do tremendous damage to the enemy. The reason is that the Taliban and drug gangs always believed that the bad guys would triumph once the foreign troops were gone. It didnt exactly work out that way and the Taliban have become sloppy. The enemy no longer fears and respects aerial reconnaissance as they once did and now more much more freely. An increase in air power would initially kill a lot of Taliban and force the enemy to move more slowly and cautiously. Taliban attacks would not be as massive and bold. All that air power made a huge difference and both sides know it. Foreign troops had a peak strength of 140,000 in 2010 versus 10,000 now. But the Afghans dont want a lot of foreign combat troops, just lots of aircraft and support forces.

A growing number of government officials believe efforts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban are futile. Aside from the growing factional battles within the Taliban factions there is fear that ISI (Pakistani intelligence, the creator of the Taliban) is again lying about its intentions and actually has no intention of helping make any peace talks a success. To the ISI keeping the Afghan leadership busy with futile peace efforts is useful which has always sought to obtain as much control over Afghan affairs using any means available.

Both the security forces and various Islamic terrorist groups continue fighting ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in the east. ISIL is attracting a lot, if not most, of the religious fanatics in the Taliban ranks. From the beginning many of the Taliban were more opportunists than religious zealots. But after 2002, when it became obvious that a Taliban resurgence would have to be financed by drug gangs, the percentage of Taliban who were there mainly for religious reasons declined. Those religious fanatics were not happy working with drug thugs hated by most Afghans. So when ISIL came along these Taliban zealots felt a real attraction to the new gang, even if it meant taking a pay cut. More danger was a plus not a negative because these were the guys who believed death while serving Allah was a surefire ticket to paradise. It is believed there are more ISIL in Afghanistan (up to 5,000) than Pakistan (less than half that) even though there are twice as many Pushtuns (the tribes Taliban are mainly from) in Pakistan. Fortunately for the Taliban ISIL is still busy organizing and building bases and a support organization. So the clashes are relatively few. Eventually ISIL forces will come after the blasphemers (the Taliban and drug gangs) and it will be different. That will start happening sooner rather than later, which is another incentive for more foreign airpower.

Despite the distraction caused by ISIL and internal disputes the Taliban still puts most of its forces into keeping the drug business safe. Thus in the north (Kunduz province) officials report that the Taliban still control areas outside Kunduz city. The Taliban launched a surprise offensive in Kunduz in September 2015 and by the end of the month were in control of Kunduz city. Soon more police and soldiers arrived and drove them out by mid-October. By the end of the year over 1,500 more Islamic terrorists were killed in the city and then Kunduz province. The September Taliban attack on Kunduz left 289 civilians dead and 559 wounded and some local officials fear another attack. The Taliban consider Kunduz province a major route for smuggling heroin out of the country via Central Asia. The Taliban are still a threat in parts of Kunduz province, as can be seen in the areas where cell phone companies comply with Taliban demands and that cell phone service be turned off at night (so locals cannot alert police to Taliban activity). If the companies do not comply the Taliban will attack the cell phone towers and company personnel.

Meanwhile In Pakistan

Despite a massive 18 month long campaign against Islamic terrorist hideouts along the Afghan border the Pakistani military cannot reduce the incidence of Islamic terror attacks below about half their normal level (5,300 deaths in 2013). In 2015 there were 3,682 deaths, most of them Islamic terrorists killed in the offensive. But Islamic terrorist attacks only fell by about half. The offensive in the northwest is to continue to the end of 2016 and there is general agreement that it was not enough. The military is under growing pressure to shut down all Islamic terrorists in the country. Many military officers resist that because they believe, for religious or economic reasons that some Islamic terrorists must still be protected (so they can attack India and Afghanistan.) It is getting harder and harder to defend that position. America, India and Afghanistan are leading that effort and Pakistani government denials no longer work at all.

February 10, 2016: the United States has ordered a larger force (500 soldiers) to replace the 150 already in Helmand province. There 150 soldiers are providing security for a base that American Special Forces and foreign commandos operate from. The Taliban and drug gangs see these special operations troops as a major threat and are apparently trying to attack these bases. So more American troops are being sent to ensure that any attacks fail.

February 9, 2016: The United States issued a warning to Americans living in Kabul that Islamic terrorists were planning attacks on areas where foreigners lived in Kabul.

February 8, 2016: Another senior Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Rahmani, died of cancer in a Pakistani hospital. Rahmani was one of the founders and served as governor of Kandahar province in the late 1990s when the Taliban controlled most of the country. Since 2002 Rahmani has been at Taliban headquarters in Quetta Pakistan (just across the border from Kandahar) and was a close advisor of the late Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Quetta has been a sanctuary for the Taliban leadership since 2002 and is the one tribal area where Pakistan would not allow American UAVs to operate.

February 6, 2016: In the east (Kunar province) the bodies of three members of a polio vaccination team were found 12 days after they disappeared. Despite attacks like this Afghan polio cases were at a record low (eight) in 2015. This compares to 54 in neighboring Pakistan. The first 2016 case in Pakistan was confirmed in early February and there has apparently been at least one case so far in Afghanistan. In both countries Islamic terrorists (especially the Taliban) ban polio vaccinations and attack anyone trying to deliver the vaccine to vulnerable children. Islamic terrorists in general tend to believe the vaccination teams are spying for the government and that the vaccinations are a plot to sterilize Moslems.

February 3, 2016: In the east (Paktika province) an American UAV fired missiles that killed 18 Pakistani Taliban coming from South Waziristan. Locals had already buried some of the dead when troops arrived but it was still possible to identify which tribe the dead men were from and collect other useful intelligence.

February 1, 2016: In Kabul a Taliban suicide bomber attacked outside a government compound, leaving 20 dead and 29 wounded. The security is pretty tight these days so Islamic terrorists go for attacks near government facilities, often in lines of civilians waiting to go through a security check the suicide bomber would not pass. The idea here is to get some media attention.

In the east (Nangarhar province) Afghan warplanes and American UAVs found and destroyed an ISIL radio station and also killed 29 of the ISIL men in the area.

January 30, 2016: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to increase coordination on border security. The 2,600 kilometer long frontier is poorly guarded and there are frequent illegal crossings by smugglers and Islamic terrorists.

January 25, 2016: In the southwest (Uruzgan province) the Taliban bribed a policeman to drug and kill the other ten policemen at a remote checkpoint and then load all the weapons and ammo in a vehicle and drive off to join the Taliban. Such acts of bribery, betrayal and murder are not uncommon in Afghanistan. This is especially true if tribal loyalties are involved (as in putting policemen from different tribes or clans in the same unit).

January 24, 2016: In eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border, an American UAV fired a missile at a building and killed Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan had asked the Americans to do this and apparently provided some useful intel to make this attack possible. There is still no absolute proof that Mullah Fazlullah is dead but that is expected soon as a new leader will have to be announced if the previous one is really gone. Pakistan accused Mullah Fazlullah of authorizing and supporting several major attacks inside Pakistan, including the recent one at a Pakistani university.

January 21, 2016: The head of the local (for Pakistan and Afghanistan) branch of ISIL released an interview in which he repeated allegations that the Pakistani military controls the Afghan Taliban and Islamic terrorist groups based in Pakistan that operate in India. These accusations are nothing new but they are the reason ISIL considers Pakistan un-Islamic and worthy of some lethal retribution delivered by ISIL. To underscore that on January 13th ISIL attacked the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan (Jalalabad). Three attackers and seven security personnel died. This was the first time ISIL went after a Pakistani government target. Apparently four suicide bombers were involved in this attack and the fourth one got away. For most of 2015 ISIL has been skirmishing with Pakistani Taliban hiding out in eastern Afghanistan.
Taiwan recently admitted that it had an F-16 training squadron in the United States. This is normally kept quiet by Taiwan and the United States as part of an unofficial American agreement to not sell Taiwan new jet fighters in return for China not trying to take Taiwan by force. The recent revelation was caused by a training accident that left a Taiwanese F-16 dead and there was no way to hide that.

The Taiwanese F-16 squadron has been in Arizona since 1997 and that was known to the Chinese. This training arrangement came a few years after Taiwan bought 150 F-16s and the uproar from the Chinese led to an arrangement. The way this arrangement works, if no one publicizes the presence of Taiwanese F-16s in Arizona China pretends that there is nothing to complain about. China has also not made a big deal out of American firms helping Taiwan upgrade its F-16s. Apparently China will also not complain if the United States sells Taiwan several dozen U.S. Marine Corps AV-8 Harrier vertical takeoff ground support aircraft. These AV-8s will be refurbished before Taiwan gets them. China will probably complain about the AV-8, eventually if only because they would probably be used to attack any Chinese amphibious force trying to land in Taiwan. Meanwhile China does have over 1,200 short range ballistic missiles (with non-nuclear warheads) aimed at Taiwan.
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In early 2016 Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine agreed to form a joint peacekeeping brigade. It was no secret that this was an effort by two NATO nations to form military links with Ukraine without really involving NATO. This gives Russia less incentive to violently oppose the deal and enables two NATO nations to train with and their new peacekeeping partner. The new brigade would have 4,000 troops from Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine and, presumably, most of the equipment would come from Lithuania and Poland. Thats because, in order to join NATO, nations have to standardize a lot of their military equipment and procedures so that cooperation with other NATO allies is automatic. Poland has also asked for a small number of American and other NATO troops to be permanently stationed in Poland, to further dissuade Russia.

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Wellesbourne Airfield

Assistant manager, Antal Viszmeg, said: The first companies we contacted were a bit confused and presume theres a catch, which there isnt.

Its a blind choice of who we select and we hope to create some excitement among businesses as to who is next, and hopefully get some recommendations too.

The restaurants general manager, the aptly-named Elizabeth Stratford, said the free giveaway will continue for at least two months.

Wildwood Kitchen is a small chain of ten restaurants serving pizza, pastas, salads and grills. Its chief executive is Samuel Kaye, a member of the successful restaurant-running Kaye family.
Wellesbourne Airfield

During 40 years of pantos at The Willows, they have brightened up February half-terms for children, parents and grandparents, raising many thousands of pounds to boot.

And this production will be Petes finale, rounding off a long career of winters spent rehearsing, scenery painting, and making props and costumes with his personal favourite from the repertoire of shows.

Some familiar faces from productions past have joined teaching staff and parents for his curtain call to lend support in a madcap scramble for Billy Bones treasure map.

Wicked Long John Silver leads the chase, assisted by hapless henchman, Short-sighted Pew, and a troupe of clumsy thieves.

Meanwhile, hero Jim, son of flighty Dame Hawkins, finds himself recruited with friends and family in a quest to find and share the pirate booty.

In amongst the comedy and music, the crew even encounter The Lost Boys: so lost that they have wandered in from a different pantomime, Peter Pan.

Performances are at the school itself on Saturday, 13th February, at 2pm and 7pm, and the very final show on Saturday, 20th February at 4pm.

Tickets are 6 for adults, 4 for children and available from The Willows School on 01789 205811, or there may be some last-minute tickets on the door. Young shipmates are welcome to wear fancy dress.
Wellesbourne Airfield

Having undergone preventative surgery, it came as a shock when she was diagnosed with secondary cancer in February 2013. There is no cure for secondary cancer and Emma has undergone a number of chemotherapy treatments.

Team Wren, a group of ten close friends and family, have been organising numerous fundraising events to support Emmas treatment. Emmas last course of chemotherapy wasnt effective and with her treatment options running out, she scoured research papers, the internet and international institutes for an alternate treatment.

Her research has led her to Dendritic Cell Vaccine Therapy in Duderstadt, in Germany. This form of immunotherapy is a pioneering treatment which creates a personalised vaccine which retrains the immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. Although it is not a miracle cure, it has as good a chance of success as other options and the side effects are more manageable than chemotherapy.

So far, more than 11,500 has been raised and Emma had her first round of treatment in January, and will make a second visit on Monday, 15th February. Emma said: The first time I was there for ten days and when I go out on Monday, it will be for five days.

My first four vaccinations will be every month, and if it is working, I will then go out once every three months, and then it will be six-monthly visits. She explained that 30,000 is an estimated cost for the first year of treatment, including travelling costs and accommodation in Germany.

Emma continued: Its phenomenal how much has been achieved through Team Wren  Im so grateful to everyone who has supported me.

Team Wren will be hosting many fundraising events over the coming months, including a pop-up shop on Saturday and Sunday (13th and 14th February) and a coffee morning on Sunday (14th February).

The pop-up shop will be held in the former HSBC premises in the Alcester High Street between 9am and 5pm on Saturday, and 10am and 2pm on Sunday, selling Mothers Day and Valentines Day gifts.

Coffee@26, also in Alcesters High Street, are donating coffee, tea and milk to hold a fundraising coffee event for Emma, between 10am and 2pm.

Additionally, a fashion show will take place in the Stratford ArtsHouse, on Tuesday 10th May, as well as other fundraising events such as marathons and a charity ball.

For more information or to donate visit www.justgiving.com/Emma-Wren43 or www.facebook.com/wrensfightingcancer/ or @TeamWrens on Twitter.
Wellesbourne Airfield

Hunt, who at the time was head of science at the school where the girl was a pupil, also admitted meeting her following grooming, intending to do something which would be an offence under the Sexual Offences Act.

In addition the disgraced teacher pleaded guilty to three further charges of causing the 15-year-old girl to watch a sexual act, while he was in a position of trust, for the purpose of him obtaining sexual gratification.

Judge Alan Parker said that because they were sexual offences, there would have to be a full pre-sentence report on Hunt (52) now of Somerset Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

He adjourned the case for the report to be prepared, and Hunt was granted bail with conditions that he had no contact with the girl and no unsupervised contact with any girl under 18.

Hunt was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender within 72 hours.

And Judge Parker warned him: The fact that I am ordering that report should not be seen by anyone as I sign that I expect you to receive anything other than a sentence of imprisonment forthwith.

The school confirmed Hunt was a former teacher at Shipston High but did not wish to comment further.
Wellesbourne Airfield

The renovation has seen the museum opened up with new visual displays, interactive exhibits and new themed zones.

Feedback from todays press event was highly positive with many remarking at how accessible the vehicles felt.

Visitors were also given a look around the museums new collections centre allowing public access for the first time to an additional 250 cars from the reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust.

For more on this story read next week's Herald.
A nurse is accused of medicating her own daughter to make her ill.

A Hutt Valley nurse is accused of deliberately making her daughter ill by giving her repeated doses of mind-altering medication.

The mother is under police investigation for allegedly administering anti-psychotic drugs to the young girl over two months.

She is understood to be an employee of Hutt Hospital, but cannot be named.

Documents filed in court show she is charged with intentionally engaging in administering a drug called risperidone to a minor between June 1 and August 10 last year to cause adverse effects to her health, specifically a "neurological deficit".

According to MedSafe, risperidone is anti-psychotic taken in either tablets or an oral solution, under the brand name Risperdal.

Experts said the drug is only rarely prescribed to children and, when it is, only by psychiatric specialists as a "last resort" as it can cause "pseudo-Parkinson's" side-effects, including the hallmark tics.

Wellington district child protection unit head Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Holden confirmed the woman was facing a charge relating to ill-treatment of her primary school-aged daughter.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

The Nursing Council's records show the woman had been registered as a nurse for more than 10 years. She had already appeared in court to face the charge last year.

Police declined to say whether they suspected the nurse had sourced the drugs from hospital supplies.

"We're not going to comment on that," Holden said. "We've got a few more inquiries we're still doing with her before the court, and we have to keep some of these things close to our chests."

Hutt Hospital declined to answer questions about whether it had investigated the security of its medical supplies or stood down the employee, because the matter was before the courts.

It was asked to clarify whether the woman was still involved in treating patients, but again declined to comment.

A Nursing Council spokeswoman said the regulatory body was unable to comment on matters that might be under investigation.

Any nurse facing a criminal prosecution that cast doubt on their professional conduct could have their certificate to practise suspended while an investigation was under way, the council's policy says.

TREATING YOUR OWN FAMILY?

The Medical Council specifically recognises that, in an emergency, health practitioners should be free to use their expertise to help their loved ones.

They are also allowed to administer care or medication as part of ongoing treatment if the professional who prescribed it deems their help appropriate.

However, the council bans health professionals from prescribing treatment of their own family or close friends with psychotherapy or psychotropics  drugs that affect a person's mental state  citing a lack of objectivity.

University of Otago professor of psychological medicines Sarah Romans explained few health professionals would have a problem with a GP treating their own child's ear infection. But when it came to pyschological treatments, the parent-child relationship was ripe for bias  there was a risk a parent might medicate a child's behaviour for their own benefit, rather than the patient's, Romans said.

"From my point of view, as a psychiatrist, it would be terrible form to diagnose within the family."

WHAT IS RISPERIDONE?

Risperidone is a generic drug prescribed to treat the behavioural effects of psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and dementia, and autism in children.

Benefits included reducing hallucinations, manic episodes, hostility and the suicidal depression associated with those conditions, according to MedSafe.

In 2013, of the 18,836 people prescribed risperidone, 280 were aged 9 or younger, according to the latest available Ministry of Health statistics.

It is usually dispensed from a pharmacy, mental health or geriatric hospital ward.

Children with autism or a personality disorder would have to be behaving harmfully to merit treatment with risperidone, Romans said.

"You would not really expect it to be prescribed in children. It would be a child psychiatrist's decision, using it rather as a last resort."

If the wrong dose was prescribed to a child, risperidone would be likely to alter their behaviour enough to affect their schooling and socialising, Romans said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the common side-effects of the drug include agitation, difficulty speaking, swallowing, or moving the eyes, a mask-like face, memory problems, spasms, a shuffling walk, tics, trembling and twisting body movements, and trouble sleeping.

Because of its effect on the brain's production of dopamine, too much risperidone was associated with "Parkinson's-like" effects, Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand chief pharmacist adviser Bob Buckham said.

Whether it caused severe side-effects in a child would depend on whether the amount given was more than recommended for the patient based on their age, weight, and the condition they were being treated for.
The new spider monkey was born Thursday, coinciding with the start of the Chinese Year of the Monkey.

Hamilton Zoo welcomed a new spider monkey to its troop on Thursday.

The monkey was born in the early hours of February 11, just as the Chinese Year of the Monkey began.

Hamilton Zoo carnivores and primates team leader Catherine Nicols said the newborn joins a troop of six spider monkeys at the zoo.

"The infant is the first spider monkey born at the zoo in 10 years," she said.

She said it will be a few months before the gender of the monkey will be known.

"The baby will spend a lot of time bonding with its mother - and we're keen to let nature take its course  so it will be a wee while until we know if it's male or female."

The mother of the newborn is Jeneill, 31, and the father is Salsa, 21. It is Jeneill's fourth offspring.

Spider monkeys are native to central America and have become critically endangered due to deforestation of their natural habitat.

The monkey does come with population challenges: only one infant is born at a time and the time delay between two pregnancies for female spider monkeys is usually between 18 months and four years.

The Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia species management programme helps Hamilton Zoo with the breeding of spider monkeys.

The spider monkey troop at Hamilton Zoo lives in the rainforest exhibit, so visitors will need to be patient and look closely to see the new arrival.
OPINION: The case of the lying boy racer is curious and troubling.

The young man was convicted and sentenced for speeding "neck and neck" with another car at up to 210kmh early on a Sunday morning in Lower Hutt. He lied to police, saying he could not have been driving because the car was stolen at the time.

Now he has been convicted and discharged on the lying charge following a letter to the court from Hutt South MP Trevor Mallard. The politician had said the young man had tremendous potential and his years of study could be negated by a conviction on the fake statement charge.



Mallard has rightly taken a lot of stick over this. Why defend a young man whose driving was not only insanely dangerous, it was his second offence (he'd been convicted on a similar charge in 2009)?

READ MORE:

* Lying racer convicted and discharged after Mallard intervention

* Hutt South MP supports boy racer

* Hutt Valley racer admits going 210kmh

* Illegal racers in court after clocking more than 200kmh

Mallard's argument that a conviction on the lying charge could somehow threaten the man's promising career seems to be wrong.

Judge Chris Tuohy noted that the man had told his employer about the offence, but he still had his job.

He declined the man's request to be discharged without conviction, "because I don't think the indirect consequences of conviction outweigh the gravity [of the offending]."

Why, then, did the judge discharge him, letting him off lightly?

"You have suffered a lot because of the degree of publicity, even though it doesn't name you. It must be difficult for you," Tuohy said.

This is mysterious and unconvincing. The publicity can't, after all, have been very extensive, because the man's name was suppressed. So the suffering could perhaps have not been so awful.

Mallard isn't explaining his stance either, saying only that he has information, not available to the media, and he doesn't expect those "without an understanding of the facts" to support him.

He's right there. We don't.

Anthony Hubbard is a senior feature and opinion writer.
Easkey Britton was reportedly the first woman to surf in Iran.

A love of the waves and skills on a board have seen an Irish surfer use the sport for social change.

Dr Easkey Britton has surfed in leggings and a sports hijab with Iranian women and got involved in a surf-related Papua New Guinean initiative for women's rights.

She's also an honorary visiting research fellow with the University of Waikato and will speak in Hamilton at a public lecture on the sea.

WAVES OF FREEDOM/SUPPLIED Iran had no surf scene when Irish surfer Easkey Britton visited in 2010 but the Waves of Freedom project which she co-founded is helping women get into the sport.

Britton was born into a surfing family in Donegal, Ireland, and describes herself as a "passionate, almost obsessive surfer".

READ MORE:

* Ashhurst surfing novices take on the waves at Raglan

* Perth mum and toddler saved from 'freak wave' by surfing champion Kelly Slater

* Hamilton student develops cardboard surfboard in technology class

"Being in the sea is almost like second nature to me. But then, by travelling and getting the opportunity to get out in the world, you realise what a privilege it also is," she said.

WAVES OF FREEDOM/SUPPLIED In Papua New Guinea the Pink Nose Revolution started with surfing but has had a wider impact on women's rights.

When she headed to Iran in 2010 with French film maker Marion Poizeau, she was reportedly the first woman to surf in the country.

They headed to the remote Baluchistan area, near the border with Pakistan - the only part of the country with opportunities for surfing.

"I wasn't on any mission to convert anyone to surfing," Britton said.

But the interest generated saw the pair return in 2013, connect with Iranian sportswomen and create the Waves of Freedom project.

"There wasn't any surfing scene there at all. So to be able to go and approach the sea with surfboards and it be initiated by women and girls from Iran, in their own country, was something pretty amazing," she said.

Covering up in accordance with local custom created challenges for female surfers, but with surf leggings and sport hijabs, they started "just showing that it's possible".

Waves of Freedom has been back each year since, by invitation, helping facilitate workshops and develop local leaders and role models.

Britton's also involved with the Pink Nose Revolution in Papua New Guinea, which started in surfing and then expanded.

"The men and the boys would take the boards and the women wouldn't be able to go surf," she said.

So the Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea decided to paint the noses of half the boards pink to show they were for women.

"In a way it seems something really, really simple, but it's shifted attitudes and behaviours."

Britton is still exploring why surfing works to break down barriers, but thinks the power of the sea might have something to do with it.

Britton and other water lovers will speak in Hamilton at the Blue Spaces lecture. The topic is human relationships with the sea.

The lecture is on Monday, February 15, from 5.30-7pm, at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Waikato.
Former brothel owner Fan Jiang, 49, has been fined $10,000 for breaching a council bylaw and an abatement notice.

A former suburban brothel owner has been fined $10,000 for breaching council bylaws and apologised to a neighbour for late-night "disturbance".

Fan Jiang's England St, Phillipstown, house is on the market.

It no longer operates as a brothel and Jiang is "technically bankrupt", a Christchurch District Court heard on Friday.

FairfaxNZ The England St, Phillipstown house is on the market.

Judge Craig Thompson sentenced Jiang for breaching rules about operating the business after 11pm in a residential area, and for breaching a council abatement notice.

The Christchurch City Council prosecution began in 2013. Jiang was convicted of the two charges in December. She was acquitted of three others.

Through defence lawyer Christopher Persson, Jiang, 49, offered her apology to a woman neighbour "for any disturbance to the environment" when the brothel was running.

Judge Thompson said the apology came "a little late, and rather remotely".

"I have seen her attitude to these offences over a considerable period. It has been a confused denial that it was her doing or her problem."

Judge Thompson said the brothel operation caused disruption to the neighbourhood late at night.

The cars and people arriving and leaving late at night was "more than ordinary" for a residential neighbourhood.

"That is exactly what the rules in the District Plan were designed to prevent," the judge said.

The offences were deliberate. The business operated over an extended period, and it made a profit, though he was unable to say how much.

Council inspectors found considerable sums of cash in a drop box on the premises.

Jiang had acknowledged she ran a similar businesses before.

"Miss Jiang had the ability to stop the breaches, had she been minded to do so," the judge said.

Persson described Jiang's offending as "relatively modest".

The trial heard of only five proven instances of people going to the house after 11pm, he said.

Another woman operated the business in 2014 and 2015.

"There was no evidence that [Jiang] was there at the time, or knew that the rule about the hours of operation were being breached.

"The business has now ceased completely . . . and there have been no further complaints," Persson said.

Persson suggested a fine of $2000. The city council's prosecutor, Kelvin Reid, suggested a starting point of up to $40,000.

Judge Thompson fined Jiang $10,000 with an order  normal in such cases  that 90 percent of the fine be paid to the council. Jiang will have to pay solicitor's fees.

Although Jiang, whose husband died after the prosecution began, was "technically bankrupt", the fine would be "reasonable" once the house sold, the judge said.

Persson said Jiang was getting budgeting advice and help with her finances "to put them on track".
Liz Abey, left, Sarah Fitzpatrick and, Kimberly deVries work in what are traditionally male dominated jobs and love it.

Women in dust-covered work boots and hi-viz gear are not an uncommon sight in Christchurch but in other parts of the country women tradies are few and far between. Amy Jackman and Lois Cairns report.

In post-quake Christchurch a growing number of women are doing jobs in traditional male fields.

LIZELLE OLIVER/WELTEC Ann Marie Edmonds is an automotic electrical engineer and spends her days building fire trucks.

But if the gender pay gap is to close the Ministry for Women believes more women need to be encouraged into high demand jobs that offer high wages. It is keen to see more women working in the trades and is holding Christchurch up as an example of a city that is leading the way in increasing women's work choices and their participation in the construction trades.

A 2015 report by the ministry reveals 8600 women are employed in construction in the Canterbury region, a jump from 3600 two years ago.

At last count nearly 18 per cent of Canterbury's construction workers were female, compared with just over 14 per cent nationally.

Since the quakes the number of women training in trades at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) has jumped by around 800 per cent. Last year nearly 10 per cent of the 3763 students enrolled in the polytech's trade courses were women.

Walk past building sites or road works in Christchurch and it is not uncommon to see women hard at work alongside the men. Women make up 23 per cent of the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team's workforce and many of them are in operational and trade roles at the crew level.

To help raise the visibility of women working in operational roles Scirt has set up a Women in Construction group. It is working to challenge biases, provide role models and explore ways the industry can be more welcoming of women.

Its initiatives include working with suppliers to develop personal protective equipment to fit women and challenging construction organisations to lift their representation of women in operational roles in construction.

Kimberly deVries, 29, works for Scirt as a project engineer. She initially wanted a career in environment management but since joining the construction industry she hasn't looked back and has steadily worked her way up the ranks.

She loves her job, finds the process of turning plans into reality rewarding, and enjoys the company of her colleagues.

"I like the people - they are just an awesome bunch of people. There are no egos - they're just there to do a good job," deVries said.

She was not fazed by being a woman in a male dominated industry: "There are more and more females popping up all over the place," she said.

Liz Abey has worked for Scirt as a traffic management leading hand for the past two years. She was looking for a job that allowed her to work outside and heard Scirt was looking to recruit through a relative.

"I love it. Doing set-ups, working with people. It makes me think," the 30-year-old said.

Sarah Fitzpatrick, 45, works for Scirt on a pipe bursting crew. She used to run a horse stud but had to find another job when she left her husband. She loves working outdoors and the physicality of her job but admits she has had to learn to pace herself.

Fitzpatrick said being the lone woman on her crew had not caused any issues. "I was a bit of a novelty for a week but that was the end of it.," said Fitzpatrick, who thinks it is good more women are getting involved in the industry.

In Wellington you have to look harder to find women in the traditionally male dominated trades.

At WelTec last year only 5 per cent of students studying in the main trade areas of construction, engineering and automotive were female.

Women like Ann Marie Edmonds and Jen Rodgers are the exception. They graduated from WelTec with electrical automotive qualifications and now work as as production assistants at Fraser Engineering in Lower Hutt. They spend much of their working day building fire trucks.

Rogers has always loved cars and originally wanted to be a mechanic, but the course was full when she applied about five years ago, so she switched to electrical automotive engineering.

"Then I found out I was pregnant and you can't do gear boxes and things when you're heavily pregnant, so I stuck with electrical. It's the way the world is going as well, so it is good to get in quick."

When people first heard about her new job they were shocked, she said.

"People ask, 'what do you do for a job?' I tell them I build fire engines. That's when you get the shocked faces, but I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else," Rogers said.

"My daughter tells all her friends at daycare. She will grow up seeing me do this in a male-dominated world and will know that she can do the same.

"She doesn't have to go out and do a traditional female role."

Edmonds was a full-time mum of three and moved to Wellington from Auckland because she wanted to show her children a different path in life.

"Ten years ago I was not up to anything good. If I was to go back to the people I was around then they wouldn't recognise me," she said.

"I wanted to show my kids that they can do whatever they want to do without having to follow protocol. I have three teenagers and the direction that they were heading in was not a good one. I had to change that. They're proud of me without a doubt."

The work the two women do at Fraser Engineering changes each day, from installing cabling to wiring up the fire truck pumps.

They said that they had been accepted without question by the workers and the fun environment was part of what made the job a good one.

"I like the workers and I love being able to do this job," Edmonds said.

"It's like having a big head really, you think 'I can do this and you can't'! It gets people to think outside of the box of what's normal."

Fraser Engineering chief executive Martin Simpson said the two women were an asset to his company and that the opportunities for females in the automotive field were endless.

"They are great workers and we would hire more if we could."

WelTec Trades Academy tutor Mandy Regan has been a tiler for 23 years. She entered the industry in 1988, when the thought of a woman in construction was so foreign a polytechnic was shocked when she applied.

"Because I had the gumption and I knew I wanted to do it, I was able to push back and get on the course. It wasn't that they didn't allow me, it was that it wasn't heard of. They said things like, 'we aren't set up for women, we don't even have a female bathroom'."

She said that there would never be the same numbers of women in the trades as men because often it wasn't something that females wanted to do but, importantly, if they wanted to there were now no barriers.

"Most women aren't interested in construction. It's just not how they are built. So it's not really that imperative that women to go into construction, but it's important that the pathway is there for them to follow if they want to."

In 2014, the Ministry of Education had 14,580 females in industry training nationally, including apprenticeships, compared to 25,675 males. The figures had held steady for the past five years - sitting at about 10,000 fewer females than males each year. The industries counted included engineering, electrical, agriculture, health, creative arts and hospitality.

In her years as a tiling tutor at WelTec, Regan had taught one or two women a year, often older rather than straight out of school, and said nearly every time there was a woman in the class she would finish top.

"The ones who go are motivated to be in the trades and always blow the guys out of the water. They have great skill, intelligence and attention to detail."

Many males and females study through a industry training organisation or polytechnic.

This year there are 263 females training at the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), up from 202 in 2014. Most of the women are in carpentry (39), flooring (66), kitchen and bathroom design (36) and painting and decorating (87). However, BCITO also has 9298 men on its books.

Chief executive Ruma Karaitiana said the industry was seeing a growth in the numbers of women entering construction apprenticeships, however it was still low.

"There is real growth in the finishing trades, such as interior systems, painting and decorating. However, the heavy outdoor trades like carpentry, brick and block laying, and cement/concrete display the smallest growth for women.

"We think this is due to a stereotypical image of construction, being a career choice for men. The industry is trying to move away from this stereotype, but it will take time.

"The 'girls can do anything message' is strong at the moment and is helping to encourage growth, there are also some good female role models in the industry."
A German hitch-hiker who had his belongings stolen by the person who gave him a ride says he no longer believes New Zealand is a safe country.

The Tourism Industry Association says while the incident is concerning, it would never recommend tourists use hitch-hiking as a way to travel around New Zealand.

Jan-Paul Fajta, 22, was picked up by a middle-aged man in a white Honda near Timaru on Wednesday, and given a ride to Oamaru.

JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ Jan-Paul Fajta of Germany was robbed of all his belongings when he hitched a ride from Timaru to Oamaru.

The man took Fajta to a camping ground, and told to him to have a look around. If he didn't like that camping ground, he would take him to another one, he said.

READ MORE:

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* Killed hitch-hiker's sister had bad feeling



The man had been friendly and chatty, even giving Fajta a beer during the trip.

However, when Fajta returned from checking out the camping ground, he discovered the man had driven away with his belongings.

The incident left him angry and shocked.

"I've never used so many bad words as I did then.

"I hoped he would come back."

He waited for an hour before contacting police.

Fajita lost all of his camping gear, his clothes, and most of the documents he had been travelling with. Fortunately, he still had his passport, wallet, and phone.

The incident had made him more wary about New Zealand, he said.

"Until now, it seemed to be a really safe country.

"Maybe I put too much trust in people."

He arrived in the country for a six-month working holiday in mid-January.

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand spokeswoman Ann-Marie Johnson said the association was sorry to hear that a visitor had been a victim of crime.

"New Zealand is generally a very safe place to travel with a relatively low crime rate," Johnson said.

"However, we advise visitors to take the same care with their personal safety and possessions as they would in any other country or at home.

"We do not recommend that visitors hitch-hike."

Fajta said he would still be hitch-hiking but he would be taking photos of the licence plates of any cars he got into in the future.

"Up until now, everybody who's given me a ride has been really nice."

Fajta had planned to carry on to the bottom of the South Island, but the incident meant he had to stay in Oamaru to earn some money before he could continue his trip.

Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, confirmed a tourist had made a complaint about his belongings being stolen on Wednesday.

Fajta described the car as a white Honda sedan.
Scott Simpson

Coromandel MP

In March we will have the final referendum about whether we change our flag. Coromandel people have strong views and they like to express them. I was pleased in the first referendum that Coromandel had the highest North Island voter turnout at 57.48 per cent while the national average was 48 per cent.

We all have our own views on whether the flag should be changed or not. Thats why its really important everyone get involved in the discussion and vote. This is the first time in our history voters have had a chance to have a say in which flag we should have. I think its unlikely we will get such an opportunity again for at least a generation or more.

We have to consider the two flags side-by-side, about which one represents us as a nation now and into the future. If you didnt vote in the first referendum, I seriously urge you to do so in the final decision.

Even with a few wet days, it has been more than obvious that higher than usual numbers of visitors have holidayed and enjoyed the Coromandel this summer. Nationwide the tourism sector has been catering for its biggest summer yet after significant spring growth  international arrivals were up more than 11 per cent for November.

Last year delivered our biggest tourism results on record with arrivals and spend both hitting new highs. Many New Zealanders are aware of the tourism industrys value to our economy, not all know quite how highly it ranks.

It is now our countrys biggest services export which means more jobs, income and economic value for the whole country and locally as well. Here on the Coromandel international tourism expenditure is worth in excess of $70m while domestic tourism is $300m.
Dive Right In

with Gwyn Brown

from Tauranga Dive

That quaint US ceremony known to some as Valentines Day will soon be upon us all. Of course, its also known as No-one gave me anything Day, or Spend extra money to show you love me Day, because Its okay to buy me stuff on any other day but if you dont buy me something on Valentines Day youre in trouble Day.



Or how about Ratchet up the price of roses Day because Roses brought on any other day dont mean as much Day.



Valentines Day is an important ceremony in our family; it says so in my relationship agreement, under section 2, page 37, important ceremonies that incur allowance expenses.



It was also great to have some feedback on the Sensing Stupidity article we did.



I predicted that would happen.



From a doctor of religious studies too. I never got a doctorate myself, although on Valentines Day I tell the wife I have a doctorate of love. Theyre probably similar.



I know I spent a lot of time studying for it. So I guess I stand corrected, all psychics and faith healers must be kosher.



And Dr Priest (Best name ever for a Dr of religious studies) I agree with you that its not a psychics job to find all the missing bodies; that is clearly the job of the police. But it would be good if they could lend a hand dont you think?



If I were to be horribly murdered (and the more of these articles I write, the more likely that is to happen) and communicating with a psychic, I think I would tell them where I was so my hopefully grieving wife could have some resolution.



Would be nice if they passed that on, seeing as my wife isnt a psychic herself  although I do have my suspicions.



She certainly seems to find my missing tools easily enough when I cant, and the other day she found my favourite Star Wars T-shirt. It was in my T-shirt draw, strangely enough, right in front of me. I now suspect that she has some kind of telekinesis power too because it only appeared when she pointed at it.



People pay good money to see stuff like that, I know I did under the terms of our relationship agreement, section 3, page 78, the cost of finding anything misplaced.



Im thinking of offering my own psychic prize to anyone who can prove they can communicate with the dead, or indeed stick metal objects to themselves, or move the pages of a telephone book.



Fortunately for me these kind of deals always exclude family members from entering.



It would also be a little ironic to pay my dearest prize money when I would have to fund the prize from my own allowance, which I get from my beloved.



This reminds me of the time she asked me how much allowance I had left, I think it was $20, to which she replies: Cool, now I have $40 to spend at The Warehouse.



Okay, time to get serious. The TPPA. Hmmmm... I think I will stick my neck out here while Im on a role and make another psychic prediction.



The TPPA will be good for the country, all the protests will die down, all the armchair Facebook warriors will quietly fade into the background of yet another bandwagon to join and criticise without researching the details; and the Government will still somehow be remembered as lying to us, misleading us, and in general making the poor poorer

and working to the detriment of the average Kiwi. If Im wrong, I can always change the subject and say the wife read her tea leaves incorrectly. Relationship agreement, section 5, page 144, miscommunicated psychic events.
A decision made in January by the Whakatane District Council to stop adding fluoride to the Whakatane and Ohope water supplies has now been revoked.

The district council adopted a notice of motion to revoke the decision during a special meeting of the Policy Committee on Thursday.
Galagan Polaris, thats his kennel name, be warned  youre a marked man.

Thats because the imposing pedigree Maremma Sheepdog barked at the Western Bay District Council dog ranger. A bad call considering the politics and the stand-off going down.

Polar (for short) drew attention to himself, says Galagan Kennels operator and dog breeder Carol Gunn. The ranger didnt see him, but could hear him barking. He said that must be annoying.

She had to remind the ranger that he was at her gate, the dog could hear and smell him and considered him a threat.

Regardless, the ranger has fingered Polar and he could end up fall guy for what the ranger and some neighbours claim is excessive barking by Carols Maremmas. Its one of those festering noise issues, which has come to a head after six years.

They have told me that if they chose, they would come and take all of them. I have no sense that attitude has softened.

The ranger ummed and ahhed about possible legal action, says Carol. But he did single out Polar. If need be, they would take him. And that brings tears to a woman fearful for her adored dogs.

By Carols own admission, Polar has issues. He was maltreated as a pup and rescued by Carol.

The people who owned him never did their work, so he is not a dog I would take out in public. He is untrustworthy. And sometimes its too late to rehabilitate.

However Polar is a happy stud breeding dog, who runs freely in the paddocks with the girls. He is safe and secure. He has his own harem and is doing a good job.

But this is about noise and incessant barking, according to the complainants. According to Carol, they are just sheep dogs alert barking, as they would do naturally. So it all depends on who you speak to.

To understand the issue, it helps to understand the breed.

The Maremma is Italian  dubbed the wolf slayer breed. It was bred and trained to defend sheep from bears, wolves and thieves. They can weigh 45kg and stand more than 70cm at the shoulders. They might be sheep dogs, but they dont round up sheep, they lie among them and raise all hell if danger threatens. They are big barkers, alert barkers.

Now theyre raising all hell for some of Carols neighbours in Omanawa Road, lower Kaimais.

Yes, the Western Bay District Council had 270 barking dog complaints last year. Yes, noise (and throw barking dogs in there) is their biggest source of complaints but no, definitely no, it wont discuss the specifics of Carol Gunns problem.

Privacy issues, they said  even though Carol herself was going very public with SunLive. No privacy issues with her.

However the council has a lengthy complex process aimed at bringing good resolution for everyone  the dog, the owner and complainant.

Carol, it appears, is currently embroiled in that process. And it may not be working in her nor Polars favour. She confirms the dog ranger told her the council had received complaints her dogs had been barking all day on two particular days recently. Even though it had been much quieter since Christmas.

Then it comes down to she says-they say. For example Carol says some people have been throwing stones at the dogs, yelling at them, baiting them, and inciting them, and then recording when they bark.

One neighbour admitted they were collecting evidence.

Carol too has been collecting evidence  references  which she will include in her statement of evidence or defence to the Western Bay District Council.

References such as We have never had any problem with Carol Gunns dogs, and, We live approximately 300m away and there has been no persistent barking over the last two months.

Even a veterinary clinic described Carol as a responsible and competent breeder and her Maremmas friendly, compliant and amendable to handling and treatment.

Glowing stuff, but it may not be good enough to keep the ranger at bay because this is not about Carols aptitude. Its about dogs barking  and dogs that have an innate propensity to bark. The Weekend Sun will stay across this developing story.
We are lucky to have a lovely pair of centenarians living with us at The Colonnades in Charlottesville, Virginia. This pair, Herbert Herb and Frances Fran Christoferson, have shared nearly 76 years of marriage.

Herb was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 1934, he left Chicago to work as a messenger for the government in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter he enrolled in George Washington University (GWU) where he earned his Bachelors in Business Administration. After WWII, he attained his Masters in Public Administration from American University (also in D.C.).

It was there in the nations capital that Herb met and married the lovely Frances Fran Christoferson, who will turn 100 on November 6th, 2015. Fran also attended GWU, where she earned her Bachelors in Political Science. Both Herb and Fran state that the most memorable day of their lives was April 12, 1941  their wedding day.

Herb was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and served 2  years sea duty during WWII. When Herb was released from active duty in 1946, he was promoted to Lt. Senior Grade. He returned stateside and began his career in the field of Public Health Administration in Washington, D.C. At this time, Fran was working for the Department of Justice as a legal secretary and embracing her new role as a mother. While living in D.C. the Christoferson family grew with the addition of their sons Eric in 1943, John in 1947 and Don in 1949. They remained in D.C. until Herbs career led them across the country to Portland, Oregon in 1955.

Fran decided to retire from her position as a legal secretary after the move and became a stay-at-home mother from that point forward. The family stayed in Portland for roughly five years before being relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, for yet another five years. In 1960, the family made their final long-distance move to Vienna, Virginia. Herb later retired as an Executive Officer at the National Institutes of Health. They remained in Vienna until moving to The Colonnades in January 1994.

Herb and Fran have many wonderful memories from their 74 years of marriage, including their travels to Europe and the Far East. From all of these amazing years, one of their favorite shared memories is that of their 50th wedding anniversary. They celebrated this major event at the Naval Officers Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Herb and Fran both remember it fondly as simple The best time ever!

In Phoenix Herb found a love for volunteering that has followed him throughout the remainder of his life. Herb has volunteered as a Tax Aide for the IRS-AARP and as an Ombudsman, not to mention 20 years as a volunteer arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau. After moving to The Colonnades Herb served as President of the Resident Association twice, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and continues to serve as advocate for his fellow residents in Resident Council. Fran has also spent time volunteering as The Colonnades Head Librarian for five years. During her tenure as Head Librarian, Fran converted our card catalogue system to a computer database. It is easy to see how this couple has made such a huge impact on life here at The Colonnades, and why we are so lucky to have them here!
Archaeological items from the Loring Collection and paintings by artists such as Simonet and Ferrandiz are now ready to be admired by the public

The Andalusian Historic Heritage Institute has supervised the restoration of 94 pieces of art, including several large-size paintings which will be put on display in the Palacio de la Aduana in the near future. :: SUR

Little by little, step by step, the Museum of Malaga is moving through the stages of its two-decade long return to the cultural scene. The latest stage of the project to have been completed was the restoration of the final pieces for the Archaeology and Fine Arts collections; both the Spanish government and the Junta de Andalucia have confirmed that they have now finished their respective work on the collections for this museum, and the pieces are almost ready to be put on display at the Palacio de Aduana (the former Customs building close to the port).

Both authorities rushed to meet the deadline for the restoration of the works. They each offered the contracts for tender last summer, when the museum was scheduled to open at the end of 2015.

Madrid and Seville now say that not only has the work been completed but the pieces are ready to be placed in the exhibition. The long-awaited inauguration is now planned for some time this year, although no date has been set. However, it is known that 1 March is the date when the Palacio de la Aduana is to be officially handed over from the government to the Junta.

One of the first things that visitors will see when they enter the museum is the Loring Collection, a group of archaeological items which have been restored under the supervision of the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute (IPCE), which comes under the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. The head of the IPCEs Works of Art department, Maria Luisa Menendez, says the work was complicated, because it had to be coordinated between several companies who were involved in the process.

The pieces are mainly stone and mosaics and they had suffered from their long exposure to the open air at La Concepcion and La Alcazaba, says Maria Luisa. The main problems were cracks and the fact that moss and other vegetation had stuck to them, so that had to be cleaned off. The greatest difficulty we encountered was because of the sheer size and weight of some of the pieces. We had to draw up specific plans to move some of them, and some streets in the city had to be closed off while they were being transferred.

Maria Luisa says the restoration of the items from the Loring Collection was divided into two parts: one focused on 32 marble statues and 12 fragments of mosaics and the other on another 38 sculptures, also made of stone, and various ceramic pieces. The work has cost this organisation around 200,000 euros, but the results are deemed to have been worth the money.

We are very pleased with the result. It was costly, but that was because of the size of some of the pieces and because they had deteriorated so much over the years, says Maria Luisa.

As well as the works organised by the government, the Andalusian Historic Heritage Institute (IAPH) has monitored the restoration of 94 pieces which will also form part of the collections at the Museum of Malaga.

Among them are the large format Flevit super illiam by Enrique Simonet, Paisaje de El Chorro by Federico Ferrandiz and Jose Moreno Carboneros La Meta sudante.

Different treatments

The archeological collection at the Museum of Malaga will be very varied, including items made of ceramic, metal, glass, stone and even organic material, such as the turtle shell and three ostrich eggs.

Because of their age, all the items had deteriorated because of superficial dirt, limestone concretions, cracks, damage by insects, rust, loss of material and previous repairs which had not proven effective over a long period of time. The restoration works which have been carried out on these items have included cleaning, consolidating, joining fragments together, volume and chromatic reintegration and final protection.
Dolores Garcia standing by the plaque at the Cantal tunnels. :: E.C.

I remember that we would always walk at night, it was very cold and my mother kept me warm with her coat the whole time. There came a moment when we simply couldnt continue, and my father, my brother and my three uncles continued, and they told us that we would see each other again in Almunecar. We never saw them again. For the rest of the journey we would look at the bodies in the ditches to see if any of them was my father.

These were the words that Dolores Garcia, 86, used to describe her experience of La Desbanda to SUR, when in February 1937, 150,000 malaguenos fled to Almeria when Francos troops entered Malaga, during the Spanish Civil War.

We walked for over a week, but in Almunecar Italian soldiers stopped us and took us back to Malaga. That was when we learnt that my father had fallen ill. They had taken him to Ciudad Real and buried him in a mass grave, continued Dolores, who is from La Cala del Moral, and later lived in Switzerland for almost 40 years.

To commemorate the 5,000 victims from the town on the 79th anniversary of the tragedy, Rincon de la Victorias town hall unveiled a plaque at the entrance to the Cantal tunnels. It was real carnage, Nationalist boats launched mortar bombs and Italian and German shells fell from the air, described researchers, Miguel Alba and Lourdes Pelaez, who attended the event.

The plaque has been placed in front of a large hole in the cliff, which was made by one of those misiles. Spokespersons from the town hall have called for greater recognition of the massacre, including from Germany and Italy, for the part they played in it.
Landmark court sentence rules that bank must return money to a British woman who paid for an off-plan property in Marbella that was not finished on time nor legal

View of Marbella Vista Golf in Marbella. :: JOSELE-LANZA.

A Malaga court ruled this week that Banco Popular must pay a British woman back the money she paid for an off-plan property in 2003.

13 years ago, the woman bought a property on the Marbella Vista Golf development, built outside the towns planning regulations (and therefore illegal). The off-plan home was not delivered on time and never received the first occupation licence. In the light of this, the woman along with several other owners refused to sign the title deeds and requested their contracts be declared null and void, and their money returned.

The developer refused and the would-be owners took their case to court. Over the next decade, and due to different interpretations of Spanish law, the various courts in charge of the case pronounced sentences with discrepant outcomes. Some courts ruled in favour of the buyers and others supported the developers position.

In 2013, the Supreme Court unified the criteria and sentenced in favour of all the buyers, rulingthat the developer must return all monies received. However, the definitive sentence arrived too late for the buyers since the construction company had already declared bankruptcy leaving hundreds of buyers without their money or property.

The British woman, however, persisted in her bid to get her money back and the latest sentence finally opens up the possibility of this happening.

In its ruling, the Malaga court states that the Banco Popular must return the money to the buyer. The court says there is clear proof that the bank received payment from the British woman and issued a guarantee for these amounts.

Despite this latest sentence, the saga may not yet be over since Banco Popular has the right to appeal against the courts decision.
Singer Pablo Alboran, with his Goya for the Best Original Song in Palmeras en la Nieve. :: Reuters Miguel Herran: "I hope this Goya helps me move into the world of acting"

The film with the most nominations in this years Goya awards, La Novia, was left disappointed on Saturday night after Truman snatched the major awards of the evening. Cesc Gays tragic tale of two childhood friends reunited after several years received five Goya statuettes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Script, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ricardo Darin) and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Camara).

The other big success story of the night was Daniel Guzmans film A Cambio de Nada (Nothing in Return) which bagged four awards, while Fernando Leon de Aranoa picked up an unexpected win for Best Script Adaptation for Un Dia Perfecto (A Perfect Day).

The Malaga-born actor and comedian Dani Rovira was given the job for the second year running of hosting last Saturdays awards ceremony, which went on for just over three hours. And it was a fellow malagueno who got up to receive the first award, pop singer Pablo Alboran, who claimed the Goya for the soundtrack of Palmeras en la Nieve (Palm Trees in the Snow), along with composer, Lucas Vidal.

A personal and very emotional moment of the evening came when Best Acting Newcomer, Miguel Herran picked up his award for his role in A Cambio de Nada. Also from Malaga, Miguel had to hold back tears to thank his mother who is always there. His other words were for the director of the film, Daniel Guzman. You have managed to take a boy without hope and without the desire to study and show him a new world and make him want to work. You have given me a life Daniel, stated the young actor who the director met in the street one day and presented him to the casting director of the film.

Guzman himself later went up on the stage to accept his award for Best New Director. Memories flooded by of last years Malaga Film Festival when the director also had to fight his emotions when he accepted the top award, the Biznaga de Oro, for his debut film.

In his speech onSaturday he recalled the ten years it took to start the film, but above all he had words for his favourite actress on the project, his own grandmother, Antonia Guzman, who plays one of the lead roles. You are my star. At 93 years of age you have managed to do what Ive never been able to do, said the director to his grandmother for whom he even solicited new roles: She has free time and fills the cinemas, he pointed out to his fellow directors.

The comedy returned thanks to host Dani Rovira, who entertained with political anecdotes, more relevant than ever this year due to Spains complicated political situation.

Politics included

In the audience on Saturday was not only the acting minister of Culture, Inigo Mendez de Vigo (PP), but also the main party leaders currently negotiating the new government: Pedro Sanchez (PSOE), Albert Rivera (Ciudadanos), Pablo Iglesias (Podemos) and Alberto Garzon (IU). Jokingly, Rovira proposed they made a pact of the Goyas, which would also include the absent acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy: The Academy has prepared a room with four chairs and a plasma screen... so that you five can try to come to an agreement, he said. He advised them not to take too long making a decision so that they finish before the free bar opens and Resines [the president of the film academy] ends up as head of government.

The aforementioned Antonio Resines began his first speech as president by repeating the protests of his predecessors, against piracy and the value added tax on cultural products, in a message to both present and absent politicians: film should be a matter of State regardless of political parties and ideologies.

Malaga and its province were ever-present throughout the gala: local actors Antonio de la Torre and Salva Reina both presented awards and Manuel Bandera and Bibiana Fernandez were part of the musical entertainment.

In his monologues, Dani Rovira brought up Malaga several times, shooting a bar in the district of La Paz where he grew up to instant fame. Addressing the most international members of Saturdays audience, Tim Robbins and Juliette Binoche, he suggested they come to Malaga to make a film on the beach and sample the gazpacho served at Hermanos Rodriguez, which he translated as tomato soup and vichyssoise for the two foreigners. He also suggested that the acting minister Mendez de Vigo should join them for a plate of meatballs.

This years Honorary Goya went to director Mariano Ozores in recognition of his career in an often insulted commercial cinema.
A 40-year-old Smyth County man was sentenced in federal court today after previously pleading guilty to charges related to the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine.

According to the United States Attorneys office, Stanley Martin Frye, 40, of Atkins, pled guilty in March 2015 to one count of manufacturing, distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Frye was sentenced to 24 months of federal incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release.

We must continue to fight the scourge of drug abuse and addiction in the Western District of Virginia, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said. It is the mission of the United States Attorneys Office to prosecute those who distribute these dangerous substances and provide support to those groups that help treat the drug addicted in our communities.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Washington County Sheriffs Office, Russell County Sheriffs Office, Tazewell County Sheriffs Office, Smyth County Sheriffs Office, Bristol, Virginia Sheriffs Office, Abingdon Police Department, Bristol, Virginia Police Department, Virginia State Police, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
12662488_10208354018718804_.JPG

A fire burns on Commane Road near Baldwinsville on Feb. 12, 2016 Photo courtesy of James Alvarez

(James Alvarez)

BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. -- A fire engulfed a building behind a Baldwinsville home Friday afternoon.

The fire the Commane Road home was reported around 12:45 p.m., Onondaga County 911 dispatch logs show. Firefighters arrived on scene and found a blaze consuming a large, detached "garage/barn," according to the Baldwinsville Volunteer Fire Company said.

Firefighters stopped the flames from spreading to a nearby house, the department said. The fire was put out within 30 minutes, the department said.

Residents and pets living in the home near the structure escaped safely, the department said. A deputy with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office rescued a dog, neighbor James Alvarez said.

Firefighters are currently overhauling the scene.

Baldwinsville firefighters were assisted by the Liverpool Fire Department, the Plainville Fire Department, the Lakeside Fire Department, the Belgium Cold Springs Fire Department and the Fairmount Fire Department.

Deputies and the Greater Baldwinsville Ambulance Corps also responded.
A suspect has been identified in the stabbing Sunday of two Cazenovia College students, said Cazenovia Police Chief Michael Hayes.

An arrest warrant should be issued next week for the suspect, who does not live in Madison County, Hayes said today. The suspect fled the area after the incident, which occurred about 2:45 a.m. Sunday in a parking lot behind the Subway on Albany Street in the village, off the Cazenovia College campus, according to the chief.

Both Cazenovia College students who were stabbed during the assault suffered multiple stab wounds. Hayes said. They were treated at area hospitals, released and are back at Cazenovia College, he said.

Cazenovia police continue to investigate the assault, in conjunction with Cazenovia College campus safety and Cazenovia College.

Hayes said he can not release any more information at this time.
THERESA, N.Y. -- Firefighters in Jefferson County rescued three dogs from the icy, fast moving Indian River Tuesday.

Rich Ault, an outdoor enthusiast and photographer, witnessed the rescue and posted 31 photos to his Facebook page, AULTimate Outdoors.

Ault thanked the Theresa and Philadelphia Fire Departments and everyone who helped in the rescue.

"They risked their lives to rescue all three dogs safely," Ault wrote.

The dogs were stuck in the slush and ice in the Indian River.

"The rescuers suffered from extreme exhaustion and cold, but all were OK," Ault wrote. "Amazing job by all. As always our volunteers are there when we or animals are in danger and need assistance."

Theresa Fire Chief Mark S. Savage told the Watertown Daily Times that the dogs - a collie, a golden retriever and a Labrador -- were first spotted near county Route 46 around 9 a.m.

"Imagine a 10-feet-deep swimming pool filled with Jell-O, and you try to swim across it, it was like that," Savage told the newspaper. "It was almost impossible."

Philadelphia Fire Chief Christopher P. LaClair told the Watertown Daily Times that the thickness of the water and the river's strong current made the rescue difficult.

All three dogs were rescued from the water and returned to their owners.

LaClair told the newspaper that the owner of Labrador and the collie were on the scene immediately. The owner of the golden retriever was located on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people shared AULTimate Outdoors' Facebook post and hundreds left comments expressing gratitude to the rescue workers.

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego

County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315
peter liang.jpg

New York City police Officer Peter Liang was convicted of manslaughter Thursday for firing into a stairwell in 2014 and striking an unarmed man in the heart.

(The Associated Press)

Brooklyn, NY -- A New York City police officer was found guilty Thursday evening of manslaughter for acting recklessly when he fired into a Brooklyn stairwell, the bullet ricocheting into a man's heart.

Peter Liang faces 5 to 15 years in prison for the 2014 shooting that killed an unarmed man, Akai Gurley, 28, in a public housing complex.

The jury found Liang acted with criminal recklessness when he drew his gun and fired into the stairwell after being startled by a noise, The Associated Press reported.



The verdict comes amid heightened scrutiny into police shootings. But Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said the case "had nothing to do with Ferguson," referring to the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by an officer in Missouri.

In New York City, public scrutiny of police intensified after the July 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner, who was being arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes on Staten Island. A grand jury declined to indict the officer involved in that case.

In Liang's case, his lawyers called Gurley's death a tragedy, not a crime. And they suggested that a conviction would have a chilling effect on policework.

But the DA said that the verdict was in "no way a conviction" of the city police, the New York Law Journal reported.

"No matter where you live in Brooklyn, your life matters," Thompson said.

Liang was fired by the police department following the verdict. The police union protested the verdict and Liang's lawyers vowed to appeal.

Liang testified that he heard a "quick sound" and his body tensed. The gun "just went off," he testified.

The former officer was also convicted of official misconduct for not giving CPR to Gurley after the shooting.
Another tank cleaning fatality

One crew member died and two were hospitalised after they inhaled poisonous fumes while cleaning cargo tanks on board the 7,704 dwt Palmali-managed 2007-built chemical tanker Araz River on 5th February.

Italian media reported that the solvent, which the three seafarers were using to clean the tanks on board the Russian-flagged tanker, reacted with the cargo remnants to form toxic fumes. The deceased 24-year crew member died immediately due to a cardiac arrest, while the other two, aged 42 and 28, were transferred to a hospital in a serious condition, the media reported. The Araz River subsequently returned to Vasto where it had discharged a canola cargo and the vessel remained in port for an investigation to be conducted. There were 13 Russian crew members on board at the time of the incident, the reports said.




European refiners look to Iran

In 2015, Irans total crude oil production was just over 3.1 mill barrels per day of which only 43% was exported.

As a result of the sanctions relief, in an industry note, McQuilling Services estimated that Iran will average about 3.4 mill barrels per day of crude oil production lower than the Iranian Oil Ministrys objective of a 500,000 barrels per day increase. McQuillings said that its lower target reflected the low crude pricing environment, slowing production rates at Iranian fields, lead time for new investments to yield higher production and competition from other producers in the region, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The return of Iranian production to the market is likely to influence trade flows for tankers, the consultancy said. Looking ahead, McQuilling anticipated that European refiners, particularly those located in the Mediterranean, were likely to increase their intake of Iranian crude. Several agreements have already been reached between Iran and European countries, including Frances Total and Greeces Hellenic Petroleum. In the deal signed with National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which will take effect on 16th February, Total agreed to purchase 160,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude. A second objective in the agreement was Totals interest to develop Irans Azadegan oil field, which is shared with neighbouring Iraq. Hellenic Petroleum, which controls 341,000 barrels per day of refining capacity in Greece, also concluded a deal to resume immediate deliveries of Iranian crude. At the same time, the two oil companies agreed to settle about $600 mill in outstanding debt to NIOC with the latters preference to pay in Euros instead of the US Dollars. In addition to these signed deals, market reports indicated that Italian refiners, ENI and Saras, are seeking to purchase about 170,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude. The majority of the oil being shipped to Southern Europe during the sanctions comprised of increased volumes from other Middle Eastern countries, primarily Iraq, and to a lesser degree Saudi Arabia. While the effect of Iranian sanctions increased the volumes from other Middle Eastern countries to Europe mitigating the impact on tonne/mile demand, the story was slightly different for volumes to the East. OECD Asian customers (Japan, South Korea) plus Singapore, averaged about 690,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude oil imports prior to the sanctions, must of which went to Japanese refiners. McQuilling forecast a gradual increase in Iranian flows to Japan starting this year upon the extension of current contracts to purchase crude from Iran. In examining flows from 2011 onward, the consultancy noted an increase of 141,000 barrels per day of Russian ESPO crude intake at Japanese refineries, when compared to pre-sanctions levels. These volumes are likely to face pressure from Iranian medium sour production, McQuilling said. As a result, Aframax activity in the East will face some pressure, while demand support for larger tonnage is likely from increasing Iranian exports. Non-OECD customers, including India and China have not shared the same fate with Western nations and OECD Asian partners. Under the Geneva accord, the P5+1 nations agreed to allow consuming countries to continue buying average amounts of Iranian crude oil and qualify for periodic waivers. This pause in the growth of Iranian crude exports to India and China while refining capacity expanded in these countries necessitated the need for a change of crude oil sources. For example, other Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia and South American countries, provided the balance of flows in order to support the refining sectors crude intake requirements. The inverse relationship between annual changes of flows from the Caribbean countries to China and India when compared to the changes in Iranian exports suggests that the removal of sanctions is likely to provide some pressure on the future flow for the former. The pressure will be primarily felt in flows to India as after China, it represents the largest importer of crude oil from Iran with many of Indias refineries geared to process Iranian crudes, McQuilling forecast. These configurations were also likely the cause of the increase in grades from the Caribbean, which are primarily of the heavier variety. Since 2011, VLCC tone/mile demand for Caribbean shipments with discharge in the Indian Sub-Continent has increased by 24% annually reaching 267 bill tonne/miles (the fifth largest contributor to VLCC tonne/mile demand). In 2016, McQuilling expected growth to moderate to 4.3% as Iranian flows come back into the picture. The outlook beyond this year will depend on the pace of production increases from Iran. With Indian crude intake to grow by 638,000 barrels per day through 2020, it is anticipated that a large percentage of this growth will be met by increases in Iranian exports. Over the next five years, the consultancy forecast a notable slowdown in growth of Caribbean flows to India, likely supporting increasing export volumes of Caribbean crude to traditional customers in the West (US). In addition, it is anticipated that more Caribbean production will be used for domestic refinery intake, which is expected to grow 200,000 barrels per day by 2020. This shift in trade flows may favour Aframaxes operating in the Atlantic Basin, while the slowdown in growth of Caribbean/India volumes may place demand pressure on larger tonnage in the region.




Last year, the Marshall Islands (RMI) registry reached over 128 mill gt.

This was announced at International Registries and its affiliates (IRI) tri-annual Maritime Services Group (MSG) meeting, at which personnel from many of IRI's 27 worldwide offices gathered to discuss the goals and challenges for the year ahead.

At the meeting, COO John Ramage discussed the projected fleet growth in the coming years and marked 2016 as the year of innovation for the RMI registry. To sustain the registry's year-over-year growth, he challenged the group to think innovatively and find ways to utilise recent technology upgrades to work more efficiently.

Ramage also discussed issues, including industry concerns, new regulations, and maintaining the RMI's White List status on the Paris and Tokyo MoUs and its status on the USCGs Qualship 21 roster.

Capt Robert Fay, senior vice president, maritime operations, discussed the upcoming entry into force of the STCW Manila Amendments this year and the role the newly opened office in Manila, Philippines will play in issuing what could be up to 800,000 seafarer documents in 2016.

With the tremendous fleet growth of the RMI registry, IRI has added additional qualified personnel in many offices.

For example, IRI's Fort Lauderdale (Fla) and Roosendaal, The Netherlands locations have moved to larger office spaces to accommodate extra people.

The Hamburg, Germany location will also be relocating to a larger space in March, this year.
NITC rejoins INTERTANKO

NITC has rejoined INTERTANKO as a full member, provided that the company can meet the associations membership criteria.

The decision is reported to have been conveyed in a letter written by INTERTANKO chairman, Nikolas Tsakos, to NITC managing director, Ali-Akber Safaei, an Iranian news agency said. NITCs return to the association comes after several years of suspension through the US and EU sanctions, which were lifted in January. Intertankos general counsel Michele White explained in a statement; NITC were long standing members of INTERTANKO, prior to the introduction of EU and US nuclear-related sanctions. With the recent lifting of these sanctions, INTERTANKO is pleased to be able to welcome them back as members, provided they are able to meet the membership criteria.



"This requires them to have International Group P & I insurance cover (or equivalent) and to be classed with a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). NITC anticipate that they will be able to meet these requirements in the near future, she said. In a separate move, Tehran has issued claims for unpaid dues for oil, which were put on hold due to the sanctions. For example, Iran has asked India to clear its past oil debt amounting to over 6 bill within six months, the IRNA news agency said. Indian Oil Corp (IOC), which allegedly owes over $400 mill to Iran, may be the second in the queue followed by smaller payments by HPCL-Mittal Energy (HMEL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp, NITC reportedly said.




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STUART  A Stuart man convicted in July 2013 of the vehicular homicide of an 11-year-old girl has won a new trial.

A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal reversed the trial court decision, because in part the court 'abused its discretion in admitting irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial evidence,' according to the unanimous opinion.

Michael Opsincs, now 31, was sentenced in August 2013 to 20 years in prison by Circuit Judge William Roby, and has been at the Florida State Prison in Wakulla since September 2013. Opsincs likely will be returned to the Martin County Jail, said Assistant Public Defender John Hetherington, Martin County division chief.

During the trial, Opsincs' public defender Jordan Showe conceded that Opsincs caused the crash on Sept. 29, 2010, when he ran a red light on eastbound Kanner, striking a Honda driven by Todd Cooper, who was turning left onto westbound Kanner from the center lane on Pomeroy. Cooper was driving his four children home from a family dinner at a restaurant on U.S. 1 in Stuart.

Showe, who has since left the Public Defender's Office for private practice, also conceded that Opsincs was speeding, although experts presented by the two sides disagreed on how fast.

The force of the crash sent the back half of Cooper's Honda flying into a third car.

Cooper's eldest child, Brianna, was killed. Cooper and his other three children were injured but have since recovered.

Opsincs was found guilty on all counts: one count of vehicular homicide, one count of reckless driving causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless driving causing injury or damage.

Writing the 4th District Court opinion in Opsincs' appeal case, Judge Carole Taylor said the trial judge 'abused its discretion in admitting irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial evidence that, shortly after the accident, appellant (Opsincs) said '[expletive] happens' when being confronted by witnesses at the scene.

In a pretrial motion to exclude testimony about Opsincs' comment after the crash, Showe argued unsuccessfully that the statement was irrelevant to Opsincs' mindset at the time of the accident.

Assistant State Attorney Mike Linn also began his closing argument by emphasizing Opsincs' '[expletive] happens' statement, telling the jury those words 'express the reckless disregard he had for anybody that night.'

Taylor wrote that the Opsincs' comment 'established only his mental state after the accident' and did not prove he was driving recklessly at the time of the accident, nor was it an admission of guilt.

Continuing, Taylor wrote that testimony quoting Opsincs' comment at the scene of an accident that killed an 11-year-old girl 'was undoubtedly inflammatory' and 'unfairly prejudicial because it was designed to appeal to the jury's emotions by portraying appellant as callous and uncaring.'

Linn said prosecutors are contemplating their next step after learning of the reversal.

Hetherington said he expects a bond will be set for Opsincs.
Quinton Briggs, 29, 700 block of 25th Street, Fort Pierce; battery, second or subsequent offense.

Marc Perry, 39, 900 block of Del Rio Boulevard, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of probation, battery.

Michael Hayes, 27, 1500 block of 29th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for sale or delivery of heroin.

Lorenzo Richardson, 19, 2900 block of Anderson Drive, Fort Pierce; out-of-county warrant, St. Lucie County, for violation of probation, sale or delivery of marijuana. Arrested in Indian River County.

De'quay Roberts, 20, 200 block of 39th Street, Fort Pierce; warrants for burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, possession of a firearm after being found delinquent.

Alex Krueger, 19, 2500 block of Kerr Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alma Tejeda-sejura, 38, 11000 block of Kanner Highway, Indiantown; out-of-county warrant, Martin County, for workers' compensation fraud  evidence of identity.

Donald Diguiseppi, 27, 600 block of Emil Drive, Fort Pierce; battery on an officer.

Donald Mcvay, 57, Melbourne; warrants for burglary of a structure, petty theft, vandalism of a place of worship.

Robert Hester, 55, 2200 block of Shipping Road, Port St. Lucie; warrant for failure to appear, trial docket, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felony, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking in cocaine, 28 grams or more but less than 100 grams, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, sale or delivery of cocaine.

Jayson Terrell, 42, Plantation; warrants for DUI impairment  damage to property or person, reckless driving, causing damage or injury.

James McIntyre, 59, 3400 block of Jake Court, Stuart; warrant for contracting without a license.

David Huey, 54, Hypoluxo; warrant for grand theft.

Matthew Callaghan, 30, 10000 block of Perfect Drive, Port St. Lucie; passing a forged/altered bank bill, note, check or draft.

Gregory Madden, 35, 1600 block of Mariner Lane, Port St. Lucie; possession of marijuana over 20 grams; possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver Schedule I drugs.

Jeniece Dumont, 28, Pompano Beach; warrant for violation of probation, fraudulent use of a credit card, grand theft.

Michael Williams, 22, 100 block of 20th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for court order to revoke bond, carrying a concealed firearm.

Chad Hughes, 36, 7700 block of Eden Road, Fort Pierce; possession of methamphetamine.

Nicholas Ciocco, 26, 2600 block of Westmoreland Boulevard, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of probation, possession of testosterone, driving while license suspended.

Christopher Cirrincione, 57, 200 block of Fernleaf Trail, Port St. Lucie; battery, causing great bodily harm. Arrested in Martin County.
School-district grades improved across the Treasure Coast following months of controversy over new state tests educators thought would lead to lower scores.

Grades for the districts were released Friday by the Florida Department of Education.

Indian River School District rose from a C in 2014 to an A this year; Martin County School District improved to an A grade from a B last year; St. Lucie County jumped from a C in 2014 to a B this year.

"This is an incredible achievement by our students and staff that reflects the great work done last year," Indian River Superintendent Mark Rendell said in a statement. "The fact that we were able to earn enough points to earn an A grade with higher standards and a new test is outstanding."

At the same time, official 2014-15 school grades released Friday by the Department of Education included only one slight change from the "simulated" scores announced in December  a previously omitted Martin County school grade.

Those scores, graduation rates and college/career readiness progress factor into district grades.

"I am extremely proud of the tremendous accomplishments we have achieved over the past school year," Laurie Gaylord, superintendent of Martin County Schools said in a statement. "Our teachers, staff and students are working diligently at every school."

This year's school grades, recorded after the inaugural Florida Standards Assessment tests in 2015, are meant to serve as baseline data for future state tests. The scoring system did not include points for student improvement, as state assessments have in the past. That upset many educators, who thought the grades were incomplete.

Student-improvement points, known as learning gains, are expected to be part of the 2015-16 school-grades calculations.

"While we celebrate the increases, one must be reminded that these results are based upon a flawed and incomplete state accountability system," Wayne Gent, superintendent of the St. Lucie County School District, said in a statement. "We will continue to focus on what is important  quality instruction for each child every day."

Indian River County School District tallied 10 A's, two B's, five C's, four D's and one F in 2014-15. Last year it received seven A's, five B's, nine C's and two D's in 2014. Two Indian River schools tested too few eligible students to receive grades.

Martin County received 11 A's, five B's and five C's, versus 11 A's, two B's, seven C's and one D last year. Jensen Beach Elementary, which did not receive a simulated grade, scored a B in the scores released Friday.

St. Lucie County earned eight A's, six B's, 18 C's, six D's and two F's. Last year it received seven A's, nine B's, 16 C's, five D's and four F's in 2014. Mosaic Digital Academy did not test enough eligible students to receive a grade.

Visit schoolgrades.fldoe.org for the list of school grades.
TALLAHASSEE  In December, a Martin County citrus farmer wrote a $10,000 check to a political committee controlled by Florida Senate President-elect Joe Negron. Two months later, Negron proposed cutting state parks money to expand that company's reservoir that holds polluted water pumped out of the C-44 Canal.

The Caulkins Citrus Co. project in Indiantown is considered a success story in the South Florida Water Management District's "water farm" program. Negron, R-Stuart, said he fought for the $7.5 million in the Senate proposed budget because the project is needed, especially in light of the Lake Okeechobee discharges that started Jan. 30.

Caulkins, as well as other agriculture landowners that have water farm contracts with the state, has ramped up its investment in lobbyists and political contributions since 2014. That's the first year the Legislature spent general operating funds to pay private landowners to pump water headed toward troubled estuaries and hold it on their properties.

Caulkins paid an estimated $105,000 in 2014 and 2015 in legislative lobbying fees to a Tallahassee firm that employs Herschel Vinyard. The former Department of Environmental Protection secretary is registered to lobby Gov. Rick Scott's office and state agencies, including the one he used to supervise, on behalf of Caulkins. The citrus company also spent from $70,000 to $140,000 to lobby the executive branch. Owner George P. Caulkins III couldn't be reached for comment.

Negron said those efforts don't influence him, and he supports the project because it has pumped almost twice as much water as anticipated out of the C-44 since February 2014. That's still not enough, even if expanded, to significantly reduce the harmful Lake Okeechobee discharges into the canal, which leads to the St. Lucie River and eventually the Indian River Lagoon.

"I make decisions based on what's best for Florida and my constituents," Negron said. "During session, my focus is on crafting a budget that meets the needs of my constituents on the Treasure Coast and northern Palm Beach County."

Water farmers invest big

Caulkins' investment to influence the Legislature doesn't come near what another water farmer has spent  and without yielding the same support from Negron and others.

Alico Inc., the country's largest citrus producer, has given more than $500,000 to Scott, the Republican Party and state lawmakers since 2014, and is one of Negron's top donors. Alico spent an estimated $760,000 on legislative lobbying fees from 2013 to 2015 with $310,000 to $719,000 to lobby Scott and the executive branch.

Alico succeeded in advocating for $10 million for water farming in the 2014 state budget, $500,000 of which went to the company's project. But despite Alico's support for Scott's 2014 re-election, he vetoed $30 million the Legislature allocated for various water farming and other storage projects in 2015. Although Negron isn't pushing to earmark a specific dollar amount for Alico in the budget, as he is for Caulkins, he said he supports Alico's proposed Hendry County water farm to pump water out of the Caloosahatchee River.

Another water farmer, Evans Properties Inc., gave $377,000 in political contributions since 2014  including $26,000 to Negron  and spent an estimated $155,000 on lobbying the Legislature. The company spent $150,000 to $240,000 on executive lobbying fees.

Evans wants to add two sites totaling 14,100 acres to its water farm in St. Lucie County. It will be up to the South Florida water district to decide whether to fund it after the Legislature allocates a lump sum for water farming this year, Negron said.

The House and Senate this year are proposing $9 million and $5 million, respectively, for public and private water storage projects. That's in addition to the $7.5 million Negron wants for Caulkins, which isn't included in the House's proposed budget. The two chambers are supposed to negotiate a final amount and a full state budget before the March 11 end of the legislative session.

Different outcomes

The Caulkins and Alico water farms have different reputations. The Caulkins reservoir on a former citrus grove just east of Indiantown has kept nearly 8.3 billion gallons of rainfall runoff out of the C-44 Canal since it began operations in February 2014. Negron wants to expand the project to increase its capacity to 30 billion gallons.

Critics call the Alico water farm in Hendry County a $124 million boondoggle: It would cost too much and not hold enough water from the Caloosahatchee River. The project needs money from the Legislature after Scott's veto last year.

Better ways to spend money

Despite Caulkins' success, some environmentalists think the state should spend its money buying land south of Lake Okeechobee to move water to the Everglades, therefore reducing discharges into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.

A state audit found it would cost less to store water on state land than private. The cost of storing 1 million gallons per year on public land is $24.55 versus $233.23 for Caulkins and $417.37 for Alico, according to a Dec. 13 Treasure Coast Newspapers investigation. The average cost per year on other private lands is $316.40.

"We are concerned about the best use of taxpayers' dollars," said Sierra Club lobbyist David Cullen. "Sierra Club still believes the real solution is to send the water south."
PORT ST. LUCIE  The city is waging a legal war to gain control of the defunct Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida, but it already seems to have lost the fight on virtually every financial front.

Port St. Lucie taxpayers, directly or indirectly, are footing the bill for nearly every part of the legal case it brought against VGTI in May, when it asked a judge to block the biotech-research institute from moving out of the city and to force it to make good on a $2.6 million mortgage payment that was due May 1.

That legal action came nearly two weeks after VGTI asked the city for a $21 million bailout. Once VGTI formally announced its closure, the city amended the lawsuit, asking a judge to appoint a receiver to supervise the biotech's departure.

Yet the city now is paying not only its own legal fees  as high as $450 an hour to a Fort Lauderdale law firm  but potentially also attorney fees for TD Bank, VGTI's mortgage holder.

And all the money VGTI is spending to fight the city in court means less money left for Port St. Lucie when the case eventually is resolved.

TD Bank claims it incurred more than $112,000 in legal fees through November, according to court documents. It's the city's responsibility to cover those costs and future fees if VGTI can't, bank attorneys argued in a court filing last month.

VGTI's lawyers made it clear at a December hearing that its cash has all but dried up.

"We're broke, " attorney Peter Bernhardt told Circuit Judge Janet Croom.

It's troubling that money the city is entitled to is being used by VGTI to fight the city over appointment of a receiver, Vice Mayor Linda Bartz said.

"That does disturb me," she said.

Although disturbing, a lawsuit was necessary, Bartz added.

"Unfortunately, I feel there's no choice but for the city to be involved in the litigation, (and) obviously incurring costs. And that is to protect our assets," Bartz said.

VGTI lawyers dispute the city's claim a lawsuit was unavoidable.

"The city and trustee have, whether they know it or not, wasted a lot of money," Bernhardt said. "They could have had complete control of the mortgaged property without any form of receivership, as VGTI offered to deed it to them."

By the time the litigation is concluded, he predicted, the money will be gone.

"Given the potential value of the disputed collateral, I would be hard-pressed to believe that the legal fees related to the dispute won't ultimately exceed the value of the collateral in dispute," Bernhardt said.

Bernhardt refutes the city is entitled to VGTI's dwindling funds at all.

"VGTI still owns all of its assets, including any funds, because neither the city nor the trustee have sought to foreclose on those assets," he said.

Hiring a receiver was a city priority, however, to ensure a guard against complications down the road, Mayor Greg Oravec said.

"We have standing and we can look into if there was any breach of fiduciary responsibility  or negligence that would allow us to call money back from the directors of VGTI," Oravec said.

Croom recently appointed a city-chosen receiver over VGTI's building, equipment, financial books and intellectual property  a legal victory for Port St. Lucie.

"Through the court's establishing the receiver, it's a first step at monitoring the books to make sure everything is on the up-and-up," City Manager Jeff Bremer said. "That's part of the battle that has gone on. And while VGTI says they'll throw the keys at us, they haven't been as willing to throw the books at us."

As the receiver, the city's New York-based crisis-management firm, Alvarez & Marsal, will run the 107,000-square-foot laboratory in Tradition until it's handed over to the city, comb through VGTI financial documents and ensure that city-bought and state-bought equipment is preserved.

It's unclear how long the receiver will be needed and when the city will get the keys to the building. The city has budgeted $500,000 for the receiver.

VGTI closed its doors Oct. 1, and Port St. Lucie paid $1 million on Nov. 1  a biannual mortgage payment for which VGTI was responsible.

The city in 2010 borrowed $64 million for an incentive package to build and furnish VGTI's facility. VGTI was required to repay the money over 30 years with interest. In the event it couldn't cover the cost, the city was responsible. With interest, the total owed is $130 million.
The Port of Fernandina had some tough decisions to make.

In 2009, one of its longtime tenants merged with a Miami company, relocated there and took with it 30 percent of the port's profit, said Richard Bruce, a commissioner of the Ocean Highway & Port Authority, which sets policy for the northeastern Florida port off Amelia Island.

To replace the lost revenue, the port looked to a business already in its backyard, transporting oats for the horse-racing community in northern Florida and southern Georgia.

That strategic shift embodies the example the Port of Fernandina could be for St. Lucie County and the city of Fort Pierce, which officials there are eyeing redevelopment of the Port of Fort Pierce.

"Find out what it is that you make in your own backyard and ship that, or find out what products the citizenry like and ship that in," Bruce said.

For decades, the Port of Fort Pierce, a 290-acre waterfront area just north of downtown Fort Pierce, has been largely underutilized. But interest in the port reignited about three years ago when officials saw it as a way to provide jobs in the northwest part of the county. There days, there's little commercial shipping going on at the port.

But redevelopment plans include creating a maritime academy, attracting yacht-maintenance businesses and jobs and light cargo industries that are compatible with the Indian River Lagoon.

St. Lucie and Fort Pierce officials are purchasing land at the port with a $255,000 grant from the Florida Ports Council to redesign Fisherman's Wharf, which is the east end of Avenue H, from U.S. 1 to the Indian River Lagoon. It would be a buffer between a light-cargo port to the north and the downtown area to the south. Plans are to attract a developer to build retail stores and restaurants; the county and city would increase dock slips for the marina.

In addition to shipping oats for race horses, the Port of Fernandina has found success in exporting paper and wood products from 15 nearby pulp and paper mills. It is trading partners with Bermuda, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Ecuador. It is self-sustaining, generates $1.4 million to $1.7 million annually and employs about 80 people, Bruce said.

The port leases its land from the city of Fernandina Beach for $50,000 a year, according to its 2014-2015 budget.

Another strategy Fort Pierce could emulate is to use its location between the well-known Port Canaveral and the Port of Jacksonville, better knows as JAXPORT, as an asset, said Laura DiBella, executive director of Nassau County Economic Development Board, which markets the Fernandina port to prospective clients.

JAXPORT handles a lot of goods transported in containers, while Fernandina creates a niche for shipping bulk, items in loose form such as oats, and bulk items, cargo carried on pallets, in drums or in bags, which can be separated.

"Our motto is, "We take what JAXPORT can't," DiBella said.

Florida Ports Council President and CEO Doug Wheeler agrees with DiBella the smaller Port of Fort Pierce doesn't have the resources to compete with the better-known Port of Palm Beach or PortMiami. Instead, it should build its own identity.

"We don't need another Miami or Canaveral or Jacksonville," Wheeler said. "What we need is a Fort Pierce. That is something we don't have."

St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce plan to take advantage of its proximity to South Florida by attracting more yacht-refurbishing businesses.

"Don't give up on the port," DiBella said in encouraging county and city officials involved with the Port of Fort Pierce. "It is a great asset and economic generator and adds to your community's economic diversity."
Breeze Airways makes it official: Flights from Vero Beach to begin Feb. 2

The Utah-based airline already flies to six Florida cities and has destinations across the country, from New York and Virginia to California.
A Fort Pierce man was arrested Wednesday after authorities searched his home with a warrant, seizing computers and storage devices containing numerous videos and photographs of child pornography.

Barry L. Winn, 61, who lives in the 1700 block of Arizona Avenue, was charged with 10 counts of possession of obscene materials depicting child sexual conduct and five counts of electronic transfer of child pornography, according to a St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit. He was released from the St. Lucie County Jail early Thursday after posting $52,500 in bond.

Winn told deputies he was once in the computer business and reported clients who brought him computers with child pornography on them, the affidavit said.

Winn told authorities he started downloading the materials about four years ago and had found a program that would allow him to download 'wholesale' pornographic images and videos of children. He had a specific drive that he used to store those downloads, the affidavit said.

Sheriff's detectives and members of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served the warrant. Anyone with information about this case or any similar case is asked to call Detective Matt Reynolds at 772-462-3230.
A portion of the Spanish treasure Fort Pierce salvor Daniel Porter recovered in 2012 from a galleon sunk in 1631 in a hurricane off Panama is back in his hands.

Porter, 53, the managing partner of Fort Pierce-based Maritime Research and Recovery LLC, attempted in September to bring home about 100 silver coins and other artifacts with an estimated value of $500,000 when they were seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at the behest of Panamas government.

The items were part of Porter share of more than 10,000 such items minted in Peru that were recovered during a four-year search of the San Jose wreckages 42-mile trail conducted under a contract struck with Panamas previous administration.

Those salvage contracts, the first that Panama had ever entered into with a treasure salvage company, gave Panama not only 35 percent of all treasure recovered, but also first pick of any antiquity item.

After a new president of Panama took over in July 2014, however, its government reneged on the agreements.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had urged Panama to prohibit treasure salvage operations, Porter said.

This week attorneys with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upheld Porters claims of ownership and ordered the treasure released to him in Fort Pierce.

Richard Kibbey, the Stuart attorney Porter hired to help him cut through bureaucratic red tape and win the rare international legal dispute with Panama, said, Its the first dispute we know of where the Panamanian government enlisted the help of the United States to seize property outside its borders.

Though Porters treasure has been returned to him, one of his partners is still involved in a legal battle in a Panamanian court over 3,000 more San Jose coins Panama seized.

We certainly hope this will set a precedent that if Americans travel overseas to assist foreign governments in retrieving their cultural heritage that the U.S. government will honor the contracts reached before the recovery, Kibbey said.

The San Joses ill-fated voyage began in Peru, where Spanish silver mines worked by Peruvian natives minted coins and ingots destined for the king of Spain from silver and gold ore found in mountains and streams.

Spanish archives confirmed the San Jose carried about 100 tons of silver and gold, including 1,400 80-pound bars of silver and 500,000 silver coins as it headed back to Spain and sunk in a hurricane off the coast of Panama.

Porter, who grew up close friends with the family of famed treasure salvor Mel Fisher, has worked for 35 years on salvage operations of more than 100 sunken wrecks including the famed Atocha, which sunk off the coast of Key West during a hurricane.

He said the secret to his success as a salvor is marrying the old-school work ethic with advancements in modern technology.
Samba Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Kolkata Posts: 1,980 Thanked: 20,548 Times

View My Garage





Ancillary Show @ Auto Expo 2016



Another unexpected surprise was i saw a stall from Madhus and in Team BHP every one know who the owner is and why its so famous! So yes i met Nikhilb2008 too!



Coming down straight to the show. It was huge, really huge. It's impossible to cover in a single day. Am sharing just as much I could cover. Hope other BHPians will pour in with there coverage too.



The entry pass-

Yes R-Three! Team Bhp promotes safe driving and SS-Traveller is one person who is the mentor of R-Three which teaches safe driving. I was with him and he gave his visiting card for the passes hence i got the honor of the R-Three badge too!







As I was with the BHPians let me start with the two stalls with which BHPian Aj-Got-Bhp and Nikhilb2008 were associated with.



First we went to meet Aj-Got-Bhp at the Unocal 76 stall.



From Left to right- Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia (CEO and director of Raaj Unocal Lubricants Ltd), Aj-Got-Bhp and SS-Traveller







From Left to right- Mr Samya Dasgupta, SS-Traveller, Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia, Aj-Got-Bhp and me.







From Left to right- Mr Ashis Ghatak, Samya Dasgupta, SS-Traveller. Mr Ghatak is the QC Head of Unocal Lubricants and he is a very knowledgeable person. When our Team BHP technical guru SS-Traveller met Mr.Ghatak there was really some brain storming discussion about the technicalities, though majority of that went over my head! But the icing on the cake was seeing these discussions AJ-Got-Bhp and Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia invited me, SS- Traveller & Samya to visit there industrial plant on 8th February when they were having an all India Delegation to visit their plant. We grabbed the offer immediately ! But sadly at the last moment SS-Traveller had to drop out and I visited the plant with my friend Samya Dasgupta in a self driven Duster from Myles and visited Agra too! But more on that later. Will write a different thread on the plant visit later on.







A miniature of their plant







This Lubistrand shows the stickiness of the oil.







This box is called DETAC. When the uv torch is used on Unocal 76 lubricant the oil will show this color. This will prove whether one is using genuine Unocal oil or some counterfeit oil. In a different oil this color will not show up.







Few other oils which caught my attention-



10w-60 synthetic engine oil







This 75W90 gear oil which is now used in many modern cars.







Uno TC Prima API CJ4. Till date i heard of CI4 CH4, CF4.CJ4 was something new for me. This oil is Euro 4 and 5 complaint.







This acts as a cleaner and its a chemical less engine cleaner which will not affect the rubber components like gaskets in the old cars. One has to use this in half the capacity of the oil the sump requires and the engine has to be kept on for 10 minutes and this oil has to be drained out. This will clean the engine.







And few other pics from the Unocal 76 stall.















After visiting this stall we were looking at the other stalls and suddenly we were in front of Madhus! Another stall from a DBHPian.



From left to right- Aj-Got-Bhp, me, Nikhilb2008







This was really a big stall with all modern equipment's. But the star of all the equipment's was this one-



Nikhilb2008 showed us how this lady could open a tyre from a 19 inch rim and again put it back in an effortless way. This was amazing. Let me share the pics how it worked step by step.







































Visiting the Auto Expo was a long time dream for me. This year my friend and BHPian Aj-Got-Bhp told he is going to visit Auto Expo for his business purpose. He is the super distributor of Unocal 76 lubricants in West Bengal and there company was going to put a stall over there. Soon i called up few of my Bhpain friends SS-Traveller, Predatorwheelz and Jkds who are Delhi based BHPian's. They told they were ready to visit the show too! Plus an all India whatsapp group was also made by BHPian's who are going to visit the Auto Expo. But most of them were aiming to visit the Auto Expo at Nodia. I thought when am flying from Kolkata just for this and meet few of my friends why not visit the Ancillary show too along with the main Auto Expo at Noida. SS-Traveller and one of my college friend Samya Dasgupta was ready to accompany me for the Ancillary show too plus Aj-Got-Bhp would be present there at his stall from the beginning. In short it was going to be a mini team-bhp meet in an Auto Expo! What more can i ask for! Even senior BHPian 1100D was supposed to fly from Kolkata but due to some last minute work he had to drop out.Another unexpected surprise was i saw a stall from Madhus and in Team BHP every one know who the owner is and why its so famous! So yes i met Nikhilb2008 too!Coming down straight to the show. It was huge, really huge. It's impossible to cover in a single day. Am sharing just as much I could cover. Hope other BHPians will pour in with there coverage too.The entry pass-Yes R-Three! Team Bhp promotes safe driving and SS-Traveller is one person who is the mentor of R-Three which teaches safe driving. I was with him and he gave his visiting card for the passes hence i got the honor of the R-Three badge too!As I was with the BHPians let me start with the two stalls with which BHPian Aj-Got-Bhp and Nikhilb2008 were associated with.From Left to right- Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia (CEO and director of Raaj Unocal Lubricants Ltd), Aj-Got-Bhp and SS-TravellerFrom Left to right- Mr Samya Dasgupta, SS-Traveller, Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia, Aj-Got-Bhp and me.From Left to right- Mr Ashis Ghatak, Samya Dasgupta, SS-Traveller. Mr Ghatak is the QC Head of Unocal Lubricants and he is a very knowledgeable person. When our Team BHP technical guru SS-Traveller met Mr.Ghatak there was really some brain storming discussion about the technicalities, though majority of that went over my head! But the icing on the cake was seeing these discussions AJ-Got-Bhp and Mr.Madhav Rajgarhia invited me, SS- Traveller & Samya to visit there industrial plant on 8th February when they were having an all India Delegation to visit their plant. We grabbed the offer immediately !But sadly at the last moment SS-Traveller had to drop out and I visited the plant with my friend Samya Dasgupta in a self driven Duster from Myles and visited Agra too! But more on that later. Will write a different thread on the plant visit later on.A miniature of their plantThis Lubistrand shows the stickiness of the oil.This box is called DETAC. When the uv torch is used on Unocal 76 lubricant the oil will show this color. This will prove whether one is using genuine Unocal oil or some counterfeit oil. In a different oil this color will not show up.Few other oils which caught my attention-10w-60 synthetic engine oilThis 75W90 gear oil which is now used in many modern cars.Uno TC Prima API CJ4. Till date i heard of CI4 CH4, CF4.CJ4 was something new for me. This oil is Euro 4 and 5 complaint.This acts as a cleaner and its a chemical less engine cleaner which will not affect the rubber components like gaskets in the old cars. One has to use this in half the capacity of the oil the sump requires and the engine has to be kept on for 10 minutes and this oil has to be drained out. This will clean the engine.And few other pics from the Unocal 76 stall.After visiting this stall we were looking at the other stalls and suddenly we were in front of! Another stall from a DBHPian.From left to right- Aj-Got-Bhp, me, Nikhilb2008This was really a big stall with all modern equipment's. But the star of all the equipment's was this one-Nikhilb2008 showed us how this lady could open a tyre from a 19 inch rim and again put it back in an effortless way. This was amazing. Let me share the pics how it worked step by step. Last edited by Zappo : 11th February 2016 at 13:48 . Reason: Typos and grammar correction done.
Google this week reportedly pulled one mobile ad blocker from the Google Play store and prevented another from being updated.

The moves come on the heels ofSamsungs announcement this week that it was opening up its mobile Web browser to ad blockers.

AdBlock Fast, which was one of the first blockers to take advantage of Samsungs largesse, reportedly was tossed from Google Play.

Rocketship Apps, the company that makes AdBlock Fast, did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but CEO Brian Kennish told TechCrunch that Google cited Section 4.4 of the Android Developer Distribution Agreement as the reason for sacking the app.

That section bars developers from releasing apps that interfere with the devices, servers, networks, or other properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, Android users, Google or any mobile network operator.

Policy Not Crystal Clear

After its release, AdBlock Fast became the top app in the Productivity category in Google Play. That meteoric rise may have been the reason Google quickly removed the app from its online outlet, Kennish told TechCrunch.

Another ad blocker for Samsungs browser,Crystal, reportedly also ran afoul of Google. When its development team tried to upload an upgrade for the app, it was rejected. The reason? Section 4.4.

Other ad blockers can be found in Google Play.

I cant comment on what happened to other apps, said Ben Williams, operations and communications manager atEyeo, maker of AdBlock Plus.

I can just say that Adblock Plus for Samsung browser is still in the Play Store, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Laconic Google

While we dont comment on specific apps, we can confirm that our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers, the company said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Joshua Cruz.

Samsung was equally terse on AdBlock Fasts fate.

We wouldnt want to comment about the issues another company may be facing, Samsung PR Manager Philip Berne told the E-Commerce Times.

While Google is concerned about ad blockers, it has other concerns about the mobile Web, noted Gavin Dunaway, senior editor atAdMonsters.

Better Mobile Experience

Googles worried about ad blocking on the mobile Web, but theyre more worried about the user experience on the mobile Web, he told the E-Commerce Times.

For example, Google in October launched itsAccelerated Mobile Pages program to encourage content providers to create mobile Web pages that load faster and consume less precious data.

It will have an effect on ads because it means there are going to be more static placements, rather than anything crazy that will take up a lot of data to download, Dunaway said.

The problem with ads on the mobile Web is that theyre not designed for the mobile Web.

You end up downloading everything meant for the desktop Web, Dunaway explained. Theyre too big, and theyre just going to suck away your data.

In-App Eyeballs

While advertising on the mobile Web may be annoying to users, it isnt where most advertising is seen.

Ad blockers are for the mobile Web. Users spend most of their time in applications, where there is still no ad blocking, Dunaway said.

As long as theres no ad blocking there, I dont think Google is all that concerned, he added.

Ad blockers are a problem for more than just Google, noted Greg Sterling, vice president of strategy and insight at theLocal Search Association.

The industry as a whole is getting very nervous about this, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Google is taking the hard-line position because ultimately it sees ad blockers as destructive to advertiser and publisher interests, Sterling said.

Paying the Piper

The problem is a simple one from Googles point of view, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Advertising is how you pay for Android, he told the E-Commerce Times. If you put up an ad blocker, from Googles perspective, youre ripping off Google.

When you decided to use Android, whether intentionally or not, youve agreed to consume ads to pay for this free operating system, Enderle noted. This is Google making sure you pay what they think you should pay.
New Delhi, India, February 12, 2016: EMC Corporation today announced the appointment of Srihari Palangala as the Director Marketing of EMC India, effective immediately. Reporting jointly to Karinne Brannigan, Vice President Marketing  Asia Pacific & Japan based in Singapore and Rajesh Janey, President  EMC India and SAARC, Srihari would be responsible for spearheading the marketing strategy and execution for sales, products and partnerships in India. Prior to EMC India, he was engaged with organizations such as VMLogix, Adobe India and Microsoft India. In his previous stints, he has been instrumental in driving business transformation and geographical expansion.

Commenting on the appointment, Rajesh Janey, President EMC India and SAARC said, We are pleased to welcome Srihari into the EMC Family. He brings with him a wealth of experience which will be critical for driving EMCs presence in the region. His strong passion for technology and marketing skills would be a major asset in driving growth for EMC India

Speaking on his appointment, Srihari said, I am delighted and excited to be a part of the EMC team in India. The company has retained their leadership as a storage vendor and has experienced several years of strong growth, yet retains a fresh and ambitious outlook. I look forward to contributing to this promising and high performing team and help customers transform for a digital era.

Srihari Palangala holds a Masters in Computer Science (Arizona State University) and an MBA from the Indian School of Business. Outside of regular work, as a marketing expert, he actively engages with the ecosystem  offering workshops and online sessions through NASSCOM, IPMA and angel networks to various audiences.

Other than Mr. Palangala, EMC India has recently expanded its leadership team with appointments in critical functions. Rajeev Saxena has joined as the Director for Inside Sales. Rajeev comes to EMC with 25+ years of experience working in IT across various functions including Sales, Pre-Sales and Support. He has built and run high-performance teams at some of the worlds best known firms including NetApp, Cisco and Tata. Prior to joining us to lead EMC India Inside Sales he was the Director of Sales for NetApp India and SAARC leading their MSB (Medium Sized Business) and Government Business. He has built a strong reputation for delivering success in collaborative environments which would be an asset for EMCs success in the future.

Also, Ripu Bajwa has been given the responsibility for leading the companys DPS business in India as the Country Manager. Ripu is a 10 year veteran at EMC and has contributed across various successes at EMC.

Commenting upon the companys leadership, Pallavi Kapoor, HR head for EMC India said Our people are our biggest strength and asset and we have always focused on building and developing them. We have been ranked 6th in the global Great Places to Work survey which showcases the vision of our leadership. The companys leadership has been strengthened with newer team members who have aligned themselves to achieving the strategy. We continue to invest in our people and have some of the best talent in the industry leading us on our journey.

Technuter.com News Service
Pandora's ownership may soon change hands. Sources familiar with the matter tell The New York Times that the Internet radio service has commissioned Morgan Stanley to help it meet with potential buyers.

Spokespeople for Pandora and Morgan Stanley declined to comment on the matter, the Times said.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told Reuters that be believes Amazon, Hulu and Yahoo could be among the potential buyers of Pandora. Pachter added that he believes the company is really valuable and doesn't think Pandora will accept a deal if they're offered less than $20 a share.

Needham & Co analyst Laura Martin said any company that views music as a cornerstone of their strategy should be interested in bidding for Pandora.

Late last year, the streaming music pioneer spent $450 million in cash and stock to acquire San Francisco-based ticketing agency Ticketfly. A month later, the firm purchased assets from now-defunct rival Rdio for $75 million.

Given the acquisitions and the fact that Pandora had nearly 80 million active users at the end of September, one would be forgiven to think that Pandora was doing fine. But with increased competition from longtime rival Spotify, newcomer Apple and soon-to-be competitor Amazon, Pandora has been feeling the squeeze. What's more, a December ruling from the Copyright Royalty Board increased the amount of money Pandora has to pay per 100 songs played by its customers.

Shares in Pandora are up 8.45 percent in after-hours trading as of writing.
A Consumer Consultant Guide - supposedly meant for Samsung employees only - has leaked, revealing the added features the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 edge will have as soon as these are updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. These new features include Doze, Now On Tap, App Permissions and more.

Android Marshmallow is geared to arrive on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge in the succeeding weeks. SamMobile managed to get a copy of the internal file, which talks about the new Marshmallow features and how these work.

New Major Features To Expect

Here are all the new interesting features that owners of these smartphones should expect.

1. Doze

This feature will help save a phone's battery life by putting the device into a deep sleep state when it is inactive. In this mode, apps are prevented from running in the background. The phone will only wake up the moment the user receives an SMS message or a phone call.

2. Google Now On Tap

This functionality will bring users search results based on the content displayed on the screen.

3. App Permissions

Users can now approve permissions for the apps installed on their device on a permission-by-permission basis.

4. New Emoji

As soon as the update is installed on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, users will then be treated to the new collection of emoji.

5. Centered Lock Screen Clock

After the update to Google's latest OS, the lock screen clock on these two handsets will then be centered.

6. More Colorful Lock Screen Icons

With the update onboard, the lock screen icons will be given more colors.

7. In-App Browser

With the in-app browser, users of these devices can soon open links within the messaging app.

8. Power Savings Mode

When this mode is activated, the notifications will be in gray.

Apart from these new additions, the S6 edge's screen is expected to get new functions. On top of that, these devices will be given support for the MIDI audio protocol plus dynamic audio and video rendering and synchronization.

Should you wish to learn more about the new features that will be thrown into the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, you can download the leaked guide (in PowerPoint format) via this link, as provided by SamMobile.

At any rate, since nothing is official yet, a healthy dose of skepticism is advised.

In January, Samsung rolled out the beta version of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. The update, which seemed to be a minor one at first glance, came with a carousel of new enhancements.

The update added in a new set of emoji characters, a new interface for the S6 edge's screen settings, a customizable edge panel, a new Tasks edge panel, a new Install Overnight option and more.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla Motors is making it safer to remotely summon or send off its Model S cars after receiving feedback on consumer field tests of the electric vehicle's remote valet feature.

Released last month, the Summon feature is an extension of the Model S' self-driving "Autopilot' system that raise its own safety concerns.

While not nearly as serious as letting a Model S drive down a residential road with poor lane markings, Consumer reports found that the EVs auto-valet feature Summon posed the risk of harming people and property.

"As we used the system, we became concerned that, in an emergency, a user might not be able stop the car right away if they were to press the wrong part of the key fob (the buttons are not marked) or if they dropped the key fob," says Consumer Reports.

After trying out the Summon feature on its test car, Consumer Reports found out that the using the Model S' smartphone app could be just as dangerous as trying to park the cars remotely via a key fob.

"When we closed the app with the car in motion (something that might happen accidentally), the car continued to move," says the consumer watchdog group.

The solution was to model the Model S' Summon controls after a dead man's switch, a system for detonating grenades posthumously in the event that a combatant has been killed and is no longer able to pull the trigger.

If a consumer, for some reason, is unable to stop the Model S from marching to or from a parking space or garage at its 1 MPH speed, the "dead man's switch" will kick in.

Through an over-the-air update, Tesla Motors has reversed the way the Model S' Summon controls work on the app and has, at least for now, disabled use of the feature via key fob.

Users will now need to hold the key fob as the Model S goes in or out of a space. If a smartphone's battery dies or the app crash or some other event takes control away from the user for any period, Summon will stop the cars in their tracks.

For Tesla Motors, its work in automotives is a fluid process and the company continues to be prepared to adapt as it moves deeper into uncharted territory.

Summon "lays important groundwork for an increasingly autonomous world -- one where the convenience and safety of transport vastly exceed what we are used to today," Tesla Motors says. "Autopilot began this process on the highways. Summon begins it in your garage. As the technology advances, the complementary capabilities of each will converge."

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
When the Arca Space Corp. introduced its ArcaBoard hoverboard in December, it carried a hefty price tag of $19,900.

Just two months later, though, and the company has dropped that price by $5,000, as explained by a press release earlier this week.

"The company has worked diligently to lower the cost of the ArcaBoard in its pursuit of making a product that will be available to as many people as possible," the company wrote on its website Tuesday. "Arca has secured strategic partnerships with U.S. and Chinese suppliers like Southwest Composite Works Inc. and Eco Molding Co. Originally priced at $19,900, The ArcaBoard can now be sold at $14,900 thanks to these partnerships. The orders that were already placed at the initial price will be shipped as scheduled, and the price difference will be reimbursed."

Whether the recent bad publicity of hoverboards catching on fire has anything to do with this is unknown. But it shouldn't, considering those hoverboards are mostly two-wheel devices that stay on the ground, while the ArcaBoard actually allows its users to levitate and float in the air for about six minutes.

As part of the company's announcement to lower the ArcaBoard's production price, Arca Space also made battery packs available to extend its flying time by simply swapping out the dying or dead battery with a charged one.

Although $14,900 is still a pricey fee, the ArcaBoard touts 272 horsepower, cranking out about 430 pounds of pure upthrust with the help of 36 electric fans. The 180-pound device delivers a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour and is able to carry a passenger of up to 243 pounds.

ArcaBoard will hit the international market on April 14 at Monaco's Top Marques event, but orders can currently be placed on the company's website.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Famous Japanese video game designer Hideo Kojima, known for the Metal Gear franchise while at developer Konami, has started a video series appropriately titled HideoTube on the Kojima Productions YouTube channel.

The first video in what is expected to be a series released today, with Kojima joined by Kenji Yano to talk about their top 10 movies of 2015. They dont agree on every number, but they seem to more generally agree on some of the bigger entries. The full 46-minute episode was filmed at YouTube Space Tokyo and is a decent little production, but has a few quirks.

For example, it only features English subtitles for the first couple of minutes. The names of the films are dropped in English as the list counts down, but good luck making out what theyre actually saying about each. Kojimas requested that folks volunteer to subtitle via YouTubes ability to contribute subtitles to videos.

Thanks for waiting, maybe tomorrow HIDEO TUBE "top 10 movies in 2015" will be up on YOU TUBE!

Guest: Mr.Kenji Yano pic.twitter.com/iwU0aF9Yba  HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) February 10, 2016

For anyone curious, Kojimas pick for #1 movie of 2015? Mad Max: Fury Road.

HideoTube #01 "Top 10 movies in 2015" is out now. Can anyone do the translation? https://t.co/xaYtyXWOim pic.twitter.com/OMR1FMJ12d  HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) February 11, 2016

Via: Anime News Network

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A move made by the U.S. Senate has become a landmark win for net neutrality: the legislative body voted on Feb. 11 to ban taxes on Internet access, keeping the medium an equal-opportunity resource for millions nationwide. The vote, which passed 75-20, will now move on to the final stage of the legislation process: into the hands of President Barack Obama for approval.

The Senate was the second of three gatekeepers set in place for turning the bill into law: like the Senate, the House already passed the measure, which means that the only thing keeping the ban from becoming law is the lack of President Obama's signature. The POTUS is expected to officialize the law-to-be sometime within the near future.

While the impetus of the bill is to neutralize access by keeping it exempt from taxation, some pointed out a noticeable absence in the legislation: taxation of online retailers, which would hold companies like Apple and Amazon accountable for paying sales taxes  the same as non-digital physical stores. While the caveat was missing from this particular bill, lawmakers said that they plan to address it in the near future, even as soon as this summer.

As reported by CNN, some of the senators involved in the vote spoke about the reasoning behind their stances, and shared their thoughts on the results.

"Right now most Americans pay $0 in taxes to connect to the Internet," said Oregon Democratic senator Ron Wyden. "And thanks to a bill that passed today, you will never have to pay taxes just to get online, or pay more taxes for goods and services just because they're bought online."

Others, like Republican senator Lamar Alexander, inferred the legislative measure was restrictive to U.S. citizens.

"The federal government shouldn't be telling the states what their tax structure should be," he said.

Despite the words of detractors, the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of the Senate supported the measure, and that, unless the future law is overturned in some distant scenario, it looks like net neutrality is here to stay.

Source: CNN

Photo: Cliff | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Gravitational waves may have been detected for the first time, more than a century after they were first proposed by the eminent physicist Albert Einstein. The announcement came following observation of the phenomenon by researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States.

The General Theory of Relativity predicted that massive events could warp space-time around them. These occurrences could then result in the production of waves that would emanate from their source, and propagate throughout space.

Even Einstein himself was not certain of the existence of gravitational waves, alternatively speaking for and against evidence for the phenomenon. In a 1936 paper, Einstein wrote that the waves he predicted 20 years before were not possible. However, an editor pointed out a mistake in the manuscript.

During 1962, a pair of Russian physicists proposed an optical method of detecting gravitational waves, but the paper was largely ignored.

Physicist James Weber announced in 1969 that he had detected gravitational waves utilizing aluminum cylinders. However, no other researchers were able to duplicate his results.

A second optical method of detecting gravitational waves was proposed in 1973, but the method was never successfully used to detect the elusive phenomenon.

The first observational evidence of the effect of gravitational waves came in 1974, when astronomers noted a pulsar was slowing in its orbit around a neutron star. This behavior was found to be consistent with the production of gravitational waves  a realization that lead to investigators winning the Nobel Prize.

Construction of the LIGO facility began in 1994, followed by groundbreaking for the GEO600 gravitational wave detector in Germany the following year. That facility came online in 2002. Italian physicists started to work on their own observatory, Virgo, in 1996, and that detector began its search for gravitational waves in 2007.

Upgrades to the American facility, totaling $205 million, took place between 2010 and 2015. Advanced LIGO made its first observations in September 2015.

The latest experiment appears to have detected gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes, sitting 1.3 billion light-years from Earth. One of these bodies was 26 times the mass of the sun, and the other was 36 solar masses. The gravitational waves produced in the mighty collision struck Earth, and were detected by the LIGO detectors on Sept. 14, 2015.

"The colliding black holes that produced these gravitational waves created a violent storm in the fabric of space and time, a storm in which time speeded up, and slowed down, and speeded up again, a storm in which the shape of space was bent in this way and that way," Kip Thorne, a physicist at Caltech, said.

If this discovery is confirmed by other scientists, and gravitational waves are seen in other bodies, it could herald a new age in astronomy. So far, all the information the human race has gathered about the universe around us has come in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including light, heat and radio waves. These emanations can all be hindered in their travels through space by dust, gas and other barriers. However, gravitational waves do not suffer from this drawback, providing the first "full story" on the celestial objects being observed.

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Since scientists discovered that Neanderthal DNA is present in people of Eurasian origin, hypotheses on the effects of these genes on modern human characteristics have abounded, from skin color to metabolism. Headlines like Are Neanderthals to blame for your allergies? saw print and fueled this line of curiosity.

Now, a new study saw that a certain bit of this DNA significantly upped risks for nicotine addiction and depression, and generally influenced clinical traits in modern humans.

We discovered associations between Neanderthal DNA and a wide range of traits, including immunological, dermatological, neurological, psychiatric and reproductive diseases, reported senior study author and evolutionary geneticist John Capra of Vanderbilt University in a press release.

The scientists used a database of 28,000 patients whose DNA samples have been matched with anonymized versions of their digitized health data, which came from records from Vanderbilt and eight other hospitals through the Electronic Medical Records and Genomic Network of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

The data informed researchers if each person had ever been treated for certain medical conditions. The researchers then analyzed each persons genomes to pinpoint the unique Neanderthal DNA set individually carried.

Some of the teams findings confirmed earlier hypotheses, such as the Neanderthal DNA affecting keratinocytes, cells that help protect the skin from UV radiation and other environmental assaults. It particularly increases the risk of developing keratosis, skin lesions caused by abnormal forms of these cells.

The team was surprised to discover that parts of the DNA were linked to psychiatric and neurological effects, which translated to a higher risk of getting addicted to smoking or becoming depressed.

First author Corinne Simonti explained that since the brain is a greatly complex organ, introducing changes from an altogether different evolutionary path could lead to negative impacts such as these predispositions.

Neanderthals are believed to have migrated from Africa to Europe as well as Asia some 400,000 years ago, with interbreeding about 50,000 years ago resulting in the genomes of modern Eurasians having up to 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Neanderthals became extinct during a cold spell in the European continent.

Thus, todays population is believed to retain Neanderthal DNA that gave early humans adaptive strategies at the time that they moved into new non-African settings, which had different pathogens and sun exposure levels.

Sadly, many of those traits may no longer be an advantage today.

Heres an example: a gene variant raises blood coagulation rate, which could have assisted our ancestors in coping with pathogens present in new environments. This variant helped seal wounds faster and prevent pathogenic invasion.

Now, the gene variant has turned detrimental as excess coagulation ups the risk for conditions such as stroke, pulmonary embolism and complications in pregnancy.

The study is limited to linking the DNA variants with physical characteristics noted in hospital billing codes, but Capras team is currently using other data in medical records such as lab tests and medical images to expand their research.

The findings were published Feb. 12 in the journal Science.

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What compact discs and cable boxes have in common is that a lot of people think these things all belong in museums and history books. Pay TV companies believe Google is working to reinvent that last one, the cable box, and they don't think that's necessary or good for business.

About two weeks ago, the Federal Communications Commission introduced a proposal to change the rules that run cable boxes in order to give consumers more control over the hardware they choose for their pay TV services.

Well, a collection of pay TV companies, joined together under the banner of the Future of TV Coalition, has derided the proposed changes as being "a solution in search of a problem." With the current set up, consumers already have access to both pay TV content and streaming media, the coalition reasoned.

"This app-driven innovation is already happening  and it doesnt require a government mandate that would increase consumer costs, strip viewers of privacy protections, and let third party device makers ignore the terms of carriage agreements between programmers and distributors," the coalition stated.

The 47-member-strong coalition, which includes Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Dish and Charter Communications, thinks Google is cooking up something to sway consumers and regulators the wrong way in this fight, according to a statement from the group.

"Amazingly, Google plans to demonstrate its new AllVid-style TV set top box, presumably in order to build support for the new rules being considered by the FCC on video competition announced to much fanfare just this week," the statement read.

The coalition then asked how Google could have a box that complies with the FCC's proposal just two days after the commission proposed the new rules, suggesting that the search engine company was in cahoots with regulators. It's a fair question, but it sells short the ingenuity and opportunist nature of Google.

Milo Medin, vice president of access services at Google, forecast a future in which Android TV and other software TV platforms, would work with smart TVs to replace cable boxes.

"If you can integrate, if you can provide extra functionality and search across these things, and give TV vendors a chance to differentiate from each other and really unlock innovation, I think it's a huge opportunity for those guys," said Medin this week. "Because what's the difference right now between buying a Samsung or a Sony or a Vizio?"

Still, Medin said Google has no plans right now to develop a cable box or something to replace one.

"Google does a lot of things that don't necessarily have a direct commercial benefit for Google," Medin said. "We do it because we believe openness benefits everyone. We and the Internet as a whole all benefit from open systems."

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The longest surviving heart transplant patient has gone to rest 33 years after his life-saving, world record-setting operation.

In October 1982, John McCafferty from Buckinghamshire was told shortly after receiving transplant at Harefield Hospital in west London, United Kingdom, that he only had five years to live.

But he proved them wrong, spending decades with his wife and being awarded by the Guinness World Records in December 2013 as the worlds longest surviving patient of heart transplant.

"The last 30 years we had together were brilliant. We've travelled the world, recalled his wife, Ann.

McCafferty died on Tuesday at age 73 at Milton Keynes Hospital. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy when he was 39-years-old, a condition that results in the scarring of the heart wall as well as muscle damage that weakens and enlarges the organ.

The heart transplant, conducted by surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, was effective long enough for McCafferty to live a full life. Ann said her husband took part in the British Transplant Games and even spent their golden wedding anniversary with her last October.

The idea that I would live to see my 70s was inconceivable. Yet here I am, McCafferty said after being presented with the Guinness certificate at Harefield, where he continued his therapy.

"My advice is always to be hopeful, to look ahead with a positive mind, and, of course, to follow the expert medical advice, he added.

McCafferty surpassed the previous survival record of 30 years held by American Tony Huesman, who lived 11 months and 10 days after his heart transplant. Huesman passed away in 2009.

A spokesperson for the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust expressed sadness over the mans passing and thanked him for his dedication as a public governor of the trust and an organ donation advocate.

John was an inspiration to others and epitomized the life-changing nature of transplantation, she said.

The first successful heart transplant procedure was carried out in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa, by Professor Christiaan Neethling Barnard along with 30 doctors. The patient, Louis Washkansky, survived for only 18 days.

In a viral video in January, 15-year-old Trevor Sullivan woke up from his heart transplant and tearfully said he can breathe again. His case and many others spark organ donation awareness campaigns everywhere, with many companies and organizations becoming more and more vocal about the cause.

Photo : Army Medicine | Flickr

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Go ahead and binge-watch all your guilty pleasures when it comes to reality television.

That's the idea behind NBC Universal International announcing the launch of hayu  its next-generation, subscription video on-demand reality TV service.

Scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia next month, hayu will deliver reality-TV favorites such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives, Million Dollar Listing and I Am Cait, just to name a few.

NBC's hayu service will begin with a free one-month trial, giving users upwards of 3,000 episodes of reality TV content. New episodes will be added every week, with NBC saying the majority of which will debut on the same day they premiere in the United States with 500-plus episodes added each year.

Those interested will especially be excited to know that the service will be adding entire box sets of reality series, meaning they could go back and watch the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, binge-watching all the way to get up-to-date.

The curated hayu service will also offer content snippets from original episodes that could be shared directly via subscribers' social media accounts.

NBC's hayu is so serious about keeping its subscribers up to date with their fill of reality TV that the service will even come equipped with newsfeeds from multiple sources about new announcements from those shows.

"NBCUniversal's expertise as the foremost producer of reality programming  along with the obvious popularity of the genre  was the trigger for launching hayu," Kevin MacLellan, NBC Universal International chairman, said as part of the company's press release statement. "We know that reality content is a primary driver of social interaction and that fans of reality TV significantly over-index in online viewing. We set out to build a service that elegantly combines the best high-end reality shows with the most popular social media and digital news platforms."

The monthly no-contract subscribing fee is friendly-priced at: 3.99 in the UK, 4.99 in Ireland and $5.99 in Australia, with the first month free.

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Months after the historic 2015 Pluto flyby made by the spacecraft New Horizons this past summer, scientists at NASA are piecing together geographical maps to suss out the dwarf planet's terrain  and with it, begin to understand the ways in which Pluto geologically formed from millions upon millions of years ago up until now.

Even more pertinent for this upcoming Valentine's Day? The area they're focusing on has been nicknamed the planet's "broken heart."

To be clear, the geologists over at NASA aren't charting the terra firma of the spherical body once known as the ninth planet of our solar system: rather, they're plotting an area of Pluto that measures around 1,290 miles (2,070 kilometers) in length and contains a diverse array of geological miscellany found on the dwarf's surface. The area itself is grounded by the Sputnik Planum  a broken plain made up of nitrogen-ice and apparently similar to the Hudson Bay in terms of its size  with the rest of the geological array ranging from "rugged, heavily cratered material" to plateaus to areas with a "washboard-like texture" surrounding the area.

So, what methods are the NASA team using to come up with a definitive idea of the planet's morphology? If you haven't already guessed, it all traces back to New Horizons and the myriad images the probe took of the dwarf planet's surface during its Pluto mission, which lasted less than 48 hours after nine years of space travel to its celestial destination, a journey roughly 4.5 light years away. While it will still take more than a year for all of the data New Horizons collected to transmit back to our planet, enough hi-res images of the Sputnik Planum exist "approximately 1,050 feet (320 meters) per pixel or better" for the geologists to piece it together  or as NASA stated in an official release, "map units with relative confidence" (to get an idea of what process and map-oriented legend NASA's scientific team is using, check out the example below).

So, why study the morphology and plot the geology of Pluto in the first place? To essentially understand the planet's history  how it came to be so pockmarked, rubbly and rugged, why certain terrestrial outcroppings like fields of ice formed where they did, and, as NASA put it, "for gauging what processes have operated where on Pluto, and when they occurred relative to other processes at work."

In the end, if you're feeling bad about being alone on Valentine's Day, just know that you're not the only one with a broken heart  deep out there in space, Pluto has one, too.

To learn more about Pluto's terrain, check out NASA's video clip below.

Source: NASA

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A group of anonymous developers released an app this week that aims to help Iranians avoid running into the checkpoints held by Tehran's morality police, who look to individuals they believe are violating the Islamic code of conduct.

Much like crowdsourcing apps like Waze help drivers to avoid traffic jams, the app, called Gershad, allows users to identify places on a map of the city where the Gasht-e-Ershad, the guidance patrol known as the morality police, are patrolling so that they can avoid these areas.

These mobile checkpoints typically consist of officers from the branch of the security forces, co-directed by the Revolutionary Guards and Interior Ministry, who routinely stop, harass or arrest Iranians for what they allege is inappropriate behavior. Iranians who are stopped are either issued a warning, forced to write a statement to apologize for their behavior, are fined or are detained and prosecuted.

Women are particularly the target, especially those who are not wearing a hijab correctly or at all, or who wear too much makeup. Iranians with others of the opposite sex are sometimes stopped when traveling together and are not married, and men can also be stopped for wearing clothing with too much Western influence.

According to the police spokesman Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the morality police obtained 207,053 written pledges from women who did not follow the strict hijab laws, referred 18,081 cases to the Judiciary and gave warnings and guidance to 2,917,000 other "norm-breakers."

Gershad relies on users to detect the checkpoints by adding the location of where a morality police van is located on the map. The app then alerts other users who are near that location. If a specific location doesn't get a lot of confirmations, the checkpoint van will start to fade and then disappear from the map.

The app also lets users plan an alternate route to avoid a run-in with the Ershad.

"Police need to provide security for the citizens not to turn into a factor for fear. A while ago, angry with such unreasonable oppressions, we looked for a solution to find a practical way to resist the volume of injustices peacefully with low risk level, to restore part of our freedom," the developers write on the app page.

Gershad was released earlier this week only for Android, and has been downloaded more than 16,000 times in the Google Play Store. However, the app's website was blocked within 24 hours of its release.

The app was developed using Psiphon, a tool used to bypass censorship, which could allow the app to continue to work even if the government continues to crack down on blocking access.

The developers said that they are currently working on iOS and Windows Phone versions, as well as a version that supports Arabic language so that it can be used in Saudi Arabia.

Television personality Nima Akbarpour shared a screen shot on Twitter to further spread awareness for the app.

The public support of the app signifies that many Iranians may be fed up with the strict laws in their country.

Source: The BBC

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Still unable to reach an agreement with United States regulators over a proposal to fix nearly 600,000 vehicles, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Volkswagen's sales declined in the country.

CBS News is reporting that Volkswagen vehicle sales in the U.S. dropped seven percent in January, largely due to the reputation hit that the automaker has taken over its emissions scandal.

Although a sales decline in the U.S. was to be expected, the embattled automaker's worldwide sales increased by 3.7 percent last month  especially aided by the strong gains it experienced in China, where vehicle sales jumped 14 percent.

That being said, while VW was granted approval to begin its recall on 8.5 million faulty diesel vehicles in Europe, it has yet to even reach a proposal for such a fix in the U.S.

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) rejected the automaker's plan to make two-liter diesel cars compliant with emissions regulations, with the latter agency even calling the proposal for 580,000 affected cars "unacceptable."

Since then, VW has been unable to present a recall package and plan that works with the EPA and CARB.

The automaker is in such a tough position that just last week, it announced the postponement of its annual earnings reports presentation, which was scheduled for March 10, and its annual shareholders meeting, which was slated for April 21.

That news followed the company's second-largest shareholder giving VW until that April date to come clean about the origins of its emissions scandal, so it isn't yet known what the delaying of that shareholders meeting means to the enforcing of that deadline.

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According to a new study, computer code being written by women has higher approval ratings than the code written by men - but only if the gender of the coder is being hidden.

A number of factors were considered in the study, including things like whether or not contributions were shorter and thus easier to be appraised, which programming languages were being used and so on. After looking into these factors, however, researchers could not find any correlations.

Interestingly enough, among users who were not well known in the coding community, coding suggestions from those whose profiles clearly stated that the users were women had a far lower acceptance rate than suggestions from those who did not make their gender known. What this means is that there is a bias against women in the coding world.

The researchers, from the computer science departments of California Polytechnic State University and North Carolina State University, analyzed around 1.4 million users that logged on to coding website GitHub on April 1, 2015. The researchers were able to identify whether or not these people were male or female, either from their gender being known in their profile, or because their email addresses could be linked with social media profiles.

"For outsiders, we see evidence for gender bias: women's acceptance rates are 71.8 percent when they use gender-neutral profiles, but drop to 62.5 percent when their gender is identifiable. There is a similar drop for men, but the effect is not as strong," said the paper.

Basically, women seem to have higher acceptance rates, but only if it's not known that they're women.

It's important to note that the study is still awaiting peer review, meaning that it still has to be approved as valid by other experts.

Despite numerous initiatives started by tech firms, the tech world in general still faces sexism and other diversity issues. While it is getting better, the tech world still has a long way to go.

Photo: Marissa Anderson | Flickr

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The good folks at Microsoft are promoting their anime offerings by giving free downloads this month of several titles like Fairy Tail, Black Butler and more, while offering discounts on several others.

According to Microsoft, the company is celebrating Anime Month with all the various promotional offerings. Beyond Fairy Tail, portions of anime series, like The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Steins;Gate and more are available. Theres also more generally-priced discounts on even more, but the free offerings have a whole suite of strings attached.

First and foremost, Microsoft seems to only be offering English dubs of everything when it comes to the free shows. That isnt to say that there arent decent or even good dubs, but the general consensus is typically in favor of the original Japanese voice cast with English subtitles. Anecdotally, its more common to have a bad dub than a good dub.

In addition to some questions about quality, its also important to note that theres only portions of pretty much everything available rather than anything resembling a full show. Whats often considered a season here in North America  12 episodes or so  when doing these kind of promotions is regularly just half of an arc. Going back to Fairy Tail, there are dozens of episodes, but theres only the first 12 available as part of this promotion. Its enough to whet ones appetite, but not satisfy it, really.

All that said, its still nice to see the company getting behind a bunch of anime, even if there are caveats like those previously mentioned. There are marks against the system, but not the intention. The mediums arguably never been more prevalent in the West, and franchises like Attack on Titan remain exceedingly popular.

Via: Polygon

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Top Amazon.com executive Diego Piacentini is taking a leave of absence from the company to run the Italian governments digital efforts.Piacentini is Amazons senior vice president for the companys international consumer business. His leave was reported in a securities filing Wednesday. CEO Jeff Bezos wrote a tweet congratulating Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, saying, We are so proud of Diego. Great for Italy. Kudos to all!Renzi thanked Bezos on Twitter. Thank you, @JeffBezos. It will be a pleasure to work with @diegopia. Come to Italy and we can talk about innovation!Piacentini, a native Italian who has been at Amazon for 16 years, will run Renzis digital technology office.In 2000, Piacentini, now 55, joined an upstart Amazon from Apple. More recently he has been in charge of Amazons ambitious overseas efforts, which include a big bet on India and a significant ramp up in Europe. Hes also a big holder of Amazon shares. Among the companys top brass, as of early 2015 he was second only to Bezos, according to a proxy filing.Piacentini will work pro-bono starting this summer, according to on Amazons website.In the post, he says he will take to his homeland some of Amazons philosophy.Think big and stay focused on the customer. Thats what we plan to do in Italy, he said in the post.In , Paolo Barberis, innovation adviser for the Italian government, welcomed Piacentini. Benvenuto Diego, construiamo il paese digitale, or Welcome Diego, lets build the digital country.According to Barberis, Piacentinis homecoming has been cooking for a while, beginning with a Silicon Valley visit by Renzi and his team. (The trip took place in 2014, and Renzi met with top executives at Twitter, Google and Yahoo, according to Italian press reports .)Italy has been working on attracting foreign investment, specifically in technology, to buttress a challenged economy.Renzi last month celebrated on his Facebook page that Cisco had committed to investing $100 million in the country over the next three years.In the securities filing, Amazon said Russ Grandinetti, the companys senior vice president for Kindle Content, will oversee the international consumer business. He will report to Jeff Wilke, senior vice president for consumer business.Amazon also announced Wednesday that Corning CEO Wendell Weeks has been appointed to its board of directors.Also, the company said the board authorized the repurchase of $5 billion in stock, upgrading a previous $2 billion repurchase authorization established in 2010.The repurchase program enables Amazon to buy stock opportunistically.Shares jumped 1.38 percent after market close in the wake of the announcement, trading at $497.25.
Facebook Messenger might soon get SMS integration, support for multiple accounts

Facebook has confirmed that it is testing the integration of SMS plus support for multiple accounts for the Messenger app on limited Android users. SMS integration in Messenger will once again allow users to send and receive SMS messages from the app.

At Messenger we are always trying to create new ways for people to communicate seamlessly with everyone, said a Facebook spokesperson. Right now, were testing the ability for people to easily bring all their conversations  from SMS and Messenger  to one place. Its a really simple way to get, see and respond to all your SMS messages in just one app. By choosing to access your SMS messages in Messenger, theyre right alongside all the other enhanced features that Messenger offers.

According to the initial information, Facebook is currently testing the SMS feature with limited Android users in the US. Unfortunately, because of the deeper OS integration required to make this feature work, its unlikely that iOS users will ever have the option to use Messenger for SMS messages.

For those unaware, SMS was actually a part of Facebook Messenger before, but it was removed a few years ago due to low adoption in 2013. In reality, the company likely wanted to force Messenger adoption  something it did very well, also by pulling the functionality from the default Facebook app in 2014.

As the blog Android Police noted, some users were seeing a new SMS Settings pane that allowed them to use Messenger as main SMS client.

When texting a friend in Messenger with the option enabled, the prompt in the text input box would read Write an SMS message to indicate that this is a regular text message box. The messages sent as SMS texts would then appear as purple bubbles, instead of Messengers usual blue, the blog also said. This color change feature is an optional feature that can be enabled or disabled in settings.

SMS support is not the only change coming to Messenger. Facebook has also announced support for multiple accounts in the app for Android users. The new multiple accounts feature is likely targeted at users who share their devices within the family or friends. The new addition will mean that multiple people can log in to Messenger from a single device.

Messenger for Android has added a new section called Accounts, which lets you add and remove accounts on the app. These can also be password-protected so only the account holder can read their messages. Others will only see notifications that a message has been received and not its content.

Confirming the multiple accounts feature for Android users, Facebook had this to say: Millions of people share phones with their family and friends. Until now, there hasnt been an easy way for people to access their individual Messenger accounts from shared devices. To address this, weve launched a feature on Android to enable multiple people to log in and use Messenger from a single phone.

Unlike the SMS option, this feature is available around the world.
Surfing the Internet at breakneck speeds now possible as Japanese scientists fire up 100Gbps wireless broadband connection

Surfing the Internet or playing online games in a jiffy may now be possible as Japanese scientists have developed a new technology which will allow data transmissions of upto 100Gbps.

The Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Panasonic and Hiroshima University claim to have developed a terahertz (THz) transmitter that can achieve wireless data connections of up to 100Gbps (gigabits per second).

This technology could open a new frontier in wireless communication with data rates ten times higher than current technology allows. Details of the technology were presented at the International Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC) 2016, held from January 31 to February 4 in San Francisco, California.

The development of a CMOS transmitter operating in the 275-305GHz range has allowed them to establish high-speed connections over multiple channels, and created the headroom needed for speeds that would rival those of fiber cables. Currently, this frequency range is unallocated and is due to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2019.

The THz bands frequencies are higher than those used by the millimetre-wave wireless local area network (from 57 to 66GHz), and the available bandwidths are wider. THz is said to be suited to ultrahigh-speed communications, since the speed of a wireless link is proportional to the bandwidth in use.

Most of the wireless communication technologies today use lower frequencies (5GHz or below) with high-order digital modulation schemes, such as the quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), to increase data rates within limited bandwidths available. The research group has successfully demonstrated that QAM is feasible at 300 GHz with CMOS and that THz wireless technology could offer a serious boost in wireless communication speed.

Now THz wireless technology is armed with very wide bandwidths and QAM-capability. The use of QAM was a key to achieving 100 gigabits per second at 300 GHz, said Prof. Minoru Fujishima, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University.

Today, we usually talk about wireless data-rates in megabits per second or gigabits per second. But I foresee well soon be talking about terabits per second. Thats what THz wireless technology offers. Such extreme speeds are currently confined in optical fibers. I want to bring fiber-optic speeds out into the air, and we have taken an important step toward that goal, he added.

Prof Fujishima added that the research group plans to further develop 300GHz ultrahigh-speed wireless circuits.

This work was supported by the R&D on wireless transceiver systems with CMOS technology in 300-GHz band, as part of an R&D program on key technology in terahertz frequency bands of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.
Afraid of personal data leak? Dont discuss your personal information in front of your smart TVs says Samsung!

Shocking!!! Samsung has confirmed that its smart TV sets are listening to customers every word and transmitting the same to its servers as well as third parties. In fact, Samsung has warned its Smart TV customers not to speak about personal information while near the TV sets.

https://twitter.com/xor/status/564356757007261696/photo/1

Samsung revealed that the voice activation feature on its smart TVs will capture all nearby conversations. The TV sets can share the information, including sensitive data, with Samsung as well as third-party services, viz.Nuance Communications, Inc

Shane Harris at The Daily Beast had first reported the issue by noticing a discreet line in Samsungs privacy policy: Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.

After the Daily Beast report was published, huge user outcry forced Samsung to issue a new statement clarifying how the voice activation feature works. If a consumer consents and uses the voice recognition feature, voice data is provided to a third party during a requested voice command search, Samsung said in a statement. At that time, the voice data is sent to a server, which searches for the requested content then returns the desired content to the TV.

This means that Samsung expects users to buy its costly Smart TVs by spending thousands of dollars and behaving like robots while watching TVs. It also opens up a debate of the Smart TV owners personal information being saved by Nuance Communication and whether it is susceptible to a data breach or manipulation.

Also read: Here is how you can stop your Samsung Smart TV from listening to you
18 year old arrested after he allegedly made bomb threats to schools across the world

The French police on Monday arrested an 18-year-old teenager in connection with bomb threats

made to schools across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Vincent Lauton was arrested after local threats prompted them to track his IP address, local media reported. He is also being questioned about messages that affected UK and Australian schools, the Daily Mail has since reported.

Described by French police as a sophisticated computer operative who is known for previous acts of piracy, Lauton is linked to the Evacuators 2K16 bomb hoaxers, who called on children to Tweet if they want their school shut down.

Lauton is being held by French police and questioned over his alleged connection to a dark web operation that takes requests for bomb threats that can be made to schools or businesses.

A source close to the current investigation told the Daily Mail, He is known as a brilliant computer operative. He can get into pretty much any system, and is a master of the dark web. Lauton was so well respected as a hacker that detectives sometimes turned to him for advice.

In the last few weeks, dozens of schools have received the same automated phone message warning of an explosive device on school grounds, after which the schools have had to be evacuated. Two weeks ago, three schools in Birmingham were evacuated following hoax calls.

Seven days later, six schools in Birmingham were threatened, along with four in London and Cornwall respectively. The same day, pupils and teachers were also told to evacuate five schools in Paris and Lyon. There were similar threats against educational establishments in Amsterdam, Tokyo and Sydney.

In all of the above cases, no explosive devices was found.

A MailOnline investigation found Lauton, who was believed to be studying at Burgundy University, was the administrator of the darkness.su domain  behind which the hoaxers are hiding.

The dark web exists on overlay networks that require specialist software and authorisation to access it.

The domain allows shadowy organisations to operate anonymously and with impunity on the dark web by hiding their IP addresses.

Its content  much of it highly offensive and potentially dangerous  is not indexed by mainstream search engines, and locating its source can baffle even the most technologically advanced specialist police units.

And Lautons darkness.su site was the perfect place for Evacuators 2K16 to set up shop.

Apparently, the group accepts payments in bitcoins for sending automated bomb threats to schools, sporting events, businesses, and courthouses.

According to a message from the group that appears to be from before March 2015, threats against individual schools can be ordered for $US5 worth of bitcoin, rising to $50 for a major sporting event.

The group also appears to have solicited requests for threat targets on Twitter, with account @Ev4cuati0nSquad (since suspended) tweeting: Want to get out of a school for a day? Want to divert the police away from a crime youre going to commit? Email us.

In the meantime, a man named William, claiming to be Lautons brother, expressed disbelief over the arrest.

I cant believe that the police would frame this on him. I think its disgraceful, he wrote on Facebook.

All I can do for now is hope that they will release him quickly but apart from the story being covered by all news companies in the country and other charges being brought up and blamed on him, I sincerely doubt that having any hope at all at this stage is pointless.

He stated: I am almost sure he will end up in jail without a chance to ever live a normal life again.

His astonished father Daniel Lauton, a 67-year-old engineer businessman, said: Hes not a criminal  hes not the kind of person who puts bombs in schools.

Hes a teenager like any other  a little angry maybe, but not a criminal. When the police arrived they went straight to my sons room, where they said he had been threatening people. I was very surprised.

Confirming Lautons arrest, a Paris police source said he was being questioned at length. He confirmed that the investigation was an anti-terrorist one, but could not supply further details for operational reasons.

No other suspects had yet been located or arrested in connection with the bomb threats, the source added.
Lizard Squad has been fighting The White Team to control its 150,000 Home Router botnets

The infamous band of hackers, Lizard Squad is having a really bad time. A unknown group of white hat hackers is destroying their key DDoS ingredient, the botnets by taking them over.

The white hat hackers, dubbed as The White Team, who were responsible for creating the Linux.Wifatch malware last October have once aggain made headlines by compromising more than 70,000 home routers and apparently forcing their owners to make them secure against faults and weak passwords.

The White Team is now planning to take over Lizard Squads botnet of infected IoT devices in an attempt to shut down their operations by building up a sizeable botnet consisting of hundreds of thousands of home routers, but for a good purpose though.

Due to countless insecure and improperly designed and configured smart devices, hacking crews are finding that abusing zero-days and vulnerabilities discovered in IoT equipment allows them to build bigger botnets at a much faster pace than by targeting regular PCs.

This is exactly how the infamous Lizard Squad, responsible for numerous Microsoft Xbox Live and Sony PlayStation Network outages uses their botnets to launch DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks against target websites to flood them with traffic and knock them offline. Lizard Squad is now selling access to some of its machines via its online subscription service called Lizard Stresser.

While in past years hackers depended upon malware that infected desktop PCs to create a bot network to use in DDoS attacks, this changed with the rise of smart IoT devices.

Its for this reason that, last October, a team of anonymous security researchers teamed up to create The White Team, the Internets vigilante white hat hackers and later put together a malware family called Linux.Wifatch. Linux.Wifatch infected routers of many companies and then also boosted their security measures.

The malware, first discovered in November 2014 by an independent malware researcher Loot Myself and analysed by Symantec last year, now includes more programs to remove other malicious software and backdoors already on the system.

According to Symantec, who is continuously watching over the teams botnet, the White Team has access to around 70,000 devices. The White Team has now plans on using their botnet to protect between 150,000 and 200,000 devices from Lizard Squad attacks, thereby removing the rogue gang from peoples homes.

However, the team of vigilante hackers face some hurdles, especially when working with the Wifatch malware, which is often too big to install on smaller routers.

The hacker collective said to Forbes over encrypted email: The goal is to use (most) of the 60,000 nodes we have to connect to the hundreds of thousands of boxes that are too small for our normal disinfector and disinfect them remotely.

These vigilante hackers arent answer to this widespread problem since there are so many vulnerable devices that can be hacked with minimal or no effort. They can only help reduce the issue.

The White Team is not the only team of vigilante hackers trying to secure the Internet. Just last week, a hacker replaced a malware with antivirus software. An anonymous hacker was found replacing Dridex, the most active banking malware, with the copies of Avira security software.

Besides the 2015 arrests that crippled the original Lizard Squad hacking crew, many are also hoping that someday, the White team will put an end to the botnets of Lizard squad.
A 40 anos de Malvinas

"Revisar el pasado es pensar el futuro". La frase de la presidenta de Telam, Bernarda Llorente, resume el espiritu del documental coproducido entre la agencia de noticias y el canal publico de TV sobre la cobertura que los medios de comunicacion hicieron del conflicto, plagada de censura y mentiras. Una autocritica necesaria para mirar hacia adelante en un (ya viejo) contexto de fake news y negocio informativo.
There are also rumours in the GO campaign that the office of Theresa May had been in touch to ask about arrangements for the meeting, despite the Home Secretary already declaring support for Mr Camerons negotiations. The suggestion was strongly denied by her aides.
Are there any memories you'd like to permanently remove from your head?

Or what if you could alter unpleasant memories so they're no longer upsetting? Or create entirely new memories of events that never occurred?

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but according to a new documentary that premiered in the US this week, scientists have discovered how to do just that - and more.
The former president of Brazil, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, deemed the comeback of the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, unlikely. | Read More
KCR seeks Rs. 30,571 Cr package from Centre

Hyderabad, Feb 12 (INN): Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction special funds for Telangana State in the forthcoming Union Budget 2016-17.



KCR called on the Prime Minister at New Delhi at 1 PM on Friday. He urged Modi to sanction special grant of Rs. 30,571 crore for the completion of pending projects in the State. During the 40-minute long meeting, they held discussions on various issues. KCR requested the Prime Minister to fulfill all the promises that were made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He submitted a memorandum on 12 topics while seeking Modi's help in getting financial help from the Centre.



The Chief Minister also sought National Project status for Parnahit Chevella and Kaleshwaram Project. He said works related to Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) in Hyderabad should be hastened up by allocating additional funds. He also asked for speedy bifurcation of High Court. He appealed to Modi to grant 30 additional posts of IPS officers for Telangana State.



KCR said that the Centre should increase the loan limits under FRMB by 0.5%. He also sought Central University status for Tribal University. Briefing the Prime Minister about ambitious drinking water project 'Mission Bhagiratha', he sought Rs. 10,000 crore financial assistance.



The Chief Minister also invited Modi for foundation stone laying ceremony of Kaloji Health University in Warangal.



KCR was accompanied with Minister Jagadishwar Reddy, MPs Jithender Reddy, Vinod Kumar and Narsaiah Goud and Special Representative of Telangana in Delhi Venugopal Chary.



Later, the Chief Minister also met Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal and sought his help in early completion of power projects in Telangana State. (









News Posted: 12 February, 2016








KCR's two-day Khammam tour from Feb 15

Hyderabad, Feb 12 (INN): Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will undertake a two-day tour of Khammam district from February 15.



The Chief Minister will reach Khammam at 9 AM on February 15 and will undertake a detailed visit of Khammam Town. He will interact with the people living in slum areas. Later, he will hold a review meeting with the district officials. He will do a night halt at the residence of TRS Khammam district incharge RJC Krishna.



On February 16, KCR will visit Paleru Reservoir and will lay foundation stone for Rs. 90 crore worth Bhakta Ram Das Lift Irrigation Scheme in Maderipuram. Later, he will address a public meeting at the same venue.









News Posted: 12 February, 2016








GHMC Mayor seeks Cabinet Rank?

Hyderabad, Feb 12 (INN): Newly elected GHMC Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan has reportedly sought the status of Cabinet Rank.



According to sources, the new GHMC Mayor and also Deputy Mayor Baba Fasiuddin have reportedly furnished a long wish list to the officials seeking various facilities. Both of them want their security to be scaled up through deployment of additional gunmen. They want their vehicles to be replaced with new Fortuners. They also want the corporation to bear other expenses, including lunch for nearly 50 persons, whenever they attend office. Although no demand has been made in writing, but they enquired with the higher officials on the facilities they are entitled to as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.



The officials reportedly told the Mayor and Deputy Mayor that they are not entitled to most of the demands that they have raised. However, they said those facilities could be given if they get clearance from the State Government. However, a senior official said such queries were common from leaders who get elected to the top posts. He said most of the queries are raised out of curiosity and to get a sense of empowerment.



Presently, the GHMC Mayor is entitled to a monthly salary of nearly Rs. 50,000 while Deputy Mayor get about Rs. 25,000. The Corporators get Rs. 6,000 salary per month and none of them are entitled for Sitting Allowance.









News Posted: 12 February, 2016








Jayaram condoles death of Arun Sagar

Jayaram Komati, Special Representative for Govt of AP for North America, expressed his grief over the demise of journalist and poet Arun Sagar. "I am shocked to note the sad and sudden demise of Arun Sagar, writer and journalist. Though I had brief interactions with Arun Sagar now and then in the last 10 years, I understood that he was strong in his views and ideals. He was also very friendly and a good team leader and media has lost one good

journalist. I express my deep condolences to the family of Arun Sagar and pray God to give him Rest in Peace" he mentioned in his condolence message.









News Posted: 12 February, 2016








The boss of the Japanese company hoping to build Australia's new $50 billion submarine fleet has denied reports that the Turnbull government is pressuring to reveal a detail cost breakdown of his bid.

Shunichi Miyanaga, the president and chief executive of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said his company's bid is progressing smoothly and expected the government would announce the successful firm sometime this year.

President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shunichi Miyanaga says the submarine bidding process is progressing smoothly. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Mr Miyanaga is in Australia and has visited the ministers from defence, trade and industry ministers or their representatives, as well has shipyards in Adelaide and Perth and academics for the country's biggest universities.

He dismissed a report published in the Financial Times this week that the Australian government had in the past two months been laying increasing pressure on Japan to tighten the commercial terms of the bid and outline a detailed budget so it can gauge which company is leading the submarine project.
School friends of the late Tara Nettleton, the widow of Islamic State terrorist Khaled Sharrouf, who has died in Syria, have paid tribute to the 31-year-old and recalled their fun days together as the "Cheso girls".

In social media posts dedicated to her, friends shared photos of their early years at Chester Hill High School, NSW, and remembered the girl that they grew up with.

Jade Koda posted: "Rip TARA very sad!!! You deserved so much better! Although you chose a different life. I will remember you As the reckless funny teenage girls we were."
Havana: Cuba is a curious destination for a technology reporter.

Of course, you can book a room over the internet these days, through any number of online directories like homestay.com or Airbnb.

The bright lights of Havana's Hotel Inglaterra. Credit:Hannah Francis

Homes with internet access remain a tiny minority, but the version of Havana that is frozen in time  with its vintage cars and lack of mobile phones  is gradually fading.

So, when staying in a 1920s casa particular without any internet access available for guests, I was left to navigate the city with a free mobile app I'd downloaded  including an offline map which didn't always have its landmarks in the right spot  and a Lonely Planet guide to Havana, published in 2007, which belonged to my landlady. Between them I managed all right.
Melburnians are splashing water about, with the average person using 30 per cent more a day than a former conservation target.

The city's storages have dropped almost 10 billion litres in a week, with high consumption and no water added.

How much water should we use?

Members of State Parliament were given a special water briefing on Thursday to update them on the government's strategies for dealing with low rainfall, including conservation measures and the possible use of the desalination plant.
The people who shared a home with Bendigo mother Samantha Kelly and cared for her young children after she vanished more than three weeks ago have been charged over her murder.

Peter James Arthur, 44, appeared in an out-of-sessions hearing in the Bendigo police station on Friday night where he was accused of murdering Ms Kelly, 39, with a hammer at the Kangaroo Flat property they shared.

Mr Arthur has been charged with one count of murder, while his two housemates, Christine Lyons and Ronald Lyons, have each been charged with one count of being an accessory to murder after the fact over an alleged cover-up.

Mr Arthur had led police to bushland west of Bendigo on Thursday night where they found a body, believed to be that of Ms Kelly.
Washington: There were two Democrats debating in Wisconsin on Thursday night, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but a third loomed over the proceedings.

Time and again Hillary Clinton cast herself as the natural successor to US President Barack Obama and the protector of his legacy.

When Sanders attacked her use of a Super PAC  a Political Action Committee funded by big-money donors  she responded that Obama himself had accepted Wall Street donations before introducing tough regulations on Wall Street.

She championed two of his signal achievements in office - Obamacare and the Iran deal - and emphasised her role in the creation of both.
Jakarta: Indonesia has cracked down on terrorists incarcerated on the notorious penal island of Nusakambangan amid concerns the Jakarta attacks were plotted there behind bars.

Fairfax Media understands 27 mobile phones were found in the cells of Indonesia's leading pro-Islamic State cleric Aman Abdurrahman and the Australian embassy bomber Rois after the January 14 attacks.

The four terrorists killed in the Jakarta bombings had reportedly visited Nusakambangan three times since May last year.

Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan led a delegation to the island on Thursday after ordering radical extremists be moved to a maximum security unit in Pasir Putih prison.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a news conference after the International Syria Support Group meeting in Munich on Friday. Credit:AP In congressional testimony this week, the Defense Intelligence Agency's chief, Lieutenant-General Vincent Stewart, said: "The Russian reinforcement has changed the calculus completely, [putting Assad] in a much stronger negotiating position than he was just six months ago." Alluding to Washington's oft-stated view that only a political solution can bring peace to Syria, a senior US official told The New York Times that maybe there could be a military solution, "just not our solution", but one designed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. An air strike on a militant base in the province of Latakia, Syria, in an image taken from footage posted on the Russian defence ministry website. Credit:AP In the face of Assad's bid to sever the last viable supply route north from Aleppo to the Turkish border, in which aid agencies say he is assisted by as many as 200 Russian air strikes a day, the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned on Tuesday: "It would leave up to 300,000 people still residing in the city cut off from humanitarian aid  and local councils in the city estimate that some 100,000-150,000 civilians may flee."

A report this week by the Syrian Centre for Policy Research says that 11.5 per cent of Syria's population has been killed or injured, the country's national wealth, infrastructure and institutions have been "almost obliterated", with 14 million Syrians losing their livelihood, and 45 per cent of them have been displaced, internally and abroad. This child at the Turkish borderon near Kilis is among 11 million Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes. Credit:AP Reports from villages within an hour's drive of Damascus say that entire local animal herds have been eaten and children are too weak to attend school. The United Nations estimates that 800,000 civilians are in communities that are besieged by Assad's forces; another 200,000 are locked down by Islamic State; and that 11 million are "hard to access", living either in areas under rebel, Islamic State or Kurdish control. It can take up to three months to negotiate access for a single aid convoy. Reports from villages within an hour's drive of Damascus say that entire local animal herds have been eaten; families have resorted to making soup from grass; and children are too weak to attend school.

At the UN in January, a Russian envoy dismissed demands for humanitarian relief as "all this unnecessary noise". Already host to an estimated 2.5 million refugees and fearing the arrival of a million more, Turkey refuses to open its border to the new flood from Aleppo. More than a catastrophic humanitarian failure, Syria represents a failure of policy for most of the countries that have involved themselves, in particular the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. European Council on Foreign Relations policy fellow Julian Barnes-Dacey predicts that given the dire straits in which the rebel opposition forces find themselves, their Turkish and Saudi backers "can now be expected to step up their game". "After five years of brutal conflict it's almost inconceivable that Saudi Arabia and Turkey ... will walk away from the fight, accepting an Assad victory, [because] Syria remains too important, and has become too personalised for the leaders to simply walk away," he writes. Yet a constant in the Syria crisis is that even long-term allies cannot be relied upon. As he left office on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius took a swipe at Washington, arguing that "ambiguous" policies by "the main pilot of the coalition" were a large part of the problem.

Turkey, a NATO ally, has also proved unreliable. The increasingly autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is whipping himself into a lather over US and Russian support for the Syrian Kurds  one of the few effective forces taking the fight to the Assad regime and IS. Erdogan's anxiety hangs on the possibility that Syrian Kurdish autonomy added to existing Kurdish self-rule in Iraq equals fresh political impetus for Kurdish separatism in Turkey. In a speech on Wednesday, Erdogan harangued Washington: "Are you on our side or the side of the terrorist [Kurds]? Hey, America  because you never recognised [the Kurdish PYD in Syria] as a terrorist group, the region has turned into a sea of blood. We have written proof! We tell the Americans, 'it's a terror group'. But the Americans stand up and say: 'No, we don't see them as a terror group'." There's a consensus among analysts that US President Barack Obama's hands are tied  as much by his own reading of the absence of American appetite for another Middle Eastern war as by the tactical limitations imposed on him by Moscow's enthusiastic leap into the fire. Obama does not want to fight the Assad regime  either from the air or from the ground; and in Syria, he'll confront IS only from the air and with just a handful of Special Operations forces on the ground, his much-maligned training programs for rebel fighters and supplies of light weapons. Some of the knots that bind Obama's hands are of his own making, from a time when the tempo of the conflict was slower. Obama issued a "red line" warning of "dire consequences" if Assad used chemical weapons. The regime used them and there was no US military response. The imposition of a US-patrolled no-fly zone, which Obama rejected early in the conflict, is now impossible because Russian aircraft share Syrian airspace.
Washington: The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation on Friday broadening sanctions to punish North Korea for its nuclear program, human rights record and cyber crimes, and sent the measure to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

Legislators said they wanted to make Washington's resolve clear to Pyongyang, but also to the United Nations and other governments, especially China, North Korea's lone major ally and main business partner.

A North Korean soldier stands in front of the Unha 3 rocket at a launching site at Tongchang-ri, in 2012. Credit:AP

The package includes sanctions targeting North Korea and "secondary sanctions" against those who do business with it.
It is probably because those who unsafely abandon or kill their children are likely to be different from those who use baby safe havens or other legally available options, such as adoption. Baby safe havens and baby hatches are highly controversial. In the Netherlands strong public opposition to proposed baby hatches prevented their introduction. Even in countries where baby safe havens exist, many people are concerned about them. Many health and welfare professionals in Europe are concerned that baby hatches do nothing to address the psychological, social and health needs of vulnerable parents and their children. Another concern is that baby safe havens forever deny the child the right to know their parents identity. The experience of people who are adopted at birth tells us that most of us have a deep need to know our family of origin. Indeed, that right is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. To deny a child the right to know their family is a huge cost. It is a cost we might be willing to pay if baby safe havens were proven to save lives.

To understand how we might have saved the life of Lily Grace or other babies like her, we need to look to the evidence about parents  usually mothers  who abandon or kill their babies. The evidence shows that these mothers almost always conceal or deny their pregnancy, meaning they are able to live in complete denial of that condition. Family members are often shocked to later learn of the pregnancy. These mothers are usually young, single, and often economically disadvantaged and socially isolated. The pregnancy is unplanned and unwanted. These factors create a huge challenge for identifying and supporting mothers at risk of child abandonment. These mothers and babies often have no or little antenatal care and, as was the case with Lily Grace, do not use hospital birthing services. Yet drawing on what we know about the vulnerability of women who abandon their babies, we can make some suggestions of how they, and their babies, can be helped.

Much better early identification of women at risk needs to occur. Because these vulnerable women are unlikely to use antenatal services, we need to make sure that other people who come into contact with them can help. This means ensuring that teachers and service providers in areas such as drug and alcohol services are skilled at identifying and supporting vulnerable women whom they suspect may be pregnant. We need to ensure that these vulnerable women can access services easily and confidentially. This may involve the provision of confidential services outside of traditional antenatal settings. We also need to ensure that where vulnerable mothers and their babies do access antenatal services, the services are offered in a way that prevents unsafe abandonment. This involves offering the mother choices which can include adoption, temporary out-of-home care and facilitating support within her broader family network. Currently, single vulnerable parents can leave hospital alone without any support. Perhaps we should not consider the delivery of a baby to be complete until we have delivered the mother and her baby to a safe home. The Coroners call for baby safe havens is but one of many options we need to review if we want to save the lives of vulnerable babies like Lily Grace.
Malcolm Turnbull's government has been rocked by the loss of a third minister in as many months, an imminent reshuffle caused by that crisis, and a slew of resignations. But the emergency deck-clearing, coupled with a still strong lead in the polls and a possible breakthrough on Senate voting reform may yet clear the way for an early double-dissolution election.

While Labor remains hostile and a deal with the Greens and independent senator Nick Xenophon is not yet sealed, government hopes are high that a change to scrap block voting, which would spell the end to a plethora of micro-parties, is close.

That would mean an early double-dissolution election could be held - most likely over union corruption - without the risk of an even more unmanageable Senate than is in place now.
A first term Nationals MP in country Victoria has drawn the ire of his constituents after comparing same sex relationships with randy rams in a paddock.

The federal member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, made the unfortunate comments to regional Mildura newspaper Sunraysia Daily, while defending the government's plan to decide the same-sex marriage debate via a plebiscite.

Member for Mallee Andrew Broad. Credit:Darren Seiler

"Do I support calling a relationship between a man and a man, and a woman and a woman marriage? No I don't," Mr Broad said.

"I think a bicycle is not a tricycle and relationships have different names.
Clique's new weekly series "How I shot that photo" seeks to demystify how Fairfax photographers do what they do. Each week, we will dissect one Fairfax photographer's image from the papers or online to find out what techniques and tricks they used.

Last week, Sydney Morning Herald ran a story about a group of scientists that were releasing turtles into Hawksbury wetlands. Fairfax shooter Peter Rae was sent to photograph the action.

Snapping this macro photograph of a baby turtle required using a small lens aperture to deepen the focus. Credit:Peter Rae

The image looks a bit like the turtle has been superimposed on the landscape in Photoshop. But of course, it's all done in-camera.

How did Peter Rae capture the photo?
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been criticised by the aid community for perceived cultural problems and a lack of appreciation for aid programs within the department.

The Australian Aid Signs of Risk survey, produced by the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, found unprecedented budget cuts and a troublesome merger with AusAid were concerning the aid community.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has been praised for her aid engagements, but DFAT faces its own problems. Credit:Andrew Meares

The report, which interviewed 461 stakeholders from senior NGO officials to academics and contracting companies, pointed to a loss of strategy clarity and a concern helping poorer people in developing countries had been overlooked.

More than three quarters of respondents believed the department's merger with AusAid in 2013 had a negative impact on aid effectiveness and expertise, with many highlighting "an organisational culture within DFAT that fails to value development expertise".
"The ABS is also pushing to remove consultation rights that help guarantee the most complex survey work is only conducted by those workers who have sufficient training and experience to guarantee it is done properly."

Mr Waters said the interviewers often waited many weeks to be paid for their "difficult and painstaking work", with the ABS refusing to guarantee their right to be paid in a reasonably timely fashion in the new agreement.

"This is an outrageous attack on the rights of ordinary Australians with bills to pay," he said.

"These workers are treated more like contractors than employees by the bureau and receive almost none of the benefits enjoyed by most APS staff.

"The further the ABS moves away from a stable, well trained pool of interviewers, the more likely the quality of the data collected will suffer."
However, an audit of federally-funded "countering violent extremism" (CVE) programs between 2010 and 2014 found only one targeted radicalised individuals and efforts had "failed to reach those most in need of assistance".

Last year, government funding for programs to counter homegrown extremism was tripled to more than $40 million over four years, as part of a $1.3 billion national security package.

Professor Anne Azza Aly, a counter-terrorism expert for more than a decade, said the work has become "cut throat". Credit:Christopher Pearce

Deradicalisation in Australia has become a "multi-million dollar business" and inexperienced academics and community groups have emerged to grab vast amounts of government money, long-standing experts say.

Multi-million dollar business: The rise of the Islamic State has coincided with a deradicalisation industry in Australia. Credit:Reuters

Academics have described to Fairfax Media a CVE "industry" that emerged almost overnight, proliferated by previously unknown groups and individuals with little research track record or access to radicalised youths.

"It has become an enterprise. Every day, someone comes out of the woodwork. It's unbelievable and it's cut throat," said Anne Azza Aly, a counter-terrorism expert at Edith Cowan University who has been announced as the Labor candidate for Cowan.

In a profile in the Fairfax Media on Saturday, the Egyptian-born professor, who started working in the field more than a decade ago, said her fear that her two sons would be radicalised became the motivation for her work.

"The reasons why I do this are personal as well as professional," she said. "I'm hoping to work myself out of a job. And then you meet people who have just got dollar signs in their eyes."
The state's first Muslim MP has made good on his threat to sue The Australian newspaper and reporter Sharri Markson over a column accusing him of making racist comments.

Lawyers for Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane commenced defamation proceedings in the Supreme Court on Friday over a comment piece by Markson published on February 2.

Shaoquett Moselmane is suing The Australian and senior reporter Sharri Markson over an opinion piece. Credit:James Alcock

The article, which carried the print headline "Racist views pushing ALP's stand on Israel", attacked a 2013 speech by Mr Moselmane in the NSW Parliament, which was critical of reporting in The Australian on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Markson's column followed news of a push by the Labor Friends of Palestine to ban MPs and ALP officials from accepting trips to Israel subsidised by pro-Israel lobby groups. Mr Moselmane supports the proposed ban and the issue is set to flare again at the two-day NSW Labor conference, which kicks off on Saturday.
At 92, Victor Twartz may have been the oldest person in the world to be accused of major drug trafficking.

But the dapper gent is now free to enjoy his twilight years in peace after prosecutors agreed to drop the case against him on Friday.

Victory for Victor: prosecutors have dropped their case against 92-year-old accused drug importer Victor Twartz. Credit:James Alcock

Mr Twartz, a retired oral surgeon, had been accused of importing 4.5 kilograms of cocaine masked in 27 bars of coloured soap.

The Eastwood nursing home resident was arrested on July 8 last year after landing at Sydney Airport on his way back from Delhi in India, where he had been holidaying.
Labor hasn't gone into a 'plan B' if its hallmark alcohol fuelled violence legislation fails to pass next week, but an early election isn't on the cards.

At least for another six months.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ruled out an early return to the polls at a Queensland Media Club lunch on Friday. Credit:Michelle Smith

Convention states the government, barring any unforeseen circumstances, must govern for at least 18 months before heading back to the polls.

That would bring the Palaszczuk government, which officially took power last Valentine's Day, to August.
A French teenager is being held by police in relation to a spate of bomb threats made to schools across Europe, the US, Asia and Australia, according to reports.

The 18-year-old, named Vincent Lauton, is "a sophisticated computer operative" who is "known for previous acts of piracy", but is so respected as a hacker that he is sometimes consulted by detectives for his advice, according to an article in The Daily Mail, which details his apparent connection to the threats.

Lauton's Twitter profile picture. Credit:Twitter/@Darkness_su

Now Lauton is being held by French police and questioned over his alleged connection to a dark web operation that takes requests for bomb threats that can be made to schools or businesses, the article.

In the past few weeks, dozens of schools across Australia have received the same automated phone message warning of an explosive device on school grounds, after which the schools have had to be evacuated.
Dr Cunningham said measles cases in Melbourne were likely to increase in the next few weeks and stressed the importance of seeking medical advice as well as alerting doctors about suspected cases before attending waiting rooms where there may be other susceptible people. He said unvaccinated children who contracted the virus were more likely to be hospitalised, and that children who were too young for the vaccine would be at risk because of the "poor decisions" of some parents. "The poor child is suffering now from a disease that has a 1 in 1000 risk of permanent brain damage from encephalitis, which is inflammation of the actual brain tissue," he said. "The rash that they get isn't just on the skin, it goes through their lungs, through their gastrointestinal tract." His comments follow a health department alert this week warning residents in Melbourne's north to brace for wave of measles cases.

Officials said four people - a man and three women - had contracted the disease in the Brunswick area. The state's acting chief health officer Dr Roscoe Taylor said the number of patients could potentially "be very large". Victorian Health Department spokesman Graeme Walker said on Friday that the number of confirmed measles cases had not risen from four. Despite Ms O'Leary's suspicions that her son has the virus, Mr Walker said he did not believe measles cases associated with the current cluster had gone unreported to health authorities. He said it was unlikely because Ms O'Leary lived in Melbourne's west, about 10km from Brunswick.

"It seems to be fairly geographically located," he said. "It's drawing a fairly long bow there, as I said, we've got four cases in Brunswick and that's all that we've got." When contacted by The Age, Ms O'Leary said she was taking her son to a GP on Friday afternoon and that the case had not yet been confirmed. She said her son had "a bit of a rash" but was in good spirits and that she was not overly concerned because he was not lethargic or suffering from more severe symptoms. "My children are third generation not vaccinated," Ms O'Leary said. "I'm not anti-vaccination, I'm just pro-transparency. I question anything when there's big money involved."

Ms O'Leary said she believed developing naturally immunity was best way to protect her children and that people should not be told what to put in their bodies. "I think everyone should have the right to choose, the right to transparency and freedom," she said. "If it came down to being jailed I would be, this is how strongly I feel about it; the right of the parent to decide what poison to put in a child's body." Ms O'Leary said her son had not been inside her hospitality business for weeks. Measles is a virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person and spreads through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, red eyes, coughing and the characteristic measles rash.

Children who have not had two measles vaccinations are among the most at risk of contracting the virus. The measles vaccine is part of the National Immunisation Program for children between 12 months and four years of age. A community's immunisation rate has to be about 90 per cent for what is known as 'herd immunity' to kick in, according to the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. The total number of cases of measles reported year to date is 4 (as of Saturday).



The common cause of the Measles cluster in Brunswick and Brunswick East has yet to be found. Department of Health spokesman Graeme Walker said there were a total of 36 cases of measles in 2014.
The homes of underworld figure Mick Gatto have been raided in what police say is an ongoing deception investigation.

Purana Taskforce investigators and detectives from the Mornington Peninsula crime investigation unit executed warrants on Mr Gatto's homes on Thursday.

Mick Gatto's properties were raided in a search for counterfeiting equipment and fake notes. Credit:Graham Tidy

Police spent most of Thursday searching his luxurious holiday house in Thames Place in Mount Martha and his sprawling mansion in Roseburn Court, Lower Plenty.

A large amount of cash as well as a firearm were seized from the Lower Plenty address, police said.
A woman gave birth in front of the Mercy Hospital with the help of her multi-tasking husband who drove with one hand on the wheel and the other holding the baby's head as it pushed its way into the world.

Baby Mikhail was five days overdue, but there was no holding back once he made up his mind to join mum and dad on Thursday morning.

Police are investigating after a baby was left on the verandah of a Herston home. Credit:Nicolas Walker

At 8am, and just four hours into labor, Maia Guigaouri and husband James Gibbs rushed to the Mercy Hospital for Women.

But the morning peak hour traffic meant that the approximate 9km drive from Doncaster East to Heidelberg took a little bit longer than the couple had planned.
Melbourne University arts student Joshua Hardy died after being thrown like "a rag doll" into the ground head first during a violent six-second attack outside a McDonald's, a court has heard.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, told the Supreme Court the drunk Mr Hardy, 21, a third-year arts student who lived at the university's Trinity College, had been a "stumbling and bumbling mess' when Kyle Zandipour slung him to the ground, kicked him in the head three times and stomped on him.

Joshua Hardy with his sister Rebecca on their way to a university function only hours before he died. Credit:Shaun Hardy

Mr Hardy had a blood alcohol level of 0.27 when he came across Mr Zandipour and his friend, Matthew Bell, sitting at an outside table at the St Kilda Road McDonald's eating their food just after 1am on Saturday, October 18, 2014.

Mr Tinney said Mr Hardy had not been aggressive in any way when asking to borrow his phone before Mr Zandiopour attacked him.
Gaziantep: As waves of heavy Russian airstrikes edged closer to the Turkish border Thursday, a Syrian research group issued a report saying the effect of five years of war in Syria has been even more devastating than thought.

The report from the Syrian Centre for Policy Research said that at least 470,000 Syrians had died as a result of the war, almost twice the 250,000 counted a year and a half ago by the United Nations until it stopped counting because of a lack of confidence in the data.

Syrian children wait to return to their country this week at the Turkish border crossing with Syria in the outskirts of Kilis, in south-eastern Turkey. Credit:AP

Life expectancy has fallen 14 years, to 56 from 70, since the war began, with an even deeper plunge for Syrian men, says the report, which the group compiled from its longtime base in the capital, Damascus. It put the war's economic cost at $US255 billion ($358 billion), essentially wiping out the nation's wealth.
In a video statement , Sirul Azhar Umar denies that 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu was pregnant with the child of a "certain person", which the Malaysiakini website said appeared to be a reference to embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Bangkok: A former Malaysian police commando has claimed from Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre that a glamorous Mongolian socialite he shot dead and blew up with explosives in Kuala Lumpur did not beg for the life of her unborn child.

Sirul, a former bodyguard for Mr Najib who has been sentenced to hang in Malaysia, said the media had portrayed his case as "terrible and cruel" and linked it to a "certain someone  as if the baby was fathered by a certain person".

Malaysian PM Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur in January. Credit:AP

"It is all pure slander. I deny it categorically, the statement as well as the reports carried on the internet and in the media, which said that the woman was with child," he said.

Sirul has released two videos from Villawood as Mr Najib struggles to shrug off allegations swirling around how $US700 million ($990 million) came to be deposited in his personal bank account and his oversight of a heavily indebted sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

French authorities have also moved to prosecute a French businessman following a separate investigation over Malaysia's $US2 billion purchase of French-Spanish submarines when Mr Najib was defence minister.
London: Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, currently serving a six-year jail term for child sex crimes, is to be charged with seven more indecent assault offences dating back 45 years.

London's Metropolitan Police confirmed Harris will be charged with two counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14 in 1971, 1977 and 1983 and four counts of indecent assault on a woman aged 16 or over in 1977, 1978, 2002 and 2004.

Harris, a household name in his native Australia and adopted home Britain, was jailed in 2014 for repeatedly abusing young girls over decades when he was a popular host on children's television.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Friday they had decided to take further action after police had gathered more evidence.
ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2016 -- Cox Automotive today announced its decision to make the VinSolutions CRM product its primary CRM solution, reinforcing the company's commitment to integration, client service and product innovation. Current Dealertrack CRM clients will begin to migrate to VinSolutions' CRM immediately. During the migration, which should be completed within 24 months, all Dealertrack CRM clients will be fully supported under the terms of their existing contracts.

"As part of the acquisition of Dealertrack, Cox Automotive became the owner of multiple CRM products between Dealertrack and VinSolutions," said Mark O'Neil, CEO of Dealertrack, and head of the Cox Automotive Software Group. "We are committed to delivering on our promise of providing exceptional client service and solutions, and therefore need to streamline the CRM products from two to one. We are confident this step will better position us to deliver intentional integrations that are scalable and easy to manage, and benefit our dealer clients in the near- and long-term."

"We look forward to bringing Dealertrack CRM clients onto the VinSolutions CRM platform and ensuring they have a seamless transition experience," said Lori Wittman, vice president and general manager of VinSolutions, a Cox Automotive brand. "There are several admirable features of the Dealertrack CRM product that we look forward to leveraging in our single CRM solution going forward. With this decision, we believe our clients  existing and future ones  will be best positioned to grow their businesses more profitably and efficiently, and take full advantage of the integrated set of solutions within Cox Automotive."

The VinSolutions CRM offers deep integration with other Cox Automotive products, including the Dealertrack DMS and F&I, vAuto for market pricing, Xtime for service scheduling, and Dealer.com Websites for customer insights. Additionally, VinSolutions' dedicated client service team helps CRM clients maximize the product by providing quick responsiveness and insights.

About Dealertrack

Dealertrack, a Cox Automotive brand, delivers integrated digital solutions designed to enhance the efficiency and profitability for all major segments of the automotive retail industry, including dealers, lenders, vehicle manufacturers, third-party retailers, agents and aftermarket providers. From bridging the gap between the online and in-store experience to developing industry leading innovations, Dealertrack is transforming automotive retailing through its comprehensive award-winning solution set, including Dealer Management System (DMS), Fixed Operations, F&I, Digital Marketing, CRM and Registration and Titling solutions. For more information please visit www.coxautoinc.com.

About VinSolutions

VinSolutions helps make every customer connection count by providing individual dealers and dealer groups with sophisticated, yet easy-to-use software solutions that span the scope of dealership operations. With its cloud-based system, VinSolutions' all-in-one internal management, sales and service marketing solutions platform is accessible from anywhere an Internet connection is available, including mobile devices.

VinSolutions has been named to the Inc. 5000 every year since 2011 and has received numerous industry awards for its innovative products. VinSolutions is OEM certified by every major manufacturer and is CDK, Autosoft, Reynolds & Reynolds and Dealertrack DMS certified. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mission, Kansas, VinSolutions is wholly owned by Cox Automotive, which has built the industry's strongest family of more than 25 brands to provide industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions to help our clients thrive in a rapidly changing automotive marketplace. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, VinSolutions, Xtime and a host of other brands. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Visit VinSolutions online at vinsolutions.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive, Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Manheim, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealertrack, Dealer.com, vAuto, Xtime, NextGear Capital and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.
Grant advances CSUCI research Cal State Channel Islands assistant professor of computer science Scott Feister and assistant professor of mathematics Alona Kryshchenko recently received $112,480 from the National Science Foundation to continue a grant to support their research project, Enhancing Laser Based Ion Sources...

Healthcare agency recommends flu shots The Ventura County Health Care Agency offers options for the community to receive flu shots through its Ambulatory Care Clinic system, public health clinics and pop-up clinics. Although seasonal influenza viruses are detected year-round in the United States, they are...

Early detection is the best way to survive breast cancer Every October, we celebrate those men and women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. But what is breast cancer and how can it be diagnosed and managed? There are five basic warning signs that breast cancer may be present:...

Cal Lutheran University hosts Heart Walk The American Heart Association will host a Heart Walk Sat., Oct. 8 at Cal Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks. The event is expected to draw hundreds of people. Activities include a 2-mile walk, drum circle performances, Zumba demonstrations, live music and...
Iraqi militias who once fought ISIS with U.S. help are now working with Russian and Iranian forces to crush American-backed rebels in the strategic Syrian city of Aleppo, two defense officials have told The Daily Beast.

At least three Shia militias involved in successful battles against ISIS in Iraqthe Badr Brigade, Kataib Hezbollah, and the League of the Righteoushave acknowledged taking casualties in fighting in south and southeast Aleppo province. U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Daily Beast that they believe at least one unit of the Badr Brigade is fighting in southern Aleppo alongside other Iraqi militia groups. Those groups are backed by Russian airpower and Iranian troopsand all of whom are bolstering President Bashar al-Assads Syrian Arab Army.

Reports on social media say the Iraqi militias in Syria are armed with U.S. tanks and small arms they procured on the Iraqi side of the border. Those reports could not be independently confirmed.

The presence of militias fighting on behalf of Assada dictator that the U.S. has pledged to deposeis yet another reminder of the tangled alliances that the United States must thread as it pursues seemingly contradictory policies in its battles against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. In Iraq, these Shia militias were battling on behalf of the U.S.-backed government. In Syria, they are fighting against an American-supported rebel coalition that includes forces armed by the CIA.

In other words: The forces the U.S. once counted on to take back Iraqs cities are the same ones the Russians now are counting on to get Aleppo back. And those militias are fighting units of the American-backed Free Syrian Armyincluding the 16th Division, elements of Jaish al Nasr, and Sultan al Muradaccording to Nicholas Heras, a research associate at the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. officials claim not to be alarmed. On our list of problems, one Badr brigade in Syria is way down there, one U.S. official explained.

But the role of the Shia militias continues to be controversial. The militias are backed and funded by IranBadr, in fact, was created as a branch of the Iranian military. But in Syria, their role is part of the increasingly effective one-two punch of the Russian/Iranian alliance that has given the Syrian government the upper hand in the battle for Aleppo.

U.S. officials agree that without those Iraqi militias, the Syrian Army would be too weak to hold territory on their own.

It is perhaps because of these dynamics that both Russia and the U.S agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria late Thursday, to begin in one week. Even if Aleppo fell, Assad forces hold on the city and the country would be tenuous, at best, and would depend on unending Russian/Iranian support, an unappealing proposition for two states with fragile economies. For the U.S., the deal offered hope for ending uncomfortable alliances that had militias that once served it interests fighting opposition forces it was no longer willing to back militarily.

In the last week, Russia has launched hundreds of punishing, largely indiscriminate strikes in Aleppo. Thats allowed forces loyal to Assadincluding the Iraqi militiasto move in and reclaim parts of Aleppo, cutting off the main supply route to the city. According to the Red Cross, at least 50,000 refugees have sought to flee to Turkey since the Russian assault began.

Without the Russian airstrikes the Shiite militias would not have been as successful, said Phillip Smyth, a researcher at the University of Maryland who studies Shiite militias. At the same time, It is clear that Iran is routing as many fighters as possible to Syria, particularly on the Aleppo front.

To make matters worse for the U.S. effort in Syria, among the opposition groups now losing territory in Aleppo are groups once backed by the United States. Unfortunately, those groups are also intermingled with Jabhat al Nusra, al Qaedas Syrian affiliate and a member of the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. The great irony of Aleppo is that U.S. strikes against the Islamic State have the perverse effect of benefiting al Qaeda.

It was Nusra forces who, in 2013 and 2014, were key in pushing ISIS out of Aleppo.

Today Nusra and its allies now are largely fighting back the Russian/Iranian offensive alone.

The fall of Aleppo, Syrias biggest city, would be a major win for Assad supporters and potentially leave Syria with two major rival forcesISIS and the Assad regime.

In Iraq, the Shiite militias, known as Popular Mobilization Forces, were key to important wins against the Islamic State in Amiri and Tikrit, former Iraqi President Saddam Husseins hometown. With the help of U.S. airstrikes, the militias were able to claim those cities from ISIS and end the jihadist groups land grab across Iraq.

Fighting in Syria is a more lucrative undertaking, however. During the battle for the Iraqi cities of Amerli and Tikrit, militia members earned roughly $720 a month, according to Iraqi government officials. In Syria, the militiamen earn as much as $1,500 a month, Smyth said. The pay increase is a powerful incentive to join the battleas if the appeal to sectarian loyalty were not enough.

U.S. officials are quick to say that they have never directly coordinated with the militiassmall wonder, given that the Badr Brigade, for one, targeted hundreds of American troops in Iraq with Iranian-provided explosively formed projectile bombs, one of that wars deadliest weapons.

But U.S. officials also acknowledged that the pro-Iranian militias benefited from U.S. airstrikes in Amerli and Tikrit, something the militias themselves refused to acknowledge. Only weak people like the Iraqi army wanted U.S. help, Haider al Amiri, the head of the Badr Brigade, said of the battle for Tikrit. He publicly celebrated Iranian support.

Either way, the fall of Amerli and Tikrit last year paved the way for the coalition and Iraqi forces to reclaim the city of Ramadi, the biggest prize to be taken back from ISIS so far. That, in turn, allowed the militias to increase their influence over Iraqi security matters.

The U.S. has been notably silent on the role of its erstwhile Iraqi allies in the ongoing battle in Syria, though it no longer predicts that Russia will become bogged down in the conflict as the Russian airstrikes provide the cover needed for the Iranian-backed forces to advance.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Kurdish forces captured a military base in Aleppo, near the Turkish border.

with additional reporting by Michael Weiss
Texas A&M University will host a campus-wide open house on Saturday. Prospective students and their parents are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about the universitys academic programs and traditions.

The Appelt Aggieland Visitor Center in Rudder Tower has tours planned during the day, and prospective students can meet with faculty or advisers from the academic colleges, learn about majors and academic programs, meet students and visit libraries, residence halls and computer labs. Students can visit areas of campus on their own. Self-guided activities are set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The open house, known as Aggieland Saturday, is free, except for meals and parking. Registration is not required but is encouraged.

For more details, a schedule of events and parking information, visit http://admissions.tamu.edu/agsat.
After more than an hour of testimony from 31 Castle Rock residents, the College Station City Council on Thursday voted down a request to rezone about 20 acres for a planned development near the subdivision that would have increased the number of multifamily units that could be built there.

The request to rezone the land at the corner of Victoria Avenue and William D. Fitch Parkway from applicant Joe Schultz and developer Wallace Phillips would have changed the original concept plan approved in 2010 that allows for office, general commercial and multifamily uses. The request, if approved, would have removed the office space use and allowed for more multifamily units. The council voted 5-1 to deny the request, with Councilman Steve Aldrich dissenting. Councilwoman Julie Schultz recused herself because of a a conflict of interest -- her husband is applicant Joe Schultz.

Councilwoman Blanche Brick said she found it interesting that Phillips' project created a dilemma that drew so many residents from a neighborhood he also developed to City Hall.

Despite Phillips' assurances Thursday that an increased number of apartments -- 160 units were approved in 2010 and 260 were proposed in the rezoning -- would not increase runoff or traffic through Castle Rock Parkway, which is the neighborhood's only entry and exit point and would connect to the development, residents weren't convinced, even laughing out loud at his suggestion that the rezoning would reduce traffic by 25 percent.

The residents said they feared an increase in vehicles on Castle Rock Parkway during construction and cut-through traffic through the neighborhood if more apartments were built, which they said would pose a safety threat to the children in the neighborhood who use the road to get to the bus stop, park, pool and splash pad. Property values and environmental impacts to a city-owned conservation easement that borders parts of the proposed development were also among the concerns expressed.

Ultimately, many residents said, the proposed rezoning was a stark contrast from the vision of the community they were sold on when they bought their homes in Castle Rock.

Barbara Heath bought her house in 2008, the third home in the subdivision -- she was never informed there was a possibility of multifamily housing being developed close to the community.

"Castle Rock is a very amenable community that has lovely one-family houses for the most part, and lots of children," Heath said. "It also has access to a swimming pool, to a big park and the kids are over there all the time. It's beyond terrifying to those of us who can picture four and five-story buildings with our kids in the intersection of that. This was never brought to us."

Amy Arredondo said the threat of increased multifamily housing has long-term implications, as many young families settle in Castle Rock to raise their families because of its amenities, low traffic numbers and intimate feel.

Councilman Karl Mooney said he and his wife had at one point considered building or buying a home in Castle Rock, and were told by builders and real estate agents that the adjacent land would eventually be an extension of single-family homes. People have been buying homes there with that same belief as recently as 2013, Mooney said, and it "appears folks were not being either forthright or not informed" with the fact that the land use had changed.

Joe Schultz said if that is the case, those real estate agents and builders were "grossly misleading" homebuyers.

Councilman James Benham said the city needs to give people realistic expectations of what they can count on in terms of the future uses of adjacent land when buying a home, and the developer needs to live with the expectations they set when the zoning was approved in 2010.

Aldrich, the sole dissenter, said he was disappointed the council couldn't reach a "win-win solution" for what is "clearly a need" the developer has identified in the community, adding that the city can't put a moratorium on appropriate development.
Operation Desert Storm veteran Stephen Wiehe shared his first-hand experiences on the front lines of battle in Iraq, captivating an audience of around 100 at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on Thursday night.

Wiehe, who recounted stories from his book G-Day: Rendezvous with Eagles, was 34 when Operation Desert Storm began in 1991. A noncommissioned officer and forward observer for the 101st Airborne Division, he had served in the Army for six years when he was deployed to Iraq.

Wiehe's visit to the library focused on the time he spent in a foxhole and surviving the 100 hours that he and his fellow troops came face-to-face with Iraqi forces. What happened during those four days of Desert Storm played catalyst in Wiehe's book, which draws from military reports and historical documents, as well as anecdotes and interviews with service members who were involved directly with the combat.

"I don't like to talk about just the 100 hours of Desert Storm, however, because that diminishes the Air Force's part in what happened," Wiehe said, referencing numerous events and operations that laid the groundwork for Desert Storm.

Wiehe said he made the decision to write down his account of Desert Storm because after years had passed since the war, he wasn't seeing it being written about from a first-hand perspective and he wanted to be the first one to do it.

"I didn't want to write a book of fish stories, though," he said. "I wanted to write accurate and correct history."

As Wiehe spoke to the audience at the library about the war, he pointed out that one thing he wanted to emphasize about the Gulf War, as a soldier who had been a part of it, was that he loved and appreciated the leadership during that time. Though Wiehe said he does not feel informed enough about current events surrounding the conflict with the Islamic State to comment on current strategies, one thing he would like to see happen again is the leadership style of former President George H.W. Bush, whom he noted helped build an international coalition of 34 nations in the early 1990s.

"That's what we can do in future conflicts," he said. "Pattern off of what he did and that success."

Many audience members asked about Wiehe's memories and opinions at the conclusion of his speech, including several veterans. One Texas A&M Corps of Cadets alumnus, Dave Wilkinson, was a lieutenant in the Army during the Cold War. He asked if, when Wiehe was in battle, whether he questioned the readiness of his men.

"I know my soldiers were prepared to go to war," Wiehe said. "We were a 'hooah' division."

Wiehe lives in Austin, where he works and connects with veterans, as well as giving golf lessons. He has been awarded a bronze medal for best memoir by the Military Writers Society of America.
The lawyers were young and naive. They thought, according to my friend, that they were telling these managers something they did not know. The BLM field staff sat stoically, with arms crossed, and listened.

Finally one of them quipped, "Yes, I know I am violating the laws. I do it all the time. You know why? Because if I followed the law I'd have every county commissioner, state legislator, the governor and the state Congressional delegation on my ass - and you know what? You're not paying me enough to take that kind of abuse."

Then another BLM manager followed up and said, "I don't follow the law either. I count on being sued by the environmentalists, so that I can tell the delegation or the loggers or the ranchers that I had no choice in the matter. The court is telling me I must do this." He went on to acknowledge that unless he was sued and had that political cover, he would not enforce the law.

According to my friend, there were a lot of other people in the room nodding their heads in agreement.

With the recent empowerment of militant groups around the West, particularly militants with guns and other weapons, what rational field manager, especially one living in a small rural community is going to challenge the local 'custom and culture?' As one of the field managers said, "You're not paying me enough." And indeed, we are not.

Where is the leadership? Nowhere to be seen

If I were a BLM or FS official, I would be loath to challenge a rancher or a miner using public resources. To do so may invite an armed occupation or worse. And those employees know that it's easier and far less dangerous to simply overlook violations and to avoid enforcement actions, except perhaps in most egregious abuses.

Unless these field managers get strong backing from the highest levels of the administration, we are not likely to see this change. However, instead of standing up to the local bullies, usually, it seems the general policy has been of appeasement.

A good example occurred recently in Nevada when the BLM backed down from throwing Cliven Bundy in jail for failure to pay fines, resisting and interfering with government employees attempting to capture his trespass cattle. Bundy remains a free man, and worse his cattle are still ravaging our public domain.

Even after the Cliven Bundy debacle, the BLM backed down again in another northern Nevada incident. Because of the long drought that has engulfed much of Nevada, the BLM closed some areas to further grazing destruction. Ranchers in the Elko area intimated the local BLM officials.

In this they were aided and abetted by Senator Dean Heller and Congressman Mark Amodei who cheered them on. The ranchers even denied there was a drought - though that did not stop them from receiving profligate federal drought disaster relief payments.

The direction is clear - control of 'public lands' is moving to to local interests

In the end the BLM caved. Not only did they reinstate grazing to the detriment of our public lands, but John Ruhs, a cowboy-friendly BLM manager who negotiated the reversal in grazing management, was appointed the Nevada state director.

Unfortunately such incidents are not isolated, and such intimidation and accommodation has occurred for years.

In the aftermath of the Malheur stand-off, we will see more capitulation to local control and our public patrimony will suffer accordingly. We may remain the 'owners' of these federal lands in name, but the de facto control will shift even more towards local economic and political interests.

No matter what legal consequences the Bundy Gang suffers, they have succeeded in advancing their agenda of increasing local control of our public lands.

George Wuerthner has published 36 books including Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy. He serves on the board of the Western Watersheds Project.

This article was originally published on CounterPunch.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few

Even so, Kan had to make some steely-nerved decisions that necessitated putting all emotion aside. In a now famous phone call from Tepco, when the company asked to pull all their personnel from the out-of-control Fukushima site for their own safety, Kan told them no. The workforce must stay. The few would need to make the sacrifice to save the many.

Kan knew that abandoning the Fukushima Daiichi site would cause radiation levels in the surrounding environment to soar, in turn forcing the evacuation of the neighbouring, and still functioning, Fukushima-Daiini nuclear site.

With all 10 Fukushima reactors and 11 spent fuel pools untended, there would be multiple meltdowns and the likely ignition of nuclear waste in onsite storage ponds, cascading into an unending radiological disaster. Kan would be ordering that most dreaded 250km evacuation, including the city of Tokyo.

His insistence that the Tepco workforce remain at Fukushima was perhaps one of the most unsung moments of heroism in the whole sorry saga.

It was then, said Kan, who trained as a physicist, that his whole energy perspective was forever altered. "It was a moment when my view on nuclear power changed 180 degrees." Sticking with the nuclear energy path meant that "the country would go down in ruin." He could no longer in all conscience "make the decision to go with nuclear power and risk the survival of a nation."

Looking then at the sprinkling of MPs who had bothered to attend the presentation in person, Kan reminded them that their current refugee problem would pale compared to the kind of nuclear evacuation they could confront in the UK. Where, he asked them, would all those millions of people go?

87 US Senators blithely voted for more spending on nuclear energy

Renouncing nuclear, then, is the ultimate act of patriotism. Love of country (or "cournty" as the typo-loving Ted Cruz campaign would say) should mean making decisions that protect it, not letting it turn into a radioactive wasteland.

Which makes it so hard to understand why any US political leader on the Left or Right - but especially those Freedom Fries-loving, jingoistic wall-building, Make-America-Great-Again saber rattlers - would continue to support, promote and secure funds for an industry that could kill tens of thousands of people and exile even more.

The argument that it can't or won't happen in the US was undermined by Chernobyl, then obliterated by Fukushima.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a true independent currently running for president on the Democratic ticket, was on top of that reality early. In a March 2012 Senate hearing on Fukushima he reminded us that, "with nuclear power, 99.9% safe is not good enough." Sanders had reason to be alarmed as the then still functioning but now closed Vermont Yankee reactor in his state is the same design as those at Fukushima.

Nevertheless, the Republican Party, and a shamefully large swath of Democrats as well, voted lockstep in the Senate on January 28 for the Nuclear Innovation Capabilities Act, an amendment shoe-horned into the massive Senate Energy Policy Modernization Act still under discussion.

With very little fanfare, 87 senators were happy to endorse the squandering of likely billions more taxpayer dollars on yet another nuclear snipe hunt, dreaming of fusion and fast reactors, when solar and wind would do very nicely instead.

So much money, so much risk

As Sanders noted in the 2012 hearing, "the future of nuclear power will one hundred percent be determined by whether or not the taxpayers of this country continue to provide huge, huge financial support to the nuclear power industry for the indefinite future."

Ditto the current regime in Japan, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is intent on restarting the country's still operable reactors (three down 40 to go) including the latest at Takahama which uses plutonium fuel. He is also an ardent exporter of nuclear reactor technology, apparently as eager to destroy other countries as his own.

One willing client is the UK which is looking to build a Japanese Hitachi reactor at its Wylfa site in Wales. Never mind that the country's flagship two-reactor EDF project at Hinkley C has turned into the worst kind of French farce with costs currently estimated at $36 billion and rising.

As Dr. Paul Dorfman of the Nuclear Consulting Group told the House of Commons audience in January: "It's deeply difficult to see why one could wish to spend so much money to take so many risks."

Linda Pentz Gunter is the international specialist at Beyond Nuclear, a Takoma Park, MD environmental advocacy group.

Also on The Ecologist:
Systemic climate risk is an issue that fund managers, who have duties of care to their clients, now ignore at their peril.

The warning comes in an article for Nature published this week by investment manager Howard Covington, environmental lawyer James Thornton and climate economist Professor Cameron Hepburn. They write:

"Senior lawyers have concluded that those who manage other people's money have a duty to control for 'material risks'. In finance, that means risks that might trigger a 5% or more loss in investment value. Climate damage in the future is expected to be one such risk. "

Bringing the first such action to court would not be simple but could nonetheless succeed given the advanced state of scientific knowledge about climate change, and of its potential for economic disruption - which has even been warned of by the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney.

"To produce a wholesale change in attitude, a court ruling on the obligations of fiduciary investors to control systemic climate risk will probably be needed", the authors state. "Because of the uncertainties in estimating future climate damage, this will not be an easy case to bring. But we anticipate that such a case will ultimately succeed."

Covington, trustee of the environmental law organisation ClientEarth and founding chair of the Alan Turing Institute said: "Clients of investment firms and beneficiaries of pension funds might have a legal case to bring if those who manage money for them stand idly by as emissions erode the value of their stock. We are currently exploring such a possibility."

Listed companies account for a quarter of global emissions

The largest 500 companies on the world's stock markets account for about half of market value and 14% of global emissions. Steel firm Arcelor Mittal, utilities firm RWE and oil giant ExxonMobil are among the top ten.

Extending this ratio of emissions, all listed companies probably account for around one-quarter of global emissions. Many of these companies are multinationals, and are not party to the climate deal made in Paris last December, so they could resist or even challenge government plans to reduce emissions.

Systemic climate risk for investors can be expressed as the likely reduction in the value of a diversified investment portfolio due to expected future climate change. Initial estimates point to a potential value reduction of 10% - pointing to a potential loss of US$7 trillion of the US$70 trillion of shares on the world's equity markets.
Virginia State Police are looking for a 15-year-old boy believed to be the driver of a car chased by a trooper into Roanoke County, where the pursuit ended in a fiery crash Wednesday night.

Trooper C.N. Lynch clocked a 2001 Chevrolet Impala traveling north at 67 mph in a 45 mph zone on U.S. 220 in Boones Mill about 9 p.m., Sgt. Rick Garletts said. The trooper tried to stop the car, but it sped away.

The trooper followed the car, which had five people on board, but Garletts said it continued to drive recklessly.

The Impala crossed into Roanoke County and lost control, striking a 1992 Honda Accord in the rear, police said. The Impala ran off the right side of the road about a mile south of Virginia 615, flipped and caught fire.

The driver of the Accord, Aaron Lee Chance, 23, of Boones Mill, was wearing his seat belt and was not injured.

The four passengers in the Impala were taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

Garletts identified the following passengers: Allen Wayne Wright, 19, of Wirtz; Amber Marie Smith, 18, of Roanoke; Kevin Rashawn Townes, 18, of Rocky Mount; and a 17-year-old male.

A hospital spokesman said Thursday afternoon that Wright and Townes have been discharged, but he said the patient status for Smith is undetermined.

The driver, who police said is 15, ran from the scene. State police and Roanoke County police brought in dogs to scour the wooded area, and state police called in a helicopter to assist in the search. He is believed to be armed with a small handgun, but Garletts said he is not believed to be a threat to the public.

He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and no shoes. Police did not release his name.

Police did not say what led them to believe he was the driver.

Police did not say whether the teen had a learners permit. Even with a permit, a licensed 21-year-old would have been required to be in the passenger seat in order for a 15-year-old to legally drive the car.

Police have not said whether charges have been filed at this time.

The Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team and the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation were called to assist with the investigation.

Anyone with information may call the state police dispatch line at 800-542-5959.
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By Erin Schmitt of The Gleaner

Everyone is an ambassador for the city of Henderson when it comes to branding.

Residents and visitors alike tell the story of the city by its people, attractions, buildings, architecture, events businesses and infrastructure.

But do they all tell the same story? That's where the Henderson Kentucky Branding Project comes in to play.

"This is way bigger than just a catchy logo and a tag line," said Kyle Hittner, executive director of the Henderson Tourism Commission. "It's more about experiences and shared stories and unifying those stories that we are telling others about ourselves."

Steve Chandler, owner and brand strategist with the Nashville-based Chandler Thinks, was originally slated to speak to the Henderson Rotary Club Thursday. However, Hittner spoke instead after a mix-up with the schedule.

Chandler was hired by the Tourism Commission to be the Henderson Kentucky Branding Project's place branding strategy consultant.

The Vision Henderson project initially identified branding the city as a need. Once that project was completed, it was a natural fit for the Henderson Tourism Commission to step in and lead the charge.

Branding matters because a community's reputation is defined by its government, its business and its residents or it will be defined by others, said Hittner.

"I want to impress on everyone that this initiative isn't just our initiative," she said. "It isn't just economic development's initiative. It doesn't just affect the chamber or just the city as a municipality. It affects everyone."

A strong unified presentation can add value to many areas of the community, Hittner said. It strengthens businesses, impacts health care, increases property value and helps manage how the city grows.

Nashville is not too similar a city to Henderson, though both were founded by the Transylvania Company, has a clear brand as the "Music City."

People who exit the airport are greeted by music and honky-tonk images. At the Travel Centers of America location, there are bike racks outside shaped like treble clefs and the parking garage elevator floors are named after an iconic person or place tied to Nashville.

More than 500 people have been surveyed, polled or interviewed to glean people's perspective on what is Henderson's brand. This included people from Henderson and the neighboring cities of Evansville and Owensboro.

One question that popped up on the attitude and perception survey was: "What do you think of when you think of Henderson, Kentucky?"

Rotarians and guests shouted out Ellis Park, Audubon, The Riverfront, Handy Fest and Simon's Shoes. Hittner said the answer most people surveyed gave was cheap gas.

In the surveys, they were not only trying to discover what outsiders thought of Henderson, but also what residents were saying about the city. It turns out Hendersonians are pretty humble.

"We are trying to build up our bragging rights, give everyone something to brag about because we have a lot to brag about," she said.

Hittner said they planned to complete phase two of the branding project Thursday night and then immediately launch into theme and creative. She estimated that Chandler would present four or five themes for Henderson in either March or April.

"Southern Hospitality Begins Here," "Where the South Begins," and "On the Ohio But Never In It" were all tag lines one time associated with Henderson.

However, the first two tag lines could also be said of cities like Owensboro or Paducah. Hittner said the challenge is coming up with something that makes it Henderson.

"That's what we're honing in on," she said. "A lot of us know what that is, but it's how we make that story relevant across a lot of platforms."
MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Maci Breedlove, 6, (right) hides in the trunk as her sister, Madison, 9, and their mother, Danielle Breedlove, load up the car with their order of Girl Scout cookies Thursday afternoon at the Henderson Presbyterian Church.

SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Arianna Lorenzana, 9, rolls some of her Girl Scout cookies toward the car Thursday after the Henderson County scouts received their order of 1,832 cases of cookies. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Girl Scout service unit managers Susan Bryant (left) and Martina Aldridge look up a order online so they can have it ready to be picked up Thursday at the Henderson Presbyterian Church. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Hallie Jenkins, 10, pushes a cart of Girl Scout cookies to her moms car Thursday. Hallie sold 301 boxes of cookies; 92 of them were people buying them to be donated to soldiers. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Delaney Shumate, 8, and her father, David, load up more than 40 cases of Girl Scout cookies Thursday for South Heights Elementarys Brownie Troop 731.

By Tom Lovett of The Gleaner

Bad news for those people who might have given up sweets for Lent: the Girl Scout cookies are here.

On Thursday morning, a semi loaded with cookies rolled into the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church to unload the 1,832 cases of cookies  nearly 23,000 boxes  for the local troops.

"That's actually down a little bit from last year," said Stephanie Decker, the local cookie chair. "The price went from $3.50 last year to $4 this year. That might have something to do with it."

The largest chunk of those boxes are headed for 10-year-old McKenna Russin's house. McKenna brought in the largest order  845 boxes, according to her father, David.

"That's 845, so far," he said. Russin said he and McKenna are going to go back to homes and businesses they missed during the order period to try and reach McKenna's goal.

McKenna, a 4th-grader at Bend Gate also was the top cookie seller last year.

"We sold 1,236 boxes last year," McKenna said. "We're trying to beat our goal of what we sold last year, but we'd really like to sell 1,500."

"When we go door to door and we have extra cookies with us, people don't often turn her down because they can get their cookies right now, David Russin said. "She shouldn't have any problem beating 1,200 (boxes.)"

McKenna said the secret to her success is going to people's home and work and talking to them face to face.

There's one lady in my neighborhood that buys like 25 boxes every year for her children," she said "We like to go back to see her because we know she's going to buy and all the customers in my neighborhood like to buy from me because we come to their house, not just call on the phone."

David Russin said he went to the door with McKenna in the past, but this year he'd wait for her at the end of driveways.

"(Customers) could not be more impressed with her coming to the door," he said. "We've had several who say they wouldn't buy cookies if they were at Walmart or if someone just put out an (order form). We've been doing this for three years and each year they just can't wait for her to come to the door."

Decker said this year, the council made a real effort to support a new program, Operation Cookie.

"If people don't want cookies, they can buy cookies and donate the cookies and the council will send them to soldiers."

Of the 213 boxes of cookies donated to soldiers so far, nearly half  92 boxes  were sold by Hallie Jenkins, 10, of Henderson.

"This is a comfort food, this is a reminder of home," said her mother, Becky Jenkins. "I can only just imagine the look on their faces when these cookies arrive."

Becky Jenkins said once people find out about the donation program, the cookies sell themselves.

"After we picked up our cookies, we stopped at Sureway and the man was helping us out with our groceries and I told him, 'Oh, you can't put them in the trunk, it's full if cookies,' " she said. "We got to talking about cookies for soldiers and he wound up giving me money to buy cookies. He said his father was in the military and he wanted to help out."

BOX

Do you need cookies?

Girl Scouts will be selling cookies for three weekends, starting Feb. 20. Cookies will be available on Friday evenings and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Casey's General Store, Walmart, all three Sureway stores, Walgreens and Rural King.
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By Gleaner Staff

Kentucky State Police arrested two men on multiple charges following a pursuit in Webster County.

Trooper Cody Kromer stopped a vehicle for speeding on Kentucky 109-North in Wheatcroft at about 10 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release. As Kromer got out of cruiser and approached the vehicle, the driver fled from the traffic stop.

The pursuit continued for approximately 10 miles until the vehicle turned on to Kentucky 132-West, where the Webster County Sheriff's Department blocked the road with one of their cruisers.

The vehicle then came to a stop in the roadway. The driver, Brian A. Perkins, 27, of Providence, got out, but would not comply with officers' commands.

Perkins was subdued and arrested. The passenger, Jonathan L. Willett, 21, of Morganfield, was arrested without incident. There were no injuries reported.

Perkins was charged with speeding, reckless driving, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, trafficking in a first-degree controlled substance (more than or equal to two grams of methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree fleeing/evading police, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Willett was charged with public intoxication, possession of a first-degree controlled substance and promoting first-degree contraband.

Both men were lodged in the Webster County Detention Center.
SHARE William Adams

Gleaner staff

Authorities are still searching for a Webster County inmate who walked away from his work release job a week ago.

The Kentucky State Police said William W. Adams, 40, left Sebree City Garage on South State Street around 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 4.

Adams, who was incarcerated on drug-related charges, is described as a white male, around 5 feet 10 inches tall, 220 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, officials said.

He was last seen wearing an orange sweatshirt and khaki pants.

If you come into contact with him, officials advise that you should not try to apprehend him.

Instead dial 911 or contact the Kentucky State Police at 270-676-3313 or toll-free, in Kentucky, at 800-222-5555 or your local law enforcement.
Witnesses begin testifying in West Burlington pool shooting trial

Testimony began on Wednesday in the trial of the man accused of attempted murder after a shooting at the West Burlington Swimming Pool in June.
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NORWALK -- In her home country of Uruguay, Sandra Salazar said people start their day with a visit to the local coffee shop to talk to each other and catch up on what's been happening.

In an attempt to bring that tradition to the U.S. and have patrons, dare she dream?, unplug for a moment, Salazar has opened Capri's Cuisine on Main Street. As customers walk in, they notice a chalk board with the message: "We don't have wi-fi. 'Talk' to each other."

"We socialize a lot and make new friends," Salazar said of her policy of not offering wi-fi. "There's no wi-fi, no clock, no television. Just talk to each other."

Salazar, along with Omar Gomez, opened Capri's in December, but held its official grand opening event on Thursday.

Capri's serves home-made pastries as well as coffee, cappuccino, and espresso. It also sells imported goods from Uruguay, such as yerba mate, a traditional hot drink.

"We wanted to do something different. In Connecticut, nobody has these things," Salazar said. "Uruguay is very quiet. Everybody here is in such a rush. I want them to come here and relax. It's a place to socialize."

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling was on hand at the grand opening on Thursday evening and sampled the pastries.

"I tried them and they are delicious," Rilling said. "We welcome Capri's to Norwalk. It's a great little business and truly a family business."

Mariella Castagnet, president of the Greater Norwalk Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, also expressed gratification that Capri's is now open.

"I'm excited. I'm from Uruguay myself and there's nothing like this around here," Castagnet said.

Salazar said she named the business Capri's because her family came from Italy.

"Uruguay has a strong European influence," she said.

Capri's is located at 170 Main St., in the former location of Cross River Locksmith.
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BRUSSELS (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a key Persian Gulf ally has agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters focused on recapturing Raqqa, the Islamic State group's capital.

Carter made the comment after meeting Friday at his Brussels hotel with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.

Carter declined to say how many Emirati special forces would go to Syria. He said they would be part of an effort led by the United States and bolstered by Saudi special forces to train and enable local Arab fighters who are motivated to recapture Raqqa.

The U.S. war plan for fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is designed to unseat the extremists in Raqqa and Mosul, which is the group's main stronghold in northern Iraq.

Carter also told reporters that however the proposed suspension of Syrian civil war hostilities is implemented, as announced in Munich, the U.S. will continue combating IS in Syria.

"There is no cease-fire in the war against ISIL," Carter said. "Let's be clear about that."

Diplomats meeting in Munich, Germany fell short early Friday in organizing a truce in the Syrian civil war but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in a week's time. The foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week.

Carter said the US military will not participate in those aid deliveries.

U.S. and Russia are to lead a working group meeting Friday to work out aid delivery details.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Overall, the United Nations says almost half a million people are besieged in Syria. Since the beginning of 2015, Syria's government had approved just 13 inter-agency aid convoys, out of 113 requested, the U.N. reported last month.
NORWALK -- Chef Carlos Baez, head chef at The Spread restaurant, located at 70 North Main St., faced off against world renown chef Bobby Flay on his television show "Beat Bobby Flay" where he narrowly lost the competition. The episode aired on Thursday at 10 p.m. on the Food Network.

"I really want a rematch with Bobby," joked Baez. "One of the producers said to me that this was the longest it's ever taken for the judges to make a decision."

Baez and Flay squared off over chicken mole's in the final round. Mole is a Mexican dish that combines several ingredients to make a sauce whose primary ingredient is chili peppers, but will often contain chocolate as well. The result is a marriage of deep flavors that take hours to properly form.

"I made chicken mole and rice for the judges. Mole usually takes two to three hours to make but the round was only 45 minutes long. Bobby made chicken mole and rice with a tomatillo salsa," said Baez. "It was the tomatillo salsa that pushed his dish over the edge to win it. The judges did say my mole was better than Bobby's and that Bobby should come to The Spread to learn how to make a real mole."

To reach the second round, Baez had to defeat another up-and-coming chef from Long Island in the first 20 minute round. With the Valentine's Day theme to the episode, the first round mystery ingredient was chocolate and chili peppers -- in theme with the episode's name "Sweet and Spicy". Baez made a dish that the judges loved which was roasted prawns with a pasilla adobo over quinoa with shaved chocolate on top. The judges commented on how well Baez was able to balance the flavors and not make it too spicy or too chocolately.

"When you get started with the prep work, those first minutes in the kitchen fly by you," said Baez. "I was sweating so much just trying to finish my plate on time."

Baez was picked up from his house at 4 a.m. to go to the studio in New York City. There are no windows in the studio so by the time the taping was finished after a couple of hours, he was so tired that it felt like it was already 9 p.m.

"A customer of mine shared a link to the casting for Beat Bobby Flay and said I had to do it," said Baez. "It took them two months to get back to me after I submitted my application. Then I had to wait another couple of months to fill out the paperwork (to appear on the show)."

Baez was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico where his parents owned three taquerias. By the age of 14 he was working in their restaurants.

"When I was 16 I moved to the U.S. to go to school. When I was 18 I started off as a dishwasher at Seaside Johnnies in Rye, New York," he said. "Three months later and the chef decided he wanted to train me so I started off at the salad and appetizer station in the kitchen."

Baez says the chef noticed he was a quick learner and he was soon able to learn every aspect of the whole kitchen.

"A year later, the owner, John Ambrose, had a friend who owned a sushi restaurant and gave me a job there," he said. "It was a sushi bar that was located in the same area as Seaside Johnnies. I worked there for two years before going to La Panetiere in Rye, New York."

La Panetiere is a french restaurant and Baez says he fell in love with french cuisine from his time working in the restaurant. Duck, rabbit and foie gras are some of his favorite french dishes to eat.

"The head chef at La Panetiere decided to work at Napa Co. in Stamford and wanted to bring me along with him," said Baez. "I worked as a sous chef there for 3 and a half years."

After Napa Co., Baez and his head chef at Napa Co. found a position at The Spread in SoNo where they were able to design the kitchen. After all his hard work, Baez was promoted to executive chef at The Spread when his former boss went to a restaurant in Westport.

The Spread will be having Valentine's Day specials this weekend that include pan seared lamb chops over an arugala salad and oven dried tomatoes with an espresso infused balsalmic vinegar. Chocolate truffles will be on the dessert menu.

The Spread will be opening another restaurant in SoNo called El Segundo in the spring. It will be a street food restaurant that features a wide array of cuisines like Vietnamese, Korean and even Baez's family's tacos al pastor.

"We will have the authentic Mexico City style al pastor," said Baez.

The restaurant will feature a vertical rotisserie called a trompo for the tacos al pastor.

The Spread was voted best American cuisine restaurant in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine in 2015. For more information about The Spread restaurant, visit www.thespreadsono.com.
STAMFORD  Stamford Public Schools (SPS) announced that five Stamford High School students were recently recognized for their outstanding artistic contributions as part of the 2016 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition, the largest juried student art exhibition in the state. The awards presentation was held last month at Lincoln Theater, University of Hartford.

The student artwork was exhibited in the Silpe Gallery, University of Hartford, from Jan. 17 through Feb. 6.
Looking for the big games to watch in Week 9? We have them right here.
When the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame opened in Cleveland in 1986 five of the original inductees, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, and the Godfather of it all, Chuck Berry had all appeared on the Coliseum Ballrooms big stage. John Lennon said If they didnt call it Rock n Roll, theyd have to call it Chuck Berry! The Coliseum was a nursery for the infant Rock n Roll in the fifties and sixties and the list of big names that performed there is the stuff of great legend.

On Saturday, February 20th, Build Benld and The Coliseum Documentary Project will present Memories of the Coliseum, at The Gillespie Civic Center. This is a onetime only event to remember the famous ballroom and commemorate the 40th anniversary of Joyce Tarros death.

Build Benld is a civic philanthropic group of some very dedicated people who are committed to keeping the town alive and vibrant and is one of the most prolific and active civic organizations in Macoupin County. Build Benld does many events and fund raisers and distributes the money back into their community. They support the Adopt a Pet Shelter, have donated 18 tables to the Benld Civic Center, built Memorial Gazebo Park on Central Avenue, painted playground equipment and added staggered tires for kids to climb, installed Coliseum Ballroom Dancers kiosk and plaque, back fencing and flood light, hosted five senior Christmas dinners, and as of late donated $1900 to the City of Benld for repairs to be made to the bike trail, among many other community causes.

Lynn Shehorn, the promotions and publicity director for Build Benld, said For many, many years the Coliseum Ballroom and Benld were synonymous. When you thought of one, you thought of the other.and we all knew Joyce. We wanted to commemorate that and all the pieces came together at just the right time to make it happen. She went on to say, All of us have just about the same memories. Saturday night with whoever could get the car that night and heading out to Tarros with our friends. Meeting guys and girls, great bands, dancing, and maybe sneaking a drink before it was legalwhat was better than that when you were 17?

What great memories! We want to try to bring that back and share our memories with everyone again.

The BALLROOM BAND will be playing that night. From Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago and Southern California musicians from all over are coming together to perform for this special onetime event. Everyone in the impressive line-up for the night has played on the big stage at the Coliseum Ballroom.

Chuck Wilson along with band members Rick Rayburn and Charlie Wilson will provide the core group for the night. These loyal Coliseum Ballroom Devotees played with most of the great local bands in the late 60s and early 70s, Serra Leigh, Bulls Eye, Sky High and Seadog, to name but just a few. Chuck went on to work with twice Grammy nominated trumpeter Phil Driscoll and with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons for many years. Musicians that night will include former members of Serra Leigh, the Far Cryse, Kaleidoscope, Griffin, Seadog, Lomax, Castle, Sky High, Emerald City, The Bob Kuban Band, The Torquays, The Jay Barry Band, Phil Driscoll, and special guest Gary McClain of The Guild. The band will be playing many of the Top Ten songs from 1959 to 1976. Some surprise guests are being planned as well!!

The Coliseum Documentary Project has been in production for well over 5 years and was begun by Jim Marcacci, a retired teacher from Gillespie, who has been active with the Build Benld group since its beginnings. When we started we didnt realize what a monumental task the film would be said Marcacci. We decided early on that we had to tell the whole story from opening night in 1924 to the fire in 2011and everything in between, for all of its 87 years. We decided to make the complete historical record of The Coliseum Ballroom. In just a very short time, maybe 30, 45 years from now, this will be all that is known about this wonderful, magical place and what happened there. We dont think it should be forgotten. Jim is the Director and Narrator for the documentary project and has teamed up with Writer and Emmy Award winning Producer John Ubben. They will be showing a special sneak preview of their upcoming documentary Dance to the Music set for general release this summer.

The Doors open at 6pm, the band starts at 7pm and will play until 11pm. There will be a Cash Bar for beer and wine and set ups will be available (bring your own hard liquor). The tickets are $15 per person and are only available at the door that night.

Dress up in poodle shirts, leather jackets, white tees and cool blue jeans, and get there early for this one time special event! Come join The BALLROOM BAND, playing the music that was popular when you were, as we remember The Coliseum Ballroom and Joyce Tarro.
Brett Prywitch, M.D.s job for the past 20 years as a Radiologist is to look inside the human body, to observe, study, analyze and find evidence of abnormalities, diseases or compromised organs, tissue and bones.

But Dr. Brett Prywitch sees much more than just those medical conditions when he reviews x-rays, CT scans or MRIs. He also observes the beauty in the human form, and he can envision creative ways to convey his artistic inspiration.

For several years, Brett Prywitch has taken that artistic inspiration and turns radiological images into a new art form by utilizing medical imagery such as x-rays, CT and MRI scans.

Prywitch explains his unique creative perspective, noting, The ability to peer inside a human body without the laying of hands is truly a miracle of medical science. I create imagery utilizing medical images such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and plain X-rays.

He continues, Having a substantial knowledge of the body's intricate form and function, my experience as a radiologist provides me with the unique opportunity to view humanity from a different perspective. The human body, as viewed with modern imaging technology, contains many beautiful and intricate structures that allow a vast universe of artistic possibilities.

Prywitch has always been interested in art, particularly in photography, watercolors and sketching. His foray into digital art came when he was introduced to Photo Shop by one of his children, approximately five years ago. Since then, Brett has continued to use his unique talent to create beautifully interesting and visually compelling works of digital art inspired by his professional experience and knowledge and the images

Bretts collection of radiologically-inspired works of art are featured within the exhibition Clearly Human II, which is currently on display at the St. Louis Artists Guild Gallery, located in Clayton at the corner of Jackson and Forsythe (in the old Famous-Barr building) through February 27, 2016.

Although Prywitchs work has been displayed in several professional settings, this is the first time Bretts art has been accepted into a highly regarded and professional juried art show. Encouraged by his acceptance into the Clearly Human II Show, Brett is in the process of applying to several other regional art shows and festivals.

Dr. Prywitchs other arts installations, exhibitions and lectures include venues, medical facilities and corporations from across the country:

 Guest lecturer & exhibition, Carlos Perez-Mesa Lectureship in Medical Humanities, University of Missouri, Columbia in 2015

 Installation at The MS Center in St. Louis, Missouri in 2014

 Installation at the Prothena Corporation located in San Francisco, California in 2014

 Installation, Sparta Community Hospital in Sparta, Illinois in 2013

 Installation, Memorial Hospital in Chester, Illinois in 2012

 Lecture, Radiology in The Arts: A Brief History at Loyola University Hospital, Maywood, Illinois in 2012

 Impact Wall Installation at Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Illinois in 201

Brett Prywitch has been an M.D. for 29 years. He spent his first few years post-graduate in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, and then began his training residency in Radiology 25 years ago. As a medical professional, Dr. Brett Prywitch have been in private practice radiology for 20 years, and is currently on staff with several Radiological groups and local area hospitals - as a Diagnostic Radiologist with Dugan Radiology Associates; with Memorial Hospital in Chester, Illinois as a Staff Radiologist since 1996, and Radiology Chief since 2006; as a Staff Radiologist since 1996 with Sparta Community Hospital in Sparta, Illinois, and with St. Josephs Hospital in Breese, Illinois since 1996.

Prywitch is currently a member of both the Radiological Society of North America and the American College of Radiology. On the artistic side, hes a past member of the St. Louis Watercolor Society.

Brett has had several articles published and media profiles featuring his unique x-ray art, including the St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis Magazine, the AARP Bulletin and KTVI FOX2; and his original artwork was featured on the covers of radiology industry publications RadioGraphics and Journal of Radiology Case Reports.

While Ive received accolades for my artwork in the past, I am very excited to be a part of the St. Louis Artists Guild show as my first professional exhibition as an artist, notes Prywitch. He adds, I hope this is the first of many shows to come in the future!

For additional details about Dr. Brett Prywitchs works of x-ray art, please visit his website at www.brettprywitch.com, or contact the artist at 618-407-5906 or via email at bprywitch@aol.com.

And for more information regarding the St. Louis Artists Guilds Clearly Human II Exhibition, the public can visit their website at www.stlouisartistsguild.org.
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Linkedin Erika Anindita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Representatives of 20 mass organizations signed on Friday an agreement with the Defense Ministry to support a state defense program that will involve Indonesian civilians.

'The strength that would be developed through this program is not physical strength or military skills but spiritual strength based on patriotism and nationalism,' Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said in a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

The minister expressed the hope that more organizations would take part the state defense program, which kicked off on Oct. 22, 2015.

Since the program kicked off, more than 4,500 people had expressed their readiness to become trainers in the program, said the minister.

The government aimed to provide 100 million Indonesians with quasi-military training through the state defense program over the next ten years, he added.

Among organizations that signed an agreement were the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI), Red and White Troops (LMP), Comedian Art Association (PSKI), Indonesian National State Defense Association (IKBNRI), Bikers Brotherhood MC Indonesia, Indonesian Islamic Boarding Schools Association (IPI) and Indonesia Genetic Working Group.

The program aimed to encourage people to be more disciplined, optimistic, hard working as well as to provide people with leadership skills, the minister said. (bbn)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Sydney  Fri, February 12, 2016

A pregnant woman in Australia has tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling overseas. It's the second such case this week

Victoria state Health Minister Jill Hennessy told reporters on Friday that the woman was diagnosed with Zika after returning from a country where the mosquito-borne virus is prevalent. She declined to provide any other details about the case, including where the woman had traveled, citing patient privacy.

Earlier this week, a pregnant woman in Queensland state was also diagnosed with Zika after traveling abroad.

Experts say the risk of Zika spreading across Australia is extremely low. The type of mosquito that carries the virus only lives in the far northeast corner of the country, which is sparsely populated. (rin)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) said on Thursday that it had dropped a plan to question oil kingpin Reza Chalid as a witness in an alleged attempt to extort shares from a mining company.



The AGO's decision comes in the wake of three ignored summonses issued to Reza, who, along with Golkar Party politician Setya Novanto, was implicated in an apparent conspiracy to secure shares in gold and copper company PT Freeport Indonesia in return for helping the firm secure an operating contract

extension.



In a recording, Reza and Setya were heard proposing to then Freeport president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin that the firm give shares to President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to smoothen its ongoing contract negotiation process.



The AGO's junior attorney for special crimes, Arminsyah, confirmed that the AGO had stopped attempting to summon Reza, who is thought to have fled overseas.



'We won't summon him again, but we will still try to get his testimony in different ways,' Arminsyah said at the AGO headquarters in South Jakarta.



Arminsyah declined to specify to which methods he was referring. He did say, however, that the AGO had still not named any suspects in the case, as it was still compiling evidence for the preliminary investigation.



Last year, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said filed a report to the House's ethics council accusing Setya of promising to secure an extension to Freeport's mining contract, set to expire in 2021, in exchange for shares in the company.



To the report, Sudirman attached the recording of the conversation between Setya, Reza and Maroef.



A voice believed to be Setya's was heard asking for an 11 percent share for Jokowi and a 9 percent share for Kalla.



Following the controversy, Setya resigned from his post as House of Representatives speaker to avoid political embarrassment.



Maroef also resigned from his post as president director, leaving negotiations between the company and government in limbo.



Setya initially refused to be questioned by the AGO, arguing that a special permit from the President was required to question a lawmaker.



But House factions later agreed to form a working committee to provide political support for the AGO's investigation into Setya, leaving him with no option but to answer the summons.



The former House speaker's third questioning by the AGO was held on Thursday; speaking to reporters afterwards, the disgraced former speaker was tight-lipped.



'I have already disclosed everything I know and feel [about the issue] and I have explained it to the best of my ability. Hopefully I was able to answer all the AGO's questions ['] As a good citizen, I will comply with the AGO. The questioning was fluent and professional,' he said following the two-hour questioning session.



Setya added that he was willing to be cooperative and meet any future summonses from the AGO.



Setya's lawyer, Firman Wijaya, said that while the Golkar lawmaker acknowledged that he had met with Reza and Maroef to discuss his daughter's wedding, he had maintained his innocence during the questioning.



'The main point is that he did not use the President or the Vice President's names in any way related to shares,' Firman said.



The lawyer added that Setya did not know the whereabouts of Reza, believed to have left the country at the onset of the scandal, and that there had not been any recent communication between the two men.

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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has strongly urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea, to comply with all relevant United Nation Security Council Resolutions.



ASEAN learned of North Korea's rocket launch on Feb. 7 and follows the situation closely.



"[ASEAN] shares the common concerns of the international community over recent developments in the region," ASEAN said in a statement sent to thejakartapost.com recently.



ASEAN also restated its support for the early resumption of the Six Party Talks designed to dismantle nuclear weapons in North Korea through peaceful means.



"ASEAN reiterates the importance of dialogue and constructive engagement for maintaining peace and security in the Korean Peninsula," the statement said.



North Korea defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket on Feb. 7, which they claimed was part of a peaceful space program.



The launch of the rocket followed North Korea's widely disputed claim last month that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. (rin)(+)
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Bali  Fri, February 12, 2016

The government has stepped up its efforts to reach the 23 percent targeted renewable energy utilization over the next nine years, by boosting regional partnership, research and clean energy investment despite cheaper fossil-based fuels.



'There are always factors concerning capital efficiency as most clean energy technology is more expensive than coal-fired, but we can decrease the gap with technology and cooperation,' Vice President Jusuf Kalla said in his speech at the Bali Clean Energy Forum on Thursday.



As a tropical and archipelagic country, Indonesia has abundant resources, from hydropower to solar energy. In the long-term, the increased use of the new and renewable energy will benefit the country as the costs incurred from the environmental damage caused by the exploitation of the fossil-based fuel will be also high.



The country is estimated to have around 28 gigawatt (GW) in geothermal potentials and 75 GW in hydropower potentials that can generate electricity. The total potential renewable energy is estimated to reach more than 300,000 megawatt (MW).



'In 10 years, Indonesia will build two times 35,000 MW, and the proportion of coal-fired power plants should fall to 50 percent from the current 60 percent, while the proportion of the renewable energy will increase to 25 percent from 11 percent,' he said.



According to data from state-owned electricity firm PLN, around 55.7 percent of electricity generation in 2015 was fueled by coal, 25.3 percent by gas, 8.2 percent by diesel fuel, 5.9 percent by hydropower plants and around 4 percent by geothermal energy.



The government has also aimed to add 35,000 MW of electricity over the next five years, with 25 percent slated to be sourced from renewable energy.



Kalla also said that the slumping oil price might not last long and the price could exceed the renewable energy cost in time.



Oil benchmark Brent crude was at US$30.54 per barrel on Thursday, according to Bloomberg figures, compared to $64.64 per barrel on April 28 last year.



Kalla cited that the diesel fuel electricity price once hit 30 US cent per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared to 10-12 US cents per KwH for clean energy, such as hydropower and geothermal.



Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said voiced the same concern, stating that the country should avoid the pitfall of overdependency on fossil fuels, which could lead to a so-called 'corrosive energy policy'.



Sudirman also said that he aimed to capitalize on the country's recent move to become an associate member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and rejoin OPEC to boost the partnership in renewable energy development.



'We will form a Center of Excellence in Bali to aid the research, education, pilot project and investment facilitation of clean energy,' he said, adding that Bali would be a good exemplary project with its size as the government aimed to supply 90 percent of the island's electricity through renewable energy sources over the next five years.



The government will also work with governors from six provinces, including East Nusa Tenggara and West Papua, on the clean energy program to provide electricity for 12,600 villages, in a program called Indonesia Terang (Bright Indonesia).



He also cited the government's recent plan to establish an entity similar to PLN to handle renewable energy to buffer the purchasing of electricity from independent power producers and sell the power to PLN under a certain price, as well as a cooperation with Financial Services Authority (OJK) to boost the funding for renewable energy projects.
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Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Ahead of the peak of the rainy season, the Jakarta administration, in anticipation of flooding, has teamed up with the Communications and Information Ministry to create a system to broadcast text messages warning residents in areas threatened by floods.



The ministry's director of special communications, public broadcasting and universal obligations, Ismail, said that the text messages would be location-based and would detect GPS systems in smartphones. Messages would be sent to devices located near rivers such as the Ciliwung, Krukut, Angke, Pesanggrahan, Sunter and Cipinang rivers.



'It will be location-based, so as not to cause panic,' Ismail said during the system's launch at City Hall on Thursday.



Ismail explained that the ministry would cooperate with the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) to obtain information on the condition of sluice gates across the city. When a sluice gate reaches an alarming level, a text message will be broadcast to people resident in or passing through potentially affected areas.



With the text messages, he said, people would be given time to prepare for eventual flooding.



The peak of the rainy season is expected to occur between Feb. 22 to Feb. 28.



The early warning system, Ismail said, would apply, as well as to flooding, to earthquakes, tsunamis and, in Thousand Islands regency, high tides.



Jakarta BPBD head Denny Wahyu Haryanto said that the city administration would provide information to the ministry on the condition of sluice gates based on real-time monitoring by officers in the field.



There are 12 sluice gates and dams vital to mitigating flooding in the capital, namely Katulampa, Angke Hulu, Cipinang Hulu and Krukut Hulu in Bogor; Depok in West Java; Manggarai and Pesanggrahan in South Jakarta; Karet in Central Jakarta, Sunter Hulu and Pulogadung in East Jakarta; and Pluit Reservoir and Pasar Ikan

in North Jakarta.



When conditions at any of the 12 gates reach high alert, the BPBD will inform the ministry and residents of potentially affected areas. For example, Denny explained, if the Katulampa Dam were on high alert, then several areas in Jakarta would be affected, as rivers including the Ciliwung would be at risk of bursting their banks. The areas which could be affected included Cawang, Bidara Cina and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta, Rawajati, Kalibata, Kebon Baru and Pejaten Timur in South Jakarta and Pengadegan in West Jakarta, he said.



The BPBD, Denny went on, currently had its own information center providing real-time information not only on the conditions of sluice gates but also on flooding across Jakarta. The information is available for public access at bpbd.jakarta.go.id. However, he said, the new information system would be aimed more specifically at those residents at risk of being affected by floods.



During the launch, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara also introduced the central government's plan to provide a central emergency number at 112. The number, he said, would not only connect residents in need to the police, but also to the fire agency and health agency in case of fires or health emergencies.



Currently, he said, call centers for government services were separated, such as 110 for the police, 113 for the fire service and 118 for an ambulance from the Jakarta Health Agency.



'We are currently integrating the network of all government services. Therefore, if residents need anything or are just seeking information, they can call the central emergency number at 112,' he said.
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

More than a year after the passing of the Village Law, village administrations around the country remain in the dark over the legal status of the village-run businesses mandated by the law.



The Yogyakarta-based Institute for Research and Empowerment (IRE) blamed the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry for the lack of progress, accusing it of failing to provide clear and specific guidelines regarding the ownership and management of village assets operated for village-owned enterprises (BUMdes).



IRE researcher Sukasmanto, a specialist in management and social entrepreneurship, said that the new law and follow-up regulations from the ministry had created confusion among villagers and village administrators, who were uncertain if they legally owned assets such as rivers, water and mountains, or if they could only manage the assets.



'This could be dangerous because if villagers have no legal status over the assets that they manage, private entities or corporations can arbitrarily lay claim to the assets, leading to land conflicts,' Sukasmanto said, adding that villagers often lacked knowledge of legal issues, preventing them claiming their rights.



Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Jafar last year issued Ministerial Regulation No. 4/2015 on the establishment, management and dissolution of village-owned enterprises in an attempt to accelerate village development.



The regulation, however, does not touch on asset ownership, simply giving vague explanations on procedures to establish BUMdes, previously stipulated in Home Ministerial Regulation No. 39/2010 on BUMdes.



Marwan previously said that the regulation was part of a target to build 5,000 new BUMdes in five years, adding to the 11,945 BUMdes in 28 provinces. Aceh has the most, with 6,474.



Last year, the ministry registered 2,000 new BUMdes, and plans to register another 3,000 this year.



Triharjono, a resident of Bleberan village in Gunung Kidul Regency, Yogyakarta, who is involved in the management of the Gunung Kidul tourism area that constitutes the village's BUMdes, said that the ministry had the right intention to empower villages, but had failed to provide clear guidelines.



'The ministerial regulation continues to confuse us. Most of the business units that we consider BUMdes in our village have no legal status, while the regulation says that a BUMdes should have one,' Triharjono said.



Kenere village in East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), where BUMdes activities are dominated by three sectors ' micro finance, production and distribution of agriculture commodities and services ' are experiencing the same problem.



'The BUMdes really do boost livelihoods and add to our incomes, but we have no idea who owns our natural assets used as BUMdes. As such, it's difficult for us to feel free to manage and develop them,' said Rubanus, a villager from Kenere.



Ahmad Erani Yustika, the development and empowerment of rural communities director general at the ministry, acknowledged that the ministry had failed to come up with clear definitions.



'We want the villagers to fully own the assets and manage the BUMdes. However, it needs a long discussion because of the major impacts the issues could have,' Ahmad said.



'We want to help villagers to run BUMdes properly and efficiently,' he said.
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Linkedin Matthew Lee (The Jakarta Post) Munich  Fri, February 12, 2016

Diplomats trying to secure a ceasefire for the civil war in Syria fell short in organizing an immediate truce but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in the coming week.

Foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group also sealed an agreement early Friday to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian assistance to seven besieged Syrian communities. Those deliveries are to begin immediately after a working group meets on the matter Friday in Geneva.

Speaking for the group, US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the results but noted they were "commitments on paper."

"The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them," he said.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had been pressing for a ceasefire to begin March 1, said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both the working group on humanitarian aid as well as the group that will try to deal with the "modalities" of the temporary truce. However, it was not clear if deep and festering differences between the US and Russia on these issues could be overcome.

While humanitarian access is critical to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians in the short term, a durable and lasting ceasefire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition are to resume on or before the UN-set target date of Feb. 25. The talks broke down last month before they really started, due largely to gains by Assad's military with the heavy backing of Russian airstrikes.

Russia had proposed the March 1 ceasefire, but the US and others saw that as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The US countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting. Both countries appeared to have made concessions on that front.

Despite the concession on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the US, Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force, which will include military officials, will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago. At the moment, only two groups ' the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front ' are ineligible for the truce because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, should not be eligible for the ceasefire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a "broad endorsement" of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted "tangible gains" in Iraq and Syria by March.

"We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight," he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar US aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.

Nataliya Vasilyeva, Jamey Keaten, Bassem Mroue, Lolita C. Baldor, Bradley Klapper, Robert Burns and Geir Moulson contributed to this report.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI), also known as Indonesia Eximbank, has signed a loan agreement with state-owned train manufacturer Industri Kereta Api (INKA) to export railway cars to Bangladesh. The state-run financing firm was appointed by the government to provide working capital loans worth Rp 270 billion (US$20.1 million) to INKA, which will use the funds to finance the shipment of railway cars to the South Asian country.



The appointment was made through a National Interest Account (NIA), which is a government policy to push penetration to non-traditional export destinations that, despite being commercially non-viable, may help boost shipments.



'The export financing uses NIA as shipments to non-traditional markets are deemed as less feasible and riskier,' Indonesia Eximbank executive director Ngalim Sawega said in a statement on Wednesday.



Ngalim said the agency had prepared a total pipeline of Rp 300 billion to support INKA for the project until Dec. 31 this year.



Indonesia's total exports declined by 14.62 percent year-on-year to $150.25 billion last year and its imports plunged by 19.9 percent to $142.74 billion, leaving it to it book a trade surplus of $7.51 billion in 2015, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show.
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Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's plan to overhaul the government's spending system will depend on his ministers and whether or not they have a clear and strong will to direct their subordinates to follow through with the changes.



The overhaul would require a massive 'mental revolution' at the ministerial level, economists said.



At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the President called on ministers to spend taxpayers money based on priority programs rather than simply disburse it to all units.



Jokowi said the new model would revamp the budgeting system implemented across ministries and agencies that for a long time had forced even funding across programs, no matter what their level of priority.



A former furniture businessman, the President said it was time for his ministers to take full control of each ministry budget and to only disburse funds for important projects that were in line with the administration's list of priorities.



'Not all divisions need budgets and activities. Don't force it. We have a focus and priorities,' he added.



By adhering to the priorities, the government expects to see significant improvement in overall state-budget absorption, spending quality and achievement of target.



The government, however, realizes implementation of the new model may not be as easy as falling off a log.



Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the officials' compliance would largely depend on each minister's leadership. 'The ministers should stress what they want [from subordinates] because we have only have a limited budget,' he said on Thursday.



The government has not come up with a detailed 2017 state budget, but funding constraints have always been a major issue for the state budget.



Funding is now more of a challenge as the government pursues massive infrastructure plans, especially because tax revenue ' the main source of funding ' has remained low.



Last year, for instance, the government only managed to reap Rp 1.06 quadrillion (US$79.35 billion) in tax revenue, 82 percent of its target. The remaining funding needs were met from loans, both domestic and from overseas.



Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution even acknowledged that implementation of the new model would require a whole new attitude and that the ministers would face 'a real test' if resistance emerged from their subordinates.



Industry Minister Saleh Husin said he would stick to existing programs for the new model, while Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry secretary-general Teguh Pamudji said his focus remained on providing infrastructure to support the country's energy sector.



Separately, Maybank Indonesia chief economist Juniman and Bank Danamon economist Anton Hendranata said they were certain the new model would trigger opposition ' as was the usual when changes took place.



Juniman suggested the government first evaluate existing programs before launching the new spending model for the 2017 state budget, citing similarities or overlaps in various ministries' projects.



Anton, meanwhile, said ministers with strong goodwill could sway their staff toward changing their work focus and eventually push for higher budget absorption.



'Money that the government generates from the economy [tax revenue] must be pumped back into the economy.' (rbk)



Raras Cahyafitri and Stefani Ribka contributed to the story

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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) inaugurated an insider on Thursday to head the Jakarta branch of the BPK after former chief Efdinal was moved to the BPK headquarters. BPK Jakarta's new chief, Samsuddin, was previously a chief auditor at the agency.



Last year, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) reported Efdinal to the agency's ethics council, accusing him of violating the BPK code of ethics. In a statement on its website, the ICW said that Efdinal owned a 9,618-square-meter plot of land in Pondok Kelapa Cemetery in East Jakarta that he purchased in 2005. He then offered to sell the land to the Jakarta administration, but the city claimed that it had owned the land from 1979 to 1985. In the BPK's evaluation of Jakarta's 2013 financial report, the agency included a finding on the acquisition of the land. The ICW alleged that Efdinal had a conflict of interest regarding the land.



The report was filed during the height of the conflict between Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama and BPK Jakarta because of the agency's report on the city's purchase of a 3.7-hectare plot of land adjacent to the Sumber Waras Hospital in West Jakarta.



BPK spokesman Yudi Ramdan has denied that Efdinal's replacement had any connection to the land issue and said it was part of a rejuvenation plan within the organization.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Jakarta Police have used various methods to discover the motive behind the alleged murder of 27-year-old Wayan Mirna Salihin, including by having the sole suspect, Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, undergo psychological and psychiatric assessments at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta on Thursday.



Jakarta Police general crimes director Sr. Comr. Krishna Murti said the police were currently focusing on building a case against Jessica through scientific verifications after she had maintained her innocence.



'She will not say a word about the motive,' he said on Thursday.



'If she remains close-mouthed, there are still ways to find out.'



The suspect refused to take part in several scenes in a recent crime-scene reenactment, saying things happened differently to the police version.



'She has the right to deny [the crime]. That she has rejected [some scenes in] the reenactment is not a problem,' said Krishna.
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Linkedin Erika Anindita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

A plan from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to stop criminal cases involving two former commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) ' Bambang Widjojanto and Abraham Samad ' has been rejected by the House of Representatives.



Ten factions in the House's Commission III overseeing legal and human rights issues expressed their opposition to the AGO's move, known as deponering, in a meeting on Wednesday, commission chairman Bambang Soesatyo said in Jakarta on Thursday.



The lawmaker said the commission on Wednesday afternoon received a letter from the AGO, requesting suggestions related to the AGO's plan on the deponering of Bambang Widjojanto and Samad's cases. "Commission III sees there is no public interest in the deponering move," Bambang Soesatyo said after a meeting at the House building.



He, however, said the AGO did not need approval from the House of Representatives to make such a decision. He referred to Article 35, paragraph c of Law No. 16/2004 on the Attorney General's Office (AGO), which stipulates that the attorney general has the authority to drop a case if it is in the public interest to do so.



The commission, however, believed the case did not meet the requirements of public interest as stated in the law, Bambang Soesatyo said, adding that Abraham and Bambang Widjojanto's cases were different to previous cases involving former KPK commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah because when the AGO issued the deponering, they were still KPK commissioners.



"If there was no action taken toward the Bibit and Chandra cases, their performance as KPK commissioners would have been affected. Meanwhile, Abraham and Bambang are no longer KPK commissioners," Bambang Soesatyo said.



Bambang Widjojanto was accused of demanding a witness falsify testimony in a regional election dispute case in 2010 in Central Kalimantan, while Abraham was accused of falsifying the identity of a female friend.



The police named them suspects after the KPK named Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a graft suspect soon after the House approved his nomination by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo as a National Police chief candidate early last year.



Therefore, corruption activists considered the naming of both people as suspects as criminalization and claimed it was revenge from the National Police. Previously, the police also named a noted KPK investigator, Novel Baswedan, as a suspect in a murder carried out by his subordinate when he was still a local police chief in Bengkulu.



In connection with the cases, President Jokowi summoned Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo and National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti on Feb. 2 for a discussion. The President ordered the two to find a way to end the cases immediately because they had sparked public controversy. (bbn)(+)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The government is seeking to promote Indonesian coffee and boost coffee exports, particularly to the US, by confirming its participation at an exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, in April.



The exhibition, to be organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), will have Indonesian specialty coffee as the main theme.



Indonesia's participation in the expo is expected to boost coffee exports by 10 percent to US$1.4 billion this year.



'The target can be achieved provided there's no major weather change this year as coffee is sensitive to weather,' Trade Ministry director general for national export development Nus Nuzulia Ishak said on Wednesday.



The ministry is confident the event will help increase coffee exports. The US, which has a per capita coffee consumption of 4.2 kilograms per annum, has taken over from Europe as the biggest importer of Indonesian coffee in recent years.



The US accounted for 22 percent of Indonesia's total coffee exports, at $1.12 billion as of November 2015.



In addition, the Trade Ministry has also created the remarkableindonesiancoffee.com website and promoted the #indonesiaiscoffee campaign on social media as marketing tools.



The government will spend about Rp 1 billion ($74,000) to participate in the Atlanta exhibition.



'The event will be opened by a speech, narrating the story of how local coffee is planted and processed. We'll also have 12 booths and two cupping, or testing, areas and will auction the 10 best specialty coffees tested by independent curator Caswell's,' said Nuzulia.



A coffee variant is classified as a specialty if it achieves a cupping score equal of at least 80 out of 100.



Those between 71 and 79 are classed as premium and those at 70 or below as commercial, according to Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (AKSI).



A cupping score comprises 10 criteria: aroma, flavor, acidity, body, uniformity, cup cleanliness, after taste, balance, sweetness and overall points.



'Specialty coffee can boost export values as the prices are much higher,' said Syafrudin, AKSI chairman.



He added that Indonesia has dozens of types of specialty coffee, all of which fall under the Arabica classification or those planted in highlands.



Around 25 percent of Arabica coffee in the country are specialty coffee types.



Every coffee-producing island ' Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores (East Nusa Tenggara), Papua and Sulawesi ' had its own specialty coffee, including Gayo, Mandailing, Kintamani, Temanggung, Ciwidey, Manglayang, Wamena, Toraja and Gowa, he said.



'And we are now planning to make more specialty coffees from Robusta [those planted on lower lands] by guiding our farmers to produce better quality,' he added.



According to the Industry Ministry data, 76.7 percent of the 685,000 tons of coffee produced in 2014 was of the Robusta variety and the remainder was Arabica.



Experts and officials estimate that production decreased to roughly 450,000 tons last year due to prolonged drought and old plantations.



'This year, we'll replace old vegetation with young ones to make them more productive,' Nuzulia said.



Boosting the coffee harvest is important amid the rise in both domestic and foreign consumption.



Local consumption increased to 250,000 tons in 2014, compared to 200,000 tons in 2011.



The value of Indonesian coffee exports to emerging countries, such as South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, China and Algeria has surged by between 106 and 208 percent, Trade Ministry data show. (rbk)
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Linkedin Frances DaEmilio (The Jakarta Post) Rome  Fri, February 12, 2016

Italy's premier on Friday insisted his country's friendship with Egypt can only exist "if the truth emerges" in the death of an Italian doctoral student who was doing research in Cairo.

Premier Matteo Renzi, in remarks on Italian state radio on the day of Giulio Regeni's funeral, was keeping up the political pressure on the Egyptian government to find and bring to justice whoever tortured and killed the young man, who had been living in Cairo for a few months to research Egyptian labor movements for his doctorate from Cambridge University.

Regeni's body was found on Feb. 3, nine days after he disappeared while heading to a subway station.

In the victim's hometown of Fiumicello in northeastern Italy, friends streamed in from afar for a private funeral service being held Friday afternoon in a gym. Townspeople opened their homes, offering spare rooms and couches to mourners who couldn't find lodging in the town of a few thousand people.

The media and authorities were excluded, with the 1,000 chairs in the gym reserved for relatives and friends only. Those who couldn't fit inside huddled together under umbrellas in a light rain and followed the service through loudspeakers.

The 28-year-old student disappeared at the same time that Egyptian police and other security agents were out in force on Cairo's streets, determined to quickly quash any demonstrations to recall the anniversary of the country's uprising. His body was discovered along a road on Cairo's outskirts.

"It's a dramatic affair," Renzi said on the radio. "I again express condolences to Giulio's family and I say that which we have told the Egyptians: 'Friendship is a precious thing and it is possible only in truth.'"

Italian state TV said, without citing sources, that the Italian investigators have spoken to a witness who told them two men, apparently plainclothes police, stopped Regeni and then escorted him away as the student walked the short distance from his apartment building to the subway stop.

Some of Regeni's friends in Cairo have also told Italian investigators that Regeni was unnerved one day in December when, as the only foreigner attending a labor meeting in the city, someone took his photo and then left.

Egyptian authorites initially blamed Regeni's death on a road accident. A second autopsy, done in Italy after his body arrived last week, determined that Regeni suffered a fatal fracture of a cervical vertebra, either from a strong blow to the neck or caused by a severe, forced, twisting of the neck. His hands, feet and other bones had multiple fractures and his face was heavily bruised, the autopsy found. Italian news reports said toe and fingernails had been ripped off.

Laboratory results to determine when he died are expected to take a few more days.
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Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

A grand plan to overhaul the city's public transportation is progressing, with 124 routes plied by full-size buses set to be discontinued and their operators integrated with city-owned bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta).



Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said that the routes to be discontinued included Mayasari Bakti's Route 03 from Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta to Kalideres in West Jakarta, Steady Safe 921 from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta and Steady Safe 948 from Tanjung Priok to Kampung Melayu.



The routes, Andri said, were being discontinued because they overlapped with Transjakarta routes, adding that the operators had agreed to join Transjakarta and were set to procure new buses in order to comply with Transjakarta's minimum service standards.



In compensation, the operators will be given a 50 percent operational quota in the respective Transjakarta corridor with which their routes clashed.



For example, the Mayasari Bakti and Steady Safe routes overlap with Transjakarta's Corridor 10, which travels from Tanjung Priok to PGC in East Jakarta. 'Mayasari and Steady Safe can then share a 50 percent operational quota in the corridor,' Andri said. The remaining 50 percent will be reserved for bid winners.



The agency has high hopes for public transportation integration, which Andri said would benefit not only residents but also bus operators. Under the new system, all bus operators will be managed by Transjakarta, which will pay the operators per kilometer traveled and pay the driver salaries, allowing business certainty to operators.



In order to join Transjakarta, the operators must improve their services for passengers' safety and comfort.



The absence of a transportation master plan in Jakarta has led to frequent overlap, including in ongoing projects such as the light rail transit and mass rapid transit systems, as well as six inner toll roads.



After full-sized buses, the Transportation Agency is to continue its public transportation revitalization program by integrating minibuses, such as Kopaja and Metro Mini, with Transjakarta, as well as angkot (public minivans).



Transjakarta spokesman Prasetya Budi said that a number of bus operators had already moved to join the city-owned firm by listing their services in the National Procurement Agency's (LKPP) e-catalogue, which is available for public access on the agency's website, e-katalog.lkpp.go.id. Each entry must include the specifications of the operator's buses and the rupiah-per-kilometer tariff for each bus.



Mayasari Bakti and Steady Safe's services using full-sized buses are included in the e-catalogue. The models of bus they offer include Swedish-made Scania and Volvo and German-made MAN, with a tariff of Rp 22,291 (US$1.65) to Rp 24,523 per km, depending on the model.



'We welcome all bus operators seeking to join Transjakarta because it will support the city administration's public transportation revitalization program,' Prasetya told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Wednesday.



Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) country director Yoga Adiwinarto lauded the progress, noting that the city's revitalization program was heading in the right direction.



'It makes sense to fix the business model of bus operators first before fixing the routes, and this is exactly what the city administration is doing,' Yoga said.
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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

After long ignoring the issue of the correct disposal of electronic goods, the Jakarta Sanitation Agency has launched a new initiative for treating the dangerous garbage, involving deploying special trucks to collect it in cooperation with a private waste-treatment company.



Sanitation agency head Isnawa Adji said on Tuesday that cooperation was being considered with PT Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri, a waste-treatment company located in Gunung Putri, Bogor, West Java.



Isnawa said the company had treated only industrial waste in the past but was open to working with the administration. It had actually already looked into treating electronic waste, or e-waste, but had found it difficult to collect.



'We plan to help the company collect e-waste while it pays compensation to the garbage facilities,' he said.



He added that e-waste such as computers, refrigerators, batteries and other broken electronic devices still had value, so residents could receive compensation.



Isnawa said the agency would use two ways to collect the e-waste. 'The first one is residents can actively submit their e-waste through their local garbage facilities,' he said.



He added that Jakarta currently had only 380 garbage facilities, not many considering the number of community units in the capital city, which is up to 2,700.

_________________________________________

'Some producers have 'trade in' programs when you can submit broken or used electronic devices to get some cash.'





He said that as the collection facilities were few and far between, the company would also deploy trucks as e-waste collection points.

'We currently have 80 trucks specifically for inorganic garbage,' he said.



He added that the trucks would be stationed in public spaces like Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, or the Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle (Bundaran HI) during Car Free Day on Sundays.



He said residents could dump their inorganic garbage in the trucks, including e-waste.



Isnawa also encouraged residents in housing complexes or apartments to communally collect their e-waste and then request that the agency pick it up. 'Please deliver the request via our Twitter account @kebersihanDKI,' he said.



Executive director of the Committee for Leaded Gasoline Eradication (KPBB), Ahmad Syafrudin, said that the government or the city administration did barely anything to handle electronic waste.



Ahmad said that Indonesia already had a 2008 law on waste management but a regulation to elaborate on the law had still not been made.



The law required that producers handle their own waste. 'However, the article narrows that down to only the packaging,' he said.



Ahmad said consumers could try to return broken devices to producers. 'Some producers have 'trade in' programs when you can submit broken or used electronic devices to get some cash. We should support this kind of program,' he said.



Ahmad said that electronic waste had apparently became a business for some people, known as urban miners.



He said that they usually dismantled the devices to get valuable components. 'They can extract gold, silver and copper from the waste,' he said.



He said the miners also processed the plastic to be turned into plastic pellets to be sold to plastic factories.



'Those processes conducted by home industries are far from adhering to safety standards, especially regarding the waste,' he said.



The remains of lead and tin were often dumped anywhere while burning plastic produced toxic gases like furan and dioxin.



Only a few producers or retailers in Indonesia receive returned packaging or used products from customers. The Body Shop is the best-known producer to accept used bottles and provides incentives for returning them.
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Linkedin Haeril Halim and Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo stepped in on Thursday to lend support to Attorney General M. Prasetyo in his dropping of prosecutions against former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders.



Prasetyo backtracked on Thursday from his prerogative decision to drop the cases in the public interest, known as deponering, following opposition from legislators to whom Prasetyo had sent a letter demanding support for the clearing of the suspect statuses of former KPK chairman Abraham Samad and his deputy Bambang Widjojanto.



The House of Representatives Commission III overseeing security and legal affairs immediately refused Prasetyo's request, arguing that the attorney general was attempting to share the risk with the House should the deponering turn out to be problematic in the future.



Presidential spokesperson Johan Budi reminded Prasetyo, however, that dropping the case was the prerogative of the attorney general and no political backing was necessary to support such a decision.



'The rejection from the House members is just their opinion. They cannot overrule the decision and it is not required for the government to seek their approval,' said Johan.



'The President has allowed the AGO to make a decision on the cases [after the House rejection] based on existing legal avenues. The deponering is one of those legal options,' said Johan, a former KPK commissioner.



Aside from Jokowi's instruction, public calls have also mounted for Prasetyo to drop the cases ' cases mounted by the National Police against the two KPK leaders for trivial offenses in retaliation for the agency naming then National Police education and training chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a bribery suspect in January last year.



Budi is a close friend of Jokowi's patron Megawati Soekarnoputri, supreme leader of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).



During a standoff between the police and the KPK, Abraham and Bambang were charged for minor offences and forced to leave their posts at the antigraft agency.



Bambang was charged with perjury relating to a local election dispute when he was working as a lawyer, while Abraham was named a suspect for document forgery.



Commission III members held a meeting after receiving Prasetyo's letter, responding in unison that the House should not be involved in the deponering decision as it was the prerogative of the attorney general.



'There is actually no public interest at all in the dropping of the cases,' Commission III chairman Bambang Soesatyo said.



'It is different when the AGO proposed a deponering for former KPK commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah as they were still active KPK leaders at that time, meaning their cases carried public interest.'



Bibit and Chandra were named suspects when the KPK and the National Police were in another standoff back in 2009 during the leadership of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.



Unlike Abraham and Bambang, whose cases were left in limbo until their tenure at the KPK expired, Bibit and Chandra were restored as KPK leaders after the AGO issued a deponering in 2010. 'If the attorney general is confident in his prerogative rights then go ahead and don't involve or ask us for support. Don't share the political risk with us,' Commission III member Asrul said.



KPK commissioner Laode Muhammad Syarif applauded the AGO for the plan. 'We really appreciate the AGO's decision.'

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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

A graft case involving senior officials at the Agriculture Ministry could implicate Minister Amran Sulaiman following the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) plan to summon him as a witness.



The KPK is currently investigating alleged corruption in the procurement of fertilizer for Rp 18 billion (US$1.33 million) in 2013 at the ministry, which has implicated the ministry's horticulture director general Hasanuddin Ibarahim.



KPK spokesman Yuyuk Indriati said it was a matter of time before investigators would move to question Amran. 'Yes, we have the option on the table,' Yuyuk said.



Earlier on Wednesday, KPK investigators grilled two officials from the ministry's horticulture directorate general, identified as Anastasia Promisiana and Kurnia Nur as witnesses to complete the dossier on Hasanuddin, who was named a suspect in the case on Tuesday.



Also on Tuesday, the KPK named as suspects another official from the ministry, Eko Mardianto, who was in charge of supervising the project, and Sutrisno, the businessman who won the project.



Hasanuddin and Eko have been accused of rigging the project in favor of Sutrisno.



The three individuals also allegedly colluded to mark up the price of the procured fertilizer, which was intended to be distributed to farmers around the country. The procurement is believed to have caused state losses of Rp 10 billion.



The three suspects have been charged under Article 2 and Article 3 of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption, which collectively carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison for people committing self-enrichment or enriching other people in a state project.



The KPK has asked the immigration office to issue travel bans on Hasanuddin, Eko and Sutrisno.



When contacted, Amran said he had done enough to control the damage at the ministry resulting from Hasanuddin's corrupt action.



Amran said he had fired Hasanuddin for his role in rigging the project.



The minister also said he could not be blamed for the graft as he was sworn in October 2014, a full year after the procurement project started in 2013, when the ministry was under the leadership of Suswono, a Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician, who served from 2009 to 2014.



'After I found that the KPK questioned his subordinates in the case, I summoned him [Hasanuddin]; then I fired him, because he should be held accountable in the case,' Amran told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.



Amran said that he had dismissed Hasanuddin from his position in December last year, the month the KPK started a preliminary investigation into the case.



'I moved faster than the KPK in the case. Before he was named a suspect, I had already fired him from the ministry,' Amran said.



A graft trial of former PKS chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, who was later found guilty of rigging a government beef procurement project at Suswono's office, revealed in 2013 that Hasanuddin was the husband of a powerful lobbyist, known as Bunda Putri, who is known to have ties with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's inner circle.
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Linkedin Hans David Tampubolon (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Italian cellist Matteo Montanari believes that performing on stage gives experience that cannot be taught.

Italian cellist Matteo Montanari's love affair with Indonesia started in 2010, when he received an invitation from a music school in Tangerang to take part in a festival.



His first trip to Indonesia was originally scheduled for only two weeks but what he discovered during that time profoundly impressed him as a musician.



'I found out this country has many musical talents. This is actually a very musical country because here, everybody can sing, everybody can play an instrument and somehow, everybody really likes music,' Montanari said during an interview at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC) in Jakarta.



After discovering the significant yet untapped and raw musical talent in Indonesia, he saw an opportunity to share his passion for classical music with aspiring Indonesian musicians.



'I realized there is a need for experienced teachers [from] abroad to develop classical music in this country because there is so much talent but music schools in Indonesia are still not comparable to Western standards,' he said.



He subsequently spent a year living in Jakarta, before moving to Surabaya, East Java, where he has been based for almost two years. He has opened a music school in the city and teaches classical music in line with Western methods and standards.



His experience in fostering a love of classical music in Indonesia through his school has not been easy but he said it is a challenge he is willing to try to conquer.



'This music requires a cultural background which is necessary to understand it. But music is in the blood of everyone, especially in this country,' he said.



Born in Ravenna, Italy, the 42-year-old Montanari has all the pedigree to embark on a journey as a classical music teacher.



Starting out his musical training when he was seven years old, he recalled his first experience with the cello was a completely random event and he never thought the instrument would allow him to build a career as a musician.



'My neighbor was playing the violin and one day, I was at her house and her music teacher came and saw me. He tried the violin with me but because I am tall and my hands are big, he suggested I play the cello because it is bigger than the violin.'



As time went by, he began to fall in love with the cello and decided he would make it his main instrument as a musician.

'I love the expressive possibility of a cello because the sound of it can be very similar to a human voice. It can be very low and deep but also can be very high. So you can imitate a woman's voice but also a man's voice. Other instruments do not have this flexibility,' he said.



In 1996, Montanari, who spends between five and six hours per day practicing, graduated with perfect grades from the Musical Institute G. Verdi of Ravenna and in the same year, he also won a Rotary Prize as the best graduate musician of the year.



Three years later, Riccardo Cahily of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano appointed Montanari as the principal assistant of the orchestra group and he held the position until 2007. He later moved to Spain to join the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.



'After that [joining the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra], I wanted to start teaching. I wanted to share the experience I had in my career and I had a chance to visit Indonesia,' he said. 'I felt the urge to help all the kids here [in Indonesia] that want to play instruments.'



Montanari does not only teach Indonesian kids to play the cello but he also likes to perform with them on stage, believing the best way to learn classical music is by being on stage.



During his performance at the institute, he performed alongside a dozen local cellists and a young Indonesian pianist prodigy, 18-year-old Jennifer Ongkowijoyo, with a number of classical compositions from renowned Italian composers, such as Vivaldi and Boccherini.



During the performance, Montanari took turns with the cellists and Jessica to perform the compositions in front of some 250 people who packed out the IIC auditorium.



Montanari admitted their performance may not have been of perfect standard but he did not mind, believing the experience they shared on stage was the most important thing. 'Real experience on the stage is something that cannot be taught,' he said.



' Photos by JP/DMR
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) warned six provinces on Thursday over their poor budget management, which shows signs of corruption.



KPK deputy for prevention Pahala Nainggolan said that the provinces'North Sumatra, Papua, West Papua, Riau, Banten and Aceh'should improve their monitoring of budget disbursement, especially in procurement projects.



'The KPK is concerned about the six regions. We want to know how the local administrations manage their budgets, including the approval process with local legislative councils and procurement activities,' said Pahala during a meeting with representatives of a number of provinces, as quoted by kompas.com.



He said the antigraft body would help the local administrations prevent corruption by carefully guiding the procurement of goods and services.



'We will inform local administrations of the points of the procurement process that are prone to corruption and we hope we can attend meetings related to the process,' said Pahala.



Besides procurement projects, the KPK will also assist the administrations in managing their salary systems and licensing in the mining and plantation sectors.
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Linkedin Raras Cahyafitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Copper mining company PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara will continue offering shares to the government to comply with a mandatory divestment rule, though there is no clear indication whether the offer will be accepted.



Meanwhile, the government said that divestment was not a priority at the moment.



Under existing regulations, Newmont Nusa Tenggara, the Indonesian unit of US-based Newmont Mining Corp., has an obligation to release 7 percent of its stake to the government.



Newmont Nusa Tenggara spokesperson Rubi Purnomo said the company would make another offer to the government to comply with the regulation, despite previous offers having been rejected.



'We keep communicating with the government,' Rubi said Thursday.



Newmont Nusa Tenggara currently holds a contract of work, signed in 1986, to operate the Batu Hijau mining site in West Nusa Tenggara. The company is currently 56 percent owned by Nusa Tenggara Partnership BV (consisting of Newmont Mining Corp. and Nusa Tenggara Mining Corporation ' an affiliate of Sumitomo Corporation of Japan).



As much as 24 percent is owned by PT Multi Daerah Bersaing, a joint venture of the politically wired Bakrie family's Bumi Resources, the West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration and West Sumbawa and Sumbawa regencies. The remaining 17.8 percent is owned by PT Pukuafu Indah, with 2.2 percent owned by PT Indonesia Masbaga Investama.



Under the contract, as much as 7 percent of Nusa Tenggara Partnership's stake is to be divested and sold to the government of Indonesia. The divestment process should have been completed in 2011.



The divestment process was initially handled by Pusat Investasi Pemerintah (PIP), a government agency. However, the agency has since been merged with PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI), another state agency that focuses on infrastructure financing.



Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said earlier that the government no longer intended to purchase the stake under a mandatory divestment scheme, at least for now.



'For the time being, we're not talking about it, because there's no budget allocation. Moreover, PIP has been merged with SMI focusing on infrastructure development. It has nothing to do with the mining sector,' the minister said.



Purchasing divested shares has frequently presented a problem to the government, as stakes in

copper mining firms are usually too costly. Under current regulations, the central government has first option to purchase stakes in mining firms; regional administrations and state- or region-owned enterprises can subsequently ask to buy the shares.



The government is currently also evaluating the mandatory divestment of another copper miner, PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of US-based Freeport McMoRan Inc. Under the current regulation, the firm's foreign owner has to divest a total 20.64 percent so that Indonesian stakeholders can increase the ownership from the current 9.36 percent to 30 percent.



In the first stage of divestment, Freeport has to release 10.64 percent, for which the company set the price at US$1.7 billion. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's mineral and coal office remains undecided.
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Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Fri, February 12, 2016

Members of the nomadic Anak Dalam tribe in Jambi have been among the first to struggle with the health impacts of environmental damage and water pollution in the province, as a recent study revealed that more than one-third of them have contracted the hepatitis B virus (HBV).



The study, conducted in December by the Jakarta-based Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology in cooperation with the Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI) Warsi, showed that the virus' prevalence among Orang Rimba, as members of the tribe are more popularly known, was 33.9 percent, four times higher than the provincial figure of 8.3 percent.



'This is very concerning as it could be called hyperendemic,' said Eijkman researcher Herawati Sudoyo, who led the study, on Thursday.



She said serious attention to the issue was needed from all parties especially because the study also revealed that the highest prevalence of the disease was found in people in the productive age range of 17 to 55 years.



HBV causes hepatitis B, a liver infection that can lead to chronic illnesses, including liver scarring (cirrhosis) and hepatocellular (liver) cancer.



The virus is transmitted when blood, semen or other bodily fluids from an infected person enter the body of someone not infected.



A person with a good immune system has a high probability of recovering from the infection and becoming immune to hepatitis B. However, those with weaker immune systems will find it difficult to fight off the virus, which usually stays with a person for the rest of their life.



The study, conducted in the regencies of Sarolangun, Tebo and Batanghari, was carried out to measure how vulnerable the tribe members were to certain diseases, as they live nomadically in forests and drink water from rivers that have been polluted by waste from the plantation industry.



It was also aimed at learning about the population's genetic diversity.



KKI Warsi program coordinator Robert Aritonang said massive deforestation and water pollution had allegedly contributed to the declining health of Orang Rimba, among them prone to various diseases, including hepatitis B and malaria.



'Hopefully the results of the research conducted by Eijkman can play an important role in encouraging the government to take concrete action to decrease the rate of illness among Orang Rimba,' Robert said.



The study of blood samples from Orang Rimba also revealed that the malaria prevalence among them was 24.26 percent, much higher than the provincial rate of 0.84 percent.



Learning from the results, Robert said, curative and mitigating measures were urgently needed to stop the spread of diseases among Orang Rimba. The tribe's lifestyle that tends to include marriages among themselves, for example, further increases the chance of hepatitis spreading in the group.



Among the suggested measures are hepatitis B immunization for newborns and for those who have not yet contracted the disease.



'For the last four years we have found and facilitated four Orang Rimba people suffering from cirrhosis. Unfortunately they did not survive,' he said.



Small changes also need to be introduced to the group's lifestyle, including boiling water before drinking it.



'With the right, patient approach, many Orang Rimba are now willing to boil water for consumption,' Robert said.



The Anak Dalam tribe traditionally lives in the forests of Sumatra, but has been gradually pushed out by the expansion of oil palm plantations.



Last November, the government said that it was planning to provide 500 houses for members of the tribe as permanent shelters on a 1,000-hectare plot of land outside of forest areas.



The plan, however, has drawn criticism from activists, citing that their home was the forest itself.
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Linkedin Matthew Lee (The Jakarta Post) Munich  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Obama administration opened a two-front campaign on Syria on Thursday with a push to end one war there and step up another.

The United States, Russia and more than a dozen other nations with interests in the Syria conflict, including Iran, gathered to try to agree on a ceasefire in the civil war that might resuscitate stalled peace talks.

The gathering occurred amid deep differences between the US and Russia over the timing and conditions of the truce ' and a bitter argument over who is to blame for bombing civilian areas around Aleppo, a rebel stronghold.

Diplomats trying to secure a ceasefire for the civil war in Syria appear to have fallen short of organizing a truce but could likely seal an agreement to open up besieged areas of the country to humanitarian aid, according to officials familiar with the talks. However, Syrian President Bashar Assad is not party to the talks.

Instead of an immediate ceasefire, the foreign ministers looked set to create a working group to lay out the conditions of a cessation of hostilities, the officials said.

At the same time in Brussels, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter rallied new support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

And a spat earlier Thursday between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon over which country's aircraft hit civilian targets in Aleppo complicated US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts at getting an agreement with Russia on the proposed ceasefire.

A truce is seen as critical to resuscitating peace talks between Assad's government and the opposition. They stalled last month before really starting, due largely to gains by Assad's military with the heavy backing of Russian airstrikes.

Russia has proposed a March 1 ceasefire. The US and others see that as a ploy that only serves to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The US has countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting, allowing peace talks to resume by Feb. 25.

Neither Kerry nor Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who met hours before the larger meeting began, would predict whether an agreement was possible.

"We're going to have a serious conversation about all aspects about what's happening in Syria," Kerry said as their meeting got under way. "Obviously, at some point in time, we want to make progress on the issues of humanitarian access and cease-fire. We will talk about all aspects of the conflict."

Lavrov said Russia had made a "quite specific" proposal and "we will wait for the American response before we take it" to the larger group.

About 20 countries and groups, including the European Union, are involved in the support group.

"The future of Syria and Syrians is in our hands," said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, urging an immediate cease-fire.

Salem Meslet, spokesman for an opposition group, said that "we are with the political process but we have to see the humanitarian issues are solved."

"For us it's important to stop the Russian aggression on the Syrian people," he said.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed IS to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels, Carter tried to drum up support for accelerating the fight against the militants.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a "broad endorsement" of a refined US plan for defeating IS. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted "tangible gains" in Iraq and Syria by March.

"We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight," he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar US aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.

In the latest developments on the ground, Kurdish fighters and their allies captured a military air base in northern Syria under the cover of coalition airstrikes. Russia said its air force had carried out more than 500 combat missions in Syria over the past week.

"For us, it's important to stop the Russian aggression on the Syrian people," said Salem Meslet, a Syrian opposition representative.

Syria's Kurds have been among the most effective forces battling IS, but they have remained largely neutral in the conflict between Assad and the rebels fighting to overthrow him.

But on Wednesday, the main Kurdish People's Protection Units launched an attack along with some Arab allies against the Mannagh military air base and captured it, according to a rebel commander and an opposition activist group. The Kurds appeared to be exploiting the chaos to expand their nearby enclave.

In Moscow, defense ministry spokesman Konashenkov said that since Feb. 4, Russian warplanes had conducted 510 combat missions and destroyed 888 "terrorist facilities" in several Syrian provinces, including Aleppo, Daraa and Latakia, where the government offensive is concentrated.

"We have not witnessed such bombardment since the revolution began," said Abdul-Jabbar Abu Thabet, commander of a moderate faction fighting both Syrian government forces and IS. The uprising against Assad's government started in March 2011. (rin)

Nataliya Vasilyeva, Jamey Keaten, Bassem Mroue, Lolita C. Baldor, Bradley Klapper, Robert Burns and Geir Moulson contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Raras Cahyafitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

State-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina is seeking external funding to upgrade its refineries following the withdrawal of its Japanese partner from the project.



Pertamina finance director Arief Budiman said on Thursday that the company would need US$ 2.6 billion for the next three to four years to support the first stage of its Balikpapan refinery upgrade. The company has decided to go through with upgrading the refinery on its own after failing to reach a deal with major Japanese oil company JX Nippon.



'Given the big amount of the required funds, it is likely that we will need external funding,' he said, adding that the funding would be used for the first stage of the refinery project.



The first and second phase of the Balikpapan refinery upgrade is estimated to cost $5 billion. The first stage of development is estimated to be completed by 2019.



Arief acknowledged that seeking external funding would be challenging considering the currently low prices of oil.



'Looking for funding is harder now because lenders and investors want to ensure realistic financial assumptions and efficiency programs to reduce expenditures,' Arief said.



Global oil firms are struggling to survive from the ongoing plunge of world crude oil prices. The benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March delivery touched at $26.43 per barrel on Thursday, according to figures from Bloomberg. Meanwhile, another benchmark, the Brent crude for April delivery, reached $30.43 per barrel.



Pertamina aims to reduce its operational expenditures by 30 percent as part of efficiency measures amid low oil prices.



'The initial operational expenditure is around $4 billion,' Pertamina upstream director Syamsu Alam said earlier.



The Balikpapan refinery is among Pertamina's refineries that will be upgraded to a higher capacity to produce more complex products. Other refineries under a similar upgrade program are Cilacap, Dumai and Balongan, in which Pertamina is planning cooperation with Saudi Aramco.



Along with its planned partnership with Saudi Aramco, Pertamina also signed in late 2014 agreements with Japanese JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. and China's Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) to upgrade Balikpapan and Plaju refineries, respectively. The total planned investment for the five refineries was estimated to be up to $25 billion.



However, the planned partnership with JX Nippon and Sinopec collapsed as Pertamina failed to reach detailed partnership agreements with the two firms.



Pertamina president director Dwi Soetjipto said earlier that a deal with JX Nippon collapsed as the partner's investment estimate was higher than the state-owned firm's own forecast.



The upgrade to Cilacap, which is also estimated at $5 billion, with Saudi Aramco is under way. For the Cilacap project, Pertamina will own between 55 percent and 65 percent, and the remaining 35 to 45 percent will be held by Saudi Aramco. Cilacap refinery's capacity will be lifted to 370,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the current 270,000 bpd.
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Linkedin Tama Salim and Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) succeeded on Thursday in forcing the House of Representatives to temporarily delay a controversial plan to amend the 2002 Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law.



Yudhoyono's instruction to his Democratic Party was effective, with the House delaying a plenary session to endorse the plan after the party was able to convince the House's Steering Committee (Bamus) on its position.



Yudhoyono, who ruled the country for two terms until 2014, surprised the House with his decision to follow in the footsteps of the Gerindra Party, which has opposed the plan to weaken the antigraft body since the very beginning. The party's decision goes against the strong ambition of most political parties to tame the KPK.



The party controls 61 seats, while Gerindra has 73 seats in the 560-seat House. Yudhoyono is famous for his ability to maintain his public image, and the Constitution permits him to contest the 2019 presidential election. Gerindra's founder, Prabowo Subianto, lost the 2014 presidential election to Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. But he is still apparently keeping his ambition alive.



Golkar Party politician Bambang Soesatyo said the Democratic faction at the House had communicated its shift in stance on the KPK Law revision, rejecting a request to call for a plenary meeting to endorse the amendment, which was initiated by the House.



'The Democratic Party had a change of heart, [...] so now there are two [parties that reject the amendment],' Bambang told reporters at the House complex



Bambang, who is also chairman of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs, argued that the Democrats' stance would not get in the way of the amendment plans, which will continue to be handled by the House Legislation Body (Baleg).



The plenary session was delayed until next Thursday to accommodate the endorsement of other bills that are currently under discussion, he said.



The Democrats' rejection of the antigraft law revision comes as a surprise, considering how many of the party's senior members have been arrested by the KPK, including former energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik, who was sentenced by the Jakarta Corruption Court to four years in prison on Tuesday.



Jero was found guilty of accepting bribes and misusing ministry operational funds for his family members when serving as tourism minister and later energy minister in Yudhoyono's Cabinet.



Besides Jero, who belongs to Yudhoyono's inner circle, various other party members have been processed the antigraft body, including party cofounder Sutan Bhatoegana, former chairman Anas Urbaningrum, former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin and former lawmaker Angelina Sondakh.



Meanwhile, the government has refrained from stating its position on the amendment, saying it would weigh in on the matter after legislators came up with a final draft of the bill.



'We will study [the draft] first, as of now we haven't received it. After an official endorsement at a plenary session, [lawmakers] will submit the draft to us so we can discuss it with Baleg,' Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.



President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo also reiterated the importance of endorsing a revision that would strengthen the KPK. '[The revision] is still in the process [of deliberation at the House], so don't ask me,' Jokowi told reporters in Lampung, as quoted by presidential spokesperson Ari Dwipayana.
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The first 7.8 kilometer section of the trans-Sumatra highway in Tanjung Bintang, South Lampung, will be usable in July before the Eid holiday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Thursday after visiting the construction site.



Jokowi said that the project remained on schedule despite problems with the funding disbursement. He is determined to keep the construction project running as planned to support the government's massive infrastructure programs.



"I have witnessed it. The development is very fast, even the land acquisition is very fast. We will have a meeting in Jakarta soon. We must prepare approximately Rp 1.2 trillion for the project," he said.



Jokowi has visited the trans-Sumatra highway four times in the last 10 months. "I'll check it again, again and again," he said.



The first eight sections in trans-Sumatra highway are projected to be finished by 2019. The project will have a total length of 2,600 kilometers, made up of 24 sections. The mega-project is estimated to cost Rp 331.69 trillion (US$24.6 billion). (ags)
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Linkedin Hyung-jin Kim (The Jakarta Post) Seoul  Fri, February 12, 2016

Looking to take a harder line after North Korea's recent nuclear test and rocket launch, Seoul and Washington will begin talks as early as next week on deploying a sophisticated US missile defense system in South Korea, officials said Friday.

The new tough stance follows South Korea's decision to shut down an inter-Korean factory park that had been the rival Koreas' last major symbol of cooperation, but that Seoul said had been used by North Korea to fund its nuclear and missile programs. North Korea responded by deporting South Korean citizens, seizing South Korean assets and vowing to militarize the park.

South Korea on Friday cut off power and water supplies to the industrial park and announced that its planned talks with the United States on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, one of the most advanced missile defense systems in the world, could start next week. Officials say they have yet to set a specific starting date for the talks.

South Korean media have long speculated that the two countries are working on a THAAD deployment in South Korea, but it took the North's rocket launch, which outsiders see as a test of banned ballistic missile technology, for the allies to formally announce they will begin the missile defense talks.

Beijing and Moscow are sensitive to the possibility of THAAD in South Korea; critics say the system could help US radar spot missiles in other countries.

China's state media quickly made the country's displeasure known, while Russia also expressed worries about the deployment. North Korea has previously warned of a nuclear war in the region and threatened to bolster its armed forces if the THAAD deployment occurs.

In Munich, US Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts to discuss the response to North Korea's actions, including the missile system.

"That's what we're talking about today," Kerry told reporters as he started talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a Munich Security Conference.

Kerry was to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se immediately after seeing Wang.

Seoul and Washington want to deploy the system at an early date and the upcoming talks will discuss where and exactly when the deployment can be made, a South Korean defense official said, requesting anonymity because of department rules.

The official said the THAAD deployment is designed to protect South Korea from North Korean threats and isn't targeting China or anyone else.

The current standoff flared after North Korea carried out a nuclear test last month, its fourth, followed by the long-range rocket launch on Sunday.

In one of its harshest possible options for punishment, South Korea on Thursday began suspending operations at the factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani and Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

The government will not accede to the demand by thousands of contract teachers for an upgrade to civil servant status, which would guarantee a stable income and pension, unless they are willing to be redeployed to remote areas of the archipelago.



The policy is the final solution offered by the Culture and Education Ministry to resolve the protracted problem of the status of thousands of contract teachers recruited by local administrations to teach in state-funded schools without undergoing the proper hiring system.



Following the biggest rally ever held by the teachers from Wednesday until Friday in Jakarta, Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan promised to grant them an immediate status change if they were willing to join the so-called Teachers on the Frontline (GGD) program.



Under the program, qualified teachers are sent to teach in remote regions such as Papua, the country's most remote and poorest province or in other poor provinces in Kalimantan and Sulawesi.



'We have requested the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry to hire 3,500 teachers to teach in remote regions and we are prioritizing those who have teaching experience,' Anies said.



However, Anies expressed doubt that contract teachers would apply for the program as many had demanded civil servant status in the region they were already settled, mostly in Java.



The former Paramadina University rector emphasized that the education sector's most pressing issue right now was how to redistribute the large number of teachers so that there were enough teachers in every region.



Anies blamed the problems of contract teachers on local administrations as the central government no longer hired such teachers.



'School principals, foundations and provincial administrations are the ones who hire these contract teachers,' he said.



'The central government no longer hires them but it is being forced now to change their status. There are also questions over their recruitment, which was conducted without careful consideration.'



Anies said there had been an 860 percent rise in the number of contract teachers in the past 15 years, from 84,600 in the 1999-2000 academic year to 812,064 in the 2014-2015 year.



Anies explained that in November 2013, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry decided that teachers who wished to have their status elevated must first take a competency test.



Around 605,000 out of 650,000 contract teachers nationwide opted to take the test. However, Anies said only 166,000 teachers passed and gained civil servant status.



'I will repeat it to be clear: 439,000 out of 605,000 honorary teachers did not past the competency test and so their status was not changed,' said Anies.



'These teachers are the ones who are demanding to become civil servant teachers even though they do not meet the required competence to be a teacher,' he said.



Around 5,000 contract teachers rallied in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta, demanding that the government elevate their status and that President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo meet them.



State Secretary M. Pratikno received a delegation of the protesters in a closed-door meeting on behalf of the President, who was on a working trip to Lampung.



However, Titi Purwaningsih, the head of the contract teachers forum, appeared unhappy with the meeting, claiming it was a waste of time.



'Today's meeting with Pratikno achieved nothing,' she said.



'We demanded to meet the President and asked them to schedule it, but we've received no certainty yet on the timing,' said Titi who has been a contract teacher at an elementary school in Central Java for 12 years.



She also expressed doubts over Anies' offer to have them placed in remote locations in exchange for the status upgrade.



Pratikno said a meeting with the President was not possible on Friday due to his tight schedule, saying that he could not promise them anything. But he assured them that he would inform the President of their demands.



'What is important is that their aspirations will be passed to the President.'

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, February 12, 2016

Active supporters of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, grouped under the banner of Friends of Ahok (Teman Ahok), have expressed the hope that he will run as an independent candidate in next year's gubernatorial election as the group has worked hard to assist the governor.

Friends of Ahok previously announced that its volunteers had collected 689,276 photocopies of Jakarta voters' identity cards up to Thursday, more than enough required by law for anyone to run as an independent candidate.

"Our support is real. If Ahok wants to declare himself [as an independent candidate] today, we're ready," Amalia Ayuningtyas, spokesperson for Teman Ahok, told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

On Thursday Ahok said he might join the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for the election. He said that he had made contact with the party's executives about the candidacy.

The PDI-P plans to announce its candidate for the Jakarta gubernatorial election in April.

The volunteers were still working to collect more copies of identity cards because Ahok had asked them to collect 1 million to convince himself that Jakarta voters really wanted him to stand again, said Amalia.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Nasdem Party announced its support for Ahok, but without any condition that Ahok should be the party's candidate.

"Our support is not to nominate him as a candidate, but to make him Jakarta governor. It doesn't matter for us if he wants to run as an independent candidate or through a political party," deputy chairman of Nasdem's House of Representatives' faction Viktor Bungtilu Laiskoda told journalists on Friday.

Viktor said that Nasdem's support came without strings. "Jakarta needs a leader who works hard, is firm and keeps developing innovative thoughts," Victor said.

Friends of Ahok appreciated Nasdem's support of Ahok. "If Nasdem is consistent in supporting Ahok without conditions, we can say that Nasdem is also a 'Teman Ahok'," Amalia said.(bbn)
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Linkedin Matthew Pennington (The Jakarta Post) Washington  Fri, February 12, 2016

The Obama administration says it is urging China and Taiwan to maintain dialogue amid concern that the election of an independence-leaning party on the island could heighten tensions in one of Asia's security hotspots.

A House foreign affairs panel on Asia examined the implications for Washington of the January election that throws new uncertainty over the relationship between democratic Taiwan and the communist mainland, which claims the island as its own territory, to be recovered by force if necessary.

The United States is Taiwan's most important ally and source of defensive arms, but it has applauded the easing of cross-Strait relations under the outgoing Nationalist government, which fostered economic cooperation with China.

Senior State Department official Susan Thornton said Thursday that the US has called on China to show restraint and flexibility in working with Taiwan's new administration under Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party, which takes office in May. She said Tsai understands her obligations to pursue a policy to enable cross-Strait stability, and Beijing says it will look to see what Tsai proposes.

Thorton said she was hopeful the two sides could come with a basis for continuing exchanges. "I think there is a will on both sides to do so," Thornton told the hearing.

China is demanding that Tsai, like her predecessor, agree that the mainland and Taiwan are part of a single Chinese nation. Tsai has refused to endorse Beijing's "one China principle" but hasn't publicly repudiated it either.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers were critical of Beijing's attitude.

"Despite her underscoring her intention to maintain the status quo, and saying, 'There won't be provocation and there won't be surprises,' we cannot say the same for China." said Republican Rep. Matt Salmon, who chaired the panel. "A steady stream of threats to Taiwan's national security are an everyday reality for Taiwan and its people."

Lawmakers urged more US arms sales and support for Taiwan's membership in international organizations.

Bonnie Glaser, an expert witness from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the Obama administration has approved US$14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan since taking office in 2009, but has mostly provided mostly secondhand equipment and additional munitions, apparently because it is worried about upsetting US relations with China.

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly highlighted US foot-dragging on a request for diesel submarines, pending for 15 years. Thornton said the administration was continuing to work on that request.

Without naming China, Thornton said, "pressure to squeeze Taiwan out of international organizations is growing." She said the US supports Taiwan's membership in organizations that don't require statehood, including Interpol, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization.

China views Taiwan's membership as a challenge to Chinese sovereignty over the island, which was Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945, and split from the mainland amid the Chinese civil war in 1949.
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From Venice to Verona, Italy is a perfect location to indulge your romantic dreaming. Here are some suggestions for your dolce vita...

A Famous Canal Gondola Ride in Venice

It may seem like a romantic cliche - but its a must-do and one of the top attractions in Venice for good reason.

If you are in Venice, you simply must be serenaded on a Gondola Ride. So, sit back, drink some Prosecco and enjoy the music whilst floating along narrow canals with beautiful Baroque buildings as your amorous backdrop. *heart eyes emoji*

An Opera in Milan

When one thinks of Italy, opera often comes to mind. What better place to be serenaded than the historic 17th century opera house Teatro alla Scalla? Be dazzled by its luxurious red velvety seats and sparkly crystal chandeliers before getting enamoured with the dramatic libretto, melodic orchestral sounds, and robust baritone and graceful tenor voices of the iconic Italian Opera.

The Streets (and Bridges) of Florence

Florence is breathtaking. With the scene-stealing Duomo Cathedral as your backdrop, its hard not to fall in love at first sight with the Tuscan capital. This is definitely the city youll want to take lots of leisurely strolls in, especially along the River Arno. We recommend walking along the river at sunset towards the medieval Ponte Vecchio Bridge - by the time you get there youll be swooning over the golden scenery, little shops and serenading musicians youll pass along your way.

The Picturesque Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence

Fall in love with the magnificent panoramic views of this gorgeous city whilst being serenaded with the sweet music of street performers. The view from this location includes the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, the Bargello, the bell tower of Badia Fiorentina, and quite frequently, some amazing background music. T

his is absolutely the best place to watch the sun set over Florence. There is also a bronze Statue of David (not the original) admiring the scene from the middle of the plaza. Whats not to fall in love with?

The Spanish Steps in Rome

Like a scene straight out of a movie, get serenaded by the many street performers as you walk up the famous Spanish Steps (or Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti) that lead you from Piazza di Spagna to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti at the top.

For an extra dose of romance, dont forget to pay homage to the cream coloured building to your right as you climb. That was where romantic poet John Keats lived and is now the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. Romance is definitely in the air here.

A romantic re-enactment in Sirmione

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, along the pretty shores of Lake Garda  what better place to experience the power of true love than Juliets balcony? The Italian lake town of Sirmione, complete with vine-covered villas, Roman ruins and a castle, really sets the scene for romance. Dust off your copy of Romeo and Juliet and re-enact the balcony scene from Shakespeares tragic love story.

Feeling that warm and fuzzy feeling and need to book a romantic trip to Italy right now? Contiki has you covered with two loved-up trips not to be missed!
More people come forward claiming to own Phuket sea gypsy land

PHUKET: A group of more than ten land owners who claim to own land next to the disputed sea gypsy land in Rawai have a number of documents they wish to present to Prime Minster Prayut Chan-o-chao which they hope will put an end to the beachfront land dispute.

landviolenceconstruction

By Darawan Naknakhon

Friday 12 February 2016, 10:12AM

Satien Mukdee said that his grandfather originally allowed four or five sea gypsy families live on his land so long as they worked from him on his coconut plantation. Photo: Darawan Naknakorn

However, their solution to the problem is that the government buy the land from them and develop it to make a more modern living area for the sea gypsies.

The group, who claim to own 19 rai of land where the sea gypsies live, and representatives from Baron World Trade Co Ltd who claim to own the disputed 33 rai of land held a press conference at a Phuket hotel yesterday (Feb 11).

One of the 10 land owners, Satien Mukdee said, The sea gypsies have encroached on land owned by us which has been passed down by our ancestors. We learned from our grandparents that sea gypsies were nomads, they moved from island to island.

At some point, some of the sea gypsies came here and asked my grandfather, Tan Mukdee, for a place to stay. He agreed to let four or five families live on his land so long as they worked from him on his coconut plantation.

People need to know about our story. They shouldnt only listen to the villagers, he said.

If you ask the elderly people of Rawai, they will tell you where the sea gypsies came from. The on going dispute and lack of information about Rawai people lets many people believe that we bullying the sea gypsies which is not true.

This land dispute is no longer a local issue, it is a national one and the government must intervene. We insist the government buy our land and set up a community for the sea gypsies.

Today the villagers are living in a poor condition, 300 families, or 2000 people, are crammed in a small area. I want social justice for us all, he added.

Kittiya Sa-ngaemkul who owns two rai of land in the area said, There are five people who own 19 rai of land that the sea gypsies live on. This land issue has caused so much stress to us. We cannot develop the land even though we have legal land titles.

Justice must be served, we have been battling this issue in court for so long and only now is it under investigation, he said.

However, to put an end to this problem, all five land owners propose to sell 19 rai of land to the government so they can develop into a community and tourist destination. This way the sea gypsies will have a place to live and also earn a living. she added.

Baron World Trade Co Ltd representatives Chana Chowna said that Baron World own 33 rai next to the land that the sea gypsies have occupied.

The problem we are facing today is the sidewalk on public land and the location of the sea gypsies place of worship.

Baron World are the fourth owners of the disputed land and it was bought legally. We did not issue the land document ourselves. We wanted to develop the land into resort for the area, but since this problem arose that idea has been put on hold.

The sea gypsies always blame us for this land dispute, and in addition, some government agencies back their claims without seeking the truth or asking us, he said.

Right now, the owners of the 19 rai and Baron World Trade are gathering all documents regarding the land ready to present to court and the Prime Minister.

We want officials to look into the National Human Rights Commissions role in this dispute because they have never questioned the Land Office about allegations that the land was obtained illegally.

Officials must probe the Land Office about the issuing of the Chanotes if they suspected they have been issued illegally. They must also investigate all departments involved in the the process of upgrading the land tiles, said Mr Chana.

Meanwhile, about 200 sea gypsies, led by Niran Yongpan, gathered in front of Provincial Hall asking to see the Phuket Governor and demanding answers to the land dispute, including the walkway and their place of worship.

They also want to know what officials have done about the violent confrontation between the sea gypsies and representatives of Baron World on January 27.

Mr Niran said, The land dispute escalated into violence last time and many people were injured.

Gov Chamroen set up a committee on February 2 to find a way to solve the issue and said it would be resolved within seven days which is today (Feb 11). And that is why we are here.

We want answers to the dispute and an investigation into the group of army that came to protect the land developers on January 25 and the group of teenagers that assaulted the villagers on January 27.

We want to know whether they will be questioned and punished according to law, he said.
Phukets tourism reflected in global survey

PHUKET: Thailands image as a leading tourism destination on a global and a regional Asia-Pacific level was bolstered this past week with Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya ranking highly in the MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015 and Euromonitor International Top 100 City Destinations Ranking.

tourismeconomics

By The Phuket News

Friday 12 February 2016, 09:00AM

The international surveys recognised Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya as the worlds and Asia Pacifics most popular destinations for international travellers.

The first MasterCards Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015, which is an offshoot of the annual Global Destination Cities Index, ranked Bangkok as the most popular city, with 21.9 million international overnight visitors, representing a 28.6 per cent growth over the previous year. (See report here.)

The Thai capital also topped the total nights stayed by international tourists with a cumulative 107 million nights and also topped the total amount spent at US$15.2 billion.

Compared with destination cities in the Asia-Pacific, Bangkok retained its position at number one. This ranking has remained unchanged since 2013, when the Thai capital became the first Asian city to top the global list.

Phuket recorded 9.3 million international overnight visitors in 2015, marking 15.5 per cent growth year-on-year, while Pattaya which saw growth of 10 per cent, at 8.1 million.

In terms of total nights stayed and total expenditure, however, Phuket dropped in the rankings, earning a total of 40.8 million nights and an expenditure of US$8 billion (B283.224 billion), marked the MasterCard survey.

Pattaya chalked up a total of 27.2 million nights and total expenditure of US$3.1 billion (B109.749 billion).

Despite much hype within Thailand of Chiang Mai as a one of the nations leading tourism destinations, the northern capital failed to be marked in the top 20 of any of the surveys lists.

Meanwhile, Euromonitor International has released its fifth annual survey on Top 100 City Destinations in terms of international tourist arrivals in 2014. Its Top 100 City Destinations Ranking named three Thai destinations among the worlds top 25: Bangkok 4th, Phuket 17th and Pattaya 19th. (See report here.)

Dr Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said, We are honoured to be recognised by two of the worlds most prestigious organisations. Despite the challenges we had to go through in 2015, global travellers remain confident in our country and made a decision to make Thailand their travel destination.

In 2015, the Thai tourism industry hit the highest record in its history, receiving tourism revenue of B1.4 trillion, a 23% increase year-on-year, and attracting 29.8 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 20% over 2014.

For 2016, with the plan to focus less on the number of visitor arrivals and more on attracting quality tourists, the TAT is targeting B1.5 trillion in tourism revenue from international tourists.
Thai man in critical condition in Phuket hospital after electric shock causes him to fall from scaffold tower

PHUKET: A Phuket man is in critical condition in Thalang Hospital with serious head injuries after receiving an electric shock when trying to fix a street light and falling over four metres to the ground. The incident happened at around 1:30pm this afternoon (Feb 12) in Srisoonthorn.

accidentspolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 12 February 2016, 04:03PM

It was reported that the man fell from the scaffolding after receiving an electric shock from a street light he was trying to fix.

Capt Nattaya Suphanpong from Thalang Police was called to investigate an incident where a man had sustained serious head injuries after falling from a scaffold tower when fixing a road light at Kan Hayha in Srisoonthorn. It was reported that the man, 43-year-old Boonnate Boonsri, was not responding to any communication made with him. Police arrived at Moo Baan Kan Hayha-Baan Lipon with Kusoldharm rescue workers to find a group of residents gathered around the unconscious man. After administering CPR, rescue workers immediately took Mr Boonsri to Thalang Hospital. Capt Nattaya said that witnesses said that Mr Boonsri had climbed the scaffold tower to fix a broken light but got electrocuted and fell to the ground landing head first. He had been employed to fix all the street lights in the area.
On Newsstands Now: Here's Everything You'll Find in CityBeat's Latest Issue

From a Bigfoot hunt to delightfully spooky ghost stories from one of Cincinnati's watering holes, here are the stories you'll find in CityBeat's latest print edition.

By CityBeat Staff Oct 19, 2022

For many of us, Bigfoot is a legend present only on an episode of Ancient Aliens, or perhaps only among the towering, mysterious pines of the Pacific Northwest. However, for CityBeat's latest issue, we went on a hunt for Bigfoot in a place where the massive furball had allegedly been spotted before  Ohio's Pleasant Hill Lake Park...
South Dakota high school football playoffs scores and pairings

The South Dakota high school football playoffs start tonight with the Class 11B and 9-man teams facing off in the first round.
Mira Braneck

braneckm@grinnell.edu

Mary Zhengs 15 first photography exhibit recently displayed at Relish, a local foods restaurant in downtown Grinnell. The exhibit, if all goes well, will fund Zhengs upcoming trip around the Mediterranean, during which she will spend eight months to a year visiting more than eight countries and taking photos of one of the most disregarded rooms in the house: the bathroom.

A bathroom is such an overlooked place that is really intimate, Zheng said. I feel like because its so intimate, its linked really closely to peoples core and who they are.

Zheng titled the collection One because it is her first exhibit and because it features her best work. One explores a variety of subjects, from black and white shots of trees to saturated colored photos taken in Washington D.C. One wall is adorned only with flowers, all titled for the name of their color in Chinese.

With art, Im so tired of seeing white faces everywhere and English and romantic languages, Zheng said. I wanted to inject a little non-Western culture.

Zheng went on to discuss the inspiration behind the composition of her photographs.

I like to photograph normal things that are given a new spin through my lens, Zheng said. I focus on lines a lot, and the absence of light  people may see an object but I see the things that the object is comprised of,  rather than the object itself.

Zheng never took an art class while at Grinnell College, although she took photos and painted as a child. Instead, she majored in anthropology and Chinese. Zhengs anthropology major is playing a role in her upcoming project.

As an anthropology major, Im just so interested in peoplewhat peoples personalities are and how you can find ways to figure out someones personality, Zheng said.

However, Zhengs interest in bathrooms was born long before her time at Grinnell. As a self-proclaimed obnoxiously snoopy child, Zheng would go with her father to someones house for acupuncture and snoop through her bathroom.

I was really young and I would just wander around and go through her bathroom, open up the cabinets, Zheng said. I feel like you can get a pretty good sense of someone when you look through their bathroom Bathrooms are kind of a sacred place. Its where people cleanse themselves. Its where people deal with all their bodily functions. Its where people put on makeupput on their faces, take off their faces, get naked and vulnerable to shower.

Her latest project will look at both the personal and public, as she plans to mostly stay in peoples houses while traveling, but expects to spend some time in hostels as well.

Zheng plans to start in Morocco and then go north to Spain and Portugal, then France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt. She hopes to spend one month in each country.

Zheng is still living in Grinnell, where she works at Relish and AmeriCorps. She is the afterschool enrichment coordinator for AmeriCorps and works to ensure that afterschool programs are academic extensions of the school day. Her exhibit at Relish is running through March 2.
Emma Friedlander, Arts Editor

friedlan@grinnell.edu

The liberal arts often seek the connection between the arts and sciences. The Cultural Technology Development Lab (CTDL) may have found one such overlap.

This week, Miriam Langer, Professor of Media Art and Technology at New Mexico Highlands University, visited Grinnell with two members of the CTDL team, Miles Tokunow and Rianne Trujillo. The team stayed at Grinnell throughout the week in order to show students how they could incorporate the CTDLs open-source technology into their own exhibits. On Monday, Feb. 8, Langer delivered a talk in Bucksbaum Center for the Arts on the CTDLs mission and accomplishments.

We develop technological solutions for museums, libraries and cultural institutions, Langer said. This project started to help museums get technology they could use themselves, and also feel empowered to request, fix and change. We want cultural organizations to ask for the experience that they know best, and which will best accommodate their visitors.

To illustrate this concept, Langer, Tokunow and Trujillo presented a variety of the technology they have installed into cultural organizations throughout New Mexico and beyond. These included interactive pneumatic tubes at the Santa Fe Childrens Museum and digitized dancing marionettes at the Baumann Marionette Project. Langer remarked that the latter is especially important because it innovates antiques that are unique to New Mexican folk tradition and are otherwise locked away in vaults and inaccessible to the public.

Langer also demonstrated an interactive birdcall exhibit that the CTDL developed for Arcadia National Park Nature Center in Maine. In the exhibit, visitors touch models of a birds egg to models of the appropriate bird which then produces that birds call if matched correctly. Langer stressed that this simple innovation could help interaction and accessibility not only at Arcadia National Park but also in myriad cultural institutions.

Each of these sets is really inexpensive, Langer said. Our technology is all open-source and we can share the files. Anyone who wants to build something like this can follow our examples and build it, whether its birds or anything else you might want to match.

The CTDL has also developed Museduino, an open-source hardware kit that can be used in installations and exhibits by museums.

This was our way of contributing to museums and institutions that want to start doing hands-on electronics in-house without a huge amount of investment, Langer said. We created Museduino and brought it to the Association of Science and Technology Center and demonstrated the technology to science, technology and childrens museums from all around the world.

Although the specialty of the CTDL is museum technology, Langer stressed that this technology serves solely to enhance the cultural experience, not to detract from it.

Its no accident that the word culture comes before the word technology, Langer said. We really believe the technology is there to serve the culture and that its not about the reverse. Were there to make collections more accessible.

The event was attended by many students in the Art Department who were interested in seeing how they could implement simple and user-friendly technology into their own work.

Im an art major and also interested in technology, said Doyi Lee 16. Its interesting to see how the two work together and that there are programs out there that can help me develop. It shows me what I can do in the real world to make that happen. I didnt even know people were doing this! Thats the greatest takeaway.
Keli Vitaioli

vitaioli@grinnell.edu

In typical Iowa politics fashion, the Grinnell community came together to speak their voices in the Iowa Caucuses on Feb. 1. There were four voting precincts in Grinnell: Davis Elementary School, Grinnell High School, the Mayflower Center and the Colleges Harris Center.

County party organizers asked locations to hold the caucus events based on availability. A few hours before the event, the Caucus hosts were given access to the buildings to prepare the space layout and make sure to meet the needs of the event.

This year, the countys Democratic Party anticipated a large turnout because of the intense race between Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton. They wanted to promote college and town involvement by providing voting locations in each of Grinnells five voting precinctsmaking up half of Poweshiek Countys ten precincts.

The Iowa Democratic organization believes strongly that voting should be held in the wards they are representing, said Rachel Bly, the Colleges Events Director for Conference Operations.

Bly has experience on both sides of the caucus organization, being active in the county Democratic Party. Bly aided in arranging the space usage at the Harris Center, and organized many of the recent political events on campus, including Bill Clintons recent visit.

Compared to recent politician visits, Bly said the caucus was one of the more easy events to organize. There were small challenges, such as finding chairs and having intermittent technological glitches, but the caucus hosts mostly ran the event. The space providers merely facilitated the event to take place.

A challenging aspect for all the locations was the unexpectedly large voter turnout. In the Harris Center, the request expanded from just the concert hall to allow access to the cinema if necessarya request which was utilized on caucus night.

The expectations for our numbers was only 500-600 for which the Harris Center wouldve worked really nicely  this was the biggest caucus weve ever [held here], Bly said. It was much bigger than the numbers from even [in 2008] when we had our last biggest caucus. I think next time were going to have to find a different space, maybe Darby or the fieldhouse, because Harris is just too small.

The voter turnout at the Harris Center alone was 925about 400 voters above the original estimatewith 600 of those 925 having registered at the door right before the event. The Mayflower Center also reported numbers well above expectations.

College students made up a large portion of the caucus voters in Grinnell, but they were not the only young people the event locations aimed to draw in. According to Grinnell High School principal Kevin Seney, there were even younger voters.

The nice thing about holding [the caucus] at the school was that we were able to involve a lot of high school students who were interested in the process, Seney said. Because it was here, more of them felt comfortable coming and participating in their respective partys caucus.

Bly, who lives in town, showed excitement at the success in drawing high school student voters to the caucus this year.

Its really cool to see the [high school] students getting really excited with all the events leading up to the caucus, Bly said. The caucus is a great way to see the college students interact with the community in a very different way and that is part of being a [high school] student and being in this community.
Sam Curry

currysam@grinnell.edu

The United States Department of Agriculture invested $643.8 million in rural Iowa communities in 2015 through a range of programs and initiatives. These investments, directed through the USDAs Rural Development Mission, included efforts to provide affordable housing, business assistance, improved infrastructure and basic community services such as new hospitals and fire stations.

The rural investment mission has provided $4 billion for these developments since 2008.

Our focus is on the viability of rural communities and areas which are so important to our state and nation, said Bill Menner, the USDA Rural Development State Director

Providing financial assistance to residents of rural Iowa for housing was one of the focuses of the departments 2015 efforts. The reason for this, according to Menner, is economics.

When a business is looking to expand or move into a community one of the first things they will ask themselveswill my new employees have good homeownership or housing opportunities? Menner wrote in an email to The S&B.

Having quality and available housing  is truly a foundational need of any rural community, Menner added.

The frequently stated argument that rural Iowa, as well as rural America, is losing its influence is the preponderance of empty storefronts in the typical rural town. Grinnell, while not as bad as some other towns, is hardly an exception. The USDA attempted to counter these assertions through loans to small businesses and energy providers in 2015.

Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs provided $65 million to rural businesses in 2015, including $11 million to rural electric co-operatives that aid small business operations. Additionally, the USDAs Rural Energy for America Program allowed 140 businesses in Iowa to add new renewable energy systems or make energy-efficiency improvements.

The USDAs efforts here seem like the beginning stages of a vision that providing renewable energy sources will lead to an economic revival of rural America, which a number of presidential candidates, some still in the race and others freshly departed, have promised this election cycle.

Rural towns cannot thrive with business, energy and housing alone. In order to become truly vibrant, they also need efficient and effective community services.

To this end, the USDA invested $113 million in hospitals and fire stations in 2015, as well as $21 million in water and wastewater systems. These investments will hopefully counter the narrative that rural America, and particularly rural Iowa, is receding into the background of American society, and instead will help them continue to grow and serve the country far into the future.

We are proud to serve the needs of rural people and places to ensure that rural America continues to thrive and drive the economy, Menner wrote.
6:55 a.m.Woken up five minutes ahead of my alarm by my cat, Wilma Jean, who alerts me to her hunger by walking across my face two to three times.

7:30 a.m.Wilma Jean is fed, first and foremost, and then I figure out my breakfast situation.

8:00 a.m.Makeup time! My favorite part of the day. Most of the time I make an effort, some days I cant be bothered. You can tell exactly which days those are.

9:00 a.m.I step into my office and check my emails. Wilma Jean hops in her perch by the window and stares at me with so much disdain.

11:00 a.m.Lunch in the Dining Hall. I approach with healthy intentions but end up with something covered in cheese.

12:00 p.m.I stop by the DSA [Division of Student Affairs] suite to check my mail, make copies, grab any supplies for new bulletin boards and raid the numerous candy bowls.

2:00 p.m.Head back to my office and find Wilma Jean standing in the doorway, filled with palpable sadness and despair because she hasnt eaten in a few hours. Once she has been fed she proceeds to ignore me for the next five hours.

2:03 p.m.Meet with students and staff members throughout the afternoon to check-in on life, academics and community, etc.

5:00 p.m.Naps are for everyone.

6:30 p.m.Dinner and a horror movie. I have quite the illustrious cinematic portfolio.

8:30 p.m.Feed Wilma Jean, convince myself she loves me and take off my makeup masterpiece for the day. What a waste.

9:30 p.m.Crawl in bed, let Wilma Jean walk all over me until she gets comfortable and dont move so she doesnt get upset.

12:00 a.m. Finally fall asleep.

2:00 a.m.Duty phone rings. Fumble around for warm clothes, car keys and duty bag. Wilma Jean is pissed that she has been disrupted.

2:30 a.m.Write a report regarding duty call before I forget details. Wilma Jean is still pissed. Give her sympathy treats.

3:00 a.m.Back to sleep. Dream about horror movies.
LILY Bohlke

bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

Students studying abroad usually choose to do so on land, but a few adventurous Grinnellians have taken the path less traveled: spending a semester on the open ocean with SEA Semester.

Caroline Graham 16 explained that with the SEA Semester program, students spend four to six weeks in Woods Hole, Mass., going to class and working on research projects. These tasks are completed in preparation of spending six weeks on a sailboat navigating, cooking, being on watch or performing scientific research.

For example, Nick Matesanz 16 circumnavigated New Zealand on a Global Oceans Program in the fall of 2014. Matesanz researched phytoplankton diversity and community assemblages, which had samples for research at the ready at any time.

For the phytoplankton, we would throw a bucket over the side and pull the bucket out and filter it, Matesanz said.

Students who chose to participate in SEA semester were primarily interested in engaging with and studying marine biology, both in the ocean and at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, according to Jenny Dong 17.

In the spring 2015 semester, Graham participated in the Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Program, a joint science and policy program. She researched microbial communities on micro-plastics in the Sargasso Sea, a region of the large gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Last fall, Dong went on an Oceans and Climate Program that focused on the effects that climate change has on the ocean, and the effects that the ocean has on climate change. She sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Canary Islands to Dominica to St. Croix, during which she used samples of zooplankton to research ocean acidification.

It was marked as the same trip as Columbuss second trip, Dong noted. I wanted something that would help me determine whether or not I wanted to go into research. I got to do everything from looking up articles to collecting data from the ocean.

Matesanz also said he wanted to do something different for his study abroad experience.

You get to live on a research vessel that still uses sail power, Matesanz said. It just seemed like the coolest opportunity.

In addition to biological research, SEA Semester participants learn the ins and outs of sailing and navigation. According to Matesanz, the learning process was much quicker than he expected.

You are the crew, so you need to know what everything is, what every single line is called, he said. They drill you on it.

Dong mentioned that she now knows what direction she is facing without using a compass or a GPS, a skill that many have not had the chance to learn.

I can navigate decently by the stars and the sun shadow and the way the wind is blowing, she said. I learned a lot more about navigation than I ever expected.

With sailing, however, comes seasickness. Graham, Matesanz and Dong all mentioned this drawback, which other students on each of their programs dreaded as well.

People always talk about getting your sea legs,, and you kind of do, Graham said, but if the waves die down and pick back up again, it started all over for me.

For Dong, the seasickness turned into a problem when using a microscope.

Your body is moving a lot, but your field of vision is not, she said.

In fact, Matesanz blamed the severity of seasickness among students in his program on the frequent stops in port his ship made. His was the first trip to New Zealand, so there was a lot of local public interest, causing them to make many stops.

Everyones hurling over the side and its kind of funny, he said. But while its happening, you totally want to die.

In spite of seasickness, Matesanz said the program was worth it. According to Graham, it is more academically rigorous than the College, but in different ways.

I would recommend it to students who want a challenge academically, physically and mentally, Matesanz said.

Likewise, Dong emphasized the non-traditional classroom experience SEA Semester provides, saying she would recommend the program to people who are looking for something out of the ordinary. However, she did caution that those who are interested in the program should be ready to adapt quickly, particularly with their sleeping habits.

If youre not good at napping, this isnt for you, Dong said. Your sleep cycle gets out of whack and you literally need to go with the roll.

-Jennifer Dong 17 is the Business Manager for The S&B.
Lily Bohlke, Staff Writer

bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

President Raynard Kington announced that Grinnell will not accept Posse Scholars from New Orleans in Fall 2016, due to administrative issues between the College and the Posse Foundation, in a December campus memo to students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The Posse Foundation selects public school high school students with academic and leadership potential and awards them full tuition scholarships to colleges across the United States. In the last several years, Grinnell has accepted Posse Scholars from Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and, more recently, New Orleans.

According to Dean Mike Latham, this decision was made to facilitate discussion between the College and the Posse Foundation about whether the relationship is mutually beneficial.

Any long-standing partnership like ours periodically needs to be reviewed, especially when the two organizations involved are dynamic and continually evolving, Latham wrote in an email to The S&B.

Current Posse Scholars worry about the implications of a decision like this, both for the students in New Orleans who were hoping to be selected to receive a full tuition scholarship and for the Colleges commitment to diversity.

The Posse selection process includes three rounds. Since the College announced this decision during the selection process, 19 New Orleans Posse Scholars who had committed to Grinnell had already withdrawn any early action or early decision applications to other universities.

That makes a huge difference for students, particularly ones of disadvantaged backgrounds, so this was a big blow to their chances of going to other

schools, said Bailey Bagneris 19, a New Orleans Posse Scholar.

Grinnells withdrawal of support for New Orleans Posse also raises questions about the Colleges commitment to diversity.

Diversity has been increasing recently but I just feel like taking away Posse is taking a step back from what you could potentially be getting, said New Orleans Posse Scholar Hassan Thompson 19. I feel like what they call diversity is more international diversity rather than domestic kids of color.

Bagneris agreed, adding that not only do Posse students bring diversity, but also the Posse Foundations emphasis on

leadership and achievement allows Posse students to have a large presence on campus.

Theres an assumption that if youre meeting a student of color on campus theyre either Posse, QuestBridge or from Chicago, Bagneris said.

Additionally, Posse scholars like Bagneris and Thompson feel at fault for the Colleges decision to sever ties with Posse New Orleans.

Our Posse was sitting in a room with all the other Posses when we were told, Thompson said. Everyone was looking at us like, What did they do? and we were feeling that waywe were feeling like it was our fault.

Latham confirmed, however, that this decision was made independently of the performance of current Posse students.

We are proud that [Posse Scholars] chose to come to Grinnell, and right now they need and deserve our support, Latham wrote.

In order to have productive and respectful conversations about their respective goals, both Grinnell and Posse have agreed to disclose limited information, according to Latham.

However, according to New Orleans Posse mentor and Professor Mark Levandoski, Chemistry, Posse Scholars are chosen partially for their desire to be involved in important conversations, so the private nature of the decision may explain some student dissatisfaction.

Students will respect the decision more if they have more information, Levandoski said.

New Orleans Posse Scholars reinforced this claim by organizing a meeting with the College administration to address their concerns, according to Latham.

Such discussions help us learn what the specific challenges are for certain students, so that we can be responsive and make the changes that will make Grinnell a better place for everyone, Latham wrote.

Although the Campus memo states the Colleges goals are to support current Posse Scholars, Bagneris said that the best way to help current students would be to keep up the relationship with the New Orleans Posse Foundation.

Its kind of a paradox to say, Worry about the scholars on campus, when its the scholars coming to campus who provide a sense of motivation, Bagneris said. I cant stress enough what kind of opportunity [Posse] is for people in New Orleans.
Michael Cummings, Community Editor

cummings@grinnell.edu

In 2015, 78 donors each gave $1 million and accounted for nearly one quarter of all money donated in political campaigns, according to a speaker during the Campaign Finance Symposium, hosted by the Rosenfield Program Committee.

Experts on campaign finance from a variety of fields and professions came to Grinnell this week to participate in the symposium. They approached the topic from many different angles, addressing campaign finance problems and discussing possible solutions.

It was actually a student that proposed the symposium about a year ago. The committee generally thought it was a great idea, and as you know with the Sanders campaign and other events in the news, campaign finance has been a pretty prominent issue around here, said Rosenfield Committee leader and Professor Ed Cohn, History.

The issue of campaign finance has become particularly pervasive in the last six years since the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which ruled that for-profit organizations are permitted to donate unlimited amounts of money to support political campaigns under the First Amendment. Critics of the decision argue that it allows for Political Action Committees or PACs to essentially buy elections by donating tremendous sums to a candidate who will act in their favor.

With the current climate on issues of new sources of money and unregulated money and closely competitively elections, [its] probably even more important now than ever, said Professor Barbara Trish, Political Science.

The Citizens United decision sparked many prominent professors, journalists, lawyers and other concerned people to give intense scrutiny to money in politics. The issue is particularly timely now as select Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are refusing to accept money from Super PACs.

What were seeing is one family, the Koch brothers, and a few of their friends spending $900 million in this election cycle, said presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during his most recent visit to Grinnell. That is more money than the Democrats or the Republicans are spending. My friends, youre not looking at a democracy, you are looking on an oligarchy.

The symposium kicked off with a keynote speech by Michael Malbin on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Malbin is a professor of political science at the State University of New York at Albany as well as the Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Institute, the most prominent think tank in the country dealing with money in politics.

Malbins talk focused on where the money spent on elections comes from, numbers of donations from small money compared to large money donors and spending from Super PACS.

Seventy-eight percent of the public would like to see Citizens United overturned, and that includes 80 percent of the Republicans, Malbin said. Eighty-seven percent would like to see the system reformed so a rich person doesnt have more influence than a poor person. Eighty-four percent say money has too much influence and 72 percent favor small-donor public financing including 66 percent of Republicans.

According to Malbin, one solution that might address this overwhelming concern is the public funding of campaigns. If small donations were matched by public funds, he argued, citizens would have more incentive to donate to campaigns and the power of the ultra-rich would be diminished significantly. However, Malbin acknowledged that this suggestion has downsides.

Yes, this would cost public money. Which means  were talking about tax money. It is money that compared to the system it regulates is tiny, but it is money, Malbin said, implying that some people would have concerns over the use of taxes to support this program.

My response is, were talking about a public good here, and one that is not terribly expensive, Malbin said. It is a public good to think about addressing the systematic biases  to get more people involved, to get small contributions to politicians.

Malbin said that this plan and similar measures have been implemented at the city level. He pointed to New York, Los Angeles and Seattle as leaders in local-level campaign finance reform. Many students in the audience were intrigued by Malbins proposition.

I thought the focus on the economics of politics  was really important to talk about, Patrick Armstrong 18 said. I would have liked to know what impact that had in the specific cities  and if the constituencies were more satisfied.

The symposium continued on Wednesday afternoon with a talk by Barry Anderson, an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Anderson talked specifically about judicial elections, an area with which he has a lot of both personal experience and scholastic expertise.

Judicial elections are a historical anomaly put in place in many states that joined the union in the mid-to-late 1800s. Rules vary according to the state, but for the Iowa Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the governor and serve 8-year terms before participating in a retention electionwhere Iowa voters simply vote yes or no on whether they want that justice to continue to serve.

Iowa has had experience with a lot of expenditures in retention elections for three Supreme Court justices who were not retained in a recent election, Anderson said.

In 2010, anti-same-sex-marriage interest groups flooded the state with money in a successful push to oust three justices who helped make same-sex marriage legal.

Anderson also discussed on what money in judicial elections is spent.

Around 90 percent of that money gets spent on attack adsthe grainy black and white picture that looks like it was taken from some prison magazine, Anderson said. Various evils are ascribed to the candidate such that by the time youre done with the attack ad its pretty clear that the subject of the ad would not be loved by anyone including his or her mother.

Anderson then explained that these advertisements have a lot of influence in elections, and are often misleading and untrue.

The symposium concluded on Thursday with talks by Michael Beckel, a reporter for the Center for Public Integrity and Nicole Austin-Hillery of the Brennan Center for Justice.

I find it very interesting that Democrats and Republicans right now are talking about how this system is dysfunctional, Beckel said. Democrats and Republicans are talking about how frustrated people are that the system isnt working for them, certainly something we saw in New Hampshire, with Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders both doing well in the polls.
Column by Matt Kartanata, kartanat@grinnell.edu

In December, Public Policy Polling (PPP) released survey data from 534 Republicans and 525 Democrats on a number of questions surrounding Americas political climate and preferences for the Presidential Election. It was pretty standard as far as polls about elections can getwhats important to you in a nominee, who would you choose between x, y and z candidate, etc. However, the data was overwhelmingly used to run headlines on question 38: Would you support or oppose the bombing of Agrabah? which is the fictional country in Disneys 1992 animated film Aladdin. Thirty percent of Republicans and 19 percent of Democrats answered Yes, they would in fact bomb Agrabah. Newswires loved this statistic. They ran it incessantly for an entire week. And given the nature of the headlinesA Lot of Americans Support Bombing the Fictional Country from Aladdin or Political ignorance and bombing Agrabahthe survey respondents werent just the subjects of observation; they were the punchline. Its not uncommon to ask a-ha! questions like thesestudies have asked opinions on fake policies as awfully named as the Metallic Metals Act, and Jimmy Kimmels Lie Witness News segment regularly walks the streets of Hollywood looking for unsuspecting pedestrians to feign confidence on anything from sex to politics. But the crux of a-ha, got you! questions that situate respondents as the punchline is that it places bad faith in survey takersin other words, it assumes, in the Agrabah bombing case, that people want to bomb Agrabah out of mere xenophobic ignorance. And sure, thats probably the case for many respondents. But what if respondents actually did know what Agrabah was? These respondents dont just know about Agrabah, they despise its very existence, vilify its structure. These respondents are warhawks, revolutionaries or anarchists. They know fully well that its the fictional city from Aladdin, and thats precisely why they want to bomb it. Its not as if Jafar actually dies in the first movie; there exist multiple interpretations that paint Jafar as an antihero rather than a villain. There were even two awful direct-to-VHS sequels to Aladdin and a painful three-season television series, and we have no clue if any of the movies or television episodes count as canon within the Aladdin universe, and which temporal snapshot of Agrabah respondents were willing to bomb. Without even considering the additional content outside of the original Aladdin movie, its pretty clear there is palpable tension between the rich bourgeois Sultan and proletarian peasantrytheres this weird thing between Aladdin and Genie and enslavementbut the point is that while bombing may not be a perfect solution, Agrabah is also not a perfect place. Also, it takes Jasmine and Aladdin until the third movie to get married. Whats up with that?

Theres certainly something to say about political ignorancethat it surely exists, that it ought to be acknowledged as an issue with clear and sometimes unavoidable causes, and that we should aim to eliminate it for the purposes of improving our democracy. Of this I am sure. But I am less concerned about the a-ha, got you! aspect in a question about the bombing of a fictional Disney country and more concerned that 28 percent of Republicans in this poll still supported the internment of Japanese people. Or that 54 percent supported a ban on Muslims from entering America and 46 percent of respondents felt a database on Muslims was necessary. Its funny to poke fun at people who might have mistaken Agrabah as a real place or have some anarchist, revolutionary motives against a fictional country, but in the same breath, its deeply disturbing that the other responsesones that embody and manifest xenophobiacontinue to materialize in forms as seemingly pedestrian as a political climate survey. For these beliefs, there is no a-ha, got you! moment. Maybe thats the real punchline.
BRUSSELSIn a dramatic response to Europes gravest refugee crisis since World War II, NATO ordered three warships to sail immediately Thursday to the Aegean Sea to help end the deadly smuggling of asylum-seekers across the waters from Turkey to Greece.

This is about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and refugees and coping with a very demanding situation ... a human tragedy, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Yet even after the ships were told to get underway, NATO officials acknowledged uncertainties about the precise actions they would be performing  including whether they would take part in operations to rescue drowning migrants.

The arrival of more than a million people in Europe in 2015  mostly Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans  has plunged the 28-nation European Union into what some see as the most serious crisis in its history.

Despite winter weather, the onslaught of refugees crossing the Aegean has not let up. The International Organization for Migration said this week that 76,000 people  nearly 2,000 per day  have reached Europe by sea this year and 409 of them have died trying, most drowning in the cold, rough waters.

The number of arrivals in the first six weeks of 2016 is nearly 10 times as many as the same period last year. Most come from Turkey to Greece and then try to head north through the Balkans to the EUs more prosperous countries such as Germany and Sweden.

The decision Thursday by NATO defence ministers in Brussels came in response to a joint request by three members  Turkey, Germany and Greece  for alliance participation in an international effort targeting the smugglers.

This is not about stopping or pushing back refugee boats, Stoltenberg stressed at a news conference. NATO will contribute critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks.

In a related effort, the military alliance will also step up its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities on the Turkish-Syrian border, Stoltenberg said.

The vessels of NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 will start to move now on orders from U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATOs top commander in Europe, Stoltenberg said.

Breedlove said the ships should be at their Aegean destinations by Friday. NATOs website says the flotilla is composed of a German navy flagship, the Bonn, and two other ships, the Barbaros from Turkey and the Fredericton from Canada.

(Until now) NATO has been mainly focused on how we can address the root causes, to try to stabilize the countries where many of the refugees are coming from, Stoltenberg said, mentioning Afghanistan, Iraq, Tunisia and Jordan. The new thing now is ... providing different kinds of military capabilities ... to provide direct help, direct support, to Turkish authorities, to Greek authorities, and to the European Union.

U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter, in Brussels for two days of discussions with his Canadian and European colleagues, said NATO military authorities will draw up plans for how the alliance might further throttle human smuggling operations across the Aegean.

There is now a criminal syndicate, which is exploiting these poor people, Carter told a news conference. Targeting that is the greatest way an effect could be had.

Stoltenberg said once the NATO brass makes its recommendations, the alliance will talk to the EU and decide how to proceed.

Breedlove said the mission specifics were still being written.

This mission has literally come together in about the last 20 hours, Breedlove told journalists. I have been tasked now to go back and define the mission, define the rules of engagement, define all of what we call special operation instructions  all of the things that will lay out what we are going to do.

He said it was too early to say whether the NATO crews will be rescuing migrants in sinking or non-seaworthy boats  something the Greek and Turkish coast guards have been doing nightly for months.

I really cant talk to you about what is a core task and what is not ... we had some really rapid decision-making and now weve got to go out and do some military work, Breedlove said.

The NATO commander hailed the fast reaction to the joint request as an example of the streamlined decision-making the alliance has put into place since 2014.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, whose country has a fraught relationship with neighbour and NATO ally Turkey, said the agreement will finally solve the issue of migration.

Greece, until now, has paid too high a price  during a financial crisis  on migration, a price that is disproportionate relative to the other countries of Europe and NATO, Kammenos said. It is perfectly clear from the joint declaration that the purpose of this force is to stop the criminal activities of those who traffic in human beings.

Kammenos said the presence of NATO forces along the Turkish coastline will ensure that any migrants who are arrested will be sent straight back to Turkey. In a later stage, the Greek minister said, the EUs border agency, Frontex, could broaden its operations from Greek islands of the Aegean to the Turkish coast.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials.

An official with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Doctors Without Borders, however, said the NATO and EU actions miss the point.

More than 300 men, women and children have drowned in the Aegean in their desperate attempts to reach Europe this year alone, said Aurelie Ponthieu, the groups humanitarian adviser. In this context, NATOs involvement in the surveillance of illegal crossings is dangerously short-sighted. People will continue to risk their lives in search of safety and protection, no matter the obstacles that the EU  and now the leaders of the NATO alliance  put in their way.

How many deaths will it take before Europe, Turkey and others focus their energy on providing humanitarian solutions rather than deterrence measures that clearly miss the point? she asked.

A former British Navy officer gave a measured assessment of the NATO flotillas impact.

Peter Roberts, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the ships will show where the people are moving to and from, but will provide no information about the criminal networks.

That type of information requires presence on shore and investigative powers of police forces, not military ones, Roberts said.

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When physicist David Reitze stepped to the podium, smiling, he offered no preamble.

Ladies and gentleman, he said. We have detected gravitational waves.

His next words  we did it  were clipped by the jubilant reaction at the overflowing press conference in Washington D.C. where Reitze, executive director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), spoke alongside his longtime scientific collaborators. Applause swept through a packed lecture room inside the University of Torontos Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, a reaction that was doubtless matched by groups of researchers worldwide.

The thrill of confirmation seemed barely dented by widespread rumours ahead of Thursdays announcement: scientists have obtained the first direct evidence of an elusive cosmic feature predicted by Albert Einstein nearly a century ago. Even more excitingly for scientists, the detection of gravitational waves cracks open a whole new way of studying the universe.

Its momentous, said Luis Lehner of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo. It marks the beginning of our ability to peek at the universe through a completely new window.

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time predicted by Einsteins general theory of relativity, which celebrated its 100th anniversary late last year. Einstein theorized that powerful enough events  like the merging of two black holes  would send such ripples sweeping across the universe.

Indirect evidence for gravitational waves was gleaned from observing binary pulsars  spinning neutron stars  in the 1970s. But scientists yearned for direct evidence, and Thursdays announcement is the result of a decades-long hunt to capture it.

At an eventual cost of $1.1 billion (U.S.), one of the largest investments ever made by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the LIGO collaboration built two twin interferometer detectors in Hanford, Wash., and Livingston, La.

Inside each interferometer, laser beams are split down two four-kilometre-long arms and bounced off a series of carefully protected mirrors. The beams should arrive back at their source at the same time. A mismatch in their arrival may indicate that a gravitational wave has subtly deformed them as it imperceptibly stretches space-time around us.

But the discrepancy LIGOs scientists were trying to measure is smaller than the width of a proton, and prosaic local disturbances  a tree falling, a rumbling truck  could disrupt the lasers too. The observatorys first data run found nothing. The detectors shut down in 2010 for a five-year, $205 million upgrade, boosting their sensitivity.

On Sept. 14, 2015, the detectors had been up and running again for just two days when the two locations each recorded a signal seven milliseconds apart. The signal was so clear the collaborators could see it without even cleaning up the data, and the fact both interferometers recorded it nearly simultaneously strongly indicated it was a true gravitational wave.

Computer simulations showing what a gravitational wave produced by a black-hole merger would look like  including contributions from Canadian Institute for Advanced Research fellow Harald Pfeiffer and other collaborators at CITA, and powered in part by a supercomputer in Vaughan called SciNet  aligned neatly with the signal.

Months of painstaking data analysis confirmed the detection: the laser beams had been deformed by a gravitational wave generated by the merging of two massive black holes 1.3 billion years ago. The peak of the merger caused a characteristic chirp, a ringing that echoed across the universe and passed through our planet just weeks before the centennial of Einsteins famous theory.

What a gravitational wave sounds like

We can hear gravitational waves. We can hear the universe. Thats one of the beautiful things about this: we are not only going to be seeing the universe, we are going to be listening to it, said Gabriela Gonzalez, a physicist and spokesperson for LIGO.

The team is still digging through the data from LIGOs most recent run. The observatory will reach even greater sensitivities in the coming years, and will be joined by other detectors in Japan, Italy, and India. In December, scientists at the European Space Agency launched the test-run of a space-borne gravitational wave detector, LISA Pathfinder.

Its been a very long road, but this is just the beginning, said Gonzalez.

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The Munich agreement to try to halt fighting in Syria and deliver aid to beleaguered civilians marks a significant step in efforts to resolve the five-year conflict thats killed some 260,000 people. It includes a truce due to take effect in one week.

The accord was adopted unanimously late Thursday by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) that includes the United States., Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, other Middle East and Gulf nations, the European Union and China. They pledged to use their influence on the Syrian government and opposition groups to secure implementation.

Will the deal hold?

Theres a great deal of caution and skepticism. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the cessation of hostilities a pause, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said itll be difficult to achieve a lasting cease- fire. Sharif Shehadeh, a Syrian lawmaker loyal to President Bashar Assad, said hes not optimistic about the agreement, while Haitham Afisi, deputy chief of staff of the rebel Free Syrian Army, called a ceasefire unacceptable unless the opposition achieves its demands.

Whats in it for Putin?

President Vladimir Putin tipped the military balance in Assads favor with Russias five-month bombing campaign in Syria, while drawing strong criticism from the U.S. and the EU that airstrikes were hitting opposition groups backed by the West and not terrorists. By making himself indispensable in resolving a war thats triggered Europes worst migrant crisis since the Second World War, Putin may be gambling that he can win an easing of EU and U.S. sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia backed the talks because it doesnt want to be demonized as an aggressor, though the ceasefire wont last, said Frants Klintsevich, deputy chairman of the defence and security committee in the upper house of Russias parliament. Co-operating on a peace deal may help ease tensions with the U.S. and the EU, he said.

Will it stem the flow of refugees?

Not by itself. Its too early to know if Assads forces and opposition groups will stop fighting and whether any truce can be made to hold. Negotiations involving the Syrian government and opposition groups over a political resolution to the conflict resume in Geneva on Feb. 25 after breaking down last week.

The U.S. and the majority of ISSG members believe there will not be peace in Syria if Assad is determined to stay, Kerry told reporters early Friday. Russia insists thats a matter for Syrians to decide.

Whos covered by the truce?

It will apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties in Syria, except the Islamic State group, al-Nusra and groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council. A task force led jointly by the U.S. and Russia under UN auspices will work to establish the truce with ISSG member states that have influence on the armed opposition groups or forces fighting in support of the Syrian government.

What about Islamic State and al-Nusra?

Russia, the U.S. and French forces will continue airstrikes against them. The task force created to secure the truce in Syria will also identify territory held by Islamic State and al- Nusra where it wont apply.

Wholl get help and how?

Airdrops of humanitarian aid will begin within days to civilians in the city of Deir el-Zour, under siege from Islamic State, as well as land deliveries to people in the towns of Fouah, Kefraya, Madaya, Moadamiya and Kafr Batna. A UN task force charged with implementing the aid agreement will convene in Geneva Friday and report on progress at weekly meetings.

How will aid workers gain access?

Members of the ISSG committed to use their influence with groups fighting in Syria to ensure all sides allow immediate and sustained humanitarian access to reach all people in need, according to the agreement.

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HAVANAWith a hug and an exclamation of Finally! Pope Francis met Friday with Patriarch Kirill in the first ever meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism that has divided Christianity.

We are brothers, Francis said as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-panelled VIP room of Havanas airport, where the three-hour encounter took place.

Now things are easier, Kirill agreed as he and the pope exchanged three kisses on the cheek. This is the will of God, the pope said.

Francis was having the brief talks in Cuba before heading off on a five-day visit to Mexico, where the pontiff will bring a message of solidarity with the victims of drug violence, human trafficking and discrimination to some of that countrys most violent and poverty-stricken regions.

The meeting and signing of a joint declaration was decades in the making and cemented Francis reputation as a risk-taking statesman who values dialogue, bridge-building and rapprochement at almost any cost.

Still, while the meeting has been hailed by many as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The joint declaration is expected to touch on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

It is being signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin Americas first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirills willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding within the West and the Orthodox Church at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine. Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

The Russian church has long sought greater influence over the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.

This isnt benevolence. Its not a new-found desire for Christian unity, said George Demacopoulos, the Greek-Orthodox chairman of Orthodox Christian studies at Fordham University in New York. It is almost entirely about (Kirill) posturing and trying to present himself as the leader of Orthodoxy.

Popes as far back as Paul VI have met with the ecumenical patriarch, who is the first among equals in the 250 million-strong Orthodox Church and the only patriarch who can speak for global Orthodoxy. But the Russian Church is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful in Orthodoxy, and has always kept its distance from Rome.

Catholic and Orthodox split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands. Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

The most vexing issue in recent times centres on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the countrys second-largest, which follows eastern church rites but answers to the Holy See. The Russian Orthodox Church has considered western Ukraine its traditional territory and has resented papal influence there.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, the head of the Vatican office that deals with Orthodox relations, said the Ukrainian church will certainly come up in the two-hour private talks between Francis and Kirill.

I think it would be impossible to meet without discussing such issues, he told Vatican Radio. But he said the future significance of the meeting could not be overstated.

It will certainly forge relations within Orthodoxy: We still dont have contact with a lot of Orthodox patriarchs, and this meeting could help develop intra-Orthodox relations ahead of the pan-Orthodox council, he said. Improved understanding between Rome and Moscow will certainly have positive effects on the theological dialogue.

Such hoped-for progress may seem naive, since the Russian church has always been reluctant to engage in theological dialogue over the primacy of the pope, said the Rev. Stefano Caprio, one of the first priests who arrived in Russia in 1989 to minister to the Catholic community and now is a professor of Russian history and culture at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

He said the Russian position has long been: Were interested in ecumenism only in the sense of collaboration in managing the crises of a Christianity that is attacked in some countries by violent forces ... and above all to unite against global secularization, he said.

He noted, for example, that Fridays meeting doesnt include any joint prayer  purely talks. Its not an ecumenical encounter, he said.

While a papal trip to Russia is still a long-sought dream, Caprio ruled it out for the foreseeable future.

It would be a bigger scandal than Pussy Riot, he said.

Immediately following his meeting with Kirill, the pontiff will fly to Mexico for a weeklong tour that will take him once again to uncharted papal territory.

Among his stops will be the crime-plagued Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, where his visit will shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the governments failure to solve entrenched social ills that plague many parts of Mexico  inequality, rampant gangland killings, extortion, disappearances of women, crooked cops and failed city services.

He will also visit the mainly indigenous southern state of Chiapas, which has the countrys highest poverty rate. There he will celebrate a very Indian Mass and present a decree authorizing the use of indigenous languages in liturgy.

Francis will end his trip in the violent northern city of Ciudad Juarez, where he will pray at the border for all who have died trying to cross into the U.S.  a prayer he hopes will resonate north of the border.

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She had no choice, really.

Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the Conservative party, had to denounce Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus plan to trade warplanes in the skies over Iraq for boots on the ground as a shameful step backward from our proud traditions. She had to dismiss the governments decision to focus on training local fighters and boosting aid to refugees as distractions from the withdrawal of six CF-18 Hornets. She had to accuse the prime minister of putting politics before public safety.

It was her government that joined the U.S.-led bombing mission in October of 2014; her former boss Stephen Harper who vowed to keep Canadian warplanes in Iraq as long as ISIS (Islamic State) terrorists posed a threat; her party that fought last falls election warning that Canada is not immune to jihadist terrorism.

Had she shown an ounce of sympathy for Trudeaus position, she would have alienated fellow Tories, antagonized hawks across the country and muddied one of the few issues on which her party was in tune with the majority of Canadians.

Moreover, she had no mandate as interim leader to change Conservative policy. Her job was to hold the fort, put a friendlier face on the party and stay out of trouble until the party chooses a new leader on May 27, 2017.

Clearly this was the wrong moment to acknowledge that the six warplanes Canada sent to Iraq 16 months ago played a modest role in the campaign (They conducted a mere 2.6 per cent of the coalitions airstrikes); to admit that her government never considered aerial bombardment sufficient to defeat ISIS; or to concede that Trudeau was actually expanding Canadas military role in Iraq.

From a tactical point of view, Ambroses stance was understandable. From a public interest perspective, it was a letdown.

She has the intelligence and experience to hold the Liberals to account. The 46-year-old Edmonton MP has held five senior cabinet portfolios. She understands how government works as a federal politician and a public servant in Alberta. She has a masters degree in political science. It is unfortunate she is sticking to superficial, partisan censure.

Operation Impact, as the Liberals call their retooled mission, needs serious scrutiny. What is the logic of pulling out fighter jets but leaving in place an air-to-air refuelling craft to allow other countries to keep bombing? How can the prime minister call this a non-combat mission when Canadian troops are authorized to initiate fire against ISIS militants? How will the government measure success? How long will Canada be involved in the war against ISIS?

If her response to Trudeaus first major foreign policy announcement is the template for what lies ahead, Canadians can expect 15 months of rote parliamentary debate. Ambrose and her colleagues will reflexively condemn anything the Liberals put forward. There will be no real discussion, no attention to crucial details.

That might suit the public right now. People are tired of in-your-face politics after an exhausting election.

It undoubtedly suits the Liberals. Trudeau will make most of his big decisions and implement his most controversial policies in the first half of his mandate. By this time in 2018, his national climate change strategy will be in place. His government will have laid out a fiscal plan leading to a balanced budget in 2019. His ministers will have established a timeline to act on all 94 recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to improve the lives of indigenous peoples. And he will have defined his alternative to Canadas first-past-the-post electoral system. It would convenient to encounter only superficial, partisan resistance over this period.

For the moment, it also suits the Tories. Their top priority is to choose their next leader in May of 2017. In the interim, Conservative MPs have little to gain by pointing out fixable shortcomings in the governments policies or proposing amendments.

But for people who care about Parliament, it is troubling that the onus will fall on outsiders  think tanks, interest groups, political scientists, arms-length public agencies, journalists and citizens with limited access to government documents and cabinet ministers  to raise important public policy questions for the next 15 months.

For anyone who hoped to see the health of democracy restored after a disquieting lapse, it is disappointing that Trudeau wont face vigorous, sustained opposition.

Carol Goars column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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The Griswolds certainly knew how to make a road trip look challenging.

For those who don't remember the 1983 hit movie National Lampoon's Vacation, it involved the Griswold family making a cross-country drive that was riddled with mishaps. From having the family car get tagged by vandals, to being stranded in the desert and accidentally killing a pet dog, the disasters the family faced were never ending.

Hollywood comic relief aside - road trips are suddenly becoming easier then ever thanks to gas prices reaching an all time low. The current national average is $1.70, according to AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That's the cheapest gas has been since January 2009, says AAA spokeswoman Julie Hall.

Some of the states with the lowest gas prices at the moment are Oklahoma ($1.46), Missouri ($1.47) and Kansas ($1.51), says Hall. There are even reports of sub-$1 gas.

Now factor in a number of apps designed to help drivers locate the cheapest gas prices while traveling, and a handful of websites aimed specifically at devising interesting road trips, and the time certainly seems ideal for setting out on the open road.

For those who may not be aware, for instance, AAA's TripTik Travel Planner (available online and via the AAA mobile app) helps users find current gas prices and locate gas stations along their route.

There's also Gasbuddy.com, a website that tracks gas prices and lets users search fuel costs by city, state and zip code. The site includes listings for all cities in the United States and Canada, updated in real-time.

In terms of deciding which roads will make for the most visually appealing, unique or memorable trip, there's a variety of websites to help with that as well. Among them, Roadtrippers.com, a travel planning site and app that helps drivers map out journeys and find the coolest things to see and do along the way.

The site includes both iconic American trips and lesser-known adventures. Some of the more unique suggestions on Roadtrippers.com include the Extraterrestrial Highway and the Loneliest Road in America.

The Extraterrestrial Highway, also known as Nevada State Route 375, a nearly 100-mile segment of roadway that has had countless UFO sightings, leading to its current nickname. The Loneliest Road in America, meanwhile, is more commonly known as Highway 50 and passes through the Nevada desert. In the mid-1980s Life magazine ran an article about the drive, giving it the sorry nickname that remains today.

"There are definitely things to see and do along the route -- you just have to know where to look," Roadtrippers.com writer Anna Hider says of Highway 50. "There's some national parks, such as Great Basin National Park. There's a ghost town, some scenic old charcoal ovens and places where you can tour historic buildings."

There are also ancient and mysterious petroglyphs along the route and 225-million-year-old fossils. Hider describes the highway as a slice of authentic America, minus the crowds and chain restaurants and stores.

Inspired by that enticing description, we've identified a few more unique, picturesque, and quirky road trip options to consider. Happy road tripping.



Relive the Griswold's Route from National Lampoon's Vacation

When you have the same last name as the fictitious family in this cult movie, it's hard to avoid taking the road trip that the film made famous.

At least that's how Atlanta resident Steve Griswold explains the inspiration for his family's road trip that traced the journey made famous by Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo.

The real-life family spent ten days driving Route 66 from Atlanta to Walley World (aka Six Flags Magic Mountain) in California. They even drove a 1984 station wagon that was an exact replica of the vehicle used in the movie.

Other highlights of the trip, which were also part of the movie, included stopping at the Grand Canyon, participating in the 72-ounce steak eating challenge at the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas, and spending a night at the Wigwam Hotel in Arizona.

"So few people do road trips these days," says Griswold, owner of Pixie Vacations. "Instead people are all about getting to a destination quickly. But when you drive somewhere, you get to experience so many fun things along the way. I was amazed at how much the kids enjoyed it, and how everyone came together in all those little moments."



Eerie East/Spooky West

The travel company Hayes & Jarvis has launched a U.S. road trip recommender on its site, which includes 45 different themed routes.

One of the interesting suggestions from the company is called "Eerie East," a trip that begins in Salem, Mass. and ends in Orlando, Fla. Along the way, the trip includes stops at a variety of haunted destinations and hangouts. Among the highlights of the trip are Eastern State Penitentiary (a former prison that held some of America's most notorious criminals, such as Al Capone), the Gettysburg Battlefield and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (a long-closed former psychiatric hospital that is said to be haunted.)

The Extraterrestrial Highway

An officially designated route, the Extraterrestrial Highway has countless quirky, alien-themed offerings, making it a bonanza for those intrigued by the strange or extra-terrestrial.

Some of the must-see stops include the Little Alien Motel, where locals are happy to share information about the best ways to get into the legendary Area 51.

The Little A'Le'Inn is one of the most famous stops along the drive. The diner is adorned in alien memorabilia of all forms. And while eating, make a point of chatting up the wait staff, says Hider of Roadtrippers.com, because it's likely they will share details of alien sightings.

"This road is really popular with UFO enthusiasts," says Hider. "If you're driving it, it is probably doing because you like the strangeness of all of it."





I-10 from California to Florida

Grab a camera; a group of friends cool enough to appreciate art, history and a good old-fashioned road trip; and set off along the southernmost transcontinental highway in the United States - I-10. The road is magnet for art lovers.

Some of the highlights include Houston, where drivers can witness a variety of quirky David Adickes's creations such as the "We Love Houston" sign or his "Mount Rush Hour" - four giant busts of Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

Houston is also home to the Art Car Museum. Fondly known as the "Garage Mahal," the museum houses contemporary art with an emphasis on quirky art cars.



Take the I-10 through Baton Rouge meanwhile and visit the Louisiana Mud Painting Gallery, which features exhibits made exclusively with color palettes from the earth. The gallery is an ode to the purity of paintings from decades past.

At the end of the I-10, spend some time stretching your legs perhaps while experiencing the Jacksonville Downtown Art Walk. The area, which is about 15-blocks, is home to more than 40 galleries, museums, and cultural venues.

"It's a great way to showcase the country, driving along I-10," says Leah Fillion, of the Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. "I-10 passes through some major landmarks. I've done portions of it. It takes you through desert, the beaches and some of the most cultural cities in the country, including Houston, New Orleans and Lake Charles."

"It's a great time to take a family road trip," she adds. "When we hop on plane, we just arrive someplace and we've skipped all the good stuff in between. It's really nice to take some time to explore your own country."
It's not Valentine's day yet, but both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders know who they want to be theirs: President Barack Obama.

Both candidates for the Democratic Party's White House nomination made the case that they would be the better successor for the current president at Thursday's debate hosted by PBS in Milwaukee. The pair sought to tie themselves to No. 44 on numerous occasions throughout the evening, even battling to at times for who was the more ardent supporter of the president.

The most heated moments came near the end of the debate.

Clinton attacked Sanders for his past criticisms of Obama, including his 2011 public musings that someone should run against the president for the Democratic nomination and a blurb supporting the 2016 title, Buyer's Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down. In a recent interview, the senator appeared to question Obama's leadership. "There's a huge gap right now between Congress and the American people," he said. "What presidential leadership is about [is] closing the gap."

"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our president I expect from Republicans," Clinton said at the debate..

Sanders shot back: "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow." He touted his relationship with the president and complemented is record on economic recovery. However, he didn't entirely back down.

"Last I heard we lived in a democratic society. Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with the president, including a president who has done such an extraordinary job," he said.

In his closing statement, he swung Obama-tinged mud back at Clinton. "Well, one of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate," he said.

Clinton has embraced Obama's policies and legacy time and time again this election season, casting herself as the right person to take up his mantle once he exits the Oval Office. Sanders, on the other hand, has toed a fine line in keeping it cordial on his comments on the president's record while at the same time offering up his own candidacy and political revolution promise as a departure.

Clinton, who this week former White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama prefers land the party nod, cast herself as the keeper of the Affordable Care Act, reminding the audience that before the law was called Obamacare, it was called Hillarycare and calling it the president's "principal accomplishment." She also took issue with Sanders' proposal to replace the legislation with his own single-payer system. "If it's Medicare for all, then you no longer have the Affordable Care Act," she said.

Vermont Senator Sanders, who has struggled to win over African American voters, fielded a question from moderator Judy Woodruff on race relations under the Obama administration and refused to criticize the president for what many see as a worsened scenario under his watch.

"I think under President Obama we have seen a lot of advances, the Affordable Care Act has helped more African Americans than any other group to get insurance, to be taken care of," he said, adding that he believes President Obama "has set a great example" and complementing both his and the First Lady's work.

The former secretary of state aligned herself with a number of the Obama administration's actions and choices, including the deportation raids it has begun conducting this year.

Sanders, on the other hand, refused to side with the president on the issue, albeit barely. "Somebody who is very fond of the president, agrees with him most of the time, I disagree with his recent deportation policies. And I would not support those," he said.

Clinton invoked the president as a line of defense against criticisms on Thursday evening as well.

The former first lady, who has come under heavy fire this election season from Sanders and others over her ties to Wall Street and big campaign spenders, pointed out that her super PAC was originally set up to support President Obama. (She, of course, mentioned that she does not coordinate with it, as that would be illegal.)

"The real issue, I think, that the Senator is injecting into this is that if you had a super PAC, like President Obama has, which now says it wants to support me. It's not my PAC. If you take donations from Wall Street, you can't be independent," she said, adding that Obama was "the recipient of the largest number of Wall Street donations of anybody running on the Democratic side ever."

It is worth noting that Clinton refrained from mentioning her super PAC's name, Priorities USA Action, and brushed over the fact that she has a second super PAC, Correct the Record, with which her campaign allegedly does coordinate, pushing the boundaries of election law.

As for President Obama, he has remained fairly neutral this far this election season, though he appears to be tilting toward Team Hillary. Before Carney's comments on his preferences this week, the president gave an interview to Politicosuggesting he may favor the former first lady be the one to take his place. He also acknowledged Clinton faces an uphill battle Sanders does not.

"Bernie came in with the luxury of being a complete long shot and just letting loose," he said. "I think Hillary came in with the both privilege -- and burden -- of being perceived as the frontrunner. ... You're always looking at the bright, shiny object that people haven't seen before -- that's a disadvantage to her."
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Square (SQ) stock is flying 8.70% to $9.37 on Friday morning after Visa (V) disclosed that it has taken a 10% stake in the payments startup company, according to a regulatory filing.

This makes Visa the second-largest shareholder after Capital Research and Management Co., which currently has a 12% stake in the company, the Wall Street Journal reports.

As more consumers turn to electronic payments, Visa is looking to adapt to the trend by focusing more on digital initiatives.

For instance, it's been working on payment services technology of its own including Visa payWave, where users can pass a card over a terminal to record a payment.

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter (TWTR), is also CEO and co-founder of Square, took the company public in November. Since then, shares have been pressured due to global market volatility and concerns about its growth.

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The bi-partisan food fight between Congress and the White House will likely continue until the last days of the Obama administration. But tucked inside President Obama's $4.1 trillion federal budget proposal for 2017--his last--are two items that could see the light of day: streamlining the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and reducing or consolidating federal student loan repayment plans. Law makers of both parties have said they could lend their support to each one.

Simplifying repayment plans, from PAYE to REPAYE, the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program and income driven repayment in all its forms, will likely be a heavy lift. But filing the FAFSA, which has been criticized for being user-unfriendly, is virtually mandatory for anyone applying to college and could get some improvements. FAFSA tweaks are a less risky bet for legislators facing re-election.

Regardless of how much customer interfaces are improved, the biggest problem is with students who dont file at allor who file late. Students who file the FAFSA in January, February or March tend to get more than twice the grants, on average, of those who file the FAFSA later, said Mark Kanrowtiz, publisher and VP of strategy at Cappex.com, a Website that connects students with colleges and financial aid.

The White House also wants to reinstate year-round Pell Grants which were cut from the 2011 budget. Many students now max out their Pell money in the fall and spring semesters and cant pay for summer school. Taking those extra courses could enable many to graduate faster. The new proposal would give nearly 700,000 students an average increase of $1,915 next year, according to the Department of Education.

The 2017 budget proposal also includes billions of dollars to make two years of community college free to millions of students. Unlike last years budget, it also includes grants that would make college free or cheaper at schools with a significant minority student body. The budget also includes money to staff up the new Student Aid Enforcement Unit, announced on Monday, that would attack abuses in the student loan space. Over 80 new hires would augment staffers that have migrated from elsewhere inside the Department of Education.

Obamas budget has been panned for not giving enough to research scientists--those working in the National Institutes of Health, for example, or at the nations universities. This years budget, critics say, builds on last years abstemious precedent.

While last years budget agreement provided a welcome increase in the discretionary spending caps, the caps continue to damage the nations ability to invest in its future, said the Association of American Universities (AAU) in a statement. President Obama has been a strong supporter of the federal investment in scientific research. But even taking the caps into account, we believe this budget does not live up to the Presidents long-time commitment to funding research. The AAU added, Other than energy research, the proposed investments rely on mandatory funding streams that Congress will not seriously consider.



The AAU did not suggest that a rob Peter (research scientists) to pay Paul (Pell Grant recipients and FAFSA filers) scenario was to blame.

The budget does provide significant support for student financial aid, which makes college accessible to millions of undergraduates," the AAU acknowledged. "The President proposes important reforms to the Pell Grant program and maintains needed funding for other important financial aid programs, including the Perkins loan program. The budget also proposes to streamline and expand tax benefits to make college more accessible.

Scientific research does get a bump, however. Obama's proposed budget allocates $152 billion on R&D in the 2017 fiscal year, a roughly $6 billion increase over 2016.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of SunEdison (SUNE) are down by 31.13% to $1.40 on Friday afternoon, following the issuing of a temporary restraining order against the solar energy company by a New York judge, which bars SunEdison from transferring assets "without fair consideration or in the ordinary course of business," the order stated.

New York Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Ramos issued the TRO, which will remain in place until a hearing on February 25, as the company battles with unhappy investors in a Latin America venture, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The temporary restraining order prohibits SunEdison, its holding company and Terraform Power from "concealing, transferring or removing their assets, accounts or other property that may be subject to attachment," with the exception of fair value and in the course of regular business, court papers said, the Journal noted.

The company was pleased with the judge's "thoughtful approach," which allows it to continue conducting its business.

The ruling was the result of legal action started by shareholders of Latin America Power, an alternative power developer in Peru and Chile that SunEdison had agreed to acquire.

The deal fell through and the shareholders began arbitration on fears that as a result of SunEdison's continuing financial struggles the company would not be able to cover a potential $150 million loss in arbitration, the Journal added.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings has set a "sell" rating and a score of D on SunEdison stock. This is driven by a few notable weaknesses, which TheStreet Ratings believes should have a greater impact than any strengths, and could make it more difficult for investors to achieve positive results compared to most of the stocks it covers.

The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its generally high debt management risk, generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself and feeble growth in its earnings per share.

TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: SUNE

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This undated photo released by Fargo Police Department shows Fargo police officer Jason Moszer. Moszer was shot amid a standoff in Fargo, N.D. with a domestic violence suspect, police in North Dakota said early Thursday, Feb. 10, 2016. Moszer, 33, responded to the standoff Wednesday night and parked near the home the suspect was barricaded inside, Fargo Deputy Police Chief Joe Anderson said. (Fargo Police Department via AP)
In this Jan. 14, 2014 file picture the supply ship Bonn leaves the German navy base Wilhelmshaven , Germany. NATO's European commander on Thursday Feb. 11, 2016 ordered three warships to move immediately to the Aegean Sea to help end the deadly smuggling of migrants between Turkey and Greece. Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, said the warships, now under German command, will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance to help end Europe's gravest migrant crisis since World War II. According to NATO's website, the flotilla is composed of a German navy flagship, the Bonn, and two other vessels, the Barbaros from Turkey and the Fredericton from Canada. ( Ingo Wagner/dpa via AP,file)
Inmates shout from a barred window at the Topo Chico prison, after a riot broke out around midnight, in Monterrey, Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Dozens of inmates were killed and several injured in a brutal fight between two rival factions at a prison in northern Mexico on Thursday, the state governor said. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)
Seeking to derail North Koreas drive for nuclear weapons, senators set aside their partisan differences on Wednesday to support legislation aimed at starving Pyongyang of the money it needs to build an atomic arsenal.

The Senate is scheduled to vote later Wednesday on a bill to impose more stringent sanctions on North Korea. But there appears to be no opposition after a series of floor speeches by Republicans and Democrats who repeatedly denounced Pyongyang for flouting international law by pursuing nuclear weapons.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said for too long North Korea has been dismissed as a strange country run by irrational leaders.

Its time to take North Korea seriously, Menendez said.

The Senate bill, authored by Menendez and Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., targets North Koreas ability to finance the development of miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles required to deliver them. The legislation also authorizes $50 million over the next five years to transmit radio broadcasts into North Korea, purchase communications equipment, and support humanitarian assistance programs.

The legislation comes in the wake of Pyongyangs recent satellite launch and technical advances that U.S. intelligence agencies said the reclusive Asian nation is making in its nuclear weapons program.

The House overwhelmingly approved North Korean sanctions legislation last month. While there are differences in the two bills, Sen. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he does not expect any difficulty in producing a final measure.

The House sent the Senate a bill that was very strong and weve been able to improve it, said Corker, a Tennessee Republican. I think theyll be happy with those improvements.

GOP senators and presidential candidates Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida were to return to Washington from campaigning to vote on the bill.

North Korea on Sunday launched a long-range rocket carrying an Earth observation satellite into space. The launch, which came about a month after the countrys fourth nuclear test, was quickly condemned by world leaders as a potential threat to regional and global security.

Washington, Seoul and others consider the launch a banned test of missile technology. That assessment is based on Pyongyangs efforts to manufacture nuclear-tipped missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland and that the technology used to launch a rocket carrying a satellite into space can be applied to fire a long-range missile.

In the annual assessment of global threats delivered to Congress on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said North Korea has expanded a uranium enrichment facility and restarted a plutonium reactor that could start recovering material for nuclear weapons in weeks or months.

Both findings will deepen concern that North Korea is not only making technical advances in its nuclear weapons program, but is working to expand what is thought to be a small nuclear arsenal. U.S.-based experts have estimated that North Korea may have about 10 bombs, but that could grow to between 20 and 100 by 2020.

Clapper said that Pyongyang has not flight-tested a long-range, nuclear-armed missile but is committed to its development.

Underscoring the difficulty of understanding North Koreas actual intentions, Clapper said the U.S. does not know whether North Korea would use nuclear weapons for defensive or retaliatory purposes.

But Clapper said U.S. intelligence has determined Pyongyang does want nuclear capabilities for purposes of deterrence, international prestige, and coercive diplomacy.

North Korea already faces wide-ranging sanctions from the United States and under existing U.N. resolutions is prohibited from trading in weapons and importing luxury goods.

The new legislation seeks additional sanctions  both mandatory and at the discretion of the president  against the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and those who assist it.

It would require the investigation and punishment of those who knowingly import into North Korea any goods or technology related to weapons of mass destruction; those who engage in human rights abuses, money laundering and counterfeiting that supports the Kim regime; and those who engage in cyber-terrorism.

The bill also bans foreign assistance to any country that provides lethal military equipment to North Korea, and targets Pyongyangs trade in key industrial commodities.

(AP)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri flew to France for a meeting with French community leaders and a solidarity visit to the Hyper Kasher supermarket where the terror attack occurred in 2014, claiming four lives HYD. Deri was escorted by Deputy Israeli Consul Mark Attali.

Deri met with leaders of the local Jewish community, encouraging aliyah to Israel and the possibilities for new immigrants in the Galil and Negev, which have been designated by Israel as high priority areas, offering newcomers an attractive absorption package.

He spoke of Israels feeling of responsibility to all Jews in the Diaspora, and how in recent years tens of thousands of French Jews have made the decision to move to Israel. Our mission as a government includes taking care of immigrants and placing them in schools to integrate them to study both secular subjects and limud torah. Prime Minister Netanyahu asked me to deal with the immigrants from France and to see to it that the rabbinical ordination received in France is recognized in Israel.

Deri spoke of the difficult security situation at present in Israel, how there are attacks on an almost daily basis, stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks, but Israel remains strong and firm and the IDF and police along with all other security agencies are doing everything possible. I have no doubt we will endure today just as we have always done so in the past.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter predicted on Thursday that recent U.S.-led efforts to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State group would produce tangible gains in Iraq and Syria by March, even as he urged coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

Carter expected that defense ministers from more than two dozen countries would endorse a new U.S. plan for taking on IS. The ministers planned a joint statement after their meeting at NATO headquarters.

In public remarks at the start of the session, Carter cast the talks as an historic effort to hasten the demise of IS, which has proved resilient in Iraq and Syria and is spreading to Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere in the greater Middle East.

This ministerial marks the beginning of a new stage in the coalition campaign to defeat ISIL, Carter said, using a common acronym for the militants. He suggested that countries not answering his call to do more may regret their choice when the struggle is over.

We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight, he said.

In Munich, Germany, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was trying on Thursday to find a way to halt what amounts to a parallel war in Syria. Five years of civil war have pitted President Bashar Assads government, backed by Russia and Iran, against an array of weakened opposition groups, some supported by the United States.

Carter said he would lay out details of the U.S. plan and ask coalition partners to increase or broaden their assistance, either militarily or in other ways such as financial contributions. He said the U.S. military, acting on instructions by President Barack Obama last October, is accelerating military efforts, which have shown positive results with the recent recapture of the Iraqi city of Ramadi in Anbar province.

Carter said coalition military chiefs, including U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, would meet soon to discuss and evaluate the campaign, and that in mid-March the U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida would convene a military conference to assess progress.

By then, at the latest, we should begin to see tangible gains from those additional capabilities, from the ones the coalition is already bringing to bear, Carter said.

Carter said the U.S. is determined to accelerate the war campaign and recapture as soon as possible the Islamic State groups main strongholds  Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

At a separate news conference, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar U.S. aircraft for the campaign in Syria and Iraq. Details were to be worked out.

We are looking into how we can step up our effort beyond that, Stoltenberg said, suggesting that no additional NATO military contributions are imminent.

The air campaign in Syria and Iraq is advertised as a 13-nation undertaking, but U.S. warplanes have conducted most of the hits.

A few coalition countries have promised increased support:

The Netherlands has carried out airstrikes in Iraq, and said on Jan. 29 it would expand its efforts to Syria.

Saudi Arabia indicated last week it could send ground troops into Syria. It was not clear whether the offer was conditioned on U.S. ground forces participating. Carter was meeting his Saudi counterpart on Thursday.

Canada announced on Monday that it will quit conducting airstrikes in Syria and Iraq by Feb. 22. But it will expand its contributions to training Kurdish and other local forces and provide more humanitarian and developmental aid. Canada will keep two surveillance planes in the region and conduct aerial refueling missions.

We will array all of the capabilities that will be required to carry out this plan, Carter said. He cited combat, training and other contributions that allied countries may not yet have realized that they could make and that are going to be necessary to succeed.

Over the course of a decade and a half of coalition warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. officials frequently have found themselves pleading and cajoling with the Europeans to contribute more. European countries generally have responded with pledges to do just a little bit more.

The pattern may be repeated in Brussels. Inevitably it has fallen to the U.S. military, with greater resources and a longer reach, to carry the biggest burden in countering terrorism.

In a further sign of the complications caused by Russias entry into the war, U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, the top NATO commander in Europe, said Turkey stopped flying missions over Syria out of concern of prompting a confrontation with Russia. Moscow was angered by Turkeys shooting down last fall of a Russian fighter jet that Turkey said entered Turkish airspace near Syria.

The tensions are still very high, and there is no sense in provoking at this time, Breedlove told reporters.

He said Russia has informed the U.S. that it has linked its formidable air defenses in Syria with those of the Syrian government, creating a stiff threat to outside air forces. The West claims the majority of Russias airstrikes are targeting moderate groups that are opposed to Assad and IS; Russia says it is supporting Assads government as part of a counterterrorism campaign.

(AP)
Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo today. The two-hour meeting covered a wide range of domestic and international issues, including U.S.-Egyptian and Israeli-Egyptian relations, regional threats, especially those posed by terrorist organizations and their supporters, and Iran post-JCPOA.

The Jewish leaders said that they had an open and very productive discussion and that they were impressed by the Presidents analysis on a wide variety of issues. The Conference of Presidents delegation arrived from Turkey and will soon head to Israel for its annual Leadership Conference. The leaders said, We came away with a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities and how we can play a constructive role in addressing them and fostering international cooperation.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
New York City police are investigating the assault on a 25-year-old Lubavitcher Chosid man in Brooklyn.

Police say the victim was walking in Crown Heights when he was stabbed in the back as was reported by YWN Wednesday. They say when he turned around he saw a man running away from him.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce tells WINS-AM that police are looking at the incident as a possible hate crime.

The Anti-Defamation League is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

The victim suffered a collapsed lung.

There were no words exchanged between the victim and the attacker. It appears to be an unprovoked attack.

Just three months ago, a Hatzolah member was stabbed in an unprovoked attack on Eastern Parkway. The attacker was never apprehended.

(AP)
Diplomats trying to secure a ceasefire for the civil war in Syria fell short in organizing an immediate truce but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary cessation of hostilities in the coming week.

Foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group also sealed an agreement early Friday to accelerate and expand deliveries of humanitarian assistance to seven besieged Syrian communities. Those deliveries are to begin immediately after a working group meets on the matter Friday in Geneva.

Speaking for the group, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the results but noted they were commitments on paper.

The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them, he said.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had been pressing for a ceasefire to begin March 1, said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both the working group on humanitarian aid as well as the group that will try to deal with the modalities of the temporary truce. However, it was not clear if deep and festering differences between the U.S. and Russia on these issues could be overcome.

While humanitarian access is critical to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians in the short term, a durable and lasting ceasefire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assads government and the opposition are to resume on or before the U.N.-set target date of Feb. 25. The talks broke down last month before they really started, due largely to gains by Assads military with the heavy backing of Russian airstrikes.

Russia had proposed the March 1 ceasefire, but the U.S. and others saw that as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting. Both countries appeared to have made concessions on that front.

Despite the concession on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force, which will include military officials, will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago. At the moment, only two groups  the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front  are ineligible for the truce because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, should not be eligible for the ceasefire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assads military would continue against terrorist groups.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a broad endorsement of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted tangible gains in Iraq and Syria by March.

We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight, he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar U.S. aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.

(AP)
After an overwhelming loss in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton is staking a campaign comeback on her ability to woo black and Latino voters, placing outreach to those communities at the center of her strategy to re-energize her 2016 bid.

The 22-point loss to rival Bernie Sanders in this weeks primary heightened concerns among Democrats that Clintons message is failing to win over both women and young voters  two key parts of the coalition that twice elected Barack Obama to the White House.

The New Hampshire defeat, along with Clintons razor-thin win in the leadoff Iowa caucuses, raised the stakes for Clinton to rally minority voters  another pillar of the Obama coalition  in the contests coming up in Nevada and South Carolina.

As the contest fans out across the country, Clintons campaign is casting her as a stalwart advocate for racial justice, tracing back to her days working for the Childrens Defense Fund in the 1970s. She will tie her future even closer to Obama, a deeply beloved figure among black Americans.

Clinton also plans to intensify her focus on issues of importance to minority voters, such as immigration, civil rights and gun control, dispatching African-American supporters to make her case and launching a flurry of attacks to undermine any credibility Sanders may be building within the black community.

Focus-group surveys conducted by Clintons campaign with undecided black voters in Charleston found that the former secretary of state has retained a high degree of trust with African-Americans, even as her numbers on trust and honesty have declined overall, according to Clinton aides.

While the voters were open to Sanders and liked his economic message, their views shifted after hearing about his plans to replace the Affordable Care Act with a single-payer health care system and his past opposition to gun control measures, the aides said.

One candidate voted to give immunity to the gun manufacturers and opposed the Brady bill.  I cant get past that, said Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., on Thursday as the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee endorsed Clinton.

While Clinton still holds a big lead among party insiders known as superdelegates, who can support the candidate of their choice, the first two contests made clear that Sanders has undermined her once dominant position as the nomination favorite.

Her aides believe the next two contests and the primaries that follow in March, where minority voters make up a larger slice of the electorate than in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire, could essentially decide the race.

She already has a head start with black voters. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll in late January showed African-American voters said they preferred Clinton to Sanders, 74 percent to 17 percent. That survey was conducted before her New Hampshire loss, leading Sanders and his team to believe that they can make inroads with minority voters.

But hell be up against nearly a year of groundwork by Clinton and her team. Since launching her campaign in April, shes made criminal justice reform, gun violence and combating institutional racism central themes of her candidacy. Her team has spent months meeting with African-American leaders and voters, laying a base of support for the March contests.

Since New Hampshire, Clinton has launched a full-scale press, unveiling endorsements from top African-American leaders. At the CBC event on Thursday, Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, said he would travel to South Carolina this weekend to campaign for her.

Clintons team will also be rolling out the support of 119 black legislators in the March voting states. And shell be endorsed by faith leaders in Flint, Michigan, adding to the 28 ministers and 50 black mayors whove already expressed support.

Meanwhile, Clinton supporters are targeting Sanders record on issues like racial equality and criminal justice, even playing down his early support for the civil rights movement as a college student who joined the 1963 March on Washington.

Thousands of people walked on Washington. What are the real policy issues or legislation that he has presented? said Dr. Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACPs New York State Conference.

On Friday, Clinton will head to rural Bamberg County, South Carolina, a poor, majority-black area, to hold a town hall on racial and economic disparities. Shes holding a Monday campaign event in Riviera Beach, Florida, a majority African-American city, before meeting with civil rights leaders on Tuesday and holding a campaign event with the mother of Sandra Bland, the Chicago-area woman whose death in a Texas jail cell has become a rallying cry for criminal justice reform.

Former President Bill Clinton is being dispatched to Memphis, Atlanta and Florence, South Carolina, and the Clintons daughter, Chelsea, is heading to Flint, where the crisis over water has become a symbol of racial and economic inequality.

Sanders campaign plans to promote his personal story, arguing that his early work as a college civil rights activist and his message of economic equality will help diversify his support. On Wednesday, he held a heavily publicized breakfast with civil rights activist Al Sharpton in Harlem, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, an influential writer on racial issues, said he would vote for Sanders.

But his team also acknowledges that his constituency may be far stronger in states with less diverse Democratic electorates, like Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Massachusetts  all states where they launched new ads on Wednesday.

Bernie Sanders has an incredibly powerful story to tell, said adviser Tad Devine. His fight for equality and civil rights, his fight against inequality and economic injustice is very, very powerful. Its going to resonate with the African-American community.

(AP)
Jeb Bush says he was better at real estate than Donald Trump, and the former Florida governor is even embracing the establishment label.

Marco Rubio is unloading on nearly all of his presidential rivals, Trump and Bush included, declaring them unprepared for the national security responsibilities of the job.

Ted Cruz says Trump isnt conservative enough for South Carolina. John Kasichs throwing a few elbows amid his nice-guy pitch.

And Trump, who leads them all in the polls, is on his way to Louisiana, which doesnt even vote until March 5  two weeks after South Carolina, known for rough-and-tumble Republican primaries, takes its shot at bringing order to this scrambled Republican race for the White House.

The Democratic presidential contest had its moment Thursday, too. As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were preparing for their evening debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Clinton got the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee, part of the two rivals continued drive for minority voters ahead of the Nevada caucus and a slate of Southern primaries that will give non-whites their first major say in the nominating contest.

Perhaps more noteworthy was civil rights hero John Lewis, a Georgia congressman, dismissing Sanders work in the civil rights movement as a college student in the 1960s. Never saw him, Lewis said.

Among Republicans, several candidates embraced the chaos Thursday as they felt out the best strategies to survive South Carolina and advance into a grueling March primary schedule, when 58 percent of the partys delegate total will be at stake.

Rubio, looking to re-establish his footing after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, lashed out at Trump, Cruz and Bush as he addressed retirees near the resort town of Hilton Head.

Of real estate mogul Trump, Rubio said, Negotiating a hotel deal in another country is not foreign policy experience. A first-term senator, Rubio also said Bush, at one time Rubios mentor in Florida politics, has no foreign policy experience. Rubio accused Cruz, another first-term senator, of hurting U.S. military might with his budget stances.

In Sumter, South Carolina, Bush effectively called Trump a failure. The former Florida governor, himself once a commercial real estate executive, said he didnt go bankrupt four times and call that success.

Bush cited his brother and father, both former presidents, as well, saying he embraces the establishment label  generally anathema in this election defined by voter anger. His campaign confirmed former President George W. Bush will campaign in South Carolina next week.

Kasich, the Ohio governor, continued his town hall tour, pledging a positive campaign and alluding to continued efforts by the Bush campaign to label him as weak on defense. Im worried about Jeb. Its all negative, Kasich said. Im going to keep doing what Im doing. Either it will work or it wont.

The web of punches and counterpunches thus far in South Carolina reflects the fractured nature of the primary and the Republican electorate. The GOP primary here is expected to draw more than 700,000 voters, dwarfing the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. The total will include sizable groups of all GOP factions: religious and social conservatives, business and fiscal conservatives, and national security hawks.

With polls suggesting Trump has a healthy lead, it could become a matter of simply trying to claim momentum and a handful of delegates. South Carolina Republicans award 29 out of 50 delegates to the overall statewide winner. The other 21 delegates are distributed evenly to the winners of the seven congressional districts.

That leaves candidates to gamble on where to prioritize their efforts as they await a Saturday debate in Greenville, South Carolina, that could afford some of them their lone opportunity to move large numbers of voters.

Cruz, who has run second in South Carolina polling, will try to catch Trump by leaning heavily on evangelicals. Iowa and New Hampshire exit polls show Trump competed well with Cruz among voters who call themselves born-again Christians.

The Texas senators schedule through the weekend targets evangelicals. You run first by energizing your base, Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Thursday.

Rubio banked on coming into South Carolina as the clear favorite for traditionalist Republicans wary of Trump and Cruz, creating effectively a three-man race going forward. Instead, he finished New Hampshire looking up at Kasich and Bush, and now finds himself trying to peel votes from all the other campaigns.

The two governors are concentrating their early efforts along the South Carolina coast, which includes many transplants, veterans and active military  and which has trended in the past to more moderate candidates like Mitt Romney, the GOPs 2012 nominee, and John McCain, the 2008 nominee.

(AP)
An Israeli Arab doctor has been sentenced to 20 months in prison by the Nazareth District Court on Thursday, 2 Adar I. Dr. Malak Jamil Mubarak Hatib, a dentist, transferred large sums of money to the terrorist organization. In fact, when arrested, he was heading for Ramallah where he planned to leave NIS 170,000 for the terrorist organization.

Justice Esther Hellman sentenced the doctor, a resident of Kfar Kana, who was convicted of passing funds to Hamas. The court was willing to accept his request to delay his imprisonment until mid-March and he was released with restrictions to permit him to get his affairs in order.

As part of the restrictions surrounding his release, the court compelled him to forfeit his passport and as he is barred from leaving the country.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan this week held a meeting in Ankara, hosting twenty American Jewish leaders. Many feel the meeting is yet another signal from Turkeys desire to renew ties from Israel, which have been broken over recent years.

Heading the delegation was Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein, who is known to maintain close ties with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. According to a Ynet report, the head of the Turkish Jewish community, Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, was also present or the meeting.

Relations between Turkey and Israel deteriorated following Operation Cast Lead in 2009, and things got worse in 2010 following the Marvi Marmara incident in which a flotilla tried breaking the Israeli marine blockage of Gaza. Naval commandos who boarded the vessel in an effort to stop the vessel peacefully were attacked, leading to injuries and the death of Turkish nationals on board. Israel eventually agreed to pay compensation the families of the Turkish nationals.

According to report, Hoenlein sent a clear message of a willingness to resume relations, to reconcile differences and move ahead to further mutual interests. Erdogan raised specific issues, including fears surrounding Iran and the regional instability. Hoenlein made a point of telling the press that while Israel was aware of the meeting in advance, they were hosted as representatives of the American Jewish community and not representatives of PM Netanyahu or Israel.

Commenting to Ynet on the meeting, PM Netanyahu confirmed that Mr. Hoenlein met with Erdogan and he was anxious to hear what the Turkish leader said. He reminded the media that a resumption of relations is a two-way street.

Turkey and Israel were once very close allies, involved in joint military exercises and enjoying a high volume of trade and economic ties. Turkey was also a favorite resort for vacationing Israelis but much has changed as the previously moderate nation turned visibly hostile against Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The closure of a factory park in North Korea jointly run by both Koreas has cost the impoverished North a rare source of legitimate hard currency. Seoul says it shut the Kaesong complex in response to the Norths recent long-range rocket launch to keep its impoverished neighbor from using the money factories provided to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

With that hit to Pyongyangs already shaky finances gone, at least for now, heres a look at the Norths economy and the external sources of income it maintains despite a raft of heavy international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missiles program.

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PYONGYANGS ECONOMY

Seoul and Washington want more stringent trade and financial sanctions to punish the Norths nuclear and missile adventures, but some question whether sanctions will ever meaningfully influence one of the least trade-dependent economies on the planet.

And what of that economy? It is extremely difficult to read because it doesnt release official trade statistics and treasures its secrecy.

South Koreas central bank, however, provides some idea of whats happening, based on data it receives every year from other government agencies, related organizations and an investigation of research organizations.

The bank has been publishing estimates of North Koreas economy since 1991. In its latest report, it said it believes the Norths economy grew by 1 percent in 2014 to 33.95 trillion South Korean won, or $28.5 billion, or about 2 percent of South Koreas economy.

The Bank of Korea said North Koreas combined imports and exports that year were about $9.9 billion, including $2.4 billion in trade with the South, which the Unification Ministry says was generated nearly entirely from the activities at Kaesong.

___

TRADE WITH CHINA

And then theres China, Pyongyangs last major ally, its diplomatic protector and by far its largest trading partner.

North Koreas main exports to China include coal, minerals, clothing, textiles and foodstuffs, while its imports from China include petroleum, steel, machinery, cars and electronics, according to South Koreas government-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

Beijing, however, is unlikely to support harsh punishment over the nuclear test and rocket launch for fear of provoking a government collapse in Pyongyang and a potential stream of refugees across its border.

Transactions with China accounted for more than 74 percent of North Koreas trade in 2014, and more than 90 percent when excluding trade related to the Kaesong park, according to Statistics Korea, Seouls official statistics agency, which analyzed the central bank data and information from trade organizations.

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KAESONG INDUSTRIAL PARK

The Souths Unification Ministry says the Kaesong park provided 616 billion won ($560 million) of cash to the North since its establishment in 2004, during an era of rapprochement between the rivals.

More than 120 South Korean companies employed about 54,000 North Koreans at Kaesong, paying each about $150 a month to manufacture products such as clothing, wristwatches, cosmetics and electronics components.

The ministry hasnt provided a detailed explanation on why it suspects money generated from Kaesong was channeled to North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile projects.

Jeong Joon-Hee, the ministrys spokesman, said it was plausible that a sizeable amount of the money the South Korean companies paid for North Korean labor would have ended up in Pyongyangs state coffers because of the way the workers receive their wages. While the South Korean companies pay the North in U.S. dollars, their North Korean employees receive wages in North Korean won based on an exchange rate dictated by the Norths government.

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EXPORTING WORKERS

Outside experts say that North Korea since the mid-2000s has been increasing the number of workers sent for contract labor overseas in an attempt to bring in more hard currency.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, based on information collected from its global offices and reports from international organizations, estimates that 60,000 to 100,000 North Koreans are working in 40 different countries.

Marzuki Darusman, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, said in a report last year that more than 50,000 North Koreans are working overseas and earning the country something between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually in foreign currency.

North Koreans have been employed in a broad range of activities in foreign countries, including working at restaurants in China and Southeast Asia and construction sites in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the International Network for the Human Rights of North Korean Overseas Labor.

North Korean workers overseas often face harsh working conditions and abuse, said the U.N. report.

___

LURING TOURISTS

North Korea has tried to strengthen tourism in recent years by setting up special tourism zones and developing scenic areas and recreational facilities.

North Korean officials have told The Associated Press that about 100,000 tourists came to the country in 2014, all but a few thousand of them from neighboring China. The growth in tourism has come despite the occasional arrest of foreign visitors, including, most recently, American university student Otto Warmbier, who was detained last month over an unspecified act that the North called hostile.

Tours to the Norths scenic Diamond Mountain by South Koreans were popular for about a decade until 2008, when they were halted after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean woman.

The U.S. State Department has long warned against travel to North Korea. After Norths recent nuclear test, Washington has reportedly sought a ban on tourism and restrictions to keep North Koreas flagship airline, Air Koryo, from flying into and out of airports abroad.

(AP)
Israels Supreme Court on Thursday, 2 Adar I, ruled in favor of approving non-Orthodox conversions. The court ruled that a Reform or Conservative Jew wishing to convert with a beis din of one of those streams, may not be denied entry into any state-run mikve to toivel.

The petition to the court was filed by the Israel Religious Action Center, the advocacy arm of the Reform movement in Israel.

The case deals with a convert who wished to toivel in a Beersheva mikve that is run by the citys religious council, a state-run mikve, while the non-Orthodox rabbonim would witness the tevila. The local religious council refused the request.

When the case was brought to a district court it was rejected, with the lower court explaining non-Orthodox conversions are private and therefore, the state mikve is not compelled to accommodate them. The Supreme Court however viewed the refusal of the religious council discriminatory, hereby granting the non-Orthodox converts legal state in state-run mikvaos. The court ruled the convert may bring the beis din of his/her choice, making it clear the rabbonim of the non-Orthodox streams may not be prevented from entering the mikvaos with the conversion candidate.

There is no doubt the next step will be the convert will go to the Interior Ministry and seek to be recognized as a Jew, which is not likely to occur. This will lead to the next petition to the High Court as the Reform and Conservative Movement continue to make significant headway into Israels religious and legal systems.

With Shas running both the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Religious Services will be interesting to see how these ministers will address Supreme Court rulings.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Hiddush head, Reformed Rabbi Uri Regev, called for using stern measures and prosecuting the man who burned a prayer book at the Kotel. According to Regev, Its disturbing to see that the police did not attempt to arrest the man while he was in the act of burning the prayer book, but rather waited patiently to escort him as he exited the plaza. It would be most appropriate for the Rabbi of the Kotel, Shmuel Rabinovitch, to be the one who submits a complaint to the police.

Otherwise, the world may conclude that burning prayer books at the Western Wall is permissible if they happen to not be to the liking of the ultra-Orthodox worshippers, such as the Women of the Walls prayer book in this particular case. One need not be a great expert in Diaspora-Israel relations in order to understand the damage caused by such act of religious extremism being tolerated without swiftly and sternly sanctioning such desecration. One need not be a prophet in order to know that a Kotel where burning prayer books is not met with repercussions, may once again see renewed violence against people, Modern Orthodox women and non-Orthodox worshippers. The police and Rabbi of the Western Wall will be entirely responsible for this.

The Hiddush media release adds, This event is reminiscent of 1970 when ultra-Orthodox MK Menachem Porush of the Agudat Israel party spat on a Reform prayer book and threw it to the floor of the Knesset. Given his parliamentary immunity, he was merely sanctioned with disciplinary measures, and the event was met with major waves of criticism and anger. Rabbi Porush subsequently apologized, asking that his apology close the incident. Indeed, one might have hoped that following the public condemnation of Porushs intolerance towards non-Orthodox Judaism, such public upswells of religious bigotry would have ceased. However, today we awaken to find that the reality has become much worse. Religious intolerance is increasingly prevalent in Israeli society, all too often being expressed by acts of violence. Tellingly, Israels police today are content to simply stand by and watch as an ultra-Orthodox fanatic burns a prayer book at our holiest Jewish site. Zero tolerance to acts of religious bigotry and desecration is needed, if Israel is to remain a democracy, and if Judaisms self-image of Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace is to prevail.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced that he will be leaving tomorrow for Israel to lead a five-day mission focused on developing transatlantic partnership in public safety and economic development, traveling with a 11-person delegation of current and former NYPD officials as well as local business leaders. Highlights of the trip, sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Inc. (JCRC), will include a visit to an Israel Defense Forces base in the Golan Heights, a counterterrorism briefing with intelligence officials in the Israeli National Security Council, a meeting with the chair of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum. Borough President Adams underscored the importance of this mission for strengthening the critical ties between Brooklyn and Israel, particularly in the midst of rising extremism in the Middle East that also threatens American security.

The State of Israel will find no better friend than the borough of Brooklyn, and strengthening our partnership is vital to advancing that friendship in the name of mutual benefit for our communities, said Borough President Adams. As Brooklynites, we are not only proud to be home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, we are reflective of their religious, ethnic, and ideological diversity and a model for greater cultural harmony. Our interests in public safety and economic development are best enhanced when we work hand-in-hand with our allies, and I am excited about the work we will accomplish on this trip with our Israeli counterparts on these important issues.

Borough President Adamss itinerary includes meetings with Efrat Mayor Oded Ravivi and Sdreot Mayor Alon Davidi; Knesset members Hilik Bar, Avi Dichter, and Avi Gabai; Al-Qassemi College of Engineering and Science President Dr. Dalia Fadila; IDF officials Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner and Major Kobi Harush; as well as NYPD Detective Charlie Ben-Naim, who is stationed in Israel. With an interest in promoting community models that develop diversity, he will visit Bialak-Rogozin School in Tel Aviv, where refugees and children of migrant workers are integrated into Israeli society with special education programs, and Olim Beyachad in Herzliya, a non-governmental organization working with Ethiopian immigrants. In Jerusalem, Borough President Adams will see the Old City, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall, and Via Dolorosa. Other sites that he and his delegation will tour in Israel include the Sea of Galilee, the Church of Beatitudes in Tabgha, and Mount Bental, which overlooks Lebanon and Syria.

Borough President Adamss delegation to Israel includes retired NYPD Chief of Department Phillip Banks, III, NYPD Inspector and 90th Precinct Commanding Officer Mark DiPaolo, United Jewish Appeal (UJA)-Federation of New York Managing Director of Government and External Relations Jeff Leb, JCRC Executive Vice President & CEO Michael S. Miller, retired NYPD Inspector and current National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) President Timothy Pearson, NYPD Captain and 66th Precinct Commanding Officer Kenneth Quick, and NYPD Patrol Borough Brooklyn North Deputy Chief Jack Trabitz. Members of his office that will also traveling with him include his special counsel Ama Dwimoh, special assistant Joel Eisdorfer, and director of intergovernmental affairs Abe Friedman.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
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By Sadef Ali Kully

ROSEDALEAfter midnight Wednesday, a teenage girl was fatally struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Francis Lewis Boulevard and Sunrise Highway in Rosedale, police officials said.

Officers from the 105th Precinct found a 16-year-old girl unconscious and unresponsive on the roadway, police said.

Emergency medical responders rushed the girl to Jamaica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The identity of the teenager is pending family notification, police said.

Police said the preliminary investigation reveals that a dark-colored van was traveling eastbound on Sunrise Highway, when the teenage girl was trying to cross the busy intersection from the southeast crosswalk.

Police officials said she was struck by the van, which fled the scene going east on Sunrise Highway.

Police said the investigation was ongoing by the NYPDs Collision Investigation Squad.
By Larry Penner

When it comes to public transportation, Queens Borough President Melinda Katzs recent speech on the State of Queens made for some great sound bites but provided little substance. Katz failed to provide any specific information on how the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Department of Transportation will come up with funding to implement any of the following transportation projects advocated by many other Queens elected officials, constituents and transit advocates.

The list includes but is not limited to the following projects or proposals. Just where does Katz stand on these ideas? All 14 members of the Queens City Council delegation are supporting the Commuter Rail Fare Equalization Proposal. This would allow New York City residents to pay the same $2.75 fare on the Long Island Rail Road or Metro North Rail Road as they do to ride the New York City Transit subway and provide a free transfer to the subway. How will the city provide the MTA with the $200 million needed to cover the cost?

The LaGuardia Airport Train to the Plane baseline budget of $450 million will require up to an additional $550 million in the years to come. The final cost may be closer to $1 billion.

Some Queens residents will be looking for $100 million toward the $200 million Woodhaven Boulevard Select Bus Service. These dollars may be necessary if the DOT is unable to secure $100 million in U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration New Starts funding.

Others will continue to lobby for $100 million to construct light rail between Glendale and Long Island City on the old Montauk LIRR branch; restoration of LIRR service on the old Rockaway LIRR branch at $1 billion; Triboro X Subway Express (a new subway line connecting the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn for $1 to $2 billion); Main Street Flushing Intermodal Bus Terminal ($100 million); reopening the Woodhaven Boulevard Atlantic Branch LIRR station ($40 million) and most recently the Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront Street Car Connector at a cost of $2.5 billion. This would connect various neighborhoods along the waterfront from Sunset Park, Brooklyn to Astoria.

Many neighborhoods are looking for the introduction of either Select Bus Service; Bus Rapid Transit; Limited Stop Bus to Subway or Express Bus Service to Manhattan. There is still the need to bring many of the 78 Queens subway and 21 Long Island Rail Road stations back up to a state of good repair. Dont forget the need for additional subway and LIRR stations to become fully compliant with the Americans for Disability Act by construction of elevators.

Where does Katz think the MTA will find the cash for all these projects? Clearly the city will have to contribute some significant funding if many of these projects will ever see the light of day.

Larry Penner

Great Neck
Airport development adding to economy, jobs in the region

Pittsburgh may always be known as the Steel City, but a wave of new industries are popping up near its airport to redefine business in the region.
SHARE Lecrae has a busy 2016 ahead of him, as hes on his Higher Learning tour and will release a book, Unashamed, in May. Contributed photo Contributed photo Lecraes music doesnt fit neatly into one category. He has been labeled a Christian rapper, though his music spans beyond both genres. He will be in concert Sunday at Memorial Auditorium. Contributed photo Lecrae attended an arts magnet school near Plano before going on to the University of North Texas. The Grammy-winning rapper will be in concert Sunday at Memorial Auditorium.

By Lana Sweeten-Shults of the Times Record News

Lecrae is a rap aberration.

A musical anomaly.

A blip in the norm.

Someone who does not fit in the box.

Yet, with two Grammy wins behind him  and five Grammy nominations, including a Grammy nod in 2015 alongside Drake, Eminem, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar for Best Rap Performance  Lecrae has broken away from the confines of that box and will do the same for his concert Sunday at Memorial Auditorium.

His "Higher Learning" tour is just one cog in a busy 2016 for Lecrae, who also will release a book, called "Unashamed," in May. The tome will chronicle his life, often uplifted, often imperfect, telling of childhood abuse, a suicide attempt and other struggles before he decided to follow a higher path.

Lecrae is a Christian hip-hop artist, though if you ask him if he's a Christian rapper, he'll tell you that he's not  well, not exactly.

He does rap about God and spirituality, but it's not the only subject matter he tackles. He also sings about love and relationships and those other concerns in life everyone shares.

Lecrae finds himself in an odd place in music.

The rap genre is wary of him. Misogyny and violence aren't quite what he's all about, he said.

And the Christian genre thinks perhaps he's not Christian enough, since he has said he is less about religion than he is simply about developing a relationship with God.

"I think a lot of my music flies in the face of the status quo, particularly in hip-hop," Lecrae said.

When he raps about relationships, such as in "All I Need Is You," he raps about unconditional love and "this life in God."

Not being rap enough for hip-hop or Christian enough for Christian music, Lecrae feels marginalized, when all he's trying to do is add substance to music.

"I think it's a unique platform," he said. "Music is tied to many of the (social/political) movements, whether that's during the '70s or on people's thoughts during war. I use it to speak about social issues," though he added that sometimes it's hard to condense those kind of weighty views into a four-minute song.

When it comes to delving into sometimes hard-to-approach topics, he said, "I think I'm not afraid to talk about anything. I think there's an alternative view to everything. Pain and suffering  we all go through it."

What he seems most passionate about in his music is giving a voice to the "marginalized and disenfranchised."

It's why, he said, "I open up the last day of my tour rehearsals to group homes (boys' homes)."

The Atlanta-based Lecrae was born in Houston, though his family moved around quite a bit. He spent time in California before moving back to Texas, attending an arts school near Plano before going to college at the University of North Texas, which is strong in the arts and is known in particular for its jazz program.

"Fortunately for me, I did (benefit from an arts education). It was an arts magnet (high) school I got to go to. It really helped me."

Not that his rise to successful rapper didn't come with adversity.

Lecrae writes about some of those challenges in his first book, "Unashamed."

He has written about some of the painful memories in his life in his songs, such as child molestation in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." Lecrae was molested by a baby-sitter, he said, but it's not something he has lingered on or, as the title of his book says, it's not something he's ashamed of. He has dealt with the memory and moved on.

In his book, he writes about drugs, alcoholism, a stint in rehab and a suicide attempt, among other difficult-to-talk-about topics.

"I'm just embracing a lot of scars. Man, show them off," he said of those scars. "Because, you know, wounds can heal."

Lecrae's tour comes on the heels of an EP release for "Church Clothes 3," and the hip-hop artist is planning a full-length album release later this year.

For now, Lecrae is enjoying his tour, which is called "Higher Learning," in part, because he will be visiting a lot of college campuses and college towns.

"I'm hoping to encourage them (students) ... ," he said, and he hopes to inspire them to make the world a better place. "I call it 'Higher Learning' because, obviously, college teaches you how to make a living but not to make a life. ... I want to inspire you to be who you want to be."

IF YOU GO

What: LeCrae in concert

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Memorial Auditorium, 1300 Seventh St.

Tickets: $28 to $78, additional fees may apply

Contact: 716-5555 or www.wfmpec.com
Ryan Reynolds stars in Deadpool.

SHARE New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Dakota Johnson (left) and Rebel Wilson traverse the dating scene in How to Be Single, opening this weekend in theaters. This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. shows Dakota Johnson, left, and Rebel Wilson in a scene from, "How to Be Single." (Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP) Inc.

NEW IN

THEATERS

"AMERICAN SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FROM THE GRAND OLE OPRY" Some of country music's most popular artists are featured in this made-for-cinema concert film that captures on-stage Opry performances and backstage moments with Opry members Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Darius Rucker, as well as country favorites The Band Perry and Brett Eldredge. Not rated.

"DEADPOOL" The Green Lantern didn't quite work out for Ryan Reynolds, so he has taken on another superhero gig. This time he plays Deadpool, a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who acquires superpowers after a rogue experiment. Also part of the cast is action star Gina Carano. Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity.

"ZOOLANDER 2" Supermodels Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) are working again, but a rival company aims to do away with them. Co-starring Will Ferrell, as their arch enemy, and Penelope Cruz. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, a scene of exaggerated violence, and brief strong language.

"HOW TO BE SINGLE" A group of singles in New York City learn to navigate love. With Dakota Johnson, Alison Brie, Leslie Mann and Rebel Wilson. Rated R for sexual content and strong language throughout

ALSO

SHOWING

'THE BIG SHORT' This film focuses on the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s and four men who decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight. Starring Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Christian Bale. Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity.

"THE BOY" An American nanny finds it strange that the family she is working for refers to a life-size doll as their son. She comes to discover that the doll really is alive. Starring Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans and Ben Robson. Rated PG-13 for violence and terror, and for some thematic material.

"THE CHOICE" Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, Travis (Benjamin Walker) and Gabby (Teresa Palmer) are neighbors in a small town who fall for each other but whose relationship is tested. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some thematic issues.

"DIRTY GRANDPA" Robert De Niro is the dirty grandpa in this scenario. His character, a former Army general, tricks his uptight grandson (Zac Efron) into taking him on a trip to Florida for spring break. Shenanigans ensue. Rated R for crude sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, and for language and drug use

"THE 5TH WAVE" Chloe Grace Moretz plays Cassie, who goes to rescue her brother from alien invaders that have decimated the human population and taken over the Earth. Rated PG-13 for violence and destruction, some sci-fi thematic elements, language and brief teen partying.

"FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK" This is a comedy spoof of "Fifty Shades of Grey." With Marlon Wayans, Mike Epps and Jane Seymour. Rated R for strong crude sexual content including some graphic nudity, and for language throughout.

"HAIL, CAESAR!" The Coen brothers return in this comedy that follows a day in the life of Eddie Mannix, a Hollywood studio fixer in the 1950s. He discovers a star on a "Ben Hur"-type film has mysteriously disappeared. With Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking.

"KUNG FU PANDA 3" Po (voiced by Jack Black) must teach his panda family how to fight when a supernatural villain threatens to defeat all kung fu masters. Rated PG for martial arts action and some mild rude humor.

'NORM OF THE NORTH' Norm the polar bear and his three lemming friends end up in New York, where Norm becomes the mascot of a company but soon finds out the company is tied to the fate of his homeland. Featuring the voices of Rob Schneider, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong. Rated PG for mild rude humor and action.

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES" This isn't quite the proper Jane Austen tale we all know. In this version, Elizabeth, Jane and her sisters are all trained to fight zombies, which have taken over the pleasant English countryside Lizzy loves. Starring Lily James, Lena Headey, Douglas Booth and Charles Dance. Rated PG-13 for zombie violence and action, and brief suggestive material.

'THE revenant' A frontiersman in the 1820s (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggles for survival in the harsh winter after being mauled by a bear, then goes on a quest for revenge. Also starring Tom Hardy. Rated R for strong frontier combat and violence, including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity.

'RIDE ALONG 2' Ben (Kevin Hart) heads to Miami with his future brother-in-law (Ice Cube) to bring down a drug dealer. Co-starring Ken Jeong. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, sexual content, language and some drug material.

'STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS' Thirty years after the defeat of the Empire, a new threat arises in this continuation of the pop culture phenomenon "Star Wars" series. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.

'13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI' An American ambassador is killed during an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya. The film follows the security team left in the chaos. Starring John Krasinski and Freddie Stroma. Rated R for strong combat violence throughout, bloody images, and language.
FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2014 file photo, released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad, center, speaks with Syrian troops during his visit to the front line in the eastern Damascus district of Jobar, Syria. The country has already been shattered by more than four years of civil war, and with no solution in sight some players on the ground and observers outside have concluded its fate will be to break up along sectarian or regional lines, in a best-case scenario, tenuously held together by a less centralized state. (SANA via AP, File)

SHARE

By Chicago Tribune

Syrian President Bashar Assad could now be on the verge of doing what was unthinkable just months ago  crushing rebel forces and claiming victory.

The Syrian rebel stronghold in Aleppo is teetering under intense assault by Russian warplanes, Iranian militias and Syrian government troops. The government and its allies could launch a "starve or surrender" siege against hundreds of thousands of residents stranded in Syria's largest city. Some rebels have already surrendered. "Bye-bye revolution," one rebel spokesman near Aleppo said in a text message Friday, The New York Times reports.

And peace talks? The last round fizzled. The prospects for the next round, scheduled to begin later this month, are just as bleak.

If Assad's forces take Aleppo, if the rebels scatter  then what?

"The full encirclement of Aleppo would fuel a humanitarian catastrophe, shatter opposition morale, fundamentally challenge Turkish strategic ambitions and deny the (Syrian) opposition its most valuable bargaining chip before the international community," the Institute for the Study of War warned in a policy memo last week.

Or it could be  even worse.

An Assad victory likely will launch thousands more refugees toward an already overwhelmed Europe. European powers are calling on a reluctant Turkey to open its borders to more refugees, adding to the 2.5 million already in that country.

Meanwhile, overwhelmed European countries are desperately clamping down on their borders, and mulling plans to deport thousands of asylum-seekers who can't prove they face grave risks at home.

Every week brings news of more refugees dying when boats capsize on the way to Greece or Turkey. Even in winter, the trek of the desperate continues. That desperation only grows if Assad consolidates his control over Syria. Look out, Europe.

Big question: Will a triumphant Assad turn his attention to Islamic State forces that have carved up part of his country for their self-declared caliphate and have now surged into lawless Libya? Will he try to reassemble Syria, or be content to rule over what's left of his former state?

Assad will do whatever Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei support with their warplanes and militias. Without them, his government forces would not be closing in on Aleppo. Or pushing north to within 20 miles of the Turkish border, where the U.S. and Turkey had hoped to create a rebel-held enclave to battle Islamic State forces approaching from the east.

The U.S. strategy in Syria remains hopelessly muddled and ineffective. Aside from helping organize a recent, stillborn Geneva peace conference, the U.S. has failed to help train and equip Syrian rebels or counter Putin's move to shore up his ally.

An Assad victory scrambles an already complex and confusing set of alliances on the ground. For instance: Turkey, a vital U.S. ally, has demanded that the U.S. choose sides between Ankara and the independence-minded Kurds, another vital U.S. ally in the battle against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

President Barack Obama predicted Russia would be entangled in a quagmire in Syria. Instead Putin's bold war plan appears to be paying off handsomely.

But don't hand Putin the Nobel Peace Prize just yet.

Assad won't likely be satisfied to rule over half a country. Nor is he blind to the threat posed by Islamic State forces. They've claimed a big chunk of his country. They want more.

An Assad triumph over the rebels would leave only one major opponent standing  Islamic State. That would force the U.S. and its allies to choose between Islamic State or the Assad regime  or stay on the sidelines. The choice is obvious, if painful. Game, set, match  Assad.
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A man charged with stalking Gwyneth Paltrow told jurors Thursday that he kept writing to the actress in recent years because he wanted her forgiveness for sending her pornographic messages nearly 17 years ago.

Dante Soiu was one of the final witnesses at his four-day trial focusing on packages and letters  some of which expressed his desire to marry Paltrow  sent in 2014 and 2015.

Soiu, 66, testified that he never intended to scare Paltrow or physically harm her.

"I have no desire to hurt her feelings," Soiu said. "I have no desire to harass her."

He told jurors that he was lonely and wanted a pen pal and kept writing to the Oscar winner despite the previous stalking case involving the actress that led to him being sent to a mental institution for several years.

Prosecutors say Soiu sent 66 messages to Paltrow between 2009 and 2015 before he was arrested in Columbus, Ohio.

Soiu's attorney Lynda Westlund has said her client was merely trying to minister to Paltrow in the latest messages and she misinterpreted his biblical messages

The actress testified Monday that she was scared of Soiu and broke down when a prosecutor asked if she was afraid for the safety of her children.

Soiu testified Wednesday that he wrote to a variety of public figures, including President Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie and Vladmir Putin but Paltrow was the only one he wanted to marry.

 Associated Press

Cosby's wife must give deposition

A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled that Bill Cosby's wife must answer questions under oath in a defamation lawsuit filed by seven women who claim Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago.

A lawyer for the women has sought to compel Camille Cosby to give a deposition in the lawsuit. Last month, a magistrate judge rejected Cosby's bid to quash the deposition subpoena.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni upheld the magistrate's ruling but said she may refuse to answer questions that call for testimony prohibited by the Massachusetts marital disqualification rule. The rule generally prohibits spouses from testifying about private conversations with their spouse.

 Associated Press

Trump settles Univision suit

Donald Trump and Univision said Thursday they have resolved the lawsuit that the Republican presidential contender filed after the company decided last summer not to broadcast the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.

Trump owned the pageants at the time, but has since sold them. Univision dropped plans to televise the contests following remarks Trump made about Mexicans during the announcement of his presidential candidacy. The New York developer, making a promise to build a wall on the nation's Southern border, had said that Mexicans had sent some criminals illegally into the U.S.

Univision claimed Trump had "offended millions" with his comments. Trump fired back with a $500 million lawsuit claiming the Spanish-language broadcaster unjustly broke a contract.

Neither side gave details about the settlement.

 Associated Press

Odom appears at West's fashion show

Lamar Odom made his public return at brother-in-law Kanye West's New York Fashion Week show on Thursday.

Odom's appearance marked the first time he'd attended a public event since he was hospitalized in critical condition in Las Vegas in October 2015 after he was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel with cocaine in his system. Odom, who is estranged from Khloe Kardashian, had been moved from a Los Angeles hospital to a private facility in January.

 Associated Press

'Downton' TV star banned from driving

Actor Brendan Coyle, 52, who played beleaguered valet John Bates on TV drama "Downton Abbey," has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel after drinking.

Coyle appeared at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court in eastern England Thursday under his real name, David Coyle, and pleaded guilty to drunken driving.

Police said he was stopped while driving a BMW convertible on a nearby road on Jan. 1. A breath test recorded him as almost three times the legal alcohol limit.

The Eastern Daily Press newspaper said Coyle's lawyer, Steven Dyble, told the hearing that the actor was returning from an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Thailand when he was stopped.

 Associated Press
Albany

A mother and her son have pleaded guilty in Albany County Court to their roles in a ring of hate crimes that targeted elderly victims and stole more than $40,000 in home repair scams, District Attorney P. David Soares said Thursday.

Susan Barr, 58, of Altamont, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree conspiracy as a hate crime before Judge Roger McDonough. She faces a prison term of two to four years when she is sentenced March 18.

Brian Barr, 37, pleaded guilty Feb. 3 before McDonough to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny as a hate crime and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy as a hate crime. He faces seven-and-a-half to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced March 18.

They were the last of six people to plead guilty in the case. The charges arose from actions between February and November 2014. The six individuals were involved in a scheme that targeted elderly victims in Albany, Bethlehem and Colonie. They overcharged or did not perform work including driveway sealing, foundation work and roof repair.

The other co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty are Jessica Paradiso, John Risto, Henry Hicks and John Waterson.

Paradiso, Risto and Hicks will be sentenced March 18. Waterson will be sentenced Feb. 24.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis of the Financial Crimes Bureau is prosecuting these cases.
SCHOHARIE COUNTY  A traffic stop in Schoharie County led to the arrest of three local men who State Police say were involved with a methamphetamine lab.

Brian J. Dolan, 28, of Broome; Christopher C. Woods, 30, of Middleburgh; and Kurtis E. Jansen, 20, of Cobleskill are all facing criminal charges in the case, according to a news release.
ROTTERDAM  A Schenectady man broke into four homes in recent days, lifting items including weapons and jewelry, Rotterdam police said Thursday.

Delbert Parker, 39, burglarized the houses between Jan. 29 and Feb. 3 and was arrested by Detective Derek Reilly, police said. All of the firearms and much of the jewelry were
Schodack

The Town Board followed residents' advice Thursday night and toughened a resolution opposing Kinder Morgan's proposed natural gas pipeline.

The board voted unanimously to restate its opposition to the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline that is designed to pass through the town, Nassau and Stephentown as it passes through Rensselaer County.

Supervisor Dennis Dowds told the 100 people who crowded into the boardroom that the town is prepared to spend an estimated $20,000 to $40,000 in legal fees to oppose the pipeline application pending before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Dowds reminded residents the town has filed for intervener status in order to push forward with its opposition.

"Our job is to protect, to the extent that we can, the residents of Schodack," Dowds said.

Each board member said they opposed the proposed pipeline project.

Residents who addressed the Town Board presented a mix of facts and emotion in speaking against NED.

The residents' resolve appears to have grown stronger as Kinder Morgan considers possible compressor station locations in the town.

"It is ruining my life. I need you, my town government, to be my voice," Sally Catlett said.

"I just want clean air. I just want clean water," Catlett said.

Members of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline stressed that the Town Board should make the resolution stronger and pointed out areas.

These included discussing the impact on the town's main aquifer.

Also mentioned was asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state agencies to deny air and water permits for the pipeline.

The board members added those recommendations to the resolution.

kcrowe@timesunion.com  518-454-5084  @KennethCrowe
QUEENSBURY  An Adirondack Community College student who told authorities he lost his debit card was arrested after, State Police said, investigators discovered he split $3,000 with another person who deposited fraudulent checks in his account.

Sequan Dowe of New York City was charged Thursday with falsely reporting an incident and false written statement, troopers said.
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It was just a tiny, almost imperceptible "chirp," but it simultaneously opened humanity's ears to the music of the cosmos and proved Einstein right again.

In what is being hailed as one of the biggest eureka moments in the history of physics, scientists announced Thursday that they have finally detected gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space and time that Einstein predicted a century ago.

The news exhilarated astronomers and physicists. Because the evidence of gravitational waves is captured in audio form, the finding means astronomers will now be able to hear the soundtrack of the universe and listen as violent collisions reshape the cosmos.

It will be like going from silent movies to talkies, they said.

"Until this moment, we had our eyes on the sky and we couldn't hear the music," said Columbia University astrophysicist Szabolcs Marka, a member of the discovery team. "The skies will never be the same."

An all-star international team of astrophysicists used an exquisitely sensitive, $1.1 billion set of twin instruments known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, to detect a gravitational wave generated by the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light-years from Earth.

The proof consisted of what scientists called a single chirp  in truth, it sounded more like a thud  that was picked up on Sept. 14. Astronomers played the recording at an overflowing news conference Thursday.

"That's the chirp we've been looking for," said Louisiana State University physicist Gabriela Gonzalez, scientific spokeswoman for the LIGO team. Scientists said they hope to have a greatest hits compilation of the universe in a decade or so.

Some physicists said the finding is as big a deal as the 2012 discovery of the subatomic Higgs boson, known as the "God particle." Some said this is bigger.

"It's really comparable only to Galileo taking up the telescope and looking at the planets," said Penn State physics theorist Abhay Ashtekar, who wasn't part of the discovery team.

Physicist Stephen Hawking congratulated the LIGO team, telling the BBC: "Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionize astronomy."

Gravitational waves, postulated by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his theory of general relativity, are extraordinarily faint ripples in space-time, the continuum that combines both time and three-dimensional space. When massive objects like black holes or neutron stars collide, they generate gravitational waves that stretch space-time or cause it to bunch up like a fishing net.

Scientists found indirect proof of gravitational waves in the 1970s by studying the motion of two colliding stars, and the work was honored as part of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics. But now scientists can say they have direct proof.

"It's one thing to know sound waves exist, but it's another to actually hear Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," said Marc Kamionkowski, a physicist at Johns Hopkins University who wasn't part of the discovery team. In this case, the crashing of the two black holes stretched and squished Earth so that it was "jiggling like Jell-O," but in a tiny, almost imperceptible way, said David Reitze, LIGO's executive director.

The dual LIGO detectors went off just before 5 a.m. in Louisiana and emails started flying. "I went, 'Holy moly,'" Reitze said.

But the finding had to be verified, using such means as conventional telescopes, before the scientists could say with confidence it was a gravitational wave. They concluded there was less than a 1-in-3.5-million chance they were wrong, he said.
A music degree from college? The career possibilities are more numerous than one might imagine.

Music therapy, for instance, is an up-and-coming field that uses the arts in an interventional, therapeutic approach. Recent Union College graduate Shim-In Borneman, currently a creative arts therapy grad student at Nazareth College in Rochester, started Union as a biology major; her original intention was to attend medical school. A bassoon player since her middle school years, Borneman found herself taking music classes to boost her GPA, which her science classes were bringing down. Late in her sophomore year, one of her counselors told her about music therapy. "It was the perfect mix of the two," she says. "I fell in love once I heard about it, and switched to music full-time."

Jacob Rekedal, who graduated from Union in 2004 with a degree in Latin American studies, pursued music as a minor. He found his true calling in the field of ethnomusicology, the study of music in its cultural context. Now a Ph.D., Rekedal began his doctoral research working with Mapuche musicians, members of the indigenous population of the poorest region in Chile. It was Union that first brought him to the South American country, encouraging him to pursue an alternate route from his fellow Latin American studies majors. Most of them were doing terms abroad in either Mexico or Spain, he remembers; he raised his hand one day and said, "What if I want to go somewhere else?"

Both Borneman and Rekedal credit Union professor Jennifer Matsue for helping to broaden their horizons. Borneman accompanied Matsue on a mini-term abroad trip to Bali. When Rekedal returned to Union for a master's in teaching, Matsue served as one of the guides for his thesis. She also counseled him on doing graduate work in ethnomusicology, steering him in the direction of study with some of the most important names in the field.

The relatively inexpensive, two-year music program at Schenectady County Community College was a strong start for jazz saxophonist Keith Pray, who relocated in the early 1990s to the Capital Region from the Plattsburgh area to attend. As band director for the Schenectady City School District, Pray considers it part of his job to encourage a closer look at SCCC for parents and teachers of aspiring musicians who may be skeptical about a community college education.

"It was extremely rigorous," he says of his own experience of the program. "They demanded your best." Pray remembers watching many students drop out when they got a taste of what it was really like to be a music student, but adds that the program has evolved. "It's still rigorous," he says, "but they have things in place to help students that might be struggling, or coming in at a lower level."

Trumpeter Mike Banewicz, who graduated from SCCC in 2005, similarly remembers the program as being like tough love. "They didn't sugarcoat anything," he says. As a result, he was right on track when he transferred to SUNY Potsdam's prestigious Crane School of Music. "I entered Crane as a junior, and I was near the top as far as the trumpet players. ... Other transfers from other colleges had to add a semester," he recalls.

Banewicz, who had met SCCC's Jazz Ensemble director William Meckley and gotten involved in the group as a high school senior, praises the college for the professional networking opportunities it has afforded him, as well as the fact that the program reaches beyond its own walls.

It's not about simply getting in and finishing, he says; "they're preparing you to go to a hundred different programs." Today, Banewicz works as a band director for Laurens Central School, a small district outside Oneonta.

An unconventional approach to music and the arts underscores the trajectory of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grads like Jesse Stiles, who completed his MFA in integrated electronic arts in 2003. At the college, he studied not only music performance, theory and art practice, but also learned how to design software for creating music.

"By the time I was entering grad school," he says, "I was really beginning to feel the limitations of the instruments and software platforms that were available to me commercially. ... It was becoming clear to me that it would be simpler and more powerful if I could just learn how to create my own software and design my own instruments."

Stiles currently teaches courses in electronic and experimental music at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as computer science and electrical engineering courses related to electronic music and intermedia artwork. "You can draw a pretty straight line between what I studied at RPI and what I'm currently teaching at CMU," he says.

Stiles recalls that he started learning "the traditional way" at a young age  but he was less interested in the classical piano music being presented to him, and more interested in getting his hands on a synthesizer so he could join a rock band. Around age 12, he convinced his parents to make that investment. Along with the early Macintosh computer that was part of the household and the MIDI interface his dad got for him on the advice of a colleague, the door to a new universe was flung open.

"All of a sudden I had this ability to compose on the computer," he says, "and compose things that were far, far beyond my abilities as a player. ... You can make sounds that no instrument can create, you can perform with methods that human beings could never accomplish, and you can refine your compositions with this incredible level of precision."

The support of family was certainly a factor in Stiles' success, even though, as he says, "it was a struggle; I come from a family of scientists and academics." His dad was happy, however, when his son chose to go to RPI, with its reputation as an engineering school  the college would provide a strong scientific education, even if Stiles remained intent on pursuing his art.

Pray's experience was similar. "My parents were great," he says, "but they didn't understand music. My mother was a math teacher and my dad was a corrections officer. They had steady, comfortable jobs that would provide insurance and retirement. When I said I wanted to go to school for music, the first thing my mother said was, 'Are you good enough?' "

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For Borneman, pursuing her passion was more important than the skepticism her family expressed about her ability to make a living doing it. Coming from a low-income family, she was able to apply for a scholarship through the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), a state program designed to help economically and educationally disadvantaged students. She and her siblings represent the first generation in the family to attend college.

Rekedal, who has continued to work and live in a struggling area of Chile, has also begun to raise a family there. He says that his parents have been amazing in their ongoing support. "If it weren't for that," he says, "I couldn't do this."

Banewicz also comes from a family whose support was full-on from Day One. With his grandmother providing sheet music and accordion accompaniment, the family would get together on Sunday afternoons to jam at the Banewicz Dairy Farm; his brother Tony founded a polka band that has been touring and playing regionally for the past two decades.

Banewicz remembers several instances when his family encouraged him to put his music first. "I actually dumped my date for the prom so I could play a gig," he says. His advice for those who want to consider a music career reflects that upbringing: "Music can't just be a hobby. Your whole self needs to be in it."

Pray also advises students to "give it everything they've got," though he notes that it's important to "really let yourself dream and find out what your passions are" before you can find a way to make a living pursuing them. Rekedal adds that it's important to be very patient, and to find methods that will allow for consistent progress. "And pray, man, because it's really hard."

Tony Pallone is a freelance writer for the Times Union.

This is the second of an occasional series on the fortunes of local arts graduates. The previous one was on theater majors and was published Jan. 10.
Granted, Albany is a little starved for celebrity. Mostly we've got local TV anchors and Alan Chartock. Even so, you have to marvel at the treatment Preet Bharara got when he came to town this week.

Consider: The local public radio station run by Chartock pre-empted NPR's flagship news program to make way for an interview with Bharara before a live audience. Photographers at the investiture of the state's new chief judge angled more for shots of Bharara than of the judge. Reporters at an increasingly rare interaction with the governor mostly wanted to know what he thought of Bharara (which clearly annoyed Andrew Cuomo).

Actually, Bharara tried to hold down the hoopla. He refused to sit for TV interviews and declined to allow a webcast of his meeting with this newspaper's editorial board. Nor would he go along with the idea of a speech to state legislators.

But he got lots of attention anyway, which you can't really blame on the fact that Albany lacks hometown stars, like Manhattan's Woody Allen or San Francisco's Sean Penn. (Sorry, Alan.) No, it has to do with the fact that Bharara arguably has recently had more impact on state government than anybody else, even without setting foot in the capital city until this week.

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The U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District has slipped handcuffs around the wrists of a dozen state legislators in the past five years, winning convictions of 11 (the 12th was quickly convicted by another prosecutor), including, of course, the men who led both the Assembly and the Senate until Bharara got to them. Given the rarity of an incumbent legislator losing a re-election race, Bharara could be said to have caused more turnover in legislative seats than voters have in years.

Most people who make things happen in the political world have a personal objective in mind  ambition for higher office, say, or desire to push a particular philosophy or policy agenda. But nothing Bharara did or said while he was here suggests that's his aim. Rather, it's clear that Bharara is doing all this because it's his job.

And in that, you see the stark contrast between the hardworking prosecutor and most of the politicians who swirl among us hereabouts. Let's put it clearly: If elected officials did their jobs, Bharara wouldn't have to be doing his all the way up here, 150 miles north of the federal district where he represents the U.S. Department of Justice.

It's here that the state Senate has an ethics committee that has never brought an ethics case, leaving it to Bharara to lock up their colleagues. It's here that nobody blinked when the Senate leader hit up lobbyists and donors to hire his son, or when the Assembly speaker channelled state funds to a researcher who in turn sent cases to the speaker's law firm.

"There appears to be something going on in the culture of Albany," Bharara said, "to allow person after person to feel they can get away with it."

Please don't mistake this for one of those mindless made-for-talk-radio anti-government rants. I believe in the power of government to do great good for people. But from years of watching Empire State government, I totally buy the point that Bharara made repeatedly during his visit to Albany: The corruption he has targeted exists in no small part because honest people do little to stop it.

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"There are enablers everywhere," Bharara said pointedly  legislators and governors who turn a blind eye to the ways that money influences decision-making, who thus create the environment in which "shrewd, educated white-collar criminals" like ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos can thrive.

Why do you think the governor can't stand to hear Bharara's name? Because Cuomo knows he could be doing more to clean up Albany. And the current legislative leaders, who got their jobs because Bharara nailed their predecessors, should be ashamed. Considering recent history, oddsmakers would have to figure they're more likely to feel shackles on their own wrists than they are to stanch the flow of corruption.

Bharara likes to quote the line uttered by actor Mark Wahlberg in the movie "The Departed": "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."

It's not that there's no cause for optimism. Bharara noted that the two-decade history of Silver's corrupt acts included changes in behavior as laws made his misdeeds harder to conceal. Indeed, he partly credited this newspaper's 2006 lawsuit that forced more transparency of legislative spending.

Over time, then, a new culture can take hold, one less tolerant of bad acts. But until then, a prosecutor still stands at center stage in Albany  a celebrity here, made so by the other players.
In December at the Brookings Saban Forum on the Middle East, Atlantic magazine reporter Jeff Goldberg asked right-wing former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman this provocative question: "Things are shifting radically not only in non-Jewish America but in Jewish America as it concerns Israel and its reputation. My question is: (A.) Do you care? (B.) What are you going to do about it? And (C.) how important is it to you?"

"To speak frankly, I don't care," Lieberman responded, adding that Israel lived in a dangerous neighborhood. Give Lieberman credit for honesty.

That conversation came back to me as I listened to the Democratic and Republican debates when they briefly veered into foreign policy, with candidates spouting the usual platitudes about standing with our Israeli and Sunni Arab allies. Here's a news flash: You can retire those platitudes. Whoever becomes the next president will have to deal with a totally different Middle East.

It will be a Middle East shaped by struggle over a one-state solution, a no-state solution, a non-state solution and a rogue-state solution.

That is, a one-state solution in Israel, a no-state solution in Syria, Yemen and Libya, a non-state solution offered by the Islamic caliphate and a rogue-state solution offered by Iran.

Start with Israel. The peace process is dead. It's over, folks, so please stop sending The New York Times Op-Ed page editor your proposals for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. The next U.S. president will have to deal with an Israel determined to permanently occupy all the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, including where 2.5 million West Bank Palestinians live.

How did we get there? So many people stuck knives into the peace process it's hard to know who delivered the mortal blow. Was it the fanatical Jewish settlers determined to keep expanding their footprint in the West Bank and able to sabotage any Israeli politician or army officer who opposed them? Was it right-wing Jewish billionaires, like Sheldon Adelson, who used their influence to blunt any U.S. congressional criticism of Bibi Netanyahu?

Or was it Netanyahu, whose lust to hold onto his seat of power is only surpassed by his lack of imagination to find a secure way to separate from the Palestinians? Bibi won: He's now a historic figure  the founding father of the one-state solution.

And Hamas is the mother. Hamas devoted all its resources to digging tunnels to attack Israelis from Gaza rather than turning Gaza into Singapore, making a laughingstock of Israeli peace advocates. And Hamas launched a rocket close enough to Tel Aviv's airport that the U.S. banned all American flights for a day, signaling to every Israeli, dove or hawk, what could happen if they ceded the West Bank.

But Hamas was not alone. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, sacked the only effective Palestinian prime minister ever, Salam Fayyad, who was dedicated to fighting corruption and proving that Palestinians deserved a state by focusing on building institutions, not U.N. resolutions.

They all killed the two-state solution. Let the one-state era begin. It will involve a steady low-grade civil war between Palestinians and Israelis and a growing Israeli isolation in Europe and on college campuses that the next U.S. president will have to navigate.

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Meanwhile, a no-state Syria  a Syria that Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers only partly control  will be a chest wound bleeding refugees into Europe. I am certain that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is deliberately bombing anti-regime Syrians to drive them into Europe, in hopes of creating a rift in the European Union, strain its resources and make it a weaker rival to Russia and a weaker ally for America.

And the non-state Sunni caliphate (ISIS) and rogue-state Shiite Iran will feed off each other. I love it when both Democratic and Republican candidates say, "When I am president, I'll get Sunni Arabs to take the lead in fighting ISIS." Gosh, I bet Obama never thought of that!

The Sunni Arabs are never going to destroy a non-state ISIS as long as Iran behaves like a Shiite rogue state, not a normal one. It's true, Iran is a great civilization. It could dominate the region with the dynamism of its business class, universities, science and arts. But Iran's ayatollahs don't trust their soft power. They prefer instead to go rogue, to look for dignity in all the wrong places  by using Shiite proxies to dominate four Arab capitals: Beirut, Damascus, Sanaa and Baghdad.

So my advice to all the candidates is: Keep talking about the fantasy Middle East. I can always use a good bedtime story to fall asleep. But get ready for the real thing. This is not your grandfather's Israel anymore, it's not your oil company's Saudi Arabia anymore, it's not your NATO's Turkey anymore, it's not your cab driver's Iran anymore, and it's not your radical-chic college professor's Palestine anymore. It's a wholly different beast now, slouching toward Bethlehem.

Thomas L. Friedman writes for The New York Times.
My plans for Columbia are ambitious and controversial. Many people will disagree with them and I welcome it, that's what the comments field is for. I think Columbia has always been something special and I'm proud to call it my hometown. I want it to stay just as special in the future as it was in the past and that involves BIG decisions, BIG change, BIG investment, and BIG Redvelopment
COLUMBUS  Mayor Mike Moser will have a challenger in 2016.

Jim Bulkley, the longest-serving member of the current Columbus City Council, filed paperwork Thursday to make a run for the office Moser has held since December 2004.

Bulkley, who is in his fourth term on the city council, said he spent the past few months kicking around the idea of running for mayor before making the final decision this week.

Ive still got more to give to the city of Columbus and Im ready to try giving it at a different level, he said.

Since his election in November 2000, Bulkley has spent four years as the city council president and is currently chairman of the Public Finance, Judiciary and Personnel Committee.

Bulkley, who works in the environmental department at Pillen Family Farms, is already targeting city spending as an area of focus for his campaign.

As a city councilman, hes questioned the projected price tags for the proposed library/cultural arts center and public safety building, recommending the council set spending limits on the projects based on what the city can afford instead of designing the facilities without budgets in place.

Bulkley said the council has become too easy on spending.

Im at a point where I think there needs to be a little different direction given from a leadership standpoint, he said.

A resident of Columbus for the past 40 years, Bulkley also believes the council and citizens need a stronger voice on issues that impact the communitys future.

He said the council and mayor have given City Administrator Joe Mangiamelli too much control. Instead of leading the city, Bulkley said the city administrators job should be to guide the community using direction from elected officials.

Bulkley said he talked to Moser on Thursday to inform him of his decision to oppose the mayor.

I wanted him to hear it from me, he said.

Moser, who has filed for re-election, responded to some of Bulkley's concerns on Friday.

He said the city administrator is evaluated by the city council each year, and no negative comments regarding Mangiamelli's performance were made during the 2015 review.

Moser also noted that the city could have saved money by not hiring a fourth community service technician for the police department, and he suggested using a portion of the local sales tax revenue for property tax relief. Neither proposal was supported by the council.

"The city has one of the fewest numbers of employees per thousand of our comparably sized cities and our property tax levy is also one of the lowest," Moser said. "We attempt to get the very best value for our citizens with the money we spend."

Moser ran unopposed in 2008 and 2012 after winning the mayoral race in 2004. He ran unsuccessfully in 2010 for the Nebraska Legislature, losing the election to Paul Schumacher.

The mayoral candidacy prevents Bulkley from seeking re-election to the city council, which means his seat will be up for grabs this year. He represents Ward 2 in southwest Columbus.

Levi Abbott, who was defeated by Dennis Kresha for the other Ward 2 city council seat in 2014, filed paperwork Friday to make another run for the seat.

He is the only nonincumbent seeking a city council seat so far. Nonincumbents have until March 1 to declare for elected offices.

Councilmen Charlie Bahr, Ron Schilling and John Lohr also have filed for re-election in 2016, and the mayor is currently accepting applications from citizens interested in representing Ward 4. Terry Reardon will vacate that seat May 15 because hes moving outside the ward.
COLUMBUS  Dr. Dan Wik tests his patients with long-term opioid prescriptions every four months or so.

Hes checking to make sure patients are using their medications as prescribed, not taking large doses to get high, selling the pills on the street or mixing them with other drugs.

Every patient is tested  no exceptions.

In God we trust; everyone else pees in a cup, said Wik, a Norfolk physician who also works with Columbus Community Hospital.

Wik is adamant about testing because its one of the few tools Nebraska physicians have to identify prescription drug abuse. Wik also requires patients to sign a prescription contract so other doctors know hes the only one who can prescribe certain drugs  narcotics, opioids, muscle relaxants  to his patients. He relies on a network of pharmacists to inform him when his patients behave suspiciously, such as running out of medication early or having more than one prescription.

The most common excuses he hears for missing medications are that the dog ate them or they fell down the toilet.

Theres a lot of dogs out there that dont have any pain at all, said Wik. And the vitamins never get spilled down the toilet, the hypertension drugs never get spilled down the toilet, the diabetes drugs never get spilled down the toilet  only the opioids.

The current system in Nebraska for tracking prescriptions is woefully inadequate  not all prescribers and dispensers have access, patients can opt out and Medicare patients and those who pay with cash are not recorded.

The Lincoln Journal Star reported that people from 38 other states come to Nebraska to fill narcotic prescriptions, including 300 people from Florida after that state tightened its monitoring program.

Nebraska and Missouri are the only two states that don't have functional statewide prescription medication monitoring. A bill proposed by Sen. Sarah Howard of Omaha would institute and fund a statewide monitoring program that would be compulsory and free for physicians and pharmacists.

Wik is a pain specialist who treats people especially vulnerable to prescription addiction, those with long-term or chronic pain. Through testing, he's found that around 15 percent of his patients are not complying with their prescriptions. And he is concerned that physicians who are not as thorough probably treat a higher percentage of addicts, abusers and dealers.

Their ignorance is why we have an unregulated black market of drugs, said Wik. Addiction is very, very powerful and addicts are very, very smart. Therefore, if you do not drug test, that would be a place that addicts would tell other addicts to go to because you could get easy drugs.

Rebecca Rayman, executive director of East Central District Health Department, said that because of the inability to monitor prescriptions, the health department is very judicious in its use of narcotics.

We hardly ever provide narcotics or some of the more addictive medications, said Rayman. Instead, we refer a lot of people to pain specialists.

Pain specialists, such as Wik, can determine if the pain described by the patient matches what they see on MRIs or CT scans. When a patient becomes addicted to medication, theyll feel psychosomatic pains that dont match their physical condition.

There is a pain that comes with addiction, said Rayman. If you dont handle that, the addiction will continue.

Wik said there are a variety of alternatives to strong narcotics and opioids to treat pain, which he turns to when a patient abuses or misuses their prescription medication. Suboxone is often prescribed for opioid addiction because it relieves pain, including withdrawal symptoms, but does not give the same high as opioids.

Physicians whose patients die from prescription overdoses can be held liable under manslaughter charges if investigators determine they did not test and adequately track their patients medication use.

In cases where a patient may be selling their medications, law enforcement will only get involved if they catch the dealer in the act, such as the case of Ricky Johnson, a Columbus man who allegedly sold Tramadol to an undercover agent in December.

Investigators are not sure how Johnson acquired Tramadol, but there are some common methods for acquiring prescription drugs. Wik said some of the easiest places to get medications are at dentists' offices or urgent care centers. Dealers will also enter the homes of the recently deceased, during a wake or funeral, and raid the bathroom cabinets. Columbus Police Investigator Jeremy Zywiec said sometimes they will knock on someones door and ask to use the bathroom, then swipe their medications.

The Department of Health and Human Services reported in September that from January to July of 2015, 84 drug overdose deaths were reported in Nebraska and the majority involved prescription or illicit opioids.

If Howards bill becomes law, the monitoring system would take effect Jan. 1.
COLUMBUS  One event in particular weighs heavy on Ann Suiters heart.

With a long line of family members who suffered from cardiovascular disease, heart health is something Suiter takes seriously.

Hypertension, COPD, cardiac failure, she said as she began listing off the heart issues just her mother and father fought with.

As chairwoman of the sixth annual Go Red for Women event, Suiter is using her family experiences to reach others, urging them to proactively get checkups.

I enjoy working with the support and passion behind the education and getting women involved, learning how we tick differently than men, she said.

Her late mother was one of the featured survivors in 2012 for the local heart awareness fundraiser.

She was such a wonderful woman, Suiter said of her mother, who passed away later that year from cancer. I miss her so much.

Suiter said she regularly gets physicals to check her heart health.

I have not had any issues and I think thats attributed to the education and the knowledge that I have about cardiac history in my family, so Im aware of what my body is trying to tell me, she said.

She said this event is about getting the word out that it's important for all women to know about their health.

Women are caregivers, she explained. We pay attention to other peoples needs before we necessarily address our own concerns. When were not feeling well, when there is something that just doesnt seem right, I think that we need to be aware of those signs (to) take care and take action.

According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 31 women suffers from cancer, but 1 in 3 women suffers from cardiovascular disease.

And some dont even know it, Suiter said. It may not be indigestion, there may be something going on.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in women, causing one-third of the deaths each year.

The annual Go Red for Women event will feature a dinner, raffle, silent auction and survivor stories from three women sharing their experiences with heart disease.

Money raised from the event helps women throughout Nebraska.

The event will be held 5-8 p.m. March 1 at Ramada-Columbus. Tickets are $40.

For more information, call 402-875-7376 or visit www.columbusnegrfw.org.
Brisbane punk outfit Columbus are one of the latest additions to the prestigious UNFD roster and theyve now announced a March tour to celebrate the signing and the release of their brand new single, Replace Me.

The track was premiered last night on triple js Home & Hosed and serves as the first taste from the bands eagerly anticipated debut album, due out later this year via their new home at UNFD.

Columbus are a band everyone at UNFD is falling in love with right now, says UNFDs Luke Logemann. They write amazing songs and make them sound even better live. Replace Me is already one of the best Australian Summer jams of 15/16!

Were so excited to announce that well be signing to UNFD and working with them on our debut album, adds vocalist/guitarist Alex Moses. Its so great to be able to work with an Australian label so close to home with a team that so enthusiastically wants to support us and our music.

The band had its start as a childhood friendship between Moses and Daniel Seymour, who met bass player Ben Paynter in their high school jazz band, before switching jazz for three-chord punk, inspired by the likes of Title Fight and Blink-182.

Years later, the band got 2016 off to a great start by thrilling crowds as part of the Unify Gathering lineup and theyre currently gearing up to record their debut full-length, which you can expect to drop later this year.

Columbus East Coast Tour Dates

Sunday, 20th March 2016

Frankies Pizza, Sydney (18+)

Free Entry

Thursday, 24th March 2016

Crowbar, Brisbane (18+)

Tickets: Oztix

Saturday, 26th March 2016

Foundry Records, Brisbane (AA)

Tickets: Oztix
Statewide and local politics remains a dirty place long after a suicide that was used mostly for political capital . . .More here before the newspaper blogs it Sunday . . . Missouri GOP once again roiled by anonymous political attacks
"Mike Shanin interviews Alvin Brooks about his role in the civil rights movement in Kansas City and to get his perspective on lingering problems facing Kansas City today. Then Crosby Kemper III, Lisa Johnston, Gwen Grant and Steve Rose discuss the collapse of the BNIM deal and its implications for TIF in KC, Brownback's perspective on the Kansas economy and the results of the New Hampshire primary."

An important Kansas City discussion that should inform our blog community insomniacs, shift workers and early birds.Here's the description . . .Checkit:Hopefully more for the morning update . . .
To the editor:

I recently enjoyed the privilege of participating in Iowa's caucus on behalf of Sen. Ted Cruz I was asked to address the Republican caucus group at the Heartland Co-op in Malcolm, Iowa. Here are some of my comments.

Our nation needs a president with character, conviction and leadership! Ted Cruz has these qualities. Ted came from a humble beginning as the son of a Cuban immigrant, who faced an uncertain future. But his father's faith as an evangelical Christian united his family, then they relocated from Alberta to Houston where Ted grew up. His own Christian faith has colored every aspect of his life.

Ted joined a conservative youth club in high school, and often recited the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights verbatim, in public appearances. Cruz attended Princeton University and Harvard Law, where he frequently challenged his liberal professor, Alan Dershowitz, in debates about constitutional government.

In 2012, as U.S. senator for Texas, Cruz waged a 22-hour filibuster to delay Obamacare funding. This caused a brief halt to government operations, and drew fire all sides, but did nothing to temper Cruz's pursuit of constitutional government based on conservative principals.

I support a courageous candidate who speaks the truth, and does what he promises. Ted Cruz has proven himself consistently in this regard. But I'm not here to tell you what to do. I ask that you search your hearts and vote your consciences.

The rest, as they say, is history. I urge every registered voter to research all the candidates, get out and vote. Use your God-given power to declare who you want to lead our nation into a future where hope reigns, grace and glory return. I am confident you will agree that Cruz is the best candidate for president of this United States of America.

Deb Levey

Columbus
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1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
Resources for all concerned with culture of authoritarianism in society, banalisation of communalism, (also chauvinism, parochialism and identity politics) rise of the far right in India (and with occasional information on other countries of South Asia and beyond)
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Jazz at Lincoln Center(NEW YORK) -- If Michael Bloomberg becomes the second billionaire in the 2016 presidential race, his money wont necessarily mean he could easily side-step the hurdles facing other candidates.



Indeed, he would face more obstacles by not running in one of the established political parties.



If the former New York City mayor -- who was elected twice as a Republican after leaving the Democratic Party -- decides to run for president, as he has been not-so-subtly hinting in recent interviews, he would join a list of previous candidates who have vied for the White House as an independent.



The Logistics of Breaking Out on Your Own



One of the most immediate challenges for a serious independent candidate would be to make sure his or her name showed up on the ballots in all 50 states, Georgetown University associate professor Hans Noel told ABC News.



The states differ dramatically on the requirements to qualify to have a candidates name added to a ballot. Generally, states require a certain percentage of the electorate to sign a petition to have the individual added to the ballot, ranging from more than 178,000 people in California to as few as 275 people in Tennessee, according to Ballotpedia, a website run by a nonprofit focused on government accountability.



The individual filing deadlines range mostly through the summer months, with Texas having the earliest deadline of May 9, according to the site.



A candidate would likely want to hire someone in each state with local expertise, but, Noel points out, most of those individuals have that experience because theyve been working for one of the main parties "for decades," making them less likely to break away for an independent.



Beyond that, the candidate in question would need to solicit thousands of signatures, indicating widespread appeal.



"If the barrier to an independent candidate were that they couldnt mobilize enough people to get on the ballot in the 50 states, then that's somebody thats not going to win," Noel said.



When it comes to campaign finances, the deadline is less of a factor. Christian Hilland, a spokesman for the Federal Election Commission, said candidates need to register with the agency within 15 days of spending at least $5,000 on campaign activity.



The FEC allows for preliminary work and an exploratory committee to be formed, both of which could easily cost more than $5,000, without having the candidate formally register. That grace period ends when the individual begins explicitly referring to him or herself as a candidate, Hilland said.



Past Cases



Ross Perot and Ralph Nader may have been the most recent men to run as independent candidates, with the Reform and Green parties, respectively, but they werent the most successful in terms of results, Noel says.



"The most successful independent candidate was Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and he had already been president  and he still didnt win," Noel said.



Democratic candidate then-Gov. Woodrow Wilson ended up winning with 41.8 percent of the vote, while Roosevelt got 27.4 percent as a member of the Progressive Party. William Howard Taft won 23.2 percent and socialist Eugene Debs got 6 percent of the vote.



Noel explained that, essentially, Wilson held on to the majority of the Democrats, Roosevelt and Taft effectively split the Republicans, costing themselves the election.



"Its reasonable to suggest that either had Roosevelt not run or Taft not run, either one of them might have beat Wilson, but because they were both in the race, neither won," Noel said.



Noel said that it remains unclear with which party Bloomberg would align more closely, which makes sense given the media moguls political history. He was a registered Democrat until 2001 when he decided to run for New York City mayor as a Republican. Bloomberg, 73, stayed with the GOP until 2007 when he became a registered independent before winning a third term.



"Whichever party he is closest to, his running helps the other candidate," Noel said.



Looking at the Electoral Map



Beyond ballot access and political posturing, the biggest factor that will prove difficult is that Bloomberg would have to win -- not come in second, but win -- a sizeable number of states to seriously compete with the Democratic and Republican nominees.



"You could end up coming in second behind the Democrat in a lot Democratic states and end up coming in second behind the Republican in a lot Republican states and win no electoral college states at all," Noel said.



In the case of Perot in 1992, he earned 18.9 percent of the vote but those votes were from "all over the place," so he didnt collect any electoral college votes.



"Swing states might be the place [Bloomberg] would be more likely to win because these are places that both of the other two parties are evenly matched, so he might be able to squeeze in there," Noel said. "Those places are larger and more diverse."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
23 May 2022

- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
The African Network for Environmental Sustainability (ANFES) aims to ensure that environmental sustainability research agenda and commercial exploitation of local communities natural resources benefit local communities by responding to their needs and aspirations and by improving their livelihoods opportunities.
FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with the leading form of lung cancer may be able to look to Coca-Cola Classic to solve a common medicinal challenge, new research suggests.

As the Dutch scientists explain it, the effectiveness of the powerful lung cancer drug Tarceva (erlotinib) depends on the pH level of the stomach. But many people on Tarceva must also take a proton pump inhibitor heartburn medication -- such as Nexium or Prilosec -- which raises stomach pH to more alkaline levels.

That higher pH can lower the absorption rate for Tarceva, cutting its effectiveness in fighting non-small-cell lung cancer, research suggests.

One prior study involving healthy volunteers found the use of Prilosec lowered blood concentrations of Tarceva by 61 percent.

What to do? In the new study, researchers led by Dr. Roelof van Leeuwen, of Erasmus MC Cancer Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, wondered if the solution might be to reverse stomach pH "by taking Tarceva with the acidic beverage cola," namely Coca-Cola Classic.

The study focused on 28 people with non-small-cell lung cancer who were taking Nexium plus Tarceva. For two weeks, half of the patients took about 8 ounces of water with their meds for the first seven days, and then the same amount of Coca-Cola Classic for the next seven days. The following two weeks, the patients took the beverages in the reverse order.

The result? "Cola intake led to a clinically relevant and statistically significant increase" in the absorption of Tarceva for patients taking Nexium, van Leeuwen's team reported online Feb. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study authors believe that asking patients to drink less than a can of cola may be an "easy-to-implement" way to maximize the effectiveness of Tarceva when a heartburn medicine must also be taken by the patient.

One lung cancer expert agreed that some patients do need a way around the problem.

"Unfortunately, many patients requiring Tarceva also need proton pump inhibitors to decrease stomach acidity caused by gastritis" -- an irritation of the stomach lining -- or by the drugs they are taking, such as certain painkillers, said Dr. Alan Mensch of Northwell Health's Plainview Hospital, in Plainview, N.Y.

"The result is less stomach acid and less absorption of Tarceva, making the drug less effective in treating the cancer," he explained. The use of cola to counteract the effect is interesting, added Mensch, who is chief of pulmonary medicine at the hospital.

"Coca-Cola Classic was chosen because it increased stomach acid temporarily and was more acidic than other beverages, such as orange juice, 7-Up and Dr. Pepper," Mensch noted. The study authors said, however, that more research is needed to see if other types of acidic drinks can work as well as Coca-Cola Classic in this context.

And what did the patients think? "In the current study, 250 milliliters [8.4 ounces] of cola was well-tolerated," van Leeuwen's group wrote.

The researchers also believe that the strategy may work to boost the effectiveness of other, related cancer drugs that also depend on an acidic stomach pH for their "bioavailability."

Those drugs include dasatinib [Sprycel], gefitinib [Iressa] and nilotinib [Tasigna], the team said. However, they stressed that cola's use in boosting the effectiveness of those medicines "remains to be evaluated in future studies."

More information

Find out more about lung cancer treatment at the American Cancer Society.
Consumer Watchdog is a (fiercely) independent consumer rights and advocacy organisation campaigning on behalf of the consumers of Botswana, helping them to know their rights and to stand up against abuse. Contact us at watchdog@bes.bw, call us on +267 3904582 or find us on Facebook by searching for Consumer Watchdog Botswana. Everything we do for the consumers of Botswana has always been and always will be entirely free.
News Oct 19th, 2022 at 15:35

The cloud-native IT will continue to be offered as a stand-alone product as well as integrated with the Guestline platform
For mountain lovers and the vertically inclined the Himalayas represent nothing less than the crowning apex of nature's grandeur. Here dramatic forested gorges rise to skylines of snow-capped glaciated peaks through a landscape that ranges from high-altitude desert to dripping rhododendron forest.



(TRAVPR.COM) NEPAL - February 12th, 2016 - For mountain lovers and the vertically inclined the Himalayas represent nothing less than the crowning apex of nature's grandeur. Here dramatic forested gorges rise to skylines of snow-capped glaciated peaks through a landscape that ranges from high-altitude desert to dripping rhododendron forest. Home to some 40 million people, this is no alpine wilderness, but rather a vibrant mosaic of peoples, cultures and communities, criss-crossed by ancient trading and pilgrimage routes that offer their own unique inspiration. Test your mettle against some of the world's most audacious and dangerous roads, or set a more measured pace on a trek through yak pastures to prayer flag-strewn passes haunted by snow leopards and red pandas. Stretching in a 2500km-long arc across Asia from Kashmir to Kathmandu, Lhasa to Ladakh, the Himalayan range is a big place. Focus your pilgrimage on one of the following dream trips.

Ladakh  India's little Tibet

Hidden over high passes in an arid, largely treeless rain shadow, Ladakh is classic Trans Himalayan scenery: huge khaki-coloured valleys and harsh rock walls brought alive by the occasional splash of irrigated green. Traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture remains intact here, with spectacularly located monasteries that burst into life during medieval masked dance festivals that have changed little in 500 years. For travellers there's a bit of everything  epic treks, sparkling high-altitude mountain lakes and a well developed backpacker infrastructure based around the capital, Leh.

When to go June to September

Getting there Daily flights from Delhi to Leh, or take the spectacular seasonal high roads over the Himalayas from Manali or Srinigar.

Suggested itinerary Hire a jeep or an Enfield motorbike and drive out to ancient Hemis, Lamayuru and Thikse monasteries, taking a side trip to the turquoise lake of Pangong Tso bordering Tibet; afterwards, do a five-day homestay trek through the Markha Valley.

Off the beaten track alternative Spiti, in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, has the same dramatic mountain scenery and monasteries but without the crowds. Trek from village to village with local NGO Ecosphere and overnight at the incredible monasteries of Dhankar and Tabo

Tibet  roof of the world

The high Tibetan plateau is the rooftop of Asia, hidden from the Indian subcontinent behind the ramparts of the Great Himalaya. Despite Chinese-led modernisation, Tibet's great monasteries still hum with murmured mantras and the flicker of yak butter lamps. Sublime landscapes, ranging from rolling grasslands to high-altitude turquoise lakes, a vibrant Buddhist culture and the friendly and resilient Tibetan people are the highlights here, as are the views of Everest's North Face  miles better than anything you'll see in Nepal.

When to go Mid-May to September

Getting there Flights to Lhasa from Kathmandu, Chengdu, Beijing and many other cities in China, or take the world's highest train from China to Lhasa.

Suggested itinerary Join a requisite tour for the ten-day overland trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu, stopping at the incredible multistorey stupa (structure containing Buddhist relics) at Gyantse and the spectacular medieval monastery at Sakya.

Off the beaten track alternative complete a rugged three-day trek around Asia's most sacred peak, Mt Kailash, in remote Western Tibet, and then visit the incredible Kashmiri-influenced art of Tsaparang and the Guge Kingdom, hidden deep in the weirdly eroded desert gorges of the Sutlej Valley. Freshly paved roads and a new airport outside Ali make the two-week trip much less arduous than just two years ago, though you still have to hire transport and a guide through an agency in Lhasa or Kathmandu.

Nepal  a trekker's paradise

The best way to experience the mountains is on foot, and Himalayan treks just don't get any more spectacular or convenient than in Nepal. Follow mountain paths past lines of spinning prayer wheels and charming stone Sherpa or Tamang villages to the foot of jaw-dropping 8000m peaks like Annapurna or Everest, safe in the knowledge that at the end of the day youre guaranteed a cosy bed and hot dinner. There are few better ways to spend a couple of weeks of your life, at a cost of as little as US$25 per day. Add on a visit to the medieval cities of the Kathmandu Valley, once a Himalayan artistic powerhouse.

When to go March, April, October, November

Getting there Fly to Kathmandu and hop on a domestic flight to Lukla for the Everest region. Pokhara is the launch pad for treks in the Annapurna region.

Suggested itinerary To trek to Everest Base Camp you need a minimum of 14 days, but we recommend adding on a four day side visit to the stunning mountain lakes of the Gokyo valley. Figure in ample time for acclimatisation.

Off the beaten track alternative The 17-day walk around Manaslu is Nepal's latest (and we'd say greatest) teahouse trek (you stay in lodges along the way), or go camping expedition-style on an epic three-week trip to the Dolpo or Kangchenjunga regions.

Bhutan  the last Shangri-la

As the last surviving great Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan has an otherworldly air that seems rooted in another age. Traditional dress is the norm everywhere, old-growth forest carpets 75% of the countryside and remote Himalayan peoples like the Layaps and Brokpas live a life largely untouched by the modern age. Simply put, Bhutan is like nowhere on earth. The catch? The fixed minimum daily rate of US$250 per person is mandatory, although this does include transport, meals, guide and accommodation.

When to go March, April, September, October

Getting there Fly to Paro from Kathmandu, Delhi or Bangkok, or drive overland from neighbouring India.

Suggested itinerary: Explore the delightful Paro Valley and its iconic Tiger's Nest Hermitage before driving to the little-visited Haa Valley, the tiny capital of Thimphu and the sensual fortress-monastery of Punakha. Schedule your visit around one of Bhutan's colourful tsechus (monastic festivals).

Off the beaten track alternative The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Mustang in Nepal comes with a similarly hefty US$500 permit, though you'll get a chance to explore centuries-old Tibetan architecture and may even gain an audience with the king.

http://www.marrontreks.com

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Govind Talwalkar

CRITICS of Jawaharlal Nehru always allege that he ignored almost all Indian leaders, especially Subhas Chandra Bose. But one of the released Netajis files reveals the following. In 1954, Chandra Bhal Tripathi, ex-president, Lucknow University Union, after returing from Rangoon wrote to Nehru that a suitable memorial should be erected inside the Mandalay jail, where Tilak was incarcerated for six years.

He also suggested that the biographies, speeches and writings of the past leaders should be kept in the memorial. Nehru liked the idea and proposed that a memorial tablet be installed in the Mandalay jail with names of those leading Indian nationalists who were imprisoned there like Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Sardar Ajit Singh and Netaji.

Then there is a case of jewellery collected from the crashed plane of Netaji, at Taihoku. Kept with his associates in Tokyo, it was brought to India in November 1952, by Damle, Joint Secretary, Department of Food and Agriculture. He handed over the boxes to the External Affairs Ministry. Among other things, it had a gold cigarette case studded with precious stones, a gift to Netaji from Hitler. Maulana Azad suggested that those jewellery boxes should be handed over to the Bose family. But, Nehru said, that as the family did not accept the plane crash, the boxes should be kept in the National Museum in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, as it was a national treasure. The bags were sealed in a diplomatic bag with a Pan Am tag and handed over with the key to J. K. Roy, superintendent of the National Museum, on December 30,1953. That sealed diplomatic bag was opened, later, by the Khosla Commission on October 9, 1978 in the presence of Director of National Museums, N.R. Banerjee and others (TOK/TS/1/78)(2/64/78/-PM). Its status was the same. So reviving the canard about those boxes, off and on, only betrays perversion.

As the demands for purchasing the houses where Netaji had stayed in various countries continued, memoes from the secretaries voice the same opinion as that of Natwar Singh, the then Foreign Minister: If we were to acquire houses where our leaders of the past had stayed in different parts of the world there would be no end to it. This advice is worth remembering and emulating by every politician of every party. As the letters regarding Netaji never seemed to end, internal communication from the Prime Ministers secretariat on June 2, 1965, notes that the Joint Secretary had given orders to ignore those letters. Another memo says, that, this practice was brought to the notice of Prime Minister, Lal Bahdur Shastri who agreed with it.

On August 28, 1978, a motion was tabled in the Lok Sabha to undo the Khosla Commision report and appoint a new inquiry committee by none other than Samar Guha and discussion followed. Vasant Sathe, suggested that Guha being the most knowledgeable about the subject, should head a one-man Commission.

Guha, in his very long and unintelligible speech said, In the name of God, I announce in this house today that Netaji is alive. He ended it saying, Jayatu Netaji. The Chairman asked him whether he was withdrawing his motion. Guha said, There is no necessity of a fresh inquiry as I know Netaji is alive. We are left wondering whether the House and the Chairman were as dumbfounded as we are after reading this parliamentary report.

It is surprising that a sober and a well-read person like N.G. Goray, a Socialist leader, fell under the spell of Samar Guha. This is revealed in his letter to Lord Mountbatten, on February, 27,1978. Goray was appointed as our High Commissioner to Britain in 1977.

At the outset, Goray wrote that his love and loyalty to Bose far exceeded his love and loyalty to Nehru. He thought Nehru abandoned Bose to his fate. He maintained that Mounbatten, Nehru and the Soviet Government knew that Bose was in the USSR, but all of them preferred to observe silence. Perhaps because Britain did not want to pick a quarrel with their erstwhile ally and Nehru did not want a rival.

Goray believed that Mountbatten was against the Partition so he added that, if Subhas had been on the scene, he alone, with the blessings of Gandhi and in cooperation with Badshah Khan, could have succeeded in holding India together.

On March 10, 1978, Mountbatten (without going into any details of Goray's letter) wrote that he did not find an official record of Bose's death in his archives, and this doubt was shared by Wavell, but in the book, The End of War in Asia, Louis Allen, a Japanese language officer in India and Burma during the war, described in detail the air crash on August 18, 1945, in which Bose died. H. D Hodson, who had written The Great Divide, using Mountbatten's archives, was sure that Bose died in the air crash. The fact that he has never surfaced anywhere, makes it appear more than ever that he was in fact killed in the crash, concluded Mountbatten.

It is strange that Goray was convinced about Mountbatten's opposition to the Partition, but insinuated that Nehru did not mind the Partition. The Bharat Ratna Award was conferred on Netaji in 1992. Among those who hailed it and thought that it was long due was Jyoti Basu, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal. On February 22, 1992, a citizens convention held in Kolkata, which included dignitaries, denounced government's decision as it felt that any such honour can be no honour to a Man of destiny. They also maintained that as there was no proof of Netaji's death, the qualifying word posthumously was not acceptable. Jyoti Basu and Siddharth Shankar Ray were the signatories among others. To Netaji's supporters, his stature was bigger than Bharat Ratna. What would they say to Subhas Chandra's mother, who when someone pictured her as a queen mother of Subhas, the would-be king of India, retorted, I never wish even in my dreams that my Subhas be crowned as a king. I see him as a servant to his motherland.

The writer is a former Editor of Maharashtra Times. The views expressed are personal.
S Nihal Singh

IN a curious way, the whole brave European enterprise in the shape of the European Union is dependent upon the fortunes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is becoming clear each day that, despite her generous and noble desire to welcome Syrian refugees fleeing war, her country and her people can no longer bear the load, with 1.1 million refugees having already arrived.

Little wonder then that Ms Merkel undertook a second trip to Turkey to persuade her hosts to do more to stem the tide of refugees seeking European shelter. And Turkeys rulers, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is exploiting his vantage position by extracting further concessions from the European Union he desires to join.

In fairness, Turkey has its own legitimate problems in looking after some 2.5 million refugees for whom the EU has already pledged $3.1 billion. And another lot of some 30,000 have arrived on its border after the combined offensive of President Bashar al-Assads forces and Russian air attacks in Aleppo. It is a matter of time before it will open its border yet again to take them in, instead of looking after them on the Syrian side of the border.

As events have taken shape, the traditionally self-assured German Chancellor, in power for a decade, is fighting for her political life. Apart from the fringe elements and their expected opposition, her own Christian Democratic Union is rebelling at the scale of the refugee influx and the burden it places on the countrys systems and infrastructure. Her immediate aim thus is to stem the tide while tightening the norms for accepting yet more refugees.

In hindsight, Ms Merkel was perhaps too generous in her welcome of the refugees without calculating the political costs. Her cause has not been helped by some truant elements among refugees harassing and sexually assaulting women at New Years Eve celebrations in Cologne and elsewhere. Besides, at least one, if not more, of terrorists who perpetrated the Paris killings came as a refugee, to the alarm of European governments.

The character of the European Union, starting as the European Coal and Steel Community, has changed, with the liberal democratic model no longer the rule among member states, with Hungary sticking out like a sore thumb, now joined by Poland under its new conservative dispensation. In any event, the absorption of many East European countries was meant to tilt the end of the Cold War in the Wests favour. The crisis over Ukraines political orientation implies that the West overreached in disregarding the legitimate regional interests of Russia, forgetting the bloody nose President Vladimir Putin gave it over Georgia and Moldova.

The truth is that as the most dynamic economy on the continent, Germany has become the obvious leader, a task Ms Merkel has performed with discretion and competence. In view of its Nazi past, todays Germany has tilted towards Israel by installing outward symbols of expiation, in the process being plainly unfair to the Palestinian cause.

Europe and the world can only hope that Ms Merkel can surmount her domestic crisis in order to continue to provide the leadership the EU desperately needs. Given the state of the Wests relations with Moscow and the latters help to the Assad cause, un-entangling the Syrian civil war is destined to take even longer, with the pressure of refugees multiplying.

The problem, of course, is that the concept of visa-free travel is an essential part of the EU idea and although many member states, including Germany, have had to institute new border checks in the face of the refugee crisis, Ms Merkel will have to lead the way in ensuring that they remain temporary. The problem is linked to the ability of the southern states to guard their external borders better.

The tragedy for the EU is that not only is Ms Merkels own political future at stake, but the vision that gave it so much glow seems to be missing. Nations change and so do their citizens outlook. The younger generation has not felt the great prosperity the enterprise brought to the lives of the parents generation because the boom years are past and the young have been at the receiving end of recession and lean times.

Yet despite the string of crises the EU is facing, the inherent strength of the founding fathers idea of Europe should make itself felt. The advantages of the enterprise are so obvious, given the history of European wars and two world wars, that responsible leaders should help Ms Merkel to marshal the forces. Let it not be said by posterity that at a time of unprecedented crisis, most European leaders failed their people.

Europe has a limited period to ensure that the size of the refugee crisis does not become uncontrollable. Summer will tend to increase the number of refugees finding their way to Europe in whatever way they can. Ms Merkel is seeking Turkish help because she knows that a political compromise on the Syrian civil war, the root cause of the refugee crisis, will take time to achieve. She has floated a new idea, of European nations selecting refugees from a pool in Turkey for sharing the burden. But it begs the question because except for a few, member states will take in only a token number. Under Western pressure, Moscow has proposed a ceasefire in Aleppo from March, with its contours and timing uncertain. As is the case with other outside actors, Russia is making its own geopolitical point in retaining its relevance to the future of the Middle East.

The question thus boils down to a simple equation: Will Turkey play ball and at what cost? If he is wise, President Erdogan should resist the temptation of striking too hard a bargain. Perhaps he will achieve his ambition of securing visa-free travel for Turks in the EU, but he should know that if the present crisis takes its logical course, there may be no visa-free travel.
The nation-wide conversation on convicted terrorist David Headley's daily testimony on the Mumbai attacks has suddenly taken a dramatic and domestic dimension. During the first three days, Headley was happily living up to the pardon given by the Indian courts on the condition he revealed all he knew about the attack. He had disburdened himself earlier to a National Investigating Agency (NIA) team permitted limited access to the man currently serving 35 years in a US prison. The rest of the story would never come out because the former US intelligence asset will have enough on his masters as insurance. That is why US intelligence has ensured he will never be extradited to India till he completes the sentence. By then Headley will be 90.

All these declarations of guilt, relayed by the newly minted Padma Shri Ujjwal Nikam, were buttressing the negative public perception about Pakistan. New Delhi was starting to feel uncomfortable about reopening high-level contacts with Pakistan before it had fulfilled its vow of extracting retribution for the Mumbai, if not for the Pathankot, attack. Then, Headley disclosed a conversation he had overheard while plotting for the Mumbai attacks. On being prompted by Nikam, he claimed Ishrat Jahan, shot in cold blood in Gujarat, was a suicide bomber for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) out to kill Modi, the then Chief Minister.

This claim from a stool pigeon has set a cat among political pigeons. Union Minister Rajnath Singh has sought an apology from the Opposition in his eagerness to sidle closer to Modi. But he has overlooked a probe that found the killing fake. Just like Headley's testimony about Pakistan's role will serve no material purpose, his claim about Ishrat Jahan's involvement with LeT will not change the fact that uniformed men had carried out a cold-blooded murder. There are bound to be few takers for this attempt to whitewash a crime by giving its victim a terrorist tag on the basis of a very dubious double agent. The post-Ishrat Jahan 'revelation' hoo-ha brings no credit to us as a nation or to our judicial system.
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 12

The state government has turned down the Armys proposal to exempt it from paying taxes levied on liquor.

The Finance Department said the excise duty and import duty charged on liquor manufactured or imported for the Canteen Stores Department and paramilitary forces in the state was less than what was charged from civilians and there was no justification for reducing the import duty (on liquor) further.

The Northern Command, during the Civil Military Liaison Conference, had moved a proposal before the state government stating that it should be exempted from paying tax on rum imported from other states of the country.

The Finance Department, however, stated that the Army and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir were already enjoying sizeable concessions on excise and import duty.

The State Excise Department on September 1, 2015, had issued a notification to revise the charges levied on Indian made foreign liquor, rum and beer meant for the use of civilians and security forces.

As per the 2015 notification under the J&K Excise Act, 1958, the state government brought down the charges levied on liquor consumed by security forces by around 9 per cent in comparison to the charges levied on civilians.

For civilians, the excise duty levied on per liter of super deluxe Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) is Rs 220 while as the state government charges only Rs 160 in excise duty for the same volume of liquor brand for security forces.

Similarly, the state government levies import duty of Rs 30 per litre on all brands of the IMFL while as for security forces the import duty is Rs 20.

The state government earns around Rs 2.25 crore per month in excise or import duty on liquor consumed by the security forces, an official told The Tribune.
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Udhampur, February 12

Terming Pakistans suggestion of mutual demilitarisation of Siachen following the death of 10 Indian soldiers in an avalanche on February 3 as unwarranted, Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda today said he didnt see any reason at all to connect the tragic incident to any withdrawal of troops from the glacier.

Responding to media queries here after an investiture ceremony, he further said, We are committed to defending our borders and we will continue to do so. Thats absolutely clear to us and there is absolutely no link.

General Hooda, however, said talks had been going on between India and Pakistan but there were some basic conditions that had to be met before any withdrawal could be spoken about.

Some of the basic conditions are not agreeable to Pakistan and therefore an agreement has not taken place. But for anybody to link the Siachen tragedy to withdrawal is absolutely unwarranted and incorrect, he said.

He said Indias stand was very clear on Siachen. If withdrawal has to take place then actual positions on the ground that has our posts should be authenticated first and should be agreeable to both sides, he said, adding that this first step was not agreeable to Pakistan and, therefore, an agreement has not taken place.

Pakistan has for long been suggesting that India should demilitarise Siachen where it holds strategic heights since 1984 when New Delhi launched Operation Meghdoot to pre-empt Islamabads move of occupying the 74-km glacier.

On Kashmiri youth joining militancy, Lt General Hooda said the Army would do everything possible for rehabilitation of Kashmiri militants provided they surrender and join the mainstream.

From the perspective of security parameters, infiltration is down, actually to one-third of what it was two years ago. A number of top terrorist leaders got killed but we need to view it in the larger perspective. For instance, recruitment is an area of concern for us, he said.

It is not good that young recruits, who are supposed to be the future of the state and leaders of tomorrow, are actually joining militancy. Frankly, their life span is six months to one year from the day they join. So, its a tragedy and I think we all need to look at it, he said.

Militants must return to society

Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda on Friday expressed serious concern over the disturbing trend of young educated Kashmiri youth going astray and turning into gun-wielding militants. He said the Army would do everything possible for rehabilitation of Kashmiri militants provided they surrender and join the mainstream. Yes, surrender and come back to society, I am saying this openly today. Those, who have not committed heinous crimes, we will help them in their rehabilitation. We will help them in any respect but our appeal to them is that they should come back and join society. said Lt General Hooda.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today strongly condemned extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations. In a reference aimed at Pakistan, both countries pointed out the responsibility of all states to control the activities of the so-called non-state actors.

For India, this is a small diplomatic victory. The UAE has traditionally been closer to Pakistan than India, but the joint statement issued at the end of talks between Crown Prince of UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects the convergence of views on terror by the two countries.

It is learnt that during their discussions, the two leaders shared views on the growing threat of Islamic State. India also expressed its deep appreciation for the solidarity expressed by the UAE on the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in early January.

The two sides deplored the use of double standards in addressing the menace of international terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism both at the bilateral level and within the multilateral system, said the joint statement.

The two countries also decided to further strengthen their co-operation by continuing to work closely together on a range of security issues, particularly on counter-terrorism, maritime security and cyber security.

The momentum in the relationship began last August when Modi visited the UAE. It was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the UAE in three decades. At the end of the PMs visit, the joint statement issued then too reflected a shift in the UAEs approach from Pakistan to India. The two nations reject extremism and any link between religion and terrorism. They condemn efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries, the joint statement issued then read.

The visit of the Crown Prince to India, coming barely six months after the visit of Modi to the UAE, indicates a growing relationship between India and one of the important Gulf nations. In standing with India against terror, the UAE also promises to be Indias ally in the fight against terrorism emanating from across the border.
Tribune News Service

Ghaziabad/Panipat, February 12

A 24-year-old Snapdeal employee, who was missing since Wednesday evening, returned home today soon after she had called up her family to tell them that she was on a train from Panipat in Haryana.

Suspense remained on the circumstances of Dipti Sarna's disappearance, with Superintendent of Police (city) Salman Taj Patil saying that they are investigating the case and will quiz her later in the day as she needs rest now. He said Dipti Sarna has not been "physically harmed".

"We will probe as to how she had gone to Panipat. We are very sure that she has not been physically harmed and she is fine," the SP told reporters here.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh along with other officers will question the girl about the incident, Patil said.

On Wednesday around 8.30 pm, Dipti went missing after she was travelling in an auto she had hired from outside Vaishali Metro Station.

According to police, Dipti was on her way from Vaishali metro station to the old bus stand of Ghaziabad where her father Narendra Sarna, a resident of Kavi Nagar, was waiting to pick her up.

Diptis father said today that she called him up in the morning and told him that she was in train in Panipat and coming to Vaishali.

"She told me that she will come to Vaishali, but I asked her not to come to Vaishali and said I will come to New Delhi Railway Station to pick her.

"I don't know how she came (managed to escape). She was calling me up from the phone of her co-passenger in the train.

She was found sitting in the train. I don't know whether she was in trauma," he told reporters here.

Diptis mother said that her father picked her up at New Delhi Railway Station.

"She had called up her father in the morning and told him to pick her up," she further said.

After she went missing, her father had told the police that when the auto crossed the Hindon river bridge on Wednesday's evening, Dipti called him and gave him the location.

She was also heard shouting at the auto driver for taking a wrong route, he had said, adding thereafter her phone was switched off.

Police had soon swung into action and launched a manhunt to search the girl.

Police had yesterday started combing operation in the jungles of Morti near Raj Nagar extension under jurisdiction of Sihani gate police station. As per call details of Dipti 's phone, that was her last location.

Police was trying to trace Dipti by electronic surveillance and monitoring some other mobile numbers. Some auto drivers were also summoned for questioning.

Meanwhile, Panipat SP Rahul Sharma said they do not have any information about her re-appearance from Panipat.

"We are looking into the case and are in touch with Ghaziabad SSP. We will be able to speak only after we record Diptis statement," he said. With PTI inputs
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

Nepals Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will pay an official visit to India from February 19 to 24. This will also be Olis first foreign visit since taking over as the PM in October.

India has traditionally been the first overseas stop for Nepalese prime ministers but given the tensions of late between India and Nepal, there was speculation that Oli might choose to visit China first.

In a positive step, the blockade on the India-Nepal border, after almost six months, seems to be over and the opening of the key Nepal-India border point at Raxaul-Birgunj, which sees over 70 per cent of the total bilateral trade, was an indication that things are slowly limping back to normalcy.

The customary conferment of the rank of honorary General of the Indian Army upon Nepal Army's chief General Rajendra Chhetri was another such positive indication.

These positive indications apart, Olis visit comes at a time when India-Nepal relations are under a severe strain. Nepal unofficially accused India of causing the blockade on the border, which led to a severe shortage of fuel and medicines in Nepal.

India also went on record to express its unhappiness over the new constitution promulgated by Nepal since it felt that the rights of the Madehsis were not protected under the new constitution.

Nepal, on its part, felt India was interfering in its internal affairs. The goodwill built by India with her generous assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake in April last year was quickly lost with Indias public unhappiness over the new Nepalese constitution and the blockade later.

During Olis visit here, both sides will lay emphasis on mending the bilateral relationship. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was in Kathmandu Tuesday to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had met with Oli and conveyed the fact that India looked forward to welcoming him.

Box

Pact on mechanism for delineation

Kathmandu: Nepals three major parties and the agitating Madhesi front on Friday reached an agreement to form a political mechanism to resolve delineation of provinces under the federal structure of the new Constitution that divides the minority's homeland. The mechanism is likely to forge understanding on settling the state demarcation row within three months.  PTI
Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 12

The Portugal Ministry for Justice today ordered the release of former Khalistan protagonist Paramjit Singh Pamma, blocking the Indian Government's efforts to bring him back to India.

Justice Minister of Protugal Frances Van Dunem said: Most of the acts for which extradition is requested occurred in India at a time when refugee status had been granted by the United Kingdom. Amarjit Singh Bhachu, a UK-based lawyer, who has been contesting Pamma's case, said: " Since January 26, we had been in regular touch with the ministry as the Justice Minister was to decide on the extradition request by February 15, the next date of hearing."

Among Pamma's other legal advisers was US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and a Portugese lawyer, Manuel Luis Ferreira, who contested Abu Salem's case. They were helped by Patiala-based human rights lawyer Birjinder Singh Sodhi.

Pamma's lawyers contended that the 'Red Corner Notice' against Pamma issued by the Indian authorities in 2012, leading to his arrest in December last year, was not sustainable as per the amended rules. They argued that Pamma was likely to be prosecuted by the Indian authorities and as per the treaties on the Functioning of the European Union, Dublin Regulations, duly ratified by EU member-countries (including the UK and Portugal) and the UNs 1951 Refugee Convention, this could not be allowed.

They also argued that Portugal's law did not allow extradition to a country that practises torture.
Mumbai, February 12

In more chilling testimony, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today said al-Qaida was in touch with him post-26/11 attacks to target Delhi's National Defence College. He also unravelled the plot by LeT and ISI to target Mumbai airport, BARC and the Naval air station here.

Headley told Special Judge GA Sanap via video-link from the US that he attempted to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, would be interested in future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan here or assassinate its head (late Bal Thackeray).

Continuing his deposition for the fourth day, Headley claimed he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack as the were heavily guarded. Headley told the court here that his handlers in Pakistan spy agency ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the terror attack in November 2008.

Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack, he said. He said NDC was a high-value target as it housed senior military officers, from Brigadier to General rank.  PTI
Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 12

Family members of Sandip Singh, alias Sunny, a youth from Talwandi village of Moga district who was arrested by the Pathankot police on the charge of having links with terror outfits and Pakistani spies, have challenged the contentions of security agencies.

They have demanded an impartial investigation into the allegations. They claimed he could not be involved in any anti-national activities as he was brought up amid an atmosphere of patriotism.

Sandips mother Harjit Kaur and wife Jaswinder Kaur said he was picked up by the Moga police from the village house and kept under illegal confinement for four days at the Mehna police station before being handed over to the Pathankot police.

When we went to the Mehna police station to meet Sunny along with the village sarpanch and other influential people of the area, the local police officials misbehaved with us and did not allow us to meet him, alleged his wife.

The youths mother said, My husband has served in the Army for three decades. We are law-abiding people with no criminal background. There is no question of my son having worked for terror outfits or Pakistani intelligence agency, she said.

Jaswinder said she and her husband went to Mohali in 2012 to prepare for IELTS and lived in a house as paying guests. With regard to Pakistani spy Irshad Ahmed, she said he met her husband in Mohali and they were just friends. There was nothing beyond friendship between them. We do not know whether Irshad has any links with a terrorist organisation or Pakistani intelligence agencies, she claimed.

Rashpal Kaur, sarpanch of Talwandi village, too vouched for Sandips character and family background.
OUR countrymen living in South Africa whether in humble circumstances or in affluence, have been doing what they could to assist the prosecution of the war. Many of them have made great personal sacrifice in giving their help and the Indian Opinion received this week gives typical examples of such sacrifice. It writes: "Four Indians who joined the Ambulance Corps have left for Stanford Hill (says the Natal Mercury's Martizburg correspondent). They are giving up position worth 6 to 9 a month for the sum of the 6d. a day and are leaving their dependents to the care of compatriots and the few Europeans who are interesting themselves in the cause of the Indians." We hope the example set by the Indians will convince the authorities of the steadfast loyalty of Indian fellow subjects of the King-Emperor.
Karachi, February 12

Pakistan army today said it had arrested nearly 100 militants and foiled an imminent jailbreak attempt to free top al-Qaida leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, sentenced to death for the murder of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

The militants, belonging to top terror networks like the al-Qaida in the Indian Sub-Continent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, had set up joint task team for carrying out terror attacks in the country, army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said.

Our conclusion is that all terrorist groups are trying to cooperate with each other in order to carry out terrorist attacks, he said.

Bajwa said as many as 97 militants, who had been involved in several major terror attacks, including on the Mehran airbase, Jinnah airport, PAF base in Kamra and several others, were arrested from Pakistans biggest city here.

The arrested militants were also planning Hyderabad jailbreak to release top al-Qaida leader Omar Sheikh, sentenced to death for the killing of 38-year-old Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, while he was in Pakistan investigating a story on the alleged links between the countrys spy agency ISI and al-Qaida.

This plan was 90 per cent ready for execution, he said. The perpetrators had prepared two explosive-laden vans which they were supposed to ram into the gate of the prison, Bajwa said, adding the militants had also prepared a list of 35 prisoners they wanted to kill, while rescuing hundreds including Omar Sheikh.  PTI
Karachi, February 12

Nearly 100 hardcore militants of several top terror networks like al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Tehreek- e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been arrested on Friday, army said on Tuesday.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said the suspected militants were arrested from here during ongoing intelligence-based operations in the city.

The militants had set up joint task team for carrying out terror attacks in the country, army said They are suspected to have been involved in some major terror attacks in the past like the Mehran airbase Karachi, Jinnah airport in Karachi, PAF base in Kamra and several others.

They also nearly executed a plan to break into Hyderabad jail to free top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who was allegedly involved in the 9/11 terror attacks in the US, Bajwa said. Sheikh has been sentenced to death for killing journalist Daniel Pearl.

Sheikh, among the militants released by India in 1999 in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814, is also suspected to have played a crucial role in the September 2001 attacks in the US.

The perpetrators also had a list of 35 prisoners they wanted to kill, Bajwa said.

The first few militants were arrested a few months ago and it led to more arrests," the army spokesperson said.

Bajwa said Karachi operation launched in September 2013 had achieved major success as over 12,000 suspects were arrested in over 7,000 raids, leading to dramatic decrease in crimes of killings, kidnapping and extortions.

"The Karachi operation will continue till complete peace is achieved in the city," he said.  PTI

KEYWORDS:
Peshawar: Valentines Day celebration was on Friday banned in northwest Pakistan with authorities in the restive region saying that the western tradition has no place in Islam. The day's celebration on February 14 had often been criticised by Islamists as 'insult' to Islam. District Council Peshawar unanimously passed resolution against Valentine's Day stating it has no place in Islam. PTI

Attack on UN peacekeepers in Mali; 5 killed

United Nations: At least five United Nations peacekeepers were killed and some 30 others injured in an attack on a UN base in northern Mali, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Friday. Ban condemned the "complex" assault on the base in Kidal and recalled that targeting peacekeepers constitutes a war crime. AFP

Two girls shot dead at Arizona school

Glendale: Two girl students died in a shooting at a school in a Phoenix suburb, the police said on Friday. Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden said both victims were 15 years old and were shot once. She said a weapon was found near the bodies. She did not have any information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene. AP

Missing bookseller: UK says China breached treaty

Hong Kong: Britain on Friday said Lee Bo, a British passport holder and bookseller who disappeared from Hong Kong in late December, was probably taken to China against his will, constituting a serious breach of a longstanding bilateral treaty between the UK and China. Chinas Foreign Ministry condemned the British report as gesticulation, although it made no direct mention of the missing bookseller. PTI

Indonesia bans gay emojis on messaging apps

Jakarta: In the latest crackdown on gay rights in Indonesia, the government has demanded all instant messaging apps remove same-sex emoticons or face a ban in the country. The emojis  which are available on the apps like LINE and Whatsapp and Facebook and Twitter  depict same-sex couples holding hands. AFP

Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome to end

Havana: Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church will meet in Havana, nearly 1,000 years after Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome, for the first encounter in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch. The leaders, guests of a Communist government, will address the millennium-long rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity. Reuters
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Trailer Transit hauls "anything on wheels," from new trailers to this special load for NASA.

Maybe youve seen recent ads for Trailer Transit Inc., which is looking for owner-operators. The company, based in Porter in northwestern Indiana, sent an email to us at HDT and it got my attention. Ive been intrigued with that outfit because its not your typical freight hauler, but as its name implies, a transporter of trailers.

About eight years ago I happened upon a trio of Trailer Transit o-os who were pulling empty frack tanks  big steel boxes riding on single rear axles  from New Jersey to Colorado. They were used to store water at construction sites. But they're also found at gas and oil wells that need lots of treated water for the hydraulic fracturing process, thus their name.

Were hauling anything with wheels under it, like generators for the Super Bowl, says recruiter Audry Brooks, who's been with the company for 21 years. Also new and used empty trailers for manufacturers and for dealers, trailers for other trucking companies, government and military, medical trailers, heavy machinery like a wood chipper  anything and everything.

An example on their website is a news release from NASA about Trailer Transit recently transporting a nearly 45-foot-long rocket assembly from Virginia to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, stopping at museums along the way. The full-scale-mock-up of the launch abort system for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle, , also known as the LAS pathfinder, helped NASA prepare for the first abort system test.

Trailer Transit's loads are strictly hook-and-drop, with no loading or unloading of freight, Brooks says. A trailer being transported might carry cargo  household goods or camera equipment, for example  but even an empty trailer is considered loaded. Trailer Transits business is highly diversified, so its not too affected by ups and downs in the economy.

Pay is 71% of the hauling rate, which might be $1.20 per mile to hundreds of dollars for short-distance repositioning of something already on a customers premises.

Tractors must be tandems and should be 10 years of age or younger, but you can look at a truck and tell whether hes a professional, Brooks says of owners. Were more interested in the person than the truck.

The company has been operating since 1981. It now has 250 owner-operators but is always looking for others. How many? Just one good one, one professional, one at a time, she says. Interested? Visit the website at www.trailertransit.com, or call 800-922-7448. If Audry answers, tell her I sent you.
Via Thomson Reuters: Back to its roots: how Zika may threaten Africa. Excerpt:

Florzinha Amado is eight months pregnant and trying to stay calm about whether the Zika virus infection she contracted at 21 weeks could have harmed her unborn child.

But Amado isn't Brazilian. She lives on the volcanic archipelago of Cape Verde, 570 km (350 miles) west of Senegal, and is one of 100 pregnant women in the capital of Praia who have contracted Zika there.

Their fears, and those of West African authorities seeking to prepare the region's defences, are shared by global health experts who say it could have unknown consequences in countries ill-equipped for another public health emergency following the Ebola epidemic.

Zika, a mosquito-borne virus, was first identified by two Scots, virologist George Dick and entomologist Alexander Haddow, in a forest near Entebbe in Uganda in 1947.

The disease itself is mild and 80 percent of those infected do not feel ill, but it has shot to the top of the global health agenda after an outbreak in Brazil was suspected of causing a spike in birth defects.

And now, nearly 70 years after its discovery in mainland Africa, it is threatening to return to its roots - this time apparently in a changed form causing large-scale outbreaks.

"Cape Verde has historical links with Brazil and it seems very likely it has got there from Brazil," said Nick Beeching of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, a Zika expert for the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

According to new data from Cape Verde's health ministry, more than 7,000 cases of Zika have been recorded in the country since the beginning of the epidemic in October 2015, with heavier than normal rains last summer boosting mosquito numbers.

Beeching believes it is highly probable Zika will soon be back on the African mainland, thanks to regular flight connections from the Atlantic islands, potentially triggering a new chain of transmission.

Regional health officials told Reuters they were most worried about Zika being exported to Senegal or Guinea Bissau, which shares the same Portuguese heritage as Cape Verde.

A regional meeting on Zika took place in Dakar on Feb. 9, with African and Western partners discussing preparations for possible imported cases, according to officials.

Abdoulaye Bousso, the coordinator of the health emergency operations centre in Senegal, said his country had an active surveillance programme with several "sentinel sites" being established as early warning points for an outbreak.

"We do not have cases in the country currently but the risk is there," he said.
David Bates. Photo courtesy ODFL.

Old Dominion Freight Line, founded by Earl and Lillian Congdon as a one-truck operation in Richmond, Va., in 1934, today is one of the largest less-than-truckload carriers, and one of the largest trucking companies overall, in the United States.

Headquartered in Thomasville, N.C., the company not only survived the changes wrought by deregulation in 1980, but thrived. It passed the $2 billion yearly revenue mark in 2012, with 2015 revenues approaching $3 billion and fourth-quarter operating ratio of about 85%. In 2013, Fortune magazine named the company to its list of 100 Fastest-Growing Companies.

We talked to David Bates, senior vice president of operations, about the companys success. (This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.)



HDT: Lets start by talking a little about yourself. How would you describe what you do at Old Dominion Freight Line?



Bates: My responsibilities include all of the operations at our field service centers and all of our linehaul operations. Anything thats happening in the local service centers, the local customer service, the pickup and delivery operations and of course the line haul that goes in and out. We have a 225 service center network  with nine geographic regions.



HDT: So I see announcements about new and expanded service centers pretty frequently.



Bates: Weve been very fortunate to experience market share growth, and what happens then is our service centers get close to capacity, so we typically spin off and open another one. Most recently in the St. Louis market, we had one terminal, but due to increased volumes we opened another one we call St. Louis East. But its not East St. Louis; its just west of the city, south of I-70.



HDT: All that growth must keep you busy.



Bates: Fortunately I have very strong regional vice presidents that are out in the field. Theyre primarily responsible for the operations within their region. When we have a situation like weve seen in St. Louis, because were moving some of the business into another service center in the same region, a lot of folks will transfer over and we use them as a core a base to build on.



HDT: Before coming to work for ODFL in 1995, you worked for two other big names in LTL, Roadway and Carolina Freight, in the 80s and early 90s. How did you get into the trucking business?



Bates: My first job out of college I went to work for Roadway Express in their management training program, in May of 1987. I got recruited by Old Dominion when I was working at ABF, which had just purchased Carolina Freight. Ive just had my 20th year with Old Dominion.



HDT: The less-than-truckload model was the primary trucking model until deregulation in the 1980s. After deregulation, many large LTLs went out of business, and others continue to struggle even today. How did ODFL survive and in fact thrive?

Photo courtesy ODFL

Bates: One thing that weve done is we stuck to our guns. We put together a pricing model, a pricing philosophy, and stuck to that in good times and in bad. During the recession of 08, 09, we put together a value proposition to ur customers where we operate great service, therefore we expect to be compensated for it. I think that really sticks in my mind as one of the key things that got us to where we are today. Especially the way we came out of that recession. Carriers dropped their prices to try to maintain market share. We held our ground, we didnt drop prices, we weathered through it  and when it was over our prices were where they needed to be. We continued to offer that great service through the recession.



HDT: What are some of the keys to providing that great service?



Bates: I say this a lot when we meet with our employees: The key to our success is our people, the Old Dominion family culture. We ask our employees to work hard; in turn we give them a great place to work, a very nice compensation package, and treat them with respect. They tend to be part of the team, they tend to buy in to wanting to work hard. We try to make this a good place to work for everyone, and I think weve been extremely successful doing that. A number of employees I talk to who come to work for us after working for a competitor [tell me] that its the best place theyve ever worked.



HDT: So its a combination of tangible and intangible things?



Bates: Right. Tangible meaning compensation, that our drivers have very good equipment to drive, our infrastructure of building service centers. We build our service centers and keep them looking good and running like a new service center even if its 10 years old. Intangibles include things like job security. Our balance sheet is very strong. We expect to be around another 80 years. People make a career out of it and retire from Old Dominion.



HDT: At the recent rededication of ODFLs Thomasville, N.C., headquarters, CEO David Congdon said ODFL currently has 6 or 7% of U.S. LTL market share, and theres no reason why we cant double our market share within our OD domestic network. What are some of the ways the company plans to do that?



Bates: Our sales force is extremely dedicated  with the strength of our balance sheet we know we can go into specific markets and not  be afraid of adding more density. We can spin off service centers relatively quickly.



Growing market share is a couple factors. First of all you have to offer the service. If you cant offer great service, claim free, great driver service, theres no reason a customer will go with you. We do all those thing extremely well. [Were gaining business] from our existing customers but were also gaining market share from new customers. If a customer is only giving us 20% of his business, we go in and say, We can do these things for you, and get additional lanes. New customers perhaps have been experiencing some issues with other carriers and we show them what we can do.



HDT: In general, market share often grows at the expense of profit. Yet ODFL has increased profitability while adding market share at the same time. I know youre not going to give away company secrets, but can you give us a hint as to how your company manages that?



Bates: It all comes down to our pricing discipline. Weve got a pretty detailed cost model that tells us what we have to charge customers to move their freight in specific lanes. Typically customers will make a decision to do business with us in those lanes at that price, or they wont. If they choose not to, more often than not they come back because they're not getting the service they need.



HDT: Sounds simple enough, but obviously not as easy as it sounds. How do you do it? Roomfuls of accountants? Roomfuls of IT people and data crunching?



Bates: I would say its a little bit of all those things. We started gathering shipment data years ago and put it into a database and apply it to what our costs are and are able to determine what specific lanes we have and what we need to charge in those lane. Its a little more complicated than that, obviously, but thats what weve done and needless to say its been effective for us.



I think all carriers have some kind of cost model they use; the question is how accurate is the data youre feeding it and how disciplined are you for your price. Give a customer a discount for his business and all of a sudden he says I've got someone else who wants to give it to me cheaper. Do you give the customer another five discount points not to lose the business? A lot of carriers will do that not to lose their market share and will give out higher discounts and cheaper prices and that erodes your profitability.



HDT: Speaking of technology, I read that the renovated HQ had some major technology improvements. What can you tell us about those?



Bates: We are in the midst of a five-year modernization program right now where we are transferring off our current IBM AS 400 onto an Oracle-based model. Its quite an undertaking. Weve got to rewrite every program we have. Were about two years into it, but once we get there it will make it a lot easier for our employees to do their work and get us back up to where we need to be from a technology standpoint.



We recently rebuilt our website. Weve got a lot of positive response form our customers. Its user friendly, theyre able to track their shipments, get reports, its very business friendly. They can go to the website and get the information instead of having to take the time to call the company or service center for information.



HDT: What opportunities and challenges is the rise of e-commerce presenting?



Bates: Im not sure I would call it a challenge per se; obviously its opportunity. We do business with Amazon, not a great deal of business, but we do see that piece of our business growing. You can build an LTL shipment a lot quicker than you can build a truckload shipment, so e-commerce is going to benefit the LTLs because you can move shipments out a lot faster.



What we are seeing in the LTL environment is some of our e-commerce customers and other customers are becoming very demanding with delivery and pickup times. Theres not a whole lot of inventory being carried anymore, the customer needs the stuff now. A lot of these customers are using the transportation window as part of their warehousing, and so they can project theyre going to run out in three days so they put in the order today. Theyve got to have it on that day at that time, you cant be late. Thats just becoming more and more difficult to manage from a local pickup and delivery standpoint. Youve got to schedule all those, and its a juggling act sometimes for our dispatchers to pull all that together.



HDT: How much are you able to use technology to help with that?



Bates: Very much so. When we enter a shipment into our system, that bill of lading is going to have that delivery window. So the service center, when they are planning those delivery routes for the next day, they all come into that system and are able to manage all those routes. Without the technology being able to look at all your shipments coming in, you would have no idea what youre up against. Were completely paperless. We run all our dock operations and over the road operations without bill of ladings, without delivery receipts. It saves us a lot of money and from a sustainability standpoint, but it also saves us time not having to hand move paper with each shipment that we have.



HDT: Looking ahead, what trends do you see affecting the LTL marketplace and ODFL?



Bates: One of the things is e-commerce, thats going to continue to develop. The opening of the [newly enlarged] Panama Canal, that could change the way imports come in. Less coming in from West Coast could change the balance of how LTL moves across networks. Obviously the government plays a big role in what we can do and how we operate, as they pass down regulations. The cost is approximately $5,000 more to buy a tractor today than it did last year mostly because of government regulations.



All of those things come in to play. Some of it drives up costs, while some of it we look at as opportunity, such as the container business moving to the East Coast. Ultimately well deal with all of them as we have before. Have a strategy, come up with a plan, and sometimes you have to make a few adjustments.
Roadrunner Transportation Systems announced it has improved its less-than-truckload freight network, including adding more capacity to its facilities and adding an optional premium service.

The Cudahy, Wis.-based carrier says the changes will help improve the consistency of its service.

We are excited to announce refocused service levels with higher levels of consistency, said Grant Crawford, president of Roadrunner LTL. Our strategy is to increase our investment and presence in key locations across the United States, while providing a consistent, reliable service and economical value to our growing customer base.

In Dallas and Houston, Texas, Roadrunner moved into new facilities that expanded the companys capacity. In Memphis, Tenn., the company will now operate its own facility to add more capacity while also providing direct service to customers in that market.

The company is also offering an optional premium service with guaranteed delivery on a scheduled day in select major metro markets.

The Journal of Commerce, reporting on the news, noted that "LTL carriers are competing for a diminishing volume of freight, as the slowdown in manufacturing puts less industrial freight on pallets," and pointed out that RoadRunner recently said its LTL business has been affected by weak freight demand in the general industrial markets.

For more information on Roadrunner LTL, click here.
OWASSO  A Claremore man who reportedly tried to ram Owasso police vehicles during a high-speed chase also is accused of choking a police dog as officers attempted to arrest him Thursday night.

The dog, Samson, appears to have no serious injuries or lasting effects from the encounter, Deputy Chief Jason Woodruff said in a news release. The suspect  Myron Dee Sanders, 51  was treated for minor injuries at a hospital before being taken to the Owasso Jail.

Woodruff said an officer tried to pull over a car driving more than 80 mph in a construction zone on U.S. 169 about 11 p.m. The driver, later identified as Sanders, increased his speed, exceeding 90 mph.

Sanders reportedly tried to ram pursuing officers until losing control of the car and crashing near County Roads East 500 and South 4120 in rural Rogers County.

Sanders resisted officers attempts to arrest him, Woodruff said.

During the struggle, officers used pepper spray, which appeared to have no effect on the combative driver, he said.

A K9 unit arrived to help with the arrest. The driver is accused of grabbing the dogs throat and pinning his head against the vehicles windshield. Woodruff said the dog could be heard gasping for breath as Sanders squeezed his throat.

Police eventually apprehended Sanders, who was arrested on a litany of complaints, including resisting an officer, mistreating a police dog, assault with a deadly weapon and eluding police.

Investigators believe that Sanders was driving under the influence. An open container of alcohol reportedly was found in the car.

Sanders was due to be transferred to the Tulsa Jail on Friday.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Sanders was on probation in Rogers County until 2024 for DUI. He has also served several stints in prison for additional DUI convictions and lewd molestation.
Limestone Technology Academy Counselor Nick Hughes represented Sand Springs and the state at the 2016 School Counselor of the Year Ceremony at the White House recently.

First Lady Michelle Obama honored the counselor of the year, Katherine Pastor of Flagstaff, Arizona, five finalists and representatives from each state at the Jan. 28 ceremony, according to a report. The American School Counselors Association chooses the national representatives.

The School Counselor of the Year program selects a winner and finalists each year based on creative school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership skills and contributions to student enhancement.

It was an experience to be in the White House and in the presence of so many great school counselors, Hughes said. The First Lady walked in and talked to us. She has a passion for kids and wants them to be successful. We went to the Eisenhower building and we listened about her organization called Reach Higher and the Teachers Guild about the language of college.

He is a graduate of Bishop Kelley High School who went on to get a bachelors degree in psychology from Rogers State University and a masters degree in school counseling from Northeastern State University.

After high school, I knew I wanted to work with people. My school counselor helped me through a hard time and that was a huge factor in my choice, Hughes said.

He got his first job at Union and has been with Sand Springs Public Schools for eight years.

I havent been able to wrap my brain around what happened, it was a great opportunity, Hughes said, of receiving his award. The birth of my daughter is the only thing that tops it.
Correction: A box with contact information for area lawmakers with this story originally contained the incorrect party affiliation for state Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa. It has been corrected.

Senate Finance Chairman Mike Mazzei asked the Tulsa Regional Chamber membership on Friday to help stop a 0.25 percent income tax rate cut that went into effect Jan. 1.

The cut is expected to cost the state more than $140 million during the budget year that begins July 1, and is part of the reason the state is looking at a $1.3 billion general revenue shortfall.

Who in this room, so we can deal with these problems, would actually favor delaying the tax cut? If so, raise your hand, the Tulsa Republican said near the end of the chambers legislative breakfast.

When half or more of those present complied, Mazzei said, I think us legislators need to pay attention to that.

Mazzei, who is in his last legislative session because of term limits, has advocated postponing the tax reduction before. He argues the revenue level required to trigger the cut was never actually achieved, and that with general revenue continuing to decline, the state cannot afford further tax cuts.

That has put him at odds with some of his Republican colleagues, especially in leadership, which may have prompted Fridays public appeal.

Im here today to ask for your help, Mazzei said.

Mazzei also wants to reduce or eliminate a number of business tax credits and incentives and reduce direct apportionments  commonly called off-the-top money. Both are popular in theory but difficult to achieve.

The Capitol is full of people who want to protect the special interest groups, protect their turf and protect their sacred cows, Mazzie said. If you really want us to have financial reform ... we need you to email your Oklahoma state senator .... We need you to email your Oklahoma state representative and give them the support they need to reform our state financial system.

Mazzei said some state agencies have already seen their appropriations cut 30 or 40 percent, and that the states financial management dysfunction ... goes back decades.

Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, and House Speaker Pro Tem Lee Denney, R-Cushing, said at the event they still hope for a teacher pay increase this session, but House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, reiterated his doubts.

When oil was $100 a barrel, nobody was offering up a pay raise then, Inman said.

Inman said Republicans have now come to Jesus because Democrats won special elections in House and Senate districts the GOP has long owned.

The Republicans disagreed.

Everyone at the Capitol ... realizes we need to get the teachers a pay raise, Denney said.

It hasnt been because of a lack of will that teachers havent gotten a pay raise, she said. Its been the lack of a designated funding source. ... Weve had some innovative ideas. Unfortunately, those innovative ideas are shot down almost before they get through the starting gate.

Bingman said lawmakers should look to policy decisions that have little or no fiscal impact but make teachers lives easier.

Yes, we need to address teacher pay, Bingman said. Im not going to sit here today and say, Yeah, were going to give everyone a $10,000 raise, but lets talk about what we can do. We need to do something about starting pay. We need to address that, and we will address it.
Watch a live stream of the Democratic presidential candidate debate at the bottom of this story

MILWAUKEE (AP)  After splitting the first two voting contests, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are taking their increasingly heated fight for the Democratic presidential nomination back to the debate stage Thursday night, jockeying for advantage as the race heads toward delegate-rich states.

For Clinton, that means bolstering her appeal with minorities, particularly black and Hispanic voters. Hours before the debate, a coalition of black lawmakers endorsed her, calling her a long-term partner who understands racial divides in America.

Sanders' challenge is to prove that he can run a viable campaign outside of the overwhelmingly white states that kicked off the nominating process. His campaigns says it expects his impassioned calls for raising the minimum wage, breaking up Wall Street banks, and overhauling the current campaign finance system to resonate in more diverse states as well as it did in Iowa and New Hampshire.
While the Okmulgee police chief confirmed just after 10 p.m. Friday that the remains were those of four men, he could not confirm that they were the bodies of the four local men who had been missing since Sunday.
For most eighth-graders, this political campaign season has simply been something to joke about.

Most political talk at middle schools has revolved around the latest outrageous comment made by a candidate, and the ensuing Internet meme about it.

So says Nate Ijams, an eighth-grade student at Carver Middle School.

But for Ijams and his peers who are taking an American history and U.S. Constitution course with Anthony Cherry, the discourse has taken a more serious note. Mainly, Ijams says, because they have come to the sobering realization that well have to do this as we get older.

That realization has come about as a result of a mock campaign project that Cherrys classes have been working on for the past two weeks. The activity culminates Friday as his nearly 120 students head to the polls at Carver to elect a president, vice president and senators.

I wanted my students to understand that it is people just like them who run for public offices and have the ability and potential to impact local, state and national government, Cherry said about the project.

His classes broke down into political parties, holding primaries to select candidates. Those candidates then assembled a team around them  including campaign managers, speech writers, social media directors and public relations managers.

What Cherry intended as a two-day activity mushroomed into an extended project as his student-led classes shattered the box and went after endorsements  getting them from people and entities such as Superintendent Deborah Gist, Verizon, and the Oklahoma City Thunder promotions office  and campaigned heavily inside and outside school.

Posters for the candidates hang in the eighth-grade hall, and Twitter messages can be found at the hashtag #CarverSuccess.

The students have said their participation in the project has led them to take politics more seriously, and they have been closely watching the current presidential campaigns.

Politics are in disarray a lot more than I thought they were, said Ijams, who took on the role of campaign manager for presidential candidate Ethan Shupe.

He also said the work they have done on the project has helped them see through some of the manipulative moves of the candidates, and led them to look more directly at the content of their messages.

Shupe said he has learned that its important to fact-check the claims, and especially the attack ads, that candidates make.

Layla VanTassell said the project has helped her see all these working parts of a successful campaign.

The project has also led to self-reflection.

VanTassell said she is student council president, but she said that campaign didnt really have substance.

That was just, Vote for me,  she said.

As she has run her presidential campaign for Cherrys class, she has had to think about her views regarding a variety of issues, so that she could let voters know where she stood.

Shupe said the campaign was about giving people a reason to vote for you, and that students were not simply voting for their friends.

Cherry said the project has also taught his students all sorts of civics lessons. At one point, he said, one campaign put up posters regarding the candidates views on abortion. Several other students, angered by the message, brought the poster to Cherrys attention and demanded it be taken down.

It was a chance for Cherry to talk to them about First Amendment rights.

That was a moment when they realized, If I want rights, I have to give them to other people, too,  Cherry said.

On Thursday, the candidates were giving their final campaign speeches before the other students went to the polls. Among the focus points were bringing down the high cost of higher education, making the U.S. citizenship process easier, providing jobs to all people and making health care more affordable.

This is the first year Cherry assigned this project to his students, and he said it has gone well. He intends to continue it in future years.

I believe in collaborative learning, every student playing a meaningful role, and real-world experiences, he said.

As for his students, they have realized they can be part of the political conversation, even as eighth-graders.

Were old enough and mature enough to have opinions, VanTassell said.
Via Granma, a slightly disturbing report: Cuba issues early warning on spread of Zika virus. Excerpt and then a comment:

Cuban health authorities have announced that no cases of the Zika virus have been reported in the country to date (February 9), while also warning that they will increase surveillance and sanitation precautions, given the geographical location of the island and the genuine threat of the virus spreading to the region.

According to doctors Beatriz Marcheco Teruel, director of the National Center of Genetic Medicine, and Roberto Alvarez Fumero, head of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) Infant-Maternal department, speaking to Granma, the Zika virus was first detected in 1947 in Uganda, Africa, and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito with sufferers presenting no visible symptoms for the first seven to 10 days; 70% of those infected do not need to be admitted to hospital, while the disease has recently been linked to skull malformations in newborns and the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults.

Declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organizations Emergency Committee, according to the international press, cases have been reported in 26 countries worldwide. There is great concern over a possible link between pregnant mothers infected with the virus and a rise in microcephaly rates, studies of which are currently being conducted.

According to Cuban health professionals, signs to watch out for include a fever above 38 degrees, rashes, conjunctivitis, migraines and joint pain. They advise persons presenting any of these symptoms to immediately contact their doctor, as no known cure or preventative vaccine for the virus currently exists.

The threat is not solely limited to women of childbearing age, however they and pregnant women should avoid contact with mosquitoes and potentially infected people. Citizens are being asked to take care when interacting with visitors from countries where the illness has been reported, noted Dr. Marcheco Teruel.

As they say on Twitter, "Wait, what?" Are the Cuban health professionals telling women, pregnant or not, to stay out of bed with potentially infected people, or stay out of the room altogether? And if you meet a Venezuelan comrade in downtown Havana, do you give the comrade a big abrazo, or a fist-bump, or do you run screaming?

Most news-release Zika advice is as predictable as for any other mosquito-borne disease, but this is the first time I've seen a government advising its people to treat possible Zika cases like kids with measles or MERS superspreaders. It tells me the Cubans are not entirely confident of their ability to handle this new challenge, however well they managed to suppress their cholera problem.
The Cherokee Nation gave $4.7 million to schools Friday as officials of the tribe and various school districts spoke out about the states classroom funding crisis.

As the state allocates less and less each year to public education, the Cherokee Nation is making a record-breaking contribution to area schools, Principal Chief Bill John Baker said in a press release from the tribe.

Thats something that every one of our tribal citizens can take great pride in. We are investing in our children, investing in our communities and investing in our future as Cherokees and as Oklahomans.

The tribe dedicates 38 percent of the revenue from its car tag sales to education. School superintendents can use the donations at their discretion.

Claremore Public Schools has had to curb spending for classroom materials this academic year.

We are so short right now that weve put a block on (buying) supplies, Claremore Superintendent Michael McClaren said. This gracious award from the Cherokee Nation will help out our teachers and provide some of the routine resources they have not had this year.

Jenks Public Schools uses the Cherokee car tag funding for student programs.

As state funding continues to decline, the donation from the Cherokee Nation is extremely important, Jenks Superintendent Stacey Butterfield said. The generosity of the Cherokee Nation allows us to provide additional resources to many of our student programs.

Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. and his father, state Rep. Chuck Hoskin Sr., spoke at the Public School Appreciation Day event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa on Friday morning.

They asked those in attendance to vote, encourage others to get registered and vote, and contact their legislators about the state of education in Oklahoma.

The reason Im taking this opportunity to preach to you  is that we are in a crisis, and this crisis can be turned into an opportunity, Hoskin Jr. said.

He said Oklahoma has reached a point where officials cannot cut taxes and also support the needs of public education.

And theyre even talking about school consolidation  those little schools that dot the landscape of rural Cherokee Nation in places like Adair County that are the lifeblood of communities, he said.

We know that youre not going to solve this problem by closing down small schools. What youre going to do is hurt communities.

Classroom donations from tribal vehicle tag sales have increased 370 percent  from $1.26 million  since the program began in 2002. The first full year that Cherokee Nation car tags were sold statewide was 2015.

Since 2002, the tribe has awarded $40.1 million among about 100 school districts in northeastern Oklahoma.

School districts receive $165 per Cherokee Nation student enrolled this year, although the contributions benefit all students and classrooms in those districts, tribal officials say.
OOLOGAH  An Oologah High School employee has been placed on administrative leave amid allegations of inappropriate contact with a student.

Superintendent Max Tanner said the district immediately notified law enforcement after learning of the allegations and is cooperating fully in the investigation.

The Oologah school district takes the safety of its students very seriously and does everything it can to provide a safe learning environment, he said.

Agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation went to the high school on Thursday to interview school employees and students in an attempt to possibly validate the allegations, OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown said.

No arrests had been made. Brown said she was unsure whether the accused employee had been interviewed.

Typically, we want to learn as much as we can about the allegations prior to the interview so that we can ask detailed questions, she said.

Tanner did not specify whether the accused staff member was a teacher and did not disclose whether the employee was a man or a woman. He did say the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Tanner did not release any details about the student.

The district will not comment further on this incident because of the ongoing criminal investigation and confidentiality rights of the parties involved, he said.
1973

Vietnam POWs, including Col. Risner, released

The first 142 of 519 military and civilian U.S. prisoners of war held by North Vietnam  including former Tulsan Col. Robinson Risner  were released from captivity as part of what was called Operation Homecoming. Air Force Col. Risner, a prisoner for 7 years, was called by President Nixon, who told him your sacrifice is not in vain. Risner, a 1942 graduate of Central High School, was one of those rare servicemen who flew combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He died in 2013.

1987

KKK victims family wins $7 million lawsuit

Survivors of a black man who was beaten and strangled to death in 1981 by KKK members were awarded $7 million in a lawsuit against the United Klans of America. The judgment went to the family of Michael Donald, 19, who was killed in Mobile, Alabama, by two Klansmen who hung him and then slit his throat. They then hung him from a tree in a racially mixed neighborhood in Mobile. Four men were indicted on criminal charges for Donalds killing. One was electrocuted, two were given life prison terms and one died before his trial.

1999

Six fatally shot in Tulsas largest mass killing

Six people, including the shooter, died in what police said was the largest mass killing by one person in Tulsas history. The killings were attributed to Oklahoma City security guard Edwin Bell, 23, whose victims were his estranged girlfriend, Markita King, 22; his mother, Linda Farris, 45; and the couples three daughters, 8 months, 2 and 4 years old. Bell and his mother came to Tulsa to pick up the children at the North Gary Avenue apartment where King stayed. King, of Oklahoma City, moved to Tulsa in November 1998 to escape an abusive relationship with Bell.

1999

President Clinton acquitted in trial

The Senate acquitted President Bill Clinton on two articles of impeachment: perjury and obstruction of justice. After a harrowing year of scandal and investigation, the five-week-long Senate trial of the president was only the second in the 210-year history of the Republic. Rejecting the first charge of perjury, 45 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted not guilty and on the charge of obstruction of justice, the Senate was split 50-50. The charges grew out of his efforts to conceal his affair with ex-White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
President Barack Obama has proved again why many Americans question whether he sees America as a beacon of goodness or as an evil colonial power needing to be taken down a notch or two.

Recently, he visited the Islamic Society Mosque of Baltimore in another attempt to lecture Americans about Islam. I watched part of his sideshow and shook my head in sadness. Does he not understand or even care about the history of this mosque and how it is connected to extremist groups bent on destroying America and the infidels?

His actions dictate that he and his central planners have a perverted respect for those so-called Islamic freedom fighters. Their core belief is that most of America, and Christians in particular, are guilty of persecution against all Muslims.

At one point, he pointed his finger at us, lecturing that an attack on one religion is an attack on all religions. Any informed voter knows that this is the type of rhetoric one would expect from a despot wanting total control of the people.

Nowhere in Christianity does it preach death against the non-believers. Nowhere in the Jewish religion does it preach death against the non-believers. Nowhere in the Buddhist religion does it preach death against non-believers. When its all said and done, the fact is that Obama is a total sympathizer to Islam, be it extremist or not. He sees no difference in either.

What a sad period in our countrys history.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims. A government report released Wednesday lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies. It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80 percent since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
One of the candidates for Chairman in the People's National Movement's internal election says there is a major detachment between those in office and people at the grass root level. Kenneth Butcher says things need to change from the inside.
Via The Globe and Mail, a column by the paper's public editor, Sylvia Stead: Public editor: Caution should be exercised in coverage of Zika virus. Excerpt and then a comment:

The Zika virus and the health fears have grabbed the attention of the public and the media. While the interest is there, there have also been calls to use caution in the coverage of the virus and its link to serious birth defects such as microcephaly (babies born with smaller heads and brains).

I see that GAM [Globe and Mail] is not going nuts with Zika, while [broadcast media] are doing lots of Canada scared stories. I applaud the decision-making not to frighten. Is this a conscious decision? one reader asked.

Science writer Joe Rojas-Burke said on Twitter (@rojasburke) that he was troubled by what he called the medias cavalier use of microcephaly photos, when these human beings are used as decoration, their stories untold. He noted especially two photos of infants used over and over by media outlets.

Earlier this week, The Globe and Mails South America correspondent, Stephanie Nolen, wrote about the debate over reproductive rights in conservative countries. In the newspaper, the story included a long-lens photo of a woman, Mylene Helena Ferreira, carrying home her five-month-old son David, who was born with microcephaly.

Online is a much larger package showing a photo with a public-health technicians arm covered with sterile mosquitoes. It also has a video that includes three photos of affected babies and an interview with a pregnant Canadian woman who decided to cancel a trip to Jamaica after she received medical advice.

I touched on the same issues in a January 27 post about the photos used in far too many Zika tweets. In general, most of the mainstream media are following The Globe and Mail's reasonable treatment of the subject.

It's in the social media, especially Twitter, that some people are too eager to run the same damn photos. Maybe they're trying to attract followers by grossing out those who land on the #Zika and #zikavirus hashtags. Whatever their motives, I wish they'd quit.
Speculation today that Seven News boss Craig McPherson is considering changes in the Brisbane newsroom, but not to Sharyn Ghidella or afternoon presenter Kendall Gilding.

With the bulletin trailing Nine News, News Corp reports news director Neil Warren may be on the outer with some.

Since his appointment in October, McPherson has already overseen changes with Sydneys Rob Raschke and Chris Willis plus Adelaides Terry Plane all gone.

A spokeswoman for Seven confirmed McPherson had recently made a trip to the Brisbane office, while

managing director of Seven Brisbane Max Walters denied the rumours.

Source: Courier Mail
Via Vanguard: Lassa fever under control with 49 deaths recorded. Excerpt:

The Federal Government yesterday said the current outbreak of Lassa fever in the country is under control, following recent decline in new suspected cases nationwide even as it confirmed 49 deaths so far from the disease.

Giving an update in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, further disclosed that Nigeria has so far recorded a total of 78 confirmed cases with 49 deaths in the current Lassa fever outbreak which has now spread to 20 states of the Federation.

According to him, there is also a decline in new laboratory confirmed cases and newly reported cases since this week.

He however warned that despite the achievement it will be dangerous for Nigerians to be complacent at this stage, as the country could record another flare-up and a second wave deep in the dry season.

I have instructed the NCDC to work closely with the Lassa Fever Eradication Committee and other partners to develop a Lassa Fever Control strategy that will withstand the test of time.

Speaking further, he said out of the 176 cases recorded with 108 deaths, 78 of which were confirmed cases and 49 deaths given a specific case fatality rate of 62.8 percent.
Bridget Dalton of the University of Colorado, Boulder, will speak March 9.

8:41 a.m., Feb. 12, 2016--The University of Delawares School of Education Colloquium Series will continue this spring, resuming on Wednesday, Feb. 24, with a presentation by Kelly Mix, professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University.

The spring series will begin with two presentations on early STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning from the disciplinary perspective of the learning sciences and educational psychology.

The series will then continue the fall theme, Writing Research: Where We Are and Where We Are Heading, and foster conversations about the present state of writing research and productive paths for future work.

Mixs presentation titled Spatial Ability and Mathematics: Can Educators Leverage the Connection? examines how spatial training may improve mathematics learning outcomes in elementary students.

Though the link between spatial ability and mathematics is well-established, researchers have not yet determined whether the many spatial and mathematical skills are equally related or how to best implement spatial training. Mix will review a range of studies on the relationship between space and math to determine how educators might best use this connection in the classroom.

Mixs presentation and the following colloquia will begin at 1 p.m. in Room 207 of UDs Willard Hall Education Building. A discussion and question-and-answer period will follow each speakers presentation at 2.

Students, faculty and community members with interests in early educational psychology, STEM, English, composition, and literacy are encouraged to attend. These events are free, and no advance registration or RSVP is required.

The speakers and topics for upcoming presentations are as follows:

March 7: Susan L. Calvert, professor of psychology and director of the Childrens Digital Media Center at Georgetown University, Childrens Early STEM Learning: Lessons from Media Characters.

March 9: Bridget Dalton, associate professor of literary studies in the School of Education at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Multimodal Composition: Developing New Literacies and Research Methods.

May 4: Steve Graham, Mary Emily Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, The Role of Strategies, Skills, Knowledge, and Will in Writing Development: Supportive Studies.

For more information about this series or to download the event posters, visit the School of Education Colloquium Series webpage.
9:46 a.m., Feb. 12, 2016--Out in the marketplace, there are plenty of job openings and internships that would be perfect for University of Delaware students, if only there were a better way for employers to find the right candidates. Here on campus, there are plenty of seniors and graduate students eager to take those jobs, if only they knew the openings existed.

Resolving that disconnect between supply and demand has been a perennial challenge for college administrators. But the University of Delaware wants 2016 to be the year things start to change.

In an effort that is set to continue through June, UDs Career Services Center is launching its first Internship and Job Drive challenge, which seeks to inspire the Universitys network of alumni, parents and friends to become more actively engaged in helping UD students get full-time positions at their workplaces.

We know there are jobs and internships out there. And we know that UD alums want to help. This will help bridge that gap, says Nathan Elton, UDs director of Career Services, which aims to post the majority of the spring/summer 2016 opportunities that result from the drive before May 1.

In the coming weeks, UD alumni, parents and friends are being encouraged  through emails and other forms of outreach  to visit the Career Services landing page that leads them through the process of joining the challenge. The goal for this years drive is 500 internship and job postings on the Blue Hen Careers website (known as Handshake).

But officials hope that its momentum will last well beyond spring and ultimately lead to more concrete connections between UD and the businesses that have UD constituents on staff. UD career specialists say the alumni and parent network has been crucial over the years for connecting students with jobs, and the Job Drive marks the first systematic approach to expanding and formalizing those connections.

Alumni, parents and friends are often our eyes and ears in the field when opportunities become available, Elton says. We also rely on them to be our advocates when companies make decisions on where to recruit new employees. This job drive will help expand and solidify those connections.

Officials also hope that the program inspires a far more active role for alumni than just forwarding alerts about job postings. Ultimately, Career Services envisions a system in which the alumni, parents and friends act as ongoing liaisons between their workplace and the University. They also see an opportunity for these liaisons to act as mentors and guides to candidates once they get the job, and active workplace ambassadors for UDs rich pool of candidates.

These alumni could serve as a resource for students by sharing information on their experience there, reviewing their application materials, and possibly helping with interview prep, said Scott Rappaport, assistant director for student employment and internship programs.

UD also hopes participants will take an active role in ensuring that the Universitys applicant pool gets due attention in the organization's hiring process. That could include talking to their HR department about posting positions with the University of Delaware, referring students for opportunities, or encouraging on-campus interviews, Elton said.

Its a huge potential resource for us, one thats been relatively untapped, Elton said. Its going to be fun to see the new relationships and opportunities that are built through this initiative.

To a degree, UD already sees regular benefits from these alumni-driven connections with workplaces, but those connections have also made it clear that many openings remain under the radar, and are ultimately filled without a formal posting. In todays climate, those stealthy openings  especially internships and entry-level positions  have become increasingly crucial first steps for a students career momentum, Rappaport said.

Hopefully, these will be the kinds of opportunities that help launch their careers, Rappaport said.

The current focus of the campaign is in markets that have a relatively high population of UD alumni and parents  Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, for example.

We also see this as a great way to inspire and sustain support for UD among our alumni and parents, said Michael Sclafani, UDs associate vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving. We encourage alumni, parents, and friends to think in terms of giving their time, talent and treasure to advance the University. This is a very special way to do that.

To participate in UDs 2016 Internship and Job Drive, visit the website.

Article by Eric Ruth
Fine dining, art, music, and cross cultural engagement come together in the inaugural World Kitchen Series.

8:47 a.m., Feb. 12, 2016--Fine dining, art, music, and cross cultural engagement come together in the inaugural World Kitchen Series presented by the University of Delawares Master Players Concert Series.

The first dinner of the series is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Marriotts Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware campus hotel.

The series is exclusively for UD undergraduate, graduate, international, Honors Program and English Language Institute students, and the inaugural event is filled.

Space for future events is limited and advance reservations are required. Students can sign up for the free event here to be listed on the waiting list for the Tuesday, March 8, event celebrating Turkish culture, music and cuisine. Students are asked to indicate their major and status at UD, as well as artistic interest or talent.

During the Feb. 16 event celebrating the Chinese New Year, students will learn to make Chinese dumplings, enjoy a free dinner of many types of dumplings made by professional chef Mark Chopko of the hotel, and listen to a thought provoking presentation by the world-renowned crossover duo 6ixwire.

Future World Kitchen Series events will feature cuisines and performing artists from countries such as Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, Scotland, and more.

The series explores flavors, sights, and sounds from across the globe. A wholly immersive and interactive experience, the series invites students to enjoy international cuisines that complement an authentic performance by a leading performing artist or ensemble from that region or country.

The World Kitchen Series is designed to help students initiate dialogue, network and create community through the arts.

About the program

As a part of the newly established Art Bridging Cultures series, the World Kitchen Series is presented by the Master Players Concert Series under the direction of Xiang Gao, Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music and the producer and composer of Campus Chatter: The New Musical, an edgy and educational work promoting cultural understanding and exchange on campus that opened successfully in 2015.

The World Kitchen Series is co-presented by the UD Artist in Residence Program under the direction of Colin Miller of the College of Arts and Sciences and major funding comes from the English Language Institute (ELI) under the direction of Scott Stevens, who believes in building cultures and creating opportunities for UD students of all walks of life to connect with each other through free cultural events and meaningful conversations. The event is co-produced by Tim Kim of ELI and student producer William Locke.

The series is also co-sponsored by many of Master Players collaborators, including the UD Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management under the direction of Sheryl Kline and the Newark Courtyard-University of Delaware hotel under the direction of William Sullivan.

The World Kitchen Series is conceptualized and co-directed by San Francisco-based consulting director Alex Wang, who is a visual and conceptual artist.

The Art Bridging Cultures series project will lead up to a world-premiere concert of original world music titled iMusic IX: 6ixwire Around the World on Saturday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. in Mitchell Hall. The concert will feature 6ixwire and its elite collaborators from all around the world. Tickets can be purchased by calling 302-831-2204 or visiting the Master Players website.

Program support

This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the English Language Institute, an organization at the University of Delaware committed to offering the highest-quality intensive English programs. Other sponsors include the Universitys Artist in Residence Program; the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management; Vita Nova; and the Newark Courtyard-University of Delaware. For a complete list of sponsors, visit the Master Players website.

Video by Ashley Barnas
The situation in the anti-terrorist area (ATO) in eastern Ukraine remains tense, the Russian-backed militants continue attacks on the positions of Ukraines Armed Forces, the ATO press center wrote on Facebook early Friday.

The enemy shelled our positions in Zaitseve, Krasnohorivka, and Pisky. Moreover, militants used antiaircraft gun in Krasnohorivka, reads the report.

The Russian-separatist forces also used large-caliber machine guns to shell the Ukrainian positions in Troitske, Verkhnyotoretsk, Mayorsk, Novhorodske, Luhansk, Opytne, and the Butovka mine. Besides, militants fired grenade launchers and small arms on the villages of Lebedynske and Granitne (Mariupol direction).

On the whole, the Russian-backed forces 53 times violated the ceasefire regime in Donbas overnight.

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A special meeting on Ukraine was held in the scope of NATO Defense Ministers summit in Brussels, the Canadian Defense Ministry told an Ukrinform correspondent.

During his visit to Brussels Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan took part in a pentalateral meeting with representatives of defense departments of countries that render the largest assistance to Ukraine and its armed forces: the United States, Great Britain, Poland and Lithuania, the Canadian Defense Ministry reports.

Harjit Sajjan at the meeting noted Canadas contribution to Ukraines defense capacity.

Minister Sajjan noted Canadas significant contribution to the modernization of Ukrainian army and substantial role carried out by Canadian servicemen under operation UNIFER, the ministry said.

At the same time, the Canadian Defense Ministry declined to give more information about agreements achieved during the meeting.

As a reminder, 200 Canadian troops in western Ukraine are currently providing training to the Ukrainian Army and National Guard units.

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Ukraine should establish unity in the governing coalition as soon as possible to continue reforms needed for the further cooperation of Kyiv with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This is stated in the official White House document, released on Thursday following a conversation between Vice President Joe Biden with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The Vice President urged the governing coalition to quickly establish unity to allow Ukraine to move forward with reforms, in line with the commitments in its IMF program, reads the statement.

The leaders also discussed the political situation in Ukraine and agreed that it is essential to continue to take action to root out corruption and implement reforms.

In addition, according to the statement, the sides expressed serious concern about the worsening security situation in eastern Ukraine and discussed the need for making progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

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| By Alex Likowski

A 21st Century approach to health care in Prince Georges County, great advances in community engagement and support in West Baltimore, and a critical investment in innovation and revitalization for the entire state  all of these and more are the products of support by the Maryland General Assembly and Governor Hogan, said University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD, at a Feb. 11 legislative hearing in Annapolis.

Speaking in support of Governor Hogans FY 17 budget for higher education, Perman reminded members of the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee that UMB confers the majority of public health, law, and human services professional practice doctoral degrees awarded in Maryland. We train the students who will soon serve as Marylands front-line practitioners, he said. So we must ensure that their education prepares them for the challenges of caring for Marylands people  especially those in underserved communities and those with chronic disease.

That mission, Perman added, is what underpins a plan to establish an interprofessional health care model in Prince Georges County and Southern Maryland. This is the optimal care model for chronic disease management  improving health outcomes while inhibiting cost growth, he told the subcommittee.

Under the plan, UMB faculty, residents, and students will work with a coalition of eight hospitals in the region to provide comprehensive services to high-need patients who are transitioning out of in-hospital treatment.

The same interprofessional approach is being used to more aggressively improve health, employment, and education conditions in West Baltimore communities near UMB, Perman said. Last fall the university opened the UMB Community Engagement Center (CEC) on Poppleton Street, within the University of Maryland BioPark. The CEC is now home to weekly workforce training programs, legal clinics, community advocacy training, and health assessments and demonstrations, and serves as a safe zone for children and families to play together, and for neighbors to get to know one another better.

Perman reminded the delegates that UMB is also the lead agency in 12 community schools, providing support with academics, and health and social services, and was clearly pleased to share with them the universitys newest educational support program. The UMB CURE Scholars Program provides long-term mentoring and education for West Baltimore middle schoolers, and is designed to guide them throughout their school years into careers in the health sciences. The first class of 40 sixth-graders was inducted last fall. CURE Scholars receive tutoring on campus and conduct science experiments in UMB labs, all with the help of scores of faculty, staff, and student mentors.

The University also plays a critical role in the economic revitalization of West Baltimore, Perman said, and is finally able to implement a major addition to the BioPark with the help of state and city support. Late last year the Maryland Department of Commerce designated the BioPark a Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise (RISE) Zone, enabling UMB to successfully lure a nationally acclaimed high-tech business incubator. The Cambridge Innovation Center will be the anchor tenant in the new $110 million, 250,000 square foot Innovation Center on West Baltimore Street. The center will house more than 100 start-up companies and employ 900 people.

Last spring, we all saw what decades of isolation and concentrated poverty can do to a citys neighborhoodsto its people and families, Perman told the delegates. UMB has been in these communities for years, he said. We can restore Baltimore to cultural vibrancy and economic powerand we will.
Over 80,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by boat during the first six weeks of 2016 and over 400 have died trying to cross. Despite rougher seas, harsh winter weather, and numerous hardships endured upon arrival, over 2,000 people a day continue to risk their lives and the lives of their children attempting to reach Europe.

More people arrived during the first six weeks of 2016 than during the first four months of 2015; comparably large numbers began arriving in Europe only by July 2015. The majority of those arriving in January 2016, nearly 58%, were women and children; one in three people arriving to Greece were children as compared to just 1 in 10 in September 2015. Over 91% of those arriving in Greece come from the world's top ten refugee producing countries, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Winter weather and rough seas have not deterred those desperate enough to make the journey, however, have resulted in near daily shipwrecks and search and rescue operations with some 400* dead. When surveyed upon arrival, most cite they had to leave their homeland due to conflict. More than 56 per cent of January arrivals to Greece were from Syria.

Solutions to Europe's situation are not only eminently possible, but have already been agreed by States and urgently need to be implemented. Stabilization is essential and something for which there is also strong public demand. Within the context of the necessary reduction of dangerous sea arrivals, safe access to seek asylum, including through resettlement and humanitarian admission, is a fundamental human right that must be protected and respected.

Regular pathways to Europe and elsewhere are important for allowing refugees to reach safety without putting their lives in the hands of smugglers and making dangerous sea crossings. Avenues, such as enhanced resettlement and humanitarian admission, family reunification, private sponsorship, and humanitarian and refugee student/work visas, should be established to ensure that movements are manageable, controlled and coordinated for countries receiving these refugees.

In response to this situation, UNHCR hopes that EU Member States will implement at a faster pace all EU-wide measures agreed upon in 2015, including the implementation of hotspots and the relocation process for 160,000 people already in Greece and Italy and the EU-Turkey Joint-Action Plan. More needs to be done to reinforce reception capacities at the points of entry to Europe, to allow for the humane and effective accommodation, assistance, registration and security screening of people arriving every day. This is needed to identify those requiring protection, those who should be relocated to other countries within the EU, and those who do not qualify for refugee protection and for whom effective and dignified return mechanisms have to be put in place.

Regrettably, the first six weeks of 2016 have also seen multiple developments in Europe suggesting that some countries are prioritizing keeping refugees and migrants out over finding realistic solutions. Since the start of 2016 border control measures have been tightened in many European States. Despite repeated calls by UNHCR to expand legal pathways to allow refugees and asylum seekers to access asylum, many European Member States are in fact reducing the legal avenues available.

On the legal front, restrictive measures on family reunification were imposed in January in Denmark, with refugees now only able to apply for their family to join them after three years, instead of one. Other countries are contemplating similar or even more restrictive legislation at a time where European countries need to improve the legal and secured ways to access family reunion and thus combat smuggling.

Recent successive announcements of national measures aiming at trying to appear more unattractive than the neighboring country only underlines the dire need for an effective comprehensive European response, the problems cannot simply be shifted from one country to another. A race to the bottom helps no-one.

UNHCR recognizes the challenges some European countries are facing due to significant arrivals of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Clearly States have a sovereign right to manage their borders; however, this must be done in accordance with national, EU and international law. The possible damaging impact of individual measures and practices on the rights and lives of refugees has to be considered.

Increasing acts of violence and prejudice have jeopardized the safety and well-being of refugees and asylum seekers across Europe. Fueled by xenophobia and propaganda campaigns based on fear, refugee families, homes and places of worship are being targeted with hate crimes varying from physical attacks, vandalism, arson, and even more sinister incidents such as one where a mosque had blood thrown on its walls and a pig's head left at its door.

Some countries may instate policies to seize money and valuables from some asylum seekers with the purported aim of reducing costs of social assistance. Such measures carry enormous costs of their own, and have the effect of pandering to fear and discrimination.

Quick and thorough support mechanisms will be crucial for integrating people in countries receiving the highest number of refugees, including Germany and Sweden, to help dispel the fear and xenophobia and reinstate the common European principles of dignity, solidarity and human rights that the European Union was founded upon.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
A family of refugees walk along the beach after landing on the Greek island of Lesvos in January 2016.  UNHCR/H.Holland

GENEVA, Feb 12 (UNHCR) - Despite rough seas and harsh winter weather, more than 80,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by boat during the first six weeks of 2016, more than in the first four months of 2015, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, announced today.

In addition it said more than 400 people had lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean. However, despite the dangers over 2,000 people a day continue to risk their lives and the lives of their children attempting to reach Europe.

Comparable figures for 2015 show such numbers only began arriving in July.

"The majority of those arriving in January 2016, nearly 58 per cent, were women and children; one in three people arriving to Greece were children as compared to just 1 in 10 in September 2015," UNHCR's Chief spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a press briefing in Geneva.

Fleming added that over 91 per cent of those arriving in Greece come from the world's top ten refugee producing countries, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Winter weather and rough seas have not deterred those desperate enough to make the journey, resulting in near daily shipwrecks," she added.

When surveyed upon arrival, most of them cite they had to leave their homeland due to conflict. More than 56 per cent of January arrivals to Greece were from Syria.

However, UNHCR stressed that solutions to Europe's situation were not only eminently possible, but had already been agreed by States and now urgently needed to be implemented. Stabilization is essential and something for which there is also strong public demand.

"Within the context of the necessary reduction of dangerous sea arrivals, safe access to seek asylum, including through resettlement and humanitarian admission, is a fundamental human right that must be protected and respected," Fleming added.

She said that regular pathways to Europe and elsewhere were important for allowing refugees to reach safety without putting their lives in the hands of smugglers and making dangerous sea crossings.

"Avenues, such as enhanced resettlement and humanitarian admission, family reunification, private sponsorship, and humanitarian and refugee student/work visas, should be established to ensure that movements are manageable, controlled and coordinated for countries receiving these refugees," Fleming added.

Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's Director Bureau for Europe, added that faced with this situation, UNHCR hoped that EU Member States would implement at a faster pace all EU-wide measures agreed upon in 2015, including the implementation of hotspots and the relocation process for 160,000 people already in Greece and Italy and the EU-Turkey Joint-Action Plan.

"If Europe wants to avoid the mess of 2015, it must take action. There is no plan B," he also told the briefing.

UNHCR also called for more to be done to reinforce reception capacities at the points of entry to Europe, to allow for the humane and effective accommodation, assistance, registration and security screening of people arriving every day.

This is needed to identify those requiring protection, those who should be relocated to other countries within the EU, and those who do not qualify for refugee protection and for whom effective and dignified return mechanisms have to be put in place.

Regrettably, the first six weeks of 2016 have also seen multiple developments in Europe suggesting that some countries are prioritizing keeping refugees and migrants out over finding realistic solutions. Since the start of 2016 border control measures have been tightened in many European States. Despite repeated calls by UNHCR to expand legal pathways to allow refugees and asylum seekers to access asylum, many European Member States are in fact reducing the legal avenues available.

On the legal front, restrictive measures on family reunification were imposed in January in Denmark, with refugees now only able to apply for their family to join them after three years, instead of one.

"Other countries are contemplating similar or even more restrictive legislation at a time when European countries need to improve the legal and secure ways to access family reunion and thus combat smuggling," Fleming added.

Recent successive announcements of national measures aimed at trying to appear more unattractive than the neighbouring country only underlines the dire need for an effective comprehensive European response, the problems cannot simply be shifted from one country to another. A race to the bottom helps no-one.

UNHCR recognizes the challenges some European countries are facing due to significant arrivals of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Clearly States have a sovereign right to manage their borders; however, this must be done in accordance with national, EU and international law. The possible damaging impact of individual measures and practices on the rights and lives of refugees has to be considered.

Increasing acts of violence and prejudice have jeopardized the safety and well-being of refugees and asylum seekers across Europe. Fuelled by xenophobia and propaganda campaigns based on fear, refugee families, homes and places of worship are being targeted with hate crimes varying from physical attacks, vandalism, arson, and even more sinister incidents such as one where a mosque had blood thrown on its walls and a pig's head left at its door.

Some countries may instate policies to seize money and valuables from some asylum seekers with the purported aim of reducing costs of social assistance. Such measures carry enormous costs of their own, and have the effect of pandering to fear and discrimination.

Quick and thorough support mechanisms will be crucial for integrating people in countries receiving the highest number of refugees, including Germany and Sweden, to help dispel the fear and xenophobia and reinstate the common European principles of dignity, solidarity and human rights that the European Union was founded upon.

Jonathan Clayton, Geneva
They are both 30-1 on the morning line. They are both sons of Bernardini. They both have never been two turns. And they both could be the most fun to wager on in the Kentucky Derby Future Wagerand possibly the smartest in the long run. Their names are Zulu and Shagaf, and although neither has ever run in a stakes or beaten anyone of note, they just seem too intriguing to ignore. And one thing about Bernardini himself, you never ignored him, or better still, couldnt.

If you ask me about my main recollection of Bernardini as a racehorse it is that he was a dark bay and had no markings at all, yet you could spot him a hundred yards away. He wasnt a particularly tall horse, but seemed to dwarf other horses. He wasnt an overly muscled horse, but looked like The Hulk next to other horses. When he walked to the track in the morning and came into view it was as if all the horses became out of focus except him. Your eyes just went directly to him. You either knew immediately who he was or you asked, Who is that horse? He just stood out from the others. He had a swagger to him and walked like a champion boxer making his way to the ring. In short, he had what is known as the look of eagles.

When I watched the combined four performances of Zulu and Shagaf, I couldnt take my eyes off them, not from a physical standpoint, but a purely aesthetic standpoint. There was just something about them that caught the eye. Now, I admit, with young inexperienced 3-year-olds, that can be misleading, because you dont know who they are running against and theyre doing it in one-turn races. So far, theyre races are not about time and speed figures and who they beat. They are about the eye test, and like their sire, they just stand out.

I even ranked Zulu No. 12 in my first Derby Dozen, but took him off when he didnt work for several weeks. But he is back working now. The question is, can either of these two colts, with only four one-turn races and 29 total furlongs of racing between them, be ready to go 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May? Only two horses since 1918 have won the Derby with four career starts or less, and they were Big Brown in 2008 and Animal Kingdom in 2011. The difference is, those two horses never ran in a sprint and had already been two turns after their first two career starts. And, yes, Big Brown was total freak racing against a subpar crop of 3-year-olds, while Animal Kingdom went to show his greatness on dirt and grass and on two continents.

Todd Pletcher obviously thinks a great deal of Zulu or he wouldnt be asking him to make his stakes debut against the current Derby favorite, Mohaymen, and other proven stakes horses in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. By comparison, Zulu will go into the Fountain of Youth having raced a total of 13 furlongs, compared to Mohaymens 31 1/2 furlongs and three graded stakes victories. Pletcher has attempted to send lightly raced horses to the Derby before, and the last two years he won the battle, capturing the Florida Derby with Constitution and Materiality, but lost the war.

Shagaf could turn up anywhere, and well just have to wait for Chad Brown to decide where his next start will be.

So, what makes these two Bernardinis so special and why would anyone gamble on a pair of horses who are unproven in stakes company and basically bucking history, with so few races?

Because the feeling here is that we havent seen anything close to what these colts are capable of, and they should only keep improving the farther they go. And that is the intrigue of the Derby trail and the Future Wager  trying to ferret out those potential superstars before the whole world catches on. Are they up against it time-wise and experience-wise? Definitely. Could one little hiccup along the way knock them off the trail? Definitely. Is it possible theyre simply not as good as advertised? That is always a possibility in racing, where risk is a way of life.

As for Zulu, he has one of those rare strides that is a thing of beauty (sound familiar?). He has tremendous extension to his stride, is smooth as silk, and he almost appears to be leaping forward with each stride, as if bounding along and exerting little effort. He also has demonstrated an excellent turn of foot, separating himself from his opponents in a flash. And hes already turned back a serious challenge in his debut, so he has been in a battle, as brief as it was. Can he do that against far better horses? Who really knows?

One of the reasons I put him in my first Derby Dozen is that theres something about him, the way he looks and runs, that reminds me of Bernardini. He just has a lot of catching up to do, especially with that gap between his last start and his first work back. Well see how Pletcher works him leading up to the Fountain of Youth, where it is safe to say he doesnt have to win. If he can be fairly competitive with Mohaymen and the others and look as if hes ready to take a big step forward in his final Derby prep, that will be plenty.

When youre dealing with such inexperienced colts and rush them to try to make the Derby, there is always the risk of compromising their careers in the long run. But the sirens lure of the Derby makes owners and trainers attempt things they normally wouldnt...or shouldn't.

Shagaf is a regal-looking colt, who also has a smooth, effortless way of moving. Both colts are professional in that they always change leads right on cue. Unlike Zulu, who was a $900,000 2-year-old purchase, Shagaf is a homebred, and its always good to see a Maktoum  Coolmore rivalry develop.

In Shagafs first start, he tracked the pace and rated beautifully along the inside. Once the pace picked up on the turn, he seemed to be going nowhere for a brief instant, but quickly put it in gear and swept by the two leaders on the outside and drew off to a comfortable score. It is always impressive when a 2-year-old wins his career debut going a mile. That is not exactly the easiest spot for a young horse to debut and he did it with relative ease.

Much was expected of him in his 3-year-old debut and he was sent off as the 4-5 favorite. Although many seemed disappointed with his workmanlike two-length victory after opening up by four at the eighth pole and his slow final quarter, it must be remembered that he found himself on the lead way too soon midway on the far turn and already had a clear lead turning for home. Also, he had not run in two months and had only four relatively slow half-mile breezes during all that time. It was obvious he was far from fully cranked for this race. Another thing to note is the way he re-broke after the wire and opened up by about six lengths or more on the gallop-out. So whether he simply lost focus taking the lead prematurely or tired a little, or a combination of both, he had to be a bit short and this was no more than a good tightener and bottom builder, and you can be sure hell be a lot sharper and fitter next time.

Pedigree-wise, Shagaf has five Belmont Stakes winners -- A.P. Indy, Tabasco Cat, Seattle Slew, Temperence Hill, and Secretariat -- in his first four generations and his only inbreeding is to the potent Fappiano through Quiet American and Unbridled. For those who believe in the Rasmussen Factor (inbreeding to top quality mares), Zulu is inbred close-up to Weekend Surprise through her sons A.P. Indy and SummerSquall. On the bottom, Zulu's great-grandsire Lemhi Gold was champion older horse and winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Marlboro Cup, San Juan Capistrano, and Sword Dancer Stakes, and is a son of the great stamina influence Vaguely Noble.



Certainly no one is claiming these two colts look like Derby winners right now. There is too much work ahead of them, and everything is going to have to go perfectly from here on. But if youre looking for two horses with a world of ability and promise, you can have a lot of fun with these two and have bragging rights for quite a while if they turn out as good as advertised and somehow emerge as stars on the first Saturday in May. And if it doesnt work out, anyone know of any Preakness future bets out there?
Linda Manning is a co-founder of the Carlisle Victory Circle, a board member with the Carlisle Area School District and a member of the Carlisle Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee.

Shes also one of Carlisles vocal leaders in the black community.

Manning helped organize the boroughs 27th Annual Commemoration of the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The event drew more than 100 Carlisle residents and local and county officials march through the boroughs streets Sunday, Jan. 17.

With Black History Month well underway in February, Manning said that while Carlisle has progressed somewhat in developing race relations, there is still much work to be done.

Q. Were in the midst of Black History Month, how do you think Carlisle responds to this celebratory month?

A. Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February, and the United Kingdom in October.

Black History Month often sparks an annual debate about the continued usefulness and fairness of a designated month dedicated to the history of one race. The Theme for 2016 Black History Month is: Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memory.

I think Carlisles response to celebrating Black History Month is lukewarm. In comparison to the community-wide celebration of the Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. there is no community-wide celebration of Black History Month in Carlisle.

Q. Are you currently involved in any events around the borough?

A. I am currently not involved in organizing any Black History Month events around the Borough of Carlisle. I will be attending the following upcoming Black History Month events in the Borough:

Hope Station, in collaboration with students in the Africana Studies Department and the African American Society at Dickinson College, will host a Black History Festival on Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Stuart Community Center located in Carlisle. At the closing of the festival a dance for our youth is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Our goal is to raise awareness and support leadership opportunities for our youth, while also honoring Black history through storytelling, local cuisine, music from groups such as the Dickinson College Gospel Choir, and exhibits.

On Feb. 28, 2016 at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Carlisle will celebrate its 2016 Annual Black History Month Program at 4 p.m. The church is located at the corner of North West and Lincoln Streets.

Q. Race is such a big issue in todays news, and the MLK march last month that you helped plan wanted to unify and bring to life MLKs dream. How do you think the borough responded to the march and were you happy with the results?

A. I think the boroughs response to the march was outstanding. I was happy to see the increased number of people participating in the march this year, which included children and teens, parents, student athletes from the Carlisle Area School District, local ministers, church groups, elected-officials and friends. The march included a diverse group of people from across the borough and from different cultures, which I think Dr. King would be pleased with the superb cooperation with the Borough of Carlisle in securing various permits, wonderful cooperation and support from the Pastor and Congregation of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Carlisle Police Department.

Q. Is there something that you think the borough can do to help spread that message of unity?

A. I think we need to continue to work together to nurture the soul of each individual and spread the message of peace, understanding, and love. The borough cannot exist without these. We should cherish each other and help regenerate Carlisle with care and kindness instead of always finding fault. Participate in the Carlisle YWCA work on eliminating racism; I also think we are doing this when the borough has events like The Amani Festival, Juneteenth, Farmers on the Square, First Fridays, Taking it to the Streets, Carlisle Harvest of Arts Festival and The Annual Commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Q. If there was one thing you could to further unify people within Carlisle, what would it be?

A. The one thing I would do is work on is building relationships with people from different cultures. Relationships are powerful. Our one-to-one connections with each other are the foundation for change. And building relationships with people from different cultures, often many different cultures, is key in building diverse communities that are powerful enough to achieve significant goals.
A new study has revealed that people who are more educated and avoid heart disease have lesser chances of getting Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, as compared to people who are less educated, NPR reports.

The study suggested that people might have some control over their risk of dementia as they age.

The study was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

For the study, the researchers looked at 30 years of records from more than 5,000 people in the famed Framingham Heart Study, which studied the health of volunteers in Framingham, Mass.

The study found that the incidence of dementia declined about 20 percent per decade starting in the 1970s among people who had at least a high school education.

The researchers also found that the people who had better markers for cardiovascular health, such as normal blood pressure, were also less likely to develop dementia.

"That's telling us that perhaps better management of cardiovascular disease could potentially help in the reduction of dementia," says Claudia Satizabal, an author of the study and an instructor in neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Kenneth Langa, a professor at the University of Michigan who also studies trends in dementia told NPR that there was a decline in the prevalence of dementia and cognitive decline in line with the Framingham Study report.

He also stressed on the importance of cardiovascular in preventing dementia.

"The evidence both from animals in the cage and epidemiological studies shows that physical activity seems quite important for keeping your blood vessels healthy, and probably some specific growth factors that help the neurons in the brain. The general point that was brought out in the Framingham study is that cardiovascular fitness is very important."
Wyoming Business Tips for Feb. 21-27

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Lisa daCosta, WyomingEntepreneur.Biz business adviser

I am so busy with my business, I dont have time to write perfect blog posts. Do you have any blog post hacks you can share? Redd, Moran

A Google search of the phrase blog post hacks brings up 24.6 million results, which means you are not the only business owner searching for answers on this topic. Knowing that most business owners are balancing other responsibilities in their businesses and struggling to come up with ideas, here are a couple of thoughts on the matter.

-- Short on time? How about a quick tip or crafting a message around an article or graphic from a peer in your industry? According to Brent Riggs at linkyblog.com, by reading other blogs, you can find content you can either rewrite or respond with a reaction piece. Do you agree, disagree or have more information on the topic to share? Use the other blog post as a springboard, including links to the original article and credit back to the blogger.

-- Rely on your own company staff and customer experiences as life examples for blog topics. Write about the problems solved or customer considerations in buying decisions. These topics keep your blog posts relevant to your readers and clients.

-- Use a great photo or graphic on your post to capture attention. Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, cites studies that show 55 percent of website viewers spent less than 15 seconds actively on a page. 3M Corp. noted, in a report on presentations, that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text copy. So, if you only have someone for 15 seconds, make sure that person gets the gist of your message with a good graphic or photo.

-- Another tip is to write in short sentences and simple words, to make it easier for the reader to get to your point quickly. Use action verbs and trim flabby or filler words that dont contribute to the basic thought of the sentence.

By incorporating these concepts, you can present your followers with better ideas and content with less effort.

The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
Wipro buys HealthPlan Services

Published: February 12, 2016

Indias third largest IT exporter Wipro Limited has acquired US based healthcare technology firm HealthPlan Services for US 460 million dollars.

This acquisition was part of the Wipros traditional string of pearls acquisition strategy and it shall help company to strengthen its position in the US health insurance market.

It will help Wipro to participate in the shift of the US health insurance industry towards a customer-centric business model as it has currently has a US 800 million dollars healthcare and life sciences business.

This is Wipros overall 4th acquisition in the in calendar year 2015 after it had bought Denmark-based Designit, German IT consulting firm Cellent AG and US-based Viteos Group.

HealthPlan Services: It is a leading independent technology and Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) provider in the US health insurance market that offers solutions to health insurance firms. The company was founded in 1970 and currently generates annual revenue of 223 million dollars and employs over 2,000 associates.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2016

Topics: Business  Current Affairs 2016  Economy  Health insurance  IT sector  Wipro

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The Goose Creek Fire Department was called to the 600 block of Iroquois for a pole barn that was on fire early Thursday at 1:25 a.m.

Fire Chief Bob Reeves said that there was someone at that location around 8 p.m. that night and when they arrived for the fire no one was there.

I called the fire marshal because somebody was there and they left, said Reeves. When we arrived there was no one on the scene and we couldnt see any electric run to the building. It was very suspicious. It was a pole barn fire and there was a trailer inside of it.

Reeves said when they arrived, there were flames shooting out the front door and out part of the roof.

My guy hit it with our deck gun ... and knocked down most of the fire, said Reeves. I had two pumpers and two tankers there and we attacked the fire for about an hour and a half.

Reeves said when the metal siding would collapse on the fire, they would pull the metal out and the fire would flame it up again.

We would squirt it down and rake it out, said Reeves. It was like a great big sandwich, every time we would pull something out there would be more fire. We were back and forth.

Big River, Lake Timberline, De Soto Rural and Desloge departments assisted the Goose Creek Fire Department.

They had Wolf Creek and Kinsey departments heading out to assist, but Reeves said he sent them back because the roads were bad and they had enough people there to keep working on it.
So NXT was actually poor this week which is a shame as it is usually WWE best product. Even Raw might have topped this weeks NXT. This could be because we expect so much from NXT. But this weeks episode felt SWAFT.

The matches this week were poor and left nothing to desire. Compared to Apollo Crews - Finn Balor last weeks this card felt weak. The divas were the main focus which was nice, just the wrong divas were showcased.

We had a package to open the show which was really cool and was put together well, Carmella vs Bayley should be a good fight and it made us excited for the night ahead.

We opened up with Baron Corbin Vs Johnny Gragano. Barons hate for Indy stars is really kicking off and if this becomes his gimmick it would be great. Johnny on the other hand is winning over the fans with ease. HIs wrestling ability is second to none. He even wrestled Samoa Joe three weeks ago in the main event. Commentary was great for his fight and played up both wrestlers. The duo of Corey Graves and Tom Phillips is perfect and a two man both is great. Corbin has improved a lot since his debut and is looking more and more believable as a wrestler. Corbin won with a beautiful end of days. Both men are wrestlers for the future!

Baron Corbin Photo:Twitter

Sami Zayn gave a lovely backstage segment and played up his battle with Joe next week. Sami Zayn is the next Daniel Bryan, a made baby face! (So Excited).We then saw a great promo for Simon Gotch and Aidan English. Very excited for their continued heel run.

We then have The Hype Bros. vs. John Skylar & Corey Hollis this match was nothing special, the Hype Bros are not very interesting and you knew they would get the win, very disappointing match, hitting the hype ride for the win, this was a squash match and just not needed at all.

Backstage package of Bayley and Carmella talking up their fight and how important the womans title means to both of them. Great stuff which makes the fight mean even more. Something we have never see on WWE TV.

Next for a terrible match, that was so bad.As Cameron took on Alexa Bliss. This was hard to watch. Cameron botched a close line......a close line. Aren't these girls both heel why are they fighting? If heels are fighting please give them a reason! The crowd did not like this match and deserved better. Now this was not Alexa's fault at all she tried really hard and did a lovely little bit where she stood on Cameron and just stomped on her it was great. The crowd started chanting for Alexa Bliss but they were just confused. Double knees from Alexa and a Sparkle Splash for the pin.Bliss takes the win. This was a match to see what these two girls got and clearly Bliss has some talent and deserves better than working with Cameron.

Backstage again (love these between matches) Enzo and Cass cut a promo on Dash and Dawson. It was great Enzo is great, Cass is great the tag team division is perfect. Jordan and Gable came out and did the funniest promo with Enzo and Cass just good funny segment. Great from both teams and both are already made superstars.

Now for another terrible match. The Drifter Elias Sampson vs. Jesse Sorenson. This is terrible. The crowd even starting chanting "Drift away". This was shocking and this match made Sampson just look bad. He is Aggressive which is good but that is all. The crowd then started chanting "Nickelback" to Sampson. Poor match and not good from NXT. Gravess great commentary could not even save this match just terrible.

We saw clips from Balor - Crews and it was great then Crews cut a promo suggesting a heel turn which would be very interesting.

Main Event

First off Carmella came out to no reaction and gave a terrible intro for herself. Bayley of course got huge cheers and is amazing. It felt like a big match and Phillips and Graves made it even more important. A great duo and hope they dont leave for the main roster.

The crowd were well behind Bayley. They hugged before the fight and we were off. Bayley was in control and then Carmella made a comeback with a big boot and a terrible huricanrrana. Bayley takes back control and Bayley on the top rope and Carmella knocks her to the outside.

Carmella then did a great dive to the outside it was awesome, and quickly followed it up with another, and the fans were quickly becoming invested in her and the match.The challenger was in control and nearly locked in a submission but it went back and forth with some pinning combinations and eventually Bayley got the pin and it was a nice way to win compared to the usual finisher. They hugged at the end and everything was fine. It was an okay fight amazing compared to the other matches on this card.

End of the match Nia Jax and Eva Marie attack Bayley and it was brutal out comes Auska to save the day. A standoff between Auska and Bayley saved this show it was perfect.

Bayley is scared photo:WWE

Bad choice to end it with a Joe Promo for next week nothing was said in the promo just building up his match with Sami Zayn next week.

Overall poor.Very poor NXT saved by a segment Between Bayley and Asuka. It was hard to watch and was not entertaining. Felt like a filler episode and something big must happen soon! Especially with Lucha Underground doing so well. Hopefully Next Week is better. 4/10

Results:

Baron Corbin beat Johnny Gragano

The Hype Bros. beat. John Skylar & Corey Hollis

Alexa Bliss beat Cameron

Elias Sampson beat Jesse Sorenson

Bayley beat Carmella
The City of Park Hills is moving forward in an attempt to acquire funds from the ASARCO settlement to use for restoration of the damage caused by lead contamination to the Flat River, which flows through the city and surrounding areas.

The Park Hills City Council recently gave the go-ahead for city officials to engage the Crawford, Murphy and Tilly engineering firm to assist in evaluating points along the Flat River that make the most sense to spend ASARCO settlement funds.

ASARCO LLC is a mining, smelting and refining company based in Tucson, Arizona. For several years, the company operated a plant in Leadwood that resulted in substantial lead contamination and environmental damage all along the Big River Watershed of St. Francois County, in addition to contamination in other surrounding counties.

As a result of a lawsuit that concluded in 2009, ASARCO made a cash settlement of approximately $1.2 billion that was allocated for restoration, remediation and ecological damages in several different states, paid to the federal government for subsequent allocation.

According to Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, approximately $42 million of the settlement was set aside for restoration and land acquisition in the Lead Belt area.

In a controversial and highly publicized move pushed through by Gov. Jay Nixon, $10.98 million dollars of the ASARCO settlement funds were recently allocated for the purchase of 2,463 acres of Oregon County ranchland for the creation of a new state park, in addition to five other projects.

This leaves about $30 million for agencies in the Lead Belt to apply for through the grant process developed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest services.

Were working now with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly and the Army Corps of Engineers to determine what areas we could improve upon the Flat River to stabilize the banks and reduce the danger of flooding, said Norm Lucas, Park Hills economic developer. Because when the river floods, it brings lead out of the river onto adjoining properties, some of which are city park properties. We do not want to have the EPA order Doe Run to, again, remove all the soil from one of our parks down to a depth of a foot. That put Haney Park out of commission as far as resident use for over a year and close to two years. We really dont want that to happen again.

Anything we can do to keep that from becoming a necessity again would be a good thing. And if the ASARCO settlement funds could be used to help us do that, we believe that would be a much better use than buying more ground in Oregon County, said Lucas.

Largely because of the diversion of funds to Oregon County, which is well outside the areas impacted by the damage caused by the ASARCO operation, Lucas and other city officials have their doubts about whether the remaining funds will be distributed fairly.

The proposal process now, said Lucas, as it has been amended since that draft (which was distributed to agencies in the affected areas prior to the Oregon County diversion) is so wide open that it can be anything from a roll of the dice to picking of a short straw, whatever they care to do, as far as I can tell. There is no solid process now in place as there was previous.

The city will, nevertheless, go ahead and submit a proposal asking for a portion of the settlement under these looser guidelines in the hopes that somebody will take pity on the people who actually have the environmental damage to deal with after the fact, he said.

The Flat River is of particular concern, said Lucas, because of past flooding and because of its designation years ago, along with the Big River, as rivers having impaired waters.

Impaired rivers, said Lucas, have restrictions on the number of fish you can eat safely due to contamination of the water.

The goal of the city, according to Lucas, is to keep the sediment, the contaminants, from being more widely spread out of the river and keep the lead contained. The acquisition of ASARCO funds would go a long way toward assisting the city in attaining this goal.
Zimbabwe suffers a massive disaster in the form of drought which has hit immensely on the entire country. The Vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa has appealed for $1.5bn aid from the local businesses and charities to save more than a quarter of his population from extreme water scarcity.

The massive downfall in the adequate amount of rain in the country led to the severe condition of drought which directly affected the basic amenities of the people."There is a threat to human and animal life as safe water, irrigation water and drinking water sources for animals are increasingly drying up," said the Vice President, noted The Guardian.

President Robert Mugabe declared Zimbabwe as "a state of disaster" owing to the immense drought conditions in major parts of the country, the Vice President's plea for funds came after a week of his announcements. Livelihood and Agriculture are the two major factors of concern as far as the country's present situation is concerned.

Therefore, most of the funds will be utilized to import the foodstuffs for the country and also to repair the irrigation equipment across the country so that food production could increase from a minimal level to marginal level."About 1.5 million metric tonnes of staple maize will be required to feed people from February to December, said Mnangagwa", reported Aljazeera.

This kind of disaster or severe situation of water scarcity is termed as EL NINO. As claimed by UN, this kind of El Nino has brought drier conditions in most of the southern parts of the Africa while the eastern part has been hit by wet conditions.

The World Food programme, UN's food assistance branch declared last month that around 14 million population in Southern Africa are facing water and food scarcity due to the poor harvests in 2015, caused by the latest El Nino.

As per the emergency response manager's report, rain was expected to fall from September to October but that didn't happen as a result of which very few population were able to grow food resulting in the crisis of food and water, as stated in Dispute Press.

The relief work has been very proactive in the country yet, in their point of view, the country's situation is not going to see any improvements in the upcoming days. Formerly known as the BREADBASKET, the country has suffered a perennial shortage of food and water in the recent years which led to its dependencies on the neighboring countries.
Yahoo announced that it will lay off 107 jobs starting April 11. The layoff is just the first phase of a much bigger restructuring plan involving more than 1,500 job cuts in total, about 15 percent of the company's workforce. The 107 employees already received their written 60-day advance on Wednesday.



The layoffs were spread across a range of departments and job titles, but the majority of the affected positions seems to be engineering roles, as reported by Bizjournals. When the whole restructuring plan is carried out, the tech giant would have 9,000 employees and fewer than 1,000 contractors. It's likely that most of the layoffs notices would already be issued by the end of March, giving the affected employees 60 more days before they have to leave the office.



The plan was first announced by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this month. Mayer stated that the company will have to cut about 15 percent of its workforce to help revamp its core internet business.



Re/code argued that Mayer's decision was in some degree influenced by some outside advisers. McKinsey & Co., also Goldman Sachs and Qatalyst Partners are helping the company through numbers of issues under the leadership of Marissa Mayer. The mentioned advisers were also reportedly involved in one of the company's biggest decision to separate its stakes in the Alibaba Group.



Since she took the helm three years ago, Mayer has been trying to make some changes to improve the company. She had her rise and fall, and now the investors appear to have lost faith in her leadership and demanded a change in management, including Mayer to be replaced.



Mayer started out with a mission to save Yahoo amid fierce competition in the tech and digital age. People had their hopes up when she was first appointed to lead the company. But until now, Yahoo is still undergoing slowing growth and seeing complicated internal conflicts. According to Business Insider, Yahoo's shares are down about 18.5 percent this year, at $27.10 on Wednesday.



Besides job cuts, Yahoo's plan also involve shutting down some website portals and closing five of its offices. The company plans to exit Dubai, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Madrid, and Milan.



Yahoo's layoff that was announced on Wednesday affected 107 employees from across departments and job titles. However, it's just the first batch of what is planned to be a huge restructuring, with as much as 1,500 job cuts, as settled by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.
Caterpillar Inc. announced on Wednesday, it has joined hands with its long-term partner, Rimco, to be the official CAT dealer in Cuba once the 55-year-old trade embargo lifts. The construction equipment manufacturer had always been for lifting the restrictions that came in between Cuba and the United States.

Caterpillar's association with the Puerto Rican establishment goes back more than three decades. "We're exceptionally proud of our 34-year relationship with Caterpillar," said Richard F. McConnie, President of Rimco, according to PR Newswire. "There is great affinity between Cuba and Puerto Rico as a result of our shared language, culture and traditions. Rimco will be honored to serve the Cuba market once the United States and Cuba re-establish commercial relations."

Vice President Philip Kelliher, who oversees the Americas & Europe Distribution Services Division, is equally pleased to step into this partnership with Rimco. The earth movers have been an advocate for removing the trade hurdles with Cuba for nearly two decades. "Cuba needs access to the types of products that Caterpillar makes and, upon easing of trade restrictions, we look forward to providing the equipment needed to contribute to the building of Cuba's infrastructure," said Philip Kelliher in his statement, as per USA Today.

The Obama administration followed up on their 2014 proposal and relaxed some laws on American trade and investments, which mainly focuses on financing exports and re-exports to the island as well as encourages the travel companies who've long been eyeing the Caribbean market. However, currently, it does not really include the kind of equipment the CAT specializes in, like construction and mining equipment, power systems, and marine and industrial engines. To this, the company very succinctly put, "Think of it as a track meet. This puts us in the starting block and lets policymakers know we're ready to go as soon as the embargo is lifted," according to Miami Herald.

Caterpillar shares fell by 2.8%, to $62.14, following the Cuban speculations. But the company holds on to its propaganda that it has been voicing for so many years now. In a recent press release, the Caterpillar chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman sent out a strong message to the Republican-led Congress asking them to do their bit towards ending the cold war with the island inhabitants and removing trade barriers completely. Oberhelman feels, "it is now time to unleash the full power of engagement by fully normalizing relations." An opportunity to integrate itself into the global economy is all Cuba needs to improve the everyday lives of the islanders.
The present government of Canada is experiencing a series of scarcity in the budget, which could reach $90 billion over the mandate period of four years. The financial experts now predicts Canada's economic growth to be merely 1% or even less in the present year.

The government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure with an economy slapped by the collapse in oil market, THE GLOBE AND MAIL said citing a study report. The Liberal government is facing challenges from two sides, in the first place it has to work hard to elevate the fading economy, and secondly the government has to manage the books, while at the same time keeping up its election pledges.

According to Warren Lovely, head of public sector research at National Bank Financial, the fading economy combined with election vows of the Liberals created a budget scarcity of $90 billion over the mandate period. The budget deficit denotes a total erosion of $100 billion in the budget plan that was presented 10 months ago, Lovely added.

Warren Lovely also said that the Liberal government of Canada failed to keep deficits to $10 billion per year. Currently, the economy of Canada requires a strict financial policy that focuses on low spending and/or higher taxes in the coming years.

The struggling Liberal government needs to insert a minimum of C$50 billion into Canada's fading economy to assist the nation to sustain the fall in oil prices as well as to accelerate growth, Bloomberg said quoting financial expert David Rosenberg. Canada is one of the few nations, which has the scope to involve in economic incentives, Rosenberg added.

"It's got to be in smart infrastructure. There are areas of the economy in transportation infrastructure, communication, that could have tremendous multiplier impacts," Rosenberg said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. According to him, the nation should not depend merely on fiscal policy, but the fiscal response is the most needed aspect for the Canadian economy.

According to financial experts, by aiming debt-to-GDP, the government could generate annual scarcity of nearly $25 billion in the future years and can further lessen the ratio if the economy develops at a moderate pace, thestar.com reports. Warren Lovely estimates Canada's bottom line has decelerated by $15 billion for 2016 -2017, when compared to previous forecast in the budget that was presented during the Conservative government. This number has dropped nearly $9 billion from November, Lovely added.

The Canadian government need to relax its medium-term loan goal further to boost flexibility to provide robust monetary motivation package that the Canadian economy actually wants. The capital injection will rescue the nation's economy from the chain of budget deficits.
Samsung Electronics has announced Thursday providing telecommunications infrastructure and devices for the Korean Public Safety Network using LTE technology. Upon implementation, this will be the first live PS-LTE network in the world in compliance with the 3GPP telecommunications standard.

The technology will enable people to connect themselves during emergency situations. The first responders may get connected to download videos and high resolution images of the locations they are heeding to. It will also enable users to tap into the network in search of available roads in a flood situation, reports Engadget.

3GPP is an international group of telecommunications bodies that hash out network standards (GPRS, 3G and LTE). Samsung will allow accessing PS-LTE initially in Seoul only. In second phase, it will be expanded up to Gangwon province and to countrywide by 2017, according to a report published in The Map Stories.

The demand for effective public safety communications has been increased dramatically. Samsung's public safety network technology is capable of addressing the demand, reports Samsung Newsroom quoting Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics.
Garmin, the specialist in GPS technology on Thursday announced the acquisition of DeLorme. Following the acquisition, DeLorme, known for its maps and satellite communication devices, will become R&D center for Garmin.

Garmin acquired DeLorme at an undisclosed amount. As the consequence of acquisition DeLorme will close its map store in the company's headquarter in Yarmouth, Maine. Nevertheless, the company will continue to produce its famous Atlas and Gazetteer map series, according to Kim Stiver, DeLorme's vice president of marketing.

"The deal hasn't closed, and we're very early in the process of talking about integration with Garmin," Stiver said as cited by CBS WGME 13. "They certainly admire our strengths and history in mapping."

As an early pioneer of global positioning system technology, DeLorme is a respected company in the GPS and satellite tracking technology. The company is also known for its inReach, a hand-held, two-way satellite communication device as its flagship product. The inReach provides a wide range of GPS and satellite communication devices, which enable users to trigger an SOS, also providing two-way messaging system via satellite.

DeLorme was founded in 1976 by David DeLorme who wanted to make a better and updated map of Maine and states in the U.S., combining data of state highway, county and town maps, and federal surveys. The company made its first detailed topographic map data of the entire world in 1987.

With its extensive and updated data, DeLorme is an undisputed pioneer of GPS technology.

Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble acknowledge DeLorme reputation and told ABC News, "DeLorme is a respected brand with exciting products and technologies that are a natural fit in the Garmin portfolio."

DeLorme's headquarter in Maine is a home for Eartha, the world's largest rotating globe. The globe has a diameter of more than 41 feet (12.5 m) with 600 pounds (2,500 kg) in weight. Based on official measurement from Guinness Book of World Records in 1999, the globe's diameter is 41 feet 1.5 inches (12.53 m).

Eartha was put in place in July 1998 and has become a public attraction since then. It also become the landmark of Yarmouth. After the acquisition, Eartha will remain open for public and tourist attraction.

Some people have showed concern of DeLorme. One visitor to DeLorme map store, Kay Fiedler of Oakland told Portland Press Herald, "It's just kind of sad because it's a Maine institution."

DeLorme will become research and development center for Garmin, with an emphasis on satellite communications devices and technologies. Garmin is a maker of GPS receivers device founded in 1989 in Kansas. The name Garmin was a portmanteau of its founders, Gary Burrell and Min Kao.

Following the acquisition of DeLorme, Garmin strengthens its position as GPS technology specialist. DeLorme will become research and development center for Garmin.
Uber Technologies said that it has decided to pay $28.5 million to about 25 million customers as a settlement in the cases; Mena vs. Uber and Philliben vs. Uber. With regard to this settlement, Uber has agreed to evade the use of some languages in adds pertaining to safety and also reword the phrase "Safe Ride Fee."

The company said that it will retitle the add term "Safe Ride Fee" to "a Booking Fee." Uber noted that the fee will be utilized to envelope both safety and extra operational costs that could occur over the long period. Lyft, one of Uber's rival, has taken similar approach.

The company said it has appealed to the US District Court for the Northern District of California and it is waiting for approval from the jury. If Uber's settlement deal is approved, the passengers, who availed the company's trip in the middle of January 1, 2013 and January 31, 2016 in the US, will be informed through an email and the settlement will be made either by the customers' account or through credit card.

Technology has made things easy for both drivers and passengers during the complete course of a trip, which was impossible before the advent of smartphones. But, still accidents are unavoidable as far as any means of transport is concerned. It is very important that the language in the safety adds must me clear in order to avoid such accidents, Uber noted.

According to The New York Times, the US-based mobile ride firm uses Hirease, which said that it had a middling turnaround duration of "less than 36 hours." In early 2014, the lawmakers of the country complained that both Lyft and Uber focused on speed rather than in quality with an aim to increase the number of drivers in their firm.

In 2014 spring, Uber was the first mobile ride firm to roll out the "Safe Ride Fee", which varied from one market to another. In Philadelphians the pay is $1.25 a trip, in San Francisco it is nearly $1.35 a trip and in Los Angelinos the pay is $1.65. In this case, the lawyers of the accusers are going to be the biggest winners, while the passengers may get a meager amount from the settlement, THE VERGE said.

In November 2015, Uber agreed to pay a sum of $1.8 million for wrongly collecting airport taxes from California riders. Uber could evade the situation of reclassifying its taxi drivers if it wins the settlement case, the result of which is still waiting in the hands of the judge.

The company's aim to invest further in its app technology will improve safety for riders as well as boost Uber's customer base. The settlement in these cases will allow the company to work peacefully and focus on its prospective growth.
Soundcloud has released its financial report that revealed the music streaming service's 2014 loss of $44 million. Combined with the result from 2012, the company has lost more than $85 million dollars in three years.

According to Billboard, the company's revenue actually shows a substantial growth of 53.9 percent, which brought $19.7 million to the company's financial. However, the company's expenses were far bigger than that number. In total, Soundcloud's expenses in 2014 alone reached $63.8 million, about three times bigger than the income.



The large expenses are mostly due to significant increase in administrative expenses. Expenses for staffs to develop and market the service including employee wages are up 67.8 percent to $54.1 million. Other expenses comes from other costs including cost of sales.



Soundcloud founder and CEO Alexander Ljung says that the investors remain supportive amid the huge losses the company faces year after year. He stated that they are optimistic that investors will continue to back them up because Soundcloud is one of the biggest music platforms in the world, and they're growing fast. The company claim that they have over 18 million music creators using the platform and 175 million monthly active listeners.



Ljung also acknowledged that to keep going, the company will need another round of funding. In the wake of the large losses, the company's business plan also stated that further capital investment will be required in the next 12 months.



According to Factmag, Soundcloud has got $77 million funds from investors last year. The company received backings from big names including Union Square Ventures and Kleiner, Perkins, and Caufield & Byers. However, if the company relies only on investments and revenue income, it's unlikely that they will achieve a positive cash flow.



The company stated that it expects losses for another three years as it strive to improve the concept and systems of financing. Complete Music Update reported that Soundcloud is trying to launch an advertising set-up and also a subscription service in its platform. The company has been in contact with music labels to make that happen and some major labels including Universal Music Group is on board.



Soundcloud is experiencing undoubtedly significant loss of $44 million in 2014 and a combined amount of $85 million between 2012 and 2014. The report for 2015 has not been released, but the company already expect another losses for the next three years. However, they remain optimistic that the business could grow with several strategy to increase income including advertising set-up and paid subscription service.
AT&T announced on Friday that it will conduct a field test for fifth generation of mobile network by the end of this year.The 5G provide data transfer speed beyond current capacity in fourth generation.

Previously, Verizon in September 2015 has announced to begin its field test in this year as well. Verizon worked with Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung to build its network infrastructure. While AT&T will work together with Ericsson and Intelstarting in the second quarter this year.

AT&T will administer its 5G field trials in in Austin,Texas. Chief Strategy Officer and Group President for AT&T Technology and Operations, John Donovan told USA Today, "The driving event there for us is we're a big broadband provider, we have merger commitments that we've agreed to, and we've agreed to serve some rural areas with wireless broadband."

In regard to economic scale of 5G, he added, "Ultimately as an integrated carrier we have a lot of incentive to (add) any new technology (to our) footprint, particularly if that 5G for fixed usage has better economics than fiber in certain locales." Moreover, Donovan told Re/code, "It's very appealing for us to get an early version to do broadband replacement."

The first research of fifth generation of mobile network has been initiated in 2008, when two separated research is conducted in the U.S. and South Korea. NASA partnered with M2Mi Corp in research, while South Korean government under Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy started research and development program on 5G technology.

In term of field testing, Japan's NTT DoCoMo was the first to test its 5G network in 2014. The Japanese mobile phone operator tested its 5G network built with Alcatel Lucent, Ericsson, Fujitsu, NEC, Samsung and Nokia.

Nokia planned to be one of the biggest player in 5G. The technology will provide better support for artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and self-driving car. Nokia chief technology officer Marcus Weldon told CNN Money, "5G will give birth to the next phase of human possibilities, bringing about the automation of everything."

In regard to the opportunity presented by 5G, Weldon said, "This automation, driven by a smart, invisible network, will create new businesses, give rise to new services and, ultimately, free up more time for people."

AT&T in cooperation with Intel and Ericsson will start 5G network field test by the end of this year. Its competitor, Verizon will also test the technology in this year in cooperation with Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Samsung.
A study by Pew Research Center revealed that the use of online or mobile dating services is increasing. It's reported that 15 percent of American adults have used online dating services either via online dating sites or apps.

Pew Research Center elaborated the study by further stating that 12 percent of the targeted population have ever used an online dating site. The percentage is up slightly from 9 percent in early 2013. However, the percentage of American adults who have ever used a dating app on their cellphone have increased significantly. From only 3 percent in early 2013, the percentage is now three times greater at 9 percent. In total, a previous report from early 2013 shown that the total percentage of American adults who have ever used online dating service, either sites or apps, is at 11 percent.

Entrepreneur noted that the research was conducted between June and July last year. In the form of phone interview surveys, the data collection involved more than 2,000 American adults, ranging from the age of 18 to 65+.

The report categorized the age groups to six categories and analyzed them separately for different measures. The data reveals that compared to earlier studies, the two groups with the most increased online dating activity are the age group of 18-24 years old, and 55-64 years old. From only 10 percent in early 2013, now 27 percent young adults from 18-24 years old have ever used online dating services. For the age group of 55-64 years old, the percentage increased twofold, from 6 percent in 2013 to 12 percent in the recent study.

According to Tech Crunch, the study also revealed that personal safety remains a major concern in online dating. More than half women who have used online dating agree that the method is more dangerous than meeting people in person first. They share the concern with 38 percent of male online daters.

However, online dating is still gaining more popularity, with 62 percent online daters agreed with the statement that online dating helps people find a better match, and 80 percent agreed that it's still a good way to meet people. It's also considered as easier and more efficient, agreed by 61 percent online dates.

The research concluded that online dating apps are increasing in popularity for people who consider online dating. From the age group category, more adults from the age group of 18-24 years old and 55-64 years old are using online dating services with a significant increase over the last two years.
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Contributed Photo/Brian Stetham Photography Michael Perlmutter (left) and Cynthia Killion star in Sharr Whites emotional thriller The Other Place, through March 13 at the Santa Paula Theater Center.

Rita Moran Columnist SHARE Contributed Photo/Brian Stetham Photography Cynthia Killion, left, and Scott Blanchard star in Sharr Whites emotional thriller The Other Place, through March 13 at the Santa Paula Theater Center. Contributed Photo/Brian Stetham Photography Cynthia Killion, from left, Michael Perlmutter and Amanda Canty star in Sharr Whites emotional thriller The Other Place, through March 13 at the Santa Paula Theater Center.

Sharr White's "The Other Place" traces a tangled web of emotions that unravel when Juliana, a cutting-edge scientist, begins to find herself distracted while in the Virgin Islands delivering a lecture on a medication she touts as a possible cure for dementia.

Having moved from research to promotion, Juliana offers a whip-smart presentation, until she is suddenly distracted by the eye-catching woman in a yellow bikini she sees, sitting in the midst of her scholarly audience. Ultimately the disrupted speech is quickly wrapped up and soon we find her back from the event and visiting a doctor who tries to narrow down the possibilities of her condition.

Juliana's husband, Ian, an oncologist, has arranged the visit and Juliana is in a restless mode, sparring with the female doctor rather than cooperating. By this time, Juliana has self-diagnosed herself as the victim of a brain tumor, but Ian is pushing her to consider other possibilities.

All of this might seem like a conventional opening for a plot, but in White's hands it turns into a fascinating collage of plot turns, with Juliana's quicksilver emotions keying starts and stops that seem to echo the ever-evolving condition of her mind. Key among these is her obsession with her daughter, who left as a young teen with one of Juliana's fellow scientists and seems never to have looked back. Throughout the play Juliana is desperately trying to talk to her daughter. She seems to succeed in a series of phone calls, but are they reality or fantasy? And there's her disgust with her husband for filing for divorce because of his attraction to another woman. He insists he is not leaving and not interested in anyone else. It's a she says-he says with no clear markers.

The Other Place

Sharr Whites Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama on stage at the Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 S. Seventh St., Santa Paula, through March 13. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. $20; seniors and students $18. www.santapaulatheatercenter.org, 525-4645.

Bringing all of this together in a sharp and emotional 80 minutes on the Santa Paula Theater Center stage are a crew of very able actors under the direction of Taylor Kasch. It's essentially a feast for female actors, and two remarkable ones are featured: Cynthia Killion as Juliana and Amanda Canty as The Woman, playing multiple parts.

Killion's role as Juliana is a major acting challenge given the ever-changing state of her sense of identity and the pull of her emotions from bright to dark, often instantaneously. It's a tough test of acting skills, but Killion rivets attention with her total engagement in the role.

Canty plays the doctor, the daughter, and in a key moment, a woman in the elucidating scene in "the other place," a cottage in Cape Cod where the family once lived. Defining each brief role and playing all with a firm grasp of character and nuance, Canty is a delight.

As Juliana's husband, the frustrated Ian, Michael Perlmutter exemplifies the anguish of a man who sees his romantic and intellectual partner over many years gradually fragment into someone he scarcely knows. Scott Blanchard plays multiple roles as The Man, all with efficiency and grace.

The drama lures the audience into intimate flashes of a disintegrating life, a roller coaster of anguish that somehow slows to a strand of peacefulness whose possibility of enduring is shaky at best.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The Ventura County Medical Examiners Office lies near the county hospital in Ventura.

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By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star

Former chief medical examiner Jon Smith has been ordered to appear as a witness in a murder trial, despite his attempt to fight a subpoena.

Michael Bresnak, 52, was arrested Aug. 21, 2013, on suspicion of killing Jeffrey Korber, 60, of Laguna Beach, his mother's "on-again-off-again" boyfriend.

Ventura police found Korber's body two years after family members reported him missing. His body was wrapped in black plastic and duct tape and stuffed inside a freezer at a storage facility.

Smith, then the county's chief medical examiner, performed the autopsy. But the physician fought a subpoena to appear at the trial partly because of a District Attorney's investigation into practices at the medical examiner's office during his tenure as chief.

In a motion to the court, Smith's attorney, Mark Pachowicz, said Smith would not answer questions if he is forced to appear at the trial. Instead, he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

"To require Dr. Smith to appear before the court, incur the expense of traveling here, having counsel present during any proceeding just to assert his right to remain silent serves no useful purpose and is an undue burden on him," Pachowicz wrote in a motion to quash the subpoena.

Smith was terminated from his county post at the end of August, several weeks after the DA's Office served a search warrant and seized documents from the medical examiner's Ventura office.

Last week, prosecutors issued the results of their eight-month probe into the medical examiner's office calling practices inappropriate, but saying criminal charges were unwarranted.

They found five cases in which a supervising investigator with no medical license conducted postmortem exams at Smith's direction.

But with no definitive legal standards or clear consensus among experts as to what constitutes an autopsy and who may perform one, the DA's Office said there was insufficient evidence to file charges.

The cases all involved natural or accidental causes of death and did not include Korber's case or any homicides.

Smith has not testified at trial since the investigation began, officials said. But Bresnak's attorney, Dusty Kawai, requested the subpoena for Smith.

Bresnak has a constitutional right to compel the former medical examiner to appear, Kawai, of the public defender's office, wrote in a motion on the matter. Smith has firsthand knowledge of the autopsy and other witnesses' testimony depends on his experience and observations during the exam, he said.

On Thursday, Judge Gilbert Romero sided with the defense, ordering Smith to comply with the subpoena.

The judge had reconsidered a tentative ruling earlier in the week to quash the subpoena because it did not include written notice that the witness may be entitled to receive fees and mileage, as required by law.

"I'm weighing the rights of the defendant verses the deficiency in the subpoena not complying with (the law)," Romero said.

That ruling came after hearing from the attorneys, as well as two investigators from the public defender's office about attempts to serve Smith with the subpoena. One had made a three-day trip to Northern California in mid-January, flying to Sacramento and driving two hours to the area where they believed Smith was staying.

Investigators did not see Smith on the trip. Later in the month, an investigator served him with the subpoena at an Ojai event, after apparently seeing a Facebook post that led him to believe Smith would attend.

On Thursday, Kawai said the language regarding mileage and fees was inadvertently left off the subpoena.

"We are making every attempt we can to cure the deficiency," he said at the hearing. His office had a check ready for Smith to reimburse mileage and fees required by law.

Pachowicz, however, said the law was clear. The subpoena required that notice and was invalid without it.

Romero told attorneys Thursday that there was little case law to provide the court with guidance on the issue. Smith could appeal.

Janice Maurizi, chief assistant district attorney, said prosecutors began having autopsies reviewed by an independent forensic pathologist when the DA's office opened its investigation into the medical examiner's office.

Calling it a stopgap until the new medical examiner was appointed, Maurizi said the work happened on a case-by-case basis as each got close to trial. It has only been a handful cases, she said.

"I think it's just out of an abundance of caution," said Maurizi, who oversaw the probe into the medical examiner's office. When the actions of a person are called into question, officials want to go back and verify the findings, she said.

Before the hearing Thursday, Pachowicz said the DA's Office had reached the correct result in determining that no criminal charges were warranted. Even with the office closing the investigation, Pachowicz said it's still his opinion that Smith should invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.

Jury selection in the Bresnak trial began Wednesday and is expected to continue next week. While Smith's subpoena requires him to show up Tuesday morning, he likely will be asked to return a different day.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CHUCK GRAHAM

Island foxes.

SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/USFWS/A. Little There are 6 subspecies of island fox, each named for the specific Channel Island they inhabit. Four of the subspecies - San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, and Santa Catalina island fox - were federally listed as endangered in 2004.

By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star

Island foxes faced bleak odds 15 years ago.

Golden eagles had decimated the fox population on three of the northern Channel Islands. On Catalina Island, farther south, an outbreak of canine distemper disease had killed hundreds of foxes.

"By the year 2000, the fox populations had declined by more than 90 percent. Their future was grim," said Steve Henry, field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Ventura.

In 2004, the federal agency listed foxes on the four islands as endangered.

Efforts were already underway on several fronts, from setting up captive breeding centers and vaccinating foxes to removing golden eagles and their nonnative prey, including pigs on Santa Cruz Island.

On Friday, the Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that foxes on San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, all part of Channel Islands National Park, be removed from the endangered species list.

The cinnamon-colored foxes  smaller than a house cat  made a comeback, marking the fastest recovery of any mammal on the endangered species list, officials said.

"This is the culmination of 20 years of work by a lot of people," said Tim Coonan, a biologist who started working with foxes when he came to the national park in 1992.

"It shows that the Endangered Species Act works," he said. "The foxes deserved to go on the list, and they did. Now, they deserve to go off the list. And (Fish and Wildlife) is proposing to take them off."

Video courtesty of the National Park Service.

The agency will publish its proposal in the Federal Register on Tuesday, opening a 60-day comment period. A final rule is expected within a year.

It also proposed improving the status of the Catalina Island foxes from endangered to threatened.

While data shows the Catalina population has increased, there is still a threat of disease on the island, officials said.

Coonan, who retired from the National Park Service late last year, said foxes were abundant on the islands in the early 1990s. There were 500 foxes on San Miguel, a small island off the coast.

But in the mid-1990s, the population started to decline, and by late 1998 it had dropped to 30. Officials knew then that they had to start a captive breeding program or lose the species.

"As a biologist, you deal with populations, and suddenly we were concerned about the individual fates of animals, which is not a business you want to be in," Coonan said.

At the worst of the decline, in 1999, only 15 foxes were left on San Miguel and Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz had an estimated 55.

When there's just 15 left, and just four males on San Miguel, there's not a lot of hope, Coonan said.

"We knew there was an outside shot, but I did not expect them to recover as soon as they did," he said.

In 2014, officials estimated 500 foxes were on San Miguel, 800 on Santa Rosa and 2,500 on Santa Cruz.

Officials estimated Catalina had about 1,700 foxes in 2014, up from 100 a decade earlier.

Recovery efforts worked, and foxes did well in captivity and when they were released back into the wild.

A relative of the mainland gray fox, island foxes are found only on the Channel Islands. Each island has its own subspecies.

They're inquisitive and curious and sometimes known to take socks if a camper leaves them out, said Christie Boser, California islands ecologist for The Nature Conservancy, which manages Santa Cruz Island with the National Park Service.

"They evolved in fairly isolated conditions, and they have that unique character of not being scared of people but being truly wild animals," Boser said. "I'm thrilled we've been able to preserve that characteristic throughout the population crash and all the intensive management."

She started working with island foxes on Santa Cruz in 2006. Back then, it was still touch and go, she said.

"A lot of people have put input into this project, and a lot of people have dedicated their professional careers to saving this species," Boser said. "It's pretty amazing to see that we're at a point right now where we're confident these guys are going to do well."

FOX Q&A

Q: Who worked on the recovery efforts?

A: Land managers of the Channel Islands include the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy and the Catalina Island Conservancy.

They worked with a large team of stakeholders, including scientific experts, state and federal agencies, nonprofits and other groups.

Q: When did captive breeding start and end?

A: The first captive breeding program started in 1999 and the first foxes were released in 2003.

Within five years, they had reproduced in the wild and survived so well that we could stop all the captive breeding, said biologist Tim Coonan.

Q: What will visitors notice about the fox recovery?

A: Theyre thick as thieves out there, Coonan said. There was a time when you could not see an island fox on Santa Rosa and very few on Santa Cruz. Now, youre almost guaranteed to see a fox if you take a boat to Scorpion (on Santa Cruz).

Q: How do I comment of the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service recommendations?

A: You can see the proposed rule at http://www.fws.gov/ventura.

To request documents or submit comments email fw8islandfox@fws.gov; mail to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA, 93003; or fax to 644-3958.
Seven military veterans will complete their alternative sentencing program next week through Henderson Municipal Courts Veterans Court as an honorable way to help them transition back into civilian life.

The graduation will take place at 2 p.m. on February 18 at Henderson Municipal Court, Department 1, 243 Water St. Henderson City Councilwoman Debra March will speak at the ceremony.

When I was a police officer I saw war heroes who had been awarded the Silver Star and were homeless. They were in the cycle of going to jail, getting out and then going right back to jail, said Judge Mark Stevens, who in 2011 spearheaded the effort to create the Veterans Court in Henderson.

Veterans Court is an alternative sentencing program adopted by Judge Stevens for military veterans charged with misdemeanor crimes while struggling to readjust to civilian life. Veterans Court was implemented in Henderson after the Nevada Legislature authorized the establishment of this specialty court in 2009.

In Henderson, we are rising to meet the needs of our military heroes by ensuring that veterans receive the benefits and treatment they have earned in a Veterans Court, Judge Stevens said. Veterans Court is an example of our community reaching out to help veterans in their time of need, and giving them alternatives other than a prison cell.

Veterans Court focuses on participants underlying issues and provides access to resources that enable successful compliance with the courts orders. Graduates must successfully complete the program depending on any or all of the following: their treatment needs; court ordered counseling; Veterans Affairs recommended counseling, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling; mental health counseling; and drug or alcohol addiction counseling.

The veteran may also be required to submit to random drug and alcohol testing, be subject to ongoing monitoring of any possible additional criminal activity and take part in a community service and work program under the supervision of the City of Henderson Alternative Sentencing Department.


MOMIX Presents Botanica at Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center For Performing Arts in Las Vegas on April 20, 2012 (Photo:  Erik Kabik/ www.erikkabik.com).

Photo:  Erik Kabik/ www.erikkabik.com.

Revolutionary dance company MOMIX seemingly defies categorization as easily as its dancers defy gravity. Mesmerizing, magical and imaginative, MOMIXs newest creation Botanica has played to packed houses and rave reviews around the world. Using light, shadow, larger than- life props, humor and the human body, their spellbinding show transports you to a world of true fantasy and unrivaled beauty. Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. In addition to stage performances world-wide, MOMIX has worked in film and television, recently appearing in a national commercial for Hanes and a Target ad that premiered during the airing of the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
A health municipal employee fumigates in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil against the mosquito-borne Zika virus. (Photo: AFP/Christophe Simon)

BRASILIA: Health authorities said on Thursday (Feb 11) they have identified a third death in Brazil linked to the Zika virus, but it is not clear if the disease was the sole cause.

The latest case "was communicated to the World Health Organisation [WHO] and we are studying it in more depth because we have just received the information," Health Minister Marcelo Castro said during a news conference.

The victim, a 20-year-old woman, died last April, the ministry said.

Claudio Maierovitch, director of the ministry's communicable disease surveillance department, cautioned against drawing conclusions. "It's not possible at this point to say that Zika was the sole cause of death," he said.

Pedro Vasconcelos, a doctor at the Evandro Chagas Institute, which is analysing samples from the victim, said the woman had "very unusual respiratory symptoms" for Zika. "It's possible she had pneumonia that was aggravated by Zika and she eventually died," he said.

Brazil last year announced that an adult and a teenager infected by Zika were known to have died. The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes only mild symptoms in most people.

However, Zika has been linked to a rapid rise in the number of children born with microcephaly - abnormally small heads and brains - to mothers infected during pregnancy. There is currently no cure or vaccine for Zika.

Brazil has been most affected by the outbreak, with 1.5 million people infected since early 2015. The country has confirmed 404 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly and 3,670 others are under study.

The WHO has declared the rise in Zika-linked birth defects an international emergency. Confirmed cases have been found in 26 countries, spanning 7,000 kilometres from Mexico to Paraguay, according to the Pan-American Health Organisation.

President Barack Obama on Monday asked for more than US$1.8 billion in emergency funds to tackle the fast-spreading virus in the United States and beyond.

The second most-affected country, Colombia, last week announced three deaths of Zika-infected patients who had also contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome - a neurological disease that can cause paralysis in humans. Colombia has reported more than 22,600 confirmed Zika cases.

However, the WHO has urged caution over linking the virus to Guillain-Barre syndrome. Individual countries and regions are beginning to mobilize to limit the spread of Zika and are cooperating on developing a vaccine.

Castro, the Brazilian health minister, said 15 American experts arrived in the country to study Zika this week. "The vaccine is not a Brazilian concern, but global," he said. "We could have a pandemic in the Americas with four million people infected by the Zika virus."

Despite fears about Zika in Brazil, experts say the Aedes aegypti mosquito also transmits dengue, which is endemic in the country and even more dangerous. Some 863 people died from dengue in Brazil last year, up 82.4 per cent from the year before, the government says.
The 6tth meeting of the leaders of TPP members at the Sofitel Hotel, Manila, Republic of the Philippines

These milestones have contributed to advancing economic development and helped the country to make significant progress in reforming institutions and improving transparency and competitiveness.

Before 1995, Viet Nam was known as a tiny but unyielding country during resistance wars, not a country with economic potential.

However, the introduction of the Viet Nam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement in July 2000 was considered as a manifesto to the world that Viet Nam not only normalized its relations with the US but also officially opened its economy to the number one power.

For the first time, Viet Nam was familiar with such concepts like opening market, investment commitments, national treatment, and non-discrimination rules.

Things changed remarkably after the agreement took effect in 2001. Viet Nams export revenue reached US$36.3 billion in 2014 compared to just US$1.51 billion in 2001.

Noticeably, Viet Nam has enjoyed trade surplus over years with US$2.45 billion in 2002, US$5.93 billion in 2005, US$14.24 billion in 2010, US$30.6 billion in 2014, and around US$39 billion in 2015.

Six years after signing the Viet Nam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, Viet Nam became the 150thmember of the World Trade Organization.

The event created strong effect in luring foreign investment with the total registered volume soaring from US$10 billion in 2006 to US$21.3 billion in 2007 and US$64 in 2008.

Viet Nams exports rose 20%/year on average while distribution and retail sale services developed vigorously, evidenced by the appearance of modern supermarkets and trade centers.

The Tran-Pacific Partnership is another milestone as it touches upon new areas like Government procurement, labor, and environment among others.

It is estimated that the agreement would help expand the national GPD by US$23.5 billion by 2020 and US$33.5 billion by 2025. Export value is forecast to increase by US$68 billion by 2025.

Institutional improvements

There is no doubt that significant advances have been made in reforming institutions, improving competitiveness and business environment over the past years.

A series of important laws like the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Credit Organizations, the Law on Intellectual Property Rights, and especially the Law on Commerce have been revised to further define the right to business freedom.

Under the World Trade Organization rules, all laws and administrative decisions must be made public before the date of effect. Statistics show that Viet Nam has amended or issued 86 laws since the country joined the World Trade Organization.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a new-generation agreement with higher standards on transparency, anti-corruption, facilitation of corporate performance, which requires huge efforts in order to successfully grasp opportunities generated from the course of international integration.
Magic vs. science? All the Birds in the Sky says, Both, please
Photo by Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, talk to supporters after a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday in Milwaukee.


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As Prime Minister Hun Sen prepares to join other ASEAN leaders to meet with US President Barack Obama in California next week, representatives of communities along the Mekong River say they hope a controversial dam in Laos will be discussed.

Environmentalists and community leaders fear the Don Sahong Dam, which is being built despite protests from Cambodia and Vietnam, will damage the fisheries of the Mekong, potentially harming a major food source for millions of people.

Long Sochet chief of the Cambodian Fishermens Alliance in Pursat province, told reporters Thursday that construction of the dam should stop. If we run out of fish, what can we depend on?

Environmental groups have released a number of reports detailing the impact of the Don Sahong Dam, including its impact on fisheries and the rare Mekong River dolphin. Some 6 million people could be affected by the dam, including people living not just on the Mekong, but on the Tonle Sap River, as well.

Tek Vannara, executive director of the NGO Forum, told reporters Thursday that ASEAN leaders should discuss the dam in their meeting in Sunnylands, Southern California, next week.

This issue is a big issue for ASEAN, he said. It affects five mainland ASEAN countries and China. China has influence in all the countries, he added. So it means that there would be discussion on this issue in terms of both geopolitics and the development of the hydropower dam.

Youk Senglong, deputy director of the Fisheries Action Coalition Team, meanwhile called on Cambodian consumers to boycott Angkor beer, whose parent company, Cambrew, Ltd., has shares in the Don Sahong Dam investment.

The dam is being built just 2 kilometers from the Cambodian border, on the Laos portion of the Mekong. The hydropower dam, whose chief investor is Mega First, a Malaysian company, is expected to be completed by mid-2019.
The new US ambassador to Cambodia, William A. Heidt, says the US is currently looking at how much it can contribute to the Khmer Rouge tribunal.

The UN-backed court has struggled financially, as it enters nearly a decade of operation. The US has been a major donor to the court, which has budgeted for nearly $60 million over the next two years.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Khmer, Heidt said the Obama administration and Congress are discussing further funding.

That was the darkest era in Cambodia's history, Heidt, whose wife is Cambodian, told VOA Khmer. Those four years, they continue to affect the country today, in big ways and small ways. Well never know some of the personal trauma.

Tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the budget has been approved by donor countries, for $58.8 million over 2016 and 2017, with some donor countries already providing funding.

But the tribunal needs to also think about spending for the mental health of Khmer Rouge survivors and the families of victims, he said. Even when the court is done, well still have other work, such as healing emotional wounds and reconciling between perpetrators and victims.

Meanwhile, the tribunal is preparing to continue the second phase of Case 002, against former leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, who are facing charges of atrocity crimes, including genocide. That case could be done by the end of the year.

Bou Meng, a Khmer Rouge survivor and civil party complainant, said some people are disappointed so far with the results of the court, including a decision for collective, rather than individual, compensation.

Latt Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, says some survivors feel they have not participated enough in the cases, and some fear that cases 003 and 004, which would require more indictments and a longer court timeline, wont be prosecuted.
A Somali-American man, Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Warsame was part of a group of five Minnesota men who met several times during 2014 and 2015 to plan a journey to Syria. He was arrested in Eagan, Minnesota, in December.

In Minneapolis, Warsame's mother, Deka Hussein, discussed the plea late Thursday with VOA Somali Service reporter Abdi Mahamud.



Q: [What] is your feeling after the guilty plea?

A: It was not a good feeling. It was a decision between my son and I to tell the truth about his actions.

Q: He pleaded guilty of supporting Islamic State. When you and he discussed this, how did it affect you?

A: It was a shock. Actually, he did not want this to happen to him. Neither did I. It was a shock for both of us.

Q: When was the first time you noticed that he was involved in terrorism activities?

A: In 2012, the government came to me. They showed me his pictures along with another young man. They told me, 'We have suspicions that your son along with other young men might be involved. So be mindful about that.'

Q: Apart from what they told you, did you see anything seem like [terrorism]?

A: No, I did not see. I was even called several times and had interviews with the authority. I monitored my children 24/7. What I mean is I was a mother who works 8 hours for them but I spend with them the rest of the time. On Saturdays and Sundays, I used to spend with them at the Dugsi (Quranic School) from morning to the afternoon. Staying with them all this time and taking care of their religious and regular school education, I thought my kids were the safest. I have not seen any symptoms.

Q: You were quoted by the media that you sent your son to Chicago. What was the reason?

A: In the years I mentioned to you, one of his Dugsi-mates traveled. I was subpoenaed to go to the court. I told the court that I [don't] have any suspicions about my children. When I came back home in the afternoon, I decided to buy them a ticket to Chicago to join their father. I told their father to take care of them. I transferred their school there. So they started going to school and working in Chicago. Their father and I divorced long time ago. However, we shared their upbringing. I am a mother who wants to keep her children. I never wanted to separate them but I decided that they spend the rest of their lives with their father.

Q: So you felt that it is safer there?

A: Since the authority came to me several times and said we are worried about your son. We see the situation in Minnesota like youth who traveled abroad, I thought Chicago was the solution.

Q: What would you describe with your son, his childhood and upbringing?

A: Abdirazak was a beautiful man. He was a peaceful man, goes to his school. On top of that, he used advice the youth in the community to stay away from drugs. If you visit the Youtube and type Abdirizak Warsame, you will see him working on youth program at Brain Coyle Center. He was a role model for other youth.

Q: Some people say that these youth was not given the chance to defend themselves. They are coerced to admit and plead guilty for crimes they did not commit. Do you believe that is the case?

A: People have different views. In my case, to be honest, I didnt see anyone intimidating my son when he was in jail. We hired an attorney. He guided us. What made my son plead guilty is something that I saw him involved. But no, no one forced him to plea.

Q: A case like your sons is 15 years of jail. Since your son plead guilty, how much are you hopeful that your son gets a lesser sentence?

A: Every crime has a maximum sentence. My son has one count, which is material support. That is 15 years but it depends on the judge. I am a Muslim who was shaken by a lot of unexpected things. I rely on God. If my son told the truth, I believe we will not disappointed.
On a mild, midwinter evening, religious police circle a trendy Riyadh neighborhood in a car, announcing evening prayers on a loudspeaker.

A row of fashionable cafes on Tahlia Street  separate ones for men and women  all close down at prayer time by law, but some men chatting with us on the street dont seem to notice. People aren't forced to pray, although Saudi Arabia follows one of the strictest interpretations of Islam, Wahhabism.

In recent years, Wahhabism has been scrutinized as extremists like Islamic State militants claim to follow elements of the faith.

For many Saudis, this school of thought is Islams purest, preaching peace, tolerance and charity. Others argue that it houses hard-liners who share ideology with extremist groups on issues of womens rights, blasphemy and retribution for crimes.

In Riyadh and Jeddah, we find the concept of Wahhabism means different things to different people, and very little at all to some. Politicians, students, analysts, activists, academics and local businessmen and women tell us they began hearing themselves described regularly as Wahhabis only about 10 years ago.

Since then, the word "Wahhabi" was used to describe Saudi Arabia so often in the media that Saudis themselves began claiming the term more widely. Back then, as more recently, writers and analysts wondered whether the rise of al-Qaida was related to the growing numbers of fundamentalists in the region.

I dont know what is Wahhabi, Nael Zinada, a Saudi architect and father of four, says outside the cafes. We feel now that they want to say the Saudi people are all Wahhabi, but I dont understand exactly. We are Muslims.

Zinada dismisses the idea that Wahhabism is a sect of Islam, with rituals and rites of its own. There are sects in Saudi Arabia, he says as the religious police continue to announce prayer time in the background. And like the increased visibility of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia, sectarian tensions are on the rise.

When I was in college, we barely knew there was something called Shias and Sunnahs, Zinada says. Now you feel it.

Islamic State Wahhabism

On a sunny afternoon on the other side of Riyadh, Naif Abdulaziz, 31, wearing a traditional robe and dark sunglasses, strolls toward a mosque.

The mosque, named for Saudi Prince Talal Ibn Abdulaziz, is among many houses of worship in Saudi Arabia known to me as Wahhabi mosques. Abdulaziz corrects me, saying, "It's a mosque."

When I ask Abdulaziz what is special about Wahhabism, he tells me of 18th-century Sheik Mohamed Bin Abdel Wahhab, who preached a return to the fundamentals of Islam, dismissing wrong ideas developed over the centuries. Its more of an intellectual school of thought.

And there are ideological similarities between hard-liners in Saudi Arabia and violent extremists interpreting the same texts, says Khaled Almaeena, a veteran Saudi journalist and former editor in chief of the Saudi Gazette.

There are interpretations and misinterpretations, he explains in his seaside office in Jeddah. There are people who misinterpret. There are hard-liners. Some of the hard-liners who speak are similar to the hard-liners in ISIS [Islamic State], but that is not the government speaking.

What Saudi rulers and IS do share is a puritanical, often exclusionist view, based on Wahhab's teachings. Wahhab and Saudi leaders were aligned in the region's bloody conquests of the 19th century. The 20th century House of Saud incorporated development and changing social norms with Wahhab's original ideas. Islamic State does not.

In recent years, the Saudi government has implemented more reforms, like giving women the right to vote and hold office. But the hard-liners that journalist Almaeena speaks of are often not too far from official policy.

WATCH: Gateway to Mecca: Historical Old Jeddah

In Saudi Arabia, women need consent from male guardians to make the most basic decisions. Apostasy is punishable by death, and the penalty is usually carried out by public beheadings. Adultery and homosexuality are also considered crimes, punished by flogging and stoning. The hands of thieves are cut off. Saudi Arabia also does not recognize religious freedom, and non-Muslims are not allowed to practice their faith in public.

Islamic State militants do that and more  openly killing Christians, Shia Muslims and anyone else who disagrees with them as a matter of policy.

Unfair comparison?

Outside the mosque in Riyadh, Abdulaziz says it is unfair to compare Saudi practices, carried out by a legitimate state under Islamic law, to extremists who revel in murdering, raping and conducting terrorist attacks, including against Saudi Arabia.

Islam, he says, does not allow violent extremism.

It is very wrong that people call them the same thing, Abdulaziz tells me. Islamic State militants use the name of Islam. It is incorrect because they promote killing. Islam promotes mercy.

He then excuses himself to wash his hands and feet before the prayer, which, he says, under the Saudi government is a noncompulsory act of devotion. Muslims living under Islamic State militants don't have that choice.
Beijing police Thursday announced the recruitment of thousands of Chinese students to monitor online social platforms and public messaging systems.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, police officials in the Chinese capital said more than 3,000 young people have been voluntarily acting as cyber informants over the last two years.

During that period, Beijing police have issued reprimands to at least 8,400 netizens, deleted more than 500,000 online messages and deactivated at least 9,000 social media accounts.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, 80 percent of the volunteers were born in the 1980s and 1990s, and the majority of them are highly educated.

Chinese officials say the online tipsters have provided more than 15,000 pieces of criminal information on fraud, pornography, gambling, rumors, contraband and other illicit activities. They also said volunteers made up for the lack of official Internet police forces, and covered "all corners of the Internet."

Many normal citizens, however, dismiss the "Internet police" label, choosing instead to refer to volunteers as "informants" and "spies."

"You will find this kind of people in any society, they are informants and lackeys, the Chinese Communist Party has trained lots of them, in order to secure the regime," said Li Datong, the managing editor of Freezing Point, a section of the China Youth Daily. The publication was shut down by China's authorities in 2006 in response to its critical stance.

Skepticism abounds

A January 13 police conference in Beijing, entitled "Net Police Volunteers," drew attendance from four other volunteer groups that help monitor ordinary citizens. The apparent show of solidarity prompted concerns that Chinese authorities intend to promote and expand what it describes as an all-volunteer, grassroots community of cyber watchers, and use the loosely organized groups to monitor ordinary citizens and corrupt officials alike.

Online reaction, however, indicated that many netizens are skeptical that the volunteers would bother to monitor state officials  corrupt or otherwise.

"They will only monitor unarmed civilians, they can do nothing to stop corrupt officials," posted one SinaWeibo user.

"It is such a powerful team, although they will never report on corrupt officials  their use of state cars, feasting and traveling with public funds," wrote another. "But when it comes to monitoring ordinary Chinese netizens, staring at citizens keyboard (sic), and taking a look at their crotches, they can certainly make the British military intelligence, the CIA and Israel's Mossad blush with shame."

Some Chinese netizens doubt an all-volunteer organization would achieve its desired purpose.

"A normal society will not encourage exposing, surveillance and spying by one group of people on another," wrote one online commenter. "It should not target citizens only, otherwise citizens will be monitored all the time. Also, [does] this group of people really understand the law? What about entrapment? If we allow young people to participate in the monitoring, will it nurture in them an informant character?"

Chinese constitutional scholar Chen Yongmiao tells VOA the government's use of such organizations is "inevitable" because the system seeks stability. He believes that in authoritarian countries, there is always the question of freedom of speech.

Sense of responsibility

Chinese authorities say the main job of web monitors is to report and delete pornography and other illegal content, but Chen says political and pornography issues in China are sometimes "tied together," and official restrictions on so-called "sensitive words" are primarily related to these two categories.

Chinese authorities have been criticized for deleting blogs and remarks critical of the government or offensive to the government.

While web monitors work for free, they do receive a certificate of honor; those who help police uncover serious cases are eligible for bonuses ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 RMB (about $450 to $750).

One volunteer named Li Dong said in an interview with China's official Global Times that he felt informing police about online behavior and activities stems from a personal moral sensibility.

"I just think it is the responsibility of a citizen, and I believe that many Internet users will have a sense of responsibility to do the same thing," said Li Dong, adding that the volunteers are not informants and that they don't "look for any specific clues."

Another advocate of voluntary web monitoring, a young woman who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity, said she would report pornography and other illegal information to police, but she would not want to be an official volunteer or join any organization for fear of being asked to remove "legal information."
A United Nations team says it has zeroed in on five serious cases of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria for further investigation, including chlorine gas and mustard gas.

The U.N. chemical weapons agency and the Security Council set up the Joint Investigative Mechanism  JIM  last year after reports of as many as 116 incidents of chemical attacks in Syria against civilians since 2014.

The JIM mission is not to blame one side or the other, but to turn over the results of its investigation and any evidence to the Security Council.

But JIM leaders say "all individuals, groups, entities or governments that have any role in enabling the use of chemicals as weapons, for whatever reason and under any circumstances, must understand that they will be identified and made accountable for these abhorrent acts."

The Syrian government and rebels blame each other for using chemicals against civilians. But U.S. officials have said some of the attacks involved barrel bombs dropped from helicopters, and pointed out that the rebels do not have helicopters.

The five cases to be thoroughly investigated involve the suspected use of chemical weapons on villages in Hama and Idlib in 2014 and 2015, and on a town near the Turkish border where Islamic State is active.

Meanwhile, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, said IS has used such weapons in Syria.

Brennan told CBS television's 60 Minutes, to be broadcast Sunday, that there are a number of instances where the terrorists used "chemical munitions on the battlefield."

He said Islamic State has the capacity to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas and may be looking to sell the chemicals.
The two Democratic U.S. presidential candidates, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders  the self-described democratic socialist  held another debate Thursday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as their race for the White House enters a new phase.

Clinton had picked up a major endorsement earlier Thursday from the political fundraising arm of the Congressional Black Caucus a group representing African-American members of Congress.

Black voters are expected to play a huge role in next week's South Carolina primary.

'Institutional racism'



During the debate, Clinton and Sanders both decried what they believe is institutional racism. Sanders called for a radical reform of what he says is a broken criminal justice system that includes over-policing of black communities, and far more black arrests for the same minor crimes also committed by whites.

But Clinton said changing sentencing laws must also come with more job opportunities and improved housing.

Sanders said economic distress in black and rural white communities is a result of trade pacts that he says moved manufacturing to China and threw millions of American workers onto the streets.

Both back President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration and say deporting hard-working immigrants is no answer.

Clinton said America Muslims are on the front lines in meeting the terrorist threat and that demagoguery aimed at Muslims is offensive and dangerous.

But Sanders was critical of rushing in with the goal of "regime change" in the Middle East saying he would look at the "unintended consequences" of leaving a political vacuum, pointing to U.S. support to getting rid of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya in 2011 and the situation in Libya today.

Role of government



Both candidates agreed that the American people are tired of establishment politics and an economy they say is rigged against working families.

But Clinton said the federal government would grow by 40 percent under a Sanders presidency and his proposed single-payer health care system. She said the country does not need another health care debate.

Sanders called it inaccurate that he wants to dismantle President Obama's Affordable Care Act, but said millions still have no insurance, and drug prices are still too high.

He said Americans would pay a bit more in taxes, but would save thousands in health care costs.

Challenges ahead



Clinton was touted for more than a year as the Democrats' top choice and almost certain to get the nomination.

But she barely beat Sanders in the Iowa caucus and lost the New Hampshire primary in a landslide.

Sanders has huge appeal among younger voters and can no longer be considered a so-called fringe candidate.

But it will be a challenge for him to keep up the momentum in the long campaign ahead.
After Bernie Sanders won big in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, both he and rival Hillary Clinton are shifting their focus to the next contests in Nevada and South Carolina, states with many more Hispanic and African American voters.

In South Carolina, black voters make up the majority of the Democratic primary electorate. Some African American lawmakers are lining up to support Clinton in the face of a perceived surge by Sanders.



On Thursday, the political wing of the Congressional Black Caucus, known as the CBC PAC, endorsed former secretary of state Clinton.



The CBC PAC, or political action committee, has 19 board members and is separate from the larger Congressional Black Caucus, which has not endorsed a candidate.



CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield said members looked long and hard at all the candidates and chose Clinton: There is no question in my mind and in our mind that one single candidate, one, possesses the qualifications, experience and temperament to be the next president of the United States



Butterfield said black voters also care a great deal about foreign affairs, and that Clinton is the most qualified to be both president and commander-in-chief.



Another member of the PAC group, civil rights icon and Representative John Lewis, was asked why he is not supporting Sanders. Sanders has described himself as a young activist during the civil rights era in the 1960s, saying he participated in the 1963 March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr.



Lewis comment on Sanders was scathing: I never saw him. I never met him. Lewis went on to say that he did meet Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton during the civil rights struggle.



One of the most influential South Carolina Democrats did not attend Thursdays PAC press conference, Representative James Clyburn. Clyburn says he has not decided whom to endorse yet, and wants to go home to South Carolina to discuss it with his family.



Clyburn told USA Today that his heart and his head are not in the same place on whether to endorse Clinton or Sanders.



Clinton has won the endorsement of a large number of Democratic members of Congress, while only two House lawmakers, Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison, have endorsed Sanders. Representative Ellison is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and he accused the PAC of endorsing Clinton without seeking input from him and other members.



Coming off his win in New Hampshire, Sanders met the next morning in New York with African American activist, the Reverend Al Sharpton. Sharpton has not endorsed either candidate. Sanders did win the endorsement of Ta-Nehesi Coates of The Atlantic, one of the most prominent U.S. writers on racism issues.

Sanders campaign ad:



Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus are vowing to campaign hard for Clinton in South Carolina, saying her firm stance on taking action to reduce gun violence will be an important asset for her there.

Clinton campaign ad:
Winning international cooperation is key to the U.S. efforts to sanction North Korea over Pyongyangs latest nuclear posture, a former senior U.S. diplomat said.

Recently, Pyongyang took a series of provocative actions in defiance of international sanctions. Following a nuclear test last month, Pyongyang launched a long-range missile on Sunday, drawing widespread international condemnation.

Wendy Sherman, a former diplomat who most recently served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, told VOA on Thursday Washington needs to internationalize its sanctions against Pyongyang.

International effort needed

The U.S. alone cannot have all the impact that is necessary, said Sherman, referring to a fresh sanctions bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday.

The Senate measure is aimed at curbing Pyongyangs missile and nuclear development by targeting financial transactions supporting the effort. The House adopted its own North Korean sanctions legislation last month.

The diplomat stressed the importance of convincing Beijing to rein in Pyongyang.

China, without a doubt, has the greatest leverage over North Korea, and China has been reluctant to use all of that leverage, she said.

While Congress is trying to tighten U.S. sanctions against North Korea, the Obama administration is pushing for strong measures in the United Nations Security Council.

However, critics argue the international sanctions would do little damage to Pyongyang given the countrys limited engagement with the international community.

Sanctions impact unclear

Sherman said the U.N.s strong response to Pyongyangs aggression is necessary, adding whether it will change Pyongyangs behavior remains unclear.

With Pyongyangs nuclear threat growing, the Obama administration is facing criticism that its containment policy of strategic patience is blocking talks with Pyongyang.

Sherman refuted the criticism.

Washington has always been willing to resume talks if the subject is denuclearization and North Korea comes to the table in seriousness, said the former diplomat.

Unwillingness to talk

When asked if the U.S. should aim for a deal with North Korea that is similar to the recent nuclear agreement with Iran, Sherman was skeptical of the idea.

This is entirely a different situation from Iran. The Iranian government made a decision to come to a negotiating table with seriousness and purpose. North Korea has not made a decision to come to a negotiating table," said Sherman, who dealt with both North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues intensively.

North Korea has been at odds with the international community over its nuclear development since the early 1990s. Multi-state talks involving the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and the two Koreas have remained stalled since late 2008.
The European Union has given Greece a three-month ultimatum to fix deficiencies in controlling its borders or face suspension from the Schengen passport-free zone.

The European Council adopted Friday a document with a number of recommendations as remedial actions that Greece needs to take, including registration procedures, sea border surveillance, border check procedures, risk analyses, human resources and training, infrastructure and equipment and international cooperation.

A report adopted earlier this month by the European Commission, the EU executive body, found that Greece was not doing enough to prevent the unprecedented influx of migrant and refugees crossing into its territory before reaching their desired destination countries in northern Europe.

Europe's Schengen area guarantees passport-free movement to citizens of 26 European countries and to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other people in the EU.

Some European countries have imposed temporary border controls to stem the flow of people into their territories.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday that an estimated 83,201 migrants arrived in Europe this year and 77,303 of those landed on the Greek islands traveling by sea from Turkey.



According to IOM, more than 850,000 migrants arrived in Greece last year.
More than 100 Southeast Asian parliamentarians are urging President Barack Obama to address regional human rights issues during his meetings with ASEAN leaders next week, according to an open letter posted online Thursday.

Signed predominantly by MPs from Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia  but also with some signatures from lawmakers in Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand  the letter says they "recognize and understand" the administration's need to strengthen economic and security relations with Southeast Asian leaders, but called on Obama to "press [leaders] on unfulfilled human rights commitments and to directly raise specific concerns with them."

The lawmakers note that many Southeast Asian countries have taken "dramatic steps backward" in the areas of democracy in the last two years.

The letter was posted hours after a group of seven Democratic U.S. senators issued a separate and unrelated letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is expected to attend the upcoming ASEAN summit at Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California.

"We are troubled by the recent increase in social and political turmoil in your country ... [particularly] the numerous reports that your government continues to deny the legitimate demands of ordinary Cambodians for a more transparent, fair, and democratic Cambodia," the letter said.

Following on a similar letter that a bipartisan group of 16 U.S. Congressional representatives sent to the Cambodian leader on Dec. 3, Thursday's letter to Hun Sen also expresses concerns about polling irregularities in the 2013 national elections and "reports of systematic property and land appropriation" by domestic and transnational companies.

Signed by Democratic Sens. Christopher Murphy of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Al Franken of Minnesota, Maria Cantwell of Washington state, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the letter calls on the Cambodian leader to address human trafficking within his own borders and to ensure the immediate release of American citizen and human rights activist Meach Sovannara, who has been jailed since July 2015.

On Wednesday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz was asked about reports that the Cambodian prime minister threatened protesters who would demonstrate against Phnom Penh's human rights record at the upcoming summit, which is scheduled to kick off Feb. 15.

"A lot of these countries are in different phases of becoming democratic  with a small 'd,'" Schultz said. "Those are reforms that [Obama] takes very seriously and pursues in private conversations and in public forums. So, I'd expect the right to protest and the right to peacefully be heard falls under that umbrella and do expect the president to talk about the importance of democratic reforms as part of the summit conversations next week."
Neanderthals - an extinct sub-species of humans - had a subtle genetic influence on modern humans. A study comparing Neanderthal DNA to the genes of people of European and Asian descent found that a host of illnesses, including depression and blood disorders, are expressed in humans, thanks to our ancient ancestors.

With modern technology, it is now possible to sequence the DNA of our distant Neanderthal cousins.

In a study comparing the genetic material of our closest extinct human relative to a genetic database of 28,000 people of Eurasian descent, scientists have confirmed the biological influence of modern humans ancient ancestors.

The DNA was passed down through the interbreeding of Neanderthals, who lived in what is today Europe and Asia, and early humans, who had migrated out of Africa.

As a result of that co-mingling, 40 to 60,000 years ago, say researchers, humans have inherited about two percent of their DNA from Neanderthals. Previously it was speculated that between one and four percent of our genetic material was derived from Neanderthals.

John Capra, the studys lead author and a professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, says it appears that modern human health conditions - including disorders of the immune system, skin, neurological system as well as reproductive health - were indirectly influenced by Neanderthals.

Capra says the ancestral genes of early man also appear to have influenced the development of clinical depression, a serious psychiatric illness.

What our results are saying is not that Neanderthals were depressed or that they are making us depressed. Its that we find in modern environments the bits of DNA that weve inherited from Neanderthals are having an influence on these systems. And what that effect is remains to be seen but its certainly fascinating about why that might have been," said Capra.

The findings linking Neanderthal DNA to that of modern humans, by John Capra and colleagues, is published in the journal Science.

The researchers unveiled their work at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

This is the first direct comparison of Neanderthal DNA to that of modern humans. Capra says the genes probably conferred some environmental benefit to the extinct human sub-species.

He hopes that comparing it to the genetic profile of 21st century people might tell investigators how humans evolved and how the genes contributed to modern ailments.

And while Neanderthal DNA has a significant influence on them or risk for them, it by no means dooms us to having those diseases," he said.

But Capra says that ancient DNA may have contributed to more physical traits that that are yet to be discovered.
With two days left until the final round of the presidential election in the Central African Republic, a VOA sampling of opinions in the northern prefecture of Nana Gribizi found that the campaign message of former Prime Minister Faustin Archange Touadera was resonating with many voters.

Touaderas campaign makes much of his record as prime minister between 2008 and 2013, when he is said to have fought corruption and paid salaries regularly. That's significant to voters like Antoinette Bolobo, a petty trader living in a displaced persons camp in Bangui.

Bolobo said she and her neighbors would vote for Touadera. He always paid government workers salaries, she said, and that was good for her business.

Villagers in Nana Gribizi, a district still plagued by sectarian violence, applauded a speech from a Touadera campaign worker who said Touadera wasn't wealthy and couldn't buy votes but knew how they lived and knew what do do if elected.

Enthusiastic supporters of the other former prime minister in the runoff, Anicet Georges Dologuele, have not been so easy to find this past week, although VOA ran into a few in Bangui.

Children, do you want to see the candidate? asked one electioneer. Vote for our candidate, vote Dologuele!

The children cannot vote, but one adult pledged to vote for Dologuele because he paid back the countrys debt to the International Monetary Fund and therefore deserved to win.

Unlike Touadera, Dologuele says nothing in his action plan about his record on corruption while in office.

First-round winner

He agreed to a political pact last year with former President Francois Bozize, which helped him win the first round of the election in December with 23 percent of the vote. But only three of the 29 other candidates in that round have said they would back Dologuele in round two, while 20 have said they would back Touadera, who finished second in the first round with 19 percent support.

Sunday also will bring a rerun of elections for the national assembly. They were held in late December, but the results were nullified owing to numerous irregularities, including failure to hold the vote in many constituencies because of a lack of ballots.

Distributing those ballots is a major challenge in a country larger than France that has few roads. The U.N. mission, MINUSCA, has been flying election materials around the country, and with the French military will be helping to provide security.
A visiting former Afghan governor was kidnapped Friday evening from a market in Islamabad, Pakistani officials say.

Police and Afghan embassy sources in the capital told VOA that Sayed Fazlullah Waheedi, who until recently served as governor of eastern Kunar and western Herat provinces of Afghanistan, was visiting Islamabad with his family.

Unknown men reportedly abducted Waheedi while he was on a shopping trip to the city's famous Jinnah Super Market. No other details were immediately available.

Police say an investigation has been launched and a search is underway to find and retrieve the former Afghan official.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

As governor, Waheedi was extremely critical of Pakistan's alleged interference in Afghanistan. After serving for years as governor of Kunar, Waheedi was named the governor of western Herat province by then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

But months ago, President Ashraf Ghani removed Waheedi from office as part of his efforts to improve provincial governance. Afghanistan's Kunar province borders Pakistan, while Herat borders Iran.
A fourth Minnesota man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to charges of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group.

Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame was part of a group of five Minnesota men who met numerous times in 2014 to plan their journey to Syria. All five were expected to be tried in May.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Warsame and the others looked for the best way to travel from Minnesota to Syria to avoid U.S. law enforcement agents.

Minneapolis, Minnesota's largest city, has a large number of Muslim immigrants from Somalia, and U.S. authorities say the city is ripe for extremists looking for would-be terrorists.

U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the Justice Department's Minnesota district said Islamic State recruiting is an ongoing problem.

"Federal law enforcement and our local partners remain dedicated to ending terror recruitment in our state," he said. "One of the important factors we believe will help stop the recruiting pipeline is for those who have been charged to take responsibility for their crimes."
The closure of a factory park in North Korea jointly run by both Koreas has cost the impoverished North a rare source of legitimate hard currency. Seoul says it shut the Kaesong complex in response to the North's recent long-range rocket launch to keep its impoverished neighbor from using the money factories provided to fund its nuclear and missile programs.



With that hit to Pyongyang's already shaky finances gone, at least for now, here's a look at the North's economy and the external sources of income it maintains despite a raft of heavy international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missiles program.



Pyongyang's economy



Seoul and Washington want more stringent trade and financial sanctions to punish the North's nuclear and missile adventures, but some question whether sanctions will ever meaningfully influence one of the least trade-dependent economies on the planet.



And what of that economy? It is extremely difficult to read because it doesn't release official trade statistics and treasures its secrecy.



South Korea's central bank, however, provides some idea of what's happening, based on data it receives every year from other government agencies, related organizations and an investigation of research organizations.



The bank has been publishing estimates of North Korea's economy since 1991. In its latest report, it said it believes the North's economy grew by 1 percent in 2014 to 33.95 trillion South Korean won, or $28.5 billion, or about 2 percent of South Korea's economy.



The Bank of Korea said North Korea's combined imports and exports that year were about $9.9 billion, including $2.4 billion in trade with the South, which the Unification Ministry says was generated nearly entirely from the activities at Kaesong.

Trade with China



And then there's China, Pyongyang's last major ally, its diplomatic protector and by far its largest trading partner.



North Korea's main exports to China include coal, minerals, clothing, textiles and foodstuffs, while its imports from China include petroleum, steel, machinery, cars and electronics, according to South Korea's government-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.



Beijing, however, is unlikely to support harsh punishment over the nuclear test and rocket launch for fear of provoking a government collapse in Pyongyang and a potential stream of refugees across its border.



Transactions with China accounted for more than 74 percent of North Korea's trade in 2014, and more than 90 percent when excluding trade related to the Kaesong park, according to Statistics Korea, Seoul's official statistics agency, which analyzed the central bank data and information from trade organizations.



Kaesong industrial park



The South's Unification Ministry says the Kaesong park provided 616 billion won ($560 million) of cash to the North since its establishment in 2004, during an era of rapprochement between the rivals.



More than 120 South Korean companies employed about 54,000 North Koreans at Kaesong, paying each about $150 a month to manufacture products such as clothing, wristwatches, cosmetics and electronics components.



The ministry hasn't provided a detailed explanation on why it suspects money generated from Kaesong was channeled to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile projects.



Jeong Joon-Hee, the ministry's spokesman, said it was plausible that a sizeable amount of the money the South Korean companies paid for North Korean labor would have ended up in Pyongyang's state coffers because of the way the workers receive their wages. While the South Korean companies pay the North in U.S. dollars, their North Korean employees receive wages in North Korean won based on an exchange rate dictated by the North's government.



Exporting workers



Outside experts say that North Korea since the mid-2000s has been increasing the number of workers sent for contract labor overseas in an attempt to bring in more hard currency.



The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, based on information collected from its global offices and reports from international organizations, estimates that 60,000 to 100,000 North Koreans are working in 40 different countries.



Marzuki Darusman, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, said in a report last year that more than 50,000 North Koreans are working overseas and earning the country something between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually in foreign currency.



North Koreans have been employed in a broad range of activities in foreign countries, including working at restaurants in China and Southeast Asia and construction sites in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the International Network for the Human Rights of North Korean Overseas Labor.



North Korean workers overseas often face harsh working conditions and abuse, said the U.N. report.



Luring tourists



North Korea has tried to strengthen tourism in recent years by setting up special tourism zones and developing scenic areas and recreational facilities.



North Korean officials have told The Associated Press that about 100,000 tourists came to the country in 2014, all but a few thousand of them from neighboring China. The growth in tourism has come despite the occasional arrest of foreign visitors, including, most recently, American university student Otto Warmbier, who was detained last month over an unspecified act that the North called "hostile.''



Tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain by South Koreans were popular for about a decade until 2008, when they were halted after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean woman.



The U.S. State Department has long warned against travel to North Korea. After North's recent nuclear test, Washington has reportedly sought a ban on tourism and restrictions to keep North Korea's flagship airline, Air Koryo, from flying into and out of airports abroad.
As World Radio Day 2016 is commemorated February 13 under the theme "Radio in times of emergencies and disasters," two of Cameroon's leading reporters on Boko Haram atrocities in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon share their experiences. Ebenezer Akanga and Djamo Haman have escaped several attacks by the terrorist group but have continued their reporting despite the danger.

Haman of Cameroon's state radio CRTV said he saw more than 20 slain corpses in the Cameroon northern town of Kolofata, on the border with Nigeria, four years ago. It was then he knew he had the duty to let the world know how dangerous the Boko Haram terrorist group was becoming so world leaders would be impelled to find immediate solutions to save the lives of those dying from barbarism.

He said the republican and citizenship spirit he has, coupled with the desire to be patriotic for his country and the love of his profession, motivated him to start reporting Boko Haram atrocities. He said that anytime he saw fresh corpses and blood, and heard sounds of bombings and shootings, he doubted if he would survive, but told himself he would never surrender in his quest to inform the world of Boko Haram atrocities.

French-speaking journalist Haman teamed up with his senior colleague Ebenezer Akanga, an English-speaking journalist. In the state broadcaster CRTV where they work, English and French journalists carry out assignments together for their various audiences in the bilingual country.

The reporters have narrowly escaped several Boko Haram attacks, including one in which the terrorist group attacked a Chinese road construction company in their presence, but they were saved when the Cameroon military quickly intervened.

Akanga said at one moment they were scared they had been declared wanted by the leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau.

"Our photographs were found in their (Boko Haram fighters) hands by Chadian soldiers when they attacked the town of Bagar. There was my photograph, there was the photograph of Djamo Haman, there was the photograph of the [former] governor [of the far north region of Cameroon] Awah Fonka Augustine. We missed many, many attacks from Boko Haram," said Akanga.

Northern Cameroon-based freelance reporter Aminou Abba said the journalists are his models in conflict, disaster and war reporting.

"They have that additional courage that we reporters lack. They go right to the war front to meet the people suffering to tell their stories. We can call them highly patriotic because they can even give their lives for the voices of the voiceless to be heard," said Abba.

Akanga and Haman have gained the trust and confidence of many Cameroonians who yearn to know how far the government is succeeding with the war it declared against the Nigerian terrorist group three years ago.

Issa Abdouraman, a 24-year old businessman in Kousseri, on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria, said it was from Akanga and Haman that he learned two years ago his uncle, a clergy and traditional ruler of Fotokol in northern Cameroon, had been kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters.

He said Akanga and Haman are the most courageous journalists he has ever known and that each time the two journalists visit Kousseri, many people come out to see them. He believes if they were soldiers they would have done all it takes to defeat Boko Haram.
A high court in Malawi has ordered the annulment of a government moratorium issued in 2012 that suspended a law criminalizing homosexual acts. The government had suspended enforcement of the anti-gay laws pending parliamentary review after rights campaigners said the laws were unconstitutional.

The courts order to enforce the anti-gay laws comes two months after government authorities ordered police to respect the moratorium by unconditionally pardoning two suspected gays who were arrested in December last year in the capital, Lilongwe.



Selective enforcement

Three pastors filed suit in the northern city of Mzuzu, saying that by pardoning the gay suspects, the government was applying the penal code selectively. They argued that the governments suspension of the anti-homosexuality law was illegal.



Our main arguments have been that the executive branch of government, the minister of justice, the director of public prosecutions and Malawi police service do not have the mandate to change the position of any law in the country, argued George Kadzipatike, lawyer representing the three pastors.



He said only the Malawi parliament has the mandate to change or suspend any law in the country.



In Malawi, homosexuality is an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

And having regards to the penal code which prohibits acts of homosexuality in the country, that Act of Parliament was not amended or repealed in any way by the Malawi parliament, he added. So it is still in force and has to be applied.



Court to review sexuality referendum

When announcing the order this week, Judge Dingiswayo Madise said the arrests [of gays] should continue until there is a judicial review of the governments decision to stop the prosecutions of gay people in Malawi.



Timothy Mtambo, a campaigner for minority rights and also the executive director for the NGO Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, said the court's position on the matter is worrying.

These laws are archaic and undemocratic and these laws are not supposed to be implemented in the nation that has the human rights regime, he said.



Mtambo said his organization is ready to support any group that will challenge the high courts order, which he said will force the countrys more than 40,000 homosexuals to suffer in silence over fear of being arrested.



When there was a moratorium, you saw a number of members of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] community coming in public, demanding their rights to say, I am a gay and I am demanding my rights. So this time around is like we are going back to square zero, said Mtambo.



A spokesman for the Presbyterian Church in northern Malawi, Reverend Maurice Munthali, welcomes the high court order. Rights should not be a hiding leaf for people to commit sin. What we think is that anything that is unlawful should not be turned into a [human] right, he said.

Government authorities said they will announce their position on the courts order once they go through the courts documents.
The Indonesian government wants instant messaging apps to remove all same-sex emojis or be banned from the country.



The emojis in question are found on messaging apps like LINE, Whatsapp, Facebook, Tinder and smartphones and show members of the same sex holding hands.



"Such contents are not allowed in Indonesia based on our cultural law and the religious norms and the operators must respect that," said a spokesman for the Communication and Information Ministry in an interview with the French news agency, adding that the emojis could appeal to children.



"Those things might be considered normal in some Western countries, while in Indonesia it's practically impossible," he said.



AFP reported that LINE Indonesia already removed the emojis.



"LINE regrets the incidents of some stickers which are considered sensitive by many people," the messaging app said in a statement.



According to Quartz, LINE, which is a Japanese and Korean company, has over 600 million users worldwide with at least 30 million in Indonesia.



Homosexuality is not illegal in the Muslim majority country, but it has been a controversial issue recently.



An LGBT group was banned from holding meetings at the University of Indonesia in January, and last year, the province of Aceh, which practices sharia law, implemented caning for those caught having gay sex.



An LGBT activist who goes by the name Hartoyo told AFP the emoji ban was another case of the government cracking down on the LGBT community.


Russia's prime minister says accusations his country is bombing civilians in Syria are "just not true."

Speaking Saturday at a security conference in Munich, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said "there is no evidence" of such bombings.

He made the comment moments after French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Russia to stop bombing civilians in Syria, saying it was crucial in order to reach any peaceful solution.

The Russian and French prime ministers are among delegates from Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere meeting again Saturday in attempts to end nearly five years of violence in Syria.

On Friday, just hours after world leaders announced a deal at the conference to push for a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week, the agreement was put to the test.

In an interview published Friday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the French News Agency that his forces planned to retake the whole country, fueling doubts about the parties commitment to end the nearly five-year-old conflict.

Assad said recapturing all of the territory could take a long time. The Syrian president said he supported peace efforts, but he cautioned that the negotiations did not mean that we stop fighting terrorism.

Holes in the deal

Observers who acknowledged disconnects in the deal agreed Thursday that those discrepancies could allow Assads forces, with Russias help, to keep up their assault on rebel areas.

For one, the agreement does not provide for any truce in the Syrian governments fight against terrorists, including Islamic State militants and the al-Nusra Front.

The Assad government considers all opposition fighters  both moderates and extremists  terrorists. Russia has continued to bomb what it says are terrorist targets, enabling Assads forces to make considerable gains recently around Aleppo, Syrias largest city.

Syrian rebels continue to accuse Russias warplanes of indiscriminately striking civilians and the moderate opposition.

Measured expectations

In announcing the deal to push for a pause in hostilities, U.S. officials were cautious in their expectations.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement was on paper only, emphasizing that the real test would be whether all parties honored their commitments.

U.S. officials laid out the mechanics of the multinational plan designed to provide Syrians with relief from military strikes. Crafted by the International Syria Support Group, it calls for a cessation of hostilities. The Syrian opposition requested that the pause in military action be labeled a cessation as opposed to a cease-fire, Kerry said.

Later in a Friday briefing, a senior State Department official elaborated on the distinction, saying the Syrian opposition thought a cease-fire indicated a formal end to the fighting in which the political objectives that underlie the conflict have either been abandoned or resolved, a situation that has not occurred in Syria.

The bottom-line objective is to stop the violence, said the official.

Another objective is to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians in rebel-held areas. This was one key condition that representatives of the Syrian opposition said had to be met before they would rejoin indirect peace talks that broke off last week in Geneva. U.S. and U.N. officials are working to resume the dialogue later this month.

As part of the plan, the U.S. and Russia will head a task force that will work to delineate the territory held by terrorist groups and resolve any noncompliance with the cessation.

In terms of how this is going to play out, I think you can expect that it will not be smooth and it will not be clean, the senior State Department official said. There will be problems to work through, perceived violations  most likely on both sides.

The Syrian opposition stopped short of welcoming the agreement, but saw it as an incremental step forward. Salem Meslet, speaking for the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee, said, We must see action on the ground in Syria.

There were questions about whether the agreement by world leaders to seek a cessation of hostilities in Syria marked the beginning of a lasting deal for peace, or whether it was simply a stopgap measure by world politicians to make it appear as though they were addressing a situation that is out of control.

Following through on humanitarian aid

International human rights advocates on Friday urged world leaders to follow through with commitments they say could alleviate the suffering of millions of Syrians.

It is essential that strenuous diplomatic efforts continue beyond todays headlines to ensure that the human rights and humanitarian-related provisions agreed are adhered to by all parties, said Philip Luther, director of Amnesty Internationals Middle East and North Africa Program, in a statement to VOA.
Imagine a place where children can steer a dhow boat across the Indian Ocean, sell Egyptian spices and Moroccan rugs, hop on a camel and embark across the Sahara. America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far is a groundbreaking interactive museum exhibit in the heart of New York City that lets kids do just that: explore the A-to-Z of Muslim cultures.

The Childrens Museum of Manhattan (CMOM), established in 1973, is a hands-on cultural destination for families committed to nurturing the next generation of global citizens.

CMOMs executive director, Andrew Ackerman, says the addition of the Muslim cultures exhibit allows families an opportunity to discuss unity and diversity within the same tradition  a factor he says is crucial for developing young minds.

Those attitudes really form very early in life, Ackerman said. So part of our role as a childrens museum is to open their minds and experiences with very positive images about people from different lifestyles and different parts of the world, so that negative stereotypes dont take root.

Across from the courtyard, next to a life-size 900-pound camel, is the "American home" living room, made up of clothing, artwork, photos and books donated from American Muslims of all walks of life. On the coffee table, there is an app that teaches you how to write and say My name is  in 24 languages spoken by Muslims in New York.

The citys mayor, Bill de Blasio, has praised the exhibit as an important cultural resource, calling New York Muslim residents a vital part of the citys diverse communities.

Children will have the chance to learn about Muslim cultures in an engaging and thoughtful way, said de Blasio. We only grow stronger when we embrace and celebrate the multitude of cultural backgrounds that make up New York City.

Early childhood development

Independent research from the American Association for the Advancement of Science indicates that children in the U.S. begin to understand the concept of race and ethnicity by the age of four. By the time they turn five, children may have already developed solidified stereotypes about various social groups.

Lizzy Martin, director of exhibit development and museum planning at CMOM, says the exhibit employs a multifaceted approach to engage children, in order to suit their individual learning needs.

Some people might learn through their senses, and therefore they can smell the spices or smell the fruits," she said. "Some might be more tactile  so the rugs  and some might be more visual, so you might want fabrics. Or some might be more auditory.

For the kinesthetic learners, the exhibit features a music-making booth using digital versions of popular instruments, such as the oud, ghijak or kora.

WATCH: CMOM's Andrew Ackerman 'plays' instruments in 'Musicians Corner'

Fans of panoramic images (and IMAX theaters) can marvel at the architectural beauty and variation of world mosques beneath a 21-foot curved screen, transporting you at the speed of light from a birds-eye view in outer space to a prayer room rug on the ground floor.

A place of hope

Ackerman describes the exhibit, and the museum as a whole, as a microcosm of the real heart and soul of America: a place of hope; a safe haven for families.

After the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, he felt a brief moment of uncertainty about the museums future.

We didnt know if people would come, he said. And we were so crowded. Parents were saying, We trust you. Youre going to let us be who we are, and were going to shut the TV off. Were going to just be families.

That is something well never forget, he added. Thats what we do every day.
U.S. President Barack Obama, attending several political fundraisers for his Democratic Party at homes in California, said the country is at "an interesting political moment."

He characterized voters as scared and anxious. He said "strange things" can happen when they are feeling that way.

Obama's observations came after the New Hampshire presidential primaries where real estate mogul Donald Trump won the Republican poll and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the Democratic vote, beating out longtime front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Obama observed that "people are anxious" despite economic and other progress the country has experienced during his presidency.

The president said the current political climate "is not about bringing people together, but is about us and them and looking for somebody to blame." He said the country can only "move forward when it's based on us."

President Obama attended four fundraisers Thursday - two in northern California and two in southern California - where donors paid thousands of dollars to be close to the president.
Pakistan announced it has dismantled al-Qaida's main network in South Asia and foiled plans to break out of jail a man involved in the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl.

Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, the spokesman for Pakistans military, said they have arrested 97 militants, including Farooq Bhatti also known as Musanna  the deputy chief of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), 12 of the groups financiers and 15 explosives experts. The head of this al-Qaida chapter is in Afghanistan, according to Bajwa.



Other arrests



He said Pakistan has also arrested senior leadership of a banned militant outfit, Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ), along with 10 of the groups IED (improvised explosive device) experts and six suicide bombers. This group was working with AQIS to plan and execute attacks across Pakistan creating a nexus that was receiving support from the Pakistani Taliban.



Other arrests included 47 militants that belonged to a common pool of people used to carry out attacks.

The three commanders from AQIS and LeJ were paraded before the media after Bajwas news conference.

Progress in Karachi



Most of these arrests were made in Pakistans largest city Karachi during intelligence based operations carried out over a long period of time.



The city had suffered a major breakdown in law and order until Pakistans paramilitary force called the Rangers started an operation in September 2013 to clear it out.



The force has since carried out 7,000 operations, leading to a 70 percent reduction in target killings, an 85 percent reduction in extortions, and a 90 percent reduction in kidnappings for ransom, Bajwa told a press briefing.



Some of the major attacks carried out by the nexus of busted militant groups included one on Karachis airport as well as attacks on two of Pakistans naval bases and several offices of the countrys intelligence agency ISI.

Foiled plans for jail attack

The military spokesman also gave details about a foiled plan for an attack on a jail in Pakistans city of Hyderabad to break out 100 prisoners including Khalid Omar Sheikh who was involved in killing American reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. The plan, he said, was 90 percent ready for execution when it was stopped.

Sheikh, a British national of Pakistani decent, was sentenced to death in 2002 for his hand in the murder of Pearl. His appeal is still pending.

The militants had rented a house in Hyderabad and started a business to sell plastic drums out of that house as a cover. Bajwa showed a video of the inside of the house, which was stocked with explosives, detonators and an explosives-grinding machine to help prepare suicide vests or rig cars with the material.



Police uniforms and backpacks used by security personnel found at the house indicated the militants were going to disguise themselves as local police during the attack. A handmade map of the facility indicated inside help. A police constable who worked at the jail was involved in the planning.



Military operation in tribal areas



Bajwa credited the success in busting the network, as well as reduction in violence in the rest of the country, to the armys ongoing military operation to clear out militant hideouts in Pakistans tribal areas.



He said most of the planning for various attacks was done in Miranshah in North Waziristan tribal agency. Suicide bombers were prepared there, he said, and then sent to Karachi where members of AQIS or LeJ acted as facilitators.



Miranshah, he said, was like a marketplace where one could buy both people and materials to carry out attacks. The place has since been cleared out by operation Zarb e Azb, launched in June 2014.



He admitted, however, that work still remains.



Its a slow and frustrating process, he said. Once you arrest one man the network finds out and they disappear. Then you have to work twice as hard.
Pakistans chief negotiator Friday dismissed reports its nuclear arsenal program is the worlds fastest growing, and repeated Islamabads demand that it be inducted into a club of nuclear trading nations.

I think it would be important for us to distinguish between what is propaganda, disinformation and motivated reporting. Pakistan is not in an arms race, asserted Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, addressing a gathering of experts, officials and foreign diplomats in the Pakistani capital.

A recent joint study by the Carnegie and Stimson research organizations estimates that Pakistan has the capability to produce 20 nuclear warheads annually while its archrival, India, appears to be producing about five warheads.

Pakistan only goes for credible minimum deterrence. We have every right as a state for self-defense. Our nuclear deterrence is for self-defense. It is not status driven, said Chaudhry.

He again dismissed safety and security concerns about Pakistans nuclear weapons, saying the United States in unambiguous terms is appreciative of safety measures and steps Islamabad has taken over the past 15 years to prevent proliferation of nuclear materials.

Concerns about increased risk

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency director, Lt. General Vincent Stewart, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week that Pakistan continues to take steps to improve nuclear security and is aware of the threat presented by extremists to its program.

But the general noted Islamabads nuclear stockpile continues to grow.

We are concerned that this growth, as well as the evolving doctrine associated with tactical nuclear weapons, increases the risk of an incident or accident, stated Stewart.

Pakistan insists its full spectrum nuclear weapons program is India-specific to defend against possible aggression by the larger neighbor.

Officials also maintain that while their long-range nuclear-capable missiles can reach all of India, development of tactical weapons are meant to discourage Indian troops from staging a sudden cross-border aggression.

But U.S. officials are worried the smaller weapons increase chances of an accidental nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars since 1947 and their dispute over the divided Kashmir region remains at the center of bilateral tensions.

Nuclear club

Foreign Secretary Chaudhry said Islamabad is aspiring to join the multinational Nuclear Supplies Group and called for both Pakistan and India to be simultaneously given membership.

The 48-nation NSG works to prevent the civilian nuclear trade from being used for military purposes.

Pakistani leaders have been highly critical of the civilian nuclear deal the United States signed with India in 2006 and demand a similar one for Islamabad. Officials appear to be worried about reported diplomatic efforts to get New Delhi into the NSG in the group's meeting set for later this year.

Chaudhry reiterated those concerns in his speech Friday, saying Pakistan needs to be granted NSG membership in accordance with "non-discriminatory" and "criteria-based" policy.

"Strategic stability in South Asia has been negatively impacted by the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal and the discriminatory waiver granted to India by NSG, Chaudhry said.



Neither India nor Pakistan have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a pre-condition for countries to be inducted into the NSG. However, the group granted New Delhi a clean waiver from its existing rules in September 2008.

Critics cite the illicit activities of A.Q. Khan, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, and his proliferation network, for hampering Islamabad's attempts to become part of the nonproliferation "mainstream".
Iran is back in business again after years of sanctions that wreaked havoc on the countrys economy.



Polls taken over recent months suggest Iranians felt better about the future of their country as sanctions began to be eased, but their confidence seems to be slipping of late. According to analysts, Iranians are still uncertain about specifics of the nuclear deal and whether the U.S. will live up to its end of the bargain.

The Gallup organization has since 2012 been tracking public opinion in surveys of Iran for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees VOA.

With the adoption of a joint plan of action in Geneva in early 2014, the U.S. and EU began easing up on sanctions, and Gallup conducted a phone survey of more than 2,000 Iranians, asking them whether they thought things in Iran were headed in the right or wrong direction. More than seven in 10 respondents said they thought Iran was headed in the right direction.



But in July 2015, after the final nuclear deal was announced, Gallup posed the same question to Iranians  and got a very different answer: Only a slight majority of respondents  52.8 percent  thought Iran was heading on a positive path.



Today, sanctions have been lifted and $100 billion in frozen assets has been released. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has traveled to Europe to negotiate multi-billion-dollar deals with France and Italy. A new poll by the University of Marylands Center for International and Security Studies (CISS) shows Rouhani still has strong public support ahead of parliamentary elections February 26.





Fuzzy on nuclear pact details



I question these polls, whether somebody is going to be completely candid, especially if they get a phone call - maybe from outside Iran, from someone they dont know - I think they would tend to be more supportive of the government perhaps than they would otherwise be, said Barbara Slavin, acting director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council in Washington. I think you have to always have that caveat.



Sanctions have cost Iran more than $160 billion in oil revenues since 2012, and shrunk the countrys economy by as much as 20 percent. Slavin says Iranians were hopeful the economy would turn around once former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left office.

Hassan Rouhani was elected president in 2013 on campaign promises to save the economy, revive morality and interact with the world. A Zogby poll at the time showed that 43 percent of Iranians expected life to improve under the new administration. And they supported the nuclear talks as a means of getting some sanctions relief.



But now that a nuclear deal is in place, Iranians aren't quite clear on the details, according to Payam Mohseni, Iran project director at Harvards Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.



Iranians, based on how Rouhani sold the nuclear deal domestically, are not really aware of the exact terms of the agreement, he told VOA via Skype. They do not think that Iran has really retracted or limited much of its nuclear program. And they believe that all U.S. sanctions will be removed. So there are many minutiae of the deal that Iranians are not aware of.



The CISS poll confirms all this, and it also found that a growing majority mistakenly believe the International Atomic Energy Agency wont be allowed to inspect Iranian military sites.



Iranians also are uncertain that the United States can be trusted. Sixty-two percent of Iranians polled by CISS say they are not confident Washington will honor its obligations under the nuclear deal that was implemented January 16.

We have to understand that Iranians follow our politics very closely, the Atlantic Councils Slavin told VOA. And all the comments, particularly from Republican presidential candidates, have had an impact. Its very unsettling to hear that so-and-so would tear up the nuclear deal the day after he takes office. And that certainly has had an impact on their thinking.



Hoping for real change



Significant as it is, the nuclear deal takes a backseat to more pressing concerns in Iran  like a sluggish currency and widespread unemployment.



On February 26, Iranians will vote in parliamentary elections to determine their countrys political future. Six in 10 Iranians hope that Rouhani supporters are elected  and only four in 10 assume the vote will be somewhat free and fair.



Polls suggest the nuclear deal wont be a top priority to voters.



Now that the deal has been made, now that Iranians see the president, the foreign minister, traveling to Europe, making all these trade agreements, they want to see real change economically on the ground and in their lives, Mohseni said. Whether Rouhani can deliver in this field is still to be seen.
Air pollution is responsible for more than 5.5 million premature deaths every year, with more than half of those deaths coming in China and India, according to new research presented Friday.

Scientists warn the early death toll will climb over the next 20 years unless the world does more to fight the problem.

The new study was carried out by researchers from China, India, the United States and Canada, who assembled estimates of air pollution levels in China and India and determined their impact on health.

"Air pollution is the fourth highest risk factor for death globally and by far the leading environmental risk factor for disease," University of British Columbia professor Michael Brauer said Friday. "Reducing air pollution is an incredibly efficient way to improve the health of a population."

China, India

The report concludes that China and India, two of the world's most populous countries, also have the filthiest air in the world.

Experts say small particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere in those countries causes a whopping 55 percent of air pollution-related deaths worldwide.

Dan Greenbaum, president of the Health Effects Institute in Boston, a nonprofit organization that analyzes the health effects from different sources of air pollution, said that "living in areas with higher pollution can cause people to have increased heart and lung disease, and to die prematurely as a result."

Greenbaum noted that indoor cooking contributed significantly to air pollution and the cost in human lives.

That is a very important issue in both China and India, somewhat less though in China, where they have started to move people on to propane and natural gas to get them away from using coal," he said. "But in India, a very significant number of the people still burn very poor wood and biomass fuels, cow dung and other sources. And that creates major exposures indoors to the mothers and children, for example, who are cooking or are near the stove.

Some steps taken

In China, meanwhile, the biggest source of air pollution is burning coal, although Greenbaum said the Chinese were starting to do something about the overall problem.

Theyve tightened their standards for new vehicles, theyve cleaned up their fuel, and theyve actually committed to capping and reducing their coal," he said. "But the levels in China in a place like Beijing today are eight to 10 times higher than the healthy standards set by the World Health Organization, so they have a long way to go.

Unless China adopts more stringent air pollution standards, limiting coal combustion and particulate emissions from factories and power plants, the report estimated that more than 1 million people would die prematurely by 2030.

Economic progress in the United States, Western Europe and Japan also contributed to high levels of air pollution, according to the report.

Medical experts say air pollution leads to heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses.

Only high blood pressure, poor diet, and cigarettes kill more people every year than air pollution.

The latest research on air pollution was presented at the conference of there American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.
Thousands cheered and gave a warm welcome to Pope Francis when he stepped out his plane Friday night in Mexico City.

This is Francis' first official visit to the heavily Catholic country. He was greeted by President Enrique Pena Nieto, first lady Angelica Rivera, traditional dancers, and a large crowd of admirers waving flashlights in time to the music from a band.

Pope Francis arrived in Mexico hours after he and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church signed a joint declaration for religious unity.

Their historic meeting was aimed at healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed each other three times on the cheek as they began a two-hour meeting at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana.

"We hope our meeting contributes to the re-establishment of this unity wished for by God," the declaration says.

Kirill is on an official visit to Cuba and Francis made a brief stop in Havana on his way to Mexico.

Great Schism

The two branches of Christianity split in the Great Schism of 1054 over differences on theology and papal authority. The Russian Church also has accused Catholics of trying to convert followers in former Soviet states and satellites.

But church officials say the persecution of Christians  Catholic and Orthodox  in the Middle East and Africa has helped bring the two branches together.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said last week the meeting has "extraordinary importance in the path of ecumenical relations and the dialogue among Christian confessions."

He said Cuba was chosen for the meeting because "it is certainly a crossroad in the world of today."

In November 2014, Francis had said he told Kirill, "I will go wherever you want. You call me and I will go."

Most influential



Other popes have met with Istanbul-based ecumenical patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but not the head of the Moscow Patriarchate, the most influential of the worldwide Orthodox churches.

The pope is head of the world's estimated 1 billion Catholics. Russia's Orthodox Church has 165 million of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians.

In Photos: Mexico Prepares for Papal Visit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Friday with the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, after the Western military alliance and the United States announced plans for the biggest military buildup in Europe since the Cold War.

Russia's TASS state news agency quoted Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov as confirming that during the meeting, Lavrov expressed concern about the Western military alliance's plans to strengthen its presence on Russia's borders.

Earlier Friday, Russian news agencies quoted Meshkov as saying that Lavrov and Stoltenberg discussed holding a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council, but agreed that the agenda for the meeting still needs to be worked out.

NATO said on its website Friday that Stoltenberg and Lavrov "reviewed NATO-Russia relations and agreed to continue exploring the possibility of a NATO-Russia Council meeting."

The United States is planning to quadruple military spending in Europe to $3.4 billion in 2017 as NATO increases troops on rotation and training, stockpiles military hardware and arms, and forms a rapid reaction force.

Russia has called NATO's moves a threat to stability in Europe. The military alliance says the news plans are aimed at reassuring eastern European allies concerned about Russian aggression.

Russia's military went on high alert and held snap drills in central and southern Russia near Ukraine as NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels this week to hammer out steps to defend the Baltics and Eastern Europe.

"NATO defense ministers agreed on an enhanced forward presence in the eastern part of our alliance, said Stoltenberg. This will be multinational, to make clear that an attack against one ally is an attack against all allies, and that the alliance as a whole will respond."

Russian state media described the NATO plan as saber-rattling.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called it a design to contain Russia and a threat to Europe.

"We do not understand what triggered those actions, said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. We believe that they threaten not Russia itself but the strategic stability and security expected to prevail in Europe."

Russias envoy to NATO promised a military-technical response to the alliance's increased presence in Europe.

But Russian political analysts say they are not worried about a renewed arms race as NATO acts as a deterrent and poses little threat to nuclear-armed Russia.

I think the expansion of NATO itself is more a geopolitical challenge to Russia because, this means the expansion of the U.S.-led alliance, zone of influence, said Carnegie Moscow Center Director Dmitri Trenin. Russians would say a zone of security. Others would say a zone of protection.

Cynical Russians see the threat label as mutually beneficial to military budgets. "It's the mirror image for the Russian authorities, said construction director Yakov Zaichik. Now, the Russian authorities will use the situation to expand their forces, gain some experience, and for their election benefits.

But most Russians echo the official line repeated on state television.

"I think the encroachment of a border is always a threat, said engineer Yury Semonov. Russia's not moving in on anybody's borders."

NATO limited relations with Moscow after Russian forces annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and began supporting pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia's military posturing and probing of its neighbors since has increased concerns about its intentions. NATO says Russian military jets have been turning off their transponders, skirting borders, and coming dangerously close to other airplanes. Moscow denies any aggression.

NATO is reinstituting ambassador-level talks at the NATO-Russia Council, which was frozen in 2014, to increase transparency and prevent misunderstandings.

"It's something which we have used only sporadically and allies believe that it's a right time to perhaps try again, said the Brussels-based Acting Head of the NATO Information Office in Moscow Robert Pszczel. But, it does not mean a return full cooperation at this stage and it does not mean that we are establishing a new institution, he added.

Tensions between Russia and NATO are not expected to ease until there is substantial progress on implementing Ukraines peace deal, the Minsk agreement.

The sooner the Ukrainian crisis will be settled, the better, said Retired Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky at the Russian Center for Policy Studies. That's the core of our disagreements and actually the basis of, I do (am) not afraid to use the word, confrontation.

In the most serious incident since the Cold War, jets of NATO member Turkey in November shot down a Russian military plane along its border with Syria. Ankara says the Russian bomber ignored warnings and, as in previous incidents, crossed over the Turkish border. Moscow denied the bomber left Syrian airspace and called the downing a planned provocation.

NATO said Russia's continued air strikes in Syria since September in support of the Syrian government are undermining peace efforts, a charge Russia rejects.

In a sign of progress in Syria, Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a cease-fire and humanitarian aid plan Thursday to take effect within a week.
The government of Rwanda said Friday that it would relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, after accusations from U.S. diplomats that Rwanda was training rebels opposed to Burundi's government.

Rwanda's government said it would immediately begin working with "partners in the international community" to plan the orderly relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries.

The announcement took the U.N. refugee agency by surprise, and it issued a statement saying it was concerned by the move, which "seems to undermine the precedent of refugee protection Rwanda has set over a decade."

The UNHCR Rwanda office said U.N. officials met later Friday with Rwandan officials, who insisted the government would continue to protect refugees and would not forcibly expel them. UNHCR "urged the government to make such clarifications publicly as soon as possible" and to "address the many questions which are raised by this morning's statement."

Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels who want to overthrow the government in Bujumbura. Rwanda has strenuously denied the accusations.

Rwanda said Friday that it "readily shoulders its obligations to protect and care for refugees," but also noted that "the long-term presence of refugees so close to their country of origin carries considerable risks for all involved."

The statement followed accusations by the United States and the United Nations that Rwandan officials have been trying to influence the political opinions of Burundian refugees to build support for opponents of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza. Nkurunziza's announcement in April that he would run for re-election touched off the political violence that caused the refugees to flee.

On Wednesday, two senior U.S. diplomats accused Rwanda of "destabilizing activities" in neighboring Burundi, where political violence has left hundreds dead.

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke of her concerns to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She cited a number of reports from U.S. officials on the ground in Africa.

"We have raised these concerns with the Rwandan government and encouraged them to play a productive role and not to do anything that might further destabilize Burundi," Thomas-Greenfield told the senators.

Another top diplomat, the U.S. envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region, Tom Perriello, said there were credible reports of Rwandan officials recruiting Burundi refugees in Rwandan camps to fight for the Burundi opposition. Perriello said children were among the refugees being trained to fight.

A U.N. panel made the same accusation last week. Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed it as "childish."

Nkurunziza's successful campaign for a third term has inflamed the opposition. Nkurunziza says he was eligible to run for a third term because he was appointed, rather than elected, to his first term in office. But the opposition says a third term violates the two-term limit for the presidency outlined in the constitution.

Despite the opposition, Nkurunziza was re-elected and sworn in last August.

Political violence in Burundi has now killed more than 400 people and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing the country for their lives  many of them, to Rwanda.
The World Health Organization reports scientists are weeks away from establishing whether a link exists between the Zika virus and microcephaly, which causes brain abnormalities in babies.

The Zika virus does not in itself pose much of a problem. People who become infected develop a rash and a mild fever. They do not die.

But, the World Health Organization recently declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency because of its possible association with an explosive spread of microcephaly in Latin America.

WHO Assistant Director-General Marie-Paule Kieny says evidence is building on the causal link between the Zika virus and brain damage in newborn babies. But, the final word is not yet in.

There is a prospective cohort in Colombia of women who are pregnant and have been infected, are known to be infected and the outcome of their pregnancy is being looked at," she said. "So, in a few weeks or months, we will see how many of these women deliver a child with microcephaly and this will make the things much clearer.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome



Kieny says other studies to establish the link are being done in some of the France's overseas territories and in Cape Verde. She says scientists also are trying to see whether recent cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder that attacks the nervous system, is caused by the Zika virus.

So, it is a question of a few weeks to have an established link. As we have said there are other causes for Guillain-Barre also, but the association in time and in place makes the association of Guillain-Barre cases that we see right now with Zika probable.

Work on vaccines



Kieny says about 15 companies and groups have started work on vaccines and diagnostic tools for the Zika virus. She says two vaccine candidates are well advanced. But, despite encouraging signs, she says large-scale trials on the safety and efficacy of vaccines are at least 18 months away.

She says non-commercial Zika diagnostics are available, but research in this area needs to be urgently stepped up. She says it is likely that the first commercial and independently validated tests for Zika will be on the market in a matter of weeks, not months.

Therapeutics is another area of research. Kieny says studies are being carried out on medicines and other therapies that could prevent infection in vulnerable groups, especially pregnant women.
The Ugandan military said Thursday that a senior commander in warlord Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army had surrendered, a move analysts said showed disarray in rebel ranks and strengthened the possibility of Kony's capture.

The militia is notorious for extreme violence, including chopping off limbs as a form of punishment and abducting young girls and boys for use as sex slaves and child soldiers.

It first took up arms in the 1980s, but left Uganda about a decade ago after a military crackdown by Kampala. Since then, it has roamed across lawless parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, eluding international efforts to defeat it.

Uganda maintains a contingent in the Central African Republic and South Sudan to hunt for the group and capture Kony, with the help of U.S. special forces who provide intelligence and nonlethal logistics.

A Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) statement seen Thursday by Reuters said Lieutenant Colonel George Okot had "defected" in recent days in the Central African Republic.

The statement said Okot had fallen out with Kony after the rebel chief learned he had aided the defection of Dominic Ongwen, another LRA commander who surrendered in January 2015 and is now standing trial at the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court for war crimes.

"Before things went sour on him, [Okot] was in charge of food gathering and protection of Kony's family. He was relieved of his duties and put in the cells after news leaked to Kony that he aided Ongwen's escape," the statement said.

UPDF said Okot escaped as Kony's fighters prepared to execute him.

Kasper Agger, field researcher at the Washington-based rights group Enough Project, said Okot's surrender showed "a gradual breakdown in the LRA leadership structure and gives great hope that LRA leader Joseph Kony is running out of options and can be captured soon."
Days before democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi led her lawmakers into parliament as Myanmar's government-in-waiting, Ei Than watched bulldozers sent by the military destroy her house in a slum on the outskirts of Yangon.

Ei Than was one of about 2,500 people thrown off military-owned land at Mingaladon in a mass eviction that gives a glimpse into the challenges Suu Kyi faces in sharing power with the armed forces after nearly 50 years of iron-fisted junta rule.

The land, on the edge of the commercial capital, is owned by Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), a sprawling, military-owned conglomerate that entrenches the armed forces' grip over swaths of one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies.

Suu Kyi's party won a resounding election victory last November, but must still work with the military because of its continued hold over key cogs of the government machinery.

During the 20 years Ei Than had lived on the land, she had no idea it was owned by the military. Like many migrants to the country's biggest city, she built her house on vacant land.

"It was just scrub and bushes when we moved here," she said, breastfeeding an infant in a flimsy shelter covered in plastic sheeting that was erected nearby after the eviction.

Colonel Tin Aung Tun, minister of security and border affairs for the Yangon Regional Government, said he did not know what the land, surrounded by an industrial park housing many military-owned manufacturing plants, would be used for.

"These lands belong to the government," said the colonel, who, as the senior military official responsible for the area, oversaw the evictions. "I had to carry out my duty."

He said those evicted had been offered food, water and temporary shelter at a nearby paint plant. Some had moved to the site only recently in the hope of compensation, he added.

Land grabs

The eviction at Mingaladon took place January 26, less than a week before winning election candidates from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) were sworn in as lawmakers. When a lengthy transition is completed by the end of March, they will form the party's first majority government.

Land disputes are a difficult legacy of military rule.

Rights activists have accused the military and army-linked enterprises of numerous land grabs in recent years.

The NLD has for years worked to support those who have faced forcible evictions, and is compiling a list of land disputes. It is unclear how the party plans to resolve such disputes, given the likely military opposition.

Local NLD members believe the military timed the Mingaladon eviction to avoid any potential opposition from the new government.

"I think they wanted to get this done before the transition," said Nyunt May Tha, chairperson of the NLD in Mingaladon Township, whose son now sits in parliament.

MEHL is one of two powerful military business empires that account for a large chunk of the economy and are involved in everything from growing tea, manufacturing cigarettes and brewing beer to jade mining and banking. They help fund the military and the pensions and welfare provided to former soldiers, but they do not make their accounts public, and their revenues are not shared with the government.

Major Win Myint, manager at the nearby MEHL-owned Myanandar water purification plant, told Reuters the firm owned the land but said he did not know what plans the military company had to develop it.

A local government official declined to comment beyond confirming that the land belonged to MEHL.

MEHL did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the eviction and what it planned to do with the land.

Speedy evictions

Myanmar's junta-drafted 2008 constitution reserves a quarter of seats in parliament for the armed forces, along with control of home affairs, defense and border affairs ministries, whose ministers are chosen by the army chief, not the president.

The Mingaladon evictions were carried out by the General Administration Department (GAD), which runs unelected local governments and reports to the home affairs ministry, according to a copy of the order seen by Reuters.

The day after the order to vacate expired, bulldozers arrived. With them were about 200 policemen and around four times as many other men, some carrying sticks, according to a Reuters witness.

"Nothing can be done while the military is still in charge of the General Administration Department," said Nyunt May Tha. "We'll only be able to get over this if Daw Suu Kyi can talk to the military and fix it."

Government officials told the newly homeless people they would receive compensation and be rehoused. But two weeks after the eviction, those Reuters spoke to said they had received no help.

Hundreds of rickety shelters line a track running through a nearby industrial park. Inside, people cook on portable stoves and eat and talk by candlelight. Some say they moved to Yangon after Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's central delta in 2008.

The few possessions Ei Than owns are scattered on the floor, where a dozen dusty children crowd around a portable DVD player. "We are sad, we have nothing," she said. "We don't know if we will get any help or not."
South Korea has warned North Korea that Pyongyang acted "illegally" in freezing the assets of South Korean companies and personnel in the Kaesong industrial zone used by both nations.

South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said Friday that North Korea's decision to expel the South Koreans, issued Thursday, was "very regrettable," and added that Pyongyang will have to take full responsibility for any consequences.

On Thursday, North Korea ordered all South Koreans to leave the Kaesong complex, which is located 10 kilometers inside North Korea from the border with the South. Pyongyang said employees could only take personal belongings with them and ordered a "complete freeze" on the assets left behind. Pyongyang said the expulsions were a reaction to Seoul's decision a day earlier to shut down its operations at the park.

North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said South Korea's actions amounted to "a declaration of war."

South Korean workers began hauling equipment out of Kaesong early Thursday.

The North declared it a military zone, and said it was cutting off all military communications with Seoul, including the hotline at the border truce village of Panmunjom.

South Korea has said it is suspending operations at the Kaesong park to prevent Pyongyang from using the proceeds from the industrial park to fund the development of its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday and placed what it described as an "Earth observation satellite" into orbit, just weeks after carrying out its fourth nuclear test.

The Kaesong industrial park first opened in 2004 as part of the "sunshine" reconciliation policy reached between the authoritarian North and democratic South in the late 1990s, and is the last remaining symbol of cross-border cooperation. About 124 South Korean companies operate factories in Kaesong, and employ more than 53,000 North Korean workers, at an annual cost of $100 million, providing a source of badly needed hard currency for the impoverished North.

The park has been shut down once before, in 2013, when Pyongyang withdrew all of its workers and shut down the complex for five months during a period of heightened cross-border tensions.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has appointed his rival, rebel leader Riek Machar, as first vice president in a coalition government.

A presidential spokesman made the announcement Friday, saying the president expects Machar to travel to South Sudan's capital, Juba, soon.

Machar told VOA that he welcomes the appointment and considers it a good step in the right direction in the implementation of the deal to bring political stability to South Sudan. Machar said the next thing to do is to move quickly to complete the formation of the transitional government.

Machar's appointment is part of a peace deal signed by the two leaders in August 2015. Despite the deal, sporadic fighting has continued.

Machar was Kiir's deputy until 2013 when his firing triggered an uprising that intensified into a full-on rebellion. Machar fled South Sudan and has been living in Ethiopia.

South Sudan is the world's youngest country, winning independence from Sudan in 2011. Fighting between government forces and Machar's rebels has been especially brutal on civilians.

Both sides are accused of having perpetrated ethnic massacres, recruited and killed children, carried out widespread rape and torture, and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million from their homes while pushing parts of the population into famine conditions.

Machar said the international community and regional leaders should continue to help the South Sudanese people recover from the effects of the two years of violent conflict. "We will propagate [our appeal] in the international community to assist South Sudan to raise from the ashes of this war, he said.

A report released last month by a U.N. panel that monitors the conflict in South Sudan said Kiir and Machar were still completely in charge of their forces and were therefore directly to blame for killing civilians and other actions that warrant sanctions.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reappointed rival Riek Machar as first vice president, in a move that appears aimed at ending a civil war that began more than two years ago.

The decree by the president, announced Thursday, fulfills an important condition of a peace agreement reached in August but repeatedly violated. It basically restores the presidency to where it was before fighting erupted between supporters of the two men in December 2013, after Kiir fired Machar.

Speaking to VOA from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Machar expressed joy over his appointment.

"I first want to thank the president for taking this bold step so that the agreement can be implemented, Machar said. My feeling is that we have no way out except to implement the agreement.

South Sudan is the world's youngest country, winning independence from Sudan in 2011. Fighting between government forces and Machar's rebels has been especially brutal on civilians.

Both sides are accused of having perpetrated ethnic massacres, recruited and killed children, carried out widespread rape and torture, and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million from their homes, while pushing parts of the population into famine conditions.

Machar said international community and regional leaders should continue to help the South Sudanese people recover from the effects of the two years of violent conflict.

"We will propagate [our appeal] in the international community to assist South Sudan to raise from the ashes of this war,'' he said.

A report released last month by a United Nations panel that monitors the conflict in South Sudan said that Kiir and Machar were still completely in charge of their forces, and were therefore directly to blame for killing civilians and for other actions that warrant sanctions.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed rebel leader Riek Machar to be first vice president in a coalition government, in what could be an important step toward ending the country's civil war.

The move came after the East African bloc IGAD, the Intergovernmental Authorty on Development, urged Kiir and Machar to form a transitional government of national unity within two weeks.

Kiir issued a decree Thursday night appointing Machar to the newly created first vice president position. Later, in a second decree, he relieved Vice President Wani Igga of his duties but reappointed him as a vice president.

Kiir's spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, said Machar should return to the capital, Juba, immediately "so that it can allow the other steps of the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity."

Machar told VOA that his appointment was a good step toward implementing the peace deal signed in August. He said he and Kiir would move quickly to finish forming the transitional government.

Juba resident Michael Duku said the presidents decision was long overdue.

I think it is a way to implement the peace process. As a citizen of this country, what we want is peace," he said. "If this decree is implemented and Riek returns to Juba and takes office, I think this is the beginning of the peace process."

Strict implementation

Juba resident Akeen Santo Deng also welcomed the presidents decision, but added that Kiir and Machar need to implement the agreement to the letter.

We are looking for peace in South Sudan," Deng said. "[The] president has done a good step in the implementation of the peace agreement ... but more needs to be done, like appointing ministers.

Kiir's decree returns Machar to the No. 2 slot in South Sudan's government, more than 2 years after Kiir fired Machar and the entire cabinet in July 2013.

The two warring sides are four months behind schedule in forming the transitional government. Each side has accused each other of being reluctant to move forward.

The U.S., Britain and Norway  the countries known as the Troika, which backed the 2005 accord that led to South Sudan's independence from Sudan  have said they want to see both sides commit to implementing the peace agreement, including forming the new government, before they start funding projects to rebuild South Sudan's shattered economy.

Presidential spokesman Ateny said the Kiir administration would work with Machars advance team to set up security arrangements for the new first vice president.

Some South Sudan opposition politicians have cautiously welcomed Kiir's decision to appoint Machar as first vice president.

Lam Akol, chairman of the Democratic Change Party, called it a step in the right direction, "but what is important is for [Machar] to come, and the only reason he is not coming is that his bodyguards have not yet being transported to come to Juba. So I hope people will speed up this process so that the full cabinet of the government of national unity is formed.

More pressing matters

However, Martin Aligo, secretary general for the National Alliance, an umbrella group of 18 opposition parties, said Machar's appointment should not have been the first priority.

First of all, they have not met the peace requirement," he said. "What wanted is peace. The troops have never moved. So we dont see where the agreement is going. They are making up a government with no constitution, no anything.

South Sudan is the world's youngest country, winning independence from Sudan in 2011. Fighting between government forces and Machar's rebels has been especially brutal on civilians.

Both sides are accused of having perpetrated ethnic massacres, recruited and killed children, carried out widespread rape and torture, and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million from their homes while pushing parts of the population into famine.
Attacks across Thailands southern border provinces have raised fears of an escalation in insurgent violence, even as the Thai government has stepped up security operations and reports progress in its efforts to hold peace talks. Human-rights advocates are calling for an investigation into claims of torture against detainees, including a death in custody.

Outbreak of violence

The outbreak of violence in Thailands southern provinces of Yala and Pattani on Friday included the roadside bombing of a military patrol providing security for local school teachers, drive-by shootings and arson attacks.

The insurgency in the largely Muslim-populated region, in its 12th year, has claimed over 6,200 lives, defying official efforts to end the bloodshed.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security adviser to the Thai defense minister, says the latest insurgent attacks are in response to security sweeps, including a raid Wednesday in Pattani Province that led to the seizure of a large quantity of bomb-making materials.

In the past few weeks, security units have been able to conduct sweeping operations pushing some of the key [insurgent] members to leave the cities, and some of them have been arrested. Intelligence [gathering] by security units are more successful," he said. "This is also indicating that the cooperation between different security units and the people in the area is much stronger.

Decline in violent incidents

Panitan says there has been a reduction in violent incidents, and that a further decline in violence may lead to an easing of military control over the local administration. The regions remain under martial law.

If the reduction continues further this year we may see an ending to certain types of violence, and maybe the areas could be returned to normalcy  controlled, operated or managed by the local people. This is the hope for the year. [But it] has to be carefully managed until we are quite certain that things are stable, he said.

Rights groups charge the Thai government is failing to adequately address the issues of human rights abuses and ill-treatment of detainees.

A report this week by the Cross Cultural Foundation, a local rights group, charged that more than 50 detainees have been victims of abuse - including one who died in December.

Concerns about human rights



Pornpen Khongkachontiel, the foundations director, says rights groups face greater restricted access to investigate the charges.

In the past, some mechanisms that can reduce the risk of detainees being tortured, for the monitoring by the National Human Rights Commission, the civil society and the families play a big role in monitoring the detention  including the military. But in the past year all these mechanisms, oversight mechanism, dont work, she said.

Thai authorities have dismissed the claims, saying the rights situation in the southern border provinces has improved.

But the foundation is calling for a full investigation into the allegations, saying that while just a few officials stand accused of ill treatment, the charges are creating fear and mistrust across the local communities.
Bosnian Serb general Zdravko Tolimir, who was sentenced to life in prison for crimes including his role in the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, died of natural causes this week, the court that convicted him said.

Tolimir, right-hand man to Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, who is currently on trial at the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal in The Hague, was awaiting transfer to prison when he was taken ill in the court's detention center on Monday evening.

The 67-year-old had suffered from heart disease.

"It was concluded that Mr Tolimir died of natural causes," the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals said in a statement on Friday after an autopsy carried out by Dutch authorities. The MICT is the legal successor to the Yugoslavia tribunal, which is being wound down.

The slaughter in Srebrenica in 1995, carried out by Bosnian Serb troops seeking to carve out an ethnically pure Serb state in multi-ethnic Bosnia, triggered the Western air strikes that brought an end to the 3-1/2-year Bosnian war. It remains Europe's worst massacre since World War II.
The international community is mobilizing to get life-saving assistance to millions of Syrians in besieged and hard-to-reach parts of the country in the coming days.

Diplomats meeting Thursday in Munich as part of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed to cooperate and use their influence on the parties to expand humanitarian access  which the United Nations and aid groups have continually appealed for the past two years.

We have agreed to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told a news conference early Friday in Munich.



He said sustained deliveries would begin this week to some of the hardest to reach areas. Deir Ezzor in the northeast, which is mostly under the control of the so-called Islamic State, will receive assistance via air drops.



Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province, which are besieged by rebel groups, and government-besieged Madaya in rural Damascus, will receive aid by land. Aid trucks last reached about 60,000 people in those three areas for the first time in months in January. Mouadhimiyeh and Kafr Batna are also slated for deliveries.

We will test it very soon  Monday, Tuesday, not later  and see whether, in fact, we will have problems as we often have had in order to reach places, said U.N. Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura. He said if obstacles arise, they would go back to the ISSG to ask for help to make the deliveries happen.

Humanitarian task force

De Mistura said in Munich that the U.N. would be in charge of launching this initiative with support from Russia, the United States and other ISSG members.

A special ISSG humanitarian task force is being rapidly set up and held its first meeting Friday morning in Geneva. It will continue to meet weekly to monitor compliance and resolve issues on access or delivery.

We have already submitted requests for access to the parties surrounding besieged areas. We expect to get such access without delay, Jan Egeland, a senior advisor to de Mistura, said in a statement.



Finally, the civilians who have been deprived of their basic right of humanitarian access for so long, will have hope, he added. Let us not fail them.

Task force members include the United States and Russia, relevant U.N. entities and members of the ISSG with influence on the parties that are in a position to ensure humanitarian access.

ISSG members will also work with the Syrian parties to ensure the immediate approval of more than a hundred pending U.N. access requests. Just over a dozen of those requests have been approved in the past months.

Welcome development

The people of Syria - in Aleppo, Madaya, Foua and Kefraya, Deir Ezzor and elsewhere - need an end to the brutal violence and bombing, the sieges, denial of free movement, food and medical care, U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien said in a statement on Friday, welcoming news of the planned cessation of hostilities and aid access.

He added that the U.N. and its partners need safe, sustained access for humanitarian workers across Syria. We remain committed and ready to deliver aid and protection for civilians in desperate need, whoever and wherever they are, he added.

OBriens office says there are 4.6 million people in need in hard-to-reach parts of Syria. Nearly a half-million of them live in areas described as besieged by government forces, the opposition or terrorist groups.



In the past week alone, heavy shelling by the government has displaced more than 50,000 people in northern Syria, many of them making a dangerous dash to the Turkish border to escape Russian-backed Syrian air force bombings.



Under the Munich plan, all groups using heavy weapons would stop next week as a first step to a negotiated nationwide cease-fire. If implemented, it will improve aid access and possibly pave the way to a resumption of U.N.-brokered peace talks among the parties that were suspended earlier this month.
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World powers meeting in Munich have agreed on a cessation of hostilities in Syria, to begin in one week. But many observers are skeptical, and warn that Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, could exploit the deal.



After five years of war and close to half-a-million people killed, a faint sign of hope the slaughter may stop. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the cease-fire deal in Munich Friday.



Cessation of fighting



"Weve agreed to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time. Thats ambitious, but everybody is determined to move as rapidly as possible to try to achieve this, he said.



Kerrys Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, emphasized there were still differences with Washington.

He said the key in Syria is to have direct contacts for cooperation between the army, the U.S.-led coalition and the Russian army  which, he added, is in Syria at the invitation of the legitimate government.



Under the deal, operations against terrorist groups like Islamic State militants will continue.



In reality, Syrian government and Russian airstrikes have targeted all opposition groups, said Karen von Hippel, director of Britains Royal United Services Institute and the former Chief of Staff to U.S. General John Allen, who led the fight against Islamic State until stepping down last year.



The Russian pattern is, they have not been sincere about any of these peace overtures. They have been using every single opportunity to gain territory and to really just almost carpet-bomb Syrians, said Von Hippel.



Russia said it only targets extremist groups. But the bombardment has been stepped up against the rebel stronghold of Aleppo, which is now almost encircled by Syrian regime forces.



Geopolitical stakes



While Russia and Iran are providing military support to the Syrian government, Sunni states like Saudi Arabia  along with Western powers including the U.S. and Britain  are supporting opposition forces. The geopolitical stakes are rising, said Von Hippel.



I wouldnt be surprised if a Russian helicopter gunship gets shot down in the coming weeks or if several of them get shot down," she added. "Not necessarily by opposition forces on their own, but with the support of countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or even Turkey.



Analysts say a cessation of fighting would provide relief for Syrians desperate civilians  and also a pause for breath in a spiraling proxy war. The agreement on paper is yet to be implemented on the ground.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says major powers meeting in Munich to discuss the situation in war-torn Syria have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in one weeks time.

Kerry told reporters early Friday in Munich that the cessation of hostilities will not apply to terrorist groups, including Islamic State, al-Nusra and others. He said the 17-nation International Syria Support Group has agreed that a task force co-chaired by the U.S. and Russia will work to determine the modalities of a long-term reduction in violence.

The top U.S. diplomat added on a cautionary note that the ISSG meeting has produced commitments on paper, but that the real test will be if all the parties honor their commitments.

The support group also agreed to accelerate and expand delivery of humanitarian assistance, starting with key troubled areas and then widening to provide increased humanitarian aid to the entire country.

Secretary of State John Kerry on the agreement:



A United Nations task force will oversee the aid delivery beginning with a meeting in Geneva and reporting on progress weekly.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening and collective efforts are needed to stop it.

Geneva talks

Kerry said putting an end to violence and bloodshed is essential, but that ultimately a peace plan is needed.

To that end, he said the ISSG unanimously called for the Geneva talks to resume as soon as possible. He said the ISSG pledges to take every single measure we can to facilitate negotiations.

Earlier, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura delayed until February 25 the next effort to get "proximity talks" under way. These would include members of the Damascus government and the main opposition groups in the civil war, but not meeting directly with each other.

Rebels: End 'Russia's campaign of slaughter'

A senior member of the Syrian opposition said earlier Thursday any cease-fire would be welcome if it ends "the current Russian campaign of slaughter," but that there must be guarantees that all of the Damascus regime's backers - including Iran-funded militias and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement - observe a truce.

Possible turning point in war

European diplomats told VOA they believed a delay in a cease-fire for several weeks would allow Russian and Syrian government troops to complete their operation to retake Aleppo and send even more refugees fleeing toward Turkey.

Regaining control of Aleppo, which has largely been under rebel control since mid-2012, would mark a possible turning point in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's drive to crush his opponents.



This is straight out of the Kremlins playbook, said a senior European Union diplomat. He compared the Russian negotiating stance on Syria to Moscow's handling of the fighting between government forces and separatist, pro-Russian militias in Ukraine.

A Turkish official told VOA that Russia might be entering into a truce now because its military assault on Aleppo is now complete.



Now they can focus on ... preparing for the next stage  Idlib, the Turkish official said.

100,000 refugees in a week



In the past week, since a donor's conference about Syria in London, nearly 100,000 Syrians have fled from their homes, International Rescue Committee President David Miliband said.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis is making a mockery of the international communitys commitment to help Syrians, the former British Cabinet member said.



Plans to resume proximity talks between the government and opposition hinge on whether world powers can make sufficient progress in efforts to secure a cease-fire and provide humanitarian access to affected civilians.

Former U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford says, "The most important thing is to somehow pressure the Russians and the Syrians to stop the aerial bombardments which are causing these floods of refugees.



However, he added, the U.S. had not shown any willingness to genuinely pressure Russia.
Syrian rebels warn their five-year-long struggle to oust President Bashar al-Assad will go underground, if they are deserted by Western backers or an attempt is made to foist an unacceptable political deal on them. They will wage a relentless guerrilla campaign against the Assad regime and foreign invaders from Iran and Russia, turning the war into a national liberation fight, rebel commanders and opposition politicians say.

Talk of a guerrilla war fought along the lines of the Mujahideens successful albeit bloody war to oust Russian occupiers in Afghanistan has mounted in recent days and it is the focus of discussions between rebel commanders now as they wrestle with the implications of Thursdays announcement in Munich by foreign powers of a partial cease-fire in Syria.

Rebel commanders and opposition politicians are greeting with deep skepticism the announcement by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) of 17 foreign powers, including Russia, of a cessation of hostilities along with the delivery of humanitarian aid within a week to besieged areas of the war-torn country with deep skepticism.

With the partial cease-fire deal announced by the ISSG in Munich not including a clear commitment from the Kremlin to end blistering Russian airstrikes immediately  a key demand of the Syrian opposition  the rebels dismiss the idea that Munich represents a breakthrough in the search for a political solution to end the brutal five-year-long civil war that has left upwards of 250,000 dead.

They view it instead as another way-station on a road that will lead to an inevitable Western-backed negotiated political deal that they wont be able to accept.

Fighters are angrier

Some even once pro-Western rebel commanders are expressing increasingly sharp anti-American sentiments and warn that their fighters are even angrier.

Fighters on the front-lines have some very harsh things to say about the West, says Mohammed Adeeb, a senior figure in the 10,000-strong Shamiya Front, an alliance of secular and nationalist armed factions.

Speaking in Munich after lengthy talks, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said a U.N. task force would work to develop the modalities for a long term and durable cessation of violence. He acknowledged, though, that the deal was only so good as the paper it is written on and much further works is needed.

But some rebels and opposition politicians are drawing comparisons with another piece of paper signed in Munich in 1938.

Formally, the Syrian Coalition, the main political opposition group, is welcoming the idea for a cessation of hostilities  saying the civilians need desperately a lessening of the violence and to receive humanitarian aid. The conditions on the other side of the border are really terrible, says Nader Othman, deputy prime minister in the opposition's Syrian Interim Government.

But he fears the Russians are playing a game to sap Western resolve and to divide further the West from the anti-Assad opposition. This will only end this phase of the regimes offensive. The regime and its Russian backers will exploit the cease-fire, he worries.

Cease-fire vs cessation of hostilities

Pro-opposition civil society activists also remain highly doubtful about the deal and what it may hold. I will welcome the delivery of aid to all areas that need it, says Bassam al-Kuwaiti, a well-known figure in opposition circles.

As to the cease-fire, a political transition should start at the same time, or we will be allowing the Assad forces to capture lands under the banner of fighting the Islamic State or Jabhat al-Nusra, and therefore to obtain a powerful position that enables it to halt any political change, he says.

He cautions: It is very important to distinguish between a cease-fire and a cessation of hostilities. With the first there are monitoring mechanisms, as for the latter there are no such mechanisms and it is left to the parties to decide how to implement it.

He fears the cessation offer is designed also to split opposition forces.

That view is shared by rebel commanders. And in the hours since the deal was announced, more militias have voiced if not outright disapproval, huge doubts. Few want to be seen dismissing the deal out of hand, fearful of being seen as saboteurs of a deal that might bring some relief to civilians.

We are skeptical that Russia will hold to these commitments when its current policy is to indiscriminately bomb all parties in Syria into the dust, in particular civilians and moderate opposition, and with complete impunity, while saying they are bombing terrorists, the Southern Front, an alliance of factions in the south of the country, said in a statement Friday.

The biggest concern of rebel commanders in north Syria is that the Russian-backed regime will use the cessation of hostilities as a PR cover for a shift in battlefield focus, one Western powers will have inadvertently provided a stamp of approval for and wont be able to object to later.

The Munich deal writes out any cessation of hostilities for not only the Islamic State but al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra or other groups deemed terrorists by the UN Security Council. Some of those groups, aside from IS, have been battlefield allies of other rebel factions around Aleppo.

It remains unclear at the moment if Islamist militia Ahrar al-Sham, an al Nusra ally and one of the most powerful armed anti-Assad armed factions, is outside the scope of the Munich deal, too.

Watch: Kurdish Forces Capture Rebel-Held Air Base in Syria

Even so, al Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham are the dominant forces in the rebel Army of Conquest alliance in Idlib, the neighboring province to Aleppo. With the regime having tightened the noose on the rebels in Aleppo and cutting their main supply line to the border with Turkey at Bab al-Salameh,rebel groups will need to ferry in supplies via Idlib from the border crossing at Bab al-Hawa.

Some rebel commanders say they will have no choice but to back up al Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, if a post-Munich regime offensive unfolds in Idlib  not just out of comradeship for other anti-Assad fighters but because a collapse by their forces there would weaken moderate and nationalist militias in Aleppo, too.

Midweek, Gen. Salem Idris, the former chief of staff of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, told VOA that he thought within days the Russians would start bombing Idlib.

They want to close down Bab al-Hawa, he said.

The Shamiya Fronts Adeeb also sees Idlib as the inevitable next focus of the phased Russian-backed regime offensive  and would have been regardless of a Munich deal being agreed by the ISSG.

He says of al Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham: We dont coordinate militarily on the battlefield with them but we do have a saying that any rife trained on Assad deserves our support. Rebel commanders say that regardless of what they decide to do in the event Idlib is targeted their own militiamen will want to fight there, weakening the coherence of moderate factions, if they resist the demands of their ranks.

Assad's future



Whatever the near future holds for the Syrian revolution against Assad, Nader Othman of the Syrian Interim Government insists the regime wont win. They might take more land and occupy it. There will be a resistance, it will revert to a guerrilla war, and Syrians can make things even harder for the Russians than they experienced in Afghanistan.

He adds: Our mistake was not to see our revolution as a national liberation struggle. This is no longer a civil war  we are occupied by many foreign forces and we should make that clear. This is now a war to eject foreign invaders.
Relatives and friends of the victims of Taiwan's earthquake last Saturday attended a memorial ceremony Friday, as the official death toll rose to at least 93.

President Ma Ying-jeou and President-elect Tsai Ing-wen both attended Friday's event in the city of Tainan, offering flowers and visiting with relatives and Buddhist monks, but making no official remarks.

Mourners bowed and lit incense before portraits of the victims arranged in rows. The ceremony takes place on the seventh day after the disaster, a special day of mourning according to Chinese tradition.

Taiwan's Interior Ministry announced the updated death toll Friday, as rescue workers continued to sift through the ruins of the Weiguan Golden Dragon apartment complex. Dozens of people are still missing.

It was the only major building to collapse during the 6.4 magnitude quake, although dozens of buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged.

The developer of the building, Lin Ming-hui, remains in custody and has been charged with professional negligence resulting in death. Two other former executives have also been charged.

Questions about the methods and materials used in constructing the building have emerged in the wake of the tragedy, fueled by photos from the wreckage showing tin cans and foam built into the walls of the complex.

The quake struck two days before the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar.
When an earthquake struck the Taiwanese city of Tainan in the early hours of Saturday morning, Wu Hsiu-chi's unit in the seven-story Wei-guan Dragon Door World Family Building shook hard, but survived with little damage.

In another taller apartment block, built by the same developer in the same neighborhood, scores of residents were not so lucky.

The lower floors of the Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building collapsed on top of each other during the 6.4 magnitude tremor, before the entire U-shaped complex toppled in on itself. At least 63 people were killed and more than 50 others are still trapped in the wreckage, with hopes of survival all but gone.

Prosecutors took the developer behind the collapsed building, Lin Ming-hui, into custody Tuesday, holding him and two men, Chang Kuei-pao and Cheng Chin-kuei, identified as architects also involved in the building's construction, on suspicion of professional negligent homicide.

The three men have not been charged as the investigation into the building's collapse is ongoing. They have not made any comment since being taken into custody.

Lin's Wei-guan Construction built three other buildings in Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city, including Wu's home.

Concerned about improper building techniques identified at the Wei-guan Golden Dragon and irregularities in Lin's business dealings, officials say they are now looking at those buildings.

"I am thinking about [moving], but it's a money issue," Wu said, when asked what she thought about living in a complex built by the same company behind the collapsed building.

Upcoming inspections

Tainan Deputy Mayor Tseng Shu-cheng said the city would inspect the remaining buildings with links to Lin's Wei-guan Construction.

"Only if we determine it is a dangerous building" would the local government be able to consider providing assistance to residents who may want to leave the properties, Tseng added.

The city's Public Works Bureau said they were working through a list of at least 40 buildings to inspect, and planned to examine two of the surviving Wei-guan buildings this week, said Wu Chao-min, who handles building usage and management issues at the bureau.

The Public Works Bureau did not have records of structural and safety assessments of either of the buildings conducted previously, he said, adding that such assessments were usually done at the request of the building management or residents and were not required to be filed with the local government.

The 17-story Wei-guan Golden Dragon, completed in 1994, was the only major high-rise in the city of two million people to have completely collapsed.

Lin Ming-hui's lawyer, Li Meng-che, told Reuters his client felt he had done nothing wrong.

"He said he followed procedures. The project was so big he could not have done the structure or design all by himself," Li said, adding he was not able to comment on other buildings Lin was involved in.

The local court said Chang did not yet have legal representation, while the lawyer for Cheng, the other architect, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Accusations fly

The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said it suspected Lin of cutting corners during construction of the Wei-guan Golden Dragon building.

The design of the construction did not match calculations made in its structural and steel blueprints, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

At least half of the main beam joints were missing compared to the building's structural calculation books, the prosecutors office said.

"The structural system of the building was pretty poor," said Sheen Mau-song, a professor of civil engineering and member of the Taiwan Civil Engineering Association who is part of the government's team investigating the collapse.

"There were very few pillars on the first floor, the pillars were quite scattered about, and the materials, from the weakest side, were destroyed."

Reuters was not able to reach Lin or his lawyer to comment on those findings.

Prosecutors and city government officials are also investigating Lin's business practices.

"It is clear that this individual has a routine of changing his name and opening a company and closing a company," Hsiao Po-jen, director of the legal affairs department of the Tainan City government, told Reuters, without providing evidence.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm those details and Lin's lawyer declined to comment on the possible name changes and companies he used.
Something very rare happened in the U.S. Congress this week: Republicans and Democrats agreed to support tough action on North Korea after a series of provocations by Pyongyang.

The House of Representatives passed broad new sanctions Friday against North Korea by a vote of 408 to 2. The Senate passed the sanctions bill earlier this week by a vote of 96-0, meaning that the measure now goes to President Barack Obamas desk for signing.

The legislation directly targets money launderers, human rights abusers, weapons and luxury goods traders, and anyone involved with the nuclear weapons program or anyone who carries out cyber-attacks. It also would impose secondary sanctions against any outlets that support and finance North Koreas aggression.

In addition, the bill would authorize $10 million annually for five years to expand North Korean citizens access to media and to provide humanitarian aid to refugees.



The legislation passed through both chambers of Congress at lightning speed, less than one week after North Korea launched a long-range rocket. A number of lawmakers expressed concern that the international community is not moving fast enough to counter Pyongyangs dangerous nuclear program, which has the potential to threaten the United States and its allies.

White House officials indicate the president isn't likely to veto the bill due to its overwhelming Congressional support.

Punishing blow

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce sponsored the bill. The California Republican said its broad bipartisan support shows that many lawmakers are frustrated with the Obama administrations policy of strategic patience with North Korea and are demanding a new approach.

Royce said the tough legislation is meant to deal such a punishing blow that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is forced to make a choice between returning to the negotiating table and ending his countrys nuclear program or having funds for his regime cut off.

Some analysts draw parallels to the tough U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, which many credit with forcing Tehran to the negotiating table and paving the way for the nuclear deal.



Experts, however, are divided over the question of how much impact the sanctions will have on such an extremely closed, isolated country with an underdeveloped economy.



'Human rights house of horrors'

Ranking Democratic member Eliot Engel said several different U.S. administrations, both Republican and Democratic, had tried in vain to curb North Koreas nuclear ambitions. He said no one should blame any one president.

Engel also made clear that the United States is not angry with the people of North Korea, but with its corrupt leaders.

"I've been to North Korea twice, and its just sickening that the regime and its friends profit from these crimes while the rest of the country is literally starving," said Engel. "On that point, this bill includes important exceptions for the humanitarian aid that benefits the North Korean people."

Royce highlighted the human rights provisions in the legislation. Equally important to the strong sanctions in this bill are its critical human rights provisions," he said. "North Korea operates a brutal system of gulags that hold as many as 120,000 men, women, and children.



"If a North Korean is suspected of any kind of dissenting opinion from the Kim regime, his entire family  for three generations  is punished," Royce added. "North Korea is a human rights house of horrors.
The United Nations says suspected Islamist militants in Mali killed five peacekeeping troops Friday in an attack on a U.N. base.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the early-morning attack in the northern town of Kidal, which also injured about 30 other people.

In a statement, the U.N. chief said the attack will not weaken United Nations support for the Malian government or efforts to establish peace in the country.

The militants reportedly attacked the Kidal base with rockets and a van bomb around 7 a.m. At least three of the soldiers killed were from Guinea.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

In a separate incident, three Malian soldiers were killed and three others wounded Friday when gunmen ambushed a military convoy on a road between Timbuktu and Goundon, also in northern Mali.

Several Islamist militant groups are active in the region, including the Movement for Oneness (MUJAO) and Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

The groups ruled northern Mali for about 10 months after a coup in Bamako in April 2012, and remain a threat despite being ousted from power in a French-led military operation in early 2013.

Friday's attacks came a week after U.N. peacekeepers and Malian forces retook a police base in Timbuktu that was briefly seized by unknown assailants.
The U.N. refugee agency has expressed concern over the increasingly restrictive policies being adopted by European countries against asylum seekers. It warns the measures will not stop people from coming to Europe in search of a safe haven.

People in Syria are dying in droves. More than a quarter-million people have been killed over the past five years of civil war. Millions more are internally displaced or are refugees living in miserable conditions in neighboring countries.

More than one million refugees and migrants from Syria and elsewhere made the dangerous sea journey to Europe last year, with 80 percent landing on overcrowded Greek islands.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says it is illusory for European countries to believe they can stop the mass exodus of desperate people trying to escape a life of misery and death.

So far this year, she says more than 80,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by boat. Tragically, more than 400 of them have died.

Despite rougher seas, harsh winter weather, and numerous hardships upon arrival, we are still seeing that over 2,000 refugees and migrants [a day[ are continuing to risk their lives to crossMore people arrived during the first six weeks of 2016 than in the first four months of 2015, she said.

Last year, the European Union mapped out a plan for resolving the refugee crisis. The centerpiece was to fairly redistribute 160,000 refugees among the EUs 28 member states. EU officials say only 272 Syrians and Eritreans have been transferred from Greece and Italy to other countries.

The head of UNHCRs Europe bureau, Vincent Cochetel, says the relocation plan is not working. Most of the refugees are heading on their own to Germany, Sweden, Austria, and France.

The vast majority of countries in Europe are not affected by this crisis. Do we want the same mess or do we want some orderly distribution of the responsibility among states. We believe that is the correct answer," he said. "There is no German or Swedish or Greek solution to this problem. Nor is there a Turkish solution to this problem.

Cochetel is calling on European countries to show greater solidarity, responsibility and trust in tackling this refugee crisis. He warns there is no Plan B. Countries must implement their plan. Otherwise, he says this unstoppable movement of people will continue with tragic consequences for all.
The United States is ramping up efforts on two fronts in Afghanistan  "significantly" increasing airstrikes against Islamic State in the country's east while providing more advisers to Afghan troops fighting the Taliban in the country's south.

Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon via videoconference from Kabul on Thursday that the U.S. estimates there are now between 1,000 and 3,000 Islamic State-Khorasan fighters in Afghanistan. Islamic State has designated Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran as its so-called "Khorasan" province.

Most fighters pledging allegiance to Islamic State-Khorasan are in four or five districts in the southern part of Nangarhar province, where Shoffner says he's seen them trying to "establish a base."

Nangarhar province borders the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, allowing IS-Khorasan to recruit both Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban, or TTP.

Additional flexibility

The White House approved military authorization to target Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan late last month.

"The change in authorities has given us additional flexibility," Shoffner said.

Before the change, U.S. forces could only strike Islamic State militants in Afghanistan if they were a threat to U.S. forces. Asked by VOA if IS-Khorasan had ever tried to attack U.S. troops, Shoffner said he would not "get into specifics of targeting and tactical level details."

Advisers to Helmand

In addition to more strikes in the east, Shoffner said the U.S. military is increasing its footprint in Helmand province.

Afghan special forces are increasing operations in Helmand so that the regional Afghan Army 215 Corps there can rebuild, according to the general. Therefore, more Afghan operations require more U.S. advisers.

"We are increasing our advising effort in Helmand province," Shoffner said. "We are also  positioning soldiers to provide force protection."

The repositioning of U.S. forces in Helmand will not affect the overall number of U.S. troops on the ground in Afghanistan, which remains at about 9,800.
A U.S. federal judge in Minnesota Thursday ordered a Bosnian man deported for lying about war crimes when he emigrated to the United States in 1998.

Zdenko Jakisa of Forest Lake, near Minneapolis, belonged to the notoriously brutal Croatian Defense Council during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

He was convicted in Bosnia of various crimes, including killing an elderly Serbian woman by shooting her through her bedroom window. He still faces other criminal charges in Bosnia.

Jakisa fled to the United States and concealed his criminal past when he applied for permanent residency.

He has operated a taxi business in Forest Lake, where he has been in trouble with the law for driving while impaired and disorderly conduct.

Jakisa told the judge he had to lie on his immigration form because he said his and his wife's lives were in danger in Bosnia.
The United States has temporarily deployed an additional Patriot missile battery in South Korea. The move was done in response to North Korea's nuclear test and long-range missile launch.

Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal said "exercises like this ensure we are always ready to defend against an attack from North Korea."

The temporary deployment came ahead of talks the U.S. and South Korea are set to hold in the coming week on deploying a more advanced missile defense system, a Seoul defense official confirmed.

THAAD missile system

Washington and Seoul formally announced last week they intend to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense missile system, known as THAAD, in South Korea at the earliest possible date.

Exactly when and where the system will be deployed will be the subject of formal discussions to take place "as early as next week," according to a South Korean defense ministry official, who spoke anonymously Friday.

The official also stressed the THAAD deployment is only meant to protect South Korea from the north's growing nuclear and missile capabilities, and will not target other countries in the region.

U.S. officials have not commented on when the talks will take place.

China, Russia complaining

China and Russia have both complained about the possible deployment. In a statement Friday, Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed "serious concern," saying the system would "significantly undermine the strategic interest of China."

The U.S. and South Korea have long been reported to be considering the THAAD deployment. But the plan appears to have accelerated after North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday and placed what it described as an "Earth observation satellite" into orbit, just weeks after carrying out its fourth nuclear test.

In recent years, North Korea has repeatedly threatened to carry out nuclear attacks on the U.S., Seoul and Japan. With its latest tests, Pyongyang appears to be closing in on the capability to do so.

The U.S. and its allies have responded with calls to ramp up international sanctions against the north.

US, South Korea coordination

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, Germany.

"The two ministers agreed to continue our close coordination towards a robust and united international response to the DPRKs violations of multiple U.N. Security Council Resolutions that threaten international peace and security," said a U.S. statement.

Kerry "reaffirmed the U.S. ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan and noted the vital importance of continued communication and cooperation among the three countries," the statement added.

Kerry met separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang. During the meeting, he "urged China to use their influence in Pyongyang to help the international community increase pressure" on North Korea, the State Department said.

The North's rocket launch and nuclear test also set off a new round of tensions between North and South Korea, which have remained in a technical state of war since their 1950s conflict.

Kaesong closing



This week, North Korea ordered all South Koreans to leave the jointly run Kaesong industrial complex that lies along the border and is one of the only areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Pyongyang said employees could only take personal belongings with them and ordered a "complete freeze" on the assets left behind. It said the expulsions were a reaction to Seoul's decision a day earlier to shut down its operations at the park.

South Korea on Friday warned the North that it acted "illegally" in freezing the South Korean assets and in forcing out the personnel. Meanwhile, the North said South Korea's actions amounted to "a declaration of war."

The North also declared the area a military zone, and said it was cutting off all military communications with Seoul, including the hotline at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
China's growth rate has slipped to its lowest level in 25 years and there are growing concerns in countries that have relied on its booming economy. Analysts fear that Australia, which has prospered from exports of natural resources to China, could follow other resource-dependent economies into recession.

Since the global financial crisis, the world has largely been reliant on China for economic growth. But falling Chinese demand has led to a sharp fall in the price of commodities, including iron ore and coal, which have sustained the Australian economy.

Andrew Charlton, the head of consultancy firm AlphaBeta, said a slowdown in China is bad news for Australia.

China accounts for nearly 50 percent of all globally-traded commodity demand and that means that if you're a commodity exporter, you are in line for a recession. Canada is in recession. Brazil is in one of the worst recessions in its modern history and you would have to think that Australia is in that same firing line, said Charlton.

Australia has ambitions to overtake Qatar as the worlds biggest producer of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and has invested heavily in export infrastructure. Markets in China, India and Japan have been targeted for exports, but prices for LNG have collapsed.

Tim Buckley, director of Energy Finance Studies Australasia, a research body, described recent investments in LNG facilities.

LNG prices into Asia are down 60 percent. So Australia, in Queensland has just invested A$60-$70 billion (about US$42-50 billion) of capital investment to build the world's largest LNG export facilities, and literally as we're just turning them on as a country, the price of that product has just collapsed 60 percent, said Buckley.

Tourism, another one of Australias key sectors, is also nervous about the economic uncertainty in China.

Last year, one million Chinese visitors came to Australia, a 22 percent increase from 2014.

But Anna Cook, who runs tours in Melbourne, is anxious about the future.

I do worry. I think this time next year will tell, but there's no sign of it just yet. And you'd never know whether the statistics you are reading, whether they are true or whether it's perhaps panic-driven, said Cook.

Despite the slowdown, Tim Harcourt, an economist at the University of New South Wales Business School believes that China will continue to underpin Australias future prosperity.

A decade-long resources boom may be fading, he said, but other sectors of the Australian economy are cashing in on demand from China.

Australia has sort of moved from the mining boom to the dining boom because we have seen a boom in agricultural exports, and in some ways we have been helping to build the great mall of China. A lot of our services and construction exporters have been helping to build the second and third-tier cities in western China. I think that is part of the next wave of engagement with China from Australia, said Harcourt.

Harcourt believes the recently-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, will likely help Australian exports, but not at the expense of trade with China.

Australia is one of a dozen countries that are part of the TPP, while China is not.

I think strategically Japan and the U.S. wanted to show that they were important leaders in the region, and I think that is part of the TPP story but for the most part I think what the TPP will probably do is eliminate some of the agricultural tariffs and protection that we have seen in Japan and Southeast Asia for a long time and that could of benefit to Australia, but it is unlikely to divert much trade away from China, said Harcourt.

China is Australias biggest trading partner. Last year, commercial ties between the two counties were strengthened when a historic free trade agreement was signed.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday major powers have agreed to seek a cessation of hostilities in Syria to begin in one weeks time.

Jan Egeland, the chairman of the the United Nations humanitarian meeting in Germany where the Munich Agreement was reached said it "could be the breakthrough we've been waiting for."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter Friday the move is "an important step on the way to finding a solution to the Syrian crisis."

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, however, has cautioned the world powers about committing their troops to any ground action in Syria. He said in a statement Friday "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war."

Kerry told reporters in Munich that the cessation of hostilities will not apply to terrorist groups, including Islamic State, al-Nusra and others. He said the 17-nation International Syria Support Group has agreed that a task force co-chaired by the U.S. and Russia will work to determine the modalities of a long-term reduction in violence.



"What we got last night on this cessation of hostilities represents what the opposition wanted," Kerry told reporters. "They wanted it called and defined as a cessation of hostilities. That is very much in line with their thinking and their hopes."

The top U.S. diplomat added on a cautionary note that the ISSG meeting has produced commitments on paper, but that the real test will be if all the parties honor their commitments.

The support group also agreed to accelerate and expand delivery of humanitarian assistance, starting with key troubled areas and then widening to provide increased humanitarian aid to the entire country.

A United Nations task force will oversee the aid delivery beginning with a meeting in Geneva and reporting on progress weekly.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening and collective efforts are needed to stop it.

Geneva talks

Kerry said putting an end to violence and bloodshed is essential, but that ultimately a peace plan is needed.

To that end, he said the ISSG unanimously called for the Geneva talks to resume as soon as possible. He said the ISSG pledges to take every single measure we can to facilitate negotiations.

Kerry and Lavrov will co-chair a UN-led task force focused on developing the modalities for a long term end to violence in Syria.

Earlier, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura delayed until February 25 the next effort to get "proximity talks" under way. These would include members of the Damascus government and the main opposition groups in the civil war, but not meeting directly with each other.

A senior member of the Syrian opposition said earlier Thursday any cease-fire would be welcome if it ends "the current Russian campaign of slaughter," but that there must be guarantees that all of the Damascus regime's backers - including Iran-funded militias and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement - observe a truce.

Possible turning point

European diplomats told VOA they believed a delay in a cease-fire for several weeks would allow Russian and Syrian government troops to complete their operation to retake Aleppo and send even more refugees fleeing toward Turkey.

Regaining control of Aleppo, which has largely been under rebel control since mid-2012, would mark a possible turning point in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's drive to crush his opponents.



This is straight out of the Kremlins playbook, said a senior European Union diplomat. He compared the Russian negotiating stance on Syria to Moscow's handling of the fighting between government forces and separatist, pro-Russian militias in Ukraine.

A Turkish official told VOA that Russia might be entering into a truce now because its military assault on Aleppo is now complete.



Now they can focus on ... preparing for the next stage  Idlib, the Turkish official said.

100,000 refugees in a week



In the past week, since a donor's conference about Syria in London, nearly 100,000 Syrians have fled from their homes, International Rescue Committee President David Miliband said.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis is making a mockery of the international communitys commitment to help Syrians, the former British Cabinet member said.



Plans to resume proximity talks between the government and opposition hinge on whether world powers can make sufficient progress in efforts to secure a cease-fire and provide humanitarian access to affected civilians.

Former U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford says, "The most important thing is to somehow pressure the Russians and the Syrians to stop the aerial bombardments which are causing these floods of refugees.



However, he added, the U.S. had not shown any willingness to genuinely pressure Russia.
With only a week until national elections in Uganda, a number of human rights advocates are concerned about increasingly violent rhetoric coming from the nation's leaders.

Ugandans were shocked last month when Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura was quoted by a local newspaper saying that if the opposition wanted war, they would give crime preventers  a youth force created to supplement the police  guns. Then, not long after, the secretary-general of the ruling NRM party, Kasule Lumumba, was heard on the radio telling citizens the state will "kill your children should they protest election results.

Threatening rhetoric

Although both Kayihura and Lumumba say they were misquoted, many feel the official response to these statements has been inadequate.

Patrick Tumwine, a program officer with the Human Rights Network  Uganda said such rhetoric has also been made by resident district commissioners, who are appointed by the president to oversee local communities.

If this is not stopped, if the Electoral Commission does not come out strongly to condemn and also stop different camps and different candidates stop making hate speech and statements, these are likely to cause violence...The Secretary General of the ruling party NRM making serious statements, saying they will kill and shoot people...and the voice is not only hers, most of the RDCs in different parts of the country have made same statements. And so that is a cause for worry, stated Tumwine. The Jinja RDC for example gave the same statements, warned people they would shoot their children if they took to the streets. So it's a threat that they're trying to do. Is it a warning? Is it planned?

WATCH: New Technology Aims to Bring Election Transparency to Uganda

Talk of war

The potential for violence, however, has been hotly contested by the police who say local media have misquoted and latched onto certain issues to inflate the problem.

We really meet every other day to evaluate how our deployment actually is. Are there any early warning signs? And we've managed to carry out very very peaceful political activities, explained Fred Enanga, spokesperson with the Ugandan Police Force. As we talk now we've policed over 900 presidential and parliamentary campaigns and out of those we've had less than 10 cases where violence was registered...those ones who have fallen off are using the politics of fear and trying to discourage certain sections of the voters, please don't go there is going to be violence, you need to stock sugar, don't come out of your homes Even on social media which is very damaging.

Yet controversial imaging in campaign ads, such as skulls, and talk of war have citizens on edge.

Human Rights Watch has called on President Yoweri Museveni and other high ranking officials to unambiguously call for peace and reaffirm the right to freedom of assembly. So far, the nation's leaders have not commented on the issue.
First Lady Grace Mugabe digs into Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as factionalism reaches fever pitch in the ruling party saying the VP must respect President Mugabe who is still in power.

MDC-T expels a top Bulawayo official amid rifts in the party. We will give you more details on this issue.

Sacked Grain Marketing Board workers protest outside the state firms premises demanding payment of outstanding salaries and allowances.

The Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe says a biometric voter system wont work in Zimbabwe where the electoral body is full of state functionaries.

Stay tuned for these stories and more coming up on Studio 7 at 7:30 pm on 9-0-9 Medium Wave and on the 4-9-3-0, 5-9-4-0 and 1-5-4-6-0 shortwave frequencies. We also broadcast on www.channelzim.net. Please check us out on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

Today on LiveTalk our hosts Gibbs Dube and Blessing Zulu will be talking with listeners and experts about First Lady Grace Mugabes attacks on Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said to be habouring presidential ambitions.

Send us your numbers on our WhatsApp number 001 202 465 0318. The number again 001 202 465 0318. Stay tuned!!!!!!
Some Zimbabweans have commended the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for exploring ways of using the biometric voting system, saying this will minimize electoral fraud.

But others, like the leader of the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, Elton Mangoma, say this system wont work in Zimbabwe.

Mangoma believes that it is a futile exercise to introduce this system without eliminating the fear factor among voters and making a wholesome reform of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said to be controlled by members of the countrys spy network, the Central Intelligence Organization, and other security agents.

We as RDZ are very much against its introduction, particularly at this time and we urge other political parties and civil society to think long and hard before they endorse it, he says.

He claims that duplicate voting is not the major issue in the Zimbabwean electoral system, which is what BVS seeks to address.

Although duplicate voting takes place, it is by far not the main methods used by Zanu PF and ZEC to rig the election. The main method used remains the people in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the electoral system they use. BVR is a computer software system and there are a number of these systems on the market. It is still a relatively new system and not yet perfect.

A computer system can fail, and BVR systems have failed before. Zimbabwe cannot afford this drama and experiment at this stage. A computer system can be manipulated and very few if any of the political parties and civil society have any skill to detect such manipulation.

BVR ABUSE

He further claims that this system is likely to be abused by the ruling party, which has over the years been accused of being aided by the Registrar Generals Office and ZEC to allegedly rig elections.

This will be giving Zanu PF and ZEC a free hand to rig with the permission of the political parties. Colleagues, you cannot control what you do not know. Zanu PF and ZEC control the passwords  These are the very people whom the Zimbabwean people do not trust. They can alter the data at any time. Remember whoever has the authority to add a voters data, can change or delete it and none of us can ever detect it.

His fears are echoed by Harare resident, Reason Chanaiwa, who argues that current power outages in Zimbabwe can hamper a biometric voter registration and voting system.

I think biometric voter registration is a noble idea considering what happened in 2013 when there were allegations of Nikuv but the downside to it is that of the electricity challenges and without solutions in sight we cannot implement it in 2018 because we have no electricity in rural areas and where the rural electrification has taken place people are experiencing a lot of power shortages. I do not know how they are going to do it but for me it is a non-starter.

BVR SHORTFALLS

But Rindai Chipfunde Vava of the Zimbabwe Election Support Center says while the biometric voting system has its own shortfalls it is far much better than the current system, which she claims has disenfranchised a lot of voters.

If you remember in the 2013 elections the most problem was the issue of issuing voting slips and the use of multiple voters was alleged to have taken place. People have left for the Diaspora and people have died so if you call afresh a voters roll it means everyone will come afresh then we are guaranteed that it will be a fresh voter's roll and it is not easy to duplicate names. In any system whether manual or not there will be irregularities.

We talk of human errors not machine errors. However it is an opportunity to move to something that is much higher where it is done for the integrity of the electoral process so why not take this opportunity.

Chipfunde Vava adds that the biometric voting system wont be the only way of addressing Zimbabwes electoral problems as there is need to have complementary reforms for Harare to have free and fair polls.

It is not a panacea to all our electoral problems. Let us not only focus on voter registration. We need to focus at other range of legislative and administrative processes for example the issue of political violence. People may be prevented to go and register or even vote on election day. We need to address all these issues including result management. We are one step in the right direction but more steps are needed for free and fair elections.

OTHER NATIONS

Abraham Isaacs, who has been observing elections in the region for a long time, concurs, noting that the advantages of the biometric voting system outweigh its shortcomings and Zimbabwe is on the right track.

This is the only way to go for Zimbabwe it has been overdue a number of African countries are now using it. It safeguards the vote later on during the voting process. Biometric voter registration will ensure that the issue of duplication and using slips will go away. This is a good move.

An information technology expert, Tatenda Chibhoromani, says the biometric voting system ensures integrity and reliability of gathered information.

Biometric voter registration is a process whereby a person's physical appearances are used to register voters. It is a secure way to register voters and it makes it easy to identify people. It makes use of a number of things to verify like fingerprints or facial features which are quite unique to each voter apart from name and I.D number.

This biometric voter registration is quite an expensive technology to implement, however, it is very fast and efficient and there are issues of integrity and reliability of information. For example one cannot fake their finger prints.

Chibhoromani, however, doubts the likelihood of Zimbabwe implementing the system.

The disadvantage is that it needs dedicated machinery like finger prints scanners and facial cameras to recognize faces and at the moment considering our economic situation where government is failing to pay civil servants I do not think they will be prepared to roll out this program because it is expensive.

The lack of an efficient, trusted and credible voter registration system has compromised Zimbabwes electoral processes, a situation that contributed to the Wests decision to impose targeted sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle.

African nations using the biometric voter system include Kenya, Namibia and other nations.
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The volcano continues to produce intermittent explosions, but there might be something new in the making: weak, but continuous glow from the crater has appeared during the last night - something that hasn't been observed since the latest effusive eruptive phase in July last year. Itindicate that a new lava dome is about to appear. The next days or weeks will probably give a better answer.Time-lapse video:

Background:

Colima volcano is one of the most active in North America and one of the potentially most dangerous ones. It has had more than 30 periods of eruptions since 1585, including several significant eruptions in the late 1990s. Scientific monitoring of the volcano began 20 years ago.The Colima volcanic complex is the most prominent volcanic center of the western Mexican Volcanic Belt. It consists of two southward-younging volcanoes, Nevado de Colima (the 4320 m high point of the complex) on the north and the 3850-m-high historically active Volcan de Colima at the south.A group of cinder cones of probable late-Pleistocene age is located on the floor of the Colima graben west and east of the Colima complex. Volcan de Colima (also known as Volcan Fuego) is a youthful stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera, breached to the south, that has been the source of large debris avalanches. Major slope failures have occurred repeatedly from both the Nevado and Colima cones, and have produced a thick apron of debris-avalanche deposits on three sides of the complex. Frequent historical eruptions date back to the 16th century. Occasional major explosive eruptions (most recently in 1913) have destroyed the summit and left a deep, steep-sided crater that was slowly refilled and then overtopped by lava dome growth.---
John Kerry: Well, good evening, everybody. Let me start by thanking Foreign Minister Steinmeier and the people of Germany for hosting this important meeting of the International Syria Support Group on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, and were very grateful to our colleague, Frank Walter, for his help and assistance in this process and his participation as a member of the ISSG.

I also want to thank all the member-countries that understood the importance of our meeting here today. Foreign Minister Wang Yi flew all the way from China. We had a strong presence of all the ministers, because everybody understood the importance of this particular moment with respect to Syria.

Last fall, the International Syria Support Group came together out of a shared sense of responsibility for the nightmare that the Syrian people have been enduring for far too long. And in December we agreed on a set of commitments, unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council, aimed at bringing an end to the war. Obviously, its been difficult. Everybody understands that. That effort at the UN led to specific UN-sponsored negotiations between the Syrian parties, which began under the stewardship of UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura and the UN itself. And everybody knows that as the situation on the ground in Syria grew steadily worse the talks themselves became wrapped up in the level of violence and in concerns that people had about negotiating under difficult circumstances.

Staffan de Mistura wisely at that moment, after conversing with both sides in what were always scheduled to be proximity talks, then delayed this process knowing that we were meeting here in Munich yesterday and part of this morning. During this time, the perception of many members was that the regime of Bashar al-Assad was violating international law by trying to force surrender through starvation. And with the help of indiscriminate bombing, the regime intensified its assault in Aleppo, killing civilians and forcing more than 60,000 Syrians to flee their homes in search of refuge across the Turkish border. And it is our perception that rather than hurting Daesh, this process has, in fact, empowered Daesh to take advantage of the chaos.

UN Special Envoy de Mistura who convened those talks agreed that we should come here to Munich in order to allow the ISSG nations and the parties themselves to try to make the necessary progress to bring about humanitarian access that is urgently needed on the ground and in trying to implement a ceasefire on both sides.

Foreign Minister Lavrov worked closely with me and with the rest of the members today and Im pleased to say that as a result today in Munich we believe we have made progress on both the humanitarian front and the cessation of hostilities front. And these two fronts, this progress, has the potential, fully implemented, fully followed through on, to be able to change the daily lives of the Syrian people.

First, we have agreed to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately. Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed: Deir al-Zor, Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, Kafr Batna, and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged or hard-to-reach areas, the smaller neighborhoods and towns.

This access is specifically called for in UN Security Council resolution 2254 and to ensure that it is fully implemented the United Nations will convene a task force made up of members of the ISSG and of relevant UN entities and of countries that have an influence on the parties particularly. And this working group will meet tomorrow in Geneva. It will ensure that humanitarian access is granted by all sides to all people who require help. And it will meet, as I said, for the first time tomorrow. It will report weekly on progress or lack thereof to help ensure a consistent and timely and approve access moving forward.

I will say that it was unanimous. Everybody today agreed on the urgency of humanitarian access. And what we have here are words on paper. What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground in the field. And Staffan will speak to that.

In addition, the ISSG members will work together with the Syrian parties to ensure the immediate approval and the completion of all pending UN access requests. As everybody knows, there have been about 114 of them  only 13 or so, 14 approved  and that has to change.

Second, we have agreed to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one weeks time. Thats ambitious, but everybody is determined to move as rapidly as possible to try to achieve this. This will apply to any and all parties in Syria with the exception of the terrorist organizations Daesh and al-Nusrah and any other terrorist organization designated by the Security Council.

To that end, we have also established a task force under the auspices of the UN and co-chaired by Russia and the United States. And over the coming week this group will work to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive, and durable cessation of violence, of hostilities. We will begin to exercise our influence by the commitment of every country at the table immediately for a significant reduction in violence as we work towards the full cessation of hostilities.

Now, I want to underscore putting an end to the violence and the bloodshed is obviously essential, as is providing Syrians who are starving the humanitarian aid that they desperately need. But ultimately the end of this conflict will only come when the parties agree on a plan for a political transition in accordance with the Geneva communique of 2012. And we have no illusions about how difficult that is. No one here is following some pipe dream in this effort. People fully understand that compromise will be necessary, that it will be essential to resolve very tough issues that are outstanding. But without a political transition it is not possible to achieve peace.

Today all ISSG members agree that the Geneva talks should resume as soon as possible and they should resume in strict compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. And the ISSG also pledges  all of us  to take every single measure we can to facilitate progress within the negotiations. In December we agreed on a six-month timeframe for the political transition process and today we reaffirmed our commitment to that timeline. We approach this, I think, with a uniform belief that the killing and the starvation of innocent people needs to end as soon as possible.

Now, obviously, just in closing Ill say our hard work is obviously far from over. But our work today, while it has produced commitments on paper, I want to restate the real test is clearly whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them in reality. What Ive said again and again is we cannot guarantee success in the outcome. What the diplomatic process can guarantee is that we exhaust the possibilities of diplomacy and that we make every best effort to try to produce a platform on which the parties themselves can determine their future.

That is what were trying to do here. The longer this conflict persists the better it is for extremists, the more people like Daesh profit. And they have found a safe haven in war-torn Syria and we are determined that were going to continue and upgrade and increase our efforts to degrade and destroy Daesh as fast as possible. I am hopeful that the progress were making here will be real, that well be able to see this reduction in violence  which everybody accepted as a fundamental organizing principle of this effort  and that within this week we can get the modalities secured for the cooperation necessary to be able to produce a ceasefire.

We also agreed in the ISSG that theres no way to institute a ceasefire effectively and no way to produce the access we want for humanitarian assistance without all of the ISSG members working with Russia and others in an effort to guarantee that the access is provided and that the cessation of hostilities actually takes hold. And to that end we have agreed, all of us, to work with Russia in a way that deals with the political, the humanitarian, and the military components of this challenge.

Sergey.

Sergei Lavrov: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, to add on what John has said, I would like to first of all to join in gratitude towards our German hosts, to thank the team of the UN for the efforts that they have taken. This meeting was opportune because weve been worried about these issues that had arisen with the implementation of the agreements that we had reached at our previous meetings. And the main result of todays meeting, as I believe, is the unconditional confirmation of the resolution 2254 in full. This refers to humanitarian aspects, political process, anti-terrorism, ceasefire, with exception for such terrorist organizations who have been recognized as such by the United Nations Security Council.

We have considered all issues that impede the implementation of the resolution. John has mentioned some of them. Special attention has been paid to humanitarian situation. For all these reasons, this situation is aggravating. And to solve this problem, in order  and as in order to implement all our other agreements we need joint work, collective work. And we are advocating this work and we have been calling for such work since the very beginning of our airspace operation in Syria. And our colleagues are becoming more and more aware of the need of such operation and we are happy about that.

As for humanitarian problems, we are satisfied that today weve managed to agree on principles of their solution on the idea that access will be provided throughout Syria to all besieged areas without any exception. This will be done in an integrated manner so as not to discriminate anyone and not to solve problems by ignoring other parts of the country. Weve been concerned, in particular, by the fact that previous efforts of the United Nations when such decisions were being considered together with the government and the opposition were disrupted at the fault of the latter.

John mentioned Madaya, Fouah, Kafrayah. The UN has been for a very long time working with  together with the Red Cross committee to provide simultaneous supply of humanitarian assistance to all of these settlements. And the government was responsible for making these possible, with regard to Madaya, opposition promised to open the way for humanitarian supplies to Fouah and Kafrayah.

Last month the government has met its part of obligations. The opposition has refused from its promises. The UN and the Red Cross committee had to make statements condemning such refusals. Now, when we have written down the need of an integrated approach towards all these problems, I hope that the opposition and those who control various groups of opposition will have no more reasons to somehow avoid meeting their obligations.

As John said, we have agreed to set up a task force which will have a meeting tomorrow in Geneva and will be working on a regular basis co-chaired by Russia and the United States with the participation of experts. And the goal of this task force is to help the UN and other humanitarian agencies to carry out their obligations with regard to civilians. We have developed a mechanism which will allow to objectively consider difficulties that may arise and to find prompt solutions of these situations.

As it is written down in todays documents, we will work together with the government, opposition groups which have  which are in contact with us. And we hope that the U.S. and interests in the region and other participants of the International Syria Support Group will use their influence on the relevant opposition group so that they cooperated fully with the United Nations.

We have our common determination to help alleviate sufferings of the Syrian people and we hope that this will be achieved. This is especially important given that some of recent events relating to the humanitarian problem in Syria related to refugees only and they had nothing to do with the destinies of a huge number of internally displaced people. So we have reasons to hope that we have done a good and useful job today and that it will be implemented in practice.

We welcome the readiness of the U.S. and some other countries to join operations that the Russian side, together with the Syrian Government, is carrying out to drop humanitarian assistance from aircraft in Deir al-Zor where there is the greatest number of civilians that are besieged. We have also agreed to use parachuting of humanitarian assistance in some other areas where it is possible. But the biggest part of efforts will  we will have to make on the ground.

The second point that is an important achievement of todays meeting is the issue of ceasefire and as a first step towards it, that is the cessation of hostilities. This is a complicated task. There are too many stakeholders involved in military activities and it is important to use the unique potential of the International Syria Support Group, which unites almost all countries that have some kind of leverage on those fighting on the ground.

We have agreed to prepare modalities during a week which will determine the ceasefire, the regime of cessation of hostilities, given that during this period the Government of Syria and the opposition groups will be able to take necessary measures to prepare for this cessation of hostilities and modalities will be developed by another task force which we have also set up today, as John has said, which will be working under  co-chaired by Russia and the U.S., as well. It will include diplomats and the military, without whom it is extremely difficult to deal with practical issues.

The modalities which we will have to develop are important. And I would also like to emphasize the agreement that the mandate of this task force will include, in particular, the determination of common approaches towards those areas that are under control of ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusrah, and other terrorist groups that have been qualified as such by the UN Security Council.

As you probably know, during all these months we had quite an emotional discussion on who is targeting right targets  who is striking at right targets, who is striking at wrong targets. We have been proposing on many occasions to deal with this issue of  professionally now, having the agreement that the task force will determine areas taken by Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusrah. We have made a very important practical step forward in this direction.

I would also like to underscore that, for the first time in our work, the document that we have adopted today stipulates the need to cooperate and coordinate not only political and humanitarian issues, but also the military dimension of the Syrian crisis. This is a qualitatively new change in the approaches and we welcome it. We have been calling for it.

Another important thing is the clear confirmation in todays document of the need to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions which require to stop flows of terrorists and fighters from foreign states, to stop illicit trade in oil and other smuggling. This is an important reminder because UN Security Council resolutions must be implemented in full.

It has also been underscored, the task to resume the negotiation process that was suspended against the backdrop when a part of the opposition took an unconstructive  non-constructive stance and tried to put pre-conditions  we have written down that talks should resume as soon as possible in strict compliance with the resolution 2254. That is without any ultimatums, without any pre-conditions, and talks should include a wide range of opposition forces. As you know, not all of real members of the opposition  some groups of the Syrian population have received an invitation to these talks. I believe that the UN will, as we have confirmed today, be strictly guided by principles stipulated by the UN Security resolution 2254.

The last thing I wanted to say is to support what John concluded his speech by, that the real test of our efforts will be our ability to respect our commitments and to implement what we have agreed upon. This is unfortunately a problem that arises not only in the context of the Syrian crisis we face, the impossibility, the failure to negotiate of many of our partners. I have already mentioned the attempts to misinterpret the resolution 2254. We have been facing similar approaches when we are looking at how UN Security Council resolutions are being implemented that set forth a package of measures to settle the Ukrainian crisis. And Im not going to mention the issue of Palestine.

We have to learn, not just simply reach a compromise, but also to implement the agreements which are set forth in such compromised solutions. When attempts are being made to achieve agreements, when we start looking for reasons which justify the failure to implement decisions that have been taken, this does not benefit the cause.

And let me repeat that I totally agree with John, that the real test of  will be how we will implement what we have agreed upon today in full, not only in some components that are convenient for one group of participants, of members of the International Syria Support Group.

We have also today agreed that our group will continue the Vienna process. The number of problems is not on the decrease. If we manage to achieve progress in those areas that we have agreed upon today, I think it will help us deal with other issues arising from resolution 2254. Thank you.

John Kerry: Sergey, thank you very much. Staffan.

Staffan De Mistura: Thank you. Thank you very much. When we were convening and we had the beginning of the Geneva intra-Syrian talks, we were flooded, flooded with messages from the Syrian people. They were coming from all over, outside and inside Syria, and they were asking two things  actually, three.

The first one was: please, dont have another conference as the others, and dont have just a conference about talking about talks, but please give us two things. One is humanitarian access. We are human beings. We deserve to get food, water, access to medical facilities. And second, we need no more bombs, no more war. If you succeed in giving us that message we will believe in you when you convene and reconvene the talks. I think that today the ISSG, which was actually convened in order to be able to give new energy to the future talks, has addressed that. Of course, that will be tested.

Now, there are two aspects you heard. One is the humanitarian one. You can see here  and you have a list, and you will see it everywhere now  this is the list of the areas and the people who are in need, and the numbers of them.

Now the ISSG has told us, told the UN, You are in charge in launching this initiative with our support. We are going to do it tomorrow. We will have the first task force of ISSG, which means it is not meeting every two months. Now there is having a constant convening possibility in order to test seven locations: one of them, Deir al-Zor, which can only be reached by air dropping, others which have never been reached before.

We will test it very soon  Monday, Tuesday, not later  and see whether, in fact, we will have problems as we often have had in order to reach places. If that is the case, we go back to you again, and we will go back to the ISSG and say, We are needing help in order to make it happen.

The other area, of course, is the one you heard about cessation of hostilities. Not ceasefire; we are talking about cessation of hostility, which is easier in a way and much more effective in a way, because it requires just a decision. That is quite a challenge, quite a challenge for doing it in such a short period, but thats exactly what people are asking. And we will be, of course, assisting, but that is something that the two convener countries are going to be committing themselves to make it happen.

What I can say is that this is a good testing time. Are the Syrian people going to see these outcomes? Then they will believe in future conferences and they believe in their own future. And the ISSG has shown that they are ready to commit themselves.

One point that probably we notice, many had wondered whether there was tensions in the region that would not allow some countries perhaps to be part of it, or not wanting to be part of it. We were able today to witness exactly the contrary. Saudi Arabia was there, Iran was there, everyone was there, and they were there determined to spend hours in order to discuss this. So thank you.

John Kerry: Staffan, thank you very much.

John Kirby: Well take three questions tonight. The first one from David Sanger, New York Times.

David Sanger: Thank you very much. Thank you very much. First a definitional issue. If any of you could just tell us a little more about how a ceasefire differs from the cessation of hostilities, I think we would be appreciative.

Mr. Secretary, the Russian airstrikes in the past few weeks, as you have mentioned, have strengthened President Assad and his allies. Its given them virtual control of Aleppo for the first time in four years. So if this cessation of hostilities and ultimately a ceasefire works, arent you essentially freezing a situation that effectively gives Mr. Assad a good-sized (inaudible) Syrian state years after President Obama said that he had to leave office?

And Mr. Lavrov, could you address the humanitarian agencies who are all saying that your airstrikes are killing civilians each day, and yet your own government is saying that they are not? Are the humanitarian agencies lying about this?

John Kerry: So a ceasefire has a great many legal prerogatives and requirements. A cessation of hostilities does not  is not anticipated to, but in many ways, they have a similar effect. A ceasefire in the minds of many of the participants in this particular moment connotes something far more permanent and far more reflective of sort of an end of conflict, if you will. And it is distinctly not that. This is a pause that is dependent on the process going forward, and therefore cessation of hostilities is a much more appropriate, apt term. But the effect of ending hostile actions, the effect of ending offensive actions and permitting only defensive actions that are a matter of self-defense is the same in that regard.

I might comment also  and I think this is very important for everybody to understand  during this week, the Assad regime and the opposition need to make their decision. And both are engaged  going to be engaged in consultations. The International Syria Support Group took a different step this time from what has happened previously. In Vienna on two occasions and in New York we called for a ceasefire, we encouraged people. Today we specifically decided on a process, on a timeframe, and we all agreed to do everything that we can to meet that.

So the ISSG is engaged actively in the implementation process of the ceasefire through two task forces  one working on the humanitarian delivery, the other working directly on the modalities of the cessation of hostilities. And we will work on that. Sergey and I are chairing the ceasefire component  the ceasefire ultimately, not at this moment. But the objective is to achieve a durable, long-term ceasefire at some point in time.

Now, that will only become possible if the parties themselves engage at the table in a genuine negotiation to implement what we have once again embraced, which is the Geneva process, the Geneva communique, that calls for a transition by mutual consent with full executive authority.

Now, look, were doing everything in the power of diplomacy to try to bring an end to this conflict in a way that results in a unified, nonsectarian, minority-protecting, secular, whole state. Thats a complicated task. And there are many different cross currents underneath this that make it complicated. But were convinced that thats the only that Syria really survives and can flourish again, and that you can make peace.

Obviously, there is a difference which has to be worked out in the context of the negotiations regarding the future of Assad. And you have to be at the table to deal with that. It doesnt do any good for me to sit here or Sergey or other people to go on and on about what he has or hasnt done. In the end, thats got to be resolved in the context of the negotiation or through some other leverage.

With respect to freezing the current situation, if you will, in this sort of (inaudible) state, I disagree completely. Yes, it is true that the bombing of the last weeks and the aggressive actions of the Assad regime, together with the forces from other places and countries that have helped them has made a difference for Assad. There is no question about that. But that difference doesnt end the war. That difference does not mean that Assad is secure or safe for the long term. It does not mean that Syria is free from the scourge of terrorist activity by Daesh and others, al-Nusrah and others. And it does not mean that the war is able to end at any time in the foreseeable future. So while, yes, there are some advantages, they are not advantages that turn this on its ear. This is still a very complicated conflict with long-term implications, with increasing levels of violence, with increasing numbers of refugees, with increasing numbers of terrorists. And it is our belief that the more successful Assad is in securing territory against the opposition, the more successful he is in creating more terrorists who threaten the region.

So we have a fundamental task ahead of us, which hopefully this process can shed some light on as to how we are going to be able to resolve the conflict of one war, which is the war against Assad, and also resolve the other war, which is the war against the terrorists, and particularly Daesh. No small undertaking, but very much front and center in all of our thinking, and in the political process that we are trying to create to find a peaceful resolution.

Sergei Lavrov: (Via interpreter) As for the issue  as for the question that you have asked me, the difference between a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities  Resolution 2254 talks about the ceasefire only. This term is not liked by some members of the International Syria Support Group. What Im referring to is how something that has been agreed upon should be implemented rather than try to remake the consensus that has been achieved in order to get some unilateral advantages.

We have agreed to this because it is said clearly that this is the first step towards a ceasefire. John has explained that there isnt much difference actually, but this play in words is the same thing as statements about the existence of some kind of Plan B, statements that ground forces should be prepared. This is a slippery road. They say that it is necessary for  to defeat ISIL, but there is no doubt that this will only lead to the aggravation of the conflict. Moreover, given that many countries, especially the U.S., have the so-called Assad issue, and this Assad issue is still in the center of the attention. Although we have said clearly in the UN Security Council resolution and repeated today that only the Syrian people themselves will determine  will decide the fate of Syria. And the political process should be carried out on the basis of mutual consent of the government and the whole range of opposition.

We have said a lot about Aleppo today and we have heard accusations against Russia, which Im not going to repeat. We hear them on the daily basis. You have mentioned some kind of humanitarian agencies, which, as you have said, keep saying every day that Russia kills civilians. I did not hear such statements from humanitarian agencies of the UN. That is why I cannot say that they are lying, but some do lie. I know that the well-respected media  Im afraid that I might be  that I might  made a mistake. I believe this is a British media that took an interview from Ban Ki-moon and published this interview with unscrupulous versions of what he said. He never mentioned Russia. He just called for the end of any actions that lead to sufferings of civilians. The interviewer allowed himself to put into the mouth of the UN secretary-general these statements that he was saying all those things about Russia, so yes, theyre all lies, but these are not the humanitarian agencies that are lying. We are cooperating with humanitarian agencies, and they, by the way, if you talk to them and if they are not put under pressure, they will acknowledge that cooperation in dealing with humanitarian issues from government is much more constructive than that from the side of opposition.

Well, you see, many are simply trying now to  not to create the impression that they are beyond the mainstream that has now been created in media, trying to distract attention from what is important for all of us. And the most important for all of us is to prevent ISIL from implementing its criminal plans. And theyre trying to limit it by the change of regime, as if Iraq and Libya had never existed  the case of Iraq and Libya had never existed. And some still have illusions that if we change the regime, everything will be fine.

As for Aleppo, John said that he is worried by recent aggressive actions of the government. Well, if liberation of the city that has been taken by illegal armed groups can be qualified as aggression, then, well, yeah, probably. But to attack those who have taken your land is necessary  is a necessary thing. First of all, this has been done by Jabhat al-Nusrah, and also the western suburbs of Aleppo are still being controlled together with Jabhat al-Nusrah by Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham.

The leader of Jaysh al-Islam who has been eliminated, Alloush, made quite clear statements about the ideology of this movement, and I think that modern communication media will allow you to find these statements in the internet. He said that all Levant should be cleared of dirt, as he said  meaning Alawites directly, who, as he said, are even more disloyal than Christians and Jews. And he said that his brothers are Jabhat al-Nusrah fighters who hes fighting with against common enemies. So these are the guys who are now around Aleppo, at least on the western part. On the eastern part, with our help, the government forces have already unblocked this city and according to our data those who are fleeing this area are fighters who are just trying to escape.

And let us not forget that all those who are now around Aleppo  that is Jabhat al-Nusrah and Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam and other more moderate groups are being provided using the same route from one place on the territory of Turkey. So this factor should also be reckoned with since the UN Security Council resolution that was adopted before the Resolution 2254 prohibits any supplies that support terrorist groups.

You probably can draw the conclusion that we do not agree on everything with John and there are differences. And that is why I would like to reiterate that to clarify these issues as well as many other issues, the key thing is to have direct  to build direct contacts not only on procedures to avoid incidents but also on cooperation in Syria between the military, the coalition led by the U.S., and the military of the Russian Federation who are working in Syria upon the initiation of the legitimate government.

So this is probably what we are going to bear in mind, and let me repeat I have no doubts that if what we have agreed upon today  and we have agreed upon contacts between military agencies  I am convinced that practical issues will be dealt with efficiently because simply saying without any foundation for five month that we are doing something wrong and refusing strongly to sit down using maps and look at facts is not an approach, it is propaganda. Propaganda was popular in Soviet times in our country. Right now we have abandoned this practice but it seems that a lot of manifestations of such trends are still present in mass media in other countries; probably we should put an end to this. And instead of pointing fingers at each other we should realize that we have a common enemy and that all the concerns about ones image on the eve of election or with regard to some political event should be set aside. And we should deal with finding solutions to problems, which has become a truly existential problem for the human civilization, rather than just play geopolitical games.

John Kirby: Our next question will come from Vladimir Kondratiev from NTV.

Vladimir Kondratiev: (Via interpreter) Vladimir Kondratiev, NTV company. I have a question to the Russian minister. Mr. Lavrov, will there be a continuance of the operation of airspace forces of Russia in case if a ceasefire is achieved? And will the agreements that has been achieved have an influence on the volume of this operation? Youve also mentioned contacts during the creation of the International Syria Support Group to determine jointly areas of hostilities. Does it mean that there will be a closer coordination of military agencies on the territory of Syria, which has not been the case so far? Although Russia has been interested in this.

And I have a question to the Secretary of State. Is it true that this coordination is the change of position of the United States with regard to Russia on the Syrian territory?

Sergei Lavrov: (Via interpreter) As for the first part of the question, our documents read, and weve said about this, that ceasefire will not be extended to ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusrah, and other affiliated organizations that have been recognized as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council decision. That is why our airspace forces will continue working against these organizations.

As for the task force that has been set up to develop modalities and to further observe conditions of the ceasefire with the participation of the military, yes, I believe that this will help to efficiently solve many issues and to avoid any discrepancies and misunderstanding. We think this is one of the most important results of todays meeting.

John Kerry: Quite simply, no, there is no change in the American position. The American position has always been that we need a legitimate political process and we need to make certain that there is a track that is dealing with the resolution of the government transition under the Geneva process, and we need, similarly, a concerted effort to destroy Daesh.

The fact of the commitment now to a cessation of hostilities as well as the full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which means full access for humanitarian assistance, mandates by common sense that if youre going to do that youve got to be able to talk about the deployment of forces, the presence of people, who can go where, how they get there, and avoid conflict, and coordinate, obviously, in ways that are effective for the achievement of the UN Security Council resolution.

And we believe that the full measure of that will be in what happens over the course of the next week  meeting the goals and succeeding in implementing this political process while simultaneously dealing with the problems of knowing what the various military factions and the various kinetic factions are doing on the ground so that one can be effective and safe.

John Kirby: The final question tonight comes from Issam Ikirmawi from BBC Arabic.

Issam Ikirmawi: Mr. Kerry, you spoke about the implementation of the  you didnt call it ceasefire, but how much commitment have you got from Russia? Because weve seen over the last week or so, or two weeks, that the escalation and the air bombardment had led to the humanitarian crisis when you have about 60,000 refugees massing on the border with Turkey. So how much of a commitment has Russia given you that it will de-escalate its part in this conflict? Thats the first question.

The second part is about how much leverage does the United States have on some of the  its allies in the region in order to persuade some of these groups who are not considered terrorist organizations by the U.S. to stop their participation in the hostilities?

John Kerry: Well, I think, really, Foreign Minister Lavrov ought to be answering the question about Russias commitment to the cessation of hostilities. But I can just say that Russia said publicly at the first meeting of the ISSG in Vienna and at the second meeting and in New York that Russia was prepared to implement a ceasefire 

Sergei Lavrov: And today.

John Kerry:  and again today. And Iran, likewise, said that at the first meeting of Vienna and so forth. It was not Russia or Iran who stopped a ceasefire from being adopted at the very beginning. I want to make that very, very clear. And Staffan will agree with that, and our other ISSG members know that. So Russia has articulated a willingness to do this providing that the other players are ready to enforce the full components of resolution 2254 and live by them.

Now, thats another part of this mix. So Im not here to vouch for anybodys word  anybody participating in this. I said a moment ago this will be measured by what happens on the ground. This will be measured by the steps that people take in the next days. And thats the true measurement, not the words on a piece of paper tonight  or this morning, early. And I think everybody would agree with that. So we need to make sure this is fully implemented, and everybody has a responsibility to help do that. All the members of the ISSG committed to try to do that, including Russia, including Iran. Now, youll be able to measure that as well as we will in the days ahead.

And you ask about leverage  its not a matter of  I mean, I suppose leverage here and there makes a difference, obviously. We all know that. But everybody engaged in this wants Syria to remain whole, to be peaceful, and to try to resolve this conflict. But there are different opinions within that everybody as to how that might happen or as to what outcome theyd like to see. And thats the challenge here. I think the United States has strong relationships within the ISSG. We have been able to come up now with four separate communiques in unanimous fashion with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Russia, China, the United States  countries with different beliefs and feelings all coming to the same logical conclusion, though they have different ideas about how the outcome might unfold at this moment. But the best we can do is continue to work in a collegiate fashion. I dont think its as much a matter of leverage as it is a matter of common sense about how you end this war and whether one can end this war.

As Ive said previously, it is my belief and the belief of the majority of the members of this group that there will not be peace in Syria if Assad is determined to stay there and lead the country. Thats our belief. Other people have a different point of view. But we dont believe he can make peace because we dont think that certain countries and certain players involved in this will stop fighting until there is a legitimate transition, which is what was decided in 2012. Its now 2016. In 2012, the UN and the countries that came together adopted the fundamental framework of what were trying to do, which is a transition which allows the people of Syria to decide the future without coercion, without  with full participation. And thats what has been adopted in this process. So if everybody honors this process, hopefully there can be a transformation. If they dont, there will be continued war.

You want to speak to 

Sergei Lavrov: (Via interpreter) Since John said that it will be better for me to answer the first question, I will just reconfirm what weve already told you. You can read this in the document that was adopted today. To be more exact, that is that ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusrah, and other terrorist groups that have been recognized as such by the UN Security Council do not fit the conditions of ceasefire. That is why as we  and as far as I understand, the U.S.-led coalition will continue fighting these groups.

The most important goal is to make this ceasefire (inaudible) agreement between the government and the opposition  it was said directly, it was not, by the way, my initiative or Johns initiative. It was the initiative of one delegation which John mentioned in a different context. It was written down that the ceasefire could not be started immediately, it would start in a week if both the government and opposition elaborate all the necessary measures. Well, yes, probably some influence  we will have to put some influence on Syrian sides and I hope that all will put this influence both on government and on various groups and opposition. But let me repeat that terrorists are beyond the ceasefire.

As for adherence to agreements, our commitment, I would really like this commitment to be universal. Ive already said that I agree with John that the best measure of our efficiency will be how the decisions that have been made will be implemented. So in 2012 we adopted the Geneva communique. Ive already reminded that right after this communique was adopted we convinced Assads government to agree to work on its bases, and the opposition said that they would not work on this, that they were not satisfied with it. We brought this Geneva communique to the Security Council. Our Western partners rejected to adopt it and it took us more than a year before the UN Security Council finally adopted this communique, and I dont want to look like someone who is trying to appease someone. But only when John took the position of the Secretary of State we felt the wish to reanimate, to rehabilitate these agreements that had been concluded before John came to his office.

But let us not forget that the Geneva communique says that the principle of solving political problems in Syria is the agreement on transition provisions on the basis of mutual consent between the government and the whole range of the opposition. So if we are talking about commitments, about adherence to agreements, all these should be reconfirmed in an integrated manner without emphasizing only just one word that there should be, for example, transition  meaning the change of regime by it. And this transition should be on the mutual consent between the government and the wide range of opposition. This thing is usually kept silent about. They believe that, and a delegation of opposition can be set up, which represents only a part of foreign opponents of the regime. Others can be turned into consultants.

This will not work and Im convinced that this very clear mandate that is contained in the Geneva communique and in the resolution 2254 will be respected by our UN colleagues who play the central role in the political process.

John Kirby: Thank you. That concludes tonights press conference.
However, Hello!

Syrian operations of Russian Military (VKS- military aerospace forces) caused an obvious confusion in the ranks of the "old" US allegedly anti-ISIS (DAESH, ISIL) coalition. The ultimate clarity of objectives, goals and means of achieving them clearly contrasts with the vagueness, ambiguity and the impotence of the US-Saudi coalition.

Vladimir Putin: "Radical solution of this problem is possible only through the restoration of statehood- where it was destroyed and by strengthening government institutions- where they are still preserved or recreated."

Our president has clearly stated the problem - protection and restoration of a legitimate state in the region. And it has to be initiated in Syria, which is now the reference point of the conflict. Syria is a "kill switch", preventing the collapse of the entire region into chaos. And Russia has decided to keep the "switch" working as nobody else, it appears, can do it.

Russian group of 30 strike aircraft of different types, in the first 6 days of operations, made 120 sorties, destroying 51 targets. For comparison, the US Air Force and its allies in the period from June 2014 to September 2015, made almost 57 thousand sorties on seven thousand targets.

Note that the actions of Russia,albeit very local, triggered a barrage of reaction everywhere. While a massive US-led coalition operations had virtually no reaction and no consequences,as it were. And it all happened because the goals and objectives of its activities were not known or understood by anyone. As for Russia, the military-technical task is formulated very specifically: in time and space. This task is- the support of the Syrian regular army offensive against militants positions in the period of this very offensive.

Deputy Director of Strategies and Technologies Analysis Centre, Konstantin Makienko: "If we talk about the purely military aspects of the operation, operations of this magnitude have not been undertaken in post-soviet period. Weare talking about operations that are carried out far abroad , in a distance of hundreds of kilometres and to deploy a large enough group is extremely complicated task not only in post-Soviet times. but also in Soviet times and it never happened. Thus, from a purely military point of view it is clear that the Armed forces of Russia, which was formerly known as the air force of Russia, now known as military aerospace forces, acquire a new quality. "

The clear motivation of the Russian position is so attractive that it seems that even the Obama administration fell under its charm. It seems that this situation has become a terrible strain for American "hawks", who ,actually , started all this bloody Middle Eastern mess in the first place.

"If Russians will be able to push through their vision of the situation in Syria, - writes Foreign Policy, -. America as a world leader will face a moment of truth . European governments, that from the beginning of the Syrian crisis spent political capital to support the actions of Washington, will be faced with the question, what if Putin was right all along? "

And, really ?! What if?! And then what?

However, good-bye!
At last, we see the full powers of a sad clown. Easter in Bakersfield is not only the best episode of Baskets to date, but also a piercing and ingenious study of melancholy.

The episode might even work as a short film  if you had no idea who any of these characters are, it would probably still work. And crucially, it reveals the series potential, just as Zach Galifianakiss grand experiment was threatening to become another Louie-lite blend of bitterness.

Back in the pilot episode, we all had a good laugh when it became clear that Chip enrolled in a French clown school without knowing a word of French. Now, episode writer Samuel D. Hunter and returning director Jonathan Krisel turn the joke inside out and dare us to laugh again: Chip is trying to learn French.

Why the sudden ambition? Because Paris was where he felt free, and because rousing himself from bed on his mothers treadmill to sulk through Easter services makes him feel like less of a man. Chip slips on earbuds to listen to a how to learn French podcast, and instantly were transported back to the Left Bank with him, taking in a cigarette at twilight and riding his bike to the club where he will meet his wife for the first time. (This retreat into Chips own headspace seems to have been prompted by him spying on Penelope, as she sings karaoke at the local watering hole. I guess their pseudo-reconciliation from the last episode hasnt lasted, or is on hold.) The lessons become an ironic commentary on Chips life: Je deteste ici, the host enunciates in that how-to-learn-a-language voice. I hate it here.

But instead of gallivanting through Paris, Chip is trudging to church with Mama Baskets and Grandma Baskets (who looks pretty great if you consider how old she must be). The church scenes are hysterical, with Chip using the light-switch board to commandeer the ceremony away from its suspiciously soft-spoken pastor. And through it all, we keep cutting back to France, with Chip sometimes donning his clown costume. Hes a man forever doomed to be out of his element. After all, what could be more heart-wrenching than realizing the only place that felt like home was a place that didnt want you?

We also get more insight into Mama Baskets, and if you thought youd never feel any empathy for Louie Anderson in a giant, pink, furry hat  think again. Andersons increasingly exasperated performance, which initially seemed like a silly one-note joke, reveals new depths here. The comic and former Family Feud host finds a reservoir of pain within this matriarch, who continually tries to distract herself from family problems with desserts. We might laugh at her attempts to pry Chip toward some new future  in this episode, she moves heaven and Earth so their family can sit with Marthas at brunch, all the better for Chip and Martha to carry on their anti-courtship  but we also know Chip is far too old to still be aimlessly waiting for answers. Thats why we sympathize with his mom, too. She only wants whats best for him, and shes hurt when he does things like keeping his new French wife a secret. A mom wants to brag about her son to friends, not make excuses for him when he disrupts Easter Sunday.

A crucial layer to Chips character is the fact that, despite his lifelong, unshakeable dream to make people laugh, he isnt a good enough funnyman to actually diffuse tense situations. When brunch devolves to a shouting match, he just walks away to the casino part of the casino. (The brunch setting is its own great joke.) Sharing a final scene by the slots, Chip and his mom have a reconciliation of sorts, which feels a bit unrealistic given the amount of awkward revelations that precede it. Thankfully, there are no easy answers in this episode. We get no last-minute reprieves from the aching sense that these people may never find the purpose they seek.

Talk about a punchline: By being forced to reckon with his hollow existence in Bakersfield, Chip may actually be closer to the French mindset than he ever was in Paris.

Clowning Around
Steve Buscemi in particular was criticized for his portrayal of the Big Man Antihero.

Theyre getting the band back together, man! When Vinyl, HBOs new series about the music scene in 1970s New York City, debuts this Sunday, it will effectively double as a reunion tour. Creator Terence Winter, producer-director Martin Scorsese, and star Bobby Cannavale are all veterans of a single show: Boardwalk Empire, Winters five-season exploration of Prohibition-era Atlantic City and the gangsters  some factual, some fictional, some fictionalized  who fought for its control. But in terms of audience size, critical acclaim, and pop-culture cachet, the Empire was, to many, a crumbling one. Boardwalk lasted for five seasons, but it never did more than yeomans work, writes Slates Willa Paskin in her review of Vinyl. As the prestige drama meant to replace The Sopranos, she continues, it only ever filled its time slot. Former Grantlander Andy Greenwald, a Boardwalk skeptic of long standing, dismissed the start of its final season: Its a show built around a hero with nothing much to do living in a town in which nothing much happens.

But if you give Boardwalk another spin before pressing play on its successor, you may find these analyses dont stand up to repeated listening. As a visual, aural, and, most important, moral experience, Boardwalk Empire is the Golden Age of TV Dramas hidden treasure.

Its not hard to understand how Boardwalk Empire lost the war for control of the prestige-drama trade. As the successor to HBOs revolutionary first mafia series, The Sopranos  on which Winter was a prominent writer  it was always doomed to comparisons with that incomparable show. It also faced an apples-to-apples matchup with fellow Sopranos alum Matthew Weiners Mad Men, a contemporaneously running period prestige drama about bad men in beautiful suits. In its Zeitgeist-tapping revisionist fantasy Game of Thrones, HBO itself produced an even more sprawling, more violent, more expensive drama about the sins of people in power against which Boardwalk was forced to compete for attention. Memories of Deadwood and The Wire  two series about the intersection of community and crime, which with The Sopranos comprised HBOs holy trinity  lingered. Throw in the smash success of Breaking Bad, the eras other major crime drama beginning with a B, and it was all Boardwalk could do to hold its head above critical and commercial water.

And certainly, the shows initial appeal lied in its familiarity, perhaps to a fault. Both its creator, Terence Winter, and star, Steve Buscemi, worked on no less a mob masterpiece than The Sopranos. Scorsese directed the pilot, giving its gangster goings-on an even more unbeatable pedigree. Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Arnold Rothstein, all of whom appeared in the opening episode, were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of major historical gangland figures who took on major roles in the show, making it a mafia buffs dream. If you liked this kind of stuff, boy howdy, appointment viewing. If you didnt, the mind-set that Boardwalk was little more than the sum of its genre parts proved nearly impossible for the show to shake over the course of its five seasons (though the blockbuster climaxes of seasons three and four made some waves and earned the show a slow-burn/big-payoff reputation).

Despite the shows surface similarities to its peers, a focus on these programs shared thematic concerns or structural elements ignores the devilish quality of Boardwalk Empires details, so many of which were experiential, even sensual in nature. Tuning into Boardwalk every Sunday night was a positively decadent ritual, one best accompanied with a bottle of your favorite tipple to match the thousand that washed up on the Jersey Shore during the shows striking opening sequence. (This dream imagery had already been transmitted through Winter into the mind and mouth of Tony Soprano.) The slowness of the show was eventually understood to be one of its strengths, as seemingly disconnected and digressive story lines coalesced with freight-train momentum for each seasons climax. But the slowness was a virtue in and of itself  a way to slip into the impeccably constructed sets, the immaculate costumes, the languid sex scenes, the crimson splatter of the violence, and the magnetic faces and voices of its ensemble cast.

Indeed, few shows have used televisions sonic dimension to such memorable effect. Beyond the soundtrack  a seemingly never-ending parade of jazz, blues, standards, patriotic tunes, and ethnic standbys that helped bring the series melting pot of criminality to a simmer  the actors themselves are almost exclusively of Id-listen-to-them-read-the-phone-book vocal caliber. Michael Shannons sepulchral bass as towering villain turned comic relief Nelson Van Alden. Stephen Roots Foghorn Leghorn drawl as real-life political fixer Gaston Means. Jeffrey Wrights professorial pronunciations as crooked black nationalist Dr. Valentin Narcisse. The old-country lilt of Kelly MacDonald as abused mother turned unlikely mob moll Margaret Schroeder, and Charlie Cox as her Irish Republican Army veteran lover Owen Sleater. Each of these performances, and many others, has much else to recommend them, but just listening to them was a pleasure, one too often ignored in discussions of TV entirely attuned to issues of influence, originality, or identity.

Some characters nevertheless stood out from the formidable pack. Bobby Cannavale more than earned his status as Vinyls leading man with his supporting performance as the villain who dominated season three, Gyp Rosetti. A divisive figure even within Boardwalks admiring circles, Rosetti developed minor personal slights into bloodbaths of operatic grandeur and gutter ferocity, nearly toppling Steve Buscemis Nucky Thompson in the process. His ferocious, ultimately failed war for the throne gave the show several of its finest scenes, from his decision to go to war with Thompson after taking the mans conciliatory nothing personal as a grievous insult (What the fuck is life if its not personal?); to his full-frontal nude scene, striding through a massacre covered in blood and collared by a belt with which hed paid a prostitute to strangle him. Theres never been a better one-season Big Bad, on this or any other show.

Nor has there been a finer, sadder example of a wounded warrior than Richard Harrow. Introduced by writer Howard Korder during season one while waiting for a psychiatric evaluation at a veterans hospital, Harrow (an unrecognizable Jack Huston in his breakthrough performance) makes a knockout first impression with his broken-throated, Gollum-like croak, the unnerving uncanny-valley mask he uses to hide his severe facial disfigurement (a sniper himself, he was shot in the face), and with the black nihilism he cites as the reason he no longer reads novels. It occurred to me: The basis of fiction is that people have some sort of connection with each other. But they dont. I gasped when I first heard this line, dredged from my worst fears about life, love, and their collective lack of lasting meaning. Richards capacity for belief in humanity was blown out of him in the Great War, and much of his time on the show chronicled its slow restoration, though dozens of dead bodies dropped behind him on his way. This archetype  the man (usually) who is taught violence in service of an ideal, only to discover one is real and the other a cheap fiction  is a distinctly American one; The Wires Omar Little, Fargos Hanzee Dent, and Game of Thrones Sandor The Hound Clegane all share Richards table in their sad Valhalla. And though his final scenes were devastating, his greatest contribution to the series is in the teeth-grinding tension of the shoot-out sequence that completes the third season, as he blows his way through a small army of Rosetti men to rescue his late friend Jimmys son. The scene weds action to emotion as effectively and movingly as any Ive ever seen, its resolution viewed through a blood-spattered window, an impenetrable barrier to normalcy for this tragic figure.

While were on the subject of tragedy, consider Gillian Darmody. Gretchen Mols showgirl, madam, and would-be power in her own right begins the show as the criminal equivalent of a stage mom to her beloved son Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), encouraging his ambition to move up and eventually supplant Nucky and the Commodore. Their closeness in age (she had him when she was just 13) lent their relationship an unpleasant incestuous edge, finally revealed in all it sordid glory during a flashback at the end of season two. Inadvertently responsible for her sons enlistment in the Great War, his posttraumatic deadening of the soul, and his eventual death in the battle against Nucky, she continues to embroil herself with powerful men who use and discard her, from the Commodore to Luciano to Rosetti to, eventually, a seemingly kindhearted stranger who exploits her love in a completely unexpected and gutting way. Watching Mol writhe and scream beneath an overhead camera as the depth of the deception sinks in was, in its way, the series most brutal crime.

Except for one other  the one committed by its protagonist, Nucky Thompson, at the very start of his criminal career. Steve Buscemi was criticized over the course of the shows run for, essentially, his failure to be the Big Man Anithero. He lacked the larger-than-life charisma of virtually any of his counterparts: James Gandolfinis Tony Soprano, Jon Hamms Don Draper, Idris Elbas Stringer Bell, Bryan Cranstons Walter White, Lena Headeys Cersei Lannister, you name it. But his underacting was deliberate and wise, a way to convey Thompsons fundamental discomfort with the life hed chosen to lead, one that slowly led him away from the glad-handing and backslapping of a party machine boss and local bigwig and into the tommy-gun-and-garrote world of gangsterism. Not a depressive person by nature, the way many comparable characters were, he kept biting off more and more territory and treasure because he genuinely believed material success would bring him happiness, Horatio Algerstyle; the harder and dirtier he fought, the clearer it became that this would never be the case.

But this was something he likely knew all along, ever since he pimped the pubescent Gillian to his violent pedophile boss the Commodore in order to get back into the mans good graces. This crime, alluded to repeatedly over the course of the show though rarely taking a central role, was brought forward to be the story line of the final season. In the end (and unlike, say, Breaking Bad, which pulled its punches in the final episode), the horror that befell Gillian was addressed unflinchingly, the damage that it did to three generations of her family was made unquestionable, and Nuckys culpability in it all was established beyond a doubt. Power, it argues, is inherently exploitative, and it victimizes the already vulnerable with all the predictability of the tides. In the entire era of antihero drama, Boardwalk Empire ended with the most morally uncompromising finale of them all; only The Sopranos legendary cut to black is the equal of it.

This ferociously unsparing finale serves as a punctuation mark to the poetic mix of opulence and horror that preceded it. Beneath the glitz and glamour lurked a grotesque violation of an innocent child; nothing that happened would have been possible without it, in fact. And all this in service of the career of a man who, despite his moral compromises, would never earn a seat at the table from which Luciano and his ilk would rule American organized crime for decades to come. The suffering and the spectacle alike were all for nothing. Thats a message worth hearing, the pretty poison that fuels Boardwalk Empire like the bootleg booze that funded its gangs. Its worth taking a second taste.
Bill Cosby. Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

After a Massachusetts magistrate ruled Camille Cosby had to testify against her husband in a civil case against the entertainer, a federal judge upheld the ruling, within certain limits. According to the Associated Press, Camille must give a deposition, but, under the Massachusetts marital-disqualification rule, she may refuse to testify about private marital conversations, which could limit much of her testimony. The lawsuit, which centers on defamation, has been filed by seven women who claim that the entertainer sexually assaulted them and then called them liars when they made their accusations public. The womens lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, has said that he hopes to depose Camille on February 22. Despite the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Cosby to prevent us from asking her questions the court said that we are entitled to do so because she likely has important information to provide, Cammarata said to People. We intend to get that important information when we take her deposition.

Update: In a motion filed over the weekend, Camille Cosby asked a federal magistrate judge to postpone the deposition set for tomorrow, February 22. Her lawyers filed an emergency motion to stop the deposition, or move it somewhere more private than the Massachusetts hotel where the proceedings were slated to occur. She claimed her deposition could cause an unnecessary media circus and pose a personal security threat that serves no purpose other than to harass and embarrass her. Her lawyer says if the venue isnt changed Camille will be subjected to a parade through a sea of reporters and open to eavesdropping and gawkers.

Update II: Late Sunday night, a federal judge rejected the Cosbys emergency motion to halt the deposition. This Court has reviewed all pleadings filed up until 5:00 p.m. today regarding this matter, said U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni, according to Deadline. The Court has also reviewed the entire audio recording from the hearing on this matter in front of Magistrate Judge Hennessy held on February 19, 2016. At that hearing, the Magistrate Judge considered all aspects of the relief being requested and allowed the opportunity for the parties to develop and articulate their respective positions. Judge Hennessys rulings and orders at the hearing are not clearly erroneous or contrary to law  This Court now finds, consistent with the findings and rulings of the Magistrate Judge, there is no meritorious basis for the relief being sought. Camille will testify under oath at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Ben Stiller plays Derek Zoolander and Penelope Cruz plays Valentina Valencia in Zoolander No. 2 from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Philippe Antonello/Paramount Pictures

How bad is Zoolander 2? Its Batman and Robin bad. Its so bad that it makes you feel sorry for the scores (literally) of celebrities who show up in cameos, even the ones (Anna Wintour, Tommy Hilfiger, Susan Sarandon, Ariana Grande, Kimye ) who actively resist your sympathy, whom you maybe want to see taken down a peg. The nice ones, meanwhile, should rethink their priorities. Chris Hayes, my man: Isnt your integrity your calling card? [Update: It looked like Chris Hayes, but he says he wasnt in it. Go figure.] Neil deGrasse Tyson: Make sense of the cosmic anomaly of your presence. Jane Pauley: Dont you of all people understand the difference between satire and overblown, painfully self-conscious camp?

It should be said that the 2001 original is also self-conscious camp  i.e., camp in which the campiness is itself the joke. The principals  writer-director-star Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell  are heteros who get laughs by preening and mincing like queeny stereotypes. (Stillers Derek Zoolander and Wilsons Hansel are meant to be catnip to the ladies, which is supposed to defuse the homophobia.) The films other satirical object is the stupidity of models  what a reach. Stiller gets away with targeting low-hanging fruit because he understands chronic narcissism from the inside, and he can expertly reproduce the wounded pouts and Im too sexy for my clothes attempts at mass seduction. Zoolanders kissie-poo blue steel pose is a legitimate classic.

The sequel, though, is the work of someone so insecure that he thinks bigger is better and loses all perspective. The more stars Stiller can entice to be in his movie, the more impressed he thinks well be. The film opens with some of those A-listers being assassinated by a super-secret organization. In theory, seeing Justin Bieber riddled with bullets ought to be a killer setpiece, a slam dunk, but the staging is so heavy-handed, it smothers the laughs. Bieber, meanwhile, practically winks at the remaining Beliebers, as if to say, Im not really dead. Im just sending up my image because Im cool enough to laugh at myself. Take that, haters.

The premise of Zoolander 2 is that supermodel Derek lost his wife in the collapse of his stupidly named, ill-built literary institute. His friend Hansel was disfigured. His son was taken away from him. Now hes in hiding in a snowbound cabin in extreme northern New Jersey (the one-half of the one-and-a-half jokes in the movie that made me laugh). He and Hansel  who has impregnated a harem that includes a sumo wrestler, a little person, and a famous TV action star  are drafted to appear in a high-profile fashion show in Rome. After being cruelly humiliated, theyre enlisted by a failed swimsuit model (Penelope Cruz) whos now an agent for Interpols global fashion division. She and her colleagues need to learn the meaning of a face tweeted by those star victims at the moment of their deaths  a face that bears a distinct resemblance to one that Zoolander made famous. The origin might well go back to the dawn of humankind.

The above suggests the biggest problem: Zoolander 2 isnt grounded enough to be funny. Its all canted-angle close-ups and hyperbolic action-movie gags and truncheonlike timing  just like Batman and Robin, actually. Stiller doesnt let anything breathe; he seems to think that every instance of Zoolanders dimness, every malapropism, is going to bring the house down. (Derek tells Hansel, Im a total laughingstick, and you wonder why no one was brave enough to suggest that Stiller come up with something better. Actually, why dont you, in the comments below, and Ill pick a winner next week. Let me start: Im a total chicken stock. You can top that!)

Benedict Cumberbatch makes a tantalizing, fluttery entrance as an eyebrowless androgyne who barely blinks, and he wields a whip like a psychotic geisha. But he doesnt get any good lines. Hes a tranny joke  and I use that offensive term because thats the level on which he functions. Ive also never seen Will Ferrell so flailingly lame, though, to be fair, he does have the lone gag that made me laugh out loud, which involves a pair of Mission: Impossiblelike masks.

Young actor Cyrus Arnold plays Derek Zoolander Jr., whom his father longs to see once more. The kid turns out to be bookish and ungainly. Derek Sr. sees him reading I Am Malala and refers to the author as Malalalala. Im not a very p.c. person and think pretty much anything is fair game if its funny. And I realize that the joke here is that Zoolander is so shallow that he cant begin to recognize his sons moral seriousness. But if youre trying to get a laugh out of mispronouncing the name of a Pakistani teenage girl shot in the face while boarding a school bus, you need to come up with something way, way, way better. No, dont suggest alternatives in the comments section. Lets have more sense than Stiller and let this one go.
Ben Stiller in Zoolander. Photo: Paramount Pictures

Though it later became a comedy touchstone, the original Zoolander wasnt a huge hit at the time of its release, earning only $45 million domestically. The reason? As you might recall, the movie was released only a few weeks after 9/11, a time when America wasnt quite ready to laugh at the antics of an airheaded supermodel. Besides possibly being the reason Zoolander had to wait 15 years to get a sequel, this terrible timing also meant that, over the course of its life, this seemingly innocuous movie managed to get embroiled in three separate 9/11 controversies. What better time to revisit them than now, as the reportedly terrible sequel arrives in theaters?

1. The Skyline Edit

The first came from a controversial decision the film made regarding a shot of the New York City skyline, which had been shot while the World Trade Center was still standing. Like plenty of other filmmakers in the wake of the attacks, director Ben Stiller was faced with an impossible decision: Leave the shot as is, giving the audience a painful reminder of the recent tragedy in the middle of a dumb comedy, or edit the towers out and make it seem as if they never even existed? He went with the latter. For some audience members, it was the wrong choice. As critic Keith Phipps later recalled:

I couldnt get my head around what I was looking at in one scene filmed against the backdrop of Lower Manhattan. Here was New York without the twin towers, by then a familiar sight from the news, but looking peaceful on a sunny day, as if the buildings had never been there. Anyone seeing the movie now, out of context from that moment, wouldnt give it a second thought. At the time, it looked obscene.

2. The Foreign-Relations Accusation

As it happens, another critic at that same screening also thought Zoolander was morally abhorrent. In his infamous one-star review of the film, Roger Ebert did everything short of accusing the film of inspiring 9/11, thanks to what he saw as its insensitive treatment of the Malaysian prime minister and the country in general. There have been articles lately asking why the United States is so hated in some parts of the world, Ebert wrote. As this weeks Exhibit A from Hollywood, I offer Zoolander, a comedy about a plot to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia because of his opposition to child labor.

As he concluded, the film seemed poised to inspire even more resentment toward America around the globe: The more you put yourself into the shoes  of a Muslim 12-year-old in a sport-shirt factory, the more you might understand why he resents rich Americans, and might be offended by a movie about the assassination of his prime minister  Kids like that dont grow up to think of America as fondly as the people who designed his flag.

When it comes to inappropriate responses to 9/11, Roger Eberts Zoolander review was relatively harmless. Still, as Stiller remembered after Eberts death, the legendary film critic eventually apologized to him for pouring so much invective into the review. According to Stiller, He said, Hey, I just want to apologize to you. I wrote that about Zoolander, and I [now] think its really funny. Everything was a little crazy [back then]. It was Sept. 11 and I went overboard.

3. The Oliver Stone Billboard

Those were just the run-up to the third, weirdest Zoolander-9/11 controversy. Five years after the attacks, Hollywood was finally ready to address September 11 head-on, and Oliver Stones World Trade Center was one of the first movies out of the gate. The attacks are not shown explicitly on-screen. Instead, we simply see the shadow of an aircraft gliding along a New York City streetscape  which just so happens to include a Zoolander billboard. (You can see the moment at 29 seconds in the films preview.)

The sight is hardly anachronistic; New York City was plastered with Zoolander ads in the late summer of 2001. But as blog-era internet sleuths pointed out, photos from the time seem to indicate there was no Zoolander billboard at the intersection in question, and wasnt it fishy that both films were Paramount releases? The implication was gross to the extreme: Was the studio tastelessly using a movie about an American tragedy to plug one of its other films?

Ten years on, that question hasnt been fully answered. But in an appearance at Lincoln Center in 2005, Stone seemed to hint at another reason for the billboards inclusion. As the Columbia Spectator reported:

Last fall, the director told a Lincoln Center crowd that launching such a silly movie in the direct wake of an American tragedy was an affront to those who had their lives taken from them on that fateful morning. So fervent was Stones indignation, that, in his World Trade Center, the shadow of American Airlines Flight 11 passes across a Zoolander billboard as it plummets toward the North Tower.

In this telling, the fateful billboard was not a cross-promotional effort at all but rather a veiled slam on Stiller & Co. for releasing the movie at all. The Spectator report is the only source we could find that makes this connection, but it seems valid to us  almost poetic, even. As in any great tragedy, one fateful decision has had unexpected consequences: For erasing the World Trade Center, Zoolander will keep being haunted by its ghost.
Like the White BET Awards, but better. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images

In the midst of the controversy over the lack of diversity at the Academy Awards this year, Russell Simmons has found a solution: Create your own awards show. Simmons is launching the All Def Movie Awards on February 24, just four days before the Oscars at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood  just down the street from the Dolby. Additionally, the awards will be hosted by Tony Rock, brother of Oscars host Chris Rock. The awards are run through Simmonss All Def Digital YouTube channel. Nominees for Best Picture include Beasts of No Nation, Chi-Raq, Concussion, Creed, Dope, and Straight Outta Compton. Other All Def categories include Best Actor and Actress, as well as Best Bad Muh F*cka, Best Helpful White Person, and Best Black Survivor in a Movie.

According to Simmons, the awards are meant to combat some of Hollywoods institutional racism. In 2016 there continues to be a stunning lack of diversity in the studios, in the green light process, in the decisions of what films and television series get made, and what stars get chosen. This needs to be addressed institutionally, the Def Jam founder said in a statement. The All Def Movie Awards are not the Black Oscars, but they could be. Currently, admission is by invitation only, though its possible to enter to win seats in a fan lottery.
I am super into this show, you guys. Theres a lot of plot to discuss this week, so I wont belabor the point, but Im baffled You, Me, and the Apocalypse didnt warrant a bigger publicity push from NBC. True, it may not be NBCs original programming, but it is still some of the most original programming to appear on network primetime in a very long while.

Lets jump right into it: Just when you think things cant get any better, Nick Offerman appears. Isnt that always the way?

Better still, he shows up with a beard so formidable even Ron Swanson would be impressed. Offerman plays Buddy, a character with an honestly touching desire to be seen for who he is: A regular Joe who likes wearing pantyhose. Unfortunately, hes introduced pointing directly at Rhondas face.

After Rhonda and Leanne trespass on Buddys property, theyre attacked by his dog. Leanne escapes, but Rhonda finds herself in the unenviable position of having to talk Buddy into putting his gun down and not calling the police. She explains her situation, and they end up talking about a whole mess of topics: the end of the world, what they want for it, and Buddys aforementioned preference for wearing womens clothes. He is so genuinely touched by Rhondas acceptance that he goes to change into an outfit he feels more comfortable in, which gives Rhonda time to call Scotty, who still hasnt checked in on Rajesh or Spike. Scotty does know, however, that Spike is with his biological father, Tim, who gave authorities the wrong address so Rhonda wouldnt find him.

While Rhonda is on the phone, Buddy turns on the news and sees the Anonymous-style video that Ariel has made through Deus Ex, in which he claims Rhonda as one of their operatives and asserts that the comet is just a government hoax to control the population. (Early theory: I bet Spike is actually behind the comet panic. Why would they tell us that he hacked the NSA and didnt do anything if it werent somehow tied to the bigger picture?) Ariel wants to get Rhonda arrested so he can have Spike to himself  but although Buddy calls the police, and Rhonda finds herself in the back of a police car, she isnt arrested.

Turns out Leanne had been waiting outside the whole time. When Rhonda was in trouble, she ran away, stole a police car, and posed as a cop to break her reluctant friend free. Leanne acknowledges that in real life theyd never speak to each other, but the end is nigh, and Leanne has a strict code: I do not abandon my friends. Ever.

Meanwhile, Celine and Father Jude the Bad-Boy Priest desperately want to have sex with each other fly to Warsaw on the Popes private jet to investigate claims that an English girl (an almost upsettingly adorable Grace Taylor) rose from the dead. After dying in a car crash, the girl known only as Jane Doe miraculously came back to life when the comet collision was announced. She is now Gods daughter. Jane Doe also wears a giraffe costume, which has become a symbol to the dozens of believers gathered outside the hospital.

At first, both Celine and Jude are skeptical. However, the girl gives Celine a message from her late friend, Sister Sophia, and also says a voice has been telling her not to panic about the apocalypse. This leads Celine to believe that Jane Doe is the Messiah, even as Father Jude publicly renounces the idea.

Furthermore, her mother shows up to claim her  and its Jamies missing wife, Layla (Karla Crome). Her father is presumably Jamie; Jane Doe is about six years old, and Layla has been missing for seven years. Things. Are. Getting. Juicy. Celine and Jude sneak Layla and Jane Doe onto the jet and away to safety.

Jane Doe, by the way, is the newest addition to the bunker flash-forward. As the episode opens, we see her banging something against the couch. Messiahs will be kids, I guess.

In Washington, General Gaines and Scotty have organized some of the worlds top minds to come up with a plan to save the world from catastrophe. Or at least, thats what theyve told the world theyre doing. Theyre still trying to put together the Genesis bunker in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Remember that? The one that will save fifteen women and the president, who will then repopulate the world?

I know, theres a lot going on here.

We also learn that Scotty and General Gaines are a couple. The weight of knowing that humanity cant be saved (and, as Gaines point out, might not be worth saving) is starting to make them both crack. Even so, Scotty carries out Rhondas wishes to see Rajesh in the hospital, where theyre both watched in case Rhonda comes to find them.

Across the pond, Jamie and Dave are still held captive in a bathroom by a nail-gun-wielding pregnant woman named Skye (Fiona Button), who is convinced that Jamie is Ariel. When she suddenly goes into labor, they convince her to let them go free  which means they have to help deliver her baby. The delivery goes surprisingly well, but the baby isnt breathing. Oh no.

In a really lovely moment, Jamie leans close to the baby and whispers, Theres still stuff worth fighting for. He repeats the message, over and over, until the little guys lungs spring into action. (I love how this show hones in on the tender things people do in the face of death and disaster.) Skye is then convinced that Jamie cant be Ariel  not because of his life-saving maneuver, but because he doesnt immediately wash his hands  and she tells him that his mother has long since been committed to a psychiatric institution in the Scottish Highlands.

Speaking of Ariel, he finds Spike at the trailer home of his alcoholic, abusive biological father, where Spikes phone has just been destroyed. Ariel convinces Spike that hes a friend of Rhondas, and Spike gets into the car with him. Dun dun duuun!

Also, we finally get a half-glimpse at the glorious Diana Riggs character, albeit through plastic sheets and a respirator. She has summoned two figures in hazmat suits to an old house  the place is so wrapped up, it looks like Dexter is about to commit a murder inside  and points them to a folder full of photos of the main characters. Is she selecting the members of the bunker? Does she want to kill them all? Is she going to say actual words next week? Who can say!

Ill admit that these episodes should probably be trimmed down just sliiightly, and I find the stuff with Scotty to be somewhat tedious, but I suspect that itll all be worth it once the smaller story threads start to pay off. A genuine love for the human spirit coming through You, Me and the Apocalypse. It reminds me a lot of David Tennants run on Doctor Who. Things are fast, the stakes are high, and even though humanity might be beyond saving, it is not beyond salvation.

Considering how good this show has been so far, the same could be said of serialized network television. Im of a generation that puts its faith in Netflix, but I really enjoy looking forward to this every week. To those who might believe that great network shows no longer exist, I think Jamie put it best: Theres still stuff out there worth fighting for.
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Law Minister Anisul Huq has dismissed the chances of an abolition of the death penalty in Bangladesh.





However, he has said the government will try to avoid capital punishment in future laws.





He spoke of the government stance while talking to reporters after a views-exchange meeting with a delegation of the European Parliament in Dhaka on Thursday.





The minister said, "When the issue of the death penalty was raised, I told them unambiguously that the laws which now provide for the death penalty would not be changed."





"We'll try to do that (abolishing the death penalty) when we enact new laws in future. Since capital punishment is not that much acceptable as punishment, we'll bring about changes," he added.





"But if we think capital punishment is the best weapon to combat any serious crime, the death penalty may remain in a relevant new law," Huq said.





The European Union has long been urging Bangladesh to scrap the death penalty. It made the call even as Bangladesh executed several war criminals after their conviction by war crimes tribunals.





Source: bdnews24.com, Feb. 11, 2016









HC upholds death penalty in ex-UK envoy Anwar attack case





The High Court has reinstated a lower court's verdict that convicted 5 Huji militants for the assassination attempt on former British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury which killed 3 people and left more than 70 others injured at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal in Sylhet.





The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain gave the verdict in the murder case on Thursday afternoon.





The court started hearing on the death references on January 6 this year.





Anwar, currently serving as the British Ambassador to Peru, along with 70 others sustained injuries in the attack launched after the Jumma prayers on May 21, 2004.





Hailing from Sylhet, Anwar served as the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh until 2008.





3 militants of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB) - Mufti Abdul Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul, and Md Delwar Hossain alias Ripon - were sentenced to death while 2 others - Hannan's brother Muhibullah alias Muhibur Rahman alias Ovi and Mufti Mainuddin Khaja alias Abu Jandal - given life-term jail by the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal on December 23, 2008.





Another case was filed over the use of explosives is currently under trial at a Sylhet court.





In his confessional statement, Hannan said that Jandal had supplied the grenades through Bipul and Ripon. HujiB received the grenades from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).





Source: Dhaka Tribune, Febe; 11, 2016









Bangladesh upholds Islamists' death sentence for UK envoy attack





Mufti Abdul Hannan was behind a number of deadly grenade attacks including on a rally of current PM Sheikh Hasina in Aug 2004.





A Bangladesh court Thursday upheld the death sentence of a top Islamist militant and 2 of his followers for a 2004 failed assassination attack on the British ambassador that left three people dead.





The High Court dismissed appeals by Mufti Abdul Hannan, head of Harkatul Jihad Al Islami, and two members of the banned militant Islamist group who have all been convicted over a spate of deadly attacks.





"The High Court has upheld the verdict. Unless they make another appeal in the country's highest court, there is now no bar to their execution," deputy attorney general Sheikh Moniruzzaman Kabir said.





"Mufti Abdul Hannan was behind a number of deadly grenade attacks including on a rally of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2004 in which more than 20 people were killed," he said.





There was no comment from the defence lawyers, who did not turn up for the verdict.





The trio were convicted of murder and masterminding the grenade attack in May 2004 on then British high commissioner Anwar Choudhury, who was only slightly injured.





The attack came just weeks after the Bangladeshi-born diplomat took up the post and occurred as he was visiting a historic Sufi shrine in the northeastern city of Sylhet.





The High Court also on Thursday upheld life sentences for 2 other militants for their roles in the blast that left 3 worshippers dead and scores injured.





The British High Commission had welcomed the conviction of those involved but opposed the use of the death penalty.





Police said at the time of the attack that the group was plotting "to avenge the deaths of Muslims in Iraq and across the world by America and Britain".





Source: Deccan Chronicle, Feb. 11, 2016




Baylor Law School, 1114 S. University Parks Drive, will present its 11th annual Peoples Law School from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The free event is geared to educate the public about their legal rights and to make the law user-friendly.

For registration and a complete list of courses to be offered, visit www.baylor.edu/law/pls.

Hillsboro Fire and Ice

Hillsboro Main Street is sponsoring a Fire and Ice event from 2:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday in Colonial Grand Hall, 65 W. Franklin St. in Hillsboro.

The event will feature:

A tasting hosted by Balcones Distillery and Real Ale Brewing Company at 7 p.m. Cost is $10.

A four-course meal catered by Buzzard Billys at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $30.

A free concert featuring Sway, a Sinatra-style band at 8:30 p.m.

Pepper eating, homemade ice cream and salsa contests from 2 to 6 p.m.

Side-Fire will present a fire dancing show in front of Colonial Grand Hall at 6:30 p.m.

For tickets and more information, visit www.hillsboromainstreet.org.

Free food distribution

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and The Shepherds Heart Food Pantry will have its Wheels of Sharing Mobile Food Pantry available for a free food-distribution event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the parking lot at 3300 Franklin Ave.

Participants will receive a variety of fresh food, including meat, beans, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, cereal, potatoes, rice and pasta.

Clients must bring a box, basket or container to carry their food.

Heart attack signs

Jeffrey Place Health Care, 820 Jeffrey St., will host a free early heart attack signs and symptoms education program from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Jennifer Bernardi, chest pain coordinator at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, will be the guest speaker.

For more information, call Tammy Carter at 772-9480.

West fish fry

West KJT No. 31 is sponsoring a fried fish dinner at 5 p.m. Friday at the St. Marys Parish Center, 301 S. Harrison St. in West.

Cost is $9 for a meal of fish, tater tots, hush puppies, beans, slaw and a dessert.

Romance writers

The Heart of Texas Chapter of Romance Writers of America will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at the West Waco Library Conference Room, 5301 Bosque Blvd.

Submit items for Briefly to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com.
Caterpillar Inc., a heavyweight in heavy equipment that makes and warehouses products in Waco, would like to parade its Cats into the Cuban market in the near future. When it does, officials say, machinery made locally likely will have a place in the procession.

The Illinois-based company signed a deal this week with a distributor, Rimco, of Puerto Rico, to sell products in the island nation 90 miles off the Florida coast when the U.S. Congress removes a more than 55-year-old trade embargo put in place in response to Fidel Castros rise to power.

Rimco has enjoyed a 34-year relationship with Caterpillar and already distributes product in its own territory and in Eastern Caribbean countries.

Caterpillar for nearly 20 years has been lobbying for the U.S. to lift the sanctions and now believes the political climate will make it possible. President Barack Obama announced in January the United States was easing some restrictions on commerce with Cuba, allowing the financing of authorized exports and re-exports to the country.

Company spokesman Matt Lavoie said in a phone interview the new rules already in place dont apply to the type of equipment Caterpillar makes. Its product lines include construction and mining equipment, power systems and marine and industrial engines. But in the future, Cat sees plenty of opportunities in Cuba, which needs an infrastructure overhaul.

Some people who visit Cuba talk about the 60-year-old cars they drive, Lavoie said. We at Caterpillar talk about their 60-year-old roads.

He said Caterpillar is readying itself to send dozers, tractors and dump trucks into Cuba as soon as such a move becomes legal. Its lobbyists continue to pursue the ear of U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and reportedly are meeting little opposition to the idea of normalizing relations with Cuba.

They are hearing from their constituents, farmers and businesses that they want to go into Cuba, Lavoie said.

Lavoie said declines in the mining and oil-production industries globally have created financial difficulties, but Caterpillar has faced strong and weak markets before.

The market is cyclical, and what goes down typically goes up, Lavoie said, adding that having Cuba along for the ride would prove icing on the cake.

The company knows the nation needs to upgrade its sagging infrastructure of streets, bridges and highways, and Caterpillar can help if the laws allow it.

Lavoie said the company continues to study the economic impact of entering Cuba and to gauge what parts and equipment would sell like hotcakes.

It has about 11 million people and is comparable in size to the state of Ohio, which is a pretty good sized island, he said. We do believe we could create robust business there, but reforms are needed to create a more pro-business atmosphere because someone obviously will have to finance these purchases.

Caterpillar has proved its fondness for Waco, having invested $52 million to build and equip plants on Texas Central Parkway to make excavation buckets that are attached to machines involved in digging operations, as well as large surface-blasting hammers that look like jackhammers on steroids.

It also has created a 1.25-million-square-foot logistics center at the rear of the old General Tire plant.

From this center and another 750,000-square-foot center at Bagby Avenue and Gateway Boulevard, Cat ships stock and emergency parts to dealers.

$2.2 million in incentives

Through the Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. fund, the city and county have awarded Caterpillar $2.2 million in incentives to locate and expand in Greater Waco. Meanwhile, the Waco Industrial Foundation made 103 acres of prime land available to the company.

Caterpillar has far exceeded the employment levels it had to maintain to qualify for incentive funds and now has about 500 people on its local payroll.

Texas continues to be a positive state for Caterpillar, which creates good value-added jobs, said Kris Collins, senior vice president for economic development for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. We are glad they are here and look to help them expand or seize other opportunities should they arise.

Caterpillar said it first began to look at Waco in the late 1990s, when it was searching for a prime location to build articulated trucks to serve markets in North, Central and South America. The plant it built was operational by 2002, but employment remained low as worldwide demand for Cat equipment turned sluggish.

Cat shuttered the facility but kept it ready to accommodate possible future uses. It later became home to the Caterpillar Work Tools Complex.
Bonny Cain, Waco Independent School District superintendent, received an evaluation Thursday in the midst of public censure set off by her comments published in the Tribune-Herald last month.

The districts trustees remained tight-lipped about the results of the evaluation. The board didnt extend her contract, but can do so at any time. Cains contract runs through the 2018-19 school year. She has been with the district five years.

Trustee Cary DuPuy said he didnt weigh the recent public outcry too heavily in the evaluation. The state provides the board with a general outline for evaluating a superintendents performance, which includes subjects such as community involvement, finances and education.

Bonny has done a number of things very well in this community, and at the same time theres a number of things that shes struggled to impact positively, DuPuy said. Busy people that are getting lots of stuff done make missteps, and weve got to be able to accept that about them.

The state is monitoring Waco ISD because two of its schools, J.H. Hines Elementary and Brook Avenue Elementary, have failed state academic standards four years in a row. District officials have been trying to provide answers and find solutions for their continued struggle.

Cain, along with board President Pat Atkins and Trustee Angela Tekell, told the state in a fall hearing that much of what causes the problems for the failing schools stem from the poverty in their surrounding neighborhoods.

The one line that stood out in my mind was when (the state) told J.H. Hines principal Tra Hall, Look, we have lots of campuses [in Texas] that are economically disadvantaged. Whats different about yours and why is it struggling? And he said, Every day my students come to me from a culture of abuse, trauma and neglect. Thats pretty powerful. Atkins said in the published interview.

The National Center for Education Statistics shows a significant link between students living in poverty and failing academics. The National Assessment of Educational Progress rates students proficiency as below basic, basic, proficient or advanced.

Of the fourth-grade students in Texas eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 19 percent performed below basic in math in 2015, compared to 5 percent of students not-eligible for free or reduced-price lunch who performed below basic.

Among the same students, 81 percent eligible for free or reduced-price lunch scored basic or better, while 95 percent of students who dont qualify for free or reduced-price lunch scored at basic or higher.

A student is eligible for the federal reduced-price lunch program if they belong to a household that earns at or less than 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or $44,863 annually for a family of four.

Most students who attend Hines and Brook Avenue live in families who live well below that income level.

More than 55 percent of the 3,266 households in Hines primary ZIP code earn less than $20,000 a year. Of that percentage, 27 percent, or 894 households, earn less than $10,000, and 12 percent, or 418 households, make less than $15,000. The schools student population is 99 percent economically disadvantaged.

Brook Avenues enrollment zone is a 12 by eight block section West of the Brazos River that straddles two ZIP codes with similar economic hardships, one with an annual median income of $24,476 and the other at $16,697.

But residents from those school zones spoke out, saying a lack of money doesnt always translate into poor parenting or student failure.

Former East Waco resident DeShauna Hollie, 34, grew up in East Waco and as an adult cared for her two nephews who attended Brook Avenue.

Hollie said she was raised by her grandparents in a four-bedroom apartment with 13 other people but never considered herself to be poor or neglected. Hollie attended Kendrick Elementary School and South Waco Elementary.

I think that we often confuse poverty with neglect, and they arent the same, she said. When people see a lack of parent involvement, they automatically assume that the parent doesnt care about their kids education, which Ive never met a parent . . . who didnt care.

Waco ISD homeless liaison Cheryl Pooler agrees that parents are trying. Pooler said the majority of the parents she serves have multiple jobs, but says theres a lack of affordable housing and good-paying jobs in Waco.

I think it would be surprising to a lot of people to learn that a vast majority of my families  they are working more than one job. They still cant make ends meet, she said.

Brook Avenue parent Maria Sardaneta, whose son is in first grade, is a single parent and said she knows many of her fellow parents are in the same situation.

It is hard, Sardaneta said. You have to struggle. . . . You want to support your child, but you have to work. You have different obligations you have to meet and sometimes thats hard.

But she said she resents people who classify her as low-income, because she doesnt identify herself as poor. The parents who are working multiple jobs or long hours are building a better life for their children, she said.

We are hardworking people, Sardaneta said. Were trying to better ourselves to give a better life to our children. And sometimes they dont see it that way and it hurts me.
Tyjuana Chante Curry, 35, of Waco, was arrested Thursday for allegedly shooting a man in the face in East Waco on Sunday night, police said.

Waco police responded to a shooting about 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Dallas Street.

Demarcus Tremayne Simon, 19, was in his vehicle when he got in an altercation with at least one person in a car near the intersection of Lenox and Dallas streets, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said in a statement. A silver or gray car pulled beside Simons car and someone inside fired several shots, Swanton said.

Simon was shot in the face.

Simons car crashed into a telephone pole and he fled into an apartment complex at 1700 Dallas St., Swanton said. He later was found by officers and taken by ambulance to Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center before he was flown to Temple for surgery.

This is not believed to be a random shooting and investigators hope to obtain additional information from the victim as our investigation continues, Swanton said in a statement.

Curry was charged with aggravated assault. Her bond amount was set at $10,000.
A 26-year-old Tennessee man led law enforcement officials on a high-speed chase starting in the Dallas area and ending in McLennan County at about 10:30 Thursday night, McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said.

Jonathan Alexander Davis, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, was arrested after authorities initiated a pursuit of a vehicle near Rockwall County east of Dallas. During the pursuit, the vehicle traveled south in northbound lanes of Interstate 35 and access roads as it made its way into McLennan County, sometimes traveling at more than 100 mph, McNamara said.

Apparently, this guy was all over the place, going the wrong way down the access road, wrong way down the interstate all through Dallas ... and he made his way into McLennan County, McNamara said. The (Texas Department of Public Safety) helicopter was also involved in the pursuit, plus many, many police officers.

At one point, McNamara estimated 30 patrol officers from multiple jurisdictions participated in the suspects apprehension. After the chase got to McLennan County, a deputy was able to lay spike strips down on the interstate that disabled the vehicles tires.

McNamara said during the chase, a DPS officer attempted to shoot out a tire on the fleeing vehicle. The vehicle struck a guardrail near exit 342 in Lacy Lakeview as officers diverted traffic away from the area.

This was a very, very dangerous situation, and it is my understanding that he attempted to run a couple of the officers off the road, McNamara said. Anytime you have anyone driving the wrong way on any kind of highway or road, it is extremely dangerous and can be deadly.

No injuries were reported because of the chase. DPS troopers and McLennan County deputies were able to take Davis into custody at the scene.

Davis remained in McLennan County Jail on Friday on charges of evading arrest in a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, DWI, and possession of a prohibited substance or item in a correctional facility. A total bond of $42,000 was set for his release.
The trial of a biker arrested in the deadly May 17 Twin Peaks shootout was postponed Friday as evidence in the complex case continues to be analyzed and other pretrial matters unfold.

Judge Matt Johnson set an April 1 hearing date to consider a change of venue motion filed by the attorney for Hewitt biker Matthew Clendennen, a member of the Scimitars motorcycle group, whose trial had been set for Feb. 29.

The judge considered other pretrial motions Friday during a brief hearing in Clendennens case.

McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna assured Clendennens attorney, Clint Broden, of Dallas, that his office is providing evidence for the 106 bikers indicted in the incident as quickly as it becomes available.

Broden filed a motion seeking the identities of any undercover police officers used by law enforcement as they investigated escalating tension between the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle groups.

Reyna asked the judge to review in his chambers  and to seal them from public disclosure  documents that contain the name of a confidential informant and determine if the officers name should be divulged. Broden concurred, and the judge agreed to do so.

Reyna told the court that the identities of any undercover officers used in a two-year federal investigation of the Bandidos in San Antonio are sealed by the federal court and he has no current access to those records.

Three national leaders of the Bandidos were indicted in federal court in January on racketeering and other charges.

Reyna filed a motion for a continuance in Clendennens case last month, but he said Friday that it would not be necessary to hear it.

Reyna sought the continuance because, according to his motion, it could be up to a year before certain evidence, including ballistic and DNA analyses, is completed at various state and federal labs.

Because of that, Reyna said Brodens motion for the state to reveal its expert witnesses also would have to wait. Reyna said until the evidence is analyzed and returned, he cannot provide an expert witness list to defense attorneys, but promised to do so as quickly as he knows.
Wyoming will remain 1 of 5 states in the nation without a hate crimes law.





The state's House of Representatives handily voted down a bill Thursday that would have created extra penalties for violent crimes committed because of the victim's race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.





Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, sponsored the proposal that would have increased prison time for the bias-motivated offenses by 25 %.





He said there should be stronger punishments for these types of crimes because they are more "egregious" than typical violent felonies.





"They are, in essence, an assault against the entire community," he said.





The proposal needed a 2/3 majority vote for it to be introduced. But it was defeated with only 10 of the 60 members supporting it.





Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne, was among those who opposed the measure.





He said the extra punishments are not needed. And he said proving that a crime has a bias component would be a difficult task for judges or juries.





"I would submit to you that a murder is a murder," he said. "And if you kill someone or maim them, the penalties are severe enough."





Death penalty abolishment fails





The proposal was one of several bills that the House rejected Thursday - the 2nd-to-last day for the introduction of new bills.





The House also voted down a proposal to abolish the death penalty in the state.





Bill sponsor Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, said this would save the state money on costly trials and appeals and prevent a scenario where an innocent person is executed.





"The vast majority of countries have abolished the death penalty," she said. "So whether it's for moral or religious reasons or financial reasons to the state or counties, let's eliminate the death penalty."





But Rep. Bill Pownall, R-Gillette, said the death penalty can be meaningful for the victims or their families.





"Don't forget the victims in all these cases," he said. "That is one thing I think we are lacking."





Source: Tribune Eagle, Feb. 11, 2016




Hyderabad: In order to fast-track its rail infrastructure projects, Indian Railways on Thursday signed an MoU with the Telangana government for ensuring speedy execution of projects in the state. The MoU envisages the formation of joint ventures with the Telangana government for the development of railway infrastructure in the state. States always have a lot of expectations for new railway lines. Thus, to meet the demands of the states, the Union Cabinet has approved the formation of joint venture companies, Railway Board chairman A.K. Mittal said at the MoU signing ceremony.

Telangana is the sixth state to join hands with Indian Railways for taking up rail projects through the JV route. Mr Mittal said 17 states have consented to the formation of JV companies with the Railways, whereas five, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Odisha, have already signed the MoUs.

MoU will help in putting the execution of railway projects on a fast-track in the state. This will also help take into account the priorities of the states because these projects will be finalised in consultation with them, he said. Railways have a large shelf of ongoing new line, gauge conversion and doubling projects requiring about Rs 3.5 lakh crores to complete.
New Delhi: Leading stock exchange BSE will auction investment limits for foreign investors to buy government debt securities worth Rs 3,011 crore on Monday.

The auction will be conducted on BSE's 'ebidxchange' platform from 1530 hours to 1730 hours after the close of market hours on February 15, the exchange said in a circular.

The debt auction quota gives overseas investors the right to invest in the debt, up to the limit purchased. A mock bidding session would be conducted today to check the system's performance. "...Live bidding session for allocation of debt investment limits for FII/FPI and Sub-accounts shall be conducted on Monday, February 15, 2016 on exchange's 'ebidxchange' platform," BSE said.

Depository data showed that total investments, including limits acquired by foreign investors through the auction route, stood at Rs 1,31,924 crore till January 22, which was 97.43 per cent of the total permitted investment limit of Rs 1,35,400 crore in government debt securities.

During earlier auctions, government bonds were subscribed multiple times, given the huge interest among foreign investors. The limit for overseas investors in securities was hiked to Rs 1,29,900 crore from October 12 and it was further increased to Rs 1,35,400 crore from January 1, 2016.

Prior to October limit, they were allowed to invest up to Rs 1,24,432 crore in government debt securities through auction.
The companies in the S&P/ASX 200 index were selling for about 14.8 times expected earnings a year ago. They are selling for about the same earnings multiple now  not wildly expensive, but not compellingly cheap, either. Slumping resources company profits are a factor, but industrial company shares are also still on a PE of about 14 times expected earnings. Dedicated bottom fishers will want PEs to go lower before they buy. 3. Because China is a Black Box Investors appear to have had enough of their wild ride on China's markets. China's economy is highly geared, with most of the debt loaded into its corporate sector. Slower economic growth is testing corporate debt-servicing capacity, and China's state-directed investment boom also created excess capacity in key sectors, including the property market. A lower currency would help, but even modest reductions in the value of the yuan by Beijing are causing global share market jitters. Investors were prepared to avoid looming problems in China for years. Now, every piece of economic news from China is a a potential grenade. For a simple life, wait until a clear path for China to fix its finances emerges. The problem is, that could take years.

4. Because the oil plunge has gone from good to bad The sliding oil price has been the icing on the cake for miners. West Texas Intermediate crude averaged $US96.48 a barrel between January 2011 and June 2014, and then Saudi Arabia rapidly increased its production, to force the oil price down, sideline US shale oil producers, and restore its position as a key supplier of oil to the United States. Last year's average WTI price just under $US49 a barrel was probably an economic plus overall, as lower energy prices increased corporate profits and household disposable income. WTI is below $US28 a barrel now, however, and so far this year it has averaged $US31 a barrel. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other oil producers are liquidating assets including shares to cover budget shortfalls, and there are concerns about the exposure of the banks and capital markets, in Europe in particular.

Many analysts expect oil to climb back in the medium term to about $US50 a barrel. After spanking America's oil shale sector the Saudis may also once again agree with other oil-producing countries to ration oil, and push the price higher. The potential economic consequences of sub $US30 a barrel oil boost the bear case, however. 5. Because banks are pariahs The shares of European banks have fallen more than 20 per cent since the start of the year. There is concern about bank exposure to a slowing global economy and a shell-shocked energy sector. Non-performing loans are almost 6 per cent of total bank loans in Europe, and 16.7 per cent in Italy.

This week there are also worries that European banks are close to suspending interest payments on over $100 billion of so-called "coco bonds"  a post global form of bank debt that converts to equity if a bank's balance sheet is stretched. Deutsche Bank this week responded to a plunge in its shares by declaring that it had the money to continue servicing its $4.6 billion worth of coco bonds. Banks including Santander of Spain and UniCredit of Italy are also under pressure. Our banks are weighted towards home lending  the big four banks have 60 per cent of the market between them  and their bad and doubtful debts are below a half a per cent of their loan books. They are caught up in the global bank selldown, however, and account for 28 per cent of the local market. Reasons to stay in the sharemarket, or even top up 1. Because shares still beat fixed interest

Since it was floated in 1983, the Australian dollar tends to move up or down in ways that limit inflation pressure and stabilise growth. Credit:Rob Homer There is a catch here. Share yields  that is, dividends as a percentage of the share price paid  generally need to beat fixed interest yields because shares are riskier investments. That said, the yield on the sharemarket is attractive. In the middle of 2011 when the European sovereign debt crisis was peaking, The companies in the the S&P/ASX 200 index were paying dividends that produced a yield of about 5 per cent on their acquisition price. The yield on 90-day bank bills was 5 per cent, however, and so was the yield on triple A-rated risk-free 10-year Australian government bonds. Today, the ASX 200 index is still yielding about 5 per cent  but 90-day bills and the 10-year government bond yields have more than halved, to around 2.3 per cent. Shares ARE riskier, but they are also now trading at a healthy yield premium. 2. Because rates are staying low
The boss of BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine says overall costs are likely to be pruned by a further 10 to 15 per cent by using the heap leach technology the company is testing, but that still requires another three to five years of work before its ready to implement.

But Jacqui McGill, the asset president of Olympic Dam, says there will be no revival of any of the big-bang plans which were shelved in August, 2012 for a $30 billion-plus expansion using an open cut mine approach.

BHP Billiton's boss of the Olympic Dam mine says there's every reason to be confident the mine can be globally competitive and low-cost.

"It's my view that we need to take a slow and sustainable approach to growing Olympic Dam," she told reporters after a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Adelaide on Friday.

She says the heap leach technology processes that BHP Billiton has been testing for a couple of years to eventually pave the way for a more modest expansion, require a lot more work.
Worker concessions and 500 job cuts at BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks have underpinned a massive $50 million lift in the steelmaker's half-year earnings expectations to $230 million.

The profit upgrade suggests the future of the iconic plant in Wollongong, an hour south of Sydney, has been secured just months after a line-ball decision to keep producing raw steel at the site.

BlueScope Steel says the stronger performance has been driven largely by earlier delivery of cost reductions, growth in Australian domestic dispatches and better margins. Credit:Peter Braig

BlueScope said in August it needed to cut $200 million of costs from the plant or the remaining No. 5 blast furnace would be mothballed, endangering 5000 direct and indirect jobs.

BlueScope also secured a payroll tax holiday from the state of NSW. The Baird government agreed to defer $60 million in state payroll taxes over three years in a bid to prevent BlueScope from shutting the blast furnace.
Administrators of Clive Palmer's troubled nickel business are facing a large and complicated task to determine whether its north Queensland refinery and hundreds of jobs can be saved.

The enormity of the job became clearer in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday when FTI Consulting was given more time to investigate Queensland Nickel before convening a second creditors' meeting.

Clive Palmer's nickel refinery outside Townsville. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The court heard the administrators need to sort through 11,000 boxes of company records, investigate claims of insolvent trading and probe political donations made to the Palmer United Party before deciding the best way forward.

They also need to examine claims by creditors, including employees, against the company, which total about $428 million.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao has appreciated Juhi Chawla and Shabana Azmi-starrer drama movie 'Chalk N Duster'. The actress, who had requested him to watch the film, shared an image of a letter from Rao on Twitter.

The letter read: Chalk N Duster is a remarkable film and I enjoyed watching it from the start to end. Truly, a thought-provoking film.

There are many good teachers in society doing their job silently, diligently and efficiently, without expecting any reward or recognition, It is necessary that society realises their worth and stands by them when needed.

I congratulate the producer, director, cast and crew of the film for the brilliant execution of the work and thank you for inviting me to watch the film.

Juhi captioned the image: I am going to preserve this letter So very happy and encouraged.

I am going to preserve this letter... So very happy and encouraged ... pic.twitter.com/JAANkdR1Fu  Juhi Chawla (@iam_juhi) February 11, 2016

The film which dealt with issues in the education system also features Zarina Wahab, Richa Chadha, Divya Dutta, Samir Soni, and Jackie Shroff to name a few.
But with so much in the tax debate, all is not as it seems. Economists call it "unintended consequences". The problem with a lot of rich people is they are wiley. They didn't get all that money just by toeing the line and playing by the rules. New social experiments have shown wealthier people display more unethical behaviour. They are more likely to cut off pedestrians and other drivers at intersections, more likely to help themselves to more candy from a free candy jar and more likely to say it is OK to steal and overcharge in a business context. It's not clear whether being unethical explains why people get rich. Or, if, once rich, the normal penalties that apply are so small compared to your total wealth, you just don't care if you break the law. Probably both. The problem with trying to raising income taxes on the rich is that they see you coming. They have the resources to simply arm up with a fancy lawyer and accountant and start to hiding their income and assets, divesting them to family members or disguising personal income as company income. Likely, our tax evaders will set up a series of cascading trust arrangements where income is sheltered and distributed in a tax preferred way. It is very easy for rich business people, for example, to set up a company and pass off income as profits, taxed at the lower company rate of 30 cents.

Better yet, they can pass off personal expenses as business expenses  tax free business trip to Paris anyone? As long as our company tax rate stays well south of our top personal income tax rate  currently approaching 50 cents after the Medicare Levy and temporary budget repair levy  there is a strong incentive to relabel money as profit, not personal income. But increasing the company tax rate is not the answer either. It is little appreciated, but a higher company tax rate hurts wages, because it eats into a company's ability to give their staff a raise. Wages are by far the biggest cost most businesses face and hit with higher tax, it is the cost they will seek to constrain. So if we can't lift the company tax rate and lifting top income tax rates only encourages tax avoidance: what should we do? How do we hit rich people where it really hurts? The answer is surprisingly simple. We need to attack wealth, not income. Income is highly mobile and easy to shift around. Wealth is not. The major asset most people have is property, which is rather hard to disguise.

This gives the tax man an advantage: he might not know where your Bermuda billions are hidden, but he sure knows where you live. Shifting our focus to taxing wealth not income has become increasingly important as wealth inequality has risen. Inequality in earnings has risen, but it is this disparity in the ownership of assets  land, property and shares  that has really blown out over the past decades. If you want to tax rich people, you need to go after them where they sleep at night. Drive around the inner suburbs of Sydney; it's not hard to find the wealth. Almost all economists agree that a broad-based land tax, applied in a progressive way to tax high value land the most, is the most efficient and fair tax reform we could pursue. It hits the rich where it really hurts.

Of course, there needs to be protection for asset-rich, but cash-poor people living in rich suburbs but with little income to pay their land tax bill. No worries, it can be deducted from their estate when they die and the property is sold. If you really wanted to smooth the path for reform, you could exempt everyone living in a home they already own, and only apply the land tax to properties sold from now on. Better yet, abolish stamp duty, which would reduce the upfront cost of buying and replace it with a lower annual tax. Sound crazy, like it would never happen? Not true. The ACT government has executed just such a tax switch and will progress to a full land tax regime by 2020. Economists believe the ACT economy will get a boost from the move. Stamp duty, essentially a tax on transactions, stops people from moving, distorting activity in the economy. But land tax is hard to avoid, leading to less distortion of economic activity. And as a simple revenue raiser, land tax is hard to beat.
Take marriage equality. It is demonstrably true that right now allowing same-sex couples to marry enjoys vast public acceptance, and majority support in the Parliament  both houses. Yet, for nothing other than the internal political interests of the Liberal Party and of Turnbull's leadership itself, that vote will not take place.

Turnbull's new defence of a plebiscite that is not needed and which he never supported is to ask what the ALP has against democracy. As an argument uttered in the Parliament, the very fulcrum of Australia's representative democracy, it is embarrassing.

Beyond its different rhetoric and last year's high-profile but fiscally modest innovation statement, the Turnbull government is yet to achieve substantial policy differentiation from the Abbott period. Indeed even the transformative power of the innovation statement, with all its lofty aspirations for the knowledge economy, has been eroded after the fact by the continuation of Abbott-era policies such as refusing to commit to the final two years of Gonski education funding to the states, and the looming budget-driven job losses in the CSIRO  the very venue for the innovation statement in December.

While it is tempting for observers to blithely declare the honeymoon over, that will be up to the voters. Has the GST debate spooked them, or caused them to reflect on substance rather than spin?

That is not yet clear. But other events this week cannot have helped. The revelation that the government has quietly pushed ahead with another Abbott policy since forgotten, to outsource Medicare's payment system, is a sure vote loser  even if it makes sense. Justifying it will take all of Turnbull's prodigious advocacy skills.
These were kids who were of Joe's age. Kids who were born in Australia  just like him. These kids belong here, they deserve to stay here. Call it a moment of clarity  call it whatever  but that's when I realised Victoria could help. So I wrote to the Prime Minister last Saturday with a proposal.

Sitting on the kitchen bench was a newspaper filled with stories of a hundred stranded kids  kids just like Joe  seeking asylum in Australia with their families.

The fact that children are among the victims of Australia's detention policy makes it worse that what happens at Guantanamo Bay.

Joe was no doubt focused on his birthday cake, but my mind was elsewhere.

A week ago, my wife Cath and I were at home celebrating our son Joseph's ninth birthday. Another year of comfort and safety had passed him by, and another such year awaited him.

We  the Victorian Government  offered to take full care of these children and their families, because shipping them off to a sparse island is not the act of a decent nation and not our idea of a fair solution. Right now, they are on a one-way ticket to Nauru, so we're offering to take full responsibility for them.

Some people called it a political stunt. I can assure you it wasn't. The last thing these kids need is more politics. In fact, it's only when you take the politics out of this sad situation that the right answer becomes clear. That's what happened to me.

Over the weekend, I met two of these kids and their ill father. I took them to the zoo. As we were walking around, I didn't see in their father's face, the face of a man who was trying to manipulate a system or undermine a policy. I saw the face of a man who just wanted his boys to be safe.

He'd escaped one of the most violent places in the world. Now here he was at the Melbourne Zoo with his boys. I wish you could have seen how much they smiled.

People smuggling is a wicked problem, but for these kids, there's no reason why we must settle on a wicked solution.
Melbourne academic Benjamin Habib didn't think twice when he was invited to talk about North Korea's recent rocket launch on live TV. He knew the topic well and has often written and spoken about it in the media.

But it turned out to be "the worst public embarrassment of my career".

Despite the best efforts of ABC24 News Breakfast presenters Virginia Trioli and Michael Rowland to coax him out of his terror, Dr Habib froze in front of the nation as the cameras rolled.

"In doing the News Breakfast interview I inadvertently thrust my lifelong battle with severe anxiety into the public domain", Dr Habib wrote in a courageous personal blog post which is attracting thousands of readers.
Almost 3000 scientists from nearly 60 nations have appealed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and other Australian leaders to halt the CSIRO's plans to halve the number of researchers working on climate monitoring and modelling.

In a letter that was also sent to the CSIRO's board and chief executive Larry Marshall, the 2900 researchers said the decision to cut 100 full-time positions out of about 140 staff from two units of the Oceans and Atmospheric division "alarmed the global research community".

"The decision to decimate a vibrant and world-leading research program shows a lack of insight, and a misunderstanding of the importance of the depth and significance of Australian contributions to global and regional climate research," the letter said.
"I am a girl - it will be different," she said. "We have a girl as part of the leadership team." Somehow, Nationals duo Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash have convinced Malcolm Turnbull that shifting staff from cities to the bush is good policy. Credit:Andrew Meares While she eschews the feminist label - "I'm a very strong supporter of women but I've never seen myself as a feminist" - Nash says it was gender that drove her to nominate for deputy. "I thought, If I don't put my hand up, what does that say to the women who we are trying to encourage to have a career in politics?" she says in an interview in her ministerial office. "I thought I should lead by example and show you can get involved in things and be successful." Nash, 50, is still bruised over the Furnival affair, and believes the coverage at the time was unfair, but says it made her a tougher operator.

"Adversity teaches you a lot of things," she says. "It makes you wiser and sharpens your decision-making." Born and raised in Sydney's Sutherland shire, Nash studied at Bathurst before moving to with her husband to Young, where they run a sheep and crop farm. "I ride horses, I drive tractors," she says. "I spend my life at home in my dirty jeans and boots and work shirts." Frustrated at the disparity between the cities and the bush, she became involved with the Nats as a young mother (Nash's two sons are now in their early 20s.) After stints as a Nationals staffer, she entered the Senate in 2005. At one stage, Nash was the only woman in the Nationals party room; now she is one among three. While the party can still be a bit "blokey", she says most of her colleagues treat her as a politician first and woman second.

Nationals Senator John Williams describes Nash is a "real lady" compared to the "rough around the edges" Joyce. "But she is strong - if she takes on an issue you had better be prepared," he says. "She is very staunch about making sure regional Australia is not forgotten." McCormack describes her as "really determined", a "little dynamo" on the campaign trail and "quite a bombshell". Colleagues praise her for her bringing attention to the ice epidemic and her successful campaign to force the Gillard government to reverse changes that would have made it harder for regional university students to get financial support. They also remember that, after being quickly promoted to the frontbench, Nash was sacked from the shadow ministry in 2008 when she crossed the floor to vote against tax breaks for carbon sinks. It's a sign of her willingness to take on the Liberal Party over policy.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has sacked Stuart Robert from his frontbench for breaching ministerial rules during a trip to China.

In making the announcement on Friday, Mr Turnbull revealed Mr Robert had an indirect financial stake in the company he helped in Beijing.

The Human Services Minister has been under fire since Monday, when details of his secretive off-the-books August 2014 trip first emerged.
Ranbir Kapoor was spotted on the films set last night, shooting for 'Jagga Jasoos' without his co-star Katrina.

Mumbai: The shooting of Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif starrer Jagga Jasoos has been going on for quite some time now. After Ranbir moved out of the apartment that he shared with Katrina, the two ex-lovers shot for Jagga Jasoos for few days before taking yet another break again.

Now after a small break, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has resumed shooting for his upcoming film Jagga Jasoos without Katrina Kaif. Reportedly, Ranbir had flown off to Austria with Arjun Kapoor to get a special injection to get rid of his smoking habit.

As soon as the actor returned back, he started with his films shoot. Ranbir Kapoor was spotted on the films set last night, shooting for 'Jagga Jasoos' without his co-star Katrina.

Ranbir Kapoor was snapped last night on the sets of 'Jagga Jasoos'. The actor's official fan page posted the picture online.

It was earlier reported that Ranbir and Katrina were to fly off to Morocco to kick start their films next schedule. However, recently at an event, Sidharth Malhotra revealed that hell start shooting for Baar Baar Dekho with Katrina Kaif from February 14. Now we wonder what happened to Jagga Jasoos Morocco scheduled shoot?

While talking to Deccan Chronicle, Katrina said, "We will hopefully make a release date soon and we have around 40-50 days left. We fly to Morocco soon but first we have a Mumbai schedule."
The Turnbull government is considering a proposal to sell Australian Hearing to a deaf children's charity, an international hearing aid manufacturer and a university.

The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children are leading a consortium aiming to buy the government's hearing services provider. Australian Hearing diagnoses and provides hearing aids to children, older and indigenous Australians and veterans.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the government has yet to decide whether to privatise Australian Hearing. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Chris Rehn, the Institute's chief executive officer, said that if successful, they planned to extend Australian Hearing's services to include cochlear implants for the severely deaf, therapy, education, and rehabilitation services.

"We have an opportunity to continue to improve services and minimise the significant health and social impacts for all Australians with hearing loss, by working together with, and building upon, the significant achievements of Australian Hearing," he said.
Malcolm Turnbull had no option but to sack Stuart Robert for breaching ministerial standards, even though the advice from his department head suggested there were some grounds for leniency.

Martin Parkinson concluded that Robert had "acted inconsistently" with the code of ministerial conduct, but accepted the breach was unintended, did not involve Robert receiving financial benefit and did not directly relate to his ministerial duties.

That was the narrow, clinical judgment from a senior public servant. The political judgment was whether Robert's transgression was a sackable offence - and Turnbull confronted a mountain of evidence this week that it was.
A Brisbane hospital is refusing to discharge an asylum seeker toddler who has been recovering from burns, in a bid to prevent the Turnbull government from returning her to immigration detention at Nauru.

In a statement, a spokesperson from Lady Cilento Children's Hospital said it was treating a 12-month-old girl from Nauru who "will only be discharged once a suitable home environment is identified", as was the case with every child who presented at the hospital.

"All decisions relating to a patient's treatment and discharge are made by qualified clinical staff, based on a thorough assessment of the individual patient's clinical condition and circumstances, and with the goal of delivering the best outcome," the spokesperson said.

Getup human rights director Shen Narayanasamy said the child's mother "feels safer now that the doctors are trying to protect her child from the clearly abusive conditions Asha [a pseudonym] faces upon return to detention".
Imagine you could download the entire Game of Thrones series in high-definition in a fraction of a second.

That dream is one step closer to reality after British researchers simulated download speeds 50,000 times faster than 'superfast' 24 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband, breaking a world record.

Game of Thrones broke records for illicit downloads.

The University College London team achieved speeds of 1.125 terabits per second (Tbps), the highest throughput ever recorded using a single receiver.

To put that in perspective, the National Broadband Network is promising to deliver download speeds of 25Mbps to all Australians by 2020. One terabit is a million megabits, making the speeds in the study 45,000 times faster than the NBN target speed.
When two reptilian heads poked out of an egg from a clutch of 10, Wodonga snake breeder John McNamara thought he had twins.

Upon splitting the leathery shell last Saturday what he found was something spectacular, The Border Mail reports.

The rare snake shocked its breeders. Credit:Mark Jesser

From the tail up he could see a normal baby coastal carpet python, but things started to get freaky from the neck up as two heads peeled off the scaly body like a hydra from Greek mythology.
The West Australian opposition says it will immediately seek to replace embattled Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan if it wins next year's state election.

Mr O'Callaghan on Thursday announced significant changes to WA's heavily criticised policing model, conceding it had not worked as well as he had hoped since its introduction in late 2014.

Opposition police spokeswoman Michelle Roberts, who has blamed the new model for a marked increase in crime, welcomed the changes and issued a clear warning to the commissioner.

"If Labor won the election, we would start a process immediately of selecting the next commissioner of police to have a smooth handover," Ms Roberts told reporters.
A protest group says a proposed Point Peron marina being used as the justification for a canal housing estate will not be built - because it would be too expensive and require five times the dredging that Elizabeth Quay did.

The Hands off Point Peron group has obtained information it says proves the proposed Mangles Bay Marina could cost as much as $1 billion to dredge.

Opponents say the proposed marina will be impossible to pay for.

The marina is the justification for a proposal to build a canal housing estate on surrounding land, which scientists and the community say is environmentally significant.

The dredging would be five times the size of the $440 million excavation undertaken for Elizabeth Quay, they say, and would cost far more, having to be done underwater.
Mumbai: After mesmerizing audiences with Jai Gangaajals first power-packed trailer, Priyanka Chopra is here to keep you on the edge of your seat with films new action trailer.

In the new trailer, we see Priyanka Chopra landing some punches and delivering some bad*ss dialogues. The trailer gives us a glimpse of all the juicy action and drama that the film beholds.

From girl-next-door to a corporate woman to a boxer, we've seen Priyanka Chopra take on various roles, and loved her in them too. After pulling off the role of Kashibai in 'Bajirao Mastani' flawlessly, the actress is back as a police office in Prakash Jha's 'Jai Gangaajal'.

Watch the trailer below:
West Australian Treasurer Mike Nahan will not contest the deputy leadership of the state Liberal party, paving the way for Police Minister Liza Harvey who is likely to be voted in unopposed.

Dr Nahan said on Friday that he considered his position during a two-week holiday but decided he had enough work to do as treasurer and energy minister.

Mike Nahan has decided he's busy enough already. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"I've talked with a large number of [my colleagues], some of them asked me to put my hand up," he told reporters.

"I decided, you know, I have a pretty busy schedule already.
Budapest: A move to triple the number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe will aggravate an already paranoid Russia and, according to experts, raise the risk of accidental war.

The dramatic escalation of a military build-up on Russia's borders, first aired in June, and confirmed on Thursday beefs up the current Response Force of 13,000 troops to 40,000 and allows for the creation of six mini-headquarters in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Soldiers take positions with their army vehicles during the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan, Poland, in 2015. Poland said on Wednesday it welcomes a US plan to quadruple military spending in Europe. Credit:AP

Poland said on Wednesday it welcomed a US plan to quadruple its military spending in Europe while Britain is also reportedly sending five Royal Navy warships to help the NATO effort.

The move is designed to reassure small Eastern European members in the face of Russia's increased involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, which Russia denies, and Moscow's upgrading of its military and nuclear capability.
Havana: Pope Francis arrived in Havana on Friday to meet the head of the Russian Orthodox Church nearly 1000 years after Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome, marking the first encounter in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch.

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, will address the millennium-long rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, left, and Pope Francis greet each other at the Jose Marti airport in Havana, Cuba, on Friday. Credit:Adalberto Roque

Cuban President Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the church's highest representative in Cuba, greeted the pope as he got off the plane, minutes before Francis met Patriarch Kirill.

Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks when they met inside the terminal. They then sat down for a chat with aides on either side.
Rating:

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu

Kashmir wrapped around in a blanket of snow makes for a gorgeous Gothic setting for Fitoor to unravel. As the camera gently strokes the exquisite emptiness typical of snow covered landscapes, we have already entered Noor's world who's a boy of about 10 or 12 at the time, in the middle of a strange encounter with a fierce looking man. Abhishek Kapoor jumps straight into the story which, as we are told, is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations. The novel, on one level, is a story of love seen through different prisms --- longing, heartbreak, revenge and even through a state of being bereft of emotion altogether. For those familiar with Dickens's prose, Fitoor's major undoing lies in the way the images on screen constantly clash with the images in our minds. Dickens's Pip, Estella and Miss Havisham have colonialised our imaginations for far too long for us to swallow even the slightest departure from text. But departures can be delicious under the hands of a master storyteller --- think Haider, Vishal Bhardwaj's onscreen translation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which was also set in the backdrop of Kashmir. Sadly, Fitoor's beauty fails to transcend the borders of its landscape. Those familiar with the story would find it hard to stomach what they see on screen, and for the others, I'd imagine, there'd be many abrupt and unexplained ellipses in the narrative.

Granted, the novel has a colourless hero as its central protagonist and we are supposed to view his world through his eyes, through the colourful characters that thrust themselves into his life. Kapoor entrusts his Noor with a larger responsibility, in that he's meant to be a lot more than Pip's quiet, contemplative observer. But actor Aditya Roy Kapoor is not the man for the job. His chiseled physique, that gets ample display in the film (swoon away ladies) makes him more convincing as a model than as the artist he plays in the film. His vacant stares, his meltdowns, his lofty prose, all remain skin deep. On the other end of the spectrum is Firdaus, played by Katrina Kaif who, as one would imagine, would have the bearings to play the cold Estella, the girl who was raised by Miss Havisham to be a heart breaker. But Kaif only manages to be lifeless, not cold. Tears roll down their cheeks now and again, and when Dickens, in this very novel wrote, "Heaven knows, we need never be ashamed of our tears", presumably he wasn't talking about actors. Katrina and Aditya look like a million bucks in every frame, even as they appear to be dragging their feet through the roles. You neither feel their "pain of parting" nor take delight in their "joy of meeting".

And that leaves Tabu with the job of lifting the story that is already sagging under the weight of our great expectations. Hazrat Begum is not even half as sinister or macabre as Miss Havisham. Time has not stopped dead in its tracks in the Gothic mansion she has locked herself in. In fact, she seems to move around quite a bit and has a connection with the outside world. Noor's first meeting with the Begum is hardly Pip's chilling encounter with the wheelchair bound Miss Havisham. Even when she asks Noor to hum a tune because she hasn't cried in a long time, the moment only seems odd, not ominous. The piles of dried chinar leaves outside the mansion add more warmth to the frames than emptiness. There is no feeling of gloomy exile which is so inherent to Havisham's character. Begum's relation with her adopted daughter Firdaus remains peripheral and might seem even more abrupt to those who have not read the book. Towards the end, when Begum does indeed become a collapsing ruin, a la Havisham, it is more melodramatic than gut wrenching. It's tough to watch how even an actress of Tabu's calibre cannot defeat the sloppy writing and loose screenplay. The Urdu embellishments remain a misfit through and through.

As we follow the rise and fall in Noor's career, the story swings between Kashmir and Delhi with a little bit of London and also some Pakistan sprinkled in. In one of the most abrupt moments in the film, our dreamy eyed artist Noor has his three seconds of rebellion when he screams "Kashmir mangoge toh cheer denge" to Firdaus's Pakistani fiance Bilal, played by Rahul Bhat. And we see Pip becoming Devdas for a while. Unlike the novel, which is also about the discrepancies in social hierarchy, Fitoor is more about the romance. No harm in that provided one has the actors to pull off the emotional intensity of complex characters. On that account Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation seems more unconvincing than the synthetic snowfall in the film's climax.

What shines through the 130 minutes is Anay Goswami's painterly cinematography and Amit Trivedi's velvety soundtrack. Fitoor doesn't lack pace, it lacks the finesse and the depth. And we are left with not much to do except marvel at the white beauty of Kashmir, while the real Pip, Estella and Miss Havisham remain buried under that thick blanket of snow, perhaps occasionally stirring in their graves.
What is the Zika virus, and why should Australia worry about it?



Caracas: Venezuela has announced the first Zika-related deaths in the South American country.

President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that at least three people have died in Venezuela due to complications related to the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The Aedes aegyptii mosquito, vector for the Zika virus. Credit:AP

He added that 68 people have been hospitalised with complications confirmed to be related to the virus.

Maduro did not say what the complications were or how the deaths had been confirmed to be Zika-related.
Rating:

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Rahul Bhat, Aditi Rao Hydari, Akshay Oberoi, Ajay Devgn, Lara Dutta, Talat Aziz, Mohammed Abrar, Tunisha Sharma

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Writer-director Abhishek Kapoor has made four films. The first (Aryan: Unbreakable starring Sohail Khans jiggly man b***s), I hope, even hed like to forget; Rock On! which really is, despite the inexplicable hysteria in and around it, a middling film about middle-aged men worrying about their, well, h*** on; the third (Kai Po Che), a fabulous film with some extraordinary acting, direction and daring politics; and now his fourth, Fitoor, a grand and beauteous dud.

The fact that Fitoor  which is more like the wreckage of the epic novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens than an interpretation of it  comes on Valentines weekend makes it even more annoying and depressing. Young, cute, lovey-dovey couples, many on their first ever Valentines Day date, clasping sweaty hands and walking in as twins conjoined at the shoulder, will be left listless and low after spending over two hours with it. Most will try to find solace in the fact that though the films love story is rather soulless, the film is very beautiful.

The credit for that goes to the films best acting talent  Kashmir. This two-colour palette jannat  white and orange  hasnt looked more heartbreakingly exquisite. Fitoors Kashmir, with its disturbing and delicate tranquility, is surreal.

Abhishek Kapoor probably wanted to retell Great Expectations as a love story in a dreamy and haunting setting. He gets the location right, but little else. His great Fitoor falls short of even very small expectations.

The great expectations alluded to in the title of the novel was money, a windfall. The title of Kapoors film is fitoor  passion, obsession. Pyaar ka. So, some changes were inevitable.

For starters, Fitoor draws its story not from the sweeping epic, but a rather bare-bones, tacky synopsis of it. Plot and characters are not so much abridged as reduced and weakened. Apart from the fact that several themes  moral, social and psychological  and supporting characters have been knocked out, the complex main characters have been shrunk to stock fairytale archetypes.

Like the novel, the films story is narrated by its protagonist, Noor Nizami (Aditya Roy Kapur), beginning with what happened 15 years ago, in Kashmir.

An escaped jihadi ambushed little Noor (Mohammed Abrar) rather violently, demanding food and a safe home. A scary apparition, he returns later to add nothing to the character of Noor or the story.

Noor has a brother and sister, whose role is confined to informing us that hes an artist with potential and to escort him to Anjuman, Begum Hazrats majestic house.

Noor falls in love with young Firdaus (Tunisha Sharma) the moment he sets eyes on her and then on his task is to hanker for her. The object of his desire is imprisoned by her class and circumstances to say or feel anything, and the evil witch, Begum Hazrat (Tabu), is devoted to inflicting hurt and keeping the two lovers apart. Firdaus is soon sent off, while Noor grows up and gets, through a mysterious benefactor, an art residency in Delhi.

This trip is made so that Aditya Roy Kapur can take off his shirt and impress us. But we are more impressed with how eccentric the film suddenly gets.

Arty-farty, high-class Delhi, complete with languid, partied-out queer men and women with the essential appendages of listless expats is very interesting.

What we are not impressed with is the art gallery gal, Leena (Lara Dutta). But thanks to her, Noor begins to make waves and he spots Firdaus. She is to marry a Pakistani minister saabs son, Bilal (Rahul Bhat).

Bhat is excellent and has the films second best dialogue. The films first ticklish dialogue is delivered by a white boy who is, as Snoop Doggs euphemism goes, flying the friendly skies. This triangle  Noor-Firdaus-Bilal  leads to just one interesting scene and much hankering on our part to be told the story properly. Its not. We are expected to add our own two bits to try and make sense of the characters, their actions and motivations. Soon theres a trip to London before returning to Kashmir.

There is some attempt in the film at political comment, perhaps to justify the setting. But after the last Bollywood outing in Kashmir (Haider), this one is really limp. A scene is shot through soldiers on the streets of Kashmir, a bomb goes off, a strange comment is made  we are all free, and Noor the artist melds grenades and twists some barbed wire as part of his art installation. Less pacifist, more pointless.

Mystical Kashmir, Anay Goswamys soaring, sweeping camerawork and the heft of Dickens great novel give Abhishek Kapoors Fitoor pretensions of being grand and epic. But Fitoor is like an imposing seductive canvas  stunning and scenic with all-white frosting, snowflake showers, ablaze with chinaar ka lal  that is peopled with half-baked, wispy characters.

The films script and screenplay are thin on conceiving the characters and conveying their motives. As a result what we get are meagre leftovers of the original characters acting out their defining emotion episodically.

Scenes  like the one where the young Firdaus looks at little Noors shoes and makes him aware of his coarse, ugly poverty, or when Begum Hazrat draws manic, devilish circles around little Noor, corralling him in her game of love  grab our attention, but do little to create full-bodied characters or tell us their story.

Though the films art director and costume designers give it a fairytale look and mood  lush and mysterious  the characters dwell in these settings as inane entities. Theres so much spectacle, not enough drama. Worse, the films lead pair cant really act.

Aditya Roy Kapur does the stunned-with-anguish, eyes-glazing-with-heartache looks very well. But when he has to proceed into action, as actors usually have to in motion pictures, he is like a crazed bull going all over the place. I find him compelling in small, impassioned supporting roles. As a male lead he loses my attention and interest all too soon.

Katrina Kaif is pretty, no doubt. When a hank of her red hair  which, according to gossip, may have cost Rs 55 lakh to colour  floats on her pretty, airbrushed and botoxed visage, we know that she can be the object of the passion and obsession of the films title. But Miss Kaif is just so incredibly inadequate and inept an actress that she makes me, inadvertently, slap my own forehead in frustration. And here, on top of all that incompetence, shes looking plastic.

Kaifs dresses, courtesy Anaita Shroff Adajania, are the sort that fill the centre-spreads of fashion magazines. We get the whole gamut  work look, evening party look, ultra glamorous look for the red carpet. If only her acting skills were worth even 1/100th of the amount spent on these ensembles.

Tabu, as usual, tries to act. She tries to give Begum Hazrats character the story book depth, menace and mystery it deserves. But because there is little help from the script, it feels like shes amplifying a wispy character with her histrionics. And later, when she is explained, when we get to know why she is so heartless and forever playing puppeteer, its too late. We do, however, enjoy Aditi Rao Hydaris teary wailing. Tabu and Aditi together have more spunk than the entire cast and Abhishek Kapoors sulking love story put together.
Experts say that milk teeth that fall at home are of no use as the cells in the pulp and teeth die son. Hence the removal of milk teeth has to be planned. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Stem cells from the pulp of milk teeth and also wisdom teeth are being increasingly stored as these cells can be used to treat muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimers, Parkinsons and also cancers other than blood cancer.

Families that have a history of genetic diseases or those who have seen their grandparents suffer from diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons are approaching genetic experts for recommendations.

With stem cell therapy being the new age treatment modality, experts are advising people to save their stem cells for future. As there was not much awareness earlier for saving and storing of umbilical cord cells, many are now looking at options like milk teeth and wisdom teeth.

Dr K. Satyendra Kumar, prosthodontist, chief dental wing of Yashoda Hospitals said, There is awareness among a section of patients who are opting for preserving stem cells. The families come for counseling and are told that the milk teeth will be removed before it begins to fall as the dental pulp is required. The stem cells are in the dental pulp. It has to be taken out at the right time before the permanent teeth replaces it. The teeth and pulp have to be immediately stored hence they are taken in a refrigeration box and put in the storage bank.

Experts say that milk teeth that fall at home are of no use as the cells in the pulp and teeth die son. Hence the removal of milk teeth has to be planned.

Dr Dilip Kumar, senior musculoskeletal expert said, A proper examination is carried out and the best pulp of the milk teeth is extracted. In case the milk teeth are missed out, there is also a chance to store stem cells while removing wisdom tooth. But the only hitch is that the tooth must not be infected, broken or damaged. If it is intact and healthy then the stem cells from the pulp of this tooth are also good for storing.

Many people get their wisdom tooth removed when they are around 20 years old and doctors are counseling them to opt for saving them if there is a family history of diseases.

Senior musculofascial surgeon Dr G. Srinivas Rao said, The stem cells stored of one child can also be helpful for the siblings in case they suffer from diseases like muscular dystrophy. If the family comes when the child is aged between four and seven years then the treatment outcomes have been positive. For storing and using ones own stem cells, no permissions are required from the Drug Controller General of India. It is only when cultured stem cells from laboratories are used that the permissions are required, said scientist Dr K. Bhusbhan.

Storage for teeth gets bite

Over 50 dental centers in the city have carried out 100 cases of preservation of milk teeth and 50 cases of wisdom teeth in the last year.

Experts say that a great advantage is the presence of a storage bank in Hyderabad. The procedure of removal of the pulp and teeth, along with storage costs for 30 years, ranges from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Earlier, however, the costs were as high as Rs 4 lakhs as the samples had to be taken to Mumbai and New Delhi.

Senior dentist Dr Amit Kumar said, With a bank in the city, there is confidence among patients who know that when they require, the cells will be easily available. This has brought about a major shift and has increased patronage from people.

But there is a need for creating more awareness as stem cell therapy is the future form of treatment. Experts state that case studies of treatment outcomes have shown positive results in 99 per cent of the cases. A senior genetic expert said, The failure can be attributed to various factors like improper methods of preservation and even removal of the cells. Inability of the cells to multiply is attributed to the bad quality of the cells. But this has been documented in very rare cases.
New Delhi: Four suspected ISIS operatives, arrested from different parts of the country for allegedly recruiting and financing people to join the terror outfit, were sent to NIA's custody till February 17 by a Delhi court on Friday.

The four arrested accused -- Mohammed Nafees Khan, Najmul Huda, Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh and Muhammed Abdul Ahad  were produced before the court where the NIA sought extension of their custody for seven more days alleging they were involved in the conspiracy along with their ISIS handlers.

According to the sources, during in-camera proceedings, National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that incriminating materials and US dollars, Saudi Riyals and Indian currency were recovered from the residential premises of Nafees.

Sources said that regarding Mudabbir, the NIA alleged that Rs 1,95,000 was recovered from his possession and during the interrogation, he disclosed that he had received Rs five lakh from a foreign-based source.

"He (Mudabbir) has utilised the remaining amount to enhance ISIS activities in India. In this regard, verification is required to be conducted in his presence," NIA said in its remand application filed before District Judge Amar Nath.

"NIA has recovered voluminous incriminating electronic records from the mobile/laptops of the accused persons. It is essential to cross-check the version of accused in respect of incriminating electronic records recovered.

"They have disclosed many facts about their involvement in the instant case about recruiting and financing persons. The verification of the facts is under process," it said.

Regarding electronic articles allegedly seized from the accused and their family members, the NIA said that they have been sent for forensic examination and they were analysing the mirror image of digital contents received by them.

Advocate M S Khan, who appeared for some of the accused, opposed the NIA's plea saying his clients have already been interrogated at length by the agency.

The court, after hearing the submissions, remanded these four accused to five days NIA's custody.

Besides them, seven other arrested accused were produced before the court after expiry of their NIA's custody and the agency requested the court to sent them to judicial custody as the probe in the case was going on. The court remanded them to judicial custody.

While seeking extension of custodial interrogation of the four accused, the NIA told the court that some of the suspects and witnesses were yet to be examined and confronted face-to-face with these accused.

It also placed before the court in a sealed cover the list of suspects and witnesses who are likely to be examined in the presence of these four accused.

NIA claimed that during the custodial interrogation, the accused have disclosed many facts about their involvement in the case and on recruiting and financing those willing to join the "Caliphate of ISIS" in Syria.

It said these accused had extensively used internet and social networking sites to identify, facilitate recruitment, training and promote the activities and ideology of the Middle East based terror outfit.

The seven accused who were sent to judicial custody are -- Mohd Aleem, Mohd Obaidullah Khan, Asif Ali, Suhail Ahmed, Mohd Shareef Moinuddin Khan, Syed Mujahid and Mohd Hussain Khan.

Four other co-accused -- Mohd Afzal, Imran, Abu Anas and Nasser Packeer -- were earlier sent to judicial custody.

The NIA had earlier informed the court that the accused were arrested for allegedly planning to carry out attacks ahead of the Republic Day. They were arrested under several sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC.

A case was registered by NIA on December 9, 2015 against unknown and unidentified persons involved in the activities of ISIS in India and Asian Powers in Peace with India.
Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the prime accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, continued his deposition on Friday for the fourth day before a court via video-conferencing.

Making fresh disclosures before the special court, Headley said that Lashkar-e-Taiba was unhappy for no including Mumbai airport as one of the targets in 26/11 terror attacks.

"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," Headley said.

Revealing the sequence of events and planning behind the 26/11 terror attacks, Headley said he visited Gateway of India, Cuffe Parade and Worli to select the landing site for attackers and later finalised Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade.

Cuff Parade was selected as a landing site because the area is covered with shanties and hutments from the main road, and hence he thought it would give tactical advantage to the terrorists, said Headley.

"In May 2008, I visited US. I could not meet Tahawwur Rana (Headley's business partner), but I spoke with him on the phone. I said that I had gone to India and selected landing site," he said.

Headley said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman wanted to finalise Gateway of India as the landing site for the 10 terrorists as it was very close to the Taj hotel.

"I, however, said it was not a good idea as the attackers would be required to go through Gateway of India by crossing naval installation and they could be detected. Zaki Sahab and others agreed to my suggestion," he said.

"When Zaki Sahab saw the targets I had selected, he said this was very important and has to be done properly. Zaki Sahab said surveillance for the attacks should be done properly. He said this would give a chance to take revenge for all the bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan. Zaki Sahab wished me good luck," he said.

Headley told the court that he also visited Siddhivinayak temple and had purchased red and yellow sacred threads as a cover for the 10 attackers so that people would think they were Hindus.

"Nobody asked me to do so. I saw a man selling it outside the temple, so the thought occurred to me. After I returned to Pakistan, I gave those wrist bands to Sajid Mir and explained to him that practising Hindus in India wear this and hence, it would be a good idea if the ten gentlemen (attackers) also wear it as it would look like they are Hindus," he said.

"I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the ten attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only," he added.

He told the court that the idea to divide the ten terrorists in different groups was also discussed in one of the meetings in Pakistan.

In further disclosures, 55-year-old Headley said that after he had recced Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

Headley also said that during his last visit, he had purchased five books from a shop at the Taj Hotel.

"During the same visit I also visited the Nalanda book shop inside Taj Hotel where I purchased five books. One of the books was 'Indian Army Vision 2020'. I was interested to know the progress of the Indian Army in the future," he said.

When Judge G A Sanap asked Headley why he had purchased the other four books, he said, "The other books were pictorial and beautiful, hence I purchased them. There is nothing sinister about those books. The first book was sinister."

Headley said that Chabad House was selected by LeT as a target as it was an international location where Jewish and Israeli people were staying.

Lakhvi emphasised that surveillance for 26/11 attacks should be done properly as this was a chance to take revenge for all bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan, Headley told the court.

Giving details of other possible targets, Headley said ISI wanted him to recruit someone from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to get classified information.

"I visited and videographed BARC at Mumbai's Trombay in July 2008 and had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal in Pakistan, said Headley.

Headley told the court that he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that LeT would be interested in future to either attack Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head.

On Thursday, Headley had said that ISI was helping different terror outfits in Pakistan and was providing financial, military and moral support. His India trips were also sponsored by ISI to conduct reconnaissance of possible targets.

The LeT operative also said that RBI has turned down a request to open a bank account for their office in India.

Headley told the court that LeT had planned attacks on the famous Akshardham Temple to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition.

Headley is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks, in which 166 people were killed.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 11, 2016 | 04:46 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The president of Baptist Health Paducah has assured employees that surgical instruments are sterile and protocols at the hospital are being followed.

West Kentucky Star checked on a rumor last week that inspectors were at the hospital, and got a response saying that the safety of staff, patients and visitors is a priority. They said that policies and procedures are in place to ensure safety, and that they also don't tolerate threatening language or behavior.

The statement did not address specific questions about inspections.

Our inquiry came after Dr. Ted Jefferson's claims that his angry outburst on Jan. 26 was due to surgical instruments being unsuitable for use. According to a police report, Jefferson reportedly told surgical employees and administrators that he was considering bringing an assault rifle to the hospital, and was later suspended.

In a letter emailed to employees this week, Baptist Health President William A. Brown referred to the Jefferson incident, repeating that any threats would continue to be taken seriously. Brown said proper protocols were followed in dealing with the doctor, and "patient safety was not affected." He said that was confirmed by a visit last week from the Office of the Inspector General's Division of Health Care, who notified the hospital that Dr. Jefferson's complaint was unsubstantiated. The letter also mentioned media coverage the incident has received, and that it is now in the hands of the court system.

Brown's letter stated that the hospital won't comment on legal matters, and thanked employees for remaining focused on providing healthcare to the community.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 12, 2016 | 01:49 AM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

A Metropolis man was jailed Thursday and charged in a Paducah burglary.

McCracken County Sheriff's deputies received a report of a burglary in progress in the 6300 block of Schneidman Road. The caller stated the suspect was wearing a hoodie and gloves, and had forced entry into the rear door of the home.

Deputies set up a perimeter around the home, and observed 30-year-old Ben Croley of Metropolis walking away from the rear of the home. Croley ran toward railroad tracks near Schneidman Road, but was taken into custody.

A bag of items taken from the home was found, containing food, drinks and video games. Croley ultimately admitted to entering the home and taking numerous items. Croley was also found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Croley was lodged and charged with burglary, possession of marijuana , possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of burglary tools, fleeing or evading police, and failure to notify DOT of address change.

Croley was currently out on parole for unrelated charges.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Feb. 12, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 12, 2016 | 01:27 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Two Paducah men face drug charges after deputies executed a search warrant at a McCracken County home.



Detectives with the McCracken County Sheriffs Department executed a search warrant Wednesday afternoon at a home on Cedar Avenue in Paducah, after receiving several tips that 38-year-old Kenyata Beasley was selling marijuana at the home. While deputies were searching the home, 42-year-old Larry Morrison came to the door. Morrison reportedly had synthetic marijuana in his hand and methamphetamine and money deputies said they believe to be proceeds from illegal drug sales. Detectives said that during a search of Morrisons vehicle, they found a loaded handgun, digital scales and plastic baggies.



Deputies said they found marijuana, digital scales and drug paraphernalia during a search of the home.



Beasley was arrested for trafficking marijuana under 8 ounces 1st offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. Morrison was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of handgun by convicted felon, possession of synthetic drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.



Both suspects were booked into the McCracken County Jail.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 12, 2016 | 12:14 PM | CADIZ, KY

Murder suspect Ryan Champion has been granted a change of venue for his upcoming trial.

Trigg Circuit Judge Woody Woodall ruled Friday that the trial will be moved to Livingston County. WKDZ reports that defense attorney Joanne Lynch argued the amount of pre-trial coverage in the case would prevent a fair trial in Trigg County.

Woodall denied a motion by the defense to hold an evidentiary hearing to argue against holding the trial in any of the 56th Circuit counties of Caldwell, Lyon, Livingston or Trigg. Woodall did say that if evidence is presented that merits another change of venue, he would address that at a later date.

Woodall reportedly did not rule on a change of venue request for Ann Plotkin, whose trial is scheduled for February 2017. Champion and Plotkin both face complicity to murder charges in the 2014 deaths of Champion's parents and sister, Lindsey, Joy and Emily Champion.

Ryan Champion faces an additional murder charge for the death of Vito Riservato and a complicity to kidnapping charge.

On the Net:
Bihar BJP vice president Visheshwar Ojha was taken to Shahpur referral hospital where he died during treatment, (Photo: Twitter)

Patna: The grand secular alliance government is likely to face some fresh attacks from the Opposition BJP after their two senior district-level leaders were killed on Friday.

Visheswar Ojha, a vice-president of the party, was killed in Bhojpur district while returning from a marriage ceremony. Mr Ojha had contested elections last year and is also facing several cases against him.

A BJP worker, Kedarnath Singh, was shot dead in Taraiyya area of Saran district, on Thursday night. The BJP is threatening to launch campaign against the state government reiterated that jungle raj has returned in Bihar.
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley on Friday said al-Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to recce National Defence College in Delhi as it was a primary target for the outfit and that he had also videographed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and was asked to recruit someone from there to work with ISI.

Headley, who has been testifying before a special court here in the 26/11 case via video-link from the US since Monday, also revealed that the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and naval station.

Also read:LeT planned to target Sena Bhawan, Bal Thackeray: David Headley

He also claimed that he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought LeT would be interested to either attack the Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head.

Headley also said that he never visited the control room in Karachi from where instructions were given to the ten attackers during the 26/11 terror strikes, in which 166 people were killed and 309 injured.

He identified a photograph of Ajmal Kasab, one of the ten perpetrators of the attack who was caught alive, when it was shown to him.

Headley told the court here that his handlers in the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air-station during the 26/11 terror attack.

Also read: LeT was unhappy about not including Mumbai airport in target list: Headley

"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," said the 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the case.

Headley said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

"I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI," he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

In further disclosures, he said that after he had recced Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

He told the court that al-qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to go to India again as they were also interested in carrying out terror activities in India.

"Ilyas Kashmiri asked me to recce National Defence College in Delhi as it was a primary target for al-Qaeda," he said.

Headley revealed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, prior to the 26/11 attacks, he had surveyed and videographed the Chabad House in south Mumbai.

"I don't know who was staying there. Sajid Mir and Pasha asked me to survey this place and said that it was an international location as it had Jewish and Israeli people," he said.

Headley said he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack.

"I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the ten attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only," Headley said.

He said that he tried to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba might be interested to either attack Sena Bhawan or "assassinate its head", a reference to Bal Thackeray.

Headley also said that during his last visit, he had purchased five books from a shop at the Taj Hotel.

"During the same visit I also visited the Nalanda book shop inside Taj Hotel where I purchased five books. One of the books was 'Indian Army Vision 2020'. I was interested to know the progress of the Indian Army in the future," he said.

When Judge G A Sanap asked Headley why he had purchased the other four books, he said, "The other books were pictorial and beautiful, hence I purchased them. There is nothing sinister about those books. The first book was sinister."

Headley told the court that he had finalised Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade as a landing site for the ten attackers, as the area is covered with shanties and hutments from the main road, and hence he thought it would give tactical advantage to the terrorists.

"In May 2008, I visited US. I could not meet Tahawwur Rana (Headley's business partner), but I spoke with him on the phone. I said that I had gone to India and selected landing site," he said.

Headley said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman wanted to finalise Gateway of India as the landing site for the 10 terrorists as it was very close to the Taj hotel.

"I, however, said it was not a good idea as the attackers would be required to go through Gateway of India by crossing naval installation and they could be detected. Zaki Sahab ( LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman ) and others agreed to my suggestion," he said.

"When Zaki Sahab saw the targets I had selected, he said this was very important and has to be done properly. Zaki Sahab said surveillance for the attacks should be done properly. He said this would give a chance to take revenge for all the bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan. Zaki Sahab wished me good luck," he said.

He told the court that the idea to divide the ten terrorists in different groups was also discussed in one of the meetings in Pakistan.

He also told the court that he had informed his first wife Shazia about the 26/11 attack.

"On November 28, 2008, Shazia sent me an e-mail congratulating me for the 26/11 attack," he said.

Headley is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Tasting Notes 2012 Loveblock Pinot Noir Central Otago

About Loveblock Wines

Loveblocks Pinot Noir vineyard in Central Otago is SWNZ accredited.

Central Otago Vineyard Info

Note: My next series of wine reviews and posts will be about some of the many different wine regions and wines which influence my impressions of the world of wine. It is important to understand the context of wine and the many expressions of terroir, aroma and flavor. There is a world of wine to experience.

There is a reason I became of fan of New Zealand wine. New Zealand Pinot Noir turned my head and grabbed my attention by its aspects of quality. Namely, the captivating complexity of aroma, flavor and unique expression of terroir. Yes, I have a soft spot for New Zealand Pinot Noir.In 2012 I started a New Zealand wine blog with Julie Crompe. We call itwhich reflects our passion for New Zealand wine and a mutual desire (daydream) to travel New Zealand. Sadly, we don't receive many bottles of New Zealand wine to keep the blog very active.Until today!This time of year is associated with love and romance. What better way to celebrate the occasion than with a delicious bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir? Impressive at open and even better as it breathed, it was a sincere pleasure to review this lovely New Zealand wine fromAbove the snow capped mountains of Central Otago, on the Bendigo Loop Road, lies a small Pinot Noir vineyard named "Someone's Darling." Loveblock farms and grows these grapes in accordance with Organic Certification standards, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand principles and low chemical intervention.From the attractive label, to the extraordinary aromas and delicious wine in glass, the Lovebock 2012 Pinot Noir is a fine example of New Zealand Pinot Noir.: Ruby core, clear.: Broad earthy red fruit, dusty, perfumed, sour core.: Ripe raspberry, yum, surprisingly luscious at first taste, dark fruit around periphery of palate, leafy note, with subtle fruit tar and pleasant acidity into the moderate finish. Impressive opening. Big like.: Added depth to the nose, perfumed red fruit, touch of orange blossom, hint of spice. Livelier palate, bright spike mid-palate, tart cherry, earthy raspberry, focused to middle, dark fruit tar, mushroom and strawberry into the medium finish. Well done.: Inviting earthy nose with touch of sourness and perfume. Tart fruit, dark strawberry, raspberry, fine tannin expressed on medium finish. More inclined to food at this point with the tannin.: Toasty loveliness on the nose, fruit preserve included, with lovers breath and perfume, even a whiff of fresh brewed coffee - darling of a sexy nose telling an intimate story! Layered palate, focused to front, ripe strawberry, dark raspberry, juicy with a kiss of rich chocolate and mandarin orange, dry on the extended finish. Thoughts of food forgotten. Hello...: Just as captivating. Expressive with a longer finish. Perhaps a little more coffee on the satisfying finish. Well done. Paired well with salad and fried pork chops.: Tart red fruit, strawberry dominant, focused to middle, lively on the palate, pleasant grip of tannin on edges of tongue, forest floor added to experience.: Supple mouth feel, modest tannin, fresh, cherry, raspberry, cola, touch of tartness into the almost candied finish. Paired well with salmon.Grapes used to make this wine were likely 3rd or 4th leaf. Young. I expect each successive vintage to show even better. The bar is set high. Time for you to experience a premium New Zealand Pinot Noir. Food friendly. Delicious on its own too. Wonderful at open.Country: New ZealandAppellation: Central Otago (South Island)Vineyard: Someone's Darling, EstateVariety: 100% Pinot Noir - Clones planted B777, B667, B115 and Abel. The vineyard was entirely cane pruned to two canes, with the wire being approximately half full. Yield from the vineyard was two tonnes per acre.Closure: Screw CapABV: 14%Imported by: Terlato Wines Sample for reviewProduction: 2,700 casesSRP: $37@loveblockwineKim and Erica Crawford founded Loveblock wines. They tend to go by their first names when promoting Loveblock to avoid confusion with the well known company they sold and are no longer involved with - Kim Crawford. Loveblock is their return to the New Zealand wine industry. Erica is the founder and CEO and her husband Kim is the winemaker.Erica and Kim have embraced a philosophy of being custodians of the land they farm. Farming organically they seek to restore soil balance and fertility without the use of commercial fertilisers and chemical protection. Loveblock vineyards are located in the wilderness of Central Otago. A unique region where they are working to showcase the terroir of this rugged terrain. Together they are working to make the best wine that they can.Erica is an active member of the Global Women NZ Advisory Board , an organization which works to expand the influence of women and helps to shape and mentor emerging leaders. She holds a number of directorships, both in the wine industry and in other sectors.Kim trained at New Zealands Massey University and specialized in Oenology at South Australias Roseworthy College. His first jobs included vintages at Arrowfield in NSWs Hunter Valley, Stags Leap Winery in Napa Valley and Backsberg Estate in South Africa. He returned to his native New Zealand in 1988 and worked at Coopers Creek Vineyard for some 10 years. He has over 30 years of winemaking experience.Ringed by mountains and interlaced with lakes and deep river gorges, Central Otago is one of the worlds most spectacular settings for vineyards. It is one of the hottest, coldest and driest regions in New Zealand. The climate and unique terroir combined make this area one of the best for producing premium Pinot Noir.In 2008, Erica and Kim bought a small 20 acres patch of paddock on the Bendigo Loop Road in Central Otago (South Island). Bendigo is the warmest of the Central Otago winegrowing areas and this little vineyard is the warmest one in Bendigo ensuring consistent ripening year on year. This vineyard is dedicated solely to Pinot Noir. This vineyard is Sustainable Winegrowing (SWNZ) accredited.A variety of clones were selected for this site to deliver a wide range of flavors in the wine and to produce elegant, yet complex and clean fruit-driven wines. They named the block Someones Darling as legend holds that in the mid-1800s, a local farmer found the body of a young man on a nearby property. He buried him and for the lack of a name, identity or kin, he simply engraved on the coarse wooden cross Someones Darling.Loveblock makes more than Pinot Noir, they also make Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Moscato Brut, Sweet Moscato and Chenin Blanc.It's been too long since I have had the pleasure of reviewing a New Zealand Pinot Noir. The Loveblock Pinot Noir was a wonderful experience. I have posted this review here and on Kiwi Daydeaming with modest changes.Cheers!
Anantapur: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief N. Raghuveera Reddy lashed out at Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for hurting the sentiments and selfrespect of Rayalaseema people by repeatedly abusing like Rayalaseema rowdies at every incident.

He accused Naidu for being a "Rayalaseema Drohi" who failed to get special packages and people would drag Naidu and his party leaders on to roads over the massive failure to clear assured sops in the election manifesto.

"This was the first government that lost faith within a short span of two years for not implementing assured projects and schemes in history," Mr Reddy alleged and further added that the BJP-led NDA government had also utterly failed in all aspects.

"Both BJP and TD were helpless. Naidu, who failed to implement sops such as waiver in crop loans and Self-Help Group (SHG) women's loans and they were frustrated," he said.

Speaking to the media at Hindupur in the district on Thursday, the APCC chief observed that the crime rate was rising at an alarming rate soon after TD voted to power in the state. The government itself was encouraging violence on all the occasions and blaming others.

Comparing that law and order was under control during the 10-year rule of Congress, Mr Raghuveera reddy said the situation was worse within a couple of years during the TD regime.

APCC chief demanded that the state government release a white paper on crime rate in the state.
Bengaluru: The last rites of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who passed away today after battling for life since his miraculous survival in Siachen, will be held at his native village in Dharwad district tomorrow with full state honours. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will receive the body at Hubballi Airport tonight and pay his last respects, the CM's office said.

The body will be kept at KIMS hospital in Hubballi tonight and shifted to Nehru Ground in the city for public viewing before last rites in the afternoon tomorrow at Betadur village in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district in north Karnataka.

Hanamanthappa will be given full state honours, Dharwad District in charge Minister Vinay Kulkarni said.

Giving details about preparations for the last rites, he said the body will be kept at KIMS hospital in the night and for public viewing from 7 AM to 10 AM at Nehru Grounds tomorrow.

"All arrangements for public viewing and last rites have been made at his village, it will be done with state honours," he added.

Left parties demand exemplary compensation

Left parties today condoled the death of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad and asked the Centre to offer "exemplary" compensation to families of the braveheart and other soldiers who were killed by an avalanche in Siachen. "We convey our sympathy to the family of Hanamanthappa. He and the other soldiers of the Madras Regiment died in tragic conditions. "The government must offer them exemplary compensation, not the normal type. It also must give employment to some of their family members," CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said.

Party national secretary D Raja also paid tributes to Hanamanthappa and termed the soldier's demise as "shocking" after the latter raised hopes of survival. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted,"Sad to learn about Lance Naik Hanamanthappa. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of ten brave souls who are no longer with us." Koppad was among 10 soldiers of 19th Battalion of Madras Regiment in a high-altitude military post which was struck by the avalanche and nine of them, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, died earlier.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/02/2016 (2444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON  Catholic leaders in Alberta are reiterating the churchs opposition to physician-assisted dying.

After the Supreme Court struck down the law against assisted suicide last February, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said the church opposes any form of mercy killing.

The national organization wants the federal government to ensure that any changes to the law would not force health-care providers or hospitals to be involved in assisted dying.

The group has also asked Ottawa to ensure that the law would not be interpreted differently by each province and territory.

Albertas bishops want the province to consult with the public before taking any steps to comply with new regulations the federal government must develop by June.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta is proposing a standard that would allow physicians to say no to assisted dying, but would require them to refer a patient to another doctor.

The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada makes legally permissible in some circumstances what is morally wrong in every circumstance: the taking of innocent human life, Albertas Catholic bishops said Thursday.

This is unacceptable in a truly just and ethical society.

Bishop Douglas Crosby, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has told the federal government it should have considered using the Constitutions notwithstanding clause to postpone any implementation of physician-assisted dying for at least the next five years.

In a letter to the federal ministers of justice and health last month, Crosby said a delay would have provided time for calm reflection and consultation.

Many Canadians still do not understand that so-called assisted-dying is a deliberately misleading term for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, he wrote.

Crosby said the federal government should instead bolster palliative care services, provide more funding for research into pain relief and bring in a national suicide prevention plan.

Caring for the dying does not include killing them or helping them kill themselves, he wrote.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/02/2016 (2444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON  Police believed an infant was the victim of shaken baby syndrome when they began an investigation into what they would later deem a homicide.

Early details of the investigation have been revealed in documents filed in support of a warrant to search Haelin Taliyah Taylors home in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

Haelin is still on life support, given no chance to recover due to devastating brain injury consistent with a shaken baby, not believed to be accidental, RCMP Const. Brian Woytkiw of the Brandon major crime unit wrote, describing the girls condition two days after she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

TIM SMITH / BRANDON SUN FILES Mounties searched the home where Haelin Taliyah Taylor lived on Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

Two-month-old Haelin was taken to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Jan. 4. She was then transported to Childrens Hospital in Winnipeg, where she was listed in critical condition and died Jan. 23. Shortly after, police announced they were investigating the case as a homicide.

Wednesday, RCMP Sgt. Bert Paquet said the case continues to be investigated as a homicide, although there have been no arrests or charges laid. The evidence we had originally has not changed, he said. More pieces have been added to the puzzle since those first steps were taken.

Results will arrive within the next few days and weeks, Paquet said. Once police have that information, theyll be able to decide what steps to take.

We still believe someone is responsible for her death, someone is criminally responsible for her death, Paquet said. We have not confirmed who that person is, and we are still awaiting to receive medical evidence and medical reports to confirm exactly what happened to this little girl.

Warrant documents detail the early part of the investigation. On Jan. 4, around 9:55 a.m., an ambulance was dispatched to a Sioux Valley home for a report a girl was having trouble breathing, warrant documents state.

Along the way, paramedics were told by dispatch family members would meet them at the corner of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 21.

Near there, paramedics found an SUV. A man who identified himself as the father ran to the back of the ambulance with a child in his arms. He was with a woman who paramedics presumed to be the mom.

Save her, whats wrong with her? please help us, the parents said, according to one paramedic later interviewed by police.

The father said the girl had been crying the night before and had vomited, and paramedics didnt notice any external injuries. The girl and her parents were taken to Brandon hospital.

Both RCMP and the Dakota Ojibway Police Service were dispatched, but they arrived to find the ambulance had already left.

Police went to the Brandon hospital, where the emergency doctor told them there was nothing suspicious at that time, and theyd be contacted later if needed.

At that point, according to medical records, Haelin was diagnosed with respiratory arrest and stomach flu. Prior to being flown to Winnipeg, her treatment included defibrillation and a blood transfusion. A blood test had detected bacteria.

The next day, staff at HSC told police Haelin was in critical condition and had internal bleeding.

On Jan. 6, investigators received an update from an HSC doctor. Haelin was on life support with no chance to recover because of a brain injury consistent with shaken baby syndrome. She also had retinal hemorrhages, and it was noted her injuries would have caused vomiting.

At first, the investigation was treated as an aggravated assault. RCMP applied for a warrant Jan. 6 and searched the family bungalow the next day. They seized a comforter, a sheet, blankets and a laptop computer.

Within days of Haelins death, police announced they were treating the case as a homicide.

Haelins family couldnt be reached for comment Wednesday but have consistently maintained they believed the girls condition was medical and expressed puzzlement over the police investigation.

 Brandon Sun
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 17-year-old Winnipegger is dumbfounded after her late request for a bus transfer earned her a punch in the face from the Winnipeg Transit driver on Wednesday.

Winnipeg police confirmed Thursday an altercation on a city bus resulted in charges of assault and public mischief against the 51-year-old driver. She was released from custody on a promise to appear in court.

It is believed surveillance footage from the bus was key to the investigation.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Caley Fawcett holds her nine-month-old son, Jharrell Fawcett-Ramirez.

Speaking with the Free Press on Friday, Caley Fawcett said her nine-month-old son had started crying as they boarded the bus, and she forgot to ask for a transfer. She calmed the baby down, left him in the stroller with her cousin, then approached the driver for a transfer. Fawcett estimates four or five bus stops had passed.

She said the driver refused the transfer, saying it was against company policy because too much time had passed, and an argument ensued.

I explained (the transfer) was my only way to get back. She said, Thats not my problem, Fawcett related.

I said, Any other bus driver would have given me a transfer. She said, Im not like any other bus driver.

Fawcett had caught the bus at the corner of Tecumseh Street and William Avenue. She was going to Polo Park to get a card to activate her cellphone.

Fawcett said she just stood there for awhile, not knowing what to do. The bus driver asked why she was standing there. Fawcett cussed her before sitting down.

The bus driver then pulled over at the next stop, came to the back and accused Fawcett of verbally assaulting her.

The driver, according to Fawcett, said she had been driving buses for 25 years and never been verbally assaulted before.

At that point Fawcett, who is Filipino, suggested the white female bus driver might be racist.

Fawcett said the bus driver started swearing at her, repeatedly using the F-word.

Fawcett finally decided to get off the bus. But as she was leaving, the driver made another comment. She said, I feel f-ing sorry for your son. I turned around and said, Why do you feel sorry for my son? Then she swung at me. She just punched me in the face.

Fawcett said a man on the bus tried to intervene, saying the bus driver had no right to hit Fawcett.

Fawcett said she reacted by grabbing at the drivers face, knocking off her glasses. She kept saying, Where are my glasses! Where are my glasses! So I picked them up and handed them to her.

Fawcett said when she tried to get off a second time, the driver punched her in the back of the head. That was when Fawcett turned and landed a right fist on the drivers nose, making her nose bleed.

Fawcett phoned 311 to report the incident, and the driver phoned 911.

Never in my life did I think something like this would ever happen, said Fawcett.

Officers met with the driver who told them she had been involved in a verbal disagreement with a female passenger. The driver said the argument escalated and she was assaulted by the female passenger. Police also interviewed Fawcett, who told investigators the physical altercation had been started by the transit driver and she struck back in self-defence.

Members of the Winnipeg Police Services West District Crime Unit continued with the investigation, ultimately charging the driver.

I believe this incident is unique in nature, said WPS spokesman Const. Eric Hofley. Fortunately, Transit has equipped their buses with both video and audio equipment that is there to protect not only employees but the general public as well.

On Thursday, John Callahan, the Amalgamated Transit Union president, said he did not have any more information on the incident and could not comment.

As far as I know, in talks with transit, its an ongoing police investigation and I havent been briefed on anything, Callahan said.

Callahan said it is unusual to hear of a driver allegedly assaulting a passenger.

I dont recall anything (like this) in my time but Ive only been in office here two years. But even beyond that, its not the norm, thats for sure, Callahan said.

 With files by Ashley Prest

bill.redekop@freepress.mb
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/02/2016 (2444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Controversy involving one of the premiers former top aides has splashed mud against a worthy training organization that is considered a gem within the union movement, its biggest champion says.

The UFCW Training Centre, with locations in Winnipeg and Brandon, has helped thousands of people obtain their Grade 12 equivalency, aided laid-off workers in finding new jobs and even taught recent immigrants how to navigate Canadian grocery stores and prepare the foods contained within them.

The centre dwelled in relative obscurity until its former director, Heather Grant-Jury, hit the news over allegations of possible financial impropriety. And that only rated a headline because Grant-Jury was seconded by an embattled Manitoba premier 15 months ago to head his political staff when five cabinet ministers resigned over his leadership.

Colin Corneau / Brandon Sun files UFCW President Jeff Traeger speaks during the official opening of the UFCW Training Centre and union office, Saturday afternoon on Richmond Avenue in Brandon.

The province has contributed more than $1 million to programs offered by the training centre since 2007, and both the UFCW and the government have assured the public that taxpayer funds were never compromised.

In an interview Thursday, Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW Local 832 and head of the separately operated training centres board of trustees, said the controversy has hit staff at the centre and within his local hard.

Its been hard on all the staff because we are all hugely proud of the training centre and fiercely proud of the work that weve done there and the work that we are continuing to do there, he said by telephone from Ottawa, where he was away on business.

The union has not specified exactly why it has parted company with Grant-Jury. The provincial NDP has also cut all ties with the former Winnipeg Labour Council leader. She has not been charged with any crime.

Traeger said the lions share of the cost of the training centres programming comes from employer contributions negotiated through collective agreements. No union dues are used to fund training, he emphasized.

Government has funded only three of its many programs: an adult ed program that helps people get their Grade 12 equivalency; a successful English as a second language program and a program that helps laid off workers brush up their skills and resumes to find new jobs.

Thousands of newcomers  foreign workers and their families  have improved their English skills through classes at UFCW training centres in the last decade. Most of the government money came from a federal government that wasnt exactly known for being union friendly, Traeger pointed out.

We are now the second-largest provider of English-language training for adults in Manitoba. We are the only organization in Manitoba that is certified by the federal government to teach English as an additional language to our members.

Since 1999, the training centre has partnered with other organizations to provide a mature student Grade 12 diploma to about 1,400 Manitobans  mainly to people who arent members of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Traeger recalls one graduation ceremony in which a 65-year-old woman  employed by Maple Leaf Foods in Winnipeg  graduated alongside her 27-year-old son.

She told us when she was speaking at the microphone the reason she came to get her Grade 12 was to make sure her son came to school every day and got his too, the union leader said.

While the training centre has taken an indirect hit in the press this week, it is viewed by its backers as a shining light that has improved the image of organized labour.

Traeger said he hopes the controversy doesnt harm the centre.

What I can say is that the issue that we are dealing with is an issue with one person. We have a lot of good quality people dedicated to providing education for not just our members but for the public at large, he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Excess french fries arent usually a problem. If theyre good I generally finish them, and if theyre bad I leave them at the restaurant. But every once in a while I am confronted with a big pile of fries that I simply cannot get down. This happened the other night: stuffed with steak, my party was helpless before a huge hillock of matchstick fries. But they were too good not to take home.

The next morning, I used the fries as the base for a frittata. My inspiration was the great Spanish dish, tortilla Espanola, which graces virtually every bar and sandwich shop in Spain. No relation to the Mexican tortilla (a flat cake made from ground corn), tortilla Espanola is a frittata filled with caramelized onions, fried potatoes and a great quantity of olive oil. I left out the onions  this was supposed to be a quick, leftover dish  and still came up with something delicious.

The quantities below are for 2 cups of fries; increase or decrease according to how much you have. If you think of it, let the French fries come to room temperature before you start to cook. To finish the frittata in the oven, youll need a nonstick pan with an ovenproof (metal) handle. Otherwise youll have to flip the frittata and finish it on the stove top (see note).

French Fry Frittata

7 eggs

2 cups leftover French fries

Salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped parsley (2 to 4 tablespoons, optional)

Heat the broiler. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until they are well integrated. Add the fries and, if the fries werent already well salted, toss with more salt. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil (dont stint: the more you add, the creamier and tastier the frittata will be) and the optional chopped parsley. Mix well.

Put about a half inch of water into a sturdy 10-inch nonstick pan and place over medium heat until water starts to simmer. Pour out water, wipe pan dry, and film the bottom of the pan with olive oil. (This trick allows you to preheat your pan without burning the oil.) When the oil runs easily around the pan, take it off the heat and add the egg mixture. Turn down the burner to low, return the pan to the heat and cook, shaking the eggs gently, swirling them slowly, and scraping down the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula until soft curds form. Then let the eggs set in the pan for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently occasionally to encourage the eggs to cook evenly.

Use the rubber spatula to lift up the eggs to assess their progress and when they are nicely browned, slip the pan into the broiler for just a few minutes until the top is browned and slightly puffy. Monitor this step carefully, the frittata can go from browned to burned very quickly. Let the frittata sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes before unmolding. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 4 servings.

Note: If your nonstick pan isnt oven safe, youll need to flip the frittata. Once the bottom is browned, carefully slide the frittata onto a large, flat plate. Place the now-empty pan on top of the plate and flip the frittata back into the pan. Place the pan back on the heat and cook until the bottom (formerly the top) of the frittata is browned.
The getaway driver in the October 2015 shooting death of a Winona man pleaded guilty Friday, as part of an agreement that will include testifying against other defendants.

Kayla Mae Clay faced three felony counts of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact, and pleaded guilty to a new fourth count, a felony. In exchange, the other three felony counts were dismissed.

Clay has been in the Winona County Jail since she was arrested in October, and is expected to be released Monday morning with credit for time served and for good behavior. Her sentencing is set for March 31.

As part of the agreement, Clay will have to testify in the cases of the other defendants, as well as maintain several other conditions.

Clay appeared in court Friday on her 19th birthday, where Judge Nancy Buytendorp asked Clay whether she was pleading guilty because she knew she did wrong, or whether she wanted to have her case wrapped up.

I know Im guilty, Clay replied quietly.

During a prosecutors questioning to lay out probable cause for the plea, Clay said she had been dating Reginald Alexander Burnett, 18, who is accused of accompanying Lonnie Lavonte Keymone Hudson to a west-end Winona apartment Oct. 18 as part of a pre-arranged drug deal, according to court documents.

Clay described the afternoon in question, including the accused shooter Hudson leaving the apartment with a handgun and blood on his pants, seeing a sack of money that totaled around $5,000, and a trip to the mall, just hours after the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Adam Tylor Fort in the apartment, where Hudson, Burnett and Clay bought shoes and a video game system.

Clay said she had known Hudson for just two days at the time. She said Burnett asked her to drive both men from Clays La Crosse apartment to Winona to purchase marijuana, but did not give her other details.

They didnt tell me it fully, of what they wanted me to drive them up there for, she said.

Clay said as they arrived in Winona, Hudson, sitting behind Clay in her Ford Focus, directed her to drive to a house in the city, where Hudson went inside and came out with a man.

I didnt really look at him, but I knew that he was a white male, she said.

Clay said the man directed her to the blue apartment building along Gilmore Avenue in Winona, where Hudson, Burnett, and the man got out and went into the building. Clay stayed in the car with the engine running for about 10 minutes.

What happened after that? Prosecutor George Kennedy asked.

Reggie and Lonnie ran out of the building with a white bag, Clay said. The third man was not with them.

Clay said as Hudson was running back to the car, she noticed for the first time that he had a gun in his front pants pocket. She also saw blood on his pants near the gun. Clay said she didnt know what was in the bag.

Hudson got into the rear drivers seat, Burnett got into the front passenger seat, and Hudson yelled at her to drive away, she said.

Kennedy asked if anybody said anything in the car during the drive.

Not really, Clay replied. They didnt tell me about anything that happened.

She testified that Hudson said he hoped somebody didnt die, and that she learned there was money inside the white bag. She saw Hudson and Burnett take video of the money on their phones.

When they arrived at Clays La Crosse apartment, Hudson brought the bag of money inside. Ashleigh Ann Bye, Clays roommate at the time who now faces three charges of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact and one count of perjury related to the incident, was home.

Clay said Hudson and Burnett counted the money in the living room while Clay and Bye watched from the kitchen. It was about $5,000, she recalled.

Burnett came back with a stack of money, a little over $2,000, and gave Clay $600.

Clay and Bye left the apartment for 15 or 20 minutes to go look at Byes car, which was having problems. When they got back, Tyesha Williams, also charged with three counts of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact, was in the apartment with Burnett and Hudson.

Clay, Burnett, and Hudson went to a nearby mall, where Clay said Hudson noticed the blood on his pants. Clay said she bought a pair of Nike shoes for around $180 with some of the cash, and Hudson purchased an Xbox video game system.

In the following days, Clay said, she and Burnett slept at hotels, first in La Crosse, then in Illinois, where Burnett was from.

I tried to talk to Reggie about what happened at the apartment, but he would just tell me to drop it and dont worry about it, she said.

They returned to La Crosse on Oct. 20, and Clay went to work on Oct. 21.

She said she found out about Forts death the day she was arrested, Oct. 22.

Other defendants hearing set for March

Also appearing in Winona County District Court Friday was Richard Gordon Deppe, 23, who faces three felony charges of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact, along with a fifth-degree sale of marijuana charge.

The role Deppe played in the Oct. 18 crime has not been spelled out in publicly available court documents.

Deppes court-appointed attorney, Frederick Suhler, Jr., requested a contested omnibus hearing because of the volume of information related to the case contained within the grand jury and police reports.

I havent gotten through that yet, Suhler told Judge Jeffrey Thompson. He said he had discussed the delay with Deppe, who remains in the Winona County Jail in lieu of a $30,000 bond.

I believe that this delay at this point is probably in his best interest, he said.

The hearing was set for March 14.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said Clay pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor; she pleaded guilty to a felony.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to consider appointing a nodal officer in its External Affairs Ministry to coordinate and oversee efforts in ensuring release of Indians abducted by deadly terror outfit ISIS in Iraq.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices M Y Eqbal and R Banumathi asked the MEA to entrust the task to an official and disposed of a PIL on the issue.

The PIL, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Gaurav K Bansal, said that as per an RTI reply from Indian Embassy in Baghdad, about 40 Indians are still missing in war-ravaged Iraq since 2014.

The bench, however, did not issue notice on the PIL and disposed it of with the observation that the Centre may consider appointing a Nodal Officer.

Besides various reliefs, the plea had sought a direction to the Centre to "forthwith intervene and expedite the process of release" of Indians held hostages in Iraq.
Winona

Thursday

No time  Sophie Blair Johnson, 19, Champlin, Minn., Jacob Cody Hanson, 20, Cashton, Wis., Andrew Craig Thoreson, 21, Mazeppa, and Merritt Lee Ogren, 20, Winona were mailed citations for clinging to a motor vehicle after they were observed snowboarding behind a vehicle during a snowstorm on Feb. 2.

4:22 p.m.  An man in the 600 block of East Second Street reported the theft of his wallet from his residence.

4:38 p.m.  Andrew Rodney Olson, 28, Buffalo, Wis., was cited for theft by shoplifting at Walmart. The items were valued at $8.50.

7:12 p.m.  Deon Caprice Mccollum, 23, Chicago, and Joseph Roland Covington, 19, Winona, were cited for theft by shoplifting at Shopko.

11:52 p.m.  A man reported the theft of a T-Mobile Coolpad valued at $50, along with $50 cash from his hotel room Wednesday night. He had guests in the room who left at the same time the items went missing.

Winona County

Thursday

5:42 p.m.  A caller on Riverview Drive in Dresbach reported that a light brown snake on their property had come after their dog. The caller was concerned about the dog and children at the house. A snake handler was called in, but the snake was back in its burrow before the handler could catch it.

7:05 p.m.  Elizabeth Marie Volkman, 59, Winona, was cited for driving after cancellation at the intersection of Hwy. 61 and County Road 32 in Goodview.

Friday

12:03 a.m.  Robert Lee Hubbard, 27, Estherville, Iowa, was cited for no Minnesota drivers license after he was stopped for going 39 mph on Interstate 90 near mile marker 252. Hubbards vehicle was also closely following a car traveling at the same speed.
With the Minnesota Legislature session gearing up for the 2016 session, state Chamber of Commerce officials were in Winona Friday, meeting with local business leaders and the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce to discuss this years needs and priorities.

Jim Pumarlo, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerces director of communications, said the primary goal this session will be to encourage removing or reducing the business statewide property tax, a fixed annual cost for all businesses that goes into the states general-fund coffers.

The tax, which the Chamber has argued limits growth and is an unnecessary burden, was first collected in 2002, pulling in about $585 million, according to Chamber figures. That number increased to $856 million last year, through automatic increases.

Pumarlo said that at the very least, chambers in the state would like to see the automatic increases removed.

This affects everybody: large, small, rural, urban, Pumarlo said. Every business in Minnesota would have relief from this.

The tax makes up about 30 percent of a businesss property tax bill. Winona business executives say they feel the effects.

Dennis Meyer, vice president of Knitcraft, said that tax, plus other state mandated spending, like minimum wage increases, make it harder to do business in Minnesota.

Its a fixed cost, but theres nothing I can do to reduce it, Meyer said. And Im going to have to pass it on.

Danny Miles, chief human resources officer at Winonas RTP, said that while the company has a large amount of business in Minnesota, the costs and taxation factor into whether it expands here or elsewhere.

This is an opportunity for us to say were interested in creating jobs, Miles said of a potential reduction in the statewide tax.

The proposal was introduced during the 2015 session and will be before House and Senate committees this year, though discussions on how to address any changes to the tax vary wildly, with the Republican-controlled House proposing doing away with it entirely, and the DFL-controlled Senate proposing shrinking the amount taken from businesses.

The Chamber this session would also like to see a long-term transportation plan approved this year, with sustained funding for roads, bridges and transit. They have proposed dedicating a small percentage of the states unrestricted general fund to complement existing revenue from gas taxes and other sources.

But the focus will remain on the business tax, Pumarlo said.

Business taxes are regressive, Pumarlo said. Eventually, theyre passed on to the consumers.
A resolution passed through the Beaver Dam Area Rural Fire Association requesting the Sheriffs Department to support a water rescue and dive team in Dodge County.

Waters are owned by the state and counties are extensions of the state, Jeff Schmitt, town of Beaver Dam representative said.

The town of Beaver Dam is focusing on a Wisconsin State Statute that they argue states it a Sheriffs Department is responsible for water rescues, which would include equipment, training, personnel and support.

Schmitt said the townships and the association have limited resources to fund the highly-specialized equipment to save lives on Beaver Dam Lake or any other waters in Dodge County.

Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel said it will probably be more of a cooperative effort involving the sheriffs office and Beaver Dam rather than the formation of a county water rescue team.

He said while the resolution in interesting, he doubts that the sheriffs office would be able to offer a quality service due to lack of workforce and the proximity to Beaver Dam Lake as compared to Beaver Dams EMS water rescue force.

Tell me its not my job, Mannel said. I dare you.

But, statute says its the sheriffs job, Neal Stippich, a town of Beaver Dam representative replied.

The town of Beaver Dam continued to push back against Mannels request for a new water/ice rescue equipment by questioning at the importance of a new hovercraft.

Mannel updated the status of the Beaver Dam Fire Departments capital improvements plan by saying that he is pushing all the water/ice rescue equipment into 2017 with the exception of the hovercraft. According to the 2016-2020 CIPyet to be approved by the Beaver Dam Common Council $52,500 is budgeted for a hovercraft in 2016.

Mannel said that comes to about 75 percent of the expected cost of a new hovercraft. He said he choose to prioritize the hovercraft for 2016 because it has been successful in saving three lives, but it is old and unstable.

John Kuzniewicz, a town of Beaver Dam representative said that neighboring counties utilize airboats and questioned the usefulness of buying a new hovercraft.

Weve saved three lives with that craft, Mannel said. You need to pick your word more carefully.

He added that he is looking at different concepts of hovercrafts. A snowmobile powers one of the vehicles and includes a large deck. Nevertheless, he said he is hesitant since only a few of these vehicles are in service.

At the previous meeting in November, Mannel told the association that he expects the neighboring communities to contribute 25 percent of the total cost for new rescue equipment.

The neighboring townsBeaver Dam, Calamus, Lowell, Trenton and Westfordmay have to pay about $55,750 together over the next five years, in the current version of the request.

Kuzniewicz and Stippich representing the town of Beaver Dam had some disagreement with how the 25 percent is being divided. Both told Mannel that acreage and/or population should divide it.

Mannel said that if he broke up the costs based on each townships assessed value in Dodge County the town of Beaver Dam would pay 64 percent ($7,211 annually in this case) of the rural communities share; Calamus, 11 percent ($1,265); Westford, 12 percent ($1,340); Lowell, 1 percent ($189) and Trenton, 10 percent ($1,142). The total annual fee over the next five years would be $11,150.

He wrote that this is because his department aids the entire town of Beaver Dam, but only portions of the other communities.

In the end, he told the neighboring community representatives that he doesnt care how it is divided as long as they can all agree to cover a quarter of the $223,000.

In total, the department is requesting seven pieces of ice and water related rescue equipment as part of its 2016-2020 Capital Improvements Plan. Mannel said the new equipment should last more than 15 years and the boat should last longer.

The 2016 CIP will appear at the next Beaver Dam Common Council meeting on Monday.

Chairperson Tom Stebbins told Mannel to bring the final numbers from the CIP to the next meeting. Kuzneiwicz requested that the other township bring the dive team resolution to their next town meetings.
District 9 will require a primary Tuesday as three candidates submitted sufficient paperwork to run for the seat.

The top two vote-getters will proceed to the April 5 spring election ballot. The candidates for the seat are James Qualmann, Stephanie Justmann and Douglas Schulz.

The candidates are profiled below:

James Qualmann

Qualmann, W3346 Decora Road, Horicon, is married and has three children. He owned and operated Churchview Farms before retiring. He has worked at Centro for five years. He retired from the Iron Ridge Fire Department but still goes to meetings and helps at the picnic. He was a first responder for 10 years. He is in his second term on the Farm Service Agency and services eight townships. He served on the Dodge County Dairy Testing Association. He also attends town of Hubbard meetings and is a member of St. Johns Church and has had different jobs there such as plowing snow, cleaning the church basement and mowing the lawn. He is also on the cemetery board.

I have always liked to run for county board, but I didnt want to run against people I know, Qualmann said.

Stephanie Justmann

Justmann, W1163 Hochheim Road, Mayville, has been married to Chris (Kicker) Justmann for 30 years. They have two children. Shawn is 27 years old, lives at home and works at St. Lawrence Equipment as an agricultural equipment technician. Clarissa is 24 years old, lives in Fond du Lac and works as a trooper for the State Patrol.

Justmann holds an associates degree in accounting from Moraine Park Technical College and is currently attending Marian University. She is scheduled to graduate this fall with a bachelors degree in business administration with a major in general management. Chris and Stephanie have farmed for 20 years.

After I received my associates degree in accounting, I took a position as the town clerk for the town of Hermann, Justmann said. I expanded my knowledge in local government by working as a deputy clerk in the Dodge County Clerks Office. Currently I am employed with the village of Kewaskum as their village clerk. I also enjoy serving as the town of Herman supervisor.

Its important to serve the constituents and work toward providing and maintaining a balanced budget, Justmann said. Communication is key. I will be there to listen to the wants and needs of the residents. I have seen decisions come from board members that have a personal agenda. By using my experience in local government I will represent the people of District 9. There are different issues in the village of Iron Ridge, town of Hubbard and the town of Herman that need to be addressed. I am one vote, but I will take that vote and work toward achieving the goals that are in the best interest of District 9. I would love this opportunity to use my experience in local government and enhance the services by improving the communication with the citizens.

Doug Schulz

Schultz, W3472 Wildcat Road, Iron Ridge, is a lifelong resident of the town of Hubbard.

I grew up on the family dairy farm, which I took over in 2005 and transitioned to a beef cow-calf operation.

Schultz was briefly employed at MEC in Mayville and then worked for the Dodge County Highway Department for 17 years.

I left the highway department in 2015 to farm full time, Schultz said. While employed at the county I was a member of AFSCME.

Schultz and his wife have three daughters. He is a member of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Wisconsin Cattlemen Association and the American Hereford Association. He is a lifelong member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Iron Ridge.

Some of the issues in the 9th district that I am concerned about are farmland preservation, implements of husbandry and finding and retaining qualified workers at the Dodge County Highway Department, Schultz said.
There are four things that humans and other animals need to survive: air, water, food and shelter. Without just one of them, wed perish. Thats why many of us are fighting to protect the quality of our air and water against persistent attacks on them by state and federal GOP legislators.

It hasnt always been this way. Not long ago, protection of the environment was a bipartisan issue. Thats because it was so easy to see why it needed protection. Back in the 60s, studies showed that breathing the air in Chicago and other major cities had the same effects as smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. Gray-green smog coming from smoke stacks blanketed our cities and lowered the quality of life.

In Cleveland, Ohio, the Cuyahoga River would catch on fire because of all the gasoline and oil floating on it. From the air, you could see brown sludge in the river water fanning out many miles as it flowed into Lake Erie. Signs on the beaches warned against swimming in the lake because of harmful bacteria and other pollutants. It was obvious to everyone that companies were not regulating themselves.

Thats why Republican President Richard Nixon proposed the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency and with an executive order, signed it into existence in 1970. As a result, our air and water became much cleaner. Further regulations ensured that pollutants from farming and manufacturing wouldnt contaminate rivers, streams and lakes. Now the party of Richard Nixon is going backward.

Today, almost every Republican lawmaker denies science-backed evidence that carbon pollution is warming the earth and polluting our air. Many of them want to totally eliminate the EPA because its regulations are burdensome to business. Using that excuse in the 1980s, funding for the EPA and many of its regulations were cut drastically under President Ronald Reagan. Since then, Republicans have continued to cut funding and eliminate the authorities of the EPA. Why? As always, follow the money.

Several sources reveal that 80 percent of campaign donations from oil and gas industries go to Republicans. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is one of those recipients. According to an Oct. 9, 2015 fact-check by Politifact Wisconsin, Johnson has received nearly $200,000 from oil, gas and mining interests. So is it a coincidence he has consistently voted against any federal limits on emissions of carbon dioxide, or carbon pollution, whether by oil and gas companies or other energy producers? Maybe Johnson should take a trip to Beijing, China, and ask its residents to take off their face masks so they can explain how their countrys lack of environmental regulations has worked for them.

But its not just the quality of our air thats threatened. Under Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin Republicans have proposed and passed several bills that have, and will, diminish the quantity and quality of our precious water.

It started immediately after his election, when the governor appointed a builder/developer to head the Department of Natural Resources, although she had no experience or education in natural resources. Whats happened since then?

DNR inspections and fines regarding likely violations of environmental law have decreased considerably compared to past years. The DNR doesnt have to consider the impact of nearby high-capacity wells before approving a new one and rules regulating the release of algae-producing phosphorus have been loosened to please business donors. But thats not all.

In 2011, Walker signed a bill that prohibits the DNR from requiring a municipal water system to provide continuous disinfection of the water it provides. Thats right. They no longer have to continuously disinfect the water supply.

In 2015, after receiving financial support from the Wisconsin Realtors Association, Walker signed a bill that stripped protections of wetlands. The mining bill did the same. As most people know, wetlands filter and cleanse water before it enters waterways, are prime fish and wildlife habitat and also reduce flooding.

Now, state Republicans are pushing legislation that would make a public referendum on the sale of water and sewage systems optional instead of mandatory. If enough signatures are gathered to force a vote, the residents would have no way of knowing the terms and conditions of the sale. When water utilities are privatized, water bills rise considerably because, unlike public utilities, private companies are in business to make a profit and are unaccountable to taxpayers.

Recently, Walker appointed a Realtor to head the Natural Resources Board, which sets environmental policy for the DNR. His qualifications? He donated thousands of dollars to Republicans and Scott Walkers campaigns.

Wisconsin is open for business all right. Dirty business. And it will have a dirty and lasting impact on our air and water.
Not everyone embraces the idea of women serving in military combat roles, particularly some Republican lawmakers as well as commanders of the nations most elite special operations units. The skeptics continue to question whether women are up to the task. They seem determined to squelch recognition of womens battlefield participation any way they can.

Republican Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Ryan Zinke of Montana introduced a bill last weej to require all American women between ages 18 and 26 to register for the Selective Service  the draft  exactly as their male counterparts already are required to do. Yes, the draft still exists, even though weve had an all-volunteer force since the 1970s.

This bill clearly was a cynical move designed for shock value. Hunter and Zinke are both veterans. Both appear to believe the Obama administration has gone too far with its advocacy for women who want to pursue combat eligibility. They echo the concerns of various military commanders who contend that womens presence in front-line combat jobs would destroy unit cohesion and erode performance.

President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ash Carter overruled these objections, with Obama noting in December that 90 percent of military positions have opened to women during recent decades, and that they already serve  and some have died  while performing combat duties.

More than 280,000 women were deployed in the Iraq and Afghanistan combat zones, and at least 150 were killed. But because they havent been officially eligible for combat, they havent always received recognition in the same ways their male counterparts have.

In 2012, four service women, including an Air National Guard helicopter pilot shot down in Afghanistan, had to sue to get their combat service recognized. The pilot, a major, had been deemed ineligible for promotion at the time because the Pentagon couldnt officially recognize her combat service.

Thats the background driving the effort to make their combat service official and establish a training regimen that adequately prepares them for battlefield challenges.

The difficult question is the one raised by Hunter and Zinke: If women want equality, are they prepared to accept the awesome responsibility that accompanies it?

The short answer is that not all women want to serve in the military, and not all women currently in uniform necessarily want to be on the front lines. Not all men want to serve, and many probably shudder when it comes time to register for the draft.

If Hunter and Zinke seriously want to pursue this bill, let them. Its a good debate for the nation to have. Equality under the law doesnt just mean equal pay and equal opportunities for promotion. It also means bearing equal responsibility, regardless of gender, when the call comes to serve our nation.
The Common Council passed a resolution on Thursday that takes a step forward on sidewalk and sewer renovation that would assess property owners for part of the project costs.

Council members unanimously approved the preliminary resolution declaring intent, which would give authority to the city to levy construction costs to the properties that would be directly affected by the project.

Properties involved in the sewer renovation lie on River Street from West Wisconsin to Summit streets, and eight addresses on West Wisconsin, Sanborn, West Franklin, Sunset and River streets. The sidewalk renovations would be on River Street between West Wisconsin and Summit Streets, Sanborn between West Franklin and River Streets, River Street between Summit and Cemetery streets, West Wisconsin between Orchard and James streets, then one more property on Pauquette Street.

This is just an intent so there has been discussion as to whether or not sidewalks are going into some of the areas, asked Alderwoman Rita Maas, and River Street being a portion of it  so even though that decision hasnt been made, this resolution isnt binding for those that decision can still be made?

Yes, talking with [City Attorney] Jesse [Spankoswki], said City Engineer and Public Works Director Aaron Jahncke, it is easier to subtract areas from the special assessment than to add areas. That would require a who other preliminary resolution.

For those people who are living in that area, I thought we needed that clarified, just so theyre not getting upset with us.

For applicable properties, assessments of $300 or less would be due within 60 of the owners being invoiced by the city. For invoices between $300 and $1,500, the owner would have the option of a principal balance broken into three installments plus interest.

The breakdown of the project comes in part from public concern aired in open hearings on the project, with one issue being renovation of sidewalks that would have to be widened in order to be brought up to code, infringing on some homes already short front yards.

The houses are in the special assessment district, the project is broken into the base bid and two alternate bids for different sidewalk segments so theres not really a margin, said Jahncke.

Somebody already has a 40-foot lot, a 100-foot lot, its already there. So we know the footages on their lot, its just taking the properties that are in the assessment district and figuring out which assessment district were going to have.
Eyewitnesses said that the stray dogs were charging at each other and the girl threw stones to shoo them away. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A seven-year-old girl died on Thursday after she was attacked by stray dogs at the old Kapra ward of GHMC two days ago.

Soni had fallen and suffered a head injury while trying to escape the dogs. She died at the Osmania General Hospital on Thursday. Eyewitnesses said that the stray dogs were charging at each other and the girl threw stones to shoo them away. The dogs then pounced on her. She suffered head injures as she fell.

State Child Rights panel seeks inquiry

Soni was rushed to the hospital but died after two days. Soni was the only child of Anuradha and Sanga Reddy, a daily wage worker. They are residents of Yadava Basthi, Kapra, under Kushaiguda police station limits. The incident took place on February 9 at the front yard of their house.

Sanga Reddy, who is originally from Medak, said, Soni was playing in the front yard where two dogs were fighting. To shoo them away she tried to throw stones at them and the dogs charged at her. To escape them, she tried to run into the house but slipped and fell. She sustained severe head injuries. We rushed her to a private hospital in ECIL. But when her condition deteriorated she was moved to OGH, where she died on Thursday.

Kushaiguda circle inspector N. Venkat Ramana said, No case has been registered as no complaint has been filed.

The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued a suo motu order to the GHMC commissioner stating: It has come to the notice of the commission that the girl was allegedly attacked by street dogs and this led to the death of the girl. The commission is considering this issue as a negligent and irresponsible behaviour of local municipal authorities. Please inquire into the matter and submit your report on the action taken and compensation given to the family by February 25, 2016.
Lucas Killick has another award to add to his trophy case. The Lake Delton police officer is one of two Sauk County residents who will be honored by the American Red Cross with the Everyday Hero award Feb. 20 at a ceremony at Ho-Chunk Gaming north of Baraboo.

Killick is the driving force behind the Cops for Kids program that serves an average of 300 families each year.

As part of the program, volunteers use donations from area businesses to purchase presents, food and clothing for disadvantaged children and their families. Police officers help with the shopping and gift wrapping, helping to build relationships and trust with the community.

That makes a huge difference if those kids have to interact with emergency personnel, American Red Cross Special Events Manager Megan Bessett said. He really has been a huge influence in the Lake Delton area.

Killick said, I am honored to be recognized by community members for my work within the community I serve.

Melanie Platt-Gibson, director of marketing at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo nominated Killick for the award.

Lucas was a very easy one for me to put forward as an everyday hero, she said. Not only because of the job he does each and every day with the childrens gifts at Christmastime, but he just has that peace and order about him.

Platt-Gibson said her committee unanimously voted for Killick after telling members that its long overdue the community recognizes law enforcement officials. One of the things I wanted to do to celebrate every day heroes (was to recognize) police, volunteer fire, rescue teams that are out there every day doing their job that is of a hero. Those heroes go above and beyond to connect to our communities, she said.

I dont consider myself a hero but rather I consider myself a leader among a great team, who as a team, have a great community orientated program for helping children, Killick said.

Killick received a life-saving award for an incident in September 2014 in which he used an AED for an employee at the Lake Delton Walmart. The employee collapsed in the parking lot and Killick and his team were able to revive the employee who made a full recovery and returned to work.Killick was also honored at Miller Park in August as one of only three police officers in the state at Law Enforcement Appreciation Night.

Another Sauk County resident will be honored at the ceremony.

Patrick Bourdeau says hes not a hero. I was just trying to be a good guy and do the right thing, he said.

On the afternoon of Dec. 19, Bourdeau noticed flames coming from a neighboring home, and immediately called 911. For many people, that might have been the end of it.

But Bourdeau, a former firefighter, knew that there was more to be done. With his phone in hand, he ran to the home and pounded on the door as the flames poured up over the front porch.

A young man who came to the door said his roommate was upstairs showering. He ran back inside to warn his roommate, and then exited through the front door, singeing his hair in the flames.

The young man upstairs thought he was being pranked until he noticed fire in the downstairs of the home. He threw on a pair of pants, and ran through some flames out the back door.

It was a situation where a moment or two of hesitation on anyones part could have had serious consequences.

I think if you can go the extra distance to help anybody with anything any time, its worth it, Bourdeau said.

Originally from Wyocena, Bourdeau spent four years as a firefighter, along with his two brothers. It was a small crew that saw about 30 to 40 incidents a year.

Since the Dec. 19 incident, Bourdeau said, he has become friends with the two men he assisted that day. Hes even been invited to dinner by one of them. He will attend the Feb. 20 ceremony with his son.

Were hoping people will be inspired by what these people did, said Bessett. Maybe now, if they know Patricks story and they see someone in trouble, theyll stop and make sure the person is OK.

The Red Cross provides assistance to people who have been displaced by house fires. That assistance often comes hours or days after the incident has occurred. But Bessett said its good to know there are people like Bourdeau who are ready to help in the heat of the moment.

You only have two minutes to escape during a fire, and he was there quickly and didnt give up until the homes occupants escaped, Bessett said. As he said, some people drove by and didnt stop. Sometimes people think someone else will stop He made sure these people got out alive.

Capital Newspapers reporter Tim Damos contributed to this report.
Valentines Day took on new meaning Tuesday for a group of Neenah Creek Elementary School students.

During a half-day off from school, the students  along with a couple of parents, a grandparent and a middle-schooler or two  shared their Valentines Day wishes with a grateful group of elderly residents at Our House Senior Living in the Dells.

The students spent a couple of hours creating the usual pink- and red-hued cards affixed with heart shapes and sayings typical of the holiday, but instead of giving those cards to their classmates, friends or families, the youngsters presented them to some of the residents at Our House.

The residents, including Alice Sorensen, sat and chatted with the children while they worked at a big table in the Our House Memory Care units main lobby, with everyone so fully engaged with the activity at hand that they seemed oblivious to a sometimes noisy construction project going on around them.

Theres something about the elderly and kids  theres something special between those two age groups, said Allison Walford, enrichment coordinator for the Memory Care unit and also a mother of one of the students on hand, second-grader Olivia.

Walford decided to organize the students visit during the half-day off from school because she thought it was a great activity for them.

A lot of them (the residents) dont have a lot of people come to visit, she said.

One resident who seemed especially pleased with the youthful visitors was Sorensen, a 77-year-old originally from Pennsylvania who moved to the Dells area to be closer to one of her children.

Kids walk in the door, and her face just lights up, Walford said. It takes her back; she has several kids herself.

Parked next to Sorensen for much of the afternoon was Carley Chapman, a sixth-grader at Spring Hill School (and graduate of Neenah Creek Elementary), who quickly produced a card for her elderly friend, then proceeded to spend the rest of the time chatting about various topics, including Sorensens children and their occupations.

Theyre all so cute, and I like them, Sorensen said as several cards addressed to her from the gathered throng began to pile up in front of her.

Nearby, residents Joanne Kronstedt and Eva Claussen sat surrounded by busy card-makers  Edward Hill and his daughter Brooklyn to their left, and sisters Maya and Jana Musiedlak across the table.

Also fully engaged in the card-making efforts were Audrey and Carter Richmond and Chloe Chapman, Carleys younger sister, all three of them Neenah Creek Elementary students enjoying their afternoon off from school as well.

They probably feel good, like they are kids again, getting these experiences, said Maya Musiedlak regarding her new, somewhat older friends.

The experience was a positive for the children as well, Edward Hill said.

It gives them perspective in life, to know that theres more out there than going home and playing, he said, as his daughter sat in his lap and worked on another card.
Strike continues at Racine Case tractor factory with no clear end in sight
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi watch as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj exchanges a file with an Abu Dhabi delegate after signing an agreement in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan India held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues of mutual concern, including trade and investment issues and the global threat of terror group ISIS, even as India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday inked seven pacts in various fields including cyber security, infrastructure investment, renewable energy and space cooperation.

Agreements were also signed in the fields of insurance, culture and skill development. As India eyes investment from the UAE, the Gulf nation also sought more structural reforms and an attractive climate for absorbing foreign direct investment.

With the two countries targeting trade of over $100 billion by 2020, Mr Anwar Gargash, the UAEs minister of state for foreign affairs, said it was essential to add new revenue streams and explore other fields to achieve that goal. The UAE invests around $10 billion in India of which around $3.3 billion is FDI while the remaining is portfolio investment.

The Crown Prince, who is also the deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, also had a tete-a-tete with PM Modi in the evening at the PMs official residence, 7 RCR, before talks in the evening. The strength of a multifaceted relationship. The leaders witness the exchange of four agreements across various sectors. The four agreements are in the field of cyber security, infrastructure investment, renewable energy and space cooperation three more agreements have already been exchanged in the fields of insurance, culture and skill development. One more agreement between Exim Bank and Dubai Economic Council will be exchanged tomorrow in Mumbai, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

An exceptional tete-a-tete. PM meets the Crown Prince for a restricted meeting at 7 RCR before talks in the evening, he added. The pact on cyberspace will provide for greater synergy between security agencies of the two countries to combat efforts to radicalise youths through online platforms, besides checking activities of terror groups.

Expanding economic engagement, particularly in oil and renewable energy sector and increasing UAEs investment in India, was a major focus area at the deliberations.

The UAEs national oil company Adnoc has already agreed to store crude oil in Indias maiden strategic storage and give two-thirds of the oil to it for free. India is building underground storages at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil. Another pact was signed for creating a framework for facilitating participation of the UAEs institutional investors in Indias infrastructure sector.

Mr. Gargash said the Security Dialogue between the two countries is moving ahead as both face a threat from extremism and terrorism. It is important to have structural reforms in India. If you look at the FDI in India, it is not very large in comparison to the size of the Indian economy and its potential. So, what we would like to see also is a more attractive climate in terms of absorbing the investment, Mr. Gargash said here at an interaction with reporters along with Reem Al Hashimi, UAEs Minister of State for International Development. The two are a part of the UAE delegation led by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Gargash said neither country was doing any favour to the other as India was looking for investments and the UAE for markets for its sovereign funds. A lot of foreign investment comes through World Bank, but we work more as sovereign funds and more on commercial basis. This is one area where we are working with the Indian government.

We are also waiting for the Indian party to find the right channel for us to make that commitment. As much India is seeking our funds, we are also seeking Indias market. Its a win-win situation, he said.

Hashimi said after Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to UAE last year, an Investment Task Force was formed to expedite the issues and there has been some progress on it. With ISRO achieving success on its Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM) in its maiden attempt, United Arab Emirates has also sought Indias cooperation for its first inter-planetary expedition, which is slated to launched in 2020.

Meanwhile, asserting that UAEs about USD 3 billion investment in India was far below the potential, President Pranab Mukherjee today said New Delhi attaches high priority to enhancing bilateral investment ties with the Gulf nation.
The MEA stated that the Indo-Pak foreign secretaries were in touch with each other to deicde on a date for talks.(Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: India on Friday seized on former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's admission that ISI trains LeT and Jaish militants and asked Pakistan's "state actors" to stop supporting terrorism in the region.

"Musharraf's admission on ISI involvement in terrorist activities in India speaks for itself and it reinforces once again the need for stopping support from state actors to terrorism in our region," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Swarup also asked Pakistan to "expose fully the conspiracy" behind the Mumbai terrorist attack after Pakistani -American terrorist David Coleman Headley's testimony revealing its army's role in the strike.

"Headley's testimony is in relation with the Mumbai terror attack and the testimony is self explanatory... it is up to Pakistan to investigate and expose fully the conspiracy in Pakistan behind the Mumbai terror attack and bring all concerned to justice.

"Headley's deposition once again confirms this view, if any confirmation was needed after confession of Ajmal Kasab," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup added.

Asked about the status of Indo-Pak foreign secretary level talks, he said the National Security Advisors and the secretaries were in touch with each other respectively.

On reports that Pakistan government has dismissed evidence given by India in Pathankot terror attacks, Swarup said the NSAs of the two countries were in contact regarding the investigations and government will go by the "official line" and not by some media reports.

Asked about Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remarks of demilitarisation of Siachen, the spokesperson said Siachen has always been part of the bilateral dialogue process and will be discussed at the right time.

When asked about the recent meeting of Kashmiri separatist leaders with Basit here, he said government's position was very clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the issue can be only discussed between the two countries bilaterally.
Kanhaiya Kumar claimed in the court that this was a politically motivated case and he was being framed by the police. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises, was today remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court.

Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups.

Read: JNU students union president arrested over controversial Afzal Guru event

The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting "anti-national" slogans during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus on February 9.

The police also placed on record a CD of the event, which the judge played inside the courtroom on a computer.

Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event.

Read: Anti-India acts won't be tolerated, says Rajnath Singh on JNU row

He claimed in the court that this was a politically- motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students' union (JNUSU).

He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.

"I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India," Kanhaiya told the court.

Read: Afzal Guru event: JNU orders disciplinary enquiry

After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged after being awarded death penalty by the court, and Pakistan.

Responding to the court's query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders but he can identify all the students who are from JNU. The court, after hearing the submissions, remanded him to three days police custody till February 15.

During the hearing, the police claimed in the court that five other accused, Omar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anirban are absconding from JNU campus.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday presented the 2016-17 budget in the state Assembly amidst protests and boycott by opposition CPI(M)-led LDF demanding his resignation over solar and bar bribery scams.

It was after a 29-year gap that the Kerala Assembly saw a Chief Minister presenting the state budget. Chandy is the fourth Chief Minister of the state to present the budget.

Chandy, who took over the Finance portfolio after former Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani quit in November 2015 after an adverse remark by High Court on the bar bribery case, presented the budget even as the opposition raised slogans demanding his resignation.

The LDF members holding banners and placards raised slogans for a while even as an unfazed Chief Minister continued with the budget presentation.

After sloganeering, the LDF members marched out of the House and boycotted the budget presentation. Chandy in his budget speech highlighted the various achievements, including the Kochi Metro, Kannur airport projects, during his five-year rule.

The House had witnessed unprecedented violence on March 13, 2015 when LDF disrupted the budget presentation by Mani, demanding his resignation.
We are not scared of any of them. If any of us is targeted by them, it would mean like winning a Maha Vir Chakra, says Sena leader Sanjay Raut. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said it was a matter of pride for the party that Pakistan-based terror outfits consider it their enemy. He was reacting to the Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's statement in a Mumbai court that terrorist outfit LeT might have been interested in a strike on the Sena Bhavan, the party headquarters or assassinate its head (the late Bal Thackeray).

"We are not surprised that terrorists are interested in doing a recce of Sena Bhavan or Matoshree (Thackeray residence). Pakistan has always had both on hit-list. It is a matter of pride for us that Pakistan considers us to be their enemy and we are on their hit-list," the Rajya Sabha MP told PTI.

"We are not scared of any of them. If any of us is targeted by them, it would mean like winning a Maha Vir Chakra."

Bal Thackeray consistently fought against Pakistani and Khalistani terrorists for 50 years and considered himself to be "fortunate" to be a target of terrorists, Raut said.

"What would have happened had he (Bal Thackeray) been harmed is a different matter. The main point is Balasaheb's name sends shivers down the spine of terrorists in Pakistan," Raut said.

Headley, deposing from the US through video-conference, said he had tried to befriend Rajaram Rege, a local Sena leader, to get access to Sena Bhavan, as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba, which later carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, might be interested in attacking the Sena Bhavan or "assassinate its head".
Decommissioning plans submitted for three Japanese units

12 February 2016

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Plans for the decommissioning of three nuclear power units in Japan's Fukui Prefecture have been submitted to the country's nuclear regulator for approval. Mihama units 1 and 2 and unit 1 of the Tsuruga plant were among five reactors officially taken out of service last April.

Kansai Electric Power Company and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) today announced they had submitted their decommissioning plans for the three units - which were all officially shut down on 27 April 2015 - to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for approval. Their plans outline the facilities and equipment to be dismantled and a timetable for completing the work.

Tsuruga 1 (Image: JAPC)

JAPC said it expects to take 24 years to decommission Tsuruga 1 - a 341 MWe boiling water reactor that started up in 1970 and is one of Japan's oldest nuclear reactors. The decommissioning is to be carried out in three stages: the first stage, lasting about nine years, will involve preparing the reactor for dismantling (including the removal of all fuel), while the second, also lasting nine years will be to actually dismantle the reactor and other major equipment. The third stage, taking about six years, will involve the demolition of the reactor building.

The company said it anticipates a total of some 20,600 tonnes of solid waste to be generated during the decommissioning of Tsuruga 1. This will include about 40 tonnes of high-level waste, 1990 tonnes of intermediate-level waste and 10,760 tonnes of low-level waste. The remaining waste will not need to be treated as radioactive waste.

Meanwhile, Kansai said it expects to take around 30 years to decommission Mihama 1 and 2. These are 340 MWe and 500 MWe pressurized water reactors, respectively, that had been in operation since the early 1970s.

Both Kansai and JAPC announced in mid-March 2015 that they had decided to decommission the three units, which together with Japan's other power reactors had been idled after the Fukushima Daiichi accident of 2011, rather than applying to restart them. Both companies said their decisions followed an assessment of the work needed to ensure the units meet requirements introduced by the NRA in July 2013.

Independent studies of Tsuruga 1 completed in 2014 confirmed that geologic faults running under the site are inactive. However, JAPC said that while it would have been technically feasible to bring Tsuruga 1 up to the standards required, the size of the project and the degree of capital investment required underpinned the decommissioning decision.

Kyushu Electric Power Company, which also shut down unit 1 of its Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture on 27 April, submitted its decommissioning plan for that unit to the NRA on 22 December. Chugoku Electric Power Company, which shut unit 1 of its Shimane plant in Shimane Prefecture at the same time, has yet to submit a decommissioning plan for the unit.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Teenage girl (illustration)

By: Wayne Morin

A maid was arrested on a charge of aggravated indecent assault after allegedly having sex with her employeras teenage son, police in Zimbabwe said.

Victoria Falls police said that they have arrested 19-year-old Lindiwe Kahila, after being caught by a girl having sex with her 14-year-old brother.

Kahila was charged with one count of aggravated indecent assault.

According to the police investigation, Kahila invited the 14-year-old boy into her employeras bedroom and ordered him to lie down in bed.

She then took off her clothes and undressed the child. She then forced herself on the boy and raped him. The boyas sister heard noises coming from the bedroom, and decided to check what was happening inside.

She was shocked to find the maid on top of her brother. She immediately told her parents who called the police.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag with Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad's wife Mahadevi and mother at Brar square in New Delhi on Thursday. Koppad was miraculously found alive after remaining buried under huge mass of snow for six days at Siachen Glacier, but died in New Delhi on Thursday.(Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Leaders cutting across party lines paid homage to braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad who died today, three days after being miraculously rescued from beneath tonnes of snow in Siachen Glacier, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the soldier in him would remain immortal. The 33-year-old soldier of the 19th Battalion of Madras Regiment was extricated alive six days after an avalanche hit his post at a height of 19,600 feet burying him under heavy layers of snow. The news triggering a wave of sympathy from across the country, as people prayed for his recovery. His death today plunged the nation into grief.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Koppad's demise and in his tribute said the soldier in him remains immortal. He leaves us sad & devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanamanthappa. The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India, Modi tweeted. President Pranab Mukherjee in his condolence message said, I am deeply sad to learn about the passing away of your son, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad. Lance Naik Koppad was a hero who demonstrated exemplary will power and courage in the face of adversity. He made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Vice President Hamid Ansari too joined in paying homage to the Siachen braveheart. A survivor of the mishap at Siachen, he had come to symbolise the grit, determination and the indomitable spirit of the Indian armed forces, he said.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also expressed deep shock and profound grief over the death of the fallen hero. During his life, the braveheart son of India united the entire nation in praying for him and has every citizen grieving for him today, she said. He fought till his last displaying utmost valour, courage and determination, which is the hallmark of our Armed Forces, she said in a message extending her deepest condolence to Koppad's family and loved ones. He is survived by his wife Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal and two-year-old daughter Netra. Koppad's body in a coffin wrapped in national colours, was later kept at the Brar Square of the Delhi Cantonment, where several leaders like Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and top brass of the military including the three Service Chiefs, paid their respect by laying wreath on it. Several civilians had also gathered at the Square to pay tribute to the hero.
Assembly members were given an update by the Alaska Court System on Tuesday about its upcoming lease renewal for courtroom facilities.

Court administrator for Southeast Neil Nesheim explained he was there to let Assembly members and the wider community know what the stance of ACS was in negotiating its lease, so to prevent any confusion.

Nesheim put it to them that ACS would like to pay less on its annual lease for the space provided. This was due to a combination of declining state revenues and diminished court activity in Wrangell since the Public Safety Building was first built in 1985. That previous year in 1984, the citys district court processed 901 filings. Twenty years later, that had dropped to 277 filings, and again in 2014 to 198.

What the system wanted was a lower annual lease rate, reduced from around $70,000 to $61,875, or $1.65 per square foot of lease space. This would be more comparable to other similarly-sized communities lease arrangements, Nesheim explained, typically between $1.25 and $1.60 per square foot. Petersburg was an outlier at a rate of $3.42, but only because the space was being leased from a private entity.

Another factor in the request was the citys failure to upkeep facilities as specified in the lease agreement. The city had agreed to periodically replace carpeting, clean windows, and other maintenance items, but failed to deliver.

We probably should have and dropped the ball there, Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch admitted after the meeting.

Though the problems predated his tenure as borough manager, Jabusch reasoned the oversight was likely due to tight budgets or similar considerations. As for the carpeting, that was to be replaced as part of the renovation. Still, he would make it a point to replace it before the new lease is to take effect on July 1.

Details still need to be worked out, but a final lease agreement should be before the Assembly by March. Among the other stipulations ACS would like to see is an alteration to the lease duration, down to a five-year contract with five one-year options afterward.

Nesheim also raised the matter of sharing design costs for a planned courthouse remodeling, which was scuttled after bid estimates were rejected for being too high. Wrangell had allotted funds in this years budget of up to $350,000 for the project, which the state promised to reimburse with interest over a period of 15 to 20 years.

The renovation was to bring Wrangells courtroom up to modern standards, which included making the juror box and court restroom accessible under Americans With Disabilities Act standards.

Safety concerns would also have been addressed, limiting how the judges chambers and the magistrates office could be accessed by the public. The projects are to consist of casework, wall paneling, doors, carpeting, plumbing, fixtures and electrical, with possible upholstery work.

Designs for the project were drawn up and when the renovation fell through, a $61,000 bill for work already done remained. Nesheim requested the city cover $15,000 of these costs, largely services billed by Public Works.

Between the re-leasing and the canceled renovation, Assembly members expressed a worry the city may eventually lose its courthouse.

Nesheim recognized that Wrangellites would likely want to keep a courthouse, and pointed out the court system had an interest in maintaining its presence in the states communities.

Its a symbiotic relationship, Nesheim explained.

However, due to fiscal constraints he stated court employees were looking at a 4.5 percent pay cut come July, and court hours would also be reduced to limit cost. While impossible to say with any amount of certainty, the closure of Wrangells courtroom for efficiency is possible.

Everything and anything could be on the table, Jabusch commented, referring to the Legislatures budget negotiations.

This is what happens when youre voted the safest community, joked Assembly member Daniel Blake.

After Nesheim was finished, the Assembly revisited its Jan. 26 decision to approve a contract zone for light industrial use for Wrangell Cooperative Associations prospective transportation office, storage and maintenance facility.

The seven-acre property is currently zoned single family residential, and the implementation of a contract zone was subject to several stipulations. The most contentious of these was the addition of a 50-foot greenbelt buffer around the property by the Planning and Zoning Commission in December. When the Assembly took the matter up last month it reduced this to 25 feet, and only where it bordered other residential lots.

As the member who made the motion, Stephen Prysunka used his right to reconsideration under Municipal Code section 3.05.100 C, notifying the clerk within seven days of the adjournment of the meeting.

After some procedural confusion, the Assembly approved the reconsideration. Prysunka then put forward the motion again, with the buffer specification fixed to include 25 feet around the entire property line, which was also approved. As before, the item will return to the zoning commission once WCA has its detailed site plan prepared.

The item can come back to the Assembly in the event Planning and Zoning rejects the proposal and WCA appeals the decision.

Assembly members also approved an amendment to the professional services contract for Morris Engineering Group in the amount of $9,000, adding an upgraded electrical hookup to the city docks electrical upgrades design.
Arsonists Torch Car During Early Hours of The Morning

This article is old - Published: Friday, Feb 12th, 2016

A car has been damaged after it was torched by arsonists in the early hours of the morning.

Fire crews were called to the blaze on Connor Crescent, near Kingsmill Road and Whitegate Road at 5:37am this morning.

One hose reel jet was used to extinguish the fire, which caused 20% damage to the rear wheel arch and 15% damage to the interior of the vehicle.

A spokesman for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the cause of fire was deliberate ignition.

Over recent weeks various projects have been launched in a bid to tackle issues with arson in the Wrexham area  including public meetings being held and rewards being offered.
Sandeep's name cropped up during the interrogation of Irshad who was arrested by Punjab police on the charges of spying for ISI.

Pathankot: A 27-year-old man has been arrested by Punjab Police for his alleged association with a suspected ISI agent, who was held from Mamoon Cantonment in Pathankot.

Charges under Official Secrets Act have been slapped against Sandeep Malhi, a resident of Talwandi Mallian village in Moga district, police said. Sandeep's name cropped up during the interrogation of Irshad who was arrested by Punjab police on the charges of spying on February 2.

Police investigation disclosed that Sandeep had allegedly been in touch with Irshad and his handler Sajjad and they even used to meet each other. Police is investigating what sort of help he was providing to Irshad. Sandeep had also stayed in Chandigarh, police said.

Sandeep has been sent to police remand till February 14 by a local court, police said. This is the third arrest made by police in this case. Earlier, a Malerkotla based mobile shop owner was arrested for allegedly selling mobile SIM card to Irshad on forged documents.

Meanwhile, a 23-year old man, who was moving around in a suspicious manner near the Air force base, was nabbed by personnel of air force authorities yesterday, police said. The man was identified as Shakir Ali, a resident of Kanpur, they said.

According police officials, nothing suspicious was found from him. "He was found to be mentally disturbed. He will be handed over to his parents," a Pathankot police official said. Irshad, a resident of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, was working as a labourer at Mamoon Cantonment in Pathankot.

A smart phone was also recovered from his possession containing pictures of vital installations and sensitive equipment in the cantonment area. Irshad was reportedly caught making calls to Pakistan, which was traced by intelligence agencies.

He was booked under the Official Secrets Act and a case was registered at Shahpur Kandi in Pathankot. His arrest comes within a month of the terror attack at the Pathankot air base in which seven security personnel were killed along with six militants.

According to police, Irshad was being handled by a person called Sajjad, who was earlier stated to have been arrested by J&K police. Sajjad used to collect sensitive information from Irshad and then passed on to his Pakistani handlers who could be ISI.
FOI Reveals 150k Annual Cost Of Prison To North Wales Police

This article is old - Published: Friday, Feb 12th, 2016

The new Wrexham Super Prision is projected to cost North Wales Police 147,000 a year along with other costs, it has been revealed.

The Freedom of Information Request regarding the cost of policing the new prison in Wrexham was submitted by Councillor Arfon Jones, who is also standing in the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections for North Wales.

North Wales Police replied to Mr Jones noting that the time costs meant the FOI could be totally refused, although as a gesture of goodwill some information was provided.

The FOI asked: I request that I be provided with information relating to the most recent estimates of the cost of policing the new prison in Wrexham. This to include all aspects of the prison, inmate crime and disorder as well as impact of visitors to the prison and staff.

North Wales Police replied: Work has been ongoing since the announcement of the North Wales Prison in partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), National Offender Management Service (NOMs) and National Offender Management Service Wales (NOMs Wales) to provide the most effective and efficient response to the potential increase in demand created by the new prison.

Based on the available data, incident and crime prediction work has been undertaken and current estimates put the police staffing costs at 147,000 per annum with 52,500 capital costs in year one and 21,000 per annum associated revenue costs thereafter. Central funding from the Home Office has been applied for to cover these costs.

A further request asking: I request copies of the impact assessment was rejected for time and cost reasons under FOI law, with North Wales Police advising To obtain the information in the format you have requested would involve manually reviewing 800+ records on our force system.

Mr Jones commented: I am glad we finally have clarity on the policing costs but I do however feel that these costs are on the low side and only include the cost of Police Officers and not the total cost of investigating offences which is why we need to see the impact assessment of the prison on policing.

We also need an undertaking that the MOJ or the Home Office pay for the cost of policing the prison and not the taxpayers of North Wales.
Many media outlets have responded to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus plan to expand Canadas role in the US-led Mideast war with scathing criticism, taking the three-month-old Liberal government to task for the supposed inadequacy of Canadas military engagement in the region and internationally.

On Monday, Trudeau announced a tripling in the number of Special Forces offering frontline support to Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting Islamic State militants in northern Iraq to 207, as well as the deployment of an additional 230 troops to Lebanon and Jordan to support local authorities and participate in coalition command centers.

He also said that Canada would increase its intelligence efforts in the region, provide a team of military advisers to the Iraqi government, and invest additional sums in humanitarian aid projects. Canadas two surveillance and one refueller aircraft will remain in the region to assist in the bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq, while Canadas six CF-18 fighter jets will be withdrawn by February 22.

Canadas withdrawal from the bombing mission has been roundly condemned by the media as a bad move, injurious to Canadas relations with Washington and the fight against ISIS, and one for which the government has offered no valid reason. The National Posts John Ivison declared that Trudeau was leaving other countries in the coalition to fight ISIS, while his colleague Andrew Coyne claimed the Prime Minister had decided to do just enough to avoid being publicly rebuked by our allies abroad without doing enough to be exposed to any political risk at home.

Even an editorial in the Globe and Mail that endorsed the governments overall plan to expand Canadas role in Mideast war chided Trudeau for failing to provide a convincing rationale for halting Canadian bombing of Iraq and Syria.

The Canadian ruling elite is determined to maintain its position as a one of the USs premier allies on the world stage. It therefore strongly supports Washingtons drive to retain and expand its dominance of the worlds most important oil-exporting region. At the same time, there are concerns over the implications of the entire region having been set ablaze by the USs wars and by the recent rush of regional powers and great powers, each with their own agendas, to redraw the balance of power in the Middle East and potentially its borders.

It is thus noteworthy that the Globe and Mail, the traditional mouthpiece of the most powerful sections of Canadas financial elite, singled out for special praise those parts of the Trudeau governments war plan that will either expand Ottawas role in determining the US-led war coalitions military strategy or give Canada independent influence with key actors on the ground.

In an editorial titled Even if the PM cant explain why, his Syria plan could prove to be wise, the Glob e lauded the governments plan to increase Canadas role in the coalitions command structures. It also highlighted the governments plan to dramatically increase the Canadian militarys advice and assist mission with the Kurdish Peshmerga and to deploy officers to Baghdad to counsel the Iraqi government. Canada, exclaimed the Globe, will be on the ground, trying to help the people fighting what is now a proxy war and ultimatelymore involved in the Syrian crisis than before, but no longer according to the dictates ofa coalition of countries whose alliances become more complicated and suspect all the time.

Beyond the immediate issue of the fighter jets, Canadas ruling elite perceives a much greater problemthe size and power of Canadas military. These are widely held to be inadequate in the face of rapidly rising geopolitical tensions around the world and the scope and scale of Canadas military commitments.

As well as playing a growing role in the Mideast War, Ottawa is partnering with Washington in its drive to intimidate Russia in Eastern Europe and the Baltic through the deployment of warships and NATO forces. 200 Canadian troops are currently in western Ukraine providing training to Ukrainian Army and National Guard units for their civil war against the largely Russian-speaking population in the countrys east.

In the Asia-Pacific, Canada is committed to increasing its collaboration with the Pentagon under a secret agreement struck in 2013. Ottawa is also pledged to establish forward bases in Singapore and South Korea as part of Canadas contribution to the Obama administrations anti-China pivot or rebalance.

Both left and right-wing media commentators are agitating for Canada to play a more prominent role in assuring global securitythat is, a US-led world capitalist orderand for the Trudeau government to push through the spending increases needed to ensure Canadas military has the requisite firepower.

The response to Trudeaus announcement from Macleans columnist Paul Wells was typical. He claimed that Trudeau had only been able to present the new mission as comprehensive and earn the praise of the Obama administration because his predecessor had done so little. Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had sent just six CF-18s into combat, complained Wells, and these had carried out less than 3 percent of the war coalitions bombing runs. Comparing Canadas involvement in the current war to its contribution to the US-led 1991 Gulf war, Wells wrote that Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had sent 24 CF-18 fighters and a force of nearly 2,000 soldiers as well as two destroyers and a supply ship.

The Harper training effort, continued Wells, was so rudimentary it is possible for Trudeau to triple it The bar was set so low it is possible for (US Defense Secretary) Ash Carter, the toughest guy on the Obama block, to announce that Trudeau has raised it.

Newspaper editorials and columnists routinely decry Canada as a laggard within the NATO alliance, because its current military spending represents about 1 percent of GDP, not the 2 percent advocated by NATO at its 2014 summit in Wales. In late January, the National Post trumpeted a report that Britain had sent a diplomatic note to Canada urging it, along with several other NATO countries, to do more to meet the 2 percent of GDP military-spending commitment.

Evan Solomon, in a second Maclean  s comment, declared the controversy over the withdrawal of the CF-18 jets from the current Mideast really nothing compared to the deeper funding crisis facing the military. He claimed it would cost the government another $2 billion a year for 20 years on top of what were already spending just to maintain the air force, the army, the navy and upgrade our technology for the North American Aerospace Defense Command; adding that the NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of GDP would be another $20 billion this year alone.

Neglecting to mention that Canada has been at war virtually continuously for the past fifteen years, Solomon went on to rail against the Santa Claus promises made by the Liberals on issues such as infrastructure spending and healthcare. The implication, although this was not spelled out, is that the Liberal government must do much more to redirect funds from the already reduced budgets for social spending and public services into equipping Canadas military with the most up-to-date instruments of war.

The frustration of Wells, Solomon and co. is not so much with the Liberals, who have already promised to at least match the $10 billion military-spending increase the Harper government announced over ten years beginning in 2017. It is rather with the Canadian people, who have greeted the aggressive turn of the Canadian political and economic elite with scepticism and outright hostility.

Harper, who seized every opportunity to stoke a bellicose Canadian nationalism and bolster the militarys credentials, himself acknowledged at the 2014 NATO summit that the Canadian population would not tolerate an increase in military spending to 2 percent of GDP.

The Liberals have initiated a comprehensive defence review, which Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has vowed to conclude by the end of 2016.

The pro-Liberal Toronto Star has already tasked the government and Sajjan to use this review as a platform to overcome popular opposition to increased military spending. In a January editorial titled Canadas military needs better focus and funding, the Star urged Sajjan to develop a vision for a genuinely robust fighting force able to function in concert with the US and other allies around the world and to fight for the funding to implement it.

Other media voices, meanwhile, are urging the Trudeau government to consider further Canadian Armed Forces deployments in the name of fighting terrorism to oil-rich Libya and mineral-rich West Africa, where France, the old colonial power, has deployed thousands of troops. At his Monday press conference, Trudeau indicated that both are under consideration.

Writing in the Globe and Mail last Friday, Alex Wilner called on the Trudeau government to prepare a second Canadian intervention in Libya. In 2011, Canada played a leading role in the NATO regime-change war that has plunged that country into chaos, with Canadian fighter pilots boasting that they were acting as al-Qaedas air force, so close was their collaboration with Islamist militias. Pointing to the remarks of US General Joseph Dunford Jr. that US and British Special Forces are already identifying targets in Libya, Wilner urged Trudeau to focus on the bigger picture and take heed that our allies are moving on to a new front.
While the hysterical campaign over the events of New Years Eve at Colognes main train station has subsided somewhat in the bourgeois media, it continues in pseudo-left circles undiminished. Since February 4, an article has been displayed prominently on the front page of International Viewpoint, the central organ of the Pabloite United Secretariat, entitled Sexist violence: New Years Eve in Cologne: some reflections. It openly joins the current campaign of agitation against refugees and calls for a strong state.

The author is Angela Klein, a long-standing member of the International Socialist Left (ISL) and editor of the monthly newspaper SoZ (Sozialistische Zeitung). Together with the Revolutionary Socialist League (RSB), the ISL is the official representative of the United Secretariat in Germany. Both groups are the remains of a split in the Group of International Marxists (GIM), the German section of the United Secretariat in the 1970s and 1980s, and components of the New Anti-Capitalist Organisation (NAO), which operates within the environs of the Left Party.

Kleins article does not differ in any fundamental way from the tirades in the bourgeois media, which sought to exploit the events in Cologne for an all-out racist campaign against mainly Muslim refugees. In common with countless articles in the bourgeois press, it paints a picture of allegedly dangerous and criminal foreign men determined to molest German women and combines this with demands for more police and state surveillance.

At one point, Klein accuses the left and the police of not taking the New Years Eve events seriously. By taking seriously she means spreading racist propaganda. She writes, As the media began to agitate against North Africans the left objected to the racist instrumentalization of the attacks. Partly they went so far as to refuse to take into account the participation of the North African community because this seemed to be a racist attribution.

Only the womens manifestations and the reactions of numerous women groups demanding a better protection of women against sexual violence led to a partial re-thinking by the left, she continued. Klein nonetheless complained, The unspoken fear of the left is that the womens demandsby making no difference between German and non-German offendersinadvertently join the racist chorus.

This is precisely what Klein and International Viewpoint do! At the end of her article, Klein sums up the reactionary implications of her orientation. She writes, The womens demand to strengthen the legislation regarding sex crime is a problem for many left-wing people who are against the rearmament of the state apparatus. Yet we should make a difference between the repressive function of the state and its protective function The left cannot compensate the states failures by its own structures. Therefore women have no choice but to demand sharper laws, which force the police to act.

This paragraph alone proves that the pseudo-left has nothing to do with left, let alone Marxist politics. In his classic work State and Revolution, Lenin describes, based on Engels, the capitalist state power as a special power of oppression, composed of special bodies of armed men having prisons, etc at their command. It is part of the ABC of Marxism that the state has no protective function but is rather an instrument for the exploitation of the oppressed class.

As if to underscore that the pseudo-left is a body which the capitalist state has at its disposal to suppress and exploit workers, Klein and International Viewpoint seize on the events in Cologne for their own propaganda purposes.

As the first sentence of Kleins article states, On New Years Eve the city of Cologne witnessed massive attacks against women. These attacks had a qualitatively new dimension.

She then presents some facts that can be reconstructed from the police reports. She writes, Up to 1000 men were assaulting women on the square in front of the Cologne central station between 8.30 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. The women were surrounded by groups of men, insulted, sexually harassed and robbed. Even a rape is reported to have taken place. The mood in front of the station was aggressive. This might have partly been due to the fact that during the evening people, for fun, were throwing fireworks, in some cases with the aim of hitting other people. The local police were present with 143 officers, the federal police inside the railway station with 70 officers. Neither group was able to cope with the situation.

What Klein and the Pabloites present as facts, have in the meantime been exposed as groundless propaganda.

It is a fact that after six weeks, it remains generally unclear what really happened on New Years Eve in Cologne. In response to the vast majority of complaints filed with the police, investigations were not pursued due to a lack of concrete evidence. There is no firm evidence thus far of mass sexual assaults or even rapes. There is also no indication that what happened in Cologne was any different to what unfortunately happens frequently at large events in Germany where high volumes of alcoholic consumption are involved. Even some bourgeois newspapers have since acknowledged this, though they otherwise participated in the agitation campaign.

This has not hindered the pseudo-left from taking up a leading role in a xenophobic campaign on a scale Germany has not experienced since the fall of the Nazi dictatorship. Some of their articles are so explicitly racist that they could have been written by the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) or Pegida movement.

A prime example of this is an article by Michael Schilva, co-founder of the New Anti-Capitalist Organisation and member of the Socialist Alternative (SAV) and the Left Party, which appeared on the NAOs website on January 20 under the headline, After the shock of Colognea helpless left between ritual and reflex.

It is impossible within the framework of this article to deal with all of the outbursts by Schilva against foreigners and lefts. Here are only a few examples of his disgusting tirade which covers several pages.

With barely concealed cultural racism, Schilva states that the average man from Muslim-dominated countries[has] a more patriarchal attitude towards women than the average European man. Whoever considers this an exaggeration, right-wing populism or racist, should test it in practice and visit a popular club at the weekend, i.e. in Berlin.

Schilva explicitly urged the deportation of criminal foreigners. What can be said against deporting a rapist convicted on a legal basis to Bulgaria or Morocco if his case has been subject to comprehensive and fair legal proceedings? he provocatively asks. In Kosovo, there was also poverty, but no civil war and Serbs, Sinti and Roma were persecuted, not Albanians. Schilvas conclusion was thus, Would it be an insufferable difficulty for an Albanian convicted [] according to the law to be sent back there?

The article continues in the same vein. To be contemptuous or simply denounce as right-wing extremist the fears of the populationa coded phrase used by politicians to justify the intensification of measures against foreigners and justify a dialogue with right-wing extremists like Pegida has long been a pastime for left-wing radicals and a huge mistake.

At the end of his article, the self-proclaimed Mandelite declares that the Left must finally be honest. This is understood by Schilva to mean the open transformation of the pseudo-left into a racist new right. He writes, I believe that the radical left must also abandon the idea/demand that absolutely everyone should be allowed in and begin to genuinely engage in the debate over migration criteria. The left must finally find the courage to abandon the slogans of no borders or the right to remain for all.

How is the sharp shift to the right among the pseudo-left and an entire privileged, petty bourgeois section of the population, for whom it politically speaks, to be explained?

In the final analysis, the same fundamental processes are at work identified by Lenin in State and Revolution. Lenin explained there, once again citing Engels, how in the epoch of imperialism, 1. the state power is strengthened in line with the intensification of class contradictions within the state, and 2. the scoundrels of social chauvinism rush into the camp of the bourgeoisie on the outbreak of war in order to defend the predatory interests of (their) bourgeoisie with phrases about the defence of the fatherland.

Today, the pseudo-lefts phrasesthe exploitation of the issue of sexual violence against women and the protective function of the statealso serve the predatory interests of the bourgeoisie, which is responding to the crisis of European and international capitalism, the growing tensions between the imperialist powers and the reemergence of the class struggle with dictatorship and war.
World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to workers on junior doctors picket lines during their strike Wednesday. At Londons Charing Cross hospital, the picket line was supported by passing motorists who tooted their horns and cheered as they drove by.

Sophie is a junior doctor at the hospital. She said, We are fighting against the cuts to doctors numbers per a set amount of patients and fighting against an increase in hours. We are also opposed to patients being refused care at their local hospital and being forced to travel long distances to another hospital to receive the same treatment.

Sophie said she would read the coverage of the dispute on the NHS FightBack website. NHS FightBack was initiated by the Socialist Equality Party to oppose privatisation and the unprecedented attacks on pay and conditions of health workers.

At the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Oxford Road, reporters spoke to Nabhi, who has been a doctor since 2001. He said, I am an immigrant doctor from India, where there is no social medicine at all, especially for the poor and non-wealthy. I was originally going to go to the United States but it is the same there.

I was sick of saying no to people who needed medical care and was drawn to the UK because of the NHS. But now we are going back to the dark ages here. Last week, I worked 108 hours. The new contract will make it even easier for us to work hours beyond whats safe.

A trainee surgeon named Alice said, The term junior hospital doctor is very misleading. You do five years in medical school, two years foundation and then you train to specialize. It takes 10 years to train as a surgeon. So, a junior hospital doctor can be in his or her 30s or 40s, with children and a mortgage, not someone fresh out of medical school. If you take any time out of training, for example, to have a baby or do research, then you have to go back to your original pay band.

This year, 70 percent of junior doctors havent applied for specialist training because of the new contract. Last year, the figure was 50 percent. Its a disaster.

Yesterday, we had someone needing their appendix removed. We were ready to go to theatre, we had a surgeon, but then a kidney transplant came along, and we did not have enough staff to open another theatre, so the appendix operation was cancelled.

Everything is being privatised from catering to parking. Take the cleaners, they used to clean their own ward and build up a connection and have pride in their work. All that is being slowly eroded with privatisation. If the contract goes through, no one will want to become a doctor.

Karl, a trainee doctor, said, Nobody wanted to strike, but weve been forced into a corner. [Health Secretary Jeremy] Hunt says he wants to negotiate, but its all bluster. If they do impose the contract, I hope everyone resigns en masse. Its all part of a ploy to privatise the NHS. The government backs the private health care model. A survey was released claiming public dissatisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time high. The government is just trying to use doctors as scapegoats to destabilise and destroy the NHS.

A junior doctor named Peter said, The government and media mislead the public about our salaries which are more like 27,000 rather than the high figures they quote. If they lie about this, you cant believe them about anything.

Lisa is training to be a nurse. She said, Im here to protest the cuts and the ending of the student nurse bursary. Without the bursary, which is under attack, I wouldnt be able to train. Fifty percent of health care students have a first degree, and 50 percent are over 29. They wont be able to train to become nurses, as it would mean accumulating debts of over 50,000. Ive looked at your NHS Fightback website and found it very informative.

At the Sheffield Childrens Hospital, Sarah, a junior doctor, said, The government is trying to privatise the NHS. This is not about the money we are paid, its about keeping the NHS accessible and available for everybody.

I dont think the way the newspapers and media have reported on our fight is correct. I think the BMA are trying to get a safe contract that would mean doctors are not being overworked. They are fighting for the safety of doctors and patients.

Aadita said, The NHS is an ideal system. Lots of countries around the world would like to have a system such as the NHS. But the Tories are targeting us now and tomorrow it will be the nurses.

John, a junior doctor, described one of the governments weekend working proposals: They have proposed to have a person called a guardian who will oversee complaints from doctors regarding their work time. If there has been any breach of the agreement on, say, pay and hours, the guardian will penalise the department with a fine, a portion of which will go to make up the lost wages of the doctor.

Such a scheme would cause even more debt to the hospital department, and any doctor who reports an incident could be looked on as a trouble maker.

Calum, standing outside the Childrens Hospital near the picket line, said, I agree with them, they should be on strike. He was at the hospital as his daughter Rosie had been in intensive care there for five weeks after being involved in a traffic accident.

Alan, a paediatric doctor at the Childrens Hospital, said, There arent enough doctors in the NHS. In my field, over 20 percent of positions are not filled. The government is not offering any more money or training. We already work weekends and have done so for a long time. This is not the issue. If we work more on Saturdays and Sundays, what happens during the week? There wont be enough doctors, and this will create health and safety risks, and patient care will suffer. This is about a pay cut.

The junior doctors are the first to have their contracts due for renewal. The consultants and nurses and all other sectors are due after us. We are just the first in a long line to follow.

At Leeds General Hospital, radiology trainee John said, There are a lot of reasons for our strike, it is a part of a wider fight to save the NHS. We feel the government has gone after the junior doctors first, because maybe they feel we are a soft target. By trying to break our pay and conditions, they might feel it will be easier then to move on to other health care workers such as nurses, radiographers and assistants.

I am glad the BMA involved [the arbitration service] ACAS, but I feel in many respects many concessions have been made by the BMA.

John opposed the plans to end bursaries for nursing students: Jeremy Hunt and [Tory Chancellor] George Osborne have no idea what nurses do. These arent young people just sitting around in a library reading a book. These are people on wards doing a job, and without that work that they put in the nurses would generally struggle.

I am a doctor that has worked on wards before, and time and again nursing students have been used to pad out numbers on poorly staffed wards. So the fact that they are not even going to get a bursary for a job they are doing is disgraceful.

This fight affects us all, and I think it is a good time for doctors, nurses, medical students and nursing students to join together against a government that wants to erode the NHS.
Since the beginning of 2016, a further barrage of job losses has begun to hit workers in Australia, amid a worsening rout on the financial markets. Growing numbers of workers are being made to pay for the deepening global slump and the collapse of mining commodity prices, as major employers axe jobs in a bid to cut losses and shore up profits.

The mining and resources sector, which temporarily kept Australian capitalism afloat after the 2008 world financial crash, is now in headlong decline, and the fallout is spreading throughout the economy, including the retail sector. Hardly a day goes by without announcements of layoffs or projected job cuts.

This job destruction is yet to show up in the vastly-understated official Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, which reported that the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percent to 5.8 percent in December. Even by that figure, 727,000 jobless workers were actively seeking employment, just before this years financial turmoil wiped tens of billions of dollars off Australian share values, especially the mining and banking stocks.

Some idea of the emerging scale of the job cuts can be gleaned from the Roy Morgan survey figures for January, which showed the unemployment rate jumping to 10.3 percent, from 9.7 percent in December. Altogether, 2.575 million people (19.7 percent of the workforce) were unemployed or under-employed in Januaryup by 309,000 (1.7 percentage points) since January 2015.

The year began with two major retail collapses. Electronics retailer Dick Smith went into voluntary administration, placing in jeopardy the jobs of 3,300 workers employed at the companys 393 outlets across Australia and New Zealand. Woolworths announced it will either sell or wind up its home improvement business, which includes the Masters Home Timber and Hardware chain, after sustaining heavy losses. Masters has 63 stores, employing over 7,000 people.

With the prices of Australias main exportsiron ore, coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG)still falling, and with predictions of worse to come, the unemployment toll will only rise. Because the price of LNG is linked to oil, gas producers in Australia are implementing large layoffs.

Chevron shed 1,200 jobs in its Australian operations at the end of last year as part of a global restructuring to cut up to 7,000 positions. The end of the construction phase at its $US54 billion Gorgon project on Barrow Island in Western Australia (WA) will result in thousands more layoffs. Gorgon is one of seven gas projects under construction, employing a total workforce of around 35,000. As the projects reach the operational stage, that number is expected to fall to 7,000.

Falling nickel, manganese and copper prices are triggering a wave of lay-offs and closures. In January, 237 workers were laid off at mining magnate Clive Palmers Queensland Nickel Yabulu refinery after the company was placed into administration with a debt of around $100 million.

CBH Resources announced this month the elimination of 116 jobs at its Endeavour zinc and lead mine at Cobar in New South Wales (NSW), delivering a devastating blow to the town.

Last month, Panoramic Resources cut 50 jobs at its nickel mine in Savannah in WA and a significant portion of the workforce at its Perth headquarters. Mincor Resources said it will cease mining at its Mariner and Miitel mines in Kambalda, WA, shedding 90 jobs immediately with more to go as the operations wind down. Independence Group said it will slash 28 jobs from its Long nickel mine in Kambalda.

In January, Consolidated Minerals said it will cease operations at its Woodie Woodie manganese mine near Perth. OM Holdings went into voluntary administration placing its Bootu Creek manganese mine in the Northern Territory in care and maintenance. The company laid off 45 production workers last year and now a further 200 jobs are at risk. Shaw River Manganese in WA was also placed in administration.

Newcrest Mining announced in January that it will axe 100 jobs at its Ridgeway gold mine near Orange in NSW by March. Oz Minerals confirmed last month it will slash around 100 jobs at its Prominent Hill copper-gold mining operation in northwest South Australia, on top of the 70 it axed earlier.

Coal and iron ore job cuts are continuing. Resources giant ANGLO American confirmed this week that more than 100 jobs will be axed at its Drayton coal mine in the NSW Hunter Valley, as a step toward laying off the entire production workforce of 245 by December.

Mount Gibson Iron Ore will cut around 20 jobs at its iron ore loading facilities in WA. Grange Resources flagged job cuts at its Savage River mine in northwest Tasmania that employs around 550 workers.

BHP Billiton spin-off South32 warned it will make a substantial reduction in employee numbers during the remainder of full-year 2016 at its Worsley alumina operation in WA.

Job cuts across other sectors include:

Freight carrier Pacific National will slash 46 coal train drivers jobs from its operations in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Ship builder BAE will shed 50 more jobs from the remaining 150-strong workforce at its Williamstown shipyard in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has cut 325 jobs at the yard since August last year. Ship repairer Forgacs will close its two yards in Newcastle, NSW at the cost of 150 jobs.

Auto parts manufacturer SMR Automotive (SMRA) in South Australia will axe 140 jobs by March.

Banking giant Barclays will cut around 80 jobs at its Australian operations, and at least 230 jobs across the Asia-Pacific region. The Bank of Queensland will cut around 50 jobs from its workforce of 2,220.

Lion Beer, Spirits and Wine Australia will slash 39 jobs from its Boags Brewery in Launceston, Tasmaniaone third of the brewerys workforce. The University of Western Australia announced a plan to cut 300 academic and professional staff.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the federal governments science agency, announced this month it will slash 120 positions, mostly from its atmosphere and oceans division.

The federal government plans to cut 700 public servants jobs, including in the immigration department.

The WA state government will shed the equivalent of 1,163 jobs from the South Metropolitan Health Service, almost half of them at the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).
The abduction and murder of a four-year-old refugee boy, Mohamed, gained nationwide attention in Germany last fall. The boy disappeared from the premises of the Berlin State Office of Health and Social Affairs (Lageso), while his mother waited eight hours for an appointment.

An account in the news magazine Der Spiegel has now revealed that the Berlin police failed to carry out a thorough search for the child for several days. Instead, they focused their attention on the boys family which was suspected of having faked the kidnapping in order to escape the threat of deportation from Germany.

Mohamed, whose mother came from Bosnia Herzegovina, was kidnapped by Silvio S., abused and then killed. The man had already kidnapped, abused and killed another child at the beginning of July, a six-year-old boy named Elias from Potsdam. Silvio S. finally came to the attention of the investigators, after they published a still image from a video captured by a surveillance camera near the Lageso.

Der Spiegel published a thorough report of the actions of the police in both cases. It demonstrated that police behaved entirely differently in the two instances despite their similarities. Both Elias and Mohamed both came from poor families, and their mothers both reacted coolly to the disappearance of their children and made partially contradictory reports. In the case of Elias, a thorough search was initiated immediately, and the police investigated in all directions. In the case of Mohamed, however, they focused attention for days almost exclusively on the family of the missing boy after discontinuing initial search efforts.

Two Searches

Elias disappeared in the late afternoon of July 8, 2015, on the property of the building in which his mother lives. On the same day, a mobile squad, search dogs and a helicopter with a thermal imaging camera were sent out to look for him. The six-year-old was officially reported as missing and a nationwide search initiated. The media was informed the same evening.

In the following days, the search was intensified. The police questioned relatives, friends, neighbours and school officials. Posters with the picture of the boy were hung up, and search dogs trained to locate corpses were deployed. The sandbox at his parents residence, in which he had been playing, was dug up. Wildlife cameras were examined in the surrounding woods and drainage pipes searched. Water levels were lowered in the Nuthe River, and the mud was dredged. Federal troops were even deployed.

Although the mother of the child was noticeably cool, and staff at the boys former kindergarten described her as callous, the police continued to search everywhere for clues. Altogether,1,800 officials took part in the investigation. Only after 11 days of unsuccessful searching did the investigation begin to focus on the mother and her partner.

Nothing of the sort took place in the case of Mohamed. When his mother came back in the late afternoon after waiting for eight hours for her appointment at Lageso, there was no trace of her four-year-old son. She searched for the boy with the help of an acquaintance and then spoke with police who searched the Lageso property together with the security service. Then a search squad scoured the neighbouring area.

However, at 11 p.m. on the same evening, the search was abandoned, although the boy was still missing. The next day, the Lageso premises were searched one more time. This was the last search carried out for four days. The media was not informed, and not even the missing persons department of the state Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) received notification of the case.

Der Spiegel reported the further actions of the police as documented in the investigation. Mohameds motherwho is virtually illiteratemade contradictory and provably false claims. As a consequence, it was not possible to determine beyond a doubt whether it was actually a missing persons case or, rather, a family dispute, the documents stated. No further measures would now be taken.

This was a blatant violation of police investigation procedures by the responsible authorities. In cases of missing persons reports, police are required to take every necessary measure to find the individual. Der Spiegel points out that, in the case of minors, one can always assume that there is a danger to life and limb, and a search is required without delay.

However, nothing of the sort took place in this case. Instead, Mohameds mother was questioned repeatedly in the days after his disappearance, especially after the residence status of the family became clear to the police (in two and a half months they are supposed to be deported). The authorities even went so far as to tap the mobile telephone of the mother and her friends on the grounds they suspected them of faking a kidnapping in order to raise their chances of staying in Germany.

The search was only resumed on the fourth day after Mohameds disappearance, after police obtained new information. It took another two days until the videos from the surveillance cameras at Lageso were viewed. Almost a week after his kidnapping, the authorities first viewed video evidence that showed Mohamed leaving the premises in the hands of an unknown man.

Only at this point did they begin a murder investigation. Another video of a nearby restaurant showed Silvio S., whose photo was later published. Three weeks passed between the day of the kidnapping and the day this video was found. It took another five days for an official to view it. After the picture was published, Silvios mother went to the police and identified her son. He was then taken into custody and confessed to the kidnapping, abuse and killing of Elias and Mohamed and led police to the bodies.

Failure or systematic discrimination?

In a comment published on Spiegel Online, one of the editors who participated in the research for the report referred to the failure of the police and a second class search for migrants. In fact, the methods of the Berlin police illustrate the bitter reality of everyday life for countless migrantssystematic harassment and discrimination at the hands of state authorities.

The very circumstances of Mohameds disappearance illustrate the inhumane attitude that the German authorities routinely display toward refugees. Why did Mohameds mother have to wait for eight hours for an appointment at Lageso? Following the comment in Der Spiegel, one could say: Its not a failure, its intentional.

The political establishment and the media continue to exploit the murky events on New Years Eve in Cologne to call for and carry out an intensification of the attacks on refugees. At the same time, right wing extremists who regularly attack refugees go unpunished. According to research carried out by Die Zeit, there were 222 attacks on refugee lodgings in 2015 until the beginning of December, and 93 of these attacks were arson. In only three cases were the perpetrators sentenced for their actions, and charges were brought in only eight additional cases.

Since then, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has published figures showing that there were many more attacks. The BKA registered 1,005 attacks on refugee lodgings in 2015, including 901 of a clearly far right character.

The investigations in the Mohamed case also recall the behaviour of the authorities in the series of murders carried out by the right wing extremist National Socialist Underground (NSU), which had numerous connections with the intelligence agencies. The neo-Nazi group murdered nine small traders with a migrant background. Countless indications of the right wing extremist background of the perpetrators were systematically ignored and pushed aside by the prosecuting authorities. Over and over again, witnesses who brought such indications to light were subjected to intimidation. The families of the victims were placed under general suspicion and their supposed connections with the Mafia and the drug scene were cited. For many years, the series of murders of primarily Turkish citizens were dismissed as so called Doner killings.

Mohameds case shows that, despite the statements by politicians, police and intelligence agencies, nothing has changed as regards the inhumane treatment of migrants. The public prosecutors office in Potsdam, which is in charge of Mohameds case, declined to respond to the accusations when it was contacted by Der Spiegel. We will not comment on that, it said. If there were failures, we will investigate them internally.
Surrounded by TRS corporators, newly-elected mayor Bonthu Rammohan gives a thumbs-up after paying floral tributes to Telangana martyrs at Gun Park in Hyderabad on Thursday. (Photo: P. Surendra)

Hyderabad: Corporators from Cherlapally Bonthu Rammohan Rao, and Borabanda, Baba Fasiuddin MD were on Thursday unanimously elected the Greater Hyderabad mayor and deputy mayor respectively by the newly-elected corporators and ex-officio members at the GHMC council hall.

TRS corporator Kavitha proposed Mr Rammohans name for the mayors post and Shashi Kumar proposed Mr Fasiuddins name.

Earlier, their names were announced by IT minister K.T. Rama Rao at the party corporators meeting at Telangana Bhavan,

TRS ally MIM supported the candidatures and presiding officer Rahul Bojja announced their unanimous election.

I thank Chief Minister KCR garu and KTR garu for selecting me as mayor. Its a historic occasion since an ordinary worker like me has been selected for the mayor post. I am indebted to both of them, Mr Rammohan told DC.

He added, It has been proved once again that those who serve the party sincerely are rewarded. People have shown immense faith in KCRs leadership and his administrative capabilities in the last 18 months.

Mr Rammohan said that clogged traffic, roads, drainage system and other problems that were neglected in the past would be his priority.

The drainage system was designed for 30-lakh population, while the city has grown rapidly and it is insufficient. Hyderabad should be slum-less city and must have signal-less traffic movement, he said.

After their election, the mayor and deputy mayor called on the CM and sought his blessings.

Earlier, Mr Rama Rao held a breakfast meet with the newly-elected TRS corporators that was attended by all the city ministers, K. Kesava Rao, D. Srinivas and others.

Loyalty defines mayor, deputy

From a T-activist hitting the streets at the drop of a hat to becoming the first mayor of Hyderabad in the new state, it has been a long journey for Bonthu Rammohan Rao.

At 43, with several degrees in his kitty, he unabashedly worships Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family, as is evident by an array of posters after the TRS thumping victory hailing the CM, his son, and the party; his 60-kg cake on Mr Raos 60th birthday and other instances.

Born on June 5, 1973, at Nerada in Korivi mandal of Warangal district, Mr Rammohan did his LLB in Warangal and MA, LLM (PhD) from Osmania University.

Affable, he always addresses party leaders and mediapersons alike with Anna.

He is not just the TRS youth wing chief, but also a close confidant of Mr Rao. Many party leaders describe him as a family member of KCR, just like Balka Suman.

Though he eyed the TSRTC chairmans post, Mr Rao had other ideas, and nudged him to contest from Cherlapally division.

I never dreamt of being named for this august post. I stood by KCR during thick and thin and obeyed party orders. It only shows sincere party workers are duly rewarded, Mr Rammohan said.

Hailing from backward Munnurkapu community he is married to Sridevi Yadav and has two children, Kujita, 9, and Upasri, 5.

Deputy mayor Baba Fasiuddin heads the TRS student wing, and this was the first election he contested.

A commerce graduate, Mr Fasiuddin too played a key role in the Telangana movement as well as in the student and youth wings of the TRS. His family hails from Pocharam mandal of Medak district.

His mother was an employee in the Osmania General Hospital and his father retired from government service. Mr Fasiuddin has a son and a daughter.
Negotiations on Syrias bloody armed conflict were held in Munich Thursday against the backdrop of a government offensive, supported by Russian airstrikes, to break the grip of Western-backed rebels over the largely shattered eastern part of Aleppo.

The talks were convened under the auspices of the 17-member International Syria Support Group, which includes the US and its regional alliesSaudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatarin the war for regime change in Syria, along with Russia and Iran, which are allied with and actively aiding the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Washington demanded an immediate cease-fire and halt to Russian airstrikes in Syria. The US, together with the reactionary Arab monarchies and the regime in Turkey, fears that without a halt to the fighting, the Islamist militias that they have supported, financed and armed for nearly five years may face irreparable defeat.

Russia, for its part, reportedly proposed a cease-fire that would begin on March 1, thus allowing enough time for the Syrian government to reestablish its control over Aleppo.

Late Thursday night, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that they had reached a tentative deal that would see a ceasefire within a week along with expedited humanitarian aid. Kerry allowed that while the agreement looked good on paper, it was yet to be tested. All of the underlying conflicts remain unresolved, and both US and Russian military operations are to continue in the name of the struggle against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

On the eve of the Munich talks, Kerry, in an interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, delivered an unmistakable threat in connection with the US negotiating strategy in Munich: What were doing is testing [Russian and Iranian] seriousness. he said. And if theyre not serious, then there has to be consideration of a Plan B You cant just sit there.

Plan B would consist of a sharp escalation of the US military intervention in Syria, carried out under the cover of combating ISIS, but directed at toppling the Assad government.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also reportedly spent the last several days discussing a Plan B that would involve their participation in direct military intervention to save the rebels that they have supported. The Saudi-owned news group al-Arabiya has quoted officials in Riyadh as confirming the House of Sauds decision to send troops into Syria in what would constitute a provocatively hostile invasion.

Responding to the ominous implications of such an escalation, Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the German daily Handelsblatt Thursday: The Americans and our Arab partners must think hard about thisdo they want a permanent war? All sides must be forced to the negotiating table instead of sparking a new world war.

Medvedevs choice of words was not mere hyperbole. A military intervention to rescue the rebels, which amounts to a war to save Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate, the Al Nusra Front, the leading force on the ground in Aleppo province, could quickly bring the US and its allies into combat with Russia, an armed confrontation between the worlds two major nuclear powers.

US officials have spoken in recent days of creating a humanitarian corridor to Aleppo and other rebel areas under siege by government forces. Presumably this corridor is meant to replace the main supply route for the rebels from Turkey, which has been cut off by the government offensive, disrupting the CIA-orchestrated arming of the rebels with stockpiles poured in from Libya, the Gulf oil kingdoms and beyond. Such a corridor would require a military force to protect it and enforcement of a no-fly zone, meaning a confrontation not only with Syrian government forces, but with Russian warplanes as well.

Turkey, Washingtons NATO ally, is meanwhile blocking its border to Syrian refugees in order to create the maximum crisis possible so that it can pursue its own strategic aims, which include not only regime change in Damascus, but also the bloody suppression of the Kurdish minority on both sides of the frontier.

The Obama administration has issued no warning to the American people that it is embarking on a policy in Syria that could pit the US against the Russian military and potentially trigger a global catastrophe.

There is no significant popular support for US military intervention in Syria, which has been promoted under the false flag of humanitarianism, aided by a whole coterie of pseudo-left organizations that have specialized in portraying a bloody sectarian campaign by CIA-backed Islamist militias as a Syrian revolution.

The extent of the catastrophe unleashed upon Syria through this intervention was spelled out in shocking terms with the release of a new study by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, which found that fully 11.5 percent of the population inside Syria has been either killed or injured as a result of the armed conflict. The death toll from the warcombined with the systematic destruction of the countrys social infrastructure and health care system and a dramatic drop in living standardshas caused life expectancy to plummet from 70.5 years in 2010 to an estimated 55.4 years in 2015.

The study found further that the countrys unemployment rate had soared from 14.9 percent in 2011 to 52.9 percent by the end of 2015, and that the overall poverty rate is estimated at 85.2 percent.

In short, the Obama administration has inflicted upon Syria a war that is every bit as criminal and lethal as the war carried out by the Bush administration against Iraq.

The Syrian people are the victims of a US-orchestrated war that is driven by the global strategy of American imperialism to reverse its economic decline through the use or threat of military force. Washington sought regime change in Syria as a means to an end: the weakening of the two principal allies of Damascus, Russia and Iran, and the reassertion of a Western stranglehold on the vast energy resources of the Middle East.

The threat of world war is posed not merely by the prospect of US and Russian warplanes facing off in the skies over Syria, but by the entire logic of the Syrian war for regime change and the broader strategic aims that it serves. This finds expression in NATOs escalation of the military encirclement of Russia and the increasingly provocative anti-Chinese policy being pursued by the Pentagon in the South China Sea.

The US drive for global hegemony was articulated in the strategic maxim enunciated by the Pentagon nearly a quarter of a century ago that Washington must prevent the emergence of any power capable of challenging the dominance of American capitalism on a global or even regional scale. This grand strategy has led to unceasing US wars of aggression since and now poses the real threat of a third, nuclear, world war.

Against this barbaric strategy of the US ruling establishment, the American and international working class must advance its own independent strategy, fighting for the withdrawal of US and all foreign military forces from Syria, Iraq and the entire Middle East and for the unity of the working class across all national, religious and ethnic boundaries in a common struggle to put an end to capitalism, the source of militarism and war.
The United States Supreme Courts right-wing majority is functioning more and more openly as a proconsul taking orders from dominant sections of the ruling class, most recently those in the coal and oil industry.

Late Tuesday, by a vote of 5-4 along what are characterized as partisan lines, the Supreme Court ordered the Obama administration to stop implementing its Clean Power Plan, a series of regulations issued last summer by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to requires states to purchase electrical power from sources that do not emit undue amounts of carbon and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Compliance, which is scheduled to take place over a number of years, would require modifications to the smokestacks and other infrastructure in plants burning coal and other fossil fuels. Some older coal and oil plants would have to shift to cleaner natural gas, or be replaced by wind, solar and other renewable sources.

These measures are themselves entirely inadequate to deal with the threat of climate change, which is already having an impact on the global environment. Since coming to office, the Obama administration has done nothing to seriously address the issue.

Nevertheless, twenty-nine states, principally fossil fuel producers, supported by various energy associations, filed various lawsuits to enjoin the Clean Power Plan, claiming that Obama is engaged in a power grab by establishing an energy czar who will unduly intrude on the sovereignty of the states to control their own energy resources.

The executive power of federal agencies such as the EPA to enact regulations deemed to be in the national interest has been established for decades. The legal grounds for the lawsuits are farfetched under well-established legal standards, but those no longer deter the current Supreme Court majority from reaching its purely result-oriented decisions.

The Supreme Court action is also unusual on procedural grounds. The cases in question are still working their way through lower court review. Typically, such complex disputes are first adjudicated by lower courts so that the facts can be established and the legal issues distilled before the Supreme Court considers taking any action.

The various cases brought by the states have been consolidated and are presently pending before a three-judge panel of United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the main United States court for adjudicating challenges to federal regulations.

The D.C. Circuit unanimously denied the states requests for a stay, instead placing the cases on an expedited schedule, with oral arguments set for June 2. The panels ruling is expected to follow within months thereafter. The losing side could then ask the full Circuit to review the decision en banc, or choose to petition directly to the Supreme Court.

In opposition to the states request for an immediate stay, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli argued to the Supreme Court that climate change is the most significant environmental challenge of our day, and it is already affecting national public health, welfare and the environment.

Verrilli explained that not only were the cases not ripe for Supreme Court action, but also that there was no need for immediate action to protect the status quo. Under the new regulations, no state would have to commence its implementation of a clean air plan until 2022, and full completion is not required before 2030. On top of that stretched-out schedule there are provisions for states and plants to seek extensions of deadlines.

Eighteen states filed papers in opposition to the request for a stay, stating that they are experiencing climate-change harms firsthandincluding increased flooding, more severe storms, wildfires and droughts. Those harms are lasting and irreversible, according to those states, and any stay that results in further delay in emissions reductions would compound the harms.

The Tuesday action consisted of five nearly identical summary orders that provided no explanation of the legal ground for the ruling granting the stay, which remains in effect while the case works through the Court of Appeals and any later Supreme Court review. As is customary, only the dissenting Justices were named on the orderStephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor. Thus the right-wing bloc of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas has responsibility for the stay.

The Supreme Courts action has been widely interpreted as a deliberate act to humiliate president Barack Obama, who pointed to the Clean Power Plan while in Paris last December negotiating international accords to reduce carbon emissions. Rather than denounce the action, however, the White House issued a mealy-mouthed statement about ultimately prevailing before a court that has already decided against it.
In an action few could match for guile and hypocrisy, the United Auto Workers and General Motors earlier this week announced that they were jointly donating $3 million over five years to help children exposed to lead-poisoned water in Flint, Michigan.

The giant automaker, which long made Flint a center of production, posted a record $11 billion in pre-tax profits in 2015. The joint donation of $600,000 a year is equal to what GM made in profits every half hour last year. It is not known how much the UAWwhich owns the largest block of GM stock, worth billionsis contributing.

In any case, this is an insulting amount for the citys children, who will require lifelong health, educational and other social services to cope with irreparable damage from neurotoxins. The cost of replacing the citys antiquated pipe systemlong starved of resources due to tax abatements demanded by GM and the consequences of automakers deindustrialization of the cityis estimated at $1.5 billion alone.

Far from condemning GM, the UAW has run to its defense and portrayed its damage control effort and tax write-off donation as the height of corporate responsibility and humane behavior.

We know that this crisis requires long-term commitment that focuses on those things that Flint families can do to mitigate their exposure to tainted water, UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said in a Tuesday news release. Whether it is filters, medical care, educational resources or nutritional resources, this partnership can have a lasting impact.

In fact, the UAW is collaborating with GM to divert attention from the corporations complicity in the poisoning of the city and its cover-up. The donation came only a few days after long-time consumer advocate Ralph Nader wrote a letter to GM CEO Mary Barra asking why company officials did not alert the public about high levels of lead in the water after discovering that parts at its local engine plant were being badly corroded by the citys water.

The concerned people of Flint, of Michigan, of the United States, should be informed in detail of the degree or lack thereof of GMs corporate and community responsiveness to sound the alarm and disclose the test results at the time they were produced, Nader wrote, saying, there is no way GM did not have information about lead and other heavy metals in the water from its own comprehensive testing.

In October 2014, GM quietly switched its water supply from the Flint Riverwhich it had long used as a dumping ground for pollutantsto an untainted water supply from a neighboring township. It would take another 11 monthsduring which time state and local officials ignored resident complaints and scientific evidencebefore the governor would provide funds for the city to reconnect to the Detroit water system, its original water source.

The partnership of the UAW and GM has already had lasting and devastating consequences for the people of Flint. Outside of the state and local authorities who switched the citys water supply and then covered up their actions, there are few if any entities so deeply implicated in the social catastrophe in the city.

After reaping incalculable profits in the Vehicle City over eight decades, GM largely abandoned Flint by the 1990s, leaving behind little except abandoned factories, ruined neighborhoods and land and waterways saturated with toxic waste.

As for the UAW, born in Flint during the sit-down strikes led by left-wing militants during the Great Depression, the ruins of the city are symbolic of its repudiation of these class struggle traditions and adoption of the corporatist program of labor-management partnership to boost the profits and competiveness of the Detroit automakers against their international rivals.

As a result of the mass struggles that built the UAW, by the 1960s workers in the city had achieved one of the highest per capita incomes in America. After decades in which the UAW colluded in the shutdown of the citys factoriesincluding the 1999 closure of Buick City, which once employed 28,000 workers alonetoday over 40 percent of the citys population is living in poverty, according to the US Census Bureau. That makes Flint the second most poverty-stricken city in the nation for its size, just behind the depressed former steel town of Youngstown, Ohio.

A 2014 article in Belt magazine, which focuses on reclamation efforts in Americas so-called rust belt cities, provides a devastating picture of the deindustrialized city of 100,000 residents.

Over the last 35 years, auto employment in Flint has dropped from 80,000 to 5,500. Thats why Chevy in the Hole [the site of the 1936-37 UAW sit-down strike] has shifted from producing engines to growing wildflowers. Like so much of Flint, which has lost half its peak population of 196,000, the former plant exists in a state of half-wildness that looks neither natural nor deliberate. Nearly half the citys commercial properties are vacant. Factories abandoned by General Motors make up over 10 percent of the citys land area. The largest former GM property, the 400-acre Buick City, appears on maps as a gray void in the heart of the city.

General Motors was here for 80 years, and left behind toxins that will take centuries to dissolve: arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead, solvents. Petroleum leaks into the Flint River, said Christina Kelly of the Genesee County Land Bank, which has been overseeing the remediation and participating in the site planning.

According to Mike Bennett, the retired president of UAW Local 326, workers at GMs Ternstedt plant in Flint were dying of cancer at up to three times the national average. A December 2008 USA Today article notes that children at Flints Carman Park Elementary School are subjected to some of the worst levels of air pollutants in the country.

Several weeks ago, UAW Vice President Estrada cited the water crisis in Flint in her introductory remarks for President Obama during his January 20 visit to the UAW-GM Human Resources Center in Detroit. She attacked Michigans Governor Rick Snyder, saying that he and other Republicans were not motivated by their moral responsibilities like Obama was when he supported the 2009 bailout of the auto industry. Unfortunately, we havent seen that kind of thinking in Flint, Michigan, where it seems that the state of Michigan and its appointed, not democratically elected emergency manager, focused more on the bottom line than it did on the community safety and of our children, Estrada said.

In fact, Obamas restructuring of GM and Chrysler not only slashed by half the wages of new autoworkers, but also immunized the automakers from lawsuits stemming from pollution and largely relieved them of the cost of environmental cleanup in Flint and other cities. The UAW, like President Obama and the Democrats, is no less committed to defending the bottom line of GM than its top executives and corporate board memberswhich include representatives of the UAW.

In 1845, Frederick Engels, the collaborator of Karl Marx, wrote scathingly about the charity the English ruling class doled out while brutally exploiting the working class and condemning families to cramped, fetid slums of mill towns like Manchester.

What? The wealthy English fail to remember the poor? They who have founded philanthropic institutions, such as no other country can boast of! ... As though you rendered the proletarians a service in first sucking out their very life-blood and then practicing your self-complacent, Pharisaic philanthropy upon them, placing yourselves before the world as mighty benefactors of humanity when you give back to the plundered victims the hundredth part of what belongs to them!

The English bourgeoisie is charitable out of self-interest; it gives nothing outright, but regards its gifts as a business matter, makes a bargain with the poor, saying: If I spend this much upon benevolent institutions, I thereby purchase the right not to be troubled any further, and you are bound thereby to stay in your dusky holes and not to irritate my tender nerves by exposing your misery. You shall despair as before, but you shall despair unseen, this I require, this I purchase with my subscription of twenty pounds to the infirmary!

The American ruling class, along with its servants in the trade union apparatus, is no less hypocritical than its English predecessors. The workers in Flint are not bowing and thanking these criminals. Instead they are fighting. To guarantee such elemental rights as clean water, the working class must unify all of its battles into a single political struggle to put an end to capitalism.
New Delhi: More than a month after the terror attack on the strategic IAF base in Pathankot on January 2, Pakistan has not yet informed India whether it has taken any action against Jaish-e-Mohammed, believed to be responsible for the terror attack, on the basis of vital leads shared by New Delhi with Islamabad.

Reports from Islamabad reveal that it is business is as usual for JeM leaders who were allowed to roam freely. Official sources here said there is no information on whether any criminal case was registered against the outfit, its chief Maulana Masood Azhar or others responsible for the January 2 terror attack on the strategic airbase. There is also no information about when would the Pakistani SIT come to India to probe the assault. It is not yet known whether the Pakistani SIT has collected evidence of how the conspiracy for the attack was hatched in that country, sources said. While it is learnt that NSA Ajit Doval strongly took up the issue with his Pakistani counterpart soon after the Pathankot terror siege, there is no official word on what has been the followup of those talks and sharing of information by the Indian security brass. In fact, New Delhi had welcomed Pakistans keenness to bring to book the Pathankot attackers and also decided to give Islamabad a chance to act. However, a month has passed and New Delhi is still awaiting a response from Islamabad on whether they have found out the actual owners of the mobile numbers which were used by the handlers of the six terrorists who stormed the airbase in Punjab.

Tapped conversations between the terrorists and their Pakistani handlers were also shared with that country, security officials said, adding the government there should take the probe forward by registering a criminal case.

Sources said Pakistan tried to wash off its hand by saying the mobile numbers were unregistered and had been procured on fake identities.

A Pakistan PMO statement, issued a few days after the Pathankot attack, had said, Considerable progress has been made in the investigations being carried out against terrorist elements reportedly linked to the Pathankot incident.

Based on initial investigations in Pakistan, and the information provided, several individuals belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad have been apprehended. The offices of the organisation are also being traced and sealed. Further investigations are underway, the statement had said.

However, sources said, as per the information gathered by Indian agencies, business is as usual for JeM, a month after the Pathankot terror attack and the outfits leaders and other activists were roaming freely in Pakistan.

In the spirit of the cooperative approach, the Pakistani PMO statement had said, it was also decided that in order to carry the process forward, additional information would be required for which the government of Pakistan is considering sending a SIT to Pathankot in consultation with the government of India. We have not heard from Pakistan since then on its SIT, sources said.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Attorney General Pam Bondi and Governor Rick Scott held a ceremony at the state capitol today, honoring eight law enforcement officers from across the state.

Among those honored were Tallahassee Police Department Officer Scott Angulo and Taylor County Sheriff's Office deputy Robert Lundy.

Lundy was selected for the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award.

Back in 2014, Lundy was having his patrol car serviced at a Perry car dealership, when a former employee drove into the building and opened fire on those inside.

Lundy, who was off-duty at the time, fired back, killing the suspect. He's credited with putting an end to the violence before the gunman could injure more people.

Despite his heroic efforts, Lundy remains humble about his role in the incident. "Im just thinking about all the great officers in the state of Florida, and there are so many that deserve to have this. It is just such an honor," Lundy said during today's ceremony.

Even years later, Lundy still suffers from eye and stomach injuries from that day.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all the States and Union Territories to award compensation to rape victims, particularly for the handicapped who are sexually exploited, for their rehabilitation.

A bench of Justices M.Y. Eqbal and Arun Mishra asked all the States/UTs to formulate a uniform scheme for providing victim compensation in respect of all rape/sexual exploitation victims.

Citing the example of Goa which is providing a maximum of Rs 10 lakh to rape victims, the Bench said the scheme to be framed by the States and UTs should take it into consideration.

Writing the order Justice Eqbal said Indisputably, no amount of money can restore the dignity and confidence that the accused took away from the victim. No amount of money can erase the trauma and grief the victim suffers. This aid can be crucial with aftermath of crime.

But compensation can be given to the victim of the rape for relief and rehabilitation in special cases like the present case where the offence is against an handicapped woman who required specialised treatment and care.

In the present case a blind girl was lured into sexual exploitation by the appellant Tekan alias Tekram of Nandini Kundini village in Chattisgarh, (which was previously in Madhya Pradesh) on the pretext of marrying her. It has further come in evidence that when the prosecutrix became pregnant the accused stopped visiting her house. The accused accepted his guilt during village panchayat meeting but refused to marry her. A case of rape was registered against him and a trial court awarded seven years imprisonment and this was upheld by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He preferred the present appeal.

Dismissing the appeal the bench said the victim being physically disadvantaged, she was already in a socially disadvantaged position which was exploited maliciously by the accused.

Taking into consideration her plight and that she was being given a pension of Rs 300 per month, the Bench told the Chattisgarh government to pay her Rs 8,000 per month.
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Telangana discoms are at liberty to schedule the contracted capacity from the supplier. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Power sector experts said Telangana discoms 1,000-MW deal with Chhattisgarh would lead to an additional burden of over Rs 1,050 crore on consumers in the state every year.

The power purchase agreement runs for 12 years, which would mean a total burden of Rs12,600 crore over the period.

Experts and representatives of political parties faulted the TS discoms for taking the MoU route, instead of opting for competitive bidding.

Because of this, the state may have to pay nearly `6 per unit to Chhattisgarh against Rs 4.15 per unit that it was paying Thermal Power Tech in a deal secured through the bidding process.

At a public hearing on Thursday, experts urged Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman Ismail Ali Khan and members L. Manohar Reddy and H. Srinivasulu to reject the PPA and spare consumers of higher tariff.

Mr K. Raghu, coordinator of the Telangana Electricity Employees Joint Action Committee, said the government had claimed the state would become power surplus by 2018-19. If that was so, the 12-year tenure of the PPA with Chhattisgarh was not justified.

TS Discoms need approval from the Central Transmission Utility for transmission of power from Chhattisgarh through the Wardha-Maheshwaram line.

The 4,200-MW line would be partially complete in two years and completed by 2022. TS may be allotted limited transmission corridor as Tamil Nadu has already applied for significant capacity, he pointed out.

Direct the TS Discoms to go for competitive bidding for purchase of power, if procurement from Chhattisgarh results in additional financial burden, Mr Raghu told the commission.

Mr M. Venugopala Rao of the Centre for Power Studies said long-term PPAs should be entered with the power generator through competitive bidding, and not with the middleman, the discom, through an MoU.

He asked the commission to direct the TS discoms to make public the power load forecast plan.

Mr M. Thimma Reddy, convener of the People?s Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation, said as things stand, Telangana would end up paying the capital cost of the Chhattisgarh power plant in the course of the 12 years. ?Reject the draft PPA with Chhattisgarh Discom,? he said.

Congress leaders Mohd Ali Shabbir and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, CPI and CPM leaders Rama Narasimha Rao and S. Malla Reddy urged the commission to reject the deal.

Discom chief says math wrong

Mr G. Raghuma Reddy, chairman and managing director of the southern discom, said that the calculations of experts that the Chhattisgarh deal would result in power being cost `6 per unit were based on mere assumptions.

He said that the Chhattisgarh electricity regulatory commission would decide the cost of power as it is being generated in that state. He urged the Telangana commission to approve the PPA.

He said the 1,000-MW deal was part of the states plans to be power surplus by 2018-19 with 24,000 MW capacity addition.

Replying to concerns raised by experts and representatives of political parties, he said the state needs the power to ensure 24x7 supply and nine-hour power to the agriculture sector.

On the fixed costs, he said the TS discoms would pay for the CTU-approved corridor transmission capacity. TS discom will submit the load forecast along with annual revenue returns.

TSERC chairman Ismail Ali Khan and members L. Manohar Reddy and H. Srinivasulu told the experts that a PPA agreement was mandatory to seek long-term open access from the CTU on the Wardha-Maheshwaram line.

On the charge that the TS discoms would end up paying the capital cost of the Chhattisgarh power plant, he said the primary agreement was between Chhattisgarhs Genco and Discom.

TS discoms are at liberty to schedule the contracted capacity from the supplier.
A little over a week ago, Border Policewoman Hadar Cohen bravely shot a terrorist after he stabbed her comrade, and was then shot and killed by another attacker at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Her heroism has inspired many Israelis, who chose to honor her memory in unique ways.

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Two couples from different parts of the country decided to name their respective newborn daughters after her, while her fellow Border Police officers decided to honor her courage with a kind of online memorial.

Border police officer Hadar Cohen, killed during a terrorist attack

Hadar Guetta from Neve Daniel came into the world on Tuesday night, just hours before the attack. "She was born a month early in an emergency surgery, we were really not prepared for it," said mother Shaked, 26, of her first born baby.

"At first, we thought of giving her a name that relates to Purim, but then, after the attack, my husband Ron called me and told me that he had heard the story of Hadar Cohen and suggested naming our daughter after her. He said he was hurting that a girl was murdered, and he thinks it's the right thing to do. So we decided to commemorate Hadar's courage and heroism."

Hadar Guetta

Guetta is no stranger to dealing with terrorism. "During my national service, I volunteered at an organization that helps victims of terror attacks. I created a close bond with the bereaved families and they stayed in my heart. After Hadar was born, I told them that I decided to name her that, and they were very emotional."

Aryeh, 28, and Ruhama, 26, Arbus from Elon Moreh also decided to name their daughter after Hadar. In a post that touched many the new father announced that he decided to call his daughter Tair-Hadar and wrote: "Few women got to take part in the saving of Israel like you did with strength and splendor."

Aryeh told Yedioth Ahronoth that this was actually a commemoration of two people. "After the birth, I remembered the case of Hadar Buchris, who was stabbed to death at the Gush Etzion Junction in this wave of terrorism, and thought about the heroism shown by the combat soldier Hadar Cohen. All of this brought the name Hadar to the forefront of my mind. I went to my wife and suggested that we name our daughter that, and she immediately agreed."

Tair-Hadar Arbus

The Arbus family paid a visit to the mourning Cohen family and told them about the gesture. "It made them very happy," said Aryeh. "It may be considered a gesture on my part, but the truth is that I took some of Hadar's heroism for my daughter. She was a heroine and her act touched the people of Israel."

Uri Cohen, Hadar's cousin, said that his family invited the Arbus family to their shiva. "They were very emotional by the story and thanked him very much," he said. "We appreciate anything that will commemorate and memorialize Hadar."

We're All Border Police

To mark one week to the deadly attack, former and current Border Police officers decided honor Hadar Cohen's memory by changing their Facebook profile picture to one in which they are wearing their Border Police uniform.

The photos were accompanied by the Hebrew hashtag #WeAreAllBorderPolice and different messages "in memory of fighter Hadar Cohen."

One of the soldiers who posted a status update in memory of Cohen is Raz Bibi, who recently returned to service in the Border Police after he was severely wounded in another attack at the Damascus Gate, a few meters away from where Cohen was murdered. He was stabbed by a terrorist last June, but managed to recover, shoot and neutralize his attacker.

Raz Bibi

"As a fighter in the third company in the Old City, and as one who was stabbed at the Damascus Gate and is still recovering in an effort to return to full activity and protect innocent people at the Jerusalem friction points, the moment I heard about the attack it took me back to that day, to the same feelings and that damned and dangerous place, to that flashpoint where at every moment a terrorist can pop up and simply start murdering," Bibi wrote on his Facebook page.

"When I saw the pictures and that Hadar was in critical condition, I immediately started thinking  I hope reports don't start appearing that she was killed, like what happened to me, but unfortunately after hours of trying to fight for her life in the operating room, doctors had to declare her dead. I feel the pain and there are no words. To me, Hadar, you are a heroine, Israel's heroine, who prevented a more serious attack. Because of you, a greater disaster was avoided and your friend was saved. To me, this is heroism! Rest in peace," Bibi went on to say.

Snir Eindaporker

Snir Eindaporker, 23, from Ashdod, served in the Border Police in the Jerusalem area, among others at the Qalandiya, Beit Hanina and Hizma checkpoints. He also changed his profile photo to one of him wearing his Border Police uniform. "I may not have known Hadar Cohen," he wrote, "but the Border Police is one big family. We are all proud of her, give her thanks and send our condolences to the family. The Border Police always was and always will be Israel's armor. "

Shlomi Shaul

Yaakov Komemi, who serves in the Border Police, also uploaded a photo of himself in uniform. Yaakov is the brother of Lance Cpl. Menashe Komemi, who received the police's Distinguished Service Medal along with Lance Cpl. Mamoya Tahio, after they stopped a mass casualty attack in the French Hill in 2004 with their bodies.

Yaakov Komemi

A suicide bomber tried to bypass the checkpoint in order to get to a bus stop and explode in a crowded place. The two fighters insisted on searching her, and during the search the suicide bomber activated the bomb and killed both of them.

Yaakov has followed in his brother's footsteps and also enlisted in the Border Police.

"It's the least we can do," Yaakov said of the commemoration for Hadar Cohen.

'In memory of the heroine Hadar'
World powers on Friday agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at reviving the struggling peace process.

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The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Sergei Lavrov, John Kerry, and UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura (Photo: AFP)

The International Syria Support Group also agreed "to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately".

"Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas," said Kerry.

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, pressed an offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.

Kerry said talks between rebels and the regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper -- what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground."

Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that "whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days".

"When the whole world sees whether today's agreements are kept and implemented -- by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia," he said.

Task forces

The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a "new world war" if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.

But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign.

Lavrov called "for direct contacts between the Russian and US military" in Syria and said negotiations on a political transition "have to start as soon as possible, without ultimatums and preconditions".

Kerry said the cessation of hostilities -- an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire -- would apply to all groups apart from "the terrorist organizations" of the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra.

A UN task force, co-chaired by Russia and the US, will work over the coming week "to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," Kerry said.

Another task force will oversee the delivery of aid, including pressure on Syria to open routes, since only around a dozen of 116 UN access requests have been granted.

"This working group will meet tomorrow in Geneva," said Kerry. "It will report weekly on progress, or lack thereof, to ensure consistent and timely and approved access moving forward."

Russia, US at odds

Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.

The two traded accusations on Thursday, with the Pentagon claiming Russian air strikes had destroyed hospitals in Aleppo and denying Russian claims that US planes had struck the city.

Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has benefited from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis in Europe.

Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.

Instead, it has sought to focus more on combatting IS jihadists, which have taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces.

"The US has given up the idea of toppling Assad," said Camille Grand, of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. "Kerry seems willing to accept pretty much anything to resolve the crisis."

The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".
Bhojshala has been virtually turned into a fortress with a huge police deployment to avoid any untoward incident. (Photo: Twitter)

Dhar, Madhya Pradesh: Prayers began peacefully at Bhojshala this morning on 'Basant Panchami', even as a right wing organisation performed the puja outside the monument after they allegedly found some security men wearing shoes at the site, where Muslims too offer namaz.

"We went inside Bhojshala to offer puja, but when we saw security personnel wearing shoes, we decided to leave the place and come outside. We have started the puja opposite to Bhojshala," Dharm Jagran Manch's district head Gopal Sharma told.

Meanwhile, District Collector S Shukla said that 350 devotees have offered prayers at the temple inside Bhojshala. More devotees are coming inside for puja, he added. The monument has been virtually turned into a fortress with a huge police deployment to avoid any untoward incident.

BUS leader Ashok Jain claimed the authorities are making government officials offer puja inside the Bhojshala to show that all was normal. The real devotees (faithful) in a huge number were offering puja outside, he said.

There was tension in the town for past few days ahead of the 'Basant Panchami' after Bhoj Utsav Samiti (BUS), an umbrella body of some right wing organisations, leader Vijay Singh Rathore demanded that Hindus be allowed "dawn-to-dusk" access to perform puja at Bhojshala, despite an order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month. On the other hand, the Muslims' Shahar (city) Qazi also said on Thursday that his community should be allowed to offer Friday namaz at Bhojshala.

The ASI order stated that on Basant Panchami, Hindus will perform puja at Bhojshala from sunrise to 12 noon and from 3.30 PM to sunset, while Muslims will offer namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Hindus consider Bhojshala as temple of Goddess Wagdevi (Saraswati), whereas Muslims treat it as Kamal Moula mosque.

In the normal course, Hindus are allowed to perform puja on Tuesdays, while Muslims offer namaz on Fridays. The structure is open to all on rest of the days. But the row erupted with Basant Panchami and Friday namaz overlapping today, as both sides refused to give up their access to the 11th century monument, which many dub as "mini-Ayodhya".

A similar crisis had erupted at the Bhojshala in 2003, 2006 and 2013, when Basant Panchami and Friday namaz coincided.
Palestinian youth Fadi Abut al-Saud was indicted on Thursday on charges of threatening Yisrael Beytenu MK Avigdor Lieberman on his Facebook page.

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Among other things, Saud allegedly wrote: "Hello, we will commit terror acts and suicides in the occupied territories of 48'. We will stab you, shoot you, and take revenge for all of the shahids (martyrs). Tomorrow or two days from now we will commit two terror acts in occupied territory. You are our target. Your murder is close, you son of a Jew."

(Photo: Police Spokesperson)

Image on al-Saud's Facebook page (Photo: Police Spokesperson)

Abu al-Saud, who was arrested after a complaint was filed by a Knesset cecurity guard, stands accused of threats, incitement, and support for a hostile organization. He was taken for questioning by the police after his arrest.

According to the indictment, thousands of followers were exposed to Abu al-Saud's publications. One of his posts allegedly stated, next to a picture of a knife: "The serration on the knife causes the entry of air into the stabbed person's body, which leads to certain death."

(Photo: Police Spokesperson)

MK Lieberman said in response: "Security forces are working day and night, with dedication and determination, to thwart the terror threats toward the citizens of Israel, and I am glad that in this case as well, they managed to get their hands on the threatening party. This is not the first time threats have been made towards me, and just as always, I will continue to work for the things in which I believe and towards strengthening Israel's security. No one will deter me."
Russian forces, combined with the Iranians and Hezbollah, have changed their tactics in Syria. With a complete disregard to the international community, they are intensively bombing rebel bases, even at the risk of killing thousands of civilians, and starting a new wave of refugees. The two major focus points in the campaign are the cities of Aleppo and Deraa

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It is becoming apparent that a turning point in the favor of the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and the Iranians has occurred in the Syrian Civil War and they have only Vladimir Putin to thank. More specifically  for his vicious yet effective strategy and the generals he has loaned to the regime in order to direct the campaign against the Sunni rebels.

However, what is happening in practice is ethnic cleansing and a new wave of refugees leaving Syria.

Photo: AP

Until the arrival of the Russians, the Syrian regime, with the assistance of Hezbollah and the Iranians, fought the rebels by attempting to destroy them piecemeal. These sporadic military operations happened here and there and were fought with little to no overarching goal, except to keep rebels away from places of economic or moral importance, and to stop the capture of military bases and government facilities.

There was also a special, almost sacred effort to stop the massacre of Alawites and Shiites, which the Islamists carried out with glee any time the chance arose. Only occasionally was there a clear military objective with a clear strategic purpose.

This lack of strategy very nearly led to the fall of the Assad regime in the spring of 2015. It was then that the Russians entered the fray - not due to any particular love for the Assad regime or the Iranians, but to protect and defend the strategic interests and assets they had in the country.

Yet, the Russians did not have much success at the beginning of their efforts in Syria. This is because the original method employed by the Russians was a copy of the unsuccessful strategy used by the US-led coalition in Libya, Syria, and Iraq, and against ISIS. The American strategy was based on precision airstrikes, while ground forces would be comprised of local forces- such as the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga.

The Russians and the Iranians began their joint operations in Syria in order to eliminate the threat posed by the rebels to the Shiite and the Alawite heartland, specifically the port cities of Latakia and Tartus, cities which also house the principal Russian military installations in Syria.

Photo: AP

The ground forces operating beneath the Russian air umbrella were members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Basij militias, and additional Shiite militias from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this combined Russian-Iranian-Syrian-Hezbollah offensive stalled within three months. While the immediate threat to the city of Latakia was pushed back, further gains were not made.

The Russian generals quickly realized after these three months that their strategy was not working. They understood that the secret weapon of the rebel groups they were fighting lay in the fact that the rebels can melt into the civilian population at will, and that the local Sunni community supports and assists them. And it wasn't as if the Russians were avoiding hitting targets in the middle of crowded Sunni cities and towns. They didn't even take civilian casualties into consideration.

But it seems that the Russians indeed understood this secret weapon - the close ties between the rebel fighters and the communities within which they were fighting. The rebels could go on the offensive from hidden areas within the village, then return and blend in with the civilian population when the response came. This was a classic guerrilla war which the rebels were able to fight for an unlimited amount of time.

To top it all off, these fighters are people who were born and raised in these villages, and the civilian population provided them with everything they needed - moral support, food from UN aid convoys, medical attention, hiding places, and firing positions from within private houses and schools.

On top of this, the assimilation of the rebels into the population of non-combatants triggered international condemnation of airstrikes on these rebel positions. The Russians had to start planning their strikes with additional auction. In short, all the tactics that the IDF has dealt with in its wars against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza were working marvelously for the rebels in Syria. Therefore, the Russian generals, who had learned from the Russian experiences in Chechnya, Afghanistan, and now Syria, decided to take off their gloves and brush off all criticism coming from the international community.

They understood that to bring about a turning point, they would have to denigrate the fighting capabilities of the Syrian guerillas, and that they would have to separate the rebels from their two principal power bases: support by the civilian population and outside military assistance received via Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon.

The new strategy the Russians formulated was to destroy these power bases through ethnic cleansing, and force them to flee as refugees to Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, and from there on to Europe. As a complementary measure, they would subject those who stayed to blockades and sieges, starving those who refused to leave.

And therefore, according to credible western sources, the "Russian System" has been activated in Syria. First; they determine senior commanders in the Russian-Iranian-Hezbollah coalition who are from communities which are under rebel occupation, and base them and consolidate these forces who are loyal and essential to the Assad regime. The Russians will then start an intensive bombing campaign of these cities, day and night, with no effort to differentiate between combatant and civilian.

At the same time, the Syrian military, alongside Hezbollah and the Iranians, concentrate their forces on the ground. Infantry units then perform a survey of the area next to the bombed out town. Most of the civilians and rebels who had survived the bombings will have already run for their lives, or will have taken cover in the basements and cellars of the houses throughout the village. And even then, the Syrian military and its allies are in no rush to go into the town to capture it. They simply situate themselves at the entrances to the town, and set up a siege.

The rebels and civilians who survived the bombing can't escape or start over. They don't get any food, water, or anything else which would permit them to live. Between this, and the Russian bombs which continue to fall on them, they are faced with two equally bad options: to either die of hunger or the bombs, or surrender and be killed on the spot.

By contrast, the tactics during the beginning of the civil war were much different: the Syrian forces would enter the towns from which the rebels fled, imbued with a sense of victory, while the civilians (who were also supporters of the rebels) continued to live in the towns. The area would then stay under the control of Hezbollah or the regime until the rebels were able to regroup and be re-armed by the Americans or the Saudis, and then, with the help of the civilians, would come in and retake the city. And the cycle would continue.

Photo: Reuters

Just the knowledge of the brutal Russian and Iranian strategy - the indiscriminate carpet bombings, the merciless sieges, and the cutting off of supply routes - has sent a tsunami of people, rushing towards the border. Non-combatants and rebels both are fleeing for their lives to the border in their thousands before it is too late. They are worried that the Iranian, Syrian, and Hezbollah ground forces will cut off the escape routes to Turkish and Jordanian borders, and that they will find themselves hungry and under siege, dependent on the grace of a Syrian government which knows no mercy.

A sensitive situation on the Golan Heights

The Russian-Iranian-Hezbollah coalition is currently using this new strategy on two fronts: Aleppo and Deraa.

Deraa, the less important of the two fronts, is situated in southern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. The revolution was started here five years ago by Sunni tribesmen angry at the regime. This city is of moral and symbolic importance, and its capture would deal a harsh blow to the rebels' morale. It will also make it more difficult for the rebels to receive assistance from Jordan, as that border would be cut off. Finally, the fall of Deraa would deal a harsh blow to the Nusra Front, as it main headquarters are located there.

In addition, Deraa is only 25 miles from the border fence on the Golan Heights. Therefore, whatever happens in Deraa will have an indirect effect on Israel. If the Assad regime is able to capture the city, the next step may be to open up an offensive to recapture the Syrian Golan, with the help of Hezbollah and the Iranians, and plenty of Russian air support. This is not an ideal situation for Israel. It will require Russian jets to operate dangerously close to the Israeli border, and will test the coordination between the IDF and the Russian air force.

If the Russian-Syrian collation is able to conquer the Syrian Golan heights, it will be easier for the Iranians and Hezbollah to open up another front for terrorist acts against Israel. It is likely that the Russians would not stop Hezbollah and the Iranians, so long as their actions don't lead to another war.

However, the principal offensive of the Russian-Shiite coalition is taking place in Aleppo in northern Syria. It is the second largest city in the county, but is the most important city strategically, economically, and culturally. It is considered the most important city which is not under complete government control. The Free Syrian Army, Islamist groups such as the Nusra Front, Army of Islam, and Ahrar a-Sham, are all in control of different parts of the city. ISIS even maintains a small presence within Aleppo, but controls large swathes of territory to the east and north of the city.

Photo: Getty Images

The capture of Aleppo may determine the fate of the fight for the rest of northern Syria, and represent another major turning point for the embattled Assad regime. A victory here has the ability to cut the off the Sunni rebels' access to the border with Turkey, and trap them between the Syrian regime in the south, the Kurdish forces in the north, and ISIS in the east.

There are people in Washington and London who believe that if only they could get stinger anti-aircraft missiles into the hands of the rebels, the will be able to defend themselves in the face of Russian airstrikes. Happy is the believer. The Russians are not impressed and are in no rush. Their Sukhoi-30 jets continue to pound cities and agricultural towns around Aleppo from the air, and even hit targets within the city itself. Meanwhile, Syrian, Iranian, and Hezbollah forces are happy on the ground, and are capturing town after town.

It seems that the Russian and Iranian generals intend to bomb Aleppo to smithereens, and then put up a siege around the city. The Iranian, Syrian, and Hezbollah militants are not in any hurry to enter the city for street to street fighting. Instead, they will wait until the starved city surrenders and falls into their hands like dried fruit. The coalition has already closed off one of the central highways connecting Aleppo with the Turkish border. All that remains is one narrow corridor which is soon to be closed off as well. Tens of thousands have already begun to gather at the border crossing next to the Turkish town of Kilis yet the Turkish government only permits an infinitesimal number of them - the heavily wounded and desperately ill- to cross into its territory.

Erdogan has issued strong condemnations against Russian brutality, but has also exploited the humanitarian crisis to try to convince the Americans and Russians to establish a safe zone for refugees in Syrian territory, along the southern Turkish border. The Turkish President has advocated for this option because he does not want more refugees to enter Turkey. Meanwhile Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressuring Erdogan to accept more refugees and allow them to stay in Turkish territory.

Erdogan wants to pressure the Americans to create a no-fly zone along the Turkish-Syrian border to protect the refugees and the Turkmen minority, rebelling against Assad. However, these efforts are in vain. Washington has decided that the war against ISIS is more important than removing Assad. Thus, it does not want to confront the Russians and its proxies and instead is cooperating with it.

President Obama wants to resolve the crisis through diplomatic means with the Russians as it did with the chemical weapons issue in 2013. Thus, Obama is turning his back on the cries of Syrian citizens and rebels fleeing for their lives, as well as their Saudi and Turkish backers..

Meanwhile, the largest ethnic cleansing in history since World War II continues: eight million Syrians- one third of the entire Syrian population- are already refugees either in Syria or in other countries. If that is not ethnic cleansing- then there simply is no longer any meaning to the phrase. The number of dead has long since passed 300,000 and it seems that the number of wounded is closing in on a million. Year after year the UN passes resolutions alleging that the Syrian government's actions border on crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Obama, the UK, and the EU stand on the sidelines, silently hoping that the Russians will be able to avert a humanitarian crisis.

The Russian foreign minister stood up to the West and presented two a simple option to them: permit Aleppo and its residents to bleed and starve to death  or the West, the Gulf countries, and Turkey will force the rebel groups to accept the Russian peace plan. This plan, which was drawn up by the Kremlin, and in consultation with the Americans, will permit Assad to continue to rule for another year and a half until the next round of Syrian general elections, and then step down in peace.

The supposedly new regime that will be formed in Syria will be comprised of Assad loyalists and will maintain the interests of the Shiites, Russians, and Iranians.

The rebels have rejected Russian, British and Saudi peace plans. They demand that Assad be thrown out of power as soon as the peace process begins, not when it ends. However, United Nations Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura suggests first declaring a partial or full ceasefire, then providing humanitarian supplies for besieged and starving towns  and only then discussing specific details.
If a member of France's National Assembly had dared visit the Sint-Jans-Molenbeek neighborhood in Brussels, the home of some of the November 13 Paris terror attack perpetrators, and observe a minute of silence with the families of the murderers, he would have had to flee directly to Syria. He'd only be able to return to France in handcuffs. Excuses like "you have to understand the cultural context" would have been rejected out of hand. But MK Ayman Odeh dares complain about Israeli democracy. He's got some nerve.

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The outrage at the three Balad MKs was not about their humanitarian mission to return the bodies of the terrorists and comfort bereaved families. The outrage exploded because of their show of solidarity with the families of the murderers, which was also expressed in a minute of silence in their memory. Odeh, by the way, claims there was no minute of silence. Really? Jamal Zahalka told Danny Kushmaro: "There was a minute of silence, as is the Palestinian custom."

MK Haneen Zoabi (Joint List) (Photo: Zohar Shahar)

MK Haneen Zoabi explained after the visit that the important thing was the struggle against the occupation. Indeed. Like her party members, she is talking about the 1948 occupation, not the 1967 one. She rejects the Jews' right to have a state of their own. She doesn't just support the "resistance," she also encourages it. And she, the so-called secular woman, also called to "put religious ceremonies and religious institutions in the center of the struggle," as well as "to cancel the security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and replace it with resistance."

And to those who insist on not getting it, "the resistance" ("al-Muqawamah") is also, and perhaps mostly, terrorism against Jews. And according to Zoabi, "there is no such thing as Palestinian terrorism." Not even the murder of the three yeshiva students. There's only a "legitimate struggle" and "resistance." It's no wonder Hamas views her as a heroine. Zoabi and her friends insist on perpetuating the conflict and perpetuating terrorism, they've been the Palestinians' catastrophe for the past 100 years of conflict. They're leading them from one disaster to the next, and they insist on carrying on.

A mother is a mother?

Razi Barkai claims that mothers on both sides of the conflict have similar feelings. Arad Nir from Channel 2 backed Barkai, claiming that "a mother is a mother." What's happening with some journalists? They're insisting on proving that to them, fantasies are more powerful than facts. And the facts are that the mother of Muhammad Nazmi Shamasneh, who committed a terror attack on a bus at the entrance to Jerusalem in October 2015, gave an interview to Lebanese television. She went there with candy, as an expression of her joy, and also expressed hope that the rest of her sons go up to paradise as shahids (martyrs). This is the reaction of most of the Palestinian mothers over the past few months. Their hatred for the victims is stronger than their love for their sons.

I wish a mother was a mother. The Palestinians' situation, and ours, would've been much better. And worse still, Barkai reduced the meeting of the three Balad MKs with the families of the terrorists to a humanitarian issue of "returning the bodies." He ignored the fact this was another milestone in the struggle against the very existence of the State of Israel, and another show of support of terrorism. He turned the Balad MKs into "rights activists." They didn't even know that's what they were.

MKs Zoabi, Zahalka, and Ghattas seated at head of table with relatives of Palestinian terrorists

It's a bit hard to believe that Barkai, a veteran, experienced journalist, cannot understand his error. A lot can be said about him, but he's not a fool. And despite that, Barkai, a bereaved brother himself, insisted on faux neutrality. He's actually from the United Nations. And just like the UN, he's not confused by facts. He rightfully earned the accusations made against him.

Saving Jewish Jerusalem

Haim Ramon recently founded the Saving Jewish Jerusalem Movement. The movement, which includes a list of veteran politicians, IDF officers and police officers, seeks to separate the capital from the Palestinian villages. It's unclear why they were included as part of the Jerusalem municipality to begin with. The new separation line will reduce the proportion of Arabs in Jerusalem from 40 percent to 20 percent. This is about returning 200,000 Palestinians to their natural place: Instead of a binational city, we'll get a Jewish city.

Rioting in Shuafat (Photo: AFP)

These are villages no Jew has stepped foot in for years. GPS apps warn drivers not to enter them, and quite rightly so. The residents there don't feel Israeli, and Israel doesn't consider them Israeli either. The "union" with them was the result of the outlining of a municipal border that is completely wrong. Sort of like the outlining of borders in the SykesPicot Agreement. There, it fell apart with a lot of bloodshed. We should do what's best for us in order to reduce the bloodshed.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is against this plan. He presented it as the "division of Jerusalem." But that's not accurate. The Old City will remain under Israeli control. Holding onto the nearby villages is against Israeli interests. Thats not how you keep Jerusalem Jewish. On the contrary. It's about insisting on a conflict-torn and binational Jerusalem.

Israel cannot and should not wait for the Palestinian to be so kind as to rescue us from the disaster of a binational state. We can start by breaking free of the foolishness of a binational city.
A 94-year-old former SS guard at the Auschwitz death camp went on trial this week on 170,000 counts of accessory to murder, the first of up to four cases being brought to court this year in an 11th-hour push by German prosecutors to punish Nazi war crimes.

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Three Holocaust survivors took the stand on Friday to testify about the horrors they experienced at Nazi Germany's Auschwitz death camp.

Former SS sergeant Reinhold Hanning sat only a few meters from the witnesses, but showed no emotion as they told of crematoria chimneys belching flames, naked prisoners being taken to the gas chambers, and seeing people being shot.

Accused by the prosecutor's office in Dortmund as well as by 40 joint plaintiffs from Hungary, Israel, Canada, Britain, the United States and Germany, Hanning is said to have joined the SS forces voluntarily at the age of 18 in 1940. He joined Auschwitz as a guard two years later.

Former Auschwitz guard Reinhold Hanning (Photo: Reuters)

Although Henning wasn't directly involved in any killings at the camp, prosecutors accuse him of expediting, or at least facilitating, the slaughter in his capacity as a guard at the camp where 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were killed.

Cross-examining the three witnesses, prosecutor Andreas Brendel tried to determine direct knowledge of the guard's duties in Auschwitz but none of them knew Hanning personally.

Justin Sonder, the youngest of the witnesses at 90, arrived at Auschwitz at age 17 and was selected to be a slave laborer for the IG Farben company, rather than sent directly to the gas chambers.

He told the court that after three or four months, he was considered one of the "older" prisoners and feared most selection days, when SS men would look at rows of inmates, who were forced to stand in a line naked for up to four hours, and decide who was still fit to work and who should be killed.

"I don't have the words to describe how it was, when you know that you could be dead in one or two hours, it made you sick, made you crazy," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

"I survived 17 selections," added Sonder, a retired police officer from Chemnitz, who lost 22 family members in the Holocaust.

Auschwitz survivor Justin Sonder (Photo: AP)

Hanning is accused of serving as an SS Unterscharfuehrer (junior squad leader) in Auschwitz from January 1943 to June 1944, a time when hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews were brought to the camp in cattle cars and gassed to death.

The trial for the retiree from a town near the western city of Detmold is one of the latest that follow a precedent set in 2011, when former Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk became the first person to be convicted in Germany solely for serving as a camp guard, with no evidence of involvement in a specific killing.

The verdict vastly widened the number of possible prosecutions, establishing that simply helping the camp to function was sufficient to make one an accessory to the murders committed there. Before that, prosecutors needed to present evidence of a specific crime - a difficult task with few surviving witnesses and perpetrators whose names were rarely known and whose faces were often only seen briefly.

Hanning, a retired dairy operator, admitted to investigators when first questioned that he had served in the Auschwitz I part of the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, but denied serving at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau section, where most of the 1.1 million victims were killed.

Prosecutor Andreas Brendel told The Associated Press, however, that guards in the main camp were also used as on-call guards to augment those in Birkenau when trainloads of Jews were brought in.

"We believe that these auxiliaries were used in particular during the so-called Hungarian action in support of Birkenau," he said.

Trial sessions are limited in deference to Hanning's health and a doctor is on hand throughout, but he seems in good condition for his age, walking in and out of the court without the help of a cane and listening attentively throughout.

He has spoken only one word so far, however, telling presiding judge Anke Grudda on Friday when she asked how he was after the first day of trial that he was "good."

His attorney, Andreas Scharmer told The Associated Press that it was "highly likely" that his client would make a statement during the proceedings, but he would not say how detailed it might be nor when.

Sonder said he looked forward to hearing what Hanning had to say.

"Perhaps he will try to explain - it would be good if he did," Sonder told the AP after the session. "I hope he finds the courage to say something."

Survivor Erna de Vries, whose father was not Jewish, told the court when the Nazis came for her Jewish mother in 1943 she did not have to go with her to Auschwitz but chose to stay with her.

She was in Auschwitz for only two months when the SS took her and about 85 other half-Jews to the women's concentration camp Ravensbrueck.

Auschwitz survivor Erna de Vries (Photo: AP)

"That was one of the worst days of my life when I was sent to Ravensbrueck and my mother stayed in Auschwitz," she said. "I never saw her again."

She said that her mother had been happy to hear that she was going to Ravensbrueck, knowing that any place was better than Auschwitz.

"Auschwitz was a death camp, and she had the hope it would get better for me," she said.

De Vries also described how she had to walk past piles of dead bodies each day on her way to forced labor in 1942, as the Nazis couldn't keep up with burning the bodies of people gased to death.

Leon Schwarzbaum, a 94-year-old Auschwitz survivor from Berlin who was used as slave laborer to help build a factory for Siemens outside the camp, said he could not see the area with the gas chambers and crematoria from where he was kept, but that everyone knew exactly what was going on there.

"We saw the fire from the chimneys," he told the court. "So much fire came out of the chimneys, no smoke, just fire. And that was burning people."

Auschwitz concentration camp survivor Leon Schwarzbaum presents an old photograph showing himself, left, next to his uncle and parents who all died in Auschwitz (Photo: AP)

"If your ribs were visible, you were a candidate for the crematorium," added Schwarzbaum, who lost 35 family members during the Holocaust.

The three are among about 40 survivors and their families who have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs, as allowed under German law. Not all will testify, but the trial is scheduled to hear three more when testimony resumes next Thursday, and two more on Friday.

Hanning's case is one of some 30 involving former Auschwitz guards investigated by federal prosecutors from Germany's special Nazi war crimes office in Ludwigsburg. It was sent to state prosecutors in 2013 with the recommendation that they pursue charges after the office undertook a major review of its files following the Demjanjuk verdict.

Holocaust survivor and former prisoner at Auschwitz death camp Leon Schwarzbaum (Photo: Reuters)

Although Demjanjuk always denied serving at the death camp and died before his appeal could be heard, prosecutors last year managed to use the same legal reasoning to successfully convict SS Unterscharfuehrer Oskar Groening, who served in Auschwitz, on 300,000 counts of accessory to murder.

Groening's appeal is expected to be heard sometime this year, but prosecutors are not waiting to move ahead with other cases.

Hubert Zafke, 95, a former SS Oberscharfuehrer - roughly equivalent to a Sgt. 1st Class - is scheduled to go on trial at the end of February in Neubrandenburg, north of Berlin, on 3,681 counts of accessory to murder on accusations he served as a medic at an SS hospital in Auschwitz in 1944.

His attorney, Peter-Michael Diestel, says it is Germany's "shame" that many higher-ranking Auschwitz perpetrators and other Nazi war criminals were able to escape with minimal or no sentences in the initial years after the war, and questions whether prosecutors are trying "to make up for mistakes of the past" with his client.

"He was a medic for Wehrmacht (army) soldiers and SS men - for uniformed men - and had no part of the Holocaust, but the judicial argument of the Demjanjuk verdict says that if he didn't provide his service as a medic then Auschwitz wouldn't have functioned," Diestel said. "What should a young man, even if he knew what was going on in Auschwitz, do to stop it?"

There is no question there were "some serious failures by the German judicial system in the past," says Efraim Zuroff, the head Nazi-hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center. But "that doesn't in any way change the validity of what's happening now."

"In a certain sense, you could say these people had the bad luck to live a long life," he told the AP in a telephone interview from Jerusalem. "If they had died five years ago they would never have been going to trial."

Two others whose cases are likely to go to trial this year are a 93-year-old woman charged with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder on allegations she served as a radio operator for Auschwitz's commandant in 1944, and a 94-year-old man charged with 1,276 counts on allegations he served as an Auschwitz guard.

In all four cases, the health of the elderly defendants will be a major factor in whether the trials can be concluded.

Still, Jens Rommel, the head of the Nazi war crimes investigative office in Ludwigsburg, says it is too early to talk of the last round of trials. There are a half-dozen open investigations right now with state prosecutors, and his office is looking into another seven suspects from both the Auschwitz and the Majdanek death camps.

"Year by year it's more difficult, but the state justice ministers last year decided that Ludwigsburg would keep working," he says. "The state of North-Rhine Westphalia last summer talked about another 10 years as a timeframe."
Syria's President Bashar Assad has vowed to retake the entire country but warned it could take a "long time," in an exclusive interview with AFP that comes as international pressure grows for a ceasefire.

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Speaking at his office in Damascus on Thursday, Assad said he supported peace talks, but that negotiations do "not mean that we stop fighting terrorism".

He said a major Russian-backed government offensive under way in the northern province of Aleppo was aimed mainly at severing the opposition's supply route from Turkey.

Syrian President Assad talking to AFP (Photo: AFP)

He also addressed the massive flow of refugees from his country, saying it was up to Europe to stop "giving cover to terrorists" so that Syrians could return home.

Assad rejected UN allegations of regime war crimes, describing them as "politicized" and lacking evidence.

With air support from key ally Russia and backing by pro-government fighters, regime troops have nearly encircled Aleppo, Syria's second city.

Assad said his regime's eventual goal was to retake all of Syria, large swathes of which are under the control of rebel forces or the Islamic State jihadist group.

Syrian Army lays siege to Aleppo (Photo: Reuters)

"Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation," he said.

"It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part," he added.

Assad said it would be possible to "put an end to this problem in less than a year" if opposition supply routes from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq were cut.

But, if not, he said, "the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price."

First comments since failed talks

The interview with Assad is the first he has given since the effective collapse of a new round of peace talks in Geneva earlier this month.

The talks are officially "paused" until February 25, and 17 nations agreed early Friday on an ambitious plan intended to bolster efforts for new negotiations.

The plan would see a cessation of hostilities implemented in as little as a week, and also demands humanitarian aid access to all of Syria.

Assad said his government has "fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of the crisis."

"However, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."

The Aleppo offensive has been the main focus of Syrian government troops in recent weeks.

The regime has virtually encircled rebels in eastern parts of Aleppo city after severing their main supply line to the Turkish border.

Syrian President Assad talking to AFP (Photo: AFP)

"The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists," Assad said.

The operation has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands fleeing their homes, and many flocking to the border with Turkey seeking entry.

The displaced could join a wave of more than four million Syrian refugees who have left the country since the conflict began in March 2011.

Last year, many of those refugees began seeking asylum in Europe in a major crisis that has failed to slow throughout the winter.

Assad said the blame for the influx lay at Europe's feet.

"I would like to ask every person who left Syria to come back," he said.

"They would ask 'why should I come back? Has terrorism stopped?'"

Instead, he urged Europe's governments "which have been a direct cause for the emigration of these people, by giving cover to terrorists in the beginning and through sanctions imposed on Syria, to help in making the Syrians return to their country."
MUNICH - China won't take part in any coalition fighting "terrorist groups" in the Middle East, but will do its fair share in its own way and is already helping Iraq, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

After a meeting of major powers in Munich aimed at breaking the deadlock on Syria, Wang Yi told Reuters in an interview that Beijing would not take part in international coalitions fighting against militants in the region.

"There is a tradition in China's foreign policy. We do not join in state groups that have a military nature and this also applies to international counter-terrorism cooperation," he said speaking through an interpreter.

"It doesn't mean that China will not play its role in fighting terrorism. It has been, but in its own ways."
Israel's Civil Administration has demolished dozens of illegal Palestinian structures in the West Bank since the beginning of 2016, at least 14 of which were funded by the European Union.

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The demolitions were done in the area between Mount Hebron and the Jordan Valley as well as in E1, an area near the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim.

Among the structures demolished were houses, storage spaces and several temporary structures, leaving some of the residents there homeless.

Last week, the Civil Administration, which is under the authority of COGAT, demolished 14 illegal structures at firing range 918 in southern Mount Hebron.

One of the demolished structures.

In addition, over the past week the Civil Administration demolished structures near Jericho including four tents funded by the EU and the roads leading to them. Three additional tents that housed 12 Palestinians were also demolished, leaving them without a roof over their heads.

A month ago, right wing MKs leveled harsh criticism on the Civil Administration's enforcement policy in the West Bank, claiming that the Civil Administration knew about illegal Palestinian construction but was not demolishing these structures. The Civil Administration said the enforcement is done based on priorities.

EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection.

During a meeting of the Subcommittee on Defense and Foreign Affairs in the West Bank, a representative from the Foreign Ministry said the EU is considering a lawsuit against Israel for the demolished structures.

The Regavim right-wing NGO said that "these are important and worthy steps of enforcement, but these are also only initial steps. The Civil Administration is ignoring hundreds of housing structures built by the European Union and hundreds of illegal Palestinian homes still undr construction - and demolishes tents, fences and sheds instead of dealing with serious structures and enforcing the law against them."

B'Tselem said in response that "The latest demolition campaign by the Civil Administration demonstrates that the Israeli government is determined in its efforts to expel the Palestinian communities from Area C, while ignoring its obligations as an occupying force, and dismissing the international community."
Supermodel Naomi Campbell will visit Israel next month to attend a conference marking International Women's Day.

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The "Women Leading Change" conference will be held on March 8 at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa. Former president Shimon Peres will be the guest of honor at the conference.

The conference will center on women who are trailblazers in different fields in Israeli society, including hi-tech, education, technology, ect.

Naomi Campbell (Photo: Reuters)

Campbell, considered the most successful black models in history, decided to attend the conference so she could hear about the work of the Peres Center for Peace as well as help put the international spotlight on these extraordinary women.

Campbell will receive a "Woman Leading Change" award at the conference for her social and philanthropic work in recent years.

This would not be Campbell's first time in the Holy Land. She visited Israel in 2012 to celebrate her birthday. She visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, as well as the Western Wall.

"I'm happy to be here. Weapons and war, greed and oil ... I hope it all stops. I care about health, about good vibrations, not destruction," she told a Palestinian TV station at the time.
The Foreign Ministry said Friday that relations with the European Union are "close and friendly" again after tensions arose last year over the bloc's decision to label West Bank exports.

Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the sides had "overcome the crisis" after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini spoke Friday.

He said Israel received assurances the move "is not a political step to determine future borders or to boycott Israel."

In November, Israel suspended contacts with EU officials on the political process with the Palestinians to protest the move, which it said is discriminatory.
Relations between Israel and the European Union are "close and friendly" again after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Friday.

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The two "agreed that relations between the two sides should be conducted in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual respect," the Foreign Ministry said.

Tensions between Israel and the EU arose in November over the bloc's decision to label West Bank exports, leading Jerusalem to suspended contacts with EU officials on the political process with the Palestinians to protest the move, which it said is discriminatory.

Mogherini and Netanyahu meet in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (Photo: Haim Tzah, GPO)

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon said on Friday that the sides had "overcome the crisis" and that Israel would no longer insist on the exclusion of EU bodies from peace talks with the Palestinians over a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process.

Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in April 2014 and there have been no signs of them resuming.

While the United States has traditionally played the lead role in peace efforts in the region, the EU is Israel's largest trading partner and is the biggest donor to the Palestinians, and is looking to play a larger role in peace negotiations

Nachshon also said Israel received assurances the move to label settlement products "is not a political step to determine future borders or to boycott Israel."

In November, the EU said that goods produced in settlements could not labelled "Made in Israel" and should be marked as coming from settlements, which the EU considers illegal under international law.

The EU holds the position that the lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, are not part of the internationally recognized borders of Israel.

Nachshon said Mogherini had expressed solidarity with Israel at a time of heightened Israeli-Palestinian violence and had strongly opposed attempts by various groups to boycott Israel.

The Prime Minister's Office said that the EU accepts the position that Palestinian incitement is a problem that needs to be addressed.

The PMO also said that Netanyahu was invited to Brussels, where the EU is headquartered, and that the prime minister was also working to normalize relations with Turkey, while maintaining Israel's interests.

The reconciliation call came after negotiations led by Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold.
CHENNAI: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fast track 20 rail projects in the state announced in previous budgets. In a letter to Modi, she said, Rail transportation is a very important element of such infrastructure and has played an important integrating role in the social and economic development of the state.

According to the Chief Ministers Vision Tamil Nadu  2023 document, the 10 important railway projects that have been identified crucial for development of rail transport in the state are doubling of Chennai  Kanyakumari line, Sriperumbudur  Guindy and Chennai  Thoothukkudi freight lines, high speed passenger links between Chennai and Kanyakumari, between Madurai and Coimbatore, Coimbatore and Chennai and Chennai  Bangalore, Chennai  Bangalore freight corridor, Avadi  Guduvancheri rail link and Tiruvallur  Ennore port line.

Of the 10 projects, the state has prioritised three, Chennai-Thoothukkudi freight corridor, high-speed passenger links between Chennai and Kanyakumari and between Madurai and Coimbatore under the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with participation of State and Railway ministry.

The Chief minister also expressed concern over the slew of railway projects that are pending such as a new railway line from Morappur to Dharmapuri, doubling from Tindivanam to Kanyakumari, doubling from Renigunta to Arakkonam, third and fourth lines from Attipattu to Gummidipoondi, and new line between Karaikudi and Ramanathapuram.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon met with Jordan's King Abdullah on Friday on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, Germany.

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The Defense Ministry said the two discussed "the bilateral ties between Jordan and Israel, the latest development in the Middle East, and the possibility of advancing the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians."

The official Jordanian state news agency confirmed the meeting, but provided no further details.

Jordan's King Abdullah, Israel's Defense Minister Ya'alon (Photos: EPA, Motti Kimchi)

The fact Ya'alon's meeting with King Abdullah was made public is very unusual. While coordination meetings between security and government officials on both sides of the Jordan River have been ongoing, the existence of these meetings was kept secret from the media out of concern the publication of these meetings will serve as ammunition for opposition in the kingdom to the security ties with Israel.

Defense officials declined to comment about the contents of the meeting, but dubbed it as "very important."

The Jordanian king and the defense minister were discussing regional issues in light of the situation in Syria.

Recently, concerns have been raised in public in Israel, expressed also in IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's speech last month at the INSS Conference , that ISIS might launch terror attacks against Israeli or Jordanian targets in the southern Syrian Golan Heights in the wake of the losses the extremist organization has suffered.
Arab Israelis demonstrated on Friday in support of a Palestinian journalist who has been on hunger strike for 80 days, demanding an end to his detention without trial by Israel.

An AFP journalist in the northern Israeli town of Afula said that firebrand Islamic cleric Raed Salah delivered a sermon to hundreds of worshippers at the end of Friday prayers held outside the hospital where Mohammed al-Qiq is being held under guard.

"Pray for the victory of the prisoner who is being held hostage, oppressed and detained without reason," said Salah, who is himself awaiting the outcome of an appeal against an 11-month jail sentence for inciting violence against the Jewish state.

Qiq, 33, a correspondent for Saudi Arabia's Almajd TV network, was arrested on November 21 at his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah and placed under administrative detention.

He has been refusing food since November 25 in protest against the "torture and ill treatment that he was subjected to during interrogation", according to Addameer, a Palestinian rights organization.
MUNICH - Iran's foreign minister said Friday the nuclear deal with world powers offers a chance to demolish a "wall of mistrust" between Iran and the United States, but it's not a task for Tehran alone.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a security conference that "the nuclear agreement gives an opportunity to both sides to try to at least bring down the wall of mistrust that has separated Iran and the United States from each other for the past 40 years."

He said Iran is doing its part in implementing the deal, and the US should also show "good faith."
Elected officials in Lincoln seem content to stand by and watch the battle for property tax relief drive a dagger between farmers/ranchers and school folks.

What a shame it is that too many people in this great state blame schools for their high property taxes. What a shame it is that our state leaders sit back and let school board members and school administrators take the hits that they cause when they know the true culprit is really how they fund K-12 education.

We do have a property tax problem. School districts are too reliant on local property taxes. School leaders have been saying this for several years and it has only been accelerated with the massive swells in land valuation weve seen over the past 4-5 years.

School board members and school officials want to be able to provide property tax relief more than you can imagine! Thats why weve begun to make sure the public understands that Nebraska ranks 49th in the nation for the percentage of its state budget allocated to K-12 education. Weve seen the percentage of the state budget dedicated to K-12 education dwindle from 32 percent in 1998-99 to 27.6 percent today. Theres a lot of property tax relief in that 4.4 percent reduction of state budget towards K-12 education!

Yet, some state leaders seem content to sit by and blame high property taxes on school spending. Collectively, Nebraska public schools had an average annual spending increase of just 3.5 percent for the last decade. School spending has not caused the property tax crisis. The way the state funds schools is the problem, especially when land prices soar.

York is a great example of what numerous school districts are dealing with. Our total annual revenue has only increased by an average of 2.5 percent since 2008-09 despite our property tax request increasing by over 45%. Our total spending has only increased by an average of 1.8 percent annually.

Total State Aid for York Public Schools

 Was $3.7 million in 2008-09

 Was $2.2 million in 2014-15

 Is $1.56 million in 2015-16

 Is projected to be $560,000 for 2016-17

Total Property Tax Request for Yorks General Fund

 Was $6,472,903 in 2008-09 (46.5 percent of our total revenue that year)

 Was $9,395,581 in 2014-15 (58.5 percent of our total revenue that year)

The dirty little secret is that when local school districts have valuation increases, the state funding formula reduces state aid so more of the burden can be passed on to large landowners. The numbers speak for themselves.
Editors note: This story was published in the York News-Times in October, 2004, as a feature about one of York Countys most interesting and famous residents. This week, Doc Breiner passed away and YNT staff found it quite fitting to re-run this story, as he told his own life story.

A firm foundation

By Kerry Hoffschneider

BRADSHAW  Down in the basement of a hotel in Omaha, there was a room you could rent for 50 cents a night. There was no light in the room, just an army cot where the brain of a young man rested after work scooping meat for Swift Co. This young mind would eventually become renowned physician and surgeonDr. Mike Breiner.

Dr. Breiner was born in Kan. on Nov. 19, 1933, the same day President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address seventy years before. When the family left Kan., they were living in a one-bedroom house with a lean-to kitchen.

And, they talk about poverty today, Breiner said as he rested a coffee cup on an old wooden table in the Bradshaw cafe.

The Breiner family moved to Bradshaw on March 1, 1940.

All the farmers moved on the same day because that was the best time. If youre going to plant spring crops that is about as good a time as it gets.

It was almost the end of WWII when the family moved to town.

First of all, I thought it was huge. It was like a 300-member family. You knew everybody, he said.

From 1945-1952, Breiner literally fell in love with his community nestled into Neb. plains.

From 1945-55 were the best 10 years in the country. We had the Depression in 1929. The middle part of the country suffered because of the drought. Nebraska was not as bad as Kansas, but it was bad. So, we had a generation of people born in the 1920s who fought in WWII. Their parents watched them go to War and their girlfriends waited for them. The War was over Aug. 14, 1945 and one by one they came back.

Its not important that you never heard of it. [the town of Bradshaw] Its important that I never forget it.

 Dr. Mike BreinerBecause of WWII, there was such a gigantic industrial complex. Instead of making ships, bombs and planes, this country turned to making things like television sets, washers and driers. Suddenly you could have a woman with a washing machine that might even have a ringer on it. You did not have to heat water on the stove and haul in wood, cobs and coal. People had jobs, no one had great expectations. Today, if you dont live in a house with a three car garage there are some people who say, They arent doing well. But, at that time, the ultimate joy in life was having a job and having your family around you.

The farmers were raising crops and we had penicillin. Penicillin was created in England at the end of the War to treat the soldiers. Suddenly, people didnt have to worry about kids dying of pneumonia.

Breiner said in school he was always in trouble. I dont have any idea why. I was just an energetic fellow.

School days were coupled with life lessons too. Many of the wisdom Breiner counts on today, comes in the form of people who influenced him while growing up in Bradshaw.

Well, Dolan Gray had a 39 Plymouth (I think) and I had a 35 Ford. One of us passed the other one in Bradshaw. The lady in the Central Office (telephone company) saw us and called the town cop. The town cop had never seen us! He called and got a hold of us and said, Guys, Ive got to give you a ticket for speeding and reckless driving. We ended up having to go to court in Bradshaw. Dave Willis Sr. was the judge and I have been grateful to him ever since. He was not an educated man, but a marvelous human being. He gave a talk to the group about justice. He said everyone in this room knows that if it had been anybody but Mike and Dolan, we wouldnt be sitting here. Then he said, Unless there is justice for everyone, there is justice for no one. My lifetime career of three college degrees, I have never heard anyone, ever, give a better description of justice than Dave Willis.

There were a few other times Breiner learned about fairness.

I got kicked out of class when I was a senior. Actually, that was an accident. I didnt deserve that (though, I did many other times). There was a school board member, Melvin Kreifels. He came to my house and I heard him say to my mom, Ive come to get Mikes side. No ones interested in Mikes side, I thought to myself. But, he was. When I graduated from college, I wrote five people letters and Melvin Kreifels was one of them. Fairness, its what everybody deserves. Ive never forgotten that.

School was not a big deal for anybody really, Breiner said. We were just trying to finish. Hardly anyone went to college. You were being trained to go out and work. . .At that time, women were expected to get married and men were expected to work and that was it.

So, Breiner went to work. His first job was as a farm hand in Western Kan.

Then I wanted to make more money so I took a job on a road oiling crew on Highway 36.

Then it was to Omaha to scoop meat for Swift.

I did not know the city at all. Id only been there once. I did know where 24th and Dodge was, so I went to this hotel. They had rooms for a dollar. I asked, Do you have anything cheaper? So, he took me down in the basement, down in the furnace room there was this tiny room with an army cot, blanket, no sheets or pillows and no light. He said he could let me have it for 50 cents a night. After a couple of months, I realized the Army had to be better than scooping meat.

Camp Crowder, Mo. introduced Breiner to military life in 1952.

They take all your clothes, everything and put it into a box and send it home. They gave you everything you need. I looked around that room and everyone was naked at one time. There must have been a 1,000 of us in there. I remember thinking, nobody knows my name or anything about me. Im starting even with everybody else. And, I never looked back.

The Army tested us . . . about ten of us out of 200 were asked to go to another building for a meeting. They told us, You men finished in the top 5 percent of people taking the examination. That was the first time I realized I was smart. . .that made a world of difference.

In the Army, Breiner flourished and he said, I found a family there.

Travels during his military years, allowed him many opportunities to see the world. He even spent a day visiting Hiroshima and witnessed the affects of the atomic bomb.

After Breiner served his nation, he went back home and attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln on the GI Bill. He credited English Professor, Dr. Charles Hurtgen, for teaching him how to think and Physiology Professor, Dr. Paul Landholt, for introducing him to the world of human anatomy. After graduating from UNL, he went to Houston and got a degree in Physical Therapy. During this time, he also married his wife, Kay in 1958 and eventually raised five children.

In 1962, he was accepted to Creighton Medical School.

They told us our freshmen year to, take a look around because one of you wont be here next year. There were five of us at that cadaver table and I remember thinking, I wonder which one of you guys its going to be. But, it was scary.

Breiner performed excellently in his collegiate studies. After achieving his degree from Creighton, a whole host of experiences would come into the young doctors life.

While interning at a hospital in Greeley, Colo., he and another intern successfully defibrillated the first patient in the hospital. Breiner also put the first pace maker in a patient at the facility.

Breiner also came up with the concept of a position who would run intensive care units. Breiners plan was well-accepted by leading medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic.

But, the doctor said a ten-year span, in the late 60s and early 70s, Were the best medical years of my life. During this period he served as a family practitioner in York, many of his patients were those teachers and friends he had come to know and love in Bradshaw.

During four years of general surgical residency in Charlotte, N.C., Breiners interest in heart disease was ignited. Eventually, he and others would join together in Lincoln to form the Nebraska Heart Institute.

The last four years, 70-year-old Breiner has been working with the University of San Francisco Medical School on a community based study, looking for genes causing heart disease. He is also actively involved with Alzheimers Support Groups across the state.

Dr. Breiner is most proud of his roots, however, and the people who he said created a firm foundation for him. His love of Bradshaw has been evident throughout his career. One story illustrates this appreciation vividly.

When Breiner was in Charlotte, N.C. he met, Denton A. Cooley, M.D., who founded the Texas Heart Institute. Cooley asked Breiner where he was from.

Im not familiar with Bradshaw, Nebraska, Cooley said.

To which Breiner replied, Its not important that you never heard of it. Its important that I never forget it.
Several loadmasters from the 300th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, took to the skies over Central America this weekend to assist the U.S. Coast Guard with transporting aircraft and various cargo, enabling them to obtain critical training and to remain proficient in their skill set.

For Tech. Sgt. Michael Smith, a 300 AS loadmaster, this trip was paramount to being considered mission ready.At a minimum, I needed to complete a proficiency sortie, which is required every 60 days, said Smith. I also flew this trip to maintain my proficiency with loading various types of cargo. Additionally, this mission offered the opportunity work with other governmental agencies in the loading of helicopters, pallets, passengers and hazardous material.When Smith, a native of Saltville, Virginia, is not fulfilling his loadmaster responsibilities, he is a U. S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Atlanta. Making the six-hour drive every month and when called to fulfill other mission commitments has its challenges.We are required to complete four phase simulator training scenarios annually, said Smith. The most difficult thing to plan for is the requirement to fly once every 60 days. Since the Reserve airlift shuttle was cancelled, it has become more difficult to commute to Charleston for my monthly unit training assembly. Previously, I was able to work on Friday mornings and then hop on the Reserve shuttle (utilizing an alternate work schedule, thanks to an understanding employer). However, now I have to take Fridays off to commute to Charleston.However challenging it can be for Reservists like Smith to maintain their currency and proficiency, due to logistical reasons and time away from their employer, they have support at their home station.Senior Master Sgt. Steve Kelley, an Air Reserve Technician with the 300 AS, is a fulltime Reservist who overseas standards and evaluations for fellow loadmasters within his squadron. Kelley explained his role in supporting traditional Reservists like Smith and maximizing training opportunities.When a traditional Reservist takes time off from their civilian job it is an ARTs job to help maximize the amount of training accomplished during that time, said Kelley. If he or she has three days they can work, it is the ARTs job to make sure they get the most bang for the buck, whether it is working with another Reserve squadron or with our Active Duty counterparts.Trips like this one minimize the amount of time traditional Reservists have to take off from their civilian job, said Kelley. Four days of annual tour were accomplished, with only two days away from their civilian job.Tech. Sgt. Brian Farmintino, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, also a 300 AS loadmaster, echoed Kelleys remarks and touched on how training on missions like this impact the squadrons morale.These types of missions always allow us to not only maintain currency but to refresh ourselves on duties that we may only get to accomplish a few times during the year, said Farmintino. It also allows us to maintain tight cohesiveness with each other and re-enforce why we love doing this job so much.Despite the pressures of balancing Reserve duties, civilian careers and family obligations, more than 1,200 men and women put on the uniform and dedicate themselves to being prepared to accomplish the missions of the 315 AW.These Citizen Airmen are the embodiment of the wings mission  To provide and deliver global combat-ready C-17 airlift, expeditionary combat support and aeromedical evacuation anytime, anywhere.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi police to file a status report on the alleged threat of underworld don Ravi Pujari to eliminate Sanjay Kapur, the estranged husband of Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Arun Misra asked the special cell to submit the report within two weeks after counsel Aman Hingorani and Priya Hingorani appearing for Sanjay Kapur told the court that he faced grave threat from the alleged gangster who had reportedly threatened to kill him if he ever entered Mumbai.

The couples matrimonial dispute is pending before a Bandra court in Mumbai, and Sanjay a businessman based in Gurgaon wants the case to be transferred to Delhi as he fears threat to his life from the gangster.

The couple who have two children had initially filed a mutual consent divorce petition before a Bandra court in 2014. However, they withdrew their consent due to some reported financial disputes and custody battle of their children-boy and girl.

It is alleged that last month Sanjay had flown to Mumbai to attend a hearing in the Bandra Court. But on the very same day after he left Mumbai and reached Delhi enroute Munich, Ravi Pujari allegedly called him up on his mobile and threatened to eliminate him if he ever entered Mumbai again, his petition in the apex court stated.

According to Sanjay he had already lodged a complained with the special cell of the Delhi police about the threat. Hence he wanted the case to be transferred to Delhi. Neither, Sanjay nor his counsels were willing to speak on the subject saying the matter was sub-judice.
New Delhi: During an agitation, to maintain law and order a State government can ban mobile internet, the Supreme Court said on Thursday.

Upholding a Gujarat High Court giving its nod to the Gujarat governments order banning internet during quota agitation by Hardik Patel, a Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri and Ms. R. Banumathi said ban is a convenient way and sometimes necessary to maintain law and order situation.

Dismissing an appeal filed by telecom operators from Gujarat, the Bench said It (mobile internet) can be misused during riot like situation and the ban may be necessary.

Ban is a convenient way and sometimes necessary to maintain law and order situation, says a Bench of Chief Justice.
According to CoreLogic, 1,174 auctions are so far scheduled for this week, up from the 916 held last week; however it is below the 1,541 held over the same week 12 months ago.

Its not just vendors who are increasing; buyers too seem to be becoming more plentiful, with last weeks clearance rate of 70.1% coming in much higher than the previous weeks 59.4%.

Auctioneers will be at their busiest in Melbourne this week, with the Victorian capital scheduled to hold 491 auctions this week, compared to the 268 last week.

Melbourne was the best performing market last week, with it posting a clearance rate 77.6%.

Sydney wasnt too far behind its Victorian counterpart, returning a clearance rate of 75% from its 313 auctions.

Sydney is scheduled to hold 393 auctions this week.

Brisbane will be nations next busiest city, with it to hold 96 auctions compared to the 111 it held last week.

Brisbanes clearance rate finalised at 54% last week.

Adelaide is predicted to hold 80 auctions this week after holding 111 last week which returned a clearance rate of 70.5%.

After holding 71 auctions las week and returning a clearance rate of 71.4%, Canberra is expecting 52 auctions this week.

Perth is set to see a small bump in volumes this week, with it to hold 41 auctions this week compared to the 38 it help last week, from which it returned a clearance rate of 35.3%.
Damascus: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad sees a risk that Saudi Arabia or Turkey could launch a military intervention in his country, he has told AFP in an interview.

Speaking in Damascus on Thursday, he said he "doesn't rule out" such an intervention, but said that his armed forces "will certainly confront it".

The Syrian President also rejected the UN's recent accusations that his regime is guilty of war crimes, calling the claims "politicised".

The United Nations has lambasted Assad's government for "exterminating" prisoners in its jails and detention centres, but Assad said in the interview Thursday that the accusations "serve a political agenda... and do not provide any evidence."
TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu cracks a joke while addressing the media at the NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Unperturbed by the recent defection of his partys MLAs into the TRS, TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the TD was the only party in the country that can withstand any crisis and convert a crisis into success.

I will not forego our party in TS at any cost. Our leader here need not worry about the partys prospects. TD will stage a comeback in 2019 (elections), Mr Naidu said.

In a related development, Mr Naidu wrote to the TS Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudana Chary intimating him that he has suspended Errabelli Dayakar Rao from the party owing to his anti-party activities, and appointed A. Revanth Reddy as the leader of TDLP in the House.

Earlier, he chaired an extended TS TD general body meeting in the backdrop of the TD legislators switching over to the TRS.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Naidu asked the partys TS unit to chalk out a plan of action to strengthen the TD from grassroots.

It (defections) is all common in politics. We were in Opposition for 10 years and returned to power in AP. Don't worry about the party prospects, nothing happens even if one or two MLAs leave. I will be with you, and available to you whenever you need, Mr Naidu said.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- The prosecutor general with the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (PICCJ), Gabriela Scutea, on Monday met Veronica Dragalin, the head of the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Moldova, the two high-ranked officials discussing, among other

- Baimareanca Roxana Blenche, indragita prezentatoare a emisiunii Hello Chef de la Antena 1, le-a dat vestea cea mare fanilor, anuntandu-i ca va deveni mamica pentru prima oara. Ea a povestit cum se simte in aceasta perioada. Finalista sezonului 8 de la Chefi la Cutite este in culmea fericirii de cand

- The members of the European Union are "proud" of the reaction that the EU countries had to the people who fled from Ukraine, for fear of war, said, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, a member of the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Internal Affairs of the European Parliament

- Save Romania Union (USR) MPs Stelian Ion and Silviu Dehelean and MEP Vlad Gheorghe announce that they met on Wednesday, in Brussels, with the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, and that his message to the authorities in Bucharest is to wait for the opinion of the Venice Commission

- Mugur Mihaescu a comentat, la Antena 3, situatia actuala in contextul crizei energetice, si sustine ca romanii sunt din nou victimele unui experiment pus la cale de mai marii Europei. Lumea va sta si va inghiti aceleasi gogosi, nu va face nimic in loc sa mature pe jos cu acesti asasini. Dar, dincolo

- Pretul gazelor naturale a ajuns la un nou maxim istoric joi, atingand valoarea de 301 euro per MWh. Aceasta in timp ce autoritatile de la Bucuresti nu au adoptat nicio masura suplimentara astfel incat sa protejeze populatia in fata scumpirilor tot mai mari. Corina Murafa, analist de politici energetice,

- Vicepresedintele PSD, deputatul maramuresean Gabriel Zetea, a declarat luni, la Antena 3, ca liberalii ar trebui sa nu mai spuna prostii la televizor despre situatia preturilor la energie si i-a indemnat in acest sens pe unii lideri PNL sa mai puna mana pe carte. In emisiune a participat si vicepresedintele

- Indragitul om de televiziune Dani Otil, cunoscut opiniei publice pentru emisiunea "Neatza cu Razvan si Dani" difuzata de postul de televiziune Antena 1, a vizitat in urma cu cateva zile municipiul Targu Mures prilej cu care s-a cazat la hotelul "Cocosul de Aur". Impresionat de conditiile existente la
THAT THERE MAY BE A FAIRER SOCIETY IN GHANA - ONE IN WHICH ALL THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST A POWERFUL AND GREEDY FEW, BENEFIT FROM THE NATION'S WEALTH!
It all started in 1973. A pro photographer's ramblings .. from www.photographyinfrance.fr
Hi, There is a new center in mumbai at JJ Hospital. However not enough information is available about the same. Here are some Traveler t...
Army officials carry the mortal remains of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad for his burial at Betadur village in Hubballi on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Hubballi: Tears flowed freely and floral tributes were paid to cries of 'Hanumanthappa amar rahe' as braveheart, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad made his last journey in a convoy to his village of Betadur, before being laid to rest with full state and military honours Friday afternoon.

The rites were performed according to Lingayat tradition by his brother, Govindappa Koppad.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Channabasava Swamiji of Neelagund Mutt and several political bigwigs attended the funeral of the soldier, who lost the battle for his life despite miraculously surviving being buried under 35 feet of snow in the Siachen glacier for six days.

He was brought to Hubballi by a special aircraft late Thursday. Later as the Lance Naik was taken on his last journey to Betadur village in an ambulance, the convoy was waylaid by people offering floral tribute even as chants of 'Hanumanthappa Amar Rahe' rent the air.
New Delhi: In the backdrop of a massive outrage over arrest of JNU students union president for allegedly raising anti-India slogans to mark the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the Delhi Police on Friday issued an alert across the country cautioning not to get carried away by seditious anti-national rhetoric.

The message was posted on the official Twitter handle of Delhi Police.

In it's message, the Delhi Police also embedded a tweet allegedly posted by the 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed.

In Delhi Police' tweet, Saeed's message read: We request our Pakistani Brothers to trend #SupportJNU for our pro-Pakistani JNUites brothers.

The development comes hours after Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested this afternoon after police picked him up for questioning.

A case against "unknown persons" was registered yesterday under Section of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Girri and ABVP.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Guru in 2013.

Earlier this week, some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination" at the varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of ABVP objected to the event and wrote to the Vice Chancellor that such kind of protest should not be held on the campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order cancellation of the march.

The JNU administration had already ordered a "disciplinary" inquiry into the incident saying that the act of students going ahead with the event despite cancellation of permission amounted to indiscipline and any talk about country's disintegration cannot be "national".

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Criticizing the police action on the slogeneering students in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said, While anti-India sentiment is unacceptable, the right to dissent and debate is an essential ingredient of democracy.

The Modi government is acting against the institute because it has refused to toe its line, the Congress leader said.

The Modi govt and ABVP are bullying an institution like JNU simply because it won't toe their line is completely condemnable, Gandhi said.

The varsity witnessed violent clashes between two students groups on Tuesday night over an event to mark the death anniversary of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Police were deployed in the campus following the clashes and anti-India slogans.

The Patiala court on Friday sent JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar to three days of police custody over the anti-India protests. He has been charged with sedition.

However, Kumar said that he is being targeted for defeating ABVP in the student union polls.

He also said that the JNU students union was not responsible for organising the anti-India protests.
Kolkata: The number of Indian students has decreased in the last few years in the UK following a clamp down on bogus colleges, but the British government is wooing students by increasing scholarships, a British High Commission official said on Friday.

"If you compare the figures with what was there 3-4 years ago, the numbers have come down. It is because we clamped down heavily on bogus colleges. Now we are maintaining excellence and only bona-fide institutes are left," Andrew Soper, Minister Counsellor (Political and Press) of the British High Commission told reporters here.

He said now the inflow of students from India had stabilised and they were expecting an increase gradually.

On scholarship count, Soper said under the 'Great Britain' campaign they were offering 59 undergraduate and 232 postgraduate scholarships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In the last couple of years, the number of scholarships under their flagship Chevening program had increased four-fold to Rs 25 crore now.

The visa process was also eased with every 9 out of 10 students getting it. "If you have got an admission into a UK university you will get a visa," the official said.

Some of the most popular courses for Indians include management studies and engineering.

British Council India's Director Rob Lynes said Indians had received over Rs 40 crore worth of scholarships this year.

At present, about 20,000 Indian students were studying in different varsities of the UK. However in 2013, the figure was around 24,000.

As part of exchange programs, about 1,000 UK students were studying in India, Lynes said.
Ahmedabad: Patel quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel has alleged that he was offered Rs 1,200 crore and a plum position in BJP's national youth wing by the Gujarat government to withdraw the agitation seeking reservation for his community under the OBC quota last year.

The large-scale protests by Patidars had triggered violence in many parts of the state, culminating in the arrest of Hardik and his aides under the charge of sedition.

The claim of "monetary offer" was made in a letter received today by various media houses, which members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), of which Hardik is convener, claimed is written by Hardik who is currently lodged in Surat jail.

However, the letter did not bear any official stamp of authorities of Lajpore jail in Surat.

The letter is addressed to Hardik's father Bharatbhai Patel and his mother.

"I was offered Rs 1,200 crore by Gujarat government to withdrew the Patel quota agitation. The offer was made to me by an IAS officer of the government who had come to meet me in jail," the letter alleged.

"They also offered me that they will make me national youth president of the ruling party. However, I have rejected both the offers," it said.

Repeated attempts to contact the state BJP leaders for reaction did not fructify.

Hardik (22) was booked in two cases of sedition, one in Ahmedabad and another in Surat, besides under sections 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) along with his aides by Ahmedabad crime branch.

"I have full faith in the judiciary and I will come out of the jail by legal process and carry on the agitation," the letter stated.

In the chargesheet filed last month, Ahmedabad Crime Branch termed the quota agitation as a "pre-planned conspiracy" hatched to put pressure on the state government to accept their "unconstitutional demand of quota."

A separate chargesheet was filed against him last month by Surat police for sedition and other charges for allegedly instigating a fellow Patel youth to kill policemen rather than committing suicide during the agitation.
A case under Sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC was registered against some unknown persons at the Vasant Kunj (North) police station after complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Giri and the ABVP.

New Delhi: JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on Friday after the Delhi police slapped a sedition case for an event held earlier at the universitys campus over the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

A case under Sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC was registered against some unknown persons at the Vasant Kunj (North) police station after complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Giri and the ABVP.

Read: JNU students union president sent to 3-day police custody

In a simultaneous move, former Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani was also booked for sedition for an event at the Press Club of India in Delhi, where a group of people had shouted slogans hailing Afzal Guru.

The crackdown came hours after Union home minister Rajnath Singh warned Friday of the strongest possible action against those raising anti-India slogans, saying that such activities will not be tolerated.

HRD minister Smriti Irani said the nation will never tolerate any insult to Mother India.

Read: Nation won't tolerate insult to Mother India: Smriti Irani on JNU row

Emergency-like situation: Left

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh commenting on the ongoing controversy at the Jawaharlal Nehru University said, If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on the countrys unity and integrity, they will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken against them.

The minister said he had asked the Delhi Police to take the strongest possible action against those allegedly involved in anti-India activities at the JNU campus.

Hours later, two policemen in plainclothes arrived at the JNU campus on Friday and picked up Mr Kumar for questioning. He was later arrested, sources said. He has been remanded to three days in police custody.

Read: Anti-India acts won't be tolerated, says Rajnath Singh on JNU row

The arrests triggered massive outrage among the Left and other non-BJP parties, besides students outfits, which dubbed it an Emergency-like situation and an attempt by the BJP-led NDA government to silence all dissent in premier educational institutions.

The Left Parties called it a long-harboured design of the RSS to clamp down on the progressive and democratic students movement.

After Mr Kumars arrest, the universitys students and teachers protested outside the JNU vice-chancellors office demanding the administrations intervention into the manner in which students were being compared to terrorists and picked up from campus by policemen in plainclothes.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the BJP is turning the country into an Emergency-like state and demanded that the law be allowed to take its own course.

He demanded to know on what basis the arrest was made by the Delhi Police. The question is: do you know who raised the slogans? Take action under the law against them. But when you dont know, how are you taking action? He added: The male police are going, raiding the girls hostels... Only during the Emergency we saw this happen. That is the sort of Emergency state they are reducing our country to again. This time it is the BJP.

Questioning the filing of a sedition case, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said it was a very serious charge and the BJP government should think twice before taking action under it.

This could be a disciplinary issue, but how can it be a case of sedition? The action against the students is uncalled for. The way students are being randomly picked up is very unfortunate at a university that is known for its democratic ethos, said Vikramaditya, secretary of the JNU Teachers Association.Trouble is brewing for the government in the Budget Session as the Left parties have decided to take up the issue. Demanding immediate release of Mr Kumar and other leaders of Left-backed outfits, CPI national secretary D. Raja said Delhi Police action was illegal and uncalled for. The Left parties alleged the police was launching indiscriminate raids in the hostels.
New Delhi: Former Delhi University lecturer SAR Geelani has been booked for sedition in connection with an event at Press Club of India here, in which a group shouted slogans hailing Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

"An FIR has been registered against Geelani and other unnamed persons under Sections 124A (sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC in connection with the event at the Press Club in which anti-India sloganeering took place," DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said today.

The action against Geelani, who was acquitted in the Parliament attack case, comes even as Delhi Police yesterday registered a case of sedition in connection with a Tuesday event at JNU campus here against the hanging of Afzal Guru following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP.

The police today claimed to have registered the sedition case against Geelani and others after taking suo motu cognizance of media clips of the incident.

"By the time we registered the case, we had received no complaints from any party," Narwal said.

Police also claimed that Geelani was booked as he is presumed to be the main organiser of the event.

"Request for booking a hall at press club was done through Geelani's e-mail and the nature of the event was proposed to be a public meeting," Narwal said.

Calls and text messages to Geelani for his comments went unanswered.

"We are monitoring video footage and trying to ascertain the identity of the ones involved in anti-India sloganeering. We shall question several individuals who were present at the event," a senior official said.

Press Club of India yesterday issued a show-cause notice to the member who had booked the conference hall for the event on Wednesday.

"At the outset, we strongly condemn the incident that happened on Press Club premises by miscreants yesterday. We have taken strong action against the member under whose signature the conference hall was hired. A show-cause notice has been served and further action will follow," Secretary General of the Press Club, Nadeem Ahmad Kazmi, had said.

When contacted, Professor Ali Javed of Delhi University, the member of the club who had booked the premises for the presser, distanced himself from the event, saying he does not approve of the sloganeering and he was not one of the organisers.

Geelani was acquitted by the Delhi High Court in October 2003, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2005 which at the same time observed that the needle of suspicion pointed towards him.
New Delhi: Expressing concern over anti-national activities at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Friday, said anyone challenging nation's unity and integrity will not be spared.

If anyone raises anti-national slogans and tries to challenge nation's unity and integrity, they will not be spared, Rajnath said.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said he had apprised and given necessary instructions to Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi about what happened in JNU.

Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case of sedition in connection with an event at JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP.

JNU on Tuesday night witnessed clashes between two student groups over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 09, 2013 in Tihar Jail.

The students allegedly shouted slogans hailing 'Shaeed Afzal Guru' and also chanted anti-India slogans. They also expressed solidarity with "struggle" of Kashmiri migrants and advocated for 'Azad Kashmir'.

Some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self determination" at varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

The left-dominated JNU students union distanced itself from the controversy on Thursday, saying ABVP was opposed to it and not the union. Of the four top posts of the union, three are held by Leftist AISA and AISF and one by ABVP.

The Left leaders of the union also termed the ABVP complaint as an attempt to curb the "democratic traditions" of the university.
New Delhi: Amid the furore over an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Delhi Police on Friday arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy.

Kumar was arrested two days after JNU witnessed clashes between two student groups over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 09, 2013 in Tihar Jail.

He was arrested by the Vasant Kunj north police in south Delhi.

The incident happened after a group of students organised a programme and termed the hanging of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt as "judicial killing.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

Meanwhile, around 300 ABVP supporters today marched at India Gate to demand action against anti-national elements in the JNU.

Many are asking when will Umar Khaleed, from DSU (Democratic Students Union), who has been at the forefront in raising anti-national sentiments be arrested.

The students allegedly shouted slogans hailing 'Shaeed Afzal Guru' and also chanted anti-India slogans. They also expressed solidarity with "struggle" of Kashmiri migrants and advocated for 'Azad Kashmir'.

Not only this, several students have been raising anti-national slogans like 'Kitne Afzal Guru maroge, har ghar me paida hoga ek Afzal' and 'India ke kitne tukde honge'.

Student organisers had pasted posters across the campus inviting them to gather for a protest march against "judicial killing of Afzal Guru" and in solidarity with "struggle" of Kashmiri migrants, at varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliated ABVP objected to such a program and complained to the Vice Chancellor.

Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case of sedition in connection with an event at JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and RSS' student front ABVP.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124 A of IPC (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action.

Amid the furore over an event at JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that strict action will be taken against the demonstrators and said that 'anti-national' elements will not be tolerated.

Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani said that an insult to India in any form would not be tolerated by the country.
Mumbai: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today alleged that Congress wanted to "implicate" the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and "harass" present party president Amit Shah in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, and said the party should "openly regret" its actions.

Naidu's comments come in wake of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's revelation yesterday before a Mumbai court that Ishrat, the 19-year-old girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, was actually a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative.

"Unfortunately, the earlier government tried to harass BJP leaders. They wanted to implicate the CM at that time and they've harassed my party president. Now, the truth has come out, they must realise their mistake and openly express regret for what they've done," he told reporters here.

Charging Congress with playing politics on a critical issue like national security, Naidu said it is unfortunate that "some people" have more confidence in Ishrat Jahan than the facts which are coming out.

"It's a fact that these terrorists are being helped by some Indian people also. Without local cooperation, things will not happen," the senior BJP leader said on the sidelines of the annual Nasscom India Leadership Forum here.

On questions being raised over how much importance one should attach to the statements of Headley, a double agent now under arrest, Naidu said the revelations have been done before a court and have evidential value now.

"(When he says) whatever suits them, then he is credible. When it doesn't, he's not credible. Leave it to the courts. Evidence has come now for the first time," he said.

Naidu said his government is all for taking strong action on matters of national security, but blamed certain people for diverting attention by bringing religion into the picture.

It is unfortunate that some people support hanged terrorists like Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon, he said.

Four persons -- Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar -- were killed in an encounter with Gujarat Police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The city crime branch had then said that those killed in the encounters were LeT terrorists and had landed in Gujarat to kill then Chief Minister Modi.
Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said the global terror network al Qaeda wanted to attack Indias National Defence College in New Delhi as he also revealed a medley of Lashkar-e-Toiba plans to strike terror in the country.

Headley, who has been testifying through video-conferencing since Monday before a special court in Mumbai for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, claimed that al Qaeda considered the defence college as "a good, high-value target with many senior military officers".

He said he visited the college campus casually for a survey in 2007 at the instance of al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

In his ongoing deposition before Special TADA Judge GA Sanap, Headley revealed how the Lashkar nefariously planned to eliminate Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray.

Headley, 56, spoke of developing close links with Rajaram Rege, the former PRO of present Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, by luring him with a business offer to access Shiv Sena Bhavan which was also on the target list of LeT.

I took videos of the Shiv Sena Bhavan from outside and inside... I thought LeT would be interested in attacking it or even carry assassination of its (then) head (Bal Thackeray), Headley said.

He said he provided two-three videos to his Pakistani handlers Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

Rege admitted that he knew Headley but said he never took him to the Shiv Sena Bhavan.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the Thackerays and the party have always been targeted by international terror groups "since we are the only ones who speak out against Pakistan.

The terrorist-turned-approver also talked about the Lashkar plans to hit Mumbais famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple and attempts to recruit staffers from the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to tap them for classified information.

"The ISI wanted to recruit BARC staffers for future... to get classified information from them," Headley said.

The Lashkar operative, jailed in the US for his terror activities, said that he came in touch with actor Rahul Bhatt, son of veteran film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, through the in-charge of the upmarket Moksha Gym. Headley was a member of the gym from October 2006.

He said he again surveyed the NDC, Chabad Houses in international tourist destinations like Goa, Pune and Pushkar after the Mumbai attack on the instructions of Kashmiri.

He said he handed over videos of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station to his main contacts Mir and Iqbal.

Outside the temple, he said, he bought a bunch of around 15 red and yellow coloured sacred threads and sent them to Mir so the terrorists could tie them around their wrists and pass off as Hindus and avoid detection.

Headley claimed to have discussed the temple and other terror plans with his LeT handlers and the ISI discouraged them from targeting the temple, Indian Navy's air force station, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Gateway of India in Mumbai as they were very heavily guarded sites when he surveyed them.

On his spying activities, Headley said he followed the progress of Indian Army and on one trip to Mumbai, he bought a book "Indian Army-Vision 2020" from Nalanda Books & Record Shop in Hotel Taj Mahal Palace.

He had purchased four other books - "Royal Rajasthan", "India's Jewish Heritage", "The Grand Trunk Road" and "Polo In India" - but the army book was of great interest to him, he said.

"The other four books were mostly pictorial and there was nothing sinister about them."

At this, Judge Sanap enquired whether there was anything "sinister" (motives) about the book on Indian Army, Headley replied: "Yes... My Lord!

At one point in the deposition, Nikam suddenly shot a question about a woman named Kainaz.

"She was a friend from Mumbai," Headley replied.

"Friend or girlfriend," Nikam countered.

"Not a girlfriend, just a friend," a visibly irritated Headley replied.

Later, identifying a picture of the captured and hanged terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Headley said the LeT was saddened by his arrest during the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attack.
New Delhi: "Since when has BJP started believing terrorists?" Congress wondered on Friday, taking a dig at the ruling party for relying on David Headley's claim that Ishrat Jahan was an LeT operative.

Party leader Kapil Sibal told reporters that it was "very surprising" as also a "matter of some concern" that suddenly BJP and its leaders have got implicit faith in terrorists and what they say.

"All over the world, Headley is a known terrorist, not to be believed. Suddenly BJP finds truth in what he says", Sibal said, taking a jibe at the ruling party remarking that it would now also believe in what Masood Azhar and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are saying.

Trashing demands of BJP that the Congress leadership should apologise in the matter, Sibal said that the implicit faith in the statements of Headley was "yet another example of opportunism of BJP".

Sibal, a senior advocate, also took exception to the way the public prosecutor in the case put "leading questions" to Headley on the Ishrat Jahan issue.

Congress has been insisting that the "fundamental question" was whether she and her accomplices were killed in a "fake" encounter.

Headley yesterday said that Ishrat Jahan -- who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004 in Gujarat -- was actually an Lashkar-e-Taiba operative.
New Delhi: Snapdeal executive Dipti Sarna - who returned on Friday morning almost 36 hours after being kidnapped - has said that her abductors did not harm her and she was treated well.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh told that abductors were afraid of being caught following the massive hunt launched by police and vast media coverage of the incident.

The 23-year-old, an executive with the legal wing of e-commerce major Snapdeal, was missing since Wednesday night while she was on her way to home in Ghaziabad.

According to her, she took a shared auto rickshaw to her home at around 7.45 pm from Vaishali Metro station. She, along with other passengers, had to take another autorickshaw as the one in which they were travelling broke down midway near Mohan Nagar.

According to Sarna, soon after boarding the next autorickshaw, the four men forced the only female passenger to get down at knifepoint near Hindon river. Sarna, who had got suspicious about their motives by now, called one of her friends in Bengaluru to tell about the incident when one of the youths snatched her phone and bag. But her friend managed to hear the commotion before the call was disconnected. He was the one who informed Dipti's parents about the incident.

Dipti said that she was taken to a secluded place somewhere in Raj Nagar Extension. According to police, her abductor travelled the whole night, sometimes in a car and sometimes on a bike. They also walked for about 10 kms.

Amid mounting pressure following a massive hunt by the police, the abductors left her on a Delhi-bound train at a suburban railway station on Friday morning. Dipti said that they also gave her some money to reach home. After travelling for sometime, the train reached Narela station where she borrowed phone from a fellow passenger and called her father.

Police said that Dipti has been given time to come out of the trauma before they resume the further investigation into the case.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said it was a matter of pride for the party that Pakistan-based terror outfits consider it their enemy.

He was reacting to the Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's statement in a Mumbai court that terrorist outfit LeT might have been interested in a strike on the Sena Bhavan -- the party headquarters -- or assassinate its head (the late Bal Thackeray).

"We are not surprised that terrorists are interested in doing a recce of Sena Bhavan or Matoshree (Thackeray residence). Pakistan has always had both on hit-list. It is a matter of pride for us that Pakistan considers us to be their enemy and we are on their hit-list," the Rajya Sabha MP told PTI.

"We are not scared of any of them. If any of us is targeted by them, it would mean like winning a Maha Vir Chakra."

Bal Thackeray consistently fought against Pakistani and Khalistani terrorists for 50 years and considered himself to be "fortunate" to be a target of terrorists, Raut said.

"What would have happened had he (Bal Thackeray) been harmed is a different matter. The main point is Balasaheb's name sends shivers down the spine of terrorists in Pakistan," Raut said.

Headley, deposing from the US through video-conference, said he had tried to befriend Rajaram Rege, a local Sena leader, to get access to Sena Bhavan, as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba, which later carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, might be interested in attacking the Sena Bhavan or "assassinate its head". PTI MM KRK SMN

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New Delhi: Questioning British newspaper The Independent's secular credentials over its decision to switch back to using Bombay in place of Mumbai when referring to India's financial capital, Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy on Friday asked why the decision was not taken to refer Istanbul as Constantinople?

Taking to Twitter, Roy wrote, 'The Independent' of London, in burst of 'Secularism' returns to old name 'Bombay', not 'Mumbai'! How about back to Constantinople for Istanbul?'

'The Independent' of London,in burst of 'Secularism' returns to old name 'Bombay',not 'Mumbai'! How abt back to Constantinople for Istanbul?  Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) February 12, 2016

He also alleged that the move was made because the renaming of Bombay was done by the Shiv Sena a Hindu outfit.

'Mumbai' back to 'Bombay' because renaming was by the Shiv Sena, but 'Kolkata' will not return to 'Calcutta' because renaming was by Left?

'Mumbai' back to 'Bombay' bcz renaming ws by the Shiv Sena; but 'Kolkata' wl NOT retn to 'Calcutta' bcz renaming was by Left #Independence?  Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) February 12, 2016

The Independent's editor Amol Rajan had yesterday issued a statement that the move was a stand against what he said was the closed-minded view of Hindu nationalists.

"The whole point of Bombay is of an open, cosmopolitan port city, the gateway of India that's open to the world," said Rajan, who was born in Kolkata -- formerly known as Calcutta -- and raised in London.

"If you call it what Hindu nationalists want you to call it, you essentially do their work for them," the 32-year-old told BBC radio.

"As journalists, as someone who edits The Independent, it's incredibly important to be specific about our terminology.

"I'd rather side with the tradition of India that's been open to the world, rather than the one that's been closed, which is in ascendance right now," he said, referring to the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Hundreds of people have gathered the house of Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad at Betadur village in Dharwad district of Karnataka to mourn his death.

Hanumanthappa's body has been kept at Nehru stadium in Hubli for people to pay homage to the brave soldier.

His body will be taken to his native village in the afternoon where his last rites will be performed at around 1 pm.

When Hanumanthappa's mortal remains were brought on road from Hubbali airport around midnight, wrapped in a casket and draped in tri-colour, his extended family plunged into grief even as his brother and close relatives broke down.

The 33-year-old braveheart lost the battle for life three days after he was rescued from a Siachen glacier at the world's highest and coldest battlefield where he was buried under 35 feet in ice for six days after an avalanche struck his camp on February 3.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, opposition leader Jagadish Shettar and many dignitaries were present at the airport when an IAF AN-32 aircraft landed with Koppad's body at 10.30 pm on Thursday.

After laying wreaths and paying floral tributes, Siddaramaiah consoled Koppada's widow Mahadevi, mother Basavva, two-year-old daughter Netra and brother Govindappa, who accompanied the body from Delhi.

"Besides an ex-gratia amount, the state government will give Koppad's family farm land, a residential plot at Hubbali for building a house and a government job to his widow," Siddaramaiah told reporters at the airport, about 410-km from Bengaluru.

The state government will also pay hefty compensation to families of two other soldiers from the state-Sepoy Mahesha from Mysuru district and Subedar Nagesha from Hassan district who perished in the tragic mishap atop Siachen along with seven others last week.

Koppad belonged to the 19th battalion of Madras Regiment, which he joined 13 years ago after failing to get through into the army on three occasions in past.

Koppad was posted on the Siachen glacier since August 2015 and deployed at one of the highest posts (Sonam) facing Pakistan and where temperatures plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius and winds blow up to 100-km per hour.

The 10 soldiers buried alive were maintaining the world's highest helipad in the area, which brought supplies for soldiers on the Siachen glacier.

While nine soldiers, including one junior commissioned officer, died, Koppad was the only one who survived for six days buried under tonnes of snow.
One political party reportedly distributed Rs 1,500 per vote while its rival raised the bar and allegedly distributed anything between Rs 2500 and Rs 3000. (Representational image)

Bengaluru: For a common citizen, electioneering means winning voters confidence by making assurances and getting votes in the end. For a hardcore politician however, elections nowadays are all about distributing money and winning the seat at any cost.

This trend is more than visible in Hebbal Assembly constituency where voting will take place on Saturday.

Two political parties are competing with each other to distribute money to select voters on the eve of the polls after campaigning came to an end.

One political party reportedly distributed Rs 1,500 per vote while its rival raised the bar and allegedly distributed anything between Rs 2500 and Rs 3000.

On an average, in a constituency, only 20-25 per cent voters are vulnerable to this vote purchase. How are these people tapped for votes? First, the parties appoint 10-20 people to oversee the purchase in every polling booth limits.

They will do the groundwork of mapping the voters and finding out their political leanings. These workers will get Rs 500-Rs 800 every day for the job they do.

"These people come forward to work only for the sake of money though they may have their own political leanings too. The funny part is that workers associated with one party do not hesitate to meet their counterparts associated with a rival party. Generally, all these people end up in bars in the same area at the end of the day where their daily expenses are borne by the candidate," sources said.

As polling day nears, the daily wage of these people goes up by one and half or twice the original amount. A week before the poll, a large group of people join the original team to do the spade work for buying votes.

The daily wage depends on the intensity of the political battle. These workers will identify slums and pockets in the constituency where vulnerable voters are located.

Two days before polling, the parties distribute money through local leaders and supply liquor wherever they feel it can swing votes.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court said that proceedings in the National Herald case against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice president Rahul Gandhi and three others will continue in the trial court. However, the court made some serious observations on the trial against the Gandhis in the National Herald case.

A bench of Justices JS Khehar and C Nagappan said that the Delhi High Court drawing conclusions on the criminality aspects of the case before considering the evidence can impact the trial.

The SC  after seeking complainant Subramanian Swamy's consent  ordered that the controversial parts of the HC order be expunged from the records.

"We are of the view that it was not open for the high court to record the findings conclusively. And the same would have been left to the trial court to record after recording of evidence. We hereby direct expunging of all inferences, findings and observations arrived by high court on various factual aspects of the matter," the bench said.

However, the bench said it affirms the views of the high court and reiterates that Gandhis and other accused can raise all their pleas and issues at the stage of framing of charges before the trial court.

"Accordingly, we permit petitioners to raise all the issues at the stage of framing of charges," the bench said.

The Gandhis, Motilal Vora, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey were also granted exemption from personal appearance in the case before the trial court which is scheduled to take up the matter on February 20. However, it came with a rider with the court saying that it would be open for the Magistrate at any stage to seek their personal appearance as and when required.

The Gandhis are people of eminence and they are not running away, the court said.

The accused Congress brass has asked the top court to stay the December 7, 2015 order of the Delhi High Court.

The High Court had not only refused their request to stay the summons of the trial court but also went on to brand the case as one of its kind where the probity of the legendary Congress party is under scanner.
New Delhi: Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was laid to rest at his home town - Betadur village in Dharwad district of Karnataka on Friday, a day after he breathed his last at Delhi's RR hospital.

Alongwith, thousands of locals and state government's representatives, Hanumanthappa's final journey was attended by soldiers from Madras Regiment .

Earlier, Hanumanthappa's body was kept at Nehru stadium in Hubbali where hundreds pay homage to the brave soldier.

The 33-year-old braveheart's mortal remains were brought on road from Hubbali airport around midnight, wrapped in a casket and draped in tri-colour, his extended family plunged into grief even as his brother and close relatives broke down.

On Thursday, three days after being rescued from Siachen glacier, Hanumanthappa lost the battle for life in a Delhi hospital.

He was the only one to be rescued alive after spending almost six days under the 36-feet of snow at Siachen, the world highest battlefield.


New Delhi: Ever since he demitted office, former prime minister Manmohan Singh was hardly found interacting with the media or sharing his elaborated views on the policies of the current government. However, he recently criticised his successor Narendra Modi over failing to deliver what the latter's government had promised to the country.

In an interview to India Today, Singh said that though PM Modi talks of 'vikas', in the growth rate there is no significant difference from where the UPA left.

In our last year, the growth rate was 6.9 per cent, while the latest figures today show that it is hovering around 7-7.2 per cent. So, despite the significant improvement in the balance of payments, the economy is not moving forward which was the aspiration and for which the government had made promises, he was quoted by India Today.

Accusing Modi of keeping mum on contentious issues like beef and Muzaffarnagar, Singh said, He has never spoken; whether it is on the beef problem or whether it is what happened in Muzaffarnagar or elsewhere, he has kept quiet.

Sharing his opinion on Modi's surprise visit to Lahore, he said, It is always good to maintain contacts with your neighbours, but there is no need to create a euphoria. If you are not sure about the outcome of your initiative, I think you are wasting the levers of power that you have regarding Pakistan. So I don't think that the PM thought it through? He said that he was in Kabul when he spoke to Nawaz Sharif, who invited him to come. But that is no way of planning or taking a view on such a sensitive relationship, especially one between India and Pakistan.

He further suggested PM Modi to reach out to Congress leadership, particularly Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to break logjam over GST and other bills.

During a meeting with him, I had told him that if you really want to improve relations with the Congress party, it's much more essential than ever before for you to establish contact with the Congress leadership, particularly with Soniaji and Rahul Gandhi. There has been no serious discussion with the Congress, whether it is on foreign policy or domestic policy, and even on the GST?
Washington: The US is working with India to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack to justice, a top official has said amid Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's deposition before a Mumbai court.

"We are going to continue to work with India to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news briefing yesterday when asked about the video testimony of LeT operative Headley, a Mumbai-attack convict, before a court in Mumbai.

"We have been over the years working closely with and cooperating with the Indian government in its investigation. We are committed to doing all we can to assisting the Indian government in pursuing every possible lead to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice," he said.

"He (Headley) provided testimony via video link to a court in Mumbai. The victims of that attack included not only Americans, Indians, but also citizens of other nations," Toner said in response to a question.

He said the US is working with and has encouraged that kind of collaboration between Pakistan and India on this particular case.

Headley, 55, who is serving 35-year prison sentence in the US for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, has spoken about how Pakistani terrorists conducted the strikes after two failed attempts, the role of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, another LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi as well as his handler in the outfit Sajid Mir among other issues.
Zee Media Bureau/Udita Madan

New Delhi: One of the biggest breakthrough's in modern science was made yesterday, regarding how the German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein's 'gravitational waves' prediction has come true.

Scientists have confirmed Einstein's 100-year-old theory of General Relativity, which means that they have directly detected gravitational waves for the first time, caused by a cosmic clash of black holes so violent, that its shock waves rippled the ethereal fabric of space and time across a billion light years of distance.

Timelines on social media platforms were full of celebratory posts cheering the discovery, including those from science enthusiasts. Not one to stay behind in such celebrations, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his joy at the discovery.

In a post on his personal account on Facebook, he wrote, Albert Einstein is one of my heroes, so Ive been following this announcement closely... By analyzing the information contained in gravitational waves, we can now open up an entirely new view of the cosmos -- potentially shedding light on the very earliest moments of the universe, as well as the creation and growth of black holes.

He ended his post by congratulating the scientists who helped make the discovery possible, saying that they've made Albert Einstein proud. He said, Todays breakthrough depended on the talent of brilliant scientists and engineers from many nations, but also advances in computing that only recently became possible. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this happen. You've made Einstein proud.

Check out his post below!
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The entire world is abuzz with the landmark scientific breakthrough, what is being termed as the breakthrough of the century. Scientists have actually confirmed what German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein had predicted a hundred years ago!

Scientists on Thursday, announced that they have succeeded in detecting gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time that basically proves Einstein's theory of General Relativity.

However, what most people don't know is what this discovery may lead to in the future.

Prepare to be excited, because according to a report in the Times of India, this discovery of gravitational waves could help scientists actually build a time machine to delve into the universe's past!

In a quest to reach back, peek into the secrets of the cosmos and understand the universe better as well as the mystery shrouding the formation of the black holes is what this evolution can actually be used for.

After this major development, scientists are hopeful to carry out more successful attempts by launching projects into space to capture the gravitational waves.

According to the Times of India, one such project is eLISA, which is set to be launched in the year 2020. That consists of three satellites, each positioned a million kilometres apart.

Together they will be able to measure spacetime as it stretches and squeezes, watching for how it does so. That will allow it to work out where the gravitational waves are coming from and shed some light on the matter far into the dark depths of the universe.
Sindh: Pakistan`s military on Friday said it had foiled a prison break bid aimed at freeing British-born militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, currently on death row for the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Three militants groups -- Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- were working together on the plot, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said, adding that the plan to attack Hyderabad Central Jail was close to execution.

Bajwa told a Karachi press conference: "A deputy leader of Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent named Mussanah was mastermind of the plan and was arranging all the finances while he was aided by the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Naeem Bukhari."

Mussanah, Bukhari, and a man said to be their handler, named Huzaifa, were later paraded before the media in handcuffs.

Bajwa said the perpetrators had prepared two explosive-laden vehicles which they were supposed to ram into the gate of the prison.

He added the plotters had a list of prisoners that they were supposed to kill after gaining access to the jail, while rescuing around 100 prisoners including Sheikh.

He added the same cell was behind major terrorist incidents across the country including the 2014 siege of Karachi airport, as well as attacks on a naval base, air base, and intelligence headquarters in the cities of Multan and Sukkur.

Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002, while researching a story about Islamist militants.

A graphic video showing Pearl`s decapitation was delivered to the US consulate in the city nearly a month later.

British-born extremist Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by an anti-terror court, while three other co-accused received life imprisonment.

One of them was acquitted in 2014.

In January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University in the US following an investigation into his death made chilling revelations when it claimed that the wrong men were convicted for Pearl`s murder.
Washington: Even as a top US lawmaker threatened to block proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan over its alleged support for terrorist groups, the US said it was committed to deliver security assistance to its key ally.

State Department Spokesperson Mark C Toner Thursday declined to confirm whether Secretary of State John Kerry had received a letter from Senate Foreign Relations committee Chairman Bob Corker regarding subsidised sale of up to eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. "As a matter of policy, though, we don`t comment on proposed arms sales or transfers or even our preliminary consultations with the Hill, with Capitol Hill, prior to any formal congressional notification," he said.

But "we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges," he said.

Citing Islamabad`s relationship with the Haqqani network, an extremist group that has a history of destabilising Afghanistan, Corker in a Feb 9 letter to Kerry notified the Obama administration of his intention to block the F-16 sale.

"After years of pressuring the Pakistanis on this point, the Haqqani terrorists still enjoy freedom of movement, and possibly even support from the Pakistani government," he wrote.

"This is highly problematic given the Haqqani`s clear involvement in killing the very Afghan army and police we have worked for years to train," Corker added.

Asked about Corker`s charges, Toner said: "We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations."

"These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan," he said.

"So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the United States and in the interests of the region more broadly," Toner said.

Asked how many fewer US personnel had been killed inside Afghanistan by terrorist groups because of US assistance to Pakistani forces, Toner said he did not have the figures "in front of me."

"But no country in the region has been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan," he claimed. "We believe it`s in our vital national security interests to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks."

Describing Pakistan as "an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan," the spokesperson said, the US "would welcome Pakistan`s efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example."

Pakistan, he said, had carried out "multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil.

"We believe that destroying, eliminating those networks is in our national security interests, as well as the security interests of the region," Toner said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Embassy in Washington Thursday denied Corker`s charge and criticised it as unfounded and ill-advised.

"Insinuations of facilitating the destabilising role of Haqqani network in Afghanistan in any way are indeed unfortunate," embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana told Foreign Policy magazine.

Corker, following a recent trip to Afghanistan, said he would shelve the funding needed to finance the F-16 deal. However, he pledged to lift his hold on the sale of the warplanes itself.

"If they wish to purchase this military equipment, they will do so without a subsidy from the American taxpayer," Corker was quoted as saying in the letter by FP.
New Delhi: Even as the world, particularly the scientific community, is abuzz with the news of gravitational waves discovery, there's one scientist who is not so astonished with the finding.

That's not because he doesn't have interest in astrophysics or in space, perhaps it is being claimed that he had predicted the very same theory three decades ago.

As per the Huffingtonpost.in report, Sanjeev Dhurandhar, a scientist with the Inter-University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, had detected the gravitational waves almost thirty years ago before the international scientific community.

I started my career by studying general relativity and was very interested in the thermodynamics of blackholes. My research interest since 1987 has been in the detection/observation of gravitational waves, their data analysis and the modelling of gravitational wave detectors, Dhurandhar was quoted as saying.

Dhurandhar, who was one of the 1,000 key scientists involved in detecting the gravitational waves, suggested the existence of these weak waves as early as 1980s, but the scientific community was not very receptive then.

In 1989, he was brought into IUCAA, Pune to help develop techniques for the detection of the signals.

According to the Indian Express, he led the only Indian group in the 'initial era of the LIGO' - a large-scale physics experiment to detect gravitational waves - for a decade.

In total, more than 60 Indian scientists played a major role in the histotic discovery.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lauded the role of Indian scientists in the scientific breakthrough.

Scientists working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), announced on Thursday that they have detected the gravitational waves, which Albert Einstein predicted a century ago.
Chennai: Asserting that her government was committed to ensuring the rights of fishermen in traditional waters of Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaithaa on Friday said the Centre should take concerted efforts to halt their repeated arrests by Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she cited the latest arrest of 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen along with two mechanised boats yesterday and said there was an "urgent and imperative need" to take appropriate steps to find a permanent solution to the issue.

?It was 'unfortunate' that the apprehension and arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy "continues unabated", she said.

?"My Government stays committed to ensuring and upholding the traditional rights of fishermen from Tamil Nadu to fish in their traditional fishing waters of Palk Bay.

"The repeated attempts by Sri Lankan Navy to prevent the exercise of the traditional rights by our fishermen by continuing apprehensions, arrests and assaults cannot be allowed to continue further and needs to be halted through concerted efforts by the Government of India," she said.

She urged Prime Minister to direct the External Affairs Ministry to take up the matter with Sri Lankan authorities to release of 27 fishermen, including the 12 apprehended yesterday, along with 73 fishing boats.

Referring to her earlier request to the Centre to release a comprehensive financial package of Rs 1,520 crore including Rs 10 crore every year for taking up deep sea fishing and developing infrastructure, she said, "I reiterate my request for early sanction" of the proposal.

Jayarajan was later shifted to Pariyaram medical college hospital cell on the advise of doctors who examined him.

When examined at the Kannur district hospital, it was found that he had some cardiac problems and was advised to be shifted to the nearest hospital.

Jayarajan was admitted to the hospital after being taken to the Kannur jail and completion of formalities there.

Meanwhile, CBI has filed an application in the sessions court, seeking his custody for three days from February 16.

The matter is likely to come up before the court on Monday.
New Delhi: Environmentalist R.K. Pachauri, who is facing sexual harassment charges, was asked to go on leave from TERI, its governing council and university amid mounting outrage over his elevation to executive vice-chairman, even as chairman B.V. Sreekantan, who resigned on Friday, was replaced by former Union finance secretary and Competition Commission ex-chief Ashok Chawla. Mr Sreekantan was a member of the governing council for over 40 years.

The developments come a day after Mr Ajay Mathur was appointed as the new director-general of the think tank. Soon after joining, the new chairman reportedly disclosed that an external ombudsman would be appointed to go into complaints of sexual harassment in future.

Women protest at Teri office

The trouble for former TERI D-G R.K. Pachauri, meanwhile, continued to mount as women activists protested outside the institutes office on Friday, demanding his sacking from the organisation.

On Wednesday, another woman had come out in public alleging sexual harassment by him.

Mr Pachauri, who went on leave on Thursday from Teri University after students refused to receive degrees from him, on Friday proceeded on leave from the organisation and its governing council.

A Teri statement said: "R.K. Pachauri, who had been at the head of the institute since 1982, will be on leave from Teri, Teri Governing Council, and Teri University till this is reviewed by the governing council given the sub-judice nature of the matter."

Teri said the organisation looks forward to the leadership of 65-year-old Ashok Chawla and inducted the new director-general, Ajay Mathur, as a member of the council. Mr Mathur will operate with full executive powers, a move that will strip Mr Pachauri of any executive powers he may have enjoyed when he was appointed executive vice-chairman earlier this week, said sources.

When asked whether Mr Pachauri was forced to go on leave or took the decision voluntarily, Teri declined to comment.
Havana: Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed on Friday in a historic meeting, uniting to issue a global appeal for the protection of Christians under assault in the Middle East.

Nearly 1,000 years after the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity split apart, the meeting at an airport terminal in Cuba was the first ever between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch.

"In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they said in a joint declaration in apparent reference to violence by militant groups like Islamic State.

"Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed."

Cuban President Raul Castro stood to the side during the ceremony, enjoying another moment in the international limelight after receiving Francis last year and restoring diplomatic relations with the United States recently, meeting President Barack Obama in Panama in April.

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, came together only a week after the encounter was announced. Such a meeting had eluded their predecessor, but Francis had issued a standing invitation to meet anytime, anywhere.

The moment came while Kirill was visiting the Caribbean island and Francis added a brief stop on his way from Rome to a long-scheduled visit to Mexico.

"Finally," Francis said as he and Kirill entered through doors on opposite sides of a room at Havana airport to begin private talks. "We are brothers."

Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks.

"It is very clear that this is the will of God," Francis said.

"Yes, things are much easier now," Kirill said. Both men spoke through interpreters.

Their meeting carried political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

The Russian Orthodox Church is closely aligned with the Kremlin, which is in turn an ally of Cuba.

The Argentine pontiff helped the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba after more than five decades of estrangement.

The pope, leader of the world`s 1.2 billion Catholics, is seeking to repair a much longer rupture. Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome in 1054.

Modern popes have met in the past with the Istanbul-based ecumenical patriarchs, the spiritual leaders of Eastern Orthodoxy. Those patriarchs play a largely symbolic role, while the rich Russian church wields real influence because it counts some 165 million of the world`s 250 million Orthodox Christians.
Western Cape: South Africa`s President Jacob Zuma on Friday mocked the opposition, dismissing it as "useless" and ignorant after rowdy radical lawmakers disrupted his parliamentary address and walked out.

"They are showing how useless they are, people will never vote for them," Zuma said a day after seeing his annual state of the nation address interrupted.

"They don`t understand democracy, how it works."

"They just move with the wind when it goes this way, that way, shame on them," said Zuma.

Lawmakers from the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), dressed in their uniforms of red workers` overalls and hard hats, noisily interrupted his speech for an hour before being ordered out of the chamber on Thursday night.

"Zuma is no longer a president that deserves respect from anyone," EFF`s firebrand leader Julius Malema yelled at the president.

But Zuma said if the opposition were true democrats, they should know better how to deal with the government when it errs.

"If the party or the president commits a mistake, there is a process how you deal with that," said Zuma in his first reaction to his heckling by EFF members of parliament.

"You are really not doing good for your country. You are making this country look bad out there, which means you don`t think," he said after the speech was broadcast live on television.

He said the opposition`s rowdy behaviour was actually working to his ruling African National Congress (ANC)`s advantage.

The "problem with other parties is (that) as soon as they open their mouths they talk about the ANC not about themselves."

"They are actually doing our job, they are not convincing people."
New York: New York City`s police have made extensive use of covert devices to track cell phones without obtaining warrants since 2008, a civil liberties group said on Thursday, revealing how frequently law enforcement in the largest U.S. city has employed the technology.

The New York Civil Liberties Union released files that showed the New York Police Department used "cell site simulators" to track nearby cell phones more than a 1,000 times over the past eight years.

The American Civil Liberties Union has identified 60 local, state and federal agencies that have adopted the devices in recent years, but the group has said there are likely far more. The extent of the devices has largely been shrouded in secrecy, as departments and private manufacturers such as Harris Corp have refused to disclose information about their use.

The documents released on Thursday were obtained by the NYCLU through a Freedom of Information Law request.

The NYPD does not have a written policy on using the surveillance devices and does not obtain warrants when doing so, according to the NYCLU.

Instead, the department seeks "pen register" orders, which have been used for decades to gather information on specific phone numbers. The orders are issued by judges but require a lower standard than the probable cause needed for warrants.

The NYPD`s practice is less stringent than the one adopted last year by the U.S. Department of Justice, which calls for warrants except in emergency situations.

"We still have concerns that this military equipment is being used in a civilian context," said Mariko Hirose, an NYCLU attorney. "At the very least, they should be using warrants and with a strict privacy policy that is written."

The devices mimic cell towers and intercept signals from nearby phones to gather information. That data can include locations of calls, numbers that are called or texted and even the content of communications, the NYCLU said.

The simulators can also sweep up information from nearby "bystander" phones.

J. Peter Donald, a NYPD spokesman, said the department "ensures we have established probable cause, consults with a district attorney, and applies for a court order" before using the devices.

He added that the NYPD does not capture the content of communications or any data from bystander cell phones.

"Perhaps the NYCLU should fact check their press release before issuing it," he said.

U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, a Republican, has introduced a bill to require warrants for the use of cell site simulators.

No New York court has yet tackled the question of whether the warrantless use of such devices is constitutional, Hirose said.

She said the NYCLU could have difficulty establishing the legal standing to bring such a challenge, which would probably have to come from a criminal defendant specifically targeted by a simulator.

The documents indicate the simulators were used to investigate a wide range of crimes, including murder, rape and drug trafficking.
The four holdouts in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered on Thursday with the last protester repeatedly threatening suicide during a dramatic final phone call with mediators before he gave up, ending the 41-day standoff.

David Fry, 27, stayed behind for more than an hour and told supporters by phone he had not agreed with the other three to leave the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. The call was broadcast live on an audio feed posted on the Internet.

"I`m actually pointing a gun at my head. I`m tired of living," Fry said during the phone call. He later added, "Until you address my grievances, you`re probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself."

Fry sounded alternately defiant and tormented during the rambling final call, veering from rants about the federal government to his thoughts on UFOs. He surrendered after taking a final cigarette and cookie and asking his mediators to shout "hallelujah."

Authorities could be heard over the phone line telling him to put his hands up before the call disconnected. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward called him a "very troubled young man" at a news conference several hours later.

Federal authorities said the final four occupiers would face charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers, along with 12 others previously arrested, and that the refuge would remain closed for several weeks as agents secured what was now considered a crime scene and scoured it for fugitives or explosives.

"The occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge has been a long and traumatic episode for the citizens of Harney County and the members of the Burns Paiute tribe," U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said in the statement. "It is a time for healing, reconciliation amongst neighbours and friends, and allowing for life to get back to normal."

CLIVEN BUNDY ARRESTED

The takeover, which began on Jan. 2, was sparked by the return to prison of two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge.

The standoff, which was originally led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, came to a head after the arrest on Wednesday in Portland of their father, Cliven Bundy. On Thursday he was charged with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer and obstruction of justice in connection with a separate 2014 standoff on federal land near his Nevada ranch.

Cliven Bundy was subdued during a brief court appearance in Portland, appearing pale and tired in a jail uniform and eyeglasses. He spoke only to acknowledge his rights to the judge.

The Malheur occupation had also been a protest against federal control over millions of acres public land in the West.

Ammon and Ryan Bundy were arrested in January along with nine other protesters on a snow-covered roadside where a spokesman for the group, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot dead. A 12th member of the group surrendered to police in Arizona.

After Cliven Bundy`s arrest, three of four remaining occupiers surrendered to the FBI at the urging of Nevada state Assemblywoman Michele Fiore and Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.

Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada, and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho, surrendered peacefully, according to the FBI.

Fiore told Reuters in an interview that she and Graham hugged each of the holdouts as they emerged and that they seemed relieved.

No one got scratched, no one got thrown on the ground and nothing happened, Fiore said.

Fry arrived at the occupation within the first week, and told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he was inspired by Finicum. He became one the most outspoken protesters, posting frequent, often angry rants on social media.

The skinny, bespectacled Ohio native from a military family has also expressed outrage when dealing with what appear to be minor criminal offenses in his past. In a YouTube video from September, Fry can be heard saying he refused to pay fines for smoking marijuana on a river and not wearing a life jacket, and then sets fire to a debt collection notice.

Frys father told Oregon Public Broadcasting that his son has also screamed at a police officer who had pulled him over for broken taillights. The elder Fry said his son was bullied in high school because of his Japanese heritage.
Islamabad: It may very well be plausible that officials from within the ISI facilitated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, a Pakistani daily said and noted that Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley `s testimony has really not revealed as much as the Indian government would have been hoping.

An editorial "Revelations" in the Nation on Friday said that in an video testimony to an Indian court Headley corroborated the Indian version of speculation surrounding the 2008 Mumbai attacks because, according to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) facilitator/terrorist, the ISI orchestrated the whole attack, handling each LeT member from this side of the border.

It said that the testimony should not be accepted as fact immediately, however, for a number of reasons.

"Primarily, Headley`s intentions will always be subject for debate, because here is a man who first conspired against the Indian state and its people, supposedly at the behest of the ISI if his version is to be believed, and now speaks from a US prison after being granted amnesty by India for his part in the attack in exchange for information."

"The Headley case perfectly captures the Pakistan-India relationship in the recent past. The Indian government blames ISI while the Pakistani side points fingers at RAW in its turn," said the daily.

It said that the US would have been perfectly aware of the testimony Headley would give and "the uproar it would result in on the Indian side of the border, it let it go through which is essentially accusing Pakistan of fostering terror on home soil while simultaneously congratulating Pakistani efforts on eradicating terror in the country in a separate statement in the same day".

In his latest interview, Headley has really not revealed as much as the Indian government would have been hoping, the daily said, adding: "Apart from pinning Ishrat Jahan as an alleged LeT operative, Headley`s assertions are a repeat of what he stated to the Indian National Investigation Agency in 2012."

"Hafiz Saeed may indeed have had a large role to play in the attack, and given that LeT is a product of our own misguided policy of strategic depth, it may very well be altogether plausible that officials from within the ISI facilitated the 2008 attack," the Nation said.

"But this is a far cry from the institutional and governmental support that India claims was behind the attack."

The Mumbai terror strike took place at multiple locations, leaving 166 people dead and over 300 injured on November 26-28, 2008.


Vatican City: Pope Francis headed to Cuba on Friday looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity before embarking on a tour of Mexico dominated by modern day problems of drug-related violence and migration.

The Argentinian pontiff took off from Rome`s Fiumicino airport shortly before 8:00 am (0700 GMT) en route to Havana, where he is to spend around two hours in private conversation with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill at Havana`s Jose Marti airport.

It will be the first meeting between the leaders of Christianity`s two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

Francis and Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, with the final obstacles finally swept away by a combination of the Pope`s determination that it should happen and the Russian church`s feeling that events in the Middle East have made Christian unity much more urgent.

The rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with Francis`s drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican since he was elected pope in 2013.

"In the background there is a third player (Putin)," Vatican expert Marco Politi wrote in a blog on the historic encounter.

"It would be naive to believe the sudden availability of the Patriarch is unrelated to the geopolitical situation Russia finds itself in at the moment," he argued, in a reference to Russia`s intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could "100 percent guarantee" that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders` meeting.

Alexander Volkov said he hoped the meeting would open the door to "new prospects of mutual cooperation," but emphasised that reunification of the Eastern and Western churches was not on the agenda.

Despite the breakthrough of a face-to-face meeting, Vatican-Orthodox relations remain strained.

The issues that caused the schism in the first place are unresolved and there are tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

Then there is the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, which has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.Francis`s arrival in Mexico on Friday evening is set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile (19-kilometre) route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador`s residence in Mexico City.

The plan is for believers to light up the road Francis`s popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organiser Roberto Delgado described as a "wall of light and prayer."

Francis will spend his nights in Mexico at the ambassador`s residence in the capital, but will make a series of trips to outlying states stricken by violence and poverty.

To underline his commitment to the plight of migrants fleeing persecution and poverty in search of a better life, his schedule will take in trips to both the southern and northern borders.

His arrival in a country that is home to the second-largest Catholic community in the world (after Brazil) comes a day after a prison riot left 49 inmates dead in the north of the country.

He is also due to visit three places notorious for drug cartel mayhem: Ecatepec in Mexico State, Morelia in Michoacan and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua.

At Ciudad Juarez, located on the border with the United States, he will deliver an open-air mass which believers on the other side of the border, close to the Texas town of El Paso, will also be able to follow.

The cross-border service on Wednesday is expected to be one of the high points of the trip, but Francis has said the most emotional moment for him will come with Saturday`s visit to the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary is one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. Francis has visited twice prior to becoming pope and his schedule has been cleared for Saturday evening to allow him as much time as he wants for private prayer before the revered icon of the "Morenita" (the brunette virgin).
Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill kissed each other and sat down together on Saturday for the first meeting between their two branches of the church in nearly a thousand years.

Francis, 79, in white robes and a skullcap and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, exchanged kisses and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport.

The 79-year-old pontiff stepped off a plane in the sunshine and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on the tarmac at Jose Marti airport before heading into the meeting with the leader of the powerful Russian branch of the Orthodox church.

Kirill was also greeted by his communist, atheist host Castro, 84, when he arrived yesterday.

The Argentine pontiff is looking to heal a nearly 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity that dates back to a 1054 schism which helped shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

He was due to meet for about two hours with Kirill before embarking on a tour of Mexico.

The two were due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," said Francis, who became pope in 2013, in an interview this week.

But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Kirill was on an 11-day trip to Latin America that will also take him to Paraguay and Brazil.
The son of a wealthy Canadian beer baron was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for murdering his father, following a long and sensational trial in New Brunswick province.

But he may seek parole after 10 years behind bars.

Dennis Oland, 47, was found guilty in December of second-degree murder against his father, Richard Oland, who was part of the locally prominent family that owns Moosehead Breweries.

The 69-year-old father was found dead in a pool of blood in his office on July 7, 2011. His body bore numerous stab and blunt-force wounds to the head, neck and hands. Police said his son was the last person to see him alive.

Dennis Oland pleaded not guilty at trial and continues to deny involvement in the killing.

In arguing its case, the prosecution pointed to the younger Oland`s financial problems, suggesting that he had grown violent when his father refused a demand for money.

It argued that a brown jacket belonging to Dennis Oland bore small blood splatters and traces of DNA that experts said almost surely came from his father.

Moosehead is Canada`s oldest independent brewery, based in Saint John.
Seoul: South Korea warned North Korea on Friday that it had acted "illegally" in freezing the assets of South Korean companies and staff expelled from the jointly run Kaesong industrial zone.

Seoul`s Unification Minister Hong Yong-Pyo said Pyongyang`s decision to kick out the South Korean firms was "very regrettable" and added the North would have to take full responsibility for any consequences.

North Korea on Thursday said it was closing Kaesong completely and placing it under military control.

All South Koreans working in the zone, which lies 10 kilometres (six miles) inside North Korea, were expelled and told they could only take their personal belongings.

It also ordered a "complete freeze" of all assets left behind, including raw materials, products and equipment.

Pyongyang said the move was a response to Seoul`s decision the day before to shut down the operations of the 124 South Korean companies in Kaesong -- a protest at the North`s recent nuclear test and long-range rocket test.

"North Korea expelled our people with very short notice, banned them from taking out finished products and illegally froze valuable assets," Hong said.

He also condemned the "unjustified and extreme measure" taken by Pyongyang of cutting off the only two remaining communication hotlines with the South."North Korea will have to take responsibility for anything that happens now," he added, without elaborating.

Born out of the "sunshine" reconciliation policy of the late 1990s, Kaesong opened in 2004 and, until now, had proved remarkably resilient, riding out repeated crises that ended every other facet of inter-Korean cooperation.

But the latest crisis seems to have finally snuffed out what, for years, had been the last glimmer of working North-South cooperation.

After the North expelled the South Koreans on Thursday, Seoul cut off all power and electricity to Kaesong.

Pyongyang declared that the complex, which employed around 53,000 North Korean workers, would be placed under military control.

Before it had been transformed into an industrial park, Kaesong was a military camp hosting two mechanised divisions and an artillery brigade.

Defending Seoul`s initial move to shut down operations at Kaesong, which triggered the North`s aggressive response, Hong said Pyongyang`s decision to push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme had left the government no choice.

North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test on January 6 and last Sunday it put a satellite in orbit with a rocket launch that most of the wider international community condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The owners of the companies based in Kaesong had reacted furiously to the South`s shutdown order, saying their businesses were being sacrificed to politics.

Hong promised the government would provide "sufficient support" to help the firms over their losses.
Phoenix: Two teenagers were shot at a high school in a Phoenix suburb on Friday, sending the school into lockdown, but there was no ongoing threat to the campus or surrounding neighborhood, police said.

Local television station ABC15, citing unnamed sources, reported that one person had died in the incident at Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, but police could not immediately confirm the report.

The incident occurred in an isolated area of the school campus, Glendale police Sergeant David Vidaure said in a statement.

ABC15 showed footage of more than 100 parents gathered in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart, where police and school officials directed them to wait for their children.

It was not immediately clear if a suspect was in custody or was one of those shot.

ABC15 showed aerial footage of the hexagon-shaped high school, with its sports field empty and the street in front of the campus shut down.

Independence High has roughly 2,000 students, school district representative Sara Clawson said. She could not confirm if the two teens shot were students at the school.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao briefs Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the funds required for Telangana state, in New Delhi

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday promised to consider Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos request for huge aid to Telangana state, besides clearing pending issues pertaining to the AP Reorganisation Act, especially the division of the High Court.

Mr Rao sought funds for various projects costing Rs 1,15,667 crore, besides sanction of a Rs 30,571 crore special grant spread over four years, Rs 10,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Rs 3,064 crore towards drought relief, instead of the Rs 791 crore sanctioned by the Centre.

Mr Rao called upon the PM in New Delhi and discussed various issues pertaining to TS for about 40 minutes besides seeking extensive aid, national project status for Kaleshwaram irrigation project and early bifurcation of High Court.

He submitted a memorandum to the PM on various issues and sought his help. The CM said that designs were being prepared for the Rs 71,436 crore Kaleshwaram and Rs 4231 crore Pranahita-Chevella irrigation projects.

He requested the PM to declare the Kaleswaram project a national project and extend financial support.

Pointing out that the ITIR project was taken up in Hyderabad in 2013, Mr Rao told the PM that the government has identified suitable plan and sought financial assistance to speed it up.

Mr Rao sought an increase in Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management loan limit from the present 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent as recommended by the 14th Finance Commission, and that the tribal university be declared a national university and funds allotted accordingly.

He also sought allocation of funds in the 2016-2017 Central Budget for AIIMS being set up on 200 acres, permission and funds for setting up Rs 2,500- crore Tata Institute of Fundamental Research near Hyderabad University pending since 2007.

Stating that the TS government was facing IPS crunch in urban areas, he requested an increase in the IPS officers strength from the present 112 to 141.

Telangana set to ink pact on UDAY

Telangana is all set to become the 16th state to join UDAY, a scheme for revival of discoms. An agreement in this regard will be signed within 20 days.

The Centre has also given its approval for setting up three more units of 800 MW totalling 2400 MW at Ramagundam of Khammam district. This was conveyed by Union power minister Piyush Goyal to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, when the latter met him in New Delhi on Friday.

The CM has in principle, given approval to join UDAY, Mr Goyal told reporters. He said that the total debt of TS discoms was around Rs 12,500 crore and a formal agreement would be signed in the next 15-20 days so that a part of the loan can be transferred to state books.

The CM invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Goyal to lay the foundation stone of the NTPC's Ramagundam Thermal Power Project of 1,600 MW (2X800).

Mr Goyal said that the tendering process of the project was completed and production of 1,600 MW would be completed by 2020.

He assured that the project with total capacity of 4,000 MW will be implemented by 2021. Mr Rao also agreed to provide 600 acres of land for the project.

The Centre has also approved setting up of a 1,080 MW power plant by the TSGenco. We will soon write to environment ministry so that the four units of 270 MW available with BHEL can be supplied for setting up the project at Manuguru in Khammam district in two years, Mr Goyal said.

He also urged the CM to set up more solar parks in the state in addition to 2,500 MW planned capacity.
Washington: The US Congress adopted tougher sanctions on North Korea today, in a bid to punish the reclusive Asian nation for its provocative recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

The House voted 408 to 2 in favour of the bipartisan measure, which would slap sanctions on any person or entity importing goods or technology or training related to weapons of mass destruction into North Korea, or anyone who knowingly engages in human rights abuses.

The Senate adopted the legislation on Wednesday, following a similar move by the House earlier this month. Today's vote was on a compromise version.

It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The measure also heaps additional financial pressure on the already-sanctioned regime of leader Kim Jong-Un, by aiming at cutting down on money laundering and narcotics trafficking, two major illicit activities believed to be funneling millions of dollars into Kim's inner circle.

Pyongyang shocked the world last month and earned a global rebuke when it announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

On Sunday, it defiantly launched a satellite-bearing rocket, a move the West sees as a cover for a ballistic missile test in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Under the bill, penalties for the sanctionable activities would include the seizure of assets, visa bans and denial of government contracts.

And for the first time, it establishes a framework for sanctions in response to North Korean cyber threats, according to Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker.

Corker, however, admitted it would be difficult to target Chinese firms linked to Pyongyang.

"This is about North Korea, it's not about punishing China," he told AFP. "But if there are, we know there are, entities that are helping facilitate (prohibited activities), those entities would be punished."

China, the North's main diplomatic ally, has been resisting the US-led push for tougher UN sanctions.

Although fiercely critical of Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, Beijing is more concerned at the prospect of Kim's regime being pushed to collapse -- triggering chaos on China's border.

Japan unveiled unilateral measures earlier this week, including prohibiting North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and a total entry ban on North Korean nationals into Japan.
WHISTLER a The Cheakamus Community Forest near Whistler and the Province of British Columbia have signed an Atmospheric Benefits Sharing Agreement that enables the creation and sale of carbon offsets generated through improved forest management. Community Forest Agreements are long-term, area-based tenures designed to encourage community involvement in the management of local forests for the benefit of the community. The Resort Municipality of Whistler, Squamish Nation and Lilawat Nation are partners in the Cheakamus Community Forest and jointly manage it under the Cheakamus Community Forest Society, an independent not-for-profit organization. The Cheakamus Community Forest implemented an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Plan, which includes techniques such as extended harvest rotations, reduced harvest volumes, expanded reserves, protection of old growth forests, and protection of important wildlife habitat with the goal of achieving an appropriate balance between timber harvesting, tourism, cultural values, recreation, wildlife and biodiversity. Under the EBM plan and a new management plan, the approximately 33,000-hectare community forest allowable annual cut was set at 21,000 cubic metres per year instead of the 41,170 cubic metres per year that could have been harvested if the forest was managed under standard forest management practices. Carbon emissions reductions were quantified with the B.C. Forest Carbon Offset Protocol, and verified to the B.C. emission offsets regulation. The Brinkman Group and Ecotrust Canada have managed the development of offsets from the project a critical to generating revenue that allows for the project activities to take place. The Resort Municipality of Whistler plans to offset its annual carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets from the Cheakamus Community Forest project. In addition, offsets are being offered for sale to organizations in the Sea to Sky corridor and beyond. Discussions with a long-term buyer for the majority of offsets are well underway. Quotes: Jeff Fisher, chair, Cheakamus Community Forest a aA lot of work has gone into this initiative. The sale of carbon offsets is a creative way for our community forest to generate income and place a value on our sustainable forestry practices which have resulted in a reduced harvest level, with considerable more emphasis on tourism, cultural values, recreational interests, wildlife and biodiversity.a Jordan Sturdy, MLA, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky a aThis unique arrangement is in keeping with the values of the Sea-to-Sky. By enabling the creation and sale of carbon offsets, the Province is supporting the community forest in effectively contributing to the balance of tourism and forestry interests in the region.a Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations a aThis innovative model works well for the Whistler corridor and shows how forestry and tourism can successfully co-exist.a Quick Facts: Since 2004, government has signed over 50 community forest agreements with a total allowable annual cut of 1.3 million cubic metres of timber a year.

Since 2011, government has signed five atmospheric benefits agreements for Crown forests.

The Cheakamus Community Forest atmospheric benefit-sharing agreement is the first to be signed with a B.C. Community Forest. Learn More: Cheakamus Community Forest: www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com Protocol for the Creation of Forest Carbon offsets in British Columbia: http://ow.ly/LmUTF B.C. emission offsets regulation: http://ow.ly/LmUV4
AP_914168416852

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) has a big advantage over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) when it comes to black voters.

She leads Sanders by a 54-point margin with black Americans in South Carolina, the next primary on the Democratic trail, per a CBS poll from January.

But one famous black professor thinks Clinton doesn't deserve the black vote.

Michelle Alexander, an Ohio State University professor who wrote "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" in 2010, wrote in The Nation that "it seems were eager to get played. Again."

"Hillary believes that she can win this game in 2016 because this time shes got us, the black vote, in her back pocket  her lucky card," she wrote in her article, "Why Hillary Clinton doesn't deserve the black vote."

That "lucky card dates back to Clinton's husband and former president Bill Clinton's time in office, when he was once dubbed the nations first black president prior to President Barack Obama's election in 2008.

I loved being called the first black president, but Barack Obama really is, Bill told ABC's late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in 2014.

Alexander said that "love affair" between black Americans and the Clintons seems strange when considering the former president's extreme stance on crime that ultimately hurt many African-Americans. Moreover, Alexander notes, his economic policies didn't help blacks, either.

The former Secretary of State can't get a free pass just because those were the policies of her husband, according to Alexander, who noted that Hillary wasn't "picking out china while she was first lady."

Alexander wrote:

She bravely broke the mold and redefined that job in ways no woman ever had before. She not only campaigned for Bill; she also wielded power and significant influence once he was elected, lobbying for legislation and other measures. That record, and her statements from that era, should be scrutinized. In her support for the 1994 crime bill, for example, she used racially coded rhetoric to cast black children as animals. They are not just gangs of kids anymore, she said. They are often the kinds of kids that are called super-predators. No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel.

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Bill's 1994 crime bill, which Sanders voted in favor of as a then-congressman, "created dozens of new federal capital crimes, mandated life sentences for some three-time offenders, and authorized more than $16 billion for state prison grants and the expansion of police forces," she wrote, noting that Bill Clinton contributed to mass incarceration more than any other president.

Alexander did add, however, that Bill's stance on crime was supported by many black Americans, but that they wanted more than toughness. They wanted investment in their schools, job programs, and more access to healthcare, she said.

Even as the US economy was experiencing a boom during the Clinton presidency, she said black Americans did not experience the same level of success. Alexander said that the increased rate of incarceration for black men coincided with a "soaring" rate of joblessness. In addition, Bill's effort to reform welfare ended up hitting black communities hardest, she argued.

Hillary Clinton

Alexander is not the only scholar to doubt Hillary's credentials with black voters.

During the 2008 campaign, when Hillary deployed Bill to South Carolina in hopes of delivering the black vote, Melissa Harris-Perry, a former African-American studies professor at Princeton, wrote a similar piece in Slate, asking "Why do so many people think the Clinton years were good times for black America?"

She wrote that her research showed that many black Americans believed that, by the time Bill left office, that they were doing better economically than white Americans. Data showed that, while just 5% of black Americans believed they were better off than whites economically during the 1980s, that number jumped to 30% by the end of the 20th century.

"This belief is simply wrong," she said.

"The hypnotic racial dance of cultural authenticity that Bill Clinton performed in office lulled many blacks into perceptual fog," she continued. "As Clinton performed blackness, real black people got poorer."

You can read Alexander's full op-ed here.





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The first primaries in the nation are finally here.

And Democratic presidential candidate and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Republican business mogul Donald Trump have already been declared the respective winners of the primaries, multiple outlets are reporting.

New Hampshire voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the first primaries of the 2016 election season.

Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are all bunched up in a four-way heat for the second place position for the Republicans.. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) has already conceded the Democratic race to Sanders.

Follow along with Business Insider's live blog, which we'll update as the results from Tuesday's New Hampshire primaries pour in.

Click to refresh for the latest.

10:52 p.m. ET  Bush told supporters that New Hampshire has "reset" the race.

Last Monday night when the Iowa caucuses were complete, they said the race was now a three-person race between two present senators and a reality TV star, Bush said Tuesday night. And while the reality TV star is still doing well, it looks like you all have reset things.

He's in a dead heat with Cruz for third place, per the AP.

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10:46 p.m. ET  Trump spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper in a phone interview.

"I was so happy," he said.

Tapper added that it will likely be the biggest win in a New Hampshire Republican Primary since 2000, when John McCain beat George W. Bush.

"I didn't know that, that's a great feeling to know it's been that big of a victory," he said. "It's just an honor to have won."

10:43 p.m. ET  Here are Trump's first tweets following his victory:

Thank you to the people of New Hampshire, I love you! Now, off to South Carolina.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2016

10:42 p.m. ET  Battle for 3rd place: Cruz and Bush are separated by roughly 500 votes with 67.7% of precincts reporting, per the AP.

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10:31 p.m. ET  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is headed home to New Jersey. He sounds as if he is considering dropping out of the race following New Hampshire, where he is currently a distant sixth among the candidates.

Christie: "Were gonna go home to New Jersey tomorrow and were going to take a deep breath."  Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) February 10, 2016

10:27 p.m. ET  Cruz leads Bush by less than 600 votes for third place with 59% of precincts reporting, the AP reports.

10:10 p.m. ET  Kasich spoke to supporters at his New Hampshire headquarters after his second place finish in the state.

"There's magic in the air with this campaign," he said. "Because, we don't see it as just another campaign we see this as an opportunity for all of us, I mean all of us, to be a part of something that is bigger than our own lives."

"Something big happened tonight, and let me tell you what it is, we have had tens of tens of millions spent against us with negative advertising," he continued. "We have. That's the old politics. We never went negative, because we have more good to sell then to spend our time being critical of somebody else. Maybe, just maybe, we're turning the page on a dark part of American politics, because tonight the light overcame the darkness of negative campaigning."

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9:56 p.m. ET  Donald Trump gave his victory speech at his New Hampshire headquarters.

"We're going to make America great again," he started.

He then gave shout-out to his parents, siblings, wife Melania, and children.

The crowd then began chanting "USA! USA! USA! USA!"

He started his speech off humbly, congratulating the other Republican candidates, adding that "we have some real talent in the Republican party."

Then, he thanked his voters.

"You started it, remember," he said.

The crowd began chanting back "Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!"

He then congratulated Sanders on his win, although he added that Sanders "wants to give away our country."

"We're going to beat all of these countries that are taking so much of our money away from us," he said, later adding "I am going to be the greatest jobs president that God ever created."

"We are going to start winning again," he said of the country. "And we're going to win so much, you're going to be so happy. We're going to make America so great again. Maybe greater than ever before."

He finished his speech by guaranteeing that "We're going to win in South Carolina."

Donald Trump

9:46 p.m. ET  It's a dead heat for third place in the Republican primary. The AP, with 43% of precincts reporting, has Cruz, Bush, and Rubio in that order separated by less than 1,500 votes.

9:43 p.m. ET  The AP called second place in the Republican race for Kasich.

9:25 p.m ET  Sanders took the stage to address his supporters after his victory at his New Hampshire campaign headquarters.

He first congratulated Clinton for running a good campaign and thanked her for her call.

"Let me take this opportunity to thank the many many thousands of volunteers here in The Granite State who worked so tirelessly," he said. "Our volunteers worked night and day, made phone calls, and knocked on a heck of a lot of doors, and we won because of your energy, thank you all so much."

"Nine months ago, we began our campaign here in New Hampshire," he continued. "We had no campaign organization, we had no money, and we were taking on the most powerful political organization in the United States of America. And tonight, with what appears to be a record-breaking voter turnout, because of a huge voter turnout and I say yuuuuge, we won. Because we harnessed the energy and the excitement that the Democratic party will need to succeed in November.

"What happened here in New Hampshire in terms of an enthusiastic electorate who came out in large numbers, that is what will happen all over this country," he added. "And let us never forget, Democrats and progressives win when voter turnout is high, Republicans win when people are demoralized and voter turnout is low."

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 9.25.46 PM

9:13 p.m. ET  Clinton addressed supporters from her New Hampshire headquarters.

"I don't know what we'd have done if we actually won," she quipped. "This is a pretty exciting event."

"I want to begin by congratulating Senator Sanders on his victory tonight and I want to thank each and every one of you," she continued. "I still love New Hampshire and I always will. And here's what we're going to do. Now we take this campaign to the entire country. We're going to fight for every vote in every state. We're going to fight for real solutions that make a real difference."

"We're going to win this nomination and we're going to win this election together!" she concluded.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 9.19.04 PM

9:09 p.m. ET  Here's Clinton's congratulatory tweet to Sanders:

To @BernieSanders, congratulations. To New Hampshire, thank you. And to our volunteers: Im so grateful for what you built. Now, onward. -H  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 10, 2016

9:08 p.m. ET  Fox News is calling second place in the Republican race for Kasich.

John Kasich wins second among Republicans in #NewHampshirePrimary, @FOXNews projects.  Harrison Golden (@harrisongolden) February 10, 2016

9:05 p.m. ET  The AP shows that Bush has now overtaken Cruz for third place with 26% of precincts reporting. His lead over Cruz is razor thin.

8:54 p.m. ET  Both Politico and the AP are reporting that Cruz has overtaken Bush for third place, with 22% of precincts counted.

8:44 p.m. ET  Clinton's communications director tweeted that Clinton called Sanders to congratulate him on the win and is now headed to address her supporters.

@HillaryClinton called to congratulate @BernieSanders and now en route to address her supporters.  Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) February 10, 2016

8:36 p.m. ET  Sanders is the first Jewish candidate to win a presidential primary or caucus with his win in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

8:32 p.m. ET  With 14% of precincts reporting in the Democratic race, Sanders, who has already been declared the victor, has widened his lead over Clinton. He is now up by 16 points, a 57% to 41% margin.

bernie sanders

8:29 p.m. ET  Politico is now reporting the results of nearly 14% of precincts, and Kasich, Bush, Cruz, and Rubio are currently running in that order behind Trump. Of note, Rubio, at 9.7%, now falls below the threshold of picking up any delegates in the state.

8:12 p.m. ET  The night is far from over. There is still a huge battle playing out for second place in the Republican primary, and it's still close. Kasich holds a five point lead over Bush with 8.6% reporting, per Decision Desk HQ. Cruz and Rubio follow in fourth and fifth place.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 8.12.45 PM

8:05 p.m. ET  Clinton conceded the race to Sanders.

New memo from @HillaryClinton campaign manager Robby Mook: "Why March Matters So Much." pic.twitter.com/1zM4oHoamK  Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) February 10, 2016

8:00 p.m. ET  BREAKING: Trump and Sanders win the primary, per multiple outlets including CNN and the AP.

7:58 p.m. ET  Politico, with roughly 4% of precincts reporting on both sides, is showing a 53.3% - 44.6% lead for Sanders, and a 33.1% - 16.8% lead for Trump over Kasich.

Polls are set to close at 8 p.m.

7:56 p.m. ET  Here's what CNN is currently listing, with 3% of Republican precincts and 5% of Democratic precincts reporting.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.55.54 PM

7:53 p.m. ET  Decision Desk HQ is now reporting 8.3% of Republican primary precincts, and Trump is maintaining a 14-point lead.

Of note, Rubio has fallen to fourth among Kasich, Bush, and Cruz, the four who are jockeying for second place behind Trump.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.53.32 PM

7:50 p.m. ET  Sanders is still leading Clinton by a wide margin early on the Democratic side, with Decision Desk HQ reporting a 57.7% - 41.8% advantage for the Vermont senator with 3% of precincts reporting. The Associated Press's rolling results currently show that Sanders leads Clinton 54% to 44% with 3% of precincts reporting.

7:49 p.m. ET  With 2.6% of precincts reporting on the Republican side, Trump leads Kasich by roughly 13%, per Decision Desk HQ.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.47.56 PM

7:37 p.m. ET  A note for readers, exit polling information are not necessarily reliable, and voters are still lined up and have yet to vote at some polling precincts in New Hampshire.

Indeed, in last week's Iowa caucuses, the state's entrance polls incorrectly signaled a Trump win.

7:35 p.m. ET  With 1.7% of precincts reporting on the Democratic side, Sanders is carrying a big lead over Clinton, per Decision Desk HQ.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.34.40 PM

7:32 p.m. ET  Decision Desk HQ is reporting that, with 1.7% of precincts reporting, Trump already has a big lead in the state. He's carrying more than 40% of the early vote.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.32.47 PM

7:11 p.m. ET  CNN is reporting long lines at the polls and major traffic delays as New Hampshire voters attempt to cast last minute votes. Most of the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, but some remain open until 8 p.m.

Screen Shot 2016 02 09 at 7.11.03 PM

7:01 p.m. ET  An exit poll showed that 66% of GOP primary voters in New Hampshire support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US.

NH EXIT POLL: 66% of GOP primary voters support banning Muslims from entering the U.S. #Decision2016 pic.twitter.com/ML7gElzaZR  Meet the Press (@meetthepress) February 9, 2016

NOW WATCH: Here's how the map of the United States has changed in 200 years





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More than 90,000 people have signed petitions backing junior doctors after Jeremy Hunt announced he would impose a new contract on them.

The health secretary faces a battle over his decision after the British Medical Association (BMA) vowed to fight on against "a contract that is bad for the future of patient care, the profession and the NHS".

Meanwhile, a number of NHS trust chief executives who had supported the new contract and urged an end to the uncertainty, insisted they did not back its imposition.

One petition set up on the government website on Thursday calling on Mr Hunt to restart "meaningful negotiations" with the BMA had attracted almost 50,000 signatures by Friday morning.

A second petition calling for a vote of no confidence in the health secretary had been signed by more than 40,000 people.

The Government responds to all petitions that get 10,000 signatures and reaching 100,000 supporters means a debate in Parliament would be considered.

Around half the NHS bosses whose support was cited when Mr Hunt announced he would force through changes to pay and conditions have said they did not agree with the contract being forced on medics.

They include at least one who said she was unaware that her name was on the letter until it was actually published.

Claire Murdoch, chief executive of the Central and North West London NHS FT, said: "I became aware that my name was on the letter at the point at which it was published.

"When I contacted Sir David Dalton he had it removed immediately, which is reflective of the straightforward way he has sought to deal with a very challenging negotiation."

Andrew Foster, chief executive of the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (FT), said the letter he and 19 other NHS leaders backed was not the one that advised the Government to do "whatever it deems necessary" to break the deadlock.

Mr Foster said he had "not supported contract imposition. I have supported the view that the offer made is reasonable".

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Sir David denied that the chief executives listed on the letter had been asked to give their support to imposed contracts.

The BMA has already staged two walkouts and further strikes and legal actions are possibilities, while some junior doctors may refuse to sign new contracts which are due to be implemented from August.

One medic's emotional rebuke of Mr Hunt in a Facebook post has been shared almost 30,000 times.

Rich Bowman said "screw you" to the health secretary as he described being the only doctor looking after 100 cancer patients during a night shift in Birmingham.

He wrote on Thursday: "If I made a mistake because I was tired, any one of these patients could've died.

"Apparently I lack vocation, I'm overpaid and I need to work harder.

"Screw you Jeremy Hunt. We never asked for thanks. All we do is for our patients, how dare you try and turn them against us. All of this is your government's fault. Well you've picked a fight with the wrong crowd.

"Go on, announce imposition, and just see what the most resilient, driven, passionate, intelligent group of people in Britain do next. Bring it on."
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - ArcelorMittal South Africa is looking for an independent power producer to build an 800 megawatt gas-fired power station on land at its Saldanha steel works to help ensure its survival, Chief Executive Paul O'Flaherty said. ArcelorMittal, which is reviewing its Saldanha operation partly due to high electricity costs, is willing to take as much as 220 MW of the plant's capacity and the company is in talks with other industrial users and the government to sign long- term contracts for the rest. Building an independent power plant is vital for the survival of Saldanha, O'Flaherty told Reuters, adding that state-owned utility Eskom's rising electricity prices were unaffordable. Electricity accounts for nearly a third of costs at Saldanha, the company's newest and only export-focused plant, compared with less than 10 percent for the rest of the company. "An environmental impact study is underway on our land," O'Flaherty said adding that ArcelorMittal South Africa would not own the project. On Friday, the company reported a slightly narrower loss than expected, sending its shares soaring. There are also expectations that the government will give local steelmakers further protection beyond the 10 percent steel import tariff agreed in August. Shares in ArcelorMittal South Africa were up a further 12.74 percent at 6.99 rand by 1200 GMT on Friday. (Reporting by TJ Strydom and Thekiso Lefifi; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
[Ban Ki-moon. Paul Chiasson / La Presse Canadienne]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will take another shot at a seat on the UN Security Council, a move experts say is difficult but needed if Canada wants to re-assert its place in the international system.

The last attempt by the Canadian government to join the UNs top body ended in defeat in 2010 as the country lost out to Portugal for a two-year term on the council.

The loss to a country with just one-third the population and one-eighth the military spending of Canada was seen as an embarrassment, and former prime minister Stephen Harper was accused of misplaying his countrys hand in the run-up to the vote.

John Trent, who heads University of Ottawas political science department, said in an email that despite a shifting international order, a seat on the security council is a great way for Canada to make its mark on the world stage.

Whenever Canada has punched above its weight it is because we have been present at the table, whatever that table might be, he said.

The security council table is the most powerful. But, more importantly, it gives us access and information, and that is what counts in diplomacy.

Trent said Trudeau still has work to do in laying out his foreign policy, but has made important early signals such as the rebranding of the Department of Global Affairs.

At a news conference with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday, Trudeau said that Canada will again pursue a seat on the security council as he seeks to re-orient the governments foreign policy toward multilateral co-operation.

I highlighted to the secretary general that part of Canada wishing to re-engage robustly with the United Nations and in multilateral engagement around the world includes looking towards a bid for the UN Security Council, he said.

Were looking at a number of windows in the coming years. We are going to evaluate the opportunities for Canada to mount a successful bid.

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Mark Kersten, a research fellow at University of Torontos Munk School of Global Affairs, said Trudeaus rhetoric had focused on the traditional conception of Canada as a mediator and peacekeeper.

The message hes sending is that were back, he said.

A seat on the security council puts Canada in elevated discussions and meetings, he said, and makes the country a conduit for its allies looking to have their ideas heard.

The 10 rotating two-year spots dont have as much power as the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council  China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Kersten said that the veto power makes headlines, but many decisions on the council are made by a majority vote.

When the veto isnt used, those non-permanent member countries become really important, he said.

Getting a seat requires a lengthy and concerted campaign, and there are expectations that the member states involved at that level will contribute to UN initiatives, spend more on foreign aid and participate in international peacekeeping missions, he said.

Its like an Olympic bid, he said. They have to put a plan forward, and theres a cost to that  human capital, policy capital  to win.

The challenge, he said, is that Trudeau cant over promise on what Canada can and will achieve with its seat.

We cant promise the world to the world, he said. We have to make promises on the commitments that we can credibly make, that we can fulfill and implement effectively, based on our resources.

The 2010 loss was the first time in more than half a century that Canada had lost an election for one of the 10 elected seats on the council, which is voted on by the UN-member states.

Critics cited Harpers unwavering support for Israel, his cuts to African aid projects and his skepticism of climate change as out of step with the international consensus.

Harper later skipped a chance to address the UN General Assembly in September 2013, sending then-foreign affairs minister John Baird in his place. Harper had previously spoken before the general assembly in 2006 and 2010.

Ferry de Kerckhove, a former diplomat and ambassador who was a key driver of Canadas last security council bid, said being on the council would elevate Canadas stature.



Its a place where you can make a difference, he said. Thats a position of strength, and usually weve done pretty well in the security council when weve been on it.



He pointed to former Canadian ambassador to the UN Robert Fowlers work on the diamond trade during the countrys last term on the council, from 1999 to 2000, which led to the 2003 international agreement on the Kimberley Process for identifying and stemming the trade of conflict diamonds.



While some could look at the sometimes torturous process of horse-trading and cajoling that goes into a campaign for a security council seat as not worth the resources, de Kerckhove said Trudeau could see it as just the opposite.



He could consider gaining the security council as the payback for the effort hes going to make in terms of involvement in the UN, he said.



The question for Trudeau now, de Kerckhove said, is moving beyond rhetoric and into explaining the nuts and bolts of Canadas role in the world.



There isnt great clarity about how Trudeau is going to go about it, he said. They dont have a foreign policy that says what country we are, what we want to be, what role we want to play in the world, and therefore we need to do such and such. Its a new government, but we need to know what it wants to put into practice.
By Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) - Some 1.8 million acres of scenic California desert were designated national monuments by U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday, roughly doubling the amount of public land set aside for protection during his presidency. Obama's protection of three sections of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts means that the federal government, which owns the land, will not be able to sell it, build new roads or allow new development that is not in keeping with such uses as recreation, environmental protection and flood control. "The California desert is a cherished and irreplaceable resource for the people of southern California," Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said Friday. It was the second time in less than two years that Obama has stepped in to protect large swaths of California wilderness after Congress was unable to agree on setting them aside, and the latest example of Obama using executive power to act on issues stalled in Congress. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, tried for years to persuade Congress to set aside the desert land, located southeast of Los Angeles in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and owned by the federal government. When her effort became mired in partisan politics, Obama agreed to use his executive power to designate the three areas as national monuments. Similarly, in 2014 Obama set aside a 540-square mile section of the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles after Rep. Judy Chu attempted unsuccessfully to win approval for its protection in Congress. Opponents in both cases said naming the land national monuments could lead to restrictions on rights held by local businesses, or impact the type of recreational activity that could take place. But the White House said that the designations would not change any existing rights to use the land. The new protected areas include the 1.6 million acre Mojave Trails National Monument, which includes rugged mountains, ancient lava flows and sand dunes, the White House said. Obama, who was set to visit the desert city of Palm Springs on Friday, also set aside the Sand to Snow National Monument, 154,000 acres from the desert floor to mountain peaks, and Castle Mountains National Monument, 21,000 acres connecting two mountain ranges. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Alistair Bell)
HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia's leftist FARC rebels on Wednesday promised they would no longer enlist minors, a gesture aimed at quickly reaching a final peace agreement with the government after more than half a century of war. "In order to move as quickly as possible toward the end of armed conflict, today we communicate our decision to end the incorporation of children under 18 into the FARC," rebel leader Victoria Sandino said in a statement read in Havana, site of peace talks with the Colombian government for the past three years. Both sides are attempting to meet a self-imposed March 23 deadline to end Latin America's longest war, which has killed some 220,000 and displaced millions since 1964. FARC leaders have cast doubt on their ability to meet next month's deadline but Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been pressing for urgency, eager to reach a deal that would later be put before Colombian voters for approval. The FARC, long accused by the government and human rights groups of using child solders as cannon fodder, announced a year ago that it would stop recruiting fighters 17 years old or younger. Its forces are estimated at 8,000 guerrillas but it is unknown how many might be minors. Upon Wednesday's announcement, the FARC asked the government to reciprocate with a state policy aimed at guaranteeing the rights of minors affected by the war. (Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Daniel Trotta and David Gregorio)
By Alastair Macdonald and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A draft accord to help keep Britain in the European Union is "very fragile", a top EU official warned on Wednesday as France and eastern states pushed for changes before leaders meet to try and seal the deal next week. European Council President Donald Tusk, who agreed reform proposals last week with British Prime Minister David Cameron, said they were "balanced and solid" and he hoped to finalize them when he chairs a Brussels summit next Thursday and Friday. "However, let me be clear -- this is a very fragile political process," he added, announcing that he had cleared his diary and would travel to Paris, Berlin and eastern Europe early next week "to secure broad political support for my proposal". Tusk spoke on the eve of a second round of talks among the 28 EU leaders' top aides and envoys in Brussels. Officials said they will discuss a new draft with small, technical tweaks. The first meeting of "sherpas", on Friday following Tusk's circulation of his reform proposals, saw participants broadly welcome a first draft as a way to help Cameron win a referendum in the coming months to prolong Britain's 43-year membership. But on Wednesday, France, the traditional pro-European sparring partner of euroskeptic Britain, demanded significant changes, particularly to Cameron's effort to secure protections for the sterling-based City of London from possible EU measures favoring the majority of states which uses the euro. Finance Minister Michel Sapin told lawmakers in Paris that the current draft must be amended to avoid skewing EU rules in favor of London, the bloc's leading banking center: "There are ... several ambiguities in the texts," he said. "Treatment must be as identical as possible. That's why we're fighting." French concerns focus on British-based banks benefiting from different regulations to those in the euro zone -- less onerous capital requirements, say -- while retaining full access to the single European Union market in financial services. And while Cameron has insisted he has not sought a veto over the euro zone's affairs, Paris also argues that the current wording of a new British right to delay euro zone decisions which it fears could hurt its interests must be amended to place tighter limits on how long London could hold up the process. EASTERN CONCERNS Eastern European negotiators also plan to seek amendments to limit the extent that their citizens may be penalized by a new "emergency brake" mechanism on EU immigration. Under the Tusk proposal, governments who persuade their EU peers that immigration is jeopardizing their welfare system will be able to deny benefits to other Europeans for up to four years after they start work in that country. That stretches EU rules which ban discrimination among EU citizens on national grounds. A draft statement seen by Reuters that was prepared by Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- collectively the Visegrad Group -- broadly endorses the effort to appease London but says the welfare issue is a "primary concern". It highlighted a lack of agreement yet on how long a state could go on applying the "brake" for new arrivals and said the overall period during which fresh immigrants could be penalized should not exceed four years. That would imply Britain ending the measures in 2020 if it imposed them this year as planned. Diplomats said the aim was to settle as much of the reform plan as possible, leaving only certain elements to the summit. "Everyone is fed up with this," one said. "We need to get this out of the way to be able to deal with other problems. So the common approach is not to hinder this process, help Britain solve its own internal problems and safeguard this compromise." (Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Dominic Evans)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday decided to examine the bar on entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 in Sabarimala Ayyappa temple on constitutional principles and appointed two senior advocates, K. Ramamurthi, retired judge of Delhi High Court and Raju Ramachandran as amicus curiae to assist the court in this case.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Pinaki C. Ghose and N.V. Ramana prima facie found that Hindu religion particularly sanathana dharma, Vedas, Upanishads and scriptures like Bhagavad Gita does not discriminate between man and woman. The bench observed that it will examine whether total prohibition on entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 is permissible and whether such discrimination is viloative of right to equality under Article 14.

The Bench said it will strike a balance between right to equality and right to religious practices and freedom under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion to every individual.

The bench however, refused to stay a 1990 judgment of Kerala High Court which had upheld the practice of restricting the entry of women devotees into the temple whose deity is regarded as Naisthik Bramachari (celibate).

Senior counsel K K Venugopal appearing for the Devaswom Board said for several centuries, traditionally it has been a practice in the temple located in a forest notified area to restrict the entry of women who are in the age group of 10-50 years as the deity Lord Ayyappa is a Naisthik brahmachari celibate. He said male devotees take a vow of celibacy for 42 days, avoid smoking and liquor and walk barefoot through the jungles to perform pooja.

Justice Misra asked the counsel Is it (the ban) so intricately fundamental for religion as envisaged by the Constitution? Is Spirituality singularly in the domain of men and women? Are women incapable of attaining the spirituality in the spiritual sense.

Venugopal argued that the tradition has been going on for centuries and there were several books and research work to support the belief and tradition.

Justice Misra asked If you go by the concept of dominion and cult, can the cult culture make a discrimination between a man and woman? Cult culture is a core group culture, whereas, religion in the sense of religion does not have core cult. Particularly as per Santana dharma men and women are treated equally. If you understand Vedas and Upanishads, I dont think there is any discrimination. Discrimination between man and woman has only cropped up historically. This type of discrimination comes historically. We have to realise that during the pre-historic time where is the discrimination?

Senior counsel K. Parasaran, appearing for Nair Society, one of the intervenors, said Sabaraimala was a unique temple where other than Hindus, Christians, Muslims and even foreigners are allowed entry. But as per the custom and long tradition, women in the age of 10 to 50 are not allowed and manifestation of God in this temple is a celibate. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on April 11 to enable the board and others to file documents relating to the historical religious practice being followed in the temple.
Angela Merkel has given her support to David Cameron's EU reforms, saying they will "benefit Europe as a whole".

In a speech attended by the Prime Minister in Hamburg, the German Chancellor gave her strongest endorsement yet to the UK Government's proposals.

Mrs Merkel said: "These concerns that David Cameron has raised with the European Union are not only understandable - but we even support them."

She told dignitaries: "We are at one in saying that in the European Union much more needs to be done for competitiveness, more transparency and cutting red tape."

And in clear reference to the PM's demands to restrict benefits to EU migrants she said that "social systems ought to be protected against abuse".

Mrs Merkel concluded: "The concerns that David Cameron raises are not purely British concerns ...

"If we were to take a common European approach it would be a great benefit to Europe as a whole."

Afterwards Mr Cameron addressed the St Matthew's dinner and echoed Mrs Merkel's sentiments.

He said: "When it comes to the question of Britain's place in Europe, I have always been confident that together we can secure the reforms that address Britains concerns and also work for Europe as a whole.

He added: "So when it comes to the question of Britains future in Europe, my aim is clear: I want to keep Britain inside a reformed European Union."

Mr Cameron laid out the reforms he wanted - including an opt-out from "ever closer union," a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming some benefits and the option to scrap EU directives - last November.

He hailed a draft deal produced earlier this month by European Council President Donald Tusk, in which he secured some of his demands but had to compromise on others, as a victory.

The draft proposal provides for a qualified emergency brake on benefits, measures to cut so-called "Brussels bureaucracy" and a statement that the UK is not committed to closer political integration, but eurosceptics claimed it failed to transfer meaningful powers back from the EU to Britain.

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The PM kept hold of his warning that a failure to reform may still sway how he would campaign in the referendum.

He told the audience: "If by working together we can achieve these changes, then I will unequivocally recommend that Britain stays in a reformed European Union on these new terms.

"Of course, if we cant then I rule nothing out."

Some business leaders in the room also supported Mr Cameron's proposals.

Claus Budelmann, chairman of the Anglo-German Club, told Sky News: "What Cameron is looking for is to have less bureaucracy, less regulation and more social welfare control - I share his views completely."

Robert Oxley from the Vote Leave campaign said: "David Cameron had already watered his renegotiations down to a trivial set of demands but when you look at those demands they're not even looking for anything new.

"Ultimately there will not be powers coming back, there will not be money coming back, the renegotiations have failed."
By Jon Herskovitz

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - An influential Texas scientific panel recommended on Thursday that bite-mark analysis not be admissible as evidence in courts, a decision experts said could lead judicial systems in other states to exclude it too.

The Texas Forensic Science Commission panel recommended a moratorium on bite-mark evidence until there is science to support its admissibility. The decision will go to the full body as early as Friday, where it will likely be approved.

Bite-mark evidence has been used in U.S. courts for decades, most often to identify suspects in murders, sexual assaults and child abuse through marks on the flesh of victims.

But techniques to determine the source of marks are unreliable, and human flesh is not a good source to record the marks, studies presented to the panel showed. In some studies, experts were often divided on whether they were seeing human bite marks, let alone matching them to a specific individual.

"This commissions findings are incredibly significant because no other agency or scientific body has ever opined on the admissibility of bite mark analysis," said Chris Fabricant, director of strategic litigation for the Innocence Project, which sought the review.

"It has been admissible as evidence for more than 50 years and thousands have been convicted as a result," he said.

Texas has one of the best-funded forensic science commissions in the United States, and its findings are often cited in criminal cases nationwide.

The panel recommended bite-mark analysis be put on hold until there are scientific standards to determine what is a bite mark and proficiency testing of individuals who analyze them.

It also recommended a review of cases where convictions were largely based on bite mark evidence. There was no indication on how many cases that might be.

While bite marks analysis is used less frequently in U.S. courts now due to DNA testing, it is still used in other countries.

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"Today is the beginning of the end for the use of bite-mark analysis in courts all over the country," said Peter Bush, a forensic dentistry expert at the University at Buffalo.

But Dr. David Senn, a bite-mark analysis proponent at the Dental School of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, said the panel's recommendation was off the mark.

"Bite-mark evidence is too important in the investigation of certain situations and in the courtroom to be set aside," he said.

(Story refiles to fix name in 11th paragraph to University at Buffalo from University of Buffalo)

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran gained access to about $100 billion in frozen assets when an international nuclear agreement was implemented last month, but $50 billion of it already was tied up because of debts and other commitments, a U.S. official said on Thursday. Stephen Mull, the State Department's coordinator for implementing the agreement, also told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee there was no evidence Iran had cheated in the first few weeks since the deal was implemented. Mull and John Smith, acting director of the Treasury Department office that oversees sanctions, faced heated questioning from some members of the committee, where some Democrats joined Republican lawmakers in opposing the nuclear pact reached in July. Republican Representative Chris Smith asked whether Tehran ally Russia, which has taken Iran's enriched uranium, could be trusted with it. He asked where the material was, and Mull said he did not know. "That's a Russian government responsibility to decide where it goes," Mull said. Smith said that was a "flaw" in the agreement. "We don't even know where it is," he said. Many lawmakers worry that Iran would cheat on the deal and use unfrozen funds for action against Israel or to support Islamist militants elsewhere in the region. "Of that amount, a significant portion of it, more than $50 billion, is already tied up," Mull said. It was the first such congressional hearing on the nuclear pact since Jan. 16, when world powers lifted crippling sanctions against Iran in return for its compliance with the agreement to curb its nuclear ambitions. "We seem to be in many instances talking tough about Iran," said U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, the panel's top Democrat, a deal opponent. "In reality, our actions are far away from our rhetoric and that's a worrisome thing. We want to make sure that Iran's feet are held to the fire." Many members of Congress, where every Republican and a few dozen Democrats opposed the agreement, have been calling for legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program and human rights record. House Republicans have been pushing legislation to restrict Democratic President Barack Obama's ability to lift sanctions under the nuclear pact. One measure passed the House on Feb. 2, but the Senate has not taken it up and Obama has promised a veto. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)
By John Irish and Warren Strobel MUNICH/AMMAN (Reuters) - Major powers agreed on Friday to a pause in combat in Syria, but Russia pressed on with bombing in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, who vowed to fight until he regained full control of the country. Although billed as a potential breakthrough, the "cessation of hostilities" agreement does not take effect for a week, at a time when Assad's government is poised to win its biggest victory of the war with the backing of Russian air power. If implemented, the deal hammered out at five hours of late night talks in Munich would allow humanitarian aid to reach besieged towns. It was described by the countries that took part as a rare diplomatic success in a conflict that has fractured the Middle East, killed at least 250,000 people, made 11 million homeless and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing into Europe. But several Western countries said there was no hope for progress without a halt to the Russian bombing, which has decisively turned the balance of power in favor of Assad. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that if the peace plan fails, more foreign troops could enter the conflict. "If the Assad regime does not live up to its responsibilities and if the Iranians and the Russians do not hold Assad to the promises that they have made...then the international community obviously is not going to sit there like fools and watch this. There will be an increase of activity to put greater pressure on them," Kerry, who was in Munich, told Dubai-based Orient TV. "There is a possibility there will be additional ground troops." U.S. President Barack Obama has ruled out sending U.S. ground troops to Syria, but Saudi Arabia this month offered ground forces to fight Islamic State. Rebels said the town of Tal Rifaat in northern Aleppo province was the target of intensive bombing by Russian planes on Friday morning. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, said warplanes believed to be Russian also attacked towns in northern Homs. The news agency AFP quoted Assad as saying he would continue to fight terrorism while talks took place. He would retake the entire country, although this could take a long time, he said. Another week of fighting would give the Damascus government and its Russian, Lebanese and Iranian allies time to press on with the encirclement of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the war, which they are now on the verge of capturing. They are also close to sealing the Turkish border, lifeline of rebel territory for years. Those two victories would reverse years of insurgent gains, effectively ending the rebels' hopes of dislodging Assad through force, the cause they have fought for since 2011 with the encouragement of Arab states, Turkey and the West. The cessation of hostilities agreement falls short of a formal ceasefire, since it was not signed by the main warring parties - the opposition and government forces. Implementing it will now be the key, Kerry said: "What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground." Two Syrian rebel commanders told Reuters they had been sent "excellent quantities" of ground-to-ground Grad missiles by foreign backers in recent days to help confront the Russian-backed offensive. Foreign opponents of Assad including Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been supplying vetted rebel groups with weapons via a Turkey-based operations center. Some of the vetted groups have received military training overseen by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. RUSSIAN TARGETS Russia suggested it might not stop its air strikes, even when the cessation of hostilities takes effect in a week. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not stop bombing fighters from Islamic State and a rebel group called the Nusra Front, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, neither of which were covered by the cessation deal: "Our airspace forces will continue working against these organizations," he said. Moscow has always said that those two jihadist groups are the principal targets of its air campaign. Western countries say Russia has in fact been mostly attacking other insurgent groups. Nusra fighters often operate in areas where other rebel groups are also active. Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday Russia was targeting schools and hospitals in Syria. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow must halt strikes on insurgents other than Islamic State for any peace deal to work. "Russia has mainly targeted opposition groups and not ISIL (Islamic State). Air strikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated, peaceful solution," he said. Britain and France said a peace deal could only be reached if Moscow stops bombing insurgents other than Islamic State. The complex, multi-sided civil war in Syria has drawn in most regional and global powers, producing the world's worst humanitarian emergency and attracting jihadist recruits from around the world. The United States has been leading its own air campaign against Islamic State fighters since 2014, when that group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, swept through much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq, declaring a caliphate. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday he expected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to send commandos to help recapture Islamic State's eastern Syrian stronghold, Raqqa. Assad said he believed Saudi Arabia and Turkey were planning to invade his country. Russia has said Saudi ground troops would make the war last forever. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the main objective in Syria was still to remove Assad, and "we will achieve it". The main battlefields in the civil war are in the west of the country, far from Islamic State's strongholds, where Washington has largely steered clear, leaving the field to Russia which began its air campaign on Sept. 30 last year. Kerry had entered the Munich talks pushing for a rapid halt to fighting, with Western officials saying Moscow was holding out for a delay. The tactic of agreeing to a break in hostilities while battling for gains on the ground is one Moscow's allies used in eastern Ukraine only a year ago. A ceasefire there eventually took hold, but only after Russian-backed separatists overran a besieged town after the deal was reached. HIGH HOPES Diplomats from countries backing the plan met on Friday to discuss sending in urgent humanitarian aid. "I sense now that all of the ISSG (International Syria Support Group) members want to get aid to the besieged areas and also the hard-to-reach areas," said Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who chaired the meeting in Geneva. "Convoys can go very soon if and when we have the permission and the green light from the parties." The group, which includes Russia and Iran, had given "excellent feedback" and would meet again on Wednesday, Egeland told reporters after the 3 hour meeting. The sides in Munich called for a resumption of political peace talks, which collapsed last week in Geneva before they began after the opposition demanded a halt to bombardment. Syria's main opposition alliance cautiously welcomed the plan, but said it would not agree to join political talks unless the agreement proved effective. World powers all say they support a "political transition", but there has been disagreement for years over whether that requires Assad to leave power, as Western countries have been demanding in vain since 2011. A senior French diplomat said it would be Moscow's fault if it kept bombing and the peace process failed: "The Russians said they will continue bombing the terrorists. They are taking a political risk because they are accepting a negotiation in which they are committing to a cessation of hostilities. "If in a week there is no change because of their bombing, then they will bear the responsibility." (Additional reporting by Denis Dyomkin, Shadia Nasralla, and Robin Emmott in Munich, and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman; writing by Peter Graff and Anna Willard; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Hnin Yadana Zaw NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's military over the country's transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule. The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term. While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month. The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Myanmar's new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government. "It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the military's weight to protect themselves," said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide in Myanmar's first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years. That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about "national reconciliation", but as the talks drag on the tone of public debate - and that of legislators speaking privately - has changed. In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Myanmar's junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office. Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the country's second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform. LOOKING FORWARD, OR BACK? Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation. This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Sein's government if the NLD decided to use the commission's expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration. The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the constitution retains a bloc of seats in parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus. When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future "leader" of the country. Days before disbanding at the end of January, the parliament dominated by Thein Sein's USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organizations. "That law only protects the president, but not his ministers," said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Mann's panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets. MILITARY DEMANDS The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Yangon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Myanmar's economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said. Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining. Control over these states, which also include Special Regions - semi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armies - is key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority. China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said. "Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals," said Win Htein. (Reporting by Hnin Yadana Zaw; Writing by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Valentine's Day, when most are celebrating romance, may seem an odd time to talk about family violence, but the province of P.E.I. says it's a "perfect day to celebrate the value of healthy relationships."

Family Violence Prevention Week on P.E.I. runs from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20 and is an opportunity to get Islanders talking about the issue and to show that violence in relationships is not acceptable.

"Everyone in Prince Edward Island deserves to live in a society where all people are safe, respected and valued," said Premier Wade MacLauchlan in a written release Friday.

The week's theme for 2016 is family, friends and neighbours. The province is urging Islanders to learn what to do when they see warning signs of family violence at home, at work or in the neighbourhood.

'More likely to seek help'

"Islanders today are more likely to seek help when faced with family violence than they used to be," said Ann Sherman, chair of the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention.

"More people are open to discussing family violence, but there is still work to be done to prevent violence from happening in the first place. That is why the recently released updated Premier's Action Committee strategy focuses on prevention, public engagement and education, as well as services."

People are encouraged to show their support for family violence awareness by taking part in activities happening across the province.

One of the biggest of the week's events will be the seventh annual Walk in Silence for Victims of Family Violence, which starts at noon Wednesday. Islanders are invited to walk from Province House to Charlottetown City Hall, where a reception will be held by the mayor's Purple Ribbon Task Force along with the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention.

The province has also declared Wednesday Wear Purple Day, encouraging everyone to dress up in the colour and share their photos on Facebook and Twitter to take a stand against family violence.

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"Social media is a great place to start the conversation about healthy relationships," said Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy.

"We have a collective responsibility to reduce children's exposure to violence in their homes, teach young people about respectful and healthy relations and work to get everyone engaged in the discussion."

Check out all the Family Violence Prevention Week activities here.
David Cameron is preparing to make the case for Britain staying in a reformed European Union in his last major speech on the issue before a crunch summit next week.

The Prime Minister is expected to use an address in Hamburg to set out the "wider agenda" behind his renegotiation of Britain's EU membership.

"It will be about setting out the case, talking through the proposals, talking about where we are, reminding people of some of the reasons why we are taking this course of action," a No 10 spokesman said.

The visit to Germany is also an opportunity for further talks with Europe's most powerful leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been broadly supportive of draft proposals for a deal.

Ahead of his speech, the Mr Cameron was warned by more than 130 Conservative councillors that he risks splitting his party unless he admits his negotiations have failed and campaigns for Britain to leave the EU.

They wrote: "You made clear that if you did not get the deal you wanted in Europe you would not rule out campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union yourself, and we hope you will now unite your party and Britain in doing so."

Negotiations on the final wording of the deal - which includes an "emergency brake" on benefit payments to EU migrants and a UK opt-out from "ever closer union" - look set to carry on until a two-day Brussels summit of EU leaders concludes on 19 February.

Mr Cameron is anxious to get a final deal in place in time for him to put the outcome to an in/out referendum on Britain's continued membership in June.

He got unlikely backing from Labour's former shadow chancellor Ed Balls, who threw his weight behind Mr Cameron's EU welfare reform agenda.

But Mr Balls warned there was "a lot more to do" to persuade the country to vote to stay in Europe.

"We have got to show our population that Britain's influence can be used to make real changes in Europe, and that's what David Cameron is trying to do through his renegotiation," the ex-MP told BBC Radio 4's Today.

"The point is though that we can only make those changes from the inside. We can't solve the problems of companies not paying their tax or Europe's failure to tackle the refugee crisis from the outside.

"We need to win this referendum but there is still a lot more to do to win that case."
Rumble

This video shows the incredible behaviour of a caring mother elephant on high alert, quickly stopping her adorable baby which was curiously straying away from her towards a vehicle full of safari tourists. Going on safari in the Kruger National Park is a life changing experience. Driving around multiple tarred roads, slowly scanning a massive area of wilderness is all part of the thrill. You never know what will be around the next corner or what animal will suddenly appear from the bush onto the road. Its an exciting experience and one of the must-see animals for most tourists are elephants. Not only are they the largest land mammals on our planet and fairly intimidating, elephants are also one of the most intelligent and emotionally intelligent animals that roam this planet. Seeing these giants in the wild is always a sight to remember. The video shows an incredible moment filmed in the Kruger National Park when a safari vehicle full of tourists found a large elephant cow and her adorable calf next to the road. The safari vehicle stopped and it looked like the mother elephant and her baby wanted to cross the road. The baby elephant was the cutest thing alive in the wild right at that moment. While the elephant cow remained focussed on crossing the road, her baby took notice of the safari vehicle and curiously started straying away from its mother towards the vehicle. The caring mother elephant immediately went into high alert and quickly took her trunk and stopped her baby from going any closer to the safari vehicle. The mother elephant gently used her trunk to guide her baby back and into the right direction. It was incredible to see how quickly the elephant cow became protective over her baby. The elephant calf listened to its mother and in a well-behaved manner, walking on the opposite side of its mother, continued to focus and follow its mother as it should. This is crucial for the survival of the calf in the wild. The gestation period of an elephant is twenty-two months, so it is very understandable that an elephant calf is seen as a huge investment and there will always be a mother around, ready to protect her calf from any potential danger. Even though the tourists were not a direct threat, the mother elephant knows all to well that there are humans that still pose a danger for them in the wild. The mother of such a small calf is definitely not something to mess with at all and its best never to get too close to a mother and her calf.
Its been over a month since Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away and his state Jammu and Kashmir has been without a government. In the immediate aftermath of his death, it appeared that his daughter and heiress-apparent Mehbooba Mufti was grieving and needed time to gather her thoughts.

Now the delay is because she cannot or will not make up her mind about continuing the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. From reports it appears that the Peoples Democratic Party and she felt that Mufti Muhammad was getting disillusioned with the BJP and Ms Mufti wants guarantees and commitments from the BJP. What these are has not been specified, but she has spoken of confidence-building measures.

The BJP has been diplomatic in handling the situation sending emissaries to meet Ms Mufti and assuage her feelings, but has made it clear that there should be no conditions. With 25 seats in the House to the PDPs 28 (now 27, after Sayeeds death), the BJP can afford to be stand-offish, but surely it does not want to be the one to precipitate a crisis that will lead to another election.

Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, the experienced and wily political animal that he was, never publicly expressed his unhappiness with the BJP but it became increasingly clear that he was getting worked up about the aggressive stance of Hindutva forces and had to also handle the increasing dissidence in his own party about the alliance with the BJP.

The BJP had made severe compromises to become part of the government, including keeping silent on Article 370. Even if the Mufti had not died, the government may not have lasted too long.

In another north Indian state, Punjab, the BJP is at loggerheads with its long-standing friend and ally the Akali Dal. Anyone who knows anything about Punjab will say that the two are not natural allies, but they have stuck on for years; thats politics for you. The relationship was clearly delineated; the Akali Dal was the dominant partner and the BJP, with only a handful of seats, had to kowtow to it, but with elections coming up and the BJP in an aggressive mood, that arrangement may well be adjusted.

The BJP at the state level has been restless and the Akalis have been complaining that its leaders are not given the respect they deserve; it takes a long time for their leader Parkash Singh Badal to get even a meeting with Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have complained.

In public, both swear eternal love but with the Aam Aadmi Party posing a credible threat and the Congress showing signs of some resurgence under Captain Amarinder Singh, the BJP and the Akalis will have no option but to hang together if they dont want to hang separately. Left to itself, the BJP will want to go it alone but it does not have the clout in the state to do so.

In the third state where the BJP has a partner, Maharashtra, bad marriage is the only way to describe the situation. Neither the BJP nor the Shiv Sena wants a divorce but not a day goes by without them bickering in public and hurling the choicest comments at the other. The Shiv Sena is better at it and through its mouthpiece Saamna makes some sharp digs at not just the BJP government in the state but at the Centre, reserving its best sarcasm for the Prime Minister.

The BJP has a passive aggressive style but clearly has no intention of rocking the boat. Ruling Maharashtra and its capital city Mumbai is paramount and it is ready to lump it to ensure the government does not fall. As the elections to the lucrative Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation come closer, expect more fireworks.

Why is the BJP, the national ruling party and on the ascendant, facing so many problems with its friends and allies? Why are its smaller partners in the National Democratic Alliance upset at being reduced to figureheads? Its not always the BJPs fault  the Sena is not exactly the easiest party to get along with  but with diplomacy and charm one can manage even the most prickly of personalities. Atal Behari Vajpayee managed it well.

Narendra Modi and his party president Amit Shah are not Vajpayee. The new BJP is not about winning friends; it is about getting power and demonstrating it. Mr Modi thinks very little of the Sena and Mr Shah would like to take over  swiftly, if possible  the constituency that the Sena has called its own all along. There cannot be room for two Hindutva-oriented parties in Maharashtra; the BJP wants to be the only one.

In Punjab, the BJP is aware that the Akalis are now almost totally discredited; sooner or later they will have to part ways, though it is difficult to say at this stage whether they will fight the elections separately. Becoming part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir was a huge step for the BJP, but if Ms Mufti dilly-dallies for too long, the BJP will not mind another election; the last times results were very encouraging.

The Congress, too, had problems adjusting to a coalition, but then it had been in power by itself for decades. Now it is ready to play third fiddle, as it did in Bihar. The BJP has come to power on its own and sees no reason to be conciliatory. If the Paswans feel uncomfortable, they can leave; naturally they will not leave, since they have nowhere to go. The same applies to the Shiv Sena.

This attitude has its limitations and in states like Uttar Pradesh, where there are two other large and influential players, the BJP will have to be more flexible. Given the BJPs handling of its allies elsewhere, a partner such as Mayawati is going to set some very difficult conditions. Going it alone is an option, but then the chances of winning are substantially reduced. Events in Jammu and Kashmir have shown that the BJP is  subtly  changing its ways, but it still has some way to go.
Rumble

The idea of making cheese at home can be really intimidating. Cheese feels like something you have to buy at the store or the farmer's market. But not anymore, you can make fresh cheese at home with four simple ingredients: whole milk, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and sea salt. Queso Fresco translates from Spanish is "fresh cheese." It has its roots in Spain but has been popularized by Mexican food culture. It's mild taste is a perfect canvas to bold build flavour profile. This video shows you how to make Queso Fresco three different ways: sweet, savoury and spicy. Bon Appetit! check out my first novel. https://www.amazon.co.uk/KAT-Matthew-... Whole milk 2L - 3.5 pints Lime 1 large Vinegar 120ml - 1/2 cup - 4fl oz Salt 2 tbsp Heat the milk gently to 77c - 170f, squeeze in the lime juice and stir with a slotted spoon. Keep heating to 87c - 190f and add the vinegar. Turn off the heat and stir occasionally for 15 minutes, strain into cheese cloth sitting in a sieve or colander and leave to drain for between 30 minutes and 2 hours. The cheese remaining will be quite firm, turn into a bowl and beat with a fork or your hand with the salt for a few minutes to create a smoother mixture. Muy caliente chopped pickled chilli pepper, garlic, hot sauce and coriander Honey and rosemary Basil and sun-dried tomato (fresh and puree)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Up to 40,000 refugees have settled in camps on the Turkish border inside Syria in the latest wave of migration, a Turkish deputy prime minister said on Friday, as attacks by Russian-backed Syrian government forces send tens of thousands fleeing. A diplomatic initiative with Russia and Syria is needed to prevent further waves of migration that would also impact Europe, Yalcin Akdogan told reporters near the border at Oncupinar, in comments broadcast live by TRT television. "In the last week there has been a new wave of migration, notably because of the Russian bombardment and 35,000 to 40,000 people have flowed to the Turkish border," he said. Earlier on Friday the United States, Russia and more than a dozen other nations reached agreement in Munich to cease hostilities in Syria and provide humanitarian aid. The deal is aimed at eventually paving the way for a political transition in Turkey's war-ravaged neighbor. Turkey, which already hosts 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has tried to keep the latest wave on the Syrian side of the border, in part to pressure Russia to cease its air support for Syrian government forces near the city of Aleppo. NATO member Turkey is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most vehement critics and an ardent supporter of opposition forces. Ankara's relations with Moscow have been very strained since the Turkish air force downed a Russian jet along the Turkish border in November. 'IMPORTANT STEP' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu welcomed the Syrian ceasefire deal in a post on his Twitter account, saying it was an "important step" toward resolving the crisis. However, unless Russia ends its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, the ceasefire reached in Munich will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured, Cavusoglu told TRT in comments broadcast from Munich. He said Turkey and its partners did not object to Russia targeting militant groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front, but said Moscow should do so in coordination with the U.S.-led coalition. The latest wave of refugees has swelled to 100,000 the number of people sheltering at nine camps located on the Syrian side of the border within 3 km of Turkey, Cavusoglu said, adding that a 10th camp was being prepared. Akdogan said it was important to create a "civilian settlement area" on the Syrian side of the border but insisted Turkey was maintaining its "open-door policy" toward refugees. (Reporting by Daren Butler; Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones)
By Phil Stewart BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday he expected both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to send special operations forces to Syria to help local opposition fighters in their drive to retake the city of Raqqa from Islamic State. Carter, who has long sought greater participation of SunniArab allies in Syria, did not disclose how many commandos he expected them to deploy nor the timing of those deployments. But he suggested they would play a major role taking back Raqqa, the Islamic State's defacto capital, from the militants. "Were going to try to give opportunities and power to ...particularly Sunni Arabs in Syria who want to re-seize their territory back from ISIL, especially Raqqa," Carter told reporters traveling with him in Brussels. Carter made the remarks after talks with his UAE and Saudi counterparts on Friday and Thursday respectively. Four months of Russian air strikes in Syria have helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claw back territory from rebelsfighting government forces, alarming Gulf Arab states who back the insurgents. Saudi Arabia had concentrated its military efforts over the last year on the conflict in Yemen, where it is leading a coalition of mainly Gulf Arab forces battling Houthi fighters who control the capital, Sanaa. But it appears to be widening its focus. Carter said on Thursday Saudi Arabia committed to expand its role in the air campaign and the United Arab Emirates said it would restart its participation. Saudi Arabia and Gulf states took part on Thursday in the largest gathering so far of defense ministers from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, which Carter hosted at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Carter said the group collectively approved a campaign plan that aims to recapture the two main Islamic State strongholds of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, as well as grappling with the group's spread beyond its self-declared caliphate. That plan, however, does not include deployment of large-scale foreign ground forces to Iraq and Syria and Carter stressed that coalition commandos were meant to bolster local forces, not replace them. "We're not looking to substitute for them, any more than we're looking to substitute for the Iraqi forces. But we are looking to enable them strongly and help them organize themselves," he said. The United States has already deployed a small group of special operations forces to Syria and Carter said other allies, beyond Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were considering commando deployments. "Some don't even like to acknowledge the operations of special forces, but there are a number of them. And we are the organiser of them," Carter said. Asked whether the Saudis and UAE were already operating in Syria, Carter said: "No. They've had kind of liaisons there ... We're talking about mapping that up." (Editing by Louise Ireland)
God grant me the graces of nonchalance

The alacrity  even now  to not miss the main chance

Though the petals leave the calyx as the years advance

Just one thing more, boss  let her save the last dance?

From Suttee to Slutee

by Bachchoo

The present Indian government and the destroyers who make up her flotilla are intent on changing history and other texts. The revisionism has brought howls of outrage from secularists who characterise the change as political vandalism.

Nevertheless, there are things to correct  changes of emphasis, the telling of neglected truths and a case for putting political considerations aside when researching and relaying the atrocities that Indian history has suffered.

The great hope. of course, is that in a modern, civilised, democratic country this revision and correction can take place with heightened emotions, objections and debate, but without murderous divisions on the agenda.

It has long been recognised that British historians, who wrote the texts my school generation studied, were biased in certain ways. They thought Robert Clive was something of a hero, even when they did detail the perfidy he practised and the loot he accumulated.

But distorted perspective is the least of it. I have a deeper complaint. There I was, reading history in a school in Pune (then Poona) and was taught nothing of the kingdoms of the Deccan before Shivaji. Nothing! And of the kingdoms of the South? A passing mention of Vijayanagar, but otherwise history happened where Alexander, Ashoka, Babur, Cornwallis and Curzon left their mark. I remember school trips to Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta but had no idea of the history that generated them.

My recent reading of an Indian history text book did yield chapters on the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas and the Cholas. So a partial welcome for such corrective texts and none for those which might maintain that Stonehenge was built by Hindus who ruled Wiltshire in pre-historic times.

Critics of this revisionism complain that it is ideologically driven. All revisionism is. That victors write history is a cliche. Democracy allows different classes, groups and interests to come to power  witness the turbulence if not turmoil of the 2016 US presidential candidate-selection process. There can be no doubt that if the US gets a President Donald Trump, some text books, those that maintain a Darwinistic view for instance, will be up for revision.

In the UK, there is in progress, in 2016, a seemingly gentler but really drastic revision in education. The Tory government has asserted its right to tamper with the curriculum of schools and has over the last few years led an assault on what it characterises as the libertarianism that has crept into the education system.

The assault, the reassertion of factual learning and the encouragement of schools that adopt the old no-nonsense values has emerged as a distinct and reprehensible philistinism.

It hasnt gone unnoticed. The eminent poet Michael Rosen, who writes and recites provocatively imaginative verse for children, wrote a brilliant critique in The Guardian of the newly adopted approach to poetry in the prescribed national curriculum. He argues that poetic expression ought to stimulate the imagination in several ways and encourage nuance of interpretation.

The prescribed curriculum reduces the understanding of poetry to right and wrong answers in a multiple-choice table. Poems are not Euclidian theorems and treating them as such is a constraint on learning. Rosen is not saying that an interpretation need have no relation to the values and connotations of the words in a line or a poem, but resists reducing the act of reading poetry to a grammatical or mathematical exercise.

The new orthodoxy advocates the re-introduction into schools of Latin and Greek. Nothing wrong with that. Neither is there any harm in teaching Sanskrit and getting pupils to marvel at the rules and codes of the ancient Indian grammarians such as Panini. Such studies ought to pay homage to the disciplines of linguistic construction but must leave room for an appreciation of the way in which languages evolve.

Hindi didnt emerge from Sanskrit because any grammarian prescribed a change. Neither did modern Italian emerge from Latin without historical erosion and collective creative influences. Grammar is good but grammar aint God, and yet the new orthodoxy tends to sideline the imagination in favour of rote learning and the absorption of the single taught answer.

Part of the anxiety that has bred the new orthodoxy is the perception that Britain has fallen behind in the international table of scholastic achievement. The government wants it to be acknowledged as at the top of the ladder in maths, sciences and information technology, when, in fact, it is close to the bottom. To try and get British schools to acknowledge and tackle this lapse is laudable. But how is it to be done?

I achieved a good degree with Physics as my major subject from Pune University. It enabled me to get a place studying Natural Sciences  physics  at Cambridge (UK, not Massachusetts). In Pune, we were required to learn Keplers laws, Newtons laws, mathematical proofs of the theory of relativity, Heisenbergs constant and how it came about and a thousand other facts.

In Cambridge, I suffered a certain amount of bewilderment when the entire Physics course entailed solving problems to which the textbooks and lectures afforded no clue. The laws and theories were treated as background. Problem solving, identifying and applying the appropriate laws and theories, was all. Looking into the text books or at lecture notes for the solution to a parallel or similar problem was futile. The question-setters were always a step ahead of the texts.

There is no evidence yet that the government will tamper with the way science is taught in British universities, but there are anxieties and resultant schemes to promote more scientifically-minded and mathematically-accomplished school matriculates to these universities. This can only succeed if the absorption of fact is complimented by the encouragement of imaginative solutions and understanding.
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Rating agency DBRS said on Friday it was comfortable with its credit rating for Portugal, though a recent rise in the country's bond yields was a concern due to its heavy debt burden.

DBRS is the only of the four big rating firms to rank Portugal investment, at BBB(low) 'stable', something the country needs for its debt to be included in the European Central Bank's 1.5 trillion euro bond-buying quantitative easing scheme.

It is due to review the rating on April. 29.

"As of today, we feel comfortable that our stable trend on Portugal is appropriate," Fergus McCormick, head sovereign analyst at DBRS told Reuters.

"The recent rise in bond yields is a concern given the high refinancing burden" he added though. "If market volatility persists, our attention then turns to the political equation and what is feasible in terms of fiscal adjustment." (Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by John Geddie)
By Lefteris Papadimas and Alkis Konstantinidis ATHENS (Reuters) - Angry Greek farmers clashed with riot police in Athens then paraded their tractors and pick-ups outside parliament on Friday, in their first big protest in the capital against pension reform plans after weeks of road blockades. Officers guarded the entrance to the agricultural ministry and fired tear gas to disperse protesters who hurled tomatoes, eggplants and stones at the building, smashing windows and using shepherd's crooks to repel police during scuffles. "They won't make us bend!," the protesters shouted. After the afternoon violence died down, farmers drove their vehicles through crowds outside parliament, blocking the road and shouting slogans against the pensions overhaul which will bring in tax hikes and a tripling of their social security contributions. Cheered on by supporters waving Greek flags, they honked horns as police in riot gear stood guard. A few demonstrators burnt olive branches while others unfurled a large banner reading: "Take back this monstrous reform plan." Some farmers pitched tents on Syntagma Square, the scene of violent clashes during anti-austerity protests in recent years. "We live on loans, this reform will destroy us," said olive oil producer Manolis Niolakis, a 50-year old father of four. "We won't back down, there is no way. If we do, we'll starve." Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas criticised the violence, telling state TV: "This is not how social battles should be fought. This is not the right way of expression." DEADLOCK The pension reform has also angered lawyers and doctors and members of other professions. The government says the changes are necessary to ensure future pensions for the farmers, whose benefits have so far been almost completely subsidised by the debt-ridden state. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, elected last year promising to end austerity but then forced to accept a third bailout in July, is struggling to conclude a bailout review with lenders and convince angry Greeks that after six years of belt-tightening were worth it. His task is not made any easier by the fact that his government has only a tiny majority in parliament. Earlier this week, Tsipras said he was willing to hold talks with the farmers on possibly amending the pension reform bill to lessen the pain, but they rebuffed his overtures. The EU and the International Monetary Fund are not expected to back down on their demands that Athens cut pension spending by 1 percent of gross domestic product this year. The IMF said Greece will need to take extra measures worth about 9 billion euros to meet its fiscal targets by 2018. "We cannot see how Greece can do so without major savings on pensions," said IMF's director for Europe, Poul Thomsen. After a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that pension reforms remained a major sticking point in talks with Athens. The Greek economy contracted in the last three months of 2015 as fiscal austerity and capital controls continued to weigh on investment and consumer spending. (Additional reporting by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos and George Georgiopoulos in Athens, Tom Koerkemeier in Brussels; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Karolina Tagaris and Andrew Heavens)
SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marking a milestone for a project years in the making, the topping out ceremony for the new, state-of-the-art library at Ringling College of Art and Design took place Thursday, February 12th campus. During the program, Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President of Ringling College, announced the facility will be named for Ringling College honorary life trustee and friend, Dr. Alfred R. Goldstein.

When asked about his commitment to the new library, Dr. Goldstein replied, "As far as I am concerned, the library is the heart and brain of the entire institution. It is the core, which is why it is so important to have the most modern, up-to-date facilities."

The newly hired Director of Library Services, Kristina Keough, was also introduced to the community at the event. Keough, scheduled to start in her new position on February 15, remarked, "I look forward to working closely with Ringling College and the Sarasota community as we bring the new library to completion and beginning planning new initiatives in support of teaching and learning."

Ms. Keogh comes to Ringling College from Indiana University Bloomington where she was the Head of the Fine Arts Library, which was located within the university Art Museum and the School of Fine Arts and supported the art and design programs on the Bloomington campus. In her new position at Ringling College, Kristina will serve as a key strategic partner in the delivery and support of academic programs and will report to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. She will also be part of the development of the new Ringling College Library, which is under construction and is scheduled to be completed in late 2016.

"We are excited to have Kristina join our team as Director of Library Services," said Ringling College Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeff Bellantoni. "She brings with her the experience of managing a large scale art library and her vision of transforming ordinary areas into creative spaces that encourage learning, research, and engagement."

Previously, Kristina was the Visual Arts Research Librarian at Virginia Commonwealth University where she worked closely with the School of the Arts facilitating research within the studio environment. Kristina also received her PhD in Art History from VCU. A (transplanted) Florida native, Kristina has held positions and studied throughout the state - from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale and just about everywhere in between. She has also worked abroad, which included a year spent managing Florida State University's Florence, Italy Study Center Library and a short exchange placement working with design students at VCUarts Qatar campus in Doha's Education City.

On-site to celebrate the Alfred R. Goldstein Library were members and supporters of the Ringling College community, former Director of Library Services Kathleen List, Willis Smith Construction, Sweet Sparkman Architects, Shepley Bullfinch, and the Ringling College Library Association. Visitors attended a breakfast and reception held on the first floor of the new library site, currently under construction, where they had the opportunity to sign their names directly to the walls, where they will be memorialized forever.

Delivering remarks about the history and vision of the project, Dr. Thompson said, "Today we celebrate the realization of a dream in the making. This library will be the "Library of the Future" right here on Ringling College's campus. We pay tribute on this day to all the hours, effort, coordination, and hard work that a project of this magnitude demands. From the leadership of the fundraising effort led by Isabel Norton and Carolyn Johnson, to the extraordinary, continued support of our friend and trustee Dr. Goldstein and our community. Today is a triumph for us all."

On schedule to open this fall, the new $18 million, state-of-the-art library sits at 46,000 square feet offering ample room for the entire Ringling College collection30% of which is currently housed off campus due to storage limitations. Architecturally stunning, the very building itself is designed to adapt and grow with new technologies to come. Furthermore, the library has been designed to encourage collaboration, with moveable furniture, adaptable workstations, and areas dedicated to thinking out loud. The new library will be an active physical and virtual destination on the Ringling College campusan intellectual, cultural, social, creative, and technological hub alive with the ebb and flow of students, faculty, and visitors.

Located at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Old Bradenton Road, the new facility will serve the Ringling College students, faculty, and staff, in addition to the greater Sarasota and Manatee community for art research.

You can view the progress of the library construction in real time at: http://www.ringling.edu/library-webcam

About Ringling College of Art and Design

For nearly 85 years, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in eleven disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College's rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive, first-year program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. For more information please visit the Ringling College website at www.ringling.edu, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or call 941.351.5100.

Photos accompanying this release are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=38923

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=38935

CONTACT:Rich Schineller rschinel@ringling.edu 941.780.8100 Stephanie Lederer slederer@ringling.edu 941.309.4110
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A young boy came to a shop to return a gaudy T-shirt he had happily bought the week before. His reason: My girlfriend doesnt like it. Days later he returned to buy back the same T-shirt. The shopkeeper asked: Has your girl changed her mind? No, replied the youth, Ive changed the girl.

Today, many people ditch friends for the flimsiest of excuses, while love, sex, friendship and marriage are treated as marketable commodities that can be priced, purchased, tasted and dumped. Our attitudes are often influenced by the media. Valentines Day, which we celebrate on February 14, has also become victim of media commercialisation.

Sadly, this feast often results in a tug-of-war between youth who wish to express love for their sweethearts and fanatics for whom love and sex are absolutely a no-no.

The origins of Valentines Day are obscure since there are neither one nor two, but three Saint Valentines whose lives are connected with this feast:

(a) a Roman priest

(b) a bishop of Terni in Italy and

(c) a little-known saint who was martyred in Africa.

To impute deeper meaning to this feast, lets see what is common to all three.

Valentine comes from the Latin root valens, meaning valiant, strong and worthy, which could refer to moral, religious, physical or political strength. The three Valentines were martyrs who sacrificed their lives to promote the lives of others. Therein lay their virtue. They were of strong faith, worthy of honour and valiant in putting others welfare before their own conveniences.

Valentine of Rome secretly blessed marriages despite a ban by Emperor Claudius who held that unmarried men made better soldiers. Valentine of Terni was martyred because he refused to give up his faith. Legend has it that he restored the sight of his jailors blind daughter, and that on the day he was executed he left her a note signed Your Valentine.

While Valentines Day has accumulated layers of romance, myths of matchmaking and the giving of gifts, we could perhaps strive to imbibe the virtues of Valentine by being strong in faith, worthy of the love we receive, and valiant in promoting the life of others even if it results in inconveniences, self-sacrifice and, ultimately, martyrdom.

In one of the finest teachings on love, Apostle Paul writes: Love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. Love rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Since true love never ends, even if we celebrate Valentines Day only once a year, may the God of love help us to love everyone unconditionally and unlimitedly, every day.
Pune: Former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar today congratulated the team of Indian scientists who contributed to the research on gravitational waves calling it a "great day".

Reacting to the announcement at a gathering of scientists of Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) here, he said, "I wish the Indian detector was already in place."

Eminent astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar described the event as "a remarkable discovery saying this is the time to recall the contribution of the pioneers", who started thequest for discovering gravitational waves. One of the IUCAA founder members Sanjeev Dhurandharhad discussed the topic of starting research in this field at nascent stage and later it was taken up and intensified, Narlikar who started IUCAA in 1988, said drawing a loud cheer from the assemblage.

Noted scientist C V Vishweswairya, who was also present on the occasion, described the discovery as a "historic moment", which is "overwhelming". The IUCAA is part of the 'IndiGO-LSC' group, which carries out research on gravitational waves with participation of different scientists from all over the country.

Former director of IUCAA, Ajit Kembhavi, said the Indian scientific community contributed greatly in developing methods for analysing the data received from the two detectors in America. He also added that the IUCAA is seeking to set up a high performance computer for its further analysis.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The station is a $100 billion research laboratory that flies about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth (Photo: Pixabay)

Cape Canaveral: NASA's next cargo run to the International Space Station will be delayed for at least two weeks after black mold was found in two fabric bags used for packing clothing, food and other supplies, the US space agency said on Wednesday.

The source of the mold, a common fungal growth in humid climates like Florida's, is under investigation by NASA and Lockheed Martin, which prepares NASA cargo for launch aboard two commercial carriers, Orbital ATK and privately owned SpaceX.

An Orbital Cygnus cargo ship was more than halfway packed for the launch, scheduled for March 10, when the mold was found during routine inspections and microbial sampling, NASA spokesman Daniel Huot said.

NASA and Lockheed decided to unpack the cargo, disinfect all the bags and then repack everything aboard the capsule, delaying launch.

The Cygnus' liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is now scheduled for late March.

Had the mold reached the station, the crew aboard would not have been in any danger, but NASA decided to clean the bags as a precaution, Huot added.

NASA is still assessing what, if any, impact delaying the Cygnus launch will have on the next cargo run planned by SpaceX. SpaceX has not delivered supplies to the space station since April 2015. Its last shipment was destroyed during a June 2015 launch accident.

The station is a $100 billion research laboratory that flies about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

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Mumbai: In a landmark discovery scientists have detected gravitational waves, hypothesised by Albert Einstein over 100 years ago.

Announced on Thursday, this opens a new window for studying the cosmos. Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it, said California Institute of Technology physicist David Reitze, triggering applause at a packed news conference in Washington.

Indian scientists, more than 60 in all, also played a major role in the scientific breakthrough.Sanjeev Dharundhar, professor emeritus at the Inter-University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, was one of the 1,000 key scientists involved in detecting the gravitational waves.

As early as 1980s when the world was keen on electromagnetic waves, he was adamant about the existence of this scientific marvel. The scientific community was not very receptive when the Pune born scientist suggested the existence of these weak waves which can help detect black holes.

Despite the spectism, in the year 1989, he was brought into IUCAA, Pune by Jayant Narlikar (founder-director, IUCAA) to help develop techniques for the detection of the signals.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)  the discovery portal for the gravitational waves  finished construction in 1999 in United States, and Dharundhar led various groups to research this theory based on the data provided by these observatories.

Today many of his students have contributed to the phenomenal discovery in various parts of the world. Prime Minister Modi also expressed his joy on the social media platform, Twitter, for Indias contribution in this discovery.

Gravitational Waves allows us to listen to stars

The landmark discovery of the first direct evidence of gravitational waves or ripples in space-time, which Albert Einstein predicted a century ago, will enable mankind to listen to the stars, and not just see them, scientists say.

In a breakthrough announcement, scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) said that they have finally detected the elusive gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time.

Studying gravitational waves will push Einsteins General Theory of Relativity - which originally predicted their existence almost exactly a century ago - to its limits, while revolutionising our understanding of the most violent events in the universe, according to researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.

The LIGO project started its first observing run in 2002. Following major upgrades begun in 2010, LIGO re-opened as Advanced LIGO in September 2015 and detected its first gravitational waves within days.

Analysis of the waves suggests they originated from a system of two black holes, each with the mass of about 30 Suns, that gravitationally drew closer to each other.

Decoding Gravitational Waves

Eminent astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar came out with an analogy for the benefit of the layman to explain the complexity involved in detecting the gravitational wave that emanated at a distance of 1.3 billion light years from the earth.

He says, Imagine a fly sitting on an elephant. The weight of fly is added to his body but the elephant will not feel it. What LIGO (the detector used in the discovery) detected was much smaller than the perceived impact of the fly sitting on the elephant.

Narlikar and one of his scientist colleagues Sanjeev Dhurandhar had put up a proposal seeking funding for research on GWs in India in 1988 soon after the Centre was set up but had failed to convince the authorities who doubted their credibility to undertake such a project for developing a detector.

Black holes

When two black holes collided some 1.3 billion years ago, the joining of those two great masses sent forth a wobble that hurtled through space and arrived at Earth on September 14, 2015, when it was picked up by sophisticated instruments, researchers announced.

Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy. This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging, says Stephen Hawking, Scientist.

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Pelen Hussein, a Syrian migrant who was trying to reach Greece when the boat he was in capsized. (Photo:AP)

Balikesir, Turkey: A Syrian man saved in a dramatic rescue operation following a migrant boat accident says his goal was to reach Germany but now he is unsure of his future.

Pelan Huseyin, 20, was rescued by a Turkish coast guard helicopter Monday as he clung to the tip of an almost submerged boat which sank in the Bay of Edremit on its way to the Greek island of Lesbos. The incident left 27 dead, including at least 11 children.

Pelen Hussein, a Syrian migrant, 20, who was trying to reach Greece when the boat he was in capsized, stands on the top of the capsized boat before being rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard Air Command. (Photo: AP)Huseyin told the AP: "I stayed five hours at sea. I looked around and saw the boat, and I hung on to it."

Turkey's coast guard said that 27 migrants had died after their boat capsized in the Bay of Edremit while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. (Photo: AP)He spoke from a gendarmerie station where he was being kept to help authorities identify smugglers responsible for the trip.

The rescue operation was captured by Turkish coast guard cameras.
"At least 27 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Thursday morning's operation," said Kodji, commander of Cameroon troops in the area. (Photo: AFP)

Yaounde: Cameroon soldiers killed at least 27 Boko Haram fighters after launching a cross-border operation in the Nigerian locality of Goshi that also resulted in the death of one soldier, a senior military official said.

At least seven other soldiers were injured in the operation early on Thursday, said Gen. Jacob Kodji. The Nigerian Islamic terrorist group launched a series of attacks in Cameroon earlier this week, said Kodji. Ashigashiya straddles the border of northern Cameroon and Nigeria.

"At least 27 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Thursday morning's operation," said Kodji, commander of Cameroon troops in the area. The soldiers remain on the battle front there, he said.

Regional forces from Cameroon and Nigeria have since December 2015 been launching raids on Boko Haram strongholds along their borders, especially around Ashigashiya.

The Islamic terrorist began attacks across borders in 2014 and stepped them up early last year on neighboring Cameroon and other countries that have supported the Nigerian military's effort to crush Boko Haram.

In northern Cameroon, officials said two suicide bombers believed to have come from Nigeria on Wednesday killed 10 people and injured 40 attending a wake in a border village. Attacks in Chad and Niger also are blamed on Boko Haram.

Boko Haram's 6-year-old Islamic insurgency has killed 20,000 people, and displaced 2.5 million people, according to Amnesty International and the United Nations.
Edgar Latulip, whose mental age was that of a child, was 21 when he walked out of a special home in Kitchener, Ontario in 1986, CBC News and other Canadian media reported on Wednesday. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

Ottawa: A Canadian man who disappeared 30 years ago is set for an emotional reunion with his family after he suddenly remembered his name, media said.

Edgar Latulip, whose mental age was that of a child, was 21 when he walked out of a special home in Kitchener, Ontario in 1986, CBC News and other Canadian media reported on Wednesday.

Latulip, who had previously attempted suicide and was on medication, was never heard from again and his mother feared he might have been murdered.

That was until a man with a different identity living 120 kilometers (75 miles) away told his social worker last month that he thought his real name could be Edgar Latulip, after he had flashbacks.

A DNA test confirmed that the man was indeed Latulip.

His mother Silvia Wilson, who later moved to Ottawa, described her surprise when she received the news by telephone last week from a police detective.

"I don't know what to think. I was just kind of blown away," Wilson, 76, told The Record, describing her son as a troubled boy.

"I want to talk to him and help him out any way I can. I just want to see him."

The North American Missing Persons Network described Latulip as having the mental capacity of a 12-year-old.

Niagara Regional Police Constable Philip Gavin told the Toronto Star and CBC that Latulip suffered a head injury after a fall around the time he went missing, impairing his memory so badly that he could not remember who he was, so he created a new identity.

"I've been a police officer for 18 years and this is something I've seen on TV but never been a part of," Gavin told the Star. "Absolutely, this is quite a rare one."

It was not immediately clear when the reunion would take place.
Washington: There are currently no plans for joint naval patrols by the United States and India, the US State Department said on Thursday. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the United States and India had held talks about conducting joint naval patrols, quoting a US defense official saying they could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger China, which claims most of the waterway. "The United States and India do have a shared vision of peace, stability and prosperity in Asia," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a daily briefing.

"At this time, there are no plans for any joint naval patrols," he added.

The two countries have increased military ties in recent years, holding naval exercises in the Indian Ocean along with Japan's navy. But the Indian navy has never carried out joint patrols with another country.
Those attacks followed a series of shootings at the end of last year, according to the notice published by the US Embassy in the capital Vientiane. (Photo: Google Maps)

Bangkok: The United States issued a warning Friday urging Americans to avoid a central Laos province popular with adventure travelers after a sudden spate of deadly bomb and gun attacks.

Two roadside attacks killed three people last month in Xaisomboun province.

Those attacks followed a series of shootings at the end of last year, according to the notice published by the US Embassy in the capital Vientiane.

"The US Embassy in Vientiane has prohibited its personnel from traveling to Xaisomboun province, and encourages US citizens to adopt similar security measures," the travel alert said.

Chinese state media last month said two Chinese nationals were killed and one injured in a suspected bomb attack in the mountainous province, without speculating on the motive.

One of the victims was an employee of a mining company based in China's Yunnan province, which borders Laos.

Beijing has been sinking money into the sleepy Southeast Asian nation, a fellow communist state, in recent years and became its largest investor in 2014.

China also hoovers up landlocked Laos' water and forestry resources.

The US Embassy's alert Friday also reminded travelers that unexploded ordnances are still found throughout rural Laos.

During the Vietnam War US warplanes dropped more than two million tonnes of explosives across the landlocked country in an effort to cut North Vietnamese supply lines.

An estimated 30 percent of the devices failed to detonate and 50,000 people have been killed by the explosives since the end of the war.

In a rare state visit to the cloistered communist nation last month US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington was considering increasing the $15 million fund it provides to tackle the scourge.
Damascus (AFP) - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake the entire country but warned it could take a "long time," in an exclusive interview with AFP as international pressure grows for a ceasefire.

Speaking at his office in Damascus, hours before a new ceasefire plan was announced early Friday by world powers in Munich, Assad said he backed peace talks but that negotiations do "not mean that we stop fighting terrorism".

Regime forces backed by Russian air strikes have registered major advances in recent days, particularly in northern Aleppo province, where Assad said the army was seeking to sever the opposition's supply route from Turkey.

The push is one of the most significant regime advances since the conflict began in March 2011 with protests against Assad's government, before spiralling into a bloody war that has killed more than 260,000 people.

The advances have prompted consternation from opposition backers including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and Assad said he saw a risk that the two countries would intervene militarily in Syria, pledging that his forces would "certainly confront" them.

He also addressed the massive flow of refugees from his country, saying it was up to Europe to stop "giving cover to terrorists" so Syrians could return home.

Over the past week, Syrian regime forces backed by pro-government fighters and Russian air strikes have encircled Aleppo, Syria's second city.

The advance is one of several for the government since Russia began an aerial campaign on September 30 after a string of regime losses to rebel forces and the Islamic State group.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Assad appeared bolstered by his recent military gains, and said his eventual goal was to retake all of Syria.

"Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation," he said.

"It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part."

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Assad said it would be possible to "put an end to this problem in less than a year" if opposition supply routes from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq were cut.

But if not, he said, "the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price".

- Talks, while fighting 'terror' -

The interview with Assad is the first he has given since the effective collapse of a new round of peace talks in Geneva earlier this month.

The talks are officially "paused" until February 25, and 17 nations agreed early Friday on an ambitious plan intended to bolster efforts for new negotiations.

The plan would see a cessation of hostilities implemented in as little as a week, and also demands humanitarian aid access to all of Syria.

Assad said his government has "fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of the crisis".

"However, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."

The Aleppo offensive has been the main focus of Syrian government forces in recent weeks.

The regime has virtually encircled rebels in eastern parts of Aleppo city after severing their main supply line to the Turkish border.

"The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists," Assad said.

The operation has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis, with some 300,000 civilians in eastern Aleppo facing the prospect of a government siege.

Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes already, mostly from northern Aleppo province, with many flocking to the border with Turkey seeking entry.

- 'Europe causing refugee flow' -

The displaced could join a wave of more than four million Syrian refugees who have left the country since the conflict began in March 2011.

Last year, many of those refugees began seeking asylum in Europe in a major crisis that has failed to slow throughout the winter.

Assad said "any scene of suffering is painful to all of us as Syrians", but he said blame for the influx lay at Europe's feet.

"I would like to ask every person who left Syria to come back," he said.

"They would ask 'why should I come back? Has terrorism stopped?'"

Instead, he urged Europe's governments "which have been a direct cause for the emigration of these people, by giving cover to terrorists in the beginning and through sanctions imposed on Syria, to help in making the Syrians return to their country".

Syria's conflict has proved devastating for the country, with more than half the population displaced and the economy set back decades.

There have been widespread allegations of rights abuses by all sides, with Assad's government accused this week by UN investigators of "extermination" in its jails and detention centres.

- 'Presidency is not a hobby' -

The UN commission alleged mass deaths that amounted to "a crime against humanity", but Assad said he was "not concerned about these threats or these allegations".

He said the UN's reports were "politicised" and lacked evidence.

And while he said "innocent people die in the war", he denied any state policy of targeting civilians.

Assad acknowledged "mistakes" but said "we do not claim that we, in the Middle East, have reached a stage of significant political openness".

But he insisted that he had been working, since succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000, to open up the country.

He was reelected to another seven-year term in mid-2014, but said it was too early to say whether he would stay in the post beyond his current mandate.

"The presidency is not a hobby that we enjoy, it is a responsibility," he said.

"As to selecting a successor, this country is neither a farm, nor a company," he said, adding that he would decide in the future whether to run for another term based on "the desire of the people".
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - EU member states on Friday gave Greece a three-month ultimatum to remedy "deficiencies" in controlling the influx of migrants or effectively face suspension from the Schengen passport-free zone.

The decision -- taken by ministers over Greek objections -- culminates weeks of pressure on Greece, the main gateway for the million refugees and migrants who entered Europe last year, stoking the continent's biggest such crisis since World War II.

A report adopted 10 days earlier by the European Commission, the EU executive, found Greece was failing to properly register and fingerprint migrants during inspections at the Turkish land border and several islands in the Aegean Sea last November.

"It is of utmost importance that Greece addresses the issues identified in the report adopted by the Commission as a matter of priority and urgency," EU ministers said in the recommendation that two EU sources said was adopted Friday.

The document, seen by AFP, gave Greece, which is already struggling to emerge from a massive debt crisis, one month to "establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies."

After a further two months, Greece must report back on how the scheme is being implemented.

The document was not immediately published on EU websites, which nonetheless confirmed that member states had given Athens a three-month ultimatum to fix the problems or face effective suspension from Schengen.

If Greece fails to remedy the problems by mid-May, Brussels could authorise other member states to exceptionally extend border controls within the EU's cherished Schengen area, including with Greece, for up to two years, instead of the normal six months.

Such a scenario is outlined under article 26 of the Schengen border code.

Germany, which along with other member states introduced such border controls late last year, on Thursday extended the measures until May, the limit under current Schengen provisions.

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The Schengen area allows passport-free travel through 26 countries, most of them in the EU, and is put forward as one of the major European achievements on unity.

- Greece's 'substantial' costs -

An EU source told AFP that Greece voted against the ultimatum, while Cyprus and Bulgaria abstained.

In a meeting with EU ambassadors in Brussels on Wednesday, Greece registered its objections to the recommendation to be adopted.

In a document published on the European Council website, Greece rejected the report's contention that it was responsible for "serious deficiencies" in border control and denied it was "seriously neglecting its obligations."

Greece also said it had taken a number of measures at "substantial national financial and social cost" and reminded Brussels that the massive influx on its borders would put any member state under "severe pressure."

However, it said it would continue cooperating with the EU and its institutions in dealing with the crisis.

In formally announcing the three-month deadline, the European Council website noted that any member state would have been hard pressed to deal with such an unprecedented influx.

But Greece had to take action on registration procedures, sea border surveillance, border checks, risk analyses, human resources and training as well as equipment and international cooperation, it said.

Germany, which saw 1.1 million asylum seekers enter the wealthy country last year, has been the main destination for most of the migrants once they land in Greece or other points in Europe, with Athens accused of just letting them through.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal refugee policy came under fire again as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Friday it is not sustainable in the long run.

Valls's criticisms came after his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev lambasted Merkel's asylum policy as a "total failure."

Tensions between Brussels and Ankara continue to mount as the EU seeks to enforce a November aid-for-cooperation deal to curb the tide of migrants making their way from Turkey, which hosts 2.7 million mostly Syrian refugees.

A senior Turkish official said Friday that some 100,000 Syrian refugees are being looked after in camps inside Syria close to the Turkish border as they flee the latest upsurge in fighting.

As Ankara came under EU and UN pressure to open its border, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU member states.
Tamir Rice's November 2014 death at the hands of a white officer in the US state of Ohio shocked Americans. (Photo:AFP)

Washington, United States: The mayor of Cleveland apologized on Thursday after an ambulance bill was sent to the family of Tamir Rice, the black 12-year-old who was shot by police while holding a toy gun.

Rice's November 2014 death at the hands of a white officer in the US state of Ohio shocked Americans and the $500 bill sent to his family has only stoked further outrage.

"Asking Tamir's family to pay for his ambulance is heartless. Cleveland should drop this fee," Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Twitter.

Local media reported that lawyers for the Rice family said the bill only added "insult to homicide."

Faced with the snowballing controversy, Mayor Frank Jackson called a news conference on Thursday during which he admitted a mistake had been made.

"We will start off again apologizing to the Rice family if this has added to any grief or pain they may have" he said, surrounded by other city leaders.

Together they explained that the bill was sent under routine procedure and that it was meant for the boy's insurance company, not his family.

Surveillance video showed Rice was fatally shot within seconds of a patrol car arriving on the scene as he began to pull the toy gun out of his waistband. The boy died hours later in hospital.

The shooting followed a series of high-profile incidents of police violence involving black Americans and helped fuel protests against what some say is white police impunity despite discrimination against blacks.

In December, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the Cleveland police officers involved in the fatal shooting.
(Reuters) - Police shot and killed a machete-wielding man who injured four people at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, police said on Friday.

Police identified the suspect in the Thursday night attack as 30-year-old Mohamed Barry. The four victims were a 54-year-old man who remained in critical condition and three 43-year-olds - three men and one woman - all of whom had injuries that were not life-threatening.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting Columbus police in the investigation, said Supervisory Special Agent Rick Smith of FBI's Cincinnati division.

The owner of the Nazareth Restaurant & Deli told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper he believed his business was targeted because of his Israeli descent.

"Obviously we were targeted because there's a whole bunch of businesses around here," Hany Baransi, who is from Israel, was reported as saying, "I'm the only foreigner."

Columbus and federal officials are investigating the assault, police-involved shooting, suspect and possible motives, Kim Jacobs, Columbus police chief, told reporters on Friday.

Police said the officer who shot the suspect was John Johnson, a 25-year veteran assigned to the patrol bureau.

The suspect had walked into the restaurant and argued with an employee before leaving, returning with the machete a short time later and attacking customers, according to police.

Barry fled and police caught up with him about four miles (6 km) away as he exited a vehicle armed with a machete and a knife, police said in a statement.

Officers first used a Taser and were unsuccessful in trying to subdue Barry and then shot him multiple times when he lunged at an officer, police said.

Restaurant staff and customers did not recognize the man, Columbus police spokesman Sergeant Rich Weiner said.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Editing in Bill Trott and Steve Orlofsky)
(Reuters) - Police in Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a machete-wielding man on Thursday after he entered a restaurant and wounded several patrons, one critically, officials said.

Police were called to the Nazareth Restaurant on the northeast side at about 6 p.m. EST, after reports an armed man was attacking people in the building.

The suspect fled and police caught up with him about five miles away, authorities said. He was armed with a machete and knife and lunged at a police officer before he was fatally shot, media said, citing law enforcement officials.

At least five people inside the Middle Eastern-food restaurant were hurt, including one person who was in critical condition, officials said.

The suspect had walked into the restaurant and argued with an employee before leaving, returning with the machete a short time later and attacking customers, police said.

The attack appeared to be random.

"There was no rhyme or reason as to who he was going after, Columbus Police Department spokesman Sergeant Rich Weiner told WCMH-TV.

The FBI was also investigating, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported. Weiner said that restaurant employees and customers have said they did not recognize the attacker.

The name of the machete-wielding suspect and the wounded have not been released.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski in Chicago and Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Editing by Bernard Orr and Nick Macfie)
By David Schwartz

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Reuters) - Two 15-year-old girls died on Friday in a shooting at a high school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale and were found with a gun beside them, police said.

Glendale police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden said it was too early to determine if the incident at Independence High involved a suicide. But police were not seeking a suspect in the shooting and the school and surrounding community faced no threat, she said.

After a report of gunfire on Friday morning, police rushed to the school and found the two girls under a covered patio on the campus, Breeden said.

Each girl had a single gunshot wound and both were declared dead at the scene, with the gun beside them, she said. Police did not immediately release the girls' names.

The school was placed on lockdown after the shooting and the street in front of the campus was shut down. During the lockdown students issued updates on social media from their classrooms as dozens of anxious parents, who were barred from the campus, gathered in the parking lot of a nearby Wal-Mart store to await their children.

Jasmine Molina, 15, was in English class when the lockdown was declared.

"I never thought it would happen here. This tells me that it could happen anywhere, at any school, even if it's a good school," said Molina, who was holding a stuffed bear her boyfriend had given her that morning for Valentine's Day.

Ana Lisa Romero, whose son, Lalo, attends the school, said in a Facebook message to Reuters, "I am going crazy just thinking that could have been my son or nieces or nephews."

Public officials expressed condolences over the shooting.

"Our hearts remain with the students, educators and families of Independence High School and the entire Glendale community," Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said in a statement.

Independence High, which is just a couple miles outside Phoenix, has about 2,000 students, school district representative Sara Clawson said.

(Additional reporting by Eric Johnson in Seattle and Gina Cherelus in New York,; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Scott Malone, Bill Trott and Jeffrey Benkoe)
Five New York Residents Charged in Fatal Explosion

The owner of a building where the gas explosion occurred March 26, 2015, and four others were indicted Feb. 11. They had set up an illegal gas delivery system, authorities announced.

Five New York residents were charged Feb. 11 for their roles in causing a fatal gas explosion at 121 Second Ave. in New York City on March 26, 2015. The explosion was caused by an illegal gas delivery system that the defendants created, authorities announced.

The indictments were announced by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters, and New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. Defendants Maria Hrynenko, 56; Michael Hrynenko, 30; Athanasios Ioannidis, 59; Dilber Kukic, 40; and Andrew Trombettas, 57, are charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide, assault in the second degree, and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.

"The seven-alarm fire that killed two people and engulfed three buildings in March 2015 was caused by a foreseeable, preventable, and completely avoidable gas explosion," Vance said. "Development, construction, and renovation is happening across the city at breakneck speed. In this market, the temptation for property owners, contractors, and managers to take dangerousand, in some instances, deadlyshortcuts has never been greater. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants created a deadly inferno fueled by an illegal gas delivery system installed at 121 Second Avenue, leading to the loss of two young lives and leaving more than a dozen others with serious, permanent injuries."

Vance added that the case "demonstrates the outstanding coordination between the NYPD, FDNY, DOI, and DOB on this investigation, and I thank our partners for their commitment to ensuring the public safety of city residents and visitors."

Bratton thanked the emergency personnel who responded to the fire and the investigators and prosecutors who developed the case against the five defendants.
Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill called in a historic meeting Friday for restored Christian unity and urgent action to help Christians threatened by violence in the Middle East. "For nearly one thousand years, Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist," they said in a joint declaration signed after talks in Cuba. "We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin." It was the first meeting between the heads of the Eastern and Western churches since the great schism of 1054 when the churches split apart, with the Eastern church rejecting the authority of Rome. "Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the reestablishment of this unity willed by God," the church leaders said. Their meeting was driven by rising violence in recent years in the Middle East, where Christian communities have suffered violence at the hands of extremists. "We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East," they said. "In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they went on. "We wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence." The 79-year-old Francis, in white robes and a skullcap, and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, earlier kissed and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport. Between them, they are the spiritual leaders of more than 1.3 billion Christians. "At last we meet. We are brothers," said the pope as he met the white-bearded Orthodox leader. "Clearly, this meeting is God's will." - Church diplomacy - The meeting on neutral ground -- hosted by the communist, atheist Cuban leadership of Raul Castro -- was decades in the planning, with the final obstacles swept away by the pope's determination and global politics. "I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world. Francis has twice received Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican. The Russian leader has clashed with other powers recently over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the primacy of the Roman pontiff has long been the primary barrier to a rapprochement between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Now there are also tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe. The conflict in Ukraine has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox. Meanwhile, violence by armed Islamist groups has surged in the Middle East and North Africa. "The international community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and coordinated action," the declaration read. "We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential creator of the world to protect his creation from destruction and not permit a new world war." The church leaders warned against the rise of secularism and said European integration must respect religious identities. "While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots," they said. Francis left after the meeting for a tour of Mexico, while Kirill continued a visit to Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay. Francis's arrival in Mexico was set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile (19-kilometer) route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City. Believers planned to light up the road Francis's popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organizer Roberto Delgado described as a "wall of light and prayer."
Russia's prosecutors said Friday they were investigating after a Boeing passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Dominican Republic with 371 people aboard.

Operated by Russia's Orenburg Airlines, the airliner had to turn back when one of its engines malfunctioned soon after take-off for Moscow from Punta Cana on Wednesday evening, prosecutors said.

Transport prosecutors based in the southern Russian city of Orenburg said they would evaluate the carrier's actions during the incident, in which the plane's alarm system sounded at a height 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) and the left engine had to be shut down due to a "malfunction."

Orenburg Airlines said in a statement that the pilots "managed to land the plane in a difficult situation and saved the lives of nearly four hundred people."

It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off.

The pilot then took the plane back to Punta Cana where it made an emergency landing and the passengers and crew exited down escape slides.
Russia's prosecutors said Friday they were investigating after a Boeing passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Dominican Republic with 371 people aboard. Operated by Russia's Orenburg Airlines, the airliner had to turn back when one of its engines malfunctioned soon after take-off for Moscow from Punta Cana on Wednesday evening, prosecutors said. Transport prosecutors based in the southern Russian city of Orenburg said they would evaluate the carrier's actions during the incident, in which the plane's alarm system sounded at a height 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) and the left engine had to be shut down due to a "malfunction." Orenburg Airlines said in a statement that the pilots "managed to land the plane in a difficult situation and saved the lives of nearly four hundred people." It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off. The pilot then took the plane back to Punta Cana where it made an emergency landing and the passengers and crew exited down escape slides.
Singapore Telecom blamed the strength of the local dollar after it announced Friday net profit fell 1.7 percent in the quarter to the end of December.

Net profit totalled Sg$954 million ($683 million), down from Sg$970 million in the same period the year before.

Singtel, Southeast Asia's biggest telecom firm by revenue, said the profit decline was mainly due to the Singapore dollar gaining against the currencies of countries where it has businesses.

It also pointed to higher investment costs, to strengthen its capabililities in a range of areas, as a reason for the dip in profits.

Group revenue came in at Sg$4.5 billion, up 1.1 percent, the company said in a statement.

"We are investing significantly in our engineering talent and strengthening our core capabilities in cyber security, data analytics and cloud computing," group chief executive Chua Sock Koong said in a statement.

"This is helping the enterprise business stay relevant and resilient in the face of both technology disruption and softer business sentiment."

A large portion of Singtel's earnings come from overseas after its expansion beyond the domestic market, making it vulnerable to currency movements.

Singtel has a wholly owned subsidiary in Australia called Optus. It also owns substantial stakes in leading mobile telecom firms in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The firm's earnings are reported in Singapore dollars and were diluted due to the strength of the city-state's currency.

Against the Singapore dollar, the Australian dollar fell 8.4 percent, the Indonesian rupiah declined 3.9 percent and the Thai baht eased 0.4 percent during the quarter.

In constant currency terms, net profit grew 1.0 percent, Singtel said.

Singtel's pre-tax earnings from its regional mobile associates climbed 0.2 percent to Sg$647 million.
The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17. (Photo: AFP)

Nayapyitaw: The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's military over the country's transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule.

The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term.

While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month.

The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Myanmar's new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government.

"It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the military's weight to protect themselves," said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide in Myanmar's first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years.

That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about "national reconciliation", but as the talks drag on the tone of public debate - and that of legislators speaking privately - has changed.

In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Myanmar's junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office.

Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the country's second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform.

Looking Forward, Or Back?

Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation.

This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Sein's government if the NLD decided to use the commission's expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration.

The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the constitution retains a bloc of seats in parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus.

When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future "leader" of the country.

Days before disbanding at the end of January, the parliament dominated by Thein Sein's USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organisations.

"That law only protects the president, but not his ministers," said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Mann's panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets.

Military Demands

The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Yangon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Myanmar's economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said.

Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining.

Control over these states, which also include Special Regions - semi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armies - is key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority.

China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said.

"Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals," said Win Htein.
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday announced plans for "an effective turnaround plan" for South Africa's ailing economy in an address to the nation disrupted by a walkout by radical lawmakers. Zuma, who plunged markets into chaos in December when he fired two finance ministers within days, met this week with business leaders in an attempt to avoid a downgrade of the country's debt to junk status by ratings agencies. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have predicted that South Africa's growth this year will slide to less than one percent -- far below levels needed to deal with unemployment running at 25 percent. "Importantly, our country seems to be at risk of losing its investment grade status from ratings agencies," Zuma said when he was finally allowed to speak after chaotic scenes in parliament. "If that happens, it will become more expensive for us to borrow money from abroad to finance our programmes of building a better life for all especially the poor." Lawmakers from the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), dressed in their uniforms of red workers' overalls and hardhats, noisily interrupted his speech for an hour before being ordered out of the chamber. "Zuma is no longer a president that deserves the respect from anyone," EFF leader Julius Malema yelled at the president. "He has stolen from us, he has corrupted the economy of South Africa, he has made this country a joke and after that, he has laughed at us." Zuma shrugged off the protest with his trademark giggle. But once he got going on his speech, the tenor was sombre, and he pledged that wasteful government expenditure would be cut. This would include limiting the size and frequency of trips abroad, a possible move of parliament from Cape Town to the administrative capital Pretoria, and getting rid of underperforming state-owned enterprises. At the same time, black economic empowerment would remain a foundation of economic policy, he said. - 'Demon of racism' - More than 20 years after the end of apartheid, Zuma also raised the issue of resurgent racial tension -- after a storm of anger over a white woman who called black beachgoers "monkeys" on a Facebook post. "The nation was shaken last month when racism reared its ugly head on social and electronic media, causing untold pain and anger," he said. "There is a need to confront the demon of racism." Earlier Thursday, police fired stun grenades to disperse angry protesters outside parliament shortly before he delivered his address. Zuma faces moves in court, in parliament and on the streets to have him impeached or dumped by the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Factors fuelling the calls for Zuma to quit include public money spent on his private residence, damage done to the economy when he fired the finance ministers, and government corruption. His address to parliament came just two days after the Constitutional Court heard a crucial case accusing the president of violating his oath to uphold the constitution. Two opposition parties took the case to court over Zuma's initial refusal to obey a ruling by the national ombudswoman that he repay some of the $24 million lavished on his private home at Nkandla in eastern South Africa. His own lawyers accepted in court that the case had "traumatised the nation," and conceded that he needed to obey. The court reserved judgement. The EFF has pledged to use an adverse ruling by the court to press for Zuma's impeachment. Any such attempt however would likely fail in a parliament where Zuma's ANC holds an overwhelming majority. But critics hope the groundswell of discontent, expected to result in losses for the ANC in municipal elections later this year, could even lead the party itself to oust Zuma as president. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, dismissed Zuma's address, saying "he cannot be trusted to grow the economy, create jobs and fight corruption."
By John Irish MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - China will back a U.N. Security Council resolution to make North Korea "pay the necessary price" for recent rocket launches, its foreign minister told Reuters on Friday, adding the goal was to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Wang Yi also said he was concerned by a possible U.S. deployment of its sophisticated THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could also be used to target China. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006. It has conducted three more atomic tests since then, including last month's, and numerous ballistic missile launches. Washington and Beijing have appeared divided over how to respond to North Korea, with Washington urging tougher sanctions and Beijing stressing the need for dialogue. However, Wang told Reuters at an interview in Munich that it was time for a "strong" resolution covering a wide range of areas. "(We) support the United Nations Security Council to take further steps and in adopting a new resolution so that North Korea will pay the necessary price and show there are consequences for its behaviour," the minister said, speaking through an interpreter. China has insisted it is already making great efforts to achieve denuclearisation on the "Korean peninsula" and has previously rejected any "groundless speculation" on its North Korea stance, following remarks from U.S. officials that China could do more. The U.N. Security Council is discussing a new resolution. Diplomats say the Americans have been pushing for tough measures that go beyond targeting North Korea's atomic weapons and missile programs, while China wanted any future steps to focus on the question of nonproliferation. When asked whether Beijing was ready to support stronger economic sanctions, Wang said the resolution would be wide-ranging, but its objective should be to curb Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear and missile technologies. "Sanctions are not the end, the purpose should be to make sure that the nuclear issue in the Korean Pensinsula should be brought back to the channel of a negotiation-based resolution," he said. U.S. HIDDEN AGENDA? Tensions have been mounting in the region and on Thursday North Korea said it was evicting all South Koreans from the jointly run Kaesong industrial zone, calling the South's move to suspend operations, in retaliation for Sunday's rocket launch by the North, a "declaration of war". In response to the launch Seoul is set to begin talks with Washington as early as next week on deploying an advanced U.S. missile defence system. The discussions would focus on placing one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the U.S. military in South Korea after the North's launch last weekend, a South Korean defence official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Wang said he was worried by the move and urged the United States to rethink its strategy. "The facts are clear. The deployment of the THAAD system by the United States ... goes far beyond the defence need of the Korean Pensinsula and the coverage would mean it will reach deep into the Asian continent. "This directly affects the strategic security interests of China and other Asian countries," he said. He said Washington needed to clarify its motives. "It doesn't require experts. Ordinary people know that the deployment of the THAAD system is not just to defend South Korea, but a wider agenda and may even serve the possibility of targeting China." (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Gareth Jones/Ruth Pitchford)
Vietnam is ready for co-working spaces that welcome entrepreneurs with open arms, and Dreamplex in Chi Minh Minh is one one of those places, says the author

The author Dan Fries is an author and founder of several companies, including Corpina Nootropics and The Jodhpurs Company. In the past, he was a research scientist at Medtronic and later Harvard Medical School, where he developed oncology diagnostic technology that helped improve patient outcomes. Originally from the Midwest in the US, Fries is currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, where he manages his businesses from within Saigons startup hub. Learn more about his work at danfries.net.

Theres something brewing in Saigon, and Im not talking about the Pho. On the streets, in the cafes, and behind the screens, this city is quickly becoming a hub of tech entrepreneurship in Asia.

Like many tech hubs in Asia  Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Manila  entrepreneurs from around the globe are coming in Saigon to take advantage of the incredible talent pool and cheap cost of living.

A powerful scene is emerging in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, or as locals refer to it by its old name, Saigon. Entrepreneurs from America to India, from Japan to Spain are calling this city home while theyre grinding out their minimum viable products (MVPs)  Jon Myers, UI/UX Designer based in Saigon

Many Vietnam-born entrepreneurs are going back to their homeland to reap the benefits of a now market-driven nation. Among them are Henry Nguyen, the first franchisor of McDonalds in Vietnam, and David Thai, Founder of Highlands Coffee. Theyre not alone. A report by the Wall Street Journal explains how these and other investments from expatriate Vietnamese have made Vietnam a frontier economy, with up to US$20 billion external investments. Foreign direct investment has increased five times from 2005 to 2013 and with the uprising of the startup community, this economys direction will be no other way than upward.

Story continues

Vietnamese, and particularly Saigonese, culture is entrepreneurial to the core. Indeed, the idea of being an entrepreneur is somewhat foreign to some of my Vietnamese friends, many of whom have been hustling various businesses since they were young. The country has opened up to foreign investments and as Henry Nguyen has put it, Vietnam is now in its golden hour.

Indeed, this mentality is so pervasive its become a common aphorism. About the Vietnamese culture of entrepreneurship, tech columnist Anh-Minh Do writes:

Vietnamese people are inherently entrepreneurial: At least thats the saying that you hear all the time in Vietnam. People open up mom-and-pop stores left and right. If a new shoe store opens up on a local street, within months youre bound to see a new competitor. People are always thinking about how to make money. Although this has manifested in scams and greedy business people, its also instilled an underlying entrepreneurial spirit.

But why would a top finance graduate want to join or be a founder of a startup, instead of joining Goldman Sachs or any top-tier Vietnamese investment right after college? Because they are more entrepreneurial than the previous generations. Around 47 per cent of Gen Y are studying entrepreneurship, based on this study by Pay Scale.

Its because of the dynamic and agile culture that has been apparent in startup communities wherever in the world they might be. Which industry will let you work remotely in casual clothes but excite you with the fast innovations made because of breakage of the traditional bureaucracy existent in traditional corporations?

By working remotely, I mean working in a location where they are able to meet like-minded people from different companies. Networking after work? It can be done within work hours for the young tech startup community. This cultivates collaboration which enables faster results.

As much as there is a hype of Silicon Valley startups glorifying how they have started their businesses inside their home or garage, the real story is often less glamorous. A fully-coded website wont get done in 10 hours of hogging a spot in the coffee shop near the power sockets, and thinking about a great marketing strategy wont be a breeze if you see several customers coming in the coffee shop only to see you hogging the same spot for so long.

With this spirit of commerce, Vietnam is ready for co-working spaces that welcome entrepreneurs with open arms, providing them with a comfortable and encouraging environment to work. Dreamplex Coworking space in central Chi Minh Minh is one one of those places.

Enter Dreamplex

Dreamplex fills three floors of the Miss Adai office building in the heart of District 1. Set in a former Spa, the space was gutted and completely redesigned with startups in mind. Despite the corporate exterior, when the elevator doors open to Dreamplex, you enter a completely different world.

Monotony is non-existent here. The walls of the space are decorated with inspirational quotes and various pieces of art, some street style and others simply adding to the character. There are a variety of rooms, for small groups to take calls, for larger meetings, and for individuals to crank out some work. The collective vibe of the design and layout is that any and every time of working environment is accommodated. Its impossible not to get pumped up while working.

It strikes a comfortable balance of being open to interaction with other companies since there are various remote office in Dreamplex. This also shows that one can opt to work in private while working on the next break-out app.

How it got started

We didnt plan on building such a big thing, says Nguyen Trung Tin, Founder of Dreamplex and CEO of the Trung Thuy Group which manages the space. Tin (as he calls himself) was recently nominated Forbes 30 Under 30 Vietnam, has big ambitions for the space.

Ive been there in terms of trying our business ventures and failing in some. What I had a privilege of was having mentors who gave me guidance along the way for my successful ventures. I want to foster the same support system in the startup culture in Saigon where they will get to meet and interact with other entrepreneurs, shared Tin on what how he envisions Dreamplex as more than just a co-working space, but a cultivator of startup collaborations.

I sat down with Tin to talk about Dreamplex and his visions for the future of tech in Saigon.

Spared from rigorous market research, Tin had people in his social circle approach him because they wanted a co-working space that would be the first home of their startup. Four years ago, no one believed in this model. We were in the assumption that freelancers and business men who are starting out just wanted to work at coffee shops or at home. Saigon has been entrepreneurial from the start and for it to reach its full potential, we need to help each other.

Its no surprise, then, that Dreamplex was designed with this concept in mind: bringing companies, freelancers, and business owners together under one roof. All recognising the need for a place that allows for entrepreneurial serendipity: the value of random encounters with other entrepreneurs, which leads to ideas and collaboration.

Dreamplex is only two months old, but the energy and buzz when you walk in makes it feel well established, like its been around for years. Well-established companies looking for something more private will find plenty of options, with a variety of mixed-used office space and meeting areas on the 9th and 11th floors. For the solo-preneur, there is wide open space, as well as small rooms for taking calls. Whatever the need, Dreamplex meets it. And in doing so, its easy to quickly feel at home.

The co-working facilities in Dreamplex is not a one size fits all. It caters to established businesses who just want to add a flavour of fun to their usual day to day operations as well as to introverts who want to have all the equipment they need for efficiency while renting out a small for room themselves.

More than just co-working

At first glance, visitors may only look at Dreamplex and see a trendy, energetic co-working space where people work, eat, and collaborate. But after spending a few days there, you will quickly learn about the different projects the co-working space is involved in.

Dreamplex offers more than just comfortable working space and wifi. As part of the project, Tin regularly brings in tech industry leaders for meet-ups, breakfast networking events, or weekly woodworking classes. It is free for members and just a few Euros for non-members.

In addition to its educational aspects, it also offers the weekly industry talks and workshops, where everyone can join to learn about a certain topic/business and connect with other like-minded people.

The best thing about being here is that you never feel any pressure to leave or that you are lingering and taking up space because that is what the whole place is set up for.

People walk past with busy minds as they clearly think about tackling the worlds startup problems. No matter what happens though, come 7 oclock there are always a bunch of people sharing their ideas outside over a beer and thats the best thing about the place. The camaraderie is superb and it gives the place some serious energy.

Vision for the future

Dreamplex not only attracts freelancers and startups but also has angel investors from top tech companies such as Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and IBM which just goes to show that these innovators believe in the vision that Dreamplex has set for itself.

Quite a number of the startups that have their offices at Dreamplex are HotelQuickly, ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant), Umbala, Rabbat Creative, Domdom Studio, Offpeak.my, Ambition, and Radius Online.

Not limiting itself to just Ho Chi Minh, Tin plans to expand the project to Hanoi and Da Nang, virtually connecting cities that are otherwise separated by distance.

Undebatably one of the larger co-working spaces in town, if not the largest, with its offering of over 1,500 square meters Dreamplex which can house about 200 co-workers in the space. More than that, there is plenty of space for small or big workshops and meetings.

Complete with a kitchen, complimentary tea and coffee, Dreamplex immediately caters to the hustlers looking to grind without having to leave for lunch. If you want to check out the space first and see if the vibe fits you, you can try the space for a day. No long-term commitments are needed, and the wifi is fast and of course, free. Memberships are flexible and start at 150,000 VND (roughly US$6.50) per day and 2,000,000 VND per month.

But ultimately, what does all of these aim to do? This is to connect multinational startups in Vietnam for collaboration and borderless possibilities. Tin together with his team at Dreamplex envisions expanding their reach and getting into other cities of Vietnam. This will encourage more interaction with entrepreneurs and will develop a nature of collaboration over competition.

The views expressed here are of the authors, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asias tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, please send us an email at writers[at]e27[dot]co

The post The Dreamplex vision: Connecting Vietnams startup community appeared first on e27.
Thousands of junior doctors at English hospitals staged a second strike into Thursday against proposed new conditions and pay rates for working unsociable hours. Junior doctors -- all medics below consultant level -- were providing only emergency care during the 24-hour strike, which runs from Wednesday until 8:00am (0800 GMT) Thursday. Nearly 3,000 operations have been postponed, National Health Service (NHS) England said. The main point of dispute between doctors and the government is over whether Saturday should be classed and paid as a normal working day. Prime Minister David Cameron's centre-right government says the reforms are needed to help create a "seven days a week" NHS where the quality of care is as high at the weekends as on weekdays. The BBC reported that doctors had rejected the government's "final take-it-or-leave-it" offer, raising the prospect of ministers imposing the new contract without agreement. Junior doctors demonstrated outside hospitals around England during the day. - Offer rejected - Abhishek Joshi, a heart doctor at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, said the new contracts could stop hospital operators from being penalised if doctors work prolonged shifts, "at the end of which we'll be tired and therefore dangerous". "There have been studies to show that tired doctors are even worse than drunk drivers," he told AFP. "Would you want a drunk driver operating on you?... Saving your heart in the middle of the night? That's not what we want." Outside Guy's Hospital in London, demonstrators held placards reading "Not fair, not safe" and "Tired doctors make mistakes". Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt insisted junior doctors were being offered "a fair deal". Eight studies in five years had shown weekend mortality rates were higher and he had to "do something about that", he told the BBC. The striking doctors contend that mortality rates are higher on weekends because those who are admitted tend to be emergency cases. A first 24-hour strike was staged on January 12. A 48-hour strike planned for January 26 was called off. There are more than 50,000 junior doctors in England, making up a third of the medical workforce. They are qualified medical practitioners who work while studying for qualifications for more senior roles. A senior government source said there was a "very reasonable offer on the table" and "hopefully they can accept it". "At the moment there doesn't seem to be any sort of movement from the BMA side," the source said. The government could simply impose the new contracts, and "we're not going to remove that from the table", the source added. Doctor Johann Malawana, chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctor committee, said the strike was "a resounding rejection of the government's threat to impose an unfair contract". "Junior doctors already work around the clock, seven days a week and they do so under their existing contract," he said. "If the government want more seven-day services then, quite simply, they need more doctors, nurses and diagnostic staff, and the extra investment needed to deliver it."
By Hnin Yadana Zaw NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's military over the country's transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule. The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term. While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month. The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Myanmar's new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government. "It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the military's weight to protect themselves," said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide in Myanmar's first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years. That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about "national reconciliation", but as the talks drag on the tone of public debate - and that of legislators speaking privately - has changed. In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Myanmar's junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office. Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the country's second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform. LOOKING FORWARD, OR BACK? Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation. This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Sein's government if the NLD decided to use the commission's expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration. The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the constitution retains a bloc of seats in parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus. When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future "leader" of the country. Days before disbanding at the end of January, the parliament dominated by Thein Sein's USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organisations. "That law only protects the president, but not his ministers," said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Mann's panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets. MILITARY DEMANDS The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Yangon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Myanmar's economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said. Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining. Control over these states, which also include Special Regions - semi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armies - is key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority. China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said. "Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals," said Win Htein. (Reporting by Hnin Yadana Zaw; Writing by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Seoul: The closure of a factory park in North Korea jointly run by both Koreas has robbed the impoverished North of a rare source of legitimate hard currency. Seoul says it shut the Kaesong complex in response to the North's recent long-range rocket launch to keep its impoverished neighbor from using the money factories provided to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

With that hit to Pyongyang's already shaky finances gone, at least for now, here's a look at the North's economy and the external sources of income it maintains despite a raft of heavy international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missiles program.

Pyongyangs Economy

Seoul and Washington want more stringent trade and financial sanctions to punish the North's nuclear and missile adventures, but some question whether sanctions will ever meaningfully influence one of the least trade-dependent economies on the planet. And what of that economy? It is extremely difficult to read because it doesn't release official trade statistics and treasures its secrecy.

South Korea's central bank, however, provides some idea of what's happening, based on data it receives every year from other government agencies, related organizations and an investigation of research organizations.

The bank has been publishing estimates of North Korea's economy since 1991. In its latest report, it said it believes the North's economy grew by 1 percent in 2014 to 33.95 trillion South Korean won, or $28.5 billion, or about 2 percent of South Korea's economy.

The Bank of Korea said North Korea's combined imports and exports that year were about $9.9 billion, including $2.4 billion in trade with the South, which the Unification Ministry says was generated nearly entirely from the activities at Kaesong.

Trade with China

And then there's China, Pyongyang's last major ally, its diplomatic protector and by far its largest trading partner.

North Korea's main exports to China include coal, minerals, clothing and textile, and foodstuff, while its imports from China include petroleum gas, steel, machinery, cars and electronics products, according to South Korea's government-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

Beijing, however, is unlikely to support harsh punishment over the nuclear test and rocket launch for fear of provoking a government collapse in Pyongyang and a potential stream of refugees across their border.

Transactions with China accounted for more than 74 percent of North Korea's trade in 2014, and more than 90 percent when excluding trade related to the Kaesong park, according to Statistics Korea, Seoul's official statistics agency, which analyzed the central bank data and information from trade organizations.

Kaesong industrial park

The South's Unification Ministry says the Kaesong park provided 616 billion won ($560 million) of cash to the North since its establishment in 2004, during an era of rapprochement between the rivals.

More than 120 South Korean companies employed about 54,000 North Koreans at Kaesong, paying each about $150 a month to manufacture products such as clothing, wristwatches, cosmetics products and electronics components.

The ministry hasn't provided a detailed explanation on why it suspects money generated from Kaesong was channeled to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile projects.

Jeong Joon-Hee, the ministry's spokesman, said it was plausible that a sizeable amount of the money the South Korean companies paid for North Korean labor would have ended up in Pyongyang's state coffers because of the way the workers receive their wages. While the South Korean companies pay the North in U.S. dollars, their North Korean employees receive wages in North Korean won based on an exchange rate dictated by the North's government.

Exporting workers

Outside experts say that North Korea since the mid-2000s has been increasing the number of workers sent for contract labour overseas in an attempt to bring in more hard currency.

South Korea's government-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, based on information collected from its global offices and reports from international organizations, estimates that there are about 60,000 to 100,000 North Koreans working in 40 different countries.

Marzuki Darusman, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, said in a report last year that more than 50,000 North Korean are working overseas and earning the country something between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually in foreign currency.

North Koreans have been employed in a broad range of activities in foreign countries, including working at restaurants in China and Southeast Asia and construction sites in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the International Network for the Human Rights of North Korean Overseas Labor.

North Korean workers overseas often face harsh working conditions and abuse, said the U.N. report.

Luring tourists

North Korea has tried to strengthen tourism in recent years by setting up special tourism zones and developing scenic areas and recreational facilities.

North Korean officials have told The Associated Press that about 100,000 tourists came to the country in 2014, all but a few thousand of them from neighbouring China. The growth in tourism has come despite the occasional arrest of foreign visitors, including, most recently, American university student Otto Warmbier, who was detained last month over an unspecified act that the North called "hostile."

Tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain by South Koreans were popular for about a decade until 2008, when they were halted after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean woman.

The U.S. State Department has long warned against travel to North Korea. After North's recent nuclear test, Washington has reportedly sought a ban on tourism and restrictions to keep North Korea's flagship airline, Air Koryo, from flying into and out of airports abroad.
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi has been given extra security following a death threat on Facebook alluding to her presidential ambitions, officials said Friday. In a post last week, a man called Ye Lwin Myint threatened to shoot anyone who tries to change a controversial clause in the constitution which bars pro-democracy champion Suu Kyi from the top office. While he did not specifically name the 70-year-old Nobel laureate, Suu Kyi has made little secret of her desire to be president. Her National League for Democracy has taken its seats in parliament after storming last year's election -- the freest in decades in the once junta-ruled nation. But Suu Kyi is blocked from the presidency by a charter clause because her children and spouse were foreign born. An NLD member, who did not want to be named, but who is close to Suu Kyi confirmed that extra security measures were in place "since that man's threat." A senior police official in the capital Naypyidaw confirmed the security boost, also requesting anonymity. "Police security has been increased for her (Suu Kyi)... but it is unofficial." The threat comes at a key time in Myanmar's drawn out power transition. After her party's November election win, Suu Kyi vowed to appoint a proxy and rule "above" a president who is set to be chosen in March. But in recent days rumours have swirled of backroom talks towards suspending the controversial 59 (f) clause so she can take the top job. It is a highly contentious issue, with some senior members of the still powerful army vigorously opposed to charter change. Speculation that big political plays are underway in Myanmar was deepened Friday as it emerged that President Thein Sein will not travel to America next week to join Southeast Asian leaders in talks with President Barack Obama. As well as blocking Suu Kyi's rise, the charter also gifts the military 25 percent of parliamentary seats and an effective veto on constitutional amendments. Suu Kyi, for years the army's nemesis as the figurehead of the country's democracy struggle, is already protected by a personal security detail. Her father, independence hero general Aung San, was assassinated in 1947.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has executed its army chief of staff, Ri Yong Gil, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, which, if true, would be the latest in a series of executions, purges and disappearances under its young leader. The news comes amid heightened tension surrounding isolated North Korea after its Sunday launch of a long-range rocket, which came about a month after it drew international condemnation for conducting its fourth nuclear test. A source familiar with North Korean affairs also told Reuters that Ri had been executed. The source declined to be identified, given the sensitivity of the matter. Ri, who was chief of the Korean People's Army (KPA) General Staff, was executed this month for corruption and factional conspiracy, Yonhap and other South Korean media reported. Yonhap did not identify its sources. The source who told Reuters the news declined to comment on how the information about the execution had been obtained. South Korea's National Intelligence Service declined to comment and it was not possible to independently verify the report. The North rarely issues public announcement related to purges or executions of high-level officials. A rare official confirmation of a high-profile execution came after Jang Song Thaek, leader Kim Jong Un's uncle and the man who was once considered the second most powerful figure in the country, was executed for corruption in 2013. In May last year, the North executed its defence chief by anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, the South's spy agency said in a report to members of parliament. The North's military leadership has been in a state of perpetual reshuffle since Kim Jong Un took power after the death of his father in 2011. He has changed his armed forces chief several times since then. Some other high-ranking officials in the North have been absent from public view for extended periods, fuelling speculation they may have been purged or removed, only to resurface. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Tony Munroe Robert Birsel)
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea released footage on Thursday showing leader Kim Jong Un travelling on his private jet to supervise preparations for Sunday's long-range rocket launch and provided a rare view of the country's newly upgraded space centre on the east coast. The footage on North Korean state TV also showed the lift-off of the Kwangmyongsong rocket from a newly expanded launch tower and what appeared to be the first-stage booster separating from the rocket as it flew into space, seen from an onboard camera. "The dignity of Paektu shot to space carrying our satellite Kwangmyongsong-4," a narrator said in an excited voice as fast-tempo music played in the background. Paektu refers to the mountain on the China border, seen as the birthplace of the North's revolution led by three generations of the Kim family. Kim, who is believed to be 33, was shown having discussions with military aides onboard as he flew to the Tongchang-ri rocket station on a Russian-built Ilyushin jet that had been previously depicted in state media as his private jet. The top military officers from the United States, South Korea and Japan said on Wednesday North Korea's fourth nuclear test on January 6 and Sunday's launch were direct violations of U.N. resolutions and "serious provocations against the international community". The head of the U.S. Army's Missile Defense Command said on Wednesday that a satellite put into orbit by North Korea at the weekend did not appear to be transmitting, but it was worrying that the rocket that took it there delivered twice the payload of Pyongyang's previous launch in 2012. The Tongchang-ri space station was seen to have undergone upgrades to erect a taller launch tower and add covered rocket processing buildings that made possible the assembly of the three-stage rocket largely out of sight of spy satellites. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Tony Munroe and Nick Macfie)
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Different officials in Pakistan's government have taken seemingly contradictory stands on Islamic State's influence in the country, after a rare warning by an intelligence chief that the Middle East-based militant group posed a domestic threat. Reports of stepped-up recruitment by Islamic State and a bloody attack linked to the group last year have stoked fears the movement is gaining momentum in Pakistan, despite the government rejecting its formal presence. The government reasserted its view on Thursday, a day after Intelligence Bureau director general Aftab Sultan told a parliamentary panel that Islamic State was coordinating with militant groups and that hundreds of people had left Pakistan to join its fight in Syria, media reports say. "Let me reiterate that there is no organised presence of Daesh in Pakistan," foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria told reporters in Islamabad, using the Arabic acronym for the group. He declined any further comment when contacted by Reuters on Friday. The entry of Islamic State, while its numbers may remain small, would complicate Pakistan's fight against indigenous Islamist militants fighting to overthrow the government. On Friday, Pakistan arrested 97 al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said. "MODE OF DENIAL" The intelligence chief's assertion that Pakistan should be worried about Islamic State's role prompted mixed reactions. "This is the first time it has been officially admitted," said Col. Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, an opposition parliamentarian of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party and a member of the senate committee that Sultan briefed. "The government of Pakistan has gone into a mode of denial," he added. "We have to recognise Islamic State's existence and take action." In May, militants boarded a bus carrying members of the minority Shi'ite Ismaili community in Karachi and opened fire on the passengers, killing 45. Police in charge of the investigation said the militants were "inspired by Daesh," but did not believe the group had any organizational ties to its leadership in the Middle East. Authorities have also raised concerns that Islamic State was making inroads in Punjab province late last year "after consolidating its position in Afghanistan," according to a government circular seen by Reuters. The circular, sent by the Punjab government in December, cited reports that the group was recruiting Afghan nationals living in refugee camps in Pakistan, and distributing propaganda to Pakistani youth "in a large number". (Reporting by Krista Mahr and Asad Hashim in Islamabad, Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Writing by Krista Mahr; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighbouring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas near rebel military bases, according to a letter that was seen by Reuters on Thursday. A short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London on Friday said the intention was to "protect the international organizations and their employees," presumably from coalition air strikes. The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, told Reuters that Riyadh sent the letter because, "We're just concerned for the safety of the U.N. staff and their humanitarian agencies. "We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets," he said. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen. U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien acknowledged receipt of the note in a Sunday letter seen by Reuters and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need. He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid. The Saudi mission to the United Nations responded on Monday that Riyadh would "do its utmost to continue to facilitate and support" humanitarian aid work in Yemen, while also clarifying its request for U.N. and international aid workers to leave areas close to Houthi bases for military operations. "The coalition's request is consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law and, in no way, can be misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen," it said. The U.N. Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said. The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict last March, almost half of them civilians. U.N. sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity. The panel of experts documented 119 coalition sorties "relating to violations of international humanitarian law" and said that "many attacks involved multiple air strikes on multiple civilian objects." (This version of the story corrects headline and first paragraph to clarify what areas U.N. and aid groups are being asked to leave) (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler)
By Marja Novak LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Slovenia has defied predictions it would be unable to absorb its full 4.1 billion euro allocation from the European Union to boost its economy, and is on course to spend the full amount, a government minister said on Friday. Slovenia has spent around 95 percent of the funds, a large part of which it received after the near-collapse of its banking sector in 2013, said Alenka Smerkolj, the minister responsible for European cohesion. That year, the government avoided an international bailout by pouring more than 3 billion euros into mostly state-owned local banks to prevent them from collapsing under the weight of bad loans. But political instability made it difficult to absorb further EU cash until a new government took power in 2014 and streamlined the process last year. The EU funds helped the economy to return to growth in 2014 after two years of recession. Slovenia is one of only eight EU countries that have spent the maximum possible percentage of funds allocated in that tranche. Nineteen others are likely to miss their targets. Slovenia will be eligible for another 3.3 billion euros from the next tranche of EU funding and plans to spend that too, said Smerkolj. Smerkolj said Slovenia will use those funds for improving research and development, the competitiveness of small and medium-sized companies, energy efficiency and information technology. "We plan to use the funds for investment in companies which produce sufficient added value to boost the economy and create new jobs," Smerkolj said. (Reporting by Marja Novak; Editing by Katharine Houreld)
DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan will hold a referendum in May on constitutional changes that would tighten veteran leader Imomali Rakhmon's grip on power, effectively giving him unlimited presidential terms and extending a ban on the main opposition party. The former Soviet republic's parliament, dominated by Rakhmon's allies, announced the vote on Wednesday after it was approved by the constitutional court. Previous constitutional changes have allowed Rakhmon to successfully run for president four times, most recently in 2013, when he was re-elected for a seven-year term. Without the new proposal, to grant him the right to stand as often as he wishes, he would be unable to run again in 2020. In the referendum, scheduled for May 22, Tajiks will have a single vote on a package of amendments that also includes cutting the minimum age for presidential candidates to 30 from 35. Rakhmon's older son, Rustam Imomali, will be 33 when his father's current term ends. A third amendment will ask them to ban political parties from being established based on religious platforms. That would prevent the main opposition force, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, from reforming after being outlawed last year. There seems little doubt that the proposed changes will pass. Since Rakhmon took power in 1994, Tajikistan has never held an election judged free and fair, with Western observers citing frequent ballot-box stuffing, and authorities have cracked down harder on dissent as the country's economy has stuttered. They accused the Islamist party of being linked to a failed coup last September led by a general, Abdukhalim Nazarzoda, who was killed along with 37 of his supporters in clashes with government forces. Tajikistan is facing significant economic headwinds from recession in Russia, where hundreds of thousands of Tajiks work and support their families by sending back remittances, and from declining prices for aluminium and cotton, its main commodity exports. (Reporting by Nazarali Pirnazarov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by John Stonestreet)
Reuters

India's capital market regulator approved the government's proposal to convert dues of over $1.92 billion by telecom operator Vodafone Idea to equity, two senior government officials said on Thursday. Last year, India had approved a rescue package for debt-strapped telecom companies that allowed them to convert interest on deferred adjusted gross revenue owed to the government into equity. Among the country's three major telecom players, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries' Jio, the government package was seen as a bailout for Vodafone Idea, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation on Friday broadening sanctions against North Korea, sending the measure to President Barack Obama to sign into law. Lawmakers said they wanted to make Washington's resolve clear to Pyongyang, but also to the United Nations and other governments - especially China, North Korea's lone major ally and main business partner. The sanctions would target not just North Korea but also those who do business with it. The vote was 408-2, following a 96-0 vote in the Senate on Wednesday. Impatient with what they see as Obama's failure to respond to North Korean provocations, many of his fellow Democrats as well as the Republicans who control Congress have been clamoring for a clamp down since Pyongyang tested a nuclear device in January. Pressure for congressional action further intensified after last weekend's satellite launch by North Korea. Obama is not expected to veto the bill, given its huge support in Congress. Ben Rhodes, his deputy national security adviser, said the White House would review the measure but does not oppose Congress' efforts. "I think this is an area where we and Congress are in the same space and agree on the need for increased sanctions," Rhodes said at an event at the Center for American Progress on Thursday. The legislation would sanction anyone who engages in, facilitates or contributes to North Korea's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms-related materials, luxury goods, human rights abuses, activities undermining cyber security and the provision of materials for such activities. Penalties include the seizure of assets, visa bans and denial of government contracts. Unusually, the measure makes most of the sanctions mandatory, rather than giving the president the option to impose them. He can temporarily waive them by making the case that doing so would threaten national security. The House had backed the sanctions measure 418-2 in January, but the Senate included some new provisions, including cyber security measures, in its version, sending it back to the House. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Richard Cowan and Bill Trott)
Like many newspapers, The Independent has struggled with falling readership numbers

London: British newspaper The Independent will become digital only, and its last print edition will come out on March 26, owners ESI Media said in a statement on Friday.

ESI Media said it was also selling off the "i" -- a cut-price sister title -- to fund the website of The Independent.

"The newspaper industry is changing and that change is being driven by readers. They're showing us that the future is digital," said Evgeny Lebedev, the Russian-born British owner of The Independent, which was established in 1986.

"This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high-quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers on our online platforms," he said.

Like many newspapers, The Independent has struggled with falling readership numbers.

It has a total circulation of around 60,000, according to the latest figures, making it Britain's least-read national paper.

ESI Media, which also owns TV station London Live and the British capital's Evening Standard daily, said it would be "the first national newspaper to embrace a global, digital-only future".

The company said it would launch a subscription mobile app and open new bureaux in Europe, the Middle East and Asia as well as expanding in the United States.

"The Independent's last paper edition is expected to be on Saturday March 26 and the last Independent on Sunday is expected to be on March 20," it said.

It added that "i" would be sold to publishers Johnston Press, subject to shareholder approval.

"A significant number of employees are expected to move across to Johnston Press," it said, warning that there would be "some redundancies".

The owners of Britain's Independent newspaper said it will publish its last print edition next month.

ESI Media said Friday that The Independent's final paper edition will appear March 26. Sister paper the Independent on Sunday will end with the March 20 issue.

Owner Evgeny Lebedev says the Independent brand will continue online. It's not clear how many staff will lose their jobs.

The Independent was founded in 1986, and has employed high-profile journalists including Robert Fisk, Will Self and Helen Fielding, creator of "Bridget Jones's Diary."

Like other papers The Independent has seen its print circulation plummet the rise of digital media. It now distributes fewer than 60,000 copies a day, down from a high of more than 400,000.
By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Hackers used a Russian-based internet provider and made phone calls from inside Russia as part of a coordinated cyber attack on Ukraine's power grid in December, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Friday. The incident was widely seen as the first known power outage caused by a cyber attack, and has prompted fears both within Ukraine and outside that other critical infrastructure could be vulnerable. The ministry, saying it had completed an investigation into the incident, did not accuse the Russian government directly of involvement in the attack, which knocked out electricity supplies to tens of thousands of customers in central and western Ukraine and prompted Kiev to review its cyber defenses. But the findings chime with the testimony of the U.S. intelligence chief to Congress this week, which named cyber attacks, including those targeting Washington's interests in Ukraine, as the biggest threat to U.S. national security. Relations between Kiev and Moscow soured after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 and pro-Russian separatist violence erupted in Ukraine. Hackers targeted three power distribution companies in December's attack, and then flooded those companies' call centers with fake calls to prevent genuine customers reporting the outage. "According to one of the power companies, the connection by the attackers to its IT network occurred from a subnetwork ... belonging to an (internet service) provider in the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement. Deputy Energy Minister Oleksander Svetelyk told Reuters hackers had prepared the attacks at least six months in advance, adding that his ministry had ordered tighter security procedures. "The attack on our systems took at least six months to prepare - we have found evidence that they started collecting information (about our systems) no less than 6 months before the attack," Svetelyk said by phone. Researchers at Trend Micro, one of the world's biggest security software firms, said this week that the software used to infect the Ukrainian utilities has also been found in the networks of a large Ukrainian mining company and a rail company. The researchers said one possible explanation was that it was an attempt to destabilize Ukraine as a whole. It was also possible these were test probes to determine vulnerabilities that could be exploited later, they said. (Writing by Matthias Williams; additional reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
Western-educated Shama al-Mazroui, 22, who was made UAE's state minister for youth affairs, is seen in this undated handout photo, UAE. REUTERS/WAM News Agency/Handout via Reuters

DUBAI (Reuters) - It sounds a bit New Age, but the United Arab Emirates has just appointed state ministers for happiness, tolerance and youth. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the UAE prime minister who is also the ruler of Dubai, announced the new lineup on Wednesday via his official Twitter account. It is apparently part of a move to show the government is offering more than simply providing basic services for its citizens. "Happiness in our nation is not a wish .. but there will be plans, projects and programs and indicators .. and it will be part of the work of all our ministries .. and a part of our way of life," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted. Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi, the former development and international cooperation minister, was made state minister for tolerance. Twenty-two year old, Western-educated Shama al-Mazroui was made state minister for youth affairs. The United Arab Emirates, which has one of the highest levels of GDP per capita in the Arab world, is seen as a haven of stability in a region beset by turmoil and where public devotion to the rulers is high and little dissent is tolerated. It is home to the glitzy emirate of Dubai, which transformed from a desert backwater to a global financial hub, where thousands of Arab expatriates flock to seek professional and entpreneurial opportunities not available in as much supply in other unstable Arab countries. Sheikh Mohammed had announced earlier this week plans to outsource most government tasks to the private sector and cuts to the number of ministries. The announcement came as energy-rich Gulf Arab states have been hit by low oil prices, encouraging them to streamline institutions and attract more foreign investment. The cabinet lineup left the same figures in the critical portfolios of finance, economy, energy, defence and foreign affairs. "The new lineup is a new stage whose headline is the future ... the youth ... happiness ... developing education ... and dealing with climate change to protect our environment," Sheikh Mohammed said. (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Maha El Dahan/Jeremy gaunt)
Security

Theft Detection Software Helps Find Kids Too

Yes, theft technology can be a dandy tool for ensuring that a stolen computer gets returned to its rightful owner. But Absolute Software has also found itself involved in tracking down kids as well, who need other kinds of help.

Absolute uses a proprietary technology it calls "Persistence" that is added to devices  computers, tablets and smartphones  at the factory. When Persistence is activated, it provides a two-way connection that enables school personnel to freeze the device and remotely recover or delete data from it. When the device is stolen or misplaced, the same program can also be used by Absolute's investigations team to determine the device's location; then the team works with law enforcement agencies to attempt to recover the machine.

This week the company released a shortlist of its "most compelling" theft investigations from 2015 for education customers. Sometimes it's not just the device that needs help. Among the investigations tackled last year, is the story of a troubled student who ran away from home while at school one day, taking her school laptop with her. Absolute investigators worked with the local police to "geolocate" the device, which the student still had. The police made contact with the girl to ensure her safety and put her in touch with her family.

In another situation, a student left a school laptop exposed in a car, and it was heisted by a thief. When the high school reported the theft, Absolute began its monitoring process and watched as the device was sold in a series of online sales and "moved from state to state," from Alabama to Arizona to Idaho. Eventually, the computer ended up with a 12-year-old, who was making references to suicide, self-harm and bullying in her online communications. Absolute notified local police of the girl's location; the police contacted her family. She was found to be unharmed, and the device was recovered.

In a more mundane  but still satisfying  recovery story, a Florida school theft resulted in the loss of three desktop computers and monitors and other equipment. An Absolute investigation was started. Over the next several days, each of the computers came online. The recovery team established the location and user identity, information that was handed over to the police. They searched the suspect's home and found all three computers along with other equipment.

According to Absolute, the company conducted "more than 5,700 investigations" in 2015.

Among its K-12 customers are Auburn-Washburn Unified School District 437 in Kansas, Baltimore City Public Schools and Val Verde Unified School District in California.
By Adrian Krajewski and William James WARSAW/COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron secured the support of Poland's most powerful man on Friday for a proposed deal to keep Britain in the European Union, though an opinion poll suggested voters may still reject continued membership in a planned referendum. To win a vote expected in June on staying in the EU, Cameron says he needs a pact to curb benefits for new migrant workers from EU countries, an opt-out from moves towards political union, more powers for national parliaments and safeguards to ensure Britain is not put at a disadvantage by being one of nine EU members outside the euro currency zone. He achieved an important step towards that goal when Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party and the country's top decision maker, gave his blessing to the proposed arrangements for new migrant workers. Negotiators from all 28 EU countries meanwhile held a first discussion in Brussels of the package put forward by European Council President Donald Tusk. Diplomats said the day-long meeting was broadly supportive and threw up no roadblocks. The so-called sherpas will meet again on Feb. 11 with the aim of reaching a deal at a Feb. 18-19 EU summit. "There is a lot of positive energy and dedication from all sides to arrive at an agreement. That also goes for the Brits who have been very professional about how they handle these negotiations," one participant said. Another said there were still differences on details of the proposals on welfare rights and on the relationship between euro zone and non-euro countries, but there was a strong desire to find a quick solution to keep Britain in the bloc. But a third diplomat said Kaczynski's timely endorsement of the most controversial item in the package had disarmed any strong opposition around the EU table. "Everything seemed very well pre-cooked... What kind of fierce debate do you expect re free movement if during the meeting Cameron successfully courted Kaczynski?" the envoy said. Proposals to allow British authorities to withhold in-work benefits for up to four years from EU citizens moving to work in Britain are under intense scrutiny, especially from Poland, the biggest source of Britain's migrant labour force. After meeting with Cameron in Warsaw, Kaczynski said he was satisfied because the rights of some 600,000 Poles already working in the UK would be fully preserved. "We have gained really very, very much," said Kaczynski, who is also a former prime minister and the twin brother of late president Lech Kaczynski. "Poland has ... gained here really very much, full safety, above all, for all those who are in Britain right now, but also that those who have children in Poland will continue to receive benefits, they may be adjusted, but they will get them anyway." Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said she fully endorsed Cameron's proposals on improving competitiveness, removing red tape and granting proper significance to national parliaments but wanted to discuss the question of welfare benefits. One detail yet to be finalised is whether curbs on child benefit for migrants whose children stay in their home country will apply only to newcomers or also to existing EU workers in Britain, diplomats said. Cameron said later during a visit to Denmark that any agreement with the EU would be irreversible. "There's no way we're going to agree to reverse it," Cameron said at a news conference with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who said the proposed deal was "a solid answer". TROUBLE AT HOME Cameron's sought-after accord may be taking shape in Brussels but he still faces a deeply sceptical electorate. A new poll showed the campaign for Britain to leave the EU has taken a nine-point lead over the rival "remain" campaign. Nineteen percent said they did not know or would not vote. British polls, however, have faced questions about their methodology since they failed to predict Cameron's victory in the 2015 national election, and they have varied widely on the EU issue in recent months. A ComRes poll last week showed the "in" campaign held an 18-point lead over those who wanted out. A British exit would shake the European Union to its core, ripping away its second largest economy and one of its top two military powers. Britain's pound sterling could weaken as much as 15-20 percent against other major currencies if there is a vote to leave, according to Goldman Sachs and Citi. Pro-Europeans say an exit would damage Britain's economy by excluding it from the vast EU single market, and could trigger the break-up of the United Kingdom by prompting another independence vote by pro-EU Scotland. Opponents of EU membership say Britain would prosper outside. The survey for The Times newspaper, taken in the two days after Cameron set out a proposed deal, showed the biggest lead for the "out" campaign since the referendum wording was agreed last September. The poll showed 45 percent of Britons would vote to leave the EU against 36 percent who want to remain, well up on the four-point edge the "leave" campaign held last week. Eurosceptic members of his Conservative Party said the proposals in the outline deal were far too weak and the British press dubbed them a "farce", a "joke" or a "delusion". "The negative press has pushed 'Leave' significantly ahead," YouGov said. "It's too early to say if the lead will persist or subside after David Cameron's crunch talks in Brussels." German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly said she wants Britain to remain a member but has cautioned that Cameron must not overplay his hand. Tusk's plan to keep Britain in the EU goes "right up to the pain threshold" of what is acceptable in Germany, said Gunther Krichbaum, a member of Merkel's conservative party and chairman of the European affairs committee in parliament. (Additional reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Marcin Goettig, Marcin Goclowski and Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw, Kate Holton in London, Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Paul Taylor; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
What Were Following: The (Gravitational) Force Awakens

The universe has just become a much more interesting place. Physicists at LIGO announced Thursday that they had successfully detected gravitational waves for the first time, spawned by the collision of two black holes over 1.3 billion light-years away. The discovery, first predicted by Albert Einstein over a century ago, opens an exciting new chapter in modern physics and astronomy.

A Standoff Stands Down: The last four holdouts at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon surrendered to the FBI Thursday morning, ending a 41-day occupation and standoff. Authorities also arrested Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who led an armed militia protest against the federal government in 2014, when his flight landed in Oregon. His son, Ammon Bundy, was one of the occupations leaders before his arrest last month.

Clinton vs. Sanders, Round 2: Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will meet in Milwaukee Thursday night for a debate hosted by PBS, the first showdown between the two candidates since Sanders landslide victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday. No further debates are scheduled until after Super Tuesday on March 1, making tonights meeting a crucial moment for both contenders campaigns.

Snapshot

Daniel J. Wabsey, a 58-year-old war veteran, sits outside his tent at Camp Hope in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on October 6, 2015. See more photos from Americas tent cities here.

Quoted

Gravity is a weak force. Measuring these things is bloody hard.Scott Hughes, who has modeled the sound of gravitational waves

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It is very strange how the Russians started killing us. We didnt kill them and now they are killing us. a Syrian activist in Turkey

Evening Read

Raymond Bonner on the unlikely crime-solving partnership between a diplomat and an assassin:

Story continues

On December 1, 1980, two American Catholic churchwomenan Ursuline nun and a lay missionarysat down to dinner with Robert White, the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador. They worked in rural areas ministering to El Salvadors desperately impoverished peasants, and White admired their commitment and courage. The talk turned to the governments brutal tactics for fighting the countrys left-wing guerrillas, in a dirty war waged by death squads that dumped bodies in the streets and an army that massacred civilians. The women were alarmed by the incoming Reagan administrations plans for a closer relationship with the military-led government. Because of a curfew, the women spent the night at the ambassadors residence. The next day, after breakfast with the ambassadors wife, they drove to San Salvadors international airport to pick up two colleagues who were flying back from a conference in Nicaragua. Within hours, all four women would be dead.  In the years since, much has come to light about this pivotal event in the history of U.S. interventions in Central America. But the full story of how one of the most junior officers in the U.S. embassy in San Salvador tracked down the killers has never been told. It is the tale of an improbable bond between a Salvadoran soldier with a guilty conscience and a young American diplomat with a moral conscience. Different as they were, both men shared a willingness to risk their lives in the name of justice.

News Quiz

1. American workplaces in 1915 were _______ times more dangerous than today.

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2. Modern fashion shows trace their origins to _________.

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3. ___________ can affect a persons risk of depression today.

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Reader Response

A reader joins the ongoing discussion about guns and suicide:

You asked about policy measures that could be implemented to help lower rates of gun suicides, in particular whether people with mental illness or a history of suicide should be banned from purchasing firearms. I think thats an extremely problematic idea for a number of reasons. One major issue is something the FAA learned re: depression in pilots [link, link]. If you ban people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness from owning guns, I suspect what youll end up with is a bunch of gun owners with mental illness that they dont get treated because they know if they do theyll be barred from owning and/or purchasing firearms. Discouraging depressed and/or suicidal gun owners from getting help is presumably the opposite of what we want.

Read the whole note here.

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Star Wars prosecuted, Webb 2.0 nixed, worlds oldest bird gives birth, MySpace acquired.

Answers: 30, Louis XIV, Neanderthal DNA

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By Alastair Macdonald and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS - A draft accord to help keep Britain in the European Union is "very fragile", a top EU official warned on Wednesday as France and eastern states pushed for changes before leaders meet to try and seal the deal next week. European Council President Donald Tusk, who agreed reform proposals last week with British Prime Minister David Cameron, said they were "balanced and solid" and he hoped to finalise them when he chairs a Brussels summit next Thursday and Friday. "However, let me be clear -- this is a very fragile political process," he added, announcing that he had cleared his diary and would travel to Paris, Berlin and eastern Europe early next week "to secure broad political support for my proposal". Tusk spoke on the eve of a second round of talks among the 28 EU leaders' top aides and envoys in Brussels. Officials said they will discuss a new draft with small, technical tweaks. The first meeting of "sherpas", on Friday following Tusk's circulation of his reform proposals, saw participants broadly welcome a first draft as a way to help Cameron win a referendum in the coming months to prolong Britain's 43-year membership. But on Wednesday, France, the traditional pro-European sparring partner of eurosceptic Britain, demanded significant changes, particularly to Cameron's effort to secure protections for the sterling-based City of London from possible EU measures favouring the majority of states which uses the euro. Finance Minister Michel Sapin told lawmakers in Paris that the current draft must be amended to avoid skewing EU rules in favour of London, the bloc's leading banking centre: "There are ... several ambiguities in the texts," he said. "Treatment must be as identical as possible. That's why we're fighting." French concerns focus on British-based banks benefiting from different regulations to those in the euro zone -- less onerous capital requirements, say -- while retaining full access to the single European Union market in financial services. And while Cameron has insisted he has not sought a veto over the euro zone's affairs, Paris also argues that the current wording of a new British right to delay euro zone decisions which it fears could hurt its interests must be amended to place tighter limits on how long London could hold up the process. EASTERN CONCERNS Eastern European negotiators also plan to seek amendments to limit the extent that their citizens may be penalised by a new "emergency brake" mechanism on EU immigration. Under the Tusk proposal, governments who persuade their EU peers that immigration is jeopardising their welfare system will be able to deny benefits to other Europeans for up to four years after they start work in that country. That stretches EU rules which ban discrimination among EU citizens on national grounds. A draft statement seen by Reuters that was prepared by Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- collectively the Visegrad Group -- broadly endorses the effort to appease London but says the welfare issue is a "primary concern". It highlighted a lack of agreement yet on how long a state could go on applying the "brake" for new arrivals and said the overall period during which fresh immigrants could be penalised should not exceed four years. That would imply Britain ending the measures in 2020 if it imposed them this year as planned. Diplomats said the aim was to settle as much of the reform plan as possible, leaving only certain elements to the summit. "Everyone is fed up with this," one said. "We need to get this out of the way to be able to deal with other problems. So the common approach is not to hinder this process, help Britain solve its own internal problems and safeguard this compromise." (Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Dominic Evans)
It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off. (Representational image)

Moscow: Russia's prosecutors said on Friday they were investigating after a Boeing passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Dominican Republic with 371 people aboard.

Operated by Russia's Orenburg Airlines, the airliner had to turn back when one of its engines malfunctioned soon after take-off for Moscow from Punta Cana on Wednesday evening, prosecutors said.

Transport prosecutors based in the southern Russian city of Orenburg said they would evaluate the carrier's actions during the incident, in which the plane's alarm system sounded at a height 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) and the left engine had to be shut down due to a "malfunction."

Orenburg Airlines said in a statement that the pilots "managed to land the plane in a difficult situation and saved the lives of nearly four hundred people."

It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off.

The pilot then took the plane back to Punta Cana where it made an emergency landing and the passengers and crew exited down escape slides.
By Ulf Laessing ZARIA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Piles of rubble are all that remain of the residence of Nigeria's most prominent Shi'ite Muslim leader after it was demolished by bulldozers in the northern city of Zaria. Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky's compound was levelled after three days of clashes between the army and Shi'ite residents of the city in December in which rights groups say hundreds of Shi'ites were killed. The army declined to give a Shi'ite death toll but said one soldier was killed and five were wounded. The violence and its repercussions could further fracture a country battling a northern insurgency by hardline Sunni group Boko Haram, a secessionist movement in the southeast, militancy in the oil-rich Delta, as well as a growing economic crisis. The clashes were the deadliest in living memory involving security forces and the minority Shi'ite community, say some Shi'ites and rights groups. "We feel dehumanised and betrayed by the Nigerian government," said Muhammadu Samaru, a Shi'ite religious leader, sitting in his Zaria home. "There can never be any trust and any cordial relations between us and the soldiers unless they change their ways. This is not the first time they are killing us." Diplomats said the violence risked spawning a radical Shi'ite militant wing - much like the Boko Haram uprising began in 2009 after security forces killed hundreds of its members and its leader Mohammed Yusuf died in custody. Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, has killed thousands of people and driven more than 2 million from their homes in Nigeria's poor north. After the Zaria clashes, the army detained a wounded Zakzaky. Sensing the explosive situation, the government flew him abroad for a few days for medical treatment to avoid creating a martyr like Yusuf, according to diplomats. He remains in custody. "Whether tensions escalate or not will depend on the government's response," said one Western diplomat. "There are parallels with the start of the Boko Haram insurgency when their leader died in custody so the government needs to make sure it investigates the violence with impartiality." Africa's most populous nation, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, is home to around 180 million - roughly evenly split between Christians, mainly in the south, and Muslims, mostly in the north and predominantly Sunni. Shi'ites are estimated to number under 4 million, according to a 2009 report by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, but there are no official figures. Zaria, 270 km (170 miles) north of the capital Abuja, is a predominantly Sunni city with a population of about 500,000. It is a focus for inter-community tensions because it is also the spiritual centre of Shi'ite sect the Islamic Movement in Nigeria as home to its leader Zakzaky. Human Rights Watch estimates there are around 3 million members of the sect, a religious and political movement inspired by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, which would represent most Shi'ites in the West African country. DISPUTED EVENTS What provoked the December violence is disputed. The army said members of the Shi'ite movement had blocked the convoy of its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, as it travelled through Zaria on Dec. 12, and tried to assassinate him. It said a shootout and street battles ensued and that it was forced to call in reinforcements. Army officers showed Reuters pictures of guns, machetes, petrol bombs and swords with which they said sect members had attacked soldiers. "With the Shia (Shi'ite) group ... we always have problems with those violent extremists among them, who should be brought to justice and caged," said Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, who led the army operation. "There are many moderate Shia. In the military there are Shia officers and soldiers." But members of the sect, which says it is a peaceful movement, and some rights groups say the army launched an unjustified attack, with the motive unclear, and opened fire on civilians. Some Shi'ites showed Reuters videos on their phones of the dead and wounded. The sect says more than 1,000 Shi'ites could have been killed - it says the army had taken more than 400 bodies to several morgues and that 750 other people were missing. "I saw soldiers pour fuel on bodies of our brothers and set it on fire, then later they removed the bones," said 19-year old Shi'ite Aliyu Tahir, who said he was shot in the leg near the sheikh's house but managed to escape. Zaria residents say bulldozers demolished Zakzaky's residence, a Shi'ite shrine, a prayer hall, clinic, cemetery and offices in the day and weeks that followed. A Reuters reporter saw the ruins of several sites during a visit last week. The army declined to comment on the demolition of Shi'ite sites. Buhari - himself a Sunni - has launched an investigation into the violence and its cause, and the destruction of the Shi'ite sites. It is unclear whether the bulldozers that entered Zaria were sent by the government or military. The president said civilian deaths could not be justified, but also accused the Shi'ites of creating "a state within a state", though he and his government have largely declined to comment until the inquiry reports its findings, which is likely to take several weeks. Human Rights Watch said tensions could swiftly escalate if there was any perception of bias in the inquiry, which ministers said would be conducted by an independent commission of experts. "If no one is held accountable for this excessive military action, the risks of radicalising some of those who lost relatives are high," said Mausi Segun, Nigeria researcher at the rights group. "This is a lesson Nigeria ought to have learnt from the killing of Muhammed Yusuf, Boko Haram's founder." GROWING ANGER There have been sporadic clashes between Shi'ites and security forces since the 1980s in Nigeria. Zakzaky has been jailed several times, often for anti-government rhetoric. But many Shi'ite residents of Zaria said tensions had never been this bad, and that officials' refusal to give a death toll or hand over dead bodies, as well as the destruction of the holy sites, was fuelling growing anger. Adding a foreign dimension, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has links to Shi'ite power Iran, which is locked in a struggle with Sunni kingdom Saudi Arabia for pre-eminence in the Middle East. Zakzaky travelled after the revolution before returning to found his sect, though the nature of the links are unclear. Following the Zaria violence, Tehran denounced the killing of Shi'ites and urged Nigeria to protect the minority group. Meanwhile there is deep resentment for the Shi'ite sect among some Sunni residents of Zaria who say members of the movement had regularly carried out attacks in the city in the past year - charges denied by the sect. "They hired some thugs who came and were macheteing people," said Mohammed Bello, a Sunni who lives next to the sheikh's razed house said of one alleged attack. While he was talking an angry crowd gathered, with many telling similar tales. "They macheted two of our motorcycles. When I tried talking to them they wounded me here on my head," said Salisu Mohammed, another Sunni. The army detained more than 200 of Zakzaky's followers along with the sheikh after the clashes. Some other members of his sect have left Zaria or gone into hiding. In a sign of the tensions gripping the city, several anti-Shi'ite slogans have sprung up in recent weeks on buildings used by the sect, some denouncing those detained. "We're glad they are gone. We want them out of Nigeria," said Idris Mohammed, a Sunni living in the neighbourhood of the sheikh's destroyed compound, where walls are daubed with slogans reading "Do not release Zakzaky". (Editing by Pravin Char)
A junior doctor has launched a blistering attack on the Health Secretary, saying screw you Jeremy Hunt in a Facebook post which has since gone viral.

Rich Bowman said all we do is for our patients, how dare you try and turn them against us in the passionate post, which has been shared more than 33,000 times.

The Birmingham-based medic expressed anger at the Health Secretarys bid to impose a new contract on thousands of junior doctors in England.

He said: Last night I was the sole doctor on site caring for over 100 patients who were acutely unwell with complications from their cancer.

 Some couldnt breathe, some were fighting overwhelming infections with literally no immune system, one had bleeding in their head, one had a blockage in their bowels.

If I made a mistake because I was tired, any one of these patients couldve died.

"Every cancer patient in the south Birmingham region has a direct line to call for advice or help. 11 new unwell patients arrived and I assessed and treated them too.

"There was not a single manager in the whole hospital. Last night, I ran the oncology service for the whole south Birmingham region from inside the biggest teaching hospital in Europe.

"Apparently I have no transferable skills to find a different job.

Making his point: The junior doctors Facebook post has been shared more than 33,000 times (Rich Bowman/Facebook)

Mr Bowman, 27, said he works 60 hours a week but is paid for 48 and earns 18 per hour.

Apparently I lack vocation, Im overpaid and I need to work harder, he said.

Screw you Jeremy Hunt. We never asked for thanks. All we do is for our patients, how dare you try and turn them against us. All of this is your governments fault. Well youve picked a fight with the wrong crowd.

"Go on, announce imposition, and just see what the most resilient, driven, passionate, intelligent group of people in Britain do next. Bring it on.



Top image: Rich Bowman/Facebook
By John Irish and Warren Strobel MUNICH/AMMAN (Reuters) - Major powers agreed on Friday to a pause in combat in Syria, but Russia pressed on with bombing in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, who vowed to fight until he regained full control of the country. Although billed as a potential breakthrough, the "cessation of hostilities" agreement does not take effect for a week, at a time when Assad's government is poised to win its biggest victory of the war with the backing of Russian air power. If implemented, the deal hammered out at five hours of late night talks in Munich would allow humanitarian aid to reach besieged towns. It was described by the countries that took part as a rare diplomatic success in a conflict that has fractured the Middle East, killed at least 250,000 people, made 11 million homeless and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing into Europe. But several Western countries said there was no hope for progress without a halt to the Russian bombing, which has decisively turned the balance of power in favour of Assad. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that if the peace plan fails, more foreign troops could enter the conflict. "If the Assad regime does not live up to its responsibilities and if the Iranians and the Russians do not hold Assad to the promises that they have made...then the international community obviously is not going to sit there like fools and watch this. There will be an increase of activity to put greater pressure on them," Kerry, who was in Munich, told Dubai-based Orient TV. "There is a possibility there will be additional ground troops." U.S. President Barack Obama has ruled out sending U.S. ground troops to Syria, but Saudi Arabia this month offered ground forces to fight Islamic State. Rebels said the town of Tal Rifaat in northern Aleppo province was the target of intensive bombing by Russian planes on Friday morning. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, said warplanes believed to be Russian also attacked towns in northern Homs. The news agency AFP quoted Assad as saying he would continue to fight terrorism while talks took place. He would retake the entire country, although this could take a long time, he said. Another week of fighting would give the Damascus government and its Russian, Lebanese and Iranian allies time to press on with the encirclement of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the war, which they are now on the verge of capturing. They are also close to sealing the Turkish border, lifeline of rebel territory for years. Those two victories would reverse years of insurgent gains, effectively ending the rebels' hopes of dislodging Assad through force, the cause they have fought for since 2011 with the encouragement of Arab states, Turkey and the West. The cessation of hostilities agreement falls short of a formal ceasefire, since it was not signed by the main warring parties - the opposition and government forces. Implementing it will now be the key, Kerry said: "What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground." Two Syrian rebel commanders told Reuters they had been sent "excellent quantities" of ground-to-ground Grad missiles by foreign backers in recent days to help confront the Russian-backed offensive. Foreign opponents of Assad including Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been supplying vetted rebel groups with weapons via a Turkey-based operations centre. Some of the vetted groups have received military training overseen by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. RUSSIAN TARGETS Russia suggested it might not stop its air strikes, even when the cessation of hostilities takes effect in a week. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not stop bombing fighters from Islamic State and a rebel group called the Nusra Front, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, neither of which were covered by the cessation deal: "Our airspace forces will continue working against these organisations," he said. Moscow has always said that those two jihadist groups are the principal targets of its air campaign. Western countries say Russia has in fact been mostly attacking other insurgent groups. Nusra fighters often operate in areas where other rebel groups are also active. Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday Russia was targeting schools and hospitals in Syria. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow must halt strikes on insurgents other than Islamic State for any peace deal to work. "Russia has mainly targeted opposition groups and not ISIL (Islamic State). Air strikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated, peaceful solution," he said. Britain and France said a peace deal could only be reached if Moscow stops bombing insurgents other than Islamic State. The complex, multi-sided civil war in Syria has drawn in most regional and global powers, producing the world's worst humanitarian emergency and attracting jihadist recruits from around the world. The United States has been leading its own air campaign against Islamic State fighters since 2014, when that group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, swept through much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq, declaring a caliphate. U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday he expected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to send commandos to help recapture Islamic State's eastern Syrian stronghold, Raqqa. Assad said he believed Saudi Arabia and Turkey were planning to invade his country. Russia has said Saudi ground troops would make the war last forever. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the main objective in Syria was still to remove Assad, and "we will achieve it". The main battlefields in the civil war are in the west of the country, far from Islamic State's strongholds, where Washington has largely steered clear, leaving the field to Russia which began its air campaign on Sept. 30 last year. Kerry had entered the Munich talks pushing for a rapid halt to fighting, with Western officials saying Moscow was holding out for a delay. The tactic of agreeing to a break in hostilities while battling for gains on the ground is one Moscow's allies used in eastern Ukraine only a year ago. A ceasefire there eventually took hold, but only after Russian-backed separatists overran a besieged town after the deal was reached. HIGH HOPES Diplomats from countries backing the plan met on Friday to discuss sending in urgent humanitarian aid. "I sense now that all of the ISSG (International Syria Support Group) members want to get aid to the besieged areas and also the hard-to-reach areas," said Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who chaired the meeting in Geneva. "Convoys can go very soon if and when we have the permission and the green light from the parties." The group, which includes Russia and Iran, had given "excellent feedback" and would meet again on Wednesday, Egeland told reporters after the 3 hour meeting. The sides in Munich called for a resumption of political peace talks, which collapsed last week in Geneva before they began after the opposition demanded a halt to bombardment. Syria's main opposition alliance cautiously welcomed the plan, but said it would not agree to join political talks unless the agreement proved effective. World powers all say they support a "political transition", but there has been disagreement for years over whether that requires Assad to leave power, as Western countries have been demanding in vain since 2011. A senior French diplomat said it would be Moscow's fault if it kept bombing and the peace process failed: "The Russians said they will continue bombing the terrorists. They are taking a political risk because they are accepting a negotiation in which they are committing to a cessation of hostilities. "If in a week there is no change because of their bombing, then they will bear the responsibility." (Additional reporting by Denis Dyomkin, Shadia Nasralla, and Robin Emmott in Munich, and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman; writing by Peter Graff and Anna Willard; editing by Andrew Roche)
Ghanaian police arrested the 48-year-old Jan. 9 in the western coastal town of Butre. He did not fight extradition, agreeing to be sent back to Britain. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

London: British police say they have arrested a man wanted over the slaying of a British actress and her two children after he returned to London from Ghana.

The Metropolitan Police force says detectives detained Arthur Simpson-Kent at Heathrow Airport early Friday on suspicion of murdering his partner Sian Blake and her children, 8-year-old Zachary and 4-year-old Amon.

Ghanaian police arrested the 48-year-old Jan. 9 in the western coastal town of Butre. He did not fight extradition, agreeing to be sent back to Britain.

He fled to Ghana after speaking to detectives in Britain on Dec. 16 about Blake and the children, who had been reported missing. Their bodies were found in the yard of their London home in January.

Blake, 43, appeared in the long-running soap opera "EastEnders" in 1996-1997.
By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will begin talks with Washington as early as next week on deploying an advanced U.S. missile defence system following North Korea's rocket launch, an official said on Friday, as Seoul cut power to a factory park run jointly with the North. The discussions would focus on placing one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the U.S. military in South Korea after the North's launch last weekend, a South Korean defence official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Seoul and Washington said the test violated U.N. Security Council resolutions. South Korea on Wednesday suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial zone as punishment for the rocket launch and a nuclear test last month. The zone, located just inside North Korea, had operated for more than a decade. The North called the move "a declaration of war" on Thursday and expelled the South's workers. Kaesong was the last venue for regular interaction between the divided Koreas. The 280 South Koreans who had remained in Kaesong rushed to leave the industrial park on Thursday evening, completing the pullout at 11:05 p.m. (1405 GMT), the South's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said. A few minutes before midnight, the South shut off the supply of electricity into Kaesong that powered the factory zone, the ministry said early on Friday. It also cut the water supply. The United States, Japan and South Korea are seeking tougher sanctions against the North following the nuclear test and rocket launch. Isolated North Korea regularly dismisses the South as a puppet of the United States and just as regularly accuses both of acts of war against it. U.S. military officials have said the THAAD system was needed in South Korea, but Seoul had been reluctant to openly discuss its deployment as it tried to balance its alliance with the United States and ties with China, its biggest trade partner. South Korea and the United States said that if THAAD was deployed to South Korea, it would be focused only on the North. China and Russia have expressed concern about the potential deployment of a system that operates a radar that could penetrate deep into their territories. THAAD, built by Lockheed Martin Corp , is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight. KAESONG CONFLICT South Korea accused the North of "illegal" acts by freezing the assets of South Korean companies in Kaesong, warning that Pyongyang would be held responsible for any consequences from the industrial park's suspension. The Kaesong project employed about 55,000 North Koreans, who were given a taste of life in the South, working for the 124 mostly small- and medium-sized manufacturers that operated there, about 54 km (34 miles) northwest of Seoul. The average wage for North Korean workers was roughly $160 a month, paid to a state management company. Except for Kaesong, both countries forbid their citizens from communicating with each other across their heavily armed border. Despite volatile North-South relations, Kaesong had been shut only once before, for five months in 2013 amid heightened tensions following Pyongyang's third nuclear test. (Editing by Tony Munroe and Dean Yates)
Pelan Huseyin clung to the tip of an almost submerged boat which sank in the Bay of Edremit on its way to the Greece. (Photo: AP)

Balikesir: A Syrian man saved in a dramatic rescue operation following a migrant boat accident says his goal was to reach Germany but now he is unsure of his future.

Pelan Huseyin, 20, was rescued by a Turkish coast guard helicopter Monday as he clung to the tip of an almost submerged boat which sank in the Bay of Edremit on its way to the Greek island of Lesbos. The incident left 27 dead, including at least 11 children.

Huseyin told the AP, "I stayed five hours at sea. I looked around and saw the boat, and I hung on to it."

He spoke from a gendarmerie station where he was being kept to help authorities identify smugglers responsible for the trip.

The rescue operation was captured by Turkish coast guard cameras.
Three Hills Capital Partners has soared past 1bn for the final close of its fourth flagship fund, almost doubling the total it collected for its predecessor vehicle.
Sardinia is a wonderful island - for summer holidays or all year around. Here is our quick five minute guide to one of the hidden gems of the Mediterranean

Where?

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, sitting below French-owned Corsica and above the Tunisian coast.

It is separated from mainland Italy by the Tyrrhenian Sea. It enjoys nearly 2,000 km of superb coastline. Its capital Cagliari is in the south.

How?

Sardinia has three main airports: Cagliari in the south, Olbia in the north-east and Alghero in the east. British Airways, Ryanair, EasyJet fly directly to Cagliari airport in less than 2  hours.

Why?

Many tourists from different parts of the world - mainly Northern Europe Germans, French, Swiss, British and Belgians - prefer to come to Sardinia for their holidays but many others have chosen to stay there for life.

Tourists and residents appreciate the tranquillity, calm and peace of this idyllic island, far removed from their busy lifestyles.

The north-eastern corner of Sardinia is the most famous for the glamorous Costa Smeralda (the Emerald Coast) that became a celebrity hot spot in the 1960s and offers multimillion pound villas. But it's not typical of the rest of the island and your money will go much further elsewhere.

What's it like?

Sardinia's landscape is wild and diverse, the glorious long sandy beaches of the south give way to the more rugged northern coastline, whilst the inland is very mountainous and wooded.

Described as a geologist's dream - for its beehive like Bronze Age structures called nuraghi - the island offers magical views. Sardinia is such a popular holiday destination for its clear waters, monuments, culture, traditions, excellent food and quality services that have contributed to recognition of its environmental sustainability issued 2015 by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Sardinia is one of the places in the world where people live the longest thanks to healthier food and a stress-free lifestyle.

Food for thought?

We focus especially on the southern coast that covers the area from Teulada to Muravera is characterised by an impressively beautiful coastline with clear water sea of different shades starting from green to deep blue. Pula and Villasimius are the main villages by the sea and both are within 30 minutes from Cagliari.

There is a good choice of cafes, bar, restaurants where you can sample local dishes from octopus, clams, lobster, shrimps and a sprinkling of the famous bottarga (dried mullet roe).

Typical dishes are spaghetti dressed with sea urchins, spaghetti clams and bottarga, fresh fish soup or suckling pig on a perfumed bed of myrtle leaves and "sebadas "(fresh cheese fritters) drizzled with honey, or "pardulas" - sweet pastry filled with ricotta cheese, saffron and lemon.

If you like wine, here you will be spoilt for choice with 150 native grape varieties offering the widest array of wines. You can buy good local produce in every supermarket or small delis.

What property can you buy?

The south-west coast is usually chosen by the British, French and Northern Italians, while the south-east is loved by the Germans, Belgians and Swiss.

Property prices are fairly similar but the offer varies, says Pamela Sorrentino of agent Dreaming Sardinia. "Around Villasimius and Costa Rei, and north of Cagliari, the selection in villas and apartments is wider," she says.

"A two-bed apartment, five minutes from the beach costs 130,000 - 160,000. For a terraced three-bed house, walking distance from the beach, around 290,000, and a detached villa with four bedrooms from 600,000. Direct sea access can command a price tag of 5 million."

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For Immediate Release, February 10, 2016 Contacts: Scot Quaranda, Dogwood Alliance, (828) 242-3596, scot@dogwoodalliance.org

Kevin Bundy, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7100 x313, kbundy@biologicaldiversity.org U.S. Groups Join Global Call to Remove Wood-based Biomass From

European Union Renewable Energy Directive Biomass Increases Carbon Pollution, Damages Land and Livelihoods in Communities Around Globe ASHEVILLE, N.C. More than 110 groups from across the globe joined a declaration today demanding that bioenergy be excluded from the European Unions next Renewable Energy Directive, or RED. The EU is considering renewal of the RED for 2020 onwards in a consultation ending today. A decision is expected by the end of the year. The RED will determine Europes path forward on meeting its carbon emissions reductions targets following the Paris agreement signed December 2015. Bioenergy already accounts for around two-thirds of energy classed as renewable in the EU, and the EU currently anticipates that industrial bioenergy will continue playing a major part in its renewable energy strategy. Burning wood for energy increases carbon pollution in the atmosphere for decades to centuries, published science shows. Indeed, so-called biomass is even more carbon-intensive than coal when measured at the smokestack. The EU, however, currently treats wood energy as carbon neutral despite contrary scientific evidence. This misguided policy has devastated communities and forests around the globe, including forests here in the United States, as European utilities compete for wood pellets and other biomass fuels. Rapidly increasing European demand for wood pellets globally, with the United States leading the way, is having a devastating impact on the forests and communities of the Southern U.S., said Adam Macon from Dogwood Alliance. We've joined with over 110 other groups to send a strong signal to the EU and the U.S. EPA that they must change their mind on bioenergy or risk doing far more harm than good. It's clear that support for bioenergy in the EU is directly impacting forests internationally and the people that depend on them, as well as incentivising even greater carbon emissions. In the U.S., the forest products industry and several states are pushing the EPA to classify biomass energy as a carbon neutral method of complying with the Clean Power Plans carbon pollution standards for power plants. Just last week the Senate adopted an amendment to a bipartisan energy bill that could force EPA and other agencies to ignore biomass carbon pollution despite the science. The science is clear that large-scale burning of wood to generate electricity will make the climate crisis worse, so it shouldnt be used in Europe or the U.S., said Kevin Bundy, senior attorney and climate legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Native forests across the Southeast are being clearcut to satisfy European demand for wood pellets, all because the EU ignores climate pollution from bioenergy. The EU has to fix its anti-science mistake  and our own Congress has to avoid repeating it. The declaration submitted today demands that bioenergy not be defined and subsidized as renewable energy under the EU directive, citing growing scientific evidence that current EU bioenergy policy has done tremendous harm to people, forests and the climate. Industrial bioenergy is not renewable because biomass fuels are not replenished as quickly as they are consumed. Carbon emissions from burning biomass for energy are often greater than the emissions from the fossil fuels they are supposed to replace. Peer-reviewed studies and on-the-ground investigations have shown that industrial-scale bioenergy results in significant carbon emissions and fuels the destruction of biodiverse forests from North America to southeast Asia and eastern Europe. These forests are vital carbon sinks. Biofuels in particular have become a major driver for land-grabbing in the global south and are, in many cases, linked to serious violations of land and labor rights. To download the full declaration with a list of signatories, visit http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/BioenergyOut-Declaration.pdf. For more information on the EU RED consultation process, visit https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/consultations/preparation-new-renewable-energy-directive-period-after-2020. Dogwood Alliance (www.dogwoodalliance.org) is a regional nonprofit organization that is increasing protection for millions of acres of Southern forests by transforming the way corporations, landowners and communities value them for their climate, wildlife and water benefits.



The Center for Biological Diversity (www.biologicaldiversity.org) is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 990,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Islamabad: Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry Friday said India forced Pakistan to become a nuclear state by carrying out tests.

He said that Pakistan forwarded recommendations to keep the region free of nuclear responsibilities for as many as 24 years however, India spoiled the efforts.

He said Pakistan reserved the right to keep its nuclear programme running for its defence and balance the number game.

Addressing a gathering at Institute of Strategic Studies here, Chaudhry said Pakistan was forced to generate nuclear arsenal and propaganda against it is baseless.

The country would not give up its right to keep nuclear capability for its defence, he added.

Pakistans atomic programme was totally safe and in accordance with rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said.

Chaudhry said Pakistan should also be a part of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) like other countries.

The Foreign Secretary said that talks between Afghan government and Taliban were likely to happen by the end of the month. He said Pakistan desires Afghan reconciliation process to move forward.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) to be held on March 31.

Chaudhry, in the last week travelled to United States. He attended a conference aimed at preparing for the summit and discussing the process.

The summit will be attended by heads of as many as 35 to 45 countries. Pakistans Ambassador to the United States, Jalil Abbas Jilani was also present at the preparatory conference.

Meetings of several world leaders are scheduled with the Prime Minister. Nawaz Sharif is also likely to meet President Barack Obama on the sidelines of summit.
Police vehicles will keep patrolling the university premises to avert any untoward incident. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Bacha Khan University in Charsadda where militants gunned down 22 students and teachers last month will reopen amid beefed up security from February 15.

The decision was taken in a meeting headed by BKU Vice Chancellor Fazal Raheem Marwat, an official statement said.

The meeting decided to deploy eight male and two female police constables at the university. Vehicles being used for students transportation will be barred until full security clearance. Police vehicles will keep patrolling the university premises to avert any untoward incident.

Militants from a breakaway Taliban group stormed the university in the Charsadda last month, setting off an hours-long gun-battle with security forces.

The attack revived memories of the December 2014 Taliban assault on a nearby army-run school in Peshawar, which killed some 150 people, nearly all of them children.

All four attackers who took part in the Charsadda assault were killed. Over the weekend, authorities announced the arrest of five others suspected of involvement.
Modified On Feb 12, 2016 01:05 PM By Sumit for Renault KWID 2015-2019

Renault has unveiled the AMT version of its entry level hatchback, Kwid, at the Auto Expo 2016. The automatic gear shift in this car comes in the form of a circular knob which adds to the uniqueness of the car. Alto K10 offers the same in form of a lever. The car has created ripples in its segment since launch and has received enormous response, majorly because of the dominating SUV stance. It has an impressive infotainment system in the center, unmatched in its class. With the reveal of automatic transmission, the car, upon its launch, is likely to compete with Marutis Alto K10 automatic variant. Eon will also take part in the race as it falls in the same category and has been doing decent business for a while.

Yes, Kwid AMT appears to come with all guns loaded with no shots missed. Kwid manual variant has already stunned its competitors in the Indian market. The carmaker is mulling to export the vehicle to Brazil. While the top-end of the car comes for Rs. 3.9 lac (ex-showroom, Mumbai), considering the fact that the engine capacity can be increased (from 0.8L to 1.0L) and AMT being introduced, cost can prove to be a barrier for the automaker.

Kwid is a entry-level hatch and the customers of this segment enormously care about the price, after all. If Renault is able to keep this factor in check, we dont think Kwid has got anything to worry about. Even though Alto K10 AMT has got the brand Maruti behind its back, Renaults offering, as a whole, is just magnificent and looks well-packed to haunt the K10. While Eon offers a good ride quality, absence of automatic transmission will make a substantial difference when compared to the other two cars.

Also Read: Accessorised Renault Kwid on display at Auto Expo 2016

Read More on : Renault KWID


A legal group focused on religious liberty just threatened National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with a lawsuit in response to the government agencys censorship of the word Jesus from emails.



In a letter sent Monday, the Liberty Institute stated that NASA lawyers pressured a group of employees at the Johnson Space Center to remove the word Jesus from a club announcement. This demand took place in May and June of 2015.



These employees had formed a private group within the agency called the JSC Praise and Worship Club, an entity separate from the agency. As part of the group, employees meet together during lunch to pray, and no one is prevented from taking part in the groups activities.



In an announcement email, one of the employees had used the word Jesus. A few days after the email went out, NASA lawyers clamped down and said the use of the word was absolutely unacceptable and would not accept the groups offer to issue any kind of disclaimer to downplay its use.




Thanks to hot dragon, I began looking for more information and I am shocked to learn the US isn't even one of the top ten countries for happiness! There is a lot of information on the internet about happiness and much of this directed to politicians and employers because their decisions affect our happiness and productivity and ability to compete for world markets.



Reading this stuff, it is immediately obvious to me, a good work environment can lead to a decrease in divorces and this means a decrease in all social problems, and that means paying less to manage the social problems. A healthy work environment should concern all of us, and in the US it is unions that have improved the work environment, not most employers. Walmart is the pits, not just because of wages, but changes made when the founder died. As so often happens, companies are taken over by people who only think of the bottom line, and lack information about the best way to make a business succeed. Preaching to employees to give good customer service, and being completely neglectful of the employees as a human being, trying to squeeze out everything they can get from employee with not thought of the working conditions is not how to succeed.
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The United States and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that a U.S. defense official said could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger Beijing, which claims most of the waterway. Washington wants its regional allies and other Asian nations to take a more united stance against China over the South China Sea, where tensions have spiked in the wake of Beijing's construction of seven man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago. India and the United States have ramped up military ties in recent years, holding naval exercises in the Indian Ocean that last year involved the Japanese navy. But the Indian navy has never carried out joint patrols with another country and a naval spokesman told Reuters there was no change in the government's policy of only joining an international military effort under the United Nations flag.

He pointed to India's refusal to be part of anti-piracy missions involving dozens of countries in the Gulf of Aden and instead carrying out its own operations there since 2008. The U.S. defense official said the two sides had discussed joint patrols, adding that both were hopeful of launching them within the year. The patrols would likely be in the Indian Ocean where the Indian navy is a major player as well as the South China Sea, the official told Reuters in New Delhi on condition of anonymity. The official gave no details on the scale of the proposed patrols. A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Bill Urban, said the United States and India "continue to explore ways to deepen defence cooperation, including in the area of maritime security", but no decisions had been made on joint patrols. There was no immediate comment from China, which is on a week-long holiday for Chinese New Year. China accused Washington this month of seeking maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation after a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the Paracel chain of the South China Sea in late January.

The U.S. Navy conducted a similar exercise in October near one of China's artificial islands in the Spratlys. Maritime Cooperation Neither India nor the United States has claims to the South China Sea, but both said they backed freedom of navigation and overflight in the waterway when U.S. President Barack Obama visited New Delhi in January 2015. Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also agreed at the time to "identify specific areas for expanding maritime cooperation". More than $5 trillion in world trade moves through the South China Sea each year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan also claim parts of the waterway. In December, the issue of joint patrols came up when Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, an Indian government source said. "It was a broad discussion, it was about the potential for joint patrols," said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

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Data shows that credit unions with true member loyalty enjoy higher net income, lower costs and faster growth than credit unions with less loyal, engaged members. There are a variety of experience elements that are important to members and help build loyalty.

Quality service, trustworthiness, products, pricing, and ease of use are the elements that are most highly correlated to loyalty. Credit unions have been measuring many of these elements for some time, but ease of use often gets overlooked. More credit unions are now measuring Member Effort Score (also known as Customer Effort Score) to capture ease of use as a part of their overall member experience (MX) program.

About Customer Effort Score

Customer Effort Score was introduced by CEB in 2010 in a Harvard Business Review article . The methodology was revised by CEB in 2013 after further research showed the need for adjustments to the question wording and scale.

The essential idea behind Member Effort Score in the credit union industry, is that reducing the effort required for your members to do business with you will result in fewer detractors and a better member experience, thus improving loyalty. In other words, the easier you make it to do business with you, the more loyal your members will become.

How do you determine where you need to reduce effort? Put simply, by asking members that recently interacted with you if you made it easy for them to handle their issue.

The scores, especially when segmented by the types of interaction (question, problem, technical support, etc.) or channel (phone, web, mobile), can highlight the areas of your business where members have to put forth high effort to get what they need done. Think of those times when youve had to call a service provider back multiple times to get an issue resolved, or you try to find a solution on a websitebut youre forced to call in and try to use the touch tone phone tree. High effort erodes loyalty.

We are often asked, is Member Effort Score better than Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Satisfaction (CSAT)? In working with credit unions, our data has shown that a combination of measures is most effective when building a member feedback or member experience program. NPS is, by nature, a relationship-oriented metric. When members consider how likely they are to recommend the credit union, all of their past experiences are rolled into the rating they choose. As credit unions analyze NPS and the comments that go along with the scores members provide, they are often able to uncover the root cause of service or product issues and make adjustments.

However, Member Effort Score is beneficial when used to measure member experience within a specific channel or touchpoint. Consider this, a member may have had a multitude of great experiences with the credit union and be highly likely to recommend. However, their recent experience with your online banking was very difficult and took way longer than they anticipated. This very loyal member, may indicate that they needed to put forth a lot of effort to use online banking. Imagine if this member continuously had issues with the online banking channelone would guess that this would impact their overall loyalty at some point. Member Effort Score can be used as a spotlight to highlight current high effort experiences in your member journey. When used over time, it can provide an early warning signal to loyalty eroding, high effort interactions.

The reality is a metric alone cannot provide leaders all the information necessary to improve the credit union. Its how you use the feedback and take action that creates the impressive results that NPS, Member Effort Score, Ease of Use, or any other metric promises.
The Santa Cruz Police Department released photos of the BearCat armored attack vehicle they purchased in 2015 despite large protests by the public against its purchase. The attack truck, manufactured by Lenco, cost $251,000 and was bought with grants from the Department of Homeland Security.The SCPD blog entry about the BearCat has intentionally toned down their description of the military style vehicle that has attack features: "The truck, based on a shortened Ford F-550 chassis, has a smooth ride despite its size. It can go as fast as most standard cars. About a dozen officers can fit inside." They describe it as a "rescue" vehicle, and the word rescue is printed in large letters on the BearCat itself.In March of 2015, the organization Santa Cruz Resistance Against Militarization (SCRAM!) released the following statement shortly before the city council meeting where the BearCat would be re-approved for purchase: "SCRAM! has been organizing grassroots action to compel the City Council to rescind approval for the BEARCAT purchase and to develop policies that prevent military equipment from flowing into law enforcement."
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New York human rights advocates today released a parody video of a Taylor Swift song that called for the pop star to publicly distance herself from Israeli diamond and settlement mogul Lev Leviev. Swift wore Leviev diamonds in photos in the September 2015 edition of Vanity Fair. The video release followed a Saturday afternoon musical protest at the Leviev diamond store in Manhattan in the run-up to Valentines Day, with protesters arriving for the third time in a row to find the store closed on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

ADALAH-NY: THE NEW YORK CAMPAIGN FOR THE BOYCOTT OF ISRAELNew Yorkers release parody video asking Taylor Swift to Shake Off Leviev diamondsNYC store of settlement and diamond mogul Leviev closes for Valentines protestSEE THE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mged_l2SrTM&feature=youtu.be MEDIA CONTACT: info [at] dalahny.org New York, NY, February 9, 2016  New York human rights advocates today released a parody video of a Taylor Swift song that called for the pop star to publicly distance herself from Israeli diamond and settlement mogul Lev Leviev. Swift wore Leviev diamonds in photos in the September 2015 edition of Vanity Fair. The video release followed a Saturday afternoon musical protest at the Leviev diamond store in Manhattan in the run-up to Valentines Day, with protesters arriving for the third time in a row to find the store closed on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.A number of organizations, governments and even Hollywood stars have severed ties with Leviev over his companies construction of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, and involvement in serious human rights abuses in Angola's diamond industry. In September seven organizations wrote to Taylor Swift asking her to publicly renounce Leviev. Ms. Swift and her team did not respond to the emailed letter and multiple follow-up phone calls. The video parodies Taylor Swifts song Shake It Off and was recorded in part at the Saturday protest at Leviev. The lyrics say, Lev is abusing, but weve made him stop cruising. With our boycott were moving, for human rights. The protesters call on Swift to join us in boycotting Leviev.VIEW VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mged_l2SrTM&feature=youtu.be On Saturday, 45 people protested outside the Leviev store, singing and holding Valentine-themed, heart-shaped signs saying Leviev Breaks Palestines Heart, Palestine is Forever, Wont You Be Just, plus Taylor Swift, Shake Off Leviev Dimaonds. A piece of paper posted on the stores door claimed the store was closed that day due to inventory. The store was also closed for Adalah-NYs holiday caroling protests in December 2014 and December 2015. Levievs staff claimed the store was closed for the December 19, 2015 protest due to a plumbing issue from the construction site next door.Hani Ghazi of Adalah-NY commented, For the third consecutive time that we have protested here on the busiest shopping Saturdays of the year, the Leviev store was closed. Were confident this is no coincidence, but is yet another sign of the power of the growing global movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions targeting Israel.In addition to a rendition of Shake It Off, protesters joined in a number of other humorous, Valentine-themed songs opposing Israeli apartheid - BDS  Just Boycott, Why Not Divest to the tune of ABC; Lev Makes Bad Romance to the tune of Bad Romance; Apartheid Lover to the tune of Part-time Lover; Dont Buy Me Lev to the tune of Cant Buy Me Love; Dont Buy Lev to the tune of Bye Bye Love; and Levs Diamonds Are a Crimes Best Friend. They also danced a reprise of their 2010 performance of Single BDS Ladies to the tune of Single Ladies. Members of the New York radical marching band the Rude Mechanical Orchestra provided musical accompaniment for the songs and chants.One passerby began screaming at the singing protesters, ripped the phone from the hands of a Palestinian member of Adalah-NY who was recording his tirade, and threw the phone 30 feet down the street (see video).Since Levievs construction of settlements for Israeli Jews furthers inequality, a member of Adalah-NY also read the crowd stories of Love Under Apartheid, about Palestinians who dare to defy Israels apartheid policies with love.Levievs companies - Africa Israel, and Leader Management and Development - have built thousands of homes for Israeli settlers on Palestinian land in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank in violation of international law. Murky reports have emerged in Israeli media about whether Levievs involvement in settlement construction through Africa Israel, and Leader Management and Development could be ending. However, this remains unconfirmed, and the thousands of settlement homes, built for Israeli Jews only, remain on Palestinian land.In the diamond industry in Angola, Angolan security companies guarding Levievs operations have been accused of acts of humiliation, whipping, torture, sexual abuse, and, in some cases, assassinations. In 2014, a video was posted of private Angolan security forces working for the Leviev-owned mine Luminas torturing community members.The protest came as criticisms of Levievs real estate developments in New York City are making headlines. Leviev agreed in January to a settlement in suits over accusations of ripping off NYC condo buyers, but another Leviev company remains embroiled in lawsuits with an ex-partner in gentrification projects in Harlem and Washington Heights.The government of Norway, Oxfam America, UNICEF, CARE, the government of the United Kingdom, and New Zealands Superannuation Fund have all distanced themselves from Levievs companies over their human rights record. Oprah Winfrey also wore Leviev diamonds in the May 2015 issue of O Magazine. She has not responded to calls to publicly distance herself from Leviev.View this press release with hyperlinks to sources: https://adalahny.org/press-release/1370/new-yorkers-release-parody-video-asking-taylor-swift-shake-leviev-diamonds
Council for IWU Women Hosting Annual Summit

Leah Merrifield '78, who was the keynote speaker at the 2015 summit, mingles with students and fellow alumni.

Feb. 12, 2016

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. For the past 10 years, Illinois Wesleyan alumnae have been offering guidance and mentorship to current female students through the Council for IWU Women. The Councils signature event is its annual summit, set this year for Feb. 26-27 centered on the theme At the Table, and open to all IWU female faculty, staff and students.

Keynote speaker for Fridays luncheon is Karen Zander, RN, MS, CMAC, FAAN. A 1970 graduate of IWU with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Zander is president and CEO of The Center for Case Management, a Massachusetts-based, clinician-owned company providing case management leadership to the healthcare industry. Zanders address at 11:45 a.m. in the Young Main Lounge is entitled Finding Your Strength.

Other summit events include the first She Speaks, an event powered by the PechaKucha presentation style. She Speaks begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Hansen Student Center. More than 10 students, alumnae and faculty are scheduled to present their stories in fast-paced presentations of no more than 20 slides each. Practice interviews, career networking events and sessions, and Saturdays luncheon with the announcement of scholarship recipients are among the summits other events.

The Council for IWU Women is a group of over 80 alumnae and friends from throughout the United States and one member currently living in Thailand. Each year a contingent of council members return to campus to offer their talents and resources to support the personal and professional development of the women of IWU. The event provides the opportunity for students to connect with women who are leaders in their professions and communities and who exemplify mentorship for students.

All events are free, as the meals and all summit activities are fully funded by Council for IWU Women members. Registration is required, however, by Feb. 22. Laine Twanow 04 and Abby Sullivan 08 are serving as summit co-chairs for 2016. Carole Liske 77 is president of the Council for IWU Women.
Tepin Back Against Own Gender in Endeavour: Few horses captivate American racing fans more than fillies who defeat males, at least when it comes to dirt racing. Eclipse Award Turf Female champion Tepin won the Breeders Cup Mile (GI) against open company in impressive fashion at Keeneland, although the wagering public expected her to win so it came as no surprise.

Tepin comes back on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in the $150,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (GIII), scheduled as Race 8 on the card. If successful, she might tackle on males more often for trainer Mark Casse and owner Robert Masterson. But, she faces a solid female Grade III field first and bettors should consider all options.

With that in mind, Tepin did win the Breeders Cup Mile in fantastic fashion, chasing a hot pace and putting away the field at the top of the stretch. The Casse Racing website author describes the significance of her win perfectly.

(Tepin and Goldikova) are part of a group of female winners that includes Royal Heroine, Miesque, Ridgewood Pearl, and Six Perfections.

In 2015, Tepin showed she belongs on that list.

When one-dimensional pacesetter Obviously hit the four-furlong marker in 48 seconds, announcer Larry Collmus called the pace slow. Despite the deceptive raw fractions, the TimeformUS pace figures for the Mile were 152 and 137. Note the late fade from Obviously too. He fights more often than not when presented with a moderate pace.

Yet, Tepin kept going in a historically-significant victory. The rest of the field turned into a giant mess of stragglers fighting for the second spot, while Tepin pulled away by a significant margin for a turf race. She won in a beautiful performance which fans will replay for years to come. She dominated the field of mostly males.

Mondialiste, who ran near last for the first half, closed on the outside for second place. Grand Arch received a good trip from fifth and fought hard to move up into third, meaning the two other pace horses besides Obviously (Tourist, Mshawish) faltered too. Tepin ran a special race, regardless of gender. She starts from post five in the Endeavour.

The other options include Lady Lara, who, as a 3-year-old filly, came very close to finishing ahead of eventual Woodbine Mile (GI) winner and older horse Trade Storm in Europe. Her United States campaign has been more conservative and it is hard not to notice Tepin defeated her in the Distaff Turf Mile (GII) and Just a Game (GI).

Tepin picks up excellent turf jockey Jose Lezcano for the second time though. They teamed up together and won the My Charmer (GIII) at Gulfstream Park West in her last start. Lezcano excels at saving ground and striking at the right time in turf events, and whoever upsets Tepin needs such a ride to overcome the advantage Tepin holds.

If Lady Lara impresses no one, how about a $3 million dollar horse? Photo Call makes her debut for Todd Pletcher after making a strong move in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf (GI) before fading. Her class seems in question, despite a Grade I win at Santa Anita. On the plus side, Javier Castellano can help with a clever ride.

Also, Tepins stablemate Lexie Lou makes her presence felt as well. Lexie Lou is no stranger to facing males, as she captured the 2014 Queens Plate against Canadian-breds and finished second to former Horse of the Year and dual-crown winner California Chrome in a top-notch effort at Del Mar two falls ago.

Lexie Lou recently ran an uninspiring third to fellow Endeavour opponents Bureau de Change and Lovely Loyree, two mares with zero chance here. The race came after a year-long break and perhaps Lexie Lou improves enough to make noise in her second start off the layoff. All three discussed horses besides Tepin are capable of upset.

Lady Lara, Photo Call and Lexie Lou still chase an elite turf miler in Tepin, who not only can win racing fans hearts with another strong win, but could make a run for Horse of the Year if she picks up enough male victories and takes the Mile again. If anything, the 1 1/16th-mile distance might give room for pause, but she cannot be ignored.

Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes 2016 Post Positions & Odds

Race 8 3:45 PM ET

1 Lovely Loyree 12-1 De La Cruz/Boyce

2 Partisan Politics 5-1 Velazquez/Brown

3 Lady Lara 4-1 Lezcano/Mott

4 Photo Call 9-2 Castellano/Pletcher

5 Tepin 7-5 Leparoux/Casse

6 Bureau de Change 10-1 Bravo/Lynch

7 Lexie Lou 8-1 Gallardo/Casse
- Yet another shocking revelation has been made regarding the powers of Prophet T.B Joshua and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

- Bishop Kayode Peller has claimed that both clergymen are magicians

The General Overseer (GO) of the Fingers of God Church, Alagbado Lagos state, Bishop Kayode Joseph Abiola Peller, has cast aspersions on Senior Pastor of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), T.B Joshua, and Chris Oyakhilome, the founder of the Christ Embassy.

Bishop Peller who is son of the late renowned magician, Professor Peller, called out clergymen, accusing them of being magicians.

The renowned magician, said the duo, his colleagues in the ministry, use their eyes with demonic powers in them to superimpose their thoughts into people.

In a recent interview with Flip TV, Peller said:

What I see Temitope Joshua do from my own magic experience is what we call mesmerism. It is also called hypnotism.

He claimed that while T.B Joshua uses Kabballah magic to hypnotize his congregation and the general public over his miracles, Chris Oyakhilomes association with Joshua makes him a suspect.

Taking on Oyakhilome, Peller said: I used to believe Oyakhilome before. That ended the day I saw him and Joshua doing miracles and castigating our pastors, Ayo and Okonkwo.

T B Joshua and Chris Oyakhilome

When you castigate these great men of God, you are no more for God. They do miracles but dont know what they teach.

I would say they use magic on their followers since I was a former magician. I see in their actions hypnotism and seduction. I mean the way we used to seduce our congregation; those that come to watch our magic those days.

I see mesmerism, hypnotism and occult display in what they do. How can people jubilate over atmosphere of miracles and before they get to the bus stop, the miracles have gone. Miracles are not limited to atmosphere. God is in charge of everywhere, he added.

According to the Bishop: They use the eyes with the demonic power in them to superimpose their thoughts into people. It happens, for most of those walking in the streets have very weak spirits. For there is witchcraft ability in every man.

That is what we call telepathising: I mean, when I see them do their drama of healing while dancing from one side to another. I know its hypnotism.

These are dangerous occultist words. Telepathising, hypnotism, occultism, kabbalah magic are processes of ruling the minds of weaker men. It could go to the length of seeing the magic maker in the dreams once the weaker person allows the demonic spirit of the conjurer to influence his mind.

Defending his criticism on the duo, the reformer said: Let nobody think that I am jealous of them because their churches are big. If I want to make mine big I know what to do. I am the son of Peller. I know where things happen.

I am not a mugu, to say the truth. They cant fool me. I want to make heaven. I dont want my work to be a waste; for every work built on faulty foundation, shall not stand the test of time.

Foundation of deceit, occultism and demonic power cannot stand the test of time when the owner leaves. Jesus will deny them on that day.

God only can say if Joshua is a real man of God. I dont judge them; only God can do that.

Having said all these, I have nothing against them. For I feel that nothing can be except God allows, Bishop Kayode quipped.

It would be recalled that about a fortnight ago, a very popular Ghanaian witch doctor, Nana Kwaku Bonsam said T.B Joshua comes to him to acquire spiritual powers. He challenged the Nigerian prophet to come out openly to deny.

Source: Legit.ng
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
- Preliminary interrogation reveals many other friends of Jonathan's may be involved

- Says Nigeria will blow up if he opens up on the happenings of Jonathan's administration

- Informs on how most of the monies started changing hands after the postponement of the presidential election

Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, ex-president Goodluck Jonathan's Aide-de-Camp (ADC) who was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have started preliminary confessions.

According to Daily Sun, Colonel Adegbe revealed that another Dasukigate may be looming if he speaks out on the events of the last administration.

Before being flown to Abuja yesterday, it was gathered that preliminary interrogation of the former ADC by operatives of the EFCC showed that a new can of worms, which "could surpass what is now called Dasukigate," would be opened up.

File photo: Former president, Goodluck Jonathan assisted by former vice president, Namadi Sambo decorate his Aide De Camp, Ojogbane Adegbe with his new rank of Colonel. Credit: The Will

Jonathans National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki was arrested and handed over to EFCC in December last year for his role in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal and many others connected to the arms deal fraud have also been picked up.

READ ALSO: EFCC grills ex-governor aides, scores of others

The money means for procurement of arms to fight Boko Haram terrorists was majorly diverted to the presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for which its national publicity secretary is still being tried in the court, although he has been granted bail.

In the coming days, weeks, the former ADC is expected to give details of all he knows as regards the financial transactions and the individuals involved in the last administration.

Documents have been recovered which have hinted of large-scale questionable expenditure with funds sourced from and outside the arms purchase deals.

"Most of the funds were reportedly diverted soon after the election was postponed from the originally scheduled date of February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015," a source informed.

A top official of an agency set up to discourage militancy in the southsouth, who is currently outside the country is one of those mentioned in the new mind boggling revelations by the ADC.

It was also gathered that there was a "mind-boggling spending" during the two weeks extension of the general election, "which runs into several trillions of naira, when converted from foreign currency."

Many top Nigerians, "including some very close persons" to the former president, the source further revealed, may likely be called to explain and defend their roles in the handling of the funds, a chunk of which was sourced from the agency.

READ ALSO: EFCC commences investigation into Sambos office

As at the time of filing this report, Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesperson could not be reached for comments on the arrest.

Former chairman of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond Dokpesi; former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and former national chairman of the party, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed and his son, Abbah are among top Nigerian politicians who have been arrested by the EFCC in relation to the arms procurement deal.

Former governor of Kaduna state, Brigadier General Isa Jafaru; former minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda and the director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shauibu Salisu have also been questioned by the anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is investigating 12 senior army officers for their role in the $2.1billion arms deals.

The senior officers who were sent to the EFCC by the military authorities will be tried by a military Court Martial if found culpable.

Disclosing this in a statement on Friday, February 12, acting director of army public relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said the senior officers "comprised of comprised of 3 serving Major Generals, and one retired, 3 Brigadier Generals, 4 Colonels and 1 Lieutenant Colonel."

Source: Legit.ng
- Tompolo has been declared wanted by the EFCC

- The former Niger Delta leader shunned two bench warrants

- Justice Ibrahim Buba ordered security agencies to provide Tompolo by February 19

A former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, was on February 11 declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

READ ALSO: How we got N905.8m from NIMASA for no contracts - Witness

EFCC has declared Tompolo wanted

This was contained in an advertorial signed by the anti-graft agency's head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, The Punch reports.

Uwujaren explained that the decision was taken after Tompolo turned down two bench warrants issued against him by the Federal High Court in Lagos following charges of a N45.9bn fraud.

The EFCC in the advertorial, which had a picture of Tompolo and described him as a 47-year-old, dark-complexioned man from Okerenkoko, Gbaramotu Kingdom in the Warri South-West local government area of Delta state.

The agency in the advertorial gave Tompolos address as No. 1, Chief Agbanu Street, DDPA Extension, Warri, Delta state, and also stated that he speaks both the Izon and English languages.

The general public is hereby notified that Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a. Tompolo), whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in relation to the offence of conspiracy and illegal diversion of the sum of N34,000,000,000.00 and N11,900,000,000.00 belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the advertorial read.

The Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, on January 14 issued a bench warrant against the former militant leader after he refused to show up before the court on January 12, 2016 to answer the fraud charges levelled against him and nine others by the anti-graft agency.

The high court justice had earlier ordered the law enforcement agencies to produce Tompolo before him on February 8, but the former militant leader instead of appear[ng before the court on January 8, filed an application seeking to vacate the bench warrant and arrest order.

Justice Buba threw out the application for lacking in merit and renewed the arrest warrant. He then ordered all the security agencies to make sure they bring Tompolo to the court on February 19.

Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), counsel to the now wanted Tompolo, after a failed effort to quash the bench warrant, argued that it was not his duty to produce his client in court rather it was the responsibility of the prosecution counsel to produce the suspect in court for trial.

Tompolo and the immediate past director-general of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, as well as others are slammed with a 40 count charge of fraudulent activities.

Vanguard reports that the EFCC on Friday, February 12 slammed new corruption charges on Tompolo, who has been snubbing court order.

The anti-graft agency has revealed that the former militant leader was declared wanted for illegal diversion of N11.9 billion ($60 million) belonging to NIMASA.

Tompolo, who is earlier charged with laundering $175 million has up till now refused to show up before the court.

He was one of the high-profile leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), responsible for the massive destruction of oil and gas pipeline in the Niger Delta region in the year 2000.

But after the federal government amnesty programme of 2009, most of the militants surrendered their arms and some were given rewarding government security contracts to guide the oil and gas pipelines they once destroyed.

But following the ongoing probe into the $2.1 billion fund meant for arms procurement for the countrys armed forces by the office of the ex-NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki, it became glaring that some of the agreements entered with the immediate past government were allegedly used to launder money.

Fresh News report that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has disclosed that detectives are on the trail of the former Niger Delta militant leader, Tompolo, over allegation of diversion of public funds.

Arase, who spoke on Friday February 12 during a tour of the Ekiti state police command said: We are looking for Tompolo and my men are on his trail. We will arrest him anywhere we sight him.

READ ALSO: Photo: Tompolo congratulates Udom,Okowa, Ikpeazu

The Niger Delta region has been in the news of late as several criticisms and warnings have been rolling out against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Some top leaders of the region as well as renowned groups have been advising and accusing Buhari's government of all sort of unattainable matters.

A group, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI), had initially vowed to stand with Tompolo, who has been in hiding since a court ordered that he should be arrested. The order has allegedly sparked the bombing of pipelines in the Niger Delta region by suspected militants who are loyal to the former leader.

Not long ago, the popular Ijaw leader and former federal commissioner for information, Edwin Clark, wrote a letter to President Buhari to intervene in the alleged

A group under the aegis of the Ijaw Cultural Mandate had also raised the alarm over what it described as assaults by the administration of President Buhari on Ijaw leaders in the country, especially in Bayelsa state.

Source: Legit.ng
Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.

This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media  main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.




- Cameroon soldiers engaged Boko Haram fighters in a fierce battled

- The troops killed 27 terrorists while 7 soldiers had various degrees injury

Emerging reports suggests that a bloody clash which took place in Goshi town has led to the death of 27 jihadist.

The Associated Press reports that Cameroon soldiers killed at least 27 Boko Haram fighters after launching a cross-border operation in the Nigerian locality of Goshi that also resulted in the death of one soldier, a senior military official said.

Cameroon troops (stock)

READ ALSO: Boko Haram war: See who visited Nigeria to give support against insurgency

At least seven other soldiers were injured in the operation early Thursday, said Gen Jacob Kodji.

Kodji said the Nigerian Islamic extremist group launched a series of attacks in Cameroon earlier this week.

"At least 27 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Thursday morning's operation," said the commander of Cameroon troops in the area.

The soldiers remain on the battle front there, he added.

Ashigashiya straddles the order of northern Cameroon and Nigeria. Regional forces from both countries have since December 2015 been launching raids on Boko Haram strongholds along their boarders.

It will be recalled that six people were killed in Cameroon on Wednesday, February 10, following a double suicide attack in the village of Nguetchewe, which lies close to the border.

Source: Legit.ng
For years, Linn County businessman Brad Newport has heard an inner voice telling him to give money to charities, especially those that help children.

In March, Newport, who owns several businesses in Sweet Home and Albany, will put those thoughts into practice by donating 100 percent of the profits from his All Star Pizza (formerly Pizza King) in Albany to charities.

Its just something that I have always wanted to do, the 1981 Sweet Home High graduate said. This is my opportunity.

Newport said he recently mentioned his goal to Pastor Don Knight of the Community Chapel in Sweet Home.

But I told him there never seemed to be enough money or time to do it, Newport said. He laughed and told me there never will be, but urged me by saying, Now is your chance.

Newports All Star Pizza in Sweet Home recently raised $10,000 to help the family of Gene Mayfield, who was seriously injured in an accident in January.

I originally thought Id donate 20 percent, and then I finally said, What the heck, and thanks to the community waiting in line for hours and volunteers from the fire department, we raised more than $7,300 in pizza sales and more than $2,300 in tips in one day, Newport said.

Heres how Newports plan is going to work:

Potential charities are asked to call him at 541-401-0899. He plans to focus at this time only on those that help children. Each days profits will be divided up among the chosen charities. Every Tuesday, profits will be directed to a single charity.

But the key will be that featured charity will need to do a lot of work, Newport said. The kids and their families will need to drum up business and we will need volunteers to help in the shop. I cant burn out my employees by having them overrun.

Newport doesnt see his project as philanthropic. Hey, they are going to do most of the work, he said.

Hes able to follow his dream because he owns other profitable businesses, including All Star Pizza and Mr. Luckys Deli in Sweet Home.

Newport grew up in Lebanon, but his family moved to Sweet Home the summer before he started high school.

It was kind of like moving into enemy territory, because in those days, the two schools competed against each other, he said. It was difficult for me at first, but now I love Sweet Home.

Newports businesses were named Business of the Year by the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce in 2010.

He purchased Pizza King in downtown Albany in September from longtime owner Ruby Lewis.

Newport said he worked for G&H Logging after high school and eventually purchased a minimarket in Lebanon. The profit margin was fantastic, but I really hated selling people cigarettes and beer, he said.

His former wife asked him what he would do if they sold the mini market and suggested a pizza restaurant.

Everybody loves pizza, Newport said.

They purchased the former Pizza King in Lebanon and operated it for three years. They opened Mr. Luckys Deli in Sweet Home in 2006 and All Star Pizza in 2009.

I hope we give away a lot of money, he said of his plan. We have to sustain and support our staff, but how much the charities earn will depend on them. They will have to do their own marketing.

Newport said groups should contact him as soon as possible so he can finalize the project before March 1.
- Governor Ayodele Fayose said that he was ready to be probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Commission

- He called on the anti-graft agencies to scrutinize the financial dealings of his government

- The governor commented on the rumoured intentions of some PDP bigwigs to dump the party

I know that I have so many enemies and that is why I have been following due process in all my dealings.

Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti state, made an unexpected announcement on Friday, February 12.

Speaking during the flag off of the proposed ultramodern Oja Oba market, the governor said that he was ready to be probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Commission.

Calling on the anti-graft agencies to scrutinize the financial dealings of his government, Fayose said:

I know that I have so many enemies and that is why I have been following due process in all my dealings. There are enemies for me when I sleep and when I wake up, so I have to be careful. I dont want my enemies to latch on technicality to get at me.

Commeting on the rumoured intentions of some bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party to dump the PDP, Fayose noted that he was not scared by the defection threats.

READ ALSO: Poll: Should Fayose be arrested?

If you want to go, you better leave now. I always rely on the masses rather than politicians, because they dont betray like politicians.

Politics is a game and we shall play it for them in 2018. When you make the people your pillar, you will never fail. I am confident that I will defeat them if election is held here 20 times, because I make the masses the pillar of support, he stressed.

Vanguard reports that Fayose assured people of the state that the new Oja Oba market, which was demolished in November 2015, would be ready in 18 months.

Appealing to all those market men and women, who had suffered as a result of the demolition, the governor said that they would have cause to rejoice with him after the completion of the project.

READ ALSO: Taraba: Read what Fayose has to say about Ishakus victory at Supreme Court

It is always very difficult when structures like this were being demolished. But it takes a leader with great heart to take a bold step like this. What Ekiti needs is a bold leader and not a weakling, we dont need a weakling.

I am a builder, who God had sent to help Ekiti and that exactly I shall do. But it is only a state like Ekiti where people would want to bring down a builder at all cost.

They are criticizing my government on daily basis, they are free to do so. But I want to emphasize that I wont be distracted by their criticisms no matter how tempting, he said.

Meanwhile, the APC in Ekiti state accused Fayose of attacking his opponents to divert attention from the election fraud saga that brought him to power.

According to the party, the governor is jittery and that is why he is stoking violence to cover up the Ekitigate scandal.

Source: Legit.ng
A Jefferson man received 10 years in prison on Thursday for his role in numerous crimes, including a Lebanon assault that left two people injured in September.

Christopher Allen Bishop, 33, and another suspect used baton-like objects to attack a couple in their SUV in the parking lot of the Appletree Restaurant.

On Thursday, he was sentenced on 21 charges in six separate cases in Linn County Circuit Court. For about four years of his sentence, he will be eligible to earn time off for good behavior, and engage in alternative programs.

Prosecutor Keith Stein said that Bishop was fortunate not to have a lengthier sentence as there were two separate victims in the assault case.

Defense attorney Tyler Reid requested that Judge Daniel Murphy rule Bishop as a drug-dependent person, so he could potentially get treatment or counseling while incarcerated, and Murphy complied.

Bishop made no statement to the courts at the time of his sentencing.

In November, Bishop pleaded guilty as part of a negotiated settlement to: two counts of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree criminal mischief for the Lebanon baton attack; first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, two counts of second-degree burglary and two-counts of second-degree criminal mischief in an October case; delivery of heroin, possession of methamphetamine, felony attempt to elude and driving while suspended from a September case; two counts of failure to appear in an August case; second-degree theft and driving while suspended from a July case; and driving while suspended from a February incident.

Another suspect in the Lebanon baton attack, Gary Lee Robinson, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on Monday after pleading no contest to second-degree assault and other crimes from four separate cases.

The two victims in the case said multiple windows on their SUV were broken out. The female victim said she was hit in the face and the man told police he was struck numerous times, according to court paperwork.

Bishop and Robinson believed one of the victims was a police informant and were seeking to retaliate, according to court paperwork.
- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stepped up investigations into the notorious Halliburton scandal

- Damian Dodo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was questioned for eight hours in connection to this probe

- Dodo was interrogated for his role in the alleged $26 million bribery of a former minister and five other Nigerian lawyers

Damian Dodo was questioned for eight hours by the EFCC operatives.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it has stepped up investigations into the notorious Halliburton scam.

According to the statement made by Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesman, Damian Dodo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was questioned for eight hours in connection to this probe.

Speaking with Sahara Reporters, sources close to the investigation said that Dodo was interrogated for his role in the alleged $26 million bribery of a former minister and five other Nigerian lawyers.

The ex-minister involved is said to be former minister of justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke.

READ ALSO: Reopening Halliburton Bribery Case A Good Start For PMB

The anti-graft agency alleged that Dodo received $4.5 million through his legal firm, DD Dodo and Co., from multinational companies connected to the Halliburton bribery scandal using the false cover of legal services.

The EFCC also alleged that the lawyer withdrew more than $2 million in cash in flagrant violation of extant money laundering regulations.

The anti-graft agency is also investigating 12 senior army officers for their role in the $2.1billion arms deals.

The senior officers who were sent to the EFCC by the military authorities will be tried by a military Court Martial if found culpable.

Source: Legit.ng
- Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled pro-Biafra leader, believes it will take some bloodshed to actualize the Biafran dream.

- Kanu makes a striking prediction that the death of some Biafrans is inevitable but their sacrifice will be worth it in the end when Biafra eventually becomes a reality.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu has made a striking announcement regarding the agitation for Biafra.

IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu

READ ALSO: Biafra under attack: OEAS rolls out Biafra self defense units

The embattled Biafran leader has claimed that some troubled times lie ahead of the cause; however, he notes that the dream must still come to fruition.

The pro-Biafra chief whose arrest sparked a wave of protests across Nigerias southeast said he is a "prisoner of conscience" and would do all within his might to see that the dream of an independent state of Biafra comes to pass.

He told AFP from jail that Biafra has come to stay,

Communicating his thoughts through his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the radio Biafra director said: They will kill us but by the end Biafra will come, the 48-year-old added: I am a prisoner of conscience and killing unarmed Biafran protesters is a crime against humanity.

, following a protest staged by the IPOB. The supposed peaceful march which ended bloodily, was held in condemnation of the prolonged detention of Kanu.

Twenty other pro-Biafra agitators were reportedly injured in the course of a surprise attack launched by security operatives.

Following the killing, the IPOB said it will switch into a new mode in which it can defend itself against hostilities by Nigerian security agencies.

In the same vein the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has warned that it will take the security operatives to the International Court of Justice at The Hague. The OYC claims that the people of Biafra have their rights which the Nigeria security agencies are infringing upon.

Source: Legit.ng


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Pacific Excavation Inc. of Eugene submitted the low bid of $5,423,423 Wednesday morning for the Quartzville Drive Roadway Improvement Project northeast of Sweet Home.

Bids ranged from $5,242,070 to $6,261,307.

Linn County Roadmaster Darrin Lane said several bids were received for the project.

But the bid that appeared to be lowest at the time of the opening contained mathematical errors that resulted in an additional amount being added into the bid price, thus changing the apparent low bidder, he said.

Lane said the project will include a combination of improvements needed to meet current public needs and future demands, and address problems associated with the use of the Quartzville Recreation Corridor.

The improvements include more than 11 miles of roadway widening and repaving, drainage improvements, slide stabilization repair and the construction of three parking lots, each including a restroom and information kiosk, he said.

Lane said the project is funded by a Federal Lands Access Program Grant.

Linn County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are contributing matching funds or in-kind work as well.

Lane said the first phase of this corridor project was the painting of the 578-foot-long Whitcomb Creek Bridge at a cost of approximately $1.5 million. That project was completed last spring.

At the time, County Engineer Chuck Knolls said, Its just a beautiful bridge. Getting this bridge a good coat of paint has been on my bucket list every since I came to work for the Linn County Board of Department.

The total corridor project cost, including engineering design and construction will be approximately $8 million, Lane said.

More than 1,000 vehicles per day travel the Quartzville Recreation Corridor during busy summer-tourism months.
Galliard Homes, in joint venture with Cain Hoy, McCourt, Vanke and The Estate Office Shoreditch are launching The Stage in Shoreditch, the 750 million transformation of the 2.3 acre site of William Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre, where Romeo & Juliet and Henry V were first performed, into a new mixed use

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Pramerica Real Estate Investors has signed cosmetics retailer Sephora to a 10.5 year green lease at 41 Rue Ybry in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The office was acquired vacant in July 2015 as part of Pramerica's pan-European discretionary strategy.

The grade-A office property will become the new global headquar...

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Foreign investment into the UK totalled a record 27.8 billion in 2015, a six per cent increase on 2014s 26.2 billion. A total of 67.5 billion was invested in UK commercial real estate in 2015, a five per cent decrease on the record of 70.7 billion invested in 2014, making

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When Bravo reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump isn't adopting rescue dogs, she's campaigning for their rights - most recently, dogs in danger of being killed for their meat at the Yulin dog meat festival in southwest China. The annual festival, which was founded in 2010 by dog meat traders looking to boost sales, marks the start of the summer solstice for the town of Yulin. Held each June, a major component of the celebration includes the mass consumption of dog meat. These days, only a very small population in China eat dog meat, despite there being a history of its consumption. "Last year I saw some horrific images on Twitter," Vanderpump told The Dodo. "I knew I couldn't rest without doing something constructive to stop this, to end these horrendous acts. I have an understanding that different cultures eat different animals ... however, this 'festival,' as they call it, is largely about torturing dogs ... many believe that the torture stimulates the adrenaline that makes the meat more tender." YouTube/The We Love Dogs Foundation

Though government officials don't overtly support the festival, the practice of capturing, butchering and selling dogs still continues. The Guardian reported that up to 10,000 dogs were likely up for slaughter at last year's festival, although opposition to it within China has been steadily rising. Various rescue groups and organizations have put forth efforts and campaigns to transport dogs out of Yulin.

Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Scared Pittie Gets So Happy When He Meets This Guy And His Pack Of Dogs

The festival is terrifying for the dogs who face any number of horrors - from being boiled alive and beaten to death, to being stuffed, several at a time, into one small cage, barking and crying in discomfort. This is why Vanderpump founded the Stop Yulin Forever organization in June 2015, with her husband, Ken Todd. Lisa, Ken an Giggy the Pomeranian.Lobeline Communications

Lisa, Ken an Giggy the Pomeranian. | Lobeline Communications

She also works with her Vanderpump Dog Foundation partners Rick Langley and Dr. John Sessa on the project. Last year, Vanderpump and her team brought two dogs over from China, one of whom was pregnant. To date, the lives of six dogs have been spared. The names of the two original dogs are Teddy Li ...

... and Yulin Hope.

Both dogs now have forever homes and act as Stop Yulin Forever awareness ambassadors.

"I have many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, thinking about the barbaric torture of dogs that happens during the Yulin festival," Vanderpump said. "Millions of people are aware of these barbaric acts. We have created a PSA, which Sharon Osbourne has supported me with, a march to the Chinese counsel and have created banners, T-shirts and a website," she said. "We are building an army of supporters. Our next thing is to try and take it to the [Chinese] government."

Stop Yulin Forever currently has two campaigns to help keep dogs from being killed in the festival this June, one of which is to rehabilitate a current animal sanctuary in Yulin with up-to-date equipment and staff, Sessa told The Dodo. The second campaign consists of introducing an alternative to Yulin, called the "Art, Music and Lynchee Festival." "Our team, including Lisa and Ken, is planning [an alternative festival that] can be used to generate revenue and positive publicity for the town of Yulin," Sessa said. "We are planning to meet with Yulin officials in March to discuss our festival plans and how we can work together to accomplish our goals."

As for the dogs Stop Yulin Forever rescued from slaughter? "They seem to have a sense of thanks toward the people who have adopted them," she said. "They have a different energy about them when they've been on the other side. I am looking at my little Harrison, who we adopted. He was dumped after Christmas, and he has so much thankfulness in his eyes," Vanderpump said.
There's just one tiger left at the zoo in Khan Younis, a city in war-torn Gaza. His name is Laziz. During the last few weeks he witnessed the other tigers starve to death as food supplies diminished. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

Warning: Disturbing image below Thankfully, rescue workers are stepping in to pull the surviving animals from the brink of death. And Laziz is not alone. Leopards, foxes, apes and birds are there with him, desperate for help. Four Paws International organized a large shipment of food from Jordan to the zoo, which will help the 40 animals left there. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

"Even though the situation in Khan Younis Zoo is terrible, we are at least happy that we have been able to give the animals sufficient food," Four Paws International wrote on Facebook. The organization was also granted access to the zoo last spring. FOUR PAWS

Dodo Shows Odd Couples Kitten Isn't Sure About His Pittie Brother  At First

FOUR PAWS

"The situation has worsened since our last mission in April 2015," Dr. Amir Khalil said in a press release. "According to estimates, there were still 40 big cats in the summer of 2015. Now, it is said that there are only 15 left." FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

Because of bad weather and ongoing conflict, there have been no visitors at Khan Younis Zoo, which means that the privately kept zoo does not have any income. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

And it isn't the first time the animals - thought to have been smuggled from Egypt to Gaza via underground tunnels - have suffered. Since it opened in 2007, the animals have been largely unseen victims of severe neglect. Because of instability and conflict over the years, the zoo has sometimes gone unvisited for weeks at a time. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

Owner Mohammad Awaida has been known to mummify the bodies of some of the animals who have finally succumbed. "The idea to mummify animals started after the Gaza war because a number of animals like the lion, the tiger, monkeys and crocodiles died," Awaida told the Associated Press in 2012. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS

Despite being small - just about 28 square miles - the war-torn area is home to six zoos, according to Four Paws. The organization is working on formulating a longer-term solution for the suffering animals in Gaza, while also trying to provide urgent care to the starving and sick animals. And rescue work doesn't stop at the Khan Younis zoo. "The Rafah Zoo, which houses four lions among other animals, has been supplied with food and medicine," Claire LaFrance, a representative for Four Paws, told The Dodo. FOUR PAWS

FOUR PAWS
Want to enjoy the beauty of African wildlife in its natural habitat without having to book a flight? Look no further. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas got up close and personal with some of the world's most elusive animals over the course of three months last year at Namibia's Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Some of the animals had only previously been captured by research cameras before, Burrard-Lucas wrote in a blog post about the project, completed on assignment for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"My personal motivation for working on this project was that is was for a really worthwhile cause," Burrard-Lucas told The Dodo. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Dodo Shows Soulmates Dog Goes Everywhere In His Dad's Kangaroo Pouch

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"To photograph animals who have probably never been photographed before and for these images to be used by WWF to help with their conservation efforts." Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Burrard-Lucas said he had previously spent two weeks in Namibia trying to find and photograph carnivores like lions, hyenas, leopards and African wild dogs, but to no avail. However, he was able to overcome this challenge by utilizing five Camtraptions camera trap systems, which, unlike research cameras, incorporate a high-quality DSLR camera. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

The final result? High-definition, rare glimpses into the Zambezi region's wildlife scene at its most natural and undisturbed. The photos also provide a rather intimate look of a (sometimes) peaceful coexistence between species. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"One of the things that made this project so unique for me was that these animals were so shy that I did not actually seeing any of them with my own eyes," he said. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"I never knew what my camera traps had captured until I checked the memory cards." Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

In his blog post, Burrard-Lucas said the animals who proved to be the greatest challenge to capture were the lions. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"I set up two camera traps near waterholes that the lions sometimes visit," he explained. "In the three months my traps were operating, the lions passed by twice, resulting in some very rare shots of these secretive big cats." Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"The abundance of animals was startling, particularly as I had hardly seen any of them and that they were outside national parks, in and around areas where people live," Burrard-Lucas said. Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

"I hope that now these images can be used to show people how much wildlife is living in these unprotected areas and hopefully inspire people to protect them, before it is too late." Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US

Will Burrard-Lucas/WWF-US
ProPublica and The Washington Post wanted to see what impact, if any, the 162(m) limit on deducting executive compensation has had on Americas biggest companies, which set the example for Corporate America.

We began with the approach that professor Steven Balsam of Temple University took in a 2012 study for the Economic Policy Institute. He calculated deductible and nondeductible executive compensation for more than 7,000 companies for the year 2010.

We looked at a narrower field: the 40 members of the Nifty Fifty  the 50 companies in the Standard & Poors 500-stock index with the highest stock market value  that reported executive compensation in 1992, the year before the deduction limit took effect.

We asked S&P Global Market Intelligence to add up three categories subject to the limit  salary, bonus and restricted stock that vests over time. S&P separately added all other compensation categories, such as stock options and incentive-based pay, that are fully deductible. Making the 1992-to-2014 comparison work required some modifications:

 For 1992, S&P recalculated the value of stock options by using an options-valuation formula rather than the numbers companies reported. That is consistent with the 2014 method and makes the values comparable.

 One category of 2014 compensation  the buildup of value in retirement accounts  is not included, because the amounts were not disclosed in 1992.

 The 2014 numbers omit chief financial officers because they were exempted from the deductibility limit in 2007.

Finally, our numbers do not include executives profits on stock options; we count the value of options when granted.

Our results show that 2014 compensation subject to deductibility limits grew by 650 percent per executive from the 1992 level. In this period, the consumer price index rose about 70 percent.
In an effort to cure his cancer, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) underwent an experiment that left him with accelerated healing powers and a twisted sense of humor. ( / 20th Century Fox)

Deadpool is not your grandfathers superhero movie. Come to think of it, it isnt your 13-year-old nephews superhero movie, either.

Blatantly, buoyantly vulgar and jam-packed with conspicuously perverse, often bloody violence  including a scene in which the titular protagonist, while handcuffed and suffering from a bullet wound in the seat of his red Spandex pants, saws off his own hand with a Japanese katana  the film has been touted as Marvels first R-rated comic-book movie.

[Answering all of your pressing Deadpool questions]

Thats not entirely accurate. While the wildly popular X-Men and Avengers franchises  including Iron Man, Thor and other feeder films  have never strayed beyond PG-13 territory, some Marvel adaptations occasionally have, such as The Punisher and Blade.

Deadpool, however, takes itself far less seriously than either of those films (and includes a snarky little dig at Blade II). Beyond that, there are a jillion other quippy, self-referential jokes about comics and pop culture, including the silly names for Ikea furniture; David Beckhams surprisingly high-pitched voice; and a scatological allusion to Meredith Baxter.

These and other zingers fly by fast and frequently. To put it in terms that Deadpool might, the script reads like The Simpsons had sex with American Dad, but before the censor got there. For the record, its written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland). Although the opening credits mention no names  including theirs  star Ryan Reynolds is listed as Gods perfect idiot; first-time feature director Tim Miller is described as an overpaid tool. The writers are referred to as the real heroes here.

Thats about right.



The costumed mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will have viewers  and anyone who gets in his way  in stitches. (Joe Lederer/Twentieth Century Fox)

Based on a Marvel character introduced in 1991, Deadpool is the origin story of mercenary Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool  or as he puts it, a bad guy who gets paid to f--- up worse guys. After he receives a cancer diagnosis, Wade (Reynolds) is cured via a treatment that leaves him physically disfigured  hence the head-to-toe suit  but with his own latent mutations unleashed, leaving him with superhuman agility and the ability to heal rapidly. That bullet wound? Its quickly gone, even as a fresh hand starts sprouting from his stump, like an amputated frog leg.

[At 25, Deadpools greatest power isnt what you think it is]

One very funny scene features Wade stroking, with his tiny baby hand, the face of his blind, former cocaine-addict roommate, played by Leslie Uggams. Its just one of many demented asides that do nothing whatsoever to advance the plot, but are essential to the films sense of cracked, antisocial enjoyment. In a running gag, two obscure X-Men  the gothy Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and the metallic hulk named Colossus (Stefan Kapicic)  keep trying to recruit Deadpool to their crime-fighting enterprise, before realizing its a lost cause.

Or is it?

As much of an embittered antihero as Wade is, hes also hugely likable, if not entirely good. Thats because of Reynolds, who brings to his character a charmingly sarcastic verve thats more tart than completely sour. If the actor was miscast in Green Lantern  and the Deadpool script is certainly not the first to admit that he was, lobbing several well-earned insults in the direction of that 2011 film  hes pretty perfect here. Like Deadpool, whos not afraid to kiss a guy, Reynolds exudes a pansexual appeal, at once hyper-masculine and ever so slightly homoerotic.



Wade Wilson (Reynolds) and his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) in Deadpool. (Joe Lederer/Twentieth Century Fox)

The forward momentum of the film is fueled by Wade/Deadpools attempt to exact revenge on the man who left him deformed (Ed Skrein), and who has kidnapped Wades prostitute girlfriend (Morena Baccarin). But thats just the plot. Despite loads of eye-poppingly well-shot fight choreography, Deadpool is only 10 percent action. The other 90 percent? Attitude. It has it out the wazoo, to use a word that Wade never would.

At one point, he calls this movie a love story; at another, a horror movie. (There is a lot of direct-camera address, a hallmark of the character.) In truth, its a voraciously self-aware comedy, one that dines out on the inherent inanity of its own premise as much as it does the movies its competing with.

Deadpool may not be the first Marvel character for grown-ups. But this merc with a mouth, as hes known, feels like the first one with real teeth. Ill wager hes got legs, too. The fast-talking, funny and filthy superhero sounds like a f------ franchise, to use his own words. As with nearly everything else that comes out of the characters mouth, its hard to argue.
March 3, 1925  Feb. 9, 2016

Orville Gil Gilpin, 90, of Jefferson died Tuesday at the Oregon Veterans Home in Lebanon.

Gil was born in Trinidad, Colorado, to James and Grace Gilpin. He had two brothers, Joseph and Marvin, and one sister, Alliebelle (all deceased).

He is survived by his sister, Shirleyann (Arthur) Greenhalgh of Jefferson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He graduated from Trinidad High School in 1943. He signed with the Marines on his birthday before graduation. All he ever wanted to be was a Marine. He served in World War II, Korean War and Vietnam.

After discharge he lived in Poway, California. Then he and wife Donna moved to Stonewall, Colorado, and bought and operated a lodge. He attended Trinidad Jr. College and after graduation he taught trades at the college. He was active in the Volunteer Fire Department in Stonewall. His wife passed in 2005 so he moved to Jefferson to live with his sister.

In 2015, because of failing health, he became part of the military family residing at the Oregon Veterans Home in Lebanon. He was happy there and loved everyone. We can never find any place as caring and loving as everyone there. They are family and we cannot thank them enough. We miss him, his humor and smiles.

Per his request, no service will be held. When the snow has melted he will be buried next to his wife in Stonewall. He gave himself a new nickname Q-Ball, so goodbye for now Q-Ball. See you later.

Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.


Diners at Taqueria El Mexicano dine on tacos queritos and tamales rojos. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

On a shelf high above the gumball machines, where you can purchase a peewee-sized plastic critter for 50 cents, there is an altar at Taqueria El Mexicano in Hyattsville. This perch is public but feels private: Novena candles and artificial flowers camouflage framed photographs, which are watched over by towheaded angels and a radiant Our Lady of Guadalupe statue.

Im not sure why, but I feel the need to tread lightly around the altar, as if Im walking on hallowed ground inside this no-frills taqueria, located just steps from the every-man-for-himself tumult of University Boulevard, otherwise known as the international corridor. Co-owner Bernardo Vargas tells me the shelf-based shrine is just a sign of the religious convictions of his wife, Clara, and nothing more.

Even if the grounds not sacred at Taqueria El Mexicano, it is rare. The Vargass corner shop is the scarce Mexican restaurant tucked into a neighborhood better known for its immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. This explains why the owners, for example, offer pupusas on a menu dedicated largely to the dishes of Puebla, the central Mexican state that the Vargas family calls home.

The place to start here is with the mole poblano, the labor-intensive dish that, according to the $20 Diners favorite Mexican cooking authority, Pati Jinich, can trace its origins to the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla. The taquerias mole is as dark as crude oil, coating the chicken leg and breast in a shimmering sauce built from Mexican chocolate, bananas, nuts and several dried chilies, including pasilla, guajillo and ancho peppers. If the chicken arrives overcooked, dont sweat it; youll be too busy deciphering the sweet, spicy, earthy, nutty flavors contained in this bottomless mole.



Mole poblano at Taqueria El Mexicano in Hyattsville. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

The mole is thickened, in part, with bread, which the Vargas family sources from its own bakery, located two doors down, next to the Hair Afrique salon in the same cinder-block strip center. Panaderia El Mexicano supplies the bolillo loaves for the big, bready torta sandwiches at the taqueria, too. But the restaurants reliance on fresh bread takes a complicated left turn when it comes to tortillas.

Some of the tortillas are made fresh from masa harina; others are pulled from a bag, Bernardo tells me. This information immediately resolved a mystery at Taqueria El Mexicano: how the tortillas can be so supple and fragrant one visit  and so thick and lifeless the next. When you dine at the taqueria, Bernardo says you should tell the counter crew that you dont want the regular tortillas; you want the house-made ones.

Regrettably, I came by this insider information after I had dined multiple times at the taqueria. My taco face-stuffings would have been far more satisfying with fillings swaddled in warm, fresh-from-the-griddle tortillas. One key to prime taco enjoyment  other than ordering those hand-formed tortillas  is to slather your bite in a house-made salsa (although I should warn you that the red version, spiked with arbol chiles, has enough electricity to jump-start a 48 Studebaker). The salsa application is the final, vital step in the taco-making process: Its the element that mostly seasons the meat, which often picks up color and char in the kitchen, but not much salt and pepper.



An altar at Taqueria El Mexicano in Hyattsville. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Barbacoa (front), al pastor and lengua tacos at Taqueria El Mexicano in Hyattsville. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

One of the taquerias most mouthwatering meals is a plate of marinated pork blackened on the grill and served with Mexican rice and charred green peppers and cactus paddles. Billed as enchiladas de cerdo, the dish doesnt feature a single tortilla on its decorative plate, rolled or otherwise. The issue may be nothing more than a gringo-Latino miscommunication. The Mexican culinary canon includes a large number of chile-marinated pork dishes, sans tortillas, which go by such names as puerco enchilado and cecina de cerdo enchilada. Whatever the explanation, the dish is magnificent, even with the slimy cactus.

There is no lost-in-translation problem with either the carne asada or the fajitas. The former is a pile of beef pounded mercilessly into thin, chewy, perfectly seasoned strips. The fajitas plate practically groans under the weight of the chicken, beef and head-on shrimp, the proteins mixed with grilled onions, green peppers and long portentous fingers of dried chile. If you cant cobble together Grade A, tortilla-wrapped snackage from these meats and vegetables, theres little hope for you.

To review all the available dishes at Taqueria El Mexicano, you must scan not only the menu on the counter but also the illuminated offerings on the wall, which advertise some plates not listed elsewhere. Such as the tamales, these rather dry, crumbly logs that are more masa than filling. The chicken chilaquiles suffer from the opposite problem: The plate is so flooded with liquid  from the sauce, from the crema, from the egg yolk  that the tortilla chips have lost their edge.



Enchiladas de cerdo verde at Taqueria El Mexicano in Hyattsville. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

After five visits to the taqueria, Ive drawn a conclusion about the kitchen: The dishes cooked to order can weave all over the place, like a teenage driver checking his Tinder messages. Sometimes the plates are spot on; other times, theyre just spotty. Yet the dishes prepared in larger batches, such as rice and pinto beans, will knock you out every time, as if those recipes are so dialed in that theyre foolproof. Tablemates risk a fork wound if they dare steal my pinto beans.

[Taqueria Habanero: From Puebla, with love and fresh tortillas]

Sometimes a dish doesnt align with my understanding of Puebla cooking. The masa base for the huarache  I ordered the flatbread with chorizo meat, spicy and sour  isnt stuffed with a thin layer of refried black beans, like the version at Taqueria Habanero, another shop run by Puebla natives. When I mention this to Bernardo, its almost like I jog his memory about the huaraches of his youth. That one is much better, he says about the bean-stuffed version.

Upon reflection, Bernardo thinks he should add the authentic Puebla huarache to his menu at Taqueria El Mexicano. Im going to light a novena candle and pray that he does.
D.C. Council member Yvette M. Alexander got her political start as the handpicked successor to Vincent C. Gray, who anointed her after he became council chairman and before he ran for mayor. Now, Gray, mounting a political comeback after losing the mayoralty, wants to reclaim his old council seat.

His former protege insists she is not retreating.

Alexander (D-Ward 7), in an interview, accused Gray of challenging her as a first step toward a 2018 mayoral bid that would avenge his loss to Muriel E. Bowser in the 2014 Democratic primary.

Hes just trying to get his foot in the door, Alexander said. If Vince Gray is honest about it, he would tell the truth and say, I want to run for mayor. I want to get revenge. Thats who he is, and Ward 7 knows it.

Alexander, 54, was loyal to Gray during his worst moments as mayor, describing him as a man of integrity when council colleagues demanded his resignation during the U.S. attorneys investigation into financial irregularities in his 2010 mayoral campaign.

Then-D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), center, and his onetime protege, council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), join developer Chris Smith at the groundbreaking for the Skyland Town Center in March 2014. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Prosecutors closed the investigation in December without charging Gray. But six of his associates have pleaded guilty to charges related to campaign finances.

After Gray lost the primary, Alexander aligned herself with Bowser. She said she has not spoken with Gray since he left office 13 months ago and described herself as shocked by his decision to challenge her in the June 14 Democratic primary.

During a radio interview Friday, she said she would use the federal investigation to raise questions about Grays tenure.

We cant give him a break or a pass, she told WAMUs Kojo Nnamdi, suggesting that prosecutors did not charge Gray because he had a very good attorney.

[Back in it: Gray to run for Ward 7 seat]

Gray, 73, declined a request to talk about Alexander. But Chuck Thies, his spokesman, said Gray is running because he feels he can do a better job than Yvette and he wants to make that case to the voters of Ward 7.

Thies said Grays candidacy is not tied to a future plan to run for mayor and that it has nothing to do with Bowser.

Ive had hundreds of hours of conversations with Vince Gray since he left office, and I dont think Ive heard him say Muriel Bowser once, Thies said.

As for Grays past support of Alexander, Thies said, Vince doesnt feel that she has grown in the job. When youve been there for eight years and youre not an influential council member, its time for you to go. At this point, Yvette is just taking up space. Thats not Vinces fault.

Gray is staking his quest to return to the citys political stage on the hope that his tenure as mayor and on the council is enough to persuade past loyalists to renew their commitment to him.

But Grays decision to challenge Alexander also is a reminder that his 2007 endorsement of her was a key reason she won the election to succeed him in the ward after he became council chair.

I supported her primarily because of Gray, said Phil Hammond, a longtime Democratic activist in Ward 7. It was a leap of faith, but I thought Gray was knowledgable enough. He supported her and pushed her. Thats part of his record.

[Former D.C. mayor tests the political waters]

Johnnie Scott Rice, a former Gray supporter who was among the candidates who lost to Alexander in 2007, said she is not altogether pleased with Alexanders performance. But Rice, who supported Bowser over Gray in 2014, said Grays quest to reclaim Ward 7 suggests another agenda.

I dont understand how he expects us to take out someone he put in there because hes selfish enough to want her seat, Rice said. Its not right for Vince Gray to go after Yvette Alexander. She did everything he asked her to do. I dont give a damn if shes not doing everything we want.

In her three victorious campaigns, Alexander has not won more than 50 percent of the vote. Her detractors say she has few accomplishments to her credit since taking office nine years ago.

Now she has a track record on her own, and he can easily say she didnt do what he expected, said Kevin Chavous, whom Gray defeated in 2004 to become the wards council member.

Gray is a well-known name in the ward, where he commanded 60 percent of the vote in the 2014 primary. He may also benefit from supporters anger that prosecutors long-running investigation undermined his quest for a second term as mayor.

The thing that gives him the most advantage is the fact that his whole entire term was under a cloud that led to nothing, Chavous said. People feel like he was a victim.

Two years after his 2004 election to the council, Gray decided to run for council chairman, he planned to anoint as his successor Carrie Thornhill, a prominent District Democrat he had known since high school.

Thornhill chose not to run. After winning the chairmans race, Gray endorsed Alexander, whom he knew from Ward 7s Democratic organization, to fill the vacant council seat.

Shes got strong roots there. She works well with people, Gray said at the time. He promised to do everything to get her elected.

Alexander said that after the endorsement, my fundraising went through the roof. I probably raised more than $250,000. Until that point, she said, she had under $10,000.

Gray himself contributed $500 and encouraged his loyalists to write checks.

There were times we said no, but he insisted we support Yvette, said H.R. Crawford, a real estate developer who previously held the council seat. He leased office space to Alexanders campaign and gave her more than $2,000 himself and through his real estate company.

Crawford is among a number of the wards leaders who have questioned Alexanders leadership in the past, saying that her offices response to constituents concerns has been slow and that she has failed to produce significant legislation. Still, Crawford said he is leaning toward supporting Alexander again this year, in part because he is unsure whether Grays objective is to lead the ward or to be a pest to Bowser.

Is he going to use this as a stair step, Crawford asked, and if hes going to do that, why not wait two years?

[Walmart breaks promise to build in poor neighborhoods]

Alexander is seeking reelection at a time when many Ward 7 residents are complaining about the slow pace of change along their commercial corridors, a frustration that has persisted since before Gray represented the ward.

In a recent setback, Walmart canceled plans to open two stores in Ward 7.

Across the city, things have changed, but not in Ward 7, said Maceo Thomas, 44, a ward resident who works as a real estate agent. Everything looks pretty similar to when [Alexander] started.

Alexander, a garrulous presence on the council who previously worked as an insurance regulator for the District, portrays herself as an advocate for the ward with a staff that is responsive to residents needs.

As chair of the councils Health and Human Services committee, Alexander said, she has overseen important issues, including the citys implementation of universal health-care coverage.

Concerning development, Alexander cited several projects, including the opening of a Yes! Organic grocery on Pennsylvania Avenue SE that was eventually shut down. It closed, but I got them there, she said. The residents didnt support it.

Alexander said shes unwilling to assume sole responsibility for how the ward has fared.

When Vince Gray was chair and mayor, he had the most power to do the most for Ward 7, she said. What did he do to work collaboratively to get it done? He needs to answer for Ward 7 development.
MARYLAND

More legal maneuvers in Freddie Gray case

The Maryland attorney generals office is asking the states highest court to take up competing appeals in the Freddie Gray case.

The agency, representing the Baltimore states attorneys office, petitioned Tuesday for a writ of certiorari and expedited review regarding questions over whether Baltimore police officer William Porter can be compelled to testify against other officers while he still faces charges.

Porter, one of six officers facing criminal charges in connection with the April death of Gray, has sought to block his forced testimony in the trial of officer Caesar Goodson and Sgt. Alicia White. Meanwhile, prosecutors were denied in their attempt to compel Porter to testify against officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller and Lt. Brian Rice and are asking the appellate court to overturn that decision.

The attorney generals office wrote that all five cases should be reviewed.

 Baltimore Sun

THE DISTRICT

Police identify shooting victim

District police have identified the man shot Wednesday afternoon near a public library in Southeast Washingtons Anacostia neighborhood.

Maurico Walker, 23, of Northeast died at a hospital several hours after the 4 p.m. shooting in the 1800 block of U Place SE, about a half-block behind the Anacostia Neighborhood Library, according to D.C. police.

Police did not release information about a possible assailant or motive.

 Peter Hermann

VIRGINIA

Man fires gun inside Reston hospital

A Loudoun County man was charged Wednesday with firing his gun in Reston Hospital Center when he arrived for treatment for a gunshot wound he had suffered.

The man fired twice after finding an entry locked: once at the hospital doors and once inside the building, police said. No one was wounded.

Fairfax County police said Thursday that William Brock, 52, has been charged with felony destruction of property and shooting into an occupied building.

He is under guard in the hospital for treatment and will be jailed in Fairfax after his discharge, police said.

Officer Roger Henriquez said Brock intentionally shot himself in his car before driving to the hospital or in its lot. The hospital entrance he tried was closed, so Brock shot the glass and fired again inside when staff approached to help, police said.

 Dana Hedgpeth

Springfield man arrested in stabbing

A Springfield man has been charged with murder in a fatal daytime stabbing on a sidewalk, apparently prompted by an argument over a drug deal, police said.

Dilshad Dosky, 20, was arrested Wednesday night, several hours after Shaki E. Phillip, 19, was stabbed in the 7400 block of Loughboro Lane, Fairfax County police said.

Roger Henriquez, a police spokesman, said police initially were looking for two men in their late teens or early 20s, based on witness statements.

 Julie Zauzmer
Montgomery County Democrats nominated Morgan State University professor Pamela Queen to fill the District 14 State House vacancy on Thursday night, ending an intramural scuffle over how best to diversify the countys legislative delegation.

Queen would replace former Del. Craig Zucker (D-Montgomery), who was selected by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee last month to fill the opening created by the retirement of state Sen. Karen Montgomery. Queens nomination goes to Gov. Larry Hogan, who is required by law to act on it within 15 days. Although Hogan is a Republican, it is exceedingly rare for a governor to reject the recommendation of a county committee in such matters.

Queen, 56, is African American and a central committee member. She prevailed over two other candidates for the opening in District 14, which runs north from Silver Spring along Montgomerys eastern border with Prince Georges County and includes some of its most economically distressed communities. She was supported by County Executive Isiah Leggett.

[Montgomery Democrats tap Zucker to fill state senate seat]

Former delegate Herman Taylor, 49, an African American who represented District 14 from 2002 to 2010, was backed by County Council members Craig Rice (D-Germantown), Nancy Navarro (D-Silver Spring), Sidney Katz (D-Gaithersburg) and George Leventhal (D-At Large), who emphasized his experience in Annapolis.

Also competing for the spot was Mark Feinroth, 57, a lobbyist for the Maryland Association of Realtors and a veteran party activist.

Speaking to the committee Thursday night, Taylor cited his advocacy for the disabled and the unemployed in the General Assembly, which he left in 2010 to unsuccessfully challenge Rep. Donna F. Edwards in the Democratic primary for Marylands 4th Congressional District seat.

Send me back because East County is broken, said Taylor, who also competed for the senate vacancy filled by Zucker. Our career centers are broken . . . our schools are in trouble. The decision was not about race, he said, but about the ability to go to Annapolis on Day 1 and address the needs of the residents who are in dire need of help.

But Taylors chances were hurt by his voting record on abortion and state support for related issues such as stem cell research, committee members said.

Queen, an assistant professor of business at Morgan State, who lives in Olney, offered her experience in economic development, finance and education. She also acknowledged concerns over diversity  only one other African American woman has represented Montgomery County in the General Assembly. Karen Britto served eight months in 2010 as a caretaker in District 16.

I bring a new face, new ideas and a new direction for this county, she said.

Queen received 17 of the committees 28 votes.
State Sen. Jamie Raskin, seen Jan. 27, 2016 in Aspen Hill, has raised $1.2 million in his bid for a House seat. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

State Sen. Jamie Raskin landed a significant endorsement Thursday from the National Education Associations (NEA) political action committee in his race for Marylands 8th District Democratic congressional nomination.

The three-million member NEA is the nations largest union. Its state affiliate, the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) represents 71,000 teachers, administrators and specialists. The District 8 incumbent, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is running for the Senate, won the unions support in every election from 2004 through 2014. The NEA was neutral in 2002, his first congressional campaign.

The endorsement is a lift for Raskin, a constitutional law professor at American University, and a blow to the two other state lawmakers in the race  Dels. Kumar Barve and Ana Sol-Gutierrez  who have consistently won top ratings and endorsements from the MSEA in their state house campaigns. Gutierrez is a former member of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Raskin has raised more money ($1.2 million) than Barve ($536,500) or Gutierrez ($215,000), a measure of competitiveness that may have been a factor in their decisionmaking.

[Kathleen Matthews endorsed by Emilys List in Md. Congressional race]

The union cited Raskins positions on school funding and reduction of standardized testing. It also praised the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, launched by Raskin, which has sent law students into high schools to teach classes about the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Jamie Raskin is a true progressive leader with impressive experience who realizes the importance of public education in the lives of working families, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia.

The NEAs PAC, the Fund for Children and Public Education, gave $1.3 million to Democratic House candidates in the 2014 cycle, including $10,000 to Van Hollen, according to the Center for Responsible Politics.

Other candidates in the April 26 primary are non-profit executive David Anderson, Bethesda biotech executive Dan Bolling, former White House aide Will Jawando, former Marriott executive Kathleen Matthews, former State Department congressional liaison Joel Rubin and Potomac businessman David Trone.
After drinking beer and shots of whiskey for three hours, Luis Reluzco pulled out of a Hooters parking lot, turned right and headed up Rockville Pike. Flashing police lights were visible a mile ahead.

The start of his drive, as laid out in court Friday, was among fresh details that surfaced in the high-profile case against Reluzco, 47, who was charged this week with vehicular manslaughter in the death of Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, 24.

Both Reluzcos attorney and prosecutor Bryan Roslund said Reluzcos blood alcohol level that night was tested at 0.22, nearly three times the legal limit. They said his blood also showed signs of Xanax.

At a news conference after Fridays hearing, Leottas father, Rich, called for tougher drunken-driving laws in Maryland. On the night of Dec. 3, his son was working on DUI enforcement and had pulled over a suspected drunk driver when he was struck from behind by Reluzcos Honda CR-V.

My hero son was out there trying to stop drunk drivers, Rich Leotta said. Noah, I love you. I miss you. And Im going to fight for you and every other victim of drunk driving for the rest of my life.

Officer Noah Leotta was handling a DUI stop when he was hit by another suspected drunk driver on Dec. 3. (Courtesy of the Montgomery County Police Department)

Reluzco, a onetime bartender at the Bethesda Country Club who helps raise his grandson, remains deeply remorseful, according to his attorney, John Roth.

My client is destroyed by what happened, Roth said Friday. He understands the penalty that he will face.

Roth and prosecutors are due in court again next week. Central to the prosecution is how intoxicated Reluzco was and how he came to strike Leottas car and then the officer.

Based on reports, interviews and statements made in court Friday, the case is taking this shape:

As soon as Reluzco left Hooters and was on the roadway, the flashing red, blue and white lights on Leottas stopped cruiser would have been visible. Leotta was out of his car, having pulled over another vehicle, spoken with that driver, and put that drivers license in his uniform pocket to keep his hands free, according to a police spokesman.

Leotta walked back to his cruiser, which he had parked in the far right lane, angled in a way that shielded him.

He had also pulled his car over on a slight incline in such a way that cars approaching from behind could see its lights at a distance.

As far as positioning his car, it was textbook, said Capt. Paul Starks, spokesman for the Montgomery County police.

As Leotta walked around the front corner of his car and opened his door, he was briefly exposed to traffic coming from behind him.

It was at that moment that Reluzco, who was driving in the same far-right lane as the stopped police car, tried to veer to his left, investigators say.

But he didnt veer widely enough.

Investigators believe that due to Reluzcos extreme intoxication, he was unable to react to the situation he was bearing down on, Starks said. He was cognitively and physically incapable to execute a single lane change.

Reluzcos SUV struck the rear left corner of the police car, scraped along its side, and slammed into Leotta, who was trapped against the open door.

The impact bends the drivers-side door thats open all the way around to the front quarter panel of the car, Roslund, the prosecutor, said in court. Officer Leotta was hit and ultimately dies of his head injuries from that.

The friendly, well-liked officer is survived by his parents and sister.

Reluzco, of Olney, turned himself in Thursday after being indicted on the vehicular manslaughter charge.

In court Friday, Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Robert Greenberg ordered that he be held on a $250,000 bond. If released, Greenberg said, Reluzco was to not drive and not serve alcohol at his job.

They can find something else for him to do, the judge said.

[Driver who hit officer charged with vehicular manslaughter]

In Maryland, drivers tested at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher are considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Officials at Mothers Against Drunk Driving say that, on average, a 160-pound man who drinks four beers in one hour gets to 0.08.

The case has overwhelming evidence of gross negligence, Roslund said. Its very strong.

He said motor vehicle and court records indicate Reluzco has three prior DUI arrests dating to 1987. Hes not been able to get that drinking under control, Roslund said.

Roth said his client had beer and whiskey at Hooters. Roth said he intends to probe the accuracy and techniques used in blood tests that yielded the 0.22 reading. He said his client was born in Long Island to the parents of Cuban immigrants and moved to Montgomery County as a child. He went to public schools in the Olney area, including Sherwood High School, where he played baseball and football and wrestled, Roth said.

He attended Montgomery College briefly, before joining the Navy. He has held several positions at Bethesda County Club. A jack of all trades, Roth said.

Four of Reluzcos family members, including his wife, were in court Friday. They declined to comment afterward.

At the news conference, Montgomery Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said laws covering an incident such as the Reluzco case need to be toughened in Maryland.

Reluzco faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Because of parole rules in the state, however, vehicular manslaughter is classified as a nonviolent offense, meaning he would be eligible for parole consideration after serving 25 percent of his sentence.

Its time for the people of this state to say enough is enough, Manger said. And even when someone is driving drunk and kills someone else, the penalties in the state are disgraceful.

Roslund said in court that Reluzco told officers he had smoked marijuana on the day of the wreck, in addition to drinking. Blood test results after the crash, however, did not uncover signs of cannabis, according to Reluzcos attorney.
Nursing home administrator Myles Nienstadt has already lost his father to Alzheimer's. Now he is working in the same facility where his mother is dealing with her own battle. (Drescher Films, Inc)

Nursing home administrator Myles Nienstadt has already lost his father to Alzheimer's. Now he is working in the same facility where his mother is dealing with her own battle. (Drescher Films, Inc)

For a recent session on the Chinese zodiac, the residents of Birmingham Green, an assisted-living facility, sat in a circle and tried to recall what year they were born. Some shook their heads sheepishly, others answered easily  Caroline, born in 1927, was a tiger. Herbert, born in 1953, was a dragon.

Jean Sullivan, a 90-year-old doctor with silver hair neatly cut below her chin, stared ahead and said nothing. Then, from the doorway, Myles Nienstadt, the long-term care facilitys director of information resources, said softly, 1925. She was born in March of 25.

He would know. Because hes not just an administrator at the Manassas facility  hes also her son.

He remembers Doctor Jean as a vibrant globe-trotting divorced mother of four. In the late 1950s she was a Quaker medical missionary in South Korea; in the 1960s she supported the antiwar priests Daniel and Philip Berrigan; in the 1970s she piled the kids into a converted bus to drive across the country; and starting in 1986 she ran a health clinic in rural Kentucky. That ended in 2006, when Sullivan got lost overnight in the mountains while out on a house call; a televised search helped find her, and she was diagnosed with dementia. She moved into the McLean home of Nienstadt and his wife and children.

Nienstadt, an executive with a nonprofit group, had already become interested in long-term care after seeing his father succumb to Alzheimers in a large, impersonal facility. Now, as he took his mother each day to an Alzheimers day care program, he thought about starting one himself. He had done some consulting for Birmingham Green, and in 2012 when his mother began to need more than he could provide at home, he moved her there.

Myles Nienstadt, director of information resources at Birmingham Green, sits next to his mother, Jean Sullivan, a resident at the assisted-living facility (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

At the same time the facilitys chief executive, David Rumford, had a suggestion: Come train here as a nursing home administrator. He accepted, and now works there full-time, helping the facility go digital.

Having an employee work at the same place as a relative is not uncommon in small communities with only one or two care facilities, Rumford said. Birmingham Green has had several over the years. Its a pride thing  that this place is good enough, I could bring my mother here. 

Compared with other residents, Nienstadt said, his mother has the distinct benefit of seeing a familiar face from her past, basically day in and day out. Like other family members of assisted-living residents, he attends regular meetings to go over what has changed in the last 90 days. But unlike his visits to his father  once a week, at night or on weekends, his interactions with his mother are more casual and more nuanced.

I get to observe her very naturally. By just being here and out and about, I can see where she is at any given time, he said. I can say, Hi there, hows it going? I can do that quick checking in.

And the guilt many have about placing their loved ones in facilities? If I can only stay 10 minutes or 15 minutes, Im comfortable with that. Ive never had any feeling of guilt about the time not taken.

Out on the floor, Nienstadt helps fill in the disappearing jigsaw pieces of her life. On her 90th birthday he showed old home movies to the residents  the active woman scrambling through a forest, the young mom cuddling her babies  the mother he remembered.

He also advocates for her. Ive been watching him stand up for how his mother would want to be taken care of, said Tina Burhans-Robinson, director of activities for assisted living. That means no drugs or heroic measures to keep her alive if they decrease her quality of life. He says, Were not here to prolong her life, were just here to make her comfortable. 

A baby photograph and a more recent photo of Jean Sullivan in the office of her son, Myles Nienstadt. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

After the zodiac session on Monday, Nienstadt sat beside Sullivan and took her hand. He has a mild, gentle aura, a trim beard that matches his sandy-brown hair, a face she has known for 56 years.

Hi Mom, how are you doing? Anything new today?

Her head turned in his direction, the expression behind her glasses inscrutable.

Have you read the newspaper today?

Uh huh, she said in a wavering voice.

Whats up? Same old, same old?

Same old, same old.

Its a question he asks every day, less of an earnest query than a gauge of her condition. She says yes, though I know for a fact that she hasnt  but if she ever said no, Id know something had changed, he said. She was always a voracious reader and she still has a 2012 copy of Scientific American in her room. But these days shell pick up the newspaper, maybe read out a word from a headline, then put it down.

That is the trajectory of Alzheimers. The caregiver must constantly adjust, learning with each interaction what is still possible and what is no longer possible. Once someone is placed in a facility, interactions with family members can become less frequent, limited by work schedules, distance, and sometimes by the sharp pain of watching a beloved relative or friend fade away.

At first, having his mom hanging around Nienstadts job was almost too much . While Sullivan was still lucid enough to know where his office was, she used to knock on the door. Often. Oh, I dont want to bother you, I just want to check on how things are going. It was, he said, like having a teenager or a 5-year-old along at work. She was too aware that I was there, she was knocking a little too much.

Now, aside from a few patterned conversations such as the one about the newspaper, their interactions are wordless. She drums her fingers on a table; he drums his in response. Sometime last fall she stopped saying his name, but she remains aware of him. While he was away on a two-week family vacation last summer, staff members told him she acted differently. She seemed less comfortable. She scratched at herself until she opened up a wound.

His work at the facility has made him more sensitive as a family member, Burhans-Robinson said. Some people go straight to their mom and ignore everyone else, she said. He treats [other residents] with the same respect he treats her. Its comforting. You have a lot of residents who their relatives dont visit very often, and he isnt dismissive of them. Theyll stop and say something to him, and hell crack jokes.

But for him, Sullivan is the special one. Sitting in her room, on her single bed, Nienstadt pointed to artifacts he has placed nearby to jog her memory: a smiling black-and-white photo of Sullivan as a girl in California, perched on the hood of a Model T with her arms outstretched, watercolors she painted of cranes and a hummingbird, and a letter from a childhood friend.

They provide comfort for Nienstadt as well. I do wander in every now and then to just take a look. I dont dwell too much, he said. But in the last few weeks because her presence has been more in here, on occasion when Im in here I just sit and check in on her space.

Since he sees her every day, he catches the tiny signs of decline. The tomboy who refused a walker and waved away canes now reaches for his hand as they walk down the hall.

Hanging in the air is the knowledge that someday this dual life will end. One day she wont be there, and Nienstadt will be just a man going to his job each day, albeit a job colored by the years of having his mother close by. For now, he pops up to the common area from his office downstairs. Seeing him glance around, a few residents point at Sullivan. Sometimes, some of them think he is their son.

And he is fine with that.
Two Metro employees have been suspended after two trains wound up perilously close to each other on the same track last week, a mishap that was partly the fault of the transit agencys troubled Rail Operations Control Center, officials said Thursday.

During the incident, near the Smithsonian station, a train operator drove past a red stop signal at 10 mph, officials said. They said the blunder was precipitated by other safety lapses moments earlier in which the operator misunderstood a train controllers command and the controller failed to correct the error.

The train, with no passengers, came to a stop only when the operator realized that he was on a low-speed crash course with another train, which was pointed in the opposite direction 189 feet away, officials said. They said the second train, with riders aboard, was stopped along a platform at the Smithsonian station.

In detailing the mishap Thursday for members of Metros governing board, top officials of the agency said the operator of the train that passed the red signal was not the only person at fault. One official called it a sort of two-way safety breakdown that also involved the control center in Landover, Md., where workers monitor train movements throughout the subway system in real time.

The center has come under sharp criticism since the Jan. 12, 2015, calamity in which an electrical malfunction in a Metro tunnel engulfed a stalled train in smoke, killing one passenger and sickening scores of others. The center has been implicated by federal safety investigators in several subway operational failures before and during the fatal incident.

In a June report that followed a weeks-long review of the control center, the Federal Transit Administration cited numerous problems, including excessive noise and distractions, which the FTA said could contribute to dangerous mistakes.

[Control center failures contributed to Metros Jan. 12, 2015, smoke crisis.]

As for the misunderstanding between the train operator and controller in last weeks incident, Rob Troup, Metros deputy general manager, said: Were there distractions that may have caused that incorrect [communication], either from the operators standpoint or from the controllers standpoint? Thats all currently under investigation.

The operator and the controller have been suspended without pay and will be required to undergo job retraining, officials said. At Thursdays briefing, several board members voiced frustration over another black eye for the beleaguered transit agency. Its clearly an inexcusable situation, board Chairman Jack Evans told reporters.

The incident began shortly before midnight Feb. 2, when Orange Line train No. 904, bound for Vienna, was halted at the McPherson Square station because of a track problem farther along the line, officials said. They said trains traveling behind No. 904 also were halted. After passengers were off-loaded from No. 904 at McPherson, the operator was told by the control center to reverse direction and go back to the Federal Triangle station.

Louis Brown, Metros acting chief safety officer, said the operator misunderstood the command from the control center, and thought he had . . . clearance to go all the way to the Smithsonian station, which is one station beyond Federal Triangle.

[Overrunning stop signals is a chronic Metro subway problem.]

Weve actually reviewed the audio, Brown said. The directions that were given by the controller were clear, that he was only to go to Federal Triangle. For whatever reason, he didnt hear that. He thought he was clear to go to Smithsonian. He repeated back, which is the protocol, to the controller, and said, I have [clearance] to Smithsonian. And then the next breakdown was, the controller said, Correct. 

The train (six cars totaling about 450 feet in length and weighing roughly 200 tons without passengers) rolled through Federal Triangle at 10 mph before reaching a trackside red signal between Federal Triangle and Smithsonian, Brown said.

Troup said that even if the operator had been instructed to go to Smithsonian, he should have stopped at the red signal and asked the control center for permission to proceed. But the operator kept going, which damaged a track switch near the signal.

Unbeknownst to him, Brown said, there was Train 992 that had been instructed to stop at the platform at Smithsonian and sit there with its doors open until the situation had remedied itself. He said the moving train came to a controlled stop 189 feet from where six-car train No. 992, with passengers, was waiting.

Troup said: I want to stress, in no uncertain terms, red-signal overruns are unacceptable, and operators know this. Its the human element that we wrestle with.

Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said that after the incident, a new safety-monitoring procedure was immediately put in place: Now, Wiedefeld said, a supervisor at the control center is supposed to stand behind a train controller, watching over the controllers shoulder during unusual train movements such as the one that went awry last week.

Thursday night, hours after Troup briefed the board, Wiedefeld announced that Troup has resigned as the transit agencys No. 2 official. Wiedefeld, who took charge of Metro in late November, said Troups departure was a mutual decision by the men. Wiedefeld said he wanted to install my own team in top management positions.
LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Felon with a firearm  10 a.m. Wednesday, Linn County Jail. Itai Pearl, 21, of Salem, was arrested on warrants for charges of felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful purchase of a firearm. His initial bail was set at $15,000.

LEBANON POLICE

Domestic assault arrest  1:17 p.m. Wednesday, near the Grant Street Bridge. A woman reported an assault that occurred earlier that day while she was camping near the bridge. William Lawrence McRae, 50, of Lebanon, was arrested on a charge of felony fourth-degree assault (domestic violence). His initial bail was set at $50,000.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Rape arrest  12:45 p.m. Thursday, Linn County Jail. Brian Lee Richardson, 42, of Sweet Home, was arrested on a charge of first-degree rape and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault (domestic violence). His initial bail was set at $100,000, and he was scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Additional information about the case was not available late Thursday afternoon.
Vehicles travel along Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway. Four miles of the eastbound side will get an extra lane. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Its a big deal, but not a done deal. For commuters, the compromise between Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and the General Assembly on the future of one of Americas most controversial highways will be meaningful only when things start to happen on I-66.

Feuding over I-66 was inevitable. People have been battling for decades over whether it should exist, who should use it and how big it should be. And it isnt going to stop just because some people in Richmond shake hands.

Once the governor made his announcement Wednesday morning, interested parties inundated us with their takes on the deal. Proponents and opponents of tolling and widening were unavoidable for comment.

It was only natural. All those years of feuding have made I-66 more than just a way for people to get to and from work. I-66 is a symbol of opposing visions about how people should travel and where they should live.

[McAuliffe makes deal to widen and toll I-66]

Nothing about the deal changed the underlying hopes and resentments. Well see that during the Virginia Department of Transportation hearings in March on the design of the high-occupancy toll lanes for I-66 inside the Capital Beltway. Nothing about the schedule for creating the HOT lanes in mid-2017 changed as a result of the Richmond deal.

What did change was that the governor agreed to widen the highway at the same time, and without preconditions, but the widening plan still needs to go through the standard environmental review process. So were going to see the advocacy groups again on that, and they will be joined by the people who live right along the route who want to protect their interests.

The four-mile widening targets the most problematic part of I-66 during rush hours eastbound. If youre going to put new asphalt anywhere, do it between the Dulles Connector Road and Ballston, the stretch where masses of vehicles come together and maneuver to be in their best lanes.

The goal of the HOT lanes and of the widening project is to add capacity to the highway. It just depends on how you define capacity. The extreme faction for widening defines capacity strictly as more lane space. They mean capacity for more cars. The HOT lanes advocates, on the other hand, talk about more people-moving capacity. You can do that with fewer cars, by managing traffic, making it easier to carpool and adding commuter buses.

Advocates for widening reacted more positively to the governors announcement.

This compromise solution will relieve congestion by adding much needed highway and transit capacity to the regions most congested transportation corridor sooner, rather than later, said a statement from the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance. This is an excellent example of executive-legislative, bipartisan cooperation to advance the greater public good.

State Sens. J. Chapman Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), Jennifer T. Wexton (D-Loudoun) and Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William)  all representing Northern Virginia districts outside the Beltway  issued a collective statement saying in part that, For years, our constituents have faced an impenetrable wall of traffic where I-66 meets the Dulles Toll Road and then drops down to two travel lanes. This area is a tangible barrier that has historically inhibited outside-the-Beltway drivers from traveling to Arlington or the District of Columbia.

Those who gave top billing to the car alternatives contained in the HOT lanes plan were less enthusiastic. We are deeply disappointed by legislators of both parties, read the collective response of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Southern Environmental Law Center. The groups acknowledged that the governor made a political compromise that preserved the HOT lanes plan, with its out-of-the-car options, but added, We urge legislators to understand that an economically successful region like ours cannot build our way out of congestion through highway expansion.

None of those people will stop caring about I-66. And then, there are the commuters, the people who will actually determine what happens along the interstate. Leaving aside transportation ideology, people studying the I-66 problem dont profess to being dead certain about whats going to happen.

The variable toll is supposed to regulate traffic flow, but it will take a while to get the rates right. The hours for tolling or free HOV use will be 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. eastbound and 3 to 7 p.m. westbound, so will we see early and late traffic surges at the edges of those times?

Millions of dollars will be spent to develop the carpool and commuter bus options, but will travelers use them?

Will the widening, supposed to be done by the end of 2019, give the long-distance commuters what they want? No matter how wide the interstate is, its still going to be open only to those who meet the high-occupancy vehicle rules or pay the toll.

This is why no transportation plan is ever really done. You make a decision, see what happens, then you tinker. I-66 inside the Beltway is only nine miles long, but its a never-ending story.

Dr. Gridlock also appears Thursday in Local Living. Comments and questions are welcome and may be used in a column, along with the writers name and home community. Write Dr. Gridlock at The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, or email drgridlock@washpost.com.
State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) during debate on an abortion bill in 2012. (Steve Helber/AP)

The oldest continuous lawmaking body in the New World adjourned Friday in honor of J.C. Penney.

The discount-oriented department store earned that honor from the Virginia Senate the hard way  through personal and political dysfunction.

Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) invoked J.C. Penney in the middle of a harsh argument three years ago with her Republican nemesis, Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City). The fight became public this week when Lucas described it to The Washington Post.

[Black lawmaker shares deep frustrations with Democratic party]

Norment is the Senates most prominent dandy, known for sporting dazzlingly pastel ties, suspenders and dapper three-piece suits. He also is one of the chambers less statuesque members.

Lucas, also a clothes horse but more fond of sparkle than tweed, went after Norment on style and stature. J.C. Penney was collateral damage.

You keep your . . . little J.C. Penney-little-boys-department-wearing-suits out of my [expletive] face, she remembered telling him during a blowup just off the Senate floor.

Lucas recalled the argument in an interview with The Washington Post. She was discussing serious issues: her perception that Senate Democrats have ignored the concerns of black senators and how that long-simmering frustration erupted in a way that nearly changed who sits on the state Supreme Court (she briefly sided with Republicans in a long-running judicial-appointments battle and then returned to the Democratic fold).

[Va. Democrat bolts party amid court fight but quickly reneges]

Despite that serious context, J.C. Penney became an instant laugh line in Richmond.

Calling Norment a J.C. Penney shopper was probably the most injurious thing written in that article, said Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax), who took the brunt of Lucass leadership criticism but escaped a fashion critique.

Even Norment embraced the sartorial slur.

If we have less money, Norment said in the middle of a gas-tax debate Friday, people like me will have to wear J.C. Penney suits.

Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. (R-Franklin) rose at the end of the day to ask that the Senate honor one of the great American merchants of the 20th century.

On this day in 1971, Stanley said, James Cash Penney, the founder of J.C. Penney stores, died at the age of 95.

He went on to summarize the retailers history, display a red J.C. Penney coupon and urge senators to take advantage of the stores Presidents Day sale on furniture and mattresses.

I am told that there are also some really good sales in the little boys suits department, Stanley said.

Norment laughed throughout Stanleys speech and was still chuckling as he ducked out of the chamber without speaking to reporters. Lucas hid her face behind her Senate calendar, a magazine-size booklet listing bills.

I didnt know if the joke was on me or him, she said later. But she laughed when Stanley came to see her at her desk after the session, his red J.C. Penney coupon still in hand.
Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore greets voters outside the polling place at Webster School on primary day February 9, 2016 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore is suspending his campaign for president, having failed to garner significant support in polls or primaries.

My campaign was intended to offer the gubernatorial experience, with the track record of a true conservative, experienced in national security, to unite the party, Gilmore said in a statement. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that our next President is a free enterprise Republican who will restore our nation to greatness and keep our citizens safe.

Gilmore spent very little money campaigning and had little name recognition outside of Virginia. He polled so poorly that he did not qualify for the undercard in many of the Republican presidential debates. He did, surprisingly, qualify for the debate before the Iowa caucuses.

[Remembering the greatest 45 minutes of Jim Gilmores political life]

Gilmore got just 133 votes in New Hampshire  fewer than several candidates who had already dropped out the race by that point. In the Iowa caucuses a week earlier, he got 12 votes.

He last won election, to governor, in 1997. He served in that position until 2002 and spent the final year as chairman of the Republican National Committee, before resigning over differences with the George W. Bush administration.

In 2007, Gilmore launched his first presidential bid; he quit the race a few months later. He then ran for the U.S. Senate in 2008 and lost by a wide margin to Democrat Mark R. Warner.
Workers with Miller Environmental Group collect absorbent material used to soak up oil from a spill on the surface of the water near Reagan National Airport on Monday in Arlington. (Kate Patterson/For The Washington Post)

Dominion Virginia Power said late Friday that the oil that fouled a Northern Virginia waterfowl sanctuary and the Potomac River early this month came from its Crystal City substation.

Five hours after Coast Guard Cmdr. Michael Keane said that all the oil his interagency task force sampled came from a common source, Dominion said in a statement that a previously reported 13,500-gallon spill of mineral oil at its Crystal City substation was the likely cause.

Now that weve had the opportunity to look at the data the Coast Guard collected, we concur with their findings and accept responsibility for the spill, Dominion spokesman Chuck Penn said in an interview.

As we have stated from the very beginning when we were made aware of the oil sheen, we would have no hesitancy in accepting responsibility should testing link our January 24 transformer spill to the sheen, the companys statement added. We will move with all due haste to work with the agencies to ensure the remaining cleanup work is done.

Dominion identified the spilled oil as mineral oil, used at a substation in a transformer.





The admission clarified what had been a less-than-crystal-clear conclusion from the Coast Guard, which had said that although all the oil came from a common source, no culprit would be identified. The oil collected from Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary and the Potomac matched oil found at the Dominion substation, at 18th and South Fern streets, as well as at an adjacent storm-water drain, but Keane would not say whether Dominion was the source of the spill.

As late as 3 p.m. Friday, Dominion insisted that it had cleaned up 95 percent of the January spill, and the rest was believed to be contained within machinery at the site. But by 6 p.m., the utility had reviewed the data and accepted responsibility.

[Coast Guard identifies oil in refuge as fuel oil]

Pam Faggert, Dominions chief environmental officer, had said that the utility collected its own oil samples and sent them to an independent laboratory for an assessment separate from the Coast Guards.

If it is determined that the oil in the Potomac River is from the Dominion facility, we will take responsibility, she said midafternoon.

Twenty-one birds, mostly Canada geese, died after the medium-weight petroleum coated their feathers, and 32 more are being treated by a wildlife rescue team. There were no fresh sightings of oil or birds covered in oil in the past day, Keane said, but there are remnants of the oil that coated the lagoons waters and shoreline.

The Coast Guard previously identified the oil in the water as medium-weight oil, similar to home heating oil but not motor oil. That weight spectrum includes mineral oil.

Petty Officer David Marin, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said Friday evening that he expects that Dominion will probably have to pay for the investigation and cleanup, and that it may be fined.

The Coast Guard is pleased Dominion is claiming responsibility and will sit at the table, Martin said. Well do everything we can to resolve the issue.

Keane earlier had no estimate for how much money the investigation has cost, but he said the Coast Guard has not exhausted the $250,000 it has drawn from the federal oil trust fund.

[Oil sheen spotted in Potomac, no immediate cause found]

The oil sheen stretched from the waterfowl sanctuary, just north of Reagan National Airport, to Dyke Marsh, just south of the Capital Beltways Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Storm water, draining from the highly urbanized Crystal City and Pentagon City areas of Arlington County, dumps into Roaches Run, which feeds into the Potomac.
Del. Kathleen J. Murphy (D-Fairfax) confers with Del. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) during the floor session of the House of Delegates at the State Capitol in Richmond on Tuesday. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

A House panel on Thursday advanced a bill that  because of a last-minute addition  would allow any person or organization to discriminate against someone for having extramarital sex.

The bill would also prohibit state agencies from punishing discrimination against people who are transgender or who are in same-sex marriages. The provision about sex outside of marriage was added minutes before lawmakers voted.

The legislation advanced 13 to 7 in the GOP-controlled committee, with members voting along party lines, except Del. Joseph R. Yost (R-Giles), who voted no. It is headed for likely passage by the full House next week. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has said he would veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

Supporters  including the bills sponsor, Del. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah)  say the measure anticipates that people with religious convictions could be punished for those beliefs as acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals becomes the norm across the United States. Donors to nonprofit organizations such as Catholic Charities worry that their contributions may no longer be tax-deductible or that a religious charity could lose a government grant, Gilbert said.

[Va. Republicans vow to protect religious rights after gay marriage ruling]

The provision protecting those who believe sexual relations are properly reserved to a marriage between one man and one woman was added at the request of the Family Foundation of Virginia, which helped draft the bill.

Opponents call the bill a dangerously broad license to discriminate that goes beyond high-profile cases of bakers who dont want to make cakes for gay weddings. For example, the bill could block the state from pulling funding from religious schools that deny admission to children of gay parents or prevent a city from revoking a license from a hotel that wont accept unmarried guests, they say.

Our General Assembly in its wisdom has passed unconstitutional legislation on more than one occasion in the past, but I dont recall one that was this obviously unconstitutional in a long time, said Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.

In the run-up to the March 1 presidential primary in Virginia, observers say Republicans want to send a message to conservative voters who will choose the GOP nominee, while Democrats have seized on the bill as a way to cast Republicans as out of step with mainstream society.

The bill is among many that have cropped up across the country since the Supreme Court affirmed the right of gay couples to marry in all 50 states last summer.

Virginias legislation was filed by Gilbert, the House deputy majority leader, after Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) asked him to review what other states had done to protect what they call religious freedom.

Gilbert said the bill is in keeping with an age-old approach to public policy in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson.

I think people of faith feel the tide turning so strongly that all theyre looking for is some reasonable accommodation, because they view that there is this secular church, if you will, thats trying to impose its belief system upon everybody else, he said. As in, You agree with all this or else. 

The nonprofit group Equality Virginia, however, said the bill doubles down on discrimination because it is already legal in Virginia to discriminate against gay and transgender people in the workplace, housing and public accommodation.

We dont allow people to discriminate against . . . interracial marriages, interfaith marriages, disparate-age marriages. We cant start this precedent where theres this one type of relationship that people can discriminate against without any fear of punishment, said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.

In response, Chris Freund, spokesman for the Family Foundation of Virginia, noted the bill is similar to one already on the books that says faith-based adoption agencies do not have to serve same-sex couples.

Weve always tried to find accommodation for religious beliefs when theres a conflict between existing rights, he said. The goal of this is to provide that accommodation. I would argue that simply following your faith belief about human sexuality is not discriminatory.

Under the bill, people with religious beliefs  including an individual, corporation, partnership, association, trust, society or any other legal or commercial entity  could discriminate against gay couples, transgender people or unmarried couples without fear of losing tax benefits, grants, contracts, loans, scholarships, certification, accreditation or jobs.

There are exceptions for hospitals making decisions about visitation or emergency medical treatment.

In separate action, the Senate on Friday passed a bill that its Republican sponsor said would ensure that members of the clergy could not face criminal or civil penalties for refusing to marry gay couples.

Democrats said they had no desire to force any members of the clergy to perform any marriage ceremonies if they oppose the unions on religious grounds. But they said that as written, the Senate measure could allow religious organizations that engage in commerce, such as renting out banquet halls to the general public, to turn away gay couples. After a heated debate, the measure passed on a 20-to-19 party-line vote, with one member, Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Fauquier) absent for the day.

Laura Vozzella contributed to this report.
On its surface, the idea seems to have an undeniable appeal: To help ensure that vital services such as K-12 education and public safety are properly funded, simply mandate that a certain percentage of state money is devoted to those areas.

That was the idea behind a legislative proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 204, which would have amended the state constitution to mandate that 28 percent of the states budget in the 2017-19 budget cycle be appropriated to public safety and K-12 education. The percentage would have increased to 33 percent of the state budget by the 2021-23 budget cycle. (Oregon spent about 25 percent of its budget on schools and public safety in the 2015-17 biennium.)

The resolution would have put this question before voters for their approval, as is required from this sort of constitutional amendment. We say would have, because the measure apparently died on Thursday, when the Senate, on a party-line vote, rejected a motion to pull it to the Senate floor for a vote. All 17 Senate Democrats voted against the measure, which was being promoted by Republicans.

Sen. Chuck Thomsen, a Republican from Hood River, said the measure was necessary to stop the irreversible damage Democrats have done to education in Oregon.

That, of course, is political posturing: The vote allows Republicans to hit the campaign trail this fall with claims that Democrats voted against proper funding for schools and public safety.

But Senate Joint Resolution 204 wouldnt have done anything to ensure proper funding of Oregons schools or its public-safety agencies. It would have hamstrung the very body we elect, the Legislature, in its attempts to write budgets that serve the need of all Oregon residents.

After all, its not the percentage of the pie that matters: Its the size of the pie. It may well be (in fact, we have argued in the past) that Oregons schools and public-safety agencies are underfunded. But simply guaranteeing that 1 of every 3 state dollars will be earmarked for schools and public safety doesnt mean that there will be adequate dollars to go around in the first place.

And, if you follow the reasoning behind Senate Joint Resolution 204 to its logical conclusion, it makes budget writing a snap: Amend the constitution to include strict guidelines for what percentage of state money goes to which area: Allocate 10 percent to higher education? No sweat. Add another 25 percent for corrections? Add it up. How about 10 percent for wildlife conservation and environmental programs? Another 25 percent for human services? Better make sure we leave 10 percent aside for reserves, especially with that public pension bill coming due starting in 2017.

Whoops, weve just allocated 113 percent of the total. Why, that means were qualified to serve in the Legislature!

Heres the point: We can pretend that creating a budget for the state of Oregon doesnt require anything more than a state economist telling us how much money we have to work with and a decent-sized Excel spreadsheet, but the process is considerably more complex than that  and its not the sort of work that lends itself to formulas. Circumstances and conditions change, and legislators need the flexibility to adjust the state budget accordingly. Its just not good public policy to tie their hands by nailing down a batch of inviolate budget formulas. (mm)
Steam rises from the stakes of the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyo., in this file photo taken March 14, 2014. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

In a town famous for news leaks, the Supreme Court managed to deliver a genuine surprise when it moved this week to freeze the Obama administrations signature regulation on climate change, raising doubts about U.S. promises to cut pollution blamed for Earths warming.

But although Tuesdays ruling startled the White House and rattled U.S. allies, it appears to have had little effect on the electricity providers most directly affected by the Clean Power Plan. About 48 hours after the courts decision, major utility companies are reacting to the move with a collective shrug.

Executives for electricity producers and industry trade associations say they expect little deviation from what was already an industry-wide move from coal-burning to cleaner and cheaper forms of energy to produce electricity. The shift is likely to accelerate further in the near future, industry officials and analysts said, meaning that many of the administrations carbon-cutting goals may be met regardless of what courts and lawmakers ultimately decide to do.

Electric utilities are investing in clean energy and pursuing energy efficiency, Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute, the largest trade association of electricity providers, told a gathering of Wall Street investors less than a day after the Supreme Court announced its stay on the Clean Power Plan.

[Everything you need to know about the Clean Power Plan]

Institute officials said the courts 5-to-4 decision doesnt really change anything in an industry in which nearly all new electricity generation is coming from wind or solar facilities or from hyperefficient generators that burn natural gas. You cant simply put the genie back in the bottle when it comes to major strategic investments that the captains of industry are making, said Quin Shea, the institutes vice president for environment.

Even companies that have joined lawsuits against the administration over the rules said they already were on track to deliver reductions in carbon emissions on a scale that the Clean Power Plan envisions. For American Electric Power, an electricity provider and one of the countrys top coal users, the court case doesnt change our focus on the diversification of our generation fleet, said spokeswoman Melissa McHenry. Those diversification plans include more natural gas and renewables, she said.

Administration officials on Thursday delivered an impassioned defense of the controversial regulations while also attempting to reassure other governments that U.S. promises to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions would be honored. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy declared in a speech that nothing has changed in the overall commitment to cut U.S. carbon emissions by up to 28 percent in the next 15 years, compared with 2012 levels.

[Anti-coal regulations stoke fears in rural areas]

Am I disappointed in the courts decision? My answer is absolutely, yes,  McCarthy told a gathering of state environmental regulators. Does it stop or slow this countrys transition to a low-carbon future? Absolutely not.

She described clean-energy tax credits approved by Congress last year as a kind of guarantor of continued progress on climate change. Recent decisions by Wall Street banks to invest billions of dollars in clean-energy projects were driven by market forces, not regulations, she said.

The CPP is underpinning a transition that is already happening and will continue to happen, McCarthy said.

McCarthy and other administration officials dismissed speculation that the courts ruling would undermine the international climate agreement reached two months ago in Paris, where more than 190 countries signed an accord to scale back emissions from fossil-fuel burning.

Todd Stern, the State Department official who led the U.S. negotiating team in Paris, said a number of foreign diplomats had contacted him because they essentially wanted to understand what the order meant.

I gave them the facts: that this is a procedural action, Stern said, and that we remain confident that the Clean Power Plan will be upheld when reviewed on the merits, and that we will keep faith with our emissions-reduction targets.

The Supreme Courts decision granted a stay request from a coalition of more than two dozen states who argue that the EPA overstepped its authority with regulations requiring them to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Before the stay was granted, states were obliged to develop plans by September of this year, spelling out how they intended to cut pollution from the electric utility sector beginning in the year 2022.

[Court ruling cant stop clean energys advance.]

Coal-burning power plants are the biggest single source of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States.

Although the Supreme Courts ruling does not address the merits of lawsuits opposing the Clean Power Plan, the decision suggests that a majority of the justices think the objections raised by opponents are serious.

The stay means that questions about the legality of the program will remain after Obama leaves office. An appeals court is not scheduled to hear the case until June, and the Supreme Courts order said the stay would remain in effect while the losing side petitions the Supreme Court. If the court were to accept the case, that would mean an ultimate decision in 2017, when a new president will be in office.

While administration officials and environmental groups express confidence that the regulation ultimately will be upheld by the courts, they argue that the climate fight will be won even if it fails.

Theres no question that the Clean Power Plan will accelerate our countrys transition from coal to clean energy, said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. Its also true the trend across the country away from coal, with low-cost renewables such as wind and solar and new rules to protect public health and limit mercury, soot, smog and sulfur dioxide, show that coal is not faring well in a competitive market.

Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.
CALIFORNIA

Leaking gas well

is finally capped

A blowout at a natural gas well in Los Angeles that gushed uncontrollably for 16 weeks and drove thousands of residents from their homes was plugged Thursday, a utility said.

While the well still needs to be permanently sealed with cement and inspected by state regulators, the announcement by Southern California Gas meant the leak was under control for the first time since it was reported Oct. 23.

We have temporarily controlled the natural gas flow from the leaking well and begun the process of sealing the well and permanently stopping the leak, Jimmie Cho, a SoCalGas senior vice president, said.

If the plug holds and all goes according to plan to seal the well, the upscale Porter Ranch community in the San Fernando Valley could begin to return to normalcy after schools were closed and about 6,000 families were uprooted. People complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as an intermittent stench wafted through the area.

 Associated Press

46 arrested in Georgia prison graft probe: A corruption probe into Georgia state prisons led to the arrests Thursday of 46 current and former officers who were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug and bribery charges, federal and state authorities said. The arrests are the latest in a two-year investigation that has seen more than 130 current and former officers, inmates and civilians charged, according to John Horn, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

Mayor apologizes for billing slain boys family for ambulance cost: Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson apologized Thursday to the family of Tamir Rice, a black 12-year-old who was fatally shot by a white Cleveland police officer 15 months ago, for the city having sent the administrator of the boys estate a decedents last dying expense claim for $500 for ambulance services. Jackson said the claim would be withdrawn.

 From news services
The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue...

11 months ago
IRAQ

Troops plan offensive against Islamic State

Iraqs military said Friday that it was mobilizing troops to prepare for an offensive the government has pledged to launch this year to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State.

Hundreds of troops from the armys 15th Division reached Makhmour base, 45 miles south of Mosul, and more troops, including Sunni Muslim tribal fighters, were expected to arrive in the coming days, said Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the joint operations command.

Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said last month that Iraq would launch the Mosul operation in the first half of the year, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said 2016 will see the final victory against the militants.

Some U.S. officials have endorsed that assessment, but a top U.S. intelligence officer told Congress this week that any operation to retake Mosul would be long and complex and unlikely to be finished this year.

With more than 1 million people still living there, Mosul is the largest city controlled by the Islamic State, which declared a caliphate in swaths of territory it seized in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Retaking it would be a huge boost for Iraqi forces, which, backed by airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition, reclaimed the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State in late December.

 Reuters

EGYPT

Thousands of doctors protest police abuse

Thousands of Egypts doctors protested police abuses in Cairo on Friday after an alleged attack on two doctors by police officers in a Cairo hospital. It was a rare instance of public protest, almost unheard of since the takeover of power by Egyptian military strongman Abdel Fatah al-Sissi in 2013.

As many as 4,000 doctors flocked to their unions office to attend an emergency meeting called by the Egyptian Medical Syndicate to condemn police violence. On Jan. 28, the union said, two policemen attacked two doctors and other staffers at Matariya Public Hospital for belittling the injury of one of the officers.

Leave! Leave! yelled the doctors in unison on Friday calling for the resignation of the health minister, while many carried signs, one reading The doctors of Egypt will not pay the price for the failure of your system.

The union decided to begin a strike if the policemen who allegedly assaulted the doctors were not held accountable, and if other demands, such as the closure of any hospital in which doctors are assaulted, were not met. They also decided to provide free services to all citizens for two weeks.

The doctors who were allegedly assaulted had filed a judicial complaint against the policemen. But after the officers issued a counter-complaint, the doctors withdrew theirs for fear of being detained and abused at the Matariya police station. The station, according to a report by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, is where 14 people have died in custody in the past two years and where other instances of torture and ill-treatment have allegedly occurred.

After the Jan. 28 incident, Matariya hospital staff went on a strike, demanding an investigation by the authorities. A few days later, public prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered the doctors to reopen the hospital and end their strike.

In a statement Friday, the chairman of the union, Hussein Khairy, called the turnout historic, hailing it as a turning point in our unions history and demanding rule of law.

The protest amassed large public support with a Twitter hashtag #SupportDoctorssyndicate trending worldwide, with many social media users dubbing it The doctors revolution.

 Heba Habib

Trudeau marks 100 days in office: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who rarely skips a chance to reach out to voters, marked 100 days in office Friday by fielding Twitter questions. Trudeau, 44, led his Liberal Party to a surprise election victory in October on the back of a promise to change politics. He named a cabinet with an equal number of men and women and dominates the media in a way few of his predecessors did. On Friday, he took questions on Twitter for 45 minutes on various subjects, including Arctic security, gay rights, taxes, national security and youth unemployment. Trudeau will face a tough challenge next month when his government releases a budget designed to boost a slack economy.He conceded this week he would run a larger deficit than initially promised.

 Reuters
The writer is spokesman for Right by Ike: Project for a New Eisenhower Memorial.

Congress may not be very popular these days, but lawmakers are reining in at least one runaway government program on the publics behalf: a long-delayed memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower that has become a contentious and expensive boondoggle in the hands of his memorial commission.

In the federal budget passed in December, Congress voted for the third year in a row not to fund the design by famed architect Frank Gehry that the Eisenhower Memorial Commission hopes to build over widespread objections that have extended to the former presidents family.

Acknowledging that theres plenty of public support for an Eisenhower memorial, just not this one, lawmakers appropriated just enough money to keep the commission open and the memorial authorized. But unelected commissioners are treating this as a public subsidy to keep lobbying for the same problematic design, refusing to recognize the budget setback as a signal to change course. In fact, the president has already requested funding for next year and is adding more prominent advisers to a support team that already includes every living former U.S. president.

Such tactics are holding progress on the memorial hostage to one design that is too controversial to build, let alone represent this presidents legacy. Eisenhower fought and governed through consensus-building, not controversy, which is partly why we see his personal achievements in national terms, from D-Day in Normandy to postwar peace and prosperity. Nor would a man who asked to be buried in a government-issue, $80 pine coffin likely welcome Gehrys flamboyant and expensive vision, which features a gigantic metal screen and a statue of a young Eisenhower. Building it would cost nearly $150 million, as much in todays dollars as the memorials to Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson combined.

But the commissions own policies are as much to blame for the controversy around Gehrys design. Commissioners ignored the usual public process for designing national memorials, which evolved to deal with the cost and content concerns that brought us to this impasse. Public design competitions build consensus through participation, by soliciting design ideas from the public. They provide feasible alternatives in the form of second- and third-place winners. They are inexpensive and can be used to control costs. We have used such competitions for every memorial designed for the Mall since 1981, when the process chose 21-year-old Maya Ying Lins design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A competition for the World War I memorial that just concluded cost $650,000 and chose a winning design with an estimated cost of $35 million.

By contrast, the program used by the Eisenhower commission cost $13 million to run and produced a design that will cost nearly $150 million. That program sought designers, not design ideas; considered only registered architects, not the public; and commissioned designers before they finalized a design. Choosing Gehry in this way closed out alternatives and left him without incentive to control costs or court consensus.

Congressional investigators also found evidence the memorial commission administered this undemocratic selection process abnormally, under a chairman with personal and professional ties to Gehry. He promoted the architect to fellow commissioners before the selection process began, and alterations to established criteria favored Gehrys selection. These facts were uncovered in a House Oversight Committee investigation, which also found the memorial commission increased compensation to Gehrys firm by some $6.5 million, nearly 65 percent of the original contracts value.

Such findings support the emerging consensus that the Gehry design is too controversial and too expensive. To get Eisenhowers memorial completed, we must return to the usual public process and redesign the memorial through a competition that is open to everyone. Fortunately, we already have the necessary funds in place to fund and perhaps build a new design, thanks to nearly $20 million the commission retains from past congressional appropriations.

But a new competition likely wont happen without congressional action to rein in  not just defund  the unelected commissioners who are thwarting consensus on Eisenhowers memorial. Replacing bureaucratic abuse with a democratic design process that controls costs must be the first step in bringing Eisenhowers memorial in line with his legacy.
Rachel Newcomb is a professor of anthropology and the Diane and Michael Maher Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning at Rollins College.

When the United States launched its war on terrorism, focusing on Afghanistans Taliban after the 9/11 attacks, one justification was the deplorable circumstances of Afghan women. While President George W. Bush drummed up political support for the war, first lady Laura Bush campaigned for intervention on the grounds that the fight against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and dignity of women. Fourteen years and more than $110 billion later, the accomplishments in the area of womens rights are, in the words of Rod Nordland (riffing on a quote from Gen. David Petraeus), significant but disappointing, extremely fragile, and easily reversible. By many U.N. measurements, Afghanistan is an inhospitable place for women. The female illiteracy rate is 87.4 percent; the birth rate among underage girls is 86.8 percent; the maternal mortality rate is 460 per 100,000 live births; and life expectancy is just 44 years. The country ranked as the 169th worst for women in 2013 out of 187 countries studied for the U.N. Development Programs Gender Inequality Index.

Nordlands book The Lovers isnt an argument for Western intervention in Afghanistan, but it nonetheless provides sobering evidence for what is likely to happen to women once the international community leaves. Part riveting love story, part documentation of the fragile gains of the Afghan womens rights movement, the book details Nordlands extensive involvement with Zakia and Ali, a young couple from the mountains of Afghanistan who were forbidden to marry because of ethnic and religious differences. Although they hailed from the same village, Zakia, who is Tajik and Sunni, and Ali, who is Hazara and Shiite, were not allowed by their families to marry, so they eloped, incurring the ire of Zakias family, who threatened to kill both of them and charged in court that she had already been married off to a nephew.

Now in their early 20s, the couple have a young daughter and have spent the past two years in hiding or on the run. Zakia has had the protection at times of Afghan-run womens shelters, which owe their existence to international funding and support; her stints there have been crucial because women who are arrested for defying the will of their families are often raped by law enforcement officers while in custody.

It is largely because of Nordlands reporting on this case, and the international attention that has resulted, that Zakia and Ali have managed to avoid being victims of an honor killing. Various donors have assisted them, and the Afghan president has issued a decree pardoning them. Nordland has produced a gripping story that captures the precariousness of their situation, the challenges they face in seeking refugee status and the international communitys unwillingness to help them leave, because taking them out of Afghanistan to safety would be yet another marker of failure, an admission that their own society and its laws cannot protect them.

"The Lovers: Afghanistan's Romeo and Juliet, the True Story of How They Defied Their Families and Escaped an Honor Killing" by Rod Nordland (Ecco)

Throughout this story, Zakia and particularly Ali remain frustratingly opaque, since Nordland often does not have an explanation for why they consistently stumble into decisions that put their lives in even more jeopardy, escaping by sheer luck alone. But the most compelling sections of the book are the final chapters provided as supplementary material, where Nordland describes the historical background for Afghan womens legal rights. He cites significant evidence of progress during the communist era, in which unprecedented numbers of women entered the public sphere. These rights, mostly enjoyed by women in urban areas, were lost under theTaliban, and for women like Zakia in the countryside, basic rights have always been minimal. Under Taliban rule, women were beaten for violating the rigid dress code or for being outside without male relatives. Those who were convicted of serious moral crimes would be taken to the National Stadium and, in front of a capacity crowd rounded up and ordered to attend, stoned to death, or shot in the head, always piously covered up by a robins-egg blue burqa as they sat in the dirt waiting for the end.

Despite the achievements of womens advocates since the defeat of the Taliban, there is still far too much evidence of honor killings, rape, underage marriage and violence against women, and abuse of women remains endemic at all levels of society, even, as Nordland documents, among female politicians.

Nordland does not discount the work of activist Afghan womens groups, which have benefited from international attention in their quest to hold the government accountable. One reform has been the Elimination of Violence Against Women law, enacted in 2009 by then-President Hamid Karzai. However, most of Afghanistans lawmakers and populace do not endorse advances for women and consider them the work of external forces. At the same time, the international community is reassessing its role in Afghanistan. Foreign involvement is often costly and ineffective. Nordland cites the example of a high school built by USAID at a cost of $27 million (in a country where an adequate, weatherproof school building for a thousand students can be built for a half a million dollars). Afghan womens advocates have found themselves shunned by Western politicians who once championed their causes. These advocates, who were feted as special guests on the international lecture circuit, are now denied visas for fear they wont return home. Most think the international community has largely forgotten them.

Meanwhile, Zakia and Ali are still in hiding, and Zakias future, like that of countless women in this country who defy the moral strictures of their communities, is uncertain. While Afghanistans women may have been a cause du jour aligned with military intervention, their tragedy is heightened as international involvement wanes. The Lovers is an important reminder of the complexity of Afghanistans problems and of the fact that a long history of Western involvement has not solved them.
Katherine Arcement is a producer at The Washington Post.

In this tale of superhuman endurance, two men set off on a weekend fishing trip from the coast of Mexico, and 438 days and some 7,000 miles later, one of them washes ashore on the Marshall Islands on the other side of Pacific, starving and barely able to speak or walk.

Salvador Alvarenga and his mate Ezequiel Cordoba left the seaport of Costa Azul, Mexico, on Nov. 17, 2012, and navigated straight into a monstrous storm. By the next day, the sailors had no radio, no GPS and no motor. In 438 Days, Jonathan Franklin re-creates the harrowing experiences that befell the men as they battled for survival while stranded at sea.

As their food and water supplies vanished, Alvarenga and Cordoba lapped rainwater and sea turtles blood, caught fish by hand, and pounced on birds that landed on their boat. Cordoba, who never took to eating raw bird, began refusing food and died after four months. Left alone, Alvarenga now had to grapple with his basic physical needs and his weakening mental state. To cope, he befriended whales and birds and became lost for hours in fantasies of shore life. He also began talking to his friends corpse, supplying both sides of the conversation. Once, he asked the dead man what death was like. Death is beautiful. I am waiting for you, Alvarenga believed Cordoba said to him. Alvarenga told the corpse: I dont want to go. I am not going there, not headed that way!

Franklin argues that Alvarengas delusions, along with his humor and positive nature, were instrumental in his survival. At first, the author doubted the fishermans tale. But Alvargenas amazing journey stood up to investigation. Nowhere did I see evidence of a fake or a fraud, said Franklin, author of 33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners.

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea" by Jonathan Franklin (Atria)

Safe at home, the sailor found simple pleasures in his family and even in a tortilla, something he had missed for more than a year. While working on the book, Franklin and Alvarenga were driving along the coast of El Salvador when they came upon a lush valley with dark clouds overhead. The sight brought tears to the fishermans eyes. Those clouds, those clouds, they were the ones that would bring me water, he said. When I saw them I knew I wasnt going to die.
Whenever Sen. Bernie Sanders talks about overthrowing the system  his campaign is nothing short of the beginning of a political revolution, he declared in his New Hampshire victory speech Tuesday night, for instance  mainstream Democrats roll their eyes. Frankly, you cant really blame them: Theyve heard this talk before, and it never ends well. Howard Dean in 2004 and Jesse Jackson twice in the 1980s used similar rhetoric to briefly exhilarate, then bitterly polarize, the party before their campaigns imploded. George McGovern promised to harness the left wings youthful energy; his dismal landslide defeat by President Richard Nixon in 1972 continues to haunt the Democratic establishment, which now seeks to filter presidential candidates through one paramount criterion: electability.

In the name of electability, Sanderss liberal critics dismiss him as naive. Hillary Clinton, who calls herself the practical one, condescendingly rebuffs his ideas as good on paper but irrelevant to what Democrats need: a progressive who likes to get things done. Her constant pleas to get back to the middle and reclaim the big center place her in the pragmatic liberal tradition of presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson and her husband, Bill  while distancing her from the ideologues of her partys past. She and her supporters echo Christopher Laschs fatalistic lament that radicalism in the United States has no great triumphs to record and imply that it does more harm than good.

But in so doing, they forget an important lesson from Democratic history: Todays consensus liberals cribbed most of their ideas from yesterdays contrarian revolutionaries. In politics, as in nature, all motion is relative, and the political center that Clinton and her allies claim was, not long ago, considered the fringe. American liberalisms greatest achievements to date  progressive reforms, the New Deal, the Great Society, feminism and multiculturalism  were all born from revolutionary movements. And many goals that once appeared unachievable (for instance, a progressive income tax or same-sex marriage) eventually became inseparable from the Democratic platform. The mainstream liberal order Democrats want to protect would never have come about without the revolutionary talk they now deride.

Some of the earliest organized challenges to the dire social, economic and political consequences of industrial capitalism in the late 19th century originated with the disgruntled agrarian forces of the Midwest and South. These revolutionary tides mobilized the Populist movement and eventually led to the short-lived Peoples Party, a national organization with radical economic and political ideas but reactionary cultural ones (including xenophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-intellectualism). At their formative convention in Omaha in 1892, party officials issued demands that came to be known as the Omaha Platform. We seek to restore the government of the Republic to the hands of the plain people,  it stated. At that time, according to Populist movement historian Lawrence Goodwyn, millions of people thought that a wholesale overhauling of their society was going to happen in their lifetimes. A democratic new day was coming to America. Conventioneers adopted the Omaha Platform, calling for, among other things, a graduated income tax, an eight-hour workday, a safe, sound and flexible national currency, secret ballots, the introduction of ballot initiatives and referendums, the direct election of senators (rather than through state legislatures) and government ownership of the railroads.

The opposition was fierce: A plutocratic alliance of Northeastern financiers, railroad corporations and their political allies in both parties painted the Populists as dangerously radical. The New York Times called part of their plan one of the wildest and most fantastic projects ever seriously proposed by sober man, while an influential Nebraska newspaper labeled their leaders shiftless, lazy and improvident and grumbled that it is a sin and a shame that these pests are permitted to beslime the state. Mounting criticism of the Midwest-based movement led the influential newspaper editor William Allen White to famously first pose the question: Whats the matter with Kansas?

Within a few years, the answer was clear: nothing at all. Aside from proposals to nationalize the railroads, most of the original agenda of the Peoples Party found its way into the Democratic Party platform. In 1896, the parties even temporarily merged as William Jennings Bryan became both the Democratic and the Peoples presidential nominee. Within two decades, many of the Populists goals had been realized, if only partially, by Woodrow Wilsons administration: The 16th Amendment and subsequent revenue acts of 1913 and 1916 ensured a graduated income tax, the 17th Amendment secured direct elections for senators and the 19th Amendment guaranteed womens suffrage (another early Populist cause, especially in the West). In addition, the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 began to meet farmers basic need for a sound monetary supply. And while the Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts may not have dismantled the railroad cartels, the resulting regulations weakened their control of the economy, answering the complaint that had helped spark the Populist revolt in the first place.

If the costs of economic modernization challenged the intellectual and moral foundations of the modern Democratic Party, revolutionary shifts in the political consciousness of Americans prompted them to demand help from their government. In the wake of the Great Depression, the inevitable result was the New Deal, generally celebrated today as the epitome of common-sense liberalism. At the time, it was anything but.

In the 1930s and 1940s, labor unions, farmers, populists, progressives, consumers, technocrats and even socialists agitated for programs that eventually made up the enormous government undertaking. Gargantuan federal infrastructure projects included public ownership and planning (the Tennessee Valley Authority), government-funded mass employment (the Works Progress Administration), the regulation of labor-management relations and consolidation of collective-bargaining rights (the National Labor Relations Act) and the compulsory use of payroll taxes to fund retirement pensions (Social Security).

Even if they never conceded this in public, many New Dealers determinedly incorporated revolutionary proposals into their programs; Roosevelt privately admitted that what we were doing in this country were some of the things that were being done in Russia. When Huey Long, the governor turned senator from Louisiana, launched his Share Our Wealth campaign in 1934 to radically redistribute assets (possibly in the hopes of mounting a third-party challenge to Roosevelt), the president fired back with a redistributive plan of his own: Although the Wealth Tax Act of 1935  also known as the soak the rich tax  was mostly a symbolic gesture that raised the income tax rate to 75 percent for only a handful of top earners, Roosevelt observed that it allowed him to steal Hueys thunder and outflank him from the left.

Roosevelts detractors, even those from his own party, were horrified by these developments. The American Liberty League, for instance, was formed in response as an umbrella group for corporate executives and industrialists (such as the du Ponts). It was helmed by notable Democratic figures including former presidential nominees Al Smith and John W. Davis and the corporate executive John Jacob Raskob, who had served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Just get the platform of the Democratic Party and get the platform of the Socialist Party, and lay them down on your dining room table, side by side, Smith, a former New York governor, groused in a famous address at the leagues annual banquet in 1936. Get a heavy lead pencil and scratch out the word Democrat, and scratch out the word Socialist, and let the two platforms lay there. Claiming the mantle of Jefferson and Jackson as his own, Smith compared New Dealers to Marx and Lenin; he warned that there can be only one capital  Washington or Moscow.

Still, Roosevelt was undaunted. In his 1944 State of the Union address  part of which he called a second Bill of Rights  he invoked the founders spirit and asked Congress to establish the right to useful and remunerative employment; a regular paycheck that provides adequate food and clothing and recreation and ensures a decent living; adequate housing, education and medical care; and protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment. Today, most conservatives accept that the government is responsible for some public welfare, universal education, Social Security and even some job creation and health care.

The next generation of reformers wanted to go much further. If there ever was a genuine threat of revolution in America, it came during the late 1960s as an answer to the war in Vietnam. The New Left movement consciously brought the war home in an effort to end it: Mass demonstrations and protest marches by what Norman Mailer colorfully called the Armies of the Night paralyzed the nations major cities; acrimony between students and administrators bred clashes across campuses and transformed Kent State, Columbia and Berkeley (among others) into militarized battlefields; even the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago degenerated on live television into a heartbreaking orgy of wrath, violence and hate. No wonder Nixons attorney general, John Mitchell, watching the antiwar protesters outside his office window, recalled the storming of the Winter Palace by the Bolsheviks.

To many protesters, the war was a symptom of what Paul Potter, the president of Students for a Democratic Society, called a deeper malaise plaguing America: Corporate capitalism was stifling the creative spirit and dehumanizing workers, faceless bureaucracies had colonized the democratic process, social conformity was rampant in a materialist consumer culture, institutional racism went unchecked, and strict patriarchal gender roles repressed womens empowerment and individual sexuality. The activists, under the umbrella of organizations such as SDS, embraced diversity, integration, self-expression and personal autonomy (alongside more traditional economic concerns). They emphasized, as the Democratic Partys revolutionary platform read in 1972, the right to be different, to maintain a cultural or ethnic heritage or lifestyle, without being forced into a compelled homogeneity.

The revolution to overthrow those anachronistic practices seemed dead on arrival: The disintegration of the New Left and McGoverns disastrous presidential campaign heralded failure. Nixon won, then won again with the help of his silent majority, which delivered 12 more years of Republican rule after a one-term flirtation with Jimmy Carter. Decades later, the campaign finance system still inhibits genuine participatory democracy; the exhaustion of Keynesian policies in the 1970s allowed corporate capitalism to persist; Reaganomics and neoliberalism took hold.

But the uprising and its goals were not forgotten or abandoned: The insurgents eventually won the cultural war. They ushered in a rights revolution that set the stage for multiculturalism and the elevation of race, gender and sexuality on the Democratic Partys national agenda  where they remain to this day.

Even Bill Clintons presidency, which in some ways seemed like an attempt to disavow liberalisms revolutionary excesses, helped advance the cause. Yes, under his administration, guided by the moderate Democratic Leadership Council, Wall Street was increasingly deregulated (with the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in the late 1990s); income inequality skyrocketed despite the prosperous economy; and NAFTA solidified Americas embrace of neoliberalism. But Clinton also gave a greater voice than any of his predecessors to the issues of racial and gender equality, cultural diversity and universal tolerance  all causes of the New Left. He promised voters a Cabinet that looks like America, and he kept his word, assembling the most diverse administration to date and placing unprecedented numbers of women and minorities in Cabinet and government posts.

The first black president worked to compensate African American farmers for the billions of dollars they lost because of the governments discriminatory farm loan program. Clintons National Homeownership Strategy helped lift minorities home ownership rates by about five percentage points (well above the average increase nationwide) and aided more than 2 million African Americans and Hispanics in acquiring their own homes. In addition, he contributed to their social mobility by raising the minimum wage by more than 20 percent. Clinton also pushed to expand reproductive rights, maternity leave and equal pay for women, despite the hypocrisy and sexism inherent in his affair with his intern. Although Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, he also enacted dont ask, dont tell, a critical (if problematic) step toward integrating gay service members into the military.

In an important 2002 study, Ruy Teixeira and John Judis predicted an Emerging Democratic Majority that would result from the political realignment of minorities and working women, who began to coalesce around the party in the 1972 elections and gradually helped Democrats compensate for the defection of white working-class voters. For them, this shift constituted George McGoverns Revenge. But it was also proof of just how powerful and pervasive the revolutionary sensibilities of the New Left proved to be. The coalition behind those ideas brought Barack Obama to power in 2008.

Like many of his predecessors, Obama employed revolutionary language on behalf of policies that, in retrospect, werent revolutionary anymore. A good example is Obamacare, rooted in Roosevelts insistence that every American had a right to adequate medical care. That notion had failed to animate Congress, despite the ardent support of Truman (who proposed a revolutionary national insurance plan), Johnson (who implemented part of that plan with Medicare and Medicaid) and first lady Hillary Clinton. Obama took a radical idea and achieved it in the least revolutionary way: winning an election, garnering congressional support for a somewhat curtailed program that dumped the public option and then barely getting the Supreme Courts approval.

All these revolutionary ideas took hold inside the Democratic Party because their proponents shared something moderates lacked: a political imagination that looked beyond the status quo and imagined a different society. Those futurists were most successful during harrowing moments of national crisis. The Populists voiced the disgust of millions of Americans with the social ravages of industrial capitalism, in which the Bourbon Democratic establishment led by President Grover Cleveland was often complicit. Decades later, Roosevelt answered the Great Depression with New Deal ideas (economic nationalization and regulation, public ownership and planning, worker solidarity, and social welfare) conceived to prevent future depressions. The New Left modeled our multicultural future because its activists  unlike the moderate LBJ wing of the party, which was mostly satisfied with the civil rights legislation  were the only ones who even acknowledged there were still problems with racial, gender and sexual relations.

Revolutionary ideas still had to pass muster with electoral majorities, and its telling that several  the redistribution of taxes, the direct election of senators, womens suffrage  even became constitutional amendments, which required overwhelming majorities in Congress and in state legislatures. The Supreme Court initially invalidated some of the New Deals most ambitious proposals (industrial- and agricultural-support laws), forcing Roosevelts allies to alter them without necessarily giving them up.

Its fair for Democrats to press Sanders on how, exactly, he intends to achieve his political revolution. What is unfair is to dismiss his policies outright because they seem too far from the mainstream. Concepts from the left fringe have, throughout American history, served as corrective rather than destructive devices. Instead of smashing institutions, these ideas have mostly provided a moral compass for repairing them; many radical-worker, populist, progressive and even socialist ideas didnt necessarily undermine the mainstream Democratic agenda as much as reorient it toward more urgent and just directions. Sanderss push to fix a rigged economy and curtail campaign cash may shape the future Democratic agenda, regardless of whether he gets the nomination. (Clintons attempt to brandish her anti-Wall Street credentials shows that this shift has already begun.)

There is little doubt that Clintons pragmatic sensibility is invaluable for getting things done. But the revolutionary tradition in which Sanders stands can make sure they get done for the right reasons. In this way, the center and the fringe are symbiotic. Ideology is a terrible tool for governing but a necessary reminder of what government is for. Next time Sanders talks about revolution, skeptical mainstream liberals should hold their tongues and recall that the most exceptional quality of the American political system is its ability to absorb and implement so many revolutionary ideas without ever having had an actual revolution.

outlook@washpost.com

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Gregory Crouch is the author, most recently, of the World War II flying story Chinas Wings: War, Intrigue, Romance and Adventure in the Middle Kingdom During the Golden Age of Flight.

Amid the despair that wracks so many parts of the Middle East, hope flickers in the western slums of Kabul in a school called Marefat . Funded largely by tuition payments from Afghanistans poorest people, its the finest school in the country. Graduates have won scholarships to Brown, Tufts, Northwestern, Harvard and others among the worlds most prestigious universities. In The Last Thousand, journalist Jeffrey E. Stern brings us the inspiring story of Marefat and its remarkable founder, Aziz Royesh. The book is a paean to the power of education and its potential to peacefully revolutionize a violent nation.

Stern focuses on the experiences of six people profoundly affected by Marefat and on Royeshs increasingly frantic search for a way to secure the safety of his students and the stability of his school as time counts down to the departure of foreign combat forces from Afghanistan. Stern, a former Marefat English instructor, describes his close friend Royesh, one of Afghanistans Hazara people, as small and physically unimpressive. According to legend, the Hazaras descend from 1,000 Mongol soldiers left behind by Genghis Khan to secure his Afghan conquests. As Shiite Muslims in a mostly Sunni country, they have been persecuted by Afghanistans other ethnic groups for centuries.

Like many Afghans, Royesh came of age through combat. Stern tells us that he earned the nickname Teacher as a fifteen-year-old holy warrior in the 1980s because hed read so many books on so many different subjects that he could challenge the elders fighting alongside him. Wounded in a massacre that drove many of his people from Afghanistan, Royesh recovered in a Pakistani refugee camp. Realizing that the best way to serve his people was not through war but through education, he founded the Marefat School in an unused camp basement.

Traditionally, Afghan children learn by rote memorization. Royesh saw little value in that. He wanted his school to teach kids not just to memorize but to think, and not just to think but to act. He insisted that at Marefat, nothing was exempt from interrogation, and having come to consider women his countrys last best hope, he placed special emphasis on educating girls.

"The Last Thousand: One School's Promise in a Nation at War" by Jeffrey E. Stern (St. Martin's)

When the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban, Royesh moved Marefat to Afghanistan, first to spare rooms in his home, then to makeshift buildings in a barren desert west of Kabul. Filled with politically active students and liberal ideas, the school thrived, eventually taking in 4,000 students. A Hazara slum sprang up around it. Soon, Stern writes, Marefat was not just a school, it was a forward operating base from which Aziz nudged his community toward his own hopeful way of thinking.

Unsurprisingly, Marefats progressive and Socratic principles arent always welcomed by Afghanistans conservative population. Royesh and his school have collected enemies both inside the Hazara community and beyond. People were threatened by Marefat, and sometimes they threatened it back, Stern writes. At first, Royesh went into denial over the impending departure of foreign forces from the country. He couldnt believe that the foreigners would leave behind an enemy still growing in strength, one with a grudge against . . . him and his students. As he told Stern, This is a place where more than ninety percent of the people want the international community here. Events finally forced Royesh to recognize the inevitable and to acknowledge the extraordinary vulnerability of his school, an unarmed institution in a country where everyone is armed. Attempting to secure its survival, Royesh threw himself into the cauldron of Afghan politics.

The Last Thousand is an extraordinary tale that is hopeful and uplifting but also conveys a sense of impending doom. Unfortunately, the way Stern tells the story is distracting. Most of the book is an effective intimate third-person narrative, but parts are told through jarring switches to first- and second-person perspectives, and Stern tips in and out of the present tense throughout the book, apparently to punch up its immediacy. Also, more carefully tying the narrative into the chronology of modern Afghan history would have provided a reader more insight.

In the final pages, Stern tells us that Marefat endures, despite the conservative, reactionary and traditional forces arrayed against it. Sterns commendable work underscores the United States awful strategic decision to invade Iraq and lose focus on Afghanistan, the place where America and the United Nations had a legitimate casus belli. The Last Thousand leaves Marefat, Royesh, his beloved students and the Hazara people where they have been for centuries  precariously perched in a violent and unstable country, their futures uncertain. Our sympathies and our hopes are with the Afghan uncle who left his young niece at Marefat at the beginning of her first day. Sacrifice yourself for this school, the uncle implored the girl, because you cannot find a place like it anywhere in the world.
Brittny Giles, of Flint, Mich., gives her 9-month-old daughter, Joel, a kiss before putting her to bed. Giles recently had her children's blood lead levels tested, which came back low, but she said she is still concerned. (Brittany Greeson/For The Washington Post)

The news reports of children poisoned by tap water in Flint, Mich., and of babies brains apparently damaged by Zika in Brazil are horrifying for some of the same reasons. In both cases, the threat is invisible. Lead has been leaching into Flints water from pipes buried deep underground. The Zika virus, carried by tiny mosquitoes, produces no symptoms in 80 percent of infected people. With Zika and lead, it can take months or years to realize that irreversible damage has been done  for microcephaly to become evident in a fetus, for lead poisoning to show up as learning disabilities and behavior problems. In the meantime, its difficult to trust what health authorities are saying, because government officials in Flint seem to have acted with negligence verging on malice and because doctors are still trying to understand Zika.

But perhaps the most chilling parallel between Zika and lead is that they both seem to assault children. In an era of heightened anxiety about protecting kids from contamination and harm, they play on our greatest fears.

What will we do with those fears? Typically, we respond in one of two unhelpful ways. We overestimate the risk and focus exclusively on safeguarding our own children. Or we discount the danger, telling ourselves it cant happen to our kids. We ignore what disease pathologies and water-distribution systems should remind us: how connected we are.

Rep. Elijah Cummings offered an impassioned ode to children at this months congressional hearing on Flint. Ive often said that our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see, the Maryland Democrat said. The question is: What will they leave us? And how will we send them into that future? Will we send them strong? Will we send them hopeful? Will we rob them of their destiny? Will we rob them of their dreams? No, we will not do that!

This is a fairly modern way of thinking about children  as vulnerable beings we should cultivate and protect. Of course, the impulse to protect children may have an evolutionary dimension. Individual parents may be genetically programmed to invest in the survival of their offspring. But the notion that children are innocent, fragile creatures that society as a whole should shelter from contamination is a relatively recent idea.

In my research, Ive documented how colonial Americans considered children depraved. Babies, they thought, were dangerously unformed, immoral and animalistic, as evidenced by their inability to speak or stand. Parents were expected to teach their children to walk upright, help them to memorize scripture and then put them to work as soon as possible. By contemporary standards, there was a surprising lack of concern for childrens welfare. Children frequently suffered severe burns playing near fireplaces, fell into uncovered wells or were attacked by wild animals, all suggesting an absence of adult supervision. Yes, many children died of diseases not then treatable. But they also died of easily preventable causes.

Around the middle of the 18th century, attitudes began to shift. Drawing on John Lockes notion that children are blank slates and Jean-Jacques Rousseaus concept of children as pure and spontaneous, a romantic vision of childhood encouraged parents to shelter their children from adult realities to preserve their innocence. Parents kept children at home, in school and away from work longer than in the past. And an array of new institutions  from public schools to orphanages to childrens hospitals  emerged to protect childrens welfare.

Still, the overwhelming majority of 19th-century American autobiographies report children being disciplined with a cane, paddle or leather strap. Child abuse and neglect became criminal offenses starting only in the 1870s. Mandatory schooling did not become universal until the early 20th century. The United States abolished child labor only in 1938.

Slowly, incrementally, protecting children from harm became a public priority. Indeed, the growth of the American welfare state, from Aid to Dependent Children in the 1930s to Head Start, established in 1965, was largely driven by concern for childrens well-being. This effort to ensure a right to childhood, free from abuse or exploitation, was bipartisan and reflected a growing consensus that children, by virtue of their special vulnerability and their role as our collective future, deserve public support.

Unfortunately, in recent decades, collective concern has often given way to something more inward looking. Anxiety about childrens welfare is at the heart of modern parenting. As soon as pregnancy is confirmed, many parents start to worry about threats to their developing fetus from various foods, environmental toxins and maternal stress. A childs first year brings apprehension about sudden infant death syndrome, choking, sharp corners and electrical sockets. Even as children grow and gain independence, parents continue to agonize about their physical health, personality development, psychological well-being and academic performance.

As a result, more moms and dads drive their kids to school, producing congestion in school zones that actually endangers children. Parents discourage their children from roaming freely outdoors, which contributes to obesity and excessive time spent in front of screens. Often, instead of translating their fears into a communal response  for example, by increasing supervision at parks and playgrounds  parents react to their worries on an individual basis, to the detriment of all childrens well-being.

With Zika and with lead poisoning, children seem to be especially vulnerable. Scientists think their developing brains transform whats mild in adults into serious conditions.

In the context of generalized anxiety about kids, its easy to see how panic can result from World Health Organization warnings about the Zika virus spreading explosively and newspaper headlines such as Untold cities across America have higher rates of lead poisoning than Flint.

Across the United States, pregnant women are calling their doctors with questions about Zika. Its very terrifying, a pregnant woman in Dallas told her local NBC affiliate. Her doctor, Sheila Chhutani, reminded her that there are no mosquitoes carrying Zika in northern Texas  or anywhere in the United States, for that matter. Im not worried about my pregnant patients here, Chhutani said. Im still more worried about them getting the flu, or making sure they get their flu shots, more than I am about the Zika virus.

At the same time, parents are questioning whether they can trust the water coming out of their taps or what government officials say about it. Pediatricians in New Haven, Conn., for example, tried to assure their patients that the water was safe  but then privately wondered whether or not that was true.

The anxious parents may feel genuine anguish for the children and families who have actually been affected by Zika or lead poisoning. But so far, for the most part, their responses have been self-regarding. They want to do everything they can to advance their own childrens life prospects.

What happens from here?

Parents may overestimate the risks and go to great lengths to protect their own children. We saw this in the 1970s and 1980s, when exaggerated fears of stranger abductions led many parents to severely restrict their childrens outdoor play, while alarm over purported sexual abuse in day-care centers led to prosecutions that were ultimately overturned. More recently, a significant minority of parents have refused to vaccinate their children out of a misplaced fear that this might contribute to autism. And even though school shootings are rare, many parents say they fear for their children when they drop them off each day.

In other situations, parents may compartmentalize harm, dismissing it as something that happens to other peoples children  to people who are somehow less deserving, who have bad luck or who live dramatically different lives.

Two times now, heartbreaking images of Syrian children have provoked passions in the United States. In September 2013, there were the videos of children writhing in pain, dying, after a chemical weapons attack allegedly by President Bashar al-Assads forces. And last September there was the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach after a refugee boat capsized. Yet because these children were far away, because their experience was so unlike ours, passion didnt move us to action. President Obamas proposal for airstrikes against the Syrian regime proved unpopular. Assad remains in power. And while some Syrian refugees have been welcomed into the United States, they have also been confronted by calls to close the borders and ban Muslims.

Similarly, the thousands of Central American children seeking to escape violence and poverty by coming to the United States captured the publics attention in the summer of 2014. But pleas for compassion competed with anti-immigrant sentiment. And now, outrage over deportation raids targeting those children and their families is largely limited to immigration rights advocates and Latino leaders.

Compartmentalizing is easier for people to do when the children are from another country and speak a different language. It also happens when the threat disproportionately affects poor children, as with Brazils Zika and Flints water.

But a communal response is critical in those cases, because poor people dont have the resources to protect their children like wealthier parents can. They cant hunker down in their air-conditioned homes until the mosquito threat is under control or a vaccine is developed. They may not have access to contraceptives, prenatal care or abortion. They dont have the luxury of forgoing straight tap water in favor of bottled water and reverse-osmosis filters. They often cant make their voices heard.

We can help children by pressing our government to provide communities with resources to replace decaying water systems, to conduct trustworthy lead-level monitoring, and to offer health and educational supports to those poisoned in the past. We can help if the United States is willing to support mosquito control in Zika-infected regions, to improve and expand testing, and to accelerate the quest for a vaccine.

The key question is whether Americans will respond to Zika and lead poisoning as problems predominantly of the poor, met with pity and a shrug of the shoulders, or as a call to arms demanding concerted collective action and a deepening commitment to childrens welfare, irrespective of nationality or class.

Will we fulfill our responsibility to children beyond our own?

Twitter: @Steven_Mintz
ENCOURAGING AMERICANS of modest means to save for college is an indisputably worthy policy goal, which is why most states offer tax-advantaged savings plans to people who put aside funds for their childrens postsecondary education. The trouble is that those who take advantage of the plans tend to need them least: upper-middle-class and wealthy parents.

Now Marylands Democratic leaders are doubling down on that approach by proposing to offer matching grants for college savers with incomes up to $225,000. The idea is over-the-top and out of line with benefits offered by other states.

Legislation unveiled recently by the two top lawmakers in Annapolis, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), would provide such matching grants on a sliding income scale to help people cover college costs. Thats fine in theory, if the theory is to target the benefits at struggling families for whom college is unaffordable. But since when does an annual income of $225,000 qualify as struggling?

About 10 states provide modest matching funds under 529 college savings programs, but none comes close to the subsidy for the well-to-do that Mr. Miller and Mr. Busch have in mind. Some offer one-time incentives, typically up to a few hundred dollars, to open a college savings account. A few others offer ongoing annual matches on a sliding scale of income to people of genuinely modest means. An example is Kansas, which offers matching grants up to $600, but only for households of modest means  for instance, a family of four whose adjusted gross income is less than $48,500.

By contrast, under the Miller-Busch plan, those with incomes under $100,000 who contributed just $25 to a savings account would receive a state grant of $250. The same state grant would be available to savers who contributed $250 with annual incomes of $175,000 to $225,000.

Why should Maryland, whose median household income is $76,165, subsidize residents whose incomes are triple that amount? Wealthy residents already enjoy enormous subsidies in the form of in-state tuition breaks and tax deductions for 529 accounts. The new Democratic proposal amounts to more welfare for the well-to-do.

Granted, affording tuition and fees can be a herculean task for most households and is a particular burden for middle-class families who make too much to qualify for Pell Grants and other need-based scholarships. Still, affluent families are already far more likely to have state-sponsored college savings accounts than those with more modest incomes. They require much less in the way of incentives to save, so why offer it to them?

At a cost of $10 million by 2020, the matching-funds proposal is not budget-busting. Its sponsors say it would provide grants to 20,000 new account holders. But the state already provides $15 million in annual tax deductions to Marylanders who contribute to 529 college savings plans. Isnt that enough coddling of the comfortable?
Lawrence Lessig is a professor at Harvard Law School and author of Republic, Lost: Version 2.0. In November, he ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.

Bernie Sanders has made great strides casting doubt on the credibility of Hillary Clinton as an agent of change. How can you take on Wall Street if you take quarter-million-dollar speaking fees from its leading banks? How can you be a credible reformer if you have been so dependent on money from the status quo?

But Sanders has his own credibility problem. Its called Congress. The Vermont senators agenda is a fiction, the Post editorial board declared, because there is zero chance it could get through the legislature, and not just because there are more Republicans than Democrats on Capitol Hill. Even when President Obama had a super-majority of Democrats in Congress, he couldnt get climate change legislation passed or a public option included in Obamacare. The threat of the powerful energy and health-care industries pouring millions of dollars into campaigns against Democrats was enough to get the leader of the last great revolution in U.S. politics to stand down. Until we change the way that money matters on Capitol Hill, the more sober-minded  they call themselves realists  will just roll their eyes at the fantastical promises of Americas most authentic politician.

Sanders should have an easy response to this reality-based skepticism: His first move as president, he should insist, would be to get Congress to change the system that so systematically blocks real reform.

And, indeed, that was precisely what Sanders seemed to say in the fifth Democratic debate. When asked by Chuck Todd what his priority as president would be, Sanders was quite clear: Youre not going to accomplish what has to be done for working families and the middle class unless there is campaign finance reform. So long as big-money interests control the United States Congress, it is going to be very hard to do what has to be done for working families.

No truer words have been uttered by a candidate for president  at least since Obama said essentially the same eight years ago: If were not willing to take up that fight [to change the way Washington works], then real change  change that will make a lasting difference in the lives of ordinary Americans  will keep getting blocked by the defenders of the status quo. The kind of systemic, fundamental change that Sanders now, and Obama then, are talking about will require a fundamental change in the economy of influence in Congress. It was enormous progress when Sanders made that clear.

But on the same day that Sanders declared that campaign finance reform must come first, his campaign released a statement completely negating the significance of that promise. Responding to a crowdsourced question on change.orgs new politics platform, Sanders again promised to commit to making reforms that change the way campaigns are funded a primary objective of his administration. But when he listed what he would actually do in his first 100 days in office, his list included three minor changes related to transparency in political spending. As to the only change that could make his platform credible  revamping the way congressional elections are funded by adopting a system of small-dollar, citizen-funded campaigns, such as the one Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) has proposed  Sanders indicated this was something to move toward over the long term.

Over the long term? What exactly does Sanders expect to accomplish in the short term, before this change is enacted? As Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a speech on the floor of the Senate on the anniversary of the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision, this is not a fight for the long term. This is the fight to be having right now. The only way real change will happen in the United States is if Congress is set free from its corrupting dependence on interested money. Yet, bizarrely, Sanders doesnt commit to promoting this essential change in Congress as a priority of his administration.

Like Obama before him, Sanders has excited a progressive base with powerful ideas about how to improve the United States. Like Obama before him, he has attacked the money from special interests that so powerfully defends the status quo. But like Obama before him, Sanders has failed to make central the one change that could make his revolution credible: changing the way congressional campaigns are funded. Progressives looking for a revolution should heed Warrens words: This is not a change for the long term. This is a fight to be having now.
Regarding the Feb. 10 Metro article Md. Senate overrides veto, restores ex-convicts vote:

My hat is off to the Maryland Senate for overriding Gov. Larry Hogans (R) veto of a voting rights bill. As someone who helped with the effort to restore ex-offender voting rights in the District, I know how hard a fight this can be. Luckily for District residents, we had the support of D.C. Council members and Mayor Walter Washington.

In the 1960s, I realized that citizens returning from incarceration, who had fought hard to get out of jail, were oblivious to the obstacles to successful reentry such as jobs, housing and voting rights.

Now the work truly begins with educating and registering those disenfranchised voters. Thats easier said than done. The Districts efforts have suffered in this area. Minus a robust outreach and education, Marylands bill will be on the books but severely underutilized.

Ernest E. Johnson, Washington
THE WAR IN SYRIA: CHANCES OF SAUDI MILITARY INTERVENTION? "Saudi Arabia is discussing plans to deploy ground troops with regional allies, including Turkey, for a safe zone in Syria, in a last-ditch effort to keep alive a rebellion at risk of collapse as a Russian-backed offensive by Syrian regime forces encroaches on the northern province of Aleppo. Although western officials have dismissed the plans as lacking credibility, they are a sign of the desperation that many of Syrias opposition backers feel towards what looks like an increasingly bleak outcome in the war. Two people familiar with Saudi plans told the Financial Times that high-ranking Gulf officials are in Riyadh meeting Turkish officials to discuss options for deploying ground troops to head a coalition of fighters inside Syria.... President Bashar al-Assads forces, bolstered by Iranian-funded Shia militias, advanced last week into opposition-held territory in Aleppos northern countryside under the cover of Russian air strikes. The violence prompted thousands of civilians to flee, exacerbating the already vast humanitarian crisis.... The plans appear to be led by Riyadhs defence minister and deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whose involvement makes some diplomats reluctant to rule out an attempted intervention. I see all kinds of red flags. But there is a new level of unpredictability and erratic behaviour in the new Saudi government, said one western diplomat. With Mohammed bin Salman, you just dont know.' " Mehul Srivastava, Erika Solomon, Simeon Kerr and Geoff Dyer, "Saudis make plans to deploy ground troops in Syria". The Financial Times. 9 February 2016 in "Saudi Arabia has offered for the first time to send ground troops to Syria to fight Islamic State, its defence ministry said on Thursday. The kingdom is ready to participate in any ground operations that the coalition (against Isis) may agree to carry out in Syria, said military spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri during an interview with al-Arabiya TV news. Saudi sources told the Guardian that thousands of special forces could be deployed, probably in coordination with Turkey.... Asiri suggested that recent progress against Houthi rebels in the war in Yemen was allowing Saudi Arabia to free up forces for deployment in Syria. A decision could be taken at a Nato summit in Brussels next week. There is frustration with the current efforts put in place to fight Daesh, said the Saudi analyst Mohammed Alyahya. Increasingly, it seems that none of the forces on the ground in Syria (besides rebel groups) is willing to fight Isis. The Assad regime, Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah are preoccupied with fighting Bashar al-Assads opposition with one ostensible goal: to keep Bashar al-Assad in power, irrespective of the cost in innocent Syrian lives'". Ian Black, "Saudi Arabia offers to send ground troops to Syria to fight Isis ". The Guardian. 4 February 2016 in One does not have to be especially anti-Saudi (by the bye: is there anyone who can be characterized as 'pro-Saudi'?) to view the news stories which are coming out of the region with some degree of skepticism. Why so? Simply put, the Saudi army with or without its Gulf allies has never prove to be erste-klasse soldiers. Nor has Saudi Arabia ever provided the world with any examples of its military being able to fight abroad successfully against a fully equipped and trained opponent as they would find in Syria (Assad's forces, Hezbollah and Persian forces). Certainly the performance of the Saudi-lead force in Yemen in the recent past, with its overwhelming reliance on air-power, can hardily said to provide an example of an outstanding military performance. Something to keep in mind, especially in light of the dominance that the Russian air force currently exercises in most parts of Syria. With the recent gains by Assad forces in Aleppo, heavily backed by Russian air support and Persia / Hezbollah ground forces, the diplomatic noise that it coming out of Riyadh is I would submit more for domestic and internal Saudi Arabian consumption than anything else. Which is not to gainsay the fact that the current regime in Saudi Arabia is more inclined, once again for primat der Innenpolitik to be seen as more of an active player in the diplomatic and military chessboard in the Near & Middle East. Time will of course tell. Mehul Srivastava, Erika Solomon, Simeon Kerr and Geoff Dyer, "Saudis make plans to deploy ground troops in Syria".. 9 February 2016 in www.ft.com Ian Black, "Saudi Arabia offers to send ground troops to Syria to fight Isis ".. 4 February 2016 in www.theguardian.com One does not have to be especially anti-Saudi (by the bye: is there anyone who can be characterized as 'pro-Saudi'?) to view the news stories which are coming out of the region with some degree of skepticism.? Simply put, the Saudi army with or without its Gulf allies has never prove to besoldiers. Nor has Saudi Arabia ever provided the world with any examples of its military being able to fight abroad successfully against a fully equipped and trained opponent as they would find in Syria (Assad's forces, Hezbollah and Persian forces). Certainly the performance of the Saudi-lead force in Yemen in the recent past, with its overwhelming reliance on air-power, can hardily said to provide an example of an outstanding military performance. Something to keep in mind, especially in light of the dominance that the Russian air force currently exercises in most parts of Syria. With the recent gains by Assad forces in Aleppo, heavily backed by Russian air support and Persia / Hezbollah ground forces, the diplomatic noise that it coming out of Riyadh is I would submit more for domestic and internal Saudi Arabian consumption than anything else. Which is not to gainsay the fact that the current regime in Saudi Arabia is more inclined, once again forto be seen as more of an activein the diplomatic and military chessboard in the Near & Middle East. Time will of course tell.
ADOPTING PROGRESSIVE practices from Europe and Canada is all the rage, from Sen. Bernie Sanderss presidential campaign to Michael Moores new documentary, Where to Invade Next, in which Mr. Moore marvels at Europes generous social programs. And we agree: The United States can and should learn from the experience of other Western democracies, whether that implies a bigger government or, as is sometimes the case abroad, a smaller one.

Take the prosaic but crucial function of air traffic control. In the United States, that is still a job for big government: specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration. Overseas, however, countries are turning away from this statist model. Canada spun off its system, Nav Canada, in 1996, to a private entity funded by user fees. Britain privatized in 2000. Australia and New Zealand are also part of the movement; ditto Germany and Switzerland, lest anyone think its English-speaking nations only.

In all of these countries, safety and innovation have stayed the same or improved, which is not surprising, as the new model separates regulation from operation. The U.S. approach, by contrast, keeps those conflicting roles within the same authority. Also, the FAA remains subject to the vagaries of congressional politics, with all the micromanaging and stopgap funding that implies. As a result, a $40 billion FAA modernization program is woefully behind schedule.

Now comes House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) with a bill to adapt successful European and Canadian models to the United States. On Thursday, the committee moved his proposal ahead with the hope of passing legislation by March 31, when the current FAA authorization statute expires. A new corporation, funded by charges on the systems various users, would manage flights and implement the long-stalled modernization. The FAA would still ensure safety, a regulatory job it already does remarkably well and might do even better if it were free to focus on that exclusively. Major players in the industry would share governance of the new entity, working out their differences within its boardroom rather than through the costlier and more conflictual method of lobbying Congress, as they do now.

These groups support Mr. Shusters plan, including not only commercial airlines but also the air-traffic controllers union, which had objected to similar plans in the past. This is by no means a panacea: Once upon a time, Congress turned over passenger rail and mail delivery to corporations known as Amtrak and the Postal Service. Much will depend on ensuring the new air traffic entity avoids the governance flaws that left those agencies still unduly dependent on Congress. Still, the stronger demand for air travel, as opposed to train rides and first-class letters, gives reason to hope Mr. Shusters proposed entity will at least be financially solvent.

Objections, so far, come from a single commercial carrier (Delta), the business aviation lobby and certain congressional Democrats who resist transferring Congresss power to a nonprofit corporation  to the point that theyre making common cause with a profit-making corporation and the private-jet set. These strange bedfellows should not have veto power over a promising reform, even if it wasnt made in the USA.
Much of Hillary Clintons difficulty in this campaign stems from a single, unalterable fact: She is a woman.

Im not referring primarily to the Bernie Bros, those Bernie Sanders supporters who fill the Internet with misogynistic filth about Clinton. What drags down her candidacy is more pervasive and far subtler  unconscious, even.

The criticism is the same as in 2008: She doesnt connect. She isnt likeable. She doesnt inspire. She seems shrill. She shouts, Bob Woodward said on MSNBC this month, also suggesting she get off this screaming stuff.

Joe Scarborough, the host, agreed: Has nobody told her that the microphone works?

At that, Clinton supporters hollered  about the double standard that condemns her but not Sanders, who bellows at the top of his lungs. The episode was part of a constant stream of commentators (generally men) taking issue with Clintons demeanor and conduct  Shes got to become herself, David Gergen advised on CNN before Thursday nights debate  in a way they dont do with Sanders.

At a Clinton rally last week in New Hampshire, I discussed the decibel dilemma with Jay Newton-Small of Time magazine. Its very hard for a woman to telegraph passion, she explained. When Bernie yells, it shows his dedication to the cause. When she yells, its interpreted in a very different way: Shes yelling at you.

Thats not about Clinton; its about us. It is a subtle kind of sexism that exists that we dont recognize, said Newton-Small, who literally wrote the book on the matter. Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works, out last month, includes a chapter on Clinton. When women raise their voices, people tend to get their hackles up. People I talk to at Clinton events put her in a maternal role: Why is she screaming at me? Am I in trouble?

Campaigning While Female also deprives Clinton of the ability to make lofty promises. Sanders, for example, has a $15 trillion non-starter of a health-care plan. If Clinton floated such a plan, the media would mock it as patently absurd. But Sanders gets a pass.

Why the double standard? Men are the guys who want to go out and buy the motorcycle, and women are the purse-string holders, Newton-Small said. Its a very traditional role we are putting women into by making them the one saying, no, we cant do all these really fun things. This is a very stereotypical box she gets put into, which then makes it very hard for her to be inspirational.

This is the essence of Clintons trouble: If she cant plausibly offer pie in the sky, and she cant raise her voice, how does she inspire people? This hurts particularly with young voters  the same segment that shunned Clinton in 2008.

Clintons likeability problem also has something to do with her lack of a Y chromosome. Its a direct consequence of the imperative that she demonstrate her toughness. Men can be tough and warm at the same time  think Ronald Reagan  but for women, its a trade-off.

In 2008, she played down gender and positioned herself as ready to lead on day one. This time she took a softer approach but eventually found herself back in the position of arguing that shed be a better wartime leader than Sanders. For Clinton, its a really tough needle to thread to be tough enough to be a commander in chief and still be likeable, Newton-Small said.

I disagree with those who scream sexism every time somebody criticizes Clinton. But theres no denying that women are more often the victims of online savagery. That was true long before the Bernie Bros (who could be heard booing a mention of Madeleine Albright at Thursdays debate). Sanders objects to the Bernie Bros but may encourage them when he talks about the drama Clinton creates and her shouting. Its also hard to imagine a male candidate being faulted for his wifes misbehavior the way Clinton is blamed for her husbands.

Theres not much Clinton can do about this. But she can make the case that while Sanders talks revolution, her presidency actually would be one, because the first female president would govern differently from her 44 predecessors.

Clinton has been at the vanguard of the womens movement for decades, but the movement has been so successful that young voters, even women, dont realize how much has changed  and how having a woman as president could complete that Quiet Revolution.

Women in general are better listeners, are more collegial, more open to new ideas and how to make things work in a way that looks for win-win outcomes, Clinton told Newton-Small in Broad Influence.

Now thats something worth shouting about.

Twitter: @Milbank

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As Donald Trumps GOP opponents descend on South Carolina, they are running smack into a phenomenon. In this state, Trump is riding a wave of adulation more common for rock stars, faith healers or South American dictators. His rally crowds run into the thousands  some in excess of 10,000  with cars parked for miles down the sides of roads leading to venues. South Carolina Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster  who recently endorsed Trump  describes a woman waiting eight hours without eating to keep her place in the front of the crowd, and promptly fainting when Trumps speech began. Nineteen-year-old girls have him sign things and have tears in their eyes, says McMaster, tracing lines down his cheeks.

McMaster is what Trump hopes to see more of in the future: an establishment figure who has accommodated to his version of political reality. The lieutenant governor  courtly and dressed to the nines  was once South Carolinas attorney general and the chairman of the state Republican Party. Speaking to me in his office in the state capitol, McMaster describes three recent rallies he attended with Trump. At each stop, Trump asked me, You have been in politics for decades. Have you ever seen anything like it? Each time I told him, I have never seen anything like it. 

What explains this level of enthusiasm? It is not Trumps political organization in the state, which local pros describe as more of a glorified advance operation. Trump South Carolina co-chairman Ed McMullen explained Trumps appeal to me this way: He is the alpha male who says exactly what is on his mind.

A revealing description, more biological than philosophic. Trump is running an exceptionally visceral campaign. His goal is not so much the inspiration of the country as the domination of the other candidates. And it has generally worked. They respond to his attacks, hush when he shushes them and envy his huge . . . poll numbers.

Trump appeals fairly broadly in South Carolina  many opponents of Trump I talked with in the state report having some relative who loves him. But there are lots of angry, rural white males at his rallies. They have reason to feel disadvantaged in our economy and overlooked in our politics. This is mixed here (as elsewhere) with baser motives. On racial matters, according to one senior South Carolina Republican, Trump is using not a dog whistle but a train whistle. His Muslim immigration ban was announced in Charleston Harbor, aboard the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. His questioning of Ted Cruzs faith because not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba was taken as an argument that Cruz is foreign, not one of us. And the Trump campaigns willingness to associate with Jake Knotts  the former state senator who famously called Gov. Nikki Haley (R) a racial epithet  has been taken as a signal.

In South Carolina, Trump is encouraging elements of the party for which old times there are not forgotten. And this is clearly complicating Haleys attempt to reform and modernize the GOP here, symbolized by the empty spot on the front lawn of the statehouse where the Confederate battle flag once flew.

Everyone I spoke with in South Carolina who wasnt paid by one of the candidates (there are a few) believes that Trump will win. And it now seems likely that Trump will be unstoppable in much of the South, the region that dominates the primary calendar through mid-March.

Republicans who remain unreconciled to the Trump dynasty now comfort themselves with one scenario. After the shock of early Trump victories wears off, some candidate in a winnowed field will need to rise and restart the race. Trump, this heretofore mythic figure will argue, has won some early primaries in the South. But he has a ceiling of support  just 35 percent in the GOP  that dooms him with the national electorate. So, here I am, the only candidate who can unite the party and win a majority in November. At that point, the spigots of Republican money will open and the electoral terrain  in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, and eventually in New York and California  will dramatically improve.

All of which depends on two questionable assumptions. First, I can remember when Trumps ceiling was supposedly 25 percent. After a series of victories, it may rise again. Second, this scenario assumes that any of the mainstream candidates are capable of cutting the alpha down to size.

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Its rare for an election to raise a metaphysical question  and even rarer for Donald Trump to do so. But that is exactly what he has done by repeatedly confounding expectations of his electoral demise: He has rattled our conception of how knowable the future is.

Pundit predictions are notoriously poor, but last fall, there was near-unanimity among political analysts that Trump would fail, and fast. Nate Silver, the statistical wunderkind who made his reputation by accurately calling elections using poll-driven models, said that Trumps base of support was about the same share of people who think the Apollo moon landings were faked.

Now that voters have actually weighed in, Trump has won the New Hampshire primary after finishing second in Iowa. His success has been so astounding that, as Jack Shafer wrote in Politico, it looks a lot like what Nassim Nicholas Taleb famously dubbed a black swan  an enormously consequential event that is unpredictable but seems foreseeable, even obvious, in hindsight. According to Taleb, A small number of black swans explain almost everything in our world. The 9/11 attacks were a black swan, the bursting of the housing bubble was a black swan and so is Trumps credible shot at the presidency.

Putting aside the (many) earthly worries about a Trump administration, the epistemological problem with Trumps campaign is that it seems to reinforce Talebs logic: Most things that matter cant be forecast, and most things that can be forecast dont matter. Our ability to understand the world around us, or at least the world ahead of us, is limited to the trivial. If youre a columnist covering the election, a general charged with anticipating the next war or just an average person trying to plan your life, such pessimism is disheartening.

Fortunately, it is overblown. True black swans  events that are unforeseeable because they are unimaginable  are exceedingly rare. If we can imagine the conditions under which things could occur, we can use probability to estimate their likelihood, at least roughly. Then we can test how right or wrong we were and adjust later predictions to make them more accurate. All of which means that its much easier to predict political bombshells a la Trump than you might imagine.

Hecklers are common at political rallies, but Donald Trump knows how to use them to fire up his audience. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

The prospect of a President Trump is closer to a gray swan than a black one  and it offers a valuable opportunity for learning just how much we can and cannot know about the future.

At one end of the epistemological spectrum is the deterministic universe proposed by 19th-century French mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace. Working in the midst of the Enlightenment, Laplace posited that rules such as Newtons laws of motion might govern all of nature, including its human inhabitants. An entity that knew all the rules could, in principle, extrapolate from the current state of the world and see precisely into the distant future: For such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past would be present before its eyes. Laplace called this intellect a demon, and its not hard to see why: It offered the possibility of omniscience, but it left no room for free will.

At the other end of the spectrum lies the universe as scientists see it now, one permeated by tremendous uncertainty. Sure, thanks to Newton and Einstein, we know that objects behave reliably at the macro level. But quantum mechanics tells us that matter behaves unpredictably at the subatomic level, and although the social sciences can explain some of the funny things people do, were a long way from a unified theory of human behavior.

This uncertainty is uncomfortable. Which is why many people prefer a universe where the divine moderates the tension between determinism and free will  where the natural world operates according to scientific laws but human endeavors are guided by some sort of master plan. Infusing events, even horrible ones, with meaning feels more reassuring than things happen.

Probability is the humble secular answer to that problem. It allows us to transform vague, anything-could-happen sentiments into measurable risk, and it is essential to finance, medicine, engineering and more. Without ways of quantifying risk, decision-making would come to a standstill  or grind unproductively against a logical wall.

Consider the weather, which operates according to deterministic laws but is unpredictable more than a week out, because even small changes have exponential effects that build on one another. Its an example of a chaotic system. If you had perfect input data and infinite computing power, you could perhaps predict the weather perfectly. But because meteorologists arent Laplacian demons, they frame their predictions as probabilities, which yield useful information about the future despite epistemological limitations.

Of course, politics is not weather: Its a complex system with lots of variables governed by rules that are unclear.

That is why, according to Taleb, a normally useful tool like probability cant help us see disruptive events like Trumps candidacy: Political and economic tail events   that is, rare but high-impact events  are unpredictable, and their probabilities are not scientifically measurable. No matter how many dollars are spent on research, predicting revolutions is not the same as counting cards; humans will never be able to turn politics into the tractable randomness of blackjack.

It sounds convincing; in politics, there are so many moving pieces that, for all intents and purposes, every historical event is unique. You cant provide a frequency-based probability for something that has never happened before. What would you base your odds on? There is only one Donald Trump.

Or is there? Trump fits into the comparison class of system-destabilizing populists  from Huey Long to Ross Perot  pretty well. Just because politics is a complex system doesnt mean we cant make (and improve) political predictions. Indeed, assigning numerical odds to an event, even if doing so requires some guesses, improves the quality of political forecasts in the long run. Improving 10 or 20 percent on the proverbial dart-tossing chimp is still progress.

That is the key discovery one of us, Tetlock, made when IARPA  the agency that funds cutting-edge intelligence research  asked him in 2010 to participate in a geopolitical forecasting tournament. Each team was led by a scholar who could recruit, train and organize forecasters however they wished, but they all had to predict answers to the same questions, such as Will the euro fall below $1.20 in the next year? or Will the president of Tunisia flee to exile in the next six months?

Tetlocks forecasters did extremely well, and within a few years, the best of them  a few hundred ordinary Americans  were even out-predicting career intelligence analysts (who had access to classified information) by about 30 percent. They were anointed superforecasters.

What Tetlock and his colleagues did was teach them to think probabilistically. Humans are not natural statisticians, as psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman have noted; we prefer to think in terms of narratives, even unfounded or inconsistent ones. So there were great benefits in learning rough-and-ready statistical concepts. It turns out that thinking probabilistically increases the odds of accurate predictions.

But then why did Silver, one of the most probabilistically astute observers of American politics, get Trump wrong?

The short answer is that he didnt. In September, Silver gave Trump a 5 percent chance of winning the Republican nomination, and we dont yet know who the nominee will be. But lets say Trump wins. Does that make Silver wrong? Not necessarily: If we could rerun history 100 times, maybe Trump would lose 95. Of course, that experiment is impossible, which raises another metaphysical quandary: If predictions can never be declared right or wrong, how does probability help us navigate the future?

The answer lies in measuring a forecasters performance over many predictions. Do the things you say will happen 5 percent of the time actually happen about that often? Do you assign high probabilities to events that happen and low probabilities to those that dont, as opposed to playing it safe with middle-of-the-road predictions? By answering these questions, we can find out whose forecasts are generally the most accurate  even if we cant say they were right  and use the results to refine our beliefs and plan for the future.

Individuals, businesses and policymakers often face choices involving competing priorities and limited resources. Probabilistic predictions, especially from forecasters who have proved their accuracy over time, can enable better decisions, and even small improvements in predictive ability can mark the difference between danger and security, recession and growth, war and peace. Imagine that the intelligence community had been more circumspect in 2002, saying there was a 75 percent chance that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (and a 25 percent chance it did not) instead of bluntly stating, Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons. Would Congress still have authorized the use of force? No one knows for sure, but lawmakers might have been more cautious. Decreasing the odds of multi-trillion-dollar mistakes is not something to sniff at.

What about supposed black swans, though? Its true that judging the accuracy of forecasts involving extremely unlikely events is harder, because they could take decades or even millennia to play out. But there are still standards we can use to benchmark those odds, especially compared with other unlikely events. So even if we cant assign an objective probability to an alien invasion, we can presumably say its less likely than, say, war with Russia and prepare accordingly.

A purely black swan is, by definition, a completely unforeseeable event, and there are relatively few of those. The 9/11 attacks are often cited as an example, but there were many data points suggesting that al-Qaeda wanted to attack the United States and that terrorists might use airplanes as weapons. (Tom Clancy had even published a book in which a pilot intentionally crashes a jetliner into the Capitol.) As the 9/11 Commission Report put it, the attacks were a shock, but they should not have come as a surprise.

Likewise, the intelligence community considered the possibility of the Soviets placing missiles in Cuba, of Islamists overthrowing the shah of Iran and of the Soviet Union collapsing under the weight of communism. That does not mean that its forecasts were accurate! But if these scenarios were imaginable, then they were predictable in a ballpark probabilistic sense. And the accuracy of those predictions could have been used to refine the intelligence communitys models of the world.

Prediction is not positivism: We need to be humble about what we know and what we dont know  and always remember that a probability is just that. There are limits to our foresight, but better prediction can reduce the uncertainty that erodes confidence in the future. Trump is wrong: America doesnt need to be made great again. But prediction just might make it better.

Twitter: @PeterScoblic

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Is Bernie Sanders a closet foreign policy realist? Reading his few pronouncements on foreign policy, you sense that he embraces the realists deep skepticism about U.S. military intervention. But he has said so little about foreign policy that its hard to be sure.

Foreign policy is the hole in Sanderss political doughnut. We know what he doesnt like  the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which he mentions, in nearly every debate, almost robotically, describing it as one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the modern history of the United States. But theres far less clarity about what he does favor.

I fully, fully concede that Secretary [Hillary] Clinton, who was secretary of state for four years, has more experience  that is not arguable. . . . But experience is not the only point, judgment is, Sanders said in a Feb. 4 debate before his big New Hampshire win.

Now that Sanders has nearly tied Clinton in Iowa and won New Hampshire, theres a real possibility that he may emerge as the Democratic nominee. And the question is: How scared should mainstream Democrats be about Sanders as a foreign policy president?

Its hard to know. Sanders is running a populist campaign that centers on economic justice. Foreign policy is an afterthought. If I had to guess, Id say that Sanders would continue  and reinforce  President Obamas wary approach to using force, whereas Clinton would be more hawkish.

But thats just a guess. Perhaps Sanders would be far more dovish. Clearly, if he wants to be taken seriously as his partys potential nominee, Sanders needs to explain how he would behave as commander in chief. The nation is at war against a terrorist adversary. How would Sanders lead?

Sanderss statements on Syria suggest that he would take a position embraced by many self-described realists. His first priority, he has said, would be a broad coalition, including Russia, to defeat the Islamic State. Our second priority must be getting rid of [President Bashar al-Assad], through some political settlement, working with Iran, working with Russia.

Some critics would argue that its immoral to make replacing a leader who used chemical weapons a secondary concern. But Sanderss defenders could argue that foreign policy is about making clear choices, especially when they arent easy.

Foreign policy just hasnt been on Sanderss radar: His campaign website lists 22 important issues. Income and wealth inequality is at the top, and 19 are about domestic policy. Just three involve foreign concerns, and one of these is climate change, which Sanders has described as the biggest threat to national security.

Unease about Sanders partly reflects the fact that he seems to have no real foreign policy mentors. The Sanders campaign made comical missteps in the past few weeks when it tried to name his key foreign policy advisers. Several of them said they had briefed the candidate just once or twice; one was a full-time White House staffer.

In Sanderss speeches and comments in the past five televised debates, his foreign policy views have been vague, but not all that different from those of a Democratic electorate that is skeptical about U.S. military power and insistent that other countries do more fighting. His views do, however, mark a sharp break with the centrist foreign policy view that the United States needs to be more assertive in projecting power after the Obama years.

Pressed about his foreign policy views, Sanders often cites a speech he gave in November at Georgetown University in which, among other things, he embraced the label democratic socialist. That speech laid out a policy to destroy the brutal and barbaric [Islamic State] regime. . . . But we cannot  and should not  do it alone. He cited a standard liberal list of failed U.S. military interventions, in Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954 and Chile in 1973.

Speaking at Georgetown University on Nov. 19, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) explained what democratic socialism means to him and argued that wealthy Americans enjoy "socialism," whereas Americans living in poverty are subject to "rugged individualism." (AP)

Sanders needs to answer a range of foreign policy questions: Would he enforce navigation in the South China Sea, even if it meant possible confrontation with China? How would he combat Russian aggression in Ukraine?

In that Georgetown speech, Sanders evoked President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his argument, in Sanderss words, that real freedom must include economic security. Which raises the question: What does Sanders think of the FDR who, as commander during World War II, astonished his aides by insisting that unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan was the requirement for victory?

One can imagine a President Hillary Clinton making such a harsh demand. But what about a President Bernie Sanders?

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It is the line that might have sunk a presidential campaign. [Barack Obama] knows exactly what hes doing, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said at Saturdays debate (again and again and again). [He] is undertaking a systematic effort to change this country, to make America more like the rest of the world. Rubios sin is said to be stylistic. He repeated the phrasing almost robotically. But what about the substance of what he said?

The charge that President Obama is attempting to change America fundamentally is a staple of right-wing talk shows. As Paul Waldman points out, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and others routinely assert that Obamas policies are intentionally designed to transform the United States and dull its distinctive edge. Rubio warns that this might be our last chance. Were Obamas policies to be continued, he suggests, America would become just another country.

This rhetoric does raise an important question. What makes the United States exceptional? All American politicians  including Obama  use that word. Most genuflect before it. But few actually define it.

Today, American exceptionalism is often seen as economic. Many conservatives say that Obamacare, energy policy and the Dodd-Frank financial regulations have violated a core difference between the United States and the rest of the world by expanding the role of the state in the economy.

But how limited is American government? The conservative Heritage Foundation publishes an annual index of economic freedom that ranks countries based on their degree of economic freedom (from government). America comes in 11th, behind Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Chile, Switzerland and Singapore. That doesnt seem very exceptional.

In fact, the American welfare state is quite large but has been enacted in complex ways  partly to hide that reality. Once you add in tax expenditures  such as the exemption for employer-based health care  the size of the federal government rises by a full 4 percent of gross domestic product, according to one estimate. And once you add in private social spending, a term scholars use to include spending such as that on health, some of which is mandated and regulated by law, the size of Americas social expenditures jumps up to No. 2 among all rich countries in the world, exceeded only by that of France, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.

Most important, the size of the United States government cannot be what has made America exceptional. In the 19th century, European governments also had limited night-watchman states  in fact, many even smaller than Americas. The United States, after all, pioneered state-funded secondary education for all. But from the beginning, America was exceptional. So it was obviously about something other than tax policy.

What about freedom? Certainly liberty was important, but the French Revolution was fueled by a similar idea  though never implemented successfully. And Americas ideas about liberty were always seen as a work in progress, since the country denied that liberty to a substantial section of the population. Remember that in 1860, the United States was unusual, if not exceptional, among Western nations in the widespread prevalence of slavery.

What, then, made America truly exceptional, from the start? It was a country founded not on race, ethnicity or religion but on ideas. And, crucially, those ideas were open to all. This openness to people, ideas, cultures and religions resulted in the creation of a new person  the American. The great historian Gordon Wood explains his view of American exceptionalism: In an important sense, we have never been a nation in any traditional meaning of the term. . . . We Americans do not have a nationality the way other peoples do . . . which of course is why we can absorb immigrants more easily than they can.

Other countries have small states and low taxes, and there are many liberal democracies, even republics. But no other country from the outset believed in the idea of openness and the mixture of people. The United States is a nation founded on diversity  of race, religion, national origin.

There are efforts to change America. There are plans to introduce religious and ethnic tests to bar immigrants and even visitors, or to track immigrants and visitors once they arrive. There have been calls to deport people, even American citizens. There are proposals to monitor houses of worship.

These ideas would fundamentally change America, tearing at its founding DNA. It would make it much more like the rest of the world, becoming one more nation in which certain ethnic groups and religions were privileged and others were outsiders, a country in which diversity was a threat to national character and unity rather than a strength.

And who is it proposing these changes? The last time I checked, it was not Barack Obama.

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At a debate in Milwaukee, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton diverged slightly on how they would reform health care and immigration, while largely agreeing on the need for change in policing. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

At a debate in Milwaukee, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton diverged slightly on how they would reform health care and immigration, while largely agreeing on the need for change in policing. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Fresh off her double-digit loss in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton sought to undermine surging rival Bernie Sanders here Thursday night, arguing that his expansive agenda for government action on health care, college costs and infrastructure investments is both impractical and far more costly than he has said.

The debate turned fiery only in the closing minutes, when the two clashed over foreign policy and over comments by Sanders critical of President Obama.

I couldnt disagree more, Clinton said, accusing Sanders of leveling the kind of attacks on the president usually heard from Republicans.

That is a low blow, Sanders said, saying he had worked with the president throughout the past seven years. Have you ever disagreed with the president? he asked.

Overall, the debate highlighted anew the fundamental fault line between the two candidates for the Democratic nomination, with Sanders standing his ground on behalf of a big and bold agenda that has energized progressives across the country and Clinton expressing her support for many of her rivals goals but arguing that she has the preparation to make real progress in a divided country.

After a pair of heated contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two Democrats spent much of their two-hour debate in relatively civil disagreement. They disagreed over the size and scope of government and traded views on topics including race and criminal justice, immigration and Social Security.

In her closing statement, and without Sanders having an opportunity to reply, Clinton opened up a new argument against her rival, implying that Sanderss focus on the corrupting influence of political money on government is too limited. Im not a single-issue candidate, and I dont believe we live in a single-issue country, Clinton said.

The debate probably changed few minds in the Democratic race. Nor did it answer some of the key questions that will be at the heart of the campaigning in the weeks ahead. For Sanders, it is a question of whether he can expand his appeal from a largely white base of supporters and attract votes of African Americans and Hispanics.

For Clinton, it is whether she can retool her message to counter the enthusiasm behind Sanderss candidacy.

Among the sharpest exchanges came over the role of money in the political system, with Clinton seeking to deflect criticism that she has benefited from contributions from Wall Street and financial institutions and Sanders suggesting that anyone who doesnt think big contributions influence government actions isnt being realistic.

Lets not insult the intelligence of the American people, Sanders said.

Why in Gods name does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? he asked rhetorically. I guess just for the fun of it. They want to throw money around.

1 of 8 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders during the PBS NewsHour View Photos The two met Thursday night for the sixth Democratic presidential debate. Caption The two met Thursday night for the sixth Democratic presidential debate. Feb. 11, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in a debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Win Mcnamee/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

With an eye to upcoming contests in Nevada and South Carolina, both used their opening statements to appeal to minority voters, who will play a far more significant role in those states than they did in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton sought to put Sanders on the defensive early in the debate when he was asked how much more government would cost under a Sanders administration. When Sanders was told he had not answered the question, he said there of course would be a limit. He offered a ringing defense of his philosophy.

In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all of our people have a decent standard of living, he said.

Clinton answered the question Sanders was asked, saying that her best estimate of the price of his plans would raise the cost of government by 40 percent. She then pivoted to an attack on his call for a Medicare-style, single-payer health-care system.

Sanders said again that middle-class Americans would pay about $500 more in taxes for his government health-care plan but would save about $5,000 in health-care costs.

Clinton, calling that a promise that cant be kept, said, Based on every analysis that I can find by people who are sympathetic to the goal, the numbers dont add up, and many people will actually be worse off than they are right now.

Sanders shot back, That is absolutely inaccurate. But Clinton continued to press her case.

When Clinton was asked what her proposals would cost, she priced them at about $100 billion a year, all of which she said were paid for by tax increases. And I think once Im in the White House we will have enough political capital to be able to do that.

To which Sanders caustically replied, Well, Secretary Clinton, youre not in the White House yet.

Clintons challenges appealing to women voters came under the spotlight. In New Hampshire, Sanders carried women voters by 11 points. Clinton was hardly helped when, during a campaign event, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright scolded younger women who didnt support Clinton by using an oft-repeated line: that women who dont support each other are destined to a special place in hell.

Asked whether she agreed with Albright, Clinton said: I think that shes been saying that for as long as Ive known her. It doesnt change my view that we need to empower everyone, women and men, to make the best decision in their minds that they can make.

With three women on the debate stage  Clinton and debate moderators Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill, co-anchors of the PBS NewsHour  Sanders was outnumbered, as Clinton noted with a smile: Well take all the progress wherever we can find it.

Clinton also nodded to her endorsements from abortion rights womens health groups such as Planned Parenthood as evidence that she was deemed the superior candidate on health issues that are important to women.

But Sanders declined to take the bait, instead training his fire on Republicans, whom he accused of hypocrisy when it comes to governments role. By the way, he said, when it comes to a woman having to make a very personal choice, ah, in that case, my Republican colleagues love the government and want the government to make that choice for every woman in America.

With the South Carolina primary looming at the end of the month, both Clinton and Sanders highlighted need to reform the criminal justice system. Their tone was far less acrimonious than the sharp rhetoric coming from Clintons African American surrogates this week, who accused Sanders of being absent on these and other issues that are important to black voters.

We need fundamental police reform, clearly, clearly, when we talk about a criminal justice system, Sanders said. I would hope that we could all agree that we are sick and tired of seeing videos on television of unarmed people, often African Americans, shot by police officers.

Clinton, who had invited the mother of a young black, mentally ill man who was killed by police as her guest to the debate, added that reforms needed to go beyond the justice system.

I completely agree with Senator Sanders, Clinton said. When we talk about criminal justice reform, and ending the era of mass incarceration, we also have to talk about jobs, education, housing and other ways of helping communities.

The debate came just two days after Sanders won a decisive victory over Clinton in the New Hampshire primary. Sanderss 22-point margin was one of the largest in the history of non-incumbent presidential primaries in the Granite State.

The New Hampshire results reset the Democratic race, putting pressure on both candidates as they look to the next two contests  the Feb. 20 Nevada caucuses and the Feb. 27 South Carolina primary.

For Clinton, the huge margin in New Hampshire brought new concerns about weaknesses in her candidacy. The former secretary won the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, but by less than a percentage point. Her defeat in New Hampshire can only be described as a drubbing and, despite energetic campaigning, she appeared to have made up no significant ground in the final days  unlike in 2008 when she scored a come-from-behind victory over then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Clinton remained out of public sight after the resounding loss to Sanders in New Hampshire, but her campaign whirred into action. Campaign officials announced a slew of new endorsements among African American leaders and deployed them in an aggressive campaign to discredit Sanderss record on civil rights issues important to African American voters

The latest effort came Thursday, when the Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Clinton. At the Capitol Hill event, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a renowned civil rights leader, harshly criticized Sanders and discounted the senators civil rights activism in the 1960s.

I never saw him. I never met him, Lewis said. I was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years, 1963 to 1966. . . . I met Hillary Clinton. I met President Clinton.

The Clinton campaign has turned its focus squarely on African American voters, who constitute more than 55 percent of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina and who, polls show, overwhelmingly support her.

Meanwhile, in Nevada, where Hispanic, African Americans, and Asian and Pacific-Islander voters made up 35 percent of the Democratic electorate in 2008, Sanders is gaining ground. Despite having established a campaign in Nevada since early summer 2015  months ahead of Sanders  Clintons aides have begun playing down expectations for the state, suggesting that the demographics of the likely caucus electorate still favor Sanders.

Sanders had little time to savor his victory in New Hampshire. With Iowa and New Hampshire now completed, the calendar becomes far more challenging for him. In both Iowa and New Hampshire, Sanders trounced Clinton among independents. But he lost self-identified Democrats to Clinton by double digits and only narrowly carried them in New Hampshire. In states with closed primaries, which means independents are not allowed to participate, he will face heavier going.
The Democratic National Committee has rolled back restrictions introduced by presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 that banned donations from federal lobbyists and political action committees.

The decision was viewed with disappointment Friday morning by good government activists who saw it as a step backward in the effort to limit special interest influence in Washington. Some suggested it could provide an advantage to Hillary Clintons fundraising efforts.

It is a major step in the wrong direction, said longtime reform advocate Fred Wertheimer. And it is completely out of touch with the clear public rejection of the role of political money in Washington, expressed during the 2016 campaign.

The change in the rules, already apparent to leading Washington lobbyists, was quietly introduced at some point during the past couple of months.

[Opinion: Dear Bernie, dont follow in Obamas footsteps on campaign finance reform]

At a debate in Milwaukee, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton diverged slightly on how they would reform health care and immigration, while largely agreeing on the need for change in policing. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

The ban was a symbolic way for Obama to put his stamp on the party in 2008 when he promised voters we are going to change how Washington works.

At the time, lobbyists and corporate advocates in Washington complained about the ban and other limitations imposed by the new administration. The only portion of the old rules now remaining in place is that lobbyists and PAC representatives will still not be able to attend events that feature Obama, Vice President Biden or their spouses, according to Mark Paustenbach, deputy communications director for the DNC.

The DNCs recent change in guidelines will ensure that we continue to have the resources and infrastructure in place to best support whoever emerges as our eventual nominee, Paustenbach said in an email. Electing a Democrat to the White House is vital to building on the progress weve made over the last seven years, which has resulted in a record 71 straight months of private-sector job growth and nearly 14 million new jobs.

[Super PAC makes big play to lift Clinton in primary states]

Last summer the DNC announced it was lifting a ban on lobbyist contributions to convention-related expenses. At the time, DNC officials said the move was necessary because Congress had eliminated about $20 million in federal funding for the quadrennial party gatherings.

The DNCs recent, more sweeping reversal of the previous ban on donations from lobbyists and political action committees was confirmed by three Democratic lobbyists who said they have already received solicitations from the committee. The lobbyists requested anonymity to speak freely about the committees decision, which has been otherwise kept quiet.

For the most part, they said, the DNC has returned to business as usual, pre-2008. The DNC has even named a finance director specifically for PAC donations who has recently emailed prospective donors to let them know that they can now contribute again, according to an email that was reviewed by The Washington Post.

1 of 8 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders during the PBS NewsHour View Photos The two met Thursday night for the sixth Democratic presidential debate. Caption The two met Thursday night for the sixth Democratic presidential debate. Feb. 11, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in a debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Win Mcnamee/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

The decision could further inflame tensions between the DNC and supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who has railed against the influence of lobbyists, particularly those representing Wall Street.

Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, has set up a joint fundraising committee with the DNC called the Hillary Victory Fund, which raised $26.9 million through the end of 2015. Sanders has set up a similar joint fundraising committee but Federal Election Commission records show it has not been active, raising a total of just $1,000.

The new Clinton Fund collects money from large donors that is then distributed between Clintons campaign and 33 state Democratic Party committees. In recent months, a Clinton solicitation asked supporters to give up to $366,100 to the fund. Her campaign then received $2,700 of the total for the primary period, while the rest went to the DNC and 33 state party committees. Federal Election Commission records show that through the end of the year, 56 donors had written checks of $100,000 or more to the Hillary Victory Fund. Most of the contributions came from individuals, but a handful came from corporations or labor unions.

Reformers complain that the new rules have already changed Washington ethics. They provide opportunities for influence-buying by Washington lobbyists with six-figure contributions to the Hillary Victory Fund, said Wertheimer, suggesting that lobbyists could also face political extortion from those raising the money.

Wertheimer called on Obama Friday to reverse the recent DNC decision to change the rules. However, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said a new set of party leaders will have to make such decisions.

The guidelines that were previously in place at the DNC were guidelines that were instituted when Barack Obama, then Senator Obama, became the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, Schultz said. Those were guidelines that were modeled after his campaign for the presidency. He added: Were now at the point where the fundraising for the DNC is going toward candidates who are on the ballot in 2016. Those candidates will have to make choices about the resources they are using.

Clinton spokesman Josh Schwerin emphasized the grass-roots nature of Clintons campaign and the candidates commitment to reform. In an emailed statement he said Friday that the Clinton campaign is driven by the 750,000 people across the country who have contributed, mostly with low dollar donations. Hillary Clinton has fought for campaign finance reform her entire career and, as President, will make it a priority to overturn Citizens United and restore the role of everyday voters in elections.

Sanders has made his small-dollar-infused campaign a hallmark of his stump speech, boasting that he is the candidate of the little guy, to the point where supporters in Iowa could finish the portion of his stump speech in which he crowed that the average donation was $27.

[Amid DNC dust-up, Sanders raises $1 million in a single day, campaign associate says]

In recent months Sanderss supporters have accused the DNC of trying to prevent more primary debates, trying to tilt the race in Clintons direction. Just this week, his backers were enraged that the DNC allowed the senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus to use the committees Capitol Hill headquarters to announce that their PAC had endorsed Clinton over Sanders. DNC officials have said they had no involvement in the black caucus event. As dues paying members, the caucus can reserve shared meeting space at the DNC.

Some Sanders backers have also expressed concern that the DNC is not playing a more vigorous role in checking out disputes over voting in the recent Iowa caucuses, which Clinton narrowly won. The DNC has declined to comment on this in the past.

paul.kane@washpost.com

David Nakamura and Anu Narayanswamy contributed to this article.
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Castle Mountains is surrounded on three sides by Mojave National Preserve. It is set to become one of three new national parks Friday. (David Lamfrom)

President Obama has set aside more of Americas lands and waters for conservation protection than any of his predecessors, and he is preparing to do even more before he leaves office next year. The result may be one of the most expansive environmental and historic-preservation legacies in presidential history.

On Friday, Obama designated more than 1.8 million acres of California desert for protection with the creation of three national monuments: Castle Mountains, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow. The new monuments will connect three existing sites  Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks and the Mojave National Preserve  to create the second-largest desert preserve in the world.

Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia is the largest.





Obama has unilaterally protected more than 260 million acres of Americas lands and waters under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which gives the president wide latitude to safeguard at-risk federal lands that have cultural, historic or scientific value.

The act is among the most powerful tools at any presidents disposal. Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked the law more than any president in history; Harold L. Ickes, his interior secretary, kept a pile of potential national-monument declarations in a desk and pulled them out whenever Roosevelt was in a good mood.

Obamas aides do not have a similar system, but they share those earlier aspirations.

We have big, big ambitions this year, so lets see what happens, said Christy Goldfuss, managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, adding that the administration is focused on local requests for action. Its really been driven by activities on the ground.

[How Obama has built on George W. Bushs marine legacy]

The big question: What next?

Other possible future designations include Bears Ears, a sacred site for several Native American tribes in southeastern Utah; Stonewall, the site of a 1969 inn riot by members of New York Citys gay community; the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts; the historic headquarters of the National Womans Party, Sewall-Belmont House in Washington, D.C.; and Nevadas Gold Butte, an area where rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters have defied federal authorities.

Officials are weighing these proposals amid protests out West, such as the armed occupation of Oregons Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which aimed to wrest control of federal lands from officials in Washington. The standoff may have hurt the prospects for increased protections around the states Owyhee Canyonlands, though the idea is not off the table entirely.

But Jim Messina, a close Obama adviser who worked on conservation issues when he served as White House deputy chief of staff in his first term, said the president is personally committed to the issue and is convinced that most Americans back the idea.

Protecting public access is a huge political winner across the West. A bunch of extremists in Oregon cant change it, he said. Theres no thought, or no reason, to back off on our agenda.

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who convinced Obama to declare a sizeable monument in Nevadas Basin and Range Province last year, is still pressing for getting another one at Gold Butte, which is an hours drive from Las Vegas but has been degraded and largely unpoliced since Bundy and his armed followers confronted Bureau of Land Management officials there in 2014.

Republicans have been trying to curtail Obamas powers to act, but in a year when several senators are up for reelection in swing states, they have fallen short. Last week, the Senate considered an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would have reversed national-monument designations if Congress and lawmakers in the affected states did not explicitly approve them within three years of designation. Four Republicans  including Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.)  broke ranks and voted against it, and it was defeated 48 to 47.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said in an interview Wednesday that he was not surprised at the votes outcome. 

Most people do not understand what Antiquities does, or can do, he said. At some point, we have to realize this is a process that is out of control. Whether that actually occurs before Obama leaves is irrelevant.

The Obama administration and Bishop have starkly different readings of the law, which runs just four paragraphs. It dictates that any monument designation shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected, but presidents have interpreted that broadly over the past century.

The White House has identified two main criteria for naming monuments this year, Goldfuss said: areas that help foster resilience to climate change or are connected to people and communities that have not been historically represented in national parks and other federal sites.

That explains new California desert designations, for which Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has been seeking protection for seven years. David Lamfrom, who directs the National Parks Conservation Associations California desert and national wildlife programs, said connecting the ecosystem across nearly 10 million acres will help species with large ranges, such as bighorn sheep and mountain lions, as well as imperiled desert tortoises and ones that are taking refuge at higher altitudes where there is more moisture.

The idea is to link together these large landscapes in perpetuity, Lamfrom said, so species can migrate and have the best chance of survival in the face of human pressures.

Five members  the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Pueblo of Zuni  have created the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to press for a monument on roughly 1.9 million acres in of Utah that were once inhabited by the Anasazi and, later, the Navajo.

Eric Descheenie, who co-chairs the coalition and serves as executive staff assistant to the Navajo Nation president, said: Weve had the looting and grave robbing and destruction of sacred sites, even as several tribes have continued to gather medicinal herbs and berries, haul wood, hunt and conduct religious ceremonies there.

In some instances, Republican lawmakers have offered their own vision of how to protect these areas, but bipartisan agreements have proven elusive. Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.) has introduced a California desert bill that would put more than 1.2 million acres in the region off limits to development, but it would bar the use of the Antiquities Act, open up 100,000 acres of new mining in Mojave Trails and sanction off-road vehicle use in some areas.

It is less clear what Obama will do in federal waters, where nearly all of the strict protections are in the central Pacific. There are a group of Hawaiians lobbying the president to expand Papahanaumokuakea  a monument George W. Bush created a decade ago, whose islands and atolls are home to 1,750 marine species found nowhere else on Earth  to the full extent under the law. That would make it 520,000 square miles, or nine times its current size.

Some people here are working here to provide the president with a legacy opportunity, said William Aila Jr., looking down from a rocky outcropping in Oahu as two endangered Hawaiian monk seals nestled below. It would be the largest marine protected area for a long, long time. It would be almost impossible to top it.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. on Feb. 3, 2016, after announcing he is dropping his campaign for president. He is now expected to turn his full attention to his Senate re-election campaign. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

A few days after withdrawing from the presidential campaign, Sen. Rand Paul picked up the phone and called Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) at home on a weekend, asking for the senior senators help on legislation to fight opioid addiction.

After an embarrassing finish in the Iowa caucuses, the Kentucky Republican is now engaged in a ritual that dozens upon dozens of senators have adopted before, and which await a couple more later this year. Rather than sulking, Paul is throwing himself back into his work as a way to overcome the disappointment of defeat.

For almost as long as the republic has stood, members of the Senate have tried  and almost always failed  to win the presidency. According to one study, 50 presidential candidacies emerged from the Senate between 1972 and 2012, making the reentry process into the chambers daily rhythm a familiar tale that produces very different results. Five more have tried this time.

In 2009, President Obama became just the third person to go from the Senate to the Oval Office. Veterans of the chamber say some colleagues sink into despair over the defeat, leading to a quick retirement, while others take a while to reengage but then become much better legislators.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the most senior senator, said those who view the Senate mostly as a steppingstone to the presidency have the most trouble. He summed up their experience this way: Okay, I tried that and now Im going to go off to private practice or a consultant or whatever.

Those senators who have gone down this road have a similar mantra. Get busy, get busy, said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who lost two presidential campaigns. Get back into the legislative process and get deeply immersed. And move on.

In the aftermath of defeat, Paul has impressed his senior colleagues: Hes showing up for votes, attending committee hearings, raising money for his reelection. It didnt take him long to get back into the swing of things, said Alexander, who lost presidential bids in 1996 and 2000.

Pauls actions the past two weeks have no doubt been designed to reassure his Kentucky voters, since his popularity slipped at home during his national campaign. McCain faced a similar situation after losing in the 2008 general election. He was up for reelection in 2010 and faced a tea party challenge in the Arizona primary.

He routed his opponent, won another term and resumed his role of elder-statesman dealmaker. The cure was, get back here and get to work because you also have to show your constituents that you are serious about them, he said.

[Rand Paul doubling down on Senate, presidential bids]

On Thursday Paul was among the first to arrive for a roll call on a trade bill.

He joined Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for a private 10-minute huddle in the well of the chamber. McConnell, the ultimate creature of the Senate with no ambitions beyond that chamber, had not been shy about encouraging his junior colleague to abandon his flagging presidential race and come home to lock down his Senate seat ahead of the 2016 elections.

McConnell did most of the talking Thursday, as Paul listened intensely. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), the most senior Republican, walked past and patted Paul on the shoulder, offering kind words that made all three laugh.

I was just complimenting him, Hatch said in an interview afterward. Its tough.

Hatch knows the feeling.

He ran a long-shot bid for the 2000 Republican nomination. Then the sitting chairman of the Judiciary Committee, with deep experience on health-care issues, Hatch still recalls verbatim what the late NBC newsman Tim Russert told him: Youre the best person running this year, but you dont have a chance.

He still has trouble understanding how poorly he did: dead last place with 1 percent of Iowas vote, no delegates and an immediate withdrawal.

There wasnt a feeling of rejection for me, he said. I just felt like  well, maybe there was a little bit, because I didnt do very well at all. So, you know, in honesty, I probably did have a little bitter feeling.

What has changed in recent years is that longtime senators are increasingly rare as candidates; both parties have embraced an anti-Washington ethos that makes a distinguished Senate pedigree something of a liability.

Back in 2008, Obama and Hillary Clinton, with barely 10 combined years of experience, leapt well ahead of a Democratic field that included venerable Senate chairmen such as Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Joe Biden (D-Del.).

In this years Republican contest, freshman Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) have emerged in the top tier of the contest. Despite his 25 years in Washington, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has done well in the Democratic race against Clinton because he rails against his party leaders so frequently.

GOP voters so discounted Sen. Lindsey O. Grahams 21 years of congressional experience that he withdrew in December to ensure his name would not be on his home state ballot in South Carolina. A poor showing there would have been hugely embarrassing.

Over the last four decades the prototype for handling presidential defeat has been the late Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who lost his challenge to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primary. After giving up his White House ambition, Kennedy turned into what many consider the most effective legislator of his era.

His last known interview in the Capitol came in May 2008, when he was asked what then-Sen. Clinton should do after losing to Obama.

[Read 2008s No Clear Map for Clintons Political Future]

I loved the Senate before I ran for the president, Kennedy explained days before a cancer diagnosis that took his life 15 months later. He said the loss gave him a greater appreciation for Congress. I think I became a better senator, with greater focus and attention. . . . It all depends on the attitude, whats in the mind of the person.

Clinton did not embrace that path. After the last 2008 primary votes were cast, she took several weeks off before returning to the Senate. She played no real role in big legislation in the months ahead and, when offered the secretary of state post, quickly left the Senate.

Rubio has already decided to leave, declining to run for reelection even if he comes up short of the presidency. Unlike Paul, who has developed some relationships, Cruz has burnt many Senate bridges by promoting a government shutdown in 2013 and repeatedly calling McConnell a liar.

Leahy declined to say how Cruz would handle a return, but noted that plenty of Democrats and Republicans who cared about the Senate became better senators after failed presidential bids.

They demonstrated that their number 1 reason to be in the Senate was not to run for president, but to be good senators, Leahy said.
Like the rest of the Districts sprawling Chevy Chase neighborhood, of which it is a part, Barnaby Woods has a quiet, almost suburban vibe.

Like the rest of the Districts sprawling Chevy Chase neighborhood, of which it is a part, Barnaby Woods has a quiet, almost suburban vibe. Evy Mages/For The Washington Post

Residents have taken steps to keep the community secluded and natural.

Residents have taken steps to keep the community secluded and natural.

Residents have taken steps to keep the community secluded and natural.

To Merilee Janssen, Barnaby Woods seemed like a less-than-ideal place to live when she first moved to the neighborhood in upper Northwest Washington. At first, this felt far to me, Janssen said.

But the communitys tranquility and access to nature won her over, and shes resided there for 30 years. Its so close to the park, and thats a big deal. My sons were often down there playing in the creek when they were little, she said.

In a nutshell, Janssen has described some of Barnaby Woods most notable features.

Like the rest of the Districts sprawling Chevy Chase neighborhood, the community has a quiet, almost suburban vibe. But Barnaby Woods feels particularly distant from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Nestled between Rock Creek Park and Montgomery County, the neighborhood is remarkably free of traffic; its northern and eastern boundaries are formed by parks.

For many residents, the parkland is the areas real draw. A lot of [residents] work high-pressure jobs downtown, and its an opportunity to feel like theyre outside the pressure cooker, said Helen Dodson, a broker with Keller Williams Capital Properties who has worked in the area for years. People like to walk their dogs through the park, they like to jog, and theres a bike trail that goes through there, too. Just taking a walk through those trails, its very rejuvenating.







Protecting the terrain: In fact, those natural elements were key to the neighborhood from the beginning. A Washington Post article from Nov. 7, 1937, chronicled the neighborhoods origins: After a comprehensive study of the land, with its rolling terrain, springs, and streams, a street layout was evolved to preserve the original contours and natural sylvan beauty of the tract.

[Hollywood, Md., is pleasing residents by not living up to its name]

Houses were built in Colonial and Cape Cod styles, often boasting unique architectural details, and sold quickly. Most of those houses are still around, and many appear surprisingly modest. But thats only from the front; the majority have rear additions that increase the homes square footage.

The only other notable change in the neighborhood since it was built is the addition of two developments at Barnaby Woods eastern border; one is a luxury townhouse community built in the 1970s, and the other features contemporary Victorian houses from the 1980s and 90s.

That relative lack of change has been intentional. Back in the 1970s, residents banded together to stop the city from extending a road that would potentially add more traffic, and around 2004, they fought Pepco to keep the utility from cutting down big trees that threatened power lines.



Close-knit families: But while Barnaby Woods is remarkably quiet on weekdays  the silence punctuated only by mail carriers, housecleaning crews, and nannies and their charges  it comes to life in the afternoons and weekends. At heart, its a community of families.

We had no idea the neighborhood existed. It was a pleasant surprise, said Djindo Lee, an information-technology consultant in his 30s. He and his wife and two daughters moved from Adams Morgan six years ago with some trepidation about losing their city amenities; now they say they love it.

Its all families on this street, he said. Youll see kids running from house to house  we all have an open-door policy. Lee met most of his neighbors during a five-day power outage several years ago; now, they all celebrate New Years Eve together, and the men hold regular poker nights. Many of the children attend nearby Lafayette Elementary School, one of the citys best, and that also draws families together.

But of course, just about all commercial options are a long walk or a drive away; that includes restaurants near Chevy Chase Circle, the closest major commercial strip. Im a city guy, and I thought Id die, Lee said. But you get used to it.

[Born in the 60s, Chapel Square is a still pretty cool neighborhood]



Living there: Barnaby Woods, Zip code 20015, is bordered by Pinehurst Parkway Park to the north, Oregon Avenue to the east, Tennyson Street to the south and Western Avenue to the west.

According to Dodson, the broker with Keller Williams Capital Properties, three properties are on the market in Barnaby Woods. They range from a four-bedroom, four-bathroom luxury townhouse priced at $1.035 million to a four-bedroom, three-bathroom freestanding Colonial priced at $1.195 million.

One house is under contract: a four-bedroom, three-bathroom split-level that was priced at $930,000. And 28 houses have sold over the past 12 months, ranging from a five-bedroom, two-bathroom Craftsman that sold for $751,000 to a five-bedroom, five-bathroom Colonial that sold for $1.405 million.



Schools: Lafayette Elementary, Deal Middle and Wilson High.



Transit: The Friendship Heights station on Metros Red Line lies roughly two miles from the neighborhood. Barnaby Woods is served by two bus lines that connect the neighborhood with the Friendship Heights and Tenleytown stations.



Crime: According to the D.C. police, four burglaries and 17 thefts were reported in the area that includes Barnaby Woods over the past 12 months.
Pope Francis blesses a boy after his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip Wednesday with a visit to a Mexican prison and a stop at the Texas border.

Feb. 17, 2016 Pope Francis blesses a boy after his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip Wednesday with a visit to a Mexican prison and a stop at the Texas border. Ivan Pierre Aguirre/AP

Pope Francis made his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, during a week-long visit.

Pope Francis stopped briefly in Cuba for a historic meeting with Patriarch Kirill I, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, prior to the pontiffs week-long visit to Mexico.

Pope Francis stopped briefly in Cuba for a historic meeting with Patriarch Kirill I, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, prior to the pontiffs week-long visit to Mexico.

Pope Francis made a brief stopover in Cuba for a historic encounter Friday with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a meeting aimed at bridging a nearly 1,000-year rift in Christianity but whose focus was believed to be the current turmoil in the Middle East.

The two-hour conversation between Francis and Patriarch Kirill I was the first meeting between the religious leaders of the Vatican and Moscow since an 11th-century Christian schism over papal authority and other disputes. The two leaders signed an agreement and praised a new spirit of collaboration but said little about the substance of their talks.

We spoke as brothers, Francis said, before leaving Havana for a six-day visit to Mexico. Sitting beside Kirill, with whom he shared an embrace after the signing of the agreement that the pontiff described as a series of initiatives . . . that are viable and achievable, Francis said the two men spoke frankly and without mincing words.

In brief remarks, Kirill said the two churches would work together to help Christians all over the world and to protect human life.

The 30-point statement signed by the two leaders pledges new areas of cooperation for the long-estranged churches to protect Christians in conflict zones while affirming a shared opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

The declaration praises the demise of militant atheism in formerly communist Eastern Europe and urges unity and dialogue as a path to healing the various divisions and schisms among the worlds Christians, including in war-torn Ukraine.

In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated, the statement read.

Franciss Alitalia jet landed just before 2 p.m. at Havanas Jose Marti International Airport, and the pope was received by Cuban President Raul Castro, who walked with him into the meeting.

The small, decrepit airport terminal was an improbable setting for the encounter between Francis and Kirill, two powerful religious leaders in flowing vestments who preside over empires of architectural splendor.

Cuban state television showed images of the men seated beside each other in a room paneled in dark wood, with a large crucifix on the wall behind them.

Cuba as a venue for the meeting fit Franciss view of the islands importance. In his statement, the pope thanked Castro for hosting the meeting and said Cuba was becoming a capital of unity. The island also is the site of peace negotiations, which Francis has encouraged, between the Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels. And the pope played a key role in the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.

The meeting Friday has several political dimensions far beyond the Americas.

For the Vatican, the moment culminates decades of overtures to the Russian church. It also could open greater channels with Moscow over the humanitarian fallout from Middle East conflicts, including the flood of refugees into Europe and ravages against ancient Christian communities and their sites by Islamist militants such as the Islamic State.

[Why the Russian church agreed to meet the pope]

On Sunday  with an eye toward the upcoming meeting with Kirill  the pope decried the bloodshed in beloved Syria, where Russia has carried out airstrikes to aid the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States, Russia and other powers agreed Friday to a cessation of hostilities in Syrias civil war within the next week, as well as humanitarian access to besieged areas. But the pact also leaves room for continued Russian air attacks.

Moscow could view the patriarchs meeting with Francis as a chance to display Russias role in the Middle East and seek stronger bonds with the Vatican at a sensitive time.

Russia faces increasing pressures from the West over flash points such as Ukraine, where Moscow annexed the strategic Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs pro-Russian separatists battling the government in Kiev. Meanwhile, Russia has denounced NATO plans to expand forces in Europe.

[What the Francis effect hasnt delivered in Cuba]

To have [the pope], with his internationally recognized authority, not as a critic but as an ally or at least simply as a neutrally silent figure, is highly attractive to Putin and his associates, wrote Yury Avvakumov , an assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame who specializes in Eastern church affairs.

Vatican contacts with the Orthodox world are not new.

Pope John Paul II  who once praised the East by saying the church must breathe with two lungs  made landmark trips to Greece and other mostly Orthodox nations. He also held groundbreaking talks with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is based in Istanbul and is considered the spiritual head of the patchwork of highly autonomous Orthodox churches and patriarchs.

But the Russian church is by far the most powerful in terms of size, influence and wealth. Its backing for dialogue could begin reshaping the Christian landscape in profound ways.

[Gallery: Cuba embraces the pontiff]

Chances for a full and organic reconciliation between the churches are extremely remote at the moment, said the Rev. Paul McPartlan, a Catholic University professor who has taken part in Catholic-Orthodox dialogue since 2005.

But this is a step, what I would call a moment of grace, McPartlan said. When that happens, other things can flow.

The fundamental issues of the nearly millennium-old break still loom large: the power of the papacy as well as other theological splits. In recent decades, another point of friction was Orthodox accusations of Roman Catholic reach into traditionally Orthodox regions, such as Ukraine and Belarus, through Vatican-affiliated churches.

Such differences with the Vatican could still block a quest that has eluded the Holy See: an invitation for a papal visit to Russia. Even just arranging the airport encounter took two years of secret negotiations by bishops, Francis was quoted as saying in an interview with Italys Corriere della Sera newspaper.

[Aid groups hopeful and skeptical after Syrian peace deal]

The backdrop of Cuba  far from quarrels in Europe  also had resonance.

It gave the Argentine-born Francis an opportunity to showcase his Latin American roots and the reemergence of the Catholic Church on the island, a former Soviet satellite that in recent years also has rekindled relations with Moscow. Francis visited Cuba in September before making his first trip to the United States.

Kirill, who is on a tour of Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay, looks to project Russian influence in the region, including construction of a major Orthodox church in Havana despite relatively few followers. He arrived Thursday in Havana, where he was received by Castro, 84, and the patriarch was also expected to meet separately with 89-year-old former president Fidel Castro, who stepped down in 2006. On Sunday, Kirill will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Havanas Russian Orthodox church.

Later Friday, Francis flew into Mexico Citys airport, where he was greeted by mariachi musicians and crowds waving yellow handkerchiefs at the start of a six-day visit to the worlds second-largest Catholic-majority nation after Brazil.

In what is perhaps the most anticipated event of his trip to Mexico, Francis on Wednesday will celebrate a large public Mass in Ciudad Juarez, along the U.S. border, in an appearance expected to highlight the plight of the worlds migrants and refugees. Francis will also visit the southern state of Chiapas, one of Mexicos poorest, as well as the crime-

ravaged state of Michoacan, a notorious drug cartel battleground.

This story has been updated to correct the name of the Russian Orthodox service to Divine Liturgy.

Murphy reported from Washington.

Read more:

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
CIA Director John Brennan participates in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. British authorities have arrested a teen said to be involved with a group that hacked into Brennans personal email. (Alex Brandon/AP)

British authorities have arrested a 16-year-old suspected of being involved with a group that hacked into the private email accounts of high-ranking U.S. intelligence officials, according to U.S. officials and British police.

The teen is said to be connected to the cohort that calls itself Crackas With Attitude, which has claimed to have broken into the private email accounts of CIA Director John O. Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper. What part the teen played is unclear, and U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the case, said they are still investigating the roles of others.

[FBI investigates claim that hacker broke into CIA directors private e-mail]

Spokespeople for the FBI and Justice Department declined to comment. The South East Regional Organized Crime Unit  a British police force cooperative  confirmed in a statement it arrested a 16-year-old boy Tuesday on suspicion of three computer-related charges, but it would not comment on links to the hacking of American officials. The group said the boy was released on bail until June.

The teens arrest and connection to the hacks on U.S. intelligence officials were first reported by CNN.

FBI agents and federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia have been investigating Crackas With Attitude for months, working to build a case that they hope might land at least some of them in a U.S. courtroom. The group has been outspoken about its cyber mischief, providing reporters with evidence that members successfully broke into the personal files of top U.S. intelligence officials.

The group is also thought to have leaked the names and work email addresses and phone numbers of thousands of Homeland Security and FBI employees. In that case, none of the email addresses and numbers was personal, but they still could be of use to overseas intelligence agencies.

The teens arrest is a significant development in the case, although as yet, no one is facing any U.S. charges. The South East Regional Organized Crime Unit said he was arrested on several computer hacking charges. All are violations of the United Kingdoms Computer Misuse Act.

[Hacker targets U.S. Director of National Intelligence]

A person claiming to be an American high school student told the New York Post last year that he used social engineering to dupe Verizon workers into turning over Brennans personal information and AOL into resetting his password. The person apparently accessed Brennans personal email account, which contained a 47-page application for a top-secret security clearance, and he claimed he also listened to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnsons voice mails. He said he was motivated by opposition to U.S. foreign policy and support for Palestine, the New York Post reported.

Early this year, a person going by the nickname Cracka told the magazine Motherboard that he had accessed a series of accounts linked to Clapper, including his home telephone and Internet, his personal email and his wifes Yahoo email account. The person claimed to have changed the settings on Clappers home phone number, provided by Verizon FIOS, so that every call would be forwarded to the Free Palestine Movement.
A woman walks through rubble after airstrikes in the rebel-held Syrian town of Dael on Friday. (Alaa Al-Faqir/Reuters)

Questions about how and when a Syrian truce will be implemented deepened skepticism that the cease-fire will work, as Russian and Syrian warplanes on Friday sustained their relentless bombardment of rebel-held territory in the country.

Syrian opposition groups cautiously welcomed the deal reached by world powers at a meeting in Munich on Thursday but said they were concerned that it allows Russia to continue its air campaign against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups  and perhaps also against moderate rebels.

The deal marks the first attempt to bring about any kind of pause to the fighting since a U.N.-backed cease-fire in 2012 collapsed within hours, and world leaders expressed hope that this agreement would herald the beginning of an end to the nightmarish war.

But many key details remain unaddressed, including when exactly the truce will begin, who will enforce it and whether the factions on the ground will accept it.

It is an agreement full of holes and ambiguities, said Emile Hokayem of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. This is an agreement struck because of an emergency, but it lacks any real political dimension.

[Syrians stranded between airstrikes and locked border fence]

Syrians were not a party to the agreement, which was hammered out by Russia, the United States, and key European and Middle Eastern powers. Among them were regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of the chief sponsors of the factions on the ground, lending hope that this effort may succeed where others have failed to bring an end to the bloodshed.

The deal calls for a temporary cessation of hostilities to begin in a week, the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged communities on both sides of the conflict and the resumption of stalled peace talks in Geneva later in the month.

But the language on the timing was vague, and by late Friday, there was still no firm indication when any of the deals provisions would go into effect.

What we have here are words on paper, Secretary of John Kerry cautioned after the deal was announced. What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground.

Syrian rebel groups said they would meet in the coming days to decide whether to accept the deal. There was no immediate response from the Syrian government, which has said in the past that it will not agree to any kind of cease-fire until the terrorists fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad are defeated.

In an interview with the French news agency Agence France-Presse conducted hours before the agreement was reached, Assad was defiant, saying the goal of his government was to reconquer all of Syria from the terrorists who have seized many parts of the country.

The United States, Russia and other powers came to an agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Syria, but the deal was met with caution and skepticism. (Jason Aldag,Ishaan Tharoor/The Washington Post)

Assads confidence has revived since Russias intervention in September reversed the fortunes of his wearied, depleted army. The airstrikes have enabled government loyalists to make significant advances against the rebels in several key areas, most recently in the vicinity of the province of Aleppo.

[Syrian rebels are losing Aleppo and perhaps also the war]

Those advances continued Friday with Russian warplanes striking multiple locations across Syria, including in the northern countryside of Aleppo in support of a 10-day-old offensive aimed at laying siege to the rebel-held portion of the city of Aleppo.

Residents of the areas of northern Aleppo that have borne the brunt of the bombing campaign expressed dismay that the cease-fire would not come into effect for a week.

Within a week everything will have been destroyed, said Mohammed Najjar, a resident of the town of Marae. On Friday, he joined an accelerating exodus of tens of thousands of civilians toward the Turkish border, where they have been blocked by Turkish authorities from entering the country.

Much of the skepticism hinged on long-standing differences between the United States and Russia over which groups in Syrias war count as terrorist. U.S. officials say Russia has directed about 70 percent of its airstrikes against moderate rebel groups, some of them backed by the United States. But Russia claims that all have been aimed at terrorists.

The Russians target moderate groups and say we are Daesh, said Lt. Col. Ahmed Saoud, the leader of the U.S.-backed Division 13 rebel group, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. He cited as an example an attack on one of his groups bases in a Russian bombing in the northwestern province of Idlib in October, which Russian military officials announced as a strike on an Islamic State base.

I hope it will succeed, he said of the agreement. I wish for anything that will stop the bloodshed. We want a cease-fire and a political solution  but not just any cease-fire. We need international monitoring.

[Syrias downward spiral]

The recent escalation of Russias air campaign has only deepened rebel suspicions of Russias intentions, said Issam Rayess, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Southern Front, which has also lost ground to Russian-backed offensives near Syrias border with Jordan.

Even now they continue to indiscriminately bomb civilians and our moderate groups into the dust, and they say they are hitting terrorists, he said. We no longer trust words.

After the government advances in recent weeks, the rebels may, however, have no choice but to accept the deal, Saoud said.

We are the weakest part of this chain, and we dont have any cards, he said. If the Americans and the Russians agreed, then we will obey. We can only listen to their orders.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said humanitarian agencies hoped to implement the first phase of the agreement, calling for humanitarian deliveries of aid to besieged communities, where people have been starving to death, within the coming days.

The text of the agreement reached Thursday called for the aid deliveries to begin this week, which implied they were supposed to begin Saturday.

Karen DeYoung in Brussels and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Arab allies pledge ground troops to battle Islamic State

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
South Koreans who run factories in the suspended inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex attend an emergency meeting in Seoul on Friday. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

An inter-Korean industrial zone designed to act as a bridge between the estranged neighbors has become the front line of a battle between Seoul and Pyongyang amid rising tensions over recent missile and nuclear tests.

South Korea on Friday shut off water and electricity supplies to the complex near Kaesong, just over the northern side of the demilitarized zone that separates the Koreas. This came after North Korea on Thursday seized all the equipment and products housed in South Korean-owned factories in the complex, which Seoul had ordered shut the previous day.

[To punish Kim Jong Un, South Korea shuts down industrial zone in North]

We expressed very grave regret over the Norths move, Hong Yong-pyo, the Souths unification minister, said at a news briefing Friday. North Korea should take full responsibility for what happens from now on.

With the international community still mulling what sanctions it can impose on North Korea to punish the regime for last months nuclear test and this months long-range rocket launch, South Korea has acted quickly to inflict tangible pain.

[When it comes to punishing North Korea, its Groundhog Day]

In addition to ratcheting up anti-regime broadcasts across the DMZ and opening talks with the United States on a sophisticated missile defense system, South Korean President Park Geun-hyes government on Wednesday ordered the shutdown of the Kaesong industrial complex.

[S. Korea agrees to end broadcasts as North expresses regret for provocations]

More than 54,000 North Koreans were working in 124 South Korean-owned factories, making clothes, shoes and consumer goods, such as cooking utensils. Each earned about $160 a month  but their wages were paid to a state management company, not to them individually, leading to criticism that the project was propping up Kim Jong Uns regime.

Parks government on Wednesday explicitly accused North Korea of funneling the money, which totaled $120 million last year, into its nuclear and missile programs. Announcing the shutdown, the government said a vigorous response that exacts a price for North Koreas misguided actions was required.

[North Korea says it has conducted a successful hydrogen bomb test]

North Korea responded Thursday by expelling the 280 South Koreans who were at Kaesong, allowing them to take only personal belongings with them as they left.

It also said it would close the road that connected Kaesong to the South and shut down the last remaining cross-border communication hotlines.

The Kaesong industrial complex was established in 2004, when Seoul was pursuing a sunshine policy of engagement with Pyongyang, hoping to narrow the information and economic gap with the North. It was controversial from the start, with critics saying it was a way for the Norths regime to earn much-needed foreign currency.

Responding to the decision, the Norths Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea called Park a traitor for all ages and said her decision constituted an end to the last lifeline of the north-south relations . . . and a dangerous declaration of a war driving the situation in the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a war.

The south Korean puppet group will experience what disastrous and painful consequences will be entailed by its action, the committee said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

With the seizure of the complex, the Souths Defense Ministry warned that North Korea could even turn the industrial park, just six miles north of the DMZ, into a military base.

The military is keeping itself ready for every possibility, Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, told reporters Friday, according to the Yonhap News Agency. If North Korea redeploys its troops, it may not be easy for the country to decide what to do with the Kaesong Industrial Complex, but we leave the possibility open, he said.

The industrial park was shut down once before, in 2013 when North Korea withdrew its workers for five months in retribution for annual military drills between South Korea and the United States.

But no matter the provocation, South Korean governments have tried to set the Kaesong complex aside from political and military conflicts.

Even when North Korea sank a South Korean naval corvette in 2010, killing 46 sailors and prompting sanctions from the South, the zone remained operational.

The small and medium-size companies that were evicted from the complex voiced anger at the move, saying that the economic project was supposed to be run separately from political considerations.

Parks government on Friday outlined measures to help the companies pay their debts and said that they could postpone the payment of taxes and utility bills.
A child runs as a municipal pickup truck sprays a street with insecticide to kill the Aedes mosquito in Brasilia, Brazil, on Feb. 11. The mosquito can carry the Zika virus. (Adriano Machado/Reuters)

Brazils health ministry said Thursday that a 20-year-old woman infected with Zika has become the countrys third adult fatality linked to the virus, but scientists caution that they're only beginning to identify Zikas potential risks to human health.

After falling ill last April, the woman began coughing up blood, and died after a 12-day hospitalization, according to Brazilian government researchers. The cause of death was registered as pneumonia, but her blood samples later tested positive for Zika.

Brazilian researchers said the patients respiratory problems were unusual for a case of Zika, so other factors could have contributed to her death. She could have developed bronchial pneumonia and the association with the Zika virus made this worse, said Pedro Vasconcelos, the Brazilian government scientist who led the tests.

The woman is among the first adult fatalities that health officials have attributed to Zika, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes and is projected to infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas this year, according to the World Health Organization.

[What is Zika? And what are the risks as it spreads?]

1 of 65 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  How countries are combating the Zika virus View Photos The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing serious birth defects, is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization said. Caption The mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing serious birth defects is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile and remains a global health emergency, according to the World Health Organization. Oct. 27, 2016 A health ministry worker fumigates a house to kill mosquitoes during a campaign to prevent Zika in Managua, Nicaragua. Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Brazils government blames Zika for a sharp increase in babies born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly.

There have been several deaths that are suspected to have a Zika connection. In Colombia, authorities last week said three Zika-infected patients had died of complications related to a temporary form of paralysis known as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has been linked to the virus. Brazil has recorded two miscarriages by a Zika-infected mother and two cases of infants who had Zika and microcephaly, and died within 20 hours of birth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers say they dont yet understand whether the virus itself poses a mortal threat or how it might interact with other diseases or infections such as pneumonia.

It is not possible to say that the Zika virus was the exclusive cause of death in the most recently announced case, Claudio Maiorovitch, the Brazilian Ministry of Healths director of transmissible diseases, told reporters Thursday. We dont know enough about the behavior of this virus in its interaction with the human body.

One of the Zika patients who died in Brazil last year also had lupus. The other was a 16-year-old girl who had no serious health problems before being infected with Zika. Researchers dont know yet to what extent Zika poses a threat to patients whose defenses are compromised by other diseases such as lupus, said Daniel Lucey, an infectious-disease specialist at Georgetown University Medical Center.

If your immune system is weakened, a virus can get the upper hand and even cause death," said Lucey, who is in Brazil studying Zika. "Thats true for all infectious diseases.

[Zika expert: Microcephaly may just be the tip of the iceberg.]

Brazils health officials acknowledged Thursday that they have been slow to develop a standardized, central record-keeping mechanism to track Zikas spread, and said they have asked for additional international support. The government estimates that Brazil may have as many as 1.5 million Zika infections . But it does not know how many pregnant women have been exposed.

The virus has reached nearly three dozen countries, including the United States. On Thursday the CDC said two pregnant women had miscarried following their return to the United States after contracting Zika while traveling.

Although Brazilian authorities identified the Zika outbreak nearly nine months ago, the government has not required its hospitals and laboratories to report suspected or confirmed cases, saying they could not accurately test for the disease. Officials said they would begin distributing Zika test kits in the coming weeks and would start to require health workers to report infections.

As the virus is new, we did not have the test to do the Zika diagnoses, Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro told reporters. There was a little delay but it has been perfectly corrected.

Other nations where Zika has spread more recently, including Colombia and El Salvador, have been publishing regularly updated statistics indicating how many people have been diagnosed with Zika, including the number of pregnant women.

Castro also announced Thursday a partnership with the University of Texas to develop a Zika vaccine. He said it could be ready for testing in a year and for mass production within two or three years.

The partnership developed after a telephone conversation between President Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Castro said.

He said 15 technicians from the CDC would arrive in Brazil this week, and that the government had also asked pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline for help developing a Zika vaccine. The company has previously worked with a Brazilian research institute on a vaccine for dengue, which also spreads primarily through infected mosquitoes.

The CDC technicians will study the relationship between Zika and microcephaly, officials say. Global health officials say they have a strong suspicion that the two are related.

Read more

As Zika virus spreads, El Salvador asks women not to get pregnant until 2018

In Zika-stricken Brazil, a Carnival of flesh and feasting  for mosquitoes

Zika prompts urgent debate about abortion in Latin America
Egyptian doctors gather outside their union in Cairo on Feb. 12, to protest against an alleged assault by policemen on two of their colleagues in a public hospital last month. (Mahmoud Khaled/AFP/Getty Images)

Thousands of Egypts doctors protested police abuses on Friday following an alleged attack on two doctors by policemen in a Cairo hospital. It was a rare instance of public protest, almost unheard of since the takeover of power by Egyptian military strongman Abdel Fatah al-Sissi in 2013.

[Egyptian military ousts Morsi, suspends constitution]

As many as 4,000 doctors flocked to their unions office to attend an emergency meeting called for by the Egyptian Medical Syndicate to condemn police violence. On Jan. 28, the union said, two police officers attacked two doctors and other hospital staff for belittling the injury of one of the officers in Matariya Public Hospital.

Leave! Leave! yelled the doctors in unison on Friday, calling for the resignation of the health minister, while many carried signs, one reading The doctors of Egypt will not pay the price for the failure of your system.

The union decided to begin a strike if the policemen who allegedly assaulted the doctors were not held accountable, and if their other demands, such as the closure of any hospital in which doctors are assaulted, were not met. They also decided to provide free services to all citizens for two weeks.

Egyptian doctors they shout anti-police slogans, during a protest in front of the headquarters of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate in Cairo, Feb. 12. (Hazem Abdel Hamid/EPA)

The doctors who were allegedly assaulted had filed a judicial complaint against the police officers. But after they issued a counter complaint, the doctors withdrew theirs for fear of being detained and abused at the Matariya police station. The station, according to a report by the Egyptian initiative for personal rights, is where 14 people have died in custody in the past two years, and where other instances of torture and ill treatment have allegedly occurred.

After the Jan. 28 incident, Matariya hospital staff went on a strike, demanding an investigation by the authorities. A few days later, public prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered the doctors to reopen the hospital and end their strike.

In a statement, on Friday, the chairman of the doctors union, Hussein Khairy, called the turnout historic, hailing it as a turning point in our unions history and demanding rule of law.

The protest amassed large public support with a Twitter hashtag #SupportDoctorssyndicate trending worldwide, with many social media users dubbing it the doctors revolution.
Conservative Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced yesterday that he would impose an inferior contract on Englands 55,000 junior doctors after failing to reach an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA).

Addressing Parliament, Hunt said that the governments negotiator, Sir David Dalton, had reached consensus on 90 percent of issues with the BMA, but no contract agreement had been finalised by a deadline of the previous evening.

Hunt said Dalton and National Health Service (NHS) Englands chief executive, Simon Steven, had requested that Hunt now step in to end the dispute, meaning to unilaterally impose a contract that is regressive in relation to the pay and shift patterns of junior doctors and detrimental to patient care. It will now be enforced from August 1.

The governments unprecedented and authoritarian move signifies a new stage in the efforts of the ruling elite to dismantle the NHS.

The announcement came the day after junior doctors struck nationally, leading hospitals to cancel around 3,000 non-urgent operations. In the face of growing public support for the doctors, reflecting wider opposition to the ongoing destruction of public health care, the government and sections of the media reported that doctors support for the struggle was flagging.

Hunt claimed just 43 percent of doctors participated in the strike, that it was unnecessary and was causing terrible suffering. He declined to mention that his figure included doctors carrying out emergency care, who were exempt from the action; a fact that the employer, NHS England, had to clarify.

The BMA has done everything possible to head off the growing opposition by junior doctors. It only reluctantly proceeded with the strike but scaled the action down from a complete withdrawal of labour to a one-day strike with emergency care provided. This follows the BMAs earlier decision to call off a two-day stoppage in late January, in favour of continued talks with the government via the arbitration service, ACAS. The BMA welcomed Dalton to the negotiations, claiming last week that good progress had been made. In reality, Daltons remit was not to budge an inch on any of the governments demands, with the outcome being his recommendation that the contract be forced through.

In a letter sent by the BMA to Hunt on Wednesday, and published on its web site, they outlined the content of the progress referred to, which fell just short of a total surrender. The letter by Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, stated, Like you, we deeply regret the continuing dispute between junior doctors and the Government and are keen to bring it to a conclusion.

Malawana pleaded that Hunt recognise the significant concessions that the BMA has made throughout negotiations. He continued, The pay model that we offered to your negotiators in late December redistributes a small fraction that NHS Employers allocated to basic pay in the firm offer of November of last year, to unsocial hours payments, thereby reducing basic pay. This would give you the cost neutrality you seek and junior doctors the appropriate recognition for evenings, nights and weekends.

If you are able to accept this model and withdraw the threat of imposition, we believe that our dispute with the Government would be concluded, leading the way to detailed discussion about implementation, he offered.

Even this was not enough for the government. On Tuesday evening, it offered the BMA a final take-it-or-leave-it proposal. With the strike about to get underway, the BMA rejected the offer fearing a rebellion by doctors if it was seen to accept everything demanded by the Tories.

As the strike began, Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, the umbrella group for NHS Trusts, warned, If the BMA wont accept a fair and reasonable offer, then, yes, it is legitimate and sensible for the secretary of state to consider imposition.

An article in the Daily Telegraph Saturday warned that junior doctors, and by implication, all NHS employees, had to accept the same attacks on their conditions suffered by firefighters  air ambulance pilots, retail assistants or restaurant staffall of whom work Saturdays on their standard rate of pay. Most care home nurses and managers work Saturdays at their normal rate too.

The Labour Party, under new left leader Jeremy Corbyn, and the trade unions have conspired to undermine and isolate the junior doctors struggle. On Wednesday, as the strike was underway, Corbyn was in parliament at Prime Ministers Question Time, where he is permitted to ask six questions of David Cameron. In the course of the allotted 30 minutes, Corbyn did not ask a single question about, or even mention, the doctors dispute.

The conspiracy of silence was maintained by all Labour MPs and those from other opposition parties, including the Greens, with the government getting a free pass.

In the run-up to the strike, Labour refused to support it, with Lord Falconer, the shadow justice secretary, stating, The precise level of industrial action is not for a political party to decide but for the doctors to decide  we support their [the doctors] cause but we are neutral in relation to the industrial action.

In parliament, Corbyn wore a badge declaring Heart unions. This was in support of the bogus week of activities (February 8-14) being held by the Trades Union Congress in protest at the governments plans for a new anti-strike Trade Union Bill. The main event was a big workplace meeting, which consisted of TUC leader Frances OGrady being interviewed for 15 minutes about the Bill, and streamed to a few trade union meetings held nationally. The TUC held the interview at lunchtime to cause the least possible inconvenience to employers.

Neither the TUC nor any of its 52 affiliated unions has organised a single strike or protest in support of the doctors. The same holds true for the Trade Union Bill. Their isolation of the doctors is most graphically revealed in the case of the largest public-sector union, UNISON. Nearly half a million of UNISONs 1.3 million members work in the NHS and for organisations providing NHS services. This equals nearly 40 percent of the entire NHS workforce.

What the Labour Party and the unions fear as much as the Tories is that the junior doctors dispute becomes the focus for an offensive against the government by millions of workers who have suffered years of unrelenting cuts, of which the onslaught against the NHS is pivotal. This was the crux of the response of Labour Shadow Health Secretary Heidi Alexander, who said in reply to Hunts announcement, Does he not realise that this decision could lead to a protracted period of industrial action which will be distressing for everyonepatients, doctorseveryone who works in or depends upon the NHS?

Corbyn echoed this fear yesterday, warning, More strikes now look likely. If that happens, it will be clear that the blame lies with the government, not the doctors. Even at this late stage, I appeal to Jeremy Hunt to go back and negotiate with the BMA.

The betrayal carried out by the BMA is summed up with its statement Thursday that, The health secretary can end this dispute, but he must put politics to one side and concentrate on agreeing a fair contract that delivers for patients. The truth is that to defend a single one of its past gains, the working class must also mobilise their collective strength in a political struggle against the government, which cannot be waged under the leadership of the unions and the Labour Party, but only in a rebellion against them.
A recently released prisoner revealed that hundreds of his fellow inmates in Flint, Michigans Genesee County Jail were lied to about lead-poisoned water and told it was safe. They had no option other than drinking the tainted tap water. With the exception of two very brief episodes of bottled water distributionin October 2015 and again in January 2016the inmates, including pregnant women, have been drinking, washing and consuming food prepared from contaminated water for nearly two years.

The news about the inhumane treatment of prisoners was brought to light when Jody Cramer, a former inmate and Flint resident, was released after serving a two-month sentence. He told his story to Pacifica Radio news program Democracy Now.

In April 2014, the city switched its water source to the polluted and corrosive Flint River, without treating the water with corrosion controls, causing lead to leach from pipes. After the city made the switch, residents complained about the smell, color and taste of their tap water, to no avail.

The truth about the poisoned water was deliberately concealed from Flint residents by city, state and national officials. Evidence is now emerging almost on a daily basis that the authorities knew about the health dangers and yet refused to warn the public.

Due to the efforts of a Flint mother whose child was diagnosed with lead poisoning and who refused to believe the lies of water authorities that the citys water complied with federal safe drinking water standards, water expert Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech University was alerted. Edwards led the team that then carried out extensive testing of Flints water in August-September 2015. The speed and scope of the study was possible only because of the close-knit network of Flint citizens established through months of protests against the foul water and the lies of authorities. On September 29, Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha gave a press conference to publicize a report showing that a dramatic increase in high lead levels in children corresponded to the switch to Flint River water.

It wasnt until October 2015 that Genesee County declared a public health emergency. On October 8, Michigan governor Rick Snyder, after finally admitting that the use of Flint River water may have been a mistake, ordered the switch back to Detroit water. After the caustic, untreated water had flowed through the citys pipes for 17 months, however, the switch back did not make the citys water safe to drink. Lead was still leaching into the water from the damaged system of pipes.

In December, newly elected mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency in Flint over the water crisis. In January, Genesee County, then the state of Michigan, and finally, US President Obama followed suit with similar declarations.

Yet, through all this, the citys inmates were kept in the dark.

Jody Cramer reported that on January 23, the jail switched to bottled water, but five days later, Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell claimed a water-quality test showed the water was safe.

While inside Genesee County Jail, Cramer worked in the kitchen and helped distribute food and, more recently, bottles of water to other inmates. He said he cooked and cleaned with the lead-laced water, the same water used in showers by other inmates, until January 23, when bottled water was handed out for only five days.

Pregnant women were among the hundreds of inmates drinking the contaminated water for months, according to Cramer. Ingesting lead while pregnant can cause miscarriages, brain damage, or other permanent damages to the newborns nervous system or kidneys.

Many inmates made complaints due to the fact that the deputies did not drink from the faucets, Cramer said. We were consistently told the water was good. In jail, we were drinking from the taps. Our food was being made from the taps.

Prior to this, they had already started handing out bottles of water when this first broke in October. And then they stopped, saying that their water was good. Many inmates made complaints due to the fact that the deputies all carried bottled water. And on that same token, we were consistently told that the water in the jail was good.

When Cramer called home to speak to his family, his mother told him the water was not okay. She called the jail repeatedly and was told the facility was using a filtration system.

In October, when Sheriff Pickell was notified about the water emergency, he arranged for bottled water for the prisoners at the jail but told ABC news at the time, The expense was pretty great because we have over 600 inmates. It cost $4,800 for the bottled water that lasted five days.

Pickell also complained that they had to buy dried food for the inmates because they couldnt use the water to cook. He had testing done by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), he reported.

According to Pickell, the results showed only trace levels of lead in the water, except for one faucet that tested very high in the jails medical room. A subsequent test was run by an independent lab that found only trace levels in the medical rooms faucet.

The Genesee County Health Department said that the original high reading by the DEQ might be a result of a faucet screen trapping lead particles. Pickell had the screen removed and said as long as the lead did not exceed trace levels, the jail would continue to use tap water.

Pickell has been sheriff since 1999. His biography states he was a top interrogator and covert agent for the CIA. He insists that water in the jail has been tested safe. However, after Cramers interview was broadcast, he later said the jail would distribute bottled water to the inmates. Cramer said that when he was delivering bottled water to other inmates, he was instructed to give just two 12-ounce bottles to each inmate. That is far less than half the daily recommended amount of drinking water for both men and women.

Jody Cramer also reported that deputies were passing out water filtration systems while doing warrant sweepsseeking to arrest people with outstanding warrants. If you had warrantsthey did a warrant sweep while they did that, so they tricked you. If you answered your door, and they would say, Hey, how are you doing, Mr. Cramer? If I responded, then I just confirmed that Im me. Well, heres your water filtration system. By the way, you have a warrant for your arrest. People were saying thats how they got arrested.
Hourly workers, on strike and organized by the Fight for $15, crash the media room at the Democratic presidential debate in Milwaukee. (Photo: Meredith Shiner, Yahoo News)

MILWAUKEE  Dozens of demonstrators advocating for a $15 minimum wage made their way through the glass doors of the Union Ballroom here on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukees campus and into a large makeshift media workspace set up for Tuesday nights Democratic debate, taking their cause to the heart of the nations political reporting corps.



The protest  organized by the Fight for $15, a national union rights group  was comprised largely of young, black fast food workers from Wisconsin, where 46 percent of workers make less than $15 hourly, according to the organization. It began inside the student union just an hour and half before a Democratic presidential primary debate was set to go live nationally, and after protests had built up outside the building, where the temperatures hovered around 15 degrees.

The relative quiet of the press room, which had been filled with the sound of clicking computer keys and reporters eating their dinners, was broken by the protesters carrying picket signs calling for a $15 minimum wage and chanting, You want our vote; come get our vote! and We work! We sweat! Put $15 on our check.

After a few minutes, the peaceful protesters were escorted to the lower level of the Union, where they continued to grow in number and volume, as University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee students and reporters looked on. It was a scene vaguely reminiscent of the labor protests that occurred in the rotunda of the Capitol in Madison, Wis., almost exactly five years ago, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker vowed, and ultimately succeeded, to bust unions in the state that invented them.

Kendall Fells, national organizer and director of the Fight for 15, told Yahoo News that many of the young food-industry workers on strike and at the debate are planning to vote for the first time, although they have yet to decide on a candidate and are focused on a single issue set: fair pay and the right to organize.

Story continues

Fast food workers have been going on strike in this country since Nov. 29, 2012. Today over 1,000 workers  fast food workers, home care workers are out here, child care workers, adjunct professors  what theyre saying is they want $15 an hour and a union, Fells said. They dont care if youre a Democrat, youre Republican, they dont care if youre running for dogcatcher or running for president, they want $15 and they want a union.  A lot of these workers have never voted before but are going to be voting in this election, and theyre going to make sure their voices are heard.

Protesters begin to congregate in the atrium of U.W.-Milwaukees student union an hour before the Democratic debate was scheduled to begin. (Photo: Meredith Shiner, Yahoo News)

Ayesha Lee, a 19-year-old Milwaukee resident who works at a McDonalds two miles from the debate, took the microphone to address the energized crowd, telling them that it was time that politicians took worker rights issues seriously and delivered on higher wages, instead of merely saying that they understood the plight of low-paid workers.

After her speech and over the beat of drums and chants from her fellow demonstrators, she told Yahoo News she is just trying to make enough money to pay for college.

I wanted my voice to be heard, Lee said, who added that some of the U.W.-Milwaukee students joined her and fellow workers in their demonstration. I want to school. I want to go to college. Im trying to go to [Milwaukee Area Technical College].

Lee said she has not decided for whom she will vote in her first opportunity to participate in a presidential election, but that she would be interested to hear what the candidates had to say, just yards away on the debate stage.

They need to earn my vote. Right now, theyre not earning my vote because theyre not speaking to us  they need to fight for $15, she said.

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders does support a $15 federal minimum wage and has participated in protests at the United States Capitol in Washington with food services employees who work there. When asked about whether that was enough to support him, Lee said that she still needed to hear more.

Thats only one sound, one voice. We need more than just him, she said.

Hillary Clinton supports an increase of the minimum wage to $12 and has said that $15 would be a near-impossible goal given the current composition of Congress, which is run by Republicans.

For the demonstrators in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, however, the legislative logistics of increasing their pay seemed to be of less consequence.

These workers are working for companies and work in situations where they have no say-so. A lot of these fast food workers are being burnt on the job, anywhere from minor burns to third-degree burns, being told to put butter on it, Fells, the organizer, said. What this is about is about workers pulling themselves out of poverty. If you work in this country 40 hours a week, you should be able to have a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your stomach.
Sen. Bernie Sanders vowed during the latest Democratic debate to dramatically reduce Americas prison population in his first four years in office.

Heres my promise: At the end of my first term as president we will not have more people in jail than any other country, Sanders said. We will invest in education, and jobs for our kids, not incarceration and more jails.

The U.S. imprisons about 2.2 million people, making the country the worlds biggest jailer by far. China, which comes in second, jails 1.7 million people.

Its unclear how Sanders plans to empty American prisons by half a million people, since the president and federal government preside over only a fraction of the total prison population. Fewer than 200,000 of the nations prisoners are in the federal system; the vast majority live in state and local jails.

Sanders has called for an end to putting drug users in jail, but removing non-violent drug users from the nations jails would still not reduce the total population by half a million people.

Sanders promise came during a back and forth with Hillary Clinton over their plans to reform the criminal justice system, an issue Sanders has been more vocal about as he also works to win over minority voters. The candidates were asked how they would address high incarceration rates, which in Wisconsin reach a stunning 13 percent for black males. Sanders called the high rate of incarceration unspeakable, and vowed to stop punishing people for using marijuana. Clinton, however, delivered a far more detailed answer, mentioning Dontre Hamilton, a young man who was shot and killed by a police officer in Milwaukee who was not charged in the incident. She also mentioned that so many criminal-justice policies are made at the local level.
Former President George W. Bush, seen here speaking at a veterans event in Washington last summer, is returning to the campaign trail next week after a long absence to help his brother Jeb. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ending years of self-imposed absence from the campaign trail, former President George W. Bush next week will hold his first joint rally with his brother Jeb. The former president will appear in South Carolina, whose February 20 primary could decide the fate of the younger Bushs drive for the Republican nomination.



Dubya, as he is sometimes known, will join his brother for a 6 p.m. rally on Monday at the North Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.

Bush won the South Carolina primary in 2000 and 2004, and remains popular that state. In this campaign cycle, he headlined several fundraisers for his younger brother, and appeared in an ad for a super-PAC that supports Jeb, but has otherwise kept a low profile.

The 43rd president left office deeply unpopular, weighed down by the war in Iraq and the collapse of the global economy. In 2008, GOP presidential nominee John McCain campaigned with him as little as possible. In 2012, Bush did not attend the Republican nominating convention in Tampa, and participated in the gathering briefly by video.

But recent public opinion polls show that the former presidents stock has risen with Americans, with his favorable ratings at or near 50 percent. And the elder Bush, 69, has remained popular among the Republican Partys more conservative members and evangelicals, who are expected to make up a substantial fraction of South Carolina primary voters.

President Bush has been incredibly supportive of his brothers campaign and Governor Bush is excited to have him out on the trail, said a spokeswoman for Jeb Bushs campaign, Kristy Campbell. With the threats facing our nation and our allies, we need a steady hand. Few people understand that better than President Bush, who knows that we need a tested, strong leader as our next commander-in-chief. 

Jeb Bush came in sixth in the Iowa caucuses on February 1 and fourth in the New Hampshire primary on February 9. In the Granite State, Jeb campaigned with his mother Barbara.

The State newspaper first reported the news about the former president.
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These are the agents of money. We call them lobbyists today, powers behind the throne. Size is a clue to relative importance (source; click to enlarge).

I will prove that I work for the people by refusing money from fossil fuel interests...

While Secretary Clintons commitment to reversing Citizens United and restoring the Voting Rights Act is admirable, she doesnt have to wait that long to have an impact on our countrys money in politics crisis. She can start right now by rejecting fossil fuel money, said Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard. That bold move would prove to everyone that Clinton not only knows that our democracy is broken, but that it is fixable.

In Clintons statement to Greenpeace, she says, The fossil fuel companies know my agenda is to stop their agenda. I will take them on and winand make sure America leads the fight against climate change.

Hillary Clinton's Biggest Campaign Bundlers Are Fossil Fuel Lobbyists



Nearly all of the lobbyists bundling contributions for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons campaign have at one time or another worked for the fossil fuel industry.



A list of 40 registered lobbyists that the Clinton camp disclosed to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday revealed a number of Democratic Party lobbyists who have worked against regulations to curb climate change, advocated for offshore drilling, or sought government approval for natural gas exports.



Clinton, the former secretary of state, has called climate change the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face as a nation and a world and says it would be a major focus of her administration if she wins the White House. But having so many supporters who have sold their services to fossil fuel companies may complicate her emphasis on pro-environment policies.

Scott Parven and Brian Pomper, lobbyists at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, have been registered to lobby for the Southern California-based oil giant Chevron since 2006, with contracts totaling more than $3 million. ...



The two Clinton bundlers also were part of a much-criticized campaign by Chevron to manipulate Congress into inserting language into the Andean Trade Preferences Act that would require Ecuador to dismiss a longstanding lawsuit against the company for polluting the Amazon jungle. Democratic lawmakers pushed back against the campaign and the lawsuit is continuing.

One prominent lobbying topic embraced by Clinton bundlers is the expansion of liquefied natural gas exports and federal approval of new LNG [liquified natural gas] terminals.



Ankit Desai, vice president for government relations at top LNG exporter Cheniere Energy, bundled $82,000 to the Clinton camp, with much of it coming from Cheniere Energy executives. Cheniere executives, including Desai, have donated $38,800 to Clintons campaign.



The company has lobbied hard in Washington and maintains close ties to the Obama administration. The company won the first approval to export gas to countries outside of U.S. free-trade agreements. The company is seeking approval to open additional terminals to export LNG, and will likely need a friend in the White House come 2017.

ML Strategies David Leiter lobbied in 2014 on behalf of Sempra Energy when the company received approval for its LNG export facility in Hackberry, Louisiana. Leiter, who bundled $36,550 for Clintons campaign, also is a lobbyist for ExxonMobil. Steve Coll noted in a New Yorker article derived from his book on the oil giant, Private Empire, that Leiter, an ex-staffer to former Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), was retained, along with a host of others, to increase the companys reach into the Democratic Party it had ignored for years.



ExxonMobils top lobbyist in Washington, Theresa Fariello, may not be a bundler for Clintons campaign, but she is a donor. Fariello, who was a Department of Energy official in President Bill Clintons administration, gave $2,700 to Clintons campaign. Another Washington-based Exxon lawyer, Judith Batty, donated $2,700. ...

Hillary Clinton has rejected a Greenpeace challenge to pledge not to accept campaign contributions from the coal, oil or natural gas industries. The Greenpeace pledge is here . In part it reads:While her response to Greenpeace affirms the general goals of the pledge, she has refused to take it.Greenpeace had argued (my emphasis):Instead, Clinton offered this:You can read Clinton's full statement at the end of the Greenpeace report In these dark money days, it's hard to know for sure how much she's taken. According to OpenSecrets.org , in her career Ms. Clinton has reportedlyin individual and PAC contributions. This does not include contributions to super PACs supporting her three elections. (According to a recent Maddow show, Clinton at the moment has roughly the same cash on hand from campaign donations and as from super PACs  roughly $35 million from each source  implying that the contributions to each may be somewhat roughly balanced.)And then there's her strong ties to fossil fuel lobbyists. From Paul Blumenthal writing last July at the(my emphasis throughout):About those lobbyists, Blumenthal writes:About the natural gas industry:ExxonMobil is not left out:Does Hillary Clinton know that " Exxon knew ," that in fact that whole industry knew ? So far we don't know. But do read the rest. There's more like this in the piece than I can reasonably quote.Yet Clinton gives us her word: "The fossil fuel companies know my agenda is to stop their agenda."It's entirely possible she means it, but I guess we'll have to wait until after she's elected to see those words, that agenda, in action. I hope if she's the nominee, she gets that far.Fair warning, though  it's not just the left that's all over this seeming contradiction. This is grist for the higher-traffic right-wing sites as well (example here ). I can't imagine, therefore, that this won't be brought up  again and again and again  in a campaign against Donald Trump.(Blue America has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president. If you'd like to help out, go here ; you can adjust the split any way you like at the link. If you'd like to "phone-bank for Bernie," go here . You can volunteer in other ways by going here . And thanks!)GP

Labels: 2016 presidential race, Bernie Sanders, Big Oil, Exxon Mobil, Gaius Publius, Greenpeace, Hillary Clinton, Trump
Since 1997, DR1 has been covering the Dominican Republic in English. A site overhaul had long been due. Here is the beta version of the first phase of the new DR1. We have upgraded the website with user-friendly software to serve our community better. We have kept the up-to-date content. Now it is your turn to give the new DR1 a test run!

We are tough-skinned. Go ahead and tell us what we are doing right, wrong, and what we need to change asap or work on next. Tell us what you would like to see less or more of, and what we shouldnt change!

Imagine we have bought a new house for DR1. The house comes with:

New server that ensures DR1 can handle peaks in traffic

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Improved Search

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DR1 News and DR1 Calendar are integrated into the DR1 Forums

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We now need to furnish the house. It is YOUR DR1! We invite you to collaborate in adding valuable content. What content or services should we add? Check out the new resources, but get creative, too. You can contribute and play a key role in helping people connect, enjoy and be productive in the Dominican Republic.

Dolores Vicioso, founder

Write to support@dr1.com
I have a long history of a peaceful activist in my effort towards improving human rights and creating a just and equitable world. I have written extensively in the arena of humanity, global politics, social conscience and human rights since 1980, many of which have appeared in newspapers, magazines, journals and the Internet. I have tirelessly championed the cause of the disadvantaged, the poor and the forgotten here in Americas and abroad. Commenting on my articles, others have said, "His meticulously researched essays and articles combined with real human dimensions on the plight of the displaced peoples of Rohingya in Myanmar, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo and Palestine, and American Muslims in the post-9/11 era have made him a singular important intellectual offering a sane voice with counterpoints to the shrill threats of the oppressors and the powerful. He offers a fresh and insightful perspective on a whole generation of a misunderstood and displaced people with little or no voice of their own." I have authored 16 books, 13 of which are now available through the Amazon.com.
Havana, Feb 12 (EFE).- Cuban President Raul Castro received Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on Friday at Havana's Palace of the Revolution before Pope Francis was to arrive here for the first meeting of the leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches in nearly 1,000 years.

Before the meeting with Castro, the patriarch paid homage to the hero of Cuban independence, Jose Marti, with a floral tribute at his monument in the Plaza de la Revolucion.

The Orthodox leader also visited the memorial chambers dedicated to the Cuban leader and left a message in the visitors' book.

The unprecedented meeting of Kirill and Pope Francis is expected to last about two hours and will take place during the pontiff's brief stopover on his first trip as pope to Mexico.

On his fourth visit to Cuba as the maximum leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill will visit Saturday a school for children with special needs, as well as the Memorial of the Soviet Internationalist Soldier outside the capital, and will attend a concert at the Marti Theater.

The Russian patriarch will also be decorated with the Order of Jose Marti, the highest honor awarded by the Cuban government.

Though not on the religious leader's official itinerary, the Russian patriarch is also expected to meet with Cuba's ex-President Fidel Castro, 89, who left power in 2006.

Kirill's official visit will extend until Sunday, the day he will officiate a liturgy at Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral, the only Russian Orthodox church on Cuban soil, which has a congregation of some 15,000.

Kirill traveled to Cuba in 2009 for the dedication ceremony of that cathedral.
US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez aka AOC hit a nerve from a couple of two days ago when she tweeted that Apartheid states are not ...






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We took the overnight VIP Sleeper bus from Pakse to Thakhek. We had to pay for the entire way to Vientiene, even though we were getting off half way there at 2am. It was lovely bus, but since we were getting off early, they put us right by the rear doors, where the bathroom was, so we wouldn't wake people when we got off. All night, people lined up to use the bathroom. I have never seen so may people with such small bladders. I only use a bathroom on a bus if I am past desperate. I will gladly risk dehydration and starvation to reduce the risk of using a bus bathroom. But no, tonight, everyone on the bus must have used the bathroom three times. Every time the bathroom door opened, which of course was every five minutes, bright light mixed with a heavy dose of bathroom odour and extremely amplified road noise wafted into our sleeping berth. But other than that, it was a lovely ride, and we actually managed to get some sleep.









The walk though the park to the cave When we reached Thakhek, we got a room at a bus terminal guest house, for about $7. In the morning we took a tuk tuk to the central bus terminal. We had breakfast pho at the market in a lovely little family owned market stall. I do hope this one doesn't come back to haunt us We took the 7am tuk tuk bus for 4 hours, up to Kong Lor. We found out that the bus to Vientiene doesn't come until the next morning, so we booked an all too convenient room where the bus dropped us off. It was about $6. Luckily the cave was only about 1km away, and there was still lots of time to see it.









The mouth of the cave from inside Amazing formations The cave was amazing. We paid our entrance fee to the park (about $2.50 each). Then we paid for the boat ride, which was about $15. We walked down across the turquoise river and into the mouth of the cave. Inside there were many little wooden boats. Half of them were filled with water, some were actually under the water, and a few were only slightly filled with water. Our guide was bailing one of the half filled boats. Hmmm. He started his home made lawnmower engine motor, and put the 8 foot long shaft out behind him. Greg and I looked at each other and double checked the straps on each others life jackets. We crept forward in the 2 foot wide boat and sat single file on the narrow low wooden seats, feeling the water slosh around the flat worn planks that made up the bottom of the boat.

Finally the other end of the cave The mouth of the cave at the far end near the isolated village I love this photo because it looks like there are two big holes in the water because of the reflections of the mountains beautiful with the mountains reflecting With a squeal from the motor, or, maybe from me, I wasnt quite sure, we lurched forward at high speed into the darkest dark that only a cave can possess. No port or starboard lights in this black hole, just the dim little spelunking lights on our headbands lit the walls. It was better than any ride that Disney could ever produce. Not quite as safe of course, but isn't that half the rush? Our adrenaline ride ramped up when we realized we were going slightly uphill over a small waterfall, and then dancing across the rocks that made up rapids. We could feel the bottom of the boat bend and twist under our feet, and hear the scrape scrape of our guide bailing with one hand as he steered into complete blackness at full tilt. With a squeal from the motor, or, maybe from me, I wasnt quite sure, we lurched forward at high speed into the darkest dark that only a cave can possess. No port or starboard lights in this black hole, just the dim little spelunking lights on our headbands lit the walls. It was better than any ride that Disney could ever produce. Not quite as safe of course, but isn't that half the rush? Our adrenaline ride ramped up when we realized we were going slightly uphill over a small waterfall, and then dancing across the rocks that made up rapids. We could feel the bottom of the boat bend and twist under our feet, and hear the scrape scrape of our guide bailing with one hand as he steered into complete blackness at full tilt.





After about five minutes, we felt the front of the boat slide up a sandbank and come to a stop. He waved us out of the boat. Go! He commanded in his broken accent. Other boat side he added with the only other three English words he knew. He shood us out of the boat. We gathered our shoes and stepped onto the soft sand, and saw a trail heading off into the cave. We followed the trail for half a kilometre past some of the best stalagmite and stalactite formations that I have ever seen. They were lit with dim lights. The beautiful eeriness of walking barefoot on a sandy path through a cave that is several miles in by river to an unknown destination was something I will not soon forget. We got to the end and our guide was there with the same boat. We continued for another five kilometres in the little boat, bouncing upstream over more rapids and little waterfalls.





Near the end, he asked us to get out and help him push the boat up over the final set of rapids. Im afraid that we were not too much help, and that that small man managed pretty well single handed to drag that heavy little boat up over the rocks.





We emerged somewhat blinded into the bright sun of a valley on the other side of the mountain, and headed up to a little village that has only had electricity since 2011. We bought some hot Lao coffee, and some kind of home made rice krispy snacks. The snack bars were great, the coffee, not so much. But we sat on the little bench and enjoyed the sun shine filtering through the jungle canopy.





Too soon, we got back into our little boat and raced back through the 7 km long cave in the other direction, down the waterfalls and over the rapids, racing faster with the current in the blackness.





I have to say that I have seen a lot of caves in my life, but this was different.





In the evening, we took a walk through the village of Kong Lor. It was really beautiful and followed the riverbank. It is a true village with many bamboo houses. There are a few houses at the are little variety stores. We saw one man staining the trim on his house a dark red teak colour and we gave him a thumbs up to say it looked good. He was quite happy with such a complement and when were on the way back he came out to shake hands and show us his final job. The kids were happy when we took pictures of them and even their parents were proud that we took photos of their children. We watched the families in the river and laugh and joke as they took their evening baths. The saddest mangy dog you have ever seen decided to be our friend and followed us the entire time, making sure that no other dogs go close enough that we could pat them. In the end, I felt sorry enough for this poor dedicated beast, that I patted him and said some nice things to him. He swelled with pride and would have come to the ends of the earth with us if he could have.





little bridges in the village

happy village children - always so excited to see guests

The main crop here is tobacco

The houses are all built on stilts. In the dry months people sleep downstairs in the open air where it is cooler.

The children all run together and pose for pictures - so happy for the attention!

Then they start putting on antics to keep you taking pictures!

So pretty with all the banana plants

These tractor-mobiles are very common here

quiet little lanes

yes, our large bus went over this small wooden bridge:)




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Elko Senior Center

Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A $3 donation is suggested for adults 60 years and older. Guest under the age of 60 can enjoy lunch for $6. The Meals on Wheels program may be available for eligible, homebound, adults 60 and older. For more information please call, 738-3030.

Monday: Sloppy Joes on whole wheat bun, peas and carrots, celery stick, apple crisp

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo, Capri blend vegetables, whole wheat dinner roll, dessert

Wednesday: Home style meatloaf, baked potato, green beans, chocolate cake

Thursday: Crispy oven chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed vegetables, dessert

Friday: Cheesy potato soup, tuna salad sandwich, oatmeal raisin cookie

Wells Senior Center

Lunch is served at noon Monday through Friday. A $3 donation is suggested for adults 60 years and older, and $6 for guests under 60. The center also delivers to the homebound; please call 752-3280 by 9 a.m.

Monday: Closed for Presidents Day

Tuesday: Chili dogs with cheese, potato rounds, California veggies, peaches and cream

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes mac and cheese, green beans, tapioca pudding

Thursday: Fish tacos, lettuce and tomatoes, tater tots, mixed berry fruit cup

Friday: Biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, mixed fruit

Carlin Senior Center

Monday: Closed for Presidents Day

Tuesday: Tahitian chicken, rice casserole, braised red cabbage, bread and butter, broccoli sunshine salad, pineapple chunks

Wednesday: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls, green salad, cake and ice cream

Thursday: Tuna casserole, mixed vegetables, biscuits, apple-craisin slaw, lemon poppy seed pound cake

Friday: Sausage and cabbage or cream of broccoli soup and salad bar
ELKO  People in Elko are used to large buses moving through town, but one bus stood out Wednesday and Thursday since it was covered with support for Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Nurses for Bernie Sanders are touring through Nevada and encouraging people to go to the caucus  Feb. 20 for Democrats and Feb. 23 for Republicans.

The Republican caucus is 5-9 p.m. and the Democrat caucus is 11 a.m. and locations will depend on the voters precinct. To find a location go to nevadagop.org for Republicans and nvdems.com for Democrats.

Katy Roemer, who works as a registered nurse in Oakland, California, said she has known about Sanders for years, but now is a critical moment in history.

For me he is a presidential candidate that is a once in a lifetime candidate, she said. He really supports those issues that are important to me and to the other nurses.

The most important issue for Roemer is access for all for good medical care. She said people cant always afford their premiums and, if they can afford them, they are making choices between medication or food and other basic necessities.

So we have people who are ending up getting sicker because they dont have access, she said. From my end, our perspective, access to medical care should be a human right.

Roemer said she and the other nurses are in support of Sanders idea of a single-payer system.

She said she also supports his idea for free tuition to college.

He is proposing a small transaction tax on Wall Street, she said. You know, when you and I go into the store and we buy things, we pay taxes on that and we pay taxes on our salaries and so forth, but Wall Street, when theyre doing their transactions, theyre not paying any taxes. So theyre not paying their fair share.

She said there was a similar tax on the stock exchange until the 1970s.

Roemer joined up with the nurses bus in Reno, which has stopped in several towns along Interstate 80 including Lovelock and Winnemucca. The next stop for the bus is Ely.

We go to different places where we think people might want to engage, she said. Well go to a grocery store. Well go to a senior center, any place we think people might want to hear.

Roemer said she joined the tour to help bring awareness not only for Sanders but to encourage people to caucus. She said the tour has reminded her of being a nurse and that you get as much as you give.

Ive been incredibly moved being on this bus tour talking to people, she said. Even if they dont necessarily agree with me, its an incredible thing to go out and talk to people about what their beliefs are.  Its an integral part of our democracy.

She encouraged people to not look at the labels of candidates, but to research the ideas and positions those candidates stand behind.
ELKO  City Council unanimously voted to initiate the acquisition of more than 60 acres of land adjacent to the airport for long-term development.

This decision will allow staff to request the propertys appraisal.

In terms of property management and long-term land use planning, its a very good idea to remove any islands that are floating inside of our property boundary and protect the runway and the interstate around the airport from incompatible land use development, said Elko Regional Airport Director Mark Gibbs.

The property neighbors Interstate 80 and the airport.

Gibbs told the Council the current owners are interested in Fair Market Value appraisal purchase price to sell off this land.

If the airport does acquire this piece of land, were able to protect it for the long-term as well as the FAA has agreed to, at the end of the day, pay for 93.75 percent of all the eligible expenses including the cost of appraisal, recording fees, the lawyer, review, all of those eligible costs to purchase this land, Gibbs said.

I think that strategically, for the future of the airport, this acquisition is important and I think its great to think about getting this done right now so that this land use could be incorporated into the master plan, said Councilman Reece Keener.

The master plan is going to be conducted at the airport beginning this summer, he said.

Councilman Robert Schmidtlein agreed with Keener, but also asked Gibbs what he thought the land will be appraised for. He said he would not know until the appraisal is complete.

Before the final stages, the property needs to be appraised in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration, said Assistant City Manager Scott Wilkinson in a previous conversation.

This is a two-step process, according to Gibbs. After the initial appraisal, federal standards dictate that appraisal has to be certified by another independent, Nevada appraiser. Both appraisers will agree on the final appraisal price.

James Winer is representing the Jennings family.

This process is not binding, said Gibbs.

Mayor Chris Johnson asked if there are any restrictions associated with the use of this property.

Gibbs said the property will be available for non-aeronautical lease in the long-term. The lease will last approximately 50 years.

Its going to be only businesses and types of occupations that are compatible with an airport environment, said Gibbs, explaining fields such as heavy or light industrial businesses, but not residential, would be allowed.

What Mark mentioned is certainly through the master planning process, which is just now starting, we want to include this property, in the event we acquire it, and it would certainly outline what we would like to see done with the property, Wilkinson said.

Another important note, he said, as the City does not have the obligation to purchase the land, if the Jennings family feels the appraisal value is too low, they do not have to agree to the sale.

We are at risk in paying for the appraisal, but I think its a calculated risk and its a smart move to pursue this, at least for the time being, since we have a willing seller. Nobody knows what Fair Market Value is ... until we get the appraisal back, said Wilkinson.

The appraisal process will be started immediately to determine the value of the land.
Feb. 10

Kaleen P. Ballard, 25, of Spring Creek was arrested at the Elko County Jail for petit larceny. Bail: $1,140



Marco A. Cervantes, 19, of Elko was arrested at 502 S. Seventh St. for failure to appear after bail for a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $415



Raymond J. Choate, 42, of Sparks was arrested at the Elko County Jail on two counts of failure to appear after bail for a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $1,000



Michelle R. Cowart, 45, of Spring Creek was arrested at the intersection of Fourth Street and Wilson Avenue for failure to appear after bail for a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $598



Sean M. Dean, 49, of Elko was arrested at the Elko County Jail on a warrant for battery with the use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm; battery with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon; burglary; and possession of a firearm by an ex-felon. Bail: $110,000



Ciro H. Gonzalez-Huitron, 34, of Elko was arrested at the Elko County Jail for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. Bail: $740



Billy J. Hasselblad, 39, of Spring Creek was arrested at 667 Dillon Drive on two warrants for assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence battery. Bail: $24,635



Christopher J. Huff, 27, of Elko was arrested at the Elko County Jail for disturbing the peace. Bail: $355



Maria J. Kauffman, 36, of Spring Creek was arrested at the Elko County Jail for discharging a gun or other weapon where a person might be endangered, and owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person. No bail listed.



Donna J. Leaton, 64, of Nixon was arrested at 1111 Idaho St. for trespassing. Bail: $195



James G. Robinson, 48, of Carlin was arrested at the Elko County Jail for battery. Bail: $1,140



Daryl K. Terry, 34, of Spring Creek was arrested at the Elko County Jail for battery and disturbing the peace. No bail listed.



Shane M. Throssel, 35, of Spring Creek was arrested at the Elko County Jail for buying, possessing or receiving stolen property and displaying bogus vehicle registration, plates or title. No bail listed.
The courtyard of the Antiguo Convento de Sant Agusti. E. Riol

Gothic churches, palaces and monasteries make up some of the most important tourist attractions in Barcelona  the Pedralbes monastery and the elegant Santa Maria del Mar church among them. But many smaller monuments are easily missed by passers-by. This intimate route gives you the chance to take in some of these sights and discover details that have resisted the passage of time in silence, without hundreds of tourist cameras photographing them. Thanks to these memorials, the essence of the old medieval city lives on.

The Capilla del Palau Menor was once part of a palace built by the Knights Templar that was sadly demolished in 1859 and converted into housing

The journey begins in the heart of the Gothic Quarters main commercial area, near Calle Portal de lAngel. Number 29 on Calle Santa Anna opens up on to a square that houses a small church. Even if its exterior may not be pleasing to the eye, the intriguing octagonal dome interior, as well as the wonderful Santa Ana parish cloister (+34 93 301 35 76), make up for it. The two floor, rectangular-shaped edifice is mainly characterized by its imposing pointed arch. The ground floor has remained the same over the years while the second floor has been repaired many times. Only the workers talking on their cellphones break the silence that dominates the plaza. It is hard to believe that the bustling Plaza de Cataluna is just a few meters away.

From here head towards the Plaza de la Catedral via Calle Bisbe, where we take a left to arrive at Calle Freneria. At number 14 sits a renovated house that has preserved its antique essence: take note of the wooden beams that maintain its structure and a lobed window on the first floor. Although the building has undergone many refurbishments over the years, the two structures originally date from the 15th century.

Gothic cut-and-paste



The Sant Just fountain. E. Riol

The Gothic exterior of Barcelona City Hall knows a thing or two about change. Situated on Calle del Ciutat next to the Plaza de Sant Jaume, it is one of the most harmonious facades in the Catalan capital. On the main floor, a horizontal development of windows with impressive stonework sits alongside the decorative sculptural work. But there is a flaw among all the beauty  the main door is seriously damaged. When they built the modern neoclassical building that houses City Hall, the facade was marginalized and almost disappeared. It was ultimately saved following protests by the Academy of Literature and Fine Arts, though sadly it was unable to stop the door from being cut down and its right side remaining within the walls of the neoclassical building.

The route continues heading towards the Basilica dels Sants Just I Pastor (+34 93 301 74 33) in the Plaza de Sant Just. In the shadow of her elder sisters, the Cathedral and the Santa Maria del Mar church, it rests peacefully in a silent plaza. The building dates from the 14th century and brings together the best of Catalan Gothic architecture. It is worth paying for a guided tour as it allows you to take a look at the spectacular Santa Cruz altarpiece, which dates from 1530. You can also climb the bell tower, which offers dizzying views of the historic center.

If your ascent to the clouds leaves you a little thirsty, you can take a drink at the Sant Just fountain, just around the corner. Arguments over its construction date abound  some say the 14th century, others the 15th. Keeping out of the debate, its three serio-comic faces seem to want to kiss all the tourists who contemplate it. After quenching your thirst, head towards Calle Lledo where at number four, you encounter the thick walls of Palau Fiveller and further on some spectacular  though mostly private  courtyards. You can also head into some of the stores and boutiques that still preserve their original medieval structures.

The Basilica de la Merce, E. Riol

Upon arriving at Calle Ample, you approach the Basilica de la Merce, dedicated to the Virgin of Mercy, the citys guardian saint. Although a Baroque church, it is included here because of its Gothic touches. Architectural cutting and pasting was a common practice in the past, which explains the original 1516 door located in the north facade. Originally from the now-disappeared Sant Miquel church, it was integrated into the basilica in 1870, allowing you to check out its late Gothic and renaissance details, especially the pleasantly grotesque ones that were restored after the 1936-39 Civil War.

Although less glamorous than Calle Lledo, Calle Ataulf is more authentic and home to the Capilla del Palau Menor (+34 93 317 45 24) at number four. This beautiful chapel was once part of a palace built by the Knights Templar that was sadly demolished in 1859 and converted into housing. Featuring late Gothic architecture, it has a unique nave and is surprisingly spacious, especially when compared to the discrete entrance designed by Elies Rogent. But this is not the only part of the old complex that remains. At the end of nearby Calle Timo, a stone door also survives that was built by James I to give the Templars who helped him conquer the Mediterranean access to the palace.

Memories of stone

Crossing the Via Laietana, you arrive at Calle Princesa. From there, take a left on to Calle Montcada and at the corner of Calle Assaonadors, at number one, you find the Casa Puigxoriguer, a building that includes elements from the 18th and 19th centuries, but which has been inhabited since the 14th century. From that era, three Gothic windows remain on the main floor that feature attractive Romanesque arches and small carved faces of bearded noblemen.

The postmodern entrance to the Antiguo Convento de Sant Agusti. E. Riol

Walking along Calle Carders, you reach the charming courtyard of the Antiguo Convento de Sant Agusti. It was severely damaged during the Barcelona siege in 1714 and later demolished and converted into a military base, at one time including its own bread oven. It is a great place to take a break and enjoy a coffee. Before leaving, it is worth crossing the passageway that leads out on to Calle Comerc. The fluorescent lighting gives a very postmodern feel to this passage from the past.

The tour finishes opposite Santa Maria del Mar (which offers visits to its terrace)  not to admire its facade, but rather to look in the opposite direction. You will notice a fountain with a small fortified tower decorated with two gargoyles in the form of a lion and a dragon. The Santa Maria fountain was created by Arnau Barhues in 1403 and was known back then as the fountain of the lords: its users were the bourgeois residents of Calle Montcada.

English version by Anne-Gaelle Sy.
A Castane Foundation photograph of British Field Marshal Montgomery (right) on March 23, 1945.

A treasure trove of over 2,700 documents shedding light on the wars of the 20th century is to end up at Harvard Universitys Houghton Library after the Madrid foundation that owns it was unable to reach an agreement to keep it in Spain.

The documents are part of a larger compendium of approximately 7,000 items collected over the years by the financier Jose Maria Castane. One of the largest private collections in Europe, it includes letters, telegrams, reports and photographs relating to both world wars, the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, and the reconstruction of Europe after 1945.

All we wanted was for the collection to stay in the hands of a top-tier institution that could guarantee its preservation under the best conditions

The Castane Foundation said it had failed to reach an agreement with the Spanish Culture Ministry to keep the entire collection in Spain, and that the part of the archive relating to World War II would be handed over to Harvard free of charge.

The rest of the collection, which covers Spains Second Republic, the Civil War (1936-1939) and the early years of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, will be divided between the Castane Foundation in Madrid and the Residencia de Estudiantes, a student residence in the capital where many well-known writers and artists stayed in the 1930s.

Plans for the bombing of Hiroshima.

The bequest will have a significant impact on the development of our collections and on the international research community, which will have easy access to these important documents, said Leslie A. Morris, curator of modern books and manuscripts at Houghton Library in Boston.

Set up 20 years ago, the Castane Foundations collection of 20th-century material includes printed matter relating to Franco, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Churchill and De Gaulle, along with documents that shed light on Germanys network of concentration and death camps, as well as the mass killings carried out by different totalitarian regimes and the Nuremberg trials.

All we wanted was for the collection to stay in the hands of a top-tier institution that could guarantee its preservation under the best conditions, along with access to researchers, with no money involved, said Jose Maria Castane about the deal with Harvard. Both institutions will work together to encourage global access to these materials.

Castane said he originally proposed donating the collection to the archive of the Reina Sofia contemporary art museum in Madrid, but that the education and culture minister at the time, Jose Ignacio Wert, wanted it to join the Civil War archive in Salamanca. Negotiations stalled after that.
Esperanza Aguirre talks at an improvised press conference outside Madrid Popular Party headquarters. Samuel Sanchez

The Civil Guard raided the headquarters of the Popular Party (PP)s Madrid branch on Thursday in search of incriminating evidence of illegal party financing.

Five homes were also searched, as well as the headquarters of Villar Mir, the parent company of construction giant OHL.

There is no evidence and no proof of any kind of illegal financing

The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into the Punica case, a bid-rigging ring that was broken up in late October 2014 with the arrest of 35 people in several provinces.

The Punica ring is believed to have unlawfully awarded as much as 250 million in public contracts whose beneficiaries had been predetermined by the ringleaders after accepting bribes from the corrupt bidders.

One of the main suspects in the case is Francisco Granados, once the right-hand man to Esperanza Aguirre when the latter was regional premier of Madrid.

Thursdays court-ordered raid was triggered by notes kept by Granados in an agenda whose contents remain under seal. The case is being investigated by High Court judge Eloy Velasco.

Officers sent to the Madrid PPs home on Genova street  inside the same building that houses national party headquarters  were looking for documents in the power of former party manager Beltran Gutierrez Moliner, whose own home was also searched. Gutierrez Moliner is also involved in a parallel probe into secret credit cards issued by the Caja Madrid bank to top executives for discretionary spending.

Legal sources confirmed that Civil Guard officers also took away material from the Villar Mir Group, the parent company of construction giant OHL

The origin of Operation Punica was the discovery of Swiss bank accounts held by Granados and David Margaliza, a businessman and childhood friend of Granados. Swiss authorities informed Spain about indications of aggravated money-laundering operations through accounts in which both men held a joint 5.8 million at one point.

Esperanza Aguirre, who is now the president of the PPs Madrid branch, said the party was cooperating all the way.

There is no evidence and no proof of any kind of illegal financing, she added.

Legal sources confirmed that Civil Guard officers also took away material from the Villar Mir Group, the parent company of construction giant OHL. Handwritten notes found in Francisco Granados possession suggest that the company may have paid out large sums of money to the Madrid PP.

The name Villar Mir also crops up as a donor in parallel accounts kept by Luis Barcenas, the former treasurer of the national PP. This larger investigation into unlawful donations and illegal party financing is one of the biggest corruption cases to affect the Spanish conservatives.

English version by Susana Urra.
Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party (left) and Albert Rivera of Ciudadanos. SAMUEL SANCHEZ

Territorial policy, constitutional reform and the fight against corruption are three major stumbling blocks on the road to cross-party consensus among Spains main political groups.

With parties scrambling to reach deals following the fragmented scenario that emerged from an inconclusive election on December 20, the talks are serving to highlight differences as much as to underscore similarities.

The PSOE and Ciudadanos are working on a list of anti-corruption measures but the PP has barely mentioned the issue

On one hand, the incumbent Popular Party (PP) and the emerging Ciudadanos, whose leaders met on Thursday, clearly defend national sovereignty and oppose a self-rule referendum in Catalonia.

The Socialist Party (PSOE) in theory agrees, but has provided no details about how it plans to deal with separatist sentiment other than to talk about the need for a different state structure in Spain.

Meanwhile, the Socialists and Ciudadanos are already working on a list of anti-corruption measures while the conservatives barely mention the matter in their negotiation documents. Both parties also agree that the 1978 Constitution needs some tweaking, while the PP has been stalling on this point.

The small, pro-market Ciudadanos is trying to mediate between both traditional parties to create a governing pact that will get a new executive up and running, nearly two months after the general election was held.

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias wants to get back into the center of negotiations. EFE

After the winning candidate, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, refused to bid for reinstatement because he lacked sufficient congressional support, the election runner-up Pedro Sanchez, of the PSOE, was tasked with forming a government of his own. Both leaders are scheduled to meet later Friday.

The investiture session to vote in the new prime minister of Spain will likely be held in early March. But so far, nobody has garnered enough backing to ensure a successful bid. If no new leader emerges, Spain will be forced to hold fresh elections later this year.

The anti-austerity party, which came in third at the election, wants to create a leftist three-way coalition with the Socialists and the small United Left group. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias has expressed a desire to be Sanchezs deputy in such a government.

But the partys defense of self-rule referendums in Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country and Valencia is coming up against a wall of rejection from the PP, PSOE and Ciudadanos.

Iglesias further irked the Socialist leader by telling him that he had to choose between Podemos and Ciudadanos, as the anti-austerity party refuses to be at the same negotiating table as last years other emergent party.

After being left out of cross-party talks for a week, Podemos leaders are now seeking to take back the initiative with a new offer

After being left out of cross-party talks for a week as a result of this attitude, Podemos leaders are now seeking to take back the initiative with a new offer.

This new proposal shifts the focus to social policy in a bid to highlight common ground with the PSOE. And while it no longer openly rules out Ciudadanos as a negotiation partner, the anti-austerity party hopes to underscore the differences between the pro-market Ciudadanos and the Socialists, thus bringing the latter closer to Podemos again.

They [the Socialists] are closer to us than they are to Ciudadanos, so it will be easier to reach agreements, said Alberto Montero, Podemoss chief of economic affairs.

English version by Susana Urra.
Families of inmates held at Topo Chico demand information about their loved ones. Miguel Sierra (EFE)

Today is not visiting day at Monterreys Topo Chico prison; today is for finding out if your loved ones inside are still alive.

A massive riot in the north Mexican jail early on Thursday morning left 49 inmates and guards dead and 12 others injured. The incident  which began with a confrontation between rival gangs and ended with the army being called in  was one of the worst prison uprisings in Mexico in recent memory.

After hearing the news before dawn, Pancho immediately jumped into his vehicle and drove to Topo Chico at high speed, even running stoplights, to learn news about his son.

Israel Saucedo is serving a 10-year sentence there for breaking Gods laws or, in other words, murder.

I am not moving from here until I find out about my son

The entrance to the prison is chaotic with people screaming and pushing, but Pancho remains calm and waits in line under the hot sun as if preparing to take confession. His wife is concerned; she tells him to eat some tacos and drink some water or otherwise the heat will get to him.

I am not moving from here until I find out about my son, he says.

According to preliminary reports, the confrontation broke out at around midnight Wednesday inside the prison between rival gangs who are fighting for control of Topo Chico, the oldest penitentiary in Monterrey.

In the end, Nuevo Leon state authorities reported that 49 people had died but no names were given.

Shocked family members who began gathering outside Topo Chico tried to force their way in so they could see with their own eyes whether their loved ones were dead or alive.

Police officers tried to control the situation as much as they could, organizing two lines for family members to enter section C and section B, the two areas where the riots took place.

When all hell broke loose and the fires started, they opened the cells

Victor Omar Solis, who came from Sabinas, a town in another state 90 kilometers away, waits in the first line. He wants to find out if his brother Ruben, who is serving time for robbery, is all right.

Let me explain: he was riding in a stolen car going to Sabinas when the police stopped them, he explains. The one who was driving was convicted for robbery and he was charged with being an accomplice. Yes, my brother was a dumb ass.

A few moments later an aunt phones Victor to tell him that she saw Ruben on a Televisa newscast. He was seen leaning on a rail, alive and well. But Victor isnt convinced.

Until he speaks with his brother, and hugs and kisses him, he wont remain calm.

Another man with sweat running down his forehead was able to enter the prison to speak to his brother, who is serving time for murder. The man doesnt want to give his name, but explains that his brother, who is being held in another section, witnessed the slaughter.

He told me that it was all done to win control [of the prison]. They took over the square located inside, but there should have been some type of authority  not those good-for-nothing pussycats.

He told me that there are decapitated bodies in there. Those guys [the guards] wont even go inside. When all hell broke loose and the fires started, they opened the cells, he says.

Shocked family members who began gathering outside Topo Chico tried to force their way in

Men and women are allowed to mix together inside Topo Chico. Melisa Berenice met Marco Antonio in a workshop, and two months ago she gave birth to a girl whom she named Graciela Esperanza. There is a nursery inside the prison.

Melisa Bernenices aunt has asked the guards to let her take the baby out to a safer place, but she is told she will first have to fill out the paperwork for the social services.

In a fit a rage, she tries to climb the walls of the jail but falls to the ground, failing to realize that it is more difficult to get inside a prison then get into one.

At section B, a young boy climbs a wire fence until he reaches the spikes. He cuffs his hands around his mouth and yells: I love you, fat guy.

A hand reaches out from one of the barred windows acknowledging the youngster. From this distance, the inmate looks skinny.

But the jovial mood changes around the corner where forensic officials slowly begin bringing out the bodies of those killed during the uprising. For once, it is a good thing to be remaining inside.

English version by Martin Delfin.
Demonstrators hold a protest in front of the White House against the deportations. AP

More information La ola de deportaciones revive el movimiento de santuario en iglesias de Estados Unidos

With the rise in massive raids against Central American migrants in the United States, churches across the country have once again begun offering sanctuary to refugees who fear for their safety if they are sent back home.

I faced a lot of family violence, abuse and discrimination in Guatemala because I am a [Mayan] Indian, explained Hilda Ramirez, a 28-year-old Guatemalan refugee, who migrated with her now nine-year-old son, Ivan. I came to the United States to seek help and wont go back without putting up a fight.

This week, the mother and child sought refuge at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas.

Ramirez recalled the 11 months she was held at a family refugee center in nearby Karnes, Texas, beginning in August 2014. She was later allowed to leave but had to wear an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor her movements.

I turned myself in because I wanted to seek help from immigration officials, but I didnt expect this to happen

Hilda Ramirez

I turned myself in because I wanted to seek help from immigration officials, but I didnt expect this to happen. Staying at Karnes was very sad and very difficult, especially for children. The food was bad, we had no doctors or medicine. The sick children would cry because they had diarrhea. They would wake us up at night and treated us very badly, Ramirez said.

After she left Karnes, Ramirez and her son stayed at Posada Esperanza, a shelter for homeless families. But her stay was short lived after a US immigration judge ordered her deportation.

Then she began hearing about the massive roundups ordered by the Obama administration, which began in January.

I was in a panic, she said. Thats when Ramirez decided to seek refuge at St. Andrews.

According to Church World Services, 11 of 13 refugees who have sought protection in churches since 2014 have been granted stays in their deportations. Ramirez said she hopes to become one of them.

Church World Services is an organization that has created a network of safe havens across the United States for Central Americans who are facing deportation. The network is comprised of Lutheran, Catholic and Methodist denominations, among others.

In the 1980s, churches across the United States took part in the national Sanctuary Movement by offering safe havens to Central Americans fleeing the civil wars and conflicts in their countries. As many as 500 congregations took part.

Eleven of 13 refugees who have sought protection in churches since 2014 have been granted stays in their deportations

Under the recent revival, congregations in Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Portland and other cities have offered to help.

In 2011, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo prohibiting agents from arresting anyone at churches, schools, hospitals and public demonstrations.

But Ramirez is in Texas, a state where the majority of residents strongly oppose illegal immigration.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan G. Patrick, one of the biggest proponents against churches who offer sanctuary, has pushed for tougher state laws for local law enforcement bodies to comply with federal immigration regulations.

But St Andrews Presbyterian, as well as the other congregations across the country, are ready for a major legal battle.

Temporary stays in deportations have been secured in Arizona and Colorado but only after migrants have had to live more than a year in closed quarters and be on 24-hour alert.

In the 1980s, US churches took part in the Sanctuary Movement by offering safe havens to Central American fleeing armed conflicts

This is the first time we have offered sanctuary, said Rev. Crystal Silva, a pastor at St. Andrews.

The reason we are doing this is for justice. Our country wants to deport and that is not fair. There are millions of undocumented people who live in fear of deportation and suffer from poverty and violence. All our church wants is justice, she said, adding that the congregation is prepared for a long legal battle.

At St. Andrews, Ramirez has her own furnished room and social workers at her disposal. Everything she needs, from English classes to getting her hair done, is provided by the church.

Ramirez is an evangelical Baptist so St. Andrews has also arranged for a visit by a pastor from her own church.

We know she is going to feel lonely. We are asking immigration not to deport her, said Silva.

Ramirez also realizes that she faces a tough battle.

I want them to stop my deportation, to quit attacking me, and remove my ankle bracelet. I refuse to budge until they do that.

English version by Martin Delfin.
Parliament Committee approves nomination of HHK-backed candidate (video)

In her final speech at the National Assemblys Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, Zaruhi Postanjyan, one of the three candidates for the post of Armenias Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman), said that Gagik Jhangiryan (Armenian National Congress -HAK) expressed support and even praised the government-backed candidate  Arman Tatoyan. Then, addressing to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun, she said, You are still in the opposition camp, but you are going to vote for a government candidate. Mrs Postanjyan, you are not a human rights defender yet, but you are violating the law at every step and offending your fellow collagues, said Hovahnnes Sahakuyan, Chair of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. This is not the first time when you appreciate someone and get offended in reply, Artsvik Minasyan, a member of the Dashanktsutyun, said. Postanjyan, you are trying to argue with your competitors using other people. We do not need your advice, keep it for yourself. In the long run, the Committee approved the nomination made by the HHK. Arman Tatoyan received seven votes, Zaruhi Postanjyan 5 and Narel Aloyan -2. Postanjyan voted for herself, Hovhannes Sahakyan announced after the vote. When Postanjyan was making her final speech, Gagik Jhangiryan left the room.
Local EU statement on the OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Expert Teams (RET) Final Report

The European Union Delegation issued the following statement in agreement with the EU Members States Heads of Mission in Armenia. We recall the local EU statement of 10 December on the constitutional referendum held on 6 December 2015. The European Union welcomes the OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Expert Teams Final report of 5 February 2016, notably its current observations and recommendations as well as all the past OSCE/ODIHR recommendations which remained unaddressed. On this basis, reform of electoral legislation should be carried out in an inclusive manner and all stakeholders are encouraged to make every reasonable effort to build broad consensus. Building on efforts by the authorities to improve public confidence, an agreement should be found on the most critical issues such as the voter register, vote count, possible publishing of voters' lists after the elections or any other means to address persistent perceptions that the presence on voter lists of citizens not present in Armenia may be abused, and tabulation of results. Accuracy of the voter register should be improved and effective and consistent safeguards against multiple voting, by whatever effective means of identification available, should be introduced. The results of the next year's parliamentary elections should already benefit from these safeguards to reinforce their legitimacy. The legal framework for complaints and appeals should be reviewed to guarantee more effective remedy against possible abuses. We reiterate that, without a transparent investigation of all alleged frauds as well as appropriate measures taken if these are confirmed, the referendum would be a missed opportunity to increase the confidence in, and the integrity of, electoral processes in Armenia. The EU will continue to assist Armenia on its internal political, social and economic reform processes, based on the future new legal framework for bilateral cooperation and within the larger perspective of the Eastern Partnership. In particular, the EU calls for a full-fledged OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission as well as domestic observers for the 2017 parliamentary elections.
The signing ceremony in 2015 (Source: VNA)

The document was signed in Kazakhstans Burabay township on May 29, 2015, opening up favourable conditions for mutual trade and investment.

Once the deal takes effect, nearly 90 percent of goods will enjoy lower tariffs and 60 percent will be entitled to zero tax. It is also the first FTA that the EAEU has signed with a country.

The EAEU includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

The Kazakhstani Ministry of National Economy predicted that the country will export more of its foodstuff to Vietnam, including flour, cereals, milk and pork.

Last year, two-way trade between Vietnam and Kazakhstan amounted to USD205 million./.
Responding to reporters questions, Binh expressed Vietnams deep concern over the DPRK, which defied the international communitys opposition, conducted a rocket launch using ballistic missile technology on February 7th.

Photo: VNA

The DPRKs action violated relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and escalated tensions in the region, he added.

Vietnams consistent viewpoint is supporting all efforts aiming to maintain peace, stability and development in the Korean Peninsula as well as in the region and the world.

Vietnam supports the settlement of all disputes via dialogues and affirms that the UN Security Councils relevant resolutions need to be seriously implemented, the spokesman noted./.
THE CENTRAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM The Voice of the party, State and Vietnamese people on the internet

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It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
SEOUL, Feb. 11, 2016 (Xinhua) -- South Korean vehicles from the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) pass the customs, immigration and quarantine office in Paju, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2016. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced on Thursday that it is expelling all South Koreans from the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) and closing the joint-run complex. (Xinhua/NEWSIS)

All of South Koreans on Thursday withdrew safely from a jointly-run factory park with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after Pyongyang's decision to deport all South Korean nationals from the park.

Seoul's unification ministry said on the phone that all of 280 South Koreans having stayed at the Kaesong Industrial Complex crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) into South Korea's territory.

All of the people, who had stayed in Kaesong to complete the shutdown of factories, returned to the south at about 10 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).

The DPRK decided Thursday to shut down the inter-Korean industrial zone and deport all of South Koreans staying there. All of assets of South Korean companies running factories there were frozen completely.

The move came a day after South Korea announced its decision to stop operations at the industrial zone, which started manufacturing products in December 2004.

A total of 124 South Korean companies had operated factories there, hiring some 54,000 DPRK workers. The industrial zone had been seen as the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation as it was launched as a result of a historic summit in 2000 between late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and late DPRK leader Kim Jong-Il.

Seoul's decision to shut down the factory park came in the wake of Pyongyang's long-range rocket launch on Sunday. On Jan. 6, the DPRK tested what it claimed was its first H-bomb, the fourth of its nuclear detonations.

[ Editor: Fanhua ]
Humanitarian agencies now estimate that more than 51,000 people from Aleppo city and other areas in northern Syriawere displaced following heavy clashes and airstrikes by the government of Syria, allied forces and armed groups.

That was disclosed by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a news briefing here Thursday.

"This includes some 8,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the camp in the Bab Al Salam border crossing," Dujarric said at the news briefing. "It is believed that the majority of those displaced are women and children."

Sources on the ground report that people are moving north towards the border and population movement to and from other areas of Aleppo and Idleb remain extremely dynamic, according to the spokesman.

In addition to the ongoing response, the United Nations has also reiterated its request for access to cross-line deliveries to reach people in need in eastern parts of Aleppo City, western rural Aleppo and Afrin., while urging the government of Syria to grant access without delay, he said.

Also, an estimated 120,000 people are trapped in northern rural Homs after supply roads were cut in mid-January, he said. "Several cases of acute malnutrition among pregnant women and children have been reported, as well as deaths related to lack of medical care."

"The last UN aid convoy reached rural northern Homs in October," Dujarric said. "We call on access to these areas to be granted without delay."

There were 89 civilians among those killed since the beginning of the month, said reports, quoting the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as the source.

The Syrian army has made sweeping progress in Aleppo, capturing key towns from the Turkey-backed rebels, aiming to close the borders with Turkey, from which many foreign jihadists are infiltrating Syria.

A day earlier, Syria's Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban said the aim of the army's advances in Aleppo is to liberate cities and village seized by terrorists for nearly three years and to control the borders with Turkey.

[ Editor: Fanhua ]
A woman drinks Tibetan wine made from highland barley at her home in Lhasa, Feb 9, in celebration of the first day of Tibetan New Year. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tuesday marked the first day of the "Fire Monkey Losar," or Tibetan New Year, on the Tibetan calendar. The Tibetan New Year is normally celebrated by religious rituals, long prayers, horse races, family gatherings and feasts. The celebrations last for two weeks.

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[ Editor: Fanhua ]
reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Kyiv believes it will be able to promote its products on the Iranian market after the lifting of international sanctions, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska has said.

"Iran is a promising market for us, not only for agricultural products, but also for the industrial enterprises products," she said during a meeting at the Infrastructure Ministry on Friday.

At the same time, Mykolska noted specific nature of the Iranian market and the associated difficulties in promoting Ukrainian goods.

For his part, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky stressed Iran's interest in Ukrainian products, in particular in the railway products.
Ukraine to live through first winter without Russian gas - Yatseniuk

Ukraine will be able to complete the heating season without buying Russian gas, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"I would like to tell you that we will live through the winter without Russian gas for the first time in the entire history of Ukraine," the prime minister told diplomats in Kyiv on Friday. He said the Naftogaz reform had made that happen.

"This is a real reform and a real step towards diversification of natural gas supply by Ukraine," Yatseniuk said.

He thanked the EU, the EBRD, the World Bank and other international partners for the assistance which helped Ukraine achieve "real diversification and energy independence."

Ukraine cut gas imports 15.9% (3.1 billion cubic meters) year-on-year in 2015 to 16.4 billion cubic meters.

The amount of Russian gas imported by Ukraine in 2015 stood at 6.1 billion cubic meters or 2.4 times less than in 2014 (14.5 billion cubic meters).

Upon the end of the tripartite negotiations in September, Naftogaz bought from Gazprom 2 billion cubic meters of gas in October, and almost 400 million cubic meters in November. The purchases stopped on November 25, and Ukraine lived on cheaper gas imported from Europe, locally produced gas, and reserves from underground gas storages.
The Defense Ministry of Ukraine and METRO Cash & Carry LLC have signed a contract to supply food to military servicemen of the western naval base of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odesa.

"The agreement on supply of food according to a catalog for the western naval base in Odesa where the experiment on the introduction of the alternative feed system for military servicemen successfully continues has been signed," the Defense Ministry said on its website on Thursday.

The head of the food reformation system for the Armed Forces of the project office of the Defense Ministry Diana Petrenia said that according to the preliminary results of the electronic reversed auction the cost of a food set per serviceman of the western naval base a day will be UAH 42.39 and on the ship  UAH 44.41.

She said that the previous cost of the food set per serviceman (before December 31, 2015) was UAH 57.24 and UAH 59 on the ship.

She also said that this week it is planned to sign an agreement on supply of food under a catalog in the National Army Academy in Lviv.

It is planned to expand the catalog for military servicemen in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone.

"We've worked out 100 additional items for the field set. Calories will be increased. In most NATO member countries military servicemen in the field eat meals ready to eat or cooks are involved. Military cooks will cook in the ATO zone," the ministry said.

It is also planned to improve the military food quality control system.

Head of the tender committee of the Defense Ministry Oleh Svyrko said that the ministry will initiate amendments to the existing legal base on the application of fines to bidders who violate the qualification requirements or contract conditions.
The Finance Ministry of Ukraine has proposed that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine agrees the sale of assets that include 173 immovable property and ownership rights to property worth UAH 1.48 billion that government-controlled Ukrgasbank received as part of repayment of troubled debts.

This issue was discussed at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

"According to the order of the Finance Ministry, Ukrgasbank has the right to sell these assets an open auction and receive additional funds," Finance Minister of Ukraine Natalie Jaresko said at the cabinet meeting.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk proposed that the assets are put up for sale in the SETAM electronic system that sells arrested assets.

He said state-run banks must sell their assets in the SETAM system. Yatseniuk said that the Individuals' Deposit Guarantee Fund continues selling assets via 20 electronic sites despite an agreement to sell them in the SETAM.

"The NBU [National Bank of Ukraine] jointly with the Justice Ministry will draw up a resolution and we settle the issue by the decision of the government and the NBU and the Deposit Guarantee Fund would have a liability to sell assets of banks more transparently," Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko said.

He said that currently around 100,000-150,000 visitors visit the SETAM system a month, and this is the most popular site for electronic trading with assets.
Danone in Ukraine launches baby dairy food production in Kremenchuk under Tioma brand

Danone, a large dairy producer in Ukraine, has launched cottage cheese pasta and yogurt production under the Tioma brand at Kremez Plant (Kremenchuk, Poltava region).

"Today we have plans to produce over 70,000 tonnes this year," Kremez Director General Ruslan Vdovenko said at a press conference on Friday.

The annual production capacity of the dairy plant in Kremenchuk after its modernization is 110,000 tonnes.

Investment in the new production line reached UAH 200 million. The plant will produce five types of cottage cheese pasta for children, four types of yogurts and kefir (being checked now).

Vdovenko said that production under the Tioma brand will be 3,000-4,000 tonnes by the end of 2016, which is 5% of Danone's total production.

The production process is automated and 30-40 persons and around 20 packers service it 24 hours a day.

Thanks to the modernization in Kremenchuk, 55% of Danone's products sold in Ukraine are made at this plant. Earlier Tioma products were imported from Russia to Ukraine.

The Danon group is a world's leader in production of dairy products. It has been operating in Ukraine since 1998.
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has not approved the financial plan of Odesa maritime merchant port and sent it back for revision.

The port head at a cabinet meeting promulgated the port's projected performance for 2016: its net profit is estimated at UAH 329.6 million, which is 10% more than in 2015.

The revenue part of the fiscal plan is UAH 767.9 million, expenses came to UAH 438.3 million.

Meanwhile, during the discussion Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk found a list of non-core investment in the document. In particular, in 2016 it is planned to spend UAH 60 million on the repair of Odesa Hotel, which is on the balance sheet of the port.

Yatseniuk said the hotel could be excluded from the list of objects that are not subject to privatization, sold and repaired by a new owner.

Costs for the renovation of the Chabanka recreation center were foreseen in the fiscal plan under the same principle. Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky noted it is planned to transfer the center to the management of the State Border Guard Service.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has positively assessed the new "Objectives and Principles of Public Policy" presented by the Cabinet of Ministers on Thursday, as he believes that the Ukrainian government showed its focus on these objectives.

"Glad to see Governments new Objectives and Principles of Public Policy squarely focused on these objectives," he wrote on his Twitter page late on Thursday.

"Important for Ukrainian government to restore trust, continue on reform path, tackle corruption," he said.

As reported, on February 11, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk urged the Ukrainian parliament to approve the Objectives and Principles of Public Policy for all power branches in the country at the national legislation level.

"Transparent and public policy of each public servant, each political figure, each minister and parliamentarian is a sign of new Ukraine. That's why we address the parliament (and I think that the president will back these principles  he presented some of these principles at the meeting of the National Reforms Council) that the parliament approves the basic principles and objectives of public policy to make them part of the national legislation and let each of us follow it," Yatseniuk said at a cabinet meeting in Kyiv on Thursday.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will adopt a package of resolutions that would finish the reform of the Justice Ministry of Ukraine, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said.

"Tomorrow the Cabinet would pass the final package of resolutions on the completion of the functional reformation of the Justice Ministry," Petrenko said at a meeting of the Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry headed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He said that the number of employees in the ministry has been halved since the start of reforms. When the reform is completed, only 12,000 employees will be left in the ministry and they will be selected using new rules and principles.
Amendments to Constitution must be passed along with new law on judicial system and status of judges - Yatseniuk

The Ukrainian parliament must pass amendments to the Constitution in part of justice along with the bills on the judicial system and the status of judges, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"We expect that the Ukrainian parliament will support at second reading these amendments to the Constitution along with the new bill on the judicial system and the new bill on the status of judges," Yatseniuk said at a meeting of the Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry held in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He also said that the Ukrainian parliament has made a first step to amendments to the Constitution that "would allow conducting the full re-evaluation of judges and changing the country's court system in general."

"Our goal is real justice in Ukraine. Justice is when Ukrainian courts of honest, issue rulings only on the basis of law and justice, when the Ukrainian judicial system is fully independent," he said.
KYIV. Feb 12 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine are investigating 13 criminal cases against Ukrainian judges, as well as gather information about other judges for the conduct of a more efficient judicial reform in Ukraine.

"We pay great attention to members of the judiciary. It is partly because of the fact that the judicial reform is due, and with the fact that without fair courts all the reform are doomed," Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau Artem Sytnyk said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

In this context, he said: "At present there are 13 criminal proceedings involving representatives of the justice system and the number of cases is constantly increasing."

The bureau director also said that at present the analytical department of the bureau is gathering information to create profiles of officials and representatives of the judicial branch.

"Ukraine intends to conduct the judicial reform and our analysts are processing the information about 1,500 judges and forming their profiles. We intend to use them not only for launching criminal proceedings if elements of crime are established, but also for handing them to relevant authorities, who will carry out the judicial reform," Sytnyk said.

These files will be sent to the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the High Council of Justice.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has demanded that Russia should immediately release the 13 Crimean Tatars, who are citizens of Ukraine, and who were detained illegally.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in its statement, that "illegal searches and ungrounded detentions of 13 citizens from Ukraine, who are Crimean Tatars, took place on February 11 and 12, 2016."

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said these detentions are due to "the false fight against terrorism." "We demand that the Russian Federation immediately stop the political repression against citizens of Ukraine, and release Emir Usein Kuku, Vadym Siruk, Enver Bekirov, Eldar Seliamiyev, and Muslim Aliyev, who are being held illegally," the statement says.

On Thursday, the Crimean prosecutors told Interfax about the detention of four supporters of the party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia, who were active in the southern part of the peninsula.

Hizb ut-Tahrir el-Islami (Islamic Liberation Party) is recognized as terrorist and is banned in Russia.
Russia continues to use torture and intimidation both against Ukrainians on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and those, who are illegally detained on the territory of Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Mariana Betsa has said.

"Ukraine's Foreign Ministry strongly opposed the systematic use by Russian authorities of intimidation, torture, and other methods of inhuman treatment against Ukrainians on the Ukrainian territory that has been seized by Russian occupation forces, as well as against those, who were illegally detained on the Russian territory," she said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

Betsa also protested against inhuman treatment of Ukrainian citizens Stanislav Klykh, Mykola Karpiuk, Oleh Sentsov and other Ukrainians held in Russian prisons.

"We consider this policy of violence and humiliation on the part of the Russian Federation as an irrefutable proof of political involvement; of the fact that all the cases against the captured Ukrainians are groundless and absurd, of the inability of Russian authorities to prove their allegations by legal methods," she said.

Foreign ministry's spokesperson noted that court proceedings against 11 Ukrainians, political prisoners in Russia, were ongoing.

"The trials of Ukrainians show that the Russian justice rejects evidence of defense teams, refuses to admit consular employees, exercises pressure on the accused to obtain the necessary information. Yesterday, the hearing in Nadia Savchenko's case took place... This case, like the rest of the cases against Ukrainians, was orchestrated from the beginning, there is no evidence base, it was built on absurd charges," Betsa added.
South Korean vehicles from the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) pass the customs, immigration and quarantine office in Paju, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2016. (Xinhua/NEWSIS)

PYONGYANG, Feb. 11-- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced on Thursday that it is expelling all South Koreans from the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) and closing the joint-run complex.

The DPRK "will expel all persons of the south side in the KIZ till 5 p.m., Feb. 11, 2016," the official news agency KCNA reported, citing a statement released by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK).

The statement said that the DPRK will "totally block the Military Demarcation Line near the Kaesong Industrial Zone from 10 a.m., Feb. 11, cut off the roads along the west coast in the areas under the control of the north and the south and close the Kaesong Industrial Complex and declare it as an area under military control.

All assets will be frozen including equipment, materials and products of the South Korean enterprises in the complex and the persons to be expelled are not to allow to take things out except for personal belongings, said the statement, adding that the assets will be under the control of Kaesong City People's Committee.

Meanwhile, the military communication and Panmunjom hotline will also be cut off, according to the statement.

It announced that the DPRK workers are leaving the zone on Thursday.

Pyongyang has repeatedly claimed that the hydrogen bomb test was of "self-defensive" nature and the Feb. 7 satellite launch was aimed for peaceful purposes.

The statement condemned Seoul's shutdown of the industrial complex, saying this "provocative" measure is "a declaration of an end to the last lifeline of north-south relations," "total denial of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration" and "a dangerous declaration of war driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a war."

South Korea on Wednesday announced its plan to shut down a jointly run factory park with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

Operations at the inter-Korean industrial zone were thus stopped again in about two and half years after the DPRK's withdrawal of its workers led to the suspension between April 8, 2013 and Sept. 15, 2013.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan has handed over to the UK a list of the companies engaged in illegal activity on the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh temporarily occupied by the Armenians.

The list was handed over by Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev to the UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment Francis Maude within the framework of Azerbaijani-UK intergovernmental commission's meeting, which took place in London Feb. 12.

Mustafayev stressed inadmissibility of activity of the UK companies on the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh and said that the UK government should take measures to prevent such actions.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

It was noted in the protocol that the UK doesn't recognize independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh and supports peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

It should be noted that following the intergovernmental commission's meeting a protocol was signed, which provides for extension of cooperation between the two countries in economic, investment, trade, industrial, tourist, energy, education and cultural spheres.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

Azerbaijan's armed forces neutralized seven members of an Armenian subversive group, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Feb. 12.

Sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armenian armed forces attempted to attack the Azerbaijani positions on various parts of the contact line on Feb. 12.

As a result of the measures taken by Azerbaijani military, the Armenian armed forces were forced to retreat.

Azerbaijani armed forces had no losses.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Aygun Badalova - Trend:

Trend Agency's exclusive interview with David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

- You are a well-known public figure in America's Jewish community. In your view, what is the strategic importance of the US-Azerbaijan relations, especially in light of close cooperation between Baku and Washington in countering violent extremism as well as promoting European energy security and regional cooperation?

At AJC, we have long believed in the importance of the strategic partnership between Washington and Baku. In today's tumultuous world, the United States needs friends and allies it can count on, especially in such significant and sensitive areas as the southern Caucasus region and the Caspian Sea. And, of course, Azerbaijan, with larger neighbors, needs the dependability and constancy of its relationship with the US to help address its security and other pressing concerns.

- Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy a strong partnership. What is the significance for Israel of having a partner in a diverse, tolerant and inclusive nation with predominantly Muslim population?

I know well the importance Israel attaches to its wide-ranging ties with Azerbaijan, and vice-versa. For Israel, Azerbaijan represents a key partner, and the fact that a Jewish-majority state enjoys such warm links with a Muslim-majority state disproves the inevitability of religious conflict and demonstrates instead the remarkable chances for cooperation and coexistence. These are lessons that ought to have global implications.

- America's treatment of its friends and allies is not always fair. Azerbaijan has been a subject of the infamous Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and, recently, Congressman Chris Smith introduced a bill calling for sanctions on Azerbaijan, a long-standing regional partner of US. What is your view on this bill, which, ironically, comes at the time when Washington is normalizing its relations with Cuba and lifting sanctions on Iran?

We have known Congressman Chris Smith for more than three decades. He is a cherished friend, and there were few more steadfast and admired advocates for the human rights of Soviet Jews and dissidents until the USSR imploded in 1991. But on this particular issue we part company with our friend. We oppose his proposed sanctions against Azerbaijan. They are not in America's national interest, nor are they called for.

- Recently, the AJC, hosted Israeli Ambassador in Baku along with Azerbaijan's Ambassador in Washington for a series of meetings in US. Can you tell us more about this unique initiative and about the US Jewish community's work with Azerbaijan?

AJC has made a determined effort to introduce many Americans, including American Jews, to Azerbaijan, as this is a country otherwise unfamiliar to many people here. In that spirit, we have visited Baku with delegations on many occasions and will, of course, continue to do so.

We have welcomed Azerbaijan's minister of foreign affairs to our annual Global Forum, where he spoke to more than 2,000 attendees. We have made it a point to meet Azerbaijan's ambassadors during our travels in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere, and introduce them to local Jewish communities. We have invited Azerbaijan's ambassador to Washington, permanent representative to the United Nations, and consul general in Los Angeles to countless AJC events and discussions.

And yes, we were delighted to host Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan's ambassador the US for an innovative, week-long series of meetings, speeches, and programs in a variety of settings from Washington to New York. All of this is done in the enduring spirit of friendship that has characterized AJC's relationship with Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Relations with Azerbaijan are important for the European Parliament and the dialogue between Azerbaijan and the EU should be developed, said Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice-President of the European Parliament Feb. 12.

He made remarks during the event dedicated to the meeting with the leadership of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists of the European Parliament in Baku.

Visits to Baku will made contribution to the development of relations between the sides, according to him.

The Alliance's president Jan Zahradil noted that Azerbaijan as a tolerant country is an example for others.

"Azerbaijan is one of the important countries both for us and the region," he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) of the European Parliament is ready to provide Azerbaijan and Armenia a platform to discuss ways to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, president of the organization Jan Zahradil told reporters Feb. 12 in Baku.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

Zahradil said that the alliance isn't ready to offer options for settlement of certain conflicts.

The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists of the European Parliament can only offer a platform for mutual dialogue, better understanding and exchange of views, which may contribute to emergence of better ideas to resolve the conflict, according to him.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:

Europe is open to cooperation with Azerbaijan and is ready to strengthen bilateral ties with the country, MEP from Latvia Iveta Grigule told Trend.

Grigule, who visited Azerbaijan Feb. 11, said that she held negotiations in the parliament and the foreign ministry of the country.

She said that one of the main topics of the talks was the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

"We discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said the MEP. "Latvia is always ready to support Azerbaijan in this issue, as well as talk about this problem of the country in Brussels."

Grigule went on to add that during her visit, she also raised the issue of Azerbaijan's return to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

"The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is discussing cooperation with Azerbaijan, and it means that Azerbaijan should participate in these discussions, and not remain on the sidelines," she said, adding that it is necessary to talk about the problem the country has, and sooner or later, Azerbaijan's voice will be heard.

The MEP also touched upon anti-Azerbaijani resolution adopted by the European Parliament last year, calling it a mistake.

"Azerbaijan and the EU should continue to work, despite such incidents," said Grigule. "Latvia is a small country, too, and we are sometimes also criticized by the EU. We understand how it hurts, because we are also doing our best, as well as Azerbaijan is."

Regarding the forthcoming visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to Azerbaijan, she noted that a number of bilateral documents, which should contribute to strengthening of relationship of the sides, will be discussed during the visit.

Grigule also called the Eastern Partnership program important but underdeveloped, urging the parties to work harder within the framework of the program.

The Eastern Partnership program envisages political association and economic integration of EU with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It does not envisage the EU membership.

In turn, Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuris Maklakovs told Trend that the Latvian Embassy will continue to contribute to strengthening of relations not only between Azerbaijan and Latvia, but also between Azerbaijan and the EU.

"Azerbaijan and Latvia have great prospects for cooperation, especially in light of the economic partnership, and we will continue to work intensively to achieve even greater results," said the diplomat.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

Institutions of civil society, mass media, have broad opportunities to promote national values, multicultural ideas in Azerbaijan, and the country is trying to gradually increase their role in this area, the Azerbaijani president's assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov said in an interview with Azertac news agency.

Hasanov emphasized that the range of coverage of the mass media is gradually increasing in the country.

"During the day, more than 75 percent of the population watch television, browse online resources, read newspapers," he said. "Therefore, officials working in central and local executive bodies should make greater use of the capacity of civil society, including the media in the dissemination of multicultural ideas, enrichment of national values."

Touching upon the meetings with representatives of the public in Azerbaijan's districts, Ali Hasanov said that these meetings were held in accordance with the instructions of the head of state.

Hasanov went on to add that the new economic policy outlined by the president of Azerbaijan set important tasks for the central and local executive authorities, including communication with local people, coordination of the initiatives of the population, executive bodies and the overall civic initiatives in districts, creation of conditions for more intensive and effective reforms.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is on a working visit to Germany, has attended the Energy Security Roundtable as part of the Munich Security Conference.

The Munich Security Conference has held an annual conference in Munich (Germany) since 1962. It was called the Military Affairs Conference until 1993 and was held under the auspices of the Christian Social Union. It has been financed by the German government since 1998.



The 52-nd Munich Security Conference is scheduled to begin on Feb. 12.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Goetzpartners Holding GmbH & CO. KG Stephan Goetz in Munich.

Stephan Goetz said Goetzpartners, which is one of the 10 largest consulting firms in Germany and has 12 offices in nine countries, was interested in operating in Azerbaijan.

The head of state said there was favorable environment for foreign companies in Azerbaijan, adding that all necessary conditions were created for their successful activities.

President Ilham Aliyev invited Goetzpartners to operate in Azerbaijan.

Stephan Goetz thanked the head of state for the invitation. The sides also discussed cooperation prospects.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with chairman of the Eastern Committee of German Economy Wolfgang Buchele in Munich.

The sides expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral economic relations between Azerbaijan and Germany. It was noted that there is favorable environment in Azerbaijan for making investment.

During the conversation, the sides stressed the importance of organizing reciprocal business trips of Azerbaijani and German businessmen, and exchanged views over cooperation prospects.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with US Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcel Lettre in Munich.

The sides hailed the successful development of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the US. The sides emphasized that the bilateral relations reached a level of partnership in a variety of fields.

It was also noted that there were good prospects for cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The sides also exchanged views over the issues of mutual interest.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Malena Mard has awarded 3 winners of the European Film Festival Competition. The 2 winners Ms. Nigar Gurbanova and Mr. Seymur Mammadli received travel packages and 2 movie tickets to the Berlin International Film Festival "Berlinale" on 13-14 February 2016. The 3rd winner Ms. Nejla Ayvazi received a surprise gift: "Platinum Card" of Park Cinema Network in amount of 200 AZN to attend movie sessions of her choice. Ambassador Mard stated that the participation of the winners at the Berlin International Film Festival is also a small contribution to intensify the cultural exchange between the EU and Azerbaijan

The participants of the competition were supposed to submit their reviews of the movies being watched below their favourite film poster where they should have to explain why they voted in favour of this particular movie. EU Delegation to Azerbaijan announced competition winners on December 7, 2015!
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.12

By Dalga Khatinoglu- Trend:

Tehran and Tokyo have signed a memorandum of understanding worth $10 billion in mining sector, Iranian Deputy Trade Minister Mehdi Karbasian told Mehr News Agency.

Beside Japan, we are negotiating with German, Belarusian and Austrian companies, while contracts with worth 6.5 billion euro have been signed with French and Italian companies, he told Mehr News Agency.

He didn't mention any further details regarding the MoU, but added that the Chinese side has prepared a $4.5-billion finance package for developing Iran's mines.

During the visit of President Hassan Rouhani to Italy in Jan.25, Danieli Group signed deals worth close to $6.2 billion with the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) for cooperation in the steel and aluminum sectors.

The agreements signed by Danieli's CEO Gianpietro Benedetti and the head of IMIDRO, Mehdi Karbasian, include a joint venture and the supply high-tech machinery and plants to a number of Iranian steel and aluminum companies, valued at $4 billion, IMIDRO reported on its website.

IMIDRO also signed an aluminum co-op deal with the French Fives Group during the Iranian mission's stay in Paris on Jan.27.

Signed by the giant engineering company's chairman of the executive board, Frederic Sanchez, and head of IMIDRO, the agreement entails the establishment of a joint copper anode production company through an engineering, procurement, construction and finance contract.

Anode, primarily made from petroleum coke, is one of the main raw materials required for aluminum ingot production and its manufacture usually accounts for nearly 30% of production costs, the Financial Tribune reported.

The anode production plant, with a production capacity of 450,000 tons per year, requires a close to $400 million investment and is IMIDRO's largest initiative ever taken to expand Iran's aluminum production capability.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Two Azerbaijani banks - the AGBank and Bank Standard have decided to merge.

A protocol of intention has been recently signed in this regards, AGBank said in a message Feb. 12.

A work group, consisting of representatives of both banks, has been also created in line with a tentative agreement.

The group will work on implementation of a merger project.

AGBank earlier came to an agreement on consolidation with Demirbank.

But after a while, Demirbank's shareholders decided not to merge with AGBank, citing the inexpediency of such a step as a reason.

"Currently, the bank is not negotiating about merging with other banks," DemirBank told Trend Feb. 11, adding there are no such plans for the near future.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12





Trend:

Development of business requires investment. It happens that shortage of financial resources hinders entrepreneurs from benefiting from favorable business environment or realizing intentions to expand businesses.

With this regard, Azer Turk Bank provides financial support to the real sector of the economy by offering business loans to legal entities and individuals engaged in entrepreneurial activities and giving extra opportunities for implementation of business development ideas.

All persons, who want to benefit from favorable business loans of Azer Turk Bank can approach any branch of the Bank and provide relevant documents to support their application. Applications for business loans are reviewed on an individual basis.

Azer Turk Bank OJSC, which operates since 1995, by 75% is owned by the Government of Azerbaijan. More information about the Bank, its service network, products and services is available at www.azerturkbank.az, the Bank's corporate pages at social networks or at (012) 945 Call Center.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

India is interested in increasing the trade turnover with Azerbaijan, Sanjay Rana, Indian ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters Feb. 12.

"The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and India amounted to $815 million in 2015," he said. "Some $778 million accounted for the import of Azerbaijani goods. I think this is a low index for our countries."

"I believe that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and India must increase in the near future," he said. "In particular, the commissioning of the North-South transport corridor must contribute to an increase in the trade turnover."

The North-South corridor will link Northern Europe with South-Eastern Asia. It will serve as a link between the railways of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.

The corridor's capacity will be 1.4 million passengers and five-seven million tons of cargo per year, according to the preliminary estimates. Moreover, 22 tunnels and 15 bridges will be built along the corridor.

At the initial stage, it is planned to transport six million tons of cargo via the North-South corridor per year, while 15-20 million tons of cargo in the future.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

The EU is interested in intensifying the cooperation with Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, the European Union's ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters Feb. 12.

She said the priority areas of cooperation are the development of Azerbaijan's districts, agriculture, and reforms in the sphere of justice.

"The EU is the main trading partner and investor for Azerbaijan," noted the diplomat.

The ambassador added that the EU has delivered the grants worth 75 to 80 million euros to Azerbaijan for these areas.

"At present, we are working on signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Azerbaijan, which will cover such cooperation areas as economy, trade, human rights and democracy," said the ambassador.

Earlier, Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told Trend that Azerbaijan is awaiting a mandate from the EU to start talks on signing of a new strategic partnership agreement with the Union.

"Azerbaijani government presented a new draft agreement to the EU in May 2015 during the Eastern Partnership Riga Summit," he added.

Under the new agreement, it is planned to adjust the Azerbaijani legislation and procedures to the EU's most important trade norms and standards, meant to improve the delivery of Azerbaijani goods to the EU markets.

As of today, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of a partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

UK has invested more than $23 billion in Azerbaijan's economy, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said in London.

Mustafayev made the remarks during the first meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UK.

The first meeting of the Intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was held on Feb. 10-11, 2016 in London.

"UK is the largest investor of Azerbaijan," the minister said. "Currently, there are 473 companies with UK capital in Azerbaijan. UK's companies act as contractors in the projects being implemented in Azerbaijan."

He said that Azerbaijan and UK successfully cooperate in various sectors of the economy, namely, banking, ICT, water supply, tourism and health care.

Mustafayev said that the cooperation has been established between universities of the two countries in the humanitarian sphere and the sides are exchanging students.

Mustafayev added that currently, some 569 Azerbaijani students are studying at 38 universities in UK, while UK's young people are studying at Azerbaijani universities.

The minister stressed the importance of mutual visits in expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

"The countries have great potential for the expansion of relations," he said. "The established intergovernmental commission will play an important role in developing of economic relations and solving the issues of mutual interest," Mustafayev said.

The minister also stressed the opportunities of two countries in the areas of investment cooperation, tourism, ICT, energy, ecology, export of Azerbaijani goods to UK, the UK's participation in the industrial parks and agro-parks being established in Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Mustafayev emphasized the need for holding joint business forums, exhibitions and presentations, opportunities for expanding cooperation with the Azerbaijan Investment Company and AZPROMO.

In turn, Francis Maude, co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission, UK's minister of state for investment and trade, has expressed UK's interest in expanding relations with Azerbaijan.

A protocol was signed following the meeting. The protocol envisages the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in economic, investment, trade, industrial, tourism, energy, education and cultural spheres.

The UK does not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and supports the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group, the document says.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Suma Chakrabarti, is paying a three-day visit to Turkey, the Bank's top investment destination, from 16 to 18 February.

Sir Suma will travel to Gaziantep in the country's south-east, one of the regions most affected by the refugee crisis, to assess better how the Bank can respond to the needs of refugee-hosting communities.

He will continue his visit in Ankara, where he will meet top Turkish officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek and Turkey's EBRD Governor, Undersecretary of Treasury Cavit Dagdas, to discuss the government's reform agenda and how the EBRD can further support strengthening the country's economy.

Finally, on 18 February in Istanbul, the President will address the FT-EBRD Central Asia Investment Forum alongside Deputy Prime Minister Simsek. The event will bring together leading investors, policymakers, economists and experts in Central Asia, including Mongolia, to discuss the future of the region and the prospects for investment.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Sir Suma said: "The EBRD is in Turkey to support the country with investment and policy dialogue as the country is facing external challenges and preparing major internal reforms to realise its long-term economic potential.

"At the same time, with its close cultural, transport and economic links to the Central Asian region, Turkey plays the role of a regional hub and we have chosen to bring investors and policy-makers to Istanbul to discuss practicalities of doing business in Central Asia."

The EBRD is a leading investor in Turkey and currently operates from offices in Istanbul, Ankara and Gaziantep.

It focuses on investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy and supporting energy sector reforms; improving the quality of infrastructure with the participation of the private sector; increasing the competitiveness of Turkish corporates through innovation and improved corporate governance; deepening capital and local-currency markets; and promoting regional and youth inclusion, as well as gender equality, to support long-term growth potential.

To date, the Bank has invested over 7 billion in Turkey through 180 projects in infrastructure, energy, agribusiness, industry and finance. It has also mobilised about 16 billion for these ventures from other sources of financing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12



By Aygun Badalova - Trend:



The possibility of a coordinated production cut between OPEC and non-OPEC members is extremely low, Emma Richards, an oil and gas analyst with BMI Research, which is a part of Fitch Group, believes.



"OPEC's current policy is to allow the lower price to clear the market of the higher cost barrels. That policy's just beginning to bear fruit, so a cut at this stage would be counter-productive," Richards told Trend.



Meanwhile, earlier Reuters reported citing the sources familiar with the discussions that some OPEC countries are trying to achieve a consensus among the group and key non-members for an oil production "freeze".



The proposal of a production "freeze" at current levels was floated by Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino during his tour of producing countries this month which included Russia, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.



Last week Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ali al-Naimi talked about cooperation between OPEC members and other oil producers to stabilize the global oil market with his Venezuelan counterpart, but there was no agreement to hold an early meeting of suppliers.



With regard to the cooperation between OPEC and Russia in particular, on the production cut, Richards said that it is not in the interests of the Russian companies to cut the production.



OPEC and Russia have agreed to production cuts at several points over the past few decades and Russia's history of compliance with those cuts has been poor, Richards mentioned.



"Given the increasing role of the private sector, it's unclear how a production cut in Russia would be coordinated. The benefits would also be mixed - the devaluation of the rouble gives a strong incentive for companies to raise their investments (where the cost is in roubles) and increase their exports (where the revenues are in US dollars). Added to that, the tax burden in Russia is significantly lower at this price level," Richards said.



From OPEC's side, the main stumbling block would be Iran, Richards believes.



"Given how much relations have deteriorated between the two, Saudi Arabia wouldn't be willing to cut unless there was a cut from Iran also," Richards said.



"As the sanctions on Iran have just been lifted, it's unrealistic to expect them to pull back on production now," she added.



Free of sanctions, the country plans to increase its oil export by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd), and then raise the figure by another 500,000 to two million bpd within a six month period at the next step.



Iran's oil production surpassed 2.9 million bpd in January for first time since August 2012, a month after imposing western sanctions on Iran. According to OPEC's monthly report, Iran produced 2.925 million bpd in January 2016, about 38,000 barrels more than in the previous months.



Cartel's 13 members produced 32.335 mbpd in January, about 130,700 bpd more than December 2015. The official quota for OPEC oil production stand at 30 million barrels per day.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

Turkmenistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have discussed the issues of strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations in various areas of mutual cooperation, the message of the Turkmen government said Feb. 12.

Discussions were held during the working visit of deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredow to Vienna, where he held a number of meetings with heads of international organizations, including the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

Turkmenistan joined the IAEA in September 2015.

The IAEA, headquartered in Vienna, was created in 1957 as an independent intergovernmental organization in the UN system. The goal of the IAEA is to develop cooperation in the sphere of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

Priority areas of mutually beneficial cooperation were discussed during the Turkmen-Turkish business forum in Ashgabat, Turkmen Altyn Asyr TV channel reported Feb. 12.

Concrete proposals, including the issues to increase the growth of the countries' trade turnover and expand its product range, create favorable conditions for doing business in both countries, were discussed during the forum.

A delegation of businessmen led by the Turkish Economy Minister Mustafa Elitash arrived in Ashgabat for participation in the business forum. They represent leading industrial centers, Turkish cities of Istanbul and Izmir, as well as large industrial clusters of the Anatolian, Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.

During the meeting with Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov the Turkish minister noted high perspectives of the Turkmen market, where according to him, favorable investment climate and all conditions for the successful business partnership were created.

The sides noted the existence of large opportunities for diversification of effective trade and economic ties, expanding the range of bilateral trade turnover, implementation of joint projects.

Turkey is one of the major trade and economic partners of Turkmenistan. Over 600 Turkish companies operate in the Turkmen market.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

The issues on further development of the relations in the areas of policy, economy and culture were discussed during the meeting of the Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov with the Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

The meeting was held in Vienna, Turkmen government said Feb. 12.

It was earlier reported that the official visit of the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov to Vienna in May 2015 gave an impetus to the relations of the two countries. During the past high level negotiations Fisher said that Turkmenistan is a promising and reliable partner, capable to provide stable supplies of energy resources.

Austria was one of the authors of the draft resolution "Reliable and stable transit of energy and its role in ensuring sustainable development and international cooperation", which was adopted on Turkmenistan's initiative by the UN General Assembly in 2008 and 2013.

Turkmenistan is one the perspective partners for Austria and the EU in the area of energy security and the possibility to diversify the sources of raw materials supply.

The project to build a gas pipeline at the bottom of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan's coast, which will create a transit connection of communication with Turkey and Europe can be called as one of the options available to enter this market.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb .12

By Demir Azizov- Trend:

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Pamela Spratlen discussed the schedule and agenda of Uzbek-US contacts planned for 2016 at various levels in Tashkent, according to the press service of the Uzbek foreign ministry

During the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on the results of the Uzbek-US political consultations held in January 2016, other meetings and talks, according to the Uzbek foreign ministry.

It was previously reported that during the sixth round of the Uzbek-US political consultations held Jan. 19-21 in Washington, the sides summed up results of the interaction for the period after the fifth round of political consultations held in December 2014 in Tashkent.

The state and prospects of cooperation in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other spheres were considered.
Tehran, Iran, February 12



By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:



World powers discussed reaching a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the opposition groups during a recent session held in Munich on Syrian crisis.



Two issues were discussed during the session, one of which was to establish ceasefire in all non-terrorist held areas in Syria within one week, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Iran's state-run TV.



The second topic of discussions was dispatching humanitarian aid to all areas, with emphasis on food, medicine, and other humanitarian aids, he said.



US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier that a nationwide ceasefire should be implemented within a week. His Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov also said that with a ceasefire, access to all besieged areas in Syria, will be secured.



Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks with United Nations Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson. A day earlier, Zarif met UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura on the sidelines of the Munich talks held by the group known as the International Syria Support Group (ISSG).



Zarif also held separate talks with Lavrov and his Omani and Chinese counterparts.



A new report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research (SCPR) has put the number of fatalities caused directly and indirectly by the foreign-backed militancy in Syria at 470,000.



It estimates that in all 11.5 percent of Syria's population have been killed or injured since the crisis erupted in March 2011.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif met IAEA Director General Yukia Amano on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference here on Friday, Irna reported.



He also held a meeting with heads of Europe's major trade, banking, industrial and economic institutions in which expansion of relations following removal of sanctions was reiterated.

'In defining its new trade, industrial, and economic ties with Europe, Iran will not be a consuming market,' Zarif said.

He said the infra-structures in Iran are ready for organizing long-term relations with the world including Europe.

Zarif, who is in Germany to attend Munich Security Conference, has a tight schedule of bilateral meetings during his stay.

On Thursday, he held meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Foreign Minister of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi, and Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani discussing with them regional developments, including Syrian crisis.

Deputy Foreign Minister For Arab-African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is accompanying Foreign Minister Zarif.

The 52nd Munich Security Conference is being held from February 12-14 and 23 heads of states and tens of ministers are attending the conference.

The topic of Zarif's speech to be delivered in the Munich Security Conference on Friday evening will be Security in the Persian Gulf and Iran's proposals in this concern.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

Trend:

Four US ships of NATO entered the Batumi port (Adjara) Feb. 12, Archil Khabadze, Chairman of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara said, RIA Novosti reported.

"This is the first time, when ships with such large crews entered our port," he said.

"It is planned to conduct a series of meetings, cultural events, and joint trainings during the visit. The arrival of these ships confirms once again our deep desire to cooperate closely with NATO," Khabadze added.

The ships will stay at the port until February 15. Crew members will see the city and sights.

Giorgio Lazio, head of NATO United Marine Forces will hold an official visit in Batumi Feb. 13, said the Imedi TV company.

In April 2008, at the summit of NATO member countries in Bucharest, it was confirmed that Georgia may become a NATO member in the future if it meets NATO standards.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo agreed Friday that Britain should stay in the European Union if it honors the bloc's key principles, Sputnik reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Merkel reiterated that the United Kingdom should remain part of the 28-nation bloc - but only in case of "maintaining all of the principles, for example the principle of freedom of movement."

Szydlo, who was on her first official visit to neighboring Germany, added that "a strong Germany and a strong Poland mean a strong EU."

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking to renegotiate UK's relationship with Brussels. The nation's EU membership will be put to vote no later than end 2017. Cameron said the government's position was to campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union.



Cameron has spent months going between London and Brussels in an effort to clinch a deal on better EU membership terms, including an exemption from the EU principle of an ever-closer union and curbs for EU immigrants.

The European Council is scheduled to meet in Brussels on February 18-19 to discuss the UK plans for an in/out referendum based on a proposal tabled last week by Council's President Donald Tusk.




U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has underlined his country's support for Turkey as an ally despite a recent row over the United States' stance on the terrorist organization PKK's Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Anadolu reported.

"Turkey is a good and long-standing ally of the U.S. We are not going to agree with them on all matters [but] we staunchly agree with them -- and always have -- that we oppose terrorism in any form," Carter said following a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

"We are working with local forces in defeating ISIL [Daesh]; we [will] also continue working with Turkey," Carter said.

Carter convened the first-ever gathering of defense ministers of the global coalition against Daesh on Thursday.

Participants from a total of 49 nations, including the 28 NATO allies, were invited to attend the meeting held in Brussels.

Carter's comments come one day after Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned Washington would suffer for its supportive stance towards the PYD.

The recent dispute between Turkey and the U.S. -- NATO allies -- centers on Washington's objection to describing the PYD as a terrorist group, instead classifying it as "a reliable partner".

The U.S. has also provided support for the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD, in the fight against Daesh.

Carter said the coalition has put up new efforts to strike against Daesh financing and deploy Iraqi units towards the city of Mosul, which was taken over by the terror group in 2014.

"We have some new efforts to strike at ISIS financing. There are a number of Iraqi units, which will be deployed up north towards Mosul," Carter said, using an alternative acronym for Daesh.

"We are carrying out some important activities in the information area I can't discuss much further with you," he added.

Carter also described Russia's actions in Syria as a "strategic mistake" and that the coalition is "determined" to defeat Daesh militarily. NATO has repeatedly said that Russian strikes in Syria have mainly targeted the moderate opposition rather than Daesh.

"As far as the Syrian civil war is concerned, they [Russia] are taking it in the wrong direction," Carter added.
A Turkish soldier has succumbed to injuries he sustained during clashes with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Press TV reported.

The Turkish General Staff announced in a statement that the unnamed soldier was injured in the Sur district, situated 676 kilometers (420 miles) east of the capital, Ankara, on Wednesday and died of his wounds the next day.

Two other Turkish troopers died during the counter-terrorism operation against PKK militants in the same area on Wednesday. A PKK militant was killed during the offensive.

Also on Thursday, Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala stated that an almost two-month military operation against the PKK in the mainly Kurdish southeastern town of Cizre, located about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) southeast of Ankara, has ended.

"The operations in Cizre have been successfully completed," the minister said, adding, "Control has been re-established in Cizre and over the terrorists there."

However, the Turkish minister noted that a 24-hour curfew in the town will remain in place for a while longer. The measure was introduced in parts of Cizre and Sur last December as part of the army's plan to drive out PKK militants.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The US has finally realized that one must not trust Russia in the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the Aksam newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying Feb. 12.

"Russia and the US have different views on the settlement of the Syrian crisis," he said. "The fact that Moscow is mainly bombing the positions of the Syrian opposition, recognized by majority of the world countries, testifies to this."

The minister added that Turkey and the US have similar views on the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

Cavusoglu also called on Russia to immediately stop military operations against the Syrian opposition.

He added that Russia's military actions in Syria have resulted in a new wave of refugees to Turkey.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12

By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend:

Azerbaijan can help Turkey to solve the problem of doctors' shortage in the country, a source in the Turkish ministry of health told Trend Feb. 12.

Currently, doctors from Azerbaijan work in a number of public and private hospitals in Turkey, and their number may increase in the future, according to the source.

The source in the ministry also said that a number of effective measures are taken in Turkey to prevent the shortage of doctors.

The source in the ministry expressed hope that it will become possible to solve this issue in Turkey over the next six or seven years.

Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Muazzinoglu said that currently there is an acute shortage of doctors in Turkey.

The minister noted that Turkey's health care needs 30,000 doctors.

In 2015, the Turkish Ministry of Health already reported a severe shortage of doctors in the country.

Then the Turkish Ministry of Health urged the country's doctors working abroad to return home.

In 2015, more than 500 foreign expert doctors applied to the ministry for a license to work in Turkey's health care.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Plus (Photo : Twitter / Eworldsales)

Samsung's first unpack moment will take place February 21 with the 2016 Mobile World Congress as backdrop. Sammy and Android fans alike are looking forward for the Galaxy S7 unboxing that will be accompanied by the Galaxy S7 Edge.



At the moment, rumors on the two devices are aplenty but listed below are the specs and features that have been largely confirmed for both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge:



Advertisement

Two chips - SD 820 and Exynos 8890



The first Samsung 2016 flagship will be initially served in two flavors - the regular Galaxy S7 and the more gorgeous S7 Edge, which was the way Samsung did in 2015. But unlike its predecessor, it's all but confirmed that the sequels will run on two different mobile processing chips.



According to GreenBot, Samsung is likely to issue the Exynos 8890-powered GS7 on its home country South Korea and select Asian destinations. The Snapdragon 820-laced GS7 will hit the U.S. and other key markets such as Wester Europe and Australia. And any of the chips will be paired to 4GB of RAM.



Massive batteries



As smartphones will not be so smart with too little of battery juice so Samsung will deploy its twin flagships with more than enough to get for the better part of the day. Gadget leaker Evan Blass claimed that the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 will get a 3000mAh battery pack while the 5.5-inch S7 Edge will lug a bigger 3600mAh energy brick.



That the two devices will boast of bigger batteries than the 2015 versions was apparently recently confirmed by an FCC filing from Samsung.



Correcting a miss - microSD slot is back



Android say the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were near perfect. They are solid, stunning and stuffed with the attendant killer features. But one thing was deliberately skipped by Samsung, claiming that the ditching of the memory card slot was to improve performance. Unsurprisingly, howls of protests greeted the decision and it seemed the Galaxy is backing down.



To make amends and to lure back fans turned off by the S6 lacking the microSD slot, Samsung is resurrecting the feature that in both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will support up to 200GB of additional storage capacity, GreenBot said.



Camera bump



Reports insist that it will be a step back, in terms of megapixel count, for the Galaxy S7, which from 16MP in the Galaxy S6 will be equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor on the rear shooter. The plan will still qualify as an upgrade as Samsung will reportedly include low-light performance booster and optical image stabilization that will apply both to the hardware and software aspects of the GS7 camera system.



Cheaper sticker price



And to encourage more buys or draw in switchers from the iPhone fold, Samsung is said to sell the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at price points lower than their predecessors. The Galaxy S7 sticker price on release date will be $50 cheaper that the introductory price of the Galaxy S6 and the same applies to the S7 Edge.


President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi approved on Thursday a mutual visa exemption agreement between Egypt and Colombia for citizens of both countries.

Egyptian and Colombian citizens will now be able to visit each others' countries without first obtaining a visa.

In April 2015, Egypt and Colombia signed an agreement which stipulated that citizens from both countries who held either diplomatic or personnel passports have access to the other state without visa requirements.

In 2012, Egypt decided to lift visa requirements for tourists from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, China, India, Azerbaijan, and Jordan in an attempt to boost the tourism sector.

Egypt's ministry of tourism announced in 2015 that tourism receipts were down 15 percent compared with the previous year as a falling Russian rouble and security concerns took their toll on the sector.

Egypt's tourism revenue fell to $6.1 billion in 2015, with the total number of tourists dropping by 6 percent to 9.3 million and the total number of tourist nights declining by 14 percent.

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On Thursday a Cairo-bound train derailed and overturned in Beni Suef, leaving at least 70 people injured

Related Around 70 wounded as train derails south of Cairo

Egypts general prosecution ordered a train driver and railway dispatcher be detained for four days on charges of accidently causing injury to 70 people and wasting public funds, after a train derailed in northern Egypt on Thursday.

The Cairo-bound train derailed and overturned early on Thursday in the governorate of Beni Suef, leaving at least 70 people injured. There were no reported deaths in the incident.

The train, which departed from the southern governorate of Aswan, collided with a cement barrier at a rail intersection after the trains brakes failed to respond.

The impact with the barrier caused the train to go off the rails and partially turn over, a security official told state news agency MENA.

The social solidarity ministry ordered compensation of EGP 100 (around $12) be paid to each victim, MENA reported.

The two men will be detained for four days pending investigations into the charges.

Egypt's railways are notorious for poor infrastructure and maintenance.

The country's official statistics agency said in December that over 2,800 people were killed in road and train crashes in Egypt in the first half of 2015.

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First time the Gaza-Egypt border crossing will be opened in 2016

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing, which links Egypt with Gaza, in both directions on 13 and 14 February, state news agency MENA reported on Friday.

It will be the first time that the border crossing will be opened this year.

The Rafah border crossing, which is the main entry and exit point to Gaza, has been mostly closed since October 2014 when a militant attack in North Sinai left over 30 Egyptian security personnel dead.

Egypt has been fighting militancy in the North Sinai region. Destroying the underground tunnels leading in and out of Gaza was one of several counter-terrorism measures the Egyptian state has adopted.

Egypt sees the tunnels as a pathway of arms and militants, forming a direct threat to the country's security.

On the other hand, goods imported to Gaza "through tunnels, especially foodstuffs, medicines, fuel, construction materials and cars, have spared the Gaza Strip the breakdown of all vital sectors," the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said in 2013.

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The events that led to the meeting began on 28 January 2016, when policemen allegedly assaulted two doctors at Cairos Matariya Hospital after one of the doctors refused to fake a medical report for one of the policemen

A general assembly convened by Egypt's Doctors Syndicate decided Friday to provide medical service to citizens for free in public hospitals starting 26 February as long as the policemen accused of assaulting doctors at Matariya Hospital are not referred to court.

The syndicate also referred health minister Ahmed Emad to a disciplinary committee and demanded that he be sacked for failing to protect and ensure the safety of doctors.

The assembly was held in response to the 28 January attack where policemen allegedly assaulted two doctors at Cairos Matariya Hospital after one of the doctors refused to fake a medical report for one of the policemen.

The assault caused the Matariya Hospital staff to strike and shut down the hospital. However, the prosecutor-general ordered the doctors to end their strike and reopen the hospital. The doctors responded by opening the emergency room only.

On Thursday, Cairo prosecutors charged nine low-ranking policemen with assaulting public officials and using violence over the Matariya Hospital incident.

Protests will be organised starting 20 February in hospitals all over Egypt, and the syndicate has called on physicians operating private practices to show solidarity by either closing their clinics or providing free treatment on 19 March, Egypt's National Doctor Day.

The syndicate also demanded security be provided for medical facilities in Egypt, and that the prime minister issue a decision obliging the administration of medical facilities and police to report any attack on doctors or medical facilities, with such attacks being considered assaults on a governmental facility or a public official.

The assembly agreed to give doctors the right to strike if they or their facilities are attacked until their workplace is secured, and that anyone interfering with these measures be referred to a disciplinary committee.

The syndicate demanded that parliament issue legislation that penalises attacks against hospitals, including attacks by "security and Ministry of Interior personnel."

The assembly called for the installation of CCTV cameras in hospital ER rooms and corridors and to ban the entry of any armed person to any medical facility, with the exception of hospital security.

In a short TV interview on Friday, syndicate head Hussein Khairy said that the general assembly was the highest authority in the syndicate and that its decisions were binding for all those under syndicate jurisdiction.

Syndicate secretary-general Mona Mina said in media statements that the syndicate's board was standing behind the staff of Matariya Hospital and that all doctors stand with the board.

Mina, a veteran medical rights activist, added that the syndicate was being targeted for its previous positions, including strikes over public sector reforms, and that further measures for escalating protests remain available.

"However, these measures will never be against the citizens because society is standing with us in this crisis," she said.

Delegations from several syndicates showed up at the Doctors Syndicate headquarters to show support for the doctors on Friday.

In his first official reaction after the general assembly's meeting, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail met with the minister of health to discuss the latest update on the Matariya Hospital incident, according the cabinet.

Health minister Emad presented Ismail with a report on the incident and the Ministry of Health's effort to contain the situation.

Ismail stressed on the importance of completing the investigation into incident and that those who are found guilty of any wrongdoing be punished.

At least 4,000 doctors gathered in front of the syndicate headquarters in downtown Cairo on Friday morning to attend the general assembly meeting.

Traffic reached a standstill outside the syndicate on Qasr El-Aini Street as doctors entered the syndicate building.

Some held signs reading wheres the law and the constitution? and immediate trial for those who humiliate doctors.

As the number of attendees increased, security personnel and vehicles were stationed in the vicinity of the syndicate headquarters.

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The meeting will see discussion of the latest developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

A summit meeting between the presidents of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will be held on 20 February in Egypts Sharm El-Sheikh during the African Investment Conference, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.

According to foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zied, the decision to hold the summit meeting was reached after talks held between Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and his Ethiopian counterpart Tedros Adhanom at the security conference in Munich.

The two had discussed the latest meeting of the three countries' irrigation ministers in Khartoum on the developments of Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam, which Egypt fears could reduce its share of the Nile water.

They also discussed a number of African regional issues including the situation in South Sudan and the peace agreement between the opposition and the government.

The two foreign ministers met during Shoukry's visit to Germany and his participation in Munich.

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The Pentagon on Friday announced the repatriation of a suspected al Qaeda propagandist to Kuwait, leaving 104 inmates at the U.S. naval prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Faez Mohammed Ahmed al Kandari, 38, a Kuwaiti who has been held at Guantanamo for 13 years, was suspected of being a propagandist. He also may have served as "spiritual adviser" to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to a U.S. Department of Defense profile.

A U.S. national security review found that the detention of Kandari "does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The statement did not say when Kandari would be returned to Kuwait.

The parole-style Periodic Review Board held a hearing in July to consider whether Kandari posed a threat to the United States. In September, it determined his continued detention was no longer necessary.

The board, established by President Barack Obama in 2011, is comprised of six intelligence and national security departments and agencies.

The Pentagon profile said Kandari had complied with officials at Guantanamo Bay since his last review in 2014, which was marked by an outburst from Kandari.

The transfer of Kandari leaves 104 inmates at the facility, which Obama had promised to close. He has not been able to overcome opposition from the Republican-controlled Congress to do so.

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In an attempt to make the United Arab Emirates the worlds happiest nation, this week the UAE inducted during a cabinet reshuffle a ministry of happiness and named a woman, Ohoud Al-Roumi, as minister in a country that was ranked No. 20 on the 2015 World Happiness Report.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, said the position will align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction in comments posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

The UAE seems to be following the lead of South Asias Kingdom of Bhutan, which measures the economic well-being of its citizens with its Gross National Happiness Index.

The shakeup in the UAE, which also saw the appointment of a minister of state for tolerance  also a woman  and the appointment of a number of young politicians, was hailed by many social media users in the Gulf country.

However, some critics have questioned whether the move will address the root causes of problems of inequality for foreign workers and women.

The editor-in-chief of the Emirati SAILE magazine, Iman Ben Chaibah, told Ahram Online that the importance of the new post lies in the choice of the right person for it.

Ben Chaibah believes that new Minister of State for Happiness Al-Roumi will always think of what is better for the people to ensure their happiness and satisfaction with public processes and services.

Al-Roumi has an impressive resume, having been selected by the United Nations as the first Arab member of the Global Entrepreneurship Council in 2015, in addition to her post as director-general of the prime minister's office and her former job as head of economic policy for Dubai.

Al-Roumi will continue serving as director-general of the prime minister's office after she assumes her new post.

Rothna Begum, women's rights researcher for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, says that it is good to see that the UAE has decided to take these measures to increase their citizens happiness.

However, she stated that the UAE spends a lot of money and effort in ensuring an image of a progressive, modern state but that real reforms are still lacking, including human rights reforms for both citizens and migrant workers, who make up almost 90 percent of the 9 million residents of the UAE.

There are hundreds of thousands of migrant domestic workers in the UAE who are tied to their sponsors by their visa under the kafala system and have no labour law protections. [A UN] committee called for the UAE to put an end to the kafala system and adopt a law on domestic workers, Begum said.

Human Rights Watch has issued reports criticising the kafala (or sponsorship) system, which is used by many Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and can expose migrant workers to exploitation and abuse.

Social media users reacted generally positively towards the cabinet reshuffle, with many retweeting Sheikh Mohammed's series of tweets.

National happiness isn't a wish. Plans, projects, programs, and indices will inform the work of our ministries to achieve happiness, the sheikh tweeted.

He also vowed to make happiness a "part of our lifestyle" in the UAE.

Women and youth in the new cabinet

In the sweeping cabinet reshuffle and in a push for the inclusion of women and youth in the decision-making process, Sheikh Mohammed named eight females out of the 29 members.

I think it is the ultimate tell of how [forward looking] the UAE is, said Ben Chaibah, who said that a large percentage of the population are youths so it is natural to encourage them and provide role models for them in such high positions so they can aspire for the best.

We all were ecstatic with the news of the cabinet reshuffle; it's a great year for women in the UAE, and a great time for the youth, Ben Chaibah said.

Sheikh Mohammed named 22-year-old Shamma Al-Mazrui as minister for youth affairs and 32-year-old Thani Al-Zeyoudi as minister of climate change and environment.

Ben Chaibah believes that the appointing of women to these posts shows that the rulers of the UAE are pushing women's empowerment in every possible way, and ensuring they become part of the decision-making process.

However,Begum says that if the UAE wanted to ensure gender equality, it should seek to end all forms of discrimination.

She explained that in November the UN Committee on Discrimination against Women called on the UAE to repeal a law that gives men the right to physically chastise their wives and children if they are disobedient, and to criminalise domestic violence, including marital rape.

Though the UAE is considered progressive relative to other countries in the region, it ranked 119 out of 145 countries in 2015s Global Gender Gap Index.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed on Friday to drive ISIS group out of his country by the end of the year.

"We intend this year to make it the final year for the existence of Daesh [ISIS] in Iraq," he told an audience at the Munich Security Conference.

"The area we have liberated so far is more than half of what was occupied by Daesh before. Now we have almost all governorates liberated from Daesh apart from Nineveh and part of al-Anbar."

Abadi said there had been major improvements to the quality of the Iraqi army since the early days of the ISIS advance in 2014, when many troops abandoned their equipment and fled battles against the jihadists.

He also touted progress in winning the trust of Sunni populations that felt discriminated against by the Shia-dominated government.

"The population of al-Anbar are welcoming our security forces, they are fighting alongside our military in liberating their areas. The population who were under the control of Daesh are moving to areas controlled by Iraqi security forces because they feel safer," Abadi said.

"This is a huge departure from two years ago when the populations in these areas did not want Iraqi security forces to be there."

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Pope Francis headed to Cuba on Friday looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity before embarking on a tour of Mexico dominated by modern day problems of drug-related violence and migration.

The Argentinian pontiff took off from Rome's Fiumicino airport shortly before 8:00am (0700 GMT) en route to Havana, where he is to spend around two hours in private conversation with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill at Havana's Jose Marti airport.

It will be the first meeting between the leaders of Christianity's two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

Francis and Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, with the final obstacles finally swept away by a combination of the pope's determination that it should happen and the Russian church's feeling that events in the Middle East have made Christian unity much more urgent.

The rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with Francis's drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican since he was elected pope in 2013.

"In the background there is a third player (Putin)," Vatican expert Marco Politi wrote in a blog on the historic encounter.

"It would be naive to believe the sudden availability of the Patriarch is unrelated to the geopolitical situation Russia finds itself in at the moment," he argued, in a reference to Russia's intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could "100 percent guarantee" that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders' meeting.

Alexander Volkov said he hoped the meeting would open the door to "new prospects of mutual cooperation," but emphasised that reunification of the Eastern and Western churches was not on the agenda.

Despite the breakthrough of a face-to-face meeting, Vatican-Orthodox relations remain strained.

The issues that caused the schism in the first place are unresolved and there are tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

Then there is the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, which has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.

Francis's arrival in Mexico on Friday evening is set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile (19-kilometre) route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City.

The plan is for believers to light up the road Francis's popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organiser Roberto Delgado described as a "wall of light and prayer."

Francis will spend his nights in Mexico at the ambassador's residence in the capital, but will make a series of trips to outlying states stricken by violence and poverty.

To underline his commitment to the plight of migrants fleeing persecution and poverty in search of a better life, his schedule will take in trips to both the southern and northern borders.

His arrival in a country that is home to the second-largest Catholic community in the world (after Brazil) comes a day after a prison riot left 49 inmates dead in the north of the country.

He is also due to visit three places notorious for drug cartel mayhem: Ecatepec in Mexico State, Morelia in Michoacan and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua.

At Ciudad Juarez, located on the border with the United States, he will deliver an open-air mass which believers on the other side of the border, close to the Texas town of El Paso, will also be able to follow.

The cross-border service on Wednesday is expected to be one of the high points of the trip, but Francis has said the most emotional moment for him will come with Saturday's visit to the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary is one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. Francis has visited twice prior to becoming pope and his schedule has been cleared for Saturday evening to allow him as much time as he wants for private prayer before the revered icon of the "Morenita" (the brunette virgin).

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Thousands of Greek farmers demonstrated in Athens on Friday after earlier clashing with riot police in a protest against pension and tax reforms demanded by the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Some 10,000 farmers joined by worker unionists gathered in the central Syntagma Square according to police, waving Greek flags and led by 20 tractors loudly blaring their horns.

The farmers lit a fire in front of parliament and some said they had brought tents in preparation for a long protest.

"We are determined to stay here 10 days, we've brought tents," said Stavros Haralas, a farmer from the northern region of Pieria.

"We have come to demonstrate peacefully," said Christos Georgakopoulos, a 42-year-old raisin grower from Nemea in the Peloponnese.

"We are demonstrating against the pension reform and we want to be taxed fairly," he told AFP.

"We can't grow anything. At this rate, we will have to leave the country and become immigrants ourselves," Haralas said.

Earlier in the day, farmers from the island of Crete had clashed with riot police outside the agriculture ministry after arriving by ferries at the port of Piraeus.

They pelted the police with tomatoes and other items, broke windows in the ministry and set fire to dustbins.

Police, who blocked their route, responded with teargas, and arrested four people.

"The first floor of the building sustained damage, it is fortunate that no staff were hurt," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Apostolou later told reporters.

Apostolou called on the leaders to contain "extreme" elements in their midst, as officials said that far-right militants had joined parts of the protest.

The junior interior minister for police, Nikos Toskas, said 10 police officers had been hurt, two of them requiring hospitalisation.

"The plan is for farm vehicles to be parked aside so the farmers can participate in the protest without causing confusion in the city," Toskas told state TV ERT.

"We will safeguard the city centre and the protests," he said.

Including the Cretans, farmers' groups descended on Athens from at least three sides.

Police also confronted farmers from the Peloponnese peninsula who tried to break through barriers into the city centre from a western suburb with their farm vehicles.

Police also fired teargas there after a hooded protester smashed the windshield of a squad car.

"Far-right elements are gathered in this area, trying to create confusion," Toskas told Skai TV.

Another large group came from the north, and plans to camp at Syntagma Square, opposite parliament, until Sunday.

The farmers are angry about government plans to increase their social security contributions as part of a wider reform of the country's ailing pension system.

They also reject plans to double their income tax by 2017 and scrap benefits such as cheaper fuel.

The government has banned the farmers from using tractors in the demonstration, but a deal was reached to allow a symbolic procession of 20 in the capital.

Since mid-January, farmers have used their tractors to block dozens of highways.

Earlier this month they also began blockading border crossings to Bulgaria and Turkey.

But following an appeal from Sofia on Tuesday, they allowed trucks to pass for several hours a day at one crossing into Bulgaria.

The farmers threatened to further escalate the protest by blocking ports and airports at the weekend.

"We cannot be competitive with a tax rate of 23 percent when elsewhere in Europe it's 3.0 percent or zero," one farmer on the western Athens roadblock said.

Another farmer raised the longstanding issue of low prices facing producers who are at the mercy of middlemen.

"We sell our oranges at 10 cents a kilo and on the market they cost 50-60 cents," he said.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, whose options are limited after signing a new bailout with Greece's international creditors in August, offered the farmers a compromise on Wednesday.

"We are open to a substantial, honest dialogue with the farmers," Tsipras said in televised comments to his cabinet.

"There is significant room for improvement on their social security contributions, on the issue of when the measures take effect, and generally over the need to protect their income," he said.

Greece's creditors the European Union (EU) and the IMF have insisted on the reforms as a condition for loans to the debt-ridden country.

The country's statistical office Elstat meanwhile reported that gross domestic product (GDP) fell back 0.6 percent in the last quarter compared with the previous three-monthly benchmark.

On a year-on-year basis, GDP retreated by 1.9 percent.

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Al-Ahram Hebdo talks to the director and choreograher Walid Aouni about his work and major inspirations

A Sculptor's Dream by Lebanese director and choreographer Walid Aouni was recently performed at the Cairo and Alexandria opera houses.

Though it is a returning work, which premiered in 2003 and throughout the years went through some modifications, Aouni never fails in surprising us with a fresh eye on art, theatre and dance.

Fusing Egyptian history with contemporary choreography techniques seems to be his hallmark.

Al-Ahram Hebdo (AH): You left in 2011after many years of working at the Cairo Opera's stage. What was behind your decision to return to the opera now with a work that first saw light over a decade ago?

Walid Aouni (WA): I'm returning in response to the opera's chairperson Ines Abdel-Dayem, who expressed hope to revive the repertoire of the Egyptian Modern Dance Theatre Company, which I founded in 1993. Abdel-Dayem is particularly interested in presenting performances linked to Egypt's history and culture. Last year, she invited me to stage Women of Kassem Amin (Nessaa Kassem Amin), a dance performance tackling the emancipation of women. This year, it was time to bring back A Sculptor's Dream, a work which focuses on the life and creativity of Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar.

AH: This is not the first time this performance has been staged. Why is it that each time you return to it, you give it a new creative flair?

WA: Since 1990, when I made Egypt my home, I have developed a special relation with Mahmoud Mokhtar. This time I wanted to get closer and experience the country's culture and its leading figures. I looked into Egypt's Renaissance, represented also by Mokhtar, who has revived the ancient art of sculpture.

In 1991, I had an opportunity to work with the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, a troupe for which I choreographed Three Nights of the Sphinx, a performance that included a small scene presenting Mokhtar. But that was not enough. I wanted to approach him even more. However, it took me a decade to develop a choreography inspired by sculptures. This is when Mahmoud Mokhtar and the Khamaseen Wind emerged in 2003, staged by the Egyptian Modern Dance Theatre Company. Through Mokhtar's sculptures, the performance evoked the key figures of the Egyptian Renaissance (or Nahda).

Once again, I revisited Mokhtar in a show prepared for the celebrations of Egypt Arts Centenary back in 2011.

Finally, in 2015, I created yet another version with revised choreography and gave it the title of A Sculptor's Dream, which was performed at the closing of the 20th edition of the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium. In it I stressed the continuity of the various generations of sculptors from ancient Egypt to the present day. This is the choreography that was presented during the last performances in Cairo and Alexandria.

AH: You have spent over 25 years of your life in Egypt. Many of your works are inspired by artists. Even before your arrival to Egypt, artists already played an important role in your work...

WA: Indeed. In 1979, in Brussels, where I worked with my company Tanit Dance Theatre, I choreographed a performance based on the paintings by Gibran Khalil Gibran. It was my very first work as a choreographer.

At the time I was living in Belgium and felt very nostalgic towards my home-country Lebanon. I thought a lot about the great universality of the works by artist and poet Gibran. I was proud to reveal a painter in him to the European audiences.

AH: Now that you are a director, choreographer, but also a painter, you continue to fuse the many artists in your performances. Now, you give a lot of importance to the Egyptian artists. Tell us more about it please.

WA: In the early years of my career in Egypt, I presented the Fall of Icarus (1993), a performance which generated a lot of controversy. I had an impression that the dance theatre will be never appreciated in Egypt.

I went to Lausanne, Switzerland, where I worked alongside Maurice Bejart. He advised me to immerse into the history and culture of Egypt.

Upon my return to Egypt, I decided to study the country's culture. This allowed me to create works such as Coma (1995) based on Naguib Mahfouz's trilogy The Last Encounter (1996), inspired by renowned painter Tahia Halim, and The Desert (or The World) of Shady Abdel Salam (1997), which honoured the renowned filmmaker.

I see that there is a great cultural wealth which has been passed from our ancestors to the contemporary artists. And the time came for Mahmoud Mokhtar...

There was also a performance of Banat Bahri (2005) inspired by the famed painting by Mahmoud Said and staged during the Centenary celebrations.

In fact, many artists inspired me, and 11 of them were reflected in my performances. In my work, you will find many Egyptian artists, graduates of the Fine Arts department: apart of Mahmoud Mokhtar, there is also sculptor Gamal El-Sagini, architect Hassan Fathy, painters Hussein Bicar, Hamed Nada, Abdel Hadi Al Gazzar, Adham and Seif Wanly, father of Egyptian modern art of puppetry Nagy Shaker, graphic artist Al-Hussein Fawzi, as well as versatile artist Salah Abdel Kerim.

AH: Who will be the next Egyptian artists to inspire your new choreography?

WA: I would love to explore paintings by Hamed Nada. His women have fragile bodies and very dynamic positions. I see them dancing.

I am also very interested in the work of Adam Henein. There is a lot of inspiration in his abstract or figurative sculptures that can be transformed onto the on-stage scenes and dance.

Paintings by Farouk Hosny are also yearning for a rich scenography. In my mind, I can see them associated with universal musicians such as Bach or Wagner.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Hundreds of doctors stood in line on Friday morning outside the headquarters of Egypt's Doctors Syndicate in downtown Cairo, waiting to sign their names to show they are attending an emergency general assembly of the syndicate to discuss escalating measures, including possible strikes, in the face of police assaults.

Doctors were asked to sign their names before the emergency general assembly of the syndicate, that was scheduled to start at 1pm. As the numbers increased, high-ranking police officers apeared in the vicinity.

Video by Rawan Ezzat.
French historian and Arabist Jean Pierre Filiu ended his speech at the Cairo International Book Fair on Monday on an angry note, after the Egyptian audience barraged him with their theories about American-Zionist conspiracies against Egypt and the Middle East.

Filiu, the author of Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations, spoke for an hour on the common challenges and threats posed by the Islamic State militant group and its affiliates in Egypt and Libya, arguing that Europe and the Arab world share these challenges and the threats as well thus should cooperate to face them.

The French historian went on to track the historical emergence of the IS group saying their origin dates back more than a decade to when the US-led coalition invaded Iraq. Filiu called the invasion a "disastrous mistake," that we are paying for now.

Filiu discussed the terrorist groups that gave birth to IS, citing jihadist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of the Al-Tawheed wal-Jihad group, who was killed in an American airstrike and was known for his brutality. Filiu discussed Zarqawi's development and his allegiance to Al-Qaeda, as well the capture of Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi by American troops.

"I wish to meet that American officer who (subsequently) released Al-Baghdadi for good behaviour," he commented sardonically.

The writer commented that when the Iraqi soldiers fled their posts in the face of an IS onslaught, they left billions of dollars of US-donated equipment, making IS the richest and strongest terrorist group ever, at the expense of the American taxpayer.

At the same time the US refused to arm the Syrian opposition fearing the weapons would fall into the wrong hands.

Although Filiu vehemently criticised US policies in the Middle East, especially the decision to dismantle the Iraqi army, whose generals now are providing IS militias with their expertise, he didn't accuse the US of directly creating the group.

"There is no conspiracy, there's idiocy and madness," he said.

"We don't only face the threat of jihadists; we face the remains of Saddam Hussein's army, armed with US army equipment. We are paying the price of a decade of American madness."

When political analyst Amr El-Shobki opened the discussions for questions after Filiu finished his lecture, the audience instead started to give their thoughts, dismissing his dismissal of conspiracy theories.

You can't deny there is a conspiracy; saying that there is no conspiracy and there is only idiocy isn't true, there is a conspiracy and it will stop at the doors of Egypt," commented one audience member.

France is a good military power in the world; why doesn't your country go to the US and confront it with the fact that it made IS? asked another.

A third commenter commented: "As an Egyptian I'm sure that there is an American-Zionist plot to dismantle the Middle East, and they made IS."

Filiu seemed a bit uncomfortable and asked the audience in Arabic and French to ask questions and not to give speeches, but the floor ignored him. Angered, he decided not to take any more questions from the audience, despite El-Shobaki's attempts to calm him and get him to receive more questions.

"We need to think rationally, El-Shobaki told the audience. Do you think the Europeans and Americans want to destroy the Middle East and tear its countries apart so they receive a flood of migrants and a chaos they can't deal with? I don't think so; they want us to be allies who can co-operate."

"Order is the most important thing, responded Filiu. I think you understand order in this country; honestly if you say that IS is an American-Zionist conspiracy, I can't do anything about that. Bravo! You say you know it and are sure of it, so I just hope you stay here in your region and show me how you are going to solve this. We need a real coalition between the south and the north of the Mediterranean; the Russians are not doing anything positive, they are slaughtering the Syrian people and opening the door for IS. What is happening is a disaster and we are going to pay for this."

"After 9/11 we were able to stop Al-Qaeda; the whole world was united against it. he continued. They are still there but they couldn't carry out any significant operations like 9/11; now we are not united and have different priorities, Saudi Arabia wants to get Assad's regime, the Iranians are concerned about the Saudis and Turkey is busy with its rivalry with the Kurds, no one is paying attention to IS and every party has its own priorities."

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In one week, the Israeli government clashed with Sweden, whose foreign minister condemned Israeli violence and excessive use of force and demanded an investigation into Palestinian deaths, and with the EU, which insisted on continuing to put labels on products made in settlements, and asserted that no agreements with Israel apply to the occupied territories.

This has serious political and economic legal ramifications.

It has also clashed with Brazil, which continued to refuse to accept the Israeli ambassador there because he is a settler and leader of a settlement movement. Israel responded by threatening to downgrade the level of relations with Brazil  which is like shooting itself in the foot.

In addition, the Israeli government has clashed with several key churches in the US, such as the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church, which have decided to withdraw all their investments from Israeli banks because they operate in settlements.

If this wasn't enough, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu quarrelled with the US ambassador to Tel Aviv, Dan Shapiro, who is Jewish and pro-Israeli, because he admitted that Israel has two legal systems for Palestinians and Israelis. This was indirect admission that it is an apartheid regime.

Netanyahu crowned his diplomatic onslaught with a vicious attack on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon because he called for a freeze on settlements, and said that Israel is mocking the Palestinians and world community, after it reached the end of its tether and an eternity of silence on the crimes of the Israeli government.

This was followed by the British Medical Association demanding that the Israel Medical Association be expelled from all international fora, and a decision by the British Labour Party to boycott the British company G4S because it guards Israeli jails. Several European trade companies have also decided to boycott Israeli products.

Even the New York Times, which can never be accused of being hostile towards Israel, wrote an op-ed on 26 January saying that Israel is quickly moving to impose settlement realities on the ground that would destroy a two-state solution. The article also included more evidence of the systematic discrimination against Palestinians.

Netanyahu knows what these incidents mean and in which direction they are going. He knows that every day Israel is drawing closer to the state of isolation of the apartheid regime in South Africa. His only response is to escalate his McCarthyism campaign against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and its activities, and entrench the same policies that lead to isolation such as settlements, confiscating lands in the Jordan Valley, and seizing Palestinian homes in Hebron.

Netanyahu and the pillars of his government are trying to confront isolation by being excessively insolent towards Palestinians, those who stand in solidarity with them around the world, and anyone who objects to Israel's policies. One such example is exaggerated lies and distortion of the truth.

This insolence may temporary appease Netanyahu, but it will not prevent him and his government from sliding into more isolation and clashes with the international community. Excessive lying will only deepen self-deceit.

All the above confirms that the only option for the Palestinian people is to resist occupation, the racist apartheid system and isolation. Those who hope to repeat the failures of negotiating with Netanyahu will find eventually themselves on the sidelines, waiting for a past that will never return.

Mustafa Barghouti is secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative

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Russia is proposing talks about a ceasefire in Syria, but European diplomats are skeptical about the offer, which they see as a delaying tactic that would allow intense Russian airstrikes in Aleppo to continue.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had submitted a "quite specific" proposal.

"We will wait for the American response before we take it to the ISSG [International Syria Support Group], Lavrov said in Munich Thursday as he sat down for talks with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Western media reports say Russia is proposing a cease-fire to begin March 1 -- too late to avert a worsening humanitarian crisis in and around Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, near the border with Turkey. A U.S. spokesman said Washington wants an immediate truce.

 Rebels: End 'Russia's Campaign of Slaughter'

A senior member of the Syrian opposition said any cease-fire would be welcome if it ends "the current Russian campaign of slaughter," but there must be guarantees that all of the Damascus regime's backers -- including Iran-funded militias and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement -- observe a truce.

The head of another rebel coalition, however, said Russia's proposal was simply "a trick which the [Assad] regime will use to prepare for other military operations."

Kerry said he and Lavrov would have a "serious conversation about all aspects about what's happening in Syria."

The top U.S. diplomat said he hopes for progress on humanitarian access to civilians in Syria as well as a ceasefire.
Millions of residents in the bitterly cold Afghan capital Kabul have been living mostly without power for the last two weeks as critical grid line from neighboring Uzbekistan has been cut off. The Afghan government blames Taliban attacks for the disruption in the power supply.

Taliban insurgents blew up two power pylons in the Dand-e-Shahabuddin area in the strategic northeastern province of Baghlan after security forces launched a massive operation against the Taliban, Afghan officials say.

The Taliban denied responsibility for destroying power lines and blame Afghan government forces.

The state-owned utility company Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS) has not been able to repair the pylons as the military offensive is still going on, DABS officials say.

"We cannot give this assurance [time frame for towers' repair]. Security forces should give this assurance as to when they may clear the area," a spokesperson for DABS told VOA. "Once allowed, we could repair the pylons within eight hours."
One day after America's top intelligence official warned of North Korea's nuclear, ballistic and cyber capabilities, the U.S. Senate passed expansive sanctions targeting Pyongyang and its foreign suppliers and collaborators.



Wednesday's 96 to 0 vote followed North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket Sunday as well as a recent nuclear test.



Republican Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said decades of U.S. policy on North Korea have been "an abject failure," and that tougher sanctions will provide a remedy.



"Our bill sets precedents and puts in place strong mandatory sanctions," Corker said. "The president will be required to investigate a wide range of sanctionable conduct, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms-related materials, luxury goods, human rights abuses, activities undermining cybersecurity."

The bill targets North Korea's trade in minerals and other activities that generate hard currency for the regime, and penalizes Chinese and other entities that work with Pyongyang.



"We want to prevent commercial interests anywhere in the world from trying to help North Korea get the weapons and equipment and resources it needs in order to further its illegal weapon program," said the committee's top Democrat, Senator Ben Cardin.



For seven hours before the vote, a parade of senators from both political parties delivered speeches denouncing North Korea's leadership. "Extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and unspeakable sexual violence are part of the ongoing story of this bizarre regime," said Democrat Robert Menendez.



Many also expressed frustration with what they see as inaction by the United Nations and resistance by China to a robust international response. "I am personally very disappointed at the way the UN Security Council is functioning," Corker said.



"It is not enough to convene the UN Security Council for another round of hollow rhetoric that does nothing to the Kim regime but signal a lack of international commitment to enforcing international will," Menendez said.



"The onus is now on China," Cardin said. "China could make a huge difference in isolating North Korea and changing their behavior... They need to take action; they can't be blocking UN Security Council action."



Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for the legislation, some partisan sniping arose during floor debate. A few Republicans suggested North Korea and other U.S. adversaries have been emboldened by what they see as President Barack Obama's weak leadership on the world stage.



"Through his words and deeds, the president continues to discredit and undercut American leadership around the world, and as a result the world is even more unstable and conflict-ridden than when he [Obama] assumed office," said Senator John Cornyn. "It is absolutely the fact that in the absence of American leadership, tyrants, thugs and bullies feel emboldened."



The sanctions bill's lead author, Republican Cory Gardner, said the president has been slow to confront Pyongyang. "Strategic patience has been a strategic failure," Gardner said. "All that our so-called patience has done is to allow the North Korean regime to continue to test nuclear weapons, to expand its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles, to grow its military power, to develop cyber-warfare technologies, while systematically continuing to torture its own people."



"We have neither militarily deterred this regime, nor effectively used our punitive tools," he added.



Democrats noted that the failure to rein in North Korea extends back to the 1990s, covering both Democratic and Republican administrations.



"Whatever one's views on various U.S. policy efforts of the past two decades, what has worked, what has not worked, there can be little question these efforts have failed to end North Korea's nuclear ambitions or end its missile programs," Menendez said. "They have failed to reduce the threat posed by North Korea to our allies, failed to alleviate the suffering of North Korea's people, and failed to lead to greater security in the region."



The Senate sanctions bill would have to be resolved with similar legislation already passed by the House of Representatives, unless the House passed the Senate version.



The State Department has endorsed tougher penalties on North Korea, but has declined to comment on specific legislation until a bill reaches Obama's desk.
North Korea on Thursday expelled all South Korean staff from the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex and seized South Korean equipment and other assets. The move came a day after Seoul decided to shut down the complex in retaliation against Pyongyang's nuclear test and missile launch. South Korean staff were caught off-guard when the North announced the decision and desperately tried to haul as much equipment as possible back to the South. A long caravan of vehicles packed full of cargo heading to the border was reminiscent of a refugee tragedy.

Staffers of Korean companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex pass the immigration checkpoint in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday.

"The South Korean enemy forces will experience for themselves the harsh and painful price they must pay for halting the Kaesong industrial complex," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. "We decided to freeze all assets belonging to South Korean enterprises and related organizations, including their machinery, raw materials and products. Those who are deported can take nothing but their personal possessions." All 280 South Korean staff then at the complex returned to South Korea by 10 p.m.

A loaded truck in Paju, Gyeonggi Province returns from the Kaesong Industrial Complex on Thursday. /Yonhap

With no response from Pyongyang by Thursday morning to Seoul's announcement that it is shutting the industrial park, the government here told South Korean staff there that they had until Saturday to evacuate. The South Korean businesses had been asking for at least one or two more weeks to move equipment, raw materials and partially finished goods to the South. The North's sudden announcement caused chaos. One South Korean staffer said, "Our factory is filled with equipment and supplies, and our losses will be even bigger if we have to leave them behind." He called on the government to negotiate with Pyongyang so cargo trucks and personnel can enter the complex and retrieve company assets.
North Korea on Thursday severed all communication channels with South Korea, including military and Red Cross hotlines.

The move came the same day it expelled all South Korean staff and seized assets at the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex and repeats a scenario from April 2013, when the complex was shut for about four months amid heightened military tensions.

The military communication line served as a conduit for the two sides to exchange entry passes for South Korean staff at the industrial park.

A Unification Ministry official warned the lack of communication channels could cause isolated provocations to "escalate into a big problem."

North Korea in a statement said South Korea's decision Wednesday to shut down the Kaesong complex "severed the last lifeline of North-South relations."

Seoul worries that North Korea may resort to fresh provocations when the UN Security Council decides on tougher sanctions against the North and South Korea and the U.S. hold their annual joint military drills in the next couple of months.

Recent developments suggest that old military hardliners are in the ascendant in internal power struggles in the North, and its patterns of behavior are wearyingly familiar from the last days of former leader Kim Jong-il.
South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are in talks to arrange a meeting among their leaders on the sideline of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31, Japan's Jiji Press reported Thursday.

They will likely discuss ways to deal with North Korea after its recent nuclear and rocket tests.

On Tuesday, President Park Geun-hye talked on the phone with U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and they agreed to take strong measures against the North separately from any sanctions the UN Security Council may impose.
NATO to provide support to address refugee crisis in Europe

2016-02-12 02:36

BRUSSELS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense Ministers on Thursday agreed to provide support to assist with the refugee crisis in Europe, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the press conference following the ministerial meeting.

"The goal is to participate in the international efforts to stem the illegal trafficking and illegal migration in the Aegean," said he.

NATO's Standing Maritime Group 2 which is currently deployed in the region will be tasked to conduct reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance of the illegal crossings in the Aegean sea in cooperation with relevant authorities, according to the NATO chief.

NATO was criticized being almost absent from the crisis that could undermine the stability of some of the countries in southern Europe.

Before the meeting, three NATO allies, Turkey, Germany and Greece have requested NATO's participation to help in dealing with the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

"The refugee crisis affects all of us and we have to contribute in finding solutions," Stoltenberg stated at the press conference.

"The mission is not about stopping or pushing back refugee boats," said Stoltenberg.

He added: "NATO will contribute critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks. We will do so in cooperation with national coastguards, and working closely with the European Union."

Related:

NATO to provide AWACS planes in fight against IS

BRUSSELS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense Ministers on Thursday agreed to provide NATO AWACS surveillance planes in the fight against the Islamic State, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

He said they supported the U.S. request for alliance surveillance aircraft in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq at the ministerial meeting. Full Story

NATO to enhance its presence in eastern Europe

BRUSSELS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense Ministers on Wednesday agreed to enhance the military presence in eastern Europe at the ministerial meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the press conference following the first day's meeting.

He stated that NATO will continue adapting the deterrence and defence to meet threats from any direction. Full Story
Universities to reach out to students from Britain's poorest areas

2016-02-11 23:42

LONDON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Students with learning difficulties are to be offered help to win places on degree courses in British universities, the government announced Thursday.

New guidelines announced today include them for the first time as a target group for universities.

It will pave the way for university education for students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger's Syndrome and those with attention deficit disorders such as ADD/ADHD.

It is part of new guidance issued today which calls on universities to work more closely with schools in poorer neighbourhoods.

Currently only 10 percent of young white British men from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress to university.

More than one in 10 black students drop out of university after the first year, and only six percent of young entrants to elite universities are from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The guidance, published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, sets out the government's clear ambitions for the progress universities should make to boost social mobility and raise young people's aspirations.

It comes just weeks after Prime Minister David Cameron issued a new requirement for British universities to publish data on the backgrounds of their applicants to shine a light on admissions processes.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: "This guidance for the first time identifies the groups of students where most attention is needed, such as white boys from the poorest homes and students with specific learning difficulties."

New goals include doubling the proportion of university entrants from disadvantaged backgrounds by 2020 compared with entry levels in 2009. The government also wants the number of black and ethnic minority students going to university to increase by 20 percent by 2020.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said university access agreements will be monitored and reviewed annually by the DFA and their progress published, to help ensure they are meeting their obligations.

DFA director Professor Les Ebdon said: "For the first time this guidance specifically asks institutions to consider how they can work to widen access to white men from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This group is among the least likely to enter higher education.

"I will be expecting to see an increase in outreach work - with universities working to raise aspirations and attainment among people from disadvantaged backgrounds - so that nobody with the potential to benefit from higher education feels that their background holds back their ambition."
Consul Generals in Shanghai extend wishes for Year of Monkey

By:Wang Jiaye | From:english.eastday.com | 2016-02-08 10:28

The Year of the Monkey is coming! Monkey is concerned as the symbol of wisdom in the 12 Chinese zodiac animals while Shanghai is developing the global innovation center. At the very beginning of the smart year in the smart city, Eastday.com invites the Consul Generals in Shanghai to deliver New Year speeches with the theme as "City of Innovation". Now the videos have been released.

The Consul Generals come from 12 countries across the 5 continents, namely, Switzerland, Italy, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Republic of Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands and Republic of Korea.

In the 12 New Year videos, the CGs talk about in English or Chinese language their development and cooperation with Shanghai, China on the innovation construction and China's "Belt and Road" Initiative, their feelings of working and living in the city and extend Spring Festival greetings.

This is the second time that the Consul Generals in Shanghai send Chinese New Year wishes to the global netizens via Eastday.com. The event embodies their support to the innovation development of Shanghai, their confidence in the productive cooperation with China, their high opinions for the life and work here and their passion for the traditional Chinese culture.

Here is the link of the CGs' New Year wishes:

http://english.eastday.com/CGwishes2016/index.html



(English and Chinese texts)

Eastday.com looks forward to your watching and forwarding.
Eldhose Kunnappilly has been directed by the court to appear before the investigating officer on Saturday.
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#producer prices Producer prices bounce higher in Sept. amid inflation woes South Korea's producer prices bounced back in September following the first downturn in about two years a month earlier, as high energy and farming bills drove up costs, central ba...
You may recall that, while shooting The Force Awakens in June 2014, Harrison Ford had to be air lifted to hospital after his ankle got crushed by a door on the Millennium Falcon. Now the U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive has announced that "a Star Wars production company is to be prosecuted" over the incident.

According to a report in The Guardian: "The HSE is prosecuting Foodles Production (UK) Ltd over the incident. The BBC reports the firm, which is based at Disneys UK headquarters in Hammersmith, London, was the primary production company behind The Force Awakens. The national watchdog said it believed there was sufficient evidence to bring four charges relating to alleged health and safety breaches against the firm. A spokesperson said: 'By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers - this is as true on a film set as a factory floor'."

Star Wars production company 'disappointed' at prosecution over Harrison Ford incident - https://t.co/WeyquBQ59F pic.twitter.com/mkbXtALkcD  BBC Ents News Team (@BBCNewsEnts) February 11, 2016

73-year-old Harrison was out of action for two months while he recovered from the injury, which saw director JJ Abrams forced to "halt production."

There has been "no suggestion" that Harrison - who earned a reported $34m to reprise his role as Han Solo - will take action against Disney himself. That is unlikely given there's a Han Solo solo movie slated for 2018.
Spanish civil servant, Joaquin Garcia has been fined a year's salary ($30,000) for not showing up to work for the past six years.

The 69 year old was tasked with overseeing the construction of a waste treatment facility. However he claims he was bullied into a no man's land position where he wasn't actually required to do much work anyways so he decided to keep the ruse going. For six years.

He apparently did show up to work for brief periods of time but for the most part he spent a lot of his time during the six years becoming an expert on the Spanish philosopher, Spinoza. Hey who among us doesn't have weird hobbies?

Officials only learned of Garcia's situation when they wanted to commemorate him for twenty years of service - only to realise he wasn't exactly an active employee.

So basically he was the exact opposite of the guy from Office Space who was fired but kept showing up to work for years unaware.

Via Mashable
Charlie Cox says his return as Daredevil "still feels too good to be true"
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, said on Wednesday (10 February) that he had reserved time in his schedule during the summit next week for urgent meetings with EU leaders including Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande to persuade Britain to stay in the block. Mr Tusk outlined his proposal for a deal with UKs David Cameron last week but a number of EU Member States oppose several parts of it. For example, the four Visegrad Group countries have raised concerns over the possibility to allow London to limit welfare benefits for new EU migrants working in the UK for less than 4 years.

The former Polish Prime Minister, however, defended his proposal saying that he was confident that this is a balanced and solid proposal and I hope to finalize it next week in the European Council. However let me be clear, this is a very fragile political process. Mr Tusk also stressed that reaching an agreement with London was his priority, which is why he has decided to cancel all his obligations to hold a number of meetings with EU leaders and with the European Parliament in order to help reach an agreement. He is going to visit several EU capitals to discuss his plan. He will meet German Chancellor Merkel, French President Hollande, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, as well as the President of Romania and the Czech Prime Minister, who currently heads the Visegrad Group of Central European states.

Moreover, Mr Tusk also said he would meet Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, which will eventually have to approve many of the key elements of Tusks proposal. The aim of my consultations it to secure a broad political support for my proposal, EU President said. Political support is crucial especially given the fact that a number of European leaders see Britains demands as a distraction at the time when attention should be devoted to bigger problems, such as Eurozone debt or migration crisis. UK Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping that a deal can be reached at the summit on 18-19 February so that he can hold a referendum on the UKs membership in the EU later in June.
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The problem is that the state continues to allow Big Agriculture, especially Big Sugar, to pump its polluted wastewater into Lake Okeechobee, which is a public water body. Were not allowed to pump our septic tank waste into our neighbors yard, and these corporate agricultural operations shouldnt be allowed to.



This debate shouldnt be about moving the water around. It should be about making agriculture clean the water up. With the recently passed water policy law, the Legislature and the Governor made the rules even more permissive. The law, incredibly, eliminates pollution permits for agricultural operations around Lake Okeechobee. These polluting operations are now on the honor system, which is outrageous.



The nasty, polluted water thats now killing fish and other marine life on the Southeast and Southwest coasts is a direct result of the states incredibly weak policies. Make no mistake: These policies were carefully crafted by big-bucks agricultural lobbyists and enacted by their friends in power.

Adam Putnam, in line to be the next GOP candidate for governor of Florida, is substantially responsible for the new water policy law that ensures the gates of hell are open for Big Sugar polluters to destroy property values, public health and the environment downstream. Both Florida coasts are getting slammed by the polluted outfall from historic rains. Now, instead of supporting the will of the people, Gov. Rick Scott and his Big Sugar allies want to send the pollution into the Everglades, where taxpayers have already invested billions. Read about it on Bullsugar.org's website. STATEMENT BY DAVID GUEST ON GOV. SCOTTS LETTER TODAY TO THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABOUT POLLUTED LAKE OKEECHOBEE DISCHARGESDavid Guest, Managing Attorney for the Florida office of Earthjustice:Earthjustice is the nations premier national nonprofit environmental law organization.
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem May 10, 2015. REUTERS/Sebastian Scheiner

Prominent Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz served as an appellate adviser for O.J. Simpson during the

trial that captivated the US in the mid-1990s.

Proving "the trial of the century" had far-reaching impact, Dershowitz shared a story about a surprising world leader who was also captivated by the trial.

Dershowitz relayed the following exchange he had with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, about Simpson's trial back in the '90s.

Benjamin Netanyahu had just been elected prime minister for the first time and I'm in Israel so he calls me into the office and he says, 'I want to go to the secret office where no one can can overhear. I want to ask you something.'

I thought he was going to ask me about Iran's nuclear program. He said, 'So, did O.J. do it?'

I said, 'Mr. Prime Minister, does Israel have nuclear weapons?' And he said, 'Alan you know I can't tell you that.' And I said, 'Aha! You know I can't tell you that.'

Dershowitz belonged to "The Dream Team" that succeeded in getting Simpson acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1995.

Dershowitz says even he was surprised when the jury came back with a not guilty verdict. "I never thought we were going to win. I was always prepared to do the appeal," he said.

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evgeny lebvedev

It's the end of an era for a British print newspaper powerhouse.

The paper editions of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday newspapers will close after nearly 30 years in print. The papers' Russian billionaire owner, Evegeny Lebedev, confirmed the news in an email to employees.

"We will cease to print The Independent and Independent on Sunday. The Independent's last edition is expected to be on Saturday 26th March and the last Independent on Sunday is expected be on Sunday 20th March, enabling us to focus our collective energy on the digital Independent," Lebedev said.

"We will be the first of many leading newspapers to embrace a wholly digital future. All of us are immensely proud of the Independent titles, which are better newspapers now than they have been for many years, thanks to your remarkable creativity, work ethic and passion."

The closely associated tabloid paper I, which remains profitable, will be sold for 24 million ($34.9 million) to Johnston Press, which owns The Scotsman. Proceeds from the sale are expected to be poured into growing the Independent's website. Lebedev announced that the sale would enable the Independent to create "25 new content roles, launch a new subscription mobile App, enhance the redesigned, thriving http://independent.co.uk, open new editorial bureaux in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and invest further in our New York based US operation."

The i100 site will be renamed as http://indy100.com.

The 25 I employees, working mostly in editorial, will keep their jobs under the new ownership, according to a press release. Editor Oliver Duff will also remain with the title.

A journalist at the Independent told Business Insider the expected closing of the print edition was not unexpected, after several rounds of redundancies over the past few years.

Among the paper's former editors is Andrew Marr, the BBC presenter, who shared his condolences over Twitter:

Story continues

Whaat? Noooo.... It's getting better by the day. Rentoul, Cockburn, Fisk, Dejevsky, Macrae, Rajan essential daily!! https://t.co/VMnJvzPjCn  Andrew Marr (@AndrewMarr9) February 11, 2016

Sorry for grammar clunk. But one Indy thought: those who celebrate death of a paper like folk wanting fewer parks - more is always better.  Andrew Marr (@AndrewMarr9) February 11, 2016

The profitable London-only sister paper The Evening Standard, also owned by Lebedev, is expected to remain running as normal.

It's been a bad start to 2016 for British newspapers

katharine viner

This is another signal of a troubling time for the British newspaper industry in general.

On Thursday, employees at The Guardian received a letter confirming their fears of job cuts, according to The Telegraph. It said: "As our staff costs are by far our biggest overhead, one outcome of the budgeting process may be that redundancies are proposed."

Last month The Guardian announced that it would be forced to cut costs by 20% after announcing rising losses of 50 million ($71 million). Editor Kath Viner announced a three-year plan for the paper to break even by 2018-2019.

There are also rumors that The Telegraph is gearing up for a sale. On Tuesday an internal memo about a "strategic review" prompted rumors that the Barclay brothers were planning to sell off the newspaper.

A representative for The Telegraph told Business Insider that the strategic review would be led by the consultancy firm Deloitte and would take three months. Pay increases are being delayed until the review is complete, as is hiring. But the representative said layoffs and a sale were not being discussed.

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* Tractors drive through crowds outside parliament

* Some farmers set up tents, set olive branches on fire

* First big protest in capital after weeks of road blockades (Updates with turnout, tractors marching to parliament)

By Lefteris Papadimas and Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Angry Greek farmers clashed with riot police in Athens then paraded their tractors and pick-ups outside parliament on Friday, in their first big protest in the capital against pension reform plans after weeks of road blockades.

Officers guarded the entrance to the agricultural ministry and fired tear gas to disperse protesters who hurled tomatoes, eggplants and stones at the building, smashing windows and using shepherd's crooks to repel police during scuffles.

"They won't make us bend!," the protesters shouted.

After the afternoon violence died down, farmers drove their vehicles through crowds outside parliament, blocking the road and shouting slogans against the pensions overhaul which will bring in tax hikes and a tripling of their social security contributions.

Cheered on by supporters waving Greek flags, they honked horns as police in riot gear stood guard. A few demonstrators burnt olive branches while others unfurled a large banner reading: "Take back this monstrous reform plan."

Some farmers pitched tents on Syntagma Square, the scene of violent clashes during anti-austerity protests in recent years.

"We live on loans, this reform will destroy us," said olive oil producer Manolis Niolakis, a 50-year old father of four. "We won't back down, there is no way. If we do, we'll starve."

Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas criticised the violence, telling state TV: "This is not how social battles should be fought. This is not the right way of expression."

DEADLOCK

The pension reform has also angered lawyers and doctors and members of other professions.

The government says the changes are necessary to ensure future pensions for the farmers, whose benefits have so far been almost completely subsidised by the debt-ridden state.

Story continues

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, elected last year promising to end austerity but then forced to accept a third bailout in July, is struggling to conclude a bailout review with lenders and convince angry Greeks that after six years of belt-tightening were worth it.

His task is not made any easier by the fact that his government has only a tiny majority in parliament.

Earlier this week, Tsipras said he was willing to hold talks with the farmers on possibly amending the pension reform bill to lessen the pain, but they rebuffed his overtures.

The EU and the International Monetary Fund are not expected to back down on their demands that Athens cut pension spending by 1 percent of gross domestic product this year. The IMF said Greece will need to take extra measures worth about 9 billion euros to meet its fiscal targets by 2018.

"We cannot see how Greece can do so without major savings on pensions," said IMF's director for Europe, Poul Thomsen.

After a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that pension reforms remained a major sticking point in talks with Athens.

The Greek economy contracted in the last three months of 2015 as fiscal austerity and capital controls continued to weigh on investment and consumer spending.

(Additional reporting by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos and George Georgiopoulos in Athens, Tom Koerkemeier in Brussels; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Karolina Tagaris and Andrew Heavens)
milk in dumpster

Glug, glug, glug Thats the sound of milk being poured down the drain in Montana. Montana wastes untold amounts of milk every day due to an outdated law that requires a sell by date of 12 days after pasteurization and prohibits sale or donation after that date. This date is completely arbitrary, especially when compared to the industry standard for date labeling on milkgenerally 21-24 days after pasteurization. Even more shocking, the date label on milk, like on most foods, is generally meant to indicate quality rather than its safety. Because pasteurization kills any harmful pathogens, milk is safe and generally still good well past the date.

Montanas is just one of many US state laws that cause confusion and massive amounts of waste. Even if food makes it to a home, more than 90% of Americans report that they mistake those quality dates labels for safety indicators, and subsequently throw away food that is still completely safe to eat. Confusion over date labels is a major contributor to the 160 billion pounds of food wasted each year in the US. The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and Racing Horse Productions produced the film EXPIRED? Food Waste in America to raise awareness about this issue, using Montana milk to illustrate the larger story about senseless food waste in America and highlight the opportunity for reform.

The US is not alone. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted annually. 28% of the worlds agricultural land is used to produce food that ends up in landfills, where it releases 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas. Luckily, people are starting to pay attention. At the COP21 Paris climate meeting, food waste reduction played a key role in discussions. Earlier this year, at the World Economic Forum, two major food waste announcements were made. One was the launch of Champions 12.3, a coalition of 30 private and public entities working to meet the food waste cuts in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The other was a $130 million investment by the Rockefeller Foundation to reduce food waste.

Story continues

In 2015, the European Parliament urged member states to pass legislation encouraging food donation, and several nations have done so. France, for example, just passed a law banning large supermarkets from discarding or destroying edible food, and requiring them to donate the food to charity or to farms for use as animal feed. A similar bill is pending in the UK. A key way the EU is making a dent in food waste is via date label standardization. A longstanding EU-wide law requires that packaged foods bear either a best before label to indicate quality or a use by label to indicate safety.

The US needs a federal law that, similar to the EU system, restricts date labels on our food products to twoa quality-based label and a safety-based one. There is room for improvement, however. Despite the standard labels, each manufacturer in the EU currently decides which of the two labels to use for which foods, creating inconsistencies. One study found that only 25% of yogurts in the UK had a best before date and 75% had a use by date, despite the fact that yogurt rarely presents a safety risk. Learning from this shortcoming, US law should also create a standard, science-based list of food products required to use the safety label. All other foods should only be allowed to use the quality label.

Setting national standards for date labels can help consumers make better decisions about what to keep and what to toss, and can help retailers determine what foods can be donated or sold at a marked-down price. Luckily, two federal bills two be introduced later this month, one by congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine, and the other by senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, propose just these types of reforms.

The USDA and EPA recently announced the first-ever food waste goal for the USa 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. While the announcement of this goal is an exciting first step, much work is needed to achieve this target. As the US works to reduce food waste, we can benefit from the European example. Standardizing date labels will make a big impact on the countless gallons of milk wasted each year in Montana, and on reducing the senseless waste of all types of healthy, wholesome food throughout the US.

Follow The Food Law and Policy Clinic on Twitter @harvardflpc and Emily @broademily. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

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Peruvian presidential candidate for the April 10 general election, Keiko Fujimori leader of the Fuerza Popular Party, waves during a campaign rally in Lima, on February 9, 2016 (AFP Photo/Cris Bouroncle) (AFP/File)

Lima (AFP) - Keiko Fujimori, daughter of disgraced ex-president Alberto Fujimori, is leading among candidates for Peru's April 10 presidential election, a poll showed Wednesday.

The lawmaker, who is polling at 39 percent, is well ahead of her closest rival, Julio Guzman, who has 20 percent of the vote, according to the Datum poll published in the dailies Peru 21 and Gestion.

Following behind were economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (13 percent), billionaire Cesar Acuna (nine percent) and former president Alan Garcia (five percent), according to the survey, which was conducted February 5-8 and has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.

If no one candidate wins 50 percent plus one, a second-round vote will be held in June.

Current President Ollanta Humala cannot seek a consecutive term.

Alberto Fujimori, 77, is currently serving a 25-year prison term for corruption and human rights violations

The ex-president, who also holds Japanese citizenship, was first jailed in 2007 and convicted in 2009 for his role in killings by a death squad that targeted supposed members of the Shining Path guerrilla group in the 1990s.

He has also been convicted of embezzlement and bribery.

His children have asked Humala to grant him a reprieve on health grounds. But the president rejected the request in 2013, saying medical reports indicated Fujimori's condition was not sufficiently serious.
Navios Maritime Partners: Weighing Its Net Asset Value and Stock

(Continued from Prior Part)

Values of assets and liabilities

In part four of this series, we arrived at vessel values of $644 million for Navios Maritime Partners (NMM). This value is 52% of the book value of vessels recorded by the company at the end of 3Q15. By adding other assets, we arrive at a current value of total assets of $716 million. Total liabilities amount to $633.6 million. This gives us the NAV (net asset value) per share without the charter adjustment of $1.

Adjusted net asset value

In our previous article, we arrived at the present value of $265 million for Navios Maritime Partners (NMM) market charters. As they are of value to anyone acquiring these contracts, well add this to the company NAV to arrive at the charter-adjusted NAV of $348 million, or $4.18 per share. On January 26, 2016, NMMs stock price was $2.26. The adjusted NAV shows that NMM is currently trading at a 46% discount to its NAV.

As weve previously discussed, while freight rates and vessel values could go lower in the short term, over a longer period, they should rebound as owners cant operate at these levels sustainably. This means that while the downside for the companys stock price from here could be limited, there could be a significant upside. NMMs management has a good execution record. Its relatively lower costs, low leverage, and high coverage on container ships support dividends (DVY), which could also add to the upside.

Currently, NMMs peers (SEA) Diana Shipping (DSX), Safe Bulkers (SB), Scorpio Bulkers (SALT), and Navios Maritime Holdings (NM) are also battling a depressed freight rate environment. To learn more about which companies can endure this downturn, please visit Which Dry Bulk Companies Can Endure the Prolonged Downturn? NM and NMM form 1.8% and 1.9%, respectively of SEAs holdings.

Risk perception

As the risk assessment could differ based on perception, well provide sensitivities of the premium for different discount rate scenarios in our next article. Well also see how the changes in vessel values could impact NMMs NAV.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
donald trump

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump just threatened to sue US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over his eligibility to be president.

"If @TedCruz doesn't clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen," Trump warned Friday on Twitter.

Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother, and most legal experts believe that he meets the constitutional requirement that presidents are "natural-born" citizens.

But the courts have not formally ruled on the issue, and Trump has repeatedly raised doubts about his opponent's eligibility for the Oval Office. Trump frequently warns that Democrats would sue the senator if he got the nomination. In January, he jokingly floated the idea of suing Cruz himself.

The senator  who has repeatedly mocked and dismissed Trump's concern over his birthplace  launched an attack ad on Thursday that accused Trump of having "a pattern of sleaze stretching back decades." The commercial focused on Trump's support for eminent domain, the government's power to seize private property.

Among other things, Trump accused Cruz of lying when the senator denied being behind "push polls" apparently conducted on his behalf. According to The Washington Post, a robocall in South Carolina criticized the non-Cruz candidates in the race.

"Cruz caught cold in lie after denial of push polls ... How can he preach Christian values?" Trump tweeted on Thursday.

A Cruz campaign official responded to Trump's legal threat on Friday by suggesting that the mogul didn't understand the law:

I don't think you understand what standing means. https://t.co/Tf7WEn8DMW  Brian Phillips (@RealBPhil) February 12, 2016

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merkel tsipras greece germany

Europe just gave Greece a big ultimatum.

On Friday, EU member states told Greece that it has three months to remedy the "deficiencies" in controlling the influx of migrants, or else "effectively face suspension from the Schengen passport-free zone," reported the AFP.

The Schengen Agreement allows for passport-free movement across a wide swathe of Europe, and is a big deal for trade and tourism in Europe.

This ultimatum comes at a time when Europe is dealing with a massive refugee crisis, and wants to stem the flow of migrants.

At the same time, Greece is effectively the "main gateway to Europe" for many refugees and migrants given its geographic position relative to Turkey.

The financially struggling nation has been criticized by the EU for "not managing the flows [of migrants] properly." Most recently, the AFP stated that a report adopted 10 days earlier by the European Commission found that Greece had not been properly registering and fingerprinting migrants during inspections at the Turkish border, as well as in several islands in the Aegean Sea last November.

And now, basically, the EU is giving Greece one month to "establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies" and, after an additional two months, it must report back on how the plan is being implemented.

Migrants carry their belongings inside a camp, as they wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border, near the village of Idomeni, Greece, February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

If Greece fails to better the situation by mid-May, then the EU could "authorize other member states to exceptionally extend border controls within the EU's cherished Schengen area, including with Greece, for up to two years, instead of the normal six months," according to the AFP.

"The overall functioning of the Schengen Area is at serious risk," the European Council said. "The difficulties faced by Greece have an impact on the EU as a whole."

"It is highly unlikely that Athens would be able to deliver on all requirements and that could lead the bloc's executive European Commission recommending the unprecedented activation of rules allowing member states to have controls on internal Schengen frontiers for up to two years," reported Reuters' Alastair MacDonald and Gabriela Baczynska.

Story continues

And, in any case, such a decision would still have to be approved by the 28 EU states.

Syrian refugee in Greece

This decision also comes at a stressful financial time for Greece. The country is once again attempting to negotiate with its creditors  although any possible agreement is still likely "weeks away"  and is being rattled by angry rioters protesting against pension reforms.

This does not bode well for a quick fix.

Or, as Eurasia group president Ian Bremmer summed it up in a note to readers: "When the refugee crisis and the Greek financial crisis collide with domestic and EU politics, we'll be right back in the soup."'

Interestingly, Bremmer also noted that Greece could end up as Europe's scapegoat in the refugee crisis.

If the EU-Turkey deal to limit the flow of migrants ends of failing, Merkel-led Europe, which is in a much weaker position than it was back in June, could point a finger at Greece and then close the boarders with Macedonia and Bulgaria.

greece macedonia turkey bulgaria

And if Greece does end up being blamed, its government will not take it lightly. Again, as Bremmer told BI (emphasis ours):

"[Greek prime minister Alexis] Tsipras will be in no mood to tolerate European recrimination. Especially given the extraordinary economic hardship the country is already going through. That's doubly true with European support of Macedonia  which Greece doesn't recognize. The Greek opposition can't come offer Tsipras on the refugee issue; it's a matter of national unity.

So, essentially, the European political crisis boils down to a Greek national emergency. The Greek 'deal' is much more likely to fall apart in this environment."

As for the bigger picture here, Bremmer told Business Insider via email that "the biggest near term risk [from the aforementioned scenario] remains the effective end of the Schengen Agreement."

"In the longer term, though, it's a severe erosion of the values and principles Europe stands for," argues Bremmer.

"Europe has been the most ambitious experiment in supranational democratic governance ever undertaken. We're watching it fail."

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BELLINGHAM, WA--(Marketwired - February 12, 2016) - eXp Realty International Corporation (EXPI) today announced that it has commenced real estate brokerage operations in the State of Wyoming.

"The opportunities available to real estate professionals in Wyoming are enhanced significantly with this launch," said Lonna Lamphere, the Company's managing broker in the state. "eXp Realty recognizes that the agents are the foundation of any real estate brokerage. At eXp, the agents are the owners of the brokerage, earning public company stock and revenue sharing and, most importantly, they have a voice and an opportunity to directly shape the company. Forward-thinking professionals throughout the state are going to be excited about this."

Lamphere previously served as an Associate Broker with RE/MAX and has more than 12 years of leadership experience within the real estate industry.

"Each entrepreneurial agent who joins us in Wyoming will bring a unique background and new ideas to our community of shareholders as we continue to build a brokerage that recognizes the rapid pace of change affecting the industry and the enduring value of the agent," said eXp Realty President, Jason Gesing.

Contact information for Lonna Lamphere: lonna.lamphere@exprealty.com or 307-214-6534.

About eXp Realty International Corporation

eXp Realty International Corporation is the holding company for a number of companies most notably eXp Realty LLC, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage as a full-service real estate brokerage providing 24/7 access to collaborative tools, training, and socialization for real estate brokers and agents through its 3-D, fully-immersive, cloud office environment. This effectively reduces agents' overhead, increases their profits, and provides greater service value to consumers.

As a publicly-traded company, eXp Realty International Corporation uniquely offers agents and brokers the opportunity to earn equity awards for production and contributions to overall company growth. eXp Realty, LLC and eXp Realty of Canada, Inc. also feature an aggressive revenue sharing program that pays agents a percentage of gross commission income earned by fellow real estate professionals whom they attract into the Company.

Story continues

From its inception, eXp Realty has been engaged in the marketing and sale of residential real estate with the goal of being the first truly cloud-based, full-service, global real estate brokerage company, delivering around-the-clock access to collaborative tools and professional development for managing real estate brokers and agents. The business model was created to increase brokers' and agents' listings and sales, while reducing their overhead and capital requirements. eXp Realty can now be found in approximately 31 states and parts of Canada. For more information, visit: www.exprealty.com or investors.exprealty.com.

You can also follow eXp Realty International on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube channel.

The statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update them. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company's expansion, revenue growth, operating results, financial performance and net income changes. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include changes in business or other market conditions; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(Updates with quotes, context) HAMBURG/CAIRO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Egypt's state buyer GASC received only five sales offers in an international tender to purchase wheat on Friday as serious concern continued over tough new quality rules which have disrupted the country's massive wheat imports, traders said.

Participation in Friday's tender by international grain trading houses was again low compared to tenders in past months, following concern over Egypt's limits on imports of wheat containing the ergot fungus, traders said.

The ergot dispute may increase Egypt's wheat import costs as tenders showed traders are adding an additional risk premium to their offers, dealers said.

One Cairo-based trader said most offers "have a protection premium of $10 for the French, and the Russians have a protection premium of about $6 (a tonne)".

The lowest offer in FOB terms was $185.25 a tonne for wheat sourced from France, they said. The lowest offer including shipping costs was $190.88 a tonne c&f for Romanian wheat.

Egypt's supply ministry, which includes GASC, has usually permitted a 0.05 percent level of ergot in wheat imports. But the agriculture ministry surprised traders this year by not allowing any ergot content.

In a bid to win back confidence, the ministries of supply and agriculture held a joint press conference on Sunday assuring suppliers their wheat shipments can contain up to 0.05 percent of ergot, a common global standard GASC traditionally used in its import tender specifications.

But traders said they were concerned about the lack of a written statement from the Egyptian authorities, and feared that shipments could still be rejected.

"Everyone is still uncertain about the ergot issue and that is why a lot didn't present offers," a trader said.

Another said: "With the lack of a written statement on ergot content from the ministries, the risk remains." Traders said these offers were made in the GASC tender on Friday all in dollars a tonne: Seller Origin FOB price Shipping cost C&F price Ameropa Romania 186.55 4.33 190.88 Cargill French 185.25 8.98 194.23 Soufflet French 186.62 8.98 195.60 Union Co Russian 191.91 6.60 198.51 Aston Russian 191.99 6.60 198.59 Smaller buyer Tunisia paid the lowest price of $178.91 a tonne c&f in a wheat tender on Wednesday.

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GASC, the General Authority for Supply Commodities, had cancelled its previous two international purchase tenders amid confusion over the allowed limits of ergot, a grain fungus found in wheat worldwide.

Global trading house Bunge Ltd has launched legal proceedings against Egypt over the rejected wheat.

No purchase has yet been made in the latest GASC tender. Results are expected later on Friday, traders said.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan, Maha El Dahan, Eric Knecht, Valerie Parent and Gus Trompiz, editing by Katharine Houreld)
Georgian Foreign Minister Georgy Kvirikashvili delivers a speech during a meeting with members of parliamentary groups and committees in Kutaisi, Georgia, December 28, 2015. REUTERS/Pool

By Margarita Antidze

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia may issue Eurobonds in 2016 and is eyeing additional financial resources from international institutions to cope with an economic slowdown triggered by problems in neighbouring countries, the prime minister has said.

Georgy Kvirikashvili said his government would conduct a series of roadshows in the United States and elsewhere to attract foreign investment to an economy hit by financial problems in neighbouring countries.

"There will be a number of roadshows this year, including the roadshow in the United States that we are planning for the second quarter of this year and also in regional countries," Kvirikashvili told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday.

"I can't predict whether we will need to issue Eurobonds, but if speeding up infrastructure projects requires attracting additional investments, including via Eurobonds, of course, we will do that, maybe later this year."

Georgia issued $500 million worth of 10-year Eurobonds in 2011 and at the same time bought back $417 million of its five-year $500 million Eurobonds, which it issued in 2008.

He said tax reforms were planned that would include abolishing corporate profit tax, a simplification of tax administration and further liberalisation of the economy.

"This year we project 3 percent growth and I think it is achievable," Kvirikashvili said. Last year Georgia's economy grew 2.8 percent.

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

He said the government planned to ask international institutions for additional financing for infrastructure projects.

Georgia signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on a 150 million euro facility on Thursday for infrastructure upgrades, including reconstruction of an east-west highway and post-flood reconstruction in the capital Tbilisi.

"We also discussed the potential for additional resources," said Kvirikashvili, who has a Master's degree in finance from the University of Illinois in the United States.

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Georgia has pushed for political and economic integration with the European Union and is seeking NATO membership. It signed a free trade accord with the EU in June 2014 and expects visa liberalisation with Europe later this year.

Kvirikashvili said Georgia could benefit from the free trade agreement by attracting investment from countries that do not have such an accord, and urged the EU not to delay the decision on visa-free travel.

"I believe that within one decade it will be possible to see Georgia's economy, revenue and per capita GDP as comparable to eastern European standards," Kvirikashvili said.

Kvirikashvili, who became prime minister in December, has said Georgia will continue its push for membership of NATO, which has played down any prospect of rapid accession, and its pragmatic policy towards Russia, with which it fought a brief war in August 2008.

"Our NATO and EU plans should not be deemed by Russia as a sign of confrontation," he said.

Kvirikashvili said that, after the lifting of international sanctions, Iran could bring a new dynamism to the region, and that Georgia's location at a crossroads between Europe and Asia put it in a position to boost cooperation between Iran and Europe.

"Iran is ready to discuss cooperation in different fields, including in the energy sector, which can be very interesting for Europe to diversify its energy supplies," he said.

(Editing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Arno Schuetze and Ludwig Burger

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A flurry of sales of German and Swiss companies to Chinese buyers in the past month is testament to increasing Chinese expertise in European bidding processes and growing trust, German bankers and advisers say.

Those involved in the deals, which include ChemChina's $43 billion agreement to buy Swiss seeds and pesticides group Syngenta <SYNN.VX> and the two biggest-ever Chinese acquisitions of German companies, say the two sides are making strides in mutual understanding.

China has for years sought to buy in key technology rather than develop it at home more slowly, but attempts to reach deals have often failed.

"The cultural dimension is very important," said Frank-Christian Raffel, Munich-based partner in boutique advisory firm MelchersRaffel, which specialises in M&A deals between German-speaking and Asian countries.

"One serious issue is a lack of trust on both sides. Whatever one side says is seen by the other as a tactic or a ruse, or is overinterpreted."

One Chinese investor became so suspicious on learning that not all of the German target company's top and second-tier managers had yet been informed of the talks that the would-be investor walked out, seeing it as a sign that key personnel might not stay on after a takeover.

"For them, the transaction was dead. It took three or four meetings to get the investors back to the table," Raffel said.

He added that when a Chinese firm was the target of a Western buyer, it was not unusual for as many as 10 top executives of the Chinese company to be present at M&A negotiations.

Negotiations in the "walkout" case got back on track, Raffel said. He declined to name the firms involved because the talks are still ongoing but said the target was a family-owned automotive supplier with about 120 million euros ($136 million) in sales.

The traditional nervousness, however, seems to be ebbing. These days an auction process is barely considered complete without at least one Chinese bidder, German bankers say. That can help to keep bids high, as Chinese buyers are often well-funded and have their own particular valuation criteria.

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"In the last 24-48 months, the Chinese have become markedly more active and professional in foreign acquisitions. So investment banks now approach the Chinese in virtually every auction," said Jan Masek, co-head of mergers and acquisitions at HSBC <HSBA.l> in Frankfurt, who advised ChemChina on the Syngenta takeover, alongside China CITIC Bank.

Syngenta's advisers were Dyalco - the one-man business of former Goldman Sachs <GS.N> M&A head Gordon Dyal, alongside JP Morgan <JPM.N>, Goldman Sachs and UBS <UBSG.VX>.

WAVE OF CAPITAL

Outbound Chinese M&A topped $100 billion for the first time last year, with Europe the biggest target region outside Asia. And Germany is seen as especially attractive for its technology, encouragement of foreign investment and business environment.

"There are several factors which tilt things towards Germany," said Mikko Huotari, head of the foreign relations program at MERICS, a Berlin-based think tank focused on China.

"We are seeing a new wave of Chinese capital entering Europe, and in particular Germany."

In the past month, ChemChina has agreed to buy German industrial machinery maker KraussMaffei for $1 billion, Beijing Enterprises Holdings <0392.HK> to buy Germany's Energy from Waste for 1.44 billion euros ($1.62 billion) and Chengdu Techcent Environment Co <300362.SZ> to buy Bilfinger's <GBFG.DE> water treatment unit for 200 million euros.

Those deals will be dwarfed by ChemChina's planned acquisition of Syngenta, which will be its biggest buy so far in the German-speaking world provided a U.S. review finds no threat to national security.

"In the U.S. it is getting increasingly difficult to obtain the necessary permissions," says Christian Kames, Citi's Germany investment banking head.

The United States last month blocked Philips's <PHG.AS> plan to offload a part of its lighting businesses to Asian buyers.

Citi is advising private equity firm KKR <KKR.N> on the sale of German tableware and coffee machine maker WMF - whose consumer tableware brand is increasingly popular with China's growing middle class. The sale may draw Asian bidders.

All these takeovers have in common the acquisition of technology that China needs to shift its economy from lower to higher-value production - something Germany has in plenty.

"With technology gaps in areas such as next-generation lighting, automation/robotics, environmental technologies and aerospace, we expect to see a continued move to acquire know-how in these areas," Barclays analysts wrote in a recent note.

Chinese appliances maker Midea Group <000333.SZ> has rapidly built a stake of above 10 percent in German industrial robot maker Kuka <KU2G.DE>, while the auction for German lighting group Osram's <OSRn.DE> Lamps unit is widely expected to be a contest between Chinese bidders.

PITFALLS

There are still pitfalls for Chinese companies buying German firms, with language and culture named as the biggest challenges in a survey of German companies and Chinese investors published by consultancy PwC last year.

"Germans favor a direct communication style with a steady flow of information. Chinese managers, on the other hand, expect large parts of the information to be understood from the context of the conversation," PwC wrote in a publication aimed at Chinese investors in Germany.

Against that background, people like Yi Sun - who was born in Shanghai, studied German from the age of 12 and has lived in Germany for 18 years - are in high demand.

She is now head of Ernst & Young's China Competence Center for Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

"The rising number of Chinese takeovers in Europe is also feeding through to the labor market," she said.

"All M&A advisory firms are tearing their hair out to find well-educated staff who speak Chinese, German and English - who unfortunately, given the high requirements, are still a rarity."

(Additional reporting by Noah Barkin, Andreas Kroener and Alexander Huebner; Writing by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Harmony Gold: Rand Gold Price Leverage a Plus, Concerns Remain

(Continued from Prior Part)

Reserve replacement and beyond

The potential for future reserve replacement and growth is an important driver for gold miners. While mines have finite lives, the companies operating them dont. In this part of our series, well discuss what projects Harmony Gold (HMY) has in its pipeline to replace its reserves or increase them.

Golpu feasibility study

Golpu is an advanced exploration project in Papua New Guinea (or PNG). Its jointly owned by Harmony Gold (50%) and Newcrest Mining (50%). This gold and copper project falls in the optimal quartile for copper and gold grades. The estimated resource for the project is 20.2 million ounces of gold and 9.4 million ounces of copper. Management is expected to release the results of its Phase 1 bankable feasibility study and Phase 2 pre-feasibility study for the Golpu project on February 15.

Discussions are also ongoing to finalize the pre-mining development agreement with the PNG government. This agreement aims to secure a mining area and fiscal certainty during early exploration works.

Funding for Golpu

During the recent earnings call, management maintained that financial flexibility should allow the company to fund its share of the Golpu project ($1 billion plus). The company believes it can fund the next two to three years of Golpus capital expenditure out of its current cash flows. It isnt thinking of raising any capital at this stage. While this is what management thinks, questions from analysts suggest that the analyst community believes the company cant afford to develop this project on its own. That is the main reason the company isnt getting any credit for the project in its share price.

Kili Teke

Kili Teke is a 100% Harmony-owned gold-copper asset. The company announced maiden resources of 4 million ounces of gold equivalent. The mine contains 506,000 tons of copper, 1.2 million ounces of gold, and 22,000 tons of molybdenum. There could be significant upside from the asset. Only a portion of the overall mineralized envelope has been defined. Kili Teke is still quite a while a way from a pre-feasibility stage.

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New Gold (NGD), Eldorado (EGO), Goldcorp (GG), and Newmont Mining (NEM) also have strong production growth potential due to strong or near-construction projects. On the other hand, growth options for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Kinross Gold (KGC) seem limited going forward. AngloGold and Kinross form 7.8% of the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX).

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb 12, 2016) - Khan Resources Inc. (CSE:KRI) ("Khan" or "the Company") announced today that it has filed its financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended December 31, 2015 on SEDAR and has posted these documents to its website www.khanresources.com.

Highlights

International arbitration award - On March 2, 2015 the international arbitration tribunal rendered an award to Khan as compensation for the Government of Mongolia's illegal actions in relation to the cancellation of Khan's uranium licenses in 2009. As of the date of the approval of this MD&A, February 11, 2016, the award aggregates to approximately $106 million (US) with interest currently accruing at a rate of 2.78% or $7,256 per day (US). In Canadian dollars at February 10, the value of the total award was $148 million.

On June 12, 2015 the Company filed a petition for confirmation of its international arbitration award in the US District Court in the District of Columbia. Mongolia responded to the petition by filing on September 4, 2015 a motion to dismiss or stay the Company's petition. These were followed by memoranda by the Company and by Mongolia on September 29 and October 13 respectively in support of the corresponding arguments. In addition, Mongolia has requested a verbal hearing of the arguments. The Judge on the case has not yet made a ruling on the motion to dismiss or the request for a verbal hearing. Dependant upon the judge's initial ruling, the Company's petition to certify will then be addressed. When certification is confirmed, the award will be executable in the US as a court judgement and the Company can begin a process of seizure of non-immune Mongolian sovereign assets in the US.

On July 9, 2015, the Government of Mongolia filed a notice in the French Court of Appeal in Paris for annulment of the international arbitration award. The Government of Mongolia filed their arguments in support of the annulment on December 9, 2015. The Company's counsel is currently preparing arguments for the filing of the defense, due April 9, 2016 at the latest.

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Meetings were held in December, 2015 and January, 2016 with representatives of the Government of Mongolia to discuss the outstanding obligations of the Government. Those discussions have now been suspended at the request of the Government and no further meetings have been scheduled.

Cash -The Company's outflow of cash in the first quarter of 2016 was $289,000 greater than the first quarter of 2015 due to legal expenses associated with US confirmation of the international arbitration award, defense in the French Court of Appeal and other initiatives in respect of the collection of the arbitration award. Cash and cash equivalents stand at $1,114,000 as at December 31, 2015.

Investments - The Company did not dispose of any of its holdings in Plateau Uranium Inc. ("Plateau") during the quarter. The fair value of the Company's investment in Plateau increased by $37,000 to $353,523 at December 31, 2015.

The following table summarizes financial results of the Company for the first fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

In thousands of dollars Change 2015 2014 % Net loss from continuing operations Three months ended December 31 (330 ) (219 ) -50.7 % Net income (loss) from discontinued operations Three months ended December 31 - (8 ) 100.0 % Basic and diluted earnings per share ($) Three months ended December 31 (0.00 ) (0.00 ) 0.0 % Cash flow Three months ended December 31 (457 ) (168 ) -172.0 % Cash and cash equivalents As at December 31 1,114 184 505.4 % Working Capital As at December 31 1,444 806 79.2 %

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, which are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking statements and information are characterized by words such as "will", "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "forecast", "schedule", "estimate" and similar expressions, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions and are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, including the impact of international, Mongolian and Canadian laws, trade agreements and regulatory requirements on Khan's business, properties, licenses, operations and capital structure, Khan's ability to re-instate or re-register the Dornod uranium project licenses, regulatory uncertainty and obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals, legislative, political, social, regulatory and economic developments or changes in jurisdictions in which Khan carries on business, the nature and outcome of pending and future litigation, arbitration and other legal proceedings, the speculative nature of exploration and development, risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business, changes in market conditions, changes or disruptions in the securities markets and market fluctuations in prices for Khan securities, the existence of third parties interested in purchasing some or all of the common shares or Khan's assets, the method of funding and availability of any potential alternative strategic transactions involving Khan or its assets, including those transactions that may produce strategic value to shareholders, the need to obtain, maintain and/or re-register licenses and permits and comply with national and international laws, regulations, treaties or other similar requirements, and uncertainty in the estimation of mineral reserves and resources. In addition, a number of other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in such statements and information, and there is no assurance that actual results will be consistent with them. For further details, reference is made to the risk factors discussed or referred to in Khan's annual and interim management's discussion and analyses and Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such forward-looking statements and information are made or given as at the date of this news release, and Khan assumes no obligation to update or revise them, either publicly or otherwise, to reflect new events, information or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities law.
Hillary Clinton Bernie Sanders

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) had a terse back-and-forth near the end of the Thursday-night Democratic presidential debate, during which Sanders accused Clinton of a "low blow."

Clinton took an opportunity to rip Sanders over his past criticism of President Barack Obama.

In an NBC interview that aired Thursday, Sanders took a slight dig at Obama for supposedly failing to close the "presidential leadership gap" between Congress and the American public.

"This is not the first time he has criticized President Obama," Clinton said.

Clinton referenced past comments from Sanders in which he called Obama "weak." She also pointed to a blurb Sanders wrote lauding the 2016 book, "Buyer's Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down."

"I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for being a president who got us out of that ditch, put us on firm ground, and sent us into the future," Clinton said, noting that Obama came into office in the midst of a deep recession. The comment earned Clinton one of the biggest applause lines of the night from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, crowd.

"The kind of criticism we've heard from Sen. Sanders about our president, I expect from Republicans," she continued. "I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama."

Sanders smiled as he was being attacked.

"Madam Secretary, that is a low blow," he said.

He went on to tout his experience working with Obama and the president's economic record. But, he argued, a senator in a democratic society has a "right" to disagree with a president, even of his own party, once in a while.

Sanders said that he and Obama were "friends."

"I think it is really unfair to suggest that I have not been supportive of the president," he said. "I have been a strong ally with him on every issue."

He then turned to Clinton: "Have you ever disagreed with the president? I suspect you may have."

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Clinton returned to her criticism of Sanders, accusing him of supporting calls for a 2012 primary opponent during Obama's reelection process.

"I think that goes further than saying, 'Hey, we have our disagreements,'" she said. "... Those kinds of personal assessments and charges are ones that I find particularly troubling."

Sanders returned with a scathing end to the back and forth.

"One of us ran against Barack Obama," he said. "I was not that candidate."

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More From Business Insider


syria press conference

Major world powers taking part in a meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed to implement a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced from Munich on Thursday.

The ISSG agreed that a cessation would be more "apt," as it does not carry the same "legal prerogatives" as a ceasefire, Kerry said.

"A ceasefire, in the minds of many participants, connotes something far more permanent," Kerry said in a news conference following the group's meeting. "A ceasefire signals an end of conflict. This plan is distinctly not that  rather, it is a pause that will be dependent on the process going forward."

But Kerry noted that, like a ceasefire, the plan aims to end hostile activities, while acts of self-defense are allowed. He added that the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad and the opposition "need to make their decision this week" about how they wish to proceed with negotiations.

"The International Syria Support Group took a different step this time from what has happened previously," Kerry said. "In Vienna and in New York we called for a ceasefire. Today we decided on a process, and a timeframe, and we all agreed to do everything we can to meet that."

Russian Airstrikes 29 JAN 07 FEB (1)

When asked whether he thought a cessation of hostilities would cement Assad in power  given the recent battlefield gains the regime had made near Syria's largest city, Aleppo, with the help of Russian airstrikes  Kerry was candid.

"Yes, it is true that the bombing of the last few weeks, and the aggressive actions of the Assad regime  together with forces of other places and countries that have helped them  has made a difference for Assad," Kerry said.

"But that difference doesn't end the war," he added. "It doesn't mean Assad is safe or secure in the long term. ... Our belief is there will never be peace in Syria while President Assad is there. Others think differently."

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not take kindly to Kerry's implication that Russia's actions on behalf of the Assad regime had been "aggressive."

"Liberating a city captured by illegal insurgent groups  is that an aggressive move? Well, maybe," Lavrov said. "But it's important to have offensives against forces that are occupying your country."

Aleppo Syria Bombing

And when a reporter asked Lavrov to respond to accusations that Russia had been bombing civilian targets in a major offensive to help the regime retake Aleppo, Lavrov insisted that such claims were "purely propaganda."

"The mainstream media has been trying to divert attention away from the thing that is most important to all of us," Lavrov said. "And that is the task of preventing ISIS from achieving its goals in Syria."

He added: "Some countries are trying to bring attention back to regime change in Syria, as if we didn't have the experiences of Libya and Iraq."

Russia has criticized the US's role in toppling the regimes of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The White House, meanwhile, has blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for bombing moderate-rebel groups opposed to the Assad regime, saying that the indiscriminate attacks have been instrumental in fueling recruiting for terrorist groups, including ISIS.

The cessation of hostilities in Syria will be implemented with the help of two task forces focused on providing humanitarian aid to besieged cities and creating modalities to end the violence. Sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, will be delivered to besieged cities this week.

The longer-term objective of the cessation, Kerry said, is a "durable, long-term ceasefire."

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By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A recent rise in crude palm oil prices is expected to trigger a resumption of Malaysia's palm oil export tax in March, prompting a potential shift in exports towards processed palm products.

Crude palm oil (CPO) prices have been rising due to concerns about lower production as an El Nino weather pattern brings scorching heat to Southeast Asia, reducing plant yields and cutting output.

Benchmark palm oil prices have gained 4.5 percent so far in 2016, while palm free-on-board prices (PALM-MYFOB-P1) have risen nearly 13 percent. Palm traded around 2,624 ringgit per tonne on Friday.

The world's second largest palm producer imposes a CPO export tax at 4.5 percent to 8.5 percent when a calculated reference price rises above 2,250 ringgit a tonne. Malaysia has maintained a zero tax rate since May 2015.

"Spot CPO prices may have averaged 2,300 ringgit per tonne between Jan. 10 and Feb. 9 and this could trigger the resumption of an export tax of 4.5 percent for CPO starting March 1," said CIMB Research plantations analyst Ivy Ng in a report.

"We view this as positive for refiners and negative for producers," Ng said.

The resumption of the tax could shift Malaysia's export product mix from CPO to processed palm products, and would be negative for Malaysia's CPO prices, along with recent strength in the ringgit, she said.

"But it won't kick in until March, so between then there could be a rush to export CPO. You could see exports being higher this month and lower next month."

Traders said the tax could dampen exports, but its impact may be minimal as exporters would likely absorb the cost and cut their margins to maintain sales.

The tax might not support local refiners much either, they said, as top palm producer Indonesia already imposes a higher $50 a tonne levy on CPO shipments.

This kept down Indonesian CPO prices for local refiners by making it more even more attractive for producers to sell domestically rather than export.

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"Even with the taxes, Indonesia's prices are still cheaper compared to Malaysia due to their export levy. That's why we have been losing market share," said a trader from Kuala Lumpur.

Palm Oil Refiners Association Of Malaysia (PORAM), Mohammad Jaaffar Ahmad, said the tax will not be enough to help refiners compete with Indonesia.

"They still have a cost advantage because of the $50 levy." (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Richard Pullin)
A pump jack is seen at sunrise near Bakersfield, California October 14, 2014. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global oil prices surged as much as 12 percent on Friday after a report once again suggested OPEC might finally agree to cut production to reduce the world glut, while a bounce in stock markets fed appetite for risk.

Despite the strong daily gain, oil prices were poised to end the week down as much as 5 percent.

The United Arab Emirates' energy minister said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was willing to cooperate on an output cut, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday after crude futures settled in U.S. trade.

Many traders were skeptical at first about the report, noting that Venezuela and Russia had tried in vain earlier in the week to stir Saudi Arabia and other major producers into agreeing to output cuts.

But after a 75 percent price slump since mid-2014 that has taken crude prices to more than 12-year lows, many were inclined to believe that a rebound was due sooner or later if production tightens or demand picks up.

"We expect declining U.S. oil production, in particular, to drive the oil price back up to $50 per barrel by the end of the year," Frankfurt-based Commerzbank said in a note.

U.S. crude contracts over the next five years were trading under $50 a barrel on Friday, rising above that level only from November 2021 onwards.

U.S. crude's front-month (CLc1) settled up $3.23, or 12.3 percent, at $29.44 per barrel, reaching a session high of $29.66. It hit a 12-year low of $26.05 the previous day. For the week, it lost 4.7 percent.

Brent's front-month (LCOc1) closed up $3.30 at $33.36 a barrel, having slid below $30 on Thursday. Weekly losses were pared to 2 percent.

Prices extended gains after data showed an eighth straight weekly drop in the number of U.S. rigs drilling for oil. Oil also got a boost from the rally in global equity markets.

Some cited Monday's Presidents Day holiday in the United States, saying fewer players wanted a short position in oil ahead of the longer weekend break for the New York crude market.

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But others, like Tyche Capital Advisors' Tariq Zahir, were hoping to profit again from bearish bets once the rally peaks. "It gives me great opportunity to put out new shorts in crude spreads," he said.

Many expected wilder price swings in coming weeks.

"It's not a one-way price movement anymore," said ABN AMRO's senior energy economist Hans van Cleef. "We will see a period of high volatility."

(Additional reporting by Libby George and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker)
Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad

The announcement of a timeline for "cessations of hostilities" in Syria on Thursday might actually allow the Assad regime and its allies to continue the Syrian Civil War on their own brutal terms.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad told AFP on Friday that he expects to reclaim control of the entire country even if it takes a "long time."

And he can continue waging war as the partial result of yesterday's diplomatic development.

On Thursday, the International Syria Support Group, a group of countries with interests in the outcome of the Syria conflict that includes the US, and Russia, issued a statement outlining an imminent halt in fighting.

The agreement is being hailed as a potential diplomatic breakthrough after four years of war in the country.

But the "Statement of the International Syria Support Group" issued on Thursday contains several loopholes that could work to the Assad regime's advantage and that allow him to continue some of the most destructive aspects of his campaign even with a "cessation of hostilities" in place.

Here are five reasons to be deeply skeptical of yesterday's development.

The timeline. The cessation of hostilities begins in one week, followed by an undefined period of negotiation over a more formal halt in the conflict.

aleppo rubble assad regime air strike

That 2-3 week window could end up being a long time, in light of what's currently unfolding on the battlefield Assad's forces are closing in on Aleppo, Syria's largest city and an anti-regime stronghold, with the help of Russian airstrikes. Tens of thousands of refugees have already fled the city, and the opposition has had their supply lines to Turkey severed.

According to Nadim Shehadi, director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts University, the timeline envisioned in the Munich statement gives Russia a free hand to continue and even intensify its bombardment of Aleppo.

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"This looks like a ceasefire proposal," Shehadi told Business Insider. "But it's in effect a license to kill."

Aleppoiswmap

The "terrorism" exception. Per the Munich statement, the cessation "should apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra, or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council."

Under such conditions, non-jihadist rebel groups like the Free Syrian Army would be violating the cessation in attacking Assad regime forces. But it's unclear if the opposite is true.

Sergei Lavrov Russia Foreign Minister

Both Assad has repeatedly stated that he considers all anti-regime forces to be "terrorists," while Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed a notably elastic definition of which Syrian militants his government considers to be "terrorists."

And given the degree of pragmatic cooperation between extremist and non-extremist anti-regime groups, Russia and Assad will have a built-in justification for continuing their war against the opposition.

One "US-backed rebel commander" told Mike Giglio of Buzzfeed that the agreement "is very dangerous for us."

The fact that the "cessation" even allows Assad to continue fighting gives him international sanction for continuing the fight against anti-regime forces.

So far, Russia has paid no apparent penalty for using an anti-ISIS operation as cover for airstrikes against non-jihadist rebels.

There's little reason to believe the "cessation" would change these dynamics, given that the agreement it was reached at a time when Assad and Russia are operating from a position of the strength, and are on the verge of achieving one of their most important battlefield objectives.

Syrians wait for an aid convoy in the besieged town of Madaya in the countryside of Damascus, Syria on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 as part of a UN-sponsored aid operation in this war-torn country. (AP Photo)

Slight of hand on humanitarian access. The agreement calls for the delivery of aid to a number of cities that are either besieged or outside the reach of humanitarian organizations: "In order to accelerate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, sustained delivery of assistance shall begin this week by air to Deir Ez Zour and simultaneously to Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of Rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, and Kafr Batna by land, and continue as long as humanitarian needs persist," the statement reads. "Humanitarian access to these most urgent areas will be a first step toward full, sustained, and unimpeded access throughout the country."

The Munich statement vaguely motions towards some future agreement on full humanitarian access  while explicitly stopping short of requiring it.

The agreement doesn't require the Assad regime to lift its siege on cities like Madaya. It doesn't even mention Aleppo, the source of a humanitarian calamity so severe that the resulting refugee stream could turn the Syrian Civil War into an event that "is becoming an existential threat to the EU," in the words of French ambassador to the US Gerard Araud.

The agreement allows Assad to continue the war, without imposing particularly stringent humanitarian requirements on his regime.

It helps Russia. The agreement makes it appear that Russia agreed to a fair solution to the conflict  when in reality that "solution" allows Assad to consolidate his gains with Russian assistance.

As Ulrich Speck, a senior fellow at the Transatlantic Academy wrote, "The goal of the 'ceasefire' is very likely to confuse the west about Russia's actions and intentions in Syria, to break western unity, and by doing so, to attack the west's political will and ability to resist and counter Russian actions."

Shehadi believes the entire agreement is timed to free make Russia appear a constructive actor in Syria  while giving it a temporary free hand in aiding the Assad regime in Aleppo and elsewhere.

"Russia is facing a lot of problems, a lot of pressure because of what's happening in Aleppo, and to divert attention from that pressure they have put this proposal forward," Shehadi told Business Insider.

syria

Just what is a "cessation of hostilities," anyway? The phrase "cessation of active hostilities" appears in the Geneva Conventions in reference to requirements for repatriating prisoners of war.

As University of Texas legal scholar Derek Jinks wrote in a 2003 paper, "It is important to note that many commentators have suggested that the 'general close of military operations' standard is distinct from the 'cessation of active hostilities standard.

The latter refers to the termination of hostilities  the silencing of the guns  whereas the former refers to the complete cessation of all aggressive military maneuvers."

Here's how another recent peace agreement, the January 2014 Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities in South Sudan's civil war, defined the phrase's requirements:

Screen Shot 2016 02 12 at 12.39.24 PM

A "cessation" could mean anything from a freezing of the conflict's frontlines (the Geneva Conversions definition, more or less) to a total halt in all armed activity.

The Munich statement says that the "ISSG task force will within one week elaborate modalities for a nationwide cessation of hostilities."

The agreement seeks to impose an as-yet undefined set of rules on the combatants. It creates an open-ended period in which it's unclear what the various sides' obligations really are  one that Assad and Russia will undoubtedly exploit as they continue their assault on Aleppo.

"Look at what they're doing on the ground," Shehadi says of Assad and Russia's offensive against the city. "They're not looking for modalities. "They're going full blast."

NOW WATCH: This is the US military's biggest weakness





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kn 08 north korea

The Pentagon outlined in a report to congress today that North Korea's mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are a top threat to the nation, Bloomberg Business reports.

According to the Pentagon report, Pyongyang has already developed and deployed six "road-mobile" launchers for the KN-08 missile.

Estimations of the missile's range vary, although The Heritage Foundation published in its 2016 Index of US Military Strength that the missiles could have ranges up to 9,000 km.

This estimation was echoed by the Pentagon today, Bloomberg notes, as the military believes that the KN-08 would likely be capable of reaching much of the continental United States."

The Pentagon did clarify the threat from the KN-08 by saying that "ICBMs are extremely complex systems that require multiple flight tests to identify and correct design or manufacturing defects."

And currently, the missile's reliability is likely extremely low due to a lack of testing.

But the KN-08 remains the most serious missile threat emanating from out of the hermit kingdom.

kn08 north korea

The KN-08 is a road-mobile intercontinental missile, meaning Pyongyang can move the launch system throughout the country. In contrast, other long-range missiles must be fired from stationary launch pads.

"It's the relocatable target set that really impedes our ability to find, fix, and finish the threat," Adm. Bill Gortney, the commander of NORAD, told reporters in April 2015. "And as the targets move around and we if don't have the persistent stare and persistent [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] that we do not have over North Korea at this time, that relocatable nature makes it very difficult for us to counter it."

The KN-08 is also different from the Taepodong 3, which North Korea tested earlier in the month. That ballistic missile is nuclear capable with an estimated range of 13,000 kilometers  which would place the entire United States in range.

Story continues

north korea missile map

The missiles, however, are both unlikely to have the accuracy required for precision targeting on large US cities. And although the Pyongyang may soon develop the capability needed to launch missiles towards the US, it's still possible that it wouldn't be able to evade existing US missile defenses.

"Should [a missile] get airborne and come at us, I'm confident we would be able to knock it down," Gortney told reporters.

In the face of such a challenge, the US has agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system to South Korea.

The missile system is able to knock enemy missiles out of the sky, hopefully limiting the utility of any long-range missiles in North Korea's arsenal.

NOW WATCH: Meet THAAD: Americas answer to North Korean threats





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JOSE MANUEL RIBEIRO | AFP | Getty Images. Portugal's finance minister has warned that the volatility roiling financial markets is "a problem that policymakers need to take very seriously".

Portugal's finance minister has warned that the volatility roiling financial markets is "a problem that policymakers need to take very seriously" as he sought to reassure investors his country was committed to budgetary discipline.

Stock markets across the globe have been on a rollercoaster ride since the start of the year, and European banks have come under particular pressure in recent weeks.

Portugal's politics have also played their part in unsettling investors.



The country's controversial 2016 budget, which it submitted more than three months late to the European Commission, will reverse public wage cuts implemented by the previous center-right government. Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa must balance appeasing his coalition partners with a commitment to fiscal consolidation under EU rules.

Mario Centeno said measures such as the shortening of the working week for civil servants will be implemented under "very strict conditions" to minimize the cost to public finances.



He added the country was committed to complying with EU budget rules, adding the European Commission had said the budget discussions had been fruitful; the Commission eventually approved the budget last week.

It was now very important to transmit the message that Portugal's budget was deemed satisfactory to the markets, he said.

The country's bonds are rated below investment grade by all the major ratings agencies and Portugal is keen to change that perception.

"Of course we want to improve the way the market sees us, as an economy as a country and of course the public and private debt of Portugal," Centeno said. "This requires very strict commitment and very strict action on the budgetary front and we will do it. "

Investors were also unsettled by the bail-in - when regulators impose losses on bondholders - of Portuguese bank Novo Banco.

Last year, the central bank failed to sell Novo Banco, which was carved out of failed lender Banco Espirito Santo after a 4.9 billion euro state rescue in 2014, as bids came in too low with investors concerned about its liquidity and potential contingencies, Reuters reported.

Story continues

The agency said that on December 29, the central bank took a controversial decision to transfer nearly 2 billion euros in bonds from Novo Banco back to Banco Espirito Santo, making some investments nearly worthless, a decision private bondholders plan to challenge in courts.

Centeno stressed it was now important to go to the market and to explain that this was a one-off event.

"We are working together with the ECB and the Portuguese financial sector to strengthen, to guarantee that this type of event will not occur," he told CNBC.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.

Reuters contributed to this report





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President Barack Obama, while taping an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday, said that he doesnt really miss campaigning except for one aspect of it: Getting out of Washington, which can sometimes be a little depressing.

Well to get out of Washington or what part is depressing? DeGeneres asked.

Well, Washington, he said, drawing some laughs at the deadpan delivery.

Obama was in Los Angeles on Thursday for an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a pair of fundraisers in Hancock Park, before spending the weekend in Palm Springs.

He also talked about gay rights, saying that one of the things Im proudest of because my whole political career has been based on the idea that we constantly want to include people and not exclude them. He praised DeGeneres, telling her, that changing hearts and minds I dont think anybodys been more influential than you on that. I really mean it.

Obama also talked about how he had figured out how not to fight with wife Michelle Obama.

Ya know, after about 15 years I finally figured out that shes always right, he said, as the audience laughed.

Obama watched a videotaped Valentines Day message that his wife sent to be played on the show, after which DeGeneres had him create his own message, actually a comedy bit. I love you so much. I Obamacare more about you than you even know.

In another part of his visit to the show, Obama answers questions from 6-year-old Macey Hensley, a presidential expert, including one on whether the U.S. has made contact with aliens.

This was Obamas first in-studio visit with DeGeneres since taking office. The interview airs on Friday.

Photo: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.

Watch some of the excerpts below:

Related stories

President Obama Arrives in L.A. for 'Ellen' Appearance, Fundraisers

CAA Signs Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan

In a Different Super Bowl Match, Gayle King Tackles the Obamas
(Adds quotes, background)

By Marc Jones and John Geddie

LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The only credit rating agency to give Portugal an investment- grade rank - which the country needs to take part in the European Central Bank's bond-buying programme - said on Friday that it was concerned by a recent rise in its bond yields.

Canadian ratings firm DBRS said it was comfortable with its BBB (low) 'stable' rating for now, but recent market volatility was a worry. This week saw the biggest weekly rise in Portuguese bond yields since the height of the euro crisis.

The ECB requires one of its four recognised agencies - DBRS, Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch - to rank a country investment grade before it will buy that country's bonds under its 1.5 trillion-euro quantitative easing scheme.

"As of today, we feel comfortable that our `stable' trend on Portugal is appropriate," Fergus McCormick, head sovereign analyst at DBRS, told Reuters.

However, "the recent rise in bond yields is a concern, given the high refinancing burden," McCormick said. "If market volatility persists, our attention then turns to the political equation and what is feasible in terms of fiscal adjustment."

DBRS is next due to review the rating on April 29.

Around a third of Portugal's 148 billion euros of outstanding debt falls due over the next three years. The higher yields rise, the more expensive it will be for the country to roll over that debt, which in turn squeezes its finances.

With markets worried about global growth and the health of the world's banks, Portugal has been singled out by investors who question whether the new government can stick to a budget plan it agreed with the European Commission last Friday.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said the Socialist government would prepare additional budget measures to make sure the country meets EU fiscal goals and reinforces investor confidence, but he does not think they will be needed .

"Portugal has implemented a strong fiscal effort so far, and the new coalition looks committed to further consolidation in the 2016 budget," DBRS's McCormick said. "However, fiscal slippage is a risk and the high debt burden leaves the country exposed to shocks." (Reporting by Marc Jones and John Geddie, editing by Larry King)
Diego Piacentini of the leading online retailer Amazon.com speaks at a news conference in Paris August 29 , 2000.

ROME (Reuters) - A top executive at Amazon.com, Diego Piacentini, is taking a two-year leave of absence to lead Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's digital technology office, the company said on Wednesday.

Piacentini, Amazon's senior vice president of international consumer business, has been with the U.S. company for 16 years and will move to Rome this summer, working for free during his 24-month stint.

"Mr. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, we are so proud of Diego. Great for Italy. Kudos to all," Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said on Twitter, announcing Piacentini's temporary relocation to his home country.

"Come to Italy and we can talk about innovation!" Renzi replied.

It was not immediately clear what was expected of Piacentini, but the Italian government is eager to upgrade the country's technological know-how in an effort to aid the sluggish economy.

Only some 36 percent of Italian households are covered by so-called next-generation-access networks, according to latest European Union data, against 43 percent in France and 81 percent in Germany. Renzi has said he wants to give almost all households rapid broadband cover by 2020.

His government has also said it wants to establish "digital neighbourhoods" in cities that will be dedicated to fostering hi-tech startups.

Last month, U.S. technology giant Apple (AAPL.O) announced it would open a centre for developing apps in the southern Italian city of Naples -- its first such facility in Europe.

(Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Friday it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said it had notified lawmakers about the possible deal. The agency said the F-16s would allow Pakistan's Air Force to operate in all-weather environments and at night, while improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter terrorism operations. Lawmakers now have 30 days to block the sale, although such action is rare since deals are well-vetted before any formal notification. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, notified the Obama administration that he would not approve using U.S. funds to pay for the planes through the foreign military financing (FMF) program. That means Pakistan must fund the purchase itself, instead of relying on U.S. funds to cover about 46 percent of the cost. Given the funds it has available, Pakistan may only be able to buy four of the F-16 Block 52 models, and the associated radar and electronic warfare equipment, said one U.S. source familiar with the situation. Corker told Secretary of State John Kerry in a letter that he was concerned about Pakistan's ties to the Haqqani network, a militant group that U.S. officials have said is behind bombings and attacks in Afghanistan. "I may reconsider my blanket hold on U.S. FMF assistance should the Pakistanis make progress on addressing my significant concerns about their support for the Haqqani network, but for now, if they wish to purchase this military equipment, they will do so without a subsidy from the American taxpayer," he wrote. One U.S. official said the administration was convinced that F-16s were the right platform to support Pakistans counter terrorism and counterinsurgency operations. "These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven for terrorism and a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan, which is in the national interests of both Pakistan and the United States, and in the interest of the region more broadly," the official said. Lockheed referred questions about the deal to the U.S. government. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - American and British regulators are likely to charge several banks including Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. bank, and London-based HSBC Holdings, in an interest-rigging probe, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority were preparing a final round of civil charges against the bank for rate manipulation in the Libor scandal, the newspaper reported, citing people close to the investigation.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Eric Walsh)
(Adds context on case, background)

CARACAS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A World Bank tribunal has issued an arbitration award ordering Venezuela pay steelmaker Tenaris some $172.8 million for the takeover of its Matesi Materiales Siderurgicos SA unit, adding pressure on the cash-squeezed country.

Venezuela has six months to pay Tenaris an $87.3 million award plus about $85.5 million in interest payments, a tribunal at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) said in its decision. (http://bit.ly/1WhIdjd)

Venezuela faces some 20 major arbitration awards, most stemming from high-profile nationalizations during the presidency of the late leftist Hugo Chavez.

It has requested various reviews or annulments of recent ICSID decisions, which critics see as attempts to stall the payment of fines amid a biting recession.

It was not immediately clear if the OPEC country would contest the decision in favor of Tenaris, the world's top producer of seamless steel pipes for the energy industry.

A lawyer representing the government did not respond to an email seeking comment.

While the award adds pressure to Venezuela's finances, the amount is well under the $789.1 million in compensation, including pre-award interest, that Tenaris had sought.

"The tribunal recalls that whilst the claimants have succeeded in this case in establishing an illegal expropriation, and have secured a substantial award in their favor, they have not been entirely successful," the ICSID decision read, adding pre-expropriation claims were not awarded.

Tenaris acquired Matesi in 2004. Chavez took it over in 2009.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga and Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Bill Trott)
A new website is promising small business owners big savings on traditional bookkeeping services by outsourcing the bulk of the work to fully trained and supervised outsourcing teams in Sri Lanka, India & China

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2016 / There is no doubt about it, outsourcing is revolutionizing the way people do business in the digital age. Businesses right across Australia are constantly looking for an edge to get ahead of the competition and outsourcing is now becoming a viable way to save money even for small to medium sized businesses.

BookkeepingSolutions.com.au is a recently launched website that offers outsourced bookkeeping solutions for small to medium sized businesses. The site is backed up by a company with over 200 fully qualified bookkeepers and accountants, local Australian account managers and access to over 1000 fully trained and supervised staff in Sri Lanka, India & China.

Bookkeeping is one area that is often overlooked, but outsourcing it can save huge amounts of money, whilst giving business owners better access to their business data to enable them to make better business decisions.

"With savings of up to 65% over the traditional bookkeeper or office manager role, we are seeing more and more businesses embrace our streamlined outsourcing solutions," said a representative of the company.

When questioned about security, a company spokesman said: "All our clients data is 100% secure, and never leaves Australian Shores. We have datacenters here in Australia that keep all the client's information safe. Our outsourcers are all fully trained and qualified or on their way to be qualified and all work is carried out by logging on to the Australian servers, completing the work and logging off."

"All work is then double checked for quality and accuracy by a qualified account manager before it is given back to the client," they said.

The company is based in Melbourne, Australia and is already providing bookkeeping services to over 800 Australian businesses, including some Accounting practices.

Story continues

For more information about us, please visit http://BookkeepingSolutions.com.au

Contact Info:

Name: B Hamilton

Organization: BookkeepingSolutions.com.au

Address: 320 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne VIC 3207

Phone: 1300 130 772

SOURCE: BookkeepingSolutions.com.au
Why Asset Managers, Financials Are the Worst-Hit by the Slowdown

(Continued from Prior Part)

Fastest-growing economy

Indias economy has shown fundamental resilience. The nation is benefiting from lower oil prices and is improving its domestic economy, which is driven by infrastructure and consumption. Indias economy grew by 7.3% in the December quarter, backed by 12.6% growth in manufacturing and 6.5% growth in mining.

India is the only country among major economies to report strong growth in manufacturing as the economy benefits from a new government led by Narendra Modi. The government forecasts 7.6% growth for the year ending March 31, 2016. Indian equities have been the best performers in 2016, with a collective fall of 5.8%. Institutional investors have deployed funds into India to take advantage of a long-term growth story.

Companies that would benefit from a bullish trend in emerging market equities include BlackRock (BLK), Goldman Sachs (GS), HSBC Holdings (HSBC), and Blackstone (BX).

Chinas slowdown

Indias growth story is not offsetting a fall due to the slowdown China. Chinas Shanghai Composite Index has fallen by 22% in 2016. Chinese vice president Li Yuanchao, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said that Chinas markets are not yet mature, and the government will boost regulations in an effort to limit volatility.

Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, also assured investors that his government is prepared to intervene again to stave off any large liquidity problems that could lead to systemic risks.

Chinas gross domestic product for 2015 came in at 6.9% against the governments 7% target. In 4Q15, China saw growth of 6.8%. China has set a target growth rate of 6.5% for 2016, since its transition from an export- and investment-led economy to a service- and a consumer-driven economy is expected to take some time.

The persisting slowdown in China has put additional pressure on commodity prices. This has resulted in lower exports from Brazil and Russia. Russias economy has been badly hit by a fall in crude oil prices. Overall, emerging markets (EEM), except for India, are in a recessionary mode.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
One week after the Republican-controlled Congress broke with over 40 years of tradition by denying the White House budget director a chance to explain the administrations annual budget request, the GOP is coming precariously close to not being able to come up with its own spending blueprint.

A group of hardcore House conservatives has seized on two recent developments  the U.S. national debt reaching a record $19 trillion and a Congressional Budget Office report that the deficit will spike in 2016 for the first time in seven years  to demand $30 billion in spending cuts before a vote can happen on a budget resolution whose topline numbers were determined by congressional leaders late last year.

Related: Tea Party Revolts Against Obamas Budget as Debt Exceeds $19 Trillion

We need to write a budget that reflects the environment were in, House Freedom Caucus chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) said Thursday during a Capitol Hill press conference, specifically citing the debt figure and the CBO report. To me, thats what drives it.

Were still pretty firm on the number, said Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID).

The conflict has been brewing since last September, when former House Speaker John Boehner (OH) helped forge a two-year deal that lifted looming budgets caps by raising discretionary spending by $50 billion in fiscal 2016 and $30 billion in 2017.

The agreement was the final achievement for Boehner, who was driven out of office by his increasingly public brawls with the Freedom Caucus, and conservatives gave his successor Paul Ryan (WI) a pass as he worked to pass the deal. However, 179 House Republicans voted against the deal, a clear sign of deep-rooted conservative anger.

Related: As National Debt Hits $19 Trillion, a Spending Showdown Looms in Congress

Now Ryan -- a former House Budget Committee chair who has spent months promising that Republicans will no longer just be the party of no and give the American public a clear contrast with Democrats in a presidential election year -- faces a fork in the road that could open him up to the same criticisms that hounded Boehner into retirement and prompt new complaints from the minority that the GOP cant govern.

Story continues

Congressional budget resolutions dont become law but they do serve as a fiscal roadmap that lays out in detail the majority partys spending priorities for the year. If Ryan cant quiet his right flank, he could be forced to ditch the budget process all together and skip straight to drafting the 12 annual appropriations bills that fund the federal government.

Such a move would violate his promises to return the chamber to regular order and take up the spending bills individually.

That route could also be problematic for conservatives because without the budget blueprint to guide appropriators there is less incentive to write the 12 separate spending bills, thereby greatly increasing the chances of a free-spending, catch-all omnibus bill to keep the governments doors open.

Related: Four Trillion Reasons to Throw the Bums Out

Meanwhile, mainstream Republican might revolt if Ryan buckles under conservative demands and reneges on the budget agreement. He also would face new opposition from defense hawks, who already want to see the topline number increased by over $20 billion.

Freedom Caucus members argue the choice is simple: a smaller budget is in line with conservative values and therefore meets Ryans goal of contrasting with the Democrats.

Labrador said billionaire Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary in a landslide earlier this week because the American people dont trust the Republican Party to do the things we promised to do.

We are $19 trillion in debt and weve got a whole town that wants to ignore that, said Tea Party Caucus chair Tim Huelskamp (R-KS). Were talking about $30 billion. ***

Rep. David Brat (R-VA), who dubbed the two-year deal a crap sandwich, said he could support higher spending if Ryan made commitments in writing to find savings quickly on other issues the Wisconsin lawmaker has highlighted, like welfare reform.

Jordan rejected the idea that just because the two-year budget deal set the topline numbers, lawmakers must adhere to it.

He noted that the budget panel passed a blueprint last year only to see it grow on the chamber floor after defense hawks won more money for the Pentagon and grew again in the final bargain after leaders promised Democrats to match every new dollar in defense with one on the domestic side.

The logic that we have to follow that number  We have never done that. Are you kidding me?! he asked.

Tensions could come to a head on Friday when Ryan, who has spent the last few weeks casually meeting with members, reveals the path forward to the entire House GOP Conference.

If Republicans and Democrats cant find a way to trim $30 billion from a $4 trillion budget, then none of us deserve to be here as members of Congress, said Labrador.

We should hang our heads in shame.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
US Secretary of States John Kerry (R) gestures beside of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) during a news conference after the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich on February 12, 2016 (AFP Photo/Christof Stache)

Munich (Germany) (AFP) - World powers on Friday agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria, but the Munich deal left out the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's local branch, leaving analysts to doubt its viability.

The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed that "sustained delivery" of aid will begin this week, with a new UN task force meeting later Friday in Geneva to start pushing for much greater access to "besieged and hard-to-reach areas".

The deal went further than expected, with Lavrov talking about "direct contacts between the Russian and US military" on the ground.

But Kerry said they were under "no illusions" about the difficulty of implementing the agreement.

- 'Huge question marks' -

Analysts were sceptical the deal would stop the bloodshed.

"It is ambitious and yet very tenuous... there are huge question marks," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

He highlighted the fact that the Islamic State group (IS) and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra would not be covered by the "cessation of hostilities".

The failure to include Al-Nusra was particularly important, Barnes-Dacey said, since the group is active in Aleppo and surrounding regions, and many of the more "moderate" rebels have links with it.

"In many ways this Munich meeting was thrust to the fore by the situation in Aleppo, and yet the conditions of the agreement do not seem to apply to Aleppo," said Barnes-Dacey.

"Talking about Nusra works in the Russians' favour since so many rebel groups have ties to Nusra. This effectively gives the green light for the Syrian government and its allies to carry on military action while paying lip service to the agreement."

Story continues

A senior Russian foreign affairs official appeared to support the doubts, saying he was "not very optimistic" about a ceasefire.

"Despite the agreement, Russia will continue its anti-terrorist military operation," Vladimir Djabarov, vice-president of Russia's foreign affairs commission told the TASS news agency.

"There are too many groups that claim they are anti-government or anti-Assad when many are clearly terrorist groups," he said.

- 'Words on paper' -

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, launched a major offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced at least 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than a quarter-million lives.

Kerry said talks between rebels and the regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper -- what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground."

A UN task force, co-chaired by Russia and the US, will work over the coming week "to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," Kerry said.

The separate aid task force will pressure the Syrian government to open routes, since only around a dozen of 116 UN access requests have been granted.

Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.

Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has gained from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis in Europe.

Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.

It has sought to focus more on combatting IS jihadists, which have taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces.

The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".
201 File FDChief Portland, Oregon, United States I'm inquisitive and judgmental by nature, analytical by training and doggedly hard-working by necessity; husband, father, scientist, teacher, retired Army sergeant, and social liberal. View my complete profile
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Kids Korner  Kids can make posters, color, play games, get their face painted, write valentine's cards and watch magic shows all over at the Gate 4 Lobby Kids Korner.

More t-shirts! - The No. 7 Florida Lacrosse team will be throwing t-shirts before the first rotation!

Social Ambassador - follow @GatorsGym on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. MaryKatherine Fechtel (@MissAmericaFL) is this meet's Social Ambassador and will be posting behind the scenes and interactive content throughout the meet

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  Florida gymnastics plays host to its third top-10 team this Friday when it faces Arkansas for the 10annual Gators Link to. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.Last month, Florida took home wins versus No. 5 UCLA (Jan. 12) and another No. 5 team with its victory over Alabama on Jan. 29. No. 9 Arkansas is one of five Southeastern Conference teams among the latest top-10 collegiate rankings.It is the 10th edition of Gators Link to. Events aimed to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and treatment will be included at Friday's meet. These meets are part of a SEC initiative and most of the league's teams will participate in a "" meet this season. Team colors are set aside Friday as the teams will wear(but in different shades).The first 2,000 fans Friday receive aGators Link tot-shirt and the first 1,000 receive a Link to Pink poster, both compliments of UF Health.Tickets for Friday's meet are $5 for adults, while children 17 and under and UF students showing a Gator1 card are admitted free. To get tickets for Friday's meet, visit the FloridaGators.com ticket site or stop by the Gator Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.  5 p.m.).Other happenings at Friday's meet includeFriday's meet streams live on the SEC Network + . Stacey Gleim and Adam Schick will call the action.A complimentary parking shuttle will transports fans from the UF Commuter Lot on Gale Lemerand Drive to the O'Connell Center. For more information, visit FloridaGators.com Florida was edged 196.40-196.35 at then No. 11 Georgia last Friday in front of a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum crowd of 10,224. It was the 10th time in the two team's 141 all-time series that a tenth of a point or less decided the meet.For the first time this season, the Gators were forced to count a fall in their balance beam team total. That, combined with Georgia putting up its season-best floor exercise total, moved the Bulldogs past the Gators on the final rotation. Sophomorecollected her fourth vault title of 2016 with a 9.90 and shared the evening's uneven bars title with Brandie Jay at 9.925.Senior, who had trouble on her final floor tumbling pass due to leg cramps, was able to finish the meet by anchoring the Gators' balance beam set with the winning mark of 9.875. That win was her 78th event title, tying her for fourth on the Gators' Career Events Wins list.Arkansas is 2-2 in Southeastern Conference dual meets, but those two wins came against top-10 teams. The Razorbacks posted a 196.70196.40 upset at then No. 4 Alabama on Jan. 22 and then took a 196.60-195.975 home win over then No. 9 Auburn on Jan. 29. Last Friday, Arkansas lost 197.425-196.15 at No. 5 LSU.Junior Amanda Wellick is the only Razorback to compete as an all-arounder in 2016 and her season-best of 39.50 won the title versus Auburn. Florida is No. 2 in the fifth Road to Nationals poll  The Razorbacks are No. 9 in the Road to National poll.
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Poor poor oil..





Clean energy groups predict today's agreement means the continent's industry is about to take off.



"It shows how seriously our countries will be starting to take clean energy." said Clare Demerse, senior policy adviser with Clean Energy Canada.



Demerse says it could create a bigger market for Canadian renewable energy.



For example, the U.S. Clean Power Plan allows coal-burning states to import clean Canadian energy that has come online since 2012 to reduce their emissions. Despite a recent court-imposed delay, most environmentalists believe that plan will eventually proceed with a big demand for Canadian hydro, solar and wind power.



There could also be a chance to develop a continent-wide infrastructure for electric cars.



"All three countries manufacture cars, all three are thinking about the next generation of cars," Demerse said.



"There is a lot they can do together to make sure, for example, you could drive an electric car anywhere on the continent and know you can charge it."
Opponents of Canadas $15-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia are taking Ottawa to court in an attempt to block shipments of the combat vehicles, a move that could force the governing Liberals to explain how they justify the sale to a human-rights pariah under weapon-export restrictions.





Mr. Turp and his group are calling on critics of the deal across the country to rally behind their challenge, which they are calling operation Armoured Rights, pointing to how poorly Saudi Arabia treats its own citizens and the civilian carnage of the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen.

 He will announce the legal challenge on Saturday and intends to file it with the Federal Court within three weeks.Mr. Turp and his group are calling on critics of the deal across the country to rally behind their challenge, which they are calling operation Armoured Rights, pointing to how poorly Saudi Arabia treats its own citizens and the civilian carnage of the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen. (Globe and Mail

The action is led by law Professor Daniel Turp together with students of the University of Montreal:Amply documented, Saudi Arabia is the state sponsor of Al Qaeda affiliated opposition groups in Syria including the Islamic State (ISIS). Riyadh acting in liaison and on behalf of Washington plays a central role in the financing of the Islamic State (ISIS) as well as the recruitment, training and religious indoctrination of terrorist mercenary forces deployed in Syria and Iraq.What this signifies is that Canada is selling weapons to a country which is supporting and sponsoring terrorist organizations. Moreover Saudi Arabia is currently involved in a war of aggression against Yemen in blatant derogation of international law.The links of Saudi Arabia to the terrorists are amply documented and will no doubt be raised in the class action court hearings.
It looks more like a Transformer, and could be the new sting in the British Army's tail.



The 'Swiss Army Knife' combat vehicle, so dubbed because of its armoury of tools, now comes complete with a telescopic investigation arm, an upgrade on the existing Terrier ordered by defence chiefs.





Aptly named 'Terrier', it has been designed to meet the challenges of warfare on the battlefields of the future.



It can probe for buried explosives and split solid concrete with a rock hammer that stretches more than 26 ft (8m) away from its body.



The mammoth machine can now wade through deep waters and withstand waves of up to six and a half feet (2m).



'Swiss Army knife' armoured vehicle unveiled

FACT FILE

The Terrier: reloaded



Top speed: 45 mph



Weight: 32 tonnes



Remote control range: 1 km



Front loader max weight: 5 tonnes



Mine plough top speed: 9 mph

By Agency12 Feb 2016The TelegraphIt looks more like a Transformer, and could be the new sting in the British Army's tail.The 'Swiss Army Knife' combat vehicle, so dubbed because of its armoury of tools, now comes complete with a telescopic investigation arm, an upgrade on the existing Terrier ordered by defence chiefs.Aptly named 'Terrier', it has been designed to meet the challenges of warfare on the battlefields of the future.It can probe for buried explosives and split solid concrete with a rock hammer that stretches more than 26 ft (8m) away from its body.The mammoth machine can now wade through deep waters and withstand waves of up to six and a half feet (2m).The remote controlled 32 tonne machine was originally launched as part of a 360m project in June 2013 to dig holes, lift objects, drill into the ground and even shatter concrete with troops a safe distance away.But it has been now been enhanced with sophisticated new technologies and systems by defence engineers at BAE Systems, ensuring it keeps a step ahead of competitors.One of the upgrades is a ripper that can tear up roads or runways, rendering them useless to the enemy, and an earth augur that drills holes for use in combat engineering. BAE Systems Land (UK) export sales manager Rory Breen said: "The greater wading depth and surge protection will make Terrier even better suited for use in coastal or low lying areas, where it can play an important role in disaster relief as well as combat situations."Along with the new telescopic arm and other attachments,Terrier remains the most technologically advanced and flexible combat engineer vehicle in the world."Due to the modular nature of the vehicle, it could also be quickly adapted for a range of other situations, such as clearing paths through jungle or thick foliage."Terrier can reach speeds of 45 mph (70kmh) and already has complete remote control from up to 1km (0.62 miles) away, along with a variety of lifting, grabbing and moving capabilities.Its front loader system can lift weights of up to five tonnes and can shift 300 tonnes of earth an hour.In addition, its recently trialled sub-surface mine plough can penetrate to recognised safe depths while travelling at up to 15kmh (9.3 mph), quickly creating a path free of mines and improvised explosive devices.Terrier was designed to provide the British Army with maximum flexibility from a single vehicle, allowing them to reduce their equipment and logistic footprint.BAE Systems' engineers continue to develop new modular attachments, meaning that Terrier customers can upgrade their vehicles to meet new requirements without changing platforms.
i guess i was quick on response without explaining,you are correct to point out nurse practitioner's are working towards autonomy within the design of health care,we witnessed this recently with the passing of legislation for nurse practitioners to write prescriptions.what i should have clarified is nurse practioners are not going to work in a doctors office,health centre,etc as a subbordanate?to physcians.attempts by provincial Health recruiters to place practioners in strange postions in medical/psychiatric/rehab hospitals has failed as no nurse practioner is going to do medical assessments under the authority of physcians,possibly their are practioners,but these are not the professionals I am acquainted with.Practioners are paving their own way and doing a good job of doing so.Just check out nurse Practioner clinics in British Columbia.
Vicki Borst hopes area residents will take part in an event that can build their faith.

So the pastoral minister invites the public to the Parish Mission.

Starting this weekend, the free, three-day event will combine food and fellowship with presentations on discipleship by the Rev. Vincent Fortunato.

Catholics and non-Catholics, alike, are encouraged to attend the activities planned from Sunday through Tuesday at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Fremont.

Food and fellowship are scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. in Delany Hall in the church at 3400 E. 16th St. Soup will be served Sunday evening, followed by Munchie Monday and Taco Tuesday.

Freewill offerings will be accepted for the food. Free babysitting will be available during the presentations.

Fortunatos presentations will take place in the church sanctuary.

During his talks, Fortunato will tell how people can embrace the challenge of being disciples.

Fortunato, who lives in Wilmington, Del., is an ordained priest with the Capuchin Franciscan Friars.

He has served his community for 20 years in formation ministry and as a provincial minister for six. He has a master of divinity degree from Darlington Seminary and master of arts degree in spirituality from Creighton University.

Fortunato is a presenter of spiritual direction for groups and training programs and preacher for parish missions and retreats.

He recently served in Rome and has been invited to be commissioned by Pope Francis to be a missionary of mercy. He will have the privilege of absolving any excommunications that are reserved to the Pope.

Borst is excited about the presentations.

Weve heard really great things about him (Fortunato), she said. Hell talk about how we can gain further insight into our faith life through the conversion of our hearts and about daily livinghow we need to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

She noted something else.

When were all united in Jesus Christ, we take better care of each other and our community and our world is a better place, she said.

The Parish Mission isnt a new event for the church.

Every other year, we have a Parish Mission, Borst said. Its a chance for the parish community to get together and have a recharge of your faith, to give you a boost. We do it during Lent so it gives people a time to reflect.

Borst believes the event will provide a different experience for each individual.

Some people are going to feel welcomed through the food and fellowship and other people are going to feel welcomed in a spiritual sense through the power of the presentation, she said.

Fellowship is an important part of the event.

Because the church has several different Masses, someone who attends on Saturday night may not know other parishioners who attend on Sunday. The event brings everyone together at the same time and the fellowship part of the program will provide opportunities for attendees to meet other believers and talk about the faith.

Borst encourages area residents to attend.

We want to be a welcoming and inviting parish to everyone, she said. We want people to know theyre all welcome at St. Patricks.
Albert Anson is a walking library filled with faith stories.

Recently, he and his wife, June, and I and my buddy, Jody Coley, were having lunch at Arbys. Decked out in his blue suit and tie, Albert had barely finished his lunch when I began peppering him with questions.

I wanted him to tell me about a couple of close calls  times when he and June easily could have gone home to meet their maker.

One situation happened years ago. At the time, June and Albert and two other couples regularly went to Omaha to go shopping and out to eat afterward. One of those couples was Alberts cousin and her husband.

The three couples enjoyed many outings together.

Then  one Saturday before the holidays  the cousin and her husband stopped by Albert and Junes house, wondering if they wanted to go Christmas shopping in Omaha.

Albert didnt think that would be a good idea. Hed had surgery on his toe the day before.

I told them that my foot was hurting pretty bad, he said.

Back then, Albert worked at the Campbell Soup Company in Fremont and being on his feet was part of the job.

So Albert figured hed better stay off his feet during the weekend so he could go to work on Monday.

The third couple also decided against going to Omaha, so Alberts cousin and her spouse went by themselves. On the way back, they were coming over a viaduct.

Thats when the accident occurred.

A semi-truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The truck jumped the median and landed on top of the couples car and crushed it.

If June and I had gone with them, we would have been in the backseat of that car and either been injured or killed, Albert said.

Years passed before June and Albert had another close call.

That time, they were headed to Tennessee to visit Junes brothers.

June was driving and they were going east on Interstate 70 in Missouri and from there planned to go south to Nashville.

We were going down the Interstate and I saw this big semi coming off the ramp and I didnt think he was going to stop or slow down, June said. It scared Albert so bad that he almost on top of my lap.

They couldnt pull over, because of the traffic in the other lanes so June sped up and got ahead of the big truck.

I have to smile at the thought of tall, skinny Albert practically sitting in little Junes lap while she was trying to drive.

If that had happened today, it might have made a good YouTube video.

Either way, I asked Albert for some of his thoughts on escaping those near misses.

The only thing I can figure out is that God had his hand on our lives and protected us from harm and danger and allowed us to live a little longer, he said.

Albert wondered why his cousin and her husband were taken so soon from this earth. He even talked to the Lord about it.

Why not me, God? he prayed. They were such nice people.

But Albert comes to a faith-filled conclusion.

He (God) wasnt through with us and we have more things to do, Albert said. God knows my life and what he has planned for me in the future.

While Albert shared his stories at the restaurant, I quickly took notes and was almost finished when he told one that Id never heard before.

It was about his oldest sister, who had cancer. Alberts niece told him what happened before the woman died.

She raised her hands up and looked up to the ceiling and said, I see Jesus coming and then she dropped her hands and closed her eyes and went to heaven, Albert said.

I marvel at such stories. I imagine Albert does, too.

And with quiet reassurance, hes quick to express his faith.

Its sad to see them go, but you know where theyre at, he said.

Then Albert said something that touched my heart. It was about my late husband, Chuck.

When Chuck died, I knew where he was, Albert said.

I believe Ill have such a nice reunion when I see Chuck in heaven. Ill bet Albert and June will enjoy seeing their loved ones again, too.

In the meantime, Im so grateful to our heavenly father and his only son who are making these reunions possible and giving us the great hope of eternal life.

And Im thankful for those living, breathing vessels of history, like Albert and June, who so willingly share their faith-filled life stories  even if means barely getting in that last bit of lunch before theyre asked to start talking.
Law enforcement agencies joined civil rights groups Wednesday in calling for a revamp of Nebraskas process for handling cash, guns and other items seized during traffic stops or criminal investigations.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and other groups said a proposal by state Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue would help protect people whose belongings are taken on the premise of wrongdoing but are never accused of committing a crime.

Opponents have called that kind of civil forfeiture policing for profit, accusing police and federal agents of being less focused on stopping crime and more on boosting their budgets by seizing cash and valuable items.

Yet the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office and State Patrol also support Garretts bill (LB1106), saying it would allow them to keep drug money away from criminals without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

I am tired of giving drug dealers their money back, Corey OBrien, director of criminal prosecution for Attorney General Doug Peterson, told members of the Legislatures Judiciary Committee during a public hearing Wednesday. I am tired of giving cameras and computers back to people that manufacture child pornography.

State prosecutors have faced that decision since 1999, when the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled they could not charge a person criminally while also filing civil action in state court to seize assets related to the crime because it amounts to double jeopardy.

Until recently, authorities still had the option to claim many of those assets through a similar federal forfeiture process. That door closed in December when the U.S. Justice Department suspended the program due to budget cuts.

Garretts bill would abolish state civil forfeiture except for abandoned property, instead coupling seizures directly with criminal charges.

I think forfeiture can be a valuable tool for law enforcement but should be used only when actual crimes are being committed, Garrett said.

For example, Nebraska seized almost $43 million through the federal process from 2004-2014, and well over $3 million through the state process since 2011, according to the ACLU. None of the money from the state process accompanied a criminal charge, and the amount of federal money associated with criminal charges is unclear.

These statistics show me that Nebraskas civil forfeiture system is hard broke, Garrett said.

Money from assets seized under state law is split between law enforcement agencies and the states budget for education. Federal forfeiture returned more money to law enforcement until that well ran dry.

Civil liberties groups also supported a second Garrett bill (LB1108) that would require law enforcement agencies to provide detailed reports  including what was seized, when and where it was seized, its estimated value and the race of the person it was seized from  on each of their forfeiture cases.

Those records would go to the state auditors office under Garretts bill, although committee member Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln suggested the state Crime Commission might be a better place.

The added reporting would promote transparency and help ensure the forfeiture system isnt being abused, supporters say.

Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong opposed the additional record-keeping, saying in a letter that the new requirements would cost the department almost $85,000 a year, plus $30,000 the first year for technological upgrades.

Tough noogies, Garrett said, arguing police get money from the seizures and the public has a right to know about them.
Timothy N. Terry, 91, of Columbus died peacefully at his home in Columbus on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

Timothy N. Terry, the 10th child of 14, was born Aug. 1, 1924, to Anna Bel (Kinne) and Frank John Terry, on their homestead north of Meadow Grove. He attended rural grade school and graduated from Meadow Grove High School. After graduation, Tim worked in a shipyard in Tacoma, Wash. In 1943, Tim entered the U.S. Navy and in 1945 was honorably discharged. After attending Wayne State College, Tim married his high school sweetheart, Eileen Werner, on Aug. 1, 1946. This union lasted for years.

Tim was employed by the state of Nebraska in the engineering department. In 1954, Tim joined Gerhold Concrete Products and soon became general manager of multiple plants statewide. He was president of the Nebraska Concrete Masonry Association, and its National Board of Directors. He was on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Association of Builders and Contractors for many years, and was president of the board. Tim served on the Nebraska Association of Ready Mix and Sand and Gravel. He retired in 1989.

Tims passion was restoring and refinishing antique furniture. He was a dedicated volunteer at Platte County Museum, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Immanuel Lutheran, Camp Luther, and Izaak Walton. He enjoyed traveling, visiting with family, gardening, canning, hunting, and fishing.

Tim is survived by: his wife, Eileen Terry of Columbus; sons, Rod (Linda) Terry of Corvallis, Ore., and Doug (Karen) Terry of Fremont; daughter, Renee (Larry) Neeley of Camarillo, Calif.; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Clara Belle, Mary Jane, and Hertha.

Tim was preceded in death by: his parents, Frank and Anna Terry; grandson, Christopher Neeley; and 10 siblings.

The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Columbus with the Revs. Patrick Sparling and Peter Jurchen officiating, with military honors by the American Legion, Hartman Post 84 Honor Guard. Private family interment will be held at a later date in Warren-Terry Cemetery, rural Meadow Grove. There will be a family visitation from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at Gass Haney Funeral Home in Columbus. Visitation will continue from 10 a.m. to service time Monday at the church with a family prayer service at 10:45 a.m.

Memorials are suggested to Immanuel Lutheran Church or the Platte County Historical Society.

Condolences may be sent to www.gasshaney.com.
WASHINGTON  Scientists who have spent decades peering into outer space announced Thursday they have detected gravitational waves, the ripples in spacetime that Albert Einstein long ago predicted.

We have detected gravitational waves. We did it! David Reitze, a physicist and executive director of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, announced at the National Press Club in Washington, to applause.

Gravitational waves, often said to look like ripples in a pond, are able to answer questions about creation of astronomical phenomena and disturbances, such as the merging of black holes, collision of neutron stars, supernova explosions and more. Gravitational waves were discovered by physicist Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity, 100 years ago.

All of Einsteins theory had been proved except for the presence of gravitational waves, but that all changed Thursday.

Its mind-boggling, Reitze said.

Einstein was right, said Rainer Weiss, co-founder of LIGO and a professor of physics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His equations have worked so well, in ways he never could have imagined, Weiss said.

The discovery might be one of the major scientific discoveries in decades, just as important as Galileo and his telescope 400 years ago, Reitze said.

As we open a new window into astronomy, we may see things weve never seen before, Reitze said.

The waves were detected by LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, which has facilities in Hanford, Wash., and Livingston, La.

Reitze described how, last Sept. 14, tiny blips of a signal, a chirp, were detected seven milliseconds apart by the massive observatories in Louisiana and Washington state. That signal led scientists to the collision of two black holes more than a billion years ago.

Up until now, we have been deaf to the universe, Reitze said. Today, we were able to hear for the first time.

These black holes were each about 93 miles in diameter  roughly 50 miles wider than the width of Washington, D.C.

Pack 30 times the mass of the sun into that, then accelerate it to about half the speed of light, and that is just for one black hole, Reitze said.

That collision unnerved nearby stars and caused ripples that spread outward, traveling for 1.3 billion light-years, passing through stars and other objects, until they reached Earth and were detected that September day. It was the exact way Einstein had predicted that gravitational waves would be discovered.

The gravitational waves detected agree perfectly with predictions from Einsteins theory of relativity, said Kip Thorne, a co-founder of LIGO and a consultant for the 2014 movie Interstellar.

The waves were so tiny, Reitze said, that only LIGO can measure them. Its like trying to measure something that is 1/10,000th the diameter of a proton.

The researchers said they had all been in shock when they got the first reading in Louisiana, and they couldnt be sure LIGO was reading gravitational waves, not just environmental noise, until they could examine a second reading at the other observatory.

We know its real because seven milliseconds later, we saw the same (reading) in the Hanford detector, said Gabriela Gonzalez, a physicist at Lousiana State University and spokeswoman for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. The signals grow in frequency and amplitude and then settle down. Thats the prediction we know from solving Einsteins theory.

This detection also proves that binary black holes  a system of two black holes orbiting each other  can exist, Reitze said.

This is the first time a binary black hole has been directly observed, Reitze said.

Until now, Thorne said, scientists have seen spacetime only as if it were the surface of a calm ocean. Now, he said, theyre seeing a storm: the collision of the black holes, a 20-millisecond event that briefly generated 50 times the power of all stars in the universe put together.

LIGO can measure this astronomical storm using two 4-kilometer-long (about two and a half miles), L-shaped lasers, two mirrors and a detector. The light from the lasers bounces off a mirror to the detector. When a gravitational wave passes by, the path of the laser stretches slightly and hits the detector a little differently.

All of this technology wasnt available to Einstein, Weiss said. I bet he wouldve invented LIGO.

And this detection is just the beginning, Gonzalez said. Now that we have detectors, now that we know its out there, well be listening to the universe.

At best, LIGO in its current state is at a third of its maximum sensitivity, Weiss said. Over years, the noise level will be brought down, and LIGO will be three times better and see three times farther, Weiss said.

Scientists all over the world are working on developing laser detectors like LIGO. Virgo, an interferometer like LIGO in Europe, is expected to be ready to join LIGO in measuring waves later this year, Gonzalez said.

Researchers in Japan are working on Kagra, another interferometer, and the LIGO laboratory is working to establish another LIGO detector in India, which should be operational in 2022, according to a National Science Foundation news release.

It took a worldwide village to do this, Gonzalez said. The more interferometers there are across the world measuring gravitational waves, the easier it will be to find the black holes or other astronomical disturbances in the universe, Gonzalez said. As of now, researchers have only a general idea where the black holes collided.

Despite the growing understanding of how warped spacetime behaves, Thorne said, scientists arent dabbling in the realm of science-fiction yet. I dont think (LIGO) is going to bring us any closer to time travel, Thorne said with a chuckle. LIGO is heading in a different direction.

Scientists have been working on detecting gravitational waves for 40 years, largely with the support of national science grants. Reitze thanked U.S. taxpayers and Congress, who supported this research.

Were seeing our universe through new eyes in an entirely new way, said France Cordova, National Science Foundation director. Einstein wouldve been beaming.
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Visit the following link for more information: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode








a. Make a phone call: to a lawyer or relative or anyone





b. Ask to see a lawyer immediately: if you dont have the money ask for a Duty Council





c. A Duty Council is a lawyer provided by the state





d. Talk to a lawyer before you talk to the police





e. Tell your lawyer if anyone hits you and identify who did so by name and number



f. Give no explanations excuses or stories: you can make your defense later in court based on what you and your lawyer decided



g. Ask the sub officer in charge of the station to grant bail once you are charged with an offence





h. Ask to be taken before a justice of The Peace immediately if the sub officer refuses you bail





i. Demand to be brought before a Resident Magistrate and have your lawyer ask the judge for bail





j. Ask that any property taken from you be listed and sealed in your presence



Cases of Assault:An assault is an apprehension that someone is about to hit you





The following may apply:



1) Call 119 or go to the station or the police arrives depending on the severity of the injuries





2) The report must be about the incident as it happened, once the report is admitted as evidence it becomes the basis for the trial





3) Critical evidence must be gathered as to the injuries received which may include a Doctors report of the injuries.



4) The description must be clearly stated; describing injuries directly and identifying them clearly, show the doctor the injuries clearly upon the visit it must be able to stand up under cross examination in court.





5) Misguided evidence threatens the credibility of the witness during a trial; avoid the questioning of the witnesses credibility, the tribunal of fact must be able to rely on the witnesss word in presenting evidence





6) The court is guided by credible evidence on which it will make its finding of facts








a. Make a phone call: to a lawyer or relative or anyone



b. Ask to see a lawyer immediately: if you dont have the money ask for a Duty Council



c. A Duty Council is a lawyer provided by the state



d. Talk to a lawyer before you talk to the police



e. Tell your lawyer if anyone hits you and identify who did so by name and number



f. Give no explanations excuses or stories: you can make your defense later in court based on what you and your lawyer decided



g. Ask the sub officer in charge of the station to grant bail once you are charged with an offence



h. Ask to be taken before a justice of The Peace immediately if the sub officer refuses you bail



i. Demand to be brought before a Resident Magistrate and have your lawyer ask the judge for bail



j. Ask that any property taken from you be listed and sealed in your presence



Cases of Assault:An assault is an apprehension that someone is about to hit you



The following may apply:



1) Call 119 or go to the station or the police arrives depending on the severity of the injuries





2) The report must be about the incident as it happened, once the report is admitted as evidence it becomes the basis for the trial



3) Critical evidence must be gathered as to the injuries received which may include a Doctors report of the injuries.





4) The description must be clearly stated; describing injuries directly and identifying them clearly, show the doctor the injuries clearly upon the visit it must be able to stand up under cross examination in court.





5) Misguided evidence threatens the credibility of the witness during a trial; avoid the questioning of the witnesses credibility, the tribunal of fact must be able to rely on the witnesss word in presenting evidence





6) The court is guided by credible evidence on which it will make its finding of facts
We do not know if we will ever again see the equivalent of the siberian traps. We can see a super volcano at work, but that is likely to be...
Beeds Lake

Beeds has continued to produce this week early and late in the day. Anglers have caught bluegills, crappies and yellows this past week.

Lake Smith

Bluegill -- Good: Bluegills (mostly 6.5-7.25, with a few larger ones) are biting the last hour or so of daylight near the deeper structure.

Clear Lake

Clear Lake has about around 16-17 inches of ice on both the little and main lakes. There is a little bit of current flowing into the little lake from Ventura Marsh; be aware of possible thin ice on the south side of the little lake. Yellow Bass - Good: Action is good if anglers move often if not catching fish; fish 8-12 feet of water on the little lake and move until you find schools. The flats in 8-10 feet of water out from the Lynne Lorenzen and in 8-10 feet at Farmers Beach have been good. The bite near the aerator has been hit or miss with the increased angler activity possibly moving yellows around. Walleye - Good: Anglers have had good success on structure (East aerator, HyVee-Reef, Fishermans Reef, Gilmore Reef) on the east end of the lake. An occasional walleye is being caught near the aerator or west to Baptist Camp. Use jigging spoons, small lipless cranks, or 1/8 oz. jigs with minnows. Crappie - Good: Crappie have been caught mixed in with some of the yellow bass catches in 8-12 feet of water but the better locations are in the deeper 15-24 feet holes early morning (7-9 AM) or evening (3-8 PM). Some better catches on the little lake are toward the south shoreline. The ice is thinner in that area, maybe 12 inches. Yellow Perch - Fair: Occasional larger perch (9.5-10 inches) have been caught on the little lake.

Lake Cornelia

Action is slow; not very many anglers are out. Yellow bass (mostly smaller ones) are being caught, though the action is not fast right now.

Blue Pit

There were 1,400 trout (rainbow and brook) stocked on Jan. 16. Rainbow Trout - Fair: No reports this week but there should be some willing biters yet. Trout seem to move in groups, so you may need to move up and down the shoreline to find them. Limit is 5 trout per trout stamp.

Bluebill Lake

As of last weekend the lake had about 15 inches of ice and numerous anglers were out. The action was slow, but a few crappies were being caught.

Lake Hendricks

Lake Hendricks has 12 plus inches of ice under about 10 inches of snow. Use care when going out on ice. The aerator is on so be careful around that area. Few anglers have been out this week. A reminder to ice anglers, Howard County Conservation Board does not allow permanent shacks or motorized vehicles on the ice. Bluegill - Slow: Much of angling has been off the pine tree point in about 10 feet of water. Use small jigs tipped with wax worms. If fish dont bite, take the wax worm off and just use the jig. Crappie - Slow: Crappie are generally found suspended higher off the bottom than bluegills. Jiggle a jig tipped with a wax worm for a short time than let it rest. Repeat but dont forget to set the hook especially for the light biters.

Cedar River (above Nashua)

Use extreme caution when going on river ice especially with increased flows, fluctuating water levels, and snow. Check ice depth often. Morning and evening bites are best. Crappie - Slow: Crappie up to 11 inches have been caught using a small jig tipped with a minnow. Bluegill - Slow: 7 inch bluegill are common.

For lake updates and fishing information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
DES MOINES  Presidents of Iowas three regents universities asked and legislative budget panel for an additional $20 million next year to help meet the needs of growing student numbers as well as recruit and retain faculty.

Were reaching a tipping point, Iowa State University President Steven Leath told the Education Appropriations Subcommittee in the presidents annual presentation.

His message that enrollment is growing but state appropriations have declined in recent years at the same time the Board of Regents froze tuition for five straight semesters was repeated by University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld and University of Northern Iowa President William Ruud.

If you look at state funding per student  its been going down, Harreld said after the meeting. Thats created a pressure on major public research institutions to get more efficient or find alternative sources. That explains a large portion of why tuitions have been going up. Theres a trade-off there.

If the current trend continues, in the next decade a number of major public research institutions had better find new economic models or they are going to be a lot smaller and a lot more focused, Harreld said. Some of them may go out of business.

Its unclear how much support the universities will get. Gov. Terry Branstads budget called for an $8 million increase for the regents, from $595 million to $603 million.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the $20 million request will have to be worked out by the budget subcommittee weighing those priorities with other priorities. House Republicans have proposed a $146 million increase in the current $7.2 billion general fund budget.

At this point in time, I dont think that that entirely would fit inside the increase, he said.

However, Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, told the Education Appropriations Subcommittee the presidents request is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need to do to get back to where we were 20 years ago. During that time, the ISU faculty member said, state funding for the regents  adjusted for inflation  has decreased $309 million.

He called that a massive disinvestment in higher education.

University funding is very complicated, Harreld said. But he wasnt ready to call it a disinvestment.

I dont think were at that stage yet, but it is a trend we should be talking about, he said.

Harreld also pointed out that lower state funding is contributing to higher student debt.

As you increase the tuition to deal with declining state funding, that obviously does increase the demand for parents and students to pick up the tab, he said.

Ruud, Leath and Harreld all reported their universities are making progress in lowering student debt. At UNI, its down about $5,000 since the 2009-10 school year. At ISU, there has been an 11 percent decrease in the past three years. AT UI, the number of students taking out federal loans and the amount they are borrowing has decreased, Harreld said.
HANLONTOWN | A man police say was stopped with a pound of weed on Interstate 35 after leaving a marijuana rally last April plans to change his plea.

Matthew Paulson, 31, of Stacy, Minnesota, had pleaded not guilty to felony count of possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture or deliver, felony drug-tax stamp violation, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor operating under the influence.

A plea-change hearing is slated for Monday in district court in Northwood.

Records don't indicate which of the charges he plans to plead guilty to.

Paulson was stopped by a state trooper for speeding at Mile Marker 202, which is just south of the Hanlontown exit, about 9:30 p.m. on April 20, according to court documents.

Troopers say Paulson failed field sobriety tests. More than a pound of marijuana was found in a bag inside the vehicle, which state police had towed from the scene, documents allege.

Paulson allegedly told the trooper the drugs were his and that he was coming from a marijuana rally in Colorado.

 Molly Montag
ATLANTA, Ind., Feb. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beck's is pleased to offer farmers another solution in the fight against weed resistance. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans will provide farmers with tolerance to dicamba and glyphosate herbicides. Beck's is releasing six new varieties that range in maturity from 2.5 to 4.9.



"Our priority is helping farmers succeed," said Scott Beck, president of Beck's. "By offering farmers access to choices in traits and genetics, we're giving them the tools and resources to maximize their yield. The new Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean varieties complement our other choices for farmers in fighting glyphosate weed resistance."



Although Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, the use of dicamba herbicide over the top of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans remains under review with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is not currently approved by the EPA. Once approved, the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, which includes Roundup Xtend and XtendiMax herbicides, will offer farmers a vital tool for managing tough-to-control and glyphosate-resistant weeds.



"In addition, we will continue to offer an extensive lineup of LibertyLink soybeans for those farmers who want to take advantage of an approved weed-resistant system today," said Beck. "Currently, nearly half of our customers' orders are with LibertyLink soybeans. Through the use of the LibertyLink system, farmers are protecting and improving their farms' yields."



Due to pending approval of Roundup Xtend and XtendiMax herbicides, Beck's is offering Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans at the same price as Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans relative to their maturity. Farmers who purchase Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans for the 2016 season should consult their local herbicide specialist to determine a herbicide program.



"We're excited to provide farmers with the opportunity to experience Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean genetics in the 2016 season," said Sonny Beck, CEO of Beck's. "The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System will be another tool in the toolbox to control glyphosate-resistant weeds and improve yields, once the herbicide is approved."



For more information about Beck's extensive soybean lineup, please visit www.beckshybrids.com or call 800-937-2325.



About Beck's



Beck's is a family-owned and operated seed company that serves farmers in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. According to a recent media survey, Beck's ranks as the sixth largest seed company in the United States and the only one in the top six that is family-owned, making Beck's the largest retail, family-owned seed company in the United States. To learn more about Beck's, please visit www.beckshybrids.com. Follow Beck's Hybrids on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BecksHybrids, like Beck's Hybrids on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BecksHybrids, or visit the Beck's Blog at www.beckshybrids.com/blog.



ETS Statement for Dicamba & Glyphosate



As of February 11, 2016 no dicamba herbicide product has been approved for commercial in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans. DO NOT APPLY DICAMBA HERBICIDE IN-CROP TO Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans IN 2016 unless you use a dicamba herbicide product that is specifically labeled for that use in the location where you intend to make the application. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO MAKE AN IN-CROP APPLICATION OF ANY DICAMBA HERBICIDE PRODUCT ON Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans UNLESS THE PRODUCT LABELING SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THAT USE. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans.



ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Contact your dealer or refer to Monsanto's Technology Use Guide for recommended Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System weed control programs. Genuity, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend, Roundup Xtend, XtendiMax, Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Roundup Ready, and Roundup are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.



LibertyLink is a registered trademark of Bayer.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Luxor Industrial Corporation (TSX-V:LRL) (OTC:LXRRF) is pleased to announce the closing of two definitive agreements providing for Luxors acquisition of 2 wood framing businesses in the United States and Canada.



In the United States, Luxor has purchased all of the equity interest of Mill Frame LLC, a Washington State limited liability company. Luxor is required to issue 5 million common shares of Luxor upon Mill Frame LLC generating $10 million in net sales and a further 5 million common shares of Luxor upon Mill Frame LLC generating an additional $10 million in net sales ($20 million in the aggregate). In the past 45 days, Luxor has announced 3 contracts secured by Mill Frame LLC that have a total value in excess of US $ 5,000,000 or CDN $ 7,000,000. www.millframe.com



In Canada, Luxor has purchased the book business and certain assets of Colt Builders Inc. of Alberta through Luxors subsidiary Mill Frame Inc. (Newco), which has acquired such assets for 40% of the shares of Newco. Colt has agreed that it will exchange 20% of its Newco shares in consideration for the issuance of 5 million common shares of Luxor upon Newco generating $ 10 million in net sales and will exchange the remaining 20% of its Newco shares to Luxor in consideration for the issuance of an additional 5 million common shares of Luxor upon Newco generating an additional $10 million in net sales ($20 million in the aggregate). Upon achieving the milestones, Luxor will have the right to 100% ownership of Newco shares.



Closing of the acquisitions was not conditional upon financing, however, Luxor will be required to provide additional funds in order to execute on its business plan and grow the respective businesses. All of the vendors are arms length parties to Luxor.



Steve Conboy, President of Mill Frame, who has over 35 years of experience in the housing construction business states, In the summer of 2015, I approached Luxor as a supplier of pre-fab walls; ten years ago when the exchange rate was similar we had done some great wood business together in the US. This time I saw an opportunity to sell turnkey framing to US builders and took a longer term view to partner up with Luxor. I am proud to join Luxor and its group of seasoned veterans.



John Hunter, President of Colt, has over 30 years of experience in this sector and comments, Our team in Alberta is pleased to join Luxor. We look forward to providing our many years of experience in turnkey framing to support Luxors expansion into the United States.



Prior to the above 2 acquisitions, Luxor has and continues to be involved in the development, engineering, manufacturing and marketing of engineered wood products and operates in the industrial, residential and commercial sectors.



This news release contains forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of Luxor. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and Luxors plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including: adverse market conditions or the inability of Luxor to raise funds to execute on its business plan with respect to the recently acquired wood framing businesses. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, Luxor does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Michael Hu, President of 2050 Motors, Inc. (OTCQB: ETFM), announced today that the first all carbon fiber electric vehicle (the e-Go EV) has commenced crash testing in China and has successfully passed the frontal crash test with amazing results.

The crash tests are being conducted according to European, Japanese and Chinese crash test standards. A GIF file of the actual moving sequence of an e-Go car in a frontal crash test at 35 miles per hour in slow motion reveals that the vehicle substantially returned to its original shape after the test. A photograph of the front of the vehicle shows minimal damage after the test. The amazing sequence can be viewed at http://www.2050motors.com/cars.html A more complete report on the crash tests will be announced in a separate press release.

Mr. Hu commented on the results, "This means that the carbon fiber body absorbed the full force of the collision and returned to its original shape. I believe that no other automobile for the consumer market has ever displayed such a frontal crash resilience and shock absorbance of energy."

Mr. Hu further stated, "In 2015, the e-Go was re-engineered through extensive state-of-the-art computer crash test analysis. Then, 22 demo e-Go vehicles were delivered to the Chinese government for months of testing to obtain the production and export permits for the Yancheng automobile plant."

Later this year, 2050 Motors will proceed with the US DOT (Department of Transportation) crash test program for the e-Go before it can be sold in the United States.

2050 Motors will initially sell and distribute the e-Go built from the Yancheng plant in China and then later start assembly of the e-Go in Las Vegas, Nevada. The construction plans for the 2050 Motors assembly facility in the United States have been progressing for many months and will create numerous high paying jobs. Please see the press release dated January 20, 2016 titled "2050 Motors, Inc. Announces Launch of New Corporate Website Including Job Creation Plans" for further info.

The e-Go's big brother, the Ibis  an all carbon fiber all electric luxury sedan  is also being considered for production in the United States. Both the e-Go and Ibis are being showcased in Las Vegas from February 12 through February 22, 2016. Please see the press release dated January 26, 2016 titled "2050 Motors, Inc. Media Event Picks Up Speed" for details on visiting hours.

About 2050 Motors, Inc.

2050 Motors, Inc. ( http://www.2050motors.com and http://www.etfm.com), is a publicly traded company incorporated in Nevada in 2012. 2050 Motors was founded to develop and produce the next generation of clean, lightweight, efficient vehicles and its associated technologies. Some of these technologies include alternative renewable fuels, hybrid electric vehicles, advanced graphene lithium batteries and carbon fiber low cost vehicles. 2050 Motors has been successful in forming long term relationships and exclusive contracts for a variety of game changing technologies. 2050 Motors entered into an agreement with Jiangsu Aoxin New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., located in Jiangsu, China, for the distribution in the United States of a new electric automobile, known as the e-Go EV (electric vehicle). The e-Go EV is a revolutionary new concept in the ever evolving world of electric vehicles. It will be the only production line electric car with a carbon fiber body and parts manufactured by a new process using robotic machines which significantly reduces the fabrication time and cost of carbon fiber components. The e-Go EV will seat four passengers, have a long battery life, and high energy efficiency rating up to 150+ MPG-E energy equivalent in urban driving due to the light weight of the vehicle. The five passenger carbon fiber luxury sedan Ibis EV, the e-Go's big brother, will also be showcased along with the e-Go EV for future sales in the United States. See videos of completion of the e-Go EV manufacturing plant at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wih8_xxZNgA and the unveiling of the e-Go EV at the 2014 Shanghai Auto Show http://www.2050motors.com/shanghaishow.html . The company is fully reporting under the SEC EDGAR system.

Disclosure Statement

Statements in this press release about our future expectations, including without limitation, the likelihood that 2050 Motors will be able to leverage capital markets to execute its growth strategy, meet US DOT requirements, meet minimum sales expectations, will be successful and profitable in the US market, and will bring significant value to 2050 Motors' stockholders, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and our actual results could differ materially from expected results. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Contact:

George Hedrick

VP North American Operations

2050 Motors, Inc.

(702) 591-6029

info(at)2050motors(dot)com

This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/02/prweb13213318.htm
CLEVELAND, Feb. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hickok Incorporated (OTC Pink:HICKA), a Cleveland based supplier of products and services for automotive, emissions testing, locomotive, and aircraft industries, today reported operating results for its fiscal 2016 first quarter ended December 31, 2015.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded a net loss of $47,189 or 3 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $270,656 or 17 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. Sales in the first quarter were $1,376,872, up 18% from $1,162,218 a year ago.

Robert L. Bauman, President and CEO, said, "The Company's first quarter was a substantial improvement over last years first quarter and we are looking forward to a generally better fiscal 2016. He also said, Adding to our enthusiasm for the Companys future is the recent signing of an agreement to purchase the business of Federal Hose, a company with a long history of positive financial results. We must submit materials to the SEC for approval for a Special Shareholder Meeting to approve certain elements of the transaction. We expect to be seeking shareholder approval in the near future.

Backlog at December 31, 2015 was $644,000 versus backlog of $469,000 a year earlier. The $175,000 increase was due primarily to increased orders for automotive diagnostic products to OEM's and aftermarket products including emissions products of approximately $171,000 and $47,000 respectively. In addition, orders for indicators, and parts and service decreased by approximately $26,000 and $17,000 respectively. The Company anticipates that most of the current backlog will be shipped in fiscal 2016.

The Company's current assets at December 31, 2015 of $3,215,923 are 5.0 times current liabilities and working capital is $2,578,933. These compare to December 31, 2014 current assets of $2,968,277 that were 4.8 times current liabilities and working capital of $2,346,023. At December 31, 2015 shareholder's equity was $2,590,001 or $1.58 per share.

Hickok provides products and services primarily for the automotive, emissions testing, locomotive, and aircraft industries. Offerings include the development, manufacture and marketing of electronic and non-electronic automotive diagnostic products used for repair and emission testing. The Company also develops and manufactures indicating instruments for aircraft, locomotive and general industrial applications.

Certain statements in this news release, including discussions of management's expectations for fiscal 2016, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from those anticipated as a result of risks and uncertainties which include, but are not limited to, Hickok's ability to effectively develop and market new products serving customers in the automotive aftermarket, overall market and industry conditions, the Company's ability to capitalize on market opportunities, the Company's ability to obtain cost effective financing as well as the risks described from time to time in Hickok's reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

HICKOK INCORPORATED

Consolidated Income Statement (Unaudited)

3 MONTHS Period ended December 31 2015 2014 Net sales $ 1,376,872 $ 1,162,218 Income (loss) before Income tax (47,189 ) (270,656 ) Income (recovery of) taxes - - Net income (loss) (47,189 ) (270,656 ) Basic income (loss) per share (.03) (.17) Diluted income (loss) per share (.03) (.17) Weighted average shares outstanding 1,638,215 1,638,215





Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed Federal Hose merger, Hickok Incorporated will file with the SEC a Proxy Statement, as well as other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval.

SHAREHOLDERS OF HICKOK ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT REGARDING THE MERGER WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

A free copy of the Proxy Statement, as well as other filings containing information about Hickok Incorporated, may be obtained at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). You will also be able to obtain these documents, free of charge, from the Company at www.hickok-inc.com under the heading "About Us" and then under "Financial Information." Copies of the Proxy Statement can also be obtained, free of charge, by directing a request to Hickok Inc., 10514 Dupont Ave., Cleveland, OH 44108, Attention: Investor Relations, Telephone: (800) 342-5080.

Hickok and certain of its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Hickok Incorporated in connection with the proposed merger. Information about the directors and executive officers of Hickok and their ownership of Hickok common shares is set forth in the proxy statement for Hickok's 2015 annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on January 28, 2016. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the Proxy Statement regarding the proposed merger when it becomes available. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.
Said Business School, University of Oxford has announced a 3.7m endowment from the Pershing Square Foundation allowing future leaders to gain an MSc degree from any of Oxford's 28 specialised programmes as well as an Oxford MBA

OXFORD, United Kingdom, Feb. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - 3.7 Million Endowment will Fully Fund Two-Year Programme at Said Business School

Five scholarships will provide funding for tuition and living expenses during both years of study on Oxford Said's unique 1+1 MBA.

Programme will allow future leaders to gain a Master of Science degree from any of Oxford's 28 specialised Master's Degree programmes as well as complete an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) at Said Business School.

Original endowment from the Pershing Square Foundation of 4.5m and matched funding from the University of Oxford takes the total scholarship fund to 13.4m.

Unique programme includes mentoring by many of the world's most illustrious innovators including: Sir Ronald Cohen, Cheryl Dorsey, Paul Farmer, Wendy Kopp, and Linda Rottenberg.

Calling for applications from the students around the world who wish to make a difference as social entrepreneurs, The Pershing Square Foundation ("the Foundation") today announced it would expand its Oxford Pershing Square Graduate Scholarship which supports talented individuals who demonstrate the motivation and commitment to finding sustainable and scalable solutions to global challenges. The Foundation announced an additional commitment of 3.7 million that will fund five two-year scholarships to the Oxford 1+1 MBA at Said Business School, University of Oxford. First established in 2014, the scholarship enables future leaders to pursue one of 28 specialised Master's degrees from any of thirteen Oxford University departments, followed by the one-year Oxford MBA.

'Our goal with this programme was always to encourage social entrepreneurs by giving them the business tools and training to address important world problems,' said Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P., and co-founder and trustee of The Pershing Square Foundation. 'Big problems need big thinkers and courageous entrepreneurs. By expanding our support to students for both their MSc and MBA, we hope to draw upon a broader range of entrepreneurial young people as we work to identify young leaders who wish to make a difference in the world.'

'The most interesting business careers and the most challenging issues in the world require leaders to have depth and breadth of understanding and expertise. The Pershing Square Foundation's gift will allow five exceptional future leaders each year to gain deep knowledge and action-orientated business skills while being mentored by one of the most illustrious leaders in their fields,' said Peter Tufano, Dean of Oxford Said. 'This customised, fully funded, two-year path eclipses all others. It's simply a chance of a lifetime to help shape and develop amazing individuals who can go on to make an outstanding impact on the world.'

Two cohorts of Oxford Pershing Square Scholars have already joined the 1+1 MBA, the first in September 2014 and the second in September 2015. From providing clean water to communities across Africa, to completing research into drug therapies for cardiac disease; from developing a model for critical and creative learning in primary schools to improving sanitation in India; from protecting consumer privacy through strategies for ethical advertising to founding a healthcare clinic in Cameroon; the Scholars' interests and established records of creating social change in communities are truly diverse.

'The MSc Child Development and Education, followed by the MBA provides a rare opportunity to focus on solving the real world challenge of early years education,' said Tarun Varma, Oxford Pershing Square Scholar 2015/16. 'Oxford Said and The Pershing Square Foundation have nurtured my dream to have a high impact career in education and pushed me to think big as I seek to address long term change. I know my two years here are seminal to what will follow.'

'The new opportunity that this generous funding provides will help ambitious young people to join the Oxford 1+1 MBA. The Pershing Square Scholarship creates an opportunity on par with the Rhodes Scholarship for the brightest students from around the globe to study at this prestigious university,' added Tufano.

In addition to participating in an outstanding academic programme at a leading university, Pershing Square Scholars benefit from opportunities for mentorship and networking with inspirational individuals and organisations that are part of The Foundation's community. Additionally, The Foundation hosts the scholars in New York City, where they participate in meetings and workshops with leading innovators and change makers. More information on the Scholarship and current Scholars is available here.

The deadline for applications to the Oxford Pershing Square Scholarship is 18 March 2016. Applications deadlines for the one year MSc programmes at the University of Oxford are 22 January 2016 and 11 March 2016. Application deadlines for the Oxford 1+1 MBA are 18 March, 6 May and 10 June.

For further information or to speak with Professor Tufano, please contact the press office:

Josie Powell, Senior Press Officer, Said Business School

Mobile +44 (0)7711 387215; Tel: +44 (0) 1865 288403

Email: josie.powell(at)sbs(dot)ox(dot)ac(dot)uk or pressoffice(at)sbs(dot)ox(dot)ac(dot)uk

Lauren Condoluci, The Pershing Square Foundation

Tel: +1 212.843.8493

Email: LCondoluci(at)rubenstein(dot)com

Notes for Editors

About Said Business School

Said Business School at the University of Oxford blends the best of new and old. We are a vibrant and innovative business school, but yet deeply embedded in an 800 year old world-class university. We create programmes and ideas that have global impact. We educate people for successful business careers, and as a community seek to tackle world-scale problems. We deliver cutting-edge programmes and ground-breaking research that transform individuals, organisations, business practice, and society. We seek to be a world-class business school community, embedded in a world-class University, tackling world-scale problems.

About the Oxford 1+1 MBA

http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/programmes/degrees/1plus1/about

About The Pershing Square Foundation

The Pershing Square Foundation is a private family foundation, based in New York, founded in December 2006 by Karen and Bill Ackman. The Foundation has committed more than $375 million in grants and social investments to support exceptional leaders and innovative organisations that tackle important social issues and deliver scalable and sustainable impact. Bill is the CEO and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. For more information visit: http://www.pershingsquarefoundation.org.

This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://uk.prweb.com/releases/2016/02/prweb13211142.htm
GPA 2.5 \ 29 years old \ no experience \ no relevant degree \ Msc Fin? [ #permalink

Hi all!



I see that everyone here has a GPA of 5 and want to go to HBS. Well this post is different..



I am 29 years old and I studied Hotel Management, something that I hated and never worked at. So my professional experience is in customer service (flight attendant). I had a short opportunity to work in Import\Export and long story short, I want to take a Masters (not MBA) degree in Finance.



I have everything stacked against me, like I have a crappy GPA, irrelevant non-mathy dgeree, no relevant work experience and I am 29 years old. I do have some decent scores on relevant subjects like Economics, Accounting etc. But those subjects are like 30% of the degree, all the rest is irrelevant bullstuff like "tourism management"... Oh and I speak Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and English if that is of any relevance for finance.



So, the question: Do you guys think that a good GMAT score would give me a chance to compete to like 200-100th ranked universities? Maybe 100-50th? I am using Financial Times, Shanghai and THE rankings. Im not considering any US colleges (no money for that anyways) And "good" GMAT score means like Q48+ V40. Or even that is not enough? I will have students with relevant mathy degrees competing with me, so what if even a very good GMAT is not enough to fight my disadvantage?



Another question, my age. This one is more a carreer advice, but do you think that with my age, 29, even if get enrolled in a 100th-ish university, I will be able to find a job in Finance? Cap. Markets for example? Or as a 2nd choice, corporate finance? I wil be graduating at like 31,32 years of age.. Or there are always opportunities for late startes in finance? The way I see the industry, it's extremly competetive and there is always a bunch of candidates for every opening.



Do you think that if I graduate at the top of the class I could stand any chance of making a career in Finance? Would a "second-league" university do it? Because obviously all top-25 etc colleges are light years away from me.



Thank you for your time ladies and gents!



Any help is appreciated!
--- GoAugie.com ---

This past J-term, we got the experience to travel abroad to Greece. The Greek Connection was a journey full of learning and, as the title insinuates, discovering and making connections. Between the ancient and modern Greeks, their culture is comparable and full of history. The modern Greeks take great pride in their past and have done an excellent job in preserving most of it. The development of their culture into what it is today was fascinating to experience in person and was a wonderful opportunity. The trip began in Athens but consisted of multiple locations such as Ancient Corinth, Crete, Napflio, Olympia, Delphi, Mycenae, Heraklion, Knossos, Hania, and other exciting places. The class sought to explore the similarities of ancient and modern Greece while also experiencing the cultural differences between Greece and theUnited States.Our journey across Greece allowed us to see a variety of ruins, but it also showed us first-hand the effects of the fiscal crisis. From visiting a hospital in Athens to the University of Crete, we were able to interact with some Greek people who informed us on how the crisis was effecting the health across Greece. Muriel Larson, one of the professors, has traveled to Greece eighteen times and has developed close relationships with many of the people in various of cities. Through these relationships, we got the opportunity to fully dive into the Greek culture. In Napflio, for example, we were welcomed into one of the resident's homes, plucked oranges from their grove, and were taught how to make a traditional Greek cookie. Altogether the Greek Connection was a wonderful learning experience that allowed us to witness the culture first hand while also discovering the similarities between ancient and modern Greece.
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
Morgan Stanley will pay the New York State a token $550 million for deceptively selling mortgage-backed securities in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced today. This comes a year after the bank reached a $2.6 billion settlement with the Department of Justice. The bank's settlement now totals $3.2 billion.

This settlement with the state will comprise $400 million in consumer relief funds and $150 million in cash. The relief funds will go toward affordable housing and loan reductions to help residents avoid foreclosure. Schneiderman called the settlement "another victory in our efforts to help New Yorkers rebuild in the wake of the financial devastation caused by major banks...[it] will deliver resources to the families and communities that need them the most, while helping New Yorkers avoid foreclosure, and spurring the construction of more affordable housing units statewide."

According to Schneiderman, Morgan Stanley admitted that it increased the acceptable risk levels for loans; at one point in 2006, the head of the bank's team tasked with due diligence wrote to a colleague asking that he "not mention the 'slightly higher risk tolerance' in these communications. We are running under the radar and do not want to document these types of things." Later in 2006, another member of that team sent a list of questionable loans that required approval and wrote, "I assume you will want to do your 'magic' on this one?" And as previously reported, the bank called its own mortgage-backed securities "Nuclear Holocaust."

This $3.2 billionnot to mention the $550 million set aside for New Yorkis but a drop in the bucket for the bank, which currently has about $40 billion in revenue and a $70.8 billion market cap. Along with Goldman Sachs, the bank has 37 percent of market share. The settlement also pales in comparison to sums paid out by other banks: the same working group that reached this settlement got $16.7 billion from Bank of America, $7 billion from Citigroup, and $13 billion from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Goldman Sachs is expected to pay out $5.1 billion, a recent announcement to which Senator Elizabeth Warren responded with outrage, writing, "Seven years later. No admission of guilt. No individuals are going to jail. A payment thats barely a fraction of the billions investors lost - and the trillions our economy lostbecause of this fraud. And over half of it could be tax deductible! Thats not justiceits a white flag of surrender."

To date, only one Wall Street executive has gone to prison for his role in the 2008 crisis.
Update below

The New York Civil Liberties Union has uncovered, for the first time, documentation of the NYPD's use of Stingrays, cellphone-tower-spoofing devices that allow police to pinpoint cellphone users' locations, and can be used to intercept information about their calls and text messages, or even the calls and messages themselves. Civil liberties and electronic privacy groups have been fighting for information about the surveillance devices since the mid-2000s, and the documents obtained by the NYCLU last week come nearly a year after an initial public records request.

"If carrying a cell phone means being exposed to military-grade surveillance equipment, then the privacy of nearly all New Yorkers is at risk," NYCLU head Donna Lieberman said in a statement. "Considering the NYPDs troubling history of surveilling innocent people, it must at the very least establish strict privacy and training policies and obtain warrants prior to using intrusive equipment like Stingrays that can track peoples cell phones."

The FBI has argued that any disclosure about Stingray use could allow the bad guys to dodge it, and so police departments must sign nondisclosure agreements (the NYPD's is here) in order to buy the devices. Reportedly the size of a suitcase, Stingrays work by temporarily emitting a signal stronger than the nearest cellphone tower, forcing cellphones in range to connect to them instead. Various law enforcement officials nationally have said that Stingrays are typically only used to pinpoint suspects' locations, and that further functionality allowing the retrieval of call and text information, and covert recording, is disabled unless a judge signs off on a warrant. Still, by its nature, the equipment allows the interception of data from anyone's cellphone in a certain geographic area.

The NYCLU's documents reveal that the NYPD used Stingrays 1,025 times between 2008 and May 2015. Also, the group says they show that the NYPD has no written policy governing the cell-site simulators, but that it typically obtains a pen register order, a type of court order that requires less proof and offers fewer protections than a search warrant. The organization notes in its announcement that the federal Department of Justice has backed away from pen register orders and now requires warrants, except in emergencies (pdf). In addition to life-threatening situations, the federal government considers hacks of government and financial institution computers to be emergencies, along with "activity characteristic of organized crime."

Still, local law enforcement agencies have wide leeway in developing their own protocols, or not developing any, and NYCLU senior staff attorney Mariko Hirose said the public lacks the basic information it needs to even begin discussing what is an appropriate use.

"This is the first time the publics seeing a lot of this information, and it raises more questions about how these devices are being used," she said. "And when powerful surveillance devices like these are being acquired and used by local law enforcement agencies, the communities should be given some basic information about what these devices can do, how they're being used, and what kind of privacy protections are in place."

According to the newly published records, New York police used the technology to investigate such crimes as shootings, rapes, robberies, and threats to police. 697 of the more than 1,000 investigations involving intercepts led to arrests, and 67 of the intercepts were done without a judge's sign-off, in connection with kidnappings, murders, missing persons cases, and threatened suicides, among other "exigent circumstances." Only 70 of the target phones went un-located, whereas 258 cases that did not turn up a suspect had some other result listed, such as a phone, a missing person, or a suicidal person located, or a "perp ID'd."

It's not clear from the documents whether the NYPD counted only arrests that directly resulted from Stingray use, or all arrests that came out of investigations involving Stingrays, however they came about.

Hirose said Stingray use should concern everyone because, by its nature, it vacuums up innocent people's data.

"This device is picking up information from any innocent bystander when its being used, even if its being used to track a certain person," she said. "Thats just how it works. Everybody should want to know whether that data is being retained or deleted."

Update February 12th:

NYPD spokesman J. Peter Donald emailed this statement:

The NYPD, before using this technology, ensures we have established probable cause, consults with a District Attorney, and applies for a court order, which must be approved by a judge. In rare instances, the NYPD may use this technology in emergency situations while we seek judicial approval. This would be in instances where the life or safety of someone is at risk. The NYCLU maligned that the privacy of New Yorkers is at risk. It is not. What is at risk is the safety of New Yorkers, without the limited use of this technology to locate dangerous fugitives. The NYPD does not capture the contents of communications, as the NYCLU stated. Furthermore, the NYPD does not and never has swept up information from cell phones nearby. Perhaps the NYCLU should fact check their press release before issuing it.

We've asked for clarity on issues including how the NYCLU should have gone about fact-checking; how requiring a warrant would jeopardize Stingray use; and whether the NYPD like the feds considers non-life-threatening situations to be emergencies as well. We'll update if we hear back.
[UPDATE BELOW] A Brooklyn jury has found NYPD Officer Peter Liang guilty on charges of manslaughter and official misconduct in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Akai Gurley.

As the verdict was read, Liang slumped in his seat and placed his head in his hands; Gurley's family embraced and sobbed.

Liang shot Gurley while performing a vertical patrol of the Pink Houses in East New York in November of 2014. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton immediately declared the shooting an accident, and called Gurley a "total innocent."

Liang faces up to 15 years in prison for the second-degree manslaughter charge (any sentencing for the misconduct charge would be served concurrently). During its 19 hours of deliberation, the jury asked for three whiteboards, the NYPD's firearm and tactics guide, and blank sheets of paper. They also listened again to the 911 call made by a neighbor shortly after Gurley was shot, and had Judge Danny Chun repeat the charges twice.

Liang is the first NYPD officer that has been put on trial for killing a civilian since 2008, and the first NYPD officer to be found guilty of killing a civilian in decades.

Prosecutors for the Brooklyn DA's Office argued that Officer Liang and his partner had stalled for up to four minutes after shooting Gurley, arguing over who should call their superior, while Gurley lay dying.

In his closing statements, ADA Joe Alexis also suggested that Liang attempted to cover up the shooting.

He went to the stairwell to find the shell casing, to keep this quiet. But when they found Akai Gurley on the fifth floor landing, they realized that they couldnt anymore, Alexis told the jury on Tuesday.

Liang's defense attorneys argued that Liang attempted to get help for Gurley much sooner, and painted a portrait of an overwhelmed rookie police officer who accidentally pulled the trigger.

When officer Liang found Mr. Gurley on the landing, from that moment, Peter Liang never stopped trying to get help over the radio, defense attorney Robert Brown told the jury in his closing statements.

Update 9:05 p.m.: Speaking outside the Brooklyn Supreme Court, minutes after the guilty verdict, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson reflected on the importance of the jury's decision.



Ken Thompson speaks outside of the Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday evening. (Gothamist)

"This affirms that Akai Gurley's life mattered and that the lives of people who live in public housing matters," Thompson said, flanked by the Gurley family.

Asked what he said to Akai Gurley's mother, Sylvia Palmer, in the moments after the verdict, Thompson responded that he said, "I'm sorry."

Thompson, who entered office in 2014 pledging to fight for "one standard of justice," is the first District Attorney to successfully prosecute an NYPD officer in the shooting death of a civilian in recent history.

The Gurley family cheered as they exited the courthouse, raising their hands in unison.

"There are no winners here," Thompson said. "But justice was done."

Defense attorney Robert Brown told reporters outside the courthouse, "I cant believe the jury came up with a reckless manslaughter verdict on this case. Anyone that sat in the courtroom would find it very hard to believe that [Liang] created a substantial risk of death."

Brown was especially upset over the prosecution's closing argument, where they abruptly changed tactics and said that Liang had intentionally fired his gun, and then tried to collect the evidence.

"Its very clear that in the closing statement the prosecutor changed their theory," Brown told reporters. "Clearly that could give us a very good ground for appeal."

Brown said that the defense would make a motion to set aside the verdict, and if that fails, will pursue an appeal.

Karlin Chan, founder of the Chinese Action Network, a group that had supported Liang and helped raise money for his defense, smoked a cigarette outside of the courthouse.

"I think it's the wrong verdict. I was worried more about the criminal negligent homicide, not the manslaughter," Chan said. "This wasn't a conscious act."

Liang was not taken into custody, as the judge granted a request by the defense to continue his bail. His sentencing is set for April 14th.

Shortly after the verdict, the NYPD fired Officer Liang and his partner.
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Police are searching for a man has been groping women in the Bronx. According to the NYPD, there have been two incidents so fa, both in the early morning. The first happened on January 21st around 6:40 a.m., when a 44-year-old woman walking along Creston Avenue near East 181 Street was approached from behind by a male who "grabbed her buttocks and genital area before fleeing."

Then, on January 22nd, at 5:20 a.m., a 26-year-old woman walking on Grand Concourse near East 181 Street walked by the suspect "while he was masturbating. As the individual approached the victim, he grabbed her buttocks before fleeing."

Police distributed video of the suspect, who is described as about 5'5" and 130 pounds.



Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.


Every semester, I ask my students to tell me why they write. And when I say tell I mean write. This semester  one that is the third in which they sp...

1 year ago
The Grumpy Goat  

The opinions expressed in this weblog are the works of the Grumpy Goat, and are not necessarily the opinions shared by any person or organisation who may be referenced. Come to that, the opinions may not even be those of the Grumpy Goat, who could just be playing Devil's Advocate. Some posts may be of parody or satyrical [sic] nature. Nothing herein should be taken too seriously. The Grumpy Goat would prefer that offensive language or opinions not be posted in the comments. Offensive comments may be subject to deletion at the Grumpy Goat's sole discretion. The Grumpy Goat is not responsible for the content of other blogs or websites that are linked from this weblog. No goats were harmed in the making of this blog. Any resemblance to individuals or organisations mentioned herein and those that actually exist may or may not be intentional. May contain nuts.
News

VIDEO: Sheikh Sultan inspects progress of 'Hanging Gardens' project

Sheikh Sultan was briefed on the plans for the remaining stages in the implementation of the project, which extends over an area of one and a half million square feet, listening to the progress of work and the most important completed and remaining stages.
-- Thomas JeffersonSyndicated columnist Charley Reese (1937-2013): "Gun control by definition affects only honest people. When a politician tells you he wants to forbid you from owning a firearm or force you to get a license, he is telling you he doesnt trust you. Thats an insult. ... Gun control is not about guns or crime. It is about an elite that fears and despises the common people."The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles -- Jeff Cooper (1920-2006)Note for non-American readers: Crime reports from America which describe an offender just as a "teen" or "teenager" almost invariably mean a BLACK teenager.We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."How much do you know about Trayvon Martin? It's all here (Backups here and here An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. -- Robert A. HeinleinAfter all the serious stuff here, maybe we need a funny picture of a cantankerous cat
Ever stroll through town and wonder what it looked like 100 years ago? Unlike much of the surrounding farmland, many of the main streets in the Hamptons are structurally unchanged. Tenants have moved in and out, but the buildings remain. So what shops used to fill these spaces? Let's take a trip into the heart of Sag Harbor, to an unassuming peaked-roof structure at 34 Main Street, and trace its tenants through time.

1900

During the latter part of the 19th century, the northern end of Main Street sustained multiple major fires, largely due to its proximity to industry at the wharf, so many of the buildings were frequently rebuilt, changing hands along the way.

The location at 34 Main Street was no exception to this pattern, but around 1900 a building was built in this spot as a livery stable and garage, with the upstairs reportedly serving as a sail loft, and this building still stands today.

1920s

Amadeo and Mary Alippo take up shop at 34 Main. The Alippos had arrived from Genoa, Italy in 1912, were married the same year at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in town, and shortly thereafter opened the first fruit market on Main Street. At 34 Main, they operate a garage and gas station, with Amadeo maintaining a storefront office on the north side of the building, servicing cars in the rear, and pumping Sinclair gas from a sidewalk pump. Mary opens a restaurant on the south side of the building, known as The Coffee House.

A resident of Main Street for 60 years, Mary becomes a fixture on the street. She sits in a chair out front with her stockings rolled down, makes meatball subs for customers getting their oil changed, and is known for her spaghetti dinners. Her practice of spitting in her frying pan to check its temperature quickly becomes town legend.

Amadeo also runs a taxi service and makes the news in 1924 when he is blackjacked and robbed in broad daylight by a recent Sing Sing inmate who has hired Amadeo to drive him to confront a former employer at a Bridgehampton farm.

1979

The Alippos' son, Paul F. Alippo, and his wife, Grace, who inherited the building after Mary's death in 1970, sell the building to Celia A. McMaster. The upstairs would soon become apartments.

Provisions Natural Foods moves into south side of building, taking over the space that used to be Mary's restaurant. The business had been started in Port Jefferson in the early 70s, but moved to Sag in 1975 to the corner of Division & Henry before making its way to Main.

1980

Flashbacks opens in the rear north side of the building. Owner Geraldine Brulte Campsey originally stocks vintage items, but then expands to contemporary clothing and accessories, Balinese goods, gifts and penny candies.

1982

Linley Whelen and Kate Plumb buy Provisions from its owner, Tim Schaller. They renovate and expand the offerings to include produce, coffee, groceries, cheeses, and a cafe.

1983

Dee Moorhead (formerly Eberhart) purchases the building for around $210,000. Her store, D.J. Hart, had occupied the space that is now LT Burger for 4 years, but after rent there triples overnight, she scrambles to find new space, making a low-ball offer on the spot for 34 Main. When her offer is accepted, she moves her store into the small former garage office in the front north corner of the building.

1987

Provisions relocates across the street to its current location and D.J. Hart takes its place in the larger quarters on the south side of the building.

Flashbacks moves across the street to its current location at 69 Main Street.

During the 80s, Dee Moorhead also opens the Sag Harbor Country Store in the building and Bare Necessities Vintage Clothes & Accessories is also a tenant.

1990s  2000s

Ocean Outfitters takes over the rear north space and is followed by Sag Harbor Nautical and then Island Surf in 2005.

The front north space becomes Dagmar Pottery and then Bagley Home, a Provence-inspired shop owned by Terry Bagley, that had previously been located in the basement of Allan M. Schneider Realty (now Corcoran) at the corner of Main and Madison.

Around 2010, Flying Point Surf expands its Hamptons footprint and takes over the entire north side of the building, with the main store in the back and a sunglasses shop in the front.

Thanks to Linley Pennebaker, Dee Moorhead, Barbara Britton, Ursula Britton, Jean Held & Sag Harbor Historical Society, Ted Conklin, and Susan Mullin & John Jermain Memorial Library.

Ethan Feirstein
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

At the Cinemark

(R)

Grade: B

When a film with Benghazi in its title arrives on the verge of the first presidential primaries, we can assume that Hillary Clinton best head for a well-fortified bunker.

But surprisingly, this recounting of the siege of the Benghazi compound is remarkably apolitical.

Of course, thats not to say that the herd of elephants galumphing towards the White House wont try to politicize this film. They will, of course.

But 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi actually presents a tense, sustained portrait of American soldiers under fire in Libya. Theyre actually former soldiers now working for the CIA to protect the compound. Trivial distinction: The boys are armed.

Despite being more than two hours long, Michael Bays bro-fest never sags or drags.

Michael Bay (Transformers, Armageddon) likes to blow things up. He likes to make noise. And he probably sings Lee Greenwood songs between takes: Im proud to be an American

Given all that, I was primed for jingoistic disappointment.

Instead, I came away mildly impressed.

What saves the film are realistic close-up scenes of soldiers under fire and believable cynical dialogue asking the inevitable question: Why are we here?

Every so often, we see Libyans thanking Americans for being there, but thats about the extent of the Bays swagger in this script. Bay even takes some shots at the CIA civilian leaders whose egos interfere with efforts to protect the compound.

The CIA itself has complained about how the CIA is portrayed. I take that as a good sign.

For me, Benghazi boils down to a pro-warrior, anti-war tract. The script regrets the loss of lives in an ill-conceived foray into a volatile African nation.

The soldiers are not fully fleshed out, but theres enough honest emotion to make us care for them. The score, led by the heartbeats of kettle drums, contributes to the tension.

The battles, plenty of them, come with casualties. Not all the heroes will get home safely. All gave some, as Billy Rae Cyrus sang, and some gave all.

All this does not lift 13 Hours to a great film, but does save it from being a bad one.

The parts justify the whole, providing us with moments of insight and honesty worth waiting for.

Yes, theres too much noise and relentless action. What else would Bay give us?

Ultimately, 13 Hours pays tribute to the sacrifice of soldiers, even while casting doubt on why they were there. Thats a thoughtful balance, not always found amidst Bays booms.
The Finest Hours

At the Cinemark

PG-13

Grade: B

Longing for a time capsule that will take you back to 1952?

Well, The Finest Hours throws down a gangplank and hollers out all aboard for a trip back to the days when men were men and women were glad of it. Those were the days of We Like Ike buttons and modest school clothes. Almost nothing but ears got pierced.

For the record, I was a first grader riding my bike to Washington School in Port Angeles back then. I was actually in kindergarten on the actual day of this famous Coast Guard rescue, which occurred on my sixth birthday.

Port Angeles included a Coast Guard base on the spit, a peninsula of land/sand that extended into the Straights of Juan de Fuca.

The fact that this was a tale of a legendary Coast Guard rescue mission heightened my interest, since I used to play on the beach near that base -- and since I love the ocean. My dad served in the Merchant Marines when he was young, and owned Northup Boat Repair in San Pedro, south of L.A.

Boats are us, so to speak.

My one Montana regret is that Canyon Ferry is a lame substitute for the Pacific Ocean.

The Finest Hours is old-fashioned storytelling about a 36-foot Coast Guard motorized lifeboat braving a ferocious storm to try to rescue the crew of a 503-foot tanker, The Pendleton. That tanker was literally ripped in half during a storm and was slowly sinking off Cape Cod.

Records say the winds were 70 knots and the rain was relentless.

To make matters worse, another large vessel was also in trouble -- and the available rescue boats headed for that target first.

Who would save the 42 crew members aboard the Pendleton?

Fear not.

Four courageous men willingly risked their lives to save those in peril on the sea.

That rescue has been recounted in many articles and in the 2009 book, The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman.

The film weaves three stories into its narrative.

At center is the rescue mission itself, focusing on the four heroes in their wooden boat, which crashed through violent waves as it searched for the tanker. A young Coastie, a boatswain's mate first class, guided the mission impossible.

The second story involves those 32 men trapped on the tanker, trying to survive long enough to be rescued. Chief engineer Ray Sybert, a shy nerd, orchestrates a plan to drive the wounded boat aground on a shoal to delay its inevitable sinking.

Finally, and regrettably, theres the romance. The film begins as straight-laced Bernie falls in love with strong-willed Miriam. She becomes the proverbial woman left behind during the rescue mission. And she provides the bear hug when he returns safely.

The Finest Hours is an easy target for its sentimentality. The story is a throwback to high-sea adventures of yesteryear.

But despite all this, Finest Hours is quite watchable precisely because its so old-fashioned. What we see is what we get: a little boat full of courageous men save a big boat full of courageous men.

For the record, The Finest Hours is a much stronger film than In the Heart of the Sea, a dull whale adventure.

The acting is serviceable but eclipsed by the thundering ocean.

Those of us who grew up near the sea welcome a chance now and then to admire its power. I fell asleep each night as a kid watching the beam from a lighthouse light up my wall before scanning the ocean to guide ships ashore.

The Finest Hours respectably pays tribute to the sea and those who ride the waves.
The Revenant

At the Cinemark

(R)

Grade: A-

Envelope please.

And the winner is: Leonardo DiCaprio.

Runner up: The mama grizzly.

More on Jack Dawsons rise from the Atlantic later.

***

For Montanans who grumbled during our cold stretch because of spinning wheels and snowy driveways, may I suggest that the Big Sky winter of 1823 was tougher.

Case in point: trapper Hugh Glass traipsed across Montana and South Dakota in frigid cold, barely able to walk after being mauled by a giant mama grizzly. He gutted a dead horse and slept inside the carcass to keep warm.

Makes the walk to the mailbox on the ice seem tame, yes?

"The Revenant" is a gorgeous and bloody journey through Alberta, almost 200 years ago.

The storys set in Montana/Dakota, but most of the filming was done north of our border. The Kootenai River near Libby does get some screen time, though -- even though local Libby-putians suspect that an Argentine mountain has been edited into their landscape.

The tale is one of revenge.

After Hugh is nearly killed by the bear, he cannot walk. Three members of his trapping party stay behind in hopes hell live, or to bury him if he doesnt. But one of the three is a soulless loner who, after killing Hughs son, throws Hugh in a shallow grave and sets out to save himself.

But Hugh survives and sets out to crawl his way back to get his revenge. Along the way arrows will fly over his shoulder, and he will nearly starve. But, as locker room signs remind us, when the going gets tough, Hugh gets going.

Hugh is one of two revenants in the story.

The term revenant, a descendant from French, means coming back, sometimes as a ghost or a long-lost memory.

Hugh is clawing his way back to civilization, but another revenant is at his side: the ghost of his wife, a Pawnee Indian who was killed. She mystically offers encouragement and wisdom to her grieving husband.

When we stand near a tree in a storm, his ghostly wife says to Hugh, we may worry that the branches are in peril. But when we look at the trunk and the roots, we know the tree is strong and will survive the winds.

Hughs branches are beaten and his body nearly dead, but his roots are strong. Against all odds, he will survive -- and seek his revenge.

"The Revenant" has its bloody moments, starting with an exquisitely choreographed battle between American Indians and trappers that leaves few survivors on both sides.

But amidst the violence come moments of stunning tenderness, always surrounding the relations with American Indians.

Hughs relation to his son is tender and protective. Anyone who speaks ill of his half-American Indian son is walking on the fighting side of Hugh.

One of the most touching scenes comes during Hughs exhausting crawl back to civilization. He comes upon a Pawnee Indian in open icy country and is immediately assumed to be an ugly American apt to kill first, ask questions later.

But High puts his hands high and falls to the ground, begging mercy. The Indian senses a wounded soul, and spares his life. He then cooks a meal for them both and offers to share his horse for a distance. Trust and friendship is born between men who as members of their respective tribes were bitter enemies.

All it took was to meet, eye to eye, for the hatred to subside.

"The Revenant" is filled with such overtures of friendship within a landscape of hatred. Alejandro Inarritu, a Mexican director, weaves reconciliation into a script which features blood-stained snow.

The cinematography and score are also powerful, paying tribute to our Rocky mountain terrain. Emmanuel Lubezki, who has won two straight Oscars for camerawork for Gravity and Birdman, may add a third here.

Reports say Lubezki shot only in natural light -- and his editing of action is breathtaking. Some crew members quit because Lubezki set the bar so high.

Film is a collaborative art: Actors, photographers, musicians, costume designers and endless others try to weave a quilt that doesnt show the seams. "The Revenant" is an example of the parts fitting together handsomely.

The film settles for a rather cliched ending, however. Inarritu forgoes poetry for muscle in the final act. We hear the words of letting God decide, but in truth Hugh will dispense justice on his own terms.

Hughs battle with the grizzly was sufficiently real to make me tighten up and cringe. Living a short drive from Glacier Park, we know this could happen on our next hike.

And finally we come to the acting, and Leo.

A battle of critics has erupted over whether DiCaprios performance is acting or just suffering.

He goes an hour without words while he tries to regain enough health to crawl forward. We have endless close ups of his eyes. His pain is shot into us intravenously. We hurt, too.

Give Leo the Oscar now and lets get on with the rest of the decisions. Words never win Oscars -- eyes win Oscars.

To the critics who say Leo didnt talk enough, I say, affectionately: Zip it -- Leo will say a few words on Feb. 28.

Tom Hardy is gripping, too, as the villain. A friend says Hardy went over the top, and thats fair at the end, but for most of the film hes believably a man without a soul.

The bear deserves a nod, too -- she has clawed her way into our nightmares.

We cant end without noting that "The Revenant" is blood poetry whereas The Hateful Eight is just bloodthirsty. Tarantino should take notes on the difference.

Hugh Glass was a trapper and his survival is legendary. Its worth noting that he survived in Montana 200 years ago.

Its fair to classify "The Revenant" as Montana geographic history.

American Indians tell us that the land speaks -- and Canadas Rocky Mountain landscape sings a 156-minute choral requiem in Alejandro Inarritus Revenant.
Macbeth

At the Myrna Loy

(R)

Grade: B

Shakespeare is to language what Mozart is to music.

Melodies of Mozart please our 21st century ears just as phrases from the Bard still float tripplingly off our tongues.

The words of Shakespeare were written for the stage, and purists would contend thats still the best setting to appreciate his genius. After all, in a live production each and every one of his lines is usually spoken and actors can advance to the edge of the stage to deliver their lines straight into our awaiting ears.

Film versions inevitably must compromise, as the visuals do battle with the words. Films open up the play into the world, bringing the landscape alive.

On screen, bloody scenes glow bright crimson and sounds of battle loudly roar.

And, most tellingly, visual adaptations are selective. Some scenes must be removed to make room for the visuals.

Justin Kurzels Macbeth is very much visual Shakespeare where the language of Shakespeare sometimes gets drowned out by battles, blood and smoky ambiance.

The thick English accents combined with a less-than-perfect Myrna sound system, makes it doubly hard to fully appreciate the language.

Some classic lines are carefully staged, yes, such as Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow and All Hail Macbeth. But lots of verse creeps by at a petty pace.

Subtitles would have helped.

Purists already have noted the changes to the play. The spirit may be true, but the play has been selectively edited for the screen. For example, what was once offstage has been transported to center stage, with flames burning.

But poetic license can be somewhat forgiven thanks to the powerful lead performances by Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Fassbender internalizes the tragic journey of Macbeth that begins with the loss of a child and continues with the killing of a king. The witches, dramatically reconceived, dont bubble much amidst the trouble -- instead they slink around amidst the smoke, oozing warnings.

Cotillard is mesmerizing as Lady Macbeth, presenting her as dark, sexy force who joins the witches in nudging Macbeth toward his fate.

Visually, Macbeth is a stunning abstract masterpiece. Battles are choreographed artfully, the Scottish weather is haunting and smoke swirls around the words.

Macbeth is a violent play, but Australian director Justin Kurzel opens the red spigot even wider finding new ways for blood to run off the screen onto the theater floor.

Whether all this dark embellishment makes for great Shakespeare will depend on whether viewers tolerate pushing the words backstage to make room for burning children at the stake.

One cant deny the power of the production or of the performances, but a lively argument can ensue over whether this is a tragic staging of the tragic play.

A final thought, perhaps a warning?

Will Myrna moviegoers suffer ill fortune if they whisper the word Macbeth?

The play has a long history of ill-fated productions, leading some to believe the witches have cursed the play. Actors refer to this as the Scottish play rather than risk saying the M word and attracting evil spirits.

Say the word Macbeth at the Myrna at your own risk.

But perhaps its too late. The curse may already be upon us.

The witches have whispered.

Macbeth has won New Hampshire.
A 39-year-old Helena man faces a felony charge of criminal endangerment after authorities say he crashed while driving drunk, causing serious injury to two passengers.

Police also arrested Jeremy Allen Kendall on a felony charge of driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense.

Authorities say Kendall was behind the wheel of a 1987 Dodge Ram when the truck crashed into a light pole on Wednesday afternoon. Two female passengers in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to documents filed in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court.

Kendall told the arresting officer "he had consumed approximately half a pint of vodka," the documents state. He refused to provide breath or blood samples for testing.

The incident happened in a parking lot near Prospect Avenue. Kendall was arrested at 4:23 p.m.
BILLINGS -- The Fish and Wildlife Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a first-of-its-kind channel migration easement allowing the Yellowstone River to roam, though concerns of how it may affect a downstream user almost stalled the proposal.

The easement, approved at the commissions meeting in Helena, will release funds from Western Area Power Administration to pay the Navratil family in Richland County not to rip-rap the bank on 89.5 acres of their property along the Yellowstone.

This is just one of a whole bunch of pearls we plan to string together along the Yellowstone, said Tom Hinz, of Montana Aquatic Resources Services, which has facilitated the easement along with the Montana Land Reliance, which would hold the easement.

A hearing held last month in Sidney to discuss the easement drew a variety of public opposition. Among them was the concern from an adjacent downstream landowners lessee who was concerned that erosion of the Navratil property could harm a ditch the lessee used for irrigation.

With that in mind, Fish, Wildlife and Parks backed off its original proposal to pass the agenda item until it could discuss the lessees concerns. But that prompted disapproval from people attending the meeting and some commissioners.

This is a private property rights issue, said Kendall Van Dyk, representing MLR, and others echoed that statement.

Tourtlotte said denying the easement was ridiculous, calling the easement the Navratil familys legacy that FWP should respect.

It should be done because its the right thing to do, he said.

The easement passed unanimously with commission chairman Dan Vermillion recusing himself because of his association with the Montana Land Reliance as a board member.

Allowing the river to roam is seen as a natural process that adds silt and nutrients to the river that keep it healthy and also benefit native fish species like the endangered pallid sturgeon. The cost of the easement was valued at $69,000, 25 to 30 percent of the fair market value.

According to the environmental assessment prepared by FWP, more than 226 miles of the Yellowstone have been hardened or armored to date. About 540 miles of the Yellowstone runs through Montana.
Rick LaBreche knows a thing or two about being disingenuous. He is the past president of the Southwestern Montana Central Labor Council (an affiliate of the AFL-CIO), not just a retired union member as his byline indicates. (Employee Rights Act is more corporate welfare, Feb. 1)

One would think that, as a union official, Mr. LaBreche is concerned with protecting employee rights on the job. Less than 10 percent of union members ever voted for their union. Those who managed to do so werent even guaranteed a secret ballot election. Labor organizers are currently allowed to scrap the private vote in favor of publicly staged card check procedures  and they do so in roughly 40 percent of union recognition elections.

But union bosses apparently don't believe in secret ballot elections. It seems they neither support employee privacy nor oppose bullying and harassment, which the Employee Rights Act (ERA) would criminalize at the federal level.

Mr. LaBreches stubborn opposition  and failure to disclose his true identity  only proves that employees need the ERA to hold union bosses accountable.

Richard Berman is the executive director of Center for Union Facts.
The Lewis and Clark County Commission has agreed to use $228,000 of the countys open space bond fund toward protecting 125 acres near York.

However, the Prickly Pear Land Trust, which is the sponsoring organization for the project, said it is still seeking additional money to acquire a conservation easement on the property that includes frontage of Trout Creek.

The entire easement appraised at $452,000, according to a Nov. 20, 2015, email from Andrea Silverman, the land trusts land protection coordinator.

Commissioners agreed in mid-January to delay a decision on the funding request by the land trust and applicants Marty Welch and Susan Shellebarger, and Tia Nelson and Derek Brown.

On Tuesday, before the commission unanimously voted in favor of the proposal, they were told that questions with legal paperwork for the property had been resolved, which is what had prompted the delay.

Mary Hollow, the land trusts executive director, said Wednesday a funding request is still before the Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation fund, although other sources for the remaining money are also being explored.

The land trust should know more in the next couple of months, Hollow said.

Having the countys financial commitment helps when approaching organizations to request funds, she said and added, Its always good to be able to tell potential funders were part of the way there.

Nelson and Brown are seeking to purchase the land. And a conservation easement, which will limit future development on the property, makes their purchase more affordable.

The Welch property is about 25 miles from Helena and just before the Vigilante Campground. This is said to be the largest tract of private property in the Trout Creek valley.

Because public money from the open space bond is being sought for the easement, Brown said in December when the proposal was first considered, a parking lot will be developed and access provided for fishing and wildlife viewing. About 1 miles of the creek flow through the property.

The public needs to get something more out of it more than just driving down the road and being able to see it, said Brown, who is a former Lewis and Clark County commissioner.

No hunting will be allowed on the property, as there is significant hunting opportunity on surrounding Helena National Forest land, nor will dogs be allowed because of livestock, a county staff report stated.

Voters in 2008 approved a bond measure that made $10 million available, and only $3 million of bonds have been sold to help fund the purchase of conservation easements.

The bond issue is intended to allow for the protection of quality of life attributes for Lewis and Clark County. Drinking water and ground water benefited, as did wildlife habitat and open lands.

Funds from the bond issue could also be used for the conservation of working farms, ranches and forest lands as well as to provide for recreation and to manage growth and development.
When Brian Roberts dons his fire resistant coat and pants, his helmet and the tank of air that are all tools of his trade early next month, it wont be because someones called for help.

Instead, the Helena Fire Department captain will be answering another call, one that he first heard four years ago after he met two high-school-aged girls, friends of his daughter, who were being treated for leukemia.

They were at a hospital in Seattle, Roberts, 47, said on Thursday at Capital City Health Club where he and other firefighters and three Helena College students in the schools fire rescue program have been training.

On March 6, a team of Helena firefighters -- Owen Koeppen, Brandt Buresh, Rob Bennett and Kelly Tuck, whos an assistant chief -- and Lane Erdalh from the VAs fire department, will be in Seattle for a stair-climbing competition that raises money to find cures for leukemia and lymphoma.

Three of Roberts' students from the college -- Tab Fleming, Hayden Cristaldi and Dillon DeLaHunt -- will be competing in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb too.

Cristaldi, 24, has personal reasons -- two of them actually -- why hes participating.

Both his grandfather, a World War II veteran, and his wifes grandfather died from leukemia, he said.Those are the two that Ill be climbing for this year.

In last years event, 1,712 firefighters made it to the top of the Columbia Centers 69 floors, a distance of 1,356 steps that rises 788 feet. When Roberts last made it, he said he remembered being about as exhausted as you can feel.

Firefighters from across the nation and a few countries overseas come for it, said Tuck, who at 55 will be making his fourth climb.

The website for the Firefighter Stairclimb said 1,900 firefighters registered for the 2015 event and raised a record $2.2 million for blood cancer research and patient services.

Individually the firefighters dont raise a lot of money, but the cumulative effect is significant as Tuck sees it.

Its $2 million more than they had the day before, he explained.

Each firefighter must raise at least $300 that goes to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Capital City Health Club has allowed the two teams to train for free and will hold a fundraiser on Feb. 21. For a $5 minimum donation, a participant can don the firefighters gear and an empty tank of oxygen. The roll of stairs on a stair-stepping machine will show them what its like for competitors.

Theres also a $5 fee that day for use of the health club, which also goes toward the firefighters fundraising effort, said Nicole Nettleton, the front desk manager.

Tuck has raised in excess of $1,500 toward leukemia and lymphoma research and said he hopes to receive donations this year that exceed that amount.

Both he and Roberts are hoping awareness of the stair climb helps the team in its quest for support this year.

Roberts remembers the teenaged girls bald heads as they lay in hospital beds in Seattle four years ago and the hugs they gave him.

He and another firefighter talked about the stair climb and what it could mean to leukemia and lymphoma research.

We thought wed climb in their name, Roberts said.

Those two girls have made recoveries, gone on with their lives, although their beds are likely occupied by others who suffer from ailments while research into the two diseases goes on.

This will be Roberts fifth stair climb. Just as in past years, he and the other firefighters on the team will stop in to see children at hospitals in Spokane, Washington, or Seattle whose lives are put at risk by the diseases.

It gives you a lot of incentive why were doing this, Roberts said.

Theres certain things in your life you want to support, to be a part of, said Roberts, who is marking his 25th year with the Helena Fire Department.

Every time I see kids in hospitals that have this kind of disease, it gives me an incentive to want to help cure them.

Three years ago Tuck said yes to joining the team that was looking for volunteers and also wanted someone in the departments administration.

None of his family has had cancer, he said, but hes helping raise money nonetheless.

Theres a lot of things that need attention, but this is one that we can help out with, said Tuck, who will mark his 22nd year with the fire department here in April.

Helping other people is something that not everyone gets to do, he said.

And participating in the event, while fun and a chance for competition, means much more to Tuck, who explained, The reason for it is to make certain these kids have more than they had the day before.
Quaker Artists: An Exhibition of the Quiet Faith is currently on display at the Carroll Art Gallery, 1601 N. Benton Ave., and will be exhibited through March 3.

Gathering the works of Quaker artists from the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, the exhibition provides a glimpse of the creativity that often grows from quiet contemplation. Inspired by the images of the Earth, its people, and of life, these works often convey a sense of the peace and the inner life of the artists who have created them.

Quakers are a people whose faith often informs their creations, and in these works, we hope the viewer will be able to discern a sense of the peace and harmony, which are hallmarks of the Quiet Faith. The exhibition includes fabric art, drawings, sculpture, oil paintings, ceramics, and photography.

The gallery will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays and is closed weekends and college holidays. For more information, visit the Visual Arts Current Gallery webpage or call 447-4302.
EFFINGHAM  Greg Reynolds has seen the culture change at Shelbyville High School with a shift in the way vocational classes have been taught in the past decade.

School officials and local employers have worked together to figure out what students most need to be prepared to enter the workforce, said Reynolds, an industrial technology teacher. The collaboration is paying off.

The payoff is when they go into a manufacturing environment ready to go to work, Reynolds said. Everything we do is geared toward the student coming out of high school and going into a manufacturing environment.

Reynolds and Principal Rich Stuart were among the speakers Thursday during the East Central Illinois Development Corporation Manufacturing Roundtable at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham.

Shelbyville students are learning various aspects of what its like to work in a manufacturing setting, Stuart said.

It matters so they can go be happy with what theyre doing, Stuart said. Its helping the kids realize they have value. Theyre learning what its like to be in a business setting.

Employers and educators working together is part of what will help to close a skills gap across the nation, said Robert Sheets, a research professor at The George Washington University Institute of Public Policy.

The workforce has become a top priority for employers in all areas of the country, Sheets said.

Everywhere we go employers say they have a mismatch with what they need to be competitive and what theyre getting in the workforce, Sheets said. Its got to start with employers addressing their common needs.

AgriFab has found value in working with students from Sullivan and Okaw Valley, said Kurtis Bunfill, the companys business systems and continuous improvement manager.

The quality of students is really amazing, Bunfill said. I dont know how you measure that. It has been fantastic for us.

Sullivan senior Preston Nunamaker wants to learn more about welding at Lake Land College while continuing to work for AgriFab, where he started last summer in the paint and welding departments. He feels well prepared from his experience working for the company.

Well see where it takes me, Nunamaker said. I was interested to work in a factory to learn a manufacturing skill set.

Bunfill sees what is being done to train the workforce as a benefit to businesses, schools and communities, so he said AgriFab is committed to support the training of students in the long term.
MILWAUKEE  Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled for the crucial backing of black and Hispanic voters in Thursday night's Democratic debate and clashed heatedly over their support for Barack Obama as the presidential race shifted toward states with more minority voters.

Clinton, who has cast herself as the rightful heir to Obama's legacy, accused Sanders of diminishing the president's record and short-changing his leadership.

"The kind of criticism I hear from Sen.r Sanders, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone seeking the Democratic nomination," Clinton said in a sharp exchange at the close of the two-hour debate in Milwaukee. Her biting comments followed an interview in which Sanders suggested Obama hadn't succeeded in closing the gap between Congress and the American people, something Obama himself has acknowledged.

Sanders responded sharply: "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow." And he noted that Clinton was the only one on the stage who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential race.

After splitting this year's first two states with Sanders, Clinton also renewed her assertion that her unexpectedly strong rival was energizing voters with promises "that cannot be kept."

Seeking to boost his own support with minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system."

"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.

In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to address a criminal justice system that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities. But she cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.

"We're going to emphasize education, jobs and housing," said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Long viewed as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic race, Clinton has been caught off guard by Sanders' strength, particularly his visceral connection with Americans frustrated by the current political and economic systems. Clinton's own campaign message has looked muddled compared to his ringing call for a "political revolution," and her connections to Wall Street have given Sanders an easy way to link her to the systems his supporters want to overhaul.

Seeking to stem Sanders' momentum, Clinton's campaign has argued that his appeal is limited to the white, liberal voters who make up the Democratic electorate in Iowa and New Hampshire. Clinton's team says that as the race turns now to Nevada, South Carolina and other more diverse states, her support from black and Hispanic voters will help propel her to the nomination.

The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.

"We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up," said Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both Clinton and Sanders disagreed with a series of raids authorized by President Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally. Immigration advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have condemned the raids, calling them inhumane.

"We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can," Clinton said.

Both candidates were largely restrained in their head-to-head contest  a contrast to their campaign's increasingly heated rhetoric on the campaign trail. While Clinton played the aggressor in the previous Democratic debate, she is mindful of a need to not turn off Sanders' voters, particularly the young people that are supporting him in overwhelming numbers.

The former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system. Clinton said those proposals come with unrealistic price tags. And she accused Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40 percent increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.

Sanders didn't put a price on his policies, but neither did he shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.

"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," Sanders said.

Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively on a call to break up big Wall Street banks and overhaul the current campaign finance system that he says gives wealthy Americans undue influence. His campaign contends that his message will be well-received by minority voters, arguing that blacks and Hispanics have been hurt even more by what he calls a "rigged" economy.

Clinton was more animated when discussing foreign policy, an area where her campaign believes Sanders is weak. She peppered her comments on the Islamic State and Russia with reminders of her four years serving as Obama's secretary of state.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois House Democrats have revived an effort that would send stalled contract talks to binding arbitration and prohibit a state workers strike or lockout.

The move comes after Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners administration took steps to have negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees declared at an impasse. The roughly 38,000 state employees AFSCME Council 31 represents have been working under the terms of their previous deal since it expired June 30.

On a party-line vote Thursday, the House Labor and Commerce Committee approved a bill that would apply to contracts that have expired or will expire between June 30 and June 30, 2019. That would cover AFSCME and six other unions that currently dont have contracts with the state.

State Rep. Chris Welch, a Hillside Democrat whos sponsoring the bill, said it represents a major concession on the part of labor unions because they would be giving up the right to strike.

I also think, from a legislative standpoint, we want to prevent the administration from locking out state employees, who are providing important services across this state, and basically shutting down government, Welch said. Thats our responsibility as legislators.

Rauner has said in the past that he will not lock out workers.

Republican opponents of the bill said AFSCME, which is backing the measure, is attempting change the rules in the middle of the process.

Going to the General Assembly for legislation specifically designed to try and direct things in your favor is not something I can be supportive of, said state Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican who serves on the committee.

Before the committee hearing began, the Rauner administration distributed a statement attacking the bill.

Rauners statement called the move a second bite at the failed attempt to pass the bill.

The General Assembly passed a nearly identical bill last year, but Rauner vetoed it. House Democrats fell three votes short of overriding the veto.

Since then, the governor has accused AFSCME of bargaining in bad faith and asked the Illinois Labor Relations Board to determine whether the talks have reached an impasse. If the board sides with him, it could clear the way for the state to impose the terms of its contract offer.

Instead of lobbying for yet another version of the failed legislation from last Fall, AFSCME should defend its proposals before the Labor Board, the governors statement said.

State Rep. Mike Smiddy, a Hillsdale Democrat who also serves on the Labor and Commerce Committee, said he believes part of the reason the override effort failed last year was because Rauner promised to stay at the bargaining table with AFSCME. The union said the administration has refused to negotiate since asking for the impasse declaration earlier this year.

This (bill) will hopefully prevent a shutdown of state government, either through strike or lockout, Smiddy said. We do not need services shut down in the state of Illinois due a strike or lockout.

If the bill is approved, it would send stalled contract talks to mediation and then, if necessary, to a panel of independent arbitrators, who would decide on an issue-by-issue basis which side has made the more reasonable offer.

A similar process is currently in place for police officers, firefighters and other public safety workers, including correctional officers represented by AFSCME.
Yerevans municipal government has extended its contract with Yerevan Djur CJSC for another year, until December 31, 2016.

Yerevan Djur is owned by Veolia Water, a unit of Veolia Environment, a world leader in water services in terms of revenue and population served.

Yerevan Djur has been managing Yerevans water and sewage services since June 2006.

According to Veolia Waters website, it provides drinking water and wastewater treatment services to more than 131 million people worldwide and operates in 60 countries.

Photo (center): Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nominated Irina Bokova, currently Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as a candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary-General, according to a news release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Feb. 9.

The Ministry stated that with her biography and experience, Irina Bokova may be one of the important candidates in the upcoming campaign. Bokova is known for her supportive attitude towards the first family of Azerbaijan, and has promoted First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva in the role of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Just last year, Azerbaijani authoritiessentenced OCCRP partner Khadija Ismayilova to 7.5 years in prison on charges that human rights groups say are politically motivated.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations blog, the Secretary-General is chosen by an informal system of regional rotation, with many speculating that a candidate from Eastern Europe will be chosen next.

Bokova is described as a strong candidate from Bulgaria, but OCCRP partner Bivol has questions regarding property she owns in Manhattan that is worth more that US$ 3 million. Bivol questions in aninvestigation it conducted whether her family could afford the property based on their known income.

Bokova also attempted to withdraw a confidential report that described her role in a scandalous job appointment, according to Bivol. The investigation found that Anita Thompson-Flores was briefly appointed to the position of Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning without submitting the required credentials. Instead of firing her, Bokova sent her to the UNESCO office in Venice.

occrp.org


Swedish town moves as iron mine looms to swallow it



Europe's biggest iron ore mine  the mine behind the town of Kiruna's very existence - is now endangering it. With help from Ramboll, the town is moving two miles to the East to avoid being absorbed.



Cracks are appearing in the Swedish town of Kiruna that was built around an iron mine more than 100 years ago. As extractions for the giant iron ore extend under the centre of town, waste rock causes the ground to shift. If Sweden's northernmost town does not move, it will simply sink into the earth.



Therefore work has begun to move more than 30% of Kiruna approximately two miles to the East.



20,000 people on the move

Over the next 20 years, almost 20,000 people will move into new homes, built around a new town centre, as the iron mine gradually swallows the old community.



So, buildings will be moved and new houses and streets will be built on old industrial land, which puts environmental demands in focus. Ramboll's job is to prepare the land for the construction, and ensure that the old industrial land fulfils the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's directions for usage of risk-sensitive land.



The new central area will accommodate important institutions such as hospitals, high school, library, police office and a number of cultural buildings together with 3,000 households and hotels, workplaces and Kiruna's commercial centre.



Pollution-free land

The area that will become Kiruna's new commercial centre is around 20 hectare, and so far different kinds of pollution have been found.



- Our work includes developing guidelines for environmental controlling as well as testing of volumes in order to classify the soil according to the directions for usage of risk-sensitive land, says Peter Ogren, Project Manager at Ramboll Environment & Health, continuing:



- We are analysing on field, but primarily in laboratories. The new commercial centre will be built on pollution-free land that fulfils the directions for usage of risk-sensitive land, which is important since the area will be residential, says Peter Ogren.



The number of people involved in a project of this scale exceeds the thousands and includes city planners, architects, landscape designers, biologists, urban designers, civil engineers, demolition and construction experts and builders, as well as social anthropologists.



International inspiration

City officials and mining company officers have been around the world looking at how Germany and parts of Africa have handled similar projects, but they are just moving small villages and houses, not huge city centres.



Among the buildings which must make the move are the town's ice hotel, and a red wooden church which was voted the country's most beautiful building in 2001.



The first buildings around the town square and the shopping street are estimated to be completed in 2019.



By Michael Rothenborg & Anna Nourani







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Dave Zweifel is editor emeritus of The Capital Times. dzweifel@madison.com and on Twitter @DaveZweifel
An inmate in Waupun Correctional Institution appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court Tuesday, charged with the assault of a sergeant at Columbia Correctional Institution in November.

Parish Golden, 45, is accused of attacking a 20-year veteran sergeant of CCI over the transfer of legal documents or his then-impending transfer to Waupun.

According to court documents, a detective with the Columbia County Sheriffs Office met on Nov. 12 with the sergeant at Divine Savior Healthcare, where he was being treated for cuts, bruises and potential head injuries. The sergeant told the detective that earlier that day, Golden had come up to the bubble, the locked center of a housing unit, to request that his legals be passed to another inmate as he was being transferred to Waupun.

Later, during lunch, Golden reportedly returned to the bubble and asked why the documents hadnt been passed on and the officer told him that he should take questions up with the sergeant. Golden then took the argument up with the sergeant at the desk on the other side of the room. The sergeant informed Golden that the policy is that documents would have to be mailed out of the institution and back in again if he wanted them passed to another person.

The argument escalated and as the sergeant was reaching for his pepper spray, Golden began punching the sergeant in the face. The officer in the bubble hit the alert button and more officers and captains arrived to assist the sergeant, who was on the ground, and according to the officer not moving.

The officer later reported seeing Golden pick up the nearby rolling chair and drop it on the sergeant several times.

In the days following, correctional officers suspected that the incident, as opposed to being about documents there, came from the Program Review Committee that happened two days earlier in which Golden was informed he would be transferred and he strongly disagreed, being forcefully pulled out of the meeting.

Goldens appearance via video came at the end of Tuesdays intake hearings. The courtroom was cleared for several minutes so he could speak with defense attorney Leonie Dolch, who was in the courtroom.

When the hearing resumed, Dolch told Judge W. Andrew Voigt that Golden wished for the charges against him to be read out loud in court  a right of defendants, though almost never exercised.

Dolch then informed the court that Golden wanted to file motions objecting to the delay in charges being filed against him and his initial appearance, as well as his not being brought to court in Columbia County.

I cant see how those objections would impact the case in any form or fashion, said Voigt, but they are noted.

In October 1998 Golden was sentenced in Racine County to a possible life sentence for first-degree intentional homicide, possession of a firearm by a felon and intimidation of a witness.

Given that Golden is incarcerated, eligible for parole in October 2028, Voigt imposed a $5,000 signature bond. Golden was transferred to CCI from Green Bay Correctional Institution in March 2013, two months after he plead no contest to a charge of battery by prisoners from a case there.
RACINE  A life sentence is now in the cards for a Racine man whom jurors convicted on Thursday of fatally shooting his best friend last year amid an alleged theft of $100.

The six-man, six-woman jury spent a little more than an hour deliberating before convicting Jacob W. Rogers of first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. Rogers, 28, is accused of the March 2 fatal shooting of his newborn daughters godfather, Andrew L. Jones Jr., 27, of Kenosha.

Jones father, Andrew Jones Sr., director of financial shares services for Spectrum Brands, told The Journal Times earlier this week that he thinks Rogers should receive life in prison.

It doesnt matter if your child was taken by a violent act or if your child died of natural causes. Its a void that never fills, said Jones Sr., who didnt attend the trial Thursday because he was out of town for work. Its a dark void where youre trying to find the light. You cant find it because it doesnt exist.

Jones Jr. was executed in cold blood on his friend's couch, Racine County District Attorney Rich Chiapete told jurors during closing arguments Thursday, the fourth day of trial. He was shot seven times, Chiapete said.

Rogers allegedly shot his friend after a dispute about $100 missing from Rogers dresser.

"You're not allowed to use deadly force to defend property," Chiapete told jurors. "This is over $100. $100."

Rogers, a felon after being convicted of marijuana possession in 2011 in Kenosha County, didn't testify.

One of his defense attorneys, Assistant State Public Defender Helmi Hamad, said Rogers didn't kill his friend because of that $100, but what it represented.

"That $100, in his mind, was key to getting his child back. (It was to) drive back to Illinois to fight to get his child back," Hamad said, arguing Rogers should be convicted of a lesser offense, second-degree intentional homicide.

That lesser offense is not punishable by a mandatory term of life behind bars.

While the first-degree homicide charge carries that mandatory life term, there are multiple sentencing options. Rogers could receive natural life; be eligible for release after 25 years; or petition the parole commission requesting he be released on extended supervision after first serving 25 years.

After the verdict, Chiapete said he will ask for natural life.

Rogers remains jailed on $1 million cash bond. His sentencing is set for April 15.

Everything is being taken

The shooting occurred in the Allegro Apartments, 522 3 Mile Road.

Rogers girlfriend, Katelyn McGraw, 23, is seen on a motion-activated camera in Rogers' apartment positioned near Jones feet, and suddenly places money on the floor. Witnesses testified that McGraw told Rogers she pulled the money from his friends boot. The alleged theft of cash wasnt recorded.

Witnesses testified that Rogers went with his girlfriend to Illinois for the birth of their daughter. Hamad said she had two children taken from her previously because of drug problems. But this was Rogers' first child, and she was the greatest joy in his life, Hamad said. Child welfare workers in Illinois then took the baby away.

So when Rogers' money was found in his best friend's boot, "he was devastated," Hamad said. "(Rogers felt) 'first my baby is taken and now this.' Everything is being taken."

Jones Sr. said said during a break in the trial on Tuesday that he doesnt know if his son stole the money. McGraw is not seen on camera taking Jones Jr.s boot off and pulling the money out, his father said.

I dont really trust drug people. They have a habit of lying, he told The Journal Times. Even if he took the $100, are you telling me Andrews life was only worth $100?
Already years in the making, Madison officials must now struggle with two radically different choices as it moves to deliver the massive Judge Doyle Square project south of Capitol Square.

A $125 million proposal from Beitler Real Estate Services and a $200 million offering from Vermilion Development, both of Chicago, contrast in cost, design, a hotel for Monona Terrace, housing, commercial space, parking, and public investment.

The development will rise on two Downtown blocks that now hold the Government East parking garage and the Madison Municipal Building, which will be renovated separately.

A new, 10-page analysis of the proposals by the citys negotiating team highlights differences and deficiencies  but recommends no choice  and will be discussed by the Board of Estimates on Monday.

The two proposals before the city provide it with a variety of choices, city project director George Austin said. Theyre both quality development teams. They both can get it done.

Both proposals are compelling, but neither fully meets all of the citys stated requirements, the staff report says. On the bottom line, Beitler would need $27.5 million in public investment while the larger Vermilion project, with more costly underground parking sought by the city, requires $59 million, it says.

The negotiating team, which says a choice must be made soon because a Downtown tax incremental financing (TIF) district will soon close, offered several options for next steps. They range from The Board of Estimates deciding Monday whether one, both or neither proposal proceeds, to doing no more work until the City Council gives direction.

Mayor Paul Soglin declined comment until after a public presentation of the report.

The proposals

Beitler proposes a 252-room hotel, 210 apartments, retail and limited office space, and 910 parking spaces, most above ground. A glass-sheathed structure with public parking, retail and a bicycle center would be on the Municipal Building block. The glassy hotel and apartments would be above parking across the street.

The proposal has a more bold design, is simpler and a better financial deal for the city, company president J. Paul Beitler said. Every decision we made was to maximize return to the city, he said.

Vermilion offers a 279-room hotel, 125 apartments, 94,000 square feet of office space, retail and 1,108 parking spaces, almost all underground. The hotel, restaurant and some retail would be on the Municipal Building block, with housing, offices, retail and a bicycle center on the other. A hotel skywalk connects to the Hilton hotel across East Wilson Street, which has a skywalk to Monona Terrace.

Vermilion says its plan delivers what the city sought with no public investment beyond underground parking.

We tried to translate the citys objectives into a complete physical program for the two blocks, Vermilion president David Cocagne said.

Both proposals fail to meet some city requirements, the staff report says. Beitler uses TIF for retail/office elements on the Municipal Building block and lacks fully below-ground parking. Vermilion doesnt pay full market value for land. Both proposals lack detail on labor commitments.

Hotels

The proposals meet the citys required 250 hotel rooms, but the hotels differ in size, location and amenities.

Vermilions Renaissance Hotel is bigger, set on the Municipal Building block, and full-service, meaning it has a sit-down restaurant, bellhops, valets, and other features, Cocagne stressed.

The full-service hotel is important, he said.

Beitlers EVEN Hotel, a brand with a focus on fitness and wellness, is farther from Monona Terrace and offers grab and go meals and a bar, with the expectation that guests will want to explore establishments nearby. The hotel better fits the evolving demands of travelers and millennial tastes, Beitler said.

Weve got two good projects, Monona Terrace director Gregg McManners said.

But he said the Vermilion hotel has advantages in rooms, service level and proximity to the convention center.

Beitler has more apartments and little office space. The citys market for housing is strong, but we dont see the demand for (offices) there, Beitler said.

Vermilion is confident about demand for offices but would build them only with extensive pre-leasing, Cocagne said, adding that the space could be a third phase or used for more housing.

Parking

The city has a big choice on parking.

We tried to be responsive to what the city requested, Cocagne said.

But Beitler countered, Were not digging all the way to China and the parking structure will appear as an attractive building with glass exterior, roof, heating and more.

Beitler makes more public parking available during construction, meaning the Parking Utility loses less, the staff report says.

Wed prefer to keep as many spaces available as possible, assistant Parking Utility manager Sabrina Tolley said.

Design, financials

The designs are a stark choice for a city sensitive to development near historic buildings. Beitlers curved, glassy, modernistic structures reflecting an ellipse created on Pinckney Street contrast sharply with Vermilions nods to both modern and historic surroundings.

The city needs more vibrant architecture, Beitler said, adding that the companys design should not be changed.

This is the embodiment of modern architecture, he said. You want something unique, something special.

The Vermilion design, Cocagne said, better respects its neighbors.

The question is, how do you blend the new with the old? he said. Its a balance.

On public investment, both proposals use $13 million in Parking Utility funds  the cost of replacing Government East above ground  and $2 million to replace Fleet Services parking and build a bicycle center, the staff report says.

Vermilion would pay the city $2 million for land on both blocks valued at $11 million, adding a $9 million subsidy to the $35 million it seeks in TIF, the report says. Its an overall package, Cocagne said.

With Beitler, the city owns all land, with the developer paying ground leases for property on the Government East block, which is valued at $6.5 million. The ground leases deliver $5 million to the city in the first 10 years, and more afterward. The city would also get lease income for retail space on the Municipal Building block. Beitler would need $11 million in TIF, the staff report says.

The financing plan is designed to maximize return to the city, minimize its risk, and provide long-term flexibility, vice president John Paul Beitler III said.

Both proposals leave a surplus in the TIF district far in excess of the required $19 million minimum seen at the end of 2014, the staff report says.

Comparing the Judge Doyle Square proposals

Hotel

BEITLER

Rooms: 252

Flag: EVEN Hotel by InterContinental Hotels Group; no operator selected

Hotel commitment letter: Yes

Cost: $57.9 million

Meeting space: 7,818 with option of up to 23,450 square feet if less retail space is provided

Other features: Select-service hotel with a focus on wellness. Marketplace with grab and go retail area with food options, hot and cold drinks, small selection of not retail items, and bar service. 1,200-square-foot fitness center. Lean staffing model.

VERMILION

Rooms: 279

Flag: Likely to be Renaissance by Marriott; Marcus Hotels and Resorts as operator

Hotel commitment letter: No

Cost: $90 million

Meeting space: 17,629 square feet, including 11,000-square-foot ballroom

Other features: Full-service hotel with amenities including formal restaurant, valet and bellhop. Indoor skywalk connecting to Hilton Madison and Monona Terrace. Full staffing model.

Other uses

BEITLER

210-unit upscale apartment building

On Municipal Building block, 31,000 square feet of retail, food court, bicycle center and office space on first two floors. Second-floor retail space could be changed to other use if desired.

On Government East block, 7,816 square feet of street retail.

VERMILION

125-unit, upscale apartment building

94,000 square feet of office space

On Government East block, 13,000 square feet of street retail and bicycle center

Parking

BEITLER

910 total spaces, all above ground. Of those, 621 spaces public spaces would be in a glass-sheathed structure on the Madison Municipal Building block and 306 spaces  also glass sheathed  would serve serve a hotel and apartments on the Government East parking garage block

Cost per public supported space: $30,000

Phasing: First build 621-space public parking structure to ensure no loss of existing public parking during the project. Initial structure built in 14 months. Then, Government East is demolished and construction begins on parking and other development on that block, taking 18 months.

VERMILION

1,108 total spaces, all below ground. Of the total, 358 would be mostly below the hotel on the Municipal Building block and 750 stalls below the apartments and offices on the Government East block.

Cost per public-supported space: $44,662

Phasing: First build hotel and parking on Municipal Building block and deliver 352 public parking spaces 11 months into construction. At 11 months, Government East is demolished and 22 months later 750 public parking spaces become available on that block.

Design

BEITLER

Design revolves around a new elliptical median on South Pinckney Street to be called JD Plaza. New curved median will feature landscaping and fountains with traffic flowing one way on each side. The modernistic, glass-sheathed structures reflect that elliptical form.

The public elements of the project  public parking, bicycle center, retail space  are in an eight-story structure on Madison Municipal Building block. Private elements  the 12-story hotel and 13-story apartment building  are in separate, side-by-side structures above parking for those uses. In between the hotel and apartments, atop the third floor of parking, is a rooftop terrace for apartment users with grills, fire pits and other amenities.

VERMILION

Design is intended to reflect context of the neighborhood, which is a mix of historic and modern buildings.

Architecture and materials for nine-story hotel on the Municipal Building block feature natural, rich tones, and the project would have a skywalk connecting to the Hilton Madison. Buildings on the Government East block are more contemporary and use masonry and metal panels for 11-story apartment and six-story office buildings. All glass is transparent and non-reflective. The design, including step-backs, intends to break down the scale of the structures.

Pinckney Street would be lined with a restaurant and retail, and the sidewalks would have landscaping, street furnishings and bike racks.

Financing

BEITLER

Total cost: $125 million

Developer contribution: $35 million equity; $64 million in debt

Land transaction: Developer leases land valued at $6.5 million, beginning at $575,000 a year and escalating 5 percent every five years to $733,863 by 30th year

Direct city investment: $26 million, including $11 million in TIF, $13 million from parking utility, $1 million for city fleet parking; $1 million for bike center.

Extra revenue to city: In addition to the land lease, city get income from leasing retail space it would create, starting at $620,000 annually and escalating to $1.2 million in 30th year. The city could sell the land and/or retail space to the developer at any time.

Project value: $58 million

Ratio of assessed value added to TIF: 5.3 to 1

VERMILION

Total cost: $200 million

Developer contribution: $45 million in equity; $105 million in debt

Land transaction: Developer pays $2 million for land valued at $11 million

Direct city investment: $50 million, including $35 million in TIF, $13 million from parking utility, $1 million for city fleet parking; $1 million for bike center.

Project value: $76 million

Ratio of assessed value added to TIF: 2.2 to 1
Heres how members of Wisconsins congressional delegation voted on major issues this week. Note: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, did not vote. By custom, the speaker does not vote except in rare circumstances.

U.S. HOUSE

CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF SCIENCE FUNDING: Voting 236 for and 178 against, the House on Wednesday passed a GOP-drafted bill (HR 3293) that would require the National Science Foundation to explain in writing how its research grants are demonstrably in the national interest. The bill lists seven areas of national interest and requires each NSF-funded project to serve at least one of them.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain.

Voting yes: James Sensenbrenner, R-5, Glenn Grothman, R-6, Sean Duffy, R-7, Reid Ribble, R-8

Voting no: Mark Pocan, D-2, Gwen Moore, D-4

Not voting: Ron Kind, D-3

RESEARCH INTO GUN VIOLENCE: The House on Wednesday refused, 177 for and 241 against, to designate research into gun violence a National Science Foundation priority, in hopes it would reduce firearms mortality just as scientific research has sharply reduced the number of deaths from smoking and highway crashes since the 1960s and 1970s. Sponsored by Democrats, this motion sought to add gun violence to a listing in HR 3293 (above) of seven research areas demonstrably in the national interest.

A yes vote was to support taxpayer funding of gun-violence research.

Voting yes: Pocan, Kind, Moore

Voting no: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Ribble

TREASURY REPORT ON NATIONAL DEBT: Voting 267 for and 151 against, the House on Thursday passed a GOP-sponsored bill (HR 3442) under which the secretary of the Treasury must provide Congress with detailed information on federal borrowing and debt payments within 21-to-60 days of the date in March 2017 when the current national-debt limit is expected to be reached.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it appeared likely to fail.

Voting yes: Kind, Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Ribble

Not voting: Pocan, Moore

WAGES, WEALTH, INCOME INEQUALITY: Voting 171 for and 245 against, the House on Thursday rejected a Democratic-sponsored amendment that sought to broaden the Treasury secretarys required report on federal debt (HR 3442, above) to also cover wage and salary disparities, consumer spending and the effect of spending cuts on economic growth.

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

Voting yes: Kind

Voting no: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Ribble

Not voting: Pocan, Moore

WEAKENING OF MENU-LABELING RULE: Voting 266 for and 144 against, the House on Friday passed a bill (HR 2017) designed to weaken and delay a new Food and Drug Administration rule under which restaurant chains of 20 or more locations bearing the same name will be required, starting next year, to prominently post nutrition information for standard menu items  including calorie counts  at the point of sale.A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where its prospects were uncertain.

Voting yes: Kind, Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Ribble

Not voting: Pocan, Moore

U.S. SENATE

CLIMATE CHANGE, INTERNET, TRADE: Voting 75 for and 20 against, the Senate on Thursday sent President Obama the conference report on a catchall bill (HR 644) that would, in part, prohibit presidents from negotiating climate-change rules in future trade pacts; permanently outlaw state and local taxation of Internet access; combat currency manipulation by trading partners; tighten rules against imports produced by child and forced labor and make it more difficult for foreign companies to dump products onto U.S. markets.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the White House.

Voting yes: Tammy Baldwin, D, Ron Johnson, R

NORTH KOREA ECONOMIC SANCTIONS: By a unanimous vote of 96-0, the Senate on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 757) that would expand U.S. economic sanctions on businesses and countries engaged in transactions that directly or indirectly buttress North Korea. A response to North Koreas recent thermonuclear and missile testing, the bill seeks to financially penalize those who supply North Korea with hard currency, do business with its military, help it to conduct cyber attacks, further its human-rights abuses or provide luxury goods to the Pyongyang elite.

A yes vote was to return the bill to the House, which sent it to President Obama for his signature.

Voting yes: Baldwin, Johnson

Key Votes Ahead

Congress is in Presidents Day recess until the week of Feb. 22.
TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD  The American Locomotive Co. was once one of the largest builders of steam engines in the world.

In 1907, six years after the New York company was formed by a merger of the Schenectady Locomotive Works and seven other companies, ALCO, as it was then known, set a production record. Its 6,200 workers built 942 locomotives, turning out an average of 18 of the steel and cast iron behemoths every week at a cost of about $20,000 each, according to the Schenectady Digital History Archive.

Restoring just one of the 60-ton pieces of history is taking considerably more time and money.

More than two years after one of ALCOs locomotives was taken apart and shipped 37 miles from North Freedom to a rural machine shop north of Middleton, nearly two years of work still remain on the $2 million rebuild.

The 1385, built for the Chicago & North Western Railroad and owned for over 50 years by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in central Sauk County, is starting to look like its old self again. But the relic that used to pull the Great Circus Train from Baraboo to Milwaukee and back might not hit the Mid-Continent tracks until 2018.

A project of this magnitude takes patience.

Its been a very long, long process, said Peter Deets, a volunteer with the museum and the last person to fire up the locomotives engine before it was taken out of service in 1998. Everything thats been done here has equaled if not surpassed original build. And thats really what our aim is, to return the engine to original build specifications.

So when an open house is held Feb. 20 and 21 at SPEC Machine, 7175 Riles Road, fans of the massive undertaking will see progress but not a locomotive ready for a tender filled with coal.

The engines three sets of 63-inch-diameter drive wheels, one set of which weighs 15,000 pounds, are resting on tracks in the rear of the shop and are connected to the 40-foot-long chassis. The drive arms are attached, much of the locomotive has coats of fresh paint and there are newly minted parts made of steel and brass.

The wooden cab is nearing completion at a shop in Fond du Lac, while the design of the boiler could be completed this spring by Performance Engineering in Waunakee. Instead of using rivets, the boiler will be welded this summer by Hamon Deltak, a maker of industrial boilers and steam generators in Plymouth, Minnesota.

But the bulk of the restoration is being done at SPEC Machine, where owner Steve Roudebush has used lathes and milling machines to repair farm implements and create highly specialized parts and machines for biomedical, manufacturing and food companies. His shop has also made high-tech rat cages for experiments aboard the International Space Station.

Working on the locomotive for Roudebush, who has an affinity for anything steam-related, has been a passion more than a business decision.

Its important for me to see it run again, Roudebush said. Every part you need to make it, fit it, and see how it affected the 14 pieces in front of it and the 14 pieces that follow it. And thats what takes so much time, the researching.

The locomotive was a workhorse for the Chicago & North Western Railroad from 1907 to 1956. When it was retired, Mid-Continent members scraped together $2,600 to buy it in 1961. Beginning in 1963, the locomotive pulled cars on the museums 3.5 miles of track but was taken out of service in 1998 for what museum officials thought would be $125,000 in boiler repairs. A closer inspection revealed the engine needed a complete restoration that is now being paid for through donations and grants.

When completed, the 1385 will become the only operating C&NW steam locomotive in the country and one of only eight that have been preserved. But the restoration is about more than just bringing a piece of history back to life.

The 1385 is tied to the future success of Mid-Continent, a nonprofit museum that showcases railroad equipment made between between 1885 and 1915, when steam locomotives moved 90 percent of the nations passengers and freight. A working 1385 has the potential to draw thousands of tourists each year to the museum, located a short drive from the tourist hotbed of Wisconsin Dells, officials say.

Roudebush, 52, who grew up in Waunakee and remembers the Circus Train rolling through the village, has used old photos, history books and over 700 blueprint drawings from the Lake States Railway Historical Association in Baraboo to guide him on the restoration.

He also has a series of encyclopedias on locomotive construction from 1908 and another set of 14 books from 1910 that cover topics like engine management and installation, steam engine and valve gears, and riveted joints.

It all looks like big pieces but every big piece has a whole heap of little pieces rolled into it, and they all need attention and care, Roudebush said of the locomotives design. Its been a lot of work because nothing is straightforward.

The front truck (four smaller wheels that sit in front of the drive wheels) of the locomotive is in pieces, with the frame of the truck being recreated after decades of wear that has compromised much of the steel beyond repair, including the pins and bushings. The footplate of the locomotive, which serves as the connector between the frame and drawbar and needs to withstand massive forces, was littered with cracks and replaced with a stronger version.

An Underwood portable boring bar machine from the 1890s was recently used to bore out one of the locomotives cylinders. The machine is a collection of gears, drive shafts and cutting heads driven by an air motor. The antique device is from Mid-Continents museum collection and has been used on two other locomotives over the years.

The machine that they built to maintain the machine still can hold the accuracy and still does everything we need it to do to todays standards, Deets, the museum volunteer, said.

It was designed for this purpose and its also honoring the people who built these machines and maintained them.
Fill in the caption with a clever quip by Wednesday and win publication of your line with the cartoon in next Sundays newspaper. Youll also 
While our own nation has been absorbed in the quadrennial sport of picking presidential candidates, the humanitarian crisis on the Syrian-Turkish border grows ever worse.

Last weeks carpet-bombing by Russia of Aleppo (and we truly wish those Republican candidates who so blithely reference their willingness to carpet bomb this place or that would look at the before and after photos of Aleppo) exacerbated the crisis. At least 70,000 more Syrians have fled for their lives  about half have already made it to the Turkish border.

The weather has turned cold and rainy and over the weekend Turkeys Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus warned that his nation has reached its capacity to absorb more refugees.

Monday a new United Nations report accused the Assad regime of a systematic and widespread attack on civilians that amounts to extermination.

The European Union, which belatedly has figured out its easier to provide for the refugees before they reach the borders of their own communities than after, has allocated $3 billion in aid to help Turkey deal with the refugee problem. The United States has pledged another $1 billion. ...

And while the funds, no doubt, are welcome, they dont address the problem of what to do with what is estimated to be 2.5 million refugees who have made their way to Turkey during the five-year civil war.

At best the money will help feed and shelter some of them  and then what?

Turkey has long lobbied for the creation of a safe zone within Syria  not always for the most altruistic of reasons. ... The refugees, not surprisingly, present an internal political problem. That the most recent wave of refugees was created by Russias attacks aimed at keeping the Assad regime in power has further complicated the issue for Turkey. But then who are we to judge. Those 70,000 human beings are not on our doorstep.

The safe zone is likely the best option. Of course, it would have been an even better option five years ago when U.S. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham called for a no-fly zone in the same northern area of Syria to protect civilians.

It might have prevented the refugee crisis that Europe faces. It would surely have prevented the disaster now at Turkeys border.
LAKE MILLS  The International Dairy Foods Association held its annual Dairy Forum last month in suburban Phoenix. It provided great insights on the future of our industry, and the setting highlighted just how extreme some of the proposals for groundwater regulation in Wisconsin have been.

Phoenix is dry. There is water in the aquifer, and you see the occasional green lawn. But Arizonas water situation is nothing like ours. Even a drive to the higher elevation grassland does not remind you of the verdant green we experience for half the year here.

Yet some people in our state would like to see groundwater withdrawals regulated in a manner far more severe than any laws in Arizona.

Given our rate of groundwater consumption and the annual recharge due to rain and snow, our resources are safe now and will be for the generations to come.

Even in areas where a high water table and tight connection between groundwater levels and surface waters have contributed to falling water levels in some lakes and streams, the aquifer levels are stable or rising.

A few limited areas in the state may deserve more study and might even need a special regulatory framework. But that should not hold the rest of the state back from using our groundwater in a reasonable and productive way.

Our ready access to fresh water gives Wisconsin a competitive advantage in attracting new farms and other businesses that rely on water. We should be promoting this advantage, not regulating it out of existence.

Since the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its Lake Beulah decision in 2011, approvals for high-capacity wells in our state have been mired in uncertainty. Finally, there is hope the situation will improve.

The DNR has been working to become more efficient in handling applications. More importantly, a recent court decision has favored a narrower view of the state Department of Natural Resources authority over these approvals.

This month, our legislative leaders asked the Wisconsin attorney general to issue an official opinion to further clarify how the approval process should work. That opinion will likely be out this spring.

Unfortunately, some so-called environmental groups have fought against even seeking guidance from the attorney general. Instead, they offer legislative solutions, which would enshrine the uncertainty of the past several years.

The dairy community in Wisconsin should not accept these false solutions. We must demand a predictable approval process.
WASHINGTON  Two recent comments by famous feminists have underscored the inevitable and predicted the foregone: The feminist era of Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright has come to a close.

Each heroic in her own way, these three icons of second-wave feminism have reached a pinnacle of sorts, along with the bittersweet recognition they are sorely out of touch with todays younger women. The world they knew and helped change has produced a new generation no longer as concerned with the issues that animated their mothers and grandmothers.

So it goes. Adding possible injury to insult, liberal millennial women are tilting toward Bernie Sanders rather than she who would be the first woman president of the United States. What are they thinking?

Albright and Steinem, speaking on different days in different environments, offered comments that are by now familiar: Theres a special place in hell for women who dont help each other, said Albright, who was the first female U.S. secretary of state.

And, When youre young youre thinking, Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie, said Steinem, co-founder of Ms. Magazine and iconic leader of the 60s feminist movement.

Much bestirring followed on social media. The gist of critics: How dare Steinem insinuate that young women are just chasing boys? And, how dare Albright curse young women for failing to support Clinton! They have a point.

But theyre missing the bigger point that had these women not cut a path for others to enter and expect to be treated fairly in the workplace and elsewhere, these same young women would, indeed, be following the boys in hopes of inserting an R between the M and the S in their titles, as their predecessors had to.

This is the irony, isnt it? Of all people to suggest that girls just wanna have fun with boys: Though its not necessarily untrue, Steinem has lived a life based on quite the opposite premise. It was she, after all, who said, A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. Come on, its funny. And it is certainly true to women of a certain age.

Albrights comment, meanwhile, is a well-known and, perhaps, worn-out trope of the former secretarys. Now 78, she might have imagined that her audience  at a Clinton rally  would have been familiar with it and responded with laughter, as had so often been the case.

Rather than cursing younger versions of herself, she was offering a gift in the spirit of Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, Ill be back, or Ronald Reagan saying, Win one for the Gipper.

Whether some of the young women preferring Sanders to Clinton are also interested in boys, a not-dishonorable distraction, was probably a weak stab at humor, for which Steinem, 81, has apologized. Also, she was talking to Bill Maher on his show, hardly the forum for solemn pronouncements.

But the more likely explanation is that young liberal women, like their male counterparts, are attracted to the cool old guy because hes promising a dream in which the rich have less and the poor have more. Robin Hood is so awesome.

And socialism has always appealed to the young, the cure for which isnt age but responsibility. This usually comes in the form of taxes and children, both of which involve working and sacrificing for the benefit of others, the extent of which forms the axis on which all politics turns.

That Sanders never outgrew his own socialist-rebellious tendencies  Were going to have a revolution!  is vaguely interesting, but not his best recommendation for commander in chief, among other presidential duties.

Clinton, ever the adult in the room, may be doomed by her own sober momliness. To whom do children run to when Mom is no fun? She isnt helped by the two elder women in the room.

What is obvious, if bittersweet, is Steinem and Albright, and possibly Clinton by association, have passed the baton, if without realizing it. Through their temerity and hard work, theyve created a world in which their original purposes have become obsolete through acceptance.

Millennial women, who reached adulthood around 2000, and those afterward have never known a world in which they were not treated to daily doses of go-girl power. Theyve never known a time when abortion wasnt an option. They really can have it all, including the choice to not vote for a woman just because shes a woman because, after all, this would be sexist.

And no one would want that.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2016  Three new national monument designations covering 1.8 million acres of California will connect Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino National Forest, and 15 wilderness areas previously designated by Congress.

The result is the creation of a series of protected lands stretching hundreds of miles, the Interior and Agriculture departments said in a joint press release. The monuments protect current uses of the land, including military training operations, off-highway vehicle recreation, transportation, utility corridors, and existing mining operations.

President Barack Obama designated the monuments today. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been pushing for desert protection for more than 20 years, since the passage of the 1994 desert conservation bill.

Im full of pride and joy knowing that future generations will be able to explore these national monuments and that the land will remain as pristine as it is today, she said. To a city girl like me, this expanse of desert, with its ruggedness and unique beauty, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

The largest of the three is the Mojave Trails National Monument, which spans 1.6 million acres of federal lands, including more than 350,000 acres of already Congressionally-designated wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management between Barstow and Needles, California.

Another new monument is called the Sand to Snow National Monument, which encompasses about 154,000 acres of federal lands, including just over 100,000 acres of already congressionally designated wilderness east of Los Angeles. It will be managed jointly by the Forest Service and BLM.

The smallest of the three is the Castle Mountains National Monument, 21,000 acres of federal land surrounded by the existing Mojave National Preserve that will be managed by the National Park Service.

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The designations prompted criticism from Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, who called it presidential bullying. The intent of the Antiquities Act is not to act as the Presidents magic wand to commandeer land. In order to be good stewards of our environment, we need to allow people to have a say in how they recreate and conserve their land. This doesnt. Its an authoritarian act that ignores people under the guise of preservation.

Obama has used monument designation to protect 265 million acres of land and water, more than any other president in U.S. history.

#30
Indias telecommunications regulator banned Facebooks free Internet service Free Basics Monday, ruling that service providers cannot charge different prices for content.

Net neutrality  the misguided idea that all Internet access should be the same  trumped the goal of offering hundreds of millions of poor Indians the most essential online services.

Free Basics works with mobile-service providers in 38 countries to offer free access to Facebook, Wikipedia and select other sites. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the service has already helped 19 million people read the news, find job listings and improve their businesses or farms. Users who want full access to the Web can pay a nominal fee.

When the program debuted in India last February, net neutrality supporters complained that it preferred certain content over that of Facebooks competitors. The technology industry warned that Indias fledgling start-ups were under threat. One tech entrepreneur even suggested on Twitter that Facebook would exploit the country like the British East India Company.

While Facebooks motive isnt altruistic, the suspicion that Free Basics would harm Indians is baseless. The service is an open platform that includes content from any developers that meet certain guidelines. This benefits the tech industry and consumers. Free Basics would have helped develop an online market in a country with an Internet penetration rate of about 27 percent, one of the lowest in Asia. Some 40 percent of Indians who used Free Basics went on to pay for regular Internet access, according to Facebook. It wouldnt have been long before competitors entered the market for free and low-cost Internet service.

The decision to block Free Basics shows that, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modis efforts to woo American companies in Silicon Valley last fall, anti-corporate sentiment still prevails in Delhi. Indias elite would rather let the majority of the population lose out than open a new market to a foreign competitor.
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The HRA Promotes and Supports Peace Talks and encourage uniting people to support the Peace Talk or Peace Process on the formulations of CHARTER CHANGE or CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM in the Peace Talk between Government and the Rebels OR INSURGENTS CPP/NPA/NDF and others at stake to END WAR and live in Peace and Equal and fair just society.

The people has Democratic Rights to Intervene and empower the Charter Change in the Peace Talk between Government and the CPP/NPA/NDF and Others at Stake Insurgents and formally forge it in the Plebescite by the People......

SUPPORT THE CHARTER CHANGE IN THE PEACE TALK NOT IN ANY KIND OF CHARTER CHANGE INITIATED OR DRAFTED BY GOVERNMENT PEOPLE IN THE POSITION OR ANY POLITICAL PARTIES OR INFLUENTIAL PERSON....

" END WAR in PEACEFUL MEANS NOT IN VIOLENT SUPPRESSION'S OR REBELLION SUPPORT PEACE TALKS"
1. Small farming provides rural youth with job opportunities

2. Small farmers contribute to climate change mitigation

3. Small farmers produce much of the world's cocoa (and chocolate)

Fatima, small farmer from Sao Tome

4. Small farmers contribute to global food security

5. Small farmers preserve biodiversity

At IFAD , we love investing in small farmers. Some of our reasons may be obvious  small family farms feed up to 80 per cent of the population in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, manage a large share of the natural resources and ecosystems, and support the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people.Other reasons might be surprising  for instance, did you know behind each box of chocolate is the important work done by a small farmer?There are so many reasons we believe the world should also love and support small farmers, but here are our top five reasons.In the Near East and North Africa region, seventeen million young people  more than 20 per cent of the population  are without work. Since young people face the highest rates of poverty, they often move away from home to seek opportunity elsewhere. However, when young people work in agriculture, they not only can support themselves, but are more likely to adopt new technologies. This creates better yields, which in turn allows farmers to continue feeding the world's growing population. Rural youth are an important factor in eradicating food insecurity internationally IFAD supports the ambition young people have to not only find employment, but to act as entrepreneurs within the industry. The IFAD Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) combines IFAD's knowledge of rural development with the expertise of two entrepreneurship-focused social enterprises to create employment opportunities for more than 18,000 rural youth between the ages 15 and 35.Climate change is the biggest threat humanity faces today and small farmers are on the front lines to battle it. Rural farmers are guardians of natural resources, often managing vast areas of land and forest. Improving land management and farming practices and planting forests can help lower greenhouse gas emissions. Small farmers are combating the effects of climate change by implementing new farming techniques.In pursuing its target to reduce 80 million tons of C02e by 2020, IFAD is supporting small farmers with adaptation projects that could reduce emission by 30 million tons. These initiatives includes planting trees and creating natural barriers against flooding and unpredictable rains, using crops that are adapted to resist climate change, and other solutions to address short-and-long-term problems.The world spends US$83 billion each year on chocolate. Europeans especially love chocolate, eating one kilogram of it every month. This industry depends on the five million small-scale family farmers who grow 90 per cent of the world's cocoa . IFAD is helping cocoa farmers in 12 countries to overcome problems such as pests, disease and unsustainable production methods that harm the harvest and local environment. In Sao Tome, IFAD has formed a relationship with the local farmers to connect their high-quality cocoa with Fair Trade buyers such as Kaoka. These efforts have helped nearly 2,000 farming families in Sao Tome to revitalize their cocoa industry and produce 1,200 tons of cocoa in 2014.The population of the planet is expected to grow to almost 9.5 billion people by 2050. Food production will need to nearly double in developing countries to feed this population and address existing hunger and malnutrition. Since most of the worlds farms are small, investing in them will be the only way to address this growing demand. In Cuba, an IFAD-funded project has organized 157 farming cooperatives to increase the production and productivity of crops such as maize and beans . The Cooperative Rural Development Project in the Oriental Region (PRODECOR) supports the country  which imports 80 per cent of its basic food requirements  to address food insecurity. The population has been impeded by intense drought due to climate change and limited agricultural machinery. With the use of new technologies and the pooling of knowledge, these cooperatives are expected to benefit over 52,000 people.Biodiversity is an essential part of preserving the planet. Changes to an environment such as the loss of a plant or species has the potential to derail the balance of the whole region. When family farmers take the necessary steps to secure their local environment, they not only ensure that their crops yield bountiful harvests, but that there will be future harvests too.With the support of IFAD, small farmers in Brazil have implemented new agricultural practices that are more environmentally friendly. Over the course of nine years, the region saw a 69 per cent reduction in land erosion, and carbon sequestration ranging from 15 to 79 per cent. In the 20,000 hectares of saved and preserved land, there has been an increase in diverse species of 11 per cent.
Apparently, Carrier is looking for concession offers from the United Steelworkers.

Local news coverage focused on the reaction, and seemed to miss Carrier President Chris Nelson's key statement: "This announcement is subject to discussions with local union representatives. We will sit down with local union representative in coming days..."

INDIANAPOLIS - The president of Carrier HVAC systems announced to Indianapolis employees Wednesday that at least 1400 jobs are moving to Monterrey Mexico beginning in 2017.

"This was not expected at all," Chris Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999 told the Indianapolis Business Journal. The local represents 1,300 workers at the Indianapolis plant.

"At no time did we think this was a possibility. The plant had been there a long time. It was very profitable, and we had not had a lot of issues."

An employee caught the announcement and the employees' reaction on cell phone, and posted it to Facebook.

Chris Nelson, president of HVAC Systems and Services North America, released an official statement about the move.

"This move is intended to address the challenges we continue to face in a rapidly changing HVAC industry, with the continued migration of the HVAC industry to Mexico, including our suppliers and competitors, and ongoing cost and pricing pressures driven, in part, by new regulatory requirements. Relocating our operations to a region where we have existing infrastructure and a strong supplier base will allow us to operate more cost effectively so that we can continue to produce high-quality HVAC products that are competitively positioned while continuing to meet customer needs."

"This decision is difficult and we recognize the impact on employees, their families and the community," Nelson said regarding the status of the employees. "We are committed to ensuring that our employees are treated respectfully and to working closely with their representatives throughout this transition."

Carrier and its associated companies have a reported annual revenue of $65 billion.
HOUSTON - Homeschooling rights and educational choice are a part of parental rights, and the issue has risen to the presidential race. The federal takeover of homeschooling is being threatened, a group of Donald Trump supporters are insisting, in legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz. Is that allegation true?

Home School Legal Defense Association's Mike Farris spoke with GOP candidate Ted Cruz to clarify his position on homeschooling, as addressed in Senate Bill 306. An exchange on the topic went as follows:

Mike Farris: Senator, there have been a few self-described researchers whove expressed concerns about the bill that you are a co-sponsor of, sponsored by our good friend Mike Lee, Senate Bill 306that gives homeschoolers fair and equal access to savings accounts, the ability to participate in the Coverdell savings account programs. Can you respond to these criticisms: that people claim that the language of this bill would give the federal government the power to change definitions of homeschooling, and run away with federal control, and homeschool liberties would be abused by this bill that you and Mike Lee are supporting?
McCann was the only Republican senator to support overriding Governor Rauner's veto of SB 1229 - the arbitration bill - and for that willful disobedience, McCann is being targeted with two purposes: to oust McCann and teach every other Republican in the General Assembly a lesson, "Don't defy the governor, or the same will happen to you."

SPRINGFIELD - The capital city's Republicans have endorsed their incumbent GOP Senator Sam McCann, but Thursday night, a video from Governor Bruce Rauner backing McCann challenger Bryce Benton was run at the Sangamon County GOP dinner.

Not only has Rauner endorsed McCann's challenger Bryce Benton, he has encouraged his big donor friends to write million dollar checks to independent expenditure groups that are spending hundreds of thousands attacking McCann in mailers and television ads. Thus far, Benton reports only three contributions from individuals in excess of $1000 since January, but the Illinois Opportunity Project and associating groups have spent over $600,000 against McCann and in support of Benton.

While Family PAC endorsed challenger Benton last week, pro-family and pro-life groups encouraged those concerned about traditional family values to support McCann's re-election.

Ironically, in the endorsement video Rauner says, "We have to send a message to special interests: the days of control in Illinois are over."

Clearly, he means the days of union control will be over with McCann's defeat, and Governor Rauner and his friends will be the new controllers in town.
The end result was a tragedy: a once decent town was left thrashed and the majority of good citizens left wondering why and how the disaster happened, because they too became victims. Both White and Black people lost businesses, jobs, and income. One could only speculate how one very unfortunate incident, that turned out to be far from what it first appeared, had escalated into such a tragic conclusion. Questions and accusations emerged as to why and who stirred up what appeared to be organized protestors with weapons that were used to harm the police.

The Ferguson situation, in August, 2014, was not the first indication of a growing divide, but certainly the most publicized. Media crews captured the shocking scenes of chaos: mass looting, buildings burning, and riot police trying to control mobs of angry protestors, some of whom had weapons they used against the police. Predictably, the media gave the issue enormous coverage, thus providing the World with a front row seat to the mayhem.

Under President Obamas leadership, America has witnessed unusual, rather unexpected, serious clashes between citizens and authority. Tension between Blacks and the police has escalated, creating a racial divide most Americans believed had been healing. It seemed particularly odd that after the country had elected their first Black President, racial tensions would increase rather than decrease.

Not long after Ferguson, racial tensions and conflicts increased in other larger cities and were again highlighted by the media. Black leaders continued to make claims of police injustices. Protestors in various pockets of the country marched the streets chanting slogans: No justice! No peace! No racist police! and Black Lives Matter. The crowd again became increasingly dangerous when protestors chanted: What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want it? Now." That resulted in a Black man executing two NYPD officers while they were sitting in their patrol car. Tension among Blacks and the police continues today in many cities throughout America.

The problem is not exclusive to ethnic concerns. Consider what happened in April, 2014. A serious clash occurred between ranchers and federal government agencies in the Western part of our country. In what reminded Americans of past western movie scenarios, a serious standoff occurred between armed ranchers and law enforcement. The problem was the result of a legal dispute between the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and cattle rancher, Cliven Bundy. Bundy was not the only rancher who resented decisions and contract changes by the BLM that negatively impacted ranchers, but Bundy was the first to finally take a visibly bold stand against governments intrusion into his ability to use his land, which seriously impacted his familys life. Once again, a situation between a group of citizens and authorities received national attention.

To best understand the conflict, it is necessary to know a little about the history and area of the Great Basin , as well as the people who live and work there. It is a high-desert region of 200,000 square miles between the Sierra Nevadas in California and the greater Rocky Mountains in Utah, running from Southern Oregon all the way to Northern Baja, Mexico. The area is sparsely populated as water is fickle and scarce in the area, rendering the landscape fragile. Ranchers are among the very few who find the area tolerable, and for over a century have chosen to make that place home and raise their families.

Sustainable Land Management Fuels Conflict

In more recent years the ranchers and authorities have been engaged in a series of disputes over the land and new requirements. This may be in part due to the input of environmentalists who have become more engaged in protecting the area. The recent conflicts likely have roots in what the U.N. calls Sustainable Land Management. The World Bank defines sustainable land management as a process in a charged environment between environmental protection and the guarantee claim of ecosystem services. It is also about productivity of agriculture and forestry with respect to demographic growth and increasing pressure in land use and is defined accordingly.

Sustainable land management is the process by which resources of land are put to good effect. It covers all activities concerned with the management of land as a resource both from an environmental and from an economic perspective. This article will focus on sustainable land management within the charged environment that presently exists among ranchers, environmentalists, and the government. All three have varying interests regarding the management of the land. Their inability to compromise has resulted in tense conflicts. The American government and the United Nations appear to have more sympathy with environmentalists about the land, because their interests regarding land use are more similar to theirs than to those of the ranchers.

Ranchers have had continuing issues with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for decades. Numerous ranchers have claimed BLM has been taking over private lands and are using unscrupulous methods to do so, but not until recently have those complaints been widely know or have garnered national news. A man by the name of Cliven Bundy changed all that.

BLM vs. Bundy in 2014

The media seems to prefer and therefore covers stories which have an emotional basis. That is understandable because personal interest stories sell newspapers. However, the media does not always provide all the facts, some of which can alter perceived judgements as to who is in the right or wrong. That is largely the case when dealing with government and the general public The media can be biased. They can have altruistic reasons for highlighting one argument over another. In the case of the ranchers, they did a relatively poor job of explaining the history of the area and what forced Clive Bundy and his son to make such a bold move that defied the government and all its massive power, thus risking the reality they could be killed. Many watching the story were unaware that the ranchers' property line runs along that of unoccupied federal land, without any discernible fences that mark where private and federal land begins and ends. Little or nothing was mentioned about all the continuing disagreements between the BLM and most ranchers in the area, as to whether there was any substantial evidence that Bundy had deliberately allowed cattle to graze beyond what the government considers the ranchers borders. Was the public informed that environmentalists disliked what they perceived as ranchers violating the land and that the environmentalists had the ear of government officials?

The media likewise barely mentioned the fact ranchers believed the federal agency had been purposely targeting them for decades with a myriad of questionable actions, perceived as a way to pressure them into selling their land and/or leases to the government. For instance, according to ranchers such as Brian Cunningham, the BLM ignored the original grazing permits each rancher had originally signed. Starting in the 90s, the BLM began making increment changes as to what was permissible on the property, each one impacting ranchers by reducing the original rights granted them and thus hindering them from make a decent living.

According to Mr. Cunningham, the televised standoff between Bundy and the BLM was the result of complete exasperation over the continued negative government intervention of the ranchers. One can only imagine the jubilation Bundy experienced when other ranchers from all over the region ended up joining him in his stand to keep his property. That they came armed and ready to defend Bundy sent a message to the BLM and all watching: this was not just about one man and his family, it was about what the BLM had done and was continually doing to them all. With television crews in place filming the dramatic scene, the federal deputies prudently backed off and a disaster was averted.

That one battle forced other ranchers to realize that while their options to fight government were very few and weak, the only chance they had to keep their land was to draw attention to their plight in their on-going war among the federal government, long time ranchers, and the relative newcomer to the conflict, environmentalist.

On January 2, 2016 the stage was set for more national attention to be directed toward the ranchers dilemma when another ongoing problem between a rancher and the government developed. This specific problem involved father and son ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond.

To follow is an article that will provide information about the ranchers 21-day stand-off at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the resultant tragedy. Unlike the Ferguson story, which was televised day and night for weeks, the perceived problems encountered by the ranchers when facing the law received far less attention. Note: The four remaining occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuse surrendered yesterday morning, Thursday, 11, 2016, bringing an end to the standoff on its 41st day.

Article 2 will explain facts few individuals have seen in the national media about the ranchers' last standoff. Unlike the Black vs.Police story of defying authority, the ranchers vs. the BLM is illustrative of quite a different story.
This past Saturday, the Fremont Township Republican Organization held an endorsement session for the contested Republican primary races occurring in our township. In the race for State Senate, we came to the unanimous decision that the only choice in this race is Dan McConchie. We believe that neither of the other candidates have demonstrated the same commitment to Republican values or is able to earn the trust of Republican voters as Dan McConchie. Here's what happened:

They say that GOP candidate Martin McLaughlin was less than forthright about contributions he has made to Democrat candidates over the years, and express disappointment that a third candidate - Casey Urlacher - chose not to show up for the endorsement session despite promising to attend.

BARRINGTON - Five precinct committee chairman from the Fremont Township Republicans say their "only choice" in a three-way primary to fill retiring State Senator Dan Duffy's 26th Senate seat is Dan McConchie .

No to Martin McLaughlin

Martin McLaughlin spoke first and primarily discussed the pension issue, which is his professed expertise. However, during the question and answer session, when asked how he would solve the pension crisis, his answer lack any specificity. He may understand the problem, but didnt appear to have a plan for how to solve the problem.

Of greater concern, we asked whether he had ever previously supported Democratic candidates. He replied that yes, he had given $1000 one time to a Democrat, Daniel Hynes. He said he had done so because Hynes wanted to unify the Comptroller and Treasurer offices in order to save taxpayers $11 million per year. McLaughlin went on to say that he voted for Hynes, but that it was the only time he had done so and has otherwise always voted Republican.

His answer does not match the public record.

Our Background Research: Our prior research showed that McLaughlin did give a gift to Daniel Hynes for $1000, but not for his race for Comptroller. According to the FEC, McLaughlin donated $1000 in 2004 when Hynes was running for US Senate against Barack Obama. Presumably, Mr. Hynes was not going to be able to unify the Illinois Comptroller and Treasurer offices from Washington, D.C. were he to be elected.

McLaughlin also stated that he had donated to another Democrat who was a friend from college, but that those were the only two times he had donated to a Democrat.

According to the FEC, Martin McLaughlin was not as entirely forthcoming as he claimed to be. He actually has donated to Maria Pappas for US Senate and Tony Miller for US Congress (although we will give him the benefit of the doubt and presume Miller is his friend from college). We have attached a screenshot of the FEC data so you can see for yourself.

While this may seem like a small matter, it is a matter of trust. If a candidate cannot be forthcoming and honest in front of a township committee, can he be trusted once in office?

According to a search of FEC and Illinois State Board of Elections data, there is no record of Martin McLaughlin ever donating to Republicans, even after announcing a run for this office.

In regards to his voting record, we can find evidence that Martin McLaughlin has pulled a Republican primary ballot only one time -- in 2014, despite regularly voting in general elections.

Conclusion: We believe that Martin McLaughlins inability to outline a plan on the issue he seems to understand the most, lack of a clear Republican record and unwillingness to tell us the truth in regards to his political past disqualifies him from voters consideration.

No to Casey Urlacher

Casey Urlacher never showed up to our endorsement session, despite having promised to attend. His representative had stated he would be there by a specific time at the end of our session. We waited for a while after our other candidates had left to give him an opportunity to present. Obviously, an unwillingness to follow through on his commitment to appear concerns us - can he be trusted to follow up on his commitments to his constituents while in office?

Our Background Research: In our research, we observed that Casey Urlacher has never voted in a primary and only once in a general election. He has given only one publicly-reported political contribution to a partisan race prior to his announcing his run for Senate. It was to a Democrat. He only began donating to Republicans after announcing his run for this office. Additionally, when he ran for Mayor of Mettawa, his campaign manager was Scott Cisek, Executive Director of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Conclusion: We believe that Casey Urlachers lack of a voting record, lack of a Republican track record and unwillingness to follow through on his commitments disqualifies him from voters consideration.

Yes to Dan McConchie:

Dan McConchie was clear and articulate, demonstrating a strong understanding of the issues facing our state and a history of commitment to Republican values. Additionally, when asked about his plans for enacting change, Dan demonstrated a clear understanding of the current political situation and outlined a plan on how he would directly engage in a political sense to help further the cause.

Additionally, Dan has an inspiring personal story of overcoming adversity that we believe makes him uniquely resilient in the face of a Springfield machine that has perverted too many of our elected officials.

Our Background Research: In our research, we observed that Dan has a long-time commitment to our values. Dan has:

o Pulled a Republican primary ballot 8 out of 8 times

o Given 100% of his publicly-reported contributions to Republicans

o Worked professionally for 20 years on conservative policy issues

o Been a long-time Republican precinct committeeman in Ela Township

Conclusion: Dan McConchies clear Republican record, life-time conservative values, and broad understanding of the issues facing Illinois convinced us that Dan can be trusted to represent us in the 26th District.

In a primary election, voters are not only selecting candidates who reflect their values, but also candidates that they trust. It is our conclusion that in the race for the 26th Senate District, the only Republican who can truly be trusted to represent us is Dan McConchie, a lifelong Republican.

We encourage you to join us in working to ensure Dan McConchie wins the Republican primary for State Senate on March 15.

Sincerely,

John Vincent - Fremont 112

Bob Bednar, Jr - Fremont 115

Glenn Garamoni - Fremont 117

Gloria Henke - Fremont 119

Gary Sarsok - Fremont 123
The Civic Hatchback Prototype receives its global premiere at Geneva Motor Show, previewing the exterior design of the all-new hatchback model.

Produced at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), the car will be exported to global markets, including the US.

By India Today Web Desk: Honda is set to unveil the next step in the renewal of its European car range at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, including the global premiere of the Civic Hatchback Prototype.

The Civic Hatchback Prototype receives its global premiere at Geneva Motor Show, previewing the exterior design of the all-new hatchback model, scheduled for a European launch in early 2017.

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ALSO READ: Six things to know about Honda's new Navi

The upcoming Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype will come with two variants. A 1.0L VTEC Turbo engine churning out maximum power output of 127 HP and maximum torque of 200 Nm, while the 1.5L VTEC Turbo engine produces maximum power of 201HP and peak torque of 260 Nm.

Produced at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), the car will be exported to global markets, including the US.

Honda will also be introducing:

Clarity Fuel Cell

The Clarity Fuel Cell will make its European debut at Geneva, following its global unveil at Tokyo motor show in October last year. Clarity Fuel Cell is the world's first production fuel cell saloon to house the entire fuel cell powertrain under the bonnet.

ALSO READ: Honda launches 110 cc NAVI; aims over 50 lakh unit sales in 2016

NSX

Following the announcement of the start of customer sales in the US at Detroit motor show, Honda confirms the first European customer deliveries for the Honda NSX will begin in 2016.

The NSX features classic low and wide proportions married to modern and alluring surfacing, an aggressive front design, and rear lights that pay homage to the original NSX.

The new hybrid supercar has an all-new mid-mounted DOHC V6 engine with twin turbochargers mated to a specially-developed nine-speed DCT.

Jazz 'Keenlight' Concept

Honda will also demonstrate a new design concept model of the popular Jazz.

ALSO READ: Honda unveils 7-seater BR-V, to be launched in India this year

The new Keenlight concept seeks to highlight the potential for customising Jazz, using sleek design elements, special decals and a unique colour named 'Keenlight'.

CRF1000L Africa Twin

Inheriting the "go anywhere" spirit of its celebrated predecessors, the all-new CRF1000L Africa Twin packs an innovative and powerful parallel twin-cylinder engine into a lightweight, agile chassis ready for true adventure both on and off road, whether crossing continents or commuting.

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Five U.N. peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb on Friday, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants.

By Reuters: Five U.N. peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb on Friday, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants.

At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Kidal, a town in an unstable desert region that is home to Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which have staged increasingly bold raids in recent months and have targeted the U.N. base several times.

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"At about 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of the U.N. secretary general, referring to the peacekeeping mission.

Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said MINUSMA spokesman Olivier Salgado.

Guinea said three of its peacekeepers were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead and wounded was not immediately known.

The Kidal base is part of an attempt by the United Nations to end violence in Mali following a takeover of the north by Islamists in 2012, which was thwarted by a French-led intervention force that pushed the militants out of key towns a year later.

Islamist militants have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond. These have included an attack on a hotel in Mali's capital in November in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Faso's capital in January in which 30 were killed.

There is also a decades-long separatist struggle in northern Mali by ethnic Tuaregs. Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told Reuters that the Kidal attack had been conducted by Islamists.

There was no official confirmation or claim of responsibility.

During a visit to Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, German President Joachim Gauck said more of the country's soldiers were due to arrive as peacekeepers to boost a contingent of 650 the government approved in January.

In a separate incident on Friday, three Malian soldiers were killed and three wounded when their military convoy was ambushed on a road between Timbuktu and Goundam in northern Mali, a military source said.

The wounded were evacuated to Timbuktu hospital. It was not clear who had conducted the ambush.

Also read: Al Qaeda claims responsibility for attack on UN base in Mali



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Love biking? Dare to go one of these five most challenging road trips in India.

A parked next to the beautiful Tso Kar in Leh. Picture courtesy: Flickr/Prabhu B Doss/Creative Commons

By Samonway Duttagupta: India is a treasure trove of varied landscapes. Every real traveller is keen on exploring the deepest corners of the country, and the best way to do that is through road trips. Also, anyone with a love for adventure would agree that India is the mother of all places that offer the most challenging routes for bikers.

We have compiled a list of the most challenging road trips for bikers in India.

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Also read: 5 most dangerous road trips in India



Shimla - Spiti Valley

Bikers exploring the beautiful Spiti Valley. Picture courtesy: Flickr/Alan Jones/Creative Commons

Distance: 432km

Road conditions: Most of the way after Jeori is a mix of average and poor, due to the presence of numerous dirt tracks and broken or unfinished roads. Also, there are a couple of stretches that have narrow roads.

Challenge: It is difficult to keep a steady balance while negotiating the uneven terrains, which are often littered with rocks and dirt.

What makes it special: Scenic beauty of the route, that includes charming apple orchards, stunning valley views and peaceful shrines and monasteries on the way.



Manali - Leh

A biker rests on the way to Leh from Manali. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Akshay Thapliyal

Distance: 474km

Road conditions: Most part of the Manali-Leh Highway has narrow roads and sharp turns. Passing the Khardung La is considered to be one of the most difficult parts.

Challenge: One needs to be careful at all times. Some of the roads get slippery due to presence of snow.

What makes it special: Very few people are unaware of how beautiful this route. With an interesting mix of landscapes including the towering snow-laden peaks, vast stretches of rocky mountains, and grasslands make this one of the most beautiful road trips in India.



Siliguri - Yuksom

On the way to Yuksom from Siliguri. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Unexplored Holidays

Distance: 143km

Road conditions: The road to Yuksom is infamous among a lot of travellers for being under-maintained and uneven.

Challenge: Broken roads and uneven terrains are difficult for bikers to negotiate. Crossing some of the waterfalls on the way could be challenging.

What makes it special: Riding via Kalimpong and the hills around Darjeeling will take you through some of the most picturesque spots in the eastern part of the country. The lush landscape adds unparalleled beauty to the place. And not to forget, there are breathtaking views of the great Himalayan peaks, including the likes of Kanchenjunga and Makalu, among others.

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Also read: Coming soon: A road trip from India to Sri Lanka





Guwahati - Khasi Hills

The beautiful way up the Khasi Hills. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Ride and Climb Adventure

Distance: 119km

Road conditions: The damp weather makes the road wet and slippery.

Challenge: Bikers need to be careful at the turns, as the road is wet and slippery and hence poses dangers while taking the turns.

What makes it special: Numerous waterfalls, the lush forest cover, and the living root bridges make it a beautiful route to take.



Jaipur - Sam Dunes

The sand dunes of Sam, Rajasthan. Picture courtesy: Flickr/Christian Ostrosky/Creative Commons

Distance: 705km

Road conditions: Most of the route is good due to a well-maintained highway, but negotiating the sand dunes can be difficult.

Also watch: These videos showcase the most unique travel experiences from Rajasthan



Challenge: Keeping the bike steady while riding on the sand dunes.

What makes it special: One gets to experience the true beauty of Rajasthan's rugged outdoors. There are stunning views of acres of golden sand of the desert. Overnight camping on the desert can offer some of the best views of the Milky Way.

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By Anshuman Tiwari: With the economy going through a rough patch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi probably remembers his meeting with former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu. He asked Basu to give him some ideas for the economy. Basu went a step further and wrote an entire book. Basu's core job as CEA was to prepare the Economic Survey of India. He reinvented the exercise by dressing up pragmatic, visionary and polemic ideas with varied data and economic analogies. Basu's new book is also an economic survey of India, though of a different kind.

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He steered the economy at an unusual time when the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement was in full swing. The political milieu at the time did not allow him to use his wisdom to the fullest as the country was in the midst of an unprecedented transition.

Basu's prowess on economic matters is outstanding and the construct of his surveys has always proved that he is the master of a compelling narrative as well. His skill in simplifying the complex makes this book a satisfying read for even an economic toddler. But what is more remarkable are his sharp observations about bureaucracy, which in the past have landed Basu in many a controversy, quite at variance with his soft-spoken persona. Basu writes how Amartya Sen advised him to stay extra cautious while dealing with the media. He dubbed it the 'Sen rule' and devised an 'extended Sen rule' as well. But despite his best efforts, Basu couldn't hold himself back when it came to dealing with India's moribund and corrupt bureaucracy. A major controversy erupted over his comments on the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998, when he suggested declaring the act of giving a bribe legal and only holding the act of taking a bribe illegal. Unfortunately, that coincided with the time when Delhi's streets were host to India's first-ever mass movement against corruption in public office.

Basu had created a discussion paper to suggest changes in the Prevention of Corruption Act and posted it on his ministry's official website as well. But the idea proved too radical for comfort. To his surprise, even then PM Manmohan Singh didn't concur, though he gave him a free hand, saying "it is your job to bring ideas to the table, and you should feel free to articulate your ideas in public and discuss them".

Basu's book doesn't mince words when it comes to the bureaucracy. At a meeting on petrol and diesel regulation, he observes how the privileged bureaucracy was completely oblivious to the comfort it lives in. Officials vehemently spoke against deregulation saying corporate bosses would unnecessarily get access to cheaper fuel for their lavish lifestyles. However, they overlooked the fact that they themselves access free fuel effectively. Basu suggests that "we needed to take away this very expensive perquisite which is a part of life in government bureaucracy".

His 10 chapters are a treatise on various aspects of the Indian economy, ranging from economic maladies to development without borders. If the government wishes to implement his ideas, it must pay heed to the following two tips: understanding the cultural and behavioural milieu of society is a must before formulating laws, and the government should not meddle with market forces but let it take its own course. The three big takeaways from the book:

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While India and other nations strive for higher, sustainable growth, they must take into cognisance the fairly small world that we all share. Ultimately, the nationalisms of the day must make way for a global agenda that all people, irrespective of their narrow identities, can shape and cherish;

India's higher education sector is raring to go and can take off with no long-run fiscal burden on the state;

India has one of the most talented yet obstructive bureaucracies in the world. If the nation is to grow at rates it is capable of, it is important to have administrative reforms to change this individually-talented bureaucracy into a collective-supportive force.

Basu's book effectively lights a torch on the 'real world' of mandarins and at the same time introduces the novice to the state of the Indian economy in a truly global context. Bureaucrats and economic freshers alike can delve into the book, for it holds enough insights.

Follow the writer on Twitter @anshuman1tiwari

--- ENDS ---

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Tension has been building up in Dhar ahead of 'Basant Panchami' after right-wing leader Vijay Singh Rathore demanded that Hindus be allowed "dawn-to-dusk" access to perform puja at Bhojshala, despite the order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month.

By India Today Web Desk: Security has been tightened in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar town due to increased tension as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, among other Hindu organisations, continues to hold prayers outside Dhar's Bhojshala in the run-up to Basant Panchami.

Dhar is home to the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque, a shrine claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.

Over 25 people offered 'Namaaz' in Bhojshala shrine, Dhar (MP) pic.twitter.com/IbDFNf8cQm ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

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Prayers were conducted as a protest against the order allowing both Hindus and Muslims to offer prayers at the controversial shrine today.

Police and RAF personnel have converted Dhar into a fortress with security personnel from neighbouring districts also deployed in the city.

Tension has been building up in Dhar ahead of 'Basant Panchami' after right-wing leader Vijay Singh Rathore demanded that Hindus be allowed "dawn-to-dusk" access to perform puja at Bhojshala, despite the order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month.

The order stated that on Basant Panchami, Hindus will perform puja at Bhojshala from sunrise to 12 noon and from 3.30 PM to sunset, while Muslims will offer namaz between 1 PM and 3 PM.

Hindus consider Bhojshala as the temple of Goddess Wagdevi (Saraswati), whereas Muslims treat it as Kamal Moula mosque.

However, Bhoj Utsav Samiti (BUS) is sticking to its demand that Hindus should be exclusively allowed to enter Bhojshala to offer prayers on their festival today.

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The Karnataka police arrested a 25-year-old artist for allegedly sexually abusing minors in Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district.

By Aravind Gowda: The Karnataka police arrested a 25-year-old artist for allegedly sexually abusing minors in Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district.

Ravi (25) alias Thoma routinely organized training camps for school children in Dakshina Kannada district. A year ago, at one such camp in Bajpe near Mangaluru, he allegedly sexually abused 4 minor girls and the matter was not reported.

The incident came to light when the girls realised that they were sexually abused after attending an awareness campaign on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act conducted by a few NGOs. Later, the police conducted a detailed inquiry, spoke to the victims and their parents, and registered a complaint.

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Ravi has been remanded into judicial custody by a local court in Mangaluru.

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--- ENDS ---
A top BJP leader in Bihar, Visheshwar Ojha, has been killed this evening in the Bhojpur district in Bihar. The police says, he was shot dead in his SUV while returning from a wedding.

By India Today Web Desk: Bihar BJP vice president Visheshwar Ojha, has been killed this evening by unidentified assailants in Bhojpur district in Bihar. The police says, he was shot dead in his SUV while returning from a wedding. It is the second murder of a politician in the past 10 days.



Ojhas driver and another person accompanying him were seriously injured in the firing.



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Ojha, 45, was the the vice president of the BJP and was entangled in more than 10 criminal cases on charges including murder. Ojha unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections from Shahpur on a BJP ticket.

A long-standing enmity with a criminal named Harish Mishra who was recently freed from prison may have led to his death.



Ojha was taken to Shahpur referral hospital where he died during treatment, the hospitals in-charge Dr Ajay Kumar said, adding a medical board comprising three doctors had been formed to treat him. The injured are being treated at Sadar hospital and doctors have declared them out of danger.

Ojhas murder has come close on the heels of the killing of Vaishali district LJP leader Brijnathi Singh who was shot dead near Kachhi Dargah locality of Patna on February 5.

Yesterday, BJP worker Kedarnath Singh was shot dead in Taraiyya area of Saran district, SP Satbir Singh said. Angry supporters of Ojha heckled Bhojpur SP Navin Chand Jha when he visited the hospital where Ojha died.

State BJP president Mangal Pandey told reporters in Patna that the party is giving 72 hours to the state government for arresting Ojhas killers, failing which it would call for a state-wide agitation on the slide in law and order in the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is "holding meeting for controlling crime but the fact is criminals have gone out of control", senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement in Patna. The three-day high level meeting held by Kumar to tone up law and order situation ended today in Patna.

LJP Parliamentary Board leader Chirag Paswan hit out at Secular Alliance government alleging that "in whichever government RJD chief Lalu Prasad is a part, such incidents would take place as he is known for giving patronage to criminals."



Ashwini Choubey, the Member of Parliament from Buxar has called it a political killing and has demanded for a CBI inquiry.

--- ENDS ---
By Ananth Krishnan: Since Xi Jinping took over as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China and became president of the republic in November 2012 and March 2013 respectively, perhaps the most marked difference from his predecessor Hu Jintao has been his dealings with the military. Under the terms of his succession as head of the party and as president, Xi was also given his third post-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC)-putting him in the unique position of commanding the party, government and military all at once.

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On February 1, Xi announced what the PLA Daily described as "the largest scale military reform since the 1950s". The reforms will cement his direct control over every sphere of the vast military, which has, for decades, functioned as a state within a state, with untrammelled power and nil supervision. Besides its four main forces-the army, navy, air force and Second Artillery Corps that commands missiles and nuclear weapons-the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was run by a vast bureaucracy spread over four general departments-the general staff, political, logistics and armament. Largely autonomous fiefdoms, favoured generals here promoted their own, lined their pockets and ruled over vast bureaucracies and commercial interests worth billions.

In January, Xi, in one swift stroke, disbanded the four departments and brought them under the direct control of the CMC. Cut to size, they have been placed on a par with 15 smaller, specialised functional 'services' departments, including one devoted to anti-corruption and "discipline inspection". Xi described the move as "a dramatic breakthrough made in the reform of the military leadership and command system". So, for the first time in the PLA's history, the CMC will take control of its entire administration.

A second major reform was announced on February 1, consolidating what were earlier seven sprawling military area commands covering China's entire territory into five "theatre commands" (see graphic) that will be responsible for combat readiness and will report directly to the CMC. For the first time, the five theatres will also have a joint command of integrated land, air and navy services, in addition to two new services that have been set up: a PLA Rocket Force that will be a scaled-up Second Artillery Corps and control China's missiles; and a PLA Strategic Support Force which will, according to observers, include an expanded cyber warfare division.

A depleted force

For all the impressions of the PLA-both in China and overseas-as a fearsome fighting unit, its recent history has been anything but glorious. Its last real experience of combat, against the Vietnamese in 1979, was a wake-up call, leaving the Chinese with a bloody nose. The PLA hasn't been in major combat since. But two recent episodes that tested its capabilities caused its top brass and military observers in Beijing consternation, cementing the perception that a once hardy revolutionary army-that fought the Americans in Korea, bested India and challenged the Russians-had become a bloated outfit whose generals concentrated more on the army's vast commercial interests than in training troops.

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The first came in May 2008, when a devastating earthquake struck western Sichuan province, claiming over 70,000 lives. The PLA was called in to lead the rescue effort. The quake struck remote areas, but it was not entirely out of reach of the PLA's sprawling headquarters in provincial capital Chengdu. The response, however, was slow and lumbering, so inept, in fact, that it prompted an internal inquest into overhauling training at all levels.

Graphic by Saurabh Singh Click here to Enlarge Graphic by Saurabh Singh

Barely a year later came the second test, when mobs of armed Uighurs went on the rampage in Urumqi, capital of the Muslim-majority Xinjiang province, setting buildings afire and slaughtering Chinese residents over two days. The official death toll was 197, but Uighur or Chinese, all agreed that the real number of casualties, on both sides, was far higher. Again, the army response was found wanting. One former official of the paramilitary unit, the People's Armed Police, recalled the confusion in the chain of command. Initially, young officers, with barely any training and not armed with guns, were sent to confront armed mobs of a several thousand. According to protocol, permission was required to deploy more advanced units. It never came. So confused was the response that then president Hu Jintao, who by then had taken over the PLA as the head of the CMC, had to leave the ongoing G20 meeting in Italy and rush back.

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The enemy within

Xi, his successor, is taking no chances on such incidents recurring. Both Hu and, before him, Jiang Zemin, had to cede control of the army to their predecessors in their first few years in power. In Hu's time, so influential was Jiang that even after retirement, he continued to hold an office in the PLA's Ba Yi headquarters and to receive files. The kind of power Xi now has, no Chinese leader has had in a generation. And he, clearly, hasn't been afraid of using it. Hence his reform of the military.

The PLA is unlike any other military: it doesn't work for the state, but for one political party. The relationship between the Communist Party of China and the PLA is complex. So concerned is the civilian party leadership about control over the PLA that not a month goes by in Beijing without a high-profile announcement reiterating that the PLA's loyalty must be only to the party. Troops, even today, are made to undergo political training, sitting through hours of study of Marxism and Mao Zedong Thought.

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In practice, however, the PLA has largely been left to its own devices. In a sense, its loyalty has been bought: the army was given vast commercial interests, from real estate to valuable industries, and supported by a ballooning defence budget that has recorded annual double-digit growth this past decade, set to cross $150 billion this year. That will now end.

Building a new army

The basic objectives of Xi's reform, PLA officials and experts say, are twofold: to centralise PLA decision-making in the hands of the CMC-and Xi-and transform what has historically been a land-dominated military into a nimble, integrated force. Xi began the process in September when he announced a demobilisation of 3,00,000 troops of the 2.3 million-strong PLA. The services departments under the CMC will handle the former task, while the new theatre commands are tasked with the latter. The idea, explains Zhao Xiaozhuo, a military expert in Beijing, is to strengthen the CMC's hand and to "reinforce the party's absolute leadership to the army".

By no means are these reforms an overnight transformation: the groundwork was, in fact, laid more than two decades ago. The reforms are finally implementing what was a strategy adopted in 1993 after the Gulf War, when the PLA, alarmed by the demonstration of US firepower, changed its abiding mission from that of "a people's war" to winning "local wars under informatised [or high-tech] conditions". Given the PLA's history as a "revolutionary army", where it has had a special historical role and cast a long shadow over other services, it has been difficult for the Communist Party to turn it into an integrated force.

Xi's reform hopes to change that. "From an organisational or institutional perspective, these reforms are unprecedented," says Taylor Fravel, an expert on the PLA and political science professor at MIT. "They represent the abolition of the general staff system and military region structure the PLA had adopted in the 1950s. If successful-and it's a big if-they should improve its combat effectiveness."

High fly: Xi presents flag to Northern theatre commander Song Puxuan in Beijing. Photo: AP

The earlier system "hampered joint command", says Fravel. "The main reason to create a ground forces headquarters and elevate the second artillery to a service as the PLA rocket force is to improve the joint command of troops. But the difficulty of successfully implementing these reforms should be stressed. Such wide-ranging organisational changes are not easy, so the reforms are very much a work in progress and the real work of organisational change has only just started."

Xi, no doubt, faces a challenge. But the view in Beijing is that he is the best-placed leader in decades to achieve this. "On almost all fronts, through publicly available information, the past three years have seen rapid progress in the PLA's modernisation," says Shen Dingli, a leading Chinese security expert at Fudan University in Shanghai. Unlike his predecessors Jiang and Hu, Xi's "Red roots" give him indisputable credentials. His father, Xi Zhongxun, is among the Communist Party's revolutionary heroes. The 'Second Red Generation'-the sons and daughters of the party's founding revolutionaries-have "rallied around Xi", says Beijing historian Zhang Lifan who follows Red family histories. They place faith in him to revive the party and the PLA-both of which the Red families see as their "inheritances", according to Zhang.

A case in point is fellow "princeling" Liu Yuan, son of former president Liu Shaoqi, a PLA general whom Xi has relied on in his battle to clean up the army. Liu played a key role in dismantling the vast fiefdom of the General Logistics Department-long seen as the most corrupt. Liu brought down its deputy director, Lieutenant General Gu Junshan, who controlled this fiefdom. Gu became the highest-ranked PLA officer to be arrested, tried and convicted in 2015, for illegal sale of military real estate-out of which he made millions-and "abuse of power", believed to have involved selling ranks. Liu didn't stop there. A year after Gu's purge, he brought down Xu Caihou, who was for a decade China's highest-ranked general, as vice-chairman of the CMC under Hu. Xu would become the first member of the CMC to be expelled from the party, in 2014, for massive corruption. He died in prison in March 2015. As one Beijing observer put it, the hope is Xu's dramatic purge would be a case of "killing a chicken to scare the monkeys". Whether that will work still remains to be seen.

Flexing muscle

As much as the reorganisation-and the disbanding of earlier fiefdoms-is aimed at cleaning up the military, the reforms will also dramatically alter the PLA's projection of power beyond China's borders. As Fravel points out, the orientation of the five new theatres is "created to align China's strategic directions with the command of troops". "So the northern theatre will focus on North Korea, the central theatre on the defence of Beijing, the eastern theatre on Taiwan and to a lesser extent the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands [contested with Japan], the southern theatre on the South China Sea, and the western theatre on India and border control," he says.

For India, this could mean further widening of the asymmetry along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LoAC). In the past decade, China has already built a huge infrastructure network of highways, railway lines and airports across the Tibetan plateau. The idea is to be able to mobilise, at short notice, a vast number of assets to win a "high-tech local war". The integration of commands, if successful, will further enable this mission.

"What the PLA is saying is we aren't going to, any more, find Napoleonic kind of warfare. We have to be focused, reorganise with rapid response forces, and have an objective not to occupy territory, but to paralyse the adversary," says Srikanth Kondapalli, an expert on the Chinese military who teaches at JNU in Delhi. "For this, you need concentration of firepower-air force, artillery in one area-and mobilisation. And you can't have divisions in land, navy, air force. They're raising 40 rapid response units, of which 30 are already done, and an airborne corps for transporting troops."

Drawing the line

Meanwhile, the cat-and-mouse game between India and China along the LoAC continues, with both sides patrolling up to their overlapping claim lines. Despite efforts to enhance CBMs through a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement and erecting additional border personnel meeting points, the LoAC is "still simmering", says Kondapalli, with incursions in September and November.

What the PLA reorganisation may answer is the long-running question of whether it has been an impediment to improving conditions on the border. "For years, India's wrestled with the question of whether these incursions, which seem to occur at inopportune times, are the product of local commanders acting autonomously or whether they are directed and managed by the senior leadership in Beijing," says Jeff Smith, director, Asian Security Programs at the American Foreign Policy Council and author of Cold Peace: China-India Rivalry in the 21st Century.

"For instance, after the three-week border incursion that overshadowed President Xi's inaugural visit to India, he gave what appeared to be a relatively stern and public lecture to the PLA top brass within days of returning from his trip stressing the pre-eminence of party loyalty. On the other hand, the commander of the military region responsible for that section of the China-India border was later promoted."

Neither country has the desire for conflict, and neither expects one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi both see eye-to-eye on not holding the relationship hostage to the boundary question when economic ties are growing, particularly in terms of Chinese investment in India. But the PLA's strategy of testing India across the LoAC hasn't eased. Modi's proposal to clarify the LoAC hasn't been received favourably either, with Beijing viewing the process as an unnecessary and parallel diversion to the stalled boundary negotiations. Incursion incidents, Indian officials say, have been "managed", but continue to hobble ties. And as Xi builds a new army, the worry for India is that the sensitive balance of power will continue to tilt in China's favour.

Follow the writer on Twitter @ananthkrishnan

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Beijing has warned New Delhi to be cautious towards American overtures seeking India to play a larger role in the South China Sea dispute, as Washington looks to more assertively challenge Chinese claims in the contested waters.

By Ananth Krishnan: Beijing has warned New Delhi to be "cautious" towards American overtures seeking India to play a larger role in the South China Sea dispute, as Washington looks to more assertively challenge Chinese claims in the contested waters.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it hoped "relevant parties... avoid being manipulated by certain countries and ultimately harming their own interests," in response to a Reuters report claiming the US and India had discussed joint naval patrols, including in the South China Sea.

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Indian officials have dismissed the report and underlined India's standing policy of not carrying out joint patrols with other nations -in any part of the world, let alone the much disputed South China Sea - and if only taking part in international missions under the United Nations flag.

India has so far adopted a measured approach to the South China Sea, most of which is claimed by China and disputed by a number of countries including Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

While India hasn't supported any of the claimants, it has stressed the importance of freedom of navigation in the disputed waters. For instance, the Indian Navy has made it a point to frequently sail through the waters to underline India's interests.

Wang Dehua, Director of the Centre for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies and a leading strategic expert, told India Today that his view was the US was looking to get India more involved in the dispute.

"I think America wants India to act as its agent," he said. "If the US can encourage fighting between China and India, it will benefit."

He added, "It is good that the Indian government denied this report. India should be cautious on involvement in the South China Sea. Both countries should cooperate, not provoke. There has been no problem or difficulty for foreign ships, including Indian ships, for peaceful passage. Of course, actions like America recently tried to provoke in Chinese claimed territory, this is very dangerous."

India, like many countries in the region, has been alarmed by recent moves by Beijing to bolster its claims by building facilities, including runways, on newly reclaimed islands and reefs.

China maintains that its activities are on its territory and haven't hindered passage through waters that carry key trade routes.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, in a statement to Reuters, "no cooperation between any countries should be directed at a third party", echoing China's often-stated position on the dispute.

The statement, however, also made a pointed mention of countries "being manipulated by certain countries and ultimately harming their own interests," in an apparent reference to reports that the US was seeking India to play a greater role.

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Beijing has been angered by what the US describes as 'freedom of navigation operations' (FONOPs), recently slamming what it said was 'unprofessional' conduct after a US destroyer came within 12 nautical miles of a China-controlled island.

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By Sandeep Unnithan : Explaining the impact of China's military reorganisation along India's 4,000-km disputed land boundary, particularly the newly constituted 'West Zone' which merges the erstwhile Lanzhou and Chengdu military regions, an Indian army general explains, "Earlier, there were two military commanders who looked at the border with India. After the reorganisation, there will be only one." Three Indian generals-the Northern, Central and Eastern army commanders-are responsible for protecting the undemarcated boundary with China.



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"The newly-created West Zone will facilitate the rapid induction and deployment of high-altitude acclimatised and trained troops into Tibet and across Ladakh," says Jayadeva Ranade, former additional secretary in R&AW and president, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, New Delhi. The Narendra Modi government has promised to reform India's vast but ageing military machine. In addresses to the combined commanders' conferences in 2014 and, more recently in 2015, the prime minister spoke of retooling the military to fight the wars of the future. But it has not materialised yet. Three futuristic forces-a cyber warfare command, a space command and a special operations command-are pending cabinet approval.

Critical measures like the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff, first recommended by a Group of Ministers in 2001 and later, a Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC) by the Naresh Chandra Committee in 2012, are yet to be implemented. A permanent CoSC would spur the services to fight future wars jointly. In the absence of a joint planning and coordination structure, services are left to draw their own war plans and fight for scarce budgetary resources. The responses are usually single-service specific, like the army's newly raised Mountain Strike Corps. The 17 Corps, a strike formation with nearly 90,000 soldiers meant to capture Chinese territory in the event of a border skirmish, was approved in 2013 but is yet to get the budgetary approval of over Rs 64,000 crore. The infrastructure which would allow the army to rush troops and equipment to the border, or allow a strike corps to launch an assault across the border, continues to lag. Barely 600 km of the 3,000 km of critically required border roads identified by a study group over a decade ago, has been completed.

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As the contest now moves to Nevada and South Carolina, states with large minority populations, both the aspirants were trying to woo the minority Latino and African American voters.The democratic debate, which saw both the candidates sharply criticizing each other, was majorly focused on the issues of immigration and racial discrimination.

By India Today Web Desk: US presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton got into war of words today over issues like immigration and racism.

As the contest now moves to Nevada and South Carolina, states with large minority populations, both the aspirants were trying to woo the minority Latino and African American voters.

Immigration reform was a major topic of discussion. Both candidates supported creating a path to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US and they decried a recent uptick in deportations by the Obama administration.

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Clinton, 68, who has struggled to regain momentum after losing badly to Sanders in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, sought to cast herself as a more sensible, pragmatic progressive.

She challenged Sanders' stand on the healthcare and taxes. Clinton accused 74-year-old Sanders of voting against the 2007 immigration reform bill that included a pathway to citizenship. Sanders defended his vote, arguing that civil rights and immigrant groups were also opposed.

"I don't apologise for that vote," he declared.

Criticising the anti-immigrant positions of Republican front-runner Donald Trump, Sanders said immigrants should not be scapegoats for economic uncertainty.

"We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world, who are trying to divide us," Sanders said.

Citing her experience as secretary of state, Clinton claimed that she had a broader array of expertise than Sanders, who focuses largely on economic inequality.

"I want to tackle those barriers that stand in the way of too many Americans right now," Clinton said in her opening statement.

"African Americans who face discrimination in the job market, education, housing and the criminal justice system. Hardworking immigrant families living in fear who should be brought out of the shadows so they and their children can have a better future. Guaranteeing that women?s work finally gets the equal pay that we deserve."

At the PBS NewsHour televised debate, Clinton repeatedly emphasised her ties to President Barack Obama who is extremely popular among minority voters.

Clinton also accused the Vermont Senator of criticising Obama, who is also from their own Democratic party, in a language that is normally heard by Republican opponents.

"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our President I expect from Republicans. I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama," Clinton charged during the Democratic presidential debate.

"Madam Secretary, that is a low blow," Sanders responded by arguing that he respects Obama, but as a Senator he has the right to disagree with the President

(With inputs from PTI)



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--- ENDS ---

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The leftist Colombian rebel group, ELN, has declared an armed strike in areas where they operate, restricting transport and commerce amid signs of further delays in their efforts to begin peace talks. The ELN has been holding preliminary peace talks with the government of President Juan Manuel Santos for more than two years, but formal negotiations are yet to begin.

By India Today Web Desk: The National Liberation Army (ELN), which the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group, has declared a 72-hour armed lockdown, beginning from Sunday.

The leftist Colombian rebel group, ELN, has declared an armed strike in areas where they operate, restricting transport and commerce amid signs of further delays in their efforts to begin peace talks.

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"We have directed all the combatant forces of the National Liberation Army to take part in an armed strike," the country's second-largest rebel group said in a statement on its website on Friday. During similar lockdowns in the past, rebels have forced shops to close and buses to halt transport along routes.

The ELN has been holding preliminary peace talks with the government of President Juan Manuel Santos for more than two years, but formal negotiations are yet to begin.

Each side has blamed the other in recent weeks for ongoing delays at these talks. Santos has said negotiations will not start until the group frees two hostages.

The stoppage of commercial activities and transport was being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of rebel hero Camilo Torres, a radical Catholic priest killed in combat, the group said.

"We emphasize that our actions are not against civilians, and we ask them for prudence while the armed strike takes place," the ELN said.

The group has battled a dozen governments since it was founded in 1964. It has continued kidnapping and attacks on infrastructure even during the exploratory talks.

Officials blamed the ELN for a bombing this week on the Cano Limon oil pipeline.

The government looks set to sign a peace deal with larger rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the coming months.

FARC leaders said on Monday, however, that peace in Colombia would be "incomplete" if the ELN, which has about 2,000 fighters, does not participate in negotiations.

--- ENDS ---
By Ajit Kumar Jha: "The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker section of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation."

-Article 46 of the Indian Constitution.

Today, 68 years after Independence, as Dalits continue to bear the brunt of violence and discrimination-highlighted in recent weeks by the tragic suicide of Rohith Vemula, a Ph.D student in the Hyderabad Central University who hanged himself, blaming his birth as a "fatal accident" in a chilling final note-we could not be any further away from what the Constitution had demanded from a free and fair India.

Students protesting against the death of doctoral student Rohith Vemula. Photo: M Zhazo

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Rohith's is not the lone tragedy. A spectre of suicide deaths by several Dalit students is haunting India. Out of 25 students who committed suicide only in north India and Hyderabad since 2007, 23 were Dalits. This included two in the prestigious All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and 11 in Hyderabad city alone. Systematic data does not exist for such suicides, but the problem runs far deeper than a few students deciding to end their own lives after being defeated by the system.

Dalit dilemma in India reads like an entire data sheet of tragedies. According to a 2010 report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes, a crime is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes. Every day, on average, three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits murdered, and two Dalit houses burnt. According to the NHRC statistics put together by K.B. Saxena, a former additional chief secretary of Bihar, 37 per cent Dalits live below the poverty line, 54 per cent are undernourished, 83 per 1,000 children born in a Dalit household die before their first birthday, 12 per cent before their fifth birthday, and 45 per cent remain illiterate. The data also shows that Dalits are prevented from entering the police station in 28 per cent of Indian villages. Dalit children have been made to sit separately while eating in 39 per cent government schools. Dalits do not get mail delivered to their homes in 24 per cent of villages. And they are denied access to water sources in 48 per cent of our villages because untouchability remains a stark reality even though it was abolished in 1955.

We may be a democratic republic, but justice, equality, liberty and fraternity-the four basic tenets promised in the Preamble of our Constitution-are clearly not available to all. Dalits continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in villages, in educational institutions, in the job market, and on the political battlefront, leaving them with little respite in any sphere or at any juncture of their lives.

All this even while there has been no dearth of political rhetoric, or creation of laws, to pronounce that Dalits must not get a raw deal. The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, prescribe punishments from crimes against Dalits that are much more stringent than corresponding offences under the IPC. Special courts have been established in major states for speedy trial of cases registered exclusively under these Acts. In 2006, former prime minister Manmohan Singh even equated the practice of "untouchability" to that of "apartheid" and racial segregation in South Africa.

In December 2015, the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament, made several critical changes. New activities were added to the list of offences. Among them were preventing SCs/STs from using common property resources, from entering any places of public worship, and from entering an education or health institution. In case of any violation, the new law said that the courts would presume unless proved otherwise that the accused non-SC/ST person was aware of the caste or tribal identity of the victim.

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So why have violent incidents against Dalits increased, rather than decreased over the years, in spite of Constitutional protection and legal safeguards? "Caste is not simply a law and order problem but a social problem. Caste violence can only be eradicated with the birth of a new social order," says Chandra Bhan Prasad, co-author of Defying the Odds: The Rise of Dalit Entrepreneurs. He argues that the upward mobility of some Dalits caused by market reforms post-1991, ironically leads to higher incidence of atrocities in the form of a backlash.

Education, the hotbed

Protest is starting to brew in institutions of higher education. At Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, hundreds of students gathered at the Ganga dhaba on the eve of Vemula's 27th birthday on January 29 to organise a candlelight vigil. Slogans sliced the silence of the winter night: "Tum kitne Rohithon ko maroge? Har ghar se Rohith niklega (How many Rohiths will you murder? A Rohith will rise from every household)", and "Jaativaad pe halla bol, Brahminvaad pe halla bol, Hindutva pe halla bol, Manuvaad pe halla bol (Raise you voice against casteism, Brahminism, Hindutva, and discrimination)!" Next afternoon, the students held a protest rally at the city's RSS headquarters in Jhandewalan to celebrate Rohith's birthday. The police retaliated with batons.

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Organised under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC), the students were led by the Birsa Munda, Phule and Ambedkar Student's Association (BAPSA), a body formed on November 14, 2014. Birsa, Phule and Ambedkar have replaced Marx, Lenin and Mao in JNU as icons of "identity", and "caste" replaces "class" as the main issue.

Who are the new student leaders? Sanghapalli Aruna Lohitakshi, a linguistics Ph.D student from Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is one of the founding members of BAPSA, which is akin to poet Namdeo Dhasal's Dalit Panthers of the 1970s. She speaks of "ghettoisation by upper-caste students," and "Dalit faculty seats being converted into general seats on the pretext that no suitable Dalit candidates were found". Though BAPSA and groups such as the Ambedkar Students' Association spew venom and spit fire, their struggle highlights a form of subversive protest that fights suppression with suicide. To borrow from JNU Professor Gopal Guru, it showcases the "clash between the life of the mind versus the life of the caste".

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The primary reason for educational institutions emerging as pulpits of protest lies in the fractured social structure in universities, where the elite of the Dalits are competing with general students. Not only are they more aware of Constitutional provisions, they feel they are treated unfairly by university authorities and student bodies such as the ABVP by virtue of their selection in the reserved category. This is what Rohith had articulated in his suicide note, and was seemingly corroborated by the circumstances behind his suspension from the university after a skirmish with the ABVP.

Rampant segregation

In villages and urban slums, however, where segregation is rampant to this day, voices are stifled even before they can be raised. A stark example of this is a dusty little hamlet called Sunpedh-meaning empty trees-in Ballabhgarh, Haryana, barely 40 kilometres from Delhi. The tension is palpable, the stillness stifling, as the centre of the village feels like a fortress with 65 Haryana police personnel posted to prevent inter-caste clashes. No one greets anyone, no one is smiling.

Untouchability is practised widely in Sunpedh. Ask about Ram Prasad, a local grocery shop-owner, and the instant response from a young man on a motorbike is: "Chamaron ke ilake mein jayiye (Go where the Dalits live). The upper-caste areas are separated from the low-lying Dalit quarters with mud puddles all around.

The entire hamlet comprises approximately 2,700 bighas of land, of which 2,000 bighas is owned by 300 families of Thakurs. The rest is owned by Dalit communities, including 150 Ravidas families, and smaller numbers of Valmikis, Garerias, and Dhimars. Most of the Dalits survive as daily-wage labourers in the farms of the Thakurs.

Here, on the night of October 21, 2015, four members of a Dalit family were set ablaze inside their house: Jitender, his wife Rekha, and their children Vaivhav, 2, and Divya, nly 10 months old. The village erupted in grief and indignation the next day when the bodies of the infants, wrapped in white shrouds, arrived for cremation. Jitender escaped while Rekha suffered serious burn injuries. Their gutted home is officially sealed, guarded by the police.

Jitender's mother Santa Devi, his 85-year old grandmother Buddhan Devi, his aunt Kanta (all three are widows) and his married sister Gita, sleep in the open in the severe winter cold since the house is officially sealed. "There seems no flame of justice, no place to live, no one to earn, no money for lawyers, no one to care for us three widows," says Buddhan. "My brother Jitender threatens to commit suicide every day. Suicide, like the Rohith Vemula case, seems like the only option for a Dalit," laments Gita. A majority of the heinous crimes against Dalits, as documented by the NHRC, are perpetrated in villages in which they are treated as second-class citizens.

But discrimination isn't a rural problem alone. Joblessness among Dalits runs through the urban landscape as well. According to 2011 Census data, the unemployment rate for SCs between 15 and 59 years of age was 18 per cent, including marginal workers seeking work, as compared to 14 per cent for the general population. Among STs, the unemployment rate was even higher at over 19 per cent.

Violent heartland

Government data suggests that the usual suspect in terms of incidence of crime committed against SCs is the Hindi heartland. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan top the list with 8,075 and 8,028 cases respectively in 2014. Bihar is the third-worst with 7,893 incidents. Neither the political regime, nor the ideology of the ruling political party, nor the presence of major Dalit parties within the states makes a difference. Rajasthan and MP are ruled by BJP governments, Uttar Pradesh by the SP and Bihar by the JD (U). All the parties are equally guilty of sins of omission and commission.

"The absence of social reform movements in the heartland states in contrast to the southern states has contributed to the presence of brutal caste wars in the north," says P.S. Krishnan, a former welfare secretary. In the south, the undivided Andhra Pradesh is the worst performer with 4,114 atrocities recorded in 2014.

Part of the reason for this is the backlash by privileged groups against a new form of assertion of rights and display of aspirations by Dalit youth. The emergence of Dalit parties such as Mayawati's BSP, and the rise of Maoists in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, explains the rise of violent incidents in these states. An assertion of Dalit rights, whether in terms of identity politics (in Uttar Pradesh), or class politics (Bihar and Andhra Pradesh), leads to a backlash. All through the 1990s, Bihar was wracked by caste wars-most notably Ranvir Sena versus Lal Sena-in parts of Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Gaya and Bhojpur.

Dalit politics typically takes two forms: militant movements and electoral coalitions. The democratic electoral route is ironically poised on the cusp of a cruel paradox in which Dalit groups must either ally with mainstream political parties and risk compromising with the Dalit agenda; or fight it out alone and risk getting pushed to the margins. It is a Hobson's Choice.

The reason is that the spread of Dalit population throughout India is such that by themselves they are always in a minority. In any electoral battle, they can only benefit if they form an alliance either with other dominant caste groups, or mainstream political parties.

In Uttar Pradesh, for example, Mayawati allied initially with mainstream parties-Congress, BJP and the Samajwadi Party-but ended up quitting the alliance each time in a huff. Later, she changed her strategy by forming alliances "directly with upper-caste groups and minorities", says BSP's Sudhindra Bhadoria. "The Brahmins and Thakurs form an alliance with BSP not because they have an ideological affinity but because they want to defeat the Yadav-led SP," adds another BSP leader. In spite of such alliances, however, the BSP faced defeats in the 2012 Assembly polls and 2014 Lok Sabha elections in UP because its math was trumped by the Yadav-Muslim combine and the consolidation of the Hindu vote.

The way out

The obvious ways to ensure that the lot of the Dalits is improved are education, rise in economic status, market reforms transforming the lives of millions of Dalits living in impecunious conditions. But not many experts are convinced of this path to empowerment. "Market reforms can touch the life of a few thousands of Dalits but it simply creates an island of prosperity amongst a sea of penury," says Guru, arguing that social movements are the only solution.

Krishnan, on the other hand, believes that constitutional safeguards and protective legal clauses can play a great enabling role. But, more than any of this, a change of attitude is needed among the ruling classes to stem the tide. Perhaps the best solution was provided by B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly. "We are entering an era of political equality. But economically and socially we remain a deeply unequal society. Unless we resolve this contradiction, inequality will destroy our democracy," he had warned.

But nothing learnt; little progress made. The Dalit dilemma, ironically, is the dilemma of India. Some hard questions remain: How long must the discrimination continue? How many dreams must be shattered? How many flames of justice must be extinguished? How many Vaibhavs and Divyas must be burnt alive? How many Rohiths must die to change India, once and for all?

Follow the writer on Twitter @Ajitarticle

--- ENDS ---
By Sandeep Unnithan : David Coleman Headley returned to Mumbai nearly seven years after he boarded a flight to Chicago, never to return. Only this time he came back as a video signal beamed from halfway across the globe into a packed sessions courtroom in a city where he had helped plan the slaughter of 166 persons during the terror attacks of November 26, 2008.

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Flanked by three US officials, the grey sweatshirt-clad 55-year-old calmly unravelled the 26/11 conspiracy before the court for a week, beginning February 8. The Indian government's attempts to extradite Headley had come to an end when he was given a 35-year sentence for terrorist acts by a US court in 2013.

The video link, a result of his turning approver last December in the ongoing trial of 26/11 plotter Abu Jundal, was the closest India's legal system could get to him. Headley went to work, like a needle knitting together all the missing threads of the 26/11 plot. He had soon woven a patchwork quilt of serving military personnel and hard-core terrorists, linked together by the bizarre compulsions of Pakistan's deep state in waging unending war against India. Some of the names he revealed in the deposition-Major Iqbal, his 'handler' within the ISI, and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's handler Brigadier Riyaz-had found mention earlier,during the week-long interrogation by police officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Chicago in 2010. But these statements had never been in a sworn deposition and in an open court, the reason why special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam is confident the statements will give a boost to the 26/11 case and allow the police to undertake further investigations.

Click here to Enlarge Illustration by Saurabh Singh

Headley's deposition, relayed live into Special Judge G.A. Sanap's court on to a 52-inch flat screen LCD TV monitor from an undisclosed location in the US, was quid pro quo for the trial court pardoning him. It is a deposition unlike any other. Headley's LCD monitor angled at the right corner of the courtroom faced another identically arranged LCD screen showing a dispassionate Jundal flanked by a Mumbai police constable. An Indian citizen who was deported by Saudi Arabia in 2011, Jundal guided the two terrorists who struck at Nariman House, ensconced in the safety of the LeT's control room in Karachi. Jundal's electronic faceoff with his erstwhile accomplice is now, ironically, because of concerns over his safety.

The deep state

In his six-hour-long deposition, Headley closely detailed how the so-called 'non-state actors' like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were closely allied with the deep state, notably Pakistan's hydra-headed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The 26/11 carnage which the LeT executed was meant to be the perfect, "plausibly deniable" terror attack with no links to its perpetrators. A strike by 10 heavily armed men who died fighting, but used Indian SIM cards and carried ID cards that identified them as students of a Hyderabad college. But for the providential capture of Ajmal Kasab on the night of 26/11 and Headley's arrest in late 2009, the investigations would have hit a dead end. Headley's deposition now names four serving officials of the ISI-Brigadier Riyaz, Major Sameer Ali, Lt Colonel Hamza and Major Iqbal. His testimony now directly links the Pakistan army to the 26/11 Mumbai conspiracy. (Indian intelligence officials believe the ISI men used assumed names). Headley's deposition names these officers as handlers or officials who supervised and acted as go-betweens for the ISI and LeT. According to Headley, every significant LeT operative, even its supremo Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, had an ISI handler, thus blowing away any vestige of deniability that the Pakistan army was in the dark about the Mumbai attacks.

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The LeT was clearly determined to attack Mumbai-the plan had been hatched in 2006, the year Headley changed his name and entered Mumbai to begin his deadly recce. For some reason, the LeT was obsessed about attacking the Taj Mahal Hotel. They used Headley's recce videos to prepare a mock-up of the hotel inside Pakistan in 2007. They planned to attack a group of defence scientists who were to meet there. How deteremined the group was to attack the city came out when Headley revealed how they had mounted two failed missions to infiltrate the same group of 10 terrorists into the city in August 2008. "It's clear there is a close nexus between the LeT and ISI," says special public prosecutor Nikam. Just how close, Headley would go on to reveal.

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His testimony shows that the ISI was a ubiquitous presence among the LeT leadership. So there was Brigadier Riyaz, who handled LeT's military commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi; Major Iqbal, Headley's handler in the ISI; and Iqbal's boss, Lt Colonel Hamza. All these officers are believed to be from the ISI's shadowy 'S' branch that handles terrorist groups and controls the agency's transborder operations.

How the son of a wealthy American socialite, Alice Serrill Headley, and Pakistani poet and diplomat Sayed Salim Gilani was sucked into the machinations of, and actively collaborated with, the deep state, is the stuff of a real-life Jason Bourne thriller. Born Daood Gilani, Headley had a troubled childhood and studied was schooled at the Cadet College Hasan Abdal in Attock, Punjab. Later, in the 1980s, he had a decade-long stint smuggling heroin out of the Af-Pak 'Golden Crescent'. After multiple prison stints abroad, he returned to Pakistan sometime in the late 1990s as an agent for the US Drug Enforcement Administration. His proximity to Pakistan's terrorist groups began around 2002, when he began gathering information on the LeT and Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks. He trained as an LeT foot soldier and even volunteered to fight in Kashmir, but did not make the cut because of his age. He was, instead, chosen as a scout.

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What makes Headley the Rosetta Stone of the 26/11 attacks is his unique position within the conspiracy. He worked with a bewildering array of actors, including the ISI, LeT and later on, even Al Qaeda. He was the ultimate double agent who changed his name at the behest of the LeT in 2006-assuming his mother's maiden name to live undercover as an American businessman in Mumbai while meticulously scouting the targets it wanted to attack: the Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, Oberoi Hotel. Between 2006 and 2008, he made eight trips to Mumbai and Pakistan to contact his handlers and ISI officials and hand over recce photos and videos.

Options before India

Headley's deposition comes at a time when the government has watched the euphoria over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's December 25 visit to Lahore evaporate after the January 2 strike on the Pathankot air force base in which six Indian service personnel were killed, and the subsequent postponement of foreign secretary-level talks. India has linked talks to action on the Pathankot attacks. "The ball's in Pakistan's court," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "The immediate issue is Pakistan's response to Pathankot after the actionable intelligence provided to it."

"Now after what happened (the Headley deposition), can Modi really go forward on talks with Pakistan? If the deep state is not with you, with what face can you talk to Pakistan?" asks M.K. Narayanan, the NSA during the terror attacks.

The Pathankot attack is being investigated by the NIA, which has established that the attackers came from Pakistan, just like the attackers who struck at the police station in Gurdaspur last June or the two terrorists who attacked a BSF convoy in Jammu in August. The government has indicated that it will soon dispatch a fresh dossier to Pakistan, based on the Headley deposition. Whether this can actually make a difference to the multiple dossiers sent to Pakistan so far remains to be seen. Particularly since the Pakistan army, whose role Headley meticulously detailed, continues to call the shots and seems unwilling to halt the conveyor belt-like terror machinery it runs in its backyard.

"There is not much new in Headley's statement that the ISI was behind the Mumbai plot, but it is a useful reminder that the Pakistani army remains a patron of terrorists today," says Bruce Riedel, counter-terrorism expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington.

The Modi government watched with dismay as LeT military commander Lakhvi was bailed out of prison in April last year, among the final nails in the coffin of a trial that began in 2009 but has all but gone cold. Modi has raised the issue in meetings with his counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan has said it wants "more information and evidence" on the 26/11 attacks.

Of the three parallel 26/11 trials-the 2013 one in the US, where Headley was sentenced to 35 years in prison; the 2012 conviction and hanging of the sole surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab; and the 2009 case registered by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan, it's the last that has been slow to the point of death.

PM Narendra Modi in Pathankot

Indian investigators hope that the Headley revelations will uncover more evidence. "The Kasab investigation and trial had so far revealed only one dimension of the 26/11 attacks," says V. Balachandran, former special secretary, R&AW, and one of the investigators of the two-man Ram Pradhan Committee set up to probe the Mumbai police's responses to the attack. "We need Headley's testimony to fully understand Pakistan's conspiracy. This would enable us to mount international pressure on Pakistan," he says.

Delhi-based Supreme Court lawyer Surat Singh says Headley's deposition could be used for a prime facie case against Pakistan's involvement in sponsoring terrorism. "It could be used as a case of crimes against humanity in the International Court of Justice or even raised in the UN General Assembly," he says.

G. Parthasarathy, India's former high commissioner to Islamabad, is convinced the Headley deposition will meet the fate of every case of terror sponsorship against Pakistan (see box). "The time for soft options is over," he says. "India must raise the costs for Pakistan."

The Pakistan government has not issued a statement so far on Headley's deposition, but Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister during the 26/11 attacks, dismissed them as a "pack of lies" and "fabricated statements". Malik claimed Headley was planted by Indian intelligence agencies for executing the Mumbai attacks and getting concocted statements from them. Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir says it will not be easy for Pakistani security agencies to ignore Headley's claims made in an Indian court. "Headley is not an Indian national. He is a US citizen of Pakistani origin and he made all his claims not in Indian custody but in US custody. He clearly said he was in touch with Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi in Pakistan," he says.

A rogue mole?

One big mystery of the events leading up to 26/11 was partially solved in November 2010. The US was revealed to be the source behind the flood of intelligence alerts about attacks on Mumbai in the months preceding 26/11. Two years later, the US Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) sent India's home ministry a report where it mentioned the US government had "aggressively and promptly provided the Indian government with strategic warnings regarding the LeT's threats to several targets in Mumbai between June and September 2008".

The warnings from the US were explicit. Between 2006 and 2008, the IB and R&AW received multiple intelligence alerts warning the Mumbai police of the LeT's preparations to infiltrate fidayeen suicide terrorists into the city through the sea route. By 2008, these alerts had reached an ominous crescendo. What was never clear was just how the US was getting such detailed alerts-the Pradhan committee set up to probe the Mumbai police's lapses in the 26/11 attacks mentioned a total of 26 intel alerts which warned of major attacks on hotels and public buildings in Mumbai.

Three alerts mentioned specific dates for terrorist attacks on Mumbai: August 20, 2006; May 24 and August 11, 2008. Six alerts spoke of the possibility of a seaborne attack, 11 of the possibility of simultaneous attacks, three even mentioned fidayeen attacks on these targets. The 'strategic warnings' the DNI mentioned last September, continued into November.

In 2013, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the agency had passed on an alert to R&AW on November 18, eight days before the actual attacks. The CIA based its alert on communications it intercepted between the LeT boat and the Lashkar's headquarters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The CIA passed the alert to R&AW which passed it to the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard but not to the Maharashtra police. This final alert gave the exact coordinates of the LeT vessel Al Hussaini, while it was anchored off Karachi with the attackers on board.

The Pradhan committee was refused access to the original IB and R&AW intelligence inputs stored in Delhi. The alerts the central agencies passed on to the DGP's office in Maharashtra were scrubbed clean of all references, leaving no clues as to their origins. "Ordinarily, even within a country, the name of the informer is never revealed while the intelligence is passed on," says ex-R&AW special secretary Balachandran.

Was Headley the mole within the LeT who kept informing the US government of plans of the attacks on Mumbai? Knowing Headley's predilection for double games, it would hardly be surprising. As the ultimate undercover agent who recced one of the most infamous terror attacks in recent history, hybrid gun-and-bomb attacks that were copycatted by the Islamic State in the November 13, 2015, attacks in Paris, Headley has been assured of a dubious place in history.

As he continues to spill the beans on former collaborators from within the US, Headley is assured of another less dubious spot. The man who blew the whistle on the complicity of Pakistan's deep state in terrorism.

Follow the writer on Twitter @SandeepUnnithan

--- ENDS ---
By Satyabrata Pal: David Headley's deposition before a Mumbai court may have caused quite a stir here but will ruffle few feathers in Islamabad. The gravamen of his charges-that he was recruited by the LeT, co-opted by the ISI, some of whose officers he met and has named, though these will be noms de guerre, and that the LeT received financial and material support from the ISI-is not new, for they have been in the public domain for years now. He has made these confessions to the US police, acknowledged them in a US court and presumably reiterated them with embellishments to the NIA team which was given access to him. This, therefore, is the fourth recension.

Satyabrata Pal

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It is, of course, important that this statement is in an Indian court. Since under the Evidence Act, testimony to a policeman is not considered proven, what Headley told the NIA does not have the same legal weight. That is relevant only if the principal accused stand trial in an Indian court, which will not happen. India can compile a fresh dossier with Headley's deposition for Pakistan to consider, but it would argue that this would not bind a Pakistani court. India can urge Pakistan to get Headley to depose before one of their courts, but he will be subjected then to hostile cross-examination by defence lawyers, and he is in any case a most slippery customer. If he recants what he told the court in Mumbai, which he may well do, or fudges his responses, his confessions so far, which are one of the strongest planks of the case against Lakhvi and others, will be discredited. This is, therefore, a risky gambit.

Can Headley's evidence be put to any use at all to build a case in a Pakistani court against Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi? Unlikely, because even in his statement to our court, he has not directly linked either men to 26/11. The men he has named as his handlers for Mumbai have to be identified, before the government of Pakistan will consider lodging a case against them, and it is a foregone conclusion that they will claim that these were figments of Headley's imagination. We cannot establish that they exist.

If there is anyone losing sleep over Headley's deposition, it is not Saeed or Lakhvi or the shadowy Pashas and Iqbals, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative he started with his detour to Lahore last December is in real jeopardy, because, so soon after Pathankot, on which Pakistan seems to be relapsing into denial, the Indian public is being reminded about the even greater outrage of Mumbai, of the complicity of agents of the Pakistan state in it, and of the state's reluctance either to acknowledge this or to bring the culprits to book. Headley's testimony reopens the scab on an old wound. Modi might well believe that he has to wait for it to heal or at least to close before he can move ahead with Pakistan.

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That might well be politically expedient, since a storm would break on him, from the Opposition and from sections of the media, if he did press on, but it would not be in India's best interests. As foreign secretary S. Jaishankar has argued recently in a speech, India has to remain engaged with Pakistan to try to get some satisfaction on its demands. The government should not let the uproar over Headley deflect it from that course.

This should be a spur for Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to act, not because he is under pressure after Headley's deposition, but because his counterpart here is. And there is something he can very quickly do to prove Pakistan's bona fides and his interest in the re-engagement with India. The 21st amendment to its Constitution and a concomitant amendment to the Pakistan Army Act, enacted after the massacre in Peshawar in 2014, set up military courts for a period of two years to try terrorist offences. In August 2015, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that these amendments were valid in law. Under them, acting with a speed and resolve (and disregard for legal niceties) that civil courts cannot match, these courts have already sentenced a large number of terrorists.

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The law lays down that the federal government may transfer any case on a terrorist offence, pending before any court, to these courts. The offences they can try include creating "terror or insecurity in Pakistan or attempt to commit any of the said acts within or outside Pakistan". Sharif's government should demonstrate its authority, and its goodwill, by transferring the case against Lakhvi to a military court. That would serve several purposes, not the least of which would be to show if the army is prepared to sacrifice Lakhvi as a pawn, even if its goal remains checkmate, not peace.

Satyabrata Pal is an ex-Indian high commissioner to Pakistan.

--- ENDS ---
By Hamid Mir: David Headley is making headlines in India but not in Pakistan. The terrorist-turned-approver, who allegedly surveyed targets for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has told a special Indian court that he worked for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. The US national has also said that ISI provides financial, military and moral support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Surprisingly, the Pakistani government is silent, and all popular TV channels here have ignored his deposition. Common Pakistanis know Ajmal Kasab but they know little about Headley, who spent time at Cadet College Hasan Abdal in Attock, Punjab, and was referred to by its famous members as a "prince because of his fair skin".

Hamid Mir

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Why has such a juicy story been ignored? Because it has become difficult for the Pakistani media to raise questions about the alleged dubious links of Headley with some elements in the powerful security establishment. Over 110 Pakistani journalists have lost their lives in the last few years in the line of duty, and a divided media is finding it hard to speak the truth because the federal government is weak and opposition groups are at odds with each other.

Former interior minister and Pakistan People's Party MP Rehman Malik addressed a press conference on February 9 in which he said that Headley had been planted by India, and was wanted in Pakistan for various acts of sabotage. "They (the US authorities) should hand him over to us and we will see how many confessions he makes," he said. Malik said the government was keeping mum on Headley's allegations because of India's defiance, so he, as chairman of the senate committee on interior, had to raise his voice. In other words, he was trying to protect the ISI while the Nawaz Sharif government was cowering in the face of the "lies" of Headley. Malik, of course, was trying to bridge the gap between his leader, Asif Ali Zardari, and the security establishment by using the Headley card. Zardari had slammed the army generals a few months ago in a public speech, and within days was forced to leave Pakistan because a process to involve him in murder and terror financing cases was started. Meanwhile, even as security agencies have been eager to arrest several PPP and Muttahida Quami Movement leaders, the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, was released from jail in 2015.

Will it now be easier for the Pakistani security agencies to ignore the claims made by Headley in an Indian court? The answer is no, because Headley is not an Indian. He is a US citizen of Pakistani origin and he made all his claims while being in their custody. He clearly said he was in touch with Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi in Pakistan. A majority of Pakistanis don't like people like Saeed who use the name of Islam and jehad to allegedly kill innocents. Not many supported Kasab in Pakistan but unfortunately no serious effort was made to initiate a joint and conclusive probe into the 26/11 attacks. Though an eight-member commission was allowed to travel to India in March 2013 to gather evidence, the lawyers were barred from cross-examining the four prosecution witnesses, including Kasab.

Pakistan must understand that a serious joint probe into the claims made by Headley will only help the country get rid of people who give a bad name to the ISI and defame the nation through acts of terror. It is the right of all Pakistani citizens to know how a drug smuggler like Headley came into contact with Saeed and some army officers. If he was a double agent planted by US intelligence, then surely he wasn't the only one. A thorough investigation can perhaps unmask a few more Headleys around Hafiz Saeed.

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But there are also some weak links in Headley's story. He claims he came in contact with Al Qaeda's Ilyas Kashmiri in 2006-7. This is difficult to believe because Kashmiri had turned against the Pakistan army and ISI in 2003. He had even organised attacks on them, and never trusted the people around Saeed.

The truth is, Pakistanis need to know about Headley. If we can move forward with a joint probe into the Pathankot attack, it'll make new headway in the 26/11 case as well. PM Sharif has repeatedly said he has no soft corner for those who use Pakistani territory to destabilise a neighbouring country. He wants to make a new beginning from Pathankot but a recent statement from India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar has created problems for him. Parrikar said he would not allow Pakistani investigators into the base. Even though his pace is slow, India should help Sharif make a new beginning. Headley's collaborators are also enemies of Pakistan. It is important that both countries jointly expose the collaborators of terrorist 'prince' David Headley.

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Hamid Mir works for Geo TV Pakistan.

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Tensions have risen in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, since an ASI order specified fixed timings for Hindus to worship at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque on Basant Panchami. Here's all you need to know about the row over this shrine claimed by Hindus and Muslims alike.

By Shreya Biswas: The Dhar town of Madhya Pradesh is on the verge of communal crisis in light of Basant Panchami falling on Friday.

The dispute is over the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque; a religious site claimed by Hindus and Muslims alike.

For Hindus, it is the temple of Goddess Wagdevi, i.e. Saraswati. Muslims, on the other hand, believe it to be Kamal Maula mosque.

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What is the row about?



The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque is protected by the Archaeolgical Survey of India, which allows Hindus to pray here on Tuesdays and on Basant Panchami, and Muslims are allowed to offer namaz here on Fridays.

Also read: Basant Panchmi standoff: Security tightened in Dhar's Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh



The shrine turned into a bone of contention after an order was passed in light of Basant Panchami, which is celebrated as the birthday of Goddess Saraswati, falling on a Friday (February 12).

The order allows Hindus to offer prayers for Basant Panchami at Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque from dawn to noon and again from 3.30pm to dusk, leaving the hours between 1 and 3 in the afternoon for the weekly Jumma namaz.

However, the order did not sit well with the Right-wing activists, who demanded that Hindus be allowed at the shrine throughout Friday for worship.

The row so far...



This is not the first time this problem has occurred. In 2006 and 2013, Basant Panchami fell on a Friday as well.

Hindus have since been asking for an all-day-long access to the shrine on such occasions. A string of petitions have knocked the doors of the High Court regarding the matter.

Activists vouching for the "liberation" of Bhojshala are targetting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as well for massive security set up to ensure that the order is carried out.

Security at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque. Source:Bhojshala Dhar, Madhya Pradesh/ Facebook

This year, Hindu activist groups such as Dharma Jagaran Manch (DJM) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have scaled up their protest by taking out rallies and asking Hindus to come to the shrine on Friday for Basant Panchami.

On Tuesday, Right-wing activists held a satyagraha outside Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque in protest of their demands for reduced security not being accepted.

Right-wing leader Vijay Singh Rathore has demanded that Hindus be allowed a "dawn-to-dusk" access on Friday for the occasion of Basant Panchami.

The security set up...

Despite the demands of the security being reduced, the government has not given in so far and has stuck to the ASI formula of letting Hindus into the shrine only for the specified timings.

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Heavy security bandobust has been set up in and around Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque to check any communal violence on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

Reports say that more than 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to the area, with police and RAF turning Dhar into a fortress with barricades and guards crawling the town.

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Dipti Sarna, the 25-year-old Snapdeal employee who was abducted from near the Vaishali Metro Station on Wednesday, returned home today morning after calling her family from a train coming from Panipat, Haryana.

By India Today Web Desk: Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was abducted from near the Vaishali Metro Station in Delhi two days ago, has returned home today.

While a massive manhunt for her was still on, Sarna made a call to her family early today morning, asking them to pick her up from the New Delhi Railway Station.

Sarna was on a train from Panipat, Haryana, when she made that call from a borrowed phone.

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Also read: Snapdeal employee Dipti's abduction: 4 goons, 48 hours, a 10-km walk and freedom

Now safely at home with her family, a traumatised Sarna is talking to the police about the details of her whereabouts during the last two days.

Here's a quick timeline of the events that led to and followed her abduction:



On February 10, returning from her office in Gurgaon as usual, Dipti Sarna got down at Vaishali metro station to go home. Around 7.45 pm, she called her father and told him that she was about to take a shared auto-rickshaw to the Ghaziabad bus stand, from where her father, Narendra Sarna, picked her up everyday. Dipti then boarded a shared auto from Vaishali Metro station to Ghaziabad bus stand, which is 11-km away, and called her father again to let him know where she was. The auto reportedly broke down at Mohan Nagar. The other passengers got off to board a different auto. A Facebook post by her cousin said that the auto Sarna was in had "forcefully" taken her to a wrong route towards Rajnagar extension. At about 8.30, four men in the auto forced the only other female passenger out of the vehicle at knifepoint near Hindon Bridge. This is were Sarna was last seen. The men then snatched her bag and phone away while she was still on call with a friend, who heard Sarna scream before the call got disconnected. The auto was then taken to a secluded spot near Raj Nagar extension, where the abductors forced Sarna into another vehicle. Meanwhile, Sarna's father was waiting for her near the Ghaziabad bus stand when he got a call from her friend who had heard her scream. Sarna's friend told her father that he's afraid something has happened to her and asked him to look for her. Later on, Narendra Sarna went to the police and filed a complaint. The abductors, for the rest of the night, made Sarna travel with them in an i10 car, a bike, and even forced her to walk nearly 10km. A thorough, 200-men-strong search was launched to look for her, which probably spooked the abductors. The following morning, they gave Sarna some money and put her on a train from a suburban railway station. Travelling on a train coming from Panipat, a traumatised Sarna recognised the Narela station and realised she was on a Delhi-bound train. Sarna then borrowed a phone from a fellow passenger and called her family, letting them know she was reaching the New Delhi railway station and that they should come pick her up from there. After deboarding the train at the station, Sarna called her family again, this time from a PCO, and told them she would be coming till the Vaishali Metro Station on her own. Her father, however, insisted that she not to do so, assuring her that he was on his way to the New Delhi Station to take her. Police, on the other hand, have been looking into the CCTV footage at the Panipat station to ensure that Sarna had boarded the train from there. Records of local hotels in Panipat are also being checked to ascertain if Sarna had been kept there by her abductors. The 24-year-old executive with the online shopping portal is now home and physically unhurt, but is still said to be in trauma.

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By India Today Web Desk: US Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton today lashed out against her Republican rival Donald Trump, calling his anti-Muslim rhetoric as "offensive and dangerous".

"We need to understand that American Muslims are on the front line of our defence. They are more likely to know what's happening in their families and their communities, and they need to feel not just invited, but welcomed within the American society," Clinton said participating in Democratic presidential debate." HIllary said.

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"So when somebody like Donald Trump and others stirs up the demagoguery against American Muslims, that hurts us at home. It's not only offensive; it's dangerous," she added.

"The same goes for overseas, where we have to put together a coalition of Muslim nations. I know how to do that. I put together the coalition that imposed the sanctions on Iran that got us to the negotiating table to put a lid on their nuclear weapons programme," she said in response to a question.

"You don't go tell Muslim nations you want them to be part of a coalition when you have a leading candidate for president of the United States who insults their religion. So this has to be looked at overall, and we have to go at it from every possible angle," Clinton said in response to a question on ISIS.

Also read:

Donald Trump calls for ban on Muslims entering United States

Hillary Clinton says Bernie Sanders making promises that 'cannot be kept'



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Paediatricians and public health experts claim that deworming children en masse in India is not backed by comprehensive research and has no evidence of public health benefits.

By Neetu Chandra Sharma: Union Health Ministry's flagship initiative of deworming children hasn't convinced public health experts enough on the scheme's potential to improve school attendance, health, and long-run productivity of children. Paediatricians and public health experts claim that deworming children en masse in India is not backed by comprehensive research and has no evidence of public health benefits.

"The belief that deworming will substantially impact economic development seems delusional when we look at the results of reliable controlled trials," said Dr Harshpal Singh Sachdev, former advisory committee member, Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development. Dr Sachdeva is also a pediatrician with Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research.

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"A clinical trial on deworming in India few years ago showed benefits, but subsequent trials in the same area failed to show an effect. So, deworming may have helped in these exceptional, heavily-infected, untreated populations from another decade such as in Kenya, but this is scarcely a solid base for contemporary policy. Public health nutrition has changed, worm burden has declined and this probably accounts for the lack of effect on biomedical outcomes in contemporary studies," he said.

Public health experts also claim that the drive can have an impact in areas with a high burden of parasitic worms, but is unlikely to benefit areas where worm loads have reduced due to other government health campaigns.



Also read: National Deworming Day leaves 188 children feeling uneasy

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Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur and Tabu's Fitoor is devastatingly beautiful, thanks to director Abhishek Kapoor's portrayal of Kashmir in it. However, underneath all the surreal beauty, this adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations falls short of fulfilling the great expectations people had from it.

By Ananya Bhattacharya: Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Lara Dutta, Rahul Bhat

Direction: Abhishek Kapoor

Ratings: (3/5)



Centuries ago, Amir Khusro had said 'Gar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast / hameen-ast-o, hameen-ast-o hameen-ast.' Roughly translated to English, the couplet means 'If there's a paradise on earth / It is here, it is here, it is here.' Emperor Jehangir then immortalised these two lines when Kashmir struck him numb and made him blurt them out, almost involuntarily.

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PHOTOS: When Aditya Roy Kapur took Katrina Kaif shopping in Delhi

ALSO READ: After break-up with Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif says love is very important to her

ALSO READ: Katrina Kaif doesn't like dishonesty in her man. Is she taking a potshot at Ranbir Kapoor?

There's a strange strength in Kashmir that makes you want to swallow all of it with all your senses, all your being. It is this 'fitoor' - obsession, if you will - that director Abhishek Kapoor makes complete use of in his third film Fitoor.

Set against the backdrop of the Kashmir of autumn-winter, Fitoor lets your eyes feast on Kashmir till you no longer know what to do with such overwhelming beauty.

Based on Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur) is the orphan Pip in this tale. Dickens's Estelle is Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) here, and the eccentric, mercurial Miss Havisham is Tabu's Begum Hazrat.

Noor, the Boy From Dal, is taken to the Begum's palace on one winter day by his brother-in-law. His eyes chance upon Begum's daughter Firdaus, and this pretty much changes the course of his life.

The heartbroken Begum notices Noor's talent and realises that the boy is deeply infatuated with her daughter. Hazrat pushes him to make something out of himself by saying that that's the only way he can accomplish the prize that is Firdaus.

After Srinagar is rocked by a blast to which Noor loses his sister, Firdaus is sent off to London for her studies. The Boy From Dal immerses himself in his work, in making himself 'Firdaus ke kaabil' (worthy of Firdaus).

Meanwhile, a person lands at the now-23-year-old Noor's doorstep with an offer he cannot refuse. An identity-undisclosed person wants to fund Noor's education in art. Armed with this scholarship, Noor arrives in Delhi, where his path crosses with that of Firdaus. The dormant emotions come gushing out of every pore of Noor's being and threatens to engulf Firdaus. But what use is an intense love story without the mandatory heartbreak?

Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation of the Dickens classic is laudable in parts. Along with Supratik Sen, Kapoor crafts his tale to suit the milieu of the modern-day Kashmir. Indo-Pak friendship and politics are blended in with Noor Nizami's screams of 'Doodh maangoge toh kheer denge, Kashmir maangoge toh cheer denge'.

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As for the lead cast, Fitoor gets the best out of Tabu and Aditya Roy Kapur. Katrina Kaif is heartbreak personified. As Firdaus, she does a good job of capturing exactly what her character has been raised to do: break hearts. Katrina deserves applause for the scenes which require her to be cold-hearted and steely. However, that is, till the time Kaif is faced with the insurmountable task of emoting on screen. Her emotional scenes need to be swallowed with a pinch of salt.

For every frame that Tabu tears the viewer's heart apart with, there's a Katrina dampening it somewhat. Aditya puts in his heart and soul in making Noor a piece of art. His brooding demeanour and the deep eyes speak volumes. It is largely due to the sheer strength of Tabu and Aditya's acting that Fitoor rises above the ordinary.

Among the supporting cast, Rahul Bhat owns his character of Bilal. Lara Dutta is perfectly cast in her character of Leena. Ajay Devgn and Aditi Rao Hydari both make ample impact with their respective cameos.

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Anay Goswamy's camera succumbs to the devastating charm of Kashmir. The valley is throbbing and alive in the red of the chinar leaves, and equally stony in the pristine, heartless white of the snow. From long shots of the Dal to Katrina's red hair in contrast with the white of the winter Kashmir, it is the scenic beauty of the place that outdoes everything else in this tale.

Fitoor, for all its spellbinding beauty, fumbles bad. The story meanders and loses way in between, and there seems a certain urgency in tying all the loose ends. Major revelations in this bildungsroman are condensed into a mere span of a few minutes, and it doesn't quite achieve the desired effect. On the other hand, several intense sequences are dulled by their prolixity.

Amit Trivedi's music is among the strongest points of Fitoor. Each song of the film is an auditory delight.

At the end of the day, Fitoor demands a lot of patience on the part of the viewer. But that is largely made up for by Kashmir. Watch the film for its sheer beauty.

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Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation certainly is ambitious in its scale with the sets and costumes. But the script here severely lacks the vitality of Charles Dickens's prose. Fitoor comes across as a laboured attempt to be beautiful and lyrical. It is like young Noor's many works - pretty to the eye, but lacking depth.

By Suhani Singh: Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Aditi Rao Hydari, Akshay Oberoi, Rahul Bhat, Tunisha Sharma, Mohammed Abrar Sheikh

Rating: (1.5/5)



Firdaus the kid enters in slo-mo, wearing Vogue-approved clothes. Noor is entranced by her beauty. Firdaus the woman socialises. Noor stares. She smiles. He continues staring. She dances. More staring. This is what love feels like, we are told. It also feels like half of Abhishek Kapoor's romantic saga, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The rest of the imagery here is Kashmir's gorgeous landscape and Tabu sermonising on love and belittling Noor. The attempt here is to treat a literary classic artistically - it even is set against the backdrop of India's art scene - but the result is largely soulless and listless. Would you care for Firdaus aka Estella and Noor aka Pip after two hours and 10 mins? You're more likely to struggle stifling a yawn.

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REVIEW: Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur and Kashmir are a feast for the eyes

ALSO READ: Aditya and Katrina's kissing scene in Fitoor one of Bollywood's longest liplocks?

Meet Noor Nizami, an orphan who runs a shikara and is also an assistant to his carpenter brother-in-law in Kashmir. In the opening scene, we see his benevolent side as he feeds a mysterious militant (Ajay Devgn). But his identity is largely shaped as that of a boy truly, madly, deeply in love with a girl, who is way above his league on social and economic scale. Begum Hazrat (Tabu), a gloomy aristocratic lady living in a mansion, is the first one to spot Noor's love-struck gaze for her child, Firdaus, and she encourages it albeit with a manipulative streak. Just as the kids are bonding, she sends Firdaus away to London. Noor is told to make it big if he wants Firdaus. And so he grows up to be a multipurpose artist (Aditya Roy Kapur) who sketches, paints, sculpts and welds. He likes to do most of this with his shirt off. It seems to work for he is a prolific artist, who delivers work with such efficiency that it will make young artists feel miserable about their artistic process.

His success is also accomplished with such speed - he gets a "space" in art galleries from Delhi to London - that that there is a benefactor behind his sudden fame shouldn't come as a surprise. Busy enjoying his success, Noor drinks, buys a vintage car and does everything to win over his sweetheart, Firdaus (Katrina Kaif), who is also in Delhi letting her (red) hair down. If you are to go by Abhishek Kapoor's view, all Indian artists do is party hard. (He even gets Thukral and Tagra to do a cameo.) After one such soiree, Noor leads Firdaus to his room/studio where he shows her all the paintings he has made of her and then wastes no time to woo her almost as if his creative demonstration of love now needs to be reciprocated physically. Cut to an artist and his muse in bed. It doesn't take long for the film to be as directionless as Noor the lover who wanders from Kashmir to Delhi to London.

With the violent struggle for independence in Kashmir largely sidelined for an intense love story which never emotionally resonates, Fitoor really could have unfolded anywhere. The snowy-backdrop of Kashmir here just appears to be for visual enhancement. But great images alone do not translate into a memorable love story. You need actors who share chemistry and communicate the tension to carry it off. Noor's class consciousness, a major plot point in the novel, quickly vanishes as soon as he enters Delhi's brimming art scene. Aditya Roy Kapur starts off well, as he uses his eyes to demonstrate Noor's overwhelming passion for Firdaus. Pity the script doesn't allow him to do more with the breakdown of the artist and lover treated with ham-fisted scenes. Kaif fits the part of a vain, pretty woman but is unable to convey the emotional conflict that consumes Firdaus. We are never quite certain what later draws her towards Noor, whose infatuation she has dismissed far too often. Far better in dealing with complexities is the experienced Tabu as the emotionally scarred, jilted lover whose misguided animosity towards Noor is what keeps the two lovers apart. She delivers with little fuss even as she is bound to a wheelchair with ridiculous make-up and then is suddenly shown strutting to a gallery opening in London.

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Kapoor's adaptation certainly is ambitious in its scale with the sets and costumes suggesting that he wasn't short on money to make his third film. But the script here severely lacks the vitality of Dickens's prose. The makers consume themselves with the romance and the supporting characters are marginalised. It all comes across as a laboured attempt to be beautiful and lyrical. Fitoor is like young Noor's many works - pretty to the eye, but lacking depth.



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Former Karnataka minister and Janata Dal (Secular) MLA H D Revanna, son of ex-PM H D Deve Gowda, who often declares himself as a representative of the 'humble farmer', is embroiled in a farmer's suicide case in Karnataka. A 62-year-old farmer C J Gangadhar (62), a voter in the JD(S) bastion of Hassan district committed suicide after blaming Revanna in his video recording death note.

By Mail Today: Former Karnataka minister and Janata Dal (Secular) MLA H D Revanna, son of ex-PM H D Deve Gowda, who often declares himself as a representative of the 'humble farmer', is embroiled in a farmer's suicide case in Karnataka. A 62-year-old farmer C J Gangadhar (62), a voter in the JD(S) bastion of Hassan district committed suicide after blaming Revanna in his video recording death note.

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In the video, which Gangadhar recorded on his mobile phone before consuming poison, he blamed Revanna for taking the extreme step. Gangadhar had been a Congress party worker before joining the JD(S) worker 15 years ago. It is alleged that Revanna assaulted Gangadhar for supporting the Congress candidate in the recently concluded Legislative Council polls in Karnataka. He also allegedly humiliated him in front of his clan, which motivated the farmer to commit suicide.

On Tuesday night, after recording the video, Gangadhar consumed poison. His family members rushed him to the nearby government hospital but he died on Wednesday. Initially, his family members raised a banner of revolt against Revanna, but they were allegedly arm-twisted into not making a controversy.

In his complaint to the police, the farmer's son Mohan said crop losses and loan burden of Rs 21 lakhs prompted his father to commit suicide. However, villagers alleged that Revanna had threatened the farmer's family against revealing the original motive for the suicide. "They are trying to cover up the case. We want justice to prevail. We will not stop we get to the bottom of the case," said local Congress leader Sunil Kumar K R.

Meanwhile, Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju, who is also the Hassan district-in-charge minister, has ordered an impartial inquiry into the death of the farmer. "The suicide case will be investigated thoroughly and it shouldn't take a political turn. We will be fair in the probe," he added.

Revanna has distanced himself from the incident. "That I am responsible for his suicide is a far-fetched theory. They alleged that I assaulted Gangadhar. But on that day, I was not even here? I was attending an event in Mysuru. So, this allegation against me is totally false and baseless. They are using this suicide case to settle political score," alleged Revanna.

Hassan district SP Raman Gupta said the video clip may have been recorded by Gangadhar's friend. "So far, none has come forward claiming that he/shot the video. If there is any complaint from the person, who shot the video, blaming the politician for the death, we will take up a separate probe," he added.

Also read: Karnataka: Farmers' suicide toll crosses 400



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The Opposition questioned the manner in which Headley was posed a question on Ishrat while the BJP claimed that Headley's confirmation that she was a terrorist vindicated their position.

The alleged fake encounter in which Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed on the outskirts of Gujarat in 2013.

By Mail Today: Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley stirred up a political storm when he identified Ishrat Jahan as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, triggering a war of words between the BJP and the Opposition. The Opposition questioned the manner in which Headley was posed a question on Ishrat while the BJP claimed that Headley's confirmation that she was a terrorist vindicated their position.

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David Headley and Ishrat Jahan

Taking names

Headley picked up Ishrat's name from the three options given to him to identify a woman who was part of a botched up LeT operation and was killed in a police shootout. Inquiring about a women's wing of LeT, public prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam asked Headley to name women suicide bombers but he could not give any names. Acknowledging that there was a botched up operation in which a female LeT member was killed, Headley attributed the information to a conversation between LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and an LeT member Muzammil Butt.

Testifying via video-link from the US, Headley's revelation was part of his deposition in the 26\11 Mumbai attack in which he has been made approver. The 19-yearold Mumbar girl was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004 in Gujarat. CBI had filed charge sheet in August 2013 stating that the encoun-ter was fake pressing charges against officers of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and state police. The Ministry of Home Affairs did not grant prosecution sanction against IB officials citing lack of evidence of them being part of the conspiracy to carry out the fake encounter.

"There was a female wing in LeT which was headed by one Abu Aiman's mother. Zaki sahab (Zaki-Ur-Rehman) told me about Butt's botched up operation in India. It was some shootout with the police," he said. When prodded by Nikam to give more details he said, "I don't know which part in India. But there was one female who was killed in the shootout. I think she was an Indian national and not a Pakistani but was an LeT operative."

After Thursday's hearing, Nikam told reporters that Headley had stated during the testimony he had heard Lakhvi telling Butt that an operation in Gujarat had failed because of a female suicide bomber.

"I don't know any female suicide bomber in LeT. I cannot name any suicide bomber in LeT," Headley told the court when he was asked by the prosecutor about suicide bombers. He added that he named three women suicide bombers associated with the LeT - Noor Jahan Begum, Ishrat Jahan, Mumtaz Begum. "When he heard the names, he said that he had heard the name of Ishrat Jahan and that she was killed in a police encounter," Nikam said. Nikam's claim was questioned by Ishrat's family lawyer, Vrinda Grover, who maintained that Headley said that he had only 'heard' about a botched-up operation and that he did not know of any female bomber.



Conspiracy

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Asserting that Ishrat had no terror links, Grover said Headley's subsequent statement stating that he had heard Ishrat's name after Nikam gave a multiple choice question, cannot be treated as evidence. "It is not evidence. It is all mockery pointing to a conspiracy," she said, adding that certain questions posed to Headley by the prosecutor had nothing to do with 26/11. Headley's revelation had the BJP attacking the Congress for covering up for Ishrat's death.

"Now there are two separate and distinct issues which are involved - the first is whether Ishrat Jahan and her accomplices are LeT operatives or not. In the light of Headley's statement, if the government wants to investigate the matter further they can," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari .

"It is an important conformation of a fact that has been in public circulation for long. Headley had pointed towards Ishrat in 2013 but at that time there was an attempt to not accept truth. The attempt seems to be more than finding the truth...the idea was clearly to clog a terrorist with other issues and I think this raises important questions that the truth has to been seen as it is," BJP leader Nalin Kohli said.

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Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Joha were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. The Ahmedabad crime branch had claimed that those killed in the encounter were LeT terrorists and had landed in Gujarat to kill the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Also read:



Ishrat Jahan was a Lashkar operative, says David Headley

This is what has happened in Ishrat Jahan case since 2004





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By Naseer Ganai: As the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration ordered a "disciplinary" enquiry into holding of an event on campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, the Hurriyat Conference has opposed the step of the JNU administration saying the students have neither committed any act of violence in the university campus nor indulged in any illegal activity. "During their peaceful protest, they have raised slogans against hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru and in support of Kashmir's freedom. Why should India, which claims herself as largest democracy in the world, gets perturbed with such a small event," Hurriyat Conference faction led by Syed Ali Geelani said.



The Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar accused "Indian media" of creating mob hysteria over the event and described it as a move to make Kashmiri students studying in the JNU and elsewhere vulnerable.

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The Hurriyat reaction has come on a day when the valley remained shut on the call of separatists to observe anniversary of pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. Bhat was hanged in Tihar jail in 1984 on charges of being involved in conspiracy of killing of a CID inspector. On February 9 also Kashmir observed shutdown on the call of separatists to observe anniversary of Mohammad Afzal Guru's hanging. Separatists are demanding mortal remains of Bhat and Guru.



Jammu and Kashmir government took dozens of separatists into preventive custody ahead of the Guru's anniversary and clamped curfew like restriction on February 9 and 11 to preempt protests.



The Hurriyat Conference, however, termed protests in the JNU against Guru's hanging as exercising of birthright by the students. The Hurriyat said if the university authorities took any action against Kashmiri students it would have strong reaction in Jammu and Kashmir.



Akbar said it was not the first time that Kashmiri students had organized such an event in any educational institution of India. "Wherever they are studying they raise peaceful voices against oppression which Kashmir is facing for a long time. It is also a constitutional, legal and democratic right of the students to show their concerns about Kashmir."



"The hue and cry of the university authorities, VHP, RSS and Indian media mafia against this small event happened in the JNU is totally unfair, unjustified and beyond the understanding of anybody," Akbar said.

--- ENDS ---
By Gayatri Jayaraman : It is impossible to review an essay in which an author sets out to review herself. Jhumpa Lahiri in In Other Words cracks open her craft and her personal insecurities of belonging in a bid to get away from all the impositions of the autobiographical, from Bengali in America to author of a certain kind of immigrant novel. She triangulates her identity by moving home with husband Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush and two kids to a third point on the map, Rome. In Other Words is a writer's essay, painfully self-reflective and a precursor to any real writing she may attempt in Italian, a defensive missive she sends ahead. She explains the movement from studying Italian for 20 years to writing in it through the metaphor of swimming in a lake, a skirting round the edges that has progressed to the plunge into the deep middle.

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Yet, has it? The international edition, sadly not available to Indian readers, contains the original Italian alongside the English translation by Ann Goldstein, and would have helped provide evidence of Lahiri's unique cadence, in the way that a Pablo Neruda book of poetry works alongside his translated versions. That said, the English version alone provides enough glimpse of the original Lahiri, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Interpreter of Maladies, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth and The Lowland, except one caught in her private ruminations the relocation not just of the physical self but also of mental resources. Unlike Big Magic, Liz Gilbert's 2015 book for writers, it's not an instructive book, but far more internal in its machinations. And while it contains two mystical short stories within it, they serve as first drafts, inroads of a writer yet to master a new landscape. It would be tempting here to tell you that the Italian reviews praise her language, but should that impact us, the readers of her works, unless it improves who she becomes as an author? Skillful as she may be in the original, Lahiri, one level removed from us in translation, in all the explanations she gives for herself, is still skirting the edges of the lake, and is telling you, not showing you, the possibility of the magic of a story in Italian. It is not fructified into a narrative--whether fiction or non-fiction is irrelevant-that acquires the stride of ownership. When that happens, and given that Lahiri exists in glimpses here, in her clarity and brevity, the book will cease to be just inward looking. The comparison to Vladimir Nabokov on the opening fold is then a bit premature. If anything, it is more of Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, but with purely internal running.

So, is In Other Words little more than an insight into an award-winning author's whimsical reinvention? "I can write in Italian, but I can't become an Italian writer," she writes towards the end of her book. The status of the exile: in revisiting this signature theme, Lahiri, who seeks to leave herself behind, unthinkingly brings the root of her original self with her. The book is not just a work in transition but an author in transition, and it is as an insight into the stories she will tell, if she tells them at all, that this book will acquire value.

It is significant that Lahiri's musings, the nod to her husband's Latin American-Greek-American ancestry, are located in a Europe struggling with the idea of the European Union, currency and language, and in the distancing from an America that is alienating many of its once-immigrant citizens. Lahiri's writing does not actively reflect on these but they linger beneath the surface of a language she needs to look up to evaluate her environment. In this, In Other Words becomes a crucial reading. Lahiri discovers that the geographically bereft find ownership only in language. "Those who don't belong to any specific place, can't in fact return anywhere. The concepts of exile and return imply a point of origin, a homeland. Without a homeland and without a true mother-tongue, I wander the world, even at my desk. In the end I realise that it wasn't a true exile; far from it. I am exiled even from the definition of exile," she writes. If that is so, hopefully, she will realise that language is incidental to the story, and she'll get back to just telling the story again.

--- ENDS ---

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Slated to be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the second edition of Jashn-e-Rekhta, is back to celebrate the world of Urdu.

By Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today: From Indian lyricist Javed Akhtar to Pakistani poet Zehra Nigah, a host of literary figures and celebrities will descend on the Capital to celebrate the world of Urdu at the second edition of Jashn-e-Rekhta. Established under the aegis of the Rekhta Foundation, the festival "drew over 20,000 visitors and featured distinguished poets, authors and artists from all across the globe" last year, says Rekhta Foundation's founder, Sanjiv Saraf.

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He adds, "Through Jashn-e-Rekhta, we wanted to create much required awareness and appreciation for Urdu and the lyrical beauty and eloquence of the language that has been born and evolved in this land. The core idea is to bring Urdu to the mainstream consciousness and to a much wider audience via performances, panel discussion, interactive sessions and various other forms of Urdu."

Also read: NSD's 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav promises the best of theatre under one umbrella

At this edition's panel discussions, there will also be a focus on celebrating the birth centenaries of Urdu icons such as Ismat Chugtai, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Akhtarul Iman. Visitors will also, adds Saraf, "be able to experience Urdu and its creative richness in all forms including dastangoi (story-telling), plays, mushaira, qawwali, ghazals, discussions, baitbaazi (Urdu poetry competition), calligraphy workshops, lectures, exhibitions, Urdu Bazaar, Urdu prose and poetry readings and much more. The second edition comes with a stellar line up and there will be various new elements to be witnessed this time, as compared to last."

This year, there will be a dedicated 'Children's Corner' which is meant exclusively for children in the age bracket of 10-16 years. This corner aims to entertain, educate and enrich children about Urdu.

Apart from the cultural elements, there will also be a culinary side to the festival. Saraf explains, "There will be a food festival with Awadhi, Kashmiri, Deccani, Sindhi, Banjaara, Punjabi, Mughlai delicacies, including a spread of choicest street foods of Delhi. People will also get to savour Pakistani delicacies. Also, more than 20 varieties of tea will be served at the food court. The food festival will definitely add to the varied elements of Jashn-e-Rekhta."

Jashn-e-Rekhta will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts till February 14; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

--- ENDS ---
Expressing his displeasure over anti-national acvities at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the government will not tolerate any anti-national activities in the country and anyone raising anti-India slogans or questioning the nation's unity and integrity, will not be spared.

By India Today Web Desk: Expressing his displeasure over anti-national activities at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the government will not tolerate any anti-national activities in the country and anyone raising anti-India slogans or questioning the nation's unity and integrity, will not be spared.

"Whatever is happening at JNU, I have given the required instructions and strict actions will be taken against them. We will not forgive them," said Rajnath Singh.

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The Home Minister said he asked the Delhi Police to take "strongest possible action" against those who were allegedly involved in anti-India acts in Jawaharlal Nehru University campus recently.

In a recent development, the Delhi Press Club management has filed a complaint at Parliament Street Police Station against the organiser of the event where pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised.

Later in the day, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested and few other students were booked for sedition.



A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the government and the country over the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

The event occurred despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".



JNU campus row: ABVP workers protest in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/TpJISbD0mTANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Days after the outrage over a group of left-leaning students in JNU organising a meet to mourn the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and JKLF cofounder Maqbool Bhat, another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans were raised.

The club reacted sharply as it came under attack for the event. It issued a showcause notice to the member in whose name the venue had been booked.

"A case has been registered against SAR Geelani, the main organiser of the event. We are collecting evidence and will act accordingly," DCP, Delhi said.



I have given necessary instructions to Delhi police commissioner about what happened in JNU: HM Rajnath Singh pic.twitter.com/Ohwzt335pJ (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Meanwhile, as the JNU administration ordered a disciplinary inquiry into the student protest, the Hurriyat Conference on Thursday criticised the move saying the students have neither committed any act of violence nor indulged in any illegal activity. "They have raised slogans against hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru and in support of Kashmir's freedom during a peaceful protest. Why is India, which claims herself as the largest democracy in the world, perturbed with such a small event?" hardline Hurriyat Conference spokesman Ayaz Akbar asked.



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Also Read:

No action against Afzal Guru commemoration in JNU, issue rocked social media



JNU students clash over event against Afzal Guru hanging



--- ENDS ---
By Siddhartha Rai: Days after the outrage over a group of left-leaning students in Jawaharlal Nehru University organising a meet to mourn the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and JKLF cofounder Maqbool Bhat, another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans were raised.

The club reacted sharply as it came under attack for the event. It issued a showcause notice, a copy of which is with Mail Today, to the member in whose name the venue had been booked. SAR Geelani, the Delhi University professor who had been acquitted in the Parliament attack case, was present at the event. Geelani has been a longtime supporter of Kashmir's secessionist movement and had even organised prayer meeting for Afzal after his death. Club functionaries told Mail Today that the firstfloor club hall where the meeting took place had been booked by a member, Ali Javed, who had not clearly specified the purpose and had misled the club.

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As the club, a favourite hangout of Delhi journalists, came under attack after the police was informed about the entire incident, functionaries took prompt action in the matter and distanced themselves from the controversy.

"It was not a Press Club event. A member had booked the hall but we did not know the real purpose. The moment we heard shouting and sloganeering, we stopped the event. We have also initiated action against the concerned member. The club has sent a showcause notice to the member and have asked him to explain his conduct within 48 hours," said PCI president Rahul Jalali.

The notice, issued by secretary general of the club Nadeem Ahmad Kazmi to Javed, member number 5141, reads: "You (reference) had booked our hall ostensibly to hold a conference, but the occasion was converted into a rowdy meeting that has seriously damaged the reputation of the Press Club with the intention of damaging the interests of the institution."

When contacted, Javed said: "I have not yet received the letter."

According to Jalali, a condolence meet was underway on the ground floor of the club when the sloganeering erupted. Even the workers at the club claimed they were taken aback after they heard the slogans and claps. They initially thought some birthday party was underway. Arun Kumar Joshi, treasurer of the club, told MAIL TODAY that the incident has forced the club to mull amending the procedure for booking any portion of the club by members. "We will now make it mandatory for members to clearly state the purpose for bookings. When I went upstairs to stop the programme, I saw Geelani. It was appaling to see people jostling to click selfies against a poster that had photos of terrorists. We condemn the action," said Joshi.

Meanwhile, as the JNU administration ordered a disciplinary inquiry into the student protest, the Hurriyat Conference on Thursday criticised the move saying the students have neither committed any act of violence nor indulged in any illegal activity. "They have raised slogans against hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru and in support of Kashmir's freedom during a peaceful protest. Why is India, which claims herself as the largest democracy in the world, perturbed with such a small event?" hardline Hurriyat Conference spokesman Ayaz Akbar asked.

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Also read:



No action against Afzal Guru commemoration in JNU, issue rocked social media



JNU students clash over event against Afzal Guru hanging

--- ENDS ---
Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him.

By India Today Web Desk: Delhi police today arrested JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and booked other students for sedition following the orders from the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh where he asked the Delhi Police to take "strongest possible action" against those who were allegedly involved in anti-India acts in Jawaharlal Nehru University campus recently.

Kumar who was produced in Patiala court today was sent to 3-day police custody.

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Earlier today, Rajnath Singh had warned of "strongest possible" action against those involved in raising anti-India slogans at an event in JNU campus here, saying such activities will not be tolerated.

"If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on country's unity and integrity, they will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken against them," he said.

Taking serious note of the incidents, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University M Jagadesh Kumar, after consultation with the Dean's Committee, said that appropriate action will be taken in the case and that a high-level enquiry.

A statement from the vice chancellor said: "Committee has been constituted to investigate the matter and take appropriate action as necessary. While the JNU community upholds the right to free debate on campus, the University strongly condemns the use of the University as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. However, there could be aberrations where fringe sections misuse the freedom provided. While that problem would be appropriately addressed in this case, the University would also take steps to protect the academic atmosphere and the environment for vibrant discussion that JNU has always provided and stands for. All sections of the JNU community including representatives of the students, teachers and karmacharis have assured that they uphold the values and ethos of this University. lt is an appeal to all sections to go beyond this incident and return the campus to normalcy."

JNUSU vice president said, "They want to witch-hunt and target us, like they targeted Rohith Vemula. They want us to hang ourselves like Rohith did"

"Police are doing rounds of the campus and mindlessly witch-hunting activists. RSS is running campaigns to shut down JNU," he added.

Sitaram Yechury compared the incident to what happened during the time of Emergency. He said, "What is happening in JNU? Police on campus, arrests and picking up students from hostels. This last happened during Emergency."



Delhi Police today registered a case of sedition in connection with an event at JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and RSS's student front ABVP.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124 A of IPC (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

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The JNU administration has already instituted a "disciplinary" enquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

Meanwhile, Girri has written to the JNU Vice Chancellor as well as the HRD Ministry seeking action against the organisers and participants of the Tuesday event. He also filed a complaint with the police today.

ABVP members had already filed a police complaint yesterday and submitted a purported video of the event showing the organsiers shouting slogans calling Guru a "martyr" and clashing with the protesters, to both police and the VC.

Earlier in the day, the left-dominated JNU students union distanced itself from the controversy, saying ABVP was opposed to it and not the union. Of the four top posts of the union, three are held by Leftist AISA and AISF and one by ABVP.

The Left leaders of the union also termed the ABVP complaint as an attempt to curb the "democratic traditions" of the university.

There were protests on the campus for the second day today with slogan shouting by the two groups.

Meanwhile, BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma has condemned the event, saying there were a handful of people who were trying to "pollute the atmosphere" in JNU.

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"Slogans against India were raised and a terrorist was called a martyr. This is unfortunate and BJP condemns it in strongest terms. We hope that the university administration will take strong action against such people," Sharma added.

The controversy at JNU erupted earlier this week when some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self determination" at varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of the ABVP objected to the event and wrote to the Vice Chancellor that such kind protest should not be held on campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order cancellation of the march as they "feared" it might "disrupt" peace.

Also Read:

JNU campus row: Anti-national activities will not be tolerated, says Rajnath Singh



No action against Afzal Guru commemoration in JNU, issue rocked social media



JNU students clash over event against Afzal Guru hanging

--- ENDS ---

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The results are not all that surprising since both the G5 and the Galaxy S7 are expected to come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB RAM inside.

By Saurabh Singh: South Korean company LG's upcoming flagship phone, aka the G5 has apparently been listed on benchmarking website Geekbench , days before its official launch on February 21. The G5's - model number LGE LG-F700S - benchmark scores are at par with those of Samsung's next flagship phone, the Galaxy S7.



The LG G5 as per the listing chalks up a single-core score of 2248 and a multi-core score of 5061. The Galaxy S7 on the other hand was listed as scoring 1873 in single-core test and 5946 in multi-core tests previously.

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The results are not all that surprising since both the G5 and the Galaxy S7 are expected to come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB RAM inside.

The Geekbench listing also confirms some of the already rumoured specifications of the G5. According to the listing, the LG G5 is seen honing a 1.59GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor under the hood with 4GB of RAM. The phone is seen running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

Only yesterday, the company confirmed that the G5 will have an always-on display . It shared a GIF on its official Facebook page teasing the always-on display showing basic notifications in black and white.

The G5 is expected to be unveiled on February 21 - ahead of the MWC 2016 event -- hours before the announcement of the Galaxy S7 by Samsung. Rumoured specs include a dual-camera setup on the back and a modular design offering a removable battery inside. In terms of megapixel count, the phone is expected to sport a 16-megapixel rear camera with 135-degree wide-angle view.

The phone is further said to have a 5.3-inch QHD display boasting of a ticker feature that we recently saw in the company's V10 smartphone.

--- ENDS ---
Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was kidnapped two days ago, has been traced to Panipat in Haryana.

By India Today Web Desk: Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was kidnapped two days ago, has been traced to Panipat in Haryana.



Dipti called her family today and informed them that she is safe, sources said. She regained consciousness on board a train and called her father in the morning and asked him to come to New Delhi railway station to pick her up, her mother said. Then her family went to New Delhi railway station along with the police to meet her as she arrived.



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Dharmendra Singh, SSP, Ghaziabad City said, "Dipti was blindfolded and taken to an unknown location where she was kept confined in a room overnight. She was later dumped near a railway station this morning. There was no physical harm to her. She was even provided with food by the abductors".

"Dipti is fit, fine and back home. We can say with confidence that she hasn't been subjected to any physical harm," said Salmantaj Patil, SP, Ghaziabad city.



However, her bag and mobile phone are still missing.

ALSO READ: How many Nirbhayas needed to change the law, Jyoti Singh's parents ask



Despite repeated questionings from media and police, her family remained tight-lipped over the reasons for her disappearance and the circumstances under which she was recovered.



Ms.Dipti spoke to her parents; soon to join them; we are eagerly awaiting for her return- Sh.Dharmendra,SSP, GZB #HelpFindDipti&; Government of UP (@UPGovt) February 12, 2016

Ghaziabad Police on Wednesday launched a search operation in the jungles of Morti near Raj Nagar extension, where her last location was traced to. The 25-year-old woman, who works as a company secretary in Snapdeal's legal department in Gurgaon, was kidnapped after taking an autorickshaw from the metro station in Vaishali area in Ghaziabad.

Meanwhile, Snapdeal has tweeted that Deepti has been found safe and sound.



Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's office had asked the Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police to personally head the search operation. Delhi Police had also alerted all patrol teams.

The incident took place when she got off the Metro at Vaishali and took an auto to the bus-stand in Ghaziabad from where her family members were to pick her up.

Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna. (India Today TV grab)

She left the Metro station around 8.30 pm and took a 'shared' auto-rickshaw along with three other passengers, including a woman.

After getting into the vehicle, she telephoned her father Narendra Sharma.

After travelling a distance of around 3-4 km, the woman co-passenger was reportedly forced to get down.

Sensing danger, Dipti called her father again and her parents heard her screaming at the driver for having taken a wrong turn while she was speaking to them on the phone in the auto. Soon after that her phone was turned off. Her father contacted the police and filed a complaint.

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Dipti called her father in the morning and asked him to come to the railway station to pick her up. (India Today TV grab)

Dipti was kidnapped near the Hindon bridge. The police have launched a search operation for her and have also registered an FIR at the Sihani Gate police station.

Ghaziabad residents on Thursday evening blocked traffic on National Highway-24, and also staged a sit-in at the office of the senior superintendent of police.

--- ENDS ---
A woman in Madhya Pradesh sliced of her brother-in-law's genitals with a sickle and took it to the police as evidence, accusing him of raping her.

By India Today Web Desk: A 32-year-old woman walked into a police station in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on yesterday, carrying the dismembered genital of her brother-in-law.

A mother of three, the woman alleged her brother-in-law had been raping her for days, and so, she had hacked off his privates with a sickle in order to stop him.

Also read: Brother arrested for raping younger sister in Karnataka

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When the police sent medical support to the man, he was found hanging from a tree near his house, having committed suicide. The woman recounted she had been living with her relative while her husband worked in Nashik, Maharashtra, which is about 700 miles away.

She said her brother-in-law had been raping her for days, and as he "forced himself" on her that day, she severed her genital with a sickle and brought it to the police as a piece of evidence.

The woman, who had come to the police station with her children, has been booked for attempt to murder. "This is a rare case and has to be investigated for a proper chargesheet," Sidhi SP Abid Khan told The Times of India .

The police added the woman was found to be mentally stable, with no regrets about what she had done.

--- ENDS ---
The nation bid tearful adieu on Friday to Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the lone survivor in Siachen avalanche tragedy who succumbed to multiple organ failure at Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on Thursday.

Hanamanthappa's last rites were performed at his native village Betadur in Dharwad district in Karnataka with full state honours including a 21-gun salute.

By India Today Web Desk: The nation bid tearful adieu on Friday to Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the lone survivor in Siachen avalanche tragedy who succumbed to multiple organ failure at Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on Thursday.

Hanamanthappa's last rites were performed at his native village Betadur in Dharwad district in Karnataka with full state honours including a 21-gun salute.

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On Thursday night, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah received the mortal remains of the soldier at Hubballi airport from where it was taken to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). After an elaborate wreath laying ceremony at Brar Square in New Delhi, his body was flown to Karnataka where it was kept at KIMS in Hubballi. The Tricolour-draped coffin was later shifted to the Nehru Ground for public viewing in the morning before it was transported to the village.

Locals thronged the Nehru Stadium at Hubballi to pay homage to the Siachen hero for the last time. In Betadur, hundreds of people gathered at Hanamanthappa's house to mourn his death.

Hanamanthappa was found buried under 35 feet of hardened snow at an avalanche-hit army post in the Siachen glacier in Jammu and Kashmir -- six days after an enormous snow wall came crashing down on the post he and nine other soldiers were occupying. The 10 soldiers, including Hanamanthappa, were reported missing after the massive avalanche in Siachen.

Hanamanthappa, who was also a yoga instructor, spent close to 13 years in the Army in the most challenging terrains and conditions and had been fighting terrorists.

In his decorated career, he was part of the counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir from 2003-2006, and then again from 2008-2010. He then served in the counter-terror operations in the Northeast from 2010-2012, following which he was posted at Siachen from August 2015 to December 2015. From December onwards he was handed a super high altitude post at Siachen.

ALSO READ:

Siachen's lone survivor is a yoga expert, used to do breathing exercises



--- ENDS ---
The Supreme Court today exempted Congress president Sonia, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other accused from personal appearance in the National Herald case.

By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court today exempted Congress president Sonia, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other accused from personal appearance in the National Herald case.

The court said that if chaos is caused by Gandhis and others going to the court then their personal appearance should not be insisted upon. However, the apex court refused stay on the proceedings of the trial court.

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Meanwhile, all conclusions drawn by the Delhi High Court have been expunged by the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the court strongly observed that the Delhi High Court had to decide on a limited issue and should not have drawn to a conclusion.

The development comes a day after Congress lawyer Kapil Sibal urged the Supreme Court to hear the National Herald case on its scheduled date of February 12, 2016 despite the initiator of the case, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy telling the court that he is unavailable for the proceedings till February 19. This happened after Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order in National Herald case on February 4.



Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who had appeared before a trial court, in the National Herald case were granted unconditional bail in December. The Gandhis were, however, asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of like amount respectively.

ALSO READ | National Herald case: Sonia, Rahul Gandhi move Supreme Court against Delhi HC order



--- ENDS ---
Buoyed by positive public response in support of the odd-even formula, the AAP government will launch the second phase of the road rationing scheme from April 15 to 30.

By Mail Today: Buoyed by positive public response in support of the oddeven formula, the AAP government will launch the second phase of the road rationing scheme from April 15 to 30. However, the government will continue to exempt the 25 categories including women drivers, two-wheelers and VIPs from the restrictions.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the government will procure 3,000 new buses, including 1,000 luxury ones, which will be fielded by December 2016 as part of efforts to ramp up the public transport. "Two-floor elevated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors will be constructed to augment transport infrastructure," he added. As the AAP government completes its one year, one of its biggest achievements was the implementation of the odd-even formula. CM Kejriwal said as per the feedback received, an overwhelming majority of the respondents were in favour of re-implementation of the scheme. He said the government was seriously deliberating on the idea of enforcing the scheme every month for a fortnight while admitting the city's public transport was not capable of handling the resultant passenger rush.

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"The board examinations are getting over on April 12 and we will enforce the scheme thereafter. VIPs, women and twowheelers will continue to be kept out of the ambit of the scheme," he said.

The first phase of the scheme was implemented from January 1-15 as part of the government's anti-air pollution initiative. Under the scheme, private cars having odd registration numbers were allowed to ply on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates. The biggest argument in favour of implementing the scheme every month for 15 days is that one individual will not face trouble for more than seven days due to the nature of the scheme.

"If Delhi's people support us, it can be implemented," he said. The Delhi chief minister said 275 out of 276 Mohalla Sabhas (corner meetings) organised by AAP MLAs and sub-divisional magistrates favoured return of the odd-even restrictions. He said government received feedback from people through e-mails, missed calls, interactive voice response (IVRS) and submission of online forms.

"We received feedback through over 1.13 lakh missed calls, 2 lakh IVRS responses and 9,000 e-mails," said Kejriwal, adding 53 per cent of the respondents wanted the scheme back as early as February 14.

He said only 1,800 people said they will buy a second car to beat the restrictions and that almost everybody wanted no exemptions to the VIPs.

"But I want to tell the VIPs that we will not fight with you as we are often accused of. We would like you to follow the restrictions as shown by the Chief Justice of India," the chief minister said. The public feedback exercise was carried out between January 26 and February 8.

Also read:



Odd-even will be in phases: CM Kejriwal

Odd-even will return in Delhi starting April 15, says Kejriwal. Then 15 days every month

--- ENDS ---
Unidentified attackers hurled three hand grenades in Karachi on Friday, injuring at least 7 people.

By India Today Web Desk: Unidentified attackers hurled three hand grenades in Karachi on Friday, injuring at least 7 people, dunyanews.tv reported.



Two school children and a policeman were among the injured, Pakistani media reported.

The attackers targeted a police station, girls' college and a school within an hour in Karachi.

Motorcycle-borne assailants hurled a homemade grenade at the Mobina Town police station on Main Abul Hassan Isafahani Road, partially damaging a wall of the building and a car belonging to the Head Moharir of the police station.

Separately, two men on a motorcycle tossed a hand grenade near APWA Girls' College in Karimabad area. No injury has been reported in the incident so far.

Panic spread through the college as students and staff ran out of the college with some seeking refuge in the streets on either side of the college.

A third grenade attack was reported near the main gate of a private school in North Nazimabad's L-Block area near Asghar Ali Shah stadium.



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Ranveer Singh is off to Toronto to celebrate Valentine's Day with ladylove Deepika Padukone.

By India Today Web Desk: Ranveer Singh never leaves a chance to impress his ladylove Deepika Padukone. The Piku actor is busy filming her Hollywood debut, XXX Return Of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel and Ranveer has traveled all the way to Toronto in Canada to celebrate the day of love, Valentine's Day with Deepika.

ALSO SEE: Deepika's boyfriend Ranveer just made sure her XXX The Return Of Xander Cage shoot is fabulous

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ALSO READ: Here's what Ranveer Singh has planned for his ladylove Deepika Padukone's birthday

According to a source, "Ranveer has some time off before he starts shooting for Befikre. With Valentine's Day around the corner, he didn't want to spend it alone and decided to surprise Deepika by flying all the way to Canada. He left yesterday by an early morning flight." The 30-year-old actor will resume work as soon as he's back from Toronto.

A fan from Canada, Will Wong, has shared the actor's picture at the Toronto airport on his Instagram account. Wong wrote, "Awesome meeting major #Bollywood star and boyfriend of #DeepikaPadukone, #RanveerSingh. He is visiting #Toronto for Valetine's Day weekend with his love, who films #XXX: #TheReturnofXanderCage in #The6ix (sic)."

Awesome meeting major #Bollywood star and boyfriend of #DeepikaPadukone, #RanveerSingh. He is visiting #Toronto for Valetine's Day weekend with his love, who films #XXX: #TheReturnofXanderCage in #The6ix. A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong ? (@mrwillwong) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:33pm PST

Recently, Ranveer also shared a picture of him promoting Deepika's Hollywood debut in a most creative way. The Bajirao Mastani actor clicked a picture with a cab in Mumbai which had the words XXX written behind it. While Ranveer looked excited, the cab driver was a bit amused by Ranveer's actions.

Check it out! Already a rage in India! ?? #XXX @deepikapadukone all the best for your 1st day of shoot! Kill it! pic.twitter.com/Pa5sx88Oet Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) February 9, 2016

On the work front, Ranveer Singh will next be seen in Aditya Chopra's Befikre. The film is scheduled to release on December 9 this year.

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P Jarayajan surrendered at 11 am after the High Court upheld a lower court's decision to reject Jayarajan's anticipatory bail plea on Thursday.

CPM Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan, accused in the murder of RSS worker Kathiroor Manoj, has surrendered before a court in Kannur today.

P Jayarajan surrendered at 11 am after the High Court upheld a lower court's decision to reject Jayarajan's anticipatory bail plea on Thursday.

The Court sent the CPM leader to a month's judicial custody at Kannur. He has been charged under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and cannot get bail for 180 days.

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42-year-old Manoj, a district functionary of RSS, was hacked to death at Kathiroor in Kannur district on September 1, 2014 allegedly by a group of CPM workers.

P Jayarajan was accused in the case for allegedly supporting and attempting to save all other accused in the case.

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The apex court said they should consider and formulate programmes for such victims in the light of the scheme framed in Goa which provides compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh.

The SC directed all the states and UTs to formulate a uniform scheme to provide compensation to the victims of sexual abuse.

By Harish V Nair: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all states and Union Territories to formulate a uniform scheme to provide compensation to the victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, especially those who are differently abled.

"Indisputably, no amount of money can restore the dignity and confidence that the accused took away from the victim. No amount of money can erase the trauma and grief the victim suffers. But this aid can be crucial in the aftermath of crime," said a bench headed by Justice MY Eqbal, ordering the Chhattisgarh government to grant a Rs 8,000 per month compensation to an 18-year-old blind girl who was subjected to sexual violence.

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The apex court said they should consider and formulate programmes for such victims in the light of the scheme framed in Goa which provides compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh.

It said the authorities should look into the Victim Compensation Scheme under Section 357-A of the Criminal Procedure Code for providing compensation to the victims or dependents who have suffered loss as a result of such crime.

"It is clear that no uniform practice is being followed in providing compensation to the rape victim for the offence and for her rehabilitation. This practice of giving different amounts ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 10,00,000 as compensation for the offence of rape under section 357 A needs to be intro-spected by all the states and the union territories," the court said.

SC was hearing an appeal by a rape convict challenging a Chhattisgarh High Court decision which had upheld the order of a trial court awarding him seven years in jail for raping an 18-year-old girl on the false promises of marriage.

Observing that being differently abled, the victim was already in a socially disadvantaged position, the court directed the state government to pay Rs 8,000 per month for life. "The victim, being in a vulnerable position and having no family to support her either emotionally or economically, we are not ordering the respondent state to give her any lumpsum amount as compensation for rehabilitation as she is not in a position to keep and manage the lumpsum amount," the bench said.

Also read:



Brother arrested for raping younger sister in Karnataka



Mangaluru temple priest rapes teenage girl, arrested

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From their selfies to the pictures from their holidays, Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput have always managed to create a stir among their fans.

By India Today Web Desk: Mira Rajput, who tied the knot with Bollywood heartthrob Shahid Kapoor last July, has all the reasons to gush about her marital life. Shahid has always played the perfect chivalrous husband when he is with his wife Mira. They were the most-talked-about couple of 2015 and Shahid knows how to keep his ladylove happy.

ALSO SEE: Is Shahid Kapoor scared of his wife Mira Rajput? Find out in this video

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ALSO SEE: Shahid Kapoor's dinner date with wife Mira Rajput

The Haider actor has shared a picture of Mira on his Instagram account and the caption reads "Clicked not painted by me ?? see her through my eyes (sic)."

From their selfies to the pictures from their holidays, the two have always managed to create a stir among their fans. In this picture, we get a unclear and foggy glimpse of Mira. It seems like that the picture might have been clicked in the bathroom.

Recently, the actor also shared a video of the two in the gym. In the video, Shahid is confessing that he fears no one but his wife Mira Rajput.

Earlier in an interview, Shahid Kapoor opened up on Mira and his relationship, "I think the fact that we are different works for us. It is a nice thing that we are different from each other. But at the same time we are good at communication, we get along well."

As Valentine's Day around the corner, Shahid also revealed his plans. In an interview, he said, "I will take my wife out and be nice to her. You are supposed to take a gift or something. I should have said that. I will be shot dead when I get back. But yes, we will do wonderful lovey dovey things."

On the work front, Shahid Kapoor will next be seen in Rangoon. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is scheduled for release on September 30 this year.

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Gandhi Global Trust claimed that the film might disturb the harmony of Vijayawada.

By India Today Web Desk: A complaint has been filed against the veteran director Ram Gopal Varma by Global Gandhi Trust. The trust has asked Vijayawada in-charge CP, NV Surendar Babu to stop the director from filming his upcoming movie Vangaveeti.

ALSO READ: Vangaveeti - Ram Gopal Varma to bid goodbye to Telugu cinema



Ram Gopal Varma announced that he is making a movie on the evolution of rowdyism in Vijayawada. He said the film will be about the rivalry between Vangaveeti family and Devineni family.

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According to a report published in The Times Of India, Naraharasetty Sreehar, president of the trust, said that the film will create tension between the two castes and might result in violence in the city again.

"With his film Vangaveeti, he is trying to create tension once again in the city. The city is in peace and now. He should be stopped by anyways for not filming the movie," the president of the trust told the daily.

Ram Gopal Varma on Thursday said that Vangaveeti will be his last Telugu film.



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The law firm is looking for $5 million in damages for repairs and also a software update from Apple, which will fix the problem in the long-term.

By Sahil Mohan Gupta : Apple has been sued for the recent Error 53 problems users have faced on their iPhones. Law firm PCVA has filed a suit against Apple in the Northern District of California for the problem, which has been seemingly deliberately disabling iPhone's which have been repaired by non-Apple approved third parties. The law firm is looking for $5 million in damages for repairs and also a software update from Apple, which will fix the problem in the long-term.

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"If security was the primary concern, then why did the phones work just fine, sometimes for several months, without the software update...Error 53 only rears its ugly head when downloading a newer version of Apple's operating system," said PVCA in a press release.

Apple has been disabling iPhones which have been fixed by third parties and the essential problem happens when a Touch ID scanner can't synchronize with the processor of the very iPhone. Apple claims that it does this for security purposes as the scanner doesn't only allow access to the phone, but also is used for authenticating Apple Pay, iTunes and App Store transactions.

"We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers. iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device's other components. If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled. This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support," said Apple in an official statement.

While Apple defends itself, PVCA isn't the only one which is complaining about the problem. Even gadget repair website iFixit has come out and publically slammed the Cupertino based technology giant. Kyle Wiens, the co-founder of the website suggested that Apple wanted a monopoly over the repair of its iPhone.

"Manufacturers using their monopoly to block third party repair isn't a new issue -- auto manufacturers have also tried to lock out local mechanics. It took 'Right to Repair' legislation to force the automakers to do the same thing. Hopefully Apple is savvier than they were," he said.

The Error 53 problem has always existed for the iOS products with the Touch ID scanner, but seemingly, the problem has become rampant as iPhones which were working fine but in past were repaired by a third party stopped working after a software update.

You may also like to read:

Error 53: How, why and what it means for iPhone users



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Investigative reporting from the inner city to Wall Street to the United Nations This is the blogspot version InnerCityPress.com
Purchase prices of pork (live weight) have fallen since the end of 2015 by over 10% or UAH 3 per kilogram, reaching UAH 25-26 per kg on average, President of the Association of Pig Breeders of Ukraine Artur Loza has said.

"The quick fall in the prices of pork arouses alarm with industrial producers. Since the end of 2015 the purchase price of first class pigs fell by over 10% or UAH 3 per kg," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

He said that the main reason of this situation is a decline in internal demand and the pressure on the market due to the closure of the major exports channel for Ukrainian pork  the Russian market where 96% of total pork supplies abroad by Ukraine was shipped.

"Today the pig breeding sector is on the verge of catastrophe, as the price on the market is very low  UAH 24.60 per kg," Manager of the Pig Breeding Department at Agrarian Companies 2004 private enterprise Oleksandr Vakhnovan said.

He said that 70% of the cash cost of pork are expenses on fodder, and 30% are wages and expenses on maintenance of premises for breeding pigs.

Vakhnovan said that the prices fell as the processors that were oriented to the Russian market cut the prices.

Loza said that in 2015, Ukrainian agricultural companies increased pig breeding by 3.5%, to 582,200 tonnes in live weight, sales for slaughtering grew by 6%, to 547,800 tonnes. The key exports direction after the closure of the Russian market could be Asian and African countries. The main importers of pork are Japan, China, Russia and other countries. Supplies to the EU are unlikely, as the EU is the second largest exporter of pork in the world.
Public joint-stock company Centrenergo and the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine are considering purchase of coal from Australia, Director of Trypilska thermal power plant (TPP, part of Centrenergo) Petro Kravets has said.

"Today the company jointly with the ministry is mulling the signing of a contract to buy coal in Australia," he said.

Kravets said that the purchase procedure is long and if the agreement is reached coal would be supplied by the next heating season.

He also said that earlier Trypilska TPP received a first part of coal arrived to the Yuzhny port from South Africa.

"The first batch of coal was transported by rail (43 wagons) to Trypilska TPP yesterday," he said.

He said that the price of coal from South Africa is $56 at port. The quality of coal from South Africa meets the requirements of the plant.

"African and Donbas coal suit our plant We received coal with caloric content from 3,700 kilocalories (mud coal) to 5,700 kilocalories from Donbas, from 5,400 to 5,700 kilocalories on average. Caloric content of African coal is 5,200-5,400 kilocalories. The first batch of 190,000 tonnes from South Africa [under the contract of Ukrinterenergo]  caloric content was 5,070 kilocalories," he said.

Kravets said that the price of coal from South Africa allows the plant to operate with profits.

He said that coal from Russia was bought in winter 2014 only when it was strictly necessary, and it does not suit Trypilska TPP.

"Russian coal is of good quality and it does not suit us. We received Russian coal with caloric content of around 7,000 kilocalories. The specifics of our boilers do not allow burning all coal and it is emitted," he said.

Kravets also said that this year Trypilska TPP plans to generate over 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

"In 2015 we generated around 1-1.2 billion kWh The target for this year is based on the indicators of the previous year  around 1.8 kWh. It is obvious that if we retain the trend this year, we would over-fulfill it," he said.

The plant requires 150,000-180,000 tonnes of coal a month to generate this amount of electricity.

At present, around 200,000 tonnes of coal is stored at the plant's warehouses.
Naftogaz buys gas from Europe for less than $200 per 1,000 cubic meters

The national gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy is buying gas from Europe for less than $200 per 1,000 cubic meters, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister, Volodymyr Demchyshyn, told reporters after the government meeting on Thursday.

"Somewhat less than $170 [per 1,000 cubic meters] is the hub price, and a bit less than $200, including transportation," he said.

The minister said that he was informed about the purchase price with a slight delay, so it might not be the 'latest' price.
The joint Ukrainian-Iranian trade commission will begin its work in March of this year, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska has said.

"We plan a joint Ukrainian-Iranian commission meeting for March," she said during a meeting with manufacturers of railway products in the Infrastructure Ministry on Friday.

According to Mykolska, the work of the commission will give an impetus to the further development of the trade relations between the two countries.
The Ukrainian government at a cabinet meeting on Thursday approved a concept of the Transparent Budget information and analytical system, which would be the next step of opening information on the execution of budgets of all levels after the launch of the E-Data system in September 2015.

"This is a revolutionary system in several directions," Finance Minister of Ukraine Natalie Jaresko said, presenting the document.

She said that the system would allow reorganizing document turnover with the introduction of the single electronic cabinet and electronic agreement, creating a first online analytical system to analyze the execution of the national budget and local budgets and disclosing the information to any citizen or company.

The finance minister said that the Transparent Budget would integrate data from the State Fiscal Service, State Treasury Service, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and the Prozzoro public procurement system.

Jaresko said that the approval of the concept would allow switching to the drawing up of an action plan to introduce the system.

The minister said that at present 1.2 million contracts are in the E-Data system.

Deputy Minister of Finance Oksana Markarova earlier said that the main idea is to have an integrated system for decision-making, monitoring, creating and executing the budget, managing liquidity at a daily, every minute level. At present the finance authority has a very limited range of instruments, which the government uses to manage own liquidity, she said.

She noted that the matter concerns the creation of a complete analytical system on the basis of the Ministry of Finance, where all the data will flow, will be standardized, processed and stored, and their small part will be posted on the portal of using public funds.
The State Concern Ukroboronprom has urged the Cabinet of Ministers that it revokes the requirement on obligatory sending of 75% of profit to the national budget by the concern's enterprises, taking into account the fact that this decision is not in line with the task set to the defense and industrial complex to provide for development of production and settling the task of replacing imported goods, Ukroboronprom Head Roman Romanov said in Kyiv on Thursday.

"We've asked the Finance Ministry to revoke [the requirement] to obligatorily send 75$ of profit to the national budget [for the defense and industrial sector]," he said.

"This decision actually puts an end to all our development and imports replacement plans," he said.

Romanov said that the loading of the Ukroboronprom's enterprises is 40% on average today, while in 2015 the concern managed to see profit: net profit of the concern's enterprises in 2015 tentatively will be around UAH 1.5 billion, while in 2014 the concern saw net loss of UAH 350 million.

He said that in 2015, Ukroboronprom sent UAH 685 million of own funds to programs on replacement of imported goods and development of production. The need for these purposes foreseen in the draft state program on development of the defense and industrial sector until 2020 is estimated at UAH 13 billion.

According to earlier published assessments of Ukroboronprom, in 2014-2015 Ukrainian defense industry replaced around 35% of imported spare parts that were earlier bought in Russia.
Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky has set a task for the parliament to solve the issue of privatization of state infrastructure assets as one of the conditions for his further work at the post.

"The issue of mass privatization is critical for me in the sense that the state receives no benefits from state-owned enterprises - corrupt officials that "have stuck" to the cash flow receive profit. And then they fight with me using this money. They say if to hold privatization, these corrupt officials will buy the companies. I say  let it be! But let them pay money to the state for the assets, because now they use the objects for free, the state receives nothing, and they "pump money out." Let them pay for the assets and do business rather than be engaged in corruption!" he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, if these persons pay for the assets, they will have a different approach to fixed assets, and if they want to use machines for scrap, they will first think what the role of the machine in the production line is.

"The next issue is the reform of tax administration. I cannot meet again with exporters, importers, businesses and listen about taxes. At the last meeting with the participation of the prime minister 95% of the questions concerned taxes and the customs. It is necessary to make all the necessary decisions. There are mechanisms, other countries have passed this. Once again we come to the conclusion that if this is not resolved I will not be successful - that's all," the minister said.
Ukrainians in January 2016 sold $114.8 million more foreign currency than bought, worsening the figure for December by 71.9%, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

According to its data, in January the population reduced forex purchases compared to the previous month by 33.8%, to $39.5 million, sales by 14.5%, to $154.2 million.

The National Bank specified that 17.5% less U.S. dollars, or $71.5 million, were sold, while 12.8% less dollars, or $30 million, were bought.

As reported, in general, over the past year Ukrainians sold $1.55 billion more foreign currency to banks than bought, while in the previous year the volume of forex purchases $2.41 billion exceeded its sales: a total of $5.61 billion was sold and $8.02 billion was bought.

Market participants say that a sharp decline in the volume of transactions in official currency exchange points is due to the revival of the "black" market, in particular because of currency restrictions introduced by National Bank.
Poroshenko says he discussed with Lagarde next steps in cooperation, including passing of visa-free package

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during a meeting of the Regional Development Council said that on Wednesday evening he had a telephone conversation with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde during which the further steps of cooperation were discussed.

"I would like to say to our enemies and opponents that the program of our cooperation with the IMF will not be terminated. On the contrary, we have discussed the things to be adopted shortly," the presidential press service quoted Poroshenko as saying on Thursday.

The president expressed the hope that the government will submit all the required bills to him by the end of the week and then will consider them as urgent ones.

According to him, in the shortest time, Ukraine should adopt a series of bills from the visa-free package and fulfill the provisions of the memorandum of cooperation with the IMF.

"I advise the government and parliament to focus on the establishment of efficient corporate administration of the biggest state enterprises of Ukraine, particularly the NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy. During the first plenary week, we should approve the legislation on privatization and the visa-free regime," the president said.

The head of state also urged the MPs to support the European choice of Ukraine not in word but in deed.

As reported, on Wednesday Lagarde said that it was hard for the IMF to continue its cooperation with Ukraine under the Extended Fund Facility program without a substantial effort to fight corruption.

"I am concerned about Ukraine's slow progress in improving governance and fighting corruption, and reducing the influence of vested interests in policymaking. Without a substantial new effort to invigorate governance reforms and fight corruption, it is hard to see how the IMF-supported program can continue and be successful," she said in a statement published on Wednesday.

"Ukraine risks a return to the pattern of failed economic policies that has plagued its recent history. It is vital that Ukraine's leadership acts now to put the country back on a promising path of reform," Lagarde said.

On the same day the presidential press service reported that Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Lagarde during which they agreed to elaborate a roadmap of the top-priority reforms that will give a boost to the Ukraine-IMF relations.

Later, a statement on the results of the talks between Lagarde and Poroshenko was posted on the website of the IMF, in which the managing director said that their discussion was constructive.

"The president reassured me of his unwavering commitment to reforms, including improving governance and fighting corruption. We agreed on the principle of a roadmap of actions and priority measures to ensure prompt progress under the program, which will help keep Ukraine on a path toward robust and sustainable growth," the statement says.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden had a telephone conversation on Thursday during which they discussed the continued pressure on Russia in order to make it comply with the Minsk agreements and reverse the annexation of Crimea.

Poroshenko briefed Biden about the situation in Donbas, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine didn't notice any signs of de-escalation by Russia and pro-Russian militants.

The parties discussed further steps in order press Russia into abiding by the Minsk agreements, and the political and diplomatic means of de-occupation of Crimea, the press service said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that electronic declaration of income of public servants must be introduced in 2016.

"The amendment to the law on the State Budget that postpones this issue for 2017 should be abolished. We will introduce them in 2016. It is the visa-free regime package and we cannot postpone it anymore," he said at the meeting of the Council of Regional Development on Thursday.

The president added that the draft laws on those amendments had already been revised with consideration of the experience of the EU countries.

Early January it was reported that the parliament delayed the introduction of the new electronic declaration system until January 1, 2017 during the revision of the bill on the 2016 national budget.

On January 5, the Verkhovna Rada registered bill No. 3755, which cancels the provision in the 2016 state budget that delayed the introduction of the new electronic declaration system. The bill was drafted by MP Vadym Denysenko of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc.

On January 26, the parliament failed to include the bill to the agenda to revoke the delay in electronic declaration of income of public servants, which is the key liability of Ukraine to the EU in part of visa liberalization.
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Rouhanis efforts are reminiscent of his statements earlier this month urging all citizens to participate in elections for the parliament and the Assembly of Experts, scheduled for February 26. Rouhani declared that there can be no doubt about the legitimacy or efficacy of those elections, even though the Guardian Council, which is tasked with vetting all candidates for loyalty to the supreme leader, had disqualified many representatives of Rouhanis faction, as well as nearly 99 percent of the candidates regarded as reformists.

It is possible that the regime as a whole regards Rouhanis efforts as having been effective in increasing voter turnout. The Indo-Asian News Service reported on Wednesday that leading regime officials had expressed optimism on this point. But those comments were apparently related less to Rouhanis request for unity and more to the effects that the regime authorities believe will result from the recent review of numerous candidacies that had previously been barred from the ballot.

Reports indicate that more than 1,400 of these individuals have now been reinstated. And while this may allow the regime to plausibly claim that it has made progress toward greater representation of the electorate, it is not clear what actual impact the reinstatements have had on the ideological makeup of that ballot.

A brief on the elections that was released this week by the National Council of Resistance of Iran notes that even the least non-conformity with the theocratic regime leads to a candidate being barred. This serves to explain why nearly all of the 3,000 reformists who initially registered for the elections were initially barred. Undoubtedly, many of the 1,400 reinstatements represent other factions, meaning that the voters reformist options remain very severely limited.

Even some very prominent candidates have remained off the ballot, including some who have shared Rouhanis description as pragmatist conservatives. The BBC notes that one such figure is Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, who had been vying for a spot on the ballot for the Assembly of Experts, which would be tasked with selecting a new supreme leader in the event of Ali Khameneis retirement or death.

The consequent lack of representation for so called moderates and reformists has reportedly convinced many Iranians, including former supporters of Rouhani, to sit out the forthcoming elections. The regimes commentary regarding high voter turnout and overall national unity appears designed to conceal the ever-present undercurrent of dissent and defiance which can be detected, for instance, on various social media applications that are banned in Iran.

One such application recently joined this ban list, and unlike familiar Western applications like Facebook and Twitter, this one was specifically designed to help Iranian activists and dissidents to avoid some of the familiar repression in the Islamic Republic. Deutsche Welle reports that the Gershad application for Android phones allows users to report the position of Irans notorious morality police in order to help other citizens to avoid being apprehended for violations of the countrys forced veiling laws and other religiously-motivated restrictions on free expression.

In addition to highlighting the general climate of dissent and the mechanisms by which it is repressed, the Gershad story also points to the interest that exists for expressing that dissent in subtle ways, much like the deliberate avoidance of voting. Deutsche Welle quoted one Iranian Twitter user as saying that every download of Gershad would be a protest in itself.

There are many instances of more explicit dissent in the Islamic Republic, some of them aimed at securing the election of reformist candidates or other forms of political change, but these tend to be dismissed by the Iranian regime and its propaganda networks as non-genuine expressions of the views of the Iranian people.

This was illustrated once again on Tuesday by Voice of America News, which reported upon Iranian news anchor Sheena Shiranis flight from Iran following years of harassment by her boss at the state-owned Press TV. After Shirani released recording of that harassment and described it as indicative of a much broader problem in Iranian society, Press TV officials declared, Publication of the audio file was made in collaboration with anti-revolution individuals for politicizing the matter.
This blog focuses on our travels to the western part of the United States in the Summer of 2021
I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM.
SHI's $6.8 Billion 2015 Sets the Stage for Continued Growth in 2016

SHI International Corp., one of North America's top 15 largest IT solutions providers, capped 2015 with a record $6.8 billion in revenue, an increase of 14 percent year over year. Aided by well-balanced revenue from four of its key sales divisions, SHI had a banner year all around, adding 400 new employees for a total workforce of 3,200, and earning a slew of awards and recognitions for its strong partnerships and consistent, outstanding growth.

"Growth came from all sides in 2015 as we strengthened longtime partnerships, cultivated new ones, expanded resources, and reinvested in our team and facilities," said Thai Lee, President and CEO of SHI International Corp. "2015 not only reshaped what technologies organizations purchase and deploy, but also the ways they license, consume, and manage IT assets. This past year, we maintained our focus on the changing needs of our customers and continued to adjust our business to help solve their evolving IT challenges. We are well positioned to extend our global leadership in delivering coordinated end-user, security, cloud, and data center solutions that enable our customers-and SHI-continued growth."

SHI's Strategic Enterprise, Commercial Enterprise, Corporate, and Public Sector divisions contributed nearly equally to the total revenue for the year, and growth outside the U.S. was steady, with SHI's Canada, U.K., and France divisions each posting double-digit growth. In addition, SHI recognized over $1 billion in revenue from cloud products and solutions.

Even SHI's largest, and perhaps most mature, partnership-Microsoft (News - Alert)-grew more than 12 percent in 2015, as SHI remained Microsoft's largest North American and global channel partner.

SHI's top 10 partners remained stable overall, with nine of 2014's top 10 returning, including Dell, HP Inc. and HP Enterprise (which split in 2015), VMware, Symantec (News - Alert), Lenovo, Adobe, and Apple. Cisco also ranked as a Top 10 SHI partner for the first time in 2015 and was the fastest-growing among that group, finishing up over 40 percent year over year.

SHI continued its longtime strategy of reinvesting in its business and expanded its team to 3,200 in 2015, with more than 900 employees in Texas, and more than 1,500 in New Jersey. Ofthe 400 new hires, 200 were in sales, and 180 were in pre-sales or professional services roles, a balance that ensures SHI won't outgrow its ability to provide technical expertise and world-class customer service. Additional support resources fueled the rapid growth of emerging partners such as Tableau, Splunk (News - Alert), and Pure Storage.







SHI broke ground on a new, expanded Integration Center that will open later this month, greatly expanding its capacity to support complex end-user and data center hardware roll-outs. In addition, SHI was awarded SEWP V contracts, extending its ability to pursue business with federal government customers.

2015 was also a year for awards and accolades celebrating SHI's growth and strong partnerships. In the past year, SHI:

ABOUT SHI

Founded in 1989, SHI International Corp. is a $6 billion+ global provider of technology products and services. Driven by the industry's most experienced and stable sales force and backed by software volume licensing experts, hardware procurement specialists, and certified IT services professionals, SHI delivers custom IT solutions to Corporate, Enterprise, Public Sector, and Academic customers. With over 3,000 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the U.S. and is ranked 15th among CRN's Solution Provider 500 list of North American IT solution providers. For more information, visit http://www.SHI.com.

Press Resources:

SHI Corporate Website: http://www.SHI.com

SHI Blog: http://blog.SHI.com

SHI Twitter (News - Alert) Handle: @SHI_Intl

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160211006327/en/
[February 11, 2016] Locks Law Firm Appointed to YapStone Data Breach Plaintiffs' Executive Committee

On February 8, 2016, the Honorable Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California signed an order appointing Locks Law Firm to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the YapStone Data Breach Litigation. YapStone is a web and mobile platform-based payment processor which processes payments for companies such as Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com) and Home Away (www.homeaway.com). The Plaintiffs' Executive Committee will be in charge of prosecuting claims on behalf of all individuals and entities whose personal identifying information and bank account information were accessible through an unsecured URL owned by YapStone. Locks Law Firm's co-counsel, Tina Wolfson of Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC, was appointed Interim Lead Counsel in the case. The appointed Plaintiffs' Executive Committee consists of Locks Law Firm, LLC; Levi & Korsinsky, LLP and Ahdoot& Wolfson, P.C.



The claims in the case, which will be captioned In re YapStone Data Breach, arise out of YapStone's loss of customers' private personal information. YapStone processed payments for rent-through websites such as www.vrbo.com and www.homeaway.com. The breach of YapStone's security and exposure of consumers' personal information can be used by thieves to open financial accounts, take out loans in customers' names, incur charges on existing accounts, and clone ATM, debit or credit cards. Consumers' personal identifying information is regularly sold by criminals to be used by identity thieves around the world. "Companies that fail to adequately secure the personal information of consumers must be held accountable to ensure that such companies will take steps to protect consumers from identity theft," said Locks Law partner Michael A. Galpern.

With offices in Cherry Hill, Atlantic City, Philadelphia and New York City, Locks Law Firm is known for protecting the rights of consumers throughout the country, as well as individuals and families who have suffered injuries or death as a result of the recklessness or negligence of another party. Attorneys at the Locks Law Firm practice with the highest level of professional integrity and have extensive courtroom experience. For additional information, contact Thomas Derr of Simon PR, (215) 545-4715, ext. 29, or cell:(215) 620-7723. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160211006468/en/

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There can be little doubt that security is top of mind for C-levels around the world. This pertains to the protection of physical as well as digital/electronic assets. Indeed, in digital domains there has been acceleration in innovative security solutions coming to market. They touch Everythingdevices, local and wide area networks, data centers, applications and business processes. The goal is to assure that data is protected when it is at rest, on the move and being processed.

Whether from established vendors or startups, a great place to get educated and kick the tires of the latest security products and services will be at the forthcoming RSA (News - Alert) Conference 2016 in San Francisco Feb. 29-March 4. In fact, a good place you may wish to put on your list of places to visit is the DB Networks booth. The reason is the announcement that they will be showcasing the just released DB Networks Layer 7 Database Sensor solution.

Securing the database from the get go with full-spectrum network visibility

As readers are aware, Compute, Storage and Network are the three pillars of data centers. With so much of the concentration these days on high-level concerns that include security, it is sometimes gets lost in the shuffle that the way in which we experience all of the new apps and services is as a result of high-speed and hopefully secure dips into databases. Hence, the security of how database info is handled as it is accessed and transited throughout the entire database infrastructure is to say the least non-trivial. Plus, inquiring and responsible minds really want and need to know what is going on.

This is where DB Networks Layer 7 Sensor solution fills a critical function. It provides OEM partners with real-time deep protocol analysis of database traffic. OEM partners offering solutions such as Incident Response (IR) services, Breach Detection Systems (BDS), Data Leak Prevention (DLP), and Security Incident & Event Management (SIEM) products will be able to integrate DB Networks Sensors into their products for true full-spectrum security. Plus, as DB Networks notes, the solution provides OEMs with machine learning and behavioral analysis technology to immediately identify database attacks.

The latter is not insignificant as IT security professionals know all too well. To paraphrase the saying of infamous bank robber Willie Sutton, bad guys attack databases because that is where the value is they are seeking to exploit.

As the name states the solution is about sensors. The enabling real-time situational awareness lead to a reduction of incident response costs with accurate alarming and rapid remediation. What the solution does is as follows:

Assesses the database infrastructure through database and application non-intrusive discovery.

Provides insights into SQL traffic including all interactions of applications (and other database clients) to their connected databases.

Identifies violations of database connectivity policies.

Uses highly accurate behavioral analysis to detect advanced database attacks in real-time.

For OEMs there is plenty to consider as well in terms of the extensive integrations with existing security solutions. These include:

Non-intrusive deployment via network TAP or SPAN port  wont interfere with other cybersecurity systems such as WAFs, IDSs, or DAMs.

Compliant with continuous monitoring requirements specified in NIST 800-53, PCI (News - Alert) DSS, COBIT DS5.5, HIPAA, & GLBA.

Enhanced insights into database network activity.

Implementation as virtual appliance under VMware ESXi 5.1, 5.5.

We use DB Networks Layer 7 Database Sensor to complement our Fidelis Network and Fidelis Endpoint products when conducting Compromise Assessments, said Michael Buratowski, vice president of services at Fidelis Cybersecurity. DB Networks helps us analyze database activity and usage patterns and identify malicious database activity for our customers.

Today databases threats are largely opaque to SOC staff, said DB Networks Chairman and CEO Brett Helm. Our new Layer 7 Database Sensors ability to immediately identify data tier threats through deep protocol analysis and machine learning is being integrated into a variety of existing information security products. OEMs can now quickly enter the new era of machine learning and behavioral analysis-based information security without investing significant capital and time in the effort.

What will be a primary focus at RSA is how the industry is meeting customer demands for more real-time visibility into their entire Evironments, and the simultaneous ability to better and faster control them. Customers will also be looking for are tools that provide information and analysis that can enable them to be proactive in anticipating and mitigating risks and not just reactive.

Clearly, having full visibility into the database infrastructure is critical. It should be added that customers already have significant investments in security solutions and are looking for capabilities that enhance what they are using today without major disruption or cost.
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Opinion. El aniversario de un disidente sovietico que todos deberiamos celebrar
Ixchel is an Australian Fibre Farm in the Yarra Valley,Victoria, blending and dyeing all types of fibres and breeding fluffy animals. Charly McCafferty (ixchelbunny) does the painting, designing, spinning, dyeing, knitting and weaving,loving every second of it. Angora Rabbit, Cashmere, Mohair, Merino, Alpaca, Camel and rare breeds.Paul McCafferty is juggling his woodworking to make spindles and fibre tools and organising the farm harmoneously. Email:ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund urged global policymakers to stop inflation from becoming a runaway train at a time of extraordinary economic turmoil. The IMFs Kristalina Georgieva noted that the world economy has been hit by one shock after another  the coronavirus pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine and a resurgence of inflation. But reining in rising prices should take priority, she said. If we do not restore price stability, we will undermine prospects for growth, she said. The Federal Reserve and other central banks have been raising interest rates to tame inflation. Georgieva acknowledged that the higher borrowing costs would pinch economic growth, but she urged policymakers to show restraint in spending money to ease the pain.
TOLEDO (JG-TC) -- John Barger of Toledo recently announced his candidacy for Cumberland County resident circuit judge to fill the vacancy created by Judge Millard Everhart not seeking retention.

Barger is uncontested on the Democratic ballot for the March 15 primary election. He is slated to run against Republican Jonathan Braden in the Nov. 8 general election.

In a press release, Barger reported that he joined the Craig & Craig law firm of Mattoon in 1984. He has been a partner and then member since 1990 in this firm.

Barger is the village attorney for Greenup and was a special assistant attorney general for worker's compensation. He has appeared in circuit and appellate courts throughout Illinois, including the Chicago and St. Louis areas.

His courtroom experience includes personal injury, property damage, medical malpractice, worker's compensation, real estate, estate, drainage, domestic relations, criminal law, and traffic litigation. Barger also has experience in real estate transactions, probate, guardianship, estate planning and elder law matters.

The candidate is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois. He has had reported decisions before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, and Fourth and Fifth Districts, as well as numerous non-published orders from those courts.

Barger is a member of the American Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association, and is a past president of the Coles-Cumberland Bar Association.

Regarding community involvement, Barger is the president of the Neal Foundation and the Janesville Cemetery. He also is a past vice president of Cumberland County Development Corp. and volunteers for the Pet Connection in Cumberland County.

Barger grew up on his family's farm west of Janesville and graduated from Charleston High School. He subsequently graduated of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. He lives in Toledo with his wife, Elizabeth (Beth) Kuhn Barger, and their daughter, Kathryn (Kate) Barger.
EFFINGHAM  Greg Reynolds has seen the culture change at Shelbyville High School with a shift in the way vocational classes have been taught in the past decade.

School officials and local employers have worked together to figure out what students most need to be prepared to enter the workforce, said Reynolds, an industrial technology teacher. The collaboration is paying off.

The payoff is when they go into a manufacturing environment ready to go to work, Reynolds said. Everything we do is geared toward the student coming out of high school and going into a manufacturing environment.

Reynolds and Principal Rich Stuart were among the speakers Thursday during the East Central Illinois Development Corporation Manufacturing Roundtable at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham.

Shelbyville students are learning various aspects of what its like to work in a manufacturing setting, Stuart said.

It matters so they can go be happy with what theyre doing, Stuart said. Its helping the kids realize they have value. Theyre learning what its like to be in a business setting.

Employers and educators working together is part of what will help to close a skills gap across the nation, said Robert Sheets, a research professor at The George Washington University Institute of Public Policy.

The workforce has become a top priority for employers in all areas of the country, Sheets said.

Everywhere we go employers say they have a mismatch with what they need to be competitive and what theyre getting in the workforce, Sheets said. Its got to start with employers addressing their common needs.

AgriFab has found value in working with students from Sullivan and Okaw Valley, said Kurtis Bunfill, the companys business systems and continuous improvement manager.

The quality of students is really amazing, Bunfill said. I dont know how you measure that. It has been fantastic for us.

Sullivan senior Preston Nunamaker wants to learn more about welding at Lake Land College in Mattoon while continuing to work for AgriFab, where he started last summer in the paint and welding departments. He feels well prepared from his experience working for the company.

Well see where it takes me, Nunamaker said. I was interested to work in a factory to learn a manufacturing skill set.

Bunfill sees what is being done to train the workforce as a benefit to businesses, schools and communities, so he said AgriFab is committed to support the training of students in the long term.
CHARLESTON (JG-TC) -- Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher will be making her way to Eastern Illinois University to speak about her experiences.

Her lecture on her experiences in the Holocaust as well as a meet and greet and book signing following it will take place from 6-10 p.m. Monday in the Grand Ballroom of the university union.

According to her website, Auerbacher was the last Jewish child born in Kippenheim, a village in southwestern Germany located at the foot of the Black Forest, close to the borders of France and Switzerland.

Inge and her parents were deported to be sent to a concentration camp in August 1942, when she was 7 years old.

According to the website, she was the youngest in a transport of about 1,200 people destined for Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Terezin was selected by the Nazis as a transit camp before inmates were to be deported to killing centers further east, like Auschwitz.

The website states that of the 15,000 children imprisoned in Terezin, Auerbacher is among the 1 percent who survived. After three years, the Soviet Union army liberated the camp May 8, 1945, when Auerbacher was 10 years old.

Inge and her parents immigrated to the U.S. in May 1946.
CHARLESTON -- An evaluation showed that a man accused of molesting two children would benefit from sex offender treatment and wasn't a risk to commit similar offenses in the future.

The evaluation's findings contributed to the agreement that led David D. Otto to be placed on probation after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Otto, 61, was accused of fondling the children last year when he lived in Charleston. Records show an address at the time of his arrest on Polk Avenue but indicate he now lives in Camargo.

Specifically, he was accused of fondling a 9-year-old girl in February of last year and fondling a boy on July 18 when that child was 8 years old.

The charges to which Otto pleaded guilty were felony offenses that could have resulted in a prison sentence of three to seven years. The agreement led to a two-year probation sentence with the sex offender treatment as one of the requirements.

Otto's attorney, Jay Ferguson, had him undergo the sex offender treatment evaluation before he pleaded guilty, according to Coles County Assistant State's Attorney Tom Bucher, who prosecuted the case.

Bucher said the evaluation's results helped lead him to agree to the way the case was resolved.

He also noted other factors that favored a probation sentence for Otto, including no record of any earlier criminal convictions. The fondling of each child was a one-time occurrence and both children were clothed at the time, Bucher also said.

Otto's probation terms also included payment of about $1,400 in fines and court fees. Jail time was also ordered but it was stayed, meaning Otto won't have to serve any of the time unless it's ordered as a sanction in the case of a violation.

Circuit Judge Teresa Righter accepted the plea agreement terms that Bucher and Ferguson recommended.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story and photo, courtesy of the MHS Mirror newspaper staff, are part of items offered weekly by MHS journalism students for the JG-TC website.

Mattoon High School administration is discussing switching to standards-based grading in the future. Standards-based grading is a process in which students are graded by their academic and behavioral progress on specific standards or skills rather than solely a letter grade per subject.

Principal Michele Sinclair anticipates a more directed, fixated learning environment by using this grading system.

Standards based grading would identify exactly what concepts students need remediation in. Teachers would know where to focus with a student, and it would inform our decisions a lot more on what to do with struggling students, Sinclair said.

Spanish teacher Randy Krepel believes this change could allow students to become more responsible for their own grades.

As of now, it is hard to lay out all of the specific details. We are still early in the developmental process. However, if I had to say anything, it would be most beneficial for students to realize that this change will force students to focus on learning each of the objectives in a more detailed manner. The grade will take on a different meaning, Krepel said.

Sophomore Abbi Hinton, however, thinks this grading system might be detrimental to her education.

We need to know how much we need to improve our grade percentage-wise. We need more of a structured grading system to show us how much we need to improve our grade, Hinton said.

According to a survey, approximately 50 percent of the MHS student body would like to see this grading system in their educational future, but the other 50 percent said they wouldnt like this change to become part of their high school experience. However, students are still unclear about how standards-based grading will specifically look in the MHS school setting.

Sinclair is looking to the future by considering new possible ways for teachers to run the classroom.

In the classroom, groups could be set up based on what this student needs rather than what that student needs. We would also be reporting on three different kinds of behaviors that can negatively or positively affect grades, Sinclair said. Theyre called process grades. Our district has already identified work habits, respect and responsibility.




Job Description

A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position. A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions, and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period of one year, effective 1 January 2013 Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified.



Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.



Subject to the funding source of the position, this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.



While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.



The expression Internal candidates, shall mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central review body under staff rule 4.15.



Organizational Setting and Reporting

This temporary position is located in the Regional Office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Addis Ababa.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Chief of the Africa Branch, Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division (FOTCD), and in regular consultation with the Chief of the Africa Section, as well as in cooperation with the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and UN partners in the East African sub-region, the incumbent will perform the following responsibilities and tasks: Advise OHCHR regarding its regional strategy and activities, as well as regional developments which may have human rights policy and operational implications; In coordination with other UN designated regional representatives, follow human rights developments in the region, with a view to keeping OHCHR informed of measures for OHCHR to take in order to effectively contribute to the respect for human rights; Provide advice to the ECA and the African Union (AU) regarding human rights related aspects of its activities and assist them in addressing human rights issues that are relevant to its mandate; As a member of the UN Country Team in Addis Ababa, provide human rights advice and support to the Resident Coordinator and UN partner agencies, as required; In line with the Secretary-Generals Second Reform Programme (Action 2), develop strategic relationships with the UN Country Teams of the region, advising and lending support as required, especially within the framework of rights-based planning and programming initiatives, such as the CCA (Common Country Assessment) and UNDAF (United Nations Development Assistance Framework); Facilitate the establishment of thematic working groups on human rights and the use by UN country teams of OHCHR country profiles; In close collaboration with relevant units in OHCHR Headquarters, identify and contribute to the development and implementation of best practices, particularly those relating to promotion of a rights-based approach to planning and programming, coordination mechanisms, and interagency cooperation; Develop, widen and enhance OHCHRs network of partners and contacts in the region and identify potential areas of cooperation for OHCHR; Promote the ratification and implementation of international human rights instruments; Advise on strategic interventions, including country visits, by special procedures mandate holders in the region, as appropriate; Provide advice and facilitate the provision of assistance as requested by Governments; Participate as a resource person in human rights seminars, workshops and other activities in the region, as appropriate; As required, undertake representational responsibilities on behalf of OHCHR and otherwise undertake assignments or missions within the region; Manage the Regional Office of the OHCHR in Addis Ababa, including supervision of international and national staff.



Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM. Knowledge of and wide exposure to the full range of human rights issues, in particular with regard to national protection systems, and human rights mainstreaming; In-depth knowledge of the African region and with the workings of the UN system, in particular as regards its political, development and humanitarian functions. Strong knowledge of institutional mandates and international standards pertaining to human rights; Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in advising on and handling major issues and problems; Substantive knowledge in managing projects and programmes; Knowledge of the structure and functions of the United Nations system, its organs, agencies and programmes; Substantive knowledge of the programming and planning tools and frameworks such as CCA/UNDAF and CAP/HAP. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.



COMMUNICATION. Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.



TEAMWORK. Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.



VISION. Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; Clearly communicates links between the Organizations strategy and the work units goals ; Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction ; Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.



LEADERSHIP : Serves as a role model that other people want to follow ; Empowers others to translate vision into results ; Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives ; Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support ; Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions ; Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo ; Shows the courage to take unpopular stands.



Education

Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent degree) in law, political science, international relations or international economics or other disciplines related to human rights. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.



Work Experience

At least 10 years of international experience in human rights or closely related field. Experience with approaches and techniques to address highly sensitive and complex issues and problems; Substantive field experience in the region including its human rights and political situation, culture, history and traditions is an asset. Prior field experience in an OHCHR or human rights component in a UN operation would be an advantage. Proven managerial skills and experience in successfully leading a team of professionals is preferable.



Languages

Fluency in English and knowledge of French is required; knowledge of other languages spoken in the region will be an asset.



Assessment Method

Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an eliminatory assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Closing date: Feb 21, 2016









Your rating: none



Rating: 0  0 votes



How to Apply

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations  Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on The Application Process and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on Manuals hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Please note that candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.





For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.





The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English



No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS BANK ACCOUNTS.

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Friday, February 12, 2016 The Bottom Falls Out Of The State Budget; It's Mostly Oil But There's More To Blame Than That, Plus: More News, Comment And Finger-Pointing Over The Big Legislative Story On A Fiery Friday Blog Sen. Smith Jaw dropping numbers over the state's dour financial outlook now have legislative insiders saying a special session to deal with the crisis may be inevitable and that it could come as soon as April. The doomsday scenario



State Senator John "Dr. No" Smith, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, argues that no one is to blame, that plunging oil and natural gas prices have cost the state hundreds of millions in taxes and royalties. Maybe in Santa Fe they think no one is to blame but out here in the real world where real people face potential budget cuts that will cause real pain, there's plenty of blame to go around and the arrow points straight up La Bajada to that little building called the Merry Roundhouse.



The Martinez administration has had five long years to diversify the economy and failed utterly. This administration and the one before it engaged in years of tax cutting--the personal income tax, the corporate income tax, the capital gains tax, etc.etc. That has cost the New Mexican treasury much of its gold. Senator Smith finally admits the tax-cutting is hurting but still believes it is good long-term policy. But what about the long-term financial health of our state and its people? While we cut taxes we continue to plunge into poverty, joblessness and depopulation. Senator Smith's home county of Luna is faced with double-digit unemployment, the highest in the state.



Yes, it's mainly the crash in oil doing in the budget but we've done nothing to buffer ourselves. Instead, Santa Fe made it worse. And the great downsizing goes on unabated. The



University of New Mexico officials said Thursday that they have eliminated 44 open staff positions, resulting in $1.7 million in savings that will help offset a projected $3.3 million tuition shortfall. President Bob Frank told the Board of Regents the culling of vacant positions is part of the effort to make ends meet as it continues to lose state funding and tuition revenues.



At least Smith is agreeable that every possible tool must be on the table, including raising revenue via tax hikes. Gov. Martinez is still strapped tightly to her ideological chair of no tax hikes--ever. But if we come anywhere near those doomsday numbers that chair is going to start rockin'.



LARRY'S HIDEAWAY



Rep. Larranaga That we are faced with this debacle with only a few days to go in the legislative session speaks volumes about the political and fiscal mismanagement the state suffers under. Take, for example, ABQ GOP State Rep. Larry Larranaga, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee where the budget originates. Where in the name of deficit spending has he been? Well, busy whipping up a fantasy budget that was predicting money was tight, but not that we were about to fall off the fiscal cliff. That's where he was at. He had to know better and that surely deserves this Alligator strike from inside the Roundhouse:



This is a budget session. We should have focused on the budget crisis the day it started. Instead, Rep. Larranaga chose to play politics with the budget at the request of the 5th floor to sell crime for three weeks. The 5th floor (Gov Martinez chief political adviser Jay McCleskey) knew crime would not sell if people understood the scope of our budget crisis. So, Larranaga passed a budget that showed growth in revenue to keep crime alive.



As recently as Wednesday Larranaga said the House GOP put money in the budget to pay for increased incarceration. What money did they put into the budget? We do not have any new money. We are in an actual deficit. Larranaga has lost the respect of many people for playing political games during a crisis.



That's right. More blame. And you can throw in House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, a solider of the Governor's machine who has treated the budget crisis as if it were a case of the chicken pox. He refuses to touch it.



Then there's the cheerful but feckless Speaker of the House, Rep. Don Tripp. Has anyone heard a peep out of him protesting the ludicrous "all crime all the time" session engineered by Martinez and company while the budget implodes? And what about fiscal newbie Rep. Jason Harper, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee? Not a word. Does the cat have his tongue--or does Jay? You really don't have to ask.



And then there's the calcified Martinez Department of Finance and Administration, putting out nonsensical statements in the face of Dr. No's budget warnings saying they're not really sure there is a budget problem. And they even have a real doctor in charge--Dr. Tom Clifford, now also a political tool of the Fifth Floor. Tell us it ain't so, Tom, but you know it is.



And all this from the political party that prides itself on "fiscal responsibility?" Aah, the heck with it, just order another vodka and pizza pie and party like it's 1999.



AN EXCEPTION



Dunn Well, not every Republican in Santa Fe is in lockstep on this. Out of the blue comes GOP State Land Commissioner



Theyre (the legislature) going to have to do both  theyre going to have to cut expenses and theyre going to have to figure out a way to raise revenue.



Maybe Dunn's DNA would not allow him to tout the zombie-like statements the GOP is putting out about taxes. After all, back in the day his famous father was State Senator Aubrey Dunn Sr., the stern but very knowledgeable chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Dunn's dad knew how to run a railroad (and a newspaper and apple orchard, too) and also stand up to a political machine. Where are the likes of him these days?



Look, this land commissioner is to the right of Attila the Hun but if he's going to call Santa Fe out on its bullshit, the anti-Martinez Republicans (currently in hiding) should give him a look for the '18 gubernatorial nomination. And we hope Lt. Gov. John Sanchez heard that.



The best the administration's minions can do is



But the nonsense extends to both sides of the aisle. Which is our cue to say hello to Northern Dem Senator Carlos Cisneros.



It's a mess, alright. Let's do the clean-up with some Senior Alligator disgust:



The problem, Joe, is also our civic culture. It is so cowardly and so corrupt that nothing will be done about our real problems--which is not, despite what the news media and Martinez want us to think--not having enough people in prison. And the people who are about to take it on the chin even harder than they have been, are the people who can afford it the least - the rank and file of New Mexico. People who don't have the means to hang out at all-night pizza parties in luxury suites at the El Dorado Hotel using their political power and connections to avoid entanglements with local law-enforcement.



Amen. That really inspires you to run for something--like the state line.



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( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2016 Jaw dropping numbers over the state's dour financial outlook now have legislative insiders saying a special session to deal with the crisis may be inevitable and that it could come as soon as April. The doomsday scenario has the state losing upwards of $800 million in the months ahead. That is huge when you consider the legislature is looking at spending $6.3 billion for the budget year that begins July 1.State Senator John "Dr. No" Smith, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, argues that no one is to blame, that plunging oil and natural gas prices have cost the state hundreds of millions in taxes and royalties. Maybe in Santa Fe they think no one is to blame but out here in the real world where real people face potential budget cuts that will cause real pain, there's plenty of blame to go around and the arrow points straight up La Bajada to that little building called the Merry Roundhouse.The Martinez administration has had five long years to diversify the economy and failed utterly. This administration and the one before it engaged in years of tax cutting--the personal income tax, the corporate income tax, the capital gains tax, etc.etc. That has cost the New Mexican treasury much of its gold. Senator Smith finally admits the tax-cutting is hurting but still believes it is good long-term policy. But what about the long-term financial health of our state and its people? While we cut taxes we continue to plunge into poverty, joblessness and depopulation. Senator Smith's home county of Luna is faced with double-digit unemployment, the highest in the state.Yes, it's mainly the crash in oil doing in the budget but we've done nothing to buffer ourselves. Instead, Santa Fe made it worse. And the great downsizing goes on unabated. The latest At least Smith is agreeable that every possible tool must be on the table, including raising revenue via tax hikes. Gov. Martinez is still strapped tightly to her ideological chair of no tax hikes--ever. But if we come anywhere near those doomsday numbers that chair is going to start rockin'.That we are faced with this debacle with only a few days to go in the legislative session speaks volumes about the political and fiscal mismanagement the state suffers under. Take, for example, ABQ GOP State Rep. LarryLarranaga, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee where the budget originates. Where in the name of deficit spending has he been? Well, busy whipping up a fantasy budget that was predicting money was tight, but not that we were about to fall off the fiscal cliff. That's where he was at. He had to know better and that surely deserves this Alligator strike from inside the Roundhouse:That's right. More blame. And you can throw in House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, a solider of the Governor's machine who has treated the budget crisis as if it were a case of the chicken pox. He refuses to touch it.Then there's the cheerful but feckless Speaker of the House, Rep. Don Tripp. Has anyone heard a peep out of him protesting the ludicrous "all crime all the time" session engineered by Martinez and company while the budget implodes? And what about fiscal newbie Rep. Jason Harper, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee? Not a word. Does the cat have his tongue--or does Jay? You really don't have to ask.And then there's the calcified Martinez Department of Finance and Administration, putting out nonsensical statements in the face of Dr. No's budget warnings saying they're not really sure there is a budget problem. And they even have a real doctor in charge--Dr. Tom Clifford, now also a political tool of the Fifth Floor. Tell us it ain't so, Tom, but you know it is.And all this from the political party that prides itself on "fiscal responsibility?" Aah, the heck with it, just order another vodka and pizza pie and party like it's 1999.Well, not every Republican in Santa Fe is in lockstep on this. Out of the blue comes GOP State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn (he of the black hat) with the statement that should have come from our MIA Governor:Maybe Dunn's DNA would not allow him to tout the zombie-like statements the GOP is putting out about taxes. After all, back in the day his famous father was State Senator Aubrey Dunn Sr., the stern but very knowledgeable chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Dunn's dad knew how to run a railroad (and a newspaper and apple orchard, too) and also stand up to a political machine. Where are the likes of him these days?Look, this land commissioner is to the right of Attila the Hun but if he's going to call Santa Fe out on its bullshit, the anti-Martinez Republicans (currently in hiding) should give him a look for the '18 gubernatorial nomination. And we hope Lt. Gov. John Sanchez heard that.The best the administration's minions can do is urge calm." They just don't get it. If anything is causing panic it's the absence of any sign that the Governor or her staff is equipped to deal with this reality. They are being led by a political consultant who specializes in character assassination, not by policymakers who understand a budget, care about outcomes and who are serious about governing. (And if you read that truth anywhere else, give that fella a gold star).But the nonsense extends to both sides of the aisle. Which is our cue to say hello to Northern Dem Senator Carlos Cisneros. He says it would do the Senate no good to look at any revenue enhancements because the big, bad Governor has said she would not support any. Carlos, what's up with that? Are you afraid she's going to throw a beer bottle off a balcony at you? Here's the deal, Carlos. You get elected and then you try to do something. "Try" being the operative word.It's a mess, alright. Let's do the clean-up with some Senior Alligator disgust:Amen. That really inspires you to run for something--like the state line.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Links HOME

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Two safety organizations will move into space at Nebraska Innovation Campus, the research park said Friday.

The Great Plains Safety and Health Organization and the Nebraska Safety Center will move to NIC later this year, where they will have access to the NIC Conference Center, according to a news release by Innovation Campus.

Established by the Legislature in 1978, the Nebraska Safety Center coordinates with human resource organizations to educate on safety and accident prevention through workshops, seminars and other statewide programs.

According to NU, the Nebraska Safety Center has previous experience with the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The Great Plains Safety and Health Organization, which promotes safety, health and responsibility through education and support, works with member and nonmember organizations to comply with or exceed safety and health requirements established by OSHA and other entities.

This location is a great opportunity for us to collaborate with the university and private sector within Nebraska Innovation Campus, Great Plains Safety and Health Organization executive director Mick Anderson said in the release.

The office space will allow us to fulfill our mission by providing resources in transportation, occupational, recreational and domestic safety to everyone throughout the entire state, he added.

Both organizations plan to offer student internships in marketing and safety engineering.
A man who has just purchased flowers from a small market is brutally attacked while walking up a New York City street, screaming for help into the intercom system of the apartment building where he is being assaulted.

Thats the opening scene of Anesthesia, Tim Blake Nelsons captivating film that cycles back to a few days before the assault to examine the people impacted by the mugging, starting with the victim.

He is Walter Zarrow (Sam Waterston), a Columbia University philosophy professor who is on his way to meet his wife, Marcia (Glenn Close), after a day of teaching and meeting with his seminar students.

Marcia is far from the only person involved with Walter. Theres also his son Adam (played by writer/director Nelson), his wife Jill (Jessica Hecht), who is facing a medical crisis, and their pot-smoking, sexually obsessed teenagers Hal (Ben Konigsberg) and Ella (Hannah Marks).

There also is Sophie (Kristen Stewart), a troubled graduate student; the couple who answered Walters cry for help (Corey Stoll and Ekaterina Samsonov); an African American attorney (Michael K. Williams) and his junkie childhood friend (K. Todd Freeman) and a suburban housewife (Gretchen Mol) and her two daughters.

Sophies relationship with Walter is easy enough to guess -- although her troubles are not. But the rest of the connections to the assault are spun out as Nelson cuts back and forth between the multiple groups, watching Adams family squabble and the kids set themselves up for sex and drugs, seeing the junkie get thrown involuntarily into a hospital and seeing the housewife secretly drinking to mask her pain.

The film is superbly acted ensemble-style -- nothing less would be expected from Waterston (of Law & Order fame), Close, the underrated Stewart and Mol and the rest of the cast -- and deftly written by Nelson.

A true indie picture, shot in classrooms, apartments, a New Jersey mansion and on the streets, Anesthesia has the you-are-there-realism of watching real people negotiate their troubled lives, finally coming together via an act of violence against a fundamentally decent man.

As befits a film about a philosophy professor, Anesthesia is an intellectual film, packed with quotations from philosophers and writers, a powerful lecture from Walter and plenty of pondering about the meaning of life and doing the right thing.

In the end, Anesthesia is absorbing, a thought-provoking look at a good man, violence and real-lifes complicated interconnections.
The specter of raising Nebraska's cigarette tax brought out a long list of supporters and opponents from inside and outside of the state Thursday.

But before the Legislature's Revenue Committee could get through the list of opponents wanting to testify, the power to the building shut down, leaving the hearing room in the dark.

A short in a lightbulb in a master control panel blew fuses in both the primary power source and the backup, the governor's spokesman Taylor Gage explained.

Not knowing when the power might be restored, Revenue Chairman Mike Gloor, who introduced the bill (LB1013), canceled the hearing and two others that were to follow. They will be rescheduled.

The proposal would raise the current 64-cent tax by $1.50 per pack, and the average total tax on cigarettes in Nebraska to $3.62 a pack, including federal cigarette tax and state and local sales taxes.

It also would increase the tax on tobacco products -- cigars, chew, loose tobacco -- from 26 percent to 31 percent by weight.

But it could raise an extra $120 million in revenue for the state in its first year  much of it going to property tax cuts, with the leftover $30 million divided among various health care-related programs.

And the added bonus, Gloor said, is that it's expected people will stop or reduce their smoking rather than pay higher taxes.

The property tax components include $45 million in additional tax credits for property owners and another $45 million to expand personal property tax exemptions that lawmakers approved last year.

Gloor estimated the long-term Medicaid savings would be close to a half billion dollars.

He knew some people would call the tax regressive, he said, because a large segment of smokers are low-income.

Committee member Jim Smith of Papillion said people who are addicted to cigarettes are not going to stop. They'll just pay more, many out of wages that are stagnant.

Proponents of the bill said the higher tax could dissuade teens and young adults from starting to smoke.

Joanna Hejl, a Lincoln High School student, said every year about 1,400 young Nebraskans pick up the habit of smoking daily.

"If this trend continues, 38,000 minors alive in our state today will die prematurely from smoking," she said.

Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, gave senators a list of UNMC health programs that would benefit from the tax revenue produced by the bill. One was a program that recruits, trains and retains behavioral health professionals, especially in rural areas.

Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk asked whether it was the responsibility of the state or the responsibility of an exclusive portion of the population to fund those programs.

"You cannot sit and tell me that all of the health problems in the state of Nebraska are going to be cured by raising the cigarette taxes and providing the funds for those entities on this list," Scheer said.

"All of those programs at the end of the day help smokers," Khan said.

A few opponents got to testify before the lights went out.

Coby Mach, in his role as co-owner of the Nebraska Cigar Festival, said the tax increase on people who enjoy an occasional cigar was not the way solve the state's tax problems, or a way to get people to quit smoking cigars.

The bill that would increase taxes on Nebraska businesses and citizens -- businesses that are in a battle that is so large, it could actually be called a war, Mach said.

People would go to Internet retailers, he said, that do not collect or remit any taxes.

Rich Marianos, a law enforcement consultant, said increasing the cigarette tax could decrease public safety, as criminal activities come into the state through the black market and organized crime, even terrorists.

"I will guarantee you, and my word is my bond, that if a large increase comes in, you are going to import criminal activity from the lower-tax states. It's just how this new face of organized crime is operating," he said.
The Legislature advanced bills Thursday that could help increase oversight of juvenile justice programs -- youths under the watch of the office of Probation Administration.

One bill (LB954) is aimed at improving access by the state Inspector General for Child Welfare to juvenile probation records for investigations she conducts. The legislative and judicial branches had to negotiate six months to get it worked out, said Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, who introduced the bill.

The bill would allow Inspector General for Child Welfare Julie Rogers to obtain court records within five days for complaints and investigations of deaths of children, without having to seek them in a public way.

State Court Administrator Corey Steel has said the Office of Probation Administration would work with the courts to have judges' orders allow the inspector general to have access to probation records upon a complaint or the death or serious injury of a child.

Previously, Rogers had trouble getting records and information from Probation Administration, even though Krist said it was allowed by state law.

The courts had concerns about separation of powers between the three branches of government.

Krist said that if the Legislature does not exercise it's constitutional requirement to make laws, appropriate money and, most importantly, to oversee all branches of government, there's no reason for senators to be there.

"For the most part, it's the oversight of this body that holds government in check," he said.

Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash said he didn't see the bill as a negotiation and a compromise. It's the legislative branch doing what is best for children.

The bill doesn't mandate the courts to give any report to the inspector general, he said. Nothing in the bill has the force of law.

"So this is a 'please,' LB954 is an 'oh, please, judicial branch, please give us what we need,'" Coash said.

It's why a bill that would follow, was so important to advance, he said.

That bill (LB1016), introduced by Sen. Dan Watermeier, would add the Probation Administration and the Office of Public Guardian to the list of agencies that could be subject to a legislative performance audit.

Coash got a green light on amending the bill to allow those audits to start earlier, in 2017 rather than 2018, if needed.

LB954 advanced to a second round of debate on a 44-0 vote, with an emergency clause to allow it to go into effect as soon as it would be signed by the governor. LB1016 advanced on a 26-0 vote.
A man wounded by gunfire was fighting for his life in a Lincoln hospital and another man was in critical condition there late Thursday after a shooting inside a southwest Lincoln home just after 5 p.m., police said.

As of 10 p.m., police continued to search for a third person possibly involved in the shooting inside 5441 Limestone Road North, Lincoln Police Capt. Bob Farber said.

Gunfire rang out inside the house at 5:14 p.m., Capt. Mayde McGuire said.

According to police scanner traffic, several people including several children were in the basement of the house at the time of the shootings.

Police arrived to find a man inside the one-story home with life-threatening gunshot wounds, McGuire said.

Nate Whisenhunt, who lives across the street, saw an ambulance take that young man, who appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s, out of the house on Limestone Road. The injured man seemed cognizant of what was going on, Whisenhunt said.

The second gunshot victim drove away from the house but was pulled over by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper on a traffic stop near U.S. 77 and Old Cheney Road, McGuire said.

The investigation remained very active late Thursday, said the police captains, who declined to release further details about the shooting probe.

Police ask anyone with information to call 402-441-6000 or report anonymous tips to Crimestoppers at 402-475-3600.

This is fourth shooting in Lincoln this year.

James Carr and Joshua Hartwig, both of Lincoln, were killed in separate shootings in January.

In both cases, police have arrested suspects who remain in jails in Omaha and Lincoln.

Also last month, a 14-year-old was shot in the buttocks by a 17-year-old boy, police said. That boy faces first-degree assault and weapons charges.
The Nebraska Supreme Court has reversed a finding that a Lincoln landlord discriminated against a tenant because he is a black man from Haiti.

In an opinion Friday, the states high court said the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights failed to prove that Ryan Reinkes explanations for his negative treatment of Lionel Simeus weren't the true reason behind it and that intentional discrimination was.

On June 1, 2013, Simeus moved into one of Reinkes apartments at 1315 D St., but Reinke refused to give him a copy of the one-year lease with RGR Company when he asked for it or to do all needed repairs. On June 6, he gave Simeus notice he was terminating the lease.

Simeus filed a complaint with the Lincoln commission a week later.

A hearing officer investigated and determined that the landlord had made repairs in the apartment while the tenant was asleep, rolled up his car window to avoid talking with him and more than likely intentionally cut off the electricity to the apartment.

The commission found that Reinke had discriminated based on Simeuss testimony that as Reinke rolled up his car window he said, Thats why I dont want to deal with you foreigners, and on the fact that Reinke also had failed to make timely repairs to an apartment of a man of Ethiopian descent.

And, the commission ordered Reinke to pay a $2,000 civil penalty, $100 for Simeuss moving costs and $3,500 for his pain and suffering, and to return the security deposit.

Reinke appealed, and Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret affirmed the ruling. Then, Reinke appealed again.

While the commission had evidence, on its face, of discrimination, "RGR successfully articulated legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for its actions, Supreme Court Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman wrote in Fridays opinion.

She pointed to Reinke's testimony that he didnt even know Simeus was foreign-born until the complaint and thought he had a speech impediment. And he said he hadnt fixed Simeus requested repairs sooner because he had a large list of repairs in the apartments he managed. White tenants waited, too.

Miller-Lerman said Reinke did not need to persuade the court he was actually motivated by the reasons given; he simply had to provide other legitimate reasons.

The court determined the commission had not established by a preponderance of the evidence that RGRs reasons were pretexts or that Simeus was the victim of intentional discrimination.

And the court directed that the case be sent back to the commission for the charge against RGR to be dismissed.
Police are looking for a 28-year-old Lincoln man in connection with a Thursday shooting that left two men seriously injured.

Leshawn Corey Wolfe Rogers should be considered armed and dangerous and is wanted on suspicion of first-degree assault, police said Friday afternoon.

The shooting happened about 5 p.m. Thursday inside a one-story home at 5441 Limestone Road North.

Officers found 26-year-old Alexander White inside with multiple gunshot wounds that police said are life-threatening. He remained in critical condition Friday.

Reginald McGraw, 25, who was shot once, took off after the shooting but flagged down a Nebraska State Patrol car at U.S. 77 and West Van Dorn and was taken to a hospital, police said. He was released Friday afternoon, according to police.

Sgt. Randy Clark said Rogers is from Lincoln, but he may have left the city.

Steffani Weirauch, 24, who lives at the house in southwest Lincoln, was arrested Friday night on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony and remains in custody.

Court documents filed Friday say police found some stacks of money and three individually packaged 1-pound bags of marijuana in the house.

Weirauch and White had been smoking marijuana there earlier Thursday and wanted to buy more so she agreed to call Rogers, the court documents say.

Police believe White planned to buy 3 pounds worth $7,200 from Rogers. When officers arrived after the shooting they found stacks of money largely filled with $1 bills but wrapped with larger bills on the outside, documents say.

Police scanner traffic on Thursday indicated several people including some children were in the basement of the house at the time of the gunshots, but Clark couldn't confirm that Friday.

Federal court records indicate that Rogers was convicted in 2007 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana and was sentenced to federal prison. He was released after four years, but his supervised release was revoked in 2013 and he was given more prison time. He was released Oct. 8, 2015, according to court documents.

Police ask anyone with information to call 402-441-6000 or report anonymous tips to Crimestoppers at 402-475-3600.
WASHINGTON -- In a devastating outcome for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, this was the most unkindest cut of all: Women flocked to Bernie Sanders. Not by single digits, but by a margin of 55 percent to 44 percent.

Women are key to electoral success, especially for a Democrat. Not so long ago, analysts could debate whether the country was ready to elect a female president. Not anymore. If Clinton loses the nomination or the general election, she won't have been defeated because she's a woman. She'll have lost despite that electorally helpful fact.

Consider these numbers. Women accounted for 57 percent of Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa, where they provided Clinton's millimeter-thin margin of victory. They constituted 55 percent of Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire. Even though Clinton did not garner a majority of support among women, according to network exit polls, female voters significantly softened Sanders' win. Men backed him by an astonishing 67 percent to 32 percent.

Women similarly make up the majority of general election voters -- 53 percent in 2012. While Republican nominee Mitt Romney won the majority of male voters (54 percent to 46 percent for Barack Obama), women supported Obama (56 percent to 44 percent).

In short, in an unimaginable world in which women still lacked the right to vote -- indeed, in a world in which women voted in fewer numbers -- Clinton would stand no chance. "Her gender is still a very strong asset for this campaign," said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake.

So what should she do? First, drop the argument, heavy-handed and unconvincing, that gender is Clinton's anti-establishment calling card. "Honestly, Senator Sanders is the only person who I think would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president, as exemplifying the establishment," Clinton said at the most recent debate, and she's made this point before.

Come on. The Clintons embody the Democratic establishment. Women know that. Instructing them differently just makes them feel treated like fools by another typical politician.

Second, stop the insinuations, subtle and explicit, that Clinton is the victim of sexism. Yes, the "Bernie bros" have tweeted ugly things. Yes, women who raise their voices face criticism that is not leveled at shouting men. But the Clinton campaign has been too quick to suggest sexism -- more accurately, to leave it to their supporters to make those suggestions -- when confronted with what is simply tough politics as usual.

Third, cut the guilt-tripping. It won't only fail to convince younger women -- it's going to insult their mothers as well. Madeleine Albright was understandably frustrated about complacent young women who fail to grasp the significance of electing the first woman president, but the former secretary of state edged into offensive lecturing.

"So people are talking about revolution. What kind of a revolution would it be to have the first woman president of the United States?" Albright said. "We can tell our story of how we climbed the ladder, and a lot of you younger women [think] it's been done. It's not done. And you have to help." Then, the controversial part, "And just remember, there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other."

This is true in general, and great advice on a Starbucks cup. It's offensive in the specific context of instructing young women about their electoral obligation. Clinton would have been better advised to acknowledge this point than to dismiss it.

"Well good grief, we're getting offended by everything these days," she told NBC's Chuck Todd, channeling her inner Trump. Not everything. Just suggestions that it's a slap to the sisterhood to fail to support the female candidate.

Feminism doesn't mean imposing a moral obligation on women to vote a certain way. It means trusting them, not demeaning them, when they choose the candidate they like best, male or female. Even if their mothers disagree.
Dear Readers: I have stepped away from my daily column for two weeks to finish writing my next book, which is due to be published next fall. As I sequester myself, noodling over this memoir, I hope you'll enjoy these topical "best of" questions and answers while I'm away. Today's questions deal with awkward terminology.

Dear Amy: I've been confused about something for several years, and I'm hoping that maybe some of your readers can clear this up for me.

It seems that lately, for a person with black or brown skin of African descent, the PC term to use is "African-American."

I find this to be quite ridiculous, as the large majority of blacks in this country are of many races, including white, Native American and Hispanic, and haven't been able to trace their roots to Africa for many generations.

My race is considered "white," and I have ancestors that trace back to areas all over Europe. I don't refer to myself as "European-American," nor do we use that term for the large number of white Americans who trace their roots back to Europe. The blacks I personally know prefer to be called "black," but it seems that everyone is afraid to use that term anymore. If you're a first-generation American from another part of the world, I can see how the hyphenation "works." But in the end, aren't most of us simply "Americans"?

What do black Americans really want to be called, and why? -- An American in Florida

Dear American: In America, being white is the default position. You and I and other whites of European descent don't have to describe and define our race in the course of everyday life because we are the ones doing the describing. When was the last time you heard a prominent white American described as "white," where race identifiers are routinely used to identify everyone else?

If Native Americans want to be referred to as "Natives," by others, even when they might refer to themselves as "Indians," then that should be their choice. If Latinos prefer that term to "Hispanics," then their preference should be respected. I'm aware of Americans several generations removed from the old country who would like to be known as Italian -- or Irish-Americans. So be it.

In my mind, people have a right to define themselves and to ask that others refer to them using their preferred term. If that term changes over the decades (could you imagine referring to a black or brown American as "colored" -- the way whites did when I was a child?), then these changes are a result of our becoming more sophisticated and respectful. Mainly, this is simply respectful. But if that's PC, then I'm all for it.

Take heart, though. As the racial makeup of this country changes, either we'll all become "Americans," or you and I will be searching for a terminology that suits us, because the majority non-white American population will need to find a way to describe us. I'd be happy to run responses from other readers who might want to weigh in on this issue and/or state a preference. (April 2006)

Dear Amy: I feel terrible.

At a 4-year-old's birthday party, I stood talking to three other moms from my son's preschool class.

One of the moms was wearing a blouse that looked to me like maternity clothes.

You guessed it. I asked, "Are you expecting?"

I could tell instantly that I'd made a mistake.

She said, "No," and we sort of laughed at the awkward moment.

I later apologized to her in the parking lot, explaining about her blouse, but it sounded lame.

I know that what I said was potentially very hurtful -- maybe she was sensitive about her weight (as most of us are), or trying to conceive another child.

I don't know how to make it right. I feel horribly guilty about my inconsiderate question.

Do you have any suggestions about anything I can do to make her feel better? -- Dope-slapping Myself

Dear Dope: Stop. Stop before you kill again. You committed a faux pas. You apologized. Don't make things worse by continuing to bring it up, which would remind you both of this embarrassing episode.

The blouse, by now, has hit the dustbin, and you've learned a lesson in mommy diplomacy. It is never a good idea to ask about a pregnancy, unless a woman invites you to. (May 2006)
RACINE  The Racine Zoo has two new penguin chicks.

The Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St., announced Thursday the hatching of two African penguin chicks as a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. These are the first African penguin chicks to hatch at the zoo in more than 10 years, according to a release from the zoo.

After incubating 38 days, the first chick hatched on Jan. 14, with the second following on Jan. 17. Each chick weighed approximately 60 grams or two ounces at hatching, and now weighs in at more than 900 grams, or 38 ounces each.

Although the biological parents of both chicks are Robben (female) and Linus (male), surrogate parents Blue-Yellow (female) and Blue-Green (male) have taken over caring for one of the chicks as it is difficult for penguin parents to care for two chicks at one time, the zoo explained in its release.

This is an important victory for the African penguin breeding program weve been working so hard at cultivating, said Beth Heidorn, executive director of the Racine Zoo in a release. We are proud to be making a positive long-term impact on African penguin populations, especially as wild populations continue to decline.

In several months, zoo staff will determine the gender of the chicks by taking a blood sample obtained as a part of a routine health exam. In the meantime, staff will continue monitoring the chicks as they grow and expects the chicks to be on exhibit officially in late spring. Penguins can be seen through the exhibits viewing window, but since the chicks are tucked inside their nests, they may be difficult to see.

Our staff, including Angie Kutchery, lead penguin specialist, has done an amazing job of caring for our penguins and these new chicks, added Heidorn. Wed like to think of Angie as another surrogate as she comes and goes at all hours to help feed and monitor these chicks.

The hatching comes after the zoo added four penguins to its colony on exhibit in December, helping to recreate a similar-sized colony African penguins are more accustomed to in the wild.
RACINE  For seemingly all of Thursday morning's event, a bright smile refused to leave Bryan Albrecht's face.

"All eligible students, if you work hard and meet the expectations, will have the opportunity to attend Gateway Technical College upon graduation from high school, and we will support you academically and financially throughout your college career," said Albrecht, Gateway's president and CEO, in front of a crowd of more than 200 high school and college students, faculty and community members.

Those people packed into the student commons area of Racine Gateway campus' Lake Building to witness the official unveiling of the "Gateway Promise," a program offering free tuition to qualified high school graduates in the tri-county area. The program, modeled after President Obama's College Promise Campaign, will begin in fall 2017 and offer up to six semesters of free education to those eligible.

To qualify, students must graduate on time from high school with at least a 2.0 GPA in their first three years and a composite ACT score of 16 or higher and immediately enroll following graduation. The students must either attend school or live in the Gateway district and have an expected family contribution of $3,000 or lower as calculated by Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

According to Albrecht, the program will be funded entirely through donations from the community. The college's goal is to create an endowment of $3 million, and not even that lofty aim could take the smile from Albrecht's face.

"As of this morning, we are at $1.5 million," he said, adding he was "very proud" of the work that organizers did to create the program.

SCJ lends a hand

A significant part of that money has come from SC Johnson. Thursday, the company announced a $700,000 combined donation to the Gateway Promise, including $400,000 as a personal donation from Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson.

Company spokeswoman Kelly Semrau spoke to the crowd during the event, pledging SCJ's support.

"People need access to education and often times people cant afford education," she said. "If we can give a promise to the next generation that might not be able to afford an education, but have the grades and have the will to do that, it was perfect for us to do."

Semrau highlighted the Promise's ability to "pay it forward" for Racine residents and its alignment with SCJ's values.

"Those students can go get their two-year (degree), go on for more education or get family-sustaining jobs," she said. "We're very excited about that because we're a family company. We believe in families."

Also in attendance was James Schuelke, the deputy director of the College Promise Campaign. He made the trip from Washington, D.C., to commend Gateway on its commitment to free education and even read a letter to Gateway from President Obama.

"We're making good on that promise of creating pathways for young people to enter the middle class," Schuelke said.

Among the speakers at Thursday's program was Gateway student Graciela Vargas, a recent graduate of the adult high school program, who is moving into the school's human services program.

"I now have the confidence to move forward," Vargas said. "Gateway is like a second home to me."

"You heard one of our students today," Albrecht said. "That's a remarkable story. When I see the excitement of the 150 students who are here today ... I think that's really the most exciting part."
MILWAUKEE  As the Democratic campaign for president came to Wisconsin Thursday, the race for the nomination appeared wide open.

Local Democrats said they expect it to remain that way when Wisconsin heads to the polls April 5, which means the state could play a key role in the nomination. The Republican race is also a toss-up, with seven candidates still running.

Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debated Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just two days after the New Hampshire primary, in which Sanders scored a commanding win. That came about a week after Clinton eked out a win in the Iowa caucus.

They both have plenty of money, said state Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Somers, a few hours before he attended the debate Thursday. It will be a long primary process and I think that certainly that puts Wisconsin in play.

I think its going to go right up to the convention and I think Wisconsin is going to be a vital cog in the process.

A protracted primary battle is certainly possible, acknowledged Kory Kozloski, executive director of the state Democratic Party.

He said he was excited about the campaigns coming to Wisconsin this week and encouraged by the enthusiasm around both candidates.

Wisconsin has been an important battleground state every year for the last two decades, and in fact longer, Kozloski said in the spin room, across the street from the debate. Whether or not April plays a role, I think Wisconsin will continue to play a big role.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, declined to weigh in on how long the primary will stay competitive.

She added that hosting the debate in Wisconsin was a very intentional, deliberate choice to make sure that we can plant the flag firmly in the Midwest.

Trevor Jung, a Racine native and member of the UW-Milwaukee College Democrats, said the states mix of rural and urban areas reflects the country, meaning whoever wins the state has a good chance of capturing the presidency.

Thats really telling in how the candidates resonate with the people of this state, said Jung, 20, a sophomore at the university.

GOP also in flux

The Republican nomination is also up in the air after Donald Trump and Ted Cruz won the first two contests. Like the Democrats, the GOP has also held a debate in Milwaukee.

State Republicans seized on Thursdays Democratic debate, buying billboard space in Milwaukee referencing FBI investigations into Clinton.

Our historically diverse field of candidates will give our states voters a real alternative to scandal-ridden Hillary Clinton and self-described socialist Bernie Sanders  both of whom are offering no alternatives to fix the struggling national economy nor lead a pathway forward to a more safe and secure nation, said Pat Garrett, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
Department of Corrections secretary Ed Wall has resigned amid a wide-ranging investigation of the states youth prison, now led by the FBI.

The disclosure Friday of Walls resignation came hours after federal officials confirmed that the FBI is leading the investigation of alleged abuses at the states only youth prison, Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls in Irma.

It came less than a day after Gov. Scott Walkers office acknowledged it was warned of safety problems at Lincoln Hills dating back to 2012  which appeared at odds with Walkers previous comments.

Walker announced Friday that Jon Litscher, a former Corrections secretary appointed by Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, will take Walls place at DOC.

Walker also told reporters in Appleton on Friday that he wouldnt rule out shutting down Lincoln Hills.

What I talked to John Litscher about was  we werent taking any options off the table there or anywhere else, Walker said. If he came in and made recommendations to me not only about that institution, but about anywhere else in the Department of Corrections we would take it seriously.

Under state law, Wall has the ability to immediately return to his previous position as head of the Department of Criminal Investigation. But to protect the integrity of the Lincoln Hills investigation, Mr. Wall will be placed on paid administrative leave and the current DCI administrator will continue in his role, said Department of Justice spokeswoman Anne Schwartz on Friday.

Walker signed a bill Friday that overhauls the states civil service system, designed to prevent political influence in the hiring and firing of state workers. The law doesnt go into effect until July 1, and it was unclear Friday if the new law would prevent Wall from taking back his old job if it was in effect now.

Wall resigned from DOC Feb. 5, according to Walkers office. His last day is Feb. 27. Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the resignation wasnt made public until Friday because Governor Walker met with Jon Litscher on Wednesday of this week, and the announcement of his appointment was made today in order to allow for a smooth transition of leadership at DOC.

Litscher was appointed by Walker to be chairman of the states group insurance board and most recently worked as an interim superintendent of the Cambria-Friesland School District.

According to Walls resignation letters, he intended to work his last day on March 19 but on Friday said he wanted to move up his resignation date to Feb. 27 because Walker had found his replacement.

Walker told reporters Friday that restoring credibility to the DOC played into Walls decision to resign.

Thats good, Walker said. I think thats what the public expects.

Democratic lawmakers blasted Walkers administration Friday, saying Walls resignation doesnt alleviate the governors responsibility for the problems at Lincoln Hills.

Walls resignation doesnt change the fact that Gov. Walker and his top aides ignored critical safety warnings for more than four years, Democratic Assembly Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said in a statement.

GOP lawmakers leading panels that oversee state prisons responded that the issue shouldnt be politicized.

It is easy for this to become a political hot potato, said Rep. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, chairman of the Assembly Corrections Committee. I would implore everybody to be focused on making sure our juvenile population is safe.

Better days ahead

Troy Bauch, AFSCME union representative for employees at Lincoln Hills, said Friday that Litschers appointment is a signal for better days ahead at Corrections.

Bauch praised Litschers ability to work collaboratively with employees in the states prisons.

State lawmakers who lead panels that oversee state prisons, speaking Friday, continued to resist calls from Democrats to hold immediate hearings on Lincoln Hills.

Hutton and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said lawmakers should not step in until federal investigators conclude their probe of the facility.

This is not going to be tried in the media by having a circus of a hearing, said Wanggaard, who chairs the Senate Public Safety and Judiciary committee. Let the FBI do their jobs, instead of everybody jumping to conclusions.

The investigation began under the Department of Corrections in 2014 over allegations of abuse. The DOJ took over in January, and in October a John Doe investigation was opened into the matter.

FBI takes over investigation

The U.S. attorney for western Wisconsin confirmed Friday the FBI was now leading the investigation. The investigation targets a wide range of potential crimes, including child abuse, sexual assault and misconduct in public office.

John W. Vaudreuil, U.S. attorney for Wisconsins western district, said the narrow focus of federal officials will be to determine if any violations of federal civil rights laws occurred at Lincoln Hills and its role had nothing to do with Wall returning to DCI.

Vaudreuil said the FBI began discussions with DOJ officials in mid-January about assuming the new role, and said hes not sure how long federal officials will lead the probe.

We will go wherever the facts take us, Vaudreuil said.

2012 warning

A Racine County judge warned Walkers office of severe safety issues at Lincoln Hills in 2012, and soon after the county stopped sending its juvenile offenders there.

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the governor was not shown the letter from Racine County Circuit Judge Richard Kreul in which Kreul said official indifference in this sordid tale is inexcusable.

Kreul also shared a Racine County Human Services memo that described an inmate-on-inmate sexual assault and how Lincoln Hills and DOC officials responded to it.

Walker said Friday the information from the judge was one of nearly 350,000 constituent contacts his office received in 2012. His staff forwarded it to Corrections, and he said the agency made policy changes as a result.

Senior staff in his office might have gotten more involved if DOC hadnt taken action, Walker said. Wall was not Corrections secretary at the time.

The Walker administration released Kreuls letter and the Racine County memo Thursday. It didnt include the records in its Dec. 17 response to a request from the Wisconsin State Journal under the state Public Records Law.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida picked up another top GOP endorsement Friday as Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, announced she will serve as his presidential campaign co-chairwoman.

Vukmir, the Senate's assistant majority leader who was a top supporter of Gov. Scott Walker's short-lived presidential campaign, said in an interview that Rubio told her Wisconsin will be a key state on the way to the 2016 GOP nomination, which is the campaign is ramping up its efforts here.

Two weeks ago Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, announced he would be Rubio's co-chairman. Another 18 GOP representatives and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, had also announced they will back Rubio.

Wisconsin's primary is April 5, which is late in the cycle, so its relevance will depend on whether the early nominating contests clarify a still robust Republican field.

In national polls, Rubio lags behind frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson, but in the latest Marquette Law School Poll he received the most combined first and second choice support among Republican respondents.

Vukmir said when she attended a College Republicans event earlier this year attendees expressed the most support for Rubio. Also, as a daughter of Greek immigrants, she said she connects with Rubio, whose parents were Cuban immigrants.

"He's always resonated with me from that perspective," Vukmir said. "This country needs to have a greater emphasis that this is a place of opportunity."
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by Dr Paul Craig Roberts via mitch - OpEd News Friday, Feb 12 2016, 8:50am

international / prose / post



Dreaming into WWIII Not so long ago informed Aussies used to mock ignorant, banjo-playing, flag-waving Americans. But times have changed and the plague (ignorance) that only infected America has now infected most of the western world -- the infective agent of course is the privately owned, CFR controlled, corporate mass media, which is nothing more than a disinformation machine. American propaganda, combined with new digital technologies fashioned in such a way as to encourage narcissism and insulate millennials from reality, has led to a pervasive ignorance; the focus of the vast majority today is whether they are 'liked,' more selfies if they are not until they get a thumbs up, the process is circular and immensely time consuming, perfect! Older generations are content to perv on tits and arses of celebrities fed to them by the same media machine and so like it or not the western majority have been captured and harnessed, to the point where they believe the most massive lies from the State and the nefarious interests that control it. The fact that truth is readily available, a few mouse clicks away, is inconsequential as the designers of the new crowd control know their voice is loudest and muffles almost all others.



And so it is a pleasure to repost an article that spells out the dilemma and problem that faces the western world today, something most aware writers are unwilling to do as they are acutely aware it's a waste of time. Nevertheless, when it is served up so clearly and logically and so easily verified by simply researching and proving the facts for oneself we cannot disregard the noble but futile effort. As indeed, not only the American population but the vast western majority today haven't got a clue.



Well, the cure is a dose of reality, and for those able to tear themselves away from their self-absorption, distraction and denial the following dose of reality is well worth the effort of reading, notwithstanding the average attention span today has been reduced to that of reading a postage stamp:

Are Americans Too Insouciant To Survive?



When one looks at the deplorable state of the world, one cannot help but wonder at the insouciance of the American people. Where are they? Do they exist or are they a myth? Have they been put to sleep by an evil demon? Are they so lost in The Matrix that they cannot get out?



Ever since Clinton's second term the US has been consistently acting internationally and domestically as a criminal, disregarding its own laws, international laws, the sovereignty of other countries, and the US Constitution. A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves.



According to polls, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders are splitting the Democratic vote 50-50 as preferred Democratic presidential candidate. This is extraordinary.



Hillary Clinton represents the interests of Wall Street and the mega-banks, the Israel Lobby, and the interests of the military/security complex. These interests are totally opposed to the interests of the American people.



In his book, What's the Matter with Kansas, Thomas Frank raised the question of why Americans vote against their own interests? Why do Americans go to the voting booth and do themselves in?



Whether you agree with Thomas Frank's answer or not, Americans do, on a regular basis, harm themselves by voting for people who are agents of vested interests diametrically opposed to the interests of American citizens.



How is it possible, if Democrats are informed people, that half of them prefer Hillary Clinton? Between February 2001 and May 2015 Bill and Hillary collected $153 million in speaking fees. The fees averaged $210,795 per speech.



I can remember when Bill and Hillary were in public office when their speeches were free. No one wanted to listen to them when the speeches were free. Clearly, Bill is being paid off for his past services to the powerful interest groups that control the United States, and Hillary is being paid off for her future service to the same groups.



How then is it possible that half of Democrats would prefer Hillary? Is it because she is a woman and women want a woman president more than they want their civil liberties, peace, and employment for themselves, their spouses and their children?



Or is it because, given the presstitute character of the American media, the people haven't a clue?



If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for someone who has been paid off to the tune of $153 million by powerful vested interests who have no concern whatsoever for your interests. In addition, Hillary has the necessary campaign funds from the powerful interest groups for her presidential nomination campaign. As if this isn't damning enough, Hugh Wharton writes that the National Democratic Committee is in league with Hillary to steal, if necessary, the nomination from Sanders and the voters.



In contrast, the interest groups who rule America are not contributing to Sanders.



Therefore, the choice of Sanders is obvious, but 50% of Democrats are too braindead to see it.



Although Hillary is a substantial threat to America, the threat of nuclear war is much greater, and the Democratic Obama regime in the hands of neoconservatives has just greatly amplified the threat of nuclear war.



The United States government, or perhaps we should say the exploiter and deceiver of the American people, has announced a three-fold increase in its military presence on Russia's borders. The excuse for this great boost in the profits and power of the US military-security complex is "Russian aggression."



But there is no sign of this aggression. So Washington and its servile presstitutes in the Western media make it up. They proclaim a lie.



"Russia invaded Ukraine" proclaims the propaganda. No mention is made of Washington's coup in Ukraine that overthrew a democratically elected government and began a war against the Russian populations of eastern and southern Ukraine, former provinces of Russia added to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic by Soviet leaders. In the presstitute media, no mention is made of Washington's intention of seizing Russia's only warm water port in Crimea on the Black Sea.



Having created a nonexistant Russian invasion in place of the real US coup in Ukraine in the minds of the indoctrinated Americans, Washington now claims that Russia is going to invade the Baltics and Poland. Nothing could be further from the truth, but this lie from the Obama regime now determines that the US military presence on Russia's borders will increase three-fold.



The escalation of the US/NATO threat on Russia's borders forces a Russian response. Considering that the Russophobic governments in Poland and the Baltic States have unstable judgement, military buildups bring risks of miscalculations.



There is a limit to the level of threat that the Russian government can tolerate. The impotent Obama is in the firm grip of the neoconservatives and the military-security complex. The neoconservatives are motivated by their ideology of American world hegemony. The military-security complex is motivated by power and profit. These motives bring the United States and its vassals into conflict with Russia's (and China's) sovereign existence.



Within the councils of American foreign policy there is not sufficient weight to counter the neoconservative drive to war with Russia and China. In conventional war, the US is not a military match for the Russian/Chinese strategic alliance. Therefore, the war would be nuclear. The power of hydrogen bombs is immensely more powerful that the atomic bombs that the US dropped on Japan. Nuclear war means the end of life on earth.



Americans can know that democracy has failed them, because there is no check on the neoconservatives' ability to foment war with Russia and China.



The neocons control the press, and the press portrays Russia as "an existential threat to the United States." Once this fiction is drilled into the brains of Americans, it is child's play for propagandists to create endless fears that deplete taxpayers of income in order to create profits for the military-security complex by relaunching the Cold War and an armaments race.



That is what is currently going on. The inability of Americans to realize that they are being taken into a conflict that benefits only the profits and power of the military-security complex and the ideology of a small group of crazies demonstrates the impotence of American democracy.



Universities and think tanks are replete with ambitious people who, chasing grants and influence, fuel the Russophobic hysteria. For example, on February 9 the Washington Post published an article by Michael Ignatieff, the Edward R. Murrow professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School, and Leon Wieseltier, the Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. The article is a complete misrepresentation of the facts in Syria and called for US measures that would result in military conflict with Russia. It was irresponsible for the Washington Post to publish the article, but the decision is consistent with the Post's presstitute nature.



The propaganda line maintained by the US government, the neoconservatives, the military/security complex, the presstitutes, and fiction-writers such as Ignatieff and Wieseltier is that Russia is not bombing the Islamic State jihadists who are attempting to overthrow the Syrian government in order to establish a jihadish state that would threaten the Middle East, Iran, and Russia herself. The official line is that the Russians are bombing the democratic "rebels" who are trying to overthrow an alleged "brutal Syrian dictator." The conflict that the US government started by sending ISIS to Syria to overthrow the Syrian government is blamed on the Russian and Syrian governments.



Ignatieff and Wieseltier say that the US has put its "moral standing" at risk by permitting the Russians to bomb and to starve innocent women and children, as if the US had any moral standing after destroying seven countries so far in the 21st century, producing millions of dead and displaced persons, many of whom are now overrunning Europe as refugees from Washington's wars.



The recently retired head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael Flynn, has said that the Obama regime made a "willful decision" to support ISIS and use ISIS against the Assad government in Syria. That the violence in Syria originated in a US/ISIS conspiracy against Syria is ignored by Ignatieff and Wieseltier. Instead, they blame Russia despite the fact that it is Russia's air support for the Syrian Army that has rolled back ISIS.



Where were Ignatieff and Wieseltier when Washington and its vassals destroyed Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, much of Pakistan, overthrew the first democratically elected government in Egypt, overthrew the government in Ukraine and started a war against the Russian population, and supplied Israel with the weapons and money to steal Palestine from the Palestinians? Where were they when Clinton destroyed Yugoslavia and Serbia? Where are they when ISIS murders Syrians and eats the livers of its executed victims?



It would be interesting to know who financed the professorship in Edward R. Murrow's name and the fellowship in Isiah Berlin's name and how these positions came to be staffed with their current occupants.



Reagan and Gorbachev brought the Cold War to an end. The George H.W. Bush administration supported the end of the Cold War and gave further guarantees to Russia. But Clinton attacked Serbia, a Russian ally and broke the agreement that NATO would not expand into Eastern Europe to Russia's border. When the neoconservatives' plans to invade Syria and to attack Iran were frustrated by Russian diplomacy, the neocons turned on Russia with fury.



In 1961 President Eisenhower warned the American people of the threat posed by the military-security complex. That was 55 years ago. This complex is so strong today that it is able to divert massive taxpayer resources to its coffers while the living standard and economic prospects of the American people decline.



The military/security complex requires an enemy. When the Cold War ended, the "Muslim Threat" was created. This "threat" has now been superceded by the "Russian Threat," which is much more useful in keeping Europe in line and in scaring people with prospective invasions and nuclear attacks that are far beyond the power and reach of jihadists.



Superpower America required a more dangerous enemy than a few lightly armed jihadists, so the "Russian threat" was created. To drive home the threat, Russia and her president are constantly demonized. The conclusion is unavoidable that the insouciant American people are being prepared for war. Copyright applies to external text. http://tinyurl.com/z7hwm7e

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Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] reported [text] on Thursday that nearly five years after Bahrains Day of Rage [BBC report] protests sparked international concern over Bahraini government accountability in human rights, the hope for reform has dwindled. In Bahrain, February 14, 2011, was marked by a day of protests that ultimately ended in the death and torture of human rights activists. AI reported that peaceful activists in government opposition still face arbitrary detention and even physical punishment. AI called for the government to take accountability not only for current conditions but for the security forces that committed abuses during the initial protests.

Bahrain has faced criticism [JURIST report] from international human rights organizations in recent years for its handling of pro-reform protests. Bahrain has tortured detainees [JURIST report] in the years following the countrys 2011 protests [BBC timeline], despite a government promise to stop such abuses, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported in November. In September 32 nations issued a joint statement [JURIST report] that was read to the UN Human Rights Council [official website] discussing human rights concerns in Bahrain. In April AI reported that reforms in Bahrain failed to end [JURIST report] serious human rights violations. The report detailed the continued jailing of activists and mistreatment of detainees.
Nearly 40 years after the 1979 Revolution in Iran, the nations legal structures are still deeply flawed, according to an 87-page report [text, PDF] released [press release] Thursday by Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website]. Describing how the revolution elicited sweeping changes in the justice system, the report discusses Irans new Criminal Procedure Code, criticizing it sharply as a lost opportunity to address long-standing shortcomings in Irans criminal justice system. Calling for the adoption of legal provisions increasing accountability and oversight of law enforcement and the judiciary, AI urged the nation to fall in line with international law standards. Noting that Iran has improved since the revolution, the report then made recommendations on the code such as adding provisions for the right to liberty, rights related to arrest and detention, and rights not to be tortured or mistreated, among others.

Much international pressure has been directed toward Iran in recent years for its use of the death penalty. Iran executed [JURIST report] Saman Naseem, a juvenile offender who was 17 years-old when sentenced to death in February of last year; he was charged in July 2011 with enmity against God and corruption on earth. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran Ahmed Shaheed urged [JURIST report] Iran 2014 to immediately halt the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari. Jabbari was executed [JURIST report] the following October despite international opposition. In June 2014, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned [JURIST report] Irans use of the death penalty for juvenile offenders and called on authorities to halt the announced execution of Razieh Ebrahimi, who was 14 years old when sentenced to death. Also in June 2014 a group of independent UN human rights experts condemned [JURIST report] Irans execution of a political prisoner, calling for the country to end the death penalty.
A judge for the US District Court for the District of Minnesota [official website] on Thursday ordered a Bosnian man to be deported after he pleaded guilty to lying on immigration forms about his criminal history during the Bosnian war. Zdenko Jekisa [ICE press release] has resided in the US for 18 years and has been a lawful permanent resident for 14. In 2015 he was arrested and charged for falsifying his applications to enter the country and obtain his green card. Jekisa was convicted in Bosnia for shooting and killing his elderly neighbor. He also has a criminal record in the US. Bosnian authorities have expressed their intent to investigate possible war crimes committed by Jekisa.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website] and the Balkan States continue to prosecute those accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity that left more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced during the Balkan conflict of the 1990s. Serbian prosecutors charged [JURIST report] former Bosnian Army general Naser Oric in August with war crimes against prisoners of war in 1992 for crimes allegedly committed in the same village. He was accused of killing of killing of three Bosnian Serb prisoners of war. Oric has pleaded [JURIST report] not guilty. In April the prosecutors office indicted [JURIST report] 10 former Bosnian-Serb soldiers for war crimes committed during the Balkan conflict of the 1990s. Also in April Bosnian prosecutors indicted three men [JURIST report] for crimes committed against more than 300 Serb civilians between April 1992 and July 1993.
Kentucky clerk Kim Davis is obeying orders to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples according to a federal court ruling [order] Tuesday. US District Judge David Bunning denied a request by the American Civil Liberties Union [advocacy website] to order Davis to reissue licenses she had altered by removing her name and title. The judge found [CBS/AP report] that Davis had issued licenses to anyone eligible since September and the alterations were likely valid under Kentucky law. The ACLU asked that Davis be forced to reissue the licenses and not interfere with her deputies willing to sign them or face further punishment. In December Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed an executive order [JURIST report] to no longer require county clerks names to appear on marriage licenses.

Following the US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges [JURIST report] in June, Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex or heterosexual couples arguing that her Christian faith should exempt her from issuing the licenses to same-sex couples. The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ordered [JURIST report] Davis to issue the licenses in August, but she continued to refuse [JURIST report]. The following week, the Supreme Court denied [JURIST report] her bid to continue refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples pending an appeal. A federal judge held Davis in contempt of court [JURIST report] in September for her continued refusal, releasing her after several days in jail. Davis claimed upon returning to work that she would not block her clerks [JURIST report] from issuing the licenses.
The French National Assembly [official website, in French] on Wednesday approved a bill [text, PDF, in French] that would strip convicted terrorists of their citizenship rights. The amendment to the constitution would also grant the president greater power to act in an emergency or terrorist situation. The legislation, dubbed the draft to protect the nation, would allow for a state of emergency to last from 12 days to four month and extend police powers for investigative purposes. The bill now head to the senate for a vote.

The French government declared a state of emergency following the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13. In November French police authorities conducted more than 2,700 raids and enforced 360 house arrests [JURIST report]. In this period, at least 20 complaints were filed against the French government, a majority by the French Muslim population who allege abuse and unfair [STAR report] of Muslims. On November 19 the French National Assembly voted to extend the state of emergency until February 2016. In December more than 100 organizations issued a statement [JURIST report] asking the French government to lift the state of emergency.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] said Friday that hostilities in eastern Ukraine have damaged [press release] or destroyed hundreds of schools, many of which were being used for military purposes. According to a detailed investigative report [text], government forces and Russia-backed militants have deployed forces in and near schools, turning the schools into legitimate military targets. The resulting destruction has either forced many children out of schools or caused schools to stop operating or to operate under overcrowded and difficult conditions. According to Yulia Gorbunova, a Ukraine researcher with HRW, Civilians, including children, on both sides of the line of contact have been bearing the brunt of this protracted war. HRWs report explains that the armed conflict has eroded the quality of education even in places where children were not forced out of schools. HRW urged the Ukraine government to protect the safety of its children and their access to education, and to deter military use of schools by endorsing and implementing the international Safe Schools Declaration [text, PDF].

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has continued to be a prevalent topic ever since the Crimean Annexation [JURIST backgrounder] in March 2014. In December the UN released a report stating [press release] that serious human rights concerns persist, in Ukraine. In August a Russian military court sentenced [JURIST report] two Ukrainian activists to substantial jail time for the charge of conspiring to commit terror attacks. In March the EU committed to stand by [JURIST report] its policy of refusing to recognize Crimeas annexation, as they purport the illegality of Russias referendum. Last February Russian liberal political activist Boris Nemtsov was shot in the back four times [BBC report] in the middle of busy downtown Moscow. Nemtsov was openly politically opposed to Russias annexation of Crimea and its role in Ukraine, and many believe Vladimir Putin [official website] ordered [JURIST report] the killing. The conflict has often been labeled the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned [JURIST report] Russias military intervention in the region as a violation of international law.
Morgan Stanley [corporate website] agreed Thursday to pay about $3.2 billion to settle charges [settlement agreement, PDF] that it misled investors in residential mortgage-backed securities. The charges come from an investigation by the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Group [official website] that serves to prove potential misconduct from the financial crisis. $2.6 billion of the settlement will go towards resolving the claims by the US Department of Justice [press release], while another $550 million will go to New York and another $22.5 million will go to Illinois. Morgan Stanley is accused [Reuters report] of misleading investors on the quality of the residential mortgages it was selling. As part of the settlement agreement, Morgan Stanley acknowledged in writing [Guardian report] that it failed to disclose critical information about the quality of the mortgage loans underlying its residential mortgage-backed securities and about its due diligence practices.

Many fraud cases continue to be litigated in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered [JURIST report] Bank of America to pay $727 million for its illegal credit card practices. The DOJ criticized [JURIST report] the US Sentencing Commission in March after a federal panel introduced a proposal which would reduce prison time for white-collar criminals. Last July Citigroup, Inc. agreed [JURIST report] to pay USD $7 billion to settle a federal inquiry into mortgage-backed securities sold by the bank prior to the financial crisis. The US Supreme Court granted certiorari [JURIST report] in April to hear a mortgage lending case in which Countrywide failed to provide required information and the borrowers attempted to rescind the loan. In February the Supreme Court heard oral arguments [JURIST report] on a subprime mortgage fraud case. Earlier that month JPMorgan Chase paid [JURIST report] a USD $614 million settlement to the US government for its role in approving unqualified mortgages for government insurance.
A Moroccan judge on Thursday ordered the release [NYT report] of Younis Chekkouri, a former Guantanamo detainee who had remained in custody for nearly five months despite diplomatic assurances that he would be freed after his transfer to the country [JURIST report]. Chekkouris case drew scrutiny because authorities in Morocco apparently told the US that he would be released without charges within 72 hours of any transfer, but instead kept him under custody and opened a criminal investigation against him. Chekkouri was captured near the Pakistan border and transferred to Guantanamo, after the US began bombing Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Although Chekkouri denies his involvement in a Moroccan Islamist fundamentalist group before his capture in 2001, he still faces the possibility of criminal charges in connection with those allegations. Chekkouris lawyer, Khalil Idrissi, described the release as a positive step and hopes that it will be followed with the dropping of all charges. Cori Crider, a lawyer with the international human rights group Reprieve [advocacy website], which represented Chekkouri in a habeas corpus lawsuit in the US, stated [press release] that, [i]t has been a years-long struggle to get Younous out to his family, but his new life starts today. He is one of the kindest, gentlest souls I had the privilege to represent in my years going to Guantanamo, and I am so pleased he will spend tonight with his family.

Currently, 91 detainees remain in Guantanamo Bay, and 34 await resettlement in foreign countries. Amnesty International USA (AI) [advocacy website] alleged that Mustafa al-Hawsawi [AI report], one of the accused 9/11 ringleaders, is in desperate need of medical care in a letter [text, PDF] to the Pentagon that was made public on Wednesday. Last month the Obama administration stated [JURIST report] its intention to fulfill its promise to close Guantanamo but has struggled due to Congressional opposition to relocating detainees to the US, as well as the slow process of transferring prisoners to other countries. Seventeen detainees were scheduled for transfer in January, although only 16 were released as one refused the transfer [JURIST report]. Human rights experts from the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation [official website] joined in sending an open letter [text, PDF] urging [JURIST report] the US government to shut down the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay on its fourteenth anniversary last month.
The Northern Ireland Assembly [official website] rejected proposed amendments to the regions strict abortion laws on Wednesday. The Assembly voted against a proposed amendment [text, PDF] to the Justice Bill [text] that would allow terminations in cases of sexual crime, fatal fetal abnormality or incest. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission [advocacy website] decried Wednesdays vote as an infringement on human rights [press release] and a violation of a December ruling from the High Court in Belfast which found [JURIST report] that Northern Irelands abortion laws are not compatible with human rights laws. Currently, women in Northern Ireland must travel to other parts of the UK [Belfast Telegraph report] to seek an abortion when diagnosed with a fetal abnormality. The current law in Northern Ireland strictly bans abortion unless it is required in order to save a womans life or a serious risk is posed.

Abortion [JURIST backgrounder] remains a controversial topic in both Northern Ireland and the neighboring state of Ireland. In June Amnesty International said Irelands abortion laws threaten the lives [JURIST report] of women who choose to remain in the country. In December 2014 the High Court of Ireland ruled [JURIST report] that a doctor could switch off the life support of a brain dead woman who was 18 weeks pregnant. Northern Irelands current abortion law was proposed shortly after the 2013 death of Savita Halappanavar [BBC report], a 31-year-old dentist who was denied a potentially life saving abortion. Following her death, Irelands Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore [official website] pledged [JURIST report] to bring legal clarity to the countrys abortion laws.
[JURIST] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile], expressed utmost alarm [press release] Thursday at the worsening situation in Syria. Zeid said that warring parties were constantly sinking to new depths, attacking women, children, the sick and the elderly with unprecedented force throughout the nation. He noted how the Governorate of Aleppo, in conjunction with Syrian and Russian forces, displaced approximately 51,000 civilians with another 300,000 at risk of being placed under siege following an airstrike offensive last week. Those currently under siege, such as residents of Moaddamiyat al-Sham, Madaya, Deir ez-Zour, Fuah and Kafreya, face malnutrition and limited access to necessary health care. Zeid concluded his remarks stating that all involved parties have international human rights obligations to avoid placing civilians in peril and that this deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law. He also urged for the re-initiation of the Geneva peace talks as soon as possible, stressing that [a] lasting peaceful resolution of this horrific war must be built on a solid foundation of human rights.

The Syrian Civil War [JURIST backgrounder] has been ongoing since 2011 when opposition groups first began protesting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and the increasingly bloody nature of the conflict has put pressure on the international community to intervene. Earlier this week the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights reported [JURIST report] that the Syrian government is systematically exterminating detainees. In November Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] released a report stating that the practice of caging captured soldiers and civilians constitutes hostage-taking [JURIST report] and an outrage against their personal dignity. In October France opened a torture investigation [JURIST report] into the actions of the Syrian government under Assad in detention facilities. Additionally, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] released a report [JURIST report] in October detailing the possibility of war crimes in Syria. The AI report criticized the Syrian government by stating that they have maintained unlawful sieges, restricted humanitarian assistance deliveries, deliberately attacked civilians, and carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, arbitrary detentions, abductions and enforced disappearances.
[JURIST] UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Territories Makarim Wibisono [official profile] urged Israel on Thursday to address its use of excessive force against Palestinians and to charge or release all administrative detainees. In a report [materials] to the UN Human Rights Council, Wibinso claimed [Reuters report] that there have been 157 Palestinians killed and 5,680 Palestinians improperly detained as of last October. He blamed this recent surge of violence on the continuing occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem and referred to Israels treatment of Palestinians as collective punishment and a violation of human rights and international law. Israeli spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon labelled the UN report as biased and pointed to Wibinsos recent resignation [JURIST report] as proof that his requests are impossible to fulfill.

Recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine [HRW backgrounder] over settlements in the occupied West Bank have raised concerns over possible human rights violations. Last month Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] urged [JURIST report] businesses to cease operations in Israel settlements. In August UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged both sides of the conflict [JURIST report] to reconcile and move towards peace after an attack occurred in the West Bank village of Duma, where Jewish extremists allegedly set fire to a Palestinian home while the family slept. In April HRW alleged [report] that Israeli settlement farmers in the occupied West Bank are using Palestinian child laborers in dangerous conditions in violation of international laws. Last January Germanys top human rights official urged Israel to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] probe into possible war crimes in Palestinian territories. After a prosecutor for the ICC announced the investigation [JURIST report], Israels government said that it would not work with the ICC and called for its funding to be cut.
UN human rights experts urged [press release] the Nigerian government Friday to guarantee the safety of areas liberated from Boko Haram. The UN experts expressed concern for the safety of internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning home to these areas after a series of vicious Boko Haram attacks. Boko Haram recently raided an IDP settlement and killed more than 90 individuals, primarily women and children. On Tuesday, there was another attack killing more than 50 and injuring others. Child rights expert Benyam Dawit Mezmur said:

The Nigerian authorities are legally obliged under international human rights law, in particular under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which it has ratified, to take all necessary steps to respect, protect and fulfil the right to life of children, as well as ensuring their right to safety and security which among others, entails protecting them from violence, intimidation, sexual abuse and slavery.

The experts urged authorities to hold rights violators accountable.

The militant Islamic group Boko Haram [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive], whose name means Western education is a sin, has been fighting to overthrow the Nigerian government in the interest of creating an Islamist state. In November the UN Secretary-General condemned [JURIST report] yet another attack by Boko Haram in Nigeria that left 30 dead and approximately 80 injured. In April UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein [official profile] reported [JURIST report] that Boko Haram militants in Nigeria have been murdering women and girls previously taken captive by the group. The group has been increasing the intensity and frequency of its attacks [JURIST report] ever since it lost most of the territory it overtook earlier this year to the Nigerian army. Most of these attacks have centered around markets, bus stations, places of worship and hit-and-run attacks on villages.
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796 Nepal Telecom employees to get golden handshake

In one of the largest voluntary retirement schemes (VRS) in the history of Nepali state-owned enterprises, Nepal Telecom (NT) will be giving a golden handshake to as many as 796 employees following a board decision on Wednesday.
Baggage claim still a nightmare at TIA

Nepals sole international airport Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has undergone massive changes after the government started conducting regular inspections amid scathing media reports about bad service, but retrieving ones luggage at the arrival lounge remains a nightmare.
Saptari govt offices resume operations

Government offices in Saptari resumed their operations after almost six months on Thursday.
Syria crisis: UN siege aid 'could start within 24 hours'

The UN says it hopes to start delivering aid to some besieged areas in Syria within the next 24 hours.
Thousands of Iraqi refugees leave Finland voluntarily

Thousands of Iraqi refugees who arrived in Finland last year have decided to cancel their asylum applications and to return home voluntarily, citing family issues and disappointment with life in the frosty Nordic country.
1. Yes. Its important to cast my votes early and avoid the lines on Election Day.

2. Yes. With nearly two weeks of early voting, its a more convenient way to take part.

3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, in case any last-minute information surfaces.

4. No. Im not planning to vote early or on Election Day. It isnt worth my time.

5. Unsure. It depends on how the campaigns are shaping up. Ill play it by ear.

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Mike Dunleavy the governor of the US state of Alaska is intending to introduce legislation that will repeal the two state boards which regu...
With only five days to polling day, presidential candidates have been defended for breaching the election guidelines on campaign time.

Several reports have indicated that the three main contenders; Forum for Democratic Change (FDCs) Dr.Kiiza Besigye, NRMs Yoweri Museveni and independent candidate Amama Mbabazi have all violated electoral guidelines on time which requires them to stop campaigning at 6:00pm.

The past two days saw both Museveni and Besigye campaign beyond 9:00pm, which raised questions among some sections of the public.

However, the Chairman Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda Dr. Livingston Ssewanyana says such a requirement is unrealistic at a time when candidates are racing against time to ensure all the 112 districts are covered.

Campaigns officially end on Tuesday February 16th after which it will be illegal to market a candidate.

Story by Moses Kyeyune
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has reappointed bitter rival Riek Machar as vice-president as part of a peace deal aimed at ending more than two years of war, according to the BBC.

The move returns the government to where it was before the war broke out.

The civil conflict erupted in December 2013 after Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.

Since then thousands have died and more than two million have been displaced.

South Sudan is the worlds youngest country and one of the least developed. It split from the North in 2011.

Amid a threat of sanctions from the UN, the two sides signed a peace deal in August last year.

Fighting was supposed to stop immediately but there have been frequent violations.
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Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, How I sold out to da Man. Robbie Bell again performs: Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells and Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to Dancing with the Stars, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.



Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and Big Cat Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).



Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.



Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".



In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word jackass was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.



In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.



Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.



Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!



This is definitely a Beaver production.



Note: Security provided by INS.


The United States on Thursday reiterated its support for President Park Geun-hye's decision to shut down an inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

"We support President Park's approach toward North Korea and respect her resolve in shutting down the Gaeseong complex in the face of DPRK's recent destabilizing actions on the peninsula," State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said at a regular briefing.

"We think that her decision reflects growing concern in the region about North Korea's flagrant disregard for multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," he said.

Earlier this week, South Korea decided to shut down the jointly run industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong, bringing to an end the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean detente that once boomed following the first-ever summit between the two Koreas in 2000.

The decision was seen as the strongest non-military measure that South Korea could take against the North.

North Korea responded by expelling South Korean personnel from the factory park, seizing all factory assets and cutting off crucial cross-border communication hotlines.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel welcomed the decision, saying it is "consistent with" the international community's view that more steps are necessary to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap)
U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders came under fire for missing a Senate vote to approve a set of strigent sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.



The senator from Vermont was among four in the 100-member Senate that did not vote on the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016. The legislation passed in a 96-0 vote, demonstrating bipartisan support for a tough response to the North.



The campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slammed Sanders.



"It is unfortunate that yet again, Senator Sanders has shown a lack of interest in vital national security issues, failing to vote on sanctions against the country he said poses the greatest threat to the United States," Clinton campaign spokesman Jesse Ferguson said after Wednesday's vote, according to news reports.



Sanders was quoted as saying that he had to be "necessarily absent," but the increased sanctions were "absolutely essential" to ending North Korea's nuclear program.



His absence from the vote came after he said during a TV debate last week that he was most worried about North Korea, calling the regime "a very, very strange country."

Other presidential hopefuls in the Senate cast their votes, including Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). (Yonhap)




North Korea ordered all South Koreans on Thursday to immediately leave a joint industrial park in the North and froze all South Korean assets there in retaliation for Seoul's suspension of the complex.



The North's move to expel South Koreans from the Gaesong Industrial Complex in the North's border city came as Seoul on Wednesday announced plans to shut down the factory zone in response to the North's latest nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.



The South Korean government said late Thursday that all of its nationals have returned home safely. A total of 124 South Korean firms were running factories at the zone, the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation.

After their return, South Korea also cut off electric power transmission to the complex, a measure that is also expected to lead to a halt of water supplies, officials said.



North Korea "will completely freeze all assets including equipment, materials and products" of the South Korean firms, according to a statement issued by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which handles inter-Korean affairs.



The North said it has closed the complex and designated it a military zone, adding that two inter-Korean communication hotlines will be also cut off.

South Korea has unveiled one of the strongest non-military measures to punish North Korea for its reckless provocations -- the complete shutdown of the industrial complex.



Seoul's move is aimed at cutting off North Korea's source of hard currency to prevent South Korean money from being funneled into the North's nuclear and missile development.



On Sunday, the North launched a long-range rocket carrying a satellite, which Seoul and Washington view as a cover for a banned test of intercontinental ballistic technology. The North conducted its fourth nuke test on Jan. 6.



South Korea "will experience what disastrous and painful consequences will be entailed by its actions," the North's committee said.



North Korea labeled Seoul's move as a "provocative measure that is a declaration of an end to the last lifeline of South and North Korea."



"It is a dangerous declaration of a war driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a war," the North said.



The complex opened in 2004 as a result of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. It had served as a major revenue source for the cash-strapped North, while South Korea benefited from cheap but skilled North Korean labor. More than 54,000 North Korean workers had been employed to produce labor-intensive goods, such as clothes and utensils.



The North's abrupt announcement came as Seoul began earlier in the day pulling its nationals from the industrial park, some 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul.

South Korea's military said it will further step up its vigilance against North Korea near the inter-Korean border as the North has designated the industrial park a military-control zone.



In April 2013, the North shut down the complex for about four months, citing what it called heightened tensions sparked by a military drill between Seoul and Washington. In February of that year, the North conducted its third nuclear test.



The two Koreas agreed not to shut it down again "under any circumstances" when they decided to reopen it. (Yonhap)




The South Korean military will strategically focus on picking a candidate site for the U.S. missile defense system THAAD, rather than on a backlash from China and Russia, a high-ranking defense ministry official said Friday, as Seoul and Washington are poised to begin formal talks next week on the sensitive matter.



"Considering the stances of neighboring countries when (South Korea) picking an area to host the THAAD is not militarily (right)," the Defense Ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.



China has expressed "serious concern" over the deployment plan, which the country believes would put it within the range of the U.S. defense system. Russia is also unnerved by South Korea's move.



The official stressed that the THAAD, if deployed in South Korea, would target North Korea alone over its growing nuclear and missile capabilities.



He also dismissed a view that South Korea is being drawn into the U.S. missile defense network.



"It does not necessarily mean South Korea joins the U.S. missile defense system," the official said. "The THAAD does not intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles nor does it intend to defend the mainland U.S. or any other third country."



The Defense Ministry has previously said the THAAD will be mobilized to intercept North Korea's short- to semi-medium-range missiles.



South Korea plans to choose location to host the THAAD in consideration of military effectiveness as well as the impact the deployment could have on the safety of South Koreans and the environment, he said.



Some observers said the U.S. is expected to position a THAAD battery in the southeastern province of Gyeongsang, relatively far from China.



The South Korea-U.S. working group on the issue is likely to kick off their negotiations next week on specific issues related with the deployment, according to the official.



"South Korea and the U.S. are now in their final stage of drawing up terms of reference for the running of the joint working group ... the working group may be able to start their discussion as early as next week," he said.



The time of an actual deployment will hinge on how long the discussion and preparations take, the official noted, adding that "Basically, South Korea and the U.S. seek to deploy it at the earliest time possible." (Yonhap)




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A leak at a natural gas storage facility near Porter Ranch that's been raging since October 23 has finallytemporarilybeen stopped. The Southern California Gas Company made the announcement today, reports the LA Times. "We have temporarily controlled the natural gas flow from the leaking well and begun the process of sealing the well and permanently stopping the leak, said a SoCal Gas rep. But this is just a "crucial first step" in permanently fixing the humongous leak, a process that could take at least a few days to complete.

The whole stopping-the-leak effort is "being conducted under new orders imposed by the Safety and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission" and the Department of Conservation's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. The CPUC has told the gas company not to "remove, temporarily store, bury or raze" any part of the well or anything within a 400-foot radius of it, as all that's fair game to be used as evidence in the many criminal and civil cases against the gas company.

Once the leak is finally, permanently stopped, the thousands of residents who moved out of the area because of the smell (odorants added to the gas to aid in detecting leaks were blamed for residents' nosebleeds and headaches) will have just eight days to move back in.

That date's a little controversial. Even though it's longer than the 48 hours the gas company initially suggested, it's not enough time to be sure that the air's totally free of natural gas. (The Department of Public Health will be monitoring the air in Porter Ranch for 30 days after the leak's plugged to make sure it's safe just in case.) The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that "at least 95,000 metric tons of potent, climate-forcing methane have escaped  the same 20-year climate impact as burning nearly a billion gallons of gasoline," they say in a statement.

 Gas leak at Porter Ranch well is stopped -- at least temporarily [LAT]

 Gas Company Wants to Rush Residents Back Into Massive Gas Leak Neighborhood [Curbed LA]

 Attempts to Plug the Enormous Porter Ranch Methane Leak Have Made Things Way Worse [Curbed LA]
Longtime District 21 Supervisor Vicki Burke will face two challengers  Amber Hackman and Dan Hanson  on the Feb. 16 primary ballot to represent constituents in the town of Onalaska.

Hackman, a 34-year-old Spanish teacher for the Minnesota Virtual Academy, and Hanson, a 64-year-old consultant for nonprofit organizations, will challenge retired teacher Burke, 71, who has served on the board since 2000.

During her time representing District 21, which includes Brice Prairie, Burkes worked to create a strong job-creating environment, for the county, she said, including voting in favor of the downtown development project last year.

I think the decision weve made on Lot C will strengthen La Crosse and be a good thing for the whole county, Burke said.

Outside her service on the county board, Burke is also a member of the Brice Prairie Conservation Organization, treasurer of the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission and chairwoman of the La Crosse County Democratic Party.

Im very much involved in the community itself and Brice Prairie, and that makes me, I feel, a good representative, Burke said.

Hanson last ran for public office in 1973 but is no stranger to serving in the public eye. Hanson has served on Western Technical Colleges board for 12 years, including two years as chairman.

I know the people in and out. I know perhaps three quarters of the board already, Hanson said.

As a member of Westerns board, he helped administer the colleges $79.8 million referendum, passed in 2012.

Were about three quarters of the way done and were under budget, Hanson said.

Hanson has also served on the La Crosse County Crime Stoppers and Western Wisconsin Workforce Development boards.

Hanson said he didnt enter the race because he believed Burke was doing a bad job but rather because he believed it was time to give Brice Prairie voters a chance to have new representation.

I think I can do a better job, and I think its time for new eyes on the county board, Hanson said. I have the background to make sure that somebody keeps a good eye on the county.

Hackman previously served a partial term on the Black River Falls City Council in 2014 until a move back to Brice Prairie forced her to give up her seat. Hackman says her high school Spanish teacher, Pat Hoch, inspired her to public service by teaching her the importance of giving back to the community.

Its something I can do, Hackman said. I like to read. I like to research. I enjoy learning about those kinds of things.

Hackman plans to take a level-headed approach to spending if shes elected.

Government in general seems to overspend, and that seems like something I can help with, Hackman said.

Hackmans priority if elected would be reducing the countys debt, which she says is much too high after the county board authorized $43 million in borrowing to pay for downtown projects to convert Associated Bank into a new administrative center, add onto the Health and Human Services building and build more office space into the Law Enforcement Center.

Its just like a slow killer, Hackman said. Its like a cancer on society, so I think trying to reduce the deficit is our main goal.

Burke disagrees that the countys debt level is out of control, saying it was carefully planned out by county officials and board members.

I think we have taken a very long-range plan in the debt and securing a solid financial base for the county, Burke said.

Burke pointed to the countys AA1 credit rating as evidence that the county is in good shape, adding that only five of Wisconsins 72 counties have higher ratings than La Crosse and only six have lower property taxes per capita.

I think those things speak to our handling of the finances of the county, Burke said.

Hanson, however, believes the county can do better, especially when it comes to preparing for changes in state funding to programs.

They have no room to borrow anymore without affecting their bond rating, and that would directly affect you and me, Hanson said.
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The city of La Crosse will give people interested in the former Buzzs Bikes building on Rose Street more time to put together proposals.

The Economic Development Commission voted Friday to extend the request for proposal time frame for up to six months after receiving just two incomplete proposals.

Caleb and Cassandra Hanson, owners of a wedding rental business called Vintage Valley Rentals, and Eric Huegel, a former Buzzs Bikes employee, both submitted proposals for the 1877-built structure also known as the Magill Brothers Building.

The Hansons want to move their business, now at 1220 Caledonia St., into the property, purchasing it for $18,000 and reconstructing the heating and air conditioning system for $100,000. But the Hansons didnt have detailed plans for restoring the historic features of the building.

Huegel submitted a detailed business plan to reopen the bike shop under his ownership. But his proposal did not include a purchase price for the building.

Senior planner Tim Acklin said he had hoped for more complete proposals and suggested the city give both prospective buyers a chance to refine their applications, as well as trying to draw in more proposals.

I dont think either one should be approved without us asking for additional information from them, Acklin said.

The city bought the Buzzs Bikes portion of building for about $85,000 in March 2015, more than a year after taking ownership of the adjacent North Side Masonic Temple from the county in exchange for $16,000 in back taxes and other debt.

Commissioner Debi McKenney said potential buyers need more time to put together plans for their businesses and for the renovation.

In order for us to get what we need, we need a good business plan and that takes months, McKenney said.

The building would also need to be brought back up to code after standing vacant for more than a year, which would require updates to not only the heating and cooling system, but potentially the plumbing and electrical systems as well.

We have to allow for people to perhaps bite this off in chunks, working with the banks, understanding what the renovation costs are and then get their business plans in as well, Kabat said.

Kabats priorities for the building are getting it rehabilitated to benefit the neighborhood and increase the citys tax base, recouping the citys investment over the long-term, rather than in the upfront purchase price, he said.

The open time period also will give time for the Wisconsin Historical Society to consider the citys application to add the building to the National Historic Register, which would make it eligible for historic tax credits for up to 40 percent of the developers investment in fixing the building.

Acklin expects to hear from the historical society by the end of the month. In the meantime, the city will continue to monitor the buildings roof after the council approved spending $11,490 for emergency repairs in January.
WESTBY  Julian Bradley doesnt make it to the front door before someone stops him.

Are they having some sort of party? the woman asks as he makes his way into the Old Towne Inn. A Republican party?

Bradley holds the door as she enters the supper club, where hes scheduled to speak at the Vernon County GOPs annual fall dinner, where the guest of honor is former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

I thought I recognized you, she says.

Inside the banquet room, Bradley works the crowd of party loyalists, shaking hands and introducing himself.

Hi. Julian Bradley. Im running for secretary of state.

I recognize you from TV, one woman tells him, even with a couple of inches trimmed off his afro.

Recognition is not a problem for Bradley. As usual, he is the largest person in the room  and the only person of color. Its a theme he embraces in his stump speech, telling the crowd how people often assume hes a Democrat.

No, not unless the democratic party has changed their platform to being pro-life, pro-gun and pro-business, he says. Im pretty sure Im a Republican.

Then he delivers the punch line.

I like to ask a question, Bradley says to growing laughter. Why? What is it about me that makes you think I could be a Democrat?  And after some hemming and hawing sometimes I can get it out of them, they say well you know, youre a little tan. It throws us off.

Bradley, the 33-year-old vice chairman of the 3rd Congressional District party and the former chairman of the La Crosse County GOP, is considered one of his partys rising stars. A one-time aspiring professional wrestler, he is funny and equally at ease in front of a crowd or chatting with voters one-on-one.

He exudes charisma.

In 2013, after being elected district vice chairman, Bradley set out on a statewide speaking tour to promote the GOP as a more diverse party.

Now hes running for secretary of state, taking on eight-term incumbent Doug La Follette.

It was during his Shattering Stereotypes tour, Bradley said, that people urged him to run for office.

At the end of the year I started thinking about that, looking at the elections, he said. Looking from the top down, the governor  weve got a great governor. Hes good; dont need to do anything there. Brad Schimels running for attorney general. Were going to do very well there. Secretary of state. Thats a place that needs a definite positive change.

Little discretion or authority

Though it is a constitutional position  second in line of succession, behind the lieutenant governor, should something happen to the governor  Wisconsins secretary of state is one of the sleepier offices in state government.

The job carries a salary of $68,556, and the office has a budget of just over $500,000 a year and is allocated just four employees.

Unlike in Florida, Ohio or Minnesota, the secretary of state has not overseen elections since 1973, when the Legislature created a bipartisan elections board. Nor does it handle business registrations. That role was transferred in 1995 under Gov. Thompson to the newly created Department of Financial Institutions. Most recently the office was stripped of the responsibility for publishing new laws.

The physical office has even been removed from the capitol.

One way of looking at the remaining tasks is there is very little discretion or authority left in the office, said Dennis Dresang, professor emeritus of public affairs and political science at the University of Wisconsin. Its mainly a keeper of records.

Today the secretary of state holds the official state seal and maintains copies of official documents, such as incorporation and annexation papers, deeds for state lands and pardons.

Need to see a copy of someones oath of office? Its on file.

Thats a problem with the office, Bradley said. People snicker at it.

But unlike other recent Republican candidates, Bradley does not advocate eliminating the office, which would require a constitutional amendment.

I stay out of the elimination debate, he said. I know its going to be there for the next four years. While its there  my job is to be the best secretary of state I can be, earning my salary.

His campaign message hinges on La Follettes low visibility.

A former chemistry professor, La Follette was first elected to the office in 1974. After an unsuccessful lieutenant governor bid in 1978, he was elected secretary of state again in 1982, when Bradley was just 2, and has held it ever since.

He brags that he turned the office around and has modernized its record keeping and public interface.

I took over an office that was in somewhat disrepair, La Follette said. There was no modern technology. I brought in computers, set up a website  one of the best in the country.

In his stump speech, Bradley highlights La Follettes most noticed official action in recent years: waiting to publish Act 10, Gov. Scott Walkers controversial bill that eliminated collective bargaining for most public workers.

My opponent, Doug La Follette, woke up  after 36 years of hibernation and he said, I dont like that bill, so Im going to sit on it for 10 days.

La Follette has a different take. With very few exceptions, he said, his office published every bill on the 10th day.

I didnt see this to be an emergency, he said. I heard there were possible legal actions. ... I did what I felt was the conservative thing and waited until the 10th day.

Republicans retaliated, passing a law that gave that responsibility to the Department of Administration.

Bradley said he would like to eventually return the business registry functions to the office, but in the meantime he thinks he could do a better job of customer service than the recording that currently greets business owners who dont know to contact the DFI.

He also vows to build relationships with the Legislature and advocates returning the office to the capitol.

Good luck with that, La Follette said. The Legislature is never going to give up the space they took.

134 years of name recognition

Though La Follette, 74, had little success in other races  he lost a 1970 bid for Congress and came in fourth in the Democratic primary during the 2012 gubernatorial recall  he has had little trouble winning his secretary of state races.

In 2010 he defeated Republican David King by almost 69,000 votes out of more than 2 million cast, his narrowest margin yet.

But he does little campaigning and practically no fundraising. Through late October, Bradley had spent nearly $50,000 on the race; La Follette, just $320.

A hundred and thirty-four years of name recognition certainly helps, Bradley says, referring to La Follettes distant cousin, Robert Fighting Bob La Follette, the progressive governor and U.S. senator who was first elected to Congress in 1885.

Bradleys strategy is simple. Hes targeting the base in an effort to ensure they vote all the way down the ticket.

You would be shocked how many people vote in the governors race (and nothing else), Bradley says. Just because Im a Republican doesnt mean theyll vote for me. ... I really want to fire people up.

Heres the math: in 2010, Scott Walker got 1,128,941 votes; two spots down the ticket, fellow Republican David King got just 1,005,217.

Bradley figures if he can connect with enough core Republican voters he can erase that deficit.

But it may not be so easy: La Follette actually got 69,815 more votes than Tom Barrett, the Democrat at the top of the ticket.

Republican under-voting could be at play, said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the UW-Madison, but so too is crossover voting, likely because they recognize a name attached to statues and public institutions.

Dresang thinks the diminished role of the office simply doesnt attract big-ticket candidates.

A serious challenger is probably not going to spend the kind of money to get the same visibility as other people running statewide, he said. Even the Koch brothers wouldnt invest in this.

Still, La Follette spent just $800 on his last campaign, beating an opponent who outspent him 56 to one.

He is just unusual because of the name, which resonates with people, Burden said. And hes been in office for over 30 years. He has an incumbency advantage that no other politician has. Hes won a tremendous amount of elections, even in years that have been good for Republicans.

Hard work

Bradley has been a relentless campaigner, putting more than 56,000 miles, one set of brakes, an alternator and a couple of transmission repairs on his Ford Explorer since entering the race on Jan. 18.

So far hes hit one skunk but managed to avoid deer.

He earned the party endorsement and handily won the August primary, taking 64 percent of the Republican vote and all but a handful of counties.

The Republican State Leadership Committee named him to their 14 in 14 list highlighting promising up-and-coming leaders in the party, and the national party has since launched a five-figure digital ad campaign on his behalf.

Im a firm believer that with enough hard work , if youre willing to invest the time, Bradley said, you can change peoples minds.

The day of the Vernon County dinner, he was up at 5 a.m. checking email, put in a 7-4 shift at CenturyLink, where he is a customer service supervisor, changed into his signature campaign uniform  white shirt, red tie, black sweater vest  and picked up 3rd District congressional candidate Tony Kurtz, who studied for an upcoming debate as Bradley drove along foggy rural highways, constantly shuffling through the eclectic mix of music on his iPhone.

They were scheduled for back-to-back party meetings 92 miles apart. It would be after 11 p.m. before he made it home to Holmen.

Bradley, who saved up his vacation for the final 10 days before the election, calls it an easy day.

The hard work may be paying off. Earlier this month, an automated poll of likely Wisconsin voters by Gravis Marketing showed Bradley in a virtual tie with La Follette.

If youre going to do something thats never been done, Bradley said, you have to do everything.

Asked whether he thinks hes working harder than those whove tried before, he shrugs.

I try not to compare myself to previous candidates. Because they lost.
La Crosse health officials and police are doubling down on their efforts to address drug problems arising from drug overdoses attributed to a particularly potent form of heroin on the streets.

That message emerged from a joint press conference Thursday during which investigators reported an uptick in heroin use during the past 12 to 18 months. The departments investigation into the dangerous strain of heroin is in its infant stages, investigative Capt. Shawn Kudron said.

Our health partners see trends before we do because of patients seeking treatment, he said.

Dr. Chris Eberlein of Gundersen Health System repeated his warning that some heroin may be cut with the synthetic opiate Fentanyl, which dealers use to stretch supplies and can increase the illegal drugs potency by 50 times.

Eberlein, an emergency room doctor at Gundersen, blames the super-potent heroin for several recent non-fatal overdose cases and said it may have killed 29-year-old Mellisa Dobrunz, whose body was found Sunday on the South Side. Police said she likely died of an illegal drug overdose.

Police did not comment on Dobrunzs death or that of 27-year-old Shannon Richardson, whose body was found Tuesday on the North Side, because of the pending investigations.

We had been doing fairly well with overdoses until the recent spate of cases, said Eberlein, who also serves as medical director for Tri-State Ambulance.

One of the overdose cases, in which the patient nearly died, told medical personnel that it was among the strongest heroin he used, Eberlein said.

The extra-strong heroin makes a very dangerous habit even more dangerous, said Eberlein, adding that the best method of avoiding the problem is not to use illicit drugs.

The ages of overdose patients range from young teens to people in their 60s, Eberlein said.

He underscored the importance of the antidote Narcan in saving lives, saying, often we see them when they are soaking wet after someone tried to wake up a victim in the shower.

That doesnt work, Eberlein said.

Noting that hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to fight Ebola, which caused only two deaths in the United States, Eberlein lamented that far less is spent on getting people into treatment for heroin addiction, which kills tens of thousands.

We need to treat it like the chronic disease it is, he said.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP)  An April trial has been scheduled for a Council Bluffs woman accused of conspiring to steal from a Wal-Mart store.

Jeri Atilano pleaded not guilty Tuesday to theft, conspiracy and ongoing criminal conduct. Her trial is set to begin April 5.

Prosecutors say Atilano worked with a Wal-Mart cashier, Keisha Kephart, in buying items that Kephart would mark down for Atilano. Kephart also would take coupons that were for other items. The bogus transactions cost Wal-Mart more than $4,000.

Kephart pleaded guilty Monday after making a deal with prosecutors that includes her agreement to testify against Atilano. Kephart was sentenced to two years of probation.
A funny thing happened on the way to Jeb Bushs long-expected disappearance from the Republican presidential contest: He became a better  and more interesting  candidate. Improbably, he has Donald Trump to thank for it.

For much of 2015, after launching his campaign as a presumptive front-runner, Bush watched in miffed disbelief as GOP voters cheered Trumps uncouth braggadocio. Ive got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around being miserable, listening to people demonize me, Bush said last fall. That is a joke. Elect Trump if you want that.

But as Trumps insults continued, Bushs standoffish pique morphed into slow-boiling anger.

In recent weeks, the former Florida governor has redefined himself as the anti-Trump, out to save his party from the specter of a nominee without qualifications or polish. The newfound mission has given Bush a clear message, an ingredient his campaign had been missing.

Along the way, hes shed his politesse to match Trump insult for insult.

Donald Trump, you arent just a loser, you are a liar and a whiner, Bush taunted, un-Bush-like, on Twitter this week.

In campaign stops across New Hampshire, Bush argued that Trumps candidacy is a danger not only to the party, but to the country as well.

At some point in the next presidency, there will be a crisis, he told Rotary Club members in Nashua, N.H., on Monday. Who do you want sitting behind the big desk?

Donald Trump organizes his campaign around disparaging people, he added. Its not strong to insult women. Its not strong to castigate Hispanics. Its not strong to ridicule the disabled. And its certainly not strong to call people like John McCain  losers.

The new message appears to have given Bush only a modest boost in New Hampshire, where he finished in the middle of the pack  far behind Trump. But tactical advantage isnt the reason hes attacking the businessman, Bush told Politico.

I was offended by Trumps campaign, he said. I still am  . You dont insult your way to the White House.

Before anyone had cast a ballot in New Hampshire, Bush and his aides insisted that he would stay in the race for months to come.

This is a long-haul process, he said. Public sentiment, how people feel, will change. It always does. And if you stick to who you are  the simple fact is you can win the day.

Bush has other reasons to continue, no matter how long the odds appear. His campaign has more than enough money; at the end of 2015, his super PAC reported $58 million in its coffers. He has a serious campaign organization in South Carolina, site of the next primary on Feb. 20.

One other factor: Bushs brother, former President George W. Bush, has urged him to stay in. His advice is consistently: Stay the course, be patient, its coming your way, Bush told Politico. (With a Bush in the race, theres always an extra dash of family drama.)

So Bush has found a mission and freed himself from caution.

Hes even migrated back to some of his original, moderate-conservative positions  at least in New Hampshire, where GOP voters are less hard-line than other places.

At a town meeting in Bedford last weekend, he sounded almost like a Democrat on the subject of climate change.

Look, the climate is changing, he said. We have billions of people that live on the planet. We clearly have an impact. To deny it doesnt make sense. (He added, though, that massive subsidies for clean energy projects dont make sense, either.)

In Nashua, he said he wants to overturn the Supreme Court decision that allowed super PACs (including his own) to raise money anonymously. He still favors unlimited fundraising, he said, but he favors total transparency  a position that puts him at odds with GOP leaders in Congress.

And he said one of his central goals as president would be to restore the lost art of bipartisan compromise to Washington.

I dont think liberals are bad people, he said.

Bush is still out of sync with tea party voters who prize ideological purity over deal-making. Hes not likely to win many of Ted Cruzs voters, but those arent the voters hes aiming for. Hes trying to peel support away from Marco Rubio and Trump.

But when Bush talks about Rubio, his former political protege in Florida, he sounds more disappointed than angry. Its Trump who elicits his hitherto unglimpsed passion.

Donald Trump: Youre the loser! Bush declared in Nashua.

Hes not merely a candidate; hes an anti-candidate. Bush may not win, but if he succeeds in denying the nomination to Trump, hell count that as one mission accomplished. Trump may yet rue the day he derided Bush as a low-energy loser.
MILWAUKEE  Hillary Clinton took her share of shots at Scott Walker when he was a presidential candidate. Thursday night in Milwaukee, she used the Wisconsin governor to take a swipe at Bernie Sanders.

The theme of the Democratic debate, for Clinton, was basically this: "I agree with Sen. Sanders, but my plan is better."

But on the issue of college affordability, she accused the Vermont senator of "making promises we can't keep."

"If you dont have some agreement within the system from states, families, students, its hard to get to where we need to go," Clinton said. "Sen. Sanders' plan rests on governors like Scott Walker contributing $23 billion on the first day. Im a little skeptical about your governor actually caring enough about higher education to make any kind of commitment like that."

The crowd of Wisconsin Democrats loved that line. The governor, it would appear, did not.

".@HillaryClinton, while you took big speaking fees, we froze tuition 4 years in a row to make college affordable. #DemDebate," Walker tweeted from his campaign account.

It was the eighth time since August that Walker has tweeted an iteration of that jab at the former Secretary of State.

In contrast to Sanders' proposal, Clinton argued in favor of her debt-free college proposal, which would invest $350 billion over 10 years in higher education by raising taxes on the wealthy.

Sanders held that public colleges and universities should be made tuition-free, in part by taxing Wall Street speculators.

"We bailed them out, now it is their time to help the middle class," Sanders said.

While Clinton invoked Walker and his record in Wisconsin several times throughout the debate, Sanders didn't tailor his message to the locale.

Sanders campaign senior adviser Tad Devine said that's because the candidate is still introducing himself to the country, while Clinton already has a national presence.

"We didnt talk here to talk about a specific state, we came here to continue to introduce Bernie Sanders to the nation," Devine said after the debate. "But were very much looking forward to coming to Wisconsin and campaigning here. I think its a state where he's going to do great."

Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said she'll be back to Wisconsin as she fights for votes in every state.

"I think the record of the governor is a kind of indication of what consolidated Republican control can do when unchecked, and that's why its so important that a Democrat succeed President Obama," Podesta said.
MILWAUKEE  Two months before Wisconsins presidential primary, the state may play a larger-than-expected role in selecting the Republican and Democratic nominees.

The Democratic National Committee scheduled Thursday nights debate between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at UW-Milwaukee because Wisconsin will be a battleground state in the general election, DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Thursday. The Republicans also held a debate here in November.

The debate itself featured several Wisconsin references. Clinton challenged Sanders college affordability plan, saying it would require buy-in from governors and she doubted Gov. Scott Walker would support it. In response to a question about racial disparities in the criminal justice system, she said the statistics from Wisconsin are particularly troubling and referenced Dontre Hamilton, a black man who was fatally shot by a Milwaukee Police officer.

We have to go after sentencing, which is one of the problems here in Wisconsin, Clinton said.

Wisconsins April 5 primary could also draw a lot of attention from both Democrats and Republicans.

The odds are that it will matter, said Democratic strategist Paul Maslin, a veteran pollster for presidential candidates going back to Jimmy Carter. I dont see this race getting resolved anytime soon even if Hillary Clinton is able to come back and start winning not only South Carolina and Nevada, but most of the states on Super Tuesday.

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, speaking with reporters on behalf of Republicans at the Democratic debate Thursday, agreed.

Pulling into South Carolina, there is no magic demographic coalition that either one of these two candidates is going to be able to build, Kleefisch said of Clinton and Sanders. Without a nice coalition, I think the further primary states are going to matter more and more. ... The same can be said of the Republicans.

So far this year, the first two nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire have winnowed both fields, but neither contest has a resolution in sight. Clinton won a razor-thin victory in Iowa while Sanders won by more than 20 points in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

Wisconsins primary takes place in a stretch of the calendar with few other contests, so starting in a month, candidates will begin to make several stops in the state. It also comes after a majority of delegates are parceled out, so Wisconsins role will still depend on what happens on March 1, also known as Super Tuesday.

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginias Center for Politics, said Sanders has to perform well in states like Wisconsin in order to maintain his momentum, especially with Clinton receiving the lions share of endorsements from Democratic party leaders and officials whose votes at the Democratic National Convention arent bound by primary results.

Sanders needs to win a whole lot more states in lopsided fashion like he did in New Hampshire, Kondik said. We may have a situation where Sanders keeps fighting, but cant make up the delegate deficit if the superdelegates stick with Clinton.

Wisconsin has political characteristics that could benefit Sanders: an open primary, a predominantly white population, progressive liberals, and active college campuses, Kondik said.

Sanders would need to win Wisconsin decisively like he won in New Hampshire, Kondik said, to win the nomination.

So far two of Wisconsins superdelegates  U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore  have backed Clinton. No Wisconsin superdelegates have endorsed Sanders.

Baldwin, a Clinton campaign representative at Thursday nights debate, said the foundations of Clintons campaign in Wisconsin are starting to take shape, but she wouldnt expect there to be a 72-county infrastructure at this point.

I think its going to be a very competitive race for some time to come, but which week in March or April it is hard to say, Baldwin said.

She said Democrats should support Clinton because she is a progressive who gets things done.

Sanders will have campaign staff on the ground in Wisconsin closer to the April 5 primary, campaign manager Jeff Weaver said after the debate. I expect Sen. Sanders will do very well, he said.

Natalie Benge, 20, a Marquette University nursing student who supports Sanders, is representative of the kind of voters drawn to the outsider candidates appeal.

He really just amps me up, said Benge, wearing a Nurses for Bernie T-shirt and Bernie sticker. She came to UW-Milwaukee to show her support, but was unable to get a ticket to the event.

Benge is from the state of Washington, but said she is considering voting in Wisconsins primary so that her vote makes a difference.

One of the things I like about him is hes been fighting for the same things for so long, Benge said. It shows how reliable and truthful he is.

In the most recent Marquette Law School Poll, Sanders had pulled nearly even to Clinton, who led 45-43 among likely Wisconsin Democratic voters. In August, Clintons advantage over Sanders was 44-32 with several other potential candidates such as Vice President Joe Biden still considering a run.

A closer look at the most recent poll shows Clinton has a larger advantage in the Milwaukee area, with its large minority population, where she led 65-23. In the Madison area, with a large student population, Sanders led 55-31.

This isnt going to be resolved until one manages to dip into another ones bases, UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said. Sanders has to make inroads with minority voters and older voters.  The establishment in the party has rallied around Hillary Clinton.
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04 (6) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (5) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (7) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (6) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (6) Oct 06 (6) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (8) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (6) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (7) Sep 17 (6) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (8) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (8) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (6) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (5) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (7) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (5) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (7) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (8) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (2) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (8) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (2) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (1) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (2) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (1) May 26 (1) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (1) May 22 (2) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (2) May 17 (2) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (2) May 13 (2) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (2) May 08 (3) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (2) May 04 (2) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (2) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (2) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (4) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (2) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (2) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (2) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (2) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (2) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (2) Mar 22 (1) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (2) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (2) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (2) Mar 07 (1) Mar 06 (2) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (1) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (2) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) 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Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) 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(4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 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King's College Centre of European Law Conference in co-operation with Crowell & Moring LLP EU Competition Law: Current Issues in a Global Context Hilton Brussels Grand Place, Carrefour de lEurope, 1000 Brussels, Belgium 20 May 2016, 8.45-17:30 (drinks to follow) EU Competition Law: Current Issues in a Global Context will be the first major conference organized in Brussels by the Kings College London Centre of European Law and the first organized in conjunction with Crowell & Morning, LLP. The purpose of the event is to bring together leading judges, regulators, in-house counsel, academics and private practice lawyers to discuss current issues in EU law from an international perspective, with a particular focus on the EU-U.S. axis. To that end, we have put together four panels that each unite contributors from multiple jurisdictions to give short presentations leading to interactive discussions and Q&A involving the panel members and the audience. Panel Chairs Professor William E Kovacic Judge Marc van der Woude Professor Richard Whish QC (Hon) Professor Renato Razzini Panel Topics Antitrust and IP  Standard Essential Patents and Patent Settlements

Cartel Damages Litigation  An EU-wide Overview

Antitrust and the Internet  The Google Cases and the Sector Inquiry

Merger Control - Recent Remedies Experiences Speakers to include Terrell McSweeny, FTC Commissioner

Michele Piergiovanni, Head of Unit, European Commission

Thomas Kramler, Head of Digital Task Force, European Commission

Michaelynn Ware, UTC, Assistant GC, Antitrust

Dina Kallay, Ericsson, Director IP & Competition Tickets 125.00. You can book here http://bit.ly/20mkzZ5 - Space is limited; for further information, please contact: Christine Copping, Kings College, London, tel. + 44 207 848 2387, email christine.copping@kcl.ac.uk
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created the series in Dover, New Hampshire. The negatives for that first comic, printed in 1984, have surfaced and the owner, a Colorado collector, came to Biddeford In September to look around.


Nuclear weapons, terrorism and computer spying are problems for national security, say American intelligence officials.

The officials say challenges and crises are more diverse than ever.

James Clapper and Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart oversee national intelligence operations. They spoke to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Clapper and Stewart said North Korea could soon have enough plutonium to make nuclear weapons. And North Korea has started to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile system -- missiles that could reach other countries.

The officials said Iran is another country with a developing nuclear weapons program. Iran plans to keep its nuclear program, Clapper said, although it agreed in July to halt it. Economic sanctions put into place by six major nations were lifted when Iran agreed to halt its program.

But Vincent Stewart said the Islamic State terror group is the leading international threat.

Islamic State, he said, "will probably attempt to conduct additional attacks in Europe and attempt to direct attacks on the U.S. homeland in 2016."

Both officials said Russian and Chinese computer crime is another big threat.

Clapper told the senators, "Whether China's commitment of last September (to curb its cyber espionage) moderates its economic espionage remains to be seen.

Clapper said Russia is suspicious of being limited by NATO.

"They are greatly concerned about being contained and, of course, very concerned about (the U.S.) missile defense, which would serve to neuter what is the essence of their claim to great power status, which is their nuclear arsenal.

On the same day of the hearing, President Barack Obama announced new measures to enhance cyber security.

Im Caty Weaver.

Zlatica Hoke wrote this story for VOA. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

What do you think are the main security threats facing your country? Post your thoughts in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

challenge  n. a difficult task or problem: something that is hard to do

diverse  adj. different from each other

commitment  n. a promise to do or give something

espionage  n. the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors: the activity of spying

essence  n. the basic nature of a thing: the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is


Millions more girls and women are victims of female genital mutilation than previously thought, said the United Nations (UN).

UNICEF is the UN childrens agency. They said in a report released Thursday that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have had ritual cutting. The practice of cutting and stitching a females genitals is a cultural practice focused on modesty and chastity.

Half of the victims live in just three countries  Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

This is nearly 70 million more girls and women than estimated in 2014. New data was collected in Indonesia. The practice has been banned there since 2006.

Somalia has the highest rate of women and girls who have been cut. It affects 98 percent of the female population between the ages of 15 and 49. Guinea, Djibouti and Sierra Leone also have very high rates.

About 44 million victims of female genital mutilation around the world are aged 14 or younger. The majority of girls who have their genitals mutilated were cut before they were 5 years old, reported UNICEF.

In Yemen, 85 percent of girls experienced the practice before their first week of life, said the report.

Hard to track

UNICEF said exact numbers are hard to find. Few of the 30 countries where it is practiced keep reliable data on the procedure. Most rely on household surveys.

The practice also exists in countries not in the study. This includes India, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the practice happens in parts of Australia, North America and Europe, where immigrants from countries with a large number of female circumcisions live.

The report said that total rates of female genital mutilation have fallen in the last three decades. But progress has been uneven. Countries that have seen sharp declines include Liberia, Burkina Faso and Kenya.

The UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution in December 2012 calling for a ban on female genital mutilation. It is a centuries-old practice stemming from the belief that circumcising girls controls womens sexuality and increases fertility. Last September, the UN set a goal of eliminating the practice by 2030.

Im Mary Gotschall.

Smita Nordwall reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

female genital mutilation  n. all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons

ritual  adj. done as part of a ceremony or ritual

modesty  n. the quality of behaving and especially dressing in ways that do not attract sexual attention

chastity  n. the state of not having sex with anyone

genitals  b. sexual organs

mutilate  v. to cause severe damage to (the body of a person or animal)

circumcision  n. the act of cuting off the clitoris or outer sexual organs of (a woman or girl)

unanimously  adv. agreed to by everyone

resolution  n. the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something

sexuality  n. the sexual habits and desires of a person

fertility  n. the state or condition of being fertile: the ability to produce young


Researchers in Slovenia say they have found some evidence of a link between the Zika virus and an increase in some birth defects.

They published the study this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Journal also published a report from a group of American health experts that supports the Slovenian research.

The researchers studied a woman who was infected with the Zika virus. She had an abortion after an examination showed the fetus had severe health problems.

They said the mother and members of her family had not had the health problems found in the fetus. And the researchers believe that neither the woman nor members of her family had been infected with any other viruses that cause health problems in fetuses.

When the researchers examined the aborted fetus they found the Zika virus. And they found that it had only attacked the brain. They believe this is strong evidence that the virus causes birth defects. But they said more study must be done to confirm their beliefs.

People infected with the Zika virus suffer from fever, rash, joint and muscle pain and red eyes. It is not a severe illness. But because of its possible link to birth defects, experts believe it is a great danger to pregnant women.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus could be linked to 4,000 suspected cases in Brazil of microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with very small heads. It causes severe brain damage.

In February, the WHO said the virus is a global health emergency. And it predicted that Zika could infect as many as 4 million people across the Americas this year.

The declaration meant more money and other help would be given to fight the virus. But the health agency did not say there should be a ban on travel or trade in areas where the virus is present.

Some health experts say pregnant women, or women trying to get pregnant, should not travel to Brazil. The 2016 Summer Olympics are taking place in the South American country.

This week, U.S. public health officials told Congress that workers must kill the mosquitoes that carry the virus if its spread is to be stopped. They said the mosquito that carries the disease lives in parts of the southern United States and on the island of Puerto Rico. They said those areas are at risk of having an outbreak of the virus.

No treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus exists. But drug companies in India, Japan and France are working to develop possible vaccines.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

VOANews.com reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

infect  v. to cause (someone or something) to become sick or affected by disease

abortion  n. a medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus

outbreak  n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease




This is What's Trending Today...

The hashtag #ImNotKiddingMaddi is everywhere on social media this week. The hashtag comes from an email sent by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She is one of two candidates seeking the Democratic Partys presidential nomination.

This week, Clinton lost to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary election in New Hampshire. After the loss, the Clinton campaign team sent an email to her supporters. The subject of the email was Im not kidding, followed by the supporters name.

Im not kidding is another way of saying I am being serious.

The email was asking her supporters to give any small amount of money to Clintons political campaign.

One of her supporters, named Maddi, found humor in the message.In the email, her campaign team wrote, Im not kidding, Maddi, Im asking you to give $1 right now.

Maddi published images of the email on social media. From there, people began making jokes about it on the Internet. Some compared Clintons email to the one dollar menu at McDonalds restaurants.

Although most people just joked about the hashtag, some on social media wrote that the e-mail and hashtag could end up hurting Hillary Clinton.

A now-famous Internet meme that compares the two Democratic presidential candidates also joined the #ImNotKiddingMaddi conversation. The Bernie versus Hillary meme gives mostly humorous opinions from both candidates about campaign issues.

This weeks issue? Maddis Dollar.

Under Sanders photograph are the words, Maddi works very hard for her money and shes entitled to donate to a candidate who will work for her.

Under Clintons photo, it just said: Im not kidding, Maddi.

And thats Whats Trending Today.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

kidding - v. to speak to (someone) in a way that is not serious : to say things that are not true to (someone) in a joking way

humor - n. a funny or amusing quality

meme - n. a humorous image, video, or text that is copied (often with small changes) and spread rapidly by Internet users
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
I have a little problem. I'm addicted to cookbooks, food writing, recipe collecting, and cooking. I have a lot of recipes waiting for me to try them, and ideas from articles, tv, and restaurants often lead to new dishes. I started losing track of what I've done. So now I'm taking photos and writing about what I've preparedunless it's terrible in which case I forget it ever happened.


GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS TO LITTLE INDIE BLOGS Artists/bands wishing to have their product reviewed, please adhere to the followi...
Rabbi Yehoshua (Josh) Gordon, 66, Chabad representative of Encinco, California since 1973, passed away on Monday, Feb 8, after battling an illness. Rabbi Gordon and his wife Deborah were among the Rebbes early representatives to the state of California. Under his leadership, Jewish life in the San Fernando Valley would blossom. From his headquarters in Tarzana, Rabbi Gordon oversaw the establishment of 26 Chabad centers, mikvahs, Hebrew schools, summer camps, adult education, and a host of social and religious programs serving the region.

Rabbi Josh Gordon would have known how to start this post. He would have just the right joke that would span the utter void I am feeling now.

I grew up expecting every rabbi to be like Rabbi Gordon. My mother was one of his first preschool teachers, and we moved to Encino when I was 8. Rabbi Gordons Shabbos speech and his parsha classes were my parents fix. I grew up thinking every rabbi could meld California cool with a Lubavitch core, crack jokes that made you think, and also somehow answer my phone callswhen I was a kid, a teenager, a momwhile running an empire for the Rebbe, Hes a tough act to follow.

We walked our mile to shul every Shabbos. I would pray for rain, a prayer not frequently answered in sunny Southern California. Because if it rained hard, wed stay over at the Gordons, and I would hear one of his stories and Deborah would serve cholent at such a lovely table, as though hosting a family of seven for lunch was part of her plans all along. When the adults went off for a nap, then the fun11 kids doing who knows whatwould begin. What could have been a drag of gloomy Shabbos became a highlight.

The writer pictured here at center with her husband, their children and her parents.

The best was sitting around in a circle on white folding chairs after Simchas Torah dancing. Rabbi Gordon would talk straight talk to my parents and other community members who had lingered. How long are you going to be on the fence? He asked, and because my parents were ready, they made greater commitments to live more active Jewish lives.

Rabbi Gordon rolled comfort, security, certainty and spirituality into one. I am a worrier by nature. It was soothing to know that if my parents had something to sort out, theyd go to Rabbi Gordon, and in the morning everything would be fine again. Just last week, as I was working through a big decision for one of my nearly adult children, a thought popped into my head. I will just ask Rabbi Gordon.

The best feeling was when I knew Rabbi Gordon was proud of me. When we flew back to California, and he chose my husband to read the Torah. I knew I had done well in his eyes.

Without Rabbi Gordon we never would have met, my husband reflected this week. Its true. Rabbi Gordon did not introduce us, but he put my parents on a trajectory that led me to live a life that brought me to my husband, to raise a minivan full of children, to make aliyah to Israel. And to think, I am just one life he touched. Innumerable others could have written this with their Rabbi Gordon stories. What an amazing legacy.

I will miss him. His roar of a laugh. The musical way he said my name, especially after I started using my Hebrew name. Without him, a foundation stone of my childhood and my identity has slid into the realm of treasured memory. Because of him, I am building a legacy of my own, of which I know he is proud.

Rivka Chaya Berman grew up in southern California and moved to Israel with her family in 2010.
Last weekend, El Salvador's police arrested four former military officers sought under an international arrest warrant issued by a court in Spain in the case of the 1989 Jesuit murders. El Salvador's police captured only 4 of the 17 military officers sought by Spain. Twelve of the officers have gone into hiding, and El Salvador's police say they could not locate them. The police blame their inability to locate the officers on the delay and confusion caused by El Salvador's courts in interpreting whether the warrant through Interpol could actually be enforced. One additional officer had been jailed in the US for immigration crimes and is now being extradited to Spain Lawyers have petitioned the country's Supreme Judicial Court to free the men. It appears that the final decision of whether the ex-soldiers will be extradited to Spain rests in the hands of the court. (There doesn't seem to be much of an effort to find the missing twelve).The lawyer for some of the officers asserted that the Jesuit murders were not a crime against humanity, but just simple homicides for which there had already been a trial and judgment for persons involved. This description of the murders as "simple homicides": brought scorn in social media, including from blogger Hunnapuh, who reminded readers that these killings were part of a military operation, with the specific intention to kill the priests and possible witnesses, carried out with military precision and a criminal fury against defenseless persons.The ARENA party, which governed the country at the time of the murders has spoken out against the arrests . ARENA warns that the country will be come more polarized as a result of this proceeding. statement from the officers sought by Spain declares their innocence and opposition to being subject to justice in a Spanish court. The statement was circulated by Norman Quijano, former ARENA mayor of San Salvador and unsuccessful candidate for president, who described it as a "message from our heroic and valiant soldiers to the nation." Retired generals threw their support behind their colleagues The president of El Salvador called a closed doors emergency meeting of all political parties to discuss the schisms in the country over the arrests of the former officers. The government declared it was acting in compliance with its obligations under international treaties when it apprehended the officers pursuant to the Interpol warrant. It seems clear that the president wants to distance himself from the extradition decision and to simply let the Supreme Judicial Court decide the matter.




We were met at the airport by Conny and Vicky, these two hilarious ladies who served faithfully as our guides as we passed through Bogota. They're missionaries with Crisalinco who serve together in an indigenous village in the jungle.





Unexpected pleasure: Vicky and Conny stopped at a coffee roastery

to get coffee for the mission base. Oh how delicious!

They gave us a sample of fresh brewed espresso.





The ladies came ready to engage with God and each other through both study and worship.

This amazing gal is Nidia, a linguist who has helped translate the Bible

into 27 different tribal languages. She's my hero. Also a worship leader.

We even got to worship together, along with Bellanira.









The teaching centered around the Eternal Romance of God. Betty, our leader,

pointed out that the Scriptures use symbolism to point us to healthy relationships as

earthly couples, yes, but also to show us examples of how Christ loves His church

and how He woos us-- how we can rest on the shoulder of our Beloved. This

imagery really connected with the ladies' hearts-- I know it connected with mine!





















Oh the friends we made! These are the strong and excellent virtuous women of Crisalinco!















Long sessions? Gotta take a break! Enough time to pamper each other just a little bit...

And me too!

Sister Loida is the oldest missionary on staff... she's 84, a precious lady,

and she still lives among and serves an indigenous tribe.







Occasionally we had a small but curious audience.

Listening to these ladies' hearts was such a blessing... their walk with the Lord and the depth of their faith, plus what they go through to actually serve, really opened my eyes to the grace that is poured out on those who are dedicated to serve... They are clearly women who walk in the deserts of Miracle Land, who must lean on their beloved's arm to make it through to the other side.



One of the gals was actually preparing to get married, so the theme of the Eternal Romance seemed particularly relevant to her! We got to be part of her wedding and its preparations the following week after the Crisalinco annual Assembly.







Assembly

The assembly was a three-day event, and many of Crisalinco's missionaries came to enjoy fellowship, talk business, be encouraged, and share reports from their year of ministry.

This is Manuel, the first indigenous graduate of the three-year missionary school.

He led us in worship in his native language.



They asked us to share a song with them in English! So... we did. Rod had way too much fun switching hats with Andrew. Andrew... wasn't too sure. I ended up doing quite a bit of the interpretation for the last day of the Assembly as well, which was a lot of fun for me!

English to Spanish, anyway... my listening skills in Spanish need some serious speed drills.

Bellanira's little guy, Juan Jose, was arguably the most popular attendee at either conference. This is the Crisalinco family... all of these people are serving the Lord in incredible ways.



Rod spent a little more time here at the Red Cross than anticipated.

Bronchial infection, kidney stones... it really seemed like there was an attack specifically

set out for him. Gods grace was incredibly evident in his patience and attitude

despite his discomfort.

The last day, Helman kinda coerced us into making a pancake breakfast

by announcing to the entire group (without talking to us about it!) that we would.

We were later informed that he has a thing for pancakes. There were

no leftovers! I was truly, sincerely surprised that Ana, the lady in charge

of the kitchen, actually gave us free rein and let us do it! They were surprised, too...

"This is the first time the North Americans have actually cooked for us!"









The Farm



Crisalinco actually got started up in the mountains at the CTC, which is now a farm used to help sustain Crisalinco functions. Fish ponds, agriculture. They even have a recording studio up in these here hills. The primary use for the CTC now, though, is as a 3-year missions training program for crosscultural missionaries, studying linguistics, anthropology, theology, and transcultural issues. It sounds like the kind of program every missionary should go through.































This is Andrew again. He's Helman and Rosalba's grandson. And at 3 he's bilingual. Cute, am I right?? And as long as we're on the topic of cuties... this is Matias, the son of the bus driver, who went with us

on some adventures. Indigenous

After the wedding we traveled to San Jose del Guaviare, to see one of Crisalinco's training centers and the indigenous villages it reaches out to. This experience impacted me enough I'm actually dedicating an entire blog post just to talking about us, them, and a kingdom mentality. Please, please check that out









While we were in San Jose, though, we got the chance to do a little outreach in the city park. It felt like Casa Grande, just without the truck and sound system! Haha... We made friends with the folks who sold ice cream and sat there to play for them for a while. Super fun.





This is Allison. She and I were bus buddies for our trip! Shes the granddaughter of

Helman and Rosalba, and actually quite a talented singer. So much fun

doing music with her and with her dad, Brandon. Getting pulled over is kinda the norm. They want to keep track of USAians traveling through.

Let's take a guess... he wants our passports again!

The party bus.

Back to Bogota



Following our experience in the native villages, we had a super long travel day-- stopping by La Antorcha one last time to say our goodbyes and pick up our bags, then winding our way back through the mountains to Bogota once again. The following two days we got to do some cultural study and a bit of shopping, too. Listening to these ladies' hearts was such a blessing... their walk with the Lord and the depth of their faith, plus what they go through to actually serve, really opened my eyes to the grace that is poured out on those who are dedicated to serve... They are clearly women who walk in the deserts of Miracle Land, who must lean on their beloved's arm to make it through to the other side.One of the gals was actually preparing to get married, so the theme of the Eternal Romance seemed particularly relevant to her! We got to be part of her wedding and its preparations the following week after the Crisalinco annual Assembly.The assembly was a three-day event, and many of Crisalinco's missionaries came to enjoy fellowship, talk business, be encouraged, and share reports from their year of ministry.Crisalinco actually got started up in the mountains at the CTC, which is now a farm used to help sustain Crisalinco functions. Fish ponds, agriculture. They even have a recording studio up in these here hills. The primary use for the CTC now, though, is as a 3-year missions training program for crosscultural missionaries, studying linguistics, anthropology, theology, and transcultural issues. It sounds like the kind of program every missionary should go through.After the wedding we traveled to San Jose del Guaviare, to see one of Crisalinco's training centers and the indigenous villages it reaches out to. This experience impacted me enough I'm actually dedicating an entire blog post just to talking about us, them, and a kingdom mentality. Please, please check that out here While we were in San Jose, though, we got the chance to do a little outreach in the city park. It felt like Casa Grande, just without the truck and sound system! Haha... We made friends with the folks who sold ice cream and sat there to play for them for a while. Super fun.Following our experience in the native villages, we had a super long travel day-- stopping by La Antorcha one last time to say our goodbyes and pick up our bags, then winding our way back through the mountains to Bogota once again. The following two days we got to do some cultural study and a bit of shopping, too.





Plaza Bolivar, the historical district of Bogota. It's a Catholic cathedral, then houses of important officials and governmental buildings as well... not to mention an impressive mini-skyline.



Faintly in the distance, we heard a band playing. Vicky, our guide at the moment, lit up. "Come come come!" she said, and led the way down a side street.



We'd arrived just in time for the changing of the guard. And let me tell you, that was IMPRESSIVE. The music swallowed us alive as the guards and musicians marched past just a foot or so from where we were standing.

















As the music died away, Vicky led us down the street once again toward the museum district. A few vendors and artisans lined the pavement, selling their wares. As the music died away, Vicky led us down the street once again toward the museum district. A few vendors and artisans lined the pavement, selling their wares.

























We saw the national library... where you never get to see the shelves of books. But you can check them out if you're a resident! You just have to look for what you want in the card catalog. As a library lover, this made me kind of sad... but Vicky, who educated herself right there at that library, reading in their reading rooms, held this 2-million volume collection in extremely high regard. I can't say I blame her. That's impressive!















This has got to be one of the most random museums in the world.

Seriously. That's a pudgy Mona Lisa we're looking at there, folks.

Everything in that museum was... fat. I was super glad it was a free exhibit. We also got to visit the national Museum of Gold, which was pretty impressive,

not to mention informative on national history and how shiny stuff has been

part of national development.

You can read about our culinary experiences here!









Home Again, Home Again



I got back a week ago and have been working to catch up ever since. I barely got my laundry done post-trip when I got hit by a stomach virus that set me back by a couple of days this week. Doing better now, and finally going after all the stuff that's been waiting for me!



Thanks for your prayers, your support... I think this trip was a success!





Credit where credit's due: Most of the photos in this post were taken by my teammates, particularly Rod and Peggy Stewart and Tammy Springer. They were doing such an awesome job, I decided not to try taking yet another expensive camera through some of the crazy zones were were passing through. You can read about our culinary experiences here!I got back a week ago and have been working to catch up ever since. I barely got my laundry done post-trip when I got hit by a stomach virus that set me back by a couple of days this week. Doing better now, and finally going after all the stuff that's been waiting for me!Thanks for your prayers, your support... I think this trip was a success!

Back in November, I made a specific request: "Lord," I said, "please give me opportunities to travel to other Latin American countries."A couple weeks later, my friend Tammy, whom I met at Casa Grande through the Chapel Project (see A Neighborhood Called Blessing ) messaged me. "We need an interpreter to travel with our group from Advancing Native Missions for 3 weeks to do a conference for women in ministry in Colombia," she said. "Would you pray about it?"I did. I also started doing online research.I learned that ANM is an organization with a vision to encourage and partner with ministry leaders who serveproviding training and support where possible. This is something I feel strongly about as a missionary: "foreigners" should do as little of the ministering as possible, providing training with the purpose that they should be replaced by those with fewer cultural barriers.I thought. I learned that Ministry Mates Matter, the section of ANM I'd be traveling with, specifically targets women in ministry who may feel tired, overwhelmed, or forgotten., I thought. I learned too that we would be doing the conference for the women who serve with Crisalinco , a Colombian mission organization through which pastors and missionaries to the indigenous people of Colombia are trained.I thought.I also learned that "Colombia" isspelled "Columbia." This has apparently been a matter of online debate and annoyance for quite a few Colombians.I thought.I did not hear a voice from heaven providing direction one way or another. Finally I decided I did have peace about it, and so this probably meant I should justseeing as how this seemed like an answer to prayer.Aside from Tammy and me and the married couple, Rod and Peggy, our valiant team of 5 didn't know each other before we got to the Bogota airport. Our leader, Betty, was a brave lady to take us on like that! I was pretty sure that was going to make things interesting-- and it did! Mostly in very pleasant ways as we got to know each other and learned how to work with each other. God's grace is sufficient!From Bogota... it was a 4-hr drive on twisty mountain roads to Villavicencio... lots of twists, lots of turns, and incredible views.The end of the road brought us to Villavicencio...And more specifically, to La Antorcha (The Torch), the headquarters of Crisalinco.I was reminded very much of the dormitory/dining situation at Casa Grande. This place is used for training of ministry leaders who will eventually go and serve with the indigenous tribes of Colombia. A few years ago, when Helman and Rosalba (Crisalinco's founders) came back from a trip to the States to see family, they discovered that some of their staff members had actually betrayed them and turned the property over todrug traffickers.Thus began a four-year-legal battle to get their property back. Just four months ago, the drug traffickers decided of their own volition (and who knows under what persuasion) to leave. But when they went, they packed up absolutely everything the base had, from stoves and ovens to furniture, dishes, and light bulbs, and carted that off, too. Looking at the truck as it left with all their possessions, Helman asked Rosalba, "Do you want to fight them for it?" She shook her head determinedly. "The most important thing is that they'reshe said. Ten days before we arrived, deciding that it would make things clearer legally if they lived on the Crisalinco base itself, Helman and Rosalba packed up their lovely home in town and moved into a smaller, less personal dwelling there on the compound. The house they built together will be rented out for the next year as they decide what the next steps for the ministry will be.We started working pretty much immediately on conference preparations. If we worried at all about the details and presentation, we needn't have. Rosalba is a master of hospitality, and for her the opportunity to make the ladies who serve so faithfully feel special was not one to waste! The classroom where we met was beautifully arrayed and decorated as if it were the banquet hall of a king-- a couple of the girls artistically displayed our conference verse on the chalkboard, and candles were lit on the tables. Ambiance, preparation... ready go!








This is Friendly Fred, next Christmas's dinner on four feet. Watch out, Fred!

He was quite receptive to our group, and followed us around faithfully.



This guy is the hope of Crisalinco for the Nukak. They don't have a tribal leader,

but this man has gone through Crisalinco's training and can now read and write.

As he continues to grow, their hope is that he will rise in the esteem of his community.

He and his wife came to visit us at our hotel since we missed them in the village.

The other tribe we visited was the Hiu. They are way more settled in than the semi-nomadic Nukak, so their cultural development is also a lot farther along and their dwellings are more permanent.





I have searched online, but I can't find any extra information about them! Maybe I don't have the right spelling or they go by another name. This group of people, though, was a lot more ready to engage with us. The language barriers was not as great, and we even got to tell the kids a Bible story and sing Father Abraham and The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock. I pulled out my extensive Casa Grande training as Kids Club emcee, though we were definitely all following along with Helman. Who is DEFINITELY in his calling as he relates brilliantly with people, up to jumping into a river to race some of the boys.





We also got to see their process for making cassava bread, which they bake on top of a tin roof in the sunshine.





These mud stoves last up to a year before needing to be rebuilt.

Turtle soup, anyone?

They make and sell these manillas, or bracelets... we bought them out.

Also got to try this hunting bow... and the spearlike arrow that went with it. It was fun,

but my arrow didn't make it far.

Just tell me this doesn't look refreshing.









I got the pleasure of holding this little princess for her mom for a while.

She was a cuddler!









adjective

1.

originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed by to ):

the plants indigenous to Canada; the indigenous peoples of southern Africa.

2.

innate; inherent; natural (usually followed by to ):

feelings indigenous to human beings.





I didn't know people still did missions like this. I felt like I was witnessing firsthand some of the missionary stories of my childhood while Helman told us about his ventures by canoe into the heart of Colombia. Guerrillas, midnight assaults, capsized canoes, planes with no seats that transported cows as well as humans, where the pilot had to stick his head out the window to be able to land.That's the real deal.And I didn't truly understand what the ladies at our conference had gone through to get to us until we took the relatively easy bus trip to San Jose del Guaviare, a mere 2.4 degrees from the equator and only 4 hours from Villavicencio, Crisalinco's home base. This was the closest Crisalinco training center to reach, Helman informed us. No joke... some of the women had traveled 14 hours by canoe, 2 days in a bus, and taken two planes (some of them doubtful as the one I mentioned above) to be able to come to the conference. They're incredible.We visited two different indigenous groups who live near the city of San Jose. First were the Nukak, second were the Hiu.The village of the semi-nomadic Nukak probably impacted me most of anything that I saw while we were in Colombia. I'd love to post photos, but... this is one of those moments when I honestly can't post many. If you're interested in demographics and a description of these people and how to pray for them, take a look at these websites:This is how they live, this is where they eat. We visited their homes and talked as much as we could-- Nukak isn't a common language, let alone a written one. Stealing is a core value to their society, because it's how they survive. Governmental programs worth hundreds of thousands US are sponged off by corrupt politicians, and only a sliver of the aid makes it to the communities, where it's typically poorly applied and no training is provided. Helman says they need a missionary to come live among them full time, adopting their customs and living life with specific values to show them morals they haven't learned quite yet and teach them to read, so they can study the Bible for themselves as it's developed in their language. Learning ethics would also need to be learned, since although there is a school built in the community, the students typically only stay for an hour before they decide to go home. There's more I could share here, but again... I feel it's not something to be made a spectacle of. I'd love to tell you, though, if you feel like asking!

Obviously... this makes you think. They live without so many conveniences I consider "necessary." Their lives are simple, but they are interested in each other and interested in creating and enjoying creation. It's an entirely different mindset, and taking the poverty and some of the more controversial moral systems out of the picture.... there are a lot of parts of their existence that are simple andWhat does it mean to be indigenous?Dictionary.com helped me out there.It means to belong. To be born someplace, raised someplace, to be part of the fiber and DNA of that place. Because if a location is inhabited, its inhabitants are what give it the flavor and character that it has. The DR has one flavor... the Colombian flavor has a completely different one. And both countries have subflavors, like these original groups. There are 80 groups like the Nukak and Hiu in Colombia, I found out.Yet these indigenous groups are the original Colombians, like the native American tribes are the original Americans. And somehow, whether by oversight or by design, the collective development of the country around them passed them by. They live by different rules, different means, different resources. They are effectively in that world, but not of it. They are part of the cultural makeup, but they don't affect it.Here's my thought to ponder, and I'd love some discussion on the topic as I perfect my parallel here...As Christians, we're now indigenous to the kingdom of God. We are part of its fiber, what gives it flavor, yet like the Nukak, we live semi-nomadic lives in a land not our own. We live by different rules, different means, different resources; called to be in this world, but not of it, and its progress "forward" may seem to leave us in the dust as we struggle to avoid taking on a worldview that goes against our ancient creed. However, we are not called to live only amongst ourselves. We are called to be the flavor and the color (the salt and the light) of this land we travel through, as well, leading others toward our home country.Indigenous.
Mumbai: Shahid director Hansal Mehta and actor Rajkummar Rao remembered slain human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi on his death anniversary.

Released in 2013, Shahid is based on the true story of Azmi. He was killed by unidentified assailants in his office on February 11, 2010.

Rajkummar essayed the role of Azmi in the film and won the best actor National award.

Remembering Shahid Azmi. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/PAdArkR0jN  Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) February 11, 2016

Rajkummar thanked Mehta on Twitter for "sharing" Azmi's story.

Remembering our Hero Shahid on his death anniversary. You will always be in our thoughts. Thank u @mehtahansal sir for sharing his story.  Raj Kummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) February 11, 2016

From attempting to become a terrorist, to being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law, to becoming a champion of human rights, Shahid traces the inspiring personal journey of a boy who became an unlikely messiah for human rights.

The duo of Mehta and Rajkummar are now awaiting the release of Aligarh, which features actor Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role.

The film is based on a real-life incident of professor Ramchandra Siras from Aligarh Muslim University, whose privacy was breached when he was reportedly caught in a homosexual act in a video.

Aligarh is set to release on February 26.
Mumbai - Stressing that cleaner balancesheets will lead to future loan growth for banks, RBI chief Raghuram Rajan on Thursday said a "deep surgery" is must for the clean-up that would require an "anaesthetic" in the form of recognising NPAs on their books.

Seeking to soothe the nerves of the banks hit hard by the RBI's diktat to clean up their books by March 2017, the Reserve Bank Governor also said there won't be a repeat of the asset quality review (AQR) that has hit the banks' bottomlines -- which incidentally has resulted in a steep stock fall and a

huge erosion of investors' wealth.

"We do not envisage a sequence of the AQRs," Rajan told bankers at a conference organised by industry body CII here this evening.

Using a medical jargon to impress upon the need for such a review, Rajan said a "deep surgery" is needed to clean up and the process of recognising the NPA is akin to an "anaesthetic" needed for the procedure.

Acknowledging that the AQR, under which the RBI has asked banks to recognise some top defaulting accounts as non-performing ones and provide for them, has had a debilitating impact on banks' numbers and their stocks, Rajan admitted that the earnings of state-run banks do not look "pretty".

While the Sensex has lost a little over 6 per cent since mid-January 15 when banks started declaring Q3 numbers, the sectoral BSE Bankex plunged close to 8 per cent during the same period.

If the fall continues, the market capitalisation of mid-sized private sector bank Kotak Mahindra will be soon be higher than that of the largest public sector bank SBI. Kotak Mahindra Bank on Thursday closed with a market cap of Rs 115,296.24 crore, while that of SBI was Rs 117,375.5 crore.

The RBI embarked on the AQR exercise from last April and while it had concerns on the world economy, it did not know of the markets getting into turmoil as they have now, he said, defending the move to undertake the AQR.

"We knew at that time that the global economy would continue to be weak but not that markets would be in turmoil as of today. Nevertheless, this simply reinforces our belief that we needed to act when we have to," Rajan said.

Almost all the major lenders in the system have reported a sharp increase in asset quality stress and heightened provisioning as a result of the AQR, under which banks have been reportedly asked to recognise stressed accounts by March end.

Critics say this will result in deserving sections of the economy being deprived of the much needed credit in a situation like the current one filled with economic gloom.

"While the profitability of some banks may be impaired in the short-run, the system, once cleaned, will be able to support economic growth in a sustainable and profitable way," Rajan added.

Invoking the mantra which he gave as an academic while dealing with NPA stress, Rajan said, "To the question of what comes first, clean up or growth, I think the answer is unambiguously 'Clean up'."

In support of the efficacy of his argument, he cited the divergence in sectoral credit growths of the state-run lenders having a larger stressed accounts and the private sector ones with cleaner balance sheets.

Comparing the non-food credit growth, agri-lending and industrial lending, Rajan said, "Loan growth in private sector banks was at least 10 percentage points higher than public sector banks."

Reiterating the target spelled out earlier, Rajan said, "Our intent is to have clean and fully provisioned bank balancesheets by March 2017" and the regulatory forbearance will only postpone the "day of reckoning".

To people who are demanding strong action for bad loans, Rajan said all the NPAs are not caused by malfeasance while asking for action under law to be taken in cases where there is a bad intent.

He also refused to give a final estimate about the extent of provisioning which will have to be done and called some estimates by analysts as "wild claims".

Stating that the government is committed to providing extra capital support to lenders, Rajan said there might be a few cases where the capital ratios may fall under the minimum prescribed level in some banks if government support does not come through.

"Our projections are that any breach of minimum core capital requirements by a small minority of public sector banks, in the absence of any recapitalisation, will be small," he added.

The RBI governor also said there is a need to develop the right management strengths and added that internally, the central bank is also working on ways to hire specialised talent from the private sector to address critical issues.

Rajan said there are two ways to fight the problem of NPAs.

While the first involves brushing the real issue under the carpet to protect profits, another is recognising the problem upfront and dealing with it.

"If the bank wants to pretend that everything is all right with the loan, it can only apply band aids - for any more drastic action would require NPA classification," he said.

Meanwhile, with some analysts estimating the provisions through the AQR to be thousands of crore, Rajan compared it to "scare-mongering".

"There are some wild claims being made by some financial analysts about the size of the stressed asset problem. This verges on scare-mongering," he said.

The governor also expressed optimism, saying troubles with the markets will pass soon and the clean-up with banks' balance sheet will also happen.

"The market turmoil will pass. The clean-up will get done, and Indian banks will be restored to health," he said.

PTI
By Dr Raju Sharma

In an article in Firstpost, Rohit Bansal has reproduced an unedited text of a note authored by [St Stephens] Principal [Valson] Thampu. In that note there is a claim that [the fabled dhaba owner who supplied students of the college their daily samosas] Rohtas was filthy rich, he owned large tracts of land in his village and real estate in Delhi. Elsewhere Thampu has claimed that Rohtas is 50 times richer than the poor principal himself.

The legion of Rohtas lovers deserve to be told how this rich samosa peddler, loved by us all, spent his days and nights in the last three years of his curtailed life. And what afflicted and frightened him in his own home. And home was St Stephens College. What else was home for Rohtas? The dhaba where he worked, lived and slept.

In the bitter cold days of the winter of 2012-13, Rohtas would come to us many times during the day and night, and speak of his terror of being rendered homeless at night. Every night, one or more minions of the principal would come to his charpoy at various times of the night and wake him up. Rohtas slept in the open space behind the dhaba. You cant sleep here, he would be warned. You are an outsider. You are a security risk. How can you sleep here? It is illegal. So go away, and dont sleep here from tomorrow. Night after night it went on, until Rohtas himself was no longer sure whether indeed he was doing something which was illegal, for which he could be punished, even jailed. That is why his terror-stricken face asked us repeatedly: Where can I sleep? It took us many, many days to convince him to simply ignore anything verbal. And just request the messengers with folded hands that if he is not to sleep at night at his home, his dhaba, then please let him have a written order. No written order or notice was ever served, as expected. Yet he was woken up daily and threats whispered in his ears. We doubt whether Rohtas could ever muster the courage to say anything to the official minions or demand a written order. Those who remember the feisty, proud, spirited Rohtas would find it difficult to believe this, but by this time the long, insidious arm of administrative authority of one man, and one man alone, had defeated him. Rohtas, his terror and panic mounted. So we invited him to spend his nights at our house so long as he felt unsafe, a fugitive, hounded.

For a fortnight, Rohtas spent his nights at our house. He would come in quietly, after ten, through the back gate, and leave early in the morning around five. We only knew of his presence from his regular coughing. I am sure it was not tubercular coughing in the winter of 2012, but coughing brought on by intense fear and a sense of doom.

Things quietened after about a month. Rohtas must have kneeled before the reverend and asked a thousand pardons for sins not committed. So, the hunger for vengeance on the part of authority was temporarily sated.

Just before Diwali, in 2015, there occurred a minor skirmish between one of the guards at the Allnut Gate, the same ones who put out a lock on the day of the prayer meeting, and the kaarigar who assisted Rohtas in the making of samosas. Again, a verbal diktat was issued. No entry into college for any kaarigar for Rohtas. Again, no written orders, no process. Everything by whispering in the ears. Again terror took complete hold of Rohtas, this time with a far greater intensity. His dhaba remained closed for nearly a fortnight. Rohtas was a broken man. All he would say was: What am I going to do? Frankly, we had nothing to offer him. All efforts to beseech the authority through possibly viable channels failed. Finally, all we told Rohtas was this: Please go to the principal, apologise a thousand, a million times, seek his benediction and raham. Obviously Rohtas did more than that, and things somewhat normalised after a while. The official exercise of insidious (never reduced to paper or documentation) power was temporarily assuaged. But Rohtas knew it would happen again. Again and again.

Rohtas was never the same man again. He never recovered from this silent beating, this encounter with the absolute power of authority. In order to humour him, we kept telling him during all these last few months: Rohtas, there is a March after February. It will be spring time. Be patient, have patience.

Rohtas died before his time. This, we guarantee, is a true, factual description of the last years of the very rich samosa peddler. The guarantee is that we saw it all with our own eyes.

Sorry, Rohtas, for letting you down. May you rest in peace.

This text was accessed by Firstpost reporters from Laal Sitara, the St Stephens alumni FaceBook page. Prof Sangeeta Luthra Sharma of Delhi University posted it on behalf of her husband and fellow Stephanian, Raju Sharma, who graduated from the institution in 1981 and has lived on the campus for 13 years.
By Bhavya Dore

Mumbai: On Thursday morning, Ujjwal Nikam coaxed and wheedled. He prodded and parleyed. More than 13,000 kilometres separated the states most visible legal face from terrors most visible face. Standing patiently in Mumbais Tada court, Nikam was gentle and encouraging as he urged David Coleman Headley on by video camera. Yes, perfectly right, he would tell Headley, or yes, correct, as if urging a student on in a viva voce. If Headley conceded he didnt know something, Nikam was kind. Its okay, he might have said and then there would be a nudge of encouragement: your memory is very sharp, Mr Headley or stretch your memory.

Nikam has been used to standing in front of cameras, more often outside rather than inside the courtroom. But here he was, conducting a trans-oceanic deposition in what is among the biggest cases of his career  facing not a watching audience, but a much-wanted man. His raspy voice ricocheted off the courtroom walls; he was a man in possession of this room and the next one, thousands of kilometres away.

Until Saturday, he will continue to examine Headley, one of the key men behind the 26 November, 2008 attacks and equally, a key to understanding Lashkar-e-Taiba and the terror landscape in Pakistan.

Nikam is Maharashtras  if not the countrys best known  most visible public prosecutor. He has argued the big cases. He was seen as close to some time home minister RR Patil  RR to his friends, Nikam included. He is the big gun that is brought out in high-profile cases: Blasts, attacks, rapes.

It has become a great and timeless witticism to now dismiss the public prosecutor as the publicity-hungry prosecutor; an honorific he has done every bit to preserve. He has been castigated for besmirching the office of the public prosecutor and for seeding excessive drama. And yet, he carries on, seeming to be getting the job done.

It was almost fitting then that another lawyer said he had only argued with Nikam a handful of times: On television. He is very media-conscious and knows how to climb the ladder, said this lawyer, adding, Moving around with four security guards also adds another layer of aura around him.

On Wednesday morning, the guards hung back as Nikam patiently gave separate interviews outside the court complex to all the television channels, one by one. The video link did not work today, he repeated, several times, explaining why the deposition had been adjourned for the day. The routine briefing, the post-event press conference; these flashes of showmanship have irked many.

Some time in 2013, I was with another reporter who was covering the Shakti Mills gangrape trial, when she got a call.

Oh, she said that? asked the reporter, quickly scribbling into a notebook. The next days papers all carried reports on how the victim had expressed to the court her desire to slap one of the accused. As it turned out, the man on the other line was special public prosecutor Nikam. He was just calling in to give reporters his account of the in-camera proceedings. The media wasnt allowed in the courtroom when the two victims in the case deposed.

Not to worry. Nikam was there.

The slapping story had been preceded a few days earlier by a 'fainting' story: That the other rape survivor had fallen unconscious while deposing in court. This was entirely untrue, according to someone else present in court that day. Consciousness was, by this persons account, lost by no one during the deposition. But truth is sometimes a minor obstacle in a criminal trial. When there is theatre to be had, what danger can a reinterpretation of events do?

This was vintage Nikam.

A man of bombast with a penchant for the dramatic, the very impulses that led to him crafting that other bit of popular folklore: That Ajmal Kasab, public enemy number one had asked for biryani in his jail cell. Imagine that! The temerity of the man. The public didnt have to do much imagining; it had been born in the prosecutors head and arrived into public discussion fully-formed. (He chose not to comment this week on that nearly one-year old revelation).

He has a good news sense, said one lawyer, a description more fitting for an editor than a legal functionary, he knows what the public wants to hear.

On Wednesday evening Nikam declined to speak on his media-savviness or comments about how he enjoyed the warm embrace of the cameras. He was happy though, to respond to generic questions. What does it take to be a good public prosecutor? Sensitivity and honesty is the basic requirement of a public prosecutor, he began, warming to the topic, but that alone will not suffice. You have to anticipate and go beyond your brief."

There was more. "You have to keep in mind that you are representing society, and conviction should not be the only aim, he said. As a public prosecutor, you represent both the state and society at large." Nikam couldnt recall how many cases he had prosecuted for the state of Maharashtra, but he had the rest of the scoreboard on his fingertips: 630 life sentences and 35 or 36 death penalties.

He was emphatic on the point that he pursued not just legal convictions, but his own personal convictions, choosing not to prosecute where there was no evidence.

Born and raised in Jalgaon, Nikam's career fortified on criminal trials and a public image nursed assiduously over the years. Many people may take shots at they way he seems to be in love with his own voice and image, but some also say one other thing. He works tirelessly on every case, said Prakash Salsingikar, a defence lawyer in the Shakti Mills case and another case in which Nikam was his opposite number. He makes every effort to get the best possible results.

This might include, as one lawyer said, a combination of mischief and presence of mind. If my cross-examination is going well, he will try and interject or help out the witness, he said, adding, He might throw a bouncer to distract you.

The lawyer said this with an air of both exasperation and admiration.

There are small tactics you can learn from him, he conceded.

And yet, there is one other resounding chorus: He only takes the open-and-shut cases  those in which convictions are almost certain. He only takes matters where the probe is watertight and the conviction is there for the taking, said another lawyer, adding, He has never appeared in cases in which there is a plausible defence.
Mumbai/ New Delhi: Sparks flew as BJP and the Congress on Thursday began a war of words after terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley's court deposition that Ishrat Jahan -- shot dead in a shootout along with three others in 2004 -- was a Laskhar-e-Taiba operative. Ishrat, who was from Mumbra in Mumbai, was shot dead along with three men in Gujarat 12 years ago by police officers who claimed Ishrat and group were terrorists involved in a plot to kill Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition questioned attempts to justify the "fake" Ishrat Jahan encounter which it said was "not permissible by law".

Ishrat, a 19-year-old college student, Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Gulam Sheikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed on Ahmedabad's outskirts in an alleged shootout with the police on June 15, 2004.

The police claimed that the four were LeT operatives plotting to assassinate then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

"Jahan was an LeT member," Pakistani-American Headley said in his sensational disclosure while deposing before Special TADA Court Judge A. Sanap in Mumbai via video-conferencing from a US jail on Thursday.

Headley said the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi told him about "a botched up operation in India" of shooting at the police at a check-post in Gujarat.

An LeT woman operative was involved, Headley said while identifying her as Thane college student Ishrat Jahan out of the three names offered by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam -- Noorjehan Begum, Ishrat Jahan and Mumtaz Begum.

BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said in Delhi that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should tender an apology following Headley's testimony.

"These Congress leaders should apologise to the nation and to the heroes who killed LeT terrorist Ishrat Jahan and her three accomplices," he said.

"Instead of praising the brave policemen, questions were raised on their sincerity and they were put behind bars. Now the mask has come off their faces," Sharma said.

He said the Congress hatched a conspiracy to politicise terror in order to defame the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi.

On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari questioned the attempts to use Headley's testimony to justify the "fake" shootout.

He said if the government wants to investigate further if Jahan and her accomplices were Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives or not, there is nothing which stops it.

"But the fundamental question remains: Whether Ishrat and her accomplices were killed in a fake encounter or not?" Tewari added.

Tewari said even if a person is a terrorist, he needs to be arrested and needs to be brought to justice like Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

"But to try and justify a fake encounter, I am afraid, is something which the law does not permit," the Congress leader said.

Headley's earlier testimony before a National Investigation Agency team in 2011 in the US claimed Jahan was a Lashkar terrorist.

Ujjwal Nikam, Ishrat Jahan's lawyer lock horns

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Monday downplayed Ishrat Jahan's lawyer Vrinda Grover's criticism that David Coleman Headley's version was not evidence as per Indian law as he was given a 'multiple choice question' by a 'Padma Shri' lawyer, saying that he posed the question based on information received from the concerned intelligence agencies.

"You might have noted that when I put this question to David Headley, then I was very clear that how many wings were operating in Lashkar and David Headley had clearly said that there was a women wing, finance wing as well as the overall militant operation wing then I did ask that who was the in-charge of the women wing. So, there was no question at all which would lead David Headley to say a particular answer," Nikam told the media.

"When he had categorically said that Muzammil Bhat told him and he also said that as to why Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhavi was upset and annoyed by his botched operation. And, therefore, I did ask him how you came to know about that botched operation. Then he told that Muzammil Bhat told me that this had happened. In fact, I did not put any particular name of the woman attacker of LeT and in fact I had given in all fairness various options which I came to know from our investigating officers. And, therefore, I put three, four names; out of which, Headley selected one name," he added.

Nikam said the NIA has already made investigations in this respect.

"I am not aware as to what David Headley told the NIA. I am only supposed to interrogate David Headley on oath and I had discharged my duty," he added.

Ishrat Jahan's lawyer has said that certain questions have been put to Headley by the prosecutor, which have nothing to do with the 26/11 case.

"I don't know why suddenly these questions were put. They can have a political relevance, but they can have no relevance to 26/11.The public prosecutor in a procedure which is wrong and illegal in law gives a multiple choice question to a witness and says 'now I will give you three names you select one name which will be that female LeT person'," said Grover.

"He gives this three multiple choices and he says 'Noor Begum, Ishrat Jahan and Mumtaz'. He (Headley) selects Ishrat Jahan. This is double hearsay and he is saying I have no personal knowledge," Grover added.

Grover said, "We were told that there was an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in June 2004in which Ishrat Jahan - a young girl from a very poor family of Mumbra was found dead - and we were told that these were terrorists. That matter came up for investigation because her mother said my daughter is not a terrorist and she filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court. The Gujarat High Court after many years of our pursuance they investigated the matter. There was a Special Investigation Team set up by the Gujarat High Court."

"The investigation said this was a fake encounter, these people had been taken into illegal custody by the police, they were detained and then they were killed in cold-blood and the whole thing was a staged encounter. After that the CBI also investigated into it and found that it was a cold-blooded murder. Chargesheets were filed and they are pending in the Gujarat court against senior police officials of Gujarat as well as the IB officers that this was a larger criminal conspiracy," she added.

Grover said investigation and the witnesses clearly point to political people who were behind this conspiracy in this case.

"For reasons best known to the CBI, the investigation was abruptly closed and that line of investigation was not taken further," Grover said.

IANS & ANI

Read: Flashback to a shootout 12 years ago
On the fourth day of David Coleman Headley's video deposition before the Mumbai court and after Thursday's explosive revelations, everyone will likely be watching proceedings like hawks. But nothing compared to Headley naming Ishrat Jahan on Thursday and confirming that she indeed was a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative.

Testifying via video-link from the US, Headley on Friday spilled the beans on the 19-year-old Mumbra girl and picked up her name when quizzed by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam about a "botched up operation" mentioned to him (Headley) by LeT commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.

On Friday, he admitted that the ten 26/11 terrorists were using Indian cell phones, and were getting directions from a control room in Karachi, ANI reported.

Headley told the special court on Friday that LeT was unhappy that Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets in 26/11 terror attack. LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi emphasised that surveillance for 26/11 attacks should be done properly as this was a chance "to take revenge for all bomb blasts India had done in the past" in Pakistan, Headley told the Mumbai court.

He added that he had, in fact, discouraged LeT from selecting Siddhivinayak temple and the Naval air station for the strike as then the 10 attackers would have to concentrate on those targets only.

The Lashkar operative told the court that he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that LeT would be interested in future to either attack Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head. Headley also met Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul Bhatt at body building competition, CNN-IBN reported.

"I met Rajaram Rege at Shiv Sena headquarter in Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai's Dadar because I was interested in accessing the building. I developed a close friendship with him Rege. I wanted to access the building in case LeT is interested in attacking the building in future."

"I met Rahul Bhatt, through a person called Vilas, during a body-building competition. Vilas was the in-charge of Moksha Gym," Headley added.

The Pakistani-American terrorist told the court that Chabad House was selected by LeT as a target as it was an international location where Jewish and Israeli people were staying. Headley had purchased red and yellow sacred threads from Siddhivinayak temple as a cover for the 10 attackers so that people would think they were Hindus.

"ISI wanted to recruit the BARC staffers for future; to get classified information from them," Headley, 56 said from a US jail where he is undergoing a 35-year sentence.

He had handed over the videos to his main contact in LeT Sajid Mir and ISI's Major Iqbal and also carried out surveillance of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station.

"Major Iqbal asked me to survey the Naval Air Station in Mumbai, which I did and then discussed about it with LeT operatives."

But that wasn't all. Headley claimed that Major Iqbal told him to recruit some employees of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)  which Headley had visited and videographed in July 2008  to work for ISI in the future.

Exposing plans to subvert the Indian nuclear establishment, Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said that the The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) eyed staff of the sensitive BARC in Mumbai to procure "classified information" from them.

As more information surfaces about how the brazen Mumbai attacks were planned, Headley's role as a crucial planner of the attack becomes clearer. The Pakistani, who looks like an American, went through intricate details while planning the brazen attacks.

It should be kept in mind that no questions can be asked about his life as a double agent (as a drug smuggler and an insider of LeT) in America. CNN-IBN pointed out that is the part of the plea bargain where Indian authorities cannot talk about his role as a double agent.

With inputs from PTI
In the 36 hours for which Dipti Sarna went missing, there was no clue where she stayed. The 24-year-old who works with Snapdeal in Gurgaon, was travelling in a shared auto on Wednesday at around 8.30 pm.

But now, details are beginning to emerge about Dipti's ordeal that finally ended at 7 am when she called her father Narendra Sarna and asked him to pick her up.

Narendra told NDTV that while his daughter did not wish to press charges, she was abducted by four men at knife-point. "They blindfolded her and dropped her at some railway station at 3 or 4 am... (they) didn't harm her in anyway and they even gave her food on time," he said.

Opining that the kidnappers were "beginners", who allegedly even left a gun with Dipti at some point, Narendra postulated, "They got afraid that is why they left her."

On Wednesday night, she had hired an auto from outside Vaishali Metro Station. According to police, Dipti was on her way from Vaishali metro station to the old bus stand of Ghaziabad where her father Narendra Sarna, a resident of Kavi Nagar, was waiting to pick her up when he received a frantic call from her friend.

Diptis friend said that something had happened to her. They were talking on the phone when he heard her scream and the call got disconnected. He asked me to look for her, said Narendra. He was supposed to pick up Dipti from the spot he was waiting at, like he did every evening, after she returned from her office in Gurgaon.

Everyday, she would call us twice on her way back home. Once when she reached the metro station and then again when she was near the Hindon bridge. Her father would then pick her up, said her mother Vandana.

Narendra said that sometimes, he would pick Dipti up from Vaishali metro station. Why did I not do that yesterday, he had said lamenting before her return. The family was afraid that Dipti had been abducted.

However, the family received good news on Friday morning. Dipti's father said that she called him up in the morning and told him that she was in train in Panipat and coming to Vaishali. "She told me that she will come to Vaishali, but I asked her not to come to Vaishali and said I will come to New Delhi Railway Station to pick her.

"I don't know how she came (managed to escape). She was calling me up from the phone of her co-passenger in the train. She was found sitting in the train. I don't know whether she was in trauma," he told reporters here.

Ghaziabad residents on Thursday evening blocked traffic on national highway-24, and also staged a sit-in at the office of the senior superintendent of police.

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs office had tweeted that he had asked the Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police to personally head the search operation, and that several teams had been formed.

UPCM @yadavakhilesh has instructed SSP GZB to personally head the search operation of #HelpFindDipti .Several teams formed.  CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) February 11, 2016

Meanwhile, Snapdeal launched #HelpFindDipti to locate her and has asked for any information that could help locate her to be shared via Direct Message on Twitter.

We are extremely disturbed with the reported abduction of our team member. Her security and safety is our topmost priority. We are doing everything to support and work with the authorities in their investigation. The entire Snapdeal family is united in their support and prayer for her safe return, a Snapdeal spokesperson told The Hindustan Times.

With inputs from agencies
The missing 24-year-old woman engineer has been traced, however police said more details are yet to surface. Snapdeal employee, Dipti Sarna, went missing on Wednesday night when she was on her way back from work. Dipti boarded a shared autorickshaw from Vaishali Metro station to the Ghaziabad bus stand, an 11-km stretch, after which she went missing.

On Wednesday around 8.30 PM, Deepti went missing after she was travelling in an auto she had hired from outside Vaishali Metro Station. According to police, Deepti was on her way from Vaishali metro station to the old bus stand of Ghaziabad where her father Narendra Sarna, a resident of Kavi Nagar, was waiting to pick her up.

Deepti's father said on Friday that she called him up in the morning and told him that she was in train in Panipat and coming to Vaishali. "She told me that she will come to Vaishali, but I asked her not to come to Vaishali and said I will come to New Delhi Railway Station to pick her.

"I don't know how she came (managed to escape). She was calling me up from the phone of her co-passenger in the train. She was found sitting in the train. I don't know whether she was in trauma," he told reporters here.

Deepti's mother said that her father picked her up at New Delhi Railway Station. "She had called up her father in the morning and told him to pick her up," she further said. After she went missing, her father had told the police that when the auto crossed the Hindon river bridge on Wednesday's evening, Deepti called him and gave him the location.

She was also heard shouting at the auto driver for taking a wrong route, he had said, adding thereafter her phone was switched off. Police had soon swung into action and launched a manhunt to search the girl.

"She called home and spoke to her brother. She said she is in Panipat but we are still not sure whether it was a case of kidnapping. I am very relieved she is found," Uttar Pradesh DGP Javed Ahmed told the CNN-IBN. However, the top cop said that the police have not spoken to the girl but the family has confirmed that she called home.

The father of the 24-year-old, however, told NDTV that he does not have much information about his daughter but in an hour details will be clearer. According to the channel, police team is bringing back Dipti from Panipat and the mother confirmed that Dipti's father has gone with the police.

Dipti Sarna, who works at the company's Gurgaon office, failed to return home in Kavi Nagar area of Ghaziabad on Wednesday night. On Wednesday night, she left the Metro station around 8.30 pm and took a 'shared' auto-rickshaw along with three other passengers, including a woman, IANS reported.

After getting into the vehicle, she telephoned her father Narendra Sarna. After travelling a distance of around 3-4 km, the woman co-passenger was reportedly forced to get down.

Sensing danger, Dipti called her father again and said the auto-rickshaw was taking her in a wrong direction. Her mobile phone has been switched off since then. Superintendent of Police (City) Salman Taj Patil had registered a case and police launched a combing operation in the area, but nothing was found.

Ghaziabad residents on Thursday evening blocked traffic on national highway-24, and also staged a sit-in at the office of the senior superintendent of police.

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs office had tweeted that he had asked the Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police to personally head the search operation, and that several teams had been formed.

UPCM @yadavakhilesh has instructed SSP GZB to personally head the search operation of #HelpFindDipti .Several teams formed.  CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) February 11, 2016

We have been able to trace her last location to a village called Nandgram which is near Hindon Bridge. Preliminary investigations point to a case of abduction. Search operations in the area are being conducted and questioning is on, SSP Dharmendra Singh told The Indian Express on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Snapdeal launched #HelpFindDipti to locate her and has asked for any information that could help locate her to be shared via Direct Message on Twitter.

We are extremely disturbed with the reported abduction of our team member. Her security and safety is our topmost priority. We are doing everything to support and work with the authorities in their investigation. The entire Snapdeal family is united in their support and prayer for her safe return, a Snapdeal spokesperson told The Hindustan Times.

With inputs from agencies
The last rites of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who passed away on Thursday are being held at his native village in Dharwad district on Friday with full state honours. Koppad battled for life since his miraculous survival in Siachen.

Last rites of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa being performed in his home town in Dharwar (Karnataka) pic.twitter.com/etmim8bGe3  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

The body was kept at KIMS hospital in Hubbali initially before being shifted to Nehru Ground in Bengaluru for public viewing before last rites on Friday afternoon at Betadur village in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district in north Karnataka.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will pay his last respects, the CM's office said. Koppad was given full state honours.

Gun salutes for Lance Naik Hanamanthappa during his last rites, being performed in Dharwar (Karnataka) pic.twitter.com/Aq5dfmJDWj  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Reacting to the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "He leaves us sad and devastated...The soldier in you remains immortal."

Rahul Gandhi said, "His extraordinary spirit and tenacity, till the very end, is an inspiration for all. My thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also expressed deep shock and profound grief over the death of Koppad.

"During his life, the braveheart son of India united the entire nation in praying for him and has every citizen grieving for him today," she said.

"He fought till his last displaying utmost valour, courage and determination, which is the hallmark of our Armed Forces," she said in a message extending her deepest condolence to Koppad's family and loved ones.

Condoling Koppad's death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her sadness. "Saddened by news of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. Brave soldier gave supreme sacrifice for the nation. Salute to him & his colleagues who died," Banerjee tweeted.

Union Minister and former army chief VK Singh said that "it was a miracle for anybody to survive for six days buried under an avalanche, under 35 feet of snow."

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit also reacted to the soldier's demise and said that it was time that India and Pakistan addressed this issue of lives being lost in Siachen.

"We hope the Siachen issue is treated in an urgent manner between our two countries so more lives aren't lost," ANI quoted Basit as saying.

Koppad was the lone survivor among 10 soldiers buried by an avalanche on Siachen on 3 February.

The 33-year-old soldier of the 19th Battalion of Madras Regiment is survived by his wife Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal and two-year-old daughter Netra Koppad.

With inputs from agencies
Panaji: Forget that the beautiful peacock is the national bird and protected under the wild life laws of the country. In Goa, it may well be termed a vermin and culled ruthlessly.

Goa's Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar sees in the peacock a farm nuisance that, like monkeys and wild boars, causes severe damage to crops and "should be declared a vermin" and culled periodically.

Tawadkar said on Friday a committee of government officials is considering what to do.

"We have said in the last Assembly (sitting) about monkeys and wild boars creating a nuisance for farmers and that a committee would be formed to assess and declare them as vermin," he said.

"Some farmers said that peacocks also were damaging their crops in fields in hilly areas. The committee will also assess whether peacocks should be declared vermin or nuisance species," Tawadkar said.

The Goa agriculture minister, however, hastened to add that no species of animals or birds, including the peacock, have yet been declared a vermin.

The peacock is India's national bird and is a protected species under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

During last month's winter session of the Goa legislative assembly, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had assured that wild boars, monkeys and other wild animals who disrupt agricultural and horticultural activity and destroy crops would be classified as vermin soon.

"Time has come to classify some of these animals as vermin. Monkeys and wild boar regularly destroy fields," Parsekar said.

Rapid growth of urban areas and shrinking forest cover in Goa have left decreasing space for wild life, which often encroaches upon human habitat.

IANS
Teri Colleagues and My Friends,

I am quite used to writing smutty novels with graphic details of an old pervert's sexual fantasies and salacious text messages to colleagues young enough to be my daughter. But, drafting a leave application for everybody's eyes makes me feel like scratching my predator's whiskers.

But, since resigning, proceeding on indefinite leave, returning and then going back on indefinite leave consume most of my energy, resources and intellect (MERI, for brevity), I might as well get used to the idea of writing something more than just sexting.

Well, it is that time of the year again when I need to dig up a deep hole somewhere to hide from the outrage over my ability to dig up girls.It's a shame, actually. Last year, after resigning as head of International Panel of Climax Control (not that Panel on Climate headed by a man of similar tastes and temperament), I had hibernated for long to escape the world that had exploded because of a senior citizen's ability to do unmentionable things to his junior colleagues.

But, I returned, assuming the world would have started lacerating itself with penance  note to myself: must call up Tarun Tejpal to get the next farewell missive right  for hounding and grounding a man so eager to discharge his duties.

I thought I was so clever. With the media focus having shifted from my dark deeds, my victims giving up their fight and quitting the organisation and the board of directors solidly behind me, I presumed that I will return to a hero's welcome. Like Bill Clinton returning as a Starr to the Oval Office after being needlessly hounded for enjoying similar perks of power.

Silly me! Just when I had taken time off my pervert pursuits and said yes to the offer of taking up a position of power, something that would have allowed a man like me to be on top again, they started talking about my past. And now I have to go on leave for an indefinite period.

And what is this fuss about accepting degrees from me? Schools and colleges can only teach you so much. But only a self-taught man like me can articulate the importance of perversion, shamelessness, hypocrisy, immorality, moral squalor, treachery, cheating, predatory instincts  in short all the qualities that turn us into beasts  in the corporate jungle.

I am tempted to say to them what all Punjabis love to...Teri ...But then some might wrongly interpret that I am bequeathing the organisation to some of their relatives.

Instead, I am making a quick Return to Almora, which, incidentally is the name of the unreadable porn I wrote. Guess what! I was promised the Bad Sex Fiction prize for it. And just when I was drafting my acceptance speech, they gave me something more Noble.

And don't go anywhere. Like the Predator  or was it Terminator?  I shall be back once the current outrage dies down and people forget that what I am hiding in my beard isn't just a twig but a whole nest.

Nothing can destroy people like me. As long as the world has few good men and  wink, wink  lots of beautiful women, I will go on and on.

I remain, as always,

The Noble Man
New Delhi: The governing council of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on Friday asked executive vice chairman RK Pachauri to go on indefinite leave, reports NDTV. Ashok Chawla, former Competition Commission of India chief has been nominated to take over Pachauri's post.

Former director general of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Ajay Mathur was on late Thursday night appointed as the new TERI-DG. A press release issued by TERI said, "Dr RK Pachauri, who had been at the head of the institute since 1982 will be on leave from TERI, TERI governing council, and TERI University till this is reviewed by the governing council given the sub-judice nature of the matter." According to DNA, this, however, only means that Pachauri's powers as executive vice-chairman of TERI will remain largely unaffected  Pachauri won't be able to sit in on the meetings of the governing council.

Earlier Ajay Mathur was to take over on 8 February 2016 as the TERI chief. Pachauri, who is embroiled in a second sexual harrassment case now, was removed by the green body last year but was brought back again in the capacity of executive vice chairman.

An official statement said the TERI governing council at its meeting held in Bengaluru on Thursday took the decision to appoint Mathur as the new director general.

"Mathur will take up his new responsibilities as soon as he is in a position to do so, subsequent to being relieved from his current responsibilities by the government after a brief period of transition," the statement said.

According to TERI, the issue of succession to the current leadership was first discussed in detail by the general council in its meeting held in Mumbai in September, 2014.

Subsequently a well-known search firm was entrusted with the task of carrying out a search of candidates for the position.

"The decision to appoint Ajay Mathur is the culmination of an extensive search process and an intensive evaluation of candidates from across the globe," TERI said.

"We hope the GC is certain that the 1,200 people working for TERI in different parts of the world would welcome this development," it added.

Mathur holds a PhD and a Master of Science from the University of Illinois and completed his bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Roorkee.

He began his career at TERI in 1986 and rose to the position of dean, Energy and Environment Engineering, from 1995 to 2000. Mathur later worked with the World Bank, Green Climate Fund, before taking over as the director general of the BEE.

Pachauri was granted anticipatory bail on 21 March but was directed not to enter the TERI offices till investigation is complete. On 17 July, a court allowed the environmentalist to visit the offices, except two establishments in one of which the complainant worked.

After the sexual harassment complaint, Pachauri stepped down as chairperson of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February and proceeded on leave from TERI as its director general.

TERI University students and alumni wrote a letter to the acting vice chancellor on Wednesday, condemning the appointment of Pachauri as executive vice chairman of the organisation. The students also refused to take their degrees at the March convocation, reports Hindustan Times.

According to NDTV, close to 200 students are expected to receive their final degrees at the convocation (to be held on 7 March) of the university. According to the television channel's website, the students wrote in the email that Pachauri's re-appointment was "anti-thetical" to their beliefs and they did not wish to accept degrees from Dr Pachauri.

The Indian Express quotes the students' letter, "We reiterate the trajectory that the university is taking is dangerous and grossly inconsiderate, and as alumni, we sincerely hope that Teri Universitys board of management seriously re-evaluates Pachauris continuing role as chancellor..."

After the rebel by the students, Pachauri on Thursday went on leave probably forcing the institute to appoint Mathur.

With inputs from agencies
By Sanjay Sawant

Mumbai: Bhumata Brigade president Trupti Desai, who is spearheading the agitation against the Shani Shingnapur temple authorities seeking the end of 400-year-old tradition of not allowing women into the sanctum sanctorum, has received an anonymous threat letter on Friday warning her of dire consequences like thinker Narendra Dabholkar.

Dabholkar was found murdered on 20 August 2013. His fault -- he steadfastly vouched for the passing of the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance in the Maharashtra Assembly.

The two-page letter written in Marathi, a copy of which is with Firstpost, questioned her selection of Shani Shingnapur temple as her agenda at a time when her state Maharashtra is grappling with a plethora of other problems.

The letter warned her either to stay away from the issue or face fatal consequences like Dabholkar.

Desai has filed a complaint against unknown person at the Sahkar Nagar Police Station in Pune. A police officer confirmed about the threatening contents of the letter. "We will investigate the letter," the police officer said.

However, the Bhumata Brigade chief is not scared by the threat to her life.

"No, I am not frightened by the threat. If anyone is threatening to kill me, the person should come on record. He is afraid of me. That's why he has not dared to mention his name. This kind of threats are common in social service," Desai told Firstpost from Pune.

The letter asked Desai if she is aware that about farmers or school children committing suicide for want of money. It levelled charges against the Bhumata Brigade saying that the organisation is not doing enough when girls are repeatedly becoming victims of honour killing. The letter even had a suggestion for Desai advising her to focus on improving the quality of girl education.

She made it clear that although she has filed a police complaint she does not want a security detail accompanying her.

"I don't want police protection and I have not asked for it. The home portfolio is with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but look at the law and order situation in the state. In the last two and half years thinker Dabholkar and Pansare were killed but the main culprits are still not in police net. It's really a shame on us," Desai said.

CPI leader Govind Pansare was fatally shot at on 20 February in Kolhapur last year.

Despite the threat perception, the Bhumata Brigade head said the agitation would go on.

"Last week we had asked for a meeting with the chief minister but he is too busy. Let's see or else we will hold a big agitation once again at Shani Shingnapur," she said.

Refuting allegations that she was being used by the Congress against the BJP, Desai said, "I was a Congress worker earlier. After we formed the Bhumata Brigade in 2007 in the Pune district, I have been associated only with that."

Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam also backed the demand made by Bhumata Brigade on allowing women to pray at the sacred-most area of the temple.

"I am of the belief that women should be allowed equal rights at all temples," Nirupam said, adding, "Respecting women is our core value. They must be allowed in Shani Shingnapur temple."

The Maharashtra chief minister had voiced a similar opinion last week.

"Indian culture and Hindu religion give women the right to pray. A change in yesterday's traditions is our culture. Discrimination in praying is not in our culture. The temple authorities should resolve the issue through a dialogue," Fadnavis, who also holds home portfolio, had said.

Desai said that the Bhumata Brigade, which is the parent organisation of its women wing Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, has both men and women as its members tries to help women in distress regularly particularly from western Maharashtra -- be it about eve teasing, dowry, exploitation, physical or sexual assault and corruption.

On being asked if she the support from her family in her protest against the Shani Shingnapur temple authorities, Desai said, "Yes, the whole family is behind me specially my husband Prashant. I have a six-year-old boy as well."
New Delhi: As the AAP government in Delhi gets ready to tell people about its achievements on the completion of one year in office on Sunday, the BJP and the Congress plan to issue their own report cards on its "failures and misrule".

Kejriwal and his ministers will mark the first anniversary of their government with a 'telethon'  taking phone calls from the people of Delhi for their feedback and offering them a report card on the government.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it planned to release Arvind Kejriwal government's report card, highlighting its failures.

"We will issue a 70-point note on the promises made by the Kejriwal government tomorrow (Saturday). We will also release an audio-video campaign on the failures of the Aam Aadmi Party government in one year," Delhi BJP's media convener Praveen Shanker Kapoor told IANS.

The Congress Delhi unit will also release a booklet criticising the AAP government.

"Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken will release a booklet against the Kejriwal government's one-year misrule on Saturday at the party headquarters," a DPCC statement said.

The statement said the Congress will observe 14 February, the day Kejriwal took oath as Delhi chief minister in 2015, as Chhalawa Diwas (day of deception). Maken has even lent his voice to a radio campaign announcing a protest at the Raj Ghat on 14 February.

Kejriwal had earlier tweeted details of his party's plans to celebrate the anniversary.

Aam Admi completes 1 year in govt on 14 Feb. My cabinet will give an account of work done in 1 yr to people on that day(1/2)  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 9, 2016

On 14 Feb Sunday, betn 11 am to 1 pm, our Cabinet will also take questions n suggestions from people on phone(2/2)  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 9, 2016

AAP stormed to power bagging 67 seats in the 70-member assembly in the 2015 elections. While the BJP bagged the remaining three seats, the Congress came a cropper.

IANS
Chennai: In a possible attempt to revive the alliance with DMK that was snapped couple of years back, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will call on DMK president M.Karunanidhi on Saturday.

Though Azad told reporters here that it will be a courtesy call as he always meets Karunanidhi whenever he is here, the meeting is however seen as a possible attempt for the two parties to align again.

According to Azad, the president of Congress party's Tamil Nadu unit E.V.K.S.Elangovan and Mukul Wasnik the party's in-charge for the state will also accompany him to meet the DMK leader.

In 2011 with some hard bargaining, the Congress got 63 seats to contest in the assembly elections.

The DMK came out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013 charging the government of not handling the Sri Lankan Tamils issue properly.

IANS
Kolkata: Mocking opposition CPI(M) and Congress for their efforts to forge an alliance ahead of the Assembly polls in Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday termed the electoral tie-up as a "mistake".

"CPI(M) and Congress are committing a mistake by trying to forge an alliance. If BJP is helping them then it too is committing a mistake. They are sacrificing their ideology in order to forge an alliance.

"If you sacrifice your ideology for the sake of power and money - what is left with you? Nothing is left with you...I am neither Leftist nor Rightist. I am progressive. A person may die but his/her ideology lives on. They (Congress and CPI(M)) are committing a mistake," Banerjee said at TMC's extended general council meeting in Kolkata.

Criticising CPI(M), she said that she had been regularly reading reports of the proposed alliance for the past one month.

"CPI(M) used to call Congress as Bofors Gandhi (during the Bofors scam). They used to criticise Indira Gandhi as fascist, hurl abuses at her. We have seen those days. Now it is the same CPI(M) which is calling for an alliance with Congress," Mamata said.

The state leadership of both CPI(M) and Congress have advocating an alliance to take on ruling TMC in the polls in the state.

"I want to tell them (Congress and CPI(M)) the alliance will not have an impact on the prospects of TMC in Bengal. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party. As long as I live I will live like a lion. I want them to forge an alliance so that they have their own political evaluation," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

On , the CPI(M)-led opposition Left Front formally agreed to discuss the issue of alliance with Congress if it is approached.

PTI
New Delhi: AirAsia India is again in the news, with reports now suggesting its CEO and MD Mittu Chandilya has resigned. Just a few days back, the airline made headlines for a different reason - when Tata Sons picked up additional equity stake to finally own about 41% share in the airline. Though both these developments are significant, what needs to be highlighted is the deeper rot within the airline.

AirAsia India needs renewed commitment from its shareholders, an urgent funds' infusion and a clear operational strategy to survive in a tough-as-nails Indian aviation market. India is unlike most other markets where airlines pile up losses but rarely folds up, making life quite tough for new entrants.

Vijay Mallya finally ended his airline dream after sinking millions of dollars in the business in Kingfisher Airlines, Air India continues on government dole despite massive accumulated losses, SpiceJet was very close to shutting down before former promoter Ajay Singh rescued it last January and Jet Airways is only now starting to make a turnaround.

What AirAsia India needs the most is commitment from its shareholders towards recapitalization and then a capable management team to steer it. Besides, the airline must be run from India, by a strong management team aware of market realities and clued into the dynamics here instead of being driven from the Malaysian parent's headquarters.

Sources close to the developments at AirAsia India said AirAsia BhD had in the past expressed its inability to bring funds for recapitalization and the entire onus of bringing in fresh capital rested virtually with the Tatas. This may change soon, as the Malaysian parent may finally be infusing some cash. AA BhD boss Tony Fernandes is scheduled to be in Mumbai over this weekend. These sources said the discussions between the shareholders have been about infusing $100 million into AirAsia India even as analysts have said the airline needs about half that amount in the near term.

AirAsia BhD (49%) and Tata Sons (41%) are the two major stakeholders in this startup airline who have not been united in purpose as far as key decisions about the airline are concerned. Telestra Tradeplace, which owns the remaining 10% stake, has obviously been keen to exit after alleging mismanagement, micro management by the Malaysian parent and inactive participation by the Indian partners. It is time shareholder issues, changes in shareholding pattern and top level management rejigs are resolved swiftly so that the airline can begin focusing on the business of flying, Or else, it may just have to struggle to survive in one of the world's fastest growing markets. Worse, it may have to shut shop.

AirAsia India was started as three way partnership, with AirAsia BhD owning 49% equity, Tata Sons was at 30% and Telestra Tradeplace at 21%, This shareholding structure in itself has caused some pain to the airline since Telestra seems to have been unhappy with the way things worked. So why did Tata Sons not take active part in making key decisions? It has been said in the past that AirAsia India is a board driven company and all decisions are being taken by the board. Still, sources insist decisions related to network planning, fleet and commercial strategy aret being first vetted by the Malaysian parent.

AirAsia India started operations in June 2014. The LCC saw an initial investment of $30 million but no more funds have been invested in it till date. It signalled the re-entry of the Tatas into the aviation business after previous unsuccessful attempts. Why was Telestra Tradeplace at all asked to be part of an airline when it had no prior experience in the segment? Many industry experts believed at the time that the Tatas were hesitant in picking up majority 51% in the airline, wanted to test the waters. And then, the Tatas went ahead and invested in another full service airline Vistara (in partnership with Singapore Airlines) which lead many to doubt if the group will retain required focus and support to two airlines operating in the same market albeit with different business models.

Also, if the Tatas do want to eventually take majority control in the LCC, they should take the decision soon and end the uncertainty on shareholder issues. Already, after the Tatas hiked stake to 41%, Telestra representatives seem to have lessened their interest in the proceedings with sources saying Bhatia has not attended the last two board meetings of the airline.

Kapil Kaul, CEO and Director of CAPA South Asia pointed out Chandilya's exit and issues raised earlier by Bhatia of Telstra are not significant nor will they change Air Asias dynamics and market profile. "This JV had strategic fault lines from the beginning. Underestimating the fierce competitive dynamics in India and its aviation ecosystem led to two critical mistakes: Serious under-capitalization of the project. More importantly, management depth and quality required for this complex market were compromised. India is a very difficult market and cannot be driven from the head office".

He said AirAsia's challenges and lack of performance cannot be attributed to the CEO alone. "I strongly believe responsibilities lie with board and promoters. Tatas are so big as a group and this JV to me was non strategic and too small to receive the attention it deserved. The AirAsia group is facing structural challenges in most of their markets for last couple of years and this resulted in lack of focus on Air Asia India."

AirAsia India claims to have one of the lowest cost structures among all Indian airlines but cash is urgently needed for network and fleet expansion to stay relevant in a highly competitive market like India where at least 3 in 4 flyers already fly an LCC. Its crying need is a substantial investment from the shareholders.

Speaking to Firstpost earlier, Chandilya had said operationally, the airline has been doing well. He had cited aircraft utilisation of 13.5 hours on a fleet of six aircraft, low cost base and increased overall operational efficiencies to say the airline was on the right path operationally. The manpower to aircraft ratio of the company was at a 110, he had claimed.

Incremental improvements in operations are also happening, with a new CFO and a Commercial Director expected to join soon. Both could be nominees of the Malaysian parent. In the December quarter of this fiscal, the airline claims to have made its first gross profit and in the month of January too, it claims to be making gross profit. This is a vast improvement over he Rs 65 crore loss it posted in the September quarter of this fiscal and Rs 24.71 crore loss in the year-ago period.

Originally, the airline had planned to add 10 aircraft to its fleet each year but market realities and the government dragging its feet over the 5/20 rule have forced AirAsia India to halt such ambitious plans. It now has just six aircraft in its fleet compared to 15 it would have had if the original blueprint were to be followed. There is yet no clarity on when the next two aircraft will arrive since AirAsia India is awaiting the decision on 5/20.

This is a rule which bars Indian airlines from flying overseas unless they have completed five years of Indian operations and have a fleet of 20 aircraft. Chandilya had said fleet expansion is awaiting clarity on the Civil Aviation Policy (which will determine whether the 5/20 restriction stays or goes). If 5/20 is scrapped, then tier I towns may become more important than tier II (which are currently the airlines focus) for overseas flights  basically, the entire network will undergo a change.
A gang of gunmen riding on a motorcycle reportedly sprayed bullets and killed vice president of BJP in Bihar Visheshwar Ojha in Sonbarsa area in Ara district on Friday evening. Ojha was 45. This is the second murder in two weeks. LJP functionary Brijnath Singh was mowed down by criminals firing from AK-47 assault rifles in Patna's congested Kachchi Dargah locality a week ago.

Ojha was shot dead in his SUV while returning from a wedding. BJP called it a political killing and served 72-hour ultimatum to the state government to arrest killers of Ojha or else face state-wide protest, reports The Indian Express.

Sources said it was around 4.30 pm when Ojha and BJP party leaders were travelling in the village in a Tata Safari.

His vehicle was intercepted by a group of assailants who were in a motorcycle. According to an eye-witness, one of the gunmen sprayed bullets at him - killing him instantly. He was declared brought dead in a local hospital, reports CNN IBN.

Immediately all the nearby police stations were alerted and a massive combing operation has been launched to arrest the killers.

BJP National General Secretary and in-charge of Bihar, Bhupender Yadav expressed shock over the incident. "Shocked to learn about broad day light murder of Bihar BJP leader Visheshwar Ojha. My condolences go to the family," he tweeted.

The incident once again raised serious questions about the law and order situation in the state.

Senior BJP leader P. Muralidhar Rao, in-charge of Karnataka, tweeted, "Jungle Raj back to Bihar. BJP leader Sh. Visheshwar Ojha's murder points to increasing goondaism &failure of law and order under Nitish govt."

Earlier, state BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and other central party leaders citing series of crime incidents including murder of two engineers in Darbhanga had raised the slogan of jungle raj-2 in the state.

Union Minister and LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi too had sharpened attack on law and order situation in Bihar.

So far no one has been arrested.

With Agencies
Sydney: A seriously ill Australian boy was on Thursday granted his wish to become a superhero like Iron Man, with police staging an elaborate event on the Sydney Opera House steps as Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr tweeted his support.

Nine-year-old Domenic Pace, who has battled cystic fibrosis throughout his life, has long idolised Marvel superhero Iron Man and expressed his wish to be "Iron Boy", with the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted his dream to fight crime in Australia's biggest city.

In scenes reminiscent of Batkid  a five-year-old boy recovering from cancer who in 2013 became the diminutive version of the crime-fighter Batman in San Francisco -- Sydneysiders turned out to watch Pace save the day on the harbour in a spectacle that took almost a year to organise.

"Sent a very special boy on a top secret mission today. Go get 'em, Domenic! #IronBoyAU @MakeAWishAust," American actor Robert Downey Jr, who plays Iron Man in the Marvel films, tweeted Thursday.

Sent a very special boy on a top secret mission today. Go get em, Domenic! #IronBoyAU @MakeAWishAust  Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) February 11, 2016

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione told Pace, who was playing in a Sydney park when he was flown by helicopter to police headquarters for the surprise mission, that authorities needed his help.

"Make-A-Wish reporter Hope Joy has been kidnapped. Officers have confirmed that Clark Island has been overtaken by Ultron's henchmen and Hope Joy is being held captive," Scipione said in a video recording.

"If I could make one wish, it would be for you to help us, Iron Boy."

Pace was fitted with a specially made Iron Boy suit and his 12-year-old brother Joseph played the role of Iron Man sidekick Colonel James Rhodes as he told reporters he was "ready to get down to business".

The schoolboy was then whisked off in an inflatable boat to Clark Island in Sydney Harbour, where he freed the fictional reporter before engaging in a fight with villainous robot Ultron on the steps of the iconic Opera House.

"Go Dom!," Australian thespian Liam Hemsworth, the younger brother of Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor in the same series of movies, tweeted as #IronBoyAU became the top-trending hashtag on Twitter in Australia.

AFP
Washington: Al-Qaeda can regenerate in border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan while the Islamic State is emerging as a competitor to some of the existing terror groups in the war-torn country, the CIA has warned.

"We're concerned that Al-Qaeda can regenerate in that Afghan-Pak border region, which is why we need to maintain the intelligence collection as well as working with our Afghan and Pakistan partners," CIA Director John Brennan told members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence early this week.

There are about 100 or so Al-Qaeda members in the eastern parts of Afghanistan. The Al-Qaeda leaders there have joined hands with some of the other militant organisations in the area, including the Taliban, he said.

"So they continue to apply their trade on the ground inside Afghanistan," Brennan said.

Responding to a question from Senator Dianne Feinstein, Brennan said ISIS has been able to take advantage of some elements within the Taliban that have been disenchanted with the organisation.

"So Islamic State is seen as a threat certainly by Afghan officials when I've traveled over to Afghanistan just two months ago. One of the real concerns they had that Islamic State is planting the flag in different parts of Afghanistan and they are now being seen as a competitor to some of the existing militant and terrorist organisations there," he said.

"IS probably has several hundred members or so inside Afghanistan, I would estimate. And it is distributed. They have had some setbacks there as they have gone up against some of the other militant organisations. But it is a concern," he said.

"Just like we see these various franchises growing in places like Indonesia or Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, we see the same thing in South Asia," he added.

PTI
Washington: US presidential aspirants Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders today tried to woo minority Latino and African American voters as they sparred over issues like race and their records on immigration during a Democratic debate.

Clinton, 68, who has struggled to regain momentum after losing badly to Sanders in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, sought to cast herself as a more sensible, pragmatic progressive.

She also cited her experience as secretary of state, implying that she had a broader array of expertise than Sanders, who focuses largely on economic inequality. The debate came as contest between the two moves to Nevada and South Carolina, states with large minority populations.

"I want to tackle those barriers that stand in the way of too many Americans right now," Clinton said in her opening statement. "African Americans who face discrimination in the job market, education, housing and the criminal justice system.

Hardworking immigrant families living in fear who should be brought out of the shadows so they and their children can have a better future. Guaranteeing that women's work finally gets the equal pay that we deserve."

At the PBS NewsHour televised debate, Clinton repeatedly emphasised her ties to President Barack Obama who is extremely popular among minority voters.

Immigration reform was also a major topic of discussion. Both candidates supported creating a path to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US and they decried a recent uptick in deportations by the Obama administration.

Clinton accused 74-year-old Sanders of voting against the 2007 immigration reform bill that included a pathway to citizenship. Sanders defended his vote, arguing that civil rights and immigrant groups were also opposed.

"I don't apologise for that vote," he declared. Criticising the anti-immigrant positions of Republican front-runner Donald Trump, Sanders said immigrants should not be scapegoats for economic uncertainty. "We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world, who are trying to divide us," Sanders said.

Clinton accused the Vermont Senator of criticising Obama, who is also from their own Democratic party, in a language that is normally heard by Republican opponents.

"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our President I expect from Republicans. I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama," Clinton charged during the Democratic presidential debate.

"Madam Secretary, that is a low blow," Sanders responded by arguing that he respects Obama, but as a Senator he has the right to disagree with the President.

PTI
In a landmark discovery scientists have detected gravitational waves, hypothesized by Albert Einstein over 100 years ago. Announced on Thursday, this opens a new window for studying the cosmos. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it," said California Institute of Technology physicist David Reitze, triggering applause at a packed news conference in Washington.

Indian scientists, more than 60 in all, also played a major role in the scientific breakthrough.

Sanjeev Dharundhar

Sanjeev Dhurandhar, professor emeritus at the Inter-University Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, was one of the 1,000 key scientists involved in detecting the gravitational waves. As early as 1980s when the world was keen on electromagnetic waves, he was adamant about the existence of this scientific marvel.

The scientific community was not very receptive when the Pune born scientist suggested the existence of these weak waves which can help detect black holes. Despite the spectism, in the year 1989, he was brought into IUCAA, Pune by Jayant Narlikar (founder-director, IUCAA) to help develop techniques for the detection of the signals.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)  the discovery portal for the gravitational waves  finished construction in 1999 in United States, and Dharundhar led various groups to research this theory based on the data provided by these observatories. Today many of his students have contributed to the phenomenal discovery in various parts of the world.

Other players

The Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observatories (IndIGO) was set up in 2009 with over 60 scientists from various institutions of the country like  CMI Chennai, ICTS TIFR Bengaluru, IISER Kolkata, IISER  Trivandrum, IIT Gandhingar , IPR Gandhinagar, IUCAA Pune, RRCAT Indore and TIFR Mumbai. Some of the key tasks carried out by these groups were to decipher the LIGO response to signals, the dynamics of the black hole, and to analyse the energy radiated at the time of the collision of the black holes. Bala Iyer  a scientist at the Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, led a group in collaboration with French scientists, to calculate the gravitational waves emitted by the black holes and neutron stars.

LIGO facility in India

As early as 2014, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced Indias intention to host a key facility in an effort to detect gravitational waves. In August 2012, National Science Foundations (NSF) oversight body  National Science Board authorized officials to set up facilities in India for the hunt for the gravitational waves.

The LIGO observatories currently reside in two American states, Louisiana and Washington, and a LIGO-India is being envisioned as a joint project between Indian research institutes, the LIGO US lab and its international partners. The centre has offered a funding of 1,200 crore and Indian scientists will be responsible for finding a suitable site to host the detector.

PM Narendra Modis reaction

Prime Minister Modi also expressed his joy on the social media platform, Twitter, for Indias contribution in this discovery.
Aden: Suspected Al-Qaeda members killed five police officers on Friday in an attack in Yemen's second city of Aden, a security source said.

The masked assailants attacked a police outpost in the Basateen area of northern Aden before fleeing, the source said.

The incident came a day after three pro-government soldiers were killed by suspected jihadists in the southern port city.

Al-Qaeda controls parts of Aden, where the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has set up base in its battle against Shiite Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa.

With support from a Saudi-led coalition, Hadi's forces have driven the rebels out of Aden and four other southern provinces since last July but the Shiite rebels control much of the north.

Al-Qaeda and the rival Islamic State jihadist group have taken advantage of the conflict to gain ground in southern cities such as Aden.

They have claimed a string of attacks and assassinations in recent months.

The UN says that the war in Yemen has killed more than 6,100 people since March, more than half civilians, and wounded more than 29,000.

AFP
A man remains on the run after a "brazen" attempt to rob a Commonwealth Bank in Sydney's CBD in broad daylight on Friday afternoon.

The man walked into the bank on the corner of Market and Castlereagh streets at 1.35pm, NSW Police said.

The St James branch of the Commonwealth Bank was closed on Friday as Police investigated an attempted robbery. Credit:Sophia Phan

He threatened staff and an estimated 8 customers with a weapon, believed to have been a knife, and demanded money before fleeing empty-handed.

Witnesses told Nine News they were left "shaken up" and had seen the man "lunge" at bank workers.
The lawyers for former Chad dictator Hissene Habre finished their closing arguments Thursday by dismissing the credibility of testimony and reports that placed direct blame on the leader for the deaths of thousands during his rule.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Habre, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, torture and war crimes in an unprecedented trial in which one African country is prosecuting the former ruler of another. The Extraordinary African Chambers was established by Senegal and the African Union to try Habre in Dakar.

The trial, pushed for decades by the victims of abuses during Habre's 1982-90 rule, is seen by them as due justice.

Mounir Ballal, one of three Senegalese lawyers assigned to Habre after his legal team refused to recognize the legitimacy of the court, pleaded not guilty for Habre. The former leader sat silently, as he has throughout the trial, wearing sunglasses and wrapped in a crisp white turban that covers his mouth.

"We call into question the personal responsibility of the president relative to the charges brought against him, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture,'' Ballal told The Associated Press. He called the argument that Habre would be solely responsible because he was president "too easy'' and cited contradictions in witness testimonies.

According to a 1992 report by a Chadian truth commission formed by Chad's current leader, President Idriss Deby, Habre's government was responsible for an estimated 40,000 deaths. The commission particularly blamed Habre's political police force, the Directorate of Documentation and Security, saying it used torture methods including whipping, beating, burning and the extraction of fingernails.

In 2001, police archives found in Chad documented more than 12,000 victims.

'Machine of repression'

"Habre is directly responsible for the creation of a machine of repression and terror,'' Jacqueline Moudeina, a lawyer for the nearly 4,500 civil parties in the lawsuit, told the AP. "He controlled this machine that arrested people without reason, detained them arbitrarily and illegally, and carried out executions.''

Senegal prosecutor Mbacke Fall spoke of secret prisons created by Habre and recommended that the former leader get life in prison and that seized assets be confiscated.

The defense, however, argued that instability in Chad forced Habre to create the DDS, because he was a nationalist.

"This man who ruled for eight years and knew six wars, conspiracies everywhere  what else would motivate him to create the DDS?'' Ballal said.

After being overthrown, Habre fled to Senegal, where he lived a life of luxury until he was detained and charged in 2013.

His is the first trial in Africa of a universal jurisdiction case, in which a country's national courts can prosecute the most serious crimes committed abroad by a foreigner against foreign victims, Human Rights Watch said.

Defense lawyers, however, have dismissed the tribunal as a political tool of Habre's enemies, emphasizing that the government of Deby, who removed Habre from office, is the court's largest donor.

Burkina Faso Judge Gberdao Gustave Kam, who is presiding over the trial, said Thursday that a verdict would be issued by May 30.
Hackers used a Russian-based internet provider and made phone calls from inside Russia as part of a coordinated cyberattack on Ukraine's power grid in

December, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Friday.

The incident was widely seen as the first known power outage caused by a cyberattack, and has prompted fears both within Ukraine and outside that other critical infrastructure could be vulnerable.

The ministry, saying it had completed an investigation into the incident, did not accuse the Russian government directly of involvement in the attack, which knocked out electricity supplies to tens of thousands of customers in central and western Ukraine and prompted Kyiv to review its cyber defenses.

But the findings chime with the testimony of the U.S. intelligence chief to Congress this week, which named cyberattacks, including those targeting Washington's interests in Ukraine, as the biggest threat to U.S. national security.

Relations between Kyiv and Moscow soured after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 and pro-Russian separatist violence erupted in Ukraine.

Hackers targeted three power distribution companies in December's attack, and then flooded those companies' call centers with fake calls to prevent genuine customers reporting the outage.

"According to one of the power companies, the connection by the attackers to its IT network occurred from a subnetwork... belonging to an (internet service) provider in the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement.

Deputy Energy Minister Oleksander Svetelyk told Reuters hackers had prepared the attacks at least six months in advance, adding that his ministry had ordered tighter security procedures.

"The attack on our systems took at least six months to prepare - we have found evidence that they started collecting information (about our systems) no less than 6 months before the attack," Svetelyk said by phone.

Researchers at Trend Micro, one of the world's biggest security software firms, said this week that the software used to infect the Ukrainian utilities has also been found in the networks of a large Ukrainian mining company and a rail company.

The researchers said one possible explanation was that it was an attempt to destabilize Ukraine as a whole. It was also possible these were test probes to determine vulnerabilities that could be exploited later, they said.
The heads of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches will hold a historic meeting today in the threadbare international airport of an officially secular, communist-run tropical island.

Odd as the location seems, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirills attempt to reconcile their churches after centuries of estrangement will set the tone for a year of peacemaking in Cuba, a nation trying to shed its historic role as international socialist provocateur.

In addition to the meeting of the church leaders, Cuban President Raul Castro is expected to welcome President Barack Obama to Havana as early as this spring to celebrate the detente the two men declared at the end of 2014, ending a half-century of hostility. And four years of talks in Cuba between Colombias government and its main rebel group appear set to produce an accord ending the Western Hemispheres longest-running conflict, perhaps as early as mid-year.

If all goes as planned, 2016 could cement Castros construction of a foreign policy legacy markedly different from that of his brother Fidel, who oversaw five decades of tension with the United States, dispatching Cuban troops and advisers to Africa, Asia and Central and South America, and offering safe haven to anti-Western fighters from conflicts around the world.

Cuba has been transformed from a revolutionary actor, isolated from other states in the Western Hemisphere with the exception of Mexico and Canada, said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a Cuban-trained professor at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. The country has come to be seen as a country in transformation, part of the modern-day international system.

Kirill is traveling through Latin America, visiting national leaders and the regions small Russian Orthodox communities. Francis is stopping briefly in Cuba for the second time in less than a year on his way to a tour of Mexico.

The meeting of the men in Havanas Jose Marti International Airport is expected to focus almost entirely on the issue of religious reconciliation. The two churches split during the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church is poaching converts in former Soviet lands.

Todays meeting will be the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the churches. It will put Raul Castro in a positive international light at a critical point in his normalization of relations with the United States. With less than a year left in Obamas presidency, advocates of detente are pushing hard for Cuba and the U.S. to make their reconciliation irreversible.

The Obama administration has cited Cubas role in Colombias peace talks as a reason for the U.S. to engage with the island rather than isolating it. Images of Raul Castro presiding over another historic attempt at reconciliation cant help but build his credentials as a man the U.S. should be doing business with.

Fidel was widely perceived as volatile and partisan, Raul as steadier, more predictable and reliable, more reflective, hence a better negotiating partner or host, said Richard Feinberg, a former Clinton Administration official and a professor of international politics at the University of California, San Diego.

While Raul Castro is departing from his brothers foreign policy, Fidel Castros international focus left his successor with some advantages, including a larger and better-trained diplomatic corps than those of many other countries its size. AP
Hong Kong stocks fell in their worst start to a lunar new year since 1994 as a global equity rout deepened amid concern over the strength of the world economy.

The Hang Seng Index slumped 3.9 percent at the close in Hong Kong as markets reopened following a three-day trading closure, during which the MSCI All-Country World Index dropped 2.1 percent. The last time the gauge fell so much on the first day of the lunar new year, investors were worried about the health of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Lenovo Group Ltd. led declines while energy companies dropped after crude slumped 11 percent during the holidays. Jeweler Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd. slid after riots in the Mong Kok district.

Hong Kongs benchmark equity gauge tumbled 12 percent this year through Friday amid concern that capital outflows, a slumping property market and Chinas economic slowdown will hurt earnings. Tuesdays violence in the shopping district of Mong Kok threatens to deter mainland visitors and worsen a drop in retail sales, according to UOB Kay Hian (Hong Kong) Ltd.

You cant avoid a drop because everywhere has come down so much during this time and the same concerns are still there  oil price, global recession, said Steven Leung, an executive director for institutional sales at UOB Kay Hian. The image of Hong Kong as a metropolitan city has been hurt quite seriously by the rioting, he said.

PetroChina Co. tumbled 5.1 percent, while Cnooc Ltd., Chinas largest offshore oil company, dropped 5.3 percent. HSBC Holdings Plc slid 5.4 percent to a six-year low. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index retreated 4.9 percent, its biggest loss since August. Mainland financial markets remain closed for holidays until Monday.

Plunges in crude and concerns over the perceived creditworthiness of European banks has fueled uncertainty over the strength of the world economy this week. Oil fell below USD27 a barrel in New York, compared with $31.72 a barrel at the close on Feb. 4. Kyle Bass, the hedge fund manager who successfully bet against mortgages during the subprime crisis, said Chinas banking system may see losses of more than four times those suffered by U.S. banks during the last crisis.

The general tone of other markets has been quite soft, said Tony Hann, who helps oversee about $270 million as head of equities at Blackfriars Asset Management in London. Its difficult to be optimistic about Hong Kong, he said.

The Hang Seng Indexs price-to-book ratio fell below one last month for the first time since the Asian financial crisis roiled regional markets and popped a domestic property bubble in 1998. All but one stock on the 50-member gauge are down this year.

Chow Sang Sang dropped 0.9 percent, while Luk Fook Holdings (International) Ltd., a jeweler that gets more than half its revenue in the city, declined 4.7 percent.

Police fired warning shots in Mong Kok, the citys most densely populated area, early Tuesday after an effort by officials to clear illegal food stalls morphed into a riot. The clashes were more violent than anything seen during the Umbrella Movement of 2014.

This time the situation was quite different from Occupy Central: there was no peace and a lot of people were injured, UOB Kay Hians Leung said. Overall it shouldnt have [a] very big impact but, of course, it will weigh on related sectors like retail, tourism. (See p10)

Still, weaker global growth may reduce the likelihood of future interest-rate increases in the U.S., which raise borrowing costs in Hong Kong due to a currency peg, Leung said. Richard Frost & Kana Nishizawa, Bloomberg
ROGERSON  Though the Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir appears empty, the true reservoir  the snowpack above the dam  looks good.

So does the entire snowpack along the Nevada border from the Raft River Basin to the Bruneau and Owyhee basins.

Farmers in those tracts are cautiously optimistic.

Moisture content in the snowpack is looking pretty decent, said Lance Griff, secretary of the Salmon River Canal Co. board. Its above normal, but so much can change in the spring.

Snowpack levels peaked about this time last year, then the weather got warmer and drier  not a good scenario for snowpacks, Griff said.

Little carryover was left in the reservoir last year, he said, which accounts for the current level of 10 percent full.

National Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL sites on Feb. 11 reported Salmon Falls Basin at 153 percent of normal, said Ron Abramovich, water supply specialist.

Farmers there are happy, Abramovich said. Thats the best snowpack since 2006.

Snowpack typically peaks April 1, so if the trend continues, those basins could be in good shape going into the spring.

But if the snowstorms ended today, the region would end up with only normal moisture levels. That, however, would still be better than the most of the last decade, Abramovich said in a telephone interview from his office in Boise.

As for the rest of the state including the upper Snake, snowpack has been slower to accumulate, he said. Some are below normal, but not that far.

Henrys Fork and the Teton Basins are at 96 percent of normal, while the Snake Basin above Palisades is at 91 percent.

In west-central Idaho, the Boise and Payette Basins are at about 117 percent of normal, while much of northern Idaho is lagging behind at about 95 percent.

Reservoir Levels

Dont judge the snowpack by whats in the reservoirs at this time of year, Mike Beus, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation water operations manager in Burley, said Thursday.

I constantly remind people that when it comes to water supply, they need to look upstream, Beus said. For us (on the Snake River) that means the Wyoming snowpack (at Jackson Lake and the Tetons).

The levels of the reservoirs are controlled for flood management, he said.

We could still use a little help from Mother Nature but not a lot is needed for irrigation, Beus said. But for the states recharge initiative, we could always use a little more.

Aquifer recharge takes place in the winter when irrigation pipes are empty.

Another indicator of the southern Idaho snowpack is the snow level across the mountains: currently 65 inches at Howell Canyon near Albion and 48 inches at Bostetter and 57 inches at Magic Mountain, both in the South Hills.

All this is great news for these southern Idaho basins, Abramovich said. Hopefully they will be able to start their recovery from the four-year drought.
FAIRFIELD  The Idaho Department of Labor has awarded Fairfield a $25,000 micro-grant to help residents learn about AutoCAD and 3-D printing. Its part of the citys plan to increase skills in local industries and increase wages.

The grant will also benefit local students, as Camas County School will be equipped with a new Makerspace Lab.

Not only is it going to be training our adults, but its also going to provide hands-on education for our kids, said Megan Stelma, Fairfields planning and zoning administrator.

About 28 people can attend one of four training sessions over a 12-month period once the lab is established with a 3-D printer and supplies, she said. Eight of those will get a job with a community partner company within 30 days, and five will be current employees whose anticipated wage gain will be $2-5 an hour, Stelma said. Industry partners include Between the Lines Design, High Country Fusion, and Earth & Structure.

Unfortunately, theres not much technology here, said Travis Cook, owner of Between the Lines Design. More jobs could be kept here if we had this kind of training with the upcoming generation.

The future of manufacturing is with computer-aided design, Cook said. You can do everything but touch and feel. CAD is also useful in the film making industry.

Training sessions will be led by the College of Southern Idaho or Integrative Solution. An advisory board will meet quarterly to ensure the program meets its goals.

Were really looking forward to the program succeeding, Stelma said.

The training will be advertised locally and in Gooding and Blaine counties, she said. Applications will open to adults and high school students, with no pre-requisites after a schedule has been set.

The idea for the training stemmed from the Idaho community review in June, Stelma said.

The $25,988 in-kind match includes support and information gathering from Southern Idaho Tourism, a fiscal agent and administrative support from the city, facility use from the Camas County School District, and job shadowing from Between the Lines Design.

Trainees will receive some hands-on experience and may help his company render drawings using a CAD program, Cook said. Between the Lines Design uses a milling machine instead of a 3-D printer to create prototypes.

The grant with the Department of Labor was approved by the Idaho Workforce Development Council and funded through the Idaho Workforce Development Training Fund. Approved projects must increase employment and wages of a communitys workforce or assist in stemming the out-migration of youth and young adult workers from Idaho communities, the department said in a statement.
Editor's note: Prosecutors dismissed rape charges against Holland. In their motion to dismiss the case, prosecutors said: As part of its continuing duty to investigate this case, the State has interviewed additional witnesses who have come forward since the preliminary hearing, and thoroughly reviewed their statements and other evidence as it relates to the testimony presented at preliminary hearing. It is the States conclusion based upon close analysis of all the facts now available about this incident that Mr. Holland did not commit the crime of Rape . Accordingly, the State moves to dismiss the charge against the defendant.

TWIN FALLS  A lawyer for a KMVT meteorologist charged with rape asked a judge for more time to review evidence before a preliminary hearing is held.

The hearing for John Jack William Holland, 23, has been postponed until March 4. At that time, a magistrate judge will decide whether to send the case to district court or dismiss the charges.

Prosecutors say Holland met a woman for a date Jan. 29 and the two had drinks at a local restaurant. After the drinks, they went back to Hollands apartment where he poured her a large glass of whisky.

The woman told police she laid down on a couch because she didnt feel well, at which time Holland began asking her to show off, and while she was inebriated, removed the panties she was wearing from under her dress, court documents said.

She told police Holland led her to his bedroom, where despite her repeated requests for him to stop, he attacked her, court documents said.

Holland was arrested early Jan. 30, charged with rape Feb. 1 and released on $10,000 bond the same day.

Fridays preliminary hearing appeared set to take place, with the defendant, his family, the victim and lead detective all present. But before the hearing began, Hollands defense attorney, Chuck Peterson, told Magistrate Judge Thomas Kershaw there was last-minute evidence that still needed to be reviewed.

We received this morning a video tape  and weve spent the last hour reviewing that tape, Peterson said. There are references to text messages on that video tape, that I think frankly to go forward without would be a mistake. It would waste the courts time and it might cause more confusion down the road.

Peterson asked for the hearing to be delayed three weeks, and deputy prosecutor Suzanne Craig said her office was OK with that continuance.

The file is incomplete, Peterson said. There are medical reports that are not there. There are text messages and written statements that are not in the file yet. The prosecutor has produced to us 80 or 90 pages of (evidence), but it sounds like there is considerably more.

Preliminary hearings in Twin Falls County are typically scheduled for the second Friday after a person is charged with a felony. Those hearings are often delayed several weeks or more to give prosecutors and defense lawyers more time to investigate and gather and review evidence.

You and I talked about this a few days ago, Kershaw told Craig. When you said this would probably go, I was a bit surprised because of the type of case it is. Ill grant the continuance.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. March 4.
BOISE  The governors plan to extend primary care coverage to the poor is in the hands of lawmakers.

The House Health and Welfare Committee voted unanimously to print the bill Thursday morning after a brief presentation from Health and Welfare Director Dick Armstrong.

The bill is a very positive step in improving the health of Idaho citizens who are caught in the insurance gap through no fault of their own, he said.

Committee Chairman Fred Wood, R-Burley, said he would likely hold a full hearing in about a week-and-a-half. Idahoans will have another opportunity to weight in on PCAP or other health-related issues before then  the House and Senate Health and Welfare committees are holding a joint hearing in the Lincoln auditorium at the Capitol from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday to take public testimony.

Idaho policymakers have been debating for several years what to do about the estimated 78,000 Idahoans who are in the Medicaid gap, who dont qualify for Medicaid but are too poor to qualify for subsidized insurance on the state exchange.

Work groups appointed by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter have recommended two Medicaid expansion plans  full Medicaid expansion and a state-designed Healthy Idaho proposal. Neither has passed, and many GOP lawmakers are against the idea.

The pushback on us was always, Were not going to start another federal program, Otter said at a breakfast with the Idaho Press Club Thursday.

The two bills got a hearing in Senate Health and Welfare last week, the farthest they have gotten so far. Committee Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, said he wanted to wait to see the PCAP bill before acting.

I wasnt surprised but I am grateful, Otter said of the hearing. Im grateful because were finally having a discussion on it, noting that the conversation is now about what to do and not whether to do something.

Otter also fired back at his critics who say Medicaid expansion would be better. He challenged Democrats, who support expanding Medicaid as an alternative to his program, to come up with the votes. Otter doubts theyll find them  he couldnt, he said, even as a Republican governor in a GOP-controlled state.

If they want to push Medicaid expansion, theyre going to have to get a whole lot more encouragement than Ive ever gotten, he said.

One big question that still needs to be settled is where the money for PCAP  $19 million the first year, $30 million a year after that  would come from. Otters original plan called for redirecting cigarette and tobacco tax money, but there has been talk of other sources, such as taking funds from the Millennium Fund. Others have suggested using savings the catastrophic health care program for the poor has seen as more of people get insurance through the state exchange.

Otter didnt directly answer the question of funding Thursday, but he did point to the savings in the catastrophic fund as a sign that his decision to create a state exchange, which was opposed by many more conservative Republicans, is working.

I dont hear anybody yelling from the top of the roofs, he said. When we created the insurance exchange, we actually took a lot of pressure off the CAT fund.

Many of the people who PCAP would cover already get primary care treatment at community health centers and would continue to if the bill passes. For example, 18,000 of the 30,000 people treated at the Boise-area Terry Reilly group of clinics in 2015 fall under the poverty level and would qualify, CEO Heidi Traylor told the House Health committee.

So how will PCAP help?

Basically, Traylor said, it means the clinics would get more money  $32 per month per covered patient  that they would use to expand the services they offer and treat more patients.

Instead of waiting for patients to come in, youre actually doing that outreach, said Yvonne Ketchum, CEO of the Idaho Primary Care Association and the Community Health Center Network of Idaho.

Other providers could take part. For example, St. Lukes officials told the Times-News in January they would likely look to participate in PCAP.

Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, a Medicaid expansion supporter who is on the Health committee, asked Traylor a series of questions designed to elicit a comparison between PCAP and expansion. Traylor said she would prefer Medicaid expansion, which would let the Terry Reilly clinics help patients who need to see a cardiologist, a neurologist, or need bypass surgery or other procedure clinics dont do.

My worry with PCAP (is), it helps me do what Im doing as a patient-centered medical home  but it stops at my walls, she said.

At the same time, Traylor said, she knows Medicaid expansion would be a big step, so if lawmakers pass PCAP we will do our darndest to make sure were good stewards of the money.

Lawmakers also asked how the money spent on the program would be tracked. PCAP includes reporting requirements for the participating providers, Ketchum said.

As we understand the program, there will definitely be accountability on how the money is spent, she said.

Noting that 9 percent of the people treated at Terry Reilly in 2015 were farm workers, Rep. Brandon Hixon, R-Caldwell, asked if they have a way to verify whether their patients are U.S. citizens. The PCAP bill requires participants to be U.S. citizens and Idaho residents.

If that is a restriction that is imposed on us by this, Traylor said, we will build that into our intake process.

Ketchum, Traylor and Mike Baker, head of Heritage Health in Coeur dAlene, also spoke more generally about the work their clinics do and initiatives they have taken to improve health-care delivery, like building teams of nurses and mental-health specialists to work with doctors. Many of their patients, Traylor said, have both mental-health problems and other chronic physical conditions, which means they have had to expand and improve on the typical primary care model.

Our people are too sick and need more support, both for them and for providers for that model of care, she said.

Community clinics, which serve about one in 10 Idahoans  many of them uninsured  help reduce the toll of disease and the expense of hospital visits by providing primary care and giving people a doctor they know they can go to, Ketchum said. Although fees are on a sliding scale or nominal for the poorest, she said, poverty often deters people from even coming in.

There are a lot of people who are lost in the health-care system and they dont decide to seek care unless theyre actually ill, she said.

Wood said his first choice, rather than either PCAP or Medicaid expansion, would be for the state to get its Medicaid money as a federal block grant and use it to design a system incorporating some of the work being done at the states community health centers.

That way, Wood said, we could actually spend the money where the money is really needed and spend the money within the state without  interference from anybody else.
The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View:

The Supreme Courts decision to stay the Environmental Protection Agencys new power-plant regulations is a disturbing signal that it might eventually kill them altogether. By keeping coal-fired power plants in business longer, this would be a blow to public health and a setback in the drive to prevent climate change. To make sure that effort continues without delay whatever the court finally decides, federal, state and city governments will need even bolder strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

The EPAs regulations were designed to cut carbon-dioxide emissions from the power sector 30 percent by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. States were ordered to submit, by 2018, plans to replace some of their coal-fired power with natural gas or renewables (or have the federal government impose a plan for them), and they were to start cutting emissions in 2022.

If this doesnt happen, the Obama administration will have a harder time meeting its famous pledge to lower total greenhouse-gas emissions at least 26 percent by 2025. Yet it would be a mistake to exaggerate the effect of a disappointing Supreme Court ruling. After all, coal-fired power generation is undergoing a steady decline in the U.S. and has been since before the EPAs rules came out  thanks in large part to advances in solar and wind power and the low price of natural gas. These market forces, as well as public pressure to shutter coal plants, will persist whether the EPAs rules survive.

Whats more, because the power sector produces only one- third of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions, reductions in other sectors have always been needed. The administration has also raised fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks. But to meet the 26 percent target, further steps are still needed, according to projections by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Tougher federal rules could be imposed, for example, to limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells.

States, for their part, can voluntarily set limits on power-plant emissions  ideally, using the EPAs standards as a floor. California and a handful of other states already have more ambitious goals. Meanwhile, Washington state is considering a revenue-neutral carbon tax.

And cities, which account for 70 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions globally, can help in any number of ways. Atlanta, for example, has given residents incentives to make their houses more energy-efficient, and the city has built 200 charging stations for electric cars. Cincinnati has helped small businesses negotiate group deals for renewable power. Minneapolis requires that large commercial and public buildings report their energy use and, with St. Paul, started the countrys first large-scale bike share.

The threat that the Supreme Court might invalidate the EPAs power-plant rules need not be a crippling setback  if cities, states and the federal government respond by pushing even harder to prevent climate change.
About Me Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah I am Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah, who resides in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. I hold a post-graduate law degree from the United Kingdom. I blog to tell MALAYSIANS THE TRUTH. View my complete profile

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Image credits- VOA





Authors- Satoru Nagao and Koh Swee Lean Collin





The Indo-Pacific region has been fraught with maritime issues, including an array of non-traditional security threats, notably seaborne piracy and terrorism  two salient challenges highlighted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addressed the valedictory function of Indias recent International Fleet Review. This warning came at an apt moment when regional waters have seen a recent spike in the number of piratical attacks and sea robberies. At the same time, the prospect of extremism and militancy spreading from land to the maritime domain constitutes a very real threat.





But without a doubt, simmering tensions in the East and South China Seas have overshadowed reports of, say, pirates in regional waters. In the South China Sea especially, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. Between October 2015 and February this year, the U.S. Navy conducted freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) while U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bombers flew close to Chinas artificial islands in the South China Sea. Washingtons show of force may perhaps forestall growing Chinese assertiveness, but there are already concerns over the evolving Sino-U.S. military power balance in view of Chinas growing military capabilities, which contrast with the budget constraints faced by the U.S. military.





One such example is the area of submarines. Between 2000 and 2014, China acquired at least 41 submarines whereas the U.S. acquired only 11. Moreover, Washington has seen its total number of submarines decline from 127 in 1990 to 73 in 2015. In February 2015, Vice Admiral Joseph P. Mulloy, deputy chief of naval operations for capabilities and resources, told the House Armed Services Committees seapower subcommittee that even though Chinese submarines are technologically inferior, Beijing has more submarines and is seeking to to be in this world of advanced submarines. The expansion of Chinas undersea capabilities is part of the regional proliferation of submarines, which may constitute a source of destabilization when seen in the context of existing maritime flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific.





Therefore, faced with the myriad of traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges, coupled with the geopolitical uncertainties surrounding the shifts in the regions military power balance, countries in the Indo-Pacific may need to prepare for the worst-case scenario in the longer term. In this respect, what kind of options do these countries have? To hedge against the growing uncertainties and evolving maritime challenges, promoting defense self-reliance, and fostering interstate cooperation become increasingly essential. While the U.S. has cultivated a network of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the onus now falls on regional powers to share the security burden.





Calling for Partners





In this regard, Indo-Japanese maritime cooperation becomes increasingly important. Recent years have witnessed expanding security links between India and Japan. This unique bilateral partnership began to blossom during the tenure of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Now under Modis watch, this relationship looks set to grow as an important part of the Act East Policy. A good example is that Indo-Japanese maritime joint training expanded from coastguard initiatives to the more recent Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) series involving both navies; the first such joint drill took place in 2012.





Strategic convergences enhance the Indo-Japanese security relationship. China is often cited as a common source of geopolitical concern for both countries, given that both have their own sets of problems with Beijing. However, often overlooked is the logical convergences stemming from mutual dependence in the maritime realm. On the one hand, India relies on uninterrupted access to sea lines of communications (SLOCs) plying the Western Pacific waters for the purpose of commerce and trade. On the other, Japan is dependent for its energy needs on the same access to SLOCs through the Indian Ocean region. SLOC security therefore constitutes a key driver of this Indo-Japanese nexus in the maritime domain.





Southeast Asia is one such geographical area where India and Japan see their strategic maritime interests coincide, given their common interest in ensuring continued access to SLOCs through this region. Both countries have already started to assist Southeast Asian countries in building their maritime security capacities to cope with the evolving array of challenges at sea, in a way also helping Washington share the security burden in the region. To date, though, such assistance has taken the form of direct bilateral arrangements individually struck by New Delhi and Tokyo with Southeast Asian partners. If Japan and India were to collaborate, these initiatives may become even more effective and efficient through better coordination in providing aid and avoiding a duplication of efforts.





At any rate, it appears that both India and Japan are viewing Southeast Asia as a region of increasing importance. During his recent speech in Thailand, Indian Vice President Shri M. Hamid Ansari placed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the core of the Act East Policy and at the center of Indias dream of an Asian century. But an Indo-Japanese partnership in Southeast Asia will not make good headway without the involvement of ASEAN member states.





The Potential of Singapore





Perhaps it may not be realistic to conceive of a broad India-Japan-ASEAN maritime partnership, given the diverse and sometimes conflicting interests amongst Southeast Asian governments. A building block approach may work better, allowing the parties involved to explore initiatives and gradually expand the scope of maritime cooperation in terms of both the substance and number of participants. One potential candidate to spearhead an eventual trilateral maritime partnership between India, Japan and ASEAN would be Singapore, a geostrategically well-located, small island-city state that is heavily dependent on SLOC security for its national survival and prosperity. Singapore also shares with India and Japan common ideas where it comes to upholding the international rule of law in governing the global commons. Equally important is that Singapore has long been a strong advocate for maritime cooperation. In this regard, it has leveraged its expertise and resources to aid in regional maritime security capacity-building. The creation of the Information Fusion Centre at Changi Naval Base is one such noteworthy example.





Singapore has cultivated strong maritime security ties with both India and Japan. With the former, the strong links are exemplified by the annual Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) which has its roots back in the early-1990s. With the latter, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) is a noteworthy regional initiative. However, Japan and Singapore do not have a joint maritime training and exercise arrangement similar to SIMBEX. This may change in the longer term, especially as the Maritime Self-Defense Force appears keen to become more engaged in Southeast Asia, as seen for instance in a recent agreement for Japanese warships to call at Vietnams Cam Ranh base.





As an active member within the ASEAN-centric regional architecture, Singapore could serve as an effective interlocutor for this growing Indo-Japanese partnership, allowing regional governments to tap their vast maritime security capacities. However, it needs pointing out that because Singapore does not participate in formal alliances, the eventual pathway to a broader India-Japan-ASEAN maritime partnership should not be seen as deliberately aimed at containing China. In this respect, Singapores traditionally close diplomatic, economic and sociocultural ties with Beijing can help in fostering confidence building and cooperation between these three Asian Great Powers in the maritime sphere, in a way helping ameliorate potential misperceptions.





Not an Alliance, But a Network





There is certainly considerable potential for both India and Japan to enhance and expand their existing maritime partnership, spawning tangible benefits to other countries in the Indo-Pacific region. To advance this partnership and maximize those benefits for Southeast Asia in particular  clearly the point of convergence for both New Delhi and Tokyo where SLOC security is concerned  Singapore can play a pivotal role in eventually establishing a broader India-Japan-ASEAN maritime partnership.





But it needs to be emphasized here that such an arrangement should not be misconstrued as an alliance of sorts; rather, it would be part of a growing network of maritime partnerships that has proliferated throughout the Indo-Pacific. The underlying motivation ought to be primarily to safeguard freedom of navigation, which is so closely linked to SLOC security. In fact, such small multilateral (or perhaps mini-lateral is better) partnerships have already existed, for instance the Malacca Straits Patrol initiative between Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Another example occurred back in 2012, when India first established the National Security Advisor-level Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation involving Maldives and Sri Lanka. It was later expanded to include Mauritius and Seychelles. This form of building block approach in fostering practical cooperation in the maritime sphere is therefore certainly not alien. In fact, it might even be a more productive approach than huge, unwieldy frameworks involving too many actors and their diverse interests.





To promote this tripartite maritime partnership between India, Japan and Singapore, the first logical move would be to establish a mechanism for trilateral strategic dialogue, through which the three countries can share information, better identify the maritime security capacity-building requirements of ASEAN countries and coordinate on ways to support such initiatives. This dialogue should also be premised on common principles, especially adherence to the international rule of law. Concurrently or in the next phase, it might be plausible to build on existing India-Japan and India-Singapore joint maritime training and exercises to eventually conceive of a trilateral arrangement involving both civilian maritime law enforcement agencies and navies. This aims at promoting interoperability and may even be a test-bed for evaluating the efficacy of existing mechanisms, such as the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).





Such nascent moves, if they succeed, could potentially be the first real step towards an India-Japan-ASEAN maritime partnership that contributes to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.





About the authors - Satoru Nagao is research fellow at The Tokyo Foundation. He also lectures on Security and National Strategy at Gakushuin University, Tokyo. Koh Swee Lean Collin is associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies based in Singapore.





 THE DIPLOMAT ( ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)




The inauguration of the fifth is nigh so maybe things are far enough removed from the ruling of the Supreme Court in the presidential electi...
Russia has reacted to Saudi Arabias military deployment plans in Syria, saying it is a bad idea that could ignite a permanent war.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told German newspaper Handelsblatt that it is a bad idea because a ground offensive usually turns the war into a permanent one as he cited Afghanistan and Libya as examples.

Riyadh wants to send troops to Syria to fight the Islamic State (IS) under the US-led coalition and wants the troops to be led by Washington.

Despite Medvedev warnings, the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri said the kingdoms deployment decision is final.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir had said on Wednesday during a short visit to Rabat that Riyadh was ready to participate with ground troops if the US-led coalition decides to send troops to Syria.

According to the Russian Prime Minister, it would be difficult to win such a war quickly pointing out that the Americans and our Arab partners must think well: do they want a permanent war?

Assiri stressed that Riyadh is ready to tackle IS alongside coalition allies but declined to give details of ground operations referring questions to Washington.

Medvedev said the war in Syria is complicated and urged for peace talks instead of unleashing a new world war outlining that no one power can act alone in the world. He also lamented the situation in the Arab world where everybody is fighting against everybody.

Meanwhile, hopes increased that the war could soon experience a cessation of hostilities after talks in Germany between world powers although some diplomats are pessimistic.

The planned nationwide ceasefire excludes IS and al-Nusra Front. A task force chaired by the US and Russia will work to implement the truce through consultations with Syrias warring factions. Ministers from the International Syria Support Group also agreed to accelerate and expand aid deliveries.
Outspoken Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Thursday addressed a sharp message to the European Union over the refugee crisis as Turkey continues to threaten that it would ease their passage to Europe because the country has reached its accommodation limit and have not received the promised financial assistance.

In a speech he delivered in Ankara on Thursday, he said we do not have the word idiot written on our foreheads. We will be patient but we will do what we have to. Dont think that the planes and the buses are there for nothing.

At the end of last year, the EU promised to give 3billion euros to Ankara to help it cope with the flow of Syrian refugees, but the amount has not been released yet.

President Erdogan claims that his country has spent more than $9 billion on refugees since the Syrian war began in 2011. He said he is proud of his statements to the EU during a summit in November because we have defended the rights of Turkey and the rights of the refugees. And we told them: Sorry, we will open the doors and say goodbye to the migrants. Turkey has borders with Greece and Bulgaria.

NATO has decided to step in to curb the mass arrivals of migrants to Europe by sending ships to the Aegean Sea without delay. The sea is used by smugglers to take migrants from Turkey to Europe.

Calls by the UN for Ankara to take in more refugees fleeing the war in Syria especially from Aleppo where clashes have intensified were described as shameful.

Shame on you! Shame on you! said Erdogan, stressing that the UN should be telling states to take in refugees from the more than 2.5 million that Turkey is already hosting. He claimed that the UN spent less than $500million in the refugee crisis.
Angolan national director of health on Wednesday said yellow fever has killed 37 people as Africas second-largest crude exporter suffers from the outbreak since December.

The outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness began in the capital, Luanda, but has spread, infecting 191 people so far, with eight cases being reported in the last 24 hours, the National Director of Public Health, Adelaide de Carvalho said.

A campaign to combat the disease began in the country and de Carvalho said health officials were monitoring suburbs around the capital of Luanda where infections have been worsened.

The campaign includes awareness operations to strengthen preventive measures such as putting lids on water containers; placing burned oil in puddles and protection against mosquito bites.

Actions should be developed for the improvement of public sanitary and garbage collection, de Carvalho said.

On Monday, China has announced a financial assistance of $500,000 to Angola to purchase yellow fever vaccines, to fight the outbreak in the country.

It must be recalled that the majority of persons infected with yellow fever virus have no illness or only mild illness. Symptoms of yellow fever include sudden fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue, according to WHO. There is no specific treatment and care is based on symptoms.
Prosecutors in the trial of former Chadian President Hissene Habre in Dakar, on Thursday, asked for a life sentence for the former leader.

Habre, who held power between 1982 and 1990, is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture. It is the first time that a despot from one African country has been called to account by another.

Habres government was responsible for an estimated 40,000 deaths, according to a report published in May 1992 by a 10-member Chadian truth commission formed by Chads current President Idriss Deby.

The commission particularly blamed Habres political police force, the Directorate of Documentation and Security, saying it used torture methods including whipping, beating, burning and the extraction of fingernails.

The special prosecutor, Mbacke Fall, said considering the evidence, it is necessary to retain the guilt of Hissene Habre for crimes of torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) welcomed the plea.

Defense lawyers have dismissed the tribunal as a political tool of Habres enemies, emphasizing that the government of Deby, who removed Habre from office, is the courts largest donor.
The former Tunisian President Dr. Mohammed Moncef Marzouki has been selected by the AU to lead an African Union electoral observation mission in Comoros.

The AU Observer Mission of forty short term observers are expected in the country on February 17 and will remain there until February 27.

The mission led by Marzouki will be deployed throughout the electoral constituencies of the country to monitor the electoral process and to consult with key stakeholders involved in the electoral process including government and electoral officials, candidates and political parties, civil society representatives and media.

Campaign has started ahead of the countrys presidential election to be held February 21. Twenty five candidates have been confirmed by the constitutional court.

Most of the hopefuls come from Grande Comorre which is next in line to hold the post according to a 2001 constitutional provision. Out of a population of 800,000 people, about 160,000 are eligible to vote.

As a reminder, Comoros gained independence from France in 1975 and has witnessed 20 coup attempts.

The country is one of the worlds largest producers of ylang ylang which is used in perfumes, but depends mostly on the diaspora remittances.
US Under-Secretary of State for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield Wednesday claimed that Rwanda is seeking to destabilize its political tormented neighbor Burundi by enrolling Burundian refugees into a rebellion to topple President Nkurunzizas regime.

We received a number of reports from colleagues on the ground alleging that Rwandan government is involved in destabilizing actions in Burundi, Thomas-Greenfield told the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

Her comments come after a recent UN report published in January finger-pointed the Rwandan regime which it said was training Burundian refugees to conquer power.

The report indicated that some Burundian refugees received two-month training from instructors among whom some Rwandan soldiers.

The training, according to 18 refugees among whom 10 minors interviewed by UN experts, featured military tactics, use and maintenance of rifles and machine-guns as well as ideological brain-washing.

They admitted their ultimate goal was to topple Burundian President Nkurunziza, the UN report said.

Burundi descended in political turmoil after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in 2015 he would run for a third presidential term. Opposition and civil society organizations stood against his plan. Protests flared up in capital Bujumbura. Every day protests which started on April 25 left dozens of people killed by the army.

A failed military push led by ringleader Gen. Godefroid Niyombare occurred on May 13 while President Nkrunziza was attending a meeting on the situation in Tanzania.

President Nkrunziza forged ahead with his plan and won 2015 Presidential and general elections while major opposition leaders fled the country. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians have also fled the country fearing reprisals.

In a move to protect civilians, the African Union announced it would send peace keeping forces but President Nkrunziza turned down the decision. Furthermore, mediation efforts led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni collapsed early this year.
As the world ramps up its fight against the Zika virus, Benin is battling to contain a growing outbreak of Lassa fever.

The epidemic has killed more than seventeen people according to United Nations agencies in the West-African nation.

United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) officials in the country said in a joint press release that government authorities have been on the alert since early January, when a pregnant woman with symptoms of the disease died and six health workers in the same hospital in central Benin showed similar symptoms.

With a support of WHO, UNICEF and humanitarian partners, national authorities in Benin have taken emergency measures in response to the outbreak, including setting up quarantine units in affected areas to isolate and treat victims, the statement said.

The first Lassa fever case in the West African country of 10 million people was listed at the Hospital of St. Martin de Papane, in Tchaourou, a city 350 km north of Cotonou, UNICEF said.

An ongoing epidemic in neighboring Nigeria has already killed 84 people, out of 168 suspected cases.

Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and, in worse case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.
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Govt plans development of Georgias Black Sea coastal region

By Messenger Staff

Georgias central Government and the local government of Georgias autonomous Adjara region are coming together to discuss how to develop the region.Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said the Adjara coastal region had the biggest potential for development among all Georgian regions.The PM said he had recently met several investors who were interested in investing in Adjara."In general, there is a desire to launch new projects [in Adjara] but Id love to see these processes speeded up, the PM said at a working meeting with Adjara authorities."There is pretty good economic growth in Adjara but I think the region has more potential. We want to use these hidden reserves and developAdjara even further.Kvirikashvili expressed the central Governments readiness to "do its best to support the local government of the region.The PM also touched upon the planned renovation of Batumi Boulevard and called on authorities to have closer communication with the local population while deciding which development projects to pursue.
Opposition leader warns about security threats

By Messenger Staff

The Free Democrats(FD) opposition leader Irakli Alasania, who previously served as Georgias Defence Minister, has stated that regional fiber optic cables may be in the hands of Russia.Alasania has dubbed the information alarming and demanded an explanation."Negotiations are underway on the alienation of the strategic fiber optic channel, which is linked to Europe and which gives Internet to Georgia. It should be noted that until recently, it was owned by a Georgian company, but we have information that it will likely be purchased by a Russian company, Vimpel Com, Alasania said.This information is so important for our country's security that it is needed the National Regulatory Commission to issue an explanation. In today's world, the risk of cyber-attacks is ever-present, and so this is very alarming information, the opposition leader said.Vimpel Comis also known to operate in the occupied territory of Abkhazia.The relevant bodies should comment on the issue, as it is of the utmost importance for the states security.The issue is no less important than Georgia becoming dependent on Russias energy resources.The modern world is unimaginable without the Internet, and it is also proven that Russia very often uses the Internet against its rivals.It has also known that Georgia has previously been a victim of Russias cyber-attacks.Georgia needs its Internet space to be safe and not in the hands of companies which are controlled by a country that occupies 20% of Georgias territory.
@ByKristenMClark

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, is attacking his Democratic opponent in Florida's U.S. Senate race over donations a pro-Patrick Murphy super PAC received from a wealthy donor who stands to benefit from legislation Murphy supported two years ago (but which he hasn't signed on to this session).

Grayson's swipe at the Jupiter congressman comes a day after Grayson himself took heat in the media when The New York Times delved deeper into Grayson's hedge fund management controversy, which the Tampa Bay Times has also reported on.

In a rarity, Grayson's attack on Murphy allies the progressive Democrat with a conservative super PAC, American Crossroads, which has been blasting Murphy on the same donor issue for weeks.

In its most recent campaign finance disclosure, "Floridians for a Strong Middle Class" -- which was established last spring to help Murphy's campaign for U.S. Senate -- reported a $50,000 donation from "230 East 63rd-6 Trust LLC" amid $500,000 in contributions it collected since July. (Murphy's father also donated $200,000 to the super PAC, records showed. Super PACs are not bound by contribution limits nor can they coordinate directly with the candidate.)

As the Herald/Times previously reported, Florida business registration filings show the trust company is an "inactive" business venture associated with Nicholas Mastroianni II. Mastroianni developed the $150 million Harbourside project in Murphy's home city of Jupiter in Palm Beach County. Mastroianni's son, Anthony, also gave $5,000 to the super PAC, the filing showed.

Fortune two years ago profiled Nicholas Mastroianni as someone who benefits from the EB-5 visa program, which the magazine said "essentially allows wealthy foreigners to buy U.S. citizenship by investing $500,000 in a project that creates U.S. jobs."

In 2014, Murphy was one of seven co-sponsors on a bill that would have made the EB-5 program permanent, but the bill died in committee.

The bills that Murphy sponsors appear to carry price tags, Grayson spokesman David Damron said in the campaign statement today. Patricks Daddy PAC should return these deceptive LLC donations. They have the look of someone trying to hide a pay to play scheme.

It's unclear how Mastroianni's latest donations equate to "pay to play," though, because Murphy has not co-sponsored a similar measure introduced during this session of Congress.

The EB-5 visa program has been reauthorized for two decades, with bipartisan support. The permanent extension of it was also included in 2013 immigration reform legislation, which both Murphy and Grayson supported.

Grayson and Murphy are battling it out for the August Democratic primary in the race to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate.

Grayson has drawn passionate support from grassroots progressive donors, while Murphy has the backing of the party establishment. Murphy has so far out-fundraised not only Grayson but also each of the four major candidates in the Republican primary.
@ByKristenMClark

The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate said Friday afternoon that U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, should "immediately" drop out of the race for Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat, because of a scathing New York Times report over Grayson's controversial management of a once-off-shore hedge fund.

The Associated Press first reported the blistering statement from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who rarely issues such remarks. Grayson, a firebrand progressive, called Reids comments absurd and gave no indication Friday of ending his campaign.

"Grayson claims to be a progressive, but it seems like he has no moral compass," Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said in the statement -- which came a day after a New York Times article that delved more deeply into Grayson's hedge funds, following months of other media reports on the topic.

The Tampa Bay Times has also investigated the hedge funds, which until last fall were based in the Cayman Islands.

The New York Times obtained emails and marketing documents probing what it called Graysons double life as both congressman and hedge fund manager.

The newspaper cited interviews and documents that it said revealed "Grayson told potential investors in his hedge fund that they should contribute money to the fund to capitalize on the unrest he observed around the world, and to take particular advantage when there was 'blood in the streets.' "

Grayson remains under a congressional ethics investigation because of the hedge funds. He denies any wrongdoing.

Reid said the "deeply troubling allegations" raised by the New York Times report "should disqualify anyone from a seat in the U.S. Senate."

"His actions aren't just disgraceful to the Democratic Party, they disgrace the halls of Congress," Reid said.

In a lengthy response sent to the Herald/Times, Grayson declared he's "running against a rigged system and the Washington establishment." He said Reid's remarks, although "no surprise," "rely on a false and misleading hyped story to try to pressure me out of this race."

Grayson -- known for his brash and direct speak -- pulled no punches on Reid, The New York Times, or his opponent, fellow U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter.

Reid is among many current Democratic U.S. senators whose political committees have given money to Murphy's campaign.

Grayson called Murphy a "corrupt establishment errand boy" whom he said Reid prefers, and Grayson accused Reid of "personally attacking the clear choice of Florida Democrats, making the party into a circular firing squad."

Murphy's campaign did not want to comment.

Grayson further blasted The New York Times, describing the newspaper's report as "replete with misleading statements, innuendo and outright lies, and despite that, there is nothing in the report that even suggest (sic) any improper or unethical conduct."

New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said Friday: We stand by our story.

Grayson said he "never used my congressional office to advance any business interest or for personal gain, and to say so is utterly deceitful." Grayson added that he also "resents" Reid's attack on his morals.

"I question the morality and judgment of any elected official, much less one in my own party, who would sink so low as to engage in such a smear," Grayson said.

Grayson and Murphy are in a heated party primary for a race that could ultimately decide which party controls the U.S. Senate next year.

Grayson has drawn passionate support from grassroots progressive donors, while Murphy has the backing of the party establishment.

Murphy has so far out-fundraised not only Grayson but also each of the four major candidates in the Republican primary. They are: U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis of Ponte Vedra Beach, U.S. Rep. David Jolly of Indian Shores, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera of Miami, and Orlando businessman Todd Wilcox.

Manatee County developer Carlos Beruff could also enter the GOP field.

Photo credit: Walter Michot / Miami Herald
@doug_hanks

Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez wont say if hes going to run for county mayor, but his campaign coffers may be providing their own answer. Last month, Suarez raised zero dollars from donors.

The latest financial reports seem to confirm what Suarez has hinted at in recent months: despite bankrolling a series of television ads last summer that criticized incumbent Carlos Gimenez, the former Miami mayor no longer plans to seek the top job in the county.

In a text message Thursday, Suarez declined to un-muddy the political waters. I have enough for reelection, Suarez wrote of his current coffers, and have not made a final decision on bigger fish.
@PatriciaMazzei

A week after Annette Taddeo drew an opponent in the Democratic race, the national party reiterated its support for her candidacy.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added her to its Red to Blue program, which commits the party to spending on her race because she has met certain fundraising thresholds.

"Annette Taddeo understands the challenges facing South Floridas families today," DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan said in a statement. "After coming to this country at 18 years of age and not knowing enough English to get into college, she has persevered and built a successful small business from the ground up. Annette is a testament to the power of the American dream, and in Congress she will fight to ensure everyone gets that same fair shot at success, no matter their background."

The National Republican Congressional Committee quickly countered that the Red to Blue designation didn't much help Taddeo when she last ran for Congress, in 2008.

"The last time Annette Taddeo was in DCCC's Red to Blue program she got smoked by 16 points -- enough said," spokesman Chris Pack said in a statement.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia said last week he would seek his old seat again. The incumbent is Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo.
A wealthy land developer from Manatee County still hasnt said if he intends to run for the U.S. Senate, but potential GOP rivals and Democrats are already taking aim at him.

Manatee County developer Carlos Beruff confirmed last month he is considering running for the Senate. And earlier this week, a media consultant who has spoken to Beruff about the race, told the Associated Press that she believes Beruff is likely to get into the contest, though Beruff has not confirmed that.

Though not in the race, potential rivals on both the Democratic and Republican sides arent wasting any time attacking Beruff. One GOP camp has already begun anonymously circulating previously reported stories to reporters about Beruffs tenure at Medallion Homes. The Manatee-County based Medallion Homes, which Beruff founded in 1984, was found to have been among companies that used tainted drywall from a Chinese company to build homes during the mid-2000s. More than 7,000 homes in the U.S. have been reported to have the drywall, which studies have shown emitted sulfur gas that can corrode electrical wiring and trigger respiratory irritation. Medallion Homes was found to have at least a half-dozen homes built with the drywall. The company was part of a class action lawsuit resolved in 2012 that ordered the supplier of the drywall and companies that used it to remediate the damage the drywall caused.

Sounds like the professional politicians are mighty scared of an outsider candidate, said Joanna Burgos, a media consultant who has been in conversation with Beruff about running. They are doing the Washington thing of throwing mud, and as usual, have confused their facts.

If he gets in the race, Beruff would join a GOP field that already includes U.S. Reps Ron DeSantis and David Jolly, as well as Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and businessman Todd Wilcox. U.S. Reps. Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson are running on the Democratic side.
@ByKristenMClark

Responding to a controversial plan fast-tracked by Miami Republican Rep. Erik Fresen, a Florida Senate subcommittee is proposing its own reforms to how much school districts can spend on capital costs and what access the state's 650 charter schools should have to state and local dollars.

But the Senate's ideas don't go so far in charter schools' favor as those included in Fresen's proposal, which was advanced by the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

Rather, the counter-proposal unveiled Thursday by the Senate's education budget chairman, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, could actually limit charter schools' potential funding, while still reining in how much districts spend on projects.

It would crackdown on what Gaetz called charter school "real-estate schemes" by prohibiting schools from using taxpayer dollars on "private enrichment" projects.

It also does away with what Senate staff called a "fairly tricky, involved" funding formula that decides how much capital money individual charter schools get and, instead, would prioritize money to schools that help primarily impoverished students or those with disabilities.

"We felt that we would try to add our values to the discussion," Gaetz said Thursday, adding that his plan "re-syncs the values" originally intended for charter schools of offering quality, alternative schools in low-income neighborhoods or innovative programs not offered in traditional public schools.

"I think to some extent we may have gotten away from that a little bit," said Gaetz, a former superintendent of the Okaloosa County School District. "We want to weight it in favor of those charter schools who have a social conscience."

It's unclear how the proposal might fare in the House, where a few key members -- including Fresen -- have close ties to charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed. (A member of Gaetzs committee, Sen. John Legg, R-Trinity, also has connections; he and his wife run a charter school.)
via @learyreports

After telling audiences that hes lived the immigration issue, Marco Rubio outlines a tough-on-security approach that raises the possibility of ISIS invading our homes and strikes this promise: If we arent 100 percent sure who you are and why youre coming to America, youre not getting in.

As he navigates the issue hes most vulnerable to conservatives on, Rubios past keeps surfacing. During the last big terrorism scare  9/11  Florida got perhaps the earliest look at Rubios more moderate immigration views.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee rushed to make policy after the terrorist attacks. But Rubio expressed caution about going too far and in February 2002, he led an effort to defeat a bill that would have required state colleges and universities to provide law enforcement with information on about 58,000 student visa holders.

I hope nobody here goes home tonight thinking that were Captain America and that were saving the world by filing this legislation, Rubio said during a committee meeting. He doubted the bill would make the country safer and in fact, its just a part of what appears to be a pattern of legislation after legislation that unfairly targets a group of people by vast and overwhelming majority, statistically speaking, is here to make their lives better and to contribute to the well-being of this country and not the other direction.

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
@jamesmartinrose

Sen. Marco Rubio channeled Tipper Gore on the campaign trail this week, railing against the harmful influence of contemporary music, movies and other hubs of pop culture.

Rubio's comments came Tuesday in New Hampshire, as Republicans voted in a presidential primary whose results would relegate him to a disappointing fifth-place finish.

"It's become harder than ever to instill in your children the values they teach in our homes and in our church instead of the values that they try to ram down our throats in movies, in music, in popular culture," Rubio said in Nashua, N.H. in his last stump speech on primary day.

Rubio's remarks recalled criticism made a generation ago by the now-separated wife of then-Sen. Al Gore. After hearing her then-11-year-old daughter listening to "Darling Nikki," a sexually explicit song by Prince, Tipper Gore joined with Susan Baker, the wife of then-Treasury Secretary James Baker, to launch a campaign against inappropriate pop song lyrics.

The two women established the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985, which with the National PTA and the American Academy of Pediatrics helped persuade record companies to put warning labels on songs with violent or sexual content.

Since then, many pop hits have become even raunchier and more explicit. Rap stars from Eminem to Notorious B.I.G. and Jay Z have enjoyed mega-hits whose words leave little to the imagination.

The problem for Rubio? He's a big hip-hop fan, and some of his favorite artists are known for their violent, sexually explicit lyrics.

Last April, the Washington Post aggregated a number of Rubio's past statements in which he expressed appreciation for Eminem, Tupac and other rap stars.

In an appearance that month on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show, Rubio gave a special shout-out to Armando Christian Perez, the Miami native better known as Pitbull.

"Pitbull's become a friend and someone that we're very proud of," Rubio said.

One of Pitbull's hit songs, "Dirty," contains the words:

"Everything we do is dirty

We pull up in the drop, it's dirty

We pound that twat, it's dirty

Miami, we're dirty, where they lace 'em, roll 'em, smoke 'em and blow 'em dirty

Guns they hold 'em, if they clean, dogg, we make 'em dirty."

In November 2012, Rubio told GQ Magazine that his favorite hip-hop song was "Straight Outta Compton," the 1988 blockbuster by N.W.A., a former group whose rise and fall was chronicled in the hit movie last year by the same name.

Most of the lyrics in the song "Straight Outta Compton" can't be printed in a family newspaper or on a mainstream website, but among the tamer words is the line:

"When I'm called off, I got a sawed-off, squeeze the trigger, and bodies are hauled off."

Another song on the same album by N.W.A. is entitled: "F--- Tha Police, A Bitch is a Bitch."

For a sampling of other Rubio favorites, you can check out the Spotify list he compiled in 2013:

https://play.spotify.com/user/marco_rubio/playlist/5MH02Z4ueH0apupbaO1hiD
Marco Rubio brought up a new wrinkle in the countrys immigration debate that hits especially hard, he argues, in Miami.

"I see people that fly in on their private jets into Miami, Fla., have a child because they are eight and a half months pregnant when they get here," Rubio said at a town hall in Iowa on Jan. 24. "They are wealthy. They fly back home on the private jet. Their kid is now a U.S. citizen, and they dont pay the hospital bill."

It sounds like insult to injury for taxpayers -- the babies get citizenship, residents get the unpaid tax burden. But is this really even happening in South Florida, like he says?

Yes, and no. The evidence is too murky for us to draw a firm conclusion, so we decided not to rate his statement on our Truth-O-Meter.

Births by foreign women are on the rise in Florida, and some Miami doctors openly welcome birth tourists. But its not at all clear these women are then stiffing hospitals, at least two of which require proof of payment upfront.

See what PolitiFact Florida found.
@MrMikeVasquez

Any airport can lose passenger luggage, but officials at MIA probably wish it hadnt happened to these passengers.

Wednesday night, at 7:09, a charter plane ferrying Miami-Dade politicians landed at Miami International. The 100 or so VIP passengers were returning from a group lobbying trip to Tallahassee  an annual excursion known as Dade Days.

For more than an hour, their luggage was nowhere to be found, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson complained. Edmonson, who was on the plane, said the group at one point was told to walk to a different gate.

So we walk all the way to Gate 13, and we stand there, and we wait and we wait and we wait, and theres no bags, Edmonson said during a Thursday meeting of the commissions Trade and Tourism committee.

Edmonson said the passengers eventually learned their luggage had surfaced at the original gate, Gate 2, so they trudged back to where they started.

By this time, everybodys agitated, theyre frustrated, Edmonson said. And, you know, the talk about how bad the airport is has started.

County Commissioner Jose Pepe Diaz, who chairs the tourism committee, called the luggage mix-up embarrassing. Commissioner Dennis Moss said the incident is now probably the talk of the town with leaders of various Miami-Dade cities, some of whom like to see us fumble and stumble and bumble.
@MichaelAuslen

Gov. Rick Scott and Surgeon General John Armstrong are continuing their Zika offensive, unveiling a hotline Friday for Floridians to call with questions.

The phone number  855-622-6735  is staffed by Department of Health workers who will answer questions and advise callers on what steps they can take to protect their homes and families from Zika, Scott said in a statement.

Since the revelation last week that some Floridians have been infected with the virus while travelling abroad, Zika has been at the heart of the administrations public health messaging.

In a press conference Feb. 4, Scott compared the states Zika response to preparation for a hurricane. He issued a public health emergency, a rare decision.

Twenty cases have been confirmed in the state.

None of those involved pregnant women, whose babies may be at higher risk to deformities if infected and none were transmitted within Florida.

The number of cases has grown from nine since Scott declared the state of emergency more than a week ago.
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It is a fundamental tenet of debate that your argument fails when your underlying premise fails. So far this year four guest columns (Russ Doty, Jan. 1; Dick Barrett, Jan. 5; Michael Ober, Jan. 6; and Gary Aitken, Jan. 20) have all argued the need to end Montanas coal industry to fight climate change. Dick Barrett decries misinformation on the part of Colstrip supporters, but misses the point that the purveyors of man-caused climate change are the roots of all climate misinformation. The long reality is that climate change is caused by, well, climate change; not the burning of fossil fuels by man.

Our earths atmosphere as we know it developed 2.5 billion years ago during what geologists call the Great Oxygenation Event. Some of that oxygenation is recorded in the rocks around Missoula in the Belt metasediments. It will come as a surprise to the factually challenged in the debate, that at every point on earth, at every moment in time for 2.5 billion years, temperatures have been rising or falling and greenhouse gases have been increasing or diminishing. The one constant in the climate is change; invariable and rapid change. Consider just two natural events that have an incredible impact on climate:

About 15 percent of the worlds coal has been consumed, not by man, but by natural fires occurring in coal seams worldwide and producing whats known as clinker. Meriwether Lewis made this observation on April 16, 1805 near present-day Culbertson. The greenhouse gasses produced from natural coal fires are likely an integral part of a warming interglacial period, that brief time between ice ages. We are 12,000 years into an interglacial period which will last approximately 25,000 years.

Serbian geophysicist Milutin Milankovitch was the first to link climate change to the wobble in the earths orbit, and the Milankovitch cycle is a natural part of atmospheric evolution. We all observe climate change in our lifetimes. My great-grandmother, born in 1877, used to tell about the horrendous winters of the late 1800s, followed by the severe heat and forest fires of 1910. My grandmother, born in 1904, remembered well the dust bowl days of the 1930s, followed by the extreme winters of the 1940s leading into the 1970s. These empirical climate change events were not fantasy, but well documented natural events. And our current climate is exactly where it should be in the Milankovitch cycle.

Much of todays science is basically astrology; drawing interpretations to support a predetermined objective largely established by government and the science funding machine. When government-funded science has a solution which means more taxes (carbon), more unelected government regulations (Environmental Protection Agency), agency refusal to release the science behind their decisions (EPA, NOAA, NASA), abdication of science to the United Nations, and the de facto nationalization of the energy industry; then we should all be very afraid.

The presidents unilateral decisions on the Keystone pipeline, the Clean Power Plan and suspension of coal leasing programs are chilling examples of the extents to which the environmental left will go to impose their world view and at any cost. In the long-term, self-serving government is always a bad deal for the taxpayer. In the short-term though, it influences elections. We can eliminate this kind of corruption.

Montana coal producers pay the highest royalty in the nation on coal, not the below-market royalties Aitken incorrectly asserts, and Montanas finances are in relatively good condition because of that royalty. Renewables pay no royalty to the state, never will, and promoters have grossly exaggerated their value. The long-term value of Montanas coal can only increase when the subsidy-driven renewables industries fail to produce and the industry collapses. Ober hypercritically argues that exporting our coal to China is importing pollution. Memo to Ober: the majority of solar panels and wind turbines are made in, you guessed it, China. Russ Dotys ballot initiatives, with their expensive mandates for wind and solar energy to mirror California, just makes Montanans look like fools. We dont have to copy the left coast.

There will be abundant markets for Montana coal long after the current administration and its crony capitalism are history. Lets leave Colstrip alone and work harder on reducing our government footprint.
After Udo Fluck got three degrees from the University of Montana, he picked up a doctorate from UM as well.

His doctoral dissertation was the blueprint for a program called the Global Gateway, he said, and he's been running the "window to the world" at UM with a mission to promote "cultural awareness and global competence" for 13 years.

Last month, Fluck learned UM would not be renewing his contract as part of its plan to address an estimated $12 million shortfall. The decision left him "baffled"  and other community members dismayed at the loss to UM and the state.

UM has a mission of "Building a University for the Global Century," and Fluck said he was thrilled when President Royce Engstrom declared a priority that aligned directly with his program.

"I am and have been a loyal supporter of that mission long before it was a mission," Fluck said.

Fluck teaches two classes each semester, and he runs seminars on global competence and cultural awareness that are growing in demand and reach schools across Montana as well as members of the Missoula community. He said he has worked at UM on a letter of appointment with a $72,000 salary.

Paulo Zagalo-Melo, director of the Office of International Programs, said he considered all aspects of the job in making the decision to cut Fluck. He said the department needed to realign its budget to "maintain fiscal responsibility."

"The position of director of Global Gateway will be closed after June 30, 2016," Zagalo-Melo noted in an email. "Internationalization continues to be a priority for UM, therefore, the Office of International Programs will continue to work tirelessly toward building a university for the global century."

Nonetheless, the decision to let Fluck go has community members raising questions about the process UM used to make the cut as well as the impacts of the loss. In a letter to UM and the Montana Board of Regents, Missoula lawyer Thomas Orr said Fluck is "the primary provider of cross-cultural trainings at UM."

The program is a recruitment tool for the university, with Fluck's established connections to Missoula schools, Orr said. Fluck has provided more than 340 seminars in local schools in the past two years, and young students are being groomed early to develop an interest in cultural and global competence, Orr said.

"I know that President Engstrom and his staff have an unenviable job to perform during these trying times," Orr wrote in the letter. "I would like to think, however, that the decisions regarding academic offerings, student services and faculty involve a logical and considered process which will not cause additional harm to the institution now and in the future."

Fluck doesn't track how his seminars affect recruitment, but he talks with students in his classes who he recognizes from his workshops a couple of years earlier.

***

Fluck has had a long-standing relationship with the Montana World Affairs Council as well, and president Bob Seidenschwarz said when it comes to helping people understand cultural awareness, "there is nobody better."

"His ability to convey his subject matter and expertise is second to none," Seidenschwarz said.

At the Academic WorldQuest event last year, students came to Missoula from across the state, as far away as Wolf Point, he said. And he said the competition and international immersion serve to highlight UM at a time enrollment is down.

Plus, he said, the Global Gateway programs in general are helping Montanans understand different cultures and put their best feet forward in welcoming outsiders whether on campus or in the business community.

"This is an investment that has been building for years, and now that we've gained traction, now that we've gained penetration into people's awareness and thinking, the best is yet to come," Seidenschwarz said. "You don't fire your sales force when you're trying to make payroll."

The UM president has a difficult job to do, he said, but the board of the nonpartisan, nonprofit World Affairs Council has approved a letter to UM that outlines the loss to the community if the decision stands to cut Fluck.

Fluck said he isn't sure if the Global Gateway programs will continue since he's a "one-man show." However, he said he still hasn't wrapped his head around the termination, and he isn't sure how he'll proceed.

"The program has grown, and it is in higher demand than it was in years ago. That's the part that is confusing to me because it doesn't make sense. It would make sense if I would be doing something that is counterproductive to the mission of the university, or something that would present a very small value," he said.

In an email, Zagalo-Melo said the director position is funded out of the budget for the Office of International Programs; the 2015 UM budget book, the most recent one posted on the UM website, did not list Fluck or his position as a part of the International Programs personnel.

Zagalo-Melo also said personnel decisions are considered final.

"Administrators have heard feedback about several decisions; some people are very understanding about the difficult decisions that were made, and some disagree with the decisions," Zagalo-Melo said.
A Missoula 10-year-old and the former mayor of Thompson Falls are among the Montanans who will be honored Friday for work to make their community a better place.

Lilys Lovebirds in Missoula and Carla Parks of Thompson Falls are among the seven volunteers and organizations that will receive ServeMontana Awards from the Montana Commission on Community Service.

Sussex School fifth-grader Lily Miller makes cloth birds  Lily's Lovebirds  out of scraps of fabric and sells them. The proceeds pay for girls to go to school in Nepal through an organization called The Power of 5, a part of the Conscious Connections Foundation.

Some of the money is also donated to the Malala Fund, which supports educating girls around the world. The fund is named for co-founder Malala Yousafzai, who as a child became an advocate for girls education in Pakistans Swat Valley and survived an attack by the Taliban in 2012.

Miller started making the fabric birds with her mother and sister, and later was helped by her classmates at Sussex School. Since starting the project a little more than a year ago, Lilys Lovebirds has raised more than $4,000.

Carla Parks, the former mayor of Thompson Falls, is another western Montana resident who will receive a ServeMontana Award.

In 2014, Thompson Falls joined the Montana Main Street Program, which will provide long-term planning assistance to help the Sanders County seat preserve its historic downtown and work on economic development.

Parks, who was elected in 2009, resigned her position at the end of last year for health reasons. In addition to her leadership of the town, she is also involved in the Fort Thompson Playground Committee and High Bridge Historic Restoration Project.

Gov. Steve Bullock will present the awards at a ceremony at the state Capitol in Helena at 11 a.m. Friday.

The other recipients of this years ServeMontana Awards are Dick and Linda Juvik of Helena, Schylar Canfield-Baber of Butte, RuthAnn Hutcheson of Glasgow, the volunteer department of St. Peters Hospital in Helena and the law firm of Crowley Fleck.

At the ceremony Friday, first lady Lisa Bullock also will recognize five schools across the state for their support of school breakfast programs.

Those schools are Billings Senior High, Roosevelt Elementary in Great Falls, and the public districts of Miles City, Browning and Fairfield.

Last years ServeMontana Award winners included Missoula Aging Services volunteer Mary Olson, Tom Meskimen of Martin City, American Red Cross of Montana volunteer Beth Morris and the Thompson Falls Student Council.

Nominations for next years awards will open in October.
University of Montana vice president for integrated communications Peggy Kuhr will retire in June, and she'll be the third member of the president's cabinet who has announced retirement plans in the past four months.

President Royce Engstrom made the announcement Friday in a campus email praising Kuhr and crediting her creative contributions as a UM vice president.

"Peggy has served in that role with distinction for 3 1/2 years, and she has done an outstanding job of establishing the concept and implementation of a comprehensive approach to communications for the university," Engstrom noted in the email.

"She and her team have worked tirelessly and creatively to serve UM, developing new communication channels, improving our overall outreach including the 'We Are Montana' tours, and developing strong collaboration with Admissions."

In October, UM announced vice president for student affairs Teresa Branch would retire in June. Last month, it noted the retirement of Provost Perry Brown. Kuhr is the third member of the cabinet to make such a decision since October.

"I'm terribly excited and kind of amazed at the same time," Kuhr said.

Kuhr, former dean and professor for the UM School of Journalism, said her husband and family had been encouraging her to retire for a while.

"Then, a number of my current colleagues at other news organizations and other institutions around the country, both older and younger than I, have been asking when, and my husband has been retired for a number of years," Kuhr said.

Her current job is around the clock, her husband travels regularly and she said they believe the planet makes no guarantees.

"We want to spend more time together, both in town and out of town. I do hope to be still active around Missoula and want to travel and be able to take MOLLI classes or volunteer," Kuhr said.

At the same time, she said she has talked with the president about projects she'd like to continue working on, and she intends to remain involved with UM in some capacity.

Before coming to UM, Kuhr served as the Knight Chair on the Press, Leadership and Community at the University of Kansas, and she also worked at the Great Falls Tribune, the Hartford Courant and the Spokesman-Review as managing editor for content, UM said.

***

The three cabinet members came to their retirement decisions on their own, without direction or encouragement, Engstrom said.

"These have all been just one-on-one conversations with each of these folks who have reached a certain point in their life and their career where they wanted to make that decision," he said.

The president is redesigning the vice president of student affairs position to incorporate recruitment. He said Kuhr's retirement gives him an opportunity to consider whether UM should make any changes to the role of its integrated communications VP, and he takes similar considerations with any senior level departure.

Engstrom said he is likely to select an interim provost who will serve in the post until UM can select a permanent provost, although he hasn't made a final decision. He said he wants to conduct a thorough, full-scale national search for a provost, and the timeline may require an interim hire.

"I don't think we can do that (full search) and do it well enough by June 30," Engstrom said.
When nonresident visitors came to Montana last year, those who bought Montana-made products or services  like a Missoula craft beer or a guided fishing trip  spent an average of $185 more in the state each day than those who didnt, according to a new study.

The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana surveyed 11,807 visitors to the state last year at random and found that in the first three quarters of 2015, they spent an average of $147 every day.

However, once the visitors were grouped into whether they purchased local products or services on their trip, significant differences emerged.

Those who bought Montana-made beer, baked goods and other products spent an average of $296 per day, while those who didnt make local purchases averaged about $112 a day. Buyers of local goods also stayed 4.39 nights longer on average.

Food items were the most popular, things like baked goods, huckleberry products and candy, and meals labeled with locally grown foods, said Kara Grau, assistant director of economic analysis at ITRR. Stopping at local breweries and distilleries came in second, followed by arts and crafts, and things labeled as souvenirs or things like locally tied (fishing) flies.

Visitors who made local purchases spent more money in every spending category except fuel.

It seems the people who are spending on Montana-made products are visiting friends and family, so those are the people who are spending more on retail purchases anyway, Grau said. Its also possible they are willing to spend more on items that they see as having a little more value as opposed to items they could get anywhere. Locally made products are definitely things travelers are interested in buying.

Sixteen percent of Montana visitors reported spending money on local products and services during the first three quarters of 2015. The ITRR is still tabulating data for the last three months of the year.

While the number of visitors was up 8 percent in 2015 over the previous year, overall spending decreased about the same amount. Researchers attribute much of that spending decrease to lower gas prices and fewer Canadians traveling to Montana because of the strong U.S. dollar.

The study is important because so-called geotourists  visitors who sustain or enhance the environment and culture of the place they visit  contribute more to the economies they visit by buying local goods and services that support jobs, Grau said.

The Montana Office of Tourism, which sponsored the study, can use the results to tailor its marketing efforts to lure more people who are enticed by Made in Montana products.

Economists use the term leakage to refer to the money that leaves an area because the products purchased by visitors are produced elsewhere, and thats what the Office of Tourism is hoping to avoid.

This significant difference in spending between the two groups indicates that marketing to geotravelers will indeed keep more money local, reduce the leakage and provide jobs for residents of the state, ITRR director Norma Nickerson wrote in the conclusion of the report.
Having read Joe Carvers and Betsy Mulligan-Dagues (Feb. 2) essays on welcoming refugees, I conclude they are analogous to buttered tripe liberally spread over a large number of insufferably abused words.

Dague quotes Tocqueville to support indiscriminate immigration: America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. There are, at least, two things wrong with this argument. First, Tocqueville never said it, wouldn't have, he bothered to observe the intricacies of our society. Perhaps she will bother to read Tocqueville. The second shortcoming is the clever slur on the society that differs with her as cover for a fallacious argument that indiscriminate immigration is good, without proving it. Agree with me or you are not good.

Carver achieves an equally nocent effect. He ignores circumstances, declaiming our history of receiving immigrants as justification for abandoning common sense and opening the doors to a limitless whomever. There are probably billions of people who want to immigrate to America, but if we are to be good stewards of our political, physical and cultural inheritance, restraint is in order. And while we are not in conflict with Islam, we are at war with those who radicalize Islam to serve cruel ends, and they can be found (when found) embedded in their societies. Hence, when difficulties arise in assimilation, and they do, they provide fertile ground for further radicalization and dissilient violence. Observe Europe.

Even in Montana religious violence is unexceptional: I have experienced it. As is that of political strangers hostile to liberalism: feminists and gays have targeted me; this is why I am seeking medical care somewhere else.

These deceivers guiding dictum? You shall act just as I please, as much as I please, and in the direction which I please. Tocqueville said that.

Lynn Swartos,

Missoula
Bringing Middle East refugees into Missoula may put the lives of Missoula residents and all Montanans at risk. In addition, Missoulians will end up paying for all of their so-called entitlements, including public schooling, free health care and free legal services, such as court-appointed public defenders. It will also increase the risk on the lives of our men and women in law enforcement and will place a further burden on our already crowded legal system, i.e., our courts and detention facilities.

This would be a reckless thing to do considering that our own intelligence experts, including FBI Director James Comey, have told us there is no way to vet Middle East refugees. Their own countries dont keep records on individuals who would be coming into the U.S., so there is no way for the FBI or for Homeland Security to tell if they are who they say they are and whether they have criminal records or terrorist ties.

Several European countries, including Germany and Sweden, are already moving to deport thousands of Middle East refugees because they are experiencing violent attacks on their women and children and because of the tremendous increased burden on their resources. Theyre finding that most of the refugees are not women and children. Instead, they are young, fighting age men. And theyre not assimilating to become productive members of society. They are colonizing and promoting Sharia Law.

While we want to be an understanding, compassionate society, we also need to exercise some common sense. Lets not allow our politicians to ram this through, just for their own political gains. We need to stand up and speak out against this before it is too late.

Jay Stanford,

Missoula
The FBI director and Homeland Security have both stated that they do not have the means to properly vet or know who among the 10,000 refugees that Barack Obama wants this year are dangerous. ISIS has stated they will be among the 10,000. ISIS has perfected its ability to counterfeit passports. Syria is not the only country they will come from.

Obama has said Republicans are against women and children. Many are fighting men of age. Obama lied, surprise, surprise. Christians, hounded and murdered as they are, cant get into the refugee camps. They are not allowed. The United Nations will approve those who can come over here.

Obama is OK with that, as is Sen. Harry Reid and Montana Sen. Jon Tester. A recent phone call to Testers Washington, D.C., office confirmed that Tester was aware of those details. He, along with other Senate Democrats, voted to kill a bill that would stall the acceptance of those 10,000 until a way has been developed to ensure the safety of the American people.

Taxpayers foot the bill to fly those 10,000 over here, supply housing, health care, clothing and cash to live on. Vets can't get the care they need, and the smallest percentage of Americans have a full-time job in the past many decades. Obama has a reason for all this and the past seven years.

Tim Gaertner,

Missoula
HAMILTON  A district judge ruled this week that Ravalli County will be required to pay attorney fees on a lawsuit that nullified the countys largest subdivision.

In his ruling, Ravalli County District Judge James Haynes said the county commission repeatedly ignored or brushed aside information from the public opposed to the Legacy Ranch subdivision.

An award here is just when the court balances the publics virtuous efforts with the commissions recalcitrance, Haynes wrote Tuesday.

The nonprofit organization Bitterrooters for Planning sued the county and developers of the Legacy Ranch subdivision shortly after the county commission approved the development in July 2013.

The group claimed the commission had not adequately addressed the concerns of the public in placing the large subdivision in a rural area north of Stevensville.

Haynes reversed the commissions decision to approve the subdivision in a ruling released last August.

Haynes 46-page ruling denied the developers preliminary plat. As a result, the developers, Donald and Alexandra Morton of Sunnyside Orchards LLC, would be required to restart the subdivision process if the couple opts to move forward with the project.

The Legacy Ranch subdivision would have created 639 residential units on 368 acres just east of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge over a 30-year period.

In his ruling this week, Haynes said the county is required to pay reasonable attorney fees and costs to Bitterrooters for Planning.

Bitterrooters for Planning will have 10 days to supplement its statement for the fees and costs to the court.

Ravalli County Commissioner Greg Chilcott said the commission knew that it was going to get sued from one side or the other on the Legacy Ranch subdivision.

In an effort to do everything possible, Chilcott said the commission opted to bring in outside counsel to help it work through the process. The commission spent 27 hours in deliberation and received about 185 comments on the proposed subdivision.

When its close, prudence dictates that we lean toward approving a subdivision to protect taxpayers, Chilcott said. As we learned from the lawsuits in the Eight Mile area, court ordered damages to developers come in the six and seven figure range.

The wrongful-approval decision on Legacy Ranch is one the largest the county has faced. Chilcott expects attorney fees and costs will be about $70,000.

The amount to settle this lawsuit pales in comparison with the costs incurred by the county in the wrongfully denied lawsuits in the Eight Mile area, Chilcott said.

Bitterrooters For Planning Executive Director Jim Rokosch said the lawsuit sends a strong message to all Montana county governments to take a hard look at the public health and environmental impacts of land developments.

Citizen voices matter, Rokosch said, and in this case, the commissioners dogged adherence to their misguided view of private property rights continues to rack up costs to taxpayers.

This is a wake-up call, not only for governments, but for citizens as well, he added. Every right we have comes with a responsibility, and that responsibility requires citizens to maintain a clean and healthful environment and to participate in the decision-making processes of our governments.

Quoting from the court order, Rokosch said it is incumbent upon private citizens to exercise their citizenship by engaging in public policy decisions in order to guard the guardians.

Citizens empower government officials to guard the publics interests and the public trust, Rokosch said. When those officials abuse that trust, they need to be taken to task. As Thomas Jefferson told us many years ago, The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. 
BILLINGS - No witnesses have been found in the death of Forest G. Dana, so Stillwater County Attorney Nancy Rhode has filed a motion to dismiss charges against Michael Thomas Holtz.

Holtz, 23, was charged with negligent homicide 11 months after 27-year-old Dana was found with his head run over by a car on July 28, 2013, in Absarokee.

Danas body was found in an alley near his parents home.

Prosecutors said that after running over Dana, Holtz drove away and then crashed his car in an attempt to hamper any investigation into the death, according to charging documents. Dana's DNA was found on Holtz car, a blue 2003 Mazda Protege.

Danas death occurred during the annual Absarokee Days celebration, which drew hundreds of visitors to the small community.

Charging documents include a 28-page affidavit of probable cause and a witness list of more than 200 people.

Rhode said none of these witnesses could positively identify Holtz as the driver of the vehicle.

Holtz was not availble for comment Friday; however his lawyers, local defense attorneys Cammi and Vern Woodward, said they were grateful for Rhode's ethical actions.

"We have always believed in the actual innocence of our client," Cammi Woodward said. "We were able, through the diligent work of our investigator, Ron Cummings, to provide the state with evidence, which showed that it was highly improbable that Michael Holtz could have been the driver."

Cummings is a licensed Montana private investigator.

Holtz's trial was to be held in Carbon County, where Judge Blair Jones presides, due to concerns about a biased jury.

***

According to investigators, Holtz had been drinking the night of the death, and witnesses saw him speed down the alley where Danas body was found. Investigators later found DNA on Holtz car that matched Danas DNA.

Holtz pleaded not guilty to felony negligent homicide in July 2014. He was allowed to remain free on a posted $250,000 bond with numerous conditions, including that he not drink and comply with sobriety monitoring.

Rhode retained the right to refile charges against Holtz if new evidence is brought forward.

The motion to dismiss has not yet been signed by Jones.
Just last week the U.S. trade representative signed a multi-national trade deal called the Trans Pacific Partnership. To be finalized, Congress has to ratify it.

As a rancher, I am not only concerned by the TPP, I am outraged by what it would mean to this country. I cant help but see through the empty logic that our own industry is using to support this deal.

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1994, the average annual U.S. agricultural trade deficit with Mexico and Canada has more than doubled to $800 million, and our cattle herd has shrunk significantly.

Since NAFTA, we have seen imports of diseased Canadian cattle, have been forced to keep the borders open to their herd, and sacrifice the health of the entire American cattle herd and U.S. population.

Also, because of NAFTA we had to reverse Country-of-Origin Labeling, an overwhelmingly popular law to label where U.S. meat is from.

The TPP is known as "NAFTA on steroids." We are setting up the U.S. to face these challenges and lose our sovereign rights with nine more countries.

Some of my fellow ranchers are excited by the idea of access to more markets without tariffs, yet they dont connect that the TPP doesnt prevent currency manipulation. This simply means that countries are still able to effectively manipulate the price of your meat or wheat, at their own will.

Tell the Montana delegation no on TPP.

Steve Charter,

Shepherd
Franco-Nevada Announces Increase to Previously Announced Bought Deal Financing to US$800 Million

Franco-Nevada Corporation ("Franco-Nevada" or the "Company") (TSX:FNV)(NYSE:FNV) is pleased to announce today that, due to strong demand, the Company has increased the size of its previously announced public offering to 16,720,000 common shares (the "Common Shares"), at a price of US$47.85 per common share (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds to Franco-Nevada of approximately US$800 million (the "Offering"). The Offering is led by BMO Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets, RBC Capital Markets, and Scotiabank. The underwriters will also have the option, exercisable in whole or in part, at any time for a period of 30 days following the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 2,508,000 common shares at the Offering Price to cover over-allotments, if any. In the event that the option is exercised in its entirety, the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering to Franco-Nevada will be approximately US$920 million.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering for the funding of Franco-Nevada's acquisition of a precious metals stream with reference to production from Glencore plc's ("Glencore") Antapaccay Mine located in Peru, as announced on February 10, 2016 (the "Antapaccay Transaction"), and the balance will be added to the working capital of the Company and used for further investments, other general corporate purposes, and/or used to pay down the Company's credit facility. The completion of the Offering is not conditional upon the successful completion of the Antapaccay Transaction.

The Company intends to file a final prospectus supplement to its existing base shelf prospectus on or about February 11, 2016 with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories in Canada and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

The Offering is scheduled to close on or about February 19, 2016, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the securities regulatory authorities.

The Company has filed a registration statement (including the existing base shelf prospectus) and a preliminary prospectus supplement with the SEC for the Offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Company, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the Offering will arrange to send you the prospectus or you may request it, in Canada from BMO Capital Markets, Brampton Distribution Centre C/O The Data Group of Companies, 9195 Torbram Road, Brampton, Ontario, L6S 6H2 by telephone at 905-791-3151 Ext 4020 or by email at torbramwarehouse@datagroup.ca and in the United States from BMO Capital Markets Corp. at 3 Times Square, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10036 (Attn. Equity Syndicate), or toll-free at 800-414-3627 or by email at bmoprospectus@bmo.com; from CIBC at useprospectus@us.cibc.com or fax to (212) 667-6303, Canada: michelene.dougherty@cibc.ca; in Canada from RBC Capital Markets, Attention: Distribution Centre, 277 Front St. W., 5th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2X4 (fax: 416-313-6066) and in the United States from RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, Three World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, 8th floor, New York, New York 10281-8098 (telephone: 877-822-4089, fax: 212-428-6260); or in Canada from Scotiabank, Equity Capital Markets (Tel: 1-416-862-5837), Scotia Plaza, 64th Floor, 40 King St. West, M5W 2X6, Toronto, Ontario, and, in the United States from Scotiabank, Equity Capital Markets (Tel: 1-212-225-6853), 250 Vesey Street, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10281.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the common shares in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

Corporate Summary

Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance, management's expectations regarding Franco-Nevada's growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, carrying value of assets, future dividends and requirements for additional capital, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, production estimates, production costs and revenue, future demand for and prices of commodities, expected mining sequences, business prospects and opportunities, and the Antapaccay Transaction and its expected impact on future performance and results of operations. In addition, statements (including data in tables) relating to reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces are forward-looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates and assumptions are accurate and that such reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces will be realized. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Franco-Nevada to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, including, without limitation: fluctuations in the prices of the primary commodities that drive royalty and stream revenue (gold, platinum group metals, copper, nickel, uranium, silver, iron-ore and oil and gas); fluctuations in the value of the Canadian and Australian dollar, and any other currency in which revenue is generated, relative to the U.S. dollar; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory and political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest are located or through which they are held; risks related to the operators of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including changes in the ownership and control of such operators; influence of macroeconomic developments; business opportunities that become available to, or are pursued by Franco-Nevada; reduced access to debt and equity capital; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; whether or not the Company is determined to have "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") status as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; potential changes in Canadian tax treatment of offshore streams; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; actual mineral content may differ from the reserves and resources contained in technical reports; rate and timing of production differences from resource estimates, other technical reports and mine plans; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters, terrorism, civil unrest or an outbreak of contagious disease; and the integration of acquired assets. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the ongoing operation of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice; the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the market price of the commodities that underlie the asset portfolio; the Company's ongoing income and assets relating to determination of its PFIC status; no material changes to existing tax treatment; no adverse development in respect of any significant property in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; the accuracy of publicly disclosed expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production; integration of acquired assets; risks relating to the Antapaccay Transaction and its completion; risks relating to the completion of the Offering; and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. However, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Franco-Nevada cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For additional information with respect to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Information Form as well as Franco-Nevada's most recent annual Management's Discussion and Analysis filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on www.sedar.com and Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of such document only and Franco-Nevada does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
There are only two kinds of people in this world: People who want to live their lives by their own rules People who want to tell others h...
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The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of OMS International nor of Emmaus Biblical Seminary.
"When we started our business, Extension connected us with resources to get the answers we needed. Thats whats so amazing about Extension: they find a way to help you get to the next step."

- Scott Hicks

Cutting Edge Meat Company

In Green County
Alfred Al Perna, 95, passed away on Feb. 4, 2016, while in the loving care of his family.

Born in Cantalupo nel Sannio, Italy to Anunziata (Monaco) and Pasquale Perna on Nov. 27, 1920, he immigrated to America as a young boy to join his father, and his mother followed later.

He married Elvira Gianfrancesco on Sept. 2, 1939, in Anaconda at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Their honeymoon was an extended 30-day trip from Seattle to San Francisco on the train. They enjoyed an amazing 76 years of marriage.

While working at the Anaconda Smelter he was drafted into the Army and served in the South Pacific during World War II in an engineering battalion. After being honorably discharged, he returned to his carpenter job and later became foreman of that department until his retirement. He was a gifted and skilled craftsman -- from building our cabin at Georgetown Lake to graciously helping others build and remodel their homes.

His kindness and patience were examples to all of us. He was always a gentleman and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Linda Perna McNeil, and sister and brothers-in-laws, Nickie and Fred Petrovich and John Wind.

Surviving are his wife, Elvira and son, Fred Perna; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Greg Skakles; grandchildren, Shayne Skakles, Marcy and Pat Gallagher and their children, Kiernan and Sean, Jeff and Lisa McNeil and their children, Ciara, Kenzie, Eric (Olivia) and their baby, Madden; sisters and brother-in-law, Toni Wind, and Carmie and Paul Sullivan; and several special nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorials may be sent to Anaconda Pintler Hospice, 118 E. 7th St., Anaconda, Montana 59711 or Community Hospital of Anaconda Foundation, 401 W. Pennsylvania St., Anaconda, Montana 59711

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at St. Peter's Catholic Church, with visitation one hour before and military honors will follow the service.

Luncheon will be at Holy Family Catholic Church.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral & Cremation Service is entrusted with Als funeral arrangements. You may pay your condolences at www.longfellowfinneganriddle.com or www.mtstandard.com.
Butte

SORINI  Relatives and friends of Dr. Peter M. Sorini may call Monday after 11 a.m. at the Butte Civic Center for visitation. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. in the Civic Center. Interment will be at a later date. ATTN: United Veterans Council.

SKULETICH  Relatives and friends of Mrs. Sylvia Skuletich may call after 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church for visitations followed by an evening prayer service at 6. The funeral will take place at the church at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Memorials are suggested to the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church or to a charity of the donors choice.

SULLIVAN  Mr. Gary Patrick Sullivan passed away on Thursday morning in St. James Healthcare. Friends are asked to join the family on Tuesday after 10 a.m. in St. Johns Catholic Church, located on Majors Ave. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. with rite of committal to follow in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. A complete obituary will be published in the Sunday edition of The Montana Standard.
Class of 1952 luncheon Feb. 17

Butte High and Butte Central classes of 1952 will have a luncheon at noon Wednesday, Feb. 17, Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, 3030 Elm St.

For reservations, call Georgia at 406-782-5772 or June at 406-723-6780.

Red Hatters to gather at KC

The Butte Red Hatters will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 224 W. Park St.

Hostesses will be Lil and Shirley. For reservations, call 406-782-1017.

Open skate Sunday at ice center

Butte Community Ice Center, 1700 Wall St., will have open skate from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb 14. Skate rentals and concessions are available. Adults $5, children $3. Question call Zanae Bates at 406-498-1877.

College Access event set Feb. 19 at Tech

TRIO programs hosted by Montana Tech invite the public to join in celebrating College Access and Success at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, in the Copper Lounge in the Student Union Building.

The day will be filled with college exploration and Tech highlights including a campus tour at 10 a.m., and departmental workshops from 1 to 3 p.m. hosted by the following student campus clubs: Chemistry, Geology, Metallurgy, Mining, Nursing, and Robotics. The day will wrap up with a service project by Circle K.

Historic preservation comments requested

Butte-Silver Bow is seeking comment on a draft "programmatic agreement," which identifies historic preservation obligations and procedures for projects and activities in the county receiving assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To see the document, visit http://co.silverbow.mt.us/ and go to the historic preservation section.

Written comments will be accepted through March 11 to Mary McCormick, Butte-Silver Bow Historic Preservation Office, 155 W. Granite St, Butte, 59701, or by email at: mmccormick@bsb.mt.gov.

The public can speak on the issue at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the courthouse.
We have to giggle just a little bit.

On one hand, it's amusing that a bunch of media organizations make a big deal anytime a group of leaders, lawmakers or politicians want to hole up for a meeting.

Anyone who has ever been to a government meeting knows what a lonely, sleepy proposition that can be. Often reporters and members of the media are the only ones who attend those meetings, and the seemingly endless conversations about policies, procedures and budgets often induces sleep in even the most caffeinated reporter.

On the other hand, fighting to keep even the most mundane and pedestrian meeting open is exactly what should happen if we want to have open government and accountable leaders.

That's why the decision last week of the legislative Democrats to hold a meeting in the open was not only keeping with the letter of the law, but the spirit, too.

Citizen participation

We applaud the Democrats for the transparency and we hope that Republicans and all other government bodies took notice.

Several very important cases in Montana law have helped establish a very important principle here: That citizens can't be informed, can't give input and truly can't hold leaders accountable without access. Barb Bryan argued that point in Billings years ago when she won a case that said lack of access to information robbed her of the right to effectively participate in government. A landmark case against Montana State University established that even university leaders must conduct their business in the open in order for Montanans to truly be able to hold leaders account for decisions.

Open government isn't just a principle that sounds good here. It's a time-honored practice.

The open meeting at Fairmont drew about two dozens of the 41 House Democrats and half a dozen of the 21 Democrats in the Senate. The goals they talked about weren't surprising: infrastructure, energy, business, education, justice system reform and workforce development. The point is that Gazette readers and other Montanans could find out what that group of lawmakers said.

It can be argued that government would be more efficient, maybe even more blunt, if it could conduct business in secret, outside the purview of the pesky public. But, that would completely misunderstand the role of the public in government. Leaders aren't just delegated to make the decisions for their constituents, they have to also be held accountable for their actions and votes.

Open door at Fairmont

Democracy, even at the local level, has been described as the marketplace of ideas. In order for their to be a free marketplace of ideas, those ideas must be out in the open, discussed frankly and not under the pall of secrecy.

The decision to open the meeting in Fairmont was also a great sign and we'd like to thank the leaders, including Chuck Hunter, D-Bozeman, and Mary Sheehy Moe, D-Great Falls. Many times, it's up to the media or private concerned citizens to hire attorneys in order to get access to these meetings or win a case.

There was no rush to courthouse this time; no attorneys needed. Instead, Democratic party leaders set an example, held themselves accountable and opened the meeting without the threat of a lawsuit.

As with almost any right, it's a use-or-lose it. What we mean is: No one will likely take away open meetings. But, open meetings become meaningless if no one attends. They become worthless if no one holds leaders accountable for what they say and what they do. So, now it's time for us, the citizens who have been granted access to meetings, to participate and observe.

Remember: The doors to government are open. Who will walk in?

-- The Billings Gazette
Editor's note: Sen. Jennifer Fielder submitted this guest opinion piece in January.

When a couple of ranchers face the death penalty for accidentally burning 140 acres of public land, but federal bureaucrats burn thousands of acres of public  and even private land  without consequence, something is terribly wrong.

A few weeks ago, several hundred citizens marched in protest to the ranchers' conviction in the rural town of Burns, Oregon. Afterwards, about 15 protesters went to a nearby wildlife refuge to occupy the remote federal outpost. This act of civil disobedience, led by cowboys and backed by well-armed military veterans, has attracted worldwide media attention.

The protesters say they simply want the ranchers released from prison, and control of the federally managed public lands turned over to local authorities.

According to court records, the two ranchers (Dwight and Steven Hammond) lit grass fires to create a fuel break, or backburn, on their own ranch to stop summer lightning fires headed in their direction. Years before, they had ignited a prescribed burn in autumn, also on their own land, to improve range health.

Although the Hammond family ranch fires worked perfectly to improve and protect the range, the fires did encroach slightly onto adjacent federally controlled public land. The Hammonds openly acknowledged having lit the fires, a common range management practice. They also put the fire out when it wandered off of their property.

But because a portion of land under federal control was burned, the father and son duo faced a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of death under the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, a law enacted by Congress in response to the horrendous Oklahoma City bombing.

When the judge recognized the charges were not at all conducive to the stiff sentencing under the terrorism law, he issued a much lighter sentence. But federal bureaucrats in charge of public lands persisted until the ranchers were resentenced under the harsh federal terrorism law. And that is what caused the uprising in Oregon.

Under local control, it is unlikely this controversy would have happened. The situation would have been resolved under state law by local juries, judges and officials accountable to their local communities. The conflict would have been resolved in harmony with the will of the people, which is the way American government was designed to operate.

Its hard to disagree with Nicole Kuchenbuch, the Farm Bureau president who said its outrageous and hypocritical of our federal government to bring terrorism charges against the two Oregon ranchers when the federal government itself uses the same practices.

Last summer Kuchenbuch fought a fire alongside firefighters at her family ranch and instructed them not to backburn 1,000 acres of her familys private land. But the federal agency did it anyway, destroying the private ranchs timber, family cabin, corrals and several miles of fencing. We were told afterward that there is no restitution for our losses, Kuchenbuch said.

Over 20 ranches have been lost as a result of wildfire in Okanogan County, Washington, these past two summers. According to Okanogan County Commissioner Jim DeTro, one-third of the acres lost in the fires of 2015 were caused by federal agency backburning. Several ranches lost private timber, grazing grounds, hay, barns and equipment to agency backburning.

In 2013 a U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn near Lemmon, South Dakota, accidentally consumed 11,000 acres of public and private land. When locals sued for damages, the federal government responded, Our review of the claim discloses no liability on the part of the United States. Therefore, your Federal Tort Claims Act claim is denied.

Conflict with federal land policies is nothing new, but the Oregon protest brings new light to the widespread problem of having a distant federal bureaucracy in control of local land management decisions. As the chair of Montana's study of federal land management, I can attest the problems are severe and numerous throughout western America.

I understand the frustrations, but pray the situation in Oregon is decided peacefully. There is little reason to expect that serious conflicts with federal land management will cease until a more reasonable, locally driven approach to public land governance is instituted. This is why I strongly support real, lawful solutions advocated by www.americanlandscouncil.org to #FreeTheLands.

-- Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, represents Senate District 7 in the Montana Legislature.
Transparency. Montana voters are likely to hear that pledge time and time again in the coming months. Campaign finance law is complicated, with more loopholes than a Swiss cheese, and the voters and the media should demand that each candidate define publically what he or she means by a pledge of transparency. Even then, I suggest that whatever the candidates definition, voters should take the pledge with a good deal of skepticism.

Heres the problem in a nutshell. First, according to the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United, contributions paid directly to a candidate breed corruption quid pro quo  in other words, I give you money; I buy your vote. Back in the day, it was called bribery. Thats why contributions and coordinated communications are subject to limits imposed by law.

However, that same court decreed that expenditures made on behalf of a candidate do not have any such corruptive effect because the individual or entity expending the money is simply providing the public with information about a candidate or issue. These sorts of independent expenditures are unlimited.

Second, under Buckley v. Valeo, a decision predating Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme Court held that money is a form of and counts as speech. The Court stated that: A restriction on the amount of money a person or group can spend on political communication during a campaign necessarily reduces the quantity of expression by restricting the number of issues discussed, the depth of their exploration, and the size of the audience reached. And, [t]he electorates increasing dependence on television, radio, and other mass media for news and information has made these expensive modes of communication indispensable instruments of effective political speech.

Third, the law provides that with respect to these independent expenditures, those cannot be made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidates authorized committee, or their agents, or a political party or its agents."

Now, if a candidate wants to tear up or return direct contributions lawfully made to his or her campaign, by all means, shred or return away.

But, when it comes to expenditures made on behalf of his or her campaign by individuals, corporations, special interests or super-PACs, Citizens United guarantees that the candidates wishes, pledges, promises or disavowals dont mean much.

For one thing, as noted above, the law requires that the candidate have absolutely nothing to do with the independent expenditure  thats why its independent. If he or she violates this law, then the Commissioner of Political Practices gets involved  as per recent stories in the print and broadcast media.

On the other hand, if XYZ Corporation, or super-PAC Americans for Motherhood and Apple Pie wants to make an independent expenditure to fund a slick TV campaign for Candidate A, Candidate As disavowal and pledge not to accept institutional or PAC money is smoke and mirrors. The reason? Because, under Citizens United, the independent expender has a First Amendment, free political speech right to inform the electorate, and the electorate has a right to be informed  irrespective of whether Candidate A agrees or not. Indeed, if its a true independent expenditure, the candidate cant stop it  even if he or she is self-funding his or her own campaign. And, if there is no disclosure of the names of the individuals actually behind the independent expender, then we have dark money.

Remember, according to the Supreme Court, a contribution corrupts; but expenditure has no corruptive effect. For those living in a parallel universe that nuance may make sense, but, in the reality of the information age, it is a dichotomy grounded in a consummate fiction. By either definition, the contributor or expender is using money to influence an election and to secure a vote in favor of or against a candidate.

Aside from fools or the Citizens United majority, does anyone actually believe that candidates are oblivious to who is expending money for or against them? And, can any thinking person doubt that when millions upon millions of dollars are expended on behalf of a candidate, that he or she is bought (bribed) as surely as if the office-seeker were handed a bushel basket of cash under the table?

In short, voters should be skeptical of a candidates pledge to not accept PAC and special interest money. Frequently, wrapping oneself in the mantle of transparency is a cloak that is anything but transparent.

-- Jim Nelson, of Helena, is a retired Montana Supreme Court Justice.
Civil #: 16-000080

Special Execution

Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC

VS.

Rhonda Allen And Justin Allen ET AL

As a result of the judgment rendered in the above referenced court case, an execution was issued by the court to the Sheriff of this county. The execution ordered the sale of defendant(s) Real Estate Described Below. To satisfy the judgment. The property to be sold is

Lot eighty-eight (88) of Island View Addition to the City of Muscatine, Iowa, according to the Auditor's Plat thereof, situated in Muscatine County, State of Iowa.

Property Address: 1603 Hershey Ave., Muscatine, IA 52761

The described property will be offered for sale at public auction for cash only as follows:

Sale Date: 03/15/2016

Sale Time: 9:30 am

Place of Sale: Muscatine County Jail Lobby, 400 Walnut Street, Muscatine

Homestead: Defendant is advised that if the described real estate includes the homestead (which must not exceed 1/2 Acre if within a city or town plat, or, if rural, must not exceed 40 Acres), defendant must file a homestead plat with the Sheriff within ten (10) days after service of this notice, or the Sheriff will have it platted and charge the costs to this case.

This sale not subject to redemption.

Property exemption: Certain money or property may be exempt. Contact your attorney promptly to review specific provisions of the law and file appropriate notice, if applicable.

Judgment Amount: $67,520.88

Costs: $6,610.55

Accruing Costs: Plus

Interest: $5,799.40

Sheriffs Fees: Pending

Date: 02/01/2016

Attorney:

Emily Bartekoske

1245 Jordan Creek Pkwy

Ste 120

West Des Moines, IA 50266

(515)223-7325

C.J. Ryan

Muscatine County Sheriff

Melissa Hurlbut

Civil Deputy
DAVENPORT, Iowa  A jury has found an Indiana man guilty in federal court in Davenport of the Nov. 28, 2012, robbery of the US Bank branch in Muscatine.

Thomas Alexander Davis, III, 40, of Anderson, Indiana, was found guilty Thursday of bank robbery following a four-day jury trial, according to Acting United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel.

A sentencing date will be set by Chief District Court Judge John A. Jarvey at a later date.

Davis faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, a maximum $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscatine Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The Muscatine City Council will be presented with a resolution at next week's council meeting to change Second Street from a one-way back to a two-way street.

The switch would involve Second Street from Pine Street to Mulberry Avenue.

Three public meetings have been held with business owners on Second Street and city staff estimated about 80 percent of those in attendance support the change.

The shop keepers expressed concerns about snow removal, loading zones and requested parking meters be removed. There are already no parking meters on Second Street.

City staff believes there is no need for Second Street to remain one way since there is not a corresponding one-way street going the other direction parallel to it. The city also expects the two-way traffic on Second Street will help alleviate any traffic issues once the Mississippi Drive corridor project begins later this year.

Loading zones will be clearly marked on both sides of the street.

The switch will mean better access, more convenience and a more vibrant downtown, according to city staff.

If approved by the council, the change would come in the spring as soon as the pavement temperature is where it needs to be for the paint striping.

There would be a substantial public information campaign to let everyone know this is going to happen.

The change would cost the city less than $10,000 in paint and signage.

The next council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at Muscatine City Hall.
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa  Despite a negative response from the local school board, Columbus Junction city officials are planning to move forward with the development of a new subdivision.

The city presented the school board with a request last month to approve a five-year extension of a current tax-increment financing agreement and agree to a 15-year period for a new TIF. The two TIFs would have helped the city collect revenue for the development of the New Heritage Village - Phase II subdivision. The school and the county must approve any TIF request longer than 10 years. Louisa County approved the request on Jan. 12, but the school board rejected the proposal at its Feb. 8 meeting.

The city council met Wednesday and Columbus Junction Community Development Director Mallory Smith and Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Huston both reported the city was already looking into its options, following the schools rejection.

Its not the end of the world. It didnt work out this time and well go to Plan B, Huston said.

Smith agreed, explaining the initial proposal that was rejected by the school would have helped develop the subdivision sooner, but now the city would likely look at a longer phased project.

Why did the school vote no? Councilman Jason Payne asked.

Huston said two of the school board members had indicated they were opposed because there could be a small property tax increase for all school district property owners. He said the other opponent shared that concern, but also apparently objected to the project concept.

Huston indicated he was disappointed with the boards decision, especially since the city had provided detailed information on the TIF process and impact on the school finances.

There also appeared to be differing opinions between city and school officials concerning the schools Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). Smith said Wednesday the PPEL would not be affected by the TIF extension, but school officials said during their meeting there would be a negative impact.

Despite the setback, Smith said city officials had already talked with the developer and staff at Southeast Iowa Regional Planning to investigate other possibilities.

She hinted that could mean development over a longer period, especially the extension of New Heritage Trail, a street that would have provided another outlet to Colton Street.

Council member Hal Prior agreed the development would slow down.

Well develop a little slower and the income to the school will come in a little slower, he predicted.

In other action, Smith also reported the school board had approved an agreement with the Washington Community Y for management services at the pool. She said the Community Y would be paid $13,000 for the service and collect concession and other fees. Under the agreement, the school would provide water and chemicals.

Smith said that since fiscal year 1998 the city had been providing the district with $4,000 to support the pool and had also provided the pool water. She also pointed out the district received around $28,000 annually through a voter-approved Public Education and Recreation Levy (PERL).

She suggested the school may no longer need the citys assistance since the PERL funding would appear to meet the Community Ys management fee. A swimming pool committee is expected to review the development.

In final action, the council:

Approved a March 17 St. Patricks Day Parade;

Learned the city would hold a FY17 budget public hearing on Feb. 24.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Legislative forums will be held the first Saturday of the month during the session, sponsored by the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The next forums will be 9-10:30 a.m. March 5 and April 2 in the student center on the Muscatine Community College campus, 152 Colorado St.

The purpose of the legislative forums is to provide area constituents with the opportunity to directly address the legislators that serve this area with their questions/concerns/feedback.
WAPELLO, Iowa  Planning or implementation for several school improvement projects are progressing well in the Wapello School District, Doug Housman and Eric Smith, members of the school boards building committee, reported to the rest of the board Wednesday.

The two said they had met earlier in the day with a representative of BLDD Architects, which is providing architectural and planning services for the projects, to discuss their current status.

Smith said the review showed all the projects were still being developed and no final plans had been made.

Everything is still under consideration, he said.

However, Superintendent Mike Peterson added the committee would schedule some smaller projects for completion if they cost less than $5,000, which is the maximum he could approve without board action.

Smith and Housman then went into a short summary on most of the projects they had discussed with the BLDD representative.

Smith said quotes were being requested for renovation work on the elementary nurses office, including lighting and new ceiling. Lighting and ceilings were also part of a commons area renovation at the high school. Smith said one bid had come back for that work and the committee was seeking at least one more bid. He said that work would likely take place in the summer.

One lighting project that likely would begin over the Easter break would be installing LED lighting in the industrial arts area and throughout the school. Smith said one bid had been received and another was pending.

We are pressing hard on the lights, Smith said.

Other scheduled projects included cleaning of the pre-school building in May or June and installing a sidewalk from the elementary building to a new parking area. That project could be done during the Easter Week, the two said.

Another May project at the elementary building would be the renovation of a girls and boys restrooms, which could be done in May. The committee is still reviewing possible solutions to solving a ventilation problem in the elementary boiler room, Peterson and Housman reported.

Housman also said another upcoming project was the repair of a support pier at the high school.

Housman and Smith said several major projects, including a new high school gym, renovation of the Family and Consumer Services (FCS) room and an all-purpose elementary addition were discussed, but planning was continuing.

Several steps on the new high school gym had been taken, including the selection of French-Reneker Associates, of Cedar Rapids, for survey work; and Chosen Valley Testing for soil borings. Peterson also said he had notified Wapello city officials the school would need some of the corner that is currently used for city recreational activities, for parking.

Construction on the gym is expected to begin this August.

Housman and Smith also said the committee had determined the elementary addition should be added on to the end of the current gym/cafeteria and would incorporate additional storage.

In other action, the board:

Agreed to look into establishing a bus stop at the corner of Roy El Road and Spruce Drive. Officials said 15 students now live in that area and another 10 could be attending school in two to five years. The board also agreed to look into other possible bus route changes;

Approved the resignation and early retirement of special ed teacher Sandy Winter.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Government says it hasnt yet selected the lead agent for its R740m municipal broadband project, despite indications that Telkom could win the deal.

At the 2015 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Jacob Zuma said government had decided to designate Telkom as the lead agency to assist with (the) broadband roll out.

Zuma said last year that the first phase of the broadband roll out would connect eight district municipalities in South Africa ranging from Dr Kenneth Kaunda in the North West to Vhembe in Limpopo.

The announcement sparked concern from opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) which has asked why the project wasnt put out to an open tender, especially as government owns 40% of Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed Telkom.

And on Thursday this week, Bloomberg reported that Telkom is said to be nearing sealing the deal and that the company has even carried out site inspections and studied how to implement the plan in eight districts.

But the department of telecommunications and postal services says it hasnt yet selected the lead agent for the project.

The lead agent in the roll out of broadband through the government policy known as South Africa Connect has not been appointed yet, Siya Qoza, a spokesperson for the department, told Fin24.

The department is following due process to facilitate the roll-out of broadband for Phase 1, which aims to link government facilities in eight rural districts to fast, secure and reliable internet, said Qoza.

Fin24 asked Qoza if Telkom is in the running for the project but he refused to comment. Qoza didnt comment further on when Fin24 asked him for more details on the departments due process.

Telkom also declined to comment on the matter after Fin24 sent the company a number of questions.

Zuma, in his Sona 2016 address on Thursday night, briefly brought up the topic of governments broadband roll-out plan in two sentences.

However, his statement this year on the topic didnt make mention of Telkom carrying out the roll-out.

Government will fast track the implementation of the first phase of broadband roll-out to connect more than 5 000 government facilities in eight district municipalities over a three year period, Zuma said.

Funding to the tune of R740m over a three year period has been allocated in this regard, he said.

Fin24

More on broadband

Telkom close to starting R744-million Government broadband plan: report

Here are the ADSL ISPs which South African techies use
A hacker who identifies with the Anonymous collective Team Hack Argentino, and goes by @TobitowTHA on Twitter, has claimed responsibility for defacing over 200 South African websites.

[Also read: Anonymous hacks SA government database]

Tobitow posted links to the sites on Twitter, indicating that the defacement was in support of Operation Africa (#OpAfrica).

Anonymous recently released a video announcing #OpAfrica, saying that their activities would focus on the issues of child labour and Internet censorship on the continent.

The focus of the operation is a disassembly of corporations and governments that enable and perpetuate corruption on the African continent.

Tobitow posted links to the sites in alphabetical order, beginning with http://031magazine.co.za/.

At the time of writing, they appeared to have gone up to C.

The websites display the message Hacked By Tobitow and Team Hack Argentino #OpAfrica #Hack_Africa #TeamHackArgentino.

This is followed by statistics on child labour, and the closing line: FUCK THE GOVERMENT

Hacked sites also play the 80s hit We are the World by the supergroup USA for Africa when visited.

More security news

Anonymous hacks SA government database

ANC Government on Anonymous hack list

Why Anonymous hackers taking on ISIS is a bad idea

Anonymous taking a long hard look at South Africa: SAPS hacker
As owner of this blog, I bear no responsibility to what other contributors/bloggers may post. I encourage all to speak freely without indulging in libel or defamatory content. Anyone who feels offended by any posting can email me and I will remove the offending article if appropriate. Contact me at redbeansg@yahoo.com redbean
Brave, resilient and persevering are some of the words that can fully describe this little girls character. At nine years of age, Alena Mwende has undergone not one or two but twenty one surgeries on her throat to successfully remove a tumor that had developed in it. The young girl who schools in Mombasa at Mikindani Royal Comprehensive Academy came to know that she had the condition (laryngeal papilloma) in February 2014 when a doctor run a check-up on her. This rare medical condition is one that causes a tumor to grow on the inside of the windpipe subsequently obstructing the airway.

Even after undergoing the 21 surgeries, her family is still looking for ways to fundraise Sh.1.2 million, money that will cater for 10 more surgeries that doctors recommend for the full rectification of the condition.

As reported by a local daily, since her diagnosis back in the year 2014, Mwende has been in and out of many hospitals and has even been attended by a specialist at Apollo Hospital in India. Her latest surgery that was done to assist her in breathing after she developed complications, left her with an incision in the front of her neck and a breathing tube inserted through the hole into the windpipe.

We hope and pray that she gets healed. Those interested in lending Alena a helping hand can send funds to Co-operative Bank account number 0011 0944 6381700, under account name Alena Medical Fund or M-Pesa paybill number 301082  account, Alena.

Here are some pictures of the strong and brave little girl with her parents.




The fact that Valentines Day comes in February, just a few weeks after the hard-to-beat NJAAnuary, makes most men in relationships fear the weighty burden of spending on their girlfriends. As you know, ladies love to be treated, no not in hospital but being taken out for drinks then being pampered with niceties like gifts and so forth. And for all this to run smooth, lots of money needs to be spent.

To avoid being broken beyond broke, financially challenged dudes always frame all sorts of excuses that make them avoid expenses on the lovers day. For instance, this guy literally ran and left his girlfriend after she brought in the idea of them flying out to Seychelles for the big day.

So, men, if you have no tactic of avoiding expenses this Valentines, just run like this guy but dont blame me when you get binned. Check this out.


Valentines has come early for The Konstantaras after welcoming their bundle of joy.

The reputable couple in the Kenyan film industry were blessed with a bouncing baby boy on Wednesday. Baby K, was delivered at 1300 hours weighing in at 3.5 kgs.

The award winning actress took to social media to break the big news.

Hes here!!!! Born on 10/02/2016 at 1300hrs, weighing in at 3.5Kgs of AWESOME. Thank You God for this gorgeous gift that you have bestowed on Alex and I. We will endeavour to bring him up knowing YOU Words cannot express the love that I feel for you my dearest son. My baby. My love. Moraki mou.. posted an elated Lizz.

She however did not share a photo of the tot and we are going to have to wait a while longer.

Congratulations are in order!!




ARBOR ALLIANCE

Join us Sundays at 5 p.m. Child care will be available. We share the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church at 721 Trancas St., Napa. Come get acquainted and be refreshed. Info, thearborchurch.org, 530-304-4704.

BEIT ABBA

Messianic Jewish ministry of The Fathers House is held the first and third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. Child care provided for ages infant to 7 years old. Join us March 4 for a Shabbat service with Myles and Katharine Weiss. Join us Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., for our mid-month Havurah /Bible Study: Unveiled -Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Fathers House, 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. Info, tfh.org/beitabba .

CARMELITE MONASTERY

Mass times: Sunday, 9 a.m.; Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. (except for the first Saturday of the month, Mass will be at 11 a.m.). Morning of recollection every first Saturday of the month: Spiritual Talk, 9-10 a.m.; Confessions, 10-11 a.m.; Mass, 11 a.m. Bible study, on Tuesdays with Father Michael Buckley: Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. following the 8 a.m. Mass (Contact the office to confirm time and day at 944-2454, ext. 103). Confessions-English: Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. Confessions-Spanish: Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon., 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. 20 Mount Carmel Drive, 0.9 miles west of Highway 29, off the Oakville Grade; Info, 944-2454; oakvillecarmelites.org.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING

Services are 9 and 10:30 p.m. with youth program at 10:30 and Teen Group at noon. Rev. Jay Langs topic will be Through the Prism of Gods Love. At 11:45 there will be a Valentines Renewal of Vows. Open Meditation Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. followed by Life Talks at 7:15. Video and discussion is on Rediscovering the Wonder. On Wednesday, March 2, Timber Hawkeye will be a special Life Talks Guest Speaker, 6:30 p.m., at 1249 Coombs. Info, 252-4847.

CHRISTIAN & MISSIONARY ALLIANCE CHURCH

Adult Sunday School class begins at 9:30 a.m., (coffee available) in the fellowship hall. Morning worship for the whole family starts at 10:45 a.m. and our congregation sings mainly from traditional hymnals. Located at 721 Trancas St., Napa. Info, 224-6717.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH

Sunday service and Sunday school for youths up to age 20 at 10 a.m. The Wednesday evening service is at 7:30. Child care provided at all services. New hours for the Reading Room, located in our church building,: open to the public weekdays except Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m. All current Christian Science literature, including the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the renowned Christian Science Monitor are available to all to read or purchase; 2210 Second St., Napa. Info, 255-5255.

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, NAPA  SECOND WARD

Sacrament meeting is Sunday at 9 a.m. Young mens and young womens programs are on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Twelve-step addiction program is on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at 2590 Trower Ave., Napa. Info, 758-8085.

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF LAKE BERRYESSA

This Sunday at the Community Church of Lake Berryessa, Pastor Bob continues with our look at the Book of Exodus. Join us as Gods plan unfolds for his chosen people and find its meaning in our life today. We are a non- denominational Christian church welcoming all to enjoy the life changing power of Jesus Christ. A weekly food distribution is available along with groups and activities. Address is 6008 Steele Canyon Road at Moskowite Corners. Call 252-4488 for information.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

Join Rabbi Lee Bycel and Music Director Gordon Lustig on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. for Shabbat Services. The following morning the Rabbi will engage those attending in a spirited conversation about the weeks Torah portion. Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. the Jewish Historical Society (CBS) presents noted historian Marilyn Chiat in a fascinating presentation about the life and family of Jewish musician and fellow Minnesotan Robert Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan. Congregation Beth Shalom is at 1455 Elm St., Napa. For more information, check cbsnapa.org.

CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES

Sunday service at Cornerstone Ministries is at 10:15 a.m. Our Spanish Church begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday school and childcare is available. Middle School and High School Study is on Wednesday nights at 6:30. On Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at 3305 Vista Ave. Freedom From Bondage meets. Info, cmnv.org, 252-2909.

COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1226 Salvador Avenue, Napa, invites you to worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. The Rev. Dr. Deana Reed will be preaching; the liturgist will be Robin Lockhart. Share the Lords Supper. The Covenant Choir, under the direction of Mark Teeters, will sing Here at Thy Table, Lord, composed by Lani Smith. Children and youth will remain in worship to participate in communion. Weekly Sunday School class will resume on Feb. 14. Info, 155-9426; www.cpcnapa.org; or facebook.com/cpcnapa.

CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Weekly worship service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Services and attire are casual with a blend of fellowship, music and teaching. Child care and childrens church offered during service. At 1050 Hagen Road, Napa. Info, CreeksideChurchNapa.org; 255-7266.

CROSSWALK COMMUNITY CHURCH

Join us at CrossWalk Community Church for our series on Making Sense of the Bible. Services at 9 and at 10 a.m. with Childrens programs available during the 10 a.m. service. CrossWalk also has CrossWalk Food Pantry offering fresh produce and providing grocery bags with several meals once a month at 2590 First St. Info, 226-1812.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

First Christian Church of Napa welcomes you to attend our service this Sunday. At 8:45 and 10:30 a.m., Guest speaker Kevin Sneed will give a message on The Initiating Love of God. Our address: 2659 First St., Napa. Church website: fccnapa.org. Swerve Student Ministry: Middle SchoolWednesday 7-8:30 p.m., High SchoolThursday 6:30-8:30 p.m. Middle School/High School Broomball on Feb. 19. Sign-up at fccswerve.com.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Pastor David will lead the study, The Resurrection from The Story, this Sunday. Please join us in the gym at 9 a.m. for worship, with choir and special music; the second service will have a variety of music, with guitars, starting at 10:45 a.m. The guest trio at 9 are: Kent Cohea, Judy Cochran, and Aubrey May. Sunday School: 9 a.m. for Youth; 10:45 for elementary-school age children. Newborn through kindergarten-age childcare at both services. Join us for Celebration-Sunday cake, during the coffee break, at 10 a.m. 1333 Third St., Napa; 224-8693 or fpcnapa.org.

GRACE CHURCH OF NAPA VALLEY

Sunday services: Worship service at 9 and 10:40 a.m. Adult Sunday school classes at 9 a.m. Childrens service at 9 and 10:40 a.m. Nursery and preschool care available. Junior high ministry meets Tuesday, 7 p.m.; high school meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3765 Solano Ave., Napa. Info, 255-4033, GraceNapa.org.

HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

We meet at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. at 100 Anderson Road, Napa. Info, 255-3036.

HOLY GROUND CHRISTIAN CENTER

Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m., and Bible study is Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3860 Broadway, Suite 111, American Canyon. Info, 373-2015.

MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA, YOUNTVILLE

Sunday worship service, 10:15 a.m. Coffee fellowship one hour before the service. Bible study on Wednesday at 1 p.m., Fellowship Room, with refreshments served; prayer meetings Thursday, 1 p.m. The memorial chapel is on the Veterans Home  Yountville campus on California Drive, across from the administration building. Info, 944-4840.

NAPA COMMUNITY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

Saturday, 11:15 a.m. service. 1105 G St., Napa. Education Day with Napa Christian Campus of Education. The sermon will be Famous Last Words: My God, My God... by Pastor Marvin Wray. Info, 252-2444.

NAPA METHODIST CHURCH

Napa Methodist Church holds two Sunday morning services: a 9:30 a.m. Traditional service held in the sanctuary and an 11 a.m. Fusion Worship service held in the Asbury Room. This Sunday, we invite you to hear Pastor Lee Neish preach the message: Oh to Be Righteous (Part 1) from the Lenten Series How To Be Spiritual and Not Religious (as taught by Jesus of Nazareth) at our 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary service. At our 11 a.m. Fusion Worship service, we invite you to hear the message The Birth and Baptism Narratives as part of the Lenten Series The Gospel of Matthew. GRAPE Express Childrens Worship and Nursery are available during both services. Childrens Carol Choir is meeting a half hour earlier this Sunday, at 10 a.m., as they are performing in both services. 625 Randolph St. Info, napamethodist.org or 253-1411.

NAPA-SONOMA FRIENDS MEETING (QUAKERS)

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Silent meeting in the custom of Friends. Meet at the VOICES Youth Center, 780 Lincoln Ave. Enter at parking lot on left side of building, using door at end of wheelchair ramp. Quaker signs will be posted on Sunday mornings. We welcome visiting friends or those who are new to Quaker practice. Info, nvquaker@napanet.net; 257-0509.

NAPA VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Bible study for all ages at 9:30 a.m. Worship service, along with a kids program, begins at 10:30 a.m. Info, NapaValleyBaptist.org; 252-2100.

NAPA VALLEY BIBLE CHAPEL

As we celebrate Gods love on Valentines Day, we will learn about the work of Love into Action, which serves families affected by disability in the Palestinian Territories, on Sunday, Feb. 14. We will then enjoy a soup and salad buffet lunch together after the 11 a.m. service. We start Sunday services by remembering the Lords death, burial and resurrection during a time of worship and thanksgiving at 9:30 a.m., followed by a fellowship and coffee time starting at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we enjoy a time of Bible teaching. Classes are available during this service for children. Please note there will be no evening prayer meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 1559 Second St., Napa. Info, napavalleybiblechapel.com or 258-8606.

NAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH

We welcome Brad Jameson back to lead us in Gods Word, his message is entitled Transformed: Power and Wisdom in the Message of the Cross. Please join us! Worship begins at 10 a.m., Sunday School for children also at 10. Child care and Refreshments provided. Open Forum takes place immediately after the service. Napavalleychurch.org. Call 337-4328.

NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN

First Sunday in Lent worship at 10 a.m. Fellowship time follows. Wednesday Soup Supper at 6 p.m. followed by Prayer Service. All are welcome because all belong to God. The church is located at 1796 Elm St., Napa. Info, 226-8166, napavalleylutheran.org.

NAPA VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS

Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9:30 a.m.: Savage Love with Rev. Bonnie Dlott, presentation and informal discussion. 11 a.m.: Savage Love with Rev. Bonnie Dlott and Worship Associate Wrnear Wilcox. Every year the American Humanist Association recognizes a person of national or international reputation who, through the application of humanist values, has made a significant contribution to the improvement of the human condition. In 2013, the award went to Dan Savage for his long history of sex-positive writing, advocacy of separation of church and state, and work for LGBT youth. On this Valentines Day, come and hear about Dans views about love, sex, and religion, and why your minister thinks Dan would like Unitarian Universalism. Infant care, child care, and religious education provided. 1625 Salvador Ave., Napa; Info, nvuu.org, 226-9220.

NEW LIFE TABERNACLE

Sunday school at 10 a.m., followed by worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday evening service the first Sunday of every month. Bible study on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at 2625 First St., Napa. Info, 255-1062; NewLifeNapa.com.

ST. APOLLINARIS CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Apollinaris Lenten Morning Retreat Saturday, Feb. 13. Join retreat master Brother Richard Moratto for his reflections on Jesus  The Path to Mercy, preparation for our Lenten journey. Begins with 8:45 a.m. Mass, 9:30 reflections and prayer, ending with a simple lunch. St. Apollinaris Catholic Church, 3700 Lassen St. Napa, 257-2555. Free will offering.

ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Sunday, 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Childrens Church during the 10:15 a.m. service. 3521 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. Info, 255-0119; StJohnsLutheran.net.

ST. MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Worship on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. or Sundays at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. (organ and choir). Childrens Chapel (Sunday school) is at 9:50 a.m. Sunday. Nursery care is provided during the 10 a.m. service. Coffee hour follows the worship services on Sunday. 1917 Third St., Napa. Info, 255-0991; StMarysNapa.org.

ST. STEPHENS ANGLICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH

We hope you all will come and worship with us at 1250 Oakville Grade Road, Oakville. Info, 953-9369.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH

Mass times are Saturday 4 p.m. (English), Sunday 8 a.m. (English), 11 a.m. (English) and 1:30 p.m. (Spanish). Daily mass is 9 a.m. except on the first Friday, which is at noon and in English. 2725 Elm St, Napa. Info, 255-2949.

SALVATION ARMY

Join us for services Sundays at 10 a.m. 590 Franklin St., Napa. Info, napasalarmy.org.

THE FATHERS HOUSE

New Service times are Saturday night, 6 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Child care and Kids Church are available (ages infant through sixth grade). Youth ministry Encounter meets every Wednesday Night at 7 p.m. The Fathers House, 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. Info, tfh.org.

UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER IN NAPA VALLEY

Sunday. 10 a.m. Service. Join us as we celebrate Unity and spiritual growth. Temporary Spiritual Leader Juanita Hoover, LUT delivers this Sundays Message entitled A More Excellent Way. Music for our Service selected and performed by Lon Eakes. 11:40 a.m. Forum. Juanita Hoover, LUT will facilitate our Sunday Forum topic: A Course in LoveDid You Pass? Sunday Service held at the historic Grange Hall, 3275 Hagen Road (1/2 mile east of the Silverado Trail), Napa. Parking next to the building. Information UnityinNapaValley.org, 255-6881.

YOUNTVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday, Feb. 14, Contemporary Worship, 9:30 a.m. and Traditional Worship, 11 a.m. Pastor Lloyd Whitford finishes the series looking into the book of Revelation entitled: God Wins! With True Love. An Adult Bible Class, 9:30 a.m. in the Callison Ministry Center, Room 3. Childrens classes, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Jesus and Me. (birth-kindergarten), and first-fifth grades are offered. Vertical Student Ministry 11 a.m.; fifth-eighth grades and high school students. Church office hours, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; 6619 Yount St., Yountville, 944-2179.

Pastors and church staffneed to update your listing, or add your church? Please contact Register Editor Sean Scully at 256-2246 or sscully@napanews.com. Weekly deadline is Wednesdays by 5 p.m.
Several locations in Napa County were affected by repair crews working through the night Wednesday into Thursday, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.

Crews responded to the report of a gas odor on Randolph Street in Napa Wednesday afternoon, said Paul Moreno, PG&E spokesman. A leak was found on a main gas line on the 100 block of Randolph Street. Crews worked through the night to repair it. They finished at 7:20 a.m., Moreno said.

In St. Helena, two customers were without power until 1:30 a.m. on Thursday due to damage to a pole at Chiles Pope Valley Road and Pope Canyon Road. Moreno said that a truck had pulled down phone lines and broken the pole around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. No PG&E wires were down.

An additional customer was without power until noon on Thursday due to another vehicle accident in Angwin. A pole on Howell Mountain Road, south of Deer Park Road, was struck by the vehicle just after 2 a.m., Moreno said. Power lines were down and crews worked through the morning to restore power to the customer.
VALLEJO  An off-duty East Bay police officer was shot to death in his home Thursday in what authorities said was a domestic dispute.

Vallejo Police Lt. Jeff Bassett said Richmond Police Sgt. Gus Vegas, 58, was awakened around 4:30 a.m. by an argument between his daughter and Robert Vega, 30, the father of the daughters son. Police suspect Vega shot Vegas multiple times before fleeing the Vallejo home with his 6-year-old son. Vega was arrested a short time later about 18 miles away in Fairfield. The boy was unharmed and taken into protective custody, police said.

Both the victim and the suspect are graduates of the law enforcement training academy at Napa Valley College.

Vegas graduated from the Napa Valley Criminal Justice Training Center in 1990, then returned 10 years later for refresher training, according to NVC spokesman Doug Ernst. Vega completed his academy studies in December 2011.

Richmond and Vallejo police declined to provide more details on the relationship between the slain officer and the suspect.

Investigators said Vegas and his wife were foster parents and cared for many children over the years. Vegas was a 15-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department and was currently assigned to the regulatory enforcement unit.

Gus was very active in the police department, said Richmond Police chief Allwyn Brown said. He was very likable.

Register reporter Howard Yune contributed to this report.
At last weeks Active Transportation Committee meeting in St. Helena, I witnessed once again the death of an era. In the name of money and/or progress, which are inevitable in the end, the life of St. Helena as we, the older generation, knew it is disappearing at an alarming pace.

The tug of war between the past and future, between the powers that be and we the people, is becoming more elusive. As we grow older, we are pushed aside to make way for the future.

Sometimes the decisions being made for our own good are destroying the very way of life we are trying to preserve. And always, money speaks louder than words.

It was evident to all of us this evening that the committee sitting before us were just going through the motion to appease us. The decision was already made, for whatever their selfish motives. They are determined not to lose the money earmarked for their project  be damned the community.

Be prepared, the future will come when they will destroy the old bridges to widen the roads, make it impossible for local businesses to thrive and tear down the very culture that made St. Helena great.

When committee chairman Jake Scheideman says to me: Your home is not the street, he seems to forget I paid taxes for my streets and my sidewalks. I fully understand the streets are public domain, but I dont want to be ridiculed and disrespected by a committee that thinks Im too old to think or know better.

Nostalgia has taken over my heart this evening. As a senior citizen, I thought I had passed the torch to the younger generation, but instead I found myself still fighting against all odds, to keep for a while longer, the dream of a life that was.

Ginette Riopel

St. Helena
Tonight on American Idol, alumni returned to the stage to perform with the first set of twelve out of the top twenty-four remaining contenders. Included in the performances were the following country music pairings:

 Emily Brooke and Lauren Alaina

 Jenna Renae and Scott McCreery

 Mackenzie Bourg and Lauren Alaina

 Jeneve Rose Mitchell and Scott McCreery

Ultimately, Emily Brooke and Jenna Renae said their final farewells to the Farewell Season of the reality competition singing show. What stood out to me as particularly  odd  were the judges comments to the Idol-appointed country comeback kid, Emily.

After meeting Emily last year, the judges commended her ability to cover (and slay) Carrie Underwoods Blown Away, recognizing at the time that a powerhouse was hiding within the then fifteen-year-old contestant. Following Hollywood Week and her House of Blues performance, Emilys journey ended upon the insistence of the judges to go home, work hard, and come back even stronger. And she did.

From the beginning of last season, there has never been a doubt that Emily was capable of vocal explosiveness, and when she made her return for Season 15, she was constantly praised by the panel for the amount of growth she showed in just one year. Then came the Top 24 round where Emily showed off her power and paid homage to her hometown hero, Cassadee Pope, and sang with an artist who has adopted her as a little sister, Lauren Alaina.

The duet with Lauren Alaina, by far, was one of the most entertaining of the evening, showing that the now seventeen-year-old can withstand the pressures that come with having to hold her own against someone as dynamic and flawless as Lauren. Barely acknowledging the feat of seamlessly collaborating with Lauren, the judges essentially advised Emily to forego powerful performances and rely more on low key deliveries in her singing. In other words, dial back, rely on soft vocals and her acoustic guitar, and contain the force that lies within.

It seems a little contradictory to advise the contestant in one direction, only to steer her off course at the end. Do you think the judges got their decision to cut Emily Brooke (and Jenna Renae) right? We would love to hear your opinions on this.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is attending the Munich Security Conference on 12-13 February 2014, against the background of a changed security environment.

The challenges from the east and the south, including NATO's role in tackling the refugee and migrant crisis, were high on the agenda of Mr Stoltenberg's meeting with the British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. Mr Stoltenberg also met the EU High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini to discuss the need for even closer cooperation between NATO and the EU after the Alliance's decision to deploy its Standing Maritime Group 2 to the Aegean. Previously, Mr Stoltenberg spoke about EU-NATO cooperation in dealing with the refugee and migrant crisis with the President of the European Commision Jean-Claude Juncker and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

The NATO Secretary General and the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov reviewed NATO-Russia relations and agreed to continue exploring the possibility of a NATO-Russia Council meeting. The Secretary General made clear that for NATO, the agenda of a possible NRC meeting must include Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the need for stronger mechanisms for transparency and predictability of military activities. NATO suspended practical cooperation due to Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, but kept open channels of political dialogue.

Mr Stoltenberg also met the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Lamberto Zannier, to discuss the state of the ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine, the need for transparency and predictability in military activities in Europe, and further strengthening the cooperation between NATO and the OSCE.

The NATO Secretary General will make a keynote speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, February 13.
I just finished a meeting with Minister Lavrov and our focus was on the relationship between NATO and Russia. And we also addressed the issue of convening a meeting of the NATO Russia Council. The NRC has never been suspended, but there has been more than a year since the last council.

I believe it would be useful to have a meeting of the NRC and we explored the possibilities of holding a new meeting. For NATO, its absolutely necessary that, if a meeting takes place, that we have to address Ukraine. Because the situation in Ukraine is the reason why we have the difficult situation in Europe now, especially in the relationship between NATO and Russia. But we also think it is useful to address transparency, risk reductions, transparency related to military activities. Because especially when we have increased military activity along our borders, it is important to have as much predictability and transparency as possible to try to prevent incidents, accidents. And if they happen, to make sure they dont spiral out of control and create really dangerous situations.

The downing of the Russian plane which violated the Turkish airspace is an example of kind of incidents we have to prevent and why its important to make sure that if anything similar happens in the future we avoid it from spiraling out of control. Id also like to underline that to continue political dialogue is always important, but it is especially important when the times are as difficult as they are now. Therefore, we will continue to have political dialogue and engagement with Russia. And thats especially important when the situation is like we face now.

Q: Suddeutsche Zeitung: Did Russia agree that Ukraine should be on the agenda?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: We agreed that we should continue to explore the possibilities of holding a meeting. That is as far as I can go now. We havent agreed on any agenda but we agreed to continue to stay in contact and explore the possibilities of holding a meeting.

Q: Financial times: Both you and SACEUR have mentioned Russia carving out a zone of influence []. Will deal agreed at Munich Security Conference cement Russias influence and harden their A2AD capabilities rather than roll back their military operations?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The reason why NATO is adapting its military posture, especially in the eastern part of the Alliance, is Russias military buildup over several years, also with A2AD capabilities. In the Barents Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and now also in the Mediterranean. Thats one of the reasons why we are adapting both by increasing the readiness of our forces but also by increasing our presence in the Eastern part of our Alliance. On the agreement reached in Munich last night, I welcome that agreement. Because it is important to support all efforts to find a negotiated peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria, and its important to see a cessation in the armed hostilities. This has to be the first step toward a lasting ceasefire and a negotiated solution and, of course, humanitarian help to the suffering people. So I welcome the agreement. The important thing now is to see this implemented on the ground. And that remains to be seen.

Q: Unknown: Did you receive reassurance from Minister Lavrov that Russia will stop bombing moderate opposition forces?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: I have underlined several times I would welcome a more constructive role of Russia fighting ISIL in Syria. Because up till now Russia has mainly targeted opposition groups and this has undermined the efforts to find a peaceful solution. But thats also the reason why I welcome yesterdays agreement and now its important to see it implemented. I will not go into how it will be implemented because what is important now is that parties will sit together and agree on the implementation of the agreement.

Q: Wall Street Journal: You said what you want to discuss with Russia, but are you willing to discuss what they want, like NATO reinforcement in the East and how this affects the NATO Russia Founding Act?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The NRC is made to be an all-weather council  both when tensions are low and when they are high as they are now. We all have to be ready to discuss also difficult issues, issues where we disagree. The purpose of political dialogue is also to address also issues that are complicated, where there is disagreement. But it would be wrong that I now start going into details on the dialogue we have, on the agenda and on the different topics. Because that would make it more difficult to convene a meeting. But of course NATO is also ready to discuss issues where there are disagreements. Thats one of the reasons why we have this kind of meetings.

Q: DPA: Why was it not possible to agree on a new meeting?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: We agreed to continue to explore the possibilities of convening a meeting. This illustrates there are some challenges in the relationship between NATO and Russia. It is exactly these challenges that make it important to keep channels of political dialogue with Russia. They are open, we meet in different formats, on different levels, we meet at the ambassadors level in Brussels, and the NATO Russia Council meeting we are exploring to convene is at the ambassadors level. I met several times with Minister Lavrov. So we meet and we discuss. But so far we have not been able to agree on how to convene a NRC meeting. If I started to go into all the elements of why we have not been able to convene a meeting, it would make it even more difficult to convene one. Sometimes it is better not to say too much. Thank you!
Micro and macro economics are the two sides of the same coin.There is close interdependence between the two.We cannot analyse the in...
Canadas Foundation for the Compulsory Study of Genocide in Schools had Liberal MNA David Birnbaum table a petition in the National Assembly demanding that genocide study be made mandatory in Quebec province high schools. It is currently up to individual teachers to decide how much they want to teach about genocide, the foundation said, according to the Montreal Gazette.

Too many Quebec students finish high school with no knowledge of genocides, past or present, including the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, Rwandan genocide, and the cultural genocide of First Nations, a Montreal-based foundation argued.

The petition, which collected about 3,000 signatures, states that racial and cultural intolerance and discrimination are the preconditions associated with the beginnings of genocide, which is defined as the systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic or cultural group. Education, the petition continues, is the key to recognizing and preventing discrimination and acts of hate among youth, and knowledge of genocides is essential to preventing such acts in the future.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said there should be more compulsory content related to genocide in schools all across Canada.

I spoke about this in the House of Commons last week and made a members statement calling upon all the different provinces to include this in the curriculum, he said, adding Canadian provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia have made the most headway so far, along with some American states: New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, and Illinois.
Admiral: U.S. should now prepare for Chinese 'invasion' of Taiwan

Harutyunyan: I cannot imagine Artsakh's future without presence of Russia

Harutyunyan: Without questioning path of our independence, we must meet with Baku

Prime Minister of Finland does not think that Hungary and Turkey will block country's application for NATO membership

Iranian FM: U.S. made hasty statements in connection with protests

Former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim involved in car accident in Karabakh

Arayik Harutyunyan: Artsakh people's right to self-determination is non-negotiable

Iranian MFA calls it important to form platform with Armenia and India on North-South corridor

Details of EU monitoring mission in Armenia are known

Foreign Ministry: It seems Ankara is more interested in opening corridor through Armenia than Azerbaijan

Mirzoyan: Unexpected third countries support Azerbaijani interpretation of road to Nakhchivan

Foreign Ministry: Armenia, Iran and Bulgaria initial agreement on creation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor

Israeli Defense Minister to visit Ankara

Armenian Foreign Minister names main obstacle to solving problems with Azerbaijan

Erdogan once again raises issue of so-called 'Zangezur corridor'

Armenian and Iranian FMs to open Iranian Consulate General in Syunik province tomorrow

Abdollahian: Aliyev assured that he does not want border changes, Iran will prevent implementation of such idea

Iranian Foreign Minister in Yerevan supports '3+3' platform

Iranian Foreign Minister recalls Tehran's 'red lines' in regional issues

Mirzoyan: We highly appreciate Iran's principled position regarding territorial integrity of Armenia

UK imposes sanctions against Iran for alleged delivery of drones to Russia

Yerevan hosts meeting of Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in narrow composition

Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers meet in Yerevan in extended format

Charles Michel: EU energy deal possible, but difficult

Erdogan says Baku should demand 'compensation' from Yerevan

Pashinyan: EEU mechanisms are of great help, trade turnover between Armenia and Belarus has doubled

Yair Lapid: Russia-Iran relations are serious problem for Ukraine, Europe, and whole world

Amir-Abdollahian: Iran is against presence of foreigners in this region, both in Azerbaijan and Armenia

Pashinyan at EAEU meeting: Fundamental principles of world economic system in question

Iranian Foreign Minister's official visit to Yerevan begins

Macron says Germany should not isolate itself in Europe

EU begins deployment of mission on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Trump's son made fun of Zelenskyy's ability to ask West for money

EU to provide emergency aid for Armenia residents affected by recent Azerbaijan military aggression

Azerbaijan army units fire at Armenia positions

Mikhail Mishustin arrives in Yerevan

EU approves new sanctions against Iran over alleged drone deliveries to Russia

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting begins in Yerevan

Baku calls OSCE mission to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border 'private visit'

On fourth day of IRGC military exercises on border with Azerbaijan, artillery destroys planned targets

Liz Truss quits as UK Prime Minister

Turkey parliament to consider extending Turkish militarys mandate in Azerbaijan

Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia

Russias Putin ratifies agreement on simplification of payments for goods transit within EEU territory

Stoltenberg: Almost all NATO countries have agreed to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance

Ombudswoman of Armenia: Azerbaijan prevents removal of remains of fallen soldiers

Zakharova: Matter of holding CSTO Collective Security Council meeting being worked out

Ombudswoman of Armenia: I received video materials from EU special representative about Azerbaijanis

Armenia Security Council chief, UK army general discuss cooperation in security

Armenia and Kazakhstan discuss bilateral military cooperation

Iran says U.S. and Israel won't be able to split the republic

201 bodies are identified of Armenia soldiers who died as result of September military aggression by Azerbaijan

Iran FM to arrive in Armenia today

Turkey, Azerbaijan presidents officially open international airport in occupied Artsakh territory

Armenia President visits several leading Bulgaria IT companies

Ruben Vardanyan: I will assume Artsakh State Minister position at beginning of November

Armenia PM on making EU observation mission permanent: I'm not sure about that

US State Dept.: Our ultimate goal is peaceful resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Armenia, Qatar to collaborate in tourism sector

Turkey president travels to Azerbaijan

Bandits in Russia cut off Armenian man's hands, shoot him in legs

President of Armenia, mayor of Bulgarias Plovdiv discuss avenues for deepening of cooperation

Armenia has new customs attache at Upper Lars checkpoint on Russia-Georgia border

Karabakh official: Baku goes for gradual escalation, provocation of situation

Armenia to get 33mn grant from EU for police, migration service, business development in Syunik Province

Lacote: OSCE observation mission deployment will contribute to respect of Armenia territorial integrity

World oil prices going up

Russia extends flight restrictions at 11 airports

Newspaper: Karabakh delegation to head for Moscow, meeting with Putin considered probable

Newspaper: Azerbaijan aggression on September 13 paralyzes Armenia public administration for some time

Azerbaijan army opens fire towards Armenia positions at midnight

Retired US Air Force general is offered consulting job in Azerbaijan at rate of $5,000 a day

White House is puzzling over how to avoid meeting between Putin and Biden at G-20 summit

Eduard Aghajanyan: Once again I remind that Armenia was deprived of opportunity to protect rights of people of Artsakh

U.S. says that limiting Russian oil prices is not aimed at OPEC

OSCE sends mission to Armenia to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Jeff Bezos warns that U.S. economy may face recession

Kiev says nearly 40% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been damaged

Raisi: Iran will use all its capabilities and potential to end war in Ukraine

Qatar gets first pandas in Middle East

Armenian president delivers lecture at St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia

More than half of Britons think Liz Truss should resign

Bloomberg: Putin and Erdogan's cordial relationship arouses Western anger

Dutch government invests up to 3.5 billion in military procurement

Erdogan discusses latest developments in Ukraine with Zelenskyy

School in Paris expels student from class for denying Armenian Genocide

Germany would like to participate in EU observer mission to Armenia

U.S. is considering plan to co-produce weapons with Taiwan

Poland to buy K239 Chunmoo from South Korea

Air defense system repels several missile attacks by Ukrainian troops at Kakhovskaya HPP

Baku court does not definitively terminate criminal prosecution of Yunus spouses

Liz Truss has no plans to resign

CSTO countries agree on draft agreement on standardization of military equipment

EU countries agree to sanction eight people and organizations over Iranian drones

Congressman David Price meets with rector of Yerevan State University

Chairman of Amsterdam City Court visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan

ASPU supports process of unification of universities

Deputy Chief of Police on new draft law: 'Citizen of Azerbaijan' is extremely relative notion

Benny Gantz: Israel will not supply weapons to Ukraine

Saudi Arabia lifts ban on Turkish soap operas
Armenian News-NEWS.am continues presenting accounts within the framework of the Survivors project, which is devoted to the Armenian Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923.

Survivors is the stories of ordinary Armenian people who lost their childhood and homeland.

Survivors is one hundred years of recollections and pain, and one hundred years of expecting reparation.

Survivors is a diminishing group of people who will not lose their hope for the acknowledgement of their pain.

Survivors is 106-year-old Khachik Papisyan

Walking along the streets of quite Ptghunk village, we reach a white trailer. Abandoned and fast shut, it stands on the curved road waiting for its owner. The snow near it has melted down, and last-years green grass has showed up from the watery black dirt (PHOTOS).

This is my Dads trailer. He used to keep beehives inside, Araksya says on noticing our interests and leads us to the house behind it.

Cautiously crossing the threshold as if fearing to disturb someones rest, we follow her, watching the house decoration.

Wooden furniture, ancient delicate chandeliers, ceilings decorated with colored patterns: the house was built with love for a large family, but its empty today.

The albums should be here, Araksya says, inviting us to the living room.

We see several chairs there covered with red material, as well as a round table with white tablecloth. Several albums and a high cutglass vase with decorative flowers rest on it.

We notice the photo of a beautiful silver-haired woman in the half-empty closet by the wall. In several seconds Araksya will say that this is the mistress, her mother Gohar Gyozalyan.

Khachik Papisyan was born on 13 September 1910 in Kebusie village located at the foot of Musa Dagh. He was the fourth child and the only son in the family of Hakob and Marie. His elder sisters  Azatuhi and Iskuhi  were twins, and were followed by Makruhi. Like the majority of fellow-villagers, Hakob was engaged in farming and cattle breeding, while Marie looked after the house and brought up the children.

Grandma Marie said Dad was a handsome man. Tall and well-built, he was a desirable groom for all the brides in the district, Gohar says.

In 1939, due to the rise of taxes and strengthening of oppressions from the Turkish authorities, Hakob Papisyan gathered his family and headed for Anjar town in Lebanon. Exactly there Khachik got to know Gohar, whose parents were also from Musa Dagh, and they married in a year.

In 1942, daughter Marie was born to the young parents, being followed by Araksya after 4 years.

Grandpa Hakob missed his native village very much, but he never lost his hope to return there once. However, having lived in Anjar for 8 years, he perhaps understood that nothing would change, and thus together with Dad they decided to move to Eastern Armenia. In 1947, the Papisyans temporarily moved to Etchmiadzin, and then to Ptghunk, where they built a house and started with a clean sheet, hiding the pain and craving deep in their hearts, she says.

Its easy to speak now, but we are sometimes upset when we lose something important to us. And imagine a man, who had to leave his home, his vineyard and the graves of his fathers and who lost the possibility to return, Araksya says bitterly, going through the photos.

In 1949, Hakob Papisyan died. Marie outlived her husband by 26 years and died in 1975.

Gohar and Khachik had three mote daughters  Anna, Karine and Arpi  and a son. The latter was called in honor of Grandpa Hakob.

Leaving the home of the Papisyans, we headed for Arkasyas house.

Now Dad stays at my place, but he quarrels every day and wants his house, she smiles.

When we entered, Grandpa Khachik was sitting in the armchair. As if waking up from his thoughts, he stood up and introduced himself loudly:

Papisyan Khachik!

He uttered no more.

In the 1990s, Araksya continues, her parents left for the U.S. together with Hakob.

The reason for such a far trip was Hakobs health. Living in Los Angeles for 7 years, Khachik and Marie returned to Ptghunk.

Mum had it bad. She wanted to spend her last days in Armenia, and Dad supported her decision, Araksya says.

In her words, Khachik didnt leave his wifes bed, holding her hand till the very last minute.

Gohar died in 1997.

After Mums death, Dad greatly lost heart, Araksya notes, looking at her fathers side.

He refused to move to Hakob, who is in U.S.

I am where my wife is, he said, responding to the subsequent persuasions.

Khachik takes with him the purple scarf left after his wife wherever he goes.

Mum sewed it herself, Araksya says.

Khachik is the only family member alive today out of a once large family of the Papisyans who left Kebusie.

He is the grandfather of 17 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. The oldest of them  Hakobs son  was named after him as a sign of continuing the history of the Papisyan family.
YEREVAN. - The meeting of the Armenian President and state officials at the Presidential Palace is over. However, the latter do not strive to inform details, Armenian News  NEWS.am correspondent reports.

Governor of Armenias Aragatsotn province, Sargis Sahakyan, stated that the constitutional amendments were discussed. The issue on his resignation wasnt touched on, he said.

Minister Davit Harutyunyan, who is also the Chief of the Government Staff, told the journalists that the meeting didnt include much discussion and was mostly composed of the Presidents speech. Harutyunyan declined to elaborate on its content. Nevertheless, he noted that there was no mention about the government coalition.

Another representative of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) stated that the President delivered a speech in which he presented the plans on implementing the constitutional amendments.

The issue of the solidarity and tolerance of political forces was also touched on.

Serzh Sargsyan today received the staff representatives of the countrys legislative, executive and judicial authorities.
YEREVAN. - In his speech, the President of Armenian urged to work better.

Armenias Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan told the aforementioned to the journalists after the meeting of the Armenian officials with President Serzh Sargsyan at the Presidential Palace today.

According to her, Armenian President introduced the measures which are necessary to build a more democratic state.

Responding to the question of Armenian News - NEWS.am correspondent on whether the need for Dashnaktsutyuns potential was mentioned in the context of building such a state, Hakobyan said: No, no names of specific parties were given.

Referring to what dissatisfied the President and the content of the discussion, Hakobyan noted: The President urged to work better. I think we must double our force and enthusiasm. He spoke about the republics internal and external situation openly and precisely, noting that the state officials must work better. We have literate persons by our side, who are mainly the young, so its necessary to find and inspire them.

In Hakobyans words, she attaches importance to the Presidents emphasis that Armenia and the Armenian people are the greatest value, and the rest should proceed from this. The President also stressed the potential of the Diaspora, which must be used correctly. Through the new Constitution, its necessary to take steps to build a fairer, more democratic and free state. And this should concern political, economic, as well as social and cultural areas, Hakobyan said.

To the question of the Armenian News  NEWS.am correspondent on whether she shares the view of ARF that the authorities have lost their good name, Hakobyan said: I think there are both good and bad aspects in the activity of our authorities. And if there are those who lost their good name, they should leave.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan today hosted staff representatives of the countrys legislative, executive and judicial authorities. During the meeting, the President made a speech, which related not to the cooperation with ARF, but to the implementation of the Constitutional amendments.
YEREVAN. - The notion that we cannot live well as long as the Karabakh issue is not resolved or the blockade imposed by Turkey is not lifted is simply unacceptable. Deficiencies in our state governance dont result from that. Deficiencies in our state governance dont result from that.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told the aforementioned today at the meeting with representatives of the legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as regional and local governance bodies.

It is certainly impossible to speak about the situation in Armenia without giving a precise evaluation of the influence of the outer world. However it is necessary to give an exact assessment of the place and the role of the signals coming from without. It is true that our immediate external environment is rough, intricate and very often extremely contradictive; the situation is aggravated by the fact that very often it is also unpredictable.

Besides, Armenia is part of the global economic system which means that we cannot evade tendencies coming from the global market. But it doesnt mean that we have to simply accept the situation. The notion that we cannot live well as long as the Karabakh issue is not resolved or the blockade imposed by Turkey is not lifted is simply unacceptable. Deficiencies in our state governance dont result from that, the President said.

According to him, we all know well the approaches of the Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities. But the thing is that their years-long policy didnt yield the results they yearned to see.

They tried to talk to us from the position of threat, coercion, and force. It is quite unpromising to talk to us that way and this will not produce results, just as it hasnt done so far.

Negotiations on Artsakh issue will continue. Our position is unchanged: the Artsakh issue will be resolved through the free self-determination of the people of Artsakh. All other issues are subordinate to that and will find their logical and fair solution parallel to the resolution of the problem. As long as the main problem remains and as long as the status of Artsakh remains obscure, the problem will not find its solution, he noted.

Referring to the relations with Turkey, Sargsyan said he sees no possibility of progress at the moment.

We have been living in these conditions for 25 years. We have already got used to these conditions and adjusted to them. We do not and will not strap the possibilities for our advancement with these problems.

We should get used to the idea that we dont have real partners to the East from Martakert and Martuni and to the West from Gyumri and Armavir. We have lived without them until now, ensuring more or less our speed of development. Lets imagine that there is nothing but a bottomless and unsurpassable swamp there, the President stressed.

In his words, Armenias relations with Georgia and Iran are developing in good neighborly climate.

Obviously, we have not encountered any problems there. We highly value partnership with these countries, and we will continue to work with Tbilisi and Tehran in the same spirit.

All in all, our foreign policy is predictable and has always been far from adventurism. We have always been ready to develop positive and sincere relations with all based on mutual respect, trust and interests. We have never tried to play on the contradictions of the great powers and important geopolitical centers and have never tried to get cheap and short-lived benefit from their conflicting views.

Now the time has come to make another resolute step on this strong foundation. I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all our diplomatic missions abroad to take up vigorously the task of promoting Armenias economic interests, Sargsyan noted.
BENGALURU: Internet users in India today are more conscious about their online safety, internet giant Google India said on Wednesday as it rolled out several new features and resources designed to protect users online.

Google India released some key interesting search trends of last year that point towards the demand of greater cyber security.

The trends showed that in the past year there have been 20 percent more searches for change password and 97 percent more searches for two-step verification.

Two-step verification requires more than just a password to sign into your Google account, such as a 6-digit code that is sent to your phone for more protection.

Google said that in the past year itself, there have been 591 percent more searches for how to track a lost phone.

So to ramp up the online security, Google is offering initiatives like simplifying security settings to making trustworthy messages easier to spot in Gmail. Google will also be driving multiple initiatives to drive awareness about online safety among Indian Internet users.

With an increase in the number of users coming online and the rise in the penetration of smartphone users in India, we at Google are committed to offering users a safe Internet experience, Sunita Mohanty, director, trust and safety, Google India said in a statement.

We are adding five million new users a month taking the user base of aconnected Indians to 500 millions online by 2018-2019. Its more important now than ever before to ensure the data and profiles of these users is safe online, Mohanty added.

While supporting Safer Internet Day, Google is also offering its users 2 GB of extra Google Drive storage on completion of the security check-up by February 11.

Read Also: Facebook Developing Novel Technology for Better Internet.Org Access

Indian Smartphone Market May See Dip in Sales: Survey
Continuing his deposition for the fifth day via videoconference before Special TADA Court Judge G.A. Sanap, Headley told Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that he has carried out a surveillance and also videographed the BARC headquarters in Mumbai.

"The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) wanted to recruit the BARC staffers for future; to get classified information from them," Headley, 56 said from a US jail where he is undergoing a 35-year sentence.

He had handed over the videos to his main contact in LeT Sajid Mir and ISI's Major Iqbal and also carried out surveillance of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station.

--Indo-Asian News Service qn/rd

( 159 Words)

2016-02-12-10:25:33 (IANS)
Dawn reported that the working group of 17 countries meeting agreed 'to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time'.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed 'to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately'.

'Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas,' added Kerry.

He also said peace talks between rebels and the Syrian government would resume in Geneva 'as soon as possible'.

They were derailed earlier this month as the regime began bombarding the key rebel city of Aleppo with support from Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, triggering an exodus of over 50,000 refugees.(ANI)
Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said it is necessary to strengthen collaboration among the main economic powers, in the wake of the latest shake-up in currency markets as well as the main stock exchanges across the world, EFE news reported.

Aso said Japan would like such cooperation policies to be examined in the meeting of the upcoming G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, scheduled to take place from February 26-27 in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the US dollar, which was being traded in Tokyo in the range of 112 yen when markets opened, fell to 110.99 yen on Thursday, a 15-month low.

"Sudden foreign exchange moves are undesirable," said Aso at a press conference that followed a morning meeting of the Japanese Cabinet.

The surge in the yen is harming Japanese exports, which take advantage of the weak local currency to strengthen share purchase, and instilling risk aversion among Tokyo investors, a trend spreading globally in the wake of collapsing markets.

--Indo-Asian News Service ksk/vt

( 196 Words)

2016-02-12-13:57:34 (IANS)
Engineers India Limited (EIL) has been appointed as the consultant for the mega refinery proposed to be set up in Maharashtra, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday. "EIL is the consultant, this is the arrangement today. Let us see how things are moving," he said on the sidelines of the 150th foundation day celebrations of diversified public sector company Balmer Lawrie here. The minister said the refinery, planned to be set up in the western coast in Maharashtra, is to be executed by the BPCL, IOCL and the HPCL. "We had a very successful discussion with the Maharastra government. The construction of the much awaited mega refinery will be started soon. "Project of this size, requires 15,000 acres of land with 33 percent of green cover. It is up to the Maharashtra government, where they will provide land," said Pradhan, also noting the project will require fiscal concession from the respective state and it is too early to spell outs its size and investment. --Indo-Asian News Service cor/and/vd ( 183 Words) 2016-02-12-20:37:36 (IANS)
Hitting back at former prime minister Manmohan Singh over his criticism of Narendra Modi governments' economic policies, the BJP said on Friday that the problems are his gift to the nation. "He rightly identifies a lot of issues Indian economy is facing. These problems are his gift to the nation. He himself admits that when they were in power, people complained of tax terrorism. Can he tell us if he addressed this problem?" the ruling party said here in a statement. "But we believe in solutions and not problems, and are solving all legacy problems left by UPA," it added. Manmohan Singh, in an interview, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party government for its economic policies, saying it has not been able to benefit from falling oil prices and "fortuitous circumstances" to boost the rate of investment in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party also hit out at Singh for being critical of the Modi government. "We are absolutely delighted with the fact that Manmohan Singh has finally found his voice in the Modi regime. We welcome him to a free India where everyone can speak what he thinks unlike the India when even he as the PM was denied his free speech," the party said. "When he was the PM his silence and inability to act against corruption hurt India's image internationally and put citizens trust in the Government at an all time low," it added. The BJP also accused Manmohan Singh of batting only for one family rather to the nation. "Perhaps he hasn't been following the news properly enough and so gives the rich advice that the PM belongs to the entire nation. 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and India First are our government's guiding mantra. He conveniently forgets that he was a PM who batted only for one family," the party said. --Indo-Asian News Service bns/vd ( 321 Words) 2016-02-12-23:29:33 (IANS)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today sought an apology from political parties which were trying to politicise 'the encounter killing of Ishrat Jahan' as part of their 'hate politics against Modi.'Addressing the conclusion of Vimochana Yathra, taken out by Kerala BJP President Kummanam Rajasekharan here, Rajnath Singh alleged that opposition parties were trying to fool the people by propagating false allegations.The Minister was reacting to David Headly's deposition before a court that Ishrat Jahan was a LeT suicide bomber. The continuous propaganda against the BJP leaders by certain political parties had created doubt among the people. Will these parties now apologise to the nation for trying to fool the people, he asked.On the current political tie up between the CPM and the Congress in West Bengal in connection with the upcoming Assembly elections, he alleged that both the Congress and the CPM, fighting each other in Kerala, are engaged in a ring exchange in West Bengal to face the next elections jointly.UNI DS SHS RJ 2321 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-586043.Xml
The body of Siachen survivor Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, the Indian Army soldier, who was rescued alive after being buried for five days under an avalanche on Saichen Glacier, but died in a hospital in Delhi today, was brought here tonight.The brave soldier had survived the avalanche for five days, despite being buried 25 feet below the thick sheet of ice in sub-zero temperature conditions. But, he succumbed, following multiple organ failure at the Army's RR Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.Mr Koppad was among nine other soldiers, who met with an icy grave when their camp was razed down by a deadly avalanche on February 3. The rescue team, however, found Koppad alive and he was rushed to Delhi three days ago.A pall of gloom descended on Betadur in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district, the native place of Mr Koppad, after the news of the soldiers' death came out.The body was flown in a special aircraft, which arrived here at about 2215 hrs today.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and several Ministers of Karnataka Cabinet had already reached this north Karnataka city to receive the body and paid their last respects.The body will be kept for public viewing in the city tomorrow and at around 1300 hrs, the burial, with full state honours, will take place at Betadur village, district officials said.About six members of Mr Koppad's family, who had emplaned to Delhi to see the soldier in the hospital, also returned in the same aircraft.Several political leaders, including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar visited the small village located off Hubballi-Laxmeshwar State Highway.Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Rajendra Cholan and Superintendent of Police Dharmendrakumar Meena visited the village to oversee the preparations for the state funeral, to be accorded to the martyr.UNI RS SHS RJ 2316 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-586088.Xml
After facing a surprisingly painful defeat in Pune, the Indian team would look to keep the three-match series alive when they will take on Sri Lanka in the second T20 here today. India, who are termed as favourites for the upcoming World T20, did not start the series as they would have thought. The hosts were taken aback by the bounce and pace on the Pune pitch. Ranchi, which is hosting its first ever T20 international, should offer them some respite although there are some other concerns here as well. India may opt to give left-arm spinning all-rounder Pawan Negi a debut, and assess him ahead of the Asia Cup and World T20. Hardik Pandya, who managed only two runs in his first outing with the bat in addition to going wicket-less, in Pune, is likely to miss out. For the visitors, the series acts as an indicator to pick their World T20 squad and two names that stood out in the first game - pacer Kasun Rajitha and allrounder DasunShanaka - will no doubt be watched closely. Earlier, Sri Lankan seamers produced a stupendous performance on a green-tinged surface before batsmen steered their side to a comfortable five-wicket win over India in the opening Twenty20 international on Tuesday. A second-string Sri Lankan side chased down India's 102-run target after losing five wickets and with two overs remaining as stand-in skipper Dinesh Chandimal top scored with run-a-ball 35. (ANI)
Amid the furore over an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asserted that strict action will be taken against the demonstrators and said that 'anti-national' elements will not be tolerated. "When someone is in the country and raises anti-national statements, raising questions on India's unity, diversity and sovereignty then they won't be forgiven. What happened in JNU was unfortunate and for that, I have already given the necessary instructions to the Delhi Police Commissioner," Rajnath told ANI. Promising firm action against the demonstrators, he reiterated that anti-national statements cannot be forgiven. "You can't raise anti-national statements while you stay in India," he added. Earlier, the Delhi Police registered a case of sedition against the JNU students who had agitated against the hanging of Guru following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maheish Girri and RSS's student front Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad. Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national". (ANI)
Life returned to normal after remaining crippled due to general strike on the 32nd death anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhatyesterday. Shops and business establishments reopened today and traffic was plying on all routes normally. Life was also normal in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas, Lal Chowk, Maisuma, where restrictions had been imposed to prevent any law and order problem.Work in government offices, banks and other institutions also resumed. Reports of normalcy were also received from other parts of the Kashmir valley with shops and business establishments and traffic functioning normally.Bhat was hanged and later buried in Delhis Tihar jail in 1984.UNI BAS SB 1038 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-586270.Xml
Here is what Headley has said on the fifth day of his deposition:

1. Major Iqbal said that I should in future recruit the people from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for the ISI who would collect classified information.

2. Headley admitted that he visited and made a video of BARC and then handed it over to Major Iqbal and Sajid Mir.

3. Major Iqbal asked me to survey the Naval Air Station in Mumbai, which I did and then discussed about it with LeT operatives.

4. In July 2008, I visited Chabad House (Nariman House) in Mumbai, made a video of the premises as I knew that it was Jewish community centre.

5. I also discouraged LeT from attacking the Naval Air Station and Siddhivinayak Temple as I observed that both are heavily guarded.

6. I wanted to access the Shiv Sena Bhavan in case the LeT is interested in attacking the building in future.

7. I met Rajaram Rege at the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar (Mumbai) because I was interested in accessing the building.

8. I met Rahul Bhatt during a body-building competition through a person named Vilas. Vilas was the in-charge of Moksha Gym. (ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday hit back at the Opposition for targeting the ruling dispensation post David Headley's claim on Ishrat Jahan, saying the so called nationalist parties should construct the idols of terrorists in their party offices and offer prayers in front of them. "The political parties, who love such terrorists, should construct their idols in their party offices and offer prayers in front of them every day," BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI. "It is only these people, who call India an intolerant nation. It is only these people, who are calling fidayeen Ishrat Jahan a martyr and also called Afzal Guru a great figure," he added. He also said that the Opposition, which is targeting the BJP, should be asked to put forth their views on tolerance and intolerance. "Tolerance is not hailing the terrorists and calling the nationalists as anti-national. The entire sequence of events is extremely unfortunate," Naqvi said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had yesterday sought an apology from the opposition parties for levelling false allegations against the BJP. "You must have heard what David Headley has just said in the court that Ishrat Jahan was a suicide bomber. Ishrat Jahan regarding whom many accusations were levelled against our leader. Tell me, will the accusing political parties now apologise to the nation for trying to fool the people?" he said while addressing a rally in Trivandrum. Ishrat's lawyer Vrinda Grover had yesterday said that Headley's version was not an evidence as per the Indian law as he was given a 'multiple choice question' by a 'Padma Shri' lawyer Ujjwal Nikam. Ishrat's mother Shamima Kausar had also expressed her disappointment over Headley's claim. "I feel there is a conspiracy to defame my daughter in order to save someone. Who would know it better than a mother that how good her daughter was? My daughter was a very nice and kind person, and could not kill anyone," Kausar told ANI. "It's a conspiracy to defame my daughter, who was killed in a fake encounter. She was murdered," she added. (ANI)
Airport security personnel seized as many as 11,200 tablets of thebanned narcotic substance Alprazolam,valued at Rs 1 crore, from a passenger from Sivaganga District in Tamil Nadu when he was about to board an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysiaearly this morning. The passenger, Liyakhat Ali, aged 35, hailed from Illayankudi village in the aforesaid districtand was acting as a courier taking the narcotic substance to some unidentified smgulers in the Malaysian capital, airport police said. T The security staff, while checking Liyakhat Ali's hand baggage, found it unusual that he was carrying so many tablets. When quetioned, he informed them that they were ordinary tablets to treat fever and headache. He also told them tensly that he had been carrying the tablets regularly and customs officials had been clearing them. Not convinced with his explanation, the security staff took him to Customs officials, who identifiedthem as the narcotic tablets which the Indian government had banned since 1985. The customsofficials then asked the security staff to hand Liyakhat over to Narcotics Control Bureau officialsin Chennai city.UNI XR-VV RSS1121 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-586377.Xml
Dharm Jagran Manch and Bhoj Utsav Samiti had demanded permission for performing uninterrupted dawn to dusk puja inside the premises.

However, the district administration, in pursuance of the Archaeological Survey of Indias directives -- had earmarked the period from dawn to noon for the puja, from 1300-1500 hrs for namaz and for re-starting puja from 1530 hrs for being continued till sunset.

Since both sides failed to reach a consensus, puja was started at a temple outside the Bhojshala premises at 0930 hrs. Puja material arrived for puja at the shrine at around 0700 hrs.

Meanwhile, Hindu organisations alleged that the district administration allowed dummy devotees to conduct puja inside the premises. On the other hand, the district administration appealed to people offering puja outside Bhojshala for maintaining peace.

Additional Director General of Police Vipin Maheshwari said tight security arrangements are in place at Bhojshala. Nearly 650 police personnel including personnel from Rapid Action Force and Special Armed Force are deployed in and around the premises.

The Bhojshala is under the Archaeological Survey of Indias control. The issue heated up during Congress tenure more than a decade back. As per subsequent central directives, puja is conducted every Tuesday and namaz offered each Friday. Besides, Hindus conduct puja at the premises on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

However, additional efforts are required to maintain law and order when Basant Panchami and Friday namaz coincide. Prohibitory orders are in force for the past two months in areas surrounding the monument.UNI XC-PS SB GC1155

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said that the government was focusing on creating a pool of skilled workforce of young professionals. Addressing the impressive closing ceremony of the year long Golden Jubilee celebration of Shillong Polytechnic here yesterday, he said the government was re-strategizing its investment policy for development of skilled workforce. The Chief Minister also stressed the need for opening up more courses of study at higher secondary level to be able to the needs of the students as the state has been able cater to minimize dropout at the secondary level. "We should not be caught unaware by the challenges if we have more and more students coming for higher studies, he said. Stating that the Shillong Polytechnic would be upgraded to a new Degree Engineering College beginning this academic year, the Chief Minister said piggy riding on the existing resources that the Institute can be turned to a centre of excellence for the young generation of aspiring professionals. The Chief Minister, along with other dignitaries also released the souvenir of the Institute that was brought out on the occasion. Acknowledging the services rendered by the Institute to the students of the state in the past 50 years, Dr Sangma said it was now time to work harder and set a new benchmark higher than seen in the past to enable the young generation to realize their dreams as their dreams are higher than the past generations. Home Minister Roshan Warjri in her address highlighted on the importance of the Institute with ever growing generations depending on technologies. Stating the employability factor largely depends on the development of skills, she said that Polytechnic acts as a bridge for those who cannot have access to technologies and cannot afford to go to engineering colleges. Although Shillong Polytechnic had made a humble beginning it has made giant leaps, she said, lauding the dedicated team of faculty for focusing on modern methods of practical learning. The Shillong Polytechnic is a premier government technical institute in the State established in October, 1965 under the composite State of Assam. UNI RRK SB GC1150 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-586317.Xml
An American prince in 1830s Afghanistan, the notorious but unlikely double agents of the Second World War and the Cold War, a corpse that deceived the Nazis, a famous German philosopher's sister trying to set up a colony in 19th century South America - it is some extraordinary, history-changing stories that Ben Macintyre has brought into limelight, from his penchant for "complex characters". "I am attracted to double, different characters... complex characters... of some unlikely people in unexpected settings," the British historian, columnist and author told IANS in an interview. Macintyre, who was here for the Jaipur Literature Festival, has 10 books to his credit including a biography of Ian Fleming and his famous spy character, while his latest is on double spy 'Kim' Philby. His debut "Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche" (1992) is the story of Friedrich Nietzsche's sister and her failed bid to set up a "racially pure" (and vegetarian!) German colony in Paraguay in the 1880s. It then goes on to tell how, once back home, she entwined her own theories on race and nationalism to create a distorted version of his philosophy - snapped up by Hitler and the Nazis to their own ends. Macintyre confesses he was drawn to this topic by the motif of "unlikely people, with a rich vein of eccentricity, who willingly transplant themselves into a completely new culture". After "The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth" (1997) and "A Foreign Field" (2001), about four British soldiers, who cut off behind enemy lines in France during World War I, lived in a village for over an year before being betrayed and shot as spies, he returned to this theme of "transplanted" people. "The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan" (2004) is the story of Quaker Josiah Harlan (1799-1871), who reached British India and became an army surgeon, served Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then found himself in Afghanistan, where he became the prince of Ghor and raised the American flag on the Hindukush range during an expedition. Macintyre says he came across Harlan's name in a historical piece on Afghanistan following the American invasion in wake of 9/11 and intrigued, dug into research including reading his memoirs which are unpublished and "possibly unread". "Harlan was an extraordinary, complicated figure. He was not an obvious hero... was a very tricky and difficult man," he said of the American who eventually went back home and died in penury. Equally engrossing is Macintyre's trilogy of World War II deception operations. "Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman" (2007) is about a British conman captured by Germans and agreeing to work for them but supplying disinformation to his handlers, even in face-to-face encounters. "Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II" (2010) is about how a varied cast including an eccentric RAF officer, a gifted Jewish barrister, a famous forensic pathologist, a gold prospector, a beautiful secret service secretary, a submariner, three novelists, a transvestite English spymaster, an irascible admiral, and a dead Welsh tramp - who framed a plan that convinced Germans that the Allies were poised to invade Greece, not Sicily in 1943. "Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies" (2012), which deluded Germans on the Normandy landings, has an equally strange cast - a bisexual Peruvian playgirl, a Polish fighter pilot, a Serbian seducer, a wildly imaginative Spaniard, and a hysterical Frenchwoman. Macintyre said that while there have been several books on these operations, most were "propaganda" written post-war and not based on documented evidence but he benefitted from declassified archival material. "It was a huge amount and full of details... very interesting," he said. "A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal" (2014) is on the British spy who long worked for the Russians. "Philby was complete double character... nobody does it better. He was the spy in the enemy camp who ended up running it, but always remained an enigma. His motives are still unclear," he said. Noting Philby figures in several novels, Macintyre says his life was so extraordinary that "you don't need to make fiction of it". "If it (his life) was presented as fiction, no one would believe it," he said. (Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in) --Indo-Asian News Service vd/pm/tb ( 740 Words) 2016-02-12-12:49:33 (IANS)
The Nation paid rich tributes toSiachen Hero Hanumanthappa Koppad who survived a deadly Siachenavalanche for five days but died in a Army hospital in Delhi yesterday. He was among 10 Indian army soldiers belonging to Madras regimentwho were buried alive in the avalanche that pushed a 25-30 sheet ofrock hard snow on their camp at the highest battlefield in the world. The Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah, who stayedovernight in the city, received the body Koppad which was flown inby a special aircraft. He was present at Hubballi Airport last nightat 10 pm paid homage to the departed soul of brave soldierHanumantappa Koppad and laid wreathes on his body. Talking to newsmen on this occasion he said that the Governmentwill pay his family Rs.25 lakh as compensation and would provide ajob for his wife. He also stated that the demise of the soldier hasbeen a great loss to the nation and the state. We have lost onebrave soldier. He has sacrificed his life for the sake of thenation. HG has ever been a model to others. He should have survivedto serve the nation for many more years. He also said that the other two soldiers from Karnataka who losttheir lives in Siachen will also be given due compensation. There were hundreds of people in the airport when the mortalremains of Hanumantappa Koppad arrived at the Hubballi airport.Almost all people who were preset were in tears. There was eeriecalm in the airport. They only wished that he should be reborn toserve the nation. All were in praise for his dedication to the nation.MORE UNI XR/RS VV RSS1200 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-586347.Xml
On a tip-off, Sagar-resident Shailendra Rai (23), who used to stay here and work in a tea-stall, and city-native Awadh Narayan (52), who owns a betel shop, were arrested along with a bag and a sack containing the contraband last evening.

The duo used to procure cannabis from wholesaler Arjun Sahu. Both were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Meanwhile, Arjun is absconding. UNI PS SW VN1327

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Terms and conditions of the Agreement will be firmed up through technical level discussions between the two central banks.

The MoU to this effect was signed by Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan on behalf of the Reserve Bank and Governor H E Mubarak Rashed Al Mansoori on behalf of the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates atthe Reserve Bank headquarters in Mumbai, a RBI release said.

The proposed agreement will further strengthen the close economic relationship and cooperation between India and the United Arab Emirates.UNI JS RB HK1349

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Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today asked if the Centre can waive off the bad debts of the corporate worth Rs 1.14 lakh crores why cant it similarly waive off the loans of poor farmers which in no way amount to as much. Capt Singh while addressing farmers of Malwa region at the Programme Pagri Sambaal Kisana organised by Jat Maha Sabha wondered why the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was not taking up the case with his friendly government at the centre in which his daughter-in-law was a minister. He was interacting with the farmers drawn from different parts of Malwa region at a programme, Pagri Sambaal Kisana, organised by the Punjab Jat Maha Sabha. Capt Singh referred to the reported move of the Centre whereby it planned to waive off the bad debts to the tune of Rs 1.14 lakh crores owed by the corporate across the country. He asked why cant similar relief be provided to the farmers whose loans are far less and who are not willful defaulters either. The former Chief Minister pointed out, how the farmers were resorting to suicides over their inability to repay their loans which in most of the cases are just about a few lakhs only. He asked the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to pursue the case with the central government. Referring to a recent suicide committed by a farmer in front of a judge, Capt Amarinder promised that when Congress will form the government in the state he will ensure that the farmers are never driven to such distress and desperate moves. He said, during his previous tenure as Chief Minister between 2002 and 2007 he had ensured that no farmers land was attached by the banks for not being able to repay their loans. He said, similar measures will be taken after 2017 also and no farmers land will be allowed to be auctioned over repayment defaults. The PCC president strongly opposed the proposed move of the BJP government at the centre at the behest of Sukhbir Badal to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act, thereby stripping the Sehajdhari Sikhs of their voting rights in the SGPC elections. He said, this amounted to circumventing the judicial process since the case was pending in the Supreme Court of India. He said, the Badals were making the BJP to do all this to retain their control over the SGPC and Akal Takhat. He made a strong case for voting rights to the Sehajdhari Sikhs, saying anybody born to the Sikh parents and observing Sikh faith must have the voting rights in SGPC elections. Capt Singh cautioned people, particularly the youth, against being misled by the Aam Aadmi Party which was trying to sell false dreams to them. He pointed out, Delhi Chief Minister who was claiming himself to be a common man had increased his salary by 400 per cent. Kejriwal is drawing double the salary than President of India, he said, adding, if you want to see what AAP is up to and capable of just go to Delhi. He stressed that Punjab needed an experienced and competent government so that the state is retrieved from the financial mess the Badals have pushed it into during the last ten years. Beware, this is our last chance and if we miss it, Punjab will never be able to recover, he cautioned people. Among others present on the occasion included MLAs Joginder Singh Panjgrain, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Karan Kaur Brar, Kikki Dhillon, Darshan Brar, Harpal Singh and others.UNI XC SB CS1449 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-586519.Xml
"What is happening in JNU? Police on campus, arrests and picking up students from hostels. This had last happened during Emergency," Yechury said in a tweet.

The JNU Students' Union also lashed out at the Centre for ordering the arrest of its president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The students' faction accused the government of deliberately targeting ideological opponents. They have also accused the government of attempting to push the leftist students to take the extreme step, similar to the one taken by Hyderabad University's scholar Rohith Vemula.

"Police are doing rounds of the campus and mindlessly witch-hunting activists. They want to witch-hunt and target us, like they targeted Rohith Vemula. They want us to hang ourselves like Rohith did. But we want to remind them, every dead Rohith will further intensify the students' movement and people's unity," said JNU Students' Union vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora.

Shora claimed that the JNU Students' Union was not responsible for organizing the anti-India protests.

"We stopped these slogans that called for India's division and destruction because we don't believe in politics of division," he added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has demanded strict action against the students involved in the commemoration event of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Friday gave six weeks time to the Sabarimala temple board in Kerala to reply on why women would not be allowed inside the shrine. The matter was adjourned after the temple management asked for six weeks time to collect all materials and file a response. During the hearing, the apex court observed that discrimination against women would be examined under constitutional provisions, adding that emotional arguments were not permissible. Justice Deepak Mishra while referring to Lord Krishna observed that he is a superior philosophical entity and is present in every men and women, and thus, there should be no discrimination. "He is everywhere in everyone, men and women. So, why there should be gender discrimination in the premises of the temple?" he said. The apex court then appointed senior advocate Raju Ramachandran as amicus curiae in the matter. The Kerala Government had earlier this month told the Supreme Court that banning entry of women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala temple is a 'matter of religion' and it is duty bound to 'protect the right to practice the religion of these devotees'. In an affidavit, the state government said the administration of the temple vests with the Travancore Devaswom Board and the decision of the priests stand final in the matter of worship. The affidavit was filed on a PIL by the association, seeking entry for all women and girls in the Sabarimala temple which, as a practice, does not allow girls after attaining puberty to enter the premises. However, the women, who have crossed menopause, are allowed. (ANI)
The mortal remains of Martyr LanceNaik Hanumanthappa Koppad was laid to rest today with full Statehonours amid thousands of people paying a tearful adieu to theIndian Army soldier, who survived a torris Saichen avalanche butdied in a Delhi Hopsital yesterday. The home village Betadur was prepared for the worst, even as thebody of the martyr was shifted from Delhi yesterday night andbrought in a procession late this morning. After the body was kept at Nehru Maidan in Hubballi city in themorning, with tens of thousands of people paying the homage, it wasbrought in a procession to the village in a vehicular convoy and thebody was kept for a brief while at the Secondary school grounds inthe village. The Siachen Hero was accorded a welcome by the villagers even asthe army and district administation had prepared for the last rites. The rituals were performed as per Lingayat community by Villagepriest Eraiah Hiremath before the body, carried by Maratha RegimentSoldiers, downed it in a specially dug pit after removing thenational tri colour and a contingent fired in the air. Mr Koppad, who survived after February 3 avalanche at Siachen,breathed last yesterday at R R Hospital Delhi. In the avalanche nineother soldiers of the Madras Regiment also lost their lives in thehighest battle field which they were on duty to protect the countryfrom enemies. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who received the body atHubballi airport last night, along with several of his Cabinetcolleagues, including Ministers H K Patil, Vinaya Kulakarni, todayvisited the bereaved family members at Betadur. Union Minister Ananth Kumar, Opposition leader in the KarnatakaLegislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar, Lok Sabha member and BJPState President Prahalad Joshi were among the thousands of peoplepaid tributes to the departed soul at Neharu Maidan, Hubballi whereit was kept in the morning till 1000 hrs for public view. Butpeople thronged to the village and witnessed the end of theirSaichen Hero's final journey in this world. With strong determination to live and serve the country, Mr Koppadsurvived for six days under rock hard snow before he was rescued bya team of colleagues of Indian Army and its dog squad under testingconditions of minus 55 degree celsius prevailing in the area. However, sufferring from multiple organ failure, the Siachenhero he breathed last yesterday despite Army Doctors trying their best to revieve him.UNI XR-MSP RS KVV AK1605 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-586922.Xml
Irshad was arrested from the Mamun cantonment on the charge of spying to Pakistan and booked under the Official Secrets Act recently. During his interrogation it was came to light that Sandeep also have links with Irshad through a social website.

According to information Pathankot police with the assistance of Moga police conducted raid and rounded up Sandeep Singh. Police took Sandeep to Pathankot for further interrogation and also informed the National Investiagtion Agencey (NIA) about it.

However, the family of Sandeep Singh said they had no information of their sons links with the Pakistani spy.UNI XC DB PS RSA VN1611

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:Telangana Chief minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao metPrime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today and discussed various issues concerning the state. Mr Rao,during his discussions with Mr.Modi, sought special central funds for the state and implementation of promises made in the State Reorganisation Act,2014, official sources said here. Mr.Modi will lay the foundation stone for Telangana Super Thermal Power Station at Ramagundam in Karimnagar district next month.The power plant was being set by the NTPC, as part of implementation of a promise in the Act to create an additional capacity of 4,000 MW for the state. During his Delhi stay, Mr.Rao will also meet Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the latter to seek steps to speed up bifurcation the High Court. The Chief Minister would return to the city on Sunday night. UNI SMS KVV AK 1755 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-586766.Xml
The government employees were on strike for the lastthree days to press their 15-point charter of demandsthat included scrapping of the contributory pension scheme and reverting back to the old pension scheme and filling up of vacancies.

In a statement here, he said the strike by the government employees at this juncture would not serve any purpose.

Claiming that a mere few weeks were left for thepresent regime (as the assembly elections were duein May this year), Mr Karunanidhi said the agitatorsshould ponder over the alleged vindictive and autocratic attitude of the government and withdrawtheir stir keeping the interests of their familiesin mind.

''It is my duty to inform you (the agitatinggovernment employees) that the ripe time will comeand appealed to them to wait for that moment''he added.UNI GV KVV AK 1720

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Himachal Pradesh government today decided to built Parshuram or Brahmin Bhawan in every district of the state for the welfare and needs of this community. A decision to this effect was taken in second state level Brahmin Welfare Board meeting presided by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here. The Chief Minister assured to consider setting up libraries having rare books pertaining to Karamkand or daily rituals in the famous temples being run by the trusts in the state. Taking up the issue of temple lands occupied by the occupancy tenants, Mr Singh issued instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners to identify such temples where the Sewadaars or occupancy tenants had become the owners of the temple property and had neglected the temples. He said the government had set up the revolving fund to run such temples which had remained ignored. There was a time when in exchange of service in temples, a piece of land was given to the tenants to manage their livelihood but with a passage of time they became the owners of the land and ignored the daily rituals, he added. He exhorted the Brahmins and others to come forward for construction and running of Gau-Sadans, though the government would also extend support to them. It is a matter of grave concern that the impression of tagged cows was also being removed or mutilated in one way or other by those who desert them to feed on their own. It was the need of the hour to change the mindset of the people and the Brahmin community can contribute a lot in this direction. He said that strict action would be taken against those who were involved in killing of cows in Chamba.UNI ML DB RSA VN1734 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-587043.Xml
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be on a six-day official visit to India, beginning from February 19, making his first visit abroad after assuming office. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said during his stay, the visiting Prime Minister will lead the Nepalese delegation in the bilateral talks on February 20. He said the wide range of discussion will take place between the sides on the issues of mutual interests. Mr Oli's visit to India is taking place in the backdrop of violent agitation in the Himalayan nation, in the aftermath of adoption of the new constitution, which left a large community of Madhesis angered. The widespread protest by the agitators resulted in a situation of blockade of essential supplies to the land-lock Nepal from India, creating a crisis of fuel and food in the country, which was still battling the havoc of earthquake. UNI MK RJ RSA 1852 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-587363.Xml
Favouring strong action against those celebrating the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Congress, today charged the NDA government at the Centre with branding the entire University as 'anti-national'.''Those responsible for anti-national slogans and activity in the University should be punished. However, it is wrong to brand the entire varsity as 'anti-national,' based on just one incident.''You cannot do in the JNU, what you did in Hyderabad,'' AICC Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.Criticising the large scale search operations being carried out by Delhi Police in the JNU after the incident, Dr Singhvi said, ''In the last 24 to 48 hours, the entire University has been painted anti-national. To carry out massive search operations and create a military atmosphere is wrong. It is nothing, but an example of 'intolerance'.''Terming the police action in JNU as an attempt to curb the voice of students, Dr Singhvi said, ''You cannot brand an entire institution anti-national just because the complainant is ABVP. Such an action coming after happenings in Hyderabad is unfortunate.''Police today arrested JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar for the February 9 incident of commemoration of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru. Police is also carrying out search operations in the varsity campus.Earlier, talking to reporters, AICC Media In-charge Randeep Surjewala, condemning the celebration of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru in the University, however, said that branding the entire institution anti-national was not correct.''Debate and discussion is essence of our democracy, but it can't be hijacked by anti-India sentiments, whether on University campus or outside. Take action against those guilty. But isn't the BJP using the Delhi Police for it's anti-JNU tirade? We are proud of JNU. Stop branding it as anti-national.''He said the massive police action in JNU was a continuation of NDA's attempts to curb the voice of students, after the happenings in FTII, IIT Madras and Hyderabad University .''FTII, IIT Madras, Hyderabad University and now the JNU. It proves that BJP is curbing students' voice. Is police action in JNU a desperate attempt to perpetuate it ? '' Mr Surjewala sasked.UNI AR RJ RSA 1908 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-587429.Xml
The third Science City of the country will be developed by Haryana Government over an area of 44 acres in the campus of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, in that district of Sonepat. This was stated by Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar who was speaking at a programme organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology at Murthal today. The Chief Minister said that the development of this Science City, which would be the first of its kind in Haryana, would boost tourism and provide new opportunities for scientific discoveries to students. The two other Science Cities have been established at Kolkata in West Bengal and Kapurthala in Punjab. He also said that a horticulture university was being established in Karnal, which would usher in a new revolution in the field of agriculture. He said that centres of this university would be opened in Jhajjar, Jind and Naraingarh. Apart from this, the centre at Bawal would again be made functional. He said that with the establishment of International Terminal Market for fruits and vegetables over an area of 600 acres at Ganaur in district Sonepat, farmers in the surrounding areas would get a bigger market than the Azadpur Mandi. Mr Khattar said that the State Government has decided to provide skill development training to the wards of farmers. A Skill Development University in Faridabad has been proposed for this purpose.MORE UNI NC CJ RSA NS1935 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-587146.Xml
Damdami Taksal chief and Sant Samaj President Harnam Singh Khalsa today issued stern warning to AAP leadership and other political leaders for dragging the name of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in their petty political gains being fought for their power lust. Mr Khalsa said that any statement issued against Bhindranwale will not be tolerated and they should remain prepared to face the wrath of sangat. In a statement here, the Damdami Taksal chief said that before issuing any statement against Bhindranwale, AAP leadership and others should also know about the religious history of Damdami Taksal that was founded on the principles enshrined by Guru Gobind Singh and the first chief of the organisation Baba Deep Singh. He said that Bhindranwale was 14th descendant of this holy seat, who struggled a lot for protecting the principles of Sikhism besides interests of Punjab and laid down his life protecting the Sri Harimandir Sahib. The Sikh community bestowed upon Bhindranwale honour of great sikh martyr of 20th century from Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Mr Khalsa said that if a political party vigorously takes up issues and interests of Punjab and Sikh Raj, they are wholeheartedly welcome in the state but a party like AAP has no concern such serious issues of state and Sikh community. He said that AAP was trying to garner public support through misleading propaganda just for petty political gains. He urged the Sikh community to watch over the conspiracies being hatched by the AAP and said that the party was trying to destablise the hard-earned peace of the state through instigating statements. Mr Khalsa said that earlier AAP was confined to defaming Bhindranwale and spread wrong words about him. He said that now the same party was not leaving any stone unturned to rake up issues related to Sikh community to popular sentiments in favour of Bhindranwale. He strictly warned that any party issuing anti-Bhindranwale statement will not be tolerated. The Damdami Taksal also asked AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to clear his stand on his visit to Nirankari Bhawan. He also urged the community to beware about the deliberate attempts of AAP against the Sikh community.UNI DB CJ RSA NS1902 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-587354.Xml
"This would be Mr. Oli's first foreign visit after assuming office. Prime Minister Oli will meet Prime Minister Modi and call on President Pranab Mukherjee on February 20, 2016," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

During the visit, the two sides are expected to hold discussions on issues of mutual concern, as well as on our bilateral cooperation in diverse areas - developmental assistance, energy and connectivity.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. (ANI)
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be on a six-day official visit to India, beginning from February 19, it was announced here today.Mr Oli will be making his first visit abroad after assuming office.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said during his stay, the visiting Prime Minister will lead the Nepalese delegation in the bilateral talks on February 20. He said a wide range of discussions will take place between the two sides on issues of mutual interest. Mr Oli's visit to India is taking place in the backdrop of violent agitation in the Himalayan nation, in the aftermath of adoption of the new constitution, which left a large community of Madhesis angered. The widespread protest by the agitators resulted in a situation of blockade of essential supplies to the land-locked Nepal from India, creating a crisis of fuel and food in the country, which was still battling the havoc of earthquake.In Kathmandu, a meeting of the Nepalese Council of Ministers yesterday discussed Mr Oli's visit and approved it, according to Government Spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai.Officials at the Foreign Ministry in Kathmandu said the Nepalese Prime Minister will meet his Indian counterpart on February 20.As part of the preparations for the visit, Nepal Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel and Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi travelled to New Delhi early this week and met key Ministers to discuss a range of bilateral issues.UNI MK RJ RSA RP1915 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0104-587651.Xml
The annual Worang festival of the Ollos of Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh was celebrated today at Lazu, bordering Myanmar, with great enthusiasm and gaiety. While addressing the huge gathering of festival revelers, Khonsa West MLA Tirong Aboh said festivals fostered love, peace, happiness and joy, adding politics had no role to play during festivals. Mr Aboh appealed to the people to guard their rich legacies handed down to them by their ancestors. He also urged the villagers to shun opium cultivation and addiction, and suggested that opium cultivation which was illegal should be replaced by cash crops like large cardamom. He asked the youth to engage in agriculture and horticulture activities for sustainable and permanent economic stability. Speaking on the occasion, Tirap ZPC Chawang Lowang urged the people to preserve their rich traditional culture for posterity. He said culture and religion were two different entities and must not be allowed to clash. He further said no celebration would surpass Worang for the Ollos in terms of importance, grandeur and significance. Earlier, the Worang celebration committee secretary Jenlong Rantu threw light on the significance of Worang festival. Attractive folk dance performances by the artists from various villages including Hachik village from Myanmar, electrifying performance by K for Kekho and community feast marked the day-long celebration.The MLA appreciated the dancers from Hachik in Myanmar for their wonderful cultural presentation and in appreciation, he distributed 300 blankets as Worang gift to the people and dance troupes of different villages.UNI XC AD SHS RJ NS2051 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-587652.Xml
Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said the global terror network Al Qaeda wanted to attack Indias National Defence College in New Delhi as he also revealed a medley of Lashkar-e-Taiba plans to strike terror in the country. Headley, who has been testifying through video-conferencing since Monday before a special court in Mumbai for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, claimed that Al Qaeda considered the defence college as "a good, high-value target with many senior military officers". He said he visited the college campus casually for a survey in 2007 at the instance of Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri. In his ongoing deposition before Special TADA Judge G.A. Sanap, Headley revealed how the Lashkar nefariously planned to eliminate Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray. Headley, 56, spoke of developing close links with Rajaram Rege, the former PRO of present Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, by luring him with a business offer to access Shiv Sena Bhavan which was also on the target list of LeT. I took videos of the Shiv Sena Bhavan from outside and inside... I thought LeT would be interested in attacking it or even carry assassination of its (then) head (Bal Thackeray), Headley said. He said he provided two-three videos to his Pakistani handlers Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal. Rege admitted that he knew Headley but said he never took him to the Shiv Sena Bhavan. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the Thackerays and the party have always been targeted by international terror groups "since we are the only ones who speak out against Pakistan. The terrorist-turned-approver also talked about the Lashkar plans to hit Mumbais famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple and attempts to recruit staffers from the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to tap them for classified information. "The ISI wanted to recruit BARC staffers for future... to get classified information from them," Headley said. The Lashkar operative, jailed in the US for his terror activities, said that he came in touch with actor Rahul Bhatt, son of veteran film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, through the in-charge of the upmarket Moksha Gym. Headley was a member of the gym from October 2006. He said he again surveyed the NDC, Chabad Houses in international tourist destinations like Goa, Pune and Pushkar after the Mumbai attack on the instructions of Kashmiri. He said he handed over videos of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station to his main contacts Mir and Iqbal. Outside the temple, he said, he bought a bunch of around 15 red and yellow coloured sacred threads and sent them to Mir so the terrorists could tie them around their wrists and pass off as Hindus and avoid detection. Headley claimed to have discussed the temple and other terror plans with his LeT handlers and the ISI discouraged them from targeting the temple, Indian Navy's air force station, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Gateway of India in Mumbai as they were very heavily guarded sites when he surveyed them. On his spying activities, Headley said he followed the progress of Indian Army and on one trip to Mumbai, he bought a book "Indian Army-Vision 2020" from Nalanda Books & Record Shop in Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. He had purchased four other books - "Royal Rajasthan", "India's Jewish Heritage", "The Grand Trunk Road" and "Polo In India" - but the army book was of great interest to him, he said. "The other four books were mostly pictorial and there was nothing sinister about them." At this, Judge Sanap enquired whether there was anything "sinister" (motives) about the book on Indian Army, Headley replied: "Yes... My Lord! At one point in the deposition, Nikam suddenly shot a question about a woman named Kainaz. "She was a friend from Mumbai," Headley replied. "Friend or girlfriend," Nikam countered. "Not a girlfriend, just a friend," a visibly irritated Headley replied. Later, identifying a picture of the captured and hanged terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Headley said the LeT was saddened by his arrest during the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attack. --Indo-Asian News Service qn/sar/dg ( 689 Words) 2016-02-12-21:11:33 (IANS)
Lashing out at efforts to cobble up a Congress-Left Front alliance in the coming West Bengal assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dubbed the proposed tie-up as a "mistake" and "devoid of any ideology" and said it would come a cropper. "The (Left Front spearhead) Communist Party of India-Marxist used to abuse the Congress. They used to call Rajiv Gandhi 'Bofors Gandhi' (a reference to the alleged Bofors scandal which broke out during Gandhi's prime ministerial stint when various members of the Swedish and Indian governments were accused of receiving commission from Swedish gun supplier A B Bofors with regard to the purchase of 155 mm howitzer field guns). "The CPI-M used to call Indira Gandhi autocrat and painted pictures depicting her in poor light on the walls. The very same CPI-M is now making a volte face. They now want to team up with the Congress. And the Congress leaders are also dancing to the CPI-M tune and welcoming the idea," Banerjee said at a Trinamool Congress programme here. She said even if the alliance comes into being, it would not dent her party's prospects at the hustings. "They are making a mistake. They have jettisoned their ideals. Those who forego their ideals, they lose their credibility." Highlighting the importance of ideology in politics, she said even if a party becomes weak, it remains a loner by sticking to its ideology. "But those who sell off their ideological beliefs for the sake of power, become non-existent." In contrast, she said, her Trinamool has never compromised on its ideals. Referring to the Trinamool pulling out of the United Progressive Alliance-2 coalition in 2012 on the twin issues of diesel price hike and retail FDI, Banerjee said her party's ministers had resigned rather than going against its ideals. "Those who change their ideals,.. the CPI-M, Congress alliance is a big mistake. BJP is also with them. The three parties have come together against us in elections also. "We don't care if there is any alliance.. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party. As long as I live I will live like a lion. But I want them to forge an alliance, so that they can evaluate their political standing." --Indo-Asian News Service ssp/vd ( 391 Words) 2016-02-12-21:15:35 (IANS)
The NDA leaders today reacted sharply over the killing of BJP leader Visheswar Ojha in Bhojpur district and charged the Nitish Kumar government with complete failure in maintaining law and order inthe state. Former chief minister and president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) Jitan Ram Manjhi said there was virtually no government in the state as criminals were striking at their will while the police remained a mute spectator. The situation had aggravated to such a level that there was an urgent need for intervention by the court to restore law and order in the state and provide safety and security for the common man, he added. Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that within 12 hours, two party leaders were killed by the criminals in Saran and Bhojpur district , which reflected the kind of alarming situation prevailing in the state. Mr Modi said that vice president of BJP Visheswar Ojha who was shot dead by the criminals under Shahpur police station area in Bhojpur district was earlier with JD(U). Munni Devi, wife of the younger brother of slain BJP leader, was MLA from Shahpur constituency for 10 years, he said, adding that on the one hand Mr Nitish Kumar was holding high level meeting to improve law and order situation in the state while on the other hand criminals were targeting at their will.UNI KKS AD SHS RJ BL2133 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-587763.Xml
Two youths were arrested for obtaining fake flight tickets to Kunming in China, airport sources here said today. Mohammad Irfan (24) and Mushtaq (28), both residents of Iqbalpur, were arrested from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport entrance gate on showing their Air China boarding passes yesterday. On interrogation by the Police and Airport security officials, the duo confessed that they obtained the tickets from a middleman. The youth decided to travel to China in search of jobs, police said. They were produced before a local court yesterday which sent them for two days police custody. However, the court extended their custody today, sources said. Police are on a look-out to nab the middleman.UNI XC AD RJ VN2245 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-587810.Xml
A murder case was registered against a driver of a tourist taxi for dashing the official vehicle of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma here, police said today. East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang said the driver of the four-wheeler, Jeskalur L Mawdoh of Mawkynrang Mairang, has been arrested and booked under section 307 IPC. He said the arrested driver has been remanded into police custody for three days.Yesterday, Mawdoh hit the moving official vehicle of the chief minister at 3rd Mile, Upper Shillong. Mr Sangma was proceeding to the helipad at Upper Shillong to leave for Delhi via Guwahati for attending an important meeting. However, the chief minister was not injured in the accident. UNI RRK AD SHS RJ VN2244 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-587822.Xml
An official of the Food and Drugs Administration of the division has warned the people not to fall prey to attractive advertisements on the various Internet sites about purchase of any medicines. On the increasing trend of purchasing various articles including drugs on Internet, assistant commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration of the division V T Jadhav said, ''Internet pharmacy has not been permitted to any person in the country till any amendment for the purpose is made by the central government.'' While talking to UNI, Mr Jadhav elaborated that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 do not prescribe any provision of purchasing drugs online. The amendment made in the Act in 2008 has no such provision, he informed. Talking about attractive advertisements posted on the various Internet lines to lure the customers, he said drugs purchased from Internet pharmacy shops could not be given guarantee of its quality and it may also prove hazardous for the health. On the growing trend of purchasing drugs by using fake prescription or no prescription from any expert doctor, the FDA officer said that such a matter should be brought to the notice of the office if any person or persons are seen engaged in purchasing such drugs. Those who purchase from, sale and stocks drugs from an Internet pharmacy are liable for action, Mr Jadhav said. No action has so far been taken in the Marathwada region against E-pharmacy drugs purchasers, he added.UNI XR/VKB SS SHS RJ BL2301 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-587863.Xml
The United States has "significantly" increased its air strikes against Islamic State in Afghanistan since President Barack Obama granted commanders broader authority last month to target the group there, a US military spokesman said today. Islamic State is a relatively new force in Afghanistan and the militant group has violently challenged the much larger Afghan Taliban movement in pockets of the country. Obama granted the US military the authority to strike Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh, in January, with concerns mounting about the group's increasing global reach. US forces could previously strike Islamic State in Afghanistan but it was under more narrow circumstances, such as for protection of troops. "We have significantly increased our pressure and the number of strikes we've conducted against Daesh in Nangarhar province over the past three weeks," Brigadier General Wilson Shoffner, a USmilitary spokesman, said in a briefing to reporters. "The change in authorities has given us additional flexibility." Shoffner declined to give specifics on the number of strikes but said combined with pressure from Afghan security forces, they had succeeded in containing Islamic State in the southern part of Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan. According to the Afghan interior ministry, Afghan and international forces conducted nearly 20 joint operations against Islamic State in Nangarhar in January. Islamic State is not yet able to conduct operations in more than one place at a time in Afghanistan, Shoffner said, but was attempting to establish a base of operations in Nangarhar and carry out low-level recruiting in various parts of the country. In eastern Afghanistan, Islamic State numbers some 1,000 to 3,000 members, he said. Those joining Islamic State are typically former members of the Afghan Taliban or the separate Pakistani Taliban, known as TTP, Shoffner said. Nangarhar borders the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. "In terms of motivation what we see are generally former TTP who believe that associating with Daesh or pledging to Daesh will further their interests in some way," he said. NATO aircraft struck an Islamic State radio station in Nangarhar this month. The station had been broadcasting up to 90 minutes a day in the Dari and Pashto languages. REUTERS SHS SB2337 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-586106.Xml
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, who has been under pressure to shore up support from Sunni Arab allies to fight the Islamic State group, welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role in air strikes against the Sunni militants. At a gathering of more than two dozen defense ministers at NATO headquarters, Saudi Arabia, which has quietly resumed its participation in air strikes in the past few weeks, also renewed the possibility of sending forces into Syria. "Saudi Arabia's defense minister ... indicated that the Kingdom is reinvigorating its commitment to the coalition air campaign, which is very welcome news, and contributing in other critical ways on the ground," Carter said after the talks in Brussels. Carter, broadly praising contributions from allies, said the US-led war against Islamic State would be won despite former Cold War foe Russia's role in the civil war in Syria on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's government. On Wednesday, France delivered a rebuke to President Barack Obama, demanding that Washington show a clearer commitment to resolving the crisis in Syria, where Russia is tipping the military balance in favor of Assad. Four months of Russian air strikes in Syria have helped Assad claw back territory from rebels fighting government forces, alarming Gulf Arab states who back the insurgents. Saudi Arabia said it has carried out more than 190 aerial missions in Syria, although it has focused its military efforts over the last year on the conflict in Yemen, where it is leading a coalition of mainly Gulf Arab forces battling Houthi fighters who control Sanaa. In Munich, US Secretary of State John Kerry was leading a diplomatic push to rescue imperiled peace efforts, which are being held despite Russian bombing raids to bolster Syrian forces around the city of Aleppo. Carter sought to draw a line between military and diplomatic efforts, saying Islamic State needed to be defeated "whatever happens with the Syrian civil war". But he also said Russia's bombing of Western-backed opposition fighters could prolong the civil war that helped give rise to Islamic State. "I'm confident we'll (defeat Islamic State). The Russians are not helping in that regard, but we'll do it anyway," he told reporters. Carter offered allies a long list of required military capabilities, which, beyond air power, included training Iraqi forces and help with intelligence and surveillance. Carter said countries that could not contribute militarily could help in other ways, like by choking Islamic State financing. Saudi Arabia's Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, a military spokesman, said his country was ready to send troops into Syria if there was a consensus in the coalition. But he declined to elaborate, saying: "It is too early to talk about such options." "Today we are talking at the strategic level," Asseri told reporters in Brussels. US defense officials had sought to manage expectations about the talks, since many ministers would need to win support from their parliaments. Carter said about a third of US allies made commitments that still required parliamentary approval, appearing to leave many pledges in limbo. Britain's defence minister Michael Fallon said there was "certainly pressure on those that are still on the sidelines." The timeline for the campaign to end Islamic State's control of the strategic cities Raqqa and Mosul in Iraq was also unclear. The head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency cautioned this week that Iraqi forces were unlikely to recapture Mosul this year, despite hopes by Baghdad. Carter only said securing Raqqa and Mosul needed to happen "as soon as possible." He also acknowledged the need to grapple with Islamic State's spread beyond Syria and Iraq, particularly in Libya. "Nobody wants to see Libya on a glide slope to the kind of situation that already engulfed Syria and Iraq," he said.REUTERS JW PR0458 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-586176.Xml
The US Department of Defense will soon submit a plan to Congress on how to defeat Islamic State, a defense official said on Thursday, four days before a deadline. The National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), a defense policy bill President Barack Obama signed into law in November, required the administration to submit its strategy for defeating the militant group to lawmakers by February 15. Republican congressional leaders said yesterday they had had no indication that the report was imminent despite the short time remaining before the deadline. "We are aware of the report and are actively working with multiple interagency offices to complete this legal requirement per the NDAA and look forward to submitting the completed report to Congress in the near-term," the Department of Defense official said on condition of anonymity, in an emailed statement. Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, issued a statement earlier Thursday calling on Obama, a Democrat, to submit by Monday a "real, comprehensive strategy" for defeating Islamic State. The United States is leading a military campaign against the militant Islamist group, which has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized Obama for failing to defeat Islamic State, saying he mistakenly underestimated the threat it posed, allowing it to gain strength. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter started talks in Brussels yesterday with more than two dozen defense ministers, pressing allies to contribute to the effort. REUTERS JW PR0650 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-586191.Xml
A New York City police officer was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct on Thursday for fatally shooting an unarmed black man in a darkened public housing stairwell in 2014, according to media reports. A jury in Brooklyn found Peter Liang guilty in connection with the death of Akai Gurley, 28, who was killed by a bullet fired from Liang's gun on November 20, 2014, that ricocheted off a wall. Liang, a rookie cop at the time, was on patrol inside a Brooklyn public housing project with his partner and drew his gun upon entering a pitch-black stairwell. He fired a single bullet that caromed off a wall and into the chest of Gurley, who was walking one floor below. At trial, Liang, 28, testified that a sudden noise startled him, causing his finger to slip onto the trigger and fire the gun. But prosecutors argued that Liang fired toward the sound and that he must have known only another person could have caused the noise that surprised him. Liang and his partner, Shaun Landau, debated whether to call in the shot, with Liang expressing concern that he might be fired. It was only after descending the stairs, Liang said, that he realized the errant bullet had hit Gurley. "Oh my god, someone's hit," a tearful Liang recalled saying upon finding a bleeding Gurley lying on a landing, as his girlfriend frantically tried to revive him. The shooting added to nationwide protests over the use of police force against minorities, though Liang, a Chinese-American, was not accused of deliberately killing Gurley.REUTERS JW PR0701 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-586196.Xml
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Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighboring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to a letter that was seen by Reuters. The short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London today said the intention was to "protect the international organisations and their employees," presumably from coalition air strikes. The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, told Reuters that Riyadh sent the letter because, "We're just concerned for the safety of the UN staff and their humanitarian agencies. "We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets," he said. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien acknowledged receipt of the note in a Sunday letter seen by Reuters and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need. He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid. The Saudi mission to the United Nations responded on Monday that Riyadh would "do its utmost to continue to facilitate and support" humanitarian aid work in Yemen, while also repeating its request for UN and international aid workers to leave areas close to Houthi bases for military operations. "The coalition's request is consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law and, in no way, can be misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen," it said. The UN Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said. The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict last March, almost half of them civilians. UN sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity. The panel of experts documented 119 coalition sorties "relating to violations of international humanitarian law" and said that "many attacks involved multiple air strikes on multiple civilian objects." REUTERS JW PR0707 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-586201.Xml
The United States blacklisted three people for working for Islamic State, including the militant group's most prominent ideologue and a senior oil official. Turki al-Bin'ali was sanctioned for helping Islamic State recruit foreign fighters, the US Treasury said in a statement yesterday. Bin'ali, 31, was an early supporter of Islamic State and authored a frequently cited biography of the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Experts said the preacher's writings helped lay the religious legal groundwork for Islamic State to declare a "caliphate," which it did in 2014 in parts of Syria and Iraq it controls. Bin'ali is believed to be the group's chief religious authority, and has written a text that traces Baghdadi's lineage to the Prophet Mohammad, said Cole Bunzel, an Islamic State expert at Princeton University. Bin'ali issued a treatise that rallied militant Islamists to the cause and has denounced Islamic State's many Muslim critics. Bahrain revoked Bin'ali's citizenship in 2015. Sanctions are unlikely to have any impact on Bin'ali, who comes from a wealthy Bahraini family, Bunzel said. "He's the most ideologically committed person to this movement that I know," he said. "To him, this is very much not about money." A Treasury spokeswoman said yesterday's actions were the first US sanctions to target Bin'ali. The sanctions freeze any US assets the men might have and prohibit Americans from dealing with them. While they have little immediate practical impact, the sanctions have a "naming and shaming" effect and allow for follow-on actions against people connected to Bin'ali, said Matt Levitt, a former US Treasury official now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Another man sanctioned yesterday was Faysal Ahmad Ali al-Zahrani, from Saudi Arabia, who the Treasury Department said is responsible for Islamic State's oil and gas activities in areas of northeastern Syria. Treasury said Zahrani for a time answered directly and transferred funds to top Islamic State financial official Abu Sayyaf, who was killed in a US Special Operations Forces raid last May. A US Treasury official said this week that US led coalition air strikes targeting Islamic State's oil and cash storage sites, have helped force the group to cut its fighters' pay by up to 50 per cent. Husayn Juaythini, born in a refugee camp in Gaza, was also sanctioned and was trying to establish a foothold for Islamic State in Gaza, the Treasury said. REUTERS MI PR0445 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0387-586172.Xml
Even as a US lawmaker threatened to block the sale of F-16 to Pakistan, Washington has asserted that its security assistance to Islamabad contributed to Pakistans counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. ''No country in the region has been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan. We believe it is in our vital security interests to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks and we believe it is an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Pakistan,'' US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said at his press briefing here yesterday.He declined to confirm whether Senator Bob Corker had sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry threatening to stop the sale of F-16 to Pakistan on the ground that terrorist groups were using safe havens in Pakistan to attack US forces in Afghanistan. Describing Pakistan as "an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan," the spokesperson said, the US "would welcome Pakistan's efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example."Pakistan, he said, had carried out "multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil."We believe that destroying, eliminating those networks is in our national security interests, as well as the security interests of the region," Mr Toner said. UNI XC AT PY 1231 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-586442.Xml
Pakistan has arrested 97 al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants, including three commanders, in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break US journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said today. The men are accused of involvement in major attacks on two Pakistani air bases, the Karachi airport, several regional intelligence headquarters and on police installations between 2009 and 2015, the military said. The LeJ's Naeem Bokhari and Sabir Khan, as well as Farooq Bhatti, deputy chief of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), were captured by Pakistani forces in recent raids, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said. "Our conclusion is that all of the terrorist groups are trying to cooperate with each other in order to carry out terrorist attacks," he told a news conference. The LeJ and AQIS had been working "in collusion" with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, Bajwa added. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an Islamist group whose sectarian ideology is closely aligned with Islamic State, once enjoyed the backing of Pakistan's powerful spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence.Bajwa declined to give details of the raids, including their timing. Several of those arrested, including Bokhari, were in the advanced stages of planning a jailbreak attempt on the Hyderabad Central Jail, Bajwa said. Khalid Omar Sheikh, who kidnapped and killed the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Pearl in 2002, is being held at that jail and was to be released during the raid, he said. Six suicide bombers had been enlisted in the attack plan, in addition to 19 involved in facilitating it, Bajwa said. More than 350 kg (772 lb) of explosives had been recovered from a building believed to be a hideout, he said. Video images of the building showed blue plastic barrels filled with explosives, washing machines that had been used to transport arms and ammunition, long lengths of detonating cord and dozens of ball bearings. The footage also showed several rifles that Bajwa said had been stolen from police in earlier targeted attacks."This plan was 90 per cent ready for execution," he added. REUTERS PS VN1422 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-586629.Xml
According to the Aden-based government official, a group of militants believed to be Al-Qaeda members attacked a police station in Aden's district of Daar Saad, Xinhua reported.

Three police personnel were also injured in the attack, the official said.

"Masked attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at the police building and then opened heavy fire," local residents said.

The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past weeks resulting in the assassination of Aden's former governor, several high-ranking security officers and judges.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East and the affiliate of the Islamic State.

The security situation in the country has deteriorated since March when war broke out between the Shia Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/bg

( 188 Words)

2016-02-12-18:23:35 (IANS)
Up to 40,000 refugees have settled in camps on the Turkish border inside Syria in the latest wave of migration, a Turkish deputy prime minister said today, as attacks by Russian-backed Syrian government forces send tens of thousands fleeing. A diplomatic initiative with Russia and Syria is needed to prevent further waves of migration that would also impact Europe, Yalcin Akdogan told reporters near the border at Oncupinar, in comments broadcast live by TRT television. "In the last week there has been a new wave of migration, notably because of the Russian bombardment and 35,000 to 40,000 people have flowed to the Turkish border," he said. Earlier today the United States, Russia and more than a dozen other nations reached agreement in Munich to cease hostilities in Syria and provide humanitarian aid. The deal is aimed at eventually paving the way for a political transition in Turkey's war-ravaged neighbour. Turkey, which already hosts 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has tried to keep the latest wave on the Syrian side of the border, in part to pressure Russia to cease its air support for Syrian government forces near the city of Aleppo. NATO member Turkey is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most vehement critics and an ardent supporter of opposition forces. Ankara's relations with Moscow have been very strained since the Turkish air force downed a Russian jet along the Turkish border in November.' IMPORTANT STEP' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu welcomed the Syrian ceasefire deal in a post on his Twitter account, saying it was an "important step" towards resolving the crisis. However, unless Russia ends its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, the ceasefire reached in Munich will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured, Cavusoglu told TRT in comments broadcast from Munich. He said Turkey and its partners did not object to Russia targetting militant groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front, but said Moscow should do so in coordination with the US-led coalition. The latest wave of refugees has swelled to 100,000 the number of people sheltering at nine camps located on the Syrian side of the border within 3 km of Turkey, Cavusoglu said, adding that a 10th camp was being prepared. Akdogan said it was important to create a "civilian settlement area" on the Syrian side of the border but insisted Turkey was maintaining its "open-door policy" towards refugees. REUTERS PS VN1722 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587110.Xml
The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's military over the country's transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule. The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term. While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month. The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Myanmar's new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government. "It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the military's weight to protect themselves," said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide in Myanmar's first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years. That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about "national reconciliation", but as the talks drag on the tone of public debate - and that of legislators speaking privately - has changed. In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Myanmar's junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office.Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the country's second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform. LOOKING FORWARD, OR BACK? Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation. This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Sein's government if the NLD decided to use the commission's expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration. The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the constitution retains a bloc of seats in parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus. When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future "leader" of the country. Days before disbanding at the end of January, the parliament dominated by Thein Sein's USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organisations. "That law only protects the president, but not his ministers," said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Mann's panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets. MILITARY DEMANDS The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Yangon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Myanmar's economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said. Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining. Control over these states, which also include Special Regions - semi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armies - is key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority. China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said. "Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals," said Win Htein. REUTERS PS VN1750 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587211.Xml
The ships, which are part of a standing NATO mine countermeasures immediate reaction force, will participate in various joint training missions and exercises with the Georgian navy in the Black Sea, Xinhua reported.

The fleet, led by the head of NATO United Marine Forces, Giorgio Lazio, will stay in the port till February 15.

During the port visit, Lazio will meet Georgian government officials on future cooperation between the two sides.

NATO launched a joint training centre in Georgia in 2015 as part of the "substantial package" of cooperation with Georgia. The centre will start tactical training of Georgian soldiers in May.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/dg

( 154 Words)

2016-02-12-19:15:34 (IANS)
Austria told Macedonia today to be ready to "completely stop" the flow of migrants across its southern border from Greece, warning that Vienna would do the same on its own frontiers within months."Most probably in the coming months our maximum number will be reached, so Austria will have to stop the migrants at its border," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said during a visit to the Macedonian capital, Skopje."Macedonia must be ready to completely stop the entry of migrants on its borders," he saidREUTERS PS VN1815 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587254.Xml
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of undermining efforts to reach a peaceful solution in Syria by targeting opposition groups instead of Islamic State militants and said a lasting peace would only be achieved if this stopped."Russia has mainly targeted opposition groups and not ISIL (Islamic State militants). Air strikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated, peaceful solution," he said.His comments came after major powers, including Russia, reached agreement on plans for a ceasefire between rebels and government forces in Syria, although Moscow has said it will continue bombing militants."What we need is a lasting ceasefire, we need help for the civilians and we need of course an agreement on transition," Stoltenberg added. REUTERS PS VN1816 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587263.Xml
Different officials in Pakistan's government have taken seemingly contradictory stands on Islamic State's influence in the country, after a rare warning by an intelligence chief that the Middle East-based militant group posed a domestic threat. Reports of stepped-up recruitment by Islamic State and a bloody attack linked to the group last year have stoked fears the movement is gaining momentum in Pakistan, despite the government rejecting its formal presence. The government reasserted its view yesterday, a day after Intelligence Bureau director general Aftab Sultan told a parliamentary panel that Islamic State was coordinating with militant groups and that hundreds of people had left Pakistan to join its fight in Syria, media reports say. "Let me reiterate that there is no organised presence of Daesh in Pakistan," foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria told reporters in Islamabad, using the Arabic acronym for the group. He declined any further comment when contacted by Reuters today. The entry of Islamic State, while its numbers may remain small, would complicate Pakistan's fight against indigenous Islamist militants fighting to overthrow the government. Today, Pakistan arrested 97 al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break US journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said. "MODE OF DENIAL" The intelligence chief's assertion that Pakistan should be worried about Islamic State's role prompted mixed reactions. "This is the first time it has been officially admitted," said Col. Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, an opposition parliamentarian of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party and a member of the senate committee that Sultan briefed. "The government of Pakistan has gone into a mode of denial," he added. "We have to recognise Islamic State's existence and take action." In May, militants boarded a bus carrying members of the minority Shi'ite Ismaili community in Karachi and opened fire on the passengers, killing 45. Police in charge of the investigation said the militants were "inspired by Daesh," but did not believe the group had any organizational ties to its leadership in the Middle East. Authorities have also raised concerns that Islamic State was making inroads in Punjab province late last year "after consolidating its position in Afghanistan," according to a government circular seen by Reuters. The circular, sent by the Punjab government in December, cited reports that the group was recruiting Afghan nationals living in refugee camps in Pakistan, and distributing propaganda to Pakistani youth "in a large number". REUTERS PS BL1843 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587426.Xml
China will back a UN Security Council resolution to make North Korea "pay the necessary price" for recent rocket launches, its foreign minister told Reuters today, adding the goal was to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Wang Yi also said he was concerned by a possible US deployment of its sophisticated THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could also be used to target China. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006. It has conducted three more atomic tests since then, including last month's, and numerous ballistic missile launches. Washington and Beijing have appeared divided over how to respond to North Korea, with Washington urging tougher sanctions and Beijing stressing the need for dialogue. However, Wang told Reuters at an interview in Munich that it was time for a "strong" resolution covering a wide range of areas. "(We) support the United Nations Security Council to take further steps and in adopting a new resolution so that North Korea will pay the necessary price and show there are consequences for its behaviour," the minister said, speaking through an interpreter. China has insisted it is already making great efforts to achieve denuclearisation on the "Korean peninsula" and has previously rejected what it calls "groundless speculation" on its North Korea stance, following remarks from US officials that China could do more. The UN Security Council is discussing a new resolution. Diplomats say the Americans have been pushing for tough measures that go beyond targeting North Korea's atomic weapons and missile programs, while China wanted any future steps to focus on the question of nonproliferation. When asked whether Beijing was ready to support stronger economic sanctions, Wang said the resolution would be wide-ranging, but its objective should be to curb Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear and missile technologies. "Sanctions are not the end, the purpose should be to make sure that the nuclear issue in the Korean Pensinsula should be brought back to the channel of a negotiation-based resolution," he said. After Wang met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Munich, Kerry urged China to use its influence in Pyongyang to help the international community increase pressure on it, State Department spokesman John Kirby said. US HIDDEN AGENDA? Tensions have been mounting in the region and yesterday North Korea said it was evicting all South Koreans from the jointly run Kaesong industrial zone, calling the South's move to suspend operations, in retaliation for Sunday's rocket launch by the North, a "declaration of war". In response to the launch Seoul is set to begin talks with Washington as early as next week on deploying an advanced US missile defence system. The discussions would focus on placing one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the US military in South Korea after the North's launch last weekend, a South Korean defence official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Wang said he was worried by the move and urged the United States to rethink its strategy."The facts are clear. The deployment of the THAAD system by the United States ... goes far beyond the defence need of the Korean Pensinsula and the coverage would mean it will reach deep into the Asian continent. "This directly affects the strategic security interests of China and other Asian countries," he said.He said Washington needed to clarify its motives. "It doesn't require experts. Ordinary people know that the deployment of the THAAD system is not just to defend South Korea, but a wider agenda and may even serve the possibility of targeting China." Wang said going forward China's policy would be increasingly attentive on the regional nuclear issue and guided by three principles. "First the Korean Pensinsula cannot be nuclearised. This applies to the North and South. Second, there is no military solution to this issue. "If there is a war or turbulence it is not acceptable for China. Third, China will not allow its legitimate interests including in national security interests to be undermined." REUTERS PS BL1931 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-587541.Xml
The United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura is very keen to hold a new round of peace talks after big powers agreed on a "cessation of hostilities", a UN spokesman said today, but plans to reconvene the negotiations were still "cloudy". De Mistura abruptly suspended a first round of talks on February 3, saying there was more work to be done by the big powers sponsoring the talks between the Syrian sides, but he hoped to bring them back to the table in Geneva by February 25. The big powers, led by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, struck a deal in Munich early on Friday to start to bring an end to hostilities in a week and to provide rapid humanitarian access to a handful of besieged Syrian towns as a first step. Diplomats from the countries sponsoring the Syria talks met in Geneva today to discuss the aid plan."We waited long for this and I expect a lot from this group," said Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, as he arrived to chair the meeting. "We hope that it can go without delay once we have all of the access that we need." Egeland earlier said he hoped the Munich agreement could be "the breakthrough we have been waiting for", but it needed all countries to use their influence to push the warring sides to allow humanitarian access. De Mistura will brief the UN Security Council on February 17, UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said. But it was unclear whether the Munich deal was enough for him to reconvene the peace talks. "You're asking for certainty in a very cloudy situation. Politics is the art of the possible," Fawzi told a UN briefing. Aid agency chiefs said the humanitarian deal covered only the tip of the iceberg. "In the short-term, ceasefire or not, we need unconditional, rapid and regular access to all affected areas across the country to help millions of people," said Robert Mardini, regional head of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross. David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, said the agreement needed detail and urgency. "You don't wait a week for an emergency operation and the people of Syria should not have to wait a week for relief from bombings," Miliband, a former British foreign secretary, said in a statement. "We wait with eager anticipation to see whether this agreement is a turning point or a false dawn." REUTERS SHS BL2206 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-587838.Xml
Five UN peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb today, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants. At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Kidal, a town in an unstable desert region that is home to Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which have staged increasingly bold raids in recent months and have targeted the UN base several times. "At about 7 a.m. the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of the UN secretary general, referring to the peacekeeping mission. Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said MINUSMA spokesman Olivier Salgado. Guinea said three of its peacekeepers were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead and wounded was not immediately known. The Kidal base is part of an attempt by the United Nations to end violence in Mali following a takeover of the north by Islamists in 2012, which was thwarted by a French-led intervention force that pushed the militants out of key towns a year later. Islamist militants have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond. These have included an attack on a hotel in Mali's capital in November in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Faso's capital in January in which 30 were killed. There is also a decades-long separatist struggle in northern Mali by ethnic Tuaregs. Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told Reuters that the Kidal attack had been conducted by Islamists. There was no official confirmation or claim of responsibility.During a visit to Mali's capital Bamako today, German President Joachim Gauck said more of the country's soldiers were due to arrive as peacekeepers to boost a contingent of 650 the government approved in January. In a separate incident on Friday, three Malian soldiers were killed and three wounded when their military convoy was ambushed on a road between Timbuktu and Goundam in northern Mali, a military source said.The wounded were evacuated to Timbuktu hospital. It was not clear who had conducted the ambush.REUTERS SHS BL2310 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-587888.Xml
The Burmese python has worn out its welcome, and its time is nigh.

For the second time since 2013, Florida wildlife officials are inviting people near and far to search for Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Everglades. Depending on where they spot the invasive species, participants can either capture or kill the snakes, which are generally about 6 feet (almost 2 meters) in length, said Carli Segelson, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

However, the snakes' brownish markings make them well camouflaged. So far, 1,035 volunteers have caught 95 snakes  more than the 68 snakes caught by 1,600 participants in 2013, Segelson said. [Photos: Burmese Pythons Invade the Florida Everglades]

The 2016 challenge, which started Jan. 16 and ends Feb. 14, is the state's way of controlling the pythons' population. "It's not good for the ecosystem and the native wildlife to have an invasive species living in the area," Segelson told Live Science.

Either way, the pythons have prospered in the Everglades' hot, humid summers and mild winters. They're also eating the native birds, mammals, fish and reptiles, Segelson said. There are some reports of alligators eating the pythons (and vice versa), but other than that, the Python Challenge seems to be the only major way to get rid of them.Experts aren't sure how the pythons got established in the Everglades, but they have two ideas. Perhaps pet owners set captive snakes free into the wild, Segelson said. Or, maybe the snakes escaped from captivity during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, she said.

Volunteers can brush up on their python-finding and safety skills at PythonChallenge.org, which has videos and tips for capturing the snakes. On average, it takes more than 15 hours to spot a python, but participants might have more luck if they look in marshes, pine rocklands, canal banks and open areas, according to the site. Moreover, the challenge is held in the winter, when snakes spend more time basking in the sun (especially on levees or tree islands) due to the cooler weather.

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Volunteers can kill snakes in certain areas, but some regions require that they capture the snakes live and bring them in to be euthanized. In these instances, volunteers can put snakes in breathable bags  such as cotton pillowcases  and then put the bag in a heavy-duty, ventilated container labeled "dangerous reptiles," before handing them over to officials.

People can still register for the Python Challenge, which only officially ends on Valentine's Day  if people see an invasive plant or animal in the wilds of Florida, they can call 1-888-IVE-GOT-1 (1-888-483-4681) or download the app. They can also join the Python Patrol to help capture the snakes year-round.

Who knows, maybe the next volunteer will break the record, Segelson said. Right now, the longest wild python caught in Florida measured 18 feet long (5.5 m), Segelson said, but they are known to grow to be up to 26 feet long (8 m) in their native home on the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia.

Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Mexico City (AFP) - When Pope Francis arrives in Mexico on Friday he will land in the most dangerous country for priests in Latin America, with dozens killed in the past decade.

The drug war that has killed tens of thousands of people in the past 10 years has also claimed the lives of at least 36 priests, targeted by criminal organizations, according to the Catholic Multimedia Center.

The latest victim was Father Erasmo Pliego de Jesus, whose burned body was found in November in Puebla, one of the most religious states in the world's second largest Roman Catholic country.

In April, Father Francisco Javier Gutierrez was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in Guanajuato, another central state.

Alejandro Solalinde, a priest famous for his defense of migrants at a shelter in the southern state of Oaxaca, had to temporarily flee Mexico in 2012 after receiving death threats.

"We will kill you," said one of the blunt messages that Solalinde received.

"One of them even had a price on my head. They offered five million pesos ($400,000) to have me killed," said the 70-year-old priest.

Solalinde is now watched over by four bodyguards day and night while police guard his shelter.

In addition to the 36 priests assassinated since 2005, two more have disappeared, joining the macabre list of 26,000 missing people across the country.

Mexico is "the most dangerous country in Latin America to be a priest," ahead of other notoriously crime-riddled countries like Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela, according to the Catholic Multimedia Center.

Nelson Arteaga, sociologist at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, said the deaths of dozens of priests since the government declared war against drug cartels in 2006 shows that they have not escaped the violence.

"Priests and nuns are targeted because we have gotten involved more and more in the human rights crisis of this country," Solalinde said.

"We are side-by-side with the victims and that makes us vulnerable to organized crime and its political arm."

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- Bulletproof vest -

The violence worries Mexico's Roman Catholic Church.

"It has been terrible. Many priests are continuously affected by organized crime because there are people who see priests as a symbol of certain values that they don't agree with," Archbishop Norberto Rivera told AFP.

In Mexico City, a metropolis of 20 million people, at least 400 priests have faced extortion and threats, Rivera said.

The most dangerous areas for priests are the states of Guerrero in the south and neighboring Michoacan in the west.

Pope Francis will visit Michoacan's capital, Morelia, on Tuesday.

The avocado and lime growing region is known for a conflict that erupted in 2013 between vigilante militias formed by farmers to combat the cult-like Knights Templar drug cartel.

Authorities had to provide security to Miguel Patino, the bishop of Apatzingan, a city once controlled by the cartel, over fears that he faced an imminent attack in 2013.

A priest in the same city at the heart of Michoacan's so-called "Hot Land," Gregorio "Goyo" Lopez, wore a bulletproof vest during mass.

- Mass grave -

While Francis is not visiting Guerrero, which became infamous following the disappearance and presumed massacre of 43 students, the state has seen horrific violence against priests.

A Ugandan priest, John Ssenyondo, was kidnapped as he left mass in a mountain region and his remains were found later in a mass grave with 12 other bodies in November 2014.

A month later, at Christmas, the body of Father Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta was found with a bullet hole in the head, three days after he was kidnapped by gunmen at a seminary.

"Enough already! We don't want more blood. We don't want more deaths," the Mexican Episcopal Conference pleaded after Gorostieta's murder.

Pope Francis sent a letter to condemn the killing and urge that Mexican priests "continue with enthusiasm their ecclesiastic mission, despite the challenges, following Jesus' example."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force on Thursday said it had reassigned its principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition after he voluntarily disclosed that he had failed to report a Northrop Grumman Corp retirement account held by his spouse on his annual financial disclosure form.

Air Force Secretary Deborah James removed Richard Lombardi from any acquisition duties, and named Darlene Costello, another senior service acquisition official, to assume the duties of his job, the Air Force said in a news release late on Thursday.

James also referred the issue to the Pentagon's inspector general, the Air Force said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese)
(Reuters) - Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com Inc , said it has acquired NICE, a software developer for technical computing. The company said it has signed an agreement with NICE, which is also a cloud computing firm, and expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2016. (http://amzn.to/1QZt7NP) No financial terms were disclosed. Italy-based NICE has customers in industries ranging from aerospace to industrial, energy and utilities. (Reporting by Shivam Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)
At a time that the Oscars are under fire for not representing minorities, the star of the Grammys is rapper Kendrick Lamar, who has emerged as a cultural icon for his deeply personal reflections on race.

Lamar is in contention Monday for 11 Grammys on the music industry's biggest night, the most nominations in a single year for any artist except Michael Jackson following the release of "Thriller."

Lamar has won lavish praise for "To Pimp a Butterfly," with some critics calling it the long-sought Great American Rap Album.

The album -- his third -- veers widely from commercial formulas, running for nearly 80 minutes with lengthy spoken-word interludes and jazz arrangements by rising saxophonist Kamasi Washington.

One track, "Alright," has been dubbed by admirers as the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Written with Pharrell Williams, the disconcertingly mellow song speaks of police brutality with the repeated reassurance, "Nigga, we gon' be alright."

Another track, "How Much a Dollar Cost," relates Lamar's emotional journey on a visit to South Africa as he is startled by a panhandler but eventually finds in him an element of the divine.

The song, featuring a vocal cameo by R&B legend Ronald Isley, was described by President Barack Obama as his favorite song of 2015.

Lamar's trip to South Africa had initially inspired the artist -- born in Compton, the rough Los Angeles-area city that gave birth to gangsta rap -- to write an introspective album about coming to terms with fame.

But the theme gradually merged with that of the Black Lives Matter movement, which picked up steam in 2014 amid outrage over a series of shooting deaths of African Americans at the hands of police.

"It was real uncomfortable because I was dealing with my own issues," Lamar said of making the album as police brutality emerged as a top national issue.

"When you're onstage rapping and all these people are cheering for you, you actually feel like you're saving lives," he said in an interview released by the Grammys.

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"But you aren't saving lives back home. It made me question if I am in the right place spreading my voice."

- Rare rap recognition at Grammys -

Adam Diehl, a lecturer at Augusta University in Georgia who has taught Lamar's work, said "To Pimp a Butterfly" was striking as a developed concept album with little classic rap style.

"I think part of the reason for all the accolades he has received is his uncompromising vision to tell basically the whole story of black America in 2015," he said.

If Lamar's previous album, "good kid, m.A.A.d city," engendered compassion for the African American experience, "To Pimp a Butterfly" was more about self-assertion, Diehl said.

"This is the first time he has been able to pull back from Compton and articulate something that I think everyone in the African American community can listen to and say -- this makes me proud to be where I'm from," he said.

The top Grammy has only gone three times previously to albums that were partially or mostly hip-hop -- works by Quincy Jones, Lauryn Hill and OutKast.

Yet despite the near record haul of nominations, the 28-year-old Lamar is far from a shoo-in.

"To Pimp a Butterfly" is up for Album of the Year against "1989" by Taylor Swift, the pop superstar who is one of the biggest money-makers for the long-beleaguered music industry -- and who featured Lamar on the remix to her album's single "Bad Blood."

Other artists up for Album of the Year are Canadian R&B newcomer The Weeknd, country late bloomer Chris Stapleton and bluesy indie rockers Alabama Shakes.

- Cultural moment in music -

But the nominations alone mark a contrast with the Oscars, the film industry's award gala taking place on February 28, which is facing a boycott campaign over the lack of recognition for African Americans.

The gap in part reflects the different cultures of the award academies.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, while pledging changes after the recent furor, has generally prided itself on being impervious to outside pressures, while the Recording Academy frequently recognizes artists who are top-sellers or who were seen as slighted in previous years.

Lamar himself was the focus of controversy two years ago when he was up for seven Grammys and did not win any of them, with white rappers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis winning the award for best rap album.

Yet the music world has been quick to adapt to the cultural moment of Black Lives Matter.

Beyonce last week made waves with her new song and video "Formation," the most politically charged of her career with denunciations of police brutality.

And Macklemore and Ryan Lewis recently released a passionate paean to Black Lives Matter entitled "White Privilege II."

The duo will likely be rooting for Lamar on Monday. When they won over him two years ago, Macklemore apologized and said Lamar deserved the award.
Some of Apples own users have been teeing off lately about the quality of some of its software, specifically the default Apple apps that often clog up space on the iPhone. Daring Fireballs John Gruber had Apple execs Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi on his podcast this week and he asked them to address some of the criticisms that have been made about the quality in Apples software made by well-known Apple bloggers such as Walt Mossberg and Jim Dalrymple. The execs acknowledged that some of their users werent having the experience they wanted but defended the companys software quality overall.

FROM EARLIER: All the best apps on my iPhone are made by Google and Microsoft

Theres nothing we care about more, said Federighi when asked whether the overall quality of Apples software had declined. I take very seriously any time one of our customers says they arent having the experience they expected from us I know our core software quality has improved over the last five years and it has improved significantly. But the bar just keeps going up, and thats a bar that we embrace.

Federighi then went on to say that now that Apple has more than a billion devices out there, their software problems get more widely reported and then amplified by the tech media in a way that they didnt even five years ago.

Gruber pressed them on this point, however, and asked them to explain why Apples own internal metrics show that their software is improving while lots of users are saying theyve taken their eye off the ball.

The vast majority of our customers are happy with our products and the feedback that they get, Cue said. Its not to say that we dont have any bugs or we dont have any issues, every piece of software does. We care deeply about it.

Were frustrated overall to hear this characterized as the quality is dropping overall because we know thats not true, said Federighi. At the same time theres certainly a reality that if people are having these experiences then theres something we can improve.

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Gruber pressed a little further and asked them to address specific complaints about iTunes, which he said has been getting universally panned for years despite once being a loved Apple program on both Windows and Mac.

We looked at [Mossbergs performance issues] and it had nothing to do with iTunes, Cue said, which is a little strange since complaints about iTunes are everywhere these days. We [originally] designed it at a time when everyone was syncing directly via cable. So the things didnt exist directly in the cloud. And having a centralized place where having all your content there to sync was really key because it made it really easy to do When we went to do Apple Music one of the things was we didnt just want the music to live in the cloud Right now we think weve designed iTunes that makes it even easier to use in the music space.

Listen to Grubers full podcast at this link.

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Afula (Israel) (AFP) - Arab Israelis demonstrated on Friday in support of a Palestinian journalist who has been on hunger strike for 80 days, demanding an end to his detention without trial by Israel.

An AFP journalist in the northern Israeli town of Afula said that firebrand Islamic cleric Raed Salah delivered a sermon to hundreds of worshippers at the end of weekly prayers held outside the hospital where Mohammed al-Qiq is being held under guard.

"Pray for the victory of the prisoner who is being held hostage, oppressed and detained without reason," said Salah, who is himself awaiting the outcome of an appeal against an 11-month jail sentence for inciting violence against the Jewish state.

Qiq, 33, a correspondent for Saudi Arabia's Almajd TV network, was arrested on November 21 at his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah and placed under administrative detention, an Israeli procedure allowing indefinite imprisonment without trial.

He has been refusing food since November 25 in protest against the "torture and ill treatment that he was subjected to during interrogation", according to Addameer, a Palestinian rights organisation.

On February 4, Israel's Supreme Court lifted the administrative detention order but ruled that he may not leave hospital.

Qiq responded that he would continue his fast until he is freed.

His lawyers and the Afula hospital say his medical condition means that his life is in grave danger.

His wife Fayha Shalash told reporters late Friday that "his state of health has never been so critical".

Salah, whose radical wing of the Islamic Movement was outlawed by Israel in November, said on Friday he had spoken to Qiq who said he wanted to be transferred to a hospital in Ramallah.

Israeli police told AFP that Friday's protest had been authorised despite the Islamic Movement ban because the request for a permit was not made in its name.

The demonstration passed off without incident, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

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In Qiq's hometown of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians also demonstrated on his behalf, an AFP journalist there said.

Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security service, says Qiq was arrested for "terror activity" as part of the Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

He was jailed for a month in 2003 and then for 13 months in 2004 for Hamas-related activities.

In 2008, Qiq was sentenced to 16 months on charges linked to his activities on the student council at the West Bank's Birzeit University.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd on Friday posted a full-year loss that was 23 times wider than its loss of a year earlier, as the steelmaker grappled with cheap imports from China and rising labour and electricity costs. The ArcelorMittal SA unit, which is reviewing operations at its major export-focused plant in Saldanha on South Africa's west coast, reported a headline loss of 1,338 cents per share for the year ended Dec. 31, compared with 57 cents the previous year. Headline earnings per share is the main measure of profitability in South Africa and strips out certain one-off items. "The local steel industry is under severe threat due to the economic meltdown and the glut of oversupply driven by China," the company said in a statement. South Africa's government in August last year agreed to a 10 percent steel import tariff, but ArcelorMittal is pushing for more intervention which could see custom duties on other steel products. (Reporting by TJ Strydom)
New York (AFP) - Argentina's toughest "holdout" creditors have not accepted its repayment offer despite intense marathon negotiations this week, a US mediator said Friday.

Daniel Pollack, the court-appointed mediator in the negotiations, said that although two of the six main hedge fund creditors had accepted the "landmark" $6.5 billion offer, the other four had yet to accept.

"Intensive discussions between and among high-ranking Argentine government officials, principals of those four firms and me have continued through the week," Pollack said.

"These discussions have gone late into the night and will continue," he said.

But comments from one of the hedge funds, Aurelius Capital Management, suggested the new government in Buenos Aires could get bogged down like its predecessor in legal battles with creditors if branded "vultures."

Aurelius chairman Mark Brodsky accused the country of resorting to litigation rather than accepting what he called a "substantial" discount to his company's repayment claims.

On Thursday Argentina requested a New York court to remove injunctions blocking its debt payments to other creditors now that it has made a strong offer to holdouts.

After years of stalling by his predecessor Cristina Kirchner, last week the new government of President Mauricio Macri offered the holdouts, bondholders who stayed out of the country's huge debt restructurings in the 2000s, $6.5 billion to resolve all of their claims, worth some $9 billion.

Pollack called the offer "an historic breakthrough", and two of the six main holdout claimants immediately accepted the deal, which Buenos Aires said paid about 75 percent of their claims.

But Aurelius and NML Capital and two others have not yet accepted.

The country defaulted on about $100 billion in debt in 2001 and was able to persuade holders of 93 percent of that to accept losses in a restructuring.

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But Aurelius and NML -- having scooped up the debt at a huge discount around the time of the default -- have held out for full payment and in 2012 won a court battle. They want about $1.75 billion covering the face value of their bonds and accumulated interest.

In its petition Thursday to the judge in the 2012 case, Thomas Griesa, Argentina argued that its settlement offer shows it is making genuine efforts to strike an agreement.

"Now, however, the continued force of the injunctions makes it difficult for Argentina to access the global capital markets to raise funds to complete the settlements," the petition said.

It said also that the injunctions create "an incentive for the remaining holdout bondholders not to settle on reasonable terms."

Brodsky though blasted the offer, saying that for him, it represents only 70 percent "of a substantially reduced claim - a double haircut."

"Given the choice between accepting the substantial haircut we have offered, continuing negotiations, and litigating, Argentina chose to litigate. This is a baffling continuation of the failed strategy of the past," he said Friday.
(Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull accepted the resignation on Friday of a Cabinet minister who admitted he had attended a contract signing between China's Minmetals Corp and an Australian company with which he had financial links. The move ends a tumultuous week for Turnbull's conservative government after two other ministers quit a day earlier in unrelated circumstances, paving the way for a Cabinet reshuffle months before a general election is due. Turnbull said a government investigation found that Human Services Minister Stuart Robert had attended a meeting between unlisted Australian miner Nimrod Resources Ltd and Minmetals [CHMIN.UL] during an unofficial trip to Beijing in 2014. Turnbull said in a statement Stuart had offered his resignation after becoming aware that he held shares in another company, Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd, which had an unspecified interest in Nimrod Resources. "Mr Robert recognized that this connection would create the impression that at the time he went to Beijing he had something personally to gain from the Nimrod Resources project," he said. Turnbull's government has been dogged by scandals since he became leader after a party-room coup in September, distracting him from efforts to unite his after the ouster of former leader Tony Abbott. Two other ministers lost their jobs in unrelated scandals in December. A senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official told a Senate hearing on Thursday the department was not aware of Robert's trip and that Chinese officials at the meeting believed he was there in an official capacity. (Reporting by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Byron Kaye and Paul Tait)
By Jimmy Urquhart BURNS, Ore. (Reuters) - Police and federal agents searched a U.S. wildlife refuge in Oregon for explosives and evidence on Friday, a day after the last holdouts in a protest over federal control of Western land surrendered to end a six-week armed standoff. Federal authorities said the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon would remain closed for several weeks as agents secured what is now considered a crime scene. After their surrender on Thursday, protesters told authorities they had left behind booby traps but did not say whether the trip wires and other devices would trigger explosions, a law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Materials to create explosives could be found on the refuge, the official said, because workers there previously performed controlled burns. The final four protesters had enough food on hand to last them for many months, the official said. The nearby town of Burns, which has been caught in the middle as the occupiers protested federal government control of expanses of Western land, was quiet on Friday as residents sought to resume normal life after the 41-day standoff. The final four protesters surrendered on Thursday with David Fry, 27, repeatedly threatening suicide in a dramatic final phone call with mediators before he gave up. All 12 people arrested in connection with the standoff will face charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers, according to the FBI. The takeover, which began on Jan. 2, was sparked by the return to prison of two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property near the refuge. It was led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, who were arrested in January along with nine other protesters on a snow-covered roadside while on their way to speak at a community meeting in John Day, Oregon. A spokesman for the group, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot dead in the stop. The Bundys' father, Cliven, was arrested on Wednesday night in Portland and charged with conspiracy and assault on a federal officer in connection with a 2014 standoff on federal land near his Nevada ranch. The official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said that the Bundy brothers and others began confronting the local sheriff in November but federal authorities did not get involved until the protesters began occupying the refuge. That low profile was intentional because "a federal face is often a trigger for these militia" groups, the official said. The official told Reuters that authorities made the decision to arrest the Bundy brothers and their fellow protesters out of concern that the standoff movement could spread as the group took their message to other communities. (Additional reporting by Julia Edwards in Washington, D.C. Jonathan Allen in New York, and Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sara Catania, Phil Berlowitz and Bill Trott)
By Dan Freed

(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp <BAC.N> raised Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan's compensation by 23 percent in 2015, a year the bank more than doubled its profits.

Moynihan's total compensation was $16 million, up from $13 million for 2014. The 2015 figure includes a $14.5 million stock-based award, compared to $11.5 million for 2014. Consistent with previous years, Moynihan did not receive a cash bonus.

Half of Moynihan's stock-based compensation is tied to Bank of America meeting certain performance targets. One of the targets would require Bank of America to earn $50.4 billion over the three-year performance period, assuming the bank had the same $2.14 trillion in assets it had at the end of 2015.

Bank of America earned $15.89 billion in 2015, up from $4.83 billion in 2014 and $11.43 billion in 2013. Earnings in 2014 were weighed down by $10 billion in legal expenses.

In contrast to Moynihan's pay package, JPMorgan Chase & Co <JPM.N> CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon's 2015 compensation increased by 35 percent to $27 million.

(This version of the story corrects to show Moynihan's 2015 compensation rose to $16 million, not $14.5 million, and the increase was 23 percent not 11.5 percent. His equity award for 2015 was $14.5 million, not $13 million)

(Reporting by Dan Freed in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr)
COTONOU (Reuters) - The first round of Benin's presidential election has been postponed by a week to March 6 because of problems with the distribution of voting materials, the constitutional court said late on Thursday. The first round was initially scheduled for Feb. 28 but, as of Feb. 6, voter cards had only been distributed in two of its dozen departments, prompting the opposition to cry foul. The constitutional court added in its decision that if this year's voter cards were not available for some people they could use those from polls in 2015. "The president of the republic is invited to call the electoral body ... to the polls for the first round of the vote on Sunday, March 6, 2016," the decision read. Incumbent president Thomas Boni Yayi is barred by constitutional limits from seeking another term and is not running for re-election. He has publicly backed Lionel Zinsou, his prime minister and a former investment banker, who has also received support from the leading opposition party despite attracting criticism for spending much of his life outside Benin. He will face 32 other candidates who have been approved by the constitutional court to vie for the presidency. (Reporting by Allegresse Sasse; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg/Ruth Pitchford)
For Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, whose first feature Hedi screened in the Berlin competition on opening day, having Belgiums Dardenne brothers as co-producers truly turned out to be the stuff that young Arab auteurs dreams are made of.

His film, a love story set against Tunisias post-revolutionary backdrop, had been languishing in development hell for two years when news arrived that the venerable directorial duo whove won the Palm dOr twice (Rosetta and LEnfant) and produced plenty of prized pics by other directors wanted to get involved.

I could hardly believe it when my producer Dora Bouchoucha gave me the news, he recounts. When we Skyped the first time, I didnt want to look too delighted or enthusiastic; I was trying to play it cool.

Attia had previously shot some shorts including Selma about a female taxi driver in Tunis which Bouchoucha had sent to Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne along with his first draft of the script for Hedi. The script was very realistic, a type of narrative, incidentally, known to be a Dardennes directorial trademark.

We were immediately fascinated, says Jean-Pierre Dardenne. We liked the writing style and therefore decided to come on board.

Though for Arab filmmakers local funding opportunities are growing, European coin in most cases remains crucial.

Tunisian filmmakers today need to find a European producer in order to be able to access funding which they would be otherwise denied, Jean-Pierre Dardenne notes. Their monetary contribution to Hedi amounted to one-third of the pics undisclosed total budget.

But having the Dardennes championing your movie means a lot more than mere moolah.

Jean Pierre helped me during the writing stage, says Attia. He started asking me questions.

What interested both of them most was this young man [Hedi] who little by little distances himself from the tradition of his family background and ends up being somehow excluded from his community.

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They prompted him to ask himself more questions about the character and to get more and more to the core of what I wanted him to do and what I wanted to say.

Then when Attia went into the editing room the Dardennes started shooting their new film, The Unknown Girl, so their contacts became very limited.

But they managed to find a time to see a first edit and once again they gave me precious suggestions, he says. They shepherded the film through post-production.

Hedi, which is co-produced by Bouchouchas Nomadis Images with the Dardennes Les Films du Flueve is being sold at EFM by emerging French sales company Luxbox, launched last year by Fiorella Moretti and Hedi Zardi.

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George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, met with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Friday to discuss Europe's growing refugee crisis.

The Clooneys had a meeting with the German leader Friday morning, in which they discussed the issues surrounding what has been called Europe's greatest refugee crisis since World War II. The German chancellery released a picture of the meeting, which was also attended by former British foreign secretary David Miliband, who now heads the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted that they talked about refugee policy and the commitment to the IRC.

Clooney had earlier made clear he supports Merkel's open-door policy with regards to refugees fleeing the war in Syria. I absolutely agree with her, Clooney told reporters earlier. He has called on the U.S. to take in more refugees to help out Europe.

In an interview with German television after the meeting, Clooney said he and his wife's questions to Merkel "were mostly about what we can do and what part of this we can talk about in the United States, because you know in the United States we aren't doing enough ... We are a little less involved that we should be. We don't talk about it enough in the news ... It was a conversation about what our involvement could be and what we can do to help with her and what she's doing. And our hope that she is able to continue the policies of inclusion because it has been the standard bearer for everyone else,"

"(We) talked about the responsibilities of all states, not just European states but states around the world to deal with what is a global problem, not just a Syrian problem or a German issue," Miliband said in an interview with AP after the meeting. He said it was Clooney's idea to meet with the German Chancellor.

Merkel told reporters that she had had "a very good conversation" with the Clooneys and Miliband and exchanged ideas for how governments can cooperate with aid organizations to encourage citizens to volunteer to help refugees.

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"It wouldn't be right to come to Berlin and have a film festival and pretend there wasn't a big global issue for which Germany was in the eye of the storm," said Miliband.

Clooney will also meet separately with recent refugees to Germany. The actor is in town promoting his film Hail, Caesar!, which opened the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday. Speaking to German television ahead of the Hail, Caesar! gala, he said Germany is taking on a great responsibility" and that Merkel's stance has made it "very difficult politically for her." The German Chancellor has seen her approval ratings tumble since the start of the refugee crisis and faces increasing resistance towards her policies on the matter, even from within her own conservative CDU party. Her detractors argue Merkel's welcoming stance has helped fuel the influx of migrants, of which more than 1 million applied for asylum in Germany last year.

Read More: Berlin: George Clooney Snaps at Reporter Over Refugee Activism

At the Hail, Caesar! press conference, Clooney snapped at a reporter who asked him what he was doing to ease the refugee crisis. "I spend a lot of time working on these things ... I have gone to places that are very dangerous and I work a lot on these things," Clooney said, throwing the question back at the journalist: "I'd like to know what you are doing to help the situation."

Germany last year took in around 1 million refugees, more than any other European country. Merkel's humanitarian approach has been in stark contrast to many other nations, particularly Hungary and Germany's neighbor Poland, which have called for stricter border controls and, in some cases, a complete stop to refugee applications.

The refugee situation was the main topic of conversation at the opening-night gala for Hail, Caesar!, with Berlin mayor Michael Muller telling the audience that Germany had an historic responsibility to take a stand on the refugee issue.

"Building new walls and barbed wire, shooting at refugees  these are messages that must never be transmitted from Germany ever, ever again, Muller said, seconding Merkel's policies.

Read More: Berlin: Refugee Crisis Overshadows Opening-Night Premiere

German film star Til Schweiger, who last year set up a foundation to support refugees in Germany, welcomed Clooney's engagement with the issue.

He is absolutely right to raise his voice and use his popularity to influence opinion on this, Schweiger told The Hollywood Reporter. The atmosphere in Germany has completely changed and there is a lot more anger and rabble-rousing. Also against me and what I'm doing. But they can say what they want, I have to do what's right. And I will keep doing it.

The Berlin Festival itself has put the refugee crisis at the center of this year's event, urging attendees to donate to refugee charities in Berlin via donation boxes placed around the festival venues. The Berlinale will also be providing free tickets to charities to allow volunteers who would like to to accompany a refugee to select screenings during the festival.

The festival is also showing several films that examine the plight of people fleeing war and poverty, including Fire at Sea, a documentary from director Gianfranco Rosi, about Italy's Lampedusa island, which has been swamped with refugees crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe. This year's lineup also includes the Syrian documentary Houses Without Doors, which looks at the city of Aleppo, which has been devastated by the country's civil war, and Meteorstrasse, a feature about a young Palestinian refugee struggling with daily life in Germany.

At the press conference, Clooney said it will take time for Hollywood to tackle the refugee crisis with its own films.

The unfortunate thing about the film community is we react to situations much more than we lead the way, he told reporters, arguing that the news media was best placed right now to address the European refugee issue.

But Vera Luters, a coordinator at the ufaFabrik refugee center in Berlin, praised the actions of VIPs like Clooney and Schweiger.

It is incredibly important to have prominent figures speak out on this issue, especially now as the climate here in Germany is starting to turn against (Merkel's policies), she told The Hollywood Reporter. They can play a real role in changing people's opinions.

See More: The Scene at Berlin Film Festival
Over two decades after he launched himself into Hollywood in spectacular fashion as a flamboyant drag queen on an unforgettable road trip across Australia, Guy Pearce is linking up once more with his Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert director and writer Stephan Elliott for a new comedy.

Flammable Children, also set to star Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill, Man on Fire, Finding Neverland, Olympus Has Fallen), is set on the sunny beaches of mid-1970s Australia. Three unique families see their lives turned upside down by the period's sexual revolution, alongside the body of a 200-ton whale, in a story described as "recreating that era in all of its glorious kitsch, over-the-top fashion, and crazy sexual confusion."

The film, produced by Al Clark (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Red Hill) and Jamie Hilton (The Waiting City, Backtrack), reunites several of Elliott's collaborators on Priscilla, including producer Clark, Oscar-nominated production designer Colin Gibson (Mad Max: Fury Road), costume designer Oscar winner Lizzy Gardiner (Mission Impossible 2), BAFTA-nominated score composer Guy Gross (Knowing) and Emmy Award-nominated film editor Sue Blainey (Lost).

Read more: Berlin: Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Pena Question Lack of Diversity Among Actors

"This is the film of the period that defined me. Wonderfully wrong, completely endearing and unintentionally hilarious," said Elliott.

WestEnd, which also has Panorama title Shepherds and Butchers and Rooney Mara-starring Una in Berlin, is introducing Flammable Children to buyers at the European Film Market.

The film, in pre-production, is shooting in the fall, with additional castmembers set to be announced soon.
The Warner Bros. sci-fi flick Midnight Special, about a father on the run with his 8-year-old son after discovering his child has special powers, was inspired by Jeff Nichols true-life crisis of his child's illness, the director revealed Friday.

Nichols recalled during a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival that his own 1-year-old son faced a sudden febrile seizure that left him in shock.

"It was a very scary moment for my wife and I. I rushed him to the hospital, and I was afraid he was dying," the director recounted.

Fortunately, Nichols' young boy recovered to full health. "But it made me realize in this moment that anything could happen to him and I would have no control over that," he added.

Read More: Jeff Nichols, 'Mud' Director, Eschews Hollywood for the South

And the idea for Midnight Special then appeared, as the Mud and Cannes-winning Take Shelter director set about processing his new-dad fears. "I think the reason we love our children so much is because of this fear," Nichols told the festival presser.

Midnight Special, which stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaedan Lieberher and Sam Shepard, is having its world premiere in Berlin after Warner Bros. pushed the release to March 18. But don't expect Nichols' true-life inspiration for Midnight Special to show up in the film.

The director said his latest movie deliberately removes as much exposition by characters onscreen "to the point of possibly endangering the story itself. ... Some people out there will agree with it [the experiment] and some people won't."

Starting with 2007's Shotgun Stories, each of the Arkansas native's films have been shot in the U.S. south, with Midnight Special shot in New Orleans. Nichols' friend Shannon was also featured in Mud and Take Shelter.

See More: The Scene at Berlin Film Festival
The mind-bending Bill Cosby saga has already broken a lot of legal ground from homeowner's insurance to the what publicists and lawyers can and can't say when their clients are accused of doing something rotten. Today's subject is marital harmony.

As Cosby faces a defamation lawsuit from seven female accusers, their attorney is demanding that Camille Cosby  the embattled entertainer's wife  testify in a deposition. On Dec. 31, in an event that was overshadowed by criminal charges filed against Mr. Cosby, a magistrate judge issued a ruling that Mrs. Cosby must submit to a deposition. Cosby's attorneys asked a federal judge to re-examine this. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni overruled what the magistrate judge had decided only in part. Here's where it gets interesting.

In law, there is something called "spousal privilege," which in general means that husbands and wives don't have to testify about their communications with each other in criminal and civil cases.

In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni traces the rule all the way back to 1628 when it "barred not just testimony as to private conversations, but all testimony by a spouse either for or against the other spouse, even if both spouses desired the testimony."

Over the years, the rule got narrowed, but it's still an important aspect of law. Notwithstanding, the magistrate judge offered an exception to the general principle that spouses can't be forced to testify about their marital communications. In simplest terms, it ran like this: Yes, Ms. Cosby might not have to testify against Mr. Cosby at trial, but we're not at trial yet. We're in the discovery stage. She must submit to a deposition and if Cosby's attorneys want to have it deemed inadmissible, they can bring a pre-trial motion to preclude it.

Now, Mastroianni offers up an even greater twist in considering what he calls to be a "difficult issue, as there is very little authority directly on the subject."

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His conclusion boils down as such: Yes, Ms. Cosby might not have to testify against Mr. Cosby at trial, but we're not at trial yet. She indeed has to show up at a deposition. But she doesn't necessarily have to say anything there if it violates the spousal rule.

And how does he come to this conclusion? Here's the fuller explanation:

"Considering its specific historical development, applying the disqualification rule to deposition testimony effectively protects marital harmony and the confidentiality of marital communications, which are key policies at the heart of the rule," he writes. "A spouses deposition testimony regarding private marital conversations would present a legitimate risk of harm to that marriage. Unlike grand jury proceedings, which occur in secret, deposition testimony may be made public (subject to confidentiality provisions) and the spouse of the testifying witness may be physically present at the deposition. Therefore, it would make little sense, in the absence of a statutory directive to the contrary (of which there is none), that the legislature intended the disqualification rule to apply to trial testimony but not deposition testimony. Accordingly, the court concludes that the Massachusetts marital disqualification rule applies to deposition testimony and that Deponents counsel, when appropriate, may instruct her not to provide testimony barred by the rule."

This sets the stage for a deposition that's likely to resemble one of those Congressional hearings where witnesses plead the fifth (though in this case, she'll be pleading her undying love of an alleged rapist).

Mastroianni says he is declining to issue a formal protective order limiting the scope of the deposition  meaning he won't guide what's in-bounds and out-of-bounds  given Cosby's wife's right to refuse to answer questions when appropriate. Vague? You bet. Instead, he's kicking it back to the magistrate judge to decide any disputes that come up. One can almost count on this happening. (Then again, Cosby asked the court on Tuesday to pause the civil lawsuit given his pending criminal case.) In fact, if it goes several rounds, the motion papers may provide some clues about what questions are coming her way.
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A would-be suicide bomber who refused to detonate her explosives in northeast Nigeria was identified as she tried to flee because of her distinctive hairstyle, a military officer said on Friday.

The officer, who was at the camp for displaced people in Dikwa, Borno state, when two other women blew themselves up on Tuesday, killing 58, said the third was spotted as she tried to leave.

"The Kanuri women are known for plaiting their hair but we realised over time from the bodies of female suicide bombers that they all had ponytails," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Based on that we came to the conclusion, after a thorough investigation and the testimonies from female bombers arrested alive, that before going on suicide bombing they are made to wear a ponytail because in Kanuri traditions when a woman dies before she is buried her hair is loosened and made in to a ponytail.

"Because they (Boko Haram) assume these women would never return when sent on the suicide mission, they are given that ritual before they go out.

"So, when we saw her fleeing the camp with a ponytail, we just knew she was one of the bombers, so we arrested her and she confessed."

Many women wear a long hijab covering their head in the Muslim-majority north but the officer, who was involved in the arrest, said hers had slipped in the panicked aftermath.

The carnage at the camp, which houses more than 50,000 people who have fled nearly seven years of violence in the region, was the latest in a string of attacks against civilian targets.

Boko Haram, which is composed mainly of the ethnic Kanuri group indigenous to the region, has increasingly used suicide bombers, including young children, in its campaign to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

- Kidnap victim -

Satomi Ahmed, of the Borno state emergency management agency, told AFP the failed bomber decided against detonating her explosives after realising her parents were staying there.

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Ahmed, who viewed her interrogation video, said she told investigators she was kidnapped by Boko Haram when they took over her village of Boboshe, near Dikwa.

"She was turned into a sex slave. She and four other girls were picked and detailed to carry out attacks on the camp (in Dikwa). Apparently they (Boko Haram) were tired of her," he added.

"She already knew that her parents were apparently in the camp. They left Boboshe towards the camp in Dikwa. Three of them were sent as the first batch of bombers to the camp.

"When they arrived at the camp, she quickly moved away from the other two because she knew they were carrying explosives. When they exploded, she tried to flee the camp."

Ahmed said the girl did not reveal when she was kidnapped but told them Boko Haram did not send out recently seized women and girls to be human bombs, indicating she had been held for some time.

Boko Haram's continued attacks in the region come despite the government's insistence it has "technically" defeated the Islamic State group affiliate.

Ahmed said fighters attacked Shuwarin village, about 25 kilometres (16 miles) outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, at about 10:30 pm (2130 GMT) on Wednesday.

"They killed four people and burnt 21 homes. Residents fled into the bush," he added.

"We got the story this morning and when we arrived we found they had already buried one body and were preparing for the burial of three others.

"But we took the bodies to the hospital here (in Maiduguri)."

The Nigerian Army meanwhile said it had cleared and released 275 detainees, including 50 children, two from Niger and two from Cameroon, suspected of involvement in "terrorism or insurgency".
In a gloomy week for environmentalists, a beleaguered southern California utility company provided a ray of light on Thursday when it temporarily capped a massive, runaway natural gas leak that has spewed more than two million tons of methane gas into the air above the San Fernando Valley.

The gloom for environmentalists and the Obama administration came on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Environmental Protection Agencys effort to combat global warming by regulating emissions from coal-fired power plants  the so-called Clean Power Plan. Obamas signature climate-change initiative is now on hold pending a lower court ruling on a challenge to the program from 29 states and a handful of corporations and energy industry groups.

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As The New York Times noted, the high court has never before granted a request to halt a government regulation before it had been reviewed by a federal appeals court. Obama has been counting on the Clean Power Plan to help meet the countrys commitment to a global effort to reduce global warming. Now it is likely that Obama will be long gone from office before the court challenge is resolved.

But the president can join Gov. Jerry Brown of California in cheering for the victory of finally capping the gas leak.

The blowout of the major natural gas storage facility last October in the suburban Los Angeles community of Porter Ranch displaced thousands of families, closed two schools and created arguably the worst environmental catastrophe since the 2010 BP oil spill along the Gulf Coast. Southern California utility officials said at the time there was no way to staunch the rupture for at least several months.

And as the gas escaped into the air at a rate of nearly 1,300 metric tons a day, workers and residents who remained in the area complained of headaches, nose bleeds and nausea from the putrid smelling gas. But a larger concern was what all that escaping methane would do to the environment.

Story continues

Related: Why the Gas Leak in California No One Is Talking About Is Such a Disaster

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gas emissions and is a major contributor to global warming. Scientists and environmental experts said that the Aliso Canyon leak became the biggest single source of methane emissions in all of California practically overnight when it began Oct. 23. Environmentalists said early this year that the impact of the greenhouse gases released since then, when projected out over 20 years, is equal to the emissions from six coal-fired power plants or 7 million cars, according to The Washington Post.

The leak was finally stopped after SoCalGas crews built a parallel relief well to divert the escaping gas, but the company said in a statement that it must continue to work on a permanent seal to the faulty well. We have temporarily controlled the natural gas flow from the leaking well and begun the process of sealing the well and permanently stopping the leak, said Jimmie Cho, SoCalGas senior vice president of gas operations and system integrity, in a written statement.

Heres the latest Los Angeles Times report on the successful capping of the well.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
(Repeats Thursday item)

* London contracts conference was due on Feb 22-24

* Internal clashes over the oil contracts, sources say

* Hardliners oppose contracts, push to have a bigger say

* Iran parliamentary elections on Feb 26

By Parisa Hafezi and Rania El Gamal

ANKARA/DUBAI, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Iran's cancellation of a conference when it had been due to unveil investment contracts to international oil firms signals that political feuding is disrupting plans to revive its energy sector.

Tehran blamed snags in obtaining British visas for Iranian delegates to the long-delayed conference, which had been scheduled to be held in London on Feb 22-24.

However, foreign oil executives say factionalised politics in Iran, where elections will be held later this month, appeared to explain the delay as the country seeks major investment following the lifting of international sanctions last month.

Iran's new oil and gas contracts are a cornerstone of its plans to raise crude production to pre-sanctions levels of four million barrels per day (bpd), and the OPEC member desperately needs $200 billion in foreign money to reach the goal.

The sanctions imposed in 2012 over Iran's nuclear programme have lost it billions. Tehran now wants foreign firms to revive its giant but ageing oilfields and develop new oil and gas projects through joint ventures with Iranian partners.

The conference had been postponed five times due to the sanctions. However, this time domestic infighting over the structure of the oil and gas investments contracts seems to have prevented any announcement of the commercial terms.

"There are big internal clashes on the new contracts," said a senior foreign oil executive. "The Iranians did not present us with a final contract until now, nothing was finally approved."

The Iran Petroleum Contracts (IPCs) covering about 52 projects will have flexible terms that take into account oil price fluctuations and investment risks, a senior Iranian oil official told Reuters in November.

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BP, France's Total (Other OTC: TTFNF - news) , Italy's Eni (Swiss: ENI.SW - news) and Russia's Lukoil (Other OTC: LUKOF - news) were among 135 firms that attended a Tehran conference in November to hear about the IPCs.

But executives expecting to see the model of the contract were offered only data on the fields up for investment and some general presentations about what the new deals might look like.

"It was clear that this conference was only for a domestic audience. I do not think they even approved the contracts yet," said another foreign oil executive who attended the November conference.

HARDLINE OPPOSITION

Hardline rivals of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani have strongly opposed the new contracts, saying they contradict the constitution which says Iranian natural resource reserves cannot be owned by foreigners. The hardliners also criticised a nuclear deal reached in 2015 that led to lifting of sanctions.

Trying to fend off criticism, Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh rejected "illogical" calls for banning participation of foreign energy firms, insisting that the new contract models are not treasonable, Shana news agency reported on Tuesday.

Hardliners want a bigger say in the contract regime, under which the oil ministry will assign certain Iranian companies to become partners of the foreign firms, industry sources say.

One Iranian oil businessman foresaw more problems for Zangeneh and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) following the elections on Feb. 26.

"The situation could be more difficult for NIOC and the oil minister for negotiations with the foreign companies after the parliamentary elections, because there is a lot of pressure from the hardliners," said an Iranian oil businessman.

"The hardliners don't want to be sidelined from the decision-making in the oil sector. They want to have a share in the discussions."

POLITICAL OPPOSITION

Easing economic sanctions and pulling Iran's economy out of its current sorry state could help Rouhani's backers in the elections to parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a body with nominal power over Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The government and especially the oil ministry have done their utmost to finalise the contracts before the elections," a senior Iranian official told Reuters. "We need to regain our position in the market and therefore Iran needs to offer contracts that are better than other oil producing countries."

Khamenei and his hardline allies will not allow Rouhani to gain too much popularity, particularly before the elections, another Iranian official said.

"People are tired and have high expectations. The government is trying to bind up wounds created by sanctions. Petrodollars are much needed and therefore the new oil contracts were prepared," the official, involved in the process said.

"The committee for preparing the contracts finished its work. The contracts need some minor touches and the final approvals. But unfortunately political infighting is overshadowing the issue."

Analysts say Rouhani's political allies could benefit from an economic dividend.

"The news about attracting foreign investors will give hope to Iranians, to voters, who will reward moderate candidates at the ballot box. And this is something that hardliners are wary of," said political analyst Hamid Farahvashian.

Farahvashian noted they criticised Rouhani's announcement of deals worth billions of dollars last month on a trip to Italy and France. "The same applies for the oil contracts."

NIOC's Deputy head Ali Kardor has said foreign oil companies will still be invited in May to bid for the new deals.

"The conference had been repeatedly postponed. It is a clear sign of political disagreement inside the establishment," said a senior Western diplomat in Tehran. "Hardliners know the economy is one of the main issues for people. They would not let Rouhani and his allies become more popular ahead of the elections."

Hardline students gathered last week in front of the oil ministry to protest against the terms of the contracts.

"These are all politically-motivated protests. Zanganeh is a seasoned politician and a technical person," said the first Iranian official. "He loves his country and more than anyone else believes in nationalisation of oil in Iran. He has always protected Iran's interests." (Editing by David Stamp)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly all the U.S. Republican presidential candidates will take the stage at CBS News' televised debate on Saturday, with Donald Trump flanked by rivals Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, the network said. It will be the ninth televised debate for Republican candidates seeking to represent the party in the November presidential election amid a thinning field that once had more than a dozen candidates. The debate in Greenville, South Carolina, comes as the remaining seven candidates aim to gain momentum heading into the state's primary on Feb. 20. CBS said front-runner Trump will take center stage flanked by Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas, and Bush, a former governor of Florida, making for a potentially heated event between the three men who have had testy exchanges during the campaign. Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore did not meet the network's criteria to be included, according to the CBS announcement. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Megan Cassella)
By John Irish MUNICH (Reuters) - China won't take part in any coalition fighting "terrorist groups" in the Middle East, but will do its fair share in its own way and is already helping Iraq, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. China wants to develop deeper defense and anti-terrorism ties with the Arab world, including joint exercises, intelligence sharing and training, the government said in a policy document released last month. While relying on the region for oil supplies, China has tended to leave Middle Eastern diplomacy to the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - the United States, Britain, France and Russia. After a meeting of major powers in Munich aimed at breaking the deadlock on Syria, Wang Yi told Reuters in an interview that Beijing would not take part in international coalitions fighting against militants in the region. "There is a tradition in China's foreign policy. We do not join in state groups that have a military nature and this also applies to international counter-terrorism cooperation," he said speaking through an interpreter. "It doesn't mean that China will not play its role in fighting terrorism. It has been, but in its own ways." In December, China passed a counter-terrorism law which allows its military to venture overseas on counter-terrorism operations, though experts have said China faces big practical and diplomatic problems if it ever wants to do this. Beijing has been trying to get more diplomatically involved, especially in Syria, recently hosting both its foreign minister and opposition officials. It also has its own worries about radicalization of the Muslim Uighur people who live in China's far western region of Xinjiang, which has been beset by violence in recent years, blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants. "We have been helping Iraq with counter-terrorism capacity building and conducting intelligence sharing with certain countries," he said without elaborating. "We are (also) working with countries to cut the channels of financial resources and movements of terrorists," he said. China says some Uighurs have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight with militant groups there. In November, Islamic State said it had killed a Chinese citizen it had taken hostage in the Middle East. Wang said he hoped that Friday's agreement between major powers for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria would succeed because all the major players had now accepted that the crisis needed end. "I have an impression that although different parties still have different positions and although there were serious debates, all the parties ... have come to realize that we must stop blaming each other," he said. (Reporting By John Irish; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Toby Chopra)
By John Whitesides MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed sharply in a debate on Thursday over their support for President Barack Obama, with Sanders accusing Clinton of "a low blow" after she compared him to Republicans. As the Democratic race moves to states with large minority populations, both candidates openly courted black and Hispanic votes during a debate that was far more restrained and cordial than last week's contentious debate in New Hampshire. In the sharpest exchange of the night, Clinton attacked Sanders for being too critical of Obama, who is extremely popular with the black voters who will play a big role in the outcome in South Carolina and other upcoming nominating contests. "The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our president, I expect from Republicans, I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama," said Clinton, who served as secretary of state during Obama's first term. "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow," said Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont. Sanders said he had been an Obama ally in the Senate even if he did not always agree with him. "Do senators have the right to disagree with the president?" Sanders said. Clinton, who has eagerly embraced Obama's legacy, said Sanders had called Obama weak and a disappointment, and "that goes further than saying we have our disagreements." With Clinton looking to rebound after her crushing 22-point loss to Sanders in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, the two also differed over healthcare and Wall Street. Even so, the restrained exchange on Thursday was unlikely to change the trajectory of a race that has intensified dramatically over two weeks. Clinton accused Sanders of misleading Americans on his healthcare. She said his proposal for a single-payer, Medicare-for-all healthcare plan would mean dismantling the program known as Obamacare and triggering another intense political struggle. "Based on every analysis I can find by people who are sympathetic to the goal, the numbers dont add up," Clinton told Sanders. "That's a promise that cannot be kept." Sanders said he was simply moving to provide what most industrialized countries have - healthcare coverage for all. "We're not going to dismantle anything," Sanders said. "In my view healthcare is a right of all people, not a privilege, and I will fight for that." Sanders also repeated his accusation that Clinton is too beholden to the Wall Street interests she once represented as a U.S. senator from New York, noting her Super PAC received $15 million in donations from Wall Street. "Let's not insult the intelligence of the American people," he said. "Why in God's name does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? I guess just for the fun of it, they want to throw money around." Clinton said the donations did not mean she was in Wall Street's pocket, and noted that President Barack Obama had taken donations from Wall Street during his campaigns. "When it mattered, he stood up and took on Wall Street," she said. THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND RACE With an eye to on the minority vote, both candidates decried the high incarceration rate of African-Americans and called for broad reforms of the criminal justice system. Sanders said the disproportionately high rate of incarceration for black men was "one of the great tragedies" in the United States. He called for "fundamental police reform" that would "make it clear that any police officer who breaks the law will in fact be dealt with." Clinton criticized what she called "systemic racism" in education, housing and employment. "When we talk about criminal justice reform  we also have to talk about jobs, education, housing and other ways of helping communities of color," she said. They both agreed on the need for immigration reform, an important issue to Hispanic voters, though they clashed over the Obama administration's actions on handling a wave of undocumented children who entered the country alone. Clinton criticized Sanders for voting against a reform measure in 2007, which Sanders defended because of a provision in the bill for guest workers. Clinton entered Thursday's debate under acute pressure to calm growing nervousness among her supporters after her drubbing in New Hampshire and a razor-thin win the prior week in the Iowa caucus. Both states have nearly all-white populations. For his part, Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, hoped to harness the momentum and enthusiasm he gained from the first two contests and prove he can be a viable contender to lead the Democratic Party to victory in the Nov. 8 presidential election. "What our campaign is indicating is that the American people are tired of establishment politics," Sanders said. "They want a political revolution." Clinton dodged an opportunity to distance herself from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's recent controversial comments that there was "a special place in hell" for women who don't support other women. "Look, I think that she's been saying that for as long as I've known her, which is about 25 years. But it doesn't change my view that we need to empower everyone, women and men, to make the best decisions in their minds that they can make," she said. On the foreign policy front, Sanders criticized Clinton for her warm relationship for Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state under Republican President Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War. Sanders called Kissinger "one of the most destructive secretaries of state." Asked by Clinton about who his foreign policy advisers were, Sanders shot back: "Well it ain't Henry Kissinger." The race now moves to what should be more favorable ground for Clinton in Nevada and South Carolina, states with more black and Hispanic voters, who, polls show, have been more supportive of Clinton so far. (Additional reporting by Amanda Becker, Alana Wise and Megan Cassella in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Washington (AFP) - Hillary Clinton says her life's work has been a battle to help women make their own choices, but the first rounds of the Democratic nomination race raised big doubts over whether America's women will choose her as the country's first female commander-in-chief.

The former secretary of state is on the offensive after suffering a blowout defeat to Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire primary, where she lost out heavily to younger women despite promises to be their champion in the White House.

Two prominent Clinton supporters complicated her efforts to woo female voters last weekend with statements that triggered an embarrassing backlash by suggesting women were duty-bound to back the former first lady.

On the debate stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Thursday night, the 68-year-old reached out over and over to the female electorate -- talking up her feminist credentials, but also insisting she does not take their support for granted.

"I have said many times I am not asking people to support me because I'm a woman," she said.

"I am asking people to support me because I think I am the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander-in-chief."

Exit polls in New Hampshire showed Clinton -- the only woman still vying for the White House -- receiving 44 percent of the female vote, compared to 55 percent for Sanders.

More troublingly, young women seem to be flocking to her rival: the 74-year-old senator from Vermont won 82 percent of the vote among women younger than 30, and 69 percent of votes from women under 45 in the state.

- 'Empowered to choose' -

New Hampshire was undeniably a blow for Clinton, who won the state in 2008 thanks to the women's vote, but she brushed off the setback on Thursday night.

"I have spent my entire adult life working toward making sure that women are empowered to make their own choices, even if that choice is not to vote for me," Clinton said.

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Despite the drubbing, nationwide poll data suggests Clinton can still hope for solid support from the female constituency as the primary race intensifies, heading next to Nevada and South Carolina.

"I think she's still in a position to get plenty of support from women in this contest, especially relative to men," said Geoffrey Skelley of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Even in New Hampshire itself, she still fared considerably better among women than men -- losing them by 11 percentage points, whereas she lost the male vote by a full 35 points.

And at the national level, 48 percent of women say they would vote for Clinton and 38 percent for Sanders, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted from February 2 to 4. Twelve percent remain undecided.

But Clinton was put on the spot by the controversy unleashed by two high-profile backers, the feminist icon Gloria Steinem and another former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.

- With friends like these -

Steinem apologized after suggesting young women aren't serious with their politics and were simply enticed to the Sanders camp because "the boys are with Bernie."

And Albright was forced to explain her remark that "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other," although she has said the phrase repeatedly over the years -- so much so that it was printed on cups at Starbucks.

Her statement prompted New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, who is gay, to ask whether there would be a "place in hell" for him if he does not support a gay candidate.

"There's a weird strain of thought swirling around Clinton's campaign: that we should vote for her because she's a woman. Or that she's inoculated from certain flaws or accusations by dint of gender," Bruni wrote.

"Voters don't like being viewed as simpletons who will support someone just because that candidate is the same gender or race," warned the University of Virginia's Skelley.

Clinton was gently dismissive of Albright's comments at Thursday's debate, sticking to her credo that women are free to back her or not.

"I think she's been saying that for as long as I've known her, which is about 25 years," Clinton said.

But she also insisted the feminist struggle was far from over, whether on pay, family leave, or equal career opportunities.

"We need a leader on women's issues," Clinton said, "to protect the hard-fought gains that women have made that, make no mistake about it, are under tremendous attack."

The key question is, will her message resonate with the younger generation?

For women born in the 1980s or 1990s, "to have a woman at the White House doesn't seem as historical for them," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
As someone whos been writing snappy headlines for years now, I love a good pun. And so, it seems, does Stephen Colbert. After MSNBC host Chris Hayes this week inadvertently referred to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as Bernie Sandwiches, Colbert decided to have a little fun by making several puns involving both Sanders and sandwiches. Impressively, Colbert and his writing staff managed to cram a whopping 11 different sandwich puns into one minute of airtime.

DONT MISS: The scientific reasons you want to punch Martin Shkreli in the face

Every time Colbert made a sandwich pun, he brought out a plate that contained the sandwich type he referenced. Its something that wouldnt be very funny if you only did, say four or five sandwiches but once you get past the seventh sandwich it becomes genuinely very funny.

Heres the full monologue with the sandwich names in bold:

Bernie Sandwiches [is someone] everyone can get behind because hes not a member of the old boys club, he fights the rich guys on behalf of the po boys. Hes someone with a trusting, open face and will surely win Florida by appealing to Cubans and he is Au Jus-ish candidate. Plus he has a long history of supporting the LGBLT community. Sure, the Democratic establishment may have a beef with him now because hes been Reuben them the wrong way. And I know it may sound hoagie and he doesnt have it all wrapped up yet, but in times like these his supporters believe we need a hero.

That is good punnage.

Check out the full video below  the sandwich puns start at the 6:50 mark.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com
Searching for the positive in everyday life
Bogota (AFP) - Colombian lawmakers will meet beginning Tuesday to create zones where FARC rebels can turn over their arms, in anticipation of a peace deal that would end a half-century of conflict, sources said.

President Juan Manuel Santos has ordered Congress to convene in special sessions lasting from February 16 to March 16 as he closes in on a deal with FARC rebels, congressional sources told AFP on Thursday.

Santos issued a presidential decree summoning lawmakers in both legislative houses "to start discussions on a bill to allow the government to designate territorial zones where the FARC may assemble and lay down their arms after the agreements are signed," one congressional source said.

The government and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have vowed to sign a peace deal by March 23 to end five decades of conflict that have left 220,000 people dead.

Santos's center-right coalition has a majority in Congress. It must pass a reform before it is able to demilitarize certain areas so the FARC can safely demobilize.

The disbanding and disarmament process is one of the most delicate points on the agenda of the peace talks, which began in 2012 and are being hosted by Cuba.

The two sides have signed deals on four of the six agenda items at the talks: justice for victims, land reform, a political role for ex-rebels and fighting the drug trafficking that fuels the conflict.

The unsettled issues are disarmament and the mechanism by which the final accord will be ratified.

The United Nations has agreed to send a political mission of unarmed observers to monitor disarmament and the transition to peace, at the request of both sides.

The FARC launched in the aftermath of a peasant uprising in 1964 and authorities estimate it currently has some 7,000 members.

The Colombian conflict has drawn in right-wing paramilitaries, drug traffickers and several leftist rebel groups, including FARC.
Frankfurt (AFP) - Commerzbank, Germany's second biggest bank, said Friday that its profits quadrupled in 2015, highlighting a remarkable comeback from the brink of disaster during the financial crisis.

In a rare upbeat announcement amid the current gloom gripping the European banking sector, Commerzbank also said it would resume dividend payments as it expects to see further profit growth this year.

Investors welcomed the strong 2015 showing by the lender which posted a net profit of 1.06 billion euros ($1.2 billion), compared with 266 million euros the year before.

"All's well that ends well," said Robert Halver, analyst at Baader Bank.

"The results published today are good. You get the feeling that the bank really tackled its problems head-on," he told AFP.

Frankfurt-based Commerzbank was severely hit by the financial crisis, having to be rescued by the state in 2009, and the government still holds a 15-percent stake in the bank.

It has since laid off thousands of staff and slashed costs, resulting in a turnaround.

"2015 has shown that our strategy is right and that the implementation has been successful," boasted chief executive Martin Blessing.

"For the first time in five years we have attained a net profit of more than one billion euros and have seen further significant strengthening of our capital base," Blessing said.

The profits were slightly bigger than analysts had expected and sent Commerzbank shares soaring on the Frankfurt stock exchange.

Commerzbank shares were the biggest gainers on the blue-chip DAX 30 index, jumping 18 percent to 7.54 in closing trade.

Commerzbank said in a statement that revenues totalled 9.8 billion euros last year, an increase of 11 percent year-on-year, and underlying or operating profit tripled to 1.9 billion euros.

The group said investment in its retail or high-street banking business was paying off, with underlying profits in that division doubling last year.

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The retail banking division, vastly expanded by the acquisition of rival Dresdner Bank in 2008-2009, had long weighed on Commerzbank's profitability.

Commerzbank said it slashed loan risk provisions last year to 696 million euros from 1.14 billion euros in 2014, a move welcomed by analysts.

"The main surprises are the improvement in capital ratios and the reduction of risky loans," said Equinet analyst Philipp Haessler.

Commerzbank also said it had now closed an external structure, also known as "bad bank", created in 2012 to isolate the healthy part of the bank from high-risk assets, which it said had now been unwound for the most part.

On the back of the jump in profits, the management board will propose a dividend per share of 0.20 euros for 2015, the first payout since 2008.

Looking ahead, Commerzbank said that "2016 will be a challenging year due to the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment."

Commerzbank said it expected a "moderate increase in loan loss provisions. From today's perspective we expect a slight increase in net profit in comparison with this year's result."
By Aaron Ross KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa's top copper producer, has not dropped plans to revise its mining code, the mines ministry said on Thursday, in an apparent contradiction to comments made by the mines minister on Wednesday. The minister, Martin Kabwelulu, told an industry conference in Cape Town on Wednesday that the government had decided to retain the 2002 code governing the terms for mining operations in the country, abandoning a three-year revision process that met with fierce industry opposition over proposed rises in tax and royalty rates. But in an email sent to London-based campaign group Global Witness on Thursday, Kabwelulu's chief of staff Valery Mukasa said that Kabwelulu simply meant to say that the existing code remains in effect until it is replaced. "The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has not renounced revising the mining code. Quite the contrary," Mukasa said in the email. "However, in the context of targeting potential investors interested in the mining sector, the mines minister sought to reassure that the legal framework that governs the sector is the mining code of 2002, still in effect," he added. Congo's government initiated the review of the mining code in 2012 in an effort to increase its revenues from the sector. The country is also the world's leading producer of cobalt and extracts significant quantities of gold, diamonds and tin. A draft code was submitted to parliament last March but has yet to be adopted amid continuing opposition from industry. Global Witness on Wednesday criticised the reported decision to drop the revision process, saying that it represented a missed opportunity to improve management of a sector riddled with corruption. The industry-led chamber of mines applauded the decision, which it said was necessary given the state of metals markets. Benchmark copper fell 25 percent last year and copper prices are expected to hit their lowest average in more than a decade this year, according to a Reuters survey of metal analysts last month. Foreign miners with interests in the country include Glencore, Randgold Resources and Freeport-McMoRan. (Reporting By Aaron Ross; Editing by Edward McAllister, Greg Mahlich)
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A Connecticut man pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal hate crime for shooting at a mosque next door to his home shortly after November's deadly attacks in Paris.

Ted Hakey Jr., 48, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally damaging religious property by using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly in Connecticut said.

Hakey entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Michael Shea in Hartford, Connecticut.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison at his May 10 sentencing, but just eight to 14 months under recommended federal guidelines. Hakey also faces a maximum $250,000 fine. He remains free on $400,000 bail.

Lawyers for Hakey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Authorities said Hakey fired four shots with a rifle at the Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden in the early morning of Nov. 14, 2015, after learning about the attacks in Paris by Islamic State militants the day before, which killed 130 people.

The mosque was vacant at the time, and no one was injured.

Authorities have said Hakey was drinking before firing the shots and had denied any intent to hit the mosque, but that investigators found numerous Facebook postings in which the defendant had expressed hatred for Muslims.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Miami (AFP) - Nearly 50 prison officers were arrested in the southern US state of Georgia Thursday after authorities raided several penitentiaries in a crackdown on corruption and smuggling.

The officers are charged with a range of crimes, from accepting bribes to drug trafficking, according to John Horn, US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

A total of 46 corrections officers were arrested and two civilians and one prisoner were also charged during the operation which took place across nine prisons, he said.

"Our work is nowhere near finished, these are systemic problems," he added.

The investigation was at first focused on the smuggling of cell phones into prisons until authorities found numerous other irregularities and expanded their probe, according to Horn.

"It is truly troubling that so many corrections officers from across the state of Georgia could be so willing to sell their oaths, to sell their badges for personal profit to benefit and protect purported drug transactions," Horn said.

Nearly 200 agents searched the prisons and made the arrests Thursday, he added.

Since September, Georgia authorities have charged more than 100 people in a campaign to clear state prisons of corruption, drug trafficking and smuggling, especially of cell phones.
Since moving to Singapore, I have noticed how part of the national persona involves having quite spirited opinions about where to find the best of any particular dish as well as regular food snapping (that is taking pics of your meal!) is a standard pastime. That said, at the risk of sounding cynical, with so much choice available, it is easy to see it all as same-same  until a Sassy Mama work dinner found us all crowded around a whitewashed table at Crab in da Bag.

Crab in da Bag is one of the East Coasts newest restaurant additions, and is bursting with delicious seafood, a super relaxed atmosphere, and all at wallet friendly prices too! And the best bit? You eat everything with your hands! The brainchild of former film producer A P Tan, Crab In Da Bag is nothing I have ever experienced before! The concept is a relatively simple one put your bib on and dig in! The crowd pleasing Louisiana-inspired Caboodle Boil is exactly as the name suggests it includes just about EVERY type of seafood item from their menu. Cooked in a titanic aluminum pot, the Southern Louisiana specialty is literally spilled onto your table, ready for you to dig in! The rest of the menu is up to you to season as you like, theres garlic butter (yes please!), ultimate curry (a must-try signature curry mix) or Crab in da Bags Caboodle Mix  a secret combination of local and Louisiana spices (how could we refuse?).

The Caboodle Boil3

So what did we Sassy Mamas dine on? We started with Crinkled Cauliflower (interesting!), Crispy Chewy Baby Squids (we loved the balance between the crispy and chewy), Louisiana Garlic Shrimps (to die for!), and Frizzled Silver Fish (my personal favourite). This was followed by the main event  Crab in da Bags famous Caboodle Boil. Three words OH MY GOODNESS! It was so good and lip-smacking delicious I struggled to contain myself! King Crab Legs, Sri Lankan Crabs, yabbies, prawns, sausages, corn and potatoes were all competing for our culinary attention, and lets just say its going to take quite a few 10km runs to work off this meal!

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Somersby Garlic Prawns

But what inspired the extremely congenial Ms. Tan to bring this unique concept dining experience to our little red dot? She explained she just wanted to see people reconnect over good makan and engage in real conversation with each other Forget your phones and devices and just concentrate on the people you are with  if only for a meal! (they even provide little boxes to store your beloved phone in so you wont be inclined to use it whilst you are there!).

Will this Mama be back? Absolutely! In fact, Im just putting together my guest list now

Crab in da Bag

Block D, #01-25 Big Splash, 902 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449875

Tel: (+65) 6440 0083

Facebook page

Opening hours

Monday  closed

Tuesday to Friday 4pm-12am

Saturday to Sunday 12pm-12am

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At least a dozen research groups are now working on developing a Zika virus vaccine, according the World Health Organization (WHO). But scientists are also investigating many more questions about Zika, beyond how to fight it with vaccination.

A licensed vaccine is likely years in the future, WHO representatives said. More-immediate questions will need to be addressed in order for scientists and health officials to diagnose and contain the virus in the meantime, and to determine whether Zika is linked to microcephaly  a disorder in which babies are born with smaller-than-average heads  and Guillaine-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder.

Live Science has rounded up some of the biggest questions about this mysterious virus, and talked to experts to get the low-down on the latest science that might provide answers. Here is what we found: [Zika Virus News: Complete Coverage of the 2016 Outbreak]

Is Zika causing microcephaly and Guillain-Barre?

Perhaps the most urgent question is whether Zika is, in fact, causing babies to be born with the congenital condition microcephaly, and whether the virus is leading to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre.

Microcephaly is rare, and growing clusters of infants with the condition in Brazil have been linked to areas with Zika outbreaks, suggesting a connection. The presence of Zika DNA in amniotic fluid in several of these cases indicates that the mothers were infected with the virus, which likely had come into contact with the developing fetus. Similarly, Guillaine-Barre, a rare condition that can cause near-complete paralysis in extreme cases, has been on the rise in areas identified as Zika hotspots in Brazil.

On February 10, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described four cases  two microcephalic births and two miscarried fetuses  with signs of Zika infection in their brains and placental tissue, the strongest evidence yet of a connection between the virus and the birth defect. But scientists have yet to find the "smoking gun" that proves Zika infection is causing either microcephaly or Guillain-Barre, said Nicholas Jackson, global head of research for vaccine development at Sanofi Pasteur, one of the companies working on a Zika vaccine.

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"It's critical to confirm the potential association," Jackson told Live Science. "And there's another really important point related to that: If you get Zika and you don't have symptoms  because only one in five people develops fever and feels unwell  are you still at risk to go on and have those complications?" he said.

"Those are really important, fundamental questions about the disease and the virus that need to be understood," Jackson said.

How can people with Zika be diagnosed quickly?

The possibility of links between Zika and neurological disorders leads to another puzzle piece: How do you know if you're infected?

"Eighty percent of people [infected with Zika virus] are asymptomatic," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Of the 20 percent with symptoms, the symptoms are usually mild  fever, rash, muscle aches, headaches, joint aches  nonspecific things. This is a significant challenge to all scientists," because it makes the infection hard to spot, Glatter told Live Science.

In other words, how can health officials contain a virus that usually lurks unseen?

Glatter recently co-authored a report in the Harvard Business Review recommending Zika-fighting strategies that were inspired by actions taken against the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa. For Ebola, the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) in the field allowed community health workers who lacked significant medical training to quickly identify infected people using a single drop of blood, Glatter explained. The RDT analyzed the blood, looking for an antigen, a protein produced by the actual virus itself, which would confirm the person was infected.

Developing, distributing and using such field kits in known Zika hotspots will be critical for containing infection, Glatter said. "The rapid diagnostics are really where it's at, in order to quell and reduce the spread of patients that are infected," he said.

"The pace is feverish right now, especially at the CDC, to develop one of these antigen-detection kits, because unless you get it into communities where the virus is active, you don't know who can stay and who can leave," Glatter said.

But there are properties of the Zika virus that present additional obstacles to developing these field tests, he said.

"The problem is that it's rapidly changing," Glatter told Live Science. "There are certain proteins on the capsule of the virus that have the ability to mutate, so getting the exact proteins that we're looking for in terms of the antigens that will be employed in a kit is really the crux of the issue, and really the challenge at this point," he said.

And Zika's similarity to other viruses in its family could also complicate the diagnostic process, said Alan Barrett, director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development in Texas. Zika is part of the flavivirus family, which means it's genetically similar to the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever and West Nile infections.

"In Brazil, where they have 10 different [types of] flaviviruses, trying to identify Zika from dengue or a different virus is going to be very difficult," Barrett told Live Science.

How is Zika spreading?

Another mystery surrounding Zika is how exactly the virus has accomplished its recent, unprecedentedly rapid spread across the Americas, into areas where it had never been detected before. Researchers have long known that Zika is primarily carried by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and this species is highly adaptable. Scientists also think that climate change has made some environments more hospitable to mosquitoes than they used to be. But there are other unknowns related to Zika's mosquito carriers.

"Is it using the same mosquito vectors across South America? The assumption is yes, but we haven't proved that definitively," Barrett told Live Science. "Is it a strictly human virus cycle, like chikungunya? If animals are involved as a reservoir, it's going to be much harder to get rid of it. Are humans dead-end hosts for Zika, or is there active enough replication for mosquitoes to spread it from human to human? There are lots of things we still don't understand," he said.

Glatter said humans are likely to blame as well for the rapid spread.By producing large quantities of garbage, people provide breeding grounds for the bloodsuckers that might be carrying viruses.

"We have an explosion of garbage throughout our world that's spurred the development of Aedes aegypti," Glatter told Live Science."It lives in tires. It's adapted to live in plastic. These are ideal habitats for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. All it needs is a little moisture, and they're good to go. Our problem with trash is a root cause for the rise of mosquitoes," Glatter said. [Sting, Bite & Destroy: Nature's 10 Biggest Pests]

How many people may be infected by other routes of Zika transmission?

Recent evidence suggests that the virus can sometimes spread through other paths.

Earlier this month, in Texas, a person was diagnosed with sexually transmitted Zika, the first case of locally acquired Zika infection in the United States this year. Previous instances of Zika spreading through semen were reported in Colorado in 2008 and in French Polynesia in 2015.

It's unclear how often sexual transmission may happen, and whether it's easy or difficult for the virus to spread this way. But the CDC recently issued a warning on its website for pregnant women who have male partners who traveled to or live in a Zika hotspot: Those women should either abstain from sex or use condoms for vaginal, anal and oral sex for the duration of the pregnancy, the warning said.

Transmission through blood transfusions is also possible, evidence has shown.

On Feb. 4, Brazil health officials confirmed two cases of Zika infection linked to blood transfusion, Reuters reported.

A bulletin issued Feb. 1 by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) in response to the Zika outbreaks recommends that travelers to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America self-defer from donating blood for at least 28 days after their return to the United States. According to the bulletin, "2.8 percent of blood donors tested positive for Zika RNA during the French Polynesian outbreak."

Following the AAAB's recommendation, the American Red Cross issued a statement on Feb. 2 that its representatives would implement self-deferral for prospective blood donors. The organization added it would request that if donors develop Zika symptoms within two weeks after donating, they contact the Red Cross immediately so that their blood donations can be quarantined.

How can future pandemics be prevented?

While scientists race to answer these and other questions about Zika in order to contain and defeat the virus, they are also looking ahead and anticipating the next pandemic, Glatter said.

"Zika is here to stay in the Americas. It's going to be a part of our lives for years to come," Glatter said. "We need to look at the time line and get a good idea of what the viruses are that are a threat to the human race, and invest in technologies and spot the trends early to become more proactive and less reactive."

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It appears Donald Trump has had enough of fellow GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

On Friday afternoon, Trump tweeted to his more than 6.1 million followers that he might pursue legal action against Cruz, concerning the Texas senator's White House eligibility, if Cruz did not stop his "cheating" and running "negative ads."

If @TedCruz doesn't clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen.

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016

Cruz and Trump have butted heads almost from the start of the election season. Since announcing his presidential bid, Trump has been the front-runner in notional polls, but Cruz has been gaining ground in the past few months and even beat Trump during the Iowa caucus.

It was during that election that Cruz's people distributed information to voters that Dr. Ben Carson was suspending his GOP campaign; a falsity that Cruz later apologized for, claiming it was an honest mistake based off inaccurate media reports.

Since then, Trump demanded a new election be held on the basis of his opinion that Cruz cheated.

Trump has hammered away at Cruz for being born in Canada before becoming a U.S. resident, which Trump has said means he is ineligible to run for president. Trump has contended that someone on the Democrats' side of the race will sue over the issue, but it appears Trump may take matters into his own hands.

Trump also made headlines last week when he repeated a supporter at a New Hampshire rally who called Cruz a "pussy" for his stance on using torture to gain information regarding terrorist activities.

For his part, Cruz recently pushed back against Trump, releasing an attack ad featuring a group of boys playing with a Trump-like doll as they talk disparagingly about the billionaire businessman.

Read More: Donald Trump on Repeating Vulgar Remark About Ted Cruz: "It Was Like a Retweet"
A luxury hotel bearing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's name is set to open in Washington DC, just months before Americans head to the polls to vote.

The $200 million Trump International Hotel, Washington DC will open in September, transforming a historical landmark, the Old Post Office Pavilion, into a luxury hotel located on Pennsylvania Avenue which connects the White House and the United States Capitol.

Originally scheduled to open in 2018, developers have been steamrolling ahead to finish the hotel in time for the US election in November.

Soaring windows, 16-foot ceilings (5m), intricately restored stonework, original wood milling and paneling and crystal chandeliers will embellish the 263 guestrooms and suites including the Trump Townhouse, which will be the largest suite in DC at 6,300 square feet (585 square meters) and boasts a separate entrance off of Pennsylvania Avenue.

The hotel will feature a sprawling meeting and event space including a Presidential Ballroom that is also slated to be the largest in the city.

The Old Post Office is the second tallest building in DC after the Washington Monument at 315 feet (96m) and the clock tower more than century old. The building's Bells of Congress were replicas of London's Westminster Abbey.

The hotel drew headlines last year, when famous chef Jose Andres -- a Spanish native -- backed out of the project following Trump's controversial comments on illegal Mexican immigration.
Monterrey (Mexico) (AFP) - Authorities found dozens of knives, cocaine and flat-screen televisions at the Mexican prison where a brawl killed 49 inmates, officials said Friday, highlighting the control drug cartels hold over many penitentiaries.

The battle at the Topo Chico prison in the northern industrial city of Monterrey was triggered by a power struggle between rival leaders of the Zetas gang, authorities said.

Officials acknowledged that the prisoners had their own "self-government" at the facility, where 100 guards monitored 3,800 convicts.

After reclaiming control following Thursday's pre-dawn riot, authorities found half a kilogram of marijuana, 23 doses of crack cocaine, 30 doses of cocaine, 120 makeshift blades, 80 knives, 60 hammers, 400 lighters, 16 USB sticks, 10 MP3 players, and two 67-inch (170-centimeter) televisions, Rodriguez said.

"There is a self-government, obviously because of the financial shortfall and the lack of guards," Rodriguez said, adding that the prison was overcrowded by 35 percent.

An official at the state's human rights commission, Sylvia Puente Aguilar, said extortion, beatings and murders are common at the prison.

"There is a dispute because illegal activities have been detected inside, such as drug dealing," Aguilar told Milenio television.

- Fear of sleeping -

The prison battle was triggered by a dispute over control of the facility between rival Zetas members Jorge Ivan Hernandez Cantu, alias "El Credo," and Juan Pedro Zaldivar Farias, alias "El Z-27," according to the authorities.

Following the clash, both Zetas leaders were among 233 inmates who were transferred from the state facility to federal prisons, where people convicted of more serious crimes are usually held.

Relatives of victims sobbed as they read a list of the dead outside the prison. Twelve other inmates were injured.

Forty bodies have been identified and all had wounds consistent with stabbings or beatings with hammers and sticks, Rodriguez said.

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A former inmate told AFP about a dangerous life inside the prison.

"You never sleep well because if you sleep deeply, the scorpion will sting you," said Juan, a 28-year-old former convict who was released last month.

Covered in tattoos up to his forehead, Juan said around 50 Zetas drug cartel members lord over the prison and are protected by the authorities "because they have a lot of money" from a "tax" they charge other inmates.

Juan, who would not give his full name out of safety concerns, was waiting for news about the fate of his brother, a prisoner at Topo Chico.

Linda, a 25-year-old secretary, said her husband, who is being held in the prison for drug trafficking, told her that those fighting for control recruit "inmates who have nothing to do" with the power struggle.

"You could see this coming," said Linda, who added that her husband has faced death threats and was beaten on Thursday after the riot was over.

Eight inmates sleep in her husband's cell, with some forced to lie on the floor.

"The food is terrible, the drains smell bad and there are rats," Linda said.

- Reform promise -

The riot erupted on the eve of Pope Francis's five-day trip to Mexico, during which he is due to visit another notorious prison in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.

But National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said the pope would visit a safe facility, telling local radio that the prison is a "national exception" because the Chihuahua state authorities have established an "orderly and disciplined" penitentiary system.

But Sales admitted that "the criminals are the ones in control" of Topo Chico and that "unfortunately, this is happening in a good part of our country's prisons."

Out of 389 Mexican prisons, more than 70 percent are "overcrowded and ungovernable," the national security commissioner said.

The United Nations' anti-drug and human rights agencies condemned the latest riot, saying it highlights the "grave situation" at Mexican prisons, as many have become "de facto recruitment centers for criminal organizations."

President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration vowed to reform the penitentiary system after powerful drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman tunneled his way out the country's top maximum-security prison last year. He was recaptured in January.

"If the best prison in the country was like that, how are the rest?" said Alejandro Hope, a security expert and former Mexican intelligence agency officer.
By Jan Lopatka and Gabriela Baczynska PRAGUE/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Eastern European leaders are set to offer manpower and other aid to help Macedonia seal its Greek border, sources close to the discussions told Reuters, in a move that could strand migrants in Greece in the coming months. The leaders of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- known as the Visegrad Group within the European Union -- could announce the move when they meet their Macedonian counterpart at a summit in Prague on Monday, diplomats said. As the European Union gave notice to Athens on Friday that its failure to control hundreds of thousands of refugees landing via Turkey over the past year will see a long-term suspension of some passport-free travel in Europe, EU officials said they expected more border tightening by Greece's Balkan neighbors. "Some form of heavy control is in the making," said one. Visegrad EU states have led criticism of efforts, notably by Germany, to absorb asylum-seekers who have trekked north out of Greece through Macedonia and Serbia, neither of which are in the EU. Outspoken, right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Macedonia and Bulgaria last month to follow his example and fence off their borders against refugees and other migrants. And while Orban's action was condemned by many European leaders and human rights groups, the idea of preventing people entering impoverished Macedonia and instead holding them in EU-member Greece until they can either be offered asylum elsewhere -- or deported -- has gained ground among policy-makers as they try to prevent new chaos when arrivals rise with better weather. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told Macedonians in Skopje on Friday that they should be ready to "completely stop" the entry of migrants in the next few months because he expected Vienna to do the same once it reaches a self-declared limit on the number of migrants it will accept over its eastern borders. DOMINO EFFECT Concern at a "domino effect" of border closures rippling down the Balkan peninsula to Greece and leaving large numbers of Syrians, Iraqis and others stranded in some of Europe's poorest countries, has prompted the EU to offer aid and cooperation to those states, all of them candidates to join the bloc. Its border agency Frontex is operating with Greek forces on the southern side of the Macedonian border but is prevented by its legal mandate from doing so in Macedonia itself -- prompting Brussels to encourage member states to offer bilateral help. Another EU diplomat expressed hope that elements of the EU's so far largely ineffective efforts to curb the influx may soon start falling into place, including the new idea to engage the Visegrad four more in common efforts by helping Macedonia: "If this gets them back on board with European efforts on migration, that would be important politically," the diplomat said. Some Visegrad states already have small security force presences on the Macedonian side. They may also look at helping Greece's other northern neighbors, Bulgaria and non-EU Albania. Sealing the Macedonian border would raise a prospect of many more people being blocked in Greece. Macedonia has already tried to keep out those who have less prospect of refugee status. EU officials said delaying people in Greece could help kick start an EU scheme to relocate asylum seekers from Greece to other EU states. Since it was set up, most migrants have preferred to bypass that process and head straight for Germany. The second diplomat said: "Greece would be the place where things would really happen. We would need to help to build more reception facilities, more infrastructure. And we would do that." (Additional reporting and editing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Paris (AFP) - When Albert Einstein forged the bedrock theory of modern physics 100 years ago, he had no computer, no internet, no printer -- ballpoint pens and pocket calculators did not exist and few homes had telephones.

Yet it took one of the most sophisticated science tools ever built, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, to prove an idea the scientist had crafted with little more than paper, a fountain pen, hard work and a mind sharper than most.

On Thursday, physicists announced they had detected gravitational waves -- hitherto a key unproven element of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

The thesis was published 100 years ago this year, when the world was a very different place, inhabited by a man way ahead of his time.

Radios had been invented, but not yet entered people's homes.

The first transcontinental telephone call was made in 1915, from New York City to San Francisco, as was the first transatlantic call between Arlington, Virginia and Paris, France.

Electric refrigerators were not yet a thing, and motorcars shared the road with horse-drawn carriages.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world.

In maths, the height of calculating power was the "comptometer" -- a clunky mechanical adding machine that predated the electronic calculator.

In physics, there were already interferometers, but they bore little resemblance to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) credited with spotting Einstein's waves.

At the time, rudimentary interferometers were used to search for "aether", a medium theorised, wrongly, to transmit light like air transmits sound.

- 10 billion times -

"The technology that was available at that time was something like 10 billion times less sensitive than what it is today," Cardiff University gravitational physics professor B Sathyaprakash told AFP.

Even if they had been more powerful, it was unlikely anyone would have thought of using them to detect gravitational waves.

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"It was only about 50 years after Einstein first proposed (his theory) that we had some understanding of what gravitational waves were," said Sathyaprakash.

"In fact, after working out his initial solution, even Einstein had a hard time believing gravitational waves are real..."

The quest to detect them started in earnest when American physicist Joseph Weber built the first aluminium cylinder-based detectors in the 1960s.

This was followed over subsequent decades by telescopes, satellites, and more recently laser beams -- all searching for proof of one man's idea.

Einstein's genius, experts say, was probably unrelated to the time he lived in or the technology at hand.

"The elegance of Einstein's theory of gravity does not rely on computational power, but rather on the elegance of its principles," said David Cerdeno of Durham University's Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology.

- No computer strong enough -

Added Sathyaprakash: "Computers are good at crunching numbers, they are not very good at analytical calculations... imagining things in a way that nobody else could do...

"(Einstein) did what are called 'thought experiments'. He was very good at doing it. He would think about a situation, and then try to see what the consequence of that will be if the theory goes in one particular direction... or another."

Just 20 years ago, said Sathyaprakash, there was no computer powerful enough to solve the equations that emerged from Einstein's musings.

A photograph of the physicist's desk, said to have been taken after his death in 1955, presents an image very far removed from shooting laser beams at high-tech physics labs.

The workspace of the man who solved the mysteries of nuclear power, gravity and the speed of light sported no typewriter, no telephone, no radio -- no electronic gadget whatsoever.

His desk was covered in books and papers, with a tobacco tin and a pipe, and a large black board against the wall, covered in white chalk equations.

"Not everything can be solved with a computer," said Sathyaprakash.

"He had to do analytical calculations with pencil and paper, and those things took a long time."
LONDON (Reuters) - Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, currently serving a six-year jail term for child sex crimes, is to be charged with seven more indecent assault offences dating back 45 years, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Friday. Harris, a household name in his native Australia and adopted home Britain, was jailed in 2014 for repeatedly abusing young girls over decades when he was a popular host on children's television. The CPS said they had decided to take further action after police had gathered more evidence. "We have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Harris to be charged with seven counts of indecent assault," a CPS spokesman said. "The alleged offences date from 1971 to 2004 and relate to seven complainants aged between 12 and 27 at the time of the alleged offending." He is due to appear before London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on March 17. Harris, an artist and musician, first earned fame with the top 10 hit novelty song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", He is the most high-profile figure to have been convicted since British police launched a major inquiry into celebrity sex crimes, following revelations in 2012 that late BBC TV host Jimmy Savile had been a prolific child abuser. Last March, Queen Elizabeth stripped Harris, who once painted the monarch's portrait, of a royal honor she herself had awarded him. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
To spot gravitational waves directly for the first time ever, scientists had to measure a distance change 1,000 times smaller than the width of a proton.

Researchers with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced today (Feb. 11) that they had made history's first direct detection of gravitational waves, enigmatic ripples in space-time whose existence was first predicted 100 years ago by Albert Einstein's famous theory of general relativity.

The gravitational waves were generated by the merger of two medium-size black holes about 1.3 billion years ago, researchers said. These waves raced through space at the speed of light and encountered Earth, where they were picked up by LIGO's two huge detectors as a brief signal on Sept. 14, 2015. [Gravitational Waves Detected by LIGO: Complete Coverage]

Supersensitive detectors

The LIGO detectors are in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington. Each one consists of a giant L-shaped structure with arms 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long. A laser beam shines down each arm from the crux of the "L," and mirrors at the ends of these arms reflect the light back.

If the beams from both arms arrive back at the crux at the same time, they cancel each other out, and no signal is produced in the system's light detector. This is the normal, expected scenario. But if one of the beams arrives a bit late, a signal is produced, which could be evidence of a gravitational wave.

Gravitational waves, after all, distort the fabric of space-time. A wave that passes through a LIGO detector  and "passes through" is a fairly apt description, because gravitational waves do not interact meaningfully with matter  will lengthen space-time ever so slightly along one arm of the "L," and compress it along the other arm.

"Ever so slightly" does not fully capture just how minuscule this distance change is, however. The effect LIGO observed last September works out to a shift of a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a meter  about one one-thousandth the diameter of a proton, project team members said.

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To put this kind of sensitivity into yet more perspective, LIGO technology is theoretically capable of measuring the distance from the sun to the nearest star  Proxima Centauri, which lies about 4.25 light-years away  "to a level of about the width of a human hair," David Reitze of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), executive director of the LIGO Laboratory, said during a news conference today.

"LIGO is the most precise measuring device ever built," Reitze added.

Achieving this level of sensitivity isn't easy. For example, LIGO's laser beams travel down the detectors' arms in a near-perfect vacuum. And the system's light-reflecting mirrors hang from pendulums in a sophisticated quadruple-suspension setup, to isolate them from the everyday jiggling and jostling experienced on Earth's surface, LIGO team members said.

Furthermore, the groundbreaking detection wouldn't have been possible without a significant overhaul of the LIGO detectors, which first hunted for gravitational waves between 2002 and 2010. The project then took a five-year observing hiatus, as team members redesigned and upgraded the system's instruments to get a new "Advanced LIGO" up and running. [Study of Gravitational Waves Could Unravel Many Mysteries (Video)]

Advanced LIGO features a sensitivity 10 times that of the original incarnation, project representatives said. The new version began its first official observing campaign in September 2015  a few days after the historic detection, which was actually made during an engineering test run.

The fact that Advanced LIGO made a detection so soon after getting to work suggests that the system will spot more gravitational waves in the near future, team members said.

"We ought to see some more over the coming year," said LIGO project co-founder Kip Thorne, also of Caltech.

Confirming the find

The Sept. 14 signal was spotted by both LIGO detectors, about 7 milliseconds apart. This double detection gave team members confidence that they had captured a real astrophysical event, rather than something produced by local environmental conditions.

But they still took great pains to rule out alternative explanations, scrutinizing a variety of detector data and the output of numerous on-site instruments that measure seismic activity, radio interference and many other possible sources of "noise" that could conceivably mimic a gravitational-wave signal, team members said.

"It took a long time to get this [result] out, and that's part of the reason," said LIGO project co-founder Rainer Weiss, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The signal also closely matched that predicted by supercomputer models of black-hole mergers, said LIGO Scientific Collaboration spokeswoman Gabriela Gonzalez, a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University.

Details of the signal allowed the LIGO team to estimate the masses of the two merging black holes  29 and 36 solar masses, respectively. The single black hole that resulted from this smashup contains just 62 times the mass of the sun.

"That's because there were three solar masses emitted in energy, in gravitational waves. That's a huge amount of energy," Gonzalez said. "And we can tell all of that from this tiny fraction of a second in the waveform."

Further details embedded in the signal revealed that the wave source lies about 1.3 billion light-years from Earth, she added. And the time delay between the signals recorded in Louisiana and Washington provided more information, allowing the LIGO team to triangulate that source's location to a degree.

"We can tell it came from the southern sky, in the rough direction of the Magellanic Cloud," Gonzalez said.

The LIGO collaboration will publish its results in an upcoming issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.

The LIGO project is operated by scientists at Caltech and MIT, and it's funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

Copyright 2016 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Bernie Sanders campaign released a stirring four-minute video featuring the daughter of Eric Garner, who died after police placed him in a chokehold in 2014.

Erica Garner offers an impassioned plea for Americans to support Sanders run for the White House in the video uploaded to YouTube on Thursday. She argues that the Vermont senator is the best option for people concerned about racial injustice in the United States.

No one gets to see their parents last moments, and I was able to see my dad die on national TV. They dont know what they took from us, Garner says in the video. He wasnt just someone that no one cared for him or no one loved him. He was loved dearly.

Her father became a symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement after a video of his arrest and death at 43 in the New York City borough of Staten Island sparked outrage around the country.

He was being the loving, caring man that he was. And he was murdered, she said.

Eric Garners daughter Erica Garner speaks at a news conference last July in New York, with, from left, his mother, Gwen Carr, daughter Emerald Snipes and wife, Esaw Snipes. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP)



Garner, who first endorsed Sanders last month, said that she has protested in the name of her fathers death every Tuesday and Thursday for the past year  drawing inspiration from late civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

She said that she would support anyone who is willing to listen to and speak up for the African-American community.

I think we need to believe in a leader like Bernie Sanders, she said. Theres no other person thats speaking about this. People are dying. This is real. This is not TV. We need a president that will talk about it. I believe Bernie Sanders is a protester. Hes not scared to go up against the criminal justice system. Hes not scared.

On her official website, Garner said that Sanders campaign was grateful for her support and asked how she would like to plug herself into it.

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The Rev. Al Sharpton talks with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at Sylvias Restaurant on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (Photo: Richard Drew/AP)



The Sanders team allowed me and my team full creative control of this video, so this message is 100 percent my message and my views! she wrote. They had a totally different idea of what should be done, but true to form with Senator Sanders, he listened to me, didnt tell me he knew better and I was not practical, and this is what we produced.

Garner had come out in favor of Sanders with an editorial in the Washington Post on Jan. 29. She explained that she once trusted establishment Democrats who claimed to represent her, but then saw them rationalizing her fathers death.

On Wednesday, Sanders met with civil rights activist Al Sharpton at Sylvias, a famous soul food restaurant in Harlem, New York. Its the same restaurant where then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama met with Sharpton during his 2008 presidential campaign.


The EU launched new probes on Friday into imports of Chinese steel, warning it would not allow "unfair competition" to threaten Europe's industry already crumbling under a flood of cheap imports.

European steelmakers are reeling from a global glut and last week Luxembourg-based world leader ArcelorMittal blamed China for a colossal $8-billion loss in 2015 while thousands of jobs are being cut.

"We cannot allow unfair competition from artificially cheap imports to threaten our industry. I am determined to use all means possible to ensure that our trading partners play by the rules," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said in a statement.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had opened an investigation into imports of seamless pipes, heavy plates and hot-rolled flat steel from China, the statement said.

The Commission separately imposed anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled flat steel imports from China and Russia.

It recalled that it recently also imposed anti-dumping measures on Chinese steel bars used in the construction industry.

- EU urges China output cut -

Malmstroem last month urged China to cut output for everyone's sake.

"In the wake of a worrying trend, I urge you to take all appropriate measures to curb the steel overcapacity and other causes aggravating the situation," Malmstroem wrote in a letter to Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng.

The letter also warned China that it faced new probes if nothing was done after its steel exports soared 50 percent in 2015, destabilising the global market and the EU in particular.

China accounts for half of global steel production but internal demand has slowed sharply along with the economy, forcing it to look overseas.

Beijing has announced plans to cut production by as much as 150 million tonnes over the next five years but this is far short of the 340 million tonnes that experts say the country is overproducing every year.

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- Long history of disputes -

The latest measure on steel comes amid a growing stand-off between the EU and China, which are major trading partners but which have also had many trade disputes in the past, most bitterly over solar panels which continues to rumble on.

In a separate statement Friday, the Commission said it was extending existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on imports of Chinese solar modules and cells via Taiwan and Malaysia.

It said an investigation showed that China was getting around duties by transhipping the goods via Taiwan and Malaysia.

Tensions with China have also grown as Beijing presses the EU to recognise it as a fully market based economy, not a communist, state controlled giant which now ranks second in the world only after the United States.

China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 as a developing country, a status giving it 15 years to progressively remove government controls.

Beijing insists it has done just that and should now be recognised as a market economy but many in Brussels disagree.

They say the change in status could mean they will have fewer options to control trade with a China they believe is still dumping exports on the global markets.

Malmstroem's spokesman Daniel Rosario said the EU currently had 37 trade defence regimes in force against imported goods and 16 of these involved Chinese products.

Steel industry group Aegis Europe plans a march in Brussels Monday, expecting to draw several thousand people to a protest against China's market-economy ambitions.
By Julia Edwards

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Armed protesters who ended their 41-day standoff on Thursday at a wildlife refuge in Oregon told federal authorities they left behind booby traps but did not say whether the trip wires and other devices would trigger explosions, a law enforcement official told Reuters.

"They spoke to us about booby traps. We don't know how sophisticated or what kind," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Materials to create explosives could be found on the refuge, the official said, because workers there previously performed controlled burns of the land.

The official said law enforcement would use caution when moving into the refuge in remote eastern Oregon.

"There were materials that could be used to create hazardous devices, so it's just very prudent for us to do to that," the official said.

The final four occupiers left the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday and joined 12 other occupiers to face federal charges.

The takeover, which began on Jan. 2, was sparked by the return to prison of two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge.

The armed protesters, originally led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, were known to be heavily armed and resistant to the federal government.

Ammon and Ryan Bundy were arrested on Jan. 26 and have since called for protesters to leave.

Their father, Cliven Bundy, flew to Oregon on Wednesday to support the movement but was arrested at the Portland airport on charges stemming from the 2014 standoff on his Nevada ranch.

The official said law enforcement arrested Cliven Bundy at the airport because they knew he would be unarmed and the charges against him were ready.

(Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Paris (AFP) - The Paris appeal court on Friday upheld a ruling that Facebook can be sued under French and not Californian law.

The ruling applies to a case in which a French teacher wants to sue the US social media giant over his claims that his page was censored when he posted a graphic painting of a woman's nude lower half by Gustave Courbet.

The teacher, Frederic Durand-Baissas, won in the Paris high court last year after claiming that Facebook were wrong to suspend his account.

Facebook took the ruling to appeal, but the Paris court upheld the criticism of Facebook's terms for users.

"This decision is a sovereign act on the part of the French courts which by this ruling signifies to Facebook, but also to all the Internet giants, that from now on they will have to respect French law," said Stephane Cottineau, the lawyer for Durand-Baissas.

The teacher wants Facebook to pay him 20,000 euros ($22,500) in damages.

The case could potentially open up other lawsuits against Facebook outside the United States.
By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The mosquito-borne Zika virus, 'strongly suspected' of links to birth defects in babies in Brazil, has spread to more than 30 countries in the Americas. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak an international health emergency on Feb. 1. At least 12 groups are working to develop a Zika vaccine but the WHO says licensed products could take "a few years" to reach the market. Health authorities are trying to eliminate the places where mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, such as buckets, flower pots and tyres. Some countries have turned to other methods to prevent the spread of Zika. * MOSQUITO-EATING FISH In El Salvador, the Sambo fish is being hailed as one weapon against the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses. Sambo fish eat the mosquitoes' larvae in water. Health workers and volunteers nationwide are distributing Sambo fish which are placed in water tanks and open containers used to store water in schools, restaurants and homes. "These have been successful ... the central effort should be to mobilize the whole society against the Zika-carrying mosquito," Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador's vice minister of health, recently wrote in a letter to the New York Times. * FOGGING Pesticide spraying is being stepped up across Latin America, particularly in Brazil and Colombia that have the highest number of reported Zika cases. Trucks are spraying city streets, shopping malls and cemeteries with pesticide fog to kill adult mosquitoes. Health experts warn fogging may not kill mosquito larvae in hard-to-reach places such as under beds and in closets unless residents open their windows to let in the pesticide mist. In Brazil, the government has mounted a door-to-door campaign and authorised public health officials to enter properties by force to search for breeding spots and use indoor foggers, pesticides that stick to walls. * GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES In Piracicaba city in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been released in mosquito-infested areas, a new weapon against Zika. When genetically modified male mosquitoes mate with females of the same species, their offspring die at the larva stage. This strain was developed by Oxitec, the UK subsidiary of U.S. synthetic biology company Intrexon. Oxitec has said it released 25 million of its OX513A mosquitoes in a neighbourhood of Piracicaba between April and November and reduced the number of wild larvae of the Aedes mosquito there by 82 percent. It has said it will start a new factory in Piracicaba to rear more genetically modified mosquitoes that will "have capacity to protect over 300,000 people." Health authorities in Panama are also considering releasing millions of GM mosquitoes to stem the spread of the Zika virus. "Fogging followed by the controlled release of genetically modified mosquitoes may be worth considering for halting the spread of Zika," the WHO said this week. (Reporting by Anastasia Moloney, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
(Reuters) - Global health officials have said that the Zika virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is rapidly spreading in the Americas and could infect up to 4 million people. The race is on to develop a Zika vaccine. The following are some questions and answers about the virus and the current outbreak. How do people become infected? The virus is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes, the same type of mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found. How do you treat Zika infection? There is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for Zika, but the World Health Organization said it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots. How dangerous is it? The PAHO said there is no evidence that Zika can cause death, but some cases have been reported with more serious complications in patients with pre-existing medical conditions. The virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in newborns marked by abnormally small heads and brains that have not developed properly. It also has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. The suspected link between the Zika virus and the two birth defects could be confirmed within weeks, the WHO said. How is Zika related to microcephaly? Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,300 suspected cases of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 41 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly. It is unclear whether in pregnant women the virus crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly. Research in Brazil indicates the greatest microcephaly risk appears to be associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy. What are the symptoms of Zika infection? People who get Zika virus disease typically have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for two to seven days. But as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito. How can Zika be contained? Efforts to control the spread of the virus focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. U.S. and international health officials have advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries where they may be exposed to Zika. How widespread is the outbreak in the Americas? Health officials said Zika outbreaks have been reported in at least 33 countries in the Americas. Brazil has been the nation most affected. Other nations and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Curacao, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Maldives, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Vanuatu, U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela, according to the WHO. (http://bit.ly/1SxYwub) What is the history of the Zika virus? The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization. Can Zika be transmitted through sexual contact? Two cases of possible person-to-person sexual transmission has been described, but the PAHO said more evidence is needed to confirm whether sexual contact is a means of Zika transmission. British health officials reported Zika was found in a man's semen two months after being infected, suggesting the virus may linger in semen long after infection symptoms fade. The WHO has advised women, particularly pregnant women, to use condoms. The PAHO also said Zika can be transmitted through blood, but this is an infrequent transmission mechanism. There is no evidence the virus can be transmitted to babies through breast milk. What other complications are associated with Zika? The WHO says because no big Zika outbreaks were recorded before 2007, little is known about complications caused by infection. During an outbreak of Zika from 2013-2014 in French Polynesia, national health authorities reported an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Health authorities in Brazil have also reported an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Long-term health consequences of Zika infection remain unclear. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue. Related material from the World Health Organization: (http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/) (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/) (Compiled by Will Dunham; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis and Bernard Orr)
Hefty fines for un-mowed grass. Warrantless stops and searches. Petty citations doled out when no crimes were committed. These are just a few of the accusations lobbed at the Ferguson, Missouri. police department in a complaint filed by the Department of Justice on Wednesday. Despite broad pressure, changing the department and its culture, from petty missteps to lethal violence against unarmed black teens, appeared to reach an impasse this week.

After months of negotiation with the Department of Justice, it seemed as if embattled officials in Ferguson were finally ready to make meaningful changes to the citys police department and court system. Yet on Monday night, the city council backtracked, voting to amend parts of a hard-fought consent agreement, promptly resulting in a civil rights lawsuit from federal officials. The 56-page complaint against the citys attempt to backpedal offers a painful and by now familiar laundry list of grievances.

As our report made clear, the residents of Ferguson have suffered the deprivation of their constitutional rightsthe rights guaranteed to all Americansfor decades, said Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a statement on Wednesday announcing the lawsuit. They have waited decades for justice. They should not be forced to wait any longer.

The lawsuits allegations echo those found in the Department of Justices Ferguson reports released last March and July, describing a lawless police department that routinely violates the rights of residents and relies on petty fines and fees to line its pockets, cementing a deep rift between law enforcement and citizens. The problematic practices disproportionately target black residents, according to the complaint. While recounting numerous painful and disturbing encounters, the lawsuit is also a reminder that these issues plague cities nationwide.

Ferguson is emblematic of hundreds of cities, former Boston police officer and criminal law professor Tom Nolan told TakePart. Similarly situated cities that lack a property tax base or other revenue-generating source to sustain public services like police departments resort to a fine system that is wholly incompatible with community policing.

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The Justice Departments most recent legal complaint describes dozens of such encounters in which citizens were questionably stopped, arrested, detained, or ticketed for minor violations, incurring debt to the citys coffers.

In a July 2013 incident narrated in the complaint, officers encountered an African American man in a parking lot while on their way to arrest someone else at an apartment building. Though the officers were aware this man was not the suspect they were looking for, they handcuffed him without reasonable suspicion and detained him in a police car. He turned out to be the suspects landlord. When the man filed a complaint contesting his unlawful detention and claiming racial discrimination, a police sergeant defended the officers actions, noting the detention as minimal and that the car was air conditioned.

In a separate incident, a black woman called the police department to report domestic abuse. According to the brief, when the police arrived, the womans alleged abuser, her boyfriend, had left. After learning that her boyfriend was living with her but that only her name and her brothers name were on the occupancy permit, the officer placed the woman under arrest for the permit violation and she was jailed. A similar domestic disturbance resulted in the arrest of another victim for an occupancy permit violation. She told the officers after her detention that she hated the Ferguson Police Department and will never call again, even if she is being killed, according to the complaint.

Charges for minor violations collected by the Ferguson municipal court pose serious financial challenge for indigent residents. In at least one instance, the court charged $531 for a high grass and weeds violation; $777 for resisting arrest; and $302 for a manner of walking violation, which can include jaywalking.

The powder keg that was ignited with the death of Michael Brown owed in large part to the decades of these kinds of law enforcement strategist which exist basically to extract as much money as possible from citizens, said Nolan.

One of the chief complaints of the Ferguson city council about the consent decree is the requirement that the city increase the salaries of police officers. Local officials say it could cost the city as much as $3.7 million per year to meet the terms of the agreement over the next three to five years, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Yet the increase in officer salaries could be key to attracting higher-caliber officers to a town that badly needs them, according to Nolan.

City officials in Ferguson are faced with the reality of having to fund police operational expenses with revenue that doesnt exist, he said. I dont think that theyre being underhanded or duplicitous, but what happens when police officers are paid poorly is that the recruit selection process will garner people who will do this work for very little money. Youre not going to attract the best candidates.

The police department is currently managed by interim chief Andre Anderson, the first black head of police in the predominantly black city. The former police chief resigned after the Department of Justice published its initial searing report.

Related stories on TakePart:





 Stop Pretending the Ferguson Effect Is Real

 Fergusons Municipal Court Takes a Small Step Toward Justice

 A Year After Ferguson, Heres What No One Can Deny About America

Original article from TakePart
Alex Garland film "Ex Machina" and Ridley Scott's "The Martian" both won top prizes at the Final Draft Screenwriters Choice Awards, two weeks before the pair contest their respective categories at the 88th Academy Awards.

At the Oscars, "Ex Machina" will be rubbing shoulders with two fellow FDA finalists in Steven Spielberg film "Bridge of Spies," written by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen, and Pixar's "Inside Out," written by co-director Pete Docter with Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley.

Alex Garland, who established himself as a novelist with "The Beach" (later a Danny Boyle film with Leonardo DiCaprio) and "The Tesseract" (also adapted as a film), went on to produce the screenplays for "28 Days Later," "Sunshine," "Never Let Me Go" and "Dredd" before writing his own directorial debut, "Ex Machina," with Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, and Domhnall Gleeson as its stars.

Having won Best Original Screenplay at the Final Draft Awards, "Ex Machina" will also go up against Critics Choice and Hollywood Film Awards winner "Spotlight" as well as "Straight Outta Compton" at the Academy Awards, as all five go forward for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

As for "The Martian," its origins lie in the Andy Weir sci-fi novel of the same name, which was self-published upon its 2011 before being picked up by Random House imprint Crown for a 2014 republication.

Drew Goddard has the credit for its screenplay adaptation, having come up through "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" of eventual "Avengers" director Joss Whedon, as well as "Alias" and "Lost" of eventual "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" helmer J J Abrams.

His treatment won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2016 FDAs on February 11, having bested another Oscar nominee in Adam McKay's "The Big Short" as well as "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" itself in the minds of Final Draft voters; Goddard also wrote Marvel's "The Sinister Six," which he may yet direct for Sony.

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On the TV side, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were adjudged worthy of the FDA for Best Television Drama, having proven instrumental in the success of "Game of Thrones"; they were chosen over "Downton Abbey" and "Fargo."

Best Television Comedy went to "Big Bang Theory" for the second year in a row, penned (or, as software company Final Draft might prefer, typed) by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, ahead of "Orange Is the New Black" and "Modern Family."

The 11th Annual Final Draft Awards were voted for by Final Draft users, based on nominations put forward by the Final Draft team, who are screenwriters themselves.
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who never skips a chance to reach out to voters, marked 100 days in office on Friday by fielding Twitter questions on topics from Star Wars to economics to what he had for lunch. Critics were already complaining that Trudeau is more style than substance, but he shows no sign of ditching an intensely personal style of governing, which often involves stopping for selfies with well-wishers. Trudeau, 44, led his Liberals to a surprise election win last October on the back of a promise to change politics. He named a cabinet with an equal number of men and women and dominates the media in a way few of his predecessors did. His tastes sometimes run to the informal. On Friday he took questions on Twitter for 45 minutes, including one about whether a hot dog was a sandwich. "Yes. That way, when asked what you had for lunch, you can say 'a sandwich'. Sounds waaaay healthier," he replied. Other subjects included Arctic security, gay rights, taxes, national security and youth unemployment. He also found time to comment on a toy moose that someone had covered in newspaper pictures of the prime minister. Trudeau will face a tougher challenge next month when his government releases a budget designed to boost a slack economy. He conceded this week he would run a larger deficit than initially promised. Perhaps mindful of criticism that he talks a lot without achieving much, Trudeau released a list of what he said his government had done since taking office in November. The list included pushing through a tax cut for the middle class, launching an operation to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees and creating thousands of summer jobs for students. The opposition New Democrats were less impressed. "100 days into a Liberal government and people are still working harder than ever, but can't get ahead," the party said in a statement. And what does Trudeau think of The Force Awakens, the latest Star Wars movie? "Loved it. Glad there was no Jar-Jar, literally and metaphorically," he replied on Twitter. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by David Gregorio)
Bamako (AFP) - Six UN peacekeepers were killed and some 30 wounded on Friday when suspected Islamists attacked their base in northern Mali, officials said, while three Malian soldiers died in an ambush as jihadists intensify attacks in the restive region.

The six Guinean peacekeepers were killed in an early morning assault on a camp in the northeastern town of Kidal belonging to the United Nations' MINUSMA, according to a Guinean source in the mission and a military source in Conakry.

Malian Islamist group Ansar Dine, responsible for several previous assaults, claimed the attack by a "Mauritanian jihadist" as "a message to the crusader aggressors and all those who support them" in a statement carried by a Mauritanian news agency.

The latest attacks highlighted the vulnerability of Mali's sprawling, arid north, where UN troops and Malian soldiers are struggling in their fight against jihadists who seized vast swathes of territory in 2012.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the "massive and complex" attack on the MINUSMA base, warning that targeting peacekeepers constituted a war crime and pledging to support the Malian government.

Suicide bombers drove a vehicle into the base between two rocket launches, then blew it up, the Guinean source in the UN mission said.

The raid coincided with a visit to northern Mali by the new chief of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who said the raid was an "odious and irresponsible act" that highlighted the "confusion in the ranks of the enemies of peace".

Annadif was in Kidal a week after a peace pact eased tensions in the town, where the arrival of members of a pro-government group early in February had upset the former rebels in the Coordination of Movements of the Azawad.

Azawad is the name the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people of the desert use for territory they regard as their homeland, straddling the southern Sahara and the Sahel.

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- Timbuktu attack -

In a separate attack, three Malian soldiers were killed and two others were wounded near the fabled city of Timbuktu, a Malian military source said.

"Three of our men died today between Timbuktu and Goundam when they were ambushed by jihadists," a Malian officer told AFP. "Two others were wounded but their lives are not in danger."

The defence ministry confirmed what it said was a "cowardly" strike.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said there was a pressing need to secure the north.

"We have to find a solution to this," he said. "Kidal cannot remain like this... where attacks occur on a daily basis and the international community and we ourselves look on."

On Thursday, a customs officer and two civilians were killed in another Islamist strike in the northern town of Hombori, two days after three Malian soldiers died in an explosion while they were patrolling the frontier near Burkina Faso.

The latest attack came a week after at least four suspected jihadists and a Malian soldier were killed in clashes at a UN camp for police officers from Nigeria in Timbuktu.

It was also a day after the fabled city had celebrated the restoration of its greatest treasures -- earthen mausoleums dating to medieval times that were destroyed during an Islamist takeover in 2012.

Responsibility for the raid on Timbuktu was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Mali's north of the country continues to be beset by violence having fallen under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.

The Islamists sidelined the Tuareg to take sole control, and although they were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013, extremist groups still pose a threat.
PARIS (Reuters) - France plans to close part of a camp for migrants near Calais on its northern Channel coast within a week, forcing almost 1,000 people to leave, officials said on Friday. Thousands of people fleeing poverty and war have converged at a camp near Calais called the "jungle" over the past year in hopes of making it to Britain where lower unemployment, the English language and fewer identity checks are still seen as big draws. French authorities said they would offer 750 migrants, many from Africa and the Middle East, spaces in a state-run shelter made of converted shipping containers, opened last month. The south part of the camp will then be flattened in a week's time. The containers, designed to accommodate up to 1,500 people, are equipped with bunk beds, heaters and windows but lack toilets and showers. Many refugees told Reuters they were reluctant to move there because access is controlled by handprint technology. Others would be encouraged to move to other migrant centers in France. "I hope we don't have to make an eviction by force," Fabienne Buccio, the regional prefect, told Reuters. "The conditions are there for us to do that and flatten part of the camp that gives Calais a bad image." The decision comes a month after authorities decided to clear a 100-metre (110-yard) strip next to a road that passes above the camp, forcing some 500 to 700 people to move their tents. An estimated 4,000 migrants now live in the state shelters and in the "jungle". This number had spiked to 6,000 in September and many believe the figure will rise again as the spring approaches. Incidents involving migrants and the police have surged since last October when security near the Channel Tunnel was reinforced to prevent anybody from entering the Eurotunnel infrastructure. On Jan. 23, some 200 refugees managed to break into the port of Calais, enabling some of them to board the front deck of a British ferry, after a demonstration of support for migrants. (Reporting by Pierre Savary; writing by Matthias Blamont and Alister Doyle)
Washington (AFP) - Big brother is watching -- and now, in George W. Bush's case, campaigning.

The former US president will stump for his younger brother in South Carolina Monday as struggling candidate Jeb Bush seeks to shore up support in a state he sees as a lynchpin of his potential comeback in the Republican nomination race.

"Honored to have my brother joining me on the trail this week. Join us Monday in Charleston," Jeb Bush posted on Twitter Thursday, referring to next week's rally in the southern city.

It will be the first time that the ex-commander in chief campaigns with Jeb at a public event since the former governor of Florida launched his presidential bid last June.

The older brother remains an intensely divisive figure in American politics, having presided over the US invasion of Iraq after the 9/11 attacks on the United States in 2001 and an economy that turned sharply south near the end of his second term.

The appearance will come almost one year to the day that Jeb, addressing his family legacy and seeking to ease concerns that he might be influenced by his powerful relatives, announced that "I'm my own man, and my views are shaped by my own thinking and my own experiences."

Since leaving the White House in January 2009, George W. Bush has maintained a relatively low profile, and his poor approval rating has steadily improved.

Last June, a CNN poll showed 52 percent of Americans had a favorable impression of the former president.

South Carolina, where Jeb and his five Republican rivals are fiercely competing in their next nominations contest February 20, may be friendly territory. In 2000, George W. Bush won the state's primary with 53 percent of the vote.

Jeb Bush is hoping for a stronger showing than the fourth-place finish in Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire, where he campaigned with his popular mother Barbara Bush, the wife of former president George H.W. Bush.

Bush the candidate went on the attack Thursday against blustery Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

"I'm the only guy who's got the you-know-what to go after him," Bush said, according to Politico.
By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia will pay $250,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a transgender woman who was denied hormone treatments while serving time in a state prison, the state attorney general's office said on Friday.

The Southern Poverty Law Center said it was pleased with the outcome for client Ashley Diamond, 37, but disputed the settlement amount cited by the state. The non-profit would not disclose a sum, however, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Our lawsuit and Ashley Diamonds bravery brought about important changes in Georgia, and have put prison officials across the country on notice about the constitutional rights of transgender persons," Chinyere Ezie, a staff attorney for the center, said in the statement.

Diamond was in Baldwin State Prison in Milledgeville, Georgia, when the lawsuit was filed.

According to the lawsuit, Diamond, a convicted burglar, had lived as a woman and had been taking hormones for 17 years before going to prison. While in prison, Diamond was placed in unsafe conditions with violent men, the lawsuit claimed.

The U.S. Justice Department sided with Diamond on the claim that denying hormone treatments while in prison amounted to cruel and unusual punishment that led to physical pain, muscle spasms and loss of breast mass.

After Diamond sued the state, Georgia changed its policy and made transgender inmates eligible for hormone therapy and medical and mental health evaluations and treatment plans.

"Because of the case, dozens of transgender inmates across the state are now receiving hormone therapy for the first time since entering custody," the law center noted.

Diamond was released from prison last August.

"Though I am pleased with this resolution, I remain dedicated to fighting for the rights of transgender people both in and out of prison, Diamond said in a statement.

(Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Letitia Stein and David Gregorio)
HAMBURG (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she is becoming more confident a deal to keep Britain in the European Union will be reached, but she warned more compromises may be needed on both sides. Speaking at an event in Hamburg attended by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Merkel said issues such as changes to social security systems needed to be placed in a European context, not only a British concern. "The way the talks have progressed so far are putting me in a confident mood," she said. However, she said she did not know how long negotiations would last. Cameron has said he hopes to come to an agreement with EU leaders over his plans to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the bloc at an EU summit on Feb. 18-19, paving the way for a British referendum on EU membership this summer. British and EU negotiators agreed much of a reform package on Thursday, leaving Prime Minister Cameron to settle tricky final issues, notably on migration, at a summit next week. "Europe needs Great Britain and Great Britain needs Europe," Merkel said in Hamburg, repeating her previous support for continued British membership. The EU's "ability to compromise" will be needed by all to resolve the package of changes Britain is seeking, she said. "I wish that the United Kingdom will in the future too remain an active member of a successful European Union," she said. That would be in both British and German interests, she said. Some concerns that Cameron had raised were "not only reasonable, but also supported by us (Germany)," Merkel said, including competitiveness, transparency and reduction of bureaucracy. Every member state should also be in the position to "maintain the strength" of its social security system, she said. Such issues were not only British, she said. "Quite the opposite, when we can succeed in pouring these issues into a European mould, I think that Europe as a whole will gain." (Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Larry King)
Mumbai (AFP) - India's popular tourist state of Goa has ruffled a few feathers with its proposal to reclassify the national bird the peacock as vermin, making them easier to cull, reports said Friday.

The move comes just weeks after Goa's legislative assembly caused similar consternation when it ruled that the resort state's beloved coconut trees were not in fact trees, but palms.

"We have listed several wild species including wild boar, monkey, wild bison (Gaur), peacock as nuisance animals," the Press Trust of India quoted Goa's agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar as saying.

"These animals are creating (a) problem for farmers and are destroying their cultivation in rural areas," he told reporters on Thursday evening, according to the PTI report.

The colourful peacock is India's national bird and is protected under the country's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

But animal rights groups fear the Goa government's proposal to reclassify the peacock as a "nuisance animal" is intended to make it easier to cull the birds.

"Goa seems to be trying to... (have) India's national bird labelled this way so that they may be hunted and killed," Poorva Joshipura, the CEO of PETA India, told AFP.

"If Goa wants to remain on the tourist map, people expect it to be a paradise for animals too," she added.

Last month, opposition politicians in Goa reacted with outrage after the state government reclassified the coconut tree as a palm because it doesn't have any branches.

Officials said it was necessary to remove the coconut from the list of protected trees to make it easier to fell "economically unviable" and dangerous trees, and replace them with newer ones.

But opponents fear it means that large swathes of coconut trees could be chopped down to clear space for development.
Athens (AFP) - Thousands of Greek farmers demonstrated in Athens on Friday after earlier clashing with riot police in a protest against pension and tax reforms demanded by the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Some 10,000 farmers joined by worker unionists gathered in the central Syntagma Square according to police, waving Greek flags and led by 20 tractors loudly blaring their horns.

The farmers lit a fire in front of parliament and some said they had brought tents in preparation for a long protest.

"We are determined to stay here 10 days, we've brought tents," said Stavros Haralas, a farmer from the northern region of Pieria.

"We have come to demonstrate peacefully," said Christos Georgakopoulos, a 42-year-old raisin grower from Nemea in the Peloponnese.

"We are demonstrating against the pension reform and we want to be taxed fairly," he told AFP.

- 'We'll have to become migrants' -

"We can't grow anything. At this rate, we will have to leave the country and become immigrants ourselves," Haralas said.

Earlier in the day, farmers from the island of Crete had clashed with riot police outside the agriculture ministry after arriving by ferries at the port of Piraeus.

They pelted the police with tomatoes and other items, broke windows in the ministry and set fire to dustbins.

Police, who blocked their route, responded with teargas, and arrested four people.

"The first floor of the building sustained damage, it is fortunate that no staff were hurt," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Apostolou later told reporters.

Apostolou called on the leaders to contain "extreme" elements in their midst, as officials said that far-right militants had joined parts of the protest.

The junior interior minister for police, Nikos Toskas, said 10 police officers had been hurt, two of them requiring hospitalisation.

"The plan is for farm vehicles to be parked aside so the farmers can participate in the protest without causing confusion in the city," Toskas told state TV ERT.

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"We will safeguard the city centre and the protests," he said.

Including the Cretans, farmers' groups descended on Athens from at least three sides.

Police also confronted farmers from the Peloponnese peninsula who tried to break through barriers into the city centre from a western suburb with their farm vehicles.

-- 'Far-right' militants --

Police also fired teargas there after a hooded protester smashed the windshield of a squad car.

"Far-right elements are gathered in this area, trying to create confusion," Toskas told Skai TV.

Another large group came from the north, and plans to camp at Syntagma Square, opposite parliament, until Sunday.

The farmers are angry about government plans to increase their social security contributions as part of a wider reform of the country's ailing pension system.

They also reject plans to double their income tax by 2017 and scrap benefits such as cheaper fuel.

The government has banned the farmers from using tractors in the demonstration, but a deal was reached to allow a symbolic procession of 20 in the capital.

Since mid-January, farmers have used their tractors to block dozens of highways.

Earlier this month they also began blockading border crossings to Bulgaria and Turkey.

But following an appeal from Sofia on Tuesday, they allowed trucks to pass for several hours a day at one crossing into Bulgaria.

The farmers threatened to further escalate the protest by blocking ports and airports at the weekend.

"We cannot be competitive with a tax rate of 23 percent when elsewhere in Europe it's 3.0 percent or zero," one farmer on the western Athens roadblock said.

Another farmer raised the longstanding issue of low prices facing producers who are at the mercy of middlemen.

"We sell our oranges at 10 cents a kilo and on the market they cost 50-60 cents," he said.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, whose options are limited after signing a new bailout with Greece's international creditors in August, offered the farmers a compromise on Wednesday.

"We are open to a substantial, honest dialogue with the farmers," Tsipras said in televised comments to his cabinet.

"There is significant room for improvement on their social security contributions, on the issue of when the measures take effect, and generally over the need to protect their income," he said.

Greece's creditors the European Union (EU) and the IMF have insisted on the reforms as a condition for loans to the debt-ridden country.

The country's statistical office Elstat meanwhile reported that gross domestic product (GDP) fell back 0.6 percent in the last quarter compared with the previous three-monthly benchmark.

On a year-on-year basis, GDP retreated by 1.9 percent.
One police officer was killed and two others wounded when gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday, a police spokesman said.

The incident happened on the edge of the capital when police tried to stop two men on a motorcycle for a routine search.

"All of a sudden the motorcycle riders opened fire on them, one police head-constable has been martyred," Muhammad Zia Ul Qamar, a spokesman for Islamabad police, told AFP.

Qamar said another policeman and a paramilitary soldier were wounded.

Police said they had launched a search operation to arrest the gunmen who fled the scene after the shooting.

Pakistan has been in the grip of a bloody homegrown Taliban insurgency since 2007 but there have been very few attacks in recent years in Islamabad.

Security in the capital, already on high alert, was tightened after a last month's deadly assault on a university in the country's northwest, in which 21 people were killed.

Pakistan launched a military offensive in 2014 that has reportedly killed thousands of militants and pushed the rest over the border to Afghanistan, resulting in improved security across the country.

But militants associated with the country's homegrown militant group, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, continue to occasionally carry out attacks from bases in Afghanistan.
Comedian Hannibal Buress is in final negotiations to join Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in Baywatch, Paramounts big-screen version of the 1990s television series about California lifeguards

The movie, with Seth Gordon in the directors chair, centers on the leader of an elite group of lifeguards (Johnson) who is forced to team up with a young hotshot former Olympian (Efron) in order to save the beloved bay.

The cast already includes Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Kelly Rohrbach as members of the slow-motion running lifeguard team.

Buress will play one of the locals in the bay community.

The movie begins shooting Feb. 22.

Buress, who has appeared on shows such as Broad City, is known to many as being the spark for the current Bill Cosby sexual assault scandal when he called the man a "rapist" during an comedy act. The act prompted a re-examination of Cosby's past behavior.

The comedian recently shot an appearance opposite James Franco and Seth Rogen in New Lines The Disaster Artist and does voice work in Illuminations and Universals upcoming animated film The Secret Life of Pets. He was also seen in Paramount's surprise hit comedy Daddys Home.

He is repped by WME, 3Arts and Hansen Jacobson.
Jeb Bush turned 63 on Thursday, and Donald Trump apparently thought a Twitter rant would make a great birthday gift.

Trump popped off on his Republican primary foe as their campaigns  and the country  focus on South Carolina ahead of Saturday's big debate in Greenville and the fast-approaching Feb. 20 primary.

Jeb failed as Jeb! He gave up and enlisted Mommy and his brother (who got us into the quicksand of Iraq). Spent $120 million.Weak-no chance!

Jeb Bush spent more than $40,000,000 in New Hampshire to come in 4 or 5, I spent $3,000,000 to come in 1st. Big difference in capability!

Weak JEB getting thrown out by management during speech. Do you think he will be this tough on Putin & others? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OE_lHQZGuM ...

As Trump gleefully pointed out, Bu and Ted Cruz.

Yes, Trump is truly hammering Bush in national matchups: A RealClearPolitics average of recent GOP polls shows the Manhattan real estate kingpin at 29.5% backing, followed by Cruz at 21%, Rubio at 17.8%, Ben Carson at 7.8% and Bush way down at 4.3% support.

Trump "wants to take him out in South Carolina. He wants to bury him."

As of the most recent RCP tally, however, Bush has about 10% support in South Carolina, compared to 36% for Trump, 19.7% for Cruz and 12.7% for Rubio  who on Thursday found himself targeted by a n d from Cruz (which the campaign later pulled) and, the night before, by a particularly ornery Twix bar.

So why is Trump still so obsessed with needling Bush? There are some other things to consider when putting Trump's anti-Bush invective in context.

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 Bush may be down in the polls, but Right to Rise, a super working to help him win the nomination, started the year with nearly $59 million on hand. The political action committee's fundraising has stalled and has spent a considerable amount of money since filing its 2015 year-end report, but still, that's not chump change.

 Former President George W. Bush is hitting the trail for his brother in South Carolina, which he carried in the 2000 primary and where he enjoys continued popularity.

 South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has yet to back a candidate, but has o Trump's brand of rhetoric, including in her delivery of the Republican response to President Barack Obama's last State of the Union address.

It's not random. Trump is well-known for spewing venom at those he dislikes or who dislike him, but there are calculations behind his insults.

"I've got to believe that he senses that Bush is the guy in South Carolina who can make a move and establish himself as a candidate down the road and be dangerous," Doug Muzzio, a professor at the Baruch College School of Public Affairs, told Mic.

Since Bush has a chance to make a splash in the Palmetto State, Trump "wants to take him out in South Carolina. He wants to bury him," Muzzio said.

That's not to say there isn't a personal component. "I think he's unimpressed with Jeb in every way," Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign adviser who still supports him, told Mic.

"In Trump's mind, Jeb stands for the status quo, for keeping everything exactly the way it is today," Stone said. "I also don't think Trump likes the sense of entitlement. Just because Michael became the godfather doesn't mean you [also] have to give it to Fredo."

Bullying behavior? Rick Wilson, a Florida-based GOP strategist who's working with the pro-Rubio Baby Got PAC (yes, it's actually called that), told Mic that Trump's behavior fits an age-old model.

"Bullies always pick on nerds who give off a vibe that they're not confident in their position, and bullies always attack people they think won't punch back," Wilson said. "There's obviously such a degree of animus about the Bush family  and that was going on before this campaign."

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told Mic that basically, Bush started it.

"It is only in response to JEB's comments and negative ads aimed at Mr. Trump, which Mr. Trump discusses often," she wrote in an email.

Bush pushback: Team Bush, naturally, has its own opinions on the genesis of the Trump tirade  and the man himself.

"Jeb is the only one calling out Donald and so he throws a tantrum because he's an insecure person," Bush spokesman Tim Miller told Mic.

"Donald needs to be called out for the way he tears down women, the disabled [and] POWs to make himself seem strong," Miller said. "He needs to be called out for his uneducated and wrongheaded foreign policy views that would limit America's role in the world. And he needs to be called out for being a fake conservative."

"All of the other candidates, particularly Marco [Rubio], have been afraid to take on Trump to avoid the incoming," he told Mic.

"Well, the presidency is too important, and Donald Trump would be a disaster for this country," Miller said. "So Jeb is not going to back down, no matter how many nasty tweets Trump sends in his pajamas."

As the campaign shifts its focus to South Carolina, expect Trump to continue to be a thorn in Bush's side. The pair are likely to reprise their beef Saturday night, when the remaining candidates meet in South Carolina for the final debate before the Palmetto State goes to the polls.
Beijing blasted Britain Friday for suggesting that a Hong Kong bookseller believed detained by China was "involuntarily removed to the mainland", accusing the former colonial power of interfering in Chinese domestic affairs.

Britain had earlier released a report describing the disappearance of Lee Bo, who holds a British passport and published books critical of Chinese politics, as a "serious breach" of an agreement signed with Beijing before Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.

They were Britain's strongest comments yet on a case that has rocked Hong Kong, adding to growing fears that freedoms are being eroded in the semi-autonomous city.

Beijing hit back, slamming London for making "groundless accusations against China".

"Hong Kong affairs are China's domestic affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement late Friday.

"We ask the British side to mind its words and actions and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs."

Four other booksellers from the Hong Kong-based Mighty Current publishing house also disappeared in October and Chinese authorities have confirmed they are now under criminal investigation.

But questions remain over what has happened to Lee, 65, who went missing in December -- the only publisher to have disappeared from Hong Kong.

Letters purportedly written by Lee and sent to his wife confirmed he was now on the mainland and said he had gone to China of his own volition to help with unspecified investigations.

But Hong Kong lawmakers and activists have accused Chinese authorities of snatching Lee from the city, contravening laws that do not allow mainland police to operate within the territory.

"The full facts of the case remain unclear, but our current information indicates that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) law," said Britain's foreign secretary Philip Hammond in a regular parliamentary report on Hong Kong.

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"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system."

Hammond said Britain had called for Lee's immediate return to Hong Kong and had been in communication with the Chinese government "at the highest level".

However, the Hong Kong government questioned Britain's claim that Lee had been "involuntarily removed".

"Any suggestion that 'Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the Mainland' remains speculative," a government spokesman said.

Seeking to quell rising concern over the disappearances, city authorities insisted they attached "great importance to the cases" of the missing booksellers.

"The (Hong Kong government) will continue to follow through with the cases."

- 'Reasonable conclusion' -

Booksellers Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping and Lam Wing-kee disappeared in southern mainland China in October.

A fourth missing member of the company, Gui Minhai, a Swedish national, was paraded weeping on Chinese state television in January, where he said he had turned himself in for a fatal driving accident 11 years ago.

Gui had failed to return to Hong Kong from a holiday in Thailand in October.

Albert Ho, a prominent pro-democracy politician who has accused mainland authorities of kidnapping Lee from Hong Kong, said Britain's comments would raise the pressure on authorities in the city and Beijing.

"There could be no other conclusion for any reasonable person to draw," said Ho, adding he believed the accusation would be echoed by other nations.

Britain had previously expressed concern over the case.

Washington also called on Beijing this month to explain the disappearances, with a State Department spokesman saying the incidents "raise serious questions about China's commitment to Hong Kong's autonomy".

Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, protected for 50 years until 2047 under the joint agreement.

But there are growing fears those freedoms are under threat, with attacks on journalists and interference in the city's education institutions exacerbating concern.

"There are specific grounds for serious concern around rights and freedoms," Hammond said in the report.

"We assess that some of these rights and freedoms have come under unprecedented pressure during the reporting period," he added, saying that was harmful to confidence in the 'one country, two systems' set-up.

Running battles between young Hong Kongers and police Monday and Tuesday, in which 100 were injured, were a violent reminder of the simmering tensions in the city.

Those clashes were sparked by government officials patrolling illegal street hawkers, with protesters gathering to protect the stalls from being cleared.

They were the worst unrest since pro-democracy rallies brought parts of the city to a standstill in 2014.
Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has named his arch-rival Riek Machar as vice-president, raising hopes for the implementation of a repeatedly broken peace deal to end more than two years of civil war.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million forced from their homes since war between the rivals broke out in December 2013, pushing the world's youngest nation to the brink of famine.

"I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, do hereby issue this Republican Decree for the appointment of Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the first vice President of the Republic of South Sudan," said the decree issued late on Thursday.

While the appointment was agreed as part of an August 2015 peace deal, its announcement now adds pressure on Machar to return to South Sudan from exile.

But fighting continues, and the conflict now involves multiple militia forces driven by local agendas or revenge, who pay little heed to paper peace deals.

Machar, who was vice-president from 2005 until he was sacked in 2013, and who has yet to return to Juba since fleeing when war broke out, welcomed the decree.

"It is welcome news because it is a step forward in the implementation of the peace agreement," Machar told AFP from Ethiopia.

"It means we are implementing the peace agreement as stipulated."

- 40,000 starving to death -

Some 2.8 million people -- or a quarter of the country -- needs aid, while in war-torn northern areas 40,00 are being starved to death, with violence blocking desperately needed aid.

It was not immediately clear when Machar would travel to Juba to take up his post, and what it would take for him to feel secure enough to return.

"If I get the support needed for the implementation of security arrangements, I think within a few weeks I will be able to take up my position," Machar said.

Analysts warned that while Kiir's decree may help end the war between the two, levels of intense violence and conflict will likely continue at a local level.

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- 'Multi-polar war' -

Casie Copeland, from the International Crisis Group (ICG) pointed out the increasingly "fractious" nature of rebel and opposition forces, repeating previous warnings that violence is shifting into "a multi-polar war with localised conflicts."

The peace agreement is increasingly fragile, with Kiir undermining a fundamental pillar of its power-sharing clauses by nearly tripling the number of regional states.

Kiir also signed into law on Thursday a controversial Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill, restricting numbers of foreign aid workers, which has both raised fears it will hinder efforts to help millions in need, and goes against the peace agreement.

Civil war erupted when Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines.

The two leaders come from the south's two main ethnic groups, Kiir from the Dinka people and Machar from the Nuer, tribes that are themselves split into multiple and sometimes rival clans.

Kiir and Machar are former rebel leaders who rose to power during Sudan's 1983-2005 civil war between north and south, after which South Sudan seceded in 2011 to form the world's youngest country.

Current vice-president James Wani Igga will remain in his post, but now rank below Machar.

Both the government and rebel sides have been accused of perpetrating ethnic massacres, recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

Residents in Juba welcomed the appointment - but said they would wait to see the agreement fully implemented before celebrating.

"It gives hope to the people," said bar owner Michael Duku. "If this decree is implemented and Riek returns to Juba and takes office, I think this is the beginning of the peace process."

Akeen Santo, an unemployed young man, said it was "a first step...but more needs to be done."

Last month, a UN panel of experts recommended sanctions on both Kiir and Machar for their role in the brutal war.

But Machar said the most important thing was trying to create peace.

"Do you want war to continue, or do you want to bring peace? If you want peace, then you have to follow the political will to implement the peace agreement," Machar said.
The head of India's central bank has said the country's lenders may need to perform "deep surgery" to sort out bad loans and clean up their balance sheets.

Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, who famously predicted the 2008 world financial crisis, has set Indian banks a deadline of March next year to tidy up their non-performing assets.

And he told a gathering of banking leaders in India's commercial capital Mumbai on Thursday that getting those stressed loans in order "may require deep surgery" not "band aids".

"Existing loans may have to be written down somewhat because of the changed circumstances since they were sanctioned," said Rajan, a former International Monetary Fund chief economist.

"But to do deep surgery such as restructuring or writing down loans, the bank has to recognise it has a problem -- classify the asset as a non-performing asset (NPA)," he added.

Bad debts and poor loan provisions, especially among India's state-owned banks, are hampering investment at a time when Asia's third-largest economy needs more lending to boost economic growth.

Encouraging banks to identify loans that are in default or close to increases transparency and means the government can force lenders to make provisions to cover them where necessary, making the banks more stable in the long run.

Rajan is known for his outspoken nature, breaking the mould of central bankers globally who are generally extremely guarded.

"Think therefore of the NPA classification as an anaesthetic that allows the bank to perform extensive necessary surgery to set the project back on its feet," he said.

"If the bank wants to pretend that everything is all right with the loan, it can only apply band aids -- for any more drastic action would require NPA classification," the governor added.

Rajan added that while reforms would likely hit banks immediately, in the future it would be beneficial for India's economy as a whole.

"While the profitability of some banks may be impaired in the short run, the system, once cleaned, will be able to support economic growth in a sustainable and profitable way," he added.
By Nita Bhalla SILIGURI, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Cases of Indian children being smuggled to the United States are a reality, a U.S. diplomat said on Friday, reacting to a media report that police had busted an international child trafficking racket operating in the southern city of Bengaluru. Police on Tuesday said they had arrested 16 members of a gang suspected of sending at least 25 children from the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat illegally to the United States using fake documents in order to acquire visas. Craig L. Hall, U.S. Consul General in Kolkata, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he was not aware of this case as the visas had reportedly been acquired from the U.S. consulate in Chennai but said there had been similar cases in the past. "We have seen examples of this," Hall said on the sidelines of an international conference on human trafficking in eastern town of Siliguri. "Last year, the United States issued more a million visas to Indians who were travelling to the United States and among those million, there were very likely cases of children being smuggled and trafficked into the U.S." According to a report by the New Delhi Television (NDTV), the children were matched with adult couples and made to pose as a family, presenting false documents at the U.S. consulate to get the required visas for their journey. The adult couples then flew to the United States with the children, left them there and returned to India. The suspected traffickers told police they were reuniting the children with their parents in the United States, all illegal immigrants, NDTV reported. But it quoted police officials as saying they believed the children were being sold. Hall said the U.S. consulate in Kolkata was thorough in the way it granted visas and that dozens of applications were rejected annually based on suspicions that human trafficking was involved. "I know in our consulate in Kolkata, we have good relations with the law enforcement agencies and we have a team in the embassy dedicated and watching out for cases like this and when we suspect them, we investigate together with the Indian authorities," said Hall. "Dozens of applications have been blocked as we have thought them to be very suspicious. We feel confident that we have good systems in place and this is something we are vigilant about." According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 5,466 cases of human trafficking registered in 2014, an increase of 90 percent over the past five years. Activists say this is a gross under-estimation of the scale of the problem. Thousands of Indians - largely poor, rural women and children - are lured to big cities each year by traffickers who promise good jobs but sell them into domestic or sex work or to industries such as textile workshops. In many cases, they are not paid or are held in debt bondage. Some go missing, and their families cannot trace them. Hall said New Delhi and Washington were working together to combat human trafficking and welcomed plans by India to draft a new anti-trafficking law and the creation a central agency to better coordinate between various states and institutions. (Reporting by Nita Bhalla, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
With dozens of emojis available to convey emotions, dinner options, and weather conditions, its easy to engage in a wordless conversation on social media. But the selection of mini cartoons is about to get a lot smaller in Indonesia thanks to concern that some of the images dont fall in line with the countrys cultural norms.

On Thursday, Indonesian officials requested that popular messaging and social media apps like Facebook and Whatsapp remove gay themed emojis or face a possible ban in the South East Asian country, the Associated Press reports.

"Such contents are not allowed in Indonesia based on our cultural law and the religious norms and the operators must respect that," Ismail Cawidu, spokesman for the Communication and Information Ministry, told Agence France-Presse. "Those things might be considered normal in some Western countries, while in Indonesia it's practically impossible.

Cawidu told the AFP that the government has asked Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp to remove emojis featuring same-sex couples or rainbow flags.

The government order comes after social media users rallied against Line, a popular messaging app, for offering stickers with gay themes in its online store, according to the AP.

Line has already vowed to remove the controversial images and issued an apology Wednesday on Facebook.

The backlash against LGBT-friendly emoji isn't limited to Indonesia. Russian officials considered suing Apple for featuring same-sex couples in emoji form for violating their laws against "gay propaganda" last year, but courts decided the images were up to interpretation.

However, the emoji ban is the latest affront to LGBT expression from the Indonesian government. Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but it remains stigmatized in the socially conservative Muslim-majority nation. One region, the Aceh province, operates under Sharia Law, with homosexuality punishable by flogging. In October, two women were arrested for sitting and hugging in a public place, according to the Jakarta Post.

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On Thursday, Human Rights Watch called on Indonesias president, Joko Widodo, to condemn anti-LGBT rhetoric. Human Rights Watch called out several instances of vitriol from public officials, including Muhammad Nasirsthe countrys Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministersuggestion that openly gay students be banned from attending Indonesian universities.

While Human Rights Watchs letter did not mention the countrys new emoji ban, they noted that anti-LGBT comments from public officials can sanction social stigma and violence.

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 A Balloon From Google Is Bringing More Than Hot Air to Indonesia

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 Coming Out Could Mean Jail Time in Russia

Original article from TakePart
MOSCOW (Reuters) - International police organization Interpol has refused a Russian request for a search notice on former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Friday. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is being investigated in Russia on suspicion of ordering a contract killing. He was pardoned by Putin in 2013 and freed after a decade in jail on fraud charges and now lives abroad, traveling between Germany, Switzerland and Britain. He denies the charges against him and suggests they are politically motivated because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin. TASS cited an Interpol spokesperson as saying that Russia's request for a search notice "did not correspond with the organization's rules". "For this reason the National Central Bureau (of Interpol) in Moscow was informed that the channels of Interpol cannot be used for international police cooperation on this case," Interpol told TASS. Last year Khodorkovsky told Reuters Putin had brought such stagnation that Russia could eventually collapse. (Reporting by Alexander Winning; editing by Ralph Boulton)
Munich (Germany) (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed on Friday to drive the Islamic State group out of his country by the end of the year.

"We intend this year to make it the final year for the existence of Daesh in Iraq," he told an audience at the Munich Security Conference, using the Arabic acronym for IS, also called ISIS and ISIL.

"The area we have liberated so far is more than half of what was occupied by Daesh before. Now we have almost all governorates liberated from Daesh apart from Nineveh and part of al-Anbar."

Abadi said there had been major improvements to the quality of the Iraqi army since the early days of the IS advance in 2014, when many troops abandoned their equipment and fled battles against the jihadists.

He also touted progress in winning the trust of Sunni populations that felt discriminated against by the Shia-dominated government.

"The population of al-Anbar are welcoming our security forces, they are fighting alongside our military in liberating their areas. The population who were under the control of Daesh are moving to areas controlled by Iraqi security forces because they feel safer," Abadi said.

"This is a huge departure from two years ago when the populations in these areas did not want Iraqi security forces to be there."
Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the EU foreign policy chief held talks Friday, in effect ending a freeze on talks with the bloc on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the foreign ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told journalists that the EU's Federica Mogherini said the European Union's November decision to label goods imported from Jewish settlements "does not prejudge the outcome" of the conflict.

"The conversation resolved the tensions and we are, Israel and the EU, back to good and close relations," Nahshon wrote in an English-language comment on social media.

On November 11, Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, ordered the freeze in response to an EU directive to member governments to label settlement produce imported to Europe as such rather than "Made in Israel".

Nahshon wrote that Netanyahu and Mogherini "agreed that relations between the two sides should be conducted in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual respect...that will assist in advancing the Middle East peace process."

Netanyahu flies to Berlin on Tuesday at the head of a ministerial delegation for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of her cabinet.

US-backed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in April 2014 after nine months of fruitless meetings amid bitter recriminations.

A wave of violence which erupted on October 1 has claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count.

And 166 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Most were carrying out attacks but others died during clashes and demonstrations.

After meeting in Munich on Friday with fellow members of the international Middle East peacemaking Quartet, Mogherini said the group planned to draft "a report on the situation on the ground".

"We want it to be not only a report on the state of play, but with recommendations," for progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, she told journalists.

She would also speak later Friday with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, "to make clear that the international community will not give up on the two-state solution".
By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Friday it had resolved its differences with the European Union after weeks of diplomatic tension following an EU decision not to allow goods produced in settlements in the occupied West Bank to be labeled "Made in Israel". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Israel's foreign ministry said. The two "agreed that relations between the two sides should be conducted in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual respect," it said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said that Israel would no longer insist on the exclusion of EU bodies from peace talks with the Palestinians over a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in April 2014 and there have been no signs of them resuming. While the United States has traditionally played the lead role in peace efforts in the region, the EU is Israel's largest trading partner and is the biggest donor to the Palestinians, and is looking to play a larger role in peace negotiations "The conversation resolved the tensions and we are, Israel and the EU, back to good and close relations," Nahshon said in a text message to the media. In November, the EU said that goods produced in settlements could not labeled "Made in Israel" and should be marked as coming from settlements, which the EU considers illegal under international law. The EU holds the position that the lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, are not part of the internationally recognized borders of Israel. After the guidelines were published, Israel suspended contact with EU bodies involved in peace efforts with Palestinians, although the government said bilateral ties with nearly all EU countries remained strong. The Palestinians want the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank for their future state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Nahshon said Mogherini had expressed solidarity with Israel at a time of heightened Israeli-Palestinian violence and had strongly opposed attempts by various groups to boycott Israel. Since October, 27 Israelis and a U.S. citizen have been killed in near-daily Palestinian attacks that have included stabbings, shootings and car-rammings. Israeli forces have killed at least 157 Palestinians in the same period, 101 of them assailants, according to Israeli authorities. Other Palestinians have died during violent anti-Israeli protests. The bloodshed has been partly fueled by Palestinian frustration over the stalled peace talks and anger at perceived Jewish encroachment on a contested shrine in Jerusalem. (Editing by Hugh Lawson)
When Guinness brews you your own personal beer. Incredible!!! pic.twitter.com/5aVAQ5Xrz5  JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2016

Though Houston Texans defensive monster J.J. Watt has cultivated a personal brand of being just a cool, down-to-earth dude who also happens to be a singularly-focused physical freak, every so often even he indulges in the spoils of fame.

For instance, when he recently went on the annual vacation he takes with childhood friends, he stopped by a Guinness brewery where an exclusive one-off beer had been brewed and bottled in his honor. Thats right, this isnt a cold branding opportunity (though you know 99 Ale would sell like hotcakes in Houston)  its just the beer lovers velvet rope dream, made possible by J.J. Watt and his considerable celebrity.

The only real question remaining is the type of beer brewed for JJ. Did he get to choose? He strikes us as a Coors man, but if hes getting a specially-crafted beer, what would he pick? Our moneys on IPA  the usual preference of any craft-beer aficionado  but thats not quite the traditional Guinness style (although they are no dabbling in IPAs). Maybe its just a Guinness with a little extra grit thrown in. Like, real actual dirt that they just tossed in the barrel to put some hair on J.J. and his buddies chests. Either way, with that 99 on the label itll taste special to all of them.
New York (AFP) - Kanye West is many things: rap megastar, fashion designer, husband of Kim Kardashian. On Thursday, his worlds collided -- in front of more than 15,000 people at New York's Madison Square Garden.

West unveiled his new album and latest fashion collection before a packed crowd at the massive arena in the most hyped event of fashion week in the Big Apple.

The 38-year-old, self-styled modern renaissance man -- dressed in a red sweat shirt and black hat -- spent an hour singing from "The Life of Pablo," while models showcased pieces from his Yeezy Season 3 line.

Standing or seated, some with naked torsos, his models did not move, nor smile nor look at anyone. The only flash of movement was a fleeting appearance from British supermodel Naomi Campbell.

"I feel so happy to be able to follow my dream and create as an artist," West told the audience.

His reality star wife Kim was there with platinum blonde hair and dressed in fur. The couple's daughter North and the rest of her family were also along for the ride, including Kim's sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian and supermodel half-sister Kendall Jenner.

"Tell me how you all feel about the clothes this season!" shouted the mercurial musician. "Make them cheaper!" shot back one spectator.

West offered sports-inspired apparel with large sweaters, military-style boots and jackets, each generally in one tone from a neutral palette of olive, beige, yellow, gray and white. West partners with Adidas for the collection.

The queue outside stretched more than 100 yards (meters) to see the boundary-pushing rapper, who has in the past compared himself to Michelangelo and floated an apparent bid for US president in 2020.

- 'So happy' -

"Did I live up to my promise on that album?" he asked to cheers.

"This is really a gospel album," he said. "I feel so happy."

The music blended powerful women's voices with frequent changes of rhythm, pushing distinctive West traits to new levels.

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"It's really progressive," enthused Nathan Neal, a teenager, when asked what he thought of the album. And the show? "It was excellent."

West spoke of his happiness in straddling the fashion world, saying that his dream is to be creative director of French fashion house Hermes.

Members of the fashion pack have lauded the Chicago-born superstar with doing much to make interest in men's fashion mainstream.

"A lot of people got into fashion because of him, because he made it cool," said Ryan Sukram, a member of the audience in his 20s.

"I already bought a lot of his stuff, shoes and everything," he said.

He also liked the album, saying: "It's universal. Look at this line. There are black people, Asian people, white people, everything."

Noah Zagor, the owner of Meyvn, a menswear store in Chicago, praised West for doing much for fashion.

"He opened up the minds of younger guys who may not necessarily be into fashion but care about what's cool in lifestyle, in culture and he's produced a line that represents that," he told AFP.

"I think what he does brilliantly is put together a spectacle. The show, the scene, the marketing, the concept, it's amazing. He commands attention with what he does," he added.

- Whimsy from BCBG Max Azria -

West's show was broadcast in cinemas across the planet, busting out of the more traditional confines of a fashion audience as seen at Nicholas K and BCBG Max Azria on Thursday, the opening day of New York fashion week.

BCBG unveiled its fall/winter collection at Moynihan Station, which last season became the new fashion week headquarters, saying its muse was a performer with "individualistic style" and "artistic ingenuity."

It unveiled a rich winter palette of light grey, cream and camel paired with merlot, ink blue and carbon. There was lots of layering, knits and denim, with color-blocked bags and shearling-trimmed footwear to emphasize the "whimsical carefree spirit" of the muse.

A total of 147 designers are on Fashion Week's official roster this February, with 97 catwalk shows and 50 presentations. Still more designers will present their creations independently.

Some of the biggest names to watch are Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Victoria Beckham, Diane Von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs.
By Thomas Escritt AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - International judges rule on Friday on the admissibility of witness testimony against Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto, a decision that could trigger the collapse of another major case before the International Criminal Court. If Ruto and his co-accused, broadcaster Joshua arap Sang, succeed in having witnesses' withdrawn testimony struck from court records, it will probably deal a death blow to the court's highest-profile case. Prosecutors at the court, whose similar case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta collapsed last year, say six of their key witnesses were bribed or threatened into withdrawing their testimony. Ruto's lawyers argue that, without the testimony of those witnesses linking Ruto to the violence, in which 1,200 died in 2007-2008, the prosecutors' case against him has "evaporated". The two defendants say that testimony recorded before the witnesses withdrew from the case is no longer admissible in evidence. They have the full backing of Kenya's government, especially since Kenyatta and Ruto were elected on a joint ticket in 2013. Acquittal would leave Ruto freer to campaign for a second term as deputy president next year, potentially giving him a clear run in 2022 for the presidency. But it would also be a blow to the ICC. After 13 years and spending more than a billion euros, the court has convicted only two people, driving a wedge between its European funders and the African countries that make up the bulk of its 123 members. Failure in the Kenyan case would be another sign that the court, set up to hold the most powerful to account, continues to struggle against politically influential defendants. Severe tests lie ahead: the court has since added new and even more politically charged cases to its docket by opening investigations into conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians and between Russia and Georgia. (Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Katharine Houreld)
The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Friday upheld an appeal by Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and barred the use of recanted testimonies in the crimes against humanity case brought against him.

In what will be seen as a major victory for the Kenyan government and may sound the death knell for the prosecution in its faltering case, judge Piotr Hofmanski said the court had interpreted "too narrowly" the rules on using such evidence.

This was "to the detriment" of Ruto and his co-accused radio boss Joshua arap Sang as his defence team had for example been denied the chance to cross-examine witnesses.

In a unanimous decision "the appeals chamber has decided to reverse the decision that... prior recorded testimony can be used," Hofmanski said.

Ruto, 49, and Sang, 40, face three charges of crimes against humanity namely murder, forcible deportation and persecution arising out of Kenya's disputed elections in December 2007.

Prosecutors say more than 1,300 people died and some 600,000 others were left homeless in Kenya's worst wave of violence since independence from Britain in 1963.

Ruto and Sang deny the charges and Ruto's lawyers have further argued there was no proof that he was behind the bloodshed that rocked the powerful east African nation once seen as a regional beacon of stability.

Their trial opened in September 2013.

"Today's decision is a very big victory for justice," Ruto's defence lawyer Karim Khan told AFP.

ICC prosecutors were in August given permission to use witness testimonies which had been later recanted.

The prosecution has maintained the witnesses had changed their testimonies because they were intimidated or placed under duress.

But the Kenyan government has long argued that the charges should be thrown out in the wake of a similar case against Ruto's erstwhile bitter rival and now Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In a major setback for the ICC, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda dropped the charges against Kenyatta last year.

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That announcement was the ICC's biggest setback since it was established in 2002, and also came amid allegations of witness intimidation, bribery and false testimony.

In a statement late Friday, Bensouda's office said it "takes note of the decision and is currently studying it".

Ruto's case "is now on life support and may never recover," said Mark Kersten, a researcher the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, about Friday's ruling.

"There is broad consensus that the case against Ruto is rather weak, with or without this ruling," Kersten told AFP.

Under a controversially amended rule of the Rome Statute which sets out the guidelines for the tribunal, judges allowed prosecutors to use the testimony of five witnesses which had been recanted.

But Ruto and Sang's lawyers appealed, arguing the move would breach their rights to a fair and speedy trial.

- Potential to walk free -

On Friday a five-judge appeals bench agreed with the defence, saying the ICC's trial judges committed "legal errors" by allowing the testimony.

But Friday's ruling "will have the potential effect of weakening the prosecution's case and increase the odds of Ruto and Sang eventually walking free," said Aaron Matta, from the Hague Institute for Global Justice.

The decision to allow previously recanted evidence to beef up the case against Ruto had stirred anger in Kenya.

Nairobi has spearheaded a proposal for African countries to pull out of the court, which it accuses of unfairly targeting the continent for prosecution.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, who leads the ruling Jubilee party of MPs in Kenya's parliament, welcomed the ruling.

"The ICC appeal chamber has redeemed the credibility of ICC and respect of the Rome Statue," Duale said in a statement.

All but one of the ICC's current 10 full investigations are in Africa, but most have been launched after the countries themselves referring cases to the ICC or because of UN Security Council referrals.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Chinese counterpart in Munich on Friday to discuss U.N. efforts to address repeated North Korea violations of Security Council resolutions, the State Department said. "The Secretary reaffirmed U.S. commitments to security and stability on the Korean peninsula and urged China to use their influence in Pyongyang to help the international community increase pressure on the DPRK," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his South Korean counterpart met in Munich on Friday to discuss North Korea's violations of Security Council resolutions and the need to continue the two countries' close coordination, the State Department said in a statement. "The Secretary reaffirmed the U.S. ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan and noted the vital importance of continued communication and cooperation among the three countries," spokesman John Kirby said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. officials will begin talks as early as next week on the deployment of an advanced missile defense system to the U.S. military in the South, a South Korean defense ministry official said on Friday. The South earlier this week announced it would initiate discussions on a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit after a long-range rocket launch by North Korea, which Seoul and Washington said violated U.N. Security Council resolutions. (Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Dean Yates)
North and South Korea's perennially volatile relations seem headed for a new and potentially dangerous low, with all official lines of communication cut off and a host of tension-raising issues on the near horizon.

The two rivals, who have remained technically at war over the past six decades, have faced and weathered numerous crises in the past, but the current situation feels particularly grim in the wake of the North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

Any hope of compromise or dialogue seems to have been indefinitely shelved, with a leader in Pyongyang confirming an unwavering commitment to nuclear weapons development, and a counterpart in Seoul determined to react firmly -- and proactively -- to any North Korean provocation.

And the standoff is taking on wider Cold War-like dimensions, with the divisions between the main parties to the North Korean nuclear issue -- China and Russia on one side, the US, South Korea and Japan on the other -- increasingly stark and antagonistic.

The new mood on the divided peninsula played out this week in the effective termination of the sole remaining North-South cooperation project -- the Kaesong joint industrial zone lying 10 kilometres (six miles) over the border in North Korea.

- A talisman for ties -

Despite its obvious vulnerabilities, Kaesong had taken on a talismanic image by riding out pretty much every inter-Korean crisis thrown up since it opened for business in 2004.

"In a way, it's a miracle it lasted that long," said Leonid Petrov, an expert on North Korea at the Australian National University.

But on Wednesday, Seoul announced it was suspending all operations of the 124 South Korean companies in Kaesong, and yesterday Pyongyang responded by expelling all the firms' managers and freezing their factories' assets.

The North placed the complex under military control, while the South cut off all power and water supplies.

"I don't see any way back for Kaesong now," Petrov said. "It's gone too far and there's no real will in the North or South to work it out."

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Kaesong was born out of the "sunshine" reconciliation policy of the late 1990s.

One of the roles initially envisaged by Seoul was of Kaesong as a beachhead for market reforms in North Korea that would spread from the complex and expose tens of thousands to the outside world's way of doing business.

Although that vision never materialised, some analysts still mourned its demise for closing a small but crucial open door on the world's most heavily-militarised border.

- 'Great leap backwards' -

"With no Kaesong, South and North Koreans will no longer be in contact anywhere on a regular basis. That is a great leap backwards," Aidan Foster-Carter, a Korea expert based in Britain, wrote for the NK News website.

Chang Yong-Seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University, said one of Kaesong's most important contributions had been to help keep inter-Korean rivalries in check.

"The Koreas both had a stake in Kaesong so they were able to restrain each other in some ways, but now that has all gone out the window," Chang said.

The space for communication between Seoul and Pyongyang shrank further on Thursday, when the North announced it was cutting the last two remaining communication hotlines with the South.

The hotlines themselves have never been used for conversational diplomacy, but they were key to setting up meetings where such discussions could take place.

The severing of all contacts comes ahead of a period when crisis-control talks could be most needed.

- Tensions ahead -

North Korea will likely react strongly to whatever sanctions the UN Security Council eventually agrees to impose over its nuclear test and rocket launch.

Then in March, South Korean and the United States will kick off a series of annual military drills that the North views as rehearsals for invasion and which always see a spike in tensions.

Pyongyang's claims of provocation over the exercises should be especially shrill this time, as Seoul and Washington also begin talks on deploying an advanced US missile shield in South Korea.

"South Korea and the US have said the drills will be on an even larger scale than usual which is sure to meet a big backlash from North Korea," said Chang.

"So, with all this, I think we're going to see tensions running at a level incomparable to previous years," he added.
Kuwait City (AFP) - Kuwait and Italy will finalise a multibillion-euro deal next week for the Gulf state to purchase Eurofighter jets, Kuwait's defence minister has said.

Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah did not specify the number of planes involved in the deal but the Eurofighter consortium said in September that Kuwait had agreed to buy 28 fighter jets.

"Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti will visit Kuwait next week to sign the Eurofighter warplanes deal," Al-Sabah was quoted as saying Thursday evening by the official KUNA news agency.

Media reports said the value of the deal was between 7-8 billion euros ($8-9 billion).

The minister said he met with his Italian counterpart earlier Thursday on the sidelines of an anti-Islamic State group coalition meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The Kuwait deal follows Oman's order of 12 Eurofighter Typhoons in December 2012. Saudi Arabia already uses the fighter jets in its air force.

Kuwait is looking to upgrade its firepower against the backdrop of increased security concerns in the region linked to the rise of IS.

Its parliament last month unanimously approved a request by the government for $10 billion in additional funds for military spending over the next 10 years.

The emirate is a member of the US-led coalition that has been bombing IS targets in Syria and Iraq since last year and is also taking part in a Saudi-led coalition striking Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

In November, Kuwait signed 2.5 billion euros worth of fixed and provisional military deals led by the purchase of 24 Airbus-built Caracal helicopters.

Paris said Kuwait would purchase the helicopters for one billion euros, with an option for a further six.

Further deals included the purchase of French light armoured vehicles and patrol boat maintenance
Burns (United States) (AFP) - The last four armed occupiers of a wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered to authorities Thursday, ending a tense 41-day standoff over grazing rights on federal land that left one dead.

Jeff Banta, 46, of Nevada, Sean Anderson, 47, and his wife Sandra, 48, of Idaho, walked out of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge shortly after 9:30 am.

About 90 minutes later, the last protester, David Fry, followed suit, but only after vowing "liberty or death" and having threatened to commit suicide.

Fry, in an extraordinary exchange live-streamed online and at one point followed by 30,000 people, lashed out at the government, saying that unless his grievances are addressed he would not leave the refuge. But in the end he yielded.

In a rambling diatribe before his surrender, the 27-year-old at one point said he wanted a pizza, then marijuana, before denouncing abortion and American foreign policy.

- 'Die with honor' -

"The whole reason I am here is to protest against the government, to address my grievances," he said.

At another point in the conversation he warned: "I am actually pointing a gun at my head."

"It's better to die with honor (than) be forced to live dishonorably," he added.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that the four holdouts had been taken into custody without incident and would appear before a judge on Friday.

They face charges of conspiring to impede federal officers from performing their duties through the use of force, intimidation or threats.

Greg Bretzing, the FBI's top agent in Oregon, said the standoff had been especially trying to area residents whose lives were disrupted.

"Over the course of the last month, the people of Harney County have lived through an experience that is both highly emotional and physically exhausting," he told reporters. "We have seen the occupiers and their outside supporters try to drive deep divisions between those who live and work here."

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- Nevada showdown -

The occupation of the refuge came to an end a day after Cliven Bundy -- the Nevada rancher whose 2014 standoff with federal authorities over grazing rights inspired the Oregon activists -- was arrested late Wednesday in Portland, Oregon.

Bundy, 74, was reportedly on his way to the wildlife refuge when detained on arrival at the airport, the FBI said.

The siege in Oregon began on January 2 when two of Bundy's sons, Ammon and Ryan, along with some 30 followers, took over the refuge to denounce federal land management policies in the American West.

The Bundy brothers were among a dozen people arrested late last month after they ventured out of the refuge. The group's de facto spokesman LaVoy Finicum was killed by police after he tried to get away.

The takeover of the wildlife refuge initially began as a protest against the jailing of two local ranchers, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, who were convicted of arson and sentenced to prison.

But the activists' demands soon grew to include calls for the government to turn over area federal land to local ranchers. In Oregon, nearly 53 percent of the land is federally owned.

The Hammonds distanced themselves from the movement and voluntarily began their scheduled prison sentences after the occupation began.

The Bundy family grabbed headlines in 2014 after another armed showdown with federal authorities over cattle grazing fees.

That standoff ended with federal officials backing down and releasing cattle they had seized from the Bundys.

Cliven Bundy appeared in court on Thursday in relation to the Nevada standoff and was charged -- like his sons -- with conspiracy to interfere with a federal officer. He also faces weapons charges.
Laser scans of Britain's terrain may reveal weathered Roman roads that have been hidden for centuries across the countryside of northern England.

Over the past 18 years, the U.K.'s Environment Agency has used a technology called lidar to collect data for more than 72 percent of England's surface. This remote sensing technique bounces laser light beams off the ground to make 3D terrain maps that can peer below vegetation and reveal the contours of every ditch and boulder below.

The U.K.'s lidar maps were used primarily for environmental purposes, such as for planning flood defenses or tracking eroding coastlines. But last summer, the agency dumped all 11TB of its data sets onto the Survey Open Data website. [Roman Fort: See Images of the Long-Lost Discoveries]

The maps grabbed the attention of archaeologists and history buffs among them, David Ratledge, a 70-year-old retired road engineer who has spent nearly five decades searching for ancient Roman roads, The Times of London reported.

After the Romans invaded Britain in the first century A.D., they built an impressive network of roads to secure their occupation. You can walk in the footsteps of Roman soldiers on a few surviving sections of these ancient highways today, but many routes have been stripped of their stones or they have been obscured by development and farmland.

These "lost" roads left some gaps in the history of Roman Britain. One mystery for Ratledge was, how did the Romans get from Ribchester to Lancaster? With access to the new maps, Ratledge thinks he has solved the puzzle. He traced an 11-mile (17 kilometers) road from Ribchester to the main north-south road at Catterall that then led to Lancaster.

"The road takes a very logical and economical route to join the main north-south road at Catterall and hence on to Lancaster," Ratledge wrote on the website of the Roman Roads Research Association. "Years of looking for a road via Priest Hill, White Chapel, Beacon Fell, Oakenclough and Street proved to be time spent in the wrong place!"

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Ratledge said a prominent stretch of a Roman rampart is even visible in Google Street View.

"How nobody me included spotted it is a mystery," he wrote.

Archaeologists Hugh Toller and Bryn Gethin have also used the lidar data to find four other roads, including a missing part of a Roman road called the Maiden Way, the U.K. Environment Agency said in a statement.

First developed in the 1960s, lidar has a variety of uses. In one of its best-known early applications, it helped NASA's astronauts study the surface of the moon during the Apollo missions. Today, it's been used to survey land for oil and gas companies, or to assess the damage of a disaster like the 2010 Haiti earthquake or Hurricane Sandy. It's even been used in an artistic capacity, to make haunting portraits of people in Ethiopia.

The technique has also become a useful tool for archaeologists who want to look for buried structures without breaking ground. In recent years, archaeologists have used lidar to discover the foundations of a lost city in the Honduran rainforest, mapped the sprawling ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia and revealed lost historic sites across New England.

In England, archaeologists aren't the only ones interested in the Environment Agency's terrain maps. The agency said utility companies might use the data to plan the construction of new infrastructure, and winemakers might even find the lidar maps useful when scouting potential plots for vineyards. "Minecraft" players have also requested the data sets to help them build virtual worlds.

Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Lourdes (France) (AFP) - Shopping around for a Valentine's Day weekend made in heaven?

Married or not, straight or gay, you and your sweetheart will be welcome in Lourdes, the town in southwestern France that has attracted "miracle" seekers for a century and a half, officials said Friday.

"Come to Lourdes to say I love you," beckons a flyer put out by the Lourdes diocese, touting a "couples weekend" as part of efforts to boost dwindling visitor numbers.

While the flyer is illustrated with the expected hearts and cherubs, and the silhouettes of a man and woman holding hands, the sanctuary's treasurer Thierry Castillo insisted that the invitation is "open to all kinds of couples -- married, not married, homosexual..."

He noted however, that unmarried couples, straight or gay, could not expect the blessing of the Catholic Church.

"The miracle of Lourdes is that of the encounter," said the rector, Reverend Andre Cabes, recalling the town's founding "meeting" -- the moment 158 years ago when peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous experienced an encounter with the Virgin Mary, according to Church doctrine.

"We launched Operation Saint Valentine this year with this in mind," Cabes said.

Over the decades, millions of Christians have flocked to the site where the waters are believed to possess healing powers, and the Church has recognised 69 "miracle" cures -- inexplicable by scientific means -- in that time.

As of late Friday, around 100 couples had made online reservations for the Valentine's weekend, the diocese's communications director David Torchala told AFP, adding however that none were gay.

"We'll see who turns up. The goal is not to know who they are, the idea is to welcome all couples so that they entrust their love to the Lord. It's a prayer for couples" to be led by Lourdes' bishop, Nicolas Brouwet, Torchala said.

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- 'It's a first' -

"This initiative aims to extend God's love to all. It's a first," he said, noting that it fits in with the theme of the Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis, a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon.

But the spokesman said couples cannot expect a "nuptial blessing" or "ecclesiastical act".

At a key Vatican meeting last year, the world's Catholic bishops framed the question of gay believers in terms of how priests can help support families who have "persons with homosexual tendencies" in their midst, while reiterating the Church's opposition to gay marriage.

Francis had set the tone for greater compassion and pragmatism towards homosexuals in 2013, when he famously asked "Who I am to judge?" when asked about gays in the Church, pulling the rug out from under centuries of teachings that homosexual acts are sinful.

Local officials in Lourdes are concerned that the town of around 15,000 may be losing its appeal, with a recent study concluding that its some 220 souvenir shops and 159 hotels are "doing steadily worse".

It found that arrivals decreased by about a quarter between 2009 and 2014, a drop that may be partially explained by the financial downturn, but also by the fact that visitors are preferring to come on their own rather than on organised tours -- and more and more are coming out of curiosity rather than religious fervour.

Tourism director Pascale Fourticq says the town plans to reorient its strategy to appeal to wealthier visitors.

In October, Lourdes will host a fair for tour operators to generate interest in higher-end stays.

But mayor Josette Bourdeu does not want to sacrifice its identity. "The sick (seeking healing) must remain the city's DNA," she said.
McKee Homes hosting Fayetteville Chamber After Hours Event to Kick-off 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer's Planning

FAYETTEVILLE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2016 / Since its inception, almost six years ago, McKee Homes has been a big supporter of the Alzheimer's Association(R). In addition to helping organize the Fayetteville Walk to End Alzheimer's, McKee Homes also donates a percentage of each home sale to the Joe McKee Memorial Alzheimer's Fund, which helps support the Alzheimer's Association(R) and related activities.

On Feb. 25 at 5:30 pm, McKee Homes will be hosting the Fayetteville Chamber After Hours at Marquis Market at 116 Person Street in Fayetteville. The Chamber After Hours event brings together many local residents, business professionals and owners from the Fayetteville area for a popular networking event.

Pat McKee, President of McKee Homes and President of the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville, will be presenting the Alzheimer's Association(R) with a promotional check for approximately $30,000 which covers all the donations made in 2015. Lisa Roberts, Executive Director, Eastern North Carolina Chapter Alzheimer's Association, will be in attendance for the presentation. From 2011 to 2016, McKee Homes has donated approximately $135,000 to the Alzheimer's Association(R) through the Joe McKee Memorial Alzheimer's Fund.

"Our mission is to utilize our resources and good fortune to support the Alzheimer's cause in the greater Fayetteville, Wilmington and Raleigh areas by raising awareness of this devastating disease, supporting initiatives of the Alzheimer's Association(R) and helping fund Alzheimer's care and research," said Pat McKee.

The sixth annual Fayetteville Walk to End Alzheimer's planning is underway and is looking for corporate sponsors. The fifth annual Walk Corporate Breakfast will be held on Thursday, March 24 at Hutchens Law Firm in Fayetteville. This is an invitation only event. Those that wish to attend can contact Debbie Waitley at (910) 997-1325.

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The 2016 Fayetteville Walk to End Alzheimer's will be held on Sept. 24 at 9:00 a.m. at the SwampDogs Stadium at 2823 Legion Road in Fayetteville. For more information please visit the McKee Homes website or Walk to End Alzheimer's Facebook page.

About McKee Homes, LLC:

McKee Homes is a family owned home building business, which offers a friendly home purchasing experience and is involved in numerous local and national charities. They give homebuyers the freedom to personalize their homes with custom options and special features to get the new home they truly desire. McKee Homes is one of the fastest growing new home builders in the area with new homes located in some of the area's most desirable neighborhoods, offering comfort and convenience only a short drive from the Fort Bragg, Raleigh and Wilmington Metro Areas; exactly where you want to be.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.mckeehomesnc.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Pat McKee

Organization: McKee Homes

Address: 101 Hay Street

Phone: 910-475-7100

SOURCE: McKee Homes
It began with a letter to a stranger in 1995. From a prison cell in Tennessee, then 26-year-old Alex Friedmann reached out to a man named Paul Wright in Washington state. Though the two hadnt met, they had something in common: They were both young and incarcerated, and they wanted people inside and outside prison to have accurate information about the criminal justice system.

Friedmann was a reader of Prison Legal News, a newsletter Wright founded while serving a sentence for first-degree murder in Washington at the age of 24. The two struck up a conversation by mail, and Friedmann eventually began writing for the periodical, which steadily blossomed into a 72-page monthly publication offering original reporting and analysis on prisoners rights and broader criminal justice issues.

I decided to start the magazine because I thought the American public would be as outraged as I was if they knew what happened in prisons and jails, Wright tells TakePart. Beyond sparking outrage, Wright saw Prison Legal News as a tool for prisoners like himself who were adrift in the system.

For the vast majority of people in prison in this country, no one is coming to help them, he says. Anything theyre going to do they have to do on their ownand [Prison Legal News] gives them the tools they need to advocate effectively and make change.

Friedmann, who spent six years of his 10-year sentence incarcerated for armed robbery in a private prison, also wanted to expose the truth of life behind bars in a privately owned facility. In 2003, his epistolary conversation with Wright paid off when he was hired to join Prison Legal News full time after Wrights release from prison. Today, the two continue to edit and publish the magazine via the Human Rights Defense Center, a nonprofit grassroots publishing house founded by Wright that also houses their litigation and advocacy work. Their story is featured in the new documentary series Truth and Power on Pivot, a network owned by TakeParts parent company, Participant Media. Watch a sneak peek below:

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Private prisons are the epitome of some of the most significant problems in our justice system, Friedmann tells TakePart. (Roughly 131,000 prisoners are currently held in privately operated state and federal prisons, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.) But that doesnt mean our public prisons are great or a shining example of what they should betheyre just not operating to make a profit.

When profit is the primary goal of a prison, the alleged public safety goals of the corrections industry can fall by the wayside, according to Friedmann. The corrections business is valued at more than $70 billion. During his years in a prison run by the Corrections Corporation of America in Tennessee, he noticed rationing of things like toilet paper and constant staff turnover.

Theres a great emphasis on cost-cutting, Friedmann says. They would use inmate labor for security-related functions like hanging razor wire on the fences.

At one point, to save money, inmates at the prison were even put to work in the prisons computer lab, where they had access to blueprints of the prison itselfraising major security concerns.

RELATED: Brian Knappenberger's New Show Captures the Fight Against Injustice

Both men landed in jail in 1987 after making bad choices: Wright, a former military policeman who was making only $400 a month on his military salary, tried to rob a drug dealer for extra cash and ended up shooting and killing him in the process at the age of 21. Friedmann tried to hold up a store and wound up in a gunfight with the owner when he was 18.

I was mostly young and stupid and greedy, Friedmann says.

Wright largely attributes the shooting he was involved in to living in povertya trait he shared with many others he met in prison.

In 17 years, I never met anyone in prison who was rich, Wright says. What lands a person in prison has a lot less to do with what they did than their social status and connections.

While criminal justice reform has slowly gained bipartisan traction in Congress and at the state legislative level over the past few years, both Wright and Friedmann note that their more than two decades working on these issuesduring which time sentencing laws grew harsher and the prison population exploded to 2.2 millionhave made them a bit cynical.

Nothing has gotten better by any measurable statistic, Wright says. Not a single person in a position of power is talking about improving conditions of confinement for incarcerated people.

Friedmann acknowledges that his path to advocacy wasnt ideal, but his firsthand experience is what moved him to act.

I would not encourage people to follow my career path, Friedmann jokes. People need to get involved before they reach that point, before a loved one gets locked up.

The pair hope and believe that Prison Legal News will continue to raise awareness and encourage people to join the fight for transparency and justice in the criminal justice system.

Our justice system defines our democracy, says Friedmann. If that breaks down, what do we have left?

Truth and Power airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Pivot, Participant Medias television network. You can also learn about protecting your civil liberties in the digital age by exploring Know Your Rights, a Pivot-supported initiative from the ACLU of Southern California.

Related stories on TakePart:





 Truth and Power Sneak Peek: Inside the Rise of Black Lives Matter

 UC Divests From Private Prisons After Black Students Protest

 Iran Releases American Prisoners, GOP Is Still Unhappy

Original article from TakePart
How many Egyptians does it take to build a pyramid? None, because the aliens did it! Author Richard Smith will be discussing his new book The Moor, The Mason And The Alien: A Call To Action at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center . As a hopeful key for a spiritual revolution, Smiths book covers a wide range of topics like economics, supernatural activity and current affairs. If you want to know more about how extraterrestrials have affected history as we know it, you cant miss this. This is hosted by the local nonprofit NM UFO and Paranormal Forum which has monthly meetings centered on all things paranormal. Keep your eyes on the skies. (Megan Reneau)

The local author will be discussing his newest book The Moor, The Mason And The Alien: A Call To Action.

The New Mexico UFO and Paranormal Forum will have author Richard Smith as their guest for the February meeting at 12:15 PM Mountain time. He will be discussing his newest book "The Moor, The Mason And The Alien: A Call To Action". Not to be missed! Make sure you are there for this one.

Catch the New Mexico UFO and Paranormal Forum every fourth Saturday of the month at 12:15 PM MDT. Visit them on Facebook, GoFundMe, Duke City Fix and Blogger.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A visionary synthesis of alien contact, the Moorish Legacy, reincarnation and human origins, "The Moor, The Mason And The Alien" engages the reader with a radically ambitious scope of knowledge and wisdom, putting us on track with a magnificent interstellar experience through the paranormal and extraterrestrial terrains of ancient history, psychology, economics and current affairs. Ranging from the author's personal odyssey to the global issues we all face, Smith serves up "a spiritual insurrection", an epic saga like no other representing the beginning of a new and riveting human adventure, taking the reader on an historical account of a global rebellion that begins with the Sasquatch going head to head with the Greys and transforms into the ancient Moorish Legacy of the Egyptian University System.

RICHARD SMITH is an experiencer, author, international speaker and radio host on the topic of alien contact, the Moorish Legacy, human origins and related matters. Smith received high honors at New York State University for his dedicated work with Extraterrestrial Intervention and Alien Abduction Phenomena. Globally recognized for spearheading the Human Origins Revolution, he currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, working on his third book and has been speaking worldwide with author events, interviews, lectures and conferences.

To request the author for a book signing or speaking engagement please contact:

Raena Camacho

Publicist & Events Manager

Phone: 401-447-1575

Email: info@ufoteacher.com

Ilias Bafas

Human Origins Global Tour Manager

WeChat ID: ilias333

Email: info@humanoriginsconference.com

ABOUT THE FORUM: As a grassroots organization, it is the goal of the New Mexico UFO and Paranormal Forum to provide quality information and education to the public that they would not normally receive at the local level on subject matter regarding UFOs, the paranormal and related topics.

CONNECT WITH THE NM UFO PARANORMAL FORUM:

https://www.gofundme.com/zfa29b38

https://www.facebook.com/newmexicoufoparanormal

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http://nmupf.blogspot.com/

CONNECT WITH THE NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER:

http://northdomingo.weebly.com/

http://www.cabq.gov/seniors/centers/north-domingo-baca-multigenerational-center

https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Domingo-Baca-Multigenerational-Center/338449802881852
Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday hosted George Clooney for talks on Europe's refugee influx, after the Hollywood idol offered to lend star power to help with the crisis.

The meeting lent Merkel a bit of much-needed support as her liberal asylum policy comes under attack at home and abroad.

"We spoke about the involvement of George Clooney, his wife (Amal) and David Miliband" in the International Rescue Committee, said Merkel when asked about the encounter at a press conference following talks with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.

"We spoke about the possibilities for an NGO and a government to work together on the causes that force people to flee their countries, and also how to encourage people to get involved in the cause," she said, describing the discussions as "very good".

Clooney told public television ZDF that "what we were there to do is to talk about how best we can help".

"I understand first and foremost how difficult the task is and Chancellor Merkel talks about the incredible work that all these volunteers have been doing -- it's not just the government but what all the people in Germany have been doing," said the actor.

Britain's former foreign minister Miliband is now head of the IRC, while Clooney's wife Amal is a Lebanese-born human rights lawyer.

The Clooneys were in the German capital to attend the Berlin film festival, which this year also puts Europe's refugee influx in the spotlight.

The actor had told reporters on Thursday that he would meet Merkel and, separately, a group of asylum seekers, "to talk about and ask what messages and what things we can do... to help."

Germany took in around 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015 alone, but opposition is growing within the country against Merkel's liberal policy.

An opinion poll published late January showed that nearly 40 percent of German voters want Merkel to quit over her asylum policy.

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Outside Germany, Merkel has also come under fire.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls joined a growing chorus of critics Friday with a warning her policy was "unsustainable in the long term", while his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev had stronger words, calling it "quite simply stupid".

The chancellor has pledged to "tangibly" reduce the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving this year with a range of measures in Germany, on the European level and with the help of international partners such as Turkey.

The daily Berliner Zeitung warned that Merkel's meeting with Clooney "could backfire" on her.

"As the chancellor is meeting an actor at a time when there is falling confidence on her migration policies, she could be reproached for preferring to bask in the glow of Hollywood rather than solving the country's urgent problems," it said.

After all, "pressing issues such as overcrowded refugee reception centres or massive backlogs in asylum applications cannot be solved by Clooney," it warned.
This story first appeared in the Feb. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

In September, Michael Moore announced he had sold his anticipated documentary Where to Invade Next to a new, unnamed company headed by ex-Radius executives Tom Quinn and Jason Janego and Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. But as Invade limps into 300 theaters Feb. 12, questions surround the film and the mysterious outfit releasing it.

Read More: 'Awards Chatter' Podcast  Michael Moore ('Where to Invade Next')

Invade, in which Moore visits countries that offer a better version of the American dream, was set to roll out nationally Dec. 23, then pushed to Jan. 15 and eventually Feb. 12. In December, Moore, 61, said he would embark on a 50-state bus tour to promote the film, but that never happened. (An empty bus with Invade signage instead is making the rounds.) Insiders blame the delays on not wanting the political satire to open against Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And they attribute the scuttled tour to Moore turning his focus to the water crisis in his hometown of Flint, Mich. Plus, the director canceled appearances on Conan and Real Time With Bill Maher because he's battling pneumonia. "You can't burn it at both ends, and if u do, it's best not to do so in the winter nor anywhere near a place full of toxic water!" he wrote on his Facebook page.

Still, many are skeptical of the company that landed Moore's first movie in six years. Quinn, Janego and League have yet to name their label or financial backers, and a company title card will not appear before the film, stoking speculation that the trio didn't actually buy Invade out of Toronto and instead are being paid a service fee to release the film, which was financed by WME-IMG. Quinn and Janego insist League put up funds to buy the film for an undisclosed sum and pay for its prints-and-advertising budget (two sources familiar with the deal say a third party paid for P&A). Either way, the distributor is trying to make the most of the timing of the release amid the U.S. presidential campaign, with TV spots airing during debates. Says Janego, "This is the single most relevant film right now, and it will be the most relevant film all year."

Read More: Watch THR's Full, Uncensored Documentary Roundtable With Alex Gibney, Michael Moore and More
Benghazi (Libya) (AFP) - A MiG-23 fighter of Libya's internationally recognised government was shot down Friday as it carried out air strikes on opposition positions in the coastal city of Benghazi, the military said.

Nasser el-Hassi, spokesman for the government's forces, told AFP the plane was "shot down in Qaryunes, northwest Benghazi, as it bombed positions of the (Mujahedeen) Shura Council", a coalition of Islamist militias close to Al-Qaeda.

The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group claimed its fighters downed the plane, according to SITE Intelligence Group, a US monitor of jihadist activity on the Internet.

A military source said the pilot survived having parachuted to safety, but his whereabouts were not immediately clear.

It was the second military air crash this week.

On Monday, another MiG-23 operated by forces loyal to Libya's recognised government crashed near the eastern city of Derna after attacking IS positions.

LANA news agency, which is close to the recognised government, blamed "technical problems" for the downing.

Before crashing, the fighter had carried out raids on IS positions around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Derna.

Two administrations are vying for power in war-ravaged Libya, one based in the capital Tripoli backed by a coalition of militias, and the recognised government, exiled in the east.

In early January, another MiG 23 came down in Benghazi, the main city in the east.

Chaos engulfing Libya since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011 has fostered the rise of IS which has based itself in the former dictator's hometown of Sirte in eastern Libya.
Having your BFFs run for president should be fun, right? Or at least moderately useful? That was what Senator Mike Lee was more or less hoping as he headed into this election cycle with not one but three of his closest Senate colleaguesMarco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and (until Iowa) Rand Paulchasing the Republican nomination.

Oh, sure, Lee would have to manage the ticklish business of staying neutral. (He always demurs when asked to handicap the race.) With all the focus on his three amigos campaigns, it would be tougher to get attention for his own projects (such as the book he released last year). And things were bound to get a bit lonely at times, with Ted, Marco, and Rand all out gallivanting around Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina. Still, Lee is among the Senates most serious purveyors of conservative policythe Utah Tea-Partyer is also a favorite of his partys intelligentsiaand much of his vision is shared by his legislative besties. So when Lee and I sat down together last spring (the week after Paul joined the POTUS pack), he was cautiously optimistic that having his like-minded brethren out on the hustings would work out to his benefit. While Lee hunkered down on the Hill, churning out policy, his more glamorous friends could bring the gospel to the masses.

Recommended: Marco Rubio Might Be the Party's Moderate, but His Tax Plan Is Extreme

Instead, the race hasnt turned out to be much fun at all. For starters, senators running for president have bigger and better things to do than to hang out on the Hill with their colleagues. This has rendered Lee a bit like the middle-school kid left with no one to eat lunch with. Of late, he has taken to hanging out with the House Freedom Caucus folks, cooking up ways to fuel the conservative revolution. This suits the senator just fine, says Yuval Levin, the editor of National Affairs and Lees outside policy consigliere. Lee has been interested in turning the kind of things that the members who came in on the Tea Party wave talk about into concrete proposals. Still, its not the same as having his usual posse around.

From a legislative standpoint, Lees friends on the trail can be frustratingly hard to nail down when it comes time to support a particular bill. (Looking at you on criminal-justice reform, Marco!) Worse still, every now and then one of them feels compelled to loudly bash some piece of legislation near and dear to Lees heartoften without even so much as a heads up. Cruz did it on criminal-justice reform in October, slamming Lees pet bill as both practically and politically dangerous. A couple of months later, Rubio started going after the USA Freedom Act (sponsored by Lee and backed by Rubios presidential rival Cruz), which reformed the governments bulk collection of telecom data. In both cases, Lee was blind-sided, especially by Rubios snark last month that If ISIS had lobbyists in Washington, they would have spent millions to support the anti-intelligence law. Itd be enough to make a lesser man question the bonds of friendshipnot to mention root for this whole presidential circus to be over so everyone could get back to focusing on the work of the Senate.

And this, at heart, is what Lee is about: the work of the Senate, or, more broadly, the legislative branch. Hes not looking for another job like running for president, says Levin. He thinks you can make a difference as a legislator.

Recommended: Did the Supreme Court Doom the Paris Climate Change Deal?

Lee also thinks that Congress has ceded too much of its authority to the executive branch. We hear members of Congress complain about it almost as if were victims, the senator tells me. We are not. We are the perpetrators. Its so much easier, he notes, for Congress to state some broad aspirational goal like We shall have clean air and then just let the EPA work out the details.

So it is that, as the presidential race kicks into high gear, Lee is launching a new crusade to help Congress reclaim its status as the first branch. Last week, the senator rolled out the Article One Project, or A1P for all the acronym junkies out there. (The name derives from Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution, which instructs, All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.) Dreamed up by Lee and Levin, A1P comprises a bicameral clutch of conservatives looking to promote legislation to give Congress control of the budget and the regulatory system. It also seeks to dial back executive discretion, which, as Lee and Representative Jeb Hensarling put it in National Review, right now allows presidents and federal bureaucrats to ignore or rewrite federal statutes, so long as they have a clever enough reason.

Why on earth start this now, with no one paying attention to anyone in politics not named Trump?

The conservative media has cheered Lees new endeavor. Everyone else has pretty much ignored it. Which begs the question: Why on earth start this now, with no one paying attention to anyone in politics not named Trump?

This is an opportunity to get some Republicans on the record in Congress saying that they want to reassert congressional authority, reasons Levin. People tend to forget that when a president from their own party gets elected. Ideally, Levin says, a few of the presidential contenders themselves will get on board. Says Lee, If you look at it as only something were concerned about because this particular president is in office, I dont think were going to get anywhere.

Recommended: Why Carly Fiorina's Exit from the 2016 Race is a Defeat for Conservative Feminism

I point out to the senator that the ongoing Trumpmania suggests that many voters (especially Republican voters) dont long for a diminished executive so much as a full-on strong man in the Oval Office. Thats exactly why we need efforts like this! he insists. People so badly want change and reform that we might actually end up further empowering a strong executive.

Given the givens, neither Lee nor Levin expects the project to bear fruit during this chaotic season. It is, they say, more about starting a much-needed conversation.

Besides, why should the presidential candidates get to have all the fun? Levin stresses, Lee is not going to sit back and wait for the presidential cycle to get completed before he continues his work on the Hill.

Lees office, meanwhile, assures me that, the challenges of the presidential season notwithstanding, he remains, for the most part, a happy warrior. His communications director, Conn Carroll, emails, He does miss his friends, but Rand is back! And he does enjoy the job and the fight.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The Hague (AFP) - A Bosnian Serb general jailed for life for committing genocide during the Balkans wars died of natural cases in a UN detention centre, court officials said Friday after an autopsy.

Zdravko Tolimir died late Monday in the jail in The Hague where he was awaiting transfer to another country to serve out his sentence.

Once dubbed the right-hand man of notorious army chief Ratko Mladic, Tolimir was sentenced in 2012 for genocide and crimes against humanity committed "on a massive scale" during the 1990s Bosnian war -- including his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

"The Dutch authorities have advised... that based on the results of the autopsy it was concluded that Mr. Tolimir died of natural causes," a statement from officials with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) said.

The UN-backed ICTY had ordered an inquiry into the death of Tolimir, 67, who was arrested in Bosnia in May 2007 and handed over to the tribunal.

Tolimir had complained of health problems on his arrival at the ICTYs detention unit, saying he had suffered a number of strokes.

He told judges in February 2015 that he had undergone heart surgery to insert four stents in his arteries.

Described as Mladic's "eyes and ears" on the ground, Tolimir was one of the most senior Bosnian Serbs to be tried by the UN war crimes tribunal and only one of a handful found guilty of genocide.

But he was not the first ICTY defendant to die in jail.

Ailing former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, blamed for the wars accompanying the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, also died of natural causes in an ICTY prison cell in March 2006, just weeks before the end of his long-running trial.

Mladic himself is on trial at The Hague facing charges including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including for Srebrenica.
Two big technology companies this week provided more evidence that the global economy is slowing and possibly even headed toward a recession. Executives at Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Nokia (NOK), as they reported their most recent quarterly results, both warned of a major slowdown in orders from their corporate customers around the world.

The observations were just the latest pieces of evidence that the global economy is struggling, as data from China, Russia and other areas has revealed a multitude of problems that have scared investors in 2016. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Thursday said economic problems around the world could hit growth in the United States later this year. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down around 2% on Thursday and has lost 11% so far this year.



Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said orders for his company's networking gear and data center equipment slowed starting in January, as tumbling stock markets and other signs of slowing economic growth spooked customers.



"When there's uncertainty in the market, we see enterprise customers, and they just basically say hey, look, let's just  let's wait, let's see what's going to happen," Robbins said on a call with analysts on Wednesday. "They may say let's wait a week. They may say let's wait a couple weeks. And when you're in the last three weeks of your quarter, those kinds of decisions have an impact."



Despite the customer concerns, Cisco reported sales of $11.9 billion for its quarter ended Jan. 23, virtually unchanged from the same three-month period a year earlier. Net income increased 31% to $3.1 billion as the company was able to raise its gross profit margin and cut expenses. Cisco expects to see revenue increase 1% to 4% in the next quarter excluding sales from a video unit it sold in November. Cisco shares were a rare winner on Thursday, gaining 10%.



Rajeev Suri, president and CEO of Nokia, said he also saw customers delaying decisions on major capital spending, or capex, projects due to the current volatile economic climate. "The first quarter, in particular, looks quite challenging as customers assess their CAPEX plans in light of increasing macro-economic uncertainty," Suri said in a statement accompanying Nokia's earnings announcement on Thursday.



To be sure, corporate executives sometimes try to avoid admitting things are going wrong at their own companies by putting the blame on larger economic forces outside of their control. Cisco faces challenges as its customers shift from buying networking equipment to leasing cloud computing services from companies like Amazon (AMZN), for example. But the company maintains shrinking sales in that area were due to the larger economic uncertainly, not the disruptive impact of cloud computing.



Not all analysts agreed. "Our long-term concerns remain that the company is increasingly challenged," Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha noted after Cisco released its results.
London (AFP) - World powers on Friday agreed a plan to cease hostilities in war-wracked Syria, but there are reasons to doubt its success.

Here are the key questions around the deal:

- How important is this announcement?

After the collapse of another round of peace talks in Geneva last week, it represents a political step towards ending the violence and offers hope to civilians caught up in the bloody war by promising humanitarian assistance.

"We should take it seriously," Michael Williams, visiting fellow at London's Chatham House international affairs think tank told AFP.

"The significance lies in the fact that this is an agreement between the US and Russia. They've taken ownership of this now. The parties, the opponents will notice this."

Early indicators of success will be the easing of the siege of civilian communities and improved access for humanitarian aid workers, said Yezid Sayegh, senior Associate at Carnegie Middle East Center.

"If there are no such signs, then that suggests that the regime and Russia intend... to bargain hard and extract every concession and advantage they can," he added.

But crucially the "cessation of hostilities" will not apply to Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's local branch, Al-Nusra.

This leaves them open to attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's forces and his backers Russia, as well as the US-led coalition against IS and Kurdish forces.

So does it have any chance of success?

There are plenty of reasons to be sceptical.

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, launched a major offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The Russian air strikes and ground offensive by regime forces and pro-Assad militias have forced at least 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people.

With a week until the implementation of the deal, there are fears of a violent dash to secure ground before the guns fall silent.

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"That's the big worry," said Williams. "If Russia does step up its military action there's a risk that a week from now there's nothing to implement."

The ceasefire could give Assad time to plot the sealing off of Syria's border with Turkey, according to Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Rebel forces and their Turkish and Arab backers may also welcome the chance to recover from recent setbacks, while the lull could also give Kurdish fighters the opportunity to entrench their gains, he added.

What about Russia's role?

Russia has claimed all along that its bombing targets IS and Al-Nusra terrorists, even though evidence suggests it has mostly been against anti-Assad opposition groups.

Some fear the ceasefire deal will provide diplomatic cover while Russia's offensive continues.

"Talking about al-Nusra works in Russia's favour since so many rebel groups have ties to it," said Julien Barnes-Dacey from the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"This effectively gives the green light for them to carry on military action while paying lip-service to the agreement."

Hokayem from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said that Russia may exploit the ambiguity over its definition of terrorist groups to push its military advantage.

"The question is: if Russia does so, what are the Americans and others ready to do? Is it still a matter of polite American wishes backed by no leverage and little credibility?"

Ominously, as the deal was being negotiated in Munich, Assad vowed in an interview with AFP to retake the entire country, warning it could take a "long time".

Hardly the talk of a man looking for a negotiated settlement to a civil war that has claimed 260,000 lives and displaced half the population since it began in 2011.
By Simon Webb and Hnin Yadana Zaw YANGON (Reuters) - Days before democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi led her lawmakers into parliament as Myanmar's government-in-waiting, Ei Than watched bulldozers sent by the military destroy her house in a slum on the outskirts of Yangon. Ei Than was one of around 2,500 people thrown off military-owned land at Mingaladon in a mass eviction that gives a glimpse into the challenges Suu Kyi faces in sharing power with the armed forces after nearly 50 years of iron-fisted junta rule. The land, on the edge of the commercial capital, is owned by Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), a sprawling military-owned conglomerate that entrenches the armed forces' grip over swathes of one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies. Suu Kyi's party won a resounding election victory last November, but must still work with the military because of its continued hold over key cogs of the government machinery. During the 20 years Ei Than had lived on the land, she had no idea it was owned by the military: like many migrants to the country's biggest city, she built her house on vacant land. "It was just scrub and bushes when we moved here," she said, breastfeeding an infant in a flimsy shelter covered in plastic sheeting that was erected nearby after the eviction. Colonel Tin Aung Tun, minister of security and border affairs for the Yangon Regional Government, said he did not know what the land, surrounded by an industrial park housing many military-owned manufacturing plants, would be used for. "These lands belong to the government," said the colonel, who, as the senior military official responsible for the area, oversaw the evictions. "I had to carry out my duty." He said those evicted had been offered food, water and temporary shelter at a nearby paint plant. Some had only moved to the site recently in the hope of compensation, he added. BUSINESS EMPIRES The eviction at Mingaladon took place on Jan. 26, less than a week before winning election candidates from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) were sworn in as lawmakers. When a lengthy transition is completed by the end of March, they will form the party's first majority government. Land disputes are a difficult legacy of military rule. Rights activists have accused the military and army-linked enterprises of numerous land grabs in recent years. The NLD has for years worked to support those who have faced forcible evictions, and is compiling a list of land disputes. It is unclear how the party plans to resolve such disputes, given the likely military opposition. Local NLD members believe the military timed the Mingaladon eviction to avoid any potential opposition from the new government. "I think they wanted to get this done before the transition," said Nyunt May Tha, chairperson of the NLD in Mingaladon Township, whose son now sits in parliament. MEHL is one of two powerful military business empires that account for a large chunk of the economy and are involved in everything from growing tea, manufacturing cigarettes and brewing beer to jade mining and banking. They help fund the military and the pensions and welfare provided to former soldiers, but they do not make their accounts public and their revenues are not shared with the government. Major Win Myint, manager at the nearby MEHL-owned Myanandar water purification plant, told Reuters the firm owned the land but said he did not know what plans the military company had to develop it. A local government official declined to comment beyond confirming that the land belonged to MEHL. MEHL did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the eviction and what it planned to do with the land. LANDLESS Myanmar's junta-drafted 2008 constitution reserves a quarter of seats in parliament for the armed forces, along with control of home affairs, defense and border affairs ministries, whose ministers are chosen by the army chief, not the president. The Mingaladon evictions were carried out by the General Administration Department (GAD), which runs unelected local governments and reports to the home affairs ministry, according to a copy of the order seen by Reuters. The day after the order to vacate expired, bulldozers arrived. With them were about 200 policemen and around four times as many other men, some carrying sticks, according to a Reuters witness. "Nothing can be done while the military is still in charge of the General Administration Department," said Nyunt May Tha. "We'll only be able to get over this if Daw Suu Kyi can talk to the military and fix it." Government officials told the newly homeless people they would receive compensation and be re-housed. But two weeks after the eviction, those Reuters spoke to said they had received no help. Hundreds of rickety shelters line a track running through a nearby industrial park. Inside, people cook on portable stoves and eat and talk by candlelight. Some say they moved to Yangon after Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's central delta in 2008. The few possessions Ei Than owns are scattered on the floor, where a dozen dusty children crowd around a portable DVD player. "We are sad, we have nothing," she said. "We don't know if we will get any help or not." (Additional reporting by Aung Hla Tun and Aye Win Myint; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Robin Emmott MUNICH (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed on Friday how to renew dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council, which has not met since 2014, but are little closer to agreeing a date or an agenda. As NATO accelerates its biggest military build-up in eastern Europe since the Cold War to deter Russia, the alliance wants to talk to Moscow about improved military transparency to avoid misunderstandings. But convening the NATO-Russia Council is proving difficult with NATO and Russia at odds over issues ranging from Moscow's support for separatists in Ukraine to its airspace incursions in Turkey. "If I started to go into all the elements of why we haven't been able to convene a meeting, then I think I would only make it even more difficult to convene one," Stoltenberg told a news conference after his meeting with Lavrov in Munich. Pushed by Germany since late last year, a NATO-Russia Council in NATO's Brussels headquarters could help avoid any worsening of ties between the two military powers, Berlin has said. NATO diplomats say the lack of dialogue feeds mistrust. "We all have to be ready to discuss difficult issues, issues where we disagree," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg said any meeting would have to address the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Fighting there has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014. Worried since Russia's seizure of Crimea that Moscow could rapidly invade Poland or the Baltic states, the Western military alliance wants to bolster defenses on its eastern flank without provoking the Kremlin by stationing large forces there permanently. The NATO-Russia Council was established in 2002 and is chaired by the NATO secretary general. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; editing by Katharine Houreld)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Bashar al-Assad will not be ruling Syria in the future and Russia's military interventions will not help him stay in power, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a German newspaper in an interview published on Saturday. "There will be no Bashar al-Assad in the future," al-Jubeir told newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. "It might take three months, it might take six months or three years - but he will no longer carry responsibility for Syria. Period." Saying that the Syrian people's determination to topple al-Assad was unbroken despite heavy Russian air strikes and persecution within the country, al-Jubeir criticized Russia's involvement in the five-year-long war. He said that Assad's previous calls for help to his own military, Iran, Hezbollah and Shiite militia forces from Iraq and Pakistan were all in vain. "Now he called the Russians, but they won't be able to help him either," al-Jubeir said. Russia entered the war on Sept. 30 2015 in support of the Syrian president. At least 250,000 people have been killed, 11 million made homeless and hundreds of thousands have fled to Europe since the conflict began in 2011. Moscow has said its air strikes are against the extremist militant groups Islamic State and the Nusra Front, but other countries and rebel groups say the attacks target civilians. Asked about a more direct military involvement with 'boots on the ground', al-Jubeir said such discussions were currently underway among the member states of a U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State. "If the coalition should decide to deploy special forces in the fight against IS in Syria, Saudi-Arabia will be ready to participate," he said, using the initials IS to refer to Islamic State. At a peace and security conference currently underway in Munich, major powers said a peace deal could only be reached if Moscow stops bombing insurgents other than Islamic State. But Russia pressed on with its air strikes in support of al-Assad, who vowed to fight until he regained full control of the country. (Reporting by Tina Bellon; Editing by Andrew Hay)
From Good Housekeeping

North Carolina is known for its breezy coastline and beautiful, rolling mountains, but as of late, the state has found itself in the spotlight for reasons a little less scenic and a lot more political. Joining at least thirteen other states, North Carolina has begun drug testing for people seeking, and receiving, public assistance.

The state law, which requires testing of any Work First applicant or recipient suspected of being a drug user, was enacted in 2013 and implemented in August 2015, despite Governor Pat McCrory's initial veto.

The governor claimed the law was punitive, potentially intrusive and expensive, but was overridden by the state legislature, who also later funded the program (which costs about $55 a test).

A presentation to a General Assembly committee in February said that less than 90 tests were performed from August through December, and only about 20 of them were positive for illegal drugs.

Work First, a state welfare program, promotes employment as the first step to improving economic self-reliance and overall well-being. But, in accordance with the law, it will cut off benefits (which includes short term cash support, and training) if a test is positive, or if a test appointment is missed.

Interestingly enough, Division of Social Services Director Wayne Black says there's no indication testing has discouraged Work First applications. Its ongoing caseload is about 17,000.

[via WTVD-TV]
By Ju-min Park PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) - North Korea said it was kicking out all South Koreans from the jointly run Kaesong industrial zone on Thursday, calling the South's move to suspend operations, in retaliation for Sunday's rocket launch by the North, a "declaration of war". The North declared the industrial park, run by the rivals as a symbol of cooperation for more than a decade, a military control zone, the agency that handles its ties with Seoul said, according to the official KCNA news agency. Dozens of South Korean trucks were already returning across the border earlier in the day, laden with goods and equipment, after the South said it was pulling out. "Unpardonable is the puppet group's act of totally suspending the operation in (Kaesong), finding fault with the DPRK's H-bomb test and launch of a satellite," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said, referring to South Korea. Isolated North Korea regularly dismisses the South as a puppet of the United States and just as regularly accuses both of acts of war against it. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6 and on Sunday launched a rocket, putting a satellite into orbit. The United States, Japan and South Korea said Sunday's launch was a ballistic missile test, and like last month's nuclear test, a violation of U.N. resolutions. The U.S. Senate voted unanimously in favour of tougher sanctions. North Korea ordered South Koreans out of the zone by late afternoon, forbidding them to take anything other than personal belongings, KCNA said. South Korea said after the North's announcement that its top priority was the safe return of all of its people. Halting activity at the park, where 124 South Korean companies employed about 55,000 North Koreans, cuts the last significant vestige of North-South cooperation - a rare opportunity for Koreans divided by the 1950-53 war to interact on a daily basis. North Korean workers were given a taste of life in the South at the complex, about 54 km (34 miles) northwest of Seoul, including snack foods like Choco Pies and toiletries that were resold as luxury items in the North. They also rubbed shoulders with their managers from South Korea. Supporters of the project said that kind of contact was important in promoting inter-Korean understanding, despite concerns that Pyongyang might have used proceeds from Kaesong to help fund its nuclear and missile programmes. RISKS AND REWARDS Except for Kaesong, both countries forbid their citizens from communicating with each other across the worlds most fortified frontier. "We piled up instant noodles, bread and drinks in our warehouse so North Korean workers could come here and eat freely," said Lee Jong-ku, who runs a firm that installs electrical equipment for apparel factories in Kaesong. "We don't mind them eating our food, because we only care about them working hard." For the North, the revenue opportunity from Kaesong - $110 million in wages and fees in 2015 - was deemed worth the risk of exposing its workers to influences from the prosperous South. In recent years, North Koreans have had increasing access to contraband media, exposing them to life in the South and China. Still, Pyongyang took precautions to ensure the workers it hand-picked for the complex had minimal contact with their South Korean managers that could be potentially subversive. "These North Korean workers are strongly armed ideologically," said Koo Ja-ick, who was waiting on the south side of the border on his way to Kaesong, where he has worked at an apparel company for the past four years. "They never act individually. They always work and move in a group of two, even manager-level people do so. They never go to the bathroom by themselves - always in groups," he said. The average wage for North Korean workers at Kaesong was roughly $160 a month, paid to a state management company. The workers received about 20 percent of that in coupons and North Korean currency, said Cho Bong-hyun, who heads research on North Korea's economy at IBK Bank in Seoul. A South Korean government official involved in North Korea policy said it was difficult to see how operations could be resumed anytime soon at Kaesong, which opened in 2005. Shares of several leading companies in the Kaesong zone plunged in Thursday trading, falling by nearly 10 percent or more. Defence shares, on the other hand, performed strongly. Despite volatile North-South relations over the years, Kaesong had been shut only once before, for five months in 2013, amid heightened tensions following its third nuclear test. Its future had often seemed uncertain over the past decade. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul; Writing by Tony Munroe. Editing by Bill Tarrant and Nick Macfie)
New York (AFP) - A jury has found a rookie New York police officer guilty of manslaughter in the 2014 fatal shooting of an unarmed black man -- an incident that fueled US protests against police tactics.

Peter Liang now faces up to 15 years in prison for the death of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old father who was struck in the chest by a bullet that ricocheted off the wall in the stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing project.

The jury found 28-year-old Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct after a two-week trial in Brooklyn, prosecutors said. The jury had begun deliberations on Tuesday.

Sentencing was set for April 14.

"Today's verdict represents justice for Akai Gurley who was totally innocent when he was shot and killed that night," said Brooklyn district attorney Ken Thompson.

The trial was a rare case of a US police officer criminally charged for opening fire, and comes at a time when departments are under scrutiny for the shootings of unarmed suspects, many of them black, and other alleged brutalities.

The Chinese-American police officer and his partner had been on a routine patrol of Louis H. Pink Houses when the incident occurred.

Liang left the roof and walked down the stairs to the eighth floor. Gurley was shot as he stepped into the stairwell, where the lights were not working.

Poor maintenance is a routine problem in housing projects, run by local authorities for residents who cannot afford market-rate rent.

During the trial, prosecutor Marc Fliedner said Liang "fired for no reason" then "wasted precious time arguing with his partner," worried that he would be sacked.

He did not call his superior officer as he was required to do. Nor did he call for an ambulance and neither was he supposed to have his finger on the trigger under police procedure, the prosecutor said.

- 'It was an accident' -

Defense lawyer Rae Koshetz, meanwhile, painted a picture of a young officer who turned into a "wreck" too traumatized to communicate after realizing he had accidentally shot someone.

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"This is not a referendum on policing in the United States," she told jurors. "It was an accident."

Liang had been on the job just 11 months before the shooting.

He testified that his gun went off accidentally and that he didn't realize someone was below him in the stairwell.

Two high-profile deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police in the summer of 2014 sparked mass protests against police tactics and accusations of racism.

Eric Garner, 43, died after New York police put him in a chokehold, while Michael Brown, 18, was fatally shot by a white police officer in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri.

The shooting of Gurley came only a few months later, on November 20, 2014.

The jury was made up of seven women and five men, and was majority white. Only one member of the jury was black.
Palo Alto (United States) (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Supreme Court did something "unusual" in freezing a plan to tackle carbon emissions, as he insisted his administration was on firm legal ground.

In his first public reaction after the top court put the brakes on a sweeping plan to reduce emissions from coal-fueled power plants, Obama insisted the battle was not over.

The plan underpins the US emissions reduction commitments under a global climate deal agreed by 195 governments in Paris last December.

"I've heard people say, 'The Supreme Court struck down the clean power plant rule'," Obama told donors in California. "That's not true, so don't despair, people."

"This is a legal decision that says, 'Hold on until we review the legality.'"

Many Republican-controlled states opposed to Obama's plan had petitioned the Supreme Court to temporarily suspend its implementation until a final ruling is made.

Experts say that final ruling is not likely before 2017.

"We are very confident we are on strong legal footing here," Obama insisted.

Obama's administration had expected legal challenges but had been surprised that a stay was enacted on plans that will take many years to come into full effect.

"The Supreme Court did something unusual," Obama said referring to the ruling supported by five of the nine Supreme Court justices.

Obama's "Clean Power Plan" would require the power sector to cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 32 percent compared to 2005 levels by the year 2030.

States that support efforts to curb climate change will still be able to press ahead with their plans.

Obama's Republican foes, who currently control Congress, insist there is no evidence of climate change, or that a human role in global warming is unclear.

Facing a Congressional roadblock, Obama has relied heavily on decades-old rules to force through regulation.

"There are going to be people constantly pushing back and making sure we keep clinging to old dirty fuels and a carbon-emitting economic strategy that we need to be moving away from," Obama said.
By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might meet in Washington next month and complete a deal on future defense aid to Israel that has been dogged by disagreement, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said on Thursday. Current U.S. defense aid to Israel, worth about $3 billion annually, expire in 2018. Disputes over the value of a so-called Memorandum of Understanding setting out grants over the ensuing decade prompted Israel to signal this week it might wait for the next U.S. president in hope of better terms. "We are now trying to consolidate a deal on the coming 10 years  what military aid we will give  a very complicated effort, which takes into account both Israel's security needs and the budgetary limitations of the United States," U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro told Israel's Channel 2 television. "But I am optimistic that we will consolidate this agreement, he said, adding that he saw "a chance" of it being clinched in an Obama-Netanyahu meeting in Washington next month, though he noted the schedules of the leaders have yet to be set. Netanyahu is widely expected to attend the March 20-22 policy conference of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC in Washington. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon may travel there in early March to advance the aid negotiations, Channel 2 said. One Israeli official said Netanyahu hopes for a new MOU worth $4 billion annually, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in additional congressional funding for specific defense projects. A U.S. congressional source said the MOU discussions had focused on a U.S. offer of about $3.7 billion annually. Netanyahu, who has a history of testy relations with Obama, might be hoping for more sympathetic treatment from the next administration, whether Democratic or Republican. But Shapiro suggested deferring the agreement may put logistical strains on Israel's military, given the current MOU's imminent expiration. "I think we have an excellent opportunity to set out the costs and amounts of the aid for the next 10 years and this will give the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) time to do the planning and decide what systems they will buy with the aid," he said. The Israelis say they need a big increase in U.S. defense aid to offset the windfall their arch-enemy, Iran, expects after international sanctions are lifted. That is happening in exchange for Iran's imposing limits on its nuclear program as part of a July accord that Netanyahu opposed as inadequate. Israel also wants to preserve its military edge over Arab neighbors that have raised their defense spending, often to address their own concerns about growing Iranian power. U.S. officials have said there is no deadline for agreeing the MOU with Israel, insisting that would depend on the progress in negotiations. They have suggested that having an agreement in time for Netanyahus expected visit in March would be difficult. (Writing by Dan Williams, editing by Larry King)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will officially nominate acting Education Secretary John B. King to fill the post permanently, he said in a statement on Thursday, urging the Senate to quickly confirm King for the job. King has been the acting secretary since the beginning of the year, after Arne Duncan stepped down from the post. The White House had said in January that it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress would confirm King in the year remaining in Obama's presidency. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Eric Walsh)
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday it will not oppose legislation approved by Congress to expand sanctions against North Korea after it recently conducted a rocket launch and a nuclear test. "Like many members of Congress, the administration is deeply concerned about North Korea's recent actions and the serious setback that this test represents," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters in a briefing. "We're philosophically and intellectually in the same place as the Congress on this," Schultz said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason)
Student activists attend a press conference announcing a Title IX lawsuit against the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., on May 7, 2015. Feminists United, the group behind the suit, claims the school's administration doesn't take adequate measures to protect women from sexual violence. (Photo: Peter Cihelka /The Free Lance-Star via AP)

President Obama called for a 29 percent increase in funding for the Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights this week, heeding pleas for more resources from the agency that has recently found itself buried in discrimination complaints and ongoing sexual assault investigations.

In a proposed budget released Tuesday, Obama requested to boost the OCRs funding from $107 million to $138 million in 2017. Over the past decade or so, the office, which is tasked with enforcing laws against discrimination of all kinds in educational programs, including Title IX, has watched its workload double while its resources have remained the same.

In addition to the 200 investigations the OCR currently has open into the sexual assault policies  or lack thereof  of 162 different colleges and universities, the office has also received an influx of complaints of race, gender, and disability discrimination as well as sexual assault and harassment, from students of all ages.

In March 2015, Catherine Lhamon, the DOEs assistant secretary for civil rights, asked the White House for a budget increase so the office could hire 200 new investigators  in addition to its existing staff of 554  to tackle the volume of unresolved cases that have piled up amid a flood of complaints.

According to the OCRs 2015 budget request (PDF), the office received a record 9,989 discrimination complaints in fiscal year 2014 alone  a significant increase from 6,364 received in 2009. Not every grievance warrants an investigation, but without enough employees to both field incoming complaints and promptly investigate existing cases, the office has wound up with a logjam of pending cases that leave students waiting for years.

This staggering new workload is linked, at least in part, to guidance issued by the OCR in 2011, which reminded students and administrators of the obligation that all schools have  from kindergarten through college  to enforce Title IX and, in particular, to ensure that sexual assault and harassment do not interfere with any student's educational experience.

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Part of that guidance, known as the Dear Colleague Letter, implemented a new, lower standard of evidence under which schools were now required to investigate and resolve sexual assault cases.

This not only encouraged more students to report incidents of sexual assault on campus but, as a result, revealed systemic problems with many schools sexual assault policies.

This issue [campus sexual assault] itself is not a new one [and] the law is not new, said Neena Chaudhry, senior counsel at the National Womens Law Center. Title IX has been around over 40 years and it hasnt changed.

What has changed, however, is the publics awareness of the issue.

There has been more attention being paid to sexual assault in recent years, in large part due to student activists who made it their mission to educate others about the law and speak up about their experiences, Chaudhry said.

Sexual assault may not always be dominating daily headlines, but the issue is hardly going away any time soon. Just last month, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a study finding that, during the most recent school year, 10.3 percent of female undergraduates reported being the victim of a sexual assault.

But while the spotlight has been on campus rape recently, Chaudhry noted that sexual assault is not limited to college campuses, it occurs at all levels of education and Title IX covers it equally. She said her office has represented several young women in high school and middle school.

Chaudhry lauds activists for encouraging more students to demand action from their schools in response to sexual violence, but others argue that the pileup of open cases at the OCR is indicative of a problem that extends beyond budgetary constraints.

That so many students would rather report rape to a school administrator than a police officer is a sign of how badly the criminal justice system has failed rape victims, and how law enforcement must earn back their trust, said Meaghan Ybos, executive director of People for the Enforcement of Rape Laws, a Memphis-based advocacy nonprofit that monitors law enforcement responses to sexual violence and helps connect victims to information about their rights.

Ybos activism is motivated by her own personal experience, not only as a survivor of rape but as a victim of Memphiss so-called rape kit backlog which allowed the physical evidence of her assault  and more than 12,000 others  to go untested for nearly 10 years while her attacker roamed free.

Ybos said she finds it disconcerting that the Department of Education seems to have accumulated a backlog of its own, especially considering the fact that sexual assault is just one of several issues the OCR covers.

Even with increased funding to help the OCR close more of its open investigations and better enforce Title IX, Ybos argued, school discipline should not be a substitute for the criminal justice system.
By Jeff Mason and Valerie Volcovici ATHERTON, Calif./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday called the Supreme Court's decision to delay implementation of his administration's Clean Power Plan "unusual" and expressed confidence that the White House would prevail. "Were very confident that were on strong legal footing here," he told a group of Democratic donors in California in his first public remarks about the move. In Washington, Gina McCarthy, Obama's head of the Environmental Protection Agency, told state energy and environmental regulators that the ruling "is not going to slow us down." The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a blow to the plan, the centerpiece of Obama's climate change policy and backbone of his administration's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions pledged last year in Paris. Obama said the Supreme Court had in fact required the EPA to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act if they were shown, as scientists had, to be harmful to public health. He said some people had commented to him in recent days that the Supreme Court's decision had struck down the Clean Power Plan. "That's not true. So don't despair, people," he said. McCarthy told state regulators tasked with complying with the rule she is confident the plan will survive the legal challenges and tried to boost morale among the officials. I want you to do as I am doing, McCarthy told the crowd. "Pick myself up, rededicate myself and tell the people in this country that we are there to serve them, she said, while shaking her fists in the air. The Supreme Court stay was a small pause in what has been a years-long effort of the EPA and states to get the Clean Power Plan off the ground, she said. The plan was designed to lower carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 2030 to 32 percent below 2005 levels. The Supreme Court ordered a delay in implementation until legal challenges to the regulation are completed. "This Supreme Court has said the Environmental Protection Agency is required to regulate carbon emissions if it's a threat to the public health. And we clearly can show that that's the case," Obama said. Fighting climate change is critical to the president's legacy as he completes his final year in office. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Eric Walsh and Lisa Shumaker)
There's been an outpouring of support after MarShawn McCarrel, an activist affiliated with Black Lives Matter, took his own life on steps of the Ohio Statehouse on Monday.

McCarrel, 23, helped organize Ohio protests after the death of Mike Brown.

For Our Brother MarShawn McCarrel http://www.ohiostudentassociation.org/for_our_brother_marshawn_mccarel ... @OHIOStudents pic.twitter.com/4TMVhEfNZJ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ca9jfMaW4AATrnl.jpg:large

But at least one person found joy in the tragedy: Lee Cyr, a police officer who's been placed on leave for celebrating McCarrel's death.

Cyr was placed on leave after a comment under his name appeared in a thread about McCarrel's death that read, "Love a happy ending," according to Gawker. That post has been deleted. "When we were made aware of a Facebook post that was linked to a Fairborn police officer, an internal affairs complaint was initiated," Fairborn Police Chief Terry Barlow told local reporters.

In a moving tribute to McCarrel, a group called the Ohio Student Association called him "a soldier for the liberation of all people." A message on the group's website memorialized the activist:

His spirit was effervescent with visionary beauty, creativity and love. He marched 11 miles for justice for John Crawford, rallied at the Statehouse to defeat Stand Your Ground, and joined in protests to recognize violence against black cis- and trans-gendered women. He built up Ohio Student Association into a strong grassroots organization with a presence across the state and a reputation across the country. He helped launch Freedomside, a coalition of youth-led racial justice organizations modeled after the Civil Rights Era Council of Federated Organizations.

The situation is now under internal investigation by Cyr's police department.
By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A Dayton, Ohio-area police officer has been suspended on suspicion of posting a comment online that celebrated the suicide of a 23-year-old Black Lives Matter activist, police said on Friday.

Fairborn Police officer Lee Cyr was placed on administrative leave on Thursday due to the comment on the Ohio Politics Facebook page, apparently attributed to him, that read "Love a happy ending," the department said in a statement.

The post has been deleted and police said they are investigating if Cyr made the comment.

Cyr has not spoken to media about the incident.

The activist, MarShawn McCarrel, 23, shot himself on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Monday after posting My demons won today. I'm sorry. to his Facebook page.

Fairborn police said on Friday: "The department takes these types of issues very seriously and will ensure that the professional standards of the department are upheld."

(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by David Gregorio)
New York (AFP) - Oil prices soared Friday, with US crude rebounding from a 2003 low, on reports that OPEC was willing to organize output cuts that could ease the global oversupply.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery shot up $3.23 (12.3 percent) to $29.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract had lost more than $4 in the prior four sessions, sinking to the lowest level since May 2003.

Brent crude for April delivery, the European benchmark, finished at $33.36 a barrel in London, up $3.30 (11 percent) from Thursday's settlement.

A big catalyst was a Wall Street Journal report that United Arab Emirates oil minister Suhail Al Mazrouei had said the OPEC cartel was willing to cooperate with other producers on trimming crude output.

The report was apparently based on a reporter's tweet of the minister's interview with Sky News Arabia. But it was enough to spark a huge turnaround in the market.

James Williams of WTRG Economics discounted the report.

"We have another series of rumors about OPEC based upon a comment out of UAE and another attempt to support prices out of Venezuela, which has scaled back its requests and is just asking for OPEC and non-OPEC exporters to agree not to increase production," he said.

Bart Melek of TD Securities said a six percent drop in US crude oil drilling activity reported by Baker Hughes had also reinforced sentiment.

The US rig count fell by 28 to 439 last week, as low as it was in 2010, Melek said.

"So ultimately we should expect lower production... and with lower production in the US, it's more likely Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members might want to decrease output."
By Jimmy Urquhart BURNS, Ore. (Reuters) - The four holdouts in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered on Thursday, with the last protester repeatedly threatening suicide in a dramatic final phone call with mediators before he gave up, ending the 41-day standoff. David Fry, 27, stayed behind for more than an hour and told supporters by phone he had not agreed with the other three to leave the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. The call was broadcast live on an audio feed posted on the Internet. "I'm actually pointing a gun at my head. I'm tired of living," Fry said during the phone call. He later added: "Until you address my grievances, you're probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself." Fry sounded alternately defiant and tormented during the rambling final call, veering from rants about the federal government to his thoughts on UFOs. He surrendered after taking a final cigarette and cookie and asking his mediators to shout "Hallelujah." Authorities could be heard over the phone line telling him to put his hands up before the call disconnected. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward called him a "very troubled young man" at a news conference several hours later. Federal authorities said the refuge would remain closed for several weeks as agents secured what was now considered a crime scene and scoured it for fugitives or explosives. The protesters told authorities they left behind booby traps but did not say whether the trip wires and other devices would trigger explosions, a law enforcement official told Reuters. Materials to create explosives could be found on the property, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The final four occupiers will face charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers, along with 12 others previously arrested, officials said. "The occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge has been a long and traumatic episode for the citizens of Harney County and the members of the Burns Paiute tribe," U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said in the statement. "It is a time for healing, reconciliation amongst neighbors and friends, and allowing for life to get back to normal." CLIVEN BUNDY ARRESTED The takeover, which began on Jan. 2, was sparked by the return to prison of two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge. The standoff, which was originally led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, came to a head after the arrest on Wednesday in Portland of their father, Cliven Bundy. On Thursday, he was charged with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer and obstruction of justice in connection with a separate 2014 standoff on federal land near his Nevada ranch. Cliven Bundy was subdued during a brief court appearance in Portland, appearing pale and tired in a jail uniform and eyeglasses. He spoke only to acknowledge his rights to the judge. The Malheur occupation had also been a protest against federal control over millions of acres (hectares) of public land in the West. Ammon and Ryan Bundy were arrested in January along with nine other protesters on a snow-covered roadside where a spokesman for the group, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot dead. A 12th member of the group surrendered to police in Arizona. After Cliven Bundy's arrest, three of four remaining occupiers surrendered to the FBI at the urging of Nevada state Assemblywoman Michele Fiore and the Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada, and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho, surrendered peacefully, according to the FBI. Fiore told Reuters in an interview that she and Graham hugged each of the holdouts as they emerged and that they seemed relieved. No one got scratched, no one got thrown on the ground and nothing happened, Fiore said. Fry arrived at the occupation within the first week, and told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he was inspired by Finicum. He became one the most outspoken protesters, posting frequent, often angry rants on social media. The skinny, bespectacled Ohio native from a military family has also expressed outrage when dealing with what appear to be minor criminal offenses in his past. In a YouTube video from September, Fry can be heard saying he refused to pay fines for smoking marijuana on a river and not wearing a life jacket, and then sets fire to a debt collection notice. Frys father told Oregon Public Broadcasting his son had also screamed at a police officer who had pulled him over for broken taillights. The elder Fry said his son was bullied in high school because of his Japanese heritage. (Additional reporting by Shelby Sebens in Portland, Oregon; Barbara Goldberg and Joseph Ax in New York, Julia Edwards in Washington, Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sara Catania, Jeffrey Benkoe, Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney)
Pakistan's military on Friday said it had foiled a prison break bid aimed at freeing British-born militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, currently on death row for the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Three militants groups -- Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- were working together on the plot, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said, adding that the plan to attack Hyderabad Central Jail was close to execution.

Bajwa told a Karachi press conference: "A deputy leader of Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent named Mussanah was mastermind of the plan and was arranging all the finances while he was aided by the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Naeem Bukhari."

Mussanah, Bukhari, and a man said to be their handler, named Huzaifa, were later paraded before the media in handcuffs.

Bajwa said the perpetrators had prepared two explosive-laden vehicles which they were supposed to ram into the gate of the prison.

He added the plotters had a list of prisoners that they were supposed to kill after gaining access to the jail, while rescuing around 100 prisoners including Sheikh.

He added the same cell was behind major terrorist incidents across the country including the 2014 siege of Karachi airport, as well as attacks on a naval base, air base, and intelligence headquarters in the cities of Multan and Sukkur.

Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002, while researching a story about Islamist militants.

A graphic video showing Pearl's decapitation was delivered to the US consulate in the city nearly a month later.

British-born extremist Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by an anti-terror court, while three other co-accused received life imprisonment.

One of them was acquitted in 2014.

In January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University in the US following an investigation into his death made chilling revelations when it claimed that the wrong men were convicted for Pearl's murder.

The investigation, led by Pearl's friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Asra Nomani and a Georgetown University professor, claimed the reporter was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged brains behind the September 11 2001 attacks, not Sheikh.

Self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Different officials in Pakistan's government have taken seemingly contradictory stands on Islamic State's influence in the country, after a rare warning by an intelligence chief that the Middle East-based militant group posed a domestic threat. Reports of stepped-up recruitment by Islamic State and a bloody attack linked to the group last year have stoked fears the movement is gaining momentum in Pakistan, despite the government rejecting its formal presence. The government reasserted its view on Thursday, a day after Intelligence Bureau director general Aftab Sultan told a parliamentary panel that Islamic State was coordinating with militant groups and that hundreds of people had left Pakistan to join its fight in Syria, media reports say. "Let me reiterate that there is no organized presence of Daesh in Pakistan," foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria told reporters in Islamabad, using the Arabic acronym for the group. He declined any further comment when contacted by Reuters on Friday. The entry of Islamic State, while its numbers may remain small, would complicate Pakistan's fight against indigenous Islamist militants fighting to overthrow the government. On Friday, Pakistan arrested 97 al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said. "MODE OF DENIAL" The intelligence chief's assertion that Pakistan should be worried about Islamic State's role prompted mixed reactions. "This is the first time it has been officially admitted," said Col. Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, an opposition parliamentarian of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party and a member of the senate committee that Sultan briefed. "The government of Pakistan has gone into a mode of denial," he added. "We have to recognize Islamic State's existence and take action." In May, militants boarded a bus carrying members of the minority Shi'ite Ismaili community in Karachi and opened fire on the passengers, killing 45. Police in charge of the investigation said the militants were "inspired by Daesh," but did not believe the group had any organizational ties to its leadership in the Middle East. Authorities have also raised concerns that Islamic State was making inroads in Punjab province late last year "after consolidating its position in Afghanistan," according to a government circular seen by Reuters. The circular, sent by the Punjab government in December, cited reports that the group was recruiting Afghan nationals living in refugee camps in Pakistan, and distributing propaganda to Pakistani youth "in a large number". (Reporting by Krista Mahr and Asad Hashim in Islamabad, Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Writing by Krista Mahr; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Paris (AFP) - No DNA from fugitive Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in November's Paris attacks, has been found on a suicide belt discovered in the French capital, a source close to the inquiry said Friday.

The explosive belt was found in a dustbin in the southern Parisian suburb of Montrouge on November 23, ten days after the jihadist bomb and gun attacks that left 130 people dead and hundreds more injured.

Telephone data placed Abdeslam in the same area just after the attacks -- but the lack of DNA on the belt, initially reported by France's BFMTV channel, suggests that the Belgian-born 26-year-old did not wear it.

The source cautioned however that it was still possible the vest was Abdeslam's, adding: "There are no conclusions to be drawn from this."

Abdeslam, who is believed to have played a key logistical role in the attacks, fled across the border to Belgium hours after the killings and is now one of the most wanted men in Europe.

Another source close to the inquiry said the DNA of an unidentified person was found on the belt along with that of Abdeslam's brother Brahim, who blew himself up at a restaurant during the attacks.

The unidentified DNA was also found at a house used as a hideout by the attackers in Auvelais, southern Belgium, the source said.
London (AFP) - West Ham's highly-rated midfielder Dimitri Payet has signed a new long-term contract, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday.

France international Payet was only seven months into a five-year deal with Slaven Bilic's side following his move from Marseille last year.

But the 28-year-old's fine form this season and reports of a potential 38 million (48.5 million euros) bid from an unnamed Chinese club convinced the Hammers to hand him an improved contract that is reportedly the biggest in their history.

The Daily Mail reported the deal is comprised of a 68,000-a-week basic wage, a 25,000-a-week appearance fee, a 1 million signing-on fee, plus other bonuses that could take it to around 125,000-a-week.

"West Ham United are delighted to announce that Dimitri Payet has signed a new long-term contract with the club," a statement on the club's website announced.

"The outstanding France playmaker, who has made a huge impact in claret and blue since arriving from Marseille last summer, has penned a deal until the summer of 2021 and is delighted to have pledged his long-term future to the club."

Bilic had already talked of his desire to keep Payet as an integral part of the squad.

"Both parties have the intention to stay at West Ham. When you are playing like he is playing many clubs are showing interest, but we are going to do everything we can to keep him with us," Bilic said.

"Every player has a price but the good thing is he is happy at West Ham, we are more than happy with him and I hope - and I really think - that he will play with us for a long, long time."

Payet's first appearance as the club's highest paid player will come at Norwich on Saturday as West Ham look to continue the momentum from Tuesday's FA Cup win over Liverpool.
Calais (France) (AFP) - Local French government authorities said Friday they want to move up to 1,000 migrants living in the notorious "Jungle" camp in the port town of Calais.

The presence of thousands of migrants in the camp who are desperately trying to reach Britain has become a political hot potato both within France and between Paris and London.

Local authorities have been trying to persuade migrants to move out of the camp as conditions worsen in the winter.

The government's local representative, Fabienne Buccio, said: "The time has come to move on, no one must live in the southern part of the camp, everyone must leave this section."

She estimated that between 800 and 1,000 migrants would be affected.

Buccio said government representatives would visit migrant communities on Monday "to explain" the plans.

"We will give them a week to take up places that will be made available," she added.

They could be housed in a new centre of converted shipping containers which was set up this winter and can house up to 1,500 migrants, or in other centres around France.

Some 4,000 migrants, most of them from North Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, live in the makeshift camp from where they launch their often desperate efforts to reach Britain, across the Channel.

In January some 600 migrants were evacuated from a strip of 100 metres near a main bypass for safety reasons and authorities now want to reduce the massive camp by about half.

In addition to the heated and electrified shipping containers, some 500 women and children are being housed in a separate centre.

"In Calais we can now house 2,000 people in dignified conditions. We still have people who are living in conditions which are not dignified. This cannot go on and it gives a very bad impression of the region," said Buccio.

However, efforts to move the migrants have faced resistance.

Many migrants have been opposed to moving into the containers -- which requires their palm prints to be taken to come in and out of the enclosure -- fearing it could impede their efforts to reach Britain and apply for asylum there.

Christian Salome, of the migrants association "Auberge des migrants" described the decision to empty out more residents of the camp -- they say up to 2,000 will have to be moved -- as "a dreadful step backwards."

"Where are these 2,000 people going to go? If they don't have a solution they will go back into town. And making them move in the middle of winter is totally contemptuous of refugees of war," he said.
By Philip Pullella and Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed on Friday in a historic meeting, uniting to issue a global appeal for the protection of Christians under assault in the Middle East. Nearly 1,000 years after the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity split apart, the meeting at an airport terminal in Cuba was the first ever between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch. "In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they said in a joint declaration in apparent reference to violence by militant groups like Islamic State. "Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed." Cuban President Raul Castro stood to the side during the ceremony, enjoying another moment in the international limelight after receiving Francis last year and restoring diplomatic relations with the United States recently, meeting President Barack Obama in Panama in April. The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, came together only a week after the encounter was announced. Such a meeting had eluded their predecessor, but Francis had issued a standing invitation to meet anytime, anywhere. The moment came while Kirill was visiting the Caribbean island and Francis added a brief stop on his way from Rome to a long-scheduled visit to Mexico. "Finally," Francis said as he and Kirill entered through doors on opposite sides of a room at Havana airport to begin private talks. "We are brothers." Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks. "It is very clear that this is the will of God," Francis said. "Yes, things are much easier now," Kirill said. Both men spoke through interpreters. Their meeting carried political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church is closely aligned with the Kremlin, which is in turn an ally of Cuba. The Argentine pontiff helped the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba after more than five decades of estrangement. The pope, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, is seeking to repair a much longer rupture. Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome in 1054. Modern popes have met in the past with the Istanbul-based ecumenical patriarchs, the spiritual leaders of Eastern Orthodoxy. Those patriarchs play a largely symbolic role, while the rich Russian church wields real influence because it counts some 165 million of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Philip Pullella; Editing by Andrew Hay and Alistair Bell)
Havana (AFP) - Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill called in a historic meeting Friday for restored Christian unity and urgent action to help Christians threatened by violence in the Middle East.

"For nearly one thousand years, Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist," they said in a joint declaration signed after talks in Cuba.

"We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin."

It was the first meeting between the heads of the Eastern and Western churches since the great schism of 1054 when the churches split apart, with the Eastern church rejecting the authority of Rome.

"Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the reestablishment of this unity willed by God," the church leaders said.

Their meeting was driven by rising violence in recent years in the Middle East, where Christian communities have suffered violence at the hands of extremists.

"We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East," they said.

"In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they went on.

"We wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence."

The 79-year-old Francis, in white robes and a skullcap, and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, earlier kissed and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport.

Between them, they are the spiritual leaders of more than 1.3 billion Christians.

"At last we meet. We are brothers," said the pope as he met the white-bearded Orthodox leader. "Clearly, this meeting is God's will."

Story continues

- Church diplomacy -

The meeting on neutral ground -- hosted by the communist, atheist Cuban leadership of Raul Castro -- was decades in the planning, with the final obstacles swept away by the pope's determination and global politics.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week.

But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican. The Russian leader has clashed with other powers recently over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the primacy of the Roman pontiff has long been the primary barrier to a rapprochement between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Now there are also tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

The conflict in Ukraine has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.

Meanwhile, violence by armed Islamist groups has surged in the Middle East and North Africa.

"The international community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and coordinated action," the declaration read.

"We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential creator of the world to protect his creation from destruction and not permit a new world war."

The church leaders warned against the rise of secularism and said European integration must respect religious identities.

"While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots," they said.

Francis left after the meeting for a tour of Mexico, while Kirill continued a visit to Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay.

Francis's arrival in Mexico was set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile (19-kilometer) route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City.

Believers planned to light up the road Francis's popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organizer Roberto Delgado described as a "wall of light and prayer."
Lisbon (AFP) - Portugal has refused a request from New Delhi to extradite an Indian man suspected of involvement in a bombing and murder because he has refugee status in Britain, Lisbon's justice ministry said Friday.

Justice Minister Francisca Van Dunem "has decided not to accept the extradition request" for Paramjeet Singh due to his refugee status, granted in 2000, the ministry said in a statement.

Singh was freed from provisional detention on Friday and will return to Britain, said his Portuguese lawyer Manuel Luis Ferreira.

Singh was arrested under an Interpol warrant in a hotel in Portugal's Algarve region where he was staying with his wife and their four children. He had been held in a jail in Beja, southern Portugal, since late December.

"A large part of the events for which the extradition was requested took place in India at a time when Mr Singh had already obtained refugee status," the justice ministry said.

According to the Indian press, Singh is a Sikh activist suspected of involvement in a 2010 bomb attack in northeastern India and the 2009 assassination of Hindu nationalist leader Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.

Ferreira said the charges against his client were unfounded and that he had been a victim of torture in India before he was granted asylum in Britain, where he now lives.

The lawyer hailed Portugal's decision as "courageous".
GENEVA (Reuters) - Women who are pregnant should consider putting off travel to areas infected with the Zika virus as a precautionary measure, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday in new advice. "Based on the latest evidence that Zika virus infection during pregnancy may be linked to microcephaly in newborns, WHO is issuing further precautionary travel advice to women who are pregnant and their sexual partners," it said in a statement. "Women who are pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their health care provider and consider delaying travel to any area where locally acquired Zika infection is occurring." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
President Obama landed in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon and one of his first stops was The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But no, there was no dancing.

There was a selfie that DeGeneres tweeted out Thursday afternoon, though, to preview Obama's appearance, after tweeting that the host was "ready to Barack and baroll."

Obama landed in L.A. around 3:30 p.m. and headed to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank for a taping of the show, which will air Friday. Los Angeles is just one of the stops the president made in California while fundraising for Democrats.

Selfie with the Chief. @BarackObama @POTUS pic.twitter.com/ggivtyPi6j

Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 12, 2016

Im ready to Barack and baroll. @POTUS @BarackObama

Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 12, 2016

The President talked at length about his life with the first lady, Michelle Obama, someone who DeGeneres still has issues with over a push-up competition.

Obama also talked about his love (and fears) for his daughters as Malia heads off to college. "As Michelle reminds me, our job is to prepare them not to need us." he told DeGeneres, though he's not ready for her to leave them.

The host also discussed with the president the hot button issues of equality in American society, with DeGeneres thanking the President for all he has done for the LGBTQ community. "We constantly want to include people and not exclude them," he told her, while giving DeGeneres herself an extra kudos for her work on equal rights as well.

Ever the old romantic, and with Valentine's Day on the horizon, the romancer-in-chief gave the first lady a special video message, but not before she read him a poem to mark the last Valentine's Day they will spend in the White House. The first lady even included a taunt in her own special video for DeGeneres regarding their ongoing push-up competition.
By Kate Holton and Kylie MacLellan WITHAM, England - Striding through a housing estate in the drizzle to hand out leaflets, 52-year-old builder Kevin Lovett throws up his arms in despair as he rails against the deceit he sees at the heart of the European Union. Whether knocking on doors or berating the EU as a corrupt superstate, those campaigning for a British exit, or "Brexit", at a referendum expected in June are driven by a passion that may be their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. Pitching their dream of a proud Britain breaking free from a German-dominated bloc, the "Out" campaigners cast leading pro-Europeans as members of an out-of-touch elite. But their movement has no overall leader and is made up of a jumble of bickering groups with very different visions of Britain's fate outside the EU. A battle for control and money at the top of the organisation worries ground troops like Lovett. "At the ground level we're all united and working together because we just want Britain out," he said, delivering leaflets in the pretty town of Witham in the south east of England, dotted with black and white buildings and red-brick town houses. "I've never known people to be more engaged. The fighting at the top is what we're trying to get away from with Brussels - the politics, the meddling, the interference. This isn't about politics, this is much bigger than that." With Prime Minister David Cameron expected to launch the official referendum campaign later this month, the leave side has limited time to unite. A cartoon in the Times newspaper this week called "The Leave Campaign So Far" depicts a group of people screaming "You Leave", "No You Leave" at each other. Some local leave campaigners told Reuters they were frustrated by the infighting but energised by the battle ahead. Polls show Britons roughly evenly split with a large number of undecided voters. INFIGHTING The main dispute in the movement is between Leave.EU, based in the south-west of Britain and focused on the grassroots level, and Vote Leave, a London-based organisation run by a campaigner for lower taxes, Matthew Elliott. Although Leave.EU secured the backing of Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's long-established UK Independence Party, Vote Leave was seen as the group more likely to win wider support with its message of prosperity outside the EU. The two groups have been vying to be chosen by the electoral watchdog as the official 'out' body - giving them access to public money, advertising time and greater campaign spending limits. At the heart of the split is a fundamental difference over what Britain should look like outside the EU. Critics say the campaign is divided between those who want Britain to be free to reduce immigration and those who want rid of EU social laws so Britain can become a free trading nation fit to compete with the most dynamic countries in the world. Stephen Booth, co-director of think-tank Open Europe, said the direction the campaign takes would determine whether it could win, and pull Britain out of a club it joined in 1973. The different factions can speak to different parts of the electorate, he said, but in order to give a professional image they need to join forces and select a leader who can reassure voters when the 'In' camp warns about the dangers of voting out. IMMIGRATION OR MONEY? Leave.EU is bankrolled by a group of millionaires including Arron Banks, a British insurance tycoon who dismisses Cameron and finance minister George Osborne as "two toffs together". He told Reuters last year that the migration crisis could play into his hands, turning Britons away from the bloc. Vote Leave argues that rather than focus on immigration, the campaign to leave needs to focus on the wider benefits Britain could get from leaving what it sees as an overly bureaucratic EU, building new free trade deals around the world. Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only lawmaker in parliament and a backer of Vote Leave, said the campaign needed to adopt this approach if it was to reach undecided voters who may switch off from the same old message about immigration. "I believe we need an optimistic, internationalist campaign based on the idea that we would be better off out economically." Simon Usherwood, a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Surrey who specialises in euroscepticism, said if the 'leave' campaign could resolve its problems at the top, its campaigners were well drilled in arguing against the EU. "The leave campaigns have been able to build on two decades if not more of practicing their message," he said. "They know what works, they know what resonates, they have got that nailed down pretty well. They have done it time and again." Sitting in her small office in Bristol, Leave.EU CEO Liz Bilney holds a pile of letters and emails sent by supporters. "People do seem to be a little bit anti-Merkel," said Bilney, referring to the German chancellor. She would rather recruit people like Lovett and local ambassadors - judges, doctors and teachers - than a high-profile leader. According to Lovett, the argument needs to be made that the EU represents the needs of big business and an elite that has little interest in the lives of ordinary men or women. Mass immigration, he said, drives down wages to the benefit of big corporations. "We will be told by 100 company directors that we should stay in," said Lovett, as he pounded down another side street. "But it's not their kids on the local housing waiting list, it's not their kids trying to get into the local school and it's not their wages that have been driven down. It's these people," he said, pointing to the small houses on a nearby estate. A torn England flag fluttered in the damp air. "It is the deceit of the whole thing that gets me." (Writing by Kate Holton; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Janet McBride)
The ready-to-wear label is launching a serial photo-based advertising project that breaks with fashion's traditional pattern of campaigns. Rag & Bone will now be releasing a series of photos several times a year, showcasing the clothing and accessories consumers will see arriving in stores.

A revolution is well and truly underway in the world of fashion. With some ready-to-wear brands starting to shun the traditional show calendar to get their collections on sale soon after they preview, ad campaigns are too being transformed to meet the industry's new demands.

The latest brand to shake up fashion's established annual program is Rag & Bone, which is changing its approach to advertising by abandoning traditional seasonal campaigns based on a twice-yearly schedule. These have been replaced by the label's recently announced "Photo Project," which sees several sets of promotional shots released throughout the year to coincide with the arrival of new collections in stores.

Rag & Bone signed up British fashion photographer Glen Luchford to shoot "Photo Project," which will star a series of different models representing the brand's diversity and spirit.

Polish model Malgosia Bela is the first face picked to star in the project, modelling a selection of pieces from the spring/summer 2016 collection. American model Binx Walton will take over for the next series of shots coming in March.

Changes are certainly afoot in the fashion world. Tom Ford and Burberry have already announced changes to their show schedules to focus more on consumers, getting their collections on sale immediately after shows so buyers no longer have to wait six months to get their hands on previewed pieces.
Samsungs Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be available for preorder on February 21st according to a recent report, and a new rumor now may reveal pricing for the two handsets.

DONT MISS: Why I think iPhone 7 will mop the floor with the Galaxy S7 and LG G5

An extensive pre-release review of the Galaxy S7 said the new phones will cost about as much as their predecessors. But Dutch website Tweakers.net suggests the handset might be slightly cheaper, or at least the edge model.

The 32GB Galaxy S7 will be priced at 699 while the curved Galaxy S7 edge will cost 799, the report says. Comparatively, the Galaxy S6 edge was priced at 849 initially.

According to sources who spoke with the tech site, Samsung will launch Exynos-powered versions of both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in the Benelux region, and theyll be available in three colors each, including black, gold and white  check the following table.

galaxy-s7-s7-edge-prices-netherlands-benelux

How does that compare with the iPhone 6s? Apples flagship handset is priced at 749 or 849 in Europe, or slightly more expensive than the rumored Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge prices. Assuming Apple keeps its entry-level new iPhone in place for one more year, the iPhone 7 might be more expensive than the Galaxy S7 as well.

Unfortunately, it looks like no matter which model buyers choose, theyll only get 32GB of built-in storage. Luckily for them, microSD support is in the cards for this years Galaxy S7 handsets, so that shouldnt necessarily be a problem.

Tweakers.net also lists specs and features for the two smartphones, which are pretty much in line with what weve heard so far. The handsets are supposed to pack 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch 2K displays and 3,000 mAh and 3,600 mAh batteries, respectively. Everything else is pretty much the same as earlier reports: Exynos processor, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB of memory, microSD card support and both water and dust resistance.

Related stories

Story continues

You might be able to order the Galaxy S7 sooner than you thought

iPhone 7 might be an even bigger problem than we thought for Samsung

Why I think iPhone 7 will mop the floor with the Galaxy S7 and LG G5

More from BGR: Why I think iPhone 7 will mop the floor with the Galaxy S7 and LG G5

This article was originally published on BGR.com
By Elke Ahlswede DETMOLD, Germany (Reuters) - Three survivors spoke on Friday of the smell of burnt bodies and piles of the dead at Nazi Germany's Auschwitz death camp, one of whose former guards stands accused of helping in the murder of at least 170,000 people. "If your ribs were visible, you were a candidate for the crematorium," said Leon Schwarzbaum, a 94-year-old survivor who lost 35 family members during the Holocaust. He was speaking at the trial of former guard Reinhold Hanning, also 94, who remained largely silent on the second day of his trial, showing no emotions as the survivors detailed their horrific experience. Hanning, sounding weak, was heard only once in court when asked how he was doing by judge Anke Grudda. "Fine," he responded. Dressed in the same brown tweed suit jacket as on Thursday, bespectacled Hanning - who was 20 in 1942 when he joined the camp as a guard - slowly walked into court where hearings are restricted to two hours given his age. Defense lawyer Johannes Salmen said a written statement would be read out on behalf of Hanning at a later stage of the trial. He added that it was possible that Hanning would also give a statement. Accused by the prosecutor's office in Dortmund as well as by 40 joint plaintiffs from Hungary, Israel, Canada, Britain, the United States and Germany, Hanning is said to have joined the SS forces voluntarily at the age of 18 in 1940. Although Henning wasn't directly involved in any killings at the camp, prosecutors accuse him of expediting, or at least facilitating, the slaughter in his capacity as a guard at the camp where 1.2 million people, most of them Jews, were killed. A precedent for such charges was set in 2011, when death camp guard Ivan Demjanjuk was convicted. Cross-examining the three witnesses, prosecutor Andreas Brendel tried to determine direct knowledge of the guard's duties in Auschwitz but none of them knew Hanning personally. In an earlier statement to the prosecution, Hanning has admitted to being a guard, but denied any involvement in the mass killings. "We could see fire coming out the chimneys and it smelled of burned people unbearably," Schwarzbaum said when asked if it was possible that the guards were unaware of the murders. Erna de Vries, another witness, said she had to walk past piles of dead bodies each day on her way to forced labor in 1942, as the Nazis couldn't keep up with burning the bodies of people gased to death. Hanning's trial is the first of four Auschwitz lawsuits, which are likely to be Germany's last Nazi war crime trials. (Writing by Tina Bellon Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Robo-advisors were supposed to make traditional financial planning institutions obsolete. Now some of these so-called disruptors are hoping to play a much different role  ally.

At a private meeting Thursday, dozens of financial services, or fintech, startups gathered for the chance to meet face to face with leaders at some of the largest financial institutions in the country, including Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citi (C) and BBVA. As the fintech space becomes increasingly competitive, startup founders see the potential in partnering with larger firms that have the customer base  and the capital  to help them scale their business.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, whose office organized the meeting, was on hand to help play matchmaker.

Large companies have problems and small companies have innovative solutions, Pritzker told Yahoo Finance. Theres an enormous opportunity in fintech to grow jobs. Thats why were here because our job is to help  the economy grow.

The setting was appropriate: It was held at online financial planning platform LearnVests New York City headquarters, where CEO Alexa von Tobel played host. Von Tobel sold the six-year-old financial planning startup to Northwestern Mutual last spring in a deal valued at more than $250 million. Both Von Tobel and Northwestern CEO John Schlifske agree the merger has been a happy one. LearnVest still operates its independent financial planning business and Northwestern Mutuals 8,000-strong advisor team has begun using the LearnVest platform with their clients.

We are an example of actual fintech innovation going well, von Tobel told Yahoo Finance. A 158-year-old company coming and acquiring a little startup and 10 months later it going even better than expected

Rocky relationships

The question is whether fintechs new power couple can help other fledgling firms replicate their success. Over the last year or so, a few major players have tried. BlackRock (BLK) bought robo-advisor FutureAdvisor in late August, licensing its consumer-friendly financial planning interface to banks, insurers and other advisory firms looking to modernize their planning business with a digital-advice platform. (Online investing services, often referred to as robo-advisors, provide automated, algorithm-based portfolio management advice with little to no use of human financial advisors.) In a similar deal announced in early 2015, Pershing Advisor Solutions partnered with online broker Motif Investing to deliver Motifs trading platform to Pershings clients, including 1,600 financial organizations, broker-dealers, registered investment advisory firms and fund managers.

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On hand at Thursdays meeting was Betterment CEO Jon Stein. Betterment recently partnered with Fidelity in a deal that put Betterments investing platform in the hands of thousands of Fidelitys independent advisors. When the year-long contract ended in December, Fidelity decided not to renew. Stein called it a learning experience.

It was an advantage for us to get exposure to a broad segment of advisors and they got the word out a lot about Betterment, which was helpful, he told Yahoo Finance. I think we both learned a lot from it.

A Fidelity spokesperson said the brokerage and mutual fund giant decided not to renew the deal because we determined that relationship was not gaining significant traction with our clients.

Instead, Fidelity has decided to build its own online advisory platform, following in the footsteps of Vanguard and Charles Schwab (SCHW). It makes sense. Why spend money using someone elses tools when you can make your own and already have a massive client base ready to use them? And by keeping these services in-house, these firms can continue selling their own financial products and reaping the benefits. When Vanguard launched its robo-advisory business last May, it started out with $17 billion in assets, which grew to $21 billion by the fall, according to Corporate Insight. The 11 largest robo-advisors, including Betterment, held a combined $21 billion in assets as of July 2015.

Thats not to say algorithm-based financial advice is going anywhere. That $21 billion represents 83% growth in just a year. But as Corporate Insight analyst Sean McDermott noted in his report, most of that growth came from an increase in appetite for managed accounts  when firms not only deliver automated robo advice but do the dirty work for its clients as well  rather than simply offering advice but no way to implement it.

Since 2013, algo-based advisory services Nestful, Plumvo, and Saveplan  all of which sold some form of low-cost online financial planning services  have gone belly up. LearnVest is a rare success story, although it has used a hybrid advisor strategy. Clients get algo-based advice but also have access to live certified financial planners.

Iterating with the enemy

Despite how things with Fidelity turned out, Stein says its important for startups to stay open to opportunities to partner with traditional financial services. It is not about roboadvisors versus human advisors, he said. Ultimately if were successful, everyone is going to be using technology like ours. Either they will build it themselves or they'll partner with us to use it. 

At the meeting was also Lenddo founder Jeff Stewart. Lenddo has shaken up the credit score industry, creating a credit score for underbanked consumers in developing nations thats based on users activity on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Stewart is hoping to gain traction with U.S.-based financial institutions looking for alternative credit scoring models to capture tens of millions of consumers who dont have traditional bank accounts or use credit cards. The incentive for both sides, Stewart says, is simple: Lenddo has the technology to find creditworthy customers and big banks have the ability to extend credit.

Anyone who benefits from the use of more credit, theyre natural allies for us, Stewart says. Almost every bank is trying to be more efficient and faster and we can help with those things.

There are obvious challenges when a scrappy startup joins forces with a legacy financial institution. There can be a culture clash. LearnVests modern Manhattan headquarters are a world apart from Northwestern Mutuals campus in Milwaukee. A pint-sized dog wearing a cozy winter coat roamed the office during Thursday's event. To engender goodwill between the old and the new, LearnVest and Northwestern Mutual have started something of an interoffice exchange, with engineers and financial planners working from both offices throughout the year. Were creating this really vibrant third culture, Von Tobel says.

Beyond merging cultures, it can be difficult for a nimble young startup to manage the increased regulatory scrutiny that comes with scaling a business. Large financial institutions bring compliance experience and the manpower to the table. Schlifske said the decision to go all-in with LearnVest was based on a simple philosophy:  You cant stop [fintech innovation] so you might as well lead it.

Mandi Woodruff is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and host of Brown Ambition, a weekly podcast about life, love and money.

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By Peroshni Govender JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa will finalise requirements for its 9,600 megawatt nuclear power plant by April, with Russia and China the front-runners to win the bid, a government official involved in the negotiations told Reuters. Pretoria has earmarked billions of rand for much needed power generation but its nuclear build of 9,600 megawatts by 2030 at a price tag of up to 1 trillion rand ($63.46 billion) has raised concerns over whether it would be affordable. Fears that what could be the most expensive procurement in the country's history will be made behind closed doors, without the necessary public scrutiny have been raised by the opposition, claims the government has rejected. "From what I have seen, the Russians do have a case and so do the Chinese. If we go with two countries, it could include the Chinese," said the official, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media. "If we go for one country, it would be the Russians." Political alliances, Pretoria and Moscow's membership of the BRICS association of five emerging economies and Russia's ability to fund the project have put them as the favourites, the official said. Russia's willingness to build the plant at its own expense, operate it for 20 years and charge South Africa for the power and running costs had given that country an even better chance to clinch the deal, the official said. Officials at the nuclear unit in the energy department were not available to comment, Thandiwe Maimane, the department's spokeswoman, said. In his annual speech to the nation on Thursday, President Jacob Zuma said the nuclear procurement would proceed on a scale and pace that the country can afford. [nL8N15Q5QB] Africa's most industrialised economy faces weak growth due to a power crunch and slowing global demand for its gold, coal and platinum. The central bank has projected growth at 0.9 percent in 2016 from a previous forecast of 1.5 percent. In December, Zuma's cabinet approved the nuclear project which will generate power through pressurised water reactors (PWR), the same method used at Koeberg near Cape Town, the continent's sole nuclear plant commissioned in 1974. "We have experience in operating a PWR, there is more global experience with PWR, than any other reactor. We can already eliminate countries that don't do PWR," the official said. While Russia could drive the project, the official said companies from other countries will most likely be included in the building of the plants. ($1 = 15.7582 rand) (Editing by James Macharia)
When the Russian government makes headlines for its food policy, its generally because the new laws regulations have more to do with foreign policy. Consider when, in 2014, just weeks after a Dutch airliner was shot down over Ukraine, a Russian watchdog agency leveled an array of charges and regulations against McDonalds, or when Russia banned imports of Georgian wine in 2006 as tensions were rising over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In both the resulting Russo-Georgian War in 2008 and the Ukrainian conflict, food policyunder the guise of food safety and public healthwas part of Russias posturing.

Considering that recent history, the latest plans out of the Kremlin might suggest that Russian-Indonesian relationships are deteriorating: According to Reuters, the country is considering an excise tax on palm oil.

President Vladimir Putin, however, does not appear to be standing up for orangutans or taking on deforestation. This time around, as Russia also considers a tax on soda, public health policy appears to be public health policywell, that and budget balancing, as the business daily Vedomosti reported. The excise tax on palm oil, if passed, would be about $200 per ton.

Even if the measure is more narrowly focused on public health, the number of problems and places palm oil touches on make any regulation against it complicated. Palm oil, which is high in saturated fat, is often used in processed foods as a cheaper substitute for butter or a trans-fat-free alternative to partially hydrogenated soybean oil. It is also commonly used for frying foods such as french fries or potato chips. But the medical research isnt clear that reducing consumption will make people healthier; some research suggests that it can help to reduce cholesterol levels.

Related: Don't Let Your Shampoo and French Fries Destroy Tropical Forests and Displace Orangutans

As a policy idea, taxes aimed at reducing palm oil consumption could change things for orangutans and other wildlife in Indonesia and Malaysia, where 85 percent of the tropical crop is grown. Huge amounts of rainforest habitat have been destroyed to make way for the crop, not only destroying habitat but, thanks to the fires often used to clear land, creating significant CO2 emissions.

Story continues

Soda taxes, however, appear to have far more momentum: In addition to Russia, India, the Philippines, Great Britain, and Malaysia are debating laws this year.

Related stories on TakePart:





 Zoos Pledge to Fight Palm Oils Big Threat to Pygmy Elephants

 The African Tree That Could Help Replace Palm Oil

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Original article from TakePart
Moscow (AFP) - Russia's prosecutors said Friday they were investigating after a Boeing passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Dominican Republic with 371 people aboard.

Operated by Russia's Orenburg Airlines, the airliner had to turn back when one of its engines malfunctioned soon after take-off for Moscow from Punta Cana on Wednesday evening, prosecutors said.

Transport prosecutors based in the southern Russian city of Orenburg said they would evaluate the carrier's actions during the incident, in which the plane's alarm system sounded at a height 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) and the left engine had to be shut down due to a "malfunction."

Orenburg Airlines said in a statement that the pilots "managed to land the plane in a difficult situation and saved the lives of nearly four hundred people."

It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off.

The pilot then took the plane back to Punta Cana where it made an emergency landing and the passengers and crew exited down escape slides.
Kigali (AFP) - Rwanda is to relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, the government said Friday, amid accusations Kigali is meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour.

"The government of Rwanda... will immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries," read a government statement that took the UN refugee agency by surprise.

The UNHCR said it was "concerned" over the announcement, saying it "seems to undermine the precedent of refugee protection Rwanda has set over decades."

Last week, UN experts told the Security Council that Rwanda has recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, among them children, who wanted to remove Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza from power.

Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.

"Rwanda readily shoulders its obligations to protect and care for refugees," the government statement said.

"However, experience in the Great Lakes is that the long-term presence of refugees so close to their country of origin carries considerable risks for all involved."

Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win. Hundreds of people have been killed and at least 230,000 have fled the country.

- 'Risks to national security' -

Some 75,000 Burundian refugees are in Rwanda, according to the UNHCR.

The agency said it had met with Rwandan officials who insisted Kigali "would continue to respect its international obligations to protect refugees, would not close its borders, and would not forcibly expel Burundian refugees."

The UNHCR, in a statement, "urged the government to make such clarifications publicly as soon as possible to prevent panic on the part of refugees in Rwanda."

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Violence continues in Burundi. On Thursday, a grenade blast wounded 26 people in the capital Bujumbura, nine of them seriously, the latest in a string of attacks.

"The callous indifference to the well-known root causes of instability in Burundi, and the refugee exodus, is troubling," Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said.

"It also exposes refugees to increased threats from forces at home and compromises lasting political solutions. For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable."

The European Union, dissatisfied with the progress in Burundi, is expected on Monday to announce the suspension of direct aid to the government, a diplomatic source in Brussels told AFP.

Foreign ministers of the 28 EU member states, meeting in Brussels Monday, will approve a text outlining the stalemate in talks with Burundi on human rights and announce the upcoming adoption of "appropriate measures" including a suspension of direct aid, the diplomat said Friday.

The EU is the biggest donor to Burundi with a programme worth some 430 million euros ($468 million) from 2014 to 2020.

The measures should be in place before the end of the month, the diplomat added, while stressing that humanitarian aid channelled directly to the Burundi people would be maintained.

- 'Destabilising activities' by Rwanda -

On Wednesday, the United States accused Rwanda of involvement in "destabilising activities" in Burundi.

The US concerns were raised in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by two top diplomats, who cited reports from colleagues in the field that point to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.

"There are credible reports of recruitment of Burundian refugees out of camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks by Burundian armed opposition against the Burundian government," said Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130,000 and Democratic Republic of Congo over 18,000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21,000.

It was not clear where Rwanda plans to send refugees.

"In recent months, Rwanda has made requests to international partners and organisations to host Burundians living in camps and in towns in Rwanda," Kigali's statement added.

"No party has come forward yet, even as the political situation in the refugees' country of origin shows no improvement."
Kigali (AFP) - Rwanda is to relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, the government said Friday, amid accusations Kigali was meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour.

"The government of Rwanda... will immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries," the statement read.

Last week, UN experts told the Security Council that Rwanda has recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, among them children, who wanted to remove Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza from power.

Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.

"Rwanda readily shoulders its obligations to protect and care for refugees," the government statement said.

"However, experience in the Great Lakes is that the long-term presence of refugees so close to their country of origin carries considerable risks for all involved."

Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win. Hundreds of people have been killed and at least 230,000 have fled the country.

Some 75,000 Burundian refugees are in Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

- 'Risks to national security' -

"The callous indifference to the well-known root causes of instability in Burundi, and the refugee exodus is troubling," Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said.

"It also exposes refugees to increased threats from forces at home and compromises lasting political solutions. For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable."

Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130,000 and Democratic Republic of Congo has over 18,000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21,000.

Story continues

It was not clear where Rwanda plans to send the refugees to.

"In recent months, Rwanda has made requests to international partners and organisations to host Burundians living in camps and in towns in Rwanda," Kigali's statement added. "No party has come forward yet, even as the political situation in the refugees' country of origin shows no improvement."

Violence continues in Burundi. On Thursday, a grenade blast wounded 26 people in the capital Bujumbura, nine of them seriously, the latest in a string of attacks.

On Wednesday, the United States accused Rwanda of involvement in "destabilizing activities" in Burundi.

The US concerns were raised in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by two top diplomats, who cited reports from colleagues in the field that point to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.

"There are credible reports of recruitment of Burundian refugees out of camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks by Burundian armed opposition against the Burundian government," said Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa.
By Clement Uwiringiyimana KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda will send Burundian refugees to other countries after the United States said that they were being recruited to fight for the Burundian opposition and threatened to destabilize the region. Nearly quarter of a million people have fled violence in Burundi since April, with more than 70,000 seeking refuge in Rwanda, according to data from the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR. Rwandan foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, said on Friday that Rwanda would immediately begin working with partners in the international community to relocate refugees from Burundi, but gave no further details. "For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable," she said in a statement. The UNHCR Rwanda office said its representative had met Seraphine Mukantabana, minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, who said Rwanda would abide by international obligations to protect refugees, keep its borders open and not forcefully deport Burundian refugees. "UNHCR has urged the government to make such clarifications publicly as soon as possible to prevent panic on the part of refugees in Rwanda, and to address the many questions which are raised by this morning's statement," it said in a statement. Burundi was plunged into one of its worst crises since a civil war ended in 2005 after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided in April to run for a third term in office, a move that opponents said was against the constitution. More than 400 people have been killed since then. A confidential report to the U.N. Security Council accuses Rwanda of recruiting and training Burundian refugees with the aim of ousting Nkurunziza. The report cites accounts from several rebel fighters, who told monitors the training was done in a forest camp in Rwanda. Burundi accused Rwanda in December of supporting a rebel group that was recruiting Burundian refugees on Rwandan soil, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed the allegations. Burundi government spokesman, Philippe Nzobonariba, reiterated the government's accusation in the camps, and welcomed the reports about Rwanda's involvement in Burundi. "That is why we ask them (Rwandan) stop recruiting youths but rather let them go back home," he told Reuters by phone. Burundi and Rwanda have the same ethnic mix, about 85 percent Hutus and 15 percent Tutsis. The 12-year civil war in Burundi pitted a Tutsi-led army against Hutu rebel groups. (Writing by James Macharia; Editing by George Obulutsa and Louise Ireland)
(This February 11 story was corrected to fix headline and first paragraph to clarify what areas U.N. and aid groups are being asked to leave) By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighboring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas near rebel military bases, according to a letter that was seen by Reuters on Thursday. A short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London on Friday said the intention was to "protect the international organizations and their employees," presumably from coalition air strikes. The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, told Reuters that Riyadh sent the letter because, "We're just concerned for the safety of the U.N. staff and their humanitarian agencies. "We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets," he said. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen. U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien acknowledged receipt of the note in a Sunday letter seen by Reuters and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need. He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid. The Saudi mission to the United Nations responded on Monday that Riyadh would "do its utmost to continue to facilitate and support" humanitarian aid work in Yemen, while also clarifying its request for U.N. and international aid workers to leave areas close to Houthi bases for military operations. "The coalition's request is consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law and, in no way, can be misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen," it said. The U.N. Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said. The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict last March, almost half of them civilians. U.N. sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity. The panel of experts documented 119 coalition sorties "relating to violations of international humanitarian law" and said that "many attacks involved multiple air strikes on multiple civilian objects." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee will hear from the top U.S. antitrust bosses next month to discuss a wave of big mergers over the past year, according to a staffer briefed on the hearing.

The Justice Department's Bill Baer, the assistant attorney general for the antitrust division, and Edith Ramirez, chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, will testify, the staffer said. The two divide the work of antitrust enforcement.

The hearing will be March 9 at the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, which is headed by Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah.

One matter that will be taken up is the FTC's use of Section Five, a portion of its authority that it uses to investigate companies which urge rivals to collude with them on price.

The agencies are looking at a startling number of major, controversial mergers. The Justice Department is investigating two large insurance mergers - Aetna Inc <AET.N> buying Humana Inc <HUM.N> and Anthem Inc <ANTM.N> buying Cigna Corp <CI.N> - to insure they comply with antitrust law. It is also looking at Halliburton Co's <HAL.N> purchase of Baker Hughes Inc <BHI.N>, among a long list of other deals.

The FTC is suing Staples Inc <SPLS.O> in hopes of stopping it from buying Office Depot Inc <ODP.O>. It also said in late 2015 that it aimed to stop three mergers of medical centers, one in West Virginia, another in Chicago and a third in Pennsylvania.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Bernard Orr)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand weakened on Friday after President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address that analysts and economists said did not deal with concerns raised by rating agencies. By 0645 GMT the rand had slipped 0.7 percent to 15.9100 per dollar, pushed lower by the president's failure to address investor worries over fiscal policy as well weak mining and manufacturing data. Bonds also weakened, with the benchmark paper due in 2026 adding 7 basis points to 9.24 percent. "There was only limited recognition of the current economic malaise with an overplaying of success of past policy targets," said Peter Attard Montalto, head economist for emerging markets at Nomura International. Analysts said ratings agencies were keen to hear the president announce a clear plan detailing how South Africa would improve economic growth, predicted at only 0.9 percent in 2016 by the central bank. On Thursday, data from the statistics agency showed mining production declined 0.3 percent in December, while manufacturing grew slightly in the same month. "The impact of the commodity price rout has been disastrous for domestic mining industry," analysts at NKC African Economics said in a note. "Unfortunately, new Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane offered little in the way of viable relief strategies when he addressed Mining Indaba earlier this week." Stocks opened higher, with the JSE Top-40 blue-chip index adding 0.65 percent to 42,324 points in early trade. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States are expected to begin talks next week on possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defence system following North Korea's recent rocket launch, officials said on Friday, as Seoul cut power to a factory park run jointly with the North. The discussions would focus on placing one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system with the U.S. military in South Korea, a South Korean defence official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban said in an email that a joint working group would "review all aspects regarding the potential of deployment of a THAAD system to South Korea." "We expect the first meeting to occur next week," he said. North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Feb. 6 carrying what it called a satellite, drawing renewed international condemnation just weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test. It said the launch was for peaceful purposes, but Seoul and Washington have said it violated United Nations Security Council resolutions because it used ballistic missile technology. North Korea carried out a nuclear bomb test last month, also banned by a U.N. resolution. On Wednesday, South Korea suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial zone as punishment for the rocket launch and nuclear test. The zone, just inside North Korea, had operated for more than a decade. The North on Thursday called the action "a declaration of war" and expelled the South's workers. Kaesong was the last venue for regular interaction between the divided Koreas. The 280 South Koreans who had remained in Kaesong rushed to leave the industrial park on Thursday evening, completing the pullout at 11:05 p.m. (1405 GMT), according to the South's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North. A few minutes before midnight, the South shut off the supply of electricity into Kaesong that powered the factory zone, the ministry said early on Friday. It also cut the water supply. The United States, Japan and South Korea are seeking tougher U.N. sanctions against North Korea in the wake of the nuclear test and rocket launch. CHINESE, RUSSIAN CONCERNS Wang Yi, the foreign minister of China, North Korea's neighbour and main ally, said on Friday that Beijing supported a U.N. Security Council resolution to make Pyongyang "pay the necessary price" for the launch. He also expressed concern over a possible U.S. deployment of its sophisticated THAAD missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could also be used to target China. U.S. military officials have said the THAAD system is needed in South Korea, but Seoul had been reluctant to openly discuss its deployment given the risk of damaging ties with China, its biggest trade partner. Russia has also expressed concern about the potential deployment of THAAD, saying it could trigger an arms race in Northeast Asia. South Korea and the United States have said the system, built by Lockheed Martin Corp and designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight, would be focussed only on North Korea. South Korea accused North Korea of "illegal" acts by freezing the assets of South Korean companies in Kaesong, and warned that Pyongyang would be held responsible for any consequences from the industrial park's suspension. The Kaesong project employed about 55,000 North Koreans, who were given a taste of life in the South, working for the 124 mostly small- and medium-sized manufacturers that operated there, about 54 km (34 miles) northwest of Seoul. Except for Kaesong, both countries forbid their citizens from communicating with each other across their heavily armed border. Despite volatile North-South relations, Kaesong had been shut only once before, for five months in 2013 amid heightened tensions following Pyongyang's third nuclear test. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dean Yates, Toni Reinhold)
By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudans president Salva Kiir has re-appointed his rival Riek Machar as vice president, a decree said on Thursday, sealing a deal to try to end months of civil war in the world's newest nation. The announcement returned the presidency to where it was soon before fighting erupted between supporters of the two men in December 2013 - a conflict that has killed thousands of people and forced more than two million to flee. The decree read out on state TV said Machar would be first vice president, his position before he was sacked in 2013, the move that eventually triggered the violence. Oil-producing South Sudan split away from Sudan in 2011 amid mass celebrations and promises of aid and sgood will from most of the developed world. But its regional and Western backers were dismayed when fighting erupted, often along ethnic lines. Under diplomatic pressure, including the threat of sanctions, Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August and agreed in January to share ministerial positions in a transitional government of national unity. The accord has repeatedly broken down since August and analysts say there are doubts about how much control the leaders have over militias on the ground. (Reporting by Denis Dumo; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said on Friday he hopes to have reached an agreement with other political parties on a coalition government by the end of the month and hold a parliamentary confidence vote at the beginning of March. Sanchez made the comments after a half hour meeting with acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to discuss a possible pact between his center-right People's Party and the Socialists. (Reporting by Sarah White; Writing by Paul Day; Editing by Angus Berwick)
Joaquin Garcia did not go to his office for six years (Rex)

A Spanish civil servant who earned almost 29,000 a year has been fined after not going to work for at least six years.

Managers only noticed that Joaquin Garcia was not at the office when he became eligible for an award for his 20 years service.

His office was opposite that of his boss, but still Garcias absence went unnoticed.

The 69-year-old, who was supposedly supervising the building of a waste water treatment plan in Cadiz, southern Spain, has been fined the equivalent of 21,000, equal to a years salary after tax.

That was the maximum amount he could be fined.

Garcia worked in Cadiz, southern Spain (Rex)

Garcia was able to get away with his long-term break because the water company he worked for believed he was supervised by the local authorities and vice versa.

He has now retired and said he was the victim of bullying due to his familys politics.
M : 1. Government: 0.

In 2010 officials were preparing to award Joaquin Garcia for his 20 years of civil service in Cadiz, Spain  until they realized that for six of those years he hadn't been doing his job. Now, 69-year-old Garcia is facing a fine of nearly (roughly $30,000), which would be only a fraction of the 37,000 euros he collected annually.

The city's deputy mayor during the time of Garcia's employment, Jorge Blas Fernandez, learned of Garcia's extended "vacation" when a manager from a nearby office told Fernandez he hadn't seen Garcia in years. When Fernandez confronted Garcia about the accusations, Garcia allegedly told him he "could not answer" the deputy's questions on his work.

Garcia denied these allegations, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, saying he was a victim of mobbing and that the city knowingly sent him to an empty location.

Fernandez told El Mundo he was under the impression that the company was supervising Garcia. "He was given an office in the building of Aguas de Cadiz and stayed there," he told the outlet. "Until one day [more than a decade later] I remembered and thought, 'Where is this man? Was he still there? Was he retired? Was he deceased?'"

Read More: Money Buys a Minister of Happiness for the United Arab Emirates



Here's where it gets even more bizarre: According to El Mundo, the council had actual n 1995, at which point they supposedly stopped monitoring him all together. So it's possible that Garcia was paid for work he didn't do for as long as 14 years.

Garcia maintained that it wasn't a total waste of tax dollars: While he didn't stay at work from 8 a.m. to like the position mandated, he said he occupied his office for some amount of time every day, passing the time reading, often about philosopher and rationalist Baruch Spinoza.

Perhaps we should all be so rational.
ROME (Reuters) - An Italian student who was tortured and found dead in Egypt last week was given a funeral in his hometown on Friday and Italy's prime minister once again insisted that those responsible be caught and punished. Crowds of mourners attended the funeral in Fiumicello, northern Italy, for Giulio Regeni, 28, whose body was found half-naked by a road in Cairo. The service was held in a municipal gym after Regeni's family declined a state funeral, Italian media said. Italy has sent investigators to work with Egyptian authorities in an effort to establish what happened to Regeni. His doctoral work at the University of Cambridge into independent Egyptian unions and his articles criticizing the government have prompted speculation he was killed by Egyptian security services. Egypt has vehemently rejected the suggestion. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday he had asked for Italian agents to be part of the investigation to make sure the people responsible were punished. "We have told the Egyptians that friendship is a precious thing and is only possible if there is truth," Renzi said in a radio interview on state broadcaster RAI. Rights groups say Egyptians are often detained by police on little evidence and beaten or coerced. Scores have disappeared since 2013. Egypt denies allegations of police brutality. (Writing by Isla Binnie; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's president Salva Kiir has named his arch-rival Riek Machar as vice-president, after fighting for more than two years of civil war.

"I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, do hereby issue this Republican Decree for the appointment of Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the first vice President of the Republic of South Sudan," the decree issued late on Thursday night said.

The appointment was agreed as part of an August 2015 peace deal, which has been repeatedly broken.

Machar, who was vice-president from 2005 until he was sacked in 2013, and who has yet to return to Juba since fleeing when war broke out in December 2013, welcomed the decree.

"It is welcome news because it is a step forward in the implementation of the peace agreement," Machar told AFP, speaking from Ethiopia. It was not immediately clear when Machar would travel to Juba to take up his post.

Civil war erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines.

The two leaders come from the south's two main ethnic groups, Kiir from the Dinka people and Machar from the Nuer, tribes that are themselves split into multiple and sometimes rival clans.

Fighting continues, and the conflict now involves multiple militia forces who pay little heed to paper peace deals, driven by local agendas or revenge attacks.

Both the government and rebel sides have been accused of perpetrating ethnic massacres, recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

Despite clashes and repeated failure to meet a string of deadlines in the August deal, both Kiir and Machar have said they remain committed to the peace deal.

Kiir and Machar are former rebel leaders who rose to power during Sudan's 1983-2005 civil war between north and south, after which South Sudan seceded in 2011 to form the world's youngest country.
By Suchitra Mohanty NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The Supreme Court has directed all the states to formulate a uniform policy to provide compensation to victims of rape and other forms of sexual assault, saying such aid was crucial for a survivor's rehabilitation. Conservative and patriarchal attitudes in India mean victims of sexual assault are often shunned by their families and communities and blamed for the violence perpetrated against them, say activists and lawyers. Many are ostracised from their homes and cannot afford the legal fees to fight for justice in an under-resourced judicial system where verdicts can still take years to reach. India's 29 states and seven union territories vary in how they provide support to sexual assault victims, with some states such as Maharashtra in the west providing no formal financial aid, while others such as Goa providing up to one million rupees ($14,620), said the court order. "All the states and union territories shall make all endeavours to formulate a uniform scheme for providing victim compensation in respect of rape/sexual exploitation," said an order by a division bench made up of Justices M.Y. Eqbal and Arun Mishra. "Indisputably, no amount of money can restore the dignity and confidence that the accused took away from the victim. No amount of money can erase the trauma and grief the victim suffers. This aid can be crucial with aftermath of crime." The top court passed the order on Thursday after hearing a plea filed by a convicted man in Chhattisgarh challenging a seven year jail term for sexually exploiting a blind girl with a false promise of marriage. The bench dismissed the plea and ordered the Chhattisgarh government to pay the victim 8,000 rupees ($116) monthly for the rest of her life. The number of rapes in India rose by 9 percent to 33,707 in 2014, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau. A wave of public protests after the fatal gang rape of a woman on a Delhi bus in December 2012 forced the government to enact stiffer penalties on gender crimes. This included the death sentence for repeat rape offenders, criminalising stalking and voyeurism, and making acid attacks and human trafficking specific offences. Since then, a spike in media reports, government campaigns and civil society programmes have increased public awareness of women's rights and emboldened victims to register abuses. But women's rights groups say the figures are still gross underestimates as many victims remain reluctant due to social and financial pressures. (Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty. Writing by Nita Bhalla, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court said on Friday that opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul, will have to face trial in a case involving the alleged misuse of party funds, but exempted them from appearing in court. The two members of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty had approached the top court to throw out the case which their Congress party says is a vendetta carried out by a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling group. But the court said it saw no justification for interfering in the trial conducted by the lower court. However it granted them leave from attending regular hearings. The Gandhis deny any wrongdoing. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party are bitterly opposed to the Congress party, leading to a gridlock in parliament where key legislation such as simplifying state taxes is stuck. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty ruled India for most of its post-independence era after 1947 and helped shape the country's institutions. Detractors accuse the family of holding back economic development with socialist policies. The legal case, brought by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against the Gandhis, has further poisoned ties and there are no signs of compromise, political analysts say. "The main prayer for which they (Gandhis) came has been defeated," Swamy told reporters after the Supreme Court decision. Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the party welcomed the court's decision to exempt the Gandhis from appearing in court and would continue to fight Swamy's "false allegations". Swamy has accused the Gandhis of cheating and criminal breach of trust by setting up a shell company to illegally gain control of properties worth $300 million that belonged to a company that published the National Herald, a newspaper founded by Rahul's great grandfather. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Suchitra Mohanty; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Nick Macfie)
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday an agreement for a break in hostilities in the Syrian conflict is significant, but there is still more to be done in the peace talks. "This was an important step, but the work is far from over," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters in a briefing. "In the coming days we will be looking for actions, not words, to demonstrate that all parties are prepared to honor their commitments," he said. Major powers agreed on Friday to begin a cessation of hostilities in Syria in a week, but Russia pressed on with bombing in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, who vowed to fight until he regained full control of the country. Schultz said Russia had contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Syria in some instances by targeting areas where there was little presence by the militant group Islamic State. "It is time for them to stop using the cover of going after ISIL to become more involved in the sectarian civil war," he said, using an acronym for Islamic State. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, writing by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by David Alexander, Toni Reinhold)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An agreement between major powers to cease hostilities in Syria to provide humanitarian aid is "an important step" toward resolving the crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on his Twitter account on Friday. The parties to the conflict should "embrace the opportunity" the deal provides to stop airstrikes, cease the targeting of civilians and offer humanitarian access, Cavusoglu said. The United States, Russia and a more than a dozen other nations reached a deal in Munich on Friday that is aimed at eventually paving a way for a political transition in Turkey's war-torn neighbor. (Reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley and Daren Butler; editing by David Dolan)
Washington (AFP) - A plan to cease hostilities in Syria agreed to by world powers will not affect operations of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State group, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.

"Our operations there will continue," Captain Jeff Davis said at a news conference.

The coalition carries out strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria as well as Al-Nusra, a local branch of Al-Qaeda. Neither group is covered by the plan agreed to Friday by 17 countries during talks led by the US and Russia.

Davis also rejected the idea of increasing military cooperation in Syria between the US and Russia, a point raised by Moscow during the talks.

"There is no change," he said, adding that cooperation will continue to be limited to exchanging information to prevent accidents in the sky over Syria as Russia carries out its own bombing campaign.

The US military also does not plan to be involved in humanitarian operations called for in the new agreement, Davis said.

Questions remain over whether the ambitious plan to end hostilities in Syria will be effective. If measures go into effect next week as planned, it would be a step toward stemming the violence that has killed 260,000 since 2011.
By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's foreign enemies have sent rebels new supplies of ground-to-ground missiles to confront a Russian-backed offensive by the government near Aleppo, stepping up support in response to the attack, two rebel commanders said. The commanders told Reuters the missiles with a range of 20 km (12 miles) had been provided in "excellent quantities" in response to the attack that has cut rebel supply lines from the Turkish border to opposition-held parts of the city of Aleppo. Facing one of the biggest defeats of the five-year-long war, rebels have been complaining that foreign states such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey have let them down by not providing them with more powerful weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles. "It is excellent additional fire power for us," said one of the commanders, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. The second rebel commander said the missiles were being used to hit army positions beyond the front line. "They give the factions longer reach," he said. Assad's enemies have been supplying vetted rebel groups with weapons via a Turkey-based operations center. Some of the vetted groups have received military training overseen by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The Syrian government says it aims to seal the border to cut rebel supply routes from Turkey. While the Grad missiles fall short of the rebels' demands for anti-aircraft systems, one of the commanders said they had "a significant impact on the army's rear positions". (Reporting by Tom Perry, editing by Ralph Boulton)
Dar es Salaam (AFP) - Four Tanzanians facing trial for the murder of a British conservationist whose helicopter was shot down have been jailed for 20 years for possessing firearms, lawyers said Friday.

Roger Gower, 37, died when suspected poachers gunned down his helicopter during a patrol of the Maswa Game Reserve in northern Tanzania, close to the world famous Serengeti National Park, on January 29.

Photographs of the crashed helicopter show twisted metal, apparent bullet holes in the fuselage and smears of blood on the pilot's seat.

Four men have been charged with Gower's murder: Shija Mjika, 38, Njile Gunga, 28, Dotto Pangali, 42, and Moses Mandago, 28.

Although they face murder trial in the high court, on Thursday they were found guilty of the possession of guns and ammunition at a separate hearing.

"The suspects pleaded guilty of being in unlawful possession of firearms and rounds of ammunition," said senior government prosecutor Yamiko Mlekano.

"The court on Thursday sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment each for possessing firearms, and 20 years each for being found with ammunition." The sentences will run concurrently.

They have not yet entered any plea concerning the murder charges, which carries a potential death sentence if found guilty, although Tanzania has not carried out capital punishment for decades, with scores of prisoners in jail on death row.

Gower, who worked for the Friedkin Conservation Fund, had been tracking poachers after spotting the carcasses of recently killed elephants.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 elephants are killed for their tusks every year across Africa.

Their ivory is prized for jewellery and decorative objects and much of it is smuggled to China, where many increasingly wealthy shoppers are buying ivory trinkets as a sign of financial success.
Washington (AFP) - British police said Friday they had arrested a teenager on hacking charges, as media reports said the youth was suspected of cracking the personal accounts of top US intelligence officials.

The news followed a series of bold hacking attacks for which credit was claimed by someone with the screen name "Cracka" who targeted top officials at the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, the White House and other federal agencies.

A British police spokesman told AFP Friday that authorities had arrested a 16-year-old boy in the East Midlands on Tuesday on charges including suspicion of "conspiracy to commit unauthorized access to computer material" and "conspiracy to commit unauthorized acts with intent to impair."

The spokesman did not link the arrest with the hacking, but news outlets including CNN and Vice Media's Motherboard website said the suspect was linked to the probe into the hacking of US officials.

FBI officials declined to comment on the reports.

Last month, officials disclosed that US national intelligence chief James Clapper's personal online accounts have been hacked, a few months after CIA director John Brennan suffered a similar attack.

In October, Brennan said he was "outraged" that hackers accessed his personal AOL email account. WikiLeaks released information obtained from the account, which included policy recommendations on Afghanistan and Pakistan and family addresses and phone numbers.

Although embarrassing, the document dump did not expose national security secrets and Brennan appeared to have stopped using the account in 2008.

Motherboard published a claim from a hacker who called himself "Cracka" and said he had hacked Clapper's home telephone and Internet accounts, his personal email, and his wife's Yahoo email.

"Cracka" told Motherboard that he changed the settings on the home phone so that calls were rerouted to the California-based Free Palestine Movement.

The website said the teen was part of a "hacktivist" group known as "Crackas With Attitude."
By Jon Herskovitz

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - An investigator looking into the death of a Houston-area deputy who was fatally shot in a hail of bullets last year was terminated on Friday, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said, making him the third person in the probe to be fired for misconduct.

The dismissals have tainted the investigation of the high-profile death of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Goforth, 47, who was killed on Aug. 28 as he fueled a patrol car at a Houston-area gas station.

Deputy J. Goodrich was terminated after an internal affairs investigation found that he had inappropriate communications with two witnesses, including one involved in the Goforth probe, the sheriff's office serving the Houston area said.

"The deputys actions were found to be inconsistent with department policy and the Sheriffs Office core values," it said in a statement, without elaborating.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office previously fired Sergeant Craig Clopton, a homicide investigator, and Deputy M. DeLeon.

A lawyer for the man accused of killing Goforth said all three of those fired appeared to have had contact with a woman who was quoted in court papers as saying she was a mistress of the slain deputy.

"This shines a light on the entire case," said Anthony Osso, an attorney for Shannon Miles, 31, who has been charged with killing Goforth. Miles has been charged with capital murder, which is punishable by death.

In October, the Harris County Sheriff's office fired Clopton after receiving a report that he had sexual relations with the woman who has claimed to have been in a sexual relationship with Goforth.

The sheriff's office said it fired DeLeon on Tuesday for being untruthful in the course of the investigation into the death of Goforth.

None of those fired have spoken to the media about their termination.

More than 10,000 law enforcement officers from across the United States attended the Houston funeral of Goforth in September, remembering him as a good-natured man who brought dignity to the profession.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Cairo (AFP) - Thousands of Egyptian doctors staged a protest Friday outside their union headquarters in Cairo over a lack of legal action against policemen who allegedly beat up two of their colleagues.

Nine policemen are alleged to have assaulted the doctors in a state hospital in Cairo's northern district of Matareya on January 28 after they refused to forge a medical report.

The prosecutor's office called the nine policemen in for questioning but released them on Thursday.

The head of the doctors' syndicate, Hussein Khairi, told AFP: "Our demands, which are very fair, are the safety of doctors while performing their job and that the attackers be taken to court."

"The interior ministry are thugs," the protesters chanted, standing 500 metres (yards) away from four armoured police vehicles. There were no clashes.

Heart doctor Ahmad Sweif, 35, had travelled to the protest with his wife from the Nile Delta, north of the capital.

"I came to send the message that the dignity of doctors and all Egyptian people cannot be violated," he said.

Doctor Nagat Abdelghani said: "It's a shame that the police who are supposed to protect us are the ones attacking us."

An interior ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, a court sentenced a policeman to eight years in jail on charges of beating a veterinary surgeon to death while in custody in the northeastern town of Ismailiya.

Five years ago, 18 days of protests -- motivated largely by anger over police brutality -- led to the ouster of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
By Tuomas Forsell HELSINKI (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqi refugees who arrived in Finland last year have decided to cancel their asylum applications and to return home voluntarily, citing family issues and disappointment with life in the frosty Nordic country. Europe is in the grip of its worst migrant crisis since World War Two, with more than a million people arriving last year, fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and beyond. Germany and Finland's neighbor Sweden have taken in many of the migrants but Finland too saw the number of asylum seekers increase nearly tenfold in 2015 to 32,500 from 3,600 in 2014. Almost two thirds of the asylum seekers last year were young Iraqi men, but some are now having second thoughts, so Finland will begin chartering flights to Baghdad from next week to take them home. Officials said about 4,100 asylum seekers had so far canceled their applications and that number was likely to reach 5,000 in the coming months. "My baby boy is sick, I need to get back home," said Alsaedi Hussein, buying a flight back to Baghdad at a small travel agency in Helsinki. Somalia-born Muhiadin Hassan who runs the travel agency said he was now selling 15 to 20 flights to Baghdad every day. "It's been busy here for the past few months," he said. A majority of the home-bound migrants have told immigration services they want to return to their families, but some expressed disappointment with life in Finland. "Some say the conditions in Finland and the lengthy asylum process did not meet their expectations, or what they had been told by the people they paid for their travel," said Tobias van Treeck, program officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "TOO COLD" Echoing that comment, travel agent Hassan said: "Some say they don't like the food here, it's too cold or they don't feel welcome in Finland. There are many reasons." Nearly 80 percent of the migrants returning home are Iraqis. Just 22 of the 877 Syrians - whose country is racked by civil war - and 35 of the 5,214 Afghans who sought asylum in Finland last year have asked to return to their home country. Along with other Nordic states, Finland has recently tightened its immigration policies, for example requiring working-age asylum seekers to do some unpaid work. Hostility to migrants has also increased in Finland, a country with little experience of mass immigration and which now has economic problems. Germany too, which took in 1.1 million people in 2015, has seen small numbers of Iraqi refugees choosing to go home. Finland had been preparing to reject up to 20,000 asylum seekers from 2015, but the number of voluntary returnees could significantly reduce that figure. "The number of returnees is increasing steadily ... All asylum seekers are informed about the options for voluntary return and about the available financial assistance," said Paivi Nerg, a senior official in the Finnish interior ministry. However, most Iraqi returnees pay for their own flight home or seek help from Iraq's embassy in Helsinki, she added. Last year the Finnish government and the IOM provided financial help to 631 returnees and a similar number is expected this year. The charter flights will carry up to 100 passengers back to Baghdad from Helsinki every week for as long as demand lasts, officials said. (Editing by Jussi Rosendahl and Gareth Jones)
BOSTON (Reuters) - It took Boston police very little time to track down three men who robbed a city convenience store this week: All they had to do was check the records of the court-ordered GPS tracking devices they were ordered to wear for previous charges.

The trio, which the Boston Herald dubbed the "three stooges of crime" on Friday, robbed a convenience store in the city's Dorchester neighborhood on Wednesday evening. They were arrested about an hour later after their tracking devices placed them at the store at the time of the robbery and later at a nearby apartment.

The three men, Jose Morales, Andronique Dossantos and Kallahn Winbush, all pleaded not guilty in a Thursday court appearance, according to prosecutors.

The judge set bail at $200,000 each for Morales and Dossantos, who had already been out on bond, and $50,000 for Winbush. He ordered the three to stay away from one another and remain in their homes if they did post bail, prosecutors said.

Once again, police will track their whereabouts through the GPS ankle bracelets.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the dark comedy starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton.

Fey's character, journalist Kim Barker, heads to wartime Afghanistan in the film. She's greeted by fellow reporter Tanya Vanderpoel (Robbie), who immediately asks Barker, "Can I f--- your security guys?"

"By all means," responds a surprised Barker. "Don't just say that to be polite," laughs Vanderpoel.

In the trailer, Barker learns what it means to be a war reporter and has her fair share of mistakes, including bringing a bright orange backpack with her on a trip. "Where are you going to hide it, inside a f---ing sunset?" asks a soldier.

The movie, based on Barker's memoir The Taliban Shuffle, will be released on March 4.

Read More: Tina Fey Shoots Guns and Scouts for Afghanistan News Stories in 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' Trailer

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish security forces have killed 27 militants in the mainly Kurdish southeast, the army said on Friday, a day after the interior minister said security operations had finished in the town of Cizre where the conflict has been focused. The army said 16 fighters of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) had been killed in Cizre, near the Syrian border. It said it had retrieved the bodies of another 24 militants killed earlier, along with rifles, machines guns and rocket launchers. Another five PKK guerrillas were killed on Thursday in the Sur district of the region's largest city, Diyarbakir, and six in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border, the army said. Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said on Thursday that security forces had completed their operations against militants in Cizre after weeks of fighting, raising hopes that a lockdown could be lifted. More than 800 militants have been killed in Cizre and Sur since they were placed under a round-the-clock curfew in December, the army said. The pro-Kurdish HDP, the biggest party in the region, says 128 civilians have been killed during the curfews. Authorities imposed the curfews in a bid to root out armed PKK militants who had dug trenches and erected barricades. The violence has forced thousands of local residents to flee. A ceasefire with the PKK collapsed in July, wrecking a 2-1/2 year peace process that had been seen as Turkey's best chance at ending three decades of strife in the restive southeast. About 40,000 people, mainly Kurds, have died since the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones)
PBS Democratic debate on Thursday night, which was simulcast by CNN, was watched by 8.03 million viewers across both networks.

PBS averaged 3.9 million while CNN had 4.1 million. To compare, 4.5 million watched MSNBC's Feb. 4 face-off between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

With only two candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination for the presidency, it was never going to be a barnburner. And the record-setting debate slate has steadily and expectedly declined since the high water marks of last summer. (The Democrats first debate on CNN last October is still the most-watched for the party with 15.8 million tuning in.)

Co-moderated by PBS anchors Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill  the first debate moderated by two women  the face-off between Sanders and Clinton was respectful, but did not completely lack for sparks. Clinton closely aligned herself with President Obama and continued to question the practicality of Sanders expansive agenda including single payer health care and free college.

The debate from Milwaukee was the sixth in the Democratic cycle and the first since Sanders resounding victory in the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9. Ifill asked Sanders if he felt conflicted about possibly being "the instrument of thwarting history" by spoiling Clintons chances of becoming the first woman president. Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist who has connected with young voters and women, noted that a Sanders victory in November would also have historical connotations.

"I think a Sanders victory would be of some accomplishment as well," he said.

Another question from Ifill about Clintons donations from wealthy financiers George Soros and Donald Sussman prompted perhaps the best zinger of the night from Sanders. After Clinton contended that the support she has received from a Super PAC did not come with strings attached, Sanders shot back:

"Let's not insult the intelligence of the American people. People aren't dumb. Why in God's name does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? I guess just for the fun of it. They want to throw money around."
A nationwide survey of 1,500 middle school and high school science teachers released Thursday found that nearly two-thirds of educators are not relying on scientifically sound information when teaching students about climate change.

Researchers determined that teachers only spend about one or two hours over the course of the school year on climate change, and the information they give students is often contradictory or wrong.

For example, one of every three middle and high school teachers surveyed said that he or she emphasized that global warming is likely due to natural causes. Yet 97 percent of climate scientists say that overwhelming evidence shows that global warming is a result of the burning of fossil fuels.

Only 30 percent of middle school teachers and 45 percent of high school science teachers know that a scientific consensus on climate change even exists, according to the survey, which was published in the journal Science.

RELATED: The 97 Percent Scientific Consensus on Climate Change Is WrongIts Even Higher

Eric Plutzer, political scientist at Pennsylvania State University and lead author of the study, said the findings show a lack of awareness about climate change at an administrative level.

Ideally, colleges that educate large numbers of science teachers would develop curricula that would ensure all future teachers receive foundational instruction in climate science, Plutzer said.

Fewer than half of teachers surveyed said they received any formal instruction on climate change science in college, but two-thirds of teachers said they would be interested in continuing education entirely focused on climate change.

That might help them teach some of the more complex issues surrounding global warming, such as how climate modeling works.

Even then, time becomes an issue.

Plutzer said many state science standards dont test students knowledge of climate science, and the class where climate change is often most taughtearth sciencesis typically skipped by ambitious students electing to take Advanced Placement biology and chemistry classes.

Story continues

If youre teaching in a district thats not going to be testing on global warming, theres a low priority on getting that right, Plutzer said. Teachers often focus on topics they know their students are going to be tested.

Plutzer said spending one to two hours a year on climate science is not enough to give students even an introduction to climate changes causes and consequences.

It is especially insufficient if there are no clear standards that help teachers sequence these topics, he said.

The researchers said teachers political and ideological preferences also influence how they explain climate change.

One survey question asked teachers if they agreed with the statement Its not the governments business to protect people from themselves. Researchers found that teachers who answered that they strongly agree were more willing to teach both sides of the climate debate.

So, is the misrepresentation and polarization of climate science in the classroom similar to controversies over the teaching of evolution? Not exactly.

There are some similarities, but there is one important difference, Plutzer said. Teachers who do not accept evolution all know the scientific consensus existsthey can explain the process of natural selection and know this is the dominant view. Some teachers reject evolution in spite of knowing quite a bit about it. Here, we see the opposite patternmany teachers accept that the burning of fossil fuels accounts for recent global warming but are not certain that all scientists agree with them.

Plutzer and his colleagues next plan to dig into the data to see how individual states and school districts are teaching climate science.

Related stories on TakePart:





 Why Theres No Quick Fix for Climate Change

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 Americans Arent Sweating Global Warming, but the Communities Most Affected Want Action

Original article from TakePart
Juba (AFP) - South Sudan, where President Salva Kiir has named arch-rival Riek Machar as vice president, has been in civil war for over two years.

Independent since 2011, the conflict in the world's newest nation has pitted government troops loyal to Kiir against those of Machar, who was sacked as vice president six months before war began in December 2013.

Tens of thousands have been killed and more than two million people forced from their homes. The UN says South Sudan now ranks "lower in terms of human development than just about every other place on earth".

Here are key events in the war.

- 2013 -

December 15: Heavy gunfire erupts in Juba, where tensions have risen since July when Machar was fired as vice-president. Kiir blames Machar for an attempted coup, but Machar denies this and accuses the president of purging his rivals. Fighting spreads and rebels seize key towns.

- 2014 -

January 10-20: Uganda sends troops to back Kiir. Government troops recapture the northern city of Bentiu, capital of oil-rich Unity State, and Bor, capital of the eastern state of Jonglei.

April 15-17: More than 350 civilians are massacred in Bentiu and Bor, according to the UN.

May 2: US Secretary of State John Kerry warns of the risk of "genocide" as he visits Juba.

August 26: A UN helicopter is shot down, with three onboard killed. Each side blames the other. Dozens of other aid workers have since been killed.

- 2015 -

February 1: Kiir and Machar sign a new agreement to end the fighting, the latest in a series of deals, and like the others, rapidly broken within days.

June 30: South Sudan's army raped then torched girls alive inside their homes, a UN rights report says, warning of "widespread human rights abuses". Rebels have also been accused of similar atrocities.

July 2: UN and US sanctions placed on six leaders from both sides.

August 17: Machar signs a peace deal in Addis Ababa.

August 26: Kiir signs the peace accord, but issues a list of "serious reservations". Fighting continues.

Story continues

October 3: Kiir nearly triples the number of regional states, undermining a key power sharing clause of the peace agreement.

October 28: African Union investigators list atrocities committed include forced cannibalism and dismemberment.

November 5: UN experts warn that killings, rapes, and abductions continue and that both sides are stockpiling weapons. Over two dozen armed groups are involved in fighting characterised by shifting alliances, opportunism and historic grievances.

November 27: Some 16,000 children have been forced to fight, amid a growing humanitarian crisis, the UN says. More than 2.8 million people, almost a quarter of the population, needs emergency food aid.

- 2016 -

February 8: UN agencies warn at least 40,000 people are being starved to death in war zone areas on the brink of famine, with rival forces blocking aid.

February 12: Kiir reappoints Machar as vice president, but it remains unclear when Machar will return to Juba to take up the post.
(This story corrects eigth paragraph to reflect Air Force clarification that Lombardi was reassigned on Feb. 4, not Thursday)

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Thursday it had replaced its acting acquisition chief, Richard Lombardi, after he disclosed that he had failed to report his wife's Northrop Grumman Corp retirement account on his annual financial disclosure form.

The news came days before the U.S. Government Accountability Office is due to rule on a protest filed by Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp against the Air Force's decision in October to award an $80 billion long-range bomber contract to Northrop.

Lombardi was not involved in the bomber competition, an Air Force spokesman said. Lombardi declined comment via a spokesman.

Experts said the incident could spur Boeing to amend its protest. Boeing had no immediate comment.

Northrop told Reuters it had confirmed that Lombardi was not a member of the source selection team that awarded the bomber contract, and remained confident that the Air Force had chosen the best solution to meet its bomber requirements.

Lombardi, a former Air Force officer and long-time public servant, had assumed the role of acting assistant secretary for acquisition and service acquisition executive on Dec. 1 when William LaPlante resigned to take a job in private industry.

Lombardi, who had been the principal deputy to LaPlante, did not participate in the bomber award and was not acting assistant secretary or service acquisition executive at the time of the contract award, said Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Karns.

Air Force Secretary Deborah James removed Lombardi from his acquisition duties on Feb. 4 and reassigned him to another position after learning of his voluntary disclosure, Karns said. She referred the matter to the Pentagon's inspector general.

James named Darlene Costello, a senior official in the Pentagon's acquisition office, to take over Lombardi's duties as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics. She named Air Force Undersecretary Lisa Disbrow as the acting service acquisition executive, overseeing $40 billion in research, development and procurement programs, he said.

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"It is critically important to maintain a high level of public confidence in the integrity of our programs and operations," Karns said.

It was not immediately clear when Lombardi disclosed the issue or how long Lombardi's wife worked for the U.S. weapons maker.

In 2005, another former principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force, Darleen Druyun, served nine months in prison after pleading guilty to an ethics violation after discussing a job with Boeing while overseeing its business with the Air Force.

In 2007, another person who held the same job, Charles Riechers, committed suicide while under scrutiny for collecting nearly $27,000 in wages from a contractor while awaiting Senate confirmation.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
BANGUI (Reuters) - The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic is repatriating three military officers on suspicion they committed human rights violations during political unrest in their home country, Burundi, an internal document showed. Ten months of violence triggered by President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term has left more than 400 people dead in Burundi, which emerged from an ethnically charged civil war in 2005. He won a disputed poll in July. A fax dated Feb. 5 sent by the U.N.'s Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in New York and seen by Reuters on Thursday notified the Central African mission, MINUSCA, of the decision to send the officers home. "(The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) has raised serious concerns about alleged human rights violations committed by the officers during the violent demonstrations in Burundi," the document stated. Officials in Burundi, which contributes more than 1,200 soldiers and police to U.N. peacekeeping missions, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the repatriations. It is fairly common for troops to be sent home for alleged abuses committed while serving with a U.N. mission. MINUSCA has repatriated members of several contingents amid a wave of sexual abuse and rape accusations over the last year. However, the repatriation of troops over allegations of abuses committed in their home countries is extremely rare. A spokesman with MINUSCA confirmed the three men were being sent home but declined to give details of the allegations against them. "Assessments have been conducted. Following the assessments, this decision was taken," Vladimir Monteiro said. "The mission is doing everything to ensure that they return to Burundi." (Reporting by Joe Bavier)
GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries backing the U.S.- and Russian-led plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria have requested access to besieged towns and expect approval from the warring parties without delay, the group's chairman Jan Egeland said on Friday. The "Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria" met at the United Nations in Geneva less than 24 hours after it was set up by major and regional powers meeting in Munich. "We have already submitted requests for access to the parties surrounding besieged areas, Egeland said in a statement. We expect to get such access without delay." (Reporting by Tom Miles, editing by Stephanie Nebehay)
Yahoo News Illustration/Photo: AP

The Talibans capture of the Afghan city of Kunduz last September was shocking. The insurgents first seizure of a major city in nearly 15 years of fighting suggested unexpected boldness on the part of new leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, and badly rattled the Afghan publics faith in their U.S.-trained security forces. Just weeks after the Taliban offensive, Pres. Barack Obama publicly announced a dramatic slowing in the withdrawal of U.S. forces and new plans to keep at least 5,500 troops in Afghanistan into 2017, abandoning his hopes of bringing American troops home before leaving office.

For longtime Afghan analysts, perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Taliban offensive in Kunduz was its location. The Taliban are from the Pashtun tribe, and its traditional strongholds are in the south and east. Kunduz Province is a mixed-ethnic region near the northern border with Tajikistan that is made up primarily of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Hazaras, Turkmen, as well as some Pashtuns, and it is part of the home turf of the Talibans natural enemies in the former Northern Alliance. U.S. intelligence officials looking for answers to that puzzle have found evidence of the most shocking aspect of the Kunduz offensive by far  Russias training, arming and support of elements of the Afghan Taliban, Islamic extremists who in many cases were members or are descendants of Moscows erstwhile enemy, the Afghan mujahideen.

With the Taliban intensifying their attacks and making advances in recent years, Russian intelligence has been reaching out to the group and renewing their contacts from the days in the 1980s when they worked with the Afghan communists, said a knowledgeable U.S. intelligence official. When the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) emerged in Afghanistan last year, the Russians stepped up that outreach, alarmed that many of the ISIS fighters were Chechnyans recruited from Russias Caucasus region. While both ISIS and the Taliban subscribe to a ultraconservative interpretation of Islam, the Taliban remain focused on dominating locally in Afghanistan and view ISIS leaders and foreign fighters as intruders; ISIS, by contrast, has adopted al-Qaidas ambitions of a global jihad against nonbelievers.The Russians provided money and weapons to the Afghan Taliban to fight ISIS, and are providing training camps for the Taliban in Tajikistan, where Moscow retains a lot of influence, said the U.S. official, who cited as evidence Taliban fighters brandishing new AK-47 rifles with synthetic stocks made only in Russia, as well as new Russian PK machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Were one hundred percent sure that Russia is supporting certain elements of the Afghan Taliban, and we believe they are encouraging the group to operate along the northern border where they are easy to resupply from Tajikistan, and can act as a buffer against ISIS.

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A Mujahideen artillery officer directs his BM-12 rocket launcher at a Soviet air base in southeastern Afghanistan, 1987. (Photo: Richard Evans/AP)

A de facto alliance between Russia and Islamist extremists who are fighting the United States and NATO in Afghanistan  and who are in many cases the sons of Afghan mujahedeen who the United States once armed and supported in their fight against the Soviet Army  is likely viewed as payback in the Kremlin. The long war and defeat of the Soviets in Afghanistan helped pave the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian President Vladimir Putin once described as a major geopolitical disaster of the century. On December 31, 2015, Putin signed a new Russian national security strategy that for the first time unequivocally identifies NATO as a threat.

The fact that Moscow has publicly identified NATO and the United States as its enemy in a strategic document represents a big shift in thinking, and what that means practically is more initiatives like Russias support for the Taliban, which I have on good authority is real, said Dmitri Simes, a Russia expert and president of the Center for the National Interest in Washington, D.C. Russia will still cooperate with the United States if both countries interests align, he predicted, but the two antagonists are back to the kind of zero-sum mindset that prevailed during the Cold War.

When the Russians can poke a stick in the eye of the United States and NATO and the costs arent perceived as too high, they will do so because, frankly, it makes them feel good, Simes told Yahoo News. From Moscows perspective, its support for the Taliban is no different than U.S. support for rebels fighting their close ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, or arming and training Ukrainian troops who are fighting Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. If those are the rules the United States wants to go by, Russia is showing that they can play that game.

A senior U.S. administration official contacted for this article said that the U.S. intelligence community is aware that Russia is concerned about the stability of Afghanistan, and reaching out to many players there, and that may include elements of the Taliban. In February 9 testimony before the Senate, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper referred obliquely to that Russian outreach. Central Asian states remain concerned about the rising threat of extremism to the stability of their countries, particularly in light of a reduced Coalition presence in Afghanistan, said Clapper. Russia shares these concerns and is likely to use the threat of instability in Afghanistan to increase its involvement in Central Asian security affairs.

By most accounts, the Russians began their outreach to the Taliban in earnest a few years ago, after the establishment of a 2016 deadline for NATOs planned exit from Afghanistan and the hybrid terrorist insurgency making gains against Afghan security forces. The point man in the outreach is reportedly Russias special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, a former KGB colleague of Putin who was the intelligence services top-ranking officer in Kabul during the Soviet Armys 1980s war against the mujahideen. Zabuluv also negotiated with former Taliban leader Mullah Omar and his top lieutenants in the mid-1990s, after the group captured a Russian aircraft and took seven Russians hostage.

Russias contacts with the Taliban intensified last year after ISIS began making inroads in Afghanistan, and challenged the group for primacy among Afghan jihadists. The United Nations estimates that ISIS now has a presence in 25 out of Afghanistans 34 provinces, and U.S. commanders estimate that it has between 1,000  3,000 fighters in the country, many of them recruited from Taliban ranks after the group began splintering following last years announcement of the death of Mullah Omar. The international scope of ISIS is of great concern to Moscow, which estimates that some 2,400 extremists from the Caucasus have joined the uber-terrorist organization.

In January, Russian envoy to Afghanistan Kabulov conceded the unlikely alliance with Islamist extremists in remarks he made to the British newspaper The Independent. Taliban interests objectively coincide with ours. Both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban have said they dont recognize ISIS.  That is very important, he said, noting that ISIS is undoubtedly training militants from Russia in Afghanistan as part of its plans to expand into Central Asia. We [thus] have communications channels with the Taliban to exchange information.

The Russian-Taliban alliance reportedly moved well beyond just intelligence sharing last May, when a Taliban delegation visited the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe. In exchange for releasing four Tajik border guards it had captured, the Taliban reportedly received a large cache of Russian weaponry. Such quid pro quo transactions are the basis for numerous tactical alliances in war-torn Afghanistan.The Daily Beast quoted a Taliban sub-commander in Kunduz who goes by the name of Qari Omar to the effect that of course the weapons we got freshly from the Afghan-Tajik border played a key role in the fight for Kunduz.

A group of Afghan Taliban fighters loyal to Mullah Mohammed Rasool, the newly elected leader of a breakaway faction of the Taliban, in Farah province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2015. (Photo: AP)

In the Gordian knot of political intrigue and double-dealing that is wartime Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials say Russia is also hedging its bets. A knowledgeable U.S. intelligence source reports that Moscow has reached out to senior generals in the Afghan security forces and regional Afghan governors, for instance, offering to also put them on its payroll. Last October, Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, an Uzbek warlord and longtime adversary of the Taliban, was warmly received in Moscow, where he also sought pledges of arms and money.

While reaching out to numerous and sometimes competing players in Afghanistan in hopes of gaining influence with an eventual winner, Russia also increasingly seems intent on pushing its newly declared enemy NATO away from its neighborhood.I dont buy the argument that Russias alliance with the Taliban is only driven by its concerns about ISIS, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official with extensive experience in Afghanistan. Moscow doesnt want NATO and the United States anywhere near its southern border, nor a pro-American Afghan government in charge in Kabul, and they are thus finding common cause with the Taliban and others trying to push us and our allies from power. Its classic Putin.

With a war-weary United States and its NATO allies eyeing the exit doors in Afghanistan, and ISIS gaining a foothold, such enemy of my enemy is my friend calculations are sure to increase, accruing in many cases to the benefit of the Taliban. U.S. intelligence sources tell Yahoo News that Iran has also offered to support Taliban factions, an unusual development in that Sunni jihadi groups are often the sworn enemy of the Shiite mullahs of Tehran. Other strange-bedfellow alliances are likely to form as regional players jockey for advantage.

We Americans are always naively looking for so-called moderates in white hats to support in these conflicts, but unless we want to keep 5,000 troops in Afghanistan for the next 5,000 years, we should also reach out to the people who are going to stick around, said Milton Bearden, the former CIA station chief in Pakistan who was instrumental in arming the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviets in the 1980s. Having already been badly burnt in its decade-long occupation of Afghanistan, Moscow seems to have taken that lesson in proxy warfare to heart. If I were sitting in the Kremlin and worried that ISIS is gaining strength near my soft underbelly of the Caucasus, I wouldnt look to the United States and the Afghan army to take care of my problem. Id probably reach out to the Taliban to help beat them back.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it had no reason to doubt reports that North Korea executed its army chief of staff, describing it as typical of Pyongyang's brutal political climate. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday that North Korea had executed the army chief of staff, Ri Yong Gil. A source familiar with North Korean affairs who declined to be named also told Reuters that Ri had been executed. "We have no reason to doubt that ... this individual was killed, executed," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. "It exemplifies ... the brutality of the political climate in North Korea." He added: "This is ... par for the course in North Korea that youve got a leader who carries out purges." The news comes amid heightened tension surrounding isolated North Korea after its launch on Sunday of a long-range rocket, which came about a month after it drew international condemnation for conducting its fourth nuclear test. The North rarely issues public announcements related to purges or executions of high-level officials. A rare official confirmation of a high-profile execution came after Jang Song Thaek, leader Kim Jong Un's uncle and the man once considered the second most powerful figure in the country, was executed for corruption in 2013. In May last year, the North executed its defense chief by anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, the South's spy agency said in a report to members of parliament. (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Abu Dhabi (AFP) - Emirati Oil Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said Friday he expects supply levels on world markets to "stabilise", easing pressure on crumbling prices.

"The market will oblige all (producers) not to reduce but to stabilise their output levels," Mazrouei, whose country is a key OPEC producer, told satellite news channel Sky News Arabia.

He expected world demand for crude to rise this year by 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) and also said it was "possible" that supplies from non-OPEC producers fall by 500,000 bpd.

Producers could fall short of the 1.8 million bpd gap because "several countries have suspended investments" needed to boost output capacity, the United Arab Emirates minister said.

Mazrouei said he was "optimistic over a return of stability" on the market, without specifying what action the OPEC cartel or its members would take.

Oil surged Friday on world markets, following a report in the Wall Street Journal quoting Mazrouei as saying the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was willing to cooperate with other producers on trimming the global crude supply glut.

That was reportedly based on a reporter's tweet of the minister's interview with Sky News Arabia.

In Friday deals, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April jumped $1.60, or 5.3 percent, to $31.66 a barrel.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March was up $1.30, or 5.0 percent, at $27.50 a barrel compared with Thursday's close.

WTI had Thursday settled at $26.21 -- the lowest close since May 2003.

Some market analysts said the support for oil prices mirrored a recovery across European stock markets rather than the Wall Street Journal report.
By car, Malacca or Melaka is just 3 hours away from Singapore and a very popular weekend getaway spot. You dont get much time during such a short weekend getaway, so we are really here to make your life a tad bit easier with a comprehensive food guide.

Our team went forth to try out Malaccas famous Jonker Street eats and beyond, curating only the best and compiling into our very own ultimate Malacca food guide. We managed to hit a couple of bars along the way too.

We stayed at Jonker Boutique Hotel during this trip, which was situated at the heart of Malaccas Jonkers street for the most efficient eating experience.

This Malacca food guide is split into cafes, street foods, local restaurants and even late night drinking spots. If youre wondering where to eat in Malacca, feast on.

 Malacca Cafes

1. Bikini Toppings

best malacca food bikini-toppings

malacca-bikini-icecream

Ice Cream (RM6.90). If youre in need of cooling refreshment after pounding the pavements of Melacca, Bikini Toppings will provide a welcome break. Serving an array of ice creams that come served in a coconut alongside refreshing coconut shakes, this is exactly whats in order on a hot day.

We opted for a scoop of yam, a scoop of chendol and a garnish of fresh lychee, though there are numerous other ice cream flavours and toppings to choose from.

We couldnt resist joining in with the graffiti on the chalkboard walls whilst we were there. Let us know if you go and spot our tag!

Bikini Toppings: 46 Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Facebook

2. The Daily Fix

best malacca cafe - thedailyfix

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We loved the old fashioned vibe of The Daily Fix. Its quirky, fun and serves a mean coffee. Old school music hums in the background of this spacious cafe, whilst a young, cool crowd make up most of the clientele.

malacca-pandanpancakes

Famed for its pancakes, we were not disappointed with some of the unusual flavours on offer. Whilst we were tempted by the Durian and choc chip flavours, we eventually opted for Pandan (RM 13.90). The pancakes were soft and fluffy on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside.

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Pumped full with gula melaka (which we are now officially addicted to) these were a naughty but nice treat.

The Daily Fix: 55 Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Facebook

3. Calanthe Art Cafe

best malacca cafe calanthe-exterior

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Serving a signature coffee from each of Malaysias 13 states, this is a Malacca must visit. Unsurprisingly, the most popular coffee served here is that from  you guessed it  Melaka. Containing 70% coffee beans, and 30% sugar, salt and margarine, the end result is a strong, sweet cup of joe.

malacca-calathe

The cafe itself is so cool we could easily spend a few hours working our way through the rest of the 12 Malaysian state offerings. The interior is an eclectic mix of vintage meets traditional Malay meets coffee hipster.

Be sure to walk through the main cafe area at the front to check out the nooks and crannies of the spaces at the back. Youll find a treasure trove of Instagram worthy backdrops.

Calanthe Art Cafe: 11 Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Website

4. Backlane Coffee

best malacca cafe backlane

malacca-backlane-cakes

Salted Caramel Tart (Rm13.00), White Surprise (Rm13.00). If youre looking for a hipster cafe hangout, this is most definitely it. Exposed brick walls, an industrial vibe, cool lighting fixtures, home brew coffee  this place has got it all.

Whilst they do serve pizza  which, by the way, looked delicious  we couldnt resist the choice of cakes and sweet treats that were on offer. We opted for a white surprise (white chocolate mousse, raspberry coulis, hazelnut croustillant & praline string) and the salted caramel tart (chocolate ganache, salted caramel, chocolate pastry).

Though both were delicious the bitter, salty, sweet caramel tart come out on top in this round of dessert wars.

Backlane Coffee: 129, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Facebook

5. Ola Lavanderia

best malacca cafe ola-lavenderia

Ola Lavanderia is a small, minimalist cafe that is perfect for a coffee break. Were also a fan of their white Melaka cheesecake. Its light, a little zesty and has a delicious blueberry centre.

malacca-ola-cake

My favourite thing about this place? It doubles up as a launderette. A mere RM4.80 will get you 1kg of clothes, washed, ironed and folded. Bargain! Sit back and put your feet up whilst someone else does all the hard work for you.

Ola Lavanderia: 25 Jalan Tukang Besi, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Facebook

6. Mods Cafe

malacca-mods

malacca-mods-cake

Piccolo (RM9.00), Espresso (RM7.00), Cheesecake (RM10.00). Mods Cafe will definitely win your heart over with their cute and vintage interior. Hola hipsters, this is your den complete with a Volkswagen caravan as their cashier and coffee brewing site, vinyls as decor and cute little vintage trinkets.

Heres the catch though, there is a minimum of one order per person. We had a cheesecake, espresso and piccolo. The espresso was more on the acidic side and it isnt hot, which is puzzling since it is extracted on site.

The cake was rather gelatinous in texture and it is more milky than cheesy but the piccolo was well balanced, saving the day.

Mods Cafe: Jalan Tokong, Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: +60 12-756 4441 | Website

7. Nadeje

malacca dessert-nadeje

malacca-crepe-cakes

If cake is your thing head on over to stuff your face on the mille crepes at Nadeje. Made with alternating thin layers of sponge and cream, these bad boys are dangerous. It tastes so light you may as well be eating a cloud, though were sure one slice alone must contain at least a million calories. Oh well, YOLO.

We opted for a slice of the rum & raisin mille crepe (RM 12.60) from their alcoholic range. Its a seriously indulgent slice of creamy, boozy goodness. A great place to head for a lunchtime treat or dessert after dinner.

Nadeje: G-23 & 25, Jalan PM4, Plaza Mahkota, 75000, Melaka, Melaka, 75000, Malaysia | Website

Malacca Street Food

8. Loi Satay  Lung Ann Refreshments

best malacca food lungahsatay

Satay (RM0.70 / stick). Along the streets of Jonker is Lung Ann Refreshments and you wouldnt be able to miss it because the aroma of freshly barbecued satay skewers will lead you there. Much like a coffeeshop, Lung Ann Refreshments focuses on only selling satay and well, refreshments.

malacca-satay

The meat used in the satay skewers here is pork, unlike the usual mutton and chicken. Though it can get slightly salty, it is definitely something interesting and unlike the usuals. Theres a slight difference in texture and the peanut sauce pairs well. It opens from 1pm till 4pm and is closed on Thursday.

Loi Satay Lung Ann Refreshments: 93/807, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | website

9. Kedai Kopi Chung Wah

best malacca food kedai-riceballs

Half Chicken (RM24.60), Rice Ball (RM0.40). Famed for their chicken rice balls, Kedai Kopi Chung Wah is the most popular Hainanese Chicken Rice on Jonkers Street  Day after day, lies a snaking line right outside the stall, all in hopes of getting their famous chicken rice ball.

So if youre looking to try it, Id definitely suggest that you go down real early before lunch to beat the crowd because thats what we did and we didnt have to queue. Sleep is for the weak my friends.

malacca-kedaikopi-interior

While the Kampong chicken is pretty average, their chicken rice balls are worth the try. Glistening balls of chicken rice, packed with flavour and because of its petite size, its really convenient to pop them incessantly before knowing youve had one too many.

Do remember to have it with the chilli sauce because no chicken rice is complete without it.

Kedai Kopi: 18, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

10. Jonker 88

best malacca food jonker88-cendol

Baba Durian Chendol (RM5.00).

Hard to miss, Jonker 88 sits amidst the busy Jonker Street that Malacca is famous for. What we first noticed is its crowd, beckoning us in as it piqued our curiosity as to what this stall entails to render such a crowd.

Casual and packed, Jonker 88 is an eatery that offers up local fare like assam laksa, chendol and many more.

Who could ever get enough of chendol really, so we ordered a serving of chendol with durian because durian is really quintessential in our lives. The durian chendol came fully adorned with red bean and peanuts. The durian tasted more like the paste sort instead of fresh durian flesh and it isnt too sweet.

malacca-jonker88-laksa

The other dish we had was the assam laksa and we highly recommend it. The broth is sour and spicy with the addition of tamarind, making it very appetising and I couldnt stop myself even when I was pregnant with a food baby.

The noodles used arent the usual laksa noodles, think glass noodles but thicker, which makes for an excellent accompaniment to the light broth with its silky texture.

Jonker 88: 88, alan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel:+60 19-397 5665 | Website

11. Pin Pin Hiong

best malacca food pinpinhiong

Do not overlook this great little restaurant serving awesome Hainanese food. With just one old Uncle doing all of the cooking, you might have a bit of a wait for your lunch to arrive but its totally worth it.

It was packed when we visited with a completely mixed crowd and, it would seem, young or old locals cannot get enough of this delicious home cooked food.

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We recommend their oyster omelette, Mee Sua soup and the pork chop. The Mee Sua was seriously good, we could not get enough of the salty, savoury broth. The pork chop was soft, meaty and smothered in the most delicious gravy. Whilst our omelette was thin, crispy and packed with tiny, juicy oysters. The ultimate comfort food pit stop and one of our favourites.

Pin Pin Hiong: 786, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

12. Cristina Ee Nyonya Cendol shop

best malacca food cristinaee

On the outside, Cristina Ee Cendol shop will probably just look like any other snack shops that you can find along the way but do not be fooled, it actually serves up quite a kickass bowl of chendol.

best malacca food cendol

The chendol is pretty to look at with its myriad of colours and of course delectable to have with its strong gula melaka flavour pairing well with the coconut milk and jelly, proving to be a worthy way to cool down from the sweltering heat.

Cristina Ee also sell square-shapped pineapple tarts that are extremely aromatic and buttery. They are also the distributor of it nationwide, so why not have a try and bring home a pack or two when youre around the area.

Cristina Ee Nyonya Cendol Shop: 8, Jalan Hang Lekir, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

13. Low Yong Moh restaurant

best malacca food lowmohyang-interior

best malacca food dimsum

Closed on Tuesday, Low Yong Moh restaurant is a traditional casual dining place that serves up dim sum as breakfast. Very popular amongst the locals, it stocks up a variety of dim sum and youd better be quick to get your orders before they run out. Though it isnt the best dimsum, it does give the complete Malacca experience with throngs of locals swearing by it.

The prices start from RM1 to RM3.70 for the most expensive dim sum.

Low Yong Moh: 32, Jalan Tokong, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel:+60 6-282 1235 | Website

14. Ah Gu Wanton Mee

best malacca food ahgu

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Wanton Mee (RM4.00). One of the oldest wanton mee stall in Malacca, Ah Gu Wanton Mee has a story to tell. The original owner of the stall is none other than Ah Gu, whom has sworn celibacy back in the days, Ma Jie, as we know it.

She then started selling wanton mee and made a name for her wanton noodles and herself. With a great backstory, she has now successfully passed the business on to her god daughter to continue this legacy.

So we had to try it, for obvious reasons. Ah Gu Wanton Mee could be very easily missed, so do keep a lookout. It is a fuss-free, functional and traditional looking space that is dedicated to serving noodles. Do head down early as the stall tends to close by 3pm.

On the first mouthful and we knew what was different about it. The noodles were tossed in a generous serving of pork oil, making it more fragrant than the usual ones we get. The wantons were packed with flavour and ah gus wanton mee is definitely comforting and hearty with all the pork lard glistening glory.

Ah Gu Wanton Mee: Medan Selera Cheng Ho, Malacca, Malaysia

Local Restaurants & Supper

15. Asam Pedas Claypot

malacca-asam-pedas

best malacca food pedas-pari

Asam Pari (stingray RM3.80). Though it can be quite a walk from Jonker Street, it is well worth your time. Much like the supper area we have in Bedok, the Asam Pedas Claypot serves roti cenai, goreng-goreng, asam pedas, otah and many more.

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There is a choice of indoors and outdoors and Id say its rather spacious. It is sour and spicy all at the same time, with the stingray flesh being really tender and pairing well with the rice. Also ordered a neighbouring mamaks store otah, which is slightly sweeter than the version we get back home.

The salted egg goes very well with the stingray, providing a contrast of flavours, definitely something Ill devour after a night of drinking. It opens from 6pm  4am, so you get the drift. The spiciness level may vary depending on the chef cooking so you probably should determine how spicy you want it before placing order.

Asam Pedas Claypot: 86, Jalan Laksamana 5, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: +60 12-680 0790

16. Restoran Res Porridge Shop

best malacca food porridge house

If youre in need of a late night supper, this busy Porridge Shop is worth a visit. Its located outside of the historical centre but its a bustling spot that was still going strong when many others were closing.

malacca-porridge

Their classic seafood porridge was comforting, salty and satisfying. We loved the relaxed atmosphere, mixed clientele and speedy service. If youre craving porridge this is definitely the spot for you, though with plenty of other standard Chinese dishes on the menu youll probably end up ordering more than you intended.

Restoran Res Porridge Shop: Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000, Malaysia

17. Indah Sayang

best malacca food indah-sayang

Another dinner or supper destination, Indah Sayang serves up authentic Nyonya food praised by many locals. On the outside, it has this almost stained glass-like entrance while the interior is a down-to-earth casual dining area. We ordered ourselves a Nyonya Chap Chai and Nyonya Assam Fish.

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Nyonya Chap Chai (RM7.50), Asam Fish (seasonal).

The chap chai (preserved vegetables) is sour and appetising with a variety of vegetables that gives a crunchy texture altogether. The assam fish was a little fishy on its own but when paired with the fragrant chilli, it becomes absolutely delectable. Id buy back a pot of the chilli if I could, it is not overly spicy but one that is enjoyable and with a subtle hint of zest that offsets the fishiness.

Indah Sayang: 138, Jalan Melaka Raya, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000, Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: +60 6-282 0285 | Website

18. Baboon House

best malacca food baboon-house

In our view, Baboon House serves the very best western style food in Malacca. Before we talk about that, its worth noting just how darn cool this place is to look at. As well as being a restaurant its also an art gallery/restoration project/home, its unsurprising then that photography is not permitted inside.

Youll just have to take our word for it that Baboon House is filled with interesting art hanging, murals and greenery. Its an awesome setting.

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Famed for its burgers, we were not disappointed with our selection. We tried the classic beef burger (RM17.80) and the Teriyaki pork burger (RM16.80). Of the two, the winner hands down was the classic beef burger. It was big, bold and juicy, one of the best burgers wed tried in a long time.

It was served with a side of deliciously crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside chips.

A few things to note, you have to ring a doorbell to get in. It took 5 minutes for someone to answer the door when we rocked up so be patient. There is a maximum of six people per table so its not suitable for large groups.

Finally, be sure to keep your voices down, this is a tranquil spot so its not suitable for large, rowdy get togethers. Service can be unstable or even rude at times, nonetheless, its an absolute must visit in Malacca.

Baboon House: Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 China Town, Melaka, Malaysia

19. Nancys Kitchen

best malacca food nancy's kitchen

Nancys Kitchen is very popular for their authentic Peranakan food and do note that it has moved from its previous location. The interior is a casual and clean style, where you can kick back and have a heartwarming meal. We recommend you call in for reservations.

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We ordered the fried egg cincalok, salted vegetable duck soup and the rendang chicken. While the omelette can get a little greasy, the salted vegetable duck soup is extremely appetising while the curry is rich and fragrant. It can be quite a walk from Jonker Street (about 15 mins) but hey, work off some calories before eating.

Nancys Kitchen: 13, 13-1, 13-2, Jalan KL 3/8, Taman Kota Laksamana, Seksyen 3, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: +60 606-2836099 / +6013-6183608 | Website

20. Teo Soon Loong

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Having moved from Jonker street, Teo Soon Loong started out as just a place selling alcohol in a corner of Jonker. The owner then started cooking and slowly expanded it till it became a restaurant. They made the decision to move to their current location as the previous kitchen is too open and that isnt allowed in Malacca.

best malacca food oyster-noodles

Helming the reins now is the third generation, with the founder having cooked for over 50 years in operation. Do try their balanchan that is infused with belachan, which is amazing because I couldnt help myself and possibly consumed the whole container. Order their oysters noodles if youre a fan of ee fu mian.

Teo Soon Loong: No. 42 & 44,Jalan KPKS 1,Kompleks Perniagaan Kota Syahbandar,75200 Melaka., 75200 Malacca, Malaysia | Tel:+60 6-288 0209 | Website

21. Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan

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Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan has the best tandoori and naan, hands down. Just a few steps away from the Asam Pedas Claypot, Pak Putra will wow you away with their juicy and tender tandoori chicken.

Forget all the dry tandoori you get at most places, Pak Putra serves them succulent with a fluffy naan that is oh-so-fragrant. Pair it with their decadent lassi and youre never going to think of Indian fare the same way again.

Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan: Jalan Laksamana 4, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: +60 12601 5876

22. Restoran Laksamana Hakka Zhan

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Hakka Zhan serves up authentic Hakka cuisine and is a stones throw from Nancys Kitchen. The interior boasts of a quaint and very traditional-like decor, complete with a wall mural that describes the nomad origins of the Hakka group. The restaurant opened in 2007 and there are two outlets in Malacca.

best malacca food hakka-food

Hakka Local Traditional Mutton (RM25.00), Hakka Muy Choi Pork (RM15.00), Hakka Yong Tau Fu (RM12.00), Hakka Wine Chicken (RM20.00), Hakka Fried Eggplant with Basil Leaf (RM8.00).

Hakka Zhans secret recipes are handed down from the owners father-in-law and we really loved the mutton soup. The broth is light yet rich in flavour and thoroughly comforting. The mutton has been boiled for two to three hours and they are imported from Australia. Id definitely drop by for a meal and you should too, if you want a taste of Hakka food.

Laksamana Hakka Zhan: 76, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75000, Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia | Tel:+60 16-666 8938 | Website

Late Night Drinks

23. Geographer Cafe

malacca-geographer

Although the name states cafe, Geographer is clearly more pub than cafe.

Youll never miss this place with its striking yellow walls and green panels, and thats a good thing because you really wanna have a pitstop in this casual and laid back cafe, al fresco or not. With weekly live music shows and other events, theres always something going on in there thats worth your time.

best malacca bars geographer beers

Stop by to freshen up or refuel with a plate of nasi lemak or pesto pasta, or if youre only looking to have a drink, order an organic coconut to beat the heat. End it off with a cocktail or just a pint of ice cold beer.

Geographer Cafe: 83, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Malacca, Malaysia | Tel: +60 6 281 6813 | Website

24. Kafe Bonjor

best malacca bars bonjor-exterior

malacca-bonjor-riverside

Dotted along the river side, Kafe Bonjor boasts of a large interior with a private karoake room and al fresco terrace where you can enjoy your drink with a view of the river. Opt for outdoors if youre for more casual drinks with the breeze streaming in. If youre looking for a good cathartic screaming session, gather a bunch and book out the private room where you can run wild, young and free.

Kafe Bonjor: 68 Jalan Kampung Hulu, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia | Tel: + 60 0163446678 | Website

25. Skydeck

malacca-skydeck

best malacca rooftop bars skydeck-indoors

Swanky is what Skydeck is. Atopped EcoTree Hotel, Skydeck is a roof top bar complete with a swimming pool, ample dart machines and performance stage for live music. Think neon lights and loud music and were good to go. The only rule is that everyone has to order a drink before entering.

Skydeck: 1, Jalan Melaka Raya 9, 75000 Malacca, Malaysia | Tel: +60 6-292 1888 | Website

Book a Hotel in Malacca!





The post 25 Best Foods in Malacca to Eat and Drink Like a Local appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
Geneva (AFP) - The UN said Friday it expected to be able to deliver aid to besieged Syrians "without delay" after world powers agreed a plan to cease hostilities in the war-wracked country.

Amid doubts over the prospect of the ceasefire agreed in Munich, representatives of 17 countries met in Geneva to discuss plans for mass aid distribution that would coincide with a pause in fighting.

A statement from the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura's office said guaranteed access from the warring sides to Syria's besieged areas was the key first step.

"We expect to get such access without delay," de Mistura's senior advisor Jan Egeland said in the statement.

"We really hope for a good meeting here," Egeland told journalists before the discussions began.

"We have waited long for this," he said referring to the apparent breakthrough in Munich reached by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG).

The ISSG set up two task forces as part of the deal.

One was aimed at securing a durable end to the violence and the other charged with overseeing the delivery of aid.

Friday's Geneva meet was the first gathering of the aid taskforce.

The UN has said that only around a dozen of 116 access requests to reach Syrians in need have been granted.

De Mistura's statement reiterated the Munich agreement's assertion that sustained aid delivery should begin this week.

Meanwhile, questions were growing about how realistic the Munich deal was, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed in an interview with AFP to retake the entire country, warning it could take a "long time".
Just last December, Ashley Fleming, a 24-year-old college senior with one semester left, was afraid she would not be able to graduate. With nearly $100,000 in student loans and no cosigner in sight, Fleming resorted to crowdfunding her tuition by setting up a GoFundMe page to ask for help.



Our original article on Fleming was published last December, a week before her Christmas deadline when her outstanding balance was due. Since then, she has raised more than enough money to enroll in her final semester at American University in Washington, D.C. From $10 donations to an astounding one-time donation of $6,800, her final total was $24,312.

Updated gofundmepage



Thank you everyone for your truly exceptional support! I am amazed to say that we met our goal and because of you, graduation from college is now not only a dream but also a reality. I am in awe at the immense compassion and kindness of the human heart. This is the best holiday miracle anyone could ask for. Most of all, a gift of a lifetime. I cannot wait to honor your generous support as a promise to pay it forward. Because of you, graduation is near. See you all at the finish line, said Fleming on her GoFundMe page.



Many people have also reached out to express interest in continuing to help her finance her final semester. Although Fleming still has a few more credits to earn and some financial obstacles to overcome before officially graduating, she said American University has tentatively agreed to allow her to walk in the May 2016 graduation ceremony.

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Washington (AFP) - The United States and Cuba will sign a bilateral agreement Tuesday to restore regular flights between the two countries after more than half a century, the State Department said.

"While US law prohibits travel to Cuba for tourist activities, this arrangement will facilitate authorized travel," the State Department said Friday in a statement.

The United States announced plans to resume the flights in December, on the one-year anniversary of the start of reconciliation between Washington and Havana.

Under the new arrangement, airlines in the two countries can now strike deals in such areas as code-sharing and aircraft leasing, the Cuban Embassy said at the time.

However, tourist travel still remains illegal because the trade embargo that the Americans slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a communist revolution remains in effect.

The State Department said flights are expected to be re-established later this year and will "enhance traveler choices and strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries."

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Assistant Secretary of State Charles Rivkin will travel to Havana for the signing.

Commercial flights between Cuba and the United States were cancelled 53 years ago but since the mid-1970s authorized charter flights have been allowed under certain conditions.

The State Department said that the new arrangement "will continue to allow charter flight operations."

The United States and Cuba formally restored diplomatic relations in July and re-opened embassies in each other's capitals.
Miami (AFP) - When -- or if -- that bunch of flowers arrives on Sunday for Valentine's Day, spare a thought for Edward Putland.

Putland, an agent specializing in agriculture at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has been busy scouring roses, carnations and all other manner of flowers and plants imported through Miami's international airport, mainly from Latin America.

For Putland and his fellow inspectors the first half of February presents a daunting challenge: about a billion flowers and plants pour into the US during the three weeks leading up to Valentine's Day on February 14, of which more than 90 percent comes through the Miami airport.

They are on the lookout for diseases or insects that could wreak havoc on the floral and agricultural industries in the United States.

"I just found some egg masses on the leaves. I'll send them to the USDA for identification," Putland tells AFP, referring to the Department of Agriculture, after closely inspecting a cargo of palm leaves from Costa Rica.

His list of foes is long.

"Any kind of pest, any kind of insects may be in the shipments, anything -- diseases, all sort of insects, mites, lepidoptera, beetles, almost anything," he says.

"I usually find something every day, but sometimes it's something that we already have here in the US so we don't take action," he adds.

"But sometimes we do find something that we don't have and we don't want to get here so they have to take action on the commodity."

That means it gets tested and safely discarded.

This type of inspection requires a keen eye -- and a magnifier -- because sometimes the threat on the import is tiny.

The detective work is done in a refrigerated area in the airport's cargo section to prevent damage to delicate flowers.

- Multibillion-dollar industry -

Tulips, roses of all colors, exotic tropical flowers. Box after box, the merchandise keeps coming -- and so does the work.

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The flowers mainly come from Colombia, which exports nearly 700 million flowers to the US for Valentine's Day, followed by Ecuador, Mexico, the Netherlands and Costa Rica.

Next to Putland, inspector Wilnette Perez carefully checks bouquets of red roses, starting with the petals and the stem.

Then Perez takes the flowers and taps them over white paper to see if any hiding insects pop out.

One slip or miss can have a devastating long-term impact far beyond the chaotic confines of the airport.

"We don't want the farmers to have to deal with a new pest in this country and the pest can cost a lot of money for our own agriculture," says Putland.

Underlining that threat, during the last Valentine's Day season nearly 1,500 cases of disease or insects were picked up at the Miami airport in batches of flowers or plants.

The inspectors' work is also vital because the flower industry in the US generates $15 billion a year and thousands of jobs are riding on it.

"Invasive species have caused actually, around the world and here, billions of dollars in economic and environmental losses," says Gil Kerlikowske, CBP commissioner.

"About 200,000 people throughout the United States depend on imported flowers for their business and their livelihoods, and of course 91.5 percent of fresh-cut flowers arrive in through Miami International Airport, so to have that level of responsibility is important."

That means the army of 2,400 CBP inspectors cannot rest or even miss a beat before Valentine's Day on Sunday.

And then they will do it all over again for Mother's Day in May.
Washington (AFP) - The mayor of Cleveland apologized Thursday after an ambulance bill was sent to the family of Tamir Rice, the black 12-year-old who was shot by police while holding a toy gun.

Rice's November 2014 death at the hands of a white officer in the US state of Ohio shocked Americans and the $500 bill sent to his family has only stoked further outrage.

"Asking Tamir's family to pay for his ambulance is heartless. Cleveland should drop this fee," Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Twitter.

Local media reported that lawyers for the Rice family said the bill only added "insult to homicide."

Faced with the snowballing controversy, Mayor Frank Jackson called a news conference Thursday during which he admitted a mistake had been made.

"We will start off again apologizing to the Rice family if this has added to any grief or pain they may have" he said, surrounded by other city leaders.

Together they explained that the bill was sent under routine procedure and that it was meant for the boy's insurance company, not his family.

Surveillance video showed Rice was fatally shot within seconds of a patrol car arriving on the scene as he began to pull the toy gun out of his waistband. The boy died hours later in hospital.

The shooting followed a series of high-profile incidents of police violence involving black Americans and helped fuel protests against what some say is white police impunity despite discrimination against blacks.

In December, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the Cleveland police officers involved in the fatal shooting.
Washington (AFP) - The United States on Friday urged Ukraine to accelerate anti-graft reforms, after the International Monetary Fund threatened to cut aid to the cash-strapped country due to corruption concerns.

Vice President Joe Biden made the comments during a call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the White House said in a statement. It was his second call with Poroshenko in as many days.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of unity among Ukrainian political forces to quickly pass reforms in line with the commitments in its IMF program, including measures focused on rooting out corruption," the statement said.

Biden and Poroshenko also agreed on the importance of implementing an agreement to end conflict in the country's east between army troops and pro-Kremlin rebels.

In their call Thursday, Biden expressed "serious concern" about a recent uptick in fighting after a months-long lull.

The Ukrainian government has struggled in the face of war that has ravaged the economy and deepened long-standing political divisions.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Wednesday threatened to cut crucial financial aid to Ukraine because of the country's "slow progress" in fighting corruption.

The IMF program is the keystone of a roughly $40 billion international bailout of Ukraine that could collapse, with almost-certain disastrous consequences.
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that three people had died of complications linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus and that suspected cases of Zika had risen to 5,221. Brazil said on Thursday that three people who died last year had the Zika virus, although authorities could not confirm that Zika alone was responsible for their deaths. Only one in five people infected with Zika experience illness and even then they are normally mild symptoms. The virus is still poorly understood by scientists and no proof yet exists to show it causes the birth deformations or any reported deaths. "We have 319 confirmed cases, of which unfortunately 68 presented complications and we've had three deaths due to Zika nationally," Maduro said during a broadcast on state television. He did not provide details of the deaths and did not mention the number of pregnant women thought to have the virus. The Health Ministry did not respond to earlier requests for information on the number of pregnant women with Zika. Maduro said the number of suspected cases had risen to 5,221 in the period between Nov. 5 and Feb. 8. The only previous public estimate last month said there were around 4,700 suspected cases. The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over possible links to birth defects from the Zika virus, which has spread to more than 30 countries. Doctors say Venezuela actually has a far greater incidence of Zika than publicly admitted and that the leftist government is not doing enough to combat the outbreak. Chronic product shortages mean even pain killers and insect repellent are hard to come by. Patients suffering Guillain Barre, an autoimmune syndrome that can cause paralysis and has been linked to Zika, are also struggling to find immunoglobulin for treatment. Maduro on Thursday night thanked Brazil, China, Cuba, India, and Iran for helping provide medicines. Doctors and non-governmental health organizations say they are monitoring dozens of pregnant women who think they might have suffered Zika during the first months of gestation. Epidemiologists say any potential cases of Zika-linked birth defects in babies would likely only come to light around April, given the virus is thought to have arrived in Venezuela in the last quarter of last year. Scientists are investigating a potential link between infections of pregnant women and more than 4,000 suspected cases in Brazil of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. (Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Michael Perry)
Wall Street slammed after a steep global selloff, but was a slight uptick from the lows a positive sign for markets? The Final Round begins at 4pm EST and Yahoo Finance's Nicole Sinclair and trader Steven Guilfoyle break down all the market action.

Winners & Losers

Stocks dipping deep into the red in today's market rout were Mylan on its Meda acquisition, Twitter on disappointing user growth, and Boeing. Bloomberg reports the SEC is investigating Boeing accounting practices for two of its planes.



Stocks that bucked the rough tape include both Expedia and Tripadvisor reporting strong growth in the travel industry, and Tesla Motors. It's full speed ahead for Elon Musk and Tesla, with shares rocketing despite weak earnings, as the company projects it will deliver 80,000 to 90,000 cars this year, up from 50,000 last year.

Technicals: More pain to come?

How much more pain is in store for the markets? Yahoo Finance's Justine Underhill and BTIG chief technical strategist Katie Stockton take a closer look at the charts.

Curing cancer with immunotherapy

Vice President Joe Biden has called for a 'moonshot' to cure cancer, a mission President Obama seconded in last month's State of the Union address. And one promising area in the mission to get it done, a biotech technology known as immunotherapy. Dr. Andre Choulika, CEO and Chairman of Paris-based Cellectis, joins the Final Round to discuss the potential of immunotherapy.

Looking ahead

At 8 AM eastern we'll get government retail sales data for January. Economists are looking for a 0.3% jump in core retail sales, which backs out autos and gas.



The Fed-speak rolls on, with Dallas Fed President Rob Kaplan speaking at 9:45 AM Eastern, followed by the New York Fed's William Dudley at 10 AM.



Finally at 10 AM another read on the consumer with the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. The street's looking for a reading of 92.5 for February, which would be a slight uptick from January.
After serving for nine years as vp of Romes Minerva Pictures, the company responsible for bringing any Nicolas Cage or Steven Seagal film to Italy, Francesca Manno has decided to go off on her own.

Her new shingle, Summerside International, will focus on international sales and co-productions and launch in Berlin as its first major festival with a slate of eight international films. Its lineup of director-driven projects range from an Italian comedy to a German drama to a Canadian thriller.

Manno also will partake in Berlins Co-Production Market as a producer and financier, where shes hoping to further expand her slate. An experienced buyer and seller at Minerva, Manno, 35, also was involved in the companys many co-productions, including such recent features as the road trip drama Just Like a Woman, starring Sienna Miller and Golshifteh Farahani, and Anna (Per amor vostro), which won the best actress award for Valeria Golino at Venice last year.

The executive sat down with THR in Rome to discuss how she plans on launching Summerside in Europe and beyond.

What did you enjoy most at Minerva Pictures?

I was involved in almost everything. But honestly, international sales always were kind of sexy for me  the way you promote a movie, how you try to build the life of a movie abroad. You need to know people, and the taste of each buyer, for each territory. Of course, you have to find something that is good for them, and makes sense for you, from an editorial point of view.

For my company now, I selected very specific titles focusing on human rights, children themes and women. And then I also took an Italian comedy, because the director is a very international director. So I hope this kind of lineup will give my buyers the idea of a very diverse lineup.

How did Minerva do things differently from the competition?

Minerva was kind of a pioneer in digital exploitation rights. We were one of the first to sign a deal with iTunes, for the digital exploitation on our current titles. So it was for all the titles coming from the U.S. [and] Europe and also for some top library titles, of which we had more than 1,000. Recently, we did not sign a deal with Netflix; it was a business choice.

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Why not?

We preferred to understand where Netflix is going first.

Read More: Berlin: How Will Netflix and Amazon Affect the Market?

How do you think they are changing the landscape in Italy?

I am not sure. I am not sure if Italy is ready enough for Netflix. First of all, because Italy is divided, the south and the central part and the north. For example, I come from the south of Italy, and I can tell you that the Internet connection is really bad. So how can you benefit from an offer like Netflix, or from other digital offers, in a place where the connection is not good? We need to improve our infrastructure. Thats the point.

Do you expect digital to play a big role with Summerside?

Berlin will be the first market for the company. I am really curious to understand where all these platforms are going. So of course, I will meet the buyers of these platforms. [But] I dont like the idea of putting the titles in a mass digital space. There should be something more built, as an editorial structure. Otherwise, you put your titles there, and maybe the revenue is not what you were expecting.

What made you decide that Europe needed another international sales company?

There arent so many domestic international companies handling the sales for international titles, in my opinion. In Italy, there are many companies focusing on Italian titles. We see what is happening in France, and the French companies are No. 1 in the world. And they handle all kinds of movies coming from many territories. Thats why I decided to follow a different way, from the standard Italian way.

Do you find it difficult being a female executive working in Italy?

I think its more difficult. I mean, I see there are so many women in our business, so many CEOs in many big companies, not in Italy, but in the U.S., for example, or in France or the U.K. Yes, you can find women. But, in Italy, its still a bit slow.

Read More: Berlin: 5 New Can't-Miss Spots

Are you trying to change this?

I am trying to. For example, I am the managing director of my company.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge with establishing Summerside?

The most important thing is to have the right idea. Sometimes, you dont have money, but you just have the idea. You know exactly how you want to pitch the idea. I think that with a computer and a good Internet connection, we can do everything right now. I dont like people crying because they have no help from the government, no help from this and that. I have no help from anyone. I am investing my money. Im investing all the energy I can put into these projects. Thats the challenge.
First, this news of the rich and famous: Just days ago, billionaire fashion baron Ralph Lauren gave a custom-made, baby bomber jacket to Saint West, the 2-month-old son of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Lauren even enclosed a handwritten gift card. How cute.

And now, news of the wannabe rich: Irked investors are probably wishing Lauren would lavish more attention on his company's battered stock, which these days has all the appeal of a smart suit splattered in mustard stains. How acute.

In conjunction with releasing its fourth-quarter earnings report for 2015, Ralph Lauren Corp. (ticker: RL) saw its stock get hammered -- or if you prefer, dashed on the head with a polo mallet. It fell more than 22 percent in one day, and since Feb. 3, the stock has slid almost 30 percent.

At a time when clothing retailers of all types and stripes face significant challenges with the changing habits of consumers, Ralph Lauren hasn't been sending out tremendous messages of reassurance to the investing public. "The company has been realizing an average revenue growth of just above 3.5 percent over the last three years versus double-digit growth in the years just prior," says Steven A. Gattuso, assistant professor of economics and finance at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and director of the school's Golden Griffin Fund. "This is less than many of its peers."

Blame part of RL stock's hurt on the rise of e-commerce, which has battered brick-and-mortar department stores. "Even strong names that carry the Ralph Lauren brand, such as Nordstrom (JWN) and Macy's (M) have not been insulated," Gattuso says. "Macy's has recently announced store closings, and most of the growth in the retail segment came from new store openings, while same-store comparables have been trending down -- with the latest quarter down as much as 5 percent."

But to that end, Lauren has gone on the offensive in terms of making a decisive digital-age pivot. "CEO Stefan Larsson outlined the very comprehensive approach he's taking to evaluating the health of the Ralph Lauren brand, the company and to understand the disruption occurring in the industry as a whole," says Martin Okner, chairman of ACG New York and co-founder and managing director of SHM Corporate Navigators.

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The Lauren-to-Larsson handoff, which occurred in November, could signal a move in the right direction. The bespectacled Swede comes off high-profile stints at discount retailer H&M and Old Navy.

With H&M, Larsson was a retail pioneer in "fast fashion" -- where cheap clothes are cribbed from catwalk designs and shoveled into stores on the fly. And in three years at Old Navy, Larsson turned the brand from moribund into a $1 billion money machine, and the most profitable part of Gap (GPS).

"Larsson's experience certainly gives him a keen understanding of fast fashion and younger consumer demographic, and it will be interesting to see the paths he ultimately chooses as part of the strategic plan we will all see him present this spring," Okner says.

While his fashion-world winning streak seemingly makes him the right man to engineer a turnaround, the youthful Larsson has his work cut out for him. Out of 13 Wall Street analysts, 10 rate Ralph Lauren as a "hold," meaning that jury is still very much out in terms of the company's near-term prospects.

Yet that low share price -- down more than 50 percent from this time three years ago -- could amount to snatching some high-fashion goodies off the clearance rack. Lauren boosters point to the brand's peerless reputation as an ideal springboard for future opportunities.

"It has lots of room to expand its retail footprint outside of the U.S.," says Jeffrey Zucker, an angel investor and co-founder of Green Lion Partners in Grand Junction, Colorado. "I'm cautiously bullish on the company's stock, despite its poor fourth-quarter showing, as I feel its fair value is higher than its current trading price."

International growth indeed holds the key to raking in big profits at the House of Polo, and that is Larsson's strong suit, if you will. He helped take the Stockholm-based H&M outside its native land, a feat he followed by leading Old Navy's international expansion.

But to borrow from the wisdom of the runway, what turned heads in the past pales in importance to this year's big show. "The current headwinds of currency and a latent consumer are affecting many retailers, including the premium brands," Gattuso says.

That said, Gattuso likes what he sees: "Based on valuation, together with a 2.3 percent dividend yield, I would rate the stock as attractive at the current price."
(Reuters) - Arsenal's long-term injury absentees Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla are only weeks away from returning to first-team action, manager Arsene Wenger said ahead of Sunday's top-of-the-table Premier League clash against leaders Leicester City. Cazorla hurt his knee during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Norwich City on Nov. 29, while fellow midfielder Wilshere is yet to feature this campaign, having broken his calf bone in pre-season and had surgery in September. "They (Cazorla and Wilshere) are back running, they are on a fitness programme now so it means it is not a question of months anymore, it is a question of weeks for them to be back," Wenger told the club's website (www.arsenal.com). Wenger also suggested striker Danny Welbeck, who has not featured for the Gunners since April 2015, could make his comeback from knee injury against Hull City in the FA Cup on Feb. 20. "He is doing well, it is a bit early for him maybe but he is now back to full power in training. It is a big possibility (he could be involved against Hull next week)," the Frenchman said. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru)
Munich (Germany) (AFP) - World powers on Friday agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria, but the Munich deal left out the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's local branch, leaving analysts to doubt its viability.

The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed that "sustained delivery" of aid will begin this week, with a new UN task force meeting later Friday in Geneva to start pushing for much greater access to "besieged and hard-to-reach areas".

The deal went further than expected, with Lavrov talking about "direct contacts between the Russian and US military" on the ground.

But Kerry said they were under "no illusions" about the difficulty of implementing the agreement.

- 'Huge question marks' -

Analysts were sceptical the deal would stop the bloodshed.

"It is ambitious and yet very tenuous... there are huge question marks," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

He highlighted the fact that the Islamic State group (IS) and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra would not be covered by the "cessation of hostilities".

The failure to include Al-Nusra was particularly important, Barnes-Dacey said, since the group is active in Aleppo and surrounding regions, and many of the more "moderate" rebels have links with it.

"In many ways this Munich meeting was thrust to the fore by the situation in Aleppo, and yet the conditions of the agreement do not seem to apply to Aleppo," said Barnes-Dacey.

"Talking about Nusra works in the Russians' favour since so many rebel groups have ties to Nusra. This effectively gives the green light for the Syrian government and its allies to carry on military action while paying lip service to the agreement."

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A senior Russian foreign affairs official appeared to support the doubts, saying he was "not very optimistic" about a ceasefire.

"Despite the agreement, Russia will continue its anti-terrorist military operation," Vladimir Djabarov, vice-president of Russia's foreign affairs commission told the TASS news agency.

"There are too many groups that claim they are anti-government or anti-Assad when many are clearly terrorist groups," he said.

- 'Words on paper' -

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, launched a major offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced at least 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than a quarter-million lives.

Kerry said talks between rebels and the regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper -- what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground."

A UN task force, co-chaired by Russia and the US, will work over the coming week "to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," Kerry said.

The separate aid task force will pressure the Syrian government to open routes, since only around a dozen of 116 UN access requests have been granted.

Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.

Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has gained from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis in Europe.

Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.

It has sought to focus more on combatting IS jihadists, which have taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces.

The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".
By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's police have made extensive use of covert devices to track cell phones without obtaining warrants since 2008, a civil liberties group said on Thursday, revealing how frequently law enforcement in the largest U.S. city has employed the technology.

The New York Civil Liberties Union released files that showed the New York Police Department used "cell site simulators" to track nearby cell phones more than a 1,000 times over the past eight years.

The American Civil Liberties Union has identified 60 local, state and federal agencies that have adopted the devices in recent years, but the group has said there are likely far more. The extent of the devices has largely been shrouded in secrecy, as departments and private manufacturers such as Harris Corp have refused to disclose information about their use.

U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, a Republican, has introduced a bill to require warrants for the use of cell site simulators.

The documents released on Thursday were obtained by the NYCLU through a Freedom of Information Law request.

The NYPD does not have a written policy on using the surveillance devices and does not obtain warrants when doing so, according to the NYCLU.

Instead, the department seeks "pen register" orders, which have been used for decades to gather information on specific phone numbers. The orders are issued by judges but require a lower standard than the probable cause needed for warrants.

The NYPD's practice is less stringent than the one adopted last year by the U.S. Department of Justice, which calls for warrants except in emergency situations.

"We still have concerns that this military equipment is being used in a civilian context," said Mariko Hirose, an NYCLU attorney. "At the very least, they should be using warrants and with a strict privacy policy that is written."

The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The devices mimic cell towers and intercept signals from nearby phones to gather information. That data can include locations of calls, numbers that are called or texted and even the content of communications, the NYCLU said.

The simulators can also sweep up information from nearby "bystander" phones.

The documents do not indicate what data police collected. The simulators were used to investigate a wide range of crimes, including murder, rape and drug trafficking.

No New York court has yet tackled the question of whether the warrantless use of such devices is constitutional, Hirose said.

She said the NYCLU could have difficulty establishing the legal standing to bring such a challenge, which would probably have to come from a criminal defendant specifically targeted by a simulator.

(Editing by Frank McGurty and Dan Grebler)
When Joel Gay became CEO of Energy Recovery (ERII) in April, his sister Roxane Gay, a vocal novelist and essayist who has a devoted following on Twitter, called it "appalling."

She didn't mean it was appalling that her brother, only 38 years old, had attained the top spot at a publicly traded company, but that, by most accounts, he was only the 10th black businessperson to do so.

And she was right. There is a frustrating lack of diversity in the C-suites of corporate America, not just in racial terms, but in gender as well. Just 23 of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and just five are black. But it is a problem that Joel Gay believes will improve over time as companies get more global.

"Ultimately, we're all going to migrate to a global, multinational, multi-ethnic workforce," Gay tells Yahoo Finance. "If you look at Energy Recovery, we're very much a microcosm of General Electric (GE), or Schlumberger (SLB), or Dover (DOV), or any of these large diversified industrials who recognize that companies succeed through diversity."

My brother Joel just became the youngest black CEO of a publicly traded company and the 10th ever (appalling). http://t.co/H5oyTwJO8J  roxane gay (@rgay) April 24, 2015

From a close look this past summer at the Fortune 500, the Executive Leadership Council, a membership organization for black business leaders, concluded that although no organization tracks this definitively, Gay is most likely the youngest black CEO of a publicly traded company. He is not the youngest everthat was Ephren Taylor II, who in 2006 at age 23, became CEO of City Capital Corporation. But last year, Taylor was convicted of a $16 million Ponzi scheme and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

"The reality is that diversity in every industry appears to be a bottom-line issue," says Roxane Gay. "Until theres a financial imperative, companies are not going to respond. And you just wonder when they will be forced to do something. I think change is always something that either happens very quickly or very slowly. And when it comes to corporate diversity, I think we are clearly going to be taking the slow route."

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Gay, who also teaches literature at Purdue University and whose essay collection "Bad Feminist" was a New York Times bestseller, sees the same issues in her own field, but thinks it's easier to fix in publishing than in business. "It's easier to address this problem in the literary world, because amazing women writers and amazing writers of color are simply abundant, and editors choose not to publish them," she says. "In the business world, I think the barriers are different and more invisible."

Right now, Joel Gay is more focused on running Energy Recovery, which calls itself "the leader in pressure energy technology." The small-cap, 24-year-old, San Leandro, Calif.-based company, which went public in 2008, plays in the oil and gas space but does not itself do drilling. It manufactures devices for the large energy companies that do. Its latest, released in 2014, is the VorTeq, a hydraulic pumping system for fracking that reroutes sand and chemicals to make the process cleaner and more efficient. In October, Energy Recovery signed a 15-year exclusive licensing deal with Schlumberger, the massive, $87 billion Dutch oil giant, to use the VorTeq in its operations.

Joel Gay, the young CEO of Energy Recovery.

In its assessment of Energy Recovery's 2015 third-quarter earnings, Credit Suisse wrote that there were "more teeth to the Schlumberger VorTeq agreement than initially appreciated," and called the quarter "stellar" on the strength of the new partnership. Gay sees the deal as a huge achievement for the company, as it allows Schlumberger to "dramatically decrease the cost-per-barrel to frack a well."

Gay joined Energy Recovery in 2012, and became its CFO in 2014. Prior to Energy Recovery, he worked at Aegion (AEGN) as CFO of its North America division, and comes from a finance background before that. (His sister divulges that Joel also was "a really good poet" before he turned to business.)

Oil prices have fallen steeply in recent months as sentiment about the overall market is negative. But Gay argues that his company, as a service-provider to the larger oil giants, is well situated to succeed in any kind of market cycle. "In a bear market, we can bring down the cost basis so operators can remain competitive, and in a bull market we can expand gross margins," he says. "The entire industry is quite concerned with the depressed pricing of crude, despite the fact that we've been here before. But those that have the temerity and the human capital to invest heavily will come out of this, and when we return to a bull cycle, will be very well positioned."

The market, broadly speaking, has agreed with him: Although Energy Recovery's stock is down 9% this month (it's trading at around $5.60 now), it's up 88% in the last six, and 90% since Gay became CEO last April.
Yves Saint Laurent has a new version of the iconic "L'Homme" fragrance in store for spring, revealing a fresh, modern side to masculinity for 2016.

Launched in 2006, the original "L'Homme" fragrance has already seen its share of flankers, including 2013's "L'Homme Intense." Yves Saint Laurent is now opening a new chapter in the scent's history with "L'Homme Ultime." This revamped variation of the original "L'Homme" is inspired by a new, modern take on masculinity, channeling an elegant, mysterious, authentic, charismatic and refined state of mind.

Developed by a trio of perfumers -- Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion and Juliette Karagueuzoglou -- this aromatic woody scent is spiced with notes of ginger and cardamom seed, with a zest of grapefruit essence. These top notes are matched with a heart of masculine rose, geranium and clary sage, plus base notes of cedar oil and vetiver.

"L'Homme Ultime" keeps the same basic bottle as the original fragrance, but gets a blue/gray finish reflecting the new scent's fresh feel.

Yves Saint Laurent has picked New-Zealander Vinnie Woolston as the face of this new Eau de Parfum, starring the moody, dark-haired model in a campaign shot by Billy Kidd and a campaign video shot by Colin Tilley.

Yves Saint Laurent "L'Homme Ultime" Eau de Parfum is rolling out starting this month priced 54 for 40 ml , 74 for 60 ml or 97 for 100 ml.
The results of a public vote have crowned the city of Zadar on Croatia's Dalmatian coast Europe's best destination for 2016, a place Alfred Hitchcock called the home of the most beautiful sunset in the world.

The waterfront town beat bigger, more cosmopolitan destinations like Paris, Rome and Madrid to take the top spot and garnered about 57,600 of 289,000 online votes.

Over three weeks, the public was invited to cast their choice in an online poll on the best destinations in Europe. Voters from 179 countries cast their ballots, favoring smaller, quieter, and sun-soaked destinations over perennial favorites.

Rounding out the top five spots are Athens; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Nantes, France; and Azores, Portugal.

Though not a household name, Zadar's win could help poach a bit of the spotlight monopolized by neighbors Dubrovnik and Split, two of the more popular seaside destinations in Croatia along the Dalmatian coast.

In Zadar, ancient Roman ruins, cobblestone streets, medieval churches and ramparts whisk travelers back in time.

Not far from the town, tourists can visit the world's smallest cathedral -- the Church of the Holy Cross in Nin -- and also travel to nearby national parks that offer climbing, trekking and swimming activities in some of the most dramatic locations along the Adriatic Sea: olive groves, white Dalmatia stone, and crystal blue waters.

During a spring visit to the town in 1964, writer Alfred Hitchcock called Zadar's sunsets the most beautiful in the world.

Brussels-based European Best Destinations is responsible for the promotion of culture and tourism in Europe.

Here are the top 10 European destinations of 2016 according to the online poll:

1. Zadar, Croatia

2. Athens, Greece

3. Plovdiv, Bulgaria

4. Nantes, France

5. Azores, Portugal

6. Paris, France

7. Novi Sad, Serbia

8. Brussels, Belgium

9. Kotor, Montenegro

10. Milan, Italy
Cape Town (AFP) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Friday mocked the opposition as "useless" and ignorant, after rowdy radical lawmakers repeatedly disrupted his annual state of the nation parliamentary address.

In the latest attack on the embattled president, who is tainted by graft allegations, lawmakers from the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) noisily interrupted his speech on Thursday night before being ordered out of the chamber.

When he was finally able to speak after chaotic scenes in parliament, Zuma announced plans for "an effective turnaround plan" for South Africa's ailing economy, amid dire warnings about growth from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

And on Friday he took aim at the EFF protesters who chanted calling on him to step down.

"They are showing how useless they are, people will never vote for them," Zuma said. "They don't understand democracy, how it works."

"They just move with the wind when it goes this way, that way, shame on them."

The EFF's firebrand leader Julius Malema had yelled at Zuma that he was "no longer a president that deserves respect from anyone".

But Zuma said the opposition's rowdy behaviour was damaging South Africa's reputation -- and also working to his ruling African National Congress (ANC)'s advantage.

"If the party or the president commits a mistake, there is a process how you deal with that," he said in his first reaction to his latest heckling.

"You are really not doing good for your country. You are making this country look bad out there."

He said opposition parties were too focused on criticising the ANC and were "not convincing people".

- Zuma under fire -

Zuma is facing moves in court, in parliament and on the streets to have him impeached or dumped by the ANC.

Among a slew of issues that have angered the opposition and sparked calls for his removal from office is the use of taxpayers' money to upgrade his private residence.

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Malema's party and the main opposition group, the Democratic Alliance, have dragged the president to the Constitutional Court over his initial refusal to obey a ruling by the national ombudswoman that he repay some of the $24 million lavished on the Nkandla home.

On Friday Zuma insisted he had "never" refused to reimburse for the refurbishments but said the case had been "highly politicised".

"This was just a political perception created that I am refusing to pay. I never said I was not going to pay this money," he said.

"What I have been refusing to do is to pay back the money that I don't know how much it is," said Zuma, adding that his repaying the money was not an admission that he did "something wrong".

The court has reserved judgment, and if the ruling goes against Zuma, the EFF has pledged to use it to press for Zuma's impeachment.

Any such attempt however would likely fail in a parliament where the ANC holds an overwhelming majority.

Zuma's own lawyers accepted in court that the case had "traumatised the nation," and conceded that he needed to obey.

Zuma, who plunged markets into chaos in December when he fired two finance ministers within days, held talks this week with business leaders in an attempt to avoid a downgrade of Africa's most advanced economy's debt to junk status by global ratings agencies.

The country is wrestling with a sharply slowing economy, high unemployment, grinding poverty and a resurgence of public racial animosity.

Commentators have predicted that 2016 could be South Africa's toughest year since the ANC came to power under liberation icon Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994.
Top cop: Investigations ongoing

Nagakiya was found on Ash Wednesday under a tree on the western end of the Queens Park Savannah (QPS), Port-of-Spain.

Asked whether there should have been a police presence around the QPS where she was found, he said, we in fact had our police officers deployed around the Savannah and it is unfortunate that we were not aware of that incident until the body was discovered. Phillip said the police was also continuing its investigations into the discovery of the body of the homeless man on Carnival Tuesday near the Lighthouse as well as the shooting incident at the Savannah and the incident involving PNM councillor of the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation, Jason Alexander in Woodbrook on Carnival Monday. Alexander was beaten by security officers belong to Yuma.

There was also an incident where a police officer was seen on video posted on social media beating a man with a gun. Phillip said this was also under investigation. We would do all within our power to ensure we investigate it and ensure we have a successful conclusion, he said.

During the Carnival period, a total of 140 persons were arrested for various offences across the country and a total of seven firearms were seized. Phillip said the two major components of the TTPS 2016 carnival operations plan that security and traffic management facets were executed extremely well during the pre-carnival and the present post carnival phase. He noted that there was a 46 percent reduction in serious crimes compared to last year as there were only 24 serious offences reported.
Chaguanas businessman shot dead

Relatives were unwilling to speak yesterday to members of the media at the Forensic Science Centre in St James .

Police reports say that Gormandy alighted from his motorcycle on Samson Street, Chaguanas, at about 10.30 pm when gunmen approached him and opened fire .

He was shot multiple times about the body. The men ran off in a southerly then a westerly direction along Samson Street .

Persons in the area found Gormandy lying in a pool of blood at the side of the road .

Police and emergency services were alerted and PCs Huggins and St. Bernard of the Chaguanas Police Station responded. Gormandy was rushed to the Chaguanas Health Facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival by Dr Kurjah .

Police were, up to press time, still trying to ascertain a motive for the mans murder .
5 suspects held after robbing pensioners

According to reports around 10.45 Wednesday morning, Hamid Beharry 84, and his wife Juanita 63, of Cocoyea, were at home when two men, one armed with a gun burst through their front door. The gunman, reports say, struck Beharry on his face and demanded money.

The pensioner handed him $600 while his accomplice grabbed a quantity of jewelry and alcohol. The two escaped in a waiting black Honda Civic car, in which three other accomplices were seated. Within minutes of the robbery Sgt Ramroop, PCs Moses and Goddard of the Southern Divisional Operations Unit, under the supervision of ASP Ramdeo and Insp Don Gajadhar, responded, and called for back-up.

They were joined by PCs Kalli and Tull of the Southern Division Task Force and Sgt Edwards of the Rapid Response Unit and his officers. Acting on intelligence the officers went to Circular Courts in San Fernando where they arrested five suspects, including two 16 year olds. The police recovered all the stolen items, including the cash. The driver of the getaway car is a 37 year old, employed as an operator with Arcelor Mittal. The steel company recently sent home more than 500 workers. Officers also seized a .38 pistol and five rounds of ammunition. Snr Supt Irwin Hackshaw commended the officers for their quick response, and recovery of the stolen items. Insp Gajadhar said the seized firearm brings to 24 the number of guns recovered by police for this year.

He said it is the highest number of guns seized so far in any Division for the year.

Once charged, all five suspects will appear in the San Fernando magistrates courts.
Cops injured in crash

According to a police report at about 8.40 pm on Wednesday, Bena had just passed the traffic lights at the intersection at Todd Street and Rienzi Kirton Highway when it was reported that another vehicle broke the said traffic lights and exited Todd Street and almost crashed into the police jeep. The report further stated that Bena pulled away to avoid collision and instead collided with a light pole on the median before the car overturned. The officers were injured and the vehicle damaged. Cpl Richardson of the San Fernando Police Station is continuing investigations.
ASAMI STRANGLED

Asami was found dead on Ash Wednesday under a tree at on the western side of the Queens Park Savannah, near Queens Royal College (QRC). Sources revealed last night that a Woodbrook man was among several persons assisting police with investigations into the death of Japanese national. While many persons have come forward to assist one in particular was being held by the police for further questioning.

Sources also indicated that the police were searching the Woodbrook area yesterday for a male acquaintance of the Japanese woman.

Police could be seen yesterday on Woodford Street, where Asami was staying for the Carnival, accompanied by persons clad in white hasmat suits, scanning her home and the immediate area for evidence.

While police continue their probe into the murder, tributes and condolences continued to pour in from the pan community. Newsday was told by PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars captain Cherisse Pouchet that Asami joined the band five years ago and played with them in the 2016 competition. She said Asami came to the country every year with friends for Carnival to play pan and enjoy the two-day celebration.

Her group, Newsday was told, came to play in separate bands.

She noted that she never had an unpleasant conversation with the young woman. She is one of the nicest people you could meet, said Pouchet. No one could recall an unpleasant encounter with her. She was always smiling. She was also a very diligent person. She would stand in the pan yard and practice for hours on end. She was very talented.

She was just one of the nicest people you could meet. All the band members were very close to her. No she doesnt have any family in Trinidad. Members of the Pandemonium band, a youth steel orchestra based on Norfolk Street, Belmont, also expressed shock and sadness after hearing of her death, and the manner in which she died. Newsday understands that she went to the band to play last August. When I met her she was just a bundle of joy, said one Pandemonium member.

It seemed like her happiest moments was when she was playing pan. I feel really sad to know that she was killed. She did not deserve to die that way. It hit close to home when we heard of her death, another member added. She had an effervescent personality. The first time I met her, she hugged me and smiled at me like we had known each other all our lives. She was such a great person in the pan community. I learned about her culture. She taught me about origami.

When we heard of an Asian woman being found in the savannah we were hoping that it was not her. Last night members of the Silver Stars staged a candlelight vigil in Asamis memory. Many band mates shed tears as they held hands and prayed.
PM thanks population for understanding

Dr Rowley urged the authorities to take action against business places that illicitly charge VAT at the old rate of 15 percent and urged consumers to exercise their power of choice over which business places to patronise. Newsday asked if he had taken a work-break for Carnival and whats now on his agenda? I played mas on Monday and took part in Jouvert. I worked all Tuesday .

Normally I play some sailor mas on Tuesday, but this year I did not, and thats my contribution to national development, he quipped .

But yes, I think you look at hurdles .

We came in as a new Government . I think the population has been very, very understanding. Its a difficult time in more ways than one, and I want to thank the population for being so understanding for what we are dealing with. We try to keep the confidence of the population on board, telling you what we are dealing with, so you will understand why things are not happening, or happening .

Saying the first week in March will mark six months of the Government being in office, he said Cabinet meets in Tobago on March 4, and then holds a retreat on March 5 and 6. The main reason is to have a look at what weve done so far; how we are coping with the challenges, and how the country is positioned, he explained. We are expecting an IMF (International Monetary Fund) visit here in the next month, or two. What are they going to meet? We have not really changed much in the six-month period, and there is a lot to be changed, because the circumstances warrant the change. But the whole question is how is the country coping with the challenging circumstances? We are hoping that the people responsible for the decision-making process will be in the best position to make those decisions. Thats why we are having this retreat, and taking responsibility for the country. Reporters asked if the Government has plans to ensure that groceries pass on savings to consumers due to a recent cut in the VAT rate from 15 to 12.5 percent? He said the Government had left some items VAT-free and that it is an offence to collect VAT on such items. And where VAT is charged we expect VAT will be charged at the appropriate level. Im reading and hearing about VAT being charged at 15 percent. That is supposed to be illegal. We are taking steps to have the correct information (publicised), and all I can say is that where persons are found to be profiteering and breaking the law, the law enforcement authorities should prosecute them to the hilt .

Even if its $10, or $1. Any person who is caught doing that should be prosecuted. These are management arrangements for the country, and anyone who seeks to get more than their fair share, especially at the expense of others who are trying to cope should feel the full brunt of the law. Rowley said he had earlier yesterday asked the line minister to ensure a full staff at the Consumer Affairs Division to find out where such delinquencies occur, and that for any violation of the law, persons should be prosecuted. He also urged consumers to exercise their power of choice, by boycotting dishonest businesses.

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Gas leak in the city

Newsday understands that5around 3 pm yesterday, a crew from5the Arima compound of Ramco Industries5Limited (Ramco) received5a call that Capital Plaza needed gas..

At around 3.30 pm, as the loader5released a tank onto the road5from the truck, which contained 475empty tanks and three full ones, he5heard a small eruption and realised5the base of that particular tank5had cracked..

A hose with running water was5subsequently placed by the base5of the tank , as Newsday was later5informed by fire fighters, to make5sure that no ignition takes place;5any sparks or so.5At the same time, per Ramcos5emergency response plan, the crew5contacted the companys Health5and Safety Manager, who in turn5contacted the Fire Service. Fire5fighters from the Wrightson Road5Fire Station arrived on scene at53.53 pm..

They opened the valve at the top5of the leaking tank fully; it had already5been partially opened by the5Ramco crew, to allow the gas to escape5quicker. One fire fighter told5Newsday it took about 25 minutes5to confirm the tank was empty and5the fumes had been dispersed but5persons who work in the area were5not given the all-clear to return to5the area until about 20 minutes after5that, at 4.42 pm, most likely out5of a sense of caution..

Contacted by Newsday shortly5before 5 pm, Ramcos General5Manager, Lochan Sansundar, said5all of our drivers are trained in5how to deal with an incident..

This is the first time one of our5tanks started to leak while it was5being delivered to a client and were5very concerned ahout that. Ramco5has launched an investigation5into the incident and has scheduled5what Sansundar described as5a non-conformance stand down5meeting today (Friday) with all of5its drivers..

Thats standard when we have5an issue, Sansundar explained,5to go through what took place, to5(review) our emergency response5plans, find out what went right,5what went wrong, and to make any5necessary adjustments.5Asked about the fact that nearby5businesses were not informed5prior to the Fire Services arrival5that there was a leaking LPG tank5nearby, Sansundar told Newsday5this would be addressed in the incident5review. Yesterdays incident5occurred exactly one week after a5fire on Carnival Thursday (February54) at Kleen Rite Dry Cleaners,5Mucarapo Road, St James..

That fire was said to have occurred5during the refuelling process5of the dry cleaners LPG tanks5at the back of the building on the5Foreshore, and occurred one day5before the one-year anniversary of5a gas explosion at El Pecos Restaurant5at Royal Palm Plaza, Maraval,5which killed one man and injured5ten pe55
Unkempt Tim Kee

Yet, as much as we laud the achievements of these artisans, the empty stands at all of the major Port-of-Spain judging points and the failure of even the Socadrome to take off this year are both dark shadows which loom over all the tokenistic laurels which the National Carnival Commission may hand out. The NCC has much to think about.

For instance, why is it that the Band of the Year must be a large band? We do not mean to take away the achievement of anyone, but why cant medium bands, such as the wonderfully creative K2K Alliance, not be rewarded on the merit of design, beauty and the appeal they hold to onlookers? Also, in relation to the Socadrome, what, really, is its role in our Carnival? If the ostensible rationale is to tackle the problem of a buildup of traffic flows, should we not focus on management of the flows? How does a diversion of the bands  with all their spectacle and energy  to the margins of the city help? Is the deeper issue a disdain for the downtown areas of Portof- Spain where spectators may freely watch the mas? Are we ashamed at the condition of our capital city? Would we prefer visitors and tourists to avoid behind the bridge and the homeless shelter just off Marine Square? If so, why dont we fix our once beautiful city? But these considerations pale in significance when compared to the outrageous remarks of Port-of-Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee in relation to the discovery of the dead body of a female Carnival reveler on Ash Wednesday. It is not just a question of the Mayors remarks being premature, which they were, but rather the fact that the remarks themselves perpetuate a misogynistic mindset which shames the victims of crimes, ranging from domestic abuse to sexual assault.

How does anybodys behaviour  lewd or otherwise  justify an attack? The Mayor thinks a woman is to blame for her losing control moreso than her attacker for his crime.

Tim Kee added salt to the wound by issuing a half-hearted apology yesterday which was no apology at all.

As Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar remarked in calling for Tim Kees resignation yesterday, these sanctimonious statements have the potential to damage our tourism industry which sees thousands of women fly in to participate in our Carnival.

The sad part is Tim Kees utterances reflect a deeper mindset shared by others, including Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams who, on Sunday, warned women not to provoke attacks by way of their manner of dress.

Women are half the population.

How can we be assured the State is truly administering itself in a way that looks after our interests without discrimination if we allow persons in authority to spout such rhetoric? Both men should apologise, sincerely, for their remarks.

In the case of Tim Kee, the prematurity of his statements will leave many to question whether he can hold a public office in the face of such recklessness
Teen student missing

Missing is Tinika Joseph, 16, of Maraj Street, Chaguanas. She is a student of the Servol Life Centre in Chaguanas.

Her mother Shelly- Ann Joseph told police she left Tinika at home about 4am to participate in Jouvert celebrations in Chaguanas and upon her return, at about 10am, discovered her daughter missing. A report was made to the Chaguanas Police Station.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tinika Joseph is asked to contact the police at 555,999, 911 or any police station.
Religious leaders support Tim Kee

Pentecostal Pastor Dr Winston Cuffie, in a strongly worded statement, condemned the behavior of women during Carnival, saying Carnival highlights that women are their own worst enemies.

Commu n i c at i ons manager of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies (PAWI), Rev Christian Andrews, said he agreed to a certain extent with Tim Kee. Sat Maharaj, Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, stated unequivocally, that Tim Kee was right and did not need to apologize.

President general of the Anjuman Sunnat Jammat Association (ASJA) Yacoob Ali also supported Tim Kee.

Pastor Cuffie made it clear women hold the key to their own safety around Carnival time. He suggested that no responsible woman would participate in Carnival. If there is one event which shows women are their own worst enemies, its Carnival.

Carnival is all about the sordid, callous denigrating and exploitation of women by the dragging of their dignity, worth and value into the gutter. And the saddest part of this, is that the most ardent accomplice to this crime is the woman herself. Its situations like these which make the outcry over Chris Gayles joke with the Australian reporter, gross hypocrisy, Pastor Cuffie said.

Andrews gave a more conservative response saying Time Kee was right, to a point. Frankly speaking, because of my position, moreso as a minister of the Gospel and looking at the way women conduct themselves I think (he is right) to an extent. But at the same time, I also believe it doesnt give a man the right to violate a woman. So she disrespects herself, yes, but it doesnt mean that I should or anybody, should further disrespect her in any. So I agree and disagree, Andrews said.

Maharaj told Newsday he expects Carnival would be banned, given the advent of the mosquito borne disease Zika and additionally, Carnival contributed absolutely nothing positive to the nation and women use this time of year as an excuse to behave, loosely. I believe they (women), some of them, use this as an opportunity to behave in the most vile manner.

I am not surprised you had at least one murder of a woman. Its unfortunate that it was of a foreign woman and it sends a terrible message to the rest of the world that Trinidad is not a safe place for people to visit. This is the time when you see women at their worst.

I agree with him (Tim Kee) that womens vulgar and lewd behavior make them vulnerable to sexual crimes.

Why should he apologize? He doesnt need to apologise, Maharaj said.
Architect Jack Bynoe is dead

Bynoe, whose firm Bynoe Rowe Wiltshire unsuccessfully sought to recover $14 million from the State for construction work it did eight years ago, died on Sunday of a heart attack.

The firm Bynoe Rowe Wiltshire in January 2014, filed an action seeking damages for breach of contract, and the $14,827,603.78 owed by the Ministry of Education for design consultancy, as well as construction supervision of secondary schools in 2008 and 2009.

Last month, High Court Judge, Justice Frank Seepersad, ruled against the company in favour of the State. Seepersad said he had no choice as Section 9 of the Limitations of Certain Actions Act, stated that contract-related matters must be filed within four years of the accrual of the cause of action, and the companys limitation period for filing its claim had expired. However, he urged the State to do what was right although the Court could not enforce the debt.

Speaking at a press conference at his NH offices in Long Circular, St James, contractor Emile Elias, who is also chairman of state entity, Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), suggested Government issue bonds to honour the $14 million debt the State owed the architectural partnership.

Yesterday, Elias described Bynoe as a lovely, decent and good man who was true to his profession. A funeral service will be held today at the St Finbars RC Church in Diego Martin, followed by internment at the San Juan Cemetery.
Registration at 4 am must stop

When I got there, people were sitting on the ground, some slept in their cars... there were pregnant women, some people came with their kids because they had no one to watch them, and after all that, there is no guarantee that your child would be accepted. That is written on the form, the woman told Newsday.

However, during a news conference yesterday at the Education Ministry, Alexandra Street, St Clair, Garcia gave the assurance that this method of lining up to get registration forms would stop.

I give to the parents the assurance that this method of having to line up from 4 am just to receive a form so that a child stands a chance of entering one of our primary schools, that has to stop.

Unfortunately, some principals are still persisting with that practice. I have had discussions with the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Education Officer on this issue.

There is a circular that has been sent to schools that this practice has to stop. Principals in our schools, in an effort to ensure they have a smooth flowing registration exercise, we are asking them to arrange for parents to collect those forms over a protracted period.

Forms should be available to all parents who are desirous of having their children go to that school. It does not mean that there would be automatic selection of their child to that school, but to relieve parents from this trauma, an adequate amount of forms should be made available, he said.

The minister said there was a circular in which there were guidelines which principals were supposed to follow in determining who they accepted in their schools. One of the guidelines was that preference should be given to students who resided the schools catchment area.

He said in the event the principal could not accommodate a child who lived in the catchment area, the principal would be asked to state the reason why.

Some children are asked to sit an exam on assessment in order to gain entry into the primary school and this is something that we frown upon. The circular was sent to all schools. The idea of having parents line up from 4 am, this is dehumanising. No individual should have to subject themselves to that That must stop and principals must put things in place to ensure that every parent who wants their child to attend a school have the right of choice. It does not automatically mean that your child would be accepted, but the forms must be made available, Garcia said.
More than any other nation, America is defined by the spirit of innovation, and our dominance in the digital world gives us a competitive advantage in the global economy. However, our advantage is threatened by foreign governments, criminals and lone actors who are targeting our computer networks, stealing trade secrets from American companies and violating the privacy of the American people.

Networks that control critical infrastructure, like power grids and financial systems, are being probed for vulnerabilities. The federal government has been repeatedly targeted by cyber criminals, including the intrusion last year into the Office of Personnel Management in which millions of federal employees personal information was stolen. Hackers in China and Russia are going after U.S. defense contractors. North Koreas cyberattack on Sony SNE 0.78 % in 2014 destroyed data and disabled thousands of computers. With more than 100 million Americans personal data compromised in recent yearsincluding credit-card information and medical recordsit isnt surprising that nine out of 10 Americans say they feel like theyve lost control of their personal information.

These cyberthreats are among the most urgent dangers to Americas economic and national security. Thats why, over the past seven years, we have boosted cybersecurity in governmentincluding integrating and quickly sharing intelligence about cyberthreatsso we can act on threats even faster. Were sharing more information to help companies defend themselves. Weve worked to strengthen protections for consumers and students, guard the safety of children online, and uphold privacy and civil liberties. And thanks to bipartisan support in Congress, I signed landmark legislation in December that will help bolster cooperation between government and industry.

Still, with the nations cyber adversaries getting more sophisticated every daydeveloping new botnets, spyware, malware and ransomwarewe have to be even more nimble and resilient, and stay ahead of these threats. The federal governmentwhich is obligated to protect the information provided to it by the American peoplehas a unique responsibility to lead. But the fact is we still dont have in place all the tools we need, including ones many businesses rely on every day.

Thats why, today, Im announcing our new Cybersecurity National Action Plan, backed by my proposal to increase federal cybersecurity funding by more than a third, to over $19 billion. This plan will address both short-term and long-term threats, with the goal of providing every American a basic level of online security.

First, Im proposing a $3 billion fund to kick-start an overhaul of federal computer systems. It is no secret that too often government IT is like an Atari game in an Xbox world. The Social Security Administration uses systems and code from the 1960s. No successful business could operate this way. Going forward, we will require agencies to increase protections for their most valued information and make it easier for them to update their networks. And were creating a new federal position, Chief Information Security Officera position most major companies have already adoptedto drive these changes across government.

Second, were stepping up our efforts to build a corps of cyber professionals across government to push best practices at every level. Well do moreincluding offering scholarships and forgiving student loansto recruit the best talent from Silicon Valley and across the private sector. Well even let them wear jeans to the office. I want this generation of innovators to know that if they really want to have an impact, they can help change how their government interacts with and serves the American people in the 21st century.

Third, were strengthening our partnerships with the private sector to deter, detect and disrupt threats, including to the nations critical infrastructure. Yesterday, we inaugurated a new cybersecurity Center of Excellence, which will bring together industry and government experts to research and develop new cutting-edge cyber technologies. Were also establishing a national testing lab, where companies can test their systems security under simulated attacks. And because every enterprise is potentially vulnerable, the Small Business Administration is offering cybersecurity training to over 1.4 million small businesses and their workers.

Finally, because government doesnt have all the answers to these complex challenges, were establishing a bipartisan Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity to focus on long-term solutions. Working together, my administration and congressional leaders will appoint top business, strategic and technology thinkers from outside government to provide specific recommendations for bolstering cybersecurity awareness and protections across the public and private sectors over the next decade.

As fast as our connected world is evolving, it is worth remembering that were still in the early days of this challenge. The first Web page came online in 1990. Were only in the third decade of the Internet Age, and I believe weve only just scratched the surface of whats possibleif we protect the innovation and privacy that we cherish as Americans.

These cyberthreats are a national-security risk few of my predecessors faced, but they will be ones my successors, regardless of party, must address. As long as Im president, protecting Americas digital infrastructure is going to remain a top national-security priority. We wont resolve all these challenges over the coming year, but were laying a strong foundation for the future. By taking these steps together, Im confident we can unleash the full potential of American innovation, and ensure our prosperity and security online for the generations to come.
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

news
A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT

By Charlotte Iserbyt

February 12, 2016

NewsWithViews.com

P.I.E (Parents Involved in Education) is a recently established organization to, among other things, abolish the Federal Department of Education. ABOLISHING THE U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION WILL NOT STOP THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA) OR THE EDUCATION AGENDA!!!

Read all about P.I.E, who they are, their program, and why it will not work:

EXCERPTS

" Why wont abolishing the U. S. Department of Education eliminate the provisions of ESSA that are now law?

Even if PIE is successful in 2-3 years (which is very unlikely due to majority of Republicans who voted for and enabled passage of the communist ESSA); even if funding ceases from the federal level, the multi-billion dollar corporations, whose lifelong school-to-work/non-academic Skinnerian/TQM workforce training agenda must be implemented at the local level, will pick up the multi billion dollar tab and get tax-exemptions for doing so.

THE BATTLE HAS MOVED BEYOND THE FEDERAL LEVEL

All the educational controlling mechanisms at the Federal Level are now at the State level.

It is the states that fund 93% of all education in America. Whats the source of these funds? In most states, its sales and income taxes (both corporate and personal). But on a local level, these funds usually come from property taxes, which are set by the school board, local officials or citizens."

In addition, the corporate fascist takeover of public education is on the move. Here's how:

There is a growing movement across the country to establish state tax credits for corporations who fund school choice. Nineteen states already participate in this program In the year 2007-2008, $76,708,207 was issued to Choice Scholarship tax credits in just Florida.

If the Department of Education is abolished, will that stop attempts of state pooling of district tax monies to fund state education?

If the U.S. Department of Education is abolished, will that prevent legislation abolishing the present property tax system in order to place the funding and control of our local schools in the State Departments of Education? This kind of legislation was narrowly defeated in Pennsylvania in 2015. "The legislation would have imposed a multibillion-dollar state takeover of public school funding from school boards and a monumental change in state taxation."

FROM THE STATE TO THE LOCAL LEVEL

If the U.S. Department of Education is abolished, will that prevent "teacher leaders" trained with all the Skinnerian/Pavlovian bells and whistles of "progressive 21st Century" education from moving into leadership positions and taking over all our local schools? This is according to the plans of Linda Darling Hammond, those from the Council of Chief State Schools Officers, and others.

To the above collectivist agenda add the local teacher-leaders program with plans of the powerful and heavily endowed CEE Trust (page 38) to set up a local Community Schools Board with an advisory board only. This teacher-led board, trained in progressive teaching methodolgies (i.e. Common Core et al.) would control all money and operations at the local level.

All the above TO CONTROL OUR CHILDREN can operate with or without the federal Department of Education.

The carrying out of The White House Private Sector Initiative, 1984, and Carnegie Corporation's 1934 plan (which has been enthusiastically adopted by most of the major corporate giants: Gates, Walmart, etc.) can be accomplished WITHOUT ANY FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION! [for research related to The White House Private Sector Initiative and Carnegie Corporation's Conclusions and Recommendation's for the Social Studies]

i 2016 Charlotte T. Iserbyt - All Rights Reserved

Charlotte Iserbyt is the consummate whistleblower! Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms. Iserbyt is a former school board director in Camden, Maine and was co-founder and research analyst of Guardians of Education for Maine (GEM) from 1978 to 2000. She has also served in the American Red Cross on Guam and Japan during the Korean War, and in the United States Foreign Service in Belgium and in the Republic of South Africa.

Iserbyt is a speaker and writer, best known for her 1985 booklet Back to Basics Reform or OBE: Skinnerian International Curriculum and her 1989 pamphlet Soviets in the Classroom: America's Latest Education Fad which covered the details of the U.S.-Soviet and Carnegie-Soviet Education Agreements which remain in effect to this day. She is a freelance writer and has had articles published in Human Events, The Washington Times, The Bangor Daily News, and included in the record of Congressional hearings.

Charlott's Blog: http://www.abcsofdumbdown.blogspot.com/



Website: www.deliberatedumbingdown.com

Website: www.americandeception.com

E-Mail: dumbdown00@yahoo.com
Next Generation Communications Week in Review: FASA, C-RAN, Network Transformations NextGen Voice Featured Article Next Generation Communications Week in Review: FASA, C-RAN, Network Transformations By Peter Bernstein, Senior Editor By Peter Bernstein, Senior Editor

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There are only a few days before the big RSA security conference in San Francisco and Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) (MWC) in Barcelona. This seems like a great opportunity to focus on features this week in the Next Generation Communications Community. And, not surprisingly, in anticipation of what will be important topics of conversation at the two shows, the need for transformations to meet exploding traffic handling, security and operational efficiency requirements take center stage.

News The funny thing is the first news item happens to also be focused on transformation as well. It looks at the recent introduction by NTT (News - Alert) of the concept of what it calls FASA (Flexible Access System Architecture). Why this is so interesting is that NTT says, FASA will not make use of conventional purpose-built equipment, but instead modularize the various individual functions of access equipment as much as possible to enable the free combination of these individual components. They are actually looking to see if the approach can be standardized. Community host Nokia (News - Alert) made news with more details about its AVA cloud-based platform. AVA combines big data storage, intelligent analytics and extreme automation, which together are aimed at enabling service providers to move away from traditional, reactive network operations to a cognitive approach able to predict faults. The last item that was newsworthy was the recent release of a new report from Accenture (News - Alert) that points to the extraordinary opportunity that the next generation services for on-demand healthcare represents. Accenture says the market was worth roughly $200M in 2014, but is predicted to rise to over $1B by next year. They also point out as a result funding is pouring into ventures looking to be significant players in the space. Features As noted in the introduction, the featured items feature a variety of transformation challenges and opportunities across a broad spectrum (pardon the play on words) of the industry. Features this week included: What could have been a news item, but speaks to an important trend in the transformation of mobile networks as they seek to accommodate exploding traffic and new business models and services for things like VoLTE and IoT, was the announcement from Nokia of a major expansion of its solutions for centralized radio access networks (C-RAN), specifically for fronthaul. Five new products were introduced which already have gotten traction in test phases, and even resulted in two contracts. What they are, where they fit and why they address pressing needs are all of consequence given service provider needs.

In the second feature, I finished my two-part look at the value of overlay networks. In the previous article the history of why overlay networks have been critical was laid out. In this posting an explanation as to why what is old is new again is delved into. Realities are that despite some early skepticism they are up to the challenges of scalability and performance. This will be key as service providers and enterprises continue to look to virtualization solutions to gain operational efficiencies as well as be in a position to be responsive to customer demands for consistent quality user experiences. This week also saw a look at how and why next generation communications can help various vertical markets transform. In fact, there were two items of interest. The first was the second in a two-part series on how insurance companies can leverage digital transformations to better meet customer and operational needs. The second details eight keys for successful airport network transformation.



The final feature is by Marc Jadoul (News - Alert), Market Development Director, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Nokia. Readers should find his list of 10 best practices for creating smarter cities real food for thought. Weekend Reading For those of us in the Northeast U.S. the weather outside is going to be really, really cold. What it hopefully means for we who reside here, and for everyone else with time this weekend to use the community home to link to constantly up-dated news, whitepapers, videos, podcasts and case studies. As we do every week, recommended TechZine articles include: The 3 "musts" of metro network transport platforms The ROADM renaissance begins Finally, remember that the home page also has links to outstanding resources such as the Digital Ideas section which contains a series of informative podcasts, along with links to eBooks and blogs. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. blog comments powered by Disqus Discover Alcatel-Lucent's Next Generation Communications Solutions Join the Conversation about Alcatel-Lucent's Next Generation Communications Solutions Return to the Next Generation Communications Homepage


Chinas Nuclear Engineering Construction Corporation plans to start up a high-temperature, gas-cooled pebble-bed nuclear plant in 2017 in Shandong province, south of Beijing. The twin 105-megawatt reactorsso-called Generation IV reactors that would be immune to meltdownwould be the first of their type built at commercial scale in the world.

Construction of the plant is nearly complete, and the next 18 months will be spent installing the reactor components, running tests, and loading the fuel before the reactors go critical in November 2017.

If its successful, Shandong plant would generate a total of 210 megawatts and will be followed by a 600-megawatt facility in Jiangxi province. Beyond that, China plans to sell these reactors internationally; in January, Chinese president Xi Jinping signed an agreement with King Salman bin Abdulaziz to construct a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in Saudi Arabia.

This technology is going to be on the world market within the next five years, Zhang predicts. We are developing these reactors to belong to the world.

Pebble-bed reactors that use helium gas as the heat transfer medium and run at very high temperaturesup to 950 Chave been in development for decades. The Chinese reactor is based on a design originally developed in Germany, and the German company SGL Group is supplying the billiard-ball-size graphite spheres that encase thousands of tiny pebbles of uranium fuel. Seven high-temperature gas-cooled reactors have been built, but only two units remain in operation, both relatively small: an experimental 10-megawatt pebble-bed reactor at the Tsinghua Institute campus, which reached full power in 2003, and a similar reactor in Japan.

One of the main hurdles to building these reactors is the cost of the fuel and of the reactor components. But Chinas sheer size could help overcome that barrier. There have been studies that indicate that if reactors are mass-produced, they can drive down costs, says Charles Forsberg, executive director of the MIT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Project. The Chinese market is large enough to make that potentially possible.

China is also working on

a molten-salt reactor fueled by thorium rather than uranium (a collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

a traveling-wave reactor (in collaboration with TerraPower, the startup funded by Bill Gates)

a sodium-cooled fast reactor being built by the Chinese Institute for Atomic Energy

a supercritical water cooled reactor

Nextbigfuture has been covering all of Chinas nuclear reactor projects for many years.

China is planning factory mass production and further technology refinement for later high temperature reactor versions.

Future of HTR Development

Commercialization:

* Duplication, mass production

Next project steps:

* Super critical steam turbine, co-generation

R and D on future technologies:

* Higher temperature,

* Hydrogen Production,

* Process heat application,

* Gas turbine

Fuel Fabrication

Technology of 5g U/fuel to 7g U/fuel has been demonstrated.

* INET demo production facility has been finished,

* Manufacturing of irradiated fuels, finished.

* Fuel irradiation tests are underway.

* Engineering and licensing of a new pebble bed fuel plant is finished, construction soon starts.

There have been detailed cost estimates made of the chinese pebble bed reactor compared to the low costs (half or less of the western cost) for pressurized water reactors (PWR  current standard reactors).

Estimates show that the capital costs of an Nth-of-akind HTR-PM plant with multiple NSSS modules should be in the range of 90120% of the costs of a PWR. Further reductions are expected to be possible.

China is pretty sure that they can get the HTR-PM in the range of the price of their PWR and they will produce heat (higher temperature than PWR) that allows the HTR-PM to be a drop in replacement for coal plants. The HTR-PM would also be able to compete for smaller projects in the 210 to 420 MWe range.
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Facebook India's managing director Kirthiga Reddy has announced she will be stepping down after six years and moving back to the US. "It's a bittersweet moment to share that the return timeframe is coming up in the next 6-12 months", Reddy said in a post on the social networking site today. "Our two daughters start high school and middle school this coming year- which serves as a natural transition point to make this move back", Reddy said in her Facebook post.

While overtly vocal in supporting Facebook's global cause of giving free mobile internet access to people through its lightweight Free Basics Program, Andreessen's twitter statement did not offer much help to the company's legal woes in India.

Clinton, Sanders clash over minorities, money, Obama

Many observers saw Clinton as more relaxed and confident than in previous debates and, again, in full command of the issues. He said that Obamacare's reliance on private insurers gives that industry enormous influence in politics.

She further added that she will be working closely with William Easton and Dan Neary to find a successor for her.

"I could not be more excited about where the Facebook business is in India, where we are going and what's to come".

Trump, Sanders claim easy primary wins

As Kasich tries to get better known nationally, his rivals are eager to paint an unflattering picture of him. Still, the Clinton campaign is girding for a long battle as they attempt to avoid the mistakes of 2008.

Given the vast user base in India, the stand taken by TRAI is a significant setback for Facebook, which had changed the internet.org campaign to Free Basics to position it as a noble idea of connecting a billion users around the world who have no access to Internet.

Facebook had been embroiled in a lengthy and public battle with TRAI and pro net neutrality activists for its Free Basics service, which it had launched with RCom.

Deadpool Gets Funny Betty White Review; Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

According to Wernick, the goal now is to move "in to more of an ensemble piece is something we would cherish". Rated R for language , some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity. " Deadpool " appears to be it.

Free Basics, for which Facebook had tied up with Reliance Communications, is an app that promises free access to the Internet for a host of basic services on topics like news, health, travel, sports, jobs and communication. The Telecom regulator on Monday barred all forms of differential pricing except in the case of emergency services, putting an end to Free Basics in India, and the social network withdrew the programme from India on Thursday.
Universal Pictures has just release the new trailer for Huntsman: Winter's War. It's an ambitious proposition, especially since nobody expected the 2012 outing to spawn a new franchise. Seeing that the creative team pretty much consists of people who have had experience working on the CGI-effects heavy projects comes as no surprise.

Supernatural sisters, the wicked Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and the Ice Queen Freya (Emily Blunt), both seemed kind of terrifying. Watching Freya embrace her icy gift is a particular highlight. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin and Nick Frost reprising their roles, along with newcomers Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain and Colin Morgan. All four of them have got individual character posters too, which you can see by clicking on the gallery widget thing.

Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, the film follows the story of Eric as he finds out that his life is dangerously intertwined with the Queen Ravenna.

Delay of clean power plan stokes worries about Paris treaty

He said Thursday that "science" is on his side and he's confident that his administration's rule is on legally the right path. More than 25 states have challenged the administration's rules arguing they would be burdensome on the coal industry.

The rest of the trailer for The Huntsman: Winter's War isn't almost as inspiring, looking like a half-baked rehash of the already half-baked Snow White and the Huntsman.

Long before Queen Ravenna was conquered by the sword of Snow White, she saw her sister, ice queen Freya (Blunt) suffer a betrayal and flee their kingdom.

Heartbroken and hiding away at a wintry palace, she starts building an army of warriors, training them from a young age to be hardened fighters who value lust for combat over love.

Clinton, Sanders to debate after splitting contests

Sanders railed against a "broken criminal justice system" that results in more Americans in jail than any other country. He argued that Clinton's " Obama moment is the moment that will go viral, when she dropped the Obama bomb" on Sanders.

When Freya learns of her sister's demise, she summons her remaining soldiers to bring the Magic Mirror home to the only sorceress left who can harness its power.

The Huntsman: Winter's War arrives in cinemas in April.
Another very chilly start with single digits and low teens and luckily not much wind.

Monday night is expected to have a chance of snow. Add steady winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 45 miles per hour into the mix and the wind chill (a perceived decrease in temperature caused by the wind) will make it feel a lot colder. We stay cold and breezy, but sunny, on Sunday with highs in the mid-teens.

There is a 40 percent chance of precipitation Friday with rain and snow showers before 11 a.m. followed by possible rain showers.

The forecast calls for bitterly cold temperatures through the weekend.

Clinton, Sanders clash over minorities, money, Obama

Many observers saw Clinton as more relaxed and confident than in previous debates and, again, in full command of the issues. He said that Obamacare's reliance on private insurers gives that industry enormous influence in politics.

"Heavy freezing spray Saturday afternoon into Sunday may result in unsafe conditions for any vessel in the near shore waters of MA and Rhode Island".

Wind chill values during this time could reach life threatening levels as cold as 15 to 30 below zero, with the coldest in the Poconos.

The National Weather Service have placed most of St. Lawrence County under a severe weather outlook for Friday as they predict lake effect snow in Potsdam, Canton, Gouverneur, Star Lake and Ogdensburg.

About the lowest wind chills you'll see in a given winter in Brevard, if you're "lucky" are readings somewhere in the 20s. The highest totals (1-4 inches) are expected over Nantucket and the outer arm of Cape Cod.

Deadpool Gets Funny Betty White Review; Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

According to Wernick, the goal now is to move "in to more of an ensemble piece is something we would cherish". Rated R for language , some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity. " Deadpool " appears to be it.

Forecasters say 6-8 inches could fall Friday evening with another 3-6 inches on Saturday.

Friday night: Snow showers. It will be mostly cloudy with a low near 14.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 27.
Nineteen Sixty-four is a research blog for the

(CARA) at Georgetown University edited by

. CARA is a non-profit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. Founded in 1964, CARA has three major dimensions to its mission: to increase the Catholic Church's self understanding; to serve the applied research needs of Church decision-makers; and to advance scholarly research on religion, particularly Catholicism. Follow CARA on Twitter at:

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At Fivethirtyeight, Ben Casselman suggests that Saudi Arabia may finally be winning its war on fracking. In his words:

Recently, though, there have been signs that the Saudis strategy might be working after all. On Monday, Chesapeake Energy, once the highest flier of the U.S. oil boom, had to deny publicly that it was preparing to file for bankruptcy; some 60 oil companies have already done so, and the research firm IHS estimates that as many as 150 companies could follow suit. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that private-equity giant KKR & Co. was backing away from risky bets on oil companies. Industry leaders are starting to sound desperate: The New York Times quoted the head of a Texas oil group as telling his members that today our goal is to survive.

I have some doubts. But lets say bankruptcies take hold across the sector and production does crash. What then?

Well, the rigs wont be dismantled. The oil workers wont lose their skills. The infrastructure wont disappear. And drilling and completion of a known site takes only one month and costs about $6 million. (Page 13.) Even if you add in all pre-drilling activities youve got only about six months to complete a well.

In other words, once prices rise American production will shoot back up even faster than it falls. So what in the name of God does it mean to say that Saudi Arabia is winning its war on American production? You need one weird model of the oil market, in which removing American production sends prices up but bringing it back on does not cause prices to fall. (In that model, I should point out, Saudi Arabia would be doing the American industry a favor by forcing it to temporarily cut production.) Or one in which Saudi Arabia would be unable to sell as much oil as it wanted to in the face of full American production. Neither sounds particularly plausible.

Perhaps I am missing something, but the idea that the Saudis are warring on U.S. unconventional oil production does not make sense to me. It is a mighty expensive war and one that they cannot win. So why would they try?
It's been quite a year. And I make no predictions about the one to come. I do know that it will -- at least where we are -- start ou...
The number of Russian tourists arrival in Egypt has dropped by 23.9% in 2015 compared with 2014 figures.

A total of 2.4 million Russian tourists visited Egypt in 2015, down from 3.1 million in 2014, an official from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism indicated Friday.

The sharp decrease is a direct fallout of the downing of a Russian airliner that crashed over Sinai at the end of October 2015, the Tourism Ministrys economy adviser Adela Ragab said.

The official pointed out that the crash of the Russian jet caused only a 4 per cent decrease in the number of British tourists who visited Egypt in 2015 while the number of German tourists increased by 16.4 percent, registering 1.2 million up from 877,000 in 2014.

Egypts tourism industry sustained a major blow last year in October after UK, France Russia and Germany repatriated their nationals following the crash of the Russian passenger jet with 224 people on board, few minutes after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh airport.

The Islamic State local franchise in the Egyptian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the terrorist act.

Egyptian authorities rejected the claims even though western experts alongside with their Russian counterparts confirmed the crash was an act of terrorism.

Inputs of Russian tourists in revenues of the Egyptian tourism industry reached $250 million in 2014 according to Egypts official statistical agency, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Figures reported by the agency indicate that revenues of the Egyptian tourism industry over Jan.-Sep. in 2014 rose by four percent compared with the same period the previous year.

Revenue figures collapsed by 15 percent in 2015, moving from $7.4 billion in 2014 to $6.1 billion in 2015, according to an earlier statement by Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou.
Intelligence sources have claimed that the militants of the IS group in Libya have begun to flee southwards and could be heading to neighboring Sahel countries as fears over western airstrikes increase.

Colonel Mahamane Laminou Sani, Director of Nigers armed forces documentation and military intelligence agency, confirmed that militants of the extremist group are moving towards southern Libya and added that if something like that happens, the whole Sahel is affected.

According to reports emerging from the coastal town of Sirte, an IS stronghold, the group is evacuating some districts and fighters were building defenses around the city. The arrival of IS in the Sahara desert could lead to clashes with rival group, Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) based in the desert.

Laurence Aida Ammour, a consultant and Sahel security expert, told participants at the ongoing annual Flintlock counter-terrorism conference in Senegal, held under the US military Africa Command, that airstrikes against IS in Libya would create a mercury effect as fighters will seek refuge in all directions including towards Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Benin. With the presence of Boko Haram in Nigeria, an IS affiliate, the situation in the Sahel could worsen.

Chad is already fighting Boko Haram along its border and Colonel Khassim Moussa, head of Chads Special Antiterrorism Group, said northern traditional and religious leaders have been informed to stop the extremists from entering the country as he blamed NATO for the Libyan chaos saying its them who got involved in Libya, its up to them to fix it.

The effect of the Libyan war is already being felt in Sudan where the government accused Sudanese rebel groups of being behind the recent clashes in the southern Libyan town of Kufra where violence has been raging for 3days.
Confira o preco do seguro para o Chevrolet Onix

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The familiar emergency alert system, the one where we in the U.S. occasionally hear a radio or television broadcast interruption that...
When you consider the fact that apartments in Manhattan routinely surpass the million dollar mark, spending just $25,000 to own part of the island doesn't seem like that bad of a deal. But there is, obviously, a catch: The Manhattan in question is a miniature model created by Troy Huang, a NYC designer. His creation, which takes up an entire five-foot-long desk, was made using laser cutting (for the building map) and 3D printing (for the buildings themselves), and is illuminated with LED lights. In a Reddit thread about the model (where it was first spotted by a tipster), Huang explained that the model took him seven weeks to build (with some outside help), using plywood as the base, and acrylic to cover it once it was on the desk itself. And while the desk is currently only depicting Manhattan below 72nd Street, Huang says he could, in theory, expand it. "I have the rest of the city," he said in a comment. "I could have made the whole city. but then there is scale and size problem. I have to make a decision where to stop or the table would 10 feet long." Pretty cool. Huang says he may tackle Chicago next, so that's something to look forward to.

 Troy Huang [Official]

 A Desk of Manhattan [Reddit]
Photo: Win McNamee/2016 Getty Images

At the heart of the Democratic primary contest is a dispute over whether or not progressives should demand more from a presidency than Barack Obama has delivered. Hillary Clinton is running for the presidents third term. Bernie Sanders is running to promote social-democratic programs that Obama never proposed, let alone enacted. The Clinton campaign has expended much effort on trying to highlight the implicit critique of the Obama legacy buried within Sanderss platform. But on Thursday, the Vermont senator did his own highlighting.

Theres a huge gap right now between Congress and the American people, Sanders told MSNBC on Thursday afternoon. What presidential leadership is about [is] closing that gap.

When asked if Obama had closed that gap, Sanders replied. No, I dont. I mean, I think he has made the effort.

On Thursday night in Milwaukee, Clinton made sure to relay the Vermont senators views on this subject.

Today, Senator Sanders said that President Obama failed the presidential-leadership test, Clinton said. This is not the first time that hes criticized president Obama. In the past, hes called him weak, hes called him a disappointment. He wrote a forward for a book that basically argued that voters should have buyers remorse about Obamas legacy.

It is the kind of criticism  that I expect to hear from Republicans, not from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama, she added.

Madam Secretary, that is a low blow, Sanders said, once the audience had stopped cheering. The Vermont senator touted the enormous progress the president has made in the face of Republican obstructionism. Sanders praised Obama from saving the economy from the brink of collapse in 2008 (a rigged economy is, apparently, still better than a depressed one.) But then, the democratic socialist defended his right to dissent.

Last I heard we live in a democratic society. Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with a president. Including a president who has done such an extraordinary job, he said. But this blurb that you talk about, you know what that blurb said: The next president needs to be aggressive about bringing people into the political process. That is what I have said, that is what I believe.

Judging by their response, the audience seemed to believe this as well. Clinton replied that she was not concerned about disagreement on issues.

Calling the president weak, calling him a disappointment, calling for him to have a primary opponent when he ran for re-election in 2012  ya know, I think that goes further than saying we have our disagreements.

In 2011, Sanders did say that it would be a good idea for our democracy and for the Democratic Party, if there were a primary challenge to Obama. On Thursday night, he did not have to say whether he still believes it was a good idea to say all that, because the moment Clinton brought it up, it was time for closing statements.

Still, Sanders did find time to suggest that, on the issue of running primary challenges against Obama, Clinton might be tossing stones in a glass house.

One of us ran against Barack Obama, Sanders said. I was not that candidate.
Print is dead, long live print. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

The British morning newspaper The Independent, launched in 1986, will print its final edition on March 26. Its a victim of owner Evgeny Lebedevs decision to sell the i, a downscale tabloid-style companion product launched in 2010 that has kept The Independent and The Sunday Independent financially solvent. That deal will bring in 25 million (roughly $36 million), and The Guardian reports that only the digital arm of The Independent will keep going. The Independents journalism has never been more loved or respected, but the costs cannot be sustained, said editor Amol Rajan, announcing the closure of both print editions at a staff meeting.

According to Lebedev, the move will ensure that the digital Independent can remain competitive. The newspaper industry is changing, he told The Guardian. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high-quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms. He did not say how many members of the 150-person print staff will lose their jobs  The Guardian estimates that it may be half.

Heavy cost-cutting under Lebedevs ownership meant the three print papers, collectively, were breaking even, as the i subsidized the other two. The Independents website is also profitable, and revenues in 2016 are expected to double. (According to the publisher, the site sees about 58 million readers a month; the paper had slipped to fewer than 58,000 readers a day, about 15 percent of its 1990s readership.) Lebedev also owns the extremely successful Evening Standard, which he reportedly has no intention of selling.
James Woods. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Actor James Woods is continuing to pursue his lawsuit against a pseudonymous Twitter user who called him a cocaine addict. A judge denied the defendants request to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this week, meaning that the user known as @AbeListed could be unmasked at some point. Twitter has so far refused to comply with requests to hand over the users real identity, citing First Amendment rights.

In the lawsuit, Woods  who is now mostly famous for posting conservative memes on the web  is seeking $10 million in damages for the cocaine tweet. ALs reckless and malicious behavior, through the worldwide reach of the Internet, has now jeopardized Woodss good name and reputation on an international scale, the initial complaint read. I mean, Id argue that getting beet red and nude online and demanding $10 million because an anonymous commenter once said you use drugs is more embarrassing than the original tweet itself. But what do I know?

Woodss argument boils down to the assertion that some people might have believed the tweet. A seven-page report from a linguistics professor, commissioned by Woodss legal team, states as much. Possibly related: The professor who wrote that report was paid $450 an hour to do so.

In a press release, Lisa Bloom, lawyer for the defendant, said, Twitter is a wide-open forum where wisecracks are the norm. It exists not only for the rich and powerful to lambaste others, but for all users to express themselves, often colorfully, without fear of being dragged into expensive, stressful litigation.

And, of course, James Woods would never ever use Twitter to call other people cocaine users.

Honestly his speech writers must be smoking crack if they can so callously dismiss #Benghazi, #fastandfurious, #IRS, #NSA and only God knows  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 25, 2013

@stevmg Well, put down your crack pipe, and retread my timelines. You'll find plenty there.  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 11, 2013

@JGSaxon Thank God. I wouldn't want you to spend your precious crack allowance being enlightened.  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) December 21, 2014

Best of luck to James Woods, an abrasive war hawk whom I imagine is stomping around throwing a tantrum like the gigantic baby from Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.
Naomi Campbell walking in a DVF show. Photo: Randy Brooke/Getty Images

During the past few Fashion Weeks, 70s-era supermodel Bethann Hardison has hosted a diversity panel with the CFDA. I like listening to Hardisons wisdom, I agree with her argument that we need more models of color on the runway, and I appreciate the networking opportunity. But last September, as I sat in my chair, looking around at all these people of color nodding their heads in agreement, I started to get antsy. Where were all the white faces? Where were all the people in power?

Fashion-industry leaders tend to treat diversity initiatives like Hardisons panel as electives  ways to congratulate themselves for being enlightened, rather than a mechanism for change. Which is why, ever since last Fashion Week, Ive been replaying a little thought experiment in my head. What would fashion look like with affirmative action? What if there were a governing body that regulated diversity in a real way, to make sure that nonwhite models, editors, designers, celebrities, and makeup and hair artists got a fair shot?

This might sound highly theoretical, but its hard to imagine how else things might change. When I asked Richard Lempert, professor of law and sociology at University of Michigan, for his take, he said that I could argue that fashion actually needs regulation more than many other fields, because having good taste in fashion is largely subjective. Fashion isnt a meritocracy; you cant succeed just by working harder and better than everybody else. You have to impress a small group of gatekeepers who are biased in ways they might not recognize.

Paradoxically, fashion is always looking for whats new, but the industrys principles are deeply outdated. Tanisha Ford, assistant professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, puts it this way: There is definitely a huge diversity issue in fashion. The term fashion implies on-trend and current, but its become an industry thats built on scouring communities to see whats hot in the street culture, and monetizing that while largely stripping those bodies from the creative process.

Look at the discussion around runway diversity, for example. Last October, Business of Fashion reported that, of the 3,875 models used over the course of last Septembers Fashion Month, only 797 were models of color. That means about 79.4 percent of models used were white. This is hardly the first time a reputable industry source has published such a report, and every time it happens, all of the guilty parties point to each other in a circle of blame. Designers say that casting directors only pick thin white models, casting directors say the agencies only send them thin white models, and the agencies say that designers only want thin white models. Everyone assumes the prejudice lies somewhere else.

It reminds me of Devah Pager, Bruce Western, and Bart Bonikowskis study on discrimination in the labor market. They sent a mix of black and white job applicants, some with prison records and some without, to answer help-wanted ads in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What they found is that white job-seekers who had just been released from prison did no worse than black applicants with blemish-free records. I doubt the employers were consciously looking to hire felons  they were just acting on ingrained bias, bias they might not have realized was there.

Like those Milwaukee employers, casting agents, modeling agencies, and major design houses adamantly believe they are being fair and unbiased even when theyre discriminating. They also tend to return, time and time again, to the same nonwhite faces. There have been so few in the history of modern fashion that its easy to name them: Pat Cleveland, Beverly Johnson, Tyra Banks, and Naomi Campbell in the past; and Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, Malaika Firth, Lineisy Montero, Grace Mahary, Imaan Hammam, and Cindy Bruna now. Lineisy Montero was actually the top model of the spring-summer 2016 season, walking in 68 shows (according to the Fashion Spot).

So, yes, certain models are able to break through. But to me, it almost feels like an insult when I see the standard two models of color in succession at shows  as if the designer is checking off a box marked inclusiveness. What about the other 30-some models in the show? Professor Lempert says, In my research, Ive learned that people think in cliches, and they find a few people safe; they go back to these people because theyre continually safe, but that also lowers the opportunity for others. Jourdan Dunn and Lineisy Montero might be safe for designers, but safety is bad for fashion and for diversity.

Without a push, though, were never going to see change on the runway. Professor Susan Scafidi of Fordham Law School, founder of the Fashion Law Institute, explains that runway discrimination is actually illegal. It might be a bona fide occupational qualification to want a woman to model womens clothes, but race is technically never a bona fide occupational qualification, she explains. In other words, you can legally argue that your models need to be female to sell dresses (although thats another can of worms), but you cant claim that they need to be white to represent your brand. On the runway, there is no justification that I can articulate for not including diversity, and yet we see it over and over again, Professor Scafidi says. Of course, while a model who accuses a major designer of casting discrimination might win her case, it would probably destroy her career.

Just look at what happened to Pat Evans, known as the bald model. She was the second-highest-paid model at Stewart Models in the 1970s, the same agency that represented Twiggy. But despite her success, she was fed up with being the only woman of color at her agency and wrote a scathing takedown of fashions lack of diversity in a 1974 issue of Essence magazine. Pat was angry that women of color were continuously neglected and relegated to novelty slots. Professor Ford noted, Pat grew up in Harlem and saw for decades how editors would come into Harlem for a couple of hours and see whats hot, steal it, and appropriate it for high-fashion runways. None of this stuff is new  there is a historical precedent for this kind of conversation. The outcome of her essay: The industry gave her the cold shoulder.

So if we cant expect people to recognize and regulate their own inherent biases, and if any models who speak out risk ruining their careers, what could bring about actual change? Professor Scafidi told me about one way she was able to enforce diversity in the Fashion Law Institutes fashion show: When a participating designer pushed back against casting nonwhite models, insisting her vision was blonde and Nordic, Scafidi showed her Eric Wilsons Fashions Blind Spot article in the New York Times, implying that she could get called out for racism in a major publication. That seemed to change the designers mind, but its not exactly an industrywide solution.

But if there were an institution supervising the percentage of models of color at agencies, requiring casting agencies and designers to consider all comers, pressuring publishers like Conde Nast to hire a larger number of nonwhite editors and insisting that designers think about diversity when they staff their teams, maybe, just maybe, things would look different.

The CFDA would be the logical enforcer, although technically, it isnt a governing body and cant become one for legal reasons, since its part trade organization and charitable foundation. Sure, of its 470-plus members, only 12 are African-American, and less than a handful of people of color have been nominated for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in the past 11 years  so it has a long way to go. But it does bring together fashion-industry players in a way that no one else does, and if its most powerful members declared that diversity was a priority, we might see real change.

In the end, though, the most powerful enforcer might be the bottom line. It really will only work when the whole industry works together, says Professor Scafidi. The industry is driven creatively, but its also driven by profit, and once designers realize that theyre missing out on a market and not serving that clientele, and other companies have an advantage because theyre addressing that market, then we will start to see correction.




long live clexa and alycia in that nightgown



#leavelincolnalone bellamy is dead to melong live clexa and alycia in that nightgown

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Noo, what did Bellamy do? Spoil me

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] he armed the remaining members of farm station to go and kill a bunch of grounders(presumably trikru) who were sent there to protect them from ice nation. so dumb. abby/kane stopped them before they got to do anything but it looks like pike is elected chancellor by the end of the ep and they eventually follow through next week :/

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OMG! What? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I just started the episode.

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Agree with all of this. Finally someone on here that doesn't hate Lexa.

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yess to all of this

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Heda and Wanheda and nightgowns 4 LYFE.



Bellamy 4 death.



My Queen Octavia is going to be pissseedddd. And if Indra dies because of Bellamy's idiocy and warmongering, IMMA HAVE TO CUT A BITCH.

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Pike is awful and I can't wait for him to die. They needed to make him more rational and less militant to make his seduction of Bellamy more believable because Bellamy looks like a real fucking chump for following Pike.



Everything in Polis was A+ beautiful would watch again.

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Mte. Pyke's character had so much potential

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i think pike's approach is a lot more realistic than kane and abby's. their transformation over like, three days, into hippies is wack and it's naive. they need to meet in the middle somewhere. dragging lincoln into it was sad though. monty's mom was such a jerk tonight lmao

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i get why pike feels the way he does. i don't agree with it and i think he's wrong, but from his point of view all grounders are the enemy because grounders (and yeah it's gross to view all of the grounders as the same) are the ones who killed a 100+ of his people. we didn't get to see everything that the farm station went through, but he's been thrown into this suddenly where grounders aren't the enemy when for months they were and they were murdering children.

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it's sad because i nearly cried in 3x02 when pike is telling monty his father died a hero.

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lexa was so badass in that fight scene against vane



i wonder if her warpaint is actually her blood.

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hella late but someone also mentioned that her war paint is a lot darker than others and I'm starting to think it might be her blood.

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team pike

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Pike and Jasper need to go. smh @ Bellamy.

loved everything in Polis.

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Pike, Jasper, Jaha, Monty's Mum.



I'd add Bellamy to that death list, but the ONTD Bellamy stans will come for me, so I don't dare!

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me @ pike

Bracing for Bellamy's downfall. He seems OOC. I wonder how he'll pick himself up after this. Tbh, I rather watch City of Light than that grating Pike dictating arc and Jasper.



Edited at 2016-02-12 04:41 am (UTC) me @ pikeBracing for Bellamy's downfall. He seems OOC. I wonder how he'll pick himself up after this. Tbh, I rather watch City of Light than that grating Pike dictating arc and Jasper.

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lexa needs to have a word with pike on her balcony, tbh

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Damn they're lucky they found ADC. And Bob and Eliza, the CW should just talent scout in Australia.

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Clexa tho. My heart.

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Pike is so stupid, does he really want to fight the entire native population?

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Why would they spend so much time redeeming Bellamy from all the shit he pulled in S1, only to bring him back to it? Silly.

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i wonder if it's he's so conflicted on what to do that he thinks he's doing the right thing? whereas season 1 bellamy it was "whatever the hell we want" to save his own ass and octavia's, etc.





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mte it seems so out of character for him at this point.

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trolling the Bellarke shippers?

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yes and it's working. i am getting pissed.

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In that case... i'll stop hating and start enjoying.

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Yeah it's annoying me tbh

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To show that people are complicated and don't change drastically from how they behaved in earlier stressful situations. The 'Bellamy is a sweetheart' thing was never true, he always wanted to kill grounders, people just really took to Bob Morley.

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the producer (whatever the main one is called) hates him so they don't care about ruining his character for Clexa's rise

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is bellamy supposed to be a poc on the show? i know bob is but don't know much of bellamy's background. i saw a couple angry tweets at jason tonight because a poc [bellamy] helped kill a bunch of people of color, and it sounds messy.



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i'm pretty sure he's supposed to be white on the show, but he's a poc irl. so smh.

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nope, he just has a white mother

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writers confirmed on twitter that he is biracial and that he and octavia are half-siblings

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what the fuck are they doing to bellamy's character?

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I stoped watching that show last season, so did they destroy Bellamy character?

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They're working on it, as of this episode.

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I really don't understand wtf Bellamy's thought process is or how he could be talked into killing 300 innocent damn people on Sky crew side so easily especially since he KNOWS not all Grounders are like Ice Nation. Like he is giving me Finn vibes right now. Hell Jasper lost his girlfriend but at least he just got more asshole-ly and turned to the bottle.



I was so worried when that rock hit Lincoln; these Farm station people are working on my last nerve. Monty I love you but I think your mama's gotta go. And I hope they take Jasper w/ them tbh.



Lexa's fight scene was great though and I'm glad Charles Vane lived. I'm still on the fence with Lexa b/c of her S2 stuff but I gotta admit I dunno if it's the actress or what but the character really draws you in. I'm feeling her almost against my will lol.



Also Miller's boyfriend!

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yasss miller's bf, glad someone else noticed

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I did, I think he's pretty cute. :) I'm hoping we get more of them.

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i think he's shook because echo, someone who's life he saved and who saved his in return, was capable of turning on him over politics and as a result, a shit ton of people died all because of his assurance that she could be trusted. if you think about it, grounders and the arkers have only been interacting peacefully for a short period of time. idk why people find it so hard to believe that some arkers might feel the need to rethink how they navigate that relationship. all of this compounded by the fact that farm station has had an entirely different experience with the grounders up to this point. all of their fears have been reinforced by echo's betrayal and bellamy's apparent naivete. it's nt cool but it does make some sense for those characters.

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Give in to Heda Lexa, GIVE IN! She did what she had to for her people in S2, this show is all about morally grey choices and people trying to navigate what it means to be a leader and have that responsibility.



Let yourself be drawn in, bb!



And yes to Charles Vane living. He really is so enjoyable on The 100.



And ia, Monty's mum is off her face militant and drinking the Pike koolaid! Farm Station need to just idk run away and never return. POOR LINCOLN. Poor Octavia having to deal with his stubborn ass not wanting to leave.



And ty ty, I was watching trying to figure out why I was getting so much deja vu with Bellamy, and that is exactly it - he's serving up those Finn teas!

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] so linconln's not dead yet? thank god! i am getting prepared for it after the s3 promo and ricky's new show. i will cry forever when or if it happens.

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I have this strong feeling that Octavia is going to get pregnant and Lincoln is either going to die, presumed to be dead, or taken prisoner somewhere.

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It makes no sense. Unless they're going somewhere else with this, it's terrible writing IMO.

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I was almost trying to make myself believe that Bellamy was like... a plant or something. Like that hotass Kane had told him to pretend to be going along with Pike, because he is serving up some serious Crazy Finn realness right now.



BUT TURNS OUT NO.



I can't even talk myself into him not just being an idiot.





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With the end of the 54-year U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, and Cuban government moves to encourage foreign investors, Cuba is a suddenly attractive venue that is sitting on an estimated 4.6 billion barrels of oil and promising tantalizingly low production costs that defy low oil prices.

In December 2014, the U.S. lifted the trade embargo, and earlier that yearbanking on an end to the embargoCuba began to lay the foundation for attracting foreign investment by offering corporate tax credits.

It sounds greatbut there has been no rush onto this playing field. Related: ISIS Forced To Cut Wages As Oil Revenues Tank

Throughout last year, Cuba was busy trying to sell itself as the next up-and-coming venue.

What it has to offer is total undiscovered technically recoverable reserves of 4.6 billion barrels of crude oil, 9.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 900 million barrels of natural gas liquids, based on 2004 estimates by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The country has traditionallyand very steadilyproduced about 50,000 barrels of liquids per day, most from the coastal reserve areas east of Havana.

But its not all about the reserves. Its about past failures, an anticipated investor-unfriendly environment, and a lack of oil and gas infrastructure projects. Related: Supreme Court Keeps Coal AliveFor Now

Deepwater drilling hasnt been successful. In the spring of 2015, Cuba noted that it had billions of barrels of oil in its Gulf of Mexico deepwaters, but there have been no commercial discoveries offshore as a result of exploratory drilling by Spains Repsol and Russias Zarubezhneft. So the promise now is being touted in the onshore and shallow water arenas.

Infrastructure plans that would make oil and gas exploration and production more feasible have languished in project purgatory. A 2010 bid won by China to build a refinery and upgrade a crude oil import terminal has stalled. And a key pipeline hooking the Cienfuegos refinery to the producing fields of Matanzas hasnt been operable since the early 1990s.

What is really keeping investors away is the fact that Cuba has made it clear that while there is the potential for joint ventures in exploration and production, this will be a state-run game for the most part. Any major deal will have majority Cuban ownership. Related: OPEC-Russia Rumors Persist After Comments From Rosneft Chief

Independent MEO Australia oil company may disagree, because its moving in on Cubas Block 9, where oil has been recovered in the past, certain that there is a potential for significant onshore prospects, according to UPI. But its basing that on wells drilled from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

But MEO Australia is the exception rather than the rule.

Operating costs as low as $9 per barrel have MEO convinced that this is the one of the best new venues to play. And while those are impressive operating costs when oil is just under $30 per barrel, it still hasnt been enough to prompt a rush on Cuba.

Embargo lifting doesnt immediately teleport Cuba from the Cold War era into the 21st century. Lifting the embargo is only the first of many doors Cuba will have to pass through to make this a key venue for foreign investors in oil and gas, and the question is whether Cubawhich is desperate to develop its oil and gaswill be willing to shed some state control to do so.

By Julianne Geiger of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The oil and gas business is moving into a new age for financing. With groups like private equity becoming more prominent (just this week, PE-backed Terra Energy put down $910 million to acquire 200,000 acres in the Piceance Basin of the western U.S.).

But two new deals in the last few days suggest that another unconventional source of petro-finance may be on the rise globally.

The Middle East. Related: ISIS Forced To Cut Wages As Oil Revenues Tank

On Tuesday, state-owned Qatar Petroleum made a big step-out from its home base. By acquiring a 30% interest in three deepwater licenses in offshore Morocco from operator Chevron.

The same day, another Middle Eastern player  Omans Petrogas E&P  struck a big buy in the offshore. This coming even further afield: in the North Sea.

Petrogas signed an agreement to acquire all of the North Sea assets of Swedens PA Resources. Which includes oil and gas discoveries in the offshore of Denmark  as well as exploration acreage in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. Related: OPEC Will Not Blink First

The move comes as PA Resources has been under pressure to sell assets to pay down outstanding debt. A theme thats becoming very common across the oil and gas industry  and which Middle Eastern firms may be using to their advantage in buying fields on the cheap.

Interestingly, players from this region werent very active in global M&A during the boom times of the last several years. In fact, Qatar Petroleums Morocco purchase will represent the second-largest interest in a foreign project ever taken by the firm (behind the 40 percent it owns in Canadian onshore assets). Related: Rising OPEC Oil Production Worsens Glut

Its thus possible that Middle Eastern companies are sensing an opportunity in todays depressed markets. And starting to make a move to capitalize  which could open up a new financing source for projects globally.



Watch to see if the trend toward rising petro-investment from this part of the world continues.

Heres to going abroad,

By Dave Forest
Do the Saudis have an oil market strategy beyond pumping crude to defend their market share? Are they indifferent to which countries oil industries survive? Or, alternatively, are they targeting specific global competitors and specific national markets? Did they start with a particular strategy in November 2014 when Saudi Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali al-Naimi announced the new market share policy at the OPEC meeting in Vienna and are they sticking with it, or has their strategy evolved with the evolution of the global markets since?

And, of course, what does the Saudi strategy beyond pumping crude portend for the Saudi approach to some OPEC members calls for coordinated production cuts within OPEC and with Russia?

Conventional Wisdom

Conventional wisdom has it that the Saudis are focused primarily on crushing the U.S. shale industry. In this view, the Saudis blame the U.S. for the supply-demand imbalance that began to make itself felt in 2014. U.S. production data seems to support this. Between 2009 and 2014, U.S. crude and NGLs output increased nearly 4 million barrels per day, while Saudi Arabias increased only 1.64 million barrels per day, Canadas 1.06 million, Iraqs 0.9 million, and Russias 0.7 million (Saudi data doesnt include NGLs).

In addition, the Saudis, among many others, believed that U.S. shale would be the most vulnerable to Saudi strategy, given relatively high production costs compared to Saudi production costs and shales rapid decline rates and the need therefore repeatedly to reinvest in new wells to maintain output.

Yet, if the Saudis were focused on the U.S., their efforts have been unsuccessful, at least in 2015. As the table below shows, U.S. output growth in 2015 outstripped Saudi output growth and the growth of output from other major producers in absolute terms. In addition, many observers also came to believe that U.S. shale production will recover more quickly than production in traditional plays once markets balance due to its unique accelerated production cycle and that this quick recovery will limit price increases when markets balance.

(Click to enlarge)

Is the U.S. Really the Primary Target?

The above considerations imply the Saudisif indeed they primarily were targeting U.S. shaleembarked on a self-defeating campaign in November 2014 that could at best deliver a Pyrrhic victory and permanent revenues losses in the US$ hundred billions.

Is the U.S. the primary target? U.S. import data (from the EIA) suggests the U.S. is not now the Saudis primary target, if it ever was. Like other producers, the Saudis operate within a set of constraints. Domestic capacity is one. In its 2015 Medium Term Market Report (Oil), the IEA put Saudi Arabias sustainable crude output capacity at 12.34 million barrels per day in 2015 and at 12.42 million in 2016. Export capacityoutput minus domestic demandis another. Related: ISIS Forced To Cut Wages As Oil Revenues Tank

Rather than maintaining crude output at 2014s level in 2015, the Saudis steadily increased it after al-Naimis announcement in Vienna as they brought idle capacity on line (data from the IEA monthly Oil Market Report):

This allowed them to increase average daily crude exports by 460,000 barrels in 2015 over 2014 average export levelseven as Saudi domestic demand increasedand exports peaked in 4Q 2015 at 7.01 million barrels per day (assuming the Saudis keep output at average 2H 2015 levels in 2016, and domestic demand increased 400,000 barrels per day, as the IEA forecasts, the Saudis could export nearly 7 million barrels per day on average in 2016):

The Saudis did not ship any of their incremental crude exports to the U.S.in other words, they did not increase volumes exported to the U.S., did not directly seek to constrain U.S. output, and did not seek to increase U.S. market share. Based on EIA data, Saudi imports into the U.S. declined from 1.191 million barrels per day in 2014 to 1.045 million in 2015and have steadily declined since peaking in 2012 at 1,396 million barrels per day. (OPECs shipments also declined from 2014 to 2015, from 3.05 million barrels per day to 2.64 million, continuing the downward trend that started in 2010). Canada, however, which has sent increasing volumes to the U.S. since 2009, increased exports to the U.S. 306,000 barrels per day in 2015:

Also, the Saudi share of U.S. crude imports declined 1.9 percentage points in 2015 from 2014, and has declined 2.6 percentage points since peaking at 16.9 percent in 2013; during the same two periods, Canadas share increased 4.5 and 9.9 percentage points respectively (and has more than doubled since 2009):

Other Markets

The Saudis presumably exported the incremental 606,000 barrels per day (460,000 from net increased export capacity plus 146,000 diverted from the U.S.) to their focus markets. Since other countries import data generally is less current, complete, and available than U.S. data, where these barrels ended up must be found indirectly, at least partially.

In its 2015 Medium Term Market Report (Oil), the IEA projected that the bulk of growth from 2015 to 2020 will come in China, Other Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while demand will remain more or less stagnant in OECD U.S. and OECD Europe:

Related: OPEC Will Not Blink First

The Saudis find themselves in a difficult battle for market share in China, the worlds second largest import market and the country in which the IEA expects absolute import volume will increase the most through 20201.5 million barrels per day (it projects Other Asia demand to increase 2.0 million). The Saudis are Chinas leading crude supplier. However, their position is under sustained attack from their majorand minorglobal export competitors. For example, through the first eleven months of 2015, imports from Saudi Arabia increased only 2.1 percent to 46.08 million metric tons, while imports from Russia increased 28 percent to 37.62 million, Oman 9.1 percent to 28.94 million, Iraq 10.3 percent to 28.82 million, Venezuela 20.7 percent to 14.77 million, Kuwait 42.6 percent to 12.68 million, and Brazil 102.1 percent to 12.07 million.

As a result of the competition, the Saudi share of Chinas imports has dropped from ~20 percent since 2012 to ~15 percent in 2015, even as Chinese demand increased 16.7 percent, or 1.6 million barrels per day, from 9.6 million in 2012 to 11.2 million in 2015. Moreover, the competition for Chinese market share promises to intensify with the lifting of UN sanctions on Iran, which occupied second place in Chinese imports pre-UN sanctions and has expressed determination to regain its prior position (Irans exports to China fell 2.1 percent to 24.36 million tons in the first eleven months of 2015).

Moreover, several Saudi competitors enjoy substantial competitive advantages. Russia has two. One is the East Siberia Pacific Ocean pipeline (ESPO) which directly connects Russia to Chinaimportant because the Chinese are said to fear the U.S. Navys ability to interdict ocean supplies routes. Its capacity currently is 15 million metric tons per year (~300,000 barrels per day) and capacity is expected to double by 2017, when a twin comes on stream. The second is the agreement Rosneft, Russias dominant producer, has with China National Petroleum Corporation to ship ~400 million metric tons of crude over twenty-five years, and for which China has already made prepayments. Russia shares a third with other suppliers. Saudis contracts contain destination restrictions and other provisions that constrain their customers ability to market the crude, whereas those of some other suppliers do not.

Marketing flexibility will be particularly attractive to the smaller Chinese refineries, which Chinese government has authorized to import 1 million-plus barrels per day.

While they fight for market share in China, the Saudis also have to fight for market share in the established, slow-growing or stagnant IEA-member markets (generally OECD member countries). Saudi exports to these markets declined 310,000 barrels per day between 2012 and 2014, and 490,000 barrels per day between 2012 and 2015s first three quarters. Only in Asia Oceania did Saudi export volumes through 2015s first three quarters manage to equal 2012s export volumes. During the same period, Iraq managed to increase its exports to Europe 340,000 barrels per day (data from IEA monthly Oil Market Report).

It is therefore not surprising that the Saudis moved aggressively in Europe in 4Q 2015successfully courting traditional Russian customers in Northern Europe and Eastern Europe and drawing complaints from Rosneft.

As with China, the competition will intensify with Irans liberation from UN sanctions. For example, Iran has promised to regain its pre-UN sanctions European market sharewhich implies an increase in exports into the stagnant European market of 970,000 barrels per day (2011s 1.33 million barrels per day minus 2015s 360,000 barrels per day).

Might the U.S. be an Ally?

Without unlimited crude export resources, the Saudis have had to choose in which global markets to conduct their market share war, and therefore, implicitly, against which competitors to direct their crude exports.

Why did the Saudis ignore the U.S. market? First, U.S. crude does not represent a threat to the Saudis other crude export markets. Until late 2015, when the U.S. Congress passed, and President Obama signed, legislation lifting the prohibition, U.S. producers, with limited exceptions, could not export crude. Even with the prohibition lifted, it is unlikely the U.S. will become a significant competitor, given that the U.S. is a net crude importer. Therefore, directing crude to the U.S. would not improve the Saudi competitive position elsewhere.

Second, the U.S. oil industry is one of the least vulnerable (if not the least vulnerable) to Saudi pressureand therefore least likely and less quickly to crack. Low production costs are a competitive advantage, but are not the only one and perhaps not the most important one. Financing, technology, equipment, and skilled manpower availability is important, as are political stability, physical security, a robust legal framework for extracting crude, attractive economics, and access and ease of access to markets. The Saudis major export competitorsRussia, Iran, and Iraqare far weaker than the U.S. on all these areas, as are its minor export competitors, including those withinNigeria, Libya, Venezuela, and Angolaand outside OPECBrazil. Related: Salary Cuts In Energy Sector Could Prevent Mass Layoffs

Third, in the U.S. market, the Saudis face tough, well-managed domestic competitors, and a foreign competitor, Canada, that enjoys multiple advantages including proximity, pipeline transport, and trade agreements, the Saudis do not enjoy.

Finally, the Saudis may be focused on gaining a sustainable long term advantage in a different market than the global crude export marketthe higher value added and therefore more valuable petroleum product market. Saudi Aramco has set a target to double its global (domestic and international) refining capacity to 10 million barrels per day by 2025. Depressed revenues from crude will squeeze what governments have to spend on their oil industries and, presumably, they will have to prioritize maintaining crude output over investments in refining.

In this Saudi effort, the U.S. could be an ally. The U.S. became a net petroleum product exporter in 2012 (minus numbers in the table below indicate net exports), and net exports grew steadily through 2015. Growth continued in January, with net product exports averaging 1.802 million barrels per day, and, in the week ending February 5, 2.046 million. U.S. exports will lessen the financial attractiveness of investment in domestic refining capacity, both for governments and for foreign investors in their countries oil industries (data from EIA).

Saudi Intentions

The view that the Saudi market share strategy is focused on crushing the U.S. shale industry has led market observers obsessively to await the EIAs weekly Wednesday petroleum status report and Baker-Hughs weekly Friday U.S. rig countand to react with dismay as U.S. rig count has dropped, but production remained resilient.

In fact, they might be better served welcoming resilient U.S. production. It may be that the Saudis will not change course until Russian output declines, Iraqs stagnates, Irans output growth is stuntedand that receding output from weaker countries within and outside OPEC would not be enough. If this is case, the Saudis will see resilient U.S. production as increasing pressure on their competitors and bringing forward the day when they can contemplate moderating their output.



NOTE: Nothing in the foregoing analysis should be understood as denying that the U.S. oil industry has suffered intensely or asserting that this strategy, if it is Saudi strategy, will succeed.

By Dalan McEndree for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

Like a shiny car with all the fancy options after it crashed into a light pole, the Democratic Party establishment limped into Milwaukee Thursday night trying to pretend that all was well in a nationally televised debate from the campus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In case you havent been paying much attention, the establishment part of the two big parties, Democrats and Republicans, have fallen into a shambles under attack from two outsiders, one a Democratic socialist and the other a billionaire businessman.

The former  Bernie Sanders, who doesn't seem to give a hoot about traditional Democratic politics  took the UWM stage opposing Hillary Clinton, who has been on our television screens and our minds for three decades at the highest levels of government.

The build-up to the debate was kind of like being in the Army: hurry up and wait. If you wanted to park in the lot at the UWM Student Union, you had to be there before 11 a.m. The debate itself was still nine hours away.

The press room at noon was dotted with reporters from MSNBC, FOX, local stations and CNN, with senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar busy typing away with facts she might or might not use during her reports. She was eager to chat. She asked about OnMilwaukee, and while we were chatting, she went to the website to to check it out. She said she liked it. And as for the debate?

"This could really be something tonight," she said. "We may see sparks fly."

Everybody who was anybody called the debate a "critical moment" in the campaign. My guess was that calling it "critical" made what they were doing seem more important than covering a debate that was "just another debate," the sixth so far in the long wind-up to the actual election.

Perhaps the most important thing I learned about this debate was that the chances of actually seeing Clinton or Sanders ranged between slim and none, and slim had already left the building. The debate took place across the street from the press headquarters. The UWM Student Union housed the filing room, the spin room and the lounge, operated by Facebook, a co-sponsor of the debate with PBS.

UWM was taking advantage of the occasion by trotting out Vice Chancellor Tom Luljak to encourage the national media to make sure to mention that the debate was at UWM, not just in Milwaukee. He is a skilled administrator, and his efforts seemed to be successful.

(PHOTO: David Bernacchi)

There were lots of big stars in attendance; most were very nice people, like Steve Kornacki of MSNBC, Mike Emanuel of Fox, Keilar from CNN and Kasie Hunt of NBC. And then there was Mark Halperin, one of the biggest named pundits who works for Bloomberg and MSNBC.

I asked him if I could talk for about five minutes. He said he had a live shot coming up in 20 minutes and said he could chat "sometime after that." When we finally got together, I asked him about the nature of being a pundit, the analysis of things that have happened, and the analysis and prediction of things in the future.

"Thats not what I do. My job is to let you people who dont know her know who Hillary Clinton is," he said. I asked him how he analyzed something like a persons character.

"You dont pay my salary," he spat, as he turned and walked away. One might get the impression this is a guy with a serious superstar complex.

Wisconsins Republicans were represented by Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who said she was "here to represent the RNC (Republican National Committee)." She made the rounds of the local TV stations but seemed to be largely ignored by the networks.

She wore the title of "surrogate" for the RNC. A surrogate in this setting is someone who speaks for someone who doesnt want to speak for themselves. Everybody had surrogates Thursday, including the two candidates.

One of the emotions roiling through the press room  which is a much more important and vital room than the actual debate site  was the persistent rumor about a shakeup in the Clinton campaign staff after her New Hampshire shellacking. There is nothing that can shake up a staff like rumors of a shake up in the staff. It makes people uncertain and cautious, the kind of attitude that can destroy a campaign.

(PHOTO: Jessica McBride)

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC chair, was like the famous red rubber ball, bouncing from one television camera to another and another, answering the same questions the same way, over and over, with the party line.

"Our candidates are serious people for a serious time in our history," she said. "Unlike Trump and the other clowns. This is for adults, and we have adults. We want to continue to build on what we have built the last eight years."

That, of course, raised the question of whether Sanders was running against the last eight years of President Barack Obama. Some pundits have suggested that the Vermont senator has distanced himself from the Democratic establishment of Obama.

"Im not going to get into discussing or analyzing what our candidates are doing," she said.

Well then, are you surprised that Clinton has been getting beaten so badly?

"Same answer," she said.

Well then how about the rumors of a shakeup in the Clinton campaign.

"Same answer," she said again, heading off to a bank of seven cameras, each waiting for their own special interview. The question becomes, of course, just what she is willing to discuss if not the positions and campaigns of her two candidates for president.

The most important people at the debate Thursday night, as they are at every campaign appearance, are the media members, talent, crew and producers who get the word out to the world about what the candidates are saying and doing.

The 250 or so members of the traveling party become kind of like a family. They share stories, insecurities, travel advice, horror stories and inside jokes about the candidates and their campaign staffs. And its a loud bunch, especially the crew members.

"Hey, am I going to Minnesota tomorrow?" one shouted to nobody in particular.

"Hell no," came a shout back. "I think you are going to Columbia. Or maybe Charleston."

Kristen Welker, an NBC correspondent covering the Clinton campaign, was one of those who thought the debate was very important to the former Secretary of State.

"The rumors of a staff shakeup may be overstated, but the rumor itself has an impact on her staff," Welker said. "Its hard to run a campaign looking over your shoulder.

"The big thing they are worried about is how can she define herself better for the voters. She needs to simplify her message."

The quiet and gentle tension as the debate approached was interrupted by about 20 protesters who got into the room with signs proclaiming "Black Lives Matter," "Immigrant Justice" and "Fight for $15," arguing for an increase in the minimum wage.

(PHOTO: David Bernacchi)

The media horde, obviously hungering for something to do beside talk to each other and wait around, rushed to the scene. There were over 380 media credentials issued, and the size of the media crowd watching the protest was overwhelming. Finally, the UWM campus police escorted the demonstrators out, and everybody went back to waiting for the gavel to fall and start the actual debate.

After closed circuit telecasts of ROTC students from Hamilton High School, the national anthem, a speech by Wasserman Schultz, some songs by a small choral group, a speech by Vice Chancellor Joan Prince of UWM and another speech by Sharon Percy Rockefeller, the president of PBS, things actually got started.

It was a striking moment when the two candidates walked out on the stage. The entire press room  about 300 strong  stopped talking, stopped typing, stopped eating and started to pay attention.

The candidates came out arguing about health care, with Sanders promising that everyone would be guaranteed health care and Clinton using Obamacare as the kind of reform that must be continued. It was almost a striking example of Clinton hitching her campaign to the Obama presidency and Sanders running away from the way things are now.

The thing about this debate was how it was so unlike the Republican debates that have been held. Nobody called anybody names, nobody got particularly personal and there was a palpable sense that these two wanted to discuss concrete policies and ideas.

When it came to an end, the spin room filled with some reporters and some surrogates came in to try and convince everyone that their candidate won the event. Then everybody packed their bags, put their equipment away and headed for either home or the next stop on this parade to the presidency.
Reprinted from Paul Craig Roberts Website

When one looks at the deplorable state of the world, one cannot help but wonder at the insouciance of the American people. Where are they? Do they exist or are they a myth? Have they been put to sleep by an evil demon? Are they so lost in The Matrix that they cannot get out?

Ever since Clinton's second term the US has been consistently acting internationally and domestically as a criminal, disregarding its own laws, international laws, the sovereignty of other countries, and the US Constitution. A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves.

According to polls, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders are splitting the Democratic vote 50-50 as preferred Democratic presidential candidate. This is extraordinary.

Hillary Clinton represents the interests of Wall Street and the mega-banks, the Israel Lobby, and the interests of the military/security complex. These interests are totally opposed to the interests of the American people.

In his book, What's the Matter with Kansas, Thomas Frank raised the question of why Americans vote against their own interests? Why do Americans go to the voting booth and do themselves in?

Whether you agree with Thomas Frank's answer or not, Americans do, on a regular basis, harm themselves by voting for people who are agents of vested interests diametrically opposed to the interests of American citizens.

How is it possible, if Democrats are informed people, that half of them prefer Hillary Clinton? Between February 2001 and May 2015 Bill and Hillary collected $153 million in speaking fees. The fees averaged $210,795 per speech.

I can remember when Bill and Hillary were in public office when their speeches were free. No one wanted to listen to them when the speeches were free. Clearly, Bill is being paid off for his past services to the powerful interest groups that control the United States, and Hillary is being paid off for her future service to the same groups.

How then is it possible that half of Democrats would prefer Hillary? Is it because she is a woman and women want a woman president more than they want their civil liberties, peace, and employment for themselves, their spouses and their children?

Or is it because, given the presstitute character of the American media, the people haven't a clue?

If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for someone who has been paid off to the tune of $153 million by powerful vested interests who have no concern whatsoever for your interests. In addition, Hillary has the necessary campaign funds from the powerful interest groups for her presidential nomination campaign. As if this isn't damning enough, Hugh Wharton writes that the National Democratic Committee is in league with Hillary to steal, if necessary, the nomination from Sanders and the voters.

In contrast, the interest groups who rule America are not contributing to Sanders.

Therefore, the choice of Sanders is obvious, but 50% of Democrats are too braindead to see it.

Although Hillary is a substantial threat to America, the threat of nuclear war is much greater, and the Democratic Obama regime in the hands of neoconservatives has just greatly amplified the threat of nuclear war.

The United States government, or perhaps we should say the exploiter and deceiver of the American people, has announced a three-fold increase in its military presence on Russia's borders. The excuse for this great boost in the profits and power of the US military-security complex is "Russian aggression."


Education Calculator on Notebook

(Image by nniknak) Details DMCA



It is possible that the school could argue that, because it is a charter, the Principal has additional responsibilities that justify inflating the title to Executive Director and paying a salary that was over 32% higher than the highest paid LAUSD Secondary Principal. However, this would demand an explanation as to why the school also needs to employ a Chief Business Officer with a salary of $158,853 and Chief Operating Officer at a salary of $141,435. Retirement and health costs for these two positions add another $64,215 to the school's costs. These are job titles that are not found in public schools and the only possible explanation for their existence is that they are handling responsibilities that are uniquely required of charters. If this is the case, why is Bauer's pay not in line with his public school counterparts, including those at the affiliated charters?

The third-highest paid employee at GHCHS in 2014 was their Chief Academic Officer with a salary of $150,792. In comparison, the LAUSD's Chief Academic Officer was paid $158,531.98 for overseeing a district of 640,000 students and all grade levels.

Knowing how the school worships at the altar of standardized testing, it is not surprising that they are willing to pay a Testing Coordinator $108,540 a year. What is left unanswered is why that generous salary was not enough to attract someone who was qualified enough to understand that under the law parents can opt their children out of these tests without incurring a penalty. Someone earning that much money should also have enough common sense not to argue that it is important for a tenth grader to take the PSAT again to improve her score after revealing that her previous results were better than the vast majority of the students in all grades.

While taxpayers pay these salaries, they have no say in establishing them. The GHCHS Governing Board is an unelected body. Instead, "Board Members will select and approve by a majority vote, new or continuing Board members." They "do not necessarily have to reside within the GHCHS boundaries" but must "support the School's goals, mission and vision." These Board Members who have been selected by the school they are supposed to oversee go into closed session, away from the prying eyes of stakeholders, to conduct their "public employee performance evaluation" of the Executive Director.

The ability of GHCHS to use taxpayer money to pay inflated salaries without public input provides another example of the LAUSD's failure to provide oversight of the charter schools. As the authorizer of the charter school, the District is supposed to make sure that the school is complying with both their charter and the law. Unfortunately, the LAUSD seems to be unable to do their job. The last GHCHS charter renewal that was approved by the LAUSD School Board included a Governing Board that included teachers elected by their peers. However, after this renewal GHCHS removed these teachers from their Governing Board and replaced them with at-large members that were appointed by the Board. The LAUSD Charter School Division (CSD) ruled "that [this] did not constitute a material revision requiring LAUSD Board approval." When pressed for an explanation, the CSD stated that the change was made due to IRS concerns. However, when asked to provide copies of the correspondence from the IRS regarding this issue, the school's representative responded that they did not exist. The only exchange between the school and the CSD occurred when the school informed the District of the change without giving any explanation. Several members of the LAUSD Board have been made aware that they were not given the opportunity to approve this change but they have yet to make a move to protect the rights of their constituents. With Eli Broad threatening to increase the number of charter schools within the District, the Board needs to make it clear to the CSD that usurping their power is not acceptable and that they must vote on all material revisions to the charters that they have authorized.

____________________________________________

I am a former candidate for the District 3 seat on the LAUSD School Board, founder of Change The LAUSD and member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. Opinions are my own.


Marine Le Pen

(Image by Remi Noyon) Details DMCA



Appeared in The Public i, newspaper of the Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center, V. 16, No. 1, January 2016

The Left has done well in some recent elections in Southern Europe in Greece, Portugal, and, most recently, Spain. But not in France. The Socialists, who are now in power, took a terrible beating in the December 2015 regional elections.

The Political Context

There are a number of reasons for this discontent with the status quo. There is very high unemployment, especially among young people. The social democratic Socialist Party has not been able to do much about that. President Hollande is an uninspiring character and there are few politicians in that party who seem to have the stature or the intellectual and political acumen or stature of some of the historical Socialist leaders, such as Jaures, Blum, Mendes-France, or even Mitterrand. There are immigrants and their French-born children, mostly from North Africa, who are relatively poorly educated or trained and suffer the greatest impact of unemployment. Nevertheless, they, as well as the government, have often been blamed for the unemployment of French people with long ancestral roots in the country. And there is "terrorism." Terrorism is not new to France. During the Algerian war in the early 1960s, right-wing terrorists, some of them associated with the French military, used bombings and assassination attempts (including against President De Gaulle) to try to prevent France from recognizing Algeria as an independent country. For several years now, there have been a series of violent attacks against Jewish people stimulated by anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian sentiments. And, in 2015, there were terrorist attacks against journalists who have been seen as insulting Islam, as well as against public places in response to the French government's role in fighting what it regards as dangerous Islamic extremists in Mali, Iraq, and Syria.

Economic, racial, and religious-based resentment against immigrants and their children and increasingly deadly terrorism have proved to be fertile ground for the far-right party called the National Front (Front National). The Front has its roots in a long history of French pro-monarchy, fascist, anti-Semitic, and racist movements. The Front's historical predecessor was the Action Francaise (French Action) which, after it was banned, "relegalized" itself by changing its name to Amitie Francaise (French Friendship). This organization was fiercely anti-republican. It was a strong supporter of the Catholic Church and resented the secularism of French republicanism. Its members collaborated with the Nazi occupation of northern France, and with the puppet French Vichy government in the southern half of France. It supported Franco's fascist-monarchical side in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s.

The National Front Seizes the Advantage

A good part of the reason that the French Left is in such tatters is the political astuteness of the Le Pen family and their followers. Papa Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is now in his mid-eighties, was affiliated with the Action Francaise when he was a law student in Paris. After that he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. After the "fall" of Vietnam from French control in the 1950s, he was elected to the National Assembly as a member of the Poujadist party, a populist right-wing group based largely on small shopkeeper and rural support. During the Algerian war for independence from France in the early 1960s, he served as an intelligence officer in the military. He has been accused of torturing captured Algerian independence fighters, a charge he denies.

In 1972, he, along with collaborationists during the Nazi occupation and the Vichy government, former right-wing terrorists who tried to keep Algeria under French control, former members of Amitie Francaise, and other rightists, formed the Front National. It was openly anti-Semitic and anti-Arab, except for the Algerians who had collaborated with the French to prevent Algerian independence. Le Pen was a constant Front candidate for the presidency, running in 1974, 1988, 1995, 2002, and 2007.

He did not have much success until 2002, when he made it to the second round of the presidential elections. Prior to that he had won election to the French National Assembly, to the European Parliament, and to a number of local government positions.

In 2011, Jean-Marie, then 83, left his position of chair of the Front, becoming honorary chair. His place as real chair was taken by his daughter, Marine Le Pen. She, too, had graduated in law from the University of Paris. She is an extremely gifted orator and has tried to give, at least outwardly, a softer veneer to the Front. This brought her into conflict with her father, who continued to spout anti-Semitic in statements, including belittling the significance of the Holocaust. He was convicted in court for some of his remarks. In August 2015, she engineered the expulsion of her father from the Front. The next month he formed his own political group. But the Front still has two Le Pens who serve on its Executive Board and run for office, Jean-Marie's granddaughter and Marine's niece, Marion Marchal-Le Pen. Marion is the youngest member of the French National Assembly, and the Front's shining star, second only to Marine.

I contended that Marine tried to give a "veneer" to the party, because it is doubtful that its members have actually shed their anti-Semitism. But it does not play well if the Front is seriously interested in capturing the French presidency. Moreover, because of the context discussed above, she and her movement had enough ammunition without using open anti-Semitism, which many in France and abroad would find unacceptable. Indeed, after already pushing both the Socialists and the opposition center-right Republican Party (led by former president Sarkozy) further to the right, the Front scored a stunning success in the first of the two rounds of the December 2015 regional elections. They won in two regions, Pas-de Calais-Picardy, Marine Le Pen's region, and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, niece Marion's region. They got 40% of the vote in those two regions, and a national average of 27.7%. The Front pulled a significant number of votes from people who had previously voted for the Left. Pas de Calais in northwestern France is where many former voters on the left are unemployed and where thousands of Middle Eastern and African immigrants are amassed in the port city of Calais hoping to make their way to England. The Front's anti-immigration and anti-Islamic stands resonated there. So did the Front's casting of European Union structures and the open borders as undemocratic and destructive of French national sovereignty and France's ability to control its borders, a casting that is more rational and has wider appeal than its racist xenophobia, although in real life they can converge in the minds of voters.

The Socialists helped prevent a Front victory in those two districts by a unilateral sacrifice. They had proposed to the Republicans that they each withdraw where they were weakest and throw their support to the other. When Sarkozy's Republicans refused, the Socialist candidates (with one exception) nevertheless withdrew. Even without this, the Front might have lost those two regions because some people who had not voted in the first round voted in the second, and others who cast votes for the Front in the first round might have engaged in a protest vote and then changed their vote in the second.

But Marine will be back in 2017 in a campaign for the French presidency. If the very unpopular former President Sarkozy insists on running as the Republican candidate and gets the backing of the party, she stands a far better chance of winning the presidency than her father had in 2002. If she does win, France could resemble xenophobic, ultranationalist Hungary. Given growing anti-immigrant and ultranationalist sentiments in some of the other Western European countries, including Germany, that could help stimulate a drastically negative change in the face of Europe as a whole.

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"There is really no national presidential election; it takes place in 50 states plus the District of Columbia."--Hecht and Schultz

"[S]wing states are only relevant in relatively close elections."--David W. Beachler

This riveting, excellently edited collection of essays on ten swing states and two others, "pre-swing" and "post-swing," is well preceded by two richly explanatory introductions and a conclusion that lend clear perspectives to the whole. The balance of the book focuses on what the volume editors consider the ten swing states that these days decide presidential elections. The other states, plus the District of Columbia, eagerly watch the race and at the same time concentrate down ballot on others who can support their favorite candidate at both the campaign and subsequent, crucial level[s]. So their incentive to vote is still strong.

One shouldn't tell these others to stay home this November. Even those in the taxed but under-represented District of Columbia. Professor Schultz also notes that a visit from one candidate on behalf of a down-ballot co-partisan may actually do more harm than good. [1]

Definitions are of course crucial and are clarified soon after the first paragraphs. What is a swing state? It is one that changes partisan affiliation often in presidential elections; it is one whose own elections are close; it is also called a battleground (also called "competitive") state, where candidates campaign the most frequently, and a bellwether state when its decisions are identical with the country's ultimate presidential choices. Ohio and Nevada have assumed this status most recently, each one accurately voting for the winning candidate the most often in recent history, and each has selected the "wrong" candidate only once during that time. In addition, no Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, therefore the ultimate bellwether state.

The introduction contains a history of the use of the term "swing state," which first appeared in the New York Times and spread from there in the 2000s. It also focuses on the new expression "purple state," a product of the proliferation of the distinction between "red" and "blue" states, also in the 2000s. Purple is a mixture of these two: Iowa, for example, contains Democrats and Independents in its urban eastern side and Republicans in its rural west. Party affiliations divide evenly into thirds: Republican, Democratic, and Independent. Through nonpartisan redistricting and ease of changing partisan affiliations depending on the candidates, Iowa has evolved from a red state to a purple state. As the first state in the union to caucus, it is crucial and focal and candidates flock to it early and often, as they do to New Hampshire, where the first primaries are held soon after Iowa's caucuses. The Granite State also evolved to purple from red, but for different reasons! All of the press attracted by these "first state" statuses mobilizes voters. In New Hampshire, demographics have shifted as aging boomers and yuppies have moved in but commute to Massachusetts. These populations trend Democratic, away from the state's traditional red status, and fully 40 percent of voters declare themselves to be Independents.

But there have always been competitive states, as Rob Richie and his research institute Fairvote have observed. Why now is the term so ubiquitous and definitive? One answer is that there is a "decline in the real number of states that are competitive where either one of the major party candidates has a real chance of winning." No more whistle-stop train trips throughout the country with hat-tips to all Americans. It should be cheaper to campaign in fewer states, but expenditures have massively burgeoned, due in part to the Citizens United decision, due in part to the increasing polarization between the parties. Ballots or bills? That's a name I have assigned to this throbbing tension. Ballots are how Democrats largely fight, while the Republicans rely on their massive bank accounts, more globalized, at the same time doing all they can to reduce the number of Democratic voters.

The real decider, of course, the bottom line that defines swinging, is electoral votes, not popular votes, though the editors allow for the possibility of swinging in the latter scenario. Only four times in history, three times in the nineteenth century and once in the twenty-first, has the presidency gone to the winner of electoral votes whose opponent has won the popular vote. Many believe that John Kerry won Ohio's electoral votes in 2004 but was cheated out of them through various behind-the scene digital as well as above-ground devices, which would bring the total to five.

But the volume editors conclude, after quoting numerous definitions, that "the concept swing state is not precisely defined" (but another political scientist uses the terms "critical states" or "close states" and still another uses the term "tight state." Then there is the term "marginal" and the description "state where the presidential election in a state is won by 5 percent of votes or fewer." The editors then focus on swing voters and another rich conversation follows--their numbers in this country are increasing and "it is the swing voter who controls the balance of power in elections." There are probably as many terms for swing voters as there are for swing states, with the same subtle variations as discussed above. "Undecided," "nonpartisan," "another party," and "unaffiliated" are just a few.

Ultimately, "[a] swing state is more than a state that is competitive or a battleground state." It is a state whose presidential election results are hard to predict and one with "a proven track record of actually having flipped back and forth in terms of going for a Democrat or a Republican candidate in recent presidential elections." Four criteria follow for which states were chosen as swing states in this study: briefly, "competitive," "bellwether," "flips (due to "unstable partisan conditions")," and "battleground" features. They were measured for the period 1988-2012, a time period when their number shrank to around 10 and stayed at that number. They constitute 115 electoral votes, or 42.5 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency. During a president's first term, they are somewhat likely to be the recipients of political favors, write the editors.

These ten states are Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Iowa. Missouri used to be one and Indiana may become one, and so discussions of these two are also included to illustrate how a state joins the swing category or exits from it.

Chapter 1, Scott L. McLean's "Purple Battlegrounds," discusses the overall issues further. The opposite of a swing state is a landslide, or "uncompetitive" state. Where the winning margin exceeds 10 percent, we have a "blowout state." Election 2012 was a "blowout win," but not a landslide--four states were awarded to the winner by less than five percentage points: Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina, the smallest numbers in modern history. Other recent elections with similar but larger numbers were landslides.

Such history, besides being fascinating, is eye-opening. The history of the Electoral College is included, briefly; Tocqueville is quoted--campaign seasons are like storms, "confined to the most competitive states," paraphrases McLean, while calm reigns throughout the rest of the country. More history follows. Riveting. Campaign strategies don't necessarily center around swing states. Remember, the number of a state's electoral votes also matters, making Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral votes, a battleground state even though its electoral votes have gone to the Democratic presidential candidate since 1992. Recall the priceless anecdote about the Republican state house speaker who rejoiced when he thought voter ID would be required in the Quaker State in 2012. Then, surely, Romney would win the state, he proclaimed. The law was thrown out.

Witness the long lines of people waiting to vote in the New Hampshire primaries this year, not to mention the huge lines of traffic. Swing states attract more voters because they receive the huge majority of attention from the "major party" campaigns while the other states are ignored. That amounted to 39 states plus the District of Columbia in 2012, what are referred to sometimes as "spectator states" also. Swing states tend to be evenly divided between the red and blue parties. FairVote's definition of a swing state is one where "the presidential vote totals are between 47% and 53% of the candidate's national percentage of the vote," according to McLean. The number of swing states is declining. The number of Independent voters is rising but the campaigns would be addressing the future rather than the present by focusing efforts on them where they reside in uncompetitive (there's another term!) states. Independents in swing states are another story. There are larger numbers of independent voters in swing states than in others. In New Hampshire's 2016 primary, many voters remained undecided up to the moment they voted. I met a man in DC swinging between Sanders and Trump. No Kasich. No Clinton.

What would happen if the Electoral College were eliminated in favor of the popular vote? McLean warns readers to be careful what they wish for. Campaigns would focus on regions, like central Florida's I-4 (see below), rather than the whole country. Every vote would still not count equally. The buck rather than the ballot would still be the dark cloud preying on democracy. "They would begin to focus the most [on] densely populated areas, or on regions where they find high percentages of hardcore partisans as well as persuadable independents that can be mobilized on election day."

Among the other chapters, each swing state is turned inside-out to determine the causes of this descriptor--they are sometimes comparable, as listed above, and shifting demographics figure into many profiles, but each contains unique features. In addition to focusing on "swing" factors and origins, each chapter discusses the state's political history and other important traits and how all of these subjects will affect the outcome of Election 2016. There are endnotes, recommended readings, as well as ample bibliographies.
Rubio: "Donald Trump has zero foreign policy experience. Negotiating a hotel deal in another country is not foreign policy experience."

The truth of Rubio's brag is that he is the robot of the neoconservative Israel lobby. His biggest backer when he ran for Senate five years ago was Norman Braman, a Florida billionaire who accompanied Rubio on the politician's first trip to Israel days after the election.

Notwithstanding his poor work in New Hampshire, Rubio is still credible today because he has neocon godfather Bill Kristol's backing and still hopes to win the Sheldon Adelson Primary: getting the millions of dollars in support that Sheldon Adelson can provide. Adelson has said, "There's no such thing as a Palestinian"; Rubio has said it's impossible to have a Palestinian state. Adelson has called on President Obama to nuke Iran, not negotiate. Rubio has said that he would tear up the Iran deal on day one of his presidency. Talk about scripted!

A real discussion of Rubio's fall ought to entail some meditation of that rise. Why was a man of such limited political seasoning heralded as a plausible establishment presidential candidate? One reason only, because Rubio had the support of the rightwing Israel lobby. Sadly, Donald Trump is more likely to talk about this important factor than the media. He warned weeks ago that Rubio was about to become Sheldon Adelson's "perfect little puppet." And last week an Adelson paper endorsed Rubio for president.

It's an old pattern. The lobby seeks out young rising talents -- or to use Will Rogers' definition of a politician, the best looking man money can buy -- and helps make their careers. Bill Kristol once bragged at AIPAC about the grooming of Senator/Vice President Dan Quayle. Early on, Hart Hasten, a Holocaust survivor and Indianapolis businessman, cultivated Quayle, "spent a lot of time" with him as a congressman, and shaped Quayle's view of Israel. As Quayle rose, Kristol himself took over the grooming, becoming Quayle's chief of staff.

Kristol also pushed the career of Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, 38. Cotton spent just one term in the House before leaping to the Senate in 2014 with a $1 million campaign donation from the Emergency Committee for Israel, Kristol's organization. Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin hailed Cotton, saying that with Joe Lieberman leaving the Senate, "hawks" had fewer lawmakers "devoted to national security." Just what Rubio has devoted himself to.

Cotton was in office only a few weeks last year when he took up the battle against the Iran deal, writing the notorious letter to the ayatollahs (signed by the 47 traitors) saying that the president had limited authority to cut a deal.

Of course, the neoconservative Israel lobby failed to kill the Iran deal last year, and even if Marco Rubio becomes president, he won't be able to kill the deal in 2017. But the rightwing lobby remains a potent force inside the Republican Party because of money.

Last night on Hardball, Margaret Carlson of Bloomberg News said that Chris Christie had been called by party leaders to pull in his horns on Marco Rubio. He'd gone too far against "a rising star," Christie was told. Carlson is surely referring to rightwing supporters of Israel who can raise a lot of money for New Jersey politicians. New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker are both ardent Israel backers. Menendez was one of four Democrats to oppose the Iran deal, and Booker had to apologize a lot when he supported it. At least Hillary Clinton runs against the Koch Brothers and the gun lobby. No one calls out the Israel lobby.

I'm betting that Rubio will hang around. That in spite of his miserable turn in New Hampshire, his candidacy will be revived. He's just too useful to the rightwing lobby.

Thanks to Adam Horowitz
Reprinted from Campaign For America's Future

Thursday night's Democratic debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin once more featured strong performances from both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Each consolidated the support of his or her followers. Neither suffered a blow that would damage their prospects. And in contrast to the Republican slugfests, the debate was far more substantive and informed.

Each candidate displayed the strengths that brought them here. Sanders was gruff, impassioned and clear. He hammered his message forcefully and clearly. Clinton was skilled and well briefed, adding sharp details to appeal to her audience. She is far more skilled in wielding the stiletto than Sanders, who is both less interested and clearly less comfortable in doing so. He indicts an "establishment politics and economics" of which she is a part; she effectively throws elbows and darts and, as Sanders complained, a "low blow" or two to bloody her opponent.

South Carolina and Nevada

With the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary looming, the candidates and the questions turned to the concerns of their far more diverse voting populations. Both adjusted their message to appeal to them in characteristic ways.

Sanders is the hedgehog; he knows one big thing. He forcefully presents the calamity of a corrupted politics and rigged economy. Last night, he elevated criminal justice reform and immigration reform in his message. Yet his most insightful moment was when he noted how the financial collapse brought on by Wall Street's excesses hit African Americans and Latinos the hardest, wiping out the dreams and much of the wealth of these communities.

Clinton is the fox; she knows many things. Her refurbished message going forward is that she will fight to knock down "all the barriers" that limit people -- from racism, to sexism, to xenophobia, etc. She concluded, somewhat disingenuously, that she is not a "single-issue candidate and America is not a single-issue country." This rings of a sound bite cooked up by a too clever by half campaign operative. The implication -- that Sanders indictment of a corrupted politics and rigged economy -- is a "single issue" is risible.

Obama, Obama, Obama

President Obama is immensely popular among Democrats. He is particularly popular among African-American voters in South Carolina who will constitute a majority of the electorate in the Democratic primary. He has served with grace and dignity in the White House, even in the face of extreme obstruction and insult from Republicans.

Yet, we have a country still struggling to recover from what Joseph Stiglitz now calls a long depression. Two thirds of the country think we're on the wrong track. Voters are desperate for fundamental change, and increasingly get that the deck is stacked against them. The Democratic nominee must be a voice of change, not of continuity. So Sanders and Clinton have to decide how to navigate that.

Clinton's response last night was to wrap herself around Obama and hug as tightly as possible. She praised him regularly. She invoked him to defend her super PAC and big-money fundraising (It was Obama's super PAC that decided to support her.) She waited to the final moment of the debate and then savaged Sanders for criticizing Obama.

This is a strategy clearly designed for the primaries. The Clintons know from experience that voters have short memories. If she gets the nomination, Clinton will reset her rhetoric to make herself the champion of change. But for now, she's happy to present herself as Obama's heir apparent.

Sanders also praises Obama regularly. But he clearly is challenging business as usual in Washington, and that includes Obama. He embraces Obama on foreign policy rather than mapping out an independent position there. He would like voters to know that he respects the president, even as he summons a political revolution to change the country. He is inescapably an agent of big change. We will see how that plays.

Domestic Policy: We're All Democrats Now

Both Sanders and Clinton want a more activist government that raises more taxes and spends more money. Bill Clinton's "era of big government is over" is over. For those of us old enough to have fought the wars with the New Dems, it is a delight to see Democrats arguing about who has the best plan to enhance Social Security benefits; make college tuition-free; provide paid family leave; move to universal, affordable health care. Sanders has driven this debate, and keeps winning more and more ground.

Clinton once more lacerated Sanders' pledge of moving to "Medicare for all." Polls show that it is possible to scare voters who have health care about losing what they have, and she's intent on doing just that. Sanders must do a better job of arraying the experts and the facts for his case. Clinton's contrast of Medicare for all vs. our current system based on "the insurance system, based on exchanges, based on a subsidy system" had to make her advisors wince. That is a good introduction to why Medicare for all would save people money.
Reprinted from Sputnik



Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

(Image by U.S. Department of State, Channel: statevideo) Details DMCA



The Syrian charade now proceeds under a vague "cessation of hostilities" -- which is not a ceasefire -- to be implemented within a week. Further on down the road, as this is the real world, "hostilities" will inevitably resume.

As Lavrov stressed multiple times, "we made proposals on implementing a ceasefire, quite specific ones." And yet Washington and the Saudi-Turkish combo relented. A frightened, cornered House of Saud -- with its remote-controlled "moderate rebel" gaggle being routed on the ground -- even started spinning the ludicrous notion of sending ground troops, a.k.a., a bunch of mercenaries, to "help the US effort" against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS).

The monkey business reached such a level of un-sustainability that Russian premier Dmitry Medvedev felt compelled to tell an interviewer from Germany's Handelsblatt, "The Americans and our [Arab] partners must think hard about this: Do they want a permanent war?"

Sultan Erdogan and the House of Saud certainly do -- because their Syrian regime change dreams are in tatters. But the lame duck Obama administration's case is way more complicated.



True to its trademark, clueless foreign policy mode, there's not much left for Team Obama except spinning.

The proverbial unnamed "US officials" spin on overdrive on Western corporate media that this postponed "cessation of hostilities" is a Russian trap -- as Washington wanted an immediate ceasefire (no wonder; CIA remote-controlled "moderate rebels" are also being routed.) European and Arab vassals spin that Damascus and Moscow are "torpedoeing the peace efforts."

And yet Kerry caved in -- to realism, actually. Lavrov must have made it very clear the two non-negotiables for Russia; win the Battle of Aleppo, still in progress, and seal the Syria/Turkey border against any manifestation of the Jihadi Highway, "moderate" or otherwise.

Do the Munich Spin

There's a nifty historical echo about the war in Syria being negotiated in parallel to the Munich Security Conference -- traditionally dedicated to global security. But the most pressing question is whether this new Munich Pact will actually hold.

What's certain is that Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS) and al-Nusra Front, a.k.a, al-Qaeda in Syria, will keep being targeted by both Russians and Americans even after the "cessation of hostilities."

The "4+1" coalition -- Russia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, plus Hezbollah -- will also keep targeting every outfit remotely connected with Jabhat al-Nusra (and they are legion).

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) will for its part intensify its attacks against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS). Call it the "all roads lead to Raqqa" syndrome. As soon as the Syria/Turkey border is sealed -- with crucial input by the YPG Kurds -- the march to Raqqa will be inevitable.

This is the ground scenario for the next few days. So no wonder the Saudi-Turkish combo is absolutely desperate; if they as much as try to support their "moderate rebels" with their aerial assets, they will be reduced to ashes by the Russian Air Force.



Enter extra Exceptionalistan spin, according to which NATO is "exploring the possibility" of joining the US-led from behind coalition against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS).

This is nonsense; the Pentagon is already implicated. Major powers at NATO such as France and Germany want to extricate themselves from a Syrian crisis, not to get into a ground war. The whole charade amounts to Turkey's Sultan Erdogan desperately trying, over and over again, to get NATO into the fray, even if it that takes a lethal provocation of Russia; after all his dream -- now in tatters -- of creating a "safe zone" on the Turkey/Syria border refuses to die.

That Hostile Sultan

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Reprinted from Campaign For America's Future

Many say we should "run government like a business" and "save money" by "cutting spending" and "making government smaller." Does this work? Do We the People really save money by doing these things?

Have you heard the phrase "penny-wise and pound-foolish"? How about "a stitch in time saves nine"? Maybe "eating the seed corn?" When government "saves money," all of these snippets of time-honored wisdom, warning of what happens to those who try to "do it on the cheap," should come to mind.

Infrastructure

You can "save money" by not changing the oil in your car. But have you ever seen a car that has never had its oil changed? After a while white smoke pours out the back because the rings are ruined. Other parts of the engine are also being ruined. Eventually the engine will seize up and quit and you have to either replace the engine or scrap the car. A simple and inexpensive procedure every few months would have prevented many thousands of dollars in expenses later.

After the Reagan tax cuts we "made government smaller" in several ways that are coming back to bite us now. One way we "saved money" by not "changing the oil" was by deferring maintenance of the country's infrastructure -- the water systems, levees, dams, roads, bridges, airports, ports, rails systems, electrical systems, and the rest of the things we all rely on to bring us safe water, get us to work, ship products and generally move our economy and live our lives.

Now the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) most recent "Infrastructure Report Card" estimates we need to spend $3.6 trillion just to bring the infrastructure up to where it should be, never mind catching up to the rest of the word with high-speed rail and smart electrical grid systems. The bill is getting more expensive every year, and people are dying as bridges, roads and other important infrastructure components fail. Thousands died in New Orleans when the levees failed.

Deferring maintenance is also known as eating the seed corn. As the infrastructure deteriorates, businesses find it harder to get things done, people find it harder to get to work. The prosperity that comes from good infrastructure erodes, so the tax base erodes, the problems accelerate. This is also known as, "Hey look around you in 2016 America."

Flint

The Flint tragedy shows how much money "big government" actually saves us.

Michigan Republicans tried to "save money," "make government smaller" and run the city of Flint "like a business." Thousands of human beings ended up being poisoned. Now someone is going to have to pay to cover the health care needs of all those people. That someone might be the people themselves or maybe all of us will pitch in through our government, but a cost is a cost.

Someone will need to cover either the remedial education cost for all the kids whose brains were affected by lead, or the societal costs if this is not done. Then there is the cost to replace Flint's water pipes, the cost of plunging property values, the cost of all the businesses that will choose to leave or not locate in Flint.

Costs, costs, costs, some borne by government, most borne by individuals but costs nonetheless -- because Republicans said we should "run government like a business" and "save money."

Flint shows how basic government spending saves all of us from paying the enormous costs of living with the danger of unsafe water.

Cutting Senior Nutrition Programs

The post "Here's A Sequester Cut You'll Feel In Your Gut" described the results from budget cuts forced by Republicans wanting to make government "smaller." The "sequester" cuts in senior nutritional programs caused seniors to need to be hospitalized for malnutrition -- which costs government a tremendous amount more than the "savings" from cutting.
Oregon Senate Republicans

Salem, Ore.  Yesterday, Senate Democrats killed a bill on the Senate floor that would have mandated a minimum of 28% of state funds go toward K-12 education and public safety. In contrast, Washington State allocated 46% of their state budget for education and public safety. In the 2015-2017 biennium, Oregon spent less than 25% of the state budget on schools.

We need to stop the irreversible damage Democrats have done to education in Oregon and require that a minimum 28% of our total budget is spent on the top priorities for Oregonians: education and public safety, explained Senator Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River). By doing this, we can meet the quality education model, reduce class sizes, add school days, hire new teachers and keep our communities safe.

The motion to pull SJR 204 to the Senate floor for a vote failed on party lines. All 18 Senate Democrats voted against considering the measure to ensure full funding for K-12 education in coming years.

Shortly after the motion failed, Senate Democrats voted in a controversial minimum wage mandate that will cost Oregon school districts the equivalent of 361 teachers over the next three biennia.
The website of "The FALL" Fan Club of Oregon State University Wrestling
FMF to Pakistan to focus on seven priority areas: US administration

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has informed Congress that it is committed to improving Pakistans precision strike capability, which is seen as a veiled reference to F-16 fighter jets.



In a document released this week, the US administration told US lawmakers that its Foreign Military Funding (FMF) to Pakistan would focus on seven priority areas identified and agreed to with the government of Pakistan.



These include precision strike; air mobility and combat search and rescue; counter-improvised explosive device and survivability; battlefield communications; night operations; border security; and maritime security/counter-narcotics in support of counter-terrorism aims.



Pakistani embassy says that despite reservations among some lawmakers, sale of F-16s is on

The document, sent to Congress with the administrations budget proposals for 2017, identifies these areas as essential to enhancing Pakistans counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism capabilities.



F-16s have proven to be the most potent vehicle for conducting precision strikes against terrorists, said Nadeem Hotiana, a spokesman for the Pakistan Embassy in Washington while explaining why Islamabad needed the fighter jets.



The embassy acknowledged that there were some reservations in Congress about this sale but the deal was still on.



We understand that the deal has not been blocked. We intend to continue engaging constructively with the US side to address specific concerns, Mr Hotiana said.



On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry sent his departments annual budget to Congress, proposing a financial assistance of $859.8 million for Pakistan, including $265 million for military hardware.



Pakistan says that the military funding is used for countering terrorists who have been using their hideouts on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border to destabilise the entire region.



Counter-terrorism lies at the heart of cooperation under existing Defence Cooperation Framework between Pakistan and the United States, Mr Hotiana said. And the F-16 is an essential tool in this fight.



Pakistan is trying to buy eight Block 52, F-16 fighters to complete a squadron but faces strong resistance in Congress.



On Wednesday, Republican senator Bob Corker sent a letter to Secretary Kerry describing the proposed sale as immensely problematic.



I do not want US taxpayer dollars going to support these acquisitions, Mr Corker wrote.



He accused Pakistan of continuing to support the Haqqani Network and working with them to destabilise Afghanistan.



Another Republican lawmaker, Congressman George Holding, also opposed the sale, calling Pakistan an unreliable and unwilling partner in the war against terrorism. He also said that he did not see how F-16s could help Pakistans military operations against terrorists.



Pakistan rejects these objections as unreasonable and points out that the F-16s had been extremely helpful in the fight.



Pakistani officials say that terrorists hide in civilian areas, which increases the risk of so-called collateral damage, civilians getting killed in the fight.



But the F-16s are so precise that they drastically reduce this collateral damage, said a Pakistani official who did not want to be identified.



The Pakistan Embassy said that as a frontline state in the war against terror, Pakistan has been most actively engaged in a sustained military campaign.



Pakistans efforts had received global recognition and appreciation, including at the senior levels of US Administration, he added.



Insinuations of facilitating the destabilising role of Haqqani network in Afghanistan in any way are indeed unfortunate, Mr Hotiana said.



He said that Congress had also been consistently supportive in building Pakistans counter-terrorism capabilities of which precision strike capability is an important pillar.
IS has no organised presence in Pakistan: FO

ISLAMABAD: Despite intelligence warnings that the militant Islamic State (IS) group is an emerging threat, Foreign Office insists that the Middle Eastern terrorist group has no organised presence in the country.



Let me reiterate that there is no organised presence of Daesh, the Arabic acronym for IS, in Pakistan, FO spokesman Nafees Zakaria said on Thursday.



The new spokesman, who was holding his first media briefing, was answering a question about the testimony by Aftab Sultan, the chief of the Intelligence Bureau, the lead civilian intelligence agency, before a Senate committee on Wednesday that IS was an emerging threat, particularly because of the support of local terrorist and extremist organisations, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Sipah-i-Sahaba (now operating under the name of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.



IS has been discussed as an emerging threat at different national forums in the past as well.



Speaking at a corps commanders conference on Wednesday, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif cautioned about local abettors of terrorists. However, he did not directly link his observation to IS.



Foreign Office has all along maintained that IS is not a major security threat for the country, but such assertions have failed to quash fears about the group, which has found a foothold in neighbouring Afghanistan and reports about its activities inside Pakistan keep coming.



Several sleeper cells and recruiting rings of IS are said to have been busted by security agencies.



The spokesman said that Pakistan and India were in touch with each other for convening a meeting of their foreign secretaries, which had been delayed because of the recent attack on an airbase in Pathankot.



The two sides understand that dialogue is the only way to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries. They are in contact to finalise the dates for the talks, Mr Zakaria said.



The meeting, which would decide the modalities and schedule of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue --- the framework agreed for resuming bilateral dialogue --- was earlier planned for January 15. While postponing the meeting under the shadow of the Pathankot attack, the two countries had agreed to hold the meeting soon.



The scheduling of the meeting is apparently being held up because Pakistani investigators looking into alleged involvement of Jaish-e-Muhammad in the attack are yet to report progress.



I do not have information about the conclusion of the investigation. However, the two sides remain in contact with each other on all matters related to bilateral issues, the spokesman said.



The Foreign Office continued to maintain its ambivalence about the possibility of Pakistani involvement in ground intervention in Syria being planned by Saudi Arabia.



Answering a question about the Saudi plans and Pakistans position, the spokesman said: Pakistan has consistently supported all regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. It is in this context that we have welcomed the coalition against terrorism. Details will be worked out at experts level.



A contingent of Pakistan Army is participating in military exercises codenamed Raad Al-Shamal in Saudi Arabia. Twenty-one Muslim and Arab countries are participating in the exercise.
Military,civilian leadership on the same page in peace initiatives with India: Musharraf

Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Thursday said Pakistan's military and civilian leadership are on the same page regarding peace initiatives with India, but added that he does not see any progress in dialogue on core issues as India is only interested in discussing their own problems.



Giving an interview to an Indian news channel, India Today, the former military ruler asserted that military is "200 per-cent" on board regarding the peace process with India but "India only wants to talk about its own issues like Mumbai and Pathankot. It wants to dominate and bully Pakistan".



"India derailed the peace process every time and it only wants to discuss terrorism," Musharraf said.



Answering a question about Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar, Musharraf termed Azhar a terrorist because he is "involved in terrorist activities across Pakistan", but repeated his stance that whoever is fighting in Kashmir is a freedom fighter.



When asked about the revelations of David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American who allegedly helped plan 2008 Mumbai attacks, the former president said he cannot comment on any of Headley's statements until he is in Indian intelligence's custody because "he can be manipulated and can be forced to say anything".



"I don't believe what he's saying unless our investigation and intelligence says the same," Musharraf maintained.



It is pertinent to note here that in December last year Musharraf had told BBC Urdu that those fighting in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) were 'mujahideen' and 'freedom fighters' and not terrorists as India calls them.



Considering the atrocities and the treatment meted out to the Muslim majority in IHK, several groups such as Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Muhammad emerged. They were ready to lay down their lives for their Kashmiri brethren, we call them freedom fighters, not Taliban or terrorist, Musharraf had said.



The former army chief had also claimed that there was no 'Taliban presence' in Kashmir.



Earlier this week, David Headley gave an Indian court in Mumbai the details of his role in planning the Mumbai attack, in which more than 160 people were killed over three days when a group of 10 men rampaged across the city.



Headley repeated the statements he had made earlier, blaming Pakistan's main spy agency of its alleged involvement in planning the attack's preparations and execution.
Nawaz Sharif back to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD  Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came back after completing his two-day official visit to Qatar.



Besides other engagements, the prime ministers visit featured the signing of a landmark agreement between the two governments wherein Pakistan would import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Qatar to cope with its energy needs.



The prime minister landed at Nur Khan Airbase along with his delegation including Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Chief of Air Staff Sohail Aman.
World powers agreed to cease hostilities in Syria: John Kerry

MUNICH: World powers on Friday agreed on an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-wracked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at ending the five-year war.



The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said United States (US) Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.



The International Syria Support Group also agreed "to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately".



"Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas," said Kerry.



An onslaught on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo by Syrian government troops, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, derailed peace talks this month and forced 50,000 people to flee.



The bombardments have left the opposition virtually encircled and observers say 500 people have died since they began on February 1, the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.



Kerry said talks between rebels and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper".



"What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said.



Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that "whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days".



"When the whole world sees whether today's agreements are kept and implemented by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia," he said.



The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a "new world war" if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.



But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign.



Lavrov called "for direct contacts between the Russian and US military" in Syria.



Kerry said the cessation of hostilities, an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire would apply to all groups apart from "the terrorist organisations" of the militant Islamic State (IS) group and Al Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra.



But Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.



The two traded accusations on Thursday, with the Pentagon claiming two Russian air strikes had destroyed hospitals in Aleppo and denying Russian claims that US planes had struck the city.



Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has benefited from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis it has created in Europe.



Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.



Instead, it has sought to focus more on combatting IS that has taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces.



"The US has given up the idea of toppling Assad," said Camille Grand, of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. "Kerry seems willing to accept pretty much anything to resolve the crisis."



The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".
A selection of UN TV programmes, webcasts and video clips on issues in the news
The Passionate for Art blog is an archive of Gale O'Brien's art reviews originally written for QCLAPS ~ Albuquerque Community Live Arts & Performance Services. Gale is an award-winning author, speaker, and professional life and business coach.
Jillian Kestler-D'Amours More than 70 percent of the guests had their visa applications denied [Marc Braibant/AFP] T...
A look at Korean society, history, urban space, cyberspace, film, and current events, among other things.


Police released a new surveillance camera image Friday as they continued to investigate a Washington County burglary spree and question whether additional burglaries are the work of the same crew.

Washington County sheriffs officers sought the publics help earlier this month in solving at least four home burglaries over the past two months that appeared related in Jackson, Greenwich and White Creek. Surveillance camera photos were released, and the Sheriffs Office released an additional photo Friday that shows a suspect from a different angle.

Sheriffs Senior Investigator Tony LeClaire said police have some leads in the case, which included two burglaries at one Jackson home in which a safe was targeted. The surveillance photo released was from cameras at that home.

LeClaire said the Sheriffs Office responded to a home burglary complaint on Townsend Road in Hartford on Thursday that may be related to the spree as well. Someone entered the home and stole unspecified items.

In that case, police were seeking to locate the drivers of two pickup trucks spotted near the victims home around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, a bright blue Dodge pickup, with lift kit and bigger tires and a brown and gray Dodge pick up with gray stripe and rust on the trucks box.

LeClaire said they may not be related to the burglary, but could be witnesses.

In the earlier cases, thieves forced their way into homes when they were unoccupied during the day and stole money, jewelry and prescription drugs.

Sheriffs officers are working with Vermont State Police investigators who are looking into similar burglary cases in western Vermont, particularly the Sunderland area, LeClaire said.

Anyone with information in the cases was asked to call sheriffs Investigator Michael McWhorter at 746-2496, LeClaire at 746-2492 or the agencys anonymous tip line at 746-2522.
FORT EDWARD  Washington County prosecutors are seeking to use a child murder suspects extensive criminal history against him when he stands trial later this month for the death of his girlfriends 13-month-old daughter.

Joshua J. Bennett, 32, of Kingsbury, faces murder, manslaughter and lesser drug charges in connection with the death last Feb. 22 of Kayleigh Cassell, his live-in girlfriends daughter. He is accused of giving the child heroin and cocaine for a period of months, leading to an overdose and pneumonia related to drug use.

The Washington County District Attorneys Office has sought to use three prior child abuse-related prosecutions and last years felony drug plea against Bennett as part of their case against him.

The argument is that the convictions are germane to the case, because they show his actions toward young children.

The cases include two misdemeanor convictions for endangering the welfare of a child and one for assault.

In one of the cases, Bennett pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in 1999 for an incident in which he threw his then-14-month-old son to the ground, causing him to hit his head on a sidewalk and require an emergency room visit. The child was not seriously hurt.

This act goes to the defendants mens rea (mental state) concerning the welfare of his children and his intentional acts in their presence or directed at them, especially children within the same age range as Kayleigh Cassell, Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan wrote.

The other cases involve a 2008 incident in which he was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child for nearly hitting his 15-month-old son with a door he kicked down, and a 2002 assault conviction for attacking his then-girlfriend in the presence of his 4-year-old son.

Prosecutors want to use four additional convictions to impeach Bennetts testimony if he testifies during trial.

If Bennett was to testify, the district attorneys office has sought permission to cross-examine him about eight prior felony and misdemeanor convictions, including the aforementioned ones they have sought to use as part of the prosecutions case.

Among the convictions is the felony drug possession charge that preceded the homicide charges in the current case. That charge stemmed from a heroin sale the day before Kayleigh died, a sale that police learned of as they investigated the girls death. He is serving a six-year state prison sentence for that conviction.

Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan will hear arguments on the issue during a pretrial hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Kayleighs mother, Rachel Rae Ball of Gansevoort, has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and two felony drug counts and is to testify against Bennett.

Bennett was in court Wednesday afternoon as Jordan, First Assistant District Attorney Christian Morris and defense counsel Garfield Raymond discussed which photographs of Bennetts home, and the items seized from it, will be admissible at trial. Raymond argued that some that showed guns, and pictures of Bennett holding Kayleigh the day before her death, were prejudicial.

The baby is in varying degrees of distress, Jordan said of the photos. These pictures show the condition of the child at a time when Mr. Bennett could have done something to help her.

Other photos show some of the dozens of packets of heroin seized from the bedroom. McKeighan ruled photos including guns  which Bennett couldnt legally possess because of his criminal record  will not be allowed, and reserved decision on the others.

Jury selection in the case is scheduled to start Feb. 22. There have been plea deal talks in recent days, but Jordan said earlier this week that he does not expect an agreement to be reached.
QUEENSBURY  A Warren County grand jury dropped all felonies Thursday against a Hudson Falls man accused of drunkenly going into a Glens Falls home and sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.

The grand jury instead filed a misdemeanor criminal trespass count against Jeffery T. Tillman for entering the home without permission.

Tillman was charged with felony sexual abuse and burglary early Sunday after he was found in a Village Green apartments unit, but the grand jury declined to file felony charges after hearing testimony from Tillman on Thursday morning.

Tillmans lawyer, Tucker Stanclift, said his client was too intoxicated to have the legally required intent to commit a crime when he accidentally entered the home around 5 a.m. Sunday, a contention with which the grand jury apparently concurred.

He said Tillman was the first defendant he has had testify before a grand jury, outside of cooperating witnesses. Defense lawyers typically dont allow clients to testify, out of concern that testimony could be used against them in future proceedings.

Im pleased with the willingness of the community in the form of the grand jury to be open to finding the truth and listening without prejudice, he said.

Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said she could not comment on the grand jurys action, as grand jury proceedings are confidential by law.

But the grand jurys decision came after more facts became clear as to how Tillman, a 32-year-old chef at a Hudson Falls pizzeria, wound up next to the young girl on an apartment couch early Sunday.

He told police he didnt remember anything after his visit to Hudson Falls bars late Saturday and early Sunday, but police found witnesses who were with him at The Daily Double bar in Glens Falls until closing time Sunday morning.

He then accompanied a group from the bar to an apartment in the nearby Village Green complex, and he got in an argument with a person in that apartment that led to fisticuffs. Tillman left that home shortly before 5 a.m., and walked off, ignoring efforts by friends to corral him into a car.

At about 7:45 a.m., a woman found him on the couch of her home, passed out and bloody, with her young daughter next to him. The daughter told police that the man fondled her, and held her on the couch.

Stanclift said his client would not have intentionally touched the child, and did not remember doing so.

He didnt know how this happened, he said. It just didnt add up for me and it didnt add up for them (the grand jury).

In addition to criminal trespass, which is a misdemeanor punishable by a year in county jail, Tillman was charged with noncriminal harassment in connection with the fight before he entered the home.

He pleaded not guilty during arraignment Thursday evening before Warren County Judge John Hall, who reduced bail to $1,000 cash or $3,000 bail bond. The judge also directed he report daily to the county Probation Department, not use drugs or alcohol and abide by a curfew if released.

Orders of protection were issued on behalf of the woman and child.

Stanclift said bail would be posted on Tillmans behalf later Thursday.
GLENS FALLS  Finch Paper on Thursday welcomed this weeks determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission that government-subsidized foreign paper makers are dumping paper into the U.S. market.

The ITC, an independent government agency tasked with investigating unfair trade complaints, ruled that imported paper from China, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil and Portugal will be subject to anti-dumping duties.

We are extremely grateful that the ITC has found the practices of a number of our foreign competitors to be unfair and is taking steps to level the playing field for Finch and other domestic paper manufacturers, Finch Paper CEO Debabrata Mukherjee said in a prepared statement. We are also extremely appreciative of (U.S.) Sen. (Charles) Schumer for representing our interests so well on this issue over the past two years.

Schumer, D-N.Y., visited Finch Paper in February 2015 to announce he was seeking federal action against foreign manufacturers who were sending artificially cheap paper to the U.S., thereby hurting American businesses.

Schumer also praised the ITC determination this week, saying the move will help deter foreign companies that have rapaciously targeted and injured the U.S. manufacturing base with predatory practices.

Schumer, in a prepared statement, said the duty orders will be issued soon and would range up to 222.46 percent. Another duty, of as much as 176.75 percent, will target paper imports from China due to that nations heavy subsidies of paper makers there, according to Schumers office.

The workers at the Finch Paper (facility) in Glens Falls have been unfairly impacted by Chinas producers, and other foreign countries, repeatedly selling their paper products in the United States at artificially low prices, which is a clear violation of international trade obligations, Schumer said. When I visited the workers there, I promised to do all I could to help them. I am glad to see that our trade enforcement agencies acted to protect Finch Paper and its hundreds of good-paying local jobs.

We cannot let foreign competitors who are not playing by the same rules undermine one of this regions biggest employers.

Mukherjee said the action would likely help Finch compete in the marketplace going forward.

Our employees work very hard every day to produce quality paper at a competitive price, and with everyone now playing by the same rules, Finch is positioned even more strongly for sustainable success, he said.
LAKE LUZERNE  When Frances Garnar Kinnear died in 1982, her home and much of its contents were donated to Hadley-Lake Luzerne Historical Society.

A walk through Frances G. Kinnear Museum of Local History on Main Street reveals a snapshot of life in the lower Adirondacks and insight into the family that owned it since the late 1800s  century-old furniture, an icebox, a butlers pantry full of kitchen utensils used long before electricity was found in rural homes.

But few things cover as much family history as the quilt draped over a bed upstairs.

Look what fine work this is, said Linda Miller, an Albany quilt enthusiast and self-taught expert in historical quilting.

Three women surrounded the bed, poring over the bedding. They examined each stitch, analyzed the dyes used and marveled over the craftsmanship.

The workmanship is absolutely exquisite, said Debra Grana, Millers friend and colleague from Wynantskill.

I have a great many quilts that are vintage and I only have one with this level of detail, Grana said. The fact it survived this long is incredible.

Incredible, too, is the story of how the quilt made a journey around the world and ended up in Lake Luzerne.

Fran loved the story, said Bea Evens, former historian of Lake Luzerne and 40-year friend of Kinnear. She loved to tell about how her grandmother made it.

Kinnears grandmother, Jane Greenaway, finished the quilt Jan. 15, 1845, when she was 13 years old in Armagh, Ireland.

Not long afterward, young Jane boarded a ship to Australia to visit friends, bringing with her the white quilt, adorned with red and blue applique and a hand-crocheted lace trim.

In Australia, the girl met and married Edward M. Garnar, an American on a mining expedition, said David Cranston, past president of the Historical Society.

In 1867, the Garnars boarded a ship from Sydney to England with their three young children for a 93-day journey described as misery. In 1869, the family traveled to the United States, where they settled and became a prominent family in Lake Luzerne.

All the while, Jane Greenaway Garnar held on to her quilt.

After her grandmother was gone, Kinnear cherished the family heirloom.

She was so proud of that quilt, recalled Evens.

Evens and Kinnear met when both young women volunteered for the Red Cross during World War II.

It was so precious to her, Evens said. I wish Fran had talked more about the person, but her grandmother died just four years after she was born.

The museum also has little information about Jane Greenaway Garnar, Cranston said.

Sometimes, the only way to get to know the women of the household is through their work, Grana said. These are typically the only thing women leave behind; these are their written history.

Grana and Miller bent over the work, marveling at the detail of the exotic animals it depicts  camels, snakes, birds, elephants, a griffin-like creature  as well as Celtic symbols, flowers and extensive lettering.

This was a popular thing to do, the applique, in the British Isles, Miller said.

These motifs are wonderful, she said. If she did all these designs herself, she was very artistic.

The significance of the quilts artistry and historical value isnt lost on the Historical Societys officials, who are working to secure funding to have the quilt restored and preserved  a price tag that might go as high as $5,000 to $7,500, said Howard Schaffer, vice president of Hadley-Lake Luzerne Historical Society, which runs the Kinnear Museum.

Given its age and the damage to the appliques, we would likely rinse it and try to pull the brown out of it, said Sarah Stevens, an Albany area-based textile conservator from Zephyr Preservation Studio.

A drying cloth would then be placed over the quilt to wick up moisture and take with it some brown staining Stevens described as natural degradation of the fabric.

Restoration would also help stabilize areas of the quilt that are starting to deteriorate.

I cant believe how it has lasted, Evens said.

Its remarkable, said Grana, the quilt aficionado. Truly, Ive never seen anything laid out like this before.
ANOTHER BLOG FROM NEVILLE STEPHENS ON BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY.
Their disaffection, according to some drivers who spoke to Pulse Business' Emmanuel Quist stems from the lackadaisical attitude of insurance companies to redeeming their claims when the need arises.

" They always come up with many conditions for you to meet before the grant your claim, that is if they do at all. And by the time you finish all these legal conditions, you will have spent more money than the insurance is worth." a taxi driver who operates in East Legon, American House said.

Further probes into the terms and conditions of their insurance cover revealed that the driver was ignorant of the terms and conditions under which his insurance cover works.

" They did not explain all of these things to me when I was going for the insurance," he lamented.

Such is the story of many insurance holders in Ghana. They only come to terms with the ramifications of the terms and conditions of their insurance cover at the point they need the insurance most, only to be told that they had contravened the conditions of the policy.

Pulse Business' Emmanuel Quist, therefore, delves into the general policy, terms and conditions that usually govern the provision of insurance and the redemption of claims.

Below are 18 conditions under which your insurance provider will not honor your Motor Insurance:

1. If your vehicle is driven without your consent, order or permission.

2. If your Vehicle is driven by any person:

a. Whose faculties are impaired by a drug or intoxicating liquor or

b. Who at the time of the accident had been convicted of driving under the influence of any drug, or intoxicating liquor, or,

c. With a percentage of alcohol in his/her breath, or blood in excess of the percentage of any drug or intoxicating liquor, or

d. Who refuses to provide or allow the taking of a sample of breath, blood or urine for testing or analysis.

4. Damage to property belonging to or held in trust or in your custody or control or that of any member of your household or any other person entitled.

5. Any claim resulting from death or bodily injury to any of your employees which arises out of or in the course of their employment unless such employees are being carried by reason of or in pursuance of a contract of employment.

6. If your vehicle is used to carry a greater number of passengers or convey or tow a load in excess of that for which your vehicle was constructed.

7. If your vehicle is used in an unsafe or unworthy condition and such condition caused or contributed to the loss.

8. For loss, damage or liability caused by or materials contributed to by your own criminal act or resulting for the use of the vehicle for an unlawful purpose.

9. For damage caused by war, foreign, enemies, hostilities, mutiny, insurrection, revolution, military or usurped power or by nuclear fuel, waste or material.

10. If your vehicle is used in connection with the motor trade for repairs, experiments, tests, trials, or in any motor sport.

11. For bodily injury, death or property damage occasioned by lawful seizures.

12. Acts of terrorism committed by a person or persons acting on behalf of or in connection with any organization.

13. For loss or liability incurred whilst your vehicle is on rails, whether stationary or moving.

14. If your vehicle is being used or attached to or towing a vehicle being used for commercial transportation of dangerous good as defined in the Ghanaian Code for the Transportation of dangerous goods by the Road or Rail.

15. For damage to property caused by sparks or ashes from the Motor Vehicle or caused by or arising out of the explosion of the boiler of the Motor Vehicles.

16.For damage or loss intentionally caused by you or any person acting with your consent.

17. Damage to any bridge or waterbridge and/ or to any road and/ or to any load carried by the vehicle.
The spike in enrolments started in the late 1990s. It was driven partly by the liberalisation of the global economy. People also started becoming more aware of the critical role that higher education plays in development. Other contributing factors included institutional and national policies, improved access and funding. There were also international imperatives like favourable global higher education policies.

The continents higher education system is only superficially covered in the popular media. Much of what has been written about Africas universities  and particularly its flagship institutions  focuses only on their shortcomings and the challenges they face.

I have spent the past two years working with a team of researchers to collect data with a view to analysing higher education institutions in Africa. We used 11 leading universities as case studies and focused particularly on their contributions.

The study analysed and documented the institutions' contributions in teaching, learning, graduates and research productivity. It revealed that flagship universities have made huge contributions to capacity building and skills development in the decades following Africas independence. This remains true right up to the present.

The findings suggest that they have plenty more to offer. This includes millions of graduates who will make a contribution to the continents future growth and development.

What makes a flagship university

Africas flagship universities are those which were established in the lead up to and just after independence during the 1960s. Their age, size and reputation mean theyre considered their respective countries' leading institutions.

Our research  which we expect to publish in a book with the working title of Flagship Universities in Africa: Role, impact and trajectory  found that these universities still play a critical role in national capacity-building and innovation efforts today.

Given their age, capacity and reputation, flagship universities also tend to be the most internationalised and advanced when it comes to institutional co-operation. This is important in a higher education sector thats continuously globalising. Their reputation extends to the calibre of their alumni, among whom are Nobel laureates, heads of state, ministers, acclaimed authors, judges, economists and actors.

The flagship universities in this study are in Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Tracking a growth pattern

I identified four patterns of growth by studying these universities' available enrolment data from 2000 to 2015. These are:

exponential expansion;

major expansion;

sizeable expansion; and

stabilisation.

The universities of Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Ghana and Nairobi recorded three-to-four-fold growth in 15 years. This can be considered exponential expansion. The universities of Cheikh Anta Diop, Mauritius and Zambia saw major expansion of two or more-fold growth.

Makerere University and the University of Botswana displayed sizeable expansion of more than 50%. The universities of Ibadan in Nigeria and Cairo in Egypt, meanwhile, showed signs of stabilisation with fluctuating growth in both the positive and negative territories.

Why tracking a growth pattern is difficult

There are several factors that make it difficult to categorise growth and to develop a watertight pattern. For instance, some constituent members of flagship universities have broken up into independent, fully fledged new institutions. This is a common phenomenon in Africa.

University mergers are the flip-side of this trend. The University of Rwanda, which was not part of the study, is one flagship that has brought several institutions together under one roof.

Student and labour strikes, which are fairly common at African universities, are also a problem. Any disruptions to the academic year make it difficult to accurately document enrolment trends or other variables.

The way that enrolment is counted compounds the challenge. African universities' data collection tends to be poorly developed and managed, even in this electronic age. Data must be cobbled together from different sources based on varied assumptions. This has obvious implications for tracking a growth pattern.

Despite these stumbling blocks, it was possible to identify some remarkable milestones.

Graduates: the good news

The numbers extrapolated from this study show that flagship universities have contributed hugely to the training and development of skilled graduates since their inception.

Several universities in the study, among them Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Ghana and Nairobi, have recorded an estimated 100,000 graduates each since they opened. These figures are actually rather conservative given the problems outlined above. In some cases, such as at Makerere, only figures for the last 12 years are available.

Cairo University alone has registered more than 500,000 graduates in just the last 20 years. If you remove it from consideration, ten flagship universities in sub-Saharan Africa are responsible for producing just less than one million graduates since they were opened.

On the basis of raw data from the study, it is projected that the total number of graduates from universities in sub-Saharan Africa that may be designated as flagship now stands between 2.5 and three million.

Flagships must be nurtured

Africas higher education sector is expanding rapidly. New public and private institutions crop up all the time and are flourishing.
The Times of India has reported the woman went to the police station in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh in central India, where she told officers her brother-in-law had raped her.

The incident was alleged to have happened on Thursday, February 11.

The 32 year old woman had alleged chopping off the genitals with a sickle was the only option to stop him. She took her three children to the police station with her presenting the evidence.

The paper reported that before police could reach the man with medical support, he committed suicide, his body was found hanging from a tree near their house.

The man had allegedly been raping the woman for days.

The woman was quoted as telling police 'when he forced himself on me, I faked consent and severed his privates with a sickle'.
When you make pancake batter you are mixing a whole range of different chemicals (so all sorts of reactions take place in the cooking). The dry ingredients contain flour and sugar, as well as salt and maybe either baking powder or baking soda. Flour supplies protein, molecules made of lots of amino-acids joined in chains, along with starch, which similarly is made of lots of simple sugar molecules joined in chains.

The mixing causes carbon dioxide gas from the air to be trapped by these networks, which causes the pancake to rise (just like bread does) and creates its chewable texture. Eggs give you more protein, while sugar and butter give tenderness to the texture and the fluids help the mixing process and enable chemical reactions to occur.

Raising standards

Thicker pancakes need a raising agent which produces carbon dioxide by itself when heated. This is typically sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or baking powder, a mixture of sodium bicarbonate with a weak acid like cream of tartar. You might remember from chemistry lessons at school that when you mix an acid with a carbonate, you get a fizzing. This is the carbon dioxide gas.

Professor Peter Barham of the University of Bristol is one of the great experts on the science of cooking and he has some good advice about getting things right when making pancakes:

For a start, cooks always use too much batter' and that the pan should be hot, but not too hot almost smoking - but not blue smoke and should just have a smear of butter or fat.

He goes on to say that a standing period of between one and three hours before cooking is vital.

It is important to beat the mixture hard, so that gluten forms, for the mixture to then stand to allow the starch to swell and any air bubbles to pop. Unless you do this, the structure of the pancake will be weak and it will be full of holes.

Nigel Slater says that you dont have to let the batter stand, but half an hour is probably best. Its also important to remember that if you add buttermilk, which is slightly acidic, it will also react with the carbonates, and leave the batter too long, all the gas bubbles will have escaped, and your pancakes will be flat.

Most chefs do not suggest a particular cooking temperature (moderate heat seems the norm). The pan should be hot enough for the pancake to brown in less than a minute, but not so hot that the batter sets when you put it on the pan, before it has time to spread. But all seem to agree on the importance of getting the right pan a nice heavy, flat one, which will hold the heat well.

Browning off

The aroma and colour of pancakes originate in the same chemical reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, after its French discoverer, Louis-Camille Maillard. It is caused by hot sugars reacting with amino-acids, generating a wide range of small molecules that escape from the mixture and carry their smells (such as nuts, bread or coffee) to your nose. Some of these brown compounds, also found in bread and coffee, are called melanoidins.

If you are just a bit mathematically inclined, you will appreciate how university researchers have shown you can even use formulae for making pancakes whether to work out how much batter you need or how to get the perfect flip. At a more complicated level, these formulae bring in factors such as the cooking time and the temperature of the pan to get as near perfection as you can. But ultimately, for all the formulae, advice from chefs and scientific tips, theres only one thing for it start mixing that batter.
But speaking to Pulse.com.gh, Dr. Badu Sarkodie, Director, Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, said due to intensive education campaigns being undertaken by his outfit, the country is witnessing a drop in cases of meningitis.

"...Indeed, the districts, most of them that went into the epidemic threshold, they are coming down. Tain went epidemic, it is coming down and it is close to the alert threshold again. And the other districts are Nkoranza, all those are coming down. Periodically, there may be one or two or more cases, when they don't report early then they add up to the deaths," he explained.

Dr. Sakodie added that his outfit is monitoring closely to ensure that areas that went to the epidemic threshold come down.

"We are doing intensive public education in all the communities, the regions, and the districts. The people have to report early...We have put mechanisms for early detection. We are having education with gender population to prevent the risk factors," he added.

The disease which began in Tain in the Brong Ahafo region in December 2015, spread to other areas including the Brong Ahafo, Northern, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, Greater Accra, Upper West, Upper East and Western regions.
We are happy to support, said Mr Antwi-Asimeng. And we will ask our members of staff and the general public to also help to contribute towards the expenses.

Mr. Ampofo Twumasi-Ankrah, the father of Aseda, expressed gratitude to the company for their generous donation. Twumasi-Ankrah, who is a Sales Executive at UT Life Insurance, said he did expect any reply when he sent a letter to the bank with his plea.

We sent letters to over 25 companies, and UT Bank is the first to actually reply and come to our aid. My wife and I want to thank the company so much for what you [UT Bank] have done for us, Twumasi-Ankrah said.

The father, speaking to Pulse.com.gh, stated that the additional $2,000 donated by UT Bank would go a long way in helping and also spur other institutions to come their aid.
Each day we assess the condition of the equipment and determine whether there are any issues. We do this to troubleshoot these as efficiently as possible, explains Segun.

Biomedical engineers play a critical role in healthcare facilities worldwide. Between 50 and 80% of medical equipment is frequently out of service in low-income countries according to the World Health Organisation. Equipment downtime can substantially impact on the delivery of healthcare services, because in many cases there are no back-up options available. In Nigeria, 50% of hospital equipment is offline or unavailable.

This helps to create a sustainable pipeline of qualified medical engineers in Nigeria.

The BMET Project first launched in 2009 in Rwanda with 38 technicians graduating in 2012 and another 67 currently enrolled in the programme. Since then, projects were set up in Honduras (2010), Ghana (2012) and Cambodia (2013) training nearly 200 technicians and establishing several centres of excellence.

Together with seventeen of his colleagues, Segun recently graduated from Nigerias first BMET programme in December.

The course focused on healthcare technology management, principles of medical device operation, computer skills and professional development and was delivered through eighteen four-week modules over a period of three years.
A reliable source at the Police Command told Pulse.com.gh that the suspect, Daniel Asiedu was picked up at his hideouts on Thursday.

He has been handed over to the national headquarters for further interrogation.

"The first person you heard was arrested yesterday is true, because that one was done by the regional command. But as the case is no more with us, it has been handed over to the national headquarters," the source said.

The Abuakwa North MP, Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu was stabbed Tuesday dawn in his bedroom at his Shiashie residence in Accra.
Mr JB Danquah was stabbed at his Shiashie residence in Accra, prompting the police to launch an investigation leading to the arrest of one suspect.

The Accra Regional Police command on Thursday, February 11, 2016, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in connection with the death of the Abuakwa North MP.

A reliable source at the Police Command told Pulse.com.gh that the suspect, Daniel Asiedu was picked up at his hideouts on Thursday.

He has been handed over to the national headquarters for further interrogation.

"The first person you heard was arrested yesterday is true, because that one was done by the regional command. But as the case is no more with us, it has been handed over to the national headquarters," the source said.

Social media had been inundated with news that the mastermind of the death was Stan Dogbe and that he had been invited by the security agencies to answer questions relating to the murder.

Some of the claims on social media said that information had been retrieved from the late MPs phone, which indicated that he had been threatened by Mr Dogbe a few days before his death.

See related: NPP politicians in shock over death of colleague

But Stan Dogbe in a Facebook post denied having been involved in any murder or criminal act.

He attributed the rumours to elements within the NPP, who he said were pursuing a strategy of painting President Mahama black because the NPP did not have a campaign message.

Below is his statement unedited:

"It's their campaign strategy, probably outlined for them by their hardworking strategists- continue to publish falsehood about the President and eventual winner of the 2016 elections and his team, he said, adding: I have not been invited by any security agency, I have not been involved in any murder or criminal act."

Meanwhile, the opposition New Patriotic Party has commended the Police for acting swiftly in arresting the prime suspect.
The honourable Member of Parliament for Assin Central on Oman FMs Boiling Point on Thursday, fired shots at Afia Schwarzenegger for questioning what he does aside politics to be that worthy. He threatened to deal with the Okay FM presenter in a manner she will regret.
The identity of the suspect is yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile the killer is being interrogated by the police to find out who his accomplices are.

Joy News is also reporting that the suspect whose identity is being protected for now confessed to police interrogators he stabbed the MP.

Three mobile phones were retrieved, two of them confirmed to belong to the slain MP.

The third phone, the source said, is password protected.
Narrating the incident, the Vice Principal said Around 1:00am, the tutor called another tutor to call the police and the police patrol team came around to the Bungalow. According to her, the policemen on arrival asked her and the other occupant to go inside the house and lock the gate. The police gave two warning shots at the back of the bungalow after they had searched the bungalow after they had searched the place and jumped into their car and went away. The two security men who were on duty at the schools administration and witnessed the shooting incident said around 3:00am, they heard multiple gunshots and then they saw the occupants of the motorbike fell and the vehicle stopped. Policemen then came out of the car and one of them made a phone call. After making the call, another police officer walked closer corked the gun and fired the victims that were lying on the floor. They then carried them into the bucket of the vehicle together. After about twenty minutes, the police scene returned to the scene and picked some things from the ground and came back for the third time and left.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police, ASP Yusif Mohammed Tanko had explained that the police had a distress call about a robbery incident at Mampong.

He said the police, on arriving at the scene spotted the two brothers on their motorcycle and fired at them, believing they were robbers fleeing arrest.

The Mampong District Police Commander, Superintendent Bismark Agyapong has subsequently indicated that the officers involved have been banned from patrol missions.

"It is not a police officer. It is a patrol team as it is. So all of them were sent, per the request of the regional command to the regional headquarters for questioning," he told Accra-based Joy FM.

Superintendent Bismark Agyapong added that "They report to the division every day. We see them, but they are not doing patrols as has been scheduled as their work for the week."

Meanwhile, authorities of the Mampong Nursing and Midwifery Training College have accused the Police of being unprofessional in the shooting to death of the tutor.

Addressing a news conference on Thursday, management of the Mampong Midwifery Training College said the police shot the two intentionally.
According to REGSEC, the decision was informed by intelligence gathered on Thursday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Clement Kegeri in an interview on Radio Ghana said: The Regional Security Council met and intelligence gathered were analysed and the decision taken is that the curfew should continue until such a time that REGSEC is convinced that people can go about their duties without having to worry about their safety and security.

Violence broke out on Wednesday between some Muslim youth and loyalists of the Old Tafo Traditional Council over a piece of land at the communitys cemetery.

The clashes claimed one life and injured several others. The situation thus forced REGSEC to impose a curfew on the area.

The person who lost his life during Wednesdays clashes was to have been buried on Thursday according to Muslim customs but Mr. Kegeri indicated that the Muslim youth in the area decided to take the law into their own hands and even took a decision to engage violently with the security personnel in the town.

He said about 40 people have been picked up by the Police and are currently in Police custody.

Mr. Kegeri clarified that although an indefinite curfew has been imposed on the area, it does not necessarily presuppose that the situation is getting worse but it goes to confirm that the decision taken by the Ashanti Regional Security Council to impose a curfew is a measure that is working.

He added that the Regional Security Council after the meeting on Thursday decided to visit the cemetery to find out at first-hand what really the situation is on the ground and I can tell you that intelligence picked from the field suggests that it has become more compelling for the curfew to continue.

Let me put on record that if at a point in time, REGSEC is convinced that there is the need for the curfew to be relaxed, the directive will be issued to the public, he added.
Some residents of the Muslim community at Tafo in Kumasi on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, clashed with some loyalists of the Tafo traditional council over disagreements on a piece of land at the Tafo cemetery.

More here: One man arrested in Old Tafo violence

The clashes were said to have resulted in two deaths and many injured.

Several cars were vandalised, while a bank, a Mosque and six churches were set ablaze amidst riots and gunfire. Military and police officers had to be deployed to the area to maintain peace.

The National Peace Council is also expected to meet the muslim community and the Tafo traditional council in relation to the violence.

About forty-five people have been arrested in connection with the recent disturbances at Old Tafo.

The Chief of Army staff has also ordered the immediate arrest of the Imam for Old Tafo.
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu will also represent in solving the impasse in Old Tafo.

Some residents of the Muslim community at Tafo in Kumasi on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, clashed with some loyalists of the Tafo traditional council over disagreements on a piece of land at the Tafo cemetery.

More here: One man arrested in Old Tafo violence

A number of vehicles and other properties were also reportedly destoyed.

Meanwhile, about forty-five people have been arrested in connection with the recent disturbances at Old Tafo in the Ashanti region.

The Chief of Army staff has also ordered the immediate arrest of the Imam for Old Tafo.
The court presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Yeboah adjourned the case to February 16, 2016, after hearing the plea by the NPP asking for adjournment.

Claim by Afoko

In a suit filed in an Accra High Court today, December 7, 2015, Mr. Afoko in his statement of claim insisted that he is the duly elected Chairman of the NPP.

The New Patriotic Party and Freddie Blay - first and second defendants respectively.

See also: Paul Afoko goes to court to seek redress over suspension

Background

Mr Afoko, who was elected the NPP National Chairman in April 2014, was suspended indefinitely at an emergency NEC meeting at the partys headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra on Friday, October 23, 2015.

The NPPs Disciplinary Committee had on October 21, 2015 submitted a report to the NEC of the party recommending the indefinite suspension of Mr Afoko as national chairman, citing his unilateral leadership style as a bane of the partys progress.
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This did not sit well with IMANI Ghana and a cross- section of Ghanaians.

In an exclusive interview with Pulse Business on the sidelines of a press conference organized by the NCA to clarify and debunk assertions made by IMANI Ghana, the Director General of the NCA said,

" Afriwave Telecoms Ghana Limited needs a minimum of ten years to build the necessary infrastructure to properly do the job. Its not just about Afriwave. For any company to operate an interconnect Clearing House they need some infrastructural investment, and this takes years. This is why we found it necessary to give Afriwave the needed time to do so."

Mr. Tevie also debunked allegations leveled against the NCA that the contract had already been awarded to Afriwave even before the procurement and evaluation process started.

" That's not true. We made Afriwave do a pilot with the Telecommunication companies in order for them to get ready to take over from where Subah Infosolutions leaves off. But all these processes were done as part of the procurement process, not before."

Mr. Tevie added that the NCA's attention has also been drawn to agitations over why a multiple Interconnect Clearing House license will not be awarded as opposed to a single license.

" That will be expensive for the NCA." Mr. Tevie responded. " Already, we have to pay Afriwave Telecoms about 7 million dollars on this contract. Imagine how much we will have to pay if we are to award three or four licenses", he asked.

Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng was the first to raise alarms about the allegedly fraudulent award of the contract to Afriwave.
The region can boost of personalities like former President of Ghana, John Jerry Rawlings, beauty queen, Erica Nego, poet and author, Kofi Awoonor, politician, Dzifa Aku Ativor among many others.

READ ALSO: 5 hotels and resorts to spend Valentine's Day in Ghana

It is a region of extraordinary scenic beauty. From the central belt, where mountain Afadjato at 885cm to the avid savannah of the northern Ghana, you can experience every climate condition in West Africa.

1. Tourist attraction

The highest mountain in Ghana, Mount. Afadjato is located in Agumatsa Range near the villages of Liati Wote and Gbledi, in the Volta Region of Ghana at the border with Togo.

Tafi Monkey Village, Kalakpe Game Production Reserve, Kyabobo National Park are located in located the region.

READ ALSO: 6 great summer vacation spots that require zero visa hassle

2. Food

The regional dishes include akple with okro soup, fufu with palmnut soup, abolo with shrimps and one man thousand, banku with okro stew or pepper, red red and fried plantain. Volta tilapia is a speciality and can be found both by the roadside and in the riverside hotels along the Volta.

3. Hotels and resorts

5 stars hotels and resorts like Holy Trinity Spa is located in the regional capital and its environs to suit your accommodation needs.

4. Culture and heritage

The people of Volta Region are famous for their rich cultural heritage and festivals. The people of Volta are generally a friendly lot who are happy to show tourists around or engage in conversation in Ewe and English language which are the official languages spoken in the region.

5. Safety
Saraki made this known in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary Sanni Onogu, during an interactive session with Civil Society Organisations on the 2016 budget in Abuja.

He expressed that the National Assembly is making efforts to introduce legislations that will boost internally generated revenues by plugging the loopholes that exist in our system and encouraging the small and medium-scale business owners in our communities.

He said, We know that the work ahead of us is necessary. We also know that the road ahead of us will be lined with challenges. However, we also know that we cannot do this alone. We need all hands on deck for this one.

In this regard, in response to the citizens concerns and public expectations, the 8th National Assembly, through this platform and the various others that we have set up online, will continue to be accessible to you. We will work tirelessly to address your concerns; after all, we are only here because of you.
This is a huge boost as the country seeks to utilise all means available to improve its income base in the face of declining crude oil price which has not been favourable for the country.

Mr. Uwe Beckmeyer, the Vice Minister for Economic Affairs/Energy and member of the German Parliament made this known during a visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Beckmeyer said Nigerias Liquefied Natural Gas will be quite useful to Germany and other European countries as they aim to reduce carbon dioxide in their environment.

We have a lot of interest in LNG and I think this is one special thing we should develop in the next few years. I think there is increasing demand in Europe, especially as we seek to reduce emissions. It is useful for both sides to develop this special relationship.
The initiative is to be facilitated by Japanese International Cooperation Agency and the Ministry of Power.

This is expected to reduce the transmission loss and assist in stabilising power supply to approximately 7,000 households within the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, and the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Sadanobu Kusaoke, were the representatives involved, both signing on behalf of their countries.

Udoma said, The sustained implementation of this project is expected to pave way for a significant access to quality socio-economic services, thereby leading to reduction in unemployment in the country and promoting community empowerment.

The Federal Government remains committed to working closely with various stakeholders in the economy to achieve sustainable economic development. This ministry will ensure that we create an enabling environment required for the sustainability of this partnership.

Speaking concerning the deal, Kusaoke said, The power sector is a key to improve the quality of life for people and also to promote industry. Power supply is one of the determinant factors when both domestic and foreign investors decide whether or not to invest in a county.
The feature was centered around Basketmouth and his Valentines Day show in at Apollo London in the UK.

Basketmouths European tour kicks off today and will be in Germany and Czech Republic.

Early this month, Basketmouth signed a deal with Swedish company Rebtel.

For Basketmouth, this deal follows a recent signing of the same complexion with Malta Guinness.

I really was just that boy down the road with nothing more than a big dream and a bigger God...turns out that's all anyone really needs.

Fan favourite, Basketmouthplay

Fan favourite, Basketmouth (Connect Nigeria)

He raised men to favour me, gave me talent that is making way for me and bringing me before kings.

He further wrote When I look back, I can't tell how I got here but the one thing I know is that every single person that has bought a cd with my face on the cover, attended my concert, cheered me on, liked my post, clicked the ' follow' button, laughed at my jokes, taken a selfie, said 'hello' on the streets, waved from a distance, criticized me constructively, told me the truth, loved me....every single one of you.

Bright Okpocha, a.k.a Basketmouthplay

Bright Okpocha, a.k.a Basketmouth (Encomium)

I wish I knew every name or could remember every face, but in my heart, that's where you live. You made me, and I'm sincerely grateful.

"To every brand that I represent, it's an honour. I'm proud to be by your side, this is only just the beginning because that boy down the road, hes still the same guy...still armed with a big dream, and an even bigger God wrote Basketmouth on getting his Malta Guinness deal.
It was gathered that Mfreke who did not like the fact that his father had a quarrel with his mother, picked up a plank and hit his father on the head, leading to his death.

According to the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Cordelia Nwawe, the suspect who was arrested shortly after he committed the act, has confessed to the crime.

The young man murdered his father by using a plank to hit him on his head; the young man will be charged to court after investigation, Nwawe said.

The now sober Mfreke, said he had just come back from the farm when he met his parents quarrelling and got to know that his father was the cause and that when his father knew he was around, he came out from the room and threw a bottle at him and collected the plank with which he used to hit him.

My mother and father have been having issues. My father has not been feeding me; I cut palm fruit to feed myself.

On Monday, at about 6pm, I returned from where I went to and met my father and mother quarrelling.

I asked my mother what the problem was and she told me. My father came out and saw me; he threw a bottle at me and hit me with a plank.
It was learnt that on January 16, 2016, at the Ukpoke-Uhiele community, Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the state, the neighbours had gotten into a fight after the deceased refused to pay his share of re-connection fee after officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), had disconnected their light.

Following this refusal, the accused with other neighbours, resolved to disconnect the deceaseds apartment, but this was said to have infuriated the deceased who consequently reported the case to the electricity company, since the re-connection was illegally procured, and also reported the case against the accused at the police station.

The electricity company thereafter, disconnected the entire house, while the police arrested the accused, but eventually settled the matter between them with a stern warning on the accused not to foment any further trouble.

But when the duo returned home, another quarrel ensued resulting in a fight during which the accused hauled a piece of cement block at deceaseds forehead, killing him instantly.
Noel Diaz, 59, told the pope of his rags-to-riches story when the pontiff came to the back section of the plane to greet journalists as it was flying to Cuba.

He told the pope he had shined shoes as a small boy in the Mexican border city of Tijuana to save money to buy a new shirt and trousers for his first communion, when he and his mother lived in extreme poverty.
Read her letter here:

"My name is Grace and I have been married for four years, but little did I know that my husband is such a useless, randy and shameless man. In fact, I am ready to leave him, only that his mother who been a very nice woman and a second mother to me, has been begging me to give him another chance.

I never knew men could be very good at pretence because when I was dating Stanley, he came across as one very nice, faithful and loving man.

Then, he had eyes for me alone, or so it seems. But immediately we got married, Stanley changed completely. He started chasing after everything in skirt, including girls in our compound.

Behind him, the other women called him he-goat and I felt so much pain that my husband would put me in so much shame. He did not even bother to hide his flirting, even in church.

On more than three occasions, the pastors have had cause to call him and accused him of in the church. I kept enduring the shame and snide remarks, praying and hoping he would change with time but Stanley has become impossible.

The last straw that broke the camel's back happened just last month. He had gone out that fateful day and I was at home with our two-year-old daughter when I heard shouts.

The landlord was shouting and screaming that he would kill Stanley. I rushed downstairs to see what was going on and why landlord said he would kill my husband, only to be confronted with the most shameful sight I had ever seen in my life.

My husband and our landlord's young wife, were surrounded by other tenants, naked. I fainted at the sight and when I was revived, I was told that Stanley was caught by the landlord having sex with the woman in her room.

It took God's intervention for the landlord to agree to settle the case out of court after my husband had spent almost a week in detention, though he has given us a quit notice.

I told Stanley I am divorcing him and he, alongside his mother, siblings and friends have been begging me.

Should I continue living with this shameless man?

Grace."

The teaser for the day was:

How Nigeria voted:

68% - I will divorce him/her immediately

32% - I will forgive him/her
In Enugu State of Nigeria, a married woman and her lover were caught in the web of Magun, a very potent charm often planted on philandering wives by their husbands. This woman and her secret lover gut stuck together during sex.

Back to Zimbabwe, a woman who stole her friend's money and hid it inside her private parts was disgraced after doctors had to perform a minor operation to remove the money that had been embedded inside her uterus.

It was the end of the road for a gang of dreaded armed robbers who shot a pregnant woman on her private parts even after taking cash and other valuables from her and her husband.

Pulse Nigeria Poll made its debut on our top trending stories when voters agreed that when it came to sex, the size of a penis does matter.

A 19-year-old housemaid in Zimbabwe, Lindiwe Kahila, has been arrested and charged to court for allegedly forcing her employer's 14-year-old son to have sex with her, reports MyZimbabwe.

The duo were caught by the boy's older having sex in their parent's bedroom, with the boy claiming Kahila raped him by force.

Rapist housemaid

Photo Credit: African Seer

Kahila, from Chief Mvuthu area outside Victoria Falls town, was not asked to plead to the charge when she appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate, Rangarirai Gakanje yesterday, but was remanded in custody till February 15, when her case is set to be transferred to Hwange Regional Court.

The unthinkable has happened in Nsukka, Enugu State, when a married woman was caught in the extricable web of Magun (an African charm meant to curb infidelity), after after she got stuck with her secret lover during sex.

Deadly sex game

Photo Credit: Total Media

According to witnesses, after the illicit lovers were done with the stolen sex, they tried to extricate themselves to no avail. After battling for many hours, they reportedly had to shout for help and some sympathetic members of the public had to put them in a wheelbarrow and push them to the Bishop Shanahan Teaching Hospital.

A Zimbabwean woman identified as Amanda Makusha, was shamed when after she stole her friend's money and hid it in her vagina and doctors had to bring out the money which had gone into her uterus.

Amanda Makusha

Photo Credit: Zim H-Metro

According to Zim HMetro, Makusha who is from Mkoba region, was riding with her friend, Rachael Nyanyiwa, when she stylishly stole $40 from her bag and hid it in her private parts.

A member of a deadly eight-man armed robbery gang, Johnson Aikko, aka, Stigma, arrested by detectives attached to the Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), set up by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has narrated how their gang leader known as Denis Avaughwa, aka Ava, shot a pregnant woman in her private part during one of their raids in a house in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The deadly Abuja gang

Photo Credit: Total Media

Pulse Nigeria Poll readers all agreed that when it comes to sex, size actually matters.

A really sad woman
Despite the fact that some Nigerians are immune to the Zika virus infection as demonstrated by previous studies, it is important and advisable that Nigerians should be careful and protect themselves from mosquito bites.

There is no vaccine for Zika virus, and no cure other than rest, plenty of fluids and perhaps over-the-counter medication to reduce fevers, aches and pains as previously mentioned. This, therefore, means that prevention is most effective means of preventing transmission.

I advise all Nigerians, particularly pregnant women, to avoid travelling to countries infected by this virus in these periods. If however, you are to visit any country where Zika virus is now being actively transmitted, you are advised to protect yourselves from mosquito bites.

Pregnant women considering travel to affected areas may wish to consult their health-care provider prior to travel and after return. They should also practice personal and household steps to prevent mosquito, including putting mosquito repellent on their clothes and skin, wear long sleeves and pants, and sleep underneath mosquito nets at night, where possible, he said.
An eye witness in the village, Malam Idris Shuaibu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that seven bodies had been recovered by some fishermen and local farmers in the area.

The Cable News report just in, said Yusuf Sani Babura, the executive secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has confirmed that 13 deaths have been recorded so far.

Babura added that most of victims were girls returning from an occasion.

He said Young girls under nine to 12 years old were loaded in two boats on their way from Tsuburi Darai village to cross the river to Gilma village to attend a wedding ceremony when the tragedy occurred.

The eyewitness who spoke to NAN said a canoe from Darei heading to Girma first capsized and another one that was trying to drop some passengers at the other side of the river bank turned back to rescue the drown canoe."

He added that in the process, the girls in a canoe that wanted to rescue the others who were mostly teenagers, jumped into the water due to fear and got drown too.
Speaking to Channels TV, the Director of Public Relations at the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the Air Force has been deliberately avoiding that location in the ongoing aerial bombardment of Sambisa forest, so keep the girls safe.

He said the recent bombardment had been aimed at the logistics base of the Boko Haram sect and not where the girls are.

We have no fears that the girls are not there because hat particular location has been under surveillance for quite a while and we suspected maybe its a kind of ammunition depot or maybe a workshop that they are using as their logistics place.

Once you take off the logistics base, of course you gradually weaken the resolve of the enemy to be able to prosecute any campaign, he said.

Explaining the tactics used by the Air Force to locate the girls, Famuyiwa said: The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) has become a force multiplier for us because its cheaper to run these platforms, you are not putting men there (and) the risk of losing human beings is greatly reduced.

Again the UAVs have the capability to be airborne for up to eleven hours and its quite cheap to maintain. So, we have been able to employ the UAV to a great extent to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance basically for intelligence gathering on the activities of the Boko Haram.
This was disclosed by German President,

We as Europe will support that initiative with $50 million. We commend your good governance, Gauck said while addressing a joint press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

Good governance is not possible without peace, Germany will support Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram and we would continue to provide support for the displaced people on a humanitarian basis, he added.

Australia had also earlier donated the sum of $3 million to support victims of the insurgency which has ravaged Nigerias North-East.

--------------------------------------------
Punch reports that Buhari said It is a pity Boko Haram welcomed you with explosions in Maiduguri that took so many lives, but I have attempted to explain in so many fora that Boko Haram is not what it used to be.

While they were firmly holding 14 out of 774 local governments when we came in, they are not holding any local government now.

What they have resorted to is using improvised explosive devices to cause maximum casualties on soft targets as they did yesterday (Wednesday).

But for them to organise conventional attacks on military, police installations and take hold of towns, I think they are not able to do that. They send groups to kill vulnerable targets.
The former captive, identified only as Amira for her safety, also said that the terrorists have an evil look in their eyes that makes them seem possessed, according to MSN.

They have a look in their eyesthey look like they are possessed. They would even drink the blood of the people they killed, she said.

She described how the young fighters of Boko Haram, some of whom arent teenagers yet, rape women and kill with impunity.

Amira also explained how she was abducted by Boko Haram insurgents after ironically fleeing her village of Michika in Adamawa State to escape the sects attacks.

The terrorist sect has unleashed unimaginable horror in Nigerias North-East and is responsible for thousands of deaths in the area.

The activities of Boko Haram have also left many like Amira, who lives in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons, homeless.

Boko Haram has been named the worlds deadliest terrorist sect, ahead of the Islamic State, by the Global Terrorism Index.

------------------------------
This is following revelations made by former

Aluko alleged that in Ekiti state.

Punch reports that a statement issued by Falana, through his organisation, Value and Integrity Group, said Having consistently demanded the prosecution of all the wicked criminals who shared in the looting of the funds meant for the procurement of arms, Mr. Falana has called for the arrest and trial of Mr. Ayodele Fayose and his cohorts over the N4.8bn deployed to perpetrate the grave electoral malfeasance that characterised the last Ekiti State governorship election.

The statement also said In particular, Mr. Falana stated that Mr. Fayose should be tried since he was a candidate and not a governor when the serious electoral offences were committed by him. On his contention that the governors immunity does not cover his impunity, Mr. Falana cited several decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

With respect to fresh facts which have established that the election was marred by monumental fraud, Mr. Falana has opined that the Supreme Court could be approached by the APC to review its judgment on the endorsement of the election of Mr. Fayose since it is trite law that any judgment obtained by fraud is liable to be set aside.

However, in recent time, earth-shaking revelations have been credited to those who took part in the illegal use of armed soldiers to manipulate the election in favour of Mr. Fayose.
Fayose said this at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the modern Erekesan Market in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital.

Also reacting to the plot of some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in state to dump the party, Fayose said those involved in the scheme should leave the party without delay as he is less bothered of their intended deflection.

It has been speculated that former Acting governor of the state, Hon. Tope Ademiluyi, ex-envoy to Republic of Congo, Princess Jolaade Onipede and over 30 aggrieved PDP stalwarts are planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said: I am not scared by these defection threats. If you want to go, you better leave now. I always rely on the masses rather than politicians, because they dont betray like politicians.

Politics is a game and we shall play it for them in 2018. When you make the people your pillar, you will never fail. I am confident that I will defeat them if election is held here 20 times, because I make the masses the pillar of support."

Fayose however promised that all market men and women in the state will have cause to rejoice upon completion of the project.

It is always very difficult when structures like this are being demolished. But it takes a leader with great heart to take a bold step like this. What Ekiti needs is a bold leader and not a weakling, we dont need a weakling", he said.
Tony Eluemunor, the Head of Iboris Media Office, made the allegations via a statement.

It reads:

Chief James Onanaefe Iboris defence lawyers shocked the Southwark Court, London on Wednesday 10th February 2016, when they adduced evidence before Judge Tomlinson of a conspiracy between Nigeria and Britain to railroad Ibori and his associates into jail.

A thoroughly disappointed Judge Tomlinson refused to adjourn hearing to another day but issued an order by 12.30 pm that the Prosecution should be in court by 2pm as the matter at hand, professional misconduct, dishonesty, perverting the course of justice and criminal non-disclosures, lying to the trial court and Court of Appeal, were serious and urgent.

This time, the hunters have become the hunted and Iboris defence team were the accusers while Iboris erstwhile accusers and prosecutors were the accused.

Pointedly, two prosecutors; Sasha Wass and Esther Schutzer-Weissmann were not only at the end of finger-pointing, and have been dismissed from the Ibori case, their activities are now being challenged in court for grounds on which to upturn all the convictions  Iboris and his associates.

In fact, all the prosecution lawyers plus the entire police officers that have represented the British Police have been dismissed from the Iboir case and all other cases stemming from it  following allegations of corruption against them; lies and deliberate misleading of the court.

Yet, the worst charge so far against the British prosecution came when the court resumed by 2 pm as counsel to Iboris former lawyer, Badresh Gohil, dropped the bombshell.

The Counsel, Mr. Kamish, stunned the court when he revealed a sinister conspiracy between Nigeria and Britain to railroad Ibori and associates into jail. He backed this up by pointing at a document signed by British and Nigerian governments agreeing that the Department for International Development will be paid 25 million Pounds Sterling from monies that will be confiscated from Ibori, before any penny is ever remitted to Nigeria.

With that document in place, that Department became so aggressive as to start paying the salaries of some police investigators on the Ibori case, especially that of Dectective Constable, John McDonald.

Wednesdays hearing was at the request of Iboris lawyers for the prosecution to explain their non-compliance with court orders made to ensure fair as opposed to unfair trial. Mr. Kenneth Talbot represented Ibori while Kamish stood for Gohil.
The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Abdullahi Gumel (Jigawa-North West), made this known in Abuja on Thursday while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

Gumel spoke of the need for synergy among the three tiers of government in the development of the border communities.

"We came to have a synergy with the Vice President because he is the chairman of these very important agencies.

"Most of our problems is with these border communities and this happens because of neglect in most of these border areas.

"For instance, if you go to Banki in Borno State, the whole town is divided by a road, while the side of Cameroun has light the other side of Nigeria has no light.

"If you go to where I come from, Maigatari, the people visit Niger Republic to get drugs to resolve their health challenges.

"This thing has to stop; we are in the Change administration and this thing has to change

"The government has to address it with the synergy of the state government and the local government.

"I think if they come together, we will salvage these border communities.
The Deputy Speaker was earlier on Tuesday suspended by his Kwaturu Ward executive over what they described as 'incompetent' and anti-party activities.

Some of the Party Executive were reportedly arrested by the Deputy Speaker with the help of state machinery. The arrest of party executives in Kachia Local government of Kaduna State including the Youth leader, Jerry Ghandi has sparked protest from the people of the area who have commenced the Deputy Speaker's recall process.

Pulse exclusively obtained a letter addressed to the Resident Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kaduna State and Resident Electoral Officer, Kachia Local Government of Kaduna State requesting them to provide a recall forms that will lead to removal of John Audu from the state House of Assembly as Member representing Kachia Constituency.

The letter signed by John Machu said "in pursuance to section 110A and B of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which empowers mandate givers to recall their member of House of Assembly whose activities fall short of expectations and not a promise keeper; we write to request for forms; to initiate process to recall Hon. John Audu, Member of Kaduna State House of Assembly (KDSHA) representing Kachia Constituency."

The letter added: "Some of the reasons responsible for our intention is to invoke the recall clause bordered on insensitivity, lack of constant report of activities of the house to its constituency, failure on oversight functions and sundry behaviour unbefitting of a lawmaker."
She made this revelation while addressing, the Senate committee on Finance, during her budget defence session.

Adeosun also said banks that worked with the civil servants to defraud the government will also be prosecuted.

She said We will not only sack them, we will ensure the recovery of the money they have been collecting over the years from the Federal government.

The finance minister also said Nigeria's decision to collect government payments in one bank account will help limit state borrowing, reduce payment delays and curb corruption.

During the visit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) boss, Christine Lagarde Adeosun also said Nigeria plans up to $5 bln borrowing from sources including Eurobonds.
There were reports in the media saying Boroh spent N48bn in five months.

Boroh who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, said  The main claim by the publications that the new administration awarded contracts worth about N48 billion in just five months is false.

Shedding more light on the allegation that he spent N75.3m to purchase six operational vehicles, the PAP coordinator said the correct amount spent was N69.3m.

He also debunked claims that there was no money to fund the education of Niger Delta students studying abroad, adding that their fees have been fully paid by the Federal Government.

They said that I ordered students in universities in the UK, US, Canada, UAE, Russia, the Philippines, Belarus and elsewhere abroad, to return back to Nigeria, it is completely false, Boroh said.

Vanguard reports that he described the allegation as malicious, adding that the agency spent only N12.953b between September and December 2015.

The amnesty programme was announced by the Late President Umaru Musa YarAdua on the 25th of June, 2009.
This was revealed to newsmen by the Director, Army Public Relations,

Punch reports that Usman said The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that 12 Army officers have been sent to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), for investigation.

This comprised of 3 serving Major Generals, and one retired, 3 Brigadier Generals, 4 Colonels and 1 Lieutenant Colonel. However, it should be noted that at the end of the Commissions investigations those found culpable will be tried by a military Court Martial.

The Nigerian Army recently condemned calls by a group, Save the Nation Movement (STNM)for the inclusion of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai in the ongoing arms deal probe.

The Army said it is an attempt to rubbish the hard earned name and reputation of the Chief of Army Staff.
According to him, the money, which had hitherto been missing, was traced to some accounts in the state and have been recovered.

He said that the recovery had enabled him to pay workers in the state, who had been on strike for months, at a time.

Recently, we recovered about N2.7 billion in the state, money that was regarded as lost. We traced and recovered the money which was meant for teachers.

Teachers, civil servants, the judiciary had gone on several months of strike; some nine, some 11 but now, since I came on board, we did our best. We now have arrears of salaries of only two months.

For teachers, we paid all; they are back to work. The judiciary is also back to work. So, for the plateau, we are moving on well.

In the area of corruption, we are putting pressure on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to hasten their investigations so that they can begin prosecution and we can also gain recovery of looted funds, Lalong said.

He said that several other cases had also been sent to the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which will yield results soon.

He disclosed that like the Federal Government, there was pressure to stop prosecution of some cases, while some people with concrete evidence refused to come out to testify.

He, however, said that such antics did not and would not deter the government from pushing for the recovery of stolen funds in the state.

The governor said that he was unsure why other governors were finding it difficult to implement the TSA, disclosing that the merits of the system outweighed its demerits.

I am not an accountant but immediately I became aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of TSA, I gave the instruction that it should be implemented.

I organised a committee immediately and today, TSA is being implemented.

I dont know why some governors are finding it difficult to implement TSA in their states but out of the TSA implementation in our state, we have gained some dividends.

We are now tracing some accounts that were not known to us before and we are seeing some excesses in those accounts, especially in some of the ministries.

So, I will advise other states that have not yet implemented TSA to do so, he said.

Lalong assured that in spite of the reduction in monthly allocation to the state, there would be no downsizing of workers in the state.

It will be very difficult to downsize on the plateau; I dont intend to and I will not. All I want to do is to maintain what I have and also improve on it.

Thats why our concentration is on improving on the revenue so that we can, if possible, employ additional workforce.

Downsizing in this present administration is going to be very difficult; the president has advised state governments and even corporate organisations not to downsize, he said.

The governor said that although he was yet to pay all outstanding salaries, he would do so as soon as the Federal Government paid the bailout he applied for in full.

Before the issue of bailout, we had already started paying workers in the state.

When the issue of bailout came, we applied for N10 billion which was supposed to be for the arrears of salaries for about eight to nine months and so far, we have only received N5 billion.

Plateau was supposed to get N10 billion for salaries and for infrastructure but all we have got so far from the Central Bank of Nigeria is N5 billion.

Even with that, we have been able to clear most of the arrears of salaries; we only have an outstanding of two months salaries not paid in our state.
Find out what is making headlines all over the country from the covers of The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian and more.

For today, Friday, February 12, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Appeal Court quashes ex-Gov Nyakos impeachment

YOLATHE Yola Division of Federal Court of Appeal, Adamawa State, yesterday nullified the impeachment of Former Governor Murtala Nyako. The five Judges led by Justice Jumai Hannatu Sankey in a unanimous judgment, described Nyakos impeachment as a high level of impunity, recklessness, rascality and a constituted gross of legislative powers by the Adamawa State House of Assembly. READ MORE:

$2.1bn ARMS PROBE: NAF fires indicted officers, appoints new AOCs, PSOs

ABUJAThe Nigerian Airforce High Command stepped up its anti-corruption war, yesterday, with the removal of officers, including Air Officers Commanding, AOCs, fingered in the $2.1billion arms scandal and appointed new officers to replace them. As a result, Vanguard gathered that about four senior officers, Air Vice Marshals, AVMs, and Commodores, (names with-held) are now under house arrest at Niger Barracks, Abuja, awaiting completion of interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before they would know their fate. That is besides RA Ojuawo, an Air Vice Marshal, arrested Tuesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on his way to Germany, by EFCC operatives.

APC wont spend 4 years fighting corruption Moghalu

ABUJAConscious of the insinuations making the rounds that the present government of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by President Muhammadu Buhari is devoting the whole time of governance fighting corruption to the detriment of other sectors of the economy, the partys National Auditor, George Moghalu, has said that president Buhari wont spend his whole first term for the course.

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Jonathans ex-ADC, seven top officers land in EFCC net

The Nigerian Army has interrogated Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, the Aide-de-Camp to former President Goodluck Jonathan, in connection with the ongoing probe into the alleged arms procurement scandal. The PUNCH reliably gathered on Thursday that Adegbe, who was arrested on Wednesday in Lagos, was taken to the Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja popularly referred to as Abacha Barracks, where he was interrogated by some senior military officers.

EFCC declares Tompolo wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday declared a former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, wanted. The anti-graft agency, in an advertorial signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said it decided to declare Tompolo wanted following two bench warrants issued against him by a Federal High Court in Lagos, where he has been charged with a N45.9bn fraud. READ MORE:

Punish FG officials, banks over 23,000 ghost workers Senate

The Senate on Thursday declared its support for the move by the Ministry of Finance to prosecute civil servants found culpable in the payment of salaries and remuneration to 23,000 ghost workers over the years. The Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Senator John Enoh, who said this at a budget defence session with the Ministry of Finance, asked the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, to ensure the immediate prosecution of the suspects being accused of alleged involvement in the scam.

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THE GUARDIAN

SCourt affirms Ishakus victory in Taraba guber polls

WITH the ruling of the Supreme Court yesterday, Darius Dickson Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) retained his position as the governor of Taraba State. The apex court also dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Aisha J. Alhassan. READ MORE:

MINISTER of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has pledged commitment to streamline government procurement processes to generate more savings from elimination of wastages and excess capacity and duplication to boost the economy According to Adeosun, there was an urgent need for government to use its large purchasing power to negotiate favorable terms from suppliers and increase transparency through the introduction of price guidelines.

Govt screens for Zika at airports, borders

NIGERIA is now on high alert over the Zika virus ravaging parts of the world. Already, to prevent the virus from spreading into Nigeria, the Federal Government has directed intense screening at the nations points of entry, including airports, land and sea borders. The government has also among other measures, activated the surveillance and alert system currently in use in the fight against Lassa Fever Virus (LFV). READ MORE:

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Jonathans ADC in trouble over N10b for PDP chiefs

Detectives are questioning former President Goodluck Jonathans ex-Aide-De-Camp (ADC) on the disbursement of more than N10 billion oil proceeds to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination convention delegates. Col. Ojogbane Adegbe is being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is on the trail of another key aide to the former President  Waripamowei Dudafa, former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs.

Boko Haram holds no territory, says Buhari at briefing with German President

President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmed yesterday that Boko Haram is not holding any Nigerian territory. In what looks like a veiled response to the claim by Borno Central Senator Baba Gabai that three Borno State local government areas and about 50 per cent of the states land mass are still under the control of the sect, the President told visiting German President Joachim Gauck that Nigeria has taken back all its territories.

EFCC declares Tompolo wanted

Ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo (akaTompolo) has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a statement yesterday which is advertised in this newspaper, the anti-graft agency urged the public to offer useful information on his whereabouts. It said 47-year-old Tompolo is wanted in a case of conspiracy, illegal diversion of N34 billion and 11billion, 900 million belonging to the Nigerian maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). READ MORE:

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Business Day

Banks to prioritise FX allocation for real sector, as demand soars

Bank executives rose from their monthly industry meeting on Thursday with a firm agreement to seriously downplay foreign exchange access to invisibles -school fees, medical bills abroad- but rather to concentrate on allocating FX for those ventures that would boost the real sector. Herbert Wigwe, managing director, Access Bank who, alongside his colleagues and Central

NNPC to engage more kerosene marketers for product availability

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), an agency under the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it is now working out a list of independent marketers willing to obtain permits to begin importation of kerosene into the country in a post-subsidy move to ensure the availability of the commodity going forward.

Stakeholders anchor growth on higher productivity
The Commission filed the N11. 9 billion fraud charges today, February 12.

According to a statement by the EFCC, the N11.9 billion ($60 million), which was illegally diverted by Tompolo belonged to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The ex-militant would also face trial for allegedly laundering $175 million and for fraudulently collecting N13 billion from the last administration as payment for the land where the Nigerian Maritime University is to be built.

Tompolo was declared wantedby EFCC yesterday, February 11.
The anti-graft agency declared Tompolo wanted over alleged diversion a sum of N45.9 billion in the execution of contracts. He had shunned several court orders to appear and face the charges brought against.

A federal High Court in Lagos last week issued a warrant of arrest against him, being an order sought by EFCC to get the accused person to face justice.

Tompolo and the ex-Director General of Nigeria Maritime Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi are facing a 40-count charge over alleged diversion of pubic funds.

We are looking for Tompolo and my men are on his trail. We will arrest him anywhere we sight him, Arase said during a tour of the Ekiti Command today, February 12.
The group also urged him to ensure there is unity and brotherhood as it has always being among the people of the state irrespective of tribal affiliation.

National President of the group, Malam Jafaru Mailama Yakubu made the plea in a statement signed in Kaduna.

"The People are eager to see real change happening across nooks and crannies of the state in terms of provision of infrastructure and good governance. We want to see rapid development in the state under the leadership of Yahaya Bello. So that those that voted him will be proud of the state," Mailama said.
The call was made via a statement released on Thursday, February 11, 2016, by the Director of Media and Publicity of Marks campaign organization, Dr Adakole Elijah.

It reads:

The continued inflammatory statements, innuendo, abuse and poor conduct of Onjeh and his campaign team ahead of the rerun election is clearly unbecoming of someone aspiring to lead.

We believe very strongly that this is another APC plot to cover its antics. We cannot fall for it. We cannot be part of this crude mentality. We demand an immediate retraction and unreserved apology forthwith.

We make bold to state unequivocally that we have maintained the highest level of decorum and restraint in spite of the unwarranted provocation since the campaign started.

It is, therefore, instructive to remind Chief Oyegun that as a man who comes from the great Benin Kingdom, the custodian of African rich cultural heritage, where respect for elders is a grand norm, he cannot be endorsing Onjehs ceaseless insult on our Principal.

The APC does not need to attack our principal. This is election. All they need do is to tell the people what they have done or want to do. Senator Mark cannot be the APC agenda. We have an array of what we have done for the people. We cannot join issues with them.

Our people have now seen the difference between what our principal stands for and what the APC wants to do in Benue South.

We do not need a resort to self-help to win elections. Our people are now convinced that external forces cannot determine their destiny. They know that Senator Mark represents Idoma dreams. They have decided once again to vote for Senator Mark.

We also need to remind Security operatives to be on the alert as the APC in Benue state is perfecting plan to unleash mayhem on Benue south during and after the elections. Credible information reaching us indicates that the APC is said to be sewing camouflage army and police uniforms for thugs during the election.

But what they must know by now is that our people have resolved to take their destiny in their hands. And no amount of intimidation or external forces can change their resolve to vote for Senator Mark.

Onjeh and Mark are expected to go head to head for the February 20 rerun elections in Benue South after the latters March 28, 2015, election victory was nullified by the Court of Appeal

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Falana had earlier called for Fayoses prosecution, following revelations made by former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretary, Tope Aluko.

Aluko alleged that Fayose used the military to rig the 2014 Governorship elections in Ekiti state.

In its reaction, the APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun said the Ekiti state Governor should shut up and stop insulting Nigerians.

Vanguard reports that the APC spokesman also said Fayose is jittery and that is why he is stoking violence. He has started attacking individuals in Ekiti State like he did during his first aborted tenure in 2006.

He said We want to remind Fayose that many of his party leaders, who still have a modicum of integrity, have also left PDP in droves because they could not stand the shame he has brought upon them through the Ekitigate scandal planned and executed by him and some of his cohorts. Therefore, Falana cannot be an exception.

Adding that Fayose is being haunted by his criminal past and there is no way he will not meet his comeuppance no matter how he tries to evade justice.

Through his past and present deeds, decent people of the world have since discovered that Fayose is a threat to democracy and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, law and order in the society and everyone knows that there is no way he can operate in a society where the law works, Olatunbosun said.
Punch reports that the party said the judgement lacks logic, reason and depth.

A statement issued by the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Amadu Attai, reads: We want to put on record our utter rejection of the judgment of the Supreme Court about the PDP appeal against the victory of the APC at the Court of Appeal in the state governorship election petition. We believe that the judgment of the Supreme Court is devoid of reason, logic and depth.

The Supreme Court judgment is a dangerous act of political advocacy that completely ignores the uncontested and overwhelming evidence of the petitioners (Umana Okon Umana and the APC) at the tribunal which had held that the petitioner had proved that there was no valid election in 18 of the 31 local government areas in the state.

The statement also said In addition to this evidence, our candidate and party had also tendered the reports of the United States Embassy, European Union, Nigerian Civil Society Organisations and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps which stated that the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State was marred by widespread irregularities and violence.
Peller said Joshua, Senior Pastor of The Synagogue Church of All Nations and Oyakhilome, Christ Embassy founder, their eyes with demonic powers in them to superimpose their thoughts into people.

This statement was made in a recent interview with FLIP TV.

He claimed that while T. B. Joshua uses Kabballah magic to hypnotize his congregation and the general public over his miracles, Chris Oyakhilomes association with Joshua makes him a suspect.

Taking on Oyakhilome, Kayode said, I used to believe Oyakhilome before. That ended the day I saw him and Joshua doing miracles and castigating our pastors, Ayo and Okonkwo.

When you castigate these great men of God, you are no more for God. They do miracles but dont know what they teach.

I would say they use magic on their followers since I was a former magician. I see in their actions hypnotism and seduction. I mean the way we used to seduce our congregation; those that come to watch our magic those days.

I see mesmerism, hypnotism and occult display in what they do. How can people jubilate over atmosphere of miracles and before they get to the bus stop, the miracles have gone. Miracles are not limited to atmosphere. God is in charge of everywhere, he added.

They use the eyes with the demonic power in them to superimpose their thoughts into people. It happens, for most of those walking in the streets have very weak spirits. For there is witchcraft ability in every man.

That is what we call telepathising: I mean, when I see them do their drama of healing while dancing from one side to another. I know its hypnotism.

These are dangerous occultist words. Telepathising, hypnotism, , kabbalah magic are processes of ruling the minds of weaker men. It could go to the length of seeing the magic maker in the dreams once the weaker person allows the demonic spirit of the conjurer to influence his mind.

Defending his criticism and assuring that he is not making accusations out of jealousy, he said, "Let nobody think that I am jealous of them because their churches are big. If I want to make mine big I know what to do. I am the son of Peller. I know where things happen.

I am not a mugu, to say the truth. They cant fool me. I want to make heaven. I dont want my work to be a waste; for every work built on faulty foundation, shall not stand the test of time.

Foundation of deceit, occultism and demonic power cannot stand the test of time when the owner leaves. Jesus will deny them on that day.

God only can say if Joshua is a real man of God. I dont judge them; only God can do that.
They allegedly accused the VC of mismanaging the universitys resources.

This is following the protest staged by the Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks where they asked the university authority to reinstate the students union leaders suspended for seeking better welfare for the students.

The protesting students led by the Coordinator of the ANSA, Wole Olubanji stated that many petitions had been written against the vice chancellor, saying they had enough evidence to back their allegations against him.

According to Olubanji, We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau to probe Prof. Bamitale Omoles administration.

Prof. Omole administration has earned over N30bn from subventions, more than N1.5bn from school fees, billions of naira from ore-degree program besides funds received from special agencies such as World Bank, TETFUND etc and money from internal sources including donations from corporate bodies.
According to the NCC's Monthly Internet Subscriber Data statistics, the total number of GSM and CDMA subscribers in Nigeria was 97,182,014 in December 2015. The regulator said this was in contrast to 97,970,229 internet subscribers recorded in November, highlighting a decrease of 788,215 users in December.

The data also showed that 97,042,543 of the 97,182,014 users recorded were on GSM networks, while 149,471 users were on the CDMA networks.

GSM operators lost 791,474 internet users, while CDMA operators added 3,259 subscribers in December.

The NCC data showed that MTN recorded a decrease of 948,131 internet subscribers, Globacom has 25,082,066 subscribers surfing the net on its network in December, up from the 24,952,559 that surfed the internet on the network in November.

Airtel, meanwhile, had 16,835,952 internet users in December, as against 16,837,282 customers recorded in November, recording a decrease of 1,330 users.

Etisalat had 15,189,788 customers who browsed the internet in December, as against the 15,161,307 users in November, posting an increase of 28,481.

For CDMA operators, the NCC disclosed that Multi-Links and Visafone, had a joint total of 149,471 internet users on their networks in December.
In a six-monthly report to parliament on the state of freedoms in the former British colony, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond wrote that Lee Bo, a British passport holder who disappeared from Hong Kong in late December, was likely taken to China against his will.

"Our current information indicates that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR law," Hammond wrote in a foreword.

It was the strongest indication so far by London, that Lee, who surfaced in China last month, was abducted, though Hammond didn't specify by whom, how, or give any further details.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," Hammond added, referring to the 1984 treaty that paved the way for Hong Kong's 1997 return to China.

China has previously said Hong Kong's autonomy was fully respected and no foreign officials had the right to interfere.

Besides Lee, four of his bookselling associates have also gone missing over the past few months including Gui Minhai, a Swedish national who disappeared from the Thai seaside resort town of Pattaya late last year and who last month made a tearful confession on Chinese state television to a fatal drink-driving incident over a decade ago.

Chinese authorities indicated last week that three of the five Hong Kong booksellers who went missing were being investigated for unspecified "illegal activities"

China's reluctance to provide information and its refusal to allow British and Swedish envoys access to Lee and Gui - a breach of international conventions - is fuelling a diplomatic crisis, several senior diplomats told Reuters.

"The unexplained disappearance of five individuals associated with a Hong Kong bookstore and publishing house has raised questions in Hong Kong," Hammond said.
The army said 16 fighters of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) had been killed in Cizre, near the Syrian border. It said it had retrieved the bodies of another 24 militants killed earlier, along with rifles, machines guns and rocket launchers.

Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said on Thursday that security forces had completed their operations against militants in Cizre after weeks of fighting, raising hopes that a lockdown could be lifted.

More than 800 militants have been killed in Cizre and Sur since they were placed under a round-the-clock curfew in December, the army said.

The pro-Kurdish HDP, the biggest party in the region, says 128 civilians have been killed during the curfews.

Authorities imposed the curfews in a bid to root out armed PKK militants who had dug trenches and erected barricades. The violence has forced thousands of local residents to flee.

A ceasefire with the PKK collapsed in July, wrecking a 2-1/2 year peace process that had been seen as Turkey's best chance at ending three decades of strife in the restive southeast.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
One of the great advantages of living in this region is being able enjoy nature up close and privately, along the many uncrowded back roads. In the next couple of weeks, for instance, you can already enjoy spring in the lower parts of Death Valley. My favorite route for this time of year is the West Side Road, a 40-mile route skirting Badwater Basin along the base of the Panamint Mountain Range.

2016 is turning out to be a banner year for wildflowers, and youre bound to find some good color on side trips up the canyons from West Side Road. Earlier this month there were carpets of color along the West Side and Badwater Road. I found desert gold, periwinkle colored desert five-spot, brown-eyed evening primrose and purple caltha-leaved phacelia. Since Mother Nature is unpredictable be sure to check the park service wildflower update before your visit to find the best places to see them. www.nps.gov/deva/.

West Side Road also boasts historic sites and opportunities to explore one or more of the six side-canyon roads. The main route offers a mix of hard salt pan, sandy and rocky areas and can usually be traveled with any high-clearance vehicle as long as it has very good off-road tires. But if you intend to explore the side canyons of Trail, Hanaupah, Johnson, Galena, Queen of Sheba and Warm Springs, I strongly recommend a four-wheel-drive vehicle and some previous experience operating one.

Starting in the Furnace Creek area on Calif. Hwy. 190, take the Badwater Road (Calif. Hwy. 178) south for about 6.2 miles and go right onto the signed West Side Road.

Frank Shorty Harris, one of the most famous gold prospectors in the region is buried here. The grave is about nine miles down the road, on your left, and is marked by a sign. Other highlights along the West Side Road are the ruins of the Eagle Borax Works, the first borax refinery in Death Valley, which operated 1882-1884, and the area where the Bennett Long Camp was located.

If you dont choose to explore any of the side canyons after exiting West Side Road, returning to the Furnace Creek area via the paved Badwater Road will constitute a 44-mile round trip.

For an additional back road experience you can exit West Side Road, head south on Badwater Road for three miles and go straight to take the Harry Wade Road through to the south end of the park. (The more usual route in this direction, continuing on Badwater Road up through Jubilee and Salisbury Pass to Shoshone, is temporarily closed.)

Harry Wade Road is 31 miles of gravel that brings you out the extreme southern part of the park to Calif. 127. From there you can head north about 24 miles back to Shoshone and then go right onto Calif. 178 (which turns into Nevada Hwy. 372 at the Nevada boundary) for about 19 miles to Pahrump.

The Harry Wade Road is usually dry, but earlier this month, where the road crosses the Amargosa River and about 13 miles into the drive, I had to ford a stream about one foot deep and 10 feet wide. But the Amargosa is a mostly underground river most of the time, and this crossing should be dry when you go, unless it has rained quite recently.

Cell phones do not get reception on West Side or Harry Wade roads and it is common to spend an entire day driving these roads without seeing another vehicle, so you are definitely on your own. Therefore, be sure to bring plenty of extra water and food, in case you get stranded, besides spare tires, tools for changing them, warm clothes, flashlights, matches, etc.

I make it a habit to visit the park website, www.nps.gov/deva/, before starting a trip to Death Valley and its also a good idea to make your first stop at the physical visitor center in Furnace Creek.

They will have a copy of the daily morning report which will give you up-to-date information about weather, road conditions and such. This is where you pay the entry fee to the park, or show your park pass and they will give you a park newspaper and map. Also available here is a back-country road map published by the company that manufactures Jeep vehicles; however, you must ask for it. This offers basic information on some of the most popular gravel roads in the park.

Directions

From Pahrump take State Route 160 north to Bell Vista Avenue

Go left and travel about 26 miles (passing into California) to Death Valley Junction

Go right onto Calif. 127 and drive 0.2 miles and go left onto California 190

Drive about 30 miles to the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley

Deborah Wall is the author of Base Camp Las Vegas, Hiking the Southwestern States, Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide, and co-author of Access For All, Touring the Southwest with Limited Mobility. Wall can be reached at Deborabus@aol.com.
A Pahrump man arrested and charged with several felonies late last year, entered into a plea agreement this week.

Jeffery Stevens, 46, is scheduled for sentencing in April.

He was arrested Dec. 17, after a struggle with Nye County Sheriffs deputies.

Nye County Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Vieta-Kabell said the state brought numerous charges against Stevens, who could spend years behind bars.

Among the charges Stevens pled guilty to are aggravated stalking, resisting a police officer with the use of a firearm, while violating a protection order.

Aggravated stalking is a very serious Category B felony punishable between two and 15 years in prison, he said. Resisting a police officer with use of a firearm, while violating a protective order is a Category C felony punishable by between one to five years in prison, for the act of trying to take the officers firearm. It is also punishable by an additional one to five years because the defendant was violating a protective order when that occurred. The third charge was an unlawful use of a controlled substance, that charge is punishable by between one to four years. We believe that justice has absolutely been served.

Sentencing for Stevens is scheduled for April 11.

Vieta-Kabell said the state will argue vigorously before Fifth District Court Judge Robert Lane that Stevens should remain behind bars for an extended period of time.

Mr. Stevens deserves to go to prison for a very long time and we hope to accomplish that and protect the people of Pahrump because they deserve to go about their daily business without having dangerous felons like Mr. Stevens running through town, he said. People are out and about, shopping for groceries and visiting the thrift store, trying to enjoy a nice day out shopping and we are very relieved that he was taken into custody without anybody being seriously injured.

A week before his arrest on Dec. 10, deputies said he went to the home of his estranged wife, who had an active extended protective order placed against him. Deputies reviewed the footage of the victims security camera and saw Stevens try to open the womans front door, then cover the camera lens with his hand.

Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to the victims home again later on Dec. 10, as she heard loud banging on her sliding glass door.

Upon arrival, deputies were unable to locate Stevens in the area.

A day later, deputies were again dispatched to the womans home as she stated that Stevens was at her bedroom window begging for her to let him inside.

Dispatchers said they could hear a faint voice that sounded like it was coming from outside on the line, according to deputies, but they failed to locate the suspect.

On Dec. 15, a sheriffs deputy was dispatched to an address on Mayfield Ranch Road for a report of a disturbance.

After arriving, the deputy made contact with the female victim and learned that Stevens was inside the residence.

According to the arrest report, when the deputy entered the residence Stevens attacked him, repeatedly punching and beating the in the head and face.

During the scuffle, Stevens repeatedly tried to remove the deputys weapon from its holster.

The deputy was able to protect himself and the victim from further harm, while Stevens quit fighting and fled the scene.

The deputy was transported to Desert View Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Two days later, the sheriffs office received a 911 call, alerting them that Stevens was threatening an individual at a Pahrump business with a shotgun while looking for his wife.

Deputies responded hastily to the business but upon arrival found that Stevens had left on foot prior to their arrival.

Deputies eventually located Stevens along Dahlia Street near Basin Road and Highway 160.

Additional officers arrived on scene as Stevens again resisted arrest.

He was eventually placed under arrest and transported to Desert View Hospital for minor injuries sustained during the struggle with deputies, before being taken to the Nye County Detention Center.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com.
Joanna Lien never caucused before but this year, the 29-year-old Pahrump resident is readying for the Nevada Democratic caucus on Feb. 20.

Lien, a temporary precinct chair for precinct 30, said she plans to be on the Floyd Elementary School campus on the caucus day.

This will be my first time really getting out and being this involved more than just your average armchair activist, she said.

Along with a group of 15 people, Lien participated in a mock-up caucus at the Bernie Sanders campaign office, 2201 E. Postal Drive, Suite 9 on Wednesday. Participants learned about caucus rules, terminology and the process.

The Nevada Caucus is the third step in the 2016 United States presidential election after Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary. Nevada has become an early battleground state for in 2008 at the urging of Sen. Harry Reid.

The three layers of the caucus include the precinct caucuses where delegates will be elected to the county conventions who will then select delegates to Nevada State Convention. Delegates for the presidential nominating conventions are selected at the Nevada State Convention.

Every time I go (to a mock-up caucus), I learn something new, said Lien, who participated in two other mock-up caucuses before.

As the process goes, Lien will nominate herself as a permanent precinct chair and if there are no objections, she will continue into the process where she will oversee the process. The procedure was foreign to her before, so she took some time to learn all of the rules.

It can be a little overwhelming for sure, but I think that the community is really great about coming together and explaining and including, she added.

Similarly to Iowa Caucuses, Nevada Caucuses are run by the state political parties.

The Nevada Caucuses are open to any registered voters and also allow for same-day registration. During the precinct voting, participants are put into preference groups for each candidate. The procedure determines candidates viability or the amount of support. To stay in the race, each candidate has to have a minimum of 15 percent in each precinct.

If a preference group isnt viable, they can either join another group or stay uncommitted. Each viable candidates group will then try to persuade the nonviable candidates voters to join their groups.

When I first read about it, I was definitely concerned, but getting out talking to people and attending trainings has really been helpful, Lien said. We will see how it all works out come caucus day.

Ive lived in two other states in my life, Texas and California, both of which are primary states. Now, the primary process is of course a lot simpler: You show up, you vote, you go home. Unfortunately, that doesnt leave a lot of room for being involved.

The Nevada caucus has grown to prominence in the recent years and is expected to draw a lot of attention as Republicans and Democrats will vie for its increasingly diverse electorate on Feb. 20 and Feb. 23.

For Margery Hanson, another Pahrump resident the caucus isnt new. Hanson, who will also volunteer her time at the caucus, participated in the process 2008 and 2012.

So far, the best I can tell you about right now is we are just more organized, Hanson said.

For many campaigns the week before the caucus is crucial as they try to reach out to everyone by phone banking and door knocking.

I think the enthusiasm level is about the same, those of us who have been before, are not quite as enthusiastic as we are informed, so we know what to expect, we are not going into it all glossy-eyed and naive, we are going into it ready to defend our position, should we need to, Hanson added.

But for someone who has never done it before, Hanson said the most difficult thing about the caucus is the math.

The more people that show up for their candidate, the better chance the candidate has of winning. Thats what the caucus is about, she said.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77
A two-vehicle collision that sent a tractor-trailer onto its side near Amargosa Valley required a Hazmat response from Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services and Nye County Emergency Services around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.

The crash happened along State Route 373 near White Sands Road, closing the area for most of the day. It was still closed at press time.

Fire Chief Scott Lewis said the waste materials were destined to go to US Ecology Nevada, a waste treatment facility nearly 20 miles north of Amargosa which processes and converts hazardous inorganic wastes into non-hazardous, delisted residues.

None of the waste material being transported was radioactive, Lewis said.

We were dispatched with the Station 51 group to the area of Amargosa for a two-vehicle accident where one of the vehicles overturned, he said. Upon arrival, we found the overturned truck. There was no entrapment or serious injuries. The tractor-trailer was breached, so a lot of the material that was stored in the trailer came through the top as it was resting on its side.

The waste products en route to the facility varied in nature, Lewis said.

There were different materials from different manufacturers and it was a collective group of materials that was being transported up to the US Ecology facility, he said. It wasnt any one type of material. Some of it was solid materials and there were several that were liquid. The motor carrier company was contacted and they sent third-party resources out to remedy all of those issues and to mitigate any other problems.

The highway remained closed to through traffic throughout Thursday afternoon.

Lewis said motorists could navigate their way around the scene by taking secondary roads.

Several people were evaluated but declined medical treatment.

A US Ecology site has been the focus of a state investigation into an industrial fire in October that shut down U.S. Highway 95 from Tonopah to the State Route 160 interchange north of Crystal.

A full-scale remediation of the US Ecology industrial site could cost millions of dollars, state officials said during a meeting on Monday.

A group of state officials who presented the findings from the report into the October industrial fire at the US Ecology site said the state is working with several private engineering companies that are expected to provide costs of permanent repairs for the site.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com
Editors note: The column is about vulgar speech and contains some words that may offend some readers.

Lets hear it for vulgarity!

Well, at least lets hear it for occasionally hearing it, and other offensive terms and ideas. Lets accept that there are times, such as presidential elections, where we have an abiding need to really hear the speaker, unfiltered and raw, and not just through a prettified, sanitized, preplanned utterance.

We need to be surprised, shocked, awed or offended at times to get the full-on impact of what people are saying in this widely derided but no less-observed era of rehearsed talking points and sound bites. Language with bite or just plain speaking may be shocking but also can be insightful  the very point of the First Amendments protection for free expression.

The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the legal protection of offensive speech in 1971, in Cohen v. California  an opinion by Justice John Marshall Harlan II that included the worthy observation that while the particular four-letter word being litigated here is perhaps more distasteful than others of its genre, it is often true that one mans vulgarity is another mans lyric.

Both supporters and critics can take new measure of Republican front-runner Donald Trump for recently pretending to reprimand a woman at one of his New Hampshire rallies for shouting out a vulgar assessment of fellow GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz. As Trump was criticizing Cruzs reluctance to endorse waterboarding suspected terrorists, a woman shouted, Hes a pussy! Trump  in a mocking tone  replied, Youre not allowed to say, and I never expect to hear that from you again. He then repeated the shout, to cheers and applause.

Lest we forget, this 2016 campaign also has had references to blood coming out of her wherever (Trump, about Fox News Megyn Kelly, after an August 2015 debate); outright insults, as in Trump is a jerk (former Gov. Jeb Bush, in a January TV ad); and Bush slamming Trump for allegedly making fun of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has an illness affecting his arms, by telling a crowd, You gotta see this guy, and shaking his own his arms.

Of course, it doesnt take rampant crudity to widely offend  Democrats found out at almost the same time as Trumps echo act. In a report the night before the New Hampshire primary, a question was posed on PBS NewsHour, asking if noted feminist icon Gloria Steinem and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright did step in it  itself an interesting term  by chiding young women for their nonsupport of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The pair had churlishly declared that youthful female voters seemed more focused on meeting young men surrounding Clinton opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders than in fomenting political revolution  a fever over fervor assessment that may well have provoked as much outrage as did Trump.

So, weve never seen this stuff before in a presidential race? Actually, while we havent, the nation has  and it started with the very men who delineated the First Amendments commitment to freedom of expression.

In the campaign of 1800, Thomas Jefferson opposed John Adams. According to a 2008 report by CNN, Jeffersons camp accused President Adams of being a hypocrite and a coward, and as having a hideous hermaphroditical character  (with) neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.' Adams supporters responded by saying Jefferson was a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, a weakling, atheist, libertine and coward  and using racially tinged insults for good measure.

In 1848, presidential hopeful Lewis Cass was called a pot-bellied, mutton-headed cucumber. Newspapers more than a century ago included merciless cartoons showing candidates as bulging money bags, swarming crocodiles, monstrous figures and slobbering beasts.

Cartoonist Thomas Nast had made a career during the 1872 presidential race of caricatures showing Democratic candidate Horace Greeley holding hands with corpses, cavorting with criminals, and worse. Some accounts link the unceasing illustrated attacks to Greeleys death, even before his loss to Ulysses S. Grant was certified by the Electoral College.

Fast forward past Harry S. Trumans often-earthy language on-and-off the campaign trail  criticized at the time, but later praised as plain speaking, and on to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential race being overheard calling New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a major-league asshole. Presidents Nixon, Johnson, Carter and Obama have all had explicative-laden moments. And it would be difficult to quantify the times on social media that Obama  the nations first black president  was described in the most racist terms possible.

All of these incidents  now and then  are offensive to many but can be illustrative to us all. We protect political speech above all other categories of free expression under the First Amendment specifically to protect a vigorous and robust unfettered exchange of views.

The 2012 election, at least at the outset of primary voting, seems likely to be remembered with self-proclaimed outsiders speaking truth to power to Washington insiders. That 1971 Cohen opinion also notes an earlier comment by Justice Felix Frankfurter that one of the prerogatives of American citizenship is the right to criticize public men and measures  and that means not only informed and responsible criticism, but the freedom to speak foolishly and without moderation.

We dont have to like it when candidates and surrogates veer into profanity and vulgarity and speak without moderation. But such free expression can be useful in taking measure of not just the spoken words but of the speakers behind them.

Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and senior vice president of the Institutes First Amendment Center. He can be reached at gpolicinski@newseum.org. Follow him on Twitter: @genefac
A woman living in a Bettendorf commercial building has been arrested on methamphetamine-related charges.

Bettendorf police arrested Amber Mai Porter, 39, on Wednesday. She is charged with three counts of possession of meth-making materials, possession of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bettendorf Police Capt. Keith Kimball said that the Porter had been living in a vacant building at 560 29th St. It formerly was occupied by Steamatic of the Quad-Cities.

The Special Operations Unit of the Bettendorf Police Department had been conducting a drug investigation over the past few weeks and had obtained search warrants for the building as well as Porters vehicle, Kimball said.

When Porter drove into the parking lot of the building Wednesday the Special Operations Team was waiting for her, he said.

Kimball said that while there was no methamphetamine cooking operation occurring at the building, officers did seize meth-making ingredients from the building and Porters vehicle.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by Bettendorf Police officer Douglas Scott, officers seized a quantity of pseudoephedrine, lithium, ammonia nitrate, as well as filters, tubing and a vessel in which the drug could have been produced.

Officers also seized a small quantity of methamphetamine Porter had in her possession, according to the arrest affidavits.

Possession with the intent to deliver is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Possession of meth-making materials is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine is a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year, while possession of drug paraphernalia is a simple misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to 30 days.

Porter was being held Thursday night in the Scott County Jail on $50,000 bond.
A jury has found an Indiana man guilty in federal court in Davenport of the Nov. 28, 2012, robbery of the US Bank branch in Muscatine.

Thomas Alexander Davis, III, 40, of Anderson, Ind., was found guilty Thursday of bank robbery following a four-day jury trial, according to Acting United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel.

A sentencing date will be set by Chief District Court Judge John A. Jarvey at a later date.

Davis faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, a maximum $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscatine Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Cruising east on Interstate 74 with a trunk load of flower arrangements, we realized the back latch of the makeshift loaner delivery vehicle had not been properly closed before we left Julies Artistic Rose in Moline.

Robert Pete Patterson, a veteran delivery man for the flower shop, swiftly pulled off to the side of the interstate to assess the situation before he exited onto John Deere Road. I jumped out and quickly slammed the trunk. It was Thursday afternoon  three days before Valentines Day  and Pete had places to be.

Our other driver hit a deer about two weeks ago so were improvising this week, said the 67-year-old, who needed to drop off a dozen red roses at John Deere World Headquarters before 3:30 p.m.

Although he didnt get to meet the lucky recipient, a secretary assured him the roses would be delivered. Earlier in the day, Pete had attempted to deliver the gift twice but could not connect with the Deere & Co. executive.

At his final and 13th stop of the day, a social services organization on 7th Street in Moline, Pete got the chance to work his magic.

This is the time of year, people love to see you at their door, he told me as he carried another dozen roses into Alternatives for the Older Adult.

Pete arrived to surprise Patty Luecke, an employee at the nonprofit workplace, who has grown sick and tired of the budget stalemate in Illinois.

But the refreshing smell of flowers immediately brightened her day.

Weve only been married since July, she said with a wide smile. I always enjoy getting them, but flowers are so expensive on Valentines Day.

With the holiday falling on a Sunday this year, Sally McGee, who owns Julies Artistic Rose, said her drivers already have delivered close to 100 orders this week.

Men like to send flowers to their wives or sweethearts at work, she said. And the phones still ringing.

When its busy, Pete, who lives in Milan, said he prefers driving in the Iowa Quad-Cities because its more spread out.

When I first started, it was like a foreign land, but now, its like being in my own back yard, added Pete, who references a worn Quad-City map to navigate the area. Most people use the GPS, but Im old fashioned.

As we drove back to the shop, Pete, who survived a heart transplant operation in 2001, told me he thinks hell call it quits after this year to spend more time with his wife, whos battling cancer.

Its a fun job, but it gets hectic around Valentines Day and Mothers Day, he said.

The florists, who busily clipped stems and readied arrangements for this weekend's deliveries back at Julie's, can attest to that.

We might not get out of here until midnight tonight, Penny Paulsen, a 60-year-old floral designer there said. You just gotta stay until its done.

Whats the big deal with gravitational waves?

Amanda Hancock reached out to Quad-City astronomy experts and amateurs yesterday to find out what the recent findings mean.

To detect the waves, scientists identified ripples formed from two black holes colliding about 1.3 billion light-years away, a feat one expert compared to finding a needle in a haystack.

Others said the breakthrough, which validates Albert Einsteins predictions associated with his general theory of relativity, could lead to other scientific discoveries.

So long, pool

Davenport Central High School swimmers will practice in the Blue Devils four-lane 56-year-old pool today for the last time, Deirdre Baker reports.

The pool soon will be drained, and in August, swimmers will enjoy a new eight-lane pool, part of a $21.3 million addition now being constructed at the high school, which was built in 1905.

Five Central competitors qualified for the boys state swim meet this weekend in Marshalltown.

New design for East Molines riverfront

After five years of planning and various delays, developers say they have a new, realistic plan for East Molines riverfront that includes a new Hyatt hotel, Jennifer DeWitt reports.

Coined The Bend on the Mighty Mississippi, developers expect to break ground on the project in the late spring.

The 132-acre multi-use development project will include three, upscale apartment buildings and a public park.

GO & DO

National Parks Adventure 3D premieres today at the Putnam Museum and Science Center, 1717 W. 12th St., Davenport. The 40-minute film starts at 1:45 p.m., followed by a late afternoon show at 4:15 p.m.
It's quaint. It's cute. It's inefficient. It's time for the Democratic Party's caucus process to die.

Much was made following the Feb. 1 caucuses, particularly because Hillary Clinton bested Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders by a fraction of a percentage point. Some editorial boards demanded an audit. "Fiasco" and "chaos" were tossed around with abandon. A national press confused by the caucus system wrongly asserted that coin flips might have cost Sanders the victory.

You'd think Clinton and her establishment supporters stole the race, like some developing world despot.

Then, days before the New Hampshire primary, Sanders thankfully provided some clarity.

"We think, by the way, based on talking to our precinct captains, we may have at least two more delegates," Sanders said last week during a debate. "At the end of the day, no matter how it's recounted, it will break roughly even."

Exactly. Iowa's Democratic Caucus was, for all practical purposes, a tie. Clinton survived. Sanders legitimized his campaign, proving he could mobilize his young followers. On to the next one.

Minor individual hiccups won't cost Iowa its pole position. If that were the case, the GOP's train wreck in 2012, where bad counts robbed eventual winner Rick Santorum of any post-Iowa bump, would have done it.

That said, the Democratic Party's system is mired in the 19th century. And that's where it should have stayed.

Iowa Republicans use paper ballots. Democrats stand in a corner with the like-minded, like some weird elementary school team-building exercise. Maybe trust falls should be included next time. Paper record? Yeah, good luck. And that's the problem.

Long after Democrats have wiped their dry-erase boards clean, the GOP's ballots will live on. Republicans can recount questionable results. An actual, legitimate audit can be undertaken. Not so with the Democratic system.

Let's be honest here, those crying the loudest about the problems on caucus night aren't concerned about this specific race. They're invested in the long-term viability of Iowa's first-in-the-nation status, pumping massive dollars and political clout into the Hawkeye State every four years.

Every four years, much of the country looks at rural, white Iowa and wonders why it plays such a key role in culling the field of would-be presidents. Illinois -- with its diverse population and urban, suburban, rural mix -- makes more sense, reasoned one pundit on National Public Radio. Officials in population-rich Texas and California grouse about a state of 3.1 million leading the way. And observers throughout the country complain that the personal investment required to show up for three hours on a February night disenfranchises second-shift laborers and the politically ambivalent.

Every four years, the same scrutiny awakes. And then, after the candidates jet elsewhere, it goes back into hibernation. Everyone forgets about it.

Caucuses are, by their very nature, a clunky, inexact way of picking party delegates. But the spectacle is part of the draw, which, for a time every four years, makes Iowa the center of U.S. politics. The threat of this cycle's hyped-up "chaos" is drastically overblown.

But the GOP improved its system after the 2012 debacle. Paper ballots permit needed transparency and accuracy.

Democrats deserve the same from their party.
A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Thursday:

AGENT ORANGE: Vietnam Veterans of America will hold a symposium to address birth defects, diseases and learning disabilities affecting the children and grandchildren of veterans.

The Faces of Agent Orange Symposium will be April 23 beginning at 9 a.m. at Hy-Vee Hall, Iowa Events Center, 730 3rd St., Des Moines.

The goal of the symposium is to bring attention to the hidden cost of military service and to encourage the government to assist doctors in finding ways to diagnose and treat Agent Orange-related birth defects.

For more information, contact Dan Gannon at 515-991-5257 or gannonobx@aol.com.

MONEY TRANSFER FRAUD: In a $13 million agreement with attorneys general in 49 states, including Iowa, and the District of Columbia, Dallas-based MoneyGram Payment Systems Inc. will improve its efforts to combat money transfer fraud and pay restitution to some consumers.

The settlement, through an assurance of voluntary compliance, resolves a multistate investigation that focused on complaints from consumers who used MoneyGrams money transfer service to send funds to third parties involved in schemes to defraud consumers.

The settlement also requires MoneyGram to pay $13 million to fund a nationwide consumer restitution program and to reimburse the states costs, including monitoring and future agreement enforcement, Attorney General Tom Miller said.

Consumers with questions about the settlement will find more information at www.MoneyGramSettlement.com.

OPIOID ANTAGONISTS: HF 2132, which was approved by a House subcommittee Thursday, would authorize first responders to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists, such as naloxone hydrochloride, that block or inhibit the effects of opioids. They could be administered under the supervision of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The drugs could be administered in cases of an overdose of medications, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine and codeine generally used as painkillers.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION: Last year, 9,500 people were convicted in Iowa of public intoxication, but under HF 2023 it no longer would be a crime. The bill was approved by a House subcommittee Thursday.

Iowa is the only state that makes the status of being intoxicated a crime, according to Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton.

The subcommittee heard from law enforcement that said public intoxication arrests often are made for the safety of the individual  to prevent them from harm from wandering into traffic, for example.

However, Wolfe said that drunk people who are creating a problem can face other charges such disorderly conduct.

DEFERRED OWI JUDGMENT: HF 2085, a bill cleaning up ambiguities in Iowa OWI law, won the support of a House subcommittee and will move to the full Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, said current law allows deferred judgments for people convicted of operating while intoxicated, first offense. Also, judges can cut the fines of first-time offenders in half. However, he said, there were questions in how the law was to be applied.

Under the bill, a person convicted of a first offense of OWI is eligible to receive a deferred judgment, deferred sentence, or suspended sentence, and a reduced fine, regardless of whether the offense resulted in personal injury or property damage, as long as the person meets the other requirements for receiving those benefits.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Are we going to have headstones that say you were convicted of a sex crime and were on the sex offender registry? Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, arguing against HF 2076 that would require sex offenders to stay on the registry for life.

 Compiled by the Times Des Moines Bureau
2005-2022 All contents of this blog are the property of Bonnie K. Hunter, and cannot be reproduced in any way without prior written consent.
Tracie Hawlett called home at her curfew time, about 11:30 Saturday night, to tell her mother she and a friend were lost in Ozark on the way...
Its hard to believe that today there are medical facilities in South Dakota where staff are washing surgical instruments by hand because the sterilization machine has been broken for six months  where no infection control measures were taken for a patient with a history of an untreated, highly infectious disease  where a pregnant young woman was left to give birth unattended on the floor of the hospital bathroom.

But these situations have occurred. Theyve occurred within the last year at an Indian Health Service unit in South Dakota.

The federal government is responsible by treaty for providing health care to tribal members and it does so through the Indian Health Service  or IHS. Sadly, there are deep-rooted problems within IHS that have gone unresolved for a decade or more, leaving tribal health care in the state of emergency we find it in today.

Over the last four years, funding for IHS has increased by more than a half-billion dollars, and yet the system as a whole stands in a state of disrepair. What is needed more than anything is reform.

First, IHS priorities must be realigned. Too much money is being spent on administration and anecdotal evidence of waste is extensive. This question of where the money is going is something Ive been aggressively working to uncover. I issued a formal request on this to IHS in December and Im hopeful a response will arrive in the coming weeks.

I would like to see less of a financial emphasis on administration and more on mental health. I was glad IHS shifted another $1.8 million toward suicide prevention efforts recently, but still, questions remain about how they intend to use that money.

Currently, much of it is expected to go toward an intensive behavioral program in Rapid City, hundreds of miles from the people it is designed to help. Is this the best way to leverage these dollars? Were still working through the answer to that question.

Second, we need to improve the physical condition of IHS hospitals. The broken equipment and crumbling infrastructure has a significant impact on care. Knowing this, we adjusted the budget breakdown for 2016 to reflect a 12 percent funding increase for maintenance and repairs. More will likely need to be done, but this is a necessary start.

Finally, patients deserve a dedicated and fully trained medical staff. In a 2010 Senate Indian Affairs Committee report, Senator Byron Dorgan described instances in which health care providers were under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the job.

More recent reports have shown physicians practicing with expired licenses and nurse practitioners without the proper certifications. While the problems are known, little has been done to improve the situation. This must change.

I recognize part of the challenge is recruiting the right individuals. Were looking at multiple options in this area. For instance, currently if you work for IHS, the federal government helps pay your student loans.

The employee, however, is then taxed on this benefit, diminishing the incentive. Perhaps we could lift that burden and make the student loan repayment benefits tax free, as it is for employees at other agencies.

Fixing the situation at IHS is personal. As many of you reading this know, Bryon and I have three children. When theyve gotten sick or hurt, weve been able to take them to a hospital that was clean and safe.

The young people Ive met in Rosebud and Pine Ridge dont have that option. There are no excuses for the kind of care being delivered. The time to resolve this issue is now, and the faster we turn it around, the more lives we will save.
If you follow the Oscar buzz, you probably know the film The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is the favorite ahead of the Feb. 28 awards ceremony. Its nominated for 12 Oscars and has already won nine other awards at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, and from the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America.

What you might not realize is that the Museum of the Fur Trade and Dr. Jim Hanson, the museums historian, had a hand in making sure the film accurately depicted the fur trade era. As thanks for Hansons and the museums contributions, they recently received some of the costumes from the film, which are now on display.

After the Oscars we will be receiving some of the original artistic concepts of costumes and some of the literature signed by various actors, Hanson said.

Hansons involvement in the film came in a roundabout way. The films costume crew had purchased the Museum of the Fur Trades clothing and textile encyclopedia and recommended the movie company contact the museum in their search for a technical adviser. Hanson suggested several individuals, but the movie company kept calling back, eventually asking him to sign on as technical adviser. It would require a trip to Alberta, Canada. Hoping to beg off, he told them he had let his passport expire and with the long wait times, he would be unable to renew it.

My last excuse blew up in my face. They told me they could have my passport in 24 hours. And they did. I had no more excuses.

He spent roughly a week on site at the Stoney Indian Reservation, where the opening scenes in the movie were filmed, combing through the script to advise the crew on the types of animals the trappers would have encountered, how they talked and offering other advice, such as including African Americans because they made up at least 10 percent of the fur trappers population. He also studied books of potential actors and helped identify ones that would be believable in the roles.

After he returned home, he continued to offer advice long distance on everything from war paint and hairstyles to tattoos and Indian poetry.

The Revenant tells the fictionalized story of Hugh Glass who was left for dead after being attacked by a bear. Glass, with gaping wounds, struggled on his own over 150 miles to help and then sought revenge against those who abandoned him after he recovered.

While the movie doesnt portray the true story of Hugh Glass exactly, Hanson said thats easy to overlook because of how well done the movie is.

In the big picture, it doesnt matter. Its a great story. Were thrilled to have been a part of it.

The film makes you truly appreciate how valuable the furs were and how hard the trappers and traders worked.

The script put these guys through a lot of physical exertion, Hanson said, adding that the overall message is that in spite of the hardships, these men preferred the life of a trapper to civilization.

These guys are tough hombres.

The Revenant wasnt the first Hugh Glass film Hanson has been associated with. While working on the Rosebud Reservation shortly after he graduated, he was asked to assist the crew on the movie Man in the Wilderness starring Richard Harris. That, too, was a fictionalized story of Hugh Glass.

So I worked on that when I was 22 years old. Forty-six years later, its the same story.

Now, hes hoping the brush with Hollywood will inspire public interest in the fur trade, and bring people to visit the museum and Chadron.

Its a beautiful movie. Were thrilled to have the costumes, Hanson said, noting that the movie reinforces the importance fur traders played in American history and that the Museum of the Fur Trade can play a key role in that education.

Were performing our mission.
WASHINGTON | Congress has voted to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet, as lawmakers leapt at an election-year chance to demonstrate their opposition to imposing levies on online service.

The action, if signed into law by President Barack Obama, will cost the state of South Dakota about $9.5 million a year in tax revenue when the law goes into effect in four years, Tony Venhuizen, chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard, said on Thursday.

On a vote of 75-20, the Senate on Thursday gave final congressional approval to the wide-ranging bill, which would also revamp trade laws. Obama is expected to sign it.

"The Internet is a resource used daily by Americans of all ages," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who brokered an agreement with a Democratic leader earlier this week that helped clear the way for passage. "It's important that they be able to do all of this without the worry of their Internet access being taxed."

In an email, Venhuizen said Daugaard wholeheartedly disagrees.

"The governor does not believe that the federal government should be setting state tax policy," Venhuizen wrote. "The governor is also very disappointed that Congress will not act to pass (legislation), which would allow states to collect taxes that are already owed but go unpaid on remote sales" such as Internet sales.

Some lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., agreed with Daugaard's criticism that the measure that passed omitted the proposal to let states force online retailers to collect sales taxes for their transactions.

But South Dakota's only representative in the U.S. House, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, praised the Senate's action. In a prepared statement, Noem said the Internet has helped businesses grow and "connected rural areas to the rest of the globe."

She added: "Lowering the tax burden for families on this important resource is a positive step toward growing a healthy economy in the digital age."

U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., had much the same response. In emailed remarks, Thune said, "The passage of this bill is a victory for the Internet, entrepreneurs, and South Dakota consumers who currently pay this tax on their monthly cable or cell phone bill.

Thune also said he "fought hard" to build in the 4-year delay in ending the tax, which would allow states charging the tax to adjust.

Since 1998 in the Internet's early days, Congress has passed a series of bills temporarily prohibiting state and local governments from imposing the types of monthly levies for online access that are common for telephone service. Such legislation has been inspired by a popular sentiment that the Internet should be free, along with Republican opposition to most tax proposals.

Until now, states that imposed Internet access taxes have been allowed to continue. Under the approved bill, those states would have to phase out their taxes by the summer of 2020.

Seven states  South Dakota, North Dakota, Hawaii, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin  have been collecting a combined $563 million yearly from Internet access taxes, according to information gathered by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Forty-nine Republican and 26 Democratic senators backed the legislation Thursday while 17 Democrats and three Republicans voted "no."

The House approved the compromise in December with the backing of nearly all Republicans but just 24 Democrats.

The White House did not immediately provide a statement on whether Obama would sign the measure despite lawmakers' widespread expectations that he would. That seemed to reflect the difficult political balancing act Democrats faced between a popular ban on Internet access taxes and trade provisions many of them considered insufficient or harmful.

The legislation, especially its trade provisions, has pitted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups supporting the bill against opponents including the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations.

Supporters say the measure would strengthen U.S. trading by improving protections for American intellectual property like copyrights and trademarks and upgrading trade law enforcement at the country's borders.

They also cite provisions reinforcing the government's ability to head off China and other countries from manipulating their currency to make their exports more affordable, cracking down on imported products made with child labor and accelerating investigations into companies accused of evading the payment of duties.

Democratic critics complained that its trade protections were insufficient and said negotiators who wrote the compromise weakened it significantly, including the currency manipulation language.

Democrats also disliked provisions barring trade agreements that would curb some efforts to restrict greenhouse gas emissions, a major contributor to climate change, or would force the U.S. to revamp its immigration laws.

For years, the drive in Congress to permanently bar taxes on Internet service has languished alongside another effort to empower states to require online retailers to collect state and local sales taxes for online purchases. Supporters of enhancing the collection of online sales taxes say without that, brick-and-mortar stores face a competitive disadvantage.

In hopes of gaining leverage, senators backing the collection of online state sales taxes have long linked the two efforts.

A breakthrough came this week when McConnell agreed to hold a vote this year on the online state sales tax proposal. He reached that deal with No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois, a strong advocate of the separate Internet sales tax measure.

Even so, some lawmakers were upset that the sales tax measure would be considered later, with no guarantee of success.
A local residents daring actions resulted in the Wednesday morning arrest of a drunken-driving suspect who was then arrested several hours later on suspicion of a second drunken-driving offense.

The bizarre series of events began around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday. James Buchholz, 37, of Rapid City, was behind the wheel of an eastbound pickup on Omaha Street. The light at the East Boulevard intersection was red, and Buchholz was stopped in traffic in the right-hand turn lane.

One lane over and slightly behind Buchholz, Eric Emery was in his own pickup headed to work. Emery saw Buchholzs pickup lurch backwards and slide slightly up onto the hood of the vehicle behind it.

When the traffic signal turned green, Buchholz and everyone else except the victimized driver behind him pulled away. Buchholz swerved left in front of Emery and continued eastward on Omaha.

Emery, a plainspoken, 25-year-old power lineman for West River Electric, suspected that he was following a drunken driver and made a split-second decision not only to keep following him, but to attempt to stop him.

If he did kill someone or do something like that, I couldnt live with it, Emery said while retelling the story on Thursday. I know if I didnt do it, Id be thinking about it still today. It would be bothering me bad if I didnt do anything about it.

Emery said Buchholz was driving erratically and was intermittently striking the curb but was not speeding. When Buchholz turned right on Maple Avenue and headed south, Emery followed.

Emery tried unsuccessfully to get around and block Buchholz and watched him drive through the stop sign at the Main Street intersection, nearly causing another collision.

At the next block, the St. Joseph Street intersection, Buchholz stopped. Emery, following closely behind, stopped his own vehicle, jumped out, ran up to Buchholzs pickup, found the driver's door to be locked, and began pounding his fist on the drivers side window. As Emery thought momentarily about using his pocket knife to smash the window, Buchholz rolled down the window.

Emery reached inside, unlocked the door, grabbed Buchholz with one hand and pulled the keys from the ignition with the other.

He was asking me what I was doing, Emery recalled. I was kind of yelling at him, like, Why in the hell did you take off?

With the keys in hand, Emery walked a short distance away and called 911 on his cell phone. Buchholz stayed in his pickup.

The police responded, interviewed Emery, had Buchholzs pickup towed and impounded, and took Buchholz to jail. The police gave Buchholz a blood-alcohol breath test but did not record the result.

Buchholz had at least two prior drunken-driving convictions on his record dating to 2007 and therefore should have been cited for third-offense driving under the influence, which is a felony. But the arresting officers, who were provided Buchholzs criminal record by a dispatcher, somehow missed the prior DUI convictions and cited him for first-offense DUI, a misdemeanor, along with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

The misdemeanor DUI citation meant Buchholzs bail was automatically set at $300, per the local circuit courts policy. He bailed out at 8:15 a.m., barely more than a half-hour after his 7:37 a.m. booking.

Had the police officers seen the previous DUIs on his record and cited him appropriately with felony third-offense DUI, he would have been automatically held over until a judge set his bail amount the next day. By the time the police noticed the mistake, Buchholz was out on bail.

At 10:45 a.m., just 2 1/2 hours after Buchholzs release, police responded to a report of a drunken driver in the area of Franklin and Sixth streets. There was Buchholz, driving a different white pickup, apparently asleep in the drivers seat on the side of the road.

This time, police administered a breath test and logged the result: a blood-alcohol content of 0.317, which is nearly four times the 0.08 threshold for intoxication under South Dakota law.

Buchholz was cited for third-offense DUI and held in jail until Thursday morning, when a judge set his bail at $10,000. Most bail bondsman charge a 10 percent fee, which means Buchholz could be released on bond for as little as $1,000; as of late Thursday afternoon, he was still in jail.

Emery had little reaction to the news of Buchholzs release and re-arrest. The blame, Emery said, should be on Buchholz.

You cant really fix stupid, I guess, Emery said.
The recent seizure of hundreds of pounds of marijuana in Lincoln, Neb., apparently harvested in states where it can be grown legally, raises the question of how long the country will tolerate the current patchwork of laws.

In one case, 1,517 pounds of pot worth an estimated $7.5 million was seized. It was stuffed into 39 duffel bags in a rental RV traveling from Oregon, where marijuana can be grown legally, to Georgia.

In another case, 515 pounds of marijuana were discovered in a pickup truck driven by a Colorado resident. The pot had an estimated resale value of $2.5 million.

The cases are similar to others recounted in an Associated Press story that concluded that illegal drug traffickers were growing weed among the state-sanctioned marijuana operations and shipping it out of state. Marijuana purchased legally in Colorado also has been seized in states where it is banned.

The state of affairs raises obvious concerns.

When the Obama administration announced its hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement in states where it was legalized by voters, it added that it might reconsider if it appeared federal priorities were threatened. Listed specifically as a federal priority in a memo from Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole was preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states.

A lawsuit by the attorneys general for Nebraska and Oklahoma might bring the issue to a head. Earlier this year Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and Oklahoma Attorney General urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take the rare step of taking original jurisdiction and settling the dispute between states.

The attorneys general minced no words, accusing the state of Colorado of operating a massive criminal enterprise that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to 36 states in 2014. If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel, they said in a written argument.

The experiments with legal marijuana provide concrete data for the argument that states can benefit by moving marijuana operations into the above-ground economy. Colorado took in about $130 million in tax revenue last year. The state of Washington will haul in an estimated $60 million in the current fiscal year. Initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in California may make to the ballot this year. Advocates say the revenue windfall there could be as high as $1 billion a year. The state legislative analyst said legalization would save about $100 million by eliminating the cost of prosecuting marijuana charges.

So far efforts to legalize marijuana in one form or another in Nebraska have mustered little support. But pressure to resolve the difference between states will continue to build, as the piles of marijuana in police evidence get higher and higher.

 Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star
Detention of Domodedovo Airport ex-managers in relation to 2011 terror attack appealed

MOSCOW, February 12 (RAPSI)  Prosecutors have appealed the detention of former director of Domodedovo Airport Vyacheslav Nekrasov and two other former managers who stand charged with the provision of services that allegedly do not meet security standards in connection with 2011 terrorist attack that left 37 dead, the Basmanny District Courts spokesperson Yunona Tsareva told RAPSI on Friday.

Earlier, the court ordered the detention of Nekrasov, Svetlana Trishina, ex-head of Export Management Company Limited and Andrei Danilov, ex-Director of Domodedovo Airport Aviation Security until February 28 despite the objection of prosecution. According to prosecutors, actions of the defendants have been defined incorrectly and the period of limitation for the crimes committed by them has already expired.

Investigators believe that the defendants have not provided sufficient security level that let the suicide bomber freely enter the arrival lounge and set off an explosive.

Defense also filed an appeal challenging the detention of Nekrasov, Danilov and Trishina. According to the lawyers, there is no connection between the terror attack and actions of former airport managers.

On January 24, 2011, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the Domodedovo Airports international arrivals hall, killing 37 people and injuring 172. Doku Umarov, Russias most wanted terrorist at the time, claimed responsibility for the attack. Altogether, 28 men connected with the terrorist organization called the Caucasus Emirate were linked to the attack, according to the investigators. Seventeen of them were killed in special operations in 2011, and four were detained.

In November 2013, a Moscow Region court sentenced three men to life in prison and a fourth man to 10 years for their role in the suicide bombing.

The question of Domodedovo Airports ownership arose back in 2011, when the investigators first stated that they couldnt determine the owner of the airport.

The Investigative Committee initiated criminal proceedings against the airports former managers for failing to guarantee the safety of passengers, which resulted in the death of two or more people. The airport administration argued that this charge was inapplicable to the case in point and that they were only made responsible for airport entrance control in 2014, after the law on transport security was amended.
Passionate about color and fabric, art quilters are ingenious, innovative and imaginative.

The ninth annual art quilt show and sale presents that creativity Feb. 19-21.

An Affair of the heART displays art quilts with fabric and fibers as a base. The original quilts show personal expression of color, design and techniques. Artists may incorporate things like photographs, thread, buttons, beads, stones, feathers, weaving, toys and building materials like nails, paint and a roofing material called Lutradur.

The An Affair of the heART show was originally started by a business of four women called In Good Company. Two of the original four are now members of the Montana Bricolage Artists group that is managing the show open to all fabric artists.

Bricolage is defined on the groups web page as construction or creation for a diverse range of available things.

Fiber artist Heidi Zielinski said the best reason to attend the show is the excitement.

Last year we had over 100 pieces of fiber arts, Zielinski said. The enthusiasm of all the fiber artists in the area is energizing. There are a lot of them because of In Good Company encouraging that years ago and they are all really passionate about this medium. It is exciting to see what people create, plus, there are a variety of challenges.

One of the challenges is a special exhibit by the nine Montana Bricolage Artists. The first artist started with inspiration from an image and created an art quilt 18 by 22 inches. She passed only her quilt on to the next person. The other quilters did likewise. Each quilter had three weeks and no other rules.

No one saw anything but the piece before them in line, Zielinski said. There are a couple of drastic changes along the way. The transformation was very interesting. It went from a cityscape to landscape to nature then back to a city. It is a very interesting progression and definitely worth seeing.

Zielinski said a group called Tarts, short for Textile Arts, created an additional challenge.

The challenge was to use Lutradur, originally created as a roofing product, a see-through non-woven polyester material, Zielinski said. It takes paint, can be stitched and can be melted and burned. It can do a lot of cool things.

Visitors to the show will vote on their favorite art quilt in this challenge.

The Tarts meet monthly to share techniques, inspire each other, and encourage fiber art. There is no charge to join. It is open to anyone interested in fiber art.

Another special display will be Zielinskis color wheel series called the The Visible Spectrum. The 12 one-foot square pieces represent all the pieces of the color wheel.

I have written a magazine article that will be published in May in Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine, Zielinski said. I just wanted to make sure I stayed really true to the color. I wanted them to be an interesting group as well as interesting individually. They all have a lot of detail to them and are for sale individually or as a group.

Zielinski said her pieces will also be displayed in a special exhibition at the Machine Quilting Exposition in Springfield, Ill., in October.

An Affair of the heART supports Emmas House by having a raffle. This year Heidi Zielinski donated Blushing Lanterns. Tickets are for sale at the show.

An Affair of the heART is not a juried show. Anyone who does original fiber art can enter with a $5 fee. The entry form is available online and entries are due Feb. 16. There are Facebook pages for TARTS, Montana Bricolage Artists and An Affair of the heART events page.

The Ninth Annual An Affair of the heART will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 19 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 20 and 21, in the Masonic Temple, 115 S. Third St., Hamilton.

For more information, call Heidi Zielinski at (406)777-7001.
BILLINGS - Elk hunting opportunities will be reduced for the next two years for those pursuing the iconic Northern Yellowstone herd as it migrates into Montana near Gardiner in Hunting District 313, but not as much as many hunters originally feared.

A greater reduction in hunting opportunity was originally proposed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in November, limiting the hunt to 75 permit holders. Strong public opposition prompted the agency to back off its original proposal to offer more hunting opportunity.

The new recommendation, approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, will allow a brow-tine bull harvest with a general tag during the archery season and the first three weeks of the rifle season. The last two weeks of the rifle season would be open to mature bull hunting only for those who possess a permit. Only 50 of the permits will be issued through annual drawings.

The commission modified the departments recommendation to change the 30 youth and 30 other B licenses to antlerless permits. The agency felt those tags were necessary to help landowners reduce the threat of cow elk presence on their property as possible carriers of the disease brucellosis.

The departments goal is to count 10 or more brow-tined bulls per 100 cows for two consecutive years within HD 313. According to FWPs annual elk counts, the number of adult bulls per 100 cows counted in Montana fell to 2.7 last winter. The last time the count for the herd was above 10 bulls per 100 cows was in 2002.

Alternately, the long-term average among the entire elk population is 23.2 brow-tined bulls per 100 cows. If we observe 18.5 brow-tined bulls per 100 cows for two consecutive years among the entire elk population including HD 313 and the northern range of Yellowstone National Park we will consider this proposal successful, the department said in its proposal.

What were trying to do is get as quickly as we can to those days when theres a five-week brow-tined bull season in Hunting District 313, said commissioner Dan Vermillion, of Livingston.

Whether the modified elk season would achieve that goal is uncertain, said John Vore, FWP game management bureau chief. Under the best scenario he said the herd would reach the goal in four years, but it may never get there.

Commissioner Richard Stuker agreed that the more liberalized hunt may not help the department reach its goal and in two years more restrictive regulations will be required.

The herd is iconic because it summers in Yellowstone National Park, which last year saw more than 4 million visitors.

I would urge you to stop and think if this compromise helps you reach the original objective, said Ron Moody, a former Fish and Wildlife Commissioner. You are contemplating managing very close to the bone with no margin of error. I recommend you build back a margin of error.

Even liberalizing the regulations left opponents displeased who said the hunts provide meat for families as well as income for outfitters and Gardiner-area businesses.

I dont think were at the point of a biological crisis, said Mac Minard of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association.

This is going to affect a lot of people no matter what you decide, said Edward Johnson, an Montana State University student who was raised in Gardiner.
Ashley Harlon of Victor has great timing.

Harlon, 23, Randy Fogle, 25, and their year-old baby girl are in the process of moving into a new house.

Harlon, bought a $2 Deluxe Super-Hot 7s Montana Lottery Scratch ticket early this morning. It turned out to be a $15,000 winner. The family promptly drove to Helena to redeem their winnings.

This is the down payment on our new place, Harlon said, smiling.

They plan on getting a newer car and saving the rest.

Harlon bought her ticket at the Town Pump in Lolo.

That was the second winning lottery ticket purchased by a Bitterroot Valley resident in a week at a Town Pump in Lolo.

Earlier this week, a Stevensville man won a $300,000 jackpot after buying the last $300,000 Jackpot ticket from that locations dispenser.

The Montana Lottery was created by voter initiative in 1986. Since its inception, the lottery has paid out $497 million in prizes and transferred approximately $224 million to help support state programs.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials want to know what people think about the potential of adding 215 acres of donated land to the Threemile Wildlife Management Area.

The proposed Antrim Addition to the WMA was offered to the state agency as a bequest in the will of Priscilla Antrim, the late owner of the property.

The land shares about a mile of common boundary on the WMAs northern end and nearly a mile with national forest lands.

FWPs Bitterroot-based biologist Rebecca Mowry said the land includes a good mix of habitat types for elk and deer.

Inside its boundary is an unnamed drainage with south-facing open slopes that will provide good forage for elk, she said. The north facing slopes are covered in thick forest that will offer some nice security cover for deer and elk.

The Threemile Wildlife Management Area currently consists of 6,169 acres northeast of Stevensville. FWP purchased most of the land in 1967 and 1968 for elk winter range.

There are an estimated 100 to 200 elk that winter on the wildlife management area.

FWP will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposal and take public comment at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Teller Wildlife Refuges Slack Barn,1180 Chaffin Lane near Corvallis.

Mowry said she would like to hear what kind of wildlife people have seen in that area over the years. She would also like to hear what they think about the idea in general.

Its a donation, so were not spending any money other than some additional costs for weed control and fencing, she said. I would like to hear what people have to say about it.

A draft environmental assessment on the proposal and opportunity for comment can be found online at fwp.mt.gov under Submit Public Comments, or directed to shrose@mt.gov or by mail to Region 2 FWP, 3201 Spurgin Rd., Missoula 59804; phone 406-542-5500. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on March 8, 2016.

The Fish & Wildlife Commission will make a final decision on the acquisition at its April 14 meeting in Helena. The Montana Board of Land Commissioners must also consider the proposal for approval.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today, February 11th, filed a fresh N11. 9 billion fraud charges against former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo. According to a statement by EFCC, Tompolo is wanted over the illegal diversion of N11.9 billion ($60 million) belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Tompolo who has been declared wanted by the antigraft agency, will also stand trial for allegedly laundering $175 million and also for fraudulently collecting N13 billion from the last administration as payment for the land where the Nigerian Maritime University is to be built.
As we all Know Dalton proposed a theory of Indivisibility of Atom, during 1808. In 1911, Rutherford proved that the atoms consist one more particle, whom he named Proton because it was positively charged.And During 1932, James Chadwick introduced the presence of a Neutron(was named because it have no charge) in the atom to the mordern day world.

Where as in context of continuum, (in physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven idea is continuum, this 4-dimensional continuum is also known as minkowski space.) manythings are yet to come since it came to light after Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity on 20th century and currently NASA (www.science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/04may_epic/) is working on it.

But, to our amazement Srimad Bhagavata Purana an ancient Vedic written about 3100BCE (around 5100 yrs before)describes atom and molecule as paramanu and anu.

caramaH sad-visheShANAm aneko .asaMyutaH sadA |

paramANuH sa viGYeyo nR^iNAm aikya bhramo yataH || 3.11.1

The material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by the common man.

sata eva padArthasya svarUpAvasthitasya yat |

kaivalyaM parama-mahAn avisheSho nirantaraH | |3.11.2

Atoms are the ultimate state of the manifest universe. When they stay in their own forms without forming different bodies, they are called the unlimited oneness. There are certainly different bodies in physical forms, but the atoms themselves form the complete manifestation.

And there is something far behind all this Anu and Paramanu, parama-mahAn avisheSho nirantaraH (which is the supreme, absoulete, eternal and unlimited ). Furthermore its detally described in the Paramanu-vada of Kanada.

evaM kAlo .apy anumitaH saukShmye sthaulye ca sattama |

saMsthAna-bhuktyA bhagavAn avyakto vyakta-bhug vibhuH || 3.11.3

In the same way time also has its discrete divisions, One can estimate time by measuring the movement of the atomic combination of bodies. Time is the potency of the almighty Personality of Godhead, Hari, who controls all physical movement although He is not visible in the physical world.

sa kAlaH paramANur vai yo bhu~nkte paramANutAm |

sato .avisheSha-bhug yas tu sa kAlaH paramo mahAn || 3.11.4

Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. That time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time.

Srila Prabhupada explains: Time and space are two correlative terms. Time is measured in terms of its covering a certain space of atoms. Standard time is calculated in terms of the movement of the sun. The time covered by the sun in passing over an atom is calculated as atomic time. The greatest time of all covers the entire existence of the nondual manifestation. All the planets rotate and cover space, and space is calculated in terms of atoms. Each planet has its particular orbit for rotating, in which it moves without deviation, and similarly the sun has its orbit. The complete calculation of the time of creation, maintenance and dissolution, measured in terms of the circulation of the total planetary systems until the end of creation, is known as the supreme kala.

aNur dvau paramANU syAt trasareNus trayaH smRtaH |

jAlArka-rashmy-avagataH kham evAnupatan agAt || 3.11.5

The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom (molecule), and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky.

Atom is described as an invisible particle, but when six such atoms combine together, they are called a trasareeu, and this is visible in the sunshine pouring through the holes of a window screen.

Bhagavata states that the Paramanus never join each other, only by coming close together they produce an illusion of a solid matter, which has specific properties. It is now accepted by the science that an atom of an element has some specific properties but its Subatomic particles have no such properties.

Its is now proved by the science that the subatomic particles are not really joined to each other, they are far away from each other. Proton of an atom is at a distance of 40,000 [forty thousand] times the diameter of it from its Electron.

Srimad Bhagavata MahaPurana has correlated the matter with the time, just like the space-time continuam of the modern science. Time is unmanifested (Avyakta), but it enjoys the manifest world (Vyaktabhuk). It comes into existence in a special way, so it is called as A VibhuA. The finest unit of time is named as Paramanu, which equals to a millionth of a second. To be precise, a Paramanu of time is 0.000032 seconds, according to the Bhagavata.

trasareNu-trikaM bhuNkte yaH kAlaH sa truTiH smritaH

shata-bhAgas tu vedhaH syAt tais tribhis tu lavaH smritaH //3.11.6//

The time duration needed for the integration of three trasareNus is called a truTi, and one hundred truTis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava.

Srila Prabhupada explains: It is calculated that if a second is divided into 1687.5 parts, each part is the duration of a truTi, which is the time occupied in the integration of eighteen atomic particles. Such a combination of atoms into different bodies creates the calculation of material time. The sun is the central point for calculating all different durations.

nimesas tri-lavo janeya AmnAtas te trayaH KshNaH

KshNan paanca viduH kAsThAM laghu tA dasha paanca ca//3.11.7//

The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesa, the combination of three nimesas makes one KshNa, five KshNas combined together make one kAsThA, and fifteen kAsThAs make one laghu.

laghuni vai samAmnAtA dasha paanca ca nAoikA

te dve muhurtaH praharaH sao yAmaH sapta vA nriNAm//3.11.8//

Fifteen laghus make one nAoikA, which is also called a daNoa. Two daNoas make one muhurta, and six or seven daNoas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation.

dvAdashArdha-palonmAnaM caturbhish catur-aNgulaiH

svarNa-mAsaiH krita-cchidraM yAvat prastha-jala-plutam//3.11.9//

The measuring pot for one nAoikA, or daNoa, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four mAsa and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one daNoa.

Srila prabhupada further explains:It is advised herein that the bore in the copper measuring pot must be made with a probe weighing not more than four mAsa and measuring not longer than four fingers. This regulates the diameter of the hole. The pot is submerged in water, and the overflooding time is called a daNoa. This is another way of measuring the duration of a daNoa, just as time is measured by sand in a glass. It appears that in the days of Vedic civilization there was no dearth of knowledge in physics, chemistry or higher mathematics. Measurements were calculated in different ways, as simply as could be done.

yAmAsh catvArash catvAro martyAnAm ahane ubhe

paksaH paanca-dashAhAni shuklaH krisNash ca mAnada//3.11.10//

It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yAmas, in the day and four in the night of the human being. Similarly, fifteen days and nights are a fortnight, and there are two fortnights, white and black, in a month.

tayoH samuccayo mAsaH piteNAM tad ahar-nisham

dvau tAv rituH sao ayanaM daksiNaM cottaraM divi//3.11.11//

The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the PitA planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north.

ayane cAhane prAhur vatsaro dvAdasha smritaH

saMvatsara-shataM neNAM paramAyur nirupitam//3.11.12//

Two solar movements make one day and night of the demigods, and that combination of day and night is one complete calendar year for the human being. The human being has a duration of life of one hundred years.

graharksa-tArA-cakra-sthaH paramANv-AdinA jagat

saMvatsarAvasAnena paryety animiso vibhuH//3.11.13//

Influential stars, planets, luminaries and atoms all over the universe are rotating in their respective orbits under the direction of the Supreme, represented by eternal kAla.

saMvatsaraH parivatsara ioA-vatsara eva ca

anuvatsaro vatsarash ca viduraivaM prabhAsyate//3.11.14//

There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own saMvatsara.

Comparing it with mordern system of tme calculation it comes:

One truTi - 8/13,500 second

One vedha - 8/135 second

One lava - 8/45 second

One nimesa - 8/15 second

One KshNa - 8/5 second

One kAsThA - 8 seconds

One laghu - 2 minutes

One daNoa - 30 minutes

One prahara - 3 hours

One day - 12 hours

One night - 12 hours

One paksa - 15 days

Two Paksa - 1 month

And, 12 months comprise one calendar year, or one full orbit of the sun. A human being is expected to live up to one hundred years.

As in verse 3.11.6 we can see time is calculated in relation with matter and furthermore space time and time travelling is also clearley described in Srimad Bhagavad mahapurana ahead.

maitreya uvacha

kritam treta dvaparam cha kalish ceti chatur-yugam

divyair dvadashabhir varShaih savadhanam nirupitam //3.11.18//

Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are challed the Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods.

chatvari treNi dve chaikam kritadiShu yatha-kramam

saNkhyatani sahasraNi dvi-guNani shatani cha //3.11.19//

The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Treta millennium equals 3600 years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvapara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.

svam svam kalam manur bhuNkte sadhikam hy eka-saptatim//3.11.24//

Each and every Manu enjoys a life of a little more than seventy-one sets of four millenniums.

Simplified form

There are 4 yuga (millenniums) namely satya, treta, dwapar and kali each of

Satya 1728000 yrs

Treta 1296000 yrs

Dwapar 864000 yrs

Kali 432000 yrs

4 yugas (satya, treta, dwapar, kali) together is called a Divya yuga.

71 divya yuga = 1 manmantar

14 manmantar= A day of bramha (12 hrs)

The years of the demigods are equal to 360 years of humankind. Then

The duration of life of a Manu comprises seventy-one sets of four millenniums,or a divya yuga here in a earth then The duration of life of one Manu is about 852,000 years in the calculation of the demigods, or, in the calculation of human beings, 306,720,000 years. And 12 hrs (A day) of bramha equals where 14 manmantar passes 306720000X 14= 4294080000 human yrs. And night of same time span. Bramha lives in satya loka with 100 yrs life span of his own time calculation which equals aprox. 311,040,000,000,000 years here in earth.

kalo 'yam dvi-parardhakhyo nimesa upacaryate

avyakritasyanantasya hya anader jagad-atmanaH//3.11.38//

The duration of the two parts of Brahma's life, as above mentioned, is calculated to be equal to one nimesa [less than a second] for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unchanging and unlimited and is the cause of all causes of the universe.

The great sage Maitreya has given a considerable description of the time of different dimensions, beginning from the atom up to the duration of the life of Brahma. Now hereits given some idea of the time of the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead. Who is always in yoga-nidra. And because He sleeps, naturally He must breathe, and the Brahma-samhita confirms that within His breathing period innumerable Brahmas take birth and die. Eternal time is never lost along with the life of Brahma. It continues, but it has no ability to control the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the Lord is the controller of time. In the spiritual world there is undoubtedly time, but it has no control over activities. Time is unlimited, and the spiritual world is also unlimited, since everything there exists on the absolute plane.

kalo 'yam paramaNv-adir dvi-parardhanta IshvaraH

naiveSitum prabhur bhumna IShvaro dhama-maninam//3.11.39//

Eternal time is certainly the controller of different dimensions, from that of the atom up to the superdivisions of the duration of Brahma's life; but, nevertheless, it is controlled by the will of Supreme Vagawan. Time can control only those who are body conscious, even up to the Satyaloka or the other higher planets of the universe.

Einsteins theory of special relativity and time travelling concept is under experement via NASA under the project entitled Fundamental Physics in space using the special microgravity conditions of space to test out new ideas about the laws of nature. Scientists working on these questions are doing some very strange things! Whereas vedavayasa in Srimad Bhagavad Mahapuranam not only explains about Space-time Continuum and Atomic Concept , but also about time travelling multiple times.

One such classic example is that of King Kakudmi and his daughter Revati, who travelled to different loka (dimension) and returned to earth in future time.Kakudmi a descendant of the Sun Dynasty (Suryavansha) had a daughter Revati was so beautiful and so accomplished that when she reached a marriageable age, Kakudmi, thinking no one upon earth was worthy of her, went to the Creator himself, Lord Brahma, to seek his advice about a suitable husband for his daughter. When they arrived, Brahma was listening to a musical performance by theGandharvas, so they waited patiently until the performance was finished. Then, Kakudmi bowed humbly, made his request and presented his shortlist of candidates. Brahma laughed loudly, and explained that time runs differently on different planes of existence, and that during the few minutes they had waited in Brahma-loka to see him, 27 chaturyugas (a cycle of four yugas, totalling 108 yugas, or Ages of Man had passed on earth. (reffer up for calculation in human years.)

tat putra-pautra-napitrinam gotraNi ca na sriNmahe

kalo 'bhiyatas tri-Nava-catur-yuga-vikalpitaH

Brahma said to Kakudmi, AO King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have died in the course of time. Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have already decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names.You must therefore bestow your daughter upon some other husband, for you are now alone, and your friends, your ministers, servants, wives, kinsmen, armies, and treasures, have long since been swept away by the hand of time.

King Kakudmi was astonished on hearing this news. However, Brahma comforted him, and added that Spreme lord himself, with his plannery portion Balarama had appeared currently on earth in the forms of Krishna and Balarama, and he recommended Balarama as a worthy husband for Revati.

Kakudmi and Revati then returned to earth, which they regarded as having left only just a short while ago. They were shocked by the changes that had taken place. Not only had the landscape and environment changed, but over the intervening 27 chaturyugas (Divyayugas), in the cycles of human spiritual and cultural evolution, mankind was at a lower level of development than in their own time . The Bhagavata Purana describes that they found the race of men had become Adwindled in stature, reduced in vigour, and enfeebled in intellect.

Daughter and father found Balarama and proposed the marriage, which was accepted. Since Revati came from different time behind him, she was taller than Balarama.So, Balaram used his plough to reduce her height according to present conditions. Their marriage was then duly celebrated.

King Muchukunda

Muchukunda (ancestor of Sri Rama), son of King Mandhata, was born in the Ikshvaku dynasty (Suryavansha).

In a battle, demons dominated the Devatas. So, Indra the King of Devetas requested King Muchukunda to help them in war.

King Muchukunda agreed to help them and fought against the demons for a long time. Since the Devetas did not have an able commander, king Muchukunda protected them against the demonic onslaught, until the Devetas got an able commander like Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva.

Then Indra said to the king Muchukunda, AO king, we, the Devetas are indebted to you for the help and protection which you have given us, by sacrificing your own family life. Here in the heaven, one year equals three hundred and sixty years of the earth. Since, it has been a long time, there is no sign of your kingdom and family because it has been destroyed with the passage of time. You came here in Treta Yuga and now its Dwapara Yuga on earth.

We are happy and pleased with you, so ask for any boon except Moksha(liberation) because it is beyond our capacitiesA (Moksha can be only given by Lord Hari).

While fighting on the side of the Devetas, king Muchukunda did not get an opportunity to sleep even for a moment. Now, overcome by tiredness, he was feeling very sleepy. So, he said, AO King of the Devetas, I want to sleep. Anyone who dares to disturb my sleep should get burnt to ashes immediatelyA.

Indra said, ASo be it, go to the earth and enjoy your sleep, one who awakens you would be reduced to ashesA.

After this, king Muchukunda descended to earth and selected a cave, where he could sleep without being disturbed. Kalayavan (Yavana/Yona/Greek) warrior king was undefeated and unmatched in battle due to a boon, but he was also merciless and cruel.

He learns that Krishna is the only person who can defeat him in battle and accepting this challenge sets out to invade KrishnaAs kingdom, Mathura. When the two armies faced each other in battle, Krishna dismounts from his chariot and starts walking away, followed by Kalayavan. After a long time Krishna, followed by Kalayavan, enters a dark cave. In this cave Muchukunda was sleeping since the time he was blessed by king of Devetas.

The person on whom MuchkundaAs gaze falls is doomed to instantaneous death. Kalayavan in a fit of anger and unable to see in the dark attacks Muchukunda mistaking him to be Krishna. When Muchkunda opens his eyes, his gaze falls on Kalayavan who is immediately burnt to death.

Gandasailavalokanam in Tripura Rahasya (naratted by Dattatreya to Parasurama)

Mahasena, brother of Vanga King Sushena sent his army along with horse to perform Aswamedha Yagam.

When the army crossed a sage named Tangana, who was in meditation, they did not pay respect to him and proceeded further. SageAs son noticed the insult to his father and was exasperated. He caught the sacrificial horse and fought the heroes guarding it.

They surrounded him on all sides but he together with the horse entered a hill (Gandasaila), before their eyes. Noticing his disappearance in the hill, the invaders attacked the hill. The sageAs son re-appeared with a huge army, fought the enemy, defeated them and destroyed SusenaAs army. He took many prisoners of war, including all the princes and then re-entered the hill. A few followers who escaped fled to Sushena and told him everything. Sushena was surprised and said to his brother to respect the sage and bring back the horse.

Knowing the problem of king, Tangana asked his son to release the horse. But even after that Mahasena was curious to know how huge army emerged from inside a hill.

TanganaAs son made Mahasena leave his physical body outside the hill and took his ativahika sarira (astral body) inside.

As he entered, Mahasena saw the sky above, enveloped in the darkness of night and shining with stars. He ascended there and looked down below; he came to the region of the moon and was benumbed with cold. Protected by the saint, he went up to the Sun and was scorched by its rays. Again tended by the saint, he was refreshed and saw the whole region a counterpart of the Heaven. He went up to the summits of the Himalayas with the saint and was shown the whole region and also the earth. Again endowed with powerful eye-sight, he was able to see far-off lands and discovered other worlds besides this one. In the distant worlds there was darkness prevailing in some places; the earth was gold in some; there were oceans and island continents traversed by rivers and mountains; there were the heavens peopled by Indra and the Gods, the asuras, human beings, the rakshasas and other races of celestials. The king was struck with wonder on seeing the yogic power of the saint. The sageAs son said to him: AThis sightseeing has lasted only a single day according to the standards prevailing here, whereas 1,200,000,000 years have passed by in the world you are used to. So let us return to my father.

Outside the hill, sageAs son made Mahasena go into sleep and united his astral body with the preserved physical body.

When Mahasena wokeup, he found the whole world to have entirely changed, whole cycle is changed while he dwell few hours inside a mile long mountain.

These are few examples how clearly Bhagavad purana has explained Space-time Continuum, Atomic Concept and theory of relativity which are still science-fiction subjects for present day human beings. Not only these but Srimad Bhagavad Mahapuranam actually takes us to the platform of the ultimate, the purest, the Absolute Truth, the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest Sri KRISHNA which is above all scirnce and only the purpose of all Science.

The End.

Humbly

Sarbagya Siromani Sripad Dasanudas Subarna

Founding Chairman / Kulapati

Jagannath Foundation

Sri Rupanuga Para Vidyapeeth
Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003.
Hostile war jets target severl areas in Saada





SAADA, Feb. 11 (Saba)  The Saudi aggression warplanes launched on Thursday a series of raid on a number of districts in Saada province.



A security official in Saada told Saba that the hostile war jets waged seven raids on the areas of Al Ghanem in the boundary Baqem district, causing large destruction in citizens houses and property.



He added that the aggression warplanes launched a raid on Dahwan area in Razeh district, as well as rocket bombing on different parts of the district.



BA



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[12/February/2016]
Press Statement

Date: 12 February 2016

Delhi Government should not sponsor Saraswati Puja

We citizens and residents of Delhi are alarmed to hear of the official decision by Government of Delhi as announced by its Minister of Tourism to hold a large scale religious ceremony in the form of Saraswati Puja on February 13, 2016 at the Central Park in the heart of Delhi. We believe that while state institutions concerned with public safety must do their duty at religious events, the stateas responsibility must end there. The government must not use public funds to sponsor religious events.

This decision by the Government of Delhi violates the secular character of theConstitution and sets an unacceptable administrative and legal precedent, because it will open doors open for misuse of public money. Citizens who are religious believers are free to hold any religious ritual at their will and expense. They can also seek state intervention if their freedom of religion is constrained in any way. But as regards sponsorhip, the state machinery should stay neutral.

We wish to make clear that our position on this is not directed at any particular form of belief and would be the same for all religions.

We ask the Government of Delhi to desist from sponsoring the announced Saraswati Puja, and leave it to citizenas bodies to perform pujas.

We demand that government return the funds spent on preparations for the event to the public exchequer.

We also request the artists scheduled perform at the upcoming Puja to avoid supporting this event until it is made clear that it is a private and not state-sponsored function.

Signed by:
scroll.in - 11 February 2016

by D.N. Jha

During the years of imperialist rule, western scholars, especially the British, created several stereotypes about India. They portrayed Indian society as static and changeless over centuries, the Indian people as otherworldly and unfit to rule, and India as having no history and lacking historical consciousness. During the freedom struggle, Indian historians, inspired by the nationalist fervour, did not question these clichAs and instead indulged in the uncritical glorification of ancient India and produced several counter stereotypes. In the post independence period, however, both the colonial and the ultra nationalist views of the Indian past came under rigorous scrutiny by historians like D.D. Kosambi, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar and others.

Over the last six decades, the work of mainstream historians has demonstrated that Indian society was not static, otherworldly or without a history. Through research, Indian historians have questioned and rendered irrelevant the communal periodisation by Utilitarian James Mill, who divided Indian history into Hindu, Muslim and British periods. Under their influence, there has been a shift in focus in the historical research on early India. Political history, chronicling the details of kings and queens, has come to occupy a secondary place in research priorities, with the erstwhile uncritical glorification of ancient India giving way to analyses of aspects of the lives of the people. The post-independence period has thus seen the growth of an impressive corpus of literature dealing with social structure, caste, gender and socially marginalised groups, as well as agrarian economy, arts and crafts, trade, urbanisation and technology.

The developments in post-independence Indian historiography owed much to the use of new tools of analysis, as well as the interaction between history and other social sciences. In short, in the decades following partition, mainstream Indian historians have made significant departures from colonial historiography as well as from nationalist-chauvinist historiography. Their works have been trashed by the Hindu right wing as being produced by aMacaulayas childrena . However, while mainstream historians have broken the stereotypes created by the imperialist historians, the premises of the Hindutva brand of ahistorya are not only derived from colonial Indology but also serve to perpetuate it.

Tracing the trajectory of the Hindutva view

One of the foundational premises of the Hindutva view of the past is derived from Millas division of Indian history in his History of British India (1823) on the basis of the religion of the ruling dynasties a a division that sought to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims. This periodisation received much support from H.M. Elliot and John Dowsonas eight-volume History of India as Told by Its Own Historians (1867-1877) that put together the faulty and biased translations of Persian chronicles and overstated the dark side of Muslim rule, with the clear intent of inflaming passions between the two communities, which was important for British imperial policy, especially after 1857. Through the works of subsequent writers, especially Vincent Smith, Millas chronological scheme became widely accepted and remained firmly entrenched in Indian historical writings throughout the colonial period, continuing to influence historical studies in Indian universities in our own time.

While mainstream historians have tried to either distance themselves or break away from this periodisation, the Hindutva scholars, if there are any, have clung to it. Since this periodisation lends support to the view that the Muslims are the aothera and that they are foreigners because their punyabhumi is not India, it is the basis of the communalisation of Indian politics and the demonisation of Muslims.

The othering of Muslims as foreigners has led the champions of Hindutva to assert that the Hindus are indigenous people and so are their supposed ancestors, the Aryans. Since they are considered the original inhabitants of India, they have to be the progenitors of the oldest civilisation, the Harappan civilisation. Since some of the important centres, such as Mohenjodaro and Harappa, are in Pakistan, the civilisation has to have its roots in India, and has have been named after the river Saraswati. Thus, without going into the merits and demerits of the argument, one can immediately see the link between the communal periodisation, the depiction of Muslims as foreigners and the naming of the Harappan civilisation after the river Saraswati.

Linked with all this is the Hindutva propaganda of Aryan greatness and the so-called Aryan foundation of Indian civilisation. But even this idea, like that of the Muslims as the aothera, is rooted in colonial Indology. It was Max Muller who first spoke of the Aryan foundation of Indian culture. This was shared by two theosophists, the American Col. Olcott and the Russian Madame Blavatsky. They, however, differed on the issue of the original home of the Aryans.

Muller postulated the migration of the Aryans from the north-west into India while Olcott and Blavatsky asserted that the Aryans were indigenous to India. In their view the Aryan culture was the cradle of civilisation, and had spread from India to the West and other parts of the world. Like them, Dayanand Saraswati, who founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, also considered the Aryans as indigenous to India, and the Vedas as the repository of all knowledge and wisdom. Incidentally, the Arya Samaj merged with the Theosophical Society, which also was founded in 1875. Although this merger did not last long, the two parties never seem to have differed on the Aryan question.

The Sangh Parivar has adhered to the view of the Theosophists and Dayananda, and in doing so has gone to ridiculous lengths, for instance when MS Golwalkar reconciled his own view of Aryan indigenism with Bal Gangadhar Tilakas theory of Aryan migration. Tilak had asserted (1903) that the Aryan homeland was in the North Pole and Golwalkar (1947), who did not have the courage to disregard his view, made the laughable assertion that the North Pole was not stationary and that, quite long ago, it was in what is present day Bihar and Orissa. No one else has pursued this matter of acontinental drifta .

The idea of the greatness of the Aryans led to an uncritical admiration of the entire aHindua period, which was seen as a phase of affluence, social harmony and happiness. Here again we find that some ideas about ancient India are borrowed from Vincent Smith, who, despite his generally anti-India attitude, described the Gupta period as the golden age of Indian history. During the freedom struggle era, Indian historians jumped at this idea, inspiring the nationalists who, living in a state of dystopia as it were, were looking for a utopia in the past.

In the post-independence period serious historians have eschewed the notion of a golden age in the past but Hindutva scholars have continued to hold on to this obsolete and effete idea. For example, RC Majumdar, in the Classical Age (1962) tells us that life was never happier than in the Gupta period. It is this kind of hype over the so-called Hindu period that is at the root of the wild and crazy assertions about the fantastic achievements of aHindua India and the portrayal of the aMuslima period as a dark age by communalist historians.

Thus, the members of the Sangh Parivar have been perpetuating the colonial view of Indian history. But they never tire of describing as aMacaulayas childrena those historians who have jettisoned the clichAs created by the imperialist historians. They need to be reminded of their own pedigree. They are the children of Mill, Olcott, and Elliot and Dowson. What a distinguished multiple paternity indeed!

DN Jha is an Indian historian specialising in ancient and medieval India. He was formerly professor and chair at Delhi Universityas Department of History.
Press Statement by Peopleas Union For Civil Liberties (Delhi unit)

[12 February 2016]

PUCL,Delhi condemns the action of Delhi Police in arresting JNUSU President on charges of sedition

It is shocking that the Delhi Police has arrested the President of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on the charges of aseditiona aa provision of law about which Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, had said in 1951, aNow as far as I am concerned that particular Section is highly objectionable and obnoxious and it should have no placeain any body of laws that we might pass. The sooner we get rid of it the better.a

The provision of section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code, which provide punishment for aseditiona was enacted by the British to silence all opposition to its autocratic rule. This provision had been used by the British against Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, M.N.Roy, Maulana Hasrat Mohani, and many other freedom fighters. It is unfortunate that the governments in free India have been misusing this anachronistic colonial era law from time to time in order to silence the voices of dissent. The human rights organizations, especially PUCL, for many years have been campaigning for its repeal.

The action of the Delhi Police is also in violation of the law laid down by the Honable Supreme Court in the celebrated case aKedar Nath Das Vs. State of Bihara (AIR 1962 SC 955) which held that aacomments, however strongly worded expressing, disapprobation of the actions of Government, without exciting those feelings which generate the inclination to cause public disorder by acts of violence, would not be penal.a It appears that there was no intention on the part of the President of JNUSU to incite violence and therefore the action of the Delhi Police in arresting him is condemnable. PUCL appeals to the Home Minister (Central Government) to instruct Delhi Police to release the arrested leader immediately.

The governments should remember what Gandhi said in 1922 in his trial for sedition, "Affection cannot be manufactured or regulated by law".

N.D.Pancholi

President, PUCL (Delhi) , (M)9811099532

o o o

PEOPLEaS UNION FOR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS (PUDR)

Condemn Fascism in the Name of Nationalism

12th February, 2016

PUDR strongly condemns the Delhi Police for arresting the JNU studentsa union president, Kanhaiya Kumar today, 12th February, on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding a protest demonstration on February 9th against the judicial hanging of Afzal Guru, three years ago.

The events between 9th and 12th February demonstrate how the administration (including the University authorities) have caved in to the demands of the ABVP, the BJP led students party which has only 1 seat in the JNU studentsa union. On 9th the ABVP protested against the event and termed it aanti-nationala as pro-Kashmiri slogans were allegedly raised during the demonstration.

The ABVP subsequently organized protest demonstrations against what it termed as aanti-nationalisma both in JNU and in Delhi University. Significantly, the BJP leader from East Delhi, Maheish Girri, filed complaints with the police along with the ABVP on Thursday, 11th February, that led to Kanhaiya Kumar being arrested this morning. The NDTF, the teachersa wing of the BJP in Delhi University also gave a call in tandem with the ABVP against aAnti India and pro Pakistan/ pro Jehadi/ pro -Naxal activitiesa in JNU. In another incident, S.A.R Geelani, lecturer -Delhi University, was booked for sedition for a speech delivered at the Press Club on 10th February during the course of a similar event.

The arrests it may be noted have been expedited by the explicit sanction given to the Delhi Police by the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh to take strong action against the organizers and participants of both these events. Judging by the speed of the police actions against Kanhaiya Kumar and SAR Geelani, PUDR wishes to strongly underscore the following points:

1. Afzal Guru was secretly hanged in February 2013. Terming a protest demonstration which takes place three years after as anti-national is not only vindictive but also proof of the growing fascist definitions of nationalism propagated by the BJP through its studentsa and teachersa wings.

2. The JNU authoritiesa assertion that it believes in debate and dissent is ridiculous as it could have easily contained the altercation internally. After the altercation, it has deliberately chosen to make the technical point of permission into a political matter.

3. The comments by the Union Home Minister underline the fact that the Central Governmentas partisan interest in upholding the ABVPas viewpoint. In the Rohith Vemula case, students have repeatedly demanded action against the Vice Chancellor and the Union HRD Minister. Why did it not agree then? It is significant to remember that in the Hyderabad incident, the matter was first politicized by its MP, Bandaru Dattatreya, when approached by ABVP Hyderabad University unit president Susheel Kumar in August 2015, who levelled similar allegations of aextremist and anti-nationala activities against students belonging to the Ambedkar Studentas Association.

4. The promptness shown by the police in using the sedition clause in the JNU case is proof of its partisan nature. While the colonial nature of the sedition clause of the IPC is obsolete and should be struck down, its continuous use against critics of the government, is an alarming instance of the coercive nature of the state machinery. The fact that the FIR is registered against aunknown personsa leaves scope for further arrests in the coming days.

5. Since the BJP and the ABVP have assumed that they alone are the custodians of nationalism, how do they defend the essence of Art. 19 of the Constitution, that deals with freedom of speech and association? This is a serious question and one which demands a debate: the definition of dissent and its role in democracy.

In the light of the above PUDR demands:

a. Immediate Release of the JNUSU President, Kanhaiya Kumar

b. Quashing of FIR and withdrawal of Sedition charges against unknown persons and S. A. R Geelani.

Moushumi Basu, Deepika Tandon

Secretaries, PUDR (pudr@pudr.org)

12th February, 2016
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Feb-11-2016 18:15 TweetFollow @OregonNews Qatari Emir's Support for ISIS Pushes Him to Topple Ministers Doha claims that reshuffling the cabinet was an effort to cut costs, as a result of the sharp decline in oil prices.

Qatari flag

Courtesy: meepas.com



(SALEM, Ore.) - A Ukrainian hackers group called "Cyber Berkut" revealed a Qatari -Ukrainian secret arms deal including land to air missiles in support for the ISIS terrorist group. Ahmed Tahiri, the Egyptian prominent journalist, said that the hackers group obtained secret documents from the former Qatari Defence Minister Major General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah's negotiations with his Ukrainian counterpart Stjepan Bolturak, to buy air defence systems as well as supplying different types of Cobra, Stinger and Strla missiles to later be handed over to the ISIS terrorist group through intermediaries in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Not far from the international scene regarding Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the young Qatari Emirs policies, observers say that the Emir is seeking to overthrow ministers and the countrys veteran characters, who remain loyal to his father, Hamad Bin Khalifa, in a move to consolidate his own power in Qatar which is witnessing competition between the ruling family (not to mention the deep divisions among them) according to news sources in Qatars Emiri Diwan. Political analysts question Dohas justifications regarding reshuffling the cabinet and merging eight ministries into four along with overthrowing Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah and Defense Minister Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, after the Emir named himself as the defense minister. That raises questions about how much Emir Tamim bin Hamad trusts his ministers amid news about the attempts of a coup d'etat in the country, which occupies the fourth place among the largest gas producers in the world. Reuters quoted a Western diplomat on the condition of anonymity that "the Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, seeks to overthrow the majority of his ministers from office, but it was not possible to overthrow them all at once." Doha claims that reshuffling the cabinet was an effort to cut costs, as a result of the sharp decline in oil prices, in light of Dohas expectations to record $13 billion budget deficit in 2016. _________________________________________

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One of three dormitories Wayne State built in the 2000s

CCS's Art Centre dormitory is currently undergoing renovations to increase its capacity

Most of the students in this year's freshman class at Wayne State University were just five years old in 2002. While they were attending kindergarten, officials at Wayne State were making what seemed like a big gamble  opening the university's first modern residence hall. They would go on to open a second in 2003 and a third in 2005. 1,800 beds and approximately $100 million later, Wayne State was deeply invested in transforming itself from a commuter school into what it is today, a campus that functions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Today's freshman class might have to reckon with it for a minute  certainly the hundreds of those at the back of the waiting list for student housing  but Wayne State's transition was no sure bet. After the three residence halls were built, occupancy was well short of capacity and the idea of a waiting list for student housing seemed overly ambitious. But you can't just build a residence hall and expect it to fill up. 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 Another federal child porn downloader gets another non-prison sentence in the EDNY | Main | Just why is DOJ still uncertain about seeking death penalty against Charleston mass murderer Dylann Roof? 

February 12, 2016

"A Republican Crime Proposal That Democrats Should Back"

The title of this post is the headline of this New York Times op-ed authored by Gideon Yaffe discussing federal mens rea reform. Here are excerpts:

These days, its practically unheard-of for those on the left to embrace ideas promoted by the likes of the Koch brothers and the conservative Heritage Foundation. But it would be a shame if partisan distrust kept Democrats from supporting a proposal favored by the right: a measure that would bolster the idea that a criminal conviction should require proof of what lawyers call mens rea  literally, a guilty mind. Thats because it can be harnessed to aid some of those who are especially ill treated by the criminal justice system: the poor and racial minorities. As a legal principle, mens rea means that causing harm should not be enough to constitute a crime; knowingly causing harm should be. Walking away from the baggage carousel with a suitcase you mistook for your own isnt theft; its theft only if you knew you didnt own it. Ordinary citizens may assume that this common-sense requirement is already the law of the land. And indeed law students are taught that prosecutors must prove not just that a defendant did something bad, but also that his frame of mind made him culpable when he did it. But over the years, exceptions to the principle have become common because mens rea requirements have not been consistently detailed in laws.... Congress is now considering a measure sponsored by Representative James Sensenbrenner, Republican of Wisconsin, that would require that mens rea be proven in many more cases. For instance, a law making it a crime to mislabel drugs would automatically be interpreted as criminalizing knowing mislabeling. The measure would not affect statutes that make clear that no mental state need be shown for guilt  for example, laws criminalizing sex with minors. The provision is part of a sweeping criminal justice bill that includes important reforms sought by liberals, including reduced sentences for minor crimes. Democrats, however, oppose the mens rea provision on the ground that it would weaken efforts to prosecute corporate executives whose companies have caused harm. Their opposition is a major stumbling block to passage of the larger bill. But suspicions about Republican motivations should not turn liberals against these changes, because strengthening mens rea requirements will also help poor and minority people.... The Justice Department opposes the proposed mens rea measure on the ground that it would have prevented convictions of corporate executives whose products caused harm. But it is entirely possible that the government could have proven mens rea had it been required to try. Furthermore, criminal conviction is not the only way to make corporations pay for their harms: Tort liabilities and civil penalties are not constrained by mens rea requirements. Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, opposes strengthening mens rea requirements across the board, arguing that each problematic statute should be revised individually. But it would take years to revamp thousands of laws.... The greatest impact of the federal legislation might be in encouraging changes at the state level, where poor and minority defendants are most frequently prosecuted. Ohio and Michigan have already passed mens rea reform laws. And in the wake of federal legislation, other states, including New York, would likely follow their lead. Democrats should push for even more sweeping changes to unjust felony murder laws, which permit murder convictions for anyone participating in a felony in which someone dies, even if no one involved could have been expected to foresee that happening. We know that adolescents are far less aware than adults of the risks their conduct involves, but since felony murder does not require proof of mens rea, adolescent defendants cant offer evidence of their distorted perceptions of risk. For liberals, the rights proposal offers a chance to strike a blow for justice for ordinary people. No one should be convicted of a crime  or even stopped by the police  without evidence of a criminal state of mind.

Some recent and older related posts:

February 12, 2016 at 04:40 PM | Permalink

Comments

Off topic. I just thought I would state that I enjoy the blog here and appreciate the work of the author and the people who comment. Often I am simply flippant but I do not mean to offend and do enjoy what I learn here.

Posted by: Liberty1st | Feb 12, 2016 11:04:26 PM

"a crime to mislabel drugs would automatically be interpreted as criminalizing knowing mislabeling"

This isn't the sort of thing that I think is up there in respect to federal criminal law problems and it highlights just the sort of thing Democrats would be worried about. Mislabeling drugs would be one of the easiest cases to make where "knowing mislabeling" might in certain cases make it hard to penalize those who do not provide enough care in the commercial sector.

Also, having LESS means of dealing with corporate wrongdoing is not a great selling point to Democrats and others too when people of various ideological sentiments are upset at the power of big money.

The felony murder issue is quite different from this sort of thing and adolescents in particular clearly a special case as would other groups of defenders who might have some mitigating factor.

Posted by: Joe | Feb 13, 2016 10:20:42 AM

Strict liability offenses, which don't require mens rea, have a long history as being important to protect the public. Executives can have willful blindness to harms that hurt workers, consumers and communities. In this day and age, structured unaccountability is standard operating procedure for many corporations, and this means rea "reform" plays into their hands.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 13, 2016 10:29:49 AM

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 At debate, Bernie Sanders promises that "at the end of my first term as president we will not have more people in jail than any other country" | Main | "A Republican Crime Proposal That Democrats Should Back" 

February 12, 2016

Another federal child porn downloader gets another non-prison sentence in the EDNY

A helpful readers alerted me to this notable Newsday report concerning a notable federal sentencing this morning in the Eastern District of New York headlined "Ex-police investigator gets home detention for child porn." Here are the details:

A former investigator with the New York State Police stationed on Long Island was sentenced to 9 months of home detention Friday in a child porn case. Sean Michael Pagano of Mount Sinai could have been sentenced to between 46 months to 57 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines after he pleaded guilty to one count of accessing child pornography. Pagano, at the time stationed at Troop L in East Farmingdale, was arrested in April by FBI agents after he was accused of accessing a website in Alaska and downloading child pornography. The arrests came after agents raided a house in Anchorage that served as a base for the distribution of child pornography and took over the site, collecting information on who was involved in the site. I take full responsibility for my actions, Pagano said Friday, tearing up as he spoke in Central Islip federal court. I am sorry. . . . Helping people was my main goal in life. Before sentencing Pagano, U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt said he was balancing the seriousness of the crime with his otherwise outstanding career. There is certainly no danger to society or anyone and he is probably truly remorseful, Spatt said. Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Bode had asked for a significant sentence, noting that Pagano, as a state trooper, had gone along on raids involving child pornography with FBI agents on Long Island who normally deal with such cases. Bode said as a result of Paganos relationship with agents on Long Island FBI agents from the city had to work on the case. Before sentencing, Paganos attorney Joseph Conway of Mineola described his client as having a distinguished career in the Marine Corps and with the State Police. Pagano has since resigned from the State Police. His position was the equivalent of being a detective.... At the time of his arrest, Pagano claimed he was investigating child pornography. But State Police officials said that that was not correct and he had been assigned to investigating narcotics.

Though I am disinclined to assert that there is a full judicial revolt with respect to the federal sentencing of child pornography offenders in the Eastern District of New York, I do think it quite notable and significant that this is the third significant report of a federal judge in EDNY refusing to accede to the arguments by federal prosecutors that a downloader of child pornography has to be imprisoned (prior coverage here and here and linked below).

Notably, in the course of this discussion at Crime & Consequences in the wake of Judge Jack Weinstein's recent similar sentencing ruling in US v. RV (discussed here), Bill Otis stated his view that there are "very, very few CP cases that actually reach indictment in which a zero [prison] sentence would be acceptable." Though I am not sure I completely agree with that sentiment, I do find the imposition of only home confinement in this case especially notable (and perhaps distinctly questionable) because the defendant here was, according to this press article, a "state trooper [who] had gone along on raids involving child pornography with FBI agents on Long Island," and when arrested "Pagano claimed he was investigating child pornography." In other words, it appears that the CP downloader here had a unique position of trust AND aggravated his crime by obstructing justice when he was first caught. Those aggravating factors lead me to wonder think federal prosecutors might be uniquely eager to appeal this case to the Second Circuit, though I would need to know a lot more about the extent and nature of the child porn downloaded by Pagano before making any predictions about whether such an appeal might prevail.

Recent related posts about child porn sentencing in EDNY:

February 12, 2016 at 02:47 PM | Permalink

Comments

So this guy gets 0 prison time, why, because he was a state trooper who seemed truly remorseful? Tell that to all the other poor shmucks who had good jobs, who are truly remorseful, but are doing 5-10 for having done less. I'm sure they'd love a good laugh!

Posted by: kat | Feb 12, 2016 4:20:55 PM

Shouldn't we finally state the obvious to anybody with half a brain, that leaves out certain faux conservatives and many members of the legal (not justice) community:

CP laws, SO laws and soon to be trafficking laws (politicians never learn, except to get idiot votes), are seriously out of whack with any meaningful reality with where the real dangers are. Talk about a guy who used to handcuff people with all their smugness implying look how good we are and how bad the guys they perpwalk are. If anything, there should be an enhancment for being a government hypocrite, but then, most of them are!

Posted by: albeed | Feb 12, 2016 5:12:26 PM

"Before sentencing Pagano, U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt said he was balancing the seriousness of the crime with his otherwise outstanding career."

I just disagree with this mode of sentencing because it invariably favors the people who are already favored. It's like Trump's comment about his first million. When a person starts a million miles ahead of everyone else, when will this statement by the judge apply? It will apply in almost every case. Just like, as kat points out, it will not apply for most ordinary folks.

So the dice are loaded.

BTW, this is also the exact same reason why I don't believe that veterans should get a break or more generally why I think the characteristics of the guilty are irrelevant at sentencing. It might help the weak and the powerless in a few situations ("he had a bad childhood") but more often than not the dice are loaded to favor those already favored.

Posted by: Daniel | Feb 12, 2016 5:13:31 PM

He "downloaded" some child porn? So what?

Posted by: Liberty1st | Feb 12, 2016 7:48:18 PM

Lately I feel like sex offenders have no stake in the criminal justice reform movement. No one in the criminal justice reform movement cares about these issues-they only care about lessening punishments for crimes committed disproportionately by blacks and Latinos. Child sex offenses (not to mention white-collar crimes) don't fall into that category so they can be ignored. It may be that criminal justice reform will actually be bad for people convicted of sex offenses because the state will not have as many blacks to lock up and will look for new targets.

Does anyone agree or disagree?

Posted by: 234234 | Feb 13, 2016 6:05:38 PM

234234-

Your are correct, the only talk regarding criminal justice reform seems to be regarding drug offences and minorities. I'm afraid SO's are the last population that it's still 'OK' to discriminate against, and it's the federal government that seems to be doing the most discriminating.

But fear not, as technology advances and more minors are being caught up in internet stings, sexting scandles and such, things will have to change or our next generation will all end up behind bars doing the mandatory 5-10. (But then again, there may be exclusions for minors,so that would put us back to square one.) Oh well, keep hoping for change!

Posted by: kat | Feb 14, 2016 9:55:57 AM

"What time is it?" the Judge asked the defendant sitting in the dock. "Five to ten." answered the defendant. Judge: "That's exactly what you get."

Now if the defendant had just delayed a bit and squirreled around looking at his watch for two minutes then he would have only gotten three years.

Posted by: JackMehoff | Feb 14, 2016 10:26:16 AM

Hmmmmm.... Interesting. I had an exemplary military career, followed up by an exemplary civilian career, and I received 10 years probation for "inappropriate touching," and life on the registry.

I guess as a civilian I should have gone into law enforcement.

Posted by: Oswaldo | Feb 15, 2016 4:27:11 PM

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February 12, 2016

At debate, Bernie Sanders promises that "at the end of my first term as president we will not have more people in jail than any other country"

I have lost interest not only in blogging before for every Presidential debate, but also in watching most of them. But, perhaps not surprisingingly as the Prez campaign marches forward to more diverse states than Iowa and New Hampshire, last night's Democratic debate saw Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders talking about modern policing, racial disparities in our criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Of particular note was Sanders making the promise highlighted in the title of this post. Here is a little bit more of what Senator Sanders had to say on these fronts:

This mandatory sentencing, a very bad idea. It takes away discretion from judges. We have got to demilitarize local police departments so they do not look like occupying armies. We have got to make sure that local police departments look like the communities they serve in their diversity. And, where we are failing abysmally is in the very high rate of recidivism we see. People are being released from jail without the education, without the job training, without the resources that they need to get their lives together, then they end up -- we're shocked that they end up back in jail again. So, we have a lot of work to do. But, here is a pledge I've made throughout this campaign, and it's really not a very radical pledge. When we have more people in jail, disproportionately African American and Latino, than China does, a communist authoritarian society four times our size. Here's my promise, at the end of my first term as president we will not have more people in jail than any other country. We will invest in education, and jobs for our kids, not incarceration and more jails.

Helpfully, Leon Neyfakh not only noticed this significant promise, but also quickly authored this Slate commentary about it. The headline of the post provides a flavor of its themes: "Sanders Is Delusional if He Thinks He Can Keep His Promise on Mass Incarceration." Here is the heart of is effective commentary:

What Sanders means by this is that under just four years of his magical leadership, the U.S. will bring down its jail and prison population by about 600,000 people. Where does that figure come from? Consider that the No. 2 spot on the list of countries with the most prisoners in the world right now is China, and it has about 1.66 million people behind bars. The U.S., by comparison, has about 2.3 million. Sanders did not mention during his remarks how he plans to make the leap from 2.3 million to fewer than 1.66 million. But regardless of what he has in mind, its pure fantasy for several reasons. Chief among them is that the president of the United States has no direct control over most of the nations correctional facilities. This is because jails, which currently hold fewer than 745,000 people, are under local control, and state prisons, which hold about 1.35 million, are under state control. That leaves the federal prison system  the only one that the federal government is actually in charge of  with 210,000 people, or about 10 percent of the pie. Its true that the president has a bully pulpit from which he can say inspiring things that set the tone for officials working at all levels of government. Its also true that in theory, the federal government could try to bribe state governments to rely less on incarceration. But the bottom line is that the feds can only set policy for their own prison system and that means theres a very low ceiling on the amount of progress that a president, no matter how ambitious he or she is, can do to reduce the prison population.... This would be a good time to remember, also, that Congress current efforts to bring down the prison population by enacting very modest sentencing reforms appear to be falling apart in slow motion because there are enough lawmakers in Washington who think its too dangerous to set anyone free, ever. And this is at a time when theres supposed to be a historic bipartisan consensus over the need for reform. If Sanders wants to release more than 500,000 people by 2020, hes going to have to break them out personally. If he has a more efficient approach in mind, he needs to share it before he makes this ridiculous promise again.

February 12, 2016 at 08:57 AM | Permalink

Comments

More SLATE shilling for Hillary. Simply by directing the DOJ to move pot to an appropriate Schedule in the federal scheme, any President to date could have had wide-reaching impact on not only federal numbers but enormous pressure on state and local numbers as well without a single nod to Congress. As pressed as states are to meet needs right now and will be far more so as this latest recession sinks in, a President can also press for more positive and negative fiscal sanctions and contracting for states that find non-incarcerative alternatives, just as a President named Clinton managed to pump up the building of prisons two decades ago. Let individual congresspeople stand in the way of hogs needing more and new trough. No money for this? Well, just call it "bailing out Wall Street and the big banks" and suddenly trillions can be found with just a few keyboard clicks.

Posted by: mike | Feb 12, 2016 9:35:50 AM

Just get rid of ALL Byrne Grants period. Make the locals pay for the amount of "safety" they want. Also, no more "joint" federal-local task-forces and locals cannot make up the difference by "civil" - (Hah) forfeiture. Since when is stealing civil, Oh-yeah - taxes. Also. stop the lies by claiming that all sex-acts involve trafficking of some sort.

But, never-ever remove pot from Schedule 1. Everyone knows that this is THE gateway drug:

First pot, then hashish, then special K, then meth, then coke, then heroin, then a bona-fide member of the C&C blog.

Posted by: albeed | Feb 12, 2016 10:49:46 AM

Free at last! Free at last! Thank Dog Almighty, I am Free At Last!

Posted by: JackMehoff | Feb 12, 2016 1:37:03 PM

WOW!!!! Good luck !!!!

Posted by: claudio giusti | Feb 12, 2016 3:22:46 PM

This promise is nonsense. There's only so much he can do about state convictions and even less he can do without a radical change in Congress (assuming he wants to tie funds to incarceration).

Posted by: Erik M | Feb 12, 2016 5:09:32 PM

Per capita incarceration rate is probably what he meant. There are countries (like Turkmenistan and Cuba) that are not far behind us. So it's not that crazy of a promise.

There would need to be some kind of new federal statute giving financial incentives to states to reduce incarceration, as well as a massive amount of federal pardons and retroactive sentencing reductions.

The four states that have legalized marijuana (I imagine soon to be joined by California) are not retroactively reducing marijuana sentences, but they should, and this would make some difference as well.

Posted by: AnonCrimProf | Feb 13, 2016 8:49:31 PM

The RepubliCons have had a mantra since the 1930s. Tough on crime, tough on communists and now tough on Muslims. Soft on crime is the accusation they level against the Democrats. While they may be soft on their wives in a given situation the Republicans are hard on girlfriends. It is a two legged sword so to speak.

Posted by: JackMehoff | Feb 14, 2016 10:28:39 AM

But see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-wagner-givens/no-bernie-sanders-did-not_b_9276422.html

Posted by: Ryan | Feb 22, 2016 12:52:47 PM

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 Based on Johnson, split Fifth Circuit panel finds another simlar provision of federal law is unconstitutionally vague | Main | At debate, Bernie Sanders promises that "at the end of my first term as president we will not have more people in jail than any other country" 

This local article, headlined "Pa. courts scramble to catch up to juvenile-lifers decision," reports on how the Keystone state is starting to deal with all its now unconstitutional mandatory juve LWOP sentences. Here is how it gets started:

Recently, Earl Rice Jr., an inmate at Graterford Prison, got unexpected news from a relative: A judge had unceremoniously changed his sentence from life without parole to life with parole. Chester County Court Judge James MacElree later explained: "That's what the Supreme Court of the United States said I had to do. I have no discretion whatsoever."

He was referencing the recent opinion in Montgomery v. Louisiana, which made retroactive the court's 2012 decision that automatic life-without-parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. "If I'm wrong," he said, "an appeals court can figure it out."

It's one of many sometimes-conflicting ways that judges, public defenders, prosecutors, and prison officials are interpreting the ruling and scrambling to catch up to it. And Rice is facing one of the mind-numbing consequences: a life-with-parole sentence in a state that doesn't allow parole in life sentences.

It's an unprecedented challenge. The ruling affects nearly 500 juvenile lifers in Pennsylvania, about 300 of them from Philadelphia. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office expects individual resentencing hearings will be required.

To buy time to accomplish that, the district attorney wrote a letter to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District, asking it to dismiss  or at least stay  each of 218 federal petitions filed by juvenile lifers from Philadelphia. Those cases, seeking relief following the 2012 decision, Miller v. Alabama, had been in limbo until Montgomery could be decided. Now, it's likely a single judge will be appointed to oversee the process, according to the letter.

Bradley Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia said he hopes to resolve a "significant number" of cases by agreement between the defendants and prosecutors. He said agreements are most likely for inmates who have been in prison the longest, like Joe Ligon, who has served 63 years for crimes committed when he was 15. "If it's not a significant number, it's going to be complicated, messy, and really unwieldy," he said. "To have 300 hearings . . . we simply don't have the resources." Bridge and others have organized a series of training sessions for lawyers on presenting mitigating evidence; the first was so popular, they had to turn people away.
One of the most divisive developments in town is the one proposed for a 1.5 acre tract of land at 18th and Bryant Streets, hence the nickname from critics. They call it the "Beast on Bryant." Today, the San Francisco Chronicle reports the mixed use project might be considered slightly less beastly due to developer Nick Podell's pledge to donate a part of the land to the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development for affordable housing.

According to the report, the donated land is big enough for 129 units of affordable housing. Podell's new plans involve building 186 market rate units on the site. That works out to 41 percent affordable housing.

Podell will reportedly devote 11,000 square feet to the arts and what's called PDR space (production, distribution, and repair). This is, no doubt, due to the scathing criticism the project received from activists concerned about the changing character of the area.

An employee of the Nick Podell Co. addressed those concerns by telling a Chronicle reporter: "We have completely redesigned this project. This is a large concession for us, but we listened to the neighborhood and are hoping to provide something that the community can get behind."

What the community has to say remains to be seen. Attorney Scott Weaver, who worked on the defeated Mission Moratorium measure that would have paused market rate development in the area, told the Chronicle that when the proposal was brought up at a community meeting, "There wasn't a great deal of enthusiamI would say that is an understatement."

 'Beast on Bryant' developer ponies up more affordable housing [San Francisco Chronicle]

 Major Mission Apartment Complex to Rework Plans Following Community Concerns [Curbed SF]
In order to prepare myself to drink a $15 cup of coffee  8 ounces of fair-trade pour-over from Equator on Market Street  I brushed my teeth, bathed in oil, confessed my sins, and got on BART.

Right after SFist posted yesterday that a $15 Cup Of Coffee Will Make You Spit Out Your Coffee, several journalistic pleasure seekers such as myself were on the case. BuzzFeed came at the subject with a series of GIFS, pronouncing the coffee "Better than a Keurig."

Meanwhile, SF Weekly wrote that **actually** the $15 price made sense given the beans, an inaugural harvest from Equator's own high-altitude farm in Panama, Finca Sophia, which has been in development for eight years.

Based on these accounts, I knew that I would not be poisoned. But I needed to make up my own mind and to try this potential ambrosia for myself.

At Equator, several customers were asking about the $15 coffee sign, mostly demanding an explanation for the crazy per-cup price. Akaash Saini, a representative of the company who engages in pour-over competitions, was happy to oblige.

"We're not making much money off of this at all," he told SFist. In fact, selling under 20 cups a day and running out quickly (though now with supplies for the next two weeks), Equator's not even breaking even.

That's because, as Saini tells it, the farmers at Finca Sophia are well compensated, their medical bills and children's education all paid for. In his words, the farmers are "coworkers"  a refreshing viewpoint in an often exploitative industry.

Later, after tasting their excellent work, I have come to think of them as family, the kind to whom I would willingly donate an organ. At the risk of being one of those insufferable San Francisco connoisseurs of everything edible and drinkable, I'm just here to tell you it is damn, damn good, even if the price seems utterly absurd and decadent, and maybe is.

Honoring the coffee farmers in his way, Saini spent time and effort carefully measuring water and coffee, waiting on me like a VIP guest. He didn't provide exact tasting notes, but what I noticed for myself was a light, smooth coffee that kinda changed my life, waking me as if for the first time from a slumber I have only known, a dream of cheap coffee that is just that and nothing more. Not only did this coffee not kill me, but now I fear I may never die.

Sour without becoming bitter, it also bested others I've enjoyed at Four Barrel and Intelligentsia. It was light but earthy, a bit spicy, and smelling it, you might have thought you were about to drink chai.

I've done a lot of thinking since I had my coffee this morning, and I don't think I can go back to who I was before. That's right. I think I'm going into finance.

Previously: $15 Cup Of Coffee Will Make You Spit Out Your Coffee


Airbnb's impact on a city is proving a divisive issue around the globe  does the company contribute to the housing crisis by taking units off the market, or does it allow for part-time hosts to remain in their homes by supplementing income with occasional guest stays? Or neither? Or both? Well, while people on either side of the home-rental divide battle it out, one group is unequivocal in its support for San Francisco-based Airbnb: Sex workers.

In many ways it makes perfect sense  trying to operate out of a San Francisco hotel would likely draw the unwanted attention of the front desk, and Airbnbs are spread throughout the city and easy to book at the last minute. One sex worker spoke with CBS 5, and emphasized how Airbnb units provide an opportunity to move away from working on the street.

Airbnb is a simple way for women who dont have an enormous amount of money to transition into indoor work, the worker, who wished to remain anonymous, explained.

A member of the Erotic Services Providers Union of California told the channel that some neighborhoods are better than others for renting out Airbnbs for sex work.

Not Nob Hill or Sea Cliff  a place where theres a broader mix of people, perhaps a higher volume of street traffic, she noted.

We reached out to Airbnb, and asked if the company works with any anti-trafficking organizations to identify potential sex work in rentals, and if they have had any reports of prostitution happening in Bay Area rentals. They got back to us, but notably did not address the issue of whether or not they've uncovered instances of this in the Bay.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy for issues like these," replied Airbnb spokesperson Alison Schumer. "When hosts and guests sign up for our service they agree to comply with local law. When we are made aware of issues, we work fast to help take care of hosts and guests and permanently remove the people who are intentionally violating our policies. Our trust and safety team works with safety groups around the world, including No Traffick Ahead, a Bay Area coalition that works between law enforcement and the hospitality industry to help train employees on identification and prevention of trafficking."

Schumer further notes that the company intends to get involved with the Crimes Against Children Conference  a group that focuses on "investigation, prosecution, and treatment of crimes against children."

A similar situation made news in Sweden, where Vice reported earlier today that sex workers are using Airbnb to get around anti-pimping laws. In that case, the company issued a similar statement condemning the practice.

"Over 70 million guests have stayed with Airbnb," the statement reads, "and problems for the hosts and guests are incredibly rare. If problems arise, we work quickly to take care of our hosts and guests and to permanently shut down users who abuse our platform and community."

While the appeal of working out of an Airbnb is perhaps obvious for sex workers, that hosts could find their homes used for this purpose is sure to unsettle at least some of them. But such are the risks of the sharing economy, right?

All previous Airbnb coverage on SFist.


Our colleagues at Shanghaiist just posted about this adorable but slightly alarming trend among elites in China of buying tiny pygmy marmosets, the world's smallest monkeys, to keep as pets in honor of the new Year of the Monkey. They're being sold out of the western Amazon rainforests where they're from, illegally, for up to 30,000 yuan ($4,559).

On China's Facebook, Weibo, people have begun posting pictures of their painfully cute but highly illegal new pets, with one jewelry seller apparently marketing one, essentially, like a piece of jewelry for one's hand.

...one jewelry store owner surnamed Chen showed off his latest accessory in a post to friends. "Snow leopards and red-crowned cranes have nothing on my New Year's gift. Please meet Xiao Shen," he wrote. He then goes on to tell those interested about Xiao Shen's 30,000 RMB price tag, apparently unconcerned about the legality of hawking tiny primates as jewelry.

Chinese government officials are, apparently, looking into this trend and there may be consequences for illegal sellers.

Despite the issues of quarantine and the law, SFist's Eve Batey says she is determined to find one, name it Norton, and write a weekly column about him for SFist in which he meets local celebrities like Buster Posey and Ann Getty, and sleeps in a Tiffany box. And she is only partly kidding.







Photo: Weibo via Shanghaiist

Related: Photo Du Jour: The Strikingly NSFW Year Of The Monkey




The Centers for Disease Control yesterday confirmed a case of the Zika virus in Yolo County, California. Zika, as you must know by now, is the terrifying virus that has rapidly spread through Brazil and has corresponded to a spike in microcephaly  a condition which leads to smaller heads and brain damage in babies.

The virus is mainly transmitted via mosquitoes.

Health officials in Yolo County were quick to reassure worried residents, reports ABC 7, noting that the infected resident got the virus after traveling outside of the United States. Of the 66 cases of Zika to have popped up in the US, the channel informs us, all but one were a result of an infection picked up outside of the country (the one exception was a case of sexually transmitted Zika in Texas).



KRON 4 notes that the symptoms of Zika "include fever, rash, joint pain, and red, itchy eyes."

Officials think that this is the sixth California resident to become infected with the virus, notes the Chronicle. The paper also reported that the infected resident is not pregnant, and is feeling better.

The symptoms associated with Zika tend to pass within a week.

Previously: Zika Virus Declared International Emergency By W.H.O., Detected In California
Please scroll to the bottom for an update from the daughter of the victim

Rumors of a man violently attacked by a dog in Golden Gate Park have roiled social-media-using San Francisco dog lovers and left them on the lookout for the dangerous canine and its guardian.

According to a message posted to multiple SF-based, dog-focused groups and pages across Facebook (if you know me, you know I follow pretty much all of them), a man who was walking his dogs in the area between the Sunset and the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park was attacked by a female male "large grey pit mix."

According to the post, the male victim was throwing a ball for his two dogs when the allegedly attacking dog bit him on the calf, knocking the man to the ground. The dog then bit the man on both forearms, the post reports, before releasing him.

The dog's guardian, described as a woman in her mid-20s standing about 5'3" and weighing between 150-200 pounds, then bundled the attacking dog into a new white extended-cab short-bed Ford pickup and took off, according to the report.

The victim was rushed to the hospital with a broken arm and "multiple severe lacerations" to his leg and arm, the post reads. His dogs, named Oreo and Rosie, were not harmed in the attack.

According to the posted report, officers from the San Francisco Police Department were at the scene. However, when I called SFPD's media relations department this morning to confirm the details of the mauling, I was told that since I did not have the time the attack was reported, they are unable to search for the police report of the incident.

A call to San Francisco Animal Care and Control to see if they were aware of the attack was not returned at publication time. If you know the victim, or have more details on the incident, please drop me a line so I can continue to work to get confirmation and/or additional information from SFPD.

Here's the full report, as it's been posted to Facebook and elsewhere:

ATTENTION: Monday, Feb 8th 2016 there was a dog on human attack with multiple severe bite wounds in the outer end of GGP. The location was the meadow b/w Sunset & Polo fields. The owner or dog walker is a female 25ish approx 5'3 (hefty build) b/w 150 & 200 lbs fled in her new white extended cab short bed Ford pickup. Dog described as large grey pit mix. Owners 2 dogs were unharmed. The victim says it was over the ball. The victim had thrown the ball and his dog had brought it back. And this dog had come up and mingled with the victim and his dogs. Then victim threw the ball down the path a second time. His dog caught it and brought it back and dropped it. The victim went over to pick up the ball and the pit bull also went for the ball. The victim immediately got chomped in the calf. Big chomp. The ball and chucker were on his right side. So the bite was from the right And it knocked him down. He was on his knees. He spun around to defend and they were facing each other. Then the dog attacked. He got his left forearm. And he was punching the dog in the neck about three times and then the dog got his right forearm.The victim had two limbs down and the scary factor was way up. That is when the victim's dogs (Oreo and Rosie) intensity of barking went way up as well. Rosie was 10 ft away. Oreo was right there. The victim was yelling at Oreo to get back. Thank god she listened. And that yelling and the other dogs distracted the pit bull. And he released the victim. And they separated. The victim slowly and steadily moved away with Oreo and Rosie. The victim had his back to him. Holding his bloody arms. Slowly moving away with Oreo and Rosie sticking to him. Somewhere around here the dog bit the woman who brought the dog. She got the dog. She got him to her truck. The victim was not looking in that direction. He saw her corral him into her truck. She left with the attacking dog and gave no personal information to the victim. The victim left with EMS to be rushed to the hospital. The SFPD were also at the scene. Victim is far from okay. Multiple severe lacerations to leg & arm. Broken arm that cannot be casted till they get control of wounds. Please help find this woman and her dog. Call the SFPD. Once again. The attacking dog's walker/owner, female 25ish approx 5'3 (hefty build) b/w 150 & 200 lbs fled in her new white extended cab short bed Ford pickup. The dog is a female large gray pit bull mix.

Update 2/15: We got an email from the victim in this case, here it is:

Hey Eve, I want to thank you for your and everyones support in getting the word out about this attack. I wanted to give you a couple of details that were not correct First it happened between 9:30 and 10 last Monday, February 8th. Two corrections it was a male dog. And he did not break his arm. Everything else was about right. We are not sure if the girl was actually bit or if it was blood from the dog. We called the Richmond Station to get the status as to what was going on last Thursday and they said the report was not written yet. We are going down in person tomorrow morning to find out what is going on. We will be in touch after to give you an update.

I've asked her to get back in touch after the talks to SFPD, and will report back then.
MEXICO CITY | A weathered pastel image of the Virgin of Guadalupe hangs from German Herrera Hernandez's dashboard, watching over his passengers from her perch next to his cigarettes, gum and the handful of coins he uses to make change.

"We believe in her," said Herrera, a 55-year-old who has been driving a cab in Mexico City for about a decade. "She protects us, wherever we go."

When Pope Francis visits this week -- he is scheduled to be in Mexico Friday through Thursday -- he'll make an emotional stop at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe  patron saint of Mexico and "empress of the Americas"  where millions of pilgrims flock each year to pray before the shroud that bears her image.

But she's also an ever-present part of life for millions of people like Herrera, not just at the basilica. Across the country, in private homes and public marketplaces, she gazes down beneficently from the walls of taco stands and police stations, from hair salon mirrors and even outside no-tell motels.

In poor barrios and posh shopping districts, perhaps nothing unites Mexicans more than their reverence for the Virgin. Grieving families light candles beneath her likeness in shrines to dead relatives, while young hipsters shell out big bucks for shirtsleeve tattoos of the Virgin.

"There's the old refrain in Mexico that Mexicans are 90 percent Catholic and 100 percent Guadalupan," said Andrew Chesnut, chair in Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "If there's one main constituent element of Mexican-ness, it's Guadalupe, because she obviously transcends the religious realm. ... So she sells products, she's tattoos, (even with) people who aren't necessarily her devotees."

According to tradition, the dark-skinned virgin appeared before the Indian peasant Juan Diego in 1531 at Tepeyac, a hillside near Mexico City where Aztecs worshipped a mother-goddess, and her image was miraculously imprinted on his cloak.

The image helped priests inculcate Catholicism among indigenous Mexicans during Spanish colonial rule, and the church later made her patron of all the Americas. Juan Diego was canonized as the hemisphere's first Indian saint in 2002 during the papacy of John Paul II.

Juan Diego's cloak is on display today behind glass at the basilica, the most visited Marian shrine on the planet, where signs admonish against flash photography and long lines of worshippers are carried past along a self-moving walkway.

Chesnut called Francis "a very strongly Marian pontiff" and said his visit to the basilica will be one of the defining moments of his trip to Mexico, which has more Catholics than any other Spanish-speaking country.

Each year on Dec. 12, millions of people visit the basilica in northern Mexico City, many of them crawling or bearing statues of Guadalupe on their backs, to beseech all manner of favors: to be healed of an illness, freed from an addiction, for the welfare of loved ones.

The rest of the year, many Mexicans make the sign of the cross when they pass Guadalupe shrines found in just about every nook and cranny of the country. Custodians make sure the shrines are always well-kept with offerings of fresh flowers or candles.

At the Martinez de la Torre market in central Mexico City, a portrait of Guadalupe framed by neon tubes in the red, white and green of the Mexican flag graces a wall overlooking a meat counter.

"Why have a Virgin? Because our faith in her is very great, very important," said butcher Erlinda Olivares Zuniga, who choked up when asked about Guadalupe ahead of Francis' visit. "We are God's chosen, because the Virgin appeared here."
SIOUX CITY | What do you do when an actor literally breaks a leg?

Improvise.

Lamb Arts Regional Theatre made a quick pivot from producing Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage to Love Letters after lead actress, Mary Madsen, slipped on a patch of ice. And snap. Broke her ankle.

Since shes wheeling around on a knee scooter, she couldnt go on stage.

Over the years, this has happened very rarely where theres been a difficultly thats insurmountable. People say, well, dont you have understudies? You just kind of chuckle and sigh, Director Russ Wooley said. When you only have 10-13 performances, no. We dont have understudies. Its the rare theater that does.

Something like the touring musical "Million Dollar Quartet," which recently stopped in Sioux City, has performances planned in 70 cities over the course of nine months. Those cast members have understudies.

But for a black box comedy with eight performances, Wooley said it does not make sense to have a second set of actors go through a full set of rehearsals based on the slim chance that they might have to go on stage.

Here, it is the rare case where something happens, he said.

Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage was supposed to open over Valentines Day weekend. Instead, there will be three performances of Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, starring Wooleys daughter Cassie Slater has not been in a play at Lamb since The Sound of Music in 1999, and her husband, Eric.

It had to be something we could do quickly, Wooley said. But we werent going to throw anything up on the stage that wasnt going to be fit to be seen.

They settled on Love Letters, which has been described as a disarmingly funny and unforgettably emotional portrait about the powerful connection of love.

Two friends, rebellious Melissa Gardner and straight-arrow Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, have exchanged notes, cards and letters with each other for over 50 years from second grade, through summer vacations, to college and well into adulthood.

Theyve spent a lifetime discussing their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, and victories and defeats. But long after the letters are done, the real question remains: Have they made the right choices or is the love of their life only a letter away?

Its a fairly easy play for experienced actors to just step in and fill the roles with little rehearsal because its a piece of readers theater, meaning they have the script in front of them. Nothing needs to be memorized.

Slater and her husband, who are both professional actors in Chicago, were planning to visit her parents, the founders of Lamb Arts Regional Theatre, this weekend anyway. But they only had about two weeks notice that they would be the stars in a show.

My mom, shes so funny, Slater said. We were talking about a bunch of different things and then she makes it seem like she just thought of it on the spot. Its like, Mom, Ive known you for 35 years. You have been cooking this one up for a while  Well do anything for them. Theyre the coolest parents, the coolest people.
SCREENINGS

Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary.

PROGRAMS/SELF-HELP GROUPS

Al-Anon Information Center, call 255-6724.

Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 255-6724.

Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 252-1333.

Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons.

Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180.

Co-dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.

Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512.

Children of Divorce, to help children cope with the challenges of parental separation or divorce. Call 712-279-2373 for more information.

CLINICS

Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005.

INFORMATION

Dual Recovery Anonymous, 12-step peer support meeting, 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays at 625 Court St. Framework of recovery for those with addiction and emotional or psychiatric illness. For more information, call Mike at 255-1691.

Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300.

Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa.

Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991.

Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733.

Overeaters Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays at Floyd Valley Hospital, Lower Level, 714 Lincoln St. NE, Le Mars, Iowa; 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees.

St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906.

Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715.

The Link-Recovery and Freedom, at PMA Building, 6000 Gordon Drive; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432.

Women in Recovery, meets monthly at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For details, call 712-255-4623.

Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10 minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410.

Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public.

SUPPORT GROUPS

NAMI Siouxland (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month, Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935.

Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6:30 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Daycare provided. 712-490-3343.

PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116.

Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675.

HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965.

La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998.

Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441.

Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260.

Tri-State Sober Project 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City.

Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050.

Divorce Care, noon Sundays starting Jan. 10; GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 12; Single & Parenting, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays starting Jan. 14; all at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, 1:30-3:30 p.m. first Saturday of the month at the CNOS, Dakota Dunes. For anyone with MS and/or their families. Call Janet Limoges at 605-217-2726 prior to attending.

New Life Life Support Group, 3:30 p.m. every Saturday at 2929 W. Fourth St. Spiritual 12-step program. For more information, call Donald at 712-574-1744 or James at 712-255-7624.

Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213.

Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential.

Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information.

Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December.

Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939.

Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927.

Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766.

Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151.

Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315.

Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453.

Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call at Jack Scherrman at 712-277-9337.

Sojourners, support group for families of persons with life-threatening illness, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Room 416. For more information, call Marjorie Jarvill at 402-241-8637.

South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133.

Support groups at Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call (712) 255-1065.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS.

Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686.

Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential.

Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders.

Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page.

A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319.

Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St.

Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church. 712-277-2901.

Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387.

After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370.

After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426.

Alzheimer's Association Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802.

Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319.

Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260.

Connections Area Agency on Aging and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce Street. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900.
Catholic Daughters women's Lenten retreat

DAKOTA DUNES | Catholic Daughters Court 2560 invites all women to their Lenten retreat from 8:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 20 at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church, 995 North Sioux Point Road.

Mass and breakfast are included.

For more information, email Mary Parker at mparker@gerkin.com or call 605-422-1520 after 6:30 p.m.

Northwestern College fine arts event

ORANGE CITY, Iowa | Northwestern College's art, English and music departments will present a collaborative fine arts event at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Te Paske Gallery, 300 Eighth St. SE.

The evening will center on the biblical story of Leah in the book of Genesis and will feature written, musical and visual work by individuals from Northwestern College and the community of Orange City.

Illinois pastor at Northwestern College

ORANGE CITY, Iowa | Pastor Wanzette Ann Bilbrew, who leads a branch of the Living Springs Community Church in Riverdale, Illinois, will speak during a service at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday at Christ Chapel, 101 Seventh St. SW.

The event is free and open to the public.

Grace United Methodist children's activity

SIOUX CITY, Iowa | Grace United Methodist Church's monthly children's activity will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Grace United Methodist Church, 1735 Morningside Ave.

Children preschool through fifth grade will enjoy lunch followed by the skits "The World Takes a Bath" and "Nothing but Net-worth."

The event is open to the public.

St. John Lutheran's 2016 members

SIOUX CITY, Iowa | St. John Lutheran Church held its annual congregation meeting on Jan. 31.

The following members were elected as 2016 officers: Dale Erickson, president; Sharon Gauslow, vice president/finance committee; Wendy Jackson, financial secretary; Carol Hauser, secretary; and James Beals, treasurer. Officers serve a one-year term.

Deb Skouge was elected as social ministry committee chair. Tom Munson was reelected for a second term as stewardship committee chair and Tom Stock was reelected for a second term as worship committee chair. They continue to serve on the congregation council with the following committee chairs (three-year terms): Shari Salmon, education; John Willer, congregational life; Chemine Mulford, evangelism; and John Gilson, property.

Linda Erickson and Karen Hartman were elected to serve on the nominating committee. The Rev. Jeffrey A. Swanson serves as transitional pastor of the congregation.

Sunday morning service begins at 10 a.m. followed by a coffee hour and Sunday school for both children and adults.

For more information, call St. John Lutheran Church at 712-277-3945 or visit stjohnlutheransiouxcity.com.

Family History Center offers free online access

SIOUX CITY, Iowa | The Family History Center, 1201 West Clifton Ave., introduces Family Tree, a program that will help people preserve their own history and connection with past generations.

The Family History center is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Located in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Family History Center has digitized thousands of national and international records and made them accessible to patrons. Family Tree allows users to electronically store and organize photos, obituaries, family stories and other genealogical items in one location.

For more information, contact the Family History Center at 712-255-9686.
PAOLI, Pa. | Expect to say Im sorry a lot if you decide to try one of the trendier ways to communicate with people who have Alzheimers.

There was a time when caregivers tried orienting people with dementia to reality. That often feels like the natural thing to do. No, Mom, I actually did tell you that. Like, five times.

But at Daylesford Crossing, an assisted-living facility in Paoli, Pennsylvania, workers are more likely to just go with it if a resident has some strange ideas.

Lets say Mom or Grandma is furiously accusing her neighbor of stealing something. Your first impulse may be to defend the neighbor, but that would just make things worse, said Kathleen Douglass, administrator and dementia specialist at Sage Senior Living, which opened Daylesford 18 months ago.

Im sorry that happened to you, is a better answer, she said. Then you can show youve heard the emotion. You seem really angry. I would be angry too if that happened.

Its time to give up thinking your truth and rationality will change the mind of someone with dementia. Shes never going to be able to process that again, Douglass said. Shes in brain failure.

Teepa Snow, originator of this positive approach to care, was in Daylesford last month to train about 50 staffers from Sage facilities and some family members in her principles.

A Pittsburgh native who moved to North Carolina 45 years ago and who has a Southern accent to show for it, Snow demonstrated how brain damage from dementia affects behavior and offered hands-on tips to help caregivers fill in the gaps.

Her message: The more the person with dementia loses his brain, the more those around him have to use theirs.

Snows goal is to help caregivers make use of whats still working in the brain and compensate for what isnt. Instead of focusing on the hole, we need to be looking at the doughnut, she said.

Krista McKay, director of programs and services for the Alzheimers Association Delaware Valley chapter, said Snow is among a group of dementia experts who espouse a more person-centered philosophy  look at the person, not the disease. The approach, which the association has endorsed for years, has been slow to take off but is gaining traction.

I would say that its taking root in a lot of ways, the care philosophy, she said. The issue at hand is whether its being applied.

Older approaches, she said, make it a priority to feed residents three meals a day, dress them appropriately, and take care of their toileting needs. The new one, which requires more staff, places greater emphasis on personal relationships, reminiscence, and activities that draw out what a patient still cares about. We have to go with that person along their journey as opposed to bringing them back, she said.

Douglass added that the old approach relied more heavily on using medication to address problem behaviors. Thats less likely to be necessary when peoples needs are being met.

With the aid of pictures that showed how the brain atrophies during dementia, Snow, an occupational therapist, explained why these patients are often frightened or resistant.

Their hearing may be fine, but they cant make sense of the words, so speaking more loudly only startles or annoys them.

Their visual field narrows considerably, especially when they are frightened. A 20-year-olds peripheral vision can detect his moving fingers if he stretches his hands straight out to the side, but someone in the midstage of dementia can see only between two arms thrust straight forward. That means its easy for someone with dementia to think youre sneaking up on him. If you stand right in front of him, youre blocking his full visual field, which can feel threatening. Its best to greet from a distance and then approach from the side.

Later in the course of the disease, the brain begins using visual messages from only one eye, throwing depth perception way off and increasing the risk of falling.

Because of damage to the frontal lobe, people with dementia often have trouble initiating an action, such as picking up a fork to eat. If you help them start, they may be able to keep going.

Snow said people with dementia lose the ability to use and understand complex speech. Long after thats gone, they may retain their sense of rhythm, the ability to dance and sing, and to make chitchat. These can be paths to happy experiences and theyre a lot healthier than a common source of a quick high: sugar.

Dementia patients also still remember swear words and racial slurs  Snow said theyre housed in a different part of the brain from complex language  and they use them. Another thing that isnt working is the brains brake.

A high-energy presenter with a flair for the dramatic, Snow convincingly modeled different neurological deficits. She drew knowing looks from people in the audience who had no trouble thinking of specific residents she resembled. Most often, she was a shuffling, hunched, cantankerous woman who took offense quickly or did inappropriate things like fondling the shiny bald head of one worker and swearing prodigiously.

In one common scenario, she played a woman who pitched a fit when a worker tried to bring a new woman to her table in the cafeteria. Then Snow explained what this queen bee of the table might have been like. Before she got sick, she likely was an introvert who was always in control. Introverts, she said, are territorial.

The worker should have come to her before lunch and said, I have a huge favor to ask of you. She would describe how this new person needed a place to sit and needed to be with someone skillful. What do you think?

At that point, the queen bee likely would volunteer to accept the new resident, but, because of her memory problems, thats not the end of it. Before the meal started, the worker would need to bring the new resident directly to the woman for the first introduction before actually showing her a chair.

Snow started again with Carla Bennett, a resident assistant with long experience in caring for the elderly. Bennett had to try multiple times before she could get past the habit of asking the woman what she needed. Finally, she did what Snow suggested. She repeated what the woman had said.

You need something. Then, Tell me more about it.

Snows character struggled some more, saying, I need my white and my black that I have first.

Can you show me what you do with it? Bennett asked. Finally, she steered the woman toward the coffee.

Bennett, who has been at Daylesford since it opened, said the program gave her a much clearer understanding of how Snows philosophy works. Its like shes moving all the old furniture out of your mind, she said.

Janet Haufler of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, went to the workshop to learn more about interacting with her 84-year-old mother, who moved into Daylesford Crossing after a bad experience at another facility. She said her mother was doing much better now.

She became more engaged. Shes able to speak more. Shes able to move more, she said. Shes much happier.
SIOUX CITY | When she was 5 years old, Ashley Neils "grew" mosquitoes underneath the Belize City home that her family lived in.

Her father's work in agriculture development took Neils around the world and inspired her to pursue a career in family medicine.

Now a physician at St. Luke's Sunnybrook Medical Plaza, Neils fondly recalled her time living in Belize. She specifically remembers scooping mosquito larvae from standing water into a clear plastic cup and placing another plastic cup on top to create an incubator of sorts underneath the house on stilts.

"I had all these little Solo cups underneath the house with mosquitoes growing," she said of her science experiment. "I don't think my parents were very happy."

Neils is paying close attention to the spread of Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that researchers suspect could be causing a spike in brain defects in children and paralysis in adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emergency Operations Center has moved to Level 1, the agency's highest level of activation since its response to Ebola in 2014. Level 1 activations were also declared in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Since last May, people living in more than 30 countries and territories mainly in Central and South America and the Caribbean have been infected with Zika virus, which was discovered in the Zika Forest in Uganda in 1947.

Zika virus is most often transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes -- the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. Researchers say Zika virus can also be spread through sexual contact.

President Barack Obama is asking Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to expand mosquito control programs, accelerate vaccine research and educate health care providers and pregnant women about Zika virus.

"I'd never heard of it until Jan. 18 when I got this travel alert in my inbox," said Neils, who studied tropical medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and lived in the East African country of Tanzania for a year. The virus was first identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania.

Neils printed off a list of affected countries identified by the CDC last week. Since then, she said two more countries have been added -- Jamaica and Tonga. Brazil has been hit hardest by Zika virus.

There is no vaccine to prevent infection or medication to treat Zika virus, which causes fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes in 1 in 5 people.

EFFECTS ON FETAL HEALTH

Although Zika virus is mild, it has the potential to cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves causing paralysis. Zika virus can also harm an unborn baby.

According to Brazilian health authorities, more than 3,600 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect where an infant's head is smaller than normal, have been reported since October 2015. Researchers have already linked several of those cases to Zika virus. The country reported just 147 cases of microcephaly in 2014.

Neils said ineffective mosquito control efforts, an increase in population and deforestation could have contributed to the current situation in Brazil.

"If you are pregnant, you should not travel to these areas," Neils said. "If you're planning on getting pregnant, there are recent reports that it can be transmitted through sexual contact. Men also need to know this."

Tyler Brock, Siouxland District Health Department deputy director, said the health department receives a few calls almost daily from asymptomatic people who traveled to an affected country and want to be tested for Zika virus.

"They want to know if they happen to be carrying this virus because either they're trying to get pregnant or the wife is pregnant and they want to know if they need to be careful," he said.

The CDC is advising men who have traveled to or lived in Zika-affected areas and have a pregnant partner to abstain from sex or use condoms for the duration of the pregnancy.

Zika virus remains in the blood of an infected person for about a week, according to the CDC. It's unknown how long it can survive in other bodily fluids.

STOPPING THE CYCLE

In 2008, Neils spent a summer working with Child Family Health International in Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico.

There she visited homes to identify different species of mosquitoes that might be breeding in standing water and to educate residents about dengue and malaria.

Based on her travels, Neils said she has seen more cases of yellow fever in Tanzania and Uganda then chikungunya and dengue in Central America. She said the transmission of these viruses varies regionally, although they all have overlapping transmission sites in the tropical world.

Neils said she would expect transmission of Zika virus to only increase as infected travelers import the virus.

"Any time you return from an overseas trip and you have fever, rash, joint pain -- you need to get a hold of your health care provider for further evaluation and treatment," she said. "It's important for people to know that once they are infected it's important that they don't keep getting bitten by mosquitoes because once they're bitten by a mosquito, that mosquito will go on to bite someone else. That person becomes infected and then the cycle keeps continuing."

Aedes mosquitoes, which can survive in cooler temperatures, have migrated through international trade.

Neils said Aedes mosquitoes are present in the United States in Texas and Florida and the lower half of states such as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. They have also been found as far north as New York and Maryland.

Zika virus has been identified in 11 states and Washington, D.C., according to the CDC. None of the 35 cases found this year in the United States were locally acquired. Officials have said Zika virus is only likely to cause small outbreaks in the United States.

Brock said Aedes mosquitoes that typically carry Zika virus aren't established in Siouxland.

"In years and years of collecting mosquitoes during mosquito season they have almost never found these two types of mosquitoes," he said. "They've only very, very extremely rarely ever been found after counting millions of mosquitoes every year."

Siouxland District Health Department collects mosquitoes and tests a flock of chickens at Snyder Bend Park weekly for West Nile virus from summer through fall. Peak season for West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne virus related to Zika, dengue and yellow fever, typically hits in August.

Brock said he doesn't know whether surveillance efforts will expand to include Zika virus.

"We're just figuring out how to test people for this, let alone mosquitoes," he said. "By far the bigger focus is making sure that people are tested for the right clinical reasons."
This week I cast the most important health care vote of my service in the Iowa Senate.

I voted to shut down Gov. Terry Branstads push to privatize Iowa Medicaid.

Governor Branstad claims privatizing Medicaid will save money and will not deny Iowans essential health care.

He is wrong on both counts.

Lets start with Medicaid costs. Our governor refuses to admit that much of Iowas increased Medicaid costs have nothing to do with higher health care costs.

Medicaid is funded jointly by the federal government and the state of Iowa. Since 2012, the federal share has dropped due to Iowas greater economic strength compared to other states. The shrinking federal share increased Iowas annual Medicaid costs by $266 million.

In 2013, the Iowa Legislature picked up the counties share of Medicaid mental health services. This year, our states annual Medicaid cost was $324 million larger due to that decision.

Neither of these increases had anything to do with how Medicaid services are provided.

In fact, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Bureau, our costs per Medicaid patient are low and relatively constant compared to other states.

Heres the heart of this issue.

Most of Medicaid goes to fund Iowas health care safety net. Over 70 percent of Medicaid dollars go to caring for about one quarter of the Iowans in the program. They are the elderly and people living with disabilities.

If your parent, your spouse or your child has a severe disability, the chances are that they will be on Medicaid. When things go very, very wrong, Medicaid provides the care that would otherwise bankrupt most Iowa families.

If the Branstad/Reynolds administration listened to Iowans, they would know the importance of Medicaid.

If they were asked, parents of children with autism would tell Gov. Branstad that it is not at all unusual for their kids to have several medical conditions and to see more than one physician.

Telling people to eat more vegetables will not significantly lower the cost of caring for people living with autism or cerebral palsy or dementia or any other challenging health care burden.

Putting Wall Street firms in between Iowa families and their Iowa health care providers wont save money either and it wont improve health care.

What it will do is take several hundred million dollars each year out of Iowas Medicaid budget and give it to out-of-state corporations in the form of guaranteed administrative fees and profits.

There are two basic ways the managed care companies will cut costs. One is by denying health care to Iowans, especially the Iowans whose health care is the most threatened and the most expensive. The second is by not paying Iowa providers the full cost of the health care they provide.

Medicaid helps us all sleep better at night. By helping those in need, we also make sure help will be there if we need it ourselves.

Senator David Johnson, a Republican from northwest Iowa, is the leading Republican on the Human Resources Committee. On Monday, he voted within the committee to stop Medicaid privatization. He said he did so after talking with doctors and families in his Senate district. On Thursday, he voted on the Senate floor for a bill to halt Medicaid privatization.

I joined a majority of the full Senate on Thursday in voting to stop the Medicaid privatization mess.

Democrat Joe Bolkcom is an Iowa state senator from Iowa City.
DES MOINES | The Iowa Senate voted 29-19 Thursday to approve a bill to halt Gov. Terry Branstads plan to have private managed care companies deliver Medicaid services.

Senate File 2125 won support from 26 Democrats and three GOP senators who cited concerns from constituents and providers that the transition to March 1 implementation has too many unresolved issues and too much uncertainty to move forward.

It isnt the right plan, said Senate President Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, the bills floor manager, who called for a stop for Medicaid privatization and a restart in crafting a new approach that would better meet the needs of Iowas most-vulnerable residents.

At the very least, lets slow this down, added Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mount Pleasant.

The bill requires the Iowa Department of Human Services to terminate the contracts signed with each of the three managed-care organizations to administer the Iowa high quality health care initiativea, also known as Medicaid managed care. The bill also directs the DHS to continue to pursue other initiatives to realign the health care delivery system and provide holistic, integrated, patient-centered care while moving toward a value-based model of payment.

Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, one of 19 GOP senators to oppose the bill, said changing course now would betray Iowans and providers who already have signed onto the new approach and would torpedo a state budget built on managed care savings that majority Democrats approved for the current fiscal year.

This will have a drastic impact. I ask for leadership to stay the course, said Schultz, who noted the issue has become a little game of hot potato for lawmakers and the governor since federal regulators pushed back implementation by 60 days to give Iowa more time to address readiness concerns.

Leaders of the GOP-run Iowa House have indicated they would not be interested in passing a bill that faced a certain veto by Branstad, who has noted Medicaid spending would take money from other priorities in the fiscal 2017 state budget if the managed care plan and the savings associated with it do not move ahead.

I dont have any plan to consider a bill that faces certain veto, said House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, shortly after the Senate approved the measure. Isnt this a point in time that we should all be focused on moving forward?

Republican Sens. Jake Chapman f Adel, David Johnson of Ocheyedan and Tom Shipley of Nodaway voted with majority Democrats to pass the bill during Thursdays floor debate.

Im going to vote for this bill and I feel good about it, said Johnson. Its moving too fast. Thats the issue here. We need to put a dagger in this.

Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes said the administration plans to continue to move forward in securing CMS approval for implementing the transition to Medicaid managed care.
DES MOINES | Iowa regulators concluded four days of deliberation Thursday without reaching a decision on the Bakken oil pipeline.

A permit request is intended to complete the interstate pipeline from North Dakotas Bakken and Three Forks oil fields, through South Dakota and Iowa, to a distribution terminal in Illinois.

The fate of the $3.8 billion, 1,168-mile underground pipeline hinges largely on the interpretation of thousands of pages of testimony, records and law by the three-member Iowa Utilities Board. Iowa is the lone holdout after boards in South Dakota and Illinois approved the project in December, and a North Dakota board approved it in January.

I dont know how you hold it all in your mind, said Dick Lamb, 73, one of 265 landowners who have refused to sell their land to pipeline developer Dakota Access. Iowa being the last state, its just an enormous decision. It comes down to three people weighing this $3 billion class project.

Rather than rule on the permit and request to use, the board instead scheduled deliberations for Feb. 19 to discuss proposed terms and conditions and set aside March 9-10 for future deliberations. That signals the likelihood of a decision being more than a month away.

That date has been picked based on our belief that well be able to direct general counsel next Friday to proceed with some additional comments related to eminent domain and other constitutional issues we believe have been raised in this case, Iowa Utilities Board chairwoman Geri Huser said. The board is also considering whethar to allong eminent domain to force landowners to sign easements.

The delay in the ruling is a setback for Dakota Access, the subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners. It already had signed contracts with suppliers and builders and stockpiled hundreds of miles worth of 30-inch diameter pipes at the midpoint the 346-mile Iowa segment.

The Iowa segment would cut diagonally across 18 counties, including Lyon, Sioux, O'Brien, Cherokee, Buena Vista and Sac in Northwest Iowa, through Lee County in the southeast corner of the state.

Included in the pipeline route would be crossings of publicly owned lands and waters at the Big Sioux River and Big Sioux River Complex Wildlife Management Area -- both in Lyon County -- the Des Moines River in Boone County and the Mississippi River in Lee County, where company officials say the pipeline would tunnel under the Mississippi River from Iowa into Illinois.

The Iowa Utilities Board has pushed back its timeline a few times. Last year, the board had indicated a decision was likely in December or January, and later moved the expected decision to February. Dakota Access had hoped to begin construction early this year and have the pipeline operational by the end of the year, and had filed a motion calling for Iowa Utilities Board to speed up its process.

We remain focused on supporting the IUB board as they proceed through their process, Vicki Granado, a Dakota Access spokeswoman, said by email Thursday.

Rod Boshart of the Journal Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.
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There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
LEONARDTOWN, Md.

(Feb. 12, 2016)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident reports.THEFT: Unknown suspect(s) removed property from the 22000 block of Taylor Lane in California. CASE# 7205-16ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) attempted to force entry into a residence on the 14000 block of Point Lookout Road in St. Inigoes. Entry was not successful, and nothing appeared to be missing from the residence. CASE# 7248-16ASSIST OTHER AGENCY: The Sheriff's Office assisted the Maryland State Police with a missing person. CASE# 7283-16THEFT OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION: Between 1/28 and 1/29, unknown suspects stole prescription medication from a victim. The cases are being investigated. CASE# 6961-16THEFT: During the overnight hours, unknown suspect(s) removed property from a yard in the Hickory Hills Subdivision in California. CASE# 6971-16, 6976-16THREATS: A known suspect made threats via social media. Contact was made with the suspect, and the threats were determined to be unfounded. CASE# 6800-16THEFT OF MEDICATION: Unknown suspect(s) stole property from a victim on the 39000 block of Potomac Avenue in Leonardtown. CASE# 6824-16PROPERTY DESTRUCTION: Unknown suspect(s) damaged property on the 41000 block of Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown. CASE# 6163-15BURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a vehicle and stole property at the Pizza Hut on Great Mills Road. CASE# 6685-16VIOLATION OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER: A known suspect made threats against a victim in violation of a protective order. The case is being investigated. CASE# 6699-16ASSIST IN VEHICLE PURSUIT: Deputies from the Sheriff's Office assisted the Maryland State Police with a vehicle pursuit in Mechanicsville. CASE# 6597-16
WASHINGTON (Feb. 12, 2016)Maryland Reps. Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen, both Democratic front runners in the U.S. Senate race, have objected to the recent immigration raids targeting migrants in cities across the United States, saying the operations are creating "widespread fear and panic in immigrant communities."



In a letter to President Barack Obama last month, the lawmakers urged that the Department of Homeland Security's stepped-up enforcement actions "be immediately suspended." Other lawmakers, local officials and civil rights groups have expressed similar concerns, and some churches have offered to help those under deportation orders.



Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders criticized the immigration actions in their Wisconsin debate Thursday night.



The administration, however, has defended the operations.



"At this point, our policy will remain the same," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a briefing last month. "We've also prioritized for removal those individuals who have only recently crossed the border. And the idea here is that we should prioritize felonsthe deportation of felons over the separation of families."



Despite fewer numbers of South American migrants, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said in a statement earlier this month that his agency would continue immigration enforcement actions.



Federal immigration authorities apprehended 23,767 migrants in January, which is 13,000 fewer than in December. The apprehensions included both unaccompanied children and those in families, according to homeland security officials.



Johnson insisted his agency's operations were limited in scope.



"The new enforcement policy announced by the president and me on November 20, 2014, makes clear that our limited resources for immigration enforcement will not be dedicated to the removal of those who have committed no serious crimes, have been in this country for years, and have families here," the secretary said.



While Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan decided that the state would cooperate with the federal government on undocumented detainees, other Maryland officials have spoken out against helping.



"I have deep concerns about the Department of Homeland Security's recent enforcement operation targeting refugee mothers and children from Central America," Van Hollen said in a statement. "Resources should be used to address those who pose a threat to our communities, not those seeking refuge."



Migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have been fleeing rising gang violence in those countries.



Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and the County Council released a joint statement Jan. 11 saying that county police would not cooperate with immigration enforcement operations.



"To the members of our Montgomery County community who are justifiably concerned about the federal government's most recent deportation actions, we encourage you to go about your daily activities free of fear," according to the statement.



Despite this reassurance, the Latin American community still fears deportation.



"They feel happy and proud of the statement," said Nestor Alvarenga, the Latin American community liaison for the county. "I am not sure how much it decreased the level of fear but the statement did help to motivate people to continue with their daily activities."



Over New Year's weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted widespread operations to arrest Central American adults and children "who were apprehended after May 1, 2014, crossing the southern border illegally," according to an agency statement.



Those taken into custody had been issued removal orders by an immigration court and do not have an "outstanding appeal or claim for asylum or other humanitarian relief under our laws," the statement continued.



Although the immigration actions are intended to target more recent immigrants, Alvarenga said that both new immigrants and those who have lived in Montgomery County for years are concerned about the immigration agency.



"The level of fear of a deportation is the same," Alvarenga said.



"The Department of Homeland Security's renewed effort to deport families and children is the wrong approach that's causing unthinkable heartache for hard working immigrant families who fear being separated," Van Hollen said, who represents Montgomery County.



Van Hollen and Edwards have both openly fought against new stricter immigration policies, including opposing Hogan's requests to not allow Syrian refugees to resettle in the state.



"Governor Hogan's refusal to resettle Syrian refugees fleeing from violence is against the values we hold dear as Marylanders and as Americans," Edwards said last year.



Last November, Hogan posted on his Facebook page that resettlement of Syrians should halt "until the U.S. government can provide appropriate assurances that refugees from Syria pose no threat to public safety."
There is always hope
As SFGN went to press Tuesday night, results from the New Hampshire primary were still elusive. For complete election coverage, visit www.sfgn.com

As New Hampshire voters cast their ballots Tuesday, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and billionaire businessman Donald J. Trump both led in the polls.

On the Republican side, Trump held a large lead in the polls and seemed to be having fun at his rivals expense. On Sunday, at a rally on the campus of Plymouth State University, Trump told the crowd, If you are not going to vote for me, then just dont vote before exiting to the Beatles anthem Revolution. Two days later, Trump repeated the word pussy  much to the riot of his followers  in describing his chief rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Trump also accused Cruz of deploying dirty tricks in Iowa. The Cruz campaign, Trump claims, circulated rumors that Ben Carson had dropped out of the race, thus propelling Cruz to victory.

Thats because you got Ben Carsons votes, Trump said at the Republican debate last week implying that is why Cruz won in Iowa. Cruz apologized to Carson for any confusion and tried to lay blame on CNN.

Meanwhile, third place Iowa finisher Marco Rubio has been under attack from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, both of whom are making the argument that the freshman U.S. Senator from Florida is not ready to serve in a Presidential capacity.

You have not been involved in a consequential decision where you had to be accountable, you just simply havent, Christie told Rubio at Saturday nights debate.

At the debate, Rubio reiterated his belief that marriage should be between one man and one woman, a position that earned him the ire of a New Hampshire business owner during an impromptu meeting Monday.

Why do you want to put me back in the closet?, asked Timothy Kierstead, a married gay man, when Rubio approached him at the Puritan Backroom diner in Manchester, N.H.

Rubios rehearsed talking points became apparent during the New Hampshire campaign as he was caught repeating lines by Christie and others. In the final days of the New Hampshire campaign, activists dressed as robots followed Rubio to events, shouting robot!, robot!

On the Democratic side, tensions simmered too as former U.S. President Bill Clinton accused the Sanders campaign of being inaccurate in their tactics and Hillary herself asked Sanders to end the smears.

Closer to home on Tuesday, Clintons campaign issued a press release backing the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. The proposed legislation, currently sitting in a senate committee hearing in Tallahassee, seeks to provide protections for LGBT people in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.

LGBT Floridians deserve to live their life free of discrimination, Clinton said in a statement.

From New Hampshire, Democrats head to Nevada to caucus, while Republicans travel to South Carolina for a primary election. Both contests are scheduled for Feb. 20.
I have been waxing confused lately about the use of the term sodomized when referring to men who have been raped. It is on my mind because of the recent news that David Ritcheson, a young Mexican-American who was violently raped in 2006, jumped to his death on July 1st from the deck of a cruise ship. Ritcheson was raped with a plastic pole. He required two dozen surgeries to correct the damage done to his body from the violent episode.

Without minimizing the gravity of the loss of this young man, I constantly worry about the use of the term sodomize instead of rape when men are the victim of sexual assault.

Rape is a horrible thing. Of course it is not about sex, it is about power and control and exerting dominance over someone. It is also about humiliation. The universal way for men to humiliate other men is to call them a queer or treat them like one. Rape is a tool of choice for men in many settings, including prison, to solidify their masculinity and dominance in the pecking order of any social group.

What would possess someone, or a group of people, to rape someone with a pole? It boggles the mind. The violence and savagery in rape is very, very different from sodomy. Sodomy has many definitions but most people understand it to be anal sex. Anal sex is not rape. By two men making love and engaging in anal sex, they are not raping or hurting each other. That is my problem with the double standard for the term sodomize.

Every time the media or law enforcement uses the term sodomize they are really talking about rape. The more we allow that term to be used and seen as a violent act of aggression the more we allow society to define consensual anal sex as some kind of horrible thing that happens to you. Here is my point. Being sodomized can be consensual. Being raped cannot.

Rape can occur orally, anally, vaginally and in many other ways. I think the ambivalence about the use of the term sodomize comes from the fact that most people actually believe that being on the receiving end of sodomy must be an unpleasant thing, so folks have acquiesced to the term and they just dont want to talk about it anymore.

I propose that when we talk about sexual assault, we talk about what really happened, and why that behavior is bad. I am not an expert in sexual assault or rape, but I have dealt with enough clients over the years to have some competency on this issue. Rape is a term people understand. Rape has a definition. Rape survivors have a network of therapists, shelters and non-profit agencies to rely on. There is more data, research, evidence and resources for survivors of rape. But my hunch is there is very little in the field of sodomized.

I also believe there is a double standard based on sex. I believe that when a woman is raped, it is classified as rape  even if she was anally raped. But if a man was anally raped, he was sodomized. What if these survivors and their families dont see being sodomized the same as they see rape?

If they dont see themselves as the victims of rape, because we are not calling it rape, wont it interfere with the healing process and the effective delivery of competent counseling services? Are we averse to admitting that men get raped, leading us to use a completely different term for what it really is?

In my mind there is little difference between being raped with an object or by a person  in terms of what word we use. But I do fear that the sole use of the term sodomize when referring to anal rape is misleading, harmful and further marginalizes consensual anal sex and gay people as a whole.

This article is reprinted with permission from the Bilerico Report on LGBTQNation.com.
DEFENCE is a topic that we need to discuss constantly, said Slovak President Andrej Kiska after the annual assembly of Slovak Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Milan Maxim at the Defence Ministry on February 11.

From right to left: former defence minister Martin Glvac with Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Milan Maxim and President Andrej Kiska. (Source: TASR)

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The protection of Slovakia and its citizens is an important topic at the moment according to Kiska, who went on to say that he wants this to remain the case after the general election which is due to be held on March 5, the TASR newswire reported.

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We need to talk about defence seriously, especially in relation to our armed forces and NATO, Kiska said, as quoted by TASR.

The Slovak president is pleased that the Defence Ministry has launched the programme of modernisation, which was discussed at last years assembly.

Precitajte si tiez:

Precitajte si tiez: Defence Minister discusses Black Hawks in USA Read more

Theres still a lot ahead of us, but Im glad its started, said Kiska, as quoted by TASR, adding that this is one of the basic tasks that Slovakia needs to carry through. NATO used to criticise Slovakias defence force for its lack of modernisation.

2015 was the best year in terms of modernisation over the past 20 years, according to Defence Minister Martin Glvac.

Over the past four years weve succeeded at last in purchasing Spartan transport aircraft. In addition, all defence concept materials have already been approved by the Cabinet, Glvac said, as quoted by TASR.

A public tender for the purchase of radar equipment has been factored into the budget, according to Glvac.

What will come out of it is up to people to decide based on their decisions in the [general] election, said Glvac, as quoted by TASR.

This assembly provides a good opportunity for exchanging differing opinions. The assembly evaluated military training, exercises and missions in 2015 and presented the projects planned for 2016, according to Glvac, adding that the Defence Ministry wants to focus on developing its ground forces and the air force.
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Coffee and chocolate, chocolate and coffee. The two have never been more delicious, nor more closely aligned. Just in time for Valentines Day, weve put together a special roundup of some unique coffee and chocolate bars to get you in the love-spiked mood. Whether youre partnered up with someone, or just indulging in a solo treat, chocolate and coffee are there for you this Valentines Day season. Whats not to love?

Tchos Mokaccino

If your Valentines Day involves curling up on a couch in a wool blanket with a warm cup of coffee and a good book (with yourself or your sweetheart), this chocolate is for you. With the sweetness of milk chocolate, its as if the people at Tcho whipped up a cappuccino for you and popped it in a chocolate wrapper. And while some people (myself included) arent usually milk chocolate lovers, give this one the benefit of the doubt; it balances the sweetness well with the intensity of the Blue Bottle Coffee, leaving you craving more. Buy yourself two bars.

PTs Coffee Bar

Think back to the first time you were served an Ethiopian natural. You know what Im talking about, that moment when you thought what is this blueberry explosion happening in my mouth? Thats exactly what you get with PTs Coffee Bar from artisan chocolatier Christopher Elbow, made with 64% dark chocolate from Madagascar and an Ethiopian Deri Kochoha. Black currant, raspberry, blackberry; its all there, and the flavor is so intense you really only need one square to be satisfied, which means youve got plenty of indulgence ahead of you.

Askinosies Dark Chocolate and Coffee Bar

Partnering with Intelligentsia, Askinosie makes a 72% Tanzania dark chocolate bar thats mixed with a seasonal, single origin coffee. I tried one with La Tortuga from Honduras, resulting in a well-bodied chocolate thats rich, syrupy and sophisticated. The kind of chocolate youd want for a night of seduction.

Maverick Chocolate Co. 65% Espresso Dark Chocolate

In this Good Food Award winning artisan chocolatiers bar, dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic and Peru is mixed with coffee roasted by Deeper Roots Coffee, a Cincinnati neighbor to Maverick Chocolate Co. What makes this bar stand out besides the smooth, rich flavor is the chocolate tasting guide that comes on the inside of the package. If you want focus on taking your time to enjoy all kinds of good things (including chocolate) on Valentines snag one of these bars and your chocolate tasting will take you long into the night.

Whylders Craft Chocolate Coffee Bar

A single varietal cacao paired with a seasonal, single origin coffee. What more would you expect from the good people at Coava? The chocolate is sourced in Nicaragua and made by bean-to-bar chocolate company Whylders. Snap off a square to start the day off right, and keep savoring it as long as you can.

Ritual Chocolate Anyetsu Bar

Denver roasters Novo Coffee partnered up with Park City-based chocolatier Ritual to make the Anyetsu Bar. The sun-dried Ethiopian coffee is paired with Balao chocolate from Ecuador. Youre left with a chocolate bar thats self described as dairing and delicate. Exactly what one strives to be as a lover.

Jcoco Arabica Cherry Espresso

This bar is a little different from other coffee chocolate bars out there; its infused with CoffeeFlour. CoffeeFlour is made from dried coffee cherry pulp, which is then milled into a fine flour, and in this case, added to a chocolate bar. That means that buying this bar means that you help put a coffee byproduct to good use and you get a chocolate treat in the process.

Anna Brones is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in the Pacific Northwest. Read more Anna Brones on Sprudge.
"The easing of restrictions on outbound investment and the slowing of the domestic Chinese economy have encouraged Chinese firms to look abroad for investment opportunities," he told Sputnik.

Dunkan Innes-Ker added that the Chinese outbound investment is breaking out of traditional fields like resources since Chinese firms are looking at overseas investments to acquire intellectual property and talented workers, and to tap into market opportunities in other countries.

"The trend of strong outbound investment is likely to continue over the next few years and the government remains generally supportive. However, there is a risk that policies designed to shore up the renminbi's exchange rate could delay some deals in the first half of 2016," he pointed out.

Vanessa Rossi, an advisor on Global Economics and Finance at Oxford Analytica, also believes that economic problems in China are the main motive for business to go global.

"With China cooling down (and with yet another rise in the trade account surplus), companies see more clearly the need for this global diversification," she told Sputnik.

Rossi added that this expansion is not spontaneous since Chinese companies had spent time making assessments of what they want to buy and how to operate abroad, having prepared to this new stage of entry to the global economy.
This would give Washington control and domination of two-thirds of the worlds hydrocarbon resources and direct control of the fundamental energizer of the global economic system  oil and gas, Boyle continued.

"The factual circumstances surrounding the outbreaks of both the First World War and the Second World War currently hover like twin Swords of Damocles over the heads of all humanity," he concluded.

US historian and political commentator Patrick Smyth agreed that Putins 2007 speech had been confirmed by many developments of the past nine years.

"Putin is undeniably superior as a statesman next to almost all his contemporaries. He chooses his ground well. The Munich conference was an excellent venue at which to challenge the Americans and NATO as to the European deployments and the Middle East crisis," he said.

Smyth praised Putins grasp of history  "which is the last thing American leaders want to cultivate in their citizenry"  and his ability to express fundamental international issues clearly and directly, as he did in his Munich speech.

Francis Boyle is a professor of international law and veteran author, historian and human rights advocate. He has sat on the board of Amnesty International and criticized it for having its policies influenced by the US government. Boyles books include "The Criminality of Nuclear deterrence" (2013), "Destroying Libya and World Order" (2013) and "World Politics and International Law" (2012).

Patrick Smyth is a US historian and analyst. He writes on foreign affairs for salon.com and his books include "Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century" (2013) and "Somebody Elses Century: East and West in a Post-Western World" (2010).
LONDON (Sputnik)  Less than a week after convening the much-anticipated talks between Syrian government and opposition members, Special UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced the talks would be suspended until February 25.

"Everybody wants to get some conference on Syria carrying. Russia is a very important player and if we want to sort out a migrant crisis in Europe, we need peace in Syria and we cannot get peace in Syria without Russians and Americans talking to each other and to the EU and to Great Britain," sir Edward Leigh said.

The lawmaker reiterated the need to find common ground around the UN Security Council resolution 2254 provisions for a political transition in Syria and an 18-month timeline for national elections under UN supervision.


TOKYO (Sputnik)A single battery of the US THAAD missile defense system deployed in South Korea would cost up to $1.25 billion for 48 interceptors, the South Korean National Defense Ministry said Friday.

One system will cost around 1.5 trillion won [$1.24 billion at current exchange rates], the Yonhap news service quoted the ministrys press office as saying without disclosing the number of THAAD batteries planned.

The ministry noted that one THAAD battery would include one TPY-2 radar, six launchers, 48 interceptor missiles and a fire control system.
The United States and other nations swiftly condemned the launch. The United Nations said it defied a Security Council resolution banning North Korea from launching rockets that could be used as ballistic missiles to carry nuclear warheads.

A day after the launch, the Pentagon said it was planning to deploy THAADS "as quickly as possible" to South Korea to defend the region against what is described as the growing threat of the weapons capabilities of North Korea.

Wang said that Washington has ulterior motives for deploying the sophisticated missile system to South Korea, including possibly targeting China, which the United States is competing with for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

"It doesn't require experts. Ordinary people know that the deployment of the THAAD system is not just to defend South Korea, but a wider agenda and may even serve the possibility of targeting China," he said.

Wang said China is prepared to back a wide-ranging UN Security Council resolution against North Korea over its recent rocket launch in an effort to get Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table.

"(We) support the United Nations Security Council to take further steps and in adopting a new resolution so that North Korea will pay the necessary price and show there are consequences for its behavior," Wang said.
Sultan Erdogan and the House of Saud certainly do  because their Syrian regime change dreams are in tatters. But the lame duck Obama administrations case is way more complicated.

True to its trademark, clueless foreign policy mode, theres not much left for Team Obama except spinning.

The proverbial unnamed US officials spin on overdrive on Western corporate media that this postponed cessation of hostilities is a Russian trap  as Washington wanted an immediate ceasefire (no wonder; CIA remote-controlled moderate rebels are also being routed.) European and Arab vassals spin that Damascus and Moscow are torpedoeing the peace efforts.

And yet Kerry caved in  to realism, actually. Lavrov must have made it very clear the two non-negotiables for Russia; win the Battle of Aleppo, still in progress, and seal the Syria/Turkey border against any manifestation of the Jihadi Highway, moderate or otherwise.

Do the Munich Spin

Theres a nifty historical echo about the war in Syria being negotiated in parallel to the Munich Security Conference  traditionally dedicated to global security. But the most pressing question is whether this new Munich Pact will actually hold.

Whats certain is that Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS) and al-Nusra Front, a.k.a al-Qaeda in Syria, will keep being targeted by both Russians and Americans even after the cessation of hostilities.

The 4+1 coalition  Russia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, plus Hezbollah  will also keep targeting every outfit remotely connected with Jabhat al-Nusra (and they are legion).

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) will for its part intensify its attacks against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS). Call it the all roads lead to Raqqa syndrome. As soon as the Syria/Turkey border is sealed  with crucial input by the YPG Kurds  the march to Raqqa will be inevitable.
Representatives of the agricultural sector have demanded that the government of Saxony must compensate them for losses caused by the anti-Russian sanctions , Wolfgang Vogel, head of the Saxon Farmers' Association, was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.

Vogel made the remarks in a letter to Saxony's Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich, which was published by the agriculture-related news website topagrar.com.

"Farmers are losing 30 cents for each kilogram of pork and 4 cents for each [liter] of milk, with the total losses already amounting to more than 200 million euros," he said, adding that alternative export markets are yet to be found.
The EU states dont have a coordinated position on measures that could stop these snowballing migration problems. But such a position must be worked out as soon as possible. Otherwise we will see examples of decisive unilateral actions to secure national borders. What will this mean? An end to the common European area, Medvedev said.

Russia is ready to share experience in accepting refugees with the European Union, Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview.

"Russia also accepts refugees. It is enough to remember that over a million people fled Ukraine and came to Russia. We have a lot of experience of accepting migrants. And we can share it with the European Union," Medvedev said.

The prime minister stressed that Moscow had already made a corresponding proposition to the bloc, as Russia was also interested in stopping the refugee flows, including through its territory.

He expressed hope that the issue could be discussed at an expert-level meeting of the Russia-EU dialogue on migration in March.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries to escape violence and poverty. EU border agency Frontex recorded over 1.2 million illegal border crossings into the European Union in 2015.

Read the full version of the interview here


KIEV (Sputnik)Ukraine is in talks with the European Union for assistance to recuperate losses sustained from forfeiting the Russian market, Trade Commissioner of Ukraine Nataliya Mykolska said Friday.

"We are now holding fairly serious negotiations with the European Union, named by our prime minister an assistance menu for Ukraine in the context of our losing the Russian market," Mykolska said at an Infrastructure Ministry session.

The so-called menu is under development in addition to Kievs trade dispute lawsuit against Moscow with the World Trade Organization (WTO), she added.
In the town of Heide, for example, 190,000 euros ($214,370) was spent transforming former army barracks into accommodation for up to 120 people, but only five have arrived. As a result, the local authority is being left to bear the cost of the renovation, maintenance and the employment of a security company to guard the premises.

According to Die Welt, only 44 percent of the initial places made available in Schleswig-Holstein for refugees are currently occupied.

"According to the state government, 57 percent of 1,884 places are unassigned in the largest accommodation in the state, in Boostedt. Of 1,850 places in Neumunster, 900 beds are empty. In the Putlos barracks only 101 out of 1,440 places are occupied," Die Welt reported.

"Converted at the peak of the refugee wave, Salzau Castle is currently housing only 28 refugees, but 320 beds are available there."

In October Die Welt reported on the conversion of the 19th century castle, and its suitability for asylum seekers.

Schleswig-Holstein  Ein Schloss dient als Fluchtlingsunterkunft https://t.co/iXREG2XK4h via @welt  WolfgangH (@Wolfgang_H) 11  2016

'A castle is functioning as a refugee shelter,' Die Welt reported in October.

"The refugees still can't work, and the castle is isolated, but they are happy here," the newspaper wrote. It interviewed one refugee from Afghanistan who was living there, who said "we are very happy here, but there is no town in the area and we can only see trees. But yes, it is very nice, we like it," he told Die Welt.
Szydlo herself made it widely clear that Poland would not take its refugee quota last November, underlining how the Paris attacks had "changed everything." The country has since been heavily patrolling its German border to prevent any refugee from sneaking in.

Another point of contention is Poland's general mistrust of Russia. As Germany's relationship with Moscow has relatively warmed up over the last months, Poland is trying to drive a wedge between the two countries.

PM @BeataSzydlo and Chancellor Angela Merkel review an honour guard during a welcome ceremony. pic.twitter.com/ZWiJLE14d4  Polish PM Office (@PremierRP_en) February 12, 2016

In particularly, Warsaw's new government is sensitive about Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that would directly connect Russia and Germany, bypassing Poland. Szydlo and her party  especially PiS' founder Jaroslaw Kaczynski  interpret the project as the seal of an anti-Polish Russo-German axis.

Beyond that, Poland is calling for the establishment of more NATO bases in central Europe, and for a permanent presence of NATO troops on its territory  presumably a defense against a Russian attack. The plan, however, is opposed by Berlin.

Disagreements over environmental measures and the inflammatory rhetoric from PiS have only amplified the fallout. But will Friday's Merkel-Szydlo meeting change that? Germany hopes pretty so.

"It's the first opportunity for an intensive, comprehensive exchange of views, which the chancellor is looking forward to," Germany's cabinet spokesperson Steffen Seibert told DW.

To be sure, it took Szydlo over 100 days to accept Berlin's multiple invitations, a move that could have miffed Germany already.

And it does not look like Szydlo is going to adopt a soothing approach either. In an interview with German tabloid Bild Thursday, she said that Berlin's refugee policy has been a mistake, and that it would end up weakening Germany itself.

"The weakening of Germany makes Europe unstable. But we have to admit that mistakes were made," she said.

While Szydlo pointed out that Poland-German relations were "excellent", she did have a dig at Berlin's overbearing role in Europe. In fact, much of Warsaw's criticism of Berlin stems from Poland's own leadership ambitions within the EU.

"Germany is for us an important and close partner in Europe. However, we would appreciate it if some decisions were not made over our heads," Szydlo said.
The criticism from such a high-ranking official is the most significant in recent times and comes amid an increase in criticism against Brussels' pursuit of companies over suspected tax avoidance.

US companies have become increasingly frustrated at the tax crackdown, arguing that they are subjected to unnaturally high tax rates if they attempt to transfer money to the US, with many analysts suggesting this has led to many American organizations holding assets in low-tax European countries.

EU Steps Up Tax Probes

In response, the EC rejected any suggestion it was unfairly targeting American firms.

"EU law applies indiscriminately to all companies operating in Europe  there is absolutely no bias against US companies," a spokesperson said, adding that investigations had "mostly" involved European companies.

EU officials have stepped up their crackdown on tax avoidance following the LuxLeaks scandal of 2014, which revealed that a number of US multinationals, including Apple and Amazon, were among 340 firms to have negotiated highly favorable tax deals with authorities in Luxembourg.

EU Commission will present recently launched #tax avoidance package to EU Council on 12 Feb. https://t.co/R0WfBwqD4V  EU Taxation&Customs (@EU_Taxud) February 11, 2016

The issue was hugely embarrassing for the European Commission, as current president Jean-Claude Juncker was the prime minister of Luxembourg during the time that many laws were introduced allowing such tax deals to be negotiated.

Investigations have since been ongoing to decide whether such tax deals constituted illegal state aid, amid reports in the Financial Times that Apple may be forced to pay back US$19 billion in taxes if it is found guilty of benefiting from such practices.

Corporate #tax avoidance: see the problem and the proposed solutions in pictures. https://t.co/xxYk3Pqw9r  EU Taxation&Customs (@EU_Taxud) February 10, 2016

However, not all have been pleased with the scope EU's tax crackdown, with many critics scalding Brussels' recently announced proposals aimed at combating tax evasion.

A series of NGOs said the plans did not go far enough to stop companies from shifting assets to low tax zones, while the proposals seemed to hit a snag on Friday with officials admitting they reforms should not go beyond international guidelines.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europes (OSCE) observers should investigate new reports of Ukrainian military equipment and troop movement toward the conflict zone, Russias permanent envoy to the OSCE said Friday.

The [Special Monitoring Mission] SMM is obliged to respond to these signals, check, confirm or deny the information. That is precisely its main function  to monitor the security situation, Alexander Lukashevich said at the weekly Permanent Council.

Lukashevich cited the February 4-9 OSCE SMM detection of 15 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 40 howitzers and 12 anti-tank guns amassing along the line of contact.
The report  leaked to the newspaper Welt am Sonntag  suggests that state spending will have to be capped each year over the next five years by around 5.8 percent. At its most pessimistic, Germany would need to start cutting US$26 billion annually.

This figure is seen as difficult to achieve given the current strain on the federal budget owing to the refugee crisis, which has seen 1.1 million migrants arrive in Germany.

Italian and Portuguese Pain

The grim news comes as cracks began to appear in one of the recent Eurozone bailouts over sovereign debt: Portugal. The country's new left-wing government has promised to roll back the austerity measures demanded by Brussels.


KIEV (Sputnik)Earlier this week, media reports erupted, claiming that Germany had urged Ukraine to submit new proposals on the debt restructuring.

"The Ministry of Finance has not received any appeals from Germany," Jaresko told journalists, adding that the situation with the debt to Russia remained "unchanged."

On Tuesday, the Russian Finance Ministry said it had received a letter from the German Finance Ministry outlining a possible solution to the Ukrainian debt issue, however, there were no direct proposals from the debtor, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, as it was common in the international practice.
We never rejected such partnerships, which cannot be said about our colleagues from the European Union and NATO. They were the ones who consciously curtailed the contact, put political considerations before our joint goal which lies in ensuring stability and security. As a result, we have a world that is more unpredictable and carries a multitude of threats, than several years ago. Instead of progress, instead of organic development and movement forward we witness a reverse process.

After all, those formats of cooperation between Russia and the European Union and the North-Atlantic Alliance were created to eliminate incipient conflicts in a timely fashion. And now, when such forms of communication are most needed, our partners reject them.

In my opinion, our western colleagues from NATO simply derive political gain from confrontation. It is easier to demonise Russia and attribute the current issues to it, than to acknowledge the serious problems, which exist within the system of European security. And also to acknowledge its own share of the responsibility for today's crises.

Remember NATO's decisions in recent years. The expansion of the alliance eastward. The placement of global missile defence systems in Europe. And each time the organization refused to take into account our concerns over our own security. Let alone the recent statements by the bloc's leadership. It appears that there is no greater threat to the world than Russia. We were once compared to Daesh (Islamic State/IS/ISIS/ISIL) terrorists.

But in 2010 at the Russia-NATO summit in Lisbon we were able to reach a serious compromise. It is enough to remember the joint statement made at the end of the summit. In it we confirmed that we did not view each other as adversaries. But then our partners returned to the reasoning of confrontation.

Now it is necessary to find compromises, not compare ambitions. To re-establish trust and return to joint initiatives that have been frozen. To join forces in the fight against international terrorism, which is spreading in the world like plague.

On Refugee Crisis in Europe

According to the latest data, some 1.2 million migrants arrived in the European Union in 2015. It is obvious that the problem is becoming mutual. Russia has repeatedly offered to share its experience of accepting migrants with its western partners, but this offer did not garner much interest. How effective is the EU policy with regard to refugees, in your opinion?

Dmitry Medvedev: I'll put it harshly, but thats exactly how I see things. The immigration policy of the EU has failed, It is one of the biggest mistakes the European Union has made. Europe no longer has control over the flow of refugees. It may sound harsh, but a humanitarian catastrophe is the only way to describe it.

An average European who got used to everything in his world being secure and constant  coffee, walking their dog, work, while shootings only take place on television  is scared today. And it is understandable. Large numbers of often aggressively-spirited people. Of a different faith. Of a different culture. With a clear unwillingness to accept the way of life in the country to which they arrive. Cases like the ones in Cologne make Europeans feel out of place in their own country. They have been robbed of their sense of security and faith in the state. And, of course, intolerance and xenophobia are growing in Europe.

The European Union opened its doors to a force it cannot handle. It invited, if not called over, everyone willing to come. And there are many people in the Middle East willing to answer this call. More than the European Union can process. And you can understand those people too. They are fleeing war and insecurity. They are arriving for social benefits which they could not even dream about in their own countries.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Airstrikes delivered in Syria to defeat terrorists are clearly not sufficient enough, but if the US-led coalition deploys ground troops to the country, it would only complicate things, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Sputnik in an interview.

It is clear that in order to completely defeat terrorists, airstrikes alone are not enough. The Syrian government forces are fighting against them on the ground. But before making a decision on the deployment of ground forces on Syrian soil as part of the international coalition led by the United States, it is necessary to ascertain whether the Syrian people need this, Medvedev said.

If ground troops are indeed deployed, this could lead to more casualties and erode chances of finding a political settlement to the Syrian crisis, he said.
While excluded from the Syrian peace talks, the SDF began a massive operation to take the city of Azaz from anti-government forces, a Sputnik Turkiye correspondent in the area reported on Friday.

Although the creation of the SDF was largely brokered by the United States as a negotiated union of Kurdish defense forces (YPG) and moderate factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels, the US has abandoned the group due to Turkish pressure. Now with Russian air support, SDF in the Syrian Kurdish exclave of Afrin are moving toward the key rebel town of Azaz, which is dominated by the al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham jihadist groups.

On Thursday, the SDF captured Minnigh Military Airport, previously occupied by al-Nusra, which is only six kilometers away from Azaz.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a press briefing on Thursday that Washington was in talks with Riyadh on how those ground forces would be deployed on the ground.

Russian and US foreign policy chiefs met in Munich on Thursday as part of a 17-member ISSG. The meeting resulted in a declaration of a plan to end hostilities in Syria starting next week.

Moscow is hoping that the realization of agreements reached during the International Syrian Support Group session will soon go into effect, Sergei Lavrov said.

We hope that the agreements reached will be reorganized into practical steps, Lavrov said ahead of a meeting with his Saudi colleague, Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, on the sidelines of the Munich Security conference.

The meeting of the ISSG group  made up of Russia, the United States and a dozen of other world powers  was held in Munich late Thursday and ended in a statement that vowed to pursue the "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within one week.

The group also agreed to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged areas this week and reaffirmed the importance of resuming suspended peace negotiations under UN auspices as soon as possible.

World powers have pledged to do all they can to facilitate progress in these talks, including the reaching of a deal within six months on a Syrian political transition plan to create an inclusive government and draft a new constitution followed by free elections within 18 months.
"But we dont have armed soldiers, combat troops on the ground, we dont have anybody other than Iraqis," Abadi stressed.

The prime minister decried as "very dangerous" Turkey deploying troops and tanks in northern Iraqs Nineveh province in December 2015.

"We should have a say in this. To have troops that roll into Iraq 100 kilometers deep into the country, in a city where historically the Turks claim that it belongs to them  which is Mosul  I think its very dangerous," he said.

Abadi urged Ankara to withdraw from Iraq and "help us in other ways."

Turkey argued its troops had entered Iraq to ensure the security of the Turkish soldiers previously deployed at the base to train local militias fighting against terrorist groups. Baghdad termed Ankara's actions hostile, and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
"I know that the gains made by Kurds in Syria were to a significant extent made possible by Russian airstrikes But here in Iraq, close to the Syrian border, we cannot advance because the government in Baghdad, completely subordinated to Washington, didnt allow the Peshmerga in Iraq to advance further. If we were to attack, the coalition couldve opened fire on us," dAymee explained.

He remarked that while the US-led coalition does provide air support to the Peshmerga, its not very effective as the airstrikes are "often launched much later than required."

DAymee also confirmed the presence of Turkish military units in the northern regions of Iraq.

"Were unable to drive them off as theyre equipped with more advanced weaponry and their presence here is in a way approved by the US," he said.

Sometime after the interview, dAymee also sent word that Daesh had deployed chemical weapons against his unit.

"Daesh started shelling us with makeshift chlorine shells, and we only have medical masks for protection, he wrote. The medics were working all night. I hope that answers your question about the use of chemical weapons by Daesh."
ANKARA (Sputnik)  Ties with Russia account for about a third of Antalyas gross regional product (GRP), according to the report, which said that in the agricultural sector that share is about two thirds. Thus a partial or complete loss of the Russian market would have a detrimental effect on the province.

The report predicts that if Antalya loses about 50 percent of the Russian market, with partial compensation through other markets, the tourist and agricultural sectors of the province would lose about $1 billion. In a more pessimistic scenario, where the province would lose 90 percent of the Russian market, Antalya would lose $3 billion. In case of a full loss of the Russian market that figure would reach $8-9 billion, according to the report.

Relations between Turkey and Russia deteriorated in November 2015 when Ankara shot down a Russian Su-24 aircraft carrying out anti-terrorist operations in Syria. Despite Ankara's claims that the plane had violated Turkish airspace, both Russian and Syrian military officials confirmed that the plane never crossed into Turkish airspace.
It is in accordance with this strategy that Washington's NATO allies are forced to act, the military analyst suggested.

"If we take a look at the geography of the NATO effort to strengthen its military capabilities, everything starts in the Arctic. As soon as it became clear that Russia was restoring its capabilities in the region, Washington began shouting that 'Moscow is trying to take over the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route' [which stretches through Russia's north]. Serious military preparations are now underway by the US, Canada and Norway."

Similar trends, Col. Gen. Ivashov said, can be observed in the Baltic states and Poland, where new military installations and bases are being created, and in other countries, in which the US is actively stockpiling forces and weaponry, including nuclear weapons.

"Add to this support for Ukraine and Turkey, and we get a strategy against Russia aimed at drawing our country into an armed confrontation  into a major war, including information warfare. Even those measures Russia is taking simply to ensure its own security are called aggression," the military analyst noted.

In this situation, Ivashov believes, Russia must prepare a comprehensive defense  one which appeals to more than just the military component.

"We need to step up our political and diplomatic activities, to use the mechanism of the UN Security Council, the OSCE and other regional organizations, and to search for allies in China and India; after all, if Washington manages to 'deal with' Russia, these powers will be next on the list," he concluded.

NATO's Buildup Could Untie Erdogan's Hands

NATO's Eastern European buildup and the strengthening of the alliance's presence in the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea could serve as a dangerous stimulus for Turkish aggression, according to Retired Naval Captain First Rank Mikhail Nenashev.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Nenashev warned that "if we are speaking of the Mediterranean and Black Sea region, [NATO's efforts] will encourage more brazenly aggressive behavior by the current Turkish leadership. It's enough to recall the former Georgian authorities' attack on Ossetia [in 2008], which was possible because the Americans had made clear, by their presence in the Black Sea, that they would understand and support this action."

In 2008, the now disgraced former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili launched an invasion of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, killing Russian peacekeepers in the process and prompting a Russian response.
The treaty, aiming to create a legally binding prohibition on nuclear explosive tests for all its parties, will enter into force when China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States ratify it.

In 2005, North Korea declared itself a nuclear power. It has conducted four underground nuclear weapon tests  in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2016, which have raised concerns among the international community.

Zerbo also said that the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty should not be an issue separating the US Democrats and the Republicans, because it concerns the matter of national security.

"It should not be an issue of the Democrats against the Republicans. If it is an issue that is important for the US national security, that has to be a non partisan issue," Lassina Zerbo said.

He added that in order to achieve ratification of the treaty, people and the civil society should be educated and feel comfortable that this treaty "does fit into national security issues."

All five nuclear weapons states as recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons  the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, are signatories to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The accord's entry into force would create a legally binding prohibition on nuclear explosive tests for all its parties after China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States ratified it.
After all, those formats of cooperation between Russia and the European Union and the North-Atlantic Alliance were created to eliminate incipient conflicts in a timely fashion. And now, when such forms of communication are most needed, our partners reject them, Medvedev said.

Discussion and dialogue are needed constantly and Russia has always been ready for such contacts, the prime minister said.

Dialogue is a 24-hour and a year-round concept. At least we are always open to discussing of the most pressing matters, Medvedev added.

NATO is attempting to get political gain from confrontations with Moscow because it is much easier to demonize Russia than actually handle the serious problems at hand, Russian Prime Minister said.

In my opinion, our western colleagues from NATO simply derive political gain from confrontation. It is easier to demonize Russia and attribute the current issues to it, than to acknowledge the serious problems which exist within the system of European security. And also to acknowledge its own share of the responsibility for today's crises, Medvedev said.

Medvedev noted NATOs eastward expansion towards Russian borders that has been ongoing for several years as well as the deployment of US air defense systems in Europe that are of great concern for Russia.

And each time the organization refused to take into account our concerns over our own security. Let alone the recent statements by the bloc's leadership. It appears that there is no greater threat to the world than Russia. We were once compared to ISIL [Islamic State, IS] militants, Medvedev said.

Russia and NATO should make efforts to find a compromise instead of continuing confrontation, Dmitry Medvedev stated.

"But then our partners returned to the reasoning of confrontation. Now it is necessary to find compromises, not compare ambitions. To reestablish trust and return to joint initiatives that have been frozen. To join forces in the fight against international terrorism, which is spreading in the world like plague," Medvedev said.

He reminded that in 2010, at the Russia-NATO summit in Lisbon, the parties were able to reach a "serious compromise," confirming that they did not view each other as adversaries.

NATO has been increasing its presence in Eastern Europe since Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014, following a referendum the West refused to recognize as legitimate, instead blaming Moscow for violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia has denied the allegations and has repeatedly stated that the alliance's increased activities near its borders undermine regional and international stability.

Medvedev represents Russia, alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at the Munich Security Conference taking place on February 12-14. More than 20 heads of state and dozens officials from around the world are expected at the event. The agenda of the meeting focuses on key world policy issues such as fighting international terrorism, UN and NATO reform, "hot spots," and strengthening regional and global security.

Read the full version of the interview here
"The intimidation and the number of arrests have steadily risen in the last 10 years," Marshall continues citing Der Spiegel. The Turkish leadership used a series of show trials to get rid of their former political allies, including the exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, and opposition.

At the same time, Erdogan has dramatically increased the budget of the country's intelligence agency:

"The government is planning a 48 percent increase in spending for the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) in 2016, on top of a 419 percent increase over the past decade," Marshall notes.

The US author cited Turkish expert Pinar Tremblay who dubbed MIT as "a prominent player in the decision-making process for Turkish politics."
"An escalation of the conflict is not out of the question, but its likelihood is smaller than the other options, because such an escalation would not be beneficial to anyone. There are more serious problems towards which both economic and political resources should be devoted. Therefore, a brief escalation may be possible, [but only] as an element aimed at pushing for a political solution."

For his part, Nikolai Sungurovsky, the director of military programs at Ukraine's Razumkov Center, warned that if an escalation were to take place, it is likely to happen before the fall.

"The scenario for an escalation of the conflict, before the autumn, is, I think, the most likely and dangerous. I believe, unfortunately, that a military option will be implemented." The spark for an escalation, Sungurovsky noted, would likely be connected to the local elections being prepared in the Donbass republics. He did not clarify which side would strike first in such a scenario.

Option #3: Frozen Conflict

The third and most likely option, especially in the coming year, is the 'freezing' of the conflict and the continuation of the negotiation process, RIA Novosti writes.

At the moment, Bortnik notes, conditions are not ripe for implementing the Minsk agreements; therefore, both sides would be best served to continue looking for compromise.

"I think that in the current year, the most likely scenario is a freezing of the conflict. It will not be a palpable freezing, but rather the continuation of negotiations without a concrete result."
"Is the US really ready to unleash WWIII over whether or not [Bashar] Assad stays in office?" they asked.

"Common sense would dictate that this should not happen. We shouldn't be there. But common sense does not prevail," Ron Paul noted.

However, the former Republican congressman stressed, in the case of Saudi Arabia common sense should be taken into consideration: "You know, their bank accounts are getting smaller, their income is going way down, they started to pinch pennies."

Indeed, the tremendous oil price slump has dealt a heavy blow to the kingdom's economy. Furthermore, the Saudi-led Arabian intervention in Yemen that began in 2015 has become a quagmire for the Gulf state.

According to Dr. Paul, people who have the advantage in war are not always those who possess the most powerful weapons: "Sometimes, it's the one who has the moral high ground and the support of the people."

"One example we are most familiar with is Vietnam This is the same thing here. It looks like Assad may have the moral high ground," the former congressman emphasized.

According to Paul, if Syrians really abhorred Bashar al-Assad, as the US media used to say, there would be an overwhelming uprising in Syria that wiped the government out. But it is clear that the Syrian President still enjoys a high level of support in the country.
"And this unfortunately means escalating tensions, playing silly games with whether the deployment in Eastern Europe will be a 'rotation' or permanent deployment as the Poles would like ," the foreign policy analyst added.

"I think this is simply more brinksmanship and more escalation of tension for NATO to justify its existence."

With the Russian envoy to NATO saying that Moscow "won't compromise its security interests," and other senior officials noting that Russia would be forced to "strengthen its defensive potential," in the form of the nuclear deterrent, RT asked Jatras whether NATO's moves signal the danger of escalation.

"Absolutely," the analyst responded, "and that's why I think this is really irresponsible."

"For example, when we are talking about this deployment in Eastern Europe but [also] increased activities in the Black Sea and cooperation with Turkeythe prospects of something happening accidentally go up dramatically," especially given the Turkish president's unpredictability.

When asked whether some sort of compromise can be found Friday during the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Mr. Stoltenburg in Munich, Jatras said that it's unlikely.

"Again, [regarding the idea that] 'NATO has no hostile intentions toward Russia': How would we feel if some extra-continental power put an allied country and its troops right on our borders here in the US? We would not be reassured by them saying 'that's ok; we don't intend to threaten you anyway.' The whole question here is why NATO is doing this  is there any credible Russian threat to Poland, to the Baltic states. This is simply absurd. And I think those assurances mean absolutely nothing."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Newly-appointed French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will not be able to attend the upcoming meeting of the Normandy Quartet format on Ukrainian reconciliation, a source in the French government told Sputnik on Friday.

According to the German Foreign Ministry, a ministerial meeting of the Normandy Quartet members, including Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, will take place Saturday morning.

"He wanted to, but the meeting is slated for morning and he will not be able to join it, he will be in Munich in the afternoon," the source said.
Professor Lieven stresses the importance of empire in the beginning of the 20th century. This was a time, he stresses, when you couldnt really survive if you did not have an empire, and empire-building schemes were undoubtedly part of the reason WWI broke out when it did. The existence of other factors was also important, he adds, mentioning the industrial revolution, which started in Britain but quickly spread to other European countries and Russia. By the time WWI broke out, the Russian economy was already growing quickly, and it is possible that Germany, France and Britain realised that if a war had to be fought, it would have to be started around about then, before Russia would have become too powerful.

Ukraine was important at the beginning of WWI. As professor Lieven points out; 75% of Ukraine was part of Russia at the time, and the territory was vital for Russia as it contained valuable industrial facilities and resources. The country has long lost its importance, Lieven states, as the Ukrainian economy is in a bad shape and the kind of industry and resources available in that country are no longer highly valued. Ukraines real value was to act as a buffer state between Russia and what is know as the West. A role which unfortunately for all concerned  particularly Ukraine and its economy  has been jettisoned. Lieven is fairly optimistic that Germany may take on a bridge role between the East and the West.

Lieven interestingly considers another world war as possible, but not highly likely. If such a war does break out, Lieven considers, it will not be because of Europe, which he says is simply not that important anymore. The really important area, he mentions, is Asia; that is where a major conflict could break out, which would drag us all into a new war of global proportions.
Following the October 1917 Revolution, the Catholic clergy fell under the Soviet government decree of January 23 (February 5, New Style) on the separation of the Church from the state and the school from the Church.

There were two Roman Catholic dioceses in the USSR: the Lithuanian, whose bishops jurisdiction was limited to Lithuania, and the Latvian, whose archepiscopal jurisdiction crossed Latvias borders to spread to the entire Catholic diaspora in the USSR with the exception of Belarus, where an independent Minsk diocese was established in 1989.

The relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches rose to a new level after the second Vatican Council (1962-1965), with its spectacular change of the Catholic social doctrine and ecumenical principles. The Roman Catholic Church officially recognized the Russian Orthodox Church, which responded by opening official dialogue with it in 1980. The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue was established then.

Tensions between the Vatican and Moscow Patriarchate rose in the early 1990s with the rise of Catholic proselytism in Russia and other CIS countries, and clashes between the Orthodox and Greco-Catholic communities in western Ukraine.

The Moscow Patriarchate defines Catholic proselytism as "clerical activities to involve Russians devoid of historical connection with Catholicism and belonging to Orthodoxy by baptism and cultural tradition, into liturgical and other Catholic practices."

Tensions between the Orthodox and Greco-Catholic communities in Ukraine led to another problem as the latter transferred its center from Lviv to Kiev, and sought promotion to the status of Patriarchate. It established missions in Ukraines traditionally Orthodox east and south, and supported Old Believers to exacerbate the problem. There were violent outrages, as at the turn of the 1990s when Greco-Catholic activists ransacked three dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate in western Ukraine.To settle these dramatic matters, the Joint Working Group on interaction problems between the Russian Orthodox Church and Catholic Church in Russia was established in 2004.
He compared the Pentagon's $750 billion annual budget  two-thirds of the government's discretionary spending  to the combined $95 billion in federal funding that the departments of education, interior, and transportation received last year.

Still, US defense officials and military officers testifying before Congressional committees have protested "minimalist cuts to the soaring Pentagon budget."

Astore said the Pentagon lacks accountability for its "mistakes, profligate expenditures, even crimes." He cited the "quagmires" of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya; the spread of Daesh; the US attack on an Afghan hospital and the resulting civilian deaths; and the abuse and torture of foreign detainees.

"In fact, no matter what that military doesn't accomplish, no matter how lacking its ultimate performance in the field, it keeps getting more money, resources, praise," he said.

Astore insisted that the military "must be called to account." He proposed slashing the Pentagon's budget, holding senior leaders accountable for mistakes and "cutting the easy praise."

In December, Couch and his mother fled from their hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, to Mexico as prosecutors investigated a video that showed him drinking alcohol, a probation violation. Couch, now 18, has since been arrested and returned to Texas, where the criminal case against him is pending.
Once the leak is completely stopped, evacuated residents who had been temporarily relocated to leased houses and hotel rooms will have seven nights to move back to their homes, according to the terms of an agreement between the gas company and the Los Angeles city attorney's office. Democratic Representative Brad Sherman told the LA Times however, that he wants to try to get the 7-day window extended until the California Air Resources Board certifies that the air surrounding the Aliso Canyon field is free of natural gas.

One of the residents who was evacuated, Regina Maleki, told Sputnik News that she still has lingering concerns.

At first they said people had 48 hours, but that was before they had evacuated thousands of residents and schools. People put up a fight, now they are saying we have eight days and seven nights, but that still doesnt address the gas that is still lingering in the air and in peoples homes, Maleki explained. There are other concerns. I have heard reports that 15 other wells might also be leaking. They would not confirm or deny this. Plus, state regulators, including AQMD, are still not requiring proper safety valves to be installed to prevent this from happening again. Many residents want the whole thing shut down.
According to Guttman, if George W. Bush supported his brother during his campaign in South Carolina, it would help him get additional votes despite the 43rd president of the US having left the White House very unpopular.

"He (Jeb) is alive and well, he's got the money, he's got tons of money, his Super-PAC's got money," he said, noting that his rival, Ohio Governor John Kasich, could be a contender in the future but "has to raise a lot of money."

What next with "grumpy grandma" Hillary Clinton?

Hillary Clinton is a terrible campaigner, the professor claimed, as in 2008 she lost to an unknown Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, despite having everything going for her. During this election cycle, they've tried to make it so that she didn't have much of a media presence; she's hardly been in any debates, she was hardly on any talk shows, and "just expected a coronation." However, Sen. Sanders has proven to be a formidable opponent, and so now she's appearing on every talk show she can and taking part in debates with the cranky old socialist, but her lack of enthusiasm has landed her in the same place she was in eight years ago.

"When the campaign first started, she was saying she was different than Obama; now that she is doing badly in the polls, she is saying she likes Obama," said Guttman, stressing Hilary Clinton's hypocrisy.

However, he underscores that anything could still happen at this point, not excluding the possibility of Vice President Joe Biden and former Vice President Michael Bloomberg joining the race. Bloomberg, another billionaire who switched gears and entered politics, "makes Donald Trump look poor" the political expert noted.

Bill Clinton, the political commentator noted, completely contrasts with his wife: he used to be one of the best political campaigners out there. He attributed this to the former president's charisma, adding that he looks a little fragile but is aware of the current state of affairs.

"Bill Clinton would stay out all night and campaign, campaign, campaign, talk to people, talk to people. Hilary Clinton tries to avoid people as much as she can," he stressed, saying the two were like night and day and that she lacks charisma.

Guttman was then asked to estimate how many votes the respective presidential forerunners would get in the upcoming events in South Carolina and Nevada.

Guttman projected that Sanders would win Nevada's Democratic nomination as he's an active campaigner who at the time of the interview was meeting civil right leaders to "show that he has compassion" for the civil rights movement.

"American politics is all about money and Bernie Sanders in the last 24 hours raised millions of dollars in small contributions," he emphasized, adding that Clinton's whole campaign centered on her selling the fact that she's a woman but that nonetheless New Hampshire Democratic primary voters had predominantly selected her opponent. He also noted that whereas Sanders speaks with conviction, regardless of how you feel about his political views, Clinton seems dishonest.


NEW YORK (Sputnik)The United States is not prepared to properly deal with a biological attack against it, former US Congressman James Greenwood said in a testimony before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Friday.

"Whether it is the reintroduction of smallpox by a terrorist, a dirty bomb in an urban center or another pandemic influenza outbreak we are underprepared to respond to these threats and we must take immediate steps to be better prepared," Greenwood stated.

He noted that additional funding should be allocated for pandemic and bioterror preparedness, and also recommended that the US Vice President be appointed as chief orchestrator of pandemic and bioterror preparedness.
Taken together, both RT and Rossiya Segodnyas budgets are a far cry from the BBGs coffers, and while the agency claims to pursue objective journalism, this is hardly the case.

"[The BBG wants] to promote points of view that conform to American foreign and domestic policy," political cartoonist Ted Rall told Sputnik.

"Objectivity does not exist in journalism. Its impossible," he added. "The best that a viewer, listener or reader can hope for when she or he consumes journalism is to understand the bias or biases of the relevant news outlet so that she or he can consider that point of view while consuming the news."

The BBG, it seems, is especially unconcerned with objectivity. Last March, US Assistant Secretary of European Affairs Victoria Nuland told Congress that the BBG was specifically committing $23.2 million to "Russian-language programming," adding that "the Kremlins pervasive propaganda campaign is poisoning minds across Russia, Russias periphery, and across Europe."

The real reason for the budget increase has less to do with concerns of objectivity, and is actually about Washingtons concern that channels like RT are actually doing their job effectively, presenting audiences with a viewpoint that challenges those presented by the mainstream press.
HAVANA (Sputnik)  On Thursday, the Patriarch arrived in Cuba to meet with the Pope earlier in the day, at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, in what will become the first ever face-to-face engagement between the leaders of the two Christian churches. The two religious leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration.

"The news about the meeting of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill is really very important for the Cuban Catholic Church, we can already say that this event is an historic one that has not happened for centuries," Monsignor Jose Felix Perez, executive secretary of the Cuban Bishops Conference, told RIA Novosti.

The main issue on the agenda is expected to be the persecution Christians in the Middle East and Africa. The Russian Orthodox Church stated that the Patriarch and the Pope were expected to discuss the issues of terrorism, Christianity in the modern world and withdrawal from the Christian values in the Western countries. The issues of the current state of affairs in Ukraine will also be on the agenda.
Israel is interested in increasing the supply of agricultural products to Russia, with Israeli fruits due to occupy niches once filled by Turkish products in the Russian market, as restrictions have been in place on the importation of Turkish goods to the country since January 1.

According to the Russian Agriculture Ministry, the country is ready to increase its supply of beef, mutton and poultry meat to the Israeli market. In turn, the Israeli side has expressed interest in importing egg from Russia and exporting a range of food products to the Russian market.

Russia and Israel may soon sign an agreement on a free trade zone, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel said.

Earlier in the day, Ariel and Russian Deputy Agriculture Minister Sergei Levin held a meeting in Moscow where they considered a number of issues that could give impetus to the further development of relations between the two countries. The Israeli minister also met with Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

"Today we also had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dvorkovich, we are grateful for his time. During this meeting, we considered a number of issues for boosting relations in agriculture. It is also important that the issues of pensions were raised, and Dvorkovich expressed his hope that the issue would be resolved before the end of the year, as well as an agreement on a free trade area, which we hope will be signed in the near future," Ariel said.

Levin noted that the negotiations on the free trade zone between Russia and Israel were just beginning, but the sides were interested coming to an agreement on the issue "as soon as possible."
For example, Dujarric points out that the exact answer given by Ban Ki-moon regarding the resolution 2254 was "I sincerely hope that the parties should be more faithful in implementing this resolution."

"It is well known that there are many parties to this conflict. The Secretary-General was not referring specifically to "Russian and Syria." The Secretary-General does indeed choose his words carefully. Had he wanted to refer only to those two parties specifically, he would have," Dujarric remarks.

He also stresses that neither the interviewer nor the Secretary General mentioned Russia by name while dealing with the question related to the military events' impact on the Geneva talks.

He also points out another part of the article which states that "Russia's increased military support for the Assad regime has 'impacted very negatively,' on the process the Security Council resolution set in train, according to Mr Ban."

Apparently, this paragraph too became a subject to authors creative interpretation of Ban Ki-moons words.

"In discussing the Geneva talks and the action on the ground, Mr. Jones says to the Secretary-General that "in many ways the decisions though might not be made in the room [Geneva talks] in the sense that the military events are moving so quickly now. For a lot of the rebel groups feel that they might not exist in few weeks time." In his answer the Secretary-General says: "That affected very negatively. As soon as this meeting' convened then aerial bombing continued, the ground operations by the Syrian government forces started in Aleppo."

"We would very much appreciate you take action to publish the corrections that are necessary to accurately reflect what the Secretary-General actually said," Dujarric concluded.
For the first time the two Christian Churches are going to look each other in the eye after centuries of mutual hostility, Italian journalist and former MEP Giulietto Chiesa told Sputnik.

"However, the West apparently doesnt consider this news as something worth mentioning. This is understandable, as word of the meeting came as a complete surprise, and it contradicts the whole media agenda, so the West prefers to keep quiet about the enormity of this event and of its possible consequences," he said.

According to Chiesa, the two Church leaders likely agreed to a meeting because they understand the nature of the challenges humanity is facing today, as both of them have warned on numerous occasions that the threat of World War III is distinctly real.
Since anti-Russian sanctions were imposed in 2014 the world's problems have only got deeper, and the US and EU need to remove them and cooperate with Moscow to resolve world crises, Antonio Fallico, President of the 'Conoscere Eurasia' (Get to Know Eurasia) Association told a conference on Thursday.

"Certain problems which appeared earlier have taken on more alarming proportions. These realities force us to urgently look for solutions. For such solutions to be effective, a substantial contribution from Russia is necessary," Fallico said, RIA Novosti reported.

The Conoscere Eurasia Association is a nonprofit organization that aims to develop economic and cultural relations between Italy, the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Community. It is also active in the development of relations with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Bob Boni, president of Northwood Bloodstock Agency and well known in harness racing from his many years as a yearling sale consultant and bloodstock agent and owner, has joined the Goshen Yearling Sale as its president.

In addition, Hanover Shoe Farms will offer a large consignment of yearlings at the 2016 edition of the Goshen Yearling Sale, which will be held Sunday, September 18, at the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, NY, near historic Goshen.

We had a great inaugural sale and we really wanted to take the sale to the next level, and bringing Bob on board, and the addition of a consignment from Hanover Shoe Farms, will certainly help us achieve that goal, said Ford, a principal in the sale company as well as the host. You cant do any better than to get a guy with Bobs experience, expertise and integrity and Hanovers position as the sports leading breeder speaks for itself.

The Goshen Yearling Sale was created in 2015 because of the lack of an early-fall yearling sale with the proximity to many of the richest racing programs. Last year 113 yearlings were sold at the inaugural edition, generating gross sales of $1.4 million.

I attended the inaugural sale last year and was very impressed with the facility and what it had to offer. I am very excited about the potential of this sale going forward and the addition of a consignment from Hanover Shoe Farms immediately adds to the impact and appeal of the sale, said Boni, of joining the organization. I believe we have a sale that will offer many opportunities to a variety of buyers and consignors and I look forward to working with Mark Ford, Tom Grossman and Joe Thomson along with Chris Tully.

Hanover Shoe Farms will join Thomsons Winbak Farms and Grossmans Blue Chip Farms in offering consignments at the Goshen Yearling Sale.

I think this is a good venue and good timing, said Hanover president and CEO Jim Simpson of sending a consignment to Goshen. I think our consignment will fit in very well. We plan to sell in the neighborhood of 40 yearlings at this sale, and there will be a mix of Pennsylvania and New York-sired yearlings.

Simpson added that Hanover will sell approximately 270 yearlings at 2016 yearling sales, and is limited to around 220 at the annual Standardbred Horse Sale Company in Harrisburg.

For more information about the Goshen Yearling Sale, contact Bob Boni at [email protected] or phone 201-863-2082.

(Goshen Yearling Sale)
Er is iets heel griezeligs aan de gang in Nederland. Dat wij geleidelijk aan in een totalitaire 'democratie' wegzinken wordt steeds ...
Effective Christian witness is not about bombarding people with religious messages, but about our willingness to be available to others by patiently and r...

5 years ago
About PR Futurist

Stuart Bruce's PR Futurist blog looks at the future of public relations, communications and corporate affairs. It examines digital transformation of technology, people and professional practice. My focus is on corporate communications, reputation and crisis communications. I'm interested in covering news, research and reports on professional practice, PRTech, CommsTech and MarTech.
Gipuzkoa is one of three provinces that make up the Spanish portion of the Basque Country, and stretches west from the French-Spanish border through San Sebastian and Zarautz. Few are more intimately acquainted with the intricacies of its coastline than Pacotwo, author of the guide before you. Not only is he one of the finest surf photographers in all of Christendom, he also runs one of its best websites; find him here at MarGruesa.

Top: La Zurriola. Photo: Lance-Foto

Main cities

San Sebastian (or Donostia in Basque) is the capital city and therefore the most densely populated area in the province. Youll find everything you need here, including a bunch of shopping and site-seeing. Other relevant towns in terms of surf include Irun and Zarautz, although youll find that surfing is practised widely throughout the province including by those who live inland.

Wave type

The Gipuzkoa coast stands out for its ruggedness, mainly made up of eroded cliffs, small fishing enclaves, and a handful of beaches. In fact, in total there are only 5 or 6 beachies along this 86km stretch of coast. The remaining surf spots all break on a rock bottom and access to some of them can be somewhat tricky.

When to go

There are usually waves all year round and spots like La Zurriola in San Seb will pick up whatever swell is out there. In theory, autumn is the best time of year, with consistent long-period swells accompanied by offshore winds and warm water temps, but the months of December and January can be epic too.

Wetsuits

Water temps can vary a lot. During the summer months when the sun is out you can trunk it no problem; in spring and autumn a 3/2 is sufficient, and in winter a 4/3 with booties should be fine.
WE KEEP YOU ABREAST OF CURRENT HAPPENINGS...STAY TUNED!!!
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
Dr. Scott Burns, Portland State University professor emeritus of geology, will speak about the major floods in the Portland-Vancouver area in 1948 and 1996 at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Vancouver Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Vancouver.

Attendees are also encouraged to view the Vanport and Columbia River floods exhibit at the Water Center.

Burns talk will cover floods as far back as millions of years that shaped the regions geology, along with the 1948 flood that innundated Vanport, which was then Oregons second-largest city. It was near the current Portland International Raceway. In 1996, the area had another rain-on-snow event that caused a huge set of floods in the area.

The talk is sponsored by the Mount St. Helens Institute and City of Vancouver. There is a $5 suggested donation for admission.
Clatskanie is considering shutting down its police department and contracting with the Columbia County Sheriffs Office for police protection.

There are three reasons were considering this: Budgets. Budgets. Budgets, Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkleman said Friday. The only reason were looking at this is if we can have budget savings and a level of law enforcement that is adequate to protect the citizens of the city.

Under Oregon law, the police departments three officers, one sergeant and office clerk would have to be transferred into the sheriffs department, and theres talk about leasing the city police station to the county for use as a sheriffs satellite location, Hinkleman said.

Hinkleman and County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson will discuss the idea at a City Council workshop at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at Clatskanie City Hall. No public testimony will be taken at that time. However, the Council will take public comment at a later date if it decides to explore the idea further, Hinkleman said.

We dont want to do that until we have a very good idea of what (the cost) and level of services will be, and those details still are being worked out, he said.

Hed like a decision on the matter before the city adopts its 2016-17 budget, which takes effect July 1.

Its been obvious for several years that the city spending is unsustainable, as the city keeps tapping its cash reserves to cover its spending, Hinkleman said. The citys general fund in the current fiscal year is $1.24 million, and the contingency fund for emergency expenses is down to only $4,600.

The city this year had to cut on-call pay for officers and also cut police training and operating budgets. The city also cut its contribution to Columbia County Rider, the transit service.

Our beginning fund balance has been eaten away. Its less and less every year. That tells the lay person that we are spending more than we are taking in, the city manager said.

Hinkleman believes that by contracting with the sheriffs office the city will save money and improve police service. For example, Clatskanie has no detective, but the sheriffs office does and could help work city cases should the city contract with the county.

Other Oregon cities  including Troutdale, Cornelius and Banks  have contracted out police services to save money. This has been going on for a while. Weve known this was coming down the pike, Hinkleman said.

He emphasized that none of the many controversies surrounding the police department in recent years is prompting discussions of a police transfer. The budget crunch driving it arose well before the latest of those scandals, in which Police Chief Marvin Hoover resigned Aug. 19 following allegations that he made racist remarks, Hinkleman said.

This is purely budget-driven.
Jasper Henderling-Warner was as lively as most 3-year-olds.

He enjoyed watching Ninja Turtles and devouring hot dogs. A hyper child, he liked to burn off his energy outside. Every evening, he looked forward to a lavender bath, after which hed rush to his room to dress himself, often putting his clothes on backwards or inside out.

He was his own kind of smart, said his mother, Nikki Warner, 22, now of Kalama.

In October 2014, though, Jaspers short life came to a painful end. He died from ongoing and severe abuse while in the care of Danny and Brenda Wing of Vader. Warner had placed her son with the couple  who were recovering heroin addicts  at the end of July 2014 while she searched for a job and worked on getting clean.

But Jaspers life had been harsh from the time of his birth. He was born to teenage parents and moved several times while his mother searched for work or a better living space. According to a Daily News investigation, from 2011 to 2014, Child Protective Services responded to at least 11 complaints about Jasper alleging neglect by his mom. Complaints ranged from accusing Warner of not feeding Jasper to tying him to a chair in front of the television for long periods of time. Others asserted that Jasper was regularly in the presence of drug users, including his parents.

Today, the Wings are each serving 34-year prison sentences for killing Jasper  a punishment that offers little solace to Jaspers grieving family. Still, big questions remain: Why did the state never remove Jasper from his mothers care? Did its inaction doom the toddler to an early death?

CPS Reports

The moment Warner learned she was expecting, tears streamed down her face. She was 17 and already 11 weeks pregnant. The father, Casey Henderling, was 19.

It was amazing for me, Warner recalled in an interview last week. But Casey was just kind of like, uhh, I dont have a job. I dont have anything right now. How are we going to do this?

Warner lived in a Vancouver-area homeless shelter for pregnant women for part of her pregnancy and during the first few months after Jaspers birth. She lived among other pregnant teens, had her own room and received baby clothes, diapers and wipes.

It was like a shelter, but it was more higher-grade, she said. It was good up until the end.

She moved there because her adoptive home was crowded, she said, and not a suitable place to raise Jasper. But according to CPS reports, Warner left the shelter shortly after it grounded her for testing positive for marijuana. Warner said she and Jasper then moved around more times than she can remember.

I cant even tell you all the places weve been, which is sad, but I didnt want to be outside, and I didnt want to go to a shelter, she said. Warner also had domestic violence charges on her record for fights she had with Henderling, which made it more difficult for her to get into a shelter, she said.

Numerous complaints to CPS allege that Jasper was neglected. Warner denies many of the allegations, including that she tied her son to a chair in front of the television and didnt feed him regularly. Random inspections by CPS revealed that Warner did have food and that Jasper was at a normal weight for his age. Warner said she always made sure Jasper was fed, even if it meant starving herself.

I made sure he was always eating. Always, she said.

But despite Warners assertions that she cared for Jasper, complaints steadily trickled in to CPS for the three years Jasper was in her care.

In a 2011 CPS report, Julie Henke of the Vancouver School District (who worked with the districts Teen Parent Program) reported to CPS that Warner could not parent Jasper, then an infant, due to her (mental health) issues, immaturity and drama. She reported that Jasper was not Warners first priority, according to reports.

In a separate report, Henke reported that Warner neglected her son. Henke described Warner as a vulnerable young woman who had been in counseling for many years and has a mild mental disability, according to the report. Henke added that Warner had a history of drug use.

That same year, Daphne Beck, who worked with Warner through the Nurse-Family Partnership program, reported to CPS that Warner wasnt living in a good neighborhood and that she didnt have a good relationship with Henderling. Though Beck said Warner met the basic care needs of the child, she reported to CPS that she could hear Jasper crying and that no one was tending to him, according to the reports. When she spoke with Warner, she said Warners voice sounded as though she may be impaired, according to the reports.

In 2013, a social worker visited Warner in jail. According to the report, Warner had been diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and bipolar disorder. According to the report, Warner told the social worker that there were sometimes up to 30 people in her apartment, many of whom she didnt know. Warner told the social worker she hadnt seen any of them abuse drugs, though she didnt know what they did in their bedrooms or the bathroom, according to the report.

That year, Chrystina Booth, Warners apartment manager at the time, reported to CPS that people constantly were coming and going from Warners flat. Booth reported to CPS that she had witnessed a homeless man overdose on heroin in the apartment, according to a report. However, Booth added that she didnt believe Warner herself was using drugs.

Still, the agency never took custody of Jasper. And it wont explain why.

Norah West, spokeswoman for the State Department of Social and Health Services, said the agency cant discuss specific details of the case due to confidentiality laws. However, she said in an email that federal law requires DSHSs Childrens Administration to make every reasonable effort to prevent removal of children from their parents care.

Those efforts, she said, include offering services to families to prevent removal and help resolve concerns about a childs care. Protective custody is sought when those measures fail to keep the child safe.

Reports of child abuse and neglect also must meet certain legal criteria to trigger a CPS response, she said. In 2015, CPS received 96,313 complaints statewide, but only 40,466 of them were serious or credible enough to warrant an investigation. In Clark County  where Jasper spent most of his life  CPS received 3,610 complaints in 2015, and 2,226 of those were investigated.

CPS does not have the power to remove a child from a parents care. CPS can make a case for a child in court, but it is ultimately up to a judge to take custody away from a parent. The CPS files obtained by The Daily News show no indication the state ever went to court to seize custody of Jasper.

In the recent interview, Warner admitted to regularly using methamphetamine in the same house as her son, though she said she made sure Jasper was never in the same room while she or others used the drug.

However, Jaspers hair follicle tested positive for methamphetamine in 2013, according to a CPS report. Warner said she doesnt remember what prompted the hair follicle test because she was in jail at the time for violating a no-contact order obtained by Jaspers father for the third time.

It was hard, and it sucks, and I wish that things couldve been different, she said. I tried, and thats all I could do.

'Drug Central'

Despite the complaints made to CPS, Casey Henderling, 24, now of Longview, said he doesnt believe his former girlfriend was a bad mother to their son.

I mean, she was definitely not the best mom, but she wasnt the worst, said Henderling, who had joint custody of Jasper. She loved Jasper. She took care of him. She did things with him like a normal person would.

However, he said Warner often was negatively influenced by the many men she dated. At one point, he said Warner and Jasper were living in a Vancouver trailer park that was known as drug central.

I wouldnt even live there. Id be homeless before I lived there, he said.

But of all Warners decisions, Henderling struggles most with her choice to trust the Wings with their son.

Henderling said he partially blames Warner for their sons death. He said Warner didnt tell him she was giving their son to the Wings. When he eventually found out, she refused to divulge the Wings full names. After Jaspers death, Henderling  who never knew the Wings  said Warner told him she knew they were recovering heroin addicts.

I dont look at it that its her fault that hes dead, but it is, he said. The way I think about it is if he would have been with me, hed still be alive.

Henderling said he has just as much hatred toward his former girlfriend as he does toward the Wings. He said he also blames himself for not being a more constant presence in his sons life.

I think I blame Nikki so much just because I blame myself. I should have had him, but you know, no one really thinks something like this is going to happen, he said. Id go all the way back to the beginning when he was born. Everything would change. I did stupid stuff.

Warner said she trusted the Wings with Jasper because they had children of their own and because Danny Wing is related to her adopted brother, Jeff Warner.

You would put more trust in family opinion than a friends opinion, she explained, adding that she was told the Wings had been clean for about five years. (My brother) had seen Danny off and on for years.

She said the Wings seemed normal. Shed met them on several occasions, and Jasper occasionally would stay with them for weekends at a time starting two months before he was given to the Wings.

Jasper had no signs of being afraid of them, she said, adding that he at times called Brenda Wing Aunty Brenda.

I didnt want to put him in CPSs care, but I wanted to go get (a) job and come back with money, because I was running out. I didnt have anything to pay to keep our place, she said. They offered to take him. I was like, well, he does good with your kids. Hes not showing any signs anythings wrong.

Warner said goodbye to Jasper July 31, 2014, when she signed a yearlong agreement that gave the Wings power of attorney over her son. Though Warner said she didnt plan to be away that long, she said the agreement was made as a precaution. She had planned to see him in September, but the Wings evaded her attempts to connect with them. They told her their phones were off or that they were busy fishing. Warner said she didnt call CPS for fear Jasper would be removed from her care. She herself had been adopted out due to her moms negligence and had been molested by her adopted family member, and she said she didnt want the same fate for her son.

Even when the Wings ignored her attempts to see her son, Warner said she didnt suspect anything was wrong.

They were giving him everything I couldnt, because Ive never taken him fishing, she said. I was just thinking he was getting what he needed, being taken care of, having kids to play with, because at my house, other than the neighbor kids, thats all he had.

Warner said shed talked to her son on the phone and that he seemed fine.

I told him, I was like, mommys going to try to get a place. Im trying. ... He goes OK, Mommy. I love you. I cant wait to come home,  she said. It runs through my mind all the time.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Warner was never arrested in connection with Jaspers death because the injuries that contributed to his death were determined  based on findings by a forensic pathologist  to have occurred while in the Wings care. Meyer said interviews and letters exchanged between the Wings and Warner helped establish a timeline to prove Warner had not seen Jasper for two months prior to his death.

We werent looking at charging anybody until we had a complete story, and once we had a complete story, she wasnt a viable defendant because we knew that Jasper was healthy when he went to the Wings, Meyer said.

Meyer said he couldnt comment on whether he thought CPS should have removed Jasper from her care. He said that up until Jasper went to the Wings, he was a happy, thriving child.

Once in the Wings care, however, he said it was a spiral of abuse and drugs and more abuse.

My only thing is I wish we would have had contact with Jasper one day earlier. If we wouldve known about Jasper and had contact with him earlier, I think we would have been able to save him.
A Longview man allegedly punched one Wal-Mart employee and struck another with an open hand as he ran out of the West Longview store toting stolen car seat covers.

According to Longview police, the store employees tried to stop Cody Jay Mathers, 22, from leaving after identifying themselves as loss prevention specialists.

Mathers told police he paid for one seat cover set and was trying to get away with the other one. He claimed he wasnt trying to hurt anyone.

According to the police report, the loss prevention staff said Mathers had stuffed the other cover set into the box he paid for.

Police arrested Mathers on allegations of first-degree robbery, third-degree theft and fourth-degree assault.
hidden

Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com Inc, said it has acquired NICE, a software developer for technical computing.

The company said it has signed an agreement with NICE, which is also a cloud computing firm, and expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2016.

No financial terms were disclosed.

Italy-based NICE has customers in industries ranging from aerospace to industrial, energy and utilities.

Amazon Web Services was in the news recently when a report by BMI Research sais that if there was Any further delay in BharatNet project, it poses a risk to returns on investment in new large capacity data centres by global players such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM

The BharatNet project aims to extend affordable high-capacity broadband connections into rural and economically challenged areas as also deepen connectivity in cities and commercial centres.

BMI Research, a Fitch Group company, said as per reports, construction of AWS five new data centres in Mumbai has been completed ahead of schedule.

It added the facilities will enter operations later in 2016 and enable Amazon to further its online retail presence in India as well as exploit demand for enterprise-class cloud computing services across the Indian sub-continent.

However, AWS plans depend on expansion of Indias broadband infrastructure and further impediments to the creation of the government-sponsored BharatNet network will see the new facilities deprived of bandwidth and local accesses needed to realise a swift return on investment, the report said.

With inputs from Reuters and PTI
Anirudh Regidi

The self-driving is going to usher in a significant cultural shift. Todays roads are a hellish mess of potholes, errant pedestrians (and drivers), and other such terrors. There are those who love driving and dream of long, winding road, a powerful engine at their fingertips and the wind in their hair. For everyone else, the car is not that appealing and they'd rather be driven than take the wheel.

With the advent of the self-driving car, all that will change. Driving will cease to be a necessity, and might very well evolve into the new form of public transport. When it comes to driving, we are the weak link in the chain.

Putting a puny, petulant human in charge of a couple of tonnes of steel that hurtles around the Earth at 70km/hr is not such a good idea and the statistics bear that out. The last time we checked, 1.2 million people died in road accidents over a period of a year. Cars are getting safer, yes, but that doesnt mean that accidents are less dangerous to pedestrians and the like.

Google's self-driving cars on the other hand, are actually less safe than the average American driver (1 accident in 74000 for the car vs. 1 in 230,000 for an American) and they still have a ways to go. That said, the Google self-driving car hasn't been involved in any kind of accident that can be considered serious and they're getting better and better.

With electric vehicle and self-driving vehicles now taking centre-stage, cars are finally set to evolve into the next generation of transport. Self-driving cars promise a world where driving is a lost art, where travel might just be a click away (Smart, self-driving cars?).

When the horse-drawn carriage was introduced as a mode of transport, it was revolutionary. The horse was faster, more efficient and could carry greater loads over greater distances. At the peak of its popularity, that very same carriage was seen as a nightmare. Cities were inundated with horse dung and gutters were overflowing; horses started to seem like a real menace. As Top Gears James May put it, the car, with its little puffs of blue smoke was a saviour. It brought succor to this world that smelled only of dung and resounded with the buzzing of flies.

Today, the car is noisy, polluting and it's everywhere. The self-driving car, nay, the electric self-driving car will change all of that, and maybe a little more. Right now, the self-driving car is still, well, a car.

When the first, true self-driving car is realised, there will be no need for windows, no need for a dashboard and no need for everyone to face forwards. An electric car doesn't need a large engine and all the paraphernalia that it entails. No engine, no bonnet, no fuss.

Wouldnt personal comfort be more important than high-speed and large engines? How would you like to spend a two hour journey with your feet on a settee (or equivalent), sipping tea and contemplating the workings of the universe? Imagine a world with no traffic stops, no pestiferous traffic cops and best of all, no traffic jams. A smart, self-driving car will do all of this and more.

The vehicle youll use will only be a car by the strictest definition of the word.
Nash David

After a persistent debate on Free Basics, we read more on the topic yesterday when Silicon Valley investor and member of the Board of Directors at Facebook, Marc Andreessen criticised India's opposition to Facebook's offering. He went to the extent of comparing the opposition to anti-colonialism which wasn't taken too well by Indian netizens.

The series of tweets and the resulting outrage prompted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to put up a post on his Facebook page dissociating from Andreessen's views. He termed the comments as 'deeply upsetting and doesn't represent the way Facebook or I think at all.'

In view of the raging debate on social media, we reached out to users on Twitter to get a feel of the popular sentiment.

https://twitter.com/tech2eets/status/697650252329910273

We received close to 400 votes in the first hour of the poll. 82 percent of the votes said it was time Facebook wound up Free Basics. Approximately 80 votes or 18 percent of the votes seemed to suggest that Free Basics by Facebook deserved a second chance.

Meanwhile, a Facebook spokesperson told Firstpost that "Free Basics is no longer available to people in India."

Recently, TRAI had banned the concept of Free Basics, or differentiation by telecom operators on the basis of content. Non-compliance with the announcement could result in a heavy penalty.

Given the vast user base in India, the stand taken by TRAI is a significant setback for Facebook, which had changed the internet.org campaign to Free Basics to position it as a noble idea of connecting a billion users around the world who have no access to Internet.

Stiff opposition from activist groups in India and across the globe as well as opposition by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the world wide web resulted in a public debate on the subject. The result was an immediate ban on Free Basics.
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Google is developing a virtual reality headset that works without a smartphone or computer, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The headset will include a screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras, the Journal reported, citing one person.

Alphabet's Google currently sells a virtual reality device made of cardboard into which users slide in their mobile phones.

Since the launch in 2014, Google has shipped five million Google Cardboards.

The company declined to comment on the Journal report.

Googles cardboard is already the most accessible and affordable form of VR available to the masses, but while cheap, its scope is very limited. The VR experience is limited to just a handful of in-built demos and YouTube videos. Samsungs GearVR takes this a step further by integrating a few advanced sensors into a relatively inexpensive plastic housing that will be compatible with most Samsung phones.

A previous report revealed that the device will feature better lenses and sensors and will probably integrate VR into Android itself and add support for a larger variety of handsets.

With input from Reuters
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Astronomers have discovered a unique triple star system which could reveal the true nature of gravity.

US astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) found the stellar system of two white dwarf stars and a superdense neutron star, all packed within a space smaller than Earth's orbit around the Sun.

The closeness of the stars, combined with their nature, has allowed scientists to make the best measurements yet of the complex gravitational interactions in such a system.

"This triple system gives us a natural cosmic laboratory far better than anything found before for learning exactly how such three-body systems work and potentially for detecting problems with General Relativity that physicists expect to see under extreme conditions," said Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in US.

West Virginia University graduate student Jason Boyles (now at Western Kentucky University) uncovered the pulsar as part of a large-scale search for pulsars with the GBT.

Pulsars are neutron stars that emit lighthouse-like beams of radio waves that rapidly sweep through space as the object spins on its axis. One of the search's discoveries was a pulsar some 4,200 light-years from Earth, spinning nearly 366 times per second.

Such rapidly-spinning pulsars are called millisecond pulsars, and can be used by astronomers as precision tools for studying a variety of phenomena, including searches for the elusive gravitational waves.

Subsequent observations showed that the pulsar is in a close orbit with a white dwarf star, and that pair is in orbit with another, more-distant white dwarf.

"This is the first millisecond pulsar found in such a system, and we immediately recognised that it provides us a tremendous opportunity to study the effects and nature of gravity," Ransom said.

The system gives the best opportunity yet to discover a violation of a concept called the Equivalence Principle. The principle states that the effect of gravity on a body does not depend on the nature or internal structure of that body.

When a massive star explodes as a supernova and its remains collapse into a superdense neutron star, some of its mass is converted into gravitational binding energy that holds the dense star together.

The Strong Equivalence Principle says that this binding energy still will react gravitationally as if it were mass.

Nearly all alternatives to General Relativity hold that it will not.

Under the strong equivalence principle, the gravitational effect of the outer white dwarf would be identical for both the inner white dwarf and the neutron star.

If the strong equivalence principle is invalid under the conditions in this system, the outer star's gravitational effect on the inner white dwarf and the neutron star would be slightly different and the high-precision pulsar timing observations could easily show that, researchers said.
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Human Rights Watch on 12 February urged Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to protect gay and lesbian rights, a day after his government told instant messaging apps to remove stickers featuring same-sex couples in the latest high-profile attempt to discourage visible homosexuality in the socially conservative country.

In a letter to the president, the New York-based group said the government should publicly condemn officials who make "grossly discriminatory remarks" against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. People of such sexualities are commonly known by the abbreviation LGBT.

"President Jokowi should urgently condemn anti-LGBT remarks by officials before such rhetoric opens the door to more abuses," said Graeme Reid, LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch. "The president has long championed pluralism and diversity. This is an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment."

The government move against instant messaging apps comes after a social media backlash against the popular smartphone messaging app Line for having stickers, which are an elaborate type of emoticon, with gay themes in its online store.

But the coordinating minister for politics, law and security Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters Friday that society should not respond to differences among people with discrimination, social exclusion or violence.

LGBT people "are citizens who have the right to be protected in this dignified nation," Pandjaitan said. "Don't be quick to judge people, we must reflect on ourselves first because we cannot guarantee it will not happen to your children and grandchildren in the future."

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but is a sensitive issue in the Muslim-majority nation of more than 250 million people. Official responses range from calls for tolerance to outright condemnation. At the same time, most of Indonesian society, which follows a moderate form of Islam, is tolerant, with gay and transsexual entertainers often appearing on television shows.

Information and Communication Ministry spokesman Ismail Cawidu said Thursday that social media and messaging platforms should drop stickers expressing support for the LGBT community.

"Social media must respect the culture and local wisdom of the country where they have large numbers of users," he said.

Line on Wednesday said it had removed all LGBT-related stickers from its local store after receiving complaints from Indonesian users. Twitter and Facebook had exploded with criticism of Line and its competitor WhatsApp for containing gay content.

Ismail said the government would tell WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, to do the same as Line.

Last month, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir said openly gay students should be banned from the University of Indonesia's campuses. His statements followed controversy over news a sexuality research center planned to offer counselling services for students.

Nasir's statement sparked debate in Indonesia for weeks, with objections from human rights groups but support from the Indonesian Ulema Council, an influential board of Muslims clerics.

Gay rights advocate King Oey urged the government to respect international treaties signed by Indonesia protecting the rights of minorities and women.

"Gays and lesbians are not illegal in Indonesia," Oey said. "We urge people who are concerned with human rights to not sit by silently."

In 2014, lawmakers in Aceh, a conservative Indonesian province, passed a law that punishes gay sex by public caning and subjects non-Muslims to the region's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

And in October 2015, Sharia, or Islamic law, police in Aceh arrested a pair of young women for "hugging in public."

AP
tech2 News Staff

Microsoft has unveiled a bizarre new app that uses an iPhone camera or photo library to identify and classify dogs by breeds and also tell what kind of human personality fits best with specific breeds. Taking it a notch higher, the app can even tell you what kind of dog you or your friends might be. Called Fetch!, the app is released through Microsoft Garage and in combination with Project Oxford works with some powerful new machine learning technology to come up with interesting results for all kinds of photos.

There was an interest in creating a framework that would allow you to take a domain  in our case, dogs  and recognize numerous classes, such as breeds. We were interested in enabling an app to allow you to make object recognition extraordinary, fun and surprising, says Mitch Goldberg, a development director at Microsoft Research whose Cambridge, U.K based team built the experience. His team works at the intersection of user experience, machine learning, computer vision and more recently, intelligent cloud services. Hes also had two German shepherd dogs, though now he has a cat. We wanted to bring artificial intelligence to the canine world. We wanted to show that object recognition is something anyone could understand and interact with.

Microsoft hopes that it turns into an addictive, fun app for its users. If you want to take photos of dogs, it will tell you what dog breed it is, if its one of our supported breeds, Goldberg says. If I choose to take a photograph of a flower, itll say, No dogs found! Hmmm This looks more likeflower? But if you take a picture of a person, itll kick into its hidden fun mode. And in a playful way, itll communicate to you not only what type of dog it thinks you are, but also why. Its fun to see if the app knows its not a dog. A lot of the time, itll tell you what that image is. When theres not a dog, you still want to use it.

Microsoft says that no two pictures will yield the same result. Also, if the user photographs and inanimate object, the app might just say, "No dogs found!' and make an informed guess at what it is.

And the results can be shared on social networks and through email.

Previous apps from this team include How Old that guesses the age of a person from a picture, and the Mimicker Alarm - the morning alarm that can be dismissed when the user mimics the action suggested by it. It could be snapping a selfie, speaking a phrase or just getting out of bed.
tech2 News Staff

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has started rolling out for the Moto G (2nd Gen) smartphone in India. The update offers features such as Doze, Google Now on Tap, app permissions and more. The company had kicked off a small-scale Marshmallow update soak test for users in India and Brazil back on 22 January.

The company says, "We are excited to announce a new software update for Moto G (2nd Gen.) by Motorola. This update brings Android 6.0 Marshmallow to your phone along with other improvements. Android 6.0 Marshmallow improves your mobile experience with battery-smart features and new app permissions that give you even more control." However, one feature that will not be present is the Moto Assist, which Motorola deprecated in favor of the Do Not Disturb functionality from stock Android.

Some of the new features such as App Standby helps to reduce the drain of the smartphone by putting the seldom-used apps into a reduced activity state. With App Links, one can decide what the right action is for each of your apps when you tap a web link. Android Marshmallow also enables the smartphone's SDcard to fully extend device internal storage rather than just being used for media files. With Do not disturb, you can now easily configure interruptions by tapping the Do not disturb button in the quick settings panel.

If you have not received a notification message for this update, you can follow the steps below to manually update your phone. Select the Settings icon in the apps menu and then select "About phone". Select "System updates" and then select "Yes, Im in". After the software is downloaded, select "Install now". After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically. Your phone will then be updated to Android 6.0.
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Uber has agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle litigation brought by customers who alleged the ride hailing service misrepresented the quality of its safety practices and the fees it charged passengers, the company said on Thursday.

The two proposed class action lawsuits said Uber charged passengers a "Safe Rides Fee" of as much as $2.30 per trip to support its "industry leading background check process." However, Uber does not use fingerprint identification which is required by taxi regulators, court filings said.

The cases, filed in a Northern California federal court, were brought after district attorneys in Los Angeles and San Francisco made similar allegations in separate 2014 litigation. Uber asked a San Francisco state judge to dismiss most of that lawsuit, saying the prosecutors are improperly seeking "tens of millions of dollars" in penalties and restitution.

At a hearing on Thursday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Mary Wiss said she had tentatively decided to reject Uber's dismissal request. The cases are part of a range of legal and regulatory issues facing Uber. A lawsuit filed by Uber drivers seeking to be classified as employees and entitled to benefits is scheduled for trial in June.

As part of the $28.5 million (roughly Rs. 195 crores) rider settlement, Uber also agreed to rename the "Safe Ride Fee" a "Booking Fee." Around 25 million riders could qualify to participate in the settlement, Uber said. A San Francisco federal judge will have to approve the deal.

Uber said technology helps safety efforts but no means of transportation is 100 percent safe. "Accidents and incidents will happen," the company said in a statement. "That's why it's important to ensure that the language we use to describe safety at Uber is clear, precise and accurate."

The consolidated class action lawsuit in US District Court, Northern District of California is Matthew Philliben et al vs. Uber Technologies Inc and Rasier LLC, 14-5615.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

9Apps has tied up with Uber in India to give free rides services within 10 cities on the occasion of Valentine's Day. According to the new tie-up, 100 couples across cities of Hyderabad, Nagpur, Vadodara, Guwahati, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pune, Surat, Vishakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar will get free rides and in addition, surprise gifts and free dinner vouchers when they book an Uber on the weekend leading up to Valentines Day.

The contest will go live on February 12 at 4pm and will end on February 13 at 4pm respectively. 9Apps is also said to push out a new user promo code worth one free ride up to Rs 150 to all its users asking them to use the code and take a ride to qualify. The company has also launched the contest on its social media channels using #9AppsSurpriseLoveWithUber.

Uber very recently changed its logo to celebrate cities. Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick shared in a rather upbeat blog post the rationale behind its new logo. The company replaced its black and white U icon with a more complex pattern with a central icon in white, a separate one for the Rider app and another for the Partner app.

The logotype has been changed to reflect a more substantial look as they matured as a company. They have also introduced the concept of the bit throughout the design framework and its the heart of the new app icon.
tech2 News Staff

Vodafone India announced the launch of its high speed 4G network in business and residential corridors of Bengaluru like Jayanagar, Basavangudi, J.P.Nagar, Electronic City, Bangalore International Airport, Whitefield, B.T.M. Layout, Chamrajpet and Koramangala. The roll-out will be completed across all parts of Bengaluru in a phased manner by March 2016. The launch in Bengaluru marks completion of the first phase of roll out of Vodafone 4G services in Kerala, Karnataka, Kolkata, Delhi and NCR and Mumbai.

The network is built on the 1800 MHz band and will enable Bengaluru's Vodafone 4G customers access internet via mobile across a range of smart devices including mobile Wi-Fi. Vodafone 4G services can be access from 4G enabled handsets offered by leading smartphone manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Micromax, among others. Customers will also require a 4G ready SIM.

With Vodafone 4G, its customers will be able to experience faster internet speeds that enable features like high definition video streaming, mobile gaming and two way video calling.

Vodafone will also offer international roaming on 4G to its India customers visiting UK, Germany, Romania, Spain and Netherlands. More countries are expected to be added to this list.

Vodafone is offering a free upgrade to 4G for customers along with a high-speed 4G SIM. It is also offering 4G at prices of 3G for prepaid and postpaid customers.

In addition, customers can also avail of 100% extra data on 4G and enjoy 3 months of complimentary subscription to TV, Movies and Music on Vodafone Play. Vodafone 4G customers can also avail of HOOQ, the on-demand video service, Hungama Play, Vodafone Music and an array of data packs.

4G mobile Wi-Fi can support connectivity for up to 10 devices.
tech2 News Staff

The new WhatsApp for Android version 2.12.441 that is gradually rolling out to users finally brings an updated emoji set. Users will now have access to a number of new emoji symbols like unicorn, popcorn box, champagne bottle, racing cars, medals, and even a new detective emoji in the faces tab. Talking about tabs there are more tabs (making it simpler to find them), with eight tabs showcasing the new sports, flag, bulb, and a separate beverage tab.

The switch takes place as the Android app finally gets support from both Unicode 7 and 8 bringing the app on par with iOS users who had access to the same since iOS 9.1. The problem for now remains the Google Play Store, which has yet to reflect 2.12.441 version of the app. But for those who cannot wait, you can simply head to Android Police, download .apk files from apkmirror and install the same over your existing app.

Strangely, the version available in the Google Play Store is tagged as 2.12.449, but still does not have the new emoji inside. So the only way to get the new emoji right away is from apkmirror. Since the latest version on the Play Store that was updated on 11 February in India reflects 2.12.449 and the new emoji on apkmirror is tagged as 2.12.441, getting the new emoji update would only mean downgrading to an older version. Hopefully the new emoji update rolls out with a new version number (like 2.12.450) to the Play Store soon making it easier for users to update their app.

WhatsApp recently bumped up the number of group members from 100 to 256. While this came as good news, this is indeed a good indicator of its business move, which was brought to light after the app went free for everyone.


Mostly about terrorism, world affairs, a little computational modeling and big data, some political science, plus history, travel, philosophy and whatever else grabs me! Opinions strictly my own.
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Perendale Publishers Limited produces a range of services for the aquaculture industry as well as the global grain, feed and flour milling field.

To find out more please visit:

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50 injured as villagers clash in Bbaria

At least fifty people were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers in Ashuganj upazila on Friday. Quoting locals, police said a clash ensued between the villagers of Khariyala and Moishar following an altercation between two men of the villages over parking a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in front of a shop in Khariyala villages adjacent to Dhaka-Sylhet highway around 12am. The villagers of the two villages, equipped with locally made weapons, attacked one another, which left at least fifty people injured. The vehicular movement on the highway came to halt for an hour following the clash. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control around 2.30pm. The law enforcers had to fire rubber bullets and teargas shells and charged batons to calm the situation. The injured were admitted to different local clinics. Additional police members have been deployed in the area to avoid any unpleasant situation. -- Brahmanbaria, Feb 12 (UNB)
Syria crisis: UN siege aid `could start within 24 hours`

The announcement comes amid a new Syrian government offensive in Aleppo province

BBC Online: The UN says it hopes to start delivering aid to some besieged areas in Syria within the next 24 hours. The move comes shortly after world powers agreed to push for a cessation of hostilities in a week's time. Some Syrian cities have been cut off from humanitarian aid for more than a year because of fighting in surrounding areas. More than 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria. A new UN task force to co-ordinate the distribution of the aid is expected to convene in Geneva later. "The UN system has been geared to deliver this aid all along, especially to besieged areas, and that's precisely what's going to be discussed today: how to start, and when to start," UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said. "We hope to start as early as tomorrow, immediately after the meeting, decisions will be taken to roll the aid in, especially to besieged areas that need it", he added. The plan to deliver aid was part of a package of measures agreed by the 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) in Munich on Friday. The group also agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to begin in a week's time in measures. The halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front. The Syrian government has not yet responded, though a key rebel coalition welcomed the joint announcement by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "If we see action and implementation on the ground, we will be soon in Geneva," Salim al-Muslat told reporters, referring to UN efforts there to get peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels off the ground. The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, advances in Aleppo province. The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo. Planned peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups in Geneva collapsed earlier this month.
Dispute over breach of contract is a Civil Court matter



High Court Division

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

Naima Haider J

Mustafa Zaman

Islam J

Reliance Spinning Mills Ltd............

..........Petitioner

vs

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co. Ltd and others.......... Respondents

Judgment

May 17th, 2015.

Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972

Article 102(2)

If there is any breach of contract, the remedy lies in the Civil Court as it involves determination of question of facts. .. .... (18)

Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972 Article 102(2)

The claim is totally disputed. Disputed claim does not come within the purview of writ jurisdiction. Since matter of calculation and disputed question of facts are involved the writ petitioner is not entitled to get any relief from this Court. ..............(19)

Nuruddin vs Titas Gas, 3 BLC (AD) 231; and Government of Bangladesh vs Abu Musa, 6 MLR (AD) 176 = 53 DLR (AD) 77 ref.

Yousuf Hossain Humayun, with Khondoker Bashir Ahmed, Advocates-For the Petitioner.

Dr Md Bashir Ullah, Advocate-For the Respondent No.1.

Judgment

Naima Haider, J : In this application under Article 102 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, a Rule Nisi was issued calling upon the respondents to show cause as to why the inaction of the respondents in hearing and considering the representation made by petitioner, company on 30-11-1998 (Annexure-C) and the final notice bearing Memo No. Legal/103/731 dated 11-4-2011 (Annexure-J) issued by the respondent No.1 under the signature of respondent No.3 asking the petitioner company to pay an amount of Taka 1,71,92,549.36 only as arrear unpaid bills with surcharge should not be declared illegal, malafide, discriminatory, and without lawful authority, and the same is of no legal effect and/ or pass such other or further order or orders as to this Court may seem fit and proper.

2. The facts leading to the issuance of the Rule, in brief, are:-

The petitioner is a private limited company represented by its Chairman. The petitioner company has been manufacturing yarn, thread etc from cotton. The petitioner applied for gas connection to the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co, Ltd. Accordingly, the respondents provided gas connection in favour of the petitioner. They entered into a contract on 28-1-1996. Thereafter the petitioner had been paying gas bill regularly till the month of August, 1998. In the first week of September, 1998, the area in which the factory of the petitioner company is situated, was flooded and suddenly on 7-9-1998 the factory of the petitioner company had gone under flood water and the factory was severely affected causing its laid off and damages to machinery, raw materials, finished products and other goods. Only one out of total 8 (eight) generators of the factory was in operation for 5/6 days for eviction of flood water from factory premises. The said flood being natural calamity beyond the control of the petitioner company and manifestly a 'force majeure' within the meaning of dause-17.1 of the Contract, the petitioner company by a letter dated 8-09-1998 informed the matter to respondent No.2.

3. After major repair and overhauling machinery, the petitioner company restarted the factory with 50% of machinery on 22-10-1998. For operating the generators and some machinery for emergency purpose, the gas, which is about 20% of normal consumption was consumed during said due to force majeure. Respondent No.1 Company could neither examine the gas line nor made any response to the petitioner company's representation dated 8-9-1998. In this situation, the petitioner company made a detailed representation on 30-11-1998 to the Deputy General Manager (SRD), Narayangonj of Respondent No.1 stating the above noted facts and requesting for waiver from minimum charge, to issue bill on the basis of actual consumption of gas and reassess the bill for September and October, 1998 as per provisions of clauses-17.1 read with clause-28.2 (a) of the Contract. Respondent No. 1 Company did neither arrange any investigation nor asked for any hearing on the matter. Rather, Respondent No. 2 calculated and issued bill with minimum charge for said period keeping final decision of aforesaid representations dated 8-9-1998 and 30-11-1998 of the petitioner company. Surprisingly on 24-11-2001 Respondent No.2 issued a notice with arbitrary and baseless comment that there was no scope to consider the application of the petitioner company for waiver from minimum charges during the flood i.e. laid off period and asking for payment of arrear gas bill amounting to Taka 82,47,737 only immediately, failing of which, the Respondents would disconnect the gas supply of the petitioner company. Subsequently, Respondent No.2 issued further notice asking for payment of so called arrear bills without proper settlement of the issue on 16-2-2002. Respondent No.1 Company provided force majeure benefit to other industrial units of same area for same occurrence, but the respondents treated the petitioner company discriminately and found inactive to provide same facility or right to the petitioner company. The petitioner company, thereafter, on 3-8-2004 made further application to respondent No. 2 but the respondents did not take any action. Finding no other alternative and for offering its bonafide intention to settle the matter, the petitioner company by taking loan made an instant payment of BDT 50,00,000 only on 13-11-2008 in favour of Respondent No.1 Company and was trying to make the rest payment by installments despite severe financial difficulties.

4. Respondent No. 3 surprisingly issued a notice namely final notice on 11-4-2011 asking the petitioner company to pay an imaginary amount of Taka 1,71,92,549.36 only as arrear unpaid bill with surcharge within 15 (fifteen) days of receipt of the notice, failing of which respondent No.1 would be compelled to take legal action against the petitioner company. On receipt of said final notice, the Chairman of the petitioner met with the Managing Director of Respondent No.1 Company on 14-5-2011 and explained the actual fact by producing the statement of accounts and previous correspondences. On receipt of said application Respondent No.1 Company conducted inquiry into the matter and took written statements and other materials from officials of the petitioner company about different aspects thereof. After the said inquiry, Respondent No.1 was again found silent in the matter and did not withdraw the final notice. The Petitioner on 11-7-2012 submitted another application for review the matter requesting to settle the dispute finally in the light of actual fact and within the ambit of the contract. But the Respondents did not pay any heed to the requests made by the Petitioner. Finally on 21-10-2013 the petitioner replied to the final notice to the Respondent No. 3 requesting him to withdraw the final notice, but the respondents failed to take proper action.

5. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the inaction of the respondents, the petitioner has moved to this Court and obtained the Rule Nisi.

6. The respondent No.1 entered appearance by filing an affidavit-in-opposition. The case of respondent No . 1 is that the gas connection was made to the petitioner company after signing a contract between Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co. Ltd. and the petitioner. As per clause 17.1 of the contract the petitioner did not notify the respondent within 48 hours of the commencement of the said force majeure. The petitioner consumed' gases at the time of flood that is to say he was not affected by flood. Whereas the petitioner consumed gas at the period of his claim, so he is not entitled to get any relief under clause 17.1 of the contract.

7. The respondents had formed an enquiry team to investigate in to the matter. The team/ committee made investigation and heard the petitioner. In this regard the committee had issued letter vide Annexure-L (Page-40 of the writ petition). After investigation the committee did not make any recommendation to reduce the bill. The manager had informed the petitioner about the decision on 4-11-2007 by a letter. After receiving the above mentioned letter the petitioner paid Taka 50 lac on 13-11-2008 (Annexure-G). Since the petitioner accepted the letter and paid Taka 50 lac on the basis of the letter so he cannot raise any claim after passing of long period.

8. The impugned letter has been issued after accurate calculation of the arrears bill. So, there is no illegality in the impugned letter. It is evident from the Annexure-3 that the dues are not for the period of flood. The dues of Taka 1,71,92,549.36 constitute of July, 2001 to February, 2002 and the rest amount are the surcharges from June, 2006 to 25-7-2010. So, the Annexure-J is not connected to the period of flood and hence the Rule may kindly be discharged.

9. The flood has occurred in September, 1998. The petitioner consumed gases at the time of flood and hence he is not entitled to get any benefit of force majeure. The manager, Sonargaon Zone disposed of the prayer of the petitioner on 22-8-2006 and 4-11-2007 vide Annexure-2 series. So, the question of inaction raised by the petitioner is not valid at all and hence the Rule may kindly be discharged.

10. It was clearly described in the letter dated 22-8-2006 (Vide Annexure-2 Series) that the claim of charging additional bill of Taka 14,07,459.70 for the period of September, 1998 to February, 1999 that is for the period of flood was not valid and acceptable.

11. The petitioner filed this writ petition without holding arbitration under Section 26 of the Bangladesh Gas Act, 2010 (BERC Act) as such this writ petition is not maintainable and hence it is liable to be discharged.

12. Mr Yousuf Hossain Humayun, learned Advocate appearing with learned Advocate Mr Kh Bashir Ahmed for the petitioner submits that in the first week of September, 1998, the area in which the factory of the petitioner company is situated, was flooded and suddenly on 7 -9-1998 the factory of the petitioner company had gone under flood water and the factory was severely affected causing its laid off and damages to machineries, raw materials, finished products and other goods. Only one out of total 8 (eight) generators of the factory was in operation for 5/6 days for eviction of flood water from factory premises. He next submits that the said flood being natural calamity beyond the control of the petitioner company and manifestly a 'force majeure' within the meaning of clause-17.1 of the contract which was informed by the petitioner company to respondent No. 2 dated 8-9-1998.

13. He further contends that the petitioner company made a detailed representation on 3011-1998 to Respondent requesting for waiver from minimum charge, to issue bill on the basis of actual consumption of gas and reassess the bill for September and October, 1998 as per provisions of clauses-17.1 read with clause-28.2 (a) of the Contract but respondent No.1 Company did neither arrange any investigation nor asked for any hearing on the matter rather, respondent No.2 calculated and issued bill with minimum charge. He lastly submits that the petitioner company lastly on 3-8-2004 made further application to respondent No. 2 but the respondents did not take any action which is colorable exercise of the respondents.

14. Mr Yusuf Hossain Humayun next submits that the final notice dated 11-4-2011 asking the petitioner company to pay an imaginary amount of Taka 1,71,92,549.36 only. Respondent No.1 held a so-called inquiry in the matter and did not withdraw the final notice. The petitioner on 11-7-2012 submitted another application for review of the matter requesting to settle the dispute. But the respondents have paid no any heed to the requests made by the Petitioner. Finally on 21-10-2013 the petitioner replied to the final notice to the Respondent No. 3 requesting him to withdraw the final notice, but the respondents failed to take proper action with malafide intention.

(To be continued)

15. Dr Md Bashir Ullah, the learned Advocate appearing for the respondent No. 1 submits that the gas connection was provided to the petitioner company after signing a contract between Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co. Ltd. and the petitioner. He next submits that as per clause 17.1 of the contract the petitioner did not notify the respondent within 48 hours of the commencement of the said force majeure. The petitioner consumed gases at the time of flood so he is not entitled to get any relief under clause 17.1 of the contract. He further contends that the respondents had formed an enquiry team to investigate into the matter. Dr Md Bashir Ullah further contends that the team/ committee made investigation and heard the petitioner. After investigation the committee did not make any recommendation to reduce the bill. The manager had informed the petitioner about the decision on 4-11-2007 by a letter. After receiving the above mentioned letter, the petitioner paid Tk. 50 lac on 13-11-2008 and the learned Advocate points out that since the petitioner accepted the letter and paid Taka 50 lac on the basis of the letter, he cannot raise any claim after passing a long period.

16. Dr Md Bashir Ullah next submits that the impugned letter has been issued after accurate calculation of the arrears bill. So, there is no illegality in the impugned letter. It is evident from Annexure-3 that the dues are not for the period of flood. The dues of Taka 1,71,92,549.36 are for the period of bill of July, 2001 to February, 2002 and the rest amount are the surcharges from June, 2006 to 25-7-2010 and, as such, the Rule is liable to be discharged.

17. We have heard the learned Advocates for the petitioner as well as respondent no. 1 and perused the writ petition, affidavit-in-reply, affidavit-in-opposition and supplementary affidavit-in-opposition filed by the respondent No.1 and its annexures thereto.

18. Admittedly, the petitioner and the respondent had entered into contract. This relationship is based on the contract signed by both the parties. If there is any breach of contract, the remedy lies in the civil court or Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission as it involves determination of question of facts. In this connection we would like to rely upon the decisions which was referred by Dr Md Bashir Ullah in the case of Nuruddin vs Titas Gas, reported in 3 BLC (AD) 231, wherein, the Honorable Apex Court held:

"the relationship between the petitioner and the respondents is based on a contract. This is precisely a matter which upon settled principles cannot be legitimately made a subject for decision in the writ jurisdiction."

19. The claim of the petitioner is totally disputed. Disputed claim does not come within the purview of writ jurisdiction since matter of calculation and disputed question of facts are involved in this case and according to the principle laid down in Government of Bangladesh vs Abu Musa, reported in 6 MLR (AD) 176 = 53 DLR (AD) 77, the writ petitioner is not entitled to get any relief from this Court.

20. Against this backdrop, Dr Md Bashir Ullah on behalf of respondent No. 1 further brings to the notice of this Court that the writ petitioner filed this writ petition without taking recourse to arbitration as per Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 and sSection 26 of Bangladesh Gas Act, 2010. Section 26 of the said Act states that:

26| mvwjkxi gvag weiva wbuwEt GB AvBb hvnv wKQzB _vKzK bv Kb, jvBmYx`i ga A_ev MOvnK I jvBmYxi ga Kvb weivai De nBj, mvwjk AvBb, 2001 (2001 mbi 1 bs AvBb) A_ev cyMYi ga muvw`, Pzwi weavb Abyhvqx Kwgkb Dnv wbuwE KwiZ cwie|

21. We cannot be oblivious of the fact that a commission has been formed under Section 40 of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 for holding arbitration to solve the disputes between Titas Gas Company and its consumer. Subsequently, Section 26 of Bangladesh Gas Act, 2010 also empowered the Commission (BERC) to hold arbitration for resolution of the disputes behaved Licensee i.e. gas company and the consumer. We are of the view that the petitioner should go for arbitration to the commission formed under Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 before coming to this Court, if so advised.

22. In view of the foregoing discussions and taking the facts in their entirety, we are inclined to dispose of the Rule with the above mentioned observations.

23. Accordingly, the Rule is disposed of with the above mentioned observations.

24. The order of stay granted earlier by this Court is hereby re-called and vacated.

However, there is no order as to costs.




World powers agree on `cessation of hostilities` in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and U.S. Foreign Secretary John Kerry (2L) attend the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich, Germany, on Thursday together with members of the Syrian opposition and other officials.

AFP, Munich :World powers on Friday agreed on an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-wracked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at ending the five-year war.The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said United States (US) Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.The International Syria Support Group also agreed "to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately"."Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas," said Kerry.An onslaught on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo by Syrian government troops, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, derailed peace talks this month and forced 50,000 people to flee.The bombardments have left the opposition virtually encircled and observers say 500 people have died since they began on February 1, the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives. Kerry said talks between rebels and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper"."What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said.Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that "whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days". "When the whole world sees whether today's agreements are kept and implemented by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia," he said.The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a "new world war" if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign.Lavrov called "for direct contacts between the Russian and US military" in Syria.Kerry said the cessation of hostilities, an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire would apply to all groups apart from "the terrorist organisations" of the militant Islamic State (IS) group and Al Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra.But Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.The two traded accusations on Thursday, with the Pentagon claiming two Russian air strikes had destroyed hospitals in Aleppo and denying Russian claims that US planes had struck the city.Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has benefited from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis it has created in Europe.Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.Instead, it has sought to focus more on combatting IS that has taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces."The US has given up the idea of toppling Assad," said Camille Grand, of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. "Kerry seems willing to accept pretty much anything to resolve the crisis."The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".
UCB donates Tk 25 lakh for CCTV Surveillance of DMP

Showkat Aziz Russell, Director, United Commercial Bank Limited handing over the donation cheque for CCTV Surveillance project Law and Order Coordination Committee of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to Annisul Huq, Mayor, Dhaka north City Corporation. Muhammed A

Economic Reporter :

United Commercial Bank Limited (UCB) donated an amount of Taka 25 Lac to Law and Order Coordination Committee of Dhaka Metropolitan Police for installing CCTV Cameras at Gulshan, Banani, Niketan and Baridhara Residential & Diplomatic Zone on Thursday.

Annisul Huq, Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation received the donation check on behalf of Law and Order Coordination Committee from Showkat Aziz Russell, Director, United Commercial Bank Limited.

Among others Muhammed Ali, Managing Director of UCB; M Shahidul Islam, Additional Managing Director of UCB and Mirza Mahmud Rafiqur Rahman, Additional Managing Director of UCB along with other senior officials were present at the event.
Lower demand in USA, EU markets put negative impact on shrimp export

Economic Reporter :

Country's shrimp export declined in the first seven months (July to January) of the current fiscal due to lower export in USA and European Union (EU) markets.

The Country's shrimp export was $302.36 million in the first seven months but the government has set the export target of 335.58 million during this period.

The export earning declined by 9.90 per cent, according to the latest data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Experts said, shrimp export has been losing its previous glory day by day due to sluggish demand in the international market.

They said countries like India, Thailand, China, Indonesia and Vietnam have been producing white shrimps over the last several years and exporting those at a lower price than Bangladesh.

According to exporters, only 8.0 per cent of the total frozen fish exports are now destined to the US market, once the country's single-largest market. The country's export there was about 30 per cent in five years ago."We are forced to sell at lower prices to retain our international buyers," SM Amzad Hossain, President of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, told The New Nation recently.

"Actually, exports to Russia have dropped to almost zero, while the demand for shrimp also fell in Europe because of an economic slowdown there," he said. Shrimp exports to the US have been declining each year since 2008-09 as we can't compete with other exporting countries," said Amzad Hossain.

Frozen food is the second largest export item of the country, earning about $400 million of foreign currency yearly. It is about three per cent of the total export and contributing 3.78 per cent to GDP.

Md Golam Mostafa, Vice-President of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association said, the EU holds the 75 per cent market share of Bangladeshi shrimp exports while Russia holds 10 per cent.

Country's frozen shrimp has been losing its market in the US over the last decade as it has failed to compete with low-cost and small-sized foreign white varieties, he said.

He also said the shrimp exporters are now facing liquidity crisis due to the fall in price on the international market.Meanwhile, The government has taken initiatives to brand "Black Tiger", a Bangladeshi shrimp species, to boost export to the US market in the face of recent decline in export earning.

As part of the initiative, a delegation led by Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon will visit Seafood Expo North America (SENA) to be held from March 8, 2016 in US to talk to the buyers in order to increase export. The Decision was taken at a meeting in the commerce ministry last week.

SENA is a leading trade event for seafood buyers in every market category including retail, restaurant, catering, and food service and processing.

"Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) and the government jointly took the initiative to brand "Black Tiger" to regain its lost market," Md Golam Mostafa, Senior Vice-President of BFFEA said.

Due to its lower price, the demand for vannamei shrimp has increased in the US market while that for black tigers dropped despite its succulent taste and quality.
Worrying implications of oil market-play

Bill Emmott :

Price movements as large and rapid as those that have upended oil markets since June 2014 are sure to cause pain to some and benefit others. Though the pain tends to capture the most attention, the benefit is just as important - if not more so. The 70% drop in the price of a barrel of crude represents a colossal transfer of $3 trillion in annual income from oil producers to oil consumers.

As a result, while sliding equity markets and a further decline in oil (and other commodity) prices have sparked much talk of another global recession, dire predictions are likely to prove overly gloomy and misdirected. To be sure, the dramatic drop in the price of oil will produce winners and losers. But the biggest dangers will be political, not economic.

The shift in fortunes can perhaps best be seen on the boarding passes of International Monetary Fund officials. Rather than going to Athens, they are now heading for Baku. Indeed, Central Asia's oil-producing dictatorships, including Azerbaijan, have been among the countries hardest hit by the drop in prices - especially because, as ex-Soviet states, they remain heavily dependent on trade with Russia, another oil producer.

The biggest beneficiaries of the price slump will be the highly indebted, oil-importing countries of the eurozone: Greece, Italy, and Spain (Germany, too, is likely to benefit). Their export markets in emerging economies will suffer, damping hopes of a trade-led recovery, but that negative effect stands to be more than offset by the windfall from a big drop in energy costs. Growth in the eurozone will be based on the resulting increase in domestic demand, rather than exports.

The United States and the United Kingdom are simultaneously energy producers and importers, so the impact on their economics is likely to be more complicated. In 2013 and 2014, energy firms dominated business investment, and cutbacks in the sector will translate into lost jobs and dropping demand for the manufacturers and service companies supplying the industry.

On the other hand, consumer spending in both countries stands to rise. While US consumers have so far saved a large proportion of the windfall they have received through cheaper gasoline prices, the gains for households are starting to translate into higher levels of spending.

Economists are likely to spend months puzzling over why the effect of low oil prices has proved slow to emerge in the consumption statistics. But, ultimately, emerge they will, as they have every time such a large fall has occurred. The more important question is one for political scientists: Which governments will collapse this year, and with what consequences?

It is no coincidence that the last emerging-markets crisis, in 1997-1998, was also associated with a dramatic fall in oil prices. In that case, the two biggest victims were a dictator in Indonesia and a fragile democrat in Russia. In May 1998, nine months after the beginning of East Asia's financial crisis, Indonesian President Suharto resigned after 31 years in office. A few months later, Russia defaulted on its sovereign debt as its currency collapsed. On December 31, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin resigned, leaving the country in the hands of his recently appointed prime minister, Vladimir Putin.

In attempting to predict which governments might face a similar fate this time, the basic criteria - in addition to the oil slump's financial impact - are resilience and flexibility. Does a regime have the financial reserves with which to cushion the shock and buy time to adjust? Does a country have a robust banking system? Can its political system contain growing popular frustration or channel it through existing institutions? Oil-dependent regimes that fail to meet these criteria are in trouble.

This analytical framework yields surprising insights. As much as pundits like to predict the collapse of the Saudi Arabian monarchy, they are likely to be disappointed once again. The country is the world's lowest-cost oil producer; and, though its political rigidity is beyond question, it is showing economic flexibility by cutting its budget and introducing wide-ranging reforms. Russia, however, for all its bluster, may prove less fortunate. Its political robustness is not matched by financial and economic resilience. Putin will try to mask the pain, but at some point it is likely to become debilitating.

The potential victims are many, with worrying implications for geopolitical stability worldwide. Venezuela has been in financial crisis since long before the oil crunch, and Nigeria is looking a lot like Russia in 1998 - a fragile democracy facing a currency crisis.

As to who might become the next Suharto in the coming months, my best guess is one or more of the Central Asian oil autocrats in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. In any case, this year promises to be interesting - and harrowing, if you happen to be a dictator clinging to power in an oil-exporting country.

(Bill Emmott is a former editor-in-chief of The Economist.)

Courtesy: Project Syndicate
2 alleged human smugglers on trial over Aylan Kurdi's death

AP, Bodrum :

Two suspected people-smugglers went on trial in Turkey on Thursday accused of causing the death of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi - whose drowning put a human face on the Syrian refugee crisis - and four other people.

The image of the boy's lifeless body lying face down on a Turkish beach galvanized world attention on the refugee crisis, graphically illustrating the magnitude of the suffering, the lives destroyed and the treacherous journeys the migrants risk. While Turkish authorities have given the boy's first name as Aylan, his aunt says the family prefers that it be transliterated as Alan.

Aylan's brother, Galip, and mother Rihan, were also among the five victims who drowned when their boat went down in the ill-fated journey from Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos.

The defendants, Syrian nationals Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad, denied any responsibility in the migrants' deaths in their opening hearing. Instead, they blamed Aylan's father, Abdullah Kurdi, for the deaths - accusing him of organizing the trip.

The two have been charged with human smuggling and causing the deaths of five people "through deliberate negligence." They face up to 35 years in prison each if convicted. As the trial was underway, the body of a girl - around the age of 8 - washed up on the shore of the resort of Didim, just north of Bodrum, the Dogan news agency reported. The agency said she is believed to have drowned some 15 days ago in a migrant boat accident.

Alfrhad told the court he was in Bodrum on a business trip with his partner and was not involved in the incident.

"I don't know why I am here or why I have been jailed for the past five months," Alfrhad said. "My family spoke with the survivors after the accident...They said Abdullah Kurdi headed this (organization) and that he then went on television as a hero."

Alabash also maintained Abdullah Kurdi was involved in the organization of the trip. The man said he was not a smuggler but a migrant who had been instructed to by Abdullah Kurdi to stay back and keep an eye on a Turkish smuggler who had the migrants' money until the group reached Greece. In return, Alabash said, Abdullah Kurdi promised he would be taken on the next trip for free. Abdullah Kurdi has since returned to Syria.

The Kurdi family were among hundreds of thousands who risked the journey to Greece in the hope of then heading to wealthier nations in northern and western Europe. European countries have been strained by the influx of migrants, leading to disagreements over what to do with the large number of new arrivals and how to share the burden. Despite the risks, migrants continue to take the treacherous journey across the Aegean. The International Organization for Migration says more than 400 migrants have died on that route so far this year.

Turkey reached an agreement with the European Union in November to fight smuggling networks and help curb irregular migration. In return, the EU pledged money to help improve the condition of refugees, and to grant political concessions to Turkey, including an easing of visa restrictions and the fast-tracking of its EU membership process.

Turkish officials say authorities in 2015 detained more than 4,400 smugglers who organize the often-dangerous crossings in frail boats. The trial was adjourned until March 2.


UN hopes to start delivering aid to besieged areas soon

The UN says it hopes to start delivering aid to some besieged areas in Syria within the next 24 hours.The move comes shortly after world powers agreed to push for a cessation of hostilities in a week's time.Some Syrian cities have been cut off from humanitarian aid for more than a year because of fighting in surrounding areas. More than 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria.A new UN task force to co-ordinate the distribution of the aid is expected to convene in Geneva later."The UN system has been geared to deliver this aid all along, especially to besieged areas, and that's precisely what's going to be discussed today: how to start, and when to start," UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said."We hope to start as early as tomorrow, immediately after the meeting, decisions will be taken to roll the aid in, especially to besieged areas that need it", he added. The plan to deliver aid was part of a package of measures agreed by the 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) in Munich on Friday.The group also agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to begin in a week's time in measures. The halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.The Syrian government has not yet responded, though a key rebel coalition welcomed the joint announcement by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."If we see action and implementation on the ground, we will be soon in Geneva," Salim al-Muslat told reporters, referring to UN efforts there to get peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels off the ground. The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, advances in Aleppo province. The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo.Planned peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups in Geneva collapsed earlier this month. Both Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry admitted, repeatedly, this was only progress on paper. Some diplomats are already saying "it's not worth the paper it's printed on".There are still major gaps. One of the biggest is that Russia's bombing of Aleppo and what it calls terrorist targets is not included in the possible truce even though its actions are seen by many as strengthening Syrian government forces.On the issue of delivering desperately needed aid to besieged areas, UN officials say they are determined to seize this new opening. The next week will confirm whether Syria's government and opposition forces are ready to provide access denied for so long. It will be a week which tests the commitment of all outside players, as well as Syrians on all sides.That, in itself, is some progress. But moving towards talks to end Syria's devastating war will still take far more than that. Mr Kerry admitted the ceasefire plan was "ambitious" and said the real test would be whether the various parties honoured the commitments. "What we have here are words on paper, what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter told the BBC that Russia was "still way off track on Syria"."More broadly in Syria they said they would come in and fight ISIL and they didn't, instead they joined the civil war and fuelled the civil war", he said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also sounded a similar note of caution. "Air strikes of Russian planes against different opposition groups in Syria have actually undermined the efforts to reach a negotiated, peaceful solution" he said. Russia insists it only targets extremist groups within Syria.Mr Lavrov said there were "reasons to hope we have done a great job today". An earlier proposal from Russia envisaged a truce starting on 1 March. Anti-government protests developed into a civil war that, four years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, Islamic State, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory. Government forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called "moderate" rebel groups, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other.Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes.
Gas stove, cylinder blasts: 5 burnt

Staff Reporter :Two persons sustained burn injuries in a fire incident that broke out from leakage of the gas pipeline at their kitchen room in the city's East Rampura on Friday.The victims were identified as Rakib, 22, a first year student of Habibullah Bahar College, and Sajib, 26, a tailoring master hailed from Doulatpur village of Muradnagar upazila in Comilla district. They were rushed to the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital [DMCH] in a critical condition.The two received burn injuries while lightning up cigarette in the kitchen around 3 am. Mamun, elder brother of Sajib quoting doctors of DMCH, said Rakib received 25 percent burns in his body, while Sajib got 20 percent burns.Police suspect that somebody earlier did not lock the gas stove after completing cooking, which resulted quick fire in the house. "The blast shattered nearby buildings. We think someone of the house kept the switch on," Officer -in -Charge of Badda Police Station Abdul Jalil said. In another incident, a mother and her two sons received severe burn injuries when a gas cylinder exploded in their house at Pagla Chittashal area under Fatullah police station in Narayanganj district early Friday. The victims were identified as Afinur Begum, 40, and her two sons Shakil, 12, and Shamim, 8. They were admitted to DMCH in a critical condition. OC of Fatulla Police Station Asaduzzaman said, "The fire originated when Afinur Begum went to the kitchen to light her gas oven. At that time she and her two sons received burn injuries in different parts of their bodies."The explosion of gas stove was so powerful that all the windows and doors of their house were damaged. Primarily, we suspect that the explosion occurred due to leakage of gas through pipe," the OC said.At least two dozen people received severe injuries due to explosions of gas cylinder in the recent days, official sources of Fire Service and Civil Defense said. Last week, three persons including the housewife received severe burn injuries when gas stove exploded in a house at Agamachhi Lane under Bangshal police station. The burn injured Parveen Begum,45, Delwar Hossain, 30, and Abdul Malek, 35, are still undergoing treatment at DMCH Burn Unit for recovery. Domestic gas cylinder explosions are common in Bangladesh, where safety standards are relatively poor. Although reports of fatal accidents from cylinder blasts are frequent, mass casualties are still remain high, according to officials.
Unesco to assess impacts on Sundarbans

UNB, Dhaka :A high-profile Unesco delegation will visit the Sundarbans soon to assess the possible impacts of the proposed coal-based Rampal power plant on the world's largest mangrove forest."Unesco wants to send its team this month (February) but we've requested them to be here in March next," Chief Conservator of Forests Yunus Ali told UNB.He said, the Unesco team is going to visit the Sundarbans as it is a Unesco world heritage site. "The delegation will assess the potential impacts of the proposed Rampal power plant and see what remedial measures have been taken to address the possible impacts."An official at Unesco Dhaka office said the delegation is coming in late February or early March this year.On December 9, 2014, there had been huge oil spill at the Shela River in the Sundarbans when an -tanker carrying about 350,000 litres of furnace oil crashed in the river after a collision with a cargo vessel. Yunus Ali said the Unesco delegation will also examine whether there is any impact of oil spill on the Sundarbans after the incident.The Sundarbans is situated about 14 kilometres away from the proposed 1,320-megawatt coal-based power plant site, which is a joint venture of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited of India under the name of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company.Environment experts warns that the Rampal Power Plant project will bring more harm to the country than good, destroying the World Heritage site, since the climate, topography, land use pattern, wetlands, floral and faunal diversity and quality of air and water in the Sundarbans will be affected due to the power plant."The Sundarbans will face a long-term impact. Physical growth of plants, their flowering and fruiting will be affected severely while the breeding capacity of birds and wildlife of the forest will be lost," said Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, a professor of Environmental Science Discipline at Khulna University.
Only 2 schools plan to return extra fees

M M Jasim :

City's most of the private schools have not returned extra tuition fees collected from students yet ignoring the Education Ministry's order. And thus, this continuous practice of the private schools is making the guardians helpless.

Earlier on February 3, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid asked all the private schools to return extra fees within seven working days. Otherwise, he warned that stern actions, including cancellation of registration, will be taken against them.

But the education minister's warning as well as other efforts to compel the private school authorities to return extra fees went in vain as the deadline ends tomorrow (Sunday) without any positive progress.

Only two private schools in the city responded to the Education Ministry's call for returning the extra tuition fees within seven working days.

Most of the private schools have charged extra tuition fees this year in Dhaka City, but only two schools informed the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DHSE) their decision of returning the extra money till Thursday.

Even these two schools are also reluctant to return the extra fees directly as they said that they would adjust the additional money they had collected as tuition fees with the fees for February in compliance with a government order.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told The New Nation on Friday that there is no scope to violate the ministry's order. The ministry would take stern action if any school ignores the order and misses the deadline, he said. Director General of DHSE Professor Fahima Khatun told The New Nation on Friday that almost all the private schools across the country charged extra tuition fees from the students. And about 80 per cent schools charged the extra fees in Dhaka city. "We have directed the officials to collect information in this regard. After getting it we will submit the information to the Education Ministry," she said.

The officials of the ministry and the DHSE said that the upazila and district level officials have started to send information. But the response of the cities well-known institutions, particularity in Dhaka and Chittagong, is very poor. They just are reluctant to return it.

Official sources said that the ministry has verbally asked the institutions in Dhaka and Chittagong to return the extra fees after the demonstrations of the guardians and the students. But, the authorities of the institutions were very adamant not to return extra fees. Finally, the education minister called a press conference on February 3 and warned the schools to return extra collected fees within seven days. Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and Willes Little Flower School and College in the capital have announced that they would adjust the additional money they have collected as tuition fees with the fees for February in compliance with a government order.

Viqarunnisa Noon School and College on Thursday sent a letter to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DHSE), saying that they have decided to adjust the additional money they have taken from Class-I students with the tuition fees of February.

However, the letter signed by its principal Sufia Khatun did not say anything about other classes, said an official, citing the letter.

Viqarunnisa, one of the most-sought after schools for girls, increased tuition fees from Tk 800 to Tk 1,500 for Class-I to V, and Tk 900 to Tk 1,700 for Class-VII to IX. The authorities of Willes Little Flower School and College on Wednesday sent text messages to guardians saying that they would adjust the additional money with the tuition fees of February, said a guardian who received the message. At the press conference, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid warned of taking legal action against the private educational institutions if they fail to return within seven working days the additional money they have collected as tuition fees and registration fees for the SSC examinations. The minister asked all the education boards to make lists of institutions failing to comply with the directives. A number of renowned private schools in Dhaka and Chittagong suddenly hiked the monthly tuition and admission fees in January, citing teachers' demand for a pay increase after the government approved the new pay scale for civil servants.

The sudden rise in monthly tuition fees triggered outrage among guardians. Following this, the Education Ministry asked the school authorities to stop collecting the increased fees until further notice. The DHSE in an investigation found seven renowned non-government schools hiked tuition fees between 11 per cent and 100 per cent.
Pohela Falgun today

Staff Reporter :Pohela Falgun, heralding the arrival of Spring, the king of all seasons, will be celebrated today (Saturday) with flowers, poems, songs and dances. The capital Dhaka will put on a colorful festive look celebrating the first day of Bangla month Falgun with different socio-cultural organisations and educational institutions holding a wide range of programmes marking the day. After the dryness of winter, new leaves start to come out again and the nature adorns the branches with new colorful flowers like Shimul, Polash and Marigold. It brings joys and colours both in nature and life. Especially, the "Krishnachura" brings the news of Spring first. Everything in nature gives an impression of youthfulness or freshness as if the nature takes a new birth. Colorful flowers, melody of birds or mild touch of the sunshine - everything will make you feel that springtime is the nature's festival. The festival-loving Bangladeshi people welcome and celebrate this day with great joys, love and in a colourful manner. The blazing red and yellow are the representative colours of Pohela Falgun. Bangalees embellish themselves with these two primary colors. Girls are dressed in "bashonti" (yellow or orange) colored sarees and adorning floral ornaments while boys wear colorful panjabis to welcome the arrival of spring. Bakultola of the Faculty of Fine Arts (Charukala) of Dhaka University (DU) is the centre point of the festival. Thousands of young men and women gather there in the morning and celebrate the day singing songs, reciting poems and dancing. The entire DU campus and the Ekeushy Boi mela premises become the best place to hang out with friends, family members and beloved ones. Pohela Falgun brings joys, colours and hopes not only in the nature but also in the lives and minds of the people of all ages. Jatiya Boshonto Utshab Udjapan Parishad has been arranging the main programmes of the day for over two decades. The parishad will arrange dances, songs and recitation of poems except regular programmes. Joint secretary of the parishad Manjar Chodhury Sweet in a statement said the first phase of the daylong celebration begins with the playing of Saringa by artiste Motiar Rahman in the morning at the Faculty of Fine Arts (Charukala) of Dhaka University, followed by colorful procession, dances and songs. The function will continue from 3.30 pm to late night simultaneously at Bakultala, Bahadurshah Park at Laxmibazar in Old Dhaka, and Rabindrasarobar at Dhanmondi. The function will be organized for the fourth time at the Bahadurshah Park to reach out the breeze of Basnata.




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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT



"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with

power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams


The Gay Courier has been established to provide news, information and info on, from and about the gay community, and other social events and happenings from around the world, from all sorts of sources, to all who are interested in this news, information and info! The postings are as is, and all copyrights and or ownerships are and remain with the original copyright-holder and or owner!
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
Its been 32 years since a neighborhood in Lafayette, Sterling Grove, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now Lafayette has its second neighborhood on the Register  Freetown-Port Rico. The National Register imprimatur makes preserving or improving houses and other structures in the area eligible for tax credits of up to 45 percent of construction costs on properties 50 years old or older.

Freetown-Port Rico, nestled between Downtown and the UL campus, is roughly bounded by Johnston, University, Pinhook and Garfield streets.

Freetowns placement on the Register is the result of a year-long project conducted over much of 2014 and into 2015 by a team from UL Lafayette. Corey Saft, an associate professor in ULs School of Architecture and Design, and anthropology professor Dr. Ray Brassieur, led a student team that painstakingly documented every structure in Freetown-Port Rico. Eight architecture students and two anthropology students comprised a field school over the summer of 2014 and also took a class with Brassieur as part of the project.

This is really just the beginning, says Saft. There are so many important stories from inside this neighborhood that need to be told and need to be remembered. This district captures a quality of tolerance, creativity and vibrance that is really unique.

As the name implies, Freetown was once the province of free people of color and freed slaves. The neighborhood is located on what was once the sprawling Ile Copal sugar plantation of former Louisiana Gov. Alexandre Mouton, whose plantation home was located where LeRosen Elementary School now stands at the Pinhook-Evangeline Thruway intersection. In many ways, the history of Freetown-Port Rico is the history of Lafayette. It once skirted the rail yards that helped make Lafayette an industrial hub in rural South Louisiana and was home to hundreds of railroad workers, managers and their families. It later became a place of commerce as Lebanese Christian families  familiar Lafayette names like Saloom and Abdalla  moved in and opened shop.

It is not only the history of Lafayette but a history of social, racial and cultural integration that is being remembered through this designation, Saft adds. These are the stories that need to be told and retold as the news seems filled with much less flattering stories.

Read our November 2014 story, Freetown Forensic, for more on the neighborhood and the work of Saft, Brassieur and their students by clicking here.
Monet rahapelien ystavat ovat viime vuosina loytaneet netticasinot ja olleet ihmeissaan. Verrattuna kotimaisen Veikkauksen kivijalkarahapeleihin puhutaan aivan eri tason palautusprosenteista ja lisaksi pelaaminen on aarimmaisen helppoa ja turvallista. Netticasinoiden maara on tana paivana todella suuri ja niita loytyy jokaiseen lahtoon, suurin ongelma aloittelevalla pelaajalla onkin tehda valinta siita, minka netticasinon valitsee. Kaikkien netticasinoiden mainospuheet naet lupaavat kauniita asioita ja niiden lapinakeminen on tietysti tarkeaa. Nyrkkisaantona voidaan kuitenkin jo kattelyssa todeta, etta jos valitsemasi netticasino on lisensoitu ETA-alueella, sen kanssa ei tule olemaan ongelmia, ellei niita itse jarjesta. Kay tutustumassa parhaisiin netticasinoihin osoitteessa www.ilmaiskierroksia.info!

Ensimmainen nyrkkisaanto on siis varmistaa, etta valitsemallasi netticasinolla on ETA-alueen lisenssi. Suurimmassa osassa tapauksista se on Maltan eli MGA:n lisenssi. Myos Viron, Englannin ja Gibraltarin lisensseja nakyy ja naissa valvonta on jopa Maltaa tiukempaa. Lopputulema on kuitenkin se, etta ETA-alueen lisenssi takaa suomalaisille verovapaat voitot seka sen, etta niita valvotaan kontrolloidusti. Maailmalla on iso nippu Curacaon lisenssilla toimivia netticasinoita ja niistakin suurin osa on laadukkaita. Ne eivat kuitenkaan ole suomalaisille asiakkaille verovapaita, joten emme suosittele niita.

Tana paivana markkinoille on ilmaantunut paljon ETA-alueella toimiva netticasinoita ilman rekisteroitymista. Jos tarkoitus on vain pelata yksittaisia pelikertoja, on varsin helppo suositella naita. Netticasinot ilman rekisteroitymista tarjoavat palvelun tunnistautumisen verkkopankin avainlukulistan avulla ja saman palvelun kautta tapahtuvat talletukset ja mahdolliset voittojen nostot silmanrapayksessa. Normaaleihin netticasinoihin pitaa asiakkaan rekisteroitya, tehda talletukset ja tunnistautua dokumenttien avulla. Tama on lisenssiehtojen mukainen kaytanto, eika kovinkaan monimutkainen, mutta silti monet asiakkaat haluavat yksinkertaista ja nopeaa palvelua. Toki normaalit netticasinot tarjoavat usein asiakkailleen laadukkaita talletusbonuksia ja erilaisia kampanjoita, joten kannattaa tarkkaan punnita, kumman ratkaisun valitsee. Kannattaa myos muistaa, etta tunnistautuminen tehdaan vain kerran, joten mikaan jatkuva riippakivi se ei ole.

Suomalaiset asiakkaat ovat netticasinoille tarkeita, joten kaikilla vahankin laadukkailla netticasinoilla on suomenkieliset sivut seka suomenkielinen asiakaspalvelu  suomenkielisyys kannattaakin ottaa netticasinoa valittaessa nyrkkisaannoksi. Vaikka tana paivana englanninkielisyys on harvoille ongelma, on suomenkielisten netticasinoiden maara niin valtava, etta suosittelemme niiden kayttoa. Rahansiirrot ovat tana paivana niin hyvassa mallissa, etta niiden kanssa tuskin tulee mitaan ongelmia. Kolme tarkeinta segmenttia: Suomalaiset verkkopankit, luottokortit (Visa, Mastercard) seka nettilompakot (Skrill, Neteller) loytyvat jokaisesta laadukkaasta netticasinosta. Viime vuosien trendiksi noussut verkkokauppa on kehittanyt rahansiirrot niin laadukkaiksi ja nopeiksi, etta niiden suhteen ei ole enaa vuosiin ollut ongelmia. Luonnollisesti netticasinot kayttavat naita samoja palveluita ja hyotyvat kehityksesta.

Naiden isojen linjojen jalkeen netticasinon valintaan vaikuttavat luonnollisesti tarjottavat tervetuliaisbonukset  uudet asiakkaat saavat tana paivana kovan kilpailun myota merkittavia etuja netticasinoilta ja niita kannattaa luonnollisesti vertailla. Erilaiset talletusbonukset, ilmaiskierrokset seka ilmaiset pelirahat tuovat suuriakin rahanarvoisia etuja ja niiden vertailu on ehdottomasti kannattavaa. Myoskaan useampien tilien avaaminen ja tervetuliaistarjousten kayttaminen ei missaan nimessa ole huono idea.

Kun edella mainitut asiat ovat mieleisia ja vaihtoehtoja on vielakin jaljella, mennaan jo nyansseihin. Toki pelivalikoima on yksi kriteeri, mutta taman paivan netticasinoissa tamakin asia on paasaantoisesti varsin samanlainen. Toki useamman samantasoisen netticasinon vertailussa kannattaa yleensa valita se, jossa on eniten peleja tarjolla. Vaikka omat suosikit loytyisivatkin useammasta, voi tulevaisuudessa mielenkiinto nousta joihinkin muihin peleihin ja silloin on tietysti mukavampaa, etta ne loytyvat valikoimista. Viimeisena voidaan nostaa esiin kaytettavyys  joidenkin netticasinoiden sivut ovat vilkkuvia, valkkyvia ja epakaytannollisia. Omaan silmaan ja kaytettavyyteen sopiva sivusto on luonnollisesti aina se paras valinta. Tarjonta netticasinoissa on tana paivana valtava ja jokaiselle loytyy varmasti se oma netticasino  onnea matkaan!
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
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The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
CARBONDALE  As Catherine Field sat in a group, listening to reactions to a film on race relations, her facial expression looked wearied by it all.

Later, she shared what she was thinking.

That while the efforts were notable for trying to help whites and blacks better understand how racism shapes their attitudes and behaviors, she felt a more urgent need to acknowledge and address the impact that racism was having on the lives of African Americans in Carbondale.

"I'm saying racism is a problem that really needs to be addressed, not your lack of black friends," said Field, referencing a comment the filmmaker, who is white, had made about him having no black friends. Field, who is also Caucasian, co-facilitates the Carbondale Racial Justice Coalition.

"Do you not see the people being gunned down ... (slipping) down further and further every year?" she said.

A former lecturer of sociology at SIU, Field said her epiphany came after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin near his father's home in Florida in February 2012, by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. A six-person jury acquitted Zimmerman of murdering Martin.

"Because a kid can be shot down in the streets. Why? Because he was a black kid," she said. "There was no other reason that child was shot down than because he was a black kid."

That experience has bearing on Carbondale, where Field said she started to question why certain things were the way they were.

Like, why her neighborhood is mostly devoid of African Americans  even though the city is more than one-fourth black  and why other neighborhoods, like Carbondale's northeast side, are majority African American. And where some who live there, and others who support them, are battling to not have a solar array plant constructed there.

Or, why the Jackson County jail and court are over-represented by blacks charged with various crimes.

Or, why, based on recent PARCC scores, African American students in Carbondale, on average, are two grade levels behind their white counterparts?

No, Field says, friendship is not as important right now as activism against racism.

"How did your friendship benefit them?" she asked. "I don't want to (knock) someone who is (helping), but I do want to grab someone by the shoulder and say 'do something'."

To 'befriend' African Americans, Field suggested people take on some of the issues impacting them, volunteering to read with children in the "I Can Read!" program; visiting the Jackson County jail and court to monitor issues there; and meeting with local police about policing practices that adversely impact blacks.

"I'm not going to listen to it anymore," she said. "I don't want to hear what's wrong with the black children; it's the same thing that is happening with the white kids."

Who is 'black Carbondale'?

Carbondale has 26,324 residents, a little more than one-fourth (25.4 percent) of whom are African Americans, a vast majority of whom live on the city's Northeast side. Their numbers, though, tell a different story.

The city has civic, community and professional organizations: an NAACP Branch; a professional chapter or representatives from each of "The Divine Nine" African American Greek-letter fraternities and sororities, comprised mainly of college graduates. There are other groups like The Spirit of Attucks, comprised of blacks who graduated from the city's then-segregated, black grade and high school, and others.

The city claims an African American Museum and a sprinkling of black-owned businesses, including a 110-year-old funeral home and a 70-year-old barbershop whose owner is credited with inspiring younger barbers to start their own shops; a beauty-supply store; and a month-old shoe-shine shop.

There are also a number of black professionals, who have earned doctorates and advanced degrees and teach at SIU and work elsewhere within the city.

Also on the northeast side are a concentration of predominantly African American churches serving the Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal, Church of Christ and Church of God in Christ Pentecostal faith tradition, among others.

The downside of the equation

On average, blacks in Carbondale made a little more than half the median incomes of whites  $12,063, compared to $21,670  from 2010 to 2014, according to www.usa.com.

During that time, their median income was the lowest among the ethnic groups. Whites had a median income of $21,670; Hispanics, $15,570; Asians, $17,292; those in others races, $22,344; and those identifying as of two or more races, $18,328.

One member of the city council is African American.

The city's police department has 65 sworn officers, 8 percent of whom are African American, 1 percent of whom are Hispanic and 91 percent Caucasian, according to data from Deputy Chief Stan Reno.

"We have a presence in the city, there is definitely a black presence in the city," said Carbondale Councilwoman Carolin Harvey. "There are many things that that could be improved upon, but there are a lot of things that we do right."

She's concerned about the unemployment rate among blacks and would like to see more employed; the high rate of suspensions and high placement in special-ed classes of black students in Carbondale public schools; an increase in the diversity of teachers to reflect the student population; and a "more positive spin" on the interactions between African Americans and the police.

"But I think that as a city, overall, we are trying to work on these issues," Harvey said.

Key, for her, though, is that after the complaints have been aired, that African Americans register to vote to make their voices heard.

"I believe in complaining, but I also believe at a certain point the complaining has to stop, and we have to work on a solution," she said. "Im a firm believer in one person can make a difference  (that's done by) getting out to vote, No. 1."

More blacks need to exercise their political arm, by registering to vote and then either voting for those whom they believe best represent their interests or running for office themselves, she said. Harvey noted that she was speaking as an individual, not as an elected official.

"The local grassroots effort is essential for any community  thats essential," she said. "But thats something where we should definitely improve, and that is something that we could make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others. Thats where the change actually occurs.
SPRINGFIELD  An Illinois House bill to reopen the Hardin County Work Camp took a step forward this week, but not without accusations of political gamesmanship on both sides of the issue.

Hardin County Work Camp emptied, boarded up CAVE-IN-ROCK  Rep. Brandon Phelps said he still plans to push his bill in early January to 

The governor recently admitted that closing the Hardin County Work Camp was political and had nothing to do with actually saving the state money, state Rep. Brandon Phelps, who introduced the bill in November, said in a news release.

Today is a victory for Southern Illinois, but we still have a long fight ahead, the Harrisburg Democrat continued.

Gov. Bruce Rauners office said Phelps statement is not accurate.

This is an inaccurate statement from a politician who is clearly trying to distract from his allegiance to Speaker (Mike) Madigan and force a massive tax hike on the people of Southern Illinois, a Rauner spokeswoman said.

Phelps said he plans to have the bill called to the House floor next week after it passed on a 15-3 vote in the House Appropriations Public Safety Committee.

Along with Phelps, local Democrats John Bradley and Jerry Costello and Republican Terri Bryant, a co-sponsor, voted in favor of the measure.

The legislation, HB4326, would amend the states corrections code by providing that the Illinois Department of Corrections shall operate the work camp located near Cave-In-Rock.

Closing the work camp was part of $400 million in state budget cuts Gov. Bruce Rauner advanced in June after the Democrat-controlled General Assembly rejected his budget plan and introduced another spending plan about $5 billion shy of a balanced budget.

Work camp access (lack of it) blamed on politics Regardless of which side is asked when it comes to touring the Hardin County Work Camp  or,

The IDOC has said the work camps closing in January will save about $1 million annually in operating expenses. It also eliminated costly repairs needed at the facility.

About 160 inmates were housed at the camp and have been transferred and about 60 guards that worked there were offered positions at other facilities, the DOC has said.

Asked about his statement regarding the Republican governors alleged admission, Phelps said he was given than information by Republican legislators. He did not name them.

This governor said he was going to shake things up, but all hes doing is shaking people out of a job, Phelps said. Southern Illinois is sick and tired of being used as pawns in the political games of Chicago politicians like Bruce Rauner and his predecessors and this bill is aiming to put a stop to it.

Rauners office said the closing is a fiscally responsible move and that it is Phelps who is misleading constituents.

Facility closures are difficult, but reopening the Hardin County Work Camp is unnecessary given Illinoiss falling prison population and current fiscal condition created by years of mismanagement at the hands of Rep. Phelps and the majority party.

Phelps bill seeks to keep Hardin County Work Camp open CAVE-IN-ROCK  State Rep. Brandon Phelps has not given up his fight to keep open the Hardin 

Instead of wasting time on a politically motivated bill and misleading the citizens of Southern Illinois, Rep. Phelps should encourage his leader, Speaker Madigan, to work with Gov. Rauner to pass meaningful reforms and a balanced budget, the office said in an emailed response.

Phelps noted the impact of the work camp on surrounding communities by supporting various towns and organizations, including building homes and helping to fend off floodwaters.

In his release, he stated inmates from the camp also helped in the fight against this years flood but clarified that at the time they were being housed at other facilities since the camp closed Jan. 1.
CARBONDALE  Around 30 Southern Illinois farmers and representatives of small businesses attended a seminar on incorporating renewable energy and energy-efficient upgrades into their farms and businesses.

Mike Hornitschek, director of strategic development for StraightUp Solar, spoke on solar energy incentives for agribusiness, as well as commercial and residential customers.

He gave the group some sunny statistics: Southern Illinois gets 92 percent of the solar energy of Miami and gets an average of 4.7 hours of noontime equivalent of sunlight per day. The area's electricity usage was not so sunny. The average electricity use in the U.S. is 903 kilowatts per hour, but jumps to 1150 kwh in Illinois and Missouri.

While traditional utility rates are increasing, the cost of solar is decreasing -- about 11 percent last year. Hornitschek said now is a good time to add solar energy to a home or business. Incentives offer a 25 percent state tax break and a 30 percent national tax break.

Rusty Wanstreet, area 3 director for USDA Rural Development, spoke about grant funding guidelines for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program. The program helps finance purchase and installation of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements for rural small businesses and agricultural producers.

To be eligible, produces must be directly engaged in ag production and at least 50 percent of the persons income must come from farming or agricultural production. Small businesses must meet guidelines in annual receipts or number of employees.

Wanstreet said benefits include higher income through lower energy costs, the business or farm is powered with clean energy and extra power sold to the energy grid provides additional income.

I grew up on a farm. This is near and dear to me. I want rural America to grow and thrive, Wanstreet said.

Brent Ritzel, solar project developer with StraightUp Solar and on the board of directors for Equares Energy Company and Equitech International LLC, spoke about solar energy and the CleanStream Reformer, a renewable biomass-to-energy system.

Ritzel said the sun provides enough energy every 40 minutes to meet the needs of humans for a year, if it were properly harnessed.

Ritzel also explained how the CleanStream Reformer works and its benefits. This system uses steam to break waste down to a molecular level. It separates hydrogen and uses it to create electricity.

This is going to transform Southern Illinois from a center for coal energy to a center for energy, Ritzel said.

The seminar was a continuation of the September 2015 solar conference.

For more information, contact Ritzel at 618-203-4844, Hornitschek at 314-218-2663, ext. 284, or Wanstreet at 618-993-5396, ext. 125.
BELLEVILLE  The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is asking its federal counterpart for more time to assess damage form early-winter floods that struck nearly two dozen counties.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the state agency is seeking to extend the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Friday deadline for damage assessments until March 14.

Spokeswoman Patti Thompson says IEMA needs more time to review local damage reports.

FEMA workers came to Illinois in late January to work with the U.S. Small Business Administration and county emergency management agencies to document the extent of damage to homes and businesses in central and Southern Illinois.

Their findings will help the state determine whether to seek federal financial assistance.

-- The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration announced Friday it will close the youth correctional facility in Kewanee, news that delighted a civil rights group but distressed employees who worried about alternative housing for maximum-security offenders.

Illinois Juvenile Justice Director Candice Jones said the move would save money, offer young offenders rehabilitation in less-restrictive community settings and improve community safety.

"Youth do best when we work with them in the most appropriate, least-restrictive setting," Jones said in a statement. "That means partnering with proven, effective nonprofits to provide resources and work with youth in the communities. It also means that secure custody in state facilities should be reserved for only the highest-risk youth."

Department spokesman Michael Theodore said the Kewanee site, which opened in 2001, would be shuttered July 1.

Neither Theodore nor Jones explained how much the closure would save or how the savings would be spent.

The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the announcement, saying the state had been required to reassess youth detention following a lawsuit it won in 2012.

"We hope that this is just the first announcement regarding the closing of a youth detention facility, and that we can move to a day when Illinois detains fewer juveniles in far-flung parts of the state," ACLU staff counsel Lindsay Miller said in a statement.

But the union that represents 189 of 203 Kewanee staff members said Jones and other administrators "blind-sided" staff with the announcement during the facility's 6 a.m. roll call.

Anders Lindall, spokesman for the state council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, voiced concern about what would happen to the sex offenders and other maximum-security offenders who were transferred to Kewanee after a youth detention center in Joliet was closed in 2013.

"It's particularly hypocritical for the department to claim in its statement today that it wants facilities dedicated for special purposes such as maximum-security inmates only when it had such a facility, Joliet, closed it and sent that population to Kewanee over the objection of employees, advocates and our union," Lindall said.

Theodore said the department is "assessing where youth from Kewanee will be relocated based on their risks and treatment needs."

The closure would leave youth centers in Chicago, Harrisburg, Grafton, St. Charles and Warrenville. Jones said the state houses 436 young offenders and after Kewanee is closed, the system would have 683 beds.

"That is enough capacity to comply with best practices, and account for seasonal fluctuations in the number of youth confined," Jones said.
If the quarrel between the majority of U.S. Episcopalians and the majority in the wider Anglican Communion has long since grown tiresome, perhaps it is refreshing to consider the ideals of the young, the y and z generations. For most young adults, LGBT inclusion is a no-brainer, even if the way this gets worked out requires some reflective and in many ways unresolved labor.

But other, more basic ideals animate the hearts and minds of the young, like global truth and reconciliation, incorporating racial, cultural, and economic justice. What college student has considered the prospect of something like a civilization of love, in the phrase of Pope John Paul II, and not thought sign me up? The cause of social justice, nourished by the conscientious call of solidarity, explains the wide support among the young for Bernie Sanders.

In precisely this idealistic vein, I give you the would-be Anglican Communion: a collocation of Christians, putatively the third-largest in the world  85 million in over 165 countries, spanning a great diversity of class, ethnicity, and language  striving to receive the gift and answer the upward call of unity in Christ, not as an end in itself but as a means of wider communion among all Christians, so that the world may see and know the love of God.

Josiah Idowu-Fearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion (and the first African to serve in that office), emphasized just this point in his recent comments after the January meeting of Anglican primates in Canterbury. The churches of the Anglican Communion in clumsy, inarticulate, and imperfect ways love each other, he said. How so? When Christians are unable to agree with one another, yet choose communion, refusing to say I have no need of you, we bear evangelical witness to the One through whom God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Many have bridled at the primates challenge to the maverick Episcopal Church to be a team player, that is, not to act unilaterally in areas of common concern. The primates attempt at discipline, it is objected, was both clumsy and authoritarian, pushing in the opposite direction of possibly prophetic witness. But surely, as Idowu-Fearon said, one may admire the way that Episcopalians have stood up for the rights of gay and lesbian people here and around the world and still struggle with American self-regard and its powerful, often overwhelming expression.

America has set historic precedents, above all as the banner-bearer of modern constitutional democracy. Our national experiment in harmony among peoples, writ as the welcome and integration of all irrespective of race and religion, remains a work in progress, to put it mildly.

The common life of Anglicans remains a rollicking adventure, capable of shaking the foundations of the world on the way to glorious reconstruction. The price of admission, the sacrifice, is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), as liturgical Christians will pray this Lent.

If, in the giving of our gifts to God and to one another, we find that we need to turn from the altar of wealth and influence and first be reconciled to our sister and brother, then let us be about this holy work. In it is true freedom.
COLUMBIA  Denise Quarles had not spoken publicly about her mothers horrific murder in a Charleston church, but when a service was held on her late mothers college campus recently, she could not pass up the opportunity to speak.

The daughter of Myra Thompson, one of the Charleston Nine victims in the Emanuel AME Church shooting, Quarles spoke to Benedict College students about building relationships. She spoke along with other family members who lost loved ones during the June 17 shooting.

The event took place at Antisdel Chapel on the Columbia campus, a sacred place similar to that of the Emanuel Churchs Bible study setting in which declared white supremacist Dylann Roof is alleged to have opened fire. Nine people were killed, one was left wounded, and three survived inside the study room.

Quarles described movingly how she has coped with the grief of the slayings, but said her main focus now is to reach out to youth and help them form relationships with people they see as different. She believes this movement can reduce the number of hate crimes.

If you put good in the world, you will get good back, Quarles, of Atlanta, said. The foundation needs to be laid that you need to treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Racism is taught; you are not born that way.

The survivors of the church shooting showed the world what forgiveness look like when they publicly forgave Roof the days following the crime. Instead of Charleston turning into another flashpoint for violent demonstrations similar to those of Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore the community came together.

As a result, Emanuel AME Church was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a group of Illinois politicians. The winner of the prestigious award will be announced in October. Quarles said momentum for being nominees picked up after the bond hearings, in which family members addressed Roof.

I think it is well deserved, she said. I think it is more so about the family members. Its a community thing. We all did something to encourage people not to riot. We came together as a community.

Quarles mother was a graduate of Benedict College, a time in her life that she showcased to her daughter throughout the years, and a key reason why she chose this setting to talk about her experiences in dealing with her mothers passing. A historically black private college, Benedict was founded in 1870 by Baptist missionaries after the Civil War to educate newly-freed African-Americans.

She absolutely loved this college, Quarles said. I remember coming here as a young girl for homecoming and even when we would randomly be here in Columbia, she would always bring me here to campus. I feel like I attended the school somewhat.

Thompson was a retired Charleston County schoolteacher and a Bible study teacher at Emanuel AME, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation in the South.

The event at Benedict hosted was part of the celebration of the colleges Black History Month. Inside the chapel away from the press, members of the Charleston church answered questions and described their experiences to the schools student body.

Jarrett McKinnon, a student at Benedict, wanted to attend the service to understand more about being a community leader.

We need to make a difference in our communities. Before we go out and change the world, we have to change our community. Thats our future right there, he said.

When asked what she wanted the day to be about, Quarles wanted the emphasis to be on the future, not the past.

I just think that the main focus was how we are moving forward, she said. We cant forget what happened. We have to take what happened and turn it around to a positive.
The history of Orangeburg Countys black population took its beginning along with the whites in the year of 1704.

The journey of black Orangeburg started when people were taken by white merchants from their native lands of Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal, Angola and other countries on the west coast of Africa.

South Carolina statesman Henry Laurens wrote in 1755 that, Gold Coast or Gambias are the best, next to them, the Windward Coast are prefers to Angolas. This era in black history is known as Slavery, which lasted until the end of the Civil War between the states of America in 1865.

The Orangeburgh District, as it was known before the Civil War in 1860, was populated by a majority of slaves and free blacks. This majority population status started in 1820 when the whites numbered 6,760 and the blacks 8,893. From that point until today, blacks have been the majority population in Orangeburg County.

The years of slavery molded the blacks into a mental status that brought about many positive and some negative attributes. The transformation of black life in Orangeburg from 1704 into 2012 can be viewed as a remarkable journey.

The first inclusion of participation in politics and government came about in 1868 during what was known as Reconstruction, which took place from 1868 until 1877. These were the years after the Civil War when all states had to accept all blacks as being free citizens of the United States of America and their rights would be the same as the whites.

In 1868, the Constitution Convention of South Carolina set the tone for the way the state would be governed with the inclusion of its entire people. At the convention, the following blacks represented Orangeburg County:

Edward CainBorn 1837 in Fort Motte, he was a slave of Capt. A. J. Frederick. He served as a school commissioner in Orangeburg in 1871. In 1872, he was elected the first black sheriff of Orangeburg County, serving until 1876. Cain had a son, James L., who graduated from Claflin in 1892. Today, there is a school in Darlington named in James honor. Edward Cain died in Charleston on Jan. 13, 1892.

Whitefield J. McKinlayBorn in Charleston, he became a teacher and moved to Orangeburg in 1868 and served as a state representative until 1870.

Benjamin Franklin RandolphBorn in Morrow, Ohio, he was educated at Oberlin College. He joined the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. At the end of the war, he made his way into Orangeburg, serving as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and was elected state senator for Orangeburg County. Randolph played a vital role in the construction of an education plan for the children of South Carolina. Some of those plans are still used in our states Constitution today. His unwavering views and support for education cost him his life as he stomped over the state seeking support from blacks and whites. On Oct. 16, 1868, Randolph was assassinated by two whites as he attempted to board the train at Hodges Depot in Abbeville County. Today, the Randolph Cemetery in Columbia is named in his honor.

James P. MaysHe lived and owned land in Middle Township (covers the area up 301 North toward Santee and towards Bowman). His wife was named Isabella. They moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., after 1885.

Thaddeus Kenlock (T. K.) SasportasBorn free in Charleston, he was educated in Philadelphia. He served in the U.S. Colored Troops. He was county superintendent of Orangeburg schools, magistrate, treasurer of Orangeburg County and the postmaster in Orangeburg. Sasportas owned 1,703 acres of land. He was a trustee for St. Stephens Methodist Church on North Road. He died on June 30, 1885, and is buried in the church cemetery.

All of Orangeburgs first blacks in government and politics were Republicans, the party of Lincoln. It must be noted that Orangeburg sent the second highest number of blacks to the General Assembly between 1868 and 1902 with a total of 21 black men.
Two presidential candidates are arriving in The T&D Region today as the primary elections near.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate John Kasich will both make stops in the area in an effort to woo voters. Both events are free and open to the public.

Clinton, the former secretary of state, senator and first lady, will visit Denmark for a Corridor of Opportunity town hall to discuss the disparities facing communities of color and South Carolinians.

The event will be held at the Denmark-Olar Elementary School at 1459 Soloman Blatt Boulevard.

Doors open at 1:30 p.m. The event begins at 3 p.m. Those wanting to attend should RSVP at www.hillaryclinton.com/events/view/1683214.

Clinton visited The T&D Region twice last year, stopping in Santee and Claflin University.

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, will be the first Republican presidential candidate to visit The T&D Region in advance of the 2016 election. He formerly served in the Ohio Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kasich will stop at Orangeburgs Dukes Barbecue at 789 Chestnut Street at 1:30 p.m.

Kasichs visit is a part of a three-day visit to the state.

A ticket is not needed, but the campaign is asking people who want to attend to visit Kasich-Orangeburg.eventbrite.com to RSVP and find additional information.

The visit by presidential candidates comes just a week before the primary elections begin in the state. The Republican primary is Saturday, Feb. 20 and the Democratic primary is Saturday, Feb. 27.
Brickle honored

Laura Brickle of Branchville has been named to the fall 2015 Deans List at Furman University in Greenville.

Furmans deans list is composed of full-time undergraduate students who earn a grade point average of 3.4 or higher on a four-point system.

She is the daughter of Franklin Brickle and Wanda Brickle.

2 take part in Interim 2016

SPARTANBURG  Taylor Till and Catherine Earley, both of Orangeburg, are taking part in Woffords Interim. More than 150 students chose to participate in internships and research projects during Interim 2016.

Tills internship, Senior Seminar and Field Experience, is designed to facilitate the transition of teacher candidates into the capstone experience of clinical practice.

In Earleys internship, Learning to Work, students worked for four weeks in an area they have identified as significant to their academic and career-related goals.

Rivers named

to Deans List

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  Antonia Rivers of Eutawville has qualified for the 2015 fall Deans List at Springfield College Charleston.

Rivers is studying human services.

To qualify for the Deans List, a student must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded coursework for the semester, exclusive of P grades; the student must not have any incompletes, missing grades or CPs in the designated semester; the student must have a minimum semester grade point average of 3.500 for the semester; and the student must not have been barred from the deans list due to a disciplinary action.

Founded in 1885, Springfield College is known for the guiding principles of its humanics philosophy, educating students in spirit, mind and body for leadership in service to others. It offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of health sciences, human and social services, sport management and movement studies, education, business, and the arts and sciences. It also offers doctoral programs in physical education, physical therapy, and counseling psychology.

Citadel announces academic lists

The Citadel has released the names of cadets who have qualified for the Presidents List and Deans List.

The Presidents List is one of the most distinguished cadet awards presented by The Citadel. It indicates excellence in academics and military duties. The list is a combination of the Deans List and the Commandants Distinguished List and is composed of cadets who contribute the most to their companies while maintaining excellent military and academic records. Deans List recognition is given to cadets registered for 12 or more semester hours and whose grade point average is 3.2 or higher with no grade below a C for the previous semesters work.

Presidents List

Bamberg: Kirkland Rizer

Holly Hill: Craig Miller

Swansea: Jalon Wilson

Deans List

Bamberg: Kirkland Rizer

Bowman: Wyatt Kirven

Branchville: Timothy Cooner

Cameron: Gerald Rickenbaker

Elloree: Jesse Reeves

Holly Hill: Craig Miller

Orangeburg: Colby Bruner

Santee: John Casey

St. George: Justin Brownlee, Daniel Ilderton, Thomas Rogers

Swansea: Colton Poole, Jalon Wilson

Gold Star

cadets named

CHARLESTON  The Citadel has named its most recent Gold Star cadets. Gold stars are awarded each semester for outstanding academic achievement. Students that achieve Gold Star recognition are also placed on The Citadels Deans List.

They are Timothy Cooner of Branchville, Edward Godowns of Cope, John Casey of Santee and Justin Brownlee of St. George.

Sigmon qualifies for NHS

Corbin Isaiah Sigmon of Orangeburg was selected for the fall semester of The National Honor Society at Newberry College in Newberry.

Sigmon is the son of Jo S. Crews of Orangeburg and the late Steven M Crews. He is a 2015 graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools Inc.

Thompson earns faculty honors

ATLANTA  Lee Thompson of Orangeburg has earned the distinction of faculty honors for fall 2015 at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have a 4.0 academic average for the semester.
On his head, he wore his signature sombrero, and in his arms, he cradled a plastic Donald Trump doll.

Jim Yates, 69, showed up to a recent rally for the billionaire Republican presidential candidate at 9 a.m., 10 hours before Trump arrived, hoping to beat the lines and show his dedication to his candidate of choice.

Yates, a Vietnam veteran and lifelong Republican from Laurens, South Carolina, avidly supports Trump because he thinks the candidate is a super guy who knows how to put people together. He also believes Trump is outside the reaches of the very corrupt group of politicians that have messed up the country.

In terms of Donald Trump dolls, Yates has four. Each is autographed.

Trumps visit to Gilbert on Jan. 27 marked Yates seventh political rally  each for Trump. Yates plans to attend every South Carolina rally in the run-up to the Feb. 20 primary.

Yates is a prime example of the passion South Carolinas primary brings out of voters. As the First in the South, South Carolina is a key primary state  the third in the nation  and political pundits say it is an excellent measure of a candidates chances for nomination.

The South Carolina primary has accurately predicted the GOP nominee every election cycle since 1980, with the exception of 2012. With Trump leading in the latest S.C. polls, Yates hopes the state will deliver on this promise once again.

Its hard to miss the irrepressible Yates, even among the exuberant crowds Trump draws.

He wears his over-sized sombrero, with crushed black velvet and gold rope accents, to symbolize the importance of legal immigration. Thats a hot-button that Trump relishes as he calls for the construction of a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border and the deportation of 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S.

Its in support of the Hispanics, Yates said. I wear it in support for people from Mexico that want to come here and do so legally.

At the Gilbert rally, Yates made sure he got a front row spot, finally entering the barn where Trump would speak two and a half hours ahead of Trumps entrance.

As the barn swelled with supporters, Yates waved his Trump doll around and raised his sombrero, getting in as many pictures as he possibly could. When the speakers started playing Lee Greenwoods Proud to be an American, Yates belted out every word.

When Trump took to the stage, Yates was star struck. Point by point, jab by jab, Trump interacted with the crowd and engaged them much like how a motivational speaker would. Yates nodded his head, clapped and screamed alongside his fellow Trump supporters.

Once Trump finished his speech, he trotted off stage and came across the front barricades and acknowledged Yates, grandfather of five, with a handshake.

Hes seen me at every rally, Yates said. Hopefully hell invite me to the White House when hes elected.

Its these small interactions that have candidates leaving lasting impressions with native South Carolinians, according to Yates.

Candidates such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all laid their claims in South Carolina, hoping to topple Trump.

We are a part of a big movement across our wonderful country, Yates said. Iowa isnt the end. We  he will make America great again.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
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Fellow Blog Readers,

I am proud to be a friend and fan of our resident photographer: Tambako the Jaguar. Unless you have seen the full body of his work, you cannot know the excellence of his talent. Therefore, I encourage you to click on the following links, "like" his Facebook page, and get to know him better. He's not only one of the most talented animal photographers out there, but he is also one heck of a nice person. Enjoy!

Tambako's bio:

http://www.flickr.com/people/tambako/

More info and images:

http://greenbuzzz.net/environment/40-exceptional-and-breathtaking-big-cat-photographs-by-emmanuel-keller/

And... tambako.ch

Friend him here:

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>^..^<
By Bartosz Mendyk

Abstract

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the three South Caucasus countries found themselves in a power vacuum, which led to various geopolitical events and even catastrophes (such as territorial conflicts and separatism)

However, this vacuum also enabled two of the newly independent South Caucasus countries  Azerbaijan and Georgia  to jointly implement major oil and gas projects, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, both of which bypassed Russia . Initially, the two states were dependent on Russia which was a key transit country for Azerbaijan and a major gas supplier to Georgia .

After August War in 2008, Georgia suspended its gas imports from Russia , except the volume received as a transit fee for the gas supplied to Armenia . Since 2007, Azerbaijan , by virtue of its vast energy resources, has been supplying the majority of Georgia oil and gas demand and almost completely met its strategic allys energy needs when the Russian supplies were cut down during 2008 war. However, a statement by Georgia`s Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze in September 2015 on the purchase of Russian and potentially Iranian gas by Georgia raised some questions.

This article will examine the extent to which the purchase of Russian gas is realistic and compatible with Georgia`s national interests and to what extent it poses the risk to its relations with Azerbaijan, as well as the feasibility of bringing the Iranian gas to Georgia given the technical shortcomings and political backlash displayed by Russia.

The authors` arguments are based on the reliability of Azerbaijan as both supplier and neighbor, as well as the technical difficulties and political repercussions respectively of bringing Iranian and Russian gas to Georgia .

Azerbaijan-Georgia Energy Relations

After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, both Azerbaijan and Georgia launched their independent energy policies. The energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia through the realization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE), Baku-Supsa pipelines and other energy projects had a significant impact on the wider region.1 The BTC, BTE and Baku-Supsa are essential .

For the West, finding the alternative routes to bring Caspian oil and gas to Europe was crucial. The strategic vision of the government of Heydar Aliyev created the initial foundations of the East-West corridor, the development of which is proceeding smoothly today with new energy projects and initiatives.

Today, this strategy is led by President Ilham Aliyev, who has paved the way for the implementation of the TransAnatolian Pipeline (TANAP) and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). An additional potential gas project that will link Azerbaijan and Georgia is the socalled Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Interconnector (AGRI), which envisages bringing Azerbaijani gas to Georgian ports, converting it to LNG in liquefaction terminal and transferring it to Romania`s Constanta port in the Black Sea. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed back in September 14, 2010 between the presidents of Azerbaijan , Georgia and Romania in order to create a Joint Company to study the export possibilities from Azerbaijan and Georgia via Black Sea to Romania .

The Azerbaijani gas will be delivered from Azerbaijan via pipeline to the Georgian port of Kulevi, where it will be liquefied and delivered to Romania and re-gasified.3 The nationalist vision and territorial irredentism of Armenia means that Yerevan has been excluded from regional integration while Georgia and Azerbaijan have been developing their relations in many areas, especially in the energy sector. This pragmatic approach has deepened Georgian-Azerbaijani relations, while Armenia remains isolated due to its bellicose policy toward Azerbaijan and occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh region (including seven adjacent districts) of the latter. Thus far, Azerbaijan and Georgia have consolidated their bilateral energy relations through projects and investment initiatives by Azerbaijan`s State Oil Company (SOCAR) in Georgia. Georgia annually receives millions of dollars from the tariff payments for the BTC and BTE pipelines.

SOCAR Georgia Petroleum, a subsidiary of SOCAR, is one of the largest taxpayers in Georgia and a major investor in Georgia`s oil/gas terminals and warehouses, as well as the retail and wholesale of oil/gas and their products. SOCAR owns hundred gas stations, operates the natural gas distribution network, and owns and operates the Black Sea port of Kulevi.

It is currently Georgia s main supplier of crude oil, oil products and natural gas. SOCAR has invested billions in the Georgian economy, including the development of the Kulevi terminal and port.5 Moreover, Azerbaijan , Georgia and Turkey are in the process of realizing the BakuTbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project. The BTK will effectively open a new railway corridor from the Caspian Sea through the territories of Azerbaijan , Georgia and Turkey to Europe, eventually precluding the need for sea transportation, once the planned railway tunnel under the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul is complete. 6 Following the BTC and BTE pipelines, the BTK project will be third trilateral project between Azerbaijan , Georgia and Turkey that isolates Armenia in terms of transport routes. It will also form part of the network of routes that connect Asia and Europe , known as the Iron Silk Road.

However, political transitions in Georgia in 2003 and 2012 have tested bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia . Both of the previous governments of Georgia had very close relations with Azerbaijan . The power transition from the United National Movement to Georgian Dream coalition in 2012 led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili created an uneasy political environment in Georgia . Ivanishvili`s political inclinations and decisions, including request for a price discount on Azerbaijani gas imports, a statement on the alleged inefficiency of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, comments on the restoration of the transit railway system through Abkhazia to Armenia, 8 plus former Economy Minister George Kvirikashvili`s statement on the revision of oil and gas contracts with SOCAR, could harm Georgia`s national interests and bilateral relations with Azerbaijan. The possible opening of railway system through Abkhazia would only serve Armenian interests, and is not compatible with Azerbaijan`s isolation policy towards Armenia, due to the latters occupation of Azerbaijan`s territories. Meanwhile, it would endanger Georgia`s preferred partner status in the region for Azerbaijan. In 2013, Ivanishvili visited Baku to repair the situation, and Baku was able to demonstrate a stronger position on the impossibility of opening Abkhaz railway, and did not make any compromise regarding the price of gas
Azerbaijan`s Minister of Agriculture Heydar Asadov has met Deputy State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jolt Chutora.

They discussed cooperation opportunities between Azerbaijan State Agrarian University, and University of Kaposvar of Hungary.

Mr. Asadov applauded political and economic relations between the two countries, saying, This meeting would contribute to further boosting bonds in agricultural field.

The Minister provided an insight into reforms carried out in the agricultural and agrarian educational field in Azerbaijan. He said there was fruitful investing environment in the country for Hungarian entrepreneurs.

Jolt Chutora, in turn, said he was ready to support studying the Azerbaijani youth in Hungarian agrarian higher schools.

Ambassador of Hungary Imre Laslotsky said he would try his best for further expanding relations between the two countries in agricultural field.

/By Azertac/
/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

India, one of the largest economies in the world, is interested in increasing the trade turnover with Azerbaijan.

Indian ambassador to Baku Sanjay Rana made this statement during the opening of Make in India event, organized jointly by the Azerbaijan National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations and Indian embassy in Baku on February 12.

Saying that the trade turnover, which amounted to $815 million in 2015, is a low index for the two countries, the ambassador stressed the necessity to increase the trade turnover in the near future.

In particular, commissioning of the North-South transport corridor should contribute to this, Rana said.

The North-South railway project connecting northern Europe to the south-east Asia, serve as a bridge connecting the railways of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia with the capacity of 1.4 million passengers and 5-7 million metric tons of cargo per year.

The volume of cargo transportation through the corridor will amount to 6 million metric tons at the initial stage and will reach 15-20 million metric tons in the future.

Rana further noted that India is interested in cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and communications fields.

The country is particularly interested in cooperation in agriculture, in which the country has accumulated a lot of experience, according to Rana.

I recently visited a tea plantation in Lankaran and Astara. We are extremely interested in the development of cooperation in this sector. India also has a great potential in the pharmaceutical industry and is interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan in this sphere too, the ambassador concluded.

Azerbaijan imports many goods from India including pharmaceuticals products, engineering goods, automobiles and spares, agricultural and meat products and IT services, while Indian companies regularly buy oil from Azerbaijan.



Indian tea and Basmati rice are very popular in Azerbaijan. Some $778 million of the total trade turnover accounted for the import of Azerbaijani goods in 2015.

President of the Azerbaijan National Confederation of Entrepreneurs Mammad Musayev, in turn, talked about the need to develop cooperation with India in the field of information technologies.

"India is a leading country in the field of information technologies, he said. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs should take advantage of opportunities for cooperation in this sphere."

He voiced the importance of developing cooperation between the Indian and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs, hoping that cooperation between them may give impetus to the production of competitive products.

India and Azerbaijan enjoy age-old historical relations and cultural affinity. Business exchange between the two countries have emerged an important aspect of bilateral relations between the two sides.

Indian company ONGC-Videsh holds 2.72 percent share in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field and Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan pipeline.

Earlier, Indias Gas Authority of India limited and the State Oil Company SOCAR has signed a MoU to jointly pursue opportunities in LNG procurement and promotion.

Indian businessmen also show interest in participating in major business and events, including 'Baku Build', Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair (AITF).




/By Azernews/

By Laman Ismayilova

The German-Azerbaijan cultural center Kapellhaus has hosted "Buddy Bear" award ceremony,Trend Life reports.

The event was organized by the German embassy in Baku along with the University of Culture and Arts, the Academy of Arts and Giz Galasi art gallery.

The contest was held to choose an artist, who will decorate a Buddy Bear sculpture, which has become a symbol for Germany. The sculpture is going to be installed near ISR Plaza business center.

Speaking at the ceremony, German Ambassador Heidrun Tempel shared the details of the contest. She said that the jury chose the best sketch out of 35 paintings.

The jury members announced the name of the winner. Guler Gashimova took the first place in the contest, where all submitted works were distinguished by their originality and exclusivity.

The jury also appreciated the works of Narmin Gumbatova and Fatima Imanova. The winners were awarded with symbolic figures of Boddy Bear.

The president of Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, Omar Eldarov, has expressed his greetings to the winners of the contest.

Later, all meeting participants enjoyed the exhibition of works by Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Culture and Arts.

The exhibition will run until February 14.

The Buddy Bear has become an unofficial ambassador for Germany and is a symbol of Berlin since 2001 The story of the Buddy Bears started with an artistic event in Berlin in 2001. Inspired by the idea of bringing art in the streets of a metropolis like the cow parade in Zurich and New York, the initiators of the Buddy Bears, Klaus und Eva Herlitz, decided to start a street art project in Berlin, which ended with creation of about 100 bears.

In addition to the Classic Buddy Bears presented far beyond Berlins city limits, the circle of United Buddy Bears came into being in 2002. Each bear in the circle represents a country acknowledged by the United Nations. The United Buddy Bears travel around the world promoting tolerance and international understanding  always standing together hand in hand.
EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Malena Mard has awarded 3 winners of the European Film Festival Competition. The 2 winners Ms. Nigar Gurbanova and Mr. Seymur Mammadli received travel packages and 2 movie tickets to the Berlin International Film Festival "Berlinale" on 13-14 February 2016. The 3rd winner Ms. Nejla Ayvazi received a surprise gift: "Platinum Card" of Park Cinema Network in amount of 200 AZN to attend movie sessions of her choice. Ambassador Mard stated that the participation of the winners at the Berlin International Film Festival is also a small contribution to intensify the cultural exchange between the EU and Azerbaijan

The participants of the competition were supposed to submit their reviews of the movies being watched below their favourite film poster where they should have to explain why they voted in favour of this particular movie. EU Delegation to Azerbaijan announced competition winners on December 7, 2015!

/By Trend/
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has addressed the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. In his address he spoke about current security challenges in the South Caucasus and stressed the need to revitalize the Minsk Group for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azimov highlighted Azerbaijans adherence to the Minsk process and called for a meeting of all members of the Minsk Group to be convened to ensure full use of this format in resolving the conflict. Delay in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the remaining status-quo has a negative impact on regional security and the implementation of regional projects.

He also stressed Azerbaijans continued commitment to international norms and to fighting transnational threats such as terrorism, trafficking of drugs and radicalization.

Economic reforms and creation of favorable conditions for investment are among the priorities of Azerbaijan, said Deputy Minister Azimov. Speaking about Azerbaijans achievements in fighting corruption by developing e-government services, he expressed readiness to share this experience with other OSCE participating states.

On 25-27 April 2016, Azerbaijan will host the 7th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Baku, which, according to Azimov, will be another contribution by the country to the development of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. Promotion of multiculturalism is today our state policy, which creates the necessary conditions for representatives of different nations and ethnicities to co-exist peacefully, he emphasized.

/By Azertac/
/By Azernews/

By Laman Ismayilova

A group of Azerbaijani parliamentarians paid an official three-day visit to Israel to mull the bilateral bonds between the two countries.

The delegation, which included MPs Samad Seyidov, Asim Mollazade, Yevda Abramov, Sevinj Fataliyeva and head of the Israeli Center in Baku Emilia Khudiyeva, visited the Israeli Knesset on February 10.

They held a meeting with Chairman of Israel-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group Avigdor Lieberman, who made a number of proposals to develop relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.

Lieberman also offered to involve non-governmental organizations in their efforts to contribute to the strengthening of the bilateral ties.

The Azerbaijani delegation also met with chairman of the Knesset Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense Tzachi Hanegbi, and Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein.

This years trip of Azerbaijani MPs is the first official visit of members of Azerbaijans Parliament to the Knesset in the history of the two countries` relations.

The Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples have a long tradition of tolerance and interaction. Estimated 9,000 Jews in the country are "fully part" of Azerbaijani society.

Several synagogues are operating in the capital of Azerbaijan, as well as in Guba and Oguz regions. Synagogue, opened in Baku in 2003 is one of the largest in Europe. In September 2003, the first Jewish school was opened in Baku.

Israel recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan very shortly after the official dissolution of the Soviet Union. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were established in April 1992. The strategic relationship included cooperation in trade and security matters, cultural and educational exchanges.
Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Roberto Montella has sent a letter of gratitude to Deputy Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament, head of the country`s delegation to OSCE PA Bahar Muradova.

Roberto Montella thanked Bahar Muradova for her congratulations on the occasion of his appointment as the Secretary General of the Organization.

The Secretary General also recalled his meetings held in Baku, and stressed the importance of the issues discussed as part of the visit.

He also appreciated the current opportunity for restoration of relations between OSCE PA with Azerbaijan.

The letter says Kristian Vigenin was appointed as the special representative of the Organization on the Southern Caucasus by President of the OSCE PA Ilkka Kanerva.

Roberto Montella says special representative will try his best for solving the issues related to the region.

/By Azertac/
Trend Agencys exclusive interview with David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

- You are a well-known public figure in America's Jewish community. In your view, what is the strategic importance of the US-Azerbaijan relations, especially in light of close cooperation between Baku and Washington in countering violent extremism as well as promoting European energy security and regional cooperation?

At AJC, we have long believed in the importance of the strategic partnership between Washington and Baku. In todays tumultuous world, the United States needs friends and allies it can count on, especially in such significant and sensitive areas as the southern Caucasus region and the Caspian Sea. And, of course, Azerbaijan, with larger neighbors, needs the dependability and constancy of its relationship with the US to help address its security and other pressing concerns.

- Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy a strong partnership. What is the significance for Israel of having a partner in a diverse, tolerant and inclusive nation with predominantly Muslim population?

I know well the importance Israel attaches to its wide-ranging ties with Azerbaijan, and vice-versa. For Israel, Azerbaijan represents a key partner, and the fact that a Jewish-majority state enjoys such warm links with a Muslim-majority state disproves the inevitability of religious conflict and demonstrates instead the remarkable chances for cooperation and coexistence. These are lessons that ought to have global implications.

- America's treatment of its friends and allies is not always fair. Azerbaijan has been a subject of the infamous Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and, recently, Congressman Chris Smith introduced a bill calling for sanctions on Azerbaijan, a long-standing regional partner of US. What is your view on this bill, which, ironically, comes at the time when Washington is normalizing its relations with Cuba and lifting sanctions on Iran?

We have known Congressman Chris Smith for more than three decades. He is a cherished friend, and there were few more steadfast and admired advocates for the human rights of Soviet Jews and dissidents until the USSR imploded in 1991. But on this particular issue we part company with our friend. We oppose his proposed sanctions against Azerbaijan. They are not in Americas national interest, nor are they called for.

- Recently, the AJC, hosted Israeli Ambassador in Baku along with Azerbaijan's Ambassador in Washington for a series of meetings in US. Can you tell us more about this unique initiative and about the US Jewish community's work with Azerbaijan?

AJC has made a determined effort to introduce many Americans, including American Jews, to Azerbaijan, as this is a country otherwise unfamiliar to many people here. In that spirit, we have visited Baku with delegations on many occasions and will, of course, continue to do so.

We have welcomed Azerbaijans minister of foreign affairs to our annual Global Forum, where he spoke to more than 2,000 attendees. We have made it a point to meet Azerbaijans ambassadors during our travels in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere, and introduce them to local Jewish communities. We have invited Azerbaijans ambassador to Washington, permanent representative to the United Nations, and consul general in Los Angeles to countless AJC events and discussions.

And yes, we were delighted to host Israels ambassador to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijans ambassador the US for an innovative, week-long series of meetings, speeches, and programs in a variety of settings from Washington to New York. All of this is done in the enduring spirit of friendship that has characterized AJCs relationship with Azerbaijan.

/By Trend/
Ambassador of Sweden to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Ingrid Tersman has met the chairman of the NGO Governmental Support Council under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Azay Guliyev.

Mrs. Ingrid Tersman informed about the existence of effective cooperation ties between the two countries in versatile fields, expressed desire to get detailed information about the current state of civil society in Azerbaijan.

Chief of the Council for NGO Support Azay Guliyev highlighted the organizations consultative, informative, organizational-technical, financial and methodical activities in the country since it was founded in 2008. During this period the Council has financed some 4500 local and 60 foreign NGO projects. He also informed about the countrys legislature to regulate the mentioned sphere, transparency and accountability to provide coordination of activities.

Azay Guliyev noted that the international community bears responsibility for protraction in the process of negotiations on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He criticized the inactivity of the OSCE Minsk Group, its unfair and ignorant stance in this problem.

Chief of the Council for NGO Support stressed necessity of increase of the efforts of the European political circles for quick settlement of the conflict, for it is a threat for peace and stability in the entire region.

Mrs. Ingrid Tersman stated that the problem was discussed during the recent visit of the Swedish foreign minister to Azerbaijan. The diplomat said the foreign ministers visit would promote development of the bilateral relations between the two countries in the years to come.

/By Azertac/
/By Azernews/

"The Azerbaijani armed forces, unlike Armenians, have never fired on civilians and civil facilities in compliance with the principles and norms of the international humanitarian law," Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry has told AZERTAC in response to the Armenian side`s allegations that an Armenian civilian was shot down by a bullet fired from the Azerbaijani side.

"What is worth paying attention to in the Armenians` allegations is that the village they mention is very far from the contact line of troops," the Ministry said.

Armenia is again trying to accuse the Azerbaijani armed forces of firing on civilians. This is nothing but an attempt to hide tense internal criminal situation in Armenia.

"We firmly state that the Azerbaijani side has nothing to do with the dead of Akop Ambarsumyan, the Ministry added.
Europe is open to cooperation with Azerbaijan and is ready to strengthen bilateral ties with the country, MEP from Latvia Iveta Grigule told Trend.

Grigule, who visited Azerbaijan Feb. 11, said that she held negotiations in the parliament and the foreign ministry of the country.

She said that one of the main topics of the talks was the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

We discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the MEP. Latvia is always ready to support Azerbaijan in this issue, as well as talk about this problem of the country in Brussels.

Grigule went on to add that during her visit, she also raised the issue of Azerbaijans return to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is discussing cooperation with Azerbaijan, and it means that Azerbaijan should participate in these discussions, and not remain on the sidelines, she said, adding that it is necessary to talk about the problem the country has, and sooner or later, Azerbaijans voice will be heard.

The MEP also touched upon anti-Azerbaijani resolution adopted by the European Parliament last year, calling it a mistake.

Azerbaijan and the EU should continue to work, despite such incidents, said Grigule. Latvia is a small country, too, and we are sometimes also criticized by the EU. We understand how it hurts, because we are also doing our best, as well as Azerbaijan is.

Regarding the forthcoming visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to Azerbaijan, she noted that a number of bilateral documents, which should contribute to strengthening of relationship of the sides, will be discussed during the visit.

Grigule also called the Eastern Partnership program important but underdeveloped, urging the parties to work harder within the framework of the program.

The Eastern Partnership program envisages political association and economic integration of EU with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It does not envisage the EU membership.

In turn, Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuris Maklakovs told Trend that the Latvian Embassy will continue to contribute to strengthening of relations not only between Azerbaijan and Latvia, but also between Azerbaijan and the EU.

Azerbaijan and Latvia have great prospects for cooperation, especially in light of the economic partnership, and we will continue to work intensively to achieve even greater results, said the diplomat.
The head of the US intelligence community has acknowledged for the first time that American spy agencies might use a new generation of smart household devices to increase their surveillance capabilities, Press TV reported.

James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, made the remarks on Tuesday during a testimony before the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees as part of an assessment of threats facing the United States.

In the future, intelligence services might use the [Internet of Things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials, Clapper said.

The Internet of Things is the network of physical objectsdevices, vehicles, buildings and other items which are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data.

Clapper did not specifically name any intelligence agency as involved in the surveillance of household devices.

But technology experts and privacy advocates examining the Internet of Things believe that US surveillance agencies will intercept the signals the newly networked devices emit, much as they do with those from mobile phones.

The experts warn that thousands of completely unsecured web-connected devices are currently used by customers.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has previously come under fire for secretly spying on Americans phone calls and internet communications. NSAs mass espionage program was first leaked in 2013 by the agencys former contractor Edward Snowden.

During Tuesdays Senate hearing, Clapper also warned that fast-moving cyber and technological advances "could lead to widespread vulnerabilities in civilian infrastructures and US government systems."

"In my 50 plus years in the intelligence business I cannot recall a more diverse array of crises and challenges than we face today," Clapper said.

Attacks by "homegrown" extremists are among the most imminent security threats facing the United States in 2016, Clapper argued.

The Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group poses the biggest danger among militant groups because of the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria, and is determined to launch attacks on US soil, Clapper said.

Daesh has also demonstrated "unprecedented online proficiencies," he added.

He also cited threats from Russia's increasingly assertive international policies, saying "We could be into another Cold War-like spiral."

/By Trend/
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has underlined his countrys support for Turkey as an ally despite a recent row over the United States stance on the terrorist organization PKK's Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Anadolu reported.

"Turkey is a good and long-standing ally of the U.S. We are not going to agree with them on all matters [but] we staunchly agree with them -- and always have -- that we oppose terrorism in any form," Carter said following a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

"We are working with local forces in defeating ISIL [Daesh]; we [will] also continue working with Turkey," Carter said.

Carter convened the first-ever gathering of defense ministers of the global coalition against Daesh on Thursday.

Participants from a total of 49 nations, including the 28 NATO allies, were invited to attend the meeting held in Brussels.

Carters comments come one day after Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned Washington would suffer for its supportive stance towards the PYD.

The recent dispute between Turkey and the U.S. -- NATO allies -- centers on Washingtons objection to describing the PYD as a terrorist group, instead classifying it as "a reliable partner".

The U.S. has also provided support for the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PYD, in the fight against Daesh.

Carter said the coalition has put up new efforts to strike against Daesh financing and deploy Iraqi units towards the city of Mosul, which was taken over by the terror group in 2014.

"We have some new efforts to strike at ISIS financing. There are a number of Iraqi units, which will be deployed up north towards Mosul," Carter said, using an alternative acronym for Daesh.

"We are carrying out some important activities in the information area I cant discuss much further with you," he added.

Carter also described Russias actions in Syria as a "strategic mistake" and that the coalition is "determined" to defeat Daesh militarily. NATO has repeatedly said that Russian strikes in Syria have mainly targeted the moderate opposition rather than Daesh.

"As far as the Syrian civil war is concerned, they [Russia] are taking it in the wrong direction," Carter added.

/By Trend/
Iran is ready to have interaction, cooperation with all countries, said President Hassan Rouhani.

Considering the Islamic Republic of Irans geographic and strategic location, as well as its extensive economic capabilities and facilities, we are ready to interact and cooperate with all countries of the world," said President Rouhani in a meeting with ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions and foreign organizations to Iran.

President Rouhani said: Interaction and economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran as the cheapest communication path is beneficial to the worlds economy and trade.

Referring to the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Mr Rouhani said: Iranian people led a huge revolution to victory 37 years ago for independence, freedom, and national sovereignty, despite oppositions by the world powers and they have been eager to have good relations with their neighbours and the world.

The 11th government stated since its early days in office that if respect replaces sanctions, the nuclear issue will be solvable through negotiation he said.

Ruling out claims suggesting that Iran is seeking to dominate the region, Mr Rouhani added: Serious fight against terrorism and restoring stability to the sensitive Middle East region is very important to Iran and our main goal is to combat terrorism and put an end to instability in the whole region.

/By Azertac/
Tehran and Tokyo have signed a memorandum of understanding worth $10 billion in mining sector, Iranian Deputy Trade Minister Mehdi Karbasian told Mehr News Agency.

Beside Japan, we are negotiating with German, Belarusian and Austrian companies, while contracts with worth 6.5 billion euro have been signed with French and Italian companies, he told Mehr News Agency.

He didn't mention any further details regarding the MoU, but added that the Chinese side has prepared a $4.5-billion finance package for developing Iran's mines.

During the visit of President Hassan Rouhani to Italy in Jan.25, Danieli Group signed deals worth close to $6.2 billion with the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) for cooperation in the steel and aluminum sectors.

The agreements signed by Danielis CEO Gianpietro Benedetti and the head of IMIDRO, Mehdi Karbasian, include a joint venture and the supply high-tech machinery and plants to a number of Iranian steel and aluminum companies, valued at $4 billion, IMIDRO reported on its website.

IMIDRO also signed an aluminum co-op deal with the French Fives Group during the Iranian missions stay in Paris on Jan.27.

Signed by the giant engineering companys chairman of the executive board, Frederic Sanchez, and head of IMIDRO, the agreement entails the establishment of a joint copper anode production company through an engineering, procurement, construction and finance contract.

Anode, primarily made from petroleum coke, is one of the main raw materials required for aluminum ingot production and its manufacture usually accounts for nearly 30% of production costs, the Financial Tribune reported.

The anode production plant, with a production capacity of 450,000 tons per year, requires a close to $400 million investment and is IMIDROs largest initiative ever taken to expand Irans aluminum production capability.

/By Trend/
/By Azernews/

By Aynur Karimova

Energy-rich Iran, which is free of international sanctions, is returning to the world energy market with big strides.

The Islamic Republic, the fourth country with largest proven oil reserves of about 158 billion barrels, is now in talks with Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Indonesia and India to purchase shares in oil refineries of these countries.

Iran already holds a 30-percent share in construction of a refinery with a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day in Malaysia, and we are talking to buy a 40-percent share in another refinery in Indonesia with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, Hamid Sharif-Razi, the Managing Director at the National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Company, told local media.

He explained that Iran wants to purchase shares in foreign refineries to guaranty its oil exports.

Brazil showed willingness for Irans participation in building a refinery, as well as purchasing shares of a refinery in that country, he said but did not reveal the details.

Investing in overseas refineries is one of the most common ways used by oil producing countries to boost crude exports.

Currently, some littoral states of the Persian Gulf, which are among worlds major oil exporters, own a remarkable number of oil refineries in American, European and Asian countries, which has greatly increased their clout in global energy markets.

Therefore, the Iranian Oil Ministry is planning to invest in refineries in countries whose crude oil is being supplied by Iran.

The safest way to increase the exports is investment in refineries abroad. On this basis, the petroleum ministry wants to invest in refineries abroad, whose crude oil will be met by Iran, Abbas Kazemi, the head of the state-run National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Co., told local media on January 9.

In 2014, the Islamic Republic announced that it is preparing to construct five refineries in Indonesia with an aim to diversify own oil exports.

Local media reported earlier that Iran would build an oil refinery in Indonesia with a daily production capacity of 150,000 barrels of crude oil, in addition to five smaller refineries with daily production capacities of 30,000-50,000 barrels of gas condensate each.

In January, Spanish Foreign Ministry reported that Iran and Spain are negotiating a plan to construct a joint oil refinery at the Gibraltar Strait. The sides have agreed that this refinery will be finally owned by Iran.
War and Peace

This is a forum for the discussion of Russian literary, musical and cinematic themes. The title is drawn from Tolstoy's epic novel of Napoleon's March on Moscow, but the topics draw from a broader cultural spectrum. Feel free to join in any one of the discussion topics.


CROATIA - Dubrovnik (Old City Wall & Lovrijenac Fortress) 16:01 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Dubrovnik city walls are considered to be one of the most grandiose fortification monuments in Europe. These walls are a complex system of ofrtifications. It measures 1,940m long and consists of the main city wall and various towers, fortresses, revelins, armory, trenches, 2 lift bridges and the seawall Kase. The current fortification dates back to 14th century.Jesuits staircase was quiet in the morning, so this is best time to take photos before hordes of tourists arrive!We walked out from Pile Gates to view the outer walls.Lovrijenac Fortress was my first destination that morning.It was easy to find our way to the fortress. Therere signs pointing the way to us.The fortress was built on 37 meter high sheer rock, outside of Dubrovniks ramparts.Fort Bokar was built to defend the main entrance gate to the city, bridge and moat at the Pile.The staircase that leads to the fortress.View of Dubrovnik city wall from the fortress.Yes, Ive reached the entrance to Lovrijenac Fortress.NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO means Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world. This was the motto of the Republic of Dubrovnik and this inscription was carved over the entrance to the fortress.The entrance fee for the fortress alone is 30kN. However, because I bought the ticket for the fortress first, I can keep the ticket and get discount at city walls.Looks like were the first to arrive that morning.The view was breathtaking from the top of the fortress.The price to climb the city walls is 100kN for adults, children 5 to 18 years old is 30kN and children under 5 free of charge. Opening hours are open from 8am to 7pm in summer.And now my walk on the city walls began! The entrance I took was on Stradun by the Pile gate. Theres another two entrances which are by Fort Saint Johns and at the Customs House gate.The walls are 1,940 meters long and to walk all the way around which usually takes an hour. However you can stop halfway if you want.I started the walk towards the sourthern section of the city walls.The Stradun as viewed from the city walls.Its a great way to view the Old City.Lovrijenac Fortress is just across the city walls.Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, sun glasses, hat and most importantly, sun block while walking under the sun like this. There is barely any shades while walking along the city walls.Along this section, there are several cafes and souveniour shops which is ideal for a short break.A boat that heads to Lokrum.Church of St. Sebastian is a 15th century church built by Ploce Gate since St. Sebastian is the saint protector against plague.Fort Minceta is the highest point of the city wall.Amazing view of the citys red roof from the city walls.My city walls walking is almost complete.This photo was taken on top of Minceta Fort.It is really an unique experience and I think its a must-do in Dubrovnik.Time to leave the city walls. The sun was beginning to be unbearably hot. Therefore its best to do this in early morning or evening.Time to refill our water bottle.And one last stop to make before leaving Dubrovnik: a visit to the Iron Throne replica.In order to take photo with the Iron Throne, you can either pay 30kN or take photo for free by buying any souvenior worth 70kN and above. We bought a keychain here and took turn to take photo.Its my turn, haha.Pancake and ice creams marked the perfect ending to my trip in Dubrovnik.Time to head to the airport.My son having fun playing games at the airport before boarding the plane.Goodbye, Croatia. Greece, here I come.
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FARGO, N.D.  A North Dakota police officer died Thursday after being hit by a gunshot that authorities suspect was fired by a man later found dead in the home where the officer had responded to a domestic disturbance call.

Officer Jason Moszer, a six-year police veteran with a wife and two children, died at 12:45 p.m. from a single gunshot wound, a police spokesman said. Family members visited him in a hospital earlier in the day to say goodbye, Fargo Police Chief David Todd said.

The shooting began on Wednesday evening when the suspect, identified by police as Marcus Schumacher, fired at officers responding to the domestic disturbance call. A standoff ensued overnight and when the firing stopped, police discovered Schumacher dead inside the home. It wasn't immediately clear whether he killed himself or died from police gunfire, they said.

The violence shook Fargo, which is North Dakota's largest city but has a low crime rate. Police said an officer had not died in the line of duty in more than a century. The only other Fargo police officer killed in the line of duty was Frederick Alderman, 25, who was shot to death July 5, 1882, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a national nonprofit group that keeps records of fallen officers.

Schumacher, 49, was found dead shortly before dawn inside the home where he had barricaded himself, Todd said.

Schumacher appeared to have died from a gunshot wound but "we don't know if that was from us engaging him or something self-inflicted," Todd said. Todd said earlier that Schumacher had exchanged gunfire with a SWAT officer.

Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said the suspect fired "a number of rounds" and that officers were going house to house in a six-block area "to find out where they all went."

Todd said a squad car at the scene had been fired upon and that he believes the suspect was targeting law enforcement. Police said no one else in the neighborhood was hurt.

Moszer, 33, was among officers who responded to the home Wednesday evening. A SWAT team in an armored vehicle retrieved Moszer and took him to a medical facility, where he died.

Police said they tried to communicate with Schumacher through negotiators, but that he didn't respond and the SWAT team eventually entered the house and found the body.

Officers responded after Schumacher's son called dispatchers and said the suspect had fired a gun at his mother, Schumacher's wife. The caller and his mother were able to escape the home unharmed.

Sarah Stensland, 26, lives less than a block from the suspect's home. She said she and her girlfriend locked the doors, turned off the lights and hunkered down in the basement for the night.

"We were scared. We could hear gunshots very clearly, even from the basement," she said. "I felt like my nerves were on edge all night. I'm just exhausted."

Students and staff at nearby Horace Mann Elementary School were shifted to another school Thursday so as not to impede the investigation, Fargo Public Schools said in a statement. The move was made at the request of the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is handling the case.
About Me Timothy I'm a young adult learning new information and finding the truth. Over the years, I'm becoming more meek. I will still defend my beliefs though when it is necessary. I am 36 years old now. I like living in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads is apart of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. I live in the 7 city group of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Yorktown, Williamsburg, Glocuster, Cape Charles, Elizabeth City, Currituck, Sussex, and Poquoson are apart of Hampton Roads as well. So, I don't forget those important places as well. I enjoy looking at religious information, conspiracy fact information, and politics. Additionally, History is a subject that I delve into. If you have any comments and questions, you can email me at truthseeker2436577@yahoo.com. I'm usually very apt to respond to emails easily. This is a non-censorship blog so your comments will never be censored here. View my complete profile

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By DONALD BRADLEY

The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Pretty much any homeless person on any city street can tell how a soup kitchen works.

You go in, stand in line, grab a tray, get your grub, sit down and eat.

That's why Friday at the Kansas City Community Kitchen, Brian Oglesby looked like maybe he'd wandered through the wrong door.

First off, no line. A greeter  a greeter?  showed him to a table. No tray. A waitress took his order. She even smiled and asked him how he was.

"Fine, ma'am," he answered softly.

Then he sat there in overalls, thick coat and cap and looked around like maybe he thought he was on a reality show. The waitress soon appeared with a glass plate of poached swai (river-farmed catfish), golden rice, sauteed carrots and fresh fruit.

"It's different," he told the Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1osJYze ). "They're treating me good, like they don't know I'm homeless."

That's the point. This kitchen had a ribbon-cutting Friday to celebrate its new "dining with dignity" format. The idea is to treat clients with the respect due a paying customer, and to serve up better, healthier foods. Volunteers serve as waiters and waitresses.

In time, the hope is to replace the banquet tables with small round ones.

"This place represents what we're about now," said Beau Heyen, president of Episcopal Community Services, which runs the kitchen. "Not only is the food different, but no more long lines and elementary school trays. Our clients will be served like they are in a restaurant."

Episcopal Community Services, or ECS, serves hot meals five days a week at 22 food programs throughout the area. The location on the Paseo, he said, is close to the shelters and close to the homeless population.

"Food is a basic human right," Heyen said. "This is about community. We want police officers and firefighters to come in and eat with our clients. I worked in soup kitchens in New York where there's 8 million people. Here, a place like this can make a difference."

And the healthier menu means less sodium, which reduces risk of diabetes and hypertension so clients aren't going to the hospital without insurance, Heyen said.

The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce participated in Friday's event.

The plan is to extend the service to community kitchens in Olathe, midtown, Hickman Mills and Kansas City, Kan.

Also, next week will be the start of the ECS Culinary Cornerstones training program, which will teach restaurant and culinary skills to clients through a six-month curriculum. The kitchen on the Paseo will double as a learning lab.

"We want to be the place that Kansas City restaurants call when they need good help in their kitchens," said chef Michael Curry. "Everyone has a right to be nourished and sustained, and we'll do that with both food and learning."

In the final two months of the program, clients will work as interns in restaurants with ECS paying one-third of the salary, which must be at least $13 an hour.

Bishop Marty Field of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, one of Friday's volunteer servers, said the new place is not just about helping the clients.

"I think it tells more about us than them," he said as he doled out desserts to the servers. "Look at all these volunteers. We will uphold dignity of all persons."

Kenneth Cabean, whose business card says he's a "hunger relief ambassador," greeted clients at the door. He's worked there for years and says most clients he has seen are homeless only for a short time. This new format, he said, might change their lives.

"They're used to standing in line for food, for a bed  they stand in line to get in the door," he said. "See them smile today.

"This can change a man's heart."

___

Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com

An AP Member Exchange shared by the Kansas City Star.
When a Hollywood star slips into your dining room for a quiet dinner there's only one thing for the employees to do: Selfies!

That's what a half-dozen employees of Mariscos Chihuahua at 1009 N. Grande Ave. did when Steven Seagal stepped into their dining room Wednesday night. After serving the star of dozens of action and martial arts films including the "Under Siege" franchise, the employees posed with the star for group shots in the kitchen.
Maggie Medina is like a kid before Christmas  on Wednesday, she gets to see the pope.

Im so excited, I cant work anymore, said Medina, who is one of 21 parishioners traveling to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico from Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, 1800 S. Kolb Road, to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis.

The popes Mexico tour, which begins in Mexico City Friday, will conclude in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

And while the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso will live stream the papal Mass from the Sun Bowl, many still want a glimpse of the Holy Father in person.

Thursday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson received 200 tickets from the Las Cruces diocese to distribute to parishioners and anticipates receiving another 50. So far, the diocese knows of more than 120 requests for tickets, but only those who have already booked accommodations are eligible, said Steff Koeneman, the director of communications.

Medinas group booked places to stay in both Ciudad Juarez and El Paso about a month ago, uncertain about border crossing but hopeful that they could secure tickets to the Holy Fathers Mass.

We feel that its been a big blessing for us because everything is kind of falling into place, said Medina, who will make the five-hour drive to El Paso next week.

Bishop Gerald Kicanas will attend, along with Victor Calderon, the managing editor of the dioceses publication The New Vision.

I think people want to go and be part of that shared experience of faith, said Calderon, who will mark this as his first papal encounter. So some people will get there no matter how long it takes or whatever they have to do.

Tony Martin and his wife Hylda Martin will see Pope Francis even sooner, at the Saturday Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Traveling in a group of nine, mostly from St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 5150 N. Valley View Road, this group, too, booked flights and accommodations shortly after the pope announced the Mexico trip, said Tony Martin, already in Mexico City on Thursday.

Friday, the group will volunteer with crowd control  the original plan to a catch a glimpse of Pope Francis before they learned a friend had snagged them tickets for the Saturday Mass.
The FBI is interviewing Pima County Sheriffs Department employees in a probe of possible misuse of public funds and corruption.

Three employees within the Sheriffs Department told the Star that theyve been interviewed by the FBI. The employees asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of retribution for speaking about the investigation.

Sheriff Chris Nanos and members of the senior command staff are being investigated for how the department spent money, including funds seized in drug investigations.

The FBI does not confirm or deny investigations, said Andrew Black, assistant special agent in charge of the Tucson office.

The FBIs probe was initiated after a Star news story in November revealed the niece of Chief Deputy Christopher Radtke was operating a cafe for employees in the Sheriffs Department headquarters without a county contract.

At the time, sheriffs and county officials said the arrangement did not violate county procurement rules.

Nanos said he hasnt been approached by the FBI. But he said if there is an investigation, its a waste of taxpayer money.

With all of the national problems with terrorism and crime, there are more important things for the FBI to do with its time, said Nanos, who became upset when asked about the investigation.

If the FBI in Tucson has nothing better to do with their time than investigate a cafe in my station and purchase of a $4,000 refrigerator, thats disappointing, Nanos said. Someone should be looking in D.C. about what the Tucson office is doing with its time and money.

If they need some real policemen to do their jobs, Ill gladly help them out with that, the sheriff said.

The department spent nearly $20,000 of county funds on equipment for the cafe at headquarters, and a second cafe in the jail that was found to be operating without a required health permit, Pima County records show.

The department also failed to follow state law that required it to offer the food services contract first to a program that helps legally blind entrepreneurs, which is run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Radtke said in November that when the department was looking for someone to run the cafe in 2012, he suggested his niece, a professional chef who owns a downtown restaurant. Radtke said he then removed himself from the process.

Department organizational charts show that when Nikki Thompson opened Off the Record-The Exclusive Cafe in the sheriffs East Benson Highway headquarters in 2012, Radtke was the captain overseeing administrative services, the department that handled all equipment purchases for the cafe. Current chief of staff Bradley Gagnepain was then the administrative bureau chief, heading up Radtkes division.

When Thompson opened a cafe in the jail in 2014, Radtke had been promoted to operations bureau chief, and Nanos had become chief deputy under then-Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. Gagnepain was still chief of the administrative bureau.

After disclosure that the jail cafe lacked a health permit, Radtke received and forwarded correspondence related to its operations, emails obtained by the Star show. Thompson elected to shut down after the Health Department notified her of the required steps to obtain a permit.

Several of the employees interviewed by the FBI say the alleged misuse of funds for the cafe was part of the questioning, but the FBI also questioned the departments use of RICO funds, money that comes from drug seizures. That money is supposed to be used for crime-fighting.
World View Enterprises executives have been saying they expect to have more than 400 employees in about four years.

It turns out, the near-space balloon companys deal with Pima County does not hold them to that.

The county released a key document about its deal with World View Enterprises soon after I requested it two weeks ago. Apparently the company decided not to fight the release, as it is allowed to do under its county contract.

Exhibit E, which I discussed in my Jan. 29 column, is the key document that spells out how many jobs at what pay World View must create. It was not publicly available on Jan. 19, when Pima Countys supervisors voted in favor of the deal.

The contract spells out that Pima County will build a $14.5 million headquarters for the company, as well as a $500,000 launch pad for its high-altitude balloons. The total cost, with interest, is expected to be about $20 million within 20 years, but after the company pays all that back and then some, it gets the building.

However, under the deal, if the company doesnt employ the required number of people at the mandated level of pay, then Pima County has the right to terminate the contract and take back the headquarters it is building.

The original, publicly available lease-purchase agreement described the companys obligations in this contractualese language:

First Five Years: For a 4-year period starting on the one year anniversary of the Commencement Date, World View must employ at least the number of FTE Employees shown in Line 1 of Exhibit E at the Premises on average over each Measuring Period, and those employees  or the top-paid number of FTE Employees shown in Line 1 of Exhibit E if World View has more than the minimum number  must have an Average Annual Salary over each Measuring Period of at least the among shown on Line 2 of Exhibit E.

What on Earth does that mean? With the help of Exhibit E, I can tell you it means that World View must employ at least 100 people full time in the first five years of the contract, and that they must make an average of at least $50,000 per year.

The difficult-to-decipher caveat between the dashes means this: If the company employs more than 100 full-timers in that period, it can meet the pay requirement by averaging just the salaries of the highest-paid 100.

The companys requirements go up in steps for each five-year period of the 20-year contract. In the second five years, the company must employ 200, still at an average salary of $50,000.

In the third five years, 300 people at $55,000 per year. And in the fourth five-year period, 400 at $60,000 per year.

In other words, while company executives have talked about 400 jobs by around 2020, they arent required to create that many until 2032 or so.

The countys recourse if World View fails to live up to its employment commitments is simple, as County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry explained: The county gets the building.

But the lease is of course more nuanced than that. If World View falls short by less than 10 percent and that is due to economic conditions or certain other factors, then the county has no recourse. Only if the employment falls short by more than 10 percent or does so for reasons within its control may the county collect.

Even then, there are questions about whether the county would want to push such consequences. The city of Tucson has shown, in its downtown dealings with The Gadsden Co. and Bourn Cos., that it would rather accommodate troubled developers than come down on them hard.

Our local experience shows that when government goes in for a dime, it goes in for a dollar  or $20 million dollars in this case.

Babeus battles go on

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu took a couple more hits in the Arizona press this week in his effort to become the Republican nominee for Congress in the 1st Congressional District.

First, reporter Dennis Welch of KTVK Channel 3 in Phoenix pointed out that Babeu filed for the race two months after campaign-law triggers said he was supposed to. In addition, he initially filed to run in the wrong district, CD4, the district he ran in once before.

Then the Casa Grande Dispatch noted that the Sheriffs Office had put out a mailer to 8,175 residents, using money seized by his department from criminals, touting Babeus accomplishments. Critics called it a clear use of his office for campaign purposes. Babeus buddy Lando Voyles, the Pinal County attorney, said it was perfectly legal.

Expect Babeu, the leading fundraiser in the campaign, to take more hits as it goes on.

Dems Down on District 1

For years, the 2nd Congressional District, which includes the eastern Tucson metro area and Cochise County, has been considered a toss-up district. The partisan registration is close, and the elections have been very close.

But now the Dems appear to be seeing Rep. Martha McSally, the Tucson Republican, as too strong. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee excluded the district from its new list of competitive races. That means something: The DCCC is less likely to spend money on races it doesnt see as winnable.

Dr. Matt Heinz and former state Rep. Victoria Steele are running for the Democratic nomination in the district.
JTEDs

Without dissent the state Senate on Thursday gave preliminary approval to restoring all but $2 million of the cash that lawmakers voted last year to take from Joint Technical Education Districts.

SB 1525 earmarks $28 million for the career and technical education programs in which about 100,000 students are enrolled. JTEDs get special funding because of the additional costs incurred in teaching courses that can require expensive equipment or supplies.

Gov. Doug Ducey had proposed restoring just $10 million of the cuts, which were set to take effect this coming school year. His budget also limited those extra dollars to three years and required JTEDs to find matching funds or equipment from businesses.

Even so, gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato said his boss will sign the measure when it reaches his desk.

The House approved its own version. The Senate measure is slightly different, setting the stage for negotiations.

Board of Regents

Future members of the Arizona Board of Regents would get terms of four years under the terms of legislation approved Thursday by the House Committee on Government and Higher Education.

Current law says appointees of the governor serve eight years. But Rep. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said that can result in a governor, who serves four years at a time, never getting a chance to name someone to the panel.

The board consists of 10 members, including two student members who serve two year terms. The other eight are named by the governor subject to Senate confirmation. By law, the governor and the superintendent of public instruction also serve on the board.

HB 2479 now needs full House approval.

Redistricting

The state House gave preliminary approval Thursday to revamping how members of the Independent Redistricting Commission are chosen.

HCR 2009 would have all five members elected directly by the public.

The measure needs a final vote before going to the Senate. The change ultimately would have to be approved by voters in November.

Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
Tucson will collect about $1.7 million in liquidated damages from Vigor Works because the company was late in delivering streetcar vehicles, delaying the operation of the streetcar line.

Vigor is the new name of Oregon Iron Works, which was the parent company of now-closed United Streetcar. The company manufactured Tucsons eight streetcars. It delivered the first one nearly a year late, delaying operations.

Under Tucsons contract with the company, the city could have collected up to $2.9 million in late fees. Vigor disputed the amount it owed the city, and the two sides reached a settlement agreement this week.

In negotiations with the company, we agreed that the amount of damages attributable to OIWs (now, Vigors) delays was $1,695,600, City Attorney Mike Rankin said in an email.

The damages wont be paid in cash. Instead, the company agreed to provide parts and labor beyond its original contract amount, according to the settlement agreement.

Tucson chose Oregon Iron Works because of a buy American rule that came as a condition of the federal grant money the city used to pay for the streetcar project. The rule and grant were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The company was the first in 60 years to build streetcars in the U.S. and Tucson was one of its few customers.

The electric vehicles cost $38 million. The contract with the city also included replacement parts.
Opponents to a planned copper mine near Superior havent backed down more than a year after the U.S. Congress approved a contentious land-swap deal turning over public land to a mining company.

Members of the San Carlos Apache tribe say they have been at the Oak Flat campground since February 2015, in opposition to plans to build North Americas largest copper mine in a popular recreation area that is considered sacred to the San Carlos Apache. Superior is approximately 110 miles north of Tucson.

Apache tribal leader Wendsler Nosie has been in Washington, D.C., pushing legislation to repeal the land exchange, which has garnered national attention since it was approved in December 2014.

What Im pleased about is the fact that everybody knows about the land exchange now, Nosie said. It has really woken up everybody as far as how legislation is done to undermine, not just Native Americans, but American people.

The mine proposed by Resolution Copper Mining LLC  jointly owned by U.K.-based Rio Tinto Group and Australia-based BHP Billiton Ltd.  would result in a 2-mile-wide, 1,000-foot-deep crater at Oak Flat, above the massive copper deposit.

The mine would generate $61 billion over its lifetime and bring 1,400 direct jobs to the economically depressed area, Resolution officials say.

A rally planned for tonight at the Global Justice Center in Tucson will highlight plans for a two-day march, starting Feb. 26, from the San Carlos Apache reservation to the Oak Flat site, in recognition of the ongoing encampment.

LAND-SWAP LEGISLATION

Opponents object to the controversial way in which the mining company acquired the national forest land. Legislators, including Sen. John McCain, unexpectedly attached the land-swap deal to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, to the outrage of the mines opponents.

A legislative effort to repeal the land-swap provision hasnt made much headway. Last summer Rep. Raul Grijalva introduced H.R. 2811, the Save Oak Flat Act, which now has 40 co-sponsors. In November, Sen. Bernie Sanders, introduced an identical bill in the Senate.

Mine opponents have little hope of the legislations passage in the Republican-controlled Congress. But it could be a decade before any actual mining could start near Oak Flat, so opponents are holding out hope the deal could be repealed before then.

There is a lot of popular support for this thing, said Curt Shannon, Arizona policy analyst for the Access Fund. But in the current Congress, its never going to see the light of day.

FOREST SERVICE

The public can now submit objections to the U.S. Forest Services preliminary approval, issued in January, for Resolution to begin studying a proposed dump site for 1.7 billion tons of mine waste tailings. The proposed tailings site in Queen Valley has generated opposition from nearby residents concerned the mine waste could contaminate their air and water.

Within months, the U.S. Forest Service will begin an environmental impact study on the proposed mine.

The mining plan of operations that exists today will be changed and improved based on the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process, which will look at alternatives, and address peoples problems and concerns, said Vicky Peacey, a Resolution senior manager. Well have a lot more environmental protections and mitigations before any operations begin.

But the land-swap deal stipulated that 60 days after the environmental study is finalized, title to the land will officially be transferred to Resolution.

Critics say that means, regardless of the findings of the environmental study, the land is guaranteed to become private, reducing the Forest Services ability to compel Resolution to actually implement their recommendations.

Spokeswoman Carrie Templin said the Forest Service is still unsure how the transfer from public-to-private ownership will affect federal authority over the mine plan.

The uncertainty is problematic, said Roger Featherstone of the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, a long-time opponent of the mine.

Weve told the Forest Service, you cant start this process unless we the public know what the process is going to be, he said. You cant make it up as you go along.
PHOENIX  Hoping it starts to fix the problem of a financially troubled system, the state House voted Thursday to make key changes in the pension system for police and firefighters.

The three-bill package should mean an immediate reduction in what local governments have to pay into the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System for new hires. Conversely, those workers will pay more of the burden.

Those new employees also will not have some of the same options as current workers, including the ability to retire early and collect benefits.

And there would be a cap of $110,000 on how much of any new employees salary could be considered in computing their pension. That is designed to put a halt to pension spiking when a worker defers sick pay and overtime until the end of their career to artificially boost their final salary, the figure on which pensions are based.

But the package also seeks to amend the Arizona Constitution to allow changes in future benefits for existing employees and those already retired. That, however, is conditional on voters giving their approval at a special election already scheduled for May 17.

The final version measure now requires final approval of the Senate, which had unanimously approved nearly identical language.

Unlike the Senate, Thursdays House action was not unanimous, where 10 members voted against the package.

This appears to be nothing more than window dressing, said Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley.

We have the appearance of a solution, he said. Its totally disingenuous to try and make believe that youre putting a solution on something when, in fact, its just the appearance of one.

Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, echoed that theme. Olson said hes seen nothing to make him believe that the plan will help reduce the financial burden on cities and counties.

And Olson said the plan, if adopted, actually could increase costs depending on how the Arizona Supreme Court rules in a lawsuit brought by judges over previously enacted cuts to their pension benefits.

There is no dispute the pension system is broken. Its obligations exceed its assets by more than $6 billion.

In an effort to bridge the gap and put the fund on financial footing, lawmakers required participating governments to pay additional amounts to eventually make up the difference. The results, according to some city officials, have been little short of devastating.

The Flagstaff Fire Department, for example, pays premiums equal to 70 percent of its workers salaries. For Prescott, its police pension obligations are at 72 percent. And Bisbee is paying almost as much in premiums as the salary obligations.

Actuaries who worked on the plan said the state cant do anything to wipe out the existing debt. But they said the limits on pensions for new employees will help limit future obligations.

Whats also designed to help is the change that is contingent on voter approval.

Right now, public safety retirees are guaranteed a benefit increase any time the funds earnings exceed a certain amount. While there have been no increases for the last two years, pensioners have seen 4 percent increases for more than a decade before.

This plan would replace that with cost-of-living allowance capped at no more than 2 percent a year.

The reason that has to go to the ballot is the Arizona Constitution specifically says that pension benefits are contracts that cannot be altered. And constitutional provisions can be altered only with voter approval.

What voters will do remains unclear.

On one hand, the plan  including the reduced cost-of-living allowances  has broad-based support, ranging from the affected cities to the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, the Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.

But the Arizona Police Association is opposed specifically to the cap on future increases.

Rep. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, who voted against the plan, touched on an issue that could also enter the minds of voters: doubt.

I was under the impression we had good numbers, he said. But Leach said he has seen two separate memos that called into question the accuracy of the actuarial assumptions.

Ive been around just long enough that quick decisions lead to sometimes decisions that we have to redo, he said.

The package contains one other change the actuaries said should save money for local governments.
Disclaimer: The views contained within do not necessarily reflect those of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) as a whole, nor the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Comments and discussion are encouraged. However, posts that are deemed inappropriate or offensive will be removed. Users will not be notified when content is removed.



Copyright 2010 The State Museum of Pennsylvania/Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Please contact us at ra-paarchaeology@state.pa.us
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Mumbai: Now out of Election Commissions model code regime as elections in Maharashtra have taken place, the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation (MAMFDC), a state government agency, has started distribution of education loan cheques.

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In the last couple of days MAMFDC has distributed 40 out of the 188 education loan cheques. In the days to come it intends to distribute 350 business loan cheques.

Prominent Islamic scholar Maulana Ghulam Wastanvi handed over the educational loan cheques to the applicants from Mumbai, Pune and Thane, in a meet attended by the (MAMFDC) chairman Ameen Patel, managing director Ghaffar Shaikh and other members of the corporation, says Urdu daily Inquilab. The rest of the cheques will be distributed in Aurangabad and other districts.

As many as 508 applications have been approved for educational loans wherein MAMFDC is going to spend Rs 6,64,00,000. Under Direct Loan Scheme 2008-09 (MAMFDC) had received 3,307 applications by March 31. In total the agency is going to spend nine crore rupees under the scheme. About 787 applications received under Term Loan Scheme were approved and loans worth Rs 8,15,00,000 will be distributed for the same.

As part of an exclusive scheme meant to assist women in order to make them self-dependent the corporation has distributed loans of Rs 4,50,00,000 among 4,527 women under the Micro Finance Scheme.

Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation is the Maharashtra states channelizing agency of Government of Indias National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation run by the Union Minority Affairs Ministry. It was constituted to meet the financial requirements and social uplift of financially backward classes amongst the minorities.


Help India!

By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: A national level political party, Welfare Party of India (WPI), has formally been launched today, April 18, at the political convention here in the national capital at the Constitution club. Interestingly the focus of the convention was to emphasize that the party was neither a political party of the Jamaat-e-Islami nor a Muslim party.

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Importantly the top functionaries including the president of the party Mujtaba Farooque and its general secretary Dr. SQR Ilyas, are supposedly one of the most powerful leaders and office bearers of Jamaat-e-Islami. Even till now Mujtaba Farooque is the general secretary of the Jamaat and Ilyas, the media coordinator of JIH, was one the brains behind the idea of the party.





Welfare Party of India president Mujtaba Farooque speaking



During the convention, both the president and the general secretaries repeatedly asserted that the WPI has not been established exclusively for Muslims and the party will fight for the principles of equality, freedom, justice and fraternity. But the convention also saw leaders criticizing the mainstream political parties for manipulating Muslims as their vote banks and thereby emphasizing the importance of the WPI as the voice of Muslims.

The assumption that the Indian Muslims arent concerned about their other brothers in the country will be doing great injustice to the second majority of the country, said Farooque, the president of the WPI.

Its not for fun and power that we entered politics. Its only when every body whom we trusted and became dependent upon, betrayed us and considered its their due right to oppress us, that we felt that now we cant continue with this kind of political system, Farooque further added.

The fact that Father Abraham Joseph, a Catholic priest from Kerala has been selected as one of the vice presidents including one non-Muslim, Mrs. Lalitha Naik, a former Karnataka minister, comes as a master stroke for creating a larger secular image for the party. Out of 16 prominent office bearers of the WPI, there are 11 Muslims and 5 non-Muslims.

The convention was attended by several civil society representatives and hundreds of delegates from across the country.

The criminalization, communalization, commercialization and the sectarianization of politics are the biggest evils of our prevailing political culture and the WPI is committed to start a new era of value-based politics, added Farooque. We might be late in terms of our arrival on the political stage but we promise you that with our genuine and sincere efforts we will try to create an alternative political culture, added Farooque who is also the general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

The WPI is the result of coming together of several concerned civil society representatives belonging to different backgrounds, communities, classes and social and political groups. Prominent of them include Father Abraham Joseph, Lalitha Nair, a former Karnataka minister and the prominent social activist from the state, Zafarul Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette fortnightly, Ilyas Azmi, former MP and senior leader of BSP, Prof. Rama Panchal, an eminent social activist from Madhya Pradesh, Prof. Sohail Ahmad Khan, former chairman, Bihar Minority Commission, Prof. Rama Surya Rao, an academician besides several others.

The convention was also attended by dalit leaders including Tej Singh, president, Ambedkar Samaj Party who offered his full support and cooperation to the WPI in future.

With Mujtaba Farooque as its president, the Welfare Party of India has also got five vice-presidents  Ilyas Azmi, Father Abraham Joseph, Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan and Mrs. Lalitha Nair.

The five general secretaries of the WPI are Dr. SQR Ilyas, Prof. Sohail Ahmad Khan, Prof. Rama Panchal, Mrs. Khalida Parveen and Mr. PC Hamza. Mr. Abdus Salam M has been selected as its treasurer. The party has started with just 203 members but will soon start a membership drive across the country.

The occasion saw lots of speeches about ideal state of politics. SQR Ilyas, general secretary of WPI, for instance said that, We wanted to show that even an ordinary person on the street can empower him/herself by becoming part of alternative democratic politics and thats why launched WPI.

Mujtaba Farooque, president of WPI said that at present there are only two categories of people living in India, one is getting poorer day by day. Its a class which cant spend even 20 rupees per day and the other is getting only richer and richer. We want to change this oppressive process of marginalization by bringing about change through political participation.

The Welfare Party aims at realizing a value based welfare state governed by the principles of justice, freedom, equality and fraternity. It will strive for the establishment of the welfare state by recognizing and realizing the right to livelihood.





Leaders of the Welfare Party of India with the flag, Mujataba Farooque (extreme Right)



The other thing high on the agenda of WPI is facilitating equitable, just and inclusive growth besides bringing about empowerment of the weak and oppressed through affirmative action realizing the principle of social justice.

WPI leaders specifically emphasized the protection of cultural diversity by providing full opportunities to different cultures to thrive and realize the notion of linguistic, geographical and cultural federalism.

With a middle class and media led campaign against corruption, the disease also found mention in the party press note. WPI claimed to stand against any kind of corruption and will advocate for mechanisms of accountability and transparency at all levels of public life.

Sending a positive message to the fairer sex, the partys aims and objectives specifically talk about women rights in unique words. It mentions facilitating equal growth and development opportunities for women so that their femininity is respected and protected in its true spirit.

There are around 1200 political parties including 6 national parties, 44 regional parties and 1152 local political outfits in India. Its yet to be seen whether the Welfare Party of India bring about some change or just increase the count.


Help India!

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: The haste shown by Delhi Muslims and Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly, Mr. Shoaib Iqbal of the locality, in claiming and rebuilding the 17th century Akbarabadi Mosque on the site where its remains were found during excavation by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in early July 2012, was utterly nonsense. The Delhi High Court rightly acted fast and ordered its demolition  for maintaining peace and nipping plethora of disputes in the bud.

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The Akbarabadi Masjid was built in 1650 A.D. by Bibi Akbarabadi, the wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. But it was demolished by the British government after the first war of Indian independence in 1857.



Photo: The Sunday Indian



The DMRC earlier this month was digging beneath Subhash Park at stones throw from Shahjahani Jama Masjid for construction of an underground railway track and station of Delhi Metro. During the digging, some remains of the demolished mosque were found by labors. The news spread and the locals identified it as the remains of the Akbarabadi Mosque.

As the remains were found beneath the Subhash Park, which is a government property, a sensible approach should have been to approach the government with a request to give the site for reconstruction of the lost mosque. But it seems it was not done. First local Muslims started offering prayer at the site. Two Friday prayers were offered where several hundred Muslims attended, and then one day they started reconstruction of the mosque on their own. The act was simply illegal.

Even if it is true the mosque was standing at the same site for about 200 years until it was demolished in 1857, there is no point in reclaiming the site by the Muslims after finding remains and starting reconstruction. Will any one of us apply this in their own case?



Rapid Action Force personnel deployed to prevent any untoward incident around Akbarabadi Mosque site: Photo- The Hindu



For example, I have a three-room house at a small piece of land in Bihar. My father purchased the piece from a Hindu landlord well 25 years ago. It was unused, plain piece of land. I do not know what lies beneath my house. If today excavation begins beneath my house and suppose remains of a mosque or temple are found, will I allow rebuilding of the mosque or temple? Never. I repeat, Never. I think if the same happens with Shoaib Iqbal or any Muslim or Hindu, they too wont allow.

This is the same premise on which Muslims have challenged the claim of Rams birthplace at the site of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, and still fighting the case in court. They show land deeds that is in favor of the 16th century mosque and reject any claim on the basis of any excavation false or true.

Similarly more than 150 years have passed since the fall of Akbarabadi mosque and maybe after changing several hands, the site is now a government of India property on which Muslims have never claimed reconstruction of the lost mosque. There are thousands of mosques and temples lying beneath the surface of the land across the country. What about them? Will you reclaim all and rebuild them if their remains are found during excavation some day?

Who knows what lies beneath the majestic Jama Masjid of Delhi or Akshardham Temple? Should we start excavation? Never. I repeat, Never.


Help India!

By TCN News

New Delhi: Headlines Today broadcast yesterday what it claimed to be telephone conversations that shows that Ishran Jahan was indeed involved in an assassination attempt on Narendra Modi. A statement issued today by a group of activists and journalists questioned the timing of this revelation that has not been authenticated.

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Ishrat Jahan, along with three other men, was killed on June 15, 2004 in a fake encounter near Ahmadabad. Questions have been raised and an inquiry by Metropolitan Judge SP Tamang concluded in 2009 that it was a case of custodial killing.

Full Statement:

IBs desperate and dirty tricks to scuttle the Ishrat Jahan investigation

It is a clear indication of the desperation being felt by the IB establishment as the heat turns on its senior officers in the Ishrat Jahan probe, that they are down to doing what they do best: use pliant sections of the media to plant stories to deflect scrutiny and create a favourable public mood. Following the summons issued to IB Special Director Rajender Kumar by the CBI (which is probing the case on the direction of the Gujarat High Court), the IB Director first sought to sell the familiar old story of investigation will hit the morale of the IB  it seems as though a blanket immunity from any scrutiny and accountability is the only guarantee of IB morale. The IB then ran complaining to the Prime Minister; and when nothing worked, it used the agencys tried and tested trick of enlisting the support of discredited journalists.

The 24-hour news channel Headlines Today aired tapes of telephone conversations between alleged key operatives involved in the supposed assassination plot to eliminate Narendra Modi. Suggestions have also been made in a story in the Firstpost that the interrogation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation of David Headley has revealed Ishrat Jahans active involvement with the Lashkar e-Toiba.

Timing of the Telecast:

The tapes were aired less than 24 hours before a court hearing was scheduled in the Ishrat Jahan Case. The mischievous intent of the leaks and the telecast became clear when the Additional Advocate General of Gujarat Tushar Mehta arrived in the court with the two CDs and insisted that the court see these CDs, which according to him, would prove that the course of CBI investigation was wrong. The Court refused to place these CDs on record, asking the AG to hand this over to the relevant agency. The attempt was to undercut the investigation probing the conspiracy hatched by the officers of Crime Branch in eliminating Ishrat and three others by somehow tainting them with the terror tag. The Court put it in perspective, reminding the AG that no one could be killed in cold blood  and indeed that is what the CBI was investigating.

More than resolving issues, these so-called revelations have in fact raised more questions:

 Why are these tapes leaked to the press selectively now when investigators are closing in on Rajender Kumar?

 Why have these tapes not been placed before magistrate Tamang whose enquiry in 2009 concluded that Ishrat and others were killed in cold blood?

 Why were the tapes not placed before the SIT in 2011, which similarly reached the conclusion that the encounter had been staged?

 Did the IB provide any inputs to the Maharashtra government that local modules of Lashkar were residing in the state?

 Given that telephone transcripts are said to be referring to four other targets apart from Narendra Modi, with how many states and agencies did IB share the inputs?

 What are the exact dates when these telephone calls were recorded?

 How do we believe that the sasural being referred to in the telephone conversations means Ishrats home, given that there is no reference to Ishrat, or even to a woman operative?

 How many times did Rajender Kumar meet with Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police, Kaushik, apart from once orally informing about the intelligence lead?

 Has the IB seen the NIA interrogation report of the terrorist double agent David Headley? It makes no reference to any Ishrat Jahan.

 Did Rajender Kumar have a premonition about Headley who was interrogated in 2010, when he was orally conveying the intelligence inputs to Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police in 2004?

 How are FBI reports being cited by everyone from IB chief to sundry investigative journalists given that former Minister of Home Affairs had said that the US had been less than willing to share information on Headley with India?

One could ask several questions of the media too which chooses to air telephone calls without any forensic tests or voice tests, asking us simply to believe them because they have been working on the story. One could tell them that being the IBs chosen one for their dirty tricks is not something to be particularly proud of. One could tell them also that the business of investigative journalism demands that you be critical and cynical of letters that IB chiefs write and then leak at very crucial stage of investigation. And most of all, one could also ask them to refrain from grandly declaring telephone tapes as Ishrat Jahan terror tapes, especially if she is neither a caller nor being referred to in those tapes. But since there is no point in talking of ethics to those who compromise knowingly, we shall not.

However, the IB must answer all these questions. It cannot hide behind its flagging morale and continue to remain unaccountable to the Indian people. It cannot pretend to be above the law of the land? Why is it fighting off any investigation, trying to scuttle the interrogation of the Special Director IB?

Sd/-

Shabnam Hashmi (ANHAD), Manisha Sethi, Ahmed Sohaib, Sanghamitra Misra and Ambarien Alqadar (JTSA), Mansi Sharma (Activist), Mahtab Alam (Activist), Ajit Sahi (Journalist), Sukumar Muralidharan (Journalist), Amit Sengupta (journalist), Jawed Naqvi (journalist), Azam Khan (Activist), Kavita Srivastav (PUCL), Harsh Mander (writer and activist), Sheba George (Activist), Syed Zafar Mehdi (Journalist/ blogger), Anuradha Chenoy (Academic), Harsh Kapoor (Activist), Vineet Tiwari (Activist), Sandeep Singh (AISA), Bhasha (Journalist), Navaid Hamid (NIC) and many others

Released on 14th June 2013
Help India!

By Sheikh Qayoom

Jammu/Srinagar : If all goes well, the political stalemate in Jammu and Kashmir may end next week and a PDP-BJP coalition government will be back soon.

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Insiders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) say the alliance could take office before the end of February.

After saying for over a month that she wont head a PDP-BJP coalition unless New Delhi announces confidence building measures (CBMs), PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti seems to have decided to shake hands with the BJP.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who is in charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, would reach the state next week for one-on-one talks with Mehbooba Mufti, BJP sources told IANS.

Madhav drafted the agenda of the alliance with PDP leader Haseeb Drabu last year that brought the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to power at the head of an alliance that gave power to the BJP, albeit as a junior partner, for the first time in the countrys only Muslim-majority state.

With the PDP having its support base largely in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley and the BJP drawing support in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, the two parties have different outlooks on some issues although they have shared interests too.

The agenda of alliance cannot be revisited. That is something we have made clear. What Ram Madhavji will tell Mehboobaji is that the agenda cannot be revisited, but its implementation will be ensured in letter and spirit, a senior BJP leader told IANS.

The BJP, its leaders said, wont concede to talks with Kashmiri separatists, repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), wholly or partially, and would not ask the army to vacate land occupied by them as a precondition to Mehbooba Muftis swearing in.

The fact is the alliance is intact and we are going to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir shortly, a BJP leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed died in New Delhi on January 7, and the state was put under Governors Rule two days later as it became clear that his daughter Mehbooba was in no hurry to take charge of the new government.

This in turn fuelled speculation that she may be planning to dump the BJP and embrace the Congress.

The BJP leader insisted that Mehbooba Mufti took her own time because she was in mourning.

Asked about her statement that she wont be able to form a government as she did not have heavy shoulders like her late father, the BJP leader said: She has the right to ensure that she gets all the support from both the parties. Nobody should grudge her that.

She wants concessions from the central government for Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. That is what the agenda of the alliance is all about. Where is the confusion? he asked.

A senior National Conference leader and former minister told IANS that his party never had doubts that Mehbooba Mufti would eventually sail with the BJP whatever she may say publicly. That is going to happen.

The leader accused Mehbooba, a Lok Sabha MP, of causing confusion. She said she cant move forward (with the alliance) and still did not break it. What does that mean?

Some reports suggest that the central government may consider transferring an NHPC-owned hydropower project into the ownership of the state government to smoothen the ruffled PDP feathers.

If that happens and the talks with Ram Madhav end on a satisfactory note, Governors Rule is likely to give way to an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Help India!

New Delhi : Over 200 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were detained here on Friday for protesting against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University who raised anti-India slogans, police said.

We have detained members of ABVP who were protesting at the India Gate over the recent JNU controversy. They have been detained under the violation of Section 144, Deputy Commissioner of Police Jatin Narwal told IANS.

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The controversy broke out when on Tuesday night, some students organised a meet to mourn the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were raised.

ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Help India!

By TCN Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Radhika Vemula, the mother of Rohith Vemula, called for political unity among Muslims, backward communities and Dalits and said she would continue fighting to ensure justice for her sons death.

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Radhika was speaking to IUML mouthpiece Chandrika along with her younger son Raju Vemula, during a visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to attend the valedictory session of the Kerala Yatra, led by IUML leader P K Kunhalikkutty.

Radhika also wanted a legislation to ensure that no one in the country faces the same fate as that of her son.

Several leaders have visited and consoled us. But there was no such response from the Prime Minister, Radhika said.

We want justice. The persons responsible for Rohiths death should be brought to justice. We do not want to name any persons  but you all know who they are, she added.

Raju Vemula, an MSc student, said they along with the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (University of Hyderabad) would undertake a three-day Delhi Chalo programme and a march to Parliament later this month in order to ensure justice for his brother.

He went on to say that a campaign was going in campuses in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana for getting justice to Rohith Vemula.

Minister for Social Justice M K Muneer and Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes A. P. Anil Kumar also met Radhika Vemula and offered all support in her battle for justice.
Officials from the United States Foreign affairs ministry have said that they have sufficient evidence to the effect that the Government of Rwanda has been contributing immensely to the ongoing civil strife in the neighboring republic of Burundi.

In a statement, the officials have categorically stated that Rwanda has not only been training Burundian refugees who have fled to the country but it has also been arming them to fight the embattled president Pierre Nkurunzizas Burundian Government thus fuelling the ongoing Conflict in the tiny Central Africa nation.

Burundi has been witnessing civil unrestsince its President Pierre Nkurunziza refused to step down after serving for two terms but went ahead to vie for a third term against the wish of the countrys opposition and the civil society groupings a factor that led to the current civil War being witnessed in the country.

US officials say the information they have from their officers present in the refugee camps in Rwanda indicate that Rwanda has very actively been involved in the violence in the neighboring Burundi.

In an interview by the US congress, one of the diplomats said there are credible reports that the Burundian refugees including children have been trained in camps in Rwanda, and armed to join the Burundi rebels in a bid to over-power the Burundian government troops.

Violence erupted in Burundi last year after the country's president Pierre Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term.

Governments of both countries have groups that are predators, and there is growing international concern that the crisis could advance to another ethnic war in the region.

However in a quick rejoinder, Rwandas Foreign affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo has strongly denied the allegations by the US diplomat.

In a statement to the media, the minister has instead implored the United Nations to seek long lasting strategies to solve the Burundi political crisis rather than engaging in what she has described as baseless blame games.
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Australia's deputy prime minister announced his retirement today, with the prime minister likely to announce a cabinet reshuffle before elections due this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, who is the minister for regional development and infrastructure, told Parliament he will retire at the next elections.

Truss also immediately resigned as leader of The Nationals party, the government's junior coalition partner. His replacement as party leader will be decided by his colleagues later today and the new leader will automatically become the deputy prime minister.

Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb announced on Wednesday that he too will leave at the next elections.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made a major overhaul of the conservative government's cabinet in September after he replaced Prime minister Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot of lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Party.

He has yet to name a replacement for Minister for Cities and the Built Environment Jamie Briggs, who resigned in December over a drunken incident with a female public servant in a Hong Kong bar.

The futures of two ministers, Stuart Robert and Mal Brough, remain in doubt due to ongoing investigations. Turnbull's department is investigating whether Robert, minister for veterans' affairs, breached ministerial standards when he flew to China in 20014 to help a friend and Liberal Party donor secure a mining deal with the Chinese.

Brough stood aside as special minister of state and minister for defense materiel and science in December while police investigate allegations that he illegally accessed the diary of a former House of Representatives speaker.

Truss is expected to be replaced as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister by Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, who is currently the party deputy.
The United States has accused Russia of worsening the brutal Syrian conflict with its military action in support of President Bashar al-Assad, as talks unfolded in Munich on ways to resolve the crisis.

"It has been Russian support for the Assad regime over the past months, and most recently in the siege on Aleppo, that has exacerbated, intensified the conflict," State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters yesterday.

Toner's comments came after Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that any move by Gulf nations to send troops to support the rebels in Syria would risk the outbreak of a "new world war."



The State Department spokesman said that Moscow, with its air strikes that begun on February 1 over northern Syria, had "put the political process in jeopardy" as world powers try to put a stop to a ferocious civil war that has dragged on for nearly five years.

Foreign ministers gathered in Munich struggled to make any headway today on efforts to obtain a ceasefire. US Secretary of State John Kerry was among those present, along with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

"It is very concerning," Toner said.

Kerry has "spoken to the fact that given the disparate groups on the ground in Syria, the different factions and the different elements on the ground fighting each other, that this could worsen and could become a broader conflict," he added.

In response to a question about Medvedev's warning, Toner said, "If that is Russia's concern, then they should look at what they're doing to support the Assad regime."



For a week, the United States has been calling for an immediate ceasefire in Syria and humanitarian access to besieged rebel cities but has threatened an unspecified "Plan B" if talks fail.

Moscow has refused to confirm reports that its ceasefire would take effect only on March 1, giving another three weeks to an offensive which the UN says could place 300,000 people under siege.
Cameroon soldiers killed at least 27 Boko Haram fighters after launching a cross-border operation in the Nigerian locality of Goshi that also resulted in the death of one soldier, a senior military official said.

At least seven other soldiers were injured in the operation early yesterday, said General Jacob Kodji.

The Nigerian Islamic extremist group launched a series of attacks in Cameroon earlier this week, said Kodji. Ashigashiya straddles the border of northern Cameroon and Nigeria.

"At least 27 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Thursday morning's operation," said Kodji, commander of Cameroon troops in the area. The soldiers remain on the battle front there, he said.

Regional forces from Cameroon and Nigeria have since December 2015 been launching raids on Boko Haram strongholds along their borders, especially around Ashigashiya.

The Islamic militants began attacks across borders in 2014 and stepped them up early last year on neighboring Cameroon and other countries that have supported the Nigerian military's effort to crush Boko Haram.

In northern Cameroon, officials said two suicide bombers believed to have come from Nigeria on Wednesday killed 10 people and injured 40 attending a wake in a border village.

Attacks in Chad and Niger also are blamed on Boko Haram. Boko Haram's 6-year-old Islamic insurgency has killed 20,000 people, and displaced 2.5 million people, according to Amnesty International and the United Nations.
The Washington Merry-Go-Round pays tribute to the controversial themes of Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson, adding the significance of commentary to the relationship of raw political power and financial influence.




A Discernment and Apostasy watch site for African Saints. Prove all things..(1 Thesa.5:21) Test Spirits..(I John 4:1) Like the Bereans, check whether things are so(Acts 17:11)
N.Y. cop convicted in stairwell shooting

NEW YORK (AP)  A rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted Thursday of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations. Liang is the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty death since 2005.

The manslaughter charge, a felony, carries up to 15 years in prison, though no requirement for any prison time.

Einsteins ripples

in gravity detected

WASHINGTON (TNS)  More than a billion years ago, in a galaxy far away, two black holes surrendered to one anothers inexorable attraction and collided with such force it disturbed the very fabric of the universe.

On Thursday, scientists announced to the world they had detected the ripple-like gravitational waves that still course from this violent event and simultaneously confirmed a prediction made by Albert Einstein a century ago.

The detection, made with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, known as LIGO, is the culmination of a decades-long search for signs of this elusive phenomenon  and an achievement some said was on par with the discovery of the Higgs boson, which earned its theorists a Nobel Prize in 2013.

Last four Oregon occupiers surrender

to FBI

BURNS, Ore. (AP)  With the FBI tightening its ring around them, the last four holdouts in the armed takeover of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered Thursday, ending a 41-day standoff that left one man dead.

Federal authorities in six states also arrested seven other people accused of being involved in the occupation. Two more suspects remained at large. At least 25 people have now been indicted.

Meanwhile, Cliven Bundy, who was at the center of the 2014 standoff at his ranch in Nevada, was arrested late Wednesday in Portland after encouraging the occupiers not to give up. Bundy is the father of Ammon Bundy, the jailed leader of the Oregon occupation.

Mayor apologizes for billing dead boys kin

CLEVELAND (AP)  The mayor of Cleveland apologized Thursday to the family of Tamir Rice, a black 12-year-old boy fatally shot by a white Cleveland police officer, for the city having sent the administrator of the boys estate a decedents last dying expense claim of $500 for ambulance services.

Mayor Frank Jackson opened a City Hall news conference by saying, We want to start off again apologizing to the Rice family if in fact this has added to any grief or pain they may have.

Jackson said the claim was a routine matter but supervisors should have been alerted to whom it involved and that it shouldnt have been filed.

Judge: Cosbys wife must give deposition

BOSTON (AP)  A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday Bill Cosbys wife, Camille, must give a deposition in a defamation lawsuit against the comedian, but said she can refuse to answer questions about private marital conversations.

In the lawsuit, seven women claim Cosby defamed them by branding them as liars after they went public with accusations he sexually assaulted them decades ago.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been indicted as part of a federal child pornography investigation.

Forrest Lynn Rindels, 60, was charged with receipt of child porn and three counts of possession of child porn in an indictment returned Feb. 3 in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. It was unsealed Wednesday after Rindels was arrested by U.S. marshals.

He appeared in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. Trial is set for April.

The charges allege Rindels received images of minors engaged in sexual conduct between August 2001 and February 2015 and had child porn on a laptop computer hard drive, an external hard drive and a flash drive.

Court records show that agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation searched Rindelss Maryland Avenue as part of the child porn probe on Feb. 10, 2015. During the search, authorities also found marijuana plants growing in the house, and they seized four handguns and a .22-caliber rifle.

No charges were files in connection with the marijuana.
WATERLOO  A crumbling apartment building that bounced around in mortgage foreclosure is raising safety concerns among neighbors.

While city officials have tagged the vacant brick building at West Ninth Street and Grant Avenue as unsafe and unfit for occupancy, neighbors are struggling to maintain their patience.

Its really an eyesore but they just leave it and leave it and leave it, said Harold Youngblut, whos lived across the street from the building since 1964. Were basically concerned about the safety of the neighborhood now.

Previous owners attempted to keep bricks from falling off the front of the century-old building with chicken wire, but a large portion of the facade collapsed recently.

Bricks are still dropping, said Youngblut, noting people are walking close to the building and theres a school bus stop across the street.

City Attorney Dave Zellhoefer said the code enforcement staff have been attempting to remedy the situation since April 2013. But ownership changes and the fact property taxes and sidewalk assessments are current and paid have complicated those efforts.

This has been on our radar for a couple of years, Zellhoefer said. At one point we were promised the property was going to be foreclosed and then the mortgage company was going to fix it up and everything was going to be beautiful.

Black Hawk County property and court records indicate previous owner Dale Hilsenbeck defaulted on the mortgage and it was sold at a sheriffs tax sale March 18, 2015, to Greentree Mortgage Co.

The deed was acquired by the Federal National Mortgage Association in Dallas, Texas  better known as Fannie Mae  on May 5, 2015. Fannie Mae then sold it through an online auction site to an out-of-state investment firm.

Filings at the county recorders office show Fannie Mae sold the property Jan. 21, 2016, to Odell Nationwide LLC, based in Atlanta. An email sent to the firms registered agent asking about plans for the building was not returned.

Zellhoefer said the city will send a notice to the new owners giving them 20 days to remedy the hazard. Meanwhile, code enforcement officers will attempt to secure the property while the school district will be warned about the potential issue with the bus stop, he said.

Chris Western, who oversees blighted properties in the city planning department, said the concern about children is paramount.

The facade is falling off, Western said. We dont want a kid getting hit over the head with a brick.

Youngblut said the building also has been a haven for squatters and others who broke in to have parties. He hopes a wrecking ball shows up soon.

They tried to fix it up and paint it before, Youngblut said. Id like to see it knocked down myself.
Riding the expectations game is a bit like riding a tiger: Its hard to keep on top for very long.

Thats what Marco Rubio learned in Tuesdays New Hampshire primary.

The Florida senators close third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses sparked fears among fellow GOP candidates he might outflank them to become Donald Trumps major rival and concern among Democrats the Republicans might actually nominate their strongest potential standard bearer.

But Rubio froze under the pressure of a fierce verbal assault from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in last Saturdays GOP debate. When New Hampshire Republicans voted Tuesday, Trump won easily and Rubios hopes of running second faded to a disappointing fifth-place finish behind the billionaire builder, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and two others.

As a result, Rubio faces an uphill fight in the upcoming South Carolina primary and Nevada caucuses. And Democrats concerned about polls showing he might be their strongest general election rival might feel a bit better than after the Iowa voting.

To be fair, the New Hampshire results showed Democrats have their own serious problem. The breadth of Sanders decisive victory over Hillary Clinton signaled a long, drawn-out primary battle in which the former secretary of states onetime inevitability no longer seems so inevitable.

That can hardly please the Democratic establishment, which is heavily committed to Clinton and worried what would happen if the party nominated a 74-year-old self-styled democratic socialist.

But that fear was offset, at least for now, by the fact, once again, two of the three GOP leaders were Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who even Republicans fear would be weak general election candidates.

Trumps smashing victory, in which he more than doubled the vote of his closest rival, confirmed his position as the Republican to beat. And though New England is hardly favorable territory for the outspokenly conservative Cruz, the Iowa winner showed he remains someone to be reckoned with by finishing third.

Still, the total for Kasich, Bush, Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was far more than Trump got, suggesting Republicans could be headed for a lengthy three-way race if one of them could consolidate that support.

Christie indicated he would go home to New Jersey to reassess his chances after finishing sixth. But both Bush and Rubio headed for the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary, and Rubio vowed he wont repeat last Saturday nights halting debate performance in which he responded to Christies charge he was too young and inexperienced and too programmed by repeating the same criticism of President Barack Obama, nearly word for word, three more times.

The fact Kasich, Bush and Rubio all remain will make it hard for any of them to beat either Trump or Cruz in the Palmetto state. Foreshadowing the bitter campaign for survival about to unfold, Rubio aide Alex Conant suggested Trump cant be beaten if Bush stays in the race, and a Bush staffer disparaged Kasichs long-term chances.

Still, by finishing an unexpected second, Kasich kept alive his hope of maintaining his candidacy until the race reaches Michigan and his home state of Ohio next month. But the reality is he received a smaller percentage of the GOP vote than former Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. did in 2012. His candidacy, with a moderate tone markedly similar to Kasichs, flamed out after he finished third in New Hampshire.

Kasich has a stronger financial base and is a more substantial figure within the GOP than Huntsman but confronts significant obstacles in South Carolina and other even more conservative Southern battlegrounds.

Still, the nights biggest Republican loser was Rubio, whom Democrats have long targeted as the most formidable potential GOP rival.

Young Marco Rubio is in trouble, said Republican strategist Alex Castellanos, a fellow Cuban-American who has been highly critical of Trump and Cruz and friendly to Rubio. He was exposed, even though he is right and Chris Christie is wrong: Barack Obama was not too young to be an effective president.
Letters to the Editor





Reform needed

PAUL HIGGINS

WATERLOO  Throughout January, Iowans wisely implied theyd had it with establishment politics. Obviously not so on caucus night.

Disappointingly, 80 percent of the top vote-getters are/were senators. And in all the sweeping promises bellowed throughout meaningless debates, how many times have you heard the Three Elephants in the room meaningfully addressed? (1) $19 trillion debt, doubling in less than eight years; (2) the incompetent, gridlocked, corrupt and crony Congress that created that debt (without a hint of presidential leadership), (3) $400,000,000 in campaign funds; for a $400k/year job. Follow that money.

Google the numbers of Congress who are multi-millionaires. Almost an impossibility on their salaries.

Reform needed? Yes and now. Abolish every PAC, every damn political contribution, the electoral college and the obscenely unjust 73,000-page tax code. Close borders until we understand how 11-plus million got here illegally ... consuming debt-laden, diminishing resources. Soon we will pay more annually for debt service (interest) than we will for national defense. You getting much for your interest money? Rail on legislators. With 11 percent approval, why ever consider, yet elect, another?

Ignorance is illustrated as doing same things repeatedly while expecting different results. A meaningful debate would be Fiorina/Clinton.

Obama and Muslims

JAMES GLAZE

EVANSDALE  Not that anyone would be surprised about the truthfulness of Barrack Obama, but his affinity for Muslims is enough to question why. He was raised a Muslim until he says he became a Christian in the Rev. Wrights Hall of Hatred. This rant at the prayer breakfast about Muslims being part of the building of our nation is a bold-faced lie.

The only significant contribution to the early United States were the Africans that Muslims kidnapped and sold into slavery that ended up here.

Research will reveal the U.S. Cavalry hired a Muslim to help train camels for desert patrols. Didnt work out. Folks need to keep diligent about what is being taught as truth in schools, and rock the boat if you need to.
WATERLOO  Community Southern Baptist Church, 522 Anthony St., will celebrate its 39th church anniversary Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a special worship service at 1 p.m. Saturday, featuring the Rev. Lovie Caldwell of Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church and the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of Great Rivers Southern Baptist Association, as speakers. Pilgrims Rest Choir and a community mass choir will present the music.

There will be a fellowship meal served after the worship services on Saturday; there is no cost for the meal.

The anniversary event will close out with a worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday, with the Rev. Stephen Stevens, assistant pastor at Community and interim pastor at Shiloh Southern Baptist Church speaking. Community mass choir will perform music.

Everyone is welcome to attend. The Rev. Ted Keys is pastor.

CEDAR FALLS  The Search for Wholeness Conference featuring Christy Wimber is set for Feb. 19 and 20 at Heartland Vineyard Church, 1405 Greenhill Road.

Wimber, senior pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard Church in California, is a nationally- and internationally-recognized author, speaker and television host. She has spent the last several months working on a new prayer ministry model specifically for people affected with mental health issues.

Cost is $10 per person at the door or pre-register at hvchurch.org. Free coffee and snacks will be available at all sessions.

CEDAR FALLS - Orchard Hill Church, 3900 Orchard Hill Drive, will host its Lenten Lunch Speaker Series through March 16.

Each Wednesday during Lent a meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., followed by music and a speaker from 12:20 to 1 p.m. A $4 to $5 donation is suggested.

Speakers will include:

Feb. 17: Mike Brost, OHC (vegetable beef and bacon corn chowder)

Feb. 24: Dave Van Netten, Grace Reformed (chicken noodle, chili and split pea)

March 2: Steve Williams, First United Methodist (vegetable beef and tomato cheese)

March 9: Dave Kivett, Cedar Heights Presbyterian (cheeseburger and colony club bean)

CEDAR FALLS  Riverview Womens Ministry is hosting An Energetic Walk at 10 a.m. March 12.

People can enjoy a health group walk led by Deb Brauchler and a short talk on nutrition snacks by Lew and Karen Everling. Lew is a personal trainer and Karen is a nutritionist. There is no charge to participate and no registration required. Meet at College Square Mall, main entrance (by the Food Court) at 10 a.m. March 12.

For more information, email riverviewwomensministry@gmail.com, contact the Riverview Conference Center at 268-0787 or go to riverviewministries.com.
its a blog about my life. I can tell whatever I want to
Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian-Heritage Societies," which According to the Multicultural Policy Index employed by Adida and her colleagues in the book "," which I discussed a few days ago , Switzerland is closer to being multicultural than assimilationist. At the same time, it is closer to being assimilationalist than several other key European nations. A sign of that came this week in Geneva

The city of Geneva has decided to provide key administrative documents and public information in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Albanian and Arabic to help new residents integrate. Previously, many of these documents had been available only in French.

The authorities announced the move on Tuesday, explaining that every year Geneva welcomes more than 20,000 new residents, many of whom do not speak French.

The city of Geneva experiences major migration movements, Geneva mayor Esther Alder told the Tribune de Geneve on Wednesday. Around 50% of residents are of foreign origin and 10% of the population is renewed every year.

Now, to be sure, this is only Geneva. Switzerland's 26 cantons have a lot of individual discretion among them. And Geneva is a truly international city, hosting a lot of United Nations offices and other international bodies. By contrast, the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino banned the wearing of full face covers, especially burqas. And a popular referendum started in the canton of Bern led to a nation-wide ban on the building of minarets on mosques. For its part, a small group of Muslims then demanded that the cross be removed from the Swiss flag . On both sides, these are the kinds of actions that lead to a failure of Muslim integration in societies, which is why Geneva's positive move--even if a seemingly small gesture--is so important. This is exactly how California and most other U.S. states have responded to the inflow of immigrants. No matter how important it is for immigrants to learn the host language, the acceptance of their own language as a valid medium of communication is also crucial to the integration process.




Delta College professor Gerry Faverman speaks at a Vietnam War debate at Delta College in northern Michigan. I'm in the seats on the left side of the dias.

In my mom's large stash of old photos, I've gotten to the sixties and found this one of taken at a Vietnam War debate at Delta College just outside of Bay City, Michigan. It happened around 1965 or 66 at the height of the draft and of the action in Southeast Asia.

I was a sophomore at the community college which was a constant buzz of antiwar rhetoric. Protestors there were loud and strident, as well as nonstop. In classes, anybody appearing sympathetic to what the U.S. was doing in Vietnam were either shouted down or bullied into keeping quiet.

Looking at today's raucous political climate, it's easy to forget the sixties when U.S. soldiers could come home on leave in uniform to have people taunt them and accuse them of being killers.

I want my grandkids to know that I was involved during this time with the on-campus Students For Victor In Vietnam. I saw the United States as the good guys. We sponsored a big on-campus rally which featured a debate between two faculty members. It attracted lots of student and media attention.

That period shaped the rest of my life. The draft hung over my head during that whole time and kept me looking over my shoulder for the heavy breath of the military. When the draft lottery was created, my number was ten.

How do I feel about U.S. involvement in Vietnam? Have they changed since then? Yes.
By Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools Feb. 11, 2016 | 07:22 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

The Graves County School District has begun utilizing a district-wide app from SchoolWay, a leading developer of mobile applications for K-12 school systems. The goal is to keep the entire school community connected to important information delivered directly to smartphones and mobile devices for convenience.

The Graves County Schools official app from SchoolWay allows mobile users to receive real-time information via push notifications from the district and schools. Another feature of the mobile app is the capability to provide users access to information such as a phone directory, lunch menus, school calendars, and GPS mapping.

Graves Countys official SchoolWay mobile app empowers anyone in the community to stay connected with the information they want and need right on their mobile devices, said Graves County chief information officer Michael Boyd.

Superintendent Kim Dublin added, The release of this app for our district is an example of our commitment to provide our community members all of the districts information conveniently and easily, while making it more accessible. We are excited about how our district SchoolWay app will lead to a stronger, more connected school community.

The Graves County Schools free SchoolWay app is available for Apple and Android mobile devices. http://myschoolway.com/gravescounty.
Paducah Police looking for woman accused of allegedly stealing $6,600 in merchandise from Wal-Mart
Film criticism has been around for as long as people have been making movies, but after the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema reinvented the way we look at cinema, more and more audiences began to take the medium seriously as a legitimate art form. People started to pride themselves on their extensive knowledge of film, impressing others by discussing the intricacies of silent German Expressionist movies from the 1920's and obscure Czech animations from the 1950's... Ok, so not every film fanatic revels purely in art house material, but the rising popularity of film degrees in the download era means that audiences are more film literate than ever before. However, just like students of literature and art must learn about the classics in order to develop their understanding further, film buffs must also acknowledge the most important movies in cinematic history, even if they don't actually like them! As long as people continue to make movies, audiences will continue to argue over what the best film of all time is. Therefore, this list is not a definitive ranking of the best that cinema has to offer. Instead, these are 10 movies that all film buffs should see in order to appreciate the scope of cinema over the decades. If you're a hardcore film buff, check to see if you've seen all of these movies and if not, prepare to be educated... in the most fun way possible of course! Remember to let us know what you think of our choices in the comments section below!
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The media is full of awesome, ridiculously badass heroes in warfare, from the fictional cast of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan to John Rambo, everybody's favourite Vietnam vet and headband model. Even those with the most cursory knowledge of history will be aware of real life war heroes as well, whether it's Winston Churchill - the British bulldog who lead the country during the Second World War - or Oskar Schindler - who saved hundreds of lives whilst working undercover in the Nazi party.

There are plenty of soldier, spies and good samaritans that don't appear in the history books, though, people who have never had films made about them even though they're A. Just as badass and B. Just as important as the entire cast of Band Of Brothers put together.

War is an ugly, horrible thing that has plagued us since the dawn of man, but every once in a while you get a glimmering example of how good humanity can be. And how awesome they can be, too.

These are ten badass war heroes you've never heard of but, after you've read this, won't be able to stop going on about.

10. Ben L. Salomon

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Benjamin Lewis Salomon did not live a life of excitement. Unless being a dentist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is your idea of excitement, in which case the rest of this article is going to blow your tiny mind. Salomon was drafted into the US Army in 1940 although, thanks to his medical degree, he was posted as an officer in the Army Dental Corps rather than being stuck on the frontlines. As it happens he might've actually done better in the trenches than he did in the field hospitals, but all in good time...

Salomon saw his first Pacific Theatre combat in June of 1944, going ashore in Saipan, having already been promoted to lieutenant. Since dental work isn't a high priority when you've got German artillery bearing down on you, Benjamin went ahead and picked up the slack of the 2nd Battalion's surgeon, who had been wounded. Which is pretty nice of him, but don't worry, the real badassery is still forthcoming. Because as the battle continued in Saipan so did the casualties begin to rise, with the 2nd Battalion, the soldiers pushed back and Salomon's aid station set up about fifty yards behind the forward foxhole line.

Whilst patching people up and doing a few routine route canals, Japanese forces overwhelmed the medical tent and, rather than panicking like a little wuss - as we probably would've - he shot two enemy soldiers, headbutted another, and then provided covering fire so the wounded to escape.

When they returned to the tent later, the Battalion found Salomon dead. Surrounded by the bodies of about a hundred Japanese soldiers. This was a dentist, we would like to remind you.
MUNICH, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Major powers agreed on Friday to implement a cessation of hostilities in Syria and to expand delivery of humanitarian aid to people caught up in the conflict, officials said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters after a meeting in Munich that included Russia and more than a dozen other countries, said the target for implementing the nationwide cessation of fighting was a weeks time. He said the cessation would not apply to Islamic State and other militant groups fighting in Syria. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said ending fighting could only succeed if Russia stopped air strikes supporting Syrian government forces advance against the opposition. If implemented fully and properly  this (deal) will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria, Hammond said in a statement.

After five years of civil war, somewhere in the neighborhood of 250,000 dead (The official UN estimate, likely absurdly low), millions of refugees fleeing, and the rise of ISIS/ISIL, there may now be a chance for something resembling peace. Five years of unrelenting conflict later, to finally have some good news, to have any hope at all that the suffering and inhumanity might be ending is a welcome change. Realistically, no one familiar with Russia and the Syrian government should be holding their breath, but that both sides are talking about a cease-fire is progress.

Cautious optimism (VERY cautious) may well be the order of the day; no one should be assuming the role of Neville Chamberlain and proclaiming this agreement means peace in our time. Still, while the definition of peace isnt the absence of war, any cessation of hostilities is welcome news. With the cynically self-interested Russians and the Syrian government involved, theres no telling if theyll be true to their commitmentsor whether theyll abandon them as soon as they conflict with their perceived best interests.

I was fortunate to have traveled around Syria prior to the civil war, and I love the country and its people. OK, so its not exactly renowned for freedom, openness, and tolerance of dissent, but I found the people to be friendly, the history and architecture fascinating, and the food unique and excellent. That was then; now I suspect its very unlikely Id recognize the place. Places like Homs, which has been thoroughly destroyed by five years of war, look nothing like the vibrant, busy cities I experienced. Starvation, suffering, and disease have long since replaced the positives aspects of Syria I experienced during my time there.

Aleppo, one of my favorite places- and the largest city in Syria- is barely recognizable. I can remember standing on the ramparts of the citadel above the city and being able to see for miles as Aleppo spread out before me in all directions. I have a feeling about all Id see now would be destruction and rubble as far as the eye could see.
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NEW view various maps at Geohack: TinyURL.com/GreatSulfurPyramidsOfAlberta There are two ways to ship tar sands. One is by creating...
From TradeLab:

POSITION VACANT

Project Coordinator, TradeLab  International Economic Law (Trade and/or Investment)

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, together with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, the University of Arizona, Qatar University School of Law and a number of international partners, is the recipient of a research award from the Qatar National Research Fund.

The Project, under the overall direction of Professor Joost Pauwelyn, proposes to design and build an on-line TradeLab in Qatar, assembling a global network of experts and students on international trade and investment law to empower smaller stakeholders, be it small or poor countries, NGOs or SMEs, and help them reap the full development benefits of global trade and investment rules.

The proposed TradeLab will  linked to existing law clinics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Georgetown Law Center, University of Arizona and the University of Ottowa, and a new law clinic to be established in Qatar  provide key knowledge for policymakers and the non-governmental community  in Qatar and around the world  on negotiating, implementing, understanding and enforcing trade and investment treaties, along with access to global experts with substantial direct experience who can advise on specific issues and problems.

The Project Coordinator will be based in Doha for a two-year period, with occasional travel to Geneva and within the region. At the same time, the Project Coordinator will work closely with Professor Joost Pauwelyn, based in Geneva, and other project partners across the globe (including Professor Marc Busch at Georgetown University in Washington DC; Professor Sergio Puig at University of Arizona; and Including LawGives, a legal start-up based in Silicon Valley, USA and Legal.io, a legal technology company based in Silicon Valley, USA.

This position is fulltime for two years.

The successful applicant will possess or be about to receive an LLM or equivalent with a specialization in International Economic Law, with specific interest in and knowledge of trade law and/or investment law. The candidate should preferably have conversational Arabic and experience living in the Middle East. The successful candidate will also ideally have some exposure to web design methods but if not, will receive training within the Project.

The position will start on 15th April 2016 or as soon as possible after that date. The successful candidate will be expected to attend the project kick-off workshop from 29th to 31st May 2016.

Responsibilities:

The Project Coordinator will play a critical role in developing and coordinating the law clinic in Qatar, maintaining communication between Geneva and Qatar as well as coordinate and further develop the broader TradeLab network of law clinics, experts and beneficiaries/stakeholders. Specifically, the Project Coordinator will:

 Facilitate and maintain communication amongst the research team and beneficiaries.

 Be responsible for background research and information gathering.

 Assist the Lead-PI in Switzerland and Co-Lead PI in Qatar in preparations for the fieldwork components of the project, including interview content.

 Assist the Lead-PI in Switzerland and Co-Lead PI in Qatar to establish contacts within Qatar and the region.

 Assist in analysis and writing-up of research findings.

 Prepare all project outcome documents.

 Function as a communication conduit and first point of contact between the LPI, Co-LPl, PIs and other SFS Qatar / Qatar University research and administrative personnel and managing continuous follow up on all administrative aspects of the Project's workflow.

 Other duties as assigned.

Hiring will be done through Human Resources at GU SFS-Q. Recruiting for this position will mainly target international recent LLM graduates or candidates; alternatively, the position could be of interest to a more senior person looking for a new role. The position attracts a competitive package including an attractive salary plus housing allowance, fringe benefits (medical insurance), transport allowance, and home leave after 12 months.

To apply for this vacancy, please send a letter of motivation explaining your interest in the position together with your curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of three referees (these people will not be approached until a later stage) to: Dr Fadi Makki (makkifadi@yahoo.com) and Dr Theresa Carpenter (Theresa.carpenter@graduateinstitute.ch). More information in respect of the online platform can be found at www.tradelab.org and on the law clinics at http://graduateinstitute.ch/trade-law-clinic. Informal enquiries may be addressed to either Dr Makki or Dr Carpenter. Once the suitable candidate is found the position will be filled.

11th February 2016
If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

 Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first.

 Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well.

 What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that.

The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players.

 How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long!

 Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package  which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up.

 Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home.

Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice

It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices

 Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves.

 Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino.

 Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information.

 Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead.

With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks

Betway:

Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway.

Coral Casino:

Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account.

Ladbrokes Casino:

Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

Paddy Power Casino:

Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

William Hill Casino:

William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival.

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If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit.
Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir?

Canl Bahis Nedir?

Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir.

Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir.

Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr.

Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr?

Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr?

Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr.

Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri

Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr.

Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis

Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler.

Canl Bahis Taktikleri

Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir.

Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir.

Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar

Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz.

Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr.

Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma

Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz.

Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz.

Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz.

Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz.

Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr.

Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz.

Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme

Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir.

Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr.

Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler

Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak.

Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir;

Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi

Banka hesap bilgileri

Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura.

Kacak Iddaa

Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir.

Kacak Bahis

Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor.

Illegal Bahis

Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr.

Yasads Bahis

Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler.

Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir?

Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir?

Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Iddaa

Bilyoner

Tuttur

Birebin

Oley

Nesine

Misli

Iddaa

2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir.

Bilyoner

Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir.

Tuttur

Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr.

Birebin

Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor.

Oley

2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr.

Nesine

Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur.

Misli

2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri

Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir.

Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir.

Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr.

Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir.

Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz.
Feb 12, 2016 | By Alec

That 3D printing has become a respected artisanal craft is especially apparent in how well 3D printed works of art are doing in award competitions. Even the sometimes controversial, but well respected Blake Prize, the oldest art award in Australia is seeing the technologys merits. They have just awarded their first prize to Indian artist Yardena Kurulkar, for her amazing photograph series of a 3D printed terracotta replica of her own heart as it slowly decays.

This is the 64th Blake Prize to be awarded. The Prize was set up in the 1950s by a Jesuit priest and a Jewish lawyer to encourage the development of spiritual or religious works of art. It has since grown into a very large competition, and especially the shift from traditional religion to exploring spirituality has created much attention. It is open to all faiths, artistic styles and media, and this years competition attracted 594 entries. Ultimately, Kurulkars beat 80 other international finalists. It is the first time the prize has gone to an international artist.

And its hardly surprising that the judges were unanimous in their decision to give the award (and the $35,000 AUD that goes with it) to Kurulkar, who comes from Mumbai, India. Her work, entitled Kenosis, 2015 depicts a 3D printed ceramic heart (a replica of her own), that has been photographed 15 different times while it was slowly decaying into nothingness. It reflects, the artist says, the shape shifting ability of human nature. This work is an attempt to capture the erosion, resurrection and elusiveness of human life," she said.

The 45-year-old artist, who was a runner up in the previous competition, consciously named her work of art after a term in Christian theology, meaning the self-emptying of individual will to become receptive to Gods will. The heart is the first organ to develop in a fetus, she explains. Letting water run through it slowly destroys the unbaked ceramic, reflecting natural decay. I use water to portray the passage of time and also as an agent of purging  I let the viewer see what remains of this union  a heart-shaped something, a mere lump of clay This work is an attempt to capture the erosion, resurrection and elusiveness of human life. she says.

The judges were unanimously positive. The panel consisted of Reverend Tim Costello, chief executive of World Vision Australia, artist Leanne Tobin and Professor Amanda Lawson, executive dean of the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Wollongong. The heart is at the center of all faiths and when I saw the work it had a profound impact on me - we all empty ourselves into fragility at times, Reverend Costello said of the 3D printed heart replica art. Plus on a metaphoric level, I think the toxic debate on asylum seekers that has paralyzed us for 15 years and the smashing of foreign aid under Tony Abbott is a loss of heart.

The director of sponsor Casula Powerhouse Kiersten Fishburn further said that this years entries were all of an extremely high caliber, making the victory all the more impressive. There is something primal and rich about the use terracotta and the form of the heart. The work is a moment of both life and death, she said. This year's Blake Prize is one of the best in its history  we have so much diversity from traditional art techniques to video works. According to art critic John McDonald, it is always very difficult to gauge what the judges are going for. The only thing you can be sure of is that something religious  like a crucifix or an icon  isn't going to win, he said.

But Kurulkars work is truly remarkable. Her method of using with unfired clay emerged while working in Canada, where she noticed that the harsh winter sapped moisture from the clay, leaving it cracked and broken. The unintentional and unstoppable decay sparked comparisons in my mind with human flesh, that allowed me to address a long-standing preoccupation with death, she says. And by combining that with a truly impressive 3D printed heart replica, it was impossible for the judges to ignore her.

If youre interested and happen to be in Australia, the Blake Prize exhibition will open to the public on February 13, at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney. The exhibition closes on 24 April, before going on tour throughout Australia.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Feb 12, 2016 | By Kira

Toy manufacturer Mattel is launchingor, rather relaunchingits original maker-movement-toy, aptly named the ThingMaker, as an affordable, colorful, and family-friendly 3D printer. Mattel teamed up with Autodesk in early 2015, who has created an easy-to-use ThingMaker Design app where children can customize and design simple 3D models. The ThingMaker 3D printer will be available to purchase through Amazon later this year for just $299.99.

Did Mattel invent the first kid-safe, consumer 3D printer way back in the 1960s? It seems unlikely, and, as well see, the original ThingMaker wasnt exactly using additive manufacturing technology as we understand it today, but at its heart, it was about encouraging kids to create 3D objects from scratchthe very essence of the now-exploding maker movement.

The ThingMaker, originally introduced in 1963 and later rebranded as Creepy Crawlers, consisted of die-cast molds in the shapes of bugs, dragons, flowers, and even Hot Wheels. Kids poured a liquid plastic (Plastigoop) over the molds, baked them in the oven at 390F, and voila: a new set of rubber-like, 3D toys to play with.

Mattel's original ThingMaker toyset

Though Mattels Creepy Crawlers havent exactly been flying off the shelves since, well, the late 1970s, the company is now seeking to capitalize on the growing popularity of 3D printing technology, all while giving kids a chance to learn while they play.

The ready-to-print ThingMaker 3D printer, which uses standard and non-proprietary PLA filament, was designed for users age 13 and up, and with child-safety in mind. For example, the door automatically locks when printing begins, and when finished, the heated print head retracts into a special recess, protecting tiny, curious fingers. The 3D printed toy parts are also rated as safe for kids 3+, making the entire process as family-friendly as possible.

For their 3D designing needs, kids and families can download the ThingMaker Design app, currently available for iOS and Android. The app, created by software experts Autodesk, provides templates and a palette of drag and drop parts, allowing kids to select pre-made designs (fairies, dinosaurs, skeletons, robots, wearables, and more) and customize them in terms of shape, size and color. The app was also designed to be compatible with other standard 3D printers, or can even be used just to let kids get the feel for 3D modeling.

All physical behaviors are as it would be when it was actually printed out, so you can get an idea for how it is going to mechanically move and what the limits of all the joints and sockets that you create are, said Dan Pressman, creative director and Autodesk.

Autodesk is dedicated to providing powerful, yet easy-to-use 3D design and 3D printing apps to unlock the creativity in everyone, said Samir Hanna, vice president and general manager, Consumer and 3D Printing, Autodesk, back when the original partnership was announced in 2015. Partnering with an iconic brand like Mattel provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate how Spark, our open 3D printing platform, can help create amazing experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds and push the boundaries of creative play.

There has been a growing number of 3D printing products designed specifically to get kids interested in making, and potentially lead them into STEM-related studies. In October, Qubea launched a Kickstarter for the $150 Rever 3D printer, and more recently 3Doodler created a totally kid-safe 3D printing pen.

Mattel is thus looking to tap into this market, while bringing its expertise in play and toy creation to the table. We think this is the perfect time for us to come out in the market with a product thats disruptive in our opinion, said Aslan Appleman, a senior director at Mattel.

And of course, creating an additional point of entry for some of their most famous toy brands doesnt hurt either: Obviously we have quite a few iconic brands in our portfolio as well as access to partner brands. You can imagine thats part of our longer term strategy, said Appleman. Licensed 3D printed Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, and Mega Bloks would almost surely be an instant hit.

The ThingMaker Design app is currently available for iOS and Android, and though the ThingMaker 3D printer itself wont be available until Fall 2016, you can preorder it from Amazon as of next week. Mattel has said that they plan to use the time between now and then to gain further insight into how kids and their families will use the 3D printer, and what they can do to improve it. Its been 53 years in the making, but the ThingMaker Movement has officially begun.

Posted in 3D Printer

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Henry wrote at 2/16/2016 1:33:22 AM:It's sad to see when big companies scoop up what smaller companies have been working on for a while. This is literally just a copy of the Toybox printer at www.make.toys




Feb 12, 2016 | By Kira

What is the future of metal additive manufacturing? Currently one of the fastest growing segments within the industrial 3D printing market, metal 3D printing provides major advantages in the fields of aerospace, defense, automobile, medical, alternative energy and more. As such, we have seen a slew of advancements in metal-based 3D printing technology, from enhanced metal powders to new metal 3D printers.

Looking to what the future has in store, Jack Beuth, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon Universitys College of Engineering, has predicted what he thinks will be the five key advances in metal additive manufacturing over the next five years. Curious? Read on to find out:

Metal 3D printed lattice structures made at CMU

1. Process Design: The first key trend in metal additive manufacturing has to do with the process itself, rather than the finished 3D printed product. Users will be able to design the additive manufacturing process as they design the geometry of a part; therefore, the additive manufacturing process variables can be optimized based on the part geometry and specifications, said Beuth.

Beuths Additive Manufacturing Lab has in fact developed Process Mapping Methods for representing AM process outcomes such as melt pool geometry, microstructure and susceptibility to flaw formation in terms of primary AM," which he explains in the video below:

2. Monitoring and Control: The second advancement has to do with advanced sensors. According to Beuth, current metal 3D printing processes are not being significantly monitored or controlled, however in the near-future, users will have full knowledge of what is going on thanks to more advanced sensors and monitoring software, and therefore a better understanding for how to control the final output.

3. Material Microstructure: By manipulating the additive manufacturing process while a part is being built, researchers will be able to control the material microstructure and properties of 3D printed parts, and even vary the microstructures in different locations of a single 3D printed part.

Researchers at ETH Zurich for example have developed a micro-3D printing process for microscopic metal objects.

A GE Engine Bracket and NIST part, 3D printed at CMU

4. Metal 3D printing Powders: Many metal 3D printing powders currently on the market contain a variety of inconsistencies that can lead to defects within the finished, 3D printed part. However, Beuth predicts that a much wider variety of metal 3D printing powders will soon emerge. Already, Equispheres has announced a new line of enhanced metal powders, and Northwestern Engineers have developed a faster and cheaper way to 3D print with rust. The metal 3D printing powder market is expected to reach $639.9M by 2020, so this prediction is definitely on target.

5. Porosity: The last key advancement in metal 3D printing relates to the possibility for users to either eliminate, or explicitly design the internal porosity of a 3D printed metal object. The ability to control for porosity will have a significant effect on fatigue resistance and build rate, said Beuth.

In addition to teaching Mechanical Engineering at his Additive Manufacturing Lab, Professor Beuth is Director of the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon. The NextManufacturing Center is a leading research centre for additive manufacturing, and its researchers are current working on projects closely related to each of the five advancements discussed above.

Professor Jack Beuth

NextManufacturing research at Carnegie Mellon will help enable these advances, which will significantly increase build rate and reduce cost, improve properties such as fatigue resistance, allow for customization of the entire process, and, ultimately, increase the widespread adoption of metals additive manufacturing, said Beuth. At the Center, we are developing an entirely new approach to metals additive manufacturing  merging data from all parts of the process to create a fully integrated understanding of the technology. This approach will optimize part geometries, material properties, cost and design.

Previously, Beuth and his colleagues predicted the top 10 applications for metal 3D printing, which included high performance racing car parts, custom dental implants, 3D printed jewelry, custom surgical tools, lightweight jet engine parts, hip and knee replacement parts, and more.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Feb 12, 2016 | By Kira

The Faircap Project is a collaborative, clean water initiative, whose aim is to create an affordable open source 3D printed water filtration device that could provide clean, safe, drinkable water to those in need. The startup has already created a working prototype, but is now calling on engineers, designers, microbiologists, or anyone interested in helping to pitch their own open source ideas and make the Faircap filter as low cost and accessible as possible.

Who knew that one could be such a powerful number? Only one percent of the worlds water is drinkable, meaning nearly one billion people currently live without access to clean water, leading to an increase in death and water-related diseases. Yet at the same time, one dollar could be all it takes to make a functional, portable 3D printed water filter that works with standard PET water jugs and uses readily available materials.

That is The Faircap Projects vision. Led by social entrepreneur and economics graduate Mauricio Cordova, The Faircap Project began when the Peruvian-born entrepreneur traveled to the Amazon Rainforest, where he was struck by the amount of industrial and chemical waste contaminating this once-pristine environment. I realized that no matter where you are in the planet, we all will be suffering from more contamination from human and industrial activities in rivers, lakes and natural water reserves, he said.

3D printed prototype version

Having previously been exposed to the open source and maker movements while working in Barcelona, he decided to apply the concepts of digital fabrication, crowdsourcing, eco-hacking and collaboration to find a solution for this global clean water crisis.

The Faircap 3D printed water filter, developed after extensive research and testing, is able to filter particles, chemicals, bacteria and viruses from the dirtiest of water, all while fitting onto a standard sized water bottle. To make one, all you need is a 3D printer, food-grade, FDA approved PET plastic filament, the free STL files, and household items such as charcoal from a BBQ, cotton swabs, and an empty 5-8 liter water jug.

There is, however, one more element involved, and this is where potential collaborators are being asked to help: While the charcoal and salt clean the water of floating matter and chemicals, ridding water of pathogens requires one of two options: leaving the filtered water in direct sunlight for four hours, which is not always possible, or using an ultrafiltration (UF) plastic filter cartridge. UF cartridges have pores so small that bacteria and viruses cant pass through. While extremely reliable, they arent always accessible.

The Faircap Project is thus looking for an open source, DIY solution to either make their own ultrafiltration filter or another portable UV light system while keeping the entire projects costs down.

In order to help out, the company has launched a crowdfunding campaign where you can pre-order the first Faircap filters and help get the first 1,000 units manufactured. You can also download the STL files via the Instructables page and come up with new, creative solutions of your own. In the long-term, Faircap envisions offering various different models of the 3D printed filter, which could be adapted to purify contaminated water from taps, wells, lakes, rivers or even pondsall while keeping the standard unit price at just $1.

"Water is the operating system (OS) for life, without clean water we would not be able to survive," said Cordova. "Clean water technologies should be shared and open sourced, to innovate on design and make them easily accessible for the people who need them most."

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Peter Holley in The Washington Post:

A Virginia school district has banned the use of an educational video about racial inequality after some parents complained that its messaging is racially divisive. The four-minute, animated video  Structural Discrimination: The Unequal Opportunity Race  was shown last week to students at an assembly at Glen Allen High School, in Henrico County, as a part of the schools Black History Month program. The video contextualizes historic racial disparity in the United States using the metaphor of a race track in which runners face different obstacles depending upon their racial background. It has been shown hundreds of thousands of times at schools and workshops across the country since it was created more than a decade ago, according to the African American Policy Forum, which produced it.

The video is designed for the general public, said Luke Harris, co-founder of the African American Policy Forum and an associate professor of political science at Vassar College. We produced something you could show in elementary and secondary schools or in college studies courses. He added: We found that the video has a huge impact on the people that were showing it to. Most of us know very little about the social history of the United States and its contemporary impact. It was designed as a tool to throw light on American history. But in Glen Allen, about 14 miles north of Richmond, some parents complained, calling it a white guilt video. Henrico County Public Schools officials initially defended the video, saying it was one component of a thoughtful discussion in which all viewpoints were encouraged. But after the story began to spread nationally, school officials switched gears, labeling the video racially divisive two days later.

More here. (Note: At least one post will be dedicated to honor Black History Month throughout February)
Rich Yeselson over at Crooked Timber:

A few days ago, Matt Yglesias wrote me an email which asked a great question about American politics and the seeming movement to the left of the Democratic Party. In the wake of Bernie Sanders landslide victory in New Hampshire over Hillary Clinton, Matts question seems even more pressing and interesting. With his permission, I quote it below:

Whats your theory as to how the labor-liberal forces inside the Democratic coalition seem stronger than every (Hillary is now against TPP and facing a fierce challenge from a socialist) even as actual labor unions seem weaker than ever. This is 180 degrees the opposite of the trajectory that I and everyone else were forecasting 10 years ago where either there would be a labor revival (card check, etc.) or else Dems would drift right without an anchor.

Heres how I responded to Matt, with a bit of editing and revision to convert it from private e-mail prose into something a bit more formal:

One should note, too, regarding the context of your question, Obamas recent executive orders, which have benefited millions of workers. And, of course, the Sanders campaign. Its a fascinating thing, isnt it? I think its a case of something about which Marx would have been skeptical: a powerful cultural superstructure constructed on top of an emaciated base which, in turn, becomes grounded in a nascent materiality of its own. Even theorists of the base-superstructure divide like Raymond Williams did not imagine that residual cultural formations would influence emergent ones without themselves passing through a dominant ideological stagebut that seems to have happened here in the case of the old unionism presaging a new laborism atop a weakened contemporary labor movement. So unions and a kind of union ideology have spawned this laborism even as labors own political, cultural and economic power continues to wane. Unions have succeeded not in organizing a greater percentage of workers into union members, but, instead, in organizing a significant sub-sector of the educated elite into becoming advocates for labor: academics and writers, and the students that become not only academics and writers, but also go on to work directly for unions. We also see this dynamic in the organizing drives taking place throughout the new media landscape, something I wrote about in TNR last year:

For about 30 years, a goal of the most sophisticated sectors of the labor movement has been to import the talents and commitment of the college educated middle class onto union staffs, and to export, via programs like Union Summer, the Organizing Institute, and organizing campaigns on college campuses, the ethos of unionism to colleges and other precincts of the professional liberal elite. One milestone in this effort, for example was the union-intellectuals conference at Columbia in 1996, for example, which called for an explicit alliance between leftist intellectuals and unions and featured keynote addresses by Betty Friedan, Richard Rorty, and Cornel West and John Sweeney, then president of the AFL-CIO. And this strategy worked!

More here.


Market Update - Strong Start to 2016

Sydney, Feb 12, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Leading big data solutions company Invigor Group Limited ( ASX:IVO ) ("Invigor" or "the Company") provides the following update on 2015 financial results and outlook for 2016.



31 December 2015 financial results



The Company will release its Appendix 4E - Preliminary Report by 29 February 2016. It is anticipated reported revenue for 2015 will be $5.2 million (subject to audit completion). Invigor previously provided revenue guidance of $6.0 million to $7.0 million for the period. The Company also previously released EBITDA guidance for 2015 of $0.5 million to $1.0 million1. Invigor now anticipates reporting a consolidated loss before interest, tax, impairments, depreciation and amortisation of between $1.5 million and $2.0 million (subject to audit completion). Executive management and senior staff changes which occurred during the last quarter of 2015 significantly impacted the revenue generated by Australian operations, with significant one off costs, resulting in a direct effect on the bottom line result.



2016 outlook



The Company has made a positive start to 2016 with recent management appointments, contract wins for Insights Retail and increased downloads of Shopping Ninja establishing confidence that Invigor is well positioned for growth in 2016.



Since Invigor completed its acquisition of Condat in December 2015, the companies have successfully commenced integration of its respective operations. The acquisition will particularly strengthen the Insights Visitor platform through use of Condat's smart media and mobility solutions.



Invigor expects to realise a number of non-core assets during the March 2016 quarter. Up to $3.0 million is expected to be received from the claim before the appointed Creditors' Committee of KIT digital, Inc. combined with the realisation from the proposed MVID transaction announced on 26 November 2015.



Invigor also announced on 2 February 2016 the sale of its non-core services business for $180,000 with potential for further consideration of up to $500,000 based on performance of that business over twelve months. The realisation of these non-core assets will allow resources within Invigor to focus on the key Insights Retail and Visitor products.





About Invigor Group Ltd





Invigor Group (ASX:IVO) uses its complementary suite of big data products to source, aggregate, analyse and publish content for the benefit of businesses and consumers.

Today its interconnected data sets enable enterprise clients including retailers, brands, shopping centres and government bodies to identify and better understand competitors, consumers, markets and demographics while providing the consumer with the best value-for-money.

Using its current products and a pipeline of additional offerings Invigor will have the ability to provide an end-to-end solution spanning sales, product management, business intelligence, marketing, advertising, content creation and distribution, while monetising each step of the process.
IMGCAP(1)]Now that 2016 is well underway, organizations across the country are looking for opportunities to boost their business and consolidate their spending through annual budgeting processes.

For many businesses, this also means parsing through new or updated tax credits and incentives related to hiring, training, investing in the economy and more. However, many businesses frequently overlook the 2015 tax credits for which they may still be eligible, such as the Federal Empowerment Zone Tax Credit or the Federal Indian Employment Credit, due to a lack of the right technology or not having the proper processes in place.

There are processes and analytical tools designed to help businesses monitor and track the tax credit landscapeto capture both 2016 credits as well as retroactive 2015 credits for which they are eligible. By using these tools, organizations can gain insights into their eligibility for possible tax credits.

Five of the common types of tax credits that pertain to businesses nationwide include negotiated, hiring, investment, training, and transferable tax credits. These credits are designed to encourage various types of corporate activity by incentivizing businesses to hire certain groups of workers, expand operations or invest in certain areas of the country, among other things. Additionally, many states are creating pre-certification tax credits that target similar business activities as many of the other statutory tax credit types but also have an application process or pre-approval process similar to negotiated incentives.

Navigating the array of available tax credits and incentives starts with understanding a companys strategic objectives and identifying which credits can help achieve those goals. Then with the right technology in place, the process can be much simpler and smoother.

When considering 2015 tax credit opportunities, businesses based in some states may be eligible to retroactively claim certain tax credits. For example, in states like Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee, there are still some 2015 tax credits available that primarily focus on job creation and property investment.

The Georgia Jobs Tax Credit of 2015, for instance, provides $750 to $4,000 per year for each new job that is created, with the ability to seek credits retroactively for one year. On the other hand, the South Carolina New Jobs Credit gives employers the ability to look at credits for the previous three years, and the program offers $1,500 to $8,000 per year for each newly created job. Both credits can be claimed over a five-year period, but the requirements and limitations vary, so it is important for businesses that operate in multiple states to understand the variations between credits. Tax credits and incentives are in no way one size fits all.

In addition to the state-specific 2015 tax credits, there are also retroactive options available at the federal level such as the Federal Empowerment Zone Employment Credit, which rewards up to $3,000 per eligible employee, and the Federal Indian Employment Credit, which rewards as much as $4,000 per eligible employee.

The tax credits landscape is complex. Because its so easy for companies to overlook credits for which they may be eligible, its important to implement and continue to evolve using the latest technology to help streamline the process. By capturing eligible tax credits from 2015 and the upcoming year, companies can help reduce their tax liability, lower their effective tax rate and improve their overall bottom line.

For more information, a list of available 2015 tax credits is available here.

Paul VanHuysen is the director of tax at ADP Tax Credit Services and has more than 13 years of experience in the tax credits and incentives industry.
Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea has become the latest multinational company to be accused of dodging taxes.

A new report from Green Party members of the European Parliament features graphics mocking the style of the diagrams included by Ikea in the assembly kits for its products, showing how Ikea shifts royalty fees and profits to entities in low-tax countries such as the Netherlands, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

For 2014, the researchers estimate the tax strategies led to 35 million ($39 million) of missing tax revenues in Germany, 24 million ($27 million) in France and 11.6 million ($13 million) in the United Kingdom. The report estimates that countries such as Sweden, Spain and Belgium are probably losing between 7.5 million ($8.4 million) and 10 million ($11 million) as well.

The company defended its tax policies. Ikea Group has not received the alleged Green/EPA group report, said a statement forwarded by spokesperson Mona Liss. Thus, Ikea Group cannot provide comments on its content. The Ikea Group pays taxes in accordance with laws and regulations, wherever we are present as retailer, manufacturer or in any other role. We have a strong commitment to manage our operations in a responsible way and to contribute to the societies where we operate.

Ikea noted that it paid 822 million ($922 million) in corporate taxes on a global basis in its fiscal year 2015, an effective corporate income tax rate of 19 percent. Local and other taxes, such as property, business and environmental taxes together with custom duties, totalled  700 million ($787 million). Thus, the total tax charge was more than 1.5 billion ($1.7 billion). Ikea also collected substantial taxes on behalf of governments, such as VAT and employee taxes, the company noted.

In explaining its finances, the statement said Ikea Group, as well as any other Ikea franchisee, pays a 3 percent franchise fee to Inter Ikea Systems B.V., the worldwide franchisor and owner of the Ikea concept. The franchise fee is an operational cost. The franchise agreement gives Ikea Group the right to operate Ikea stores under the Ikea trademark. Ikea Group has the franchise right to operate Ikea stores in 28 markets. Other franchisees have the right to operate Ikea stores in additional 19 markets worldwide. All franchisees outside of Ikea Group also pay the 3 percent franchise fee.
The recently appointed chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, R-Texas, described some of his tax reform priorities in a speech Friday.

Last November, Brady succeeded Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as chairman of the committee after Ryan became Speaker of the House. Our tax reform will be based on six core principles, he said during a keynote speech before the Tax Council Policy Institutes 17th Annual Tax Policy & Practice Symposium in Washington, D.C. First, the tax code must be simpler, fairer, and flatter. Today, individuals, families and small businesses must grapple with a tax code that is impossible to understandand that has to change.

Brady believes tax reform must close loopholes, eliminate special rules and limit the deductions, exclusions and credits that riddle the tax code today in order to lower rates for everybody. Well-advised taxpayers today use an array of complex tax provisions to minimize their taxes under the law, he said. But that complexity is a waste of resources that distorts investment decisions, leads to disputes with the IRS, and takes critical time and capital away from running successful businesses.

He said businesses both large and small should have a competitive tax system, including a fair and competitive tax rate. Small businesses, which are typically operated as S corporations, LLCs, or partnerships, deserve a tax system that encourages growth, he said. Small businesses should not believe that their tax rate places them at a disadvantage to large C corporations.

Brady wants the tax code to stop encouraging the shift of jobs overseas. Too many American businesses are being acquired by foreign corporationsor engaging in inversion transactions to avoid being a ripe target for foreign takeover, he said. We need a tax code that encourages businesses to locate their operations in the United States, creating jobs here at home and helping to grow our economy.

Brady would like to institute a territorial type of tax system. "We need to replace the current world-wide tax system with a permanent modern territorial-type system that helps American companies compete and win overseasand then easily bring earnings back home to invest in new jobs, research and growth, he said. No one has yet convinced me that a stranded American dollar left overseas is better than a dollar brought home for any reason.

He believes the tax code should encourage economic growth and plans to work on tax reform this year, even though few anticipate many changes until after the elections. However, he pointed to changes in last Decembers PATH Act, which made a number of traditionally temporary tax extenders into permanent parts of the tax code.

"Our work this year will ensure we are ready to address all aspects of our tax system from individual to domestic businessboth small and largeto international business, said Brady. That means we will be very busy in 2016, soliciting bold and innovative ideas from members of Congress, from stakeholders like you, and from the American people.

He promised several upcoming actions from the Ways and Means Committee.

"This year, our committee is leading an inclusive GOP conference-wide effort to produce a blueprint that details our consensus vision for comprehensive pro-growth tax reform, said Brady. This blueprint will reflect consideration of the wide range of ideas and proposals that are part of an open and robust dialogue on tax reform. Well bring together the best elements for the pro-growth tax policy that the U.S. economy needs and that Americans have a right to expect from their government.

Brady also plans to draft legislation for international tax reform, especially in light of the wave of corporate tax inversions in recent years.

"At the same time, we will move forward immediately to draft international tax reform legislation, said Brady. Our work on international tax reform will be an integral part of our work on comprehensive tax reform. Our work here will be a down payment that clears the way to focus on the work on lowering rates and simplifying the code for all businesses and individuals, so that we are ready to enact comprehensive tax reform in 2017. We will send a clear signal to American companies and shareholders that help is on the way that we wont stand idly by while our tax code drives them overseas or makes them a target for a foreign takeover.

Brady pointed to changes ushered in by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Developments Base Erosion and Profit Shifting action plan, also known as OECD BEPS, which is seeking to force multinational companies to pay taxes in the countries where they operate. He is concerned about not only OECD BEPS, but also recent moves in the European Union to probe the tax arrangements of U.S. companies.

"The OECD with its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting or BEPS project is recommending new tax approaches that would disproportionately burden American global businesses, said Brady. Countries around the world are following the OECDs lead and implementing aggressive new tax measures. And the European Union just announced an unprecedented plan to arm its member countries with a whole arsenal of new revenue-grabbing tax measures. Worldwide American companies are rightly concerned that the BEPS project will result in higher foreign taxes, higher compliance costs, and double taxation as the project redraws the lines of cross-border taxation. Ultimately, many of them could be forced to restructure their business operations and move U.S. activities, such as research and development, overseas. This isnt a hypothetical; we see it happening today. And to add insult to injury, the European Union state-aid investigations are threatening to impose retroactive taxes going back ten years on American businesses. We cannot allow American taxpayers to foot the bill for increased tax collections in Europe and elsewhere.

He asked for input from tax professionals to help inform the work of his committee. "We need you to provide your ideas about tax reform in general and about specific proposals that affect our families and our communities, our businesses small and large, and our economy overall, he said. I appreciate your help and thoughtful work on these important issues. The American people expect leadership and actionand thats what they will see from the Ways and Means Committee. And, I can assure you that I am committed to making pro-growth tax reform a reality.
What do Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz, Rachel Weisz, Meg Ryan, Drew Barrymore, Will Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Eva Mendez, Adam Sandler, Matthew Broderick and Ryan Reynolds have in common? They all bring alive the love on screen, on the destination for Love and Laughter, Romedy NOW.

Romedy NOW invites its viewers to celebrate Love throughout the day with a very special lineup of lovable movies to warm your hearts on Valentine Romedies from 9am to 9pm on February 14, 2016. The films are: Hitch, Along Came Polly, My Best Friends Wedding, Addicted to Love and 50 First Dates.

At 9pm, Romedy NOW will bring, for the first time on Indian television, the romantic musical comedy Begin Again, starring Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley and Adam Levine. The film has an engaging storyline that revolves around music, loss and love.

Hitch stars Will Smith as New York City's greatest matchmaker whose job is Love, and who guarantees he will get you the girl of your dreams in just three easy dates. But who, alas, finds his formula doesnt work for himself when he gets smitten by tabloid columnist Sara Melas, played by Eva Mendes, who is appalled that hes a date doctor!

Along Came Polly starring Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller and Debra Messing, is the story of a newlywed young man (Ben Stiller) whose life falls into chaos when he catches his new wife being unfaithful, and later bumps into and falls in love with an old classmate (Jennifer Aniston).

My Best Friends Wedding is a feisty, effervescent love story about a young woman (Julia Roberts) who actually realizes she loves her best friend (Dermot Mulroney), when he tells her that he is engaged, and decides to get him -- just days before he is to get married to his fiancee (Cameron Diaz)!

Addicted to Love is a romantic comedy film, starring Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick and Kelly Preston. The movie's title is based on Robert Palmer's song Addicted to Love. A tale about lost loves, last laughs and about two people who get their kicks getting even.

50 First Dates is a romantic comedy that stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Henry (Sandler) lives an enviable life in a Hawaiian paradise, spending every night with a beautiful tourist in search of an island fling. It's a sweet life with no strings attached...until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). They hit it off, but the next morning, Lucy just doesnt recall or recognize Henry! She suffers from short term memory loss! And the so-in-love Henry will go to any length to keep winning her over, across 50 first dates!

So, cuddle up this Valentines Day & warm your hearts with Romedy NOW From 9 am to 11 pm, on 14 February
Business strategist, corporate speaker and columnist Anisha Motwani takes a fresh look at brands that have gone beyond the usual and tried and tested to achieve huge success in her new book, Storm the Norm.

In conversation with Adgully, Motwani traces the journey of how the book came into being, the criteria for selecting the 20 brands that make for interesting case studies, what sets apart the stormers and more. Excerpts:

Adgully (AG): An interesting and very apt title  Storm the Norm. What is the story behind the title?

Anisha Motwani (AM): It was not the original title. The holding title was something like what Indian brands do differently. When we were sending invites to companies to participate in the book, we created a holding title. But I was not very comfortable as it was not only about doing things differently, it was much more beyond that. The whole process of selecting a brand, the criteria one put in place was not only about how brands think differently. When I actually finished the book and it was time to design the cover, people kept telling me that we needed to close it and finalise the cover. I spent three years writing and editing these stories and realised that these companies have done something completely unconventional and it was a breakthrough. I did not want to use the word innovation. Yes, on a broad level they were innovation brands, but it was more important for me not to call as innovative brands. We were trying to create phrases and there were a lot of options generated which were not falling in place. Eventually when I and Ranjan Malik, who did the afterword, were doing the brainstorming in the lobby of the Taj Palace Hotel and were discussing on finding something unique and how the title should do justice to the story, intuitively I decided that Storm the Norm was it. After doing marketing and all, I go a lot with my intuitions now.

AG: What were your parameters for shortlisting these 20 brands for your book?

AM: I did not want to go category specific. Out of these 20 brands, I tried to represent as many categories as possible. So, from FMCG, beverages, personal care, textiles, media, travel, telecom, I was very keen on expanding the categories. Within automobiles also, two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been taken separately. So that was the first filter.

Second filter was that I was very keen on getting four kinds of brands. One was the start-up brands that were around 15 years old. Secondly, old brands which were 100 years old like Raymond, MTR and TOI. Third was challenger brands. They are not leaders, but they challenged the leaders in some or the other way. For example, between Airtel and Vodafone, I went for Idea. Also, I went for Fiama Di Wills, which challenged the norm. Lastly, since I have bundled up the book, category creators. There are brands like Real fruit juices, which came and created a category of packaged juice in India or Kurkure, which created a namkeen category in India. It wasnt there, they created it.

Third filter was, they should have done something significantly different which needs to be breakthrough and unconventional. They should have stormed the norm in some way. Though I got the name later, but my selection criteria was very clear.

AG: What is common between these 20 brands?

AM: I will tell you what makes a brand or person behind a brand a Stormer. In my mind, I have zeroed in on five criteria that make a good stormer. The people who are founders like Ajay Bijli of PVR or Darbari Seth of Tata Tea, who are stormers and are good storytellers. The reason why I am calling them storytellers is that stories first begin in somebodys head. You cannot tell a story till you have some idea or thought in your mind. It is similar to having a fantasy in your head. Only then you can write a good story. Stormers have lots of ideas in their head, which they put together in the narrative form. They know the end, the means can change. How do I reach there? Where I begin can change, but they know their destination.

Second is somebody who is uncomfortable with the tyranny of majority. The minute they find themselves on the side of majority, they know it is time to reflect and introspect and do something to get out of that majority. The moment you are part of the majority, you become comfortable about it and start thinking about incremental growth.

Thridly, they also have perseverance and have not given up. They are stubborn in the face of overwhelming odds.

Also, they dont just buy opportunity. They also have the ability to spot a mistake. It is very easy to find solutions to mistakes. Some of these people are not even able to spot the mistakes. So, spotting mistakes faster and also quickly fixing them is the fourth criteria of a stormer.

Their decision making is almost intuitive and instinctive. If the decision making cannot be democratic, then it cannot be storm the norm. So these are the five intangibles that applies to all the 20 brands.

AG: Storm the Norm has been described as an innovation tool. How will it help brands break out of the predictable mold?

AM: The book has an afterword, which was written by Ranjan Malik. We have tried to create a five-page framework. And that framework, even though it has been done in hindsight, after we read all the stories and how these businesses have broken the norm, there is a lot of detail in that.

It begins with stale norms, which means something that is stale which is not right. For example, the movie watching business. One would pay Rs 20 and watch the movie. So that was becoming the stale norm. So they identified the stale norm, which is the first stage of the five-stage process.

Then, they are able to spot the sub-optimal within the stale norm. So there is a stale segment market. These are norms that have not changed for years  commoditised offerings, routine operations, etc. So the markets generated very little surplus. The stormers are able to spot the sub-optimal, which means that these are not people who are looking at new answers to old questions, but also discovering new questions which no one is asking.

Third one is basically once you spot the sub-optimal, you conceive a breakthrough. They find a breakthrough idea. Once they find it, it then it becomes a different path.

Then, you have to iterate to elegance. When you see multiplexes, they have no tyranny of timing. Earlier, the movies were of fixed timings, either after lunch or after dinner. The movie timings were determined by peoples meal timings. Today it doesnt matter. So, they have questioned why movie timings should be after lunch or dinner. If I am opening a market, I should be able to watch as and when I feel like. So in hindsight, all this looks very elegantly simple. So they breakthrough and then iterate it to elegance.

So once you have got solid protocol right that you know will prove to be a success in the market, what you call as early adopters. For this to become mainstream fresh norm, it is important that it leads towards a critical path. It should not take many years to adopt. The consumers should be able to adopt and follow it very quickly. The idea which is strong should have consumers quickly adopting it and from there emerges the fresh market. If you apply this framework, it works across all 20 brands.

AG: What do you think are the main roadblocks for brands to think out of the box?

AM: That is why I said perseverance is important. The roadblocks are different for different categories. For example, for MakeMyTrip the roadblock was that consumers were not Internet savvy. In those days, people were not even opening the net and Internet adoption was very limited. So, while they launched for the Indian market, they got rejected by Indians initially and were accepted by the NRIs. The roadblock for them was net adoption. The company was founded in 2000, but till 2005 they catered to the NRI market. But they did not give up. They re-launched the site in 2005 for the Indian market and look at the heights they have reached now!

AG: Do you see more brands breaking the norm in 2016?

AM: All I can say is that the time is right for India. With the facilitative environment, with the Prime Minister personally wanting India to storm the norm, I think India is there on a world stage. We have all the raw material and a facilitative government which is trying very hard. Our GDP is going to grow at 7.6 per cent. Time is right for India to storm the norm. The breakthrough happens is in the intention to execution path. The intention needs to translate into execution and not just at one industry level to another, but across industries. For example, Make in India, which everyone started accepting. The barriers needs to be overcomed.

AG: The key takeaways for readers from your book, especially the youth?

AM: The message is the world is your platform. Only you can be a limitation for yourself and there is nothing that can stop you except for yourself. There are immense opportunities to storm the norm!
Air Force leaders met with the media to discuss specifics of the services fiscal year 2017 space budget at the Pentagon Feb. 11.Winston A. Beauchamp, the deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space, and Maj. Gen. Roger Teague, the director of space programs for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, highlighted major themes of the space budget in relation to the Air Forces

strategic understanding of the space environment.



In fiscal 2016, the Air Force focused investments in space in two major areas. First, assuring the use of space in the face of increasing threats, and secondly providing capabilities to deter and defeat potential attacks.

Beauchamp said there have been no changes to that strategy in the past year.

All of the threats we saw last year have continued to evolve. We remain postured to get ourselves on a path to make our systems more resilient, said Beauchamp, who also serves as the director, principal Defense Department Space Advisor Staff. In (fiscal 2017) the emphasis is on sustaining mission capabilities while improving resilience. To achieve this outcome we approach it with several lines of effort.

Those efforts include determining appropriate investments, leveraging the base budget to improve resilience in programs of record, revaluating operational techniques, tactics and procedures, exploring innovative contract strategies such as public-private partnerships, and utilizing international cooperation.

The Air Force plans to invest in areas such as command and control, space situational awareness, the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, and satellite communications in fiscal 2017 to enhance space mission assurance.

In command and control we know our potential adversaries are developing capabilities to deny, degrade and destroy our space capabilities, Beauchamp said. As countries around the world increasingly derive benefits from space, we have to join together with our allies to deal with those threats.

For space situational awareness, the Air Force will continue its investment in the Space Fence, aiding the ability to perform collision detection and protecting those aboard the International Space Station and other manned space programs.

We will preserve our ability to access space by investing in an indigenously produced launch capability. This serves not only as a capability to replenish our space assets as they reach end of life, but also to improve our capabilities and reconstitute our forces, Beauchamp said. To that end, the (fiscal 2017) fully funds the (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle) program.

To support satellite communications the Air Force will fund the Pathfinder Three program, which is a method to investigate new business models used to acquire satellite communications.

Teague said there is an emphasis on how we might better prepare for space operations through a contested environment. Although it wont directly impact the budget, there is an effort called Space Mission Force which reorganizes space personnel into shifts where both experienced Airmen and recently trained Airmen will be blended together to work on operational teams.

This ensures appropriately experienced personnel are on the operational staff at all times should problems arise, while better developing the core workforce over time and keeping them in the operational flow.

Its a tribute to the Air Force Space Command professionals that theyre doing this on the fly  without any interruption to our operational systems and certainly maintaining that degree of readiness that we need to make sure that our systems are performing their missions at all times, Teague said.

Although there will not be an increase in manpower for space, there will be a focus on making better use of the workforce currently available through initiatives like Space Mission Force.

Our investments in (fiscal 2017) are consistent with our strategic understanding of the space environment that informed the (fiscal 2016) budget, Beauchamp said. We remain committed to delivering space capabilities to the warfighter in spite of adversary attempts to deny, degrade or destroy our systems in space.
Red Flag 16-1-back to the mission

An F-22 Raptor, assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., disconnects from the boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker after receiving fuel to continue on its training sortie during exercise Red Flag 16-1 Feb. 4, 2016. The high-tempo exercise incorporates both day and night missions that give aircrews an opportunity to experience advanced, relevant, and realistic combat-like situations in a controlled environment to increase their ability to complete missions and safely return home. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Burt Traynor)
Airmen strengthen forward capability in Bulgaria

Airmen from the 352nd Special Operations Wing supported deterrence-specific training here in conjunction with the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Feb. 9-11.



A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots, assigned to the 74th EFS and currently deployed to Bulgaria as part of the European Theater Security Package, performed unimproved surface landings on an austere landing strip to simulate conditions of a deployed environment.



"The A-10 is a fighter aircraft that specializes in close air support," said Lt. Col. Bryan France, the 74th EFS commander. "This training will prepare our pilots to land in a variety of surface conditions allowing us to bring the fight even further."



To aid the pilots, 321st Special Tactics Squadron combat controllers surveyed and set up the landing strip with visual reference markers while also providing air traffic control.



"A lot of preparation is done by the combat controllers to make the austere landing strip as favorable as possible for the pilots," France said. "They go in early to control that airfield and provide to the pilots' needs."



Austere landings are nothing new for the TSP mission; however, the A-10s were not the only aircraft using the landing strip. An MC-130J Commando II, assigned to 67th Special Operations Squadron, also practiced landing on the unimproved surface, bringing with it a key capability.



"The MC-130 is a tactical airlifter designed to operate in austere environments," said Capt. Justin Nadal, a 67th SOS MC-130J aircraft commander. "Because it can carry a lot more cargo while simultaneously having the ability to land in these difficult conditions, it makes for an effective aircraft to provide supplies to troops on the ground or in this case a forward area refueling point to extend the range of our aircraft assets."



A forward area refueling point, or FARP, is a location where fuel can be transferred from one aircraft to another; in this case from the MC-130 to the A-10s.



There are less than 60 Airmen in the Air Force that share the title of FARP team member and Senior Airman Tristan Mitchell, a 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels operator, is one of them.



"We can provide fuel to a range of different aircraft," Mitchell said. "Our job is to make sure our birds get the fuel they need quickly to get back in the fight faster."



The FARP team can be ready to transfer fuel in less than 15 minutes after exiting the MC-130. Once set up, the MC-130 can provide tens of thousands of pounds of fuel to multiple aircraft in a matter of minutes.



This fast-paced refueling and interoperability between different groups is a continued effort to sustain enemy deterrence and assure European allies the U.S. commitment to the region.



"FARP operations in combination with austere field operations provide commanders the ability to project combat capability to areas otherwise denied by traditional airpower methods," France said. "This exercise demonstrates our ability to integrate across commands with joint forces while supporting our NATO allies."
Avionics flight ensures aircraft equipment mission ready

Avionics specialists with the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, manage an $83 million electronic warfare pod fleet and provide critical support to ensure aircraft stay mission ready.



The squadrons avionics flight manages the only Avionics Consolidated Repair Facility in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and services equipment on five different airframes, including the F-15 Eagle and B-1B Lancer.



In the past six months, the flight has performed 56 maintenance inspections and produced more than 1,000 line replaceable units. LRUs can be removed from an aircraft to be quickly fixed or replaced, such as a joystick from an F-15 or an antenna from a B-1B.



Staff Sgt. Charles Filholm, the 379th EMXS B-1B Lancer offensive avionics back shop team leader, said the avionics flight has an incredible impact on the mission.



When our aircraft need something fixed so they can fly, we get it done, said Filholm, of Perry, Georgia. Its a group effort; everyone in this shop is mission and team oriented. Every one of us wants to see those planes flying day after day.



The avionics flight, which has more than 30 Airmen, consists of two sections -- the avionics intermediate section and electronic countermeasures section. The AIS team focuses on providing intermediate-level maintenance support for F-15, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B, A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-17 Globemaster III avionics systems. The ECM team provides maintenance support for the ALQ-184 and ALQ-131 electronic warfare pods.



Senior Airman Alex Mohr, a 379th EMXS EW team member from Dayton, Ohio, is one of more than a dozen Airmen who work in the electronic countermeasures section.



We maintain our EW pods and perform periodic maintenance inspections on every one, three times a year, Mohr said.



An EW pod uses radio frequency radiation to jam enemy anti-aircraft weaponry. A pod receives a targeting signal from an enemy system, determines how to best counter that signal and then transmits its own signal to confuse or block the enemy targeting signal.



Ensuring each pod is performing like its supposed to is important work, Mohr said. We ensure the pod transmits the proper radio frequency techniques to counter whatever enemy equipment may be out there.



For example, Mohr said, surface-to-air missile sites may try to hit our planes, so the pod attempts to jam the signals sent from those SAM sites.



The avionics intermediate section repairs a variety of aircraft equipment, including radar and flight control systems.



We do a lot of work in this facility, Filholm said. Weve repaired antennas, power supplies, countermeasures boxes, and much more.



The AIS team maintains 11 test stations capable of replicating signals from five airframes to ensure flight systems are operating at the proper frequencies. The section receives approximately 54 LRUs per week.



With every repair, the avionics team saves the Air Force thousands of dollars. Over the past six months, the flight has saved $25 million by avoiding shipping and repair costs associated with shipping equipment back to the United States.



Having us here enables us to repair equipment needed for all of our airframes in the AOR and get that equipment out swiftly and efficiently, Filholm said.



Maj. Joshua Depaul, the 379th EMXS commander, said to have a consolidated repair facility prepositioned in the AOR increases responsiveness to the warfighter, streamlines the logistics trail, and provides an inherent capability embedded into the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing to fix, test and overhaul LRUs to ensure we have mission ready aircraft to support mission requirements.



The commander said hes proud of his maintainers.



It takes an integrated team across the AEW to generate combat airpower; every functional area contributes to that end, he said. As a direct combat support agency, our maintenance professionals take great pride in ensuring the safety and reliability of the aircraft and equipment we maintain.



We ensure the best pilots in the world can safely and effectively prosecute targets, acquire critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, refuel our joint and coalition partners, and sustain the fight, Depaul added. I am extremely proud of our avionics team and their ability to support the warfighter.



In 2015, the avionics team produced more than 4,000 LRUs, sustained a 91 percent quality assurance pass rate and maintained a 100 percent mission capable EW pod rate.
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)

The Air Force will temporarily transition some legacy active-duty maintenance units to contract maintenance beginning in fiscal year 2017 and continuing through fiscal year 2020.The move to contract maintenance for some legacy non-deployable flying units and back shop maintenance will allow the Air Force to cross train approximately 1,100 experienced maintainers from legacy aircraft (F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and C-130 Hercules) into the F-35 Lightning II program.There is a shortfall of 4,000 maintainers as a result of budgetary constraints that has significantly impacted our overall maintenance manning, said Lt. Gen. John B. Cooper, the deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection.Changes in the geopolitical environment also require us to maintain our current fleet, rather than divest legacy aircraft, Cooper said. All of this has affected our plan to transition maintenance manpower from legacy aircraft to the F-35A as originally planned.Cooper said contract maintenance is a short-term solution that will ensure the Air Force remains on a steady path toward full operating capability for the F-35A as the maintenance career fields grow and strengthen.This is one of many deliberate measures we are taking to help manage this shortage of experienced aircraft maintainers until we can grow and develop our new accessions, he said.Additional initiatives to manage the maintainer shortage include: increasing the number of maintenance accessions; offering selective reenlistment bonuses as an incentive to improve retention; offering experienced former Airmen the opportunity to return to active duty; offering high year of tenure extensions; implemented direct duty prior service accessions; implemented voluntary limited period of active duty; and evaluating total force manning solutions.Locations affected include formal training units at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; A-10 Weapons Instructor Course and operational test and evaluation units at Nellis AFB, Nevada; F-16 aggressor maintenance at Eielson AFB, Alaska; aerospace ground equipment units Anderson AFB, Guam; Holloman AFB and Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Peterson AFB, Colorado; and Rota Air Base, Spain; and avionics units at Eglin AFB and Tyndall AFB in Florida.Beginning in fiscal 2017, the Air Force will use an existing contract vehicle to begin the transition. As contract maintainers come onboard, military members will begin moving to operational units in the summers of 2017 and 2018. As accessions grow, it will allow the Air Force to phase out the contract support by 2020.
AF temporarily transitions to contract maintenance for some active-duty units

The Air Force will temporarily transition some legacy active-duty maintenance units to contract maintenance beginning in fiscal year 2017 and continuing through fiscal year 2020.



The move to contract maintenance for some legacy non-deployable flying units and back shop maintenance will allow the Air Force to cross train approximately 1,100 experienced maintainers from legacy aircraft (F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and C-130 Hercules) into the F-35 Lightning II program.



There is a shortfall of 4,000 maintainers as a result of budgetary constraints that has significantly impacted our overall maintenance manning, said Lt. Gen. John B. Cooper, the deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection.



Changes in the geopolitical environment also require us to maintain our current fleet, rather than divest legacy aircraft, Cooper said. All of this has affected our plan to transition maintenance manpower from legacy aircraft to the F-35A as originally planned.



Cooper said contract maintenance is a short-term solution that will ensure the Air Force remains on a steady path toward full operating capability for the F-35A as the maintenance career fields grow and strengthen.



This is one of many deliberate measures we are taking to help manage this shortage of experienced aircraft maintainers until we can grow and develop our new accessions, he said.



Additional initiatives to manage the maintainer shortage include: increasing the number of maintenance accessions; offering selective reenlistment bonuses as an incentive to improve retention; offering experienced former Airmen the opportunity to return to active duty; offering high year of tenure extensions; implemented direct duty prior service accessions; implemented voluntary limited period of active duty; and evaluating total force manning solutions.



Locations affected include formal training units at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; A-10 Weapons Instructor Course and operational test and evaluation units at Nellis AFB, Nevada; F-16 aggressor maintenance at Eielson AFB, Alaska; aerospace ground equipment units Anderson AFB, Guam; Holloman AFB and Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Peterson AFB, Colorado; and Rota Air Base, Spain; and avionics units at Eglin AFB and Tyndall AFB in Florida.



Beginning in fiscal 2017, the Air Force will use an existing contract vehicle to begin the transition. As contract maintainers come onboard, military members will begin moving to operational units in the summers of 2017 and 2018. As accessions grow, it will allow the Air Force to phase out the contract support by 2020.
BJP state vice president and prominent Bhojpur leader Visheshwar Ojha was shot dead on Friday evening at an Ara village when the leader had been talking to some people alongside road.

Ojha had unsuccessfully contested against RJD nominee and former MP Shivanand Tiwaris son Rahul Tiwari from Shahpur constituency. This is the second murder of a politician in last 10 days since the killing of LJP Vaishali leader Brijnathi Singh.

Mr Ojha was Vice President of the BJP and was entangled in more than 10 criminal cases on charges including murder. He contested the Bihar elections last year unsuccessfully. Police sources said that they suspect Mr Ojhas death may be the result of a long-standing enmity with a criminal named Harish Mishra who was recently freed from prison.

As soon as Visheswar got down from his car, around 10 masked men started shooting at him, pumping more than a dozen bullets in his body before fleeing, police said.

The driver, Ramesh Ojha, despite being injured, immediately took him to a hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Police recorded the statement of the eyewitnesses including some shopkeepers and passersby. The neighbours showed us the route the assailants took to escape. Investigation is at a primary stage so it is difficult to say anything, said Sahabad range DIG A Rehman.

This is the second incident of a BJP leader being gunned down in Bihar within a span of 24 hours. BJP worker Kedar Nath Singhs bullet-ridden body was earlier recovered on Masarakh-Teraiya road in Saran district.

The incident took place at around 6.30 pm when Visheshwar Ojha (53) had sat in his vehicle after extending marriage invitation to a relative at Sonbarsha village of Shahpur. Some muffled assailants started spraying bullets on Ojha, who died on way to the hospital.
This time around Valentines Day will be celebrated in a different way and style. Some couples are planning to celebrate the happy occasion by flying in a helicopter for 30 minutes by spending Rs. 30000. Relationship with your father or mother, wife or children even with friends blossom into a new world on this fantastic occasion. There is no need of worrying about lost relations but it is a day to renew old relationship and establish new relationship. It is indeed a playful day. We forget about the old enmity and desperate to form a frantic one. The love game starts with Love All. The red roses is handy to handover and get the best out of it. It is needless to say that the unscrupulous elements try to play dirty politics on that day and attempt to make it a fateful day. We are not following western culture blindly. We are adopting the cream of the theme to our advantage.

When we travel by bus or train we meet many friends both men and women. It is worthwhile to express our feeling in open on that particular day. We are open minded and there is no scope for narrow mindedness when you live in a metropolitan city like Mumbai or even for that matter Navi Mumbai.

It is indeed a great feeling to celebrate Valentines day with your beloved wife by going to eat at McDonalds and have an ice cream and spend the night in a wonderful way. It is indeed a day of roses. The fragrance of red roses gives an auspicious start to a hectic day. We live in Rose of Heaven and our mind mingle around the nicety of mankind or womankind as the case may be and the meaningful life lived by us. Lotus can be a substitute to Red Roses but it is not easily available.

A bright coloured attire, a pleasing manners and the mind to forget the worries and live carefree life is the order of the day. Mind is a monkey and so it fritters around to have fun and frolic after all. The best way is to greet our office friends with a pink rose and reveal the importance of extending a loving hand to the poor and down trodden people. There lies the essence of happy living and real enjoyment. This years Valentines Day promises love and affection.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Actress Nargis Fakhri is happy to involve herself with Maharashtrian food, music and people for her role in film Banjo also starring Riteish Deshmukh.

I really love my character. I play an NRI coming from America, so I can totally understand all the issues that she goes through. So I feel very close to the character, and so its been a lot of fun remembering all things that has happened to me when arriving in Mumbai. I identify with her very much. There are many similarities, said Nargis at a press meet to introduce the film.

She also expressed surprise that she had never seen the kind of places they were shooting at. Another thing that makes me really happy is that Im learning about the Maharashtrian culture, the food, the music, and the people. For me, this entire film and the people working on it, and where were at, all of it is amazing, the actress added.

The film marks the Hindi film debut of popular Marathi director Ravi Jadhav, who has made popular films such as Natarang, Balak-Palak, Timepass among others. The film traces the story of banjo players from Maharashtra and how the relevance of the art is deteriorating nowadays.

When I heard the story, it was one of those stories that touches your heart and you feel so much for it. Im super happy to be a part of the film and of course with Riteish its great because he is a fantastic actor and a fantastic human being, and thats very important to me, she added. Nargis and Riteish will also be seen together in Housefull 3.
Rwanda is to relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, the government said on Friday, amid accusations Kigali was meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour.

The government of Rwanda  will immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries, the statement read, which took the UN refugee agency by surprise.

Last week, UN experts told the security council that Rwanda has recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, among them children, who wanted to remove Burundis President Pierre Nkurunziza from power. Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.

Rwanda readily shoulders its obligations to protect and care for refugees, the government statement said. However, experience in the Great Lakes is that the long-term presence of refugees so close to their country of origin carries considerable risks for all involved.

Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win. Hundreds of people have been killed and at least 230,000 have fled the country. Some 75,000 Burundian refugees are in Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which said on Friday it had not be informed in advance of the decision.

Our representative in Rwanda has immediately sought a meeting with the government, UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva. The callous indifference to the well-known root causes of instability in Burundi, and the refugee exodus is troubling, Rwandan foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo said.

It also exposes refugees to increased threats from forces at home and compromises lasting political solutions. For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable.

Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130,000 and Democratic Republic of Congo has over 18,000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21,000.

It was not clear where Rwanda plans to send the refugees to.

In recent months, Rwanda has made requests to international partners and organizations to host Burundians living in camps and in towns in Rwanda, Kigalis statement added. No party has come forward yet, even as the political situation in the refugees country of origin shows no improvement.

Violence continues in Burundi. On Thursday, a grenade blast wounded 26 people in the capital Bujumbura, nine of them seriously, the latest in a string of attacks.

On Wednesday, the United States accused Rwanda of involvement in destabilizing activities in Burundi. The US concerns were raised in the Senate foreign relations committee by two top diplomats, who cited reports from colleagues in the field that point to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.
On 14th February Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will celebrate its 1st anniversary. The party which was born out of the Jan Lokpal movement is yet to draw a conclusion on the Bill. On February 14, 2015, exactly one year after Arvind Kejriwal had stepped down as Chief Minister of Delhi for not being allowed to introduce the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill he was sworn in again. At the conclusion of his premature stint at the rudder of the Delhi government, he found himself at the same political crossroads. We need to understand that, Jan Lokpal Bill is necessary as the current arrangement didnt prevent corruption. Delhi has been deliberately put under home ministry to keep the CM weak and powerless. Arvind Kejriwal is speaking openly about things that Sheila used to say in private. Both Congress and BJP know what he is talking about. Their immediate problem is self-preservation. What is surprising is the denial mode of major political parties, despite losing election in Delhi. The very reason behind the evolution of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)  symbolised by a broom that primarily sought to clean up Delhis dirty politics, deliver graft-free governance and was chosen as item number one on his partys 70-point manifesto  Kejriwal was intended crusade against corruption through the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill.

People gave huge mandate to broom symbol because they promised to work 24X7 to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. Mr. Kejriwal, sworn in as the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi at a public spectacle sans the usual VIP bandobast at north Delhis Ramlila Maidan, would reiterate his ambition to make Delhi Indias first corruption-free city in five years. However, as fate would have it, the road to delivering on the most significant of his promises  the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by the Assembly in November and the anti-corruption mechanism both within and beyond government departments has, arguably, been strengthened among the seeming elimination of avenues of corruption. Arguments over the Jan Lokpal Bill tabling in Delhi Assembly are interesting, before seeking permission from the Central Government. It is sad part that each and every rule and clause of the Constitution becomes controversial when two legal luminaries start interpreting it in the race of displaying his/her supremacy ignoring the intent of that rule and clause in the larger interest of the nation. Drafting Committee of the Constitution had warned that our Constitution is the best in the world to fulfill the needs of every citizen, and if anything goes wrong it is not the Constitution but the intent in the person. Now, it is up to the citizens how they keep up the sanctity or malign the Constitution. Alas! History is telling us our progress after Independence.

So far, political parties have been adopting the long way to showcase that they want to do something, but in reality there were no intentions of doing anything. It is only possible by right people with right intentions. AAP is on the way of showing the whole political class that, how it does not matter, what they say when, one has got a clear conscience, correct intentions and should keep moving. Toothless Lokpal which is easily accepted by Anna Hazare needs amendment as there has to be some deterrence to corrupt ministers. Many corrupts can be punished and once conviction is announced wide publicity should be given to the case, the accuser and the accused to deter other government servants from indulging in the corruption. It all depends on how it is implemented in reality. Delhiites will have to come forward and file complaints against corruption through their Jan Lokpal.

This is a commendable step which shows that we need to possess right intentions to clean the political mess in our country. I hope people compare this bill with Gujarats Lokayukt Bill and then they can gauge the intentions of both the chief ministers. The important message is that AAP is serious with their plans and the country welfare then why we should not support their intents and look forward for clean government?

People who criticize AAP should know that Arvind Kejriwal does not have any magic stick to change the policies overnight and specially with all corrupt leaders hindering him. Whatever Arvind has achieved so far, perhaps Anna Hazare could not have achieved this. Kejriwal deserves all the praise for this and people behind him. Till now our politicians used to feel they are above the law and can do whatever they like, instead of acknowledging that they are elected by the people and are servants of the people. This has given room for protection and promotion of frauds. Now, there are immediate requirement of massive expansion of judiciary and jails too. Inspite of looking for great corruption free politics, corrupt parties and officials with corporates are trying to bring down Delhi government. Arvind Kejriwal has an option to go to court in adverse situation, but we all know our lengthy judicial procedures will not resolve the issue timely. AAP is living up to its promises and hope will continue to do the good work.
Three grenade attacks were carried out on Friday in Karachi within two hours, injuring two children.



The first attack was carried out on Mubina Town police station where known bikers hurled a hand grenade at the building around 9:20am.

Police said the grenade landed inside the police station, partially damaging a police vehicle. Official said no policeman was injured.

A search operation was underway in the area to track down the miscreants, police claimed.

In the second attack, miscreants threw a ball bomb outside Apwa Government College in Karimabad area. The low-intensity blast caused no casualties.

Both the attacks occurred within one hour.

Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) said it was a 250-gram ball bomb. Ball bearings used in the locally-made bomb were also collected from the scene.

The third attack was reported in North Nazimabad area outside a private school. Police said two schoolchildren were wounded.

According to sources, terrified children were told to duck down by school officials after the bomb went off. Though no loss of life or property was reported in the incident.

Separately, Ranges carried out a search operation in Nazimabad area near Gujjar Nullah, arresting at least five suspects.
The father of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose drowning shocked the world last year, went on trial on Thursday along with two alleged people smugglers accused of causing the death of migrants.

A photograph of the three-year-old, lying face down in the sand on a Turkish beach, caused horror when it was published in September 2015 after his family decided to make the risky journey to Greece in an open boat.

Aylans mother Rihana and brother Ghaleb, four, also died in the same accident.

The trial of Syrian nationals Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad opened at the criminal court in the western Turkish resort of Bodrum, the Dogan news agency reported. If convicted, they face up to 35 years in jail.

They are charged of smuggling migrants and causing the deaths of five people, including Aylan Kurdi, his brother and mother when their boat sank while on its way to Greece.

But also on trial in absentia was Aylan Kurdis father, Abdullah Kurdi, who survived the sinking, on accusations of being an organiser of the smuggling. The precise charges against him were not made clear.

Both of the defendants in court strongly incriminated Abdullah Kurdi as a well-known organiser of people smuggling in the Bodrum area, accusing him of being responsible for the deaths and driving the boat at the time of the disaster.

But Dogan said the court had decided to drop the legal proceedings against Abdullah Kurdi, without specifying further.

The organiser

Abdullah Kurdi, from the mainly Kurdish Syrian town of Kobane on the Turkish border, is currently believed to be outside of Turkey and spending some of his time in northern Iraq.

He became a prominent figure through media interviews at the time of the disaster and also gave the traditional alternative Christmas message in 2015 on British TVs Channel 4.

His family, many of whom are now based in Canada, had previously rubbished similar allegations against him broadcast by foreign television as ridiculous.

The real criminal here, the organiser, is Abdullah Kurdi, who became a hero on television but did not even testify, said Asem Alfrhad in court.
The mayor of Cleveland apologized on Thursday after an ambulance bill was sent to the family of Tamir Rice, the black 12-year-old who was shot by police while holding a toy gun.

Rices November 2014 death at the hands of a white officer in the US state of Ohio shocked Americans and the $500 bill sent to his family has only stoked further outrage.

Asking Tamirs family to pay for his ambulance is heartless. Cleveland should drop this fee, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Twitter.

Local media reported that lawyers for the Rice family said the bill only added insult to homicide.

Faced with the snowballing controversy, Mayor Frank Jackson called a news conference on Thursday during which he admitted a mistake had been made.

We will start off again apologizing to the Rice family if this has added to any grief or pain they may have he said, surrounded by other city leaders.

Together they explained that the bill was sent under routine procedure and that it was meant for the boys insurance company, not his family.

Surveillance video showed Rice was fatally shot within seconds of a patrol car arriving on the scene as he began to pull the toy gun out of his waistband. The boy died hours later in hospital.

The shooting followed a series of high-profile incidents of police violence involving black Americans and helped fuel protests against what some say is white police impunity despite discrimination against blacks.

In December, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the Cleveland police officers involved in the fatal shooting.








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The countdown seems to have begun for both Democrats and republicans for the forthcoming US presidency poll. In Democratic party all-powerful former Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton is seen running way behind her fellow candidate Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist. Whether or not he indeed is a socialist remains to be seen but that would be a difference making concern if only Sanders makes to the presidency.

However, notwithstanding her defeat in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton leads the Democratic campaign for the time being in opinion polls.

On February 9th, increasingly popular Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic primary decisively, defeating Hillary Clinton by a margin of 60 percent to 39 percent, outperforming most pre-election polls and posting the largest vote and the widest margin of victory ever recorded in the state that traditionally holds the first US presidential primary.

The Clinton campaign has been in deep crisis as she faced an unexpected near-tie in the first contest of the Democratic presidential campaign in Iowa on February 1. Former President Bill Clintons series of angry and disjointed attacks on Sanders did not help his wifes prospects. Mrs. Clinton campaign seeking to evoke a response among women voters on the basis of Clintons status as potentially the first female US president also did not work, at least so far.

Sanders has improved on Obamas showing across-the-board last time. Clinton had won the 2008 New Hampshire primary in an upset over Barack Obama, receiving 112,404 votes to Obamas 104,815. Sanders topped both those totals and is projected to reach 140,000. The only demographic groups where Clinton prevailed were voters over 65 years of age and those with incomes over $200,000 a year.

Going by her performance as US foreign minister under president Obama, it is clear that the Democratic Partys favorite, Clinton may not bring any change in US policies if fielded and gets elected as new president of USA, but many Americans feel Sanders might. A Boston Globe poll released recently found that more than half of those voters aged 17 to 34 described themselves as socialists, as well as 31 percent of all ages.

Now, despite Obamas best intentions, the war in Afghanistan is headed into its 16th year, Libya is a disastrous failed state with the Islamic State consolidating a base there and Syrias civil war created the conditions for the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, while refugees fleeing the violence threaten to destabilize Europe.

Accelerating climate change, global economic troubles, a new US cold war with Russia, the aflame Middle East and terror wars, among other issues have prompted a foreign policy debate in the US presidential campaigns cutting across bipartisan and poll politics. The candidates vie to rip up the Iran deal, push for a new cold war with Russia, fan the flames in the Middle East and walk away from the progress made in Paris on climate.

Common Americans are yet to recover from the 2008 financial crash and the economic slump that continues to have a devastating impact on the jobs and living standards of these ordinary Americans who now support Sanders. The overwhelming concerns of Democratic primary voters are economic inequality, jobs and health care, and these class issues entirely predominated over the hyped issues of gender and racial identity that the Clinton campaign sought to raise in the campaign.

The US super power is headed into a dangerous, escalating cold war with Russia. With little notice from the press, the Obama government just announced it plans to quadruple spending on weapons and equipment for USA and NATO forces in countries on or near Russias borders. The provocative act is unprecedented in modern times. It will surely be met by deployment of greater Russian forces and armaments across the same borders and escalate a new and already dangerous US-Russian nuclear arms race. Instead of the countries of Eastern Europe providing a disarmed zone of peace after the Cold War, they are rapidly becoming an arena of armed tension.

Foreign policy questions in the debates have to date essentially ignored climate change. Sanders has said little about foreign policy, apparently viewing it as a distraction from his core economic message. He has suggested that the secretary is more inclined to regime change in countries that do not obey US instructions than he would be. Clinton has shown little sign of being sobered by the Iraq catastrophe. Yet the United States has a great interest in cooperation with Russia  on enforcing the Iran deal, on settling the Syrian civil war, on dealing with loose nukes and continuing to dismantle the nuclear arsenals left from the Cold War.

Problems of common men seem to have made its impact on the US poll campaign. The fundamental issues like jobs played a key role in the Republican primary as well, albeit in a right-wing populist form, with the victory of billionaire Donald Trump, who won 34 percent, more than double the vote for the second-place finisher, Ohio Governor John Kasich. Other candidatesTexas Senator Ted Cruz, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and Florida Senator Marco Rubioplaced third through fifth, with 11 percent of the vote, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie trailed with 8 percent and was expected to end his campaign.

A new phenomenon in US politics is the hate campaign of Trump, who looks like a sick man and does not at least sport a statesman look, represents the mobilization of a criminal element in the American elite, based on national chauvinism, militarism and the glorification of authoritarian rule. His thuggish persona and racist attacks on Muslims, Mexicans and others express openly a grotesque coarsening of politics. Trumps attacks on Muslims, in particular, have evoked a response of a fascistic character.

Anti-Islamism is the trend worldwide. One wonders if Trump has officially inherited anti-Islamism and Indian Hindutva hatred mode or Israeli hate politics to woo the educated Americans. But he has poisoned the American minds emboldened by the Obama regime attacking Muslims in Arab world.

The USA has had a global economic strategy effectively defined by and for multinational corporations and banks. The result has been a trade policy that has racked up unprecedented trade deficits. The corporate-controlled US political parties and the entire political system promoting militarism and war targeted policies clearly suit Trump and his media allies. The experts, think tanks and old hands wedded to the old policies are too often part of the problem, not the solution. The country needs a major course correction urgently.

While virtually ignored in the press, a central cause of the tensions is the effort, hailed by Clinton, to extend NATO, a military alliance, into the nations of the former Warsaw Pact, and even former Russian republics such as Ukraine and Georgia. Mrs. Clinton is surrounded herself with advisers that are mix of neoconservatives and liberal indispensable nation advocates, all of whom share a strong belief in using American force as an instrument of good abroad. Her interventionist temperament has cost the USA dearly. Since the Iraq vote, Clinton has championed the surge in Afghanistan, the intervention in Libya, the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Surely, after Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria, we should have learned enough to temper the interventionist inclination.

The military anywhere is not designed for building nations or birthing democracies. Ironically, the generals are usually more cautious in its use than the hawkish civilians who have dominated US foreign policy circles. A war-weary nation deserves a real debate about the limits of American military adventurism.

USA desperately needs a challenge to the mainstream thinking that has given us a foreign policy that grows ever more divorced from the interests and security concerns of the vast majority of Americans.

Sanders is now the new frontrunner for the Democratic nomination as voters are rejecting American capitalism and perpetual war policies, though the role he seeks to play in safeguarding the Democratic Party and the political monopoly of the two-party system may not change. His indictment of Wall Street domination of the US economy and political system and his proposals for higher taxes on the wealthy is most welcome. But his foreign policy is to continue the Bush-Obama legacy is highly dangerous and without any sense. Sanders thus seeks to reassure both Wall Street and the US Pentagon -intelligence apparatus that his presidency, if that happens, would uphold the global interests of Neocons and American imperialism.

Turning away from Clinton and growing support towards Sanders signifies a radicalization of the mood of American people, particularly the younger generation. However, the New Hampshire result is just the beginning and the debates shall go on until a final candidate is agreed upon by the Democratic Party on the basis of their individual standing.


The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which the House approved 266-144, would soften penalty provisions in the labeling regulations and also give pizza chains, grocery delis and convenience stores flexibility in how they post calorie counts. Many restaurant chains have already starting complying with the labeling regulations, which take effect in December as a requirement of the Affordable Care Act that Congress passed in 2010. Thirty-three Democrats supported the bill (HR 2017) to revise the rules, but the measures Senate prospects are uncertain. Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Angus King, I-Maine, introduced a companion bill (S 2217) in October. No hearing has been scheduled on their bill, but Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., wants to see it enacted. A spokesman for the committee said Blunt is on the right track and Alexander looks forward to reviewing this legislation and finding a path forward to pass this bill into law. The chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., told Agri-Pulse this week he would consider addressing the issue in the fiscal 2017 spending bill for FDA if the legislation stalls. The White House stopped short of threatening to veto the bill but said in a statement of administration policy that the legislation would unnecessarily delay the regulations and undercut the governments efforts to combat obesity. If enacted, it would reduce consumers' access to nutrition information and likely create consumer confusion by introducing a great deal of variability into how calories are declared, the statement said. Under the bill, supermarket delis and convenience stores wouldn't have to label every product they sell, but could instead post calorie counts on menu boards. Pizza delivery chains such as Domino's would be allowed to post calorie counts only on their websites instead of in stores. Retailers that are found in violation of the rules would be given 90 days to take corrective actions before federal, state or local agencies could take action against them. Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute, which represents the supermarket industry, said the bill would allow grocery stores to provide this important information to their customers in ways that are most accessible and useful to the customers for whom it is intended. Texas Republican Michael Burgess, who is a physician, argued that the menu rules were yet another example of government intrusion. He said the bill is critical to avoid harming consumer choice, harming jobs and harming small business."

Are you following food labeling issues? Agri-Pulse is the place for the latest news on the topic. Sign up for a four-week free trial subscription.

Many health advocacy organizations have urged lawmakers to leave the labeling rules alone. They say, among other things, that the bill would allow restaurants and other establishments to arbitrarily determine serving sizes for menu items. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a California Democrat who has owned and operated several restaurants in the Bay Area and co-authored a state labeling law, said FDA should be left alone to revise the labeling requirement as it is needed. Its major piece of prevention. Its a major piece of public health, he said. DeSaulnier acknowledged that independent restaurants such as the ones he owned are exempt from the regulations. #30
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2016  EPA chief Gina McCarthy put up a stout defense at a House Agriculture Committee hearing today to charges that her agency is out of touch with the farming community, stating that she works closely with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and has great respect for USDA.

As she has at other congressional hearings, McCarthy heard from lawmakers who accused EPA of regulatory arrogance.

Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, stressed that he would like to see EPA consult with USDA.

Historically, USDAs expertise and advice has been evident in the actions EPA has taken to evaluate pesticides and their uses, Conaway said to start the hearing. It concerns me to hear the farm community express increasingly urgent concerns about the lack of seriousness with which EPA takes and incorporates USDA expertise, advice and opinions, especially during formal interagency review.

McCarthy and her detractors on the committee will have to agree to disagree, because she did not soften her views. She did, however, listen attentively, took notes throughout the hearing, and promised to get back to lawmakers with answers to a host of questions.

No, she said, EPA does not plan to withdraw its rule defining waters of the U.S. No, she does not believe EPA broke the law when it used social media to promote clean water while the proposed WOTUS rule was being considered. Yes, she works closely with Vilsack. And, yes, she said she has great respect for USDA and its scientific expertise.

I think we have a close collaborative relationship with USDA, she said. At times we disagree, but its usually about what the law requires us to do.

Committee members, however, said EPA needs to listen more to what USDA has to say, especially about pesticides and WOTUS.

Questioned by Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, about Enlist Duo, a Dow herbicide whose registration was challenged in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, McCarthy said the agencys actions should actually produce an answer more quickly than would a protracted court battle.

McCarthy said Dow AgroSciences had not provided EPA all the information on potential synergistic effects of 2,4-D and glyphosate, the two active ingredients in Enlist Duo. The agency asked the 9th Circuit to vacate the registration and send the matter back to EPA; the court declined to act on the registration, but it did grant the agencys voluntary remand motion, meaning that Enlist Duo is still available.

Dow did not give us the full range of data, McCarthy said. However, at this point, Im pretty sure that weve already received a lot of the information on that. We dont think theres going to be a significant delay in reconsideration of this and moving it forward.

Many of the committee members accused EPA of breaking the law, citing a Government Accountability Office report that found the agency used covert propaganda to support the proposed WOTUS rule.

Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., was particularly tough on McCarthy, saying simply, You broke the law. It needs to be admitted.

McCarthy, however, said that while she respects GAO, she disagrees with its conclusion. In addition, she said GAO only cited two instances that ran afoul of the law, and that EPA is working with the Office of Management and Budget to ensure EPA is abiding by the letter of the law.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, wanted to know why EPA could not raise the targets for the Renewable Fuel Standard. Noting that the targets were lowered a few years ago when grain supplies were short and prices were high, King asked, If it was a good idea to lower the RFS requirement for corn-based ethanol back when grain supplies were short and prices were high, why not take the opposite course now? I dont notice that the same logic is applied when it comes time to adjust the RFS for current conditions, King said.

McCarthy said EPA would like to get to those levels, but its difficult to do so quickly.

I believe were doing everything that the law says, which is to get to these levels as quickly as possible, she said.

Asked by King whether EPA has the authority to abolish the blend wall, McCarthy said, These numbers actually push through the blend wall.

The oil industry has advocated that gasoline contain than no more than 10 percent ethanol, sold as E10. Anything more than that would breach a blend wall and create fuel damaging to automobiles, the industry maintains.

Keep up with ag and rural policy and energy news as it happens. Sign up for a four-week free trial of Agri-Pulse.





McCarthy was also challenged on the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load program, which sets limits on pollutants that flow into the estuary and is now the subject of a challenge before the Supreme Court. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., asked whether EPA has completed a cost-benefit analysis on the TMDL; McCarthy said it has not, even though it has been in place since 2010.

What we tried to do was allow states to choose their own path forward, she said. That assertion was challenged by both Goodlatte and Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., who cited documents from Delaware asserting that EPA can force its own plan on states, along with punitive action. In what sense was there anything voluntary about this process? he asked.

At the hearings end, Conaway told McCarthy, I know you anticipated that this was not going to be the most fun you could have on a Thursday, but McCarthy said, I thought it was incredibly informative and respectful.

#30
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2016 - The Agriculture Departments inspector general is opening a broad investigation into complaints that agency officials have silenced USDA researchers on issues such as pesticides.

Inspector General Phyllis Fong said her office has received for the first time a significant volume of complaints, which is why were taking it seriously.

The complaints include allegations that Jonathan Lundgren, a research entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service, was punished for comments he made about his work on neonicotinoid insecticides, which have been linked to the decline in bee populations.

The IGs concerns also stem from allegations of animal abuse at the Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska.

Fongs office is considering the possibility of surveying USDA scientists to determine whether there is a systemic problem in the department.

In response to questions from Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, about Lundgrens and other complaints, Fong said, This is an issue thats very troubling. We currently take it very seriously. We have a lot of work now at U.S. MARC, the Nebraska facility.

The investigation likely wouldnt be completed before President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack leave office. Fong said audits normally take six months to a year to complete and that her office is still figuring out how this one would be conducted.

In April, environmental and food safety groups asked the IG to investigate the pesticide/neonic censorship allegations, following a report from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which advocates for government scientists.





PEER has been raising the issue for nearly a year. In a that asked USDA to strengthen its scientific integrity policy, PEER said, USDA scientists working on topics with direct relevance to industry interests are under constant pressure not to do anything to upset these important stakeholders.  petition





In a growing number of cases, USDA managers are interfering, intimidating, harassing, and in some cases punishing civil service scientists for doing work that has inconvenient implications for industry and could have direct policy/regulatory ramifications, the petition said.

But USDA Chief Scientist Catherine Wotecki told PEER in June that the department would not consider the substance of the petition because scientific integrity only affected its internal personnel rules and practices and was therefore exempt from the public notice and comment process normally required of agency rules, PEER said.





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In a subsequent lawsuit challenging that response and seeing a public rewrite of the poliy, PEER called Woteckis assertion erroneous. USDA, after receiving two 60-day extensions to answer the complaint, must file its response by April 5.

The scientific integrity policy contains what PEER called a vague gag order. It says scientists should refrain from making statements that could be construed as being judgments of or recommendations on USDA or any other federal government policy, either intentionally or inadvertently.

The translation, said Ruch: We will tolerate scientific findings as long as theyre irrelevant.

Meanwhile, a whistleblower complaint filed by Lundgren is proceeding before the Merit Systems Protection Board. Mediation in the case recently ended when USDA pulled out, PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said.

Ruch said discovery is now underway, and a trial could be held this spring.

#30
Christians, Gays, Women Fleeing Asylum Centres Due To Persecution By Muslim Men

Christians, homosexuals and women are fleeing asylum centres in Germany in ever growing numbers due to acts of violence, intolerance and crime perpetrated by Muslim men. According to German newspaper Die Welt, the violence toward ethnic minorities, religious minorities and women continues to skyrocket across German asylum centres. Muslim men tear up Bibles and assault Christians, sexually abuse women and children, and beat up homosexuals. The news has led to calls from human rights campaigners to say enough is enough. In Stuttgart a case of abuse toward an Assyrian Christian by a Muslim roommate led to a petition for separate housing that was signed by over 17,000 people online. The petition, organised by the Central Oriental Christians, asked the City of Stuttgart to, "please accommodate the displaced Christians in Stuttgart-Neugereut and keep them from further distress and persecution to which they are exposed in a decentralised accommodation." The matter was brought to the city and a separate asylum centre for 30 Christians was approved by the council. Spokesman for Stuttgart Sven Matis told the paper that after speaking to the district assistant they would be able to approve accommodation for the 30 Christians in Neugereut by the end of April. Martin Lessenthin, CEO of the International Society for Human Rights also commented on the systematic persecutions of Christians all across German asylum homes. He said it was common to see both Christians and Yazidis subject to torment and beatings and while it is not desirable to accommodate migrants separately, it may be inevitable for the safety of the minorities. Separation of migrants has been a policy when it comes to extremely vulnerable minorities. Yazidi girls who were used as sex slaves by the Islamic State are housed in secret locations in Germany so as not to attract unwanted attention from migrants sympathetic to the Islamic State or Muslims who view them as nothing more than sexual objects. A purported 1,100 of these women live in various special shelters across Germany. One victim of sexual abuse is said to have been only eight years old at the time of her abuse by ISIS. Another girl had to be treated by specialist burn victim doctors because the constant sexual torment drove her to try and light herself on fire in a failed attempt at suicide. In Freibeurg, some 200 women live in secret. The head of the Baden-Wurttemberg state chancellery Klaus-Peter Murawski warns that ISIS militants may be actively monitoring the project in hopes of getting revenge against the women. This warning was proven accurate when an ISIS commander was found at an asylum home earlier this week. Breitbart London has reported on migrant violence within asylum homes with cases of Christians, homosexuals and others being beaten in asylum centres across Germany, reports of asylum centres as breeding grounds for extremism, and even young children being brutally raped by fellow migrants. In today's Guardian newspaper, columnist Owen Jones blames the "far right" for instability across Europe, lumping thousands of criminal migrants sparking a crime wave across the continent with Jews who fled Nazi Germany. He writes: "And who is waiting, preparing and consolidating? Europe's far right, already feeding off the despair of economic crisis and a backlash against refugees fleeing violence from the Middle East. Where once the principal target was Jews, now it's Muslim".
February 11, 2016

CAIRO  In an effort to shore up its economy, Egypt plans to list shares of some government-owned banks and companies on its ailing stock exchange.

Alaa Youssef, spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, announced Jan. 19 that shares in successful state-owned companies and banks will be listed. The statement followed a meeting between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the prime minister, the governor of the Central Bank, and the ministers of industry and finance to discuss the decline of the Egyptian stock market indexes.

The stock exchange lost $5.6 billion in value in just the first 19 days of 2016.

The Egyptian state owns three of the countrys largest banks either fully or partially, including the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr, along with a large number of companies  most notably Arab Contractors and ENPPI, an engineering firm serving the petrochemical and petroleum industries.

The presidencys announcement was welcomed by investors but raised concerns among those who oppose the privatization of the public sector.

Salah El Din Fehmi, head of the economics department at Al-Azhar University, commented on the issue, stating that the presidency took this step in an attempt to develop these successful companies and banks, attract new investments and create a community partnership between the state and individuals.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Fehmi stressed the term successful, pointing out that loss-making companies will not be listed. Fehmi said this decision reflects the presidencys foresight, as loss-making banks and companies need financial and administrative restructuring to be fit for privatization, adding that those who sell firms in the red reap nothing but crumbs.

Ambassador Gamal Bayoumi, secretary-general of the Union of Arab Investors, said the decision comes in an attempt to open up new horizons for financing and to expand the portfolios of these banks and companies, which would increase their competitiveness and reduce the burden of the state budget.

Bayoumi told Al-Monitor that anti-privatization has become for some a matter of principle without consideration of the pros and cons or the changes in the economy. He noted that in many countries  including the United States, which is the worlds largest economy  the government does not own any banks.

He thinks the state should get rid of loss-making companies even if this requires the state to pay investors, which is what Germany did when East Germany was annexed. He added that some of those companies have employees who get entitlements whether they do their jobs or not, which is a waste of the states material resources. Such companies will continue to incur losses unless the private sector takes over and implements a reward and punishment system that ensures the companies financial positions will improve.

Bayoumi stressed that those who claim that the privatization process is subject to corruption are crazy, because such deals are monitored by the Central Auditing Organization, the State Council and several control bodies.

In the same vein, former Minister of Finance Fayad Abdel Menhem said markets become more active with the expansion of traded merchandise, and when new merchandise is introduced in the form of shares, especially in an attractive sector such as banking, this would lead to a boom in the economic sector.

Every economic policy has its pros and cons, he noted. On the bright side, the state will be sending a message to the world pointing out that Egypt promotes a free economy and that the stock market will be refreshed by bringing losses to a halt, increasing the level of financing and attracting investments. The negative aspect, however, is that the state will be giving up on social responsibility.

For his part, former Minister of Social Solidarity Gouda Abdel Khalek said the decision is vague and does not specify whether the shares will be listed as a percentage of the capital or in the companies' market value.

The announcement didn't provide enough information to evaluate the presidency's decision. When the decision takes effect, there will be objections, which will lead  as did the Civil Service Law  to a state of confusion for both the state and citizens.

Abdel Khalek said that giving away parts of public property to the private sector means partial privatization, and that listing banks and companies in the exchange is currently extremely dangerous, especially in Egypt where the trading activity and investors cannot be controlled. This allows Israeli-affiliated companies to infiltrate the heart of the Egyptian economy, which poses a threat to Egyptian national security, he told Al-Monitor.

Abdel Khalek also pointed out that this decision represents a major shift in economic policy, which calls for a clarification by the presidency regarding its repercussions, the responsibility of each party as well as what is expected from the decision. The decision is more political than economic, because the money belongs to the people and the constitution forces the president to protect public funds, he said. On the bright side, he added, stockholders will be able to question companies' management decisions and will have access to financial statements, which creates a level of transparency.

Abdel Khalek wondered whether the proceeds will go to the public treasury to cope with the budget deficit or serve to increase the companies capital and therefore help with their development and restructuring, which would increase their production capacity. This was the Chinese experience with privatization, he said.

Stock exchange expert and Acumen Securities & Brokerage Chairman Osama Mourad said privatization requires a paradigm shift, development and a change in the type of administration. Instead of bearing social responsibility, companies placed on the stock exchange become economic institutions that seek profit, which promotes competitiveness and ends the states quasi-monopoly on economic activity.

Mourad told Al-Monitor that proceeds from the sale of those companies should go to the public treasury to cut the budget deficit, and that the talk about development and restructuring should not be considered, because as long as these companies are managed in the same way, the increase in capital will go down the drain. This is what was seen in the development of Egyptian Iron & Steel Co. When the state owns economic institutions, this sends bad signals to investors, since no sane investor would compete with the state.
February 11, 2016

After Iran and the six world powers signed the nuclear deal last summer, the Iranian Cabinet on Sept. 30 approved the general terms for new upstream oil and gas contracts, known as the Iran Petroleum Contract. The aim? Facilitating the inflow of foreign investment. The Oil Ministry presented the Iran Petroleum Contract to more than 300 major international energy investors at the Nov. 28-29 Tehran Summit. However, it seems that parliament is not yet in full agreement with the general terms of the new oil contract.

On Jan. 4, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said that the parliaments Committee for the Evaluation of Government Acts Compliance with the Law had approved the general terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract, and that work related to the contract had therefore been finalized. However, two days later, nine members of the parliamentary committee denied that they had evaluated the general terms. Further twisting the situation, the parliamentary committee does not actually have the power to change the legal status of the general terms of the contract, which have already been approved by the Cabinet.

Al-Monitor spoke with Iman Rajabi, a Tehran-based lawyer, to clarify the legal situation. He explained that when parliamentary action on a document can change its legal status, the latter is considered to be a bill submitted by the executive branch. However, the Cabinet-approved general terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract are not a bill in this sense. Rajabi noted that the Cabinet made an executive decision that simply defines the general terms of a future contract to be signed between Iran and a foreign party. Rajabi said, At this point, the general terms of the [Iran Petroleum Contract] are only an executive decision, and not an international agreement. Only the Court of Administrative Justice can stop it [the general terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract] from developing into a contract.

Sahar Seyedipour, another lawyer based in Tehran, agrees with Rajabi. She told Al-Monitor that all government organizations must comply with Cabinet decisions. Of note, based on Articles 77 and 125 of the Iranian Constitution, international agreements require parliaments approval. However, contracts in which one side is a government entity or company and the other side is a privately owned foreign company are not considered international contracts and are therefore not subject to Article 77. Seyedipour told Al-Monitor, Even if parliaments Committee for the Evaluation of Government Acts Compliance with the Law rejects the general terms of the [Iran Petroleum Contract], this has informative rather than legal value. But does this stop parliament from criticizing the Cabinets decision?

Ever since being passed by the Cabinet, the general terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract have been under attack by the conservative-dominated parliament. Critics, who mostly belong to right-wing factions, argue that the general contract terms violate Articles 44 and 45 of the Iranian Constitution. Article 44 says that the state should be in charge of major industries and large mines, while Article 45 states that anfal  the collective property of the Muslim community, which includes mines  must be managed under the exclusive control of the Islamic leadership for the benefit of the public. Of note, oil and gas reservoirs are considered to be mines. In this vein, critics of the new oil contract terms claim that future agreements will transfer ownership of anfal to foreign companies, either through giving them oil and gas or via excessive payments.

To ascertain the validity of these arguments, it is necessary to take a closer look at the general terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract.

First, the Iran Petroleum Contract is not a production sharing agreement because it does not create any right of ownership of reservoirs for foreigners. In fact, the contract is a buy-back or service contract that offers more incentives to foreign contractors than previous agreements. According to the contracts Article 3, Section 1, Iran's right of ownership of oil and natural gas fields and reservoirs, which is managed through the Oil Ministry, should be respected. Article 11, Section 5 also clearly states that any produced commodity is the property of the Oil Ministry.

Second, in addition to being the sole owner of the reservoirs, the Oil Ministry is also the owner of the contractors assets. Moreover, all contractor operations are under the supervision of the Oil Ministry. In other words, the contractor is a mediatory vessel through which the Oil Ministry conveys its right of ownership. Thus, the Iran Petroleum Contract is not in violation of Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution because even during the operational phases, the government remains the owner of major industries, which include all contractor operations, assets and the extracted commodities.

Third, based on Article 3, Section 3 of the Iran Petroleum Contract, while contractor operations to extract oil and gas do not create a right of ownership for the contractor, the Oil Ministry covers the contractors expenses from two sources: a maximum 50% amount of the extracted commodity (not what is inside the reservoir) and from the revenue generated by selling the commodity in the market, based on the commodity spot price. However, the same described methods of remuneration do not apply to paying the fee to the contractor. The fee, which is a reward for each barrel of produced oil or each 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas in excess of the agreed-upon depletion base line, is provided through either cash or delivering commodities or a combination of both. This is to encourage the contractor to expand improved oil recovery procedures and enhanced oil recovery techniques that are crucial for maximizing the amount of extracted oil and gas from fields.

Thus, the question is: Could delivering oil or gas to the contractor be a violation of the laws prohibiting the government from sharing ownership of anfal with foreigners?

The answer is simple. Delivery of oil or gas to the contractor in return for the contractors services is no different than the Oil Ministry selling the merchandise on the market and paying the contactor from the revenue of that transaction. This is remuneration and not an automatic right of ownership for the contractor as a result of its operations. Therefore, the argument that the Iran Petroleum Contract makes the foreign contractor the owner of anfal has no legal basis, since under no circumstances can the contractor claim ownership while getting paid either in the form of cash or commodities by the Oil Ministry.
February 11, 2016

Six years ago, in the winter of 2010, the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum awarded me the organizations medal, presented each year to Israelis and Palestinians active in areas related to the organizations objectives and goals. Over the course of my career in journalism, I have declined prizes from many groups and movements, but I could not turn down this particular organization, which this month celebrates 20 years of peace activism.

At the awards ceremony, held in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, hundreds of bereaved families, Jewish and Palestinian, assembled and met each other. They talked about possible ways to bring their two peoples together and end the conflict between them.

In essence, the central concept guiding the forum is similar to that of other peace organizations: to breach the walls of demonization and show that we are all human beings. This message resonates far more powerfully, however, when it comes from the mouths of bereaved family members, those who have lost loved ones as a result of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but still choose hope instead of revenge. I dont recall much of what I said at the award ceremony, with the exception of one sentence: You constitute a great source of light in the terrible darkness that prevails outside. Now it seems that Israel seeks to extinguish even this last remaining source of light.

In January at a gathering of the Peace NGO Forum, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced a policy change regarding permits for Palestinian peace activists from the territories to enter Israel. It affects well-known, veteran activists who have been organizing peace events for years.

Until now, peace organizations were required to renew entry permits for their activists every three months. Now, however, Palestinian peace activists can only obtain entry permits valid for 180 days, at the end of which time they must wait another 180 days before applying for another permit. Because the 180-day wait period takes effect at the expiration of activists' last three-month permits, many have lost permission to enter Israel for the time being and their right to apply for a permit in the near future. Another difficulty is the inability to contest the rejection of applications on security grounds. In effect, the new policy is a death sentence for activities for peace like those of the Bereaved Families Forum.

The Bereaved Families Forum was founded in 1995 by Israeli businessman Yitzhak Frankenthal, whose son Arik was abducted and murdered in 1994 by a Hamas cell while hitchhiking from the Reem Junction in southern Israel. The idea of establishing the forum took root in Frankenthals mind when he met with then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Despite his son having been murdered by Palestinians, Frankenthal described his vision for peace to Rabin, at which point the prime minister asked him, Where are the bereaved Palestinian parents? This conversation led to a forum that unites Israeli and Palestinian families who have paid the ultimate price and want to bring hope to the two peoples.

They announced to us that there is a new policy because of the situation, Mazen Faraj, the Palestinian general manager of the forum, told Al-Monitor. In my opinion, this is a new policy against peace organizations. Evidently they prefer to hear the voices of death and revenge and strangle the other voices, of reconciliation and dialogue.

Even Farajs entry permit was revoked, leading to the cancellation of all the programs and activities that he had planned. So far, we have held about 400 meetings in schools and have led numerous workshops for youths and adults. Now, everything has ground to a halt, he explained. Who am I to talk to? How will I be able to speak to the Israelis? I am wondering what Ill do now, reconcile with myself?

Farajs brother, Majid Faraj, is the director of the Palestinian Authoritys General Intelligence Service. They are sons in a bereaved family. Their father was killed in the Bethlehem area during the second intifada.

Israeli soldiers killed my father, Mazen said. He was making his way home from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Shots were fired, and he was killed. The only thing he was carrying in his hands were groceries that he wanted to bring home. All my brothers have spent time in Israeli prisons, myself included, from the age of 15, during the first intifada. We all think that we need to talk, to get to know the other side, and thus pave the road to reconciliation.

In 2014, Mazen received the Dalai Lama Compassion Prize for his peace efforts. Even now, in the storminess of the current intifada, he persists in his activism despite the tremendous dilemmas that confront him every day.

I woke up today at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of shots fired by soldiers who had entered in order to arrest several children in the refugee camp, he said. My daughters also woke up, screaming and crying, in great fear. I had to calm them down and afterward, we couldnt go back to sleep. At 9 in the morning, I was in my office, and I started to talk about reconciliation and peace, to do something that I believe in. Think of the mental difficulty involved in this.

Farajs counterpart, Israeli general manager Doubi Schwartz, told Al-Monitor that it is important, during these days in particular, to display hope and show that all is not lost. The Israelis ask us all the time, where is the Palestinian peace camp? So, here it is. It exists. But it is being halted.

According to Schwartz, Palestinian peace activists in the West Bank have become targets for derision in the refugee camps. They call them Abu Salem ["Father of Peace"] and ask them sarcastically, Where is your peace? Even the Israelis dont want to hear you. It is tremendously frustrating and a great blow to anyone who believes that theres another path, especially during such dark days as these.

Schwartz believes that the new restrictions on entry permits represent a deliberate policy shift. We feel that they are using administrative and technical pretexts against us, he said. When we look at whats happening with other peace organizations [such as the Israeli campaigns against watchdog nongovernmental organizations and the transparency law], we cant help but feel that they simply dont want to hear us and the alternate message that we want to convey.

The Bereaved Families Forum is not planning to celebrate its 20th anniversary. We have no reason to celebrate, Schwartz lamented. We find it tremendously frustrating that for 20 years, we have been talking, yet people continue to die. We have no sense of great victory. We are people with psychological scars, with great pain inside. We will celebrate when people stop dying.
February 12, 2016

QAMISHLI, Syria  When the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, Massoud Barzani, called on world leaders to acknowledge that the Sykes-Picot agreement that led to the boundaries of the modern Middle East has failed, the Syrian Kurds hoped it signaled a step closer to federalism and that they would achieve what their counterparts in Iraq were able to.

Barzani said in a Jan. 22 interview with The Guardian from his office in Erbil that the international community is realizing that Iraq and Syria will never be one entity and urged the world to draw a new map that makes room for an independent Kurdish state.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is dealing with the Islamic State, which took control over several areas of northern Iraq and eastern Syria in June 2014. Meanwhile, the Kurdish-dominated areas in Syria have found themselves in the same situation.

Syrian Kurds are looking to achieve their national rights in the war-torn country as they make up the second largest national component after Arabs with over 2.5 million Kurds, 15% of the overall Syrian population. During the rule of the Baath Party in Syria, Kurds were subject to various forms of discrimination, while [today], the Syrian opposition has not been able to meet their national demands, which mainly revolve around federalism.

Sehanok Dibo, the presidential adviser of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Al-Monitor that the idea of Kurdistan is not new in the Middle East," saying, "The Kurds have been present on these territories for a long time and they contributed to the regions culture.

Dibo noted that the Kurdish issue in Syria will not end when [Kurds obtain] citizenship and [achieve their] cultural rights. All authoritarian centralized regimes that had governed Syria in the past have failed, and [the system] must be turned into political decentralization. This is the essence of self-management, which we declared in early 2014.

When the Syrian regime forces withdrew from the Kurdish-dominated areas in the north and northeast of Syria in the summer of 2012 and the PYD took over, Kurds were given an opportunity to self-manage in three Kurdish-dominated areas (Afrin, Ain Arab/Kobani and al-Jazeera) under an alliance between Arab and Christian forces and Kurdish parties.

The PYD, one of the largest Kurdish parties participating in self-management, warned of the absence of Kurdish representation in the stalled Geneva III peace talks, which were postponed to Feb. 25.

The absence of a balanced and an influential Kurdish representation means that Geneva III will evidently fail like Geneva II, Dibo said, accusing Turkey of excluding his party from the first round of negotiations. He further stressed that Turkey is one of the countries that does not want a solution for the Syrian crisis, and thus it wants the war to continue.

In December 2013, the Kurdish National Council, a political coalition made up of of political parties, political forces and youth movements, held its second conference. During this conference, the council raised the ceiling of demands of Kurds in Syria. Its closing statement read, The most noble state is represented by a federal democratic state.

Before that, and in its founding conference on Oct. 26, 2011, the council had demanded to find a fair democratic solution to its national cause, in a way that guarantees the councils right to determine its own fate within the unity of the country.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Shellal Gedo, the secretary of the Democratic Left Kurdish Party in Syria and a member of the General Secretariat of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, confirmed that the KNC is openly calling for federalism." She said, "It believes that agreeing upon a federal state is the best and most effective solution in a country that has been troubled by wars and battles for the past five years.

The KNC had joined the coalition on Aug. 27, 2013, but the two could not agree on the form and the regime of the future state. The council demanded a federal system to reach the aspirations of the Syrian people, while the coalition postponed that goal until the first constitutional assembly convenes to discuss the countrys future.

Gedo revealed that there was no comprehensive agreement between the coalition and the council on the rights of the Kurds or their national cause. He pointed out, The council is diplomatically active outside the coalitions institutions through a number of official relationships with regional states as well as other countries around the world.

The PYD, led by Salih Muslim, did not partake in the first round of the Syrian peace talks, as Turkey blocked its participation, although Russia and Germany called for the PYD to be involved.

Members of the KNC have, however, joined the coalitions negotiating delegation at the Geneva talks. Meanwhile, the Syrian supreme negotiating body, which was formed in Riyadh in December, includes figures from the coalition-affiliated Kurdish bloc, as well as another Kurdish figure, Khalef Dawood, a member of the delegation of the Kurdish National Coordination Body for Democratic Change.

Lawyer and human rights activist Mustafa Ismail said he considered the first round of the Geneva III talks unimportant. He told Al-Monitor that other international actors decided to hold it without discussing the situation of the Syrian components, their future and the horizon of their coexistence in a war-torn country.

Ismail noted that Syrias Kurds still lack an agreed-upon political formula in the event that they are called on to participate in the new round of talks as an independent party.

Ismail noted that the Kurdish figures who participated in the talks participated as members of those [parties] and not as nationalists. They acted based on the political programs of those parties.
February 12, 2016

REYHANLI, Turkey  The gray-haired rebel battalion commander sat on his cheap hotel bed, intact leg tucked under his amputated one, smoking.

Injured in the regime-besieged Syrian resort town of Zabadani about 4 months before Al-Monitor spoke to him, he said that for 20 days, he had hoped that medical treatment would manage to save his leg.

Unfortunately, it hadnt. And with a severe lack of trained medical staff in the town near the Lebanese border, "Carpenters are the ones doing the cutting off there," former interior decorator Mohammed, 52, told Al-Monitor.

"But God saved us," he said, adding that the field hospital where he had been treated had been targeted several times by regime forces, but luckily had only suffered slight damage. "The regime targets hospitals and doctors as much, if not more than fighters," he said.

A UN-brokered agreement in December 2015 allowed 126 injured opposition fighters and civilians from besieged Zabadani to be flown to Turkeys southwestern region of Hatay in exchange for 330 predominantly Shiite fighters and civilians from two towns  al-Foua and Kefraya  in regime-controlled enclaves surrounded by opposition forces. They were taken to Lebanon, where they will receive medical treatment if necessary and have access to regime-held Damascus.

The agreement also enabled some food and medical supplies  though the UN called them insufficient  to reach the beleaguered population remaining in the area still under opposition control.

Though the opposition-held areas of Zabadani and Madaya and the regime-held al-Foua and Kefraya are under siege, the availability and prices of basic goods were reportedly worse in the territory surrounded by Syrian regime troops and allied militias, including the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Before the exchange, about 500 fighters and 70 civilians had remained in Zabadani, the battalion commander estimated.

"There was only about a square kilometer left" of territory in the city held by the rebels when he and the others were transferred out, he told Al-Monitor. The area held by opposition forces in the town surrounded by Hezbollah militants and regime troops had been narrowing for months.

His wife and three teenage children, as well as the families of many of his fellow fighters, are still in Madaya, a town near Zabadani, starving and surrounded by mines and snipers. The plight of the towns 40,000 inhabitants attracted attention after a media campaign by opposition activists, and limited supplies were sent in mid-January.

The UN has been criticized for failing to bring the dire situation of the town to the publics attention, even though it had reportedly known for months what was happening. The international body continued to classify the town as "hard to reach" instead of "besieged," even as people were dying there, allegedly owing to pressure from the Syrian regime or in an attempt to retain access to some of the hard-to-reach and besieged areas of the country. The UN had instead classified as "besieged" the regime-supporting towns of al-Foua and Kefraya, where there had not been any deaths from starvation.

Over 100 Syrians working in the civil society sector wrote in an open letter last month to the UN, Your colleagues in Damascus are either too close to the regime or too scared of having their visas revoked by the same powers that are besieging us.

When the fighters had been evacuated from Syria across the border into Lebanon and were traveling toward the Beirut airport, Hezbollah supporters threw rocks at their bus, Mohammed said, though they had been welcomed by anti-Syrian-regime Lebanese and Syrians as "heroes" nearer to the border.

Another opposition fighter who was part of the exchange was a man who identified himself as Yousef. He told Al-Monitor at a bus stop in southern Turkey that he had less severe injuries: shrapnel in several parts of his body that need to be removed. He was waiting for his sister, who had been living in Istanbul. They hadnt seen each other in two years due to the conflict.

Yousef, 30, said that his wife had been living in Madaya with his elder child until, scared of the bombs  she is only 20 years old, she managed to leave with her father and other family members to regime-controlled areas near the capital, where she remains.

She supports the uprising, but it is better that she is there right now, he told Al-Monitor, noting that all communication between them is done in secret. He has never seen his younger child, now two months old. But at least they can eat now, he noted.

Meanwhile, reports from Doctors Without Borders in early February suggest that Madaya inhabitants continue to die of starvation.

The area to which the fighters have been transferred, the Hatay region in southern Turkey, was the first to see refugees in 2011. It is where a camp for defected officers, and journalists are generally refused access. It also borders the Idlib region in northern Syria, a stronghold of the local al-Qaeda-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham.

Both men, as well as "90% of the armed fighters in Zabadani, Mohammed said, were from small battalions aligned with Ahrar al-Sham.

Yousef said that he was currently taking care of a fellow fighter and relative but that he would be going back to fight as soon as his treatment and that of his fellow fighter are finished "to Idlib, where Ahrar al-Sham is strong."

Many abroad consider the group one of the most Islamist, while many Syrians inside the country call it moderate. After a brief spell of op-eds published in major international publications by its foreign affairs spokesman, arguing that the group is part of the mainstream opposition, Ahrar al-Sham remains something of a mystery.

A British government official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that repeated attempts to contact the group  presumably with an aim to possibly work with it in the future, or at least to better understand it  had been unsuccessful, but that such attempts would continue given its prominence on the ground.

The US government instead currently refuses to engage in discussion with the group, suspicious of possible links to al-Qaeda.

Cigarette in hand, Mohammed said that though his way of thinking about things is closer to the Free Syrian Army, everyone in the area was with Ahrar al-Sham, which he described as moderate, average Syrian people.

Although his injury will not allow him to return to active fighting, he vowed to be involved in the fight in other ways and to stay with the group, which is also currently paying for his treatment and accommodation, he said.
February 11, 2016

Saudi Arabia and Turkey have agreed to form a Strategic Cooperation Council to coordinate and develop relations between the countries in terms of economic, political, defense, security, education and health issues. The countries also are discussing military cooperation, especially with regard to Syria.

The custodian of the two holy mosques, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, received Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at his palace in Riyadh during the prime minister's official visit Jan. 31.

The high-level Turkish delegation Davutoglu headed included Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Economy Minister Mustafa Elitas, Interior Minister Efkan Ala, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Minister Binali Yildirim and the chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Gen. Hulusi Akar.

Following the meeting between the Saudi king and Davutoglu, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and his Turkish counterpart announced that officials had agreed to implement the Strategic Cooperation Council.

We will sign [the agreement] in the future and appoint two joint presidents for the council, Jubeir said. The meeting followed up on discussions in December, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia.

The final signing of the council agreement is scheduled during Salman's visit to Turkey to participate in the Islamic summit, which is held every three years. The summits 13th session will be held in Istanbul from April 10-15 under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was established in September 1969 and includes 57 member states on four continents.

The royal palace in Riyadh welcomed Davutoglu with a luncheon by Salman in the presence of senior Saudi officials, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The crown prince had visited Ankara in April 2015 a few hours before Erdogans visit to Iran, so as to brief Erdogan on Tehrans security interventions in the Gulf and military interference in Yemen.

The lunch also included the Saudi defense minister and chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who later held a meeting with Davutoglu, given that the deputy crown prince is responsible for the military and economic affairs in Saudi Arabia.

These developments reflect the interest of Saudi Arabia in establishing a strategic partnership with Turkey, which has shown the initiative to achieve a greater understanding with Riyadh on several political issues with regard to Yemen and Syria. Turkey also agreed to join the military anti-terrorism Islamic coalition declared by the Saudi minister of defense in December.

Conversely, the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi did not offer the support Riyadh sought in several political and military stances with regard to Syria, Yemen or Iraq; observers said this reflects Egypt's ingratitude for the kingdoms support of the Egyptian economy in terms of funds and oil. Saudi Arabia provided more than $8 billion worth of aid to Egypt in 2013 and 2014.

It seems that the Turks are more willing and able  albeit not by receiving any direct financial aid from Saudi Arabia  to show solidarity with the Saudis, starting with Erdogan, who made a scathing criticism of Iran, accusing it of executing a large number of people, during his speech in January against the backdrop of the attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Erdogan previously accused Iran of seeking to dominate the region in an interview with France 24 in March 2015, declaring his support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.

This is not to mention Davutoglus criticism of Irans behavior with its Arab neighbors during his interview with Al-Arabiya channel Feb. 3, although he described Iran as a friendly and neighboring country to avoid raising Tehrans ire; there is $14 billion in trade between Turkey and Iran.

Moreover, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador to Ankara on Jan. 7 to protest Iranian media outlets that had linked Erdogans recent visit to Saudi Arabia and Riyadhs death sentence against Shiite Saudi cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. This is not to mention the Iranian media accusing Erdogan of previously being aware of Riyadhs decision and of coordinating with Saudi authorities to implement the death sentence against Nimr. These accusations came in response to Erdogans statements that the death sentence is a Saudi internal affair.

During his visit to Riyadh, Davutoglu, during his meetings with a number of Saudi businessmen, was keen to persuade them to increase the size of their investments in Turkey.

Turkey seeks, through its new cooperation with Riyadh, to increase Saudi investment in Turkey, which currently amounts to about $2 billion  namely in real estate and other activities such as industry, tourism and energy  to $25 billion by 2023.

Ankara also seeks to obtain a bigger share of development projects in Saudi Arabia to the benefit of 200 Turkish companies operating in the field of construction and contracting, whose investments reached $1 billion during 2015.

According to a report by Al-Hayat newspaper Jan. 11 quoting sources from the Saudi Ministry of Housing and Turkish sources, a group of Turkish companies would land contracts with the Saudi Housing Ministry for the construction of residential units with an area of 300 million square meters (3.2 billion square feet); while the value was not confirmed, there were reports that it could be as much as $240 billion.

Turkey is characterized by its strategic location linking Europe and Asia and its growing and diversified economy under the rule of the Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP). The AKP has implemented an economic program designed to reduce imports, focusing on producing and exporting local products based on local raw materials and establishing international business partnerships with Europe and oil-rich countries in the Middle East.

This is not to mention Turkeys military power, as it has the second-largest army in NATO with 670,000 soldiers, following that of the United States.

Saudi Arabia is anxiously looking at Irans growing power and influence in the Arab region following the relief of international sanctions by Europe, the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency, not to mention lifting the ban on its oil exports, which allowed it to restore half of its frozen assets abroad, amounting to $100 billion.

In this context, Riyadh is turning toward Sunni-dominated Ankara, considering that the close economic, security and military ties have become a strategic need to protect the security of the Gulf and reduce the risk of Iranian influence in the smoldering Arab areas such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Despite the expected benefits on the political and military levels after the cooperation agreement is enacted, and despite the AKPs positive stance and support of Saudi Arabia and its genuine endeavor to promote cooperation between the two countries, Saudis who are banking on any foreign military and economic alliances should be realistic and cautious in their optimism.

This is especially true since the Turkish government might be powerful and capable inside Turkey, but is not very likely to demonstrate the same influence and power abroad as the Saudis wish  given Turkeys economic considerations with Iran, and for military reasons, as it is a member of NATO, not to mention the security reasons in light of the battle with armed Kurdish groups at home.

Decision-makers in Riyadh first ought to trust their citizens and enlist those who are willing in the army to increase the armed forces, currently amounting to 233,000 soldiers. However, this number is no longer sufficient for Riyadh, which is currently engaged in different military operations in Yemen and Bahrain, and potentially in Syria and other countries.

Saudi Arabia also ought to take necessary measures in this regard so it will not have to seek help from abroad, especially with 651,000 unemployed people in the kingdom, according to 2014 official statistics. The kingdom also needs a national project to face the Iranian one, as no economic reform can be achieved without real political reforms ensuring the participation of citizens in power and wealth management.
February 12, 2016

MUNICH  World powers led by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that they had agreed on an ambitious plan for rapid humanitarian aid delivery to seven besieged areas in Syria, including air drops to territory held by the Islamic State and a temporary cessation of hostilities to be worked out over the next week.

Under the plan, announced by Kerry and Lavrov at a midnight press conference in Munich after six hours of grueling meetings involving some 18 nations, the United Nations would convene two task forces, each co-chaired by the United States and Russia. One task force would begin work in Geneva this weekend to organize and oversee implementation of humanitarian aid delivery to the most besieged areas in Syria. These include not only areas accessible by truck convoy that are besieged by Syrian government forces and their allies, but one town, Deir ez-Zor, held by IS, where the plan is to air-drop assistance.

The second task force would aim to organize a cessation of hostilities, or temporary truce, with the goal of getting the Syrian government and rebel groups to agree to freeze fighting in one weeks time and eventually to work toward a broader and more lasting cease-fire.

The plan, Kerry acknowledged, was hugely ambitious, and it remains to be seen, he said, whether the words in the communique unanimously agreed to by the 20-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) could be translated into facts on the ground.

Everybody today agreed on the urgency of humanitarian access, Kerry told journalists at the joint press conference with Lavrov and UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura Feb. 12. And what we have here are words on paper. What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground in the field.

With attention in Munich focused on rapidly producing concrete humanitarian deliverables and a reduction in violence in Syria, ambitions receded for a near-term resumption of the intra-Syrian political talks in Geneva. For now, that might suit both the Syrian opposition, currently pushed back on its heels, and the Damascus government, emboldened by its recent military gains, backed by Russian airstrikes. A permanent end to hostilities, however, would not come without an eventual political resolution, Kerry asserted.

We have no illusions about how difficult that is, Kerry said. No one here is following some pipe dream in this effort. People fully understand that compromise will be necessary, that it will be essential to resolve very tough issues that are outstanding. But without a political transition, it is not possible to achieve peace.

In a demonstration of the international groups effort to try to rapidly translate the ambitious plan into action and lessen the misery of millions of Syrians, de Mistura announced only hours after the ISSG Munich meeting that the first gathering of the ISSG task force on humanitarian aid would hold its first meeting Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. in Geneva.

The ISSG plan is based on a US text brought to Munich, a former Gulf-based diplomat said. On aid delivery to the seven most besieged areas, the ISSG communique states, In order to accelerate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, sustained delivery of assistance shall begin this week by air to Deir Ez Zour and simultaneously to Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, and Kafr Batna by land, and continue as long as humanitarian needs persist. Russia said it would begin work with the Syrian government to coordinate air drops of food by helicopter into Deir ez-Zor in the coming days.

The other major plank of the new plan would bring US and Russian diplomatic and military officials together in the task force to try to lay the groundwork for an eventual cease-fire, beginning with what the diplomats called a cessation of hostilities.

The ISSG members decided to take immediate steps to secure the full support of all parties to the conflict for a cessation of hostilities, and in furtherance of that have established an ISSG cease-fire task force, under the auspices of the UN, co-chaired by Russia and the United States, and including political and military officials, the ISSG communique states.

Lavrov said he welcomed in particular that the new plan calls for more military coordination between the US-led coalition and Russia in Syria, a goal he said Russia has long sought but until now had been rebuffed. He acknowledged that Russias targeting of rebel groups beyond IS (or Daesh, as he calls the organization) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra has been a long-running source of emotional arguments within the international Syria contact group.

As you probably know, during all these months we had quite an emotional discussion on who is  striking at [the] right targets, who is striking at wrong targets, Lavrov said at the press conference with Kerry. We have been proposing on many occasions to deal with this issue.  Now, having the agreement that the task force will determine areas taken by Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra. We have made a very important practical step forward in this direction.

I would also like to underscore that, for the first time in our work, the document that we have adopted today stipulates the need to cooperate and coordinate not only political and humanitarian issues, but also the military dimension of the Syrian crisis, Lavrov said. This is a qualitatively new change in the approaches, and we welcome it. We have been calling for it.

The Munich meeting was the first to bring Kerry and Lavrov together face to face since Syria peace talks collapsed Feb. 3 in Geneva amid Russian-backed Syrian regime gains on Aleppo. It is also the first time that Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have been in the same room since Riyadh broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran following an attack on its embassy there on Jan. 2.

Many had wondered whether there [were] tensions in the region that would not allow some countries perhaps to be part of it, de Mistura said at the press conference with Kerry and Lavrov. We were able today to witness exactly the contrary. Saudi Arabia was there, Iran was there, everyone was there; and they were there determined to spend hours in order to discuss this.

The next days will be a good testing time, de Mistura said. Are the Syrian people going to see these outcomes? Then they will believe in future conferences, and they believe in their own future. And the ISSG has shown that they are ready to commit themselves.

There were signs, however, that the Syrian opposition, as well as some of its regional backers, were prepared to improve its position should the attempt at a truce break down, an event that is not difficult to imagine.

Salman Shaikh, a former UN official attending the Munich talks, told Al-Monitor Feb. 11 that if it doesn't work, The opposition has a Plan B. They would expect their core supporters and friends to up their military support.

Kerry also signaled that the Syrian opposition might not be prepared to give up the fight for broader political change in Syria instead of reaching an accommodation with President Bashar al-Assad.

What we got last night on this cessation of hostilities represents what the opposition wanted, Kerry said at a meeting with Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi Feb. 12. They wanted it called and defined as a cessation of hostilities. That is very much in line with their thinking and their hopes.
The Shoals will say goodbye this month to one of its longtime leaders in Florence.

Steve Holt. (Courtesy)

Shoals Chamber of Commerce President Steve Holt said Thursday he will resign Feb. 29 after 22 years of service to the organization. Barry Auchly, vice president at Books-A-Million and board member for the Chamber, will fill in for Holt until a replacement is hired.

Holt oversaw several projects during his time with the Chamber, including the Singing River Bridge on Alabama 157, the Shoal Creek Bridge on U.S. 72, Keep The Shoals Beautiful program and more. Membership also has grown from 650 to more than 1,000, while non-dues revenue has jumped by more than 200 percent.

"There have been a lot of victories and some defeats," Holt said. "But it's been a passion, and I'll miss it."

The 67-year-old University of Tennessee alumnus, who is not ready for retirement, moved to the Shoals in 1994 from Asheville, N.C., with his wife and two children. He has previously worked for Chamber groups in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Cosmo's reflection by Hal Yeager.JPG

Cosmo's Pizza opened in 1986 in Five Points South in Birmingham, Ala. The restaurant's last day in business will be Feb. 28, 2016. (Birmingham News file/Hal Yeager)

Cosmo's Pizza, a Birmingham institution that has served the Five Points South area for three decades, is closing at the end of this month, one of the owners told AL.com this morning.

"Cosmo's is 30 years old, and I've worked here for 29 years," co-owner Leisa Bunn said. "So I've worked here for over half my life, and it's killing me to give it up. But I have no choice."

Bunn cited financial reasons for closing Cosmo's and said business had fallen off in recent years with the increased competition from other, newer pizza restaurants that have opened elsewhere on Southside, in Avondale and in Crestwood.

"Cosmo's was the original," she said. "Then Mellow Mushroom opened up down the street, and now we have Little Italy, which is adorable. Then we have Slice in Lakeview, Post Office Pies in Avondale, and then we have the Filling Station on Crestwood Boulevard, which is also adorable. . . . It's just crazy. I've never seen so many pizza places.

"I understand that new places open and everyone wants to try them, and I don't blame them for that," she added. "When you can't survive anymore because of all the new places, though, then it's just time to move on."

As word as started to get around about Cosmo's closing, Bunn said, there has been an outpouring of support from longtime customers, some of whom have offered to help her pay overdue bills to stay open. The restaurant will close on Feb. 28, she said.

"People have started offering money, and I know I just can't pay them back," she said. "So I just can't do that."

Bill Deason and Leisa Bunn are the longtime co-owners of Cosmo's Pizza, which is going out of business on Feb. 28, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Cosmo's Pizza)

The neighborhood pizzeria, located at 2012 Magnolia Ave., opened in 1986 in Pickwick Place, and while dozens of Five Points South restaurants and bars opened and closed over those years, Cosmo's managed to keep on rocking.

"Awash in neon and twinkling holiday lights, with fire-engine red walls and black table tops, the funky neighborhood pizza joint feels more like a den than a dining room, and it remains a popular hangout for a revolving door of artists, musicians, college students and office workers -- some of whom even have dishes named after them," The Birmingham News wrote in 2014.

Bunn and co-owner Bill Deason worked at Cosmo's for several years before buying it from original owner Billy Caldwell in the early 2000s.

"He didn't want to sell it to strangers," Deason recalled in a 2004 interview with The News. "He knew we cared about it, believed in it and would carry it on in the same tradition."

Cosmo's gourmet pizzas -- which include the House Special with pesto, prosciutto, bell peppers, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian sausage, and the Rock and Roll, with extra cheese, pepperoni, black olives, sausage, mushrooms and green peppers -- have been featured on the Alabama Tourism Department's list of "100 Dishes To Eat in Alabama Before You Die." Cosmo's was also popular for its calzones, beer cheese soup and Bloody Mary brunches.

Also, in 2004, Cosmo's Pizza was one of five finalists for Birmingham's best pizza in a metro-wide contest sponsored by The Birmingham News.

UPDATED at 2:45 p.m. CST on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, to add that Cosmo's Pizza will close on Feb. 28.
Traditional wedding vows state, "'Til death do us part." But in the cases of some couples, even death can't break the bonds of love. Here are the stories of seven enduring Alabama monuments to devotion.

1. Statue of Elodie Dawson

Live Oak Cemetery, Selma

Statues in cemeteries are more rare than plain markers, and statues of a person, rather than an angel or other generic figure, are even more unusual. But in Selma's historic Live Oak Cemetery, which contains some of the most beautiful funerary art in the state, sets a likeness of Elodie Breck Todd Dawson, the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln and wife of Confederate officer Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson. When Elodie died in 1877 at the age of 37, the colonel was heartbroken.

He ordered a statue from Italy to be carved in her likeness. According to RuralSWAlabama.org, when the statue arrived in Selma, Dawson was dissatisfied. Saying the statue's carved curls were not as lovely as his wife's ringlets, he returned it to Italy. The replacement statue, complete with detailed ringlets, is located at her grave site today.

2. Sallie Howard's Chapel

DeKalb County Road 165 at DeSoto State Park, Fort Payne

DeKalb County lawyer and author Milford Wriarson Howard was devastated upon the death in 1925 of his beloved wife, Sarah Lankford Howard, known as "Sallie" or "Sally." She died while in California and was buried in Glendale's Forrest Lawn Cemetery, but Howard had a dream of memorializing her in DeKalb County. He had admired the Kirk O' the Heather church in Glendale, a reproduction of a Scottish church, and planned to replicate it.

He remarried in late 1926 but continued with his plans for a memorial, raising funds and gathering materials. He found the perfect site: a massive boulder located in what is now DeSoto State Park. Howard built a chapel onto the boulder, which forms one side of the small building. It was completed in 1937 and Howard preached the first sermon inside, according to DiscoverLookoutMounatin.com.

Today, the unusual and picturesque chapel is open to the public and Sunday services are held each week. Above the stone altar, a line from Sallie's last letter is etched: "God has all ways been as good to me as I would let him be." Howard died later that year and his ashes are interred inside the massive boulder of the chapel.

3. The Drewry Monument

Hillcrest Cemetery, Haleyville

An elaborate double statue in Hillcrest Cemetery may give the impression that Arthur and Bertha Drewy were a dour pair, but in reality the statues are a tribute to the couple's enduring love. Arthur Drewy was a prominent local builder and land developer. After his death in 1936 at the age of 59, a grief-stricken Bertha commissioned a statue in his likeness to be placed at his grave.

Bertha was so pleased with the statue - carved from Georgia marble by an Italian sculptor - that she ordered a statue in her own likeness, according to the book "Alabama Cemeteries: Their Stories in Stone." It was erected beside Arthur's grave and reportedly local residents were startled when Bertha would come to place flowers on Arthur's grave and stand before her own likeness. Bertha died seven years after Arthur and is buried beneath her statue.

4. Hanks Williams' poem

Oakwood Annex Cemetery, Montgomery

Most people are aware legendary Hank Williams is buried in Montgomery's Oakwood Cemetery Annex, where he was interred after his death at age 29 in 1953. His grave is covered with lyrics from his famous songs, as well as a carving of his iconic cowboy hat. But unless you've visited his grave, you may not know there is a poem etched on the back of his massive slab headstone:

Thank you for all the love you gave me

There could be one no stronger

Thank you for the many beautiful songs

They will live long and longer

Thank you for being a wonderful father to Lycrecia

She loves you more than you knew

Thank you for our precious son

And thank God he looks so much like you

And now I can say:

There are no words in the dictionary

That can express my love for you

Someday beyond the blue

It is signed Audrey Williams, but this isn't any traditional love story. Hank and Audrey, who was also his manager, had a tumultuous relationship and divorced five months before his death. Still, Audrey, who is buried beside Hank beneath an equally impressive headstone, let the world know theirs was a love that endured beyond death.

5. The statue of James Coleman's mourning widow

Old Memphis Cemetery, Haleyville

According to FindaGrave.com, James A. Coleman Jr. had been married just three short years when he died in 1884 at the age of 28. His wife, Mary "Mollie" Coleman, was desolate. She ordered a statue of a veiled, mourning woman to place at her husband's grave in Old Memphis Cemetery. Although variations of mourning statues were readily available, Mollie commissioned one to be carved in her likeness so she could look over her husband's grave, according to the book "Alabama Cemeteries: A Guide to Their Stories in Stone."

Today, the statue is sometimes called "The Weeping Enigma" because it stands in the overgrown rural cemetery facing west, although it was reportedly installed facing east, with its arms stretching out over the grave. This gave rise to the legend that the young bride discovered her late husband was unfaithful and, enraged, turned the statue. However, she could have removed the statue altogether and it is more likely the direction was changed so people could enjoy the statue's beauty.

6. Mary Bibb mausoleum

Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville

Mary Chambers Bibb was 18 years old when she died in 1835. A few months before she fell mysteriously ill and the family later determined Mary had been given a poison inadvertently. It was likely mistaken for medicine.

Although she had already fallen sick, she went ahead with plans to marry her beloved, William Bibb, who was the son of Alabama's second governor, Thomas Bibb. She died just three months after the ceremony. William Bibb built a marble mausoleum in Maple Hill Cemetery to honor his young bride. According to legend, she was buried in her wedding gown, sitting in her favorite rocking chair.

7. Statue of Princess Noccalula

Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden

The bronze statue of Noccalula, an Indian princess leaping over a massive waterfall, symbolizes a legendary love affair and is also a tangible example of the adage: "The heart wants what the heart wants." The statue at the edge of the falls, originally called Black Creek Falls, was erected by the City of Gadsden to memorialize the tale, which states that Noccalula was the daughter of an Indian chief who fell in love with a courageous-but-penniless warrior. But the chief insisted that his daughter marry someone of status and arranged her marriage to the chief of a neighboring tribe.

Legend says on the day of the wedding, Noccalula allowed her handmaidens to dress her in wedding finery before slipping away and leaping over the edge of the falls. In his grief, her father renamed the site Noccalula Falls.

Join AL.com reporter Kelly Kazek for Grave Encounters, her features about the history of Southern graves and burial customs. Find her on Facebook or follow her Odd Travels and Real Alabama boards on Pinterest.
Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin said a Gadsden man was arrested in Mississippi after he apparently took a stolen truck to New Orleans.

Barry Keith Drenner, 58, faces multiple charges, including property theft, possession of a forged instrument and fraudulent use of a credit card. He is being held in the Etowah County Detention Center on $224,694 bond.

Investigators say Drenner took a 2005 Toyota Tacoma truck in December 2015 without permission. He then drove it to New Orleans and used the victim's identification to cash checks written on a closed account.

He was later arrested in Hattiesburg, Miss. and brought back to Etowah County to face charges.
A Mustang plowed into a Subway restaurant today, leaving five people including the driver with injuries.

The crash happened about 10:45 a.m. at the restaurant that adjoins the Kangaroo Express in the 1700 block of Tallapoosa Street. Subway employee Lakeria Dobyne, 18, said she was fixing sandwiches for a man and his daughter when the front window and door shattered in an explosion of glass.

"It came out of nowhere,'' Dobyne said. "It sounded like an 18-wheeler coming in from out of nowhere. It was real loud."

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Capt. William Lipscomb said the driver of the Mustang pulled up to go into the restaurant, and for unknown reasons accelerated into the store. There were two customers and two employees in the store, all of whom received minor injuries.

The two customers, one of the employees and the driver were examined by paramedics on the scene but refused to be taken to the hospital. One of the employees, a young woman, was complaining of chest pain and was taken to UAB Hospital for further examination.

Lipscomb said authorities were examining the extent of the structural damage. Birmingham police will investigate the crash.
Poor infrastructure and sanitation means run-down neighbourhoods may be hardest hit by mosquito-borne viruses like zika.

In Ibura, a poor neighbourhood in Recife, north eastern Brazil, Gleyse Kelly, 27, breastfeeds her three-month-old daughter, Giovanna.

I hope that she will be able to walk, talk and go on to study, Gleyse says.

Giovanna has microcephaly, a condition which causes babies to be born with smaller-than-average heads and suffer varying degrees of brain damage, leading to developmental problems and severe learning difficulties. Some die shortly after birth.

Experts say it is very likely that Giovanna will require full-time care for the rest of her life, putting enormous pressure on Gleyse, a mother of four who earns only $250 a month working as a toll booth attendant, and who receives $25 in government child benefits. Her husband is unemployed.

The World Health Organization has called a global state of emergency over the mosquito-borne zika virus and a rise in the number of babies born with microcephaly that is suspected to be related to it. So far, more than 1.5 million cases of zika have been detected in Brazil, with the overwhelming majority of cases in the poorer north eastern states of Pernambuco, Bahia and Paraiba.

Zika and microcephaly: what we dont know

The true scale of the crisis remains unknown, however, as the link between zika and microcephaly, while strongly suspected, remains scientifically unproven. So far, only a handful of microcephaly cases have a proven connection to zika.

Experts say a lack of knowledge about zika is the greatest challenge to tackling the virus. Part of the problem is the complexity and cost of the diagnostics, as the virus usually lives in the body for only a week. The virus symptoms are minimal  mostly rashes and mild fever  and usually go unnoticed.

While more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly were originally reported, these numbers are now being scrutinised and, to date, only 270 cases have been confirmed. In 2014, there were just 150 cases.

The condition can also be caused by alcohol abuse, malnutrition and diabetes, as well as by other infectious diseases.

Annually, there are around 25,000 cases of microcephaly reported in the United States, leading analysts to question whether the number of cases in Brazil was previously under-reported or whether the supposed surge is a result of over awareness following increased media exposure.

Abortion laws

Authorities are unanimous, however, in saying that much remains unknown, and pregnant women especially should err on the side of caution.

The zika virus is very serious. This is the biggest public health threat we have faced in recent history, said Jalison Correia, the secretary of public health for the city of Recife.

Correia added that Brazils current economic recession is posing a challenge, but said no costs would be spared in tackling the virus. According to Correia, the city asked for R$29B ($7.46m) in emergency funding from the federal government and received just R$1.3B ($334,000).

The World Health Organization has advised pregnant women against travelling to Brazil and for women living in zika-affected areas to seek professional advice.

While implementing measures to tackle the virus, authorities have downplayed suggestions that it will affect Brazils Olympic and Paralympic Games, to be held in Rio de Janeiro during Brazils winter, when the conditions mean there are fewer of the aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread zika, dengue and chikungunya, to breed.

The zika virus has also reignited Brazils abortion debate. Activists are calling for the Supreme Court to loosen the countrys extremely restrictive abortion laws  which permit it only in the case of rape and if the womans life is in danger  for those carrying microcephaly-affected babies.

Attacking the transmitter

Addressing the nation, Brazils president, Dilma Rouseff, called on people to help the government fight the virus.

The most effective way is not letting the mosquito be born, destroying their breeding sites, of which more than two thirds are in our homes, Rouseff said. Currently, there is no cure for zika and a vaccine is expected to take years to develop.

On February 13, after Brazils annual carnival, 220,000 troops will be deployed across 28 states of Brazil to visit houses and destroy mosquito breeding sites. In Recife and the north-eastern states troops have been mobilising for weeks.

In Coqueiro, a poor neighbourhood in Recife, troops go door to door and health workers give out leaflets to residents advising them on how to avoid mosquito-borne viruses.

The soldiers find mosquito larvae, formed in rainwater and collected in a tyre that a resident had left outside his house for six months. When questioned about why he left it there during the rainy season, he said: I forgot.

At one house, a middle-aged woman says that everyone in her family has suffered from dengue fever, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes. Health workers advise her that the paddling pool in her back yard will breed larvae if not emptied soon.

Poverty as an exacerbating factor

While experts say that the main reason for the spread of zika cases in the northeast is probably because that was the viruss entry point, poverty is clearly an exacerbating factor.

GDP per capita in 2013 for the state of Pernambuco was R$15,282 ($3,900), with Bahia at R$13,578 ($3,490) and Paraiba at just R$11,835 ($3,044), compared with R$39,122 ($10,063) in Sao Paulo.

While social and economic indicators have improved significantly over the past 10 years, the northeast region still has the countrys worst access to healthcare and education as well as sanitation and running water.

READ MORE: What is the zika virus?

The region is also arid and historically drought-stricken, meaning that locals are more likely to keep water supplies at home in tanks, which can create mosquito breeding grounds if only minimally damaged.

Poor neighbourhoods also suffer from bad infrastructure. They are often informally built and end up collecting pockets of rainwater during the rainy season. Rubbish disposal is badly organised and collection often sporadic.

This isnt a condition that just affects poor people. A mosquito can bite anyone. But the condition clearly favours poverty, said Angela Rocha, at the Oswaldo Cruz hospital in Recife, where the zika outbreak was first recorded.

Back at Gleyse Kellys house, her mother, husband and three sons sit in the living room. Gleyse answers messages on her mobile phone while cradling baby Giovanna. She smiles and kisses her daughters head.

My biggest fear when I was pregnant was that she would die after I gave birth, she said
Plans to turn a vacant church in a Chicago suburb into a mosque have been the target of anonymous flyers.

Proposals to convert an abandoned Christian church into a mosque have met opposition from residents of a suburb outside Chicago, evoking bitter memories of two prior battles in which Muslims sought to get local community support for new mosques  one in nearby Palos Heights in 2000 and another a few miles away in Orland Park in 2004.

Officials from the Muslim American Society (MAS), which has chapters across the United States, bought the vacant First Church of Christ, Scientists, on 12300 S 80th Avenue in Palos Park, Illinois, and said they hope to open in the summer.

Although Muslims in the southwest suburbs of Chicago have several mosques to choose from, MAS officials say that the community is expanding rapidly and another mosque is needed to serve it.

But it seems that not everyone agrees.

American, just like them

Anonymous flyers distributed to homes near the proposed Palos Park site warned that an Islamic centre in the area would undermine home values and create traffic congestion.

The flyers, left in mail boxes and in some cases on doorsteps, perplexed MAS officials, who said that their goal was merely to utilise a building that already has government approval to be used as a religious centre.



We are surprised because we are so involved and engaged in the local community, Oussama Jammal, a spokesman for MAS and a vice president of the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation, told Al Jazeera.

I think it is just one or two people who are distributing these flyers, trying to stir things up. We have no problem with people expressing their opinions and welcome the opinions. We want to meet with our neighbours, though, and explain who we are and what we want to do. Were American, just like them.

Jammal explained that MAS chose the building not only because it was vacant and for sale, but also because it was already zoned  government approved  to be used for religious purposes. Religious institutions get special government benefits.

We have been working together for years to fight for the rights of American people. We supported the healthcare. We worked with Kid Care, which helped children get insurance in the state, added Jammal, who explained that he works with United Power for Action and Justice, a non-partisan community organisation.

The group includes Christians, Muslims, Jews  and many other groups who live in this region and we have been involved in many social issues to make our communities safer in fighting street gangs, to fight for better education, to obtain healthcare, and support legislation to help the disabled. This isnt about a religion. Its about being a part of the this country.

At a public meeting on February 8, local government officials denounced the flyer and described Muslims as neighbours. But some of the local residents in attendance seemed to share the concerns expressed on it. Despite these complaints, Village of Palos Park officials have said that the municipality will not block the opening of the mosque.

Jammal said he does not believe this is an issue the local government should interfere with.

We are part of the larger community to protect our streets, protect our youth. This is what the Muslim community is about. Unfortunately, the people dont know what we do.

Past controversies, ongoing problems

In 2000, when hundreds of local residents opposed the opening of a mosque in Palos Heights, officials blocked the sale of a church property that had been on the market for five years.

The Palos Heights mayor at the time, Dean Koldenhoven, had supported the proposal to open the mosque but was overruled by the City Council. Despite being elected with a strong majority in 1997, he was voted out of office in 2001 after the mosque controversy, drawing only 14 percent of the votes.

I am not surprised by some opposition to the mosque but it is not anywhere near what it was 16 years ago, Koldenhoven told Al Jazeera English.

These complaints are the same complaints we always hear. They have no basis.

Koldenhoven said he believed residents of the Chicago suburbs have become more accepting of Muslims and blamed the controversy on a handful of anti-Muslim activists.

Koldenhoven was awarded the prestigious Profile in Courage Award in 2002 by the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, in acknowledgement of the position he took over the mosque.

John Mahoney, the current Palos Park mayor, criticised the flyer and its accusations as cowardly.

The Orland mosque, which was opened in 2004, received support from the Village of Orland Park, but the property has been vandalised many times, and on several occasions in 2014 and 2015 shots were fired at its golden dome as worshippers prayed inside.

Opposition to mosques has been documented across the country, in part fuelled by political attacks and comments by public figures including, most recently, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

The Council on American Islamic Relations issued a report noting that 2015 had the highest number of reported cases of vandalism against mosques and Islamic centres in the country.

READ MORE: Islamophobic attacks since Chapel Hill

Last year, residents of Sterling Heights, near Dearborn, which has a large Arab and Muslim population, blocked the building of a mosque. Among those who opposed the mosque were many non-Arab Christians (Chaldeans) from Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq.

Chicagos southwest suburbs have two large domed mosques. The Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview was built in the 1980s in what was then an industrial zone. Today, it has become a magnet for Muslim worshippers and some homes in the area have the Muslim shahada, the declaration of faith, in cement by the entrance.

As well as warning about traffic and reduced property prices, the flyer opposing the opening of the Palos Park mosque highlights the possibility of people from outside of the community coming in, of large Muslim families moving into your neighbourhood  some of these  have 20 people living in a single family home and more women at the Palos Heights Pool with burkas, these women go in the pool with their garments on.

The former church is, however, in a remote area near one of the regions largest hospitals and just a few blocks from a train station.

Jammal said he believed the conversion of the vacant church into a mosque will proceed without government interference and is hopeful that Muslims there will be able to work with residents to help them better understand that we are no different than they are: just Americans who wish to practise our faith.
Dhaka, Bangladesh  The cruel irony of congenital heart disease is that it affects people in poor countries most, but requires expensive treatment from highly-skilled and specially trained teams of medics found in wealthy nations.

In Bangladesh, a country just twice the size of Ireland but with more than 156 million people, 35 times its population, there are only a handful of surgeons with the skills to operate on babies or children weighing just a few kilos.

Congenital heart disease affects about nine in every 1,000 babies born in Britain. In Bangladesh, about 25 in every 1,000 babies born at the Combined Military Hospital in the capital Dhaka have heart defects.

Eighty percent of these babies are born to families living below the poverty line. Surgery to fix the problem costs around $2,000 in Bangladesh, and very few paediatric surgeons take on such high-risk cases.

Desperate parents can only appeal in newspapers for help to send their children abroad for treatment, or watch them wither from malnutrition, disease, or die suddenly from heart failure.

Charitable organisations such as Muntada Aid provide some hope. Through its Little Hearts project, it brings teams of volunteer cardiac and intensive care medics to countries including Yemen, Tanzania and Sudan.

Around 90 surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthetists, doctors and nurses see as many children as possible during their one or two-week stints. The aim in places like Bangladesh, which Muntada Aid has visited three times since 2013, is to train local staff to handle complex paediatric surgeries and aftercare and save thousands more little hearts.

READ MORE: Free heart surgery for poor Bangladeshi children




The narrative of reform and moderation has never been revolutionary enough to achieve success in Iran.

From the moment the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi said in a radio broadcast, I heard the voice of your revolution, and official newspapers ran the headline The Shah Has Gone, to the day when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini arrived at Mehrabad airport in Tehran spanned a mere three months.

Yet, the images of those months will never leave the collective memory of those who witnessed the Iranian Revolution of February 12, 1979. Nor the collective disillusionment of millions who expected that the revolution would have at least done away with dictatorship.





Thirty-seven years on, the Islamic Republic, established by Ayatollah Khomeini in April of that year, has delivered many of his promises of independence and Islamisation, but the popular demand for freedom and justice, central to the revolution, remains unfulfilled.

Revolutionary narrative

The months and years that followed the revolution were dominated by the revolutionary narrative asserting itself. These were the years of confrontation between the Islamic Republic and the different forces that had made the revolution: the Islamists, the democrats, the nationalists and the secular groups as well as women and minority rights groups.

READ MORE: Iran 1979  a revolution that shook the world

In a recent speech, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reminded us of the main tenets that defined the geometry of the revolution: The issue of people, countrys independence, commitment to Islamic fundamentals, fighting the arrogance [of the United States and the Israel], the issue of Palestine, the issue of peoples livelihood and eradication of poverty are the main lines of the revolution.

Many Iranians are now correctly pointing to the fact that despite the economic and political shortcomings, in comparison to the rest of the region Iran benefits from good security and peace. by

He conveniently left out the quest for freedom that was the first in the revolutions slogan: Freedom, Independence, Islamic Republic.

Many Iranians are now correctly pointing to the fact that despite the economic and political shortcomings, in comparison with the rest of the region Iran benefits from good security and peace. This is an undeniable achievement.

Moreover, the recent success of President Hassan Rouhani in nuclear negotiations has brought new hopes for change. Rouhani, by no means a typical reformist, has taken the chance and emboldened his rhetoric on moderation.

Moderation as a vision

This years anniversary celebrations have coincided with two important elections, one to the parliament and the other to the Assembly of Experts, providing him with ample opportunity to spell out his policies.

Moderation is not just a system but a vision, a path, and we must revive it, he said in a recent speech at a conference on women and development. Yet his speech was not even allowed to be broadcast.

The supreme leader, who has held that seat for 27 years, is in no mood for change. He benefits from full support from the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, whose commanders are boasting military success in Syria and Iraq and a raised profile in the whole of the Middle East and North Africa.

Politically, Khamenei also controls the four revolutionary councils that take his instructions and produce the required results in all elections and whose combined power rests above those of the president and the parliament.

Like the Shah, Irans spiritual leader has also heard the voice of the revolution, not once but twice: First in 1997 when his preferred candidate Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri received 25 percent of the votes compared with the reformist Mohammad Khatami who garnered 70 percent.

And again in 2009 when millions demonstrated against his preferred candidate, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supporting instead the more moderate Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.

By his instructions, both men are still under house arrest. The name and photo of the former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, is banned from the media, and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been barred from elections, all for the sin of supporting reformism.

Pillars of the Islamic Republic

If these men who are the main pillars of the Islamic Republic could be accused of sedition and disloyalty, it is easy to assume what destiny awaits others who dare to oppose the regime.

READ MORE: The ayatollahs unkept promises

Scores of prisoners of conscience have over the years been serving prison terms for peacefully exercising their human rights. Among them were government critics, journalists, lawyers, trade unionists, student activists, and minority and womens rights activists.

The rivalry is now intensifying between the moderate-reformist 'diplomacy' camp and the hardline 'military' victory camp. by

Iran is home to one of the worlds five biggest prisons for news and information providers and is ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Most importantly, despite the mass participation of women in the revolution, womens rights has gone from bad to worse. Women face widespread discrimination under the law and are denied equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance.

The womens movement has not stood still and has been pioneering in the ideas it has developed for peaceful protests, setting an example for the Green Movement of 2009. Yet it has not been allowed any breathing space.

Officials in Iran boast that they hold regular elections.

True, since the revolution there have been some 40 elections. Yet every one of those has been highly exclusivist, denying a major part of the population the right to vote for the candidates of their choice. The Guardian Council has only allowed candidates approved by the establishment.

The rivalry is now intensifying between the moderate-reformist diplomacy camp and the hardline military victory camp.

What can diplomacy do to solve the worlds problems? asks the hardline Basij commander Mohammad-Reza Naqdi.

It is our military success that has frightened the enemy, softening its position in the talks, he claims.

So the question in the minds of most Iranians is this: If the guru of reform, the former president Mohammad Khatami, was unable to create change after two terms in office, and if the mass demonstrations of 2009 were too weak to stand up to the regime, could Rouhanis success in delivering on the nuclear talks achieve any better? The answer is most probably negative.

Ironically, the narrative of reform and moderation has never been revolutionary enough to achieve success. If Khomeini was able to create the powerful anti-Pahlavi narrative that led the revolution, the call for reform has been too subservient in comparison. Conversely, by silencing all opposition the regime might have blocked its own political development.

Long live hope, long live reform, goes one reformist campaign poster. Will that long-awaited hope have a chance after 37 years?

Not if we go by what the supreme leader says: Beware of those who want to change the Islamic Republic from within.

Dr Massoumeh Torfeh is the former director of strategic communication at the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan and is currently a research associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science, specialising in Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The idea that having a woman in office will automatically make the lives of most US women better is wrong-headed.

Gloria Steinems now infamous comment about young women flocking to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders because the boys are there is only one aspect of the current Hillary Clinton versus Sanders debate that has given me  a 40-something feminist  pause.

Other Clinton supporters have claimed that the young women supporting Sanders are riding on the successes of the older feminist generation, taking many of the 1970s achievements for granted. Rather than continue the struggle to ensure reproductive rights, this young generation is focusing on socioeconomic inequalities and not on ostensibly proper feminist issues.

For Steinem, Madeline Albright and others, then, the younger generation has abandoned identity politics, thus betraying the legacy of the womens movement. Albrights equally recent and ill-famed quote about a special place in hell for women who dont help each other speaks volumes about this feeling of betrayal.

Identity politics is no longer relevant

There is no doubt that identity politics has been an incredibly powerful and empowering strategy in the United States political landscape. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was part of an historic attempt to claim recognition and rights for women, African Americans, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and other minority populations. Black Lives Matter, the most important mobilisation in the past few years, is also based on identity politics. Yet, identity politics is no longer the privileged ground of progressives.

The kind of feminism that Clinton and her supporters represent is deeply disturbing because it is repeating past mistakes while ignoring the wider structural issues of gender justice. It is a kind of trickle-down or neoliberal feminism. by

Indeed, when George W Bush appointed Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice to two of the most powerful government positions, it became strikingly clear that not only was Bush incredibly savvy, but also that having the most diverse administration in no way translates into progressive politics.

More recently, the French nationalist Marine Le Pen has been advocating womens rights as part of her campaign against French and migrant Muslims, while Geert Wilders, the founder and leader of the conservative Freedom Party in the Netherlands  who compared the Quran to Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf  has invoked LGBT and womens rights to attack and undermine religious freedoms, particularly of Muslims. Indeed, identity politics can be used by conservatives just as well and effectively as by progressives.

Thus, when I hear colleagues and friends declaring that they will vote for Clinton because she is, well, a woman, I am dismayed.

What does this kind of statement mean?

There is little disagreement, even among her feminist advocates, that Clintons policies are reformist domestically and hawkish internationally. And while her support for the invasion of Iraq, and her unwillingness to denounce Israels 50-year colonisation of the Palestinian people may be abstract in the imagination of young American voters, her intricate ties with Wall Street are not.

Healthcare for all?

Even more concrete for young women is Clintons criticism of Sanders for advocating a one-payer health insurance system. Obamacare has certainly expanded coverage and made it more affordable, but most individuals still need to buy insurance to access care.

Sanders is promoting a national and universal Medicare-for-All system found in many developed nations. In this system, every citizen would be automatically enrolled and receive health insurance, including the 33 million US citizens who are still uninsured, even after the introduction of Obamacare.

OPINION: Hillary Clinton and the authenticity of her feminism

Sanders vision, Clinton has claimed, is unrealistic and, even worse, destructive. She is unwilling to commit to universal government-funded healthcare and instead wants to expand Obamacare by reducing co-payments and introducing other strategies that benefit the middle class but not the poor. We had enough of a fight to get to the Affordable Care Act, she recently said. So I dont want to rip it up and start over.

What many young women heard was Clinton admitting that she was unwilling to stand up to the corrupt system of HMOs and private health insurance companies. And because young women are smart, they also drew a connection between Clintons agenda and her intimate links with lower Manhattan.

OPINION: Why I will vote for Bernie Sanders

Young women do not want to make the same mistakes as white feminists did in the 1970s and 1980s. They understand, for example, that all US citizens  but especially women  would be better off with a one-payer system because this would promise comprehensive and good healthcare for all. This latter line of thinking simply echoes the incisive black feminist criticism of liberal feminism (PDF) for its narrow focus on abortion and choice rather than on the more inclusive fight for reproductive justice.

Stratified hierarchy of existence

Role models are important. But I will not vote for Clinton because she is a woman. The idea that having a woman in office will automatically make the lives of most US women better is wrong-headed.

US women live very different realities and often require very different things in order to ensure that they can live a dignified and meaningful life. Moreover, a feminism that does not take into account the way in which women exist in a stratified hierarchy of existence  stratified by race, class, sexuality, religion, nationality and many other categories  is a myopic one; one that ultimately reifies much of the status quo while making life better for a small percentage of upwardly mobile  and most often  white women.

The kind of feminism that Clinton and her supporters represent is deeply disturbing because it is repeating past mistakes while ignoring the wider structural issues of gender justice. It is a kind of trickle-down or neoliberal feminism.

As difficult as it may be for many progressives, it is high time to recognise that identity politics is no longer the stronghold of the left. As a radical colleague put it to me just the other day, political responsibility cannot and should not be reduced to identity.

Catherine Rottenberg teaches 20th-century American literature and feminist theory, and is the author of Performing Americanness: Race, Class, and Gender in Modern African-American and Jewish-American Literature.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
UN officials say five killed and 30 wounded after assault on a base in northeastern Mali.

At least five United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in an attack on their base in northeastern Mali, the UN said.

Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said Olivier Salgado, a spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission, whose acronym is MINUSMA.

At about 7am, the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack, said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.





A statement issued by the secretary-generals office said attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers constitute war crimes under international law.

The secretary-general reiterates that attacks against MINUSMA will not weaken the determination of the United Nations to support the Malian government, the parties to the peace agreement, and the people of Mali in their efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.

A Guinean member of the UN force told the AFP news agency that the dead soldiers were from his countrys contingent, adding that seven of the wounded men were in serious condition.

Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for the Coordination of Azawad Movements, a rebel group made up of ethnic Tuaregs that has previously been accused of having links with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb group, told the Reuters news agency that Fridays attack had been conducted by rebels.

However, there was no official confirmation or claim of responsibility for the Kidal attack.

Failed efforts

The UN base is part of an attempt by the UN to end violence in Mali following a takeover of the north by rebels in 2012. A year later a French-led intervention force pushed the armed separatists out of key towns in the region.

The UN mission has not stopped the violence and rebels have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond.

These have included an attack on a hotel in Malis capital Bamako in November, in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Fasos capital Ouagadougou in January, in which 30 were killed.
Jaffa, Israel  A group of young girls play in a colourful plastic house in the playground of a small kindergarten in Jaffa, all wearing pink sweatshirts and with brown curls encircling their curious faces.

It looks like any kindergarten, but in contrast to most of them in Israel, Jewish, Muslim and Christian children play together here.

The kindergarten, which serves students between the ages of three and six, opened less than three years ago, with an initial intake of 38 children. Today, that number has risen to nearly 140.

Ilan Grosman, whose three-year-old son, Jonah, recently started in the kindergarten, says mixed schools are a good step towards overcoming years of conflict, mistrust and fear among Jews and Palestinians in Israel. He says he is excited to see his son make friends from various cultural backgrounds.

READ MORE: Israeli Christians protest over inequality for schools

Its amazing. He comes home and says Me and Mohammed played, We shared food or We fought with each other like normal children do. Or he says, I want to be Christian because I like Christmas. This is the only way to live  to break all the old stereotypes, Grosman told Al Jazeera.

Formally, the public school system in Israel is divided into several different tracks: one for orthodox Jews, one for secular Jews and one for Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The Jaffa kindergarten  which is among six public educational institutions throughout the country run by an organisation called Hand in Hand  is part of an unofficial, fourth, bilingual and mixed track.

We want an equal school with equal rights for everyone - Jews and Arabs - not a Hebrew school, in which the Palestinian children will not feel comfortable. by Ilan Grosman, parent

Hand in Hand established its first kindergarten in Jerusalem in 1998, and has since expanded it into a school going all the way until the 12th grade. Most of the other Hand in Hand institutions, some of which operate inside existing public school buildings, only offer kindergarten or first-grade classes.

My oldest has been part of [the Jaffa kindergarten] since she was three years old. I think it has become natural for her to be among everybody. She doesnt distinguish and she loves it, said Honey Shamy, a Palestinian Christian mother.

Shamys eldest daughter, Samia, who is five, is ready to start primary school in the fall. Shamy, along with other parents with children of the same age, wants her to continue in the same bilingual track  but local authorities have not welcomed the idea.

Last year, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality agreed to open two first-grade classes for the community within the framework of an existing Hebrew school, but with guidance from Hand in Hand. Just weeks into the school year, however, a controversy erupted after the school refused to allow students time off for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Parents raised concerns that if even religious holidays could cause disputes, how would the school tackle the teaching of serious issues, such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, as their children grew older?

We want an equal school with equal rights for everyone  Jews and Arabs  not a Hebrew school, in which the Palestinian children will not feel comfortable, Grosman said. The municipality says it is a long process, but we believe its a short one. They just have to make a decision.

Assaf Zamir, the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, told Al Jazeera that while the municipality supports the ideology behind the Hand in Hand school system, it cannot give complete autonomy to any group of parents or any organisation within the public education system.

The whole thing you are talking about is a few parents, who think [the formal schooling options are] not good enough and want to move and get freedom. But you cant be in the public sector and have absolute freedom; it doesnt work like that, Zamir said.

Last month marked the deadline for registration for the new school year, and many parents whose children participated in the Hand in Hand programme told Al Jazeera that as the Hebrew school did not meet their expectations, they were instead enrolling their children  both Jewish and Palestinian  into an Arab school for the upcoming year.

READ MORE: Arab-Jewish love story rejected for Israeli schools

While negotiations with the municipality in Jaffa are still ongoing, Nadia Kinani, one of the founders of Hand in Hand and the headmaster of the Jerusalem school, said she was optimistic.

Its unbelievable that parents have to push for this, have to fight for it instead of the government saying, OK, we are going to offer this choice, Kinani told Al Jazeera. Its incredibly important that there is this option in every area. Not every school has to be like ours, of course, but you have to have the choice to attend this kind of school.

The debate comes at a time, however, when critics warn that Israels right-wing government is cracking down on multiculturalism in the Israeli education system. In December, Education Minister Naftali Bennet banned a Jewish-Arab love story from being used in Israeli high schools, and a new civics textbook has drawn accusations of being ethnocentric towards Israels Jewish religious right.

Kinani said she remains concerned about some of the radical sentiment in Israeli society, noting the Jerusalem school experienced an arson attack by a right-wing group a little over a year ago.

We are not disconnected from what is happening around us. It affects us and we have to deal with it, Kinani said. But what we are seeing is that because of it, more and more people are coming to us  because we give hope, we give an alternative, and they want to be a part of that. Now we have an even longer waiting list than did in the past, because people want to choose this.
Hundreds of farmers threw tomatoes at police, broke windows in agriculture ministry and set fire to dustbins in Athens.

Greek farmers have clashed with riot police in Athens during protests against new austerity measures demanded by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Some 10,000 farmers from across the country were joined by worker unionists in central Syntagma Square on Friday, waving Greek flags and led by 20 tractors loudly blaring their horns.

Al Jazeeras Neave Barker, reporting from Athens, said: Many of these farmers have already taken part in up to two weeks of protest, blockading various highways across the country.

READ MORE: Austerity finally hits Greek farmers

Earlier in the day, farmers from the island of Crete clashed with police outside the agriculture ministry after arriving by ferries at the port of Piraeus.

They pelted the police with tomatoes and other items, broke windows in the ministry, and set fire to dustbins. Police, who blocked their route, responded with tear gas, and arrested four people.

The first floor of the building sustained damage; it is fortunate that no staff were hurt, Agriculture Minister Evangelos Apostolou called on the farmers leaders to contain extreme elements in their midst.

The junior interior minister for police, Nikos Toskas, said 10 police officers had been hurt, two of them requiring hospitalisation.

Painful reforms

Since mid-January, farmers have used their tractors to block dozens of highways.

They are angry about government plans to increase their social security contributions as part of a wider reform of the countrys ailing pension system. They also reject plans to double their income tax by 2017 and scrap benefits, such as cheaper fuel.

About 70-75 percent of our incomes will go on taxes and pensions. This is not affordable. Its the death of the farmer, especially the small and the middle-class of farmers, Konstantinos Massouris, a farmer, told Al Jazeera.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the reform was not optional, nor merely a contractual obligation of the country.

It is absolutely necessary for the pension system itself to have a future, he said.

Greeces creditors, the EU and the IMF have insisted on the reforms as a condition for loans to the debt-ridden country.
Crackdown on dissent cited in detention of New Delhi student for his alleged role in anti-India protests.

Police in New Delhi have arrested a student leader from one of Indias leading universities on sedition charges.

Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), was arrested by the police on Friday afternoon for his alleged role in anti-India protests, according to local news reports which were later confirmed by an Al Jazeera source at the university.

Earlier on Friday, thousands of pro-government protesters had marched in New Delhi calling for the arrest of Kumar and his allies.

READ MORE: Silencing dissenting voices in India

The arrest reportedly stemmed from a protest on Tuesday marking the third anniversary of the state execution of Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri-born man found guilty of being involved in the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that killed 14 people, including five attackers.

Guru was held guilty of conspiring with and sheltering the fighters who attacked the parliament  but civil rights activists said Guru did not get a fair trial.

Kumar and other supporters reportedly organised the march and pasted posters across the campus criticising the judicial killing of Guru, without permission from the university.

An image of the poster published online showed that the protest was also in solidarity with the struggle of the Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination.

Kumars supporters, however, branded his arrest as part of a wider effort to curtail freedom of expression in the country.

Such action is not justified, an ally of Kumar told Al Jazeera on Friday. The university is a place where debate and discussion are allowed. Nobody should be questioned or punished for holding a particular opinion.

The student, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said students and professors came out and held a march late on Friday afternoon to condemn Kumars arrest.

He said other student leaders and members of the academic staff were also being targeted by police, but so far no additional arrests have been reported. Protests supporting Kumar continued on Friday evening.

Assault on democratic institution

In a statement, M Jagadesh Kumar, vice chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, condemned the use of the educational institution as a platform for activities that violate the constitution and the laws of the land.

He said the protest was a work of fringe elements in the campus.

Kumars student ally, however, said that state police should not have been involved in the disciplinary process against students, adding that no violent acts had been committed during the protest.

This is an assault on the democratic institution of the university, he said.





Saurabh Kumar Sharma, leader of the student wing of Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the arrest of the student was justified.

We have a culture of dissent. But there are limits. They have raised the slogan in the name of destroying India, Sharma told Al Jazeera. This is not acceptable at all.

Sharma led thousands of protesters in a march through New Delhi on Friday.

He said his organisation, the All Indian Student Council, will step up pressure on police to arrest and prosecute other students involved in organising the protest.

Meanwhile, the Economic Times of India reported that S A R Geelani, a former lecturer at Delhi University, was also booked for sedition in connection with a separate event also marking Gurus death.

Geelani was also charged in the 2001 parliament attack but was acquitted.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia but is a sensitive issue in the Muslim-majority nation of 250 million people.

Human Rights Watch on Friday urged Indonesian President Joko Widodo to protect gay and lesbian rights, a day after his government told instant messaging apps to remove stickers featuring same-sex couples.

The move was the latest high-profile attempt to discourage visible homosexuality in the socially conservative country.

In a letter to the president, the New York-based group said that the government should publicly condemn officials who make grossly discriminatory remarks against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. People of such sexualities are commonly known by the abbreviation LGBT.



Indonesias invisible people marginalised

President Jokowi should urgently condemn anti-LGBT remarks by officials before such rhetoric opens the door to more abuses, said Graeme Reid, LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch. The president has long championed pluralism and diversity. This is an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment.

The government move against instant messaging apps comes after a social media backlash against the popular smartphone messaging app Line for having stickers, which are an elaborate type of emoticon, with gay themes in its online store.

The co-ordinating minister for politics, law and security Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters Friday that society should not respond to differences among people with discrimination, social exclusion or violence.

LGBT people are citizens who have the right to be protected in this dignified nation, Pandjaitan said. Dont be quick to judge people. We must reflect on ourselves first because we cannot guarantee it will not happen to your children and grandchildren in the future.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but is a sensitive issue in the Muslim-majority nation of more than 250 million people. Official responses range from calls for tolerance to outright condemnation. At the same time, most of Indonesian society, which follows a moderate form of Islam, is tolerant, with gay and transsexual entertainers often appearing on television shows.

Ismail Cawidu, the information and communication ministry spokesman, said on Thursday that social media and messaging platforms should drop stickers expressing support for the LGBT community.

Social media must respect the culture and local wisdom of the country where they have large numbers of users, he said.

READ MORE: Unmarried couples caned in Indonesias Aceh

Line on Tuesday said it had removed all LGBT-related stickers from its local store after receiving complaints from Indonesian users. Twitter and Facebook had exploded with criticism of Line and its competitor WhatsApp for containing gay content.

Ismail said that the government would tell WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, to do the same as Line.

Last month, Muhammad Nasir, the research, technology and higher education minister, said that openly gay students should be banned from the University of Indonesias campuses. His statements followed controversy over news that a sexuality research centre planned to offer counselling services for students.

In 2014, politicians in Aceh, a conservative Indonesian province, passed a law that punishes gay sex by public caning and subjects non-Muslims to the regions strict interpretation of Islamic law.
South Korea has cut off power and water supplies to a bordering industrial complex in North Korea, officials said, a day after the North deported all South Korean workers there and ordered a military takeover of the complex that had been the last major symbol of co-operation between the rivals.

Seouls move to shut down operations at the joint-run Kaesong complex is the latest in an escalating standoff over North Koreas recent rocket launch that the UN has condemned as a banned test of missile technology.

Pyongyang says the decision to deport the 280 workers at Kaesong was a response to Seouls earlier decision to suspend operations as punishment for the launch.

North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb on January 6 and on Sunday launched a rocket, putting a satellite into orbit.

The North also said it was closing an inter-Korean highway linking to Kaesong and shutting down two cross-border communication hotlines.

Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said some analysts have suggested it could be the lowest point of relations between the two neighbouring countries in more than 20 years.

South Koreans have confirmed the cutting of the military emergency hotline. They also promised to cut off the civilian hotline that the two countries communicate with, he said.

The South Korean defence ministry says it is possible that North Korea will turn it into a fully fledged military base and that is something they are keeping an eye on.

What we have is the North Koreans saying that it is a declaration of war by South Korea, that they (Seoul) have cut off the last remaining lifeline of North-South relations.

On Thursday night, the 280 South Korean workers who had been at the park crossed the border into South Korea, several hours after a deadline set by the North passed.

But they werent allowed to bring back any finished products and equipment from their factories because the North announced it would freeze all South Korean assets there.

The current standoff flared after North Korea carried out a nuclear test last month, followed by the long-range rocket launch on Sunday that came after Seoul had warned of serious consequences.

Seoul said its decision on Kaesong was an effort to stop North Korea from using hard currency earned from the park to pay for its nuclear and missile programmes.

The Norths Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement later on Thursday that the Souths shutdown of Kaesong was a dangerous declaration of war and a declaration of an end to the last lifeline of the North-South relations.

READ MORE: North Korea expanding its nuclear programme

North Korea has previously cut off cross-border communication channels in times of tension with South Korea, but they were later restored after animosities eased.

Combining South Korean initiative, capital and technology with the Norths cheap labour, the industrial park has been seen as a test case for reunification between the Koreas. Last year, 124 South Korean companies hired 54,000 North Korean workers to produce socks, wrist watches and other goods worth about $500 million.

The UN Security Council on Sunday strongly condemned North Koreas rocket launch and said it would speed up work on a sanctions resolution in response to these dangerous and serious violations.

The statement was adopted by China, Pyongyangs ally, and the 14 other council members during an emergency meeting called after Pyongyang said it had put a satellite into orbit with a rocket launch.
Brazen Hyderabad jailbreak plan halted by intelligence agents with arrest of 97 hardcore terrorists, military says.

Pakistani intelligence agents arrested 97 people, including three commanders, who planned a prison break aimed at freeing the killer of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a conference in Karachi on Friday that three armed groups  al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Pakistan Taliban  were working together on the plot to free British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, currently on death row for the 2002 murder of Pearl.



Analysis on gunmen attack on a northwest Pakistan university

A deputy leader of al-Qaeda in the subcontinent named Mussanah was the mastermind of the plan and was arranging all the finances while he was aided by the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Naeem Bukhari, Bajwa said.

These arrests were made over a period of time, starting from the first arrest made a few months ago.

The suspects had been involved in several attacks in the southern port city of Karachi and elsewhere, and planned to kill 35-40 hostages and break about 100 inmates out of a prison, he added.

Talat Masood, a defence and security analyst, told Al Jazeera that freeing their companions from jail was only to prove their power.

The Pakistan army are doing their best to eliminate terrorism, and these arrests are one of their big achievements, he said.

However, arresting militants and busting their attacks is not the only solution to eradicate terrorism in the country. Pakistan needs to work on cross-border relationships, especially with Afghanistan, which will help them to track terrorists very easily, said Masood.

Pearls death

Pearl was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002, while researching a story about armed groups.

A graphic video showing Pearls decapitation was delivered to the US consulate in the city nearly a month later.

Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by an antiterrorism court, while three other co-accused received life imprisonment.

In January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University in the US following an investigation into his death made chilling revelations when it claimed the wrong men were convicted for Pearls murder.

The investigation  led by Pearls friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Asra Nomani and a Georgetown University professor  claimed that the reporter was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, attacks, not Sheikh.

Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay.
Church reconciliation and the welfare of Christians in Middle East and Africa on agenda during historic talks in Cuba.

Pope Francis has met with Patriarch Kirill in Cuba, in the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in nearly 1,000 years.

Finally! Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havanas airport, where the three-hour encounter took place on Friday.

We are brothers, Francis added.

The two church leaders kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: Now things are easier.

READ MORE: Pope urges reconciliation during trip to Sarajevo

Al Jazeeras Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Havanas airport, said the meeting was seen as a step towards healing the almost 1,000-year rift between the two churches.

She said that Francis, who was en route to Mexico, rearranged his schedule to attend the meeting with Kirill, who was already visiting Cuba.

Cuba is a neutral ground, if you will; it has nothing to do with the difficult history between the two churches and President Raul Castro did play a hand in making this happen, Ghoneim said.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided east from west ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

Following the meeting, Francis and Kirill issued a joint declaration expressing their concern about the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

In a joint appearance, Francis told reporters he was grateful for the humility of Kirill, while praising the Cuban president for hosting the talks.

If he continues this way, Cuba will become the capital of unity.

Ghoneim said that despite the existing divisions, the focus of the talks in Havana was on unity.

The common goal here for both churches is to take a look at whats happening in the Middle East, as well as Africa. They believe that in those two spots, Christians are really at risk of being persecuted, and thats why the two sides came together in the spirit of collaboration, in the hope to work towards a solution to help Christians in those areas.

The two churches split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands.

Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

Immediately after his meeting with Kirill, the pontiff will fly to Mexico for a week-long tour.

Among his stops will be the crime-plagued Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, the mainly indigenous southern state of Chiapas and the city of Ciudad Juarez.
Decision comes as Kigali faces accusations of involvement in destabilising activities in crisis-hit Burundi.

Rwandas government has said it plans to relocate Burundian refugees to other countries after being accused of involvement in destabilising activities in its crisis-hit neighbouring country.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said in a statement on Friday that her government would immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries.

The refugee exodus is troubling. It also exposes refugees to increased threats from forces at home and compromises lasting political solutions, Mushikiwabo said.

READ MORE: Burundi refugees lured to join rebel group

Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win.

Hundreds of people have been killed and at least 230,000 have fled the country. Rwanda is currently hosting about 75,000 Burundian refugees.

The Burundian government has accused Kigali of training and arming rebels, charges Rwandan President Paul Kagame has vigorously denied.

On Wednesday, the United States accused Rwanda of involvement in destabilising activities in Burundi, including the recruitment of refugees for armed attacks against the government in Bujumbura.





Last week, UN experts told the Security Council that Rwanda had recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, including children, who wanted to remove Nkurunziza from power.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday it had not been informed in advance about Rwandas plan.

UNHCR later met with Rwandan officials, who reportedly insisted that Kigali would continue to respect its international obligations to protect refugees, would not close its borders and would not forcibly expel Burundian refugees.

In a statement, the UNHCR urged the government to make such clarifications publicly as soon as possible to prevent panic on the part of refugees in Rwanda.

Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130,000 and Democratic Republic of Congo more than 18,000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21,000.

It was not clear where Rwanda plans to send the refugees.

In her statement, Mushikiwabo pointedly criticised her countrys southern neighbour, saying: The callous indifference to the well-known root causes of instability in Burundi and the refugee exodus is troubling.

Violence continues to flare in Burundi. On Thursday, a grenade blast wounded 26 people in the capital Bujumbura, nine of them seriously, the latest in a string of attacks.

Meanwhile, the European Union, dissatisfied with the progress in Burundi, is expected on Monday to announce the suspension of direct aid to the government, a diplomatic source in Brussels told the AFP news agency.

The EU is Burundis biggest donor, with a programme worth some $468m from 2014 to 2020.
US Democratic presidential hopeful highlights need to tackle discrimination that has pushed minorities into poverty.

Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential hopeful, has highlighted the need to tackle alleged systematic discrimination that has taken a disproportionate toll on the finances and basic rights of ethnic minority groups during the countrys economic crisis.

In a presidential debate on Friday, the Vermont senator said: As I understand it, the African American community lost half of their wealth as a result of the Wall Street collapse, adding that the countrys Latino and Hispanic populations were also hit hard by the 2007-2008 recession.

The issue of minority treatment has become an increasingly important topic of discussion in the race for the presidency.

The debate also saw Sanders rival Hillary Clinton voice the need to combat racial inequality.

African-Americans  face discrimination in the job market, education, housing and the criminal justice system, she said.

Sanders statement appears to be buttressed by a number of reports and corroborated by Census Bureau data, which showed that black median net worth decreased by 61 percent between 2005 and 2009, while whites lost 21 percent of their wealth.

According to a 2013 report from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, African-Americans had lost more than half of their wealth since the beginning of the recession through falling homeownership rates and loss of jobs.

READ MORE: Can Bernie Sanders win the African American vote?

A 2014 Pew report said that between 2007 and 2013 the median net worth of the minority group decreased by 43 percent.

Sanders also devoted a significant portion of his debate to calling for a major reform of the justice system in the face of disproportionate imprisonment rates of blacks.

This is one of the great tragedies in our country today. And we can no longer continue to sweep it under the rug  it has to be dealt with. Today a male African American baby stands a one-in-four chance of ending up in jail. That is beyond unspeakable, he said.

So what we have to do is radically reform a broken criminal justice system.

According to a 2015 report by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, African-Americans, who constitute about 12 percent of the population, made up 34 percent of the countrys inmates.

A 2010 report found that black males were imprisoned at a rate six times higher than white males and 2.6 times higher than Hispanic males.

Aside from domestic issues, the two candidates also addressed the issue of foreign policy, in which Clinton touted her experience and Sanders highlighted his judgement. Sanders also criticised Clinton for being close to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Warning comes as Yemens army, backed by Saudi-led coalition air strikes, makes recent gains against Houthi forces.

Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighbouring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas held by Houthi rebels.

A short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London on Friday said the intention was to protect the international organisations and their employees, presumably from coalition air strikes.



Civilians caught in the crossfire of battle for Yemens Taiz

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Houthi rebels, whom it sees as a proxy for Iran, from taking complete control of Yemen.

The Saudi ambassador to the UN in New York, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, told Reuters news agency that Riyadh sent the letter because were just concerned for the safety of the UN staff and their humanitarian agencies.

We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets, he said.

UN aid chief Stephen OBrien acknowledged receipt of the note and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need.

He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid.

READ MORE: Can the dream of Yemens revolution be salvaged?

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said.

The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression.

Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict in March, almost half of them civilians.
Presidents spokesman says Machar has been given a week to travel to Juba to form a transitional government.

Salva Kiir, the South Sudan president, has reappointed his rival, the rebel leader Riek Machar, as first vice president of a possible government of national unity.

I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, do hereby issue this Republican Decree for the appointment of Dr Riek Machar Teny as the first vice president of the Republic of South Sudan, the president said in a decree issued late on Thursday.





Speaking to Al Jazeeras Anna Cavell in the capital Juba, Kiirs spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, said it was now up to Machar to decide whether to travel to the capital.

Ateny said that government forces were in the process of moving out of the capital, one of the steps agreed upon to allow the formation of the transitional government.

According to the presidential statement this morning, [Machar] has seven days to come to Juba  so they can expedite the process of forming the transitional government of national unity, Ateny said.

Thats what the president has asked him to do, as a very important partner to the peace agreement.

Machar had been Kiirs deputy until July 2013, when his sacking triggered a political crisis that later boiled over into a rebellion following a violent split among the security forces in Juba.

The rebel leader, who has been living in Ethiopia, welcomed the decree.

It is welcome news because it is a step forward in the implementation of the peace agreement, Machar told AFP, speaking from Ethiopia.

Machar and Kiir signed a peace deal in August, although sporadic fighting has continued between government forces and rebels in some parts of the oil-producing East African country.

Both the government and rebel sides have been accused of perpetrating ethnic massacres, recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to cleanse areas of their opponents.

READ MORE: South Sudan army accused of suffocating 50 civilians

Despite clashes and repeated failure to meet a string of deadlines in the deal, both Kiir and Machar have said they remain committed to the peace deal.

Despite the accord, both sides continue to seek new weapons, according to a report released last month by a United Nations panel of experts.

Kiir and Machar are former rebel leaders who rose to power during Sudans 1983-2005 civil war between north and south, after which South Sudan seceded in 2011 to form the worlds youngest country.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the deployment of foreign ground troops in the Syrian conflict could result in a world war.

Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published late on Thursday by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war.



Syria agreement: Cessation of hostilities within week

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send ground troops into Syria, the Russian prime minister answered that the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war.

Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said Medvedevs comments were an explicit warning to the United States and its regional allies, including Saudi Arabia.

He basically told them to back off on sending troops because if they did, this might result in some sort of interminable or even a world war, Challands said.

Medvedev also criticised Western powers refusal to collaborate with Russia in Syria. The prime minister said ties at the level of defence departments were only sporadic.

US defence chief Ashton Carter, meanwhile, welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role with ground troops in Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

At a gathering of more than two dozen defence ministers at NATO headquarters, Carter said on Friday that the United Arab Emirates, a key ally, agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters focused on recapturing Raqqa, ISILs de facto capital.

Carter declined to say how many Emirati commandos would go to Syria. He said they would be part of an effort led by the US and bolstered by Saudi special forces to train and enable local Arab fighters who are motivated to recapture Raqqa.

READ MORE: Fighting rages in Syrias Aleppo

Saudi Arabias Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said his country was ready to send troops into Syria if there was a consensus in the anti-ISIL coalition. But he declined to elaborate, saying: It is too early to talk about such options. Today we are talking at the strategic level.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intends to meet with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Munich, Germany on Friday, a Russian news report said.

Vyacheslav Matuzov, a former Russian diplomat, told Al Jazeera that Russia was not fuelling the Syrian conflict, rather, it had prevented it from spreading.

Matuzov said he understood that a cessation of hostilities pact that world powers had arrived at in Munich on Thursday meant the only solution for the conflict had to be political.

I think all groups would understand there is no solution but a political solution. Those who do not agree to stop fighting will be enemies and will be destroyed, as I understand to be the result of Munich, he said.
One year after the ceasefire agreement, we return to eastern Ukraine to hear the stories of those left behind.

It all began with the so-called Maidan revolution and a struggle to define Ukraines identity.

Would the countrys future lie in the West, with more integration with Europe? Or in the East, and even closer ties with Moscow?

The protests eventually forced Ukraines pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, out of power. Then a new struggle began, one that would see Ukraines territorial integrity torn apart.

Fighting broke out between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists. Later, self-declared republics were established in Donetsk and Luhansk.

The conflict has killed around 9,000 people, and has forced an estimated two million from their homes.

Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford returned to Eastern Ukraine, to tell the stories of those left behind  many of whom feel theyve been forgotten by the world.

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Guests:

Oleksii Makeiev  Political Director, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Alexander Hug  Deputy Chief Monitor, OSCE Mission in Ukraine
The music of the Balkans has been progressively finding a prominent place among Western listeners of creative music in the past several years, though its presence has been a relevant factor for decades. Notably, Eastern Boundary Quartet and Balkan Beat Box have directly and indirectly incorporated the regional influences in the context of post-modern approaches blending regional folk, world and jazz elements. A number of like-minded musiciansthe core trio, Aka Moon (billed here as the "AKA Balkan Moon" project), and the large collective known as AlefBa, come together on Double Live two-CD set of astoundingly good music.With seventeen previous recordings, dating back to their self-titled debut in 1992, it's a wonder that the Belgian avant-garde Aka Trio is not more widely known. Saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, drummer Stephane Galland and bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou have been together since the formation of the group which does not represent the acronym "also known as" but symbolizes the native Central African Republic tribe pronounced "AH-kah." The three had traveled to that country and studied the tribe's process of musical creation before adopting the name.The trio has a remarkably diverse portfolio of albums. A classical recording Cassol: VSPRS Orchestra (Cypres, 2006), the group expanded to a quartet, including pianist Fabian Fiorini on In Real Time, (Carbon 7 Records, 2001), and theandinspired Guitars (De Werf Records, 2002) withand Pierre Van Dormael. Their work that most closely aligns with the ideas behind Double Live, is Culture Griot, a collaboration with Malian talking drum master Baba Sissoko and the griots of the group, Black Machine (Cypres, 2010).A suburb live recording, with minimal audience applause, and seven tracks that clock in over the double-digit mark, Double Live was mostly recorded in the Cathedral of Tournai in Belgium. Cassol penned eleven of the thirteen compositions with one other being a traditional Bulgarian folk song and one, an improvisation. The influence of the Balkins is most strongly felt on the first disc where "Baba" and "Dali" both incorporate Bulgarian folk tunes and "Bulgarian Study" is informed by the same. "Upon Mi-Si-La" blends a Bosnian tune with another regional folk song. Each of the pieces has an infectious and joyful ambience and an adventurous improvisational approach.Though the second disc goes down a different path, the musical characteristics are much the same. The AlefBa project brings a dozen additional musicians to the stage including the great, flautist, oud player Mustafa Said and others from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Europe. But the reach of the music is broader, extending to Turkey, Iraq and beyond. Here too, the Balkans are an influence, at least underlying, and in the midst of improvised Arabic poetry and music from sources known and unknown. The second disc has Arabic language vocals on most tracks, sometimes building from a slow psalm-like treatment to a sometimes frenzied pace as on "Monkey," which then reverts to a quiet solemnity at the close. The sole instrumental on the second disc is "Sinai" which is a great example of the collective's ability to merge all these forces in a coherent setting.Aka Moon's overall sound is a loose blend of jazz and world music with a purpose. It is a musical global crossing that is really unequalled in its ability to truly convey disparate musical influences in a coherent, accessible and completely enjoyable way. Beyond the music, Aka Moon proves that there doesn't need to be an overt political agenda for music to have a political impact. It can be simple and as profound as inclusion. It's a beautiful album.
Throughout his career, the New Zealand-born pianist,, has explored many musical forms: fusion, modern jazz and classical music. You name it, and he has played it. At one time, he was even involved with the Naxos Jazz label as a producer and the music he helped bring to the world once again showed his diversity: big band projects, an organ combo and solo piano, just to name a few. However, there is one thing that unites the many projects Nock has been involved in: a belief in melody, rhythm and texture. This is also the case with the following three records, all released on his own imprint, FWM Records. They are very different in their aesthetic approach and yet they all have the hallmark of an artist who is able to be both inventive and accessible.Mike Nock & Roger ManinsTwo-Out2015The Album Two-Out is a shrewd reference to Nock's early past with The Three-Out Trio, but this time, as the name implies, Nock plays in a duo. He is in the company of the great saxophonist, Roger Manins, whose beautiful, warm and clear melodic tone is in the tradition of the great storytellers likeand. In fact, the album has a lot in common with People Time (Verve, 1992), the duo session Getz recorded with pianist. There is the same intimacy and inner urge, but, at the same, it is also just two musicians having fun, doing the thing they like best. In the notes, Nock explains the process of recording the album:"It was a pretty relaxed and spontaneous session with us recording 16 songs in less than four hours, 11 of those tracks making the final cut, not an easy decision when there are so many choices. Most were first takes, as Roger and I wanted to capture some of that elusive magic that can happen when you 'look the other way.'"Nock and Manins succeed in capturing the essence of a selection of classic songs while also bringing them into unknown territory. Among the tunes played are standards by Rodgers & Hart and Gershwin and an achingly beautiful rendition of the country-weeper "Tennessee Waltz." Another composition they play is Duke Ellington's "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" and this is exactly what they do: Manins and Nock play from the heart.Mike Nock / Laurence PikeBeginning and End of Knowing2015Beginning and End of Knowing is another duo recording with Nock, but the approach is fairly different. Whereas Two-Out relies on existing song structures that are stretched and caressed, Beginning and End of Knowing is completely improvised.The idea for the album was born when drummer Laurence Pike got the opportunity to fulfil a special wish. For a long time, he had wanted to travel to Norway to record an album with the famous engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug in his Rainbow Studio. A grant allowed him to do this and Nock was invited.Nock and Pike has already proved how well they work together in spite, or perhaps because, of their difference in years. Their first album together, Kindred (FWM Records, 2012), was lyrical and experimental chamber jazz with subtle use of electronics. Beginning and End of Knowing continuous this path with Nock using both the percussive and lyrical qualities of his instrument. The title track relies on the tension between Pike's rustling drums and the advanced classical beauty of Nock's piano chords that evolve into staccato bell-like patterns.The strength of this album is how Pike and Nock allow their sounds to breathe. Chords resonate in the air and the texture of the instrument is gently explored. It is music that is both meditative and in movement.Mike Nock OctetSuite Sima2014Whereas The Beginning and End of Knowing explores the possibility of texture in a limited setting of drums and piano, Suite Sima takes advantage of the possibility of working with several instruments. The album was conceived as a tribute to the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA) and the music Nock has written, played by an octet, shows the diversity of the music created in this singular artistic environment.The opener, "Freedom of Information," is a subdued piece with gentle marching drums and trumpeter Phil Slater blowing deep and elegiacally among a sophisticated choir of brass voices, but "Option Anxiety" quickly picks up speed with bouncing swing and an irresistible riff. "Peripherals" is an example of a cool swinging jazz piece, complete with walking bass and a strong solo from trombonist James Greening.Nock's musicians are genre chameleons who know every aspect of jazz history and the pieces he has written make them shine with polyphonic splendor. There is a lot of positive energy on the album and when the closer, "Parasympathetic Rebound," ends with a funky groove featuring electric guitar and keyboard, it becomes clear that Nock masters all sorts of musical moods and these three albums are ample evidence of his creative gift.Tracks and PersonnelTwo-OutTracks: Falling in Love with Love; Black and Blue; It's the Talk of the Town; Can't We be Friends?; We'll be Together Again; It ain't Necessarily So; Tennessee Waltz; Isfahan; I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart; Sweet and Lovely; Golden Earrings.Personnel: Mike Nock: piano; Roger Manins: tenor saxophone.The Beginning and End of KnowingTracks: Beginning and End of Knowing; Cloudless; Akerselva; 1000 Colours; The Mirror; Hydrangea; Glittering Age; Zerospeak; Ocean Back To Sky; Prospero; Southerly; In Closing.Personnel: Mike Nock: piano; Laurence Pike: drums, drum pad sampler.Suite SimaTracks: Freedom of Information; Option Anxiety; Peripherals; Frames of Reference; Holding Patterns; Parasympathetic Rebound.Personnel: Mike Nock: piano/composer; Phil Slater: trumpet; James Greening: trombone; James Waples: drums; Brett Hirst: bass; Karl Laskowski: tenor saxophone; Peter Farrar: alto saxophone; Mike Rivett: tenor saxophone, clarinet and electronics.
Former Sen. and alumnis Bob Graham will speak at a UF luncheon Friday.

The former Florida senator and governor will be the keynote speaker for the second annual Gator100 Awards Gala Luncheon, an event that honors the leaders of the 100 fastest-growing companies owned, operated or led by UF alumni. The event will be hosted by the Warrington College of Business in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. UF President Fuchs will give the welcome speech.

The UF Alumni Association contacts alumni and asks them to apply for the award, said Nola Miyasaki, the executive director for outreach and incubation for the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center. The top 100 companies are selected from those that apply.

To qualify last year, a business must have made at least $100,000 over its first year, she said. This year, businesses must have made $250,000.

The competition has also gotten more intense, with 500 applying last year and 600 applying this year, Miyasaki said.

There is no other opportunity to have 100 honorees in the same room to meet each other and UF students, Miyasaki said.

Bill Randle, owner of Orange and Blue Construction, Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida, ranked No. 20 among businesses at the event last year. He said his favorite part was being surrounded by fellow Gators.

He said he liked being recognized by UF, and receiving the honor validated that his work was important.

The most important advice I can give to upcoming entrepreneurs is that you have to love what you do, Randle said. If you show passion, it makes it easier for the people behind you to walk the walk.

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About three months ago, Juan Juarez swiped right.

On Sunday, Juarez and his boyfriend will be celebrating their first Valentines Day together.

Juarez, an 18-year-old UF chemical engineering freshman, said Tinder not only led to his first Valentine, but also to his first boyfriend.

With gay relationships, its very hard to just get into a traditional relationship, he said. If anything, I feel more comfortable that it happened through Tinder.

Tinder has facilitated more than 9 billion matches among 196 countries, according to its website.

Juarez found a match of his own, and his relationship defeats the stereotype that dating apps belong to a hook-up culture, he said.

Memories are made out of the reality of it, he said. Sure, we didnt meet by catching one anothers eye in the park or something romantic like that, but its the reality of it, and the reality is more romantic than anything.

High school sweethearts Anthony Rychkov and Kemley Nieva said they can see through the stereotypes.

It doesnt discredit anything if you started on Tinder, said Rychkov, an 18-year-old UF political science freshman. But when you go to family and tell them you met on Tinder, it has a bad connotation, although it shouldnt be that way.

Nieva has at least two friends whose relationships started on Tinder.

I think it really fits societys hook-up phenomenon so far, the 19-year-old said. But I think that there is a chance that you can make a relationship out of it and even a friendship out of it.

Gabriel Sandler, a 24-year-old UF doctoral student in nuclear engineering, said his brother met a woman on Tinder and recently became engaged to her.

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I dont view it as different, he said. I just view it as a different way of doing the same thing.

Sandler met Hannah Kaufman, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, on Tinder about two months ago. He had no problem telling his family, especially after his brother paved the way.

On Saturday night, Sandler and Kaufman will be spending their first Valentines Day together in St. Augustine, Florida.

Sandler said he doesnt think much about meeting his girlfriend on Tinder  hes just happy theyre together.

Juarez said he feels the same way about his boyfriend, and that nobody should feel badly about it.

Be proud that you are able to have this relationship and this person that you met is for a reason, Juarez said. You are together for a reason, so dont be ashamed of that.
Hello, students!

I cant believe its already February! As midterms rear their ugly heads, I want to wish you all good luck!

As you all have probably noticed, Student Government elections are right around the corner. You will have the opportunity to vote for your Student Body president, Student Body vice president, Student Body treasurer and 50 senators Feb. 16 and 17.

SG elections receive less than a 25-percent voter turnout.

In a Student Body made up of over 50,000 students, its imperative we all vote. SG functions because the Student Body does, and the Student Body should always have its voice heard. As a president who has appreciated every email, concern or question from the Student Body, I also urge you to have your voice heard by voting at the polls.

In terms of voting, my administration has been working hard to look into different modes of voting. In my last article, I mentioned how I created a Remote Online Voting Task Force that is looking at how other schools in Florida and the SEC have implemented their online voting systems to help us develop an efficient system here.

The task force is made up of students from all over campus who are passionate about this issue. As a task force, we understand online voting can sometimes be worrisome or even confusing, and that is why we have been working hard to gather research on other institutions so we can implement the best model at UF.

Our research process has consisted of meeting with SG Information Technology to discuss how a potential remote system could function, and we contacted every top-50 school in North America, the SEC and the State University System of Florida.

Last Friday, the task force presented its research at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service in a presentation titled Voting in the Digital Age.

A couple of fun facts from our presentation: Every SEC school and the top five schools in Florida, except for UF, implement remote online voting.

Also, for every SEC school, voter participation has increased. We even gave examples of how remote online voting works at the University of South Florida, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M University.

However, we also understand there are concerns, such as fraud, glitches in the system and voter coercion.

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To combat this, the task force is looking into those concerns for you and compiling different ways of prevention, so if UF implements remote online voting, we will already know how to prevent such issues.

The most exciting part is that remote online voting is on the ballot this election cycle, so if next semester you want to have the opportunity to vote from home or a computer that is not a designated polling location, then vote for the amendment.

If you want to learn about what SG is lobbying for or want to give us your suggestions, stop by UF External Affairs event today on the Plaza of the Americas from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thank you for reading my column! Happy Valentines Day!

Ciao!

Joselin Padron-Rasines is the UF Student Body president. Her column appears monthly.
Only 10 days after the violence perpetrated in north eastern Nigeria and southern Chad, a new terrorist attack involving two female suicide bombers has this time struck a Nigerian camp hosting some 50,000 people, killing at least 58. We express our condolences to all those affected by this attack. Targeting innocent people, is unacceptable. Camps []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...




AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank

Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War

The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool

She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold

In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners

By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him

But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63

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AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World

COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground

ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words

BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance

A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum

OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008

HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground

BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum

WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground

FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World

POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day

FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance

YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum

THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground

OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies:

WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama

PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words

TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies

AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance

CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida

SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World

PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground

VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day

REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies

FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum

SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies

ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008

AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World

STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special

SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum

TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt.  Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground

IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008

CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies

WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto

DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance

I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE]
Leading a community bank, especially in the last decade, requires tremendous resilience and fortitude. Managing and motivating staff, ensuring regulatory compliance and boosting revenue and assets are undoubtedly a tough job. I admire CEOs who have preserved shareholder value, while also leading their banks through one of the toughest eras of American banking history.

But now that we're mostly out of the woods, it's time for bank leaders to address three shortcomings in an industry that continues to change.

Millennials, like me, are well versed in changes in technology. From Nokia brick phones to iPhones, from cassette players to iPods, from slow, dial-up Internet to always having an instant connection to the Web, the world as we know it keeps shifting. We appreciate the never-ending innovation because we have experienced the related benefits time and time again. So as a millennial who champions change, I would like to shed light on three ways I would run your community bank differently.

Goodbye Annual Reviews

If I were a bank CEO, I would foster incremental performance improvement at not only the organizational level, but at the employee level.

How are your employees supposed to know where they stand and where they should be without frequent and focused feedback? And how are managers and executives supposed to promote the right people to lead the bank, or even set companywide goals, without measuring performance at the individual level?

Annual or biannual performance reviews are simply outdated and not effective in driving high performance. It's high time for CEOs to opt instead for weekly support sessions where employees have a chance to: discuss upcoming work with their managers, set clear and measurable goals and share what they have achieved since the last session. Netflix, Accenture, Microsoft and GE are among the companies that have already tossed out the annual review system for a more positive and results-oriented model.

Your employees need and want regular feedback rather than the awkward and daunting annual evaluations. In turn, your bank will prosper from employees' ongoing motivation to perform at a higher level.

Upgrade Customer Management Software

As a bank CEO, I would improve my company's organization of sales efforts as my second initiative. I would invest in customer relationship management software or use the software already on hand to a higher capacity. After all, banks are in business to sell their services. So it's unfortunate that so many community banks have yet to adopt CRM software, seeing as it's so readily available and affordable for banks of all sizes.

A 2014 Nucleus research study found that the average return from investing in a CRM platform, across a broad number of industries, was $8.71 for every dollar spent. And having a CRM system that integrates with the other bank application systems will not only increase sales, it will also create a much better customer experience. CRM technology will prompt employees to follow up on sales opportunities while also measuring those employees' efforts and results. The technology will also identify demographic trends, and more.

Many banks have previously attempted to implement a CRM solution, but they have failed because they lack a true sales culture. If your bank does not have a healthy and vibrant sales culture, then your CRM will just be more software collecting dust.

Put Social Media Strategy High on Agenda

As my third initiative, I would make social media a real priority. Banks need to take a hint from the numerous fintech companies that are using social media outlets to create brand awareness. On a recent winter day, I was scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed and came across three fintech advertisements. However, not once have I seen a paid Facebook advertisement from a local community bank.

This is mind-boggling considering Facebook ads are an affordable way to market to a specific group of your choosing (location, age, gender, interests) and to direct them to your website with a call-to-action button. Moreover, a staggering 47% of Americans say Facebook has the greatest impact on their purchasing and service provider decisions. You can bet the fintech groups are pursuing these users, including those individuals living in your community. Unfortunately, community banks typically aren't even using the free Facebook pages to engage with their community either.

Of course, prioritizing social media also includes creating a comprehensive policy and having the social team work closely with compliance. And with any solid social media campaign, bank marketers should emphasize focusing on consumers, small businesses and the community at hand rather than direct marketing. As for the rare product-related post, your team can always use preapproved materials.

I strongly urge banks to select a group of creative, social media-savvy employees to put your efforts into high gear. Send them to conferences and classes and allow them the freedom to create a memorable customer experience.

Natalie Brooke is vice president of client relationships for Resurgent Performance, a community bank advisory group.
If Wal-Bank is the future of banking, what is the future of the Community Reinvestment Act?

Wal-Mart's plan to provide basic checking accounts through an expanded partnership with Green Dot Bank is a bright, flashing red light to regulators, Congress, and the banking industry that the CRA needs to be updated as the industry evolves.

Congress passed the CRA in 1977 in order to stop discrimination against low- and moderate-income neighborhoods by requiring banks "to demonstrate that their deposit facilities serve the convenience and needs of the communities in which they are chartered to do business." Regulators have enforced the law by performing examinations to determine whether banks are meeting the need for loans, investments and services in the areas in which they have branches.

As a strategy to ensure that banks do not discriminate against the communities from which they take deposits, this makes sense  but only as long as branches serve as a necessary nexus for banking. Thanks to the Internet and the rise of online banking, banks are far less reliant on branches. Customers can now make electronic deposits and apply for loans from just about anywhere. Meanwhile CRA enforcement remains frozen in time, loyally guarding a business model that is increasingly optional.

Without an updated CRA, banks like Green Dot can continue to use a strained interpretation of "deposit facilities" as a work-around to avoid complying with the intent of the law. While Wal-Mart locations will not be treated as branches, Green Dot customers who deposit money by swiping cards at Wal-Mart cashier stands will be engaging in much the same transaction as bank customers who make deposits at in-store branches and standalone locations.

Wal-Bank is only the latest example in a long string of developments that have highlighted the need for CRA reform. Another example is Capital One's 2012 merger with ING. Though both institutions held relatively few licensed branches across the country, the merger drew such a strong response that regulators held hearings nationwide. At the San Francisco hearing, hundreds testified asking that Capital One have a CRA obligation in California, the state that held  and still holds  a very high concentration of the bank's credit card, auto and mortgage loans. Regulators responded by requiring Capital One to establish assessment areas around two Capital One cafes located in San Francisco and Los Angeles. But rather than license the cafes as branches, Capital One merely upgraded the technology to facilitate deposits. Thus, while Capital One has CRA assessment areas around its cafes, it can still avoid providing the retail loan services that are offered only through branches.

Regulators have tried other ways to apply the CRA as the industry has changed. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency requires Schwab's Internet bank to report community development loans, investments and services in the top ten metropolitan areas it serves. That includes an annual summary of the number and kind of loans and investments Schwab makes, and of the geographic locations, income and racial characteristics of the borrowers it serves. The now-extinct Office of Thrift Supervision similarly collected information about ING's community reinvestment in fourteen areas throughout the country.

Now we must begin a broader effort to update the CRA. As to those who argue that the CRA is not worth preserving, arguing that it led to the economic meltdown by encouraging banks to loosen credit standards and make loans to borrowers who could not repay them, there is clear evidence to the contrary. For example, in the run-up to the housing crisis during the years 2005 and 2006, CRA loans accounted for just 6% of subprime mortgage loan originations, according to Federal Reserve research by Neil Bhutta and Glenn B. Canner.

The banking industry is increasingly turning to mobile and online channels and third-party retail distributors as it attempts to modernize. Proponents of this model argue that it will benefit underserved communities by offering people more convenient access to banks. But if branchless banking is allowed to flourish without an updated CRA, those banks will be free to take deposits from any community anywhere in the country, without any commensurate obligation to provide other banking services there. In other words, we could wind up right back in 1977.

Andrea Luquetta is the policy advocate at the California Reinvestment Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advocates for fair and equal access to banking and other financial services for California's low-income communities and communities of color.
By putting some distance between itself and its venture capitalists, BBVA is hoping to get closer to fintech.

The Spanish bank announced Thursday it would take the $100 million backing its internal Ventures effort, add an extra $150 million and create Propel Venture Partners, an independent firm that will invest in fintech startups in various stages of development.

At the heart of this effort is the autonomy granted to Propel. Bank venture arms, despite the clout they carry by having the brand of a major global bank in their name, are often hamstrung by the complexities of being part of such an institution.

Those complexities include the bureaucracy of any large organization, the limits put in place by regulation and the trepidation entrepreneurs may have about pairing with an incumbent they are looking to displace.

"This makes us a much more attractive investor," said Jay Reinemann, a managing partner of Propel, who also co-managed BBVA Ventures. "The hard-to-get deals are the ones we want. It's easy to make investments, but it's hard to make good investments."

BBVA Ventures had made some major fintech plays since its 2013 launch, including: acquiring neobank Simple in 2014; taking a 29.5% stake in Atom, the U.K.'s first mobile bank; and investing in marketplace lender Prosper.

Still, investments in young companies were difficult. Under the regulatory framework of the Bank Holding Company Act, controlling more than 5% of an outside company is difficult. But early-stage companies are often looking for smaller amounts of money, so given the investment constraints, the amount of money banks are allowed to invest may make a deal too small for them to bother.

"The Propel fund can reach a greater amount and wider range of companies," Reinemann said.



The Propel Venture Partners team, from left: Jay Reinemann (managing partner), Tom Whiteaker (managing partner), Ceci Alvarez (analyst), Ryan Gilbert (managing partner) and David Mort (senior associate)

Banks' ability to invest their money has also been severely limited by the Volcker Rule in the Dodd-Frank Act. Essentially, moving the investment arm out of the bank and into a small business investment company with autonomy opens up a world of possibility.

Even if the money is still coming from a bank, the control part is what matters, said Lawrence Kaplan, a partner at Paul Hastings.

"By spinning it out, it is no longer under the limitations and restrictions of what kind of equity investments a bank can make," Kaplan said.

Of course, various banks have structured their investment arms differently as they look to evaluate ways to partner with the tech sector that is looking to disrupt them. While BBVA believes an arms-length approach might be best, others say that a mix of autonomy and interconnectivity is the way to go.

For instance, Santander's InnoVentures unit is a fully owned but independent arm of the bank. While InnoVentures, under the direction of a board of advisors, picks its investments, it needs to get a business line to "sponsor" the venture, said Mariano Belinky, managing partner of Santander InnoVentures.

"By doing so, we make sure that every investment is highly strategic," Belinky said.

Nonetheless, by maintaining its independence, InnoVentures can act primarily in the interest of its portfolio companies, not the desires of the bank. For example, it can argue against a business line wanting exclusivity in a partnership with a fintech company because that would limit the firm's ability to generate revenue elsewhere.

"We are not part of a specific business unit. We are not the corporate development team," Belinky said. "Even though we are fully owned, we are a standalone entity."

He downplayed the limitations of the ownership rules. Those rules largely apply to the scope of control, not the size of the stake, so there are ways to address those concerns.

"There are contractual ways to solve for that issuein all of the discussions we've had, it has never proven to be a real constraint," Belinky said, adding that the bank often limits its investments to less than 15% of the equity in the startup.

Of course, the legal framework is likely only one reason why BBVA has decided to spin out its venture unit. Other observers say that it is about appealing to companies that are not comfortable with the idea of pairing with a bank.

"Clearly, they found some of the investments were a little put off by notion of having a partner be a big incumbent bank, even one as progressive as BBVA," said Dan Latimore, senior vice president in the banking division at the research firm Celent. "This is a tribute to its willingness to experiment and course correct."

Indeed, some startups are worried about becoming intertwined with a bank, said Oliwia Berdak, a senior analyst at Forrester Research.

Some startups see having big banks invest in them as limiting other investments in future. They worry "no one will touch them" if they are seen as associated with a bank, said Berdak.

"Most startups are really worried about independence," Berdak said.

Mary Wisniewski and Bryan Yurcan contributed to this article.


In its annual outlook for energy report, ExxonMobil presents data that contradicts Obama's green energy utopianism. Who has the better track record of predicting the global energy future: Obama or a private company that actually produces the stuff?

In its just published report, "The Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040," Exxon makes three key points. First, by 2040, global energy demand is predicted to rise by 25%. That demand must be met if living standards are to improve, and there are only three feasible ways of meeting it: fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and alternatives. The choice of energy sources will be driven by a combination of cost and government policy. Coal remains the cheapest source of energy for electrical generation, but its use is likely to drop after 2025 as a result of environmental policies. Reliance on oil and natural gas, on the other hand, will continue to expand, as will nuclear energy and alternatives.

Second, the "carbon intensity" of the world's economy will drop by half. More efficient use of fossil fuels means a savings of close to 40%, thus reducing cost and lowering carbon emissions by an equal percentage. U.S. energy companies are producing lubricants, plastics, materials, and other products that result in lower energy usage. Greater efficiency means lower costs, resulting in higher living standards.

Third, in 2040, oil will still be the world's leading energy source, followed by natural gas. Together with coal, these sources will provide for 80% of the world's energy needs. Nuclear energy, projected to double by 2040, will provide most of the remaining 20%. Wind power will deliver a mere 2% of global energy. Solar even less.

Fortunately, there are ample supplies of oil and gas to power the world economy well beyond 2040. The International Energy Agency estimates that recoverable oil and condensate resources now stand at 4.5 trillion barrels, replacing earlier "peak oil" estimates of one trillion barrels. By 2040, it is likely that recoverable oil will have risen again, perhaps by a factor of five and certainly enough to power the global energy through the end of the century.

Recoverable natural gas resources are even greater. According to IEA, current gas resources are enough to supply the current level of global needs for another 200 years. And this estimate does not include vast reserves that will result from new exploration and advances in technology. With the U.S. now self-sufficient and exporting natural gas, the West's energy security is assured to a degree that has not existed in the past.

That's good news for the American people and for the world, even if it is not news that Obama wants to hear. With a century's worth of cheap, practical energy in hand, the global economy has a good chance of expanding just as it did in the last century  a century in which U.S. living standards increased by a factor of 10. I am living ten times as well as my grandfather did when he was a boy. There's no reason my grandchildren should not be living ten times as well as I am today. What stands in their way is not a lack of resources or technology  it's government.

Specially, liberal government. Obama's outlook  and that of the green activists who gathered in Paris in December for the latest global climate summit  is something very different from that of global prosperity based on cheap fossil fuels. Unlike Exxon's carefully researched report, Obama's green fantasy is based on ideology rather than data. Its projection of 50% reliance on green fuels is a pipe dream, and its climate data is skewed to match ideological goals (as, for example, in NOAA's decision, just ahead of the Paris meeting, to shift methodologies for collecting ocean temperature data to what the agency calls "new methods").

Most importantly, Obama's outlook ignores market realities and assumes that governments can force their way on acquiescent populations. It doesn't seem to occur to the president that the world's seven billion people might not wish to pay double for their energy needs. That is one reason China and India and the rest of the developing nations refused to accept a binding agreement in Paris. Even developed nations in Europe and Asia were secretly relieved at the non-binding result.

That leaves the Obama administration on its own, driving energy producers in the U.S. out of business while the rest of the world continues on a path to a more prosperous 2040. New regulations restricting methane release at drill sites will make U.S. oil production just that much less competitive. Not just oil and gas, but coal in particular has been a target. The administration's latest decision to suspend coal leasing on federal lands is one more blow against this once great industry  and one more impediment on the nation's economy.

What's needed is a national energy policy that acknowledges the reality that the U.S. and the world will remain dependent on fossil fuels up to and well beyond 2040. Instead of hampering domestic production and restricting export, Washington needs to promote fossil fuels as a vital American industry.

Nothing can change the reality that the world will depend on fossil fuels well into the present century, if not beyond. But Obama has done a great deal of damage to domestic energy production, and he is determined to do more in his last year in office. He can be stopped only by the will of the people and its representatives, and by the courts. Barring government interference, the U.S. will continue as the world's top oil and gas producer.

As oil prices recover, more jobs will be created, and the U.S. will become fully self-sufficient in energy. Oil and gas will continue as one of the foundation stones of a strong economy, with the U.S. becoming a net oil exporter by 2025 and the world's second largest natural gas exporter by 2040. Although Obama can't see it, the outlook for energy, and for the U.S. economy, is bright. It's just not built on windmills and solar panels.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).
The most significant undeclared war of our time -- a war with Islam -- began November 4, 1979, the day Iran took US citizens hostage in Tehran and held 52 of them against their will for 444 days. While 9/11 was the worst single event by far, it wasnt the beginning.

Some may suggest there is no such war. Others claim it is the West that has declared war on Islam. Neither statement is correct. The fact is that Islam has declared war. War on democracy, the West, the US, Jews, Christians and all infidels, which includes other Muslims. We are in perilous times. The very fabric of the free world is under attack. Unless democratic nations, especially the US, acknowledge this and take steps to combat the threat, its possible Islam will eventually engulf everyone and everything.

The most important and powerful leader in the free world is the President of the United States. He should be at the forefront of this battle. Yet President Obama has steadfastly refused to correctly identify what everyone else knows -- the United States (and the free world) is in the crosshairs of Islam. Their goal is to see the Islamic flag over the White House.

New normal

If you are one of those who dont think we are in a crisis, consider this. Prior to the takeover of the US embassy in Iran, how often did you hear these terms: Islam, jihad, Islamic fundamentalist, martyr, Allah, alluah Akbar, or Sharia law?

Today they are commonplace and exemplify the new normal the US and the world lives with.

I recall when it was possible to walk out to the gate at the airport to meet an incoming passenger. How about when there was no such thing as an airport security check? I guess Im only showing my age.

Not all Muslims

Before going further, an important distinction should be made. Am I suggesting this war is with all Muslims? No. Not all Muslims are fundamentalists. In fact the majority are not. Yet the terror from the minority is affecting almost everyone in one way or another.

An obvious question becomes how many fundamentalists are there?

Estimates vary widely. From as low as 3% up to as much as 50% or more, depending on your source. This is where some simple math is quite telling. Current estimates indicate there are 1.65 billion Muslims worldwide. For the sake of this article Ill use a conservative estimate of 10% being fundamentalists. That means 90% are peaceful.

If 10% are fundamentalists, that translates to 165 million. If all of them lived in one country it would rank #8 in the world. These are numbers no one should dismiss or take lightly.

True Muslims

So who are the true Muslims, the 90% or the 10%? Sheer numbers tend to suggest the 90%. Yet is this really the case? Lets dig a bit deeper.

The non-violent Muslims will tell you Islam is a religion of peace and the fundamentalists have high jacked it. While peaceful Muslims may indeed be sincere in their commitment to non-violence, are they correct by accusing fundamentalists of high jacking Islam? This needs to be addressed soberly.

Those who commit violence in Allahs name (fundamentalists) consider themselves to be the true Muslims. In fact they will tell you the ones who accuse them of high jacking Islam are not true Muslims.

Yet both peaceful and fundamentalists look to the Quran as their holy book.

How can two different groups both claiming to be Muslim read the same holy book and see things so differently? Is one group making claims about the Quran that are false?

Before examining this closer keep one thing in mind. There are approximately 40,000 Christian denominations. Wide differences exist among them on numerous topics. Yet would it be fair for a Pentecostal to accuse a Presbyterian of not being a Christian?

There is one holy book for those who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: the Bible, albeit different books are used by Christians and Jews, and some differences exist between Catholic and Protestant versions. While there is a wide range of interpretations of scripture, a Presbyterian considers himself just as much a Christian as a Pentecostal.

This same principle applies to Muslims.

Due diligence requires looking at the Quran to see if there are verses which substantiate the fundamentalist view of condoning violence.

Some Quranic examples include:

Kill them (disbelievers) wherever you find them ( 2:191

War is ordained by Allah. All Muslims must be willing to fight whether they like it or not. ( 2:216

Allah turned the Sabbath breaking Jews into apes. ( 2:65

Believers must retaliate. ( 2:178

Jews and Christians are rebellious against Allah ( 5:59

Do not take Jews and Christians as friends (5:51

Violence condoned

These are but a few of numerous verses in the Quran which make it clear that violence is not only condoned, it is required against disbelievers. This includes peaceful Muslims who do not engage in violence as instructed in the Quran. Altogether there are over 160 verses in the Quran which support violence or jihad.

Plus, there is clear disdain for Jews and Christians.

Whats also noteworthy is Mohammed himself supported violence. He was responsible for numerous killings, which included massacring several hundred Jews of the Qurayza tribe in Medina in 627.

Today Muslim religious leaders continue their calls for Jewish blood.

Based on the aforementioned information, I believe some conclusions can be drawn-

There is a wide range of Muslims

The Quran sanctions violence

The Quran indicates disdain for non-Muslims

Muslims are both peaceful and violent

Fundamentalists are Muslims and have not high jacked Islam

With respect to whether Islam is a peaceful religion, after confirming what the Quran says, it would seem such a characterization is not only naive, its incorrect, possibly dangerous. Further, if a Presbyterian doesnt have the right to say a Pentecostal is not a Christian, it follows that a peaceful Muslim doesnt have the right to say a fundamentalist is not a Muslim.

If a true believer is one who follows everything in their holy book, and the fundamentalists are adhering to this, how should we view peaceful Muslims? While I believe they are indeed Muslims, can it be the fundamentalists are actually the true Muslims?

Whats the takeaway?

The free world should open its eyes, understand there is a war going on. Ignoring it wont eliminate it. It will allow it to continue unabated. We should stop letting naivete and political correctness govern our views or our laws. Difficult decisions will need to be made, and soon. If the status quo continues the lifestyle free people are accustomed to will soon become a thing of the past.

Years ago there was a commercial by a manufacturer of engine oil filters that suggested not to ignore the importance of changing filters when necessary. The closing words of the commercial were pay me now or pay me later.

Dan Calic is a writer, history student and speaker. See additional articles on his Facebook page.
In word and deed, in Islamic and non-Islamic nations, Muslim men appear to think that non-Muslim women  impure "infidels"  exist solely to gratify their sexual urges.

First, consider the beliefs and actions of those committed to waging jihad for the cause of Allah, such as the Islamic State:

In the moments before he raped the 12-year-old [non-Muslim] girl, the Islamic State fighter took the time to explain that what he was about to do was not a sin. Because the preteen girl practiced a religion other than Islam, the Quran not only gave him the right to rape her  it condoned and encouraged it, he insisted. He bound her hands and gagged her. Then he knelt beside the bed and prostrated himself in prayer before getting on top of her. When it was over, he knelt to pray again, bookending the rape with acts of religious devotion. "I kept telling him it hurts  please stop," said the girl, whose body is so small an adult could circle her waist with two hands. "He told me that according to Islam he is allowed to rape an unbeliever. He said that by raping me, he is drawing closer to" Allah.

Such behavior is not limited to fanatical jihadis, who have "nothing whatsoever to do with Islam," as most fools and liars will assure us. Rather, it permeates the totality of Islamic culture.

Consider recent events in Pakistan: three Christian girls walking home after a hard day's work were accosted by four "rich and drunk" Muslims  hardly ISIS candidates  in a car. The men "misbehaved," yelled "suggestive and lewd comments," and harassed the girls to get in their car for "a ride and some fun." When the girls declined the "invitation," adding that they were "devout Christians and did not practice sex outside of marriage," the men became enraged and chased the girls, yelling, "How dare you run away from us, Christian girls are only meant for one thing: the pleasure of Muslim men." They drove their car into the three girls, killing one and severely injuring the other two.

Or consider the words of human rights activists speaking about another Muslim man's rape of a 9-year-old Christian girl: "Such incidents occur frequently. Christian girls are considered goods to be damaged at leisure. Abusing them is a right. According to the community's mentality, it is not even a crime. Muslims regard them as spoils of war."

Once relegated to third-world countries like Pakistan and ISIS-controlled areas, the subhuman treatment and sexual abuse of "infidel" women is becoming a common fixture in the West.

Thus, recently in Germany, a group of Muslim "refugees" stalked a 25-year-old woman at night, hurled "filthy" insults, and taunted her for sex. One told her that "German women are there for sex" before reaching into her blouse and trousers and groping her.

These recent stories from Germany and Pakistan are identical  Muslim men harassing non-Muslim women on the assumption that it's their Islamic right and privilege  except for one difference: the German "infidel" escaped with her life, whereas the Pakistani "infidel" was murdered for refusing to gratify the sexual desires of her Islamic accosters. As Islam's presence continues to grow in Europe, this difference will quickly fade.

Already there are other, more subtle similarities between "third-world" Pakistan and "first-world" Germany. In the report about the manslaughter of the three Christian girls in Pakistan, we find that "[o]ther girls in the local area are now too scared to travel at night and are being accompanied by the men in their families." In Germany, "[t]he latest reports from Dortmund [where the 'German women are there for sex' anecdote transpired] paint a terrifying picture of a city where it is now unsafe for women to go out at night for fear of being attacked and raped by refugees."

Indeed, less than a month earlier, on New Year's Eve, 1,000 Muslim migrants, also apparently thinking that non-Muslim women exist for one thing, went on a raping spree in Cologne and elsewhere, leaving hundreds of "infidel" women violated, beaten, and traumatized  the same way "infidel" women living in Muslim-majority nations often feel.

Of course, well before the migrant crisis, Europe had and ignored ample lessons concerning what happens when Muslim populations grow. In Britain alone, where a large Muslim minority has long existed, countless British girls in various regions have been sexually abused and gang-raped by Muslims who apparently deemed it their Islamic right. Said one rape victim: "The men who did this to me have no remorse. They would tell me that what they were doing was OK in their culture." Days ago a judge told 12 Muslim men that they "took such terrible and heartless sexual advantage" of a 13-year-old British girl before sentencing them.

A Muslim imam in Britain confessed that Muslim men are taught that women are "second-class citizens, little more than chattels or possessions over whom they have absolute authority" and that the imams preach a doctrine "that denigrates all women, but treats whites [meaning non-Muslims] with particular contempt." Another Muslim convicted of rape in a separate case told a British court that sharing non-Muslim girls for sex "was part of Somali culture" and "a religious requirement."

And there it is: whether seen by "pious" Muslims as a "religious requirement"  as cited by an ISIS rapist to his 12-year-old victim  or whether seen as part of Pakistani (Asian) and Somali (African) culture  in a word, Islamic culture  the subhuman treatment and sexual degradation of non-Muslim women and children by Muslims who deem it their "right" is apparently another "exoticism" the West must embrace if it wishes to keep worshipping at the altar of multiculturalism.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again, is a fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the Middle East Forum.
There are two major political problems in the Middle East; the belligerence of ISIS and its threat to the civilized world; and the Syrian civil war that has killed more than 250,000 and led to the displacement of millions. The international community, including the U.S. State Department, should concentrate its attention on resolving both of these problem, the barbarism and crimes of ISIS and the bitter conflict in Syria and the havoc it has created.

The two issues are connected. It was the unwillingness of the Western democracies, especially the U.S., to help the peaceful uprising in Syria in 2011 and to confront the murderous Syrian President Bashar Assad and his brutal military that in a cynical fashion allowed the anti-Western and anti-Israeli ISIS to develop and form its Caliphate in control of land in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart has told Congress of the danger of ISIS, from Libya to the Caucuses, which has stepped the pace and lethality of its attacks in Mali, Tunisia, Somalia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Even Bernie Saunders recognizes the need to fight ISIS, though by ground troops of a coalition of Arab nations, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, not by the United States.

The horror in Syria, already in the fifth year of its civil war, continues as Russian air power together with Iranian troops is aiding the regime of Assad to defeat the rebel opposition of the Free Syrian Army. The two issues are connected in that Russia, that has been striking mainstream rebels, claims to be targeting ISIS. The military slaughter goes on, and so does the tragedy of increasing numbers of refugees forced to flee the country in order to survive. The civil war has become an international imbroglio, and so now has the migration crisis. The optimum to be hoped for a solution is a successful peace conference about Syria and Assad: the minimum is creating a safe zone in Syria to shelter those displaced from their homes.

The number of displaced people in Syria now amounts to 13.5 million, and the number of refugees from Syria is 4.2 million, and the numbers increase expeditiously. The Russians airstrikes in Aleppo in February 2016 have helped the efforts of the regime to retake the city from rebel forces but they have led to an intensification of the exodus of civilians, almost 30,000 who have fled towards Turkey which is already hosting 2.5 million refugees. Turkey is expecting 600,000 Syrians to arrive at its borders.

Migrants or refugees have entered Europe by various routes, over land from Turkey, through Russia into Scandinavia, and by sea. The number reaching Europe by sea has increased tenfold over last year. In the first six weeks of 2016, more than 76,000 migrants arrived in Europe by sea, compared with 11,000 in the whole of 2015. Most are arriving in Greece and fewer in Italy.

Some help has been coming from Frontex and from NATO. Frontex, the EU agency, has the function of coordinating the activities of the EU countries to secure their external borders. It has deployed about 300 officers and 15 vessels to Greek islands to help patrol the seas and register the migrants, about 885,000 of whom have entered Europe by sea.

NATO has attemtped to help by means of naval and air patrols in the eastern Mediterranean though it is not directly involved in aiding the refugees. It is considering, very seriously in the words of Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenburg, launching naval mission to monitor this exodus by sea. NATO would thus help with surveillance of sea traffic in the Mediterranean and would assist the Turkish coastal authorities and Frontex. The Obama administration has not yet announced its decision on whether to participate in such a mission.

Everyone agrees that the refugee problem is acute. The devastation can be witnessed at the Turkish border as 35,000 Syrians are sheltered in tents and in cold and rainy weather. Yet, Turkish Deputy Minister Numan Kurtulmus on February 8, 2016 announced, if in unclear fashion, that Turkey had reached the end of its capacity to absorb refugees, but would still take in Syrians who might otherwise be massacred in Syria.

How to deal with the unending flow of refugees? It has become an international problem. The London Conference of leaders of 60 countries and international organizations held on February 4, 2016 agreed on the raising of funds to deal with the flow of refugees. It raised $11 billion in pledges, $5.8 billion for 2016 and $5.4 billion for 2017-20. The figures are informative in the comparative lack of generosity of Arab countries. The U.S. will provide $891 million, the UK $1.9 billion, Saudi Arabia $200 million, and the UAE $137 million.

Germany has been in the forefront of humanitarian aid. Since the 1950s it has been trying to assimilate the millions of guest workers, mostly from Turkey: Muslims now account for more than five per cent of its population. Germany, which accepted 1.1 million refugees in 2015, has pledged to provide $2.5 billion in humanitarian aid at the London conference.

But the European countries are seeking protection in drastic fashion. They are preparing, or thinking of preparing, border controls. France and Belgium face an almost impossible task in preventing migrants in and near Calais and Dunkirk from attempting to mount trucks headed for the UK. France built high razor wire fences around the entrance to the Channel Tunnel and has used more than 1,000 police to deal with the migrants who are in camps in the area. The large camp outside of Calais contains at least 6,000 people

Macedonia is building a second barrier of razor wire along 19 miles of its frontier, parallel to the existing one, to stop any more migrants from Greece. Already in 2016, 68,000 have entered Macedonia on their way to Germany or Austria. Yet, in spite of this, Macedonia will not fully close its border.

Political views are changing. Austria has announced its decision to control the flow of migrants. In 2015 it had received 90,000 applications for asylum. It has now said it will limit acceptance to 37,500. Yet now, Chancellor Werner Faymann, leader of the Social Democratic party, surprisingly went further. In September 2015 Faymann had criticized the Hungarian management of refugees, comparing it to their activity in 1944 in the Nazi deportation of Jews to their death. In February 2016 he has called for all refugees to be sent back to Turkey.

Austria already has border controls at Spielfeld, a crossing point in the south east of the country, with Slovenia. Yet again, there is ambiguity in policy. Austria believes that border police should save those in Mediterranean Sea who are on their way to Greece, but nevertheless should send them back.

The stream of migrants resulting from the Syrian conflict has become unmanageable for European countries who are responding by humanitarian aid and by protection of their borders. Generous humanitarian aid and attempts to alleviate suffering are commendable, but they are insufficient to resolve the problem. European countries and the international community in general should implement the commitments for aid. Bit it more imperative to pursue a political solution of the Syrian conflict.

This is the role for the Obama administration to play. It should at the forthcoming Geneva Conference on February 25, 2016 play a leading role together with Russia in finding a political solution and an end to a war that has been so cruel to Syrians but is also perplexing Europe. Political fences are preferable to and cost less than military ones.
I remember a lot of people speculating about what would have happened in the world if Jimmy Carter had been elected to a second term. Many believed that the Soviets would have taken advantage of Carter's weakness and confusion to confront NATO, believing that the U.S. would be paralyzed into inaction.

Something similar could happen today, according to some analysts. Vladimir Putin's saber-rattling at Turkey could become more than bluster if the Russian strongman doesn't think that the U.S. and NATO would go to war if Moscow attacked Turkey.

The Russians are beginning military exercises in the region immediately adjacent to their border with Turkey. The exercises are a threat because Russian troops will be on the highest level of alert short of war. And Russian rhetoric aimed at Turkey has become more bellicose as events in the Syrian city of Aleppo may force Turkey to try and intervene in the conflict. With Russian jets pounding rebel positions in and around Aleppo and Syrian and Iranian proxy troops surrounding the city, Turkey may feel it has no choice but to lift the siege of Syria's largest city.

One of Russia's most knowledgable and respected defense analysts  a critic of Putin and Russian military policy  offered some insight into what's going on in Moscow:

Today Pavel Felgenhauer published his analysis under the alarming title, Russia has begun preparations for a major war, and he marshals a convincing case that the snap exercises in the countrys southwest are really a cover for a shooting war with Turkeyand therefore with NATO too, if Ankara is perceived as defending itself and can assert its right to Article 5, collective self-defense, which obligates all members of the Atlantic Alliance to come to Turkeys aid. As The New York Times dryly noted of the Kremlin, The [Defense] Ministry has ordered surprise maneuvers over the last three years as tensions between the East and West have worsened. The maneuvers have at times come as combat escalated in Ukraine and Syria. In fact, using large-scale military exercises as a cover for aggression is old hat in Moscow. It was used during the August 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, which explains why NATO always got jumpy when Moscow held military exercises anywhere NATO territory, while snap exercises like this week inevitably caused Cold War panic. Mr. Felgenhauer paints an alarmingly plausible scenario. As rebel forces defend Aleppo in Stalingrad fashion, the Syrian military, with Russian help, commences a protracted siege of the city, employing massive firepower, which becomes a humanitarian nightmare of a kind not seen in decades, a tragedy that would dwarf the 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo. However, any Turkish move to lift that siege, even with international imprimatur, would quickly devolve into all-out war. Mr. Felgenhauer minces no words about this: Russia has begun the deployment of forces and resources for a major war with Turkey. Mr. Putin has decided to let his client, the Assad regime, win its bloody civil war, first in the north around Aleppo, and any moves by Turkey or NATO to stop them will be met with force. So far, President Barack Obama has let Mr. Putin do whatever he likes in Syria, no matter the cost in innocent lives, so the Kremlin has no reason to think that will change.

Putin has already killed 35,000 Chechens  mostly civilians  in his bloody effort to defeat the rebels there. Something similar could happen in Aleppo, where a humanitarian crisis unlike any the world has seen since World War II is already underway.

So how did we get to this dangerous juncture in history?

Is Mr. Felgenhauers alarmism warranted? Many Western insiders think along similar lines. By letting Mr. Putin get away with whatever he likes in Syria, Mr. Obama has created a deeply dangerous situation in the region. By abandoning his infamous Syria redline in September 2013, the White House in effect outsourced American policy there to Mr. Putin, as I warned you at the time, and which the Obama administration, powerless to influence terrible events in Syria, is slowly realizing. Are we heading for our Sarajevo moment? a senior NATO official bluntly asked: Its clear that there has to be some actual redline for Mr. Obama, something that the United States cannot tolerate Russia doing  but where is it? If I dont know, Im sure the Kremlin doesnt either.

Has there ever been a U.S. president who has backed himself and the country into this kind of corner due to overwhelming incompetence and hubris? Putin may eventually conclude there is no red line and attack. He certainly has no respect for the fighting abilities of European troops. And Obama has proven he not only doesn't know what he's doing, but can be pushed around by the likes of Iran and Cuba.

My gut feeling is that if Putin concludes that NATO will stay on the sidelines, he will attack Turkey. Given the track record of NATO countries in Afghanistan, where most of the alliance forbade their troops from serving in combat areas, and the hesitancy of NATO to respond to Russian threats against the Baltic states and eastern Europe, Putin has good reason to believe he would get away with it  and expose NATO as the hollow shell of an alliance that it is.
Can we please defund PBS, and let the American left pay for their own network without tax money from the rest of us? The disgrace of PBS in moderating last nights debate was even worse than I remarked on it. Andrew Malcolm of Investors Business Daily has penned a devastating debunking. Read the whole thing, but here are a few highlights:

Of the 16,000 words uttered by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and moderators Gwen Ifil and Judy Woodruff, not one of them concerned Clintons deepening email scandal. Not one mention of the words email, e-mail, private server or FBI.

Not a single media question or opponent mention of the huge legal cloud hanging over the partys presumptive nominee. Nor of the ongoing FBI investigation into unauthorized use of her unsecured private email server for government business, including loose handling of Top Secret documents endangering national security intelligence-gathering and covert operations.

Not any reference to the State Department Inspector Generals subpoena to the Clinton Foundation exploring possible connections between foreign government donations possibly trying to curry favor during Clintons four-year tenure as Obamas secretary of State.

Oh, and not a single word either about Benghazi, the murder of four Americans there, the phony video excuse, the lack of rescue or reinforcement attempts and any Clinton responsibility for the well-documented poor consulate security. Nothing on tax or entitlement reforms. National debt.

A complete pass for Hillary Clinton. Whoosh! Home free. Other than that, it was a serious grilling about being female, admiring Obama, taxing the rich more, free stuff and other liberal issues.
With MWC now just around the corner, two devices are certainly going to be on show. The first is the latest device from Samsung, the Galaxy S7 ,while the other is the LG G5. Both will be unveiled on the same day and both currently look to be working up a storm of media attention and will be two of the biggest devices of the year. Of course, in Samsungs case, the Galaxy S7 will be accompanied by its partner device, the Galaxy S7 Edge. In LGs case, all we know for sure is the LG G5. Although, if a recent benchmark is anything to go by, we could also be seeing a Lite version of the LG G5 at some point.

The benchmark listing is through GFXBench and what it seems to show is a device which come with the model number LG-H840. This is the most telling point of the LG G5 relationship as the standard version of the G5 has been said to be coming with the LG-H830 model number. While in terms of the specs, there are some notable differences as well between this model and the standard LG G5. The specs listed include a 5.3-inch display which makes use of a 2560 x 1440 resolution. While the resolution is in line with the G5, the display size seems to be that little bit smaller. Moving on and the LG-H840 is said to come equipped with 3GB RAM, which is again less than the 4GB RAM that other benchmarks have suggested will be in use on the G5. Additional specs on offer include 32GB internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera which is coupled with another 8-megapixel camera on the front. While the processor said to be the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-core processor.

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As such and in spite of the similarity in model numbers, it is these slightly lower specs and especially the mid-range processor which does make this device seem like it could be a lighter version of the standard LG G5. Weirdly, the benchmark does list the device as coming with Android 4.4 (KitKat) which does seem to be extremely unlikely if it is a G5 relative device. Of course, whether it is a Lite, Compact, Beat, or otherwise, remains to be seen. But it does make for some interesting reading ahead of the LG MWC 2016 announcement.
Xiaomi and Spotify are two very recognizable brands these days. Xiaomi is a China-based smartphone manufacturer which grew immensely ever since it was founded back in 2010, and is now one of the largest smartphone manufacturing companies in China. Spotify, on the other hand, is a Sweden-based music and video company which is very well-known for streaming music, podcasts, and video. What do these two companies have in common? Well, read on.

Spotifys founders, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, along with Xiaomis VP, Hugo Barra, have decided to invest some funds into Student.com, a UK-based international student accommodation marketplace. Student.com has actually raised $60 million in this investment round, and the three individuals weve mentioned arent the only ones that invested in Student.com. Theyre joined by a global investment firm VY Capital, Horizons Ventures and Expa. Now, the site will invest the cash into international expansions to the US, Middle East and Latin America. That being said, Student.com will have listings in 426 cities for over 1,000 universities by the end of 2016, which is impressive. This startup actually employs over 200 people in various regions, London, Hong Kong, New York and Shanghai. It is also worth mentioning that this site is available in various languages (11 thus far), which is always an advantage, especially considering theyre aiming to be available pretty much everywhere.

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The student housing market is arguably one of the single biggest industries not yet digitised. With Student.com, were not only enabling international students the world over too quickly and easily find housing abroad; were also giving landlords a digital and global infrastructure to reach millions of students, said Shakil Khan, the co-founder of Student.com. According to Student.com, over 5 million students are actually studying abroad these days, and that number is constantly rising, which makes sense. The startup has also said that theyve earned $110 million in bookings in 2015 from students in more than 100 countries. It will be interesting to see what will happen with the company by the end of the year, but they have incredible perspective, and it seems like Hugo Barra and Spotifys co-founder realized that.
(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Premier Matteo Renzi said Friday that Egypt's friendship with Italy means that it must find and disclose the truth about the brutal murder of 28-year-old Italian researcher Giulio Regeni in Cairo. "It's a dramatic case and I once again I express my condolences to Guilio's family and I say what we have already said to the Egyptians - friendship is a precious thing and it is only possible with the truth," Renzi told Radio Anch'io. Regeni's burned, cut, and mutilated body was found dumped in a ditch on February 3 after he went missing on January 25 - the fifth anniversary of the uprising that ended the regime of Hosni Mubarak. Investigators believe the brutal killing may be linked to an article Regeni wrote under a pseudonym after being photographed by unknowns at a December 11 independent Egyptian trade union meeting. Regeni's funeral is being held in his home town of Fiumicello in the northern Friuli-Venezia Giulia on Friday.


(ANSA) - Fiumicello, February 12 - All one thousand seats were filled at the funeral ceremony on Friday for Giulio Regeni, the Italian doctoral research student who was brutally murdered in Egypt.

The ceremony took place in a gymnasium in Regeni's hometown of Fiumicello, about 35 kilometres northwest of Trieste in the northern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where flags in the region's public offices flew at half-mast and the region's website displayed a black mourning ribbon.

Businesses and public offices in Fiumicello were closed on Friday for a citywide day of mourning, with only coffee bars and restaurants open specifically to service the large number of mourners and press in town to cover the funeral.

About one thousand additional mourners gathered outside of the gymnasium to pay their respects. Among the dignitaries present were Friuli-Venezia Giulia Governor Debora Serracchiani and Chairman of the Italian Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Pier Ferdinando Casini.

Flowers were sent by the Italian Embassy and the University of Cambridge, where the 28-year-old Regeni was conducting his PhD research in the Department of Politics and International Studies.

The ceremony was conducted partially in English to accommodate Regeni's foreign friends who don't speak Italian.

Regeni's casket was covered with white flowers and carried into the gymnasium, followed by family and close friends.

The priest who officiated the funeral expressed thanks to Regeni in his homily.

"Thank you for this work of witnessing that involves us all. Thank you, thank you, and thank you still," said Father Luigi Fontanot, who was one of Regeni's personal friends.

"Giulio was a special person, for his enthusiasm, for his desire for knowledge," Fontanot said.

Premier Matteo Renzi said Friday that Egypt's friendship with Italy means that it must find and disclose the truth about Regeni's murder. "It's a dramatic case and I once again I express my condolences to Giulio's family and I say what we have already said to the Egyptians - friendship is a precious thing and it is only possible with the truth," Renzi told Radio Anch'io.

Regeni was found in a ditch on a desert road outside Cairo February 3 after disappearing January 25, the fifth anniversary of the uprising against Hosni Mubarak.

His ears were clipped, nose broken, two nails were torn out and there were cuts all over his body including to the soles of his feet.

Egypt has repeatedly denied its security forces had anything to do with the murder.


(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Italy has the whole of Europe "at its side" in its bid to find the murderers of Giulio Regeni, found tortured to death outside Cairo, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said Friday. She said she had met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and told him of the "very great concern of all Europe for what happened to Giulio in Cairo, and our expectation that full light is shed (on his death)". "It is not acceptable that what happened to Giulio Regeni should happen to a young European researcher, and that there should be doubts on the possibility of establishing the truth," she said. Mogherini said Shoukry showed "great awareness of the importance the case has for Europeans and for relations between Europe and Egypt".

Regeni, 28, a Cambridge doctoral student, was found dead with signs of torture on his body in a ditch February 3 after disappearing January 25.


(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Pope Francis departed Rome Friday morning for a nearly 13-hour flight to Havana, Cuba, where he will meet with Russian Patriarch Kirill prior to a seven-day trip in Mexico, ANSA sources said. The meeting has been in the works for years and will be aimed at a further thaw in relations since the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches split in the 11th century.

The two religious leaders will sign a joint statement at Havana's Jose' Marti' International Airport.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in a message to the pontiff at his departure Friday, emphasised the potential impact of the event.

"Italy and the international community will follow with special attention your historic meeting in Cuba with Patriarch Kirill, which will constitute a moment of fundamental importance for Christians and for all those who believe strongly in the culture of dialogue," Mattarella wrote.

In his message to Mattarella, Pope Francis said during his trip he intends "to support the mission of the local Church and to bring a message of hope".

The pontiff will depart Havana for Mexico City later on Friday, and is expected to arrive at Benito Juarez International Airport at 7:30 p.m. local time.

On Friday the pope tweeted, "In Mexico I will look into the eyes of the Virgin Mary and implore her to look upon us always with mercy. I entrust my journey to her".


(ANSA) - Fiumicello, February 12 - All one thousand available seats were filled at the funeral ceremony on Friday for Giulio Regeni, the Italian doctoral research student who was brutally murdered in Egypt.

The ceremony took place in a gymnasium in Regeni's hometown of Fiumicello, about 35 kilometres northwest of Trieste in the northern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Flags at all of the region's public offices flew at half-mast on Friday and the region's website displayed a black mourning ribbon on its homepage.

Businesses and public offices in Fiumicello were closed on Friday for a citywide day of mourning, with only coffee bars and restaurants open specifically to serve the large number of mourners and press in town to cover the funeral.

About one thousand additional mourners gathered outside of the gymnasium to pay their respects.


(ANSA) - Fiumicello, February 12 - All one thousand seats were filled at the funeral ceremony on Friday for Giulio Regeni, the Italian doctoral research student who was brutally murdered in Egypt.

Regeni's mother Paola thanked her son "for teaching me many things". "The energy of your thought remains in my heart," Paolo Regeni said in a message read out by a young man. "Your thought, to love, understand, build tolerance. With affection, your mamma".

The ceremony took place in a gymnasium in Regeni's hometown of Fiumicello, about 35 kilometres northwest of Trieste in the northern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where flags in the region's public offices flew at half-mast and the region's website displayed a black mourning ribbon.

Businesses and public offices in Fiumicello were closed on Friday for a citywide day of mourning, with only coffee bars and restaurants open specifically to service the large number of mourners and press in town to cover the funeral.

About one thousand additional mourners gathered outside of the gymnasium to pay their respects. Among the dignitaries present were Friuli-Venezia Giulia Governor Debora Serracchiani and Chairman of the Italian Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Pier Ferdinando Casini.

Flowers were sent by the Italian Embassy and the University of Cambridge, where the 28-year-old Regeni was conducting his PhD research in the Department of Politics and International Studies.

The funeral ceremony was conducted partially in English to accommodate Regeni's foreign friends who don't speak Italian.

Regeni's casket was covered with white flowers and carried into the gymnasium followed by family and close friends.


(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Italy has the whole of Europe "at its side" in its bid to find the murderers of Giulio Regeni, found tortured to death outside Cairo, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said Friday. She said she had met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and told him of the "very great concern of all Europe for what happened to Giulio in Cairo, and our expectation that full light is shed (on his death)". Regeni, 28, a Cambridge doctoral student, was found dead in a ditch February 3 after disappearing January 25.


(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Members of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) on Friday appealed to Italian President Sergio Mattarella to change the April date of a referendum on offshore drilling for oil and gas in Italy so that it coincides with local elections in June.

Premier Matteo Renzi's cabinet set the April 17 date on Thursday.

"We need an election day to guarantee the quorum and also to save 300 million euros of taxpayer money," M5S members of parliament said.

On February 3, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the referendum cannot take place at the same time as June local elections.

He said the possibility of the so-called election day uniting both the referendum and local elections presents "technical difficulties that are not able to be solved in an administrative way".


(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - The Sovereign Order of Malta, a lay religious order of the Catholic church, announced Friday that it has launched a new humanitarian mission to assist and rescue refugees in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.

Since December 15, its Italian Relief Corps (CISOM) has already rescued 529 people, including 59 children, in the Aegean search and rescue operation.

The Order said the mission is "operative 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with medical teams composed of doctors and nurses".

The operation is taking place aboard a responder vessel of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a Malta-based NGO dedicated to rescuing refugees and migrants at sea, the majority of whom come from Syria. That vessel carries two rescue boats named Aylan and Galip Kurdi, in memory of the two Syrian brothers aged 3 and 5 whose bodies washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach last September in their attempt to reach European shores with their family.

In light of the new Aegean operation, the Order of Malta also announced a new campaign called "And Free Them From the Sea" to raise public awareness of the plight of migrant men, women, and children at sea, as well as to raise funds for the CISOM rescue mission.

Since 2008, CISOM has provided timely and efficient medical assistance at sea in the Strait of Sicily aboard vessels of the Italian Coast Guard, Finance Police and Navy.

In those seven years, the doctors and nurses of the medical teams have developed specific abilities in healthcare assistance at sea, becoming specialists in the field.

This has allowed CISOM to assist more than 42,000 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea.

CISOM Director Mauro Casinghini said his organisation hopes the new patrols announced by NATO to fight human trafficking in the Aegean "will work, and will reduce the arrival, but above all the deaths, in the Aegean".

Casinghini spoke on Friday about the new CISOM mission to members of the press gathered at the Rome Foreign Press Association for a presentation titled "The Endless Massacre of Migrants in the Aegean".

He was hopeful regarding the agreement to cease hostilities in Syria within a week, reached late Thursday in a meeting between world leaders in Munich.

"We've seen the images of a Syria devastated by bombings, and we hold in our eyes the images of the desperation of Syrians who come to Europe because of war," Casinghini said.

"We hope that (the agreement) is real and that it will allow Syrians to be able to remain in Syria".

Meanwhile, the Grand Priory of the Order of Malta has assisted more than 150,000 people in poverty in its work across Rome and throughout the regions of Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria and the Marche.

The Order provides medical assistance as well as overnight shelter to those in need.

Priory volunteers, together with specialised teams of psychiatrists and psychotherapists, also served around 170,000 hot meals in 2014.

Grand Prior of Rome Giacomo Dalla Torre said volunteering "isn't doing things in your free time, but donating real time to those in need".

"We don't ask those who knock on our door where they come from or what faith they profess. For us they are all brothers and sisters," Dalla Torre said.

Volunteers have cumulatively assisted 10,000 elderly, performed more than 1,000 social service interventions, 2,500 works of charity and 350 medical exams.

They have also distributed nearly two million kilograms of food, and allocated 350,000 euros in donations to those in need.


(ANSA) - Fiumicello, February 12 - The priest who officiated the funeral for Giulio Regeni on Friday expressed thanks in his homily to the Italian student slain in Egypt.

"Thank you for this work of witnessing that involves us all. Thank you, thank you, and thank you still," said Father Luigi Fontanot, who was one of Regeni's personal friends.

"Giulio was a special person, for his enthusiasm, for his desire for knowledge," Fontanot said.

The priest recalled the way Regeni expressed the concepts of freedom and friendship: "Freedom is the ability to express yourself in a certain context; friendship is an unconditional relationship between two people".


Italy allocates 3 mln euros for Syria, Foreign ministry says Aid earmarked for civilians fleeing from Aleppo

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 12 - In the light of the humanitarian truce agreed at Munich, Italy has allocated 3 million euros earmarked for assistance to Syrian civilians, the Italian foreign Ministry said Friday.



"This is emergency assistance aimed at relieving the suffering of tens of thousands of Syrian civilians, mainly women and children, fleeing from the bombardments and violence under way in the north of the country close to Aleppo," Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said.



Two million euros will go to the World Food Programme (WFP) to ensure distribution of foodstuffs (vegetables, rice, sugar, flour, vegetable oil) to the more than 30,000 refugees the UN estimates are fleeing toward the Turkish frontier in villages of the governorate of Aleppo.



A further 1 million euros will be entrusted to the UN Office for Coordination of humanitarian activities (OCHA) for the purchase and distribution of tents, stoves, fuel and toiletries for personal hygiene.



The Italian contribution, defined by an agreement with the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (Aics) is part of an overall commitment announced by donors in London on February 4 envisaging a triennial intervention plan of dlrs 400 million for humanitarian projects and support for the development of Syria and other countries in the region. (ANSAmed).




Universities: Center for Med Islamic studies in Calabria Laboratorio Occhiali open to researchers from Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 12 - The University of Calabria based in Arcavacata di Rende, has inaugurated the Occhiali laboratory on the Islamic Mediterranean. The aim is to create a center of studies and research on the whole area of North Africa, the Arab Near East, Turkey and the Balkans and the remaining Med countries with connections to Islam. The name of the lab, created at the department of languages and education sciences, is inspired by a famous Calabria native, Giovan Dionigi Galeni (1519-1587), who throughout his life often embodied the Mediterranean integration spirit.



Born in Le Castella, Calabria, Galeni was imprisoned by the Turks on his native coast and enslaved on Ottoman vessels. This did not prevent him from rising socially and acquiring a high-level position in the Turkish empire, first as a corsair, then as an admiral and pasha in Algiers and bey of Tripoli. His Turkish name, Ulu Ali, turned into 'Occhiali', appeared an example to express the dynamism that has always existed in the Mediterranean and the role Calabria can have in the area.



The Laboratorio does not intend to limit research fields but will open to all sectors of research proposed by participants.



Historic perspectives will be encouraged, along with linguistic, political, economic, judicial, sociological, psychological and pedagogical approaches as well as multidisciplinary studies.



The laboratory will select relevant themes of research, organize seminars, set up training and interventions on the ground cooperating with the media, local associations and cultural centres. ''The laboratory is intended to open to all Mediterranean researchers who are interested, one of the main objectives will be to set up a network of young researchers and open to cooperation with similar Italian and foreign research centres'', one of its members, Manuelita Scigliano, told ANSAmed. (ANSAmed).




IMF: Palestinian GDP down to 2.8% in 2015 Under 3% also in 2016, 'disastrous humanitarian situation' Gaza

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 12 - The Palestinian economy in the West Bank has slowed down in 2015 to 2.8% and is likely to remain under 3% this year as well, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report, quoted by Israeli media on Friday, at the end of a visit to the Occupied Territories in Gaza.



In spite of the fact that reconstruction efforts in the Strip - after the war in 2014 - have given new impulse to the enclave's economy, Gaza remains, according to the report, ''hindered by the slow payment of aid and by Israeli restrictions on construction material imports. The humanitarian situation remains disastrous''. According to the IMF, another obstacle is created by the difficult relationship between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the Hamas government in Gaza. Investments remain ''weak'' in the West Bank, according to the fund. (ANSAmed)
Morocco: end of hostilities with Sweden, Ikea opens Stockholm steps back on Polisario recognition

(by Olga Piscitelli) (ANSAmed) - RABAT, FEBRUARY 12 - The authorization has arrived. Five months from the scheduled day of the inauguration, Ikea Maroc can open to clients. The exasperation of the 400 employees had reached a record high and tension was palpable.



Like a television series, the opening of the low-cost furniture giant in Africa had thrilled Morocco. Officially, the postponement was due to the lack of a certificate of conformity though, unofficially, it occurred over a diplomatic war with Sweden.



Now, Ikea is ready to welcome clients in Zenata, an industrial district outside Casablanca.



On February 22, an opening day for relatives and friends of employees has been scheduled, a sort of general test.



Originally, inauguration day had been scheduled on September 29 but municipal authorities in Casablanca stopped the opening.



Everything was annulled due to the certificate of conformity, one of the most simple documents in the complex Moroccan bureaucracy. But the furniture brand is suspected of having been boycotted for political, and mostly diplomatic reasons. Just a few days before, a bill for the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was presented to Parliament in Stockholm, which would give diplomatic representation to the Polisario Front.



The former Spanish colony controlled by Morocco but claimed by a Maghrebi separatist group has long been a thorn in Morocco's side. So far, UN mediation attempts for a reconciliation between the separatist movement demanding a referendum on self-determination and the king of Morocco, who does not want to let go of western territories, have been fruitless.



The arrival of the certificate needed to open the store coincides with a step back taken by Stockholm, which set aside the draft reform at the center of the controversy.



Ikea, born from an idea by Ingvar Kamprad, who is the president of the company based today in the Netherlands, now officially arrives in Morocco with the mediation of SYH Morocco, a chapter of Kuwaiti partner Al Homaizi, which has had the Swedish brand in the Middle East for over 30 years. (ANSAmed).




Some 470,000 people reportedly killed in Syria in 5 years UN unable to count casualties since 2014

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 12 - Nearly half a million Syrians are estimated to have been killed in the five years of civil war in their homeland, nearly double the number documented 18 months ago by the United Nations, according to figures released Friday by the respected Beirut-based independent Syrian think tank, the Syrian Centre for Policy Research (SCPR).



The centre in its report says that in all as many as 470,000 civilians and combattants were killed by the end of last year.



In 2014 the UN stopped counting the dead in Syria because of the difficulty in documenting accurately what was happening on the ground.



Since then the only source the media could use were periodic reports by the national Observatory of human rights, a Syrian organisation linked to the opposition.



In its report the Syrian think tank says life expectancy in Syria has fallen by an average of 14 years from age 70 in 2010 to age 56 in 2015. (ANSAmed).




(by Lorenzo Trombetta) (ANSAMed) - BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 12 - Dozens of Syrian refugees chanted "Liberta, liberta, liberta" (Freedom, freedom, freedom) in Italian as they travelled to Beirut to record their fingerprints and obtain final permission to leave for Italy to end years of limbo trapped in Lebanon.



They will be installed in Trento, Reggio Emilia, Turin and Rome in coming weeks as part of an agreement reached by the Italian government, the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Federation of Evangelical Churches.



The transfer to Italy of some 60 Syrians including many women and children will end an odyssey for a dozen families that began with the bloody repression by the Syrian authorities in 2012 in reaction to anti-government Syrian Spring protests.



In all 13 families have lived in tents and wooden shacks in northern Lebanon between the port of Tripoli and the Syrian border for three years.



Like many of their compatriots fleeing the civil war, they endured four long and difficult winters with help by international and local organisations.



Before escaping from strife-torn Homs in 2012, the 64 refugees lived in residential apartments in the suburb of what before was the third largest Syrian city and the main pre-war Syrian industrial pole.



Thanks to constant support work for the families and campaigning for them by volunteers from the Operation Dove Civil peace corps of the Pope John XXIII association, the desperate story of the refugees at the Tel Abbas camp was taken up by Sant'Egidio and the Evangelical churches.



It was Sant'Egidio that reached an agreement in recent months with the Italian government to issue hundreds of visas for Syrian refugees in Lebanon including the 64 Moslems from Tel Abbas.



Now all they need is the final authorisation from the Lebanese security agencies to allow them to leave.



They may be able to fly from Beirut by the end of February.



Once in Italy 29 people will be guests of 29 families in the northern province of Trento with support from the local dioceses and provincial authorities.



The Caritas Catholic charity will arrange the settlement of 12 people in Reggio Emilia while a further 22 people will be housed in Turin thanks to mediation by the Migrantes NGO.



In addition to the 64 Moslems, the Evangelical Churches Community added to the list a further 20 people belonging to the Syrian Christian community.



"I am not a refugee," says Yahiya, one of the Syrians waiting to leave for Rome. "I am a human being. And to live I need humanity. Here in Lebanon there is none. And in Italy? We hope so " (ANSAmed).


(ANSAmed) - CAIRO - The international community has not made good on 99% of aid that was promised to alleviate the plight of 1.3 million people affected by the civil war in Libya, a maelstrom of despair that fuels the flight of migrants from the north African country to Italy, says the UN coordinator for Libya, Ali Al-Za'tari.



The coordinator disclosed in a statement that only 1 % of the dlrs 166 million promised at a conference held at Tunis December 9 launching the Libya Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).



The plan was designed only to help a part of an estimated 2,4 million people in Libya who "have desperate need of humanitarian aid".



So far only dlrs 2.1 mln have been donated by two donors who are not named by the coordinator in his report.



However in his statement he underlined the contradiction between the shortage of funds and the "billionaire project" that "the international community is mobilising around the new born National unity government (Gna)".



Living conditions in Libya worsened dramatically with the eruption of civil war in the summer of 2014 when the pro-Islamist "Libya Dawn" militias seized control of the capital, Tripoli, creating a parallel administration and obliging the internationally recognised authorities to take refuge 1,500 km away at Tobruk.



As the site of the Libyan Channel broadcaster says, quoting a Human Rights Watch report, the situation in Libya worsened last year due to war crimes perpetrated by both sides. Fighting displaced 400,000 people. "A collapse" of order and of the state of law "paralyses the justice system, increases kidnappings for ransom and led to the spread of extremist groups such as Islamic State". The "central Mediterranean route," marked by flows of migrants trying to reach Europe through Libya especially last year was heavily used though the number of migrants who arrived in 2015 fell by 157,000, about a tenth less than in 2014, according to the Frontex EU border control agency.



The "main reasons" for the reduction in the number of migrants to Italy are the shift of Syrian refugees to the "eastern mediterranean route" and the shortage of boats available to people smugglers in the latter part of the year.



However the agency cautioned that "smuggling networks remain well entrenched" in Libya. (ANSAmed).
ATHENS - Greece ''is making a huge effort to respect engagements to identify asylum seekers'' while the EU ''does not respect its obligations with this country because the reallocation system does not work yet the way it should as other countries decide not to play their part'', said Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini, after meeting in Athens with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.



''A Europe with walls cannot exist, the problem is with people who die at sea'', commented Tsipras.



''The EU is shaken by far-right movements, if we don't change pace the risk is that they will become stronger'', he added.



Along with Tsipras, Boldrini also met with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos whom she thanked on Italy's behalf for Greece's management of the situation.



''We are proud for the way in which the Greeks are managing the migrant crisis. Greece is giving us a lesson on the correct implementation of human rights and humanity'', she said.



Boldrini will travel to Lesvos tomorrow ''to thank the people who redeemed the reputation of all of Europe''.



''Greece is not a peripheral country - stressed the Lower House speaker - but the heart of Europe, of its civilization and the country in which the EU will stake its future''.
Tourism: Turkey looks for chance at BIT, 'safe country' Deputy minister Yayman, tension with Moscow to be solved

(by Cristiana Missori) (ANSAmed) - MILAN, FEBRUARY 12 - ''Tension with Russia will get solved with time. Our relations date back to centuries ago.



Those who talk about Asia cannot abstain from talking about Turkey and Russia, who have always been the great protagonists of the area''. These were the words pronounced at the Milan international travel fair BIT by the Turkish deputy minister of culture and tourism, Huseyin Yayman.



Talking about a crisis with the Kremlin means recalling that arrivals from the country have dropped from the 4 million presences registered before a Russian warplane was downed by Turkish F-16 jets, Yayman told ANSA. President Putin's unconditional support for Assad also weighs on relations between Ankara and Moscow. ''On the Syrian issue - said the Turkish deputy minister - history will say Turkey is right and supports the Syrian people''.



The country is present at the event in Rho with a stand over 250 square meters, among the largest together with Iran. After the last terror attack in front of the mosque of Sultan Ahmet, fear is back. Istanbul, said Yayman, ''is as safe as Rome''. All of Turkey, he insisted, ''is a safe country'', confirming that security measures were raised across tourist sites and airports.



After the attack in the city overlooking the Bosphorus - the favored destination of Italians - the Turkish government is reassuring Italian tourists in order to gain ground. If overall in 2015 tourists in Turkey reached 36 millions, down 1.6%, data on Italy saw a 27% drop in arrivals. For this reason, he said, ''we want to reassure this market''.



The promotion focuses on Cappadocia, Pamukkale, geological areas on the Aegean coast, Christian itineraries and, this year Analya which will host the Expo 2016 on the environment, global warming, the preservation of biodiversity, sustainability and environmental safety.



And the Turkish government on the front of air connections to support Italian tour operators, is planning to invest 6,000 dollars for each charter coming from Italy. (ANSAmed).




Wednesday's evening Daily Summary show began with the case file of torturer Visinescu. Mihai Gadea admitted he found hope in this story, for, behold, after decades, the culprits are held accountable for what they did."A man who has significantly contributed to the death of some people. A warden who would do anything for the regime he served. I watched today the images of old criminal Visinescu being taken to the car. You know what I found shocking? That I was sorry for him. A 90-year old is taken and dragged to the car."But there is something hopeful in this story.It may take decades for one to be held accountable for what he did. They were young men who believed in their political ideals, who loved thewir country, one named Corneliu, another Ion. Visinescu had the wand with which he was taking lives.The good news in all this matter is that someone who has abused power, after decades is held accountable.We are trying daily to strengthen our democracy. We have such a thirst for justice like we have not experience for generations, for a real functioning democracy, like the American concept of check and balances, trying to put things in balance. How much we want our democracy to be strengthened?I think that everything freemen are trying, observing the law, observing democratic principles, is welcome. Today I followed a study by a US think tank, that the Russians would want to create chaos in Romania.Another think tank in Britain, in 2014 said that the Russian secret services use people in Romania, some Hungarian leaders to spread their messages. Because the Romanian society is a healthy one, I think that when you have revelations about what has happened in the last 26 years, you have to show them to the public opinion, because the thirst for justice is huge in every one of us. "BIG BUSSINESS DEALS MAP. PLACES WHERE THE BRIBES ARE SETMihai Gadea showed then a map of the premises in which they did shady bussiness deals that have empovered the Romanians, because of which each citizen has suffered directly or indirectly.BAGS OF MONEY TRAIL, THE BRIBES CASHED IN BY THE MOBThe revelations series continued with the path of the bags with money."We start with revelations about bags with money which turn from theft into bribery, into propaganda. There is evidence, documents, clear things. Look for the bags of money trail during the mafia regime. "Oana Stancu Zamfir, producer of the show Excess power, explained in the context of the disclosures related to the daily Evenimentul Zilei that Traian Basescu had a problem with the idea of the press long before becoming the head of state.Traian Basescu had been having the press obsession long beforehe became the president. I was working at the National Journal, doing the the first investigations on Traian Basescu, because the press used to spoil him, he used to go into the dailies newsrooms with whiskey bottles and shared it around with the people in the newsroom.In 2001 I made the inquiry related to asphalt kings, how the streets of Bucharest got repaired, how various indivuduals had seized these contracts, how they were divided like some special meal. Basescu had this problem all along, you or either instructed by Nastase , or by Voiculescu. And it was clear that he was not going to understand that there was press in Romania. And in 2005, any newspaper coming up with revelations was regarded as a problem.THE LARGEST EARTHQUAKE ON PUBLIC STAGE IN ROMANIAWhile serving as a judge in the ICA file, Judge Camelia Bogdan received 10,000 lei from the Ministry of Agriculture, the injured party in the ICA file and spent a two-week stay in Poiana Brasov in a program financed by the same Ministry. A few days after returning from the stay, Judge Bogdan gave a final judgment in favor of the Ministry of Agriculture.On the 26th of June 2014, the Court of Appeal's leadership has appointed judges Camelia Bogdan and Alexandru Mihalcea to rule in the ICA file. The two had not judged any other cases for the Court of Appeal, they were fresh graduate to this court.The first appearance before the court in the trial judged by Camelia Bogdan and Alexandru Mihalcea for the ICA file was on July 1, 2014. On July 7th, for the second appearance, the judges have announced that they would take a leave until August 4th, when a new term was set.The Political Investigations Group published documents showing that Judge Camelia Bogdan spent half of this holiday in Poiana Brasov in a program financed by one of the parties in the ICA file.Moreover, judge Bogdan has also received 10.000 lei from the respective party.In other words, judge Camelia Bogdan took money from the Ministry of Agriculture, the harmed party in the ICA case file .Mugur Ciuvica explained briefly, the investigation at hand : (VIDEO )"It is an important discovery, but it is from public sources. The declaration of assets was signed by Ms Bogdan in June 2015. We, from time to time, we ckeck the declaration of assets . I saw this being mentioned, that she took money . We knew that was wrong, for a judge, to take money. Its incompatibility. Except for the teaching staff, which is not the case here. So it was illegal.And we looked at that company and while we were looking there, we understood. That her consulting firm was in the program with the Ministry of Agriculture. We corroborated that with the information in her CV. I think she is dromomaniac.I think she attended dozens of seminaries in the country, abroad. She has not cashed in any money from those trips. And she would teach things, but did not get money, at least in 2014, as we checked, only in this seminar organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. This is how our small but consistent investigation was conducted. ""We thought somehow in favor of Ms Bogdan, too. And my colleagues, the hearted kind, they said maybe there was an explanation. Possibly to say she did not know where the money came from. All those seminars where she's been, where she was speaking, she spoke and wrote in her resume that she specialised in money laundering and uncovering hiddent money.She cannot to say that she spent two weeks in a hotel, with 260 employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, participating in a program organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, without knowing what it was. So that did not work, "added Mugur Ciuvica.Mihai Gadea: Prosecutor Eva a was proved to be corrupt, with papers, not by us.Another aspect of the ICA file is the indictment prepared by the prosecutor Eva Emilian, a character proved to be corrupt."The prosecutor Eva is proven to be a punk, a corrupt, an asshole. And he was proven by prosecutors, not by us. The magistrates of DNA investigated that on their own and presented some extremely serious corruption activities. Even before this trial.So we have a prosecutor on the case, who shall prepare the indictment and who is proven to be corrupt, long before drawing up this case file. Can I tell you to trust any magistrate in Romania?Our confidence must be based on facts, evidence and like a big opponent of ours said , "It took a mega-corrupt prosecutor to condemn Dan Voiculescu?" said Mihai Gadea.Teodor Atanasiu: A re-assessment of the Telepathy case file would be normalLiberal Teodor Atanasiu agreed that the evidence is obvious and, most likely, an investigation will follow and, why not, the revision of the Telepathy case."The submitted documents clearly show that it is a conflict of interest, me I am not surprised that she did not refrain, to let someone else decide.The conflict once discovered, I suspect there will be an inquiry by the Judicial Inspection and probably after this, there follows a review of the trial, because that would be the normal end. I'm not a lawyer, I do not know if these things are normal, but clearly it's a conflict of interest concerned. Those who must clear things up are the Ministrys Judicial Inspection and I am curious how quickly they move in this direction. "Mihai Gadea: How to do justice, you are essentially bad?"However, when you ruled the sentence and sent some people to jail and showed off on TV, did you not think that you took money from the Ministry of Agriculture. It's about stuff that simple. I took money from one party in the trial.At least call for for recusal. What is this? Eva, God forbid, I do not want to conduct any trial. I look at the people who make justice in the courtroom, I see robed judges, they must interrogate, to hear the parties, examine, there are people whose goodness you see in the way they do justice. There are people that even if they have to condemn someone, you can see their concern for justice, for truth.I am terrified when I see people who say they do justice and you van seen their meaness on their faces and their contorted faces. Justice, truth, law are some issues in a positive area of our world. How to perform justice, you are essentially evil, harmful?When you look at Eva, you see the recording with Eva who not only is mean or harmful, he says "babe, do you know how many case files you have here?" And it for a second, you think of Visinescu. How unfair it is for the thousands of prosecutors who are honest? They go and wear the robe knowing that they have a special mission ", concluded Mihai Gadea.






The Judicial Inspection started an investigation after the disclosures made by the Group for Political Investigations on the Telepathy / ICA case file and presented by Mihai Gadea and Mugur Ciuvica on the Daily summary on Antena 3.



According to the quoted source, while she ruled on the ICA file, Judge Camelia Bogdan received 10,000 lei from the Ministry of Agriculture, a harmed party in the ICA file and spent a two-week stay in Poiana Brasov in a program financed by the same Ministry.



Moreover, a few days after returning from her stay, Judge Bogdan gave a final judgment in favor of the Ministry of Agriculture.



"By the standards of DNA, Camelia Bogdan should have already been in the cellar"



PIG president, Mugur Ciuvica, said in a telephone intervention on Antena 3, that he was surprised by the initiative of the Judicial Inspection, because by the standards of DNA, which should have been the first to start an investigation, Judge Camelia Bogdan should have already been in the "royal cellar."



"She received money from a party in the trial while she judged and the sentence was in favor of the party which paid Camelia Bogdan. For any other judge in this country and this world she would have been in jail, "said Mugur Ciuvica, Antena 3.



A revision of the Telepathy trial would be normal 





Present on the Wednesday evening show on Antena 3, Liberal Teodor Atanasiu said that following these disclosures, most likely, there will also follow an investigation and, why not, the revision of the Telepathy trial.



The Political Investigations Group published on the official Facebook page the documentation to demonstrate that Judge Camelia Bogdan spent half of her holiday in Poiana Brasov in a program financed by one of the parties in the ICA file.


Unprecedented situation for the justice in Romania. DNA prosecutors started criminal proceedings against former Prosecutor General of Romania Tiberiu Nitu, according to a press release of the institution, as Antena 3 announced this morning.According to the document noted, Tiberiu Nitu had two shifts of officers available to him.FORMER GENERAL PROSECUTOR, SUSPECTED OF OFFICE ABUSEThe prosecutors within the National Anticorruption Directorate have ordered the criminal prosecution of suspect Tiberiu Nitu-Mihail General Prosecutor at the General Prosecution Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, on the offense of complicity to office abuse.(...) Given that the Prosecutor General was not entitled to benefit from the company of a motorcade (...), the ministers action harmed the legitimate interests and incurred a material damage to the General Police Directorate of Bucharest, and brought an undue advantage to the general prosecutor attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.Source: DNAHOW NITU USED THE MOTORCADEThe mission was carried out in two shifts by a police officer from Special Operatives using a motorcycle. Every day, the crew awaited the arrival of the Prosecutor General in Bucharest and accompanied him to the headquarters Office attached to High Court of Cassation and Justice, facilitating advancement by using the police officers in the field.Later, the police officer remained close by, available, and would accompany any trips during the day and at the end of the program he would accompany the General Prosecutor to exit from Bucharest.Source: DNADNA: MOTORCADES DISTURB TRAFFICEvery trip involves diverting a significant number of police officers from stations where they typically carry out their activity onto the routes where the official is traveling with the consequent disruption of the way in which the work of the supervision, guidance and traffic control is performed.(...) The intersections where police officers operate are not chosen according to traffic volumes, and the maneuvering is not meant at traffic optimization, but at reducing the officials travel time (...)Source: DNA
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In his announcement, Colonel Abdul Hakim al-Obeidi, the spokesman for the Libyan Interior Ministry, said the suspension had been brought on by security concerns.

Last week, a Libyan army unit retook control of the Bouzrik security outpost, located 200 kilometers from the southern town of Kufra, after it fell into the hands of Sudanese rebels affiliated with the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement. At least twenty rebels were killed with six captured during the operation. The rebels used the base as a staging point to rob and kill travellers heading to Libya's northern cities.
Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet...
Air Force officials released force structure changes resulting from the presidents fiscal year 2017 budget Feb. 12.



This years budget request continues the momentum gained from the recovery provided by the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act, but still reflects the tough choices the Air Force was forced to make as the demand for Air Force capability continues to increase as the Budget Control Act looms in fiscal 2018.

The fiscal 2017 budget leverages the total force -- active duty, Guard and Reserve -- to maintain the services ability to support ongoing operations while ensuring the service is ready to face future threats. The budget keeps the active-duty force at 317,000 while posturing the force for future growth. Guard and Reserve manning will remain constant, but the Air Force will continue plans to transfer aircraft and flying missions to Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve locations that would otherwise have no mission due to fleet divestments.

We are using the strengths of our total force team while we continue to balance readiness today and tomorrow, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. In this budget, we will transfer some strategic airlift capability from active-duty to Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve locations, maintaining critical surge capability in the Reserve component.

The budget rephases divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II to coincide with fielding of follow-on capabilities and will delay retirement of the first A-10s until fiscal 2018 to align with F-35 Lightning II bed down, keeping the A-10 in the inventory until fiscal 2022.

Rephasing the retirement of the weapons system until later in the Future Years Defense Program ensures critical capability is retained in the near term to support ongoing operations, as well as any potential changes in the geopolitical environment, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. This plan will allow us to maintain vital fighter capacity as we transition to the F-35 and deal with a resurgent Russia and a protracted counterterrorism war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

The Air Force also plans to grow the tanker force over the next several years to the required 479 tanker aircraft before it considers divesting tankers as it receives KC-46A Pegasus aircraft to replace them.

The fiscal 2017 plan also maintains all 14 of the current EC-130H Compass Call fleet through fiscal 2018, while retiring 28 C-130H Hercules aircraft between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2019 to reduce excess capacity and free up resources to invest in enterprise requirements. Additionally, a small number of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft will be transferred to formal training units to help increase the rate of pilot production to help fill critical fighter pilot shortages.

The actions in this budget represent our best plan to balance readiness for the warfighter today and into the future, but we need to ensure our Air Force stands ready for any unseen challenge of tomorrow, James said. Our (fiscal 2017) budget continues the recovery and gives us a larger and better equipped force. However, we still had to make tough choices in modernization, infrastructure and people to live within Bipartisan Budget Act limits. We need to continue the recovery, repeal sequestration in FY18, and give America the Air Force it deserves ... now and in the future.
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by Sumon Corraya

A dozen people have raid clinic run by religious, threatening them and stealing phones, cash and gold chains. Resident Muslims and Catholics, warned by the pastor, captured two thieves. The episode takes place four days after a similar attack in another province. Secretary of Justice and Peace: "These attacks are premeditated and intended to harm our Christian community."

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - It is the second attack on Catholic nuns in four days. On the night between February 10 and 11 in Tumilia, a village 47 km from the capital Dhaka, about 12 criminals broke into St. Mary's Catholic Mother Care Center, a hospital clinic run by religious Associate of Mary, Queen of the Apostles (SMRA), a local congregation founded in 1933.

The attack ended without violence and with some stolen items . Two thieves were captured and taken to the police, who have opened an investigation.

On the night between February 6 and 7, a similar incident happened in Chuadanga district, 161 km west of the capital, raising the suspicion that the attacks on Catholic nuns are not just isolated cases.

The Tumilia robbery took place in the buildings housing patients of the Centre, the nuns and nurses. Sister Mary Pronoti, director of the facility, says that at night (local time at 2:30) three men came climbing over the wall. Other accomplices were waiting outside the convent.

After gagging the guards, the three criminals went in search of cash. "They broke down the door of my room - says Sister Mary - and were armed. They threatened me and asked where I held the money. I had no other choice I gave them all the cash we had 700 taka (about 9 Euros) ".

Another nun, Mary Chamaly, noticed that someone had entered the hospital of the convent and immediately called the superior general of the congregation, who resides in Dhaka. The Superior contacted the Tumilia parish priest, Fr. Dominic Rozario, who began to ring the bells of the church, rallying the community. Muslims and Christians flocked to church, where they caught two thieves and the police took them to the station. The other criminals managed to escape.

"They also stole two cell phones - says Sister Mary Book - and several gold chains of hospital nuns."

The secretary of the parish, Philip Corraya, went to the police station to file a complaint.

Theophil Nokrek, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, said the two recent attacks "are not isolated incidents. Some groups are trying to harm our Christian community. They are doing so with premeditated actions. "

"The government should protect us adequately," he said, adding that a few days ago in the same district a Christian micro credit bank was also robbed.
by Sumon Corraya

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - A life and a family "entirely devoted to the Lord and to the work of the Church", this is how Bishop Francis Gomes Shorot describes his home. He was appointed by Pope Francis Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka. Although Catholics are a tiny minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim Bangladesh, the example and the faith of the new prelates parents inspired their children: they are all consecrated.



His appointment has "filled the faithful of the capital with joy": up to now, Fr. Gomes (51 years old) served as vicar general of the diocese of Sylhet but it is very well known among Dhaka Catholics. Born in Hasnabad parish, in the archdiocese, he comes from a well-known family: His parents are very pious, they attend church every morning for Mass and recite the rosary every night.



Witnessing first hand the work of the Church and the life of the priests - said Msgr. Shorot - "drew me close to the priesthood. My parents encouraged me to make this choice, and I must say that we siblings are all very happy. Thanks to the endless support of my mother and father, we are all religious and we live this decision with great joy". The new prelates two sisters are nuns.



Prayer, the prelate says, "is the key that gives strength and generates an energy that can solve every problem. Ahead of anything, I entrust myself totally to the Lord. And He always helps me. " His example, and that of his family, are an inspiration to the young Catholics in the area: "I would love to be a priest like Msgr. Shorot says a university student.
by Benigna Menezes*

Yesterday, the diocese celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, marking the first apparition of Our Lady to Bernadette. PIME missionaries founded the diocese and brought a statue of the Virgin in 1928. Placed on a hill, the latter protects the city and brings it closer to Jesus." The shrine drew 1.4 million faithful, including non-Christians.

Vijayawada (AsiaNews)  Celebrating his very first Mass at the Gunadala Matha Shrine as bishop of Vijayawada, Joseph Raja Rao Thelegathoti hailed the statue of Mary on the hill as the medium of Divine Grace for the city of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

The service took place yesterday, the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, who is very important for the diocese. The statue of "Our Lady of Lourdes that came to Vijayawada is the same one that blesses the city today as Our Lady of Gunadala Matha," Mgr Raja Rao said.

The bishop noted that missionaries from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) founded the Gunadala Matha shrine, and placed the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes on top of the hill in 1928 "to protect the city and bring it closer to Jesus."

During his homily, he went on to explain the origin of the celebration, which dates back to the first appearance of the Virgin to little Bernadette in 1858.

The Virgin, the prelate said, explained to Saint Bernadette how to obtain Gods mercy by reciting the Rosary and practicing penance to convert a sinful world that would otherwise be destroyed.

Bishop Govindu Joji of Nalgonda, Bishop Emeritus Mathew Cheriankunnel (PIME), and about 200 priests concelebrated the Mass.

Celebrations were held over three days, from 9 to 11 February, preceded by a novena of prayers. Each day the faithful went in procession to the shrine on the hill, carrying lit candles.

"This year nearly 1.4 million people participated in the various events, reflecting the cross-cultural nature of the congregation, said Shrine rector Fr Chinappa.

A large chunk of the floating multitude are people of all faiths who came to find peace and connect themselves to Gods mother, the rector noted.

Following Indian devotional traditions, they offered flowers, and broke coconuts in front of the mother. People come to make or fulfil a vow, offer penance or seek a miracle.

People lined up in the early hours of the morning, then started to ascend the hill. They stopped halfway to pray in front of the Grotto of Our Lady and then continued up to the top, to the cross.

Along the uphill road, which takes nearly an hour of slow climbing, there is a tonsure station, where people have their heads shaved as a sign of their submission to the virgin, the rector explained.

The tonsure can serve as an act of penance, as a dedication for the protection of a child, or as a gift to give thanks for some great favour received.

At the end of the Mass, Mgr Raja Rao invited the assembly to start a spiritual pilgrimage to draw closer to Mary, the universal mother who came to stay as Gunadala Matha at Vijayawada.

* Immaculate Missionary, womens Congregation associated with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME)
by Ieromonaco Ioann

The meeting at the airport of Havana is a "fleeting encounter" for fear of negative reactions of the orthodox conservatives. Although political reasons seem to prevail ( "alliance against" terrorism, secularism, moral relativism, Islam, liberalism, Protestants, ...), the event is a step on the path towards full unity between Catholics and Orthodox. The second part of an article by a leading figure of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The meeting between Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis in a few hours in Cuba, although of historic proportions, is a little like a "fleeting encounter" given that it was announced and implemented in a matter of a week, at an airport outside Rome and Moscow. This "minimalism" is undoubtedly due to the Patriarchates fears of backlash from the more conservative Orthodox wing.



We can not say that such fears are unfounded. The reactions of the traditionalist Orthodox press and nationalist sites are quite negative, whereas the Russian secular public opinion seems to view the meeting favorably. Certainly the patriarch can not ignore the danger of internal discontent in the Church, if not schism. Prudence, therefore, explains the choice of location, the haste in its realization and its modalities, that being the completely secular nature of the encounters format.

The reasons why the Russian Church has accepted the meeting, repeatedly proposed by the Holy See, are different, and as already mentioned, they are strongly "reactive" in nature and seem linked to contingent situations of political expediency. They fall within the logic of alliances in opposition to an enemy.

Metropolitan Hilarion has long been a proponent of a "strategic alliance" with Catholics, even before he became Head of the Department takes care of the external policy of the Russian Church. The term "alliance" does not belong to the ecclesiastical language of any Christian tradition.



The use of the lay term suggests that the dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox is understood by the latter as mere diplomacy, even though ecclesiastical. Likewise, those who believe in the unity of the Church, and suffer and pray for the full manifestation of this unity, can not help but be puzzled and baffled by this idea of an alliance "against": against terrorism, against secularism, against moral relativism, against Islam, against liberalism, against Protestants ...

But really do Orthodox and Catholics, who believe they have, and they do, apostolic succession and recognize it in each other, not have any other reason for the fraternal dialogue than the presence of some common enemy? But really, as disciples of Christ, is all we can strive for really just a "strategic alliance"?



Jesus Christ, on the eve of his Passion, prayed to the Father, asking him earnestly for the unity of his disciples. He prayed not only for his disciples then, but also "for those who through their words will believe", that is for us. He asked the Father, not for a strategic alliance for those who believe in him, but "it may be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one in us". To strive for the complete overcoming of all theological misunderstandings and historical offenses, the full re-establishment of brotherly love, the full manifestation of unity in Christ, is the duty of every Christian, the fulfillment of the new Commandment (the only one left by the Lord ), our response to that which was his heartfelt prayer: "May they all be one."



* For the first part of the article, click here.
In a letter, Mgr Fisichella does not include this in the list of sins reserved for the Holy See that the Missionaries of Mercy can absolve. This involves bishops ordained "without papal mandate in China and within the Lefebvrian community.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The Missionaries of Mercy will not absolve excommunicated bishops since they were ordained or themselves ordained other bishops without a papal mandate, this according to the letter that Mgr Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation and Jubilee coordinator, personally gave to each missionary.

The letter, which is dated 10 February, day of the pontifical mandate, but was given to the Missionaries of Mercy the previous evening, says,

"Pope Francis has granted you the faculty to absolve, for the duration of the Jubilee Year, those sins reserved to the Holy See. By disposition of the Holy Father, this faculty is to be understood as being limited exclusively to the following sins:

profaning the Eucharistic species by taking them away or keeping them for a sacrilegious purpose: use of physical violence against the Roman Pontiff; absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment of the Decalogue; a direct violation against the sacramental seal by a confessor.

I am certain that you will be a joyful proclaimer of divine mercy and its faithful dispenser, above all in celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In the Code of Canon Law, five sins are reserved for the Holy See, in the Apostolic Penitentiary - the oldest Vatican dicastery (department) founded in 1200 by Pope Honorius III. They are:

taking consecrated species for "a sacrilegious purpose" (Can. 1367);

using physical violence against the Roman Pontiff (Can. 1370, 1);

absolving an accomplice in a sin against the sixth commandment," i.e. the person with whom one has had sexual intercourse (Cann. 977 and 1378, 1);

consecrating "a bishop without a pontifical mandate" (Can. 1382);

violating the sacramental seal of confession (Can. 1388. 1).

The list also includes the sin of ordaining a woman priest (Decree of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2007) and that of violating "the oath of secrecy of the conclave, as decided by Pope Benedict XVI.

Right after the papal announcement, some observers of Chinese and Christian matters began to think about the possibility of fixing the situation of Lefebvrian bishops through the Missionaries of Mercy.

At present, for all sinners, hence for all those who have committed the gravest sins, the same principle applies, this according to the Code, namely that the penalty remains until it ends, i.e. the contumacy ends when the sinner repents.

As indicated in the Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliation and Penance of 1984, the essential act of penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again.

At issue for canonists is however the difference between "sin" (which a Missionary of Mercy can forgive) and "censure, which remains a prerogative of the Holy See.

Thus, even if an unlawful bishop is pardoned, he remains under "censure" before he can be readmitted as a pastor for the faithful.

Until now, the Holy See has asked Chinas unlawful bishops to write a letter to the pope in which he explains his situation, admits his personal responsibility, if any, and ask for forgiveness.

After he receives a pardon from Rome, the bishop must publicly ask for forgiveness before his faithful, to set the scandal right.

The latter becomes a problem however if the bishop continues to belong to the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, whose mandate is to build a Church "independent" of the pope. (FP)
by Wang Meixiu*

A researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences comments on Francis words about the Asian country: "pleasant" references to respect for the culture and for the people, "surprising" the absence of any reference to religious matters. The faithful have some doubts, but they hope that their fears will soon be allayed.

Beijing (AsiaNews) -A few days ago, the media once again reported about a possible agreement on the appointment of Chinese bishops reached at a recent China-Vatican negotiation. What about the "illegitimate bishops" and the future destiny of the underground bishops who are not recognized by the Chinese government? What is the method of selecting bishops in future? These are the questions much concerned by the faithful of the Catholic Church in China. At this sensitive moment, on February 2, the Hong Kong-based Asia Times published Francesco Siscis exclusive interview with Pope Francis, which was both delightful and surprising. It was delightful because Pope Francis spoke at a time before the lunar Chinese New Year. As always, he highly praised the Chinese culture and the Chinese people and expressed the Catholic Churchs great respect for Chinese culture, and the Church was willing to be like Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci to walk in the path of dialogue with Chinese culture. Pope Francis, through this interview, extended his Chinese New Year greetings to the great Chinese people and to President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China.

The Pope replied to questions raised by the journalist on economy and environment of social problems in China, but did not mention any political and religious issues or about China and the Holy See negotiations. In mainland China, most of the Catholic clergy and faithful, due to their limitations in language, could not read the English text directly, and had to count on the Chinese-language media or the Chinese-language brief reports of foreign media in order to understand the content of this interview. Moreover, under the current China-Vatican contact with a background of possibly having reached an agreement on bishop appointment, the interview did not mention a word about the situation of Catholic Church in China and the China-Vatican contact. It was quite surprising and disappointing to the Catholics in China, as if they did not get their leader the Holy Fathers care and concern. Such reaction was seen in some Catholic media reports and the comments by web-users of the Catholic websites in mainland China.

In his interview, Pope Francis reiterated his goodwill and admiration toward China and the Chinese people. As a general practice, China would respond to the Popes interview through its spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instead of speaking through their own national leaders. And for this interview of the Pope, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson responded, and as always, nothing new. In recent years, in major religious festivals, such as Christians Christmas, Muslims Eid al-Fitr, the State Administration of Religious Affairs would openly expressed greetings to the respective faithful greetings. The Chinese leaders were never seen to respond to the greetings of any world religious leaders, but certainly except when meeting face-to-face.

Besides, the Vatican Radio, a media trusted by mainland Catholics, reported the Pope interviewed by Asia Times. The report translated Pope Francis original expression of an inexhaustible wisdom of Chinas wisdom and this great history of wisdom as extraordinary wisdom (). This caused many faithful and priests puzzled. After all, the views and arguments of Chinese cultural tradition are diverse, already known to all.

According to media reports, over the past year or so, China and the Vatican on matters related to the Catholic Church in China had held talks three times. However, the Church in China being the subject of the talks but are not clear about the talks, and could only rely on the reports of the media. The Catholics in China have longed to know if it is possible to reach an agreement and its content, and the future of the Church in China. However, the fact that the Popes interview mentioned nothing of this concern not only let the Catholics in China feel disappointed, but also intensified their fears and helplessness. I hope this anxiety is only resembles the fear of a pregnant woman in labor who is expecting good news of the arrival of her baby. The Catholics in China do expect good tidings of concrete improvement in China-Vatican relations to come.
The fighting should end within a week. Agreement also reached on increased aid distribution as of today. Battle against jihadist groups to continue as well as siege of Aleppo. Skepticism in Damascus: "For five years we have had statements, but few hard facts." Dimitri Medvedev: Dialogue is better than the outbreak of "a new world war."

Munich (AsiaNews) - The great world powers USA and Russia, along with 15 other nations, have reached an agreement overnight for the "end of hostilities" in Syria, within a week.

The cessation of military operations will not include the ongoing battles against the jihadist groups the Nusra Front and the Islamic State.

The International Support Group for Syria gathered in the German city also agreed it is said to " immediately accelerate and expand the distribution of humanitarian aid." US and Russia will verify the implementation of the cease-fire through consultations with groups involved in the conflict.

The Group also expressed the desire for an immediate resumption of the peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels. The dialogue was initiated at the beginning of the month, but almost imeediatle calle doff because of the government offensive on the area occupied by rebels in Aleppo.

The UN says this battle has provoked the flight of at least 50 thousand people to Turkey, which is only permitting the seriously ill to cross the border. This is just the latest chapter in a war that has already claimed more than 260 thousand lives.

The main Syrian opposition group has welcomed the agreement, but has made it clear that the plan must be implemented on the ground, if there is to be a resumption of dialogue.

Currently the Munich statement seems more similar to a good intention. A source for AsiaNews in Damascus, said: "We have seen so many declarations and resolutions over the past five years, but few hard facts. It is not so simple; we must wait and see. But it is positive that they have come together and have spoken clearly and strongly ".

The good intentions of last nights statement were counter balanced by the harsh words expressed by US spokesman Mark Toner who accused Russia of having "exacerbated and intensified the conflict" in Syria.

French President Francois Hollande also criticized the Russian air operations and reiterated that there is no future for Bashar Assad in Syria.

While the Russian Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev warned each block involved in the negotiations that any temptation to intervene in support of one or the other in Syria will lead to a total and "permanent war". Dialogue - he explained - "is better than unleashing a new world war."
The announcement made by minister for women Michaelia Cash and attorney-general George Brandis puts an end to speculation that Peta Credlin would step into the role. Jenkins appointment comes five months after Elizabeth Broderick finished her term in September.The first thing I'll be doing is to talk to as many people in as many parts of Australia I can to get an idea and listen to the real experiences and then from that I'll come up with some clear priorities, Jenkins said in an interview with Sky News.Jenkins, who headed up HSFs Australian equal opportunity practice, was appointed the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner back in 2013.In a Brandis told Senate estimates that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had rejected his original choice for commission and that Turnbull had sent him away to set up a more thorough process for selection.Mr Turnbull and I had a conversation, the outcome of which was we decided that an arm's length process of selection should be adopted ... and that arm's length process of selection has resulted in the appointment that was decided by cabinet yesterday, Brandis said.The Women's Leadership Institute Australia welcomed the government's decision, describing her as an inspired choice, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
In-house teams at Telstra and Westpac swapped lawyers as part of a three-month pilot secondment program.



The two lawyers, legal counsel for technology and Telstra operations Henrietta Jones and Bronwyn James, special counsel for technology, enterprise and digital legal, made the switch to share ideas and bring them back to their respective organisations.



It has been fascinating to see how two legal teams, of a similar size and calibre, are grappling with similar challenges  such as doing more with less and the pace of rapid technological and business change, Jones told Australasian Lawyer.



It is a real privilege to step into a new organisation without having to leave the comfort and security of your existing environment.



While secondments between firms and clients are common, this was the first time in-house teams have attempted a swap and following its success, its something both Westpac and Telstra will look to do more of.



Jones said that working in private practice, she undertook secondments with key clients, having previously worked with them as an external advisor. But, in the case of a cross-organisational swap, Jones said she had no prior exposure to Westpac or the legal team.



Getting up to speed very quickly on the organisation, client structure, processes and house risk positions was definitely a challenge  particularly in the context of pressing vendor negotiations, she said.



Westpac and Telstra have legal teams of a similar size; Telstra with an in-house team of around 200 and Westpac around 130. Jones said that both organisations offer internal secondment programs where lawyers can rotate throughout the business.



This arrangement was unusual however as it took place between two unrelated companies, collaborating to obtain alternative perspectives to better serve our clients, she said.



Hopefully both organisations will consider participating in future opportunities just like it.



Westpacs chief compliance officer & group general counsel Rebecca Lim said that while the program has been positive in terms of personal development for the lawyers involved, its also encouraged idea sharing between teams.



We are delighted with the outcome of our first lawyer exchange, Lim said.



The program has also generated a lively exchange of ideas on issues such as the use of technology tools for lawyers, best practices for capturing knowledge within the department and initiatives to enable our lawyers to engage with our end customers.



Given the success of this pilot, we are certainly inspired to look for similar forms of ongoing engagement with other in-house legal teams. I believe there is much to be gained from collaborative programs such as this.


Mahindra had its Formula E racer, eVerito, Reva e2o and GenZe scooter on display for government representatives.

At an event held at the Taj Palace in New Delhi on the February 9, 2016, Mahindra showcased its readiness with electric mobility solutions to key decision makers in the government. From its electric stable, Mahindra had on display its Formula E racer (the M2Electro), the eVerito, the Reva e2o and the GenZe scooter. The carmaker also had its Moto 3 race bike on display along with the Formula E car to highlight its Race to Road strategy where it aims to transfer learnings and technical progress from the race vehicles to the road-going ones.

The event was hosted by Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group and received a good response from the government with the likes of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister Roads & Highways, Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Railways, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State (IC) Ministry of Skills and Development among those who attended.

The aim of the event was to highlight to the government the readiness and potential of electric vehicles and their role in India. It was heartening to see the efforts put in by the carmaker and the response from the government and one can hope that this translates into actions that will give the electric vehicles segment here a fillip.

Sergius Barretto
The Civic hatchback concept will be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show and will preview the next-generation Civic.

Honda has released a teaser sketch of the Civic hatchback concept. The prototype will preview the exterior design of the next-generation Civic and will be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The concept bears resemblance to the Civic sedan that is already on sale in the US. While the concept has the same tail-light design, its central twin exhausts and revised roofline suggest the Geneva show car will have a sportier look.

The new five-door Civic will launch early next year and will be built at Hondas Swindon plant. Honda has not released any further details, but the mainstream engine for this Civic is expected to be the new 1.5-litre petrol turbo unit that powers the Civic in the US. The car is also expected to get a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine which produces 127bhp and 20.46kgm. Hondas current 1.6-litre diesel engine will also likely be fitted in the new Civic.

The new platform for the global Civic has already been introduced in the 2016 Civic for the US market. According to reports, the car will get an independent rear suspension mounted on a separate sub-frame instead of the simple torsion beam. Reports also claim that the platform is 25 percent stiffer than that of the previous-generation Civic.
Company official confirms that Tata is modifying its engines affected by the diesel ban in Delhi.

Sales of six of Tata Motors models have been affected since the Supreme Court banned the registration of passenger vehicles with engine size of 2 litres (2,000cc) and above. The company is learnt to be modifying the engines affected by the ban so that the vehicles with those engines can go on sale again. A senior company official confirmed the move.

Earlier, Mahindra & Mahindra had modified its engine affected by the diesel ban. The company tweaked its 2.2-litre engine to 1.99 litres and launched recently.

Tata Motors' affected engines are of 2,179cc and 2,956cc. The company official declined to comment on the displacement of the modified engines and the time of their introduction.
EV

Over the last few months, residents of the area close to the seven-building campus, one of which has been rented by the tech giant, have complained to Sunnyvale authorities about "motor" noises disturbing the area at night, as AppleInsider writes."[Do] there have to [be] motor noises at 11:00 p.m. at night like last night? Even with the windows closed I could still hear it," a resident wrote to the city.Aside from the building mentioned above, which Apple leased back in 2014, the company has been rumored to operate remotely through a company sharing the location, which is known as SixtyEight Research.The latter is a "market research" company, but there's an aura of mystery surrounding its operations, which does leave the Apple Car possibility open.However, there's no official connection between Apple and SixtyEight Research. And we can say the same about the info on the company using the facility to venture into the automotive world. However, the tech company does plan to build a 10-foot security fence around the location.Still, jumping to conclusions at this stage is too early. For one thing, Apple is likely to pursue theroute, which would make the engine soundtrack claims above less than relevant.Little is known about what is expected to be a future Apple Car. Dubbed Project Titan, this development has seen Apple going down the head-hunting route, though.The company has reportedly hired hundreds of employees for this project, with dozens of them coming from the likes of Tesla, GM and Ford, as well as battery developer A123 Systems.Even in this rumor storm, it's obvious that the Cupertino giant faces plenty of difficulties in its quest to build an automobile. The latest news that points to this conclusion talk about Steve Zadesky , Apple's Vice-President of Design who is believed to helm the development of Project Titan, saying that he is reportedly leaving the company.Nevertheless, given the reinvention philosophy that fuels Apple's business model, an automotive effort from the company's side would certainly generate a massive leap forward. According to unofficial sources, the vehicle is set to debut in 2019.
Daimler Trucks vehicles for the Southern African Region: FUSO Canter Lift, Mercedes-Benz Actros 2254, and Freightliner Argosy. Photo: Daimler Trucks

Daimler Trucks is driving on with the continued regionalization of its sales and service organization for important emerging markets with two regional centers designed to serve Africa. With Daimler Commercial Vehicles Africa (DCV Africa) for East, Central, and West Africa and the Regional Center Southern Africa (RCSA) for Southern Africa, an additional two of a total of six regional centers take up their work. In future, the two companies will manage the sales and service for commercial vehicles for all brands in a total of fifty African markets.

In future, DCV Africa with a head office in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi will be responsible for the entire commercial vehicles portfolio of light- and heavy-duty trucks, as well as for mini to large tourist buses. Sales will cover trucks of the Mercedes-Benz and FUSO brands and Mercedes-Benz buses.

The region of East, Central, and West Africa with a total population of 770 million consists of 41 markets, including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroon and Ghana. In 2015, Daimler sold around 5,900 commercial vehicles in the region, 4,000 units out of these came from the Asian brand FUSO.

The region of Southern Africa is comprised of nine countries, including South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The RCSA will be responsible for sales and service from the light-duty FUSO Canter to the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros. Trucks of the Freightliner and Western Star brands, as well as Mercedes-Benz Vans are also part of the product portfolio. Last year, Daimler sold around 5,500 commercial vehicles in the region, among them 3,000 Mercedes-Benz trucks, 1,600 FUSO vehicles and 700 trucks from Daimlers US brand Freightliner.
Google is now advertising dozens of jobs centering on manufacturing and marketing in order to expand the hiring process for its self-driving car project.

The job listings consist of 36 positions for people that will focus on robotics, motion control and displays and others who will manage materials, operations and marketing, according to VentureBeat.

Such positions include a manufacturing supplier quality engineer that will create and approve "manufacturing inspection processes, equipment, tools gauges and fixtures for raw material, mechanical components and mechanical assembles," while a mechanical global supply chain manager would focus on manufacturing development execution and other objectives.

The advert also lists a manufacturing process engineer job aimed at "designing factory assembly stations, optimizing production floor layout, automating critical manufacturing processes and approving fixture designs used in the assembly of electronic modules for the self-driving car," as well as a marketing manager position that will have the person who is hired "shape go-to-market strategy and storytelling to win hearts and minds of community members, influencers and governments."

While Google declined to comment on its future plans for autonomous vehicles and has denied any interest in such an initiative in the past, the search giant has talked about partnering with established global automakers, The Guardian noted.

"The biggest auto manufacturers [have] got a lot to offer," Chris Urmson, the technical lead for the Google X car project, said in an interview with Reuters last year. "For us to jump in and say that we can do this better, that's arrogant."

Mark Stevens, a former plant manager for General Motors, noted that most of the positions on the list require people with experience working in Asia, suggesting that Google will outsource the manufacture of tooling to build the cars.

However, he noted that he doesn't believe the adverts indicate that the tech giant will shift to mass manufacture anytime soon.

"Composites are typically not deployed on high volume vehicles," Stevens reportedly said.

John Krafick, president of the project, reportedly said in January that he wanted to form partnerships with well-known carmakers and suppliers this year to move the initiative forward, The International Business Times reported.

The release of the job listings comes at a good time for Google's self-driving car project, as the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration recently ruled that the vehicle's artificial intelligence could be considered the driver under federal law, and the company recently made Washington the third state when it will test the cars, with the other two being California and Texas.
The controversial FAA reauthorization bill that would privatize air traffic control services made it out of a House committee Thursday in a 32-26 vote that almost followed partisan lines but there will be much more debate and its still not clear whats on the Senates collective mind. Bill 4441, the Aircraft Innovation Reform and Reauthorization Act (AIRR) came out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee relatively unscathed after 10 hours of at-times heated mark-up debate. In the end, the privatization provision, which would create a not-for-profit air traffic control corporation separate from the FAA, emerged almost unchanged. The bill would turn over control of the FAAs air traffic organization to a corporation in which five of the 11 board of directors would represent airline interests. In two days of fractious debate in a hearing and at Thursdays 10-hour mark-up session, the overriding opposition to the privatization section was the heavy airline influence. The bill is expected to get a rough ride in the full House and the Senate hasnt yet indicated whether its going to come up with its own bill.

AOPA was first to react to the eventful day and said it will fight the amended bill because it would subject Part 135 operators in 48 states to user fees that would be central to the funding structure of the new corporation. Hawaiian and Alaskan Part 135 operators would be exempt. User fees are an all-or-nothing proposition as far as were concerned, Baker said. This isnt over. Were going to keep fighting to protect every segment of general aviation in every state from user fees when this legislation goes to the full House. AOPA took the firm stand even though liberal third class medical reform provisions, identified by AOPA as its top legislative priority, survived the mark-up. The revised bill would also reverse a 2015 court decision banning aircraft owners from using the Internet to connect with prospective passengers to share flight expenses.
Technically advanced aircraft (TAA)those with a primary flight display (PFD), multi-function display (MFD), and GPSare sexy. Pilots are drawn to them like Pooh Bear to honey. Besides being eye-catching, TAA attempt to address some of the biggest problems in aviation by providing pilots with a lot of supplementary safety information. Moving maps designed to improve situational awareness make it almost impossible to get lost. Databases store more information at the touch of a button than a thirty pound chart case. We can display more weather information in the cockpit than was even available 30 years ago. Combine all that with an autopilot that provides time to gather and interpret, and youd think wed be a lot safer.

Were not. Pilots of TAA kill themselves more often than steam gauge aviatorsalmost twice the rate, according to the NTSB. Technology advances address many of the leading causes of GA fatalities: loss of control, controlled flight into terrain, fuel problems, midair collisions and weather. So, wheres that improved safety?

Even more perplexing is that pilots flying TAA have higher ratings and more experience. A majority are instrument rated. Could our training be at fault?

We must recognize that advanced avionics are conceptually more complicated and require more time to learn and remain proficient. Focusing training on areas of automation that are prone to surprise will limit how often we are, well, surprised. Plus, we cant let the vivid displays trick us into making bad decisions the way adult beverages did on our twenty-first birthday.

Cognitive Concept

To understand how and why we err during instrument flight, we need to briefly journey into the dark recesses of the mind. Our reality is, simply the brains model of what is input through the senses. Humans experience a relatively narrow portion of the world. Your dog smells and hears many times better than you. Nonetheless, our sensory input provides enough information to create a functional mental model of the world.

Ever get burned touching a hot pan? This is an aberration in our mental model caused by an inability to sense the heat of the pan before touching it. After a few blistered fingers, we learn to (usually) check if the pan is hot. Learning and experience improve our mental model. A key aspect of mental modeling is that the model will always be imperfect. But we can improve that model over time, and even approach real accuracy.

Hazardous IMC hijinks are caused by inaccuracies in our mental models. Air France 447 stalled from 39,000 feet, smashing into the Atlantic at over 10,000 feet per minute. If the pilots of the flight were put in a simulator and told to do a stall, theyd likely recover easily. The key to understanding the crash is realizing they never attempted to recover from a stall because they never recognized it. It was not a possibility based on their mental models. (Actually, they may have come to the correct conclusion too late to change the outcome.) More common accidents caused by model limitations or inaccuracies for general aviation pilots are graveyard spirals or spins.

Instrument training includes recovering from unusual attitudes. These drills are a breeze because pilots are prepared for them. Yet pilots fail to recover from graveyard spirals/spins in flight due to misunderstanding the difference between their mental model and reality. Reaching out to others is one of the few ways to identify a mental model failure. In this paraphrased ASRS report, a pilot was saved with the help of an alert controller and CFI.

After over correcting the localizer position, I noticed my airspeed was high and my artificial horizon showed excessive bank. I heard my marker beacon three times through the struggle. The controller asked if any CFIs were on the frequency. One was

Afterwards, I talked to the CFI who explained the graveyard spiral. I thought unusual attitude recovery was easyit was when I practiced under the hood.

This type of report is not uncommon with pilots who survive graveyard spins/spirals. Good resource management includes bringing more people into the loop when necessary to help identify mental failures.

Situational awareness is a broader mental model of reality. In addition to developing situational awareness, instrument pilots must also model instrument, navigation, and communication equipment. Steam gauge instruments are fairly easy to diagram and understand. We can draw a functional diagram of an airspeed indicator that describes the operation well enough to understand its errors. Its simply impossible to do the same for an Air Data Computer (ADC) or Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS).

Even FAA publications have trouble describing them in much detail.

Instrumentation in TAA incorporates a fundamental shift in understanding. Applying basic physics to mechanical constructs gives us a functional understanding. The same is not true with advanced avionics. Knowing pressure traducers, accelerometers and chips comprise black boxes doesnt provide a clue about how they operate. Instead, the functions of the black boxes are hidden within cryptic lines of software.

A steam gauge generally works predictably through most failures. An airspeed indicator fails by not indicating correctlyblock the pitot tube and the airspeed remains constant until you change altitude. The same is not true with airspeed on a PFD. Red Xes appear on the airspeed tape when the ADC recognizes a failure. Youll notice EFIS failures quicker, but theres no residual useful information to be had.

How a system fails provides information on why. Without an understanding of what generates a failure, a pilot can only guess about the source. The NTSB reports an incident where a pitot tube became blocked in flight. The system interpreted the loss of ram air pressure as an ADC failure. The airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed tapes were replaced with red Xes. Troubleshooting a single round-gauge airspeed failure versus a complete ADC failure is quite different. If the airspeed indicator just stopped working like a traditional plane, the pilot may have thought about turning on pitot heat. The NTSB asked the pilot in the above report about his use of the installed traditional standby instruments:

In a follow-up telephone interview, he [the pilot] stated that the event happened so quickly that he did not initially look at the backup airspeed indicator, but when he did, it was at zero. The pilot also stated that he did not look at either the backup altimeter or backup attitude indicator.

This pilot panickedwhich is a normal response to suddenly realizing your mental model is wrongand it resulted in him using the airframe parachute. Switching from traditional to advanced flight instruments takes a physical system and makes it abstract.

Navigation has always been an abstract task to some extent. The complexity increases in TAA. The black boxes that comprise the system arent just actual, but theoretical. People whose job it is to think about this stuff consider a black box to be any machine where the user can only see the inputs and outputs but not the process. A calculator is a black box; two plus two is input and four is displayed without requiring the user to have any understanding of the electronic processes inside. Indeed, the user need not have any knowledge of basic arithmetic either.

Advanced avionics are largely black boxes. Differences between mental and actual modeling of avionics modes is called automation confusion or automation surprise. Since mental models are never perfect, automation surprises are inevitable. Training can help minimize the potential for automation confusion and create better mental models.

Training

The FAA recognized TAA challenges and developed the FAA-Industry Training Standards (FITS) in 2003, to create scenario based training (SBT) that is now common. SBT aims to eliminate the gap between practice and performance through experience. Entering a graveyard spiral during training is better practice than recovering from an unusual attitude. These experiences expand a persons mental model before getting a burned hand. But, FITS failed to address the advanced technology of TAA.

My crazy uncle tries to convince me the world is run by five secretive banking families. While I dont subscribe to his delusions, there is an organization that dictates practically everything about the avionics in our aircraft. The Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) was founded in 1935 and provided the foundation for virtually every modern technical advance in aviation, in their words. The organization, comprised of the FAA and industry, creates all the avionics design standards.

Understanding the standards would take some of the black out of the boxes. Just like the FARs are the foundation upon which pilots operate, the RTCA standards are the underpinnings of black box design. To learn about the minimum performance standards for AHARS, you can check out DO-334, but itll cost you $150 and require fluency in engineer-speak, which isnt realistic for most of us.

Professors, with access to free undergraduate labor, diagram mode functions and apply mathematical analysis to find areas ripe for automation surprise. They found that surprise is often caused by indirect mode changes, multiple functions for the same button, and poor feedback on what the automation is doing.

An example of an indirect mode change is an HSI that changes from GPS to LOC data automatically. This is also an example of poor feedback because the change occurs without any warning. When flying with the autopilot, this can lead to some real surprises as the autopilot tries to adjust to the new input and error signals. Autopilots are also a source of problems from one button performing multiple functions, where that one button might cycle through multiple modes with successive pushes.

These are just a couple of examples of areas that cause automation surprise. Identifying, experiencing and training for them will prevent some unpleasant automation curveballs.

It is impossible to identify all of the dark corners in automation, partially because these areas are defined by the pilots current mental model. Pilots need a game plan for when automation doesnt behave. Instead of trying to figure out whyit is easy to get sucked ingive the automation a time out and take control. Remember: aviate, navigate, automate, communicate (or something like that).

Risk Compensation

Lets do a little thought experiment. How would you drive without wearing a seatbelt? It probably seems dangerous and risky. You would likely drive more cautiously to offset some of the increased risk. While this experiment involved taking away a safety device, the opposite is also true. When safety devices are added, people take more risks offsetting some of the safety gains. Human factor geeks call this risk compensation.

These same geeks realize that safety is always balanced against production. In our case, production is utility. Tech improvements result in increased utility. It is important to realize that these improvements can either result in greater use at the same level of safety or the original utility with an increased level of safety. TAA are sold as having greater utility than traditional airplanes. Questioning whether you would make a trip using an old six pack clarifies how you use technology.

A study by NASA found that GA pilots preferred TAA because the pilots perceived that the TAA reduced the workload and improved situational awareness, which would lead to increased safety. The pitfalls of advanced avionics were acknowledged, but mostly as applying to the other guy. Our perceptions are wrong.

Like Pablo Escobars girlfriend, TAA are sexy and dangerous. The fatal crash rate of TAA is almost twice that of aircraft with steam gauges, but it doesnt have to be. Advanced avionics add complexity and require more time to maintain proficiency. Paying attention to inadvertent mode changes, multiple functions for a button, and areas of low feedback can identify areas prone for automation surprise. Plan for automation misbehavior and have a strategy ready so you dont get sucked into the commotion. Finally, a self-assessment can identify risk compensation.

TAA are sexy mistresses, full of lies and mysteries that require proper precautions and understanding for a successful relationship.

Jordan Miller, ATP, CFII, MEI flies for a major U.S. airline. He has actively taught under Parts 61, 135 and 141.

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of IFR magazine.

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12 February 2016 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry has refused Armenian media reports on the alleged death of Armenian civilian by a bullet fired from the Azerbaijani side.

"The Azerbaijani armed forces, unlike Armenians, have never fired on civilians and civil facilities in compliance with the principles and norms of the international humanitarian law," the Defense Ministry announced on February 12.

The ministry stated that Armenia is again trying to accuse the Azerbaijani armed forces of firing on civilians, and described this as an attempt to hide tense internal criminal situation in Armenia

"What is worth paying attention to in the Armenians` allegations is that the village they mention is very far from the contact line of troops," the Ministry said. We firmly state that the Azerbaijani side has nothing to do with the dead of Akop Ambarsumyan.

Meanwhile, the ministry reports about the consistent ceasefire violations and shelling of the Azerbaijani positions by Armenian troops.

Armenian armed forces violated the ceasefire with Azerbaijan 121 times by using mortars in various parts of the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies in the last 24 hours, the defense ministry reported in the morning.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

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12 February 2016 18:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Wolfgang Ischinger

The international order may be in its worst shape since the end of the Cold War. Those trying to keep the peace are overwhelmed and often helpless in the face of seemingly endless crises and reckless spoilers. When world leaders convene in Germany for the 52nd Munich Security Conference this weekend, they will attempt to chart a path through some very dangerous territory.

To be sure, the past year has seen its share of good news. Sustained diplomatic efforts brought about two breakthroughs with potentially far-reaching positive implications: the deal on Irans nuclear program and the Paris climate agreement. But the rest of the picture is bleak.

The big crises of the day transcend  and even call into question  international borders. The wars in Syria and Iraq have not only fueled the dissolution of political order in the Middle East, but have also left Europe struggling to find a common solution to the influx of refugees. Not since the end of World War II have so many people been driven from their homes.

Indeed, the Middle East has come to epitomize the way a conflict can make itself felt far beyond the battleground. The conflict in Syria has long since ceased to be a civil war; it has become a full-fledged regional crisis. The Islamic State  with its territorial base, aggressive online presence, and international network of militants (including followers in Europe)  has proved to be a truly global organization.

Elsewhere, the outlook is no brighter. In Libya, Mali, and Afghanistan, states have collapsed or are at risk of failing. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia could hardly be worse, absent direct military confrontation. Tensions between Turkey and Russia have grown precipitously. And, online, governments and private actors alike are abusing the modern worlds interconnectedness, threatening sensitive information and critical infrastructure across the globe.

Instead of the ring of well governed countries the European Union envisaged in its 2003 Security Strategy, the continent has come to be surrounded by a ring of fire. Europes security is under threat once again; military exercises are being conducted with increasing frequency, and the Ukraine crisis remains unresolved.

Nonetheless, major political figures seem to believe that they can respond to transnational challenges by seeking refuge in national myopia. This futile approach will produce only pseudo-solutions  or worse. Some governments have responded to the migration crisis with beggar-thy-neighbor policies, forcing adjacent countries to bear the brunt of the burden, and consequently, a core component of European integration  the border-free Schengen Area  is under threat.

Even the traditional supporters of a liberal global order, one based on multilateralism and international law, seem to be struggling to believe in their ability to shape events. Claims that the United States is retreating from the international arena are probably exaggerated, but in at least two of the defining conflicts of recent years  Ukraine and Syria  the US has not played as prominent a diplomatic role as it once would have.

Europe has been handicapped by several major problems: a shaky consensus on sanctions against Russia; continuing questions surrounding the euro; the threat of a British exit from the EU; and a resurgence of illiberal nationalism and populism. If Europe keeps spiraling into dysfunction, it will not be able to play a meaningful role in the future.

As states fail and governments crumble, rogue leaders are stepping into the power vacuums. In Afghanistan, the Talibans resurgence is undermining more than a decade of progress. In Africa and the Middle East, local strongmen and Islamist extremists are blocking progress toward peace or unleashing more strife.

Meanwhile, tensions between some of the worlds most powerful countries are starting to rise. Russia under President Vladimir Putin has been keen to demonstrate that it is a global player  even as its economy suffers from international sanctions, plunging oil prices, and a lack of modernization. There have been a few signs of a potential rapprochement between Russia and the West, but disagreements over Syria loom large, especially after Russia supported an advance on rebel-held Aleppo by the Syrian government, which brought a rapid end to the latest round of peace talks in Geneva. Russias failure to implement major parts of the Minsk Agreement in Ukraine is another important sticking point.

China is beginning to involve itself more in global issues. But instead of becoming a responsible stakeholder in the liberal international order, it seems to have chosen to focus on creating parallel governance structures, which it can shape according to its own preferences. And its increasing assertiveness  most visibly in the East and South China Seas  continues to worry its smaller neighbors, who wish for a stronger US role in the region.

We are likely to be entering a period of growing risk, rising uncertainty, and fundamental transformation  the beginning of a less stable international era. Responsible leaders must work together to reconstruct the international order, strengthen institutional arrangements, and stem spreading chaos.

The risk of a major interstate war may still be remote, but for the first time since the end of the Cold War the escalation of violence between major powers cannot be dismissed as an unrealistic nightmare. Were that to happen, the challenges facing the world today would pale in comparison.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: Boundless Crises, Reckless Spoilers, and Helpless Guardians

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12 February 2016 16:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Kazakhstan will see more interest of big oil companies in its Eurasia project once the price of oil rises a bit and shows signs of firming, Bruce Pannier believes.

The Eurasia project to be implemented in 2016 to 2020 targets studying deep-water geological structure of the region to enable discovery of new large fields of hydrocarbons.

Commenting on the possibility and prospects of participation of Chevron, Total, Lukoil, Rosneft, CNPC and ONGC in the Eurasia project, the expert on Central Asia, and the Senior Correspondent at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said Kazakhstan desires the participation of these companies in the Astana-initiated project.

"These are certainly big companies and Kazakhstan has said from the start it would take the participation of big companies to realize the Eurasia project," he told Azernews.

The Eurasia project initiated in Atyrau in 2-14 involves the exploration of deep laying horizons of the Caspian Basin, both on land and at sea, located on the territory of Kazakhstan and Russia.

It is estimated at about $500 million. It will be carried out in three phases. The first phase envisages the collection and processing of materials from previous years. The second phase includes large-scale research. The last phase includes the drilling of a new support-parametric well called Caspian 1, at the depth of nearly 14-15 kilometers.

Earlier, Kazakh Energy Ministry told Trend that Kazakhstan currently holds meetings and consultations with such leading global oil, gas and service companies as the U.S. Chevron, the French Total, Russia's Lukoil and Rosneft, China's CNPC, India's ONGC and others regarding the terms of their possible involvement in the Eurasia project.

Pannier believes that the main condition on the way of involvement of leading energy companies in this project is the price of oil in the world markets.

"The idea of the Eurasia project has been around for a few years, since at least 2013. Those were better days for such an idea since the price of oil was still hovering just under record highs," he said. "With oil prices now much, much lower and a glut of oil on the world markets, a project such as the Eurasia project probably does not look so attractive. The good news is that no one expects the price of oil will remain as low as it is now, though it is unlikely to ever reach the peaks it hit several years ago."

Current forecasts show that global oil production is likely to decrease in about 15-25 years due to depleted reserves by that time. Kazakhstans giant oil fields - Tengiz and Kashagan - are among those fields that are predicted to see reduced output after 2040.

"New fields need to be found and developed and the Eurasia project offers such a possibility. But of course, it requires much deeper drilling than weve seen in previously," Pannier stated.

The implementation of the Eurasia project, the potential payoff for which is huge - up to some 50 billion tons of oil and oil equivalent, will require some $500 million, according to Kazakh officials.

The expert believes that this is not a huge amount considering the estimated amount of reserves at deep levels in the Caspian depression.

"There are some people involved in the project who think that some, and I emphasize some, of the onshore sites in Kazakhstan could produce oil at a cost of $20 per barrel," he noted.

Meanwhile, decrease of oil reserves is likely to reduce interest in traditional energy resources, and at the same time to boost interest in renewable resources. In this regard, the time required for the implementation of the Eurasia project is important as well, according to Pannier.

"While the amount of available oil may start to decrease in 20 years, there is also the possibility new sources of energy, or even non-traditional sources such as shale, could be so cheap and abundant that there simply would not be a large demand for oil anymore," he added.

Touching upon the prospects of implementation of the Eurasia project and the benefits that it could bring to Kazakhstan, Pannier said the first thing Astana would get is a supply of oil it could depend on once the Tengiz and Kashagan fields start to fall into decline.

"If Kazakhstan is counting on oil exports to remain a main pillar of the countrys economy, then future supplies must be found and development of those sites needs to start soon," he stressed.

Pannier believes that new technologies are as important for Kazakhstan as financial revenues from the implementation of the Eurasia project.

"So money is a big part of what Kazakhstan is looking for, but Kazakh officials have been quick to point out that new technologies will need to be developed to find oil at these depths and then bring it to the surface," he said.

Such technologies, according to the expert, might help Kazakhstan find oil in other areas on its territory, away from the Caspian Depression, and these technologies could certainly be exported to other oil-exporting countries, which, like Kazakhstan, will find that in two decades or so they also will be running out of oil from fields closer to the surface and need to go deeper.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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12 February 2016 12:13 (UTC+04:00)

Baku has once again voiced the need to revitalize the Minsk Group for the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, spoke about current security challenges in the South Caucasus and stressed the need to revitalize the OSCE MG that acts as a mediator among the sides to the conflict, OSCE reported.

Azimov highlighted Azerbaijans adherence to the Minsk process and called for a meeting of all members of the Minsk Group to be convened to ensure full use of this format in resolving the conflict.

Delay in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the remaining status-quo has a negative impact on regional security and the implementation of regional projects, he said.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, more than 4,000 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

The official further stressed Azerbaijans continued commitment to international norms and to fighting transnational threats such as terrorism, trafficking of drugs and radicalization.

Economic reforms and creation of favorable conditions for investment are among the priorities of Azerbaijan, said Azimov.

Speaking about Azerbaijans achievements in fighting corruption by developing e-government services, he expressed readiness to share this experience with other OSCE participating states.

He expressed Azerbaijans support for the efforts of Germany's 2016 OSCE Chairmanship to promote sustainable connectivity and to create the impetus for better economic exchanges in the OSCE area.

Azerbaijan will host the 7th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Baku in April, which, according to Azimov, will be another contribution by the country to the development of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.

Promotion of multiculturalism is today our state policy, which creates the necessary conditions for representatives of different nations and ethnicities to co-exist peacefully. he added.

The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating states. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make decisions.

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12 February 2016 11:55 (UTC+04:00)

Trend Agencys exclusive interview with David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

Question: You are a well-known public figure in America's Jewish community. In your view, what is the strategic importance of the US-Azerbaijan relations, especially in light of close cooperation between Baku and Washington in countering violent extremism as well as promoting European energy security and regional cooperation?

Answer: At AJC, we have long believed in the importance of the strategic partnership between Washington and Baku. In todays tumultuous world, the United States needs friends and allies it can count on, especially in such significant and sensitive areas as the southern Caucasus region and the Caspian Sea. And, of course, Azerbaijan, with larger neighbors, needs the dependability and constancy of its relationship with the US to help address its security and other pressing concerns.

Q.: Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy a strong partnership. What is the significance for Israel of having a partner in a diverse, tolerant and inclusive nation with predominantly Muslim population?

A.: I know well the importance Israel attaches to its wide-ranging ties with Azerbaijan, and vice-versa. For Israel, Azerbaijan represents a key partner, and the fact that a Jewish-majority state enjoys such warm links with a Muslim-majority state disproves the inevitability of religious conflict and demonstrates instead the remarkable chances for cooperation and coexistence. These are lessons that ought to have global implications.

Q.: America's treatment of its friends and allies is not always fair. Azerbaijan has been a subject of the infamous Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and, recently, Congressman Chris Smith introduced a bill calling for sanctions on Azerbaijan, a long-standing regional partner of US. What is your view on this bill, which, ironically, comes at the time when Washington is normalizing its relations with Cuba and lifting sanctions on Iran?

A.: We have known Congressman Chris Smith for more than three decades. He is a cherished friend, and there were few more steadfast and admired advocates for the human rights of Soviet Jews and dissidents until the USSR imploded in 1991. But on this particular issue we part company with our friend. We oppose his proposed sanctions against Azerbaijan. They are not in Americas national interest, nor are they called for.

Q.: Recently, the AJC, hosted Israeli Ambassador in Baku along with Azerbaijan's Ambassador in Washington for a series of meetings in US. Can you tell us more about this unique initiative and about the US Jewish community's work with Azerbaijan?

A.: AJC has made a determined effort to introduce many Americans, including American Jews, to Azerbaijan, as this is a country otherwise unfamiliar to many people here. In that spirit, we have visited Baku with delegations on many occasions and will, of course, continue to do so.

We have welcomed Azerbaijans minister of foreign affairs to our annual Global Forum, where he spoke to more than 2,000 attendees. We have made it a point to meet Azerbaijans ambassadors during our travels in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere, and introduce them to local Jewish communities. We have invited Azerbaijans ambassador to Washington, permanent representative to the United Nations, and consul general in Los Angeles to countless AJC events and discussions.

And yes, we were delighted to host Israels ambassador to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijans ambassador the US for an innovative, week-long series of meetings, speeches, and programs in a variety of settings from Washington to New York. All of this is done in the enduring spirit of friendship that has characterized AJCs relationship with Azerbaijan.

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12 February 2016 13:47 (UTC+04:00)

The NGO Governmental Support Council under the Azerbaijani President financed some 4500 local and 60 foreign NGO projects since its establishment.

Council Chairman Azay Guliyev announced about this at the meeting with Ingrid Tersman, Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in Baku, Azertac state news agency reported.

Hailing the existence of effective cooperation ties between the two countries in versatile fields, Tersman expressed desire to get detailed information about the current state of civil society in Azerbaijan.

Guliyev highlighted the organizations consultative, informative, organizational-technical, financial and methodical activities in the country since it was founded in 2008.

He also informed about the countrys legislature to regulate the mentioned sphere, transparency and accountability to provide coordination of activities.

Guliyev noted that the international community bears responsibility for protraction in the process of negotiations on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He criticized the inactivity of the OSCE Minsk Group, its unfair and ignorant stance in this problem.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

He stressed necessity of increase of the efforts of the European political circles for quick settlement of the conflict, for it is a threat for peace and stability in the entire region.

Tersman stated that the problem was discussed during the recent visit of the Swedish foreign minister to Azerbaijan.

The diplomat said the foreign ministers visit would promote development of the bilateral relations between the two countries in the years to come.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who was on a visit to Baku on February 10, Stockholm can contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Sweden has offered to convene an enlarged meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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12 February 2016 17:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

The European Union, the main trade partner of Azerbaijan, has once again voiced interest in intensifying the cooperation with Baku.

Malena Mard, EU ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters on February 12 that the priority areas of cooperation are the development of Azerbaijans districts, agriculture, and reforms in the field of justice.

The EU is the main trading partner and investor for Azerbaijan, she noted. "The EU has delivered the grants worth 75-80 million to Azerbaijan for these areas."

The European countries enjoy a great share in Azerbaijan's foreign trade. The State Customs Committee reported earlier that the share of European countries in Azerbaijan's foreign trade amounted to 46.8 percent in January-October 2015. Some 30.51 percent Azerbaijani import and 59.23 percent of the country's export account for the share of the EU countries.

The agricultural sector is important in Azerbaijan not only to increase export potential, but also to ensure the countrys food security.

Enjoying advantageous geographic location Azerbaijan has all possibilities to increase food production in the country and also export abroad.

Earlier, Mard said the EU is a large market and Europe would be glad to see the products of Azerbaijan on its market. In this regard, Mard also expressed the readiness of the EU to continue to support the agrarian sector of the country.

Mard went on to add that at present, the EU is working on signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Azerbaijan, which will cover such cooperation areas as economy, trade, human rights and democracy.

Earlier, Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told Trend that Azerbaijan is awaiting a mandate from the EU to start talks on signing of a new strategic partnership agreement with the EU.

The Azerbaijani government presented a new draft agreement to the EU in May 2015 during the Eastern Partnership Riga Summit, he added.

Under the new agreement, it is planned to adjust the Azerbaijani legislation and procedures to EUs most important trade norms and standards, meant to improve the delivery of Azerbaijani goods to the EU markets.

Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of a partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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12 February 2016 17:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The Azerbaijani Parliament held a plenary session on February 12.

The agenda of the session covered several topics including activities of the municipalities, discussion of new bills and amendments to a number of laws.

Particularly, the Parliament adopted a bill on On anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures, stipulating measures aiming at revealing the facts of dumping, including an increase of customs duty for the import of products in the amount of the dumping margin (in case of revealing the facts of dumping).

Ziyad Samadzade, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship said the bill will help to protect domestic producers from unfair competition, dumping [import of goods into the country at a price below its value], and of subsidized imports to Azerbaijan.

The MPs also approved a bill on Licenses and Permits', providing for simplification of procedures and t improvement of the rules for obtaining licenses, including the introduction of the "single window" principle for issuing licenses, as well as the issuance of "electronic license", and reduction of the term of the license issuance from 15 to 10 days, while permits to 7 days.

The law also obliges public authorities to provide methodological assistance to entrepreneurs in obtaining licenses within five days, which will allow businessmen to save money and be sure in advance that will get a license.

The Parliament further approved an amendment to the law on Transport, providing an age limit for bus drivers.

Under the amendments, the age for the use of D passenger transportation category will be from 22 to 65 with the driving experience of at least five years, while age for "DE" category is approved for not less than 25 and not older than 65 years with the experience of at least three years.

The MPS also discussed the activities of municipalities.

Addressing the session, Deputy Minister of Justice Vilayat Zahir said Azerbaijan should adopt a law on municipal procurement, which will increase transparency in the work of municipalities and eliminate corruption.

He said there were annulled illegal sale and lease of 1,406 acres plots of land, 1,370 hectares of which are agricultural land.

The Parliament also abolished municipality of the Babek district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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12 February 2016 16:39 (UTC+04:00)

Europe is open to cooperation with Azerbaijan and is ready to strengthen bilateral ties with the country, MEP from Latvia Iveta Grigule told Trend.

Grigule, who visited Azerbaijan on February 11, said that she held negotiations in the parliament and the foreign ministry of the country.

She said that one of the main topics of the talks was the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

We discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the MEP. Latvia is always ready to support Azerbaijan in this issue, as well as talk about this problem of the country in Brussels.

Grigule went on to add that during her visit, she also raised the issue of Azerbaijans return to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is discussing cooperation with Azerbaijan, and it means that Azerbaijan should participate in these discussions, and not remain on the sidelines, she said, adding that it is necessary to talk about the problem the country has, and sooner or later, Azerbaijans voice will be heard.

The MEP also touched upon anti-Azerbaijani resolution adopted by the European Parliament last year, calling it a mistake.

Azerbaijan and the EU should continue to work, despite such incidents, said Grigule. Latvia is a small country, too, and we are sometimes also criticized by the EU. We understand how it hurts, because we are also doing our best, as well as Azerbaijan is.

Regarding the forthcoming visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to Azerbaijan, she noted that a number of bilateral documents, which should contribute to strengthening of relationship of the sides, will be discussed during the visit.

Grigule also called the Eastern Partnership program important but underdeveloped, urging the parties to work harder within the framework of the program.

The Eastern Partnership program envisages political association and economic integration of EU with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It does not envisage the EU membership.

In turn, Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuris Maklakovs told Trend that the Latvian embassy will continue to contribute to strengthening of relations not only between Azerbaijan and Latvia, but also between Azerbaijan and the EU.

Azerbaijan and Latvia have great prospects for cooperation, especially in light of the economic partnership, and we will continue to work intensively to achieve even greater results, said the diplomat.

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12 February 2016 18:33 (UTC+04:00)

Relations with Azerbaijan are important for the European Parliament and the dialogue between Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) should be developed.

This was stated by Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice-President of the European Parliament, during an event dedicated to the meeting with the leadership of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists of the European Parliament in Baku on February 12.

Czarnecki believes that visits to Baku will made contribution to the development of relations between the sides.

Alliances President Jan Zahradil, in turn, noted that Azerbaijan as a tolerant country is an example for others.

Azerbaijan is one of the important countries both for us and the region, he said.

The Alliance also expressed readiness to provide a platform for Armenia and Azerbaijan for discussing the ways to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The Alliance is not ready to propose options on the settlement of a particular conflict," Zahradil said. "As the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists of the European Parliament, we can only offer a platform for mutual dialogue, better understanding and exchange of views, which may contribute to the emergence of the best ideas for settlement of the conflict."

For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The sides to the conflict are currently in talks based on the renewed Madrid principles, which envisage return of occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control, ensure the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former places of residence, future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh and etc.

However, the peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group have been largely fruitless so far.

--

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12 February 2016 11:06 (UTC+04:00)

AG Bank and Bank Standard have decided to merge, and already signed a relevant protocol of intention.

A working group consisting of representatives of both banks has been created on the basis of a preliminary agreement, AGBank reported on February 12.

The group will work on the implementation of the consolidation project.

AGBank reached an agreement on consolidation with Demirbank in January. However, Demirbanks shareholders refused from merging, referring to the unreasonableness of such an action.

Currently, the Bank is not negotiating about merging with other banks, DemirBank told Trend February 11. There are no such plans in the near future.

AGBank has been operating in Azerbaijan since 1992, while DemirBank, the first commercial bank in the country, started working in 1989.

Bank Standard was established in 1995. At present, the Bank is one of the largest private commercial banks in Azerbaijan, which is among the leaders in terms of deposits.

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12 February 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

In an article published on RatingsDirect, titled "Negatives Tip The Scale For EMEA's Emerging Banking Systems In 2016," Standard & Poor's Ratings Services says it believes this will be a testing year for emerging banking systems in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

"In our view, the recent oil-price shock, currency risk, and legacy portfolio issues are the key threats for emerging EMEA banking sectors in 2016," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Natalia Yalovskaya.

"But we also regard political and market uncertainties, among other factors, as latent threats, she said. We believe banking environments will deteriorate further and therefore foresee risks increasing for banks in 2016."

Sluggish economic growth will likely subdue new banking business and erode asset quality and margins for banks in Russia, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, given these countries' dependence on oil, S&P says.

Although we anticipate some strain on Gulf banks' funding and liquidity this year, good asset quality and strong capitalization remain positive factors.

Furthermore, we foresee adverse operating conditions for Bulgarian, Croatian, and Polish banks, but we believe Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, and Hungarian banks should benefit from the improving economic environment. In Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Turkey, banks remain vulnerable to declining asset quality and higher refinancing risk, due to currency depreciation.

"Generally, we expect that negative rating actions will outweigh positive ones in the region's emerging banking markets," Yalovskaya added.

In fact, we see a positive economic risk trend in only two countries, Hungary and Slovenia.

The report states that country-specific factors also represent a danger for some systems, such as geopolitical uncertainties in Turkey, the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, and lack of stability in Ukraine.

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12 February 2016 11:38 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Russian Railways JSC came to an agreement on setting competitive tariffs for cargo transportation.

Nadir Azmammadov, a spokesman for the Azerbaijan Railways, announced about this on February 11.

The agreement was achieved at a meeting between Javid Gurbanov, Azerbaijan Railways head, and Oleg Belozerov, Russian Railways president, in Moscow.

The meeting was dedicated to the mutually beneficial cooperation between the railway companies of the two countries, Azmammadov added.

He said the parties also discussed the cargo transportation via a route between Russia and Azerbaijan, developing Azerbaijans transit potential, as well as the project for the International North-South Transport Corridor, and attracting the interested countries to the project.

The parties also agreed to hold their next meeting in Baku in March.

If the North-South corridor, which links North Europe with South-West Asia, operates at full capacity, this will allow some European, Central Asian, Caucasus countries, as well as several regions of Russia to get access to the Persian Gulf and India.

The railways capacity will stand at 1.4 million passengers and 5-7 million metric tons of cargo per year, according to the preliminary estimations. As many as 22 tunnels and 15 bridges will be built throughout the railway. The volume of cargo transportation through the corridor will amount to 6 million metric tons at the initial stage and will reach 15-20 million metric tons in the future.

Earlier, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov said energy carriers such as oil, gas, and mazut are among the goods that the railway would suitable transfer.

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12 February 2016 11:22 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan`s Minister of Agriculture Heydar Asadov has met Deputy State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jolt Chutora.

The sides discussed cooperation opportunities between Azerbaijan State Agrarian University, and University of Kaposvar of Hungary.

Asadov applauded political and economic relations between the two countries, saying, This meeting would contribute to further boosting bonds in agricultural field.

The minister provided an insight into reforms carried out in the agricultural and agrarian educational field in Azerbaijan. He said there was fruitful investing environment in the country for Hungarian entrepreneurs.

Chutora, in turn, said he was ready to support studying the Azerbaijani youth in Hungarian agrarian higher schools.

Hungarian ambassador Imre Laslotsky said he would try his best for further expanding relations between the two countries in agricultural field, Azertac state news agency reported.

Hungary recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in April 1992.

The cooperation in industry, energy, transportation, agriculture, communications and information technology, pharmaceuticals, environment, culture, tourism and other areas are carried out successfully, and trade relations develop between Azerbaijan and Hungary. In 2013, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by nearly 40 percent up to 3.3 million.

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12 February 2016 14:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Azerbaijan is properly tackling its challenges, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would do its best to assist the country in the face of huge economic challenges.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde was commenting on the oil-hit economies in an interview with The Punch on February 12.

The state has enjoyed a growth boom over two decades, but the fall in oil prices forced the country to accelerate shift to the new development model. The government has started to adjust fiscal policy to the fall in oil revenues. Public investment, which boomed when oil prices surged, has been lowered while new revenue generating fiscal measures have been introduced.

The energy-rich Caspian state relies on oil and gas for 95 percent of its exports, 60 percent of budget revenues and 30 percent of GDP.

Lagarde said Azerbaijan has been hard hit by about 70 percent oil price decline shock, because its economy depends heavily on oil exports, both in terms of trade, and in terms of revenue.

Azerbaijan has certainly taken a good fiscal approach, is reassessing spending, is really trying to restore its position, and it is also using the exchange rate as a buffer, she stressed.

The country enjoys sufficient foreign exchange reserves, which are kept at state oil fund SOFAZ. Funds Executive Director Shahmar Movsumov earlier announced that in total, the reserves stand at about $39.14 billion, which play a role of the security buffer.

The country already announced economic reforms and tightened the fiscal policy as the oil producing country struggles against a crisis triggered by the plunge in oil prices to 13-year lows.

The Central Bank of the country maintained the stability of the manat till late December 2015. But, with reserves falling and external shocks intensifying, the CBA devalued the manat, and shifted to a managed float exchange rate regime, which helped to improve business competitiveness.

The government has taken steps to ease the impact of the manats fall, including a VAT exemption for a number of goods, simplifying of business licensing and a rise in pensions and wages by 10 percent. Furthermore, President Ilham Aliyev has recently ordered a plan for privatization of state assets to be drawn up.

The government revises its budget, which had been drawn up on the basis of a $50 oil price, and as part of the upcoming budget revision, its expenditure part will be increased to 16.5 billion manats ($10.4 billion), and the income part to 18.3 billion manats (11.5 billion). The government forecasts a deficit of 1.7 billion manats (1.07 billion).

The IMF mission that recently visited the country announced that economic growth and balance of payments pressures are likely to remain major challenges for the authorities in the near term, reminding that the authorities are well placed to overcome these challenges.

Policy priorities include formulating and pre-announcing a multi-year fiscal consolidation plan, bolstering the monetary policy framework to support the move to exchange rate flexibility, strengthening the financial sector and supervision, and undertaking structural reforms to make the economy more diverse. In this regard, we support the governments intention to further reduce public investment to more sustainable levels in 2016, with greater focus on project efficiency. The authorities and IMF staff have agreed to maintain a close policy dialogue and to increase technical assistance support, the IMF report said.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has increased its quota in the IMF from 160.9 million SDR ($224.34 million) to 391.7 million SDR ($546.14 million), of which 44 percent (173.1 million SDR or 377.7 million manats) may be placed in the national currency.

This quota determines a maximum amount of the countrys financial commitments to the IMF and its number of votes. It also affects the country's access to the IMF financing.

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12 February 2016 12:28 (UTC+04:00)

Bakhytzhan Sagintayev, the first deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan, will discuss Azerbaijans transit potential in Baku next week, Almaz Burkutbayev, Kazakh ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters on February 12.

Sagintayev will meet with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade in Baku, as well as visit the sea ports, including the port of Alat.

The ambassador further said that the transit of goods from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan and the transit potential of both countries will be the topic of discussion.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine have already signed a protocol on the establishment of preferential tariffs for cargo transportation via the Trans-Caspian transport corridor , and in February it is expected to sign the final one in order to resolve technical problems.

This should help to ensure the full commercial operation of the Trans-Caspian route in March 2016.

Three test container trains have been already launched via this corridor from China to Europe. The project has proved itself from such a reasonable side that even Ukraine decided to join in, allowing to reach Europe through Ukraine`s territory much faster. The test train runs from Ukraine to China for 18 days.

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12 February 2016 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Fuad Guliyev

Azerbaijan is exploring new ways to tackle the economic difficulties and all new ideas are welcome.

Youth Inc. Business Incubation Center is a youth entrepreneurship program proposed by the youth of the nation to the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the Youth Forum. It is founded by the Coca Cola, Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as a public organization named Civil Society Debate.

According to the program manager Mushvig Hasanov Youth Inc. has been active in this field since its foundation in 2013. Primary goal of the organization is to support the young entrepreneurs, new firms in high technology industries, boost start ups and enable technology transfer. This project is part of the Youth of the Azerbaijan in 2011-2015 State Program. During last 3 years Youth Inc. trained well over 5,000 young entrepreneurs.

President Ilham Aliyev appraised the activities of Youth Inc. and added that so far a large amount of long term loans, worth of 1.7 billion manats (around $1 billion) were lent to the entrepreneurs and another 250 million manats ($157 million) are planned to be lent. The president also added that such organization of young entrepreneurs is welcome and currently business incubators are being created in Baku and regions. Young entrepreneurs are essential part of the development of many different aspects of the economy of Azerbaijan.

Further developing the idea, Farhad Hajiyev, the executive director of the Youth Fund, added that to this date Fund supported 2.333 business projects both in Baku and the regions.

Youth entrepreneurship is especially important in the perspective of the need for stressing taxes as an important source of budget revenue in the period of shrinking oil and gas revenues.

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12 February 2016 15:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

India, one of the largest economies in the world, is interested in increasing the trade turnover with Azerbaijan.

Indian ambassador to Baku Sanjay Rana made this statement during the opening of Make in India event, organized jointly by the Azerbaijan National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations and Indian embassy in Baku on February 12.

Saying that the trade turnover, which amounted to $815 million in 2015, is a low index for the two countries, the ambassador stressed the necessity to increase the trade turnover in the near future.

In particular, commissioning of the North-South transport corridor should contribute to this, Rana said.

The North-South railway project connecting northern Europe to the south-east Asia, serve as a bridge connecting the railways of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia with the capacity of 1.4 million passengers and 5-7 million metric tons of cargo per year.

The volume of cargo transportation through the corridor will amount to 6 million metric tons at the initial stage and will reach 15-20 million metric tons in the future.

Rana further noted that India is interested in cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and communications fields.

The country is particularly interested in cooperation in agriculture, in which the country has accumulated a lot of experience, according to Rana.

I recently visited a tea plantation in Lankaran and Astara. We are extremely interested in the development of cooperation in this sector. India also has a great potential in the pharmaceutical industry and is interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan in this sphere too, the ambassador concluded.

Azerbaijan imports many goods from India including pharmaceuticals products, engineering goods, automobiles and spares, agricultural and meat products and IT services, while Indian companies regularly buy oil from Azerbaijan.



Indian tea and Basmati rice are very popular in Azerbaijan. Some $778 million of the total trade turnover accounted for the import of Azerbaijani goods in 2015.

Rana emphasized, India is ready to double the amount of investments in the development project of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of oil and gas fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

He said that Indian oil companies are very interested in oil fields in the Caspian Sea and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

"Currently, the volume of Indian investments in ACG is $1 billion. We could invest in this deposit in the same amount, he added.

Indian company ONGC-Videsh holds 2.72 percent share in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field and Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan pipeline.

President of the Azerbaijan National Confederation of Entrepreneurs Mammad Musayev, in turn, talked about the need to develop cooperation with India in the field of information technologies.

"India is a leading country in the field of information technologies, he said. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs should take advantage of opportunities for cooperation in this sphere."

He voiced the importance of developing cooperation between the Indian and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs, hoping that cooperation between them may give impetus to the production of competitive products.

India and Azerbaijan enjoy age-old historical relations and cultural affinity. Business exchange between the two countries have emerged an important aspect of bilateral relations between the two sides.

Earlier, Indias Gas Authority of India limited and the State Oil Company SOCAR has signed a MoU to jointly pursue opportunities in LNG procurement and promotion.

Indian businessmen also show interest in participating in major business and events, including 'Baku Build', Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair (AITF).

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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12 February 2016 15:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

The United Kingdom, the largest foreign direct investor in Azerbaijan, followed by the U.S. and Japan, has invested more than $23 billion in Azerbaijan's economy.

This was announced by Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev at the first meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UK in London on February 11.

Currently, there are 473 companies with British capital in Azerbaijan. UKs companies act as contractors in the projects being implemented in Azerbaijan, the minister said.

Today, Azerbaijan and the UK successfully cooperate in various fields - banking, ICT, water supply, tourism, health care and other sectors.

The two countries also cooperate in the humanitarian field, in particular through the cooperation of universities and exchange of students.

"Currently, 569 Azerbaijani students are studying in 38 universities in the UK, and talented British youth are trained in Azerbaijani universities," Mustafayev noted.

"The two countries enjoy great prospects for expanding relations and the established intergovernmental commission will play a significant role in developing economic ties and resolving the issues of common interest," he added.

Later, the two countries signed a protocol of the first meeting of the Azerbaijan-UK intergovernmental commission, which envisages further cooperation of the two countries in the trade, economy, industry, tourism, energy, education and other fields.

The document also says the UK does not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and supports the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means.

Azerbaijan and the UK have benefitted from close bilateral partnership and cooperation since 1992, in the framework of international organizations such as the United Nations, OSCE, Council of Europe, and NATO. The relations have covered a wide range of issues, from high-level political dialogue to growing trade and investment, as well as strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the UK stood at $564 million in 2015, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee. Some $553.33 million of this figure accounted for import of UK products.

Economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the energy sector, is at the core of the relations between Azerbaijan and the UK.

Azerbaijan cooperates with the UK in the exploration and transportation of oil and natural gas from the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea.

To date, the two countries have signed 24 documents.

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12 February 2016 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Fuad Guliyev

Azerbaijan is underlying agricultural products exports with ever increasing importance, and agriculture development is one of top priority sections in the State Program on 2014 2018 Socio-Economic Development.

Recent changes in the political relations between many countries in the region, especially those neighboring Azerbaijan, greatly affected the economic ties as well.

In contemporary situation the country can benefit new opportunities. For instance, sanctions on Russia enable to increase trade with the European Union and lifting sanctions on Iran allow increasing the exports to Iran. Kazakhstan, with an economy by low crude prices, is also interested in more trade with Azerbaijan. Lately the country constructed a large refrigerator on Russian border to store the export products which otherwise were spoiled due to long period of delays in border crossing.

Government Support

Government support to agriculture is expected to push forward production in this very important field of economy. MP Eldar Ibrahimov, the chairman of the Agricultural Policy Committee, said $1.2 billion tax revenue concessions were made to the farmers over the past 10 years. Government also allocated more than $629.8 million paid to farmers in subsidy from 2007 to 2015 to cover the fuel costs, wheat and rice cultivation, pesticide and seed purchase expenses.

More than 5,100 entrepreneurs received loans on favorable terms in amount of $8.1 million in 2015. Currently wheat is being grown by 29 large farms in 19 regions and 40,000 hectares of land with 58-60 centners of productivity obtained from each hectare.

A total of $31.9 billion was spent on 2 socio-economic development programs, with $10.07 billion for the first and $21.8 billion for the second program. Further $464.4 million was allocated to the development of agriculture at the presidential decree.

Increasing production

Azerbaijan, which enjoys better climatic conditions and productive soil, is able to meet its needs for the most of the agricultural products independently, including 64 percent of its demand for wheat, largely reducing the imported amount of the agricultural products from abroad.

Ibrahimov said the government is keen to eliminate the dependence on imports absolutely and increase the exports of agricultural products. Last year non-oil exports of Azerbaijan amounted to $944.7 million, of which $380.4 million, or 41.3 percent, fell on agriculture products -- $10.7 million worth of tea, $13.1 million worth of potato, and $121.3 million worth of fruits.

He eagerly gave an example of a 4,800 hectares big enterprise in Agjabadi, specializing not only in growing wheat but also breeding cattle with annual 6,000- 7,000 litres of milk supply.

Among all agricultural products, cotton has peculiar place. Azerbaijan used to produce 1 million tons of cotton before. Last year $17 million worth of exports of cotton were made. MP also noted that 50 large enterprises are to be created to increase cotton production.

Coming Cooperatives

Ibrahimov especially stressed the need for cooperatives to increase the efficiency. Small farms with only a few hectares of land are not productive and there is a need for integrating large farms and various players in production chain to form scales of production. Such cooperatives will allow marketing the final product rather than just unprocessed raw materials. It will increase the revenue stream as well. Finally Ibrahimov told about the draft Law on Cooperatives to be discussed in the session of the National Assembly.

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12 February 2016 17:26 (UTC+04:00)

The extraordinary general shareholders' meeting of the International Bank of Azerbaijan OJSC (IBA) was held on February 10, 2015.

The meeting participants discussed a number of procedural questions and the question concerning the increase of the authorized capital of the bank.



At the general meeting it was decided to increase the banks authorized capital by 500 million manats up to over 1,141 billion manats through the new issue of shares.

During the meeting changes were made in the composition of the Audit Committee and the realization of the commercial project was discussed.

In July 2015, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the measures for rehabilitation related to the preparations for privatizing the state-owned shares of the International Bank of Azerbaijan JSC.

The shortcomings in the management, investment and loan policy of the International Bank of Azerbaijan in recent years, as well as financing of less efficient, risky investment projects worsened the banks financial state, caused increase in the share of distressed assets and reduced its liquidity, said the decree.

The International Bank of Azerbaijan was founded in 1992 and is the largest bank of the country. Some 51.07 percent of stake in the banks capital is owned by the state, 48.93 percent  by private shareholders.

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12 February 2016 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Japan, which is keen to take the biggest piece of the pie on the Iranian market, is showing a serious will to strengthen economic ties with Tehran.

The two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $10 billion in mining sector.

This was announced by Mehdi Karbasian, Iranian Deputy Trade Minister, Mehr News Agency reported.

However, the official did not mention any further details regarding the MoU.

Karbasian further added that the Chinese side has developed a $4.5-billion finance package for developing Iran's mines.

Besides Japan, Iran is in talks with German, Belarusian and Austrian companies, while contracts worth 6.5 billion have been signed with French and Italian companies.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is interested in attracting foreign investment in the country for developing the various sectors of the national economy.

In this regard, President Hassan Rouhani's European tour was of significant importance.

During a visit to Italy on January 25, Danieli Group signed deals worth about $6.2 billion with the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization for cooperation in the steel and aluminum sectors.

The agreements include the establishment of a joint venture and the supply of high-tech machinery and plants to a number of Iranian steel and aluminum companies, valued at $4 billion, IMIDRO reported earlier.

IMIDRO also signed a cooperation deal in the aluminum production field with the French Fives Group during the Iranian president's visit to Paris on January 27.

The agreement entails the establishment of a joint copper anode production company through an engineering, procurement, construction and finance contract.

Anode, primarily made from petroleum coke, is one of the main raw materials required for aluminum ingot production and its manufacture usually accounts for nearly 30 percent of production costs, the Financial Tribune reported.

The anode production plant, with a production capacity of 450,000 tons per year, requires a close to $400 million investment and is IMIDROs largest initiative ever taken to expand Irans aluminum production capability.

Irans estimated and proven mineral reserves total 60 billion metric tons. Iran holds 3 percent of the world's mineral reserves, which puts the country first in the Middle East and third in Asia.

Iran ranks among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.

Important mines of Iran include coal, metallic minerals, sand and gravel, chemical minerals and salt.

The country has the world's largest zinc and second largest copper deposits and ranks ninth for its iron reserves.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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12 February 2016 15:13 (UTC+04:00)

Turkmenistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have discussed the issues of strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations in various areas of mutual cooperation, the message of the Turkmen government reported on February 12.

The talks were held during the working visit of the deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredow, to Vienna, where he held a number of meetings with heads of international organizations, including IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

Turkmenistan joined the IAEA in September 2015.

The IAEA, headquartered in Vienna, was created in 1957 as an independent intergovernmental organization in the UN system. The goal of the IAEA is to develop cooperation in the sphere of peaceful use of nuclear energy.

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12 February 2016 16:45 (UTC+04:00)

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Pamela Spratlen discussed the schedule and agenda of the Uzbek-U.S. contacts planned for 2016 at various levels in Tashkent, the Uzbek foreign ministry reported.

The sides also exchanged views on the results of the Uzbek-U.S. political consultations held in January 2016, other meetings and talks.

During the sixth round of the Uzbek-U.S. political consultations held on January 19-21 in Washington, the sides summed up results of the interaction for the period after the fifth round of political consultations held in December 2014 in Tashkent.

The state and prospects of cooperation in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other spheres were considered.

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12 February 2016 16:31 (UTC+04:00)

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov confirmed mutual intent to further strengthening of the Russian-Iranian cooperation.

The sides made remarks during the ministerial meeting, which was held in Munich on the sidelines of the next session of the Munich Security Conference, Russian Foreign Ministry reported, TASS news agency reported on February 12.

Actual issues on the development of the bilateral cooperation were discussed, said the agency. The sides exchanged views on a number of issues of international and regional policy.

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12 February 2016 18:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Turkmenistans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredow has held a series of meetings with heads of international organizations, including director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo during his Geneva visit, the Turkmen government reported.

During the meetings, a special attention was paid to implementation of initiatives of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov aimed at strengthening global energy security, environmental protection, development of international transport infrastructure, regional trade, as well as addressing water problems.

The EU proposed Turkmenistan to join WTO in January 2011. The move is expected to increase Turkmenistan's share in regional and global trade and have a positive impact on economic development, which is necessary for long-term prosperity and well-being of the country.

Brussels announced that it is ready to help Ashgabat in joining the WTO, as it optimizes attracting foreign capital and facilitates creating new jobs.

Fuel-energy complex, high-technological industrial spheres, transport, communications, banking and financial sector are among the promising areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU.

At present, Ashgabat is negotiating with the EU and Azerbaijan on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline construction project.

Brussels hopes to diversify the sources of gas consumption through Caspian resources, most of which is ensured by Russia.

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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Perth-based Tower Bakery has agreed a deal to supply Tesco with traditional Scottish bakery treats.

The company is now supplying direct to a selection of Tesco stores across Perth, Dundee and Dunfermline.

Shoppers will be able to buy Tower Bakery rolls, butteries, scones, crumpets, potato scones, soda farls, iced doughrings, fudge custard doughnuts and yum yums.

Craig Chalmers, Tescos local buying manager, said: Tesco stores are a big part of their local communities  as are local, family-run businesses.

More customers are now looking for local, traditional products and want to buy products from a company that has a rich heritage and a good story. Many Tesco customers across Perth, Dundee and Dunfermline will already be aware of the Tower Bakery brand and we hope that these customers will pick up some Tower Bakery products as part of their shop.

There are 10 Tower Bakery shops across Clackmannanshire, Perth, Crieff, Coupar Angus and Alyth, owned by the McKinnon family. The craft bakery uses traditional methods and products are made by hand.

Denise McKinnon said: Were very excited to be working with Tesco. Its a fantastic opportunity for us and for the brand.

When we get a Tesco order in, well bake whats required and when it has cooled, it will go straight out to the store.

As we reported this week, Tower Bakery won 10,000 worth of equipment in a recent competition run by Dawn Foods and Mono Equipment.
With romance in the air ahead of Valentines Day on 14 February, British Baker takes a look a five bakeries producing sumptuous little treats for the event.

Hummingbird Bakery  London

Who - Sweet treat palace Hummingbird bakery runs six shops in London selling American-inspired treats from cupcakes to Mississippi mud pie.

How feeling the love - Apart from producing a range of heart-shaped cakes, Hummingbird Bakery is producing heart-shaped versions of its Red Velvet Whoopie Pies  a red velvet sponged split with a layer of cream cheese filling.

https://hummingbirdbakery.com/

Bagelman  Brighton

Who - Bagelman is a sandwich retailer dedicating itself to the humble bagel. Running five shops in Brighton and Hove, it is now in its 20th year of trading.

How feeling the love  For those not so keen on the parade of sweet treats on offer, Bagelman are offering heart-shaped Love Heart Bagels to give lunch a romantic touch . It is also giving away cheesy pairs of the special bagels to winners of a competition asking entrants to share their cheesiest chat up lines.

http://bagelman.co.uk/

Belle Epoque  London

Who - Belle Epoque was founded in 2002 by husband and wife Eric and Hulya Rousseau and sells an extensive range of classic French patisserie across three London locations.

How feeling the love  The patisserie has produced a limited edition dessert to share; a strawberry compote topped with vanilla mousse and crunchy streusel, served with three Champagne truffles rolled in gold.

http://belleepoque.co.uk/

Gails Artisan Bakery  London

Who  Gails Artisan Bakery produces a range of artisan breads and pastries and sells from shops across London. Its specialism is its bread, selling everything from French dark sourdough to German rye loaves.

How feeling the love  Amongst a range of special bakes for Valentines, Gails has produced the above Cupids vanilla cupcakes. The vanilla cupcakes are topped with white chocolate icing and decorated with pink icing sugar and tiny, spicy speculoos hearts.

http://gailsbread.co.uk/

Paul UK  National

Who  Paul UK is a French artisan bakery offering a range of freshly baked breads, patisserie, viennoiserie, gourmet salads and sandwiches.

How feeling the love  for something a little different, Paul UK is offering a Coeur Pavlova aux Fraise, or strawberry pavlova heart. A crispy and chewy meringue base is topped with tropezienne (mascarpone & pastry cream) and fresh strawberries.

http://www.paul-uk.com/
I love delivery men. Not for their personality, no, but for the goodies and shenanigans they come bearing. Beyond my regular pepperoni, shopping online in Lebanon has been increasingly becoming more ubiquitous - and now even more so since Henri Miller is in town.





Founded by Tania Rayes and Haig Kradjian, the brand is one of the latest Beirut-based startups revitalizing Lebanon-based clothing e-commerce.



The place they see every weekday? An open space boasting traditional hexagonal and 3D cube tiling (my favorite, and yours too!) coupled with high ceilings, wide windows and an unparalleled view for a midday caffeine rush: the point where Gemmayze and Mar Mikhail meet.









"After looking at over eighty places for around four months, we finally found our office. We were looking for a place with soul, but also a neighborhood that is just as inspiring. We're just at the edge of Mar Mikhail, which gives us the chance to take a walk, get inspired, have a nice lunch, or a much needed drink after a long day." "People tell us that our office looks exactly like our website when they walk in" they explain. That can't be truer; the office is spacious and airy with calming peppermint overtones here and there, just like their minty-fresh scroll-till-you-shop website."After looking at over eighty places for around four months, we finally found our office. We were looking for a place with soul, but also a neighborhood that is just as inspiring. We're just at the edge of Mar Mikhail, which gives us the chance to take a walk, get inspired, have a nice lunch, or a much needed drink after a long day."









PS. Fancy chumming about in this gorgeous space? Scroll down for a photo-tour through Henri Miller.PS. Fancy chumming about in this gorgeous space? They're currently hiring developers, marketing specialists, PR, customer care representatives and more.

Henri Miller is best known for delivering comfortably-classy quality clothing straight to your doorstep. Their launch collection is definitely a must on your to-do list, but being an interiors-junkie, I had to know more about their offices.
Third Annual Taste of Lo De Marcos Set for February 21

Lo de Marcos, Nayarit - Sunday, February 21, 2016 will see a 'Kermes' (a neighborhood party to raise funds) from 3:00 until 8:00 pm at the Centro de Fiestas Los Delfines, located at Luis Echeverria #9, just east of the town plaza in Lo de Marcos, Nayarit.

This is the same location that hosts The Tianguis Lo De Marcos each Saturday from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm, but on Sunday, February 21st, the Centro de Fiestas will be transformed into The 3rd Annual Taste of Lo De Marcos!

In addition to live music and a special performance, the event will feature foods from many restaurants from the Pueblo of Lo De Marcos with goodies ranging from casual to Five Star Dining and several Artisanal Booths offering unique handcrafted items.

The proceeds of the event will be donated equally to The Amigos de Lo de Marcos, A.C. who provide service and funding for many of the non-profit groups in this coastal town and to Citizens Actions Committee of Lo De Marcos who is responsible for organizing the traditional and cultural events of the year - such as religious festivities and government Holidays. The "Comite de Accion Ciudadana" as it is called in Spanish, is basically the body that is responsible for the social events of the town which are intended for the public's benefit. The group's President, Juan Ventura is grateful for the support given to Lo De Marcos by The Taste of Lo De Marcos event.

The event is planned and organized by Galvan Real Estate and Services each year in order to bring more attention to the town and to enable the donations that will keep Lo De Marcos as the jewel that it is.

Luis Armando Contreras Galvan, Broker of Galvan Real Estate and Services is pleased to support the fine work of the Amigos Group and The Citizens Action Committee who both work to promote and preserve the unparalleled and unspoiled beauty of Lo De Marcos. Luis Armando states "We want this event to be a sense of pride for the Community and we look forward to a healthy attendance again this year."

The Event Sponsors include NovaMar Insurance, Galvan Real Estate and Services and Riviera Nayarit, who will each be present at the event and look forward to welcoming you!

The Premier Event Sponsor is Novamar Insurance Mexico, a full-line Mexican insurance brokerage firm specializing in beach front risks and in attending to the American and Canadian community in Mexico. Working with the most established Mexican insurance companies, they have designed specific insurance products for this community based on their unique needs, which are different from the rest of the market in Mexico. All quotes and policies are in English/Spanish and they have a 100% English-speaking staff. Novamar Mexico is an affiliate of Novamar Insurance Group, Inc., a US Insurance Brokerage company with a combined experience of more than 50 years in the insurance industry.

"The Third Annual Taste of Lo De Marcos promises to be a fun filled and entertaining event so mark the date, February 21st, on your calendar to make sure you don't miss it," stated Armando Contreras.

Contact the Organizer, Galvan Real Estate and Services (327) 275-0233 or email GalvanRealEstate4(at)gmail.com with any questions on the event, or to reserve your table if there are more than 10 in your group.
Vallarta News Brief & a Few Ways to Woo Your Valentine



From live music and theater to candlelight dinners and charitable events, there's no end to the number of romantic ways to woo your Valentine in Puerto Vallarta, The Riviera Nayarit, and around Banderas Bay. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - There's always so much going on in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay, it can be difficult to keep up with it all. Here's a look at some of this week's Puerto Vallarta news, a few community announcements, and a couple of ways to romance your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. 2016 Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival This Weekend

The Vallarta Institute of Culture along with the Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation are putting the finishing touches on the 2016 Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival, scheduled to take place on February 12 and 13. Held every two years in Puerto Vallarta, the Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival gives Jazz music fans the opportunity to enjoy free concerts in public spaces. This year, the participating bands are from Illinois, Utah, and California, and they'll be playing an interesting variety of jazz, from pop music to American classics. The general public and tourists are invited to attend and enjoy free music presented by five jazz bands from the United States, plus guest soloist Ruben Alvarez, a professional musician from Chicago. The concerts will be presented in Hidalgo Park on February 12, and at the Los Arcos Amphitheater on the Malecon on February 13. Both concerts begin at 7:00 pm. The Vallarta Institute of Culture along with the Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation are putting the finishing touches on the 2016 Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival, scheduled to take place on February 12 and 13. Held every two years in Puerto Vallarta, the Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival gives Jazz music fans the opportunity to enjoy free concerts in public spaces. This year, the participating bands are from Illinois, Utah, and California, and they'll be playing an interesting variety of jazz, from pop music to American classics. The general public and tourists are invited to attend and enjoy free music presented by five jazz bands from the United States, plus guest soloist Ruben Alvarez, a professional musician from Chicago. The concerts will be presented in Hidalgo Park on February 12, and at the Los Arcos Amphitheater on the Malecon on February 13. Both concerts begin at 7:00 pm. Donna Davies Hosts Open House at Villas Banderas

Searching the Internet for just the right property can be frustrating, so Timothy Real Estate Group's Donna Davies will be hosting an Open House at Villas Banderas #3 on February 13th from noon until 2:00 pm. This home features 2 master suite bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, each with their own small balcony. Lie in bed and watch the whales, dolphins, stingray and the morning fishermen. Listen to the sound of the surf crashing on the rocks or kissing the beach below to wake you each morning or to go to sleep by. You will be mesmerized by the amazing views to the South Bay and Los Arcos Rocks, and an equally stunning view of the city lights to the North. Join Donna L. Davies at Scala Residences on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm and come see for yourself! For more information, Searching the Internet for just the right property can be frustrating, so Timothy Real Estate Group's Donna Davies will be hosting an Open House at Villas Banderas #3 on February 13th from noon until 2:00 pm. This home features 2 master suite bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, each with their own small balcony. Lie in bed and watch the whales, dolphins, stingray and the morning fishermen. Listen to the sound of the surf crashing on the rocks or kissing the beach below to wake you each morning or to go to sleep by. You will be mesmerized by the amazing views to the South Bay and Los Arcos Rocks, and an equally stunning view of the city lights to the North. Join Donna L. Davies at Scala Residences on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm and come see for yourself! For more information, click HERE or call Donna at 322-779-9406 or at the Timothy Real Estate Group office at (322) 223-5300. Gala Dinner and Concert for Vallarta Orchestra School

The Villa Premiere Hotel & Spa's La Corona Restaurant invites the local community to enjoy an exquisite gala dinner along with splendid chamber music on Wednesday, February 17th at 7:00 pm, to benefit the Orchestra School of Puerto Vallarta. The violin and piano duo formed by Lance Quellette and Justyna Szajna, along with a four-course dinner and wine pairing created by Executive Chef Tony Martinez, will create a magical evening of music, food and wine, all arranged for a noble cause. The Orchestra School of Puerto Vallarta is an inclusive social project that, through the power of music and the inherent values of orchestral education seeks to develop sensitive leaders engaged and conscious of their community. Contribution/Donation: $1,350 pesos. Dress code: Smart Casual. Valet Parking available. Seating is limited to 40 people, so contact Monica Joya at (322) 226-7040 ext. 6005 or The Villa Premiere Hotel & Spa's La Corona Restaurant invites the local community to enjoy an exquisite gala dinner along with splendid chamber music on Wednesday, February 17th at 7:00 pm, to benefit the Orchestra School of Puerto Vallarta. The violin and piano duo formed by Lance Quellette and Justyna Szajna, along with a four-course dinner and wine pairing created by Executive Chef Tony Martinez, will create a magical evening of music, food and wine, all arranged for a noble cause. The Orchestra School of Puerto Vallarta is an inclusive social project that, through the power of music and the inherent values of orchestral education seeks to develop sensitive leaders engaged and conscious of their community. Contribution/Donation: $1,350 pesos. Dress code: Smart Casual. Valet Parking available. Seating is limited to 40 people, so contact Monica Joya at (322) 226-7040 ext. 6005 or oepv(at)buenaventurahoteles.com to make your reservations today. Puerto Vallarta Jewish Community Shabbat Services

Shabbat Services presented by Puerto Vallarta Jewish Community will be held on February 19, 2016 at 6:30 pm at Casa Carmen, on Jesus Langarica, directly behind Hotel Rosita at the end of the first block going toward the ocean. Volunteers are needed for everything from passing out and collecting prayer books and kippas to reading in Hebrew and / or English. After the service, join us for dinner at Pan y Que? right behind Hidalgo Park near the little church. Reservations are needed for the after-service dinner, so please RSVP by Tuesday morning, February 16, to Donna Feldman at Shabbat Services presented by Puerto Vallarta Jewish Community will be held on February 19, 2016 at 6:30 pm at Casa Carmen, on Jesus Langarica, directly behind Hotel Rosita at the end of the first block going toward the ocean. Volunteers are needed for everything from passing out and collecting prayer books and kippas to reading in Hebrew and / or English. After the service, join us for dinner at Pan y Que? right behind Hidalgo Park near the little church. Reservations are needed for the after-service dinner, so please RSVP by Tuesday morning, February 16, to Donna Feldman at helth1(at)sbcglobal.net, or send a message from the Puerto Vallarta Jewish Community Facebook page.

Valentine's Day at Puerto Vallarta Restaurants

Click on titles for more information  Valentine Weekend at Tu Casa en Vallarta, No Way Jose!  Valentine's Day at the Marriott for Corazon de Nina  Valentine's Day is for Sweethearts at Daiquiri Dick's  Wine and Dine Your Valentine at Kaiser Maximilian


Pope's Visit to Mexico Highlights Guadalupe Influence

Mexico City - A weathered pastel image of the Virgin of Guadalupe hangs from German Herrera Hernandez's dashboard, watching over his passengers from her perch next to his cigarettes, gum and the handful of coins he uses to make change.

"We believe in her," said Herrera, a 55-year-old who has been driving a cab in Mexico City for about a decade. "She protects us, wherever we go."

When Pope Francis visits this week he'll make an emotional stop at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe - patron saint of Mexico and "empress of the Americas" - where millions of pilgrims flock each year to pray before the shroud that bears her image.

But she's also an ever-present part of life for millions of people like Herrera, not just at the basilica. Across the country, in private homes and public marketplaces, she gazes down beneficently from the walls of taco stands and police stations, from hair salon mirrors and even outside "no-tell motels."

In poor barrios and posh shopping districts, perhaps nothing unites Mexicans more than their reverence for the Virgin. Grieving families light candles beneath her likeness in shrines to dead relatives, while hipsters shell out big bucks for shirtsleeve tattoos of the Virgin.



Worshipers at the Virgin of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City. (Ariana Cubillos/Associated Press)

"There's the old refrain in Mexico that Mexicans are 90% Catholic and 100 percent Guadalupan," said Andrew Chesnut, chair in Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "If there's one main constituent element of Mexican-ness, it's Guadalupe, because she obviously transcends the religious realm... So she sells products, she's tattoos, (even with) people who aren't necessarily her devotees."

According to tradition, the dark-skinned virgin appeared before the Indian peasant Juan Diego in 1531 at Tepeyac, a hillside near Mexico City where Aztecs worshipped a mother-goddess, and her image was miraculously imprinted on his cloak.

The image helped priests inculcate Catholicism among indigenous Mexicans during Spanish colonial rule, and the church later made her patron of all the Americas. Juan Diego was canonized as the hemisphere's first Indian saint in 2002 during the papacy of John Paul II.

Juan Diego's cloak is on display today behind glass at the basilica, the most visited Marian shrine on the planet, where signs admonish against flash photography and long lines of worshipers are carried past along a self-moving walkway.

Chesnut called Francis "a very strongly Marian pontiff" and said his visit to the basilica will be one of the defining moments of his trip to Mexico, which has more Catholics than any other Spanish-speaking country.

Each year on December 12, millions of people visit the basilica in northern Mexico City, many of them crawling or bearing statues of Guadalupe on their backs, to beseech all manner of favors: to be healed of an illness, freed from an addiction, for the welfare of loved ones.

The rest of the year, many Mexicans make the sign of the cross when they pass Guadalupe shrines found in just about every nook and cranny of the country. Custodians make sure the shrines are always well-kept with offerings of fresh flowers or candles.

At the Martinez de la Torre market in central Mexico City, a portrait of Guadalupe framed by neon tubes in the red, white and green of the Mexican flag graces a wall overlooking a meat counter.

"Why have a Virgin? Because our faith in her is very great, very important," said butcher Erlinda Olivares Zuniga, who choked up when asked about Guadalupe ahead of Francis' visit. "We are God's chosen, because the Virgin appeared here."

Associated Press cameraman Gerardo Carrillo in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Source: foxnews.com
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A rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted Thursday of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations. Liang is the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty death since 2005.

The manslaughter charge, a felony, carries up to 15 years in prison, though no requirement for any prison time. Liang was dismissed from the New York Police Department right after the verdict. His sentencing is April 14.

But an uncertainty remains: Brooklyn state Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun has yet to rule on Liang's lawyers' request to dismiss the charges; Liang also was convicted of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said "justice was done" for Gurley.

"He was an innocent man who was killed by a police officer who violated his training," said Thompson, whose mother was a police officer.

But Liang's lawyers said they struggled to understand how the jury could find him guilty for a shooting he said happened accidentally in a pitch-dark stairway.

"If that's not a time to pull out your gun, I don't know when is," said defense lawyer Robert Brown, who said Liang would appeal. NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton said shortly after the shooting that the evidence pointed to an "accidental discharge" of Liang's weapon.

Internal disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Liang's partner, who was not charged criminally and testified in the case. Liang, who remains free on bail, left the courthouse without comment.

Gurley's death in November 2014 added fuel to a nationwide series of protests against police killings of unarmed black men. Just days after Gurley was killed, a St. Louis County grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

One week after that grand jury decided against indicting Wilson, a Staten Island grand jury returned no indictment for the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner, another unarmed black man, by placing him in a chokehold. Like Gurley, Brown and Garner were black and unarmed.

Thompson cautioned that Liang's case shouldn't be commingled with others. But relatives of other New Yorkers killed in police encounters had joined Gurley's family outside court during the trial to call for police accountability.

"I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone," Gurley's mother, Sylvia Palmer, said after the officer's conviction.

Meanwhile, supporters of Liang, who is Chinese-American, have said he has been made a scapegoat for past injustices.

And the head of Liang's union, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, said in a statement that the verdict "will have a chilling effect on police officers across the city because it criminalizes a tragic accident."

Lynch wasn't in court for the verdict. While New York police officers often fill rows of courtroom seats when one of their own faces charges, few officers appeared in court during Liang's trial.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said he respected the jury's decision and hoped it would bring Gurley's family some sense of finality.

The last officer convicted in a killing in the line of duty was Brian Conroy. He was found guilty in 2005 of criminally negligent homicide in the shooting of Ousmane Zongo, an African immigrant, during a police raid. Conroy was sentenced to probation and 500 hours of community service.

Liang and his partner were patrolling a public housing high-rise in Brooklyn with his gun drawn when he fired. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit the 28-year-old Gurley on a lower floor.

Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly, must have realized from the noise that someone was nearby and did almost nothing to help Gurley.

While Liang's trial unfolded, two other New York police officers, Patrick Espeut and Diara Cruz, were shot and wounded during a similar stairwell patrol in a different public housing complex. The gunman later killed himself. The judge barred any mention of those shootings in Liang's trial.

The Associated Press
Environmental activists in Milwaukee rallied outside the venue where the Democratic presidential debate was about to take place Thursday, calling on candidates to oppose a Canadian energy company's planned expansion of the cross-border Alberta Clipper oil pipeline that has been allowed to move forward without an environmental review.

Given Enbridges poor record of spills and the risk to our community, our waterways and our global climate, we must demand the rejection of the presidential permit that would approve the Alberta Clipper expansion, Cassie Steiner, a staff member with the Sierra Club, said in a news release.

Canadian energy company Enbridge was blamed for the worst inland oil spill in U.S. history, when a massive pipeline rupture in 2010 contaminated Michigans Kalamazoo River and sickened residents.

We are calling on our presidential candidates to oppose the Alberta Clipper pipeline expansion and to assure a rejection of the presidential permit if elected, Steiner said.

Presidential approval is required for such cross-border projects, including Keystone XL  which President Barack Obama vetoed last year, saying it would have exacerbated climate change.

Enbridges Alberta Clipper line would carry tar sands oil, among the dirtiest type of crude, through Minnesota and Wisconsin. The company wants to expand the capacity of its Line 67 from 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) to over 800,000 bpd, but the State Department permit was clear in limiting that lines capacity to 450,000 bpd.

In order to skirt the limit, Enbridge constructed a Bypass Project to divert 800,000 bpd from Line 67 on the Canadian side of the border into an older Enbridge pipeline called Line 3. The oil would then be diverted back to Line 67 once south of the border.

Despite the obvious attempt to circumvent the regulatory process, the U.S. State Department accelerated approval of the pipeline expansion without requiring a new review or opening the project to public comment, according to emails submitted as part of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and other groups against the State Department.

The federal court ruled on the case in December, saying it didnt have the authority to intervene. It left the decision up to Obama or the next president to reverse the decision.

Enbridge must be held accountable for the risks these plans present to our safety and our environment, Steiner said. We must continue to fight the broader pipeline expansion plans that Enbridge is pursuing.
One of the few living Tuskegee Airmen was recognized Thursday at MacDill Air Force Base.

Retired Lt. Col. George Hardy was part of the all-black 99th Fighter Squadron that flew 21 combat missions over Germany in the final two months before V-E Day.

The thing is, we wanted to fly. says Hardy, And we did what was necessary to fly.

But Lt. Col. Hardy says that was only half the fight. There was still the fight for equal rights.

Like we went overseas and flew over there and came back and nothing in the States had changed," he said.

Even when things did change and the military was integrated, Hardy says it took years before he felt accepted.

These days he looks at many of the changes in the African-American community and is left disappointed by the progress.

It's almost frightening at times. Hardy says, The fact that generations are growing up and not taking advantage of the opportunities. Because opportunities exist. It's just a matter of preparing yourself for it.

Nevertheless, the 90-year-old veteran continues to tell his story to anyone who will listen as a tribute to those fellow airmen who gave their all for freedom and equality.

I look back yes, it was all worth it," he said. "We paid a price, but it was a price we'd probably been glad to pay."


The Zika virus and You.

How can you protect yourself? Thats the first thing on everyones mind when it comes to the Zika virus.

Thats also what Florida hospital workers discussed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday during a conference call and webinar.

Thursday we also learned there are two new reported Zika cases in Florida, but not in our viewing area. The number of confirmed travel associated Zika infections went from 16 to 18. No new counties were added to the current list and there are still three cases reported in Hillsborough county.

When it comes to understanding the virus, theres an important piece that Priority Health Dr. Randy Shuck says men and women should consider.

"The important piece to understand is that if you don't get bitten by a mosquito, you probably have a very good chance of not getting Zika, but the CDC says there are some sexually transmitted routes so it's possible that if your partner got bit by a mosquito, while traveling, you could get it from sexual contact as well, he said

About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika will get sick, and for many of those people, the symptoms are usually mild.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders vigorously agreed. Except when they didn't.



The rivals spent much of Thursday's sixth Democratic presidential debate in a respectful discussion of their marginal differences on issues like immigration, criminal justice reform and entitlements. But both were animated when the contest turned to one of fundamental questions facing Democrats: has President Barack Obama gone far enough in his policies and if not, how far should the next president go?



Clinton, who has cast herself as the rightful heir to Obama's legacy, accused Sanders of diminishing the president's record, short-changing his leadership and seeking to wipe away his signature health care law.



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"The kind of criticism I hear from Senator Sanders, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone seeking the Democratic nomination," Clinton said in a sharp exchange near the close of the two-hour debate in Milwaukee. Her biting comments followed an interview in which Sanders suggested Obama hadn't succeeded in closing the gap between Congress and the American people - something Obama himself has acknowledged.



Sanders responded: "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow." And he noted that Clinton was the only one on the stage who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential race.



Long viewed as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic race, Clinton has been caught off guard by Sanders' strength, particularly his visceral connection with Americans frustrated by the current political and economic systems. Clinton's own campaign message has looked muddled compared to his ringing call for a "political revolution," and her connections to Wall Street have given Sanders an easy way to link her to the systems his supporters want to overhaul.



Seeking to stem Sanders' momentum, her campaign has argued that his appeal is mostly limited to the white, liberal voters who make up the Democratic electorate in Iowa and New Hampshire. Clinton's team says that as the race turns now to Nevada, South Carolina and other more diverse states, her support from black and Hispanic voters will help propel her to the nomination.



Attempting Thursday night to boost his own support from minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system" that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities.



"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.



In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to fix the criminal justice system, but cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.



"We also have to talk about jobs, education, housing, and other ways of helping communities," said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.



The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.



"We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up," said Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.



Both Clinton and Sanders also disagreed with raids authorized by Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally.



"We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can," Clinton said.



While the Democratic race has become more heated in recent weeks, Clinton and Sanders have cast their disagreements as matters of substance and degree while condemning Republicans for focusing more on personal attacks. The GOP race has been a fiery contest, with Trump levying sharply personal attacks on his rivals and other candidates, including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, releasing no-holds-barred negative advertisements.



Clinton, who remains the favorite for the Democratic nomination, has a political incentive to keep her disagreements with Sanders focused on policy. She can't afford to alienate the young voters who are overwhelmingly backing Sanders in the primary, if she does become the Democratic nominee.



Still, the former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system. Clinton said those proposals come with unrealistic price tags. And she accused Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40 percent increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.



Sanders didn't shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.



"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," Sanders said.



Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively on a call to break up big Wall Street banks and overhaul the current campaign finance system that he says gives wealthy Americans undue influence. His campaign contends that his message will be well-received by minority voters, arguing that blacks and Hispanics have been hurt even more by what he calls a "rigged" economy.



In the debate's early moments, Clinton found herself having to explain comments by surrogates, including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, that suggested women had a responsibility to help elect the first female president.



"I'm not asking people to support me because I'm a woman," Clinton said. "I'm asking people to support me because I think I'm the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander in chief."



It was Sanders - a democratic socialist who would be the first Jewish president if elected - who tried to drape his candidacy in a bit of history, saying:



"I think a Sanders victory would be of some historical accomplishment as well."
Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed in Cuba on Friday in a historic meeting nearly 1,000 years after the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity split apart.

"Finally," Francis said as he and Kirill entered through doors on opposite sides of a room at Havana airport to begin private talks. "We are brothers."

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, addressed ways of healing the rift between their Churches as well as their concerns over the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks.

"It is very clear that this is the will of God," Francis said.

"Yes, things are much easier now," Kirill said. Both men spoke through interpreters and were accompanied by their top aides in the quest for Christian unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and Russian Metropolitan Hilarion.

During their meeting, Francis and Kirill signed a joint declaration on religious unity.

"In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they said in the joint declaration in apparent reference to violence perpetrated by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

"Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed."

Their meeting, announced just a week ago, also carried political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

Cuban President Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the Catholic Church's highest representative in Cuba, greeted the pope as he got off the plane.

Kirill arrived in Havana on Thursday and was also greeted by Castro, an ally of Russia who received Francis in Cuba just five months ago.

The Argentine pontiff previously played a role in rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, which restored diplomatic relations last year after a 54-year break.

Now the pope, leader of the 1.2 billion member Catholic Church, is seeking to repair a much longer rupture. Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome in 1054, and today the Russian church counts some 165 million of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians.

Kirill, on a longer stay, will also visit Cuba's small Russian Orthodox Church, built between 2004 to 2008 and attended by Russian holdovers from the decades of Soviet influence in Cuba.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the Russian church, which in turn has backed Kremlin foreign policy, most notably in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Putin has also improved relations with Cuba, which were strained following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Plans to speed up DNA testing in suspected rape cases are moving in the Florida Legislature, following revelations that thousands of evidence kits remain untested statewide.



According to the Tampa Bay Times, on Monday the Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously passed a measure (SB 636) that would establish time limits for local agencies to submit sexual assault kits to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing.

The vote came after a FDLE report earlier this month showed the state has more than 13,000 untested rape kits.



The House version (HB 179), filed by Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, has passed one panel and faces two more.



"All I know is that we are going to make sure that this bill passes, and that it is not an optional question moving forward, that they will be submitted and tested in a very timely fashion," said Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, who filed the Senate measure. "And we think that 120 days is long enough for someone to wait to make sure that the person that committed that crime against them --- that they can be brought to justice."



The state currently does not require kits to be submitted for testing. That decision has rested with local law-enforcement agencies.



The new measures would require any evidence collected in rape investigations to be submitted for testing within 21 days of being received by law enforcement agencies, or after notification by victims or victims' representatives that they wish the evidence to be tested.



The report came after Attorney General Pam Bondi called on lawmakers last September to increase funding for crime labs to address the testing backlog.



"We must ensure we are able to test all DNA evidence, including sexual assault kits, in a timely manner, and this legislation will help expedite the process, Bondi said in a statement on Monday.


Here's what you need to know about the Tampa Bay area's weather for Friday evening into the weekend:

Clear this evening, some clouds, light rain possible late



Sunny, breezy, cool on Saturday



Valentine's Day mostly sunny, highs in the mid 60s



It has been another cool day, but milder than the last several days. Tonight will be milder, as well -- clear this evening, then some clouds late with a few sprinkles possible. Winds pick up again by morning as a weak cold front arrives around dawn Saturday.

Sunny, breezy and cool on Saturday with highs in the mid 60s.

Clear and cold Saturday night, with lows near freezing in our northern counties, lower 40s for lows around Tampa Bay.

Valentines Day will be mostly sunny, but cool with highs again in the mid 60s.

Increasing clouds on Monday, milder with a fast moving wet weather system arriving late Monday night. The system will likely bring some rain Monday night and early Tuesday, but should exit quickly and leave us dry and breezy for the rest of the day Tuesday.



The weather next week looks nice, with a slow warming trend.




U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Friday called for U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson to drop out of the race for a Senate seat in Florida.

Reid said in a statement that Grayson claims to be progressive but seems to have "no moral compass." He said Grayson used his office to unethically promote a hedge fund that until recently had been based in the Cayman Islands.

Grayson is running in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. His campaign did not immediately respond to Reid's call to quit the race.

His business activities have come under scrutiny for the past several months. The New York Times on Thursday reported that Grayson promoted his international travels, some with congressional delegations, to solicit business for his hedge fund.

""Alan Grayson claims to be a progressive, but it seems like he has no moral compass. These deeply troubling allegations should disqualify anyone from a seat in the U.S. Senate. Alan Grayson used his status as a congressman to unethically promote his Cayman Islands hedge funds, and he should drop out of the Senate race immediately. His actions aren't just disgraceful to the Democratic Party, they disgrace the halls of Congress," Reid said.

Reid's decision to take sides in a Democratic primary is unusual. But the Democratic establishment has been getting behind U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, seeing him as the stronger general election candidate in a swing state.

Grayson, a liberal firebrand who has said the GOP health plan was to hope people die quickly, has contended that he is the only true Democrat in the race.

Grayson released the following statement on Friday:

I'm running against a rigged system and the Washington Establishment, so it's no surprise that its departing figurehead, who failed so badly in the 2014 Senate races, relies on a false and misleading hyped story to try to pressure me out of this race. The reason why he is making such an absurd statement at all is that he knows that Im well ahead in the polls, and heading for a strong primary victory. Sen. Reid may well prefer corrupt Establishment errand boy Patrick Murphy, who routinely sells his vote to Wall Street lobbyists, and just last week hid from voting on his own bill providing amnesty to white-collar criminals. Patrick Murphy publicly called on national TV for cuts across the board in Social Security and Medicare, among other essential programs. Those are actions that truly disgrace our party and the Halls of Congress. Sen. Reid managed to find a way to lose six out of seven open Senate seats in 2014, and lose six incumbent Democrats when the GOP lost none. Now he is personally attacking the clear choice of Florida Democrats, making the party into a circular firing squad. The story to which he refers is replete with misleading statements, innuendo and outright lies, and despite that, there is nothing in the report that even suggest any improper or unethical conduct. I never used my Congressional office to advance any business interest or for personal gain, and to say so is utterly deceitful. I resent the attack on my 'morality,' and I question the morality and judgment of any elected official, much less one in my own party, who would sink so low as to engage in such a smear. Thank goodness that he will be gone from Washington, DC when I am sworn into the Senate.

Republicans have four major candidates: U.S. Rep. Ron Desantis, a tea party favorite backed by conservative groups; U.S. Rep. David Jolly, a former Washington lobbyist and congressional aide; Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera; and businessman Todd Wilcox, who has never run for political office.

Carlos Beruff, a wealthy Manatee County homebuilder, is also likely to jump into the GOP primary.


Blums one-man operation covers the Evenwel plaintiffs legal fees. Blum in turn is funded solely through Donors Trust, a Virginia-based 501(c)(3) organization that contributed just over $1 million to Blums organization in 2013 through an intermediary nonprofit Project Liberty, according to tax filings. Founded in 1999 as an ideology-centric middleman , Donors Trust funnels money from wealthy donors exclusively to causes that further the ideals of limited government, personal responsibility and free enterprise. Donors Trusts 501(c)(3) status means that like other dark money organizations, wealthy individuals can make tax-deductible contributions to groups like Blums with complete anonymity. By its count , Donors Trust has given more than $740 million of donors money to liberty-minded nonprofits. Blum declined to comment and referred questions on the case to Grossman.

The driving force behind the Evenwel case is Ed Blum, whose Project on Fair Representation is adept at matching plaintiffs with lawyers in cases designed to end up in the Supreme Court. Another case that Blum has shepherded, which argues against affirmative action admissions policies (Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin), was also heard by the Supreme Court this term.

An examination of funding sources tied to the Evenwel case reveals a web of influential Republican-allied organizations with long-standing support for restrictive voting laws and suppression tactics aimed at discouraging turnout among populations that vote for Democratic candidates. Proponents of these laws argue they are necessary to combat what they say is potentially widespread voter fraud  but only 28 people were convicted of in-person voter fraud from 2000 to 2012.

The highly partisan support thats made this case possible, however, indicates who would benefit from a ruling for the plaintiffs. When you look at this from a political perspective  what it would do is cut out the Latino population said Kathay Feng, the executive director of the nonprofit California Common Cause, who cites the high percentage of underage and noncitizens among this demographic. And to the extent that a significant proportion of Latinos register and vote as Democrats youre hobbling the ability to draw districts that vote Democratic. Youre redistributing those people to more Republican districts.

Supporters of Evenwel typically frame the case as one of philosophical fairness, aiming to ensure that one residents vote carries the same weight as anothers. When you look at the courts cases in explaining the genesis and purpose of the one person, one vote doctrine, it was always about equalizing vote weight, said attorney Andrew Grossman who wrote an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs. This case is a request for very modest relief, he said, adding that should the plaintiffs win, You wouldnt see immediate disruption in the way things currently operate.

In June the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether states will be forced to redraw their electoral maps on the basis of only eligible voters rather than total population, as has been the standard for more than 50 years. A win for the plaintiffs in the case, Evenwel v. Abbott, would result in a dramatic shift in electoral power, upending the notion of one person, one vote. Densely populated urban areas with large numbers of children, immigrants and the formerly incarcerated would lose representation, and rural areas, which have smaller populations but much greater percentages of voting-age eligible residents, stand to see their electoral power increase.

This is part three of a three-part series explaining why conservatives are pushing more restrictive voting laws and how such efforts disenfranchise minority voters. Part one looks at the myth of rampant in-person voting fraud. Part two looks at the partisan strategy of voter suppression.

Among the groups that we do know is contributing to Donors Trust is the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a powerful player in both state and national conservative politics with more than $903 million in assets, according to 2013 tax filings. The Bradley Foundation is no stranger to issues of voter suppression. In 2010 the organization funded a controversial campaign in which billboards declaring Voter fraud is a felony! went up in largely African-American Milwaukee neighborhoods weeks ahead of the November election, a move critics say was intended to suppress turnout in those communities.

In 2013 the Bradley Foundation made a $50,000 grant to True the Vote, a Houston-based anti-voter fraud group founded by Catherine Engelbrecht, that has garnered national attention for training and sending white election observers into predominantly African-American and Latino polling places looking for evidence of voter fraud, creating what voting rights advocates have denounced as an intimidating environment. Another Engelbrecht-founded group, the King Street Patriots, has been accused of providing illegal contributions to Texas Republican party organizations, in a case that has been appealed to the Texas State Supreme Court.

The Bradley Foundations outgoing president, Michael Grebe, has been a key ally and confidant of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, most recently serving as the campaign committee chairman for Walkers failed presidential bid. From the day I became active in politics, Walker told a closed-door meeting of conservatives, according to The Washington Times, I have sought the counsel and advice of the man I consider my political and philosophical mentor, Mike Grebe. As governor, Walker has enabled more restrictive voting laws. In addition to requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot this November, Walker has reduced the number of early voting days and has eliminated voting on Sunday, typically a day of high turnout among African-American churchgoing voters.

Another source of Donors Trust funding is the Knowledge and Progress Fund, a dark money nonprofit controlled in part by billionaire conservative Charles Koch. The fund was created to pass contributions exclusively to Donors Trust, to the tune of $7.7 million since 2010, according to tax records.

From 2010 to 2012, Donors Trust contributed $8.2 million to Americans for Prosperity, one of several organizations in Charles Koch and David Kochs network of conservative political advocacy groups. The organization has been accused by critics of repeatedly participating in voter suppression schemes. In the weeks ahead of the 2014 election Americans for Prosperity sent out voter registration mailings to North Carolina residents with incorrect registration deadlines and return addresses. Earlier that year, the Koch-funded group sent out mailings to eligible West Virginia voters with warnings that they may not be able to vote in the upcoming primary unless they updated their voter registration. In 2011, Americans for Prosperity mailed absentee ballot applications to Wisconsin voters registered as Democrats with instructions to return them two days after the actual deadline. In each case Americans for Prosperity said the errors were due to clerical mistakes and outdated mailing lists.

Both Donors Trust and the Koch brothers provide financial support to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an influential conservative group comprised of representatives from major U.S. corporations and overwhelmingly Republican lawmakers. The group is best known for producing legislation-ready bills, written by lawmakers and corporate representatives working side by side, that its members can introduce in their state legislatures with little or no modification.

In the name of combating voter fraud, ALEC drafted and began promoting voter ID legislation to Republican-controlled state legislatures in 2009. The model bill required citizens to present a valid photo ID in order to cast a ballot. Three years later 62 voter ID bills had been proposed in state legislatures across the country, half of which were sponsored by members or conference attendees of the American Legislative Exchange Council, according to an analysis by the journalism project News21.

Critics of these laws argue that in-person voter impersonation (the only type of fraud a photo ID prevents) is exceedingly rare. The real purpose of these laws, they say, is to suppress voter participation by disproportionately burdening the groups of voters  African-Americans, Latinos and other minorities  least likely to vote for a Republican candidate.

Many see the Evenwel bid for redistricting as simply another attempt to achieve this goal. A victory for the plaintiffs can undo a lot of the hard-fought political gains by racial minorities especially in urban areas, said Sean Young an attorney with the ACLU, which has filed an amicus brief for the defendants. It can result in backsliding to an era in which minority political power is diluted. Thats not something we should be welcoming.
In response to the state's rating of its bilingual and English as Second Language programs as deficient, Beaumont ISD has scheduled training sessions this Friday and Saturday for teachers, who are unsure about what will be expected of them.

The Texas Education Agency has placed BISD's bilingual and ESL programs at stage 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is lowest. The stages are based on state testing performance by targeted groups, like ESL and special education.

The ratings are released in the late summer and early fall after TEA reviews state test scores, TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said.

The issues with BISD's bilingual and ESL programs go back a few years, and the district's current designation means it "has to step it up a little more," she said.

Teachers have been receiving notification of the upcoming training sessions since fall but are uncertain about who is supposed to become ESL-certified, said Greg Sholl, president of the Beaumont Teachers Association.

Sholl said he has been receiving phone calls from teachers for several months but was still unable to answer their questions as of this week, he said in a phone interview.

"There is a great deal of confusion about who is supposed to attend and why," he said.

BISD spokesman Ron Reynolds said the upcoming training sessions at West Brook High School are part of the district's efforts to improve the programs.

He also said BISD is conducting a mock audit of its bilingual and ESL programs to address weakness areas. The results are expected to be released next month, he said.

Superintendent John Frossard said Wednesday he didn't know details about the upcoming ESL training sessions.

Sholl said he believes all of the district's 1,200 teachers are expected to go through the ESL training. An economics teacher at Central High School, he said he is scheduled to participate both days.

Sholl said the district could be planning to have all teachers ESL-certified after this week's training to prevent ESL students from having to meet individually with qualified instructors for individual tutoring, he said. But he admitted that was speculation.

"It's been very frustrating. It's just all so vague," he said.

Read the complete story in the Feb. 11 print edition of the Beaumont Enterprise.

MLibardi@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/ManuellaLibardi
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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed six defendants from a lawsuit brought by former Beaumont ISD contract electrician Calvin Walker and former employee Jessie Haynes, a potentially major blow to the litigation because several other defendants have moved for dismissal on similar grounds.

Walker conceded he is a public figure and the Texas Citizens' Participation Act, which encourages citizens' discussion of public matters, applies to the defendants, U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone wrote in her memorandum order filed Thursday.

Crone further wrote that the statements Walker claimed were defamatory were substantially true, and Walker failed to provide "clear and specific evidence of actual malice required to succeed on his defamation claims."

Dismissed from the lawsuit were Beaumont attorney Wayne Reaud; The Examiner newspaper and two employees; Beaumont city council member Mike Getz and journalist Jerry Jordan.

"We think the court's decision is correct and fair. The lawsuit was abusive and baseless," said Dallas attorney Thomas S. Leatherbury, who represented Reaud and the Examiner defendants.

Leatherbury said he will file motions to attempt to recover attorneys' fees and other costs.

Dismissed from the lawsuit - Beaumont attorney Wayne Reaud - The Examiner newspaper - two Examiner employees - Beaumont city council member Mike Getz - Journalist Jerry Jordan See More Collapse

The lawsuit, filed July 16, seeks at least $22 million in damages and names more than 30 individuals and organizations, including The Beaumont Enterprise, federal prosecutors, two FBI agents and a local union.

More than 20 other defendants, including the school district's seven-member board of managers and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, also have asked to be dismissed from the civil suit.

The Enterprise last month filed a motion to dismiss on similar grounds as the six defendants Crone ruled for Thursday.

Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin will hear the newspaper's arguments on March 3.

Crone's order formally adopts a report filed late last month by Giblin in which he recommended that she dismiss the defendants from the lawsuit.

Walker and Haynes, represented by Houston attorney Maria-Vittoria Galli Carminati, objected to Giblin's report and recommendation, arguing in part that federal law prevents the court from dismissing defendants this early in the case and that the TCPA, a state law, cannot be used as a defense in federal court, according to the document filed Feb. 5.

Crone overruled the objections.

Walker also argued he presented enough evidence to prove the oral and online comments made by the defendants were defamatory and false, an objection that Crone wrote has no merit because they are "substantially true under Texas law and thus cannot support an actionable defamation claim," according to her order.

Besides the "substantial truth" of the statements, the defendants argued last month in Giblin's courtroom that the articles and online statements were barred by the one-year statute of limitations for defamation claims, which they allege expired before Walker and Haynes filed suit.

Walker objected to the statute of limitations argument, contending the Texas Supreme Court has not decided when the limitations period begins to run for online articles.

Crone also overruled this objection, stating that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has determined the one-year time limitation applies for Internet publication under Texas law.

Besides defamation, including libel and slander, Walker alleges breach of contract and interference with existing and prospective contracts, civil rights violations, civil conspiracy, racketeering and conspiracy.

MLibardi@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/ManuellaLibardi
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Marin Andress had about 350 boys ask to be her Valentine this year.

As the West Brook High School sophomore received her fourth round of chemotherapy at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston on Thursday, almost every sophomore boy gathered on the field next to the school to ask Andress via Skype if she would be their Valentine.

Andress, 16, was diagnosed with stage 2a Hodgkin's Lymphoma more than four months ago.

Since then, the school has rallied to support her with several fundraisers and a blood drive.

Sporting red ties and white button-down shirts, the teenage boys formed a heart in the field that was captured on video by a drone and sent to Andress.

Shy Randle-Filer, an assistant principal at West Brook, organized the event to let Andress know she wasn't alone.

Randle-Filer said one of her sophomore students died last year from cancer.

"I knew we needed to show Marin how much we love her," she said.

Randle-Filer said Andress is a "bright light" who always smiles while walking down the halls.

Andress discovered a lump on her neck several months ago, according to her grandparents, Paul and Rita Hall.

The Halls were devastated to hear the diagnosis but optimistic about the 95 percent recovery rate.

Andress has stayed positive and strong through every round of chemo, Rita Hall said.

"The thing that scared her the most was losing her hair, especially for a 16-year-old girl with long, thick, brown

hair," she said. "It didn't take her long to realize that her hair didn't make her."

Andress smiled and laughed over the phone as the boys yelled that they loved her.

Sophomore Camron Coleman, who sits next to Andress in their seventh-period history class, said Andress provided the class with a "spark."

With her around, he revels in the role of class clown. He hasn't been as funny in her absence.

"It is empty," he said. "You can tell she's missed."

After Andress finishes this fourth round, she might be through with chemotherapy, her grandparents said.

Coleman and his classmates said they are confident Andress will return to school soon.

"I know she'll be all right," he said. "She'll be back."

MHeath@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/mheath31
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In a prostitution sting targeting Cypresswood Drive and the North Freeway, Harris County authorities have arrested 12 people, including one man who allegedly tried to purchase sex with his 4-year-old daughter in the car.

The sting took place Tuesday and Wednesday with investigators from Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman's office, who were responding to complaints about prostitution near schools, shopping centers and residential areas, officials said.

Undercover officers posing as prostitutes were able to gather evidence against several "johns" who tried to purchase sex or sex-related acts, police said. Focusing efforts on the customers reduces demand for prostitution, which helps curb human trafficking, Herman's office said.

One of those arrested, Matthias Elias Dornellien, 30, is a former Houston Police Department officer.

Dornellien served less than two years as an officer, from May 2009 until his resignation in February 2011, according to HPD. At the time he resigned, he was assigned to the South Central patrol division, a department spokesman said Friday.

Online court documents indicate that in April 2011, Dornellien pleaded guilty to theft by a public servant and was sentenced to five years probation, which was scheduled to end this April.

Although Dornellien asked to be taken off probation in January 2013, the judge denied the request, saying early termination was inappropriate because "defendant was HPD officer."

"The male sex buyers are all different ages, races and come from all walks of life," Herman said Friday in a statement about this week's sting.

Reports of prostitution or other illegal activities can be made at the Precinct 4 Constable's website. Click on "Online Services" and then click on "Regulatory Violation." Complaints can be made anonymously.
When I first started reading about JetBlues Gateway 7 program, which hopes to train new pilots from scratch, I thought it sounded like a great idea. The airlines program puts students through simulators and in-house classes, reviews their performance results and provides a road to a cool job. In a labor environment in which a lot of young people are looking for a reliable plan, Gateway 7 could be Teach for America with wings  a low bar but still a rare investment in workers.

Then, I got to the end of the article, where it read, Prospective pilots would pay for their own training. Of course Gateway 7 was too good to be true.

Like many companies, airlines cant make any money unless people work for them and in this case, candidates must know how to fly planes. But once trained, pilots are free to go work somewhere else. The military gets around this problem by requiring minimum terms from pilots, and airlines have long taken advantage of the publicly funded training by hiring ex-military personnel. But the rise in student-funded post-secondary education has enabled employers of all sorts to push training costs onto workers. The more skilled job applicants are when they hit the market, the less companies have to risk by investing in them.

In a broad sense, employers have an interest in turning worker training into education. Workers as a class, however, are better off getting paid to learn how to use Excel or fly planes or operate other heavy machinery rather than footing the bill themselves. But an individual worker, on the other hand, might be willing to take out education loans if they think itll help them qualify for a career. And if enough individuals are willing to pay for their own training, then employers tend to win the contest. The next question for companies is how to ensure that schools are teaching the correct skills so that recruits require the minimum amount of new instruction.

Luckily for employers, students tend to seek out postsecondary education because theyre looking for a career. Higher education administrators at all levels want their graduates to get jobs, and they also want help funding new programs that help their graduates get jobs. When employers say what theyre looking for, smart education administrators are inclined to listen. A new regional training initiative called Tennessee Manufacturers Works (TMW) announced last month brings employers together to define skills they need. Most of the programs $200,000 funding comes from the metals giant Alcoa, which will be looking to replace a wave of skilled workers soon.

The urgency for creating new pathways to manufacturing jobs has never been greater, Ryan Kish of the Alcoa Foundation said. Tennessee has a strong manufacturing economy, but many jobs remain unfilled for months, signaling a need for better career entry points. The president of the Tennessee Association of Manufacturers Tim Spires said, As we work daily with manufacturers across Tennessee, the number one concern we hear from CEOs and plant managers is the lack of availability of a skilled and dedicated workforce. Matching education and jobs sounds like a win-win, but its a much better deal for the employer. Designing curriculum  as Tennessee Manufacturers Works is planning to do  is much cheaper than paying for the training itself.
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The Harris County Sheriff's Office terminated a third deputy related to a sex scandal that has rocked the agency following the murder of Deputy Darren Goforth in August.

On Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office announced it was firing Deputy Jason Goodrich, 27, who worked for two years on the Patrol Bureau.

WITNESS SPEAKS OUT: Woman in Goforth case said to be 'emotional'

According to the sheriff's office, the deputy engaged in inappropriate communications with two witnesses related to incidents he responded to.

One of the witnesses was involved in the capital murder investigation of Deputy Darren Goforth, according to a sheriff's office press release.

"As far as our investigation goes, hopefully this is the end," said Ralph Gonzales, a Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman. "But we're continuing our investigation to make sure no more individuals are involved."

Goforth, 47, was shot last August in an unprovoked attack at a gas station. Weeks after his death, it emerged that he had been having an affair with a woman who was with him when he was killed.

Shortly after that, Hickman fired Sgt. Craig Clopton, a homicide detective who admitted to an improper relationship with the witness, prompting the department to revise and strengthen its sexual misconduct policy. This week, the department announced the dismissal of Deputy Marc DeLeon for lying about having a relationship with the woman and said it had been investigating Goodrich.

In a previous interview with the Chronicle, Sheriff Ron Hickman said his deputies needed to treat interactions with witnesses "like a doctor-patient relationship."

"While you wouldn't think you'd have to say that - that it's a bad thing to sleep with witnesses - apparently in this day and age you have to spell it out," he said in an interview Thursday.

SCANDAL GROWS: Sheriff's office fires second deputy

Previous to joining the sheriff's office in 2014, Goodrich served as a reserve deputy in Bexar County, according to state records. It was unclear Friday afternoon if he had hired a lawyer or would be appealing the termination.
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A former teacher at an El Paso elementary school is on the run from federal authorities after being charged in connection with an alleged drug trafficking ring run by her family members.

In October, a federal grand jury in El Paso indicted Monica Velasco, a 42-year-old teacher at Thomas Manor Elementary School, on charges of conspiracy connected to racketeering, drug trafficking, money laundering and kidnapping in a foreign country.

Velasco quit her 14-year job at the school and fled from her El Paso home in September after her sister and two brothers were charged in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot in 2008 of a man and his two daughters in Juarez, Scott Williams, deputy for the U.S. Marshals Service in El Paso, said in an interview with mySA.com.

RELATED: 'La Patrona,' financial operator for Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman captured in Mexico

"Everyone we've spoken to has said she's deathly afraid of Mexico," Williams said, adding that she did not enter Mexico in the past to visit family there and that authorities have "strong reason" to believe she is still in the El Paso area.

Deputies with the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force nearly captured Velasco at a home in El Paso's Lower Valley earlier this month, but she fled before deputies arrived, Williams said.

Authorities arrested Monica Velasco's mother Josefina Gurrola, 63, on Feb. 5 and charged her with concealing a person from arrest. Gurrola is accused in a criminal complaint of communicating with Velasco using disposable cellphones since about November.

The 63-year-old told investigators that Velasco fled after she "realized after her brother and sister were arrested that she would be next" and that her daughter "went into hiding after they were arrested because she was scared about going to jail," the complaint reads.

SEE ALSO: 3 men arrested in connection with killing of 7-month-old baby, family in Mexico drug gang shootout

The 42-year-old former teacher was primarily in charge of handling and storing money for what's referred to as the Velasco Criminal Enterprise in a federal indictment unsealed in January.

Federal officials allege that the El Paso-based enterprise has significant resources and conducts illegal activity in other parts of Texas as well as Las Vegas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and the city of Juarez, just across the border of El Paso.

The organization allegedly engages in theft and burglary of vehicles, kidnapping, extortion, robbery and money laundering, according to the indictment.

RELATED: Photos surface of new Mexican criminal organization declaring war on powerful drug cartel

Members of the enterprise rip off or steal drug loads from suppliers or competing drug traffickers and then turning those drugs for a profit, the indictment alleges.

Velasco would receive or dole out drug proceeds to members of the enterprise and also transfer "ownership of property" for the enterprise and rent vehicles for members, federal prosecutors say.

On one occasion in 2014, Velasco transferred a Cadillac Escalade used to pay for one kilogram of cocaine to her brother Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola, who allegedly heads the enterprise, according to the indictment.

Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola, his brother and enterprise co-leader Samuel Velasco Gurrola and their sister Dalia Valencia were indicted in September for allegedly paying a hit man to kill 69-year-old Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal of Juarez on Oct. 3, 2008, and his two daughters Cinthia Judith Sagredo Escobedo, 40, and Ruth Sagredo in November 2008.

Ruth Sagredo was married to Samuel Velasco Gurrola, the El Paso Times reported.

RELATED: Body of slain Mexican journalist found wrapped in plastic, handcuffed on side of highway

Before arresting Velasco's mother last week, authorities had been tailing Josefina Gurrola as she would park in different locations around El Paso and sit in her car, the complaint says.

Gurrola told investigators that she was waiting for people to bring her information about her daughter's whereabouts.

The mother took her grandson to Ysleta Independent School District offices in order to obtain funds from Velasco's retirement account, according to the complaint.

Gurrola initially told deputies that a little girl standing near a curb gave her documents needed to obtain the check from the district, the complaint says.

However, Gurrola later admitted that Velasco provided the documents on Jan. 31 after deputies questioned who the child was, what street she was on and why the child was out in the cold.

RELATED: 3 Mexican cartel 'sicarios' arrested near Texas border, suspected of 5 murders

Gurrola gave deputies different answers for how the money withdrawn from Velasco's account would be used, according to the complaint.

Alternately, the 63-year-old said the money would be given to Velasco and used to pay lawyers for her children, the complaint reads.

Gurrola stopped speaking to investigators after they asked whether she received money on behalf of her son Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola at a McDonald's, the complaint says.

"Stop, stop," Gurrola told investigators, according to the complaint. "I do not want to speak to you all anymore because you do not believe anything I say."

RELATED: South Texas women very happy after 80 pounds of pot found in their car at border

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One of the leaders of the Quiverfull movement is Nancy Campbell, a charismatic 75-year-old New Zealand native who is the mother of 10 children  six biological and four adopted. We met her at her home, an hour outside Nashville, Tennessee, where she enthusiastically turned to the book of Psalms in her well-worn Bible and read aloud.

As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of our youth, she read. Then it goes on to say, Blessed is the man who hath his quiver full of them because they will have children who they have raised to be mighty young men and women of God.

Campbell runs Above Rubies, a glossy quarterly magazine, from her office in the basement of her large rural home. The magazine, which she started 35 years ago, bills itself as full of godly wisdom for mother and wife, promoting Christian procreation and urging women to birth as many babies as God grants. The website reports that 160,000 copies of Above Rubies are circulated worldwide.

She laments that young men and women are increasingly making the decision not to have children.

Theyve been brainwashed that they've got to get out in their career and they can't stay at home looking after some children ... Sadly, there are many, many women today who are cutting off the function of their womb, she said. And yet, this is who they are, who God created them to be.

Campbell raised her 10 children. Now they have children of their own. She says her flock now includes 42 grandchildren.

But her philosophy is more than just a celebration of motherhood. The Campbell clan is leading what she describes as a necessary fight against the rise of non-Christian religions. She fears that a low birth rate among Christians means that others, such as Muslims, will outpopulate them.

We pray for Muslim people that they will come to faith in Christ, she said.

Books and articles promoting Quiverfull and Christian homeschooling are on display in her office. She also has a collection of politically charged literature that claims Islam is not a religion of peace and warning that holy war is coming to America.

I have nothing against Islamic people, she said, The thing is, it depends whether America wants to stay America or be an Islamic America.
How profitable are physician practices?

A CareCloud and QuantiaMD infographic examines physician practice profitability. There were 5,012 physicians contributing responses to the data in 2015. Here are 10 key points:

1. Thirty-six percent of physicians reported profitability trending down while 22 percent said profitability at their practice was trending up.

2. More than half  65 percent  of physicians pin pointed declining reimbursement as affecting practice profitability; 57 percent said rising costs were a culprit and 48 percent pointed the finger at the Affordable Care Act.

3. Physicians in California were most concerned about whether they could handle the new influx of patients from the ACA; Massachusetts physicians were the most optimistic. Overall 48 percent said they didn't have the resources to accept new patients that would be insured through the ACA.

4. Eleven percent of the physicians who were in private practice said they were actively looking to sell, but 60 percent said they were not looking for a buyer at all.

6. Physicians in Florida, New York and Illinois were least committed to independence  only 51 percent to 55 percent of the physicians reported no interest in selling.

7. Texas  where 71 percent  and Massachusetts  where 66 percent  of physicians not interested in selling had the most committed physicians to independence.

8. Private practices are looking to optimize profitability in many ways:

 50 percent: Streamlining billing process

 31 percent: Improving technology

 31 percent: Optimizing staff

9. Nearly half  48 percent  of physicians turn to their peers for guidance to improve profitability.

10. Changes private practices consider for improving profitability include: 41 percent are implementing EHR; 25 percent are replacing EHR; and 18 percent are outsourcing billing.
During the Democratic debate last night, Hillary Clinton said while she was not against improving or expanding healthcare coverage for Americans, she warned, "We aren't France," according to Politico.

Here are four notes:

1. In response to Sanders saying he intended to expand the ACA to cover all Americans, Ms. Clinton said, "I believe we are on the path to doing that."

2. She said approximately 90 percent of Americans have healthcare coverage, and she would work to get the remaining 10 percent coverage.

3. Ms. Clinton commented a single-payer system was not realistic.

4. Ms. Clinton believes the government should "level" with Americans to ensure they obtain quality, affordable healthcare.

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Many rural hospitals across the nation are faced with financial challenges, causing some to close for good.

Here are 15 things to know about rural hospital closures.

1. More than 60 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and those closures were spread across more than 20 states, according to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program.

2. Across the U.S., 673 rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, according to a report from iVantage Health Analytics, a firm that compiles a hospital strength index based on data about financial stability, patients and quality indicators.

3. The 673 rural hospitals vulnerable to shutting down are located across 42 states.

4. Sixty-eight percent of the hospitals vulnerable to closure are critical access hospitals  a designation that requires certain conditions be met, including being located at least 35 miles from another hospital.

5. Several factors, including disproportionate share payment cuts and an uneven adoption of Medicaid expansion, have created significant downward pressure on rural hospital margins, according to iVantage.

Where are vulnerable hospitals located?

6. Southern states have especially high rates of vulnerability when compared to their total number of rural hospitals. States in this region with high rates of vulnerability include Mississippi (79 percent), Louisiana (58 percent) and Georgia (53 percent).

7. There are no vulnerable rural facilities in eight states and Washington, D.C., according to iVantage.

The Medicaid expansion-rural hospital closure link

8. Although nearly all rural hospitals are feeling the squeeze, facilities in states that have not expanded Medicaid are under more financial pressure. Sixty-three percent of hospitals vulnerable to closure are in states that have not expanded Medicaid.

9. Hospital closures have sparked interest in Medicaid expansion in some states. For example, in Kansas, the closure of Mercy Hospital Independence (Kan.) last year caused Senate Vice President Jeff King (R-Independence) to take a closer look at the possibility of expanding Medicaid.

10. Just a few weeks after news broke that Mercy Hospital Independence was closing, several other Kansas hospitals, the Kansas Health Foundation and the Kansas Hospital Association teamed up to urge Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback to expand Medicaid to prevent additional closures. However, despite their efforts, Kansas still has not expanded its Medicaid program.

11. In Oklahoma, where Medicaid was not expanded, Sayre (Okla.) Memorial Hospital, a 31-bed nonprofit hospital, abruptly closed this month. One of the main contributors to the hospital's closure was the state's decision not to expand Medicaid, according to hospital officials.

12. According to a study from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, within six months of expanding Medicaid services, states experienced a 50 percent drop in care administered to patients without health insurance. "In expansion states, we see exactly what we would expect to happen after Medicaid became available to more people," said Sayeh Nikpay, MD, lead author of the study. "Even in these early months, the shift from uninsured to Medicaid contrasts sharply with the steady demand for uninsured in nonexpansion states. This has implications for the financial status of hospitals," he said.

The effects of rural hospital closures

13. Of the 673 hospitals identified as vulnerable to closure in the iVantage study, 355 are in markets with great health disparities. "In other words, many of the hospitals most at risk of closure are located in communities that can least afford to lose access to care," said iVantage.

14. If the 673 vulnerable hospitals were to shut down, 99,000 healthcare jobs in rural communities across the nation would be lost.

15. Closure of the at-risk hospitals would result in an estimated $277 billion loss to the gross domestic product, according to iVantage.

More articles on healthcare finance:

6 common characteristics of hospitals vulnerable to closure

15 things for healthcare leaders to know about Obama's 2017 budget

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Peter Butler, president of Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center, will retire at the end of June.

Here are seven things to know about Mr. Butler.

1. Mr. Butler began his tenure at Rush University Medical Center in 1982 and served in various positions until 1992, when he was appointed the senior vice president and chief administrative officer at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

2. After his tenure at Henry Ford Health System, he was named president and CEO of the Methodist Hospital System in Houston. He then became the CEO and president at Rush North Shore Medical Center in Skokie, Ill., before returning to Rush University Medical Center in 2004 as executive vice president and COO.

3. Mr. Butler has been president of Rush University Medical Center since 2010.

4. While at Rush University Medical Center, he was instrumental in a number of initiatives. This includes planning the medical center's campus transformation and construction of a new hospital building known as the Tower.

5. In addition to his role at Rush University Medical Center, Mr. Butler has also held numerous national leadership positions, including serving two terms on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

6. He will continue to serve as professor and chairman of the department of health systems management in Rush University's College of Health Sciences.

7. Mr. Butler will be succeeded by Michael J. Dandorph, who is currently executive vice president and COO of Rush University Medical Center, effective July 1. Mr. Dandorph will serve as COO and president.

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Job interviews are candidates' opportunity to prove to a company that they are highly capable, smart and the right fit for a job. However, coming off too confident can be a deal breaker for many bosses.

Anyone who demonstrates "a lack of humility and an over sense of self-promotion" won't get hired by Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods, he said during an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Arrogance can sink an interview at Google, too, according to Business Insider. Instead, the most important qualities to showcase are emergent leadership and humility. In a 2014 interview with The New York Times, Laszlo Bock, senior vice president of people operations at Google, said, "Without humility, you are unable to learn."

In a collaborative environment, the most capable workers are those who demonstrate a desire to lead and grow, but also willingness to step back and let others contribute their own talents and ideas when the situation calls for it.

Of course, some degree of self-promotion is necessary to get ahead. However, delivery is key. Maggie Warrell, contributor to Forbes, suggests self-promotion should focus on the value an individual can bring to a company. "Self-promotion is about strategically building your 'personal brand' to ensure that those who can help you accomplish more in your career will know not just who you are, but the value you have (and want) to contribute," she wrote.
The Englewood (Colo.) Police Department has turned over a criminal inquiry into a narcotics theft at Englewood-based Swedish Medical Center to federal investigators, according to the Denver Post.

Local police launched their investigation after a Swedish Medical Center operating room employee was reported for pocketing a syringe of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate, at the beginning of a surgical procedure in January. The incident triggered viral exposure concerns that resulted in the hospital recommending nearly 3,000 patients get tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Englewood PD said Thursday the employee, who has since been dismissed, is now the subject of the federal investigation, according to the Post.

"We got some information that was turned over to the Food and Drug Administration. Our investigation is closed," David Jessen, a master patrol officer speaking for the department, told the Post.

The hospital has stated there is no evidence that any patients were put in harm's way during surgeries at which the employee may have been present, and is offering free blood tests to any patients who underwent surgery at Swedish Medical Center from August 15, 2015 to January 22, 2016.

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A group blog to promote discussion, debate and insight into the history, particularly religious, of America's founding. Any observations, questions, or comments relating to the blog's theme are welcomed.
There's been a significant increase in the number of armed security guards at hospitals across the nation in recent years, stirring debate over whether guns are making healthcare institutions safer or harming those who are seeking care.

In 2014, 52 percent of hospitals reported their security personnel carried handguns, while 47 percent reported arming them with Tasers, according to a national survey cited by The New York Times. Those numbers are more than double the estimates from just three years prior.

In recent years, there have also been more than a dozen reported incidents of patients injured or killed by hospital security officers. According to The New York Times, hospitals do not have to report these types of incidents; therefore, little data is available and some cases may go unnoticed.

Some of these incidents have happened in the past year, including two that occurred at hospitals in Texas and Ohio last August. On Aug. 27, Alan Pean, a 26-year-old student, was shot by an off-duty Houston Police Department officer at St. Joseph's Medical Center. In a second incident, which also occurred Aug. 27, a patient was shot by an off-duty police officer working security at Garfield, Ohio-based Marymount Hospital.

The uptick in armed hospital security guards has occurred as the hospitals have become more dangerous. According to The New York Times, healthcare institutions reported a 40 percent increase in violent crime between 2012 and 2014, with more than 10,000 incidents directed at employees.

Even with the surge in violence at hospitals, many healthcare organizations do not arm their guards. Hospitals that prohibit their guards from carrying weapons argue security officers are not trained to work in medical settings, and adding weapons to an already tense environment can cause more harm than good. Twenty-three percent of shootings in emergency rooms involve someone taking a gun from a security guard, according to The New York Times, which cited a study by Gabor Kelen, MD, director of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Medical School.

Some major healthcare institutions choose to arm security guards. For example, Cleveland Clinic hires off-duty officers and has its own fully armed police force, according to The New York Times. Other hospitals, such as University of California medical centers at Irvine and San Diego, provide their guards with stun guns produced by Taser International.

Mental health issues are often at the center of the cases that end in violence, and many mental health professionals are opposed to weapons in hospitals. Instead, they advocate for the use of talk therapy, cloth restraints and other means to subdue patients, according to the report.

Mr. Pean, the patient who was shot last August in Houston, had come to the hospital for possible bipolar disorder. He never saw a psychiatrist and became increasingly delusional. Mr. Pean danced naked in his room, wondered into the hall and, according to a statement on the Houston Police Department's website, he struck one of the off-duty officers in the head before he was Tased and shot.

Last fall, CMS warned St. Joseph Medical Center that it would be terminated from the Medicare program unless it corrected safety problems that put patients in "immediate jeopardy." One of the deficiencies CMS identified was the hospital's failure to ensure that off-duty police officers working security at its facility, including those involved in the shooting of Mr. Pean, were trained in responding to crises involving confused or aggressive patients.

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More employers are offering health living/incentive programs, according to Employee Benefit News.

Here are five things to know:

1. Many employers are emphasizing health living/incentive programs. In 2015, 34.6 percent of employers offered these programs, compared to 29.8 percent in 2014, according to HTI's 2015 Healthcare Benefit Trends Benchmark Study.

2. Employers want to continue informing employees about their benefits, making sure they understand costs before deciding.

3. The HTI survey found 31 percent of employers offer biometric screenings and 30 percent offer health risk management.

4. In 2015, dental ranked as the top benefit, with 74 percent of employers offering it.

5. More employers seem interested in offering defined contribution plans in 2017.

More article on practice management:

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Iowa physician to pay $10k fine for prescribing medication to 'unfamiliar' patients  5 things to know
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Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell has extended the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme until the end of February after intense pressure from MLAs, companies and farmers.

In a shock announcement last Friday, Mr Bell said that the financial support programme for green energy was to be axed almost immediately because of budgetary pressures.

The scheme is over budget by at least 30m after a surge of applications. The UUP's Adrian Cochrane-Watson has accused the minister and his officials of "incompetence on a huge scale".

The Department of Enterprise is reviewing how the scheme has been run and probing "whistleblower allegations", although there is no evidence of wrongdoing at this stage.

Companies involved in manufacturing and installing the systems say they stand to lose millions of pounds and that up to 2,000 jobs could be at risk. A delegation of firms in the renewable energy sector has asked for a meeting with Mr Bell.

The Ulster Farmers' Union estimates that up to 50 poultry farmers could be left out of pocket, as there is insufficient time to complete new heating systems before the scheme closes.

Yesterday, Mr Bell (right) said: "I have listened carefully to the concerns expressed in relation to both the non domestic and domestic RHI schemes and I fully appreciate that closure presents considerable difficulties for those who have invested in new technology and are in the midst of preparing for application. Having taken those concerns on board, rather than close the schemes to new applications on the earliest possible date, I am proposing that, pending Assembly approval, both schemes remain open for a further two weeks until February 29."

Patsy McGlone MLA, the SDLP chair of the Enterprise Committee, said the minister had created a crisis. "This is a situation of the Minister's making and he has put companies under enormous pressure."

Ryan Turkington, managing director of the engineering company Turco, based at Sandholes near Cookstown, said that renewables work made up 30% of his business. "We employ 20 people and we'll probably have to lose seven or eight staff, We're a small business and that is very tough. We have cancelled jobs because customers won't go ahead without the incentive. We've been making oil boilers for 30 years, so once again we'll find ourselves flying the flag for fossil fuels. The RHI scheme encouraged the renewables sector and now it's gone."
The Balmoral Show will return in greater style than ever this year, the organisers of the Balmoral Show have said.

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) started the countdown to the events yesterday, and said this year's spectacular would be even bigger than last year.

Cormac McKervey, the senior agriculture manager at Ulster Bank, which sponsors the Balmoral Show, added: "These are challenging times for many farmers, but the sector has proven itself to be resilient and its long-term prospects remain strong."

And organiser, the RUAS, said the show would be a flagship event in the Year of Food and Drink 2016, a celebration of produce from Northern Ireland.

The event will be held from May 11-13 at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Part of the show will be in the Eikon Exhibition Centre on the site.

RUAS chief executive Colin McDonald said: "We are delighted to get the countdown to Balmoral Show 2016 under way today in partnership with Ulster Bank. The bank has supported our plans for Balmoral Park since their inception.

"Their continued backing is a tremendous help as we realise the potential of the venue, with the new Eikon Exhibition Centre, for example, coming on-stream at the show this year for the first time."

The show's Food NI Pavilion will champion the Year of Food and Drink and will feature around 100 Northern Ireland companies in the sector.
Steven Spielberg's film Bridge Of Spies is at the centre of a court battle

An author has launched legal proceedings over Steven Spielberg's Hollywood hit Bridge Of Spies.

Giles Whittell, who wrote a non-fiction book of the same name in 2010, is suing two DreamWorks companies and Twentieth Century Fox.

In September last year, Mr Whittell alleged that he owned goodwill attaching to the title Bridge Of Spies and that the use of it for the film would amount to passing off.

Both book and film concern the exchange of pilot Gary Powers and Soviet spy Rudolph Abel on the Glienicke bridge in Berlin.

That claim was settled in November with one term being that Dreamworks and Fox were required within 14 days to use reasonable endeavours to place a link on the film website to three websites, including Amazon, which were advertising Mr Whittell's book.

Another term involved Mr Whittell releasing all claims against the companies and their affiliates throughout the world.

The link was placed by the end of November - slightly later than anticipated, say Dre amworks and Fox, because of Amazon's website not being in their control and the Thanksgiving holidays.

Three days before that, Mr Whittell issued a claim alleging a breach of the reasonable endeavours clause and that his worldwide release of all claims was anti-competitive and therefore void.

In papers at a preliminary hearing before Mr Justice Mann at London's High Court on Friday, Dreamworks and Fox said that, at best, the breach of contract claim was worth less than 4,000 if liability - which is denied - was established.

They said that, through the competition claim, which they described as hopeless, Mr Whittell wanted to set aside the settlement agreement so he could sue for passing off, unfair competition and trade mark or copyright infringement in different jurisdictions around the world.
Barry Manilow has been taken to hospital due to complications from "emergency oral surgery"

Barry Manilow has been rushed to hospital due to complications from "emergency oral surgery".

The 72-year-old Copacabana singer was taken back to Los Angeles after a sold-out concert in Memphis.

A couple of his shows are being re-scheduled and it is not known whether he will be able to go to the Grammy Awards on Monday, according to his Facebook page.

The statement said: "Following a triumphant sold out concert in Memphis, Barry Manilow was rushed back to Los Angeles due to complications from emergency oral surgery that Manilow had on Monday."

It added: "At this time it is unclear if Manilow will be able to attend the Grammy Awards on Monday February 15 where he is nominated for his 15th Grammy Award for his latest album, My Dream Duets."

Manilow is currently on a tour called One Last Time - One Last Tour throughout North America and the UK.

He is expected to arrive in the UK in June for concerts in Leeds, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London.
BBC presenter Stephen Nolan revealed a little more than he had intended on his new TV show Nolan Live this week when he burst out of his pyjamas - live on air.

Guest May McFettridge hardly knew where to look as the roly-poly presenter made his big reveal.

"Because I didn't rehearse putting the pyjamas on, the live television moment is ... oops!" Nolan (42) said.

"I burst the zip open. "It's bust! It's bust!" he said to audience laughter and applause.

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And as the presenter's shiny pink belly peeked though his zip-up pyjamas, the presenter gave the audience a quick flash of his bare chest.

He then zipped across the studio to chair a discussion with the journalists Carole Malone and Siobhan O'Connor about the propriety of going out in public in nightwear.

A stunned May McFettridge quipped: "Ladies and gentlemen, a monument to self-neglect!

"If you want to know what a salad-dodger looks like - that's a salad-dodger!"

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It was a welcome moment of light relief in an at times gruelling programme which dealt with some of the most serious issues facing Northern Ireland - from fatal foetal abnormality and abortion law reform, to the regulation of bonfires.

But if May McFettridge was a little unkind, some viewers rather liked the look of the star in his peekaboo PJs.

"Awww, Stephen Nolan is a real hunk of a man in that onesie," tweeted fan Lisa, reassuringly.

And fashion expert Cathy Martin tweeted: "Not sure which was the bigger reveal on Nolan Live tonight - Stephen Nolan's tummy and nips or (TV presenter) Siobhan O'Connor's pregnancy!"

Carole said via social media: "It was great craic and getting an eyeful of Stephen's half naked bod was the icing on the cake!"

The show next airs at 10.45pm on Wednesday on BBC1.
Kanye West has said he "did not diss Taylor Swift" in his new track, Famous.

In a series of posts on Twitter, he denied reports that she had warned him over "misogynistic" language, writing that she "gave her blessings" to the controversial lyric.

The rap star apparently references Swift in the song, with the words: "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b***h famous."

But Swift's representatives denied that West had called the star to seek permission before putting the song out.

Her spokesman said: "Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single Famous on her Twitter account.

"She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message.

"Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, 'I made that b***h famous.'"

In the wake of debuting his new album, The Life Of Pablo, at a listening party in New York, West wrote: " I did not diss Taylor Swift and I've never dissed her ..."

He added: "I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings ... b**** is an endearing term in hip hop like the word N****.

"I'm not even gone take credit for the idea ... it's actually something Taylor came up with ... She was having dinner with one of our friends who's name I will keep out of this and she told him I can't be mad at Kanye because he made me famous!"

The musician, who is married to reality star Kim Kardashian, said he had run the lyric past his wife.

He shared with his 18.6 million followers: " First thing is I'm an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship. 2nd thing I asked my wife for her blessings and she was cool with it."

In 2009, West interrupted Swift as she accepted her MTV Video Music Award, grabbing her microphone to say: "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time."

The two were not on the best terms for several years, before making up at the Grammy Awards in 2015.

Swift's younger brother Austin Swift made his thoughts clear on the lyric as he posted a clip on Instagram of himself throwing out a pair of Yeezy shoes, from one of West's fashion lines.

He captioned the photo: "Getting a head start on some spring cleaning. Here we go again."
The prophecy is more than seeing into the future. For the prophecy sees without the element of time. For the prophecy sees things as they were, as they are, and as they always shall be.
BBC presenter Dan Walker is a devout Christian and does not work on Sundays

BBC presenter Dan Walker has said his faith will not "affect the way I do my job".

A devout Christian, the broadcaster, who currently hosts Afternoon Edition on BBC Radio 5 Live and Football Focus on BBC One, will replace BBC Breakfast's Bill Turnbull when the veteran morning presenter leaves at the end of this month.

Talking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Friday, Walker said: "I thought we lived in a tolerant society where you can be a Christian, you can be a Muslim, you can be a Jew, and you can have those beliefs and get on with life."

He added: "I want to live in a world where Gary Lineker can present Match Of The Day even though he's a Leicester City fan and John Humphrys can do Radio 4 even though he's an atheist ... that's the world I want to live in. Not where I'm persecuted for being a Christian."

Walker, who does not work on a Sunday, told the host of BBC Radio 2's breakfast show that his faith was "important" to him.

"I've chosen - and I don't get anyone in a spiritual headlock, I don't turn into a weird pumpkin at one past midnight on a Sunday morning - I just enjoy spending my Sundays with my family at church with my friends."

The 38-year-old will join Louise Minchin on BBC Breakfast's sofa from Monday to Wednesday each week from the end of this month. He will continue working for BBC Sport.

Turnbull, 60, will present his final show on February 26, with Walker starting his duties on February 29.
Tom Hardy has been nominated for best supporting actor award at the Oscars

Tom Hardy has been voted the most attractive British leading man of film and TV, according to a new poll.

The Mad Max: Fury Road actor edged out closest rivals Colin Firth and Orlando Bloom to take top billing in the study to find the stars who get pulses racing.

The win comes ahead of this month's Oscars ceremony, which will see the Londoner battle Sylvester Stallone, Christian Bale, Mark Ruffalo and Mark Rylance for the best supporting actor award.

W ith eight of the top 10 aged 40 and over, t he survey commissioned by digital channel Drama, suggests British women favour mature men rather than fresh faces,

At 38, Hardy, who played both roles in his depiction of gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend, is the youngest in the list.

The oldest heartthrob is 56-year-old Game Of Thrones actor Sean Bean, ranked in 10th position.

The King's Speech Oscar-winner Colin Firth, 55, took the runner-up spot in the poll, while Pirates Of The Caribbean's 39-year-old star Orlando Bloom was third.

Daniel Craig, 47, who has now clocked up four James Bond films, came fourth.

He was just ahead of 43-year-old Luther actor Idris Elba, who has been rumoured as a possible successor for the 007 role when it becomes vacant.

The top 10 was rounded out by Alfie's Jude Law in sixth place with Broadchurch's David Tennant following. Fellow Scot Ewan McGregor was eighth and Hugh Grant, perennially cast as a befuddled Englishman, ended up in ninth position.

The 2,000 women surveyed were also asked about the British celebrities with the best bodies.

The Revenant's Hardy had to settle for second place behind Bond star Craig.

Elba, up for a Bafta this Sunday for his role in Beasts Of No Nation, was third.

Kent-born Bloom and Londoner Law were fourth and fifth respectively.

Inspector George Gently's Martin Shaw was named "the ultimate silver fox".

The 71-year -old vegetarian, who first found fame as Doyle in 1970s series The Professionals, was also the oldest man in the top five.

Gavin & Stacey star Larry Lamb, 68, who played villain Archie Mitchell in EastEnders was runner-up.

Nigel Havers, best known for playing suave, posh characters was third. The 64-year-old became an unlikely Coronation Street favourite as conman Lewis Archer.

Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, 67, and Timothy Dalton, 69, completed the list.

The study was commissioned by Drama to celebrate its Leading Man Weekend which launches on February 13.

Over the weekend, viewers wi ll be able to watch a host of British acting talent, including Firth in his famous portrayal of Mr Darcy in Pride And Prejudice and Shaw's renowned role as the eponymous inspector.

Vicky Walker, programme and schedule manager of Drama, said: "The poll results are a reminder of the top acting talent we have in the UK and it's interesting to see how men aged 40-plus dominate the top 10."
Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton plays glam rock doyenne Marianne Lane, who is recuperating from surgery on her vocal chords.

Medically enforced silence forces Swinton to convey tortuous emotions through movement rather than words, allowing her co-stars to inflict damage with their well-placed verbal grenades.

Marianne has retreated to a villa on Pantelleria with her boyfriend, documentary filmmaker Paul De Smedt (Matthias Schoenaerts), who has tamed her wild, drug-crazed excesses while shaking himself free of alcoholism.

During a lazy afternoon on a secluded beach, Marianne receives a telephone call from her old flame, boorish record producer Harry Hawkes (Ralph Fiennes), who has arrived unexpectedly on the island.

It's clear that Harry has arrived with an ulterior motive - to drive a wedge between the couple - and he has brought along his alluring teenage daughter, Penelope (Dakota Johnson), to distract Paul. Worming his way into the guest room at Marianne's secluded villa, Harry charms housekeeper Clara (Elena Bucci) and wallows in nostalgia to remind the hostess of happy times with him.

Marianne remains by Paul's side until the two men finally lock horns. Sharing its title with a 1967 David Hockney painting, A Bigger Splash is energized by Fiennes' unflinching portrayal of an emotional wrecking ball.

Four stars
An alert on the line near Lurgan last year

Passengers board the Belfast to Dublin Enterprise train at Central Station

The Belfast to Dublin rail line has been shut almost 30 times in just three years due to bomb alerts.

Since 2013 the cross-border Enterprise service has been disrupted on 57 occasions.

In more than half the cases it was because of a security scare - many of them hoaxes.

New figures reveal Northern Ireland's rail network was hit by 89 security alerts in the last six years.

Almost 270,000 was spent providing bus substitution services because tracks were closed.

The details were released by Regional Development Minister Michelle McIlveen after an Assembly question by Ukip MLA David McNarry.

The Enterprise service, which carries 840,000 passengers a year, has been a frequent target.

Last month it was hit by two security alerts in 10 days.

It has led to concerns that our main rail corridor can be paralysed so easily and so regularly.

SDLP MLA John Dallat, who sits on the Assembly's regional development committee, said the disruption came at huge cost.

"There is a horrendous economic cost to this," he said.

"Not only does it cause severe inconvenience for commuters, it is extremely disappointing for people working hard to improve our reputation."

Mr McNarry had queried the cost of bus substitution services linked to alerts on Northern Ireland's rail lines.

Since April 2010, 89 security alerts across the network required passengers to be moved by bus at a total cost of 269,305.

Separately, in response to enquiries from this newspaper, Translink confirmed that the Enterprise service has been disrupted 57 times since January 2013.

In 29 cases this was due to a security alert.

The line at Lurgan has been a particular target. The track runs near the republican Kilwilkie estate, and has been repeatedly targeted by dissidents in recent years. In January the line at Lurgan was targeted twice in 10 days.

On January 14 Army bomb experts examined two suspicious objects in Lake Street and Bells Row in the town. Both were elaborate hoaxes. The line was closed and passengers were transported between Belfast and Newry by bus.

A second hoax alert on January 24 also closed the line and caused major disruption to rail services.

Mr Dallat hit out at those behind the continued disruption.

"A considerable number of security alerts on the Enterprise line are caused by people masquerading as republicans who want a united Ireland," he added.

"The rail service is one of the outward signs that we have connectivity between north and south. It seems rather hypocritical to be interfering with one of the few thngs that does bring north and south closer together."

Mr McNarry, who sits on the regional development committee, said the constant disruption was embarrassing.

"If this was on any major inter-city connection on the mainland there would be outrage - it would not be tolerated," he said.

Several incidents south of the border caused further disruption.

Last May a bomb alert led to the Enterprise line being closed near Kilbarrack station outside Dublin.

Passengers were bussed between Connolly Station and Malahide, before being able to continue their journey to Belfast.

In other cases disruption was caused by basic error. Last week the line between Lisburn and Portadown had to be closed after a train struck a piece of construction excavation equipment.

Services between Lisburn and Portadown, including the Enterprise train, were affected.

A Translink spokesperson said: "We can confirm there have been 57 incidents which have caused disruption to the Enterprise service to date since January 2013.

"In many cases the line reopens within a short space of time. The safety and security of our passengers and employees is our top priority.

"In the case of security alerts on our rail network, we work closely with the PSNI and other relevant authorities and take their guidance in managing the potential impacts to our services.

"There are around 800,000 passenger journeys made on Enterprise services each year and in these challenging situations, we work hard to make alternative transport arrangements in order to minimise disruption caused."

In December the Belfast Telegraph reported that there had been almost 700 security alerts in the past three years.

Police figures show there were 680 security alerts since January 2013 - 151 of them viable.

In the first 10 months of 2015, a total of 202 alerts were recorded - more than one every other day on average.
An alleged heroin dealer swallowed up to nine wraps of the drug before her arrest in Belfast, the High Court heard today.

Lithuanian national Inesa Poyarkova then retched up the haul as she was being taken into custody by officers investigating illegal trading in the city, a judge was told.

The 23-year-old claimed a notebook full of money lists seized from her contained records of earning as much as 250 a day from begging.

Prosecutors instead alleged she was acting as a "runner" for a wider organised criminal gang selling heroin on the streets of Belfast.

Poyarkova, of no fixed address, faces charges of possessing Class A drugs and being concerned in their supply.

Bail was refused due to concerns she may not turn up for any trial.

She was arrested after allegedly handing over quantities of heroin to a user in the Lisburn Road area on January 26.

The court heard that as she was being taken into custody she brought up nine wraps of the drug into her mouth.

Philip Henry, prosecuting, said she claimed to have purchased them in the city centre the night before for her own use.

According to her account she took two and swallowed the rest because she thought the PSNI were following her.

Referring to the notebook, the barrister alleged it was used to log earnings from drugs transactions.

"Her account at interview was she was recording the amount of money she received from begging," Mr Henry said.

"She said she was receiving between 200 and 250 per day."

Poyarkova claimed she came to Northern Ireland after first arriving in Galway.

She is among nine Lithuanian nationals arrested by police investigating the alleged heroin trade.

Seven of them are on remand facing charges and two received police bail.

One of those released has since fled, the court heard.

Mr Henry said Interpol have disclosed that at least one of the suspects on remand has provided a false name.

Opposing bail for Poyarkova, he continued: "Police place this applicant as part of an organised criminal operation, with her performing the runner or street dealer side of operations."

The barrister added: "This is a fairly efficient organisation. I'm instructed that for this lady's role a replacement for her has already been put into operation."

Michael Boyd, defending, argued that his client should be presumed innocent despite any doubts over her claims.

He stressed that her alleged role, on the prosecution case, put her at the bottom of any criminal gang.

Mr Boyd added: "This lady is a habitual user of heroin and has been since she was 15.

"She is quite literally a stranger abroad, and she is a vulnerable female."

But denying bail, His Honour Judge Lynch said: "The notion that a beggar makes detailed records of income for tax or some other purpose seems, to put it mildly, rather bizarre."
Consumers in Northern Ireland are less likely to switch electricity suppliers compared to their southern counterparts.

The Utility Regulator estimates that around 10% of domestic electric customers here change suppliers each year.

In the South, meanwhile, switching rates have risen over the last two years from around 14% to 16%.

A spokesperson for the Utility Regulator said: "There are procedures in place that allow domestic electricity customers to switch easily, with no restrictions on how many times they switch or how many customers can switch at one time."

Research carried out by the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (CCNI) in autumn showed that one third of consumers worry about their home energy bills.

While lower prices and different tariffs are often available, people fail to switch because old habits die hard.

Experts also say that because Power NI has been the market leader for so long, customers can be wary to leave and are sceptical of younger companies.

Richard Williams, head of energy at the CCNI, said: "Households in NI now have six suppliers to choose from. The CCNI tracks the tariffs offered by each and puts the information on our website to help people see if they could save money by switching.

"The biggest savings come when you switch not only your supplier, but also your payment method.

"So it is important to look at all the elements - for example, could you also move to direct debit payments instead of cash or cheque, and online bills instead of postal ones?

"Switching is simple. There is no interruption to supply. All you have to do is contact the supplier you wish to switch to and they will manage the process.

"There will be no change to your household wiring or meter, you will just start getting bills from your new supplier."

Power NI claims that 20,000 of the customers who switched have moved back to the company within the last five years - a phenomenon company bosses put down to good service and more frequent meter readings.
A coroner has expressed optimism that an inquest into the murders of 10 Protestant workmen gunned down over 40 years ago can be heard in the coming months.

Brian Sherrard praised the "tremendous work" that had been done by legal parties involved in the Kingsmill massacre case ahead of an anticipated hearing after Easter.

But he warned: "Let's not fall into the trap of unnecessary slippage."

In January 1976 republican gunmen flagged down the workmen's minibus just outside Kingsmill in rural south Armagh.

The textile factory employees were travelling along the Whitecross to Bessbrook Road on their way home from work.

The only Catholic in the minibus was ordered to leave the area, before 11 of his Protestant work colleagues were shot. Only one man - Alan Black - survived the bloodshed.

The attack was claimed by a little-known republican paramilitary group considered to be a front for the supposedly on-ceasefire IRA.

After a long campaign for justice by the families, a new inquest into the Kingsmill killings was ordered by Northern Ireland's Attorney General, John Larkin, in 2013.

Mr Sherrard urged everyone involved in the case to strive to finally get it heard.

"There has been a tremendous amount of progress in the case and we are poised to place this hearing before the court," he said.

Mr Black and relatives of some of the victims were in Laganside Courts in Belfast for the latest pre-inquest hearing.

Mr Sherrard had been asked to review his decision not to afford Mr Black the legal status of an interested party to the case in light of fresh submissions by his legal team.

The coroner said he had examined the additional information provided by the solicitors but still maintained the view that Mr Black did not qualify under criteria set down in legislation.

Mr Sherrard heard that the vast majority of non-sensitive official files had been disclosed to the court and the bulk of the preparatory work had been done security vetting those papers deemed sensitive.

The main task outstanding is legal consideration as to whether applications should be made to withhold any of the sensitive files on the grounds of national security.

Peter Coll, representing the police, cautioned that that exercise could be "extensive". But he indicated it could still be achieved to enable a hearing before the summer.

The inquest is due to be heard at the same time as a Police Ombudsman investigation into the circumstances around the Kingsmill incidents is on-going.

Mr Sherrard acknowledged that future developments in the Ombudsman's probe might have the potential to impact the inquest, but he said he would examine such a scenario if and when it arose.
Appeals against a ruling that abortion law in Northern Ireland is incompatible with human rights legislation will be heard in June.

Stormont's Justice Minister David Ford and Attorney General John Larkin QC are both challenging the landmark High Court verdict.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan today set aside four days to hear all further legal arguments in the case.

Northern Ireland's Human Rights Commission, who issued the original proceedings against the Department of Justice, is also mounting a cross-appeal to grounds on which it was unsuccessful.

The body is seeking findings that the current laws are inhuman, degrading and discriminatory.

Last year a judge held that the provisions for abortion breached the European Convention on Human Rights.

He ruled that the failure to provide exceptions to the ban for fatal foetal abnormalities (FFAs) and victims of rape or incest contravenes entitlements to respect for private and family life.

Unlike other parts of the UK, abortions are currently only legal in Northern Ireland within the region to protect the woman's life or if there is a risk of serious damage to her well-being.

Judicial review proceedings were issued after the Department of Justice launched a public consultation on amending the criminal law.

That process concluded with a recommendation for new legislation dealing with cases of FFA.

But with no proposed changes covering pregnancies resulting from sexual crime, the Commission claims the consultation does not go far enough.

It is also seeking to have terminations legalised in cases of rape or serious foetal malformation.

Unlike other parts of the UK, abortions are currently only legal in Northern Ireland within the region to protect the woman's life or if there is a risk of serious damage to her well-being.

Judicial review proceedings were issued after the Department of Justice launched a public consultation on amending the criminal law.

That process concluded with a recommendation for new legislation dealing with cases of FFA.

But with no proposed changes covering pregnancies resulting from sexual crime, the Commission claimed the consultation does not go far enough.

It was also seeking to have terminations legalised in cases of rape or serious foetal malformation.

Following Mr Justice Horner's first determination in the case he made a formal declaration that the legislation is incompatible with the UK's obligations under the Human Rights Act.

During the legal battle arguments were also made on behalf of the Attorney General, the Catholic Bishops in Northern Ireland, and Sarah Ewart - a woman from Northern Ireland who went to England for an abortion after learning her unborn baby had no chance of survival.

The court heard claims that the current near-blanket ban is inhuman and discriminatory.

Counsel for Commission argued that traumatised women and girls being forced to cross the Irish Sea for pregnancy terminations are victims of the legislation in Northern Ireland. More than 800 were said to have made the journeys in 2013.

Five of those were aged under 16, the court heard. Two years earlier 19 girls in that age group made the trip.

Now the case will go before the Court of Appeal at a hearing set to begin on June 20.
Emma Pengelly: The way forward we are proposing is a compassionate one that will leave us in a much better and informed position to chart a kind way forward

Catriona Ruane: What about the plight of women in the here and now? What about women pregnant as the result of rape or faced with foetal abnormalities?'

Mike Nesbitt: This is Bleak House were in... in the Chancery courts waiting day after day, after day, after day, for a decision that never comes

David Ford: It was any excuse at all to avoid taking a decision so they can fudge the issue... we will wait and see what happens the DUPs supposed working group

Northern Ireland's abortion laws are likely to remain "in limbo" for some time, Justice Minister David Ford has warned.

Mr Ford also branded "bizarre" the DUP's call for a working group to examine the issues under the Health Minister, when the issue is primarily a criminal justice one.

"(It is) the responsibility of the Department of Justice and me as minister, not the responsibility of the Department of Health," the Alliance Party leader insisted.

The row over abortion laws raged on after an Assembly vote went against legalising terminations in limited circumstances.

The debate is likely to form a key issue in the run-up to the May Stormont election, with the Assembly having to deal with it in its following term.

After a sombre and at times impassioned but dignified debate, an amendment brought by Alliance MLAs Trevor Lunn and Stewart Dickson allowing women whose babies have no chance of survival to access abortions was defeated by 59 votes to 40.

The DUP, SDLP and most Ulster Unionists voted it down, while Sinn Fein, three Ulster Unionists and all Alliance MLAs except Kieran McCarthy were in support. Mr McCarthy abstained.

Mr Ford, who brought forward proposals to the Executive in June last year, said it appeared some parties were content to leave the issue in limbo.

"It was any excuse to avoid taking a decision so they can fudge the issue," he added. "We will wait and see what happens to the DUP's supposed working group."

The DUP, however, argued for more detailed consideration and claimed Mr Ford's Justice Bill was not intended to tackle the issue of abortion. They were supported in this stance by the SDLP.

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt claimed the working group amounted to a device constructed by the DUP to postpone a decision until after the election, which he described as "cruel" and "Dickensian". He said: "This is Bleak House we're in...in the Chancery courts waiting day after day for a decision that never comes."

But he was challenged by First Minister Arlene Foster for equating the committee to a petition of concern, which would also have blocked the amendment. DUP Junior Minister Emma Pengelly also defended the working group as sensible. "The way forward that we are proposing is a compassionate one that will leave all of us in a much better and informed position to chart a loving and kind way forward," she said.

However, Sinn Fein's Caitriona Ruane also hit out at the DUP. "What about the plight of women in the here and now?" she asked. What about the women who are pregnant as the result of rape, or women who are faced with fatal foetal abnormalities?"

SDLP former deputy leader Dolores Kelly, for once allied to TUV leader Jim Allister, voiced doubt that doctors could accurately predict that an unborn child had no chance of survival.

Mr Dickson said he would bring forward a Private Member's Bill if re-elected to the Assembly in May, and added: "It was disingenuous for people to claim proper consultation was needed when the Department of Justice did this extensively in 2014."

Chief human rights commissioner Les Allamby also criticised the vote. "Our elected representatives have neglected the fundamental rights of vulnerable women and girls facing the most difficult circumstances," he said.

But Callum Webster of the Christian Institute lobby group argued: "There has been a media campaign to undermine the legal protections afforded to our unborn children, but thankfully politicians have resisted that co-ordinated pressure."
The number of children sitting the unofficial tests has been rising steadily each year

Four schools have started using academic selection for the first time, despite Education Minister John O'Dowd urging the practice to be stopped, it can be revealed.

It is understood that they are the first schools in Northern Ireland to move towards a form of academic selection since the scrapping of the 11-plus. The four schools are all in the integrated sector.

Strangford College on the Ards Peninsula and Sperrin Integrated College in Magherafelt started offering a grammar stream for their current Year 8 (September 2015 intake), and North Coast Integrated in Coleraine and the Integrated College in Dungannon plan to start by the September 2016 intake.

Principal of Strangford College, Mark Weir, said academic selection "has not gone away".

The four schools are asking for academic evidence to gain access to 35% of their Year 8 places. This can be a transfer test result, a primary school report which reflects high academic ability or equivalent supporting evidence.

Lagan College in Belfast and Slemish College in Ballymena are also schools in the integrated sector that use academic selection for 35% of their intake, but they take applicants in rank order.

Mr Weir explained that their grammar stream is selected on other criteria - such as older siblings - and not placed in rank score order.

Applications for Strangford College - which has a Year 8 admissions limit of 80 pupils - have rocketed in the last three years.

In 2013, the school received 100 applications for 80 places; in 2014 this had risen to 179 and in 2015 it was 175.

Mr Weir said that 1,400 attended their first open night this year and 400 at the second open night, showing that the use of academic selection has not put parents off.

"The school as a whole would prefer there was none (academic selection), unfortunately selection has not gone away and in order to give children an equal chance of gaining an integrated education, systems like this are in place to try and help that," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"But the ideal for Strangford and other integrated colleges would be that this would not be necessary.

"Integrated schools, as well as bringing students of different traditions together, aim to bring people of different backgrounds and ability together. Part of it has been the need to provide schools that really meet the academic needs of all children as well.

"To do that, you need to make sure there is a balanced intake. That's what the grammar streams have been set up in the schools to do - to make sure that no one ability dominated.

"That helps us to meet our desire to be a school for all children."

Mr Weir said he believes the grammar stream is very attractive to a lot of parents.

"Parents want pace-setters at whatever level of ability their child is at," he said.

"They don't want their child to be the one in the class who is way ahead or way behind.

"It also means the school can provide a broad curriculum of academic subjects and vocational subjects, because there are enough children of each ability to justify the classes being available."

Mr Weir added: "With any school that is oversubscribed it is tricky, and in North Down so many schools are oversubscribed... it is a very complex issue. Ours is not academic selection in the pure sense because we do not use tests to rank order, the parent selects to use academic evidence to get in."

The news will be a blow to the Education Minister who is against academic selection and who has encouraged schools who use it to determine intake to stop.

So far only two grammar schools have voluntarily stopped using academic selection - Loreto College in Coleraine and St Patrick's College in Armagh.

Earlier this year, Loreto College in Omagh and Omagh Christian Brothers School indicated they plan to have stopped using academic selection by 2020.

No controlled grammars have stopped using it.

There are two sets of unofficial tests, which around 14,000 P7 children sit each year.

Most controlled grammars use the AQE system and most maintained schools use the GL system.

The numbers sitting the tests have been rising steadily each year since the official 11-plus test was abolished by former Education Minister Caitriona Ruane in 2008.

Billy Young, chair of the AQE testing system, said it has had a record number of entries this year - 7,772 - and that the number of children on free school meals who apply is also rising.

Just over 1,000 of the children who took the tests last year were in receipt of free school meals.

Mr Young said the organisation is delighted with the numbers.

He added that he is aware of a number of integrated schools which use his organisation's test scores but do not formally engage.

Talks are going on between the AQE and GL organisations, with regard to establishing a single test system.

However, Mr Young said his organisation is "in it for the long haul".

A full list of which transfer tests each grammar school in Northern Ireland uses is available on our website.
The Education Minister has given the go-ahead to a 35m scheme of improvements to 12 schools across Northern Ireland.

As part of the School Enhancement Programme, between 500,000 and 4m has been awarded to schools where a new build is not possible but immediate improvements can be made.

Three schools - Methody College and Strandtown Primary in Belfast and St Louis in Ballymena - have each received the maximum amount of 4m.

Education Minister John O'Dowd said: "This 35m investment is an investment in the future of our young people. The improved accommodation will provide better facilities for young people to learn in and an improved working environment for all the school staff. "

Mr O'Dowd said the announcement was made possible by an increase of 46.9m in the Department of Education's capital budget. Construction at the 12 sites is due to begin in 2016-17. To date, 34 school enhancement projects have been completed or are currently under construction.

DUP MLA and education committee chair Peter Weir said the announcement was good news.

"Any school enhancement is to be welcomed," he said. "This is a positive step forward.

"There are a lot of schools competing for that money, so there will be disappointment as well. The other issue is that sometimes we see announcements over capital spends and there has perhaps then been a slowness in delivery. I think we need to ensure any programme moves ahead quickly."

Mr Weir also told how he hoped further funding would be announced later this year.

"The minister has not yet revealed the breakdown of the overall education capital budget - just under 200m - which will be split on enhancements, new builds and minor works.

"I would like to see an equitable spread for schools across Northern Ireland."
Leonardo DiCaprio as confidence trickster Frank Abagnale Jr in the movie Catch Me If You Can

Jeremy Wilson says he now wants to be known as Jeremy Keenan, after the man he claims is his father, Brian Keenan

A notorious US conman has insisted he is the son of late IRA chief Brian Keenan.

Jeremy Wilson, whose prowess as a confidence trickster has seen him likened to Frank Abagnale Jr -immortalised in the hit Hollywood movie Catch Me if You Can - also claims to have been an active member of the Provisionals.

The 42-year-old, currently awaiting trial in New York on forgery charges, said his American mother, Patricia Clark, had an intimate relationship with high-profile republican Keenan, beginning in 1972.

Swatragh-born Keenan, the former IRA quartermaster general and principal organiser of the mid-1970s London bombing campaign, was understood to be on the run at the time.

Wilson, who now refers to himself as Jeremy Keenan, said he learned the truth from his mother as a teenager and developed an "epistolary relationship" with the Belfast-based former IRA army council member, who was jailed for 18 years in 1980 for his involvement in the deaths of eight people, including that of Guinness Book of Records co-founder and editor Ross McWhirter, who was shot dead outside his north London home in 1975.

Keenan, who was released from prison in 1993, later used his influence to persuade the IRA high command to embrace the peace process and was central to the moves that led to the 1994 IRA ceasefire.

He died, aged 66, from cancer in Cullyhanna, Co Armagh eight years ago.

Manhattan prosecutors claim Wilson has invented dozens of aliases over a 25-year career as a professional imposter and identity thief, but American immigration lawyer Stephen Ure believes his claims about being Keenan's biological son are true.

Ure said that he received DNA samples five years ago that, according to accompanying documents, had been taken from Keenan - who had six children with his wife, Chrissie - two years before he died.

The samples, Ure added, were sent to a reputable California laboratory, with the results proving conclusively that Keenan was Wilson's father.

The New York Times recently obtained the documents, which formed part of a 2011 lawsuit Wilson filed asking a federal judge to declare that he was not an American citizen and should be deported to the UK.

This week, the newspaper reported that the genetic expert who did the DNA test confirmed that it had been done, and that the results were accurate.

Even so, Wilson's Irish-American lawyer Edward Hayes resigned this week, stating that he could not take the chance that he was being made a fool of by the confidence trickster, who is currently in New York's Rikers Island prison, awaiting trial.

"I go to Ireland all the time, that's where my ancestors are - I don't want to be embarrassed," said Hayes, who agreed to represent Wilson following his arrest on January 4 this year.

A mere six weeks earlier, Wilson had been released from a federal prison in New Hampshire, where he had served six years for identity theft after posing as a Jeremy Clark-Erskine.

It was discovered he had more than 27 aliases in five states, and that his birth certificate had been altered several times.

In the past, Wilson portrayed himself as a Scottish-born disc jockey, a Cambridge-trained thespian, a special forces officer and a professor at MIT, the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He has also posed as executives from Microsoft, British Airways and Apple, and even pretended to be a soldier seeking asylum in Canada to escape anti-Semitic attacks in the US.

Not only that, he once maintained an Northern Irish accent so well and for so long that his cellmate in an Indiana jail was convinced that he was an Ulster native. Given the number of times he has been caught, however, it is hard to call Wilson's criminal career a success.

In the mid-1990s, he served prison sentences in Ohio and Pennsylvania for forgery and theft. US immigration authorities detained him for several months in 1999 after he attempted to enter the States from Canada, and two forged passports - one Irish and one Canadian - were found in his car.

In 2001, he was sentenced to eight years in prison in Indiana after being caught running up bills of $7,400 at strip clubs and hotels on credit cards he had fraudulently obtained.

And although he managed to escape from a work-release programme in Indiana in 2006 and fled once again to Canada, he was recaptured the following year after attempting to slip over the border to visit his dying mother.
Thomas "Slab" Murphy is to be sentenced for tax evasion on February 26

Alleged former IRA chief Thomas "Slab" Murphy will be sentenced for tax evasion on the same day as Ireland's general election.

The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard the 66-year-old bachelor farmer owes the Irish exchequer almost 190,000 euro (147,000) for eight years of tax dodging.

The non-jury court adjourned sentencing until February 26 to consider examples of similar tax evasion cases.

Murphy, from Ballibinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, on the border with Northern Ireland, was found guilty last December by three judges of nine counts of tax fraud.

He has been described by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams as a good republican, while Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said peace was only secured thanks to support from men like him.

Murphy, dressed in a pink shirt and brown jacket, was in court for the two-hour hearing and sat in the dock and shook his head at one stage to confirm he has no dependants.

During the 32-day trial in the Special Criminal Court, which normally hears terrorism and organised crime trials, the farmer sat in the public gallery and did not give evidence.

One of his brothers supported him in court.

Murphy has been living with his sister since he was charged with tax offences in 2007 and he was remanded on continuing bail ahead of sentencing in a fortnight's time.

After hearing examples of penalties for previous tax evasion cases, Judge Paul Butler said: "It's a matter we do want to consider in light of the submissions made."

Sinn Fein has been roundly criticised in the election campaign as it is a longstanding party policy to abolish the Special Criminal Court if in power.

Murphy's sentence will be dealt with as Irish voters go to the polls and while a broadcasting moratorium is in place on election issues but it will not have any impact on the court report.

In 1998 Murphy, who has no previous convictions, lost a 1 million libel action against the Sunday Times which described him as a senior IRA figure.

In one of only two occasions when he has spoken publicly, he claimed he had to sell a home in order to pay for some of the cost.

Paul Burns, senior counsel for the state, outlined to the judges the assessments made of Murphy's earnings, taxes owed and interest from 1996 and 2004.

The total tax bill for the eight years was 38,519.56 euro (about 30,000), the court heard.

Interest built up on those unpaid bills totals 151,445.10 euro (about 117,000), taking the final bill to 189,964.66 euro, Mr Burns said.

The court was told the figures were based on income of 15,000 euro (11,600) a year from the Murphy farm.

"I want to make this clear - Tom Murphy has not made any settlement," Mr Burns said.

Murphy was charged with five counts under the Republic's Taxes Consolidation Act and four under the Finance Act that he knowingly and wilfully failed to make tax returns and did so without reasonable excuses.

The court found he did not furnish Ireland's Revenue authorities with a return of income, profits or gains or the sources of them over eight years.

It also said Murphy received 100,000 euro (73,000) in farm grants and paid out 300,000 euro (220,000) to rent land.

And he was involved in hundreds of thousands of euro worth of cattle deals, buying and selling animals at marts up and down the country, and hundreds of thousands of euro was lodged and transferred out of a Permanent TSB account in Dundalk during the eight years.

The sentencing hearing heard Murphy has 70,000 euro (54,000) in a pension with Irish Life which was frozen by Irish authorities after he was charged.

Defence barrister John Kearney QC told the judges "there's money in the bank" if a financial settlement is to be reached with tax inspectors over the evasion.

"A suspended sentence is not out of the question in a case like this," he said.

"I'd respectfully ask the court to consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67, for offences, some of which were 20 years ago."

Murphy has worked as a yardsman for C&F Productions in Crossmaglen in south Armagh since April 2007 and earns 950 a month, the judges heard.

The court was also told he only missed one court hearing in the years since he was charged and that was because of snow, and that he has signed on in a Garda station "hundreds and hundreds" of times as part of his bail conditions.

Murphy denied all the charges.

Convicting Murphy at the end of last year, the court rejected defence claims that it was his brother Patrick who ran the farming operation and controlled the finances.

The court heard Murphy could face five years in jail or fines of up to 100,000 euro (77,800) for the tax offences.

Mr Kearney challenged the tax liabilities and penalties detailed to the court.

"These headline figures, no doubt they will become headline figures, but these headline figures, they are the stuff of guess work," he said.

Mr Kearney also claimed the judges should look at imposing sentence for tax evasion on the base figure of 38,000 euro (29,500) rather than 189,000 euro (147,000) which included "compound cumulative interest".

The sentencing hearing was also given detail of the raid on Murphy's farm in March 2006, led by Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau which targets proceeds of crime.

Cash sums of 256,235 euro (199,334) and 111,185 (142,957 euro) was found along with computers, ledgers and documents in black bags hidden among hay bales in a cow shed

There were also uncashed cheques worth 579,270 euro (450,525).

In other mitigating circumstances Mr Kearney said he did not dispute the guilty verdict of the court but claimed confusion remained over who was running the farm and controlled cattle herd 0127124X.

"Some comfort can be taken from the fact that tax was paid by Patrick Murphy on the 24X herd," he said.

The lawyer said the family connections to the farm and its operations had created a confusion over who was running the business.

Mr Kearney said this was the "blurred lines, the grey area surrounding this family unit, this farming unit or units".

In other investigations the trial also heard Murphy's brother Patrick had settled tax bills worth more than one million euro (730,000) with the Revenue.

Nine properties in north-west England, worth 445,000 (573,000 euro) and owned by Slab's brother Francis and his wife Judy, were recovered by UK authorities.
Posting revenge porn is to become a criminal offence in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland should be braced for a "tidal wave" of pornography, a sex abuse charity has warned.

Posting revenge porn is to become a criminal offence carrying a penalty of up to two years in prison in Northern Ireland.

England and Wales already have laws outlawing the publication of explicit sexual images and videos of former partners.

Pam Hunter, Nexus chief executive, said: "There is a tidal wave about to happen. The amount of sexting and access to porn and the prevalence of sex in our society and use of social media; that tidal wave online will hit us so anything that can be put in place will help us in the long-run."

Democratic Unionist Alastair Ross proposed the measure, which has been passed by Stormont Assembly members.

The law creates a new offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.

Mr Ross added that the "obnoxious" behaviour caused distress, devastation and humiliation to victims.

He said intimate photographs or films are initially shared with another individual, often someone who is trusted at the time. Offenders spread them widely, usually on the internet, without their consent and with the intent of causing distress.

Ms Hunter said systems were in place to help victims of revenge porn.

She said: "It is the same as being groomed for sexual abuse, it happens very quickly as it is online. It is never the victim's fault but there are things we can do to help prevent it."

Revenge porn can affect adults and young people.

Recently it was revealed that investigations into dozens of youngsters considered for prosecution in Northern Ireland over indecent images of children have been halted.

Child protection expert Jim Gamble has proposed that the law be amended so that a child who takes or distributes a picture of him or herself will not commit a criminal offence.

He has recommended that provision should be made in law that a child who has an image of another child with malicious intent would commit a criminal offence.

Police already deal with the matter "sensitively" and only one child was prosecuted out of 79 investigated by the authorities over the alleged sharing of intimate images during a two-year period, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) confirmed.
The scene of the accident just outside Ballymena

Karla Cameron (25) who died following a car crash on Thursday morning. She is pictured with her husband of three years David.

A young woman has died in hospital after a two-vehicle crash on the main road between Antrim and Ballymena.

She was 25-year-old Karla Cameron from the Ballymena area.

The young woman was fighting for her life in Antrim Area Hospital following the collision on the notorious A26 Lisnevenagh Road during rush hour yesterday morning when heavy fog had made visibility extremely poor.

Lisnevenagh Road was closed following the crash close to its junction with Woodgreen Road.

The crash was reported to police just after 9.50am and involved a black Audi A6 and blue Seat Leon.

The early-morning crash caused huge tailbacks for commuters travelling to Antrim and Ballymena after both lanes were closed to traffic.

Karla was a former pupil of Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena.

Hundreds of tributes have been paid online to Karla who has been remembered as a "lovely woman who would do anything for anyone".

She was a member of Ballee Baptist Church in Ballymena, and last night Pastor Lawrence Kennedy from the church was at the hospital with her.

Members of the public stopped to help those caught up in the collision, which included the driver of a blue Seat Leon.

Lisnevenagh Road, which is the main dual carriageway between Ballymena and Antrim, has been the scene of many fatalities over the years.

The latest crash happened almost a year to the day after Avril Dempster, from nearby Ahoghill, was killed in an crash at the same junction.

Local politicians and residents have raised concerns over the road's safety.

Last year SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan called for a full review in the wake of a fatal collision.

And just weeks ago UUP Assembly Member Robin Swann asked the Regional Development Minister for an update on a safety review currently under way, saying that the road had been the scene of a number of "serious and fatal accidents".

Transport NI is carrying out the review from one end of the road at Ballee in Ballymena to the other at Dunsilly outside Antrim.

The update is now expected within weeks.

Mid and East Antrim councillor Beth Adger told the Belfast Telegraph that she has been calling for traffic-calming measures in the area for 14 years.

"There has been quite a number of fatalities in that part of the crossroads," she said.

"It's a dangerous road and the traffic will not slow down, especially coming over the nearby hill. Everyone seems to be in a rush.

"I live on that main stretch of the road and I know what it's like trying to get out there in the morning.

"You put your life in your hands trying to get across the dual carriageway.

"The Roads Service has been looking at it, but as yet they have not come up with anything that will slow the traffic down.

"I've asked for more police presence on it, but I know they are busy. There are so many sideroads coming on to that carriageway, and I think that's the problem.

"It is just made worse in the heavy fog.

"I'm living there for over 30 years and the new road has been there for 20 years, and I think there has been well over a dozen killed on it. It's time for the Roads Service to do something about it.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the woman who has been injured."

TUV leader and North Antrim MLA Jim Allister last night issued a call for long-overdue improvements to be carried out.

"Today's further severe accident at Woodgreen junction on the A26 is a tragic reminder to the Government of the continuing failure to seriously address the fundamental issues at this death-trap junction," he said.

"After the death last February, there was supposed to be a full review.

"I said then, and I repeat, if this was a junction on the A1 towards Dublin, then it probably would have been upgraded with a fly-over and properly graded access lanes. The A26 deserves no less priority."

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council deputy mayor Timothy Gaston added: "Having come across the scene of this accident today, I am perturbed not just by its dire consequences, but the fact that once more this junction has proved to be a major hazard on the A26.

"We have had enough talk. We need action from the Department for Regional Development Minister."

Inspector Heather Scott said: I would ask anyone who would have noticed either of these cars in the area between 9.30am and 10am to contact the Collision Investigation Unit or Ballymena Police Station on the non emergency number 101.
Frances Fitzgerald said an extra 1,800 gardai will be recruited by a re-elected administration to stand up to ruthless gangs

Uniformed gardai will be released from desk duties to fight frontline crime if Fine Gael is put back in power, party chiefs have said.

An extra 1,800 police will be recruited by a re-elected administration to stand up to ruthless gangs responsible for two recent killings, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said.

More vehicles and better use of IT will help keep communities safe and bring criminals to justice, the party also promised.

Ms Fitzgerald said: "We have not, and will not, stand idly by as thugs threaten the public safety of our communities or the sanctity of our homes. We will stand up to the ruthless gangs who show such scant regard for human life.

"We will stand up to those who outrageously threaten Ireland's journalists. Fine Gael will stand firm and unequivocal in defending freedom of the press."

The plans were unveiled amid a week of growing tension over gangland activity and threats to two journalists with Independent News and Media following their reporting on the feud which has led to three murders.

The idea of freeing up uniformed and desk-bound gardai to the front line has been on the table for years, most recently in reports by the Garda Inspectorate.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was confronted by a small group of anti-water charge protesters on the campaign trail in Cork city.

"We also want to free up gardai from desks through civilianisation. Fine Gael's plan is based on using the resources created by a strong economy to invest in more gardai and more resources such as Garda vehicles and IT," Mr Kenny said.

"This will ensure a visible, mobile, dynamic policing force, to keep communities safe and bring criminals to justice."

Labour went on the offensive on health policy, pledging to hire 1,428 GPs and to make visits free.

It said it will cut the cost of some essential medicines by capping prescription fees at 20 euro and shifting the threshold for the drug payment scheme to 100 euro.

The party also committed to hiring another 290 paramedics.

Tanaiste Joan Burton said the party would work towards universal health care if put back in office by creating more primary care centres and offering more nurse-led care.

A new cabinet seat would be created to drive that agenda, she said.

"Our ultimate aim is to provide a comprehensive system of primary care free at the point of access," Ms Burton said.

"This will take time. It will take money. And it will take ambition and determination to bring it about."

Fianna Fail released further details of its childcare and family offerings including increasing maternity leave from 26 weeks to 30 and the 2,000-euro childcare support credit.

The party also plans to increase child benefit by 10 euro a month.

Elsewhere, Sinn Fein claimed it would ensure 250,000 jobs were created over the next five years.

"After five years of Fine Gael and Labour in government we are left with many people still unemployed and with many people working but still struggling to put a roof over their heads and food on the table," spokesman Peadar Toibin said.

"Many more have left the country to get good quality jobs.

"Sinn Fein believes in quality jobs in Ireland. We believe in jobs in Donegal rather than Darwin, in Meath rather than Melbourne, in Tallaght rather than Toronto."
Gerry Adams is not expected to be in Dublin's Special Criminal Court today for a sentencing hearing involving the man he previously called "a good republican" - Thomas 'Slab' Murphy.

Mr Murphy was convicted on nine charges of tax fraud after a 32-day trial late last year, and the three-judge court will today consider his sentence.

Canvassing in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, yesterday the Sinn Fein leader would not say if he was apprehensive about the fall-out from today's hearing for his party's election prospects.

"I have no plans to go to the court tomorrow," he said.

Mr Adams again insisted Irish voters were not interested in his plans to abolish the non-jury Special Criminal Court, in spite of the upsurge in gangland killings.

He said "only the media" were asking him about the matter - in spite of two drug gang murders in Dublin inside four days.

"The issue of our long-standing policy on the Special Criminal Court has not been raised with me by even one person outside of the media," Mr Adams said during a break from canvassing.
The dismembered body of Kenneth O'Brien was found in a suitcase dumped in a canal (Garda/PA)

A Dublin man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 33-year-old Kenneth OBrien.

Paul Wells (48) is accused of killing the father-of-one, whose remains were found by passers-by in the canal last month.

Mr Wells was remanded in custody after Dublin District Court heard he replied after caution: I am responsible for killing Kenneth and I gave a true account of what happened.

The accused, with an address at Barnamore Park, Finglas is charged with the murder of Kenneth OBrien on or about January 15 and 16 last.

The murder is alleged to have happened at Mr Wells' home address at Barnamore Park

At a late sitting of the court, Gda Sgt Gerard Moore of Leixlip Garda Station told Judge Anthony Halpin he arrested the accused for the purpose of charge at Naas Garda Station at 4.53pm today.

He charged him at 5.16pm and handed him a true copy of the charge sheet.

No bail application was made on the accuseds behalf by his solicitor Kieran Conway as bail cannot be granted at district court level on a murder charge.

There cant be, we have to go to the High Court, Mr Conway said.

Legal aid was granted after Sgt Moore said the gardai were aware of the accused's financial means.

The accused, wearing a blue hooded top over a black tshirt, black trousers and white trainers, did not address the court during the brief five-minute hearing. Judge Anthony Halpin remanded him in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on February 18.

Mr O'Brien's partner sat in the court's public gallery during the proceedings.

Mr O'Brien, a JCB driver, was reported missing on Friday, January 15. He was last seen in the early hours of that morning, when he left his home on Lealand Road in Clondalkin telling his partner he was going to work.

Mr OBrien had recently returned from Australia, where he had lived and worked for three years.

A second man, aged in his 30s, who was also arrested, was released without charge previously and a file in relation to him is being prepared for the DPP.

Mr O'Brien was a father of one from west Dublin who recently returned from living in Australia.

He left his home at Lealand Road in Clondalkin at 7am on Friday, January 15, after telling his partner that he was travelling for work.

His partial remains were discovered in mid-January in the Grand Canal at Ardclough, in Lexlip.

A garda investigation ensued in which other parts of his remains were discovered.

Mr O'Brien was buried in his native Ballyfermot, where he had lived with his partner and their young child.

Two people were arrested last Saturday in connection with the killing, but one was later released without charge.

Meanwhile, two investigating officers have also travelled to Australia in a bid to find out more about Mr O'Brien's life there.

He had lived in Australia for three years before returning to Dublin.

Irish Independent
Enda Kenny said journalists must be able to go about their jobs without fear of reprisal

Irish premier Enda Kenny has condemned threats levelled against a number of journalists following reporting of the latest gangland killings in Dublin.

The Independent News and Media (INM) group said gardai had formally notified a number of its reporters that their safety was at risk from organised criminals.

The sinister development comes in the wake of widespread coverage in Ireland and beyond of two murders linked to a crime gang feud.

Mr Kenny said: "On behalf of the Government and myself I deplore and condemn any threat made to any journalist in this jurisdiction. One of the pillars of a functioning democracy is freedom of speech and in any self-respecting society, journalists must be afforded the freedom to go about their jobs without fear of reprisal. Those who engaged in the recent killings on our streets will be brought to justice and no resource will be spared in doing so.

"The journalists at whom these threats have been levelled have our full support as do all journalists bravely going about their daily duties."

INM said it was working with gardai to strengthen security around the threatened journalists and had taken every precaution to ensure their safety.

The organisation said it had decided, after consulting with the reporters, to make the threats public in order to highlight the danger posed to the media.

INM Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae said: "This is an outrageous threat to the freedom of the press in Ireland and we are taking the threats with the utmost seriousness. The safety of our journalists is of paramount importance. It is disturbing that threats of this nature have emerged as we approach the20th anniversary of the death of our colleague Veronica Guerin, who was murdered by criminals for exposing their activities. Our media group will not be deterred from serving the public interest and highlighting the threat to society at large posed by such criminals."

Seamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said: "We have learned with shock of threats against journalists working with INM. We are gravely concerned at this latest development, which follows the two recent senseless murders in Dublin. Journalists and media organisations will not be intimidated by such threats, which have no place in a democratic society.

"Our immediate thoughts are with those under threat and their families. No journalists should be placed under threat for doing their job. We remind all journalists to remain vigilant and to be mindful of their personal safety. Employers and editorial managers must continue to support, training and guidance to staff and freelance journalists covering dangerous situations. INM has told me it is supporting those under threat and is mindful of their obligations."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was met with a loud protest in Cork city centre on Friday morning.

Protesters shouted at Mr Kenny as he attempted to walk down Tuckey Street and blocked his way as he made his way to his next campaign engagement, the launch of plans for a new convention centre.

The protesters didn't identify themselves or say what their complaint was but shouted "Enda Kenny out, out, out".

Gardai surrounded the Taoiseach and forced their way through the protest with minor scuffles in front of the Taoiseach's party.

The Fine Gael group were brought through the gates of the former Beamish brewery.

Mr Kenny has been attending Fine Gael campaign events in Cork city.

He was at a turning of the sod event at the site of the new Capitol Cinema before doing a walkabout in the English Market.

He was accompanied by local candidates Simon Coveney, Jerry Buttimer, Dara Murphy and Julie O'Leary.

Some of the protesters hurled abuse as Mr Kenny reached the gates of the former brewery.

Tanaiste Joan Burton is also in attendance at the event.
There have been 15 deaths in the Republic from flu this winter, with other casualties due to the B strain of the virus

Five more people have died from swine flu in the Republic - bringing the death toll from the virus to 11 so far this winter.

It remains the dominant form of flu circulating, accounting for most hospitalisations and admissions of patients to critical care.

There have been 15 deaths in the Republic from flu this winter, with other casualties due to the B strain of the virus.

The average age of patients who died from the flu is 63 years. A five-year-old boy is among those who have tragically died from the complications of swine flu.

Irish hospitals continue to report that healthy children are among those treated for complications of flu along with at-risk groups.

Visiting restrictions have had to be enforced in University Hospital Limerick due to the flu.

The restrictions have also been imposed on Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital as they grapple with the high incidence of flu in the mid west region.

In a bid to protect vulnerable patients the group of hospitals is asking people with flu-like symptoms not to visit friends or relatives. They are limiting visits to one visitor per patient during the flu season and children under fourteen are not allowed to visit.
Prominent republican Thomas Slab Murphy has had his sentencing for tax fraud adjourned at the Special Criminal Court.

The three-judge-court deferred sentencing after hearing that Murphys outstanding bill over nine years of failing to file income tax returns was just under 190,000.

The court was also told he has not put any arrangements in place for repayment of the money.

Murphys lawyer asked the court to consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67 before arriving at a decision.

He was remanded on continuing bail for two weeks - to February 26.

Murphy (66) was convicted last December of failing to make tax returns for the years 1996 to 2004.

The trial came nearly a decade after files were seized in sheds on his farm that straddles the Border during a raid led by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), backed up by 400 Irish and British soldiers, gardai and the PSNI.

He had denied the charges, his defence lawyer claiming that his brother, Patrick, was in control of farming activities and was therefore liable.

Murphy, from Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, was previously named in a libel action (that he lost) as a senior IRA commander and was described as "a good republican" by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in 2006 following the CAB raid on his farm.

Today, Detective Inspector Kevin Ring, attached to CAB, was led by Paul Burns SC, for the prosecution, through a summary of the evidence against the accused.

Det Insp Ring confirmed that Murphy had no previous convictions. He said Murphy had to date not made any payments in respect of his tax liability and no payment scheme or arrangement had been put in place.

The total amount due, based on a 15,000 annual income is 38,519, rising to 189,964, including interest, the court heard.

The court heard the total maximum sentence for each charge was five years imprisonment. Two of the counts carried a maximum fine of 10,000, and the remaining carried maximum fines of the equivalent of 126,970 each.

Det Insp Ring confirmed that separately, CAB had made a tax assessment against Murphy of 5,344,157.

At the request of the court, Mr Burns outlined examples of sentencing in other tax fraud cases including that of Paul Begley, who was convicted of evading tax by labelling imported garlic shipments as apples.

He said there was a wide spectrum of sentences and said it was a matter for the court. He said he would not object to any sentences imposed being made concurrent.

Murphys lawyer, John Kearney QC said it was in fact an unusual case.

He questioned the figure produced by the State as potential loss of revenue, saying: it rather looks like its nowhere near the figures that have been guessed.

He said he accepted fully the verdict of the court but asked the judges to take into account the blurred lines and grey areas surrounding the family unit and the farming unit or units.

Mr Kearney said 38,510 was the baseline figure which multiplied into the higher figure through compound punitive interest.

He said he was not being critical of this, saying one fully understands that for the State in ensuring compliance with the tax code, punitive interest must have a use.

This is a case where, had returns been made, it may very well have been the case where there was no profit and no tax due, he said.

He said it had been a generally loss-making business with a trickle of animal activity in terms of numbers entering and leaving the herds.

This is a case where, had returns been made, it may very well have been the case where there was no profit and no tax due, he said.

He also pointed out that the case involved failure to file returns rather than being a case where returns are made but are deliberately misleading.

These are offences of omission as opposed to commission, Mr Kearney said.

Mr Kearney said the baseline figure in this case compared to 1.6 million in the Paul Begley case.

He said the cases put before the court were clearly much more serious and a suspended sentence was not out of the question.

Mr Kearney said in other cases, there was a clear sentencing distinction depending on whether it was a case where a false return had been made or no return made at all.

On the issue of restitution not having been made, he added that there were matters which had not been finalised and there is some money out there.

He is now in his mid-60s, would you consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67 in relation to offences some of which were 20 years ago, some 10 years ago? Mr Kearney asked the court.

He said Murphy is now working as a yardsman with a company in Crossmaglen.

Judge Butler adjourned sentencing.

When he convicted Murphy, the judge had said the court was "satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that in each of the individual counts on the indictment the accused is guilty".

During the 32-day trial, the court heard Murphy received 100,000 in State and EU subsidies and had been involved in cattle sales worth hundreds of thousands of euro at a number of marts.

The 2006 raid led to the seizure of 625,000 in cash and cheques. Following the raid a 1 million settlement was made with CAB and the UKs Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

The trial heard evidence from Department of Agriculture employees, cattle mart and meat factory managers, Criminal Assets Bureau investigators and a Revenue Inspector that, although Murphy conducted dealings in relation to cattle and land, and received farming grants from the Department of Agriculture, he failed to make any returns to Revenue.

Murphy's defence lawyers had claimed that his brother, Patrick, was in control of the farming activities and was therefore the person chargeable to tax on income

Two witness statements were read into evidence under a Section 16 application. Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, allows for a witness's statement to be read into evidence if there is an inconsistency between evidence given in court and a statement given to gardai.

Giving judgment, Judge Butler said the statements represented the "true state of affairs", which was that Murphy was involved in the farming business.

Irish Independent
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has led a chorus of condemnation of threats from criminals to the safety of reporters at Independent News and Media (INM).

The sinister warnings brought back memories of the murder of Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin 20 years ago by a drugs trafficking gang.

The latest threats were issued as a bloody feud between two crime gangs erupted in Dublin, resulting in two deaths in less than 80 hours. INM said it was working with gardai to increase security around the named journalists.

INM Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae said it was an outrageous threat to the freedom of the press. "The safety of our journalists is of paramount importance," he added. "Our media group will not be deterred from serving the public interest and highlighting the threat posed by such criminals."

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he deplored any threat made to any journalist. "One of the pillars of a functioning democracy is freedom of speech," he added. "Journalists must be afforded the freedom to go about their jobs without fear of reprisal. Those who engaged in the recent killings on our streets will be brought to justice."

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said: "There can be no place in society for threats to any journalists. It is clear that the thugs and gangsters behind the recent shootings in Dublin believe that they can act with impunity."

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin added the sinister development evoked memories of the very worst days of gangland violence and Ms Guerin's murder.

"It will add to the sense of vulnerability and chaos that many communities now feel, and it further confirms the total contempt that these thugs have for our society and for the freedoms that we hold dear," he said.

Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists Seamus Dooley said they had learned of the threats with shock but added that journalists and media organisations would not be intimidated by such threats.

"No journalists should be placed under threat for doing their job," Mr Dooley said. "We remind all journalists to remain vigilant and be mindful of their personal safety."
David Cameron has put security at the heart of his case for Britain staying in the EU as the moment of truth approaches for his renegotiation drive.

Delivering a speech in Hamburg, the Prime Minister insisted Europe had to "stand together" against threats such as Islamic State (IS) and Russian aggression.

He also appealed for Germany's help in finalising reforms, stressing the countries' shared interests and values.

The comments come with just a week to go until a crucial Brussels summit that could make or break Mr Cameron's hopes of securing a package that he can recommend to the UK public.

There are reports that US president Barack Obama is preparing to make a "big, public reach out" once the referendum campaign begins in an effort to convince Britons to vote to stay in the EU.

Senate foreign relations committee chairman Bob Corker discussed the tactic openly with witnesses during an evidence session, saying he "knew" that was Mr Obama's intention.

Mr Cameron told the dinner in Hamburg that he was "fighting" to get the changes the UK needed to remain in the union.

He argued that Anglo-German co-operation would be vital for success, stressing his close relationship with chancellor Angela Merkel. "It is our shared commitment to enterprise that means time and again at European Council meetings it is Britain and Germany working together, standing up for cutting bureaucracy, standing up for growth and standing up for jobs," he said.

"It is Britain and Germany - with our belief in sound finances - who are at the table arguing that you cannot spend your way out of problems and that you have to deal with your deficits.

"And I am proud of the way that chancellor Merkel and I worked to secure that historic deal to cut the European budget in real terms for the first time."

Mr Cameron said he "made no apology" for the fact that Britain was "argumentative and rather strong-minded".

"The need to protect our sovereignty has always been paramount for us. But we are also an open nation," he said. "That openness drove the decision to join in 1973. Just as it drives our approach in so many other ways, including our role in bringing down the Iron Curtain and championing the entry into Europe of countries that lost so many years to communism.

"We have always been a country that reaches out. And I never want us to pull up the drawbridge and retreat from the world.

"So when it comes to the question of Britain's future in Europe, my aim is clear: I want to keep Britain inside a reformed European Union."

Mr Cameron said forging trade deals such as TTIP with the US, and establishing clear rules for eurozone and non-eurozone states, was good for both the UK and Germany.

"And when Britain says we need to have a Europe that respects nation states and that we should be able to run our own welfare systems - those are calls which I believe resonate around Europe," he added.

Mr Cameron said he believed it was possible to achieve changes, and if so he would "unequivocally" recommend staying in the EU.

But he insisted the "job will not be done" even after the renegotiation, and "many things would remain to be reformed".

"At the end of all this, the reason why I believe it is so vital to keep Britain in a reformed European Union is that when I look at the world today and where it is going I am convinced more than ever that we need Britain and Germany working together to shape a European Union that can deliver prosperity and security for us all," he said.

"In a world where some countries claim you can be a great economic success but bypass democracy, restrict the free press and go without the rule of law, we need to stand together, and show that - far from holding countries back - these things make us stronger.

"In a world where Russia is invading Ukraine and a rogue nation like North Korea is testing nuclear weapons, we need to stand up to this aggression together - and bring our economic might to bear on those who rip up the rulebook and threaten the safety of our people.

"And in a world where people look at the threat of extremism and blame poverty or the foreign policy of the West, we need to say: no, it's about an ideology that is hijacking Islam for its own barbaric purposes and poisoning the minds of our young people.

"And just as Europe has faced down dangerous and murderous ideologies in the past, so again we must stand together in this, the struggle of our generation."
Injuries to the children are described as serious.

Eight girls are recovering from their injuries following a road collision outside a school in Liverpool.

Six of the casualties aged 11 to 13 suffered mainly broken bones in the incident near Belvedere Academy in the city.

A passerby witnessed the collision involving a yellow Peugeot car at about 3.20pm on Friday - with reports that the vehicle mounted a kerb and hit a number of youngsters.

Pupils at the independent girls' secondary school for 11 to 19-year-olds had just finished for the half-term break when the incident happened as buses arrived to collect them.

An 80-year-old woman, who was driving the Peugeot, stopped at the scene in Belvidere Road and is helping police with their inquiries.

Merseyside Police said the woman was uninjured and had not been arrested.

Five 11-year-old girls and two 13-year-old girls were taken to Alder Hey Hospital, and a 16-year-old girl was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Among the casualties were an 11-year-old girl with a broken ankle and cuts to the face, a 13-year-old girl with a fractured hip and another 13-year-old who suffered two broken arms, said police.

A police spokesman added: "The road and several surrounding streets were closed for several hours and the police would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while emergency services worked to treat casualties and fully investigate what happened.

"All roads were re-opened shortly before 7pm.

"Anyone who witnessed the collision who has yet to speak to the police is encouraged to call the roads policing department on 0151 777 5747."

Earlier, in a statement on Belvedere Academy's website, principal Peter Kennedy said: "Unfortunately there was a serious accident outside the academy at approximately 3.20pm this afternoon.

"Six of our students sustained injuries, some quite serious but not life-threatening. The emergency services were on the scene very quickly and dealt efficiently with the situation.

"All of the injured students have been taken to hospital where they are being treated. We will keep you updated as and when we receive further information."
A leading British geneticist has admitted to being "really scared" by the prospect of rogue IVF clinics adopting powerful new gene-editing techniques to alter the DNA of babies.

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge fears that in places where regulation is weak, parents with enough money will soon be able to pay for inherited diseases to be edited out of their offspring.

This is just the sort of scenario critics claim would be the start of a slippery slope towards designer babies customised to be more physically attractive or intelligent.

The professor works at the Francis Crick Institute in London where a colleague has been granted permission to use gene editing to study early human development in the womb and the causes of miscarriage.

The technique, known as CRISPR/Cas9, allows scientists to "cut and paste" DNA so that highly precise changes can be made in the genetic code.

Questioned at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC, Prof Lovell-Badge said: "I'm very, very concerned about this. This whole notion of rogue clinics is something that has occupied fertility science for many years where these clinics have cropped up in many different countries, including the US, which are offering treatments with no real basis in science and may be dangerous in some cases.

"You can quite easily imagine that if you were to apply these gene-editing techniques then the places it would happen would have to be associated with IVF clinics. In the UK we are lucky to have good regulation but in many countries there is no regulation, or minimal regulation.

"You can quite easily imagine a combination of egos of the person running the thing and someone who wants to have treatment and has enough cash saying, 'I'll give you 50,000 dollars or whatever' - and that scares me, it really scares me. It's bad for the field."

Prof Lovell-Badge took part in an international summit on gene-editing held in the US capital in December. The participants, who included leading scientists, ethicists and policy makers, concluded that carefully regulated gene-editing for research was justified.

His concerns were echoed by fertility pioneer Lord Winston, Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College, London, who went further, arguing that the use of gene-editing by IVF clinics was not likely to be confined to countries with poor regulation.

Lord Winston said: "Whatever is said, regulation cannot prevent this from happening either in the UK eventually or much more likely elsewhere. Robin has a rather touching faith in the ability of bodies like the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) but I am not so convinced.

"With the power of the market and the open information published in journals, I am sure that humans will want to try to 'enhance' their children and will be prepared to pay large sums to do so."

Bio-ethicist Dr Sarah Chan, from the University of Edinburgh, argued that infants with medical genetic enhancements should not be regarded as "designer babies".

She did not think that genuine designer babies, altered to improve intelligence or physical characteristics, were inevitable.

"From a UK context we ought to feel confident that if and when we get to the point that the technology is sufficiently advanced, we will approach it appropriately," said Dr Chan.

"I would venture to say that for a lot of people it may not be a scary prospect, because the first context in which we're likely to see this would be in the clinic for reproduction would be ... to cure or to attempt to alleviate serious disease."

Canadian professor and philosopher Francoise Baylis, from Dalhousie Medical School, who also attended the gene-editing summit and spoke at the AAAS meeting, did not agree.

She said: "It's a very real worry that many of the activities in the area of human reproduction have moved forward without proper clinical trials which has meant that we don't actually have data that is robust in the clinical context.

"Any one country can start to look like a rogue-technology place.

"It's not likely to be a top-down initiative, it's likely to be a bottom-up initiative, which is different to the types of concern we've heard before about eugenics."

She added: " We allow parents to enhance their children already through all kinds of social interventions, such as access to higher education, so there is already a belief or orientation that that is a proper goal or objective for a parent which is to give their children as many opportunities as possible ..

"Are people going to start focussing on something like stature? We have good data to show that if you are a taller male you will do better than a shorter male. We know that to be true ... we might say let's just fix it, let's make people taller."
Protests outside the Department of Health in London after Jeremy Hunt announced he would impose a new contract on thousands of junior doctors

Hospital bosses have distanced themselves from suggestions they agreed to a new junior doctors contract being imposed after their names were linked to a letter Jeremy Hunt used to justify the decision.

The names of 20 NHS health trust bosses in England were attached to a letter from chief negotiator Sir David Dalton advising the Government to do "whatever it deems necessary" to break the deadlock with medics.

The Health Secretary cited their support when announcing his decision to force through changes to pay and conditions.

But around half of the chief executives named have said they did not agree to the contract being forced on medics, even though they backed the terms being offered by the Government.

They include at least one who said she was unaware that her name was on the letter until it was actually published.

Claire Murdoch, chief executive of the Central and North West London NHS FT, said: "I became aware that my name was on the letter at the point at which it was published. When I contacted Sir David Dalton he had it removed immediately, which is reflective of the straightforward way he has sought to deal with a very challenging negotiation."

Andrew Foster, chief executive of the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (FT), said the letter he and 19 other NHS leaders backed was not the one that advised the Government to do "whatever it deems necessary" to break the deadlock.

Mr Foster said he had "not supported contract imposition. I have supported the view that the offer made is reasonable".

Sir David denied that the chief executives listed on the letter had been asked to give their support to imposed contracts.

He told the Health Service Journal (HSJ): "The statement that they agreed to was confirming that the best and final position was considered fair and reasonable, and that they believed the NHS needed certainty and not continuation of the stalemate.

"If anyone wants to make an inference (from this that they supported) imposition then that is their inference, (but) that is not what (the signatories) have committed their names to. I neither want to say they do or that they don't. There is a variety of opinion on this."

The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents junior doctors, has vowed to fight the decision and medics have reacted with anger.

Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA's junior doctor committee chairman, said: "The decision to impose a contract is a sign of total failure on the Government's part."

The BMA has already staged two walkouts and further strikes and legal actions are possibilities, while some junior doctors may refuse to sign new contracts which are due to be implemented from August.

Hundreds of doctors have applied for permission to work abroad in the past month, according to the Daily Mail.

The paper said the General Medical Council had granted 760 doctors a certificate of current professional status, allowing them to operate overseas, in January, added to the 8,627 who successfully applied last year.

And a Guardian survey found four in five healthcare workers have considered leaving their job in the NHS, of which 84% have thought about it more in the last year, because of increasing workloads and stress.

The new contract will mean an increase in basic salary of 13.5% and that three quarters of doctors will see their take-home pay increase, Mr Hunt said.

No doctor working contracted hours would see a pay cut while too many night shifts and long shifts will also be limited.

Under the new contract, 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.

Doctors working one in four or more Saturdays will receive a pay premium of 30%.

One doctor warned Mr Hunt he had "picked a fight with the wrong crowd".

"All we do is for our patients, how dare you try and turn them against us. All of this is your government's fault," Birmingham-based Rich Bowman, 27, said in a widely-shared post on Facebook.
Murderer Levi Bellfield has reportedly denied that he confessed to abducting and killing schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The 47-year-old, who is serving a whole-life sentence after being convicted in 2011 of murdering the teenager, is understood to have claimed that he never admitted killing her.

Bellfield's solicitor Julie Cooper has contacted Surrey Police to suggest that "covert" recordings were made during a prison interview and has demanded access to the tape recording and notes from the meeting, the Daily Telegraph said.

But Colin Sutton, the former Scotland Yard detective whose investigation into the murders of three other young women put Bellfield in prison, said the killer's claims were "breathtaking".

He told the Press Association: "I am almost lost for words on this. He has been toying around with the police and also the victims' families, particularly the Dowlers.

"It is even beyond the cruel, wicked games that I know he was capable of. This is almost beyond what I thought even he was capable of."

According to the Telegraph Ms Cooper wrote: "We request the tape recording of the alleged confession; the attendance notes relating to the alleged confession; the circumstances surrounding the alleged confession and we would be grateful if you would confirm or deny whether a covert tape was being used during the course of the interview with Mr Rahim and we look forward to your early response."

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way from school to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002. Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing her following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Earlier this week her family released a statement in which they outlined the harrowing details of Milly's last hours and what Bellfield admitted doing to her.

The serial killer told Surrey Police how he repeatedly raped and tortured her in the 14 hours between her abduction and murder.

Mr Sutton said he struggled to believe that there would not be an "unassailable record" of Bellfield's confession.

He said: "I would be astounded if Surrey Police did not have some sort of proper, decent, thorough corroboration of his claims, because when you are dealing with somebody like him you would not go public with it unless you had that.

"Given the high profile nature of this case and who he is I would be absolutely astounded if there isn't some sort of unassailable record of these confessions."

Mr Sutton said he would expect a confession on tape - with or without Bellfield's knowledge of it being recorded - or a written note of a confession which Bellfield would have signed at the time, which the retired officer said he "doubted" the killer would do.

He said: "Unless you have that kind of standard of corroboration of his admissions I think it would be a highly questionable decision to go public with it in the way they have over the last few weeks."

Mr Sutton said that Bellfield's retraction of his confession was "yet another (example of) the ever-growing and expanding catalogue of Levi Bellfield's cruelty on the Dowler family."

He added: "But of course he's got nothing else to do in some ways. He's in prison forever, he may as well just make mischief, and certainly he's capable of making the most wicked kind of mischief and that could be what he's doing.

"It could well be that he's just playing games. But it could backfire on him because he could be doing it under the impression that Surrey can't prove that he did say it when in fact they can. In some ways I hope that's the case, because it would certainly be the best outcome for Surrey Police."

Surrey Police were unavailable for comment.
MPs say new European Union data protection laws do not go far enough

Jail terms should be imposed for serious breaches of personal data privacy, MPs said as they warned new European Union protection laws did not go far enough.

An investigation of the use of "big data" by the Commons Science and Technology committee backed a watchdog's calls for those guilty of "de-anonymising" information to face being put behind bars for up to two years.

It said ministers should invoke existing powers to make "malicious" cases criminal offences after the Information Commissioner told them he "wept" at the paltry punishments handed out.

Regulations agreed in Brussels are expected to come into force across the 28-member bloc within the next two years but the committee said domestic legislation should be strengthened straight away.

Bigger fines planned by the EU - of between 2% to 4% of a guilty body's worldwide turnover - were insufficient, the committee concluded, and criticised loopholes appearing to allow re-use and de-anonymisation in cases of "legitimate interests".

The increasing use of huge shared datasets means data that was anonymised can now sometimes be traced back to a particular individual by piecing together a "jigsaw" of elements.

Tory MP Nicola Blackwood, the chair of the committee, said: "'The use of 'big data' is already bringing big benefits.

"Exploited further, big data will be transformative, unlocking new life-saving research and creating unimagined opportunities for innovation.

"But big data is also raising legitimate concerns about privacy and the way personal data is being used and sometimes re-used in ways which re-identify previously anonymised data.

"There is often well-founded distrust about this and about privacy which must be resolved by industry and Government.

"A 'council of data ethics' should be created to explicitly address these consent and trust issues head on.

"And the Government must signal that it is serious about protecting people's privacy by making the identifying of individuals by de-anonymising data a criminal offence."

The committee also warned that a shortage of specialist skills was "approaching crisis levels" - not only jeopardising economic potential but putting at risk the quality and security of data.

It was told that ensuring firms made better use of their data could boost UK productivity by 3% and called for a re-examination of immigration rules to ensure they were not unnecessarily curbing recruitment.

Other measures backed by the report included the full introduction of a "kitemark" quality assurance scheme devised by the Commissioner and compulsory data protection audits of local councils.

Sections 77 and 78 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 allowed for the creation of a criminal offence with a maximum term of two years - but it has never been acted on.

Ms Blackwood MP said: "A debate is needed at this critical juncture, now that the new EU data protection regulation has been agreed.

"The Government must contribute to that debate by clarifying its interpretation of the effect of the EU Regulation on the re-use and de-anonymisation of personal data, and introduce changes to the Data Protection Act 1998 as soon as possible to strike a transparent and appropriate balance between the benefits and the privacy concerns."
Concerns have been raised about the rate of prisoner suicides

Prison suicides are costing the taxpayer up to 300 million a year, according to estimates by a penal reform charity.

Growing inmate numbers, overcrowding and staff cuts have fuelled a 46% rise in suicide rates over the last three years, according to th e Howard League for Penal Reform.

It said p ublic sector funding is being spent on dealing with the aftermath of the deaths when it could be used to prevent them.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "No one should be so desperate whilst they are in the care of the state that they take their own life.

"Similarly, when conditions in prisons are so dire that people are taking their own lives at a rate of one every four days, no one should have to rely on economic analysis to make the case for change.

"Nevertheless, today's briefing paper shows how greater investment in suicide prevention would make financial sense, generating savings for public services that would benefit everyone."

The charity took the cost of a suicide in the community and estimated the additional costs that are generated by a death in the penal system, including investigations by the prisons ombudsman and the coroner, legal representation for prison staff and contributions to funeral costs.

It estimates that the cost to taxpayers is between 160m and 300m a year.

Andy Bell, deputy chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: "Every loss of life due to suicide is a personal and family tragedy.

"Today's report also demonstrates the wider costs of suicide deaths in prison. It is a reminder of how important it is to take action to protect the mental health of all prisoners and to ensure people with mental health difficulties are offered help as quickly as possible when they come into contact with the criminal justice system."

It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to overhaul the way prisons are run, with governors given greater freedom over the day to day running and the introduction of performance league tables.

Shadow prisons minister Jo Stevens said: "This shocking report makes for disturbing reading and is yet more evidence of the growing prison crisis taking place on David Cameron's watch.

"Quite simply, the policies of the Tory Government have led to greater overcrowding, more assaults against staff and a rise in violence and self-harm.

"If ministers want to be taken seriously as prison reformers they must urgently tackle the appalling conditions in our prisons and make mental health a real priority."

Prisons minister Andrew Selous said: "We take our duty of care to prisoners extremely seriously and on any given day provide support to over 2,000 prisoners at risk of self-harming.

"However, as the Prime Minister has made clear, our prisons need reform. That includes allowing governors to work with NHS England to tailor their mental health services, so that prisoners in their care get the support they need."
The Department for Transport has been urged to develop an alternative commercial strategy to be used if competition for rail franchises continues to fall

There is "a real risk" that the Government will not get value for money from rail franchises because of "dwindling" interest from operators, an influential group of MPs has warned.

A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) urged the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop an alternative commercial strategy to be used if competition for franchises continues to fall.

It suggested looking at other markets which have a limited number of firms involved, such as the energy sector, to see if lessons can be learned.

The committee noted that the DfT - which is responsible for awarding rail franchises in England and Wales to private sector companies - requires at least three bids per franchise to "create competitive tension" and "increase the likelihood of receiving high-quality bids".

But there are "signs that the level of interest from the market in rail franchising is dwindling", the MPs said, adding: " There is a real risk to value for money if market interest ... declines any further."

The report said the first five franchises made available after the programme was restarted in 2013 attracted three bids each, compared with an average of four for the previous 10 competitions.

Last week it was announced that only two companies will compete to run the South Western franchise from June next year.

Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said: "This hardly inspires confidence and highlights the urgent need for the department to develop new approaches it can draw on when there is a risk competition will not deliver the result rail users and the wider public deserve."

Right-of-centre think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs published research earlier this week which showed that Government funding in the rail industry is almost 5 billion a year - equivalent to 0.3% of GDP and 180 per family in the UK.

In October 2012, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin scrapped the competition for the West Coast franchise after serious errors were found to have been made during the bidding process. A PAC inquiry found that it would cost taxpayers at least 50 million. Three other franchise competitions were paused.

A revised franchising programme was launched in March 2013 with 15 competitions over an eight-year period.

The PAC acknowledged improvements since then in the DfT's capability to let franchises, but said there were "still gaps in its ability to then manage the contracts effectively".

It concluded that it is "not clear" when rail users will see higher quality services and urged the DfT to develop partnerships with operators that "facilitate innovation".

The DfT issued a statement which read: " Since the launch of the franchising programme in March 2013, the department has introduced a series of measures which has brought new companies to the market.

"We have 11 owning groups already able to bid for franchises and we are working to actively seek further new entrants to the market."

Mick Cash, g eneral secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, described the committee's findings as " hopelessly inadequate" and claimed rail franchising is " actually far worse than it was in 2012".

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators and Network Rail, said: " We support the need for a clear vision for the whole of Britain's railway network."
Richard Dawkins has pulled out of a tour of Australia and New Zealand

Outspoken academic and writer Richard Dawkins has pulled out of a tour of Australia and New Zealand after suffering a minor stroke.

The 74-year-old was taken ill on Saturday but is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement on the Sydney Opera House website.

The biologist and noted secularist author of The God Delusion had been due to appear at the landmark venue on February 28.

The statement said: "On Saturday night Richard suffered a minor stroke, however he is expected in time to make a full or near full recovery. He is already at home recuperating.

"This unfortunately means Richard will be unable to make his planned Australian and New Zealand tour.

"He is very disappointed that he is unable to do so but looks forward to renewing his plans in the not too distant future."
The Philae lander photographed from mother ship Rosetta as it made its way towards the comet

Scientists say there is "almost zero chance" of hearing from the Philae space probe again after it touched down on a comet more than a year ago.

The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) said any response from the lander would be "very surprising". The last communication was on June 9 last year.

"We haven't had contact since last summer but kept on sending communications hoping it would react," Manuela Braun, of the DLR, said.

"So we're saying goodbye without knowing what has happened to it.

"It's now really almost zero (percent chance) that Philae will get back in contact with us."

She added: "This was Plan B, when the lander bounced off and went to a shadier, colder landing site we adjusted everything so it would work."

Before it stopped communicating, Philae sent back reams of data about 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that scientists will spend years analysing.

The unit made an historic landing on the comet in November 2014 after bouncing several times from its surface.

It was launched as part of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission and was the first robot to be dropped on a comet.

The mother craft, Rosetta, will continue to carry out scientific measurements in orbit until September, when it will be steered to land on the surface as well.
The Independent newspaper is to become digital only from the end of March

About 75 jobs are at risk in the wake of the decision to close the newspaper editions of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday, a source close to the business has said.

The owners of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers have confirmed the print version of the titles will close, leaving an online-only edition.

ESI Media said The Independent, launched in 1986, will become "the first national newspaper title to move to a digital-only future".

The Independent on Sunday will go online only on March 20, with The Independent following on March 26.

The move comes after the paper's owners, Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev, agreed a deal to sell its cut-price sister paper i to regional publisher Johnston Press for around 24 million.

The Independent newspapers are part of the group owned by the Lebedev family, who have other media assets including the Evening Standard and local TV station London Live.

ESI Media said the independent.co.uk website has seen its monthly audience grow 33.3% over the last 12 months to nearly 70 million global unique users.

It added the site is profitable and is expected to see revenue growth of 50% this year.

The move comes at a time of increasing difficulties for the British newspaper industry, with print advertising revenues falling and few titles having found a profitable online business model.

Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent, said: "The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers.

"They're showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms."

ESI Media said as a result of the move it will create 25 new digital content roles, launch a new subscription mobile app and continue to invest in quality journalism.

It added that due to the expansion of independent.co.uk new editorial bureaux will open in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and its US operation will be boosted.

The group said the Evening Standard is unaffected by the move, "which continues to grow as a profitable and successful newspaper brand in its own right".

The Independent was launched by a group of journalists led by Andreas Whittam Smith. It enjoyed initial success rising to a circulation passing 400,000 by 1988, and claimed it was free from proprietorial influence.

Early advertising featured the famous strapline "It is, are you?", and later editors included Andrew Marr and Rosie Boycott.

The Independent on Sunday launched in 1990, with Stephen Glover as editor.

However, over the years and under different owners the circulation and ad revenues of the titles began to shrink as the newspaper industry lost readers.

In March 2010 ESI Media bought the titles from Irish mogul Sir Anthony O'Reilly for 1.

The Independent's current paid circulation is just over 40,000 while its Sunday sister title sells just under 43,000 copies.

By contrast the i, bought by Johnston Press, has a circulation of 275,000 and reported profits of 5.2 million last year.
US Secretary of State John Kerry announced diplomats meeting at a summit in Munich have agreed to implement "cessation of hostilities" in Syria

A plan to begin a temporary ceasefire in Syria within a week is an "important step" towards ending the civil war in the country, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

Diplomats meeting at a summit in Munich agreed to seek a "nationwide cessation of hostilities" between Syrian government forces and rebel groups, US secretary of state John Kerry announced.

But it would not apply to extremist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.

The agreement by world powers, including Russia, is the latest twist in a conflict which has killed an estimated quarter of a million people and displaced millions of refugees, many of whom have headed for Europe.

Mr Hammond welcomed the settlement but warned it would succeed only if Russia ceased bombing moderate opposition groups.

He said: "The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich committed members to achieving a cessation of hostilities within a week, to delivering humanitarian assistance to named besieged communities by this weekend and to facilitating rapid progress in negotiations aimed at political transition.

"If implemented fully and properly by every ISSG member, this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria. But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its supporters.

"Russia, in particular, claims to be attacking terrorist groups and yet consistently bombs non-extremist groups including civilians. If this agreement is to work, this bombing will have to stop: no cessation of hostilities will last if moderate opposition groups continue to be targeted."

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian air strikes against terrorist groups would continue and again denied there had been strikes against civilians in rebel-held areas.

Mr Kerry said the proposed truce would depend on "whether or not all the parties honour those commitments and implement them".

He described it as a "pause" in the long-running conflict but added a long-term solution depended on the Syrian government led by Bashar Assad and opposition groups engaging in "genuine negotiation" about the way forward.

He said: "We are doing everything in our power diplomatically to bring an end to this conflict. The ISSG is engaged actively in the implementation of the ceasefire.

"This is still a complicated conflict, with increasing levels of violence, increasing numbers of terrorists."

The world powers agreed to "accelerate and expand" the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in seven besieged areas of the country and work towards a "Syrian-led" political transition.

Mr Kerry admitted difference remained over the role Assad would play in Syria's future but stressed the need for further diplomacy, saying: "We have to be at the table to do that."

British jets have been involved in bombing runs against IS, which has captured large swathes of the country as the conflict between Assad's government and moderate opposition groups continued to rage.

RAF Typhoon and Tornado aircraft alongside Reaper drones have carried out 585 successful air strikes flown in more than 2,000 combat missions against IS, also known as Daesh.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said: " Far too many lives have already been lost in Syria and a ceasefire is urgently needed to put an end to the bloodshed and bring in humanitarian aid.

"This announcement is a welcome step forward but the test will be whether it actually happens on the ground and if it includes an end to Russia's bombing of the Syrian moderate opposition."
Chewing sugar-free gum can be "extremely effective" in reducing the risk of decay, researchers said

The NHS could save 8.2 million on dental treatments each year if all 12-year-olds chewed sugar-free gum after eating or drinking, a study suggests.

Research published in the British Dental Journal estimates the saving - equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups - for chewing three pieces per day.

This is thanks to the role chewing gum plays in helping prevent tooth decay, researchers from the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry said.

Government figures released last year showed 35% of 12-year-olds have been too embarrassed to smile or laugh due to the condition of their teeth.

The new research suggests the NHS could save up to 2.8 million on dental treatments per year if all 12-year-olds chewed one piece of sugar-free gum per day.

This cost saving rose to a potential 3.3 million if two pieces were to be chewed, and to 8.2 million for three pieces, researchers said.

Professor Liz Kay, of Peninsula Dental School, said: "The findings of this study are hugely exciting as they reveal a new and easy way of helping people improve their oral health.

"Crucially, whilst these figures are significant, they refer only to cost reductions for treating 12-year-olds in the UK; if this model was to be applied to the whole population then there is a real potential to create substantial NHS savings.

"Clinical evidence has already proved that sugar-free gum can help prevent caries and now we can also see a clear financial advantage."

The research, the first of its kind in the UK, was conducted by York Health Economics Consortium and Peninsula Dental School, with support from The Wrigley Company Ltd.

Brushing teeth for two minutes twice a day is still the best way to keep teeth clean and healthy.

But for children over the age of seven, chewing sugar-free gum during the day can be "extremely effective" in breaking down lingering food, neutralising harmful plaque acids and reducing the risk of decay, researchers said.

The European Commission has approved five oral health claims for sugar-free chewing gum, while the benefits of chewing are recognised by the World Dental Federation and the British Dental Health Foundation.

Each week, more than one million patients in the UK use NHS dental services, with dental disease costing the system 3.4 billion per year.

The Children's Dental Health Survey in 2013 found that 34% of 12-year-olds in the UK had obvious decay in their permanent teeth.

A spokesman for Plymouth University added: " In the UK, official oral care guidance has rarely explicitly mentioned sugar-free gum.

"However the evidence described above suggests that the potential benefits of including sugar-free gum in preventative oral health advice should be considered.

"With the NHS facing a huge funding gap, new solutions - such as sugar-free chewing gum - need to be considered to help tackle the totally preventable problem of tooth decay."
Up to 1,000 people living in a sprawling migrant camp by Calais must leave their makeshift dwellings, the top official in France's northern Pas-de-Calais region announced.

Prefect Fabienne Buccio said the plan to move out those taking shelter in tents and lean-tos concerns about half the surface of the camp by the northern French city, known locally as The Jungle.

Officials would not say whether the move is part of a larger plan to close the squalid camp, which Ms Buccio has suggested she wants to do.

State authorities will visit on Monday to advise those affected that they must leave.

Ms Buccio said her agents will explain to migrants "what we expect" of them - to choose to live in heated containers set up last month on the edge of the camp that can hold 1,500 or agree to be sent to centres around France. They will be given a week to make the choice.

Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other war-torn countries or dictatorships make their way to northern France in order to try to sneak across the English Channel to Britain via ferry, the Eurotunnel train or trucks. The camp on the edge of Calais now has shops, mosques, churches and schools built by migrants and volunteers.

The prefecture estimates there are about 3,700 migrants currently in the camp - lower than the more than 4,000 estimated by aid groups. There were some 6,000 people at the camp just months ago, but the prefecture has made a gradual effort to reduce the numbers. Ms Buccio has suggested that only 2,000 migrants can remain in Calais.

"It's time to tell the migrants of Calais who live in undignified conditions and give Calais an image that isn't dignified either, that we have a solution for each of you," she said.

Tensions are mounting in Calais over the migrant situation, which some say hurts business and tourism. Migrants, in turn, are increasingly being threatened and attacked by armed civilians.
US presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have battled for the crucial support of black and Hispanic voters in a Democratic debate in Milwaukee that marked a shift in the primary towards states with more minority voters.

After splitting the first two state-by-state primary contests with Mr Sanders, Mrs Clinton also deepened her assertion that her unexpectedly strong rival was energising voters with promises "that cannot be kept".

And she continued to closely align herself with President Barack Obama, who remains popular, particularly with black Democrats.

Seeking to boost his own support with minorities, Mr Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system".

"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.

In one of the moments of agreement between the candidates, Mrs Clinton concurred on a need to address a criminal justice system that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities, but said her proposals for fighting racial inequality were broader.

"We're going to emphasise education, jobs and housing," said Mrs Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Both candidates vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.

They disagreed with a new series of raids authorised by Mr Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally.

"We should be deporting criminals, not hard-working immigrant families who do the very best they can," Mrs Clinton said.

Both candidates were largely restrained in their head-to-head contest at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in contrast to their campaign's increasingly heated rhetoric on the campaign trail.

While Mrs Clinton played the aggressor in the previous Democratic debate, she is mindful of a need to not turn off Mr Sanders' voters, particularly the young people supporting him in overwhelming numbers.

She is hoping to offset Mr Sanders' backing from those young Americans by drawing support from the black and Hispanic voters who make up a big share of the electorate in Nevada, South Carolina and other states that come next on the primary calendar.

In the more crowded Republican field, South Carolina is next. Billionaire Donald Trump, fresh from a commanding win in New Hampshire, will be tested by the state's more conservative voters.

Former secretary of state Mrs Clinton sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Mr Sanders, including his call for free tuition at colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system.

Mrs Clinton said those proposals came with unrealistic price tags and accused Mr Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40% increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.

Mr Sanders did not put a price on his policies, but neither did he shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.

"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," he said.

Mr Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively on a call to break up big Wall Street banks and overhaul the current campaign finance system that he says gives wealthy Americans undue influence.

His campaign contends that his message will be well-received by minority voters, arguing that blacks and Hispanics have been hurt even more by what he calls a "rigged" economy.

Mr Sanders' strength has startled the Clinton campaign. He defeated her by more than 20 points in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, drawing the majority of men, women, independents and young people.

Meanwhile Mr Trump gave a taste of the attacks he plans to unleash against former president George Bush when he hits the campaign trail for his brother Jeb next week.

Mr Trump told a a rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that he had read reports about the former president's plans to campaign with former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

He says Jeb Bush "tried the mother, that didn't work out so good. Now he's bringing in his brother".

Mr Trump repeated his own opposition to the war in Iraq and pointed to George Bush "getting us in that quicksand".

"That was a horrible call to go in," he said.

Mr Trump says he will leave Jeb Bush alone if his campaign stops airing negative ads against him.
A five-storey building has collapsed in the Turkish city of Istanbul but it appears no-one was trapped inside, according to local officials.

The building collapsed in a small side street close to Istanbul's pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, a main shopping district, reducing much of it to rubble. Police sealed off the area.

Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters: "According to preliminary inspections there isn't anyone inside."

He added that people near the building realised it was about to collapse due to the noise and warned people inside.

"Our hope is that there wasn't anyone inside," said the governor.

Mayor Misbah Demircan said "people at the car park felt the shaking and they made people vacate the area", crediting them with preventing a disaster.

Earlier, private news agency Dogan had said people were believed to be trapped in the rubble.
US secretary of state John Kerry, right, and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov reveal the ceasefire agreement after the International Syria Support Group meeting in Munich (AP)

Diplomats have agreed to work towards a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria's civil war within a week, although efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire fell short.

The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the US, which had wanted an immediate ceasefire, and Russia, which had proposed one to start on March 1.

Although foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week, their failure to agree on a ceasefire leaves the most critical step to resuming peace talks unresolved.

Speaking for the support group, US secretary of state John Kerry hailed the result as a significant accomplishment but noted that a cessation of hostilities would only be a "pause" in fighting and that more work would be needed to turn it into a fully fledged ceasefire.

He also acknowledged that the agreements were "commitments on paper" only.

"The real test is whether or not all the parties honour those commitments and implement them," he told reporters after the near six-hour meeting at a Munich hotel, which ran into the early hours of Friday.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that a full-scale ground operation in Syria could widen the conflict.

"A ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war," Mr Medvedev said.

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops, he said: "The Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war."

He criticised Western powers' refusal to collaborate with Russia in Syria, adding that ties at the level of defence departments are only sporadic.

Humanitarian access to the battle-scarred country is to be discussed by a working group in Geneva. It is key to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians in the short term.

Mr Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said the US and Russia would co-chair the working group on humanitarian aid as well as a taskforce that will try to deal with the "modalities" of the temporary truce.

The taskforce will include members of the military along with representatives from countries that are supporting various armed groups in Syria. The Syrian government and the opposition would both have to agree to the details.
Facebook has not given an explanation for the suspension of the account

A visitor looks at Gustave Courbet's 1866 "The Origin of the World," painting which depicts female genitalia at Orsay museum, in Paris, France, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Facebook has lost a crucial legal battle in France as a court ruled the social network can be sued over its decision to remove the account of a user who posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting.

The ruling by the Paris appeals court could set a legal precedent in France, where Facebook has more than 30 million regular users. An appeal could go to the country's highest court.

It means a French court can hear the case of Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 57-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover, whose Facebook account was suspended five years ago without prior notice.

That was the day he posted a photo of Gustave Courbet's 1866 The Origin of the World, which depicts female genitalia.

He wants his account reactivated and is asking for 20,000 euros (15,000) in damages.

Facebook has not given an explanation for the suspension of the account. Its Community Standards page says: "We restrict the display of nudity because some audiences within our global community may be sensitive to this type of content - particularly because of their cultural background or age."

It also says: "We also allow photographs of paintings, sculptures, and other art that depicts nude figures."

Mr Durand-Baissas's lawyer said Facebook has changed its language on this subject in recent years.

Its lawyers had argued that such lawsuits could only be heard by a specific court in California where it has its headquarters, and that French consumer rights law cannot apply to users in France because its worldwide service is free.

A Paris appeals court dismissed those arguments and upheld a lower court's decision that ruled French courts can hear cases involving users in France.

The appeals court said a small clause in Facebook's terms and conditions requiring any worldwide lawsuits to be heard by the Santa Clara court is "unfair" and excessive. The judges also said the terms and conditions contract signed by any user before creating a Facebook account does fall under consumer rights law in France.

"This is a great satisfaction and a great victory after five years of legal action," said lawyer Stephane Cottineau, who represents the teacher. He said it sends a message to all "web giants that they will have now to answer for their possible faults in French courts".

"On one hand, Facebook shows a total permissiveness regarding violence and ideas conveyed on the social network. And on the other hand, shows an extreme prudishness regarding the body and nudity."

The French government has lobbied Silicon Valley tech giants to take down violent extremist material, notably after deadly attacks in Paris last year.

Facebook has had a tough week in France.

The country's independent privacy watchdog said the firm is breaching user privacy by tracking and using personal data, and set a three-month limit ahead of eventual fines. And the government's anti-fraud agency issued a formal notice giving the company two months to comply with data protection laws or risk sanctions. It notably accused Facebook of removing content or information posted by users without consultation.

Mr Durand-Baissas said: "This is a case of free speech and censorship on a social network.

"If (Facebook) can't see the difference between an artistic masterpiece and a pornographic image, we in France (can)."
More than a dozen tractors have rolled through Athens, honking horns and flashing lights outside parliament as thousands of Greek farmers thronged the capital's main Syntagma Square to protest against tax hikes and pension reforms.

The two-day protest kicked off with clashes between riot police and Cretan farmers wielding shepherd's staffs that left 10 police slightly injured and smashed windows at the agriculture ministry.

Music blared from loudspeakers and protesters braving rain lit a bonfire near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of parliament, while about 20 tractors parked nearby. Tents were set up in the adjacent Syntagma Square in preparation for an all-night sit-in.

Farming associations have been blockading highways across the country with tractors for more than two weeks, forcing traffic into lengthy diversions, as they protest against a planned overhaul of the country's troubled pension system.

They have refused talks with the government, insisting the pension reform plan must be repealed.

Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self-employed and salaried employees.

The most severe clashes came outside the agriculture ministry where about 800 farmers from Crete were demanding access to the building. Riot police used tear gas to repel groups hurling rocks and tomatoes and setting dumpsters alight.

Numerous windows at the ministry building were smashed, and rubble from broken paving stones littered the road outside. Police said the farmers threatened to spray them with a pesticide used for olive trees if officers used tear gas. At least four farmers were detained.

One outnumbered riot police unit was forced to flee up a street, with farmers wielding staffs and pieces of wood in pursuit.

Separate clashes broke out on major roads into the Greek capital. To the east of Athens, farmers used tractors to circumvent a police roadblock, drive over a highway barrier and block the main highway to Athens's international airport for about half an hour, leaving travellers with planes to catch walking along the road, wheeling their suitcases behind them.

West of the city, riot police fired tear gas to disperse farmers demanding to be allowed into the city with agricultural vehicles despite a government ban. Running clashes ensued along the highway, with some protesters smashing the windscreen of a patrol car.

"These scenes were aimed at blackening the struggle of the farmers," said agriculture minister Vangelis Apostolou. "For us, there is one path - that of dialogue to solve the problems of farmers."

The protests against the pension changes have united a disparate group of professions, including lawyers, artists, accountants, engineers, doctors, dentists, seamen and casino workers.

Throughout Friday, farmers in buses, pick-up trucks and cars from north and south were heading to the capital for the main rally and all-night sit-in, which is to be followed by another rally on Saturday.
George Clooney and his wife Amal are accompanied by Angela Merkel's foreign policy adviser Christoph Heusgen, centre (AP)

Hollywood star George Clooney and his lawyer wife Amal have had a private meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the crisis in Syria and Europe's efforts to help refugees.

The actor, who is in Germany for the Berlin Film Festival to showcase his new movie Hail, Caesar, was accompanied at the 40-minute meeting by David Miliband, the former British foreign secretary who heads the International Rescue Committee.

Mr Miliband said afterwards that they discussed what countries around the world could do to solve "what is a global problem, not just a Syrian problem or a German issue".

He praised Ms Merkel for "showing very strong leadership and example not just to Europe but globally" in the refugee crisis.

The Clooneys plan to visit a Berlin refugee shelter later.

Mr Miliband said it was Clooney's idea to ask for a meeting with Ms Merkel, who has received both praise and criticism for letting hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany over the past year.

Clooney is known for his human rights work and has supported the IRC on other projects.

Mr Miliband said: "It wouldn't be right to come to Berlin and have a film festival and pretend there wasn't a big global issue for which Germany was in the eye of the storm."

Ms Merkel told reporters that she had had "a very good conversation" with the Clooneys and Mr Miliband, exchanging ideas for how aid groups and governments can co-operate to encourage citizens to volunteer to help refugees.
Two teenagers have been shot at Independence High School in Arizona

Two teenage girls have been shot dead at Independence High School in Arizona.

A spokeswoman could not confirm whether the victims at the school, in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, were students.

She did not say who fired the shots but said there is no longer an active shooter.

A weapon was reportedly found near the students.

Numerous police and fire units descended on the school, and streets were closed to traffic in the residential area around the campus.

The school, founded in 1977, has more than 2,000 students.

Dozens of worried parents gathered at a nearby convenience store for word about their children.

"Students are not in (further) danger," Glendale police Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters.
Pope Francis has met the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, in an historic development in the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity.

Francis and Kirill embraced and kissed one another three times on the cheek as they met in a wood-panelled VIP room at Havana airport.

It was the first time a pope and Russian patriarch had ever met.

The Vatican sees the meeting as an important new step in its ecumenical efforts, but many Orthodox observers see Kirill's willingness to sit down with a pope as more an attempt to assert Russia and Russian Orthodoxy at a time when Moscow is being isolated by the West.

"Finally!" Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: "Now things are easier."

Francis was having the brief talks in Cuba before heading off on a five-day visit to Mexico.

The meeting and signing of a joint declaration was decades in the making and cemented Francis' reputation as a risk-taking statesman who values dialogue, bridge-building and rapprochement at almost any cost.

Indeed, while the meeting with Kirill has been hailed by many as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The joint declaration is expected to touch on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

It is being signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin America's first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirill's willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding within the West and the Orthodox Church at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine.

Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian president Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

Catholic and Orthodox split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands.

Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill signed a joint declaration on religious unity after their historic meeting.

The declaration calls for peace in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine and urges Europe to "maintain its faithfulness to its Christian roots".

Pope Francis said: "We spoke clearly and directly. I greatly appreciate his desire for unity."

They also exchanged gifts that are deeply symbolic and trace the history of the sometimes tense relationship between East and West.

Francis gave Kirill a reliquary containing a relic of St Cyril, the 5th century archbishop of Alexandria who is revered by both Catholic and Orthodox churches. He also gave him a chalice.

Kirill, for his part, offered Francis a small replica of the Madonna of Kazan icon.

In 2004, the Vatican had returned an 18th century copy of the image to Kirill's predecessor, Alexy II, in a bid to forge better ecumenical friendship.

The traditional Byzantine gold-and-wood icon depicts the Madonna and Child. The original 16th century work was revered by Russian believers for its purported ability to work miracles, including the rout of Polish invaders in the early 17th century.

St John Paul II had hung it in his private chapel after receiving it from a Catholic group in 1993. He had hoped that returning an icon so revered by him personally might forge better ties with the Russian church.

While welcoming the return, Alexy said since it was only a copy of the original 16th century icon, the pope didn't need to personally accompany it back to Moscow, thus dashing his hopes for a visit.
In a democracy dissent is good and violence is bad. Yet, in our context, the word 'dissident' has become common parlance with politicians and reporters alike when commenting on violent terrorist attacks, public disorder, pickets and protests.

Yet, do we really understand what it means? Or have we become so complacent with its application in our post-conflict society that there has been a gradual shift in the conventional meaning and interpretation of the word?

Only last month police in Craigavon introduced us to 'Dissident Dan' - a "balaclava-clad, stick man with attitude", a virtual character created in response to security alerts and public disorder in the area.

For those who have seen him, I am sure you will agree he will not be in the running for a Turner Prize.

Yet, like most artistic creations that evoke the imagination or deliver a message, Dissident Dan has succeeded, albeit with some ambiguity.

In other words, is Dan a terrorist in the traditional sense? Or is he a stone-thrower - the recreational rioter?

By not making this distinction clear are we running the risk of merely diminishing the actions and activities of violent dissident republican terrorists by presenting such a simplistic character?

Within any conflict or post-conflict situation language is of crucial importance.

In our case, both governments and local parties quickly adopted the term 'dissident' while the peace process was still in its infancy, and the word came to symbolise those individuals and organisations intent on using violence to pursue their goals.

Since then it appears that the application of the word has diversified to incorporate anyone that does not neatly fit within the popular peace process narrative.

For the most part the word is associated with those from a republican and nationalist background and has become synonymous with negativity, criminality, violence and terrorism.

Furthermore, as the term became more frequently used, other phrases and words emerged alongside it, such as 'anti-peace process groups', 'anti-Sinn Fein individuals', 'micro-groups', 'violent dissident republicans' and 'dissident republican activists'.

Reflecting on the word, a dissident is broadly defined as a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution.

In many societies dissenters are welcomed as providing both an alternative to and a critique of the status quo.

Yet we have managed to not only demonise this term, but to also apply it to a broad range of actors while ignoring their different motivations, behaviours and ideological positions.

The Government and security services are very clear that the current threat from dissident terrorist organisations comes from the Continuity IRA, the New IRA and Oglaigh na hEireann, which reject the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and aim to undermine the democratic institutions through the use of violence.

There is little evidence to suggest that they have significant popular support from within their own community, and they have failed to provide a practical and non-violent alternative to the current political process.

It was for these individuals that the term 'dissident' was originally intended.

Beyond this constituency we know very little about those who are not engaged in an armed campaign, even though they continue to project a very different narrative to that of mainstream republicanism - one in which policing and the political institutions are underpinned by British influence - and they have cultivated an environment similar to that of pre-1994.

They, too, are labelled dissidents through their engagement and participation in white line pickets in support of prisoners, protests outside PSNI information recruitment centres and involvement in parades and marches in commemoration of historical August events.

The term 'dissident' covers all of these actions, but the rationale for participation and potential outputs are very different, which leads one to ask whether the casual application of the word has in fact blurred the lines between that which constitutes as violent and non-violent behaviour?

More significantly, is there a danger that we have stigmatised the word 'dissident'? And, furthermore, what exactly do the dissidents actually disagree with? And, most importantly, how do we begin the process of addressing their anger and concerns while also isolating those who advocate violence?

To apply the 'dissident' label with such a laissez-faire approach simply stifles debate and does not helpfully clarify the difference between those people who actually support a violent, armed campaign and those who simply disagree with the current trajectory of the peace process and with both the republican and nationalist parties that take part in it. While dissidents advocating violence appear uninterested in using elections to pursue their goals, there are those - usually characterised by their disengagement from the peace process and their anti-Sinn Fein rhetoric - that have begun to challenge the existing political establishment by participating in council elections. There is Gary Donnelly, who ran as an independent (but with links to the 32 County Sovereignty Movement). He was elected in the Derry and Strabane constituency in 2014.

Furthermore, parties such as the Republican Network for Unity and eirigi, along with independent candidates emerging from a traditional republican base, have shown, through votes cast for them, that their political and ideological beliefs resonate with certain members of the public.

Their participation in the electoral process has been welcomed by all shades of political green and is seen as the first of many steps in resolving the political and ideological fractures that exist within nationalist and republican communities.

In a democracy, the values of questioning, critiquing and opposing dominant powers should surely be welcomed.

This then raises the question as to whether our peace process is now mature enough and stable enough to defend itself from critique and debate from non-violent dissident republicans?

In taking up Dissident Dan, the PSNI has managed to blur the boundaries around violent opposition to the peace process, public disorder and wider criminal activity.

They are not solely to blame, of course, for society itself has allowed the term 'dissident' to come to encapsulate all behaviours and actions - whether violent or non-violent - of those people who disagree with and oppose aspects of the peace and political processes.

We have allowed ourselves to fall into a language trap, were we use words without contemplating what they really mean.

This presents a fundamental challenge to the very democratic values that the peace process is meant to inspire and embed.

Dr Jonny Byrne lectures in the School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy at Ulster University
Equipment interference, also known as Computer Network Exploitation (CNE), allows GCHQ spies to bypass encryption and gain access to data sent from devices including phones and computer networks

The regime under which listening post GCHQ carries out hacking of suspects' computers and smartphones does not breach human rights laws, a tribunal has ruled.

Campaign group Privacy International and seven internet service providers mounted a legal challenge over activity known as equipment interference.

However, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal found in favour of the agency and the Foreign Office on all points of law in a judgment issued on Friday.

The use of equipment Interference, which is also referred to as computer network exploitation, by intelligence services was first disclosed last year.

It allows authorities to interfere with electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and PCs in order to obtain data.

Operations can range from using a target's login credentials to gain access to information held on a computer to more sophisticated tactics such as remotely installing a piece of software in order to obtain the desired intelligence and covertly downloading the contents of a mobile phone.

In its judgment the tribunal, which considers complaints about the way public authorities use covert techniques, examined 10 issues relating to GCHQ's work.

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It concluded that the legal regime under which warrants are issued for the agency to carry out equipment interference in the UK is compatible with European Convention on Human Rights articles.

The framework was also found to be compliant prior to the publication of a code of practice on the tactics in February last year.

In relation to authorisation of actions outside Britain, it said there might be circumstances in which an individual claimant might be able to claim a breach under articles 8 or 10 of the convention, which relate to the right to private and family life and freedom of expression.

However, it said that "does not lead to a conclusion" that the regime is non-compliant with the articles.

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The tribunal also said it was "satisfied that the requirements for records are sufficient and satisfactory, and that adequate safeguards have been in place at all times for the protection of the product of CNE, and that there exists a satisfactory system of oversight".

Equipment interference features in the Government's draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

The judgment concluded: "The use of CNE by GCHQ, now avowed, has obviously raised a number of serious questions, which we have done our best to resolve in this judgment.

"Plainly it again emphasises the requirement for a balance to be drawn between the urgent need of the Intelligence Agencies to safeguard the public and the protection of an individual's privacy and/or freedom of expression.

"We are satisfied that with the new EI Code, and whatever the outcome of Parliamentary consideration of the IP Bill, a proper balance is being struck in regard to the matters we have been asked to consider."

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The Foreign Office said the ruling made clear that the legal regime under which GCHQ carries out equipment interference "is, and has always been, compatible with human rights law".

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond welcomed the ruling "and its judgment that a proper balance is being struck between the need to keep Britain safe and the protection of individuals' privacy".

He added: "The ability to exploit computer networks plays a crucial part in our ability to protect the British public.

"Once again, the law and practice around our security and intelligence agencies' capabilities and procedures have been scrutinised by an independent body and been confirmed to be lawful and proportionate."
Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET on 2016-02-16

Illegal use of environmentally destructive equipment and corruption are combining to rob Indias eastern coastline of its marine life, according to a top fisheries watchdog.

Foreign fishing trawlers, mainly from Bangladesh and Taiwan, are illegally entering Indias territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal. Some trawlers are from Thailand, too, Pranab Kumar Kar, vice president of the Federation of Indian Fisheries Industries (FIFI), told BenarNews.

These vessels are equipped with modern bottom trawls, which can touch the bottom of the sea and capture huge volumes of fish, Kar said.

Kar added that Indian fishermen were also frequently falling prey to piracy.

Some foreign fishing trawlers often forcibly take away a substantive portion of Indian fishermens catch, Kar said, adding that refusing to sell to these fish to pirates is not an option as they are well known for being notoriously dangerous.

At a news conference in Kolkata this week, FIFI warned that if exploitation of resources in the Bay of Bengal went unchecked, it would lead to a major shortage of fish in the Indian market.

Bottom trawling, also referred to as dragging, is a type of fishing technique in which the trawl (the fishing net) reaches the seabed, but conservationists criticize it because the netting can damage the seabed.

Baseless

A maritime official told BenarNews on condition of anonymity that foreign fishing boats illegally entered Indian territorial waters by bribing Coast Guard officials.

Calls to the Indian Coast Guard seeking comment for this story were not immediately answered. But in a subsequent statement, the agency strenuously rejected the claim.

Your comment that fishing boats illegally enter territorial waters by bribing Coast Guard officials is baseless and unacceptable, Deputy Commandant Avinandan Mitra, a spokesman for the Coast Guard North East Region, said in the statement.

Mitra also dismissed the notion that the Coast Guard was allowing unchecked illegal bottom trawling by foreign boats in the Bay of Bengal.

No such activity happens in the Indian territorial water. When some trawlers illegally enter Indian water, they are immediately arrested, Mitra told BenarNews by phone.

According to a 2006 U.N. report, 95 percent of the damage to seamount ecosystems worldwide is due to the practice of bottom trawling. The equipment is also known as push nets.

Enakshi Sinha Roy, a Kolkata-based environmentalist, said that several countries had imposed a complete ban or severe restrictions on bottom trawling.

Thailand is one of those countries.

Last year, the Thai government formally banned the use of push nets on fishing boats after the European Union warned that Thailand could face an EU ban on its seafood products, unless it implemented measures to stamp out illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing practices (IUU).

Foreign boats are much bigger

Nirmal Maity, a fisherman from Jeliakhali, which is situated amid the forests of Sundarbans, said piracy was rampant in the Bay of Bengal.

When the pirates  they are mostly from Bangladesh  ask you to stop your boat, you have to. Or else, you are unnecessarily endangering your life, Maity told BenarNews.

Earlier, they used to kidnap fishermen for ransom. But nowadays, they simply make off with the catch, he said.

Maity said massive foreign trawlers that illegally enter the countrys territorial waters were a big problem for Indian fishermen as they were significantly reducing the amount of fish.

Foreign boats are much bigger and powerful than ours. With our trawlers, we cant even go near them. Whenever these foreign trawlers are around, the volume of catch reduces substantively, he said.

A few years ago, a band of pirates kidnapped some fishermen from Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, at gunpoint but local fisherman Sundar Das said he somehow managed to escape.

Fishing is becoming increasingly risky as well as unproductive in the Bay of Bengal. Pirates are ruthless. Small-time fishermen like me can barely make ends meet now, Das told BenarNews.

Biswajit Mandal, a fish retailer in Kolkata, said illegal fishing techniques off the coast of West Bengal were bound to result in a drop in fish supply in the state.

Once the supply of seawater fish dries up, the price of the freshwater variety, which Bengalis prefer to sea fish, will soar, Mandal told BenarNews.

We are already witnessing a drop in the supply of seawater fish. And if the problem of illegal fishing in the Bay of Bengal continues, it is just a matter of time before the market will see a major scarcity of fish, he said.

The story has been updated with comments from Coast Guard official Avinandan Mitra.
National Students Union of India members and left-wing groups protest against the alleged suppression of speech by the government at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, Feb. 11, 2016.

Protests by pro-Hindu nationalists broke out at a college campus in New Delhi after students from a left-wing party staged two demonstrations against the executions of two Kashmiris, Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat.

About 10 students from the Democratic Students Union (DSU) group organized a protest on Wednesday at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a day after the third anniversary of the hanging of Guru for his role in an attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001.

The group also marked the anniversary of Kashmiri separatist leader Maqbool Bhats hanging on Feb. 11, 1984, to show solidarity with the struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination.

The protest, which was joined by students from the All India Students Association (AISA), All India Students Federation (AISF) and Students Federation of India (SFI), triggered clashes with members of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP), a group affiliated with the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The RSS is an ideological mentor to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that leads Indias ruling coalition.

As the universitys administration monitored the incident, more demonstrations were held again on Thursday on the campus, jointly by the left-wing groups and the Congress party-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI).

Barely 10 meters (33 feet) away, about 200 ABVP students held their own protest against what they termed to be anti-national activities and elements.

Accusing the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of stifling the speech and expression of the common man, organizers claimed that the voices of dissent were silenced by the ruling establishment in the worlds largest democracy.

In a democracy there could well be a dissent. There could be different opinions. Those who have a voice of dissent and have a different opinion are labeled as anti-national by the government. In the past, too, when we had discussions on such subjects in the campus, they (ABVP students) came and stopped us, Umar Khalid, a DSU member, told BenarNews.

We are given this fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression by the constitution, and they make every attempt to curb this. We are young critical minds and if such a subject is not allowed to be discussed in a university which is a forum for free thoughts and research, what is the whole education system about?, he remarked.

Sympathies for these terrorists

Saurabh Kumar Sharma, the joint secretary of the JNU Students Union (JNUSU), challenged the protesters.

They have been indulging in anti-national activities. Never once, even on the Independence Day and Republic Day, have they unfurled our countrys flag inside the campus. Instead, they profess their sympathies for these terrorists, which is just not acceptable, Sharma told BenarNews

We have submitted a complaint to the vice chancellor and Delhi police along with a video containing all the anti-national slogans shouted by these people. We have asked the police to register cases of sedition against the 10 persons from JNU or from outside for indulging in rebellion.

University authorities ordered an investigation into the incident.

An inquiry committee has been formed, which has started to collect evidence. After examining the evidence, the committee could reach a conclusion and take further action, university public relations officer Poonam Kudesia told BenarNews.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand did not view such protests as contempt.

A protest is a freedom of speech and expression. You can be critical about a judgment. Unless it is derogatory or offensive, it does not amount to contempt, Anand told BenarNews.

It is only if a demonstration has elements of violence or criminality that it qualifies as contempt. A countrys judgment is open to public scrutiny and review, she said.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front negotiator Mohagher Iqbal (second from left) and Philippine government negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer shake hands after signing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (fourth from left) and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, behind Ferrer, applaud, March 27, 2014.

The Philippine government and militant group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) confirmed their commitment to stay the course of peace by adding a year to their long-standing ceasefire.

The move came Thursday at the end of a two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the Malaysian government and about a week after the Philippine congress adjourned without passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that would develop an autonomous region for minority Muslims in the south. The Philippines is a mostly Roman Catholic nation.

The stalled legislation is linked to the March 2014 peace agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), between the government and the MILF rebels. Passage is a requirement for certain aspects of the CAB, including the decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants.

The bill was stalled by indignation over the killing in January 2015 of 44 police commandos in fighting that involved some MILF guerrillas, the Associated Press reported.

Government negotiators, led by Miriam Coronel Ferrer, and the rebels, led by Mohagher Iqbal, reaffirmed their commitment to the peace process and to preserve the gains of more than 17 years of negotiations.

The two parties agreed to extend the ceasefire until March 31, 2017, and agreed that the best way forward is for early passage of the bill in the next legislative session.

Analyst: BBL will create trust

What needs to be done is to ensure that BBL can be approved by the new Philippines administration and congress. Once this is done, then the peace process can be run in accordance with the resolution as it creates a sense of trust on both sides, especially among the leaders of the MILF. As long as it is not approved, there will be a sense of unease, political analyst and Universiti Malaysia Sabah professor Askandar Zimmermann told BenarNews.

President Benigno Aquino III, who oversaw the signing of the 2014 peace agreement, cannot seek reelection later this year. Ferrer and Iqbal thanked Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak for his continued support of the peace process. Razak attended the 2014 signing at the Malacanan Palace in Manila.

During the two-day meeting, Iqbal warned that the Philippine congresss failure to pass the autonomy bill this month sparked widespread frustration on the ground by our people, the AP reported. Iqbal said the government and the rebels should jointly find ways and means to address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the frustrations.

A certification document signed with the joint statement spells out that the government and rebels will maintain a joint action group whose role will be to isolate and interdict all criminal syndicates/kidnap-for-ransom groups and other criminal groups including the so-called Lost Commands operating in Mindanao.

Army troops clashed this week with gunmen in fighting that killed a soldier in southern Maguindanao province, according to the AP. The gunmen, who the soldiers thought were insurgents from another group, turned out to be MILF guerrillas and both sides were taking steps to prevent such accidental clashes, regional military spokeswoman Capt. Joan Petinglay said.
University of Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharon (center) waves to journalists after he was charged with sedition in Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 2, 2014.

A surprise move by the Malaysian Attorney General Friday to halt sedition proceedings against a Malaysian law professor has raised hopes that similar cases may be dropped.

University Malaya Associate Professor Azmi Shahrom was facing a single charge of sedition over a comment published in a newspaper in 2014 that criticized a central government intervention in Perak state politics in 2009.

Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali gave no reason for his decision but said the practice of reassessing cases in court had and would continue.

In the interest of justice and after reviewing the evidence given by all the prosecution witness in court, I am using my discretion under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution and decide to halt the prosecution against Assoc Prof Dr Azmi for the charge under Section 4 (1) Sedition Act 1948, he said in a press statement issued Friday.

You cannot be too careful

Azmi is an avid political activist and a sought-after critic on Malaysian constitutional law and related matters. He is also a regular columnist for a Malaysian English daily, The Star.

Contacted by BenarNews, Azmi cautiously welcomed the attorney generals statement but said it was not official until presented in court.

It is not official as of yet, and in Malaysia, you cannot be too careful, he told BenarNews, adding that a final decision would come by the end of next week or on Monday, Feb. 22.

Still, he said he was thankful and glad that common sense has prevailed.

I think that I should be free of the charge, of course. I am grateful to my family, my lawyers, my friends and to so many people, who I dont even know, who have been so supportive of my cause, he said.

In his statement, Apandi said there was precedent for the halting of a sedition prosecution. He cited a case involving opposition Member of Parliament Teresa Kok.

Azmi was facing a maximum fine of RM5,000 (U.S.$1,205), a maximum of three years in jail or both, upon conviction.

On Oct. 6, a five-member panel of the Federal Court ruled that the Sedition Act was valid and therefore Azmi had to stand trial for his charge.

The prosecution on Jan. 14 closed its case against Azmi with the testimony of its last witness, investigating officer Inspector Mohd Izwan Paijan.

A flicker of light

Malaysian civil society group Abolish the Sedition Act Movement (GHAH) welcomed the decision but was skeptical about the motive behind it.

The Attorney General should not make this move as a publicity stunt to cover-up his controversial decision to clear Prime Minister Najib Razak from the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission investigation, it said in a statement.

Late last month, Apandi cleared the Malaysian leader of potential corruption charges over nearly U.S. $700 million deposited into his private bank accounts in 2013, saying no criminal offense had been committed and the sum was a personal donation from Saudi Arabias royal family.

GHAH added that Apandi must show his sincerity in its efforts to reform the legal system in Malaysia.

Human Rights Watch Deputy Director of Asia Division Phil Robertson meanwhile said Azmi should never have been prosecuted in the first place.

But at least now there appears to be a flicker of candle light in the dark tunnel of Sedition Act prosecutions being brought by the Malaysian authorities against numerous lawyers, NGO activists, opposition MPs, and academics, he said in a statement.

Apandi should realize it is wrong to criminalize the public for expressing political views against the government, Robertson added.

The AG should immediately drop the sedition cases against the many people hit with charges in 2015, such as cartoonist Zunar, lawyer Eric Paulsen, opposition politician N. Surendran, and more than two dozen others, he said.
Thailands military pushed back on Thursday against a new report by three human rights organizations accusing Thai forces of torturing suspected insurgents in the countrys Deep South.

The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) convened a news conference in Bangkok at which a spokesman listed concerns about the report, including questions about its factual accuracy and what authority the three groups had invoked in reviewing government documents cited in it.

ISOC Region 4 spokesman Maj. Gen. Banpot Poonpian went so far as to suggest that by invoking international laws while forsaking domestic laws when assembling information, could possibly amount to the defamation of involved agencies.

We are ready to inspect the facts  but the concern is this report has been disseminated overseas, he said. It might create a misunderstanding [of] the facts.

The Cross-Cultural Foundation (CrCF), the Duay Jai (Hearty Support) Group and Patani Human Rights Organization (HAP) were the rights groups that published the 49-page report, which came out Wednesday.

Among ISOCs concerns, Banpot asked which laws the groups had used in accessing and reviewing government documents used in their report.

Have they stumbled on any government officer involved in the act of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment? Banpot told reporters.

Without pointing to specific facts detailed in the report, he also questioned whether it was based one one-sided accounts or old information.

Has this information not been verified independently? Banpot said.

We rely on cooperation

The report detailing allegations of torture is based on the accounts of 54 suspected insurgents, aged between 19 and 48, who were taken into custody between 2004 and the end of last year in the Deep South.

Thailands predominantly Muslim southern border region is a heavily militarized zone, where martial law is in force and a separatist insurgency has lasted for at least 12 years.

Martial law allows for seven days of detention in a military camp, and an emergency decree allows for seven days of similar custody in any place. With a courts approval, officials may hold a suspect for up to 30 days.

Since 2004, more than 6,500 people have been killed in violence stemming from the insurgency.

But, according to ISOCs Banpot, the number of violent incidences has markedly decreased as the Thai junta pursues efforts to persuade southern rebels to resume peace talks for the first time since December 2013.

He also claimed that the three organizations published the report to solicit funding from international sources. He added that Thai security personnel were trained every year to respect human rights.

We rely on cooperation from religious leaders, community leaders, kinship and credible outside organizations to bear witness to all of the processes concerning the enforcement of the law, Banpot said.

And after any operation, should there be any doubts, the local agencies would be more than happy to help with an inquiry into their actions.


Media Advisory: February 12, 2016 Contacts: Vaughn Lovejoy, Elders Rising, (801) 598-2344

Lauren Wood, Canyon Country Rising Tide, (801) 647-1540

Valerie Love, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 274-9713

Ruth Breech, Rainforest Action Network, (415) 238-1766

Tim Ream, WildEarth Guardians, (541) 531-8541 'Keep It in the Ground' Rally in Salt Lake City to Target BLM's Oil, Gas Auction SALT LAKE CITY Dozens of climate activists will protest Tuesday morning outside the Bureau of Land Managements oil and gas lease sale at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Activists will rally with signs, banners and theatrical bidding paddles, demanding an immediate end to fossil fuel development. The BLMs climate auction, as protesters have dubbed it, will allow industry to bid on more than 45,000 acres of publicly owned oil and gas leases in Utah  which harbor an estimated 1.87 million tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. The rally will be led by the group Elders Rising, which is calling on the BLM to act to prevent catastrophic climate change and ensure a livable future for generations to come. The protest is part of a rapidly growing national movement calling on President Obama to define his climate legacy by halting new federal fossil fuel leases on public lands and oceans  a step that would keep up to 450 billion tons of carbon pollution from escaping into the atmosphere. Similar Keep it in the Ground protests are planned for upcoming lease sales in Nevada, Wisconsin and New Orleans, and have previously taken place in Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado and Nevada. In the past four months, protested lease sales have been postponed in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. In November, when the BLM made a last-minute decision to halt the oil and gas lease sale in Salt Lake City owing to the high level of public interest, activists held a victory rally outside the BLM office. What: "Keep It in the Ground" rally at BLM oil and gas leasing auction. When: 8 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16. Where: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. Who: Local activists from participating groups including Elders Rising, Canyon Country Rising Tide, Center for Biological Diversity, First UU Environmental Ministry, Great Old Broads For Wilderness, Green Riverkeeper Affiliate & Living Rivers, Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, Science & Environmental Health Network, Women's Congress for Future Generations, Sierra Club, Utah Moms for Clean Air, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, Utahns for Bernie Sanders and WildEarth Guardians and others. Media availability: Activists will be available for interviews before and after the protest. Background:

Some 67 million acres of U.S. public lands are already leased to dirty fossil fuel industries, an area 55 times larger than Grand Canyon National Park, and containing up to 43 billion tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. Nearly one quarter of all U.S. climate pollution already comes from burning fossil fuels from public lands. Remaining federal oil, gas, coal, oil shale and tar sands that have not been leased to industry contain up to 450 billion additional tons of potential greenhouse gas pollution. In September, more than 400 organizations called on President Obama to end federal fossil fuel leasing. In November, Senators Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (D-Vt.) and others introduced legislation to end new federal fossil fuel leases and cancel non-producing federal fossil fuel leases. Last month, the Obama administration placed a moratorium on federal coal leasing while the Department of the Interior studies its impacts on taxpayers and the planet. Since November, in response to protests, the BLM has canceled oil and gas leasing auctions in Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. View maps of planned February 2016 lease sales in Utah and nearby states. Download the September Keep It in the Ground letter to President Obama. Download Grounded: The Presidents Power to Fight Climate Change, Protect Public Lands by Keeping Publicly Owned Fossil Fuels in the Ground (this report details the legal authorities with which a president can halt new federal fossil fuel leases). Download The Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions of U.S. Federal Fossil Fuels (this report quantifies the volume and potential greenhouse gas emissions of remaining federal fossil fuels). Download The Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions fact sheet. Download Public Lands, Private Profits (this report details the corporations profiting from climate-destroying fossil fuel extraction on public lands). Download WildEarth Guardians administrative protest of the February 2016 Utah Oil and Gas Lease Sale here. Download WildEarth Guardians formal petition calling on the Department of the Interior to study for the first time ever the climate impacts of the federal oil and gas leasing program and to place a moratorium on new leasing until completed that study is completed.


For Immediate Release, February 12, 2016 Contact: Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (971) 717-6407, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

Aaron Isherwood, Sierra Club, (415) 977-5680, aaron.isherwood@sierraclub.org

Vernon Haltom, Coal River Mountain Watch, (304) 952-4610, vernon@crmw.net

Dianne Bady, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, (740) 886-5796, dianne@ohvec.org Lawsuit Launched Over Federal Authorization of Widespread Destruction of Protected Bat's Habitat Logging, Coal Mining, Oil and Gas Projects Allowed in Areas Critical to Bat's Survival WASHINGTON Four conservation groups today filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for authorizing logging and widespread destruction of habitat for northern long-eared bats, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit, launched by the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Coal River Mountain Watch and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, will challenge the agencys rule, issued last month, allowing the type of habitat harm that is normally prohibited under the Act. Although the deadly disease known as white-nose syndrome is the leading cause of the northern long-eared bats greater than 90 percent decline, habitat loss continues to be a serious threat to the survival of the bat, which requires large, continuous tracts of interior forest for foraging, migrating and roosting. The Obama administration cant claim to be saving these bats while allowing vast tracts of their forests to be cut down, said Tanya Sanerib, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. This is a clear case of logging and energy interests taking precedent over wildlife that desperately need the full protection of the Endangered Species Act. The rule allows destruction of the bats habitat by activities such as logging, coal mining, pesticide use, oil and gas projects, pipelines and conversion of forests for development  activities that would usually be prohibited or restricted under the Act. The only habitat protections provided to the bats are no-clearing zones within a quarter-mile of known wintering areas called hibernacula, and restrictions in June and July on cutting down known occupied maternity roost trees, where females give birth, and logging within 150 feet of those roosts. The Endangered Species Act is designed to protect the habitat that endangered species need but the Department of Interior side-stepped its conservation mandate with the bat rule, said Bill Price, an organizer for the Sierra Club based in West Virginia. The new rule allows dirty fuel industries to continue destroying parts of our community with impunity. The bat rule is like admitting someone into the emergency room then refusing to give them the medicine they need to survive, said Vernon Haltom, director of Coal River Mountain Watch. The northern long-eared bat rule, called a 4(d) rule for the provision in the Act from which it hails, is the eighth 4(d) rule adopted by the Obama administration that prioritizes providing loopholes to authorize ongoing habitat destruction by industries, such as coal and other dirty fuels, instead of protections for threatened species. A new Center report documents that no single presidential administration has approved more of these damaging, industry loopholes than the Obama administration. Given the 90 percent to 100 percent population declines in areas hit by disease this bat clearly needs the full protection of the law right now, said Dianne Bady, founder and project coordinator at the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. The northern long-eared bat was first proposed for endangered status in 2013, but then downgraded to threatened last April, a change that allowed the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide the vast exemptions requested by industry in the final bat rule. The bat rule perverts a provision of the Endangered Species Act intended to help conserve threatened species so they never become endangered, said Sanerib. Instead, this rule, like so many others, has been contorted to allow business-as-usual to continue as if the northern long-eared bat was not worthy of the Endangered Species Acts protections. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 990,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The Sierra Club is one of the oldest grassroots environmental organizations in the country with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. Sierra Clubs mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earths ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environments. Coal River Mountain Watch is a West Virginia nonprofit organization that works to stop the destruction of communities and environment by mountaintop removal mining, to improve the quality of life of residents, and to help rebuild sustainable communities. The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition is dedicated to the improvement of the environment and communities through education, grassroots organizing and coalition building, leadership development, strategic litigation and media outreach.
Multinational outbreaks of food-borne pathogens cause considerable threats to European public health. Implementing a whole genome sequencing (WGS) in routine surveillance and outbreak investigations is becoming a strategic goal for many public health authorities all over the world. With this in mind a group of researchers have developed an initiative called INNUENDO, which aims to deliver a cross-sectorial framework of bacterial WGS integration in routine surveillance and epidemiological investigations. The project is coordinated by Assistant Professor Mirko Rossi from the University of Helsinki, and co-financed by a Thematic Grant of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The potential of widespread, routine use of WGS analysis for public health protection is essentially restricted by the absence of accessible IT framework, and a threshold of public health microbiologists in handling these novel methodologies. The aim of the INNUENDO project is aligned with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) mission to promote the development and validation of new approaches in microbial characterization throughout coordinate efforts between all public health and food safety stakeholders. The project started on 15 January and the agreed duration is 30 months. EFSA is co-funding the project with a Thematic grant by approximately half a million euros. "This is a unique opportunity for authorities and academic institutions to influence the ongoing genomic revolution in public health microbiology" highlights the project coordinator, assistant professor Mirko Rossi from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki.

Who is involved?

To design an affordable and sustainable diagnostic infrastructure, the INNUENDO consortium includes governmental organisations, authorities and research institutes from the food, veterinary and human sectors, from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, Basque Autonomous Community in Spain and Austria. The project members are Docent Mari Nevas from the University of Helsinki; Dr. Joao Carrico from the University of Lisbon, Professor Javier Garaizar from the University of Basque Countries, Friederike Hilbert from the University of Veterinary Medicine (Vienna), Dr. Saara Salmenlinna from Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare, Dr. Marjaana Hakkinen from Finnish Food Safety Authority, Dr. Monica Oleastro from Portuguese National Health Institute, MSc Mihkel Maesaar from Estonian Veterinary and Food Laboratory and Professor Aivars Berzins from Latvian Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment.

"Allowing project stakeholders to assess design choices early on in the development cycle, this multinational collaboration in the 'One-health' context will ensure that the planned infrastructure will address the requirement for the integration of WGS in routine analysis in the food chain," says Rossi.

How to maximize the food safety?

"Standardization and calibration of process and simplification of data analysis and interpretation are the two basic conditions allowing the transition from the current diagnostic paradigm to a full WGS consolidation. Moreover, the lack of accessible informatics infrastructure for data processing and integration is still the major obstacle to implementation of WGS. Thus, it is now essential that advances in bioinformatics and bacterial genomics encounter the needs of the public health microbiology," explains Rossi. This goal is reachable only throughout an integration of competencies across different disciplines and professions. Therefore, throughout active cooperation between experts in bacterial genomics, evolution, bioinformatics, epidemiology and specialists in validation, food control and public health, the INNUENDO consortium will use a cross-sectorial approach in developing a common framework for maximizing the benefit to use WGS in food safety.

Small countries with limited resources might not be able to succeed in reaching this goal in the near future, putting several EU member states in a condition of inferior capabilities for outbreak detection and investigation. To guarantee the reinforcement of European capacities to ensure protection of citizens against cross border health threats, EU must enable wider access to the new methodologies. An increased level of cooperation between the local, national and European competent authorities by dedicated training, development of a common pathogen database and validation of new approaches in microbial characterization is warranted.
US accelerator TechStars believes Kenya's Bamba Group could be the next AirBnB or Dropbox within the next five years. The experts will put Bamba through intensive training in Austin, Texas, and give them a cash investment to fast-track their growth.

Al Ismaili

TechStars Austin managing director, Amos Schwartzfarb said: We are very happy to select the first company from East Africa into the TechStars programme. Bamba Group is a testament to our globalised world where a startup from any corner of the planet can rise up, pursue their passion and make a lasting impact on the world.

Bamba Group, a Nairobi-based business founded three years ago, developed a data collection software that can run in any country. It is the only company in the world that will send a mobile airtime payment directly to your phone when you submit data in as many as 122 countries. The cloud-based system is used by major not-for-profit and for-profit companies in Kenya including Aga Khan Foundation, Nairobi Airport Services, and Diamond Trust Bank.

Do more faster

Bamba Group CEO Al Ismaili is thrilled his company is among the 2% of the applicants who are accepted into the programme. He said: It is our employees that are most deserving of this selection. We now look forward to the next stage of our growth with a new saying around the office - something we now hear regularly from our new mentors at TechStars - Do more faster. We hope to make Africa proud.

Ismaili along with two other co-founders Faiz Hirani and Shehzad Tejani will attend a 13-week acceleration programme for hands-on mentorship and gain access to the TechStars Network, which includes more than 5,000 people including founders, alumni, and global mentors. Following the initial financial investment from TechStars, companies go on to raise an average of over $3 million in capital after the programme.



Bamba has embedded itself as a staple in the Kenyan software scene. This is evident through its participation in the Presidential Digi-talent Programme (PDTP), a publicprivate partnership run by the ICT Authority in Kenya and commissioned by the President of Kenya. ICT graduates from Kenyan universities are selected for the one-year programme that includes world-class software training, soft-skills training, mentoring and guaranteed internships in both the public and private sector firms involved. Other organisations involved in this programme include Google, Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Cisco and PwC.

Bamba group project manager, Peter Onkendi, said: Working for Bamba Group has been an amazing experience. The company's culture is fantastic and I look forward to everyday at the office. What we are doing is very exciting and with Bamba being accepted to the TechStars 2016 programme I look forward to the opportunities ahead.
Brands Africa has chosen Cquential's warehouse management solution to run its extensive warehouse facility.

Brands Africa is a distributor of FMCG products to the Central African Region. Based in Zimbabwe, the company boasts many years experience of successful trading in under-developed markets and turbulent environments. Brands Africa represents both local and international companies with strong brands providing leverage and recognition in these emerging markets.

Peter Tselentis, CEO of Brands Africa, has revealed that the company engaged the services of an external supply chain consultant to assist with the process of finding a suitable WMS.

We appreciated Cquentials pragmatic and open approach, which included advising us to take a phased approach to roll out, as opposed to implementing the comprehensive solution in one go  thereby giving us better control and change management ability. This highlighted Cquentials real understanding of effecting change in an operational environment.

He confirmed that the implementation of the Cquential solution will improve stock accuracy, enhance Brands Africas customer service, and result in a dramatic reduction in order turnaround times.

Deploying the right solution

It was refreshing to have advice from a potential supplier that was utterly focused on deploying the right solution for our company and the most successful roll-out methodology, added Tselentis.

Cquential WMS for the cloud is the only cloud-based WMS that has been completely developed in SA and is uniquely positioned to leverage what is happening in supply chain with the global trend towards a move to cloud.

Cquential's CEO, Steve Mallaby noted that the companys WMS enables companies to manage all the elements of the warehouse, essentially transforming it to become an integral part of the supply chain. It has been developed to be an easy to deploy, cost-effective warehouse management system that empowers businesses to manage inventory, and drive integration effectively, plus collaboration across the supply chain, said Mallaby.

Mallaby confirmed that Cquentials cloud-based WMS facilitates operating cost reductions provides real-time stock accuracy and visibility, tighter control and efficiency, and accurate first time deliveries with fewer customer returns.

The delivery of these mission critical improvements to Brands Africas warehouse management capability translated into Cquential being a unique fit for the companys WMS requirements.
JSE-listed investment firm Brait is looking to sell its interests in glass maker Consol and media group Primedia, marking the end of the private equity portfolio that held the assets.

Brait CEO John Gnodde.Image credit: Financial Mail

Since the global financial crisis, Brait  majority-owned by Christo Wiese  has moved towards long-term investments in sizeable assets.

"We will exit these over the next two years," Brait CEO John Gnodde said on Wednesday of Consol and Primedia.

Business Day understands that bankers are already working on a potential listing of the two companies this year, but he would not be drawn on this.

Gnodde said proceeds from the sale "will be redeployed to growth areas".

The word in the market is that potential buyers have also made approaches for both assets.

The Brait IV Fund owns 30% of Consol and about 25% of Primedia. In turn, Brait holds just less than 10% of the Brait IV private equity fund.

Its portfolio consists of an 89% shareholding in UK retailer New Look; a 78% interest in gym operator Virgin Active; 90% of Premier Foods, the producer of Snowflake flour and Blue Ribbon bread; and 57% of Iceland, a UK-based food retailer.

Other investments include DGB, the producer of the Douglas Green, Boschendal and Bellingham wines.

On Wednesday, Brait said its net asset value had risen 10.4% to R136.34 per share in the third quarter ended-December.

For the 12-month period ended-December, Braitss net asset value per share rose 120% compared to the previous year. Mr Gnodde said this was the result of exiting some assets and using the proceeds for "good acquisitions".

In 2014, Brait sold its interest in Pepkor, the owner of Pep Stores and Ackermans to furniture conglomerate Steinhoff in a cash and share deal. The firm then used cash from the Pepkor sale to buy holdings in gym group Virgin Active for R12bn and high street fashion chain New Look for R14.55bn.

New Looks net asset value has grown about 17% to R72.8bn in the three months ended-December, compared to R61.8bn in September. Virgin Actives net asset value rose 11% to R18.1bn in the period under review, while the net asset values at Premier Foods and Iceland Foods increased 5% to R10.3bn and 220% to R5.8bn, respectively.

At the end of last year, Brait sold its 5% stake in Steinhoff for about R15bn. It then used a portion of the proceeds from Steinhoff to increase its stake in Iceland to 57%, from 19%.

Kaeleen Brown, an analyst at SBG Securities said the quarterly update was in line with expectations. "New Look performed in line with its peers in the UK, Virgin Active continues to do well and Premier is acquisitive, integrating its businesses very well," she said.

Last year, Brait used about R2bn of its cash resources to redeem preference shares, leaving it with cash resources of R4bn that it will use for further growth. "The preference structure was expensive for us. Whatever financing we are using  we have to make sure our costs of finance are as low as possible," Gnodde said. "Preferences worked well for us in the beginning, but other capital instruments have proven to be cheaper than the preference shares."

Gnodde said Brait had an R8.5bn war chest for acquisitions after the redeeming of the preference shares. This was composed of cash and debt.
To stay relevant, retailers should reinvent their brick-and-mortar locations brand identity every three to five years.

If your store is ready for a revamp in 2016, what are the key aesthetics you should incorporate to cash in on South Africas current consumer appetites?

Here are my three top smart retail design trends for 2016 that retailers should consider applying to their own spaces to maximise brand impact and improve slow sales in the current low-growth economic environment.

Smaller floor space

New eco-friendly and affordable retail outlets, such as Melvilles 27 Boxes container mall point to a long-term trend of retailers doing more with less space.

This trend has its roots in the pop-up shop explosion of the early 2000s, which trained consumers to appreciate innovative, smart design, and to be more comfortable shopping in tiny spaces.

Smaller retail outlets, done well, cut down on rent, one of the biggest cost factors for cash-strapped retailers trying to retain market share in the current stagflation economy.

Expect smaller retail spaces to become more commonplace  but not more common. The key to wowing consumers in a small space to to make sure that every square centimetre of the space maximises design ideas and merchandise showcases. Think about designing your space like a permanent pop-up shop.

South African perspective

South African retailers  even the large ones  are finally embracing the South African vernacular style in their outlets, rather than modelling their interiors on global design aesthetics.

The best South African retail designs of today have a distinctly unique, South African look and feel.

Key elements of this trend include the more obvious interpretations, such as shwe-shwe prints, wild animal motifs and retro Afrikaner kitsch, commonly found at Big Blue-type stores and a more mature design interpretation, pulling from the current crop of South African design talent, such as the distinct fabrics of Skinny la Minx or the uniquely South African furniture and objects d'art designed by Dokter and Misses.

South African shoppers live in South Africa for a reason - and they relate to brands and retailers who are as proud of their diverse heritage as they are.

Smart technology

Current retail design needs to embrace technology as part of the design itself. Technology, such as beacons, smart audio-visual advertising touchscreens and NFC (Near Field Communication) pay points can no longer be an add-on after the fact.

These technologies need to be mindfully incorporated into the store design right from the beginning to ensure a seamless, professional retail interior, both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of the desired customer journey.
Online connectivity is changing forever the way consumers are buying vehicles, says Glen Mollink, CEO at Innovation Group SA.

rawpixel via 123RF

Gone are the days when buyers travelled between dealerships to see what was available, and for how much. Now, "at the click of a button, consumers can find multiple dealerships offering the models they want, in the right colour, at the right mileage and within their area." They could even compare prices. "Connectivity gives consumers massive choice," he said.

The change is happening faster in some countries than others. In developed markets, the first time customers visit a showroom may be to close the deal; to see the vehicle and perhaps take a test-drive. That is often not the case in SA, where much of the population still has limited online access. Some domestic motor companies, having started to invest in 'virtual' showrooms more than a decade ago, say uptake by South African consumers has been slower than expected.

Difference in buyers

Mollink was speaking in Johannesburg at the launch of Innovation's Automotive Future Now report. The firm, a subsidiary of UK-based Innovation Group, supplies business and technology services to the automotive and vehicle fleet industries. The report highlights the difference between traditional and new buyers in SA. Premium buyers say they want cleaner emissions, advanced safety features, mobile onboard technology and an excellent driving experience.

"For now, South African consumers are less concerned with greener emissions than with affordability or even just access to mobility in any form," it says.

According to Toyota SA executive, Calvyn Hamman, "There is always a market for more luxurious vehicles that people would like to have, but affordability is of more concern to the greater market."

Updating business models

Innovation's automotive managing executive, Ricardo Coetzee, said changing consumer demands were forcing companies to change their business model. For years, their aim was to build "bigger, better and faster cars". He said: "If you were to speak to car manufacturers years ago, they would tell you the most important aspect of their work was the product."

While that remains important, manufacturers now have to look beyond metal and rubber. Modern consumers want a complete package, from design of a car through to the after-sales experience.

Customers do not differentiate between manufacturer, dealer, sales and service. The industry must provide "a seamless, customer-centric driven interconnection between people, systems, processes, services, marketing, sales, after-sales and customer relationship management".

This aim is threatened by lack of training and development to produce the necessary skills. The report says there is a shortage of qualified automotive technicians, as well as customer service skills that the industry will need in future. "The entrepreneurial mindset is not being encouraged or supported," it says.

Source: Business Day
Astral Foods, the "big bird" of the local poultry sector, is on the prowl for acquisitions that will boost growth but warned hostile takeover attempts would not fly.

Responding to questions at an annual meeting on Thursday, Astral CEO Chris Schutte reiterated the companys determination to remain a pure poultry business. "If we want to remain a pure poultry play then we have to look at growth opportunities  especially if acquisitions are cheaper than our own expansion," he said.

Astral has repeatedly been linked to a possible tilt at smaller Eastern Cape rival Sovereign Food Investments, which trades at a substantial discount to its tangible net asset value (NAV).

But Schutte indicated Sovereign was one of several sizeable poultry players that Astral would keep on its radar.

"Are we interested in buying Sovereign? Its difficult to say no. If its not on our radar screen then we cant really make a statement that we are a pure poultry player. We have to look for opportunities for mergers or acquisitions."

But Schutte said it would be difficult to embark on a hostile takeover as Astrals position as the biggest player in the local poultry sector would draw the attention of the competition authorities.

He argued that a "scheme of arrangement" would be the appropriate avenue to approach a takeover. "This would give us an opportunity to do a due diligence. We could drill down into marketing functions and distribution arrangements. With a hostile takeover there will be no chance to do a due diligence, and you can burn your fingers."

A Sovereign shareholder that had given an irrevocable undertaking to support that companys empowerment scheme had approached Astral with an offer to sell their shares. "We would not do it because it would be construed as hostile," he said.

Schutte also expressed reservations about a tilt at Sovereign, noting that only about 30% of its production was distributed in the Eastern Cape with the balance transported to the Western Cape and Gauteng. "Could we not make up those production numbers (in the Western Cape and Gauteng) simply by adding an extra shift?" he asked.

He also noted Sovereign had spent R120m on a loss-making production plant in Gauteng that would be a drain on their cash and not offer an attractive payback due to the torrid times befalling the poultry industry.

Schutte stressed any approaches to other poultry players would be premised on Astral not overpaying for assets. "We will not look at net asset value  it means nothing when you are running a business. You cant bank NAV  you bank income streams."

Schutte said timing was of the essence in acquisitions with the poultry sector under pressure from higher input costs and imported chicken.

Speaking after the meeting, Vunani small to mid-cap analyst Anthony Clark said it was heartening to witness an "open, honest and transparent" engagement with shareholders. "It leaves me in no doubt Astral will survive the current crisis in the poultry sector, and emerge even stronger as the flock of poultry players gets thinned out."
It feels as if the listing of Gold Brands Investments, the owner of the Chesa Nyama fast-food franchise, on the JSE's AltX market has been on the boil for some time.

Photographer: Michael EttershankImage source: BDlive

Thats not to say the effort has been overcooked  but the listing was initially mooted in November and did not seem to get the market salivating.

Although the local fast food and restaurant sector is still fragmented, the value proposition is largely dominated by large listed players like Famous Brands  which holds a host of brands  and Spur Corporation as well as major global names such as McDonalds and KFC. Whether Gold Brands has cornered a viable niche will not be apparent immediately  but some thought might be given to whether any parties were interested in any of its brands before the listing.

It is worth recalling that some small fast food/restaurant businesses have left a lingering bitter taste on the JSE, with unpalatable returns from businesses including Kingco, Terexko and OHagans.

But Gold Brands has seemingly found a crucial ingredient for its corporate recipe with empowerment investor Circle Food Group and private investors tossing flavoursome funding into the pot.

By inference, Gold Brands holds a pre-listing market value of R110m  a mere morsel compared with sector stalwarts Famous Brands (R11.6bn), Spur (R3.1bn) or even Taste Holdings (R970m).

Gold Brands is mainly premised on about 300 Chesa Nyama stores aimed at the emerging market. These are complemented by a sprinkling of Black Steer, Wild Wings and 1+1 Pizza outlets.

The pre-listing document does not provide a brand break-down, but it seems safe to assume the bulk of the top line is driven by Chesa Nyama.

While the sheer number of outlets might suggest a vibrant brand, it would have been useful to investors to have information on Chesa Nyama store openings and store closures.

The net opening figure may have provided some reassurance of operational traction in a tough segment of the market. Recent poor performances from Spurs Captain DoRegos brand  which is pitched at lower living standards measure bands  confirms that fast food outlets are highly competitive in bringing R15-R30 meals to market. Late last year Taste reported that same-store sales in The Fish & Chip Co (a business, incidentally, co-founded by one of the prime movers of Gold Brands) were down 20% in the half-year to August.

One industry source has described the lower end of the fast food market as "an implosion waiting to happen". With this comment in mind, it is critical to understand the margin achieved by Gold Brands in the recent past.

The pre-listing statement shows an earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) margin of 5.5% in the 12 months to end-February 2015. The pro forma interim margin to end-August 2015 was 4.1% with the forecast margin for the full year to end-February 2016 predicted at about 5.6%. That is ultra-lean compared with the fat ebitda margins of Famous Brands and Spur.

No new capital is being raised at listing, but a warm reception from the market may allow Gold Brands to later mobilise its scrip to fund acquisitions and expansion.

There is a suggested fundamental underpin in that earnings of about 8c per share are pencilled in for the year to end-February, putting the share on a reasonable forward multiple of 12.5 times.

But the Financial Mail imagines punters will politely decline servings of Gold Brands  which is 82% controlled by three shareholders.

The operational menu is underwhelming, and indicative cash flows are not meaty enough to allow Gold Brands to swallow sizeable acquisitions.

The JSE already has two fledgling fast food plays  Grand Parade Investments (which is rolling out Burger King and Dunkin Donuts) and Taste (Dominos and Starbucks) catering for the more excitable retail investors.

Small cap listings are difficult to predict, but gut feeling suggests there might not be a strong craving for Gold Brands on listing on Friday.
According to SRK Consulting, gone are the days when mines in Africa could afford to 'go it alone' by building their own infrastructure. Survival and growth now needs a foundation of collaboration with governments.

Andrew van Zyl, SRK partner and principal consultant

Speaking on the sidelines of the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, SRK partner and principal consultant Andrew van Zyl said the consensus at the event seemed to be that the depth of this commodity slump  and the likelihood that structural changes in the economy will result in the forecast recovery not leading to prices as high as in the previous peak  suggest that future mining profits will not support business as usual.

Compelled to find partners

While many operations in Africa found it necessary or preferable to provide their own road, rail, energy or water services, most will be compelled to find partners to make this affordable in coming years, he said.

Van Zyl said the hard times in commodities may also encourage governments to be more proactive in their dealings with mining companies  given their importance as sources of taxes and royalties.

He said governments often secured financing for national infrastructure on the strength of off-take agreements with large mining firms  whose credit ratings were usually better than the countries themselves. Balance sheet pressure, lower credit ratings and a reluctance to leverage would mean other options would have to be explored.

Time to start talking is now

Planning infrastructure with a number of stakeholders, however, is more complicated and takes much longer  as negotiations must deal with various legal and technical details, he said. So the time to start talking is now  ideally with mining companies looking at growth opportunities within existing regional or national development initiatives.

The other benefit of this collaborative process is that it could include stakeholders like communities, who also stand to benefit from infrastructural and mineral projects. Furthermore, increased competition for land, water and energy resulting from economic and population growth will make it harder for companies that do not take a more collaborative approach.

Building social licence to mine

A more cooperative approach ensures that different parties engage early on in the conceptual planning process, before there are firm plans or financing in place, he said. This feeds a vital requirement for mines: helping them build their social licence to mine and thereby mitigate what has become a key risk to companies in this sector.

SRKs recent work for the government of Cameroon showed the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships, said Van Zyl, allowing legal, technical and other issues to be addressed at length and by experts in each relevant field  with each party ensuring that their constituents received value from proposed developments before they were pursued.
CAPE TOWN: With 70% of platinum being produced in South Africa, government is working towards opening a new industry-based Special Economic Zone in the North West, to look into beneficiation.

This is according to Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies who participated in an investment dialogue under the theme: "Driving competitiveness and ensuring growth and stability", hosted by Brand South Africa, at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, on Monday, 8 February.

The restructuring of the Chinese economy has led to its growth slowing down, which resulted in a slump in commodity prices such as gold, platinum, iron ore and coal. This affected many markets, including South Africa, a producer and exporter of minerals.

The minister said after the slump, South Africa can no longer afford to see itself just as a producer and exporter of mineral resources.

He said the Special Economic Zone board will soon make a recommendation on the exact location of the Special Economic Zone.

we are supporting quite a number of our projects, there is quite a lot of work that has been done in the country already.

The Department of Science and Technology has been rolling out fuel cell-driven small generators to outlying areas to supply schools, clinics and all that.

The Chamber of Mines launched a fuel-cell driven generator in its own building in Johannesburg.

We will be, in the course of this year, supporting projects. We will be rolling out a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the North West that is dedicated to the platinum value chain with the expectation that fuel cell technology will come in, he said.

While he could not say when commodity prices are expected to recover, the minister said instead of waiting for another commodity boom, South Africa needed to look at beneficiation to find new uses of the platinum product.

I think it means that we shouldnt put all our eggs in one basket  sitting around and waiting, hoping that there is a bounce back in mineral prices.

If your existing customers are buying less of your product, and they are paying less for it, the smart thing to do, among other things, is to seek new uses for your product.

Minister Davies said he had been engaging with the platinum industry and all stakeholders were in agreement that there was a need to support the beneficiation of platinum and to find more uses for the product and to create industries around it.

The soon-to-be-established Special Economic Zone will come with several benefits and investors will have the advantage of getting a tax rate of 15% as opposed to the 28% that is currently on offer.

So we are looking to establish an industry-based special economic zone there. There are actually some others in other provinces that are under consideration.

 what we need to do is establish a set of industries that make use of that platinum, generate long-term uses of it and fuel cell industries are taking off around the world and we as South Africa are looking to get our niche in particular products of particular manufacturing industries off that and will assist in creating a new demand for this mineral and create more opportunities for us to make use of the resource.
PRETORIA: Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies has launched a R15m feasibility study that will identify particular components that can be manufactured for fuel cell units.

The Isondo Precious Minerals (IPM) study was launched by the minister on Tuesday, 9 February. It is intended to accelerate mineral beneficiation and localisation of fuel cell manufacturing in South Africa.

We are in a difficult time as producers and exporters of primary mineral resources as a result of the significant price fall of commodities. This has affected many of the industrial mineral commodities that we produce as a country We have realised that we need to find new uses for our resources, said Minister Davies.

There has been a rise in the technological development of fuel cells with demand for platinum in the fuel sector being at its most stable.

It is as a response to this demand that government and the platinum mining sector resolve to encourage an increase in the demand for platinum We have an additional interest to make sure that those new uses generate and support industrial development in South Africa, so as to capture the manufacturing that takes place in this particular industry, said Minister Davies.

South Africa has honed in on two potential uses of fuel cell technology.

The first is the small power unit that could be used to power remote areas 20km away from the existing grid connection. The other use is of powering underground equipment within the mining industry.

What we are doing as government is to support different initiatives that can realise the industrial development opportunities. This will also help us to achieve the beneficiation objectives, said Minister Davies.

The study is envisaged to be completed in a years time.

What we want to do through this feasibility study is to understand better the building blocks of fuel cell units and to look at the particular competencies and capabilities that can be developed in the country.

We want to establish this technology on the African continent as something which builds into the platinum industry to support and sustain the expansion and stabilisation of the industry, the minister said.

IPM CEO Vinay Somera said the feasibility study is evidence of IPMs commitment to bring together world class proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and South African precious metal supply to significantly reduce the cost of PEM.

The Department of Trade and Industry is working closely with the Industrial Development Corporation on the development of a fuel cell roadmap.
One of the key threads that emerged from Mining Indaba 2016 is the need for mining companies to engage all stakeholders - especially local communities - as partners in their endeavours.

The Development Partnership Approach was formed under the auspices of the Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN), and is a platform for on-going collaboration between the Kellogg faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago, corporate innovation leaders, non-profits and government.

What it does

The Development Partnership Approach is designed to fundamentally change the extractive business model of the mining industry from insular and reactive to an integrated and proactive development partnership, delivering on environmental and social shared purpose.

A different way of thinking

Peter Bryant, senior fellow and honorary co-founder of KIN, says, The approach offers a different way of thinking when it comes to communicating with communities, countries and indigenous people, and having a shared purpose and shared value.

He explains that mining companies are experiencing a rapidly diminishing social licence to operate, and no country is immune as there has been a shift in power to local communities.

Every person everywhere is finding a voice through social media  this diminishes borders and allows for the growth of advocacy groups. The mining industry is struggling to exist in this space, Bryant says.

Three pillars

The approach adopted by KIN allows the mining industry to nurture an environment for a social licence for them to exist.

This is based on three pillars:

1. Shared outcomes

2. Flourishing ecosystems

3. Competitive communities, countries and companies.

Early adapter

One of the early adapters and strong advocates for the Development Partner Approach is mining giant, Anglo American.

Chief executive Mark Cutifani, says that the footprint caused by mining is relatively small, but it cannot be underplayed, as by the very nature of geology, it affects the flora and fauna.

The mining industry supports about 45% of economic development, but we do need to be super-sensitive to local communities. As a mining company, we bring capital, infrastructure and skills. But can we apply these in a way that will help the community achieve what they want to achieve? he asks.

100-year plan

The first thing is to start listening. How do the communities see themselves in the future? How do we start a 100-year community plan? he explains. Cutifuni says that what has emerged is that many of the conversations are culturally defined and not defined by geographical borders.

Its also important to remember that no matter what a persons socio-economic circumstances are, what every human being wants is to lead a meaningful existence. So it is important to establish what that means in each community rather than just assuming to know what they want, he says.

Tracking progress

We track the number of protests and projects held up because we did not secure a license or reach an agreement with the community.

Those measures demonstrate whether or not we have good relationships with communities and governments. Some companies just build walls to keep everyone out. We do not. We build relationships with the local community  they are our front line, Cutifuni explains.

Mining Indaba 2016 took place at the CTICC in Cape Town from 8-11 February. For more info, go to www.miningindaba.com.
Research indicates that companies with high levels of employee engagement enjoy a significant increase in productivity and general well-being, which leads to increased profitability and stability for their company.

So what does it take to engage your workforce and ensure a positive sentiment towards your business?

Business is changing. Its being shaped by a more consciously aware generation that wants to have a positive impact on society, says Andy Hadfield, CEO of online social platform forgood. Millennials especially want the purpose of business to include addressing problems in society and they want to feel that they are making a difference to the world around them.

According to Mind the Gaps: The 2015 Deloitte Millennial Study, the millennial generation are just as interested in how a business develops, and its contribution to society, as they are in products and profits.

How to engage

One way in which you can engage your employees and address their need for meaning or accomplishment is by creating a well-managed employee volunteering programme, that benefits the community that you operate in, says Hadfield.

Volunteer programmes are perceived to add value to the recruitment, retention, training, development, loyalty and overall satisfaction of staff. The Deloitte study echoes this finding, with six in ten millennials stating a 'sense of purpose' as part of the reason they chose to work for their current employers.

Besides the operational benefit and the feel good factor for employees, volunteer hours can be incorporated into a companys CSI mandate, which contributes to its B-BBEE ratings. For this it is essential for the HR department to keep an up to date register of the charities and the hours spent volunteering.

Link with causes

forgood has created an online platform which links causes with individuals and groups who are looking to contribute. The platform helps businesses run a successful and innovative employee volunteering and donation programme.

All causes subscribed to forgood are vetted to ensure they meet NPO criteria. By asking for goods or services on forgood, causes are able to indicate exactly what they need and individuals are able to advertise what they can offer, including specialised skills and abilities. This creates meaningful connections between the staff of a company and the social sector they choose to target.

The platform also offers business functionality that allows companies to manage their internal CSI campaigns and reports on staff activity through these mechanics.
An eagle population in an agriculture-dominated landscape appears to not just thrive but outperform their neighbours in undeveloped mountain habitat, much to biologists' surprise. This according to a new paper in The Condor: Ornithological Applications.

Steve Garvie via Wikimedia Commons - Verreaux's Eagle pair

Verreauxs Eagles (Aquila verreauxii), an apex predator in southern Africa, are in decline, and Megan Murgatroyd of the University of Cape Town and her colleagues wanted to determine if habitat loss due to intensifying agriculture could be the culprit. Instead, when they compared the breeding productivity of eagles in South Africas heavily farmed Sandveld region to that of the smaller population of eagles in the nearby Cederberg Mountains, they found that the Sandveld populations breeding success was actually the highest of any Verreauxs Eagle population ever studied.

Murgatroyd and her co-authors speculate that the eagles prey base could be more available and diverse in the Sandveld and that the gentler terrain could take less energy to navigate. However, the researchers caution that there may be a threshold of agricultural transformation beyond which the Sandveld regions population would begin to struggle. They recommend that management in the Sandveld region should focus on identifying and eliminating any potential sources of eagle mortality, such as wind energy development.

Breeding season

Murgatroyd and her colleagues monitored eagle nest sites in the two areas over four years, visiting them every two to three weeks during the breeding season. It has been a huge privilege to undertake fieldwork in this part of South Africa, says Murgatroyd. The Cederberg is a beautiful natural wilderness area, so we were surprised when it became apparent that the Verreauxs Eagles breeding there are far less productive than those in the Sandveld, which has been extensively converted for agriculture since the 1980s.

This comparison has highlighted the potential importance of an agricultural landscape to Verreauxs Eagles, but further research, in particular with a focus on adult and subadult survival rates, is still needed for a better understanding of the long-term persistence of these populations.

The influence of agricultural transformation on the breeding performance of a top predator: Verreaux's Eagles in contrasting land-use areas
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan could save the South African Revenue Services (SARS), businesses and employees a great deal of time and hassle by phasing out travel allowances that companies pay to employees as part of their salary packages. Though radical and likely to be unpopular in some quarters, this proposal could ease tax compliance for companies and employees while making life simpler for SARS.

Rob Cooper

Thats the word from Rob Cooper, tax expert and director of legislation and proposed legislation at Sage HR & Payroll, South Africas market leader for integrated payroll and HR systems, who proposes that the existing mechanism of travel reimbursements replaces travel allowances in the years ahead. This simple change is near the top of his wish list for Minister Gordhan's Budget Speech this year. Cooper says travel allowances add little value for anyone in the equation because they are widely misunderstood and difficult to administer.

Fighting for the entrepreneur

Millions of entrepreneurs in the worlds small and medium businesses trust us as they power the global economy, says Cooper. Lobbying government to simplify tax is one way we at Sage are fighting for the voice of the entrepreneur in South Africa.

We believe that the travel allowance causes a great deal of strain on the SARS call centre, simply because it confuses employers and employees alike, he adds. Its inefficient to administer, and accidental non-compliance and purposeful abuse are wide spread. It is entirely feasible to phase it out completely.

Cooper says that many organisations grant travel allowances to employees as part of their packages when they actually are not legally eligible for the benefit. Employers are also tempted to inflate the value of the travel allowance because it is difficult to estimate realistically. This can lead to unpleasant tax shocks for employees down the line when their actual business travel mileage comes in under the amount the employers estimates at the end of the tax year.

Alternatively, employees can end up waiting for money which is rightly theirs because they might overpay PAYE and need to wait for a SARS refund. This is because employers must allocate a portion of the travel allowance to private use (which is subject to PAYE withholding) when calculating remuneration for PAYE purposes; and they often underestimate the kilometres employees travel for work in a month.

Travel allowances not in accord with labour law

Furthermore, a travel allowance as part of an employees package is not in line with the principles of South African labour law. The reason for this is that it effectively means that an employee pays a part of the employers business travels expenses from his or her salary, says Cooper.

Another challenge is that many employers and employees struggle to distinguish between the concepts of personal and business travel. This means that many employees are unable to maintain a tax-compliant logbook to report their business travel at the end of the year, and may misreport the kilometres they travel.

Cooper says that travel reimbursements are a better option than travel allowances because they are widely understood by employers and employees, and easier to administer. There is more clarity for everyone, which could spell fewer admin headaches and lower costs for SARS and employers. Better employer and employee understanding will also translate into improved compliance levels.

Follow @SageGroupZA on 24 Feb for live expert insights from the annual Budget Speech. #Budget2016
The latest RisCura-SAVCA South African Private Equity Performance Report, which tracks industry data up to September 2015, reveals that, despite long-term returns retreating from the positive trend enjoyed in recent quarters, private equity continues to outperform listed equity over a ten year period.

Erika van der Merwe

The report shows that the South African private equity industry delivered a ten year internal rate of return (IRR) of 20.7% in September 2015, down from 21.7% in June 2015, net of all fees and expenses. This performance compares with the 14.9% return from the JSE All Share Total Return Index (ALSI) over the equivalent ten-year period.

According to Erika van der Merwe, CEO of the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA), this underscores the returns-boosting role that private equity can play in a diversified institutional portfolio.

While a ten year measurement period is considered appropriate for private equity, given the long-term characteristics of the asset class and the locked-in nature of typical fund structures, a similar pattern of returns is evident over shorter time periods.

Slight drop

Over a five and three year period, private equity returns to September 2015 have dropped slightly since the previous quarter, to 17.4% and 15.7%, from 18.5% and 16.4% respectively. This performance compares favourably with the ALSI, which recorded yields of 14.9% and 15.4% over the equivalent five and three year periods.

Van der Merwe says that the sustained positive rand-based returns tell a story of an industry that continues to grow and deliver. We expect this trend to continue in 2016 and, although the year is likely to be challenging for equity - listed or not - the hands-on, strategic and patient approach that is characteristic of private equity will likely support a steady performance by portfolio companies.

According to Rory Ord, executive at RisCura, after five years of strong performance, South Africas listed market is finally declining, showing a negative return in 2015. This year has started in similar form and, all in all, the ALSI is now roughly where it was two years ago. Considering this, South African private equity investors have certainly benefited from their more diversified exposure over this period.

Brisk fundraising

Judging by the private equity fundraising trend over the past two to three years, these investors have been adding to their private equity exposure. Fundraising was brisk during 2015, with a number of private equity houses announcing successful first and subsequent fund closes.

More funding announcements are expected during 2016, although rand volatility could create challenges for the marketing of the industry to international investors targeting dollar-based returns, Van der Merwe says.

She concludes that, by nature, the private equity industry is built on careful deal selection, which is followed by thoughtful, focused and active management of the asset. This process ensures that, despite unpredictable economic growth, the industry will continue to deliver fair returns to its investors.

Click here for the full report.
The Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has partnered with Singularity University (SU) to launch the Global Impact Competition (GIC) in South Africa, which will join such competitions in many countries around the world. Applications close on 15 March 2016.

These competitions act as a platform to identify outstanding local entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and engineers with the most innovative ideas for positively affecting millions of lives, both locally and globally, using technology.

SU is a California benefit corporation, with a mission to educate, inspire and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies towards solving humanitys grand challenges. Together with an engaged alumni community in over 90 countries, SU is committed to creating positive and sustainable global impact via three core areas: education, innovation and community.

South African competition focuses on African/global challenges

The SingularityU South Africa GIC will be open to applicants throughout South Africa, with the competition focused on the following global grand challenge areas: learning, energy, environment, food, health, prosperity, security, water, space, disaster resilience and governance. Applicants must come up with an idea or project that uses technology to solve such challenges.

The winner of the competition, who will be selected on 6 April, will be invited to participate in the Summer 2016 Singularity University Global Solutions Program (GSP) in Silicon Valley. On returning to South Africa, the participant will have the opportunity to develop the project, supported by the SingularityU global alumni network. The 2nd  5th place finalists will benefit from the competition by having access to the FNB Business Accelerator programme, which will provide business support and individual guidance for three months.

The partnership forms part of our ongoing drive to promote innovative thinking and entrepreneurship, two things which have always been major components of our culture, says RMB chief executive, James Formby. The pace of change in today's business environment is accelerating, requiring companies to constantly seek new ways of doing things and adopt exponential and disruptive technologies. We believe this competition will encourage the development of new ideas and technologies which are not only good for business, but will also play a role in addressing some of the worlds greatest challenges.

Cross-sector jury

The SingularityU South Africa GIC jury will consist of representatives from Singularity University and RMB, as well as individuals from the worlds of innovation, entrepreneurship and academia. The mission of these individuals and organisations will be to encourage and inspire the candidates in the development of new ideas, on which they can choose to capitalise at the end of the competition.

Says Rob Nail, Singularity University chief executive, Through partnerships, like the one with RMB, we are able to make the GIC in South Africa a reality. By holding a South African GIC we can identify a diverse and talented group of innovators in the country who will attend the 10-week programme at Singularity University where we can provide a broad, cross-disciplinary understanding of disruptive technologies and empower them with the tools, knowledge, skills and mind-set needed to deliver real humanitarian impact at multiple levels.

Michael Fichardt, head of SingularityU Johannesburg Chapter, organiser of the GIC in South Africa and Singularity University 2015 GSP graduate, agrees that the new partnership between South Africa and Singularity University lays a foundation for expanding a collaborative technology network throughout Africa. The world is going through a period of remarkable change; the exponential changes seen in technology provide us with the means to tackle and solve many of humanitys greatest challenges. This collaboration with RMB will help to inspire and create a better future for all.

Applications platform link: https://singularityu.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/29614/5iagIDlVmt

Log in here: https://review.slideroom.com.

Under programmes go to SingularityU South Africa GIC

For more information on applications contact gro.ytiralugnis@cig
Renishaw Property Developments, a subsidiary of Crookes Brothers Limited, has received consent to develop the Mpambanyoni Conservation Development on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

(Image credit: Derek Gravett/ iNyoni Photography)

Mpambanyoni Conservation Development - which extends from Scottburgh to Widenham - is set to unfold into a series of interconnected commercial and residential villages over the next 20 to 30 years.

Crookes Brothers Limited made the decision to develop this area in 2009, explained Phillip Barker, managing director of Renishaw Property Developments. The approvals process is complete, with the development having received consent from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Environmental Affairs, National Department of Agriculture and Umdoni Municipality.

Job creation

Crookes Brothers Limited was incorporated in 1913 and has been listed on the JSE since 1948. It is well known to the local community for contributing to the growth of the area for more than a century, said Barker. With this 350ha development, we will continue to give back to the community while providing job creation and ensuring conservation of the area.

Crookes Brothers Limited is the majority shareholder in Renishaw Property Developments and will be partnering with the established Crocker Properties on the Mpambanyoni Conservation Development. Responsible for a number of upmarket developments within the greater Durban area, Crocker Properties brings a wealth of experience and foresight to the project. Their previous developments include Le Domaine in Hillcrest, Somerset Valley in uMhlanga and Forest Village within Brettenwood Coastal Estate on the North Coast, among others.

This development, which is surrounded by pristine coastal forests and magnificent wetlands, is set to offer residents a truly unique lifestyle on the south coast, said Barker. We understand a large part of the appeal is the magnificent natural surroundings which is why 65% of the land will be set aside for the preservation and protection of the natural flora and fauna.

Sustainability a priority

He said all construction would lean towards sustainability, with the stringent preservation of the environment carefully guiding all planning. Sugar cane farming will continue initially but this will be phased out as the project develops, with the canelands restored back to the original indigenous landscape.

Approval has been received for residential and commercial development as well as the implementation of education and medical facilities, making this an holistic coastal estate.
Two sisters, Moira Johnston and Nicky Rosin, came together to solve a problem most organisations and people struggle with at some point or another - finding the right space for your event. They created EventRoom , launched recently, and made finding a venue, big or small, for any event from a bachelor party to a wedding, from team building to expo, easy to find and at your fingertips. I asked Moira and Nicky to share their story with us.

Nicky Rosin Moira Johnston

Tell us the EventRoom story.

Moira Johnston: A year or so ago, I was at a friends baby shower hosted at her mothers house in Somerset West. I had a birthday coming up and was thinking how the house, which had beautiful lawns, a swimming pool and fire pit, would be the perfect venue if only I could hire it. Thats how the idea for renting out homes for parties, baby showers, weddings and even photo shoots was born.

I thought, if you can make money renting out your home for accommodation on Airbnb (and renters can save money by avoiding expensive hotels and B&Bs), why not do the same for events? When I started doing some research, I found that the concept had already been successfully launched in both the US and the UK. I got my sister on board and the idea then grew from making homes available to making any location available for any event  all in one place.

Nicky Rosin: From my perspective, I was working in a big corporate audit firm, working long hours and not getting that work-life balance that I needed, having a small child and a husband at home. So when Moira came to me with this idea at the end of 2014, I was very interested. I did a little of my own research and found that there were no really great sites in South Africa that did what we were aiming to do, and seeing the potential I jumped on board.

What makes EventRoom unique?

Johnston: Absolutely any space can be listed  we have everything from art galleries to restaurants, dance studios, hotels, castles, treehouses, bare land and, obviously, private homes and villas - which was the original unique selling point. By creating a marketplace for venues of any kind, were allowing people to generate revenue from their already existing, but perhaps underutilised, spaces.

What problem is EventRoom trying to solve?

Johnston: Anyone whos ever tried to organise an event knows how difficult it can be to find the perfect venue. Fragmented directories exist for specialised events, like weddings and conferences, but there isnt a single marketplace for a wide range of events. Then on top of that, the directories that do exist can sometimes be difficult to navigate or tedious to search since they dont have filters that can narrow your search to your exact requirements. And then you have to repeat the details of your event to every venue you contact for a quote.

Were trying to make finding and booking the perfect venue as quick and simple as possible. We list venues that can accommodate everything from a cocktail party to a dog show. Our various search filters help you to quickly find venues that meet your exact requirements. The easy-to-use personal dashboard allows users to save event details and request multiple quotes without having to re-enter them.

You can also save multiple events details  which is great for event planners or corporates who are often planning more than one thing at a time. An on-site messaging system allows easy communication with venues and well soon be introducing online bookings and payments so that the entire process is managed in one place.

What has been the biggest challenge in getting EventRoom off the ground?

Johnston: By far the biggest challenge has been development of the platform  finding talented developers who have the time to be involved in a project like this is extremely difficult and weve had to change developers several times. We feel pretty confident that weve ironed out all those kinks for now and are happy to announce that well soon be launching version 2.0 of the site, with some pretty cool new features, so keep your eyes peeled!

What has been the biggest highlight on the EventRoom journey so far?

Johnston: The first time a venue was booked through the system and we realised it worked!

What are your top five venues/hangouts?

Rosin: I would say my top five fave venues that we have listed so far are:

OysterBox - It's just beautiful, and I love lighthouses

Tinswalo

Cavali

Dornier - a nice family place

Le Bonheur Croc farm - great for kids!
Overall SA tourist arrivals are down -6.8% for 2015 compared to arrivals recorded during 2014, despite a strong finish for South African tourism in the final quarter.

Ulrich Mueller via 123RF - People in the arrival hall at the O.R. Tambo International airport

Lee-Anne Bac, director: Advisory Services at Grant Thornton says: Tourism arrivals only grew by 7.5% during 2014 which in effect means that 2015s negative performance has wiped out two years worth of vital tourism growth. The Advisory Services team completed the full years review of tourism data for South Africa, following Statistics South Africas release of Tourism and Migration findings for December 2015, on Wednesday afternoon 10 February 2016.

Bac did emphasise that while significant losses were recorded during the first nine months of 2015, it was the final quarter of the year  from October to December  which helped to save South Africa as significantly improved statistics and data was recorded.

African tourists the biggest loss

According to Grant Thorntons analysis, for the 2015 year, South Africa experienced its biggest loss from African tourists where a decline of -7.3% was recorded, compared to +9% growth recorded during 2014.

It is interesting to note that African air arrivals  those African tourists who enter South Africa via an airport  increased by 1.8% in 2015, continued Bac. But this then highlights even greater losses experienced in the number of land border African arrivals over the past year.

Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) saw a 14.4% increase in African air arrivals during 2015 and Bac attributes this to the introduction of new airlines flying directly to CTIA. Ethiopian Airlines now boasts six return flights per week from Addis Ababa to Cape Town direct.

Visitors from overseas

Overseas tourists to South Africa, which are defined as visitors who are citizens of a country outside of Africa, declined by -4,9% in 2015. The overseas tourism market stabilised notably during October (-0.1%) following a disastrous first nine months of the year, adds Bac. This recovery showed even greater improvements with +6.4% recorded for November and +6.0% for December 2015.

When analysing the overseas tourism figures for 2015, Grant Thorntons data highlights that the -4.9% decline has unfortunately eroded all of the meagre gains achieved during 2014 (2.9%) and even some of the growth achieved in 2013 (4.5%). This equates to nearly 2.5 years of growth in overseas tourist arrivals lost over the past year.

When assessing the data in terms of overseas tourist arrivals to each international airport in South Africa, it appears as if Cape Town International Airport gained. Overseas arrivals through Cape Town International Airport grew by 5,6% in 2015. And while Cape Town gained overseas tourists, arrivals through OR Tambo International Airport declined by -5%. KZN remained fairly stagnant with a small decline of -0,9% through King Shaka International Airport during 2015.

South Africa experienced significant losses in terms of tourists from China during the first seven months of 2015 but remarkable growth during the final four months of last year saw Chinese arrivals ending +2.2% higher than those recorded during 2014.

Its important to remember, though, that 2014 was a disastrous year for arrivals from China with a -23% decline recorded in overall tourist arrivals, says Bac. This highlights that we have a long way to go to make up for these losses. However, based on arrivals in the past four months, we are extremely hopeful that new records can be achieved quickly to bring us back on track in terms of this very important market for our nation.

Some of the Biggest Losers for 2015

Other key tourist arrivals during 2015 were dismally down compared to the previous year.

 Brazil: -25%

 Ghana: -18,2%

 Uganda: -13%

 Nigeria: -10,6%

 Italy: -10,6%

In terms of our other key source markets for tourists to South Africa visitors from the UK were marginally up at +1.4%, while Germany (-6.5%), USA (-3.9%) and India (-8.5%) also recorded negative performance during 2015.

The past year has been extremely tumultuous for the tourism sector and various economic and social issues both at home and in some source countries coupled with immigration amendments caused great concern. However, one thing is for certain, much of this is now behind us and South Africas tourism sector is resilient. Recent changes to travel laws and the sheer nature of this industry will hopefully help it to rebound from its current decline in the months and years to come, Bac concludes.
From Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 February 2016, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will give Nelson Mandela Bay residents the chance to get up close and personal with some of South Africa's most prestigious naval ships.

SANDF will grant public access to navy ships stationed in and around the Port of Port Elizabeth. The vessel tours will be the highlight of a week of activities that form part of the SANDFs Armed Forces Day celebration, which is commemorated on 21 February to coincide with the commemoration of the sinking of the SS Mendi in 1917 during World War One.

SAS Amatola

Transnet will also be setting up an exhibition centre from Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 February in order to showcase the career opportunities that are available in the Maritime Sector. The exhibition centre will be located at Shed 12, next to Quay 2 and 3, at the Multi-Purpose Terminal.

Reintegrating ports with their cities and communities

Port manager Rajesh Dana said TNPA was partnering with organisations in the maritime sector in an effort to reintegrate the ports with their cities and communities. "The Port of Port Elizabeth is extremely honoured and privileged to have been invited to be part of the SANDF Armed Forces Day celebrations. The port has planned a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend and invites the public to experience the exciting naval and maritime world, he said.

"Transnet has welcomed the opportunity of hosting several SA Navy vessels in the Port of Port Elizabeth which will be open to public viewing. This historic event affords the Port of Port Elizabeth the opportunity of showcasing its commitment to and progress made in transforming the Port of Port Elizabeth into a people-centric smartPORT".

Unlocking the Oceans Economy

Dana said events such as Armed Forces Day were particularly important considering the South African governments Operation Phakisa initiative, in which TNPA is a key role player.

In launching Operation Phakisa, Government set out its first project focusing on unlocking the immense economic potential of the Oceans Economy. This it hopes will boost GDP growth, job creation and employment within the marine transport sector, aligned with the priorities of the National Development Plan.

SAS Drakensberg

Important information

Navy vessels set to be in port during the Armed Forces Day celebrations include SAS PROTEA (hydrographic survey vessel), SAS DRAKENSBERG (combat support ship), SAS AMATOLA (Valour Class frigate), SAS QUEEN MODJADJI 1 (Type 209 submarine), SAS GALESHEWE (offshore patrol vessel) and SAS UMHLOTI (MCM). The six vessels will be stationed alongside quay 3 in the Port of Port Elizabeth.

All vessels will be open to the general public over Valentines weekend of 13 to 14 February while pre-arranged special tours will take place from 15 to 16 February. Entry for adults and children is free.

Operating times to view the ships will be from 10am to 2pm on Saturday. Get there early as long queues are expected and gates will close at 2pm. The SAS QUEEN MODJADJI 1 submarine will only be open to the public from 10am to 12pm on both days.

Public access to the port will be via the Fleming Gate on Fleming Street (take the turn off from Settlers Highway). There will be public parking for approximately 500 vehicles with parking escorts from the SANDF, TNPA and SAPS on hand to direct members of the public.

Attendees are encouraged to take along umbrellas to ensure they are comfortable while queuing. There will also be food vendors located in various areas around the port.

On 21 February President Jacob Zuma, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the SANDF, will officiate this fifth installation of Armed Forces Day. He will confer medals on deserving SANDF members at a restricted presidential function aboard one of the vessels.
Intervate has announced the release of ROBIT: locally-developed virtual personal assistant (VPA), enabling organisations to extract more value from Microsoft's Skype for Business.

Bruce Williams - ROBIT product manager at Intervate

Skype for Business, recently re-branded from the previous name of Microsoft Lync, facilitates instant messaging and live online meetings for multiple colleagues within a company  via video, audio, or text-based chat. ROBIT leverages the Skype for Business platform to act as a company-wide virtual personal assistant for all employees within an organisation.

These could range from simple tasks like booking meeting rooms or resetting account passwords, to more complex queries that dive into line-of-business systems  such as ones Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution.

Human-like touch

Using the text chat feature of Skype for Business, interactions are as quick and simple as any other form of instant messaging. ROBIT has a quirky and sometimes irreverent personality. She can serve up jokes on request; or reply with cheeky responses like we dont have any meeting rooms with a time machine, if one accidentally tries to book a meeting room for a date thats already passed.

These light-hearted aspects help bring a human-like touch to each interaction, making it fun to engage with ROBIT. It assists in taking the drudgery out of trawling through complex line-of-business systems, which often have less-friendly user interfaces or require additional user access licences.

ROBIT can be customised within any environment, and taught to learn how to perform specific tasks. So, the next time a staff member has the same request, ROBIT is able to deal with the query.

Don't sweat the small things

Bruce Williams, ROBIT product manager at Intervate, emphasises the importance of this innovation: Organisations are increasingly looking to automation as a way of becoming more agile and responsive to their customers. ROBIT is an easy-to-use business process tool  designed to speed up many of the simple operational tasks that can consume much of ones day.

Shes always available, always replies instantly, and always provides accurate responses to any queries. With fairly straightforward integration, ROBIT is able to draw information from any form of business system. Most commonly, information sourced by ROBIT is housed in ones ERP, CRM and Intranet environments, but it can be plugged into any system.

Williams explains that ROBIT is another illustration of the close partnership between Microsoft and Intervate. As a multi-award winning partner over the past few years (most-recently, Intervate was named South Africas Microsoft Partner of the Year for 2015), the two companies have enjoyed a long-standing relationship in Africa.

Intervate will be extending a free one year ROBIT license to all existing clients.
The National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) must ensure that Transnet's application for a tariff increase on its petroleum pipelines is indeed required for pipeline infrastructure and is not meant to cross-subsidise its rail projects. This is according to transport economist Andrew Marsay.

He said yesterday that because Transnet had not managed to raise enough money from its railway operations, it had resorted to cross-subsidising these with revenue from its pipelines and ports.

Earlier this month Transnet applied for a 25.8% increase in allowable revenue for the 2016-17 financial year, which would result in a 21.3% tariff increase on the petroleum pipeline, a cost payable by all the major oil companies in SA. This would push the fuel price in Gauteng up by 6.18c per litre.

Last year, Nersa approved a 6.9% increase in Transnet's petroleum pipeline tariffs for the 2015-16 financial year.

Hike necessitated by new multi-products pipeline

Transnet said its latest request for a hike was necessitated by the expected completion of construction work on significant aspects of the new multi-products pipeline by November this year.

The new 555km pipeline replaces the 48-year-old version and has a 70-year design life. It is meant to transport 93-grade and 95-grade unleaded petrol, low sulphur diesel and ultra low sulphur diesel, as well as jet fuel.

Pipeline cost more than expected

However, delays had led to the cost of the project doubling to more than R23bn from R11.1bn.

Marsay said the new pipeline had cost Transnet more than it expected and the state-owned logistics group most likely wanted to recoup some of that investment. However, Transnet tended to use revenue from pipelines and ports to cross-subsidise its rail investment.

Thus, it was key for Transnet to demonstrate that its request for an increase in the petroleum pipeline tariff was really needed for pipelines and would not be diverted to railway investments under its market demand strategy. The strategy is Transnet's R340bn-R380bn recapitalisation programme to expand and modernise the rail and ports infrastructure of the country. "Transnet's biggest risk is how it is going to fund the massive investment for the railways," said Marsay. "It would be good for Nersa to ask Transnet to demonstrate that the increase is needed for pipelines or to underwrite railway investment under the market demand strategy," he said.

Expansion in pipeline assets under scrutiny

Nersa regulator member responsible for petroleum pipelines, Rod Crompton said the regulator would scrutinise the expansion in pipeline assets and the estimated volumes to be shipped, which are the main drivers for Transnet's application for a tariff increase. Nersa could make a decision on Transnet's application by the end of next month, but this would depend on the regulator receiving additional information from Transnet, said Crompton.

South African Petroleum Industry Association executive director Avhapfani Tshifularo said yesterday Transnet added equipment to the pipeline infrastructure every year and this necessitated an increase in the tariff. "Based on our interactions with them, when an increase does come up we understand why the tariff has gone up" said Tshifularo.

Transnet said the aspects of the new pipeline that were expected to be completed by November were the Durban tightlining assets and the inland accumulation facility near Heidelberg. Tightlining was a "joint innovation with customers in the oil industry", aimed at making the pipeline a "fully-fledged multi-products facility", said Transnet spokesman Mboniso Sigonyela.

Source: Business Day
Legend has it that women are encouraged to turn the tables and be the ones to propose marriage in a leap year. Looking at the calendar, 2016 has a 29 February, but if you're a little apprehensive about getting down on one knee, the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) has some suggestions to help you build up to the big moment in the Mother City, starting this Valentine's weekend in the CBD.

Go for coffee with classic cars

Club 9 restores and sells classic cars, including Porsche 911s, Alfa Romeo Spiders and E-Type Jags. They arent cheap, but it may be enough for him just to look while he enjoys a coffee at the on-site Dapper Coffee Co.

Club 9: Matrix Building, cnr Bree and Strand Streets. +27 (0)21 422 2994. club9.co.za

Dapper Coffee Co: +27 (0)21 823 2444. www.dappercoffeeco.co.za

Get a true love tattoo

Nothing says 'Till death do us part' like permanent body art. The Cape Town CBD has a trio of tattoo studios to choose from. Metal Machine is the most established, Wildfire the best known, and Sins of Style specialises in the hand-poked style favoured by the likes of Die Antwoords Ninja.

Sins of Style: 35 Buitenkant St. +27 (0)21 461 0854. www.sinsofstyle.com

Wildfire Tattoos: 192 Long St. +27 (0)21 424 0877. www.tattoo.co.za

Indulge in a burger bonanza

Its the ultimate guy food, but women dig it too  all hail the hamburger. Which establishment serves the best in town though? Let him be the 'burgermeester' and decide. Admittedly, this may take more than a weekend.

Clarke's Bar & Dining Room: 133 Bree St. +27 (0)21 424 7648. www.clarkesdining.co.za

Easy Tiger: 120 Bree St. +27 (0)21 426 4659. www.facebook.com/EasyTigerBurgerBar

Inside & Youre Out: 103 Bree St. +27 (0)21 422 1313. iyoburgers.co.za

Latitude 33: 165 Bree St. +27 (0)21 424 9857. www.lat33.co.za

Royale Eatery: 273 Long St. +27 (0)21 422 4536. www.royaleeatery.com

Enjoy a few drinks with you as designated driver

Pub crawls are not just for bachelor parties, but the CCID does advise that you volunteer to be the designated driver for the night. With that being said, there are '99 bottles' at Beerhouse alone, so you might want to buy him a taster platter to get his bearings  or should that be 'beerings'? It includes 12 different 120ml beers  the equivalent of roughly three draughts. You could leave it there, or move on to Tigers Milk down the road or The House of Machines, which is also a motorbike workshop.

Beerhouse: 223 Long St. +27 (0)21 424 3370. www.beerhouse.co.za

The House of Machines: 84 Shortmarket St. +27 (0)21 426 1400. thehouseofmachines.com

Tigers Milk: 44 Long St. +27 (0)21 422 0700. tigersmilk.co.za

Remember if youre out on the town to keep your wits about you make sure you keep your valuables out of sight at all times. If you are in need of assistance in the CBD, you can approach a CCID public safety officer, recognisable by their green-bibbed uniforms.

Have a cigar surprise

If you want insight into what men do to celebrate, take him to one of the CBDs cigar lounges. Keep it classy with a whiskey accompaniment.

Taj Cape Town: 1 Wale St. +27 (0)21 819 2000. tajcapetown.co.za

The Westin Cape Town: Convention Square, Lower Long St. +27 (0)21 412 9999. www.westincapetown.com

Marimba Restaurant & Cigar Bar: CTICC, Convention Square, Lower Long St. +27 (0)21 418 3366. marimbasa.com

Bonus: get a happening haircut

Book your guy in for a styling time at an old-school barber and saloon.

Widow Maker: 309 Long St. +27 (0)21 422 1209.Find them on Facebook.

Where does the tradition of women proposing marriage in a leap year come from?

According to the Huffington Post, it is alleged that in Scotland Queen Margaret enacted a law in 1288 allowing women to propose on a leap year day. And in Ireland, women are advised to propose only on 29 February for good luck.
The Big Blues Meets Rock Festival will be held on Saturday 9 April, 2016, at Hillcrest Quarry, Durbanville, Cape Town and will feature: Dan Patlansky, Blues Broers, Gerald Clark Trio, Mark Haze, Crimson House, Natasha Meister, Pebbleman, The Rockerfellas, and Jesse Jordan.

Featuring nine bands in a huge marquee on a big stage with 30000 watts of sonic power, this year`s event is set to be a blast at one of the most incredible live music venues in SA. One of the highlights of the show will be the official (Cape Town) launch of Dan Patlansky's brand new album 'Introvertigo'. Patlansky says of the new album: Fans can expect a unique brand of blues rock born out of guitar playing whilst striving for strong song writing. I am very excited and proud of this album, and honestly feel this is my best release to date.

Another great addition to this year`s line up is Crimson House. The music will take you back a century and right into the modern age within the same bar line. Rooted in blues, coated in gypsy undertones, blended with early jazz fuelled by roaring guitars, blazing brass, sensational saxophones, shredding banjos, and soul-sweeping harmonicas, led by a gravel paved voice coming out of a hard-worked soul.

Needing no introduction, the line up also includes the Gerald Clark Trio, The Blues Broers and Mark Haze among others.

Lucky draw worth nearly R24,000

Doors open at 12.15pm. There will be a lucky draw worth nearly R24,000: A Fender Stratocaster, a huge cash prize and a Paul Bothner music voucher will be going home to a lucky ticket holder. You'll be able to buy a lucky draw ticket at the festival for R30, but you'll also get a free lucky draw entry worth R30 with all Computicket bookings. You can collect your lucky draw ticket at the gate on presentation of your Computicket.

Tickets: R220 at Computicket | 0861 9158000

For information call Hillcrest Quarry on +27 (0)21 976 4959 or go to www.bluesmeetsrock.co.za
From a new song and dance from the EFF, to marketing memes and new social media records, #SONA2016 was a riot - thankfully only figuratively speaking, this year.

One of the most exciting things technology can do these days is to track sentiment around a key issue in the public domain, such as the State of the Nation address last night, giving instant feedback.

YouKnow Digital, which was tracking the conversation, said social media interaction around #SONA2016 increased by 35% with a whopping 345,964 on-topic conversations on the day. Compared to general social media conversation growth of 4.9%, this was a significant achievement."

The single biggest topic was Point of Order between 7pm-8pm before the President was able to continue his speech. The biggest topic of interest from the speech for the social media community was the drought on 25% (dominated by comments on government's inaction); followed by racism and the one capital city discussion, both on 23%. Interestingly, while education was a big topic coming in to SONA2016, it was only the 4th largest point of online discussion during the address itself, reported YouKnow in a press release.

BrandsEye was monitoring social media chatter and reported that over 25% of #ZuptaMustFall conversation was explicitly negative towards the President.

Over 35 000 #Tweets captured by our systems in the first 30 minutes of #SONA2016!  BrandsEye (@brandseye) February 11, 2016

When the going gets tough

Despite the terrible drought, political turmoil and bleak economic outlook, what will save us as South Africans is our unique sense of humour. The fact that we can laugh at ourselves, share the joke and, even despite bitter cynicism, move on to get things done.

Last night was no different and the memes flowed fast and furious, politicians on the night giving ample fodder, of course, as politicians the world over tend to do.

From the people who brought you #PayBackTheMoney comes the brand new smash hit of 2016 ... #ZuptaMustFall.  Deep Fried Man (@DeepFriedMan) February 11, 2016

Did you know we have a new dance? Well just call it the SONA for now. When the EFF, led by Julius Malema, started to chant #Zuptamustgo #Zuptamustgo (yes, we see the clever play on words there), before they left Parliament after being encouraged to do so by Speaker Baleka Mbete, one of the TV sign-language interpreters became an inadvertent superstar with her repetitive interpretation which she added a beat too, before exiting the screen when it seemed she started to laugh  like the rest watching her. It was a classic television moment.

The lady doing sign language was enjoying her job... #SONA2016 pic.twitter.com/B54nLEv0DS  Mohamed Nanabhay (@mohamed) February 11, 2016

So can you do the SONA? I predict it will be as popular on South African dance floors and streets in 2016 as the Macarena (back in my day) and the more recent and dreadful Gangnam Style. Musical interludes to follow no doubt from various comedians.

As for the brands, most wouldnt dare in these sensitive times, but luckily we have Nandos and Zanews to give us a chuckle.

Satirical site Zanews led the charge with their punt for Rescue Remedy before #SONA2016 kicked off.

Entire Country Urged To Take Rescue Remedy Before Watching State of the Nation https://t.co/wvdJybrFZv #SONA2016 pic.twitter.com/szFtRq4ZIK  ZANEWS (@zanews) February 11, 2016

And during the ruckus, Nandos released a couple of posters which were widely shared and as usual, were pretty spicy, tapping into the mood of the moment as great brands have the courage to do.

And then of course our resident comedians on the Twitterverse, us ordinary South Africans, contributed to the levity, making a tense night tolerable. And thankfully, unlike last year, there was no violence inside the hallowed halls of Parliament, just poor politicking and promises.

The initial run up to #SONA2016, complete with skirmishes in the streets and a Point of Order process inside Parliament in the lead up to the Presidents speech, took longer than a Disney movie (Trust me, I tested this personally).

Set my 4-yr-old up in the next room with a Disney movie on my laptop because #SONA2016 be like PG16 'SNVL'  Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland) February 11, 2016

And my vote for the best commentary on the whole day, comes from an update from a News24 reporter on the clashes between the ANC and EFF on the mean streets of Cape Town, prior to the opening of Parliament formalities, where traditional Cape slogans were shouted at Police by some protestors. Impeccable translation from the local dialect and use of punctuation I thought.

But basically, it was all over by 8pm when the EFF walked out, Cope having staged their walk out about half an hour prior, and the President got on with his #SONA2016, albeit with regular heckling from the remaining opposition.

I think EFF & Cope had 8pm dinner reservations. We all know #CapeTown's restaurants are world class #SONA2016  Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland) February 11, 2016

Heres a collection of some of the most retweeted and funny memes that arose during the pre-SONA debates.

All quiet as South Africa settles down to watch its most cringe-making soapie. One episode a year, but oh so good! #SONA2016 #Zuma  Justice Malala (@justicemalala) February 11, 2016

Any journo at #SONA2016 who gushes over an outfit should immediately be put down and then join a marketing company.  David Moseley (@david_moseley) February 11, 2016

But it was Thuli Madonselas night and her quiet victory walk in which she let her bright yellow dress do the talking, did not go unnoticed  over 300 tweets when she hit the red carpet, initially, says BrandsEye!

Madam Public Protector looks like she's about to twirl around the red carpet and sing: Let it go... #SONA2016 pic.twitter.com/MDO9P0Dvbt  Ranjeni Munusamy (@RanjeniM) February 11, 2016

Although the usual fashion parade was muted during these times of economic austerity and there was none of the usual fanfare and focus on fashion.

#SONA2016 is not abt 21 Gun salutes & ridiculous costumes tht make a mockery of the majority #SA tht lives in poverty. U are there 2 serve.  Jay Naidoo (@Jay_Naidoo) February 11, 2016

Let's hope our #Parliament still remembers why we fought for freedom & not disgrace our founding father. #SONA2016 pic.twitter.com/O62N88e4dP  Jay Naidoo (@Jay_Naidoo) February 11, 2016

I have a new alarm clock



Honorable Speaker

Honorable Speaker

Honorable Speaker

Honorable Speaker

Honorable Speaker #SONA2016  SIA LEITA (@sialeita) February 12, 2016

"Honourable speaker, you are winning awards now, please carry on like that." - Juju is riot !!!!  #SONA2016  Poppy Ntshongwana (@PoppyIsMyName) February 11, 2016

And lets not forget the serious business of #SONA2016.

Real meaning of Zuma's speech? RT @sumitranydoo: This speech is for the ratings agencies; pulling out all the stops to avoid a downgrade  Geoffrey York (@geoffreyyork) February 11, 2016

Now we know what Pravin Gordhan's comeback condition was: I write the #SONA2016 speech, chief.  Adriaan Basson (@AdriaanBasson) February 11, 2016

This speech is for the ratings agencies #SONA2016 pulling out all the stops to avoid a downgrade  Sumitra Nydoo (@sumitranydoo) February 11, 2016

#SONA2016 gave us a few laughs this year, if not much else, but at least it wasnt the shock and horror of last years brutal removal of opposition parties. It may be a difficult year, but it will, as usual, be a very interesting one.

That is how you win parliament in 2016 - clip of the night, slogan of the night, cameras on you as the Pres. resumes https://t.co/JX70MWRXhz  Nicholas Dawes (@NicDawes) February 11, 2016

#SONA2016 Never feed a baby dragon. It will grow up and breathe fire all over you.  Elinor Sisulu (@ElinorSisulu) February 11, 2016

"Sit down Mr. Gupta!"







WE WERE NEVER READY!



#SONA2016  Angel Campey (@YesReallyAngel) February 11, 2016
Businesses engaging in social media are already helping themselves in possibly the best manner they could. A virile online appearance is critical to being a success in online selling, and social media fills an enormous gap in building online power. Social media can do more, though.

Converting leads within social media looks like a pipe dream to many business owners. If used properly, social media leads convert to paying clients and customers. Here are the latest industry standards when it comes to converting leads into sales utilizing the strength of social media.

Gated subject matter

When a great bit of content turns up, put it behind a bar when publishing. A gate is an online form that readers must complete to view the content. Those users are placed in a sales funnel for contact placed on a list for a newsletter. Gates need to be used sparsely because publically available content is required for good natural search visibility. Some selling channels are ideal for gates, and social networks are one.

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Social media is ideal for such content since users arrive at your form; you know their interest has been raised. When posting content to Twitter, anyone who clicks your link has already decided they want that content. Will leads be turned off by material that needs a gate? Yes, some, but if the content is introduced suitably, and you have a trustworthy reputation, the serious users will readily hand over their name and address as the "price" to read it.

Promo code

Whether on Facebook or Twitter, pictures on your company's social media profiles are ideal places for promotional codes. Leads who stumble across your profile may be interested enough to learn more. Leads already interested will find the nudge they require to become clients.

Non-coded offers work also, but a unique code is particularly helpful in social media as they support measuring ROI. If a code is designed strictly for Twitter, for example, any time that code is applied, you know Twitter turned for you.

Create a path

Too frequently, companies produce lovely social media portraits but fail to provide a chance for fans to become buyers. A link back to the company website isn't sufficient. Like every well-converting landing page, each social profile requires a call-to-action and a simple method for prospects to perform the action.

Your choices are restricted in various ways for each social media site, but a few essential tactics any firm can apply are:

Drive Facebook fans by using a unique Facebook tab. If the primary goal is to gain more subscribers, create a space that invitingly sends leads to sign up and points them to the appropriate page.

Drive Twitter followers to conversion by publishing a telephone number in the profile. Twitter is used a great deal on smartphones, so make it simple for leads to call you.

Convert Pinterest fans with pin-unique calls to action. Each pin has space for a description, so include a call to action and the link, address or whatever is needed to perform that action.

If you don't convert leads, your company is dropping out. Does every tactic operate for all businesses? No. That's why the tactics should be mixed up, and various tactics tried until one is found that works particularly great for your company.

Target

Using a shotgun approach on social media similar to big brands isn't financially feasible for smaller companies. Companies with modest budgets should target customers whom they are most likely to convert.

Listen

Let your potential, and existing, clients know you are listening. Unlike other mediums, social media is not a one-way monologue. It creates opportunities for dialogue and brands have the obligation to be responsive.

Some businesses use their strongest brand advocates as a source of ongoing content by asking fans to write testimonials or even guest posts. Doing this creates a feeling that the company really cares and is listening.

Special offers

The customers who are already singing your praises on social media sometimes just need a little push to keep coming back. As you thank them, consider offering an incentive such as a discount to visit your business again.

Curate

Another way brands develop meaningful relationships with fans and customers on social media is by finding, and sharing, interesting content around a topic. Larger brands tend to publish content equal to that in quality magazines, but companies of any size can develop an effective content marketing strategy.

It is important to tailor content for a variety of social networks. A 140-character tweet won't work well on Pinterest, for example. Working your social media properly will have your fans returning again and again not only for the shared content, but the marketing messages and special offers as well.

It's difficult to become the music in the midst of the noise on the Internet today. But proper use of social media can add your tune to the symphony and make you a success. It's not difficult and following these tips  modify them as you need  will help.
An integration of skills and business-focussed execution is what Alistair Mokoena, managing director of Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg, expects in 2016.

Alistair Mokoena

1. What are the key trends for the year 2016?

TREND: Goodvertising meets technology: Campaigns that use purpose-driven, technology-enabled ideas to make a difference in society.

TREND: Using multipurpose talent to right-size agencies: Individuals who possess both traditional and digital advertising experience AND individuals who can act as both a strategic planner and a creative AND individuals who can act as both a strategic planner and a project manager.

TREND: A shift from account management to project management. Flawless execution with a business focus.

2. Your game changer trend?

All of the above

3. How will you keep yourself and your team inspired?

Understanding societys problems and making it our business to solve these is not only inspiring, but most fulfilling.

4. What is your core strategy for nurturing creativity and surfacing innovation?

Solving societys problems keeps you relevant, and relevance attracts and retains top talent. Theres nothing worse than being irrelevant and invisible.

5. What do you hope to see less of going into the New Year?

I hope to see fewer emergency briefs in 2016 that require an emergency solution. Dont get me wrong, I appreciate the scope of opportunities, however I prefer to plan properly and be less reactive. It makes for better work.

6. What do you hope to see more of in 2016?

I hope to spend a lot more time working with ideas in 2016 than with people issues and relationship problems. More creativity and less psycho-therapy.

7. What advice do you have for the industry?

Build strong authentic relationships and nurture these. Give value back to clients. Do not be shy to take a leaf out of corporates by driving operational efficiencies. Learn to do more with less.

8. How do you keep up with current trends?

I read, I listen, I observe and I imagine.



*Alistair Mokoena was interviewed by Louise Marsland, Bizcommunity.com contributing editor & BizTrends 2016 Trend curator & editor.
The creative economy is important as service industries lead the economy, and also support the wider economy in terms of progress and growth. However, to grow the creative economy it needs to transform. Training is a way of achieving this.

Recognising this, WPP launched its WPP Africa Academy in Johannesburg on 10 February 2016. Alec Graham, a WPP global client operations director, who led the creation of the Academy, says the core mission of WPP is to develop talent and to work together to grow talent to the benefit of our people, our agencies and our clients. The Academy makes good business sense, and is good not only for our employees but also for our suppliers and clients, as well as the broader economy.

The idea of a WPP Africa Academy came about in the middle of last year, during a meeting of the WPP South African CEOs where we discussed common issues and themes. Training came out as a priority, he says.

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It was clear, he adds, that there were challenges in developing talent and training as well as issues with SETA submissions and transformation. It was felt that we could maximize benefit from the group by sharing and applying knowledge in an efficient and effective way. While this would be cost effective, this is not the end goal - the end goal is the development of talent for the region and continent.

As a result, he spent a lot of time talking to people as well as immersing himself in understanding Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and the Triple BEE Scorecard needs and internships and training for Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDI).

Key throughout this is our support of the transformation agenda. This is about more than the scorecard or a tick box to obtain a ratings certificate at the end of the year; it is about fostering an attitude and approach to business, employees and talent development that will lead to transformation.

Robyn de Villiers, chairman and CEO of Burson-Marsteller and a member of the Academy Steering Committee, also emphasises transformation. From a South African perspective BEE and transformation are important and a clear way to make a contribution is to upskill and train staff.

However, while the Academy started off as a South African initiative, the Committee very quickly realized that it needed to go beyond this country, to be an Africa wide initiative. This, says de Villiers is very exciting. By 2040 Africa will have the biggest group of working age people on the plant; greater than China and India. But this is only an advantage if our people are skilled.

The result is a training academy that will provide and promote training across Africa, including all WPP companies and affiliates across the continent, with training hubs in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria.

The training comprises a lot of online training, in combination with real individual tuition support through a tutor that engages with the student to assist them as needed. The Academy also includes training WPP has developed elsewhere.

We have an existing relationship with the Red & Yellow School of Logic and Magic (Red & Yellow) and it made sense to extend our existing relationship with them and so we are working closely with them developing programmes for the Academy, Graham says.

The WPP Africa Academy is WPPs third education initiative globally, following earlier initiatives in China and India. In 2015, WPP in partnership with the Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI), launched the ISDI WPP School of Communication in Mumbai, creating Indias first professional three-year undergraduate diploma program in communication. In 2011, WPP partnered with the Shanghai Arts and Design Academy (SADA) to establish the WPP School of Marketing and Communications in China.

The WPP Group currently employs more than 30,000 people through its agencies and partners in South Africa alone, with offices in a further 20 countries across the continent.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) technology could affect energy, agriculture, asset tracking and retail payments sectors across Africa, where it will not only improve efficiencies but also reduce costs. Thanks to the advancement of ICT on the continent, Africa is in a strong position to capitalise on forecasts that the M2M sector will generate $40bn in global services revenue by 2019.

Kees Snijders

M2M refers to direct communication between devices, using any communications channel, including wired and wireless. Forming part of the Internet of Things (IoT), M2M enables systems to communicate with other devices anywhere in the world.

Africa has an enviable reputation of using technologically-driven solutions to overcome many of its challenges and, while not all countries share the same priorities, there are sectors that are universally important across the continent. These are agriculture, asset tracking, retail payments and energy, says Kees Snijders, MD of Flickswitch.

Water and agriculture management

By implementing M2M to help with flow and pump monitoring, wastage in water can be reduced. We know too well that it has become an incredibly scarce resource on the continent. The rapid detection of leaks and careful monitoring of dam and reservoir levels mean that M2M solutions can notify relevant authorities before water levels are dangerously low.

Of course, it goes beyond just water monitoring. M2M is also able to track game and livestock through technology, such as tracking systems and drones. This means farmers have a more real-time view of what is going on around them and where specific issues are that need to be addressed.

In South Africa, a solutions provider has developed a livestock collar incorporating GPS and GSM technology that monitors the behaviour of a group of animals and sends an alert to the farmers mobile phone if there is abnormal behaviour (normally associated with theft or a predator attack).

Meanwhile, in the US, a law was passed in November last year permitting companies to fly drones commercially on a case-by-case basis. This means that for the first time, agriculture drones will (legally) gather data across an entire growing season. By significantly improving the intelligence they have at their disposal, farmers will now be able to not only test their business models, but also become significantly more efficient. Given the significant water shortages in South Africa, drones could play a similarly critical role in our near future.

More than vehicle tracking

M2M enables businesses to closely monitor goods that are in transit. Everything from the temperature at the back of the truck and its ambient conditions, to finding the optimum route, can be done using the technology. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that the traditional tracking businesses are not necessarily the ones adopting the most advanced M2M solutions.

According to Snijders, this has created an opportunity for smaller businesses to come up with innovative use cases for M2M that can appeal to a number of vertical sectors. The level of sophistication required in keeping up with theft and hijackings, means traditional tracking devices are no longer good enough. M2M enables providers to adapt their solutions to meet changing requirements faster and more cost-effectively.

Research from MarketsandMarkets.com indicates that the fleet management market is certainly a priority for many organisations globally. Rising global concerns around the environment and an increasing need for operational efficiencies in fuel expectations means that the sector will grow from $8bn in 2015 to $22.53bn by 2020.

Retail usage

On the retail point of sale (POS) front, there is a lot of movement, thanks to M2M.

As the capabilities of consumer devices improve, mobile payment solutions, such as SnapScan and M-Pesa, are driving significant growth in retail payments. Different markets are doing the things that suit their specific audiences, forcing retailers to think differently around M2M and adopt technologies in new and exciting ways. The pervasiveness of pay points is adding to this growth.

Developing countries are in prime position to benefit from the strength of POS in the M2M world. Brazil, the largest M2M market in Latin America, has already seen a compound annual growth rate of 48 percent over the last four years in M2M thanks mainly to POS terminals connected by GSM.

Energy offers significant growth

As with agriculture and water, energy is a vital sector on the continent. Things such as smart metering and solar are certainly increasing in adoption rates but they are not pervasive yet. With energy presenting such a significant growth sector, we can expect sizeable investment to take place. Additionally, many operators are using M2M as a great way to showcase its potential in the energy sector.

Research conducted by Ovum shows that the energy and utilities sector is one of the most important ones in the global M2M market. The consultancy projects the sector to hit $7bn in global revenue by 2018. Given the critical nature of energy in Africa, it could well be a good one to invest for the coming years.

Companies across Africa need to be aware that M2M is not only growing but also thriving. Decision-makers need to think outside the box and leverage advances in technologies in innovative ways to capitalise on this.
Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com.
A Czech commercial TV station has provoked outrage by broadcasting an "invented derogatory statement" by a refugee

12. 2. 2016

cas cteni 2 minuty





In its Main Evening News of 11th February, TV Prima, a Czech commercial television station, broadcast a derogatory comment allegedly made by one of few Christian refugees that the Czech Republic has recently accepted on its territory. According to a voiceover "translation" of a statement made by the refugee in front of the TV camera, the refugee is alleged to have said, "Rather than living in a redecorated cowshed, I will return to Iraq." The TV report has scandalised the Czech public. Within four hours, it was shared by more than 25 000 Czechs on the social networks. However, what the refugee really said was this:

"We have come into this country and really want to live here, over the past five days that we have been here, we can see that good people live here - they help other people, arrange everything of us, it is our aim to find suitable accommodation. We will arrange all the other things because we have come here to work and not to receive things for free. We are experienced, we have come to work. Each of us is an experienced specialist. In future, I will secure my own needs in order to support my family and my children. I have been surprised that we have been placed in unsuitable accommodation."

This was not translated.

The organisation that has been taking care of the group of Christian refugees, Nadacni fond Generace 21 (The Generation 21 Foundation Fund) has strongly protested against the broadcast of the mendacious interview. The Fund explained that it had mistakenly accommodated the refugee family on an upper floor of a building without a lift because it did not know that one of its members could not walk, so the mild complaint of the interviewed refugee was justified. The interviewed refugee said nothing about any cowshed or his return to Iraq. Although the TV station was informed of this situation, the broadcast was not corrected. The Prima TV reporter reacted: "If I did not produce sensational reports, I would immediately lose my job."

Jitka Obzinova, Head of News at Prima TV, insists that the refugee did speak about a cowshed and did threaten to go back to Iraq. She added that her TV station is preparing a new news report on this matter. Later TV Prima broadcast a statement by its original interpreter and another interpreter who insisted that the original translation of the refugee statement was correct.



Sources in Czech HERE HERE HERE HERE

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In other news, "Religious Liberty" is back again as the West Virginia House passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because the Constitution doesnt guarantee anyones right to have any particular kind of lifestyle or behavior protected, but it guarantees the free exercise of religion."

Republicans learned about the Constitution by reading the back of a Cracker Jack box.

Meanwhile, I am guilty of mocking Senator Marco Rubio for rarely showing up to vote in Congress, but apparently Bernie Sanders has only cast one vote so far this year.

Speaking of which, you'll have to forgive my late and light posting today because I was far too pissed off after reading this to discuss any other topic at length.

According to Bernie Sanders, the president has failed to close the "leadership gap" and improve the relationship between Congress and voters. That would be the same Congress that plotted to make him a one-term president before he was even sworn into office. That's the same Congress that continued to question his birth certificate for most of the last 8 years. Some still do.

The Party of NO has done everything it can from day one to obstruct the Obama administration but according to Bernie, this represents a failure of leadership.

The job is to rally the American people to tell Congress to do what the American people want. When I talk about a political revolution, [it] is bringing millions and millions of people into the political process in a way that does not exist right now.

Tell Mexico they're going to pay for the wall.

President Obama actually did bring people into the political process in a way that had never been done before. I am one of the people he brought into the process in a way they had never done before. I wouldn't be here writing for most of the last decade if not for President Obama. Bernie Sanders spits on his entire legacy and takes the positive changes of the last 8 years for granted.

Believe me when I say I am putting it very nicely.
A handful of states now require drug testing for those who apply for cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare) program, but regardless of how much they want to require drug testing for food stamps, that is not allowed under federal law.

House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) wants to change that and give states the authority to require drug tests.

Aderholt argues that the change would save money. Savings from welfare drug testing regimes comes from having to spend less on benefits as more people are denied over the tests. It would also narrow eligibility for the program for people who automatically qualify through federal heating assistance. His office estimates that the savings would amount to about $1.2 billion.

Without mentioning the immortality of subjecting people who are at their most vulnerable point to drug tests, these tests do not save the state a significant amount of money. Virtually everywhere this has been tried has revealed poor people use drugs at a much lower rate than the general population. And while I have no hard data in my hand to back it up, I would assert that poor people use drugs at a much lower rate than your typical elected official who, last time I checked, owe their paycheck to taxpayers.

When do we start drug testing congressmen?

Republicans control both chambers of Congress and it's entirely possible Chairman Aderholt's bill will be passed, but the president won't sign it into law.

A Republican president would sign it into law without blinking and we know at least several Republican governors would implement a drug testing program immediately. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) has already tried to.
GOP presidential candidate and sometimes-senator Marco Rubio is a desperate man in desperate times and thus he cannot take a strong stance on the Stars and Bars.

During a campaign stop in Greenville, South Carolina, Rubio told a crowd it's not his position to take a position on the Confederate battle flag.

He also toed the conservative line on social issues that are important to many voters here. When asked about same-sex marriage, he said that he hoped and believed that the Supreme Court would eventually overturn its decision that the Constitution guarantees a right to such marriages. And when asked about the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House grounds in Columbia, he said in the interview that while he thought the South Carolina lawmakers had eventually made the right call, it was their decision alone to make. And as president, he said, he would not have weighed in. Im not sure a president is a positive contributor to that debate, he said.

That's not leadership we can believe in.

I wouldn't necessarily expect any other Republican candidate to address the issue any different, however Rubio is suppose to be the preferred moderate establishment candidate of the Republican party and he won't even take a solid stance on the Stars and Bars.

A "positive contributor" to "that debate" over the Confederate battle flag is anyone who is willing to take a stance against it. Of course, if we're being real, what Rubio is really saying is the black president has no business weighing in.
According to another set of emails examined by The Detroit News, the Rick Snyder administration didn't merely keep the existent of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak under wraps; they declared it was over before it was actually over.

The Snyder administration privately told the CDC the outbreak was over in May of last year, two months after they were notified by the EPA.

No pronouncements about the outbreak were made then. Two months later, a Michigan health officials email to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak is over. The disease would kill four more people in the summer and fall and would not be brought to the publics attention until the next year. When the public was informed, the words came from Gov. Rick Snyder during a Jan. 13 press conference. Snyder maintained he had heard about the Legionnaires outbreak two days earlier.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been thrown under the boss and had numerous fingers pointed at them by Republican lawmakers, but there is a clear pattern here.

From the EPA to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in Michigan, there is a pattern of agency officials passing crucial information to the Snyder administration which promptly tucked it into a desk drawer and did nothing about it.

It may or may not be true that agency officials should have taken it upon themselves to do more, but that in no way absolves the Snyder administration.
Botswanas talent continues to make remarkable strides outside the country. The latest news is that Tlholego Chaba, an actor who is slowly crafting a niche for himself in the world has just landed a role on the ongoing Metropolitan SA National Campaign.

The talented Chaba plays the role of fiancee in the advert. The campaign will be aired even during prime time, meaning that thousands of households will get to see and appreciate what Botswana has to offer. According to a press release, the commercial was shot in Cape Town.

The commercial ad is just one of the ways that Chaba is making his presence felt. Early last year, he clinched an appearance in Mfundi Vundlas Generation: The Legacy playing a sangoma and gangster friend of Cosmo (one of the main characters in the soapie) in Vundlas new and updated Generations: The Legacy.





The Lobatse born Chaba is signed under Talent ETC (a South African artist management company) through Signed International (a local talent search competition).

Locally, Chaba is best known for bringing to life the role of (LMS) in the local production of Bandleng, a film that takes a satirical look at Peleng and its inhabitants.

(LMS) is one of the main characters in the film that attracts trouble wherever he goes. Meanwhile local actors and actresses can start prepping themselves for the launch of the second season of Signed International.

Signed International Season 1 was supported by the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, Brand Botswana, Ministry of Health Safe Male Circumcision Campaign.
The transformation of Gaborone into a Diamond City has brought with it some electrifying and extraordinary changes for the truly gregarious adventurer that just love a thrilling al fresco atmosphere.

The sort of atmosphere that transports one to a far away place where nothing else exists, where one is just so captivated by the moment and just wants to prolong it for a lifetime. With recent changes and the construction boom that have altered not only a couple of business districts but the face of Gaborone as well, have come new business concepts and ideas.

Gone are the days when the experience of a beautiful life filled with exquisite cuisines, rich in flavour, trimmed and garnished with exploding colours and textures could only be accessed by reaching out across the borders. The Restaurant business in Gaborone is also booming and there is something in it for everyone.





Even foodies with a knack for international cuisines also have something to look forward to when it comes to giving their mouths a taste explosion. So if you are one of those foodies who are familiar with what you love, how rare your meat should be cooked, the type of spices and their origins that should be used on your dish, then perhaps its time that you try something that will blow your socks off.

Take a short drive to the CBD, and find Jessys Bistro, safely tucked in the I-Towers and experience Mexico and France in one place. Trust this reporter, you will leave the Bistro feeling like you can have a go at Spanish or French in one go. Unbelievable! well it is so possible, you are allowed to dream. The Bistro opened in the first week of October and is owned by business mogul Nicholas Zakhem.

Here you will learn that the owner and management pride themselves in giving their clientele good tasting dishes accompanied by incredible creations. The end result being that their customers can sit back in their chairs with a glass of high quality wine sourced from top wine estates in South Africa and France. As is with any other country, Mexican and French cuisines also have their base that gives these cuisines a special taste.

The base for French cuisines is all about the wines and the fresh cream. Mexican cuisines use Chilli, black beans as well as an array of colour and different mixtures. When it comes to Mexican cuisines, Executive Chef Joe Stello explains that their speciality comes in the form of Fajitas, as well as special French sauces for steaks and fillets. Their ingredients, he says are either sourced locally or from across the borders for whatever they cant find locally. We are getting our high quality chips, cheese, and all the ingredients that are needed for our Mexican dishes outside the country, he says.

He also points out that their steaks are halaal, and that they do not compromise when it comes to serving their customers only the best dishes presented in a manner that leaves one spellbound. Our loyal customers keep coming back for the Mexican Fajitas. And some of them are European and American, he explains highlighting that they are very familiar with such cuisines.

For the interview with Style, the Lebanese born chef has prepared four dishes including the Poule Parisienne (Chicken cooked in a Fremsh Parisienne way) (P150), Tomozodo salad with pesto sauce (P80), Fremsh Beef Fillet (Fillet mignon) going for P140 and Fresh Salmon Fish going for P205. The prices for these four dishes are Valentines Day special.

Also on the menu, one can find affordable breakfast dishes such as the Clubs Sandwiches (P65) French Banquet, Scrambled Eggs (P80), Brioche Eggs (P70) as well as a Spanish Omelette (P100). For those who wish to try their hand at some of the special dishes that one can find at the Bistro, the Executive Chef has generously parted with his recipe for the Fresh Salmon Dish with a Ginger Sauce and Mashed potatoes. Depending on how fast you are with your hands, this simple but tasty dish should take less than 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

220g fresh salmon

Mixed vegetables sauted including carrots, baby marrows, green beans, broccoli, salt and black pepper

Mashed Potatoes

Ginger sauce

Chopped Onion

Ginger pickled

Butter,

Fresh Cream

Salt and Black Pepper

Directions

A potion of the salmon should be put in olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Pour a little oil in a pan and leave it to be warm

Cook the fish and when it gets coloured, put it in the oven set at 180 degrees for ten minutes.

Generously wash the vegetables with sanitiser,

Peel and cut carrots

Marinate for half an hour with salt with the other vegetables

Put them in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Dont overcook them and leave them ala dante

Strain them and saute them with butter, salt and black pepper.

To make the mashed potatoes

Boil them after washing thoroughly

Peel

Mash with fresh cream, salt, black pepper and butter.
Back in the 70s, one gentleman, who wanted to drool and appreciate his wifes beauty sans clothes attempted to buy lingerie for her in what in America is called a Departmental Store.

The loving and doting husband was not pleased with what he founds he was embarrassed after he was faced with racks of what he termed as terry cloth robes and ugly print nylon nightgowns.

He also felt that as a man he was not welcome by the sales woman, who looked at him as an unwelcome intruder. The event would later give birth to one of the leading and most sought after brands in womens lingerie. Although in the beginning, the idea was for the brand to cater for men who wished to buy something special for their loved ones, the brand would later target women as its exclusive clients.





The man in question is none other than Roy Raymond, the founder of the Victoria Secret brand (which today is the largest lingerie retailer in North America) with his wife Gaye. The brilliant concepts of Raymond who is said to have taken eight years to study current trends of the time before eventually embarking on his journey is one of the many creators who have given birth to a self conscious modern woman who knows what she wants when it comes to what her lingerie should look and feel like.

Wikipedia describes lingerie as womens undergarments, and may imply their being fashionable and alluring. Lingerie undergarments use flexible, stretchy, sheer, or decorative materials like Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric. Certain cotton or synthetic undergarments are also lingerie, says Wikipedia.

Wikipedia explains that the concept of lingerie as a visually appealing undergarment can be traced to the nineteenth century, and credits Lady Duff-Gordon of Lucile as the pioneer who developed lingerie that freed women from restrictive corsets.

Today, gone are the days when women are restricted to wearing the ugly full panty underwear that comes in packs of three and that always leaves that unwanted panty line, or the tanga that was once a hit with women.

Todays women can thank the clever ideas of inventors such as the likes of Raymond and brands such as Fredericks of Hollywood (who are tipped as the inventors of a push up bra in 1947). Self-conscious about how she looks and her overall presentation, the modern woman takes her time to prep herself and ensure that when she leaves her house she is dressed to the nines. Any woman who is classy and knows that her image is everything will tell you her image starts with the most essential piece of clothing in her drawers being her lingerie.

Forget the fact that there are still some who feel that lingerie is just that piece of clothing that is only seen by those who are special. Watch the annual Victoria Secret Fashion show which in the past has roped in Supermodels such as Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum who have brilliantly sold the brands Angels line and you will get to appreciate that there is a lot more to womens lingerie. Every year, there is something new for those who wish to leave their bedroom feeling like they own the world.

We posted a snap on social media in order to find out what women look for when it comes to buying that special item, their price range and leading brands that they prefer. At the top of the list for the women who responded, are comfort, style and elegance. Others also love unique underwear. I hate having to take off my clothes in front of a friend/friends only to realise that there is a tear, says one woman who is very clear about how she wants to look.

Every woman loves to wear what makes her sexy and comfortable, explains another woman. Price wise the women all agree that it all boils down to affordability with the priciest being a g-string worth R700. And their preferred brands are Victoria Secret and La Senza. As for those who have a bright future, Woolworths is where they mostly find items that can cater for their bodies.

Did you know?

The word lingerie derives from the French word linge, meaning linen. So faire le linge, comes to mean do the laundry. In French the word lingerie applies to all undergarments for either sex. In English it means womens underwear or nightclothes.[1] Lingerie as a word was first used to refer to underwear and bras in 1922. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. After the fall of Rome women did not usually wear panties until the 19th century. From the end of the 16th century women wore skirt like garments called petticoats, which were sometimes embroidered. (Source: www.localhistories.org/)


A representational photo.

HYDERABAD (PTI): Efforts are on to put electric propelling system for satellites to enable them to carry more payload, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director Dr. K Sivan said.



"The efforts will help in cutting down fuel required for maneuvering the satellites in the orbit and more payload can be taken," Sivan said at the 10th International High Energy Material conference and Exhibits (HEMCE 2016) here on Thursday.



He said GSLV Mark III will be launched in December this year.



The ISRO scientist said efforts will be made to launch 'Chandrayan 2', the country's second lunar exploration mission after 'Chandrayaan-1', with a rover as soon as possible.



On manned space flight, Sivan said they are coming up with a project called "Abbot Machine".



Earlier, Dr.K P S Murthy, Director, High Energy Materials Research Lab (HEMRL), spoke about the development of high explosive detective technology which is being developed for concealed explosives by their laboratory.



Observing that high energy material technology is a highly-guarded technology, Dr. Satish Kumar, Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, DRDO, said, "scientists and technologists are moving forward and advancing towards total self-reliance in this critical area".



He said the high energy materials is a specialised field that "partly determines the status of the nation".



"For a given propellant energy level, there is a need to optimise the design to maximise the overall performance and minimise the losses in the futuristic aerospace mission," the Director General said.



He said the modular design and safer manufacturing techniques in high energy materials are the need of the day.



The conference was organised by the Hyderabad Chapter of the High Energy Material Society of India in association with the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Advanced Systems Laboratory.


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This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Theres plenty to do in Westman this weekend for those looking to celebrate Manitobas newest holiday.

Louis Riel Day was officially designated in 2008 and since then, the February long weekend has become synonymous with winter fun and Metis culture.

If youre up for a drive, Riding Mountain National Park is hosting a three-day Louis Riel weekend packed with activities.

We usually do a few activities, this year were definitely trying to incorporate a wider range of activities for different age groups, Friends of Riding Mountain National Park chief administrative officer George Hartlen said.

The festivities start Friday, with a free concert by The Middle Coast at the Elkhorn Resort and end Sunday with an afternoon of bannock roasting.

Saturday has the biggest roster of events, including a birding presentation, hotdog fundraiser, pony rides and a First Nations and Metis beading demonstration.

The Louis Riel weekend is a nice busy weekend for the area in general  (and) its a way of recognizing Manitobas history and getting people out to explore our national park area, Hartlen said.

Visit their website at friendsofridingmountain.ca or search Friends Of Riding Mountain National Park on Facebook for times and a full list of events.

In Brandon, the annual festivities hosted by Grand Valley Local and the Manitoba Metis Federation Southwest Region have moved from the Riverbank Discovery Centre to the East End Community Centre this year to accommodate the events growing attendance.

It was actually getting a little bit small for us, event organizer and Grand Valley member Maurice Fayant said. Now that we introduced the live band to it, we noticed a lot of people were coming and staying, so the place was full.

The free event starts at noon on Monday. Local band Nite Life will take the community centre stage at 1 p.m. and play until about 3:30 p.m. Aside from the music, there will be hotdogs and hot chocolate for the first 300 people as well as tobogganing, skating and face painting.

While there will be Metis cultural displays at the community centre, Fayant says the events main goal is to provide a fun day for local families and any cultural education that happens is an added bonus.

We focus more on the traditional when we have our big festival on September long, he said, speaking about Koushkoupayh Days in Souris Valley. Its mainly a family celebration, (but) you get kids wondering Who the heck is Louis Riel? So all of a sudden you get them Googling it and it brings awareness to what its all about.

Despite being hanged for high treason in 1885, the assumption that Riel was a traitor has been put to rest and he is now largely regarded as the founding father of Manitoba.

Now, it is recognized that Louis Riel had the first government in Manitoba, vice-president of the MMF Southwest Region Leah Laplante said. We (Metis) dont get to claim him as our own anymore. He belongs to all Manitobans and in reality all Canadians.

Riel was chosen as the namesake for the February holiday after hundreds of Manitoba schools responded to a provincial naming contest.

As far as being a Metis leader, that still makes me smile when I think of that, Laplante said. Whats being taught in the public school system is more comprehensive and more factual than it was when I was in elementary school.

Laplante hopes Louis Riel Day will eventually become an event celebrated by everyone  similar to Canada Day.

 ewasney@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @evawasney
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  The CEO of Fords Canadian operations says risks posed by the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the automotive manufacturing sector are among the topics she plans to raise in a meeting with federal government officials later this month.

We support free trade, but it has to be fair trade, Dianne Craig said at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto on Thursday.

Weve got to get these trade agreements right, and right now as the TPP stands, there will be no positive outcome for Canadian manufacturing.

Vehicles are on display at the at the 2016 Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto on Thursday, February 11, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Reid Bigland, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Canada, also spoke out against the trade deal at the auto show Thursday, calling it unfortunate that Canada wasnt able to strike a deal similar to the one in the United States.

They received a 30-year tariff phase out and we received a five-year tariff phase out, Bigland told reporters following FCA Canadas press conference.

But, he added, the automaker can only focus on things that are within its control.

Were never one to be crying in our soup about this or that, Bigland said. Were going to get out there and were going to compete.

Craig also highlighted the need to boost government subsidies to help attract more global investment in Canadas auto sector.

Ontario, which relies heavily on the auto manufacturing sector, has been losing new investment to Mexico and the southern U.S., where labour costs are lower.

Ray Tanguay, a special automotive adviser to the federal and Ontario governments, has called for the federal automotive innovation fund to be restructured.

The fund offers loans to provide incentives for automotive investment, but Tanguay would like to see the money doled out as grants.

However, he has stopped short of calling for higher monetary incentives, noting it is up to federal and provincial officials to evaluate the economic benefits they reap from such incentives.

Craig agreed that the fund should be restructured, but added that the amounts of the subsidies should be boosted as well.

Right now, the way the loans are treated by the Canadian government, theyre not competitive, because in other jurisdictions, theyre not taxable, Craig said.

Follow @alexposadzki on Twitter.
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  Marijuana producer Tweed is pairing up with weed-smoking, gin-and-juice sipping Snoop Dogg in a deal that will grant the Ontario-based company exclusive rights to use certain content and brands owned by the rappers company, LBC Holdings.

In exchange for the rights, Tweed will pay Snoop Dogg an undisclosed amount in cash and stock.

The partnership is the rappers first foray into the Canadian cannabis industry.

Calvin Broadus Jr., the rapper known as Snoop Dogg, has made a number of investments recently in the marijuana business, including launching his own cannabis line, Leafs by Snoop, in Colorado last November.

Earlier last year, he created a venture capital fund focused on the pot industry called Casa Verde Capital.

The deal with Tweed is valid for three years and may be renewed for another two at the end of that term.

There are real social and medical benefits from the cannabis industry, and the world is seeing this positivity in a whole new way, Snoop Dogg said in a statement.

Canada has been at the forefront of the business model, and I look forward to being a part of the road ahead.

Last year, Snoop filmed an appearance for the 10th season of Trailer Park Boys, the beloved Canadian series thats now on Netflix.

Tweed president Mark Zekulin said the company, which now produces medical marijuana but is readying itself for the introduction of a recreational marijuana market, plans to unveil more details about the deal over the coming months.

The deal locks us in a relationship with a connoisseur and icon in the cannabis space, Zekulin said Thursday.

Tweed is a subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX.V:CGC), a combined company formed when Tweed merged with Bedrocan last year.

The Bedrocan brand remains focused on serving medical patients under the existing medical marijuana regime.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana.



Follow @alexposadzki on Twitter


The CRU graph. Note that it is calibrated in tenths of a degree Celsius and that even that tiny amount of warming started long before the late 20th century. The horizontal line is totally arbitrary, just a visual trick. The whole graph would be a horizontal line if it were calibrated in whole degrees -- thus showing ZERO warming
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  Karen Hill didnt live to see her debut novel published, but the poignant tale offers a window into her world and the real-life struggles she faced in battling mental illness.

In Cafe Babanussa (HarperCollins), the late sister of award-winning author Lawrence Hill turns the lens on Ruby, a young mixed-race woman who leaves Canada behind for a new life in 1980s West Berlin. The journey abroad becomes turbulent for Ruby as she confronts her challenges with mental health.

Its not a faithfully biographical novel, Lawrence said in a recent interview. It doesnt replicate faithfully Karens life, but it replicates it pretty well.

The late Karen Hill is seen in an undated handout photo. Hill worked for more than 20 years on her debut novel "Cafe Babanussa" which she had finished and was showing to publishers when she died in 2014.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ HO-Linda Monteith Gardiner

Karen lived with bipolar disorder for three decades, and occasionally had short-term hospital stays.

In early 2014, she was released on a weekend pass following weeks of hospitalization in Toronto. While out for a celebratory meal with her daughter, Malaika, Karen choked on some food and lost consciousness, slipping into a coma. She died days later at age 56.

Karens posthumous novel is bookended with a moving foreword by Lawrence, and her autobiographical essay On Being Crazy, where she wrote candidly of the familys history of mental health problems.

I wanted to write honestly and with love about Karens life and talk about her mental illness, but not do so in a way that disregarded other parts of her humanity and made her such a wonderful person, said Lawrence.

Thats one thing to remember when youre talking about people with mental illness: theyre still people with all the dimensionality any other human being would have.

Lawrence said he went to visit Karen three times in Berlin. In his foreword, he recalls the first trip came in the fall of 1984 following a harrowing call from his brother-in-law  whom he had never met or even spoken with  telling him Karen was sick.

He saw Karen kind of sliding into madness and knew that she needed help.

Lawrence said a striking scene in Cafe Babanussa  and one of the most memorable in the novel  involves Ruby among women hospitalized in a West Berlin psych ward.

Theyre talking about their men and theyre talking about their problems, and theres some friction between these women, he said.

Theres race and theres class and theres love and mental illness and all of these things that are interwoven in the novel. Ive never quite read a scene in fiction thats that poignant or fascinating.

The books opening passage is rich with detail about Ruby preparing a family meal  not unlike Karen, whom Lawrence described as a fantastic cook.

When (my brother) Dan or I was having a party, wed always get her to cater it and make the most amazing dishes.

She was something of a party animal. She did love to be in a party in a family-meal situation. And the fact that she writes so intimately about those family scenes, the arguments, as well as enjoying great food really points to some of her own personal obsessions.

Karen loved the family even if she sometimes found it oppressive, and wrote about that oppressiveness in this novel.

Karen worked on Cafe Babanussa for two decades and was showing it to publishers prior to her death.

I dont think its easy for the average person to appreciate how challenging it would have been for a person with bipolar disorder to write that novel, said Lawrence.

Karen would sometimes be down for six or eight months in being very ill, go sliding into illness or being hospitalized and then climbing out of the pit of hell that comes with psychosis and bipolarity.

And then as she began to regain lucidity and clarity and functionality and be able to live well on her own, shed return to this book and scratch out another chapter or two..

As a writer and as a brother, Im just blown away by her stamina and courage and determination to finish that damn thing.

Follow @lauren_larose on Twitter.
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BROSSARD, Que.  Big Plastic is laying down the legal gauntlet against a Montreal suburb that is looking at banning plastic bags later this year.

The Canadian Plastic Bag Association served the City of Brossard with a legal letter on Thursday demanding it back off on its proposed shopping-bag bylaw.

Officials in the town are expected to pass a bylaw next Tuesday that would see a ban come into effect by September.

A woman leaves a grocery store Friday, May 15, 2015 in Montreal. The Canadian Plastic Bag Association has served the City of Brossard with a legal letter demanding it put a stop to its shopping-bag bylaw.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

The association called for consultations, suggesting the bylaw is abusive and unreasonable, is based on faulty information and doesnt consider the negative impacts of a ban.

All stakeholders  even those most negatively affected by a ban like convenience store owners, retailers and bag manufacturers  have been completely shut out, said Marc Robitaille, president of a company that manufactures plastic bags. All we want is an open dialogue and working with the scientific data.

In a brief reply, Brossard spokesman Alain Gauthier said municipal lawmakers intend to forge ahead with its plan.

Shopping-bag detractors say they are a source of pollution, end up in landfills and take a long time to decompose.

The plastic-bag industry disputes that, calling them multi-purpose and cites statistics suggesting 93 per cent of bags are either reused or recycled.

The use of shopping bags has fallen dramatically in Quebec thanks to public awareness campaigns and a five-cent charge brought in by many retailers.

Quebecers now use roughly a billion bags a year, less than half from nearly a decade ago.

Its not just in Quebec where the bag debate is in full flow  plastic and retail industry representatives are dealing with possible bans in Victoria and Vancouver.

Toronto tried and failed in 2012, while at least five smaller Canadian municipalities have instituted bans.

In 2007, Leaf Rapids, Man., became the first Canadian municipality to prohibit single-use plastic shopping bags. They are also forbidden in the Quebec towns of Huntingdon and Deux-Montagnes, Thompson, Man., and Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality in Alberta, which includes Fort McMurray.

Brossard residents going about their shopping expeditions on Thursday didnt expect anything to change. Most of those who were encountered had reusable bags under their arms as they entered a local grocery store.

Im OK with it (the ban), said Benoit Masse, juggling a mix of plastic and reusable bags after buying a few too many items. Im for it as long as they offer bigger reusable bags to haul your groceries.

The Quebec branch of the Retail Council of Canada is against the bylaw and is urging the city to reconsider.

It has to be harmonized, we dont want to have a patchwork of regulations in (some) cities and the rest of the province, said Luc Tremblay, the councils director of government relations.

Fadi Nasra, owner of Boutique Denise, a Brossard clothing store, recently bought 3,000 plastic bags for use in his shop. He wasnt aware of the impending ban, but expects some backlash.

Itll cause some problems for sure, not all customers will accept not getting a bag, Nasra said. But if they come up with a (cost-effective) replacement, it doesnt bother me to replace them, for the sake of the environment.

Brossard elected to go faster than other area municipalities.

The Montreal Municipal Council, which came down in favour of a ban last December, announced a working group Thursday to tackle the finer points of prohibting bags in 82 Montreal-area communities  including Montreal itself, which had public consultations last year. The citys environment commission recommended the same target date the other communities are looking at  Earth Day 2018.

Tremblay says Brossards bag ban will just result in people going out and buying other kinds of plastic bags for use around the house.

We think its a false problem, a false debate, Tremblay says.

 Follow @sidhartha_b on Twitter.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version wrongly referrred to the Retail Council of Canadas Quebec wing as the Quebec retail council
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This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A robber has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a vulnerable victim who was building a better life after struggling with mental illness.

In delivering the sentence, Justice Sandra Zinchuk pointed to how the offender had carved his initial into the victims back.

In addition to the attack, he was treated like an object while lying helpless on the floor, Zinchuk said.

Frederick Wallace Joseph Brass, 27, was sentenced in Brandon Court of Queens Bench on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter.

He took part in a robbery that led to the death of 31-year-old Aaron Daniel Jardine in August 2013.

Jardine was a schizophrenic whose mental illness had led him into transiency and substance abuse.

But at the time of his death, his life was getting back on track. Jardine was doing well in semi-independent living, was going to the gym and having pleasant visits with his family.

Jardine lived at the Community Welcome Clubhouse on the corner of Louise Avenue and 11th Street.

The home provides semi-independent living for people with mental health challenges.

Jardine had met Brass, Steven Jordan Codie Cook and another man on the night of his death.

The four men were drinking at Brasss apartment, and Jardine then invited the others to his suite across the street to continue drinking.

Once there, Jardines three drinking companions robbed him.

His hands were bound behind his back using a Sony PlayStation cord from Brasss home.

Brass admits that he held Jardines head, pushing it sideways, and held him face down on the carpet. He sat on Jardines lower back, on top of his hands.

Brass says he blacked out at times, but recalls the victim lying on the floor crying. He poked Jardine in the back, and told him to be quiet and it would all be over soon.

Jardine died because he was held down in a position with so much weight that he couldnt breathe.

While he doesnt know why  except to suggest he may have seen it in a movie once  Brass carved a letter B into Jardines back.

When Clubhouse staff found Jardine two days later, a serrated knife was beside his body.

Brass lawyer, Norm Sims, had argued for a sentence of six to eight years, while Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup asked for 11 to 12.

Sims said his clients judgment was clouded by alcohol, and that Brass didnt mean to kill Jardine and didnt realize his actions would cause death.

Zinchuk disagreed Brass should have known that sitting on Jardines back as he lay face down in his position would prevent him from breathing properly, and Brass was callously inattentive.

Jardines death in a facility represents the fears of parents of vulnerable individuals who realize they wont always be around to protect them, Zinchuk said.

Prior to receiving his sentence, Brass apologized to Jardines family, although they werent present in court. Brass said he and the others involved were drunk, and things got out of control.

I never meant to hurt him or anything like that, but it is criminal, Brass said.

While Lonstrup said Jardines family declined an invitation to attend sentencing, the pain they felt at his loss is evident in their victim impact statements.

Jardines mother, Barbara, described how it was too emotionally painful for her to attend court.

As a parent who deeply loved and valued our son Aaron Daniel, my worst fear came true when Aaron died. A part of my inner spirit died also, she wrote.

Jardines father, Dan, described how he had spent hours in front of the fireplace with his son, reading and visiting. He now finds comfort in the company of his three daughters and their families.

Prior to this time, it hurt so much to remember Aarons laughter, gentleness and love for us, but now, through loving acts with the girls and their beautiful families, it is gradually becoming easier to remember him in these ways, he wrote.

Brass  who has a lengthy prior record and is assessed as a very high risk to reoffend  will have about 3.5 years credit for pre-sentence custody deducted from his 10-year term.

Most offenders dont serve their full sentence in prison. Federal prisoners are eligible for full parole after serving one-third, and  except for certain cases  by law, theyre automatically released after serving two-thirds.

Cook was previously sentenced to two years less a day in jail, minus 655 days remand time, and 18 months probation for robbery with violence.

He claimed that it was Brass and another man that had started to rob Jardine. Cook said he panicked, grabbed a box of pictures and $150 in cash and fled.

The only one to profit from the robbery, Cook used the money to buy socks, potato chips and other minor items.

According to Brass, the third man had gone through Jardines pockets and kneed him in the face.

Patrick Levi Eaglestick has been ordered to stand trial on robbery, aggravated assault, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, and manslaughter, but a date hasnt been set.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
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This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new state-of-the-art clinic might be the cure to Minnedosas doctor shortage ailment, according to the communitys economic development officer.

Vern May is hopeful the community can break ground on a 4,800-square-foot clinic as soon as this summer.

Our current clinic has reached the point of being obsolete, May said. The new clinic will be built directly west of the communitys hospital.

Submitted Minnedosa community economic development officer Vern May is hopeful the town can break ground on a 4,800-square-foot clinic as soon as this summer.

The advice weve had from Prairie Mountain Health is the best investment we can make in our future health is in a modern clinic with the amenities that doctors fresh out of medical school are looking for.

The community looked at the costs of retrofitting the existing clinic to bring it up to todays standards, but May said the costs would be prohibitive and it would still result in an abbreviated life cycle because of the aging building.

While he remained tight-lipped on the cost of the facility, May said the project committee has already received commitments from three municipalities  Minnedosa, Minto-Odanah and Oakview.

Of the project cost, we have confirmation for 25 per cent of the overall cost (from three municipalities), he said.

May hopes to secure further contributions from Harrison-Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson.

The Minnedosa Community Foundation committed an additional $50,000, while the Minnedosa & District Health Foundation has donated $100,000.

Minnedosa has a population of 2,500, but May estimates the clinic serves an area closer to 9,000 people.

May said it has been difficult to recruit doctors to the community once theyve had a tour that involved the antiquated clinic facilities.

They cant feel like they are stepping 20 years into the past and not being competitive with their peers who have launched their careers in an urban environment, he said.

Several funding models have been examined, but May envisions the facility operating as a non-profit, community-owned clinic. Doctors will pay a rental fee to work out of the facility, while PMH has also committed to leasing approximately 800 square feet of the clinic for community health.

Provincial and federal contributions havent been ruled out. However, May said its important to capitalize on the projects momentum and get started sooner than later.

Where these projects often get stalled is in that discussion, May said. This has been four years in discussion and our service level for doctors has reached a critical low.

There are currently three physicians practising in Minnedosa at the moment, according to PMH CEO Penny Gilson.

One physician is leaving and another is taking some time off for an unknown period of time, she said.

That will leave the community with one doctor until a newly recruited international medical graduate arrives in mid-March.

PMH contracted the services of Ted Bartlett to help advance Minnedosas initiative. Bartlett worked in capital planning in the former Assiniboine Regional Health Authority.

Gilson said she has heard direct feedback from physicians who said the current facilities in Minnedosa are not appealing.

The current primary care environment is aged and is not the type of environment that would entice, in particular, young new providers to come to because its an older type setting, Gilson said.

You can never say: If you build it, they will come. But we certainly know that without doing something that it has been a deterrent for physicians choosing to practise there.

Gilson also doesnt view the new clinic in competition with a proposed joint health centre between Neepawa and Minnedosa, which is the top capital project priority for PMH.

In order to operationalize the joint health centre, youre going to need physicians to support it  so I see it as a complementary initiative, she said.

May reiterated that sentiment and knows its a sensitive issue in the area.

The needs of the community require us to have the doctors in place and, if anything, attracting five or six new doctors to complement the professionals that are already in Neepawa would further support the opportunity for a joint hospital rather than take away from it, he said.

 ctweed@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @CharlesTweed
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER  British Columbia Premier Christy Clark says Alberta is her provinces best friend in the country and its financial experience should be a cautionary tale for others.

In a throne speech on Tuesday, Clarks government said Alberta lost its economic focus but she told reporters Thursday those comments were meant to warn people in her own province of the financial danger if it fails to save for hard times.

Its really a cautionary tale. Alberta is a province that for decades has had tremendous wealth, she said at an event in Vancouver to announce funding for B.C.s music industry.

And for decades, government after government of all different stripes spent like sailors. And what we saw was that ultimately, we saw them really squander a tremendous opportunity. They didnt diversify their economy. They didnt put aside their money. Now, their government  and its not about the politics of it  their governments really struggling to try and support the province.

Clark said she wants to make sure that British Columbia doesnt fall into the same trap as it rides a wave of economic prosperity.

They (Albertans) are our best friends in this country. When Alberta struggles, we all struggle, she said.

On Wednesday, Albertas economic development minister said he interprets the throne speech comments as an attack on that provinces previous Conservative governments, not the current New Democrats.
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This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY  From airlines to beer-makers to wireless providers, withering crude prices have been a drag on businesses seemingly far removed from the oilpatch.

Sometimes  outside of Alberta, particularly  theres some skepticism or even some derision against the petroleum sector, said Todd Hirsch, chief economist at ATB Financial.

Some people actually feel its getting its comeuppance.  But they need to realize that it has broader implications for the whole economy.

WestJet Airlines (TSX:WJA), based in Calgary, is shuffling around its schedules to reflect lower demand for flights to and from energy-focused destinations in Western Canada. On a recent quarterly conference call, there was also talk of potentially deferring the delivery of new planes and returning leased aircraft that are up for renewal next year.

Its had a dramatic impact on WestJet, aviation consultant Rick Erickson said of the crude downturn. Demand is down across the country but nowhere near as much as it is in Western Canada.

Traditionally, a big portion of airline traffic had been oil workers commuting to and from site from elsewhere in the country, said Erickson. With projects on hold, those volumes have tapered off.

The crude downturn was even cited as cause for concern in the latest earnings for Molson Coors Brewing Co., which said on its quarterly call Thursday that beer drinkers  particularly in Alberta  are choosing economy brews over premium brands.

The oilpatch pain was also evident in the latest financial report from Vancouver based Telus (TSX:T). The company added just 4,400 postpaid wireless customers in Alberta during the second half of last year, a sharp drop from the net 50,000 it added in the same period a year earlier.

Insurer Manulife (TSX:MFC) took a $250-million charge in the fourth quarter and a $876-million charge for 2015 as a result of a decline in its energy investments.

Data compiled by NPD Group, a research firm, paints a picture of how retail traffic has fared in different parts of the country in 2014 versus 2015.

Purchasing visits were down two per cent in Alberta and Atlantic Canada, while in the country as a whole, they were up three per cent.

The U.S. crude benchmark hit a high of around US$108 a barrel in mid-2014 and finished off 2015 below US$40 a barrel. Its since depreciated further.

Tough economic times cause consumers to scrutinize their discretionary purchases, said NPD Canadian retail analyst Sandy Silva.

Can we have that extra meal out or can I have that new dress or new pair of shoes? she said. I think its just going to cause consumers to think twice.

The retailers that are in for the most pain are ones that sell workwear, like steel-toed boots or flame-retardant coveralls, said Silva.

All of a sudden those tried, tested and true guaranteed sales are not so guaranteed anymore.

Low oil prices do benefit the economy in some ways, said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. Lower fuel costs are welcome, for instance.

But the bad outweighs the good, he said.

Make no mistake  Canada is a major oil exporting economy and on balance its a negative for the Canadian economy, said Shenfeld. Thats made up for a deep negative from the oil-producing provinces and a modest positive for the rest of Canada.

Follow @LaurenKrugel on Twitter.
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This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER  The federal infrastructure minister is pledging to disburse a fair share of new funding to every region of the country, even while some provincial economies flag and others project growth.

Amarjeet Sohi says his goal is to equitably divide billions in additional cash that the recently elected Liberal government has promised to infuse into the national economy.

The government has pledged $60 billion over the next decade on stimulus.

Sohi outlined the Liberals broad plan to promote growth to the Vancouver Board of Trade on Thursday and later told reporters his department hasnt determined how the money will be allocated.

The minister wouldnt say whether the government is planning to help the hardest hit regions, like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.

He also wouldnt say whether stronger economies in British Columbia and Ontario will get less.

I cant tell you at this time how much are they going to receive, he said, adding that no province has been informed of its take of the new money ahead of the spring budget.

He would only say the plan will be designed based on need and the money would be spent strategically to make the economy more productive.

It will vary from one project to another, but in the end we want to make sure every region gets their fair share.

Albertas petroleum industry is losing billions each year and its government is preparing to rack up a $6.1-billion deficit. The fiscal pain has prompted Premier Rachel Notleys government to earmark $34 billion over the next five years for everything from roads to hospitals.

Meanwhile, B.C. is forecast to lead Canadas growth rate this year at 3.1 per cent and is on track to table its fourth consecutive budget surplus next week.

The Liberals 10-year plan will divide spending between public transit, green projects and social infrastructure like affordable housing. The first two years will focus on refurbishing deteriorating infrastructure, but Sohi hinted some new infrastructure will get built too.

He refused to give specifics, but said some small funding announcements would be made on Friday.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG  A pre-election Manitoba government advertising campaign touting the provinces environmental job numbers is erroneous, it turns out  an apparent victim of a mathematical error.

The ad, which ran on television for months and remains on a government web site, says Manitoba is succeeding in the global green economy and states over 92,000 Manitobans are working in green jobs.

The number was based on a report from a Calgary-based research group called Eco Canada, which also said Manitobas percentage of green jobs was higher than the national average.

The number was corrected this week following inquiries from The Canadian Press, and is now pegged at 62,300, which puts Manitoba below the national average.

Due to a human error, Eco Canada provided the government of Manitoba with mistaken figures. In particular, in that publication Eco Canada mistakenly mentioned that there were 92,623 environmental employees, the group said in a report posted online Thursday.

The government of Manitoba acted in good faith quoting those numbers. On February 9, 2016, the government of Manitoba was informed of the mistake.

The ad campaign was launched last fall  one of nine campaigns launched in the lead-up to the provincial election slated for April 19. The ad, along with the others, stopped airing Jan. 19, under a provincial law that bans government advertising and promotions 90 days before an election.

The government said Thursday it would no longer promote the erroneous number. It had spent $304,000 on the ad campaign.

We have been informed that Eco Canada made an error in providing data to Manitoba concerning the number of existing green jobs in the province. They have since corrected that error and moving forward, we will be using the corrected information, Zach Fleisher, press secretary to Conservation Minister Tom Nevakshonoff, wrote in an email.

Even the corrected number is an estimate. Eco Canada says its numbers are based on survey responses from employers. In Manitoba, 270 employers filled out the survey and 63 said they had at least one employee who spent part of their time doing environmental work  activities that can range from designing a water treatment plant to implementing a recycling program in the workplace.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives said the ad campaign amounted to partisan promotion of the NDP government paid for by taxpayers.

The government was trying to tout its green agenda in the lead-up to an election without providing any information as to where people might apply for a green job, Tory conservation critic Shannon Martin said.

Its not the first time the government has had number problems in touting its job-creation plans.

In 2014, the government predicted a new five-year infrastructure program would create 58,900 jobs, and pointed to a report from the Conference Board of Canada. The report said the spending would create 58,900 person-years of employment over five years. One job held for all five years would equal five person-years of employment.

The Conference Board later clarified that the number of jobs would vary from year-to-year, but would be, on average, about 11,000.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/02/2016 (2443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  As the NDP mulls over its disastrous election outcome, more than a dozen ridings are urging the party to embrace a plan for dramatic change at the party convention in April.

The Leap Manifesto offers a number of recommendations, including a proposal to wean the country off fossil fuels to address climate change.

The document  which has a wide range of supporters, including actors, labour unions and environmentalists  was unveiled in September during the election campaign.

At the time of its release, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair did not endorse it, but he said he welcomed new ideas and understood it reflected a desire for change.

Canadians want change in Ottawa and I love the debates of ideas, he said at the time.

Were going to bring in overarching sustainable development legislation. Well see clear targets. Well start working with the world and stop working against the planet.

Avi Lewis, one of the key drivers behind the manifesto, said he finds it interesting that an NDP post-election working group has noted the party projected an image of cautious change during the campaign.

In a memo to supporters on Tuesday, NDP President Rebecca Blaikie noted many rank-and-file members believe this approach was out of sync with voters desire for a sharp break from the Conservatives.

Mulcair issued his own letter on Wednesday acknowledging the report provides a convincing summary of specific lapses in the campaigns preparation and execution.

As leader, I take full responsibility for these shortcomings, Mulcair said. I could have done a better job.

Lewis says there is nothing cautious about kinds of changes proposed in the Leap Manifesto and its vision of a post-carbon economy.

I think it is really interesting in the context of these NDP activists that are moving resolutions about the Leap Manifesto forward, in that it seems to be in sync with what the leader is saying.

Climate and inequality are increasingly part of the global conversation, he added, noting Sen. Bernie Sanderss U.S. presidential campaign.

It is absolutely stunning that the word socialism is being used daily in the United States and we are talking about a vision of citizens pushing governments to take policy decisions that will build the next economy and the next energy system.

Thats where the momentum is. So I think it is understandable that people are seeking it.

In the coming weeks, a committee of the NDPs federal council will prioritize hundreds of resolutions submitted by party riding associations and commissions, said party national director Karl Belanger.

Delegates will be asked to participate in panels to discuss and amend the committees recommendations before the resolutions are brought on the convention floor, he said.

New Democrats are to meet at the convention in Edmonton April 8-10.

Mulcair will also face a leadership vote during the event that will determine his future.

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Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL  Euthanasia? Assisted suicide? Theres an app for that.

Or there soon might be, the executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association told a joint Senate-Commons committee recently. The committee is studying legislative responses to replace the Criminal Code prohibition on helping someone end his or her life.

That provision was struck down, of course, a year ago by the Supreme Court of Canada. Parliament is now scrambling to meet a court-imposed deadline for new legislation because the previous Conservative government folded its arms and refused to touch the issue.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association led in the battle to have the old law struck down. Not surprisingly, BCCLA representatives argued in front of the joint committee that any new law should be as minimalist as possible. By no means, executive director Josh Patterson contended, should there even be a requirement for a second medical opinion when a patient asks a doctor to end life prematurely.

Pressed as to why, in the age of miracles and wonders such as tele-medicine, simply getting a second opinion would constitute unreasonable delay, Patterson replied: Maybe there will be an app we can use.

In fairness, the rejoinder was a light touch for a very sombre subject. His deeper point was about decision-making. Other medical decisions such as withdrawal of care and palliative sedation dont require second opinions, the BCCLA argued, so it would be inconsistent to require them for directly taking a patients life.

Yet the app remark aptly underscored the rapidity with which discussion of what was called, not very long ago, mercy killing has become normalized, even banal. Along the way, starker words have been jettisoned, and even the distinct terms euthanasia and assisted suicide have been conflated and deflated into soft and woolly medical aid in dying.

The reason, said the executive officer of Dying With Dignity, is that nothing remains controversial about what was once a heinous violation of medical ethics and, up until Feb. 6, 2015, a crime punishable by a maximum 14 years in prison.

Its about the values of compassion and choice, Wanda Morris said. What is controversial about that?

Morris was subject to minor controversy recently when it was reported she will replace the fired executive vice-president of the Canadian Association for Retired Persons.

Susan Eng, who had been CARPs public face for eight years, says she was ousted for refusing to actively promote assisted suicide and euthanasia. Morris appropriately refuses to comment except to say that Moses Znaimer, who as CARPs president axed Eng, was a founding member of Dying With Dignity.

Interest group internal matters aside, Morris told the committee that asking to be put to death must be considered strictly a matter of personal autonomy. She ceded no ground to the argument that such a view constitutes a national moral revolution and an overturning of millennia of medical ethics. On the contrary, she said, the Supreme Court judgment in the Carter case is just the beginning.

Carter set the floor, not the ceiling, she told the committee.

She urged senators and MPs to assure the legality of advance directives so that people at, say, 19, could set out conditions under which they would be medically assisted to die at, say, 89.

A one-page bureaucratic form would specify, for example, that if a person is bedridden, unable to communicate, cant shave himself, and loses control of bodily functions for 30 days, doctors could assume approval to administer death, she said.

Advanced consent is the single most important issue. We do not need patients left to fend for themselves.

For Conservative MP Harold Albrecht, the language of assumed normalcy that he heard during the committee hearing was deeply disturbing because it disregards the profound transformation in the Canadian understanding of the sanctity of human life.

Hes also troubled by the implications for effective palliative care across Canada.

I fear this being taken as normative, Albrecht said. It means were giving up before weve even begun to develop palliative care the way we should.

And Albrecht bristled at the tight timeline placed on the committee to deliver its final recommendations to cabinet. The expectation, he said, is that everything will be wrapped up by Feb. 29 if the four-month deadline is to be met.

Euthanasia? Assisted suicide? Make it snappy.

 Peter Stockland is a senior fellow with Cardus, and publisher of Convivium magazine.

 Troy Media
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/02/2016 (2442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Concertgoers who emerged from the musical aura of the Lorne Watson Recital Hall at the Brandon University School of Music on Feb. 6 had just lived a unique experience. Indeed, emotion was so high that one person was caught hugging our hostess, unknown to him, and exclaiming thank you, thank you and another, this was music of international quality right here in Brandon.

The subject of this adoration was the performance, on two pianos, of Sergei Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No. 3 in d minor, Op. 30 by Alexander Tselyakov, with the piano redaction sensitively played by Alexanders master student, Tigran Saakyan.

Who better to interpret Rachmaninoff than another Russian-born artist and spiritual descendent of Rachmaninoff as pointed out by our able host, Brandon University acting dean of music Greg Gatien.

Tselyakov, at age nine, was playing with a State Philharmonic Orchestra in the Soviet Union and went on to take a leading prize in the prestigious Tchaikovsky competition, followed by innumerable other acclaimed performances around the world.

Although enormously physically challenging, it was the mind and musicality of artist Tselyakov that elevated the experience: every note, every theme, every movement was precisely rendered, yet all fitted to create a momentous whole.

Alexanders two master students, Tigran Saakyan and Luis Ramirez, who performed in a pre-concert, would do well to emulate their teachers technique, so strong and masterful that it was entirely at the service of the music ideas.

Finally, for many of the audience who do play an instrument, this concert was motivation to try harder, to aim for the integrity that comes from doing your best so exemplified in the work of Alexander Tselyakov  who really is the best.

Lynn Whidden

Brandon
Chambers Ireland has said a national broadband strategy needs to be put into action.

The group, which represents businesses, has published a guide which highlights the importance of strategic economic planning and development in all regions of the country.
Military Prepares To Fight Climate Change Instead Of Wars? Editorial Cartoon by William Warren



So what happens when you take on so many priorities that the objective actually becomes more elusive? We should ask the Pentagon after they implement



The directive comes as a direct result of



For starters, what happens when the military procuring weapons based not solely on cost, reliability and effectiveness? Does the introduction of climate sustainability disrupt this already cumbersome balancing act? Producing cost effective, functioning technology is already a challenge that the defense establishment grapples with, doesnt this create more problems than it solves?



This is corroborated by the

Thats pretty bad, but it gets worse. It also creates climate boards that will integrate the new standards into all layers of the services.



Worse still, the militarys tactical aims are being complicated,



A three year moratorium on the Obama climate order should be instituted by Congress to assure that the full impacts can be realized before doing great damage to the technical capabilities of our armed forces, as well as damaging our capability to project force. If we want to return to the original mission of our military, which is readiness, Congress itself must be ready to flex its Article I muscles. Our safety may very well depend on it.

-----------------

Dustin Howard is a contributing editor at Americans for Limited Government.

Tags: Dustin Howard, Americans for Limited Government, Military, prepares, to fight, Climate Change, wars To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks! by Dustin Howard : When our national focus was still sane, the United States Department of Defense had a singular goal: defending the U.S, while maintaining the capability to wage war on two fronts. What did that look like? If the United States were drawn into a two front war like World War II, we would be able to triumph.So what happens when you take on so many priorities that the objective actually becomes more elusive? We should ask the Pentagon after they implement Directive E 4715.21 , or the directive relating to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.The directive comes as a direct result of Executive Order 13653 , Obamas effort to institutionalize his stance on climate change within the government. The thinking goes, If the effects of climate change are imminent, shouldnt we make the appropriate preparations? What could go wrong?For starters, what happens when the military procuring weapons based not solely on cost, reliability and effectiveness? Does the introduction of climate sustainability disrupt this already cumbersome balancing act? Producing cost effective, functioning technology is already a challenge that the defense establishment grapples with, doesnt this create more problems than it solves?This is corroborated by the Daily Callers report , which excerpts the report by saying The way in which DoD acquires its weapons platforms and supplies will also see significant changes. According to the document, the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition will overhaul policies to integrate climate change considerations into mission area analyses and acquisition strategies across the life cycle of weapons systems, platforms, and equipment.Thats pretty bad, but it gets worse. It also creates climate boards that will integrate the new standards into all layers of the services.Worse still, the militarys tactical aims are being complicated, according to Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning, Sergeants leading a platoon should not be worried about the environmental sensitivity of a rice paddy that needs to be traversed to achieve their mission, while providing the maximum security for the personnel under their command. Tank commanders should be afforded all the training they need no matter how much fuel is expended in the process. And Naval Captains should run their ships at the speeds that are necessitated by the immediate needs of the situation. Instead, President Obama would install bureaucratic boards and other second guessers along with real time tactical climate change assessments that would be held over officers heads should they choose what was deemed to be a climate change insensitive course of action.A three year moratorium on the Obama climate order should be instituted by Congress to assure that the full impacts can be realized before doing great damage to the technical capabilities of our armed forces, as well as damaging our capability to project force. If we want to return to the original mission of our military, which is readiness, Congress itself must be ready to flex its Article I muscles. Our safety may very well depend on it.----------------- Posted by Bill Smith at 10:00 AM - Post Link
On Vancouver's Skytrain last week, Ehab Taha managed to capture a moment that he described as "the most incredible display of humanity".

Writing on Facebook, the British Columbia resident said that "a six foot five man suffering from drug abuse and\or mental health issues" became very aggressive and erratic on the bus, cursing and shouting.

While most of the passengers were understandably apprehensive, one brave woman saw someone who was struggling and was moved to reach out.

"While everyone was scared, this one seventy year old woman reached out her hand, tightly gripping his hand until he calmed down, sat down silently, with eventual tears in his eyes," Taha wrote.

Every time the man became agitated, the woman would look at him and calm him down and Taha took the opportunity to take a photo of the encounter.

Photo via Ehab Taha/Facebook

After 15 or 20 minutes, the bus arrived at the man's stop. He got up and said "Thanks, grandma", before getting off.

Taha then thanked the woman for her actions, saying that the world needed more people like her.

She started to cry and explained that "I'm a mother and he needed someone to touch." She also said that she didn't want him to feel so alone.

Taha's Facebook post has since gone viral, having been shared almost 30,000 times.

"(The photo) resonated with people," he told CTV News. "It's incredible to see that sometimes human touch can do so much more than anything else.

"I don't know if all of us are that selfless," he said. "I dont know if all of us would put someone else's needs above our own."
The doors have been closed on the old Cork Prison for the last time today.

All 163 prisoners have been transferred to a new state of the art jail in Co Cork.
By Patrick Flynn

A transatlantic jet has made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport suffering problems with one of its two engines.

United Airlines flight 102 was west of Ireland when the crew advised controllers here that they were declaring an emergency and wished to divert to Shannon.

There were 98 passengers and a crew of 13 on the Boeing 767 jet which was travelling from Houston in the US to Munich in Germany.

Units of the local authority fire service from Shannon and Ennis were mobilised to Shannon as back up the to airports own fire and rescue service. Ambulances and Limerick and Ennis were also sent to the airport.

The flight landed safely at 12.13pm and was accompanied to the terminal by emergency vehicles.

The airline has confirmed that the flight diverted because of a mechanical issue and that engineers are currently investigating the problem.

Meanwhile, two Ryanair flights also diverted to Shannon this morning because of poor visibility in Knock.

A third flight from Knock, which had also diverted to Shannon, was placed in a holding pattern to facilitate the inbound emergency aircraft. The crew opted instead to reroute to Dublin.
A 48-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of Kenneth O'Brien whose dismembered body was found in a suitcase in a canal in Co Kildare in January.

Paul Wells told gardai today I am responsible for killing Kenneth when he was charged.

JCB driver Kenneth O'Brien (aged 33) from Leland Road in Clondalkin in Dublin was reported missing on January 15 after he had left his home telling family members he was going to work.

The father-of-one had recently come back from Australia where he had been employed for three years.

The following day his torso was found in suitcase by walkers at the Grand Canal near Cellbridge, Co Kildare.

Investigating gardai carried out an intensive search operation resulting in other body parts being found in bags in the canal. DNA testing was carried out which concluded the remains where those of Mr O'Brien.

Paul Wells, Barnamore Park, Finglas, is charged with the murder of Kenneth O'Brien on or about January 15 and 16.

The murder is alleged to have occurred at the defendant's address.

Dressed in a blue hooded top, black trousers and white runners, he sat with his arms folded after he was brought to appear before Judge Anthony Halpin at a late sitting of Dublin District Court today.

He had been arrested last Saturday and held for questioning at Naas Garda station.

Garda Sergeant Gerard Moore, of Leixlip station, told Judge Anthony Halpin that at 4.53pm today, he arrested Mr Wells for the purpose of charging.

The 48-year-old man was charged at 5.16pm at Naas Garda Station.

He was handed a true copy of the charge sheet and told that anything he would say would be taken down and used in evidence.

Gda Sgt Moore said that in reply to the charge Mr Wells said: I am responsible for killing Kenneth and I gave a true account of what happened.

Due to the nature of the offence the district court cannot grant bail.

Defence solicitor Kieran Conway said he would have to make a bail application in the High Court.

Judge Halpin remanded Mr Wells, who remained silent throughout the five-minute hearing, in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

A statement of his means was handed in to court by the defence solicitor who asked for legal aid to be granted.

Judge Anthony Halpin granted it after noting gardai had no objection and were aware of the man's means.

Mr O'Brien's distraught partner was present for the brief hearing and watched the proceedings from the public gallery.

A second man arrested in connection with the investigation was released from Garda custody on Thursday (February 11) without charge and a file is to be sent to the DPP.
The former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank has dropped his fight against extradition from the US and agreed to return to Ireland to face fraud charges.

Investigators have accused David Drumm of conspiring to conceal massive losses from shareholders.

He left Ireland after the bank collapsed and moved in 2009 to the Boston suburb of Wellesley, where he was arrested in October, and has been in jail since.

A March 1 extradition hearing had been scheduled, but during a hearing in federal court, Mr Drumm waived his right to an extradition hearing.

In an affidavit filed with the court he said he would continue to contest criminal charges in the Irish courts.

He faces 33 charges in relation to transactions carried out during his time at Anglo Irish Bank in 2008, including allegations of false accounting and forgery.

It was not immediately clear when Mr Drumm, 49, will be returned to Ireland.

His family was not present in court. His lawyer, Daniel Fetterman, told the court that Mr Drumm and his wife and two children had begun the process of applying for a green card.
By Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political Reporter

Almost one in five adults in Ireland tuned in to watch the first leaders debate of the General Election campaign, which saw all four of the contenders decline to say whether they won or lost the live TV battle.

Figures released by TV3 after it and Newstalk radio hosted the first of four live discussions on last night's show that an average of 430,000 people were watching throughout the 90-minute programme.

In all, 803,600 people tuned in to see the four-way debate between Fine Gael's Enda Kenny, Labour's Joan Burton, Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams for more than one minute during the high-profile show.

The minute-by-minute figure hit a peak of 502,000 just after 10pm, when Mr Kenny, Ms Burton and Mr Martin all rounded on Mr Adams over his party's views on the Special Criminal Court.

However, on average 430,000 were watching at any point - the equivalent of one in five potential voters.

The figures were revealed after all four of the party leaders declined to say they had won the first public battle for voter support.

Speaking to reporters after the debate finished last night, Taoiseach Enda Kenny claimed what occurred was "a debate for the people".

"It's not a question of winners, it's a question of giving the people outside [information]. I don't look at debates or discussions in that sense," he said.

Mr Adams joked with reporters "what do you think?" when asked the same question, before describing his rivals as "Punch and Judy" and noting the debate was "rowdy" and "I knew I wasn't going to be heard".

Mr Martin said "neither" when asked if he was Punch or Judy, before saying he wanted to get across "that the Irish people have a choice".

However, he declined to say who, if anyone, won.

Ms Burton said she is "looking forward to round two and round three" and that who won is "for the viewers to decide".

The next live TV debate, involving leaders of seven parties with three or more TDs, will take in Limerick and be aired by RTE on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sean Barrett has confirmed he will not seek re-nomination as Ceann Comhairle.

The widely expected move means the Fine Gael TD will be a backbencher in the next Dail.
The Teachers Union of Ireland has called off planned strike action later this month.

TUI members in the second level, and further and adult education sectors, voted by 89% to engage in a campaign of industrial action to secure resolution to crisis issues.
The Taoiseach got a bit of nasty feedback on a stroll through Cork City this morning.

Mr Kenny was making his way to the new event centre to be built over the next two years when he was confronted by angry protesters.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenian Republics National Assembly (NA) Galust Sahakyan congratulated Vilen Galstyan on His 75th Birth Anniversary

Armenpress was informed from the Public Relations and Information Department of the Armenian NA that the Armenian NA Presidents congratulatory message reads:

Dear Mr Galstyan, I congratulate you on your 75th birth anniversary.

You are one of the merited figures, due to whom the modern Armenian culture continues to remain presentable also beyond the borders of our country. Through decades your contribution to the dancing art as a solo-dancer and choreograph is the manifestation of the artists unique handwriting through staging, performances and the generations, to whom you pass your experience and knowledge.

Once again congratulating you on your birth jubilee, I wish you health, welfare and new creative successes.
By Stephen Barry

An extra 832 Euro 2016 tickets have been released to the FAI by UEFA, as the allocation for Republic of Ireland fans continues to inch upwards.

The new batch brings Irelands total to 33,334 tickets across the three group-stage games, with the FAI holding a reserve of 2,000 tickets for supporters with a proven match attendance record, who have missed out on securing tickets through the UEFA Portal.

The announcement of 832 additional tickets came after the FAI penned a letter to the European governing body addressing the anticipated shortfall.

The challenge of addressing this gap between supply and demand was addressed by FAI CEO John Delaney, who said that, Republic of Ireland supporters will represent one of the biggest groups of supporters at Euro 2016, and accordingly we have a huge fan base to try to satisfy.

We are continually in talks and correspondence with UEFA for more tickets, and this policy has proven successful up to now.

There are still 2,000 extra tickets which we will draw on to try and satisfy those who have missed out on the current process.

Id like to thank UEFA for its work so far in freeing up more tickets, but we, of course, would like more.

Delaney said that releasing more tickets for Ireland supporters is the number one priority for the FAI in the weeks and months ahead, with UEFA giving assurances that it will grant extra tickets in the case of returned tickets from UEFA allocations.

UEFA began taking payments from successful applicants today, a process which will continue into next week.
The use of ground troops in the Syrian conflict could result in world war, according to the Russian prime minister.

Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview in German newspaper Handelsblatt that "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war".
WASHINGTON: The Biden administration plans to sell oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to dampen fuel...
LONDON: The dollar hit the symbolic level of 150 yen for the first time since 1990 on Thursday as the greenback was...
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. With the US and Russia leading the way the international partners along with the Syrians and groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, meeting in Munich, have announced a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week, the first in five years of civil war. The intention is to fully implement the existing UN resolution on Syria, Armenpress reports citing Euronews.

It has a dual purpose; to allow UN-monitored humanitarian aid to all areas cut off and under siege, and to give time for a full resumption of stalled Geneva peace talks.

John Kerry said the plight of ordinary Syrians had driven the talks.

The perception of many members was that the regime of Bashar Al-Assad was violating international law by trying to force surrender through starvation. It is our perception that rather than hurting Daesh, this process is in fact empowering Daesh, to take advantage of the chaos, said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

We are satisfied that today we managed to agree on the principles of solving the humanitarian problems based on access being provided throughout Syria to all besieged areas without any exceptions. This will be done in an integrated manner, in order not to discriminate against anyone, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

A UN task force will ensure equal access to humanitarian aid for both sides.

Syrias main opposition group welcomed the news, but ISIL, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups will find no comfort in the deal. Operations against them will continue, and intensify.

The diplomats will be hoping they have created enough momentum to push everyone to Geneva soon.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. President Serzh Sargsyan on February 12 extended his congratulations to Peoples Artist of Armenia, Vilen Galstyan, on the occasion of his 75th birth anniversary.

Armenpress was informed from the Department of Mass Media and Public Relations of the Armenian Presidents office that Armenian Presidents respective message specifically reads:

You have made a great contribution to the development and dissemination of Armenian and world classical dance arts, and created lasting and unforgettable characters.

By continuing your patriotic activities today as well, you have made Armenias art of ballet reach a qualitatively new level.
Victims of sexual abuse at the hands of a notorious paedophile allowed to abuse students at one of Queensland's most prestigious schools throughout the 1980s will not have their school fees repaid.

Brisbane Grammar School announced on Friday afternoon it would not follow the lead of the Anglican Church in refunding fees.

Brisbane Grammar School. Credit:Brisbane Grammar School

The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane announced its proactive fee refund policy in the wake of child sex abuse hearing royal commission hearings in November, which laid out the crimes of systematic child abuser Kevin Lynch in horrific detail.

Across two weeks, the commission heard parents and students at Brisbane Grammar School and St Paul's School complained to senior staff about Lynch's molestations but were ignored or called liars.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has restated his regular calls for the federal government to stop cuts to national institutions and the public service, prompted by the latest round of what he dubbed "Canberra bashing".

Mr Barr wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday, asking him to keep an April 2015 commitment made by his predecessor, Tony Abbott, to stop cuts to the national capital amid the latest news of Commonwealth budget savings.

Not happy: ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Credit:Chris Pearce

He accused the federal government of failing to give Canberra and the public service a fair go, as incoming deputy prime minister and new Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce flagged moving three ACT-based research organisations out of the capital, in the same week job losses were touted across cultural institutions and at the CSIRO.

On Friday afternoon Mr Turnbull's office said it was yet to receive the letter, but it could reach the Prime Minister's desk by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Blue-eyed Charlie looked like any other baby as he woke from his nap, spouted a soft giggle and smiled at his mother, Melissa Clode.

His tiny hand held one of the 300 beads representing every medical incident he had endured in his short three-month life, including scans, tests, injections and surgeries.

Three-month-old Charlie Clode with his family, Melissa, Lily (12), and William (14), at home in Bruce. Credit:Rohan Thomson

But in between sat yellow smiley beads for the "good days"  each one a blessing for his family who learned of his complex congenital heart condition when Mrs Clode was 20 weeks pregnant.

Mrs Clode and her husband, Daniel, battled uncertainty over the condition's severity for the next four months until their worst fear was realised.
It's a tale as old as online - it begins with a friend request but ends with being broke and brokenhearted.

Now singles are being warned to watch out for sophisticated scammers looking for a 'Facebook fiance' this Valentine's Day.

Facebook says it couldn't access encrypted messages even if the Turnbull government forced it to. Credit:Reuters

Australians lost nearly $23 million to dating scams last year, with lovelorn Canberrans contributing half a million dollars to that sum, the Australian consumer watchdog has revealed.

Shysters ripped on average close to $6000 each from the ACT's 95 victim's through dating scams in 2015, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Northwestern Syrian town of Kessab, which borders Turkey, received humanitarian aid from Russia and Syria .2 Russian Il-76 planes have delivered some 50 metric tons of Russian humanitarian aid for residents of conflict-torn Syria, Armenpress reports citing Spuntiknews website.

The cargo includes food, medicine, clothing, school supplies, as well as toys and treats for children. It will be distributed among residents of cities blocked by militants from terrorist organizations, such as Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh).

Earlier, a new batch of humanitarian aid prepared jointly by Russia and Syria was delivered to the Syrian city of Deir el-Zour (ez-Zor), besieged by Daesh militants.

Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting a number of opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Daesh, which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia.

According to Siege Watch, a joint initiative of the Netherlands-based aid group PAX and the Washington-based Syria Institute, there are well over 1,000,000 Syrians under siege in various locations in the country.

Russia has been launching airstrikes against Daesh targets in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad since late September 2015.
Albert Einstein may have predicted the existence of gravitational waves but even he couldn't foresee science advancing far enough to ever prove him right.

And among more than 1200 scientists who helped build the massive optical instrument which captured these mysterious waves as they washed past the Earth was a group of Canberran scientists.

Professor David McClelland and Professor Susan Scott at the ANU Centre for Gravitational Physics. Credit:Jay Cronan

The breakthrough of the century was made at the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in the United States.

Around 15 scientists at the Australian National University developed some of the key technologies which enabled the laser interferometer to detect the elusive waves , radiating from two giant black holes colliding 1.3 billion years ago.
Canberra's multicultural festival began early on Friday when the Malaysian High Commissioner met with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr to promote tourism.

The multicultural festival, known colloquially by many as the "meat-on-a-stick" weekend, is expected to bring more than 270,000 people to Garema Place by Sunday evening.

Tourism Malaysia officially opened the Malaysia Village in Ainslie Avenue, Civic, as part of the National Multicultural Festival. Credit:Graham Tidy

For the Malaysian government it is also a chance to introduce Canberrans to their cuisine and culture, and maybe entice them on a holiday.

High Commissioner Zainal Abidin Bin Ahmad said the festival was the perfect way to sample hawker-style street food, batik-making demonstrations, dance performances and Malaysian music.
The office sector is riding a wave as demand is high and supply tight across the Sydney city, in part boosted by the technology companies.

The strength of the sector has been borne out in the recent profit results of Stockland and Mirvac, which both reported solid numbers.

420 George Street Sydney is up for sale.

Both groups said their office vacancies were stable with rents holding up and incentives declining.

Mirvac's chief executive, Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, said while reflecting the team's focus on active asset management, "we have achieved record leasing by executing over three times the group's annual average within the six month period".
Tony Windsor is astounded that Joyce seems to get away with some of his more outlandish claims. Barnaby Joyce finds himself sitting in high office only because the much bigger beast has carried him there. Credit:Andrew Meares "I say to some of the reporters in the media, 'Why don't you take him to task, drill down on the detail? "They say, 'We don't really take him seriously, he's just Barnaby.' They see him as a quirky figure who appeals to people in the country. People in the city see him on TV and they think, 'That's what they're all like out there.' Nationals Senator John Williams, has said Barnaby Joyce is the party's best bet for the job because he'd be the most effective in extracting concessions.

"Some of the things he does are comical, but the fact is, he's embarrassing to country people," says Windsor, himself a farmer. Windsor retired from politics at the 2013 election after 22 years in the NSW and federal parliaments. But Joyce so angers him that he's considering a comeback to try to knock Joyce out of Parliament altogether. We can tell how he's going by the colour of his head. Scott Buchholz Joyce does a good line in bluster. Not only has he got away with it, it's been his signature and his credential. Together with hard work, rat cunning and a bumbling kind of likeability, it's carried him far. His homespun rhetoric and beetroot complexion contrast with the manicured mannequins from Big Politics HQ. He gives a refreshing impression of raw authenticity.

His former staffer, now a Liberal National Party MP, Scott Buchholz, once said that people around him don't need to talk to him to gauge his state of mind: "We can tell how he's going by the colour of his head," he told my colleague Jane Cadzow. How's that for transparent? Yet the bluster is calculated. His most famous flourish was to tell the actor Johnny Depp's dogs that it was time to "bugger off back to the United States" after breaching quarantine law. What a hoot, this bumpkin Aussie politician! But it was quite calculated. As Joyce told me afterwards: "By saying bugger off, I knew that gave it the surety of a run, though I didn't expect it would run around the world." And apart from getting attention, he wanted to send a coded message to the US trade negotiators that they should not try pressuring Australia over its biosecurity laws in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Calculated bluster Almost all his bluster is calculated: "In that incredibly noisy world, part of the art of politics is getting your message out in a way that people will listen to."

Some of his attention-getting lines included calling Kevin Rudd a "psycho chook" and telling the notoriously truant MP Clive Palmer that he should turn up for parliamentary sittings: "It's a job, not a pedicure." But his most devastating rhetoric has been aimed at his own side of politics. He prospered in politics as an insurgent against his own coalition. In his earlier parliamentary career as a senator, he crossed the floor to vote against his own government's legislation on an extraordinary 28 occasions. He led the insurrection against the Coalition's support for an emissions trading scheme. The position developed by John Howard, and maintained by his successors Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull, was destroyed in a sustained attack that started with Barnaby Joyce. One of his stock phrases: "How does passing a piece of paper in a room in Canberra change the temperature of the planet?" He ran his campaign in town halls and local newspaper interviews across the state for months before anyone in Canberra took it seriously. He developed the fright-line that an emissions trading scheme would lead to "$100 lamb roasts".

His campaign got so much momentum that Tony Abbott decided to join. Abbott rode it all the way to the Liberal leadership. Joyce's success ultimately was Turnbull's destruction. The force of Joyce's campaign was the reason that Abbott dubbed him "the best retail politician in Australia". Abbott modelled much of his own leadership on Joyce's style of angry, populist oppositionism. Famous, dangerous and effective Joyce has run hard against his own side on foreign investment, embarrassed his own team as finance spokesman by musing that Australia could one day default on its sovereign debt, and as recently as last week took a stick to the GST while his government was still trying to keep it "on the table". His capacity for revolt made Joyce famous. It makes him dangerous. And it has made him effective. The Nationals, as the junior coalition partner, have always had a struggle with the Liberals for their share of the spoils of power.

A Joyce supporter, Nationals Senator John "Wacka" Williams, told my colleague Matthew Knott a couple of weeks ago bluntly that Joyce was the party's best bet for the job because he would be the most effective in extracting concessions: "I want the Nationals to have our fair share of ministers, our fair share of the budget and to stand to our Liberal colleagues on issues such as the misuse of market power." Joyce claims vindication in his challenges to coalition orthodoxy. He killed carbon pricing. On foreign investment, his agitation, with that of others, led to the creation of a register of ownership of farmland. His agitation against a GST rise helped persuade Turnbull of the difficulty of the exercise. Even on debt and default. In the Australia Financial Review this week, Joyce took to task his critics, including the governor of the Reserve Bank, Glenn Stevens: "Recently, I heard Glenn Stevens say exactly what I said. And I thought, 'Well, do you ever in your quiet moments think, 'That prick [Joyce] actually told us about this some years ago, and now I'm saying exactly what he's saying.'"

Turnbull and Joyce chalk and cheese Bluster helps the Nationals to inflate themselves and justify their claims on the national purse and national power. They claim that their numbers on the floor of the House make the difference between occupying the Treasury benches and the opposition benches for the coalition. But it's also true that they win only 4 per cent of the vote nationally and 9 per cent in Queensland. In other words, without Liberal party preference flows, they would be routed. Like an egret sitting symbiotically atop an ox, Joyce finds himself sitting in high office only because the much bigger beast has carried him there. Now that he is Malcolm Turnbull's joint venture partner in running Australia, what can we expect of Joyce?

They are chalk and cheese. Where Turnbull is cosmopolitan, Joyce is bucolic. Where one is socially liberal and favours same sex marriage, the other is conservative and adamantly opposed. Where Turnbull favours free markets Joyce prefers restrictions. Turnbull believes that climate change is real and Joyce thinks it a fiction. When Turnbull was torn down as Liberal leader in 2009, it was done by Liberals climbing a ladder held by Joyce. Turnbull has forgiven Joyce and beams genially at his junior coalition partner. He has invested a lot of time and charm in the relationship. Joyce is speaking warmly of Turnbull, claiming the bonhomie of fellow entrepreneurs. One of his remarks on taking the leadership was to observe that a junior politician has lots of latitude but little effect. Now that he's deputy prime minister, he says, he will enjoy more effect but less latitude. If this is how he actually conducts himself, if he confines his effectiveness to the Cabinet room and the prime ministerial suite and not the microphone, he could be a useful ally and a forceful campaigner.
During the 1994 trial, the prosecution stressed that the work of Barnes had received the thumbs up from the FBI and other international forensic experts. It was not as clear-cut as that, but Eastman did not know. FBI unit chief Roger Martz helped bolster the work of forensic expert Robert Barnes, pictured. Mr Barnes' work has since been completely discredited. Credit:Rohan Thomson FBI scientist Roger Martz was one of a number of forensic investigators whose work was heavily criticised by an FBI whistleblower in about 1995, soon after he gave evidence in Canberra. This led to an inquiry into deficiencies in the FBI investigation of major US terrorism cases. The allegations against Martz were familiar ones to those used to seeing the modern flourishing and glorification of scientific evidence. Martz was said to have lost detachment, and to have become the advocate and player for the prosecution team rather than the independent scientist. He was said to be poor in his record-keeping. He was said to venture well outside his field of expertise, and to become defensive and dogmatic about conclusions, once formed. The FBI review was completed in 1997. Soon police and prosecutors around the US were being notified that the FBI no longer stood by the evidence a score of their experts had given in court cases over the years. Government lawyers and detectives were invited to review prosecutions which had depended on this "expert" evidence, and, if necessary to drop cases, organise fresh trials or, perhaps have forensic work redone. The review led to many convicted Americans being released once it was realised that the prosecution cases had become tenuous. Colin Winchester was Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police was shot dead in his car in 1989.

The report itself was not publicly issued until a few years ago. It is possible, however, that copies of the report came into Australian hands 19 years ago. It was certainly in official hands in Australia 16 years ago. In 2000, the US Department of Justice had remembered that other countries, as well as US states and counties had successfully sought help from the FBI. It was not sure that these countries had been notified in 1997 that the FBI now disavowed some of its experts. Copies of the adverse report were sent to the AFP and the Commonwealth DPP. Letters referred to FBI evidence in the Eastman trial and asked if the outcome might be affected if it were known that the FBI was now disavowing its expert. No one here seemed interested. The AFP, apparently, filed the report away without taking any action. We don't know whether the Commonwealth DPP's office made any further inquiries, passed the report to the ACT DPP or wrote back to the US Department. Eastman was by now aware that Barnes had been under suspension for scientific misconduct by the Victorian Police before his trial. But he was not told that there was new information undermining Barnes' evidence. Indeed, police and the DPP were denying in appeals and other litigation that there were any doubts about the case.

At some stage, perhaps immediately after the trial, the AFP had taken the position that Eastman had been rightly convicted. It saw no point or profit involved in following any further investigative leads the case had provided, or new tips that came in. Even less was it interested in any information pointing away from Eastman. Tips or other information were simply filed away, unactioned. The AFP has long been criticised for the fact that it did not conduct any post-trial review of its investigation. It is, indeed, even now in denial about stringent criticism of its competence, detachment and personnel from judges, lawyers, and other police, and by Justice Martin. It is simply trying to brazen it out, arguing that it cannot investigate itself while a criminal trial may be pending. Dead silence from Canberra after 2000 prompted the US Justice Department to try again, five years later. This time we know the report reached the ACT DPP, headed then by Richard Refshauge, now a judge of the ACT Supreme Court. Refshauge sought advice from the AFP. The FBI was sent transcripts of the Eastman trial, and documentation of the work done by Barnes and Martz. The FBI found the old files, and, after some delay reported that if the work had been done as suggested by the worksheets, its conclusions fell within Martz's field of competence. Refshauge was already wondering if Eastman should be told, but, once he received this report, seems to have decided not to tell him. His decision, then, might be criticised or supported. What is much more curious is why the report, and the correspondence with the US Department of Justice, was not disclosed by the DPP's office last year during the Martin inquiry. It did not emerge until quite recently. This underscores a big problem encountered by Justice Martin. The DPP office appeared not to go to the inquiry seeking to be of help, or as a participant in a fair-minded inquiry about Eastman's guilt. It seemed to go as an interested party, determined to defend its people, its actions and its reputation. It tried continually to rein in, or close down the inquiry. On repeated occasions counsel assisting the inquiry complained of a lack of co-operation from the DPP's office, and about the slowness, and reluctance of the DPP and AFP in producing documents associated with the murder investigation. No new evidence was presented, no help volunteered.

The Martin inquiry was closely focused on the reliability of Barnes. The reliability of Martz was not in the terms of reference. This might excuse a failure to volunteer the US Department of Justice report, but is hardly consistent with claims of a completely clear prosecution conscience. The AFP also indicated that it had adopted a policy at the Martin inquiry of defending the verdict and the investigators, not in evaluating any new material. It passively co-operated, but without enthusiasm or initiative. Evidence of its "file and forget" approach to new evidence emerged only by accident. Martin was to find that one recent tip, said to record an admission of involvement in the murder, made by a very senior Calabrian crime figure to a Victoria Police informant, was ignored as a matter of policy. Had it been properly investigated, it could have supported an alternative theory of who did the murder. The adverse Martin inquiry findings produced a burst of AFP activity, at DPP behest, to see what could be done, in the modern day, to bolster its original brief against Eastman. What new evidence will be offered is not known; police and prosecutors have repeatedly missed deadlines about producing evidence on which they plan to rely. But the new brief, apparently, will include an array of "propensity evidence" by which the prosecution will reprise the well-remembered fact that Eastman, when in florid mental disturbance was given to ringing, abusing and threatening journalists, officials, and others he thought had crossed him (including me). This evidence, it will be suggested, shows Eastman was of violent disposition. Yet such evidence cuts in different ways. None those made subject to his rages, some more profound and longer lasting than the animus he is said to have had towards Winchester, ended up dead. Or, as in my case, even very frightened. I have heard more threatening, unwelcome and abusive calls from politicians and public servants.

Once before the trial, Eastman said some menacing words on the telephone to one of my children. Angry, though not personally frightened, I rang a police contact to ask if there were any particular bees in Eastman's bonnet that night. My contact said he would check with the listening-in squad. Soon after he rang back to say that there was no particular reason for alarm; that Eastman had been ringing in sequence and abusing about 20 or 30 different people. There did not seem to be any special agitation about me. Perhaps the speculative transcriptions of thousands of hours of low-quality tape recordings, tendered at trial by the prosecution in unconvincing demonstration of claimed admissions, might equally be used by the defence to demonstrate a then mental illness that was apparent to all but the police, prosecution and trial judge, and a large gathering of conflicts and molehill mountains on many fronts. Be that as it may, the management and conduct of the investigation by the AFP, the ACT DPP, and, after a while the ACT Attorney-General and his department seems to them a matter for history, of no interest or consequence to the broader community. From the point of view of very interested parties that is. Examination, it will be said, must wait until court proceedings against Eastman are over, whether from a stay, or a verdict. Until that day, it seems, there will be no general police introspection about criticisms made of the original investigation, and investigators. Nor will there be any sort of external review to see whether the AFP can or will learn from the matter. But even if the AFP do not see how they could benefit from such a review, members of the public (or ACT citizens who pay the AFP top dollar for a fairly humdrum service) might think otherwise. Likewise, the ACT government can use a pending trial to defer any investigation into how it supervised, then ignored for two decades, what even the ACT Supreme Court now, all too belatedly, agrees to have been a serious miscarriage of justice. Loading
The backlash against Sydney's lockout and early closing laws might seem to have suddenly exploded this week but the truth is it has been quietly building momentum for some time.

The anger from large numbers of Sydneysiders about how the laws have radically changed the way they socialise has been there from day one.

The breakthrough moment  local tech entrepreneur Matt Barrie's widely shared 8000 word diatribe  simply provided a rallying point for the collective voice.

When Premier Mike Baird decided to respond to the piece  laden as it is with personal insults  with an angry Facebook post it pushed the argument back onto the front pages.
Prue Acton considers all the angles. The line of her skirt, is it too flippy? Her arms, should she hold them like this, elbows out?

The pioneering Australian designer may have hung up her sewing kit when her eponymous label officially closed in 1990, but the tools of the trade that made her a household name are still sharp in her mind.

Prue Acton with a mauve check pantsuit from 1971 and the Dressmaker Melbourne Cup outfit from 1987, with hat by Peter Jago. Credit:Simon Schluter

"When the very, very first delivery was going out, I was all of 19. And I remember lying awake thinking 'Will they like it? Will someone like it and buy it? When they get it home, will their mum and boyfriend like it?' And I came up with three words: ageless, timeless and priceless, that was my company motto right through," she said.

A new exhibition at Brighton's Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre casts a wide eye over Acton's decades-long career, one that saw her burst onto the Australian fashion scene with her first collection in 1964. It was a year before Jean Shrimpton came to the Melbourne Cup and scandalised the nation with a mini-dress that would be considered demure by today's standards and 19-year-old Acton would be held up as a local proponent of the "youthquake" taking England by storm. "The Shrimp", though, was a boon for business and Acton, like the young, working women who flocked to her label, was looking for an opportunity to break free of the sartorial traditions that had come before.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On February 11, at around 16:00 Civillian, resident and pastor of Vazgenashen village in Martuni Region Hakob Hambardsumyan(b. 1962) was shot dead from Istiglal rifle, by Azerbajani sniper.

Investigation is underway to determine the details of the incident, Armenpress was informed from the Press Service of Artsakhs Defense Ministry.
American playwright Amy Herzog possesses that rare gift, the talent to hold a mirror to our own lives through a deeply personal and profoundly moving drama, drawn in part from her own family's experiences. 4000 Miles, playing only for a regrettably short season at Queanbeyan's Q Theatre, is timeless in its probing insight into human nature and contemporary in its relevance.

Distanced by life experience: Stephen Multari and Diana McLean in Amy Herzog's 4000 Miles. Credit:Gez Xavier Mansfield

Leo (Stephen Multari) is grieving the death of his best friend during their biking trip through America. He arrives at the New York apartment of his 91-year-old Jewish grandmother, Vera (Diana Maclean) intending to stay for only a night before continuing his journey home to St Paul in Minnesota. What ensues is a beautifully drawn portrait of the attitudes and feelings of two people, bound together by family and yet distanced by life experience and age. Maclean's Vera is totally engaging, a professed "leftie" in opinion, maternally pragmatic in advice, forthright in rebuke, and yet consciously vulnerable and cognisant of the realities of her declining years. Multari's Leo suffers the torments of his youth, its restless confusion, fraught relationships and the stern judgement of a Jewish grandmother's insistence.

At one point, after recounting the accident to his grandmother, Leo collapses in tears into her lap. "I didn't have my hearing aid." Vera says, and the audience erupts into nervous laughter. She sits there, gently stroking the grief-stricken grandson. It is a gesture of pure love and understanding in a relationship that is powerfully poignant and captured with indelible truth and heart-warming humour by two outstanding performers. There are also excellent cameo performances from Elouise Snape as Leo's girlfriend, Deirdre, and Aileen Huynh as both Leo's adopted sister, Lily and a flighty, drunk Chinese girl, whom Leo has met and brought back to Vera's apartment. Snape and Huynh also remain on stage out of role to change props and help with costume changes. There is no interval and director, Anthony Skuse skilfully maintains flow and thoughtful engagement.

In his programme note, Skuse refers to Death as "the third guest at the table". Vera is aware of Death's inevitable approach, and Herzog closes her unsentimental family drama with the funeral of Vera's neighbour. Death has brought Leo to New York, where he also needs to grapple with the metaphorical death of his relationships.

Skuse directs a first-rate cast with a superb sense of timing, atmosphere and surprise, perfectly complemented by Hugh O'Connor's touring design, Alexander Berlage's lighting and Alistair Wallace's appropriately chosen soundtracks.
The BBC has unveiled a final lineup of seven presenters for its flagship motoring program Top Gear, including two international racing drivers and American actor Matt LeBlanc.

LeBlanc, who holds the record for fastest lap time in the show's "star in a reasonably priced car" segment, is best known as one of the stars of the long-running US comedy Friends.

Top Gear's line-up of presenters for 2016. From left: Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Matt LeBlanc, Chris Evans, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan, The Stig. Credit:BBC/Top Gear

The 48-year-old actor joins British television presenter Chris Evans, who was announced as the first new host of the series last June.
The Turnbull government has been warned it is running out of time to deliver on Senate voting reforms to end "preference harvesting", with one election expert saying the job of upgrading vote-counting software and reconfiguring millions of ballot papers would be a "recipe for disaster" for the trouble-prone Australian Electoral Commission if done at the last minute.

The government is considering whether to press ahead with abolishing the group voting ticket - the mechanism that has allowed minor parties to transform a tiny primary vote into electoral success through preference deals.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon is at odds with Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm and independent senator Jacqui Lambie over the potential changes to Senate voting. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who has taken on the voting reform task from the sidelined special minister of state Mal Brough, has met with the Greens and crossbenchers over the past fortnight.

A report emerged on Friday that a deal had been sealed between the Coalition, Nick Xenophon and the Greens, raising the prospect of an early double-dissolution election around May.
It is a small irony for ambitious politicians on the margins on the ministry that some only achieve prominence by way of a scandal. Coalition MP Stuart Robert's links to the company have come under scrutiny. Credit:Andrew Meares Chances are, last week, no one outside Canberra had heard of Stuart Robert. Inside Canberra, he was largely known as a former army officer who has long coveted the defence ministership and, confusingly, has interchangeable first and last names. Now, Robert is one of the most famous members of the government (albeit not with the global cache of Greg Hunt). The Human Services Minister struck trouble over an ostensibly personal trip he made to China in 2014, when he was assistant defence minister.

He's been accused of misusing public office because while he was there, he attended a signing ceremony between Australian-owned Nimrod Resources (owned by his mate and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks) and a Chinese-government owned company. It has since been revealed that the next day, Robert had a meeting with a Chinese minister and took Nimrod representatives along for the ride. This started off a jig about whether this was stinky or OK. What did the Chinese have to say about it at the time? What box did Robert tick when he applied for his visa? Did he tell other government departments about his plans? All week, Labor tried to skewer Robert with (unsuccessful) stunts to get him to make a personal explanation to the House, while pinging him repeatedly in question time. Through this, Robert's defence centred around the argument he was on holidays at the time and travelled to China in a "private capacity"  paying for the trip himself. This idea was given time to marinate with Turnbull going to his department for advice on whether Robert breached ministerial standards.

Come Friday, Robert's frontbench goose was cooked, amid ongoing debate about his actions. But does it matter whether Robert was in China on holidays or not? What kind of tiny fig leaf is it to argue that a minister is off duty? Ministers should, of course, be able to take time off from work, but the idea they can take time of from "being a minister" is as silly as having a prize for the best minister in the world. (We'll skip over the obvious comment here re: who this was awarded to.) The reason ministers are supposed to abide by strict standards is not just because they are senior members of the government, but because of the power, juicy information and influence they wield. There's also the $300,000-plus salary, staff, travel entitlements and generous retirement provisions that come with the show.

You don't switch this off just because you're lying on a beach in Bali or hanging with an amigo in Beijing. If you're on holidays as a minister, it simply means you'll either continue to take work calls anyway and your paperwork builds up in your inbox, or some other colleague will get lugged with signing off on your briefs and letters. You still represent the government by virtue of your very existence and, importantly, you still have all that delicious power and influence others find so attractive. Drink all the happy-hour martinis you want  it doesn't make a difference. None of this is written in the black and white of the 11-page ministerial guidelines that were updated in September 2015. But it is clearly implied between lines such as, "the ethical standards required of ministers in Australia's system of government reflect the fact that, as holders of public office, ministers are entrusted with considerable privilege and wide discretionary power".

It also states, "there is some personal sacrifice in terms of time and energy that must be devoted to official duties ... and some loss of privacy". It's a tough (and anxiety-provoking) truth that if you're a minister, what you do in your spare time is open to much more public scrutiny than that applied to other MPs and non-parliamentarians. It's for this reason  and the enormous workload  that most people I know could think of nothing they'd like less than to be a minister or high office holder. But as Jamie Briggs and Bronwyn Bishop have learnt, it doesn't matter if you're in a bar late at night or attending an after-work function in a hire chopper, just because you're not strictly "on duty" doesn't mean the rules stop applying to you. It's actually not that complicated.
Sunrise personality Samantha Armytage has been replaced as the host of a fundraising lunch honouring refugee women with US actress and UNHCR ambassador Kristin Davis, a day after the pair participated in an awkward Sex and the City skit on Channel Seven's breakfast television show.

Armytage was due to MC the $200-a-head lunch, organised for Australia for UNHCR, which kicked off at midday on Friday in The Ivy Ballroom in Sydney. During the event, Armytage was due to hold a question-and-answer session with Davis about her work with refugee women.

But Armytage and her co-host David Koch revealed on Sunrise on Friday morning that Armytage would no longer attend the event.
A US television interview with Penelope Cruz has taken a turn for the awkward, after the show's host told the actress she had "ugly feet".

The 41-year-old actress was left confused on Thursday when Today show host Samantha Guthrie alleged she had spoken in the past about having aesthetically displeasing toes - a comment Cruz appears to have never made.

"Lastly, I don't even know how to feel about this but you've said it: despite what you look like, you've said you have ugly feet," Guthrie said.

Cruz appeared mortified at the suggestion, repeatedly denying she ever made the comment.
The father of a man charged with the attempted murder and rape of two backpackers in South Australia says his son should face the full force of the law if he is found guilty of the crime.

"It's horrible, unexpected," the 86-year-old man told The Advertiser in Adelaide.

The man accused of abducting and attempting to murder two backpackers in South Australia. He cannot be identified for legal reasons. Credit:Facebook

"And if he is guilty, he never has my support ... no, never. He doesn't respect me, he thinks I'm an old fart.
But three years ago, Nant took steps to become a public company and sought to raise $5 million via a convertible note issue. The accounts for that period are still not yet available with ASIC.

Asked whether he would agree to an audit, Mr Batt said Nant was a private company and there was " no requirement to agree to that sort of thing".

Mr Batt has refused to speak to Fairfax Media and only answered questions through a PR company. But in an interview with the ABC in Hobart this week Mr Batt described his bankruptcy as a " personal matter" which was separate to the distillery.

The note offer document said Nant projected revenues of $14.65 million by June 2015, and net profits after tax of $4 million. But it is impossible to say whether these figures have been realised. Mr Batt said the company is due to open its fifth bar in Malaysia next week.

For the town of Bothwell, in Tasmania's central highlands, Mr Batt's restoration of the old flour mill into a boutique whisky distillery has been a godsend, but has also left a number of local farmers with a sour taste in their mouths. At least half a dozen made early investments in barrels.

Peter Bignell, who helped restore the mill and its wooden waterwheel was part-paid with a barrel in 2009. He has spent years trying to redeem the whole barrel and move it to his own distillery, Belgrove, nearby. "I make rye whisky and I thought it would be good to have single malt whisky available as well," he said. He pointed out that the offer document had said he owned the barrel of whisky unencumbered.

Nant refused. "On three occasions barrel customers have attempted to redeem their barrel of whisky so that they could bottle and sell it under a different, inferior brand or under the Nant brand without Nants consent. Mr Bignell was one of these customers," the spokeswoman said. Mr Bignell finally opted to be paid out for the barrel.

Paul Ellis, who invested in a barrel in 2010, had been asking since June last year about whether his barrel was matured. He was told it was being tested again on December 15 but had heard nothing since, until this week, when Fairfax Media raised questions about Nant. He has now been sent a draft label for his bottles. He intends to take all 60 bottles and share them with friends.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) President Ilkka Kanerva appointed Kristian Vigenin to the post of OSCE PA Special Representative for South Caucasus, Head of Armenian National Assemblys Public and Media Relations Department Arsen Babayan informed Armenpress. It is still unknown when the new Special Representative will visit the region.

The Special Representative is expected to make efforts over the settlement of regional issues of big significance.

Joao Soares occupied the post of OSCE PA Special Representative for South Caucasus before the new appointment.
A retired Australian farmer from Forster has gone from outcast to hero following his discovery of an American naval treasure  a rare old trumpet  lying near the carcass of the USS Houston in the dangerous waters of the Java Sea.

US naval experts are now trying to find the trumpet's owner by analysing any DNA that has been locked inside for nearly 80 years.

A broken trumpet from a sunken warship holds its secrets from WWII. Credit:Washington Post

Australian Frank Craven, now 68, had only wanted to place some locks of hair from his recently deceased mother Elsie on the wreck of the HMAS Perth. It was where her first husband had died when it was sunk at the same time as the American cruiser the Houston in the battle of Sunda Strait on February 28 and March 1 1942.

After placing seashells containing his mother's hair on the wreck  and sending a text to his family saying "Elsie is now on the Perth"  the relatively inexperienced and out-of-shape retiree braved dangerous currents to dive the USS Houston nearby.
What the lockout laws have done is exacerbate that trend, at least in the affected precincts. In April last year, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research produced a report showing an "immediate and substantial reductions in assault in Kings Cross" of 32 per cent, and a "less immediate but substantial and perhaps ongoing" reduction in the CBD of 26 per cent. The latest BOCSAR advice, using 16 months of post-lockout data, puts the reductions at 45 per cent for Kings Cross and 20 per cent for the CBD. All these figures are adjusted to account for the pre-existing downward trend, i.e they specifically measure the impact of the lockout. It is worth nothing the BOCSAR figures include all non-domestic assaults, whether or not they were classified as alcohol-related by police. Director Don Weatherburn doesn't trust the information and says it's not a useful distinction anyway. "I don't have confidence that the police know that when someone punches someone else, they were intoxicated," he says. "I'd rather look at the entire picture rather than just rely on police impressions." As the hubbub arose this week, Weatherburn hit the airwaves  in part to correct Baird, whose figures over-estimated the impact of the laws. In doing so, the statistician succinctly summed up the discrepancy and got to the nut of the debate. "Assaults have been coming down in NSW since 2008, so you had this pre-existing downward trend," he said. "What the lockout laws did was accelerate the existing downward trend, so it fell even faster than before." What about surrounding areas?

Lockout sceptics assumed the laws would have a "displacement" effect of shifting assaults to other areas. Anecdotal evidence suggests nightlife precincts such as Newtown are busier; indeed, a recent City of Sydney report found Newtown was the only area to see an increase in foot traffic right through until 4am, compared to 2012 levels. But Weatherburn has poured cold water on the displacement theory. He concedes a brief spike in incidents near the Star Casino, but nothing sustained. Nor is there evidence of a statistically significant rise in assaults in Newtown. The forthcoming report will show that assaults in the "promixal displacement area" (i.e Surry Hills, Chippendale and Pyrmont) and the "distal displacement area" (Newtown, Double Bay, Bondi, Coogee) have both remained stable. Across the rest of NSW, BOCSAR calculates that the measures (10pm bottle shop closures that apply state-wide) have reduced assaults by 1.4 per cent. What have been the knock-on effects? Assaults may be the headline figure for St Vincent's and the government but they are not the only factor to consider when assessing the impact of the lockout laws.

The curfew has prompted many partygoers to simply stay away from the affected precincts, or leave for other areas before 1.30am. The aforementioned City of Sydney report into pedestrian activity showed foot traffic was generally down compared to 2012 levels, with significant decreases in activity after midnight in the CBD, Kings Cross and Oxford Street. The difference was most obvious very late at night, with pedestrian figures lower by almost 90 per cent at 4am in Kings Cross. The authors suggested the changes "may be linked" to the lockout. The report was criticised by Deakin University professor Peter Miller, who pointed out it compared different months of the year. There were also numerous stats in the report that seemed wildly off-track, such as a 19-fold increase in the number of people who said they were "going home" when interviewed by research staff. The City of Sydney and consultants Urbis say the report was not intended to evaluate the lockout, but they are sticking by the report. In sum, there's a question mark over the exact numbers. But lockout opponents have reasonably inferred that assaults in the red light district have decreased because fewer people are going out there. Whether that matters or not is a political question. Numerous businesses have folded citing the lockouts as their cause of death. Nightclubs like Hugo's Lounge, Soho and the Exchange Hotel are among the high-profile casualties, and other proprietors have complained their revenue is down by up to 60 per cent. Restaurants and shops such as Jimmy Liks in Potts Point and the Taylor Square newsagency have also closed, blaming the new laws.

Of course, the reality is that hospitality is a fickle industry, and venues regularly go out of business. They are replaced by new models: that's just the way it goes. The fight is over whether this is state-sponsored gentrification or a natural progression. Where to now? The statistics can show us what's happening, but they can't tell us what to do. At some point, politics must enter the equation. Libertarians look at this issue and wonder what happened to individual responsibility. They ask why decent law-abiding citizens should have to sacrifice freedom and fun just because a small minority of people do the wrong thing. They experience the genuine heartbreak of their favoured late-night haunts closing. Others say any extra reduction in assaults is worthwhile, no matter the economic cost. They argue that free-wheeling nightlife is simply not worth the consequences; not until people learn to control their alcoholic intake, and their behaviour.
Based on a model pioneered in New York's Time Square, the so-called "High Impact Zone" project began in the British capital 18 months ago. It saw the creation of a specialist squad of 100 officers, hand-picked by the commissioner, who only work London's West End district, heart of the city's night life and home to 3000 pubs and licensed venues.

And according to Inspector Matt Butterworth, of London's Metropolitan Police, a 27 per cent drop in alcohol-related violence and theft in the city's West End has been achieved over the last year thanks to a ground-breaking specialist policing project aimed at working closely with local pub, club and business owners and a preference for "dispersal over arrest".

London: Amsterdam's Night Mayor, Mirik Milan, has urged Sydney to explore different, more innovative ways to minimise alcohol related violence, arguing that lockout laws will make it impossible to nurture the city's night time economy and destroy its life after-dark.

Every Friday and Saturday night, an estimated 225,000 people visit the West End and for many years, crime statistics were higher here than anywhere else in Britain. Officers now work a mixture of dedicated micro-beats and fixed policing points on local streets and liaise directly (by radio) with local business owners, club security and venues throughout the night. Footfall CCTV cameras act as early intervention tools and officers are trained in preventive work, to spot trouble before it ignites. The squad all wear high visibility vests and have become a remarkably friendly fixture  often consulted by tourists  in and around Piccadilly and Leicester Square.

The Kings Cross precinct has been most affected by the lockout laws. Credit:Steve Lunam

Mirik Milan says the Dutch capital is the first European city to appoint an official advocate for the city's nightlife and economy, a plan now emulated by Paris, Nantes and Toulouse. London and Berlin are also considering similar appointments.

"In my role, I start up debate and discussion and this includes looking at the reality that there are downsides to the night time and help find new ways to resolve these. Heavy drinking, violence  they have been big problems for Holland too. We had huge binge drinking of young people," says Milan.

"However a city's night life is important and while sometimes politicians see night issues with suspicion and are less open to finding new ways, it is our job to help them see that there are many creative ways and new ways of thinking that can work to solve these issues."
In as little as three months from now, a handful of Sydney university students may have enough evidence to exonerate a prisoner who claims they were wrongfully convicted.

When the academic year begins next month, a handpicked class of undergraduate students from the university's law and psychology schools will spend a semester poring over court files, police interviews, eyewitness testimonies and trial recordings for course credit.

Their efforts are part of a new initiative  the Sydney Exoneration Project  which is based at the University of Sydney and will assess Australian cases of suspected wrongful convictions through the lens of forensic psychology.

"If a miscarriage of justice has taken place we want to right that but, the bigger picture is that we want to make changes in the legal system and address certain aspects that can be improved," founder and director of the project Dr Celine van Golde said.
Cruise ships more than 300 metres long with about 6000 passengers on board are one step closer to being able to drop anchor in Brisbane, with a new cruise ship terminal expected to be completed by 2019.

The $100 million "mega" cruise ship terminal concept prepared by the Port of Brisbane Authority and backed by two cruise lines is now being firmly considered by the Queensland government.

Concept design for the planned mega-cruise ship terminal.

If accepted, it would be built by the private sector without the needing for public funding.

A formal media launch for the terminal was due to be held on February 28.
Queensland Ballet artistic director Li Cunxin, known as Mao's Last Dancer thanks to his autobiography, has extended a warm message to welcome in the Chinese New Year, asking everyone to celebrate the year of the monkey "heartily".

"Chinese New Year is a special time for me. It's always a happy time, a time full of hope, a time to dream big and a time for an exciting new start!" he said.

Hundreds of people enjoy the 2016 Chinese New Year Parade and dances at the Chinatown Mall in Fortitude Valley. Credit:Michelle Smith

"Let the New Year bring us all happiness, peace and success."

When asked how we should get involved this Chinese Lunar New Year, which runs until Sunday, Li said suggested "learning about the Chinese culture" by experiencing the country's food and traditions.
Locals campaigning against the Federal Government's plan to place a nuclear waste dump in Oman Ama are ramping up their efforts to beat the proposal.

A community meeting is scheduled for Friday evening in the neighbouring town of Inglewood, 270 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, where a "community perspective" will be presented, as opposed to a "government agenda".

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has rejected any site in Queensland. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"The government has sent representatives out here on four separate occasions and they've been promoting their side of the story," said Dr Colin Owen, who is a local doctor and chairman of the upcoming meeting.

"We believe a lot of that information has been one-sided.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian side denies the regular Azerbaijani disinformation. Azerbaijani Defense Ministrys shared statement, as if Armenian soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani shots on February 11 and in the night of February 12, is untrue, Spokesperson of Armenia Defense Minister Artsrun Hovhannisyan informed Armenpress.

It is a disinformation. There cannot be such thing as the Armenian side always properly informs about its losses, Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.

Azerbaijani defense Ministrys statement reads as if Azerbaijani side failed Armenian sides subversive action attempt and killed 5-7 Armenian soldiers on February 11 and in the night of February 12.

The only person, killed by the rival, is not a serviceman but a civilian. On February 11, at around 16:00 Civillian, resident and pastor of Vazgenashen village in Martuni Region Hakob Hambardsumyan(b. 1962) was shot dead from Istiglal rifle, by Azerbajani sniper.


The State Library of Queensland Board has refused to answer why a disgraced boss was not instantly dismissed as state policy requires after he used a work-supplied devices to store 2000 pornographic images and to take photos of staff members' breasts in 2012 and 2013.

However, former state librarian Janette Wright reported on her Facebook page that the sacking of SLQ director of corporate services Bruce MacGregor was not warranted.

About 2800 lewd and pornographic images, plus images of the breasts of State Library female staff.

About 2800 lewd and pornographic images, plus enough images of the breasts of SLQ female staff to identify eight women, were found on Mr MacGregor's work-provided iPhone and iPad.
Multiple unions gathered in the CBD today protesting the loss of Australian jobs to be replaced by foreign workers allegedly earning as little as two dollars an hour.

Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Ros McLennan said cost cutting by multinational organisations was bad news for worker safety, the environment and the Great Barrier Reef.

Union members protest the replacement of Australian shipping workers in Albert St, Brisbane. Credit:Jorgia White

"Yesterday I spoke with Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles, who is really concerned of the impact that foreign workers, working on domestic shipping routes will have on our environment," she said.

Dr Miles said the federal government's shipping laws would remove regulatory support for the Australian shipping industry and jobs.
A man who barricaded himself in an off-limits area of a Target store in Bourke Street used a knife to ward off police and other emergency services.

The armed man damaged stock and activated the fire alarm and sprinkler system.

Police officer

Powercor was forced to shut down power in the department store during the ordeal.

Police and other emergency services spent most of Friday evening negotiating with the man who barricaded himself in the off-limits areas within the Target store in Melbourne's CBD.



He held police at bay from 8.30pm until just before 1am when the man surrendered to Critical Incident Response Team negotiators.



The man, 33, of no fixed address, was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for a mental health assessment.



He will face charges for weapons offences, burglary and property damage.


A Melbourne restaurant accused of displaying artwork perpetuating racial stereotypes about African-Americans has vowed to replace some of the offending images.

Comedian Aamer Rahman took to Facebook to criticise the popular Brunswick East eatery Fried and Tasty (F.A.T.) for putting up a photoshopped mural of slain rapper Biggie Smalls.

Brunswick East restaurant Fried and Tasty has provoked criticism for its interior decoration that is said to stereotype African-Americans. Credit:Facebook

The restaurant, which features "old school southern fried chicken, buttermilk waffles, burgers and beers", shows Smalls, also known as The Notorious B.I.G, holding a fried chicken drumstick in his hand.

The cafe, which was started by cousins Jonathan Ioannou and Terrence Farrugia, also has pictures of white families with guns as part of its interior decor.
In restaurants, couples share a degustation of feelings when they would rather play with their phones than be strained by conversation. Lovebirds scan Tinder instead of the menu, and the statistics are promising given 3.5 million Australians use the dating site and usage increases 15 per cent around Valentine's Day. Or when the oysters kick in, there's sex in the toilets.

When she arrived home, she saw him "unfazed" while watching TV. "Without a second thought I took off my wedding ring, handed it to him, told him I wanted a divorce and wished him a happy Valentine's Day," she said.

Lorena Guzman asked for a divorce when the clock struck midnight on Valentine's Day. After being stranded on a freeway for 2 hours when her car broke down five minutes away from home, she called her husband and he told her to wait for a tow truck.

Jess Ho is a hospitality veteran at 27 after working for 13 years as a waitress, door bitch and in the back of house. Now the owner of South Melbourne bar Smalls, she is perplexed at couples who want to cosy up together on the same side of the table when it's a table for two. "Their glasses don't fit on the same side, let alone their butts," she said.

Sometimes one person craves the dish called humiliation. Ms Ho recalled the man who ordered a bottle of wine and broke up with his girlfriend before the food arrived. "This poor woman is just sitting there, trying not to make a scene. He's as happy as Larry, throwing back the wine. She was shocked and didn't know what to do. When he paid, she got up and left."

Jess Ho has seen Valentine's Day dates at restaurants turn into disasters. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Chef Scott Pickett from Estelle and ESP witnessed a man get down a one knee, only for the woman to say no and drive the knife in by adding: "I was going to break up with you tonight." The dejected suitor put the ring in his pocket and walked out. All performed in front of a gaping open kitchen and 120 restaurant patrons.

Pickett said Valentine's Day tested the organisational skills of men, who leave it up to the last minute to make a booking. It's common for men to ring up on the day and plead for a table because they've already told their girlfriend or wife that they have a booking. "We try to squeeze them in," he said. "It's an odd night but great for restaurants."
A man sitting outside State Library Victoria was stabbed in the neck and ear when he refused to handover his mobile and the attacker is now on the run.

The victim, 25, from Newcastle in New South Wales was sitting on a bench outside the library at 5.45am on Saturday when the attacker demanded he hand over his phone.

Police investigate a stabbing outside State Library Victoria.

When he refused the attacker physically assaulted the Newcastle man.



While the victim was defending himself, the offender produced a knife and stabbed the victim several times in the neck and ear.

The victim was well enough to chase after the attacker who ran from outside the State Library south down Swanston Street towards Bourke Street.



The victim was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
The state Health Minister Jill Hennessy confirmed the case to reporters on Friday.

A pregnant Victorian woman has been diagnosed with Zika virus after returning from overseas.

He said pregnant women who have travelled to countries with Zika virus and had symptoms should see a general practitioner.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry the Zika virus. Credit:AP

Dr Roscoe said the virus was transmitted by mosquitoes but could also be sexually transmitted. However, he stressed there was a very low risk of transmission of the virus in Victoria.

The Victorian case comes after a pregnant woman in Queensland tested positive to the virus this year.

Authorities have declined to reveal specific details about the Victorian woman's condition or where she travelled to protect her privacy. However, the virus was detected after she presented with symptoms.
Alannah MacTierna will quit federal politics at the next election but is adamant she will not challenge for the WA Labor leadership.

Labor sources told WAtoday this week that key party powerbrokers were plotting the demise of leader Mark McGowan, despite recent polls showing he was more more popular with WA voters than Premier Colin Barnett.

Alannah MacTiernan says she won't challenge WA Labor leader Mark McGowan. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Ms MacTiernan, 63, is an experienced political campaigner but it's understood she quit because she believed her ability to influence events in Canberra was limited, not because of any other ambitions.

"I am completely and utterly supporting Mark McGowan," she told Radio 6PR on Friday afternoon.
Burns: The four holdouts in an armed protest at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has surrendered, with the last occupier repeatedly threatening suicide during an intense phone call with mediators before finally walking out, and ending the 41-day stand-off.

David Fry, 27, had stayed behind for more than an hour after the FBI moved to end the drama on Thursday, telling supporters by phone he had not agreed with the other three to leave. The call was broadcast live on an audio feed posted on the internet.

"I'm actually pointing a gun at my head. I'm tired of living," Mr Fry said during the phone call. He later added: "Until you address my grievances, you're probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself."
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These girls put the O in country!

Brooklyns sauciest country comedy crooners, the music duo Reformed Whores, will tell jokes and sing risque tunes at a pair of upcoming shows on Feb. 14 and 15. The droll dames from Dixie will play songs about sex and bad romance at The Rejection Shows Heartbreak Haven at Littlefield on Valentines Day, and then host a music video-release party at Union Hall on Feb. 15 for their new song Eating Out.

You can guess what that ones about, said Marie Anderson, a Fort Greene resident who sings and plays ukulele for Reformed Whores.

The night will also offer a sneak peek at the bands upcoming second album Dont Beat Around the Bush, subtitled Songs that Hit the Spot. At the release party, the pair will preview some of the new songs, including Hump-A-Lot Bear, Willy for a Day, and Whorny.

Anderson, a Nashville native, and bandmate Katy Frame, who hails from Maryland and now lives in Greenpoint, met five years ago at a mutual friends birthday party in New York City. The then-aspiring actresses decided to form a band after learning of their shared musical interests, said Anderson.

Katy said, I play the accordion, and I said, I play the ukulele, and we said, Lets start a band!  Anderson recalled.

The girls, who were inspired in equal part by country legend Dolly Parton and Jack Blacks rock-comedy project Tenacious D, did not set out to start a comedy band, but found it was more fun to roast their love lives than mourn them, according to Frame.

We really fell into the comedy music thing ass-backwards, she said. We were inspired by our pathetic love lives, and when we started writing about those things, we found it was more fun to make them funny than traumatic and sad.

The Dixie duos on-stage antics include bouts of witty banter between songs, in homage to classic country acts like Parton and June Carter Cash, said Anderson.

We just loved kind of the parallel between country music and comedy, said the girl from Nashville. Country artists are known for having great stage banter, so were always telling jokes between songs.

Reformed Whores play at the Rejection Show Valentine Days Heartbreak Heaven at Littlefield 622 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, www.littl efiel dnyc.com ). Feb. 14 at 7 pm. $12 ($10 in advance).

Video release party at Union Hall [702 Union St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Park Slope, www.union halln y.com , (718) 6384400] Feb. 15 at 8 pm. $8 ($6 in advance).

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. In an interview with Tert.am, Armenian Presidential Spokesman Vladimir Hakobyan commented on the media reports claiming that a cooperation agreement between the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) is to take place at the presidential residence.

Armenpress reports that according to him, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is going to speak of enforcement of constitutional amendments rather than of cooperation with the ARF.

Nothing of the kind has been planned. During the meeting the president will receive representative of the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, territorial and local government bodies.

The president will deliver a speech, but he is going to speak of enforcement of constitutional amendments, not of cooperation with the ARF.
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Brooklyn is no longer Manhattans back office!

Developers are erecting high-end office buildings across the borough, and real estate experts say big companies are now rushing to relocate inside them so they can tap into the local talent pool  bucking Kings Countys image as a place to stash away support staff in cheap digs.

Brooklyn checks a lot of boxes now that the space is there, says Michael Berg of commercial broker Jones Lang LaSalle, which just released a report documenting the white-collar building boom. More young, creative talent is concentrated there.

The borough will gain another 5.2 million square feet of cubicle space by 2019, the company estimates  the equivalent of almost two Empire State Buildings  with most development concentrated in Dumbo, Downtown, Fort Greene, and Williamsburg.

Demand is so high, some developers are ditching their plans for luxury residential towers to create swanky office complexes instead.

In October, Glacier Global Partners abandoned a condominium project inside a Dumbo waterfront warehouse to fit it out for businesses. And the next month, Jemb Realty announced it was scrapping a planned apartment building Downtown  which boasts some of the lowest vacancy rates in the city  to create a 40-story commercial building.

Jemb claims businesses are now beating down its door to snag space in its Albee Square West building  the first new office tower to rise Downtown in more than a decade  when it opens in 2018.

They want us to build faster and theyre very excited to get in there, said president Jacob Jerome.

Jerome says around 80 percent of the businesses looking at the building are creative companies hoping to move out of the overcrowded Manhattan market to the borough many of their employees call home.

People want to live and work in Brooklyn, he said.

Berg claims an unnamed Fortune 500 company was previously sniffing around Empire Stores  a converted warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park that his firm is representing. It didnt sign on, but he predicts another huge company will migrate to the Borough of Kings in the near future.

I think in the next 12 to 18 months we are going to see a big tenant, he said. I think its going to be a creative tenant.

In a sign of the times, banker Morgan Stanley is rumored to be moving its back office out of Brooklyn Heights tony One Pierrepont Plaza, the same building that houses Hillary Clintons campaign headquarters, in search of cheaper digs.

One local business booster says leaving Brooklyn would be sheer lunacy, but claims he has a long list of companies waiting to take its place.

If a company leaves Brooklyn theyre crazy, said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce president Carlo Scissura. Theres plenty of others waiting to jump in.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Historical Armenian Church, located in Turgutlu district of Manisa Province in Turkey, will be turned into a cultural, educational and art centre, Huriiyet newspaper informs, Armenpress reports.

Church building was once used as a service building for Turgutlus municipality.

Reconstruction works of the church are in active process currently. It is mentioned that it will have a modern look when the reconstruction is complete and will become the centre of cultural meetings for the local population.

Thus Armenian Church in Manisa will become the regular historical Armenian cultural building which will change its meaning and Armenian traces will be erased after its restoration by Turkish authorities.
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Renewable heating manufacturer NIBE announced that it has promoted longstanding employee Robin Adderley to the role of sales and marketing director.

With a total of 20 years experience in the heating and plumbing industry  including almost seven years at NIBE  Mr Adderley first joined the company in 2009 as a technical sales engineer, before taking on the role of national sales manager three years ago. As sales and marketing director, he will head up the companys eight-strong technical sales team, which spans the length and breadth of the UK.

Robins new role will also see him developing and executing a high-impact sales and marketing strategy. This will focus on building and maintaining NIBEs position as a key industry player, and driving sales across its market-leading portfolio of air source, ground source and exhaust air heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal collectors.

NIBE managing director Phil Hurley said: I am a firm believer in nurturing talent from within the company, so it is really positive to see someone who has been with NIBE for such a long time flourish in this way. Mr Adderleys knowledge and passion for the industry  matched with his strong background in sales and marketing, and the fact that he knows the NIBE business inside out  means there couldnt be a better person for this role.
It was just 37 degrees on the morning of January 28 when Wildin Acosta, a 19-year-old senior in his final semester, was warming up his car to drive to Riverside High School.

That's when Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials suddenly arrested Wildin, his sister Catherine told the Durham Public Schools Board of Education through a translator, "and took him and threw him on the floor."

Tonight the Durham Public Schools board became the third government body  in addition to the Durham Human Relations Commission and Durham City Council  to ask ICE for prosecutorial discretion and to refrain from deporting Acosta back to Honduras. However, the DPS board's resolution contained stronger language than either Council's or the HRC's, stating that "ICE actions in our local community" should be "suspended and currently detained Durham youth be released to their families."

The two-page resolution adds that "law enforcement honor the policy not to involve schools and other sensitive locations."

Wildin, who came to the U.S. in 2014, is in a federal immigration detention center in Georgia, the last stop before deportation.

"The 18th street gang was threatening him that he either join or they would take his life," Catherine said. "Thats why he came to the United States. If he goes back to Honduras, he will be killed."

ICE's actions have frightened many members of the Latino community, said Ellen Holmes, a Spanish and ESL teacher at Riverside High School, who knows Wildin. Eight of her 23 home room students were absent after Wildin's arrest, she said. "We've had a very large drop in attendance. Students are no longer coming to school because they no longer feel it's safe."

Even Latino students who are in the U.S. legally are afraid for their friends and families. Holmes said she had spent 45 minutes trying to console a successful college-bound student who was "scared that she would come home and her parents would not be there."

"I was trying to express to her that s its going to be OK, but I dont know that it will be OK."

Board member Heidi Carter emphasized that the deportation activities "are not initiated by schools. Schools are considered a safe haven for children and families. We oppose these raids and the deportation of students."

Wildin still hopes to graduate from Riverside in June. "Yesterday I talked to him," Catherine said, "and he asked his teachers to send him his homework to the detention center so he could continue his studies."
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On February 11, the Delegation led by the President of Republic of Armenia National Assembly (NA) Galust Sahakyan left for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on a working visit.

MPs Artak Zakaryan, Artak Davtyan and Tevan Poghosyan are included in the delegation led by the NA President.

As Armenpress was informed from the Public Relations and Media Department of the National Assembly of Armenia, at the beginning of the working visit the President of the National Assembly and the members of the delegation accompanied with the Vice President of the Artsakh Parliament Vahram Balayan visited Stepanakert Memorial Complex. Galust Sahakyan laid a wreath at the monument eternalizing the memory of the freedom fighters, who died in the Artsakh War and put flowers on the freedom fighters tombs.

Afterwards, President of the Armenian National Assembly Galust Sahakyan met with the NKR National Assembly President Ashot Ghulyan.

Welcoming the present and thanking them for the warm reception, Galust Sahakyan underlined with satisfaction that during the recent years a close relationship has been formed between the state bodies of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, and in that context highlighted the role of the inter-parliamentary relations.

Galust Sahakyan noted that the issue of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been and remains at the centre of attention of the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia. He has added that the MPs always strive to make the Karabakh issue recognizable at the international platforms. Galust Sahakyan highly assessed the mutually beneficial cooperation shaped between the Standing Committees of the parliaments.

NKR NA President Ashot Ghulyan expressed satisfaction with the current level of the cooperation between the NKR and the Republic of Armenia legislative bodies and highly appreciated the contribution of the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament.

Afterwards the meeting continued with the participation of the members of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the Armenian and Artsakh parliaments and the deputies of the two parliaments.

In the course of the meeting issues of bilateral interest were discussed, which were related to the exchange of experience in the legislative activities, mutual visits, inter-parliamentary relations and budgetary programmes.

Presidents of the parliaments of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh summed up the results of the meeting in a joint press conference.

On the same day the Delegation led by the Armenian NA President Galust Sahakyan met with NKR President Bako Sahakyan. During the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues of deepening and development of the ties between the parliaments of the two Armenian Republics.
From the Pine Barrens and beyond, check out these haunted hikes

From the barren Pinelands to the murky bays, check out these haunted hikes and strolls at the Jersey Shore this Halloween season.
An otter cub is recovering well after being rescued from a river bank when she was flooded out of her holt during Storm Imogen earlier this week.

The cub, who has been called Immy after the storm, is currently being cared for at Secret World Wildlife Rescue in East Huntspill near Burnham-On-Sea.

The cub was spotted washed up with her sibling on a river bank in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire on Sunday February 7th.

The two cubs were alone and crying, so the finder quickly called a rescue centre in Wiltshire for help.

He then went back to find the young cubs  but they were gone but the man did not give up on them, and began to search.

About 100 yards further down the river, he spotted the cubs on the bank and after clambering down, he managed to rescue one of the cubs and brought it up to safety. The other cub has not yet been found.

Immy has gone to Secret World, where her carer, Josie Nott, is looking after her.

Shes been through a rough experience, but thanks to the quick actions of her finder, Immy is doing really well now, Josie told Burnham-On-Sea.com.

Shes about six weeks old, we think. Im feeding her with a puppy milk replacement every couple of hours, and although shes lost some weight since being rescued, Im really pleased that shes now putting it back on again.

Shes a feisty little girl, and very playful and noisy with her high-pitched peeping. At first she seemed anxious but now shes bright, healthy and likes to give me a good nip.

Young otters usually move on to eating fish at about eight weeks so were waiting for her to give us the sign that shes ready, she added.

Were really hoping that her sibling will be found and they can be reunited.

Otters are social creatures when young, and it is heart-breaking that she is on her own at the moment.

She likes to play, and its important that I spend time playing with her as thats what shed be doing with her brothers and sisters in the wild.
Eve Sleeps brand, website and intellectual property have been bought out of administration by Benson for Beds. Eve Sleep which is an AIM-listed direct-to-consumer sleep wellness brand, which operates in the UK, Ireland and France, appointed administrators from Kroll this week after it announced the formal sale process in June 2022. Matt Ingram, managing director of Kroll, said: "Eve Sle...continue reading
Adani Power posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 101.75 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015, the company informed in its BSE filing. The Adani Group company had registered a net loss of Rs 428.68 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 of financial year 2014-15, as per the filing.

According to the company, the third quarter were not fully comparable with corresponding quarter of last year due to stake sale in Adani Transmission (India) Limited by Adani Power in the previous fiscal. In FY15, Adani Power had also seen merger of solar power undertaking of Adani Enterprises Limited with itself as well as acquisition of 100 per cent stake of UPCL by Adani Power effective from April 20, 2015.

Consolidated total income of Adani Power for Q3 of fiscal 2015-16 stood at Rs 6,210.77 crore. For the quarter ended December 31, 2014, the same stood at Rs 5,538.30 crore.

On the standalone basis which was not fully comparable again, the company posted a net loss of Rs 32.78 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 where as the same was at net profit of Rs 53.76 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014.

On the other hand, standalone total income of Adani Power stood at Rs 3195.24 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 where as the same was at Rs 3150.18 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014.

Commenting on the results, Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Power said, "With the announcement of the revised Tariff Policy, Adani Power feels encouraged to consider further growth opportunities to fulfill its commitment to partner with government in its vision to achieve 24x7 power for all by 2019. Adani Power is very much poised to achieve a power generation capacity of 20000 Mw by 2020 to bridge the power deficit in the country."

Adani Power Ltd is the largest private thermal power producer in India with an installed capacity of 10,480 Mw. Our four power projects are spread out across the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

According to Vneet Jaain, Chief Executive Officer, Adani Power, the company was optimistic over enhanced supply of domestic coal, apart from the revised Power Tariff Policy.

"Our financial for the quarter have improved through operational excellence achieved from the existing plants as well as contribution from the acquired Udupi plant. We remain optimistic about the sector in light of the announcements made in the revised Power Tariff Policy coupled with enhanced supply of domestic coal," Jaain said.
Aegis says its bet on penetrating the emerging markets has started to pay.

The business process management (BPM) arm of Essar group sold its US business in 2014, which contributed 50 per cent to its revenue and brought down its revenue to $400 million from $850 million.

Today ,with a revenue of $500 million, the company is expanding into Southeast Asia and West Asia.

By March, the company will create a centre in Kuwait or Oman, and ramp up presence in Malaysia.

Aegis is trying to replicate its success in Saudi Arabia by looking at Kuwait and Oman.

"I am glad that our bets on the emerging markets have worked out. We are looking to replicate what we did in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Telecom to the other regions of West Asia," said Sandip Sen, global CEO, Aegis. Sen believes that with the oil prices falling, companies in the West Asia are now exploring ways of cutting cost.

In 2010, Aegis in collaboration with Saudi Telecom entered a joint venture and created Contact Centre Company (CCC). The JV that started with just 250 people has expanded to over 3,500 employees across two centresone each in Riyadh and Jeddah.

"I have always thought that ME is under penetrated with no major US player having a presence. We entered there in 2010 and created a JV with Saudi Telecom. Today the JV has created revenue of $100 million. About 85-90% of this comes from STC. If one company can give us this revenue we now want to tap into other local companies," he added.

Aegis has already bagged a contract from one of the leading telecom players in UAE. By Feb-March we are looking at similar JVs in these two countries, he said.

With a five year no-compete clause to start a similar business in Philippines and the US, Aegis decided to create a centre in Malaysia to penetrate markets like South East Asia, Australia, Japan and others.

"We acquired Symphony BPO in Malaysia in April 2014 with 800 people, and today it has grown to 2,400. Our Belief is that the Malaysia centre will grow to 5,000 people in the next two years, said Sen.

Aegis has also seen its India centre ramp up due to growth in the e-commerce and BFSI segment.

"In the domestic business we have seen a huge uptick of our services by the surging ecommerce players. We work with some of the largest ecommerce players. With services requirements in both sectors changing the pricing in the domestic segment has also gone up. This is same for the telecom sector," added Sen.

Sen says that though they cannot open up centres in the US, the incremental growth that these markets have given him is huge.

"We are today a 40,000 employee company. This year we will add 7,000-8,000 easily and in the next three years see ourselves with 55,000 employee base," said Sen.
The real estate market in Chennai is expected to see a drop in new launches in the near future, followed by a price hike, as piled up inventory would be consumed by the time and there would be more demand than supply, say experts.

New launches have dropped by 62 per cent in 2015, over the previous year, indicating that developers have been cautious about investing in new projects and have kept a check on piling inventory, said the latest Chennai residential real estate market commentary by real estate consultant firm JLL India.

Absorption rate increased to 31.3 per cent in 2015 from about 26.6 per cent in 2014, and while there was a decrease in launches this year, the number of sale deeds showed a rise. This resulted in clearing a lot of unsold inventory that had piled up, facilitating an upward correction in the market, the report added.

According to JLL data, new units launched in 2015 stood at 8,601, while 20,484 units were sold, which was one per cent lower than the previous year sales. Unsold units in 2015 were 45,017, down 21 per cent over the previous year.

"The new files submitted for approval with the regulatory authority have come down almost 40 per cent during the year. With the demand absorbing the available inventory and new projects expected to take some time to hit the market after getting the regulatory approvals, we are seeing a price appreciation in real estate," said T Chitty Babu, chairman & CEO of Akshaya Homes and chairman, best practices, Credai National. He was commenting on a panel discussion organised by organisation Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (Credai), Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with JLL, on the Chennai market.

Concurring with the view, Sandeep Mehta, Jain Housing & Construction Ltd said that the is currently offering various discounts, but they would not last for long.

For the customers looking to buy a house, this could be the right time considering that prices are set to increase.

The market started seeing a revival in the second half of January, said R Kumar, deputy general manager, real estate and housing business unit, State Bank of India. He added that after the collapse of a residential building under construction in Maulivakkam last year, customers have started looking for better, albeit more expensive properties, he added.

The Chennai real estate market started reviving after the December floods that affected the industry for a short period, he added. While there were negative sentiments following the floods initially, people have started moving forward now, he said.

Sanjay Chugh, national head-mandated sales & business head-Chennai, residential services said that the Chennai real estate market has seen more customer enquiries and walk-ins during the second half of January and February. This is expected to convert into actual business, which would be a positive development in the market, he added. He said that owing to the demand supply situation and its movement, real estate prices are expected to see an increase.

However, the overall cost of owning real estate has to come down, including the cost related to the land and receiving the necessary regulatory approvals for it to see better growth, said Ajit Kumar Chordia, president of Credai Chennai.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Head of Armenian Mission to the OSCE, Ambassador Arman Kirakosyan delivered a speech at the session of the Permanent Counci on February 11l. As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of MFA Armenia, the Ambassador said, in response to Azerbaijani claims to settle the NKR conflict exceptionally based on the principle of territorial integrity, that the principles of the Helsinki Final Act are equally important, and all the OSCE member states, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, have agreed upon the principles of not using force, self-determination of nations and territorial integrity of states.

The Armenian side documented that the anti-Armenian policy led by Azerbaijan has not undergone any changes for the last 25 years. Azerbaijan denies recognizing the right of Nagorno Karabakh people to self-determination, which has been acknowledged by the heads of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair states as one of the basic principles for the conflict settlement and is enshrined in the OSCE Athena ministerial announcement.

The Armenian Ambassador mentioned that the people of Nagorno Karabakh gained de-facto independence making use of its inalienable right of self-determination in conformity with USSR legislation and international norms of right. Azerbaijani aspirations to expand its sovereignty over Nagorno Karabakh people are groundless.

The head of Armenian mission to OSCE reconfirmed Armenias support to the format of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair. He expressed concern that Azerbaijan puts under doubt the years long of experience and efforts of the Co-chair states to find a peaceful solution to the issue. The regular attacks against the Minsk Group are directed against peaceful settlement of the conflict and aim to justify Azerbaijans refusals of the proposals of the Co-chairs. Armenian Ambassador was concerned by the recent announcement of the president of Azerbaijan, speculating the religious factor.

The Armenian Ambassador stated that Azerbaijani demands to expand the format of the Minsk Group are un-constructive and negatively impact the peace process. Highly appreciating the coordinated efforts of the Minsk Group mediator states, Russia, France, the USA, Arman Kirakosyan mentioned that Turkey, as a Minsk Group member, has adopted a contrary approach, speculating the Nagorno Karabakh issue in favor of its geopolitical interests.

The Armenian side recorded that Azerbaijani policy is the main obstacle for the conflict settlement, which tries to enforce its will on Armenia and Artsakh relying on Bakus economic and military capacities.

The Armenian Ambassador expressed concern over military provocations, including application of heavy artillery and subversive acts, initiated by Azerbaijan on the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the contact line of NKR and Azerbaijan

In the words of the Ambassador, Azerbaijan has declined all the proposals aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire regime by the installation of investigative mechanisms and withdrawal of snipers.

The Armenian side assessed Azerbaijani efforts to transfer Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement issue onto other platforms not dealing with the issue as un-constructive. As an example, the failure of the provocative anti-Armenian report discussed at the PACE was pointed out.

At the end of his speech, Ambassador Kirakosyan reconfirmed Armenias commitment to continue the peace process mediated by the Minsk Group Co-chairs.
The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) on Friday ordered the amalgamation of the crisis-hit National Spot Exchange (NSEL) with its cash-rich parent Financial Technologies (FTIL) to enable early settlement for the victims of a Rs 5,574-crore payment crisis.

The unprecedented move, which has been subject of heated debate and court proceedings, was welcomed by affected investors of NSEL and slammed by FTIL management. While NSEL investors hope that cash reserves of FTIL would brighten their chances for an early settlement, the order might be challenged in court.

In exercise of powers conferred by subsections (1) and (2) of section 396 of the Companies Act, 1956, the Centre government hereby makes the following order to make the said two companies into a single company, namely Financial Technologies (India) Ltd, the MCA said in a detailed order.

The ministry had passed a draft merger order in October 2014 after receiving a recommendation from the then commodity markets regulator Forward Markets Commission. In April 2015, MCA had issued a gazette notification, which said chartered accountants Lodha & co, who were the independent valuers for the transaction had arrived at a swap ratio of 3:8 for the transaction. Accordingly, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the only minority shareholder with 100 NSEL shares, would get 38 FTIL shares. The remaining 44.99 million shares held by FTIL and five shares held by the five nominees would be extinguished at the end of the merger.

After detailed considerations of thousands of representations from various stakeholders including NSEL investors, public shareholders and management of FTIL and court proceedings that stretched for nearly 17 months, the government said it was satisfied that the merger of the two companies was essential in the public interest for leveraging the combined assets, capital and reserves, achieve economy of scale and gainful settlement of rights of stakeholders and creditors.



As per the directions of the Bombay High Court, the MCA order will not be notified immediately allowing FTIL to challenge it. A suit questioning the constitutional validity of Section 396, already pending before the HC, is scheduled to come up for hearing next week. The move could also act as a trigger for other proceedings such as board supersession proceedings which is being considered by Company Law Board. In a status update on Thursday, the finance ministry headed panel had directed MCA to follow up the merger order with the following: Besides, as directed by the Madras High Court, the Company Law Board may be moved to decide the case relating to FTIL by 11.03.2016. MoCA has decided to file an SLP in the Supreme Court against the decision of Madras High Court. They were requested to expedite the same.



FTIL, which called the decision a travesty of justice, said it will challenge the merger order before the High Court at the earliest, and is confident that justice will be done.



Prashant Desai, managing director, FTIL said, Pursuant to the Bombay High Courts Order, FTIL had represented its case in the hearing given by the MCA in October 2015 putting forth all its objections to the Draft Merger Order. The way the hearing went and the way thousands of shareholders, employees and creditors had objected to the proposed merger, we were hopeful that the MCA will take an objective view of the matter and withdraw the Draft Merger Order. Hence, the passing of the Merger Order today  while matters are sub-judice  is highly disappointing.



FTIL statement referred to a circular by MCA dated April 20, 2011, for compulsory merger of government companies under Section 396 of the Companies Act, 1956. FTIL said that this circular required that the companies concerned and an overwhelming majority of their shareholders and creditors must be consenting to the merger. Thus, this order on a sub-judice matter not only breaches the concept of limited liability but also the constitutional rights of the 63,000 shareholders of FTIL, the statement added.

Investor group NSEL Aggrieved and Recovery Association (NAARA) in a statement said, We shall remain grateful to the Ministry and the Government for the passing the order, and all other authorities, forums that have empathised with the cause of aggrieved investors.



NAARA called it a historic moment for the investor community wherein the message is sent out loud and clear to corporates indulging in fraud that they cannot hide behind a cloak of limited liability.



NAARA added: Most importantly, it gives confidence to investors that Exchanges, which are institutions of implicit trust, cannot be forced to fail by acts of fraud. The public interest prevails over every other contention.



INDIA'S FIRST 'FORCED' MERGER

While the UPA government had triggered the fall of Shahs empire, the merger order, seen as a severe blow to the groups fortunes, came under Jaitleys regime. Despite several legal hurdles, the finance & corporate affairs minister ensured the passing of the final orderFounder of both the firms. He appeared close to achieving his ambition of creating a global financial infrastructure powerhouse before NSEL got into trouble. Merger order could weaken his position in several other cases, proceedings before regulators and enforcement agenciesNamed DIPP Secretary recently. As erstwhile chairman of Forward Markets Commission, he originated the merger proposal by recommending it to MCA in August 2014. Under him, FMC had also declared FTIL and Shah not fit and proper
The future of manufacturing is smart. Despite being a software powerhouse, India is behind when it comes to adopting smart manufacturing solutions or producing connected products., CEO of, which offers smart solutions to global manufacturing companies, tells, in a free-wheeling interview that India needs to be more open to partnerships.We are working with international with specifically Swedish. We have customers like Ericsson, Scania and Volvo. We believe India is an interesting market, which is small today but with great opportunity. Our key focus is international exporting into India and Indian that are exporting to the world.

What do you think of the government's push for smart manufacturing?

My understanding is that India is trying to create employment by digitising manufacturing utilising software skills that it already has. India's software skills can help improve manufacturing by not only improving production capabilities but by producing products that are connected. This will help companies create new business models.

For exampple, we have worked with a company that makes lawn mowers, which are connected in such a way that they can be connected to mobile phones of consumers. By connecting products companies can sell them as a service too. These smart solutions are enabling software and business model changes today across industries. I see this being done by other manufacturing countries and companies which are investing in IOT platforms for manufacturing.

What kind of smart solutions do you offer that can help companies in India?

We have solutions for companies which are into manufacturing. We are working with an Indian company manufacturing smart electricity meters for global markets.

We see penetration of smart solutions is limited. India is behind advanced markets like China. We hope that the smart city initiative will fuel growth. As Make in India ties in with Smart City, it could fuel IT growth. We are already working with international companies and some Indian companies. For instance, globally we offer a roaming solution that can be put in trucks, such that the trucks are connected.

What can India do to go up the manufacturing value chain?

India should be more open, which will be very beneficial for it. A lot of this is about partnering with the right companies and the Swedish delegation is very keen on doing this. The country has to be open to new partnerships. If you are too domestic it would be a barrier to go up the manufacturing value chain.

What are you expecting from government?

We are a global company with solutions. We believe better internet of things (IOT) uptake is important. If India is protectionist, then other countries will also be that way. The main point is to have a global mindset and that will attract international partners.
In a major relief for the mobile handset in Kerala, the state government has decided not to levy 12.5 per cent VAT on adapters / chargers that are packed with mobile phones. The has welcomed the decision, calling it a bold move'.Confusion arose following a judgment passed by the Supreme Court in the State of Punjab vs Nokia case, clarifying that the mobile adapter / charger is only an accessory, and not a part of the mobile phone.

"Subsequently the trade and in Kerala went through a hard time due to harassment from field formations, which had issued demand notices, at times with retrospective effect, for the period between the SC judgment and issuance of the Kerala Government notification that put an end to the agony," according to Indian Cellular Association (ICA).

ICA is the apex body of the mobile industry consisting of manufacturers, brand owners, application and solution providers, distributors, retailers and eminent consumers of mobile handsets

"We are sure that this bold move of the Kerala Government, which remains in perfect alignment with globally prevalent best practices, would be extremely beneficial to enhance ease of doing business for the industry and may further promote growth of trade and industry in the state in days to come", said Pankaj Mohindroo, National President of ICA.

Mohindroo further said based on the Customs (Accessory Conditions Rule, 1963) which specifically provides that the accessories packed with an article attract the same rate of duty as the main item when they are compulsorily supplied free.

The Department of Revenue, Government of India has advised the State Governments to adopt the Customs Rule for VAT taxation vide on dated November 30, 2015 so that there is a uniform practice followed throughout the country.

States are yet to formally adopt these rules, but many of them are aligning their Accessories Rules with the Central Law. The lack of a uniform Rule is affecting the free movement of goods in the country.
Enterprise software company, Oracle, on Friday said it would invest $400 million in India to build a new campus in Bengaluru apart from setting up incubation centres and training the students in computer science skills.

Unveiling the plan after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Safra Catz, CEO of the California-headquartered company said the investments are aimed at supporting the country's Digital India and Skill India initiatives.

Apart from the new 2.8 million sq ft campus in Bengaluru, the company's largest outside of its headquarters, Oracle plans to set up nine incubation centers across the country and also impart computer science training to over half a million students every year through Oracle Academy.

"Oracle has been in India for over 25 years and during that time we've grown our investments tremendously," said Catz. "We are investing over $400 million in Bengaluru, opening nine incubation centers, and training half a million students each year during this expansion phase to support India's tremendous growth."

India is Oracle's second largest employee base outside of the United States, with around 40,000 current employees and an additional 2,000 current job openings.

"I'm particularly excited about the incubation centers which will house substantial software and technology capabilities, tools, and training to help launch new technology startups built utilising Java and the Oracle platform," Catz added.

The new Oracle campus in Bengaluru is expected to be the epicenter of company's operations in India, and would accommodate more than 11,000 employees from diverse fields starting from engineering, sales and marketing, global support, finance and consulting, the company said.

The company also said that the incubation centres would support entrepreneurship and development of innovative start-ups by providing software, tools, and training to firms utilising Java and the Oracle platform.

These centres would be located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nodia, Pune, Trivandrum and Vijayawada,

Currently, Oracle Academy partners with more than 1,700 educational institutions in India, to advance computer science education and drive knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Globally, it trains more than 2.6 million students in 106 countries.
Properties, which have remained unsold despite being on the block for several months, will now be auctioned online on real estate portal MagicBricks.

To start with, the portal has started the auction process for over 200 properties across Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) and Mumbai. These include properties which have been listed on the portal for more than six months for sale, as well as new ones.

Once we successfully conduct auction in these two locations, we will take this model across all major cities by the end of March. Earlier, we were providing the auction platform to banks for properties that had defaulted on loans. Now, we have extended the model to end-consumers, Sudhir Pai, chief executive, MagicBricks told Business Standard. MagicBricks is owned by Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd.

The aim is to discover the right market price for the property  in which both buyers and sellers are satisfied, he said. The properties are put on auction after consultation with owners/sellers. While buyers will have to deposit Rs 10,000, sellers will have to give Rs 25,000 for participating in the auction. Both these deposits are refundable, if there is no breach of the agreement.

We are trying to create a competitive marketplace to discover efficient price in line with market trends. The two ends of spectrum  buyer and seller  will be brought together on this platform to resolve the logjam over pricing, Pai added.

The real estate sector  especially residential segment  has been witnessing a slowdown for the last few years. Though the number of enquiries have increased significantly, there is hardly any action on the ground except in select locations/cities. Developers have been facing fund crunch and rising inventory and are focusing only on clearing existing stock.

According to a report by Liases Foras, between Q3 (October-December) 2014-15 and Q3 (October-December) 2015-16, unsold stock across all major cities increased 21 per cent from 932.1mn sqft to1124.9 mn sqft.

All the eight cities witnessed a rise in the unsold stock with Ahmedabad 33 per cent and Pune 36 per cent having shown a maximum increase, followed by MMR at 28 per cent Though the increase in unsold properties in NCR is only 14 per cent, it tops the chart with an unsold stock of 360 million sq ft, followed by MMR Region with 235.9 million sq ft.

Overall the transactions in residential space have declined by 30-70 per cent depending upon the location, according to experts and the auction model if proved successful could be the next big thing in residential space to bring back the sales momentum.
Higher other income, lower tax outgo, and improved performance of its US subsidiary Taro helped Sun Pharmaceutical post over three times growth in net profit in Q3FY16.

Net profit rose to Rs 1,416 crore from Rs 395 crore in same period last year. Revenue grew two per cent to Rs 7,047 crore, with domestic business driving growth. The company's India business grew eight per cent while sales in all the other markets declined.

Sun Pharma has also announced it has ended its joint venture with multinational drug company MSD for manufacture of branded generics, citing changes in priorities. It said the decision would have no material impact on the company.

Overall revenue from the US market, which contributes to 45 per cent of the business, declined 11 per cent to $486 million. Sun Pharma's US business continues to be hit due to competitive pressure and supply constraints arising out of remediation measures at company's Halol plant.

The company received US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)'s warning letter for Halol plant. Also, last year the company had reported higher sales in Q3 because of 180-day exclusivity in blood-pressure tablets Valsartan. However, subsidiary Taro, which had seen sales decline in the first half of the year, showed improved earnings. Taro reported nine per cent growth in revenue and 33 per cent growth in profit year-on-year.

The company reported an Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) of Rs 2,134 crore, a growth of 5.6 per cent. Sun Pharma managing director Dilip Shanghvi said the company had undertaken additional re-mediation measures at the Halol plant and planned to invite USFDA for inspection in the first quarter of FY17. He said the companys focus was now on consolidating its existing business and the company was not looking at acquisitions and added that synergy benefits of Ranbaxy acquisition had begun to kick in and would be visible in FY17.

He added measures include exit from low margin products in India, cost efficiencies and improving plant utilisation.

The result was also benefited by higher other income arising out of forward foreign exchange contracts (Rs 219 crore in Q3 FY 16). Also in Q3 FY 15 the company had booked a tax expense of Rs 1028 crore and tax outgo in Q3 FY 16 was 80 per cent lower at Rs 202 crore.

The drug major's revenue was in line with analyst estimates and profit came 10 per cent higher than Bloomberg estimates.

Our results for Q3 indicates sequentially improving quality of business and performance. This is despite adverse currency movements and increase in R&D investments. The synergy benefits of the Ranbaxy acquisition have begun to reflect in our financials. We remain committed in allocating required resources for enhancing our specialty and complex generics pipeline, said Sun Pharma managing director Dilip Shanghvi.
Sanjiv Goenka

Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group



The last week of January saw India's who's who - including Mukesh Ambani, Arun Jaitley, P Chidambaram, Farhan Akhtar and Rajkumar Hirani - arrive in Kolkata for the wedding of Sanjiv Goenka's son, Shashwat. That was one rare occasion when Goenka took a break from work, albeit briefly.

"Much as I hate it, at least four or five times in a week, while I am having dinner, I am on the phone with something or the other," says Goenka whose day begins early with a 7-km walk followed by a 20-minute physiotherapy session. "With age, I have realised that I need to adhere to the needs of my body," he says, insisting that he has a paunch. He says he works out for half an hour with a trainer every evening.

The busy businessman realises the importance of unwinding. Hindi serials like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Swaragini or Savdhan are his antidote. And, of course, time with family. Every evening he makes it a point to spend an hour with his mother, Sushila.

But dinnertime conversation often veers towards work and his wife, Preeti, is quite used to it. This is how, Goenka says, he learnt the ropes from his takeover tycoon father, Rama Prasad Goenka, and his grandfather, Keshav Prasad Goenka. And this is how his children, Shashwat and Avarna, were initiated into the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.

What's common between then and now, he says, is the respect for values. "But I allow them to make mistakes because that's the only way they'll learn," he says. "My father was very protective and when you are protected, your ability to make decisions gets impaired. But what was brilliant about him was his unbridled support in [the time of] crisis, which I welcomed as a son."



A staid group known for its power utility business, CESC, Goenka's company is now venturing into sunrise businesses like sports, media and software. "I wanted to be in cement and telecom (Delhi circle) but it didn't happen. Electricity is something we did without backing and I am happy about it," he says.

So, is he a risk taker? "I am not risk averse," he says. "But I am not impulsive. I am guided by instinct but backed by logic."



Goenka says he believes in empowering people and not in running the day-to-day operations. "I am not hands-on with any business, I am hands-on with situations," he says. To what extent are people who work for him allowed to make a wrong decision? He smiles and replies, "As long as the proportion of right to wrong is higher."



Ishita Ayan Dutt

Shashank N D

Last November when Practos employees got an e-mail saying the companys founder and CEO Shashank ND was going on a two week-long vacation, there was a need to pause to let that information sink in. They had only seen their 28-year-old boss moving from meeting to meeting; Shashank hadnt gone on a proper holiday since the inception of Practo, an online healthcare service provider. That was eight long years ago. Shashank's holiday plans took him to the Galapagos Islands. "Charles Darwin discovered evolution there. I'm fascinated by inventions, creations and innovations. I may go back to see the iguanas and giant turtles there, but maybe this time, I wont wait for eight years before I take a vacation, he says. A laid-back air prevails in Practo's swanky new office in Bengaluru's JP Nagar, as employees, most of them under 30, walk around in shorts. There are black temporary markers everywhere, and there doesn't seem to be any paper to write on. But across all desks and boards are scribbled notes, codes and what not. We are very lazy people and just write anywhere, says Shashank. At Practo, information is quickly processed and moved along to make way for newer things. I dont keep anything up here, says Shashank, tapping his index finger against the side of his forehead. I put everything on Evernote. I need to capture the perspective I have in each meeting, so that I can take off exactly from where I left, he explains, adding that his actions for the day are dictated largely by his Google calendar. Usually up between 6-7 am, Shashank spends close to an hour working with his personal trainer before he heads for office by 9 am. This morning, however, he has a breakfast appointment with an investor at 8 am. How do you know that? Do you have access to my Google calendar, he asks with genuine surprise. News of the meeting has already made its way to Twitter, I tell him as he makes his peace with the pitfalls of a semi-public life. The added advantage of that morning appointment was that I actually got to have breakfast today, something I usually end up skipping, he says, thinking about the double, all-white masala omelette he had earlier. But caffeine on the side, the caffeine that gets most of us up and ticking, is a strict no-no for Shashank. I avoid tea-coffee and prefer green tea instead." Caffeine, he believes, is only needed when you need to work for 20 hours straight; he's had many of those days too. And it's because of such days that Practo, which Shashank co-founded with his NITK-Surathkal classmate Abhinav Lal, is changing the way we deal and look at healthcare. They started out when a good eco-system for start-ups was a still a long way in the future. Ambition is still a positive word. People thought we weren't in sync with reality at all and expressed doubts every single hour, he shares. Today, Practo's valuations have well crossed the $500 million mark; the company, which was founded in Shashank's grandparents' unused house in JP Nagar, has 2,500 employees working across 35 cities and six countries. And Shashank is constantly on the move to add to this map. To keep him going, his lunch dabba comes from across the town, from his parents' house in Vijayanagar. Two chapattis, veggies, curd and some salad  for a person who often misses breakfast, Shashank leans towards fruits a lot. I keep trying to get everyone here to eat healthy but people always sneak in chips, he says. His days are usually dotted with meetings, and after work he prefers to socialise with friends before he goes to bed. Weekends come with a treat: a good and long run, a vigorous game of squash or two, and two hours of extra sleep.

Discipline is good, he believes. I studied in a school that's 'infamous' for its disciplinary track record. But that was a good thing, says Shashank, who was always one of the boys who walk the fine egg shell-lined path between getting into trouble and staying out of it. And this desire to push the envelope has only grown with time. With Practo's growth, Shashank acknowledges the changes in his life. One thing that has definitely changed is that there are fewer limitations now. I get to surprise my family quite often; one of the perks is that I no longer have to think twice anymore about getting the latest iPads and smartphones for my parents. They are such addicts! I had least expected them to download a 100 apps.



A coder who's loved calculus and computer science all his life, Shashank's superhero is the Iron Man (Tony Stark). It's his sense of humour; other superheroes are a bit stuck up and aren't real fun. Life needs a sense of humour, he says, agreeing with the idea that there may be a secret hideaway in his new office for Iron Man-like inventions and a superhero suit. What about Practo's dreams of world domination, I ask. Those aren't dreams, it's the reality, he says. When we started out we knew that we wanted to have an impact on the whole world. We do not wish to create something that's needed by a few in select countries.



Up next, Shashank wants to put JP Nagar on the world map. People relate Mountain View to Google, that's what we want, for Practo to grow so much that this place will be identified as the birthplace of Practo. Here's to world domination - one doctor, one patient at a time!"

Nikita Puri

T S Kalyanaraman

The 68-year old was initiated into business at age 12 by his father who owned Kalyan Textiles. In 1993, he branched out and started Kalyan Jewellers with Rs 75 lakh. Today, the company has a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore and 78 shops.

A business this size requires discipline and Kalyanaraman has this quality in good measure. His day starts at 6 am, with an hour of yoga - a routine that doesn't change even when he is travelling.

A visit to the Sitarama temple built by his great-grandfather is a must every day. Till about six months ago, he lived closer to the temple in a two-storey house built in traditional Kerala architecture. Now he, his wife, two sons, daughters-in-law and six grandchildren live in a Rs 75-crore villa. His grandchildren, he says, keep him up-to-date with technology.

For Kalyanaraman and his sons, work begins at 10.45 am when they leave for office, each in his Rolls Royce Phantom. The boss's arrival, at 11 am sharp, causes no flutter among the employees, all of whom quietly go about their jobs. Kalyanaraman, who usually wears a crisp white shirt and dhoti, also quietly goes into his office located in a swanky building furnished with plush leather couches and solid wood tables.

Unlike other family-run businesses, the building does not have any family portrait. But there are diamond-studded statues of Rama, Sita and Laxman - one each in the offices of Kalyanaraman and his sons.

The day's routine is tracked by Kalyanaraman's Rolex watch - the first luxury item he ever bought. Besides taking stock of the business, Kalyanaraman randomly calls customers for their feedback about the company's branches and services. A 20-minute power nap recharges his energy as the day progresses. And by 8 pm, it is time to wrap up and head home.

Once home, neither the father nor the sons use their mobile phones. This time is reserved for Kalyanaraman's grandchildren and classical music. The only person from office who can call on the residence's landline phone is Suresh, Kalyanaraman's secretary. "We earn for our family. What's the point if we don't spend time with them?" asks Kalyanaraman.

The conversation at mealtimes is usually about matters pertaining to the family, village or temple. Annual family holidays are a must and Kalyanaraman does not like to compromise on those. His son recalls an annual review meeting with around 200 managers of Kalyan Jewellers. When he rose to address them, Kalyanaraman pulled out a list and read out the names of the managers who had not taken leave during the year. He advised them to go on vacation and spend time with their families, recalls one of the managers.

His belief: if the employee's family is not taken care of, the business cannot succeed.

T E Narasimhan
Amit Burman

Vice-chairman, Dabur



Favourite movie and why?

The Godfather and Sholay during my growing-up years; Taare Zameen Par a a few years ago for the way it handled a sensitive subject like dyslexia; Tamasha that released recently. But in recent years, the movie that has touched and inspired me is 3 Idiots. It teaches you many things like allowing kids to follow their dreams and pursuing excellence rather than success.

Favourite book

Some of my all-time favourites are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Once a Runner by John L Parker and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. But the one that has always stayed with me is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

Favourite music/song

Any genre that's soothing to the ear. It can be traditional Rock music, World Pop or a Bollywood number.

Favourite fictional character and why?

The list includes Tintin, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, R K Laxman's Common Man, Chacha Chaudhary and Crime Master Gogo from the movie Andaz Apna Apna. But if I were to pick one character, that would be Superman. He has this incredible power and yet is a good individual. Superman, to me, represents hope.

Favourite historical figure and why?

Bhagat Singh. I really admire his single-minded dedication and pursuit of his dream for an independent India.

Favourite leader and why?

Again Bhagat Singh for the impact he has left on India's freedom struggle and for motivating millions to join it. This quote of his sums up his leadership quality for me: "I emphasise that I am full of ambition and hope and of full charm of life. But I can renounce all at the time of need, and that is the real sacrifice."

Ashish Dhawan

Chairman, Ashoka University and Central Square FoundationCinema Paradiso, an Italian film by Giuseppe Tornatore. It is a touching and poignant story about human relationships.

Favourite book

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari



Favourite music/song

1980s English Rock 'n' Pop



Favourite fictional character and why?

I love Batman because he is a do-gooder out to save his city.

Favourite historical figure and why?

I admire Benjamin Franklin for multiple interests and multiple careers.

Favourite leader and why?

Warren Buffett, for his acumen, temperament, wit and humility.

Mukesh Bansal

Head of Commerce, Flipkart, Chairman, MyntraForrest Gump, because it's a very life-affirming movie and has a very positive approach. It has a certain child-like innocence and curiosity to it; it makes you feel good about life and the world.

Favourite book

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. It portrays a complete picture of how humanity has evolved and how the current world has come to be.

Favourite music/song

Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon sung by Mukesh in Kabhi Kabhie. I love old songs, this one more so as it puts life in perspective and tells us to make space for our future generations.

Favourite fictional character and why?

Captain Kirk from Star Trek. He never loses his can-do spirit and looks for winning solutions no matter how difficult things might be.

Favourite historical figure and why?

Albert Einstein, because he just completely changed the paradigm of times. He could challenge the status quo and had a unique perspective, irrespective of the norms of the day. There were no limits to his imagination. He was a curious man who had completely new perspectives on everything.

Favourite leader and why?

Mahatma Gandhi. He operated out of a deep sense of values and never compromised on them. He had, and still has, a massive followership without exercising any power.

Naveen Tewari

Founder and CEO, InMobiThe Martian. It delivers the most important message of life in a simple, yet powerful way. Mark Watney's dialogue summarises it the best: "At some point, everything's gonna go south on you and you're going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home. All you need is to go on, fail, learn, and keep going till you succeed."Steve Job's biography, the most disruptive inventor and entrepreneur who ever lived.

Favourite music/song

The 1980's Neele neele ambar par chand jab chaye



Favourite fictional character and why?

Sherlock Holmes - I love his method of deduction.

Favourite historical figure and why?

Nikola Tesla. Being a gadget enthusiast, I love inventions and Tesla is possibly the greatest inventor of all time. He plunged into areas never fathomed before and never gave up.

Favourite leader and why?

India is blessed with great legends like Ratan Tata, Azim Premji and Nandan Nilkeni. They are an epitome of humbleness and great leadership. I am very lucky to have a couple of them as my mentors.

Nikhil Nanda

MD, EscortsThe Godfather, the best movie of all time, a benchmark for direction, acting and screenplay.

Favourite book

The Bhagavad Gita, a spiritual dictionary, a guiding light delivering lessons of life and karma.

Favourite music/song

Jeena yahan marna yahan, iske siva jaana kahan



Favourite fictional character and why?

Hercules, an epitome of strength and adventure.

Favourite historical figure and why?

William Shakespeare, the greatest writer in English language. The world has grown reading him.

Favourite leader and why?

Mahatma Gandhi, an ordinary man, exemplary leader.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Founder and CEO, PaytmLion King. It was my first English movie. It taught me that you should never take more than you can give.

Favourite book

Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch. It teaches the importance of clear thought process and fast decision making and also the excitement of steering a really large company to new heights.

Favourite music/song

Rock. Where The Streets Have No Name by U2



Favourite fictional character and why?

Obelix. He's so cute, innocent and nice that he becomes extremely funny.

Favourite historical figure and why?

Mahatma Gandhi, for his capability to move masses without any threat or violence.

Favourite leader and why?

Barack Obama. His election speeches are mesmerising; his election battle was also an incredible and graceful fight.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Founder & chairman, Jupiter Capital, Rajya Sabha MPBraveheart, Gladiator -inspiring stories of individual courage.

Favourite book

Too many to put down. But here are a few: iCon: Steve Jobs, The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business; Money from Thin Air: The Story of Craig McCaw and Biography of Isaac Newton



Favourite music/song

I Am Not Afraid To Take a Stand by Eminem and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton



Favourite fictional character and why?

Garfield and Calvin & Hobbes for making me smile and think; and Jason Bourne because he is the secret agent that I have always wanted to be!



Favourite historical figure and why?

Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Shivaji, Neil Armstrong and every Param Vir Chakra winner - for their achievements and valour.

Favourite leader and why?

Atal Bihari Vajpayee - for his humility, humour and deep commitment to India.
R K Pachauri proceeded on leave from his recently gained position of executive vice-chairman of Teri (The Energy and Resources Institute) and former Competition Commission of India chief Ashok Chawla was appointed the chairman by the governing council.

Chawla replaces an old-time colleague of Pachauri, B V Sreekantan  who was serving as the chairman. Ajay Mathur, who had replaced Pachauri as director-general when the latter was made executive vice-president, was also included in the governing council. The decisions emerged from a meeting of Teris governing council in Delhi on Friday.

In the last paragraph of a full-page press release shared after the meeting, Teri said, R K Pachauri, who had been at the head of the institute since 1982, will be on leave from Teri, Teri governing council, and Teri University till this is reviewed by the governing council, given the sub-judice nature of the matter.



The sub-judice nature of the matter that the press release did not mention explicitly is a sexual harassment case lodged by a woman employee at Teri, who has since resigned, and the consequent multiple court cases and ongoing police investigations. Pachauri had obtained a stay from a local court against the governing council acting upon the internal complaints committee report which had found him guilty of sexual harassment of the complainant employee.

The NGOs council had met in an emergency mode as a result of the outcry over giving Pachauri a newly carved executive role in the organisation, even as a second complaint of sexual harassment at the work place had emerged recently and many Teri University students had protested against his continuing role at the helm of the educational wing. Pachauri had gone on leave as chancellor of Teri University on Thursday after the protests but continued at Teri till Friday.

The governing council of Teri includes business stalwarts Naina Lal Kidwai and Deepak Parekh. The latter, when contact by Business Standard, refused to comment on the matter. He had participated in the meeting via conference call.

The governing council explained its decision to appoint Pachauri as executive vice-chairman (instead of the post of director-general he earlier held) of Teri in the press release. Teri said it was necessitated by the gap between Ajay Mathurs appointment in July 2015, and the actual taking over of the position only on February 8, 2016, once the government had accepted his resignation. The press release from Teri read, Mathur was able to join only on 8th February, 2016, after he was finally relieved by the Government of India. The governing council effected various interim arrangements so as not to destabilise the operations of the Institute.



Mathur was originally expected to join Teri in October but then it emerged that the governing council had decided not to hand over complete executive control to him by elevating Pachauri to the role of executive vice-chairman. On Friday, the Teri release said, The process for the replacement of Pachauri as director-general of Teri culminated in the appointment of Ajay Mathur as director-general with full executive powers on July 23, 2015.



The release did not mention that Mathurs powers had been subsequently curtailed even before he joined as director-general, by giving Pachauri another executive position and where he was tasked to lead the organisation in setting up new offices internationally as well as within India.

The release also said, The council also inducted the new director-general, Ajay Mathur, as a member of the council who will operate with full executive powers.
Late in 1995, Captain Bikramjit Kanwarpal led a 10-man patrol back to Rinchen Post, high above the Siachen Glacier at 20,700 feet on the Saltoro Ridge. As always, the patrol was roped together so that, if one soldier fell into a hidden crevasse, the rope - held taut by the combined strength of the others - would save him. These were ethnic Tibetans from the Special Frontier Force, genetically equipped for these altitudes. Yet, just short of the post, in a rare moment of complacency, the last man in the file unhooked himself from the rope; and fell into a crevasse.

His frantic comrades shone torches into the crevasse and called his name. To their relief he responded; he was 50 feet below, wedged between the walls of the narrow crevasse. A rope was quickly lowered, but an overhanging ledge made it impossible to pull him up. With each attempt, he slipped lower into the crevasse.

As Kanwarpal shouted out orders to the rescuers and reassurance to the victim, the Pakistani post nearby got wind of an emergency. In seconds, artillery fire began raining down, and the Pakistani post opened fire with machine guns.

Yet the rescue did not flag. Eight hellish hours later, the soldier was hauled out of the crevasse, semi-conscious but alive. Kanwarpal radioed for a helicopter to evacuate him, while the rest of the jawans ran to their machine guns and began firing back at the Pakistanis.

"It was dangerous and tiring. But nobody, not even once, thought of abandoning their comrade," says Kanwarpal, now a well-regarded Bollywood actor.

This never-say-die camaraderie was in evidence this fortnight at another Siachen post called Sonam, where Colonel Um Bahadur Gurung and some 150 soldiers of 19 MADRAS searched tirelessly for 10 comrades buried by a collapsed ice wall. After six days of superhuman effort, nine bodies were recovered and, incredibly, one soldier who was still alive.

Yet, this effort could not save Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who died on Thursday in a Delhi hospital. The "Siachen miracle", as he became known on social media, needed one miracle too many.

"The fifth miracle did not happen," explains Colonel (Retired) Narendar "Bull" Kumar, the iconic mountaineer who masterminded India's occupation of Siachen. "Miraculously, Hanamanthappa did not break a single bone despite coming under an ice avalanche - which we mountaineers call bone-crushers. A second miracle saved him from frostbite. The third miracle was surviving five days and nights below 30 feet of ice. The fourth miracle was being able to locate and rescue him alive. Surviving all this would have been a fifth miracle."



Siachen is replete with stirring stories of will, starting from India's arrival in the summer of 1984. With the army spurred into action by radio intercepts that suggested Pakistani troops would soon occupy the glacier, two army platoons (36 men each) were helicoptered - one soldier at a time - to two key passes on the Saltoro Ridge, which are the approaches to Siachen from Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. One platoon from 4 KUMAON under Captain Sanjay Kulkarni (a lieutenant general today) took control of Bilafond La. The even higher Sia La was occupied by a Ladakh Scouts platoon, locals familiar with extreme altitudes.

The next six years saw sustained fighting on Siachen as the Pakistan Army, under commanders like Pervez Musharraf, scrambled to respond. The Indian Army, a crucial march ahead, steadily built up troops, eventually occupying key features on the Saltoro Ridge and shutting Pakistan out from even a view of the glacier. The 1990s saw a sullen Pakistani acceptance of Indian dominance on the Saltoro, but artillery and machine gun duels continued, usually to Pakistan's cost. Since 2003, the Indo-Pakistan ceasefire has held in Siachen; yet, between 10 and 24 Indian soldiers have died from environment-related causes each year.

Today, five Indian infantry battalions control Siachen at any given time, about 800 men to a battalion. Another five battalions are either acclimatising and training to be deployed, or recuperating after their tenure on the glacier.

Surviving on the glacier is easier now, thanks to fiberglass shelters, snow scooters and modern communications to deal with the isolation. Yet the hostile climate degrades equipment; and then soldiers quickly find themselves in conditions like those faced by troops in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Major General (Retired) Anil Sengar, who served in Siachen in 1986-87, recalls not even having a tent to sleep in. Units would fabricate makeshift shelters from parachutes and crates used for airdropping supplies. He remembers the wind blowing so fiercely that its icy fingers would find even the smallest tear in the parachute fabric and rip it to shreds.

Kerosene, the most valuable supply, is invariably in short supply, which meant the bukharis (kerosene-burning stoves) that heated the shelters were put off as soon as everyone climbed into their sleeping bags. Within five minutes, the temperature within the shelter would fall to -20 C.

Supplies are still dropped by AN-32 aircraft at two dropping zones on the glacier. Due to winds, the parachutes scatter across a large area, needing several days of effort to gather and carry those heavy loads to posts that were sometimes 14-16 km away. There were always snow scooters, but they rarely worked in those temperatures. Today, modern snow scooters make the job easier.

For latrines, men used narrow crevasses, squatting over them, holding onto a rope and hoping that shelling would not begin. Artillery, machine-guns and sniper fire were constant realities.

Yet, most of the 879 Indian lives lost on the glacier, including the 10 men killed last week, were claimed by weather, terrain and altitude. The army quickly gained expertise in predicting avalanches, and dealing with pulmonary edema, in which the altitude causes fluid to collect in the lungs and suffocate a patient.

Casualty evacuation is almost exclusively by helicopter, but survival very often depends upon the weather. Days of continuous blizzard or snowfall can mean death in some cases. In those altitudes, the tiny choppers that can land on forward posts can carry just a single casualty. There is no place for a nursing assistant, or even the bedding of a soldier being evacuated.

For all these reasons, soldiers posted in Siachen get the highest grade of hardship allowance: Rs 31,000 for officers and Rs 21,000 for the others. Even so, soldiers have sardonic comments about cadres like the Indian Administrative Service, where a posting to Guwahati entitles most officers to Rs 54,000 and the highest grade to Rs 75,000 a month.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Minsk Group co-chairs will submit proposals on the opportunities for reducing the risk of border clashes and for promoting the dialogue in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line and on Armenian-Azerbaijani border, U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said also referring to the possible visit to the region and the organization of the possible meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

- Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian during his recent press conference said, that it is not excluded the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs will visit the region within the coming days. When exactly will be your visit to the region?

The Co-Chairs do not have any immediate plans to visit the region, although we hope to visit the region in the near future. Our aim is to discuss opportunities to move negotiations on a settlement forward. We will also raise proposals to reduce the risk of violence and possibilities to promote dialogue.

- Before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session, where two Anti-Armenian reports were discussed, The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement urging not to make any steps that could undermine the Minsk Groups mandate from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe or complicate ongoing negotiations. Azerbaijani side strongly criticized that statement and even accused you in religious discrimination. How will you comment that?

We do not object to a discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in regional and international organizations, and we support Azerbaijan and Armenias right to raise the issue as they choose. The Co-Chairs wanted to emphasize that the Minsk Group remains the negotiation format accepted by the sides. We hope Armenia and Azerbaijan will remain fully committed to working closely with the Co-Chairs on a negotiated settlement.

-Dont you think that openly expressed discontent of Azerbaijan is only the continuation of the steps aimed to change Minsk Group format?

The Co-Chairs serve in our capacity as mediators at the request of the sides. We will continue our efforts to help mediate a lasting settlement as long as the sides believe our services our helpful. It is the Presidents who must demonstrate the political will necessary to bring about a settlement.

-USA, France and Russia always urged both Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to intensify negotiation process. In this content, do you plan the next meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan?

The Presidents hold the keys to a settlement in their hands. We would like to facilitate an intensified dialogue and more structured negotiations so they can make progres
The Delhi Police on Friday arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students union, on charges of sedition, sparking protests from politicians and academics who termed it reminiscent of the police crackdown in the university during the Emergency years.

Kumar was sent to three days police custody by a city court. He was booked for allegedly holding an event at the university on Tuesday in protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on his death anniversary. Guru was hanged in the Tihar Jail in 2013.

In the court, the police sought Kumars custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of Kumar and his associates with terrorist groups. Kumar told the court this was a politically motivated case and he was being framed by the police. He said he did not endorse the anti-India slogans allegedly raised at the event in any manner and that had full faith in the Constitution of the country.

The police case was registered on Thursday following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Maheish Girri and the partys student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Tuesdays event had taken place despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who had termed the activity anti-national.

A group of former deans said they were shocked at Kumars arrest.

They said the student leader belonged to the All India Students Federation and his views and political associations were well known. They said to accuse him of sedition was beyond the bounds of credibility. K N Panikkar, Utsa Patnaik, Prabhat Patnaik, C P Bhambri and some others said the situation was reminiscent of the Emergency of 1975-77 - the last time a JNU students union president was arrested.

Some other former students, including Nationalist Congress Party leader D P Tripathi, also condemned the arrest. Tripathi was the JNU students union president to be arrested during the Emergency. While we hold no brief for those who raised objectionable slogans, the arrested students have been charged with anti- activities, precisely the charges on which we were also arrested during the draconian Emergency, Tripathi and others stated.

They said the storming of the hostels and the arrest of the president of students union were signs of the imposition of an undeclared emergency that need to be opposed, confronted and defeated.

The BJP welcomed the arrest of Kumar. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a JNU alumnus, said she was proud of it and the university had a culture of open debate but asserted that limits were crossed in this case. Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said the nation will never tolerate insults to mother India.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also warned of the strongest possible action against those who raise anti-India slogans.

The Left parties questioned the arrest of Kumar and asked Delhi Police not to act in connivance with ABVP to target the entire Left even as they likened the ongoing developments in the varsity campus to situations during Emergency.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, a former president of the JNU students union, tweeted: What is happening in JNU? Police on campus, arrests and picking up students from hostels. This had last happened during Emergency.



Apart from students union president Kumar, the police also booked Zakir Hussain College professor S A R Geelani on charges of sedition. Geelani was part of an event at the Press Club of India where a group allegedly shouted slogans hailing Afzal Guru. Geelani was acquitted in the Parliament attack case. The Press Club of India condemned Wednesdays incidents at its premises and said a show-cause notice was served and further action would follow.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stall the trial court proceedings in the Herald case. Hearing a special leave petition by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, a Bench comprising judges J S Khehar and C Nagappan said it found no justification in interfering in the trial at this stage.

However, it directed the expunction of all inferences and conclusions made by the Delhi High Court in December, while rejecting a petition by the Gandhis. It also allowed the Gandhis exemption from personal appearance in the trial court considering the position they occupied and the inconvenience their appearance could cause to the public.

SCs OBSERVATIONS The Bench, comprising judges J S Khehar and C Nagappan, finds no justification in interfering in the trial

It directs the expunction of all inferences and conclusions made by the Delhi High Court in December

Allows the Gandhis exemption from personal appearance in the trial court

Earlier, senior counsel Kapil Sibal raised various arguments questioning the merit of the charges made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy that are being considered by the trial court.

Swamy has alleged various offences, including fraud and breach of trust in a restructuring of Heralds ownership. The transaction involved assigning of loans worth Rs 90 crore given to Heralds parent company The Associated Journals (AJL) to a non-profit entity called Young Indian floated by professionals and Gandhi family loyalists Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. AJL issued shares amounting to 99.8 per cent stake to Young Indian in lieu of this assigned loan. In the last leg, the Gandhis took over control of Young Indian acquiring 76 per cent shareholding between themselves. Swamy alleges the entire transaction is a fraud on original shareholders of AJL and is aimed at grabbing the substantial real estate assets of AJL including capitals Herald House, which he says is worth Rs 1, 600 crore.

Sibal dwelt on issues such as the legality of the interest free loans given by the Congress and how there was no complaint of breach of trust. Whose trust have I breached? Sibal asked.

Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in a (IPC Section ) 420 case there should be a victim and a perpetrator. But, in this case, Swamy was not the one who is aggrieved and the millions of Congress workers are not complaining, Singhvi said.

Judge Khehar said, You have ample opportunity (to argue) at the stage of framing of charges.



The Gandhis had objected to various inferences in the Delhi High Court order in December describing their conduct as "questionable" and that with "criminal intent".

The judge added, We will set aside all the inferences and conclusions made by the (High Court) judge. He has drawn conclusions and prejudiced the trial.



While Swamy did not object to this, on the matter of personal appearance, he referred to the courts earlier judgments, which held that the matter of personal appearance in court should be decided by the magistrate.

However, the court decided that in view of the special circumstances, including the position held by the petitioners, it would be fit to exempt them from personal appearance. Presence of petitioners would cause more inconvenience than convenience, the court said. However, the trial court can demand their appearance, if necessary.

Security had to be tightened as chaotic scenes had ensued in the streets of the capital when the Gandhis and senior congress leaders decided to walk down to appear in the Patiala house trial court proceedings in December.

Both sides claimed victory after the proceedings. Swamy highlighted the fact that the plea to quash the trial was not upheld. In a press release issued later, Sibal said, It is now clear that neither Dr Swamy nor those inimical to the Congress party can rely on any prima-facie observations or findings of any court and allege that the office bearers of the Congress party, including its president, vice-president and others have committed any illegality or wrong doing.
The Centre has sought 15,000 acres from the Maharashtra government to set up a mega refinery in the state, Minister of Petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan said here on Friday.

The project will be a collaboration between Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum while Engineers India Ltd is the consultant for the project.

"We had very successful discussions with the Maharashtra government and hopefully, work will start soon", the minister said.

Pradhan who was in the city to attend the 150th year of foundation day of Balmer Lawrie, said at a later date, the consultant company might pick up a stake in this project as well.

He said the investment of the project will be decided after the ongoing techno-economic feasibility study has been concluded. The project will have a refining capacity of 60 million tonnes.

The Maharashtra government will be deciding on the availability of the required land.

Asked about the savings as a result of lower crude prices, he said that 55 per cent of the saved amount is being passed onto the consumers.

"The balance is being used to build roads and related infrastructure as well as pass fiscal benefits to the states based on the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission", Pradhan said.
Fearing the availability of limited iron ore blocks for auctions, the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) has appealed to the Union ministry of mines to extend validity of non-captive leases till March 31, 2030.

The validity of such mining leases is to expire on March 31, 2020 as stipulated by the amended Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) MMDR Act, 2015.

According to Auction Rules, only those mineral blocks explored up to the G2 level can be put to auction. State-run mining PSUs, which have been authorised to undertake prospecting have to gear themselves to explore areas to be allocated to them. Besides, the dependency on reports of exploration agencies like Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL) and Geological Survey of India (GSI) is in doubt, pointed out Fimi.

"If explored blocks (up to G2 level) are not available and the term of existing leases comes to an end on March 31, 2020, only the captive mines in operations will be able to feed their plants.

This is a scary situation for the country's manufacturing industry, which do not have captive mines. This will also have cascading effect on the downstream industries since one man's production is another man's raw material," Fimi secretary general R K Sharma said in a letter to Union steel & mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

Since the leaseholders of non-captive leases need time to remove plant, machinery and mines out material, Fimi suggested they should be given the right of first refusal.

The Odisha government has so far extended the lease validity of 58 mines, both captive and non-captive leases. More than 100 mines are still awaiting extension of lease validity.

"There are many mines whose lease validity need to be extended. Their cases will be taken up by the inter-departmental committee of the government", said Deepak Mohanty, director (mines).
Industrial output fell for the second consecutive month, dipping 1.3 per cent in December, government data showed on Friday. The pace of contraction, though, decelerated from 3.4 per cent in November, the sharpest decline in four years.

The index of industrial production (IIP) had dipped for the first time in 13 months in November after rising 9.8 per cent in October. The IIP has gained 5.1 per cent on average in the third quarter.

The difference with growth captured in gross domestic product numbers was quite evident where industrial output climbed almost nine per cent in the third quarter after rising 6.3 per cent in the second quarter.

Cumulative industrial growth for April-December 2015 was 3.1 per cent, up from 2.6 per cent in the same period a year ago.

Manufacturing contracted 2.4 per cent in December after shrinking 4.7 per cent in November and rising 10.6 per cent in October. Factory production grew by 1.6 per cent in the third quarter on average.

Growth in mining climbed to 2.9 per cent in December from 2.9 per cent in the preceding month. Electricity generation increased by 3.2 per cent, up from 0.7 per cent in November.

Within manufacturing, the capital goods output declined 19.7 per cent in December, but slower that the 24.5 per cent fall in November. Consumer non-durables saw production decline by 3..2 per cent, less than the 5 per cent fall in November. Production of consumer durables grew 16.5 per cent in December against 12.5 per cent in November.

Of the top 22 products within manufacturing, 12 posted declines, down from 17 in November.

Radio, TV and communication equipment registered the highest growth at 1,082 per cent. Electrical machinery fell by the largest margin at 46.5 per cent. Growth in furniture also significantly slowed from 104 per cent to 16 per cent. Cable, rubber insulated, sponge iron and stainless/alloy steel contributed the most to the contraction in the index.

"The persisting contraction in industrial production in December 2015, despite a normalisation in the number of working days, as well as the fairly widespread contraction in the sub-groups of manufacturing, are sources of concern," said Aditi Nayar, senior economist with ICRA.

The Chennai floods in December could also have contributed to the December industrial production.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was considering steps to empower banks to recover bad loans, a day after a major sell-off in the stock market and a number of public sector banks reporting shrinking profits.

He also said there was no need for panic and investors should consider the economy's inherent strength.

On Friday, Andhra Bank and Canara Bank reported dramatic falls in profits and IDBI Bank slumped to a loss. Andhra Bank's October-December profit stood at Rs 34.46 crore, down 83 per cent from Rs 201.71 crore in the same period last year. Provisioning for bad debt rose to Rs 905.56 crore from Rs 541.52 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to seven per cent from 5.99 per cent in the year-ago period.

Canara Bank reported an 87 per cent drop in net profit to Rs 84.9 crore, year on year, from Rs 655.9 crore. Its gross NPAs rose to 5.84 per cent from 3.35 per cent. In absolute terms, its gross NPAs rose to Rs 19,813.44 crore by the end of December from Rs 10,573.57 crore a year ago.

IDBI Bank posted highest-ever quarterly loss by an Indian bank at Rs 2,183.68 crore in October-December, against a net profit of Rs 102.79 crore in the same period of last year. Its gross NPAs increased to 8.94 per cent from 5.94 per cent in the year-ago period.

"These are loans given earlier by these banks, and as part of prudent policy it has been considered that their balance sheets should be transparent. The banks are going to take all steps possible to recover loans from debtors," Jaitley said in a video uploaded on the finance ministry's YouTube channel.

He added the Reserve Bank of India had empowered banks to recover sticky loans.

The gross NPAs of state-owned had risen to Rs 3.01 crore by September 2015 from Rs 2.67 lakh crore in March 2015.

"The bankruptcy law is under active consideration. The government is also considering steps to empower banks to recover these monies. It's a problem which will soon come under control," Jaitley said.

"The government is committed to supporting public sector banks by providing whatever capital requirements because these banks have played an important role in supporting the economy," he added.

Jaitley also spoke on the mayhem in global markets and said that was the primary reason for the sell-off on Indian bourses. "There could be several reasons, the uncertainty over the Fed rate or what's happening in Europe or the slowdown anticipated in China. These factors will remain and will have to be tackled by those economies," the minister said.

On Thursday, the Sensex fell more than 800 points after foreign investors intensified selling on a weak global economic outlook and concerns over the health of Indian banks. This was the biggest fall in the Sensex in nearly six months. On Friday, the Sensex ended 34 points higher at 22,986.12.

"It would be part of prudent investment reaction that the inherent strength of the Indian economy is kept in mind rather than reacting disproportionately to the global developments," Jaitley said. India even in the midst of a global slowdown had stood out with a 7.5 per cent growth rate, he added.
The inaugural Make in India week kicks off in Mumbai on February 13. Over 190 companies, including multinationals, 5,000 delegates from 60 countries, and leading industrialists will participate in the 6-day manufacturing jamboree. Make in India itself has been making headlines over the past year. Here is all you need to know about the campaign to boost Indias factory output:



1) Make in India was launched on September 25, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage multinational as well as domestic companies to manufacture their products in India.
The Maharashtra government is ready to roll out the red carpet to investors during the Make in India week.

The government expects investment intentions of Rs 4 lakh crore  including Rs 20,000 crore from Sterlite, Rs 10,000 crore from Siemens, Rs 10,000 crore from Ascendas, Rs 6,500 crore from Posco, Rs 4,000 crore from M&M, Rs 2,500 crore from Hiranandani Group, Rs 2,500 crore from SKIL Infrastructure, Rs 1,500 crore from Raymond and Rs 1,000 crore from Mercedes India. These investment proposals will be in IT and ITES, integrated industrial parks, power transmission and distribution, steel, textiles and semiconductor fabrication.

State industries minister Subhash Desai, on the eve of Make in India Week, told Business Standard, Maharashtra is the favoured destination for domestic and FDI. The government will enter into MoUs with the global and Indian companies during the Make in India Week. Investment worth Rs 4 lakh crore is expected and it is in addition to the investment proposals of Rs 75,000 crore received since the government took over in October 2014.



He said the government had taken a slew of decisions including reduction in the number of approvals to 37 from 76 and it will be further cut to 25. Besides, the government has done away with the River Regulation Zone norms, reduce inspections and prepared a single window policy whereby investment proposals will be processed and cleared at one place.

Further, the minister said the government has also come out with policies to promote start ups and encourage entrepreneurship among scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. ''The government is committed to inclusive growth and it will not just restrict to Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad but will spread over across the state, he added.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Targeting civilian is an act of terrorist and criminal country, Spokesperson of the President of the Artsakh Republic David Babayan expressed such an opinion in the interview with Armenpress referring to the murder in Artsakh, committed by Azerbaijani sniper. Shepherd becomes a targeted person for Azerbaijan: This confirms the fact that we deal with terrorist country, a country which is not entirely different from the Islamic State terrorist group. It violates all moral and legal norms.

Azerbaijan announces that it keeps an Armenian hostage which is a rough violation of the international law. In the modern world hostages are kept by terrorists, criminals but they inform about it at the state level. We know what country we deal with but the international community must appropriately react as well. Unfortunately we do not see such reaction, Spokesperson of the President of the Artsakh Republic David Babayan said. In response to our question whether Azerbaijan tries to divert its public attention from internal affairs, David Babayan noted that this approach has always been noticed by the Azerbaijani authorities.

There is always the option to divert attention from domestic problems, especially when there are serious socio-economic problems. It is profitable for Aliyev and the ruling elite to give big sacrifices. They turn into a political show showing that the Armenians are enemy of the people and not the corrupt regime, David Babayan added. Artsakh Presidents spokesperson assured the situation on the border is completely controlled by the Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani soldiers were thrown back and they have a lot of losses. According to David Babayan, as such cases are still repeated; the opponent will receive an appropriate response.

On February 11, at around 16:00 Civillian, resident and pastor of Vazgenashen village in Martuni Region Hakob Hambardsumyan(b. 1962) was shot dead from Istiglal rifle, by Azerbajani sniper. Investigation is underway to determine the details of the incident.
While Indian banking stocks would have fallen regardless, given the global equity market meltdown, a big reason for their fall is their worsening asset quality. The Reserve Bank of India had to arm-twist public sector to disclose their toxic assets, and after providing for them start writing them off.

Former Reserve Bank deputy governor K C Chakrabarty has dubbed these technical write-offs by as a scam. Chakrabarty, who handled the supervision department, told The Indian Express that Technical write-offs by Indian are inequitable and should be stopped. It is a big scam. Small loans are rarely written off; most of them are big loans.



Public sector banks have written off Rs 114,000 crore over the last three years and a further Rs 50,000 crore or more is expected to be written off this year.

There is a perception that write-offs mean that the banks have given the borrower a clean chit by sacrificing his outstanding amount. Lets try to understand write-offs and a technical write-off in order to understand Chakrabartys point.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A WRITE-OFF?



Let us assume you have taken a loan of Rs 100,000 from a bank but are unable to repay. From the banks point of view, the loan is an asset and the interest that would have accrued from you would have been income. In the banks balance sheet the loan amount will be shown as an asset so long as your account is considered normal.

But if you stop repaying the monthly instalments, the bank will generate lower revenue due to lack of interest payments. But the loan amount remains as an asset in its books since the bank still hopes that you will pay back the money. But beyond a point, as per RBI norms, if there is no income  in this case, interest  coming from an asset, the bank will have to first provide for the loss of the asset and then eliminate it from its balance sheet.

This process of declassifying the loan as an asset in the books is what is termed as write-off.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ASSET?



But this write-off does not mean that the bank will not try to recover money from you. They might either try to continue to recover the money themselves or sell your loan to a recovery company. Your debt has been written off from a creditors book but not from its memory. You continue to owe them money.

HOW DOES IT HELP THE BANK TO REGISTER A LOSS?



So what advantages does a bank have in writing off your loan if it still intends to pursue you to recover it? One, it gives a true and fair picture of the assets that are making money. After all, there is no point in having a huge asset base that doesnt give any returns. And two, by writing off the loan the bank gets a tax break on the losses incurred.

WHO PAYS FOR THE LOSS?



But if you are not giving back the money to the bank, who will pick up the tab? A major portion of it is done by the government which loses tax revenues as the losses are set-off against tax.

But if the government is losing tax revenue, why does it, along with the central bank, encourage write-offs?



Most of the public sector banks were inflating their asset base by continuing to show the defaulting accounts as normal, and not lending money to others who needed it. Before writing off the toxic assets, recapitalisation of banks would not have been of much use as banks would have used this money to hide their losses. In order to encourage lending and kick starting the economy, banks are now being encouraged, rather forced, to clean up their balance sheets and start afresh.

HOW DOES A BAD LOAN AFFECT OTHER DEPOSITORS?



Finally, do write-offs impact other depositors? Yes it does. Banks that have a high level of non-performing asset tend to have low deposit rates and keep lending rates high in order to recover the losses on these assets.

As for technical or prudential write-off, this is the amount of non-performing loans which are outstanding in the books of the branches, but have been written off at the head office level. Chakrabartys point is valid that smaller defaulting accounts are not given the same leeway that the bigger ones are. But the bigger accounts normally have the clout and other means to prevent a bank from recovering their assets. The same is not true for a smaller account that sooner or later pays up due to pressure tactics.

As per new rules by RBI, even the bigger players who have defaulted will now find it difficult to raise money easily from the banking system if their earlier account is not cleared.
Ashoka Fellows for the year 2015 call on President . .

A group of 17 Ashoka Fellows for the year 2015 led by Shri Anshu Gupta, Magsaysay Award Winner called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee today (February 12, 2016) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. .

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Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Ashoka Innovators for the Public (ASHOKA) is a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs comprising people with innovative solutions to urgent social problems. It provides an enabling platform to social entrepreneurs to think and act as change agents. It is a matter of pride that this organization has over the last 35 years of its establishment, mentored and supported over three thousand Ashoka Fellows in eighty two countries, including over 380 Fellows elected from India. .

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The President said that there are many social needs that public, private and civil society institutions are not able to meet fully. At the same time, there is tremendous ingenuity amongst the people, which if tapped, could address the necessities of the common men and women. Much as the blooming of the spring, innovations by students, professionals, common man and local communities can bring smiles on the faces of millions of people. The process of innovation converts knowledge into social good and economic wealth. It encourages the engagement of talent with the society to improve the quality of life. Creating an inclusive eco-system call for linkages between innovators on the one hand, and academic and research institutions and market forces, on the other. Countries successful in building such a network have become innovation leaders. .

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Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Ministry of Textiles discusses Handicrafts and NIFT Our dream should be that people in all corners of the globe proudly ask for Made in India" Handicrafts: Textiles Minister Linkage of Fashion with Handlooms and Handicrafts would be beneficial to both: Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Textiles Minister highlights new cluster-level approach to Handicrafts development for artisan empowerment NIFT has deftly combined the local and the global in its pedagogy: Textiles Minister Crafts Cluster Initiative and International MoUs highlight the global local approach of NIFT: Textiles Minister Government is funding construction of NIFT campuses at Shillong, Raebareli and Srinagar: Textiles Minister MPs call for strengthening of marketing and promotional activities of handicrafts MPs congratulate the Ministry and NIFT for sustaining the world-class quality of NIFT People in all corners of the globe should proudly ask for Made in India" Handicrafts: this is the dream that the Textiles Minister Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar laid out before the members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Ministry of Textiles, held at NIFT, Hyderabad on the eve of the inauguration of Make in India Week, by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Minister said that artisans by themselves cannot glorify the rich cultural heritage of our country; the combined vision and efforts of all stakeholders, along with Government endeavours, is required. Shri Gangwar underlined that all our energies, resources and enterprise should be wholeheartedly devoted to devising ways and means to realize this dream. The Textiles Minister gave a brief overview of the initiatives being taken by the Government in this direction. He said that a comprehensive National Handicraft Development Programme has been launched which emphasizes integrated approach for holistic development & support to the crafts & artisans. The new approach is built on the key element of empowering artisans by skill upgradation, design development, technology upgradation and supply of raw material, through easily accessible Common Facility Centers at cluster level. Developing and strengthening marketing linkages through various options such as exporters, direct sale, participation in sale expos and e-commerce is another major component of new approach. Welfare of the artisans is being taken care of through Handicrafts Artisans comprehensive welfare schemes. The Minister also spoke of the export performance of the handicrafts sector. Speaking of NIFT, Shri Gangwar said that the premier academic institution in the country in the field of fashion education and research has deftly combined the local and the global as a part of its pedagogy. Through the Crafts Cluster Initiative, NIFT faculty, students and alumni play a proactive role in the growth of traditional handicrafts & handlooms; at the same time, NIFT also collaborates with leading fashion institutions around the globe, through its 34 MoUs, to keep itself abreast of latest global trends and developments. The Minister said that it is a tribute to the academic rigour of NIFT programmes, that almost 3000 industry-ready professionals are delivered by its various campuses and placed with the best names in the fashion industry every year. The Minister recalled that almost all independent rating surveys of fashion schools place NIFT campuses on top of their charts. Shri Gangwar added that the Government of India is presently funding the construction of NIFT campuses at Shillong, Raebareli and Srinagar. Shri Gangwar said that at the behest of his Ministry, NIFT is moving towards greater engagement with handlooms and handicrafts. He said that this linkage of fashion with handloom and handicrafts should be beneficial to both, i.e.

NIFT students will get sensitized to our artistic heritage on one hand and handloom and handicrafts sector will get new ideas, insights and technology on the other. The Minister noted that another important dimension of NIFT is its role towards womens employment and empowerment, given the fact that almost 80% of its students are girls.
Science & Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan asks CSIR to Focus on Providing Potable Water to all . .

The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan called upon Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI) to coordinate & exchange scientific developments in water purification technologies with all other CSIR laboratories to provide affordable potable water to all. The Minister while on a recent visit to CSIR-CGCRI, said that this should be one of the major focus areas for CSIR. .

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He also reviewed the optical amplifier product developed at the Fiber Optics and Photonics Division of this lab. The Minister appreciated the proposal of initiating a National Photonics Programme at CSIR-CGCRI. With respect to the optical fiber for telecommunications, it is currently met by indigenous production as well as import. .

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Dr. Harsh Vardhan while appreciating the recently developed Confocal Microscope developed at CSIR-CGCRI, suggested that all CSIR laboratories should purchase this CSIR product for their R&D work instead of purchasing imported microscopes at much higher cost. .

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The Minister appreciated the efforts of the outreach CGCRI centres at Naroda in Gujarat and Khurja in Uttar Pradesh in helping the MSME Sector and asked it to spread its good work to most other states as well to help the poor. .

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Director CSIR-CGCRI Dr. Muraleedharan, also explained the new initiatives taken in the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar by the Institute. The Director also presented the various programmes in which the institute is involved for supporting strategic sectors like Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) and DRDO. .

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The Minister visited the Bioceramics and Coatings and the Glass Divisions of the institute. The progress in various project activities in biomaterials for medical applications as well glass and glass fibre development for industrial, medical and strategic applications were described in details to him. .

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Dr. Harsh Vardhan recalled contributions of the great visionary scientists of Kolkata such as Acharya P C Ray, Dr J C Bose, Dr M N Saha, and Professor C V Raman who worked and contributed greatly to World science much before independence with several constraints and with no access to modern equipments. They showed us the way to carrying out frugal research methodologies and great passion for achieving World class scientific research. He told that people working in this city are lucky and must rise to the level of visionaries. .

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Director, CSIR-CGCRI described the recently launched Equipment Utilization programme initiated in the institute. It involves training of young scientists of the institute below the age of 40 on various R&D equipments available in the institute. This would enrich them scientifically and make them potential leaders to fill up the vacancies created in the near future following the superannuation of senior scientists. The Minister appreciated the idea and suggested that CSIR head quarters should explore the possibility of designing and implementing similar programme in other CSIR laboratories/institutes. .

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The Director also presented the mapping of human resources and technology capabilities to various National Missions such as Make in India, Swachch Bharat, Swasthya Bharat, Samarth Bharat-Sashakt Bharat, Namami Gange, Skill India etc. launched by the Prime Minister. He explained how the institutes technical activities are aligned with these National Missions. .

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Dr. Harsh Vardhan reminded the audience about the vision of the Prime Minister, who is also the President of CSIR, to contribute by heart and soul for the successful implementation of the National Programmes. .

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Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of call on by Ashoka Fellows for the year 2015 . .

1. I am happy to meet this young, enterprising group of Ashoka Fellows for the year 2015. At the very beginning, I extend you and the representatives from the Ashoka Innovators for the Public a warm welcome to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. .

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2. Ashoka Innovators for the Public (ASHOKA) is a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs comprising people with innovative solutions to urgent social problems. It provides an enabling platform to social entrepreneurs to think and act as change agents. It is a matter of pride that this organization has over the last 35 years of its establishment, mentored and supported over three thousand Ashoka Fellows in eighty two countries, including over 380 Fellows elected from India. .

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3. I am told that ASHOKA applies a rigorous selection process to elect their Fellows. The candidates and their innovations have to fulfill criteria like system-changing idea, entrepreneurial quality, creativity, ethical fiber and social impact. It is heartening to know that the Ashoka Fellows for the year 2015 who are present here have devised innovative solutions in areas like education and skills training, healthcare and urban development. .

Friends:.

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4. There are many social needs that public, private and civil society institutions are not able to meet fully. At the same time, there is tremendous ingenuity amongst the people, which if tapped, could address the necessities of the common men and women. Much as the blooming of the spring, innovations by students, professionals, common man and local communities can bring smiles on the faces of millions of people..

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Friends:.

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5. The process of innovation converts knowledge into social good and economic wealth. It encourages the engagement of talent with the society to improve the quality of life. India has had a long tradition of innovation.From time to time, the common people in our country have ushered in novel solutions to overcome their day-to-day difficulties.The drivers that influence the pursuit of innovation are many from basic survival to propulsion of growth.A healthy eco-system is needed to harness innovative potential of various segments in different sectors and at multiple levels in our society. .

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6. Creating an inclusive eco-system call for linkages between innovators on the one hand, and academic and research institutions and market forces, on the other. Countries successful in building such a network have become innovation leaders. As an attempt to bring educational institutions and innovators within the ambit of an inclusive innovation system, a programme for Innovation Scholars In-Residence was started in Rashtrapati Bhavan. I would like to inform you that two batches of innovation-scholars have come so far, one group of five scholars in the year 2014 and a second group of ten scholars in 2015. During their stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, they have been mentored and connected with relevant stakeholders to provide wings to their ideas. .

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Friends: .

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7. Educational institutions have a critical role to play in nurturing innovations in society. The large network of higher educational institutions of 712 universities and over 36,000 colleges in India is poised to play a leading part in developing an innovation eco-system. To catalyze the institutions of higher learning in this process, I have been urging the leaders of the higher education sector to establish a connection between their institutes and innovations in their hinterland, and to also set up Innovation Clubs. I am happy to state that in over sixty central higher educational institutions, innovation clubs have been set up. They provide a platform to encourage students tosense the unmet needs of the common men and women, and search, spread and celebrateinnovations.Once unmet needs are mapped, the pedagogy and research process can be reoriented suitably. .

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8. For the first time ever, a week-long Festival of Innovations was organized at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in March 2015 in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation. It demonstrated new technologies and products made by the grassroots innovators. TheGlobal Roundtables on Inclusive Innovation and Financing of Innovation in the Festival saw the participation of distinguished thinkers, policy-makers, academicians, entrepreneurs and financiers. The second Festival of Innovations will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in March this year. You may like to consider participating in this event. The presence of renowned participants from India and abroad will provide a global platform to all the innovators and participants of this Festival. .

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9. With these few words, I conclude. I wish you all the very best for your endeavours. Chase your dreams as you fulfill the dreams of your country and countrymen. .

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Thank you. .

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Google's top global tax executive told UK lawmakers that a new UK tax provision dubbed "the Google Tax" will not actually apply to the US technology giant. The law, officially the Diverted Profits Tax, was introduced last year amid concerns that Google parent Alphabet Inc and other global tech companies were using their complex corporate structures to shift profits to offshore tax havens. It allows the government to charge a 25 per cent tax - five per cent above the standard UK corporate rate - on any profits it decides have been improperly moved out of the UK. But Tom ...
Shares of Voltas were down over 5% at Rs 229 after the company registered nearly 50% decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 54.2 crore for the December 2015 quarter compared with Rs 107.4 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.

However, net sales during the December 2015 quarter was higher by 39% to Rs 1,301.1 crore compared with Rs 939 crore in the quarter ended December 2014.

Segment-wise, revenue from electro-mechanical projects and services for the quarter was higher at Rs 722 crore compared with Rs 461 crore in the same quarter last year, the company said in a release.

However, segment result was negative Rs 9 crore because of an adverse international projects environment, as compared to Rs 9 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, the release added.

The stock opened at Rs 235 and touched a low of Rs 226. At 11:10am, over 1.6 million shares were traded on both the stock exchanges.
Pakistan's Bacha Khan University will re-open on Monday after a closure of three weeks following a terrorist attack at the varsity which left at least 21 students dead.

The decision in this regard was taken during a meeting between the management and security heads at the campus on Friday.

The university was opened on January 25 but was closed again for indefinite period owing to inadequate security.

The committee visited the campus and observed that walls and watch towers had been erected and CCTV cameras with improved centralized system had been installed. The local police was also on alert to provide security to the varsity.

According to the vice chancellor, the university will also avail the services of a psychiatric specialist to lessen the traumatic effects for the students.

The campus will also appoint more security guards.
The Shiv Sena on Friday said it was not surprised over David Coleman Headley's revelation that Late Balasaheb Thackeray and the party's headquarters in Dadar were being targeted by the LeT, adding that it was 'a Paramvir Chakra moment for the party'.

"Shiv Sena supremo late Bala Saheb Thackrey ji, played the role of a fierce patriot, who always fought the battle against Pakistan, so the terrorists of Pakistan would target Shiv Sena and its chief. We are not at all surprised over David Headley's revelation," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told the media here.

"We feel this is proud and privileged for us. It feels like we have got the Mahavir Chakra and Paramvir Chakra. We are patriots and we fear no one and we will continue our work," he added.

Raut further remembered the late Sena supremo, saying Bala Saheb Thackrey always said that he was proud to be on the hit-list of Pakistan.

"The Shiv Sena Bhawan, Thackrey family and the Matoshree have been on the hit list of Pakistan terrorists, they haven't been successful yet neither they would be in the future," he added.

When asked to respond if any member of the party was involved in the episode, Raut said, "I don't feel any Shiv Sainiks would have been involved in this episode."

Pakistani-American terrorist Headley told a Mumbai court today during his deposition, that he tried to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba might be interested to either attack Sena Bhawan or "assassinate its head", a reference to Bal Thackeray.

Headley was answering questions put to him by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam regarding all those people in Mumbai with whom he had developed friendly relations.
Chris Brown is in some legal trouble as the woman, who claimed that the rapper and his crew hit her and tossed her out of a Las Vegas party, has now filed a lawsuit against him.

Liziane Gutierrez has filed documents in Clark County, Navada, claiming that she went to Brown's room at the Palms Hotel and Casino and then someone, the rapper or his crew member, hit her in the face, reports TMZ.com.

In the suit, she also said that someone in the room took her cell phone.

Gutierrez is suing for battery, theft and defamation.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs has submitted the candidacy of Arman Tatoyan for the post of Human Rights Defender to the parliament.

Armenpress reports that 5 MPs voted in favor of and 6 against Zaruhi Postanjyans candidacy. No one abstained. 2 MPs voted in favor of Narek Aloyan, no one abstained or voted against. 7 MPs voted in favor of Arman Tatoyans candidacy, and 4  against. No one abstained.

The National Assembly will discuss the issue of electing Arman Tatoyan as the Ombudsman in the coming plenary session. The election will be held by the principle of secrecy. The Human Right Defender will be elected by qualified majority of 3/5.
The body of Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad will arrive at Hubli in Karnataka today where citizens will pay their respects to him, before his remains are taken to his village in Dharwad for last rites.

The district administration has made preparations for people to pay their final respects to Koppad at the Nehru Stadium in Hubli and later at Betadur Government High School after 11.30 am.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will also be present for the last rites of Koppad at his village in Betadur, in Dharwar.

Hanamanthappa, who was miraculously found alive after remaining buried under huge mass of snow for six days at the Siachen Glacier, passed away at Army's Research and Referral Hospital at 11.45 a.m. on Thursday.

Devastated with the demise of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who passed away at Army's Research and Referral Hospital here this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was proud that martyrs like the Siachen braveheart served India.

"He leaves us sad and devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
The religious scholars from different Muslim countries have unanimously denounced all forms of terrorism, religious extremism and sectarian violence, vowing to shun differences and strive for peace.

The clerics have in a joint declaration issued after the Message of Islam Conference held in Islamabad called for guiding and educating youth against terrorism, extremism and sectarianism and declared military, ideological and intellectual alliance to be the panacea to all ills," the Dawn reports.

They said that the prevailing tension between Iran and the Arab countries was dangerous for the entire Muslim .

The Islam Conference termed 'anti-Islam and anti-Muslim' all militant outfits involved in killing innocent people and blamed them for weakening the Islamic countries by using the name of Islam and jihad.
Coca-Cola India has stopped production at three plants ahead of the peak summer season due to inadequate demand of the brand's beverages.

The plants situated in Jaipur, Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya are affected due to the agony. Activist body India Resource Center (IRC) reported the primary reasons for the closure to be the Kaladera plant in Jaipur, which increased difficulty in accessing groundwater from a depleted aquifer, in addition to incurring financial losses.

The spokesman of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), Coca-Cola's bottling company, said production at the Kaladera plant had been halted because of lack of demand in the region and not due to charges of water depletion. The plant has currently suspended manufacturing, the spokesperson said.

Kaladera is the fourth Coca-Cola plant to face activist backlash over environmental issues. The company's plant at Plachimada in Kerala downed shutters in 2005 following an agitation and the two plants in Uttar Pradesh are facing local resistance over charges of groundwater depletion.

The Meghalaya unit is a small one, while the Andhra Pradesh facility is mid-sized. "We are going through a process of consolidation where new state-of-the art facilities are being built and existing production capacities are being optimized," HCCB said in a statement.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in December last year issued a notice to the company, seeking an explanation of its plant's drainage and waste polluting the environment in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad city.
While "vaping" has been seen as a healthier alternative to smoking, a new study has provided more evidence on the potential harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

A University of Louisville researcher Daniel J. Conklin will discuss his early research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting.

Conklin will share new data showing that e-cigarettes have been shown to speed up atherosclerosis - the plaque-causing disease that leads to heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease.

When atherosclerosis affects the arteries of the heart, it is known as coronary artery disease, a condition that affects more than 15 million Americans and causes 500,000 deaths annually.

"Currently, we do not know whether e-cigarettes are harmful," Conklin said. "They do not generate smoke as do conventional cigarettes but they do generate an aerosol - the vapor - that alters indoor air quality and contains toxic aldehydes. We investigated the direct effects of these toxins on cardiovascular disease in the laboratory."

He noted that these findings indicate that multiple tobacco-derived constituents have cardiovascular disease-causing potential.
Narrating the startling revelations made by 26/11 conspirator David Coleman Headley, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Friday said that the former conducted a recce of Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple and asked the LeT not to attack the shrine as it was heavily guarded.

Nikam said that Headley was asked by Major Iqbal to recruit the people from Baba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in order to collect confidential information from there.

"David Headley has made some new revelations today. He said that he had conducted a recce of BARC and he was asked by Major Iqbal to recruit some people from BARC to collect information," Nikam told the media here.

"He said that he conducted a recce of the Siddhivinayak temple and Shiv Sena Bhawan. He said that he asked the LeT not to attack Siddhivinayak temple and the Naval Air Base because they were heavily guarded," he added.

The Special Public Prosecutor said that Headley had also purchased sacred threads from Siddhivinayak temple, which could be used by the attackers to blend among the Hindus.

"He (Headley) said that he wanted to attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan but the target was cancelled later. He said that there plans to attack a Shiv Sena leader," he said.

Nikam said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi considered two options before the 26/11 Mumbai attacks

"The two options were egress option and stronghold. Stronghold means that to remain at the site till death and egress meant that to leave that place and go to Kashmir. He said that Lakhvi thought that if the attackers knew that they have to flee then the attacks won't be good. So, he opted for the egress option," he said.

Nikam further said that Headley visited several other places such as Pushkar, Pune, Delhi, Chabbad House and the Defence College besides Mumbai in India.

"When asked why he chose Chabbad House, he said that it was a place where the Jewish people live," Nikam said.

"When we asked why he wanted to attack the Defence College, he said that lots of senior Majors and Brigadiers give training in the college. He said that if they are killed then it will be a big blow to India," he added.

Nikam said that Headley also had links with the Al-Qaeda, which was not known to his handlers in the LeT.
Amid the ongoing controversy over anti-India slogans being raised at an event in the varsity against the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the Delhi Police on Friday arrested Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The Delhi Police had earlier registered an FIR against some unknown persons on a complaint filed by the Press Club management against the event organizers.

The complaint in this regard was filed at the Parliament Street Police Station.

The Delhi Police had earlier registered a case of sedition against the JNU students, who had agitated against Guru's hanging following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maheish Girri and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The day belonged to Kanye West as he showcased his Yeezy Season 3 collection during New York Fashion Week and released his much awaited album 'The Life Of Pablo.'

The event was a star studded affair as apart from the Kardashian clan, celebs like Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Tyga, Kid Cudi, Jonathan Cheban, Austin Mahone and Anna Wintour marked their attendance, reports E! Online.

According to tickets, contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft also performed during the event.

To introduce his album, the 38-year-old rapper went straight to the DJ booth and told his guests that he is going to play his new album, they should feel free to shake a leg.

Not only this, Lamar Odom flew for the first time after his recovery to attend the show.
The deposition of David Coleman Headley began before a special Mumbai court on Friday where he is revealing the sequence of events and planning behind the 26/11 terror attacks.

Here is what Headley has said on the fifth day of his deposition:

1. Major Iqbal said that I should in future recruit the people from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for the ISI who would collect classified information.

2. Headley admitted that he visited and made a video of BARC and then handed it over to Major Iqbal and Sajid Mir.

3. Major Iqbal asked me to survey the Naval Air Station in Mumbai, which I did and then discussed about it with LeT operatives.

4. In July 2008, I visited Chabad House (Nariman House) in Mumbai, made a video of the premises as I knew that it was Jewish community centre.

5. I also discouraged LeT from attacking the Naval Air Station and Siddhivinayak Temple as I observed that both are heavily guarded.

6. I wanted to access the Shiv Sena Bhavan in case the LeT is interested in attacking the building in future.

7. I met Rajaram Rege at the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar (Mumbai) because I was interested in accessing the building.

8. I met Rahul Bhatt during a body-building competition through a person named Vilas. Vilas was the in-charge of Moksha Gym.
On the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Nepalese counterpart, K P Sharma Oli will undertake a five-day visit to India from February 19 to 24, 2016.

"This would be Mr. Oli's first foreign visit after assuming office. Prime Minister Oli will meet Prime Minister Modi and call on President Pranab Mukherjee on February 20, 2016," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

During the visit, the two sides are expected to hold discussions on issues of mutual concern, as well as on our bilateral cooperation in diverse areas - developmental assistance, energy and connectivity.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture.
A recent study by British Economist Lord Jim O'Neil, Chairman of the Review on Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) has come up with path breaking recommendations which challenge the prevalent practices on drug resistance.

The 6th report on the Review on Anti Microbial Resistance was published on February 11 that sets out that there are too few vaccines and alternative approaches to antibiotics available for doctors to use to tackle many of our most urgent drug resistance threats. More investment needs to go into developing these products.

O'Neill said that the problem of drug-resistant infections could be compared to a slow-motion car crash - one that has sadly already begun. 700,000 people are already dying every year from resistant infections, rising to 10 million a year by 2050 without action to hit the brakes now.

He added that antibiotics are important to tackle this threat, but if we can encourage the development and use of vaccines and other alternatives we give the world a better chance of beating drug-resistance.

This is the latest in a series of reports by the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), before the final recommendations are made to the UK Prime Minister in May 2016, which will set out a package of actions to tackle drug-resistant infections globally.

The report recommends that vaccines can be useful to combat drug resistance because they reduce the number of infections and avoid antibiotics being used, which is a key driver of drug resistance. But vaccine development takes a long time, often more than 10 years, and is expensive, with the vast majority of potential vaccines failing to reach the market.

In addition to vaccines and in response to the growing threat of drug-resistant infections, there are many new areas of scientific research emerging that could become alternatives to antibiotics or help reduce our dependence on them by preventing infections.

However, for many of the most worrying drug-resistant diseases the current pace of progress and funding offers little to no hope that new products will be available in the next five to ten years.

India has taken AMR as a serious issue and the Ministry for and Family Welfare is organising the Global AMR Conclave, from February 23-25, 2016 at New Delhi, at which Chief Medical Officer of UK, Dame Sally Davies will be present, along with members of Lord O'Neill's Review team, and UK's Charity NESTA which runs the Longitude Prize.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India, said that the increased resistance to antimicrobials is a global problem of immense concern and implementing the strategies outlined in Lord O'Neill's report is an important priority. Ensuring that comprehensive use of WHO approved vaccines occurs is an important starting point.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha hopes that Russia-Turkey strained relations will be limited on political level and will not escalate into military operations.

Armenpress reports Nikolay Bordyuzha announced about this during Astana-Yerevan-Moscow Space Bridge. He said that the CSTO does not plan to add troops on the border with Turkey.

I find no necessity to add troops. The capacity of the 102nd base is sufficient for solving the task put before us, the CSTO Secretary-General said, adding that the mission of the Russian base in Gyumri is to ensure regional stability.
New Delhi, Feb 12 (ANI): Sonam Kapoor's forthcoming biopic film 'Neerja' has been banned in Pakistan allegedly for showing the country in poor light. This proves that be it politics, sports, international issues or even cinema, the Asian neighbours are never on the same page.

'Neerja' is not the first Bollywood film to be banned in Pakistan as there have been several other flicks, which could not save themselves from coming under the hammer of the neighbouring country's censor board.

Pakistan had earlier banned big banner Indian films like 'Haider', 'Phantom', 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan', 'The Dirty Picture' and 'Ek Tha Tiger' among others.

So, why it is that the Pakistan Censor Board is always looking for an opportunity to put a ban on Indian films?

Is it because of a horrific history or as Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan aptly said after his film 'Phantom' got banned, "If you tell uncomfortable truths, the film gets banned."

Pakistanis have a greedy appetite for Bollywood films, but the Pakistan Censor Board seems to be least bothered about this fact.

The Pakistan Censor Board usually bans Indian films when they feel our movies show Muslims in negative light or terrorists being given Muslim names in the films or few dialogues don't go well with the authorities and the biggest reason when any Indian film is based on Kashmir.

There is something or the other which always irks someone in Pakistan.

Indian films have done well in Pakistan since a ban on their screening was lifted during the tenure of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

We really hope the Pakistan Censor Board soon places a full stop on banning Indian films.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the powers have agreed on an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war wrecked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at ending the five-year war.

Dawn reported that the working group of 17 countries meeting agreed 'to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time'.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed 'to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately'.

'Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas,' added Kerry.

He also said peace talks between rebels and the Syrian government would resume in Geneva 'as soon as possible'.

They were derailed earlier this month as the regime began bombarding the key rebel city of Aleppo with support from Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, triggering an exodus of over 50,000 refugees.
At least 36 militants were killed in the past 24 hours as Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) carried out military operations in the country, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

A total of 25 militants were injured and four were detained by ANSF during the operations, Xinhua quoted General Dawalt Waziri as saying.

The Afghan air force also carried out 64 air operations including airstrikes, logistic and support flights over the same period, the official added.

The ANSF also seized weapons and defused several landmines.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency for more than a decade, has yet to comment.
A Strong and shallow undersea quake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale rocked East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia on Friday, but it was not a potential for tsunami, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency of Indonesia said.

The US Geological Survey reported that the quake was of 6.5 magnitude with the depth of 30.5 km under seabed, according to Xinhua.

The Indonesian agency said the quake was recorded at 17.02 p.m. (Jakarta time) with the epicentre at 14 km southwest of Sumbawa Barat of East Nusa Tenggara under sea bed, an official of the agency told Xinhua by phone.

"We do not issue a tsunami warning," the official said.

Indonesia is prone to quakes as it lies on a vulnerable quake zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".
A Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders clash in the US presidential elections could be God's Gift to political cinema.

Some outlines for a script come to mind: Clarence Darrow versus William Jennings Bryan, on two sides of the famous Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925.

Or the epic battle between Ed Murrow of CBS News and Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch hunt.

One can pack Trump's anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic invective in the script. But where is Sanders in all of this?

I suspect, the Darrow-Bryan contest will work better. The scene is set in the criminal court of Tennessee. On trial is a substitute High School teacher, John Scopes, for violating the Tennessee Act which prohibits teaching human evolution as enunciated by Darwin. The result was the classical Fundamentalist-Modernist clash focused on whether or not any reality exists outside the Bible.

In a country where evangelicals constitute 40 percent of Republican voters, a debate on Homo sapiens evolving from apes may yet raise a storm in pockets even today.

William Jennings Bryan, who felt that a study of human evolution was anti- Christian, actually contested the presidential race on three occasions. He was Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State, later humiliated by the famous Defence Attorney Clarence Darrow. Bryan and Trump come from an abiding tradition of anti-intellectualism.

Darrow and Murrow represented the streak in American liberal decency which makes Sanders' campaign for the Democratic nomination so compelling.

The world changed when the West, led by the US, interpreted the collapse of the Soviet Union not as a victory for freedoms but as the triumph of the Market, of rampaging capitalism.

Nation states, more petrified than elated, allowed themselves to be stitched together as two party systems, beholden to corporate and global finance. Within a short span, every electoral democracy gave out a foul stench of crony capitalism.

Establishments across the board had lulled themselves into complacency. The global media, Murdochized, would manage public opinion in their favour. This turned out to be a delusion. Murdoch today is a bad name in serious media circles.

Remember how new media technologies were being developed in Washington to create colour revolutions - orange, rose, cedar - bypassing local controls. Soon, advanced models of these technologies were available with every West Asian terrorist group. Lightening spread of the Internet has opened up a plethora of the new parallel media, more credible than mainstream information sources.

Not just electoral democracies but all other systems of government are now under scrutiny by the people. The result is that two party systems in democracies are being challenged. People are placing question marks on other forms of government too.

When the Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi ignited the Arab Spring by setting himself on fire in December 2010, ordinary people began to occupy centrestage for the first time in dictatorships. The late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sensed this settlement at the grassroots. He rained $135 billion on his people.

Then, step by step, the Syrian and Yemeni theatres were opened up to externalize internal upheavals. Today, the Saudis are riding two tigers from neither of which can they dismount.

In India the electorate demonstrated its autonomy from the two party strait jacket by delivering 67 out of 70 seats in the Delhi state assembly to a barely two-year-old party called AAP.

Joko Widodo in Indonesia, Pablo Iglesias in Spain, Alexis Tsipras in Greece, Antonio Costa in Portugal, Justin Trudeau in Canada, all newcomers, represent a wholesale rejection of new economic policies bringing corruption and economic disparities in their wake. Jeremy Corbyn as the new leader of the British Labour party, and series of electoral verdicts in Nordic and East European counties are also a manifestation of disgust with establishments.

This global trend would tend to suggest that Bernie Sanders, self avowed Socialist, is not a rank outsider any more. But his popularity among young voters is pitted against the powerful establishments behind Hillary Clinton. And establishments are at this stage being corroded, not exactly toppled. But the process of toppling them is seriously underway.

Hillary has been First Lady for two terms, Senator and Secretary of State. Does her performance as Secretary of State commend her as President? Under her watch, Ambassador Christopher Stevens was brutally killed in the US mission in Benghazi.

There she was announcing to the media "I came, I saw and he died". She was talking of Qaddafi's death. This alongside footage of Qaddafi sodomised by a knife.

The next memorable image of Hillary concerns her management of the Syrian crisis. "Get out of the way, Assad," she proclaims with an imperious wave of the hand. And Assad is nowhere close to bowing out.

If voters persist with their quest for the novel, how is Hillary Clinton a repository of any novelty?

And yet, the celebrated intellectual, Noam Chomsky, is probably right.

"Bernie Sanders is a decent honest New Dealer." A "New Dealer", Chomsky explains, is "someone who is far out to the left of the field." Chomsky spots the conflict between the people and establishments doggedly fighting to stay on.

Sanders is unlikely to make it to the White House in the system of "Bought Elections", Chomsky says. How then has he come this far?

How does Chomsky explain Trump's popularity? "It is a reflection of depression, hopelessness, concern that everything is lost." Trump's propagandist strategy is in line with a history of directing anger "on straw men such as immigrants, welfare cheats, trade unions and all kinds of people who you think are getting everything you are not getting".

(A senior commentator on political and diplomatic affairs, Saeed Naqvi can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)
A female Snapdeal executive, who was abducted from the Vaishali Metro Station in Ghaziabad, managed to flee from her captors in Haryana's Karnal town.

Deepti Sarna, 23, was abducted on Wednesday night.

Her grandfather KN Sarna said that at 6.00 a.m. Deepti called-up her father Narendra Sarna from an unknown mobile number and told him that she had managed to flee from Karnal and had reached the New Delhi Railway station. She asked him to pick her up from the station.

While returning from Delhi, Ghaziabad police intercepted Narendra's car and escorted them to the Vaishali police station for questioning.

Earlier when police failed to trace the girl even after 30 hours, residents staged a protest by blocking roads and held a sit-in at Hapur road outside the SSP's Office.
Over 200 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were detained here on Friday for protesting against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University who raised anti-India slogans, police said.

"We have detained members of ABVP who were protesting at the India Gate over the recent JNU controversy. They have been detained under the violation of Section 144," Deputy Commissioner of Police Jatin Narwal told IANS.

The controversy broke out when on Tuesday night, some students organised a meet to mourn the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were raised.

ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
A court in Andhra Pradesh on Friday sent AgriGold chairman A.Venkata Rama Rao and managing director A.V.S. Narayana Rao to judicial custody for 14 days in a case of alleged illegal deposits.

The Crime Investigation Department (CID), which arrested the duo on Thursday night, presented them before the second additional metropolitan court in Eluru in West Godavari district.

A group of depositors tried to stop the police vehicle carrying them. The police had to intervene to disperse the protestors.

The management of AgriGold Farm Estates India allegedly collected deposits to the tune of Rs.7,000 crore from depositors in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and other states without statutory permission. Over 32 lakh people invested their life savings in the company.

The arrests were made a few days after the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana pulled up the CID for "slackness" in the investigation and its failure to arrest the company management.

The high court also threatened to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The arrests were made a few hours before the case was to come up for hearing in the high court.

The high court, which resumed hearing on Friday, adjourned it to February 19.

The AgriGold management submitted to the court list of its assets. The judicial committee, constituted by the court to auction the properties, is scheduled to meet on Friday evening.

The state government handed over the case to the CID about two years ago but the depositors moved the court over the delay in investigations.

Telangana AgriGold Customers and Agents' Welfare Association filed a petition seeking probe either by the CBI or Enforcement Directorate.
An American prince in 1830s Afghanistan, the notorious but unlikely double agents of the Second World War and the Cold War, a corpse that deceived the Nazis, a famous German philosopher's sister trying to set up a colony in 19th century South America - it is some extraordinary, history-changing stories that Ben Macintyre has brought into limelight, from his penchant for "complex characters".

"I am attracted to double, different characters... complex characters... of some unlikely people in unexpected settings," the British historian, columnist and author told IANS in an interview. Macintyre, who was here for the Jaipur Literature Festival, has 10 books to his credit including a biography of Ian Fleming and his famous spy character, while his latest is on double spy 'Kim' Philby.

His debut "Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche" (1992) is the story of Friedrich Nietzsche's sister and her failed bid to set up a "racially pure" (and vegetarian!) German colony in Paraguay in the 1880s. It then goes on to tell how, once back home, she entwined her own theories on race and nationalism to create a distorted version of his philosophy - snapped up by Hitler and the Nazis to their own ends.

Macintyre confesses he was drawn to this topic by the motif of "unlikely people, with a rich vein of eccentricity, who willingly transplant themselves into a completely new culture".

After "The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth" (1997) and "A Foreign Field" (2001), about four British soldiers, who cut off behind enemy lines in France during World War I, lived in a village for over an year before being betrayed and shot as spies, he returned to this theme of "transplanted" people.

"The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan" (2004) is the story of Quaker Josiah Harlan (1799-1871), who reached British India and became an army surgeon, served Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then found himself in Afghanistan, where he became the prince of Ghor and raised the American flag on the Hindukush range during an expedition.

Macintyre says he came across Harlan's name in a historical piece on Afghanistan following the American invasion in wake of 9/11 and intrigued, dug into research including reading his memoirs which are unpublished and "possibly unread".

"Harlan was an extraordinary, complicated figure. He was not an obvious hero... was a very tricky and difficult man," he said of the American who eventually went back home and died in penury.

Equally engrossing is Macintyre's trilogy of World War II deception operations. "Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman" (2007) is about a British conman captured by Germans and agreeing to work for them but supplying disinformation to his handlers, even in face-to-face encounters.

"Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II" (2010) is about how a varied cast including an eccentric RAF officer, a gifted Jewish barrister, a famous forensic pathologist, a gold prospector, a beautiful secret service secretary, a submariner, three novelists, a transvestite English spymaster, an irascible admiral, and a dead Welsh tramp - who framed a plan that convinced Germans that the Allies were poised to invade Greece, not Sicily in 1943. "Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies" (2012), which deluded Germans on the Normandy landings, has an equally strange cast - a bisexual Peruvian playgirl, a Polish fighter pilot, a Serbian seducer, a wildly imaginative Spaniard, and a hysterical Frenchwoman.

Macintyre said that while there have been several books on these operations, most were "propaganda" written post-war and not based on documented evidence but he benefitted from declassified archival material. "It was a huge amount and full of details... very interesting," he said.

"A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal" (2014) is on the British spy who long worked for the Russians.

"Philby was complete double character... nobody does it better. He was the spy in the enemy camp who ended up running it, but always remained an enigma. His motives are still unclear," he said.

Noting Philby figures in several novels, Macintyre says his life was so extraordinary that "you don't need to make fiction of it".

"If it (his life) was presented as fiction, no one would believe it," he said.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Turkish Parliaments MP Garo Paylan denied the information whether Pork chain was used during the attack on Turkish-Armenian Demirci family in Itanbuls Sisli district, Agos newspaper informs as Armenpress reports.

Pork chain was not used and familys hands and feet were tied with a rope. Their mouths were also tied, Paylan said mentioning that they must discuss the happening as they present the local Armenian community.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party MP also confirmed all the suspects over the mentioned case are Armenia citizens.

One of the relatives of Demirci family informed Agos they still do not know the cause of Hagop Yakup Demircis death. We can know about that after the medical examination, but the process will take 1.5 months, relative said.

Seta Ayda Demirci and Hagop Yakup Demirci were attacked on February 6 in their house on Cumhuriye Street in Sisli. Given the fact that the valuables in the house were stolen, it was thought that this is a robbery. However, Seta Ayda Demirci and Hagop Yakup Demirci were tied with hogtie and this fact suggests that this might be a hate crime. Attacked by 3 people, Hagop Yakup Demirci was suffocated.

According to the initial investigation, the entrance door of the building was locked. Police investigators started to examine the footages recorded by the security cameras in the neighborhood.

Seta Ayda Demirci was slightly injured in the attack and discharged from the hospital on February 7.

After the crime Turkish police made investigation to identify the attackers. Law Enforcement Officials were able to identify the criminals faces by the records of the areas cameras. It also turned out that the three persons, who carried out the attack, hired a car and travelled from Istanbul to Trabzon. It is here that the police arrested them. The criminals aimed at fleeing from Trabzon to Georgia with the theft. 5 persons who assisted them in several cases were also arrested.

Trabzon Chief Public Prosecutor's Office shared a statement that 8 suspects (5 women and 3 men), are Armenia citizens.
A Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was shot dead on Friday by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Aurangabad district, police said.

The incident took place in Haspura town's Jalpura area when the victim, Mohan Yadav, was out for a morning walk.

"Two motorcycle borne assailants shot Yadav on his head and stomach from close range. He died on the spot," district police official said.

--IANS

ik/ksk

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Cambodian court on Friday sentenced disgraced former Phnom Penh Municipal Court President Aing Mealdey to three years in prison with one year being suspended on the charge of "unlawful exploitation".

The court decided to downgrade the charge against the former court president from embezzlement, which can carry a maximum prison term of 10 years, to unlawful exploitation, which carries a jail term of less than five years, Xinhua reported.

The court also ordered the convict to pay a fine of 5 million riel ($1,250).

Mealdey, 59, was removed from his post in February last year after Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a public speech that he might have taken a multi-million-US dollar bribe to release two suspects connected to a high-profile assassination case.

He was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in August last year. After the investigation, the former court president was not found guilty of taking bribe in the assassination case, but he was found guilty of giving an Audi SUV confiscated from a suspected drug dealer in 2014 to his son.

In a trial session late last month, Mealdey recognised his mistake and requested the court to change the charge from embezzlement to unlawful exploitation.

It was the first time in the country that an ex-court chief was sentenced over corruption-related charge.
China hopes its relations with France will achieve greater development as French President Francois Hollande has nominated a new foreign minister.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Friday said China congratulates Jean-Marc Ayrault on taking up the post of French foreign minister and stands ready to work with him to push forward bilateral ties, Xinhua reported.

Ayrault, former French prime minister, was nominated on Thursday by Hollande to replace Laurent Fabius.

As a senior statesman, Ayrault has made great contributions to the sound growth of China-France relations, Hong said.

The spokesman also spoke highly of Fabius's role in enhancing China-France ties. Fabius has paid 12 visits to China during his tenure as foreign minister and made earnest efforts to upgrade bilateral cooperation in various fields, Hong noted.

With the concerted efforts of the Chinese and French governments and people of all circles, China-France comprehensive strategic partnership has ushered in an era of closer and enduring relationship, Hong said.

China expects Fabius to continue to work for the friendship between the two countries, said Hong.
China has committed a "serious breach" of a handover treaty, the British government has said after finding that a missing bookseller was likely to have been "involuntarily removed", media reports said on Friday.

In a six-monthly report to parliament, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that Lee Bo, a British passport holder who disappeared from Hong Kong in late December 2015, was likely to have been taken to China against his will, The Guardian reported.

It is the first time Britain has noted a serious breach of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration under which Britain is obligated to ensure China protects free speech and other legal commitments in Hong Kong.

Hammond said that while the full facts of the case are still not clear, "our current information indicates that Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process," BBC reported.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," he added.

Lee is one of five booksellers or publishers missing from Hong Kong. All five are associated with publishing house Mighty Current, which specialises in books critical of senior Chinese leaders, and Causeway Bay Books which sells the titles.

Their supporters believe China has detained them because of this.

However, China has confirmed it is investigating three of the men for "illegal activities".

A fourth suspect, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, has appeared on Chinese state TV saying he voluntarily handed himself over to the authorities over a drunk-driving fatality.
The CPI-M on Friday denounced the "indiscriminate arrests of Left and progressive student leaders" at the JNU here, calling it a "long harboured design of the RSS and its camp followers".

The statement followed the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in the campus on Tuesday.

"The CPI-M strongly condemns the indiscriminate arrests of Left and progressive student leaders from the JNU campus," a party statement said, not giving the names of the others supposedly arrested.

"It is reported that currently the police (are) conducting a combing operation in JNU and its hostels."

Kanhaiya Kumar is from the All India Student Federation (AISF), which is affiliated to the Communist Party of India.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist accused the police of raiding hostels without arrest warrant and indiscriminately searching for student leaders.

"The presence of police in the campus and such indiscriminate arrests from hostels had last happened during the Emergency (period of 1975-77)."

The CPI-M, whose student wing SFI has a strong presence in the JNU, said the student movement in the university has the "impeccable record of upholding the unity and integrity of our country.

"An isolated incident, which does not reflect the opinion of the vast majority of the students, is now being blatantly used as an excuse to clamp down on the progressive and democratic student movement.

"This has been a long harboured design of the RSS and its camp followers. This anti-democratic authoritarian attack on JNU campus, seen in the light of state sponsored efforts by the BJP central government to silence dissent in premier educational institutions, has serious implications."

The CPI-M demanded the immediate release of the arrested leaders and "a proper independent enquiry" on the Tuesday meeting on Kashmir where the supposedly anti-national slogans were raised.

"The university authority must also stop such illegal and uncalled for action by the Delhi Police."
Lashing out at efforts to cobble up a Congress-Left Front alliance in the coming West Bengal assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dubbed the proposed tie-up as a "mistake" and "devoid of any ideology" and said it would come a cropper.

"The (Left Front spearhead) Communist Party of India-Marxist used to abuse the Congress. They used to call Rajiv Gandhi 'Bofors Gandhi' (a reference to the alleged Bofors scandal which broke out during Gandhi's prime ministerial stint when various members of the Swedish and Indian governments were accused of receiving commission from Swedish gun supplier A B Bofors with regard to the purchase of 155 mm howitzer field guns).

"The CPI-M used to call Indira Gandhi autocrat and painted pictures depicting her in poor light on the walls. The very same CPI-M is now making a volte face. They now want to team up with the Congress. And the Congress leaders are also dancing to the CPI-M tune and welcoming the idea," Banerjee said at a Trinamool Congress programme here.

She said even if the alliance comes into being, it would not dent her party's prospects at the hustings.

"They are making a mistake. They have jettisoned their ideals. Those who forego their ideals, they lose their credibility."

Highlighting the importance of ideology in politics, she said even if a party becomes weak, it remains a loner by sticking to its ideology. "But those who sell off their ideological beliefs for the sake of power, become non-existent."

In contrast, she said, her Trinamool has never compromised on its ideals.

Referring to the Trinamool pulling out of the United Progressive Alliance-2 coalition in 2012 on the twin issues of diesel price hike and retail FDI, Banerjee said her party's ministers had resigned rather than going against its ideals.

"Those who change their ideals,.. the CPI-M, Congress alliance is a big mistake. BJP is also with them. The three parties have come together against us in elections also.

"We don't care if there is any alliance.. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party. As long as I live I will live like a lion. But I want them to forge an alliance, so that they can evaluate their political standing."
Should the CPI-M ally with the Congress in West Bengal assembly polls? All CPI-M politburo and central committee members will give their views on the subject, a party leader said on Friday.

"All members of the PB (politburo) and CC (central committee) will convey their personal opinion," Bijan Dhar, a central committee member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, told reporters here.

The two policy making bodies of the CPI-M are scheduled to meet next week in New Delhi -- the politburo on February 16 and the central committee on February 17-18. The former has 16 members and the latter 101.

"The PB and CC will also finalize the electoral strategies of the CPI-M in the (coming) Bengal elections," said Dhar, who is also the secretary of the CPI-M Tripura state committee.

He said the 21st Party Congress of the CPI-M held in Vishakapatnam in April last year decided to maintain equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.

But it also decided that the party can form electoral alliances with "secular, democratic and pro-people" parties to fight "communal, undemocratic and anti-people parties", Dhar said.

Meanwhile, a two-day West Bengal CPI-M state committee meeting began in Kolkata on Friday to finalise a stand on a possible alliance with tne Congress in the state to take on the ruling Trinamool Congress.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat and politburo member Brinda Karat attended the crucial meeting.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Thursday night left for Kolkata.

The term of the 294-member West Bengal assembly ends on May 29.

Last week, a majority of West Bengal Congress leaders conveyed to their party vice president Rahul Gandhi their desire to ally with the CPI-M in the coming assembly polls.

The Tripura Congress, however, opposed the move.

"If the Congress allied with the CPI-M, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) will get the electoral benefit both in West Bengal and Tripura," Tripura Congress spokesman Tapas Dey said.

"We have communicated our decision to the party high command."

Media reports quoting CPI-M politburo member S.R. Pillai said most leaders of the CPI-M in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh were opposed to allying with the Congress.

But CPI-M leaders in West Bengal, including former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as well as Surjya Kanta Mishra and Mohammad Salim, have asked the Congress to side with the Left.
Nine people have been arrested and several others detained in connection with the attack on a CPI-M procession in West Bengal's Burdwan district which claimed one life, police said on Friday.

The attack took place Thursday night in Raina when bombs were hurled at a CPI-M procession protesting alleged mismanagement in distribution of new digital food security cards and ration cards by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.

While 20 people sustained were injured in the attack, Swapan Malik (50) succumbed to his injuries late night.

"We have arrested nine people in this connection. Over a dozen people have been detained for questioning," said Superintendent of Police Kunal Aggarwal.

While police have not commented on the political affiliation of the accused, the Communist Party of India-Marxist has accused the Trinamool of orchestrating the attack.

"Instead of legitimate food grains, Swapan Malik of Raina is killed by TMC hurled bombs. His blood must not go in vain. Intensify struggles," said leader of opposition and state CPI-M secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra.

There have been several instances of rioting and ration dealers and shops being attacked in the past few weeks.

While Chief Minister Banerjee has been assuring the glitches in destruction of digitised ration cards will be sorted out, the opposition has been mounting attack on her charging the government with extending the benefits in a biased manner.
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the 302 winners of its 2015 Consolidator Grant competition, European Commission said on Friday.

These excellent mid-career scientists are awarded a total of 585 million euros ($660 million) as part of the European Union (EU) research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, Xinhua reported.

With grants worth up to 2.0 million euros ($2.26 million) each, they would be able to consolidate their research teams and to develop their innovative ideas, said the ERC.

"As part of Horizon 2020, the ERC funds the work of some of the most brilliant minds in frontier research, people whose discoveries can start new industries, new markets and contribute to the welfare of the planet," said Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for research, science and innovation.

The researchers selected would be able to develop a new method to control insects transmitting diseases such as the Zika virus, build ultra-thin portable fuel cells or investigate the effectiveness of political apologies across cultures, for example, said the ERC.

Moreover, they are likely to employ more than 2,100 post-docs, PhD students and other research team members.

In particular, the share of female grantees in this call was 31 percent, a further increase from the Consolidator Grant competitions in 2014 and 2013.
At least five policemen were killed on Friday in an attack in Yemen's port city of Aden, a government official said.

According to the Aden-based government official, a group of militants believed to be Al-Qaeda members attacked a police station in Aden's district of Daar Saad, Xinhua reported.

Three police personnel were also injured in the attack, the official said.

"Masked attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at the police building and then opened heavy fire," local residents said.

The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past weeks resulting in the assassination of Aden's former governor, several high-ranking security officers and judges.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East and the affiliate of the Islamic State.

The security situation in the country has deteriorated since March when war broke out between the Shia Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Director of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia Gorik Hakobyan has relinquished office by the decree of the President of Armenia.

As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia Presidents Office, the decree particularly reads as follows,

Recognizing as basis the 2nd part of article 18 of the Republic of Armenia law on service in national security bodies, I decide to release Gorik Hakobyan from the post of the Director of National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia adjunct to the Government.
Pakistan-American terrorist David Coleman Headley may now have said that young Mumbai women Ishrat Jahan was an LeT operative. But the Gujarat government did not wait for his claim before reinstating the police officers accused of killing the 19-year-old and three others in an alleged 2004 shootout.

It reinstated in decent positions all the senior suspended police officials involved in this and two other alleged staged killings. This was within days of Narendra Modi taking over as prime minister and BJP leader Anandiben Patel stepping into his shoes as the chief minister in May 2014.

The police officials, including Deputy Inspector General D.G. Vanzara, who has since retired, are undergoing trials in special courts of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Vanzara, who has been barred from entering Gujarat, told a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday that his team's "finding" that Ishrat was a terrorist was vindicated by Headley's deposition.

Three inquiry reports stated that Ishrat Jahan's to be a fake encounter. The most stinging denunciation came from the CBI.

The central agency's two chargesheets go into minute details of how seven Gujarat Police and four Intelligence Bureau officials plotted the conspiracy, kidnapped and then held the girl and three others in confinement, planted weapons on them, and eventually killed them in cold blood on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

One of the chargesheets was so voluminous that CBI officials could not bring it to the court room while filing it. They told the crowded open court in the presence of journalists that the bulky chargesheet had to be deposited in the record room.

The policemen who led the so-called killer team were led by Ahmedabad Crime Branch's Vanzara, whose name also figures in two other fake shootouts. The Intelligence Bureau team was led by Special Director Rajinder Kumar, now retired, who also figures in another alleged fake shootout.

Besides Vanzara, the other police officials are Additional Director General P.P. Pandey and Superintendents N.K. Amin, G.L. Singhal, J.G. Parmar and Tarun Barot. Besides, the name of a police commando, Anaju Chaudhary (who died later), also figured in the CBI chargesheet.

The Intelligence Bureau officials included Assistant Director M.K. Sinha, Deputy Superintendent Rajeev Wankhede and P. Mittal, who allegedly facilitated the killings by generating fake intelligence inputs as well as by remaining present at the crime scene.

The two other sensational shootouts were the triple murder of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kauserbi and accomplice Tulsiram Prajapati. The three were killed separately in 2005 and 2006. Sadiq Jamal Mehtar was killed in another such "encounter" in January 2003.

The name of Gujarat's former minister of state for home and now BJP president Amit Shah had figured in the investigations in all three alleged extrajudicial killings. He also went to jail in the Sohrabuddin case and resigned from his post.

Going by the Gujarat Police officials involved in all the alleged fake shootouts, the terrorists had come to assassinate then chief minister Narendra Modi to avenge the 2002 riots.
Here's an idea for thoughtful people. Aways carry around a large number of prosthetic limbs, so if you're assassinated the guy who does the chalk outline will be able to create a fascinating piece of conceptual art. Of course, it's obviously better if one doesn't get knocked off, but it's important to be considerate, right?

The fact is a steady growth of civility and politeness is seeping into the whole evil-doer/law-enforcer paradigm. I started thinking about this when a reader sent me a news cutting about cops raiding a suspected drug house in the US state of Illinois. During the 90-minute search for evidence, a regular stream of drug-buyers turned up at the front door with cash, and police had to post officers there to politely deflect them.

The actual conversations (repeated at least 10 times) were not recorded but must have gone something like this. "Here for illegal drugs?" "Yes, please!" "Terribly sorry, but we're doing a major police raid here. Would you mind coming back later? Have a nice day."

The report reminded me of a robbery in Malaysia some years ago. Armed villains took over a 7-Eleven store to steal stuff from the stock room. To buy themselves time, some gang members put on staff coats and served customers who came in. Afterwards, witnesses told investigators that the only suspicious thing was that shop staff were more courteous and attentive than normal.

That tale in turn reminded one of my colleagues about a thief who went into a McDonald's in Sydney and demanded cash from the till. The quick-thinking manager said: "Sorry, we can't open the till unless you buy something." The robber checked his pockets to see if he had enough cash to buy the cheapest thing on the menu. He didn't. Again the exact words of the exchange were not recorded, but must have been on these lines: "Sorry, bit short of cash today, I'll come back another time." "Sure, don't be a stranger."

Now of course committing robberies is still illegal whether you're polite or not, right? Maybe not. Your columnist asked a lawyer who said that a bank robber in the US last summer tried to use his civility as a legal defense. He argued that since he had waited in line, asked for the cash politely, and used the terms "please" and "I would appreciate it" on the note he handed over, the demand should be seen as a friendly request and the money handed over seen as a gift. The defense failed, but I do think he should have won some sort of award for Largest Public Display of Chutzpah.

The same goes for the prisoner from the famous lock-up at Guantanamo Bay who posted his profile on a big dating websites, describing himself as "detained but ready to mingle". He had been locked away for eight years, so "ready" was probably a bit of an understatement. But then "half-crazed with desperation" might have come across as needy.

Always better to play it cool. Unless you work at a certain 7-Eleven, where it might make folk suspicious.

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send comments via his Facebook page)
Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said the global terror network Al Qaeda wanted to attack India's National Defence College in New Delhi as he also revealed a medley of Lashkar-e-Taiba plans to strike terror in the country.

Headley, who has been testifying through video-conferencing since Monday before a special court in Mumbai for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, claimed that Al Qaeda considered the defence college as "a good, high-value target with many senior military officers".

He said he visited the college campus casually for a survey in 2007 at the instance of Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

In his ongoing deposition before Special TADA Judge G.A. Sanap, Headley revealed how the Lashkar nefariously planned to eliminate Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray.

Headley, 56, spoke of developing close links with Rajaram Rege, the former PRO of present Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, by luring him with a business offer to access Shiv Sena Bhavan which was also on the target list of LeT.

"I took videos of the Shiv Sena Bhavan from outside and inside... I thought LeT would be interested in attacking it or even carry assassination of its (then) head (Bal Thackeray)," Headley said.

He said he provided two-three videos to his Pakistani handlers Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

Rege admitted that he knew Headley but said he never took him to the Shiv Sena Bhavan.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the Thackerays and the party have always been targeted by international terror groups "since we are the only ones who speak out against Pakistan".

The terrorist-turned-approver also talked about the Lashkar plans to hit Mumbai's famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple and attempts to recruit staffers from the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to tap them for "classified information".

"The ISI wanted to recruit BARC staffers for future... to get classified information from them," Headley said.

The Lashkar operative, jailed in the US for his terror activities, said that he came in touch with actor Rahul Bhatt, son of veteran film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, through the in-charge of the upmarket Moksha Gym. Headley was a member of the gym from October 2006.

He said he again surveyed the NDC, Chabad Houses in international tourist destinations like Goa, Pune and Pushkar after the Mumbai attack on the instructions of Kashmiri.

He said he handed over videos of the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the Naval Air Station to his main contacts Mir and Iqbal.

Outside the temple, he said, he bought a bunch of around 15 red and yellow coloured sacred threads and sent them to Mir so the terrorists could tie them around their wrists and pass off as Hindus and avoid detection.

Headley claimed to have discussed the temple and other terror plans with his LeT handlers and the ISI discouraged them from targeting the temple, Indian Navy's air force station, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Gateway of India in Mumbai as they were very heavily guarded sites when he surveyed them.

On his spying activities, Headley said he followed the progress of Indian Army and on one trip to Mumbai, he bought a book "Indian Army-Vision 2020" from Nalanda Books & Record Shop in Hotel Taj Mahal Palace.

He had purchased four other books - "Royal Rajasthan", "India's Jewish Heritage", "The Grand Trunk Road" and "Polo In India" - but the army book was of great interest to him, he said.

"The other four books were mostly pictorial and there was nothing

sinister about them."

At this, Judge Sanap enquired whether there was anything "sinister" (motives) about the book on Indian Army, Headley replied: "Yes... My Lord!"

At one point in the deposition, Nikam suddenly shot a question about a

woman named Kainaz.

"She was a friend from Mumbai," Headley replied.

"Friend or girlfriend," Nikam countered.

"Not a girlfriend, just a friend," a visibly irritated Headley replied.

Later, identifying a picture of the captured and hanged terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Headley said the LeT was "saddened" by his arrest during the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attack.
Emphasising that innovation converts knowledge into social good and economic wealth, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said a healthy ecosystem is needed to harness innovative potential of the people at multiple levels in India.

"India has had a long tradition of innovation. From time to time, the common people in our country have ushered in novel solutions to overcome their day-to-day difficulties," the president said while addressing a group of 17 Ashoka fellows who called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

'Ashoka Innovators for the Public' is a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs comprising people with innovative solutions to urgent social problems.

It provides an enabling platform to social entrepreneurs to think and act as change agents.

Mukherjee said that creating an inclusive ecosystem calls for linkages between innovators on the one hand and academic and research institutions and market forces on the other.

"Countries successful in building such a network have become innovation leaders," he said.

Mukherjee also felt that educational institutions have a critical role to play in nurturing innovations in society.
Udyan Sagar aka DJ Nucleya has done it all - reintroduced classic Bollywood songs like "Dum maro dum" and "Disco dancer", fused South Indian street and folk music with his signature bass heavy sound, and even experimented with nursery rhymes.

He believes that the masses are aware of "good and bad music" and that the DJs don't have to depend on Hindi film tracks for survival.

The artiste, who began his journey in the industry towards the end of the 1990s when he co-founded the musical act Bandish Projekt, says since there is more awareness about electronic music in India as compared to 10 or five years back, DJs can explore more.

"There was a time when I thought that (doing Bollywood mixes) was the only option, that it was the basic way to survive. I didn't know whether my music would work in India or not. Surprisingly, it's working in my favour. In today's age, I don't think you need to play only Bollywood mixes to survive in the industry," Nucleya told IANS in

an interview.

"People are aware and they know good or bad music. It just needs to be interesting and fresh. People will understand it. So, as artistes, they should do what they want to, explore music and be true to themselves," said the artiste, who describes his music as "a mix of everything" and says that it's a "genre in itself ; that's why I hate to call it EDM (electronic dance music)".

Now a solo artiste, currently on his "Bass Rani" album tour, he is a regular at music fests held across the country. He has also performed at various international music festivals including Glastonbury and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

How important is it for him to be the main act of a festival?

"Headlining is not important. All bands have their own sound. It doesn't make a difference whether I am headlining or not. I remember there was a gig which had four acts in total. I was the second one on stage. But I had the maximum amount of people compared to other acts. I think it's the energy that's more important," he said.

The former Delhi resident even spins the disc at various clubs. Ever asked to specifically play Bollywood or Punjabi music?

"That rarely happened in a gig or two. People know the sort of music I do. They come prepared for that. So, they don't ask me to play Bollywood or Punjabi music in particular. They know I am going to play my own music," he said.

In fact, contrary to what most people assume, the "Akkad bakkad" hitmaker thinks that Delhi's music scene is a "balanced" one.

"I was in Delhi for about five years. We shifted to Goa six months back. Delhi's pollution was bad. Me and my son kept falling ill. So, we shifted out. But professionally, that place is good for any artiste. It's balanced and not dominated by film music," said Nucleya.

He is yet to check out the music scene of Goa, which hosts some of the country's biggest EDM fests including Sunburn and Supersonic.

"I haven't explored Goa's music scene so much. The intention was to stay in a calm place. In the next couple of years, I will understand their music scene," he

said.

For now, he is looking at "two big scale Bollywood films".

"One of them is 'Kapoor & Sons'. I also released an album a couple of months back and I am still on tour. I will take off from March for some time, then will work on a new material," signed off the artiste, whose "Mumbai dance" has been used in the National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee-starrer short film titled "Taandav".

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid tributes on Friday to Indian women peacekeepers who are completing this weekend their mission in Liberia as the first ever all-female police unit deployed in UN operations.

He thanked the 125-member Indian women police contingent "for inspiring all Liberians, as well as current and future generations of female police officers", Ban's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Ban singled out the Indian women's force's role during the Ebola epidemic last year. "Through their unwavering performance, professionalism and discipline, including during the ebola epidemic, these brave women gained the respect of both the government and the Liberian people," he said in his statement.

With the UN peacekeepers under scrutiny recently for cases of sexual abuse and concern over widespread attacks on women and girls in areas of conflict, Ban said: "Through their work, they managed criminality, deterred sexual and gender-based violence and helped rebuild safety and confidence among the population."

They "served as an example of how the deployment of more female uniformed personnel can help the United Nations in its efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse", he added.

Ban said he "pays tribute to the outstanding contribution of the government of India, in support of United Nations peace operations".

A total of 7,798 Indian personnel were serving in UN peacekeeping missions and 143 of them were women. Historically, India has been the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, with over 180,000 Indian troops donning the blue helmet in 48 of the 69 UN missions.'
New Iraqi army units have arrived in the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan preparing to free the city of Mosul, the second-largest Iraqi city, from the Islamic State, a military officer said on Thursday.

Troops, weapons and equipment have arrived in Makhmour area, just south of Mosul, for an offensive to liberate Nineveh province where Mosul is the capital, according to Major General Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Free Nineveh Operations Command.

The troops have moved to northern Iraq on orders by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, Jubouri said, adding that they have prepared 13 safe routes for the civilians in the IS-held city of Mosul once the offensive begins.

The operations to free Mosul and other IS-held parts of Nineveh province will be carried out by the Iraqi army, Kurdish security forces known as Peshmerga, and US-led coalition, with participation of paramilitary units from local volunteers, including Sunni Arab tribesmen, the commander said.

Iraqi officials and military commanders have frequently said that the battle to free Mosul, which was captured by IS militants in June 2014, is very soon, while media reports quoted US military officials as saying that the preparations need months to be fulfilled.
Exposing plans to subvert the Indian nuclear establishment, Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Friday said that the ISI eyed staff of the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai to procure "classified information" from them.

Headley also claimed to have discouraged the terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (to which he belongs), and the ISI from striking at the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the naval air station in the city.

Continuing his deposition via videoconference before Special TADA Court Judge G.A. Sanap, Headley told special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that he carried out surveillance and also videographed the BARC headquarters in Mumbai.

"The Inter Services Intelligence wanted to recruit the BARC staffers for future; get classified information from them," Headley, 56, said while speaking for the fifth consecutive day from a US jail where he is undergoing a 35-year sentence.

He had handed over the BARC surveillance videos to his main contact in LeT Sajid Mir and ISI's Major Iqbal and also videographed the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar and the naval air station.

Outside the temple, he bought a bunch of red and yellow-coloured sacred thread and sent them to Sajid Mir so the terrorists could tie them around their wrists and pass off as Hindus and avoid detection.

Headley claimed to have discussed the issue with his LeT handlers and ISI, and discouraged them from targeting the temple and naval airforce station as they were very heavily guarded sites.

Earlier, he spoke of his visit to the Nalanda bookshop in Hotel Taj Mahal Palace where he lived and bought some books, including one on the Indian Army.

"The other books were mostly pictorial and there was nothing sinister about them," Headley said.

At this, Special Judge Sanap enquired whether there was anything "sinister" (motives) about the army book, Headley replied in the affirmative.

To another question by Nikam, Headley said the Nariman House was targeted by LeT as it was an international location where Israelis and Jews were living.
Damascus, Feb 12 (IANS/AKI) The Islamic State group shot dead three of its former fighters in eastern Syria and dumped their bodies in the desert, refusing to allow their families to bury them, a monitor said.

The executions took place near the village al-Hsan in Deir Ezzor province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The three men, who were from the same family, were arrested by the IS several months ago for failing to repent and for being members of sleeper cells working against the IS, the watchdog said.

The IS stoned two women to death for alleged adultery at a public square in Deir Ezzor in front of a crowd of people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The monitoring group relies for on a network of activists and doctors inside Syria for its information.

--IANS/AKI

mr/
If all goes well, the political stalemate in Jammu and may end next week and a PDP-BJP coalition government will be back soon.

Insiders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) say the alliance could take office before the end of February.

After saying for over a month that she won't head a PDP-BJP coalition unless New Delhi announces confidence building measures (CBMs), PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti seems to have decided to shake hands with the BJP.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who is in charge of Jammu and affairs, would reach the state next week for one-on-one talks with Mehbooba Mufti, BJP sources told IANS.

Madhav drafted the agenda of the alliance with PDP leader Haseeb Drabu last year that brought the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to power at the head of an alliance that gave power to the BJP, albeit as a junior partner, for the first time in the country's only Muslim-majority state.

With the PDP having its support base largely in the Muslim-majority Valley and the BJP drawing support in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, the two parties have different outlooks on some issues although they have shared interests too.

"The agenda of alliance cannot be revisited. That is something we have made clear. What Ram Madhavji will tell Mehboobaji is that the agenda cannot be revisited, but its implementation will be ensured in letter and spirit", a senior BJP leader told IANS.

The BJP, its leaders said, won't concede to talks with Kashmiri separatists, repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), wholly or partially, and would not ask the army to vacate land occupied by them as a precondition to Mehbooba Mufti's swearing in.

"The fact is the alliance is intact and we are going to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir shortly," a BJP leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed died in New Delhi on January 7, and the state was put under Governor's Rule two days later as it became clear that his daughter Mehbooba was in no hurry to take charge of the new government.

This in turn fuelled speculation that she may be planning to dump the BJP and embrace the Congress.

The BJP leader insisted that Mehbooba Mufti took her own time because she was in mourning.

Asked about her statement that she won't be able to form a government as she did not have "heavy shoulders" like her late father, the BJP leader said: "She has the right to ensure that she gets all the support from both the parties. Nobody should grudge her that.

"She wants concessions from the central government for Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. That is what the agenda of the alliance is all about. Where is the confusion?" he asked.

A senior National Conference leader and former minister told IANS that his party never had doubts that Mehbooba Mufti would eventually sail with the BJP whatever she may say publicly. "That is going to happen."

The leader accused Mehbooba, a Lok Sabha MP, of causing confusion. "She said she can't move forward (with the alliance) and still did not break it. What does that mean?"

Some reports suggest that the central government may consider transferring an NHPC-owned hydropower project into the ownership of the state government to smoothen the ruffled PDP feathers.

If that happens and the talks with Ram Madhav end on a satisfactory note, Governor's Rule is likely to give way to an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on February 12 appointing Georgi Kutoyan as the Director of the National Security Service of Armenia. As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia Presidents Office, the decree particularly reads as follows,

Guided by the 5th point of article 55 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia amended in 2005 and recognizing as basis the 2nd part of article 18 of the Republic of Armenia law on service in national security bodies, I decide to appoint Georgi Kutoyan as the Director of National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia adjunct to the Government.

Georgi Kutoyan was born in Yerevan, in 1981.

In 2002 graduated with honors from the Law Department of the Rostov State University in the Russian Federation.

In 2005 concluded postgraduate studies at the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the RA National Academy of Sciences, defended a thesis titled The 1950 Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Republic of Armenias National Legal System (constitutional and legal research) and was awarded the scientific degree of a Candidate of Juridical Sciences.

In 2007 graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) at the US.

In 2002-2010 was teaching at the Armenian-Russian (Slavic) University, at the RA State Governance Academy and at the RA National Academy of Sciences.

In 2005-2006 worked at the Public Prosecutors Office of the Republic of Armenia, first as a researcher at the scientific and teaching center and later as a lecturer at the Law and Structural Reforms Division.

In 2006-2007 worked in the Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia, as a Senior Advisor to the Ombudsman, and in 2008-2010 as the Senior Legal Advisor of the Ombudsman Staff.

In 2008 received a lawyers license, in 2010-2011 was engaged in private practice as a lawyer.

In 2011-2016 was Assistant to the President of Armenia.

In 2011-2014 was the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Strategy Monitoring Commission under the Presidential Anti-Corruption Council

By the April 17, 2013 decree of the President of Armenia was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal.

In 1998-2000 was trained at the RF Rostov State University Military Training Department as a reserve officer.

Kutoyan is the State Counselor of Justice Class I.

Speaks Russian, English, and French.

Married, with a son.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Friday arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy, the police said.

Kumar was arrested on the charge of raising anti-India slogans at an event organised by the students to mark the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in the Tihar Central Jail here on February 9, 2013.

The JNU student leader was arrested from a hostel in the university campus hours after union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called for action against 'anti-national' elements.

Police claimed that Kumar and other people were seen in a video raising anti-national slogans.

Kumar was presented before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen who remanded him in three-day police custody.

The police told the court that Kumar's interrogation is needed to ascertain his alleged links with some terrorist groups and identify other people shouting anti-national slogans along with him during the event.

The police informed the court that they were in search of five others identified as Umar Khalid, Anirvan Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Anant Prakash and Rama Naga.

The magistrate also saw the video footage of the event submitted to him by the police.

Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that the police has implicated him in a false case.

Terming the case politically motivated, Kumar said he neither shouted any slogan nor said anything against the integrity of the country.

He said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent any clash between ABVP supporters and the students organising the event.

On Thursday, the police had registered a case on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy against "unknown students" following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha member Maheish Girri and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students' organisation associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The university witnessed violence between two student groups on Tuesday night over the holding of the event after which police was deployed there to maintain law and order.

The event allegedly saw the raising of anti-India slogans. The JNU authorities have instituted an inquiry as to how did the event take place despite withdrawal of permission and said they would wait for the probe report before taking action.

Another meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where too anti-India slogans were allegedly raised and objectionable placards displayed.

The police on Friday registered an FIR against unknown people on a complaint filed by the PCI management against the organisers of the event for shouting pro-Afzal Guru slogans.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought a special development package of Rs.30,571 crore, national status to Paranahita-Chevella irrigation project and assistance for various proposed projects in the state.

The chief minister urged the central government to expedite the process of bifurcation of existing high court, provide funds for Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences near Hyderabad, proposed tribal university, adequate funds for Information Technology Infrastructure Region (ITIR), proposed mega textile park near Warangal and special central assistance to mission 'Bhagiratha'.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also wanted the prime minister to consider providing Rs.500 to Rs.600 crore every year to Hyderabad to meet its growing infrastructure needs.

He also reiterated the demand to increase the borrowing limit of the state from existing 3 percent of GSDP to 3.5 percent.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief also wanted the central government to release full amount of Rs.3,064 crore as sought by the state for drought mitigation.

The chief minister also sought an increase in the cadre strength of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to meet the state's requirements.

He requested sanction of a special development package for the state with a grant of Rs.30,571 crores over the four-year period of 2015-19 as recommended by NITI Aayog. He said an amount of at least Rs. 1,000 crore may be released during the current financial year.

KCR reiterated the demand to create the high court of Andhra Pradesh by separating it from the present high court at Hyderabad, which is functioning as the common high court for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

He urged Modi to sanction AIIMS proposed to be developed on 200 acres at Bibinagar near Hyderabad and make adequate provision in the budget.

Pointing out that foundation stone for TIFR's Hyderabad campus was laid in 2010 and which envisaged an investment Rs.2,500 crore, the chief minister said the project had not taken off due to lack of funds.

KCR sought special central assistance for mission 'Bhagiratha', a projected aimed to supply piped drinking water to all households in the state. The project has been designed with an outlay of Rs.40,000 crore.

On tribal university as committed under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, he said the government has sanctioned 200 acres of land near Warangal. He urged the prime minister to set up this institution as a central university.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday apprehended a man near the Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Malda district and seized fake Indian currency notes of the face value of over Rs.13 lakh from him, an officer said.

The man was seized by the troopers in the early hours in the Daulatpur border outpost area.

"Acting on specific intelligence input of smuggling of FICN from across the border, we launched an operation in which we apprehended a man and seized Rs.13.49 lakh in FICN," said a BSF officer.

The BSF so far in the year has seized over Rs. 27 lakh in fake notes and apprehended six smugglers from across the South Bengal frontier.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes birthday greetings to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif but attacks me, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said, questioning Modi's commitment to "cooperative federalism".

"You go and wish Nawaz Sharif happy birthday and attack me. Am I worse than Pakistan?" Kejriwal asked in an interview to Outlook magazine ahead of the first anniversary of his AAP government.

Kejriwal squarely blamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the AAP government's unending impasse with the centre and said the Modi government had turned the concept of cooperative federalism on its head in Delhi.

"Cooperative federalism is a sham. 'Bewakoof bana rahein hai saari duniya ko' (They are fooling everybody)," Kejriwal told the magazine.

"The centre sent paramilitary forces and annexed our Anti Corruption Bureau. Is this cooperative federalism?

"The Lt. Governor declares my orders on raising circle rates for agriculture land null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?

"If I transfer an officer or take action against him, they declare it null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?"

Although Modi hosted him for tea after his election as the chief minister of Delhi in February 2015, Kejriwal said it took him two months to get an appointment with the prime minister in August.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said he and Modi had not met formally in the last six months.

Asked why he thought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a confrontation mode with him, Kejriwal said: "There is no answer... Other than vengeance (for the 67-3 drubbing the AAP gave the BJP).

"It does not make political or logical sense. It does not make any sense at all.

"It is the PMO, especially Nripendra Misra (Principal Secretary to the PM), who is masterminding the entire operation (to derail my government)."

Kejriwal also hit out at Modi's governance since he became the prime minister in May 2014.

"The events of the last two years are scary. The issue of intolerance ... people call it religious fundamentalism, communalism. I call it 'goondagardi'.

"They are not concerned about any religion or community. If you say or do anything they don't like, they will teach you a lesson. That's the lesson they want to give.

"What was (Bollywood actor) Aamir Khan's fault? He just said his wife doesn't feel safe. As a PM, he should have sent two guards. Instead, they cancelled all his contracts and ads."

Kejriwal denied he had national ambitions but predicted that the AAP would sweep the Punjab assembly election next year -- as it did in Delhi.

But he denied he would vacate the Delhi chief ministership to concentrate on the Punjab election.
Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Friday called for cooperation among all stakeholders to transform the nation into a modern, developed and democratic one.

U Thein Sein made the call in his message delivered on the occasion of the country's 69th anniversary of the Union Day, Xinhua reported.

"Work is under way to hand over administrative duties to the next government to shape the country's future," he said.

He stressed cementing national unity as being of utmost importance.

Leaders of the government, parliament, armed forces and eight ethnic armed organisations signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement, which made history in the country's move toward peace on October 15 last year, he said.

Under the terms of the agreement, a political dialogue framework was drawn up on December 15, followed by the Union Peace Conference on January 12 last.

He pointed out that the door was open for the remaining groups that did not ink the ceasefire deal to join the peace process.

U Thein Sein said people's participation was imperative for the future of Myanmar while building a disciplined, flourishing, modern, developed and democratic nation.

On February 12, 1947, all Myanmar nationalities led by General Aung San held the Panglong Conference in Shan state and signed the Panglong Agreement proclaiming the independence of the country.

That day was designated as Myanmar's Union Day.
Myanmar's President Thein Sein will not participate in the Asean-US summit scheduled for next week, the media reported on Friday.

"Vice president Nyan Htun will visit the US on behalf of President Thein Sein," said the president's office.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US summit will take place in Sunnylands, in California, on February 15-16.

However, the reason for the Myanmar president not attending the summit yet remained unknown.

Since 2011, Myanmar has been trying to move towards greater democratic openness following half a century of military dictatorship.

The general elections on November 8, last year led to the victory of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling National League for Democracy party over Thein Sein and his Union Solidarity and Development Party, and the transfer of power is to take place around the end of March.

Thein Sein was the first prime minister of the last military junta and, after its dissolution in 2011, occupied the post of head of state and headed the process of political, economic and social reforms.
As many as four NATO ships arrived in Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on Friday for a month-long training mission to increase compatibility of NATO and Georgian border guard ships, the government said.

The ships, which are part of a standing NATO mine countermeasures immediate reaction force, will participate in various joint training missions and exercises with the Georgian navy in the Black Sea, Xinhua reported.

The fleet, led by the head of NATO United Marine Forces, Giorgio Lazio, will stay in the port till February 15.

During the port visit, Lazio will meet Georgian government officials on future cooperation between the two sides.

NATO launched a joint training centre in Georgia in 2015 as part of the "substantial package" of cooperation with Georgia. The centre will start tactical training of Georgian soldiers in May.
Ahead of Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's upcoming visit to India, Kathmandu has finalised a comprehensive wishlist it wants New Delhi to fulfil.

Projects related to infrastructure and hydel development and power transmission top Oli's agenda for the six-day visit commencing February 19, officials here said.

The wishlist for Oli's visit -- his first foreign tour since assuming office in October last -- includes finalisation of two hydro-power projects of a total 750 MW capacity that have been on the table for quite some time now.

The two projects together would cost about $1 billion.

Nepal is estimated to have the potential to generate 42,000 MW of hydropower but today produces 800 MW -- far less than the domestic demand of 1,400 MW.

The two power projects were among agenda-points that Nepal's Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had proposed to his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a visit to New Delhi earlier this month.

India has already promised $2 billion in aid during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in August 2014.

Another $1 billion in assistance was pledged by India in June 2015 at the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction following the April 2015 earthquake.

Out of the $1 billion, $250 million is aid and the remaining $750 million is soft loan to carry out various post-quake reconstruction works.

The other major proposals on Oli's wishlist are completion within five years of the India-assisted Hulaki Road (postal road) project in Nepal's southern Terai area; laying of cross-border power transmission lines and developing a state-of-art hospital in Kathmandu.

Nepal and India have recently installed 400 kv power transmission lines and have also proposed to build six power corridors at various border points.

According to finance ministry officials here, Poudel also sought Indian assistance to build one national institute of technology, establishment of eight technical schools and the setting up of an ayurveda university.

Other areas of discussion are the early implementation of the 6,720 MW Pancheshwor multipurpose project, construction of a second international airport in Nepal, and fast-tracking of construction of the Kathmandu-Terai road besides some security issues.

Nepal relies heavily on foreign aid and assistance from India has contributed to major infrastructure development in the Himalayan nation.

Grants from India helped to build the airport in Kathmandu, the flood control Koshi Barrage, Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, Trauma Centre, a number of irrigation projects and important highways like Tribhuvan Highway -- connecting capital Kathmandu to the Birgunj-Raxaul border with India -- and Siddhartha Highway -- connecting the Terai region in southern Nepal with the mountain region in northern Nepal.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday appointed a new chief of the country's shadowy Shin Bet security service.

Nadav Argaman, 55, currently serves as the deputy director of the Shin Bet. He will replace Yoram Cohen who will step down in May after five years in this position, Xinhua reported.

Argaman has been with the Shin Bet since 1983 and spent four years as a representative of the agency in the United States, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.

Netanyahu said he is certain that under Argaman's leadership the Shin Bet "will continue to ensure Israel's security."

Argaman will need to face in his new position a five-month-long wave of Palestinian unrest which has so far claimed the lives of 26 Israelis and at least 160 Palestinians.

The Shin Bet is Israel's domestic security agency, while the renowned Mossad is its international spy agency.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the "Startup India" initiative in January, the eight north-eastern states are set to become the destination of startup ventures in the country, union Minister of State for Development of the Northeastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

"The northeast will be developed into a key destination for young entrepreneurs and startups," the minister said while inaugurating a three-day Destination Northeast festival here.

The festival is being organised by the DoNER ministry to showcase the inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the northeastern region at the national level.

Stating that his ministry now has a venture fund, Singh said: "Any youth who goes to the northeast will have the support of the venture fund."

As for connectivity, he said that the introduction of a direct flight from Delhi to Dimapur in Nagaland was a major step in making the northeast more accessible.

"The rest of India needs to be connected with the northeast in a meaningful way," he added.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking keen interest in the development of the northeast.

He also emphasised upon the need to upgrade academic institutions in the region to provide quality education and develop human resources.

According to Singh, it is the rest of India that needs to be brought to the northeast and not the other way around.

"The northeast has many attributes that we do not have," he said.

Referring to the security situation that has long been a deterrent for development in the region, the DoNER minister sadi: "Peace and development have a reciprocal relationship but you can't wait for the last gun to fall silent."

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the fact that 90 percent of the northeast is surrounded by international borders should be taken as a blessing.

He said that development has nothing to do with distance and location and the growth engine was built on the aspirations of people, not location.

"Hawaii is 7,000 km from the US mainland, but has there been any obstacle in development?" Rijiju said.

He also said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has spoken to Modi about forming a consortium of companies to invest in the northeast in sectors like roads and power transmission.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that despite the geographical constraints, there is a growth momentum taking shape in the northeast.

"There is a need to tap the unique and exclusive strengths of the Northeast," he said, adding that it was time to carry forward the momentum more aggressively.

Emphasising on the role of bamboo in the growth of the economy of the northeast, he said that bamboo, the wonder grass, can be a real game changer for the northeast.

"There is a $60-billion world bamboo market and our share is less than 5 percent," Sangma said.

He also called for the opening up of the international borders surrounding the northeast.

Apart from showcasing the northeast, the three-day festival is also designed to enable various central ministries to showcase their initiatives in the region.

The event also includes theme-specific business summits on sectors like tourism, agriculture, food processing, skill development and entrepreneurship, information technology, handloom and handicraft, livelihood, micro-finance and startups.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Serbia expects to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2016, the country's ambassador to Russia Slavenko Terzic said onFebruary 12, as quoted by Russian media.

"We plan to increase exports of Serbian agricultural goods to Russia," Terzic said during a press conference in Moscow, TASS informs.

"We expect growth in investments in Serbias economy," the diplomat also said.

The EAEU is an economic bloc set up in January 2015 whose members - Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - enjoy free movement of goods, services, capital and labour.

Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic will visit Moscow on March 9, the diplomat also said. He is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Russian patriarch Kirill.

Serbia's close relations with Russia have prompted European officials to stress that considering it is a candidate for EU membership and has opened the first accession talks chapters, the country should also support a common foreign policy.

Serbia opened the first two of the 35 chapters in its negotiations to join the EU in December.
Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal announced that Pakistan has launched $500 million worth of projects for Afghanistan's education, health and infrastructure sectors, the media reported on Friday.

Iqbal on Thursday said that 3,000 scholarships had been offered to Afghan students in different universities of Pakistan and 100 Afghan students would study in the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Dawn online reported.

Talking to an Afghan delegation comprising academicians, lawmakers, students and civil society members here, the minister said that Pakistan had desired to forge friendly relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan.

He underlined the need for greater exchanges of scholars, artists, businessmen and to boost cooperation and friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries.

"We have to start a new chapter in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations by focussing on social and economic dimensions of the friendship," Iqbal said, adding that two countries shared hundreds of years of history.

He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would play an important role in bringing people of the region closer besides improving economy of the entire region.

"If an untoward incident happens in Afghanistan, Pakistan will be the first country to feel its heat and it will affect the rest of the world later on," he added.
It may very well be plausible that officials from within the ISI facilitated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, a Pakistani daily said and noted that Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley's testimony has really not revealed as much as the Indian government would have been hoping.

An editorial "Revelations" in the Nation on Friday said that in an video testimony to an Indian court Headley corroborated the Indian version of speculation surrounding the 2008 Mumbai attacks because, according to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) facilitator/terrorist, the ISI orchestrated the whole attack, handling each LeT member from this side of the border.

It said that the testimony should not be accepted as fact immediately, however, for a number of reasons.

"Primarily, Headley's intentions will always be subject for debate, because here is a man who first conspired against the Indian state and its people, supposedly at the behest of the ISI if his version is to be believed, and now speaks from a US prison after being granted amnesty by India for his part in the attack in exchange for information."

"The Headley case perfectly captures the Pakistan-India relationship in the recent past. The Indian government blames ISI while the Pakistani side points fingers at RAW in its turn," said the daily.

It said that the US would have been perfectly aware of the testimony Headley would give and "the uproar it would result in on the Indian side of the border, it let it go through which is essentially accusing Pakistan of fostering terror on home soil while simultaneously congratulating Pakistani efforts on eradicating terror in the country in a separate statement in the same day".

In his latest interview, Headley has really not revealed as much as the Indian government would have been hoping, the daily said, adding: "Apart from pinning Ishrat Jahan as an alleged LeT operative, Headley's assertions are a repeat of what he stated to the Indian National Investigation Agency in 2012."

"Hafiz Saeed may indeed have had a large role to play in the attack, and given that LeT is a product of our own misguided policy of strategic depth, it may very well be altogether plausible that officials from within the ISI facilitated the 2008 attack," the Nation said.

"But this is a far cry from the institutional and governmental support that India claims was behind the attack."

The Mumbai terror strike took place at multiple locations, leaving 166 people dead and over 300 injured on November 26-28, 2008.
The people of the Roma community spread across various parts of the world are actually children of India, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday.

"You are the children of India who migrated and lived in challenging circumstances in foreign lands for centuries. Yet you maintained your Indian identity," Sushma Swaraj said while inaugurating the three-day International Roma Conference and Cultural Festival 2016 here.

"A strong 20 million Roma population is spread over 30 countries encompassing West Asia, Europe, America and Australia," she said.

Romas are said to be descendants of groups in India like Dom, Banjara, Gujjar, Sansi, Chauhan, Sikligar, Dhangar and other nomadic groups from northwest India.

They are known variously as "Zigeuner" in Germany, "Tsyiganes" or "Manus" in France, "Tatara" in Sweden, "Gitano" in Spain, and "Tshingan" in Turkey and Greece, "Tsigan" in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania and "Gypsies" in Britain.

Lauding the community, Sushma Swaraj said that the Romas were "the perfect example of peaceful co-existence in multicultural societies".

"In fact they are perfect flag-bearers of Indian ethos and we are proud of it," she said.

Stating that there was credible evidence which indicated the migration of Roma community from India towards the west in the fifth century, the minister said: "We Indians are proud of the progress and name that the Roma community has made for itself at the local and international level. More significantly so, because the process of adaptation, diffusion and progress was based on Indian value systems of peaceful co-existence, respecting other cultures and contributing towards growth. Roma maintained Indian traditions in the countries that were unaware of India, and its culture and traditions and thereby maintained Indian identity."

Sushma Swaraj also congratulated all those scholars who have re-written the forgotten history of the Roma community and its links with India.

"This needs to be further augmented with continued efforts and in-depth research. Precious heritage of Roma community and its relations with India needs to be carefully preserved and documented," she said.

Thirty-three scholars and 12 cultural performers from 12 countries apart from 15 Indian scholars are attending the three-day event that is being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad (ARSP)-Bharat.

ICCR Director General C. Rajasekhar also highlighted the contributions of the Roma community in first world countries.

"In Romania and Bulgaria, Roma community forms 12 percent of their total population. In Turkey they have a population of 2.75 million while they have a significance presence in Russia, Slovakia, Hungry, Serbia, Spain and France. They have kept the Indian spirit alive at all these places despite adverse circumstances," Rajasekhar said.

ICCR President Lokesh Chandra claimed that the Roma community made an immense contribution to building London which is counted among the most developed and amazingly planned modern cities.

"Romas have been a community of craftsmen. They have been ironsmiths, coppersmitsh who were living on the outskirts of the habitations," he said.

"They made weapons for the state of Hungary in the 15th century during the reign of King Ulaszlo II and were close to royality in those times. They were also primary contributors to building the topmost cities of the world," he added.
Russia on Thursday confirmed its support to Iraq in fighting against the Islamic State militant group which has seized large parts of the country.

Visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin held meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday, which concluded with a cooperation agreement to boost bilateral ties in various aspects, Xinhua reported.

"Moscow can meet the needs of the Iraqi leadership in the fighting against terrorism through the exchange of information, training of security forces and providing military equipment," Rogozin said during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

He said Moscow will provide such support "if the Iraqi government submitted a formal request for it."

Heading a delegation of about a hundred Russian officials and economic, military and investment experts, the Russian deputy premier said the two sides agreed to boost cooperation in transportation, health care and civil aviation.

The Iraqi foreign minister said the agreement would cover oil, electricity, water resources and industry.

Earlier in the day, Jaafari and Rogozin co-chaired the Russian- Iraqi inter-governmental commission in its meeting in Baghdad between the Russian delegation members and their Iraqi counterparts.

Rogozin, who arrived in Baghdad Wednesday for a two-day visit, also met with Iraqi President Fuad Masoum and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri.
Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have announced that they are prosecuting Foodles Production (UK) Ltd., Walt Disney's subsidiary, responsible for the filming of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in the country, for violating workplace health and safety laws.

The producers are charged over an on-set mishap that seriously injured actor Harrison Ford, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The 73-year-old actor was left with a broken leg after he was struck by a hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon during the filming at the famed Pinewood Studios Buckinghamshire.

"By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers - this is as true on a film set as a factory floor," the HSE said in a statement.

"We have investigated thoroughly and believe that we have sufficient evidence to bring the case to court," the statement further read.

Foodles Production responded: "Cast and crew safety is always a top priority. We provided full co-operation during HSE's investigation into the on-set accident that occurred in June 2014 and are disappointed in HSE's decision."

The company is facing four charges. Their representatives are expected to appear in court for the first hearing on May 12 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Taiwan on February 6 has increased to 94 with some 30 people still reported missing, the authorities announced on Friday.

According to an official update on the casualties, the collapse of the 16-storey Wei Guan building in Tainan city, the most seriously damaged in the 6.7-magnitude quake, accounted for 92 of the total casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

Local people blame the building's developer for using shoddy construction material.

Rescuers said the chances of finding more survivors from the building were becoming slim, but search efforts would continue, EFE news reported.

A memorial service for the victims was held in Tainan city earlier in the day which was attended by President Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, the opposition leader and president designate.

Taiwan will observe a national day of mourning on Monday with the national flag flying at half mast.
Virtually everyone has stories to tell about what makes them extraordinary.

Meet Bant Singh, an agrarian labourer with indomitable spirit despite being physically disabled; Mohammed Aamir Khan, who refuses to be defeated despite being framed as a terrorist and being jailed for 14 years; an IAS officer explains complex ideas of Indian philosophy in simple and accessible language; and finally, tips from a journalist on how to invest money and save for future.

There's much the IANS bookshelf has for you this weekend. Take a look.

1. Book: The Ballad of Bant Singh; Author: Nirupama Dutt; Publisher: Speaking Tiger; Pages: 213; Price: Rs. 250

The book relates the life story of Bant Singh the protagonist and his tales of courage. On the unfortunate evening of January 5, 2006, Bant Singh, a Dalit agrarian labourer and activist in Punjab's Jhabar village, was ambushed and brutally beaten up by upper-caste Jat men armed with iron rods and axes.

He then had to fight for justice for his minor daughter, who was gang-raped. He lost both his arm and a leg while fighting against the Jat men. But this incident could not demolish his spirit and continues to fight for equality and dignity, inspiring others with his revolutionary songs.

2. Book: Framed as a Terrorist; Author: Mohammad Aamir Khan with Nandita Haksar; Publisher: Speaking Tiger; Pages: 234; Price: Rs. 250

In 1998, an ordinary young man was kidnapped by the police from the by-lanes of old Delhi and accused of being a terrorist. The man was released after serving 14 years in jail - when proven innocent.

Based on the true story of the author, Mohammad Aamir Khan, the book is a tale of phenomenal humanity, perseverance and courage in the face of extreme injustice. Despite facing torture and solitary confinement, the author remains committed to the secular and democratic values that he grew up with.

3. Book: Chaturvedi Badrinath - Unity of Life and Other Essays; Edited by Tulsi Badrinath; Publisher: Oxford; Pages: 158; Price: Rs. 450

The latest book edited by Tulsi Badrinath is a compilation of essays written by her father Chaturvedi Badrinath. The book takes a reader into Badrinath's approach towards life. An IAS officer for 31 years, he delivered lectures on the concept of dharma and its application in modern times.

Ranging over perceptions of the self and the other; different ways of ordering society in Jainism, Islam and Christianity; the paradox of sex; the roots of violence and the quest for truth and peace - Badrinath's essays gained wide acclaim and popularity.

4. Book: The Money Book; Author: Vivek Law; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 194; Price: Rs. 395

Planning to invest money to start a new business? Want your money to multiply fast? Or save some earnings that would secure future post-retirement? Well, here is the answer to queries related to money and investment.

Using relatable examples, the author simplifies the process of savings and investing by bringing the best possible ways to multiply money. Decoding terms like mutual funds, equities and life insurance, Vivek Law shows that there is no need to toil throughout life to have a secure and comfortable lifestyle.
Actor-producer Anil Kapoor, who is busy gearing up for "24: Season 2", feels there is a lot that writers in India can learn from those in the west.

Anil, who starred in and produced "24", the Indian adaptation of the eponymous American show, told IANS: "I personally feel television writing in the west is something else... It is phenomenal, and beyond everything. They are way ahead of us definitely."

"We have great content in India, but we don't have great writers who can put them on celluloid or make great TV stories. There is a certain science to it and obviously they have mastered in it. There is a lot to learn from them," he added.

Ever since the first season of "24" launched in India in 2013, the format owners - FOX Studios - have been keeping a close eye on the overwhelming response that the show has received from Indian viewers. And the makers have packed more action and thrill.

"24: Season 2" will see action and thrill increase two-fold as Jai Singh Rathod (played by Anil) prevents a probable tragedy.

Anil said: "We are trying to raise the bar with the action sequence this season. You need money for action scenes... A certain kind of scale is required, and we are working on almost one-tenth of the budget that they do (west). Compared to India, our scale is huge, but when compared to them (the west), it's less."

The action sequences of the show will be directed by Allan Amin.

"24: Season 2" will also feature actors like Sakshi Tanwar, Surveen Chawla, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sikandar Kher and Ritu Shivpuri among others.
Film: "Trumbo"; Director: Jay Roach; Cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Alan Tudyk, John Goodman, Elle Fanning, Michael Stuhlbarg and Louis C.K.; Rating: ***1/2

A character driven film, "Trumbo" is the flattering tale of Hollywood's great screenplay writer, Dalton Trumbo, who fought the system during the height of the cold war between the US and USSR. He was blacklisted and ostracised for his political beliefs. It is also a reminder of how democracy can fail at times.

Scripted by John McNamara and based on the oft-criticised biography of the same name by Bruce Cook, the film is narrated in a simple, straightforward manner covering the thirteen year period from 1947 to 1960.

The narration begins when Trumbo, at the peak of his career and Hollywood as "one big family", is threatened with a labour dispute between the Conference of Studio Unions and the major studio managements.

It is only after taking an outspoken, front-line stand that Trumbo attracts the attention of the columnist Hedda Hopper, whose idea of patriotism involved stamping out the threat of communism in the industry. She personally campaigned to get the communist sympathisers banned from the system.

While Trumbo admits in private to his daughter that he is a communist, he refuses to go public about his political opinion. But, it is when he defies the House Un-American Activities Committee in Washington DC, that he is held for "conspiracy to corrupt democratic values in particular", and is forced to serve jail time.

When Trumbo is finally released 11 months later, he is forced to sell his ranch and embrace humility. How he survived the years that followed till the ban was lifted in 1960, forms the crux of the tale.

The personality of Dalton Trumbo shines through the screenplay. The crisp, cutting edge dialogues are ordinary but effective. The one in particular is when he tells his co-writer Arlen Hird when they argue, "The radical works hard with the purity of Jesus, but the rich guy wins with the cunningness of Satan".

With a hunched posture and a cantankerous demeanour, Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo is extremely believable. He exhibits a fine array of emotions that reveal his complex life as the principled writer who is put through humiliation and adversity.

He is aptly supported by a stellar cast consisting of Diane Lane as his supportive wife Cleo Trumbo, Elle Fanning as his coltish teenage daughter Nikola, Helen Mirren as the vicious Hedda Hopper, Michael Stuhlbarg as the left-leaning actor Edward G. Robinson, Louis C.K. as fellow Communist screenwriter Arlen Hird, Dean O'Gorman as Kirk Douglas, Christian Berkel as the finicky director Otto Preminger, David James Elliott aims at John Wayne and John Goodman, as a bullish producer Frank King.

Director Jay Roach's plot, etched with numerous dramatic highs and lows and crescendo pitched dialogues that document seminal moments of this topsy turvy period in tinsel town, gets presented to a realistic degree. He pays great attention to the period detail with archive footage, some of it real and some of it shot for the film, by cinematographer Jim Denault.

The visuals are accompanied by Theodore Shapiro's sharp score that enhances the viewing experience.

Unfortunately, since this is only a slice of the writer's life, what does not get inserted into the plot's framework gets bookended as text on the screen and is a bit disappointing.

Overall, the film is worth a watch for the fine performances.
Even as a top US lawmaker threatened to block proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan over its alleged support for terrorist groups, the US said it was committed to deliver security assistance to its key ally.

State Department Spokesperson Mark C. Toner Thursday declined to confirm whether Secretary of State John Kerry had received a letter from Senate Foreign Relations committee Chairman Bob Corker regarding subsidised sale of up to eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. "As a matter of policy, though, we don't comment on proposed arms sales or transfers or even our preliminary consultations with the Hill, with Capitol Hill, prior to any formal congressional notification," he said.

But "we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges," he said.

Citing Islamabad's relationship with the Haqqani network, an extremist group that has a history of destabilizing Afghanistan, Corker in a Feb 9 letter to Kerry notified the Obama administration of his intention to block the F-16 sale.

"After years of pressuring the Pakistanis on this point, the Haqqani terrorists still enjoy freedom of movement, and possibly even support from the Pakistani government," he wrote.

"This is highly problematic given the Haqqani's clear involvement in killing the very Afghan army and police we have worked for years to train," Corker added.

Asked about Corker's charges, Toner said: "We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations."

"These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan," he said.

"So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the United States and in the interests of the region more broadly," Toner said.

Asked how many fewer US personnel had been killed inside Afghanistan by terrorist groups because of US assistance to Pakistani forces, Toner said he did not have the figures "in front of me."

"But no country in the region has been more touched by than Pakistan," he claimed. "We believe it's in our vital national security interests to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks."

Describing Pakistan as "an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan," the spokesperson said, the US "would welcome Pakistan's efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example."

Pakistan, he said, had carried out "multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil.

"We believe that destroying, eliminating those networks is in our national security interests, as well as the security interests of the region," Toner said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Embassy in Washington Thursday denied Corker's charge and criticised it as unfounded and ill-advised.

"Insinuations of facilitating the destabilizing role of Haqqani network in Afghanistan in any way are indeed unfortunate," embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana told Foreign Policy magazine.

Corker, following a recent trip to Afghanistan, said he would shelve the funding needed to finance the F-16 deal. However, he pledged to lift his hold on the sale of the warplanes itself.

"If they wish to purchase this military equipment, they will do so without a subsidy from the American taxpayer," Corker was quoted as saying in the letter by FP.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On February 12, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, who is participating in the Munich Security Conference, had a meeting with Nasser Judeh, the Foreign Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of MFA Armenia,Edward Nalbandian asked his counterpart to convey the greetings of Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia, to King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

At the meeting the implementation process of agreements reached between Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia, and King Abdullah II during the formers visit to Jordan in 2014 were touched upon. Within this context Edward Nalbandian stressed, that the agreements signed during the visit of the President of Armenia serve as a solid basis for promoting the development of bilateral relations. The sides discussed issues on the bilateral agenda concerning the development of political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation.

The negotiation agenda also included issues of holding regular consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, deepening of cooperation within the international organizations.

A number of international and regional issues, as well as the ways to resolve them were discussed.

The sides exchanged views on the steps being undertaken by the international community towards the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the need to consolidate efforts in the fight against terrorism.
If you walk into a bar and think that an attractive woman smiling at you wants to have sex with you, are you gauging her right or is it all in your head?

According to previous research, men have a tendency to misjudge a woman's sexual intent, often based on individual or situational factors such as alcohol intoxication.

But the new study goes further, suggesting that a man's attachment style - a personality trait reflecting his romantic relationship tendencies - may actually influence his perceptions of whether a woman is interested in him sexually.

The findings showed that men on the higher end of the attachment anxiety spectrum were most likely to imagine a woman being sexually interested in them.

"This is due in part to the men's strong desire for intimacy," said Joshua Hart, associate professor of psychology from Union College in New York.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers asked nearly 500 men to imagine a scenario in which an attractive woman at a night-club catches their eye.

Participants were asked to gauge the level of interest they believed the woman in the scenario was showing, ranging from "not at all interested" to "extremely interested."

The men were also asked to assess the extent to which they exhibited either of two tendencies - toward attachment anxiety and toward attachment avoidance.

Those higher in attachment anxiety have a need for love and reassurance and a fear of rejection.

People higher in attachment avoidance typically are reluctant to trust and rely on others, and fear intimacy.

Further, men higher in attachment anxiety project their own flirtatiousness and sexual interest onto the woman, based on their hopes that she will reciprocate.

"If you view yourself as being flirtatious, that biases you to seeing others as behaving similarly," Hart added in a paper published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Conversely, men higher in attachment avoidance felt the opposite.

"Their lower interest in intimacy led them to be less interested in the fictional woman, thus seeing themselves as being less flirty, and in turn, imagining the woman as less sexually interested in them," Hart said.

The study's results are an example of how wishful thinking pervades human social interactions. "We see in reality what we wish to see, not necessarily what's there," Hart said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, announcing stringent action against students who raised anti-India slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, said on Friday they will not be spared.

"If anyone raises anti-India slogans and tries to raise question on nation's unity and integrity, they will not be spared," Rajnath Singh told media here.

"Stringent action must be taken against them who raised anti-India slogans in JNU."

Students of the JNU on Tuesday organised a meet to mourn the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were also raised.
Women's rights groups protested on Friday in front of the TERI office here, condemning R.K. Pachauri's "promotion" as the executive vice chairman of the organisation.

Pachauri, who has been accused of sexually harassing a 29-year-old female colleague in 2015, is the first in The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to hold the newly created position of vice chairman.

Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Jagori, Saheli Women's Resource Centre, All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) and Nirantar Resource Centre participated in the demonstration in front of the TERI office.

TERI's governing council is holding a meeting here on Friday amid protests by alumni of TERI university and ex-employees of the organisation against Pachauri's appointment as vice chairman.

Indo-Asian News Service

AR/kb/bg
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is in the news for all the right reasons. Last week, she acted as the main host to Queen Maxima of The Netherlands, who was visiting Pakistan to understand that country's policies on the empowerment of women and their financial inclusion.
You must understand," Rammanohar Reddy says, his voice almost a whisper, "in many ways it was a dream job." Reddy, for the record, is one of the most soft-spoken men I know and I am worried, as I sit across the table straining my ears, whether the recorder will catch his words (it does, thankfully).
In 2013, the well-known fashion designer Suneet Varma took off for New York with his younger boyfriend and business partner Rahul Arora. There, the two men donned their sherwanis, paid a fee of $35 and had a City Hall wedding. To their delight, the newlyweds elicited the overwhelming support of friends and well-wishers. Although their union has no legal sanction in India, Mr Varma, proudly posing with his partner, Mr Arora, in a magazine this month says, For us, were just living our lives, we havent done anything brave. I married my lover, thats all.



Ironically, not long afterwards, the bid to decriminalise homosexuality received its biggest setback. On December 11, 2013, a two-member Supreme Court bench, led by Justice G S Singhvi, overturned the historic 2009 ruling by Chief Justice A P Shah of the Delhi High Court, which termed Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as a violation of individuals fundamental rights of dignity and privacy. Justice Singhvi argued that the matter concerned only a small number of people; upholding the constitutional validity of Section 377, he made homosexuality a crime again  in effect, passing the buck for the legislature to decide. Widely condemned as retrograde and disgraceful, Justice Singhvis parting shot  the judgement came on the day before his retirement  was described by Justice Leila Seth, whose novelist son Vikram Seth long ago came out as gay, as untempered by any sympathy for the suffering of others. How could the Supreme Court abdicate its responsibilities to protect their fundamental rights, or shuffle them off to Parliament she asked.
First, the three facts that I believe in the Ishrat Jahan story, as it returns into our lives in the course of David Coleman Headley's testimony.
When the first lot of 14 banks was nationalised in 1969, one of the things said in those heady times filled with socialist fervour was that, with the banks resources at the governments disposal, it might even be able to abolish the income tax. No one thought then that money would flow the other way: your tax money would be used by the government to finance mismanaged banksbecause they finance businessmen who then dont repay the loans. So who exactly is laughing all the way to (or from) the bank? Perhaps there is a need for some anger here. But who do we get angry with? The government (who is the shareholder on our behalf)? The regulator, which is the Reserve Bank? Bank managements? Bank employees trade unions? Those who took the money and became rich while defaulting? Or all of them?
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is known for his reticence, has spoken out. And he minces no words when he says that the state of the Indian economy is worrying and so is the Centre's flip-flops on Pakistan. In an interview with Jyoti Malhotra of India Today, Singh, one of the most reputed economists and academicians, has talked about a range of subjects including his "disappointment" with the Narendra Modi-led government for not reaching out to the Congress. Moreover, the taciturn former PM has accused the Prime Minister of not speaking out on crucial issues, such as Dadri lynching.

The former PM has said the economy is not in as good shape as it could be, despite the fact that the situation today is much more favourable than it was when the Congress-led UPA was in the government. For example, oil prices had at that time gone up to $150 a barrel, today they are close to $30 a barrel. This has significantly helped India's balance of payments, the current account deficit has come down, it has helped the government reduce the fiscal deficit, and in the hands of a purposeful government, this could be an opportunity to step up investment in the economy in a big way.

About Modi government's foreign policy, he has said that India's relations with major powers have certainly improved. "But that was also the case with us. We had good relations with Russia, China, Japan, the US, France and Germany."

On nuclear deal with the US, he said: The nuclear deal with the US was a path-breaking effort to break the vicious circle of nuclear apartheid. We ended the isolation of India. But I would say that the real test of foreign policy is in the handling of your neighbours."

Manmohan Singh also said in the interview that the Centre should talk to Hurriyat in order to resolve the Kashmir issue. "There is no harm in talking to them [Hurriyat]. Even the previous government, Atalji's government, was talking to them, we were talking to them, and our stand has been that the Hurriyat, instead of talking to Pakistan, should talk to us. And therefore the sensitivity that is required to handle the relationship with Jammu & Kashmir has been missing in the Modi government. Our view with regard to Jammu & Kashmir was that borders cannot be redrawn. If borders cannot be redrawn, then you must find other ways of dealing with the problem which will satisfy the people of Jammu & Kashmir as well as India and Pakistan."

On Parliament logjam, where Treasury and Opposition benches are hardly talking to each other, he said: That is not good for democracy, for the country. There is unwanted bitterness between the two sides. It doesn't have to be that way. According tho him, the bitterness exists because the ruling party doesn't feel that it needs the Congress in managing the country. "I had told him that if you really want to improve relations with the Congress party, it's much more essential than ever before for you to establish contact with the Congress leadership, particularly with Soniaji and Rahul Gandhi."

On scams like CWG, 2G or Coalgate, he told India Today: "I really feel sad about those years, that reports of the CAG were used by the Opposition to disrupt the functioning of Parliament. Actually the reports of the CAG must be discussed in the public accounts committee, but the day the report was published, the BJP brought up the matter in Parliament and it was disrupted. So, we never had any opportunity to put out our view of what really happened. Parliament was never given an opportunity to objectively examine what the situation was and that has always remained a sore point with me."

On the killing of a Muslim man by a mob in Uttar Pradesh, he said: "The public in our country expects the Prime Minister to take the lead in managing public opinion. But he has never spoken; whether it is on the beef problem or whether it is what happened in Muzaffarnagar or elsewhere, he has kept quiet."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre, despite the fortuitous circumstance of low crude oil prices, is letting slip a golden opportunity to get the country on an upward path of growth because of a failure to get its act together.He spoke on an array of issues in an interview with Jyoti Malhotra of weekly newsmagazine India Today. He decried the state of the economy and said there was a crisis of confidence of the business community in the government. He also said successor Narendra Modi had failed to reach out to Opposition parties, and had an inconsistent foreign policy towards Indias immediate neighbours, particularly Pakistan.The former PM said despite low oil prices, the economy is not in as good a shape as it could be. These low prices had helped the balance of payments, the current account deficit has come down and it had helped the government reduce the fiscal deficit. In the hands of a purposeful government, this could be an opportunity to step up investment in the economy in a big way, he said.The bonanza of low oil prices would not last but the Modi government had already spent two of its five years without giving people the feeling that the country was on an upward path. For example, the rate of growth of bank credit is much lower than would be the case if the economy was on an upward trend, he said.The PM talks about vikas (development) but in the growth rate, there is no significant difference from when we left power. In our last year, the rate was 6.9 per cent, while the latest figures today show it is 7-7.2 per cent, said Singh, the PM from 2004 to 2014.He said the government had also failed to persuade the business community to take advantage of the fortuitous circumstances to step up the rate of investment at home. This rate, he said, was only 32 per cent (of gross domestic product); at the peak of his government, it was 35 per cent.Singh spoke of a lack of confidence within the business community. When they talk to civil servants, they tell them they dont know who the boss is.... When we were in government, the business community talked a great deal about tax terrorism. I continue to hear the same talk when they come and talk to me, he said.On intolerance in society, Singh said he was troubled by the PMs silence. He is the Prime Minister of all the people of India and he must give every Indian the confidence that in him, we have a prime minister who cares for our well-being.Modi, he said, given his majority in the Lok Sabha, had unique opportunities and in the hands of a purposeful government and wise leadership, there are enormous opportunities to make progress in the management of the economy and in containing social tensions.

Singh was also critical of Modis failure to reach out to opposition parties, including on the goods and services tax legislation. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called on Singh and Congress party head Sonia Gandhi to invite them for the marriage of his daughter. But, that is not the way for the government to handle the relationship with the principal Opposition party. About his and Sonia Gandhis meeting with the PM on the eve of Parliaments winter session, he said: Jaitley did all the talking; the PM kept quiet. On relations with the Congress, he said hed earlier advised Modi to establish contact and build rapport with both Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. "You cannot have a situation where you foist cases like the Herald and then expect?" he said.

Singh, whose prime ministerial tenure saw several foreign policy successes, termed Modi's foreign policy on Pakistan as inconsistent. He also felt that the government handled the Nepal situation poorly.

The former PM, who couldn't visit Pakistan even once during his 10-year tenure, thought Modi's surprise visit to Lahore on December 25 wasn't well thought out. "It is always good to maintain contacts with your neighbours, but there is no need to create euphoria if you are not sure about the outcome of your initiative?" he said.

Singh claimed he had never planned to go to Pakistan in 2007, not even to visit his ancestral village Gah. "In matters of state, one has to be full of sentiments, but one can never be sentimental. I would like to go to my village, but there must be more to it than a mere visit," he said.

Singh also confirmed that there indeed were backchannel talks to resolve Kashmir, but the Mumbai terror attack of 2008 pushed the clock back. He said he envisages a solution of Kashmir where the Line of Control becomes irrelevant and the people of J&K on both sides should be able to trade with each other freely, move around freely, together. On the current situation in Kashmir, Singh said the BJP should create a proper atmosphere.

The former PM had faced a torrid time inside and outside Parliament in the last years of his government, particularly when the BJP, the principal opposition party, used reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General to malign his government. "I'm not bitter about anything, but it hurts me. I had not entered to make money for myself, my family or friends, and I felt very sad and hurt when BJP members would walk into the well of the House and say, "Pradhan mantri chor hai." That really hurt me," he said.

On whether history will treat him better than the present, "Yes, I really believe that. I really do hope so," Singh said.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. High ranking officials are arriving at the Presidential Palace, who will meet with President Serzh Sargsyan. A speech by the President is also expected. Armenpress correspondent reports that Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov mentioned that it is out of his responsibilities to comment on the meeting, as it is not organized by the party. He is invited as a high-ranking official. It will not be proper if I say something as the President will deliver a speech. The speech will be transmitted and you will learn what issues have been discussed, Sharmazanov said.

Ministers, Governors, high ranking representatives of Police, National Security Service and Yerevan Municipality have arrived at the Presidential Palace.

Earlier, Presidents spokesperson Vladimir Hakobyan had informed that the President of Armenia will receive high ranking officials and will deliver a speech, but it will be about the implementation of the newly adopted Constitution, not cooperation with the ARF.
Two persons, including a 16-year-old boy, were injured today after a series of grenade attacks targeting mostly educational institutions occurred at different locations here in Pakistan's commercial capital.

Five unidentified persons riding motorcycles first lobbed two grenades outside the Mobina Town police station in which one policeman was injured and several vehicles were damaged, police said.

The same people then threw two more hand grenades near a girls' College in Karimabad, damaging the boundary wall of the institution.

"All three attacks took place within a span of two hours that is why we suspect the same gang is involved," said Mushtaq Sukhera, Karachi police chief.

Another grenade lobbed close to a school in North Nazimabad Block-A injured a 16-year-old boy, police said, adding that the explosions near the educational institutions caused panic and fear among parents.

"These are basically attempts to spread panic and fear as the operation against terrorists and militants has been stepped up in Karachi," Sukhera said.

At least 21 people, mostly students, were killed after Taliban militants attacked Bacha Khan university in northwestern Pakistan last month.

The attack had come more than a year after terrorists attacked an army-run school in Peshawar that killed nearly 150 people, most of them students.

The Pakistani military intensified an ongoing offensive, named operation Zarb-e-Azb, against extremists in the tribal areas after the 2014 attack.
Mali's Defence Ministry and a witness say three people have been killed in the central Mopti region by armed men attacking a customs post.

Colonel Diarran Kone, spokesman for Mali's Defence Ministry, said yesterday that two civilians and a customs officer died in the attack in Hombori.

Mouaouloud Dao, a Hombori resident, said armed men in a 4x4 vehicle came early yesterday to the post and set fire to a car before leaving.

Three soldiers were killed in the same region Tuesday after driving over a land mine.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The Mopti region is known to be a stronghold for the Macina Liberation Front, an Islamic extremist group that claimed responsibility for several attacks on the army last year.
The Karimnagar Bar Association today decided to suspend four member-advocates for one year for allegedly raising slogans against retired High Court Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy during a seminar here.

The conduct by the advocates was "unfortunate" and it tantamount to "insulting" not only Reddy, who retired as Chief Justice of Patna High Court, but also the judicial system, Association President Korivi Venugopal said here.

He said the Association unanimously took a decision to suspend its members Budida Mallesh, Kattekola Laxman, Janagama Narsing and Nishani Ramachandram, who allegedly made objectionable comments about Reddy during the seminar at the District Court premises here yesterday.

Reddy, who was delivering a lecture on B R Ambedkar, cut short his speech and left the venue midway after a group of lawyers raised slogans against him.

The lawyers were objecting to his presence at the event in light of a 2014 verdict delivered by a Division Bench of Andhra Pradesh HC headed by him in a case related to killing of Dalits.

They said Reddy had no right to speak on Ambedkar as he had acquitted accused in the Chundur Dalits murder case.

"The incident was unfortunate and we will see such things don't recur in future," Venugopal said, adding the Association will take all necessary steps to initiate disciplinary proceedings against them.

The advocates questioned a judgement given by Reddy and this amounts to contempt of court, he said, terming their conduct as "objectionable and unethical".

As many as eight Dalits were murdered at Chundur village in Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh in August 1991. A Special Court, in August 2007, acquitted 123 out of the 179 accused named in the case. It sentenced 21 accused to life imprisonment and awarded one-year rigorous jail term to the 35 others.

Later, the convicts appealed the HC, following which a Bench, headed by Reddy and comprising Justice M S K Jaiswal, acquitted all of them.
At least five United Nations peacekeepers were killed and some 30 others injured in an attack on a UN base in northern Mali, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said today.

Ban condemned the "complex" assault on the base in Kidal and recalled that targeting peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

The latest attacks highlighted the vulnerability of the sprawling arid north of the West African country, where UN peacekeepers and Malian soldiers are struggling in their fight against jihadists who had seized vast swaths of territory in 2012.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said some of the peacekeepers who were killed were from Guinea and that there "may be other nationalities involved."



Dujarric described the attack early today as a "massive and complex one."



The raid coincided with a visit to the region by Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the new chief of the UN mission in Mali known as MINUSMA, who began touring the north on Monday.
Five United Nations peacekeepers were killed and some 30 others wounded when suspected Islamists attacked their base in Mali's restive north today, as three Malian soldiers perished in an ambush in the same region, the UN chief and security sources said.

The latest attacks highlighted the vulnerability of the sprawling arid north, where UN peacekeepers and Malian soldiers are struggling in their fight against jihadists who seized vast swathes of territory in 2012.

UN Secretary general Ban Ki-moon condemned the "massive" assault on the base of the UN mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, in the strategic town of Kidal and recalled that targeting peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said some of the peacekeepers who were killed were from Guinea and that there "may be other nationalities involved", describing the attack early today as a "massive and complex one."



Two Guinean soldiers died on the spot. Two other soldiers, among seven seriously wounded, died later of their injuries, a Guinean source said.

The source said a vehicle "carrying suicide bombers entered the camp shortly the assailants fired rockets."



The raid coincided with a visit to the region by the new chief of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who began touring the north on Monday.

Annadif said the raid was an "odious and irresponsible act" which highlighted the "confusion in the ranks of the enemies of peace."



Annadif was in Kidal a week after a peace pact eased tensions in the town, where the arrival early in February of members of a pro-government group had upset the former rebels in the Coordination of Movements of the Azawad.

Azawad is the name the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people of the desert use for territory they regard as their homeland, straddling the southern Sahara and the Sahel.

In a separate attack, three Malian soldiers were killed and two others were wounded near the fabled city of Timbuktu, a Malian military source said.

"Three of our men died today between Timbuktu and Goundam when they were ambushed by jihadists," a Malian officer told AFP. "Two others were wounded but their lives are not in danger."



The defence ministry confirmed the attack, condemning what it termed a "cowardly" strike.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said there was a pressing need to secure the north.
A faction of All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) today squatted on Hisar-Rewari rail tracks near Mayyar railway barrier, about 15 km from here, to press for its demand of reservation.

The protest led to delay of several trains on this route.

Due to the blockade, Gorakhdam Express train could not leave Hisar while Rewari-Ganganagar train was stopped at Hansi station, railway authorities said.

Rewari bound Fazilka passenger train was stopped in Hisar till further orders, they said.

The protesters, led by their leader Hawa Singh, also held a rally near Bhagana village this morning and accused Haryana government for being "indifferent" towards their demand for reservation in jobs and educational institutions.

Alleging the government was playing politics with the Jat community, Singh said they would not get swayed by the divide and rule tactics of the government.

He alleged the state government is not "serious" about Jat quota issue and they were being "ignored".

Claiming that reservation is the right of the Jats, the leaders said if the government did not respond to their demands in a positive manner, they would intensify their agitation.

The BJP government in the state had earlier this week



formed a five-member committee, headed by Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, to hold talks with the agitating Jats.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said the talks between the government-appointed officers' panel and the Jats would continue in the second round and all points would be discussed.

The main opposition party in Haryana, the INLD, has openly come out in support of the agitating Jats this time and asked the government to meet their demands.

During the fresh round of the agitation, the protesters have been staging dharnas at various places in the state amid elaborate security arrangements.

Security has been further strengthened in sensitive Rohtak district, officials said.

Last year, arsonists had also set fire to the Rohtak residence of Haryana's Finance Minister Abhimanyu.

In view of the fresh Jat stir, paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, while the state police is maintaining a strict vigil.

The call for the fresh stir was given by certain Jat outfits, especially those owing allegiance to the body headed by Yashpal Malik.

Khattar had earlier said the government had accepted the demand of Jats of giving jobs to the next of kin of those who had lost their lives during the agitation last year.

As many as 30 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged at many places in Haryana during last year's Jat stir which had turned violent. However, this time the state has been put on maximum alert, the officials said.

Rohtak and some of its neighbouring districts, including Sonipat and Jhajjar, were the worst hit by the violence last year.
Members of a US university group have accused Adele's smash hit song "Hello" of normalising sexual harassment.

The University of Oklahoma's Gender + Equality Center's members have distributed campaign posters featuring popular song lyrics to promote Stalking Awareness Month.

On the poster, they have used the Hello lyrics, "I must have called a thousand times" followed by slogan, "Even great songs can normalize sexual harassment."



Kathy Moxley, director of the Gender + Equality Center, explained that the song was chosen to raise awareness during "Stalking Awareness Month".

"To begin a much needed conversation about harassment on college campuses, the University of Oklahoma Gender + Equality Center used popular songs that students listen to, to attract students' attention and to bring awareness to subtle messages in popular song lyrics," Moxley said.

"The music examples were used to demonstrate how aspects of popular media could be interpreted to normalise unhealthy relationship behaviours," she added.

Adele's "Hello" isn't the only song the Gender + Equality Center uses for their posters. They also try to draw students' attention with the line "Baby, I'm preying on you tonight. Hunt you down eat you alive" from Maroon 5's 2014 single "Animals".
Two-time Olympic bronze medallist from Afghanistan Rohullah Nikpai will be the star attraction when three-day taekwondo event gets underway at the 12th South Asian Games here from tomorrow.

Nikpai became a national hero after winning Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medal in Beijing 2008, a feat which he repeated in London four years later in 2012.

With an aim of winning a hat-trick of Olympic medals at Rio this year, the 28-year-old is set to show his skills at the regional mega event for the first time since participating in the 10th edition of the meet in Colombo in 2006.

"As all top athletes my aim is to win another medal in Olympics. I will try to win a gold medal this time," Nikpai told PTI on the sidelines of their practice at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences on the outskirts of the city here.

"I've come here just for my team and my country. We have a strong team in taekwondo and we hope to put our country on top here. Our achievement in sport is a big ray of hope for the people back home," he said.

Nikpai was greeted by thousands at Kabul's Ghazi stadium when he returned from Beijing in 2008.

"My achievement in Olympics has put the country in the sporting map. They know it for sport, not for war," he said.

Nikpai started his training at his home town Kabul at the age of 10 before he fled to Tehran during the civil war. He settled there in one of Iran's many Afghan refugee camps.

He soon became a member of the Afghan refugee taekwondo team after watching martial arts movies. Nikpai returned to Kabul in 2004 and continued his training at the government provided Olympic training facility.

A total of 13 gold medals will be decided in taekwondo, of which five will be in women's section.
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who stars in "Sarbjit", a biopic on Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, today visited Golden Temple for shooting of the film here.

Clad in Punjabi suit with her head covered with a dupatta, the actress paid obeisance in the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple.

Thereafter she went to Langar (community kitchen) of the Golden Temple where she cooked food, cleaned the floor with devotion to seek blessing from Almighty.

Shooting for film began in the afternoon and it continued till evening whereupon different kind of scenes were shot including inside the community kitchen while cleaning utensils, cleaning floor of Langar, cooking vegetables.

She was seen standing before the deg (big ironed rounded utensils) used for cooking for several hundred people.

In the Omung Kumar-directed movie, the 42-year-old actor plays the role of Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur, while actor Randeep Hooda will be seen in the titular role.

The film is slated to release on May 20. It will be shot in various cities of Punjab including Amritsar, Malerkotla and Patiala.

The film captures the plight of prisoners lodged in various jails across the border.

"I hope the biopic will highlight the plight of Indian prisoners lodged in various jails in Pakistan," said Dalbir Kaur sister of Sarbjit Singh, who struggled for decades to get her brother out of the Pakistani prison.

Sarabjit died after a brutal attack by jail inmates in a Pakistani jail in 2013. He was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991 but the government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008.

His sister and family started a campaign for his release saying he was the victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border in an inebriated state.

About Aishwarya playing the role, Dalbir said, "She is the right choice. I came to know that while shooting a scene for the film earlier, she turned emotional.

"I strongly wish that film should depict the hardships faced by Sarbjit Singh during his life time especially the time he had spent in the Kotlakhpatrai jail of Lahore in Pakistan where he was killed in a murderous attack by one of the jail mate" Kaur quipped.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha excludes that the Organization may take ground operations in the territory of Syria. Armenpress reports Nikolay Bordyuzha announced about this during Astana-Yerevan-Moscow Space Bridge, answering the question of how the CSTO will respond if Syria applies for assistance in case Saudi Arabia launches ground operations there.

To say that the heads of the member states of the Organization will take a decision to launch any kind of ground operations or sent troops out of our borders will be totally unreal. The CSTO is a regional establishment. Its mandate is to ensure the security of only its member states and use of force is possible only in the territories of the member states, Nikolay Bordyuzha said.

As refers to the issue of Syrias aspiration to become a CSTO member, Bordyuzha mentioned that he has not heard such a thing, adding that any state can submit an application.
In more chilling testimony, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today said al-Qaeda was in touch with him to attack Delhi's Defence College and unravelled the plot by LeT and ISI to target Mumbai airport, BARC and the Naval air station here.

Headley also told Special Judge G A Sanap via video-link from the US that he attempted to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, would be interested in future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan here or assassinate its head (late Bal Thackeray).

Continuing his deposition for the fourth day, Headley claimed he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack as they were heavily guarded.

Headley told the court here that his handlers in Pakistan spy agency ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the terror attack in November 2008.

"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," he said.

Headley testified in detail on how al-Qaeda was also interested in carrying out attacks in India after 26/11 strike.

"After the 26/11 terror attack I met Ilyas Kashmiri (of al-Qaeda) in February 2009 and he asked me to visit India again as they were also interested in carrying out terrorist activities in India. He mentioned few places like the NDC ( Defence College) which was their primary target," he said.

He also said NDC was a high-value target as it housed senior military officers, from Brigadier to General rank.

"Abdul Rehman Pasha (Al-Qaeda member) said that if this attack is successful then we would be able to kill more Brigadiers and Generals than any killed in the wars between India and Pakistan in the past," said the 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the 26/11 terror attacks case.

He told the court that as per Kashmiri's orders, he also visited the Chabad houses located in Pushkar, Goa and Pune as they were secondary targets of the terror outfit.

He said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

"I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI," he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

Headley also testified on his interaction with a Shiv Sena member.

"I met Rajaram Rege (PRO of Uddhav Thackeray) inside Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar. I was interested in accessing the building at that time and I attempted to develop closer relations with Rege as I thought the LeT would be interested in future to attack the Sena Bhavan or assassinate its head," Headley told the court.
Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today said Al-Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to recce National Defence College in Delhi as it was a primary target for the outfit and that he had also videographed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and was asked to recruit someone from there to work with ISI.

Headley, who has been testifying before a special court here in the 26/11 case via video-link from the US since Monday, also revealed that the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and naval station.

He also claimed that he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought LeT would be interested to either attack the Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head.

Headley also said that he never visited the control room in Karachi from where instructions were given to the ten attackers during the 26/11 terror strikes, in which 166 people were killed and 309 injured.

He identified a photograph of Ajmal Kasab, one of the ten perpetrators of the attack who was caught alive, when it was shown to him.

Headley told the court here that his handlers in the ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the 26/11 terror attack.

"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," said the 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the case.

Headley said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

"I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI," he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

In further disclosures, he said that after he had recced Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

He told the court that Al-Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri asked him to go to India again as they were also interested in carrying out terror activities in India.

"Ilyas Kashmiri asked me to recce National Defence College in Delhi as it was a primary target for Al-Qaeda," he said.

Headley revealed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, prior to the 26/11 attacks, he had surveyed and videographed the Chabad House in south Mumbai.

"I don't know who was staying there. Sajid Mir and Pasha asked me to survey this place and said that it was an international location as it had Jewish and Israeli people," he said.

Headley said he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack.

"I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the ten attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only," he said.

He said that he tried to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba might be interested to either attack Sena Bhawan or "assassinate its head", a reference to Bal Thackeray.

"I met one Rajaram Rege inside Shiv Sena Bhawan in Dadar



during 2006-2007. I attempted to develop closer relation with him. I was interested in accessing that building (Shiv Sena Bhawan) at that time.

"I thought LeT would be interested in the future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head," he said answering questions put to him by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam regarding all those people in Mumbai with whom he had developed friendly relation.

Continuing to spill beans on the brazen terror attack, he said "for the 26/11 terror attack, LeT handler Sajid Mir and Abu Kahfa, on instructions from Zaki Sahab, decided to go with the stronghold option which means stay put in the place of the target and keep on fighting."



The second option was to leave the place of target and go to Kashmir and continue fighting with the troops there, he said.

Headley said Kahfa told him that the second option was discarded "as if it was in the mind of the person (attacker) that he has to leave then he will not fight well".

Headley told the court that Sajid Mir had got the ten attackers Indian cellphones so that they could guide them during the terror attack.

"I tested one of the phones. Sajid Mir asked me to go to Wagah border if the signal was working in the phone. I did so and informed Sajid Mir that the signals were working," he said.

Headley also told the court that they got to know from Indian media that one of the ten terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was captured after the attack.

"Sajid Mir and everybody in LeT were saddened by this," he said.

When Nikam showed a photograph of Kasab, Headley identified him and said, "Yes this is Ajmal Kasab... Rehmatullah...This means God bless him or God forgive him."



When asked about the control room in Karachi from where the LeT handlers were giving instructions to the ten attackers during the terror attack, Headley said he "never visited the control room and did not meet any other handler, apart from Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abu-al-Kama".

He disclosed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, he had also gone to Siddhivinayak temple and made a video of it.

"I purchased the red and yellow wrist bands.... I forget the name of it. I thought that the ten youths could wear it as a cover so that people would think they were Indians.

"Nobody asked me to do so. I saw a man selling it outside the temple, so the thought occurred to me. After I returned to Pakistan, I gave those wrist bands to Sajid Mir and explained to him that practising Hindus in India wear this and hence, it would be a good idea if the ten gentlemen (attackers) also wear it as it would look like they are Hindus," he said.

Headley also said that during his last visit, he had



purchased five books from a shop at the Taj Hotel.

"During the same visit I also visited the Nalanda book shop inside Taj Hotel where I purchased five books. One of the books was 'Indian Army Vision 2020'. I was interested to know the progress of the Indian Army in the future," he said.

When Judge G A Sanap asked Headley why he had purchased the other four books, he said, "The other books were pictorial and beautiful, hence I purchased them. There is nothing sinister about those books. The first book was sinister."



Headley told the court that he had finalised Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade as a landing site for the ten attackers, as the area is covered with shanties and hutments from the main road, and hence he thought it would give tactical advantage to the terrorists.

"In May 2008, I visited US. I could not meet Tahawwur Rana (Headley's business partner), but I spoke with him on the phone. I said that I had gone to India and selected landing site," he said.

Headley said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman wanted to finalise Gateway of India as the landing site for the 10 terrorists as it was very close to the Taj hotel.

"I, however, said it was not a good idea as the attackers would be required to go through Gateway of India by crossing naval installation and they could be detected. Zaki Sahab and others agreed to my suggestion," he said.

"When Zaki Sahab saw the targets I had selected, he said this was very important and has to be done properly. Zaki Sahab said surveillance for the attacks should be done properly. He said this would give a chance to take revenge for all the bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan. Zaki Sahab wished me good luck," he said.

He told the court that the idea to divide the ten terrorists in different groups was also discussed in one of the meetings in Pakistan.

He also told the court that he had informed his first wife Shazia about the 26/11 attack.

"On November 28, 2008, Shazia sent me an e-mail congratulating me for the 26/11 attack," he said.

Headley is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh today rubbished Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's charges against him over the circulation of AAP leaders' posters along with Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, accusing the latter of being a "congenital and compulsive liar".

"Given the fact that he (Kejriwal) is a congenital and compulsive liar, I am not surprised over his backing out himself and blaming me for what his party has done," Amarinder said in a statement issued here.

"It is a classic case of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," the former Chief Minister said, adding, "first they (AAP) circulated posters asking people to celebrate Bhindrawale's birthday and when it boomeranged on them, Kejriwal tried to back out in his characteristic fugitive manner he is well known about".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind yesterday had rejected Amarinder's allegation that his party AAP had nexus with Khalistanis.

"It is Amarinder who is doing this. He is doing photo shopping--of juxtaposing our photos with Bindrawale-and putting them on posters," Kejriwal had said yesterday in the national capital.

Amarinder dared the Aam Aadmi Party to lodge an FIR and get the matter investigated and if it (AAP) does not do so, he will get it done after the Congress forms the government in Punjab.

"We will not allow them to play the double game of stealthily playing the extremist agenda and publicly denying it later," he warned.

The PCC president said if the AAP was really not behind the posters issue then why did the party convener in Punjab, Sucha Singh Chhotepur backed out from filing a complaint.

"You have always tried to survive on rumours by first flashing a rumour and then backing out", he said while adding, "we are yet to hear any truth from you since you came into the public life".

The former Chief Minister said instead of "crying and cribbing", the AAP should have lodged an FIR under various sections of the cyber law.

"I think we are over-rating Sidhu, he has been a



cricketer, but nobody remembers his cricketing days... secondly, he has been doing cricket commentary, so people know him little bit from there. Thirdly, they know him from this foolish programme which he does (on TV) where he tries to make everyone laugh, that is all that they know of him.

That does not make you a leader of a state. If you think a comedian like Sidhu or a comedian like Bhagwant Mann or Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi (both AAP leaders) are the right people for Punjab, then God help Punjab," Singh said.

About the Sidhu-led 'fourth front', Singh said he does not see any threat from it and claimed that the anti-incumbency votes will go to the Congress.

"No matter what they (Akalis) try this time, their ship has sunk. The Akalis have no chance whatsoever, they are a finished commodity. Their story is over for now," he said.

Training guns on Kejriwal, who recently said that he will stay put in Punjab till the ruling Badals are sent to jail for alleged acts of omission and commission, Singh said "first let him (Kejriwal) talk about his own corruption."



"As a government officer (former IRS officer) how come he never moved out of Delhi for 24 years whereas other officers get routinely transferred out. Kejriwal started an NGO and it takes funding from the Ford Foundation. I am asking this question to Kejriwal that as a government officer how were you involved in this NGO, who gave you permission to have the foreign funds, isn't this corruption?"



To a question, he said "Kejriwal must be investigated. You are not allowed to stay for more than 4-5 years at one place, how come he stayed back in Delhi for 24 years."



Comparing the AAP National Convener with the fictional character of Dr Jekyll, who had an alternative personality -- Mr Hyde, from an English novel, he said, "In the same manner he (Kejriwal) says one thing at one time and another thing the next time. Kejriwal is a confused man."



"Kejriwal is a liar. He should first take care of Delhi," he added.

On the feasibility of the debt waiver in a state like Punjab, which has a precarious financial condition, he said it is not very difficult for the governments to generate resources "if there is a will to do something".

Asserting that Congress, unlike AAP, was serious about debt waiver, the PCC president said his party would move a private member's bill in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha seeking debt waiver for the farmers.

Replying to a question about his having described the AAP manifesto released yesterday as a "carbon copy" of Congress' policies, he said, "Rather it is a case of political plagiarism" claiming the Kejriwal-led party had copied everything his party had promised long before.
American security assistance to Pakistan contributes to its counterterrorism and counter- insurgency operations, a senior Obama administration official has said amid growing call from lawmakers to stop the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad.

"We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily conference yesterday.

"These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks, and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan. So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the US and in the interests of the region more broadly," he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry has received a letter from Senator Bob Corker in which Corker has said that he would block the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, saying organisations like the Haqqani network, with support from people within the establishment, are using terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan for attacks against US soldiers in Pakistan, Toner said.

"No country in the region has been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan. We believe it is in our vital national security interest to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks.

"We believe it is an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan. So and in that regard we would welcome Pakistan's efforts to support Afghan- led reconciliation talks, for example, they hosted the Heart of Asia ministerial recently and two of the first three meetings of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group," he said.

Toner said Pakistan has carried out multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil.

"We believe that eliminating those networks is in our national security interest, as well as the security interests of the region," he said while refusing to comment on the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

"We do not comment on proposed arms sales or transfers, or even our preliminary consultations with the Capitol Hill prior to any formal congressional notification. But we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges," Toner added.
Talking tough, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today warned of "strongest possible" action against those involved in raising anti-India slogans at an event on the JNU campus in Delhi, saying such activities will not be tolerated.

"If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on country's unity and integrity, they will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken against them," he said.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the government and the country over the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

The event occurred despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

Delhi Police yesterday registered a case of sedition in connection with the event following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP.
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister N Chinna Rajappa has expressed the resolve of the state's Police department to check crimes and called for efforts to improve law and order situation in the state.

"The Police department is playing a vital role in dealing with law and order challenges in the state. The department is also helping in the implementation of various state government schemes," Rajappa said.

He was speaking after the launch of the state's Police Directory 2016 at police guest house in Kakinada in East Godavari district yesterday.

Strict action would be taken against land grabbers, chain snatchers, dacoits, and other offenders in the state, he said.

Steps are being taken to curtail Ganja smuggling in Agency areas, and also to boost security in the state's border areas, he said.

"The police observed restraint during the Tuni incident, when the 'Kapu' community's ongoing agitation for Backward Class status turned violent. The police made all possible effort to protect former minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham and his wife Padmavathi during their protest in Kirlampudi in East Godavari district," he said.

Some persons had complained of losing their vehicles in the Tuni incident, he said, adding the matter would be looked into by the state government.

The Minister, while emphasizing the need to strengthen the Police department, thanked the department personnel for their efforts in maintaining law and order in the state.
Hinduja Group company Ashok Leyland is scouting for a local partner for establishing assembly units in Africa with an estimated investment of Rs 30 crore each, a top official said.

The commercial vehicle manufacturer, which holds more than 50 per cent market share in South India, besides serving the domestic market has been shipping its products overseas, which accounts for about 10 per cent of its revenues.

"From the traditional market in Middle East, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh (which Ashok Leyland serves currently), we would now like to shift to Africa and select countries there. We also have an East Africa strategy and West Africa strategy," Ashok Leyland Chief Financial Officer Gopal Mahadevan told reporters here.

The move comes in the backdrop of orders it received for supply of buses and trucks from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

"We are in the process of setting up assembly units,which won't be full-fledged manufacturing sites. The buses or trucks will be exported from India in a Semi Knocked Down unit or in a Completely Knocked Down unit. Later, the assembling process will take place and then it will be sold," he said.

To a query on investments, he said, "It will cost about USD 5 million about Rs 30 crore. We will be assembling both the buses and trucks."



To a query on a local partner, he said, the company would look for a local partner to set up the assembly unit.

"Ideally, we will partner someone who has a local presence.We will utilise the expertise of manufacturing of the local partner. The establishment will take some time. Middle East will be headquartered for handling the operations in Africa, which is the plan," he added.

The move to further expand the company's overseas presence is part of ots strategy to increase the export contribution from the present 10 per cent to around 30 per cent over the next three to five years, he said.

"The idea is to generate approximately 25-30 per cent of revenues from exports in next three to five years. Today it is about 10-11 per cent," he said.

Ashok Leyland reported over six-fold increase in standalone net profit to Rs 198.62 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015-16, riding on robust sales of commercial vehicles.

The company had posted a standalone net profit of Rs 32.09 crore in the same period last fiscal.

Net sales during the period under review stood at Rs 4,029.45 crore as against Rs 3,290.62 crore in the year-ago period, up by 22.45 per cent.
Senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar today welcomed the Supreme Court order in the National Herald case saying it fully vindicates the position of the party and its leaders as regards the observations of the Delhi High Court on criminality, which have been expunged.

Reacting to the apex court order, he said in a statement that there was further vindication of the position of the Congress leaders when the court granted them exemption from personal appearance in the trial court during the hearing.

Kumar, a senior advocate who is part of the strategic team of party counsel in the case, said as far as the trial was concerned the Congress party has always affirmed its irrevocable faith in the integrity of the judicial process.

That was why, the Rajya Sabha member said, the Congress leadership appeared in the trial court on the very first date of summoning.

"We believe that through a fair trial and an independent judicial process, truth will prevail and the position of the Congress party and its leaders will be fully vindicated while the motivated prosecution will fall to the ground," the former union minister said.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake the entire country but warned it could take a "long time," as international pressure grows for a ceasefire.

In an exclusive interview with AFP from his office in Damascus yesterday, Assad said he supported peace talks, but that negotiations do "not mean that we stop fighting terrorism".

He said a major Russian-backed government offensive under way in the northern province of Aleppo was aimed mainly at severing the opposition's supply route from Turkey.

Assad said he saw a risk that Turkey and Saudi Arabia, key backers of the opposition, would intervene militarily in Syria.

He also addressed the massive flow of refugees from his country, saying it was up to Europe to stop "giving cover to terrorists" so that Syrians could return home.

Assad rejected UN allegations of regime war crimes, describing them as "politicised" and lacking evidence.

With air support from key ally Russia and backing by pro-government fighters, regime troops have nearly encircled Aleppo, Syria's second city.

Assad said his regime's eventual goal was to retake all of Syria, large swathes of which are under the control of rebel forces or the Islamic State jihadist group.

"Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation," he said.

"It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part," he added.

Assad said it would be possible to "put an end to this problem in less than a year" if opposition supply routes from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq were cut.

But, if not, he said, "the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price."



The interview with Assad is the first he has given since the effective collapse of a new round of peace talks in Geneva earlier this month.

The talks are officially "paused" until February 25, and 17 nations agreed early today on an ambitious plan intended to bolster efforts for new negotiations.

The plan would see a cessation of hostilities implemented in as little as a week, and also demands humanitarian aid access to all of Syria.

Assad said his government has "fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of the crisis."



"However, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."



The Aleppo offensive has been the main focus of Syrian government troops in recent weeks.
A person has been arrested by Gujarat ATS from Bharuch in connection with a bomb blast at Nehrunagar Circle here in 2003 wherein over 12 people were injured, a senior official said today.

"We have arrested one Ismail Patel from Bharuch town for the November 2003 bomb blast in which many people were injured," said ATS DySP A J Chavda.

The incident happened when the bomb planted on a cycle went off.

According to Chavda, the blast was carried out to avenge the 2002 communal riots in the state.

"The accused has so far managed to remain hidden from the gaze of police and was living in Bharuch," the officer said.

However, he did not specify the timing of arrest.

Earlier, police had arrested four persons--Altaf Hussain, Mohammad Junaid Sayyad, Haaris Ansari and Javed Khan--for allegedly plotting the blast.

However, a city sessions court acquitted them due to lack of evidence in 2008 while observing that there was no evidence against them to prove their involvement in the blast or any criminal conspiracy related to the case.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the plan of partnership and coordination of activities between the Defense Ministries of the two Armenian states the Defense Minister of Armenia, Seyran Ohanyan, accompanied by NKR Defense Minister Levon Mnataskanayn, visited a number of front line positions and got acquainted with the situation on the contact line of the opposing armies on Ferbruary 11.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, during the visit the complex operations aimed at reinforcing the defense system of the front line and tactical-technical innovations invested for that purpose were introduced to the Defense Minister of Armenia.

In one of the regiments the two Defense Ministers had breakfast with and talked to the personnel.
An embattled Australian government minister resigned today for breaching ministerial standards through a business trip to China, clearing the way for the prime minister to announce a final Cabinet reshuffle ahead of elections due this year.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said an investigation found Stuart Robert had breached the government's Code of Ministerial Standards through his 2014 trip to Beijing with a friend and donor to the ruling Liberal Party, Paul Marks.

Marks made the trip to seal a mining deal between his company Nimrod Resources and Chinese government-owned Minmetals.

Minmetals' website said Robert, then assistant defense minister, spoke at the signing ceremony on behalf of the Australian Defense Department. But under questioning this week, Robert said he went to China as a private citizen while on leave.

Turnbull came under intense pressure this week in Parliament to fire Robert from his current roles as minister for veterans' affairs and minister for human services.

The opposition accused Robert of breaching a section of the code of conduct that states a minister must not assist any company or business except in an official capacity as a minister.

Turnbull said Robert had discovered since the trip to China that he had shares in a company Metallum Holdings, which had an interest in Nimrod Resources.

"Mr. Robert recognized that this connection would create the impression that at the time he went to Beijing, he had something personally to gain from the Nimrod Resources project," Turnbull said in a statement.

It was also revealed this week that Robert was one of three lawmakers who were gifted Rolex watches by a Chinese businessman in 2013.

The lawmakers initially kept them only because they thought the USD 28,000 timepieces were fake, the Herald Sun newspaper reported. But they returned the watches after discovering they were genuine.
Azerbaijan has arrested eight men for fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, the majority-Muslim Caucasus nation's authorities said today.

The men, all Azeri nationals, "were trained in Islamic State training camps in 2012-2015 and took part in fighting in Syria and Iraq within the ranks of terrorist groups," the national security ministry said in a statement.

Fighting in foreign wars is a criminal offence in the predominantly Muslim but secular country of more than 9 million people.

Local media had previously reported numerous cases of Azerbaijani nationals fighting alongside jihadists in Syria and Iraq, including within the ranks of the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar group consisting mostly of Islamists from the former Soviet Union.

In September, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra.

Around 25,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries are involved in armed conflicts worldwide, with the highest numbers in Syria, Iraq and increasingly Libya, according to United Nations.
A city court today rejected the bail pleas of the three accused in the Red Road hit-and-run case and extended their judicial remand till February 26.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Sanjay Ranjan Paul rejected the pleas of Sambia Sohrab, younger son of Trinamool Congress leader Mohammed Sohrab, Sonu alias Shanawaz Khan and Johnny and sent them to 14-day judicial custody.

The court also granted the police plea to conduct a Test Identification Parade (TIP) of the trio by an Air Force official, who was stuck in Manipur because of landslide and failed to appear in the TIP held here last week.

Corporal Abhimanyu Gaud (21) was mowed down in the hit-and -run on January 13 at Red Road during a reheearsal of Republic Day parade.

The accused's counsel told the court that the TIP, conducted to identify the accused driving the Audi that mowed down Gaud was a "predestined mockery" and appealed for bail. They also contended that the investigations of Kolkata Police have failed to yield result which could prove any active role of the trio.

They alleged that police have failed to make any progress in their probe and bail should be granted to them.

Objecting to the plea, the public prosecutor said the investigations were at "a very very early stage" and granting bail would hamper investigation.

He sought permission for further interrogation of the trio in connection with the case.

The three have been booked under IPC sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 212 (harbouring offender) and 427 (mischief causing damage).

Sambia, who had confessed to the police that he was at the wheels of the Audi, was arrested from Park Circus in the city, while Sonu was arrested by Kolkata Police with support from Delhi Police from his maternal uncle's house in Delhi's Ajmeri Gate area. He was brought to the city on transit remand.

Johnny, who was not traceable since the incident, was arrested a few days later from a house in Ekbalpore area by city police.

(Reopens LGD 37)



The case emanated from complaints received by Registrar of Companies (RoC) in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs from investors who had alleged that Elder Pharmaceuticals had collected over Rs 175 crore from over 24,000 investors under Companies' Acceptance of Deposits Rule, CBI has said.

The company had allegedly lured them offering attractive rates of interest ranging from 9.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent on deposits ranging from a 12-36 month period. Over 1,000 such complaints were made to RoC, they said.

The ministry had instituted an inspection by Regional Director (West) Mumbai which claimed the company had allegedly not kept 15 per cent of deposits in liquid form, accepted Rs 138 crore from other companies which was akin to accepting deposits among other acts which were against the law, it has said.
The West Bengal government is scouting for land for the completion of the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) corridor.

"The BCIM corridor will be ambitious in terms of Trade. We are trying to find land to see how things can be done. The Chief Minister has given feedback to the Centre on this," state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said at the inauguration of 28th Industrial India Trade Fair.

BCIM is one of the Silk road plans which connects India and China through Myanmar and a number of ports in the Asian region.

"Kolkata is the gateway to not only northeastern states but also eastern and southeastern nations like Myanmar," Hakim said.

He said the state government was making sincere efforts to provide the industrial community with hassle-free environment for business.

"Our Chief Minister has said that business should grow and no one should disturb businessmen," Hakim said.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) proposes to felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a degree of Doctor of Law during its convocation ceremony later this month where he will be present as the Chief Guest.

According to a BHU statement, the university will be organising its centennial year convocation on February 22 and the Prime Minister has accepted the varsity's invitation to be the Chief Guest at the function and will also deliver the convocation address.

The university is also organising academic, literary and cultural programmes to mark the centennial year celebrations, the statement said.

BHU has proposed to confer on him a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) in recognition of his yeoman services as an innovator, reformer and an outstanding leader in public service and governance during the convocation and has requested for his consent, it said.

The Prime Minister will also visit Ravidas temple at Seer Govardhan area in the city on the same day. He will address a gathering there, BJP's Eastern UP media-incharge Sanjay Bhardwaj said.

He said over one lakh pilgrims will be arriving from Punjab and other states on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti here.

A 'pandal' is being erected near the Ravidas temple, where the PM will address the gathering.
Bhushan Steel today reported widening of its standalone net loss at Rs 697 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015.

The company had posted a net loss of Rs 454.24 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a filing to the BSE.

Total income from operations during the quarter was at Rs 2,537.86 crore, against Rs 2,460.19 crore in the year-ago period.

"During the last quarter of previous year, with effect from April 1, 2014, the company had revised the estimated useful lives of fixed assets. The said changes in the estimates of useful lives of assets with effect from April 1, 2014, had impacted in the previous quarter and nine months ended on December 31, 2015," it said.

"Consequently, the figures in respect of the depreciation charged for the quarter and nine months ended on December 31, 2015/previous quarters and nine months presented are not directly comparable," it said.

In a separate filing the company said its board has approved "Demerging by way of slump sale to different subsidiaries through Business Transfer Agreement Company's plants situated at Sahibabad (UP) and at Khopoli (Maharashtra) and their respective related assets and liabilities."



The board has also given "in Principle Approval for demerger of Orissa Plant of the company into two parts detail process thereof to be examined /determined".

Shares of the company closed at Rs 33.40 apiece, down 1.62 per cent from the previous close.
Bihar BJP vice president Visheshwar Ojha was today shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bhojpur district, the second murder of a politician in the past 10 days.

A BJP worker from Saran was also killed yesterday.

Ojha, who had unsuccessfully contested Assembly election in 2015 from Shahpur constituency, was fired by gunmen while returning from a wedding at Parsaura village.

The incident took place between Sonvarsha and Parsaura villages under Shahpur police station of Bhojpur.

Ojha's driver and another person accompanying him were seriously injured in the firing.

Ojha was taken to Shahpur referral hospital where he died during treatment, the hospital's in-charge Dr Ajay Kumar said, adding a medical board comprising three doctors had been formed to treat him.

The injured are being treated at Sadar hospital and doctors have declared them out of danger.

Ojha's murder has come close on the heels of the killing of Vaishali district LJP leader Brijnathi Singh who was shot dead near Kachhi Dargah locality of Patna on February 5.

Yesterday, BJP worker Kedarnath Singh was shot dead in Taraiyya area of Saran district, SP Satbir Singh said.

Angry supporters of Ojha heckled Bhojpur SP Navin Chand Jha when he visited the hospital where Ojha died.

State BJP president Mangal Pandey told reporters in Patna that the party is giving 72 hours to the state government for arresting Ojha's killers, failing which it would call for a state-wide agitation on the slide in law and order in the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is "holding meeting for controlling crime but the fact is criminals have gone out of control", senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement in Patna.

The three-day high level meeting held by Kumar to tone up law and order situation ended today in Patna.

LJP Parliamentary Board leader Chirag Paswan hit out at Secular Alliance government alleging that "in whichever government RJD chief Lalu Prasad is a part, such incidents would take place as he is known for giving patronage to criminals.
Bihar BJP vice president



Visheshwar Ojha was today shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bhojpur district while returning from a wedding.

Ojha, who had unsuccessfully contested Assembly election in 2015 from Shahpur constituency, was fired by gunmen when he was returning after attending the 'baraat' at Parsaura village.

The incident took place between Sonvarsha and Parsaura village under Shahpur police station of Bhojpur.

Ojha's driver and another person accompanying him were seriously injured in the firing.

Ojha was taken to Shahpur referral hospital where he died during treatment, the hospital's in-charge Dr Ajay Kumar said, adding a medical board comprising three doctors had been formed to treat him.

The injured are being treated at Sadar hospital and doctors have declared them out of danger.

(REOPENS CAL 8)



Angry supporters of the slain BJP leader heckled Bhojpur



SP Navin Chand Jha when he visited the hospital where Ojha died.

State BJP president Mangal Pandey told reporters in Patna that the party is giving 72 hours to the state government for arresting Ojha's killers, failing which it would call for a state-wide agitation on the slide in law and order in the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is "holding meeting for controlling crime but the fact is criminals have gone out of control", senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement in Patna.

The three-day high level meeting held by Kumar to tone up law and order situation ended today in Patna.

Ojha's murder has come close on heels of killing of Vaishali district LJP leader Brijnathi Singh who was shot dead near Kachhi Dargah locality of Patna on February 5.

LJP Parliamentary Board leader Chirag Paswan hit out at Secular Alliance government alleging that "in whichever government RJD chief Lalu Prasad is a part, such incidents would take place as he is known for giving patronage to criminals.
BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Sounderrajan today called on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

A vocal critic of the ruling AIADMK government over a number of issues including its liquor policy, Sounderrajan invited Jayalalithaa for her son's wedding.

The BJP leader met Jayalalithaa at the state Secretariat here and invited her to "bless the couple," an official release said.
With his brush, an Indian diplomat here has virtually brought alive the vivid and radiant flavour of India to Egyptian spectators, bringing out the civilisational similarities between the two countries.

Murugaraj Dhamodaran, Third Secretary at Embassy of India in Cairo, is showing nearly 50 works of art at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in an exhibition titled 'Blinks of a Brush.'



His paintings not just include the energetic dance forms and the colourful traditional clothing from India, but also the dichotomy that exists in the Indian society.

Although in Egypt for a few months only, he says Egypt and India have many similarities and are faced with same problems.

"There are civilisational similarities between the countries so the mutual affection is there," he told PTI.

"I've been here for six months. Egypt is very nice and people are very affectionate," he said as he was celebrating the opening of his maiden exhibition yesterday. Dhamodaran says he has been practicing this art since childhood.

Dhamodaran says his paintings are under divided under six categories: dichotomy style of painting; storytelling; dance forms of India; and conceptual depiction, descriptive depiction and existential depiction.

The 'dichotomy style of painting', he says, is his innovation. The painter has used acrylics, poster colours and pencils to express his views on different themes.

Of the paintings, only one is on Egypt and features the legendary Giza Pyramids at sunrise. It is named 'Sun Bath'.

"I only painted one painting about Egypt as most of the paintings I did were in India," he said.

India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya, who opened the exhibition, said the event was very special.

"We come here on a mission to build bridges between the two peoples. We have known each other - India and Egypt - for a very long time but as the context changes and the time changes we need to find new ways to make this relations even stronger," Bhattacharyya said.

"Murugaraj has displayed his talent on the canvas that would make any artist proud.

"Murugaraj's paintings show various scenes from Indian life and society, classical dance and colors. I think these will help in understanding a culture that is actually very similar to Egypt," Bhattacharyya added.

Rakesh Kawra, acting director of Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, said the centre always hosts events to promote cultural understanding between the two countries.

"Almost one year ago we did the soft launch of the Mulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in Zamalek and since then we hosted a number of different exhibitions, seminars and workshops," Kawra said.

"The Indian diplomats are extremely good with their pens and ideas but it is hard to have and Indian foreign officer who is also brilliant with his brush," Kawra said.

The exhibition runs until February 18.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan delivered a policy speech referring to domestic and foreign threats facing Armenia. National Assembly Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov told the journalists about this after the meeting at the Presidential Palace.

Major issues, such as administrative, social-economic, activities of officials, fight against corruption, freedom of media, and reinforcement of democracy were the topics of the speech. There was no a single sphere that was not touched upon in the Presidents speech, Armenpress reports, Sharmazanov stated.

Sharmazanov clarifies that cooperation with the ARF was not discussed at the meeting. There was a general reference to increasing the role of parties, but there were no talks over the memorandum with the ARF, he said.
Government bonds (G-Secs) prices declined on the back of renewed selling by corporates and banks amid profit booking by market participants ahead of the weekend.

The interbank call money market also turned bearish after a two-day rally owing to lack of demand from borrowing banks amidst comfortable liquidity situation in the banking system.

The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2026 fell back to Rs 99.0750 from Rs 99.1250 yesterday, while its yield continued a stable trend at 7.72 per cent.

The 7.88 per cent government security maturing in 2030 declined to Rs 98.9950 as compared to Rs 99.08, its yield gained to 8.00 per cent from 7.99 per cent.

The 8.27 per cent government security maturing in 2020 also moved down to Rs 102.27 as against Rs 102.34, while its advanced to 7.64 from 7.62 per cent.

The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2029, the 7.72 per cent government security maturing in 2025 and the 7.68 per cent government security maturing in 2023 were also quoted lower at Rs 97.01, Rs 99.29 and Rs 99.22, respectively.

The overnight call money rates ended sharply lower at 5.90 per cent from Thursday's closing level of 7.35 per cent after touching a intra-day high of 7.10 per cent. It resumed a tad weak at 7.00 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF),purchased securities worth Rs 174.36 billion in 48-bids at one-day repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.75 per cent this evening, while it sold securities worth Rs 10.11 billion from 23-bids at the reverse repo auction at a fixed rate of 5.75 per cent late yesterday.
A 28-year-old man from Chhattisgarh was killed by a herd of elephants during wee hours of today at a place under Bisra Forest Range in Odisha's Sundergarh district, forest officials said.

The deceased was identified as Kumar Baret, who worked in a brick kiln at Bhaludunguri, around 10 km from here.

At around 2 AM, Baret had gone outside his house on nature's call when he came in front of the elephants. One of the jumbos lifted him in its trunk and banged to the ground.

Baret, who used to stay there with his wife and two children, died on the spot, the officials said.

The herd consisting of five to seven elephants including a male, a calf and females later fled when they were chased by others, forest officials said.

Ranger Officer of Bisra S Sahani said the victim's family was given Rs 10,000 instantly for conducting the last rites.

The family will get Rs 3 lakh as per the norms.
The elder brother of Sandeep Ghadoli, who was killed in an alleged encounter with Gurgaon police at a Mumbai hotel on February 7, today filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court demanding that an offence of murder be registered against the police.

"It was a fake encounter at the behest of a business rival," says Kuldeep Singh's petition which will come up for hearing before the court on Monday.

A team of Gurgaon police killed Ghadoli (32), a resident of Ghadoli village in Gurgaon in Haryana, at Hotel Airport Metro here last Sunday. Police claimed that there was a shoot-out between them and Ghadoli.

However, Singh alleged that it was a murder, as the police did not give his brother the opportunity to surrender.

According to the hotel staff he spoke to, Singh says in the petition, police appeared to have first hit Ghadoli on the head, due to which he became unconscious, and then shot him.

Before the alleged encounter, the Gurgaon police team removed the CCTV connection in the hotel lobby. Also, it did not inform the MIDC police in Mumbai about the operation, it says.

It also alleges that the woman, who was accompanying Ghadoli at the time was informer of Gurgaon police.

MIDC (Andheri) police here refused to register an FIR for murder against the Gurgaon police officers, therefore the high court should order registration of FIR and constitute a special investigation team, says the petition.

It concedes that there were several criminal cases registered against Ghadoli in Gurgaon, but claims he was acquitted in most of them, and was facing trial in two cases.
A massive gas leak near Los Angeles that forced thousands from their homes for months was brought under control, a utility official said.

The methane leak, the biggest in California's history, has been deemed an environmental disaster by several outside experts.

More than 4,500 families living in the affluent Porter Ranch area were forced to relocate after the leak was detected in October as residents reported getting ill from the noxious fumes spewing out of a damaged pipe.

Chris Gilbride, a spokesman for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), told AFP that a relief well yesterday had reached the stricken well and that workers had pumped mud and heavy fluid to plug the flow of gas.

He said the next step would be to pump cement into the damaged well over several days in order to permanently seal it.

"There is no more gas flowing from the well now," he said, adding that state regulators would eventually carry out inspections to ensure the leak was over.

The company said that once the well is permanently sealed, residents forced out of their homes would be able to gradually return to the area.

Yesterday's breakthrough was welcomed by area residents whose lives were disrupted by the leak and who have expressed concern about the environmental and health impact.

"Most of the families in the community are very excited to get back, but they will not be distracted by the leak stoppage," Paula Cracium, head of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council, told the Los Angeles Times. "They still want to know that their homes are safe."



The gas leak over the past three months has spewed greenhouse gases that will significantly contribute to global warming, experts have warned.

Methane, which is colorless and odorless, is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Officials attribute the headaches, nausea and nosebleeds reported by Porter Ranch residents to the odorant added to methane so it can be detected.

But public health officials and the gas company -- a division of Sempra Energy -- insist the fumes pose no long-term health risks.

More than two dozen lawsuits have been filed against SoCalGas in relation to the leak which could cost the company billions of dollars.

A lawsuit filed by California's attorney general last week, alleging that SoCalGas violated state health and safety laws by failing to promptly contain the leak, seeks unspecified civil penalties.

It follows similar action taken in December by the Los Angeles city attorney.
State-run Canara Bank today reported a whopping 87% drop in net profit at Rs 84.9 crore for the third quarter of 2015-16 on account of rise in bad loans.

The Bangalore-based lender had posted a net profit of Rs 655.9 crore for the October-December quarter of 2014-15 fiscal.

The bank's total income also fell to Rs 12,050.6 crore for the quarter under review from Rs 12,227.86 crore in the year-ago period, Canara Bank said in a regulatory filing to exchanges.

The gross NPAs as a percentage of total advances rose to 5.84% from 3.35% in the same quarter a year ago.

Its net NPAs went up to 3.90% from 2.42% at the end of December 2014.

Gross NPAs in absolute terms rose significantly to Rs 19,813.44 crore as compared to Rs 10,573.57 crore at the end of December 2014.

However, total provisions, excluding for income tax, made during the third quarter were Rs 1,428.85 crore as against Rs 841.33 crore in the year-ago period.

Operating profit declined to Rs 1,552.44 crore as against Rs 1,797.30 crore in the corresponding period.

During the first three quarters of 2015-16, Canara Bank posted 47.7% decline in profit at Rs 1,092.67 crore as compared to Rs 2,089.67 crore in the year-ago period.

The bank's total income for the nine month period in the current fiscal stood at Rs 36781.22 crore as compared to Rs 35,871.08 crore in the same period of previous financial year.
The Centre has given a major boost to building of infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border line in Ladakh, a top army commander today said.

"The present government (in India) has also given a major boost to try and built up infrastructure along the border line (in Ladakh)", General Officer Commanding-In-Chief Northern Command Lt Gen D S Hooda told reporters here today.

Replying to a question about the infrastructure development along LAC, he said, "As far as infrastructure development is concern along the LAC (Line of Actual Control), frankly, it is not as good as, what is obviously across the border".

"The infrastructure, and the developments on the Chinese side are much more and therefore there is a big push over it in past few years", he said.

He said that important roads in eastern Ladakh have been put under a special dispensation, additional troops have been moved and then there is a big push forward for infrastructure development.

On his visit to China, he said, "My visit to China was extremely useful. I think that my impression is that armies of both the countries are keen on keeping peace along the border-line and you have to see it on a day-to-day basis that things are calm along the border-line".

"Additional meeting points have been set up. There are regular border personnel meetings. I think there is a understanding from both sides that we need to keep calm, peace and tranquility along the borderline", he added.
In a scathing attack, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has accused the BJP-led central government of "saffronising" the Delhi Police, which has had frequent run-ins with the AAP government.

As the Arvind Kejriwal government completes one year, Sisodia said that Centre has resorted to "cheap tactics" to stop it from working through the Lt Governor, the police, the ACB and by wresting control over transfer & postings.

"There has been death of a six-year-old student at a private school, but no one has been arrested so far. A teacher of a government school was brutally beaten up. Besides, there have been several crimes of rapes and murder, but police is not arresting anyone," Sisodia told PTI.

He said, instead, police is nabbing an AAP MLA who had a fight with his wife and another party legislator who had a quarrel with officers.

AAP's one year saw arrest of six party MLAs in various cases including on charges of rioting, domestic violence and forgery.

"Khaki is being saffronised so much that it has never been done in any other state before. Delhi Police personnel have earned respect for khaki by sacrificing their lives, but Centre is saffronising the Delhi Police," Sisodia alleged.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the biggest challenge for the AAP government is to "tackle the attitude" of the BJP-led central government.

"They (Centre) are taking revenge from the people of Delhi for not choosing BJP in the Assembly polls in Delhi which is shameful. They have snatched Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) from us in order scuttle efforts to make Delhi corruption-free.

"Centre also tried to control transfer and postings of bureaucrats and by doing this, they don't want to allow us to work, even on women safety. LG is declaring our order null & void and they are threatening our officers not to follow the Delhi government's order," he said.

He alleged that Centre wants to control Delhi Police as it fears that if police is handed over to an elected government of Delhi, "several rackets including related to drugs" in the national capital will be smashed.
Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth is on an adventure trip to Goa and Ladakh with his actress wife, Elsa Pataky as part of Spanish programme 'Planeta Calleja'.

The 32-year-old actor, best known for playing the hammer-wielding superhero Thor, was seen in a holiday mode in Goa and he took the passenger seat with Elsa riding a motorbike, which is a popular mode of transport to explore the beach destination.

In an Instagram snap, Hemsworth showed off his trim physique in shorts and a vest and the blonde beauty rocked trainers and ripped jeans.

"Relax love, this won't hurt a bit! ?????? #India #adventure #royalenfield #love #fun #motos @chrishemsworth @jesuscallejatv," Elsa wrote alongside the photo.

Earlier, Hemsworth posed with a cow in a photograph, writing, "Give us a kiss gorgeous."



Starring alongside the TV host and adventurer Jesus Calleja, the couple are set to climb a previously unexplored Chantang, a plateau height linking India with Tibet.

The Hollywood couple celebrated their five-year wedding anniversary in December. They have three children - three-year-old daughter India and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, who turn two in March.
Lashing out at her Republican rival Donald Trump for his anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has described his remarks as "offensive and dangerous".

"We need to understand that American Muslims are on the front line of our defence. They are more likely to know what's happening in their families and their communities, and they need to feel not just invited, but welcomed within the American society," Clinton said participating in Democratic presidential debate.

"So when somebody like Donald Trump and others stirs up the demagoguery against American Muslims, that hurts us at home. It's not only offensive; it's dangerous," she said.

"The same goes for overseas, where we have to put together a coalition of Muslim nations. I know how to do that. I put together the coalition that imposed the sanctions on Iran that got us to the negotiating table to put a lid on their nuclear weapons programme," she said in response to a question.

"You don't go tell Muslim nations you want them to be part of a coalition when you have a leading candidate for president of the United States who insults their religion. So this has to be looked at overall, and we have to go at it from every possible angle," Clinton said.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. As a result of the Constitutional changes the political system of Armenia will become more transparent, flexible and complicated from inside. It will walk parallel with the social construction of the public undergoing dynamic and multidimensional development. President Serzh Sargsyan told about this in a meeting with top officials of legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as high ranking officials of territorial administration and local self-government bodies on February 12.

It will be reactive towards the political culture of well-off people with free and critical thinking. Like in many democratic states, the forerunners of political struggle will be the parties. Parties and coalitions formed by them will establish the executive branch and will nominate candidates for the heads of state and local self-government bodies, Armenpress reports, the President said.

In his words the political system will improve due to competition among political forces with the condition that there will be inter-party consensus over strategic principles of foreign policy, social stability, national security, maintenance of inviolable provisions of the Constitution and sovereignty, protection of the rights and freedoms of the citizens. The President stated that such consensus exists in almost all modern democratic states.
A special court today granted bail to Gondwana Ispat Ltd's (GIL) Director Ashok Daga, accused in a coal scam case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a Maharashtra coal block to the firm.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar granted the relief to Daga, who appeared before the court in pursuance to summons issued against him, on a personal bond of Rs one lakh with one surety of the like amount.

Daga's counsel moved the bail plea before the court and said his client had cooperated with CBI during the probe and there was no need to remand him in judicial custody as he was not arrested by the agency.

However, no authorised representative of the accused firm GIL appeared before the court today, after which the judge issued fresh summons against the company.

"Fresh summons be issued to the accused company GIL and the same be served through the investigating officer on Delhi address and corporate office at Maharashtra. Copy of summons be pasted on the office of the company and its photograph be filed in the court," the judge noted in his order and fixed the case for further hearing on February 23.

The court had earlier summoned GIL and Daga as accused in the case for allegedly misrepresenting facts to get the Majra coal block allocated to it in 2003. An FIR was lodged in the matter in 2014.

The court had summoned them for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the IPC.

CBI has alleged in the charge sheet that during the probe, it was found that Daga had made "unsubstantiated claim even towards financial preparedness and tie-up regarding iron ore with Odisha government".

It has alleged that as the Ministry of Coal (MOC) then was not following any system of checking falsity of information provided by an applicant firm, M/S GIL and Daga in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy misrepresented to various government authorities and induced them to reserve or allocate Majra coal block in their favour.

CBI has claimed that during probe, it was found that though after allocation of the coal block in 2003, Daga had filed an undertaking to MOC that he will install the plant or carry out its extension and develop the coal mine, he sold off the company to Nand Kishore Sarda while earning huge profit in October 2005.

The court also said prima facie substantive offences



under the Prevention of Corruption Act are made out against Kropha and Samria.

"Charge for the offence under section 409 IPC and for the offences under... PC Act are made out against accused Gupta.

"Charge for the offence under section 420 IPC is also prima facie made out against accused company M/s Vikash Metal and Power Ltd (VMPL), Patni and Mallick," it said.

The CBI had on January 28 placed before the court a Central government order according sanction to prosecute Kropha and Samria for their alleged involvement in the case. It had also filed a report on its further probe in the case.

Regarding Gupta, CBI had said that lapses in processing the application were found on his part too, but since he had retired, no action was being recommended.

CBI had said that VMPL wrongly claimed that it had been allocated 300 acres of land in Begusarai in Bihar by the Bihar Area Development Authority.

The agency had found that the land was de-allocated and directors of the company failed to inform the screening committee members about it, it had said.
Congress today lambasted BJP over handling of the JNU controversy, accusing it of "curbing" students' voice but asserted that debates on campuses cannot be hijacked by anti-India sentiments.

Claiming a pattern in the government's role in the issues concerning FTII, IIT Madras, Hyderabad Central University (HCU), it asked BJP to stop branding JNU as anti-national and raised questions over the NDA dispensation's "capacity to tolerate a different point of view".

"FTII, IIT Madras and Hyderabad Central University proves BJP curbing students voice. Is police action in JNU a desperate attempt to perpetuate it?



"Take action against those guilty but isn't BJP using Delhi Police for it's anti-JNU tirade. Proud of JNU, Stop branding it anti-National," Congress communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.

In another tweet, he said, "Debate & discussion is essence of our democracy but it can't be hijacked by anti-India sentiments, whether on University campus or outside."



Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal demanded similar action against the BJP MPs, who give such anti-national statements.

Another party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, a noted lawyer, said merely saying something does not fall in the category of sedition, unless it is backed by some action.

Addressing the media from the AICC podium, Singhvi also alleged that not only workers but MLAs, MPs and Ministers of BJP have made "similar shocking divisive anti-national statements".

He, however, caveated his response saying if anybody has committed any crime under the Indian Penal Code, action has to be taken against him.

"Congress is in the front row wherever there is an issue of implementing law. We cannot support any anti-national act. If any particular person has done something like this, action will be taken but you cannot brand an entire institution anti- national and try to demolish all other student bodies on the complaint of ABVP," he said.

Asserting that a context would be seen if it happens immediately after HCU, Singhvi said the issue is about the "capacity to tolerate a different point of view".

"What has been done is an attempt to paint the entire University anti-national," he said.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested today in this connection after a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy was lodged into the matter.
The Congress has hit out at Chhattisgarh government over the farmers' suicide allegedly in the wake of drought situation prevailing in the state.

"About 60 farmers have committed suicide in the state in past three-four months, allegedly over crop failure and mounting debt," Congress Chhattisgarh unit general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.

"Two days back, a farmer Bise Marar committed suicide by hanging himself at his field in Gaindatola Pathandogdi village in Khujji Assembly constituency of Rajnandgaon district," Trivedi told PTI.

It is due to "insensitive" approach of the (Chief Minister) Raman Singh government towardsfarmersthat they are committingsuicide, he alleged.

Thegovernmenthad declared 117 tehsils in 26 districts across the state asdrought-hit in view of deficient rainfall during the last Kharif crop season.

"Chhattisgarh government did not pay heed to our demand to declare the entire state as drought-hit. No steps are being taken to ensure relief from debt," Trivedi said.

"The government has neither fulfilled its poll promise to procure paddy fromfarmersat Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,100 per quintal, nor given bonus of Rs 300 to them, which reflects its anti-farmersapproach," he said.
Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today alleged that Congress wanted to "implicate" the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and "harass" present party president Amit Shah in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, and said the party should "openly regret" its actions.

Naidu's comments come in wake of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's revelation yesterday before a Mumbai court that Ishrat, the 19-year-old girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, was actually a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative.

"Unfortunately, the earlier government tried to harass BJP leaders. They wanted to implicate the CM at that time and they've harassed my party president. Now, the truth has come out, they must realise their mistake and openly express regret for what they've done," he said.

Charging Congress with playing on a critical issue like security, Naidu said it is unfortunate that "some people" have more confidence in Ishrat Jahan than the facts which are coming out.

"It's a fact that these terrorists are being helped by some Indian people also. Without local cooperation, things will not happen," the senior BJP leader said on the sidelines of the annual Nasscom India Leadership Forum here.

On questions being raised over how much importance one should attach to the statements of Headley, a double agent now under arrest, Naidu said the revelations have been done before a court and have evidential value now.

"(When he says) whatever suits them, then he is credible. When it doesn't, he's not credible. Leave it to the courts. Evidence has come now for the first time," he said.

Naidu said his government is all for taking strong action on matters of security, but blamed certain people for diverting attention by bringing religion into the picture.

It is unfortunate that some people support hanged terrorists like Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon, he said.

Four persons -- Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar -- were killed in an encounter with Gujarat Police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The city crime branch had then said that those killed in the encounters were LeT terrorists and had landed in Gujarat to kill then Chief Minister Modi.

CBI, which took over the probe from the Gujarat High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), had filed a charge sheet in August 2013, saying that the encounter was fake and executed in joint operation by the city crime branch and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
The Goa unit of Congress today said the BJP-led state government's decision to include the national bird, peacock, in the list of nuisance animals was suicidal and against ecology.

"It is a nuisance that you want to kill the national bird and also do away with the state animal (Indian Bison). This means you want to kill the ecology and the wildlife," Goa Congress chief Luizinho Faleiro said here today.

Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar yesterday announced that peacock and bison have been classified as 'vermin' (nuisance animals) as they damage crops.

"This is a suicidal decision. If animals and birds create nuisance, government should find a solution. Killing them is definitely not an option," Faleiro said.

Leader of opposition in the Assembly Pratapsingh Rane, who had demanded in the recent session that monkeys be declared as vermin, said there were other ways of dealing with peacock trouble.

"Peacocks can be controlled. It is not a new bird to Goa or India. It is a North Indian bird that has travelled to Goa. There is equipment developed in North India where they create a sound and peacocks run away. They are beautiful birds and they need to be preserved," the senior Congress leader said.

Rane also blamed the government for failure to control the "outflow of wild animals into human settlements". "Wild boars and certain species of monkeys should be declared as vermin," he added.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had said during the session that monkeys and few other animals would be declared as vermin as they damage the crops, and even cases of monkey fever had been reported in the state.
Crimean Tatars, a minority Muslim group opposed to Russian annexation, today condemned a new wave of repressions after Russian security forces raided homes and charged four with terrorist offences.

"A new wave of repressions has started in Crimea against Crimean Tatars," the community's governing body, the Mejlis, said in a statement.

Crimean prosecutors said the Russian FSB security service had detained four on suspicion of organising and taking part in the radical Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir party.

The lawyer representing the detained men, Emil Kurtbedinov, told AFP on Friday that all four men had already been charged with organising or joining a terrorist group, for which they could face up to 20 years in jail.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) seeks to re-establish a Caliphate -- a pan-Islamic state based on Islamic rule harking to the medieval era -- and has been banned in Russia since 2003.

Since annexing Crimea in March 2014, Russia has cracked down on the Tatars, an indigenous ethnic group that makes up about 13 per cent of its population, many of whom oppose Moscow's rule of the peninsula.

The FSB raided 12 homes, confiscating computers and other electronic devices, a Tatar community leader, Zair Smedlya, told AFP.

The sweep took place across the peninsula including around the Black Sea resort towns of Yalta and Alushta.

Security forces detained 12 people for questioning, eight of whom were later released, Smedlya said.

The search saw security forces break the windows of one house with sleeping children inside, the Mejlis said.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry on Friday condemned "political repression" against the Crimean Tatars, whom it referred to as Ukrainian citizens, and demanded their immediate release.

Crimea's chief prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya told pro-Kremlin Kryminform agency that those detained "are not Tatars, they are a terrorist organisation. We do not divide up people on the basis of their ethnic group."



Those detained included Emir-Usein Kuku, a member of a rights group that searches for Tatars who have gone missing on the peninsula since its annexation, Tatar spokesman Smedlya said.

Also detained was an ethnic Russian who converted to Islam.
A CRPF jawan was today injured in apressurebombblast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hitBijapur district, police said.

The incident took place when a team of paramilitary was patrolling to ensure security to the under-construction Bijapur Ghati-Kongpalli road that goes through restive dense forests,a senior police official said.

When security forces were cordoning off a patch, around two kms away from Kongpalli, a Central Reserve Police Force jawan inadvertently stepped over apressureimprovised explosive device (IED)triggering theblastinjuringhim, the official said.

Constable Neeraj Kumar belonging to CRPF's 170th battalion sustained injuries in his leg and was rushed to a local hospital ofBijapur from where he was being shifted to Raipur for further treatment, he added.
Delhi Police has asked DCW to depute its research staff for interaction with its team of police officers for compilation of data on crime against women in the city.

Following the police's move, the Commission has stopped enforcement proceedings it had initiated against the force for denying it the data.

In its letter dated February 10, the Delhi Police has assured its cooperation and commitment to work with the Commission for the safety and protection of women.

"In this regard, you may kindly depute researcher staff as discussed to interact with a team of officials of Delhi Police to compile mutually agreed upon relevant data for research purpose to come with recommendations for betterment of the society at large and women fold in particular," the letter by Shibesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Legal Cell) said.

According to a senior DCW official, a committee comprising senior Delhi Police officials and DCW members is being set up following a meeting between the DCP and DCW on February 8.

This would facilitate sharing of data by the Delhi Police with the DCW.

Now, police stations are being identified where this exercise will be carried out on a pilot basis, said a senior DCW official.

"In view of the above developments, the Commission has stopped enforcement proceedings (of issuing arrest warrants and attachment of property) that it had initiated against the Delhi Police as per its powers under Section 10(3) of the Delhi Commission for Women Act, 1994," the official said.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal had on February 8 said that the Commission will proceed as per the powers of a civil court vested in it after Delhi police refused to submit information on crime against women despite the Commission sending nearly half a dozen letters and notices to it.

According to Maliwal, the Commission is conducting a detailed study on women's safety in the national capital for which it needs information to make recommendations to the government.
In a first, the Delhi government has decided to offer health insurance cover to the people of the national capital at a "nominal premium".

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the government is in talks with several health insurance companies to soon roll out the proposed scheme.

"Government will offer health insurance to the citizens of Delhi. The plan will cover medical expenses from Rs one lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

"People, who are interested, will have to pay a nominal premium of up to Rs 3,000 a year to be covered under the plan," Jain told reporters here.

The minister further said that people availing the scheme, who are suffering any critical illness can get medical treatment at government hospitals.

He said that government will soon launch the scheme as part of the Arvind Kejriwal government plans to upgrade health sectors in the national capital.

Earlier in the day, Jain said the health department will add 10,000 new beds to the government hospitals.

"At present, there are around 10,000 beds at government hospitals. We have decided to increase that to 20,000 at our hospitals by the next year," the health minister said.
With a lively discussion on civil society and its role in precipitating grassroots-level change, the first edition of 'Literature and Ideas Festival' organised by the Delhi Gymkhana, one of the oldest clubs in the country, kicked off here today.

The panel discussion on 'Role of Civil Society: Change from above or below' saw panelists Mani Shankar Aiyar, Pavan Varma, Suhel Seth and Dipankar Gupta in conversation with journalist Vikram Chandra.

Speaking at the discussion, Congress leader Aiyar underlined the importance of having a vibrant democracy at the grassroots level, pointing out the failure of bureaucracy in effecting change at the lowest level.

"We have a system where the bureaucracy is very good at getting the money from Delhi to the state capital, and from there to the district magistrate's office. But results are very poor in making that last mile delivery. It is essential that in addition to democracy in Delhi and democracy in state capitals, we have a really vibrant democracy at the grassroots level," he said.

Speaking on the role civil society must play, Aiyar pitched for "a rewriting of the relationships between NGOs and locally elected institutions" so that instead of substituting the local governments, they assist them.

"If instead of a top heavy bureaucratic mechanism, we should go right down to the people, and say we trust the people. For after all who understands hunger better than a hungry man, who understands the need for a roof over his head than somebody without shelter, and who understands the need for literacy and education more than some illiterate person," he said.

Varma questioned the "paranoia" behind cancellation of the licenses of 13,000 NGOs last year.

"In recent times there appears to be almost a paranoia about organisations and civil society. I am not saying all of those actions are wrong, but between June and September last year some 13,000 NGOs had their licenses cancelled and many of them for reasons which are frivolous.

"The foreign funding coming in for NGOs should follow procedures. I believe we should follow rules, there a should be monitoring of NGOs. But I don't believe that there should be this level of suspicion or hostility," he said.

A not-for-profit initiative, KLF is an annual literary



retreat festival which brings together celebrated authors, leaders and opinion makers from across the country in Dhanachuli, a village in Uttarakhand.

Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri, in his address, sought to draw a connection between literature and the judiciary, saying that judges are also writers, as they have to pen down lengthy judgements.

"We also help you (writers) by providing plot points for your fiction," the Supreme Court judge remarked tongue- in-cheek.

The three-day festival, which is part of a larger vision to develop Dhanachuli into a model cultural village, this year will first travel to the Jim's Jungle Retreat in Jim Corbett National Park and culminate at the foothills of the Himalayas at Te Aroha in the village.

Thought-provoking sessions on the role of nationalist ideologies in shaping global politics, the inadequate representation of Dalit literature and how the definition of a star in Hindi cinema has evolved over the last decades dominated the first day.

The day also saw a discussion around "our collective inability to produce another good detective fiction series since the epic Karamchand"; a tribute to Pakistani writer Intizar Husain; literature in the flash/fast age among others.

Interactive performances like storytelling and dastangoi were also held, besides tales from the wild, first-hand accounts from Dhela village in Corbett and dramatised readings.

The following days of the festival will see a host of other faces from the world of literature, publishing, cinema and politics including Amish Tripathi, Ravi Subramanian, Preeti Shenoy, Jerry Pinto, Shinie Antony and Rakhshanda Jalil.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Pavan Varma, Shatrughan Sinha from the world of politics and law and leading publishers will also be present, along with many speakers like Afia Aslam, Ali Akbar Natiq, Ameena Saiyid, Asif Farrukhi, Asif Noorani, Sabyn Javeri, Mohsin Sayeed from Pakistan.

The festival will continue till October 13.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On February 12, the 52nd Munich Security Conference kicked off, attended by heads of almost two dozen countries and governments, Foreign Ministers of about forty states, heads of a number of international organizations.

As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of MFA Armenia, the delegation headed by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, participates in the Conference.

Within the framework of the Conference Edward Nalbandian is scheduled to hold meetings with Foreign Ministers of a number of countries, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were shooting at a makeshift temple, which was part of the set in a studio for 'Bigg Boss 9', and they had no intention to hurt religious sentiments, Delhi Police told a court here giving a clean chit to the megastars.

The police, in its action taken report (ATR), said the shooting of the promo, showing the actors wearing shoes in a temple, was done in a studio and no such incident, as alleged in the complaint, ever took place.

"In view of the facts and report, no cognizable offence is made out. The promo was not shot to disturb the sanctity of a religious place or disturb or hurt the religious sentiments of any individual, group, community or section of the society.

"However, the undersigned is ready to abide by the order passed by the court," the report forwarded by SHO of Roop Nagar Police Station and filed by sub-inspector Naveen Kumar said.

The report was filed in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) V K Gautam who was on leave and link magistrate Jagminder Singh fixed the matter for March 2 for arguments.

The court had earlier directed the police to file an ATR explaining what action it has taken on the complaint filed by advocate Gaurav Gulati.

The complaint had sought the court's direction to the police to register an FIR against the two actors, Colors channel and director and producer of reality show 'Bigg Boss 9' for alleged offences under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

It its report, the police also mentioned that a similar complaint was filed in a Meerut court, which has already dismissed it.

The police also annexed and referred to the reply of



Jessu George, channel producer of 'VIACOM 18', in which it was stated that Shah Rukh Khan had appeared on the set of 'Big Boss 9' and met Salman Khan with whom he had worked in Bollywood movie 'Karan Arjun' a long time ago.

"As they (actors) had met after a long time, the director thought of an idea of showing them reuniting on the sets of 'Kali Mandir' in a similar manner as they had reunited in the movie 'Karan Arjun' in such a temple after their "re-birth" in the film.

"This idea was not motivated by any intention of hurting any religious sentiments of any religious group and shooting of the promo was done in a studio and the subject incident never took place," police said, citing the channel's reply.

The complaint filed against the actors had alleged that in a video being circulated, Shah Rukh and Salman were seen wearing shoes on the sets of a temple while shooting for an episode of Bigg Boss where the idol can be seen in the background.

"It is a disrespect to the Hindu religion and its belief as it is strictly prohibited to come in the temple with shoes and also they were showing their back to the idol which is also deemed to be an insult to the Hindu goddess... (sic)," it has alleged, claiming that it seemed to be a "well-planned malicious act to outrage Hindu feelings".
The clamour in favour of forging an alliance with Congress today grew louder in the CPI(M) state committee today, with several party leaders calling for either an alliance or an electoral pact with Congress to take on the "bigger evil" TMC.

"Near about 54 state committee members have placed their views on the first day. Out of them, most have expressed their views either in favour of an alliance or in favour of an electoral pact with Congress. There were also a few opposing views," a senior state committee member told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Another state committee member said those who have spoken in favour of the alliance have cited the example of Soviet Russia fighting along with the US and UK during the Second World War against the bigger evil of fascist Germany.

"Some state committee members have termed Trinamool Congress as a bigger evil and said it is the need of the hour to fight along with the Congress against the undemocratic and semi-Fascist TMC. Certain leaders from districts of North Bengal have said that people who are opposed to TMC are looking up to the CPI(M) and the party needs to respect their views and hopes," the state committee member said.

The CPI(M) is holding its two day state committee meet, which will take a call on electoral tactics, including an alliance with Congress. The final decision on the issue will be taken by the party's Central Committee on February 17 and 18.

With the West Bengal Assembly polls coming up in a few months, the state leadership of CPI(M) and Congress have been advocating an alliance to take on the ruling TMC.

Yesterday, the CPI(M)-led opposition Left Front formally agreed to discuss the issue of alliance with Congress if it was approached.

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra have called upon the Congress to join hands with the Left Front to oust the TMC from Bengal.
Shikhar Dhawan smashed his maiden T20 International fifty to fire India to 196/6 in the second game against Sri Lanka here today.

Dhawan (51 of 25) stood out in India's run feast with the other notable performance coming from his opening partner Rohit Sharma (43 off 36), Hardik Pandya (27 off 12) and Suresh Raina (30 off 19).

The visitors pulled things back in the penultimate over with pacer Thisara Perera (3/33) picking up a hat-trick, the fourth ever in T20 Internationals and first by a Sri Lankan.

Sri Lanka put the hosts in to bat for the second game in a row and India openers were on fire from the word go. Unlike the greenish deck for the first T20, the pitch aided the strokeplay they are known for.

Pacer Kasun Rajitha, who troubled the famed Indian batting on his international debut in Pune, proved to be expensive this time. The 22-year-old bowled short and wide on the very first ball of the match and Rohit comfortably dispatched it to the point boundary.

Dhawan got going with a couple of delightful sixes. He flicked pacer Thisara Perera over mid-wicket before sweeping spinner Sachithra Senanayake in the following over for another maximum. There was no stopping Dhawan after that as he got to his maiden T20 International fifty in 22 balls.

Rohit did not mind watching Dhawan demolishing the opposition bowlers from the other and by the end of six overs, India had to raced to 70 for no loss.

Sri Lanka badly needed a breakthrough to stop the onslaught of the dangerous opening duo and it was provided by pacer Dushmantha Chameera, who had Dhawan caught behind with a sharp and straight rising ball. The southpaw thoroughly entertained the Ranchi crowd with his cracking innings that comprised seven fours and two sixes.

Ajinkya Rahane joined Rohit in the middle but suddenly the boundaries were hard to come by with spinner coming into play on a dry surface.

Rahane released the pressure by hitting consecutive fours off medium pacer Dasun Shanaka, one over mid off and the the came courtesy a deft touch past Rajitha fielding at short third man. India were now 122 for one in 13 overs and 200 was very much a possibility.

The innings' flow was obstructed once again when Chameera pulled off a spectacular caught and bowled off Rohit before Senanayake had caught Rahane at cover point, leaving India at 127/3 in the 15th over.

Pandya, sent ahead of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, came to the party in the final overs in the company of Raina. He smashed Senanayake for consecutive sixes before Raina joined the part by picking up three fours off Chameera in the very next over.

India could have scored more had it not been for the hat -trick of Perera, who removed Pandya, Raina and Dhoni in the 19th over.
After an ambitious deal to end hostilities in Syria within a week was signed early today, doubts emerged over its viability as it excludes the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's local branch.

US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted there were "no illusions" about the difficulty of implementing a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" between regime forces and rebels as he announced the deal in Munich alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The 17-nation International Syria Support Group also agreed that "sustained delivery" of humanitarian aid will begin "immediately", with a new UN task force meeting later in Geneva to start pushing for much greater access to "besieged and hard-to-reach areas".

The deal, struck in late night talks in Munich, went further than expected, with Lavrov talking about "direct contacts between the Russian and US military" on the ground, where the powers are backing opposing sides in the five-year- old conflict.

But after a fortnight in which the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have besieged the key rebel city of Aleppo with the help of heavy Russian bombing, several nations put the onus on Moscow to implement the Syria deal.

"Through its military action on the side of Assad's regime, Russia had recently seriously compromised the political process. Now there is a chance to save this process," foreign ministry spokeswoman Christiane Wirzt said.

"What is important now is embracing this opportunity, stopping the airstrikes, ceasing targeting civilians and providing humanitarian access," added Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Twitter.

Analysts remained sceptical about the chances of ending the bloodshed.

"(The agreement) is ambitious and yet very tenuous... there are huge question marks," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

The failure to include Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra in the cessation of hostilities was particularly important, he said, since the group is active in Aleppo and surrounding regions, and many of the more "moderate" rebels have links with it.

"In many ways this Munich meeting was thrust to the fore by the situation in Aleppo, and yet the conditions of the agreement do not seem to apply to Aleppo," said Barnes-Dacey.

"Talking about Nusra works in the Russians' favour since so many rebel groups have ties to Nusra. This effectively gives the green light for the Syrian government and its allies to carry on military action while paying lip service to the agreement."



Lavrov underlined that "terrorist organisations" such as IS and Al-Nusra "do not fall under the truce, and we and the US-led coalition will keep fighting these structures".

But other analysts struck an optimistic note, saying it was significant that the US and Russia had been able to strike a deal at all.
Four family members of Naveen Khatri, who allegedly killed his lover and hid her body for five days in Model Town area here, were arrested today for allegedly destroying evidences, misleading police and harbouring him.

The persons arrested were -- Khatri's father Rajkumar, his elder brother Sandeep, uncle Kishan Kumar and cousin Navin.

In a bizarre manner, Khatri, 23, after murdering her had hid her body at the ventilation shaft of his residence and married another woman during that period.

The four persons have been booked under Sections 201, 202, 203 (related to destruction of evidence and giving false information) and 212 (harbouring offender) of the IPC, DCP (North West) Vijay Singh said.

During interrogation, it came to light that after killing Arzoo Singh Chauhan (21), Khatri confessed to his father and brother.

Later, he also asked them to wash the blood stains on his car, in which he allegedly strangulated Arzoo on February 2 night and carried her body in the trunk, police said.

Soon, Rajkumar and Sandeep allegedly sought help from Kishan Kumar and Navin.

In fact, it was Navin who took his cousin's car out for servicing on February 4, the day Khatri got married.

However, all of them tried to mislead the police throughout the probe claiming that they had no knowledge about the incident, police said.

They broke down during interrogation late last night after being confronted with certain evidence.

They were arrested today and presented in a court.

Meanwhile, a court sent Khatri to 14 days of judicial custody, police said.

The incident came to light on Sunday when the police questioned Khatri regarding Arzoo's abduction, when he confessed to have killed her in south-west Delhi's Nangal Dawat village and later dumped her body in the shaft.

On the same day, the police recovered Arzoo's decomposed body from the shaft and Khatri was arrested.

Both Arzoo and Khatri lived in the Rajpura Gurmandi locality which comes under the jurisdiction of Model Town police station.

While Arzoo was pursuing graduation from Lakshmibai college under the University of Delhi, Khatri's main source of income was house rent.
With the ecosystem of telecom manufacturing strengthening in India and capability of domestic firms to provide specific solutions at affordable costs, time is not far when they will become well-known brands in the world, a top official of Department of Telecom (DoT) said today.

Currently, Indian manufacturers account for only a small proportion of the telecom equipment market but that is changing, the Department of Telecom (DoT) Secretary J S Deepak said, adding that the ecosystem of telecom manufacturing is getting strengthened in the country.

Deepak said the main and unique selling proposition that they have is the ability to provide specific solutions to fight problems at affordable costs.

"I foresee a time not very far in the future where Indian telecom equipment brands will become well-known in the world, standing for affordable price, impeccable quality and will command enduring trust in global markets," Deepak said here at the 'India Telecom 2016' event.

He added that the ecosystem is not only in manufacturing as the country has a huge design capacity and R&D centres of most multinational companies are in the country and there is a huge start-up ecosystem.

"Today, we have 4,500 start-ups, 4 tech start-ups coming up everyday," Deepak said.

He added that time is not far, when Indian IT will form part of advanced telecom products in the 5G space.

Deepak further said India is home to IT and IT-enabled services industry in the world and our companies in this area cater to 95 per cent of the Fortune 500 companies.

"This marriage of a strong equipment manufacturing base together with talent and skills for software development can provide customised solutions for any customer, any company for any country. That I believe is the strength," he added.

Talking about mobile phone manufacturing in the country, the Secretary said in two years, we should be manufacturing 500 million, mostly lower end phones, which have a great market, not only in India but in a larger number of emerging countries, both in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

He said the telecom sector is one of the most fiercely competitive sectors in India and accounts for more than 6 per cent of the country's GDP and supports more than 13 per cent of the world's mobile telecom subscribers.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU member states, as NATO pledged to deploy ships to the Aegean Sea to ease the migrant crisis.

Erdogan stepped up his denunciations of Western policy on migrants in a speech in Ankara, confirming he had threatened EU leaders at a summit meeting in November that Turkey could say "goodbye" to the refugees.

Alarm is growing in EU capitals that thousands of migrants are still crossing the Aegean daily from Turkey after over a million made the perilous journey last year.

NATO has agreed to send a naval group to the Aegean to crack down on people-smugglers feeding the influx of migrants, while Greece is considering sending anyone picked up in the waters back to Turkey.

Turkey, already home to some three million refugees, is also under EU and UN pressure to take in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing regime advances in the Aleppo region.

Erdogan said Turkey had every right to turf the refugees out of the country if it so wished.

"We do not have the word 'idiot' written on our foreheads. We will be patient but we will do what we have to. Don't think that the planes and the buses are there for nothing," Erdogan said.

Greek website euro2day.Gr had reported that Erdogan made the threat to EU Commission president Jean Claude Juncker in November, quoting him as saying: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and put the refugees on buses."



"I am proud of what I said. We have defended the rights of Turkey and the refugees. And we told them (the Europeans): 'Sorry, we will open the doors and say 'goodbye' to the migrants'," Erdogan said in his speech Thursday.

Turkey is already hosting 2.5 million refugees from Syria's civil war and hundreds of thousands from Iraq and is increasingly bitter it has been left to shoulder the burden.

The EU has agreed to give Ankara three billion euros (USD 3.3 billion) in financial aid for the refugees, but the funds have yet to be handed over two-and-a-half months after they were agreed.

Erdogan said Turkey had already spent some USD 9 billion on hosting refugees and lashed out at the UN for pressing it to let in tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing fighting in Aleppo massed on its border.
The Paris appeal court today upheld a ruling that Facebook can be sued under French and not Californian law.

The ruling applies to a case in which a French teacher wants to sue the US social media giant over his claims that his page was censored when he posted a graphic painting of a woman's by Gustave Courbet.

The teacher, Frederic Durand-Baissas, won in the Paris high court last year after claiming that Facebook were wrong to suspend his account.

Facebook took the ruling to appeal, but the Paris court upheld the criticism of Facebook's terms for users.

"This decision is a sovereign act on the part of the French courts which by this ruling signifies to Facebook, but also to all the Internet giants, that from now on they will have to respect French law," said Stephane Cottineau, the lawyer for Durand-Baissas.

The teacher wants Facebook to pay him USD 22,500 in damages.

The case could potentially open up other lawsuits against Facebook outside the United States.
bird peacock and state animal wild bison are among animals proposed to be listed by the Goa government as 'nuisance animals'.

"We have listed several wild species, including wild bore, monkey, wild bison (gaur) and peacock, as nuisance animals. These animals are creating problems for farmers and are destroying their cultivation in rural areas," Agriculture Minister for the state Ramesh Tawadkar told reporters in Margao on Thursday.

The government's decision is likely to evoke strong resentment from the environmentalists as peacock is the bird and wild bison is declared as a 'protected species' and Goa's state animal. The move may make them vulnerable.

Tawadkar said he is completely aware that the bird and state animal are part of the list and said government will have to follow a procedure wherein the case has to be prepared which will allow them to be declared as a 'nuisance'.

"We will have to compile the record of how many complaints are received from farmers, of crop destruction by these animals," he said, adding that there are several complaints and it is farmers' demand to declare them as "nuisance animals".

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, during the recently held state legislative Assembly session, had said government will declare monkey and few other animals as 'vermin' (nuisance animals) as they pose a threat of loss to farmers.

Parsekar had also pointed out that cases of monkey fever were reported from certain parts of the state.
Amid uproar over an event in JNU to mark the anniversary of hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas today said the Centre should take "stern" action against "anti-nationals" and set an example.

A "right-of-the-centre" voice in the party, Vishwas also targeted Delhi Police, saying it is often quick to take action against "set targets" in an apparent reference to his Aam Aadmi Party. Police should rather act quick in the JNU matter and "detain anti-nationals", he said.

"This is high time India as a system sets an example by punishing all those who have shouted/supported anti-India slogans in JNU... Indian rule of law has set sections against such activities. The GOI (Government of India) should take stern action against these anti-national minds.

"Delhi Police, that is often quick to take action against 'set targets', should rather act quick in JNU matter and detain anti-nationals," Vishwas said in a series of tweets.

On the anniversary of execution of Guru, a group of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against his hanging, despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

Following the uproar, Delhi Police yesterday registered a case of sedition in connection with the case on complaints of BJP MP Mahesh Girri and ABVP.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenias position on the settlement of Artsakh conflict remains unchanged. Artsakh conflict will be resolved by free self-determination of Artsakh people. President Serzh Sargsyan told about this in a meeting with top officials of legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as high ranking officials of territorial administration and local self-government bodies on February 12. Negotiations over Artsakh issue will go on. Our position is firm: Artsakh issue will be resolved by free self-determination of Artsakh people. All other issues are secondary and will find their fair and logical solution parallel with the solution of the main issue. As far as that problem exists, as far as the status of Artsakh is uncertain, no other issue can find a solution, Armenpress reports, President of Armenia mentioned.

The President added that he sees no opportunity for progress in relations with Turkey at this point. We have been living under those conditions for already 25 years. We do not and will not link our opportunities for progress with the solution of the mentioned problems. We must resolve ourselves to the fact that we have no real partner east of Martakert and Martuni or west of Gyumri and Armavir. Until now we have lived without them, ensuring more or less development pace. We must regard those territories as an impassable bog with no ground, Serzh Sargsyan added.
Appointing more persons from SC/ST communities to the top post in PSUs, distribution of land among homeless dalits and their "hand-holding" by banks to promote entrepreneurship figure in the list of recommendations of a high-level government panel, set up for commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

Encouraging the admission of students belonging to SC/ST communities in private universities was another key suggestion, on which the government has asked the Secretary of Higher Education of the HRD Ministry to take appropriate action.

A national committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and its Executive Committee, led Home Minister Rajnath Singh, have met a number to times to finalise the plans to observe the Dalit icon's birth anniversary and implement them.

Official sources said in one of the meetings, the Executive Committee noted that there are a very few chairman-cum-managing directors of public sector undertakings (PSUs) belonging to the SC/ST communities, hence efforts should be made to appoint capable and talented persons from these communities to such posts.

After the committee's recommendations, the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been asked to take up the matter.

Noting that entrepreneurship opportunities for SC/ST youths may be made available by extending training programmes and arranging work capital for them, the panel also suggested that each branch of public sector banks should try to "handhold" at least one SC/ST youth, as an entrepreneur, to generate more employment among them.

Responding to it, the government said the Ministry of Finance has written to all CMDs, CEOs and MDs of banks in this regard.

The suggestions were discussed in the meeting of the Executive Committee chaired by the Home Minister, which met on February 1 to give a final shape to the decisions.

Organising a "Run for Casteless India" and setting up a virtual museum with 3D interactive panorama to highlight the Dalit icon's life and achievements are the other suggestions.

(REOPENS DEL35)



As per the committee's suggestion to organise a "Run for Casteless India" on the lines of "Run for Unity", an amount of Rs 171.76 lakh has been released to Nehru Yuva Kendra functioning under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

On April 14, the birthday of Ambedkar, NYKS will organise it at 105 selected locations such as state capitals.

In another significant move, all 17 volumes of collected works of Ambedkar have been converted into Braille script for the convenience of the visually impaired.

There was also a suggestion to give at least 10 decimal land to homeless Dalits for construction of house.

The panel also came up the with idea that villages with more than 30 per cent population of Dalits should be declared Ambedkar Adarsh Gram where amenities are created at a priority level.

Another suggestion is to open one Ambedkar Residential School in each block in which 75 of seats should be reserved for SC/ST students, where they are free food and cloth.

In the first meeting of the national committee on July 23, last year, the committee made a number of suggestions like the need to make efforts for encouraging admission of students belonging to SC/ST in private university.

Modi laid the foundation stone for construction of Ambedkar International Centre in the national capital last year and has begun the process for setting up Ambedkar National Memorial at Alipur Road here.

Besides, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Pune, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, has been entrusted to design a virtual museum with 3-D interactive panorama to make people aware of life and works of Ambedkar as a champion of the underprivileged.

Sources in the committee say that the preliminary virtual museum has been created by the C-DAC. On January 14, this year, some more artifacts on Ambedkar have been provided to C-DAC.
Greek farmers clashed with police who fired teargas today ahead of a mass demonstration in Athens to protest pension reforms demanded by the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Around 2,000 farmers from the island of Crete, most of them carrying their characteristic wooden canes, gathered in front of the agriculture ministry after arriving by ferries.

They began pelting riot police with tomatoes and other items, broke windows in the ministry and set fire to dustbins.

Police, who blocked their route, responded with teargas, and arrested four people.

"The first floor of the building sustained damage, it is fortunate that no staff were hurt," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Apostolou later told reporters.

Apostolou called on the leaders to contain "extreme" elements in their midst, amidst reports that far-right militants had joined the protest.

Police also confronted other farmers from the Peloponnese peninsula who tried to break through barriers into the city centre from a western suburb with their farm vehicles.

The farmers are angry about government plans to increase their social security contributions as part of a wider reform of the country's ailing pension system. They also reject plans to double their income tax by 2017 and scrap benefits such as cheaper fuel.

The Cretans were to be joined later in the day by farmers from across the country for a mass rally in front of the parliament.

The government has banned the farmers from using tractors in the demonstration, but a deal was reached to allow a symbolic procession of 17 of the vehicles in the capital.

Since mid-January, farmers have used their tractors to block dozens of highways.

Earlier this month they also began blockading border crossings to Bulgaria and Turkey.

But following an appeal from Sofia on Tuesday, they allowed trucks to pass for several hours a day at one crossing into Bulgaria.

The farmers threatened to further escalate the protest by blocking ports and airports at the weekend.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, whose options are limited after signing a new bailout with Greece's international creditors in August, offered the farmers a compromise on Wednesday.

"We are open to a substantial, honest dialogue with the farmers," Tsipras said in televised comments to his cabinet.

"There is significant room for improvement on their social security contributions, on the issue of when the measures take effect, and generally over the need to protect their income," he said.

Greece's creditors the European Union and the IMF have insisted on the reforms as a condition for loans to the debt-ridden country.
Two motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead a policeman today when they were asked to stop at a check post in the Pakistani capital.

Two men on a motorbike were signalled to stop by the policemen manning a check post but instead they opened fire.

"One police officer was killed and two others were injured in the attack," police spokesman Zia-ul-Qamar said.

The incident sparked panic and police launched a search for the attackers.

It was second major incident in Islamabad in the day after a former provincial governor of Afghanistan was kidnapped.

Security has already been put on alert in the capital as police has set up check posts on all main entry routes coming into Islamabad.

Paramilitary Rangers are also regularly patrolling the city.
Unidentified assailants today hurled hand grenades at three places, including on a school and a police station, in this Pakistani city, injuring a policeman and triggering panic among residents.

Around five unidentified men, riding motorbikes, hurled a hand grenade at the main gate of Mobina Town police station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town and within two hours of the attack two more hand grenades were lobbed at a bridge in Liaquatabad Town and a private school in North Nazimabad area, Express Tribune reported.

A constable, who was on duty at the police station, was injured in the attack in which several vehicles were also damaged, police said.

The suspects fled after the attack.

The explosions caused fear and panic among residents.

A heavy contingent of police and Rangers reached the sites of the attack.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has ordered a probe into the incident.

The attacks come days after a check-post of the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) was damaged after a home-made cracker exploded near it in the city on Sunday.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said 'Saraswati Janmotsava' will be celebrated as an international festival in 2018 and preparations for this will begin soon.

All pilgrimages and routes along the banks of Saraswati river and 134 pilgrimages and tourist attractions within 48 kosas of Kurukshetra would be developed through the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board, he said.

Khattar was addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day 'Saraswati Mahotsava Samaroh' organised by the Board in Pehowa.

The Central Government has granted a sum of Rs 120 crore for developing tourist spots and pilgrimages in Kurukshetra under the 'Shri Krishna' Circuit, the Chief Minister said and announced a grant of Rs 5 crore for the Board.

Earlier, Khattar inaugurated the 'Maa Saraswati Annapoorna Bhandara' and visited an exhibition organised by the Forest Department and Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board.

On the occasion, Chairman, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, Bharat Bhushan Bharti raised the demand for several development projects in the area.
The discovery of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time, could "revolutionise astronomy", according to renowned UK physicist Stephen Hawking who congratulated scientists on their groundbreaking work.

Hawking said the breakthrough tallied with predictions he made more than 40 years ago at Cambridge University.

In a landmark discovery for physics and astronomy, scientists yesterday said they have glimpsed the first direct evidence of gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time that Albert Einstein predicted a century ago.

"Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe. The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy. This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging," Hawking told BBC .

"The observed properties of this system is consistent with predictions about black holes that I made in 1970 here in Cambridge," Hawking, research director at Cambridge University's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said.

"The area of the final black hole is greater than the sum of the areas of the initial black holes as predicted by my black hole area theorem," he said.

"Apart from testing general relativity, we could hope to see black holes throughout the history of the universe. We may even see relics of the very early universe during the Big Bang at the most extreme energies possible," Hawking added.
New Zealand crumbled to be all out for 183 as Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle ensured Australia took early honours on the opening day of the first Test here today.

Australian captain Steve Smith called correctly at the toss and put New Zealand in to bat on a green-tinged wicket that Hazlewood and Siddle exploited to the maximum.

They had New Zealand reeling at five for 51 in the 12th over before a determined knock by Corey Anderson and some lusty hitting at the end by Mark Craig and Trent Boult stretched the innings through to 48 overs.

Craig and Boult put on 46 for the 10th wicket, New Zealand's best partnership, which ended with Craig unbeaten on 41 and Boult caught by a quick-thinking Usman Khawaja on the boundary.

Khawaja had the presence of mind to catch the ball and immediately flick it high in the air as he fell over the boundary rope before stepping back into the field of play to complete the dismissal.

Hazlewood took four for 42 and Siddle three for 37, with all seven wickets caught in the cordon behind the stumps as New Zealand struggled to cope with full-length deliveries that moved off the deck.

Nathan Lyon mopped up the tail with three for 32 including the wicket of Anderson (38) who had stopped the initial wicket slide for New Zealand.

He occupied the crease for 15 overs with BJ Watling as the two set about stopping the tumble of wickets, putting on 37 runs between them.

He then featured in a 10-over stand with Craig that produced 40 runs as they tried to knock the Australian bowlers off their length.

Craig had one element of luck in his innings when a Mitchell Marsh delivery hit his leg stump but the bails were not dislodged.

For New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum it was a dismal way to mark his 100th Test.

He was in the middle after 38 minutes, much sooner than he would have hoped, and was gone without scoring seven balls later.
Himachal Pradesh High Court today rejected the bail plea of an engineer who has been arrested in connection with the jaudice outbreak case here.

Assistant Engineer (Lifting), Abhishek Sharma of Ashwani Khud water supplyscheme was arrested and sent to one day in police remand and later remanded to judicial custody.

Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan (vacation judge) snubbed the departments concerned for being insensitive during the argument on the bail plea and dismissed the bail plea as withdrawn.

The Special Investigation team (SIT) constituted to go into the reasons for outbreak of jaundice and to fix the responsibility, has so far arrested seven persons including the contractor, executive engineer, two assistant engineers, two junior engineers and a supervisor, and all of them are in judicial custody.

TheSIT has questioned senior officers of departments concerned including the Irrigation and Public Health Department, Shimla Municipal Corporation and Pollution Control Board and also sent questionnaires to Member secretary Pollution Control Board and Commissioner, and Shimla Municipal Corporation.

About 1,500 persons were suffering with jaundice which has claimed six lives and the disease has spread to adjoining districts of Solan and Sirmaur.

The supply of water from Ashwani Khud scheme had been stopped and the government hasdirected the residents and schools to get their water tanks cleaned.
Madras High Court has set aside an order of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) in Gwalior regarding division of merchants over import of poppy seeds for cooking use.

Justice M M Sundresh set aside the order allowing a petition from city-based Sri Adinath Traders challenging the September 14, 2015 order of the CBN.

The order divided the importers who are the merchants of poppy seeds into 'A' category, who were allowed to import 270 tonnes from Turkey for the last five financial years, and 'B' category, who can import only 180 tonnes.

Importers under the 'B' category will have to wait for their chance, subject to the availability of the seeds after exhausting the requirement of 'A' category traders.

Petitioner's counsel B Sathish Sundar submitted that the new order violated Articles 14 (equality) and 19(1)(g) (freedom to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business) of the Constitution.

There was no level-playing field and it will lead to trading by the 'A' category importers alone with the 'B' category traders, inclusive of those who may not get any allotment.

Allowing the petition, the judge said,"The poppy seeds are used by the general public covering whole of this country. Therefore, it is immaterial from whom they buy. There is no public interest involved by allowing selling the seeds only by certain traders. As there is no dispute that all the importers are catering to the needy persons for the very same purpose, such a classification is illusory, artificial and evasive."



He said a classification had to be reasonable and differentiation must distinguish a group of persons, relatable to the object and has to be an element of rationality.

The judge, however, said the the narcotics bureau was at liberty to issue a fresh notice as per law.
Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley's deposition has fully exposed Pakistan and it should take decisive action against those behind Mumbai terror attack, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

"After Headley's deposition, Pakistan has been fully exposed...It should act against the culprits of 26/11 as its reality is now before the entire world," Singh, who was here to take part in a programme, told PTI.

Reacting to the recent incident in JNU, he said no one will be allowed to play with the integrity and sovereignty of the country and stern action will be taken against all those responsible for it.

The Union Home minister said India wants to become world leader but not by frightening or threatening anyone. "Rather, we want to take everyone along so that the world could take inspiration from India," he said.

Singh said English should be learnt along with Hindi but the behaviour should be as per Indian tradition and heritage which is very old and recognised by the world.

"If I had my way I would have implemented Sanskrit education in all the schools of the country," he said.

Stressing that Central government was working in the interest of farmers, and for that the farmers insurance scheme has been launched.

On his arrival here, Singh inaugurated blood donation camp of the Shastra Seema Bal (SSB) and paid obeisance at the Devi Patan temple.

Singh was welcomed by party MPs Yogi Adityanath, Jagdambika Pal, Daddan Prasad, Kirtivardhan Singh among others.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenias relations with Iran and Georgia continue developing in a friendly atmosphere. President Serzh Sargsyan told about this in a meeting with top officials of legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as high ranking officials of territorial administration and local self-government bodies on February 12. It is a fact that we have not encountered any problems here. We value the partnership with those countries and we will continue working with Tbilisi and Tehran in the same manner, Armenpress reports. President Sargsyan mentioned.

According to the assessment of the President, Armenia leads predictable foreign policy and always refrained from adventures. We have always voiced in favor of establishing relations based on mutual respect, trust and interests. We never attempted to act in the sphere of contradiction of greatpowers and key geopolitical centers and never tried to derive some cheap and short-term benefits from their confrontations, he added.
Helicopters were scrambled today to rescue dozens of skiers, including children, after they were left dangling in a chairlift high above a lower Austria ski slope, emergency services and officials said.

Around 50 people were left stranded in the alpine ski resort of Mitterbach when the chairlift broke down bringing it to a sudden halt.

In addition to police and fire crews, three helicopters were sent to help rescue the trapped skiers who were given harnesses and lowered to the ground, said Franz Resperger of the state fire brigade.

Only 10 people remained stuck in the air two hours after the lift first stopped, said the chairlift operator's spokeswoman, Annegret Zwickl.

"Nobody was injured," she added.
Britain said today a Hong Kong bookseller believed detained by China was "involuntarily removed to the mainland" in its strongest comments yet on a case that has rocked the city.

The disappearance of Lee Bo, who holds a British passport and publishes books critical of Chinese politics, was a "serious breach" of an agreement signed with Beijing before the city was handed back to China in 1997, said foreign secretary Philip Hammond in a new report.

Four other booksellers from the Mighty Current publishing house also disappeared in October and the Chinese authorities have confirmed they are now under criminal investigation.

There are still question marks over what has happened to Lee, 65, the only publisher to have disappeared from Hong Kong.

Letters purportedly written by Lee and sent to his wife confirmed he was now on the mainland and said he had gone to China of his own volition to help with unspecified investigations.

Lawmakers and activists have accused Chinese authorities of snatching Lee from Hong Kong, contravening the semi-autonomous city's laws which do not allow Chinese police to operate within the territory.

"The full facts of the case remain unclear, but our current information indicates that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR law," said Hammond in a regular six-monthly report on Hong Kong to the UK parliament.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," said Hammond.

Hong Kong's security bureau said it had no immediate comment.

The city enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, protected for 50 years under the joint agreement.

But there are growing fears those freedoms are being eroded as Chinese influence grows.

Booksellers Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping and Lam Wing-kee disappeared in southern mainland China in October.

A fourth missing member of the company, Gui Minhai, a Swedish national, was paraded weeping on Chinese state television in January, where he said he had turned himself in for a fatal driving accident 11 years ago.

Gui had failed to return to Hong Kong from a holiday in Thailand in October.
State-owned IDBI Bank today said it plans to raise up to USD 500 million through Tier I bonds.

The board has approved issuance of Basel III compliant Additional Tier 1 (AT 1) bonds in offshore markets upto USD 500 million to enhance Tier 1 capital of the bank, IDBI Bank said in a statement.

AT-1 bonds, which qualify as core or equity capital, are one of the means of raising capital by public sector banks that require Rs 1.80 lakh crore by March 2019 to meet global norms on capital adequacy (Basel III).
State-run IDBI Bank today joined its peers in cleaning up its books and reported a massive loss of Rs 2,183.68 crore for the December quarter after classifying a whopping Rs 5,800 crore as fresh slippages.

The bank warned of more pains in the March quarter to meet the Reserve Bank directive to clean the books by the end of the fiscal year.

The city-based lender had posted a net profit of Rs 102.79 crore in the December quarter of the past fiscal year.

Under the asset quality review, RBI has asked banks to reclassify as many as top 150 accounts as non-performing loans and make provision for them before the end of the March quarter.

"Keeping in view the fresh RBI norms of asset quality review, we have made additional provisioning of Rs 3,300 crore in the quarter, which includes prudential provisioning of Rs 1,247 crore. However, let me add that we have been doing the exercise much before the RBI norms came," IDBI Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Kishor Kharat said this evening.

"We have also made prudential provisioning against some of our standard assets and the exercise may continue for the remaining part of the fiscal, too, in our bid to clean the bank's balance-sheet," he said.

The bank has chalked out a three-pronged strategy to raise capital to fuel its future growth, which includes raising money through qualified institutional placement, additional tier-I bonds and sale of non-core assets. The Government, which holds 80 per cent stake in the bank, has already infused Rs 2,200 crore in the lender.

"We are looking at raising money through either QIP, or additional tier-I bond or even sale of non-core assets as to meet future capital requirement of the bank," Kharat said.

The bank has already conducted roadshows for its plan to raise capital through QIP to the tune of Rs 3,800 crore and it is looking at raising money valued at USD 500 million-USD 1 billion through either additional tier-I bond or sale of non- core assets. Some of the non-core assets the bank is considering selling include stakes in Care Rating, NSE, NSDL and Arcil, he said.

"The bank has done five strategic debt restructuring to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore in the reporting period," Deputy Managing Director B K Batra said, adding, "there are a few more cases under the SDR which are underway."



Net NPA rose to 4.60 per cent, or Rs 9,613 crore, from Rs 6,028 crore, while gross NPAs jumped to 8.94 per cent in the third quarter under review from 5.94 per cent in the year- ago quarter.

However, the bank saw its NIM rising to 1.96 per cent from 1.83 per cent. However, Kharat said the underline trend is to take it upward.
India today seized on former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's admission that ISI trains LeT and Jaish militants and asked Pakistan's "state actors" to stop supporting terrorism in the region.

"Musharraf's admission on ISI involvement in terrorist activities in India speaks for itself and it reinforces once again the need for stopping support from state actors to terrorism in our region," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Swarup also asked Pakistan to "expose fully the conspiracy" behind the Mumbai terrorist attack after Pakistani -American terrorist David Coleman Headley's testimony revealing its army's role in the strike.

"Headley's testimony is in relation with the Mumbai terror attack and the testimony is self explanatory... It is up to Pakistan to investigate and expose fully the conspiracy in Pakistan behind the Mumbai terror attack and bring all concerned to justice.

"Headley's deposition once again confirms this view, if any confirmation was needed after confession of Ajmal Kasab," the spokesperson added.

Asked about the status of Indo-Pak foreign secretary level talks, he said the National Security Advisors and the secretaries were in touch with each other respectively.

On reports that Pakistan government has dismissed evidence given by India in Pathankot terror attacks, Swarup said the NSAs of the two countries were in contact regarding the investigations and government will go by the "official line" and not by some media reports.

Asked about Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remarks of demilitarisation of Siachen, the spokesperson said Siachen has always been part of the bilateral dialogue process and will be discussed at the right time.

When asked about the recent meeting of Kashmiri separatist leaders with Basit here, he said government's position was very clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the issue can be only discussed between the two countries bilaterally.
India today asked the US not to give USD 860 million aid including USD 265 million for military hardware to Pakistan, saying all such aids go directly into anti-India activities.

"Our position on this has been made clear on a number of occasions. We believe that all such aids actually go directly into activities directed against India. It should not be given," External Affairs Minister Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said when asked about the proposed US aid of USD 860 million.

Earlier this week, the Obama administration proposed USD 860 million in aid for Pakistan, including USD 265 million for military hardware, which it said would help the country fight terrorists, secure nuclear weapons and improve ties with India.

While there was no mention of Pakistan in President Barack Obama's budgetary proposals, Secretary of State John Kerry in his proposals said the budget includes USD 859.8 million towards sustaining ties with Pakistan and making progress to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat violent extremist groups".

"The requested funding will support the country's counter- insurgency missions, and bolster stability, energy access, economic growth, and social reform," Kerry said in a letter accompanying his proposals on February 9.
An India-born US national has won USD 10,000 in compensation after winning a lawsuit against Chicago city for being discriminated by its police department in hiring.

Chicago City Council this week signed off on a USD 3.1 million settlements that would hire eight immigrants as Chicago Police officers and compensate 47 immigrants who were denied that chance because of a discriminatory rule that required applicants to have lived in the US for the previous 10 years.

As per the settlement, India-born Masood Khan and Belize-born Glenford Flowers, who passed the Chicago police entrance exam in 2006 and were turned away because they did not meet the residency requirement, would receive USD 10,000 each, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

It calls for the city to hire up to eight qualified applicants from the discriminated class of 47 immigrants, provided there are eight who meet the Chicago Police Department's hiring criteria except for the maximum age requirement.

All eight hired class members would be eligible to receive retroactive retirement benefits. If the hiring is completed by October 3 and those eight officers fully fund the employee contribution, the city's share would be just over USD 1 million. Back pay and damages is expected to top USD 2 million.

In addition, the city will pay the two original plaintiffs USD 10,000 each.

The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit against Chicago City Council after Khan and Flowers' charges of discrimination were upheld by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the case was referred to it.

In its lawsuit, separate from its investigation into the Chicago Police Department's use-of-force practices, Department of Justice alleged that both Khan and Flowers passed the police entrance exam in 2006, and were turned away because they did not meet the residency requirement.

In 2011, the residency requirement was reduced from 10 years to five years.

The lawsuit sought back pay, interest on the "amount of lost wages and benefits" and compensatory damages for the "pain, suffering and medical expenses" caused by the city's discriminatory hiring practice.

However, three of the Chicago Council's 50 aldermen objected to this settlement.

First Assistant Corporation Counsel Jane Elinor Notz noted that the rule mandating that all police hopefuls have lived in the US for at least 10 years before becoming Chicago Police officers was imposed to "ensure that applicants had sufficient contacts in the United States for CPD to conduct an adequate background check".

"There's really no record about why that decision was made. However, when the department did move to the five-year standard and it served its legitimate business needs, we really had no defence to this lawsuit," Notz said.

New Delhi-born Choudhry, an expert in comparative



constitutional law, was named the 12th dean of Berkeley Law in 2014 after a national search that considered both internal and external candidates to head one of the nation's top law schools.

As the lawsuit was filed, the school had asked Choudhry to apologise to the victim but Steele and Dirks said the university "can and must do better as a campus administration. We must move in the direction of stronger sanctions, and in doing this we want and need the broad input of the campus community."



"We are sharply focused on this issue and committed to ensuring a supportive and safe environment for every single person on this campus. We will act quickly to generate action that will produce lasting change in our culture and practices," they said.

Under the University of California's tenure policy, Choudhry remains a member of the school's faculty at present.

He had released a statement to the Berkeley community earlier this week, saying he disagreed with the allegations and that he will continue to cooperate with the University in the investigation.

"While I disagree with the plaintiff's claims and allegations, and will defend against them, I am unfortunately unable to comment on the substance of the lawsuit. However, I can say that I cooperated fully with, and take extremely seriously, the University's confidential investigation into this matter and ensuing sanction. I will continue to cooperate fully with the University as matters unfold," he had said.

The lawsuit also alleges that in September 2014, the victim had told Chief of Staff and Assistant Dean Marilyn Byrne that Choudhry's "constant kisses, hugs and touching made her uncomfortable."



Court documents allege that Choudhry's behavior became more aggressive and "occurred multiple times per day".
Country's tea exports to Pakistan rose by 56 per cent to Rs 139.74 crore in the first nine months of the current fiscal, while the overall outward shipments surged by just 9 per cent to Rs 3,218.07 crore.

Total exports to the neighbouring country stood at Rs 89.46 crore in the first nine months of the previous fiscal, according to Tea Board data.

However, overall tea shipments increased by 9 per cent to Rs 3,218.07 crore in the April-December period of the current fiscal from Rs 2,955.78 crore in the year-ago period.

The per unit price at which tea was exported to Pakistan increased to Rs 97.04 per kg from Rs 84.80 per kg a year ago.

In volume terms, outward shipments from India to other neighbouring countries increased to 14.40 million kg from 10.55 million kg in 9-month period in 2014-15.

According to the Tea Board, total tea exported from India in the period under review rose to 166.55 million kg as against 147.96 million kg a year earlier.

The increase in tea exports was seen in major tea-importing countries such as the CIS countries, the UK, Germany, Poland, the UAE, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Tea production has been low this fiscal mainly due to unfavourable weather conditions. Besides, wage-related issues also hit tea producers.

The tea sector has also been facing other issues including migration of labourers to other industries.

India is the world's second biggest tea producer and also one of the largest consumers. The country exports CTC (crush- tear-curl) grade tea to countries like Egypt, the UK, and other traditional varieties to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

Tea plucking in India mainly starts between July and October.
India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) today said it has signed a participation contract with Kazakstan for taking part in the Astana Expo 2017 which will begin from June 10 in 2017.

ITPO is a trade promotion arm of the Commerce Ministry.

The national pavilion will showcase diverse export potential of India in sectors such as science & technology, industry, agriculture, automobiles, IT, textiles, gems and jewelery, handicrafts and leather.

"In view to encourage the participation of Indian companies, the Department of Commerce, has approved subsidy of worth Rs 12 crore under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) support," ITPO said in a statement.

The three-month long expo will see participation from over 100 countries.

Rapil Zhoshybayev, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Commissioner of Expo Authorities Kazakstan, said that the event would also help in boosting the trade ties with India.

The bilateral trade between the countries has touched USD 1 billion last year.

"There is a huge scope of joint collaborations to meet the need of future generation," ITPO said quoting Zhoshybayev.

The theme of the Expo 2017 will be 'Future Energy'.
The government today invited South Korean investors to invest in India while citing before them the initiatives taken by the Centre to simplify procedures, bring in transparency and systemic improvements.

Union Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met a delegation from South Korea led by Mayor of Pohang Lee Kang-deok here today, according to an official statement.

During the meeting, Tomar highlighted some of the government's initiatives such as 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' and "invited South Korea to invest in India and partner by knowledge exchange and technology transfer," it said.

"The Minister explained in detail how government of India is improving ease of doing business in India by simplification of procedures, bringing transparency and systemic improvements like MMDR Amendment Act," it said.

The amendment has made the auction process transparent, Tomar had said recently.

The Mayor of Pohang expressed gratitude to the Indian government for continued support to Korean companies in India and sought same level of cooperation in future also.

Other issues that came up for discussion included status of Finex-based integrated steel plant proposed to be set up by Posco and SAIL; collaboration in R&D and energy efficient, environment friendly green technologies and waste utilisation; supply of iron ore by NMDC from its mines to the steel mills in the Republic of Korea, the statement said.

Discussions were also held on developing value added products/special steels with collaborative arrangements from steel majors in Korea and design of Slag Granulation Plant (SGP) to introduce the technology in existing steel plants in India, it said.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Mines and PSUs were present during the meeting.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On February 12, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, met Miroslav Lajcak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

As Armenpress was informed from the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of MFA Armenia, the Foreign Ministers attached importance to the regular high-level meetings in ensuring dynamic development of relations between the two friendly countries.

Within this context deepening of political dialogue, expansion of legal framework, strengthening of cooperation within international organizations, intensification of trade and economic relations were highlighted.

Edward Nalbandian and Miroslav Lajcak exchanged views on the Armenia-EU relations, as well as the ongoing cooperation within that format.

The sides touched upon pressing international and regional issues.

Edward Nalbandian presented to his counterpart the joint efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
A group of school children from India who spent a few days in South Africa retracing the steps of Mahatma Gandhi during his stay in the country say they have been "transformed" by the visit.

At a function hosted by the Indian Consul-General Randhir Jaiswal, one of the students, Chris Lukose promised to uphold the values of Gandhi upon his return, saying that the tour has brought a transformation within him.

"I have been transformed by this Yatra. There will be many changes in me. I am promising you all that I will uphold all the values that Mahatma Gandhi taught us," Chris said.

The students who are all in the age group of 14-17 years earned their place on the 30-person tour led by academics, politicians and media houses from Kerala through a state-wide test about the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

The group visited renowned Gandhi memorial sites in four cities of South Africa, including the commune that he had started at Phoenix near Durban. They also met his granddaughter Ela Gandhi here, who continues to run community projects at the settlement.

Yesterday, they also met Gandhi's great-granddaughter Kirti Menon, who expressed her delight at the youth taking great interest in Gandhian ideals, especially since she has been attempting the same with South African youth.

Swathi Suman, another student on the tour said that even though social situation has changed today, Gandhian values still remain important.

"When Gandhiji led India to freedom, the social situation was very different. I have learnt through this interaction that even though the social situation has changed today, the values of Gandhiji are still important. We need to take it out of the context of that time and apply it in today's society," Swathi said.

This tour was designed to start with Gandhi's birthday on October 2 last year, also the centenary year of his return to India after living for more than two decades in South Africa.

The first leg of their journey involved visiting key sites of Gandhian history in India before travelling to South Africa and will culminate in Delhi in the next few days.

"The project aims to highlight the relevance of dialogue, reconciliation and forgiveness for sustainable peace and development, as espoused by Gandhiji and followed through by other internationally renowned leaders such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela," Prof N Radhakrishnan, Chief Coordinator of the Gandhi Peace Mission and Chairman of the Indian Council for Gandhian Studies said.
An international yoga festival will begin at Parmartha Niketan Ashram located on the banks of Ganga river in Rishikesh on March 1.

1200 yoga enthusiasts from 60 countries are likely to participate in the festival, aParmartha Niketan Ashram release said.

The festival which is held every year at the Ashram will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Harish Rawat on March 1 and will conclude on March 7.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said today that he believes his country could work with regional rival Saudi Arabia on the Syrian conflict and common threats such as the Islamic State group.

"We believe there is nothing in our region that would exclude Iran and Saudi working together for a better future for all of us," Zarif told an audience at the Munich Security Conference.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a bloody competition for influence across much of the Middle East, including support for opposing sides in the wars of Syria and Yemen.

But Zarif said there was room to identify common challenges, particularly jihadists such as the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra.

"Extremists... Are as much a threat to our brothers in Saudi Arabia as they are to the rest of the region. We are bound by a common destiny," he said.

"Iran and Saudi Arabia can have shared interests in Syria -- a stable Syria, a no-terrorist Syria, a Syria that is multi-ethnic, multi-religious. We can all agree on that."



He criticised Saudi Arabia for trying to exclude Iran from peace talks.

"Unfortunately Saudi Arabia has followed a practice of exclusion to the point where it tried to exclude Iran from the talks. It was big when my friend (Saudi Foreign Minister) Adel al-Jubeir decided to come to Vienna in my presence," said Zarif.

"That shouldn't have been big news, that's only natural."



He also called on the United States to remove more of its sanctions on Iran in the wake of last year's nuclear deal.

"Iran is doing its share by implementing the agreement ahead of time," said Zarif.

"The United States will gain politically by making sure that this agreement has enough benefits for all sides, in order that (the agreement) remains in place and has longevity.
Iran's foreign minister says the nuclear deal with world powers offers a chance to demolish a "wall of mistrust" between Iran and the United States, but it's not a task for Tehran alone.

July's agreement led to the lifting last month of international sanctions against Iran after the United Nations certified it had met all its commitments to curb its nuclear activities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a security conference today that "the nuclear agreement gives an opportunity to both sides to try to at least bring down the wall of mistrust that has separated Iran and the United States from each other for the past 40 years."



He said Iran is doing its part in implementing the deal, and the US should also show "good faith.
The Islamic State militant group has used chemical weapons and can make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas, CIA Director John Brennan has said, warning of the possibility that the dreaded outfit could seek to export the weapons for financial gain.

"We have a number of instances where ISIL (ISIS) has used chemical munitions on the battlefield," Brenna told CBS News in an interview, the excerpts of which was released yesterday.

"There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and ammunitions that they can use," Brennan said.

According to the CBS news, CIA believes that ISIS has the ability to manufacture small quantity of chlorine and mustard gas.

Brennan warned of the possibility that the Islamic State group could seek to export the weapons to the West for financial gain.

"I think there is always a potential for that (exporting those chemicals). That is why it is so important to cut off the various transportation routes, the smuggling routes that that have used," he said in response to a question.

Brennan said the US intelligence is actively involved in part of the effort to destroy ISIL and get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside Syria and Iraq.

Early this week, James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, told members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that ISIS has used chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria.

"Chemical weapons continue to pose a threat in Syria and Iraq. Damascus has used chemicals against the opposition on multiple occasions since Syria joined the chemical weapons convention," he had said.

"ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent sulphur mustard. The first time an extremist group has produced and used a chemical warfare agent in an attack since Aum Shinrikyo used sarin in Japan in 1995," Clapper had said.

Mustard gas is a class chemical warfare agents with the ability to form large blisters on the exposed skin and in the lungs.

Chlorine gas is a toxic gas and pulmonary irritant with intermediate water solubility that causes acute damage to the receptors in the epithelium of the respiratory tract.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the EU foreign policy chief held talks today, in effect ending a freeze on talks with the bloc on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the foreign ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told journalists that the EU's Federica Mogherini said the European Union's November decision to label goods imported from Jewish settlements "does not prejudge the outcome" of the conflict.

"The conversation resolved the tensions and we are, Israel and the EU, back to good and close relations," Nahshon wrote in an English-language comment on social media.

On November 11, Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, ordered the freeze in response to an EU directive to member governments to label settlement produce imported to Europe as such rather than "Made in Israel".

Nahshon wrote that Netanyahu and Mogherini "agreed that relations between the two sides should be conducted in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual respect...That will assist in advancing the Middle East peace process."



Netanyahu flies to Berlin on Tuesday at the head of a ministerial delegation for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of her cabinet.

US-backed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in April 2014 after nine months of fruitless meetings amid bitter recriminations.

A wave of violence which erupted on October 1 has claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count.

And 166 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Most were carrying out attacks but others died during clashes and demonstrations.

After meeting in Munich today with fellow members of the international Middle East peacemaking Quartet, Mogherini said the group planned to draft "a report on the situation on the ground".

"We want it to be not only a report on the state of play, but with recommendations," for progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, she told journalists.

She would also speak later today with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, "to make clear that the international community will not give up on the two-state solution".
A military court in Israel has sentenced a soldier to seven months in prison for abusing captured Palestinians, following the outbreak last October of anti-Israeli attacks, the military has said.

"The Israel Defence Forces (army) see in these extreme incidents a total violation and disregard of the IDF's Code of Conduct and strongly condemns these actions," a statement in response to an AFP query said yesterday.

It said the man was found guilty Wednesday "on multiple accounts of mistreating apprehended individuals".

The statement did not disclose the offences but website Ynet said the soldier "on two occasions beat and abused detained Palestinians and also took part in giving electric shock to one of them".

The army statement said the court had yet to rule on "other suspects involved in these extreme incidents".

Ynet said the first incident - involving a Palestinian arrested on suspicion of militant activity - took place in October when a wave of Palestinian attacks erupted.

The second took place about a week later, with a different prisoner, it said.

The violence has since claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count.

And 166 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 1, most of whom were carrying out attacks while others died during clashes and demonstrations.
Jammu and Kashmir Advocate General, Jahangir Iqbal Ganai today resigned from his post after being asked by Government to do so.

"Immediately on the instructions (from the Governor), I resigned and choose not to continue despite request made to do so later", Jehangir told PTI.

"Yesterday I was asked to resign by 11 AM today and I have sent my resignation to authorities at 10.45 AM," he said adding "if there is no trust in Advocate General, there is no fun in continuing".

"Though Chief Secretary called and impressed upon me to continue, I politely said No. The Commissioner Secretary Law also called back at 12.30 PM for continuation, I said no", he said.

Jahangir maintained that he continued after the government ceased to exist because he wanted to ensure that the policy decision taken by the visionary leader and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed are defended before the Court.

The Governor N N Vohra administration has asked all political appointees to tender resignation.

Jahangir spent few minutes in his office before he resigned from the post and left in his private car.

He was the youngest lawyer to hold such a position in Jammu and Kashmir, so far.

Jammu and Kashmir is under Governor's rule since January 9, two days after Mufti Sayeed breathed his last in AIIMS, New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben today observed a day-long fast in solidarity with a cause for slum-dwellers here demanding that government should not demolish hutments during monsoon season.

Jashodaben said razing the dwellings during rains will do "injustice" to slum-dwellers.

She was here to support 'Good Samaritan Mission', a charitable trust founded by Peter Paul, which organised the protest for the cause.

"I am here to support the cause taken up by Mission. I strongly uphold the demand that hutments should never be demolished in monsoon season. This is sheer injustice to those who are forced to live in slums," Jashodaben said in her brief address at Azad Maidan, the venue of the protest.

She has been closely associated with the charitable organisation since last year, which is working for the welfare of destitute, orphan street children and mentally-ill people.

Paul, the founder of the Mission in Mumbai, said, "Everyone has the right to live in this country. If a destitute person lives in shanties, then government should make sure that shanties are never demolished in rainy season.

"But unfortunately, when a destitute living in shanty is thrown out under the sky in in the monsoon, then he/she becomes vulnerable to so many deadly diseases," he said.

Since last 12 years, Paul has been running Vijay Ashram in suburban Vikhroli for the destitute males with a 30-bed rehabilitation centre, besides shelters for girls and street kids.

Paul thanked Jashodaben for her support.

He said the Mission has already requested Central and Maharashtra governments to stop demolishing hutments during monsoon.
Jaya Shree Textiles, a unit of Aditya Birla Nuvo, will focus on linen fabrics to drive growth and has drawn up plans to open more stores across the country.

"We want to focus on linen garments. Linen garments would be key growth driver for Jaya Shree Textiles," the company's CEO S Krishnamoorthy told reporters at the launch of its second Linen Club store in the city today.

He added that the company's factory located at Rishra in West Bengal is the only integrated mill for manufacturing linen garments in the country.

Out of the Rs 1,500-crore turnover of the company, Rs 800 crore is from linen while the balance Rs 700 crore from wool, he said.

Unlike linen, the company manufactures woollen intermediates and not garments. "We do not have plans to enter the woollen garments segments at the moment," he said.

The linen garments sector is expected to grow at nine to ten per cent annually.

With a total of 127 stores, the company plans to raise the number to 134 by the end of this financial year, he said, adding that 40 more will be opened next fiscal.

Jaya Shree Textiles imports long-fibre linen from Belgium and France.
Picking up a pencil, pen and brush again. Trying new techniques and maybe developing my own style.
JNU students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested today in a sedition case over an event at the varsity's campus against hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, sparking massive outrage among students and criticism from non-BJP parties which dubbed it as an "emergency-like" situation.

Meanwhile, after receiving an interim report from its disciplinary committee probing the involvement of the students at the event, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) debarred eight students from academic activities pending a disciplinary enquiry.

Earlier in the day, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh had advocated strong action against those who were involved in the alleged "anti-India" act even as the students continued with their protests on the campus for the third day, saying they are being "witch-hunted". The students said their parents are asking them to quit the university in view of the "vitiated atmosphere" at the varsity.

The arrest of Kanhaiya, a day after police filed a sedition and criminal conspiracy case on complaints from BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP members, was later remanded in three-day police custody by a local court.

After the arrest, the varsity students and teachers protested outside the Vice Chancellor's office demanding the administration's intervention into the manner in which students are being compared to "terrorists" and picked up from campus by policemen in plain clothes during alleged raids.

Equating the events with an "emergency-like situation", CPI-M Sitaram Yechury said, "The question is that do you know who raised the slogans? Take action according to law against them. When you don't know then how are you arresting all the student leaders?



"...Male police are going and raiding girls' hostels. Only during the emergency we saw this happen. That is the sort of Emergency State they are reducing our country to again. This time it is the BJP," he said.

Questioning the filing of sedition case, Congress leader Kapil Sibal asserted that it was a very serious charge and the BJP government should think before taking action under it.

On its part, the JNU administration said the university holds the right to free debate but condemns its use as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land.

"While the JNU community upholds the right to free debate on campus, the university strongly condemns its use as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. However, there could be aberrations where fringe sections misuse the freedom provided," the newly appointed Vice Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar said.

Though the students have been debarred from academic activities, they will be allowed to stay in their respective hostels to enable them to represent their stand for a fair investigation. The identity of the debarred students has not been disclosed by the university.
JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was today remanded for custodial interrogation for three days by a court in a sedition case, with the police saying that his and five other absconding accused's alleged links with terrorist groups are being probed.

The police claimed that anti-India slogans were shouted by the accused during the campus event organised on February 9 to commemorate hanging of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru and Kanhaiya was required to be interrogated to ascertain the identity of other persons.

The police told the court that slogans were raised against the Indian Army and in favour of Pakistan, Guru and Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in 1984 in a murder case.

During the hearing, the police played the video footage of the event before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen on a computer and asked Kanhaiya "which 'Azaadi' (freedom) are they seeking?"



The court asked this when several persons were seen in the video footage shouting slogans demanding freedom of Kashmir from India.

To this, Kanhaiya said he did not know each one of them as some of them were outsiders and not from JNU.

While watching the footage, the court at one point observed "It appears they are sad with the fact that they are in India."



During the hearing, the police claimed in court that five other co-accused - Omar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anirban - are absconding from JNU campus.

It said that eye witness, Sandeep Kumar, who is a security guard in JNU, has said he had seen Kanhaiya shouting anti-India slogan during the event.

Kanhaiya, who himself argued during the hearing, told the magistrate that he was nowhere involved in any anti-India sloganeering and had rushed to the spot only to intervene in the clash between ABVP workers and the persons organising the event.

"I was not the organiser of event, nor was I there. I went there because I am the President of JNU students union and there was a clash. This is a media trial. I have full faith in the judiciary," Kanhaiya, who was seen having tears in his eyes, said during the hearing.

He claimed that this was a political case and he was being framed by the police just because he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential poll of JNU students union.

"I disassociate myself with the sloganeering. I have full faith in the Constitution of India and I have always said that Kashmir is an integral part of India," he told the court.

During the hearing, the police told the court that



Kanhaiya was required to be quizzed to ascertain the identity and whereabouts of the absconding accused.

The accused told the magistrate that he would help the police in ascertaining the identity of the students who were seen shouting slogans in the video footage.

He said JNU authority had denied the permission to hold the event but the organisers changed it into a 'Nukkad Sabha' (street corner meeting) where they shouted anti-India slogans.

Initially, Kanhaiya told the court that he was not there in the video footage



but the police said he was there.

To this, the court said, "What is the video footage? Show me."



The footage was then played in the courtroom's computer and the judge spotted Kanhaiya in the video.

However, the accused clarified that he was seen in the footage only while trying to prevent the clash.

The police claimed in the court that almost everybody has said during the probe the accused was shouting anti-India slogan.

When the accused told the court that some of them were outsiders, the judge said, "Can any outsider enter the JNU campus?."



To this, the accused said, "Yes. There is no security and outsiders come inside the premises."



The police, however, said, "No one can enter the premises without their (students) permission. Even police can't enter."



Referring to recent suicide by Rohith Vemula, a student of University of Hyderabad, Kanhaiya told the court that Ministry of Human Resource and Development had acted arbitrarily in the matter and "it a high time that democracy is saved."



The police alleged that he was inciting, being part of the mob shouting anti-India slogan.

A case was registered yesterday under Sections of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and the ABVP.

A group of students had on February 9 held an event in the campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

The event occurred despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who had termed the activity as "anti-national".
The JNU students union today condemned the arrest of its president Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with an event on the campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, saying the students are being "witch-hunted" and police is targeting them mindlessly.

"The police is mindlessly patrolling the campus and the students are being witch-hunted and demonised for doing nothing. What is the proof that Kanhaiya was there among those raising anti-India slogans? Has he been spotted in any picture or video? Why are all JNU students being given 'anti-national' certificates," said JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid Shora.

Agitated over Kanhaiya's arrest, the students gathered outside the Vice Chancellor's office demanding intervention on the issue.

"Why is the administration not protecting students against this selective targeting by ABVP. Why police have been given such a free hand to rashly pick students from campus? Why were the cops not uniformed? If there has to be an inquiry, why no protocols are being followed," said a member of the All India Students Association (AISA).

Kanhaiya was arrested this afternoon after police had picked him up for questioning.

A case against "unknown persons" was registered yesterday under Section of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Girri and ABVP.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Guru in 2013.

Earlier this week, some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination" at the varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of ABVP objected to the event and wrote to the Vice Chancellor that such kind of protest should not be held on the campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order cancellation of the march.

The JNU administration had already ordered a "disciplinary" inquiry into the incident saying that the act of students going ahead with the event despite cancellation of permission amounted to indiscipline and any talk about country's disintegration cannot be "national".
Agitated over the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in a case of sedition over an Afzal guru event in the varsity, the students and teachers condemned the action against Kumar as "uncalled" for.

Alleging that the students are being "witch-hunted" and police is targeting them mindlessly, the students continued with their protests outside the Vice Chancellor's office demanding the administration's intervention into the manner in which students are being compared to "terrorists" and picked up from campus by policemen in plain clothes.

The students also claimed that their parents are asking them to quit the university in view of the "vitiating atmosphere" at Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU).

"The police is mindlessly patrolling the campus and the students are being witch-hunted and demonised for doing nothing. What is the proof that Kanhaiya was there among those raising anti-India slogans? Has he been spotted in any picture or video? Why are all JNU students being given 'anti-national' certificates. We condemn the arrest," said JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid Shora.

A member of the All India Students Association (AISA) said, "Why is the administration not protecting students against this selective targeting by ABVP. Why police have been given such a free hand to rashly pick students from campus? Why were the cops not uniformed? If there has to be an inquiry, why no protocols are being followed?"



Shivani Behl, a student at varsity's School of Social Sciences said, "my parents today asked me to quit the university and go back to my hometown in Bihar as the varsity's atmosphere was very vitiating".

JNU Teacher's Association (JNUTA) issued a statement terming the "excessive police action" as an attack on the varsity which is known for its democratic ethos.

"The JNU teaching community is extremely concerned at threat to democratic ethos, which has played a critical role in assuring that university serves its social function and secure its position as one of the premier institution of higher education," it said.
Kerala's revenue situation is in a "bad shape" but the development initiatives announced in the state budget will boost growth, an industry body said today.

Hours after the Congress-led UDF government in the state presented its final budget,the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Kerala's growth rate has dipped.

"We are seriously concerned about the fact that the state's revenues are in bad shape.

"Kerala registered a growth rate of 6.67 per cent in 2014-15 which is lower than 6.82 per cent recorded in 2013-14," the chamber's President C S Kartha said in a release here.

However, he appreciated the government for giving more emphasis to the agriculture sector in budget 2016-17.

"The move to fix a Minimum Support Price for rubber, the allocation for organic farming and the tax concessions to the farming sector are very timely," Kartha said.

The chamber also expressed happiness for mentioning several pending infrastructure projects in Kochi, the business hub of Kerala, in the budget.

"They include flyovers at Vytilla, Atlantis and Kundanoor, the third phase of Airport Seaport Road, and a flyover at Atlantis Junction.

The government's move to upgrade existing infrastructure in the state is timely and appreciable," the Chamber said.

It said the budget has noted the need for effective initiatives in the energy and waste management sectors.

"This is commendable. However, we feel that the allocations made for this will be inadequate to meet the challenges that lie ahead," it said.
Close on heels of the launch of International Solar Alliance, a new analysis today said a lack of skilled workforce could pose a "significant" challenge in meeting India's ambitious target of 175 gigawatts of installed renewable energy by 2022.

The analysis released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) also said the renewable energy sector is expected to receive a big push during the 'Make in India' week starting tomorrow in Mumbai.

"The new analysis finds that the lack of a skilled workforce and quality training programmes could pose a significant challenge to meeting India's ambitious target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable energy by 2022," a statement said.

The ISA, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was launched by him along with French President Francois Hollande at the recently held climate change conference in Paris.

The ISA aims to facilitate widespread deployment of solar power and development of the supporting ecosystem, including supporting skilling in member countries.

In its climate action plan submitted before the conference, India has announced that it plans to achieve around 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. It has also set an ambitious target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable energy by 2022.

The CEEW-NRDC analysis finds that solar developers will need a multitude of skilled workers across every phase of a solar project.

"To reach 100 GW of solar by 2022, India would need nearly 2,10,800 skilled site engineers and approximately 6,24,600 semi-skilled technicians for construction, most of whom would be needed to achieve the targeted 40 GW rooftop solar capacity addition.

"As many as 81,000 highly skilled workers would be needed annually by 2022 to carry out annual and ongoing performance monitoring of solar projects totalling to 100 GW. An additional 1,82,400 workers would be needed annually by 2022 to carry out low-skilled operation and maintenance functions for the multitude of solar rooftop and utility scale projects," it said.

The analysis noted that India's 100 GW solar target would



generate more than 1.1 million jobs by 2022 spread across business development (2 per cent), design and pre-construction (3 pc), construction and commissioning (72 pc), operations and maintenance (23 pc).

Noting that the 65 GW wind target is projected to create a further 1,83,500 jobs across the various phases of wind deployment, it said these projections do not include jobs created in the manufacturing sector, another significant jobs opportunity.

"Availability of appropriately skilled manpower is one prominent challenge and the solar sector may benefit from employing workers from conventional labour markets with relevant skill sets.

"The wind sector, however, is constrained by a lack of transferability of skills limiting the movement of skilled workforce between industries. Also, unlike the solar sector, the wind sector is less reliant on external skilling and certification placing much more importance on in-house and on-the-job skilling," it said.

"Make in India is not just about increasing domestic manufacturing but also about preparing a market that is conducive to the scaling up of renewable energy capacity. The ISA also recognises the importance of capacity building, with skills and training being central to its work.

"In this context, this timely report outlines the nature of skills essential for increasing renewable energy deployment in India and lays out a roadmap to upgrade these skills," the statement by CEEW quoted Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Upendra Tripathy as saying.

Noting that without 'Skill India', it would be difficult to meet 'Make in India' targets for the renewable sector, Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW said there is a clear need for improved training and certification programs, which are accessible to workers of varying backgrounds and skill sets in all states.

"Policymakers should also consider establishing at least one prominent solar training institute in each of the renewable energy clusters of the country, along with developing renewable energy training clusters near ongoing renewable energy projects," he said.
The father of the Army captain, who went missing from a train, was today headed to Varanasi to identify a corpse found there but returned mid-way after it was confirmed that the body was not of his son.

During his journey he got a confirmation that the body was not of his son Captain Sikhardeep.

Photograph of a dead youth in Varanasi that came via Whatsapp was shown to the Captain's father, who found that it resembles his son, said Rail Superintendent of Police, Katihar, Jitendra Mishra.

Mishra said the Varanasi youth had been found unconscious near railway tracks close to Varanasi Cantt station and was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The missing Armyman's father Lt Col Anant Kumar, along with a few relatives and some policemen then left for Varanasi by Dibrugarh-Delhi Rajdhani Express from Katihar to verify if the body was indeed his son's.

However, following more information on social media, Anant Kumar and the policemen accompanying him were convinced that the dead youth was not the missing Captain.

So they got down at Barauni Junction and were returning to Katihar, Mishra said adding the Rail police will continue to search the missing Army captain.

Captain Sikhardeep (24), posted at 8th Sikh Light Infantry at Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir, went missing during his journey from Katihar to New Delhi while travelling by Mahananda Express on February 6.

His family had talked to him on phone that night but he did not reach Delhi.

His brother-in-law had registered an FIR with Katihar GRP on February 9 in the matter.

Captain's father had suspected that Sikhardeep's disappearance could be linked to some terrorist organisation.

Sikhardeep had come home for a month on holiday and was returning to join duty.
Left parties today questioned the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and asked Delhi Police to not act in "connivance" with ABVP to target "entire Left" even as they likened the ongoing developments in the varsity campus to "situations during Emergency".

The Communist parties also condemned raising of anti-India slogans by "certain" elements and asked police to take action against those concerned in accordance with law, but not target members of students' wings of the Left front.

"As a political party, we condemn any anti-India slogan. If law enforcing authorities want to act against those elements, let them do it in accordance with law. But in the name of taking action against such elements, they should not target entire Left students' bodies," CPI national secretary D Raja said.

"By targeting general students, they (ABVP) are creating a sense of terror in the campus. Delhi Police should not act in connivance with ABVP, targeting the entire Left," he said.

He said Kumar, besides being JNUSU president, is a member of All India Students' Federation (AISF) - students' wing of CPI - which, he added, has a "glorious" history and had played key role in freedom movement.

"Where was the ABVP then (during freedom movement)? Kanhaiya is a JNUSU president, but he is also AISF leader. They (police) should know which organisation they are dealing with," he said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also expressed concerns over the developments and said the actions against students resembled to "situations during Emergency".

"What is happening in JNU? Police on campus, arrests and picking up students from hostels. This had last happened during Emergency," he tweeted.

Kanhaiya was arrested today in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over holding of an event at the prestigious institute against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Homegrown diversified group Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M)today announced plans to consolidate its agri business under a single entity by transferring its agriculture division to a wholly-owned arm.

Company's Board of Directors approved a proposal to transfer the agri business to Mahindra Shubhlabh Services Ltd (MSSL), M&M said in a BSE filing.

The agri business of the company consists of crop care, seeds, pulses, edible oils, basmati rice, potato, potato flakes and dairy, besides an investment in Mahindra HZPC Pvt Ltd (MHZPC) - a joint venture with HZPC Holland BV for seed potatoes, it added.

The step is aimed to "consolidate agri business under an entity. This consolidation would help unlock synergies between various individual verticals and help offer end-to-end solutions for farmer needs across agricultural value chain".

M&M Chairman Anand Mahindra said the group's agri business is aligned to its long-term vision of delivering "FarmTech Prosperity".

"With close to 50 per cent of the population of the country dependent on agriculture, it offers us an opportunity to truly live the Mahindra Rise philosophy, by driving positive change," he said.

The group has multiple businesses under different entities, bringing them all together would provide the right environment to maximise synergies and create value for all stakeholders, Mahindra said.

"Our Agri Business has reached a critical mass now and this new entity would provide an opportunity to fully leverage the potential that these businesses offer and thus, function as an end-to-end provider in the agri value chain," M&M Executive Director Pawan Goenka said.

The agri businesses would also have three brands --Samriddhi for selling of agri inputs, Saboro for high quality fruits, and NuPro for pulses and edible oils.

The income of the agri business, excluding the income of Rs 21.6 crore of MHZPC, was Rs 211.35 crore as on March 31, 2015.

With this consolidation, all of M&M's Agri Businesses would now come under MSSL, which was set up in 2003 for the export of grapes and is one of the largest exporters of the fruit from India. It exports to Europe, the Middle East, Russia and South East Asia.

M&M however said its micro irrigation arm EPC Industries would continue as a direct subsidiary.
A Malaysia-bound air passenger was detained by officials here today after he was found carrying the banned Alprazolam drug worth Rs 11 lakh.

When CISF officials checked the baggage of the passenger, identified as Wasib Khan Liyakath Ali, they found 10 packs of the drug, besides Indian and Malaysian currency, airport officials said.

Aprazolam is used to treat panic disorders.

Ali was later handed over to Narcotics Control Bureau for further action, they said, adding the seized drug was valued around Rs 11 lakh.
Atlanta has reached a major turning point in the world of transit-related public opinion. Just a decade ago, many city dwellers (and their suburban counterparts) would sneer and turn their noses at the first mention of MARTA. It was slow, it didn't cover enough people, it was mismanaged, and it was a money hole. But, that's all turning around, and so is public support for Atlanta's transit system. It's no secret that Curbed readers love a good chart, so here are a few that reinforce this turnaround.

In anticipation of the current legislative goings-on, the Metro Atlanta Chamber commissioned a poll back in October to gauge support for proposed expansions to MARTA. The poll was conducted by McLaughlin and Associates and showed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that MARTA and proposed expansions have majority support from every segment of the local population. But, for some reason, local politicians haven't all jumped on the bandwagon.



[All images courtesy of Dave Williams for the Metro Atlanta Chamber]



Voters have a widely favorable opinion of MARTA transit service now:



Even among Republican voters:



In fact, across almost every demographic polled believes MARTA is a key component to relieving Atlanta's traffic issues:



So the vast majority are in favor of a tax to expand MARTA services:



Again, the lowest level of support is from Republican voters but the majority, even in that group, support MARTA expansion:



Far fewer are in support of expanding roads:



Though most people think support for both is necessary:



Most people would oppose any legislation MARTA is not a part of:



The only groups that would support a roads-only solution are conservative Republicans, infrequent commuters and black males:



Even specific rail expansions have massive support:



And in the Windward Parkway expansion even Republicans support expansion slightly more than Democrats:





How you like them apples?



 MARTA Expansion Bill Faces Confounding Committee Fumble [Curbed]

 Your Burning MARTA-Expansion Questions, Answered!
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today mocked CPI(M) and Congress for their efforts to forge an alliance ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal, a reaction which the opposition parties termed as "a reflection of her fear of losing".

"CPI(M) and Congress are committing a mistake by trying to forge an alliance. If BJP is helping them then it too is committing a mistake. You can change you shirt everyday but you can't change your ideology everyday. They are sacrificing their ideology in order to forge an alliance.

"If you sacrifice your ideology for the sake of power and money - what is left with you? Nothing ...I am neither Leftist nor Rightist. I am progressive. A person may die but his/her ideology lives on. They (Congress and CPI(M)) are committing a mistake," Banerjee said at TMC's extended general council meeting here.

Reacting to her charges, the CPI-M and Congress leadership said it was the fear of losing the polls that Banerjee was talking about ideology.

"It is a joke that Mamata Banerjee is talking about ideology. TMC itself is a party which doesn't have any ideology. Actually Mamata Banerjee is afraid of alliance. She is very well aware that if there is an alliance she will lose the next elections," senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

"Why is she afraid of alliance between Congress and CPI(M)? The reason is she is very well aware of the power of alliance as she herself has become chief minister due to the alliance with Congress in 2011," senior state Congress leader Abdul Mannan said.

"TMC had betrayed Congress after coming to power. Her (Banerjee's) comments reflects her fear," he added.

Banerjee said she has been regularly reading reports of the proposed alliance for the past one month and described the two parties as "two flowers of the same tree".

"I want to tell them (Congress and CPI(M)) the alliance will not have an impact on the prospects of TMC in Bengal. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party.

"As long as I live I will live like a lion. I want them to forge an alliance so that they have their own political evaluation," she said.

Hitting out at the Left Party, Banerjee said "CPI(M)



used to call Congress Bofors Gandhi. They used to criticise Indira Gandhi as fascist, hurl abuses at her. We have seen those days. Now it is the same CPI(M) which is calling for an alliance with Congress."



The TMC chief said she had walked out of the UPA II government at the Centre as Congress was pursuing anti-people policies.

"We(TMC) had six ministers in UPA II. We had opposed FDI in retail. We had opposed SEZ. When they (Congress) pursued anti-people polices we had decided to walk out. We were even afraid to go to Cabinet meetings as we felt they might place anti-people policies for discussion. When we opposed they used to say our protest won't matter in Cabinet as we were fighting a lonely battle."



With the Bengal assembly polls coming up in a few months, the state leadership of CPI(M) and Congress have been advocating an alliance to take on ruling TMC.

Yesterday, the CPI(M)-led opposition Left Front formally agreed to discuss the issue of alliance with Congress if it is approached.

The issue gained momentum in the last two months after several senior CPI(M) leaders sending feelers to Congress for a tie-up. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a former chief minister, and CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra had called upon Congress to join hands with the Left Front.

A large section of state Congress leaders too advocated in favour of alliance during their meeting with the party Vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
Mocking Opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress for their efforts to forge an alliance ahead of the Assembly polls in Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday termed the electoral tie-up as a "mistake".

"CPI(M) and Congress are committing a mistake by trying to forge an alliance. If Bharatiya Janata Party is helping them it, too, is committing a mistake. They are sacrificing their ideology in order to forge an alliance.

"If you sacrifice your ideology for the sake of power and money, what is left with you? Nothing is left with you... I am neither Leftist nor Rightist. I am progressive. A person may die but his/her ideology lives on. They (Congress and CPI(M)) are committing a mistake," Banerjee said at TMC's extended general council meeting here.

Criticising CPI(M), she said she had been regularly reading reports of the proposed alliance for the past one month.

"CPI(M) used to call Congress as Bofors Gandhi (during the Bofors scam). They used to criticise Indira Gandhi as fascist, hurl abuses at her. We have seen those days. Now, it is the same CPI(M) which is calling for an alliance with Congress," Mamata said.

The state leadership of both CPI(M) and Congress have been advocating an alliance to take on ruling TMC in the polls in the state.

"I want to tell them (Congress and CPI(M)) the alliance will not have an impact on the prospects of TMC in Bengal. You people won't be able to weaken me or my party. As long as I live, I will live like a lion. I want them to forge an alliance so that they have their own political evaluation," the West Bengal chief minister said.

Yesterday, the CPI(M)-led opposition Left Front formally agreed to discuss the issue of alliance with Congress if it is approached.
A 25-year-old man, attending a wedding procession, was killed in celebratory firing by the bridegroom's brother at Kotkasim in Alwar district, police said today.

The marriage party from Haryana's Bagana village, was out on procession last night when the accused Devendra Jat (26) opened fire in air in which Satpal alias Satveer Jat, was killed, they said.

The accused was arrested this morning and a case under section 302 of the IPC has been registered against him, police said, adding the body was handed over to Satveer's relatives after postmortem.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today said it was a matter of pride for the party that Pakistan-based terror outfits consider it their enemy.

He was reacting to the Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's statement in a Mumbai court that terrorist outfit LeT might have been interested in a strike on the Sena Bhavan -- the party headquarters -- or assassinate its head (the late Bal Thackeray).

"We are not surprised that terrorists are interested in doing a recce of Sena Bhavan or Matoshree (Thackeray residence). Pakistan has always had both on hit-list. It is a matter of pride for us that Pakistan considers us to be their enemy and we are on their hit-list," the Rajya Sabha MP told PTI.

"We are not scared of any of them. If any of us is targeted by them, it would mean like winning a Maha Vir Chakra."



Bal Thackeray consistently fought against Pakistani and Khalistani terrorists for 50 years and considered himself to be "fortunate" to be a target of terrorists, Raut said.

"What would have happened had he (Bal Thackeray) been harmed is a different matter. The main point is Balasaheb's name sends shivers down the spine of terrorists in Pakistan," Raut said.

Headley, deposing from the US through video-conference, said he had tried to befriend Rajaram Rege, a local Sena leader, to get access to Sena Bhavan, as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba, which later carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, might be interested in attacking the Sena Bhavan or "assassinate its head".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel today hosted George Clooney for talks on Europe's refugee influx, her spokesman said, after the Hollywood idol offered to lend star power to help with the crisis.

Discussions between the German leader and Clooney, as well as his wife Amal -- a Lebanese-born human rights lawyer -- focused on "refugee policies and their involvement in the IRC" -- aid group International Rescue Committee, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter.

Britain's former foreign minister David Miliband, who is now head of the IRC, also attended the discussions, Merkel's spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz added.

"There was an exchange on refugee policy as well as issues surrounding international conflicts during the meeting which was held at the request of Mr and Mrs Clooney," she added.

Clooney and his wife were in the German capital to attend the Berlinale film festival, which this year also puts Europe's refugee influx in the spotlight.

The actor had told reporters on Thursday that he would meet Merkel and, separately, a group of asylum seekers, "to talk about and ask what messages and what things we can do... to help."



Germany took in around 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015 alone, but opposition is growing within the country against Merkel's liberal policy.

An opinion poll published late January showed that nearly 40 per cent of German voters want Merkel to quit over her asylum policy.

The chancellor has pledged to "tangibly" reduce the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving this year with a range of measures in Germany, on the European level and with the help of international partners such as Turkey.

Newspaper Berliner Zeitung warned that Merkel's meeting with Clooney "could backfire" on her.

"As the chancellor is meeting an actor at a time when there is falling confidence on her migration policies, she could be reproached for preferring to bask in the glow of Hollywood rather than solving the country's urgent problems," it said.
A 24-year-old Snapdeal employee, who was missing since Wednesday evening, returned home today soon after she had called up her family to tell them that she was on a train from Panipat in Haryana.

Suspense remained on the circumstances of Deepti Sarna's disappearance, with Superintendent of Police (city) Salman Taj Patil saying that they are investigating the case and will quiz her later in the day as she needs rest now. He said Deepti Sarna has not been "physically harmed".

"We will probe as to how she had gone to Panipat. We are very sure that she has not been physically harmed and she is fine," the SP told reporters here.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh along with other officers will question the girl about the incident, Patil said.

On Wednesday around 8.30 PM, Deepti went missing after she was travelling in an auto she had hired from outside Vaishali Metro Station. According to police, Deepti was on her way from Vaishali metro station to the old bus stand of Ghaziabad where her father Narendra Sarna, a resident of Kavi Nagar, was waiting to pick her up.

Deepti's father said today that she called him up in the morning and told him that she was in train in Panipat and coming to Vaishali.

"She told me that she will come to Vaishali, but I asked her not to come to Vaishali and said I will come to New Delhi Railway Station to pick her.

"I don't know how she came (managed to escape). She was calling me up from the phone of her co-passenger in the train. She was found sitting in the train. I don't know whether she was in trauma," he told reporters here.

Deepti's mother said that her father picked her up at New Delhi Railway Station.

"She had called up her father in the morning and told him to pick her up," she further said.

After she went missing, her father had told the police that when the auto crossed the Hindon river bridge on Wednesday's evening, Deepti called him and gave him the location.

She was also heard shouting at the auto driver for taking a wrong route, he had said, adding thereafter her phone was switched off.

Police had soon swung into action and launched a manhunt to search the girl.

Police had yesterday started combing operation in the jungles of Morti near Raj Nagar extension under jurisdiction of Sihani gate police station. As per call details of Deepti's phone, that was her last location.

Police was trying to trace Deepti by electronic surveillance and monitoring some other mobile numbers. Some auto drivers were also summoned for questioning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending an event to mark the 192nd birth anniversary of Hindu reformer and Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati wherein he is expected to address a gathering of students, academicians and Samaj members.

The event, on February 14, is being organised at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium by DAV Management Committee in association with Arya Pradeshik Pratinidhi Sabha and Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Haryana, in an effort to acknowledge his contribution in introducing the concept of spiritual and value-based education.

"Dayanand Saraswati was the foudner of Arya Samaj. We are celebrating his 192nd birthday and the event is titled as 'Nayi Disha Naya Sankalp'. We are looking for new ways to approach the current changes in the country," DAV CMC president Poonam Suri told PTI.

"When Arya Samaj was formed in 1875, it was formed as a reformist movement...At that time the requirement of the country and the society was different. So the motive behind forming that was different but today things have changed. How to accommodate to that change is what we are looking froward to," he said.

The event will be attended by over 50,000 students and teachers from 800 educational institutions run by DAV group and around 15,000 Arya Samaj members.

"So far the education system is purely job oriented but we also need to focus on making our youth good men and women and leaders in various professional spheres," he said.

The two-hour-long event will have cultural programmes and chess competition for students and alumni of DAV.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested by Punjab Police for his alleged association with a suspected ISI agent, who was held from Mamoon Cantonment in Pathankot.

Charges under Official Secrets Act have been slapped against Sandeep Malhi, a resident of Talwandi Mallian village in Moga district, police said.

Sandeep's name cropped up during the interrogation of Irshad who was arrested by Punjab police on the charges of spying on February 2.

Police investigation disclosed that Sandeep had allegedly been in touch with Irshad and his handler Sajjad and they even used to meet each other.

Police is investigating what sort of help he was providing to Irshad. Sandeep had also stayed in Chandigarh, police said.

Sandeep has been sent to police remand till February 14 by a local court, police said.

This is the third arrest made by police in this case. Earlier, a Malerkotla based mobile shop owner was arrested for allegedly selling mobile SIM card to Irshad on forged documents.

Meanwhile, a 23-year old man, who was moving around in a suspicious manner near the Air force base, was nabbed by personnel of air force authorities yesterday, police said.

The man was identified as Shakir Ali, a resident of Kanpur, they said.

According police officials, nothing suspicious was found from him.

"He was found to be mentally disturbed. He will be handed over to his parents," a Pathankot police official said.

Irshad, a resident of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, was working as a labourer at Mamoon Cantonment in Pathankot.

A smart phone was also recovered from his possession containing pictures of vital installations and sensitive equipment in the cantonment area.

Irshad was reportedly caught making calls to Pakistan which was traced by intelligence agencies.

He was booked under the Official Secrets Act and a case was registered at Shahpur Kandi in Pathankot.

His arrest comes within a month of the terror attack at the Pathankot air base in which seven security personnel were killed along with six militants.

According to police, Irshad was being handled by a person called Sajjad, who was earlier stated to have been arrested by J-K police.

Sajjad used to collect sensitive information from Irshad and then passed on to his Pakistani handlers who could be ISI.
Joe Root hit his second successive century for England but again finished on the losing side after an astonishing assault by South African all-rounder Chris Morris squared the series at the Wanderers Stadium today.

South Africa won the fourth one-day international by one wicket to set up a series decider in Cape Town on Sunday.

Man-of-the-match Morris, dropped on 14 when South Africa were eight down and still 52 runs short of victory, slammed 62 off 38 balls.

Adil Rashid, the man who dropped Morris -- a straightforward chance at mid-off from the bowling of Reece Topley -- was brought on to bowl with the scores level and bowled Morris with a googly.

But last man Imran Tahir punched the next ball square for the winning boundary.

That the match went so deep seemed unlikely when England were floundering at 108 for six after being sent in to bat.

But Root made 109 and steered England to a total of 262.

England made two changes after losing the third match in Centurion on Tuesday and both newcomers made crucial contributions.

Batting at number eight, Chris Woakes scored 33 and helped Root put on 95 for the seventh wicket. Woakes followed up by bowling Faf du Plessis and running out AB de Villiers, South Africa's star batsman, with a superb piece of fielding off his own bowling.

Broad was brought in to strengthen what had proved an ineffectual bowling attack in Centurion and bowled Centurion century-maker Hashim Amla for nought in the first over of the South African innings.

The rest of Broad's match was less successful, although he had De Villiers dropped on nine off the first ball of his second spell, with Jason Roy diving far to his right but failing to hold on to a fiercely-struck cut.

De Villiers immediately went on the attack, hitting Broad's next two balls for four and six. He hurried to 36 off 27 balls and was threatening to swing the match back in South Africa's favour when JP Duminy pushed a ball from Woakes to leg and called for a quick single. Woakes reacted instantly, getting to the ball quickly and hitting the stumps at the batsman's end with an underarm throw.

Broad was brought back late in the match but was hit for 6,4,4 by a rampant Morris.

No South African batsman was able to score more than Farhaan Behardien's 38 until Morris took full advantage of his let-off, hitting three sixes and four fours.

Root's innings was outstanding on a pitch which, unusually for a one-day match at the Wanderers, offered some encouragement to the seam bowlers.
A member of Parliament or assembly cannot be automatically disqualified after his or her expulsion from the party but may invite action by the Speaker for any overt act, the Centre today told the Supreme Court.

The submission in this regard was made by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P S Narasimha before a bench comprising of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Arun Mishra and Prafulla C Pant, which is hearing a plea seeking to revisit its two decade old verdict on the anti-defection law under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

The law states that a member elected or nominated by a political party continues to be under its control even after expulsion.

The contentious issue of anti-defection law had cropped up after Amar Singh and cine star Jaya Prada, members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, had moved Supreme Court on their expulsion from the Samajwadi Party on February 2, 2010, anticipating ouster from Parliament.

Putting forth his arguments, the ASG said "upon expulsion from a political party, there is no automatic disqualification under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution from legislative assembly or Parliament and that member will continue as an unattached member as per the direction of the Speaker.

"However, if there is any overt act of either joining any other political party voluntarily or defies any whip of any political party then he will attract the provision of the 10th Schedule and action can be taken against him by the Speaker."



Narasimha further said the 10th Schedule contemplated an "overarching principle" that "a legislator who is born into a House through a political party or as a nominated member or even as an independent candidate shall retain his birth mark and shall continue as such till the dissolution of the House.

"This is the principle contemplated under 10th Schedule by operation of deeming fiction," he said, adding that "this is a constitutional morality contemplated under the 10th schedule".

He submitted that legislators, who are expelled from a party, do not operate in the House as "nomads" joining an existing political party at will without attracting 10th schedule.

Amar Singh and Jayaprada had contended that they have



landed in a piquant situation as expelled members and apprehended disqualification under the anti-defection law if they chose to defy party's whip on any issue in Parliament.

Earlier, counsel for the two former MPs, had submitted that interpretation of the anti-defection law, as per a 1996 ruling of the apex court, does not apply to them as they did not form their own party.

As per the interpretation of the anti-defection law by the Supreme Court in G Vishwanathan case in 1996, a member elected or nominated by a political party continues to be under its control even after his or her expulsion.

The apex court on November 15, 2010, had directed that no action shall be taken against Amar Singh and Jaya Prada under anti-defection law in the event of their defying a party whip.

The two-judge bench had also referred to a larger constitution bench the question whether an expelled member could be disqualified under the law, if he defies party whip.

The two leaders had then sought interim stay on any possible action against them in case they decided to vote in favour of Women's Reservation Bill, which was being fiercely opposed to by the SP.

The apex court had decided to make the reference while considering that the judgement in the Vishwanathan case was not clear on certain aspects of the anti-defection law.

Earlier, the two leaders had argued that anti-defection law could be invoked only against those who either defect from the party or defy its whip while being in the party.

However, they had contended that in a case like theirs, they did not defect from the party but were expelled, and as unattached members, they were not amenable to the party's whip.

The two sacked MPs had moved the apex court fearing they may be disqualified for not abiding by the party whip in Parliament in view of the apex court 1996 verdict.

They felt the apex court's interpretation of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution impinged upon fundamental rights of the expelled members, including their rights to equality, free speech and expression and life under articles 14, 19 and 21 respectively.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a long-term aviation bill that will support unmanned aerial system development in central New York, U.S. Reps. Richard Hanna and John Katko said Friday.

The Aviation Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act would extend the NUAIR Alliance's test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome for six years and encourage research to determine how to best integrate unmanned systems into U.S. airspace.

When the 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act was signed into law, it established six test sites for unmanned systems. Hanna, R-Barneveld, was a proponent of including the provision in the legislation. He also advocated for Griffiss to be designated one of the test sites.

On Friday, he called the creation of the sites one of his top legislative achievements.

"I am confident that upstate New York, anchored by Griffiss Airport and the hub of advanced technology surrounding it, will emerge as the leading incubator for UAS innovation and integration as a result of the reauthorization and reforms included in the AIRR Act," he said.

The aviation bill includes several other provisions, including continued support for studies underway at Griffiss focusing on low-altitude UAS traffic management and sense-and-avoid technology. And it would establish a risk-based UAS permitting program to allow commercial and recreational drone operators easier access to airspace.

The measure also would create a pilot program to assist smaller airports with acquiring safe air traffic control. Hanna and Katko, R-Camillus, said this could benefit airports throughout upstate New York.

Other items in the bill include modernizing airport infrastructure, replacing the air traffic control system and eliminating waste.

But for central New York, the focus on unmanned systems is the highlight.

At the state level, the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council won $500 million in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Upstate Revitalization Initiative in December. One of the panel's goals is to establish the region as a global UAS hub.

Katko touted the economic benefits of the UAS provisions in the aviation bill. He said the industry could generate growth in central New York.

"With one of six designated FAA test sites right in our backyard at Griffiss International Airport, this legislation takes significant strides to grow our region into a national research center as we work to integrate UAS into the national airspace," he said.

The aviation bill was approved by the committee Thursday after more than nine hours of debate. It will now go to the House floor for a vote.
Polling for the Maihar Assembly seat by-election in Satna district will be held tomorrow and all arrangements are in place for a peaceful election.

The main contest is between BJP and Congress, though 15 candidates are in fray for the bypoll.

Winning the Maihar bypoll is not only crucial for Congress, but equally for BJP whose political graph in the country is on a decline after it suffered a drubbing in Bihar state elections last year.

For Congress, the bypoll is a prestige issue as it won the seat in 2013, despite BJP getting over two-third majority in the state Assembly.

The Congress, had, however, suffered a major jolt in 2014 Lok Sabha elections when its Maihar candidate and elected MLA Narayan Tripathi switched over to the BJP.

This led to the defeat of the party nominee and former Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, Ajay Singh, in parliamentary polls from Satna Lok Sabha seat, a political analyst said.

While the BJP has rewarded Tripathi with the party ticket for the bypoll, the Congress has fielded former BSP leader Manish Patel, who secured third position in the 2013 Assembly election by getting more than 40,000 votes.

This time, the BSP has fielded former MLA Ram Lakhan Singh Patel and Samajwadi Party has nominated Ram Niwas Urmalia for the by-election.

The counting of votes will take place on February 16.

A total of 2,27,803 voters, including 1,19,563 men, 1,08,232 women and eight belonging to the third gender, will exercise their right to franchise in the by-elections, an official release said.

Besides state police, six companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for conducting the polls in a peaceful manner, it added.
Muslims too offered "namaz" at Bhojshala here post noon after prayers began peacefully this morning at the disputed premises.

"A group of 25-30 Muslim devotees offered Namaz on the terrace of the site peacefully after 12 PM," Indore Division Commissioner, Sanjay Dube told PTI.

Earlier, a right right wing organisation performed a 'puja' outside the monument after they allegedly found some security men wearing shoes at the site.

However, later they performed the 'puja' inside also, the Commissioner said adding no untoward incident was reported.

Large number of devotees have so far performed puja on the occasion of 'Basant Panchami' festival and the monument being virtually turned into a fortress with huge police deployment to avoid any untoward incident, Dhar District Collector, Shriman Shukla said.

However, Bhoj Utsav Samiti (BUS) leader Ashok Jain claimed the authorities are making government officials offer 'puja' inside the Bhojshala to show that all was normal.

The real devotees (faithful) in a huge number were offering 'puja' outside, he said.

There was tension in the town for past few days ahead of the 'Basant Panchami' when BUS, an umbrella body of some right wing organisations, leader Vijay Singh Rathore demanded that Hindus be allowed "dawn-to-dusk" access to perform puja at Bhojshala, despite an order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month.

The ASI order stated that on Basant Panchami, Hindus will perform puja at Bhojshala from sunrise to 12 noon and from 3.30 PM to sunset, while Muslims will offer 'namaz' between 1 PM and 3 PM.

Hindus consider Bhojshala as temple of Goddess Wagdevi (Saraswati), whereas Muslims treat it as Kamal Moula mosque.

In the normal course, Hindus are allowed to perform puja on Tuesdays, while Muslims offer 'namaz' on Fridays. The structure is open to all on rest of the days.

But the row erupts whenever Basant Panchami and Friday namaz overlaps, as both sides refused to give up their access to the 11th century monument, which many dub as "mini-Ayodhya".

A similar crisis had erupted at the Bhojshala in 2003, 2006 and 2013, when Basant Panchami and Friday 'namaz' had coincided.
Maharashtra Government today decided to pay Rs 22.96 lakh to the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) as consultation fee for a four-month period, for the anti-terror project of installing CCTV cameras across Mumbai.

"The amount would be for a four-month period during September 1 and December 31," a Government Resolution (GR) issued here stated.

"The Commissioner of Police Mumbai will be the controlling officer for disbursal of funds," the GR said.

The funds would be drawn under the 'City Police Establishment' expenditure head of Mumbai Police.

The government has hired the consultant firm to advise it on design and implementation of the project.

After the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the then Congress-led state government had announced plans to install 5,000 CCTVs across the city.

However, the project got delayed for over two years allegedly due to bickering within the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance.

A team of Mumbai Police officials had gone to New Delhi and Haryana to study similar CCTV projects there.

The government had launched the first phase of the project in November last year covering south Mumbai - from Colaba to Worli - where 1,381 cameras have been installed.
The uniqueness of this year's Kala Ghoda Festival is the participation of Naval Dockyard (Mumbai), an organisation with 280 years of rich heritage, synonymous with the history of Mumbai.

Breaking conventions, for the first time, Naval Dockyard has displayed selected artifacts created from waste material in the art festival's current edition.

"Creativity and innovation go hand in hand. In order to foster creativity and innovation, a 'Best Out of Waste' competition was conducted in Naval Dockyard in September 2015," an official release said.

Selected artifacts from over 60 items conceptualised and implemented in this competition are on display during the Kala Ghoda festival.

The display includes a 'Penguin with spanner', 'Kamgaar' (Worker - The unsung hero), a life size 'Warrior' and 'Kala Ghoda' (Black Stallion) at Rampart Row display in Kala Ghoda.

In addition, a life size model of Lion is also on display at Cross Maidan as part of the 'Make in India Week' celebrations.

The Kala Ghoda festival organised in the month of February is an annual event in the cultural landscape of Mumbai.

Every year, the festival brings together artisans, sculptors and creative minds from a wide spectrum of areas and school of thoughts to the 'Maximum City'. The aim of displaying the artifacts during the Kala Ghoda festival was an attempt to showcase the talent of the work force normally constrained within the walls of the Naval Dockyard to the art-loving Mumbaikars.
In a relief to oil-starved Nepalese people, authorities today resumed distribution of fuel after a gap of six months following the Madhesi agitation that led to blockage of key border trade points with India.

Petrol was supplied to both private and public two- wheelers and four-wheeler vehicles from all petrol stations in Kathmandu, following resumption of fuel supplies to Nepal from India on Monday through the Raxaul border after agitating Madhesis called off their nearly five-month-long blockade that caused acute shortage of petroleum in the landlocked nation.

The United Democratic Madhesi Front, that was protesting against the Constitution that divides the country into seven provincial units, called off the strike on Monday.

Motorists and motorcyclists will get refilling facility on a regular basis from all the fuel stations in the Kathmandu Valley from Friday, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) announced.

However, the state run fuel monopoly, will continue with its fuel rationing system for another week. It will supply only five litres to two-wheelers and 15 litres to four- wheelers, according to a notice issued by the NOC.

A meeting held between acting Commerce Secretary Deepak Subedi and NOC officials yesterday decided to provide fuel after the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) resumed supply, along with the reopening of Raxaul-Birgunj border point after a five-month halt. Nepal depends mainly on India for its petroleum requirements.

Similarly, it has also been decided to increase the distribution of diesel in the Kathmandu Valley by 100,000 litres to 450,000 litres per day from Saturday.

"We are distributing fuel to fuel stations like in the normal times from Friday," said NOC spokesman Mukunda Ghimire



"However, fuel rationing will continue for another week so that a larger number of people can avail fuel," he said.

According to NOC, daily consumption of petrol and diesel across the country hovers around 1.1 million litres and 2.6 million litres, respectively.

Meanwhile, 159 vehicles laden with gasoline, petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel entered the country via the Raxaul-Birgunj route today.

The number of vehicles entering the country via Raxaul in Bihar has been increasing each day as the local IOC depot has increased supply to Nepal.
Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli will embark on a fence-mending visit to India next week amid strains in bilateral ties following the crippling protests by Madhesis against the new Constitution.

A Cabinet meeting held here yesterday approved Oli's maiden visit to India from February 19-23. Government spokesperson Sherdhan Rai told reporters that details of Oli's visit, his first overses trip, were discussed during the meeting.

The members of the prime minister's delegation have yet to be finalised, according to Minister for Information and Communication Sher Dhan Rai.

Indo-Nepal soured following the promulgation of the new Constitution on September 20, 2015 that sparked protests by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who say the new charter leaves them politically marginalised.

Nepal accused India of imposing a blockade on key trading points that triggered crippling shortages of fuel and vital supplies across the landlocked Himalayan nation. India denied the charge, citing the security situation in Nepal as the reason for blockade.

Oli yesterday said he will not enter into any agreement with India during the trip that would hurt his country's "sovereignty" and "self-respect".

"I will make sure that Nepal's sovereignty, independence, freedom, geographical integrity and self-respect will not bow down," he said.

Previously, Oli had said that it won't be appropriate for him to visit New Delhi until the blockade of key trade points with India is lifted.

Talking about six-month-long agitation by the Madhesis, Oli had said the 'impulsive decision' taken by Madhes-centric parties to enforce blockade to pressurise government on addressing their demands has 'cost the country a fortune'.

More than 50 people were killed in clashes between police and Madhesis during the protests.

The blockade was lifted on February 8 after the United Democratic Madhesi Front called off their protest.

It is learnt that the visit will focus on strengthening the bilateral relations rather than forging new agreements.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was here on a day-long visit to express condolence on the demise of former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, on Tuesday met Prime Minister Oli and said that India was eager to welcome him and was making all necessary preparations for his visit.

Ambassador of Nepal to India Deep Kumar Upadhayay said Oli's visit to India would focus on seeking India's full acceptance of Nepal's new Constitution.
Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli will embark on a fence-mending visit to India next week and hold talks with its top leadership on issues of mutual interest to boost bilateral relations that touched a low due to a crippling protest and blockade led by Madhesis.

The six-day maiden visit to India beginning February 19, which is also the premier's first official trip overseas after he took office four months ago, will see Oli meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides calling on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

"During the visit Prime Minister Oli will try to clear past misunderstandings and strengthen bilateral relations," Nepalese Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, who was here to attend the funeral ceremony of former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala, told PTI.

He said that during the visit, "the Prime Minister would mainly stress on ensuring India's full acceptance of Nepal's new constitution and winning support for its smooth implementation".

He will not sign any important agreements during the visit as the trip was for revamping the bilateral ties and fostering understanding, pointed out Upadhyaya, who also called on Oli and discussed preparations for the forthcoming official visit to India.

According to Upadhyaya, Oli's visit would also focus on ensuring that Nepali people would not have to face hardships experienced during the past months of blockade again.

Oli's much-anticipated visit to India at the invitation of Modi comes days after agitating Madhesis, largely of Indian-origin, ended their crippling protests and blockade that had soured the bilateral ties.

A Cabinet meeting held here yesterday approved Oli's visit. Government spokesperson Sherdhan Rai told reporters that details of the trip were discussed during the meeting.

The members of the prime minister's delegation are yet to be finalised, according to Minister for Information and Communication Rai.

During the visit, Oli will hold official talks with Modi on matters of mutual interest, a foreign ministry statement said, adding that he will also meet ministers and leaders of various political parties besides interacting with the business community and addressing the Indian Council of World Affairs while in Delhi.

Besides holding high-level meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi, preparations are underway for Oli's "visit to India's financial capital Mumbai, where he is expected to address a business conclave of Indian investors and industrialists", Upadhyaya said.

He added that the premier would also seek Indian investment for development of infrastructure in Nepal.

While discussing his upcoming visit with Nepal's business community at his official residence in Baluwatar on Friday, Oli had said his visit was aimed at removing misunderstandings and setting a 'milestone' in bilateral relations, sources close to the Prime Minister said.
Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli will embark on a fence-mending visit to India next week, days after agitating Madhesis ended their crippling protests and blockade that had soured the bilateral ties.

A Cabinet meeting held here yesterday approved Oli's maiden visit to India from February 19-23. Government spokesperson Sherdhan Rai told reporters that details of the premier's visit, which is also his first overseas trip, were discussed during the meeting.

The members of the prime minister's delegation are yet to be finalised, according to Minister for Information and Communication Sher Dhan Rai.

Indo-Nepal ties soured following the promulgation of the new Constitution on September 20 last year that sparked protests by Madhesis, largely of Indian-origin, who say the new charter leaves them politically marginalised.

Nepal accused India of imposing a blockade on key border trading points that triggered crippling shortages of fuel and vital supplies across the landlocked Himalayan nation. India denied the charge, citing the security situation in Nepal as the reason for blockade.

Oli yesterday said he will not enter into any agreement with India during the trip that would hurt his country's "sovereignty" and "self-respect".

"I will make sure that Nepal's sovereignty, independence, freedom, geographical integrity and self-respect will not bow down," he had said.

Earlier, Oli said it would not be appropriate for him to visit New Delhi until the blockade of key trade points with India is lifted.

Talking about the six-month-long agitation by the Madhesis, Oli yesterday said the 'impulsive decision' taken by Madhes-centric parties to enforce blockade to pressurise government on addressing their demands has 'cost the country a fortune'.

More than 50 people were killed in clashes between police and Madhesis during the protests.

However, in an unexpected move, the blockade was lifted on February 8 after the United Democratic Madhesi Front called off their protest under pressure from upset traders.

It is learnt that the visit will focus on strengthening the bilateral relations rather than forging new agreements.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was here on Tuesday for a day-long visit to express condolence on the demise of former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, met Prime Minister Oli and said that India was eager to welcome him and was making all necessary preparations for his visit.

Ambassador of Nepal to India Deep Kumar Upadhayay said Oli's visit to India would focus on seeking India's full acceptance of the country's new Constitution.
Scientists are creating a diagnostic test which uses a special tool to 'smell' prostrate cancer in urine, an advance that could spell end for invasive diagnostic procedures that men currently undergo.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) in UK conducted the study on 155 men in urology clinics.

Out of them, 58 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, 24 with bladder cancer and 73 with haematuria or poor stream without cancer.

The results of the study indicated that it is able to successfully identify different patterns of volatile compounds that allow classification of urine samples from patients with urological cancers.

"There is an urgent need to identify these cancers at an earlier stage when they are more treatable as the earlier a person is diagnosed the better," said Chris Probert from University of Liverpool.

Researchers used a gas chromatography sensor system called Odoreader. The test involved inserting urine samples into the Odoreader that are then measured using algorithms.

The Odoreader has a 30 metre column that enables the compounds in the urine to travel through at different rates thus breaking the sample into a readable format.

This is then translated into an algorithm enabling detection of cancer by reading the patterns presented. The positioning of the prostate gland which is very close to the bladder gives the urine profile a different algorithm if the man has cancer.

"If this test succeeds at full medical trial it will revolutionise diagnostics. Even with detailed template biopsies there is a risk that we may fail to detect prostate cancer in some cases," said Raj Prasad from Southmead Hospital.

"Currently indicators such as diagnosed prostatomegaly (enlarged prostate) and unusually high PSA levels can lead to recommendations for biopsy if there is a concern that cancer may be prevalent. An accurate urine test would mean that many men who currently undergo prostate biopsy may not need to do so," he added.
Nigeria's army is freeing 267 detainees found to have no links to the Boko Haram Islamic extremists including 72 minors, some looking no more than 3 years old.

Maj Gen Haruna Umaru says another eight suspects were handed to the police for further investigation.

Umaru told a ceremony at a military barracks in northeastern Maiduguri city today that investigations found those released had no links with terrorism.

They include four people from neighboring Cameroon and Niger.

One freed woman said she was detained for six months on suspicion of being the girlfriend of a Boko Haram fighter.

It's not known how many people remain in detention. Amnesty International holds Nigeria's military responsible for the deaths of 8,000 detainees since 2011 some shot outright, others dying of torture and starvation.
The 2016 race in the 126th Assembly District is shaping up to be a rematch of the 2014 contest.

Diane Dwire, a Democrat who challenged Assemblyman Gary Finch two years ago, announced her candidacy this week. She was endorsed by the Onondaga County Democratic Committee Thursday and will seek designations from Democrats in Cayuga, Chenango and Cortland counties.

Finch, R-Springport, said he intends to seek re-election and has received the Onondaga County Republican Committee's designation.

In 2014, Finch defeated Dwire by 10 points. Nearly $1 million was spent by the candidates, the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee and the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.

"I think we did run a good campaign," Dwire, D-Camillus, said in an interview. "We ran a super positive one and we did very good in a heavy Republican district."

Dwire, who has attended events in Auburn and Cayuga County since the 2014 election, said several people encouraged her to run again.

After reflecting on the last race, she said there's "a lot of unfinished business."

"When we went out the last time and did campaigning, people were really not aware of who their assemblyperson was," she said. "I think I have the ability to listen. I'm not afraid to get out there. You ask me to go, I'll go anywhere. I will go out. I'll meet people. I'll be available. I'll be visible. And I will fight for them."

Finch, who was first elected to the Assembly in 1999, said there are several issues he wants to continue working on in Albany. At the top of the list: The heroin epidemic and its impact on central New York.

"It's a crisis," he said. "There's no question about that."

Before 2014, Finch hadn't faced a major party opponent since Democratic candidate Barbara Abbott King challenged him in 2008. He ran unopposed in 2010 and 2012.

Having competition, Finch said, is healthy.

"I look forward to having a discussion with our constituents during the course of the next few months talking about the issues, raising awareness and discussing them with Diane Dwire as well," he said.
Niti Aayog today held its second regional consultations on agricultural development in which southern states pitched for preparation of a model land leasing act and higher remunerative prices for farmers.

The discussion by NITI Task Force on Agricultural Development was held under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in Bengaluru.

Representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep attended the deliberations, NITI Aayog said in a release.

Last week, the regional consultation process was started in Ahmedabad with western states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

The Task force was constituted in March 2015 by Niti Aayog to operationalise the decisions taken in the first meeting of Niti's Governing Council in February last year.

The southern states pitched for preparation of model land leasing act by Niti Aayog and other interventions for raising productivity and remunerative prices for farmers, it said.

Andhra Pradesh favoured a better risk adaptation mechanism.

They also shared best practices in area of agriculture and water resources, while increasing employment in agriculture with remunerative prices of their produce was emphasised upon by various states, the release said.

"River linking and water conservation and harvesting were also discussed. The strengthening of agricultural co-operatives was also emphasised," it said.
Delhi Police today told a court here that no cognizable offence was made out against actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who were alleged to have outraged Hindu beliefs on the sets of 'Big Boss 9'.

The police said there was no intention to hurt religious sentiments as the promotional event of the actors entering the sets of a temple wearing shoes while shooting for the reality show was done in a studio.

In its action taken report (ATR) filed in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) V K Gautam, the police said the promotional event was not shot to disturb sanctity of a religious place or to hurt religious sentiments.

"In view of the facts and report, no cognizable offence is made out. The promo was not shot to disturb the sanctity of a religious place or disturb or hurt the religious sentiments of any individual, group, community or section of the society.

"However, the undersigned is ready to abide by the order passed by the court," the report forwarded by SHO of Roop Nagar Police Station and filed by sub-inspector Naveen Kumar said.

The ACMM was on leave and link magistrate Joginder Singh posted the matter for March 2 for hearing arguments.

The court had earlier directed the police to file an ATR explaining as to what action it has taken on the complaint filed by advocate Gaurav Gulati.

The complaint had sought the court's direction to the cops to register an FIR against the two actors, Colors channel and director and producer of reality show 'Bigg Boss 9' for the alleged offences under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The police, in its report, also mentioned that a similar complaint was filed in a Meerut court, which has already dismissed the application.

The police also referred to the reply of channel producer



of 'VIACOM 18' in which it was stated that Shah Rukh Khan had appeared on the set of 'Big Boss 9' and met Salman Khan with whom he had worked in Bollywood movie 'Karan Arjun' a long time ago.

"As they (actors) had met after a long time, the director thought of an idea showing them reuniting on the sets of 'Kali Mandir' in a similar manner as they had reunited in the movie 'Karan Arjun' in Kali temple after their re-birth in the film.

"This idea was not motivated by any intention of hurting any religious sentiments of any religious group and shooting of the promo was done in a studio and the subject incident never took place," police said, citing the channel's reply.

The complaint filed against the actors had alleged that in a video being circulated, Shah Rukh and Salman were seen wearing shoes on the sets of temple of goddess 'Kali' while shooting for an episode of Bigg Boss where the idol can be seen in the background.

"It is a disrespect to the Hindu religion and its belief as it is strictly prohibited to come in the temple with shoes and also they were showing their back to the idol which is also deemed to be an insult to the Hindu goddess... (sic)," it had alleged.

Maintaining that it seemed to be a "well-planned malicious act to outrage Hindu feelings", the plea had also claimed that any kind of misdeed committed by them affected the masses.
A woman paramour and an associate of dacoit Chandan Gadaria, who was recently killed in an encounter, were arrested here in the wee hours today, police said.

Chandan's paramour Chanda Gadaria and his close associate Bhoja Gadaria were nabbed from Amola forest area, where the encounter took place few days back in which Gadaria was killed.

"We have arrested Chanda and Bhoja, who had managed to escape after the encounter in which their leader Chandan Gadaria was killed," Shivpuri SP M U Qureshi said.

Both of them were carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 each on their head.

Two 315-bore rifles were recovered from their possession, he said.

During questioning, Chanda told police that dacoit queen-turned-MP late Phoolan Devi was her role model and like her, she also wanted to be a parliamentarian.

"With their arrest the entire Gadaria gang has been wiped-off," the SP added.

Chandan Gadaria was killed in an encounter by Shivpuri police in Kevin forest area in Shivpuri district last month.
Pakistan today alleged that the Nuclear Supplier Group's "discriminatory waiver" to India and the Indo-US nuclear deal have allowed it to increase its fissile material and disturb the strategic stability in South Asia.

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chowdhary said the waiver by the NSG, a 48-member grouping established 40 years ago to ensure that civilian trade in nuclear materials is not diverted for military purposes, created an opportunity for India to heavily increase its fissile material stocks.

"Strategic stability in South Asia has been negatively impacted by Indo-US nuclear deal and the discriminatory waiver granted to India by the NSG," he said at a seminar organised by Institute of Strategic Studies here.

Chaudhry demanded an NSG membership for Pakistan in line with a non-discriminatory uniform and criteria based approach, also needed to meet the country's enormous energy needs.

"Pakistan is a peace loving country which was compelled to acquire nuclear deterrence in the face of grave threat to the country's national security," he claimed.

Pakistan's nuclear programme was based on the principle of keeping peace in the region and that the country was not part of any regional arms race, he said.

The foreign secretary said Pakistan's civilian nuclear facilities were working under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

Pakistan has often rued the NSG waiver to India, claiming that it negatively impacts the regional security. At the same time, it is also trying to convince the US for a deal similar to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal signed in 2008.

If India is admitted to the NSG, it would become the only member that has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a 189-nation treaty which aims to prevent nation-states from acquiring nuclear weapons.

(Reopens FGN 19)



"We have taken extensive measures to strengthen nuclear safety and security. More recently, Pakistan has taken three significant steps i.E. (i) public statement on nuclear test moratorium, (ii) ratification of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and (iii) declaring adherence to NSG Guidelines," Aziz said.

Aziz said Pakistan is committed not to transfer nuclear weapons to other states or assist others to acquire nuclear weapons and consistently supported the goal of a nuclear weapons free world through the commencement of negotiations on nuclear disarmament at the Conference on Disarmament.

He said the issue of NSG membership cannot be separated from the consideration of strategic stability in the region.

"We will continue to project Pakistan's solid credentials based on its technical experience, capability and well-established commitment to non-proliferation, nuclear safety and security," he said.

He added that Pakistan would formally invite NSG Troika to visit the country for a detailed briefing on its credentials.
A jury found a rookie New York police officer guilty of manslaughter in the 2014 fatal shooting of an unarmed black man -- an incident that fueled US protests against police tactics.

Peter Liang now faces up to 15 years in prison for the death of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old father who was struck in the chest by a bullet that ricocheted off the wall in the stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing project.

The jury found 28-year-old Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct after a two-week trial in Brooklyn, prosecutors said. The jury had begun deliberations on Tuesday.

Sentencing was set for April 14.

"Today's verdict represents justice for Akai Gurley who was totally innocent when he was shot and killed that night," said Brooklyn district attorney Ken Thompson.

The trial was a rare case of a US police officer criminally charged for opening fire, and comes at a time when departments are under scrutiny for the shootings of unarmed suspects, many of them black, and other alleged brutalities.

The Chinese-American police officer and his partner had been on a routine patrol of Louis H. Pink Houses when the incident occurred.

Liang left the roof and walked down the stairs to the eighth floor. Gurley was shot as he stepped into the stairwell, where the lights were not working.

Poor maintenance is a routine problem in housing projects, run by local authorities for residents who cannot afford market-rate rent.

During the trial, prosecutor Marc Fliedner said Liang "fired for no reason" then "wasted precious time arguing with his partner," worried that he would be sacked.

He did not call his superior officer as he was required to do. Nor did he call for an ambulance and neither was he supposed to have his finger on the trigger under police procedure, the prosecutor said.

Defense lawyer Rae Koshetz, meanwhile, painted a picture of a young officer who turned into a "wreck" too traumatized to communicate after realizing he had accidentally shot someone.

"This is not a referendum on policing in the United States," she told jurors. "It was an accident."



Liang had been on the job just 11 months before the shooting.
"Nyaya Yatra", a march for justice that aims to create nationwide awareness about speedy,fair and transparent justice system, reached the city today.

The march has been organised by the Forum for Fast Justice.

As part of the yatra, two motorcades had left from Delhi on January 30 -- one from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and the other from Kutch to Kolkata.

The 'Yatra' will terminate at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 4.

The forum will hold its annual national convention in Delhi on March 5 and 6 that will be attended by delegates fromacross the country.

It would pass a resolution which will contain demands for fast tracking of judiciary, the forum members said.

Pointing out there are more than three crore cases pendingin various courts in the country, they said at the currentrate and procedure it may take at least more than 100 yearsfor the disposal of pending cases.

Kumar Jahgirdar, President of NGO called CRISP (Children's Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting), said the budget allocated to the judiciary should be increased and justice should be made time bound.

He said, "The budget allocated for judiciary is 0.2 per cent of our GDP; we are demanding the union government to make at least 2 per cent increase in the GDP so that more courts can be opened and more judges are appointed."



He also charged that politicians don't want speedy justice.

CRISP and National Litigant Bench are supporting and coordinating the Yatra's activities here.

The forum plans to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of Karnataka and the Governor.
Oil surged more than 5% in Asia today, a day after tanking towards 13-year lows and following a report suggesting the OPEC producers' club was open to working towards cutting output to stabilise volatile crude markets.

Prices for both key contracts dived yesterday in line with a sell-off across global markets as traders grow increasingly concerned about the state of the global economy, and the possibility of a return to recession.

But traders were given a glimmer of hope by a report in the Wall Street Journal quoting United Arab Emirates energy minister Suhail Al Mazrouei as saying OPEC was willing to cooperate with other producers on making cuts.

However, analysts moved to temper the optimism, saying concrete action is needed before such speculation becomes a reliable price driver and with a stubborn global supply glut hammering the commodity, any price rally is unlikely to last.

Still, at around 0930 IST the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in March was up $1.47, or 5.61%, at $27.68 and Brent crude for April advanced $1.68, or 5.59%, to $31.74 a barrel.

WTI settled at $26.21 a barrel yesterday, its lowest close since May 2003, and breaching bottoms set in January. The contract is down around 11% for the week.

"After WTI reached a fresh 12-year low on Thursday, this triggered some kind of bargain-hunting because there is no real news driving the slump except for the oversupply issue," said Bernard Aw, market strategist at IG Markets Singapore.

He added that the UAE minister's comments would have little impact on prices for the long term unless big players in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries such as kingpin Saudi Arabia and Iraq make firm commitments about trimming output.

"Without Saudi Arabia and Iraq, there's not much the other players can do," he said.

"What's unsaid here is that every oil-producing nation around the world thinks that other oil-producing nations should cut supply," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Australia.

"Until we hear an indication from a country or from a large producer that they are prepared to cut their own production, I would severely discount these comments," he said.

Low oil prices haved hammered poorer oil producers such as Venezuela and Nigeria, but OPEC has refused to cut output as it looks to maintain market share in the face of competition from US shale.
Oil markets surged today as traders hunted for bargains after a turbulent week, analysts said.

Crude futures in New York trading were up more than 10 per cent around 1730 GMT, a day after US prices tanked towards 13-year lows. Brent crude futures rocketed 8.5 per cent in London.

Yesterday's sharp falls "triggered some kind of bargain-hunting", said Bernard Aw, a market strategist at trading firm IG.

He added it was unlikely that price support had come from another report suggesting the OPEC producers' cartel was open to working towards cutting output.

The point was echoed by Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Australia.

"Until we hear an indication from a country or from a large producer that they are prepared to cut their own production, I would severely discount these comments," he told AFP.

The Wall Street Journal quoted United Arab Emirates oil minister Suhail Al Mazrouei as saying that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was willing to cooperate with other producers on trimming the global crude supply glut.

Speaking today to satellite channel Sky Arabia, Mazrouei said he expected supply levels on world markets to "stabilise".

"The market will oblige all (producers) not to reduce but to stabilise their output levels," he said.

The oil minister expected world demand for crude to rise this year by 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) and also said it was "possible" that supplies from non-OPEC producers fall by 500,000 bpd.

Low oil prices have hammered OPEC's poorer producers such as Venezuela and Nigeria, but its influential Gulf members led by Saudi Arabia have refused to cut output as it looks to maintain market share in the face of competition from US shale.

OPEC has meanwhile called on non-cartel producers such as Russia to participate in any coordinated reductions to output.

In today deals, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April was up USD 2.56, or 8.5 per cent, to USD 32.62 a barrel.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March soared USD 2.73, or 10.4 per cent, at USD 28.94 a barrel compared with yesterday's close.

WTI had yesterday settled at USD 26.21 -- the lowest finish since May 2003.
Pakistan army today said nearly 100 hardcore militants have been arrested, who were involved in several major terror attacks and planning to free top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who was allegedly involved in the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said that 97 terrorists belonging to top terror networks like al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Tehreek- e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were arrested from here during ongoing intelligence-based operations in the city.

The militants had set up joint task team for carrying out terror attacks in the country and they had been involved in some major terror attacks in the past like the Mehran airbase Karachi, Jinnah airport in Karachi, PAF base in Kamra and several others, Bajwa said.

"The first few militants were arrested a few months ago and it led to more arrests," he said.

The arrested militants were also planning to break Hyderabad jail near here, a plan Bajwa described as "nearly executed", to release top al-Qaeda leader Umer Sheikh, sentenced to death for killing The Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

Umer Sheikh, who was released by India in 1999 and given safe passage to Afghanistan in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814, allegedly also played a crucial role in the September 2001 attacks in the US.

The perpetrators also had a list of 35 prisoners they wanted to kill, he said.

Bajwa said Karachi operation launched in September 2013 had achieved major success as over 12,000 suspects were arrested in over 7,000 raids, leading to dramatic decrease in crimes of killings, kidnapping and extortions.

He, however, stressed that more work needed to be done to completely rid the metropolis of violence and terrorism.

"The Karachi operation will continue till complete peace is achieved in the city," he said.
Pakistan Army today said it has arrested nearly 100 militants and foiled an imminent jailbreak attempt to free top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, sentenced to death for the murder of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

The militants, belonging to top terror networks like the al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, had set up joint task team for carrying out terror attacks in the country, Army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said.

"Our conclusion is that all of the terrorist groups are trying to cooperate with each other in order to carry out terrorist attacks," he said.

Bajwa said as many as 97 terrorists, who had been involved in several major terror attacks including on the Mehran airbase, Jinnah airport, PAF base in Kamra and several others, were arrested from Pakistan's biggest city here.

The arrested militants were also planning to break Hyderabad jail to release top al-Qaeda leader Omar Sheikh, sentenced to death for the killing of 38-year-old Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, while he was in Pakistan investigating a story on the alleged links between the country's spy agency ISI and al-Qaeda.

"This plan was 90 per cent ready for execution," he said.

The perpetrators had prepared two explosive-laden vans which they were supposed to ram into the gate of the prison, Bajwa said, adding the militants had also prepared a list of 35 prisoners they wanted to kill, while rescuing hundreds including Omar Sheikh.

British-born Omar Sheikh was released by India in 1999 and given safe passage to Afghanistan in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814.

Bajwa said Karachi operation launched in September 2013 had achieved major success as over 12,000 suspects were arrested in over 7,000 raids, leading to dramatic decrease in crimes of killings, kidnapping and extortions.

He, however, stressed that more work needed to be done to completely rid the metropolis of violence and terrorism.

"The Karachi operation will continue till complete peace is achieved in the city," he said.
The Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, which held hearings in Auburn and other New York cities in 2014, will host a roundtable discussion at SUNY Oneonta later this month.

State Sen. Jim Seward said the hearing will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23 at SUNY Oneonta's Hunt Union Ballroom. The event is open to the public. For those who can't attend, it will be streamed online.

"In 2014, I conducted a similar task force hearing in Oneonta and the testimony was instrumental in helping develop a number of new state laws to educate the public about the dangers of heroin, improve treatment options and aid law enforcement officials," Seward, R-Milford, said.

"This will be an opportunity to review what is working in our communities and identify gaps in service as we explore additional measures to contend with this public health crisis."

The meeting will be led by two of the task force's chairs, state Sens. George Amedore Jr. and Terrence Murphy. The third chair, state Sen. Robert Ortt, will have a representative in attendance.

The senators will hear testimony from addiction experts, heath care professionals and law enforcement officials.

This week, Amedore, Murphy and Ortt, all Republicans, urged their colleagues to support legislation that would charge dealers with homicide if the heroin or opiates they sell lead to an overdose death.

The state Senate passed the bill last year, but it wasn't voted on in the Assembly.
Pakistan's electronic media watchdog today criticised a leading TV channel for airing a 'hate programme' against Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai that could endanger the life of the teenage child rights activist.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said the ARY channel on February 7 used "indecent and uncivilised language" against Malala who moved to the UK after being shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for standing up for girls' rights to education.

PEMRA said that the TV branded her as a "traitor and a blasphemer" which was dangerous for her.

"Issuing certificates of treason and infidelity and declaring someone the enemy of the country or an enemy of Islam is not the job of TV anchors or the participants of a TV programme," it said.

It further said that the words used by the host and guests against Malala and her family were "undoubtedly hate speech" and their use is banned the law.

"They are broadcasting such material which could endanger someone's life," the TV regulator said.

Malala, now 18, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along with India's Kailash Satyarthi and is the youngest person to grab the honour.

She is accused by the Islamists for playing in the hands of the West.
BSF has apprehended a Pakistani man when he tried to cross the border illegally in Kutch district of Gujarat, its officials said today.

"We have apprehended a man named Riyaz Bhatti who tried to illegally cross the border last evening," BSF officials said.

"He was apprehended from border pillar number 1005, which is unfenced," they said, adding that the man is in his early 50s and belongs to Punjab province of Pakistan.

He will be handed over the Rapar police and they will take him to Joint Interrogation Centre of Bhuj, where various central agencies will interrogate him.

BSF officials said they have recovered some currency notes and a match box from the man.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today accused Odisha and Tamil Nadu governments of "misleading" people over the cheap rice scheme.

"The Central government contributes most for the programme ... They (Odisha and TN) are misleading the people by claiming that the state governments provide rice to poor at the cheap price. This is not a fact," Paswan told reporters here.

One kg of rice costs Rs 30 of which the Centre provides Rs 27, while Naveen (Patnaik) Babu contributes only Rs 2 per kg. The beneficiary gets rice at the rate of Rs 1 a kg in Odisha. Therefore, the state government should not make the claim that it provides rice at cheap price," Paswan said.

Beneficiaries get rice free of cost in Tamil Nadu because the government of that state contributes Rs 3 per kg compared to Rs 2 per kg by Odisha government.

"It is unfair to make claims of providing cheap rice to poor in the state ... The Centre never makes such claim despite giving Rs 27 per kg of rice being distributed among the poor people," he said.

Asked about the alleged irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Odisha, Paswan said he had received complaints and his department would inform the state government on the matter for action.

Paswan said he has received complaints that people from well-to-do backgrounds have been given ration cards under NFSA. Under the federal system the state government has to take a call on the matter.

"The Centre cannot take action in this regard," he added.
E-commerce firm PayTM today said the launch of its payments bank has been deferred by at least four months due to procedural issues and the venture will be rolled out in the second half of the calender year.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the company's founder and Chief Executive said as against an initially targeted date of February, he will be in a position to rollout the bank only after June but assured it will happen this year itself.

Asked about the reasons for the delay, Sharma said, "there are a couple of things...Frankly speaking we under estimated a number of things that need to be done."



He said the top leadership for the proposed bank, including Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, will be announced in the first week of March.

Sharma said the payments bank project has been given the codename of "Pokhran" internally and will be launched from Meerut, an important town in present-day Uttar Pradesh which is closely linked to the first war of Independence in 1857.

After places around Meerut, the bank will expand into the Northeast, he added.

Sharma was given the payments bank licence in an individual capacity, along with 10 others, including Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, last August by the RBI.

Asked about capital raising plans for PayTM, he said the current one will suffice for 31 quarters, "if we go by the spends last year".

The Payments Bank will be set up as a differentiated bank and shall confine its activities to acceptance of demand deposits, remittance services, Internet banking and other specified services.

They will be allowed to issue ATM/debit cards as also other prepaid payment instruments, but not credit cards.
A plea was today filed in the Delhi High Court by Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) seeking directions to the AAP government and EDMC to release arrears of the corporation's employees.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath tagged the matter with the other pleas seeking payment of salary of the sanitation workers of the three corporations as well on the issue of their strike.

All the matters are listed for hearing on February 15.

The petition filed by D P Chandel, President of INTUC, has sought directions to the Delhi government and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to release arrears as per the sixth pay commission to employees of the civic body.

The plea, also by Rakesh Vaid, General Secretary of INTUC, has prayed for release of salaries within the first week of each month.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government told the court that the plea has been filed by a trade union having affiliation to a certain political party.
Local French government authorities said today they want to move up to 1,000 migrants living in the notorious Jungle camp in the port town of Calais.

"The time has come to move on, no one must live in the southern part of the camp, everyone must leave this section," said Fabienne Buccio, the national's government local representative, estimating some 800 to 1,000 migrants would be affected.

Buccio said that government representatives would on Monday visit migrant communities "to explain" the plans.

"We will give them a week to take up places that will be made available," she added.

Some 4,000 migrants, most of them from North Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, live in the makeshift camp from where they launch their often desperate efforts to reach Britain, across the Channel.

Their presence has become a political hot potato both within France and between Paris and London.

As winter set in, a new centre of 125 converted shipping containers was set up to house 1,500 migrants in better conditions, including heating and sockets for electricity.

However many migrants have been opposed to moving into the containers -- which required their palm prints to be taken to move in and out -- fearing it could impede their efforts to reach Britain and apply for asylum there.
Plastic industry has strongly opposed the Maharashtra government's ban on packaging of alcohol in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.

Maharashtra government has announced the ban on sale of alcohol in PET bottles from April 1.

Plastic packaging is dangerous to human health and the country liquor and country made foreign liquor cannot be sold in such bottles, the state government had earlier said.

Many trade bodies have protested against the government resolution banning sale of alcohol in PET bottles.

The All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association (AIPMA) has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urging him to quash the resolution.

The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), International Spirits and Wine Association of India (ISWAI) and the Distilleries' Association of Maharashtra have also written to Principal Secretary, Excise, Rajesh Kumar, seeking a meeting to reconsider the ban.

The All lndia Plastics Manufacturers' Association (AIPMA) said the PET bottles are not banned anywhere in the world, including India, for any food, beverage, alcohol, pharma packaging and have been in existence for last 35 years without a single case of any casualty due to PET packaging.

Industry bodies have said there is no scientific evidence that good quality PET bottles, as certified by CFTRI, are harmful to humans or leech substances if alcohol is stored in them. The BIS has approved the use of PET bottles for alcoholic beverages and drinking water.

FSSAI, in its Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation-2011, recognises the BIS standards for compliance while packaging alcoholic beverages, industry experts said.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the 'Make in India' week tomorrow, the event provides a huge opportunity for the nation to exhibit its "manufacturing prowess" and attract billions of dollars in investments from domestic and global majors.

Over 2,500 international and 8,000 domestic companies will be participating in the week-long multi-sectoral industrial event, which will be attended by foreign government delegations from 68 countries and business teams from 72 nations.

The participants at the event also include foreign heads of government and states, prime ministers of Sweden, Finland and Deputy Premier of Poland, besides other Cabinet ministers.

"We have for long been known as a service-led economy as the sector contributed over 60 per cent of GDP. But this expo will prove to the world our manufacturing prowess," DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant told a select group of reporters during a media preview here.

The government has pulled out all the stops for the event, which is scheduled for February 13-18, as it has set aside Rs 80 crore for the jamboree.

Modi is set to inaugurate the Make in India Week at the NSCI Auditorium at Worli in central Mumbai.

Modi is expected to interact with the industry captains like Ratan Tata, Cyrus Mistry, Mukesh Ambani, Ajay Piramal, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anand Mahindra and Gautam Adani.

As many as 17 states, mostly BJP-ruled ones, will be participating in the expo and there will be 52 seminars, which will be attended by top executives of leading firms, both domestic and global.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and Punjab will have dedicated state-centric sessions.

"It's for the first time that around 3,000 bilateral meetings -- business to government and business to business -- will be held during these seven days," Kant said.

"Maharashtra has been at the forefront of industrial development and the initiative comes at a very pivotal juncture."



Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal said this 'one-of- a-kind' event will showcase India's talent to innovate and deliver high-quality investments in real estate, financial services, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals.

"We believe that this event is a great opportunity for us



to promote our exceptional talent and ability," Piramal said.

"The event has the potential to propel the economy with global and industry engagement in the form of partnership and investments," Siemens India MD Sunil Mathur said.

Big corporate houses such as Reliance Industries, the Tata group and the Birla group have put up dedicated stalls at the venue.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last week said it will offer foreign investors unprecedented access and opportunities to connect and collaborate with young Indian entrepreneurs, industry leaders, academicians and government officials.

A dedicated venue with 2.2 lakh square metres of space for exhibitions, conferences, state/sectoral pavilions and meetings is being readied on an open ground in the business district at BKC.

There is also a business forum organised by international network CNN, where noted American journalist of India-origin Fareed Zakaria will interact with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. An award show by 'Time' magazine on manufacturing is also part of the week.

Maharashtra will be having a dedicated pavilion at the venue and will also have a session exclusively devoted to investment opportunities in the state where industry leaders Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani will be speaking.

Thirteen Union ministers and 11 chief ministers will be in attendance.

During the week, Maharashtra will be showcasing its rich cultural heritage at an open-for-all event on the Girgaum Chowpatty beach by the Arabian Sea.
The political slugfest over David Headley's deposition that Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT terrorist, escalated today with Congress asking BJP since when it has started believing in terrorists.

The BJP on its part accused Congress of "whitewashing" facts due to its "congenital dislike" for Narendra Modi because it foresaw him as a "political threat".

Trashing demands of BJP that the Congress leadership should apologise in the matter, party leader Kapil Sibal said that the implicit faith in the statements of the Pakistani-American terrorist was "yet another example of opportunism of BJP."



Sibal said it was "very surprising" as also a "matter of some concern" that suddenly BJP and its leaders have got implicit faith in terrorists and what they say.

"All over the world, Headley is a known terrorist, not to be believed. Suddenly BJP finds truth in what he says", Sibal said, taking a jibe at the ruling party remarking that it would now also believe in what terrorists Masood Azhar and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are saying. "Since when has BJP started believing terrorists?"



Headley yesterday said that Ishrat Jahan--who was killed in 2004--was actually an Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) operative.

Seeking an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, then Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other party leaders lined up to "weave a fictional tale" to target Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, the BJP also virtually defended the police personnel arrested for killing Ishrat, saying the then UPA government made sure they were put behind bars.

"A battery of Congress leaders were lined up who went on giving statements there are evidences (against BJP leaders), there are conversations happening, there are people who said the man with white beard and black beard. It was done because Congress has a congenital dislike for Modi.

"He much to their dislike was the state's chief minister. Who much to their dislike ran the state so successfully that they foresaw a potential political threat to themselves and so they targeted him... They wove theories like white beard, black beard," BJP leader and Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a party briefing.

"To what extent the dislike of Congress for individuals could guide its policy and governance and expose the national security. It went to the court with a fictional tale. It almost hounded intelligence and police officials," Sitharaman said, attacking Congress.
A Haitian police officer has been killed by multiple gunshots as he patrolled a rough section of the country's capital on a motorcycle.

Haitian National Police spokesman Frantz Lerebours identifies the slain officer as David Dume.

There have been no arrests in yesterday's killing. Lerebours says an investigation is under way.

Photos taken of the slain officer show him lying face down in a street in his uniform. His police motorcycle lies nearby.

He was killed while working in Martissant, a troubled district long known for gang activity.
The Southern Cayuga Anne Frank Tree Project has, in the past month, made a significant impact on a local nutrition initiative, helped advance its site development and announced a year's worth of events and programming.

The project began in October 2009 when the Anne Frank Center announced that it would give out for planting 11 saplings cut from a tree that once stood outside Anne Frank's window during her years in hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam. Site in the United States that represented social justice and freedom submitted applications, and the Southern Cayuga Central School District was chosen as one such site.

According to a press release from project leaders, the tree site has recently received a donation of two benches from Bob Davidson, president of Exhibits and More in Liverpool. Davidson has been active in the development of the site, creating signage to be installed this spring that will direct visitors to the tree. SCAFTP partnered with the Auburn-based Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace to secure project funding through the Cayuga Community Fund.

The SCAFTP aims to educate and empower children in history, social justice and activism, and in keeping with this mission, it recently raised $3,060 in this year's annual Ton of Food Campaign for the Southern Cayuga Backpack Program, according to the news release. The program provides nutritious meals to needy children throughout the school district by placing food in backpacks every Friday.

The project committee also announced that it has planned a year of similarly themed events across the community. Several events will highlight the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of over 20,000 refugees orphaned or displaced in the Sudanese Civil War.

The first event, a showing of the critically acclaimed documentary "The Lost Boys of Sudan," will be held at 6 p.m. March 11 in the Southern Cayuga High School cafeteria. Free pizza will be provided. The full events calendar can be found online at sccsannefranktree.org.
Pope Francis landed in Cuba today for the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity.

The pope's jetliner set down at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, where he's scheduled to have a two-hour meeting with Patriarch Kirill before heading off on a five-day visit to Mexico, where the pontiff will bring a message of solidarity with the victims of drug violence, human trafficking and discrimination to some of that country's most violent and poverty-stricken regions.

While the meeting Havana has been hailed in some Catholic circles as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The joint declaration is expected to touch on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

It is being signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin America's first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy.

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirill's willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding within the Orthodox church at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine.

Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

"This isn't benevolence. It's not a newfound desire for Christian unity," said George Demacopoulos, the Greek-Orthodox chairman of Orthodox Christian studies at Fordham University in New York.
Pope Francis heads to Cuba today looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity before embarking on a tour of Mexico dominated by modern day problems of drug-related violence and migration.

The Argentinian pontiff is due to spend around two hours in private conversation with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill at Havana's Jose Marti airport.

It will be the first meeting between the leaders of Christianity's two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

Francis and Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, with the final obstacles finally swept away by a combination of the pope's determination that it should happen and the Russian church's feeling that events in the Middle East have made Christian unity much more urgent.

The rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with Francis's drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican since he was elected pope in 2013.

"In the background there is a third player (Putin)," Vatican expert Marco Politi wrote in a blog on the historic encounter.

"It would be naive to believe the sudden availability of the Patriarch is unrelated to the geopolitical situation Russia finds itself in at the moment," he argued, in a reference to Russia's intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could "100 per cent guarantee" that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders' meeting.

Alexander Volkov said he hoped the meeting would open the door to "new prospects of mutual cooperation," but emphasised that reunification of the Eastern and Western churches was not on the agenda.

Despite the breakthrough of a face-to-face meeting, Vatican-Orthodox relations remain strained.

The issues that caused the schism in the first place are unresolved and there are tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe. Then there is the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, which has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.
Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill kissed each other and sat down together today for the first meeting between their two branches of the church in nearly a thousand years.

Francis, 79, in white robes and a skullcap and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, exchanged kisses and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport.

The 79-year-old pontiff stepped off a plane in the sunshine and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on the tarmac at Jose Marti airport before heading into the meeting with the leader of the powerful Russian branch of the Orthodox church.

Kirill was also greeted by his communist, atheist host Castro, 84, when he arrived yesterday.

The Argentine pontiff is looking to heal a nearly 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity that dates back to a 1054 schism which helped shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

He was due to meet for about two hours with Kirill before embarking on a tour of Mexico.

The two were due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," said Francis, who became pope in 2013, in an interview this week.

But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Kirill was on an 11-day trip to Latin America that will also take him to Paraguay and Brazil.
Doling out a string of populist measures ahead of 2017 Assembly polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today announced new schemes totalling Rs 13,842 crore in the budget presented today, with a focus on agriculture, health and education.

With farmers accounting for a major chunk of the electorate, the Rs 3,46,935-crore budget for 2016-17 has made special provisions for the farm sector which include Rs 1,336 crore for clearing cane arrears and Rs 240 crore for a farmer accident insurance scheme.

Yadav also announced a Rs 2,000-crore allocation for the welfare of minorities, especially to promote education, Rs 100 crore for supply of free laptops for meritorious students and promised 16 hours a day of power supply in rural areas by October this year.

Describing the budget as "balanced and development oriented", Yadav told reporters that the SP government has been successful in fulfilling its promises through various welfare schemes and earlier budgets.

He also said that while infrastructure has improved, the challenge is to provide relief to farmers and employment to the youth.

Yadav said he would present his sixth budget too, implying that he would stage a comeback in the next elections due early next year.

However, the Opposition termed the budget as "disappointing, anti-farmer and anti-people".

The budget estimates total expenditure at Rs 3,46,934.8 crore and receipts at Rs 3,40,120.6 crore. The fiscal deficit has been estimated at Rs 49,960.9 crore, 4.04 per cent of the state's GDP.

This includes bonds of Rs 13,303 crore issued under the financial reorganisation scheme of 'Uday' for power companies.

Excluding this, the fiscal deficit is pegged at Rs 36,657.9 crore, which is 2.97 per cent of the state GDP.

Among special provisions for the agriculture sector, a provision of Rs 1,336 crore has been made for payment of cane arrears to farmers, Rs 897 crore for the proposed 'Samajwadi Kisan evam Sarvahit Insurance Scheme', Rs 240 crore for farmer accident insurance scheme and Rs 50 crore for 'Aam Aadmi Insurance Scheme'.

For relief works under the state disaster fund, Rs 709 crore has been proposed, and an action plan of Rs 2,057 crore has been prepared to offset losses in 50 drought-hit districts.

Eyeing its core minority votebank, the SP government made a significant allocation of over Rs 2,000 crore for their welfare, especially to promote education. Minority communities account for 16 to 18 per cent of the state's electorate.

The budget has earmarked Rs 537 crore for scholarships to pre-10th standard students belonging to the minority communities.

Besides, Rs 153 crore has been earmarked for post-10th standard scholarship and another Rs 150 crore for fees disbursement. The budget also makes an allocation of Rs 394 crore for providing modern education in recognised madarsas and maqtabs.

(REOPENS DCM133)



Focusing on the water-scarce Bundelkhand region ahead of the polls, Rs 1,400 crore have been allocated for funding various projects.

The fund size of special projects for Bundelkhand has been increased from Rs 71.50 crore to Rs 200 crore and a proposal worth Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for making special arrangements for potable water, the chief minister, who holds the finance portfolio, said in his budget speech.

Rs 400 crore has been earmarked for construction of boundary walls around cremation grounds, which is an increase of Rs 200 crore over the previous year's provision.

The government has made a provision of Rs 13,778 crore for rural development and panchayati raj.

A provision of Rs 630 crore has been made to construct rural link roads and small bridges for agriculture marketing facilities under the Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna, whereas another provision of Rs 1,413 crore for construction of other works related to link roads has been made.

The government has set a target of supplying power for at least 16 hours a day in rural areas and 24 hours for urban areas by October 2016.

The state government has made a provision of Rs 100 crore for free supply of laptop to meritorious students of class 10th and 12th for encouraging technical education.

Free laptop is ambitious project of Akhilesh Yadav government.

Ir also made provision of 150 crore for establishment of military schools in Amethi, Mainpuri and Jhansi.

An amount of Rs 50 crore has been proposed for setting up of the state university at Allahabad.

Opposition parties slammed the state's budget presented in the UP Assembly terming it as "disappointing, anti-people and anti-youth" with nothing new in it.

"There is nothing in the budget for villages, poor, labourers, farmers, dalits, backwards," Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said.

"It also has nothing for dalits, backwards and minorities," he said, adding that basic education, health services and youths have been ignored.

"There is no provision for job creation, crashing the hopes of youth, no concrete plan at controlling law and order and there are no adequate long and short financial provisions to resolve the problem of Bundelkhand," the BJP legislature party Suresh Khanna said.
Portugal has refused a request from New Delhi to extradite Paramjeet Singh suspected of involvement in bomb attacks and murder because he has refugee status in Britain, Lisbon's justice ministry said today.

Justice Minister Francisca Van Dunem "has decided not to accept the extradition request" for Singh due to his refugee status, granted in 2000, the ministry said in a statement.

Singh was freed from provisional detention today and will return to Britain, said his Portuguese lawyer Manuel Luis Ferreira.

Singh was arrested under an Interpol warrant in a hotel in Portugal's Algarve region where he was staying with his wife and their four children. He had been held in a jail in Beja, southern Portugal, since late December.

"A large part of the events for which the extradition was requested took place in India at a time when Mr Singh had already obtained refugee status," the justice ministry said.

Singh is a leader of the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and wanted for conspiracy in two 2010 bomb attacks in Punjab and the 2009 killing of Rulda Singh, leader of a Hindu group.

Ferreira said the charges against his client were unfounded and that he had been a victim of torture in India before he was granted asylum in Britain, where he now lives. The lawyer hailed Portugal's decision as "courageous".
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi here tomorrow to discuss a possible electoral alliance with the latter's party to oust ruling AIADMK in the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

Though Azad said it would be 'courtesy call' on the DMK patriarch, the meeting is however expected to set the ball rolling for the two parties striking a poll pact.

Azad's visit to Karunanidhi comes in the wake of the DMK leader inviting Congress and DMDK as part of his efforts to cobble up a strong alliance against the Jayalalithaa led AIADMK.

Recently, TNCC President E V K S Elangovan had said that Azad would hold talks with Karunanidhi on the alliance issue.

DMK, which was a key constituent of the Congress led UPA government since 2004,broke out of the alliance in 2013 on the Sri Lankan issue. However Congress had later supported Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha polls that year.

Azad, who will be accompanied by his colleague and Congress in charge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik and Elangovan, had said he was meeting Karunanidhi on a courtesy call.
The South African government argued in court today that it was not obliged to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country last June because he had immunity.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes related to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, and South Africa is a member of the Hague-based institution.

The government is seeking leave to appeal against an earlier court judgement that it was legally bound to arrest Bashir, who was in the country for a summit of the African Union (AU).

Lawyer Jeremy Gauntlett, appearing for the government in the Supreme Court of Appeal, argued that local legislation provides immunity to visiting heads of state.

The immunity applies "for anything from genocide to parking offences, for anything from fraud to anything else, to a serving head of state," he said.

Lawyer Wim Trengove, appearing for the rights group the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, said the ICC arrest order overrode the local legislation.

"The ICC act... Is clear and unambiguous. It says that the fact that the person to be surrended is... A sitting head of state does not constitue a ground to refuse an order."



South Africa's failure to prevent Bashir's departure, despite a court order, sparked international condemnation.

Earlier this month, however, African leaders meeting in Addis Ababa backed a Kenyan proposal pushing for a pullout from the ICC on the grounds that it unfairly targets the continent.

Chadian President Idriss Deby, elected African Union chairman at the two-day summit, criticised the court for focusing its efforts on African leaders.

"Elsewhere in the world, many things happen - many flagrant violations of human rights - but nobody cares," Deby said.

No legally-binding determination was made, and the decision to leave the ICC's founding Rome Statute is up to individual nations.

Bashir has evaded justice since his indictment in 2009 for alleged crimes in the conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur in which 300,000 people were killed and two million forced to flee their homes.
With heavy arrivals of small onion (shallots) in major wholesale markets across the state, there is a remote chance of staple's price rising in March and April, says a survey by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

An analysis by TNAU's Agro-marketing Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre has revealed that the price of good quality small onion will prevail around Rs 22-24 per kg in these two months, as against the current rate of Rs 25 per kg.

At present, small onion arrival is very high in Dindigul, Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur and Tirupur markets, thus affecting farm harvest prices. In Dindigul, the good quality shollot is costing around Rs 25 per kg, it said.

Hence, farmers are advised to take appropriate sowing decisions as per the market advisory, the report suggested.

Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of small onions in India, accounting for 90 per cent of the production.

The centre analysed farm gate prices of small onion in the last 12 years in the Dindigul wholesale market, besides conducting trader's survey, before arriving at the price behaviour.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today said the 2016-17 Railway Budget will focus on attracting investments for augmenting present and future facilities.

"Comfort of passengers is today's requirement but augmentation of facilities is the future need. Our effort is to take forward these initiatives hand-in-hand," he said after inaugurating enhanced passenger amenities at the railway station here.

The government is already in the process of finalising the budget and would continue with the measures started last year for development of Railways, he said, adding that the BJP government had complied with the majority of announcements and promises it made in last year's railway budget.

"I am very happy to say that in the last budget we had promised many things for the people of India and most of the announcements have been fully complied with," he said.

Pointing out that Railways had suffered since many decades due to 'neglect' and 'dearth of investments', he said efforts now were to bring in more investments to rectify this.

Steps should be taken to ensure that Indian Railways remains the backbone of the country's economy and would continue to drive economic growth, he said.

On the new initiatives to implement projects in states, he said the Union government had launched a programme to enter into partnership with states to float a Joint Venture company.

As many as 17 states had come forward to cooperate with the Joint Venture.

"Kerala along with Andhra Pradesh is one of the first states to sign an MoU with Indian Railways for this venture," he said, adding that the government's endeavour was to make the state one of Railways' investment hubs in the country.

The allocation for Kerala in the railway budget had increased and it would further go up this year, he said.

While the state was ahead in terms of many social indicators, including literacy, human resource development and infant mortality rate, it lagged behind in economic and infrastructure developments, he said.

Social development and economic development should go hand in hand, Prabhu added.

The minister also launched passenger amenities at Kollam, Ernakulam and Palakkad railway stations simultaneously via video conferencing.
The RBI today signed a pact with the Central Bank of the UAE to enter into a Currency Swap Agreement, which is aimed at strengthening economic ties with the Gulf nation.

"Terms and conditions of the Agreement will be firmed up through technical-level discussions between the two central banks," the Reserve Bank of India said in a statement.

The MoU was signed between RBI chief Raghuram Rajan and UAE's Central Bank Governor Mubarak Rashed Al Mansoori.

"The proposed agreement will further strengthen the close economic relationship and cooperation between India and the UAE," the RBI said.

India is UAE's top trading partner while the latter is India's third largest trading partner after the US and China.
The Red Cross today turned down a call from Riyadh for aid workers to stay out of rebel-held zones of Yemen that are being targeted in a Saudi-led air war.

The mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross "often necessitates crossing frontlines" and securing access to combat zones, the ICRC's Sanaa spokeswoman Rima Kamal told AFP.

"To reach all those in need in Yemen... We will continue to seek security guarantees from all parties and in all regions," she said.

"We have no plans to change that for the time being, and we remain committed to operate in all regions and to do everything possible to reach the civilians affected."



According to a letter seen by AFP yesterday, Saudi Arabia has asked the United Nations to move aid workers away from rebel-held areas as the Riyadh-led coalition presses on with air strikes in support of the Yemeni government.

The United Nations flatly rejected the request and reminded Saudi Arabia of its obligations to allow humanitarian access in Yemen, where coalition warplanes have been pounding Shiite Huthi rebels for nearly a year.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said in a letter to Saudi Arabia's UN ambassador, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, that relief organisations were "delivering life-saving assistance as per internationally recognised principles and will continue to do so."



Responding to O'Brien, the ambassador said the request should not be "misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen".

The United Nations has had several disputes with Saudi Arabia over aid access in Yemen, where 80 per cent of the population is facing dire food shortages.

O'Brien told Saudi Arabia that aid workers would continue to inform coalition authorities of their movements.

UN and international aid workers have passed on their coordinates to coalition military authorities to ensure they are not inadvertently targeted.

More than 6,100 people have been killed in the conflict since last March, about half of them civilians, according to UN estimates.
Russian bombing killed 16 civilians in Syria today, hours after world powers agreed to a deal to end hostilities within a week, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"Despite the agreement we made last night, Russia continued bombing the civilians -- they killed 16 civilians this morning," he said in Munich, where the Syria agreement was struck.

"There have been strikes against schools and hospitals as well."



Turkey hosts some 2.5 million refugees from the five-year-old war, and a recent major offensive by Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air strikes, on the northern city of Aleppo has driven tens of thousands more to the Turkish border.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was providing humanitarian aid and building camps to accommodate them, though he added that many might choose to return home if a ceasefire held.

"We are building new tents on the other side of the border," he said, adding that "the areas where they are temporarily staying at the other side of the border is safe.

"Why did these people have to leave their town? They stayed there for five years despite all these terrorists and the brutal regime. (They left) because of the Russian bombing."



Turkey has also been the major transit country for Syrian refugees and other migrants headed for Europe, and the EU has asked Ankara to help stop the flow by sealing its borders, fighting traffickers and housing even more refugees with EU financial help.

The minister stressed that it was crucial to "deal with the root causes" of the refugee wave, predicting that "if we cannot stop the bloodshed, the war, more and more refugees will be coming.
Russian bombing killed 16 civilians in Syria early today, hours after world powers agreed to a deal to end hostilities within a week, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"Despite the agreement we made last night, Russia continued bombing the civilians -- they killed 16 civilians this morning," he said in Munich, where the Syria agreement was struck. "There have been strikes against schools and hospitals as well.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says the use of ground troops in the Syrian conflict could result in world war.

Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published late yesterday by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war."



When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops to Syria, the prime minister answered that "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war."





Medvedev criticised Western powers' refusal to collaborate with Russia in Syria. The prime minister said ties at the level of defense departments are only sporadic.
South Korea could begin detailed discussions with Washington on bringing in an advanced US missile defence system opposed by China as early as next week, a senior official said today.

The two allies are setting up a joint task force to look into the rollout of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD), which would be deployed as a counter to North Korea's growing missile threat.

"The task force will be able to start discussing details concerning the THAAD deployment as early as next week," the senior official told journalists.

On the agenda are issues like location, cost-sharing, environmental protection and a timeline for installation.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

South Korea and the United States announced their intention to start discussions on THAAD's deployment last Sunday, just hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket that both condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The Pentagon has since stressed that it would like the system to be deployed in South Korea "as quickly as possible."



China and Russia argue that it would undermine stability and could trigger an arms race in a delicately balanced region, with Beijing voicing its "deep concern" over the deployment.

China is South Korea's most important trade partner and -- in deference to Beijing's sensitivities on the issue -- South Korea had previously declined to formally discuss bringing in THAAD.

But North Korea's continued testing -- and Beijing's resistance to imposing harsh sanctions on Pyongyang -- triggered a change in Seoul's stance.

There is already a THAAD battery stationed in Guam and the other key US ally in the region, Japan, is also considering taking on the system.
If god does not discriminate between men and women, why should discrimination exist in temples, the Supreme Court asked today as it said it would examine the issue of entry ban on women of menstrual age in the historic Sabarimala temple on the basis of constitutional parameters.

"We want to test this on constitutional parameters," the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said and asked senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the Travancore Devaswom Board, to apprise it whether this practice was "intricately fundamental" to religious custom or practice and hence cannot be interfered with.

The bench, also comprising Justices P C Ghose and N V Ramana, referred to the Bhagwad Gita and said that neither the 'Vedas', nor the 'Upanishads' discriminate on the grounds of gender.

"The God does not discriminate between men and women, so why there should be gender discrimination in premises of the temple," the bench said and referred to a mythological story about 'Sati Anusuyia' who had turned Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh into kids and asked "how can you stop the mother from entering the temple."



Venugopal, who sought six weeks time for filing evidence including documents and ancient scriptures on the issue, said this practice of prohibiting women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala was being followed for centuries, an aspect which should be kept in mind while deciding the matter.

The bench also took note of Kerala government's recent stand and termed it as "somersault" saying, "You have filed an affidavit by taking an opposite stand. We will test it also as to whether a can take a somersault or U-turn".

"A state or a party can always correct its earlier erroneous stand," senior lawyer V Giri, appearing for Kerala, said.

Kerala government, in its recent affidavit, has said that banning entry of women of menstrual age in the temple was a "matter of religion" and it was duty-bound to "protect the right to practice the religion of these devotees".

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for an intervenor, said women were part of the human race and they have to be allowed entry.

"Women can also observe celibacy," she said while countering Venugopal's submissions.

The bench, which has now posted the matter for further



hearing in April, asked the lawyers that it will not allow any "sentimental and emotional" arguments.

"What about the spiritual arguments," Jaising asked.

"No individual philosophy will be allowed," the court, which appointed senior advocates Raju Ramachandran and K Ramamurthy as amicus curiae, said.

The state government, in the recent affidavit, said that the administration of the temple vested with the Travancore Devaswom Board under the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act and the decision of the priests is final in the matter of worship.

"In the context of Sabarimala, the administration vests with the Travancore Devaswom Board under the provisions of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950.

"Under the Act, there is a statutory duty cast on the Board to arrange worship in temples in accordance with the usage. Therefore, in matters of religion, it is the opinion of the priests that is final," the affidavit said.

Prior to this, the apex court had asked Delhi Police to provide security to lawyer Naushad Ahmed Khan who has allegedly received threat calls after his NGO filed a PIL seeking entry of women in the Sabarimala temple, saying such attempts should be "crippled in the beginning" itself.

Khan, the President of Indian Young Lawyers' Association (IYLA) which has filed the PIL on Sabarimala issue, has alleged that he has been receiving threat calls for moving the court.

The IYLA, in its plea, has sought entry for all women and girls in the Sabarimala temple which, as a practice, does not allow girls after attaining puberty to enter the premises. The temple, however, allows only those women to enter who have reached the menopause stage.

The apex court on January 11 had questioned the age-old tradition of banning entry of women of menstrual age group in the Kerala temple, saying this cannot be done under the Constitution.

It had asked the Kerala government whether it was sure that women have not entered the temple premises in the last 1,500 years.
Against the backdrop of the tragedy at Murud beach where 14 college students drowned, the Bombay High Court today said government should form a comprehensive policy on safety measures at tourist places.

The court, which is hearing a petition on the issue of beach safety filed by NGO Janhit Manch in 2006, had pulled up the court on the last occasion following the Murud incident for not implementing existing government resolution on the issue.

"Tourism is increasing. This (safety measures) will increase tourism activity. You should form a comprehensive policy (on safety measures at tourist places)," the bench said, advising the government to examine the safety measures in Goa which is famous for its beaches.

"Everywhere in the world tourism is big industry," the court observed, adding that it has a great earning potential.

"People who visit do not know about beaches, the dangers of going into the sea. You must inform them," said Justice Patil, adding that there should be watch towers and lights on the beaches apart from the lifeguards, and there must be clear instructions on every beach as to how far it would be safer to go in the sea, as this would vary from beach to beach.

Referring to 2006 GR on the issue, the court said there should be "implementation monitoring cell".

"Everything is there on paper....The problem in our country is implementation," said Justice Patil.

"We expect the government to form a comprehensive policy in view of the safety of tourists," the court said, adjourning the hearing for four weeks.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister defended his country's treatment of women today, saying it had made progress on female education but would take time to let them drive cars.

"When it comes to issues like women's driving, this is not a religious issue, it's a societal issue," Adel al-Jubeir told an audience at the Munich Security Conference.

He said it was unfair to fixate on the issue of women drivers, given the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom's efforts to educate girls.

"We went from no schools for women in 1960 to universal education, to where today 55 per cent of college students are women," said Jubeir.

"Some of our top doctors and engineers and lawyers and business people are women. The issue is one that is evolving just like it is in other countries."



He compared Saudi Arabia to the United States, arguing that it took 100 years after America's independence before women were given the right to vote, and another 100 years for it to elect its first female parliamentary speaker.

"I'm not saying 'Give us 200 years'. I'm saying 'be patient'," said Jubeir.

"We hope that in the modern world with technology and communications that this process is accelerated, but things take time. We can't expect to rush things."



Restrictions in Saudi Arabia remain some of the toughest in the world with women forced to cover themselves in black from head to toe in public.

For the first time in December women were allowed to stand for election to local councils.

Human Rights Watch has criticised Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system which forbids women "from obtaining a passport, marrying, travelling, or accessing higher education without the approval of a male guardian".
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister today defended his country's foreign policy and its stance in Yemen and Syria, insisting that the kingdom has no ambitions beyond its borders.

Since taking power last year, King Salman has led his country toward an aggressive new stance, confronting longtime regional rival Iran by leading a military coalition fighting Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen.

Riyadh is also one of the main opponents of President Bashar Assad's government in Syria.

Though few of Saudi Arabia's allies have publicly criticized its policies, an intelligence analysis released by Germany's BND spy agency in December cited concern over the kingdom's "new impulsive policy of intervention."



It said it feared that Saudi Arabia's ambitions to establish itself as a leader in the Arab world could damage the kingdom's ties with its regional allies.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a security conference in Munich today that Saudi Arabia is "a country that has no ambitions beyond its borders" and is guided by pragmatism.

He spoke after joining foreign ministers from global and regional powers including Iran in agreeing to seek a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria.

"We have dealt with the challenges in the region this year in ways that the world maybe is not used to, but that's because frankly there is a vacuum, and if nobody's willing to do something then the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its allies had to step in and do something," al-Jubeir said.

"We acted in Yemen to prevent a legitimate government from collapsing and the country being taken over by a radical militia allied with Iran and Hezbollah," he added. "We did so in response to the request of the legitimate government. We have no intention of seizing one inch of Yemeni territory; we have no intention of trying to dominate Yemen."



Al-Jubeir also insisted that Assad must go to make it possible to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. He said his country is working for political change in order to remove "a man who is the single most effective magnet for extremists and terrorists in the region." He added that "that's our objective and we will achieve it."



"Unless and until there is a change in Syria, Daesh will not be defeated in Syria," al-Jubeir said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
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The worlds top anti-virus microbiologists are being killed off. By 2005, 40 were dead. Today, over 100.

Many murdered, the rest died under very suspicious circumstances. It is known they were all working on highly sensitive or government-funded research projects tied to bio-weapons and viral pandemics.

Are these silenced whistleblowers who knew too much?

Why didnt the mainstream media report in on these stories?

Died 2006

#80: Lee Jong-woo , age 61. Died: May 22, 2006 after suffering a blood clot on the brain. Lee was spearheading the organizations fight against global threats from bird flu, AIDS and other infectious diseases. WHO director-general since 2003, Lee was his countrys top international official. The affable South Korean, who liked to lighten his press conferences with jokes, was a keen sportsman with no history of ill-health, according to officials.

Died 2005

#79: Leonid Strachunsky . Died: June 8, 2005 after being hit on the head with a champagne bottle. Strachunsky specialized in creating microbes resistant to biological weapons. Strachunsky was found dead in his hotel room in Moscow, where hed come from Smolensk en route to the United States. Investigators are looking for a connection between the murder of this leading bio weapons researcher and the hepatitis outbreak in Tver, Russia.

#78: Robert J. Lull , age 66. Died: May 19, 2005 of multiple stab wounds. Despite his missing car and apparent credit card theft, homicide Inspector Holly Pera said investigators arent convinced that robbery was the sole motive for Lulls killing. She said a robber would typically have taken more valuables from Lulls home than what the killer left with. Lull had been chief of nuclear medicine at San Francisco General Hospital since 1990 and served as a radiology professor at UCSF. He was past president of the American College of Nuclear Physicians and the San Francisco Medical Society and served as editor of the medical societys journal, San Francisco Medicine, from 1997 to 1999. Lee Lull said her former husband was a proponent of nuclear power and loved to debate his political positions with others.

#77: Todd Kauppila , age 41. Died: May 8, 2005 of hemorrhagic pancreatitis at the Los Alamos hospital, according to the state medical examiners office. Picture of him was not available to due secret nature of his work. This is his funeral picture. His death came two days after Kauppila publicly rejoiced over news that the labs director was leaving. Kauppila was fired by director Pete Nanos on Sept. 23, 2004 following a security scandal. Kauppila said he was fired because he did not immediately return from a family vacation during a lab investigation into two classified computer disks that were thought to be missing. The apparent security breach forced Nanos to shut down the lab for several weeks. Kauppila claimed he was made a scapegoat over the disks, which investigators concluded never existed. The mistake was blamed on a clerical error. After he was fired, Kauppila accepted a job as a contractor at Bechtel Nevada Corp., a research company that works with Los Alamos and other national laboratories. He was also working on a new Scatter Reduction Grids in Megavolt Radiography focused on metal plates or crossed grids to act to stop the scattered radiation while allowing the unscattered or direct rays to pass through with other scientists: Scott Watson (LANL, DX-3), Chuck Lebeda (LANL, XTA), Alan Tubb (LANL, DX-8), and Mike Appleby (Tecomet Thermo Electron Corp.)

#76: David Banks , age 55. Died: May 8, 2005. Banks, based in North Queensland, died in an airplane crash, along with 14 others. He was known as an Agro Genius inventing the mosquito trap used for cattle. Banks was the principal scientist with quarantine authority, Biosecurity Australia, and heavily involved in protecting Australians from unwanted diseases and pests. Most of Dr Banks work involved preventing potentially devastating diseases making their way into Australia. He had been through Indonesia looking at the potential for foot and mouth disease to spread through the archipelago and into Australia. Other diseases he had fought to keep out of Australian livestock herds and fruit orchards include classical swine fever, Nipah virus and Japanese encephalitis.

#75: Dr. Douglas James Passaro , age 43. Died April 18, 2005 from unknown cause in Oak Park, Illinois. Dr. Passaro was a brilliant epidemiologist who wanted to unlock the secrets of a spiral-shaped bacteria that causes stomach disease. He was a professor who challenged his students with real-life exercises in bioterrorism. He was married to Dr. Sherry Nordstrom..

#74: Geetha Angara , age 43. Died: February 8, 2005. This formerly missing chemist was found in a Totowa, New Jersey water treatment plants tank. Angara, 43, of Holmdel, was last seen on the night of Feb. 8 doing water quality tests at the Passaic Valley Water Commission plant in Totowa, where she worked for 12 years. Divers found her body in a 35-foot-deep sump opening at the bottom of one of the emptied tanks. Investigators are treating Angaras death as a possible homicide. Angara, a senior chemist with a doctorate from New York University, was married and mother of three.

#73: Jeong H. Im , age 72. Died: January 7, 2005. Korean Jeong H. Im, died of multiple stab wounds to the chest before firefighters found in his body in the trunk of a burning car on the third level of the Maryland Avenue Garage. A retired research assistant professor at the University of Missouri  Columbia and primarily a protein chemist, MUPD with the assistance of the Columbia Police Department and Columbia Fire Department are conducting a death investigation of the incident. A person of interest described as a male 662 wearing some type of mask possible a painters mask or drywall type mask was seen in the area of the Maryland Avenue Garage. Dr. Im was primarily a protein chemist and he was a researcher in the field.

Died in 2004

#72: Darwin Kenneth Vest , born April 22, 1951, was an internationally renowned entomologist, expert on hobo spiders and other poisonous spiders and snakes. Darwin disappeared in the early morning hours of June 3, 1999 while walking in downtown Idaho Falls, Idaho (USA). The family believes foul play was involved in his disappearance. A celebration of Darwins life was held in Idaho Falls and Moscow on the one-year anniversary of his disappearance. The services included displays of Darwins work and thank you letters from school children and teachers. Memories of Darwin were shared by at least a dozen speakers from around the world and concluded with the placing of roses and a memorial wreath in the Snake River. A candlelight vigil was also held that evening on the banks of the Snake River.

Darwin was declared legally dead the first week of March 2004 and now the family is in the process of obtaining restraining orders against several companies who saw fit to use his name and photos without permission. His brother David is legal conservator of the estate and his sister Rebecca is handling issues related to Eagle Rock Research and ongoing research projects.

Media help in locating Darwin is welcome. Continuing efforts to solve this mystery include recent DNA sampling. Stories about his disappearance continue to appear throughout the world. Issues surrounding missing adult investigations have received new attention following the tragedies of 911.

#70-71: Tom Thorne , age 64; Beth Williams , age 53; Died: December 29, 2004. Two wild life scientists, Husband-and-wife wildlife veterinarians who were nationally prominent experts on chronic wasting disease and brucellosis were killed in a snowy-weather crash on U.S. 287 in northern Colorado.

#69: Taleb Ibrahim al-Daher . Died: December 21, 2004. Iraqi nuclear scientist was shot dead north of Baghdad by unknown gunmen. He was on his way to work at Diyala University when armed men opened fire on his car as it was crossing a bridge in Baqouba, 57 km northeast of Baghdad. The vehicle swerved off the bridge and fell into the Khrisan river. Al-Daher, who was a professor at the local university, was removed from the submerged car and rushed to Baqouba hospital where he was pronounced dead.

#68: John R. La Montagne , age 61. Died: November 2, 2004. Died while in Mexico, no cause stated, later disclosed as pulmonary embolism. PhD, Head of US Infectious Diseases unit under Tommie Thompson. Was NIAID Deputy Director. Expert in AIDS Program work and Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

#67: Matthew Allison , age 32. Died: October 13, 2004. Fatal explosion of a car parked at an Osceola County, Fla., Wal-Mart store. It was no accident, Local 6 News has learned. Found inside a burned car. Witnesses said the man left the store at about 11 p.m. and entered his Ford Taurus car when it exploded. Investigators said they found a Duraflame log and propane canisters on the front passengers seat. Allison had a college degree in molecular biology and biotechnology.

#66: Mohammed Toki Hussein al-Talakani , age 40. Died: September 5, 2004 : Iraqi nuclear scientist was shot dead in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad. He was a practicing nuclear physicist since 1984.

#65: Professor John Clark , Age 52, Died: August 12, 2004. Found hanged in his holiday home. An expert in animal science and biotechnology where he developed techniques for the genetic modification of livestock; this work paved the way for the birth, in 1996, of Dolly the sheep, the first animal to have been cloned from an adult. Head of the science lab which created Dolly the sheep. Prof Clark led the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, one of the world s leading animal biotechnology research centers. He played a crucial role in creating the transgenic sheep that earned the institute worldwide fame. He was put in charge of a project to produce human proteins (which could be used in the treatment of human diseases) in sheeps milk. Clark and his team focused their study on the production of the alpha-I-antitryps in protein, which is used for treatment of cystic fibrosis. Prof Clark also founded three spin-out firms from Roslin  PPL Therapeutics, Rosgen and Roslin BioMed.

#64: Dr. John Badwey , age 54. Died: July 21, 2004. Scientist and accidental politician when he opposed disposal of sewage waste program of exposing humans to sludge. Suddenly developed pneumonia like symptoms then died in two weeks. Biochemist at Harvard Medical School specializing in infectious diseases.

#63: Dr. Bassem al-Mudares . Died: July 21, 2004. Mutilated body was found in the city of Samarra, Iraq*. He was a Phd. chemist and had been tortured before being killed. He was a drug company worker who had a chemistry doctorate.

#62: Professor Stephen Tabet , age 42. Died on July 6, 2004 from an unknown illness. He was an associate professor and epidemiologist at the University of Washington. A world-renowned HIV doctor and researcher who worked with HIV patients in a vaccine clinical trial for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.

#61: Dr. Larry Bustard , age 53. Died July 2, 2004 from unknown causes. He was a Sandia scientist in the Department of Energy who helped develop a foam spray to clean up congressional buildings and media sites during the anthrax scare in 2001. He worked at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. As an expert in bioterrorism, his team came up with a new technology used against biological and chemical agents.

#60: Edward Hoffman , age 62. Died July 1, 2004 from unknown causes. Hoffman was a professor and a scientist who also held leadership positions within the UCLA medical community. He worked to develop the first human PET scanner in 1973 at Washington University in St. Louis.

#59: John Mullen , age 67. Died: June 29, 2004. A Nuclear physicist poisoned with a huge dose of arsenic. A nuclear research scientist with McDonnell Douglas. Police investigating will not say how Mullen was exposed to the arsenic or where it came from. At the time of his death he was doing contract work for Boeing.

#58: Dr. Paul Norman , age 52. Died: June 27, 2004. From Salisbury Wiltshire. Killed when the single-engine Cessna 206 he was piloting crashed in Devon. Expert in chemical and biological weapons. He traveled the world lecturing on defending against the scourge of weapons of mass destruction. He was married with a 14-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter, and was the chief scientist for chemical and biological defense at the Ministry of Defenses laboratory at Porton Down, Wiltshire. The crash site was examined by officials from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the wreckage of the aircraft was removed from the site to the AAIB base at Farnborough.

#57: Dr. Assefa Tulu , age 45. Died: June 24, 2004. Dr. Tulu joined the health department in 1997 and served for five years as the countys lone epidemiologist. He was charged with trackcing the health of the county, including the spread of diseases, such as syphilis, AIDS and measles. He also designed a system for detecting a bioterrorism attack involving viruses or bacterial agents. Tulu often coordinated efforts to address major health concerns in Dallas County, such as the West Nile virus outbreaks of the past few years, and worked with the media to inform the public. Found face down, dead in his office. The Dallas County Epidemiologist died of a hemorrhagic stroke.

#56: Thomas Gold , age 84. Died: June 22, 2004. Austrian born Thomas Gold famous over the years for a variety of bold theories that flout conventional wisdom and reported in his 1998 book, The Deep Hot Biosphere, the idea challenges the accepted wisdom of how oil and natural gas are formed and, along the way, proposes a new theory of the beginnings of life on Earth and potentially on other planets. Long term battle with heart failure. Golds theory of the deep hot biosphere holds important ramifications for the possibility of life on other planets, including seemingly inhospitable planets within our own solar system. He was Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Cornell University and was the founder (and for 20 years director) of Cornell Center for Radiophysics and Space Research. He was also involved in air accident investigations.

#55: Antonina Presnyakova , age 46. Died: May 25, 2004. A Russian scientist at a former Soviet biological weapons laboratory in Siberia died after an accident with a needle laced with ebola. Scientists and officials said the accident had raised concerns about safety and secrecy at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, known as Vector, which in Soviet times specialized in turning deadly viruses into biological weapons. Vector has been a leading recipient of aid in an American program.

#54: Dr. Eugene Mallove , age 56. Died: May 14, 2004. Autopsy confirmed Mallove died as a result of several blunt-force injuries to his head and neck. Ruled as murder. Found at the end of his driveway. Alt. Energy Expert who was working on viable energy alternative program and announcement. Norwich Free Academy graduate.Beaten to death during an alleged robbery. Mallove was well respected for his knowledge of cold fusion. He had just published an open letter outlining the results of and reasons for his last 15 years in the field of new energy research. Dr. Mallove was convinced it was only a matter of months before the world would actually see a free energy device.

#53: William T. McGuire , age 39. Found May 5, 2004, last seen late April 2004. Body found in three suitcases floating in Chesapeake Bay. He was NJ University Professor and Senior programmer analyst and adjunct professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. He emerged as one of the worlds leading microbiologists and an expert in developing and overseeing multiple levels of biocontainment facilities.

#52: Ilsley Ingram , age 84. Died on April 12, 2004 from unknown causes. Ingram was Director of the Supraregional Haemophilia Reference Centre and the Supraregional Centre for the Diagnosis of Bleeding Disorders at the St. Thomas Hospital in London. Although his age is most likely the reason for his death, why wasnt this confirmed by the family in the news media?

#51: Mohammed Munim al-Izmerly , Died: April 2004. This distinguished Iraqi chemistry professor died in American custody from a sudden hit to the back of his head caused by blunt trauma. It was uncertain exactly how he died, but someone had hit him from behind, possibly with a bar or a pistol. His battered corpse turned up at Baghdads morgue and the cause of death was initially recorded as brainstem compression. It was discovered that US doctors had made a 20cm incision in his skull.

#50: Vadake Srinivasan , Died: March 13, 2004. Microbiologist crashed car into guard rail in Baton Rouge, LA. Death was ruled a stroke. He was originally from India, was one of the most-accomplished and respected industrial biologists in academia, and held two doctorate degrees.

#49: Dr. Michael Patrick Kiley , age 62. Died: January 24, 2004. Died of massive heart attack. Ebola, Mad Cow Expert, top of the line world class. It is interesting to note, he had a good heart, but it gave out. Dr. Shope and Dr. Kiley were working on the lab upgrade to BSL 4 at the UTMB Galvaston lab for Homeland Security. The lab would have to be secure to house some of the deadliest pathogens of tropical and emerging infectious disease as well as bioweaponized ones.

#48: Robert Shope , age 74. Died: January 23, 2004. Virus Expert Who Warned of Epidemics, Dies died of lung transplant complications. Later purported to have died of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis which can be caused by either environmental stimulus or a VIRUS. It would not be hard to administer a drug that would cause Dr. Shopes lung transplant to either be rejected or to cause complications from the transplant. Dr. Shope led the group of scientists who had an 11 MILLION dollar fed grant to ensure the new lab would keep in the nasty bugs. Dr. Shope also met with and worked with Dr. Mike Kiley on the UTMB Galveston lab upgrade to BSL 4. When the upgrade would be complete the lab will host the most hazardous pathogens known to man especially tropical and emerging diseases as well as bioweapons.

#47: Dr Richard Stevens , age 54. Died: January 6, 2004. He had disappeared after arriving for work on 21 July, 2003. A doctor whose disappearance sparked a national manhunt, killed himself because he could not cope with the stress of a secret affair, a coroner has ruled. He was a hematologist. (hematologists analyze the cellular composition of blood and blood producing tissues e.g. bone marrow).

Died 2003

#46: Robert Aranosia , age 61. Died: December 18, 2003. While driving south on I-75 his pickup truck went off the freeway near a bridge over the Kawkawlin River. The vehicle rolled over several times before landing in the median. Aranosia was thrown from the vehicle and ended up on the shoulder of the northbound lanes. He was the Oakland County deputy medical examiner.

#45: Robert Leslie Burghoff , age 45. Died: November 20, 2003. Scientist. Killed by a hit and run driver that jumped the curb and ploughed into him in the 1600 block of South Braeswood, Texas. The driver was described as a short Hispanic man in his 50s with a slightly rounded face. He was studying the virus plaguing cruise ships.

#44: Michael Perich , age 46. Died: October 11, 2003. Died in one-vehicle car accident. The LSU West Nile research scientist was wearing his seat belt and drowned. He was LSU professor who helped fight the spread of the West Nile virus. Perich, who was known as one of the countrys experts on vector-borne diseases, had most recently led a crusade to keep down the effects of West Nile virus and to get many of the Louisianas parishes to work toward forming mosquito control districts.

#43: David Kelly , age 59. Died: July 18, 2003. British biological weapons expert, was said to have slashed his own wrists while walking near his home. Kelly was the Ministry of Defenses chief scientific officer and senior adviser to the proliferation and arms control secretariat, and to the Foreign Offices non-proliferation department. The senior adviser on biological weapons to the UN biological weapons inspections teams (Unscom) from 1994 to 1999, he was also, in the opinion of his peers, pre-eminent in his field, not only in this country, but in the world.

#42: Dr. Leland Rickman , age 47. Died: June 24, 2003. Rickman died while on a teaching assignment in Lesotho, a small country bordered on all sides by South Africa. UC San Diego expert on infectious diseases and, since September 11, 2001 a consultant on bioterrorism. He had complained of a headache, but the cause of death was not immediately known. The physician had been working in Lesotho with Dr. Chris Mathews, director of the UC San Diego Medical Centers Owen Clinic, teaching African medical personnel about the prevention and treatment of AIDS. Rickman, the incoming president of the Infectious Disease Assn. of California, was a multidisciplinary professor and practitioner with expertise in infectious diseases, internal medicine, epidemiology, microbiology and antibiotic utilization.

#41: Dr. Roger Died: Summer 2003 . Roger was pseudonym for this genetics scientist. He was 17 and lived in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 when the unexplained object crashed. He told a woman he worked with in 1977 named Kate while employed by the Navy, who he helped to clean up the crash site of the 1947 UFO. He subsequently went to work for the government at this young age and ended up a geneticist working in China Lake for the Navy. Although he lived in fear and hiding soon after he told his story to Kate, he retired in late 1990s or early 2000s and she saw him again once in early 2002 in San Diego. He told her she was in danger to talk to him and he left the store. In 2003 she received a phone call from his friend who said he had been executed in his retirement home in Connecticut. The body had been removed by a black government looking vehicle. The home had been cleaned up and the body removed without any public notices of his death or existence. Many disfigured and abnormal animals were found in the desert near Groom Lake during his time there and after. Kate thought he might have been doing this gruesome experimental work.

#40: Carlo Urbani , age 46. Died: in April 2003 in Bangkok from SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)  the new disease that he had helped to identify. Thanks to his prompt action, the epidemic was contained in Vietnam. However, because of close daily contact with SARS patients, he contracted the infection. On March 11, he was admitted to a hospital in Bangkok and isolated. Less than three weeks later he died. He was a dedicated and internationally respected Italian epidemiologist, who did work of enduring value combating infectious illness around the world.

Died 2002

#39: Roman Kuzmin . Died December 2002. A 24-year-old Russian surgeon studying in Connecticut was fatally struck by a car as he fled a store with three stolen rolls of film, police said. He was studying to be an orthopedic surgeon. Doctors who worked with Roman Kuzmin at Waterbury Hospital said they were stunned to hear of his death Sunday evening and many couldnt believe the circumstances. Kuzmin left Vladivostok in September to study orthopedic surgical techniques at Waterbury Hospital under a Keggi Othopedic Foundation program. Dr. Kristaps Keggi, who organized the program, said Kuzmin was very able, very bright  a superb student and a superb individual.

#38B: Dr. David R. Knibbs , age 49. Died: August 5, 2002. Respected pathobiologist specializing in electron microscopy.

#38: Steven Mostow , age 63. Died: March 25, 2002. One of the countrys leading infectious disease and bioterrorism experts and was associate dean at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He died in a plane crash near Centennial Airport. He was known as Dr. Flu for his expertise in treating influenza, and expertise on bioterrorism. Mostow was one of the countrys leading infectious disease experts.

#37: Dr. David Wynn-Williams , age 55. Died: March 24, 2002. Hit by a car while jogging near his home in Cambridge, England. He was an astrobiologist with the Antarctic Astrobiology Project and the NASA Ames Research Center. He was studying the capability of microbes to adapt to environmental extremes, including the bombardment of ultraviolet rays and global warming.

#35-36: Tanya Holzmayer , age 46, Died: February 28, 2002: Two dead microbiologists in San Francisco. While taking delivery of a pizza, Tanya Holzmayer was shot and killed by a colleague, Guyang Mathew Huang , 38, who then apparently shot himself. Holzmayer moved to the US from Russia in 1989. Her research focused on the part of the human molecular structure that could be affected best by medicine. Holzmayer was focusing on helping create new drugs that interfere with replication of the virus that causes AIDS. One year earlier, Holzmayer obeyed senior management orders to fire Huang. Huang appeared from behind the deliveryman. He shot Holzmayer several times at close range in the chest and head. As Holzmayer fell in her doorway, Huang ran to a Ford Explorer and drove away. Less than an hour after the shooting, Huang called his wife, according to Foster City Police Capt. Craig Courtin. He told her about the shooting and that he was going to kill himself, then he hung up. Huangs wife called the emergency services and Foster City police used search dogs to comb the area. They ran into a jogger who had seen Huangs body lying off the walkway that locals call The Levee. He had fired a single bullet into his head.

#34: Dr. Ian Langford , age 40, Died: February 12, 2002. Found dead at his blood-spattered and apparently ransacked home A Russian who was a Senior Research Associate in CSERGE, UK. He was a leading university research scientist working on Global Environment, specializing in links between human health and the environment risk, was. Specialist in leukemia and infections.

#33: Dr. Vladamir Victor Korshunov , age 56. Died: February 9, 2002. Found dead on a Moscow street. Head was bashed in. Korshunov was head of the microbiology sub-facility at the Russian State Medical University. He was found dead in the entrance to his home with a head injury. On Feb. 9 the Russian newspaper Pravda reported that Korshunov had probably invented a vaccine protecting from any biological arm.

#32: David W. Barry , age 58, Died: January 28, 2002. Scientist who co-discovered AZT, the antiviral drug that is considered the first effective treatment for AIDS. Circumstance of Death are unknown.

#31: Dr. Ivan Glebov . Died: January 2002. Russian Microbiologist. Glebov died as the result of a bandit attack. Well known around the world and members of the Russian Academy of Science.

#30: Dr. Alexi Brushlinski . Died: January 2002 . Russian Microbiologist. Murdered in Moscow from bandit attack. Well known around the world and members of the Russian Academy of Science.

Died 2001

#29 Dr. Benito Que , age 52. Found: November 12, 2001. Died: December 6, 2001 . Found Comatose from what was called a mugging. Died later in hospital. Found in the street near the laboratory where he worked at the University of Miami Medical School. Among Dr. Ques friends and family there is firm belief that Dr. Que was attacked by four men, at least one of whom had a baseball bat. Dr. Ques death has now been officially ruled natural, caused by cardiac arrest. He was a cell biologist, involved in research on aids, oncology research in the hematology department.

#28: Dr. Vladimer Pasechnik , age 64. Died: December 23, 2001 . Found dead in Wiltshire, England, a village near his home. Two different dates have been reported: November 21 and December 23. Death ruled stroke. He had defected from Russia to UK. He had been the #1 scientist in the FSUs bioweapons program. It was thought he was involved with exhuming the bodies of the 10 London victims of the 1919 Type A flu epidemic. Pasechnik died six weeks after the planned exhumations were announced. On November 23, 2001, Pasechniks death was reported in the New York Times as having occurred two days earlier. Pasechniks death was made in the United States by Dr. Christopher Davis of Virginia, who stated that the cause of death was a stroke. Dr. Davis was the member of British intelligence who de-briefed Dr. Pasechnik at the time of his defection. Pasechnik was heavily involved in DNA sequencing research. He had just founded a company like three other microbiologists working to provide powerful alternatives to antibiotics. Dr. Vladimir Pasechnik was the boss of William C. Patrick III who holds 5 patents on the militarized anthrax used by the United States. Patrick is now a private biowarfare consultant to the military and CIA. Patrick developed the process by which anthrax spores could be concentrated at the level of one trillion spores per gram. No other country has been able to get concentrations above 500 billion per gram. The anthrax that was sent around the eastern United States last fall was concentrated at one trillion spores per gram.

#27 : Dr. Don Wiley , age 57. Vanished: December 16, 2001 . Molecular Biologist with Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, top Deadly Contagious Virus expert, abandoned rental car was found on the Hernando de Soto Bridge outside Memphis, TN. He was heavily involved in research on DNA sequencing, and was last seen at around midnight on November 16, leaving the St. Judes Childrens Research Advisory Dinner at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. Associates attending the dinner said he showed no signs of intoxication, and no one has admitted to drinking with him. Body found floating one month later. Workers at a hydroelectric plant in Louisiana found the body of Don Wiley on Thursday, about 300 miles south of where the molecular biologist was last seen on Nov. 18 at a medical meeting in Memphis. On January 14, 2002 (almost two months later) Shelby County Medical Examiner O.C. Smith announced that his department had ruled Dr. Wileys death to be accidental; the result of massive injuries suffered in a fall from the Hernando de Soto Bridge. Smith said there were paint marks on Wileys rental car similar to the paint used on construction signs on the bridge, and that the cars right front hubcap was missing. There has been no report as to which construction signs Dr. Wiley hit.

#26: Dr. Set Van Nguyen , age 44. Died: December 14, 2001 . Found dead in the airlock entrance to the walk-in refrigerator in the laboratory he worked at in Victoria State, Australia. The room was full of deadly gas which had leaked from a liquid nitrogen cooling system. Room was vented. Working on a vaccine to protect against biological weapons, or a weapon itself. In January, 2001, the magazine Nature published information that two scientists, Dr. Ron Jackson and Dr. Ian Ramshaw, using genetic manipulation and DNA sequencing, had created an incredibly virulent form of mousepox, a cousin of smallpox and Dr. Nguyen had worked for 15 years at the same Australian facility. Now for the intriguing part of this story. On Friday, November 2nd, the Washington Post reported: Officials are now scrambling to determine how a quiet, 61-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, riding the subway each day to and from her job in a hospital stockroom, was exposed to the deadly anthrax spores that killed her this week. They worry because there is no obvious connection to the factors common to earlier anthrax exposures and deaths: no clear link to the mail or to the media.

#25: Dr. David Schwartz , age 57. Died: December 10, 2001 . Murdered by stabbing with what appeared to be a sword in rural home Loudon County, Virginia. His daughter, who identifies herself as a pagan high priestess, and three of her fellow pagans have been charged. He was extremely well respected in biophysics, and regarded as an authority on DNA sequencing. Three teens that were into the occult were charged with murder in the slashing death.

#22-24: Avishai Berkman , age 50 . (no photo)

Amiramp Eldor , age 59

Yaacov Matzner , age 54

All Died: November 24, 2001. Another airplane crash kills 3 scientists. At about the time of the Black Sea crash, Israeli journalists had been sounding the alarm that two Israeli microbiologists had been murdered, allegedly by terrorists; including the head of the Hematology department at Israels Ichilov Hospital, as well as directors of the Tel Aviv Public Health Department and Hebrew University School of Medicine. World experts in hematology and blood clotting. Five microbiologists in this list of the first eight people that died mysteriously in airplane crashes worked on cutting edge microbiology research; and, four of the five were doing virtually identical research; research that has global political and financial significance.

#21: Jeffrey Paris Wall , age 41. Died: November 6, 2001 . Body was found sprawled next to a three-story parking structure near his office. Mr. Wall had studied at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was a biomedical expert who held a medical degree, and he also specialized in patent and intellectual property.



#16- #20: Five Unnamed Microbiologists . Died: October 4, 2001 . Four of Five unnamed microbiologists on a plane that was brought down by a missile near the Black sea on the Russian border. Traveling from Israel to Russia; business not disclosed. 3 scientists were experts in medical research or public health. The plane is believed by many in Israel to have had as many as four or five passengers who were microbiologists. Both Israel and Novosibirsk are homes for cutting-edge microbiological research. Novosibirsk is known as the scientific capital of Siberia. There are over 50 research facilities there, and 13 full universities for a population of only 2.5 million people.

#15: Professor Janusz Jeljaszewicz , Died: on May 7, 2001 , cause not disclosed. He was an expert in Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections. His main scientific interests and achievements were in the mechanism of action and biological properties of staphylococcal toxins, and included the immunomodulatory properties and experimental treatment of tumors by Propionibacterium.

Died 2000

#14: Linda Reese , age 52. Died: December 25, 2000 three days after she studied a sample from Tricia Zailo, 19, a Fairfield, N.J., resident who was a sophomore at Michigan State University. Tricia Zailo died Dec. 18, a few days after she returned home for the holidays. Dr. Reese was a Microbiologist working with victims of meningitis.

#13: Mike Thomas , age 35. Died: July 16, 2000 a few days after examining a sample taken from a 12-year-old girl who was diagnosed with meningitis and survived. He was a microbiologist at the Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville.

#12: Walter W. Shervington, M.D ., age 62. Died: April 15, 2000 of cancer at Tulane Medical Hospital. He was an extensive writer/ lecturer/ researcher about mental health and AIDS in the African American community.

Died 1998

#11: Jonathan Mann , age 51. Died September 1998 , in Swissair Flight 111 over Canada. He was founding director of the World Health Organizations global Aids program and founded Project SIDA in Zaire, the most comprehensive Aids research effort in Africa at the time, and in 1986 he joined the WHO to lead the global response against Aids. He became director of WHOs global program on Aids which later became the UNAids program. He then became director of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, which was set up at Harvard School of Public Health in 1993. He caused controversy earlier in 1998 in the media when he accused the US National Institutes of Health of violating human rights by failing to act quickly on developing Aids vaccines.

#10: Elizabeth A. Rich, M.D ., age 46. Died July 10, 1998 , in a traffic accident while visiting family in Tennessee. She was an associate professor with tenure in the pulmonary division of the Department of Medicine at CWRU and University Hospitals of Cleveland. She was also a member of the executive committee for the Center for AIDS Research and directed the Bio-safety level 3 facility, a specialized laboratory for the handling of HIV, virulent TB bacteria, and other infectious agents.

Died 1994  1996

#9: Sidney Harshman , age 67. Died: Dec. 25, 1997, from complications of diabetes. He was a professor of microbiology and immunology. He was the worlds leading expert on staphylococcal alpha toxins.

#6-8: Mark Purdey , his Lawyer, and Veterinarian working with Purdey Die : CJD doctor Mark Purdey was familiar with the expression abnormal brain protein. Purdeys house was burned down, his lawyer on mad cow issues was driven off the road and died and the veterinarian in the UK BSE inquiry also died in a mysterious car crash. CJD specialist Dr C. Bruton was killed in a car crash just before he went public with a new research paper. The veterinarian on the case also died in a car crash. Purdeys new lawyer, too, had a car accident, but not fatal. Before Dr. Purdeys death, he speculated that Dr. C. Bruton (#2 below) might have known more than what was revealed in his paper before he was killed.

#4-5 Dr. Tsunao Saitoh , age 46. Died: May 7, 1996 . Shot and killed, along with his young daughter, in LaJolla, California. He was dead behind the wheel of the car, the side window had been shot out, and the door was open. His daughter appeared to have tried to run away and she was shot dead, also. The hit was compared to other killings of Japanese in this country by muggers. Expert in abnormal proteins in Alzheimer.

#3 Dr. Jawad Al Aubaidi . Died in 1994. A graduate doctor from Cornel, he was hired to head the mycoplasma biowar research project. One of Dr. Aubaidis projects was filling payloads of scud missles with mycoplasma strains. In 1995, Dr. Aubaidi was murdered by the Israelis Mussad. His demise, or, neutralization was made to look like an accident. He was killed in his native Iraq while he was changing a flat tire and was hit by a truck.

#2 Dr. C. Bruton , a CJD specialist  who had just produced a paper on the a new strain of CJD  was killed in a car crash before his work was announced to the public. Purdey speculates that Bruton might have known more than what was revealed in his paper.
The Supreme Court today asked all states to inform the Centre about the money spent by them in the current financial year so far in implementing the national rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA.

The bench also asked the states to apprise the Centre about their further financial needs to continue with the social welfare scheme to ensure that the benefits reached drought-affected people.

It also asked them to elaborate the current status of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and R K Agrawal asked the states to inform the concerned ministry whether they were following the Centre's direction to provide minimum 150 days of employment under MGNREGA.

"We direct the states to respond to the Centre within three weeks," the court said, adding that central government will collect data from all the concerned states.

The bench further asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar to see whether the state governments were also complying with the provisions of the National Food Security Act and the Drought Manual or not.

The court's direction came on a PIL which alleged that the scheme has not been implemented in majority of the states, specially in drought-affected areas.

It said parts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chattisgarh have been hit by drought and the concerned authorities were not providing adequate relief.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, sought court's direction to appoint local commissioner in each of states, to keep a watch whether the welfares schemes are implemented.

The Solicitor General, who read out part of the Centre's



affidavit, submitted that the government has approved the "provision of additional employment of 50 days in areas hit by drought and other natural calamities over and above 100 days per household provided under MGNREGA under normal circumstances".

He further told the bench that the additional employment of 50 days under MGNREGA has been implemented in the notified drought-affected areas of nine states -- Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The court was also told that Bihar, Haryana and Gujarat have not made any request for additional employment under the MGNREGA.

The Centre was responding to the PIL, filed by NGO Swaraj Abhiyan run by persons like psephologist Yogendra Yadav, seeking implementation of the National Food Security Act which guarantees 5 kg of food grain per person per month. It has also sought a direction to the authorities that affected families be also given pulses and edible oils.

The plea has said that school-going children be also given milk and eggs under the mid-day meal scheme.

It sought adequate and timely compensation for crop loss and input subsidy for the next crop to the farmers affected by drought and subsidised cattle fodder for animals.

The plea alleged that the Centre and states "have been highly negligent in performing their obligations, causing enormous damage to the lives of the people due to their inaction, which is in contravention of the rights guaranteed under Articles 21 and 14 of the Constitution of India".

"Unfortunately, most states have not yet implemented this. Except Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, the states have stuck to the previous Public Distribution System schemes that fall short of the NFSA obligations".

"Research shows that the APL/BPL distinction used by most of the states is useless and that the implementation of NFSA has had positive outcomes for these two states," the plea has said.

It has said that the drought has led to severe decline in farm employment available to the rural poor.

The Centre, however, said in its affidavit that the main responsibility for implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) lies with the states and Union Territories (UTs).

"As far as Central government is concerned, it is ready to fulfill its obligation of making necessary foodgrains allocation under NFSA, as and when states/UTs complete their preparedness and inform the Central government," it said, adding that they have been regularly "pursuing with the states and UTs to implement NFSA".

(Reopens LGD18)



On the last date of hearing, the apex court had pulled up Gujarat and Haryana for their non-seriousness in dealing with the issue of drought.

On March 31, the apex court had asked the Centre to say how many states had drought management cells and why no district-level disaster management authorities were set up.

It had suggested that the Centre, with the help of satellite data, should analyse the expected rainfall in the monsoon season and take effective steps to tackle drought-like situations on time.

The bench is examining various aspects of relief given to drought-hit farmers during the hearing of a PIL filed by NGO Swaraj Abhiyan seeking urgent implementation of guidelines for areas hit by natural calamity.

Earlier, the court had expressed its concern over low compensation paid to calamity-hit farmers and observed that it was leading some of them to commit suicide.

The NGO, in its revised prayer, has sought a direction to Centre to abide by the provisions of MNREGA Act and use it for employment generation in drought-affected areas.

The PIL filed by the NGO has alleged that parts of 12 states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chattisgarh were hit by drought and the authorities were not providing adequate relief.
Congress today welcomed the Supreme Court order in the National Herald case saying it would give an opportunity to the party to "expose the false and malicious" allegations of complainant Subramanian Swamy, who it claimed has "lost" the case.

Addressing a press conference, Kapil Sibal, who represented the Gandhis and other party leaders in the case, said that the apex court expunging certain observations of the Delhi High Court meant that no one can allege that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi or any party leader in the case have committed any illegality or wrongdoing.

"We are very glad. Now we will have the opportunity to expose false and malicious allegations of Swamy," he said, insisting that with the apex court's order "there is no observation, no conclusion of any judge about any wrongdoing by any party office bearer including Congress President and Congress Vice President".

Asked whether Congress has 'won half the battle' with the order of the apex court today, he remarked "Swamy has lost".

Sibal said he contended before the court that no case of either cheating or breach of trust had been made out. No member of Congress has claimed that he or she was cheated nor has any member of the Congress alleged breach of trust.

He also contended that Swamy had "no locus standi" to complain that the Congress had been cheated and or that breach of trust had been committed by the Congress in regard to those who have donated to the Party or the shareholders of Associated Journals Limited.

"It is now clear that neither Swamy nor those inimical to Congress can rely on any prima facie observations or findings of any Court and allege that the office bearers of Congress including its President, Vice President and others have committed any illegality or wrongdoing," a beaming Sibal said.

Sibal, who is also a senior party leader, hoped that with the apex court order, BJP leaders would be "more circumspect" while making charges against the Congress leadership.

"I do hope that the BJP is a little more circumspect than it has been in the past in latching on to unsubstantiated observations and unsubstantiated findings of a court to allege wrong doing against the Leadership of the Congress party.

"This is the style of the BJP. They latch on to something which is unsubstantiated and like the launching of the satellite, ultimately loose trajectory and fall to the ground quickly," he said.

"We are very glad that now we will have the opportunity in the trial court to in fact expose Dr. Swamy and his false and malicious allegations and the propaganda machinery of the BJP," he added.

Another party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, who also represented the Gandhis in the case, tweeted: "It is a very satisfactory order as far as our clients are concerned & we will obey it in letter & spirit.
Supreme Court today set aside a resolution of the Tamil Nadu Assembly suspending six DMDK legislators for allegedly creating ruckus and attempting to assault the Speaker in the House last year without giving them the chance to defend themselves.

Holding that the principle of natural justice was violated as the MLAs were not provided with the video recording of their conduct, a bench of justices J Chelameswar and Abhay Manohar Sapre quashed the March 31, 2015 resolution of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly recommending action against them.

It said the consequence of setting aside the resolution was that the salary and other benefits incidental to the membership of the assembly stand restored to the six MLAs.

"It is the legal obligation of the Privileges Committee to ensure that a copy of the video recording is supplied to the petitioners (MLAs) in order to satisfy the requirements of the principles of natural justice.

"The failure to supply a copy of the video recording or affording an opportunity to the petitioners to view the video recording relied upon by the committee in our view clearly resulted in the violation of the principles of natural justice i.E. A denial of a reasonable opportunity to meet the case," the bench said.

"We, therefore, have no option but to set aside the impugned resolution dated March 31,2015 passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The same is accordingly set aside," the bench said.

Following a ruckus inside the state assembly on February 19, 2015, 19 MLAs, including the six petitioners, were suspended from the House for the remaining period of that session through a resolution.

Out of the 19, six MLAs had approached the apex court challenging the order.

The speaker had referred the incident to the assembly's Privileges Committee to identify those members who had attempted to assault the Speaker and others.

The Privileges Committee, after an inquiry, recorded a



conclusion that the conduct of the six petitioners was in breach of the privileges of the House and recommended they be removed for 10 days from the commencement of the next session and also not to pay their salary and other benefits.

The MLAs argued in the apex court that the Privileges Committee relied upon certain video recordings for arriving at the conclusion that they were guilty of conduct which was in breach of the privileges of the house but a copy of the video recording was not provided to them.

The apex court, in its judgement, said "the principles of natural justice require that the petitioners ought to have been granted an opportunity to see the video recording.

"Perhaps they might have had an opportunity to explain why the video recording does not contain any evidence/material for recommending action against all or some of them or to explain that the video recording should have been interpreted differently."



The bench said when a legislator is prevented from participating in the proceedings of the House, there would be a curtailment of the legislator's constitutional right of free speech in the House of whichhe or she is a member.

"But such curtailment is sanctioned by Constitution in view of the fact that such a right is made subject to other provisions of the Constitution, the rules and standing orders regulating the procedure of the legislative bodies", it said.

"Therefore, we are of the opinion that though there is a curtailment of the petitioners' right of free speech in the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu to which they are entitled under Article 194 by virtue of the impugned order, the said order does not, in the context, violate the fundamental rights of petitioners guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a)," it said.
South Delhi Mayor Subhash Arya today handed over a cheque of Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the parents of 5-year-old Ankit who died last month after falling in an open septic tank at a municipal corporation school in Kapashera area.

Arya who visited the bereaved family at their residence Rao Chaturbhuj Marg in Kapashera and gave the cheque of Rs 2 lakh to Ankit's father Rajesh, said that such incidents need to be avoided by giving more attention to the security measures at the schools.

Ankit, a student of nursery, had died after falling in the open septic tank of the municipal corporation school, on January 27. Following the incident a case of causing death by negligence was registered by the police.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation(SDMC) had directed a probe by additional director (education) Rajesh Pathak and the principal of the school was also suspended. She was later arrested by the police.

Pathak who has been transferred from SDMC had submitted his report to the SDMC commissioner before leaving, said a senior municipal officer.

The mayor said that directions have been given to the officials regarding safety of children at the schools of the civic body.

"They have been directed to be more cautious in this regard and if any negligence is noticed in future strict action will be taken," he said.
The Senate today confirmed six of President Barack Obama's nominees for ambassadorships and senior positions at the State Department after Republican presidential candidate Sen Ted Cruz of Texas ended his opposition.

The approvals came after Democrats said Republicans were holding up the nominations to undermine Obama's agenda in his final year in office.

Cruz placed a hold last year on all nominees for State Department positions requiring Senate confirmation, due in part to his opposition to the landmark nuclear deal Obama and other nations brokered with Iran.

Under Senate rules, a hold is a parliamentary procedure that allows a senator to block a nomination and other motions from coming to the floor for a vote.

Phil Novack, a Cruz spokesman, said today that the senator removed his hold on State Department nominees after the Senate passed legislation authored by Cruz to rename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington as "Liu Xiaobo Plaza."



Liu is a Chinese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner imprisoned on charges of inciting state subversion. Novack said Cruz would continue to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

The State Department nominees approved are Thomas A. Shannon Jr. To be undersecretary of state for political affairs and Brian Egan to be the department's legal adviser.

The US ambassadors approved today are Azita Raji, to be ambassador to Sweden; Samuel D. Heins, to be Ambassador to Norway; John L. Estrada, to be ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago; and David McKean, to be ambassador to Luxembourg. The Senate also confirmed Sunil Sabharwal to be alternate executive director of the International Monetary Fund.
The bail plea of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, arrested in the Sheena Bora murder case, was today rejected by a special CBI court which observed that charge sheet was yet to be filed and investigation in the matter was still on.

Since investigation into the case was still on, it's not the right stage to grant bail to Peter, judge H S Mahajan maintained.

The bail plea will be considered once charge sheet is submitted, he added.

Peter, whose wife Indrani Mukerjea is the prime accused in the case, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder conspiracy.

The 59-year-old was questioned by CBI for two weeks after which he was remanded in judicial custody and sent to the Arthur Road Jail here.

Other co-accused Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai, Indrani's former driver, too, are in the same jail. Indrani is lodged at the Byculla women's jail.

Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship, was allegedly strangled in a car in April 2012 and her body burnt and dumped in a forest in adjoining Raigad district.

CBI, which took over the probe from Mumbai police late last year, suspects that financial transactions led to the murder of Sheena.

The murder took place in 2012 but came to light in late August last year.
South Sudan's president has appointed his rival, rebel leader Riek Machar, as first vice president in a possible government of national unity, a presidential spokesman said today.

President Salva Kiir expects Machar to travel to Juba, the South Sudanese capital, soon, Ateny Wek Ateny told The Associated Press.

"I don't see any reason why he should not come to Juba. If there is a reason, then he should tell the world," Ateny said. It was not possible to talk to Machar, who has been living in Ethiopia, but he has previously raised concerns about security arrangements as well as the creation of new states in South Sudan.

Machar and Kiir signed a peace deal in August, although sporadic fighting has continued between government forces and rebels in some parts of the oil-producing East African country.

Machar had been Kiir's deputy until July 2013, when his firing triggered a political crisis that later boiled over into a rebellion following a violent split among the security forces in Juba. Some of the fighting was along ethnic lines, and both sides have been accused of carrying out serious crimes against civilians.

Implementation of the agreement signed in August has stalled because Kiir ordered the creation of 28 states from the existing 10, undermining a power-sharing provision in the deal that gave Machar's side control of two of the original states.

Machar also wants the government to pull its troops from Juba, as called for in the peace deal.

Despite the peace accord, both sides continue to seek new weapons, according to a report released last month by a UN panel of experts.

The panel said that as of mid-September, South Sudan's government was apparently trying to arrange payment for four attack helicopters from a Uganda-based company, Bosasy Logistics.

The rebels have received ammunition and arms from neighboring Sudan, the report said.
"Home and Away" star Steve Peacocke has revealed that he auditioned for a role in "Fifty Shades of Grey".

Best known for playing Darryl Braxton on the Australian soap, Peacocke said that he tried out for the part of Christian Grey's brother Elliot, reported Digital Spy.

He even enlisted the help of another male actor for the rather "naughty" audition, though the role eventually went to Luke Grimes.

"I auditioned for Christian Grey's brother but I had to do this quite intimate scene and it was actually when I was in Budapest," Peacocke said.

"The only person I could do the scene with was another bloke and it was very awkward.
Three-time Oscar winning-filmmaker Steven Spielberg expressed his "surprise" that the Academy did not nominate "Straight Outta Compton" for best picture or Beasts of No Nation's Idris Elba for best supporting actor.

He also criticized the organization for responding by "taking votes away from Academy members who have paid their dues and maybe are retired now", said the Hollywood Reporter.

"I'm a huge supporter of the Academy Awards," said Spielberg.

"I was surprised at some of the individuals who were not nominated. I was surprised at (the exclusion of) Idris (Elba) - I was surprised at that. I think that was one of the best performances in the supporting actor and the actor category, was Idris. I've seen Straight Outta Compton - my wife and I saw it when it first opened, the first weekend, and it just rocked our world. It was incredible. I was very surprised to see that omission."



However, the filmmaker suggests, recent history should rule out racism as an explanation for those omissions.

"You have to look back a couple of years where Lupita Nyong'o] was recognized for 12 Years a Slave [and] 12 Years a Slave won best picture, you know? I don't believe that there is inherent or dormant racism because of the amount of white Academy members.

"I'm also not 100 per cent sure that taking votes away from Academy members who have paid their dues and maybe are retired now and have done great service - maybe they've not won a nomination, which would have given them immunity to the new rules, but they have served proudly and this is their industry, too - to strip their votes? I'm not 100 per cent behind that.
A school student was stabbed to death allegedly by his classmate at a camp organised by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Singla, 35 km from here, police said.

A Class IX student of St Joseph's School (North Point) here was stabbed with a knife by his classmate after an altercation on Wednesday night, a police officer said.

The injured student died on way to a hospital in Siliguri.

The 15-year-old accused was sent to a juvenile home, he said.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries today posted an over three-fold jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 1,416.60 crore for the December quarter, driven by robust sales in domestic as well as international markets.

The drug major, which had posted a net profit of Rs 395.33 crore during the same period last fiscal, also said that it will 'mutually wind down' its joint venture with MSD Pharma's wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Net sales of the company rose to Rs 7,046.57 crore for the third quarter as against Rs 6,885.46 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal, Sun Pharma said in a regulatory filing.

"Our results for third quarter indicates sequentially improving quality of business and performance. This is despite adverse currency movements and increase in R&D investments," Sun Pharma Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi said.

The synergy benefits of the Ranbaxy acquisition have begun to reflect in the company's financials, he added.

"We remain committed in allocating required resources for enhancing our specialty and complex generics pipeline," Shanghvi noted.

The company's sale of branded formulations in India for third quarter stood at Rs 1,890 crore, up 8 per cent from the corresponding quarter last year and accounting for 27 per cent of total sales.

"Withdrawal of bonus offers continues to adversely impact sales in the acute segment," it added.

Sun Pharma's sales in the US stood at USD 486 million for the third quarter, a reduction of 11 per cent over the same period last year and accounted for 45 per cent of total sales.

"Sales for the quarter were impacted primarily due to competitive pressure on some products and temporary supply constraints arising from remediation efforts at the Halol facility," it said.

However, the company partly benefitted in same period last year from the 180-day exclusivity on Valsartan tablets in the US resulting in a higher base.

The company said its sales in emerging markets stood at USD 151 million for the third quarter, a decline of 7 per cent from the corresponding quarter.

"The decline is largely a result of volatile currency movements in certain emerging markets and a strategic decision of not participating in some low margin businesses," it added.

On the winding down of JV, the company said: "Sun Pharma and MSD's wholly owned subsidiaries have mutually decided to wind down their joint venture established in 2011, due to changes in the strategic priorities of both parent companies."



There will be no material impact of this development on Sun Pharma, it added.

"Both the partners continue their collaboration for other business relationships including the strategic India-specific co-marketing partnership for Sitagliptin and the global Tildrakizumab programme," Sun Pharma said.

As per December-2015 AIOCD-AWACS report, the Mumbai-based firm is ranked at the top with around 8.8 per cent market share in the Rs 96,000 crore pharmaceutical market.

Sun Pharma shares today ended at Rs 848.35 apiece on the BSE, up 2.09 per cent from the previous close.
Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries may ask the US health regulator in the first quarter of next fiscal for re-inspection of its Halol facility as it undertakes remediation measures to make the plant compliant to good manufacturing practice norms.

"We hope to able to request USFDA in the first quarter of FY17 for re-inspection of the Halol facility," Sun Pharma Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi said during an investor conference call today.

The company is undertaking remediation efforts at the facility, he added.

On being asked if the company was considering production of some products manufactured at Halol facility at some other plant, Shanghvi said: "We are currently not considering site transfer for the Halol products".

The warning letter sent by the USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) over the Halol facility in December last year had mentioned that its inspectors had "identified significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals."



Besides, the US health regulator found that Sun Pharma "failed to establish appropriate controls over computers and related systems to assure that changes in master production and control records or other records are instituted only by authorised personnel".

The significant violations included the company's failure "to maintain floors, walls, and ceilings of smooth, hard surfaces that are easily cleanable in aseptic processing areas".

"Our investigator documented the presence of leaks in the form of water stains and ceiling damage in the parenteral manufacturing area personnel corridor", the letter had said.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries today posted an over three-fold jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 1,416.60 crore for the December quarter, driven by robust sales in domestic as well as international markets.

The drug major, which had posted a net profit of Rs 395.33 crore during the same period last fiscal, also said that it will 'mutually wind down' its joint venture with MSD Pharma's wholly-owned subsidiaries.
A plan to cease hostilities in Syria agreed to by world powers will not affect operations of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State group, a Pentagon spokesman said today.

"Our operations there will continue," Captain Jeff Davis said at a conference.

The coalition carries out strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria as well as Al-Nusra, a local branch of Al-Qaeda. Neither group is covered by the plan agreed to today by 17 countries during talks led by the US and Russia.

Davis also rejected the idea of increasing military cooperation in Syria between the US and Russia, a point raised by Moscow during the talks.

"There is no change," he said, adding that cooperation will continue to be limited to exchanging information to prevent accidents in the sky over Syria as Russia carries out its own bombing campaign.

The US military also does not plan to be involved in humanitarian operations called for in the new agreement, Davis said.

Questions remain over whether the ambitious plan to end hostilities in Syria will be effective. If measures go into effect next week as planned, it would be a step toward stemming the violence that has killed 260,000 since 2011.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected the UN's recent accusations that his regime is guilty of war crimes, calling the claims "politicised".

The United Nations has lambasted Assad's government for "exterminating" prisoners in its jails and detention centres, but Assad in an interview with AFP today said that the accusations "serve a political agenda... And do not provide any evidence.
A 26-year-old taxi driver believed to be of Pakistani-origin, who planned to leave his pregnant wife in the UK to join the Islamic State in Syria and marry a 'jihadi bride', was found today guilty of terrorism charges by a British court here.

Naseer Mirza Taj, from Bedford in the east of England, was a sympathiser of extremists and had plotted to travel to Syria and marry a jihadi bride, his trial at the Old Bailey court in London was told.

The jury found him guilty of preparation of terrorist acts and two counts of possessing terrorist information.

He will be sentenced at a later hearing in April.

Taj, believed to be of Pakistani-origin,was to travel to Syria via Turkey on December 31, 2014 but was arrested two days before he could leave.

While on bail, he was again arrested by Bedfordshire Police in May 2015 after trying to obtain fraudulent travel documents in a bid to flee the country after his passport had been seized following his initial arrest.

Detectives from the UK's Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit linked Taj to a Twitter account in the name of Abu Bakr Al Kashmiri, which had the background profile picture of British Muslim terrorist 'Jihadi John' and a main profile picture of Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

Several copies of a banned publication were also found in his flat along with a downloaded document "44 ways to support Jihad" and a publication titled 'The Book of JIHAD'.

Prosecutor Mark Weekes had told jurors of "compelling evidence" of his sympathies with extremist Islamists and said, if unchecked, he would have gone to fight.

Taj had denied the charges and told jurors: "I'm not a reader, I like to read but I don't read because I can't be bothered."



His defence team had claimed that Taj had planned to live peacefully in Syria with his new wife, but changed his mind about travelling shortly before his arrest.
The 10 TDP MLAs in Telangana, who had switched loyalty to TRS, have urged the Assembly Speaker to merge them with the ruling TRS party, while their parent outfit today sought the disqualification of four of them.

The legislators have written a letter to Speaker Madhusudhana Chary in this connection.

"We (the 10 members) request for accepting our merger into Telangana Rashtra Samithi Legislature Party in Telangana Legislative Assembly with immediate effect," they said in the letter.

"Accordingly, henceforth, our names may please be shown in the list of TRS Legislature Party in Telangana Legislative Assembly," the letter stated.

The decision to merge with the ruling party was taken by the legislators at a meeting yesterday, it said.

The 10 MLAs are - Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, G Sayanna, T Prakash Goud, Teegala Krishna Reddy, Manchireddy Kishan Reddy, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, K P Vivekananda, Challa Dharma Reddy, S Rajender Reddy.

They quit the Chandrababu Naidu-led Opposition party at different times over the last several months. TDP had won 15 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections.

In a related development, TDP sought the disqualification of four of these MLAs, who quit the party this week. The Opposition party called the conduct of these legislators as "unethical and unconstitutional".

"The members dissented from the party and joined TRS in presence of K Chandrasekhar Rao, President of TRS, which is unethical and unconstitutional and opposed to democratic principles.

"It is quite contrary to 10th Schedule of Constitution of India as well as they are defeating the immediate moto of anti-defection law. I, therefore, request you to kindly examine and disqualify them from their legislative membership forthwith under the provisions of Constitution," TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy said in a separate letter to the Speaker.

The letter named Dayakar, Goud, Vivekananda and Rajender Reddy.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said there is a crisis of confidence in the government and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must give "every Indian" the confidence that he cares for people's well-being.

Singh was critical of the prime minister for not speaking on issues like beef or communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and elsewhere.

Stating that "people don't believe the government", the former prime minister said, "when they (apparently industrialists) go and call on the ministers, they say the right things, but when they come out, all of them say that nothing much has changed... There is today a crisis of confidence in the government."



Singh said beef controversy and issues like intolerance were problems.

"I don't know. I cannot read his mind. But he is the prime minister of all the people of India and he must give every Indian the confidence that in him we have a prime minister who cares for our well-being," he told India Today.

Reacting to his remarks, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the criticism was "misplaced" while adding that the Modi government had launched a host of schemes like Mudra and Jan Dhan besides other welfare measures for the downtrodden and weaker sections of society.

"Singh is very welcome. He advised the prime minister to be PM for all India and I will like to say that Modi's campaign was 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (with all, development for all) and he is very clearly fulfilling this," the BJP leader said.

Replying to a question, Singh said during the 2008



economic crisis the government spoke to every one.

"But today it seems to me there is a lack of confidence within the business community. I can't make out what it is... When they talk to the civil servants, they tell them they don't know who the boss is...

"When we were in government, the business community talked a great deal about tax terrorism. I continue to hear the same talk from the business community when they come and talk to me," he said.

Asked what the Modi government should do, Singh said first they have to recognise that the bonanza in oil was not going to last forever.

"But this government has already spent two years out of five without giving people the feeling that the country is on an upward path.

"For example, the bank credit is not moving--the rate of growth of bank credit is much lower than what would be the case if the economy was on an upward trend," he said.

To a question on the government's foreign policy, the former prime minister said the relations with major powers had improved but that was also the case with his government.

Saying that the real test of foreign policy was in the handling of neighbours, he said the Modi government's handling of Pakistan was "inconsistent". "It has been one step forward, two steps back."



"Certainly, I cannot say that my government's relationship with Pakistan was free of problems... It (Modi government) went out of its way to invite Nawaz Sharif for the prime minister's swearing-in ceremony which was a good move. But the advantage that should have been taken from that move did not materialise because the Modi government made it conditional that the Pakistani government could not talk to the Hurriyat and so the talks were cancelled."



Singh said he did not know if the prime minister's quick trip to Lahore was well "thought-out".

"It is always good to maintain good contacts with your neighbour but there is no need to create an euphoria. If you are not sure about the outcome of your initiative, I think you are wasting the levers of power that you have regarding Pakistan. So I don't think that the PM thought it through.

"He said he was in Kabul when he spoke to Nawaz Sharif,



who invited him to come. But that is no way of planning or taking a view on such a sensitive relationship, especially one between India and Pakistan."



Asked about the government's performance so far, the former prime minister there is a growing view that the BJP is not able to deliver in areas in which it had made huge promises.

Replying to questions, Singh said when he talked to the PM once or twice, he had told him that Modi had to reach out to the opposition much more effectively than has been the case.

"There has been no serious discussion with the Congress, whether it is on foreign policy or domestic policy and even on the GST."



He said he told the prime minister if he wants to improve the relations with the Congress it was much more essential than every before to establish contact with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

"I told him that this is not a task on which I can deliver. They are the two most important leaders of our party, and until the government establishes some rapport with Soniaji and Rahul, the Congress party cannot be taken for granted. You cannot have a situation, where you foist cases like National Herald and then expect..."



When told that in Parliament it was increasingly clear that the treasury and opposition benches were hardly talking to each other, Singh said "That is not good for democracy, for the country. There is unwanted bitterness between the two sides. It does not have to be that way."



Asked why he thinks there was bitterness, he said, "Because the ruling party doesn't feel that it needs the Congress in managing the country."



To a question on scams and scandals in the last couple of years during his government, and whether he felt sad that his last years were shrouded by them, he said he really felt sad that the BJP disrupted Parliament and the government never had the opportunity to put its view on what really happened.

Asked if he was bitter about that, Singh said "I am not bitter about anything but it hurts me. I had not entered politics to make money for myself, my family or friends. And I felt very sad and hurt when the BJP members would walk into the well of the House and say 'pradhan mantri chor hai'. That really hurt me.
The body of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was laid to rest with full state honours, after thousands of people bid an emotional farewell to the Siachen braveheart at his native village of Betadur in Dharwad district of north Karnataka today.

Full throated chants of "Hanumanthappa amar rahe" and patriotic slogans rent the air as the mortal remains of Hanumanthappa was buried at a land adjacent to the Gram Panchayat office, with thousands of people from the village and nearby areas cutting across age, in attendance.

The last rites were performed according to Lingayat community rituals.

The scene of Hanumanthappa's wife, mother and two-year-old daughter paying their last respects at the High School ground in Betadur touched the chord of hundreds of people, who had gathered there, leaving many teary-eyed.

An air of melancholy hung in the air as the family of Hanumanthappa was inconsolable, and at one point of time, his wife Mahadevi even fainted and was consoled by members of the family, the military and police.

The village was in sorrow ever since yesterday as hope and prayers gave way to gloom with the death of Hanumanthappa, a resident of Betadur who had joined the army 13 years ago, chasing his dream even after being rejected earlier at some army recruitment rallies.

Earlier, Hanumanthappa's body that was kept atKIMS Hospital in Hubballi last night was shifted to Nehru Ground in the city, where hundreds of people arrived in an unending stream and paid their homage.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister Ananth Kumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, several state ministers and leaders of political parties paid their last respects.

The body was brought to Betadur village in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district in a procession in its final journey.

Siddaramaiah visited Betadur to meet Hanumanthappa's family members and consoled them.

The body of 33-year-old Hanumanthappa,who epitomised grit and determination having survived miraculously under 30 feet of ice and snow under which he was buried for six days, was brought to Hubballi last night from Delhi where he breathed his last after a valiant battle for life.

The Chief Minister had yesterday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the bereaved family.

He had also announced a site, land, job for Hanamanthappa's wife and memorial for the brave heart.

Karnataka government has said that similar compensation will be given to two other soldiers from the state- Mahesh from Mysuru, Nagesh from Hassan who have died in the Siachen tragedy.
Three people have died in Venezuela from complications linked to Zika, President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday -- the first fatalities reported in the country in connection with the mosquito-borne virus.

Speaking on national television, Maduro said there were 319 confirmed cases of the virus in the South American country, adding: "Unfortunately, we have had three deaths from Zika nationwide."



Maduro said 68 patients with complications "have been in intensive care," adding that the country had the necessary drugs to treat them.

Without providing any details, Maduro said that 5,221 suspected cases of Zika had been reported from November 5 until February 8.

Maduro's comments came as other South American countries are boosting efforts to contain the virus, thought to cause brain damage in babies.

The vast majority of Zika cases are mild but, it has been linked to a rapid rise in the number of children born with microcephaly -- abnormally small heads and brains -- to mothers infected during pregnancy.

On January 28, Venezuelan Health Minister Luisana Melo said the country had recorded 4,700 suspected cases.

It was the first such toll from the government in the South American country of 30 million people, struggling with an economic and political crisis.

She added that Venezuela had also recorded 255 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder that can cause paralysis or even death.

Doctors have warned that acute shortages of medicine and poor access to water -- which has led locals to store water in open containers thereby creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes -- threaten to exacerbate the outbreak of the virus.
Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today told a Mumbai court that he tried to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that Lashkar-e-Taiba might be interested to either attack Sena Bhawan or "assassinate its head", a reference to Bal Thackeray.

"I met one Rajaram Rege inside Shiv Sena Bhawan in Dadar during 2006-2007. I attempted to develop closer relation with him," Headley said while testifying in the court via video-link from the US, in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

"I was interested in accessing that building (Shiv Sena Bhawan) at that time. I thought LeT would be interested in the future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head," he said.

Headley was answering questions put to him by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam regarding all those people in Mumbai with whom he had developed friendly relations.

The 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the 26/11 case, also told the court that he had joined 'Moksh' gym in south Mumbai in 2006-2007 and there he had developed relations with Vilas Warke, who was in-charge of the gym, and also Rahul Bhatt, who was Vilas' friend.

"I met Rahul Bhatt through Vilas at a body building competition. Rahul's father (Mahesh Bhatt) is in the movie business," he said.

Rahul, a fitness trainer and an aspiring film actor, had been in in 2009 following revelations that Headley, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, had befriended him.
Donald Trump maintained a massive lead over his nearest rival Ted Cruz in the crucial South Carolina Republican primary, according to latest polls, as the war of words between the two presidential hopefuls escalated.

Trump took the Twitter to describe Cruz as a liar, even as latest polls showed that he had a massive lead over all other Republican presidential rivals.

According to an Opinion Savvy poll conducted for The Augusta Chronicle, Morris and FOX 5 Atlanta, Trump has support of 36 per cent of the Republican primary goers, while 19 per cent support Cruz and 15 per cent back the Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Cruz had won the Iowa Caucus while Rubio was positioned third.

This week's New Hampshire primary was won by Trump with a massive margin, while Governor John Kasich of Ohio came in second, followed by Cruz and the former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

"Trump carries every age group except for the youngest (18-29) where Rubio nudges Trump out by 7 points," said Matt Towery Sr, a political analyst and pollster.

Ever since the campaign has entered South Carolina, the war of words between 69-year-old Trump and Cruz has escalated.

In the last 24 hours, Trump has tweeted five times to drive home the argument that Cruz is not truthful.

It started yesterday, when Trump alleged that Cruz is making negative robo-polls.

"We are getting reports from many voters that the Cruz people are back to doing very sleazy and dishonest 'pushpolls' on me. We are watching!" Trump tweeted.

Cruz flatly denied the allegations.

"I have no idea. We had nothing to do with them. I don't know what they were. We had nothing to do with them. So I had read reports of what is being said but somebody else is doing them, not us," he said.

"Ted Cruz is the definition of sleaze" a tweet that was retweeted by Trump said.

"Cruz caught cold in lie after denial of push polls...How can he preach Christian values?" the real estate said in another tweet.

This morning Trump again tweeted, saying, "Lying Cruz put out a statement, 'Trump & Rubio are with Obama on gay marriage. Cruz is the worst liar, crazy or very dishonest. Perhaps all 3?" he said.

"How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?" he said in another tweet.

Trump and Cruz are battling for evangelical voters in the South Carolina primary to be held on February 20.
Some 100,000 Syrian refugees are being looked after in camps inside Syria close to the Turkish border, including 35,000 who this month fled a Russian-backed regime offensive in northern Aleppo province, a top Turkish official said today.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, whose country has come under increasing pressure to open its border to people fleeing the violence, said the refugees were being accommodated in nine camps just across the border with Syria.

"There are nine camps on the other side of the border accommodating 100,000 people including the 30-35,000 new arrivals," Akdogan told reporters at Oncupinar border crossing in televised comments.

He added that a tenth camp was being built three kilometres (1.85 miles) inside Syria.

The refugees are looked after by organisations such as Turkey's emergency agency AFAD, the pro-government aid group Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) as well as international organisations.

Up to 31,000 people have fled Aleppo and surrounding areas since last week, as government forces backed by Russian warplanes press an offensive that threatens to encircle the rebel-held eastern part of Syria's second city.

Thousands came right up to the Turkish border in the hope that Turkey would open the gates and allow them inside. But the Turkish authorities only allowed wounded victims through for treatment.

Akdogan said that in contrast to the early days of the offensive there was no longer a major-build up of refugees on the frontier, with those in need now accommodated in the camps.

"Right now there is no accumulation (of refugees) on the border, no big masses trying to cross the border," he said.

The United Nations and the European Union have urged Turkey to let in refugees fleeing the government onslaught.

But Turkey, already hosting 2.7 million Syrian refugees, has so far refused to let the new wave into the country, providing humanitarian assistance across the border.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted furiously to the international pressure, even threatening to send the refugees into EU states.

"No one should dare teach Turkey a lesson on humanity," said Akdogan, a close ally of Erdogan.

"Turkey has been abandoned in the face of this human tragedy," he said.

"We are opening our borders to those escaping from death. We call on the West to open its heart to the refugees.
Two persons were arrested at the city airport today for allegedly trying to board a China-bound flight on fake tickets, while customs officials seized 500 gm gold from a passenger from Bangkok.

Airport officials said two persons, residents of Iqbalpur area in the city, sought to board a flight for Kunming in China but their tickets raised suspicion in the mind of CISF personnel in-charge of security at the NSCBI Airport.

Following checking and questioning of the two passengers - Md Ishan and Mustaq Alam - the security men were sure that their tickets were fake.

The two were then arrested, the officials said.

In another incident, customs officials seized 17 gold chains weighing 500 gm from a person who landed here from Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight.

Officials said the gold chains, valued at Rs 14.8 lakh, were kept concealed in containers of a baby cream.

The passenger, Sunil Pandey of Howrah, was detained.
With an eye on the upcoming assembly polls, the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala today presented the 2016-17 budget, promising free rice for BPL families and waiving tax on income from agriculture, amidst protests and boycott by the CPI(M)-led LDF.

The budget, presented by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, spared the common man of any additional tax burden, gave thrust to infrastructure development, boost to agricultural and social sectors, besides setting apart Rs 200 crore as subsidy to students who have availed educational loans, but are unable to repay.

It was after a 29-year gap that the Kerala Assembly saw a Chief Minister presenting the state budget, which turned out to be the longest taking nearly three hours.

Chandy is the fourth Chief Minister of the state to present the budget. Chandy took over the Finance portfolio after former Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani quit in November 2015 over the bar bribery scam.

In a bid to have 'plastic-free Kerala', the budget imposed a 20 per cent tax on all plastic bags, including non-woven polypropylene bags and a five per cent surcharge for plastic bottled drinks.

Chandy said the government expects to mobilise Rs 10 crore through this and the amount would be utilised to encourage anti-plastic movements.

The budget proposed an additional resource mobilisation of Rs 112 crore, a major portion of which will come through one-time settlement of cases in the registration department.

The budget showed a total deficit of Rs 2041.22 crore and revenue of Rs 84,092.61 crore.

As soon as the budget presentation began, LDF members, holding aloft placards and banners saying 'corrupt Chief Minister should quit', raised slogans demanding Chandy's resignation and then marched out of the house.

They also alleged that the budget had been 'leaked' before its presentation.

(REOPENS MDS2)



The budget proposed relief for a large number of elderly population in the state, hiking the old age monthly pension to Rs 1,500 from Rs 1,000 and planning an insurance scheme for pensioners.

Chandy hit out at the opposition LDF for levelling corruption charges and protests, saying "time will not forgive those who stand against development, indulge in character assassination and create tensions in society".

In a bid to woo the weaker sections, the Chief Minister announced that all BPL families who are getting rice at Re 1 per kg through ration shops, would henceforth get it free of cost and that Rs 55 crore has been earmarked for the same.

Chandy reached out to rubber farmers who are facing severe crisis due to falling prices. He allocated Rs 500 crore to ensure they get Rs 150 per kg under the price stabilisation scheme.

To implement poverty alleviation programme, an amount of Rs 257.89 crore has been allocated.

Chandy also said the government would draw up the Kerala Infrastructure Development Fund to mobilise capital investment of Rs 30,000 crore to meet the state's basic infrastructure needs under the 'State Perspective Plan 2030'.

The budget also earmarked Rs 2,500 crore for the government's flagship Kochi Metro and Vizinjam Port projects.

A total of Rs 4,057.4 crore has been allocated for rural development and Rs 2,500 crore for PPP projects to improve basic infrastructure facilities in the next fiscal.

Announcing certain tax exemptions, Chandy said that food products manufactured by inmates of state prisons, cleaning liquid used to wash vegetables and canes used by visually challenged have been excluded from the purview of tax.

The budget also allocated Rs 100 crore for a new dam at Mullaperiyar.

Attacking the government and Chandy, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan told reporters outside the assembly that the budget had been "leaked" before it was tabled in the House.

The LDF opposition have been on an agitational path, demanding resignation of Chandy and some of his cabinet colleagues after charges of bribery were levelled in the solar and bar scams.

The House had witnessed unprecedented violence on March 13, 2015 when LDF disrupted the budget presentation by Mani, demanding his resignation.
The number of Indian students has decreased in the last few years in the UK following a clamp down on bogus colleges, but the British government is wooing students by increasing scholarships, a British High Commission official said today.

"If you compare the figures with what was there 3-4 years ago, the numbers have come down. It is because we clamped down heavily on bogus colleges. Now we are maintaining excellence and only bona-fide institutes are left," Andrew Soper, Minister Counsellor (Political and Press) of the British High Commission said.

He said now the inflow of students from India had stabilised and they were expecting an increase gradually.

On scholarship count, Soper said under the 'Great Britain' campaign they were offering 59 undergraduate and 232 postgraduate scholarships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In the last couple of years, the number of scholarships under their flagship Chevening program had increased four-fold to Rs 25 crore now.

The visa process was also eased with every 9 out of 10 students getting it. "If you have got an admission into a UK university you will get a visa," the official said.

Some of the most popular courses for Indians include management studies and engineering.

British Council India's Director Rob Lynes said Indians had received over Rs 40 crore worth of scholarships this year.

At present, about 20,000 Indian students were studying in different varsities of the UK. However in 2013, the figure was around 24,000.

As part of exchange programs, about 1,000 UK students were studying in India, Lynes said.
Britain says a missing Hong Kong bookseller was likely abducted to mainland China, calling it a "serious breach" of the treaty under which Beijing took control of the city.

In Britain's strongest comments yet on the case, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a twice-yearly report on Hong Kong affairs released yesterday that Lee Bo was "involuntarily removed" to the mainland.

Lee, a British citizen, is one of five men linked to Hong Kong publishing company Mighty Current Media and its Causeway Bay Bookshop who have gone missing in recent months only to turn up later in mainland China. Their disappearances have raised international concern,



Lee is chief editor of Mighty Current, which specialized in books critical of China's communist leadership that were banned in the mainland but popular with visiting Chinese tourists.

Hammond said while visiting Beijing last month that he made urgent inquiries with Chinese authorities about Lee's whereabouts.

Lee's disappearance at the end of December sparked international concern because he was last seen at his company's Hong Kong warehouse and didn't have his mainland China travel permit with him, raising suspicions he was snatched by Chinese security agents who crossed over from the mainland. He later sent letters to his wife saying he was helping with an investigation on the mainland, though some believe he was coerced.

"The full facts of the case remain unclear, but our current information indicates that Mr. Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR law," the report said.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'one country, two systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," the report added.

The Joint Declaration is the treaty signed in 1984 between Britain and China safeguarding Hong Kong's rights and freedoms after Beijing took power in 1997. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong retains a high degree of control over its own affairs, including law enforcement.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a faxed request for comment. Beijing has previously said Hong Kong enjoys sufficient autonomy.

Lee's colleague, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, disappeared from Thailand in October and turned up last month on Chinese state TV to confess to a decade-old fatal drunk driving accident. Hong Kong police said last week the three other men are being held on the mainland for an investigation into unspecified "illegal activities.
British police say they arrested today a man wanted over the slaying of a British actress and her two children after he returned to London from Ghana.

The Metropolitan Police force says detectives detained Arthur Simpson-Kent at Heathrow Airport early today on suspicion of murdering his partner Sian Blake and her children, 8-year-old Zachary and 4-year-old Amon.

Ghanaian police arrested the 48-year-old January 9 in the western coastal town of Butre. He did not fight extradition, agreeing to be sent back to Britain.

He fled to Ghana after speaking to detectives in Britain on December 16 about Blake and the children, who had been reported missing. Their bodies were found in the yard of their London home in January.

Blake, 43, appeared in the long-running soap opera "EastEnders" in 1996-1997.
The Paris prosecutor's office says unidentified DNA has been found on two explosives belts linked to assailants in the November attacks around Paris.

Authorities have not said how many people may have been involved in the attacks by Islamic extremists.

A street cleaner found one explosives belt in the Paris suburb of Montrouge, near where fugitive attacker Salah Abdeslam's mobile phone had been found, raising speculation that he aborted a suicide attack mission. He remains at large.

The prosecutor's office said today that DNA traces found on the belt were not Abdeslam's but those of an unidentified person. That person's DNA was also found on the suicide belt of Abdeslam's brother Brahim, who blew himself up in the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people, and an apartment in Belgium.
With an eye on 2017 Assembly poll, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today presented a Rs 3,46,935-crore budget for 2016-17, reeling off a string of populist measures.

The budget, Yadav's fifth, shows an increase of 14.6 per cent over the last year's allocation.

A sum of Rs 13,842 crore has been earmarked for new schemes, with focus on agriculture, health and education.

Describing the budget as "balanced and development oriented", Yadav told reporters that the SP government has been successful in fulfilling its promises through various welfare schemes and earlier budgets.

He also said that while infrastructure has improved, the challenge is to provide relief to farmers and employment to the youth.

However, the Opposition termed the budget as "disappointing, anti-farmer and anti-people".

The budget estimates total expenditure at Rs 3,46,934.8 crore and receipts at Rs 3,40,120.6 crore. The fiscal deficit has been estimated at Rs 49,960.9 crore, 4.04 per cent of the state's GDP.

This includes bonds of Rs 13,303 crore issued under the financial reorganisation scheme of 'Uday' for power companies.

Excluding this, the fiscal deficit is pegged at Rs 36,657.9 crore, which is 2.97 per cent of the state GDP.

With farmers accounting for a significant chunk of the



electorate, the budget has made special provisions for the agriculture sector.

A provision of Rs 1,336 crore has been made for payment of cane price arrears to farmers, Rs 897 crore for the proposed 'Samajwadi Kisan evam Sarvahit Insurance Scheme', Rs 240 crore for farmer accident insurance scheme and Rs 50 crore for 'Aam Aadmi Insurance Scheme'.

For relief works under the state disaster fund, Rs 709 crore has been proposed, and an action plan of Rs 2,057 crore has been prepared to offset losses in 50 drought-hit districts.

A target to distribute crop loan totaling Rs 93,212 crore for fertilisers and seeds has been set, besides a provision of Rs 450 crore for the crop insurance plan.

The budget has also set a target of producing 660 lakh mt of foodgrains and 14 lakh mt oilseeds.

A provision of Rs 787 crore has been made under the National Agricultural Development Scheme.

The annual document has provided Rs 400 crore for setting up new dairy plants with a target to produce 362 lakh mt of milk.

It's looking at creating jobs for 60,000 persons through fisheries and intends to cover 2.05 lakh members of fishermen societies under the Fishermen Insurance Scheme based on free premium.

A target has been drawn up to reclaim 1.3 lakh hectares of sodic land under the sodic reclamation-third projects.

It has also been proposed to construct a potato market at a cost of Rs 102 crore in Kannauj and a mango market at a cost of Rs 79 crore in Malihabad.

A provision of Rs 320 crore has been made for various schemes of horticulture development and food processing and their implementation.
The Uttar Pradesh government has set a target of supplying power for at least 16 hours a day in rural areas and 24 hours for urban areas by October 2016.

According to proposals of the state budget for 2016-17, which was presented in the state Assembly today, the government is keen to ensure round-the-clock power supply without any cut by 2019-20, and an action plan is ready.

The government said all arrangements have been made to increase the daily power supply from 11,000 mega watt to 21,000 mega watt by October 2016.

A plan of Rs 11,900 crore is also being drawn up for electrification of about 1.73 lakh villages and hamlets under the rural electrification scheme.

About Rs 7,000 crore has been set aside for the state feeder separation scheme.

Under the category of roads and bridges, a provision of Rs 14,721 crore has been made for maintenance under PWD.

A provision of Rs 541 crore has been made for strengthening and widening state highways, new construction, strengthening link roads, small bridges, major roads and other district roads.

An amount of Rs 3,205 crore has been marked for maintenance and repair of roads, Rs 1,923 crore for connecting villages with cemented link roads, Rs 1,180 crore for construction of bridges over rivers and large drains and Rs 635 crore for construction of overbridges.

A provision of Rs 1,111 crore has been made to link district headquarters with four-lane roads, in line with the current priorities of the state government.

A sum of Rs 250 crore has also been set aside for construction of 257 km of roads in seven districts of the state on the Indo-Nepal border and Rs 220 crore for land acquisition.

The government has made a provision of Rs 600 crore for Swachh Bharat Mission and Rs 700 crore for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation schemes.

Another Rs 900 crore has been slotted for implementing development works under the accelerated economic development scheme.

An amount of Rs 300 crore has also been proposed for Agra



drinking water supply project.

Some Rs 400 crore has been marked for development of Lucknow Development area and Rs 300 crore for establishment of Jai Prakash Narain International Center in Lucknow.

A corpus fund of Rs 150 crore has been mooted for Janeshwar Mishra park and its renovation.

An amount of Rs 814 crore has been proposed for Lucknow Metro and Rs 50 crore for Kanpur and Varanasi metroes.

In irrigation, Rs 1,574 crore has been provided for new schemes and Rs 745 crore for flood control projects.

There is a proposal of Rs 2,157 crore for the Saryu Canal National Project.

An arrangement of Rs 549 crore has been made for increasing minor irrigation facilities in 78 per cent irrigated areas of the state.

There's also a budget provision of Rs 4,003 crore for the construction of Agra-Lucknow expressway while separately, Rs 1,500 crore has been earmarked for Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia Samajwadi Poorvanchal expressway.

The government has proposed Rs 15,397 crore under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Rs 200 crore under a new mid-day meal scheme.

An allocation of Rs 9,618 crore has been made for various schemes of secondary education.

Meeting the long-pending demand of ad-hoc teachers, the government has made a provision of Rs 200 crore for payment to part-time teachers of private and unaided schools recognised by the UP Madhyamik Siksha Board.

An allocation of Rs 2,622 crore has been made for higher education schemes.

The government has also decided to set up an engineering college each at Basti and Gonda and 12 polytechnics of IT across the state.

A target of training three lakh youth in various trades through vocational education and skill development mission has also been provided for the next fiscal.

A budgetary allocation of Rs 4,572 crore has been made for state medical colleges and hospitals affiliated with them.
Former Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today said all parties in Uttar Pradesh should form a 'morcha' with Samajwadi Party to defeat communal parties.

"Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav is known as anti-communal face...All parties, including Congress, RLD, JD(U), should come along with him to defeat communal parties in the 2017 Assembly elections," Qureshi told newspersons here.

"If possible, BSP should also be brought in this morcha," he said, adding that no coalition can defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh without Mulayam Singh.

On AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owasi, Qureshi alleged he is being planted in Uttar Pradesh by the BJP.

He is entering into the state in order to target Mulayam Singh and defeat secular forces, he said.

To a question, he said time was "not right" for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party.

"In view of the prevailing political conditions, Sonia Gandhi need to continue as party president... Rahul Gandhi should be made the working president of the party.
The Obama administration says it is urging China and Taiwan to maintain dialogue amid concern that the election of an independence-leaning party on the island could heighten tensions in one of Asia's security hotspots.

A House foreign affairs panel on Asia examined the implications for Washington of the January election that throws new uncertainty over the relationship between democratic Taiwan and the communist mainland, which claims the island as its own territory, to be recovered by force if necessary.

The United States is Taiwan's most important ally and source of defensive arms, but it has applauded the easing of cross-Strait relations under the outgoing Nationalist government, which fostered economic cooperation with China.

Senior State Department official Susan Thornton yesterday said that the US has called on China to show restraint and flexibility in working with Taiwan's new administration under Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party, which takes office in May.

She said Tsai understands her obligations to pursue a policy to enable cross-Strait stability, and Beijing says it will look to see what Tsai proposes.

Thorton said she was hopeful the two sides could come with a basis for continuing exchanges.

"I think there is a will on both sides to do so," Thornton told the hearing.

China is demanding that Tsai, like her predecessor, agree that the mainland and Taiwan are part of a single Chinese nation. Tsai has refused to endorse Beijing's "one China principle" but hasn't publicly repudiated it either.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers were critical of Beijing's attitude.

"Despite her underscoring her intention to maintain the status quo, and saying, 'There won't be provocation and there won't be surprises,' we cannot say the same for China." said Republican Rep. Matt Salmon, who chaired the panel.

"A steady stream of threats to Taiwan's national security are an everyday reality for Taiwan and its people."



Lawmakers urged more US arms sales and support for Taiwan's membership in international organizations.

Bonnie Glaser, an expert witness from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the Obama administration has approved USD 14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan since taking office in 2009, but has mostly provided mostly secondhand equipment and additional munitions, apparently because it is worried about upsetting US relations with China.
Venezuela's Supreme Court has approved President Nicolas Maduro's request for special powers to tackle a deepening economic crisis, overriding opposition from lawmakers to place the oil giant in a 60-day state of emergency.

In a ruling late yesterday, the court said the decree issued by the socialist president last month had entered into force, granting him expanded authority over the moribund economy of the oil-rich, cash-poor South American country for two months.

Last month's rejection of the decree by the National Assembly "does not affect its legitimacy, validity, entry into force and legal effect," the court ruled, saying lawmakers had not followed the proper procedures to reject the bid.

"This will make our task a lot easier," Maduro responded on state television after the ruling. He said he would announce the first measures in the coming days.

"The Supreme Court of Justice has spoken, its word is holy and must be respected by all parts of society and all institutions."



The decree gives Maduro's administration special temporary powers to take over private companies' resources, impose currency controls and enact "other social, economic or political measures deemed fitting."



Opposition lawmakers reacted with dismay.

"The Supreme Court cannot usurp the competence of the legislature," tweeted the deputy Juan Guaido.

Another lawmaker critical of the decree, Jose Guerra, charged that the court "considers itself a state within the state," charging that it "believes itself to be above the will of the people."



The opposition, which took control of the legislature in early January for the first time in 17 years, charges that Maduro has packed the court with his allies, as the political standoff between the two sides drags on.

Venezuela has the world's biggest known crude reserves but the price of oil has plunged over the past year and a half, slashing its revenues.

As a result, the country is suffering from crippling shortages of basic goods -- from coffee to cooking oil and diapers.

Lawmakers yesterday urged Maduro to launch an international appeal for "humanitarian aid" to help stave off the threat of famine posed by the shortages.

Announcing the decree in mid-January, Maduro admitted Venezuela was in a "catastrophic" economic state, but said his emergency plan would allow the government to shore up its health, housing, education and food services.
The US is working with India to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack to justice, a top official has said amid Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's deposition before a Mumbai court.

"We are going to continue to work with India to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said at his daily news briefing yesterday.

"We have been over the years working closely with and cooperating with the Indian government in its investigation. We are committed to doing all we can to assisting the Indian government in pursuing every possible lead to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice," he said.

Talking about Headley's deposition to a special Mumbai court, he said, "He (Headley) provided testimony via video link to a court in Mumbai. The victims of that attack included not only Americans, Indians, but also citizens of other nations."



He said the US is working with and has encouraged that kind of collaboration between Pakistan and India on this particular case.

Headley, 55, who is serving 35-year prison sentence in the US for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, has spoken about how Pakistani terrorists conducted the strikes after two failed attempts, the role of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, another LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi as well as his handler in the outfit Sajid Mir among other issues.
World powers today agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at reviving the struggling peace process.

The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed "to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately".

"Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... And then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas," said Kerry.

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, pressed an offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.

Kerry said talks between rebels and the regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper -- what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground."



Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that "whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days".

"When the whole world sees whether today's agreements are kept and implemented -- by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia," he said.

The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a "new world war" if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.

But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign.

Lavrov called "for direct contacts between the Russian and US military" in Syria and said negotiations on a political transition "have to start as soon as possible, without ultimatums and preconditions".

Kerry said the cessation of hostilities -- an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire -- would apply to all groups apart from "the terrorist organisations" of the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra.

A UN task force, co-chaired by Russia and the US, will work over the coming week "to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," Kerry said.
World powers today agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-torn Syria, but the Munich deal left out the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda's local branch, leaving analysts to doubt its viability.

The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed that "sustained delivery" of aid will begin this week, with a new UN task force meeting later today in Geneva to start pushing for much greater access to "besieged and hard-to-reach areas".

The deal went further than expected, with Lavrov talking about "direct contacts between the Russian and US military" on the ground.

But Kerry said they were under "no illusions" about the difficulty of implementing the agreement. Analysts were sceptical the deal would stop the bloodshed.

"It is ambitious and yet very tenuous... There are huge question marks," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

He highlighted the fact that the Islamic State group (IS) and al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra would not be covered by the "cessation of hostilities".

The failure to include al-Nusra was particularly important, Barnes-Dacey said, since the group is active in Aleppo and surrounding regions, and many of the more "moderate" rebels have links with it.

"In many ways this Munich meeting was thrust to the fore by the situation in Aleppo, and yet the conditions of the agreement do not seem to apply to Aleppo," said Barnes-Dacey.

"Talking about Nusra works in Russia's favour as so many rebel groups have ties to Nusra. This effectively gives the green light for the Syrian government and its allies to carry on military action while paying lip service to the agreement."



A senior Russian foreign affairs official appeared to support the doubts, saying he was "not very optimistic" about a ceasefire.

"Despite the agreement, Russia will continue its anti-terrorist military operation," Vladimir Djabarov, vice-president of Russia's foreign affairs commission told the TASS agency.

"There are too many groups that claim they are anti- government or anti-Assad when many are clearly terrorist groups," he said.

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, launched a major offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced at least 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than a quarter-million lives.
A man in Britain who was infected with Zika while traveling to the Cook Islands showed evidence of the mosquito-borne virus in his semen for two months, health officials said today.

The finding raises new questions for health authorities as they scramble to learn more about Zika -- linked to a surge in birth defects in Brazil -- and the risk of transmission through sex.

The case involved a 68-year-old man who was infected with Zika in 2014 while traveling.

He complained of a fever, rash and lethargy upon return to Britain, where he was tested and the results came back positive for Zika.

Though Zika symptoms are often mild and resolve themselves in about a week, the virus was found during tests of semen taken 27 and 62 days after the man's initial infection, said a report from Public Health England, published online in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal.

"Although we did not culture infectious virus from semen, our data may indicate prolonged presence of virus in semen, which in turn could indicate a prolonged potential for sexual transmission," it said.

Speaking at a American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington today, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief Anthony Fauci said more work needs to be done to understand how long Zika may persist in a man's semen.

"We don't now know," he told reporters.

"We had said, 'Perhaps it is just during the acute infection.' Well, that is obviously not the case."



With Ebola, which comes from the same family of viruses as Zika, research on persistence in semen has shown that it could last up to nine months in some men.

"What we need to do are natural history studies" for the Zika virus in order to determine how long men should use condoms or refrain from sexual contact after a Zika infection, Fauci said.

The CDC last week urged condoms or abstinence for men who live in or have traveled to the more than two dozen countries and territories in South America and the Caribbean where the virus has been detected, especially if they have pregnant partners, in which case protective measures should persist until the end of the pregnancy.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's self-driving project is advertising dozens of jobs on its website with a special focus on manufacturing expertise.

Thirty-six jobs related to the Google X car project were listed including engineers working on motion control, displays, robotics and sensors as well as managers charged with operations, materials and marketing.

Google, which declined to comment, has denied in the past that it had any interest in making cars. Many industry experts believe the tech giant will partner with an established carmaker, supplying the software that will pioneer the fully autonomous vehicle.

But the jobs listed provide a window into how much hardware Google may build to contribute to the cars of the future. Developing self-driving cars has been a key priority of traditional carmakers, technology companies like Apple Inc , Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] and auto suppliers.

A manufacturing process engineer job listing says the post is responsible for "designing factory assembly stations, optimizing production floor layout, automating critical manufacturing processes and approving fixture designs used in the assembly of electronic modules for the self-driving car."

A manufacturing supplier quality engineer will create and approve "manufacturing inspection processes, equipment, tools gauges and fixtures for raw material, mechanical components and mechanical assemblies."

A mechanical global supply chain manager, meanwhile, is responsible for manufacturing development execution, among other tasks.

In January, president of the Google self-driving car project, John Krafcik, said he wanted to form partnerships with established carmakers and suppliers in 2016 to accelerate work.

When he was hired in September, Krafcik's prior experience at Hyundai and Ford fuelled speculation that Google planned to build its own cars.

Google posted other jobs outside of manufacturing that provided clues as to the scope of the growing project.

A marketing manager position posted nine days ago requires someone to "shape go-to-market strategy and storytelling to win hearts and minds of community members, influencers and governments."

The company is even searching for a head of real estate and workplace services, suggesting that hiring may continue to rise.

Google currently tests its prototype cars in its home base of Mountain View, California and Austin, Texas. It announced last week it would expand testing to Kirkland, Washington later in February.

(Reporting By Alexandria Sage, David Shepardson and Deborah Todd. Writing by Alexandria Sage. Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale and Cynthia Osterman)
By Krishna N. Das

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is asking the country's big steelmakers to consider converting local medium-quality coal into premium coking coal to slash an annual import bill of more than $4 billion for buying that grade from countries such as Australia and South Africa.

Resurgent local output of power-generating thermal coal has been one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successes, and the latest project could help India to partly make up for a shortage of coking reserves that forces companies like JSW Steel and Jindal Steel to import heavily.

Coal Secretary Anil Swarup - who has held talks with companies including Tata Steel and SAIL - said the government could ask state-run Coal India to sign long-term contracts with steel companies to supply medium-grade coking coal that currently goes into power plants.

The plan would require investment of a few hundred million dollars for specialised washeries and other equipment to improve the coal quality, but that could lead to savings of billions of dollars in imports, according to Swarup.

"We have raised the quantity of coal produced, the aim is now to improve the quality," Swarup told . "We are trying to formulate a policy."

This could aid in meeting Modi's goal of making the country self-sufficient in as many raw materials as possible, while at the same time exporting more value-added products like steel to boost local manufacturing and create jobs. (reut.rs/1XnpxQe)

India, the world's third-largest steel producer and once an exporter to neighbouring countries, turned a net importer of the alloy in the past two years after China started to aggressively sell its excess steel across the world.

India is also the world's third-biggest importer of coal, and the surge in local output, mainly of thermal coal, is hurting suppliers of that grade in Indonesia. If India starts to boost coking coal output as well, there could also be a few losers in Australia and South Africa.

But India will be able to substitute only 5-10 percent of the total coking coal imports to begin with, according to Dipesh Dipu, a natural resources expert at Jenissi Management Consultants that advises companies like Jindal Steel.

That could mean annual savings of around $500 million based on India's imports of about 44 million tonnes of coking coal last fiscal year. The country's total annual coking coal need is about 90 million tonnes.

India is in talks with companies in Poland and Australia for technical help in upgrading its coking coal quality.

It is also trying to douse underground mine fires that have burned for a century in Jharia, in the eastern state of Jharkhand, to better tap the only source of top quality coking coal in the country.

TURNAROUND

India's total coal imports have fallen for the last seven months, a big change for a country that has struggled to feed its expanding power plants despite having the world's fifth-biggest reserves of more than 300 billion tonnes of the fuel, almost 90 percent of that in thermal grades.

Faster environmental clearances and acquisition of land to expand mines have led to the turnaround, although Swarup acknowledged that India will not be able to produce all of its own coking coal.

"Indian coals can be beneficiated to substitute some amount of imported coals," Tata Steel head spokesman Chanakya Chaudhary said.

Still, India expects its private steel companies and state-controlled SAIL to nearly triple production capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2025, which will further raise demand for coking coal.

"These steps may affect prices a bit but would not have a major impact on imports," said Waseem Ahmad, head of New Delhi-based Sarah Sourcing, which trades in coal from Indonesia, Australia and South Africa.

"India has a bulk requirement and its steel industry will expand."

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Tom Hogue)
By Promit Mukherjee and Sankalp Phartiyal

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Some steelmakers have raised their prices after a recent government measure to rein in cheap imports, but a surge in value is unlikely as the country's production capacity is rising faster than its domestic demand growth.

New Delhi last week set a floor price on imports of steel products to bolster the local steel sector, and companies are using the measure as an opportunity to boost domestic sales as cheap imports from China, Russia, Japan and South Korea had squeezed their margins.

JSW Steel , one of India's top steel makers, has upped prices by 3 percent at its retail stores, where it sells products for roofing and construction to consumers.

Tata Steel said it has raised the prices of some products by 3-5 percent, while Jindal Steel & Power has raised prices by 1,500-2,000 Indian rupees ($51) a tonne, or nearly 7 percent, according to a source who declined to be named.

Essar Steel said there was room for a price hike but by how much would be determined only by March. State-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) did not immediately respond to a request for information about its pricing plans.

"In India, there is stiff competition within the industry itself ... so prices will not go up substantially from current levels," Seshagiri Rao, the joint managing director of JSW Steel, told .

India's steel output will likely grow by 10 million tonnes in the next three to four months, almost 9 percent of the current capacity, against demand growth of 4.2 percent, Rao added.

Analysts agree that India's increasing capacity, coming largely from JSW, SAIL and Tata Steel, will check any dramatic rise in prices.

Brokerages say steel prices are expected to rise by up to 15 percent over the next six months.

The top steel bureaucrat in the country said earlier this week the government would keep an eye on steel prices and could soon take a decision on extending a 20 percent safeguard duty that expires next month.

India is the only major market in the world where steel demand is growing. The country produced 74.47 million tonnes of crude steel in the 10 months through January 2016, an increase of 0.7 percent, while its consumption over the same period rose 4.2 percent.

($1 = 68.2800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee in MUMBAI and Sankalp Phartiyal in NEW DELHI; Additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Editing By Tom Hogue)
A single family torn apart by tragedy filled both sides of the courtroom Thursday morning as Coconino County Superior Court Judge Mark Moran sentenced convicted killer James Jorgensen to 20 years in prison.

A jury convicted Jorgensen, 26, in December of second-degree murder for stabbing his 28-year-old cousin, Jeremiah Welch, to death at outside a relatives Page home about 4:30 a.m. May 21, 2014. Now, almost two years later, the attack continues to baffle the family.

(I) dont know what happened that night, Jorgensen and Welchs grandmother said in Navajo through her son, who acted as an interpreter.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony that the two men were so close they called each other brother. But a few weeks prior to the stabbing, Welch made a sexual comment about Jorgensens girlfriend, which caused tension between them. On the day before the stabbing, they talked about the dispute during a family kickball game.

Later that night, the cousins got into a scuffle at a relatives home in LeChee, located just outside Page, after Jorgensen, who had been drinking, demanded an apology. Jorgensen lost the fight. Welch then went to the Page residence where Jorgensen would later stab him. Jorgensen followed him, which led to another scuffle.

Jorgensen then drove back to the house in LeChee with his girlfriend to get a knife. The girlfriend called his relatives at the Page house to warn them. When he returned to the Page home, he called for his brother. As Welch stood up from the spot outside where he had been sitting, Jorgensen stabbed him repeatedly.

This case is about a young man with anger fueled by alcohol that took over his better judgment and resulted in him stabbing, viciously and violently, his cousin-brother to death, the judge said Thursday. In hindsight and in sobriety, Mr. Jorgensen, I think we would all agree in this room that brothers are supposed to protect brothers.

Welch died at Page Hospital at about 5:30 a.m. Welchs mother sobbed uncontrollably as she recounted seeing her sons body in the operating room.

Sometimes when Im driving in to work, Ill just pull over to the side of the road and sit there and cry, she said, tears streaming down her face.

Many of the relatives who spoke at the sentencing asked the judge to show leniency to Jorgensen for the sake of the whole extended family.

We lost one (nephew), said one of the aunts. We need to save this one.

Welchs mother did not share that sentiment. She said that when she told her 9-year-old daughter the maximum sentence Jorgensen could get was 25 years, her daughter said that was not enough time for the man who took her big brothers life.

When it came time for Jorgensen to speak, he chose to address not the judge but Welchs mother. He had to stop several times while he choked back tears.

I have to tell you how bad I feel about what happened, Jorgensen said. Ive wanted to say something to you for so long now. Ive written you letters  Ive cried while writing to you  that I was unable to send. 

Jorgensen told his aunt he, too, misses Welch, who he described as his favorite cousin and the person he spent his whole life looking up to as a big brother.

You have to know that this wasnt intentional, Jorgensen said. I never thought that this would happen that night. I wake up every day and remember that Im the reason why my family is hurting and why their hearts have been broken and I cant do anything to help. I carry this guilt with me every day.

Jorgensen also promised to spend the rest of his life trying to bring his family back together.

Acknowledging Jorgensens remorse and other mitigating factors, including his family support and his impairment on the night of the stabbing, the judge decided not to sentence him to the 22 years in prison prosecutor Bryan Shea requested. But he did get close, handing down a 20-year sentence rather than the 10 years defense attorney Joseph Carver wanted. Moran cited the profound emotional harm inflicted on Welchs family among the aggravating factors in the case.

Welch will get credit for 631 days of pre-sentence incarceration.
By Libby George

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped on Friday on hopes of a coordinated production cut sparked by comments from the energy minister of OPEC member United Arab Emirates.

Still, analysts said such a move remained unlikely and prices for Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude were on track for weekly losses of more than 7 percent and 11 percent, respectively, as oversupply weighed.

Brent gained as much as 6 percent against its previous settlement and was up 4.9 percent at $31.53 per barrel at 0938 GMT.

"The comments by the UAE oil minister are pushing prices up ...but we're still in a long-term downturn. That hasn't changed," said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN AMRO. He said Friday's spike is "an indicator that it's not a one-way price movement anymore ...we will see a period of high volatility."

UAE Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazrouei said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was willing to talk with other exporters about cutting output.

He added that cheap oil was already forcing some output reductions which would help rebalance the market.

WTI futures gained as much as 6 percent and were up 4.5 percent at $27.39 per barrel at 0938 GMT after hitting lows not seen since 2003 in the previous session.

Traders said the jump in WTI prices could have been a result of U.S. producers unwinding hedges they had locked in at higher prices in order to generate cash to service debt and costs.

Despite higher Brent and WTI, and the UAE comments, analysts said they saw little chance of OPEC and non-OPEC producers agreeing on a common policy.

"We view this as further jawboning, with the likelihood of a coordinated response on supply cuts very low," ANZ bank analysts said on Friday.

Oil prices have tumbled over 70 percent since mid-2014 as producers pump 1-2 million barrels of crude every day in excess of demand as economic growth stalls, led by China's slowdown.

Volatility has been high this year, with 10-20 percent price rises and falls common within only a few trading sessions.

"We expect recent crude volatility to persist," investment bank Jefferies said, adding that it expected oil markets to start rebalancing in the second half of the year.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; editing by Jason Neely)
The former head of Anglo Irish Bank agreed in a Boston courtroom on Thursday to be extradited to Ireland to face criminal charges related to the bank's collapse.

U.S. officials arrested David Drumm, 49, at his home in the wealthy Boston suburb of Wellesley on Oct. 10 after Irish officials asked that he be sent back to face a 33-count criminal indictment related to the collapse of the bank, which was nationalized in early 2009 in a takeover worth some 30 billion euro.

Drumm, who has been held in federal custody since his arrest and has denied any wrongdoing, was brought into court wearing a green prison jumpsuit, his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Mr. Drumm would like to waive his right to a probable cause hearing and consent to extradition under the treaty," defense attorney Daniel Fetterman told Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell before submitting Drumm's signed agreement.

Drumm made only brief comments in court, indicating to the judge that he understood the proceedings and had voluntarily agreed to be extradited.

Drumm faces charges in Ireland including forgery, conspiracy and false accounting for fraudulent loans the bank made in 2008 intended to help prop up its share price, which was plummeting during the global financial crisis.

An Irish court in July sentenced three lower-ranking executives of the bank to serve 18 to 36 months in prison, making them the first bankers jailed since the country's financial crash. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
The 2016 Startup Nations Summit will be the first year that the event will be held in Europe. The Summit will bring together startup community builders, policy makers, advisors, public and private representatives and will take place in November.

The summit will serve as the official conclusion of Global Entrepreneurship Week, a collection of 30,000 events with 10 million participants in 160 countries.



The Startup Nations Summit is likely to take greater prominence in the Irish Tech world calendar due to the movement of the popular Web Summit 2016 to Lisbon.

Dublin joins a number of cities that have hosted the Startup Nations Summit from Toronto in 2012, Kuala Lumpur in 2013, Seoul in 2014 and Monterrey, Mexico in 2015

Speaking at the announcement of the winning bid, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said, Ireland is garnering international attention for its successful creation of a strong supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship. Startups are a key part of Ireland's recovery and we want to help them create 70,000 of the 200,000 jobs we will create by 2020.

We are delighted that Ireland is the first European country ever to host Startup Nations Summit in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Project Director of Cork Innovates, Siobhan Finn added, Cork is a prime European location for Startup Nations Summit in 2016. The vision of the local authorities, business support agencies and educational institutions in the Region have been working together for the last number of years, through Cork innovates, to drive and nurture entrepreneurship and innovation in the Cork region.

"The fact that GEN has selected Cork as the location of choice for this global event is testament to the determination and commitment of this collaboration to create a model startup ecosystem.

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Irish-owned enterprise IT project specialists, Aspira, have today announced the creation of 50 new high-level jobs.



The 50 new jobs, which will be based primarily at the Cork headquarters with some in Aspiras Dublin office, will be rolled out over 18 months and will include project management, business analysis and software development roles.



Aspira, which has refreshed its brand from AspiraCon, was established in 2007 and currently employs 28 people. Prior to its accelerated growth in 2015, Aspira was averaging consistent annual growth of 50%  earning it a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award for the past two consecutive years.



Aspira has also committed over 1.5 million to acquire the IT services and support firm, B-TEC Solutions, and invest in Enterprise IT Services over the next two years.

The new IT service will include supply and installation of IT hardware and software licensing and support, in addition to Aspiras current package of expert consultancy, design and implementation of bespoke IT solutions, project management and enterprise IT services support.



Aspira CEO, Pat Lucey today commented, "The new roles we are announcing today will strengthen our delivery capability and our management team at a time when we are bolstering our service offerings, and preparing for expansion to international markets. We forecast overall sales to more than double over the next three years, with international sales growing faster again.



An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, will officially open Aspiras new state-of-the-art headquarters in Little Island, Cork today. Speaking today he said, "This announcement of 50 new jobs is very welcome news for Cork. The Government wants to keep the recovery going by ensuring strong job creation in every region of the country. These pro-business policies need to be maintained in order to continue to allow companies like Aspira to grow and create jobs."



Source: www.businessworld.ie
The largest mutual life, pensions and investment company in the UK and Ireland, Royal London, have today today released financial results for the twelve months ending 31 December 2015.



The results show that overall new business was up a record 40% and new Ireland business was up 18%.



Managing Director of Royal London in Ireland, Jon Glen commented, "Its been another great year of growth for our Irish business. Over the last 12 months weve launched a series of customer focused product enhancements and offers here in Ireland, which have prompted a really positive reaction from Financial Brokers and their clients.

"Im delighted with our steady growth in market share levels during 2015. Weve increased the size of our team in Ireland to ensure we maintain our high levels of customer service while coping with the additional business volumes. Our plans for 2016 will see continued investment by Royal London into the products and services that we believe add most value to our customers."

Source: www.businessworld.ie


A new event is to take place on February 16th which is designed to connect jobseekers with some of Irelands most innovative tech companies.



'UpStarter' is also aimed at anyone in the process of setting up a new company who is looking to find a co-founder. Over 300 Co-Founders, Developers, Marketers, Designers and Students have already registered for the first event on February 16th in Dublins 4 Dame Lane.



The event was set up by Sean Judge, Founder of UniTuition and Accenture Entrepreneur in Residence. Companies who will be in attendance at the event and who are recruiting include - Bizimply, NewsWhip, Opsh, HubSpot, FlipDish, UniTuition, Elm Solutions, Dynamic Res and Super Pixel.

All the companies with stands are hiring for a variety of positions including Operations Managers, Digital Content Managers, UI Developers, Software Engineers, Project Managers & Summer Interns.



Founder of UniTuition and Accenture Entrepreneur in Residence, Sean Judge said, "The response to UpStarter has been phenomenal. Theres huge demand from startups for help in finding employees and interns for a variety of positions at different levels.

"On the other side, we have people queuing up to get work with some of Irelands most innovative companies. Uniquely, this event also provides a platform for those setting up new companies to find a co-founder. Were already oversubscribed for this event and planning the next one in April."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
New regulations in Utah now allow patients entering a hospital to designate a family caregiver that will be the official contact person. (wirelog/morguefile)

<span>MIDVALE, Utah  A new rule in Utah gives important new rights to family caregivers when a loved one is in the hospital. The </span><a href=http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/bulletin/2015/20151215/39963.htm target=parent>Patient Designated Caregiver Rule</a><span>, proposed by AARP Utah and issued by the Utah Department of Health, allows each patient to designate a caregiver, who is notified when there is a discharge or transfer, and receive instruction from the hospital about any required after-care. </span>

<span>Alan Ormsby, state director of AARP Utah, says what caregivers provide is not only important, but very valuable. </span>

<span>We really respect the work that the 350,000 caregivers do to take care of their family members, says Ormsby. Its well over $4 billion worth of services each year that they provide, so anything we can do to relieve caregiver burden, thats a good thing.</span>

<span>Ormbsby says the rule is designed to not only keep caregivers in the loop on the what is happening with the patient, but to make sure they have proper training to help the patient with tasks such as managing prescriptions or applying a dressing once they are home. </span>

<span>Ormsby adds the Utah Hospital Association played a key role in developing the rule. He says the hospital group felt providing caregivers with proper training would ultimately result in better patient outcomes. </span>

<span>We talked with the hospitals about that and they said Yeah, we think were doing a pretty good job with this anyway, and why not make it the standard.' he says. When a person is released from the hospital, then there is some degree of training that goes on.</span>

<span>The Patient Designated Caregiver Rule is based on AARPs CARE Act, developed to help caregivers better provide for loved ones in the hospital. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico have adopted the CARE Act and several more are considering it.</span>
Stolen truck

Someone stole a Flagstaff woman's vehicle from her home.

According to the police report, the victim left her truck parked outside her garage in the 2500 block of North Main Street at about 10:30 p.m. last Saturday. She noticed it was gone at approximately 8:30 the next morning. Tire tracks in the snow showed the thief drove the vehicle eastbound.

The victim told police she had left the front door to the truck unlocked. She had also left her purse, which contained a spare key to the vehicle, under the passenger seat.

The stolen vehicle was a red two-door 2004 Toyota Tacoma with a white camper shell and Arizona license plate number BJM9495. There was a unicorn sticker on one side of the camper shell. The truck has been entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center database as stolen.

Charged with DUI

 Gilbert Bahe, 56, of Winslow was arrested by Flagstaff Police Department and charged with extreme DUI at 6:48 p.m. last Friday.

 Sky Michelle Anderson, 40, of East Mountain View Avenue was arrested by Flagstaff Police Department and charged with DUI at 1:31 a.m. Saturday.

 Melanie Slim, 23, of North Center Street was arrested by Flagstaff Police Department and charged with DUI at 2:02 a.m. Saturday.

 Franklin James Hoover, 47, of North Schultz Pass was arrested by Flagstaff Police Department and charged with DUI at 2:17 a.m. Sunday.

City and county residents who want to report a crime but wish to remain anonymous may call Silent Witness at 774-6111 or (877) 29-CRIME, submit a tip online at www.coconinosilentwitness.org, or text the word Flagtip along with your information to 274637 (CRIMES). Rewards of up to $2,000 are given for information that leads to an arrest.
When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas
COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Law enforcement officers clear the entrance at the American Bank Centers Selena Auditorium during an active shooter drill Thursday.

SHARE COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A law enforcement officer helps a victim to a triage location Thursday during an active shooter drill at the American Bank Centers Selena Auditorium. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Members of the Corpus Christi SWAT team approach the entrance of the American Bank Centers Selena Auditorium during an active shooter drill Thursday. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A firefighters prepare a victim for transport during an active shooter drill Thursday at the American Bank Centers Selena Auditorium. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Members of the Corpus Christi SWAT team walk up the stairs to the American Bank Center Selena Auditorium during an active shooter drill Thursday.

By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times

Police officers secured the area after a thorough search inside the American Bank Center Selena Auditorium.

With the threat of danger removed, officers turned focus to victims.

"What's the matter," an officer asked a man.

"My arm," the victim said, with a bloodstained patch wrapped around his right arm.

Beside him a woman was lifeless with a shot through her cheek.

The victims were all actors and the scene wasn't real, but local law enforcement is preparing should an active shooter situation occur.

Police, firefighters and medics were in the Downtown venue Thursday for the largest active shooter drill conducted in Corpus Christi. More than 50 actors played the roles of victims, bystanders or suspects while first responders tested their emergency response.

"It's one of those things that I think was important to do," Police Chief Mike Markle said. "We wanted something that was as realistic as possible."

It was not just about how officers responded to the threat, but about behind-the-scene actions, too. Dispatchers had to clear lines of communication and set up radio channels while officers had to shift around the city as resources were diverted. Extra officers were available for the drill and normal patrols were not affected, officials said.

"It's a big comprehensive movement," Markle said. "There are a lot of different elements.

The drill ended about 6 p.m., and law enforcement will evaluate their response in future meetings.
SHARE Caller-Times file COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Jesus Jesse Gonzalez (from left), Joe A. Gonzalez, and John Marez, candidates for Nueces County Commissioner, Precinct 3, participate in the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at City Hall. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Jesus Jesse Gonzalez (from left), Joe A. Gonzalez, John Marez, John Martinez, Dick Mitchell, and Joel Stanley Mumphord, candidates for Nueces County Commissioner, Precinct 3, participate in the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at City Hall. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A voter takes notes during the final remarks of the candidates for Nueces County Commissioner, Precinct 3, at the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at City Hall.

By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times

The six Democratic candidates for Nueces County Commissioner Precinct 3 were the first group to state their case and answer questions at the second forum hosted by League of Women Voters Corpus Christi area before the March primaries on Thursday at City Hall.

The Precinct 3 seat, which has been filled by Commissioner Oscar Ortiz for more than 20 years, is the most contested race.

The candidates, who are diverse in background, answered questions about the city's homeless issue, working with other commissioners and the budget.

Joe A. Gonzalez, president of the Nueces County Sheriffs Officers Association, said the county's agreement with the Department of Justice regarding Americans with Disabilities Act requirements is high on the list of priorities. He is not related to Joe A. Gonzalez, the county commissioner for Precinct 2.

"I think another big issue is property tax evaluations in the county; we all pay a high property tax, and I think our corporate neighbors should pay their fair share," he said.

Jesus Jesse Gonzalez, a 13-year employee in the county's purchasing department, is advocating for more county employee raises and suggested paying for those by no longer funding car allowances.

The candidates received four random questions from the audience. Some were specific to the candidate, but most were aimed at all of them.

Longtime Nueces County Democratic Party member Joel Mumphord was asked how he is different from other candidates. His response was opportunity.

"I believe in passing the torch to the young people," Mumphord said. "I want to establish neighborhood committees to see what their concerns are. "

A retired employee with the appraisal district, Dick Mitchell said the most important issue for the county is getting ready to fund the building of a new county courthouse and jail complex. He said it is overcrowded and unsafe.

John Marez, former city council member and CCISD board member, was asked about his political record, especially regarding the city's decline in street conditions. "I came up with a comprehensive streets plan which led to fixing drainage, neighborhoods and sidewalks," he said.

A former county court-at-law judge, John Martinez cited flooding as a problem requiring immediate attention. He said infrastructure has to be built and in good condition for companies to come in and create jobs.

The other races featured by the league were for Justice of the Peace Pct. 2, Place I; Constable Pct 3; Constable Pct. 5 and the county's Democratic Party chair.

The League forum was partnered and co-hosted by YWCA Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Twitter: @Caller_Jules

CANDIDATES

County Commissioner Precinct 3:

Jesus Jesse Gonzalez, Democrat

Joe A. Gonzalez, Democrat

John Marez, Democrat

John Martinez, Democrat

Dick Mitchell, Democrat

Joel Mumphord, Democrat

Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, Place 1:

Alex Garcia, Democrat

Chris Garza, Democrat

Gloria Garcia-Madrigal, Republican

Wendy Herman, Republican

Jo Woolsey, Republican

Constable Precinct 1:

Robert "Bobby" Cisneros, Democrat

Juan "Mike" Valverde, Democrat

Constable Precinct 3:

Adolfo G. Contreras, Democrat

Jimmy Rivera, Democrat

Constable Precinct 5:

Frank Flores III, Democrat

Gilbert Gomez, Democrat

Oscar B. Mendoza, Democrat

Nueces County Democratic Chair:

Jennifer Ellis

Cinia Clarich Montoya
The scars of the 2010 post-elections violence and idea of nationality have to be tackled.

ADS





The President-elect of Cote dIvoire Alassane Ouattara while addressing his party supporters shortly before the October 25, 2015 presidential election urged them, We must reinforce reconciliation and social cohesion. I ask each of you to forgive... to act as if nothing had happened in the past, whatever the insults and humiliations," media reports quoted.



Speaking on the national radio after he was declared winner of the election, Ouattara said he will give priority to prosperity as a means to have more reconciliation, BBC reported. To him, justice must take its course, victims compensated and the opposition must play its role as the opposition. The idea of reconciliation runs through Ouattaras pre-election and pro-election declarations, signifying that the country needs reconciliation.



Visible Political Camps



Though Ouattara was re-elected for the second term after acceding the supreme magistracy in 2010, the scars of the 2010 post-election conflict still haunt the country and makes it divided. The pro-Ouattara and former President Laurent Gbagbo camps remain visible in the country. After being defeated in the 2010 presidential election Gbagbo clung to power and the ensuing war to oust him caused the lost of over 3,000 lives.



Gbagbo is facing trial at the International Court of Justice at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 2010 post-election violence. His supporters are therefore vehement in their insistence on the fact that for veritable reconciliation to take place in the country, Gbagbo and his supporters some of whom are being tried back in Cote dIvoire should be freed.



Another aftermath of the 2010 post-election violence is the division in Gbagbos Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party whose candidate Pascal Affi N'Guessan came second after Ouattara in the October 25 election scoring 9.29 per cent of the votes cast. The party split ahead of the elections as other senior officials considered participation in the election with their founder behind bars as treason.



Opposition supporters who were arrested and detained before the vote have to be released. France Inter cited Marian Marie France Cisse as stating that tens of oppositions supporters were arrested for demonstrating against Alassane Ouattara and she was the lone person freed. Amnesty International also states that they counted 422 young political prisoners detained in horrible conditions.



Alassane Ouattara has been re-elected for the second term but many Ivorians have kept on rejecting him as not being from Cote dIvoire, hence not qualified to be Head of State. Many supporters Cote dIvoire by the former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, reports say.



The north-south cleavage remains perceptible with President Ouattara accused of favouring mostly people from the north in key positions in government and other aspects of national life. Francis Atkindes, professor of political sociology, is cited as saying that nothing has change in terms of governance as Ouattara is pursuing an implicit policy of ethnical catch up by injecting northerners into the administration.



Gbagbo, he said, adopted the same policy favouring mostly southerners in government and this led to the crisis in the country. Besides discrimination and favoritism based on ethnic lines, Cote d Ivoire is also confronted by the allegations that the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up to examine the 2010/2011 post-election violence in both pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara camps has remained confidential. A majority of the members of the pro-Ouattara militia found guilty are said to be free while those of Gbagbo camp are being punished.

ADS
DIAGNOSIS 1

Jacqueline Alexis Thng

Partner

Prophet Hong Kong When Sasa rebranded itself, the new store concepts were mostly limited to overhaul of its signages and graphics, and some basic renovations  the overall stores brand experience didnt change much. Its still an overcrowded (with products), narrow-aisle discount store. Shopping is a hassle and almost stressful experience. If one were to remove Sasas graphics, it was exactly the same as Bonjour. The two brands look and feel exactly the same. The choice between the two becomes location. With dwindling sales, especially from the Chinese tourists, the brand will inevitably need to appeal to the locals and other tourists. But how? First, the store concept needs to be thoroughly rebooted. Discount stores need not look messy, cramped and yes, cheap.

Sasa should take a leaf out of the duty-free shops in Singapores Changi and Hong Kongs Chek Lap Kok airports or even fast-fashion companies like Uniqlo and H&M. Good value can still offer a unique and pleasurable experiences. Its time for Sasa to invest in a real rebranding via a thought-out store experience and better-trained staff, like Apples Genius Bar, able to give expert beauty advice, which will lead to brand affinity and more sales. Lastly, a great ecommerce site that extends the same brand experience is a necessity in this digital age.

DIAGNOSIS 2

Adrian Li

Strategy director

Brand Union At a time when the industry is discounting, Sasa cannot simply rely on low prices or they risk losing customers to stores pricing each other out. Sasas brand challenge is to solve the question of why should people care about Sasa? The answer will give customers an emotional reason to shop  beyond the price war and weak market. To become a brand that people care about, Sasa should consider the following ideas: 1) Define a point of focus like Ikea that promises a better everyday life or Kelloggs that believes in the power of breakfast. Sasa can become more compelling by focusing on a singular idea. The idea must have significant meaning to their customers and give purpose to everything Sasa does. 2) Create a brand personality. In developing new store concepts, Sasa can achieve rewarding experiences that build attachment by asking themselves what kind of Sasa do customers need? and if Sasa was a person, what should he or she be like? 3) Have a point of view. The Asian view of beauty has rarely been explored by the brands that market to it. My female colleagues want Sasa that has thought about them and their personal beauty rituals. Its a cruicial conversation Sasa can drive. Its Beautiversity platform can be the place to start.
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About Me Bagsy Born Beeston, Notts 1946, my family moved to Dorset 1959. Joined the Royal Navy age 15 years and 50 days serving 10 years. In frigates firstly then over 5 years in the Submarine Service as a Seaman/Diver, reaching the dizzy heights of Leading Seaman, before leaving to join the Merchant Service, working in Ocean Salvage and Harbour Tugs, passenger / cargo ships, trials vessels, etc. Qualified as Mate (Chief Officer) in 1976 and as Master (Captain) in 1978. For my final 20 years of 47 I worked in the Offshore Oil Industry initially on the drilling rig Stena Hunter, then the accommodation barge Borgland Dolphin and finally the Floating Production Platform Buchan Alpha. On the rigs I forged a number of long lasting friendships several of whom shared some of my extensive travels. Setting foot on Caymen, Bermuda, Bahamas and The Azores in March 2013 brought my countries / autonimous regions total to 148. The best, undoubtedly, was Antarctica, followed by Australia, Mongolia, Belize, Zimbabwe, China and Madagascar, in no particular order. Love to all our readers, your in my thoughts. Bagsy View my complete profile
On the subject of competitive federalism and the loss of yet another source of state revenue (taxi licences), we should be asking why NSW Premier Mike Baird and his South Australian counterpart Jay Weatherill are warbling on about increasing the GST when there is so much they can do in their own bailiwick.
You'd think by this age, by this stage in our relationships, that we'd have it all worked out, know what to do, how to be, but we don't, and French's honesty is refreshing. It's brave to admit you don't have all the answers, that life is still throwing curve balls, still challenging, and we're still struggling to work it all out. How boring would life be if we had all the answers, even though at times, the answers are all you wish for.
Donations can be sent to BNC at Max Obuszewski, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212 . Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast [dot] net.
Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned []
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Its a good thing Honda brought this Ridgeline Black Edition to Chicago, otherwise we may not have pointed out that theyre going straight after the Chevy Colorado Midnight Edition with it.



The 2017 Ridgeline is undoubtedly a more versatile truck than the previous generation model. Its got a more conventional appearance, yet its more modern in every way, both outside and in  where it features must have safety gear such as Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist.

However, those who are hoping for more of a mean-looking truck, should definitely stop and admire this Black Edition model, which is a look that plenty of customers can appreciate when it comes to utility vehicles.

Chevrolet went out of their way to bring their entire Midnight Edition line-up to Chicago, as if they wanted to make sure their trucks werent getting the short end of the stick in terms of style.

Right now, were looking forward to seeing how the 2017 Ridgeline will do in terms of sales, especially compared to the Colorado but also the Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma and GMC Canyon, even though the Honda is a softer proposal. If last year was any indication, the Tacoma and the Colorado are running away with the mid-size pickup truck segment (more so the Toyota than the Chevy), but Honda should be able to get in the conversation in 2016 seen as how their brand new truck wasnt even around last year to put up a fight.

PHOTO GALLERY
Will the next Subaru Impreza hatch look anything likes this concept? If the Japanese companys history has taught us anything, its that you shouldnt hold your breath.



The study was revealed last year in Tokyo before arriving at the Chicago Auto Show this week, without any changes.

In concept form, the vehicle is 4,400mm (173.2in) long, 1,880mm (74.0in) wide and 1,440mm (56.7in) tall, with a 2,670mm (105.1in) wheelbase, meaning that it is slightly shorter, lower and wider than the current Impreza.

The production Impreza will be the companys first car to ride on the new Global Platform, which will eventually underpin most Subaru models, including a future full-size crossover. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions will improve in the upcoming Impreza, as the carmaker is reportedly developing a new generation of horizontally opposed powertrains, with cylinder deactivation and direct injection.

Subarus Impreza range will include a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback and a replacement for the XV Crosstrek. Some of these models might debut by the end of 2016.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Twitter - ABC15

UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.

Two students were shot and killed Friday at a high school in a Phoenix suburb but the danger at the campus was over, police said, as hundreds of worried parents crowded outside nearby stores to await word on their children.

Two 15-year-old girls were shot once at Independence High School, but it was not clear what led up to their deaths, Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters. Authorities were not looking for anyone else, and a gun was found near the bodies, she said.

The circumstances suggested the possibility of a murder-suicide or double-suicide, but Breeden said no determination had been made. She had no information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene and were found near an administration building.

Police arrived within two minutes of being called, and the school of more than 2,000 students went on lockdown, Breeden said.

Hundreds of worried parents soon began arriving at nearby discount and convenience stores. Breeden told parents awaiting word on their kids that "your children are safe."

Cheryl Rice said she went to a store after a friend called about the shooting and asked after Rice's 15-year-old daughter. But the girl called as Rice arrived at the store.

"She said, 'I'm OK,' so I of course started crying," Rice said.

She said it was horrible waiting for word about her child.

"You don't know if it's your daughter or not. You don't know who's being bullied. You don't know who is being picked on. You don't know anything. It could be anybody," Rice said.

School district officials said parents will be bused to the school to be reunited with their children. Other students who got permission from their parents left campus on their own.

Glendale Union High School District alerted parents to the shooting through emails and automatic phone calls and released information on social media, Superintendent Brian Capistran said.

Students typically are not allowed to use their cellphones during lockdowns, but as calls from parents flooded the district, officials asked teachers to have students call family, Capistran said.

Social workers and counsellors will be available to students and staff when school resumes Tuesday, the superintendent said.

UPDATE: noon

Two students were shot and killed Friday at a school in a Phoenix suburb but the danger at the campus was over, police said.

Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden said both 15-year-olds were shot once and a weapon was found near the bodies.

She did not say who fired the shots and had no information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene.

Breeden told parents awaiting word on their kids that "your children are safe."

No one can leave or enter the campus of more than 2,000 students until police ensure the school's safety and lift the lockdown, Glendale Union High School District said in a statement on its website.

ORIGINAL

Police say two teens have been shot at a high school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, but there is no more danger to the rest of the campus.

Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters Friday that she doesn't know whether the victims at Independence High School are students. She didn't discuss the conditions of the teens.

She didn't say who fired the shots, but said there is no active shooter situation now.

The school is on lockdown.

Police and fire units have descended on the school. Streets are closed to traffic in the residential area around the campus.

A Glendale Union High School District spokeswoman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

The district website says the school has more than 2,000 students and was founded in 1977.
Photo: Contributed

Smarthphone technology is shaking up earthquake research with a new app that may soon connect millions of users around the world to create an early warning network.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have released a crowdsourcing Android application called MyShake that uses data from a smartphone's built-in vibration sensor to detect the presence of a quake.

The program uses a smartphone's accelerometer to detect the shaking. It's the same device that fitness apps use to count footsteps. An iPhone app is also planned.

The end goal is to develop the technology into a global, seismic-detection system that provides advance warning to the public and to emergency personnel about the speed, direction, power and arrival time of an incoming earthquake.

Richard Allen, senior researcher on the app project, said he hopes to incorporate public alerts within a year or two.

"The brains of the system, what makes this possible ... is how do you distinguish between earthquake shaking and everyday shaking," said Allen, who is also director of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory.

A team of academics spent several years advancing the project, using shake tables and human subjects to identify the 20 unique characteristics of earthquake quavers compared to movement from routine activities, such as running or riding a bus.

A number of traditional seismic stations have long been installed across the Pacific Northwest to detect tremors. While smartphones will never replace these more sensitive terminals, Allen said the app could complement and strengthen the existing technology.

There are about 400 seismic stations in California compared to the state's 16 million smartphones, which Allens said means MyShake could more than make up for what it lacks in sensitivity with sheer numbers.

On the Canadian side, research from digital-marketing firm Catalyst revealed a 68-per-cent smartphone penetration rate in 2015, which translates to roughly 24 million devices in the country.

One especially valuable possible application for MyShake is the potential to offer earthquake early warning to shake-prone regions not equipped with traditional seismic-detection systems.

"That's the real power here. You go to places like Nepal where there were these big earthquakes earlier this year and there are very few seismic stations in that country. But there are six million smartphones," Allen said.

"In the city of Kathmandu, where most of the damage occurred, alone there are 600,000 smartphones."

The app's release follows last week's announcement of more than $8 million in both government and charitable funding to American universities along the Pacific coast for ShakeAlert, a chain of fixed detection stations.

"The way it works is we take the (seismic) network we have and basically put it on steroids," said John Vidale, a University of Washington professor and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

Hundreds of upgraded and additional stations along the coast would provide seconds to minutes of valuable warning time, which Vidale estimated could reduce between 10 and 50 per cent of injuries and damage.

Some data sharing takes place between Canada and the United States, but so far no conclusions have been reached over what a region-wide warning system might look like.

"We need to consider British Columbia when we're looking at (early) warning for the U.S. because the earthquakes in Cascadia could start off Vancouver Island," Vidale said.

"We need to be watching the whole thing if we want to get the maximum warning and the most accurate picture of what's happening."

Teron Moore of Victoria-based Ocean Networks Canada said both his group and Emergency Management British Columbia are beta-testers for the ShakeAlert software.

Progress on either side of the border supports the bigger picture of earthquake early warning, Moore said.

"We're all on the same team bringing these puzzle pieces together," he said. "Earthquakes really don't recognize borders."
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Press Release For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 11, 2016

Contact: Media Relations

(404) 639-3286

A supplement to the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, highlights programs that reduce disparities by race/ethnicity, geography, disability, and/or sexual orientation across a range of different health conditions.

Reducing and eliminating health disparities is fundamental to building a healthier nation, said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. With science-based and effective interventions, we can close health disparity gaps in America.

The supplement demonstrates that we can make progress in overcoming public health disparities through meaningful community and local health authority involvement.

Programs designed to build health equity are a smart investment for improving health outcomes. Public health professionals can enhance the impact of strategies for reducing health disparities, disseminate and tailor these strategies to reach more communities, and determine how to expand these strategies for even greater impact by rigorously applying lessons learned from these efforts, said CDCs Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity Leandris Liburd, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A.

The eight programs reported in the current supplement include:

A report on the Traditional Foods Project. During 20102012, American Indian and Alaska Native adults were about twice as likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. The experiences of this tribally driven effort suggest that traditional food activities are a way to facilitate dialogue about health in tribal communities, a key step in health promotion and diabetes prevention.

A description of Boston Childrens Hospitals Community Asthma Initiative. Black and Hispanic children are hospitalized with complications of asthma much more often than are white children. The program demonstrates that interventions by community health workers can significantly reduce hospitalizations in these populations. This effective program has been adapted to local cultural variations in other cities and states.

A report on evidence-based interventions to improve levels of screening for colorectal cancer in two states, in Alaska (among Alaska Natives) and in Washington (among racial and ethnic minority and low-income populations).

A report documenting the reduction of disparities in hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in the United States following incremental changes in hepatitis A vaccination recommendations to increase coverage for children and persons at high risk for HAV infection

Two reports outlining HIV prevention interventions shown to reduce HIV- and STD-related risk behaviors among Hispanic or Latino men and high-risk men who have sex with men, including substance users

A report describing three community-level interventions linked to reductions in youth violence.

An evaluation of the Living Well with a Disability program, which helps people with disabilities manage their health.

For more information about health disparities visit the CDCs Office of Minority Health and Health Equity site.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money through prevention. Whether these threats are global or domestic, chronic or acute, curable or preventable, natural disaster or deliberate attack, CDC is the nations health protection agency.
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This is one of the most absurd mainstream media spins you will ever read. NBCNews.com put up a study claiming that congress is unanimous on Vaccinations. But wait, how could that possibly be? If you look at the graphic, the overwhelming response to the question are your kids vaccinated? is no response. However, NBC highlights 0 responded no out of 434 house members.

But when it comes to the issue of vaccinations, there appears to be a level of unanimous agreement. An NBC News survey of all 434 voting members currently serving in the House of Representatives finds that not a single member indicated that their children had NOT been vaccinated.

Thats a clear fallacy to link 0 responded no to their headline, Congress is Unanimous on Vaccinations. Thats misleading of the real truth, which is, in essence, well over half Congress refused to say publicly. This could also mean they are afraid of the repercussions which would come with claiming non-vaccination statuses. This is yet another shining example of the media spinning for pharmaceutical company gains and ambitions.

Only 33 people had no children and werent relevant, so thats not the issue. The fact that most of these members refuse to even say either way is very telling. It tells us they feel fear and shame. That they want to avoid losing support for choosing the less traveled or accepted path. If this was NBC and Congress best shot at relaying a message that vaccines are safe, theyve tragically failed.

The GOP nominees, including Donald Trump, have stirred the vaccination pot once again. Trump declared that vaccines are related to autism on the national debate stage, which set the pro-vaccination sphere on fire.

Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesnt feel good and changes  AUTISM. Many such cases!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2014

As the primaries wind down and Presidential hopefuls face off, it is likely that vaccinations will be front and center again. And if this is any indication of fair metric reporting by NBC over the matter, we should lower our expectations and hope at least a little. The blasphemous and erroneous reporting we are seeing in this graphic also puts on display a clear lack of complex thinking on behalf of the masses. That graphic is elementary, at best.

image credit: fotolia
The Western Expansion, slavery, the Civil War and American pioneer life were summed up in a 30-minute play at Diller-Odell Elementary School on Thursday.

It was effective and entertaining, teachers and students said. For the fifth and sixth graders who acted out the play, it was an enjoyable learning experience working with Fax Gilbert, the Iowa man who wrote the play and tours the Midwest to host several educational programs.

The play was performed for an audience that filled most of the bleachers in the elementary school gym. Parents, grandparents and other community members attended.

It was really fun, said sixth grader Madeline Swanson. It boosted our confidence and helped us learn about acting, which will help us in our upcoming theater performance.

Several sixth graders said Gilbert was fun to work with, taught them about acting in an effective and gentle way and taught them some magic tricks.

(The play) definitely made history more interesting than books does, Swanson said. If someone asks us about immigration, we can tell them about this play we did in sixth grade.  It was really exciting to come every day of the week and learn and practice.

The students spent an hour daily with Gilbert to practice The Great American History Play. The play was mostly actions on the childrens part, with Gilbert on stage narrating what was happening.

Gilbert started by setting up the scene  the beginning of the Western Expansion. The children wore attire of the late 1800s. The girls wore long skirts, aprons and bonnets. The boys wore cowboy hats, fake mustaches, boots and other attire.

First, Gilbert said, people on the east coast who wanted to move west had to get there. They walked and used horse-drawn wagons. Two students pretending to be horses crawled across the gym floor, which served as the stage.

Next, they had to buy land. Two students pretended to survey land, pointing into the distance.

Then, the families had to build a house. The actors pretended to hack and haul trees.

It took about 60 to 80 trees to build a house, Gilbert said.

The students continued to act out, without props, what Gilbert narrated  the importance of fireplaces, the many hours of sleep and corn mash meals during the winter months, the type of work men and women did on homesteads and so on.

Life wasnt only work for the pioneers, Gilbert said. They loved to dance and had two big dances each year.

The actors danced individually and as groups, staging a festival of neighboring pioneers.

Slavery caused conflict which led to war, which was the Civil War, Gilbert told the audience as the play went on. Nebraska was against slavery and joined the North.  7,000 Nebraskans died in this war  5,000 in battle and 2,000 of sickness and disease.

Immigration was also briefly explained.

Between 1850 and 1900, half a million people came to Nebraska, not just from the East Coast but from other countries, Gilbert said.

Students grouped together as families from Germany, Ireland, Poland and Italy, sharing why they came to the United States  for religious freedom, to open a bakery and to find any job.

A school scene showed (fake) physical discipline that was characteristic of the time.

I hope you learned a lot about American History and that this made you think about the things we take for granted, Gilbert told the audience after the play ended.

The program was paid for by the Diller-Odell Booster Club and a grant that teacher Kristine Heidman applied for.

Sixth grade teacher Abby Kostal said the children really enjoyed participating in the play.

It took them back to those times, getting to wear the clothes, Kostal said. They enjoy acting it out rather than reading about it.

The play was not a substitute for curriculum from text books, Kostal said.

It was very good, she said. It was hands-on learning for the kids and a great way to get them interested in American history.

Sixth grader Edna Martinez said the play taught her about school life in the United States at the turn of the century and the intensity of work at home.

They had to do a lot more work than we do, Martinez said.

Students said challenging parts of the play included learning accents of their characters native countries, keeping a straight face on stage, paying attention to cues and dancing.

Gilbert also spent time teaching preschoolers magic tricks. He worked with Diller-Odell students from Monday through Thursday.

Gilbert has been a performer for more than 20 years and also presents character development and anti-bullying programs.
Speaker Galen Hadley brought senators to their feet Thursday morning when he chastised the writer of a recent newspaper column  a state senator  for showing complete disrespect to the Nebraska Legislature.

I am just getting sick and tired of people in this body bashing this body, Hadley said when he stood to speak on a bill being debated.

Im referring to an op-ed in the Plattsmouth Journal that likened this body to a bunch of monkeys.

A lot of great things go on in the Legislature, Hadley said, and have been for 80 years. Senators work together on bills and may have disagreements, but then they move on to the next bill.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. But you know what? The people of Nebraska win, because they elect the 49 of us to come down here and do their job. To do their bidding, he said.

Hadley went so far as to say that if a senator doesnt like being in the Legislature or thinks its not doing the right things, then that senator can get out.

He didnt name the writer, but he was referring to a column that ran Tuesday headlined, The way it has always been in the Legislature, by Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion.

The column, Hadley said, ended with this line: Disclaimer: This is meant as no disrespect to monkeys.

When Hadley concluded, he got a standing ovation from senators.

After Hadleys dressing down, Kintner said he had done nothing wrong. He said he used an analogy to make a point about legislative bodies, and in doing so he zeroed in on the Nebraska Legislature.

Its just the thing that you join an institution and you start to serve the institution, not the people, Kintner said. I serve the people, not this institution. ... I came here to change things. I didnt come here to do business as usual.

Kintner said Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers calls the Legislature a racist body, talks about white laws, calls senators dumb and ignorant.

And Im still waiting for the speaker to stand up and say the same thing about him, he said. So, theres a definite double standard here, and anyone who follows this Legislature knows it.

Hadley responded that senators do stand up to Chambers, a number of them taking him to task on the floor last session over his remarks comparing ISIS to the police.

When asked if he thought his column was disrespectful to senators, Kintner said it was probably more disrespectful to monkeys.

He followed with: Thats a joke. Yes, Im joking. ... Im not serious.

And he said he doesnt think the column will increase disrespect for the Legislature among his constituents.

No, its not going to go any lower. This institution is not going to sink any lower than it is, he said.

Kintner added that his constituents appreciate what the Legislature does well, and they are disappointed it doesnt do more.

We dont fulfill the promises that we make as how great we are and how we work together, he said. We havent cut one tax rate in four years. People are really frustrated with that.

Not true, said Revenue Committee Chairman Mike Gloor.

He produced a list of major tax reductions passed by the Legislature in 2012, 2013 and 2014. That list, he said, has been read on the floor multiple times  when Kintner was present.
As American agriculture grinds through Februarys dull weather and even duller commodity markets, two Chinese firms have used the month to make inroads into the American farm and food colossus.

First, on Feb. 3, China National Chemical Corp., known as ChemChina, announced its purchase of Syngenta, the Swiss-based chemical and seed giant, for the equivalent of $43 billion. While thats a 22 percent premium to Syngentas total share price, its 10 percent less than Monsanto Co. offered to pay for the firm just last summer.

Two days later, on Feb. 5, Nebraskas unicameral legislature voted 34-14 to end the states 18-year ban on meatpackers owning livestock for more than five days prior to slaughter. The move, noted the Lincoln Journal Star, means Nebraska will now join those states in allowing meat processors like Chinese-owned Smithfield to contract with farmers to raise pigs in large, concentrated operations.

Smithfield Foods, owned by China-based WH Foods since 2013, raises and slaughters millions of hogs throughout the U.S. Its record $15 billion in sales last year easily makes it the worlds largest pork producer.

WH Foods and ChemChina are not independent, shareholder-owned firms like the companies they bought. Both are state-owned, both are almost entirely state-financed, and both are driven by national interests as much as by economics.

As such, these companies and their acquisitions are less about geopolitics and international finance and more about owning  or at least controlling  the means to supply Chinas 1.4 billion eaters with safe, abundant and cheap food.

In fact, noted a Feb. 3 New York Times story dissecting the Syngenta deal, China is very sensitive to its reliance on foreign food. Three years ago, 30 million Chinese were eating Western-style foods and now, according to market estimates,  by 2018, 300 million Chinese [will] be consuming Western-style foods

That Western-style food, however, doesnt mean Western companies or Western farmers will be in charge. They may grow the food, but they wont own it.

Indeed, Chinas recent moves to lock-up key elements  and Syngenta is just the latest key element  of the Wests food chain is what feeding the world will look like in rural America tomorrow: China either owning or controlling the technology used to grow food with American soil, water and labor.I know, I know; you thought youd be the one feeding China. While that remains partly true, its now quite clear that China is buying technology to boost domestic production. Equally clear is that it hopes to make a profit selling you the technology you need to grow the food it will import.

Those clever Reds; the Long March never ended.

Chinas growing investment in offshore food production is not, however, manifest destiny. Its just the latest example of how globalization, the freer, legal movement of money and ideas around the world, will shape our collective and individual futures.It also is a clear signal that American agricultures ironclad belief in a feed the world future is no longer the future. Oh, we may still feed part of the world, but its more likely well do it to honor a contract, not our conscience.

This should not be news to anyone who has been paying attention. American farmers and ranchers played an outsized role in creating this future, a future where the World Trade Organization now has more control over American farm policy than the American Farm Bureau Federation and where 34 legislators in Nebraska can open the states front door to international hog conglomerates despite 1,100 local citizens petitioning them to keep it locked.

A generation ago neither would have even been considered. Now both hardly raise a yawn. What changed?

The world changed. Not long ago it bought our production; now its buying our means of production. Christopher Columbus was right. The world is flat and getting flatter.
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It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios?

Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything.

No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now, unending.
Dr. Kimberly Estep, WGU Tennessee chancellor, and Dr. Flora Tydings, Chattanooga State president, celebrated and re-signed an articulation agreement Friday that has allowed more than 70 Chattanooga State Community College faculty, staff, and graduates to further their education.



Chattanooga State students and employees need to have options, said Dr. Tydings. And this partnership provides another pathway for our graduates and employees to achieve the career of their dreams.



Chattanooga State was the first community college to sign an agreement with us and we are delighted to work alongside President Tydings to provide accessible, affordable education to their graduates and staff, said Dr. Estep. We look forward to the continued growth of our partnership as Tennessee Promise students prepare to graduate from Chattanooga State in the coming years.



Officials said, "The articulation agreement offers all Chattanooga State graduates and staff discounted tuition at WGU Tennessee, which is already only $6,000 per year and includes learning materials.



"Graduates of Chattanooga State or other Tennessee community colleges who choose to enroll in WGU Tennessee will benefit from 24/7 access to coursework, one-on-one support from an assigned mentor, and a competency-based approach to learning, which allows students to focus on what they need to learn and leverage what they have mastered on the job."



All of this gives students  such as Stacy Vick, who earned nursing degrees from both Chattanooga State and WGU Tennessee  the flexibility they need to balance education, employment and family.

It sounded like it was perfect for a nurses crazy schedule, Ms. Vick said. Im excited to continue building my family and my career. Thanks to WGU Tennessee, Im one step closer to my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.



"The relationship between WGU Tennessee and Chattanooga State fosters the kind of cooperation necessary to achieve Haslams Drive to 55 goals. Additionally, all Chattanooga area residents are eligible for WGU Tennessees Tenn-K Scholarship, which awards $10,000 to select applicants. With the Tennessee Promise initiative and Chattanooga States partnership with WGU Tennessee, potential students have the opportunity to earn a bachelors or masters degree at a fraction of the average cost," officials said.
Town in Southern California foothills bans unregulated short-term rentals entirely

RALEIGH - While residents wait on the Raleigh City Council to decide whether or not Airbnb-style services should be legal, local governments elsewhere in the U.S. are cracking down on the online-based home rental company Elected officials in the Southern California city of Ojai decided during a January council meeting to impose a citywide ban on vacation rentals of less than 30 days.The vote was 5-0 in favor of the ban, and one councilwoman - Betsy Clapp - called the businesssaid Clapp, as reported by the Ventura County Star.Those comments mirror sentiments expressed last year by some Raleigh council members during a heated discussion over whether Airbnb and similar "short-term residential lodging" services should be legalized within city limits.Airbnb, an online business allowing homeowners to rent rooms in their homes, operates like a bed and breakfast service - only with fewer regulations than most cities impose on short-term rental properties.Raleigh Councilwoman Kay Crowder spoke against Airbnb in December 2014, when the discussion first surfaced, and has continued to voice her dissent, saying legalizing Airbnb could enhance economic inequality.Crowder said during a council meeting late last year. "We also have to [make] the consideration that property that is now rented to people at a reasonable price becomes - all of a sudden - very attractive to your rental business."The model is illegal under Raleigh's zoning laws, but while the city continues talks about how it should, or shouldn't, regulate those rentals, the city has chosen not to enforce the law aggressively, letting Airbnb users continue to operate.Raleigh's council has discussed multiple approaches to address Airbnb, from limiting short-term residential lodging permits to 30 days to requiring homeowners renting through Airbnb to have permanent "on-site managers" who would monitor vacation homes and rental spaces.And while Raleigh continues considering legalization of Airbnb, Ojai residents said goodbye to those privileges as of Feb. 1, when the ban took effect.wrote Watchdog.org Reporter Eric Boehm in a recent article about widespread regulation of Airbnb and other home rental services. "There's no need for the government to intervene in that relationship, until and unless there is a crime committed on the property or there is some other reason for the judicial system to get involved."The Raleigh Planning Commission's Text Change Committee tentatively is scheduled to continue discussion of Airbnb regulations next week, according to Assistant Planning Administrator Eric Hodge.
Evonik Industries plans to build a new production line for special polyamide 12 powder (PA12) in Marl (Germany) with an investment volume in the mid double-digit million euro range. The new plant, which is scheduled to become operational in late 2017, will increase the Groups existing annual capacity for polyamide 12 powders by 50 percent.

"The planned investment in the new polyamide 12 powder facility represents the next step in our growth strategy. Our intention is to solidify Evoniks leading position as a provider of polyamide 12-based high performance polymers and utilize the growth potential of new application areas," said Dr. Ralph Sven Kaufmann, Chief Operating Officer of Evonik.

VESTOSINT is a modified PA12 powder that is manufactured at the Marl site from a polyamide granulate, using a proprietary Evonik process.
The Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago could become home to Beam Suntory, a spirits maker based in Deerfield. Beam Suntory is considering a move of at least some of its 400-plus local employees to vacant space in the Merchandise Mart, according to sources familiar with the discussions. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Deerfield-based Beam Suntory is considering moving at least some of its 400-plus local employees to downtown Chicago, and vacant space in the historic Merchandise Mart is a strong contender, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

If a deal occurs, Beam Suntory, the world's third-largest premium spirits company, would sublease space from Motorola Mobility, sources said. Motorola shrunk its footprint within the Mart last year through layoffs.

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Beam Suntory spokeswoman Emily Bryson York declined to comment on a possible move.

William Moss, a spokesman for Motorola Mobility, declined to comment on potential discussions with Beam Suntory.

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Since laying off about 500 workers in August, Motorola has leased about 93,000 square feet of its available 200,000 square feet and continues "to pursue multiple opportunities for the remaining space on the 16th floor," Moss said.

In December, software company VelocityEHS announced it would sublease more than 90,000 square feet of Motorola Mobility's space at the Mart for its global headquarters and more than 300 employees.

Several companies in recent years have left the suburbs for downtown Chicago in hopes of tapping into a younger and more diverse workforce. Last month, Kraft Heinz moved 1,500 employees from Northfield to the Aon Center. Hillshire Brands, Walgreens and AT&T have either opened downtown offices or relocated their headquarters to the city.

McDonald's opened a River North office in April to house digital employees while retaining its longtime Oak Brook headquarters. And this summer, ConAgra Foods will move its headquarters from Omaha, Neb., to the Mart.

Beam Suntory was created when Japan's Suntory bought Beam for about $16 billion in April 2014, bringing together American brands such as Jim Beam bourbon and Japan's Yamazaki single-malt whiskey.

Its brands include Jim Beam, Maker's Mark and Knob Creek bourbon, Canadian Club whiskey and Kakubin, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskeys as well as Courvoisier cognac.

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Shoppers enter the Nordstrom store in The Shops at North Bridge in November 2014 in Chicago. Nordstrom has yet to report fourth-quarter results from 2015 but lowered its forecasts for profit and sales after slower-than-expected third-quarter sales. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Less-than-stellar holiday sales  despite extra-long hours and extra-steep discounts  may be a wake-up call to department stores that they need a new approach.

"What shoppers are looking for from department stores today is an experience, services and brands they can't get other places. There's an opportunity, but they're not totally taking advantage of it yet," said Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, a retail consultancy in New York.

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The holiday season at Sears was especially rough. Greg Melich, an Evercore ISI analyst covering Sears, warned in a report that the company is no longer "viable as a retailer in its current form."

The Hoffman Estates-based department store chain announced it planned to accelerate store closings and said it expected to write down the value of its iconic brand name by up to $200 million.

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Behind the scenes, Sears is working to "proactively transform" its business, said spokesman Chris Brathwaite. The retailer has aggressively invested in what it calls "integrated retail services" that combine the online and in-store shopping experience, where analysts said Sears is ahead of the curve. Customers can get free curbside pickup of items they've ordered online or reserve clothes online to try on in-store, and the company's loyalty program allows more targeted and personalized marketing.

Liebmann and Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, another retail consultancy in New York, said Sears is in unusually dire straits.

"They just can't compete," Davidowitz said.

But it just isn't a good time to be a department store, he said.

"Department stores are the worst segment in retailing. The sector is not a good sector," Davidowitz said.

Sears Holdings on Tuesday said fourth-quarter sales at stores open at least a year fell 6.9 percent in Sears stores and 7.2 percent in Kmart stores, and fell 7.3 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively, for the full year. Macy's reported a 4.7 percent drop in November and December sales at existing stores and has also announced plans to cut 40 stores. J.C. Penney Co. reported a 3.9 percent increase in sales over that period; analysts said their good performance came from fixing earlier mistakes.

Nordstrom has yet to report fourth-quarter results but lowered its forecasts for profit and sales after slower-than-expected third-quarter sales.

Retail sales were up by 0.2 percent in January, but department stores sales were down 0.8 percent, according to U.S. Commerce Department data released Friday.

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Department stores are a "high-cost operator," with lots of large stores in pricey mall real estate, Davidowitz said. That makes it tough to compete with stores like value-focused T.J. Maxx or fast fashion retailers and online sellers that offer similar items with a less-expensive business model.

"People are watching their pennies," he said. "The customer is trading down, and people in the extreme value business are booming."

E-commerce has been a challenge for all brick-and-mortar retailers, but some retail analysts said department stores may have been particularly hard-hit.

Online shoppers do less browsing than in-store customers, meaning retailers make less per sale, said Keith Jelinek, senior managing director with FTI Consulting. A customer hunting for a specific item online might not immediately think to look to a department store offering a wide range of items, said Neil Stern, senior partner at Chicago-based McMillanDoolittle.

Even wealthier customers who still like the department store experience just aren't buying as many clothes, and both the department stores and the malls they're often found in are still dependent on apparel sales, making both less of a draw, said Liebmann.

"Post-recession, a lot of people are saying, 'How much more stuff do I need? There are other things I'd prefer to spend my money on,'" she said.

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Higher-end department stores have been introducing off-price stores to compete with those offering a better deal, including Nordstrom Rack, Macy's Backstage and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th.

"Most are now saying, this is where we can grow with price-conscious shoppers," Liebmann said. "There's a danger because it erodes who they are as a premium retailer, but it also brings in a whole new audience."

Liebmann said that meant off-price stores were unlikely to cut into their namesakes' sales but could mean more competition for department stores targeting more budget-conscious customers, such as J.C. Penney, Kohl's and Sears.

Brianna Stein, a student at Columbia College hunting for a gift at a Nordstrom Rack off Michigan Avenue, said she likes the fact that she could stumble across a brand-name item from Nordstrom at a great price, though she doesn't often spend there.

"Sometimes you get lucky," she said. "As a student, budget is pretty important to me."

Despite their challenges, there is a niche for department stores to fill going forward, said Steven Barr, PwC's U.S. retail and consumer sector leader, dismissing talk of their demise.

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Alicia Terran, a Chicago wedding planner searching for a particular Michael Kors purse at Macy's, agreed.

"There are always going to be girls that love department stores," she said.

But that doesn't mean they don't need to evolve, analysts said.

With companies that started with e-commerce also trying to blend online and brick-and-mortar sales, McMillanDoolittle's Stern said companies that already have a network of physical stores will have at least a short-term advantage. But he also said Sears' online efforts won't matter if customers aren't interested in the brand behind the tech.

"You can be great at doing all this, but if the brand's not compelling, you're still not drawing new eyeballs," Stern said.

Brathwaite said Sears is trying to be profitable and doubling down on relationships with current shoppers.

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Others are trying to balance drawing in younger customers with keeping the brand's legacy intact and trying to go back to what department stores were initially famous for: a destination outing, not just an errand, Barr and WSL's Liebmann said.

Desiree Perkins, shopping at Nordstrom at the Shops at North Bridge while in town on business, said she liked the store's products but was also impressed with the overall look and surprised to find a bar in the middle of the men's department. She estimates she does about half her shopping online but likes the full experience she gets in person.

"That's what brings me in," she said.

Many department stores now offer restaurants and coffee shops. Some have personal shoppers, spa services, parties for regular customers and pop-up shops spotlighting new products.

While higher-end department stores might invest in a smaller number of more upscale locations in major cities, midtier stores can still compete on experience by promising customers the thrill of getting a steal, Barr said.

The key to sticking around will be picking an identity and sticking to it, he said.

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"What department stores can't do is be something to everybody in all markets," Barr said.

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The Burger King "chili cheese" hot dog is shown Feb. 9, 2016, at a New York media event to introduce the restaurant's new menu item. Burger King plans to start selling the hot dogs in the U.S. on Feb. 23. The company says it will offer two options of grilled dogs, the chili cheese and classic that has relish, onions, ketchup and mustard. (Candice Choi / AP)
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is introduced during the 2016 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview at McCormick Place on Feb. 11, 2016, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Toyota roughed up its Tacoma midsize pickup truck with the off-road TRD Pro series package unveiled at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show.

TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development, which derives from Toyota's Baja off-road racing team. Following Tacoma's redesign for model year 2016, the best-selling midsize gets to go play in the mud with its stablemates, the Tundra full-size truck and the 4Runner SUV.

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The TRD Pro series is no stranger to Chicago. First offered for model year 2015 Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner, the vehicles were featured in a muddy off-road course inside the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, where they scaled teeter totters, clawed up a muddy 14-foot mountain, then plowed through mud, wet sand, and a two-foot pit of water. TRD Pro series trucks were unfazed.

The TRD Pro series on display at the 2016 show feature the "cement" paint color, which is a heavy kind of dark silver that looks sleeker than it sounds.

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The Tacoma TRD Pro "Taco Supreme", as it's been called by Toyota, comes with 16-inch black alloy wheels with Kevlar-reinforced tires, black cladding around the wheel arches, head- and tailights, and an aluminum skid plate. On the inside, expect TRD badging everywhere, except on the GoPro windshield mount.

The AWD TRD Tacoma uses the double cab short bed configuration, and comes with either a new 6-speed automatic or the returning 6-speed manual with Active Traction Control, which locks up spinning wheels and delivers torque to those wheels that need it to get out. TRD-tuned rear suspension will aid in getting over those rough spots. The 4-liter V-6 engine has been replaced with a 3.5-liter V-6.

The 2016 Tacoma did not get the TRD Pro treatment. The 2015 model started at $35,725, while the base Tacoma was $20,965. The 2016 Tacoma starts at $23,300, so we expect the 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro to start one mud splat under $40,000.

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"Rehab Addict." "Property Brothers." "Fixer Upper." HGTV's cup runneth over with home renovation shows, but can home improvement really be as glamorous as it appears on the small screen?

Allyson Case, CEO and founder of Chicago-based contracting company Integro Rehab, found out when HGTV chose to feature her team's renovation project on an episode of "House Hunters: Renovation."

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The task: transform a 3,100-square-foot Victorian three-flat in Ravenswood into a duplex with living space on the top two floors and a rental unit on the first level.

The challenges: water damage, a third floor gradually splitting away from the rest of the house and more than $40,000 in additional expenses.

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We spoke to Case about "The Never-Ending Renovation," gut rehabs in Chicago and how the Scott twins of "Property Brothers" seemingly manage to renovate homes in eight weeks without breaking a sweat. Here's an edited transcript.

Allyson Case, CEO and founder of Chicago-based Integro Rehab, appeared on an episode of House Hunters: Renovation. (Allison Shapiro / Integro Rehab)

Q: How did the relationship with HGTV come about?

A: It was basically based on the blog (www.integrorehab.wordpress.com). We had a conversation and they told me that they were focusing on Chicago and LA and I should apply (to include) my next project on one of their shows. "House Hunters" was the one we went after and in a couple of weeks they gave us the call. The whole process started about December 2014, and the project started April 2015. ... It was almost very documentarylike. We went on with our renovation and they were taking notes. They were there all the time. It was quite the loss when they left; it felt like a big part of the project was missing.

Q: The "Hoyne Project" renovation is still in progress  does HGTV have plans to return once you've finished?

A: No, I mean, that's up to them if they want to come back. Originally we were hoping to do the second and the third floor, but the third floor didn't work out, as you'll find in the episode. We ended up having to revise our permit, which took 137 days. We were originally supposed to finish the whole thing in August, but then with the revised permit and that whole process with the city, we just got re-approved for our permit in January.

Q: Did the presence of the cameras change the rehab experience for you or the family?

A: The hardest part about it, I guess, was you had to explain a lot. So it's like things that I run into everyday  I have a conversation with my superintendent like, "OK, we have to do this," and the question (from the show producers) always is "Why? Why do you have to do that?" It really forces you to articulate everything that's going on.

Q: Were you at all camera-shy?

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A: No, everybody was actually pretty comfortable with it. I'd say overall the process of a gut rehab, they focus on the big stuff, but the really big parts are not shown. We didn't really run into any camera-shyness  they were really very respectful of the process and I set ground rules initially. ... Ground rules as far as safety. Who does what and where people are allowed to be. Safety is my No. 1 concern and they were respectful of checking with me before anything was done. I had a lot of control over my own job site which was nice and welcome.

Q: When you watched the episode, was there anything that seemed different in real life vs. how it was presented on the show?

A: Well I think that primarily some of the things kind of happened out of sequence. First of all, I was like the bearer of bad news constantly. ... That's all I did like "change order, change order, change order," and then they (the homeowners) tell me they're pregnant and I look horrified. There are conversations that we're having almost every day with clients and I think what wasn't portrayed also is that we had had these discussions. Whenever you take on a gut rehab project, especially in a frame building, it is a complete can of worms.

Q: Why is that?

A: Frame buildings are made of wood and the materials themselves deteriorate faster. They just can't withstand like stone can. I always tell investors if you're comparing apples to apples, you should definitely pick masonry over frame because there's a structural integrity that you run into, which is exactly what they run into on Hoyne. It was a structural nightmare.

Q: Going back to your comment about constant change orders  explain what that means.

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A: A change order is basically when the scope changes because of something, whether that's owner-requested changes or when we do demolition and find something that we didn't know was there and now we have to fix it. A change order is basically additional money that has to be paid by the owner in order to complete the project.

Q. But you're in constant communication with the family, so while it may seem like a surprise on the show, you were in fact talking about it. There's always an unforeseen issue on every episode of "Love It or List It" and I hate that.

A. Yeah, exactly. The other thing too, which none of these shows ever show, are the architecture drawings. The fact is, if you're doing a gut rehab, in order to get a general permit you need drawings, and so a lot of this is addressed. You have to meet code, so there's quite a bit of research that goes in, especially when you're replacing all the plumbing, all the electrical, all the HVAC ... those are in the drawings and you have an architect who's in there. There's just a lot of people involved and I think more often than not, it's shown as the designer and owner and a GC (general contractor) who's getting directions from a verbal scope when that's never happening. You don't walk around and look and go, "oh yeah, it's going to be about that much." It doesn't happen that way. The bidding process is a quarter of the entire renovation process.

Q: So in actuality, the discussion about finances lasts longer than two seconds.

A: Right, it's weeks. The larger the project, the longer it gets. If you're doing a gut rehab like what was shown on HGTV, you're about 90 days out from starting by the time you get done with architecture drawings and bidding. Once you get the drawings it takes about three to four weeks to bid. I think a lot of people, especially when they're buying properties and they want to do these renovations, they don't realize that they're eight to 12 weeks out from starting, that they're holding a mortgage for 90 days before anything is happening. ... Now I will say at Hoyne ... we had not anticipated having to rip off the third floor and rebuild it  that was not in the original scope. That's very rare but opening things up and finding the plumbing isn't up to code, finding that there's cloth around the wires, once you've done enough of these, you kind of know what your worst-case scenario is.

Q: Tell me more about the obstacles you faced. I know there was an issue with water damage, the third floor porch  how did that all happen?

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A: So demolition is where you find the majority of your problems, and there's no way you can see what's inside those walls until you open them up. What we had anticipated was that we would have to reinforce all the joists  it's called sister joisting. Let's say you have a beam that's going from one side of the house to the other  you take a fresh piece of lumber and attach it to that beam and that's called sister joisting and it reinforces the structure. What we found when we opened up that wall is on the third floor, the prior owner had added a bathroom and kitchen on his own. He didn't do anything per code, and in order to get the plumbing lines to the third floor, he cut a hole through all of the joists underneath the third floor and ran pipes. So basically the third floor was floating and didn't have any structural integrity. Then we had the roof. We saw some water damage in certain parts when we were walking through the interior before demo, so we knew there were probably holes in the roof, that the roof would probably need some reshingling, maybe some new plywood. But when we had taken out the ceiling, what we found was that there were holes in the roof but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that the wood itself was so water-damaged, when it rain the water came through the wood of all of the roof joists. We could literally grab one of the joists and crumble the wood with our bare hands. We had a roof resting on water-damaged exterior walls that were sitting on floor joists that had been cut, so essentially the roof was pushing all the exterior walls out sideways. The house was getting ready to collapse and the chimney was getting ready to fall. HGTV got their money's worth.

Q: What about the porch?

A: In Chicago, a porch cannot be supporting anything structural in the house, it needs to be standing in its own right. This porch was supporting part of the third floor and the main supporting joist of this porch was randomly sawed off on the inside. The porch is supposed to attach to the house and go down to the basement, and they just sawed off the basement part. Basically this rear room was breaking off the back of the house, along with the porch.

Q: Is it common for homeowners to violate code like this?

A: People tend to add and not remove. If someone wants to add electrical, they're not going to open up the wall and see if anything needs to be cleaned up. They're just going to add electrical. Another really common thing is in bathrooms  people just add plumbing pipes instead of replacing the pipes correctly. They just raise up the floor to accommodate new pipes. You don't see that as much in single-family homes as you do in rentals because slumlords are everywhere.

Q: You sent me a note that said "sequencing is everything  there is organization during the chaos." Expand on this idea.

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A: I see this a lot on TV; I see it a lot on "Rehab Addict." It's like they're filming things and then the floors seemingly go in right after demo. There's an order to things and it seems like when I watch TV in general, when they're talking about certain things happening it's out of order. You do demo, and then you do framing, and then you put in your systems and then you close everything up and that's when all the pretty stuff happens. That's when your flooring goes down, that's when your tile goes in. Sometimes when I watch the show it seems like it's all over the place.

Q: So tile is the easy part.

A: People have this concept of, "well, maybe I'll save money if I do some of the work." I always tell people it's going to cost you more if you're involved in this project while I'm involved in this project. Once you take on a major renovation, clients have a huge job of constant decision-making of finishes. It's completely overwhelming  it's every little thing that has to be picked out. Tile's the easy part, but what about your door handles, what about your curtain rods? I need you to pick out glass doors; how about your vanities or mirrors? What are we doing with this corner? It's like constant questions that I don't think people in general are prepared for. No matter how good your GC is, it's a full-time job as the owner.

Q: Do you recommend living in the space during renovation?

A: If you're doing a gut rehab where you require a permit, you really can't be in there at all. I would definitely say get out of the house for any major renovation. If you're doing a gut, there's no heat, electric, plumbing ... and even if you're not doing a gut, people cannot fathom the dirt that occurs. I mean you're just covered.

Q: Is there any architecture specific to Chicago that makes it different from rehabs done in other cities?

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A: I would say the plaster walls are a big one. It's the most consistent thing we're running into. The codes in Chicago change so I'd say more often than not, meeting plumbing code is really difficult. None of the pipes in these old houses are big enough. Most of the houses are from the early 1900s, if not the late 1800s (in the immediate Chicago area). Another really common thing is how close all of the buildings are too each other  you run into a lot of fire code issues. That's a very Chicago thing.

Q: Is there anything else you want readers to know about home renovation?

A: In general, people have an idea that when they do a renovation, anything can happen and it can turn into this big huge thing. But I really maintain that if you have a really good GC, then you should be able to have some foresight into what you're getting into. The larger the renovation, the more controlled it is. Once you go in and you're gutting things it's actually in a lot of ways less scary.

smcarpenter@tribpub.com
"He has manipulated the situation to the advantage of the work," Tony Jones, school president at the time, told me then, as he attempted to navigate between angry donors, outside protesters and a public that, in the majority, was not sympathetic to the concept of deliberately provocative art. "It does make you question your patriotism. And for all those people that were marching around the school yesterday, it's a reaffirmation  of belief in the flag, in their values, in their national symbol."
Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton shake hands after a debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday. (Morry Gash / Associated Press)

Reporting from Milwaukee  Hillary Clinton substantially adjusted her approach in Thursday's presidential debate here, a reaction to her landslide loss in New Hampshire earlier this week.

She went out of her way to underscore the areas in which she and challenger Bernie Sanders agree. She abandoned, most of the time, the fierce criticism of Sanders' proposals that she has delivered in previous debates.

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When she did disagree with Sanders, she protected herself with a shield  President Obama, whose name she invoked 21 times in the two-hour debate.

Clinton's biggest political need is to somehow break the attachment between Sanders and young voters, who have flocked to his events by the thousands and provided a surge of support for him in Iowa and New Hampshire.

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Exit polls taken Tuesday showed young and liberal Sanders supporters  many of them women  to be extremely antagonistic toward Clinton, particularly in areas of trustworthiness and caring. She needs those voters desperately, and would need them even more in a general election if she wins the nomination, so she cannot risk alienating them further with sustained attacks on Sanders.

Obama serves as the best character witness Clinton has; he is the most prominent politician in those young voters' lives. He is the one they were attached to before Sanders came along.

Clinton's approach set up a stylistic difference between the candidates that has political consequence. The Vermont senator repeatedly grew florid and loud, even angry, while making his pitch, behaviors that echo and enhance his calls for revolution.

The former secretary of State is in the position of having to constantly calibrate whether she is coming across as too angry, the equivalent of the concerns Obama had about sounding like an angry black man. The absence of visible passion, particularly notable on Thursday, reinforces Clinton's incremental approach in a year when many Democratic voters are looking for someone more vivid and passionate.

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Clinton's repeated citing of Obama had a practical effect: It was evidence of her loyalty to the nation's first African American president at a time when the campaign is moving into states with large minority populations, including Nevada, with its strong percentage of Latino voters, and South Carolina, where African Americans make up more than half of Democratic voters.

Indeed, Clinton's most heated moment came at the end of the debate as she accused Sanders of being too critical of Obama.

"Today, Sen. Sanders said that President Obama failed the presidential leadership test," she said. "And this is not the first time that he has criticized President Obama. In the past he has called him weak. He has called him a disappointment. He wrote a forward for a book that basically argued voters should have buyers' remorse when it comes to President Obama's leadership and legacy.

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"I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for being a president," she said.

Sanders grew visibly upset. "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow," he said, adding that he had supported Obama.

"But you know what? Last I heard we lived in a democratic society," he said. "Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with the president, including a president who has done such an extraordinary job."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton argue a point during the Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Morry Gash / Associated Press)

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For both candidates, the demands ahead were uppermost in mind. In his opening remarks, Sanders quickly turned to the subject of youth incarceration, which is of particular concern to African Americans and Latinos.

"The American people are looking around and they see a broken criminal justice system," Sanders said. "They see more people in jail in the United States of America than any other country on Earth."

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Clinton went out of her way in her opening remarks to nod to young people, regretting that "there aren't enough good-paying jobs" for them.

The two Democrats agreed  as Clinton regularly pointed out  on subjects like criminal justice, protecting Social Security and their joint support for immigration reform that would provide citizenship rights to most of the 11 million people in the country illegally. Both also criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his criticisms of Mexican and Muslim immigrants.

Sanders reiterated his often-stated opposition to Clinton's vote more than a decade ago that gave President George W. Bush approval for the war in Iraq.

To that, Clinton came up with a firmer response than she has in the past: "I do not believe a vote in 2002 is a plan to defeat ISIS in 2016," she said. "It's very important we focus on the threats we face today."

Obama, like Sanders, opposed that war, so the president served as Sanders' back-up on that point. But most of the time he was Clinton's.

She emphasized her intention to tinker with the president's healthcare plan, to increase insurance coverage  but not, as Sanders would, to attempt to pass a single-payer, Medicare-like program for all Americans.

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She pushed back against Sanders' accusations that she was part of a corrupt campaign finance system because she has received large donations from Wall Street.

"I debated then Sen. Obama numerous times on stages like this, and he was the recipient of the largest number of Wall Street donations of anybody running on the Democratic side ever," she said. "Now, when it mattered, he stood up and took on Wall Street... So, let's not in any way imply here that either President Obama or myself would in any way not take on any vested interest, whether it's Wall Street, or drug companies, or insurance companies, or frankly, the gun lobby."

Sanders bridled in response: "Let's not insult the intelligence of the American people."

Sanders' call for upending the campaign finance system is part of his appeal to young voters. By winning young men and young women so overwhelmingly, he has cut into Clinton's hope that women of all ages would be the backbone of her support.

The problem Clinton has in getting young women back, beyond their belief in Sanders, is that many of them recoil from any suggestion that they vote for Clinton because of her gender.

She alluded to that when asked about comments by her supporters, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, that women would be disloyal if they voted for Sanders.

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"I have said many times, you know, I'm not asking people to support me because I'm a woman. I'm asking people to support me because I think I'm the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander-in-chief," she said.

Sanders was a distinct minority on stage Thursday, standing as he was with three women  Clinton and moderators Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff of PBS. He was asked whether he worried about potentially thwarting Clinton's attempt to make history by becoming the first woman president. He displayed a certain panache that drew laughter and applause from the audience.

"Well, you know, I think, from a historical point of view, somebody with my background, somebody with my views, somebody who has spent his entire life taking on the big money interests, I think a Sanders victory would be of some historical accomplishment, as well," he said.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

For political news and analysis, follow me on Twitter:@cathleendecker. For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker.

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From top left clockwise, Rachel Ruvinsky, 22; Sam Brehm, 21; Bennett Marschner, 26; and Hannah Schott, 22; pose for a photograph in Derwood, Md. These 20-somethings embrace the idea of having multiple romantic partners. (Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post)

Rachel Ruvinsky thought she was a lesbian. As a teenager, she'd fallen into a serious relationship with her best friend. She was one of the few students at her high school to be out; she joined the school's gay-straight alliance but quit because the group was too cliquey. "I didn't feel like I fit in," she recalls.

When she gradually realized she was also attracted to men, she was surprised. "I remember being very much in denial," the now-22-year-old says.

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Then about a year after she and her girlfriend broke up, Ruvinsky felt ready to look for a new relationship, and to try dating men as well as women.

When she created her first OkCupid profile at age 19, she listed a few of her interests, such as art and video games, and included a poor-quality photo of herself. Back then, she says, she responded to every message in her inbox.

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One of the first was from Bennett Marschner, a 23-year-old video-game technical artist who described himself as a "shameless vehicular vocalist." He seemed funny, she thought.

Rachel Ruvinsky, 22, enjoys a polyamorous relationship, with friends in Germantown, Maryland. (Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post)

Ruvinsky wrote back, saying she also enjoyed singing while driving. They met for dinner at an Indian restaurant in Germantown, Maryland.

"I was really nervous and trying not to fidget," she recalls. But she quickly felt comfortable around Marschner. After dinner, they watched a few episodes of "Firefly," a sci-fi television show they both like, until well after midnight in Ruvinsky's parents' basement. They kissed.

The next morning, Marschner texted, saying he wanted to be upfront: He wasn't looking for anything serious.

Ruvinsky didn't want anything super- casual, so she figured that would be it. But Marschner persuaded her to keep seeing him, reassuring her that it wouldn't be a booty-call thing. They could both see other people. "I was like, 'Okay, I like hanging out with you,' " she remembers saying.

The next time they discussed their relationship status was a few months later. Marschner told her his other relationships, with two other women, weren't so casual; there was an emotional attachment. He'd been reading about polyamory, he said, and he thought it applied to their situation.

Ruvinsky did, too: "We knew it was more than casual, but we didn't have a word for it." Since then, the two go out with other people separately or hang in a group. "A lot of times," Marschner says, "if you get more than one of us together, we're going to sit on a couch and cuddle and make out."

The Oxford English Dictionarydefines polyamory as: "The fact of having simultaneous close emotional relationships with two or more other individuals, viewed as an alternative to monogamy, esp. in regard to matters of sexual fidelity; the custom or practice of engaging in multiple sexual relationships with the knowledge and consent of all partners involved."

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Polyamory in the United States has roots in the 19th-century Oneida Community in upstate New York, where all members were considered married to one other, according to Deborah Anapol, author of "Polyamory in the 21st Century." Modern versions came out of the free-love movement of the 1960s, but the term "polyamorous," combining the Greek and Latin words for "many" and "love," wasn't coined until 1990 and was added to the OED in 2006. It draws adults of all ages, and online dating has made it easier for the polyamorous and poly-curious to find one another.

In January, OkCupid recognized the growing prevalence of polyamory among its users, who are generally 35 or younger, by allowing people to search the site as a couple. According to the site's data, 42 percent of its members would consider dating someone in an open or polyamorous relationship. Marschner and Ruvinsky haven't searched as a couple, as she's looking for new partners but he isn't.

Ruvinsky and Marschner keep each other in the loop on their other dates and relationships. Sometimes Marschner will screen OkCupid messages for Ruvinsky, deleting anything unwelcomingly vulgar, prompting her to jokingly call him her "sexcretary."

All that sharing was harder in the beginning, Ruvinsky says: "I felt so inadequate, and I would feel kind of jealous." But then she learned Marschner talked about her, positively, to his other partners. The jealousy dissipated, and the relationship, she says, felt less hierarchical and more equal.

If one of them feels jealous, they try to pinpoint what insecurity or self-esteem issue might be to blame. "It's important to realize that it's valid" to be jealous or envious of another partner, Ruvinsky says, "but not necessarily true."

More than jealousy, though, the emotion they talk about is "compersion," a feeling of joy when one's partner finds happiness with another. Ruvinsky says she feels it when Marschner texts her after a good date with someone else. He says he feels it when he meets women he thinks Ruvinsky might like and those instincts turn out to be right.

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Over a year ago, Marschner introduced Ruvinsky and Hannah Schott. They gathered for a night of figure-drawing, each taking a turn as a nude model. Schott now lives in New Zealand, but Ruvinsky still has the picture Schott drew hanging in her bedroom.

Within the "web" of partners, one-on-ones, threesomes and orgies have been known to happen. (They test for sexually transmitted diseases every three months or when a new person joins the mix.) But Marschner says "polyamory isn't necessarily about sex. Polyamory is about being in love with multiple people."

Marschner and Ruvinsky say they are thrilled to be free of the constraints that can come with monogamy: They don't have to be everything, sexually or emotionally, to each other; they can be open about their attraction to others. It might be fueled by youthful idealism that will crash and burn as she and Marschner get older, but for now they seem happy.

Ruvinsky's eyes light up as she describes having so much love to give, and receiving it, too. "Even the love you feel, feels different," she says, "not in terms of quantity or quality, just in how it feels."

"Part of me thinks I'm just making upfor lost time," Marschner says. "I didn't have much of a social life at all, growing up. Then right out of college, I moved in with my girlfriend - and I knew all of her friends, but they never really became my friends."

Now Marschner has a romantic and social web that revolves around him. "I probably spend more time on it than I should sometimes," he says of his two primary relationships (one with Ruvinsky, another with a boyfriend) and three less-serious ones.

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Asked to map it out for a reporter, Marschner drew a diagram of dozens of people. Straight lines connected people with ongoing relationships; long dotted lines for former relationships; short dotted lines for people who have "sexy times," as Marschner put it, but aren't in a relationship.

The connections are fluid, too. An ex of one of Marschner's former partners is now housemates with one of his current partners.

When members of the web get together, it's as if a group of high school or college friends is reuniting. Primary, secondary and past partners piled into a booth at Bar Louie in Rockville, Maryland, in late December.

Some are meeting for the first time. "Are you a hugger?" Zia Frazier asks, and waits for the go-ahead before embracing Sam Brehm, a 21-year-old model and fire performer who met Marschner at a medieval camping trip. (The poly community is big on consent, starting with something as simple as a hug.) At different times throughout the night, Marschner keeps a hand on Brehm's leg while deep in conversation with Ruvinsky.

Ruvinsky compliments Frazier's makeup: "I'm just watching your eye shadow," she says with awe in her voice. "That blending."

Marschner asks Frazier, who is 23 and just finished her first semester of grad school in San Francisco, about a new guy she is dating who's poly and straight.

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"Is he pretty?" he asks.

"He's tall as s---," she says.

Before moving west, Frazier said she had connected with Ruvinsky and Marschner separately on OkCupid, and the three came together just a few weeks before Frazier's move.

"We were going to keep in contact so much more," Marschner says.

They order extra cocktails before happy hour ends, eat off each other's plates and offer one another sips and cherries out of their drinks.

When Frazier complains about having to write so many papers and the long lines at the DMV, Marschner says: "That's what you get for going to California and leaving us all behind."

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Frazier says she has a couple of dates set up for when she returns to San Francisco. "Girls, too," she says. "I'm excited."

Ruvinsky wishes she could say the same. Sometimes, she admits, she still feels lonely.

"It would be nice to date someone outside of the web," she says. "Mostly everyone inside the web is more established with other people in the web, and I would like to find someone who isn't ... especially a girl."
"Before I went on medical leave, I was seeing patients whose hearts were already afflicted by their cancer treatments and they had to stop the treatments," she said. "That's very distressing, to say the least. I was seeing them after the fact, when it was too late. I knew when I came back I wanted to help people at the forefront of their treatment."
Like the eclectic Wrigley Building, which was granted protected status only in 2012, Marina City was a landmark building that lacked official landmark status and was therefore vulnerable  if not to demolition, then to insensitive additions that chipped away at the sculpted beauty of its curving concrete.
Eric Russell, back to camera, addresses the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force during a community forum at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago, Feb. 11, 2016. The task force was formed after the release of a video of the officer involved shooting of Laquan McDonald, the subsequent protests and the firing of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

A city task force charged with making recommendations on how to reform the Chicago Police Department heard from a crowd of about 200 people Thursday at the South Shore Cultural Center, with many residents expressing lack of confidence in police and the newly created Police Accountability Task Force.

"There's a problem with the power dynamic here, the way the task force is set up," said Steve Craig, who is with Stop Police Crimes, a campaign by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression. "We've got the Chicago Police Board. We've got (Independent Police Review Authority.) We've got the Police Accountability Task Force. This is all the same thing. We're rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic."

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Lori Lightfoot, a task force member and president of the Chicago Police Board, said that while any actions to change the Police Department will be up to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and aldermen, she believes the recommendations made by the task force will have an impact.

"We hope you will continue to raise voices on and demand change in the direction where this is going to go," Lightfoot said. "I'm confident that this will change the course of the way things will go in the Police Department because it has to."

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The task force, appointed by Emanuel in December, is exploring five areas of possible overhaul in the Chicago Police Department: video release policies; best practices for de-escalating situations; community engagement; personnel management; and legal oversight and accountability. It is scheduled to submit a list of recommendations March 31 to Emanuel and City Council.

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Several audience members asked about allegations of excessive force by police, police-involved shootings and the perception of racism in policing tactics. While the task force addressed some questions and comments, others went unanswered, such as one that read, "Why did it take this long to do something?"

For the most part, the hearing was a diplomatic exchange of ideas. But some of the speakers were noticeably upset, including a woman who compared the mistrust of police in Chicago to what's going on in Ferguson, Mo., where people rioted after a grand jury declined to indict a police officer in the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

"I want to believe ya'll," the woman said. "Just change. We're tired."

One man who exceeded his two-minute speaking time continued to shout that the killing of African-Americans by police was "genocide." Another man threw papers, pounded the lectern and told members of the task force, "You guys are a joke!" before storming out.

The gathering strongly contrasted the sparsely attended first meeting Feb. 2 at JLM Life Center. The next meeting is Feb. 23 at Benito Juarez Community Academy.

tbriscoe@tribpub.com

Twitter @_tonybriscoe
The University of Pennsylvania has promised $100 million to increase faculty diversity. Yale has just pledged $50 million , Johns Hopkins $25 million . These sums are large, but the goal has been an object of urgent attention for decades. University administrators and faculty have long been dedicated to increasing the numbers of blacks, Latinos, and women, among others, in their teaching ranks.But despite their intentions and efforts, the desired degree of diversity has not materialized. The reason is there is a pipeline problem. For example, in 2014, black students earned just 1.8 percent of doctoral degrees in the physical sciences. Even if every physics department in the nation were to recruit black Ph.D.s, there wouldn't a big enough pool to effect much statistical change.Julie Posselt, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Michigan, wishes to increase faculty diversity by expanding that pipeline and thinks that this pipeline problem has much to do with how Ph.D. students are selected. In her new book, Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping , she writes that faculty "in highly ranked doctoral programs rely on admissions criteria that undermine their diversity and equity aims." Posselt set out to find out why by "observing and interviewing graduate admissions committees in astrophysics, biology, classics, economics, linguistics, philosophy, physics, political science, and sociology"-ten departments at three unnamed high-powered research universities.Posselt exposes the many ways in which professors, their occupational attachment to deliberation notwithstanding, don't deliberate very well. To start with, their time is limited. Facing hundreds of applications, they seek simple ways to discard as many of them as possible. Posselt found that several committees use a GRE (Graduate Record Examination) cutoff to eliminate applications without otherwise considering them. This culling contradicts the advice of the Educational Testing Service that creates and administers the GRE.As we'll see later, Posselt may be too quick to dismiss the predictive power of GRE's. But there is little question that the faculty members Posselt observed and interviewed, whether because of time constraints, or because of unrealistic assumptions about what small differences in GRE scores can tell them, overemphasize those scores.But at least GRE's have some connection to students' actual intellectual abilities. Often, even when they have a short list to work with and can conduct a "holistic" review, faculty members rely on ill-defined standards like "grit," "brilliance," and even "coolness" to distinguish candidates from each other. Of course, lacking a mathematical or scientific solution to the question of who the best candidate is, faculty are bound to fall back on standards about which reasonable people disagree. That is, they have to exercise their judgments.There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, but Posselt catches professors grasping at any handy straw. In one such situation, two classics candidates receive special consideration in part because they hail from rural New England. One committee member "envisioned it as a 'pastoral' place for early socialization in classics." In another case, a political science candidate "with mediocre grades was admitted at least in part because a committee member thought it was 'cool' that she wrote for an online magazine." Her gain was the loss of "another borderline applicant who had written a book." Candidates are made or unmade by a "single ambiguous line in a letter of recommendation" or even a "weekend hobby."In this admissions Wild West, decisions will sometimes favor members of groups that diversity advocates wish to recruit, as grit or spark or an interesting story can be drawn on to promote a candidate who otherwise might not pass muster with most committee members. But Posselt suggests it frequently works against them, as faculty members, like other human beings, tend to favor people who resemble them, and, other things equal, committees might overlook good candidates who do no not resemble them. Even in the absence of that rationale, I see no reason to discount the studies that suggest even our progressive faculties exhibit bias against certain groups under some circumstances.Posselt includes among these groups that face graduate admissions bias not only the usual suspects but also candidates from religious colleges ("I would like to beat that college out of her," says a committee chair) and, perhaps most strikingly candidates from East and South Asia, who faced a higher bar because they were thought to be better at taking exams. Just as Posselt says, it seems hypocritical that while "many expressed worries that test preparation rendered Chinese students' scores suspect, not once did a respondent express similar concern about formal test preparation courses convoluting the meaning of a wealthy American student's score."However, Posselt doesn't distinguish enough between standards involving judgment that seem irrelevant, like "coolness," and standards that seem quite relevant, like prior research experience and prior coursework in the discipline. With respect to the latter, Posselt asks suspiciously, "What is the 'right preparation'? What would it have looked like for these...applicants to be 'up to the bar'"? As if it is arbitrary for a linguistics admissions committee to favor applicants from "great, active linguistics departments where they probably had taken two years' worth of graduate coursework already."Similarly, Posselt views with skepticism professors who are very confident that a student who has perfect G.R.E. scores and perfect grades is uncommonly intelligent. Because Posselt is interested in the way in which the committees she studied were "constructing symbolic boundaries that guided their assessments of fit and belonging," she suspects every standard of being a questionable means of distinguishing "us" from "them."But selecting on the basis of prior research and course experience is not like selecting on the basis of, as Dr. Seuss would have it, butter side up or butter side down. Some standards probably predict student success, others are probably meaningless.But this is where reality starts to encroach on Posselt's version of fairness. Admittedly, as Posselt says, the standard of graduating from a rigorous, highly rated program in the subject matter "presumes a level of socialization" into an academic research community that "privileged applicants" are more likely to have. Using it may reinforce existing inequalities.But so may requiring a college degree or any other such obviously sensible measure. Unless our sole purpose is to achieve racial and gender balance, we have to be able to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable standards for admission, rather than assuming that all standards are the equivalent of the signs rival gangs use to distinguish themselves from each other. To be fair, Posselt does not take that view. But she leans toward it.Let one more example suffice to illustrate her perspective. Posselt reports on a political science admissions committee meeting. The chair, a political philosopher, argues that GRE scores should be discounted, as some studies suggest that such scores predict only first year grades. Three professors with statistical expertise respond that these studies are flawed because of the samples they use. The chair loses the argument. Posselt, strangely, reads this result as "methodological majoritarianism" because the chair is a political theorist and his opponents are quantitative researchers. That makes the outcome seem arbitrary. The statistics gang won. But the chair wasn't making a "political philosophy" argument. He was making an argument that depended on statistical knowledge, and he therefore lost on the very grounds upon which he attempted to stand to those with superior statistical expertise.Notably, Posselt cites the kind of studies in question without responding to the argument that prevailed in the meeting. That may be in part because Posselt has written a fighting book. She thinks that graduate admissions committees, although they value diversity as one standard among others, need to value it still more. Yet she provides ample evidence to the contrary, suggesting that university administrations provide strong incentive to admit "diversity" applicants. And that even the quantitatively oriented political science department just admitted a student who qualified for a diversity fellowship, even though he had an abysmal quantitative GRE score. Or that a push from even one committee member concerned about diversity may be enough to get a candidate in, especially if someone agrees to mentor the student.Additionally, Posselt's intention to expand the pipeline of minority applicants to faculty jobs through graduate admissions is almost doomed to failure without looking beyond that single step. It is likely that graduate admissions committees are dealing with the same kind of pipeline problem that hiring committees face. Yes, women earn only about 20 percent of the Ph.D.s awarded in physics but they also earn only about 20 percent of the undergraduate degrees awarded in physics. All the systemic bias Posselt thinks she sees results, at least in physics, in women being admitted in rough proportion to their actual numbers in the pool of possible applicants. To her credit, Posselt, who pays very little attention to this pipeline issue, does highlight one program that addresses it, a cooperative effort between Vanderbilt University and Fisk University that prepares candidates from "underrepresented" groups to enroll and excel in Vanderbilt's STEM Ph.D. programs.Posselt is right that professors who purport to stand for rational discourse could stand to do a much better job of reflecting on the grounds of the judgments they make about applicants to their graduate programs. But her book, though it is full of interesting details about the cases she studied, will convince only the already converted that graduate admissions committees need to be pushed harder on diversity.
Authorities say Endia Martin, 14, left, was fatally shot in 2014 by another teen and that Vandetta Redwood, right, handed the girl the gun. Redwood was indicted on a federal weapons charge. (Family photo, Chicago Police Department)

Two weeks after invoking her Fifth Amendment rights at her cousin's murder trial, a relative of a teen girl charged with fatally shooting Endia Martin has been indicted on federal weapons charges.

Vandetta Redwood, 34, allegedly handed a loaded revolver to the girl, then 14, and said, "Shoot the b----!" during a 2014 confrontation between the 14-year-old and another girl that had started with a feud over a boy and was fueled by social media taunts, according to testimony at the recent murder trial. The other girl was wounded and 14-year-old Endia was killed outside a home in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side.

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Vandetta Redwood. (Chicago Police Department)

Redwood was charged in Cook County court with obstruction of justice and mob action soon after the April 2014 shooting, but Judge Donald Panarese Jr. threw out the charges after viewing a shaky cellphone video of the incident. The judge ruled that prosecutors had failed to meet their "minimal burden" that there was probable cause to prosecute Redwood.

But now Redwood potentially faces up to 10 years in prison if she is convicted of the federal charges  one count each of transferring a firearm to a juvenile knowing it would be used in a crime of violence and possessing a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school zone.

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Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Chicago police officers arrested Redwood on Thursday morning. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in federal court and was ordered held until a detention hearing next week.

After the state charges were dismissed, ATF agents and Chicago police decided to "take a second look" at the case as part of their mandate to pursue those who cause deaths with illegal guns, said ATF spokesman Tom Ahern.

At his murder trial last month, Redwood's cousin Donnell Flora testified he brought the .38-caliber revolver to the confrontation but never intended for the weapon to end up in his niece's hands. Flora, who has used a wheelchair since a 2010 shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down, said he gave his niece the gun when he was unable to wheel across a grassy median and told her to give the weapon to her female relative.

"I told (the suspect), 'Vandetta would be right behind you ... to protect you,'" Flora testified.

A jury convicted Flora, 27, on Jan. 30 of first-degree murder and attempted murder charges. He faces at least 56 years in prison.

After federal authorities disclosed the weapons charges against Redwood on Thursday, attorney Joel Brodsky, who represents Flora, questioned why State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office had not charged Redwood with Endia's slaying at the time of the shooting.

Brodsky said the cellphone video showed Redwood with what appears to be a gun seconds before the shooting suspect can be seen holding the revolver.

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"She should've been sitting where my client is now," Brodsky said.

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The shooting suspect, whom the Tribune is not naming because she has been charged as a juvenile, is now 16 and has yet to stand trial.

She will be tried in juvenile court after a judge rejected a bid by prosecutors to transfer her to adult court, where the penalties upon conviction would have been much stiffer.

Earlier this week, a different judge in juvenile court agreed to let a jury decide her fate at a trial expected later this year. Prosecutors revealed that the teen could be released at 19 even if she's convicted.

At Flora's trial last month, Endia's friend Lanekia Reynolds testified that she and the shooting suspect had agreed over Facebook to fight after school.

sschmadeke@tribpub.com

Twitter @SteveSchmadeke
The release of racist emails among members of a Jewish fraternity at the University of Chicago has led to complaints by some students about intolerance on campus. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

The publication of a series of racist and inflammatory emails among members of a Jewish fraternity at the University of Chicago has reignited complaints by some students about intolerance on campus and led to discussions about what the university can do to better foster an environment of inclusion for minorities and women.

The release of the emails by the website BuzzFeed last week has led to meetings between minority student group leaders and administrators about the culture on campus and has been a major topic of conservation among students.

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The email chain among members of the U. of C. chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, an international Jewish fraternity, refers to a Muslim-American student government leader as a "terrorist," invites fraternity members to eat fried chicken at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day party and jokes about racist language, eventually saying members should steer clear of certain terms unless they need to "satisfy your inner klansman." The article also included a sexist set of rules for dating women. The emails were written between 2011 and early 2014.

Several student activists said the emails, and the university's reaction to them, demonstrate how racist, Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian and misogynist attitudes continue to undercut the environment on campus.

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"It's generally a very unwelcoming environment in that I think that there are a lot of times when folks don't want you around," said Stephanie Greene, a junior from Chicago who is president of the Organization of Black Students. "I don't think I know one black student who hasn't considered transferring."

Another student, Sara Zubi, who helped draft a statement to administrators in the wake of the email release, said the university does not provide a welcoming environment to students of color.

"I personally do not feel welcome here and I do feel discriminated against by the students and administration," Zubi said in an email. Zubi, a sophomore from southern Illinois whose parents are Palestinian and Uzbek, said she has received threats for her activism for a Palestinian state.

Members of another group, the Muslim Students Association, also have been active in communications with administrators.

In response to revelations about the emails, the dean of students and the vice president for campus life and student services issued a statement to students and campus members saying the language in the emails "is disrespectful and harmful, particularly to members of our Muslim and African-American communities and to women. The attitudes and views they express is unacceptable, violate the University's core values, and conflict with our strong commitment to ensuring that people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives can thrive on our campus."

But Zubi, who met with administrators Wednesday, said she was disappointed the statement did not specifically address conduct toward Palestinians and questioned whether the university is serious about making changes.

Before the emails were released, the university set up a series of forums across campus to assess the attitudes, experiences and concerns of students about the climate at the school, focusing on diversity, inclusion and treatment of "underrepresented groups." Students also can share opinions via email. One such meeting Thursday was attended by about a dozen students, including men, women and minorities.

In November, the university president issued a statement on diversity and inclusion on campus, detailing the recent launch of several programs designed to attract a diverse set of incoming undergraduates, strengthen communities near campus and build a welcoming campus climate. On Friday, the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture at the university will hold a teach-in on racism and activism.

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Greene said she hopes the forums will make a difference, especially since they are data-driven. And while she is frustrated by attitudes toward black and other minority students from some on campus, including professors, she values her U. of C. education and wants to work toward improving conditions.

"We want to try to change university policy," Greene said. "I want to make sure it gets better for students like myself."

As for the BuzzFeed emails, a spokesman for the national office of Alpha Epsilon Pi said the University of Chicago chapter has apologized for the emails, is addressing racism among members and is working with groups on campus to foster a dialogue of acceptance and tolerance.

"The leadership that is in place now has been working to eradicate this and make clear that this is not tolerated," spokesman and past national president Jonathan Pierce said. "This is not what AEPi stands for nationally, internationally or at the University of Chicago. We stand up against hatefulness and bigotry in any way possible."

Pierce believes the authors of the emails are no longer students. The emails, he said, were released to BuzzFeed by a former fraternity member. The fraternity has not faced disciplinary action.

The emails have led to discussions among students and columns in the student newspaper about inclusivity and the Greek system on campus.

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"Among a lot of my friends over dinner it was a major topic of conversation," said freshman Francesco Scivittaro.

Scivittaro said, in general, the university does a good job of making students feel accepted and welcome.

"I think there are certain issues," he said. "But I think the university is doing pretty well."

Greene, however, said there's a long way to go.

"Minority students," she said, "we're really feeling it right now."

poconnell@tribpub.com

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In this Feb. 2, 2016 file photo, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III speaks during a city council meeting in Ferguson, Mo. As Ferguson leaders consider a lawsuit filed against the city by the U.S. Department of Justice, the town's effort at an amended agreement with DOJ acknowledged that losing the police department is a possibility. (Jeff Roberson / AP)

FERGUSON, Mo.  As Ferguson prepares to do legal battle with the Justice Department, the city's leaders have acknowledged the possibility that they might someday disband the police department and cede law enforcement to another agency.

The question is: Would anyone else want it?

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The federal government sued Ferguson on Wednesday, just a day after an agreement to radically reshape the city's police and municipal court practices fell apart.

On Tuesday, the Ferguson City Council approved the settlement, but with seven amendments. In the eyes of the Justice Department, that amounted to rejection.

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Among the attempted changes was a statement that the terms of the agreement would not apply if another agency takes over duties currently provided by Ferguson, such as policing.

But Attorney General Loretta Lynch said allowing the city to evade terms of the agreement by transferring control of the police to another state entity was "simply unconscionable" and would allow local leaders to escape the requirements almost anytime.

Wesley Bell, the Ferguson city councilman who authored the amendments, said Wednesday that giving up control of police duties would be a last resort.

"Our goal is to have our police department do our policing and be the gold standard of policing in the region, if not the country," Bell said. "However, if it came to a point where we did need to contract with another department, we are open to language that guarantees constitutional policing."

He acknowledged that takeover could eventually prove necessary if the city cannot afford the reforms, which is possible. A recent financial analysis estimated the cost of the mandates at up to $3.7 million in the first year alone.

"We don't want language that would discourage other agencies from providing services to assist the city of Ferguson," Bell said.

The federal lawsuit was just the latest fallout from the federal scrutiny that followed the police shooting death of Michael Brown. The unarmed, black 18-year-old was fatally shot by white officer Darren Wilson in August 2014 during a street confrontation.

A grand jury and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Wilson, concluding evidence backed his claim that he shot Brown in self-defense after Brown first tried to grab the officer's gun during a struggle through the window of Wilson's police vehicle, then came toward him threateningly after briefly running away. Wilson resigned in November 2014.

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The following year, a Justice Department report found that Ferguson police disproportionately targeted black residents with stops and searches and arrested many without legal justification.

Ferguson is among 90 municipalities in sprawling St. Louis County. Many have their own police departments, ranging from a few officers to nearly 100 in the biggest towns, Chesterfield and Florissant.

Fifty-one municipalities contract with St. Louis County for some police services, including 17 that give total policing control to the county, according to county police spokesman Brian Schellman.

In March, a week after the critical Justice Department report, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar wrote to then-Attorney General Eric Holder seeking to take over in Ferguson, according to records released by county police to The Associated Press on Thursday.

"As the events precipitated by the Michael Brown shooting continue, it has become clear that despite their best efforts, the Ferguson Police Department does not have the resources or wherewithal to handle the events in a manner that is beneficial to the region," Belmar wrote on March 12.

But Belmar's request included the caveat that the county would not be subject to conditions of any Justice Department mandate.

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The Justice Department turned down the request. Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, said in a letter to Belmar than it would be up to Ferguson's government and residents to decide whether to disband the department.

If the county is ever asked to take over policing in Ferguson, "we would consider the implications" of the agreement before entering into any arrangement, Schellman said Wednesday.

Otherwise, options are few.

Most other departments near Ferguson are too small to take on the additional responsibility. Florissant borders Ferguson to the north and has about twice as many officers as Ferguson. It was not clear if the city would consider contracting. The police chief was out of the office Thursday, and a police spokesman declined comment.

Four tiny municipalities near Ferguson  Vinita Park, Vinita Terrace, Wellston and Charlack  formed into one police department last summer, known as the North County Police Cooperative. The chief is Tim Swope, who did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Remy Cross, a criminology professor at Webster University in suburban St. Louis, said that in the end, cooler heads will prevail and some agreement would be reached if Ferguson police disbanded.

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"You don't want basically a lawless area," Cross said. "The county could bring in neighboring towns and say, 'Let's not be children here. Come to the table and figure out how to do this.'"

Associated Press
DETMOLD, Germany  A 94-year-old former SS sergeant went on trial Thursday in western Germany on 170,000 counts of accessory to murder, based on accusations that he served as a guard in the Auschwitz death camp as hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews and others were gassed to death there.

Reinhold Hanning seemed in good condition for his age, walking into the court in the city of Detmold without even the help of a cane and appearing to listen attentively as the indictment against him was read aloud.

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No pleas are entered in the German system. Hanning, who ran a local dairy after the war until he retired in 1984, declined to give an opening statement to the court.

He showed no reaction as the first witness, Leon Schwarzbaum, a 94-year-old Auschwitz survivor, read moving testimony about his own experiences, then looked directly at Hanning and made an emotional plea.

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"Mr. Hanning, we are about the same age and we will both soon be before the highest court," Schwarzbaum said, his voice quavering and hands trembling. "Speak here about what you and your comrades did!"

The trial is one of four expected this year against two other former SS men and one woman alleged to have served in Auschwitz. The 11th-hour prosecutions come after a new precedent was set in 2011, when former Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk became the first person to be convicted in Germany solely for serving as a death camp guard, with no evidence of involvement in a specific killing.

Prosecutors successfully argued in the Demjanjuk case that simply serving in a death camp, and thus helping it operate, was enough to convict someone of accessory to the murders committed there. Although Demjanjuk always denied serving at the death camp and died before his appeal could be heard, prosecutors last year successfully convicted SS sergeant Oskar Groening, who served in Auschwitz, on 300,000 counts of accessory to murder using the same reasoning.

Hanning admitted to investigators when first questioned that he had served in the Auschwitz I part of the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, but denied serving at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau section, where most of the 1.1 million victims were killed.

As the trial opened, however, his attorneys filed a motion asking to exclude that statement, saying that Hanning had been "surprised" when authorities showed up at his house and wasn't fully aware he was under investigation. It wasn't clear when the judges would rule on the motion. His attorney, Andreas Scharmer, would not say whether the defense was planning to try and argue that Hanning did not serve in the camp at all if his statement was excluded.

Prosecutor Andreas Brendel told The Associated Press after the hearing that there was also other evidence that Hanning was there, including SS company lists.

Reading the indictment, Brendel told the court that Hanning served in two different SS Death's Head companies in Auschwitz as a guard. He said those companies were used to guard prisoners used as slave laborers outside the camp, and also were called to Birkenau to help with the tens of thousands being brought in during the so-called "Hungarian action" in 1944 and unloaded from trains onto a ramp.

On the ramp, Nazis stripped the prisoners of their possessions and sorted them into groups: those who would be immediately taken to the gas chambers and those fit enough to be used as slave labor, and likely worked to death.

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"The decision over life and death lay with the SS men on the ramp," Brendel said.

Doctors have advised that the trial sessions can run no longer than two hours, in deference to Hanning's age and health.

Schwarzbaum, one of about 40 Auschwitz survivors or their relatives who have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs as allowed under German law, had his testimony cut short before he could finish answering questions. He's due to take the stand again when the trial resumes Friday.

After the proceedings, he told the AP his main hope for the trial is that Hanning will tell his story so the world will better know what happened in Auschwitz and why SS guards did what they did.

"He's an old man," Schwarzbaum said. "He should tell the truth."

Associated Press
My son and I stroll through the doors of Starbucks looking every inch like a TV commercial for the place. Walker, a tall, handsome, smiling 30-year-old, leads me, his aging boomer father with shaky knees, like a star actor assisting the elderly. We look, I think, like some Madison Avenue-produced, one-minute scenario of father-son bonding. For the first five seconds of the ad, you feel some predictable tag line coming as in the old beer commercial, "Life doesn't get any better than this."

Then as we stand in line, Walker, who has severe autism, blows his cover  big time. His hands start shaking rapidly at his sides. He points with odd intensity to something in the glass display case and shouts, "CROISSANT!" Not smooth. Others standing near turn and check him out. Customers at tables spin around to see where the commotion is coming from. When they spot the source, though, they see a happy, gentle, grinning young man who's having momentary trouble expressing himself. Smiles stretch from the counter to the window.

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He loves this place. A commercial might suggest that the cafe is a local hangout for these two, but for us "this place" is actually any one of about nine spots in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Walker needs to move fast, every day, so we drive far and for hours, and we walk, rapidly, for miles up and down Chicago's North Side. But he also craves the reassuringly familiar. So driving takes us to a far north suburb  and a Starbucks. Walking means hitting the streets along a familiar route and also hitting the croissants in two or even three Starbucks along our route.

He loves his extended big city, but he also seems to like the way he can always count on stepping into the same Starbucks twice, or three times, or 90 times. Starbucks helps make our mega-city a small town: No matter how far we walk or drive, we still walk into the same familiar place where the barista knows his name.

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When he was younger and not so able to control himself, I was never sure how a visit to any store or restaurant would go. Unable to express what he was thinking or what he was fearing, he could suddenly burst into a shouting, pushing, shoving explosion of impatience and fright. Just getting him out the door was a huge issue. But the baristas at Starbucks have always been helpful and nonchalant about his trouble, even when the issue was getting him up off the floor where he inexplicably had planted himself. Through repeated visits over the years, he has come to regard it as his place, and the baristas as his friends.

Of course, there is a huge, very obvious downside to the Starbuckization of America. Like McDonald's and Taco Bell and Wendy's, etc.  giant franchises crush local color and produce a more monochrome world. But this seems like a grumpy quibble when I see the smile on Walker's face as he walks into one of his old familiar places. Severe autism creates a wall that blocks connection and isolates; it creates insecurity and the fear that one will not be able to cope with what life throws at you next.

So I say, in a limited way, bring on the franchise that breaks down a wall, if only for the 10-minute flashes of time that allow a bright charismatic young man to feel at home in the world.

Robert Hughes is the author of "Walker Finds a Way: Running into the Adult World with Autism." He lives in Lakeview.
Bernie Sanders has made great strides casting doubt on the credibility of Hillary Clinton as an agent of change. How can you take on Wall Street if you take quarter-million-dollar speaking fees from its leading banks? How can you be a credible reformer if you have been so dependent on money from the status quo?

But Sanders has his own credibility problem. It's called Congress. The Vermont senator's agenda is a "fiction," the Washington Post editorial board declared, because there is zero chance it could get through the legislature, and not just because there are more Republicans than Democrats on Capitol Hill. Even when President Barack Obama had a super-majority of Democrats in Congress, he couldn't get climate change legislation passed or a public option included in Obamacare. The threat of the powerful energy and health-care industries pouring millions of dollars into campaigns against Democrats was enough to get the leader of the last great "revolution" in U.S. politics to stand down. Until we change the way that money matters on Capitol Hill, the more sober-minded  they call themselves "realists"  will just roll their eyes at the fantastical promises of America's most authentic politician.

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Sanders should have an easy response to this reality-based skepticism: His first move as president, he should insist, would be to get Congress to change the system that so systematically blocks real reform.

And, indeed, that was precisely what Sanders seemed to say in the fifth Democratic debate. When asked by Chuck Todd what his priority as president would be, Sanders was quite clear: "You're not going to accomplish what has to be done for working families and the middle class unless there is campaign finance reform. So long as big-money interests control the United States Congress, it is going to be very hard to do what has to be done for working families."

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No truer words have been uttered by a candidate for president  at least since Obama said essentially the same eight years ago: "If we're not willing to take up that fight [to change the way Washington works], then real change  change that will make a lasting difference in the lives of ordinary Americans  will keep getting blocked by the defenders of the status quo." The kind of systemic, fundamental change that Sanders now, and Obama then, are talking about will require a fundamental change in the economy of influence in Congress. It was enormous progress when Sanders made that clear.

But on the same day that Sanders declared that campaign finance reform must come first, his campaign released a statement completely negating the significance of that promise. Responding to a crowdsourced question on change.org's new politics platform, Sanders again promised to "commit to making reforms that change the way campaigns are funded a primary objective"of his administration. But when he listed what he would actually do in his "first 100 days in office," his list included three minor changes related to transparency in political spending. As to the only change that could make his platform credible  revamping the way congressional elections are funded by adopting a system of small-dollar, citizen-funded campaigns, such as the one Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, has proposed  Sanders indicated this was something to "move toward" "over the long term."

"Over the long term"? What exactly does Sanders expect to accomplish in the short term, before this change is enacted? As Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a speech on the floor of the Senate on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, this is not a fight for the long term. This is the fight to be having right now. The only way real change will happen in the United States is if Congress is set free from its corrupting dependence on interested money. Yet, bizarrely, Sanders doesn't commit to promoting this essential change in Congress as a priority of his administration.

Like Obama before him, Sanders has excited a progressive base with powerful ideas about how to improve the United States. Like Obama before him, he has attacked the money from special interests that so powerfully defends the status quo. But like Obama before him, Sanders has failed to make central the one change that could make his revolution credible: changing the way congressional campaigns are funded. Progressives looking for a revolution should heed Warren's words: This is not a change for "the long term." This is a fight to be having now.

Washington Post

Lawrence Lessig is a professor at Harvard Law School and author of "Republic, Lost: Version 2.0." In November, he ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses supporters in Concord, N.H., after handily winning the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9, 2016. His real victory over the long haul, though, will be getting his ideas a wider hearing. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

Across the dinner table the other evening, my son-in-law gave me a bit of advice. "You got to face it," he said. "Bernie Sanders is going to lose."

As political analysis, he had a point. As a reading of his father-in-law's psyche, he missed the mark. I can't fault him. He is young, a member of a generation that plays to win. Good for him; good for them. But as a man of the left  goodness, how antique that sounds!  I expect to lose. Not because a head count shows the other side has the numbers. I'm just not quite comfortable winning.

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I don't expect Sanders to second the motion, not publicly anyway. Probably not even to himself while he is on the campaign trail. Running for elective office is grueling. Could he press the flesh, day after day, while his mind's eye sees a ballot box chock-full of votes for the other candidate? But if, deep down, Bernie Sanders doesn't think he's going to lose, I'd question his credentials.

He touts himself as a democratic socialist. That puts him in the tradition of Big Bill Haywood, who dreamed of One Big Union for all workers. He walks in the footsteps of Eugene Victor Debs, founder of the Socialist Party of America, and Norman Thomas, who carried its banner when I was young.

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The three had something in common: They didn't win.

Haywood's dream died shortly after his union was born, a victim of an early form of McCarthyism. Between them, Debs and Thomas ran unsuccessfully for president 11 times. That doesn't mean they didn't accomplish anything. They kept the winners honest. Maybe nudged them toward policies they'd otherwise be shy of.

After winning the 1932 presidential election, Franklin Roosevelt invited Thomas  who as usual, lost  to the White House. After hearing FDR's plans for dealing with the Great Depression, Thomas reportedly said that Roosevelt's program more nearly resembled the Socialist Party's platform than that of the president's Democratic Party.

Running for office, FDR promised to balance the budget. But in office, he saw that wouldn't put a dent in massive unemployment, or help myriad farmers losing their land to foreclosure. Fortunately, there was an alternate playbook that Thomas had written during his foredoomed campaigns.

FDR's New Deal sponsored unemployment insurance and pensions, and workplace health and safety standards  ideas socialists had long championed. Congress made it easier to form unions, enabling the Congress of Industrial Organizations to win collective bargaining agreements for automotive and steel workers.

That marked at least a partial realization of Haywood's dream, and it rewarded the efforts of myriad no-name dissidents, radicals and nudniks, troublemakers to the powers that be. An anonymous army, its members put their livelihoods on the line by demanding union representation from bosses who damned them for striking and carrying picket signs.

A generation later, black students mounted sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. They were joined by Northern civil rights activists in voter registration drives. For their efforts, they were set on by police dogs. They were beaten by sheriff's deputies, and killed by night riders. In the immediate, their faceless pain brought little gain.

But those who survived got to see President Lyndon Johnson call upon Congress to enact civil rights legislation. Johnson, a Texan, ended his speech with words from the anthem of the good losers, those who risked their lives for a good cause: "We Shall Overcome."

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More recently, the Rev. Jesse Jackson quixotically campaigned for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He never even came close. But during and in between those runs, he crisscrossed the country, joining the struggles of farmers and blue-collar folks with their backs to the wall. Wags and pundits wisecracked that Jackson never met a television camera he could refuse. But all those images of Jackson standing alongside Middle Americans must have made other whites comfortable with the thought of having a black man speak for them. His fellow Chicagoan, Barack Obama, was elected and re-elected president.

And from Debs' day to the present, an unbroken line of good losers spoke out against the evil of war. They put Debs in prison for denouncing America's intervention in World War I. Pacifists have had some success, helping write a finish to the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. Yet every time a war ends, it seems as though a new conflict is born. But war resisters are the ultimate good losers. They'll be pushing pacifist literature through car windows to unsympathetic drivers for as long as the human race endures.

So run Bernie, run. You carry the livery of those who still dream the impossible dream of a society without rich or poor. You'll be on our minds as we sit through endless business meetings, quietly humming "I'm Sticking with The Union."

Speaking of dreams, we wish you sweet dreams, should you take an opponent's sucker punch on the chin while excitedly lashing out against banks and Wall Street, 1 percenters and their political lackeys.

Lying on the canvas trying to brush the cobwebs out of your brain, may you see yourself in a delicatessen in the Brooklyn of your youth. Seated alongside are Big Bill Haywood, Eugene Victor Debs and Norman Thomas. Over glasses of tea, the four of you nudniks are passionately debating who struck the greatest fear in the hearts of bankers and Wall Street, 1 percenters and their political lackeys.

rgrossman@tribpub.com
We began with more than 20 Republican candidates. Seventeen made it to a formal announcement. Eleven reached Iowa. Now six remain; and with former surgeon Ben Carson going nowhere, only five have a chance to win the nomination. Here is how each of them could do that.

Donald Trump wins by repeating what he did in New Hampshire. As long as the rest of the field is split, he'll benefit in two ways: Negative ads will be aimed at other Republicans, and a third of the vote will be enough to win.

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Donald Trump eacts during a campaign event at Clemson University in Pendleton, S.C., on Feb. 10, 2016. The South Carolina Republican presidential primary will be held on Feb. 20. (Erik S. Lesser, EPA)

It remains an unlikely path. Losers drop out. Before long Trump will probably have only one or two opponents. This is bad news for a candidate who remains unpopular among many Republicans and appeared vulnerable to negative ads in Iowa. His ability to dominate the media has been his greatest strength, but that's more difficult now than it was before Iowa, and it will continue to get harder.

Ted Cruz wins by surviving as other candidates wash out, then by defeating Trump head to head. Rubio's setback in New Hampshire helps him. If Cruz can crush the Florida senator and the other mainstream conservatives in South Carolina, he'll be in good shape whether he beats Trump there or not.

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Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, greets supporters on primary election night, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, in Hollis, N.H.= (Robert F. Bukaty, AP)

The challenge for Cruz is his unproven ability to draw votes from the ideological center of the Republican Party and his prospects for dominating groups most likely to support him. He has a fair amount of support from party actors, but it is factional. And it can't help that so many Republicans who have worked with him can't stand the guy.

Marco Rubio wins if his post-debate collapse in New Hampshire turns out to be short term. He had a large lead over Jeb Bush and John Kasich nationally before Tuesday and in South Carolina in January, the last time its GOP voters were polled. If that holds, he'll knock both Bush and Kasich out soon, and he remains the logical destination for most of their voters. That's the same path he's been on all along: survive the early events, and appeal to the widest range of groups, eventually consolidating all of the anti-Trump and-or anti-Cruz vote.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., talks with reporters on his charter flight from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Feb. 10, 2016, en route to Spartanburg, S.C. (Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

He remains the most likely nominee right now, even though he has lost a lot of leeway. Another bad debate performance could doom him, as might anything that reinforces a view of him as an empty suit. Most party actors are still sitting on their hands. Still, Rubio has more support from them than anyone else in the race, and that backing is not just from members of Congress. He now has a large lead in support from current and former state legislators. He has added about 100 endorsements from those state-level politicians in the last three weeks, and now has 324 current and former state legislators backing him; Cruz has picked about 50 in this group over the same period and is second at 244. Bush (185), Kasich (141) and Trump (37) haven't been adding to their support at all.

Jeb Bush wins if he surges off of his mediocre fourth-place finish in New Hampshire. His path to victory is basically the same as Rubio's. He moves up to a strong third (behind Cruz and Trump) or better in South Carolina and knocks Rubio and Kasich out, then consolidates anti-Trump and anti-Cruz votes.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush addresses a crowd at a town hall event on Feb. 8, 2016, in Portsmouth, N.H. (Scott Eisen, Getty Images)

He faces several hurdles that make success unlikely. We have little polling this week, but Bush still probably trails Rubio in South Carolina and nationally. If the press touts one candidate for his showing in New Hampshire (besides Trump), it's more likely to be Kasich than Bush. Republican voters just haven't liked Bush much so far, even though he's outspent everyone. Also a problem for Bush: In a three-way contest with Trump and Cruz, his more moderate image and positions would make it tougher for him to compete for conservative and very conservative votes (in contrast to Rubio, who has positioned himself as more conservative).

John Kasich wins if his second-place finish in New Hampshire generates plenty of press attention, producing a surge of voter support, which in turn allows him to beat Rubio, Bush and Cruz in the coming contests. But he would need to do well even in conservative states, beginning in South Carolina. He can't win the nomination without that support.

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich talks to the crowd at Finn's Brick Oven Pizza on Feb. 10, 2016, in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The South Carolina Republican primary will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. (Sean Rayford, Getty Images)

A big theme of this election cycle is that any candidate can get a sudden surge. But so far there's no sign the Ohio governor is receiving one. Even if this happens, Kasich may just be too moderate to win. We'll know more when we get some post- New Hampshire polling. Kasich's campaign has talked about hanging on until some big Midwestern states vote in March, but that's not a winning path.

Bloomberg View

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Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist covering U.S. politics.
In order to promote dialogue, or to achieve some political aim, activists often must exercise what has come to be known as "political correctness." This idea was perhaps initially noble in intent: to avoid offending persons or groups. Yet being "politically correct" can be very wrong. This is especially true when it comes to its use to avoid unpleasant reality or to mask difficult truths. We see this in the secular world all the time. Yet in the religious sphere, where truth is the highest of values, politically correct behavior is often an excuse for hypocrisy.

For over two decades I have been actively involved in interfaith and inter-Christian dialogue, as well as advocating for a variety of social justice issues based on my faith, both local and international. Whatever the setting, in my field there is a special need to be aware of cultural and religious sensitivities. A certain level of political correctness helps promote friendship and understanding.

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This February many Christian denominations will acknowledge the first anniversary of the 21 men executed by radical Islamists in Libya because they were Christians. Though reported by much of the mass media, the fact that these men were targeted because they were Coptic Christians was often ignored or mentioned only in passing. In fact, it was the motivation for the attack. Similar atrocities targeting Christians by radical Islamists have become more common in the last several years, joining a long history of violence perpetrated against Jews.

Yet if the religious faith of these martyrs was less important to the secular media, it is quite shocking that religious groups should ignore this well-publicized act of religious hatred. As a member and past president of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, it is an understatement to say that the delay of the council to denounce this specific act is disappointing. Those Muslims, Jews, Christians and members of other faith traditions who reject the tactics and religious hatred of terrorists cannot be offended by denouncing violence and hatred.

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It would be sad to see the council disintegrate due to a lack of integrity on broadly held religious principles of its affiliated faith traditions. The commonality of these traditions has been a belief in God, even if by a variety of names, and shared values. In the past, the council has stood and spoken out for these values in common cause, and was a valuable contributor to the life of our city. When, in the name of political correctness, the council compromises its common values, it serves no purpose and has no value.

 Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, chancellor, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago
After the New Hampshire primary, a new narrative to describe Campaign 2016 has taken shape. It is a narrative of class warfare that, despite the smiles on the candidates' faces, is tearing both parties apart.

Hillary Clinton's loss to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic contest was stunning, not only in its scale but also in its roots. Sanders won the poor and working class  voters with income of less than $50,000  by 2-to-1.

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Eight years ago, Clinton repeatedly beat then-Sen. Barack Obama among working-class white voters. Not this time.

Sanders also clobbered Clinton among young voters by almost 6-to-1 and 3-to-1 among independents. Sanders even edged Clinton out among young women voters, a core constituency for her campaign.

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Whom did she win? Most significantly: voters with incomes of more than $200,000 a year.

That's ironic in light of how billionaire developer and TV showman Donald Trump has become a hero of that group on which Clinton used to rely: white working-class voters.

After Trump lost to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Iowa Republican caucuses, it looked as though Trump's ability to turn his high polling numbers into actual votes might be as full of hot air as his windy no-teleprompter speeches.

But that vision evaporated after Trump won New Hampshire with a decisive 34 percent of the vote  twice as much as his closest competitor, Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

With other leading hopefuls Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio slipping down below Kasich, Stop-Trump Republicans were left without a single Trump rival to rally around as the contest moves to South Carolina, where polls show another rock-star reception awaits The Donald.

Why and how did the elites of both parties suddenly lose so much of their traditional ability to steer the nomination process toward their preferred safe, sane and reasonably electable favorites?

And the answer is: Because the elites happen to be the elites in a very anti-elitist year.

Much has been said about how this is a year defined by voter anger. Don't overlook voter frustration.

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Sanders' voters are expressing their frustration over half-stepping pragmatists like President Barack Obama who gave up on the idea of single-payer Medicare-like health care for all without even trying to present a formal proposal.

And Trump voters are expressing their frustration with Republican elites who have avoided addressing such touchy-but-important issues as illegal immigration, loss of U.S. jobs in complicated trade deals and the survival of popular entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Trump rose above the herd of other hopefuls by offering his own special version of cafeteria conservatism. He stands firm on most of the Republican and conservative agendas, but strays from the corporate conservatives to back the blue collars on immigration, trade and entitlements.

Call it "conservative correctness." He may have offended many women and minorities with his anti-politically correct, shoot-from-the-lip insults. But ironically a new survey by the RAND Corp. reveals him to be right in tune with his supporters. They express resentment toward racial minorities and undocumented immigrants, RAND found, but also favor "progressive economic policies."

Yes, Democrats are not the only folks who care about losing their health care. Yet Sanders has not had more than marginal luck at appealing to working-class conservatives, partly because Trump has drowned out him and just about everyone else.

Yet both Trump and Sanders are playing to a lot of magical thinking in the electorate. Both become more than a little fuzzy when it comes to financing their generous programs. Nonpartisan experts say Sanders' plan would fall trillions of dollars in the hole within a few years.

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And Trump has not explained quite how he would finance the wall he wants to build on the Mexican border if Mexico doesn't want to do it  or how he would round up and expel an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Details, details. What's important to Trump's and Sanders' supporters seems not so much to be how they would enact their agenda than the very fact that they are giving voice to the issues that have frustrated so many voters for so long.

In many ways, both parties brought this leadership dilemma on themselves by taking too many of their voters for granted. That's bad politics, regardless of party.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

cpage@tribpub.com

Twitter @cptime
Under the circumstances, Madigan simply has to take Dunkin down in the primary. If he doesn't  if Dunkin gets away with betraying his colleagues, acting like a jackass and insulting the top member of the Democratic Party while making an alliance with the leader of the Republican Party, and if he does so in a district that runs most of the length of heavily Democratic Chicago with a candidate endorsed by a lineup of heavy hitters  then the so-called Velvet Hammer will be exposed as a Feathery Powderpuff, unable to maintain the discipline Rauner has largely maintained over his caucus.
A priest who has been affiliated with two Aurora parishes was arrested Thursday on two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor, a Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford press release stated.

Kane County Sheriff's deputies and the U.S. Marshal's office took the Rev. Alfredo Pedraza into custody on a warrant at his Rockford residence, said Patrick Gengler, director of administration for the sheriff's office. Pedraza is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 13, the release stated.

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Each count is a felony, Kane County prosecutors said. Pedraza is expected at bond call Friday morning at the Kane County Judicial Center.

The Kane County Child Advocacy Center conducted the investigation, but the Kane County State's Attorney has not released further information.

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Authorities launched an investigation into Pedraza after receiving two reports of alleged abuse in 2014, according to the release. Pedraza was asked to remove himself from all ministries, including the Hispanic Ministry in the DeKalb County Deanery, the release stated. He has not been active in any ministries since October 2014, the release stated.

The Rockford Diocese cooperated with authorities in the investigation and continue to do so, the release stated.

Pedraza came to the Diocese from Colombia, in 2013 and worked with the DeKalb Deanery and assisted at Sacred Heart Parish in Aurora and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora, according to the release.

"While everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Rockford Diocese takes allegations of misconduct in any form very seriously and must act accordingly to insure the safety and security of all our Catholic people as we conduct our worship and ministries together," the release stated.

The Diocese's policy is to advise anyone who might be or knows someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the diocesan clergy, religious personnel, church employee or volunteer should first call police then call the Diocese hotline at 815-293-7540.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter.
A senior housing project is proposed on the northeast corner of Freemont and Walnut streets in Yorkville. (Tony Scott, The Beacon-News)

The Yorkville City Council has delayed its vote on a proposed affordable housing development for seniors after a group of neighbors filed a legal objection to the project.

Aldermen voted 6-2 recently to table the vote on the Anthony Place apartments, with Diane Teeling and Jackie Milschewski voting against delaying the vote. Alderman Carlo Colosimo moved to table the vote, saying he wanted time to review the legal objection.

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The City Council will again consider a vote on the plan at its Feb. 23 meeting, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 800 Game Farm Road.

GC Housing Development LLC is planning Anthony Place at the northeast corner of Freemont and Walnut streets in Yorkville that would include 75 apartments, with a common area that would include a fitness room, community room, craft room and other amenities. The building, set on a 3.4-acre site, would also have an enclosed parking area, according to project plans.

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The developers are seeking to rezone the site and a variance that would allow more housing units than what is currently allowed by the city. They also plan to use a tax credit program to offer affordable rents in the apartment building, via the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Attorney Kelly Helland of Yorkville, who is representing three neighbors on Walnut Street adjacent to the project site, filed a legal objection to the project at the City Council meeting.

Helland explained that her clients don't object to senior housing or rezoning, if it were for a two-story facility, but that the project is too dense and the building too tall for the surrounding neighborhood.

"The (developer) is essentially trying to fit a square peg into a round hole," she said.

Karylin Clevenger of Senior Services Associates asked the aldermen to "vote with your heart," and stressed the need for such a project.

Developer Jeffrey Crane said they have listened to the community.

"What we have attempted to do in those meetings is to listen to the community to try to find common ground on the basis that we can find something that will not only benefit your community but also work within the constraints that are self-imposed and those imposed by the Illinois Housing Development Authority," he said.

Alderman Joel Frieders asked Crane what would happen if the developer doesn't receive the tax credits. Crane said they are able to reapply for the credits, and that it's not uncommon for a developer to have to reapply "two or three times" for a project.

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However, if the City Council rejects the proposal, Crane said the developer would walk.

"We pack up our bags and we leave," he said.

Tony Scott is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
The Illinois attorney general's office announced Thursday that it had filed a complaint against the owner of a Barrington gasoline station, alleging an underground gasoline tank leaked and caused soil and groundwater contamination.

The lawsuit was filed against Shri Balaji Inc., owner and operator of the Mobil station at 504 E. Main St., according to a news release from the attorney general's office. The underground tank, located in Lake County, had been leaking unknown amounts of gas since at least Jan. 25, the release said.

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"The leak was discovered after residents complained of gasoline odors in their homes," the release said. "The complaint alleges leaking gasoline flowed into the soil and groundwater and entered the adjacent sanitary sewer system."

A Lake County Circuit Court judge granted the attorney general's request for a preliminary injunction to address environmental concerns while litigation goes forward, according to the news release. The court also required the owner to determine the leak's cause and investigate possible contamination in the soil and groundwater, the release said.

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Station manager Ramesh Thakkar said the station has taken action to address the issue, but he would not comment on the lawsuit.

"Honesty, everything is going OK now. The (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency), Illinois fire marshal and the village of Barrington all said we took the right actions," he said.

The Mobil station was first closed Jan. 25, after neighbors on the 500 block of East Main Street near Route 14 complained of a gasoline smell in their homes. Barrington officials shut down the station again at 3 p.m. the next day, just six hours after it re-opened for business that morning at 9 a.m.

"The village went back to the gas station and determined petroleum was still found (on Jan. 26) leaking into the sanitary sewer," Barrington Village Manager Jeff Lawler said.

The Illinois fire marshal and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also returned to the site, Lawler said.

According to Lawler, a pressure line leaked in a gasoline pump, which caused gas to travel underground to a sanitary sewer in the station's parking lot. He said the gas station's owner hired an environmental contractor to pump water and fuel from under the parking lot into a tanker truck for removal and testing.

The station opened again Jan. 29.

Village officials said work crews installed plastic lining inside the entire sewer line, preventing gas from seeping into it again. Lawler said that plan was approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

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After both incidents, village workers monitored the area with air-testing equipment and did not detect any levels of concentration, Lawler said.

Resident Susan Myers previously said she first noticed a gas smell in her home, down the street from the gas station, on Jan. 6.

"I noticed an unusual smell throughout my house and through the heat duct. It was very prevalent in the basement," Myers said last month.

The 74-year-old said a furnace contractor visited the home the same day but did not detect carbon monoxide or natural gas. She said the contractor did report a "metallic taste in his mouth."

"Our house is wired with smoke and gas detectors," Myers said.

Myers also asked a septic contractor to clean out a grease trap Jan. 15 in the basement.

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"It made no difference," said Myers' husband, Bob, 79, last month.

Susan Myers said a plumber later smelled fuel in the basement. A village inspector entered the home and also smelled a gas odor, she said.

"He immediately went to the Mobil station, which was closed within an hour," Susan Myers said.

"It has impacted the whole neighborhood. I've had headaches, smarting of the eyes and difficulty breathing when I sleep," Bob Myers said.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
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The Oak Forest Police Department released audio of a 911 call which alerted police of the deaths after a concerned co-worker went to the house. Released Feb. 11, 2016. (Oak Forest Police Department) (Chicago Tribune)

A co-worker of Margaret O'Leary-Joost described a substance that "looks like it could be oil or blood" seeping from under the garage door of her house in a 911 call Monday, the day three members of an Oak Forest family were found dead in what police called a gruesome murder-suicide.

"We were like, 'Oh, God! We better call,'" the woman told the dispatcher during the 59-second call to Oak Forest police, which was released Thursday.

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Police found O'Leary-Joost, 55, her husband David Joost, 54, and their autistic son Daniel Joost, 18, dead inside the home. They said David Joost strangled his wife and son, and then killed himself.

One co-worker told police that David Joost recently lost his job and was enduring "serious health issues," according to police reports. A representative from David Joost's past employer confirmed he was no longer with the company after June 2015. Court records, relatives and neighbors indicated the family also had serious financial problems for years.

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Two crowd-funding efforts sprang up late Tuesday and Wednesday to support Kathryn Joost, the couple's 20-year-old daughter who was away at Millikin University in Decatur at the time of the tragedy. More than $48,000 had been raised by Thursday afternoon.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Employees at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where O'Leary-Joost was employed as a crisis worker, went to the family's home in the 6600 block of Courtney Drive to check on her after she failed to call in or show up for work on Monday.

One co-worker who went to the house rang the doorbell of the Joosts' home while the family dog continued to bark from inside, the woman told police. She texted a photo of the substance coming from under the garage door to another co-worker, who called 911, according to reports.

Upon arriving at the house, an Oak Forest police officer reported seeing what appeared to be blood coming from under the garage door, according to police reports. The officer kicked open the front door when no one answered and a strong odor was detected.

Two officers searched the house, first finding Daniel Joost in his bed and then O'Leary-Joost in her bed.

David Joost was discovered inside the garage in a pool of blood, reports said. An autopsy determined David Joost slit his wrists and bled out. Investigators said he also tried to hang himself, and closed himself inside the garage with the car running.

Donation pages can be found at www.gofundme.com/support-katie and www.youcaring.com/kathryn-joost-518930.

Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
The Oak Forest City Council approved plans for a new Starbucks' cafe near the Metra train station -- regarded as an entryway to the south suburb's Cicero Avenue business district.

The council on Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve ordinances related to the design of the building, the sale of the plot of land to be used for the coffee house and the special use permit that will allow such a business to operate at that site.

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Aldermen Laura Clemons, of the 1st Ward and Diane Wolf of the 3rd Ward, were not present for the vote.

The train station is on the northwest corner of the 159th Street/Cicero Avenue intersection, and a new building to accommodate a Starbucks' would be built on the lot at 15850 S. Cicero Ave.

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City Community Development Director Adam Dotson said that while negotiations between Oak Forest officials and Seattle-based Starbucks have been going on for months, he said the aldermanic approval will allow the project to move forward  with officials hoping that actual construction could start some time in mid-March.

An actual coffeehouse is tentatively expected to open in Oak Forest by mid-September, if there are no significant delays in construction.

Dotson said Starbucks has yet to sign a lease agreement with the city for the site, although he said he has been told such a lease could be signed by Starbucks officials within the upcoming week.

Although the Starbucks' development is considered by Oak Forest officials to be the focal point of the new development, Dotson said the new structure will include an ATI Physical Therapy center, while another structure to be built nearby will include a Family Dollar store.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Dotson said city officials have "fought long and hard to attract quality retail businesses to Oak Forest." He added he hopes the plans for the cafe help " to build momentum" that will attract other retail companies to Oak Forest.

"We want retailers to want to be here," Dotson said. "Someday, we're going to get there."

In other business, the City Council approve plans to a purchase 50 gas masks for the Police Department. Police Chief Gregory Anderson said the department's current masks are more than a decade old and have reached the point where they are no longer assured of providing protection to police officers.

Berea, Ohio-based Pro-Tech will provide 50 respirators and filters for $17,500, although Anderson said AVON, the company that sold the city the current gas masks, will provide a $100-per-mask rebate if they are returned. That would let the city recoup $4,500.

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Also, aldermen approved a $26,.716 expenditure to Frankfort-based Curry Motors for a brand-new Ford Explorer automobile that will be used by the city's Building Department.

All of the department's three other vehicles are used police squad cars.Building Commissioner Mike Forbes said that all have either engine or transmission problems, with at least one of the three automobiles not operating properly functioning at any given time.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
"We have met the enemy, and he is us." - Pogo
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Editor: Jake Liddle

Chinas financial leasing market is the worlds second largest, behind only the U.S., and has been rapidly developing since the countrys reform and opening-up in the 1980s.

Financial leasing in China has been colored by two new regulatory changes in the past six months. In October last year, Chinas Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) revised the Measures on Administration of Foreign Investment in the Leasing Industry, removing the US$10 million minimum registered capital for foreign-invested financial leasing companies and thereby simplifying making market entry for foreign companies. However, in January this year, the Chinese government restricted the approval of investment related registration applications following recent illegal fundraising scandals. With these two contrasting developments in mind, in this article we examine current opportunities and setup procedures in Chinas financial leasing industry.

How do financial leasing companies in China work?

Financial leasing companies ultimately provide finance, and serve to purchase assets on behalf of a user and lease it to them, usually for an agreed period of time. The lessor retains property rights of the asset, but the lessee enjoys exclusive use of the asset, provided they observe the terms of the lease and make rental payments over the agreed period of time to cover the original cost of the asset, in some cases at an inflated rate. At the end of the leasing period, the lessee has the option to acquire ownership of the asset following payment of the final installment of the lease. This type of financial intermediation is common in industries that require high rates of capital investment, such as aviation, construction, medical and logistics.

RELATED: Business Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

Setup Procedures and Requirements

Foreign investors may either set up a wholly foreign-owned enterprise or cooperate with a Chinese partner to enter Chinas leasing industry. MOFCOM is in charge of the approval and examination of foreign leasing companies. The new measures outline the following documents required to be submitted with an application form:

Feasibility study report executed by the investors;

Contract and articles of association (foreign-funded enterprises shall submit articles of association only);

Certificate of creditworthiness, registration certificate (photocopy), identity document of the legal representative (photocopy) of the investors;

Audit report of the investors issued by an accounting firm for the preceding year;

Name list of board members and letters of appointment of directors by the investors;

Qualification certificates of senior management personnel; and

Approval notice on reservation of enterprise name issued by the industrial and commercial administration authorities.

The application and accompanying documents should be submitted to the relevant provincial commerce administration authority, which will execute a preliminary examination of the application and then submit it to MOFCOM within 15 working days. MOFCOM will complete examination of the application within 45 working days from receipt of all application documents. When successful, the ministry will issue an approval certificate for foreign investment enterprise.

This renders foreign-invested financial leasing companies at liberty to engage in the following industries:

Finance leasing;

Leasing;

Purchase of leased assets in China or overseas;

Scrapping and servicing of leased assets;

Consultancy and guarantee for leasing transactions; and

Other industries approved by the examination and approval authorities.

Obstructions and opportunities in the industry

In September last year, a circular was published stating the governments intent to promote and accelerate the healthy development of the financial leasing industry, with an outline to establish a unified administrative system for the industry. However, in January this year, the Chinese government decided to restrict the approval of investment related registration applications nationwide in light of recent illegal fundraising scandals. These restrictions differ from city to city:

In Beijing, registration for all companies whose business scope contain words such as investment, capital & fund, equity investment, and finical management have been suspended.

In the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ), restrictions were put in place on the approval of investment management, asset management and financial leasing companies. Specifically:

The shareholders of the company (be it domestic or foreign-invested) will be interviewed by the government officer before incorporation;

Different from the policies in Beijing, it is still allowed to set up consulting companies such as an investment consulting company; and,

Approvals of finance information service companies and internet finance information service companies are suspended.

However, these restrictions are lifted in certain remote districts in Shanghai, including Fengxian district and Baoshan district.

In contrast, the Tianjin Ministry of Commerce issued an announcement stating that the Tianjin FTZ will implement a record-filing system for the establishment of foreign-invested financial leasing companies. This means a Foreign-invested Enterprises Filing Certificate will be issued to all foreign invested financial leasing companies upon completion of registration and filing procedures, where previously pre-approval from the FTZ administration committee was required.

Looking ahead

Foreign investors should note that more change in Chinas financial leasing industry is likely  the Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) has stated that the length of the industrys new restrictions are indefinite. With these restrictions lifted in Tianjin, the financial leasing industry remains a profitable option for foreign investors. In 2015, turnover reached over RMB 3,500 billion  up RMB 220 billion compared to the end of 2014  with 2,440 foreign leasing enterprises, representing an increase of 420 over the previous year.



About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. 

Importing and Exporting in China: a Guide for Trading Companies

In this issue of China Briefing, we discuss the latest import and export trends in China, and analyze the ways in which a foreign company in China can properly prepare for the import/export process. With import taxes and duties adding a significant cost burden, we explain how this system works in China, and highlight some of the tax incentives that the Chinese government has put in place to help stimulate trade.

China Investment Roadmap: The Medical Device Industry

In this issue of China Briefing, we present a roadmap for investing in Chinas medical device industry, from initial market research, to establishing a manufacturing or trading company in China, to obtaining the licenses needed to make or distribute your products. With our specialized knowledge and experience in the medical industry, Dezan Shira & Associates can help you to newly establish or grow your operations in China and beyond.

Selling, Sourcing and E-Commerce in China 2016 (First Edition)

This guide, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, provides a comprehensive analysis of all these aspects of commerce in China. It discusses how foreign companies can best go about sourcing products from China; how foreign retailers can set up operations on the ground to sell directly to the countrys massive consumer class; and finally details how foreign enterprises can access Chinas lucrative yet ostensibly complex e-commerce market.
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Glaciers in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region [File photo]

Tourists have been forbidden from entering glaciers in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, authorities said on Thursday.

"Glacier tourism brought in revenue of less than one billion yuan (152 million U.S. dollars) over the past dozen years, but the loss from shrinking glaciers is incalculable," said Li Jidong from the regional tourism administration.

According to the new regulation, tourists are only allowed to enjoy the sight of glaciers from a distance instead of walking on them.

Statistics showed the temperature of the region has risen 0.33 degrees Celsius to 0.39 degrees Celsius per decade over the past 50 years, almost three times the global average.

China has 46,377 glaciers, with 18,311, or 46.8 percent of the national ice reserves located in Xinjiang. Global warming, grazing, mining and tourism have accelerated destruction of the glaciers, and led to water shortages in several areas.

Glacier meltwater accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of Xinjiang's surface run-off, and the thawing of the glaciers could have a disastrous effect on the region, according to the Tianshan Mountains Glacier Observation Station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Approximately 120 km from the regional capital of Urumqi, Glacier No. 1 in the Tianshan Mountains is the closest glacier to a city in the world. The meltwater from the glacier has reduced after years of receding.

Small glaciers at low altitudes are more sensitive to climate change, said Chen Xi from the CAS.

"Glaciers in the Tianshan Mountains have receded by 15 to 30 percent in the last three decades." Chen said. "And they will continue to retreat by 60 percent in the next 20 years, and by 80 to 90 percent half a century from today."

To protect the city's water supply, Urumqi banned tourists from the glacier back in 2006, but visitors manage to find their way into the area.

More than a dozen families of herdsmen still inhabit the area and to make money, some herdsmen take tourists to the area by motorcycle.

A recent visit by Xinhua reporters found plastic waste scattered in many areas, indicating visits made by tourists.

All mining has ceased in a 948-sq-km protection zone. Vehicles on section of national highway near the zone are restricted and wild herb digging is banned.
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A woman takes a selfie with lion costume in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York, the United States on Feb. 8, 2016. People set off firecrackers and watched lion dance in Manhattan's Chinatown to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year on Monday. [Xinhua/Li Muzi]

The Spring Festival this year, which fell on Feb. 8, marks the beginning of the Year of the Monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac that assigns one of 12 animals, either real or mythological, to each year.

In other countries, the most festive season in China has also become a bridge for cultural exchange with the Asian giant.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Lunar New Year festivity filled the air at the Lincoln Center when the New York Philharmonic, which started the tradition to host an annual Lunar New Year concert in 2012 to celebrate the cultural heritage of China and honor the Chinese-American community, was playing classical pieces by Chinese composers.

What stunned the audience most was the final piece, also the New York premier of Chinese composer Tan Dun's symphony "Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women." It was not just a multi-layered symphony with sheer sonic grandeur and a triumphant finale, but an audiovisual masterpiece aimed at preserving a disappearing ancient language used exclusively by some women in south central China's Hunan Province.

"This (Nu Shu) is a tour de force, a work of art," Barbara Tober told Xinhua. "It is very unusual and beautiful to watch, especially as it built up to the end where the women were working together. It was glorious."

In San Jose, the house of Raymond Tang and his wife Isabel Yung, a typical family of Chinese diaspora in the Central American country of Costa Rica, was adorned with red colors and had its door covered in Chinese characters and panels.

In addition, the Tang family was actively involved in preparation work for cultural activities planned by the Chinese community in Costa Rica on the occasion to offer locals a glimpse of China and bring the two cultures closer.

"I think people in Costa Rica know what the Chinese New Year is. People called me and wished me a happy Year of the Monkey and all the best in the year to come," said Yung.

Francesca Romana Di Biagio, an Italian journalist at Il Giornale newspaper in Milan, said more and more Italians, including many who have no links with China, like to celebrate the Spring Festival.

"This festival has become increasingly popular in Milan. Many people have the habit of celebrating it in Chinese restaurants, which is also a sign of a growing integration of the Chinese community in Italy," she explained.

In fact, in the early 1990s Milan used to celebrate the Spring Festival with "extraordinary dragons and lanterns full of colors and joy," noted Davide Rossi, a historian and director of the Locarno-based ISPEC Institute of History and Philosophy of Contemporary Thought.

"This means that the Chinese community in Milan since a long time ago has been a very influential presence able to transfer the value and beauty of Chinese traditions," he said.

Rossi said he has never celebrated the Spring Festival in China, yet every year he feels increasingly close to the Chinese people in enjoying the festive atmosphere, no matter in which part of the world.

According to official statistics, China's Ministry of Culture has organized more than 800 events to celebrate last year's Spring Festival in over 320 cities in 118 countries and regions.

China has so far established 25 cultural centers abroad, in a bid to promote the Chinese culture and strengthen cultural exchange and cooperation with other countries.

In November 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Singaporean Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong unveiled the China Cultural Center during a visit to the city state, which shares cultural roots and maintains close relations with China as a predominantly ethnic Chinese society.

Phua Kok Khoo, president of Singapore's China Friendship Association, spoke highly of China's efforts in promoting its culture and tradition.

From China's traditional thoughts of "peaceful coexistence" and "seeking harmony in diversity", Xi has proposed such ideas as peaceful development and win-win cooperation to handle international issues, said Phua, who was invited to a welcoming dinner for the Chinese president.

With the promotion of the Chinese tradition and culture, China has clearly shown the whole world its future direction of development, he said.
Radio Free Asia

2016-02-11

 Despite protections promised by a Mental Health Law passed by China in 2013, the countrys medical profession has continued to collude with the authorities in carrying out psychiatric incarceration of critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, a rights group has said in a recent report.

The Mental Health Law was aimed at protecting mental health service users from misdiagnosis and involuntary medical treatment in Chinas state-run psychiatric hospitals.

But the practice of enforced psychiatric treatment for rights activists and persistent petitioners continued throughout 2015, the Hubei-based China Rights Observer group said in its annual report.

The original intention when the government passed the Mental Health Law was to limit the phenomenon of being mentally illed,' China Rights Observer founder and report author Liu Feiyue told RFA in a recent interview.

But our observations have shown that this continues to happen, even to previous victims of psychiatric incarceration.

This is because they already have a psychiatric case history, and that makes it easy for the authorities just pack them off to the mental institution on politically sensitive dates, like the annual parliamentary sessions, Liu said. This started to happen more and more last year.

Forced medication

On Thursday, Shanghai petitioner Lu Liming told RFA he had been locked up in a psychiatric hospital in Beijing after being detained by police.

I have no mental illness; I am normal  and yet I was tied to a bed in the Changping Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for two days and two nights, Lu said on his release.

They also forced me to take a lot of medication while I was tied up there, so miserable I wanted to die, he said. I am still in pain, and my head is still swollen from their beatings.

Lu said he plans to sue the police and the hospital over his treatment there.

The China Rights Observers Liu said Lus ordeal began after he was detained while on a petitioning trip to Beijing by interceptors hired by the Shanghai authorities to stop complaints being made to central government.

He was petitioning, and he was intercepted and taken to the Changping [hospital], Liu said. A lot of petitioners get sent to that hospital for so-called treatment.

Politicized psychiatry

He said 2015 saw a number of additional cases of forcible psychiatric treatment for political reasons, in spite of the 2013 law aimed at protecting citizens from abuses.

A file photo of a patient at a psychiatric hospital in Fuzhou

receiving a blood transfusion with bound feet.

AFP Photo

For example, there was Wang Shiwen, from Shiyan in Hubei province, who was locked up in a psychiatric hospital for petitioning in Beijing and with the provincial government, Liu said.

Our report concludes that the practice of psychiatry is politicized by the fact that there are no curbs on government power, and so they can easily suppress people who are angry with them by using psychiatric hospitals.

This is all part of the governments stability maintenance system, which is getting tighter and tighter  because they fear anything that could threaten their grip on power, including petitioners, Liu said.

Using psychiatric incarceration is only one of the weapons in their arsenal, he said.

The groups website reported on more than 30 cases of activists around China who were forcibly committed to psychiatric institutions in 2015, often without their relatives knowledge or consent.

Activists and petitioners under treatment have been detained, tied up, beaten, forced to wear manacles and leg irons, and forcibly fed psychoactive drugs, as well as denied access to the outside and to visits from their friends and family.

Hospitals often refuse to discharge such patients without the agreement of law enforcement agencies, and inmates are sometimes forced to sign guarantees that they will drop all further action against the government before being released.





Tiger bench

Shanghai petitioner Zhu Jindi said her grown son was taken into a psychiatric hospital on Feb. 27, 2014 after getting into a dispute with another person, in spite of having had no history of mental illness.

She said the authorities had taken the action as a form of revenge against her petitioning activities.

They locked my son up in the detention center for 51 days, and we didnt know he was in there, until the court ruled he should be committed for psychiatric treatment on April 17, Zhu said.

Inside there, they put him on the tiger bench [torture chair] from morning till night, she said. He was also manacled, and he was tied hand and foot in restraints to his bed, to urinate and defecate on himself.

It was evil, she said.

The tiger bench was among a number of torture methods reported by Chinese detainees and highlighted by rights groups testifying to the U.N. Committee Against Torture last year during its review of Beijings record last year.

The committee concluded that torture and other human rights violations are deeply entrenched in Chinas justice system, and called on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to abolish inhuman treatment of detainees.



Reported by Xin Lin and Qiao Long for RFAs Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.







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Radio Free Asia

By Richard Finney

2016-02-11

 Authorities in western Chinas Sichuan province have detained two senior Tibetan monks on suspicion of holding prayers for the good health of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, an India-based Tibetan rights group said this week.

Khenpo Paga and Geshe Orgyen, both high-ranking monks at Chokri monastery in Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, were taken into custody only a few days after they organized a prayer ceremony on Jan. 25, the Tibetan Centre For Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said.

The prayer ceremony was held following the news of the Dalai Lamas medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, TCHRD said in a Feb. 8 statement.

Video and photos circulating on social media sites and obtained by RFA show hundreds of Tibetan men, women, and children seated before a large shrine at the monastery and praying before a large image of the Dalai Lama, whose photos are banned by Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas.

Khenpo Paga (left) and Geshe Orgyen are shown in undated

photos. Photos courtesy of TCHRD

The Dalai Lama, 80, fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 and is reviled by Chinese leaders as a dangerous separatist who seeks to split the formerly self-governing region from Beijings rule.

In what he calls a Middle Way Approach, though, the Dalai Lama himself says that he seeks only a meaningful autonomy for Tibet as a part of China, with protections for the regions language, religion, and culture.

News of the prayers at Chokri spread widely following the ceremony, prompting authorities on Jan. 31 to issue a ban on the sale of photos of the exiled spiritual leader in shops and stores in the county, with punishment threatened for store owners failing to comply, TCHRD said.

Paga, aged about 40, and Orgyen, aged about 50, had both completed religious training at Tibetan monasteries in exile in South India before returning to Tibet, TCHRD said.

Following the detention of the abbot and the senior monk of [Chokri] monastery, local authorities have deployed a large number of Chinese security forces to monitor and control both the monastic and lay community in Tehor [township], the rights group added.

Sporadic demonstrations challenging Beijings rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008.

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An injured TV journalist, center, is helped by his colleague and a riot policeman after being hit by a stone thrown by a protester onto his face during a clash at Mong Kok district in Hong Kong, China, Feb 9, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Hong Kong police arrested another person on Wednesday suspected of being involved in the Monday night Mongkok riot in Fanling, bringing to 64 the number of people jailed on suspicion of participating in the riot.

Ko Wing-man, secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special administrative region, said more than 130 people injured in the incident were hospitalized, among whom more than 90 are police personnel. He said 13 people were still receiving hospital treatment as of Wednesday night and were in stable condition.

John Tsang Chun-wah, financial secretary of Hong Kong, said: "What happened in Mongkok on the second day of the new year on the Chinese lunar calendar makes me very sad and very outraged. Such irrational actions have gone far beyond our rule-of-law base line and are unacceptable to society.

"I hope people will cooperate with the police force to bring these outlaws to justice as soon as possible," he added.

Many organizations handed in petition letters to police headquarters in Wan Chai and at the Mongkok police station on Wednesday, calling on police to enforce the law strictly and fairly. Additionally, gifts were provided to police representatives with wish cards and fruit baskets to offer comfort to the injured police officers and to praise their bravery in maintaining public security and order.

Some members of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, including Alice Mak Mei-kuen, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, visited the Hong Kong police headquarters on Wednesday to urge the police to deeply investigate the incident.

Xinhua contributed to this story.
Visitors climb the Great Wall in Yanqing district, northwest of Beijing, on Feb 11, 2016, despite heavy smog. [Photo/IC]

Beijing was under a blanket of smog Thursday as a fireworks spree during Spring Festival (China's Lunar New Year) drove up the PM2.5 reading to 250 mg per cubic meter.

Large numbers of holiday travelers were still seen in attractions like the Great Wall and Tian'anmen Square despite the haze.

China has a tradition of ushering in a Lunar New Year by setting off fireworks, which is believed to drive away evil spirits and fuel a festive atmosphere. Beijing, a city that has a fireworks ban, only allows fireworks for the Lunar New Year celebrations, which last from Feb 3 to 12 this year.
BEIJING -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday refuted the British government's latest six-monthly report to parliament on Hong Kong, urging Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs.

China is strongly displeased with and firmly opposed to the report since it contains groundless accusations against China, spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and Hong Kong affairs are China's domestic affairs, Hong said, stressing that no foreign country has the right to interfere in it.

He urged the British side to be cautious with words and deeds and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs.

Since the return of Hong Kong to China in July 1997, the principle of "one country, two systems" has made great achievements, as recognized by the whole world, said the spokesman, noting that Hong Kong continues to enjoy prosperity and stability, and Hong Kong residents enjoy every right and freedom they are entitled to in accordance with the law.

The Chinese central government has been earnestly implementing the principle of "one country, two systems" and strictly following the Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong said, adding the central government is determined to continue to do so in the future.
Tributes paid in Beijing and Fujian province to scores killed in Taiwan

Monks pray at the Guangji temple in Beijing on Friday for the dead and survivors of the powerful earthquake that struck southern Taiwan. The prayers were offered on the fifth day of Spring Festival. The event, which was held by the Buddhist Association of China, attracted hundreds of people. Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

Candles were lit and prayers said on the Chinese mainland on Friday for victims of last weekend's earthquake in Taiwan and their families.

More than 100 Buddhists gathered at the Guangji temple in Beijing, which was originally built in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), to mourn the victims and pray for their relatives.

Master Xuecheng, head of the Buddhist Association of China, said people from both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the same religious culture and traditions.

"We always appreciate the help from Taiwan when the mainland is hit by major disasters, such as the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008," he said.

"I hope people from both sides can again support each other and weather the disaster." He said the association has collected more than 500,000 yuan ($77,000) in donations.

Nelson Chuang, deputy director of Beijing's Taiwan Company Association, attended the prayers and said he comes from the disaster area.

"I am lucky that nobody from my family was hurt. I am praying for other people in my hometown," he said. "I am very grateful that people on the mainland also care about Taiwan. We are a family even though there is a Strait between us."

Prayer meetings were also held at Beijing's Baiyun temple, a well-known Taoist temple, and several Mazu temples in Fujian province, which shares most traditions with Taiwan.

Mainland netizens also voiced their sympathy and prayers on the Internet.

Toutiao Xinwen, a micro-blog account with more than 40 million followers, posted "Pray for Taiwan" and a picture of candlelight tributes from last Saturday when the quake struck southern Taiwan. The post received more than 4,000 "likes" in an hour.

The death toll from the quake stood at 98 as of Friday night, with about 26 people still missing.

The collapse of the 16-story Wei Guan Building in Tainan, the building most seriously affected by the quake, accounted for 96 of the deaths, according to authorities in Taiwan.

Rescuers said the chances of finding survivors from the wrecked building are now slim, but the search will continue.

The quake, which the China Earthquake Administration said had a magnitude of 6.7, hit the city of Kaohsiung at 3:57 am last Saturday, just two days before Spring Festival. Local monitoring authorities put the scale of the quake at 6.4.

Leading political figures, including Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou and the island's leader-elect Tsai Ing-wen visited Tainan to attend mourning ceremonies on Friday.

Xinhua contributed to this story.
A refreshing break for Spring Festival has taken on a new meaning as heavy smog in some areas has contributed to an increasing number of journeys being booked by those seeking cleaner air and water.

Zhang Jinfang, 28, a staff member at a government-funded research institute in Beijing, said she booked a family trip to Sanya, a popular city in the island province of Hai-nan, for Spring Festival. Apart from the undoubted attractions of sunny Sanya, her reason for going was that she wanted to escape the expected pollution during Spring Festival caused by fireworks.

"I am from Shaanxi province which is one of the most heavily polluted provinces in China. I am always worried about my parents' health," said Zhang. "During Spring Festival, the air pollution will be worse than on normal days because of the tradition of setting off firecrackers and fireworks. I am a frequent traveler. In the past, I would choose holiday destinations for their beautiful natural scenery or if they offered huge shopping discounts.

"After working to a hectic schedule in heavily polluted Beijing, there is only one thing I am looking forward to now and that is clean air."

Tourists like Zhang have increased business opportunities for travel agencies. According to online travel service provider Ctrip, since heavy smog hit China in early December, "escaping from smog" has become a popular theme for tourism products. Booking numbers during January and Spring Festival have soared compared with the same period last year.

Much of this demand has come, unsurprisingly, from areas where the air has been less than pristine.

"Cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Chongqing, account for the largest number of tourists who want to escape smog," said Yan Xin, publicity officer at Ctrip. "We noticed that when smog was getting worse, searches and booking numbers rose quickly."

Tourism destinations that offer a good natural environment and air quality are the beneficiaries, and these include Sanya, Kunming in Yunnan province, and Xiamen in Fujian province.

Tourists, Yan said, also prefer to include outbound trips to islands in their itineraries where they can enjoy a warmer climate besides the clean air and water.

Xu Xiaolei, spokesman for China Youth Travel Service, said the effect on tourism brought by smog would only persist for a relatively short period. But, Xu said, tourism for health reasons will be a driving force for much longer.

"Tour packages to escape from smog are only popular when the smog is heavy," said Xu, who pointed out that besides sightseeing, vacationing and shopping, health is also a factor.

"Medical tourism has been gaining popularity in recent years. The majority of affluent Chinese tourists live in first-tier cities, which have a tendency to experience all kinds of pollution."

This has brought rising opportunities for many cities that may not have much cultural heritage but do have an outstanding natural environment.

"Not all the cities are like Beijing or Xi'an which have a deeply resonant cultural and historical heritage. Tourists like to pay money to see the Great Wall or Terracotta Warriors," said Xu but pointed out that other, "natural and healthy", attractions are now being considered.
Yan was a versatile artist and he participated in creative work and screenwriting for a great number of TV galas. He also worked as a judge on several CCTV talent shows.[Photo/IC]

According to the official Sina Weibo account of the China Air Force, renowned Chinese artist and military lyricist Yan Su has died, aged 86.

The post reads: "At 3:07 am on Feb 12, 2016, famous artist, a creative member of the PLA Air Force Political Department Song and Dance Troupe, died of illness in Beijing. 12 Chinese characters could be used to commemorate him, who holds both talent and virtue: He is a man with a loyal heart, passion and righteousness.He has left the world with a legacy of over 1,000 pieces of artworks with ambition, virtue and warmth, which has encouraged and inspired generations of Chinese people".

Born in 1930 as Yan Zhiyang in Baoding city of Hebei province, Yan Su graduated from Chongqing University. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1953 and served as the vice president of the China Theater Association.

Yan made his name through the opera Sister Jiang, which was a sensation when it was publicly performed in 1964. The play gained such fame that Yan Su was personally received by Chairman Mao Zedong.

Yan's success in opera is substantial and he later created several other acclaimed operas, including Red Rock, The Red Detachment of Women and Armed Working Team Behind Enemy Lines.

Apart from success in opera, Yan also wrote a lot of popular songs, the most noteworthy one of which is the opening theme song, Dare to Ask Where is the Road, of the 1982 CCTV hit drama Journey to the West. Other important works that are popular among the public are Song Face Painting of Beijing Opera, Beijing Is the Hometown and Oriental Pearl Tower.

Yan was a versatile artist and he participated in creative work and screenwriting for a great number of TV galas. He also worked as a judge on several CCTV talent shows.
Yan Su

Renowned Chinese dramatist and military songwriter Yan Su, 86, died from an illness on Friday morning.

He died at 3:07 am in Beijing after medical treatment failed, according to the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

Yan went into a coma in September after taking part in the Victory and Peace grand cultural gala held in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the World's Anti-Fascist War, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Yan received more than 100 awards, including lifetime achievement ones, for his contribution to opera, drama and music.

In a post on its Sina Weibo account, the PLA Air Force hailed Yan as "an artist with a loyal heart, passion and righteousness".

He had both talent and virtue and left the world with a legacy of more than 1,000 pieces of artwork "with ambition, virtue and warmth, which encouraged and inspired generations of Chinese people", the post read.

Born in 1930 in Baoding, Hebei province, Yan joined the Communist Party of China in 1953 and served as vice-president of the China Theater Association.

He also worked as a judge on several television talent shows.

He made his name with the opera Sister Jiang, which became a big hit when it was performed in 1964.

He also wrote lyrics for many songs, including the theme song for the TV series Journey to the West that was adapted from the classic novel of the same name and broadcast in China in 1986.
Hillary Clinton is reaching out to Asian American and Pacific Island voters to support her campaign for the White House.

The Democratic presidential front-runner will visit San Gabriel, California, on Thursday to launch "Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders for Hillary," the first of many events to "engage, energize and organize AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islander) voters," according to a statement from her campaign. San Gabriel's population of about 40,000 is 48.9 percent Asian, according to US Census figures.

There are 5.9 million registered Asian-American voters, according to a report by the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. The report shows that within the next 25 years that figure will increase to 12.2 million.

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets audience members following a campaign town hall meeting in Concord, New Hampshire January 3, 2016. Brian Snyder / Reuters

The Democratic share of Asian-American votes has increased from 36 percent in 1992 to 64 percent in 2008. Clinton won the Asian vote during the 2008 Democratic primary in California against Senator Barack Obama, and he won 73 percent of the Asian-American vote in his 2012 presidential re-election

In her appearance in San Gabriel, about seven miles from Los Angeles, Clinton "will discuss what's at stake in this election for the AAPI community, and how she'll fight for them as president," according to a release from the campaign that promises "a number of events and activities that will engage, energize and organize AAPI voters."

Kansen Chu, a California state assemblyman, told China Daily that the events in California are meant to "build up excitement for Clinton".

"In recent years, we have seen more Asian Americans show interest in participating in politics," he said. "More people of Asian descent have been elected to city councils, especially in smaller cities.

"There are a considerable number of Asian Americans living in California, but voter turnout among them is still quite low," Chu added.

In San Gabriel Clinton will be joined by elected officials, including California Congresswoman Judy Chu, and local community leaders. Chu is the chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress.

During her two-day visit to the Golden State, Clinton will also attend fundraising events.

On Thursday, it will be a $2,700-per-person luncheon in San Gabriel, followed by a "family celebration" reception that afternoon at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles. Lisa Henson, a television and movie producer and the daughter of the creator of the Muppets, and her husband, artist and animator David Pressler, will host the event. Tickets are $500 to $2,700.

On Thursday night, another fundraiser will be held in Los Angeles with investor Warren Buffett as a special guest.

Lia Zhu in San Francisco contributed to this report.

jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com
Eight great places to watch playful primates go wild in the wild

"Emei's elves" are thieves. Indeed, it wasn't my wife who was rustling through the pack on my back.

It was a Tibetan macaque.

Wild primates that frolic at tourism destinations around China include (clockwise from top) golden monkeys in Hubei's Shennongjia, macaques on Hainan's Nanwan Monkey Island, Tibetan macaques in Sichuan's Emei Mountains and Huangshan stump-tailed macaques on Anhui's Huangshan Mountains. Photos by Wen Zhenxiao / Huang Yiming / Zhao Renbao / Liu Bingsheng / For China Daily

(My spouse, for the record, is human.)

The animal was up to its furry armpit, swishing around for the peanuts in my bag.

I asked Carol what she wanted - then noticed her some distance away.

I turned around to find myself staring into its eyes.

Not hers.

A tug-of-war ensued.

I guess it makes sense you'd wield upper body strength disproportionate to your size if you performed treetop acrobatics all day.

(I still won. Barely.)

The monkeys on Sichuan province's Emei Mountains are colloquially known as "little beggars".

More like "little burglars".

That said, I chased another species out of our tree house in Yunnan province's Xishuangbanna before it could snatch anything.

Primates flash-flooded around - sometimes over - our feet at Qianling Mountain Park in Guizhou province's capital, Guiyang, where they're the main attraction. Some napped while limpidly draped over signs advertising their presence, without any sense of irony.

We homo sapiens perhaps love monkeys because they sway from a nearby branch of our evolutionary tree.

They're cousins that call for family reunions, typically via ecotourism.

China is home to about a dozen species - plus one ape group, the gibbon - that entice travelers every year.

They hold a special place in Chinese culture, making the cut of the 12 creatures esteemed as worthy of zodiac reverence.

In the spirit of the Year of the Monkey that begins on Feb 8, we explore China's best destinations to visit the primates that climb close to us up the web of life.

1 Monkey Island

Nanwan Monkey Island is a place where trained macaques reportedly greet guests with salutes and flags.

Yet they lack discipline and often break formation or even squabble at the site in Lingshui county, in southeastern Hainan province.

Most simian denizens of the country's only macaque reserve are truly wild.

And, apparently, love to dive and swim.

2 Lianyungang

Jiangsu province's Huaguo Mountains are peaks upon which some monkeys frolic. Others are frozen in stone.

The living primates scuttle up sculptures of the mischievous Monkey King, the protagonist of one, and arguably the zaniest, of China's four great novels, Journey to the West.

The heights are said to be the saucy superhero's home.

Visitors can pose with a trained monkey dressed as the Monkey King in front of the Water Curtain Cave through which the deity dashed to become supreme ruler of his kind. That is, before splashing through to the other side, cultivating magical powers and questing to India.

3 Shennongjia

Golden monkeys scamper through this forest reserve in Hubei province.

Legend whispers that another primate lumbers along this territory: the Yeren, or Wild Man, China's Big Foot.

That said, the place itself is named after a pseudomythical horned pharmacologist from whom all ethnic Han are believed to have descended.

Shennong is like a Chinese Abraham with an ox scalp, who gobbled unidentified herbs to discover if they wielded medicinal purposes - or poison. (It's said his intestines ruptured, fatally, after he digested a toxic yellow flower.)

The Unesco World Biosphere Reserve remains a botanist's playground.

Roughly 3,500 species of flora flourish. So do golden monkeys and, perhaps consequently, the lore of Yeren.

4 Foping

Snub-nosed monkeys play supporting roles to the stars of Shaanxi province's Foping National Nature Reserve, the world's densest wild panda population.

Exceedingly rare brown-and-white giant pandas, leopards and Asiatic black bears also amble over this wilderness.

Red-and-white giant flying squirrels sail through its canopies, while takin, which look like a cross between a goat and an ox, trot atop its soil.

5 Zhouzhi

The Qinling Mountains' golden snub-nosed monkeys are blue in the face - especially their lips.

The reason for their visage's complexion remains unknown.

Their flat features are likely an adaptation to prevent frostbitten proboscises.

The species' Latin name, Rhinopithecus roxellana, is said to hail from their resemblance to a 1500s concubine with a squashed schnoz.

About 4,000 of these primates roam the Zhouzhi nature reserve in Shaanxi province in bands of up to 400.

6 Gaoligong

Assorted gibbons, langurs and macaques scuttle through the Gaoligong Mountains.

The Unesco World Biosphere Reserve in Yunnan province bristles with one of the country's best-preserved woodlands.

Clouded leopards, red pandas and pangolins also prowl its topography.

A critically endangered snub-nosed monkey species, Rhinopithecus strykeri, was discovered there in 2011.

7 Chongzuo

Chongzuo Ecology Park is where you can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists from the elite Peking University to observe black-headed langurs and white-headed leaf monkeys only found in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The research base near the road is open to the public.

Simians snooze in caves at night and jet across hilltops during daytimes.

8 Zhangjiajie

Monkeys swirl among 8,000 stone shards of this terrain, which inspired the extraterrestrial world featured in the blockbuster Avatar.

Both the film and actual place - a Unesco World Heritage Site - are otherworldly landscapes occupied by primates who, well, aren't us but are pretty proximate.

That is, almost human, but not quite.

erik_nilsson@chinadaily.com.cn
A rookie Chinese-American police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted Thursday of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations. He had no comment after the verdict.

The manslaughter charge, a felony, carries up to 15 years in prison. While Liang awaits sentencing April 14, he was dismissed from the New York Police Department right after the verdict, department spokesman Peter Donald said.

But an uncertainty remains: Brooklyn state Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun has yet to rule on Liang's lawyers' request to dismiss the charges; Liang also was convicted of official misconduct, a misdemeanor. The request was made before the verdict, which brought Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson to the courtroom audience to watch.

The shooting happened in a year of debate nationwide about police killings of black men, and activists have looked to Liang's trial as a counterweight to cases in which grand juries have declined to indict officers, including the cases of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York. Like Gurley, Brown and Garner were black and unarmed.

Relatives of other New Yorkers killed in police encounters had joined Gurley's family to speak out about the case outside court during the trial.

"Police must be held accountable," Gurley's stepfather, Kenneth Palmer, said Monday.

Meanwhile, supporters of Liang have said he has been made a scapegoat for past injustices.

Deliberations stretched into Thursday evening, after jurors asked to review the New York Police Department firearms guide late in the afternoon. Earlier, they had reheard testimony from Liang and other witnesses.

Liang was patrolling a public housing high-rise in Brooklyn with his gun drawn when he fired; he said a sound startled him. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit the 28-year-old Gurley on a lower floor.

Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly, must have realized from the noise that someone was nearby and did almost nothing to help Gurley.

"Instead of shining a light, he pointed his gun and shot Akai Gurley," Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexis said in his closing argument.

But the defense said the shooting was an accident, not a crime.

The 28-year-old Liang said he had been holding his weapon safely, with his finger on the side and not the trigger, when the sudden sound jarred him and his body tensed.

"I just turned, and the gun went off," he testified.

He said he initially looked with his flashlight, saw no one and didn't immediately report the shot, instead quarreling with his partner about who would call their sergeant. Liang thought he might get fired.

But then, he said, he went to look for the bullet, heard cries and found the wounded Gurley, with his weeping girlfriend trying to tend to him.

Liang then radioed for an ambulance, but he acknowledged not helping Gurley's girlfriend try to revive him. Liang explained he thought it was wiser to wait for professional medical aid.

"I was panicking. I was shocked and in disbelief that someone was hit," said Liang, who said he was so overcome that he needed oxygen as he was taken to a hospital for ringing in his ears.

While Liang's trial unfolded, two other New York police officers, Patrick Espeut and Diara Cruz, were shot and wounded during a similar stairwell patrol in a different public housing complex. The gunman later killed himself. The judge barred any mention of those shootings in Liang's trial.
As US President Barack Obama hosts leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members next week, there has been much talk about how much China will be the topic of discussion in the meetings at the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage, California.

Ben Rhodes, assistant to the US President and deputy national security advisor for strategic communications and speechwriting, said China is always a subject of these types of meetings, but part of what the US tries to do is be open and transparent in its approach.

"When we look at our relationship with China, there are going to be issues where we are working very well together. Climate change, we wouldn't have had a Paris agreement without China," Rhodes said on Thursday, previewing the first US-ASEAN Summit to be held next Monday and Tuesday.

He said US and China will maintain their high-level engagement, but he noted that the two countries have had differences over the South China Sea and US freedom of navigation operations there.

While some analysts often talk about how the few ASEAN countries that have maritime territorial disputes with China want more US presence there, Rhodes believes something is missing.

"I think the bottom-line actually is that (ASEAN) countries want the US and China to have good relationship," he said.

He emphasized that what ASEAN countries mainly want is stability in their neighborhood. "They know that a constructive US-China relationship benefits that stability," Rhodes said. "So we always make the point that we are not in the business of trying to prevent China's rise. In fact, China's peaceful rise is very much in our interest, and in the interest of the whole region."

A Thursday commentary by Center for a New American Security researcher Patrick Cronin and Pereira International CEO Derwin Pereira describes Southeast Asia as the crucial link in the Indo-Pacific chain.

"How it tilts  or does not tilt  toward the United States will help determine the degree of American leverage vis-a-vis China," they wrote.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council, described the US-ASEAN summit as "not about China, but about the US and ASEAN and their increasingly broad and deep strategic partnership."

"We'll touch upon China because this is Asia and China is a major player in Asia. But again, this summit is about us and about highlighting what we can do together," he said.

Kritenbrink, who served as deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Beijing until a year ago, has witnessed President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping interacting on multiple occasions, including what he called "the very successful state visit last fall."

"This is a relationship where we've demonstrated we are committed to building the most constructive, positive relationship with China possible. And I think you could argue that the positive, cooperative agenda we have with our Chinese friends on a range of global issues is as successful and as broad as it's ever been," he said.

While saying that "we are exceptionally candid in confronting the many differences and tensions that exist between us," Kritenbrink emphasized that "our relationship with China is mature, it's stable, it's broad, it's complex, and we're very open and transparent about that and we would encourage our other friends in the region to do the same, and we know that they do aim to do the same."

South China Sea continues to be a source of tension for China-US relations. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded to Reuters about the discussion between the US and India in possible joint naval patrols in South China Sea.

He said no cooperation between any countries should be directed at a third party.

"Countries from outside the area must stop pushing forward the militarization of the South China Sea, cease endangering the sovereignty and national security of littoral countries in the name of 'freedom of navigation' and harming the peace and stability of the region," he said.

"We hope that the relevant parties speak and act with caution, refrain from intervening in the South China Sea issue, and especially avoid being manipulated by certain countries and ultimately harming their own interests," Hong said.
The chairman of the Conference on Security Policy Wolfgang Ischinger addresses the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 12, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MUNICH -- Top security and defense officials gathered in Munich for an annual security forum on Friday, focusing on Syrian conflicts, refugees, terrorism and other "boundless crises."

"The global strategic environment is bleak. The international order in my view is in its worst shape since the end of the cold war," said Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, at the opening of the forum on Friday afternoon.

"Overwhelmed and helpless guardians are faced with increasingly boundless crises and empowered reckless spoilers," he added, referring to Syrian conflicts which had turned into a regional conflict and become the main driver of the biggest refugee crisis since World War Two.

Ischinger urged countries to show more solidarity and seek joint responses to the crises instead of solutions from merely national prospective.

The Syrian war, refugee crisis, Islamic State, Ukraine conflicts are among the key issues to be discussed at the forum from Friday to Sunday.

Some 600 decision makers including over 30 heads of states and governments and more than 70 ministers will attend the conference.

Participants include Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, US State Secretary John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg.

Fu Ying, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China, was scheduled to attend a panel discussion on China on Saturday afternoon.

The conference, now at its 52th edition, started hours after top diplomats agreed to implement a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within one week and to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid immediately in the war-torn country.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the decisions represented a "positive and meaningful progress" which "China is pleased to see."

He urged all sides involved to make efforts to get the agreements implemented, adding that China would continue to participate in the peace process in Syria, and, when necessary, continue to play an active and constructive role and offer proposals to help resolve the Syria issue.
(Photo : Getty Images) Xiaomi Mi 5 will be released at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona, Spain later this month.

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Xiaomi global Vice President Hugo Barra recently confirmed that the company will release the Mi4's successor on Feb. 24 at the Spring Conference in Barcelona, Spain.



The Mi4 earned many praises and its successor, called the Xiaomi Mi5, will be launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016. Here is a comparison between the Xiaomi Mi 4 and Xiaomi Mi 5 for the benefit of those who are deciding whether to upgrade now or wait it out.



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The Xiaomi Mi 5 is said to sport an all-metal chassis and a 5.2-inch Quad HD or Full HD display with a 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution, while the Xiaomi Mi 4 comes with a 5.0-inch screen and a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The Mi 5 is also rumored to feature an all new 2.5D curved glass by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, a physical Home button (which is speculated to be the smallest and fastest in the market) and a fingerprint scanner. It may come in gold, black, white and pink color variants.



Meanwhile, Xiaomi VP and co-founder Liwan Jiang confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi 5 will come with the newest Qualcomm Snap' 820 chipset. It should be noted that the Xiaomi Mi 4 comes with a Snapdragon 801 under the hood. The Mi 5 is expected to come in two models - one with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage and one with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of built-in storage. The Mi 4 only has 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of built-in storage.



The Xiaomi Mi 5 is rumored to sport a 16 MP rear camera with 13 MP front camera, while the Mi 4 has a 13 megapixel rear camera with an 8 megapixel front snapper.



There was also a leak going around online, showing images that were supposedly taken with the Mi 5. The photos captured a bird mid-flight and these were obviously taken with optical image stabilization, dual-tone LED flash and laser autofocus.



In terms of battery, the Mi 5 is believed to have 3600 mAh battery supported by Quick Charge 3.0 ,whereas its predecessor has a 3-8- mAh one with Quick Charge 2.0. The next-gen Xiaomi handset is also expected to run MIUI 7 on Android 6.0 Marshmallow or Windows while the Mi 4i has been upgraded to run on Android 5.0.2 with MIUI v6.0. The Mi 4 does not have NFC and it is rumored that the company will bring it back on the Mi 5.



The Xiaomi Mi 5 is likely to cost CNY 1,999 for the 32 GB variant and CNY 2,299 for the 64 GB variant.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Photo of a Chinese Coast Guard ship in the disputed South China Sea. China has warned 'outside countries' against militarizing the South China Sea following reports that the U.S. and India are planning to conduct joint 'freedom of navigation' operations in the region.

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China on Thursday issued a cautious warning in response to a Reuters report that the U.S. and India are mulling a plan to conduct joint naval patrols in disputed South China Sea. Beijing has categorically stated that any interference from countries outside the region poses serious threat to the overall peace and stability.



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"No cooperation between any countries should be directed at a third party", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded in an email to Reuters. "Countries from outside the area must stop pushing forward the militarization of the South China Sea, cease endangering the sovereignty and national security of littoral countries in the name of 'freedom of navigation' and harming the peace and stability of the region."



By mentioning 'outside country', China is thought to be indirectly pointing accusing fingers towards the U.S. and India.



India, which is located in South Asia, has usually stayed out of the South China Sea dispute. For many years, however, the U.S. has been offering tactful as well as strategic support to India in a bid to counter China's increasing influence n the region.



Although the U.S. and India have not issued any official statements regarding the alleged plans for joint naval patrols in the South China Sea, many foreign experts have given credence to the idea.



Some experts are of the opinion that China's increasingly assertive territorial claims in the South China Sea over the past few months may have pushed the U.S. to convince India for a joint naval patrol.



The recent news linking India to the South China Sea comes few months after reports surfaced that India is seeking partnership with Vietnam to explore oil in South China Sea. India is also planning to build a satellite tracking station in Vietnam to keep an eye on China's activities in South China Sea.



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(Photo : Getty Images) A protester is injured in Mong Kok district of Hong Kong on February 9, 2016 in Hong Kong. More than 40 police officers and journalists were injured after a riot with protesters on the first day of Chinese New Year celebrations. But clam has since returned to Mong kok, and the protester, who was rumored to be dead, is said to have survived.

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Calm has returned to Mong Kok after a night of rioting on Monday. The food night market opened as normal on Tuesday and the arrested protester, whose bloody picture was widely spread online, has not died, contrary to rumors.



Violence erupted when police officers attempted to clear hawkers from the street during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Protesters, reporters and police officers were involved in the resulting fiasco that left more than 120 people injured and 61 arrested.



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Street hawkers often appear in Mong Kok during the Lunar New Year holidays since a majority of the restaurants on the street remain closed.



Street hawkers have since returned to the market to resume business following Monday's incident with the police. Most of them have apparently not let the clash stop them from doing what has been a custom for decades. Some admitted that business was not quite good on Tuesday night. Media coverage of the Mong Kok incident has left many wary of going to the night market.



Many people from Hong Kong consider it a tradition to visit the annual food night market during the Lunar New Year. This year, Mong Kok is only one of the few places left with the night food market.



Meanwhile, the sister of the arrested protester has clarified that her brother has not died, contrary to reports. Based on a photo from local newspapers Apple Daily and Ming Pao, it was widely rumoured online that a female protester was hospitalized and died after being beaten by the police.



However, in truth, the protester was male and his elder sister told Hong Kong Free Press that the rumour is baseless. Din Meimei Chan, the sister of the protester, said that she saw her brother on Tuesday at the emergency room of Kwong Wah Hosptial. She said her brother was in stable condition and could already stand on his feet and move normally.



Her brother is, however, still in police custody and she was prevented from talking to him, Chan said.



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TagsMong Kok, street hawkers, Chinese New Year, Hong Kong, Chinese New Year 2016, Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, Kwong Wah Hosptial
Rescue workers stand near the wreckage of two trains that collided head-on several hours before in Bavaria on February 9, 2016 near Bad Aibling, Germany. Authorities say at least four people are dead and over 150 injured in the collision between two trains of the Meridian local commuter train service that occurred at approximately 7 am. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

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The Chinese General Consulate in Munich, Germany has announced that no Chinese citizen was involved in the deadly train collision in the southern German state of Bavaria.



The collision, which took place in Bad Aibing last Tuesday, killed 11 persons and injured 82 others but the Chinese consuls in Germany said not a single Chinese citizen was reported in the incident.



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Concerns about Chinese citizens killed or hurt in the collision surfaced as millions of Chinese people are traveling abroad, including in Germany, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.



The officials from the Chinese General Consulate said that based on information from local police of Rosenheim, there was no Chinese individual who was among the casualties in the collision.



The local police also said an investigation was still ongoing to determine what caused the collision and considering that the trains have automatic safety system.



The said system was designed to avoid head-on collisions to prevent any accident. Initial investigation showed that the system failed to prevent the incident, causing the two trains to collide on a single-track line at full speed, the official Xinhua news agency has reported.



Alexander Dobrindt, Germany's Transport Minister, said there was no sign of a technical failure or errors in the signal operation by of the train drivers so far.



Investigators were also checking information from the trains' black boxes.



As millions of Chinese are traveling abroad for the Spring Festival, Chinese authorities are also closely monitoring accidents and incidents overseas that would involve Chinese tourists.



Recently, six Chinese tourists were rescued after the small boat they were riding on capsized on the way to a scenic island in Cambodia. The Chinese tourists were safe and did not need medical attention.



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(Photo : Reuters) U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, salutes during a welcome ceremony in the Philippines. Harris has accused Beijing of bullying ASEAN nations involved in disputes over the South China Sea.

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The US Navy on Wednesday defended US freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, saying the US wants to expand its joint naval exercises with allies in the Asia Pacific as these contribute to regional stability.



Admiral Harry Harris, Chief of the US Pacific Command (PACOM), made the statement at a briefing with Southeast Asian journalists ahead of US President Barrack Obama's summit meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California next week.



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The Chinese government has warned that US naval operations in the South China Sea are threatening the peace and stability of the region.



Speaking with the press at the US Navy's PACOM headquarters in Hawaii, however, Harris said he welcomed the plans of other countries in the Pacific to join the US Navy's patrols in the South China Sea.



"Bullying Tactics"



"The patrols we have, whether singularly or jointly, not only in the South China Sea but also in the region, help decrease tension because it reinforces the notion that freedom of navigation is important," Harris said. "I do seek more multilateral exercises in the region."



Harris -- who is the first Asian-American to attain the rank of admiral in the US Navy -- said he welcomes the plans of Japan and India to patrol the South China Sea. He criticized China's activities in the region for being "provocative."



"I support the right of every country to patrol the South China Sea because the South China Sea at large does not belong to any country," Harris stated.



Obama is set to meet with leaders of the ASEAN at the California's Sunnylands resort on February 15 to 16. White House officials have said that maritime and territorial disputes over the South China Sea will be among the main items on the agenda of the meeting.



"China's approach is not only salami-slicing the region, but it [also] likes to apply bullying tactics with each ASEAN country bilaterally, one-on-one, rather than taking on ASEAN as a whole," Harris asserted. "You should work stronger together as ASEAN."



The South China Sea has become one of the most divisive strategic issues between China and the US, mainly because Washington challenges Beijing's land reclamation plans and has raised concerns that China's newly built artificial islands could be transformed into military outposts.



Peaceful Intentions



China's white-hulled coast guard vessels have become the vanguard for Beijing's claims over the contested waters.



In December, Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, implicitly accused China of using the civilian vessels to build "so-called military zones" around its artificial islands, and declared such actions have eroded the security of one of the world's busiest waterways.



China denied the accusation, and emphasized that its intentions in the South China Sea are peaceful.



"China and ASEAN states have been devoted to jointly maintaining the peace and stability of the South China Sea," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei. "The general situation in the South China Sea is stable."



China's maritime and territorial claims in the area have nonetheless led other claimants to develop their own civilian fleets, according to Bloomberg, even as they have entered maritime security agreements between countries like Japan, the US, India and Australia.



The Obama administration has embarked on a program to bolster regional allies and re-orient more US resources toward the Asia Pacific in what Pentagon officials have described as an effort to check China's growing military presence in the region. In keeping with Washington's re-balance policy, analysts say the Pentagon is moving forward on plans to deploy 60 percent of the US Navy's entire fleet of warships to the region by 2020.



In 2013, US state secretary John Kerry unveiled a multi-million dollar maritime law enforcement initiative that would benefit the coast guard forces of at least four ASEAN member nations: the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.



At the same time, Japan has agreed to provide the Philippines with 10 new coast guard vessels, and Vietnam with six.



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(Photo : Getty Images) The United States has urged China and Taiwan to hold talks to diffuse the tensions the recent Taiwan elections have generated between the two sides and work towards a fruitful relationship free from threats and bickering.

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US President Barack Obama on Thursday urged China and Taiwan to explore talks and dialogues amid concern from Washington that the recent election of a pro-independence leader in Taiwan could heighten tensions between the two sides.



A foreign affairs panel dealing with Asian affairs has reportedly assessed the implications for the White House after the recent Taiwan elections, which has created new uncertainty over the relationship between the pro-independence Taiwan and communist China.



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Susan Thornton, a senior state department official, said the US has called on China to exercise restraint and patience in dealing with the new Taiwan administration headed by pro-independence President-elect Tsai lng-wen



Obligation



Thornton said Tsai has an obligation to pursue the existing policy in keeping the cross-Strait stable, while the Chinese government has said it will have to study what direction Tsai will take in steering Taiwan affairs.



The state department official said she is hopeful that China and Taiwan would come together, hold talks and exchange cooperation to diffuse existing tensions.



" I think there is will for both sides to do so," she said.



One-China policy



China is demanding that Tsai adopt her predecessor's position that China and Taiwan belong to one nation.



Although Tsai has reiterated her refusal to acknowledge Beijing's one-China policy, she has not, however, shown any sign of totally rejecting it either.



Republican representative Matt Salmon, who is the head of the panel, said that although Tsai has vowed not to start 'provocations' and would retain the status quo, the same cannot be said about China.



More arms sale



"Despite her underscoring her intention to maintain the status quo, and saying, 'There won't be provocation and there won't be surprises,' we cannot say the same for China," he pointed out.



Salmon emphasized that Taiwan has to deal with threats to its people and sovereignty by China on a daily basis and that it would be difficult for Tsai to govern the island freely.



China has publicly declared that Taiwan is a breakaway province and that it could resort to force to get Taiwan back into fold.



US lawmakers have recommended that the US should sell more arms to Taiwan and support its participation in international organizations to protect itself.



The US is Taiwan's major ally and the largest source of arms. Since assuming office in 2009, the Obama administration has sold more than $14 billion in arms and weaponry to Taiwan, angering China.



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The Chocolate Math of it All - v. 9/30/2022 Number of Days Since This Chocolate Bet Started: 5,860

Number of Chocolate Items Eaten: 5,860+

Number of different items combined with chocolate: 371 - from Absinthe to Zucchini)

Weight of Chocolate Eaten: ~ 5,860 oz. (366.25 lbs. or 166.12 kg)

Total Number of Chocolate Calories Consumed to date: ~ 879,000 (There are, on average, 150 calories in 1 oz. or 28.3 grams of chocolate.)

Number of Companies producing chocolate items I've eaten: Approx. 1,592; Number of bean-to-bar makers: 194

Number of Countries where chocolates were made: 66

Number of Pounds of Chocolate Americans Eat: Approx. 11-12 pounds per year; I eat 27 lbs. (more than 12 kg.)/year. Per capita chocolate consumption in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Ireland: 8-9 kilograms (17-22 pounds)/year. Global demand has stayed high, despite economic fluctuations.

Cost of all these Chocolates: A lot of money, but worth every penny. Chocolates range from $1 to $20 each. Occasionally I receive gifts or samples. Copyright Information

All other product names, logos, trademarks, and product packaging designs belong to their respective owners.

Content and photos are by Corinne C. DeBra unless otherwise noted; all photos are posted in low resolution. Copyright (c) 2006-2021 Corinne C. DeBra, Chocolate Banquet
94-year-old Auschwitz survivor faces camp guard in German court by

DETMOLD, Germany (Reuters) - A 94-year-old survivor of Nazi Germany's Auschwitz death camp gave his testimony in court on Thursday, face to face with a former guard, who is charged with helping in the murder of at least 170,000 people.

Leon Schwarzbaum, who lost 35 family members during the Holocaust, calmly recalled the camp's horrors and when he had finished he directly addressed the accused, Reinhold Hanning, also 94, on the first day of his trial.

"I want to know why millions of Jews were killed and here we both are," Schwarzbaum said, his voice beginning to tremble.

"Soon we will both stand in front of the highest judge - tell everyone here what happened, the way I've done just now!"

Hanning avoided eye contact throughout, showing no reaction to Schwarzbaum's account. He had shuffled slowly into court and sat hunched and motionless in what is is likely to be one of Germany's last Nazi war crimes trials.

The former guard was 20 in 1942 when he joined the SS Death Head Unit at the concentration camp in occupied Poland, where more than 1.1 million Jews were killed.

The international media frenzy surrounding the case forced authorities to move the trial from the court house in Detmold, a small town in western Germany, to a bigger venue in the suburbs.

There was a heavy police presence around the building with a squad of officers on horseback, as Hanning walked in, wearing black glasses and a brown tweed jacket and looking at the ground. The session was limited to two hours due to his age.

Prosecutors said Hanning had joined the Death Head Unit, the Nazi organization overseeing death camps, voluntarily at the age of 18 and fought in eastern Europe in the early stages of World War Two before being transferred to Auschwitz in January 1942.

He is accused by the prosecutor's office in Dortmund as well as by 40 joint plaintiffs from Hungary, Israel, Canada, Britain, the United States and Germany.

Hanning will not speak himself but his lawyer may read out a statement once all the witnesses have testified, defense lawyer Johannes Salmen said after the session ended.

Germany's Nazi war crimes office in Ludwigsburg has established that Hanning served in Auschwitz until at least June 1944.

He has admitted to having been a guard in a statement to the prosecution, but has denied involvement in the mass killings.

Investigators say he also served at Auschwitz's Birkenau sub-division, where about 90 percent of more than 1.2 million killings in the camp were carried out in four gas chambers.

Prosecutors maintain that the Nazis' machinery of murder hinged on people like Hanning guarding the prisoners, and accuse him of expediting, or at least facilitating, the slaughter.

"The final decision over life and death was made by the SS men," prosecutor Andreas Brendel said, after recounting the selection process of victims when they arrived at the camp.

Old and sick people, pregnant women, children under 13 and parents not letting go of their children were separated from their families and immediately sent to the gas chambers.

More witnesses are expected to testify in the trial, which is expected to go on until the end of May.

A precedent for charging former death camp employees as accessories to murder was set in 2011 when death camp guard Ivan Demjanjuk was convicted.

Last year, 94-year-old Oskar Groening, known as the "bookkeeper of Auschwitz", was sentenced for being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people in Auschwitz.

Three other former death camp workers in their 90s - two men and one woman - are due to go on trial in the next few months.

Because of their age, their hearings will also be restricted to two hours per day, assuming they are fit to face trial.

But Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff, responsible for war crime investigations at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said that age should not be an obstacle to prosecution.

"When you think of these cases, don't think of frail, old, sick men and women but of young people who devoted their energies to a system that implemented the Final Solution and aimed to obliterate the Jewish people," he said, referring to the Nazi's plan for the systematic extermination of the Jews.
Bill to protect clerks from signing same-sex marriage licenses moves to full Ky. Senate 12 February, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Christian Examiner)  A Senate committee in Kentucky's legislature voted Feb. 11 to move forward a bill that would create an alternative marriage license for the state, offering protections to clerks  like Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis  who are normally charged with signing the document, but who refuse when they object on religious grounds to same-sex marriage.

Under the proposed legislation (Senate Bill 5), the state's Department of Libraries and Archives will be required to develop a license that contains blank spaces for any official with authority to sign the license and place their title below. In that case, it would likely be the person recording the license.

Sen. Steve West [R-Paris] said he pushed the bill because constituents across the state wanted them to protect the consciences of officials who objected to signing same-sex marriage licenses. Under his plan, one form for the traditional marriage would have spaces for the "bride" and "groom." The other license, presumably only for use in same-sex marriages, would read "first party" and "second party."

The bill's passage through the Senate State & Local Government Committee partly fulfills a promise made by Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin during the election last year. Bevin said he backed Davis completely and would take whatever steps necessary to protect clerks like her.

One week after taking office, Bevin issued an executive order that the state remove the name of the county clerk from its marriage licenses.

Davis was catapulted into the spotlight in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the high court created the right to same-sex marriage in a 5-4 vote. Davis refused to issue licenses to same-sex couples because, she said, the idea of men marrying other men violated her religious conscience. She was found in contempt of court and sentenced to jail time.

Davis then went back to work in the office and still refused to issue the state's approved license which required her signature. The American Civil Liberties Union later filed a request with a federal court to force Davis to affix her name to the licenses, even though then Gov. Steven L. Beshear, who left office at the end of the year, said the state would honor all marriage licenses in the state.

On Feb. 9, the same judge who found Davis in contempt for refusing to sign the marriage licenses after the Obergefell ruling rejected the ACLU's petition. Judge David Bunning wrote in his ruling that there has been no indication Davis has continued "to interfere with the issuance of marriage licenses since September 20, 2015." He also wrote that the licenses issued  even without her name  were being honored by the state, "making re-issuance unnecessary."

"There is absolutely no reason that this case went so far without reasonable people respecting and accommodating Kim Davis's First Amendment rights," Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said in a statement. "Today's ruling by Judge Bunning rejected the ACLU's request to hold Kim Davis in contempt of court. From the beginning we have said the ACLU is not interest in marriage licenses. They want Kim Davis's scalp. They want to force her to violate her conscience. I am glad the court rejected this bully tactic."

SB 5 was not without its challengers. Sen. Morgan McGarvey [D-Louisville] called for an amendment that would require the state to issue a single license and allow those completing it to indicate whether they are "bride," "groom" or "spouse."

Others, including gay rights advocates, claim the bill violates the spirit of equality under the law.

West, who represents Rowan County and, therefore, Kim Davis, said Davis is aware the bill was progressing through the legislature. He also said Davis has had some input on the bill.
Huckabee won't endorse anyone: 'God is good. I did my part' Guest Reviewer | 12 February, 2016 by Michael Foust

DESTIN, Fla. (Christian Examiner)  Mike Huckabee is out of the Republican presidential race, but he says he won't stop advocating for his beliefs.

However, he has no plans of endorsing anyone, either.

The Christian Examiner spoke with Huckabee Thursday, more than a week after he finished a disappointing ninth out of 11 candidates in the Iowa caucuses and ended his run. Huckabee had won the caucuses in 2008  a year in which he surprised the experts by claiming a total of eight states and finishing second in delegates to eventual nominee John McCain.

He sat out the 2012 election and although he didn't do well this year, he remains popular among social conservatives and evangelicals. Huckabee previously served 11 years as governor of Arkansas.

"My plan right now is to endorse principles, rather than persons  and to be very clear in endorsing those things that I think are important and valuable to our culture and to our country, and to let the voters make up their own minds as to who best embodies those principles, and which candidates will best lead the country," Huckabee told CE.

"I'm not sure that an endorsement from me is all that significant. Quite frankly, once you make an endorsement, you're pretty well done. You've made your point and everybody says, 'OK,' and you really, then, can't speak at all to the larger field of candidates and/or to the things they are currently saying. While I certainly might change my mind, right now I don't see myself going out and making an endorsement."

For months, Huckabee had traveled throughout Iowa, speaking to voters in a grueling schedule he called "exhausting."

"People have no idea just how intense it is," Huckabee said. "When the whole thing is over, and the next day it wasn't exactly the results I wanted, I sat back and my perspective was: God is good. I did my part. It didn't work out, but I look at my life in the great[er] context of where I started as a kid, and ... what a blessing, what an incredible joy to live in this great country where a kid like me, who grew up like I did, could even get on the stage. So despite my disappointment in not getting the nomination and winning the election, I still love the Lord and I love this country, and that doesn't change a bit."

Huckabee currently is promoting the movie "God's Not Dead 2," which opens in theaters April 1. Huckabee has a role in the film.
Man pleads guilty in mosque shooting by

Hartford, Conn. (Reuters)  A Connecticut man pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal hate crime for shooting at a mosque next door to his home shortly after November's deadly attacks in Paris.

Ted Hakey Jr., 48, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally damaging religious property by using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly in Connecticut said.

Hakey entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Michael Shea in Hartford, Connecticut.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison at his May 10 sentencing, but just eight to 14 months under recommended federal guidelines. Hakey also faces a maximum $250,000 fine. He remains free on $400,000 bail.

Lawyers for Hakey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Authorities said Hakey fired four shots with a rifle at the Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden in the early morning of Nov. 14, 2015, after learning about the attacks in Paris by Islamic State militants the day before, which killed 130 people.

The mosque was vacant at the time, and no one was injured.

Authorities have said Hakey was drinking before firing the shots and had denied any intent to hit the mosque, but that investigators found numerous Facebook postings in which the defendant had expressed hatred for Muslims.
The Senate unanimously passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea for violating international law in pursuing nuclear weapons.

The vote for the bipartisan bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, was 96-0.

The legislation, called the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act, has been passed in light of Pyongyangs announcement of its fourth nuclear test in early January and its recent satellite launch on Sunday. The act was condemned by international leaders as a possible global and regional threat.

The bills new sanctions include sanctions against anyone who engages in North Koreas effort to produce nuclear weapons, human rights abuses, and cyber terrorism.

A majority of the bills new sanctions are mandatory which is an infrequent measure taken by Congress. Mandatory sanctions force the president to impose the sanctions, giving no power of discretion to the administration. However, the president still maintains the right to turn down certain sanctions in cases of threat to national security.

The House of Representatives passed a similar legislation last month. According to the Chicago Tribune, Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says that any inconsistencies between the two are expected to be easily settled and a final measure produced.
Several faith leaders were asked to write brief comments about the future of Roe. I was glad to see that I was not the only person asked who sees life as beginning at conception and who is ready to see Roe overturned.
I know what youre thinking: Not another story about how anonymous people on the Internet can be so nice to each other.

Havent we all heard enough about the empathy and kindness within those never-ending comment threads? Arent we tired of all the excited exclamation points and heart-eyes emojis?

Well, its Valentines Day, and heres one more heartwarming account of online generosity and love. It comes from author Jen Hatmakers blog and Facebook page, where readers regularly chime in to share affirmations, funny anecdotes, and helpful parenting tips. Since Hatmakers latest book, For the Love, came out last summer, something else has been happening in the comments: whenever someone would mention how she wished she could afford a copy, another woman would chime in to offer to send her one.

This kind of exchange went on so oftenabout once a week since the book released in Augustthat this month Hatmaker decided to orchestrate a campaign around it, in partnership with her publisher, Thomas Nelson, and the charity retail site Givingtons. First, any woman could request a copy of the book for herself or a friend in need. Then, at the start of this week, readers could share the love by paying $15 to cover the cost of another womans request.

I believe that we can generously love each other, even with something as simple as a book meant to nurture souls, the Texas writer and speaker told her online tribe. We all take turns needing each other and loving each other.

They had 2,250 women sign up for books, and within 48 hours, all of them were paid for. That's a total of $33,750. Over the past few days, dozens more connected ...

1
Class Action Lawsuit Filed to Hold Gospel for Asia Accountable for Fraudulent Solicitation and Misuse of Charitable Donations



DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2016 /



Gospel for Asia is a global missionary organization that operates in South Asia, primarily within India. GFA tells potential donors that it supplies the "poorest of the poor" with food, provisions, and a Christian message.



Lead attorney Marc R. Stanley said, "K.P. Yohannan and his Gospel for Asia inner circle have been exploiting the goodwill and generosity of devout Christians around the country for years. Gospel for Asia should return all the money it's taken from donors who thought they were contributing to charity."



Copies of the complaint and accompanying exhibits are available upon request.



Stanley Law Group (SLG) is a Dallas-based law firm that focuses on complex litigation. SLG also has offices in California and Oregon. Stanley is a past president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.

Share Tweet Contact: Marc R. Stanley, 469-831-7575DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Dallas-based Stanley Law Group initiated a class action lawsuit today in United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas against Gospel for Asia, Inc. and several affiliates for fraudulently soliciting hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable donations, and then misdirecting the money into the personal empire of Gospel for Asia's leader, K.P. Yohannan. The lawsuit alleges that Gospel for Asia, Yohannan, and other GFA officials misrepresented to donors how, when, and where charitable donations would be spent, and funneled vast amounts of the hundreds of millions of dollars GFA has collected into for-profit businesses and an expensive headquarters. Plaintiffs Matthew and Jennifer Dickson charge defendants with violations of RICO and the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as well as fraud and unjust enrichment.Gospel for Asia is a global missionary organization that operates in South Asia, primarily within India. GFA tells potential donors that it supplies the "poorest of the poor" with food, provisions, and a Christian message.Lead attorney Marc R. Stanley said, "K.P. Yohannan and his Gospel for Asia inner circle have been exploiting the goodwill and generosity of devout Christians around the country for years. Gospel for Asia should return all the money it's taken from donors who thought they were contributing to charity."Copies of the complaint and accompanying exhibits are available upon request.Stanley Law Group (SLG) is a Dallas-based law firm that focuses on complex litigation. SLG also has offices in California and Oregon. Stanley is a past president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Celebrate Life, Family and Religious Liberty March 7, 2016 in Naples, Florida

Pro-Life Leaders Speak During Thomas More Society Dinner Cruise



Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net



NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 11, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Monday, March 7, 2016, the Thomas More Society will bring pro-life leaders to Naples, Florida to celebrate life, family and religious liberty with a second annual sunset dinner cruise. Speakers for the networking benefit include Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society and Shawn Carney, co-founder and campaign director of 40 Days for Life.



WHAT: 2nd Annual Sunset Dinner Cruise to Celebrate Life, Family, and Religious Liberty



WHEN: Monday, March 7, 2016, boarding begins at 5:15 pm Eastern.



SPEAKERS:

Tom Brejcha, Thomas More Society president and chief counsel



Shawn Carney, 40 Days for Life co-founder and campaign director



Fr. Michael Orsi, Action for Life TV



and testimonies from the Thomas More Society's notable clients, representing a few of the many pro-life individuals and groups across the country to which the Thomas More Society provides pro bono legal aid.

WHERE: Naples Princess, 550 Port O Call Way, Naples, FL 34102

MAP here



WHY: Supporting the Thomas More Society's pro bono legal work defending life, family, and religious liberty



TICKETS AND INFORMATION: www.thomasmoresociety.org/florida



Thomas More Society provides legal counsel for sidewalk counselors, pregnancy centers, and pro-life organizations including 40 Days for Life around the country and also defends religious freedom and family values. The Society is also defending David Daleiden, the undercover investigator who has exposed Planned Parenthood's sale of fetal body parts, against two RICO (racketeering) lawsuits brought by the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood, and against a criminal felony case brought in Houston, Texas.



"We live in a day and age when life, family, and religious liberty are increasingly under fire," said Sarah Barraza, Thomas More Society's Director of Communications. "This sunset dinner cruise is an opportunity to join together with like-minded friends to support an organization working to defend those values."



Find additional cruise details and speaker bios here.



Read about the Thomas More Society's Florida involvement defending life, family and religious liberty here.



About the Thomas More Society:

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Headquartered in Chicago, the Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court. www.thomasmoresociety.org
UNC excavation crew in Galilee region of Israel uncover first known depictions of biblical heroines An excavation team in Israel has discovered the first known depiction of two biblical heroines from the Old Testament.

World to reach 8 billion people in November, India to unseat China as most populous in 2023: UN By Nov. 15, the worlds population is projected to reach 8 billion, and by 2023, India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country, according to a new report from the United Nations.

Single, non-religious young adults are most unhappy Americans post-COVID-19: report Young adults under 35 who are single and non-religious report the highest levels of unhappiness since the COVID-19 pandemic began and since 1972, when the General Social Survey began measuring levels of happiness among Americans, a new analysis from the Institute of Family Studies suggests.
Archbishop of Canterbury: Church has key role in London's future

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the Church has a key role to play in the future of London, and cities across the UK and the world.

Justin Welby was speaking today alongside politicians, planners, theologians and developers at Lambeth Palace for the launch of From Battersea to the Barrier.

The initiative seeks to use the "Church's history, lived experience and rootedness in community to bear" on the future of London  and particularly the riverside area in the heart of the city.

Welby said, "The Church of England has a unique perspective on development... The Church has been passionate about the city... In deep concern for the welfare of the city  considering what a good city looks like."

The Archbishop drew attention to the ways in which the Church is already working hard to make London a better place to live. "Churches of all sorts and shapes and sizes work on food banks, rough sleeping, picking up the sorrows and suffering of those where the safety net has not caught them," he said.

"There's no one perspective on what makes a good city but there's a shared understanding of human flourishing and the common good... I hope we actually have a creative and imaginative view of what brings us together... the arts... the creative spirit, local government, central government."

'What does it look like to have a city that encourages human flourishing and the common good?' - @JustinWelby #AGoodCity  Lambeth Palace  (@lambethpalace) February 12, 2016

He said his vision for London was, "A global city of enormous significance, not only as the centre of world finance, for good or ill at times, but because people will look to it and say 'here is the kind of city we dream of.'"

Welby was joined by a plethora of experts at the event. When asked by Christian Today to comment on whether the housing crisis might wreck the chances of seeing a 'good city,' developer Rob Tincknell said it was a, "Very valid point. Houses in central London have became very expensive... The only way we'll get those house prices down... is to actually build more. It is a real challenge."

Others focused on the issues presented by London being so big and powerful compared the rest of the country. Sir Edward Lister, Deputy Mayor of London pointed out that London and the home counties produce half of the country's GDP. "You can't just keep on taking," he said, "you need everything else, the rest of the country."

You can visit the project's website here.
Beheadings in Libya: One year on forgiveness trumps hatred

On 15 February 2015, a video was released depicting masked ISIS militants dressed in black marching 21 Coptic Christians in orange jumpsuits along a beach in Libya.

The captives were forced to kneel on the seafront, each with a jihadist behind standing behind them.

And then they were beheaded.

It remains one of the most shocking sights of ISIS' growing catalogue of atrocities. However a year on, the General Bishop of the Coptic Church told Christian Today a message of forgiveness and strength had trumped the video's attempt to instil fear and hatred.

"The same tool used to try and magnify violence and division actually became a platform for everyone to see the strength of their faith," said Bishop Angaelos.

On receiving confirmation, Angaelos sent out a tweet to officially announce the deaths with the hashtag, "Father forgive".

Video released by IS beheading #Coptic #Christians in #Libya. Prayers for them, their families and all still captive. #FatherForgive  Bishop Angaelos (@BishopAngaelos) February 15, 2015

"That hashtag has really set the tone for how Copts have responded," Angaelos told Christian Today.

"From own community I haven't heard a single message of vengeance or anger used."

"An even stronger and more inconceivable message of forgiveness came from their families and communities," said Angaelos in a statement to commemorate the anniversary.

"They rejected the temptation to become bitter, angry and vengeful, and inspired the world with their gracious and courageous sentiment. Speaking proudly of the resilience of their fathers, brothers, and sons, who had captured the attention of the whole world, they also uttered their forgiveness for those who had so brutally and needlessly taken their lives, and who sought to rob them of their dignity."

Angaelos was speaking shortly after an announcement of an upcoming ceasefire in Syria which he said was welcome.

"We don't want any more people dying, whoever they are," he told Christian Today, reiterating his message of forgiveness.

Military action has had its place in Syria, he said but "it is not going to be a long term solution".

"The more we place hope on military action to solve the problem, the longer we will be drawn into to conflict."

However he said he wished western governments had not waited as long as they did before standing up for minorities in the Middle East.

"What we are now seeing played out in the Middle East has not happened overnight, but has come after generations of the alienation, marginalisation and persecution of Christians and minority groups throughout the region," he said.

"Boundaries are challenged and pushed and when there is no repercussion they are pushed further.

"The phenomenon starts with people being denied daily justice and equality in society, they are then deemed irrelevant and inconsistent, in the eyes of some, with what the region should be, and finally they are persecuted, displaced and sometimes even killed."

Instead, he said "we should not have waited until western intervention was necessary" before we acted.

"If we had held state actors to account and demonstrated that God-given human rights should not be violated I think there would have been a great deal less violence," he told Christian Today.
Canada's plans to scrap religious body expose 'radical secularism' agenda, say critics

Christians in Canada are protesting against the Liberal government's suggestion that it might scrap the Office of Religious Freedom, which promotes religious liberty as a foreign office priority.

Established by the previous government, the department's funding runs out next month and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion has said that having an office exclusively for religious freedom would detract from Canada's overall human rights thrust. He told a foreign policy conference: "Human rights are interdependent, universal and indivisible. How can you enjoy freedom of religion if you don't have freedom of conscience? Freedom of speech? Freedom of mobility?"

However, both Catholic and Evangelical organisations have expressed alarm at the proposal. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's president Bruce Clemenger sent an open letter to Dion saying: "Religious freedom has been called the first freedom because where it is limited, so too are other rights. Religious freedom does not operate in isolation or to the detriment of other human rights. Its guarantee entails freedom of conscience, of speech, of expression and assembly."

The letter refers to the increasing incidence of religious freedom around the world and cites a Pew Research Centre survey showing more than three-quarters of the world's population was living with high or very high levels of restriction on religious freedom. It urges Dion to continue the Office's work.

A letter from Catholic Civil Rights League executive director Christian Elia said: "Canada cannot afford an abandonment of our strong commitment to freedom of conscience and religion at home and especially pursuing that objective abroad."

Dion's approach has also been criticised by other faith groups, including organisations representing Jewish, Sikh and Ahmadiyya Muslim Canadians.

Elia told LifeSite News the move reflected a "radical secularism". He said: "It takes a narrow view of pluralism that relegates religious belief to private life."
Catholics and the Zika Virus: Why abortion and contraception are very different issues

The Zika virus, which is spreading with alarming rapidity in Latin America, is probably causing some pregnant woman who are exposed to it to have babies born with a birth defect called microcephaly. The babies are born with, or grow up with, abnormally small heads and may have a range of developmental problems.

Advice from the World Health Organisation and national health services is that women should avoid getting pregnant for the time being. This is a problem in strongly Catholic Latin America, as the Catholic Church teaches that contraception is wrong. These countries also have highly restrictive abortion laws, often severely limiting and criminalising the practice. Calls by the UN for these restrictions to be lifted have not gone down well with the Catholic heirarchy, with Peru's Cardinal Cipriani likening it to Herod's slaughter of the innocents.

The 'conservative' position of the Catholic Church when it comes to abortion and contraception is coming under attack. Secular writers are portraying the Church as a callous institution uninterested in the welfare of thousands of mothers and their potentially disabled children.

However, many secular writers  and liberal Christians too  have failed to engage with the Church and haven't understand the theology behind its position.

OK, so what is this theology?

Before we get to the specifics of abortion and contraception, it's important to understand the worldview behind the Catholic Church's approach to this.

The foundation of the way that Catholics think about sex, and consequently abortion and contraception, is Natural Law. This is an ethical system first developed by the philosopher Aristotle and developed further by Christian ethicist and philosopher St Thomas Aquinas.

It first asks what our human nature is, and then looks to what guiding principles can be derived from this nature.

The single guiding principle is this: "good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided". From this, all the primary precepts of how to fulfil the human purpose are derived.

These precepts are:

1. Protect and preserve human life

2. Reproduce

3. Educate your children

4. Know God

5. Live in society

That's a lot of theory. What does it actually mean?



For instance, in the context of marriage, it is good to have children because sex naturally results in pregnancy. Similarly, we shouldn't go around killing innocent people because of life's innate value, as we are made in the image of God.

What does this have to do with the Zika virus?

These primary precepts  which according to Natural Law are self-evident  are then prompts for secondary precepts, which are derived using practical reason.

One of the examples used by Aquinas in his Summa Theologica is "killing the innocent" because this directly goes against the primary precept to "protect and preserve human life".

This is where things begin to get a little interesting.

Most people will agree that taking innocent life is categorically wrong. Where the Catholic Church challenges the liberal consensus is on its view of what constitutes life, its value and when it begins.

The Catholic Church believes that "human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being" (Donum Vitae, 5).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that "human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognised as having the rights of a person  among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life."

It holds a genuine belief that the abortion of a foetus is the destruction of an innocent life, and therefore a direct contradiction of the primary precept to protect and preserve human life.

What about microcephaly?

The legalisation of abortion has been the focus for many activists involved with the Zika virus outbreak, due to the potential effects the virus has on the unborn foetus.

The condition linked to the virus  microcephaly  causes babies to be born with abnormally small brains. Some are calling for the expansion of legal abortions in Brazil to include deformed foetuses and are condemning the Church for its 'conservative' position on the issue. However, the Church response is that just because someone might be born with a disability doesn't mean that their life is not worth living or that they are somehow disposable. The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops released a statement explicitly condemning the efforts of groups to legalise abortions in the case of deformed foetuses as "an utter disrespect for the gift of life."

On therapeutic abortions, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, coordinator of Pope Francis' group of nine cardinal advisers, told La Tribuna: "therapeutic means curative, and an abortion doesn't cure anything, it takes innocent lives away".

Because of the belief that life is sacred, that it begins at birth and that it is a gift from God, the Catholic Church is not going to budge on this issue. It would be disingenuous for the Church to say that abortion is a legitimate response to the Zika virus when it holds that that would involve ending a life of infinite worth. Every pregnancy involves risk and there is always potential for a child to be born disabled, but his or her intrinsic value is not dependent on its health.

In fact, the Zika virus doesn't present any new theological challenges to the Church. It has always known that some babies might be born with disabilities, and always resisted calls to allow them to be aborted.

And the reality is, 65 per cent of the Brazilian population is Catholic and 79 per cent of them do not want abortion legalised, according to a 2014 Ibope Institute poll.

So, the Catholic Church won't budge on abortion and the Brazilian population doesn't really want it to. What next?

What is crucial to the understanding of the Catholic Church in Brazil is that, although it does not see the solution in abortion, it is deeply concerned about the Zika virus, and with issues of health care and poverty more generally.

While activists have focused a lot of the conversation on abortion, there is a more interesting discussion to be had around contraception.

But I thought Catholics didn't like contraception either?

You are correct. Because the act of sex naturally has the potential for procreation there is a primary precept to procreate. The secondary precept bans contraception, except for natural forms, including abstinence and the dubious rhythm cycle.

So, they're not going to support contraception as a means of avoiding microcephaly either then?

You would have thought so, and you are right that it is not seen as the ideal; abstinence is seen as the best way to avoid getting pregnant in high risk areas.

However, the Arcbishop of Sao Paulo last week referred to the use of condoms as a "personal choice" in an interview with the BBC, and distinguished it from abortion because it "does not involve a formed life."

He is not a lone voice on this. For one thing, in contrast to the Brazilian people's affirmation of the Catholic position on abortion, 71 per cent of Catholics support contraception, according to a 2005 IBOPE study. Ninety four per cent support condoms as a way of preventing disease.

In 1972, the Mexican bishops recognised that Catholic conscience might require "responsible parenthood", particularly in the context of "a very real and excruciating emergency for most Mexican families  the population explosion".

Speaking on the AIDs crisis in a book-long interview and the use of condoms to combat it, Pope Benedict said that although it is not "a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality".

So is the Catholic Church ready to endorse contraception?

That is unlikely. However, it is around the issue of contraception rather than abortion that there is room for a productive conversation. Birth control is an issue that does not directly concern the killing of an innocent life and is far more accepted by the Catholic laity. There is possibility of movement on this subject, whereas on the issue of abortion, if life is a God given gift, clearly it is never something that can be ended on "therapeutic" grounds.
Evangelical college stands by decision to invite liberal professor to preach

A leading evangelical theological college in the UK is standing by its decision to invite a prominent liberal clergyman and academic to preach in its chapel. That's despite criticism from the evangelical blogosphere.

Wycliffe Hall in Oxford is one of the more conservative evangelical training centres to offer studies for those seeking ordination to the Church of England. In common with many other Anglican institutions, it has a chapel and maintains a daily pattern of prayer and services. It isn't unusual for clergy or academics from other institutions to be invited to preach at chapels in Oxford.

Rev Professor Martyn Percy is Dean of Christ Church, Oxford  the City's Cathedral, as well as a college of Oxford University.

Percy has attracted the ire of conservatives (and even those who agree with him on full inclusion of non-celibate gay people) with his comments around sexuality. Just prior to the recent Primates' meeting, Percy criticised Archbishop Justin Welby's approach to sexuality and called on him to repent for the Church's treatment of gay people (which Welby did at the closing press conference).

Rev Dr Michael Lloyd, Principal of Wycliffe Hall gave a statement to Christian Today which said, "Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot of comment on blogs and Facebook about the invitation to the Dean of Christ Church, Dr Martyn Percy, to preach in Wycliffe Hall Chapel. A lot of that comment has been ill-informed and, in particular, some of what I am reported to have said has been misquoted. So I wanted to put the record straight and reassure you that Wycliffe Hall and I continue to be committed to an Evangelical view of Scripture, and of doctrine and ethics; neither the Hall nor I has changed our doctrinal or moral position."

In addition to his views on sexuality, Percy has made other comments which have dismayed evangelicals, in particular his criticism of the Church of England's reform and renewal process.

Dr Lloyd also told Christian Today, "The original decision to invite Dean Percy was made with no agenda, and implies no endorsement of his recently-expressed views on the debate about human sexuality. Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me make it clear that I, personally, and Wycliffe Hall, corporately, stand full square behind the official teaching of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, as expressed in Issues in Human Sexuality and Lambeth 1.10. I have been misquoted as saying that we can 'agree to disagree' on the issue of homosexuality. I never said that. What I did say, when speaking to our students, was two things: that I do realise that some will, in all good conscience, disagree with my decision not to un-invite Dean Percy, and that it is vital that Wycliffe should hold together in love, on the basis of our common commitment to Christ."

Wycliffe Hall has come through difficult times in the last decade. In 2007, 12 members of staff resigned over the leadership of the then principal, Richard Turnbull. He left in 2012 and was replaced a year later by Lloyd  who is widely considered to have revived the college's fortunes.
Houston megachurch to baptise 300 people in one service

A Texas pastor is to baptise more than 300 people at once this Easter.

Pastor Keion Henderson of The Lighthouse Church in Humble says the event will offer members of the local community an opportunity to embark upon a new path by accepting Jesus Christ as their saviour.

According to the church, the new converts come from a wide variety of backgrounds  some have been to prison, others have Ivy League diplomas. Henderson wants to encourage as many members of the public as possible to attend on March 19. "Come and witness this great move of God in Humble, Texas," he said. "We are humbled to serve Humble, Texas for such a time as this."

He added: "We are liberating men and women from the clutches of sin. This is a new beginning. The gift of forgiveness and eternal life is available to all who would receive it."

First launched in 2009, The Lighthouse Church of Houston has become one of the fastest growing churches in the Houston area with nearly 4,000 members.

The church's motto is "offering brighter tomorrows every day".
How to start a compassion revolution

It was a priceless expression. A young couple were trekking through the frozen landscape of Alaska and they came across a frozen lake. Like it would have been for many of us, the urge to skim a stone over a frozen lake was irresistible but the result was unexpected. As soon as the stone hit the lake's icy surface a sound like a Star Wars blaster echoed throughout the valley.

Another stone was thrown and the same result. Luckily this was all captured on video and it became an instant viral hit as the combination of shock, wonder and joy on the couple's faces as they experienced this phenomenon was priceless. I was immediately tempted to jump on the next plane with my children to try to re-enact the soundtrack to the battle of Endor for ourselves. I was also struck by the poetry of the physics in play and the powerful metaphor it provides.

The science behind the incredible sound effect is due to the thin layer of ice vibrating like a cymbal the moment the stone hits it. As it bounces, it echoes, and the soundtrack it produces is caused by the different speed of sound travelling in ice and water. One small stone on this landscape sounds a keynote that produces a big and beautiful effect, and an incredible response from anyone watching. This is what I have had the privilege of seeing metaphorically as Christian foster and adoptive carers start a quiet revolution of grace that transforms their church, their town and even a nation. One keynote act of kindness to a child can reverberate around the community producing a big and beautiful wave of transforming transcending grace.

Let's take a look at how this wave can work.

Children's lives will be changed

First of all it begins with that keynote - a child's life being changed. The vast majority of vulnerable children who have experienced neglect and abuse will begin to flourish best in loving families where every part of family life becomes an opportunity for gracious therapeutic interaction. This may not happen immediately, and actually occasionally may not happen at all, and we certainly are not promising "happily ever after". However every day I come across children whose lives have been positively impacted and turned around by that one small keynote decision of a family to welcome them into their home.

Families are transformed through caring for vulnerable children

What that family may not realise at the time, is that by blessing a child in need, they too will receive blessing. For too many Christians mission is something that we do outside of our home. We send money overseas. We volunteer an evening a month to help with the homeless. We run courses to introduce people to the Christian faith. All of these are good outworkings of the grace of God, but they can still leave the centre of our lives untouched. In Britain we have an expresision " An Englishman's home is his castle." We like our space. We like to be the kings of our personal domains. But for Christians our homes are supposed to be hospitals - places of hospitality where the widow, the stranger and orphan can find help, compassion and sanctuary. When this happens something amazing echoes around the home - the love and compassion and patience and power and righteous anger of God touch us at our very core. How amazing it is to see families transformed as they pass on the love that they have received from God to those that are in need.

Churches offer the worship and mission that God deserves

When a child is blessed, and a family is transformed, this has a powerful knock-on effect into our churches. The church is not an event that we turn up to but a family that we belong to. The more our churches resemble an event or a show the less like the church they are. Scripture is replete with references to the church as "the people of God", "the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19) , and "the children of God" (1 John 5). We are told to "Love one another with brotherly affection" (Romans 12:10-13) Timothy was told not to "rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity." (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Church was always supposed to be family of families. Our calling as God's people is to offer God the worship He deserves and we well know "true religion that God our father accepts as pure and blameless is to care for widows and orphans in their distress". If our churches are preaching, singing and providing sacraments but failing to care for the vulnerable then our worship is inadequate. Similarly when it comes to mission we often dabble in programmatic and episodic mission where we open our church buildings to needy people for a few hours a week and then usher them out when the time is up. This does not sound like the kind of family Jesus expected us to be when he said "the poor you will always have among you." As the church becomes this family of families, wrapping around carers and vulnerable children to support and protect them, our churches sing out the kind of worship and mission he deserves.

Sadly there are challenges to the church playing this role. Firstly, many of our churches are not fostering and adoption friendly and so carers feel uncared for and unsupported and looked after children feel marginalised, making it a difficult place to go together as a family. Secondly our liturgy, our worship songs and our preaching too infrequently articulate a clear and passionate expression of the adoption theology that is the highest treasure of the gospel itself. Thirdly, many church leaders are unwilling or unable to see family based care for vulnerable children as part of the mission of the church. Our charity Home for Good is trying to tackle all three of those problems to help the church embrace fostering and adoptive families, to embrace a theology of adoption and hospitality, and to embrace the call of God to make these ministries central to their mission. When this begins to happen, our churches are transformed.

Churches offer something tangible to the cities we live in

Church leaders in the coastal town of Southampton, a city famous for its connection with the Titanic and the Spitfire fighter airplane, went to visit the city's council. They went not to complain, but to offer their service. In light of the global economic crisis, public services were being seriously cut and so these church leaders asked how they could serve the city that they loved. There was a shocked reaction from council when they discovered that the church was coming not to wag a finger of accusation at them but instead was offering a helping hand. Their biggest need was for foster carers to help look after growing number of vulnerable children that were coming into the care system. One of the leaders that went to that meeting had been in foster care himself as a teenager and so he along with a pastor who had adopted children spearheaded a campaign with a target of finding 40 foster carers for the city and over the course of the following year mobilised over 76 couples and singles to apply as foster carers. This sent shockwaves through the city and helped to transform the public opinion of the church and the gospel in the city.

We could help set off a tipping point for the gospel and our nations

Rodney Stark's popular book, The Rise of Christendom, argues that Christians ended up having a hugely significant impact on the social and moral fabric of their society through hospitality. The precursor to the Constantinian settlement that we came to know as Christendom was not a deliberate attempt to seize power but rather a grass routes transformative influence that demonstrated the compassion and grace of God in the middle of a crisis. In Stark's historical case study it was the Church's response to the great plagues of the second century that formed the tipping point for explosive growth of Christianity from "a tiny and obscure messianic movement from the edge of the Roman Empire" to "the dominant faith of Western civilization." By Stark's estimation this must have been of the order of a 40% growth rate per decade for three centuries. Stark argues that a key factor was the selfless acts of mercy and charity of Christians towards their neighbors that made such a huge impression on the population of plague-ridden Europe in the second century. In many cultures there is a growing distrust of political and religious leaders. It is often expressed that the words of our public leaders come cheaply. For Christian families, supported by their local churches to sacrificially offer hospitality and compassion through fostering and adoption is a very tangible expression of the grace of God. In fact it could easily be argued that it is a wonderfully visual lived parable of the gospel of adoption. Could it be, as the church family unites to offer needy children the lifelong love they need that many who witness this will be drawn to faith? Could it be as the church unites across a city to collectively take care of all the children that are in need of loving homes that the climate towards the gospel in a city could be transformed? Could it be that as the church across a nation collaborate together to make sure that no child is left behind or left out that we could pave the way for the same mass turnings to Christ that we saw in the second century?

Just as small stone thrown across a frozen lake in the middle of nowhere causes vibrations that bring wonder and delight, so I believe that wherever your work to care for the vulnerable is, however hard and cold and remote it is, you are joining in with the grand symphony of compassion that God is orchestrating around the world. By God's grace our lives, our families, our churches, our cities and our nations can play a part in the big and beautiful wave of transforming grace.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the founder and director of Home for Good a charity committed to finding every child in the UK that needs one a loving and permanent family. This is a version of a talk he gave at a gathering of nearly 500 leaders from 60 nations in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Saturday 13th of February 2016.
New Elim Pentecostal leader looks to fulfil God's calling

The Elim Pentecostal movement has elected a new General Superintendent in succession to Rev John Glass.

Rev Chris Cartwright was elected by the Elim Conference through a postal ballot. He will assume his role at the forthcoming Elim Leaders Summit in May.

Cartwright began his ministry in the late 1980s at Kensington Temple where he was respectively worship pastor, pirector of the International Bible Institute of London and associate minister. He was ordained in 1993.

In 1997 he become the senior pastor of the City Temple in Cardiff, and in 2010 he became the regional leader for Wales and the Southern Region. He is married to Annie and they have three children.

In a Facebook post Cartwright expressed gratitude to the national leadership team for their trust in him and said: "I look forward to serving alongside so many others as we seek to fulfil God's call to us personally and to the whole Elim movement."

Outgoing General Superintendent, John Glass said: "Chris is a high integrity spiritual leader, and he and Annie can be assured of my continual prayers, warmest wishes and fullest support as they seek to take Elim into everything that God has for our movement in the years that lie ahead."

Founded in 1915 by George Jeffreys, the Elim Pentecostal Church is a growing movement of more than 550 Christian congregations in the UK and Ireland. Its Leaders Summit in Harrogate in May will mark the culmination of a year of centenary celebrations.
Richard Dawkins' stroke prompts Twitter debate on praying for him

Richard Dawkins, the eminent biology professor and outspoken atheist, has had a stroke and returned home, cancelling a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The 74-year-old announced his "minor stroke" which occured last Saturday in the UK but said he was already at home recuperating.

Christians on Twitter are insisting they will pray for the author of The God Delusion, much to the irritation of Dawkins' atheist followers.

Praying for @RichardDawkins' quick recovery after having suffered a minor stroke in the UK ahead of his Aus/NZ tour.  Kashif N Chaudhry (@KashifMD) February 12, 2016

Richard Dawkins has had a stroke :( Pray for him  John Cumberbatch (@johndanbatch) February 12, 2016

Let's all pray that Richard Dawkins pulls through

However others were less than pleased with this response.

Wishing (not praying) @RichardDawkins a speedy recovery. Hope to see you in Oz soon!  #TeamHashtag Lisa (@thatblogchick) February 12, 2016

Gave me a shock: @RichardDawkins has stroke (but getting better already) (do not pray for him please) @sherlockmichael  Geert Plas (@GeertPlas) February 12, 2016

@RichardDawkins I'm not praying you make a swift recovery, which I hope you'll appreciate.  Yokohama Lustpuffin (@Foot_Off) February 12, 2016

The Oxford professor turned religious critic suffered a "minor stroke" on Saturday.

"On Saturday night Richard suffered a minor stroke, however he is expected in time to make a full or near full recovery," said a statement from his management company.

"He is already at home recuperating.

"This unfortunately means Richard will be unable to make his planned Australian and New Zealand tour.

"He is very disappointed that he is unable to do so but looks forward to renewing his plans in the not too distant future."

Dawkins, a steadfast critic of religion, came to the Church of England's defence when an advert for prayer was banned from UK cinemas.

Despite his stroke, Dawkins was well enough to return to his 1.36 million Twitter followers yesterday and plugged a book called "God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction" for which he has written a foreward.
Swiss Catholics accuse Pope's representative of disloyalty

The Pope's representative in Switzerland, US Archbishop Thomas Gullickson, has been accused by 12 Catholic reform groups there of publicly criticising him.

According to the National Catholic Reporter, the groups have formed an alliance called 'Enough is enough' and have warned the Catholic bishops in Switzerland that the Archbishop is endangering religious unity.

"We are seriously concerned that the nuncio is splitting the Swiss Church," the alliance says in its letter to the bishops.

One alliance member, Markus Arnold, the head of the Religious Education Department at Lucerne University, has also written to Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann asking him "not to allow Gullickson to have a long-term, poisonous effect on the climate in Switzerland. We have enough problems with religious fanaticism as it is. We do not need a nuncio who wants to revive this fanaticism in the Catholic Church."

Gullickson is a keen user of Twitter and frequently links to articles promoting traditionalist positions at odds with Pope Francis' more open and welcoming style. He has also linked to articles critical of Francis' meeting with Patriarch Kirill and his forthcoming mass for migrants in Mexico.

Kirill-Francis Meeting in Danger of Being Over-Hyped https://t.co/ysbLfZR3yv  Thomas E. Gullickson (@GullicksonEd) February 11, 2016

He also expresses admiration for the controversial Society of St Pius X, which campaigns for the Church to return to the doctrines and practices of before the Second Vatican Council, including the Latin mass.

According to NCR, another alliance member, Erwin Koller, the president of the Herbert-Haag-Foundation for Freedom in the Church, told schweizamsonntag.ch that "the way Gullickson is opposing Pope Francis is offensive. If a Swiss diplomat had said such things about the Swiss government, he would long since have been dismissed".
Ted Cruz campaign defends endorsement by pastor who believes Jews brought Holocaust on themselves

Ted Cruz' campaign has been forced to defend an endorsement he received from a prominent pastor who has made highly controversial statements about Jews.

Mike Bickle is the founder and director of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City. His organisation runs ministry schools with 800 full-time students as well as other mission projects and outreach initiatives. Around 20,000 people attend the organisation's One Thing conference every year.

Last month Bickle endorsed Cruz for the Republican nomination, saying: "Our nation is in a great crisis in this hour. We need a president who will first be faithful to honor God's Word. We need a president who will work to defend religious liberty, uphold our Constitution, keep our country safe and our economy sound, and speak truth to the nation. We have been praying for righteous leaders, and Ted Cruz is such a leader. I am enthusiastically endorsing Ted Cruz."

The Cruz campaign highlighted Bickle's valuable endorsement at the time, but has been forced on the defensive after some of his views made negative headlines.

One of Bickle's projects is Israel Mandate, one of whose goals is "partnering with Messianic Jews for the salvation of the Jewish people". His comments on God's plans for Jewish people have come in for particular criticism. In a sermon in 2011 he said that God would give Jews a chance to convert to Christianity and would "raise up the hunters" against those who refused. He described Hitler as "the most famous hunter in recent history".

Bickle's words echo those of Christian Zionist John Hagee, who has also described Hitler as a "hunter" who was fulfilling God's will.

America's Anti-Defamation League issued a statement urging Cruz to distance himself from Bickle's views.

"Mike Bickle's views about why God allowed Jews to be killed in the Holocaust, as expressed in a 2011 speech, are abhorrent, intolerant and unacceptable," it said. "We assume that Senator Cruz accepted Bickle's endorsement without knowing about these comments. We hope that when these comments are called to the Senator's attention, he will clearly and forcefully reject Bickle's hateful ideas."

The National Jewish Democratic Council called on Cruz to "clarify his position and explain why he chose to highlight someone who is 'notorious for having said that God sent Hitler to hunt Jews for not accepting Jesus as the messiah.'"

Nick Muzin, a senior adviser to the Texas senator's campaign, told Jewish Insider: "Our campaign welcomes support from faith leaders across the country. Mike Bickle is one of the hundreds who have endorsed us. My understanding is that he was paraphrasing the words of the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah. I know that he has made support for Israel and the Jewish people a central part of his mission."
UN call for Zika abortions is like King Herod's slaughter of the innocents, says Peru Cardinal

The Archbishop of Lima in Peru has compared the United Nations to King Herod because the organisation has encouraged Latin American governments to allow women affected by the Zika virus to have abortions.

Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani drew the parallel between the UN and the king who ordered the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem in his weekly radio programme, reports the Breitbart news service.

"Today we are surrounded by Herods, but Herods with neckties, public posts and budgets," he said. The UN "in the face of this Zika mosquito virus, has decreed that we should approve abortion everywhere so as to kill the children", he added.

The top UN human rights official called last week for countries with the Zika virus to make available sexual and reproductive health counselling to women and uphold their right to terminate pregnancies.

"Laws and policies that restrict her access to these services must be urgently reviewed in line with human rights obligations in order to ensure the right to health for all in practice," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

The virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition that leads to babies being born with small heads and birth defects.

Hussein's spokeswoman, Cecile Pouilly, asked about countries such as El Salvador that criminalise abortion, told a news briefing: "That's why we are asking those governments to go back and change those laws because how can they ask these women not to become pregnant? But also not offer them first information that is available but also the possibility to stop their pregnancies if they wish so."

Cipriani said in his broadcast he "cannot keep quiet" about these policies. "There is a Herod who thinks it's a good idea to decree an execution: let all pregnant women abort their babies because of a risk that hasn't even been conclusively shown. But in case of doubt, kill them all," he said.

While the Zika virus has been shown to raise the risk of microcephaly in infants and nerve disorders in adults, the mechanism is not well understood and its effect appears to be variable.
Yazidi 'Sun Ladies' take up arms in Iraq to avenge brutalisation of their people by ISIS terrorists

Hundreds of Yazidi women who were once forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State (ISIS) have taken up arms and are plotting to get revenge on the terror group who destroyed their lives.

The women now known the "Force of the Sun Ladies" are reportedly ready to fight the ISIS in Iraq and defend their families and children.

"Now we are defending ourselves from the evil; we are defending all the minorities in the region," Capt. Khatoon Khider told Fox News.

Speaking from the unit's makeshift base in Duhok, Iraq, she added: "We will do whatever is asked of us."

According to Khider, 123 Yazidi women with ages ranging from 17 to 37 have undergone training and taken their place alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga forces as they prepare for a looming assault on the terrorist army's base in Mosul.

She said 500 are awaiting training.

"It's important to us to be able to protect our dignity and honour," a 19-year-old "Sun Lady" named Mesa told Fox News. "My family is very proud; they encouraged me to join."

"I'm very proud to protect my people... And after all that has happened to us Yazidis, we are no longer afraid," she added.

The Yazidi population once numbered 650,000 in Iraq, nearly all on the northern Nineveh Plain. But ISIS genocide campaign to purify Iraq of non-Muslims led to the slaughter of thousands and displacement of at least 200,000, Fox News reported.

During the 2014 siege of Mt. Sinjar, the Yazidi people were brutalised by the terror group. Of the reported 5,000 taken prisoner by the militants, some 2,000 women have escaped from the ISIS stronghold. But the rest remain in captivity and are still suffering from the horrific abuses of the black-clad terrorist army.

Back then, Khider recalled that "women were throwing their children from the mountains and then jumping themselves because it was a faster way to die."

Women taken as captives were ordered to convert to Islam, subjected to forced marriages and repeatedly raped. Several escaped after being sold off to low-level fighters, while others were ransomed back to their families or ordered killed because they are too old to be sold, the report said.

The proposal to have a specialised all-female Yazidi, said Khider, was prompted by the women's determination to fight back against ISIS thugs who abducted, raped or murdered thousands of women minorities in Mount Sinjar.

She hopes that in forming the force, the women will be able to protect themselves and inspire other minority groups to follow suit.

"Our elite force is a model for other women in the region. We want everyone to take up weapons and know how to protect themselves from the evil," according to Khider.

Last Nov. 13, the women wilfully stepped into the line of fire as a support force to the Peshmerga to take back their hometowns and villages from the ISIS occupation.

The new unit engaged in direct combat and also helped clear streets and buildings rigged with explosives, reports said.
How deep is your love?

Music may be the food of the love, but art has also acted as a powerful aphrodisiac. We celebrate the 10 most famous art couples of the 20th century

Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) and Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986)

When Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia OKeeffe (pictured above) were first introduced in 1915, he was in his fifties and already famous as a pioneering photographer, while she was a twenty-something Texan art teacher. Stieglitz was also an art dealer and the first to exhibit her abstract drawings.

Married in 1924, they lived in New York, with OKeeffe by then being acknowledged as one of the USs most important painters. Trips to New Mexico inspired a change in direction for OKeefes work, some of which the couple discussed in a mass of correspondence that amounted to some 5,000 letters up until Stieglitzs death in 1946.

Man Ray (1890-1976) and Lee Miller (1907-1977)

Already successful as a model, Lee Miller moved to Paris in 1929 to work as an apprentice for the visionary photographer. She had called on him unannounced in a cafe, whereupon Man Ray had explained to her he was about to go to Biarritz for a holiday. So am I, she shot back.

Miller went on to become Man Rays lover, assistant and muse. She took several of the photographs credited to him and rediscovered solarisation, a technique that would become Rays trademark. They parted in 1932, but remained friends.

Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, 1930. The New York Times/eyevine

One of the most volatile couples in art history, Kahlo and Rivera met when she was his student. They married in 1929, divorced in 1939 due to infidelity and violence, then remarried a year later.

They influenced each others colourful styles, yet despite being championed as Mexicos greatest living artist for his socially aware murals, Rivera believed his wifes more personal aesthetic was superior. He also wrote that Kahlos death in 1954 was the most tragic moment of his life.

Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) and Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975)

The British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and the artist Ben Nicholson met while on holiday in Norfolk in 1931, and although both were already married, they gradually fell in love. Over a series of joint exhibitions in the next few years, they encouraged each other to move towards abstraction.

In 1934 Hepworth gave birth to triplets and the couple married four years later. During the Second World War they became key members of the artistic community of St Ives in Cornwall. They divorced in 1951.

Willem (1904-1997) and Elaine de Kooning (1919-1989)

When Elaine Fried and Willem de Kooning met in 1938 as Abstract Expressionist painters in the group of artists that went on to form the New York School, it was love at first sight. He gave her drawing lessons, helping her to become a fine portraitist.

They married in 1943, with Elaine helping to promote her husbands career. They separated in the 1950s, with affairs and heavy drinking forcing them apart, but were reconciled in 1976 when she began to manage his studio.

Charles (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1989)

Photo mural of Charles and Ray Eames posing with chair bases on exhibit at LACMA. Ken Lubas / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

After meeting in 1941 when Ray helped Charles design his entry for the Museum of Modern Arts organic furniture competition, the couple married the same year and moved to Los Angeles, where they established a collaborative practice.

They created the famous LCW, proclaimed by Time magazine as the chair of the century, built a home that became a mecca for designers and architects, and became arguably the most influential couple in the history of 20th-century design.

Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Lee Krasner (1908-1984)

Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner in East Hampton, 1953. akg-images / Tony Vaccaro

When they met in 1942 after exhibiting at the same gallery, Krasner enjoyed a higher profile than Pollock . The two Abstract Expressionists married three years later, setting up home in Long Island. Pollock benefited from Krasners formal training before he went on to find fame, while Pollocks influence infused Krasners style with greater freedom.

Their relationship became strained due to his drinking and an affair, and she embarked on a visit to Europe in 1956. While she was away, Pollock was killed in a car crash.

Max Ernst (1891-1976) and Dorothea Tanning (1910-2012)

These two pioneers of Surrealism first met in 1942 at a New York gallery, later falling in love over a prolonged game of chess. Four years later after Ernst , a German emigre, had divorced Peggy Guggenheim, he married Tanning in a double wedding with Man Ray and Juliet Browner.

When Ernst was refused American citizenship in 1957, the couple migrated to France. They lived there until Ernsts death in 1976, her art overshadowed by his fame.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Francoise Gilot (b. 1921)

Picassos relationships with a succession of muses are key to understanding his development as an artist, with Gilots story one of the most romantic amid some fractious encounters.

When Picasso spied the aspiring model and sent a bowl of cherries to her table, she was a 21-year-old art student and he was 40 years her senior. Although never married, the couple lived together for 10 years and Gilot bore him two children  Claude and Paloma. She left him in 1953, after developing her own style  a softer take on Cubism.

Jasper Johns (b. 1930) and Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008)

When they became lovers as well as collaborators in the mid- to late 1950s, Johns and Rauschenberg understandably wanted to keep their relationship private. During a six-year period they created works together that saw them lead the move away from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art.

When they split in 1961, the grief-stricken pair left New York and headed south. Their pictorial styles would change radically, and the two would neither see nor speak to one another for a decade or more.

Main image at top: Alfred Stieglitz with Georgia OKeeffe at Lake George in New York. Alamy
Power, speed, style  James Bonds 10 greatest drives

From Sean Connery's iconic Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger, through Roger Moore's sub-aquatic Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me and on to Daniel Craig's super sleek Aston Martin DB10 in Spectre, James Holland presents a top 10 of classic Bond cars

The Aston Martin DB10 in James Bond Spectre  The Auction is one of only 10 built specifically for James Bond and is to date the only DB10 to be released for public sale by Aston Martin and EON Productions.

Aston Martin has been associated with the James Bond franchise for over 50 years, with the DB10 exclusively designed, engineered and hand crafted for the latest Bond film, Spectre. Most of the DB10s were modified for use in the filming of Spectre, but two of those produced were kept back as show cars, for display purposes only, and the car in the auction on 18 February is one of them.

This DB10 was displayed at the world premiere of the film at the Royal Albert Hall, London and is the only one that includes a special plaque signed by Daniel Craig. The DB10 was unveiled to the public on 4 December 2014 by Director Sam Mendes on the Albert R. Cubby Broccoli 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios.

In Spectre, it is revealed to Bond (Daniel Craig) by Q (Ben Whishaw) in his Mechanical Workshop  the car is intended for Agent 009 however 007 borrows it before it has been handed over, leaving Q a bottle of Bollinger in its place. He takes it to Rome to attend a funeral in pursuit of more information.

Bond is later discovered having infiltrated a secret Spectre meeting and makes a speedy escape in the DB10 with henchman Hinx hot on his heels through the streets of Rome and along the River Tiber.

SPECTRE  2015 Danjaq, MGM, CPII. SPECTRE, 007 and related James Bond Trademarks, TM Danjaq.  2016 Danjaq and MGM. All Rights Reserved. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), other charitable organisations, and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
For the survivors whose 6,663 rape kits were tested when Houston last year cleared its backlog, news that a suspect had been identified sometimes came years after their assault. Notification procedures are important because research shows that getting this information can cause flashbacks, exacerbate post-traumatic stress and make drug or alcohol abuse more likely.

National Institute of Justice research released in January, based on the Houston Police Department's backlog of rape kits, shows ways to focus rape investigations on the needs of victims and offers guidelines to other jurisdictions in addressing a large backlog of untested kits.

HPD was one of two jurisdictions studied by researchers specializing in criminal justice and social work through a 2011 grant from the institute, an arm of the Department of Justice. Researchers published initial reports in the spring of 2015, but the institute repackaged those conclusions for a broader audience this January. Some additional findings are still under review.

In February 2015, Houston celebrated clearing its backlog of untested kits, which revealed no wrongful convictions but made clear that suspects could have been locked away years earlier had the kits been tested.

Now that the backlog has been cleared, the research conclusions have translated into practice at HPD, researchers said, and have the potential to affect the approaches of police departments across the country.

"One of the main findings is that science can inform practice," said Noel Busch-Armendariz, a professor at the University of Texas School of Social Work who was a lead researcher on the project. "The culture change that took place at HPD had to do with their approach to sexual assault crimes across the board, from leadership trickling down to patrol."

The research released in January focused on the protocol for notifying sexual assault victims after testing their rape kits. The guidelines were developed through interviews with 42 victims of sexual assault. Many of the victims interviewed after being notified of new information said that their recent experience with HPD had hugely improved from when they first tried to report a sexual assault.

Experts sought to educate officers about the varied responses people have to trauma  for example, that a victim doesn't need to be hysterically crying for her story to be true.

"A lot of it was education for investigators  the neurobiology of trauma and how that affects victims or explains why a victim can't tell a story in linear manner," said Dana Hitzman, captain of HPD's special victims division. "Educating the investigators about that helps with investigations and their interactions with victims of sexual assault."

On the criminal justice side, the research shows other departments what to expect when testing a large backlog of rape kits. Many jurisdictions start such a project with little idea how many kits will lead to a DNA match.

"A lot of other jurisdictions are dealing with this, and they still don't know what to expect in terms of results," said Bill Wells, a lead researcher from Sam Houston State University's College of Criminal Justice. The initial question posed by HPD when seeking city approval to participate in this research project in 2011 was how it developed its backlog of 6,600 rape kits. Although it's not prominently noted in their conclusions, researchers did find an answer.

"The reasons that explained that inventory were that victims decided not to reengage  they initially reported and then changed their minds," Busch-Armendariz said. "Officers did not respond in ways where victims would feel safe and secure in engaging with the criminal justice system."

Houston's backlog has in the past been attributed to a lack of funding, ignorance about the value of DNA testing and shoddy work at the city crime lab, which suspended DNA testing for a period as a result. But according to Busch-Armendariz, resources were a small part of the problem compared to the effect of investigators' interactions with victims.

For some of the city officials who opposed spending grant money on this project, these conclusions don't justify the cost. The city has received $7.7 million in federal grant funding since 2004 to address its backlog of untested rape kits; in 2011, $81,000 of that year's $1 million NIJ grant went toward this research contract.

"That's still $81,000 that wasn't spent on testing," said Jolanda Jones, a former city councilmember and current Houston Independent School District trustee who voted against funding the research in 2011. "That's $81,000 that wasn't used five years ago."

Other research published by the NIJ focuses on the partner research project at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in Detroit, Mich. Forthcoming NIJ publications about both jurisdictions will cover the logistics of testing backlogs of sexual assault kits.
Getting stuck in Houston's rush hour traffic wasn't so bad for some drivers Friday morning -- especially for the ladies looking for some match-making for Valentine's.

Local radio station 94.5 FM The Buzz hosted the Rod Ryan Show Presents: "The Mile of Meat" for Valentine's Day event in front of Diablo Loco at 6025 Richmond Ave.
Houston is full of beautiful restaurants boasting intimate settings, soft lighting, and sensuous food and drink. But here are 10 places that put their best forward on the lovers' holiday.

1. Restaurant Cinq, La Colombe d'Or Hotel:

This charming boutique hotel in Montrose boasts a restaurant that's truly a special occasion dining experience. Restaurant Cinq's art-studded walls, graceful manners and intimate lighting make it a perfect place for romantic dining. This year the restaurant is offering a special Valentine's menu Feb. 12-14 from 6 to 10 p.m. Starters ($12-$28) include French onion soup, lobster bisque, escargots Bourguignonne, smokes salmon, and jump lump crab tower. Entrees ($44-$56) include veal chop with peppercorn sauce, Chilean sea bass with jalapeno polenta, seared diver scallops with pomegranate sauce, pan seared Gulf red snapper with lump crab, and filet mignon with roasted potatoes. Reservations highly recommended.

Restaurant Cinq, 3410 Montrose Blvd., 713524-7999; lacolombedor.com



2. Brennan's of Houston:

Class, sauteed in class, and smothered in more class. That's Brennan's in a praline-coated nutshell. For four decades, this regal restaurant from the New Orleans' Commander's Palace restaurant dynasty. That means sumptuous dining rooms overseen by caring, unobtrusive eyes; impeccable manners and service; and a menu of rich, Creole classicism punctuated by inventive, modern know-how. For Valentine's Day, Brennan's is offering at $75 prix fixe dinner menu that includes goodies such as wood-grilled oysters, foie gras with Satsuma marmalade, crawfish-stuffed Texas flounder, pecan-crusted speckled trout, and white chocolate bread pudding.

Brennan's of Houston, 3300 Smith, 713-522-9711; brennanshouston.com

3. Damian's Cucina Italiana:

There's something to be said about Old World manners meets Gulf Coast hospitality. That's what you get at this exceedingly welcoming standard-bearer of good taste and tradition in Midtown. Damian's is where you want to bring your parents when they come to visit; impress a lady on a first date; show off a little when you're marking a milestone birthday or anniversary. The dining room invites with dark woods and murals of pastoral campagna. Order a nice bottle of red wine and tuck into dishes like Veal Marsala, Shrimp Damian (shrimp with garlic, white wine and butter), Lasagna Bolognese and Chicken Parm. It doesn't get better than this. The restaurant is offering a three-course Valentine's Day menu from 5 to 10 p.m. for $59.99 per person. Abbondanza!

Damian's Cucina Italiana, 3011 Smith, 713-522-0439; damains.com



4. Etoile Cuisine et Bar:

This shining star of a restaurant from chef Philippe Verpiand is a slice of the Seine on the bayou. The menu of classic dishes includes beef tartare, escargots Bourguignonne, foie gras, cassoulet, sole amandine, steak au poive with peppercorn-cognac sauce, duck a l'orange, coq au vin and Houston's best profiteroles. The handsome dining room presided over by Verpiand's wife, Monica Bui, is utterly tasteful and artfully modern. Etoile is offering a three-course Valentine's Day dinner on Feb. 13 and 14 for $74 per person, as well as a three-course brunch on Feb. 14 for $45 per person.

Etoile Cuisine et Bar, 1101-11 Uptown Park Blvd., 832-668-5808; etoilecuisine.com

5. Kiran's:

For three nights (Feb. 12-14) gracious chef Kiran Verma is setting out a prix fixe candlelight Valentine's dinner that starts with strawberry soup with mascarpone, then moves to a first course of salmon carpaccio with pink peppercorns or piquillo peppers stuffed with mozzarella and paneer. Second course is a choice of foie gras with fig chutney and caviar or paneer kebab with pomegranate salad. Main course choices include tandoor-roasted rack of lamb; stuffed fillet of cod; or eggplant papillote with spinach and apricot biryani. End the meal with a coffee cognac cocktail, coconut hearts and spiced chocolate truffles. Such a lovers' meal is $95 per person; reservations a must.

Kiran's, 4100 Westheimer, 713-960-8472; kiranshouston.com



6. La Table:

There's something extraordinary and wonderful going on at 1800 Post Oak. The former Philippe Restaurant + Lounge morphed into Table on Post Oak and then again transformed into La Table. Under Alexandre Gaudelet, the CEO of Invest Hospitality (the investment firm hired to manage the restaurant, La Table has quietly become one of the most fabulous places to dine in Houston For Valentine's Day the restaurant will offer a family-style brunch Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday that is $59 for adults, $29 for children. Additionally, La Table will also offer a four-course Valentine's Day Dinner with signature dishes like the colossal lump crab salad, poached lobster, and Hudson Valley Duck Breast. Dessert selections include a chocolate souffle for two and heart shaped macarons with raspberry, rose and lychee; $95 per person.

La Table, 1800 Post Oak, 713-439-1000; latablehouston.com



7. Mark's American Cuisine:

When they say Mark's is a temple of Houston fine dining, they're not kidding. About the fine dining or the temple. Housed in a renovated 1920s church with gold ceilings, the stunning, intimate restaurant is at the top of anyone's list of romantic dining in Houston. Chef Mark Cox's Valentine's Day menu runs Feb. 11-14. The first three days the three-course meal (priced at $84.95 per person) offers starters such as Dungeness crab with fingerling potatoes; lobster and potato gnocchi; and smoked salmon and lobster. Dinner options include 12-spice duck breast and confit leg; steak and gnocchi with truffle Madeira sauce; roasted Chilean bass over sticky seafood rice; or roasted bison and rack of venison. On Sunday the restaurant will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a rare multi-course, prix fixe Sunday brunch priced at $64.95 for adults and $24.95 for children, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required.

Mark's American Cuisine, 1658 Westheimer, 713-523-3800; marks1658.com



8. Rainbow Lodge:

Long regarded as one of the city's most unique and special occasion options, this historic, century-old log cabin is big on charm. The decor is hunting lodge chic (mounted trophy heads and antique fishing collectibles make nice with heavy linens and sparkling chandeliers) and the menu brims with elegant presentations of wild game and Gulf seafood. The restaurant boasts a new chef, Mark Schmidt, who is offering a four-course Valentine's Day menu for $89 per person plus tax and gratuity. The dinner, which includes a complimentary glass of bubbles, includes an entree choice of pan roasted red snapper, or grilled beef tenderloin, or ancho chile-rubbed venison medallions, or butter-poached lobster. Reservations are highly recommended.

Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella Blvd, 713-861-8666; rainbow-lodge.com



9. The Pass at Pass & Provisions:

The Pass is co-chef Seth Siegel-Gardner's and Terrence Gallivan's singular vision of fine dining: a dazzling, dizzying, multi-course menu that's equal parts culinary mastery and food wizardry. Prepare to be delighted and indulged in this intimate, stark dining room with a theatrical fourth wall that is the busy kitchen. Although The Pass is normally closed on Sunday, it will be open for dinner on Valentine's Day. Sorry, but the restaurant is already fully committed (try another night, we implore you). But the Provisions side of this two-restaurants-under-one-roof enterprise called The Pass & Provisions is serving a $75 prix fixe menu. Find a way, lovebirds, to indulge yourself in either The Pass or Provisions experience.

The Pass, 807 Taft, 713-628-9020; passandprovisions.com



10. Tony's:

There really is no other restaurant in Houston like Tony's. Tony and Donna Vallone preside over the dining room that's alive with art; filled with the city's boldface names; drenched in impeccable manners; and fairly exploding with innovative food thanks to hotshot young chef Kate McLean. This year's Valentine's Day dinner promises an indulgent four-course affair with three seatings on Feb. 15: 5:30 p.m. for $85; 7:15 p.m. for $135; 9:30 p.m. for $85.

Tony's, 3755 Richmond Ave., 713-622-6778; tonyshouston.com
Dear Abby:

I am 18 and in my sophomore year of college. A month ago, my family went through some major hardships. It came out that "Uncle Mark" has been cheating on my aunt for years and is moving his mistress to our area. They have two children, a son in elementary school and a daughter, "Dana," 13.

I feel bad for my aunt, but I'm absolutely devastated for Dana. My Uncle Mark has skipped all of her school events in the wake of this mess, and I can't begin to imagine how disappointed Dana must feel. Uncle Mark is a sociopath. He feels no empathy, manipulates others and has a sadistic streak. Dana was not close to her dad, but since this mess began, she's even less so.

Abby, I don't want my cousin to feel like she's alone. Since I'm an older teenager, she looks up to me. How can I be supportive and not intrude in this delicate situation?

Supportive Cousin

Dear Cousin:

You are kind to want to help. Your cousin is probably experiencing a range of emotions because of the turmoil that's going on around her family. The kindest thing to do would be to spend time with her when your schedule permits and allow her to vent when she needs to.

Dear Abby:

I am a 10-year-old girl. I'm good at math and very intelligent. I have two questions: When I'm alone in a dark room, I feel like I have to run out of the room. Why?

My second question is, what kind of job can you get without going to college?

Smart Southern Girl

Dear Smart Southern Girl:

Many people of every age - especially children and the elderly - have a fear of the dark. That's why parents use small night lights in their children's bedrooms and gadgets like the Clapper are popular.

Adults may be afraid of tripping or running into furniture. Teens who watch scary movies develop a fear of the dark because they imagine a "monster" is lurking out of sight who might harm them. The solution can be as simple as keeping a night light on or switching a light on as you enter a darkened area.

As to what kind of job a person can find without going to college, discuss this with a counselor at your school. College may not be for everyone, but I don't think it's likely you'll get a well-paying job without some advanced education - if not in a college, then in an apprenticeship program or a trade school with a proven high job-placement record.

DearAbby.comDear AbbyP.O. Box 69440Los Angeles, CA 90069Universal Press Syndicate
We aren't entirely sure who Hillary Clinton's stylist is, but he or she didn't do her justice during the seventh Democratic face-off on Thursday night, at least according to Twitter.

Before the opening statements at the debate, Twitter focused on Clinton's bright yellow  or mustard yellow  coat, comparing her to Colonel Mustard's wife and Gorton's fish sticks man.
A former top veterinarian at the University of Texas Medical Branch filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated and that his rights as a whistleblower were violated.

Brian Gordon served as the attending veterinarian and executive director of the animal resources center, located in Galveston, from March 1, 2013 until June 9, 2015, according to the lawsuit.

Gordon was "highly qualified," and a performance evaluation of him "indicated [Gordon] was meeting or exceeding expectations," the complaint states.

And yet, the allegations contend, Gordon's suggestions largely went unheeded by the UTMB administration and his decision-making power was restricted -- even when Gordon says he began to discover alleged failure to properly care for animals there.

"His refusal to support practices that were not in line with the interests of the animals caused friction," the lawsuit says, adding that he was "admonished for expressing his opinion" and "criticized for not being a 'team player.'"

The conflict came to a head following a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases probe into a study. Auditors found eight monkeys suffered painful deaths because proper procedure was not followed. Gordon "later learned there had been a longstanding practice of hiding the true cause of animal deaths throughout the time he was employed," the lawsuit alleges.

Gordon's health deteriorated from the stress of being asked "to participate in conduct he believed was illegal," according to the complaint. He was sent home from work June 8, 2015 -- the day a meeting had been scheduled to discuss his concerns -- and his termination was finalized the day after.

A representative from UTMB declined to comment Thursday. The lawsuit was filed in the Galveston Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

In a response to a complaint filed with the federal government last year, UTMB denied most of Gordon's allegations. However, it acknowledged its failure to report the deaths of eight research monkeys to the UTMB animal oversight committee as required by federal law, blaming the failure on an interpretation of the committee's reporting policy.

When asked for comment on Gordon's grievances, UTMB at the time made available a Nov. 16 letter to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, which addressed Gordon's complaints and other concerns.

In that letter, Toni D'Agostino, associate vice president for research administration, said officials were "confident that UTMB has made and continues to make the necessary enhancements" to its animal care and use program" and the science that supports the use of animals in research.
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A man one official described as "the person you warn your kids about" has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $10,000 after allegedly sending sexual messages to multiple preteen girls.

Duane Charles Parker, 52, of Lafayette, La., was sentenced Thursday by a Montgomery County jury that convicted him the day before, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

Parker was convicted on one count of attempted sexual performance of a child under 14, which is a second degree felony, and received the maximum punishment.

"A $10,000 fine on top of 20 years is relatively rare," said Assistant District Attorney Adam McLane, a prosecutor on the case with Monica Cooper. "It's our position that the jury was sending him a message that they would have given him more if they could."

Parker, who previously lived in Texas, was also charged with online solicitation of a minor but those cases were ultimately dismissed due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding freedom of speech.

A multi-agency investigation led by Montgomery County Precinct 4 Capt. Mark Seals and Sgt. Art Looza produced evidence of sexual messages and videos that Parker allegedly sent to preteen girls he friended on Facebook, the Police Reporter said.

Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden said Parker is "the person you warn your kids about, and the reason we have to teach our children not to talk to strangers in person or online, even if they seem nice."

Also indicted in a case of alleged sexual abuse of his own daughter, Parker lived in Texas in 2008 but at some point moved to Louisiana, the Police Reporter said. He kept his Texas driver's license and was frequently in Texas for his business, Crawfish Unlimited or 1-800-CRAWFISH, the publication said.

Prosecution of the charges against him were several times delayed for various reasons but were completed, partly due to the persistence of an East Montgomery County mother, who first alerted authorities about Parker.

About three years ago, the mother began noticing comments by an unfamiliar name, "Parker Duane," on her daughter's Facebook page. The girl, who was 12 at the time, accepted his friendship because she had several mutual friends with him, all of them her classmates.

About the same time, another mother contacted the first mom to say Parker Duane was also sending sexual messages and a pornographic video to her daughter. When the women contacted law enforcement, they found Parker's account deleted.

When he later resurfaced as Johnny Pepper, law enforcement was waiting for him and gained permission from the mothers to take over their daughters' Facebook accounts.

Investigators arrested Parker through his business on Aug. 13, 2012, when he made a delivery to a Webster restaurant. At the time, he was accused of sending sexual messages to at least 17 seventh grade girls through Facebook.

The Louisiana State Police requested and served a search warrant at his Lafayette residence, where they removed three computers with child pornography, according to the Police Reporter.

It would be up to Louisiana authorities to prosecute him on child pornography charges, McLane said.
MONTVILLE, N.J. (AP)  One of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast is putting her house on the market.

Teresa Giudice and her husband, Joe, are seeking nearly $4 million for the six-bedroom home in Montville.
Forty suspects were arrested and charged with felony-level driving while intoxicated by Houston Police during the first month of 2016.

The specific charges range from driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle, to a suspect's third or more offense.
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The Harris County Sheriff's Office has fired a second deputy for having a sexual relationship with a woman who witnessed the slaying of Deputy Darren Goforth and who was reportedly also involved with him at the time of his death.

In addition to the three deputies now known to have had relationships with the witness, the sheriff's office revealed Wednesday that it is investigating whether a fourth deputy was also having a relationship with the woman.

"There is another investigation in the process, with similar allegations against another deputy," said sheriff's office spokesman Ralph Gonzales.

Deputy Marc DeLeon, a 14-year veteran, was fired for lying about a relationship he had with the woman prior to Goforth's killing.

Goforth, 47, was gunned down at a suburban gas station while refueling his patrol vehicle on Aug. 28, 2015.

"Following the murder of Deputy Darren Goforth and the subsequent investigation, Sheriff Hickman has instructed the Internal Affairs Division to continue their review of employee misconduct with a witness in the case," the department said in a statement Wednesday.

"The ongoing investigation by our Internal Affairs Division concluded that Deputy DeLeon was untruthful during the course of their investigation."

The burgeoning sex scandal enveloping the department is complicating the prosecution of the man accused of gunning down Goforth while he was gassing his patrol car.

The case was further compromised Tuesday when Shannon Miles, the alleged killer, was declared incompetent to stand trial for capital murder and was committed to a state mental hospital for 120 days.

Weeks after Goforth was killed, prosecutors revealed in a legally required disclosure that an eyewitness told investigators she had been sexually involved with Goforth. The woman's name has been disclosed in court documents but is not being identified by the Houston Chronicle because she is not charged with a crime.

Then in October, the sheriff's office revealed that a veteran homicide investigator, Sgt. Craig Clopton, had admitted to "consensual sexual contact" with the woman. The sheriff's office fired Clopton for the misconduct, which Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman described as "unethical and inexcusable."

'A higher standard'

The woman has become a central figure in the case because Miles' attorney, Anthony Osso, is arguing that Goforth was at the gas station the night he was killed to meet her and therefore was not technically on duty. That would mean Miles is ineligible for the death penalty, Osso argues.

DeLeon's attorney, Joshua Normand, said that his client was appealing his termination to Harris County's Civil Service Commission and declined to comment further.

Asked about DeLeon's termination Wednesday, Hickman declined to give specifics. "I can't go into details because his appeals process has not yet been exhausted," Hickman said. "But his alleged conduct would concern any law enforcement leader."

Earlier this month, the sheriff's office amended its misconduct policy requiring deputies not to have sexual contact with "any individual who is a party to an ongoing active investigation." Previously, it only forbade sexual contact with persons in custody, Gonzales said.

Harris County Deputies' Organization president David Cuevas referred questions about DeLeon's termination to his attorney but disputed the notion of a widespread problem of sexual misconduct or improprieties among the sheriff's deputies.

"This type of behavior is not known throughout the department," he said. "That's not common practice and moral practice of our employees. We're held to a higher standard, we absolutely don't condone that behavior."

Since 2012, however, the department has disciplined at least 38 deputies or jailers for cases involving sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or improper fraternization, according to disciplinary records obtained by the Chronicle. The records show the department also disciplined at least four deputies or jailers for failing to report sexual assault or misconduct.

'Should have discussed it'

On Tuesday, after Miles was declared incompetent, his lawyer said he could be in limbo for months while he waited for a bed to open up at the state mental hospital in Vernon.

On Wednesday, however, state Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, said he had cleared the way for Miles to go to a mental health facility immediately.

"The circumstances of his case are so sensitive," Whitmire said. "Being housed and guarded by colleagues of the fallen officer make it really pressing that we get him out of the Harris County Jail."

Responding to those concerns, Whitmire said he contacted the director of facilities to get Miles a spot within days.

"To say there's a three-month waiting period, I just don't think that's a safe, healthy environment to be confined by deputy sheriffs who suffered such a loss," Whitmire said. "There are human feelings on all sides, and I think it serves the system and all concerned to get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

Defense attorney Osso said his client should not have received special treatment by being put at the front of the line. The lawyer said he did not have any safety concerns and complimented the jail staff.

"I have a good working relationship with the jail captains and they've been very accommodating," Osso said. "I would have thought (Whitmire) would have at least discussed this with Miles' defense team before doing something like this. He should have discussed it with us."

Under Texas law, a suspect can stand trial only if he understands the charges against him and can aid lawyers in his defense. It is not the same as a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," which is a different court procedure that Miles lawyers said they would not address until his competency is restored.

Lauren Caruba contributed to this report.
The father of a 13-year-old girl who died after apparently jumping from a moving school bus last year has filed a civil suit against the Galveston Independent School District.

Darrell Thomas filed the suit Tuesday in the 56th District Court on behalf of himself and the estate of his daughter, My'Kayla Thomas.

The 13-year-old girl died Dec. 9 at a Galveston hospital, two days after she was critically injured when she jumped from a moving school bus on the Gulf Freeway.

At the time of her death, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said investigators had reviewed video from the bus security camera and determined that the teen had intentionally jumped.

'We want more details'

The family, however, disputes that assessment, said Thomas' attorney, Eraka Watson of The Childs Law Firm in Houston. She requested the surveillance video but the district refused to provide it, Watson said.

An incident report she received from the Galveston County legal department had most information redacted, including names of the driver and other students on the bus, who are potential witnesses, Watson said.

"Any parent would find it unacceptable for someone to say your child jumped off a bus and that parent is expected to say, 'OK,' " Watson said Thursday. "We want more details."

Trochesset, who saw the surveillance video, said Thursday he stands by his description and the investigators' conclusion that the act was intentional.

"She opened that door once, and the alarm went off," the sheriff recalled. "Another student walked back and secured the door and went back and sat in his seat. She opened it a second time, and that's when she leaped out, almost like she rolled out."

The sheriff, a father of three, said he could understand a parent wanting to know what happened but said, "Is that really something a parent wants to witness? It's a sad and tragic situation."

In an emailed statement, the school district said Thursday it had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit. "Therefore, we cannot respond to the allegations contained in the lawsuit at this time," the statement said.

According to the petition, My'Kayla was assaulted by other students on the bus, which transported special needs students.

This particular bus was not to be operated without the presence of an adult aide and both video cameras working, the suit states.

"Had these (Galveston Independent School District) employees not been negligent in operating the school bus without the extra adult aide, or by making sure the cameras were operational and/or reviewed daily, these assaults would not have occurred," the petition states.

Thomas alleges in the suit that, after his daughter died, he learned that "multiple assaults occurred for several days consecutively without any report to administration until this last deadly incident."

The incident

The petition states that the driver had requested an adult aide and should not have been allowed to operate the bus without the aide.

According to Trochesset's account of the incident, My'Kayla was among a group of students who boarded the bus about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at an alternative school in Texas City.

When My'Kayla and another girl began fighting, the driver pulled over and put My'Kayla in the back and the other girl in the front.

The bus was headed southbound on Interstate 45 at about 55 or 60 mph when the rear emergency door opened, setting off an alarm inside the bus, according to the sheriff's account. The alarm caused other students to look back and see My'Kayla jump from the bus, the sheriff said.

She was severely injured by the fall but was not hit by other cars, authorities said.

My'Kayla began attending Galveston schools and riding the school bus in first grade, according to the suit.
DESTIN, Fla.  A man and woman from Texas were killed when a small plane they were in crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Panhandle, officials said Friday.

Pilot James Shumbert, 67, and passenger Sheryl Roe, 60, both of Alvin, are believed to have been the only people on board the Piper Archer aircraft. The plane was registered to Electrical Training, a company based in Alvin, according to a news release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
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Although the Catholic church has nearly been crippled by allegations of priest abuse over the last decade, the Church allegedly told newly appointed bishops that it is "not necessarily" their duty to report accusations of clerical child abuse.

"According to the state of civil laws of each country where reporting is obligatory, it is not necessarily the duty of the bishop to report suspects to authorities, the police or state prosecutors in the moment when they are made aware of crimes or sinful deeds," the training document states according to the Guardian.

The document states that while the bishops are supposed to be aware of local laws, they should address the abuse internally. According to the report, it is only the victims or their families that are responsible to make the decision to report abuse to the police.

The training guidelines were written by a controversial French monsignor and psychotherapist, Tony Anatrella, who serves as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Family. The Vatican released the guidelines  which are part of a broader training program for newly named bishops  at a press conference earlier this month and is now seeking feedback.

The Vatican has been running state-of-the-art presentation training course since 2001 for newly appointed bishops around the world, to prevent future meltdowns from happening. Almost 30 percent of the Catholic prelates in the world today have taken it.

A Vatican source told Newsweek that the comments made during the presentation are Anatrella's opinion and not an official Vatican position. The source added that in some countries it is difficult for clergy to report abuse to authorities due to the "quite hostile" relationship between church and state.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests advocacy group has been critical of how Pope Francis has been handling the complex issue, indicating that the church had not substantially changed.

"It's infuriating, and dangerous, that so many believe the myth that bishops are changing how they deal with abuse and that so little attention is paid when evidence to the contrary  like this disclosure by Allen  emerges," the group said in a statement to Newsweek.

The Vatican has yet to reply to reporters.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.


Hungarian director Benedek Fliegauf, winner of the Silver Bear in 2012 for his bleak and brutally affecting thriller about the persecution faced by Hungarys Romany community Just the Wind, returns to Berlin with his sixth feature, Lily Lane (Liliom Osveny). A harrowing journey between two worlds, one haunted by past mistakes, another populated by memories of the dead, this grim, yet weirdly beguiling mother-son drama uses the power of imagination to traverse the borders of a childs conception of reality. A portrayal of the continuous struggle at the core of our inner worlds Fliegauf creates an atmosphere of mounting unease by blurring the lines between fact and fiction.



Lily Lane opens with an extreme close-up of a miniature Lego castle. Shot on a handheld camera, in almost pitch darkness and accompanied by the humming of what sounds like a child. Its hard to decipher where this footage belongs; is it a discarded family video, the amateur camerawork of a child filmmaker or the mysterious video tapes of a home intruder? Things dont become any clearer when we cut to a mother (Angela Stefanovics) telling her child, Danny (Balint Sotonyi) a rather disturbing fairy tale about a young girl, a fairy, a huntsman and a rabid fox. We soon learn through an IM conversation with Dannys father that his parents are separating, a decision clearly driven by his mothers struggle to cope with her deep seated issues with her own parents. Exploring death, birth and paternal rejection through the subjectivity of a child allows Fliegauf to question our notions of reality.

The mothers stories slowly reveal themselves to mirror the fragile bond she shared with her own parents. Sadly, what remains of her feelings of love for her own child stands little chance against the grand narrative of rejection that she has woven into these tales. Dannys fractured world is revealed through the use of Skype conversations, underwater camera work and a series of haunting home-video flashbacks, culminating in a narrative that feels detached from reality. Combining natural light conditions with a deeply claustrophobic handheld style, cinematographer Zoltan Lovasi allows his camera to inhabit this fissure in the relationship between the love and responsibility of a mother, whilst the films nuanced sound design makes it almost impossible to differentiate between the natural sounds of the Buda Hills region and the world Danny mother has fabricated in her mind.

The presence of nature as a therapeutic force, compared to the alienation of urban living, suggests the cyclical nature of paternal rejection is perhaps driven by something larger than a symptom of congenital negligence, but larger external forces beyond our control. Sadly, the results are far too laborious to become fully immersed in, with these deeply personal ruminations alienating the viewer as the films ambiguity gives way to a sense of disaffection. Lily Lane remains strangely compelling experience, yet as Danny and his mother begin exorcising their demons, their moment of catharsis feels far too person to intrude upon. Eerie and unsettling rather than genuinely unnerving this urban fairytale whispers all too quietly of the personal to truly grapple the larger ideas implied within its subtext.

The 2016 Berlin Film Festival takes place between 11-21 February. Follow our coverage here.

Patrick Gamble | @PatrickJGamble
For nearly 2,500 years, the Athenian general and historian Thucydides has been a popular source of strategic wisdom in the West. Lately, his name has popped up in Asia, too, especially in reference to U.S.China relations. We all need to work together to avoid the Thucydides trap, said Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2013. Xi was borrowing a phrase coined by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison to describe the challenges that can emerge when a rising power challenges a ruling poweras Athens did Sparta in Ancient Greece and as Germany did Britain a century ago. Most of these dangerous challenges have ended badly, often for both sides.

Not everyone agrees. In the sparest structural sense, writes Tufts Universitys Daniel D. Drezner, there are a few parallels that can be drawn between Greece in the fifth century B.C.E. and the present day. On the whole, however, I think the Athens-Sparta historical analogy obfuscates more than it enlightens. James Holmes of the U.S. Naval War College agrees that ancient Sparta and modern America are not terribly comparable. Far from being an established custodian of the regional order, the Spartans were loath to exercise leadership, he writes. Thats different from a Great Britain or an America at its zenith, a global marine power jealous of its standing. Drezner does concede that The way in which the Thucydides analogy matters is just how much Chinese and American policymakers think it matters. And the Thucydidean trinityprestige, fear, and self-interestseems to be at work in the U.S.China relationship. Thats why the first book of the History of the Peloponnesian War and its most famous sentenceIn my view the real reason [for the war], true but unacknowledged, which forced the war was the growth of Athenian power and Spartan fear of itis so widely quoted today.

Ive been reading the History of the Peloponnesian War with the class of 2016 of the Institute for Political Studies at the Portuguese Catholic University in Lisbon, and Id suggest at least five reasons why Thucydides deserves to be studied carefully today. To start, Thucydides helped to invent history as a discipline. The Athenian general clearly believed that understanding the past would be useful for ordinary citizens, decision-makers, institutions and societies. We live today in a time of great change in international politics. Regional orders are under pressure in East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Knowledge of history should matter greatlycompetent statecraft is impossible without itbut it doesnt seem to matter at all. In Europe and in the U.S., historical ignorance has become almost a badge of honor.

Thucydides was also a political historian. His masterwork is a biography of two political regimes: the ambitious, confident, and democratic Athens and the oligarchic and conservative Sparta. Which one, Thucydides asks, aspired to greatness, staved off internal disintegration, practiced a prudent and consistent foreign policy, and adapted better to what turned out to be a long war? Thucydides argued that good strategy and foreign policy always began at home. For him, the greatest threat to a dynamic maritime and commercial democracy came from within. His book is an indictment of Athenian direct democracy after Pericless death.

Third, Thucydides was the first grand strategist, and he remains one of the best to write about the subject. Grand strategy is the art of using a states political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military tools to advance its interests. Pericles continued and developed Themistocless grand strategy for the rise of Athens. Fortification of the city and its harbor, trade and financial integration with its allies, public works that emphasized excellence, open sea lanes, and a formidable navy were the pillars of Pericless vision.

One of the Peloponnesian Wars enduring lessons is that it is very difficult for a continental power to defeat a trading nation with a strong economic base, sea power, and competent leadership. As late as 406 B.C., the Spartan admiral Callikratidas wanted to put an end to what he called Athenss illicit love affair with the sea. Sea access was crucial for Athens, but the city needed to maintain a navy that was second to none. In his final speech, Pericles reminded listeners that with the naval resources you have at your disposal, no one, neither the King of Persia nor any other nation now on earth, can prevent you from sailing where you will. So this power is clearly of a different order from the utility of houses and land, the loss of which you consider a great deprivation.

Pericles successors forged a different path, however, and the Athenians were roundly defeated by a Sparta financed and allied with the Persian Empire. But did Athens lose in Sicily in 415413 B.C. because it chose the wrong strategy or because the Athenian general Niciass operational command throughout the Sicilian expedition was disastrous? Could Demosthenes, Athenss most aggressive and tactically savvy infantry general, have achieved victory, or at least saved the citys army and navy, if he had been in command from the beginning in Syracuse? These questions remain relevant to our discussions of foreign policy and leadership today.

Fourth, Thucydides understood that individuals made a differencein the city and on the battlefield. Statesmanship, military leadership, and moral virtue play a vital role in the History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides watched the tragedies of Sophocles and the comedies of Aristophanes. He saw the stunning Parthenon being built in the Acropolis. He listened to scientists, philosophers, and sophists who were revolutionizing their fields. He lived in a brilliantly creative city and knew personally or wrote about Pericles, Cleon, Nicias, Demosthenes, Brasidas, Alcibiades, Athenagoras, Hermocrates, and Phrynicusmen whose deeds and words remain essential to a liberal education in the twenty-first century. As the Economists Adrian Wooldridge wrote recently, You will learn more about leadership from reading Thucydidess hymn to Pericles than you will from a thousand leadership experts. Pericles was the rarest of mena statesman, a strategist, and a superb politician.

Finally, Thucydides was a tough warrior. He wrote from firsthand experience about the tragedy of warnever more movingly than in his account of the final collapse of the Athenian expeditionary force at the river Assinarus in Sicily in 413 B.C. I will attend every class, but I will not come to the one when the Athenians die in the river, a former student told me last year. That passage was one of the most overwhelming things I read in my life. A professor of classics told me something similar. That scene is terrible, he said. I had tears in my eyes when I translated those paragraphs. It was as if I could see them all. I felt I was there with them.

A long, unfinished, and sometimes difficult book about a war in the fifth century B.C. that is still quoted today in the U.S., Europe, and Asia can only be a classic. Most of what we read today will be obsolete by 2030. How many books will survive another century? Only a few. Im quite sure that the History of the Peloponnesian War will be one of them.
Un microbuz special a fost transmis de Uniunea Europeana si Fundatia Soros Moldova Centrului de zi pentru copiii cu dizabilitati din Cahul
Mike McGraw has witnessed a lot in 40 years of reporting. One thing he never expected to see: a stage production based on his work.

But thats exactly whats happening this month in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, where a local theater group is staging a one-act play based on McGraws years-long investigation into a 1988 explosion that killed six firefighters. The play, which highlights questions about convictions won by federal prosecutors, is part of a program designed to help investigative reporters bring their stories to new audiences, and allow audiences to engage with those stories in new ways.

For McGraw, the experience has been rewardingif also a bit nerve-racking.

My minds still blowing up over it, he said, days after the debut of Justice in the Embers at Kansas Citys Living Room Theatre. The play, he adds, has raised more dust around town than my writing 20 stories over 10 years.

The case depicted in Justice in the Embers is kind of the Kennedy assassination in Kansas City, as McGraw has said. It has haunted the city for decades, inspiring a segment on Unsolved Mysteries and a number of conspiracy theories. In 1997, nine years after the crime, federal prosecutors were able to convict five suspects in the case, but questions have lingered ever since. No physical evidence or eyewitness testimony of the crime was presented, and the case was built largely on the word of informants, many of them convicted criminals who struck deals with prosecutors before testifying that they had heard the defendants admit their guilt.

In 2006, McGraw, a Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter then working for the Kansas City Star, began looking into the case. Over the next two years, he found inconsistencies in the informants testimony and talked to several witnesses who said they had lied under coercion by investigators. His reporting in the Star prompted a federal prosecutor to call for the Department of Justice to take another look at the case.

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The resulting report, completed in 2011, concluded that there had been no serious prosecutorial misconduct, and no reason to doubt the convictions. But it also raised some new questions, by citing evidence that other perpetrators may have been involved. And authorities initial refusal to release the full report, rather than a two-and-a-half page summary, left many peopleincluding McGrawfeeling that the older questions were never fully addressed. (A heavily redacted version of the full report was later released.)*

After retiring from the Star in 2014, McGraw joined KCPT, the local public TV station, as part of its new Hale Center for Journalism. His boss at KCPT heard about the StoryWorks program, a project launched in 2013 by the San Francisco-based Center for Investigative Reporting that synthesizes live theater and investigative journalism. After getting started with a series of productions based on CIRs work, StoryWorks was looking to adapt reporting from other outlets. KCPT suggested a show based on McGraws reporting, and the pitch was quickly accepted.

Last fall, CIR commissioned Kansas City playwright Michelle T. Johnson, who is herself a former journalist, to write a play based on McGraws coverage. The show focuses on Bryan Sheppard, the youngest of the five convicts in the case, currently incarcerated at a federal facility in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Only 17 at the time the crime took place, Sheppard is now hoping for a re-sentencing based on a series of recent Supreme Court rulings that bar life imprisonment for juvenile offenders. When the latest ruling was handed down late last month, Sheppard had a new legal avenueand Johnson had to write a new ending for her play at the last minute. If the story changes again during the shows run, the producers say, the play will be revised again accordingly.

The play presents Sheppard as a now-mature man who has reconnected with his Cherokee heritage in prison while maintaining his innocence. Other characters include Sheppards mother and attorney, who visit him in prison, and three fictional characters: two prison guards who argue over Sheppards guilt or innocence, and a firefighter who appears as a sort of Greek chorus to express the anxieties and fears faced by firefighters and their families, tragically realized in the 1988 blaze.

Though he exposed alleged improprieties in the prosecution of the case, McGraw says, Im not out here banging the drum and saying [Sheppard] is innocent, because I dont know. I wasnt there. The show doesnt directly argue for Sheppards innocence, eitherJohnson, who notes that her script had to clear two legal reviews, says she wasnt trying to take a position one way or the otherthough it puts Sheppard at the center of the narrative, and offers a sympathetic portrayal.

McGraw, who has gotten to know Sheppard well over the years, and who consulted with the plays writer and director throughout the project, hesitates when asked whether the production advocates more forcefully for Sheppard than his reporting has. I may be too close to it to give you an unbiased answer, he said. I dont know. [The play] probably goes further than my stories did. But, he said, the fictional characters Johnson added to the storythe security guards and the firemanoffer a perspective that wasnt present in his own reporting, because those who might have offered a dissenting voice, like fire department officials and police and prosecutors, would not comment for his stories.

The play itself has generated plenty of comments, many of them in the talk-back session after the conclusion of each performance, in which audience members can ask questions and react to what theyve seen. These discussions allow a level of engagement that a news story by itself cant provoke, says Jennifer Welch, the shows director, who helped develop the StoryWorks program with CIR. We might share it on Facebook, but we dont really talk about it.

At the well-attended performance I saw last Saturday, the talk-back panel included McGraw, Johnson, Sheppards attorney, and Tom Jackman of The Washington Post, who covered the trial back in the 1990s for the Star and has recently written about prosecutors reliance on informants with incentives. Audience members included the attorney who defended one of Sheppards co-defendants, the wife of one of the informants who has said he was coerced, and even a court clerk from the 1997 trial who unabashedly criticized the idiot jurors and declared, These people are innocent. As the audience filed out, an activist handed out flyers arguing for Sheppards release.

That audience mix was pretty typical, at least through the first weekend of shows, and McGraw says the discussions ended up being one-sided in opposition to the convictions. But the sessions, he says, have also introduced him to new sources and spurred conversation among people who all have a stake in the case but wouldnt have met otherwise.

And theres no guarantee the response will continue to be totally supportive. Since he began investigating this story, McGraw has drawn fierce pushback from some family members of the victims, as well as firefighters, police, and prosecutors. The show seeks to honor the firefighters who died while raising questions about the case, but those feelings havent gone away. On social media, some critics have accused KCPT and CIR of exploiting the tragedy.

Im nervous every night because some of the families have taken this kind of personally with melike, why are we reopening this old wound? says McGraw.

The families and representatives from the fire department and the prosecutors have been invited to attend, he says, but none of these dissenting voices have shown upnot so far, anyway. The play runs through Feb. 20.

Meanwhile, McGraw says hes talking to Johnson about adapting another local news story for the stage. And the community response to Justice in the Embers has opened up new avenues for him to continue reporting on the case that, as he wrote recently, he still thinks about almost every day.

This passage has been amended to note that a redacted version of the full report was ultimately released.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Deron Lee is CJRs correspondent for Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. A writer and copy editor who has spent nine years with the National Journal Group, he has also contributed to The Hotline and the Lawrence Journal-World. He lives in the Kansas City area. Follow him on Twitter at @deron_lee.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has implemented new safety procedures, including a new task force, as a result of the fatal crane collapse that occurred a week ago.

On Monday, February 7, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference to discuss the details on the incident as well provide information on new policies being implemented relating to crane safety.

Theres a full investigation going on to review everything that happened on Friday, to determine exactly what caused this accident, and to determine changes that may be necessary in policies as a result of it, said de Blasio. The investigation is underway, it will take weeks for sure, some elements may take several months.

The NYC mayor outlined the known facts. Just before 8:30AM on Friday morning, a crane collapsed here along Worth Street between West Broadway and Church.

A 38-year-old man, David Wichs, was killed as a result of the collapse and three others were injured.

The Department of Buildings personnel visited the worksite the prior morning and found it to be in proper order, the mayor said.

The workers on Friday morning did not begin work on the site, but immediately seeing the winds, made the move to secure the crane, so their timing was appropriate. Upon arrival, they immediately determined the need to secure the crane, the mayor said.

Investigations underway now, including by NYPD and the Department of Buildings, and there is a forensic investigation underway looking at the equipment itself.

The day of the crane collapse, NYC officials ordered all 376 crawler cranes in the city as well as 53 larger tower cranes be secured because of the wind gusts.

Commissioner Rick Chandler, Department of Buildings, explained that a crawler crane is a crane that has tracks on it, like a tank, as opposed to a mobile crane which has wheels.

New safety policies effective immediately, according to de Blasio, include restrictions on crawler cranes, added sidewalk protections and notification procedures, as well as the establishment of a new task force to gauge crane safety standards.

The new restrictions on crawler cranes mandates that they must cease operation and go into safety mode whenever steady winds are forecast to exceed 20 miles an hour or gusts are forecast to exceed 30 miles per hour, said de Blasio.

The mayor offered an example where there is a forecast for high wind levels the next work day, crawler crane operators will be required put them in secure mode the day before. If crane operators fail to comply they could be cited and ordered to pay fines.

Well send advisories to crane engineers when wind conditions warrant it, and engineers will be required to certify that they will indeed cease operations, de Blasio said. If we dont receive this certification, we will be issuing violations and we will raise the base penalty for failure to safeguard a site from the current $4,800 dollars to $10,000 dollars.

The Department of Buildings, Department of Transportation, the New York Police Department and the Fire Department for the City of New York will team up to ramp up enforcement of pedestrian protections, the mayor said.

In any situation where there will be a securing of a crane and pedestrians are not supposed to pass in the affected area, of course, well require the work crews to ensure that thats not happening. They are liable for violations if they do not do thaton top of that, well be sending in uniformed city personnel to ensure that pedestrians are kept safe, de Blasio added.

Another new policy is that neighboring residents and businesses will be notified when a crane will be moved into a secure position.

Previously, operators were only required to notify the community when a crane was first installed. We will now require notification of the surrounding community when a crane is being put into a secure position, de Blasio said.

Lastly, the NYC mayor emphasized the crane accident investigation will be thorough and a new task force will consider the investigation results in determining if new safety measures are needed.

Were putting a task force to propose additional regulations and additional best practices to make sure New York Citys cranes are the safest in the world. Over the next 90 days, the task force will work to evaluate Fridays collapse and to determine if we need additional safety strategies, de Blasio said.

Recent data on crane collapses is scarce.

According to a 2008 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that looked at 2006 data, there were 72 crane-related fatal occupational injuries, which was a decline from an average of 78 fatalities per year from 2003 to 2005. The report noted that mobile, truck, and rail mounted cranes, and overhead cranes represented the type of crane involved for the majority of fatalities.

An alert issued by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 2006, following investigations conducted by the agency, suggested workers may not be fully aware of the hazards that can occur when operating or working near mobile cranes. The alert stated that crane tip-overs can result from operating a crane outside the manufacturers recommended safe lifting capacity. Booms can collapse for reasons such as overloading, improper disassembly procedures, and improper rigging. Both crane tip-over and boom collapse can result in workers being struck by parts of the crane or uncontrolled hoisted loads.
Prosecutors have requested the detention of the developers of a high-rise apartment building in southern Taiwan that collapsed over the weekend following a strong earthquake, killing dozens of people, official media said Tuesday.

The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said Lin Ming-hui and two other former executives, Chang Kui-an and Cheng Chin-kui, were suspected of professional negligence resulting in death, Taiwans official Central News Agency reported.

The office requested their detention to prevent collusion or other acts that could disrupt the investigation, CNA said. The three were summoned by prosecutors on Monday and a hearing on the matter was being held late Tuesday.

FTV and other Taiwanese broadcasters said Lin had changed his name after a previous bankruptcy and had run a multitude of companies.

The death toll in the quake stood at 41 on Tuesday afternoon, with all but two of the deaths coming in the building collapse. More than 100 people are believed to still be trapped in the debris.

Shoddy construction is suspected as having contributed to the disaster, with the 17-story Weiguan Golden Dragon, built in 1989, the only major building to collapse in the quake.

Although the shallow quake was potentially devastating, few buildings were damaged as a result of strict construction standards in force in Taiwan, an island that is frequently struck by quakes.

Most of the 320 people who were rescued from the disaster were saved in the hours immediately after the quake, in which the building collapsed onto itself before toppling over onto its side.

Among the survivors, Ko Ching-chung said he had propped himself against a wall to avoid falling onto his girlfriend after the quake hit just before 4 a.m. Saturday. But after 20 hours, he could no longer hold on and collapsed onto her.

She would have soon not been able to breathe, Ko, who was rescued along with his girlfriend on Sunday morning, told reporters Monday at the hospital where he was recovering. I said to her I had to lay on top of her and she said to me its OK.

Five survivors were believed to have been pulled out on Sunday, and at least four on Monday. One of them, Tsao Wei-ling, called out Here I am as rescuers dug through to find her.

She was found under the body of her husband, who had shielded her from a collapsed beam, CNA reported. Tsaos husband and 2-year-old son were found dead, and five other members of the family remained unaccounted for, the news agency said.

Teams on Monday also rescued a 42-year-old man and an 8-year-old girl.

The girl, Lin Su-chin, was recovering in a hospital, where she told her father and grandparents that she was looking forward to gorging on sweets as soon as she was well enough.

Shortly after she was rescued, workers also pulled out her aunt, a 28-year-old Vietnamese woman identified as Chen Mei-jih, who had been trapped on what was the buildings fifth floor.

Earthquakes rattle Taiwan frequently. Most are minor and cause little or no damage, though a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.

The quake struck during the most important family holiday in the Chinese calendar  the Lunar New Year.

The extended Lunar New Year holiday  the most important family holiday in the Chinese calendar  officially started Monday, but celebrations in Taiwan have been subdued.

(Associated Press videojournalist Tassanee Vejpongsa in Taipei, Taiwan, and writers Louise Watt and Christopher Bodeen and news assistant Henry Hou in Beijing contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Kate Middleton Pregnant? Duchess of Cambridge Rumored to be Expecting Twins

Is Kate Middleton pregnant again? A new report claims that the Duchess of Cambridge and her husband Prince William are adding not just one but two little ones to their growing family. Middleton is allegedly expecting twin girls and she is "12 weeks along."

Life and Style previously reported that Middleton and Prince William had always wanted a bigger family, the couple allegedly planned another pregnancy right after Princess Charlotte was born.

Kate and William have always wanted to have a large family, the source shared. But they didnt think they would be expecting baby No. 3 quite so soon.

Although the initial report claimed that the Duchess was already "two months along" with her pregnancy, new reports reveal that she is in her "early days."

HollywoodLife reports that according to OK! Magazine, Middleton's pregnancy is in Its early days, but the buzz in the royals inner circle is that Kates pregnant again, and this time shes got not one but two buns in the oven, the source said. They werent even trying.

The source then shared that the 34-year-old Duchess revealed to her husband the good news through a picture of a sonogram and the Prince "immediately called her" to confirm what it was about. He reportedly asked his wife if he she was just fooling around but Middleton told him that they were having twin girls.

Despite the baby reports, the Royal couple have not announced any pregnancy news and Buckingham Palace has not issued any statement about it. GossipCop writes that this is a fictional story made up by OK! Magazine and not the first time that the mag has made up pregnancy stories about the royal couple.

Kate Middleton & Prince William Expecting Twin Girls?  New Report Claims Yes https://t.co/UeZqXqXfhr  Hollywood News (@HollywoodNewsA1) February 10, 2016

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsKate Middleton, Prince William
Danish String Quartet Returns to U.S. Despite Trouble with Airline

The world renowned Danish String Quartet has returned to the United States for the start of their seven-city tour -- including a teaching residency at the University of California Berkeley -- but the journey wasn't exactly without incident. The group let their Facebook fans know that violist Asbjrn Nrgaard had anything but a pleasant flight on Norwegian yesterday as the airline staff forced him to carry his instrument in his lap after refusing to allow him to place in the overhead storage per their policy.

According to The Strad, the ensemble quickly took to Facebook to let their followers and the airline know that they were not at all happy with their experience with flying Norwegian:

Asbjrn struggling to find space for his viola case between his legs as he is not allowed to put it in the overhead... Posted by The Danish String Quartet on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

"Airline staff suggested that the musician find room for his viola between his legs after refusing to place the item in the overhead lockers.

"The awkward arrangement came despite a change to the airline's hand baggage rules to allow violins and violas inside the cabin in response to widespread criticism from musicians."

Thankfully the nasty snafu won't affect the start of the Danish String Quartet's spring tour of the east and west coasts set to begin in North Carolina this weekend.

Dates for the Danish String Quartet's U.S. tour are as follows:

February 13, at Duke University in Durham, NC

February 14, at The Fine Arts Center for Kershaw County in Camden, SC

February 16, at Buffalo Chamber Music Society in Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY

February 19, at Moravian College's Foy Hall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

February 21, at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall in NYC

February 28, at UC Berkeley in Hertz Concert Hall in Berkeley, CA

March 1, at UC Santa Barbara in Hahn Hall in Santa Barbara, CA

April 6 through 8, at the Savannah Music Festival in Savannah, GA

For your tickets to see the Danish String Quartet in concert be sure to head over to their official website.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsDanish String Quartet, United States, Facebook, Norwegian, Airline, Norwegian Airline
James DeMonaco's 'The Purge: Election Year' Trailer Hits Closer to Home Than You Might Expect

James DeMonaco's The Purge movies are peculiarly interesting horror series. The scenarios, dialogue and characters provide a poignant political commentary, and The Purge: Election Year looks to be no different. With 2016 being an election year, the trailer hits closer to home than you might expect.

The Purge series, written and directed by James DeMonaco, is an social science fiction horror series set in the near future where for a 12 hour period, one night per year, all crime, including murder, rape, etc., is legal. The story of The Purge: Election Year is that a US Senator, who lost her family to a Purge Night fifteen years earlier, is running for President on a platform which calls for the elimination of the Purge. Naturally, considering the previous movies have established the reason for the Purge is population control, this makes Charlie Roan (played by Elizabeth Mitchel) powerful enemies.

Fortunately for her, she's got Frank Grillo (from The Purge: Anarchy) watching her back. Well, other than the fact he seems to be the only competent security operator on her team. Thus, they must face and survive the horrors of the Purge together.

So what's so special about this particular movie?

It hits close to home. Very close. As one writer phrased it, "this nakedly political series is now actually coming out during an election year in which it seems as though American politics has caught up to its premise. The Purge no longer feels as far-fetched or ludicrous as it did a few years ago."

That's a scary thought, and precisely why James DeMonaco's The Purge: Election Year could do extremely well. The series clearly has a lot of thought put into it; it isn't just a quick cash-grab horror flick. This movie will likely resonate with movie goers and will almost definitely do well in theaters when it releases July 1, 2016. Forbes describes the series as "the kind of franchise studios only dream of. It can basically go on forever with millions of potential stories, in film, television, comic books, novels, plays, and the like."

So what do you think of The Purge series? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsMovie, New Movie, The Purge: Election Year, Horror, James DeMonaco
Paris Opera Ballet Elects to Stay Quiet on Benjamin Millepied Departure

Actress Natalie Portman (L) and her husband Benjamin Millepied attend the Christian Dior show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2015 on January 26, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo : Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

The Paris Opera Ballet is without a director of dance since Benjamin Millepied decided to step down for problems in dealing with the company's internal politics. In a press conference, the ballet remained tight-lipped on the reasons for the choreographer's departure.

In earlier interviews, particularly one in the French documentary Releve, Millepied cited that the company's core infrastructure had given him reason enough to call it quits with directing the ballet. Specifically, Millepied noted its staunchness on classic material, rating its dancers and even the caliber and quality of its talent and programming.

However, the 38-year-old dancing superstar has been criticized for stepping down without giving the company its due process. In just a two-and-a-half-year tenure, the ballet's administration and fans of the company feel he is abandoning his post without having done anything of notoriety.

Mr. Millepied says that revamping an entire institution rooted in the classics is now easy task. In an interview, he said:

"I knew it was going to be complicated and I tried really hard. To face the cultural and economic issues of our time, we need new kinds of organizations, and I've realized that it's too hard to turn this one into what I think is most relevant for ballet today. It's two and a half years that I've worked on this, and I know it's a short time, but it is long enough to realize this is not something I want to do."

In response to all of Mr. Millepied's comments about the ballet, the POB has elected to stay quiet on all of the accusations levied at this time.

For now, Mr. Millepied and wife Natalie Portman intend on returning to Los Angeles where Millepied will focus on choreographing and leading a small ensemble he founded in 2012.

Preview Mr. Millepied for the time being below.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsBenjamin Millepied, Paris Opera Ballet
Boston Classical Orchestra Shuts Its Doors After Three Decades

Singer Mariah Carey performs the National Anthem with the Boston Pops during pre-game entertainment before the start of Super Bowl XXXVI February 3, 2002 in New Orleans, LA. Super Bowl XXXVI will be played by the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo : Al Bello/Getty Images)

In yet another most unfortunate announcement, another classical organization has succumbed to a lack of financial support. The Boston Classical Orchestra has filed for bankruptcy after more than three decades of programming.

A report has declared that the orchestra's declining subscriptions, a deficit of more than $100,000 and a lack of interest in new audiences are among the leading factors in the company's disbandment.

Board of Trustees President Ronald Arky explained the company's decision to part ways in a statement:

"Ticket revenues and contributions, from which we derive our operating budget, have been steadily declining over recent years as the demand for our concerts has waned. It is only through the dedication of loyal subscribers and donors that we have managed to continue our mission into the current year. It is therefore with great sorrow that I announce the cancellation of our remaining 2015-2016 concert season and the dissolution of the nonprofit organization. The concerts originally planned for March 6 and April 17 at Faneuil Hall will no longer take place."

But the orchestra isn't going to default entirely. Instead, the company's programs will be performed by a new orchestra albeit under different nomenclature. BCO music director Steven Lipsitt, then, is founding a new orchestra dubbed the Bach, Beethoven and Brahms Society.

The BCO was founded in 1980 by violinist Robert Brink with F. John Adams as its intro conductor. The group eventually became synonymous with Boston Pops conductor Harry Ellis as he led the orchestra through 1983 and 1999.

While orchestras try to stay afloat in a dwindling classical society, it's with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to an astounding company as they shut their doors over financial strife once more.

Preview the orchestra below.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsBoston Classical Orchestra, Bach Beethoven and Brahms Society
Cecilia Bartoli & Max Martin Named 2016 Polar Prize Laureates

Cecilia Bartoli poses with the award during the the Echo Klassik award ceremony on October 19, 2008 in Munich, Germany. (Photo : Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

This week it was announced that opera star, Cecilia Bartoli, and hit songwriter, Max Martin, have been selected as the 2016 Polar Prize winners. The prize is Sweden's biggest music honor and aims to celebrate talents of all stripes in the industry.

The awards ceremony will be held in Stockholm in June and has honored the likes of Chuck Berry, Pierre Boulez and Bob Dylan in the past. For the Italian mezzo-soprano, the honor comes as a major surprise.

Bartoli is known for her interpretations of Mozart, Rossini and Gluck and has yielded major success with her solo releases. Making her professional debut in 1987 at the Verona Arena in Italy, she has also debuted at the Royal Opera House under roles such as Euridice and the Genio in a London premiere of Haydn's The Soul of the Philosopher.

Mr. Martin is also a talent in his own right. Martin is a Stockholm native and has penned some of the times' heaviest chart-toppers. He's written for Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd, Katy Perry and more.

The Polar Music Prize was founded by Stig Anderson from Abba to honor all the achievements necessary in all kinds of music. In continuing its aim to award various types of music, the accolade works to bestow the honor upon artists from starkly contrasting musical worlds, which is why Martin and Bartoli, who hail from two different musical arenas, have been honored in the same gala.

Marie Leden, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, said:

"Max Martin and Cecilia Bartoli have both contributed an incredible amount to music in their respective fields. They embody what the Prize represents; excellence in the world of music."

Check out the honorees below.

Cecilia Bartoli

Max Martin

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsPolar Prize, Cecilia Bartoli, Max Martin
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Broadview Heights white supremacist charged with threatening the president avoided forced medication after telling a federal judge that he faked mental illness in order to delay his criminal case, court records say.

Christopher Gembicki, 29, admitted in a court hearing last month that he "feigned belief in and adherence to the Illuminati, the New World Order, and the fact that he was the anti-Christ" to avoid prosecution, according to an order issued Thursday by Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.

The U.S. Attorney's Office had asked to have doctors to give Gembicki antipsychotic injections against his will. Gembicki suffers from schizoaffective disorder.

A magistrate judge in November approved involuntarily medicating Gembicki, which is rare. Oliver overturned the judge's decision based on Gembicki's admission.

"Defendant also acknowledged that in carrying out this misguided plan to 'game' the court, he 'grossly misunderstood' the consequences that could follow from his behavior," Oliver's order reads.

(You can read the order here or at the bottom of this story.)

Gembicki's case has been pending for nearly two years.

He was arrested in February 2014 after the U.S. Secret Service found posts on his Facebook and Twitter page threatening to kill President Barack Obama and other people, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint says Gembicki, an admitted white supremacist, told an agent that he did not have the means to kill Obama or some of his other targets, but he would if he could.

In September 2014, Magistrate Judge Kenneth McHargh ruled Gembicki incompetent to stand trial. Doctors for the federal Bureau of Prisons said that the only way to make him competent was through forced medication.

McHargh granted the request, but Carolyn Kucharski, Gembicki's attorney, said her client has recently been able to participate in his defense.

"Throughout his testimony, Defendant appeared to be focused, clear-headed, and cogent. At no point did Defendant exhibit irrational behavior," Oliver wrote.

While Gembicki avoided being forced to take medication, he is still considered incompetent to stand trial, Oliver wrote. Gembicki must be sent back to the Bureau of Prisons to be evaluated and potentially treated.

Kucharski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gembicki also has a burglary and aggravated theft case pending in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Records show that the case is on hold until the federal case is completed.
Save Lakewood Hospital supporters.jpg

Supporters of a ballot issue to keep Lakewood Hospital open are seated at a table before City Council Thursday.

(Bruce Geiselman, special to cleveland.com)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Save Lakewood Hospital members and supporters urged City Council during a special Thursday meeting to put an issue on the March ballot to repeal an ordinance passed in December to close Lakewood Hospital.

Council did not vote on the matter, instead sending the issue to a committee for review. Council also plans to read the ordinance at three separate meetings before voting. Council President Sam O'Leary said that was the process council followed before voting to close the hospital, and it needs to perform the same due dilligence when acting on petitions by supporters of reopening inpatient services and maintaining a full-service hospital.

Save Lakewood Hospital last month turned in petitions Jan. 21 calling for City Council either to reverse the closure plans for the hospital or put the issue before voters. The deadline under the city charter to put the issue on the March ballot would be Friday by the close of business, city officials said. Council does not plan another meeting before that time. That means the issue would likely go on the November ballot or the city would have to bear the cost of a special election, possibly in August.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections set a Dec. 16, 2015 deadline for submitting issues for the March ballot, but because Lakewood's charter has a later deadline, the board said it would try to work with the city to put the issue on the ballot. However, elections Director Pat McDonald wrote in a letter Tuesday to City Council that getting the issue on the March ballot would be difficult and call for "unprecedented" measures. Overseas and military ballots already had been mailed.

O'Leary cited those concerns when discussing council's decision not to vote Thursday. Council also raised concerns about who would run the emergency room if the deal with the Cleveland Clinic were undone. Supporters of Save Lakewood Hospital said the Clinic could continue operating the emergency room or another provider might come in.

Save Lakewood Hospital vice chairman Tom Monahan told council that delaying a vote could cost the city about $100,000 to put the issue on a special ballot. However, city officials said they were under no obligation to hold a special election and could wait until November.

Prior to the council vote, Brian Essi, an opponent of the hospital closure plan, criticized the deal to eliminate inpatient services at Lakewood Hospital and allow the Cleveland Clinic, which had run the hospital, to open a family health center and 24-hour emergency room in its place.

He said the city and Lakewood Hospital Association should have hired an investment banker to market the hospital and try to find another health care system to operate it.

However, Mayor Michael Summers said the point was selecting the best candidate that would be commited and motivated to providing Lakewood with continuing health care services, and officials felt that was the Cleveland Clinic.

"It's not about who would bid most for the physical structures," Summers said.

Several council members criticized comments from the public that the process of closing the hospital was flawed or even illegal.

"I spent 11 months doing my due dilligence," Councilwoman Cindy Marx said.

At least one supporter of Save Lakewood Hospital referred to council's hearing as a "dog and pony show." The group accused the city of dragging its feet by not allowing a March vote.

"If you don't intend to repeal it, don't waste time," Save Lakewood Hospital member Pam Wetula said. "Give the people their legal right to vote for or against."

However, several members of the public, some wearing blue Build Lakewood shirts, defended council's actions, saying voters already had a say in November. At that time, voters defeated Issue 64, a ballot issue that would have required a public vote before the city could close Lakewood Hospital or reduce services.

Follow cleveland.com on Facebook and @LWOhio on Twitter.
Bill_Clinton_Cincinnati.jpg

Former President Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife Hillary in Cincinnati Friday, Feb. 12, 2016.

(Courtesy of WCPO-TV Cincinnati)

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Bill Clinton visited Cincinnati Friday afternoon to campaign for his wife Hillary in her run for president.

Several hundred people crammed into a third-floor auditorium in the Clifton Cultural Arts Center to listen to the former president say why his wife is a better choice than Bernie Sanders or any of the Republican candidates, though he never referred to the Vermont senator by name, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Clinton reflected on some of the successes of his own presidency and the economic prosperity the U.S. saw then.

"We proved we could grow together," he said. "That's what we need again"

He also spoke about some of the problems and issues in the U.S. today, including the heroin and prescription drug abuse "epidemic," terrorism and strife in the Middle East, future Supreme Court appointments and economic struggles for families and those burdened by student loans, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati reported.

While there has been some recovery since the economic crisis that hit in 2008, Clinton said not all Americans were getting back on their feet at the same rate.

He said Hillary Clinton's "inclusive" social, economic and security policies would help the country recover and prosper.

"This country only works when we can all go forward together," he said.

He maintained a theme of unity throughout his speech, but expressed sympathy for those who aren't happy with the direction of the country, The Enquirer reported. Clinton diagnosed the Great Recession as a "great wound" that caused some Americans to get angry because of the lack of pay raises or lost employment, and desperate because the stabilizing economy didn't include them.

Clinton touched on the heroin epidemic, which is hitting Ohio hard.

"(Hillary) was the first candidate to propose an aggressive plan to increase treatment in mental health facilities so that we can go after this prescription drug and heroin epidemic," he said. :Because it's everywhere. And, she said, this is one thing we can do in a bi-partisan way because this thing is tearing the heart out of small town and rural America, not just cities. And so it has become and equal-opportunity killer."

The former president encouraged the audience to vote for Clinton because she'll make a difference, WVXU-FM in Cincinnati reported.

"If you're president," Clinton said, "you have to lift the country up around the good days. You've got to be tough against the bad days. But you've got to do something with all the other days. Hillary's the best change-maker I ever saw, and her instincts are always 'what can I do to make it better' not 'who can I blame for what is.'"
WCPO-Dog-in-trash.jpg

This is a partial image of a dog starved in a cage and thrown in the trash in Hamilton, Ohio. Two people are facing animal cruelty charges in connection with the dog's death.

(Courtesy of WCPO-TV Cincinnati)

CINCINNATI, Ohio - A Hamilton couple faces animal cruelty charges after starving a dog to death and tossing it in the trash.

Katie Schmuck and Jacob Goodwin are both charged with cruelty to a companion animal, which is a misdemeanor. Schmuck lives near the apartment complex where the puppy, which was her pet, was found. Goodwin was dogsitting for Schmuck. The pair told investigators the dog did not eat or get let out of its cage for about three weeks, WKRC-TV in Cincinnati reported.

Hali Kern told WLWT-TV in Cincinnati she discovered the dog in the garbage bin of her apartment complex.

"There was a dog crate with a sheet over it. I was just throwing my trash out and I knocked the sheet over and there was a dog just lying in there," Kern said.

"It was pretty awful. I was pretty upset. Why are you going to have a dog if you're going to treat it like that?"

The dog, which suffered wounds all over his body, was wearing a collar with his name, "Charlie" and a phone number. Butler County Dog Warden Supervisor Kurt Merbs called the number and spoke to Schmuck, who said she had gone to her mother's house for the week and Goodwin was supposed to be checking on her dog.

"Mr. Goodwin sat right here and told us in the week's time, he only went and checked on the dog three times and he never let the dog out of the cage," Merbs told WLWT.

In a separate interview with WKRC, Merbs said, "Jacob had no remorse, no regard for anything. He was more worried about himself and if he went to jail if he would have to cut his hair."

Here are other top stories from the Cincinnati area today:
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A $50 million cut in funding has been proposed for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

(Lisa DeJong/Plain Dealer file photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Environmental groups reacted with dismay today after it was learned that President Obama's proposed budget would cut $50 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The Great Lakes program currently is funded with $300 million. But the president's proposal would reduce that funding to $250 million - the third year in a row the president has recommended cutting funding to the initiative, said Todd Ambs, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

For the past six years, the initiative has supported more than 2,900 projects in Ohio and the other seven Great Lakes states to restore fish and wildlife habitat, clean up toxic pollutants, combat invasive species, and reduce runoff from cities and farms.

"Now is not the time to cut successful programs that protect our drinking water, jobs and way of life," Ambs said.

"Fortunately, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been strong champions of federal Great Lakes restoration efforts and have rebuffed President Obama's proposed cuts the last two years. We look forward to once again working with Congress to restore funding to Great Lakes protection efforts that are producing results for our environment and economy in communities throughout the region."
Airport under probe by FAA Hopkins had 12 safety incidents AIRPORT from A1

United Airlines plane takes off from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in this photo from Jan. 22, 2015. A United Airlines employee was assaulted and robbed Thursday by a man who was later arrested.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police arrested a 54-year-old man accused of trying to rob an airline employee at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

The man, who hasn't been formally charged, attacked the 49-year-old woman in an airport elevator about 7:20 a.m. Thursday, according to a Cleveland police report.

The suspect was still in jail as of Friday morning.

The United Airlines employee told investigators that the man watched her as she withdrew $20 from an ATM near the baggage claim.

The man followed her as she got into an elevator. He punched her in the back of the head and said he was going to take her money, the report says.

The elevator doors opened, and the woman ran to get help, police said. Her attacker ran past her toward the exit.

Airport police officers stopped the 54-year-old man as he walked into a men's restroom because he matched the attacker's description, the report says. The victim and a witness identified him as the suspect.

The airport released a statement through Cleveland city officials that said the airport has 800 security personnel from federal, state and local agencies.

"This group meets regularly to identify and address any security vulnerabilities and we receive periodic briefings concerning federal threat potentials and security related developments," airport spokeswoman Michele Dynia said. "There are uniformed federal and local law enforcement personnel, canine teams, behavior detection personnel at CLE daily who are supported by a network of security cameras and access control systems."

Dynia did not comment on the incident.
For those investors looking for a place to hide in this hideous market, Jim Cramer recommended to look at Panera Bread .

The company reported a fantastic quarter on Wednesday, thus removing earnings risk from the stock. Panera is a chain of more than 1,900 bakery cafes that serve health- and taste-conscious food.

Cramer spoke with Panera CEO Ronald Shaich, who attributed the company's success to its 2.0 model that was first unveiled in 2014. The revamp was aimed at enhancing guest experience at Panera through digital ordering, payment and operations.

"Our view is essentially we are moving into an omni-channel world. As we built out 2.0, it is really a better guest experience," Shaich said.
"Michigan sentiment is going to be a big deal to see if consumer confidence is all right. The jobless claims, JOLTs, consumer confidence and the jobs report itself  we've had a series of numbers that have been OK, and we'll get more," said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management.

Retail sales for January are expected to be up 0.3 percent, on the core, after a 0.3 percent decline in December, according to Reuters. Core excludes automobiles, gasoline and building materials. There is also import prices at 8:30 a.m. ET, and business inventories and consumer sentiment are reported at 10 a.m. Sentiment is expected to be unchanged at 92 in the first February reading.

Read More Yellen on negative rates: 'We wouldn't take those off the table'

Stocks were rocked Thursday, as markets fed on fears about economic weakness and worries about the health of European banks. The Dow was down 254 points to 15,660, and the S&P fell 22 to 1,829, after twice revisiting 1,812, its low from Jan. 20. Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year touching a low of 1.52 percent. It was trading at 1.65 percent at the end of the day.

Oil was also a factor, and it traded lower most of the day on supply concerns. But a late-day headline saying the UAE would support OPEC production cuts if others went along with it drove oil higher and that helped erase some losses in stock.

"The markets have been driven by confidence around central banks. I think the markets are questioning their abilities and some of their policies and the effect of negative rates," said Greg Peters, senior investment officer of Prudential Fixed Income and a portfolio manager on Prudential Absolute Return Bond fund. Nearly a dozen countries have negative rates, and Sweden ratcheted down its sub-zero rates even further Thursday, shaking markets around the world.

Read MoreFor many these days, it's now 'in gold we trust'



Fed Chair Janet Yellen testified on Capitol Hill for a second day Thursday and she also discussed negative yields, and the fact the Fed had studied them in 2010. But some strategists said Yellen should have said more forcefully that the Fed was not interested in that policy.

"I don't know why Yellen didn't say that's an option, and we're not going to do that," said Paulsen.

Peters said the negative yields were a big part of the market fear. The Bank of Japan surprised markets with negative yields, and it has not seen the intended reaction in markets. Its currency is now much stronger, and its stock market has been crushed.

Read MoreIf US dollar retreats, this is your best play



"I think there's real concern about the implication of negative yields," said Peters. "It's killing the banking system. That's their lifeblood, and that's what you're seeing in Europe.  I just think the uncertainty, the unknowns and the unintended consequences of these policies we haven't seen before just creates a volatility storm, and I think we're in the middle of one now."

Paulsen said the markets are hoping for a policy catalyst now. "Everyone's looking for a policy catalyst but I think it has to be an economic one," he said, pointing to the fact that the Atlanta Fed has now put GDP for the first quarter at 2.5 percent, double the Feb. 1 growth forecast. Fourth-quarter growth was reported at 0.7 percent, and the first quarter may now show signs of a bounce back.
Prominent hedge fund manager Kyle Bass' call that a China banking crisis is imminent is already getting push-back, with Deutsche Bank calling it unlikely and exaggerated.

"We think the article basically referred to a hard-landing scenario, for which our economist only assigns 20 percent probability in 2017-19," China bank analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note Thursday.

Bass, who is famed as one of the few major investors to correctly call the U.S. subprime housing collapse that kicked off the 2008 global financial crisis, said he expected a China credit crisis that could see the country's banks rack up losses 400 percent larger than the around $650 billion equity hit U.S. banks took during the subprime mortgage crisis.

"Chinese banks will lose approximately $3.5 trillion of equity if China's banking system loses 10 percent of assets," Bass, the founder of Dallas-based Hayman Capital, wrote in the letter to investors dated Wednesday. "Historically, China has lost far in excess of 10 percent of assets during a non-performing loan cycle."
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Cyprus is finally about to exit its three-year bailout program, in which savers and bond-holders had to "bail in" their banks , but with bad loans still a worry, the finance minister of Cyprus told CNBC he was not complacent. "We remain very focused and very committed on maintaining the reform effort and maintaining fiscal disciplines and keeping a watchful eye on our banking sector," he said, adding that "no one can say the challenges have gone either for Cyprus or for the European economy," Finance Minister Harris Georgiades told CNBC on Friday.



Cyprus Finance Minister Haris Georgiades Yiannis Kourtoglou | AFP | Getty Images

For the last couple of years, Cyprus has battled an economic slump which was compounded by the collapse of its financial system in 2013 which saw the Cyprus Popular Bank wound down and another  the Bank of Cyprus  recapitalized by measures including the controversial seizure of depositors' uninsured savings above 100,000 euros ($120,000). The country secured a 10 billion euro ($11.8 billion) bailout overseen by the so-called "troika"  made up of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund  and after undergoing strict austerity measures and reforms, has returned to growth and will exit its bailout program in March. Georgiades said the country had "come a long way" but that fiscal discipline would continue.



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"Yes, we are ready to safely exit the support program, we are back in growth," he said. "We entered the program whilst in recession and now we're having growth rates around 1.5 percent. We have completely eliminated the deficitso that's well ahead of expectations and of course we have stabilized the banking sector so there has been good progress on all fronts and we can take it from here." "So we don't need the program but this does not signal the termination of the discipline and efforts we have been making during the last three years. In fact, our own reform agenda goes above and beyond the troika program," he said. Georgiades said by continuing with its current stance on reforms and fiscal discipline, Cyprus would be "safe" and would be able to convince markets "that Cyprus is back on track."

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Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Julia Chatterley, and Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs.



On the markets..

JC: You say we're not in a position we where back in 2007/2008 but for some of these banks, actually that's where their share prices are now, so what's going on? What are investors think that they're seeing that you guys are saying, look we're not?

PM: No, there needs to be transparency on that and again when a delicate situation happens we have the means to address that, but overall

JC: Like how?

PM: Overall the quality, the asset quality review, the stress tests show obviously that the solidity of the banking sector is much higher than it used to be, so of course we must be cautious about any kind of risks but we must also keep our cool blood and face the reality as it is  no, we are not in the situation we knew a few years ago. No, we are not back there. So we won't be back there because we have all the tools to address any kind of situation now in the Eurozone.

JC: Do you think the role of the bail-in that came into play in January of this year, is actually playing into investors concerns here because bond holders are going, hang on a second, actually in a bad situation we could be bailed-in, it just seems there is a lot of uncertainty and this is another factor.

PM: No I don't want to enter too much comment about the psychology of the markets, I understand that the markets are concerned about what they have to work to watch, but we are concerned with this volatility but our message is clear, the fundamentals as well as the real economy and the financial economy of the banking sector are solid enough.

On Europe..

PM: Inside Europe we are addressing all the issues and situations that we could have to face. On Greece I would say that we are making good progress in the negotiations and the implementation of the programme and I am reasonably optimistic that we can conclude the first review of the programme before Easter because we've made good progress, we're not yet there, we need to have some more progress so that our mission chiefs can go back to Athens, but the last session of talks was, I would say, as positive as possible in a constructive mood.

On Portugal we had to discuss and to find an opinion about the draft budgetary plans, it had been changed by additional measures so we are not now in a situation of particularly serious risk of non compliance, this is why we didn't reject that budget but we are still watching risks and today we asked the Portuguese authorities to commit to take measures if necessary so that the budget, finally is compliant, and we'll have to come back on that I think before May. Spain, you know what the situation is, that's democracy, we're waiting for a government, we know that we will have a gap and that we will have to address the situation, but overall we are in our normal procedures, there is no risk for the Euro area as a whole. It just proves that the tools that we have in our hands are efficient and are capable of convincing governments to make moves, to make reforms when those reforms are necessary and globally speaking there is still a huge need for fiscal consolidation in a way which is not adverse to growth. In some countries, because the average fiscal stance is rather positive in the Eurozone and there is still a huge need of structural reform to make our economies even more competitive and productive than they are today.

JC: And the markets today are warning that those things absolutely need to continue?

PM: Yes, and we fully agree with that, but we also ask for rationality, to look at the situation as it is again, I truly believe that our forecasts don't have to be changed and that we have the tools to address the situation, that we must handle that with very strong determination and cool blood
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Julia Chatterley, and Jeroen Dijsselbloem, President of the Eurogroup.



On the markets..

JD: Well there is concern, yet we also realise we are in a much better situation than we were some years ago. Both government's budgets, the economy, the real economy picking up throughout the Eurozone. And our banks are in a much better situation than they were some years ago, a lot of capital has been brought in, balance sheets have been restructured and this process is still continuing with the new rules of the banking union in place.

JC: Do you think then that the fears in the banking sector are overblown?

JD: I think a lot of the concerns are coming actually from outside of the banking sector, coming form outside the Eurozone, it's about the global economy and emerging markets, it's about the oil prices and the impact of that on the real economy. So let's not deviate from the work we are doing which is about strengthening our economy in the Eurozone, continue on that path, and strengthening the banks, which is still ongoing.

JC: You said just now that, look if are seeing a repricing in equities as a result of the new bail-in rules, then so be it, then that's the price we have to pay. We're also seeing that surely too?

JD: there could be an element of that, but it's really too early to say. I think that investors realise that with the bail-in rules the risks are being priced. And that may have an effect, but also here I feel that if there are legacy issues in our banks then we should deal with them. A lot of them have been dealt with and we should continue on that, so that the banks are fully opened for business and supportive of the economic recovery.

JC: You're kind of suggesting that actually all the problems haven't been dealt with and I think that, broadly that's what investors are saying here, actually there's still a lack of information about what's still to go.

JD: I don't think it's a lack of information, I think we all realise that, for example, nonperforming loans are an issue in some banks in some countries, but over the broad range of our banks a lot of work has been done, a lot of new capital has been brought in and the capital is of a higher standard and higher quality than some years ago. So we are in a much better position.

On Portugal..

JC: Let me ask you about Portugal as well, because if we read between the lines here, it seems like it was a shot across the bow for the government to do more work and stick to the guidelines here.

JD: We basically agree with the commission, the commission said it only just complies to the rules and there is a risk of deviation from our budgetary rules, so we've asked the Portuguese government to prepare additional measures, to start that work now, so when needed they can act quickly. I think that's important. They were very committed to that, very much prepared to do that. Because they want to comply to the pact and they want to be a part of this project.

On Germany..

JC: Final question. If Germany should find itself in any kind of financial difficulty in the coming months do all the Euro zone members stand behind them?

JD: We always stand behind all of our colleagues but this is a highly unlikely scenario.
A company specializing in using drones to inspect oil and gas rigs has raised $5.7 million in investment.



Sky-Futures raised $4.2 million from Bristow Group, and $1.5 million from MMC Ventures. The company delivers drone inspection services in the Gulf of Mexico, South East Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the North Sea, working with companies including ConocoPhillips , BP , Shell and Statoil.

The latest investment is set to boost the development of Sky-Futures' technology platform. The London-headquartered company uses software that automates analysis of data gathered by drones, identifying problems on rigs and providing forecasts for corrosion.

"What we're doing is completely revolutionizing how people interact with their physical assets," James Harrison, co-founder and chief executive of Sky-Futures, told CNBC in a phone interview. "Now we have the drones flying around the assets," he added.

This contrasts with physically sending someone to an installation to take pictures for analysis. A cloud-hosted portal enables clients to access imagery and analysis.

"All that data comes back into our portal and we allow the engineers to look at thermal pictures, video pictures, high definition stills and also use analysis tools to actually do things such as measure a crack or sea corrosion change over time," Harrison said.

The use of drones in industry is becoming increasingly common. In January, a study by Juniper Research found that annual revenues from commercial sales are set to hit $481 million this year, an increase of 84 percent compared to 2015. The potential of drones is significant, with many applications  from postal services to the use of drones in farming  being investigated.

"Through our partnership, we will collaborate with Sky-Futures and its leading safety culture, operational integration, and analysis technology, to capitalize beyond the growing need for global UAV inspection services in oil and gas to other industries, including search and rescue," Bristow Group president and CEO Jonathan Baliff said in a news release.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

JPMorgan Chase  Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon bought 500,000 shares of company stock for more than $25 million.

Boeing  The stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "overweight" at JPMorgan Chase, which points to recent reports of a Securities and Exchange Commission probe into Boeing's accounting practices for the 787 and 747 aircraft.

ITT Corp.  The maker of engineered components reported adjusted quarterly profit of 58 cents per share, three cents above estimates, and revenue exceeded forecasts by a wide margin. However, the company gave a 2016 earnings forecast that falls largely below analyst estimates, and said it continues to face a challenging macroeconomic environment. ITT also raised its quarterly dividend by 5 percent to 12.4 cents per share.

Netflix  The video streaming service was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at FBR, pointing to greater risks in the company's outlook.

Calpine  The largest U.S. generator of electric power lost 13 cents per share for its latest quarter, three cents smaller than anticipated, while revenue was above analyst estimates.

Pandora Media  Pandora earned an adjusted 4 cents per share for its latest quarter, 3 cents shy of estimates, but the online radio service did beat forecasts on the top line. The stock had jumped during Thursday's regular session on a New York Times report that it was exploring a sale.

CBS  CBS reported adjusted quarterly profit of 92 cents per share, matching estimates, though revenue did exceed forecasts. Revenue benefited from higher ad sales.

Wynn Resorts  The hotel and casino operator beat estimates by 27 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.03 per share, with revenue slightly short of Street forecasts. Wynn's revenue is being hurt by the ongoing slump in Macau, though Wynn did see upbeat results for its Las Vegas operations.

American International Group  AIG lost $1.10 per share for its latest quarter, a loss that was 17 cents larger than analysts had anticipated. Separately, the insurance company nominated a representative of activist investor Carl Icahn as well as billionaire John Paulson to its board, announced a 14 percent dividend increase to 32 cents per share, and raised its stock buyback program by $5 billion.

Activision  Activision missed estimates by 3 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 83 cents per share, and the video game maker's revenue fell short of estimates as well on lower than expected demand for games other than its flagship "Call of Duty" franchise. Activision also announced a 13 percent dividend increase to 26 cents per share.

FireEye  FireEye lost 1 cent less than expected at 36 cents per share, and the security software provider saw revenue match Street estimates. The company also gave a lower than expected forecast for the current quarter on slowing spending on cybersecurity.

Groupon  Groupon earned 4 cents per share for its latest quarter on an adjusted basis, better than the expected breakeven quarter, and the daily deals company also saw revenue come in well above estimates on strong sales in North America. Groupon is also making some headway in its move to become an online marketplace as well as a provider of daily deals.

Nu Skin Enterprises  Nu Skin missed estimates by 11 cents with quarterly profit of 62 cents per share, with the health care products company also reporting revenue well below forecasts. Nu Skin also gave disappointing 2016 guidance, with weakness in China among the factors pressuring its results.

Dr Pepper Snapple  The beverage maker increased its stock buyback program by $1 billion, bringing the total to $5 billion, and also raised its quarterly dividend by 10.4 percent to 53 cents per share.

Square  Visa disclosed a nearly 10 percent stake in Square, making the credit card issuer one of the biggest shareholders in the mobile payments company.

Sirius XM  Sirius XM Canada  in which the satellite radio operator holds a 32 percent stake  is being taken private, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.
Another role for a manufacturing process engineer lays out responsibilities which include "designing factory assembly stations, optimizing production floor layout, automating critical manufacturing processes and approving fixture designs used in the assembly of electronic modules for the self-driving car".

One listing for a marketing manager expects the person to shape a "go-to-market strategy and storytelling to win hearts and minds of community members, influences and governments".

There are 36 job listings by the Alphabet -owned company from marketing to manufacturing jobs, highlighting how Google sees its role in the future of the auto industry.

Google is boosting hiring for its self-driving car project as it looks to accelerate the drive to bring the vehicles to market.

There are a number of roles that focus on engineering and operations. Google has previously said that it was not looking to make cars, but instead partner with auto companies that could use its technology. However, the list of jobs shows that Google is focused on hardware too, though exactly how that might manifest itself is unclear.

Google has been bolstering the autonomous vehicle unit since last year. In September, the company appointed former Hyundai Motors America chief executive John Krafcik to head the driverless car division.

And the project got a huge boost after key U.S. regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said that the computer controlling the self-driving car should be legally defined as a "driver" rather than a human.

Along this vein, Google is hiring a policy analyst to "handle our various product agendas with policy makers inside and outside government".

Another interesting post is the role of head of real estate and workplace services who will "collaborate across sites to share best practices, increase efficiency, and put foundations in place for programs that scale seamlessly with growth". The job hints that Google may not be done hiring yet and could increase its physical presence for the project.

Google is currently testing its driverless cars in Mountain View, California, Austin, Texas and now Kirkland, Washington. The vehicles have driven over 1.3 million miles autonomously.
Drilling rigs in the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon, Scotland, Britain. Russell Cheyne | Reuters

Oil and gas dividends held up relatively well through 2015, but an extended trough in the commodity's price will see large energy firms slash payouts by a total of $12 billion this year, Markit warns. Ten of the world's large cap energy firms  those with a market value of more than 10 billion  are set to cut their dividend in 2016 according to Markit's dividend forecasting unit, including Kinder Morgan, Eni, and Noble Energy, as a global oil supply glut keeps oil at decade lows. Those cuts are set to bringing global payouts down 9 percent to $147 billion, marking a 22 percent drop from their 2014 peak of $189.3 billion.



Brent crude prices have already fallen over 16 percent since the start of January, extending the 36.8 percent slump tracked over the whole of 2015. There remains little hope for a price rebound after the International Energy Agency earlier this week said it expects a global economic slowdown to drive down demand, compounding existing concerns of oversupply.

ConocoPhillips is one of the 12 firms to have already slashed their dividend for 2015, having announced a 66 percent cut to its shareholder payout in an effort to preserve cash and manage debt levels. Markit expects the American oil major to announce additional cuts at the end of 2016, adding that companies who rely on income from upstream operations  exploration and production, rather than transport, or refining  will be hardest-hit.
Uri and Rebecca Minkoff are used to being trendsetters. But when the brother-sister team made the bold choice to once again show their spring collection this February  a time that's traditionally reserved for designers' fall looks  they didn't expect their decision would disrupt the industry so quickly.

Models walk the runway during the Rebecca Minkoff fashion show at NYFW Spring 2016. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Since the design duo said in December they would challenge fashion norms by holding runway shows timed with the current season (thereby allowing shoppers to immediately purchase these looks), designers including Tom Ford, Burberry and Misha Nonoo have followed suit. What's more, the Council of Fashion Designers of America trade organization retained the Boston Consulting Group to determine if there's a better way to do business in a world of Instagram and fast fashion. But perhaps most importantly, they've accelerated the conversation that a change needs to be made. "It seems like once a year we get the chance to try something big," CEO Uri Minkoff said. "[But] we didn't think it would be this impactful this year."

To be sure, designers and others in the industry have long been talking about the need to change the structure of fashion week. After Ford launched his namesake women's collection in 2010, the designer famously put an embargo on his images so they wouldn't spread across the Internet. And last year, Proenza Schouler made the same decision regarding its pre-fall collection. The idea is that by keeping these images under wraps, shoppers will view the designs as fresh when they finally go up for sale. As a result, they'll be willing to pay full price. What's more, cutting this extensive lead time makes it more difficult for fast-fashion retailers to duplicate designers' looks before they even hit their shelves. "Being closer to wear now makes more sense because  unless you're a really high-fashion person, who wants to start buying fall and winter in July or June?" said Michael Appel, founder of Appel Associates consulting firm. Though shifting the calendar seems logical, it also comes with challenges. The fashion industry has long relied on six-month lead times so that designers have sufficient time after their shows to meet with department store buyers, make requested tweaks to their looks, and get the pieces produced and on the racks. Vincent Quan, an associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, said that because many luxury items are handcrafted overseas, he's skeptical the industry could substantially shorten the amount of time it takes to produce these garments. However, one way of cutting it down would be to shift production back to the U.S., to eliminate the 30 to 45 days typically required to ship an item overseas, he said. This is exactly the strategy Rebecca Minkoff is employing for her spring line. Though some of the looks that go down the runway Saturday will be repeats from her September show, many of which were crafted overseas, more than a dozen new pieces will be sprinkled into the lineup. These items were designed in December and put into production in L.A. and New York City shortly thereafter.

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Italian banks may have lost an average of 40 percent of their stock market value in the past year, but former Prime Minister Enrico Letta remains optimistic. "I think and I'm sure that we can trust in the Italian financial system, because the Italian real economy is a good one and the performances of our companies' exporting is very good," Letta told CNBC on Friday. However, Letta, now Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po in Paris, said this was on the basis that Italy continued its work on reining in spending and using the money to reduce taxes. "If the European situation is improving and if the government continues the spending review and cutting taxes to push recovery, we can trust in Italy."

He said the Italian government has been moving "in the right direction" after it approved a package of measures this week aimed at supporting the country's troubled banking sector.

However, a lot more now has to be done at a European level, he said, including stepping up the introduction of a "banking union" that would supervise lenders and should they fail, wind them down or rescue them. "At a European level, we need to complete the banking union. We had important steps for the banking union, but we need now to complete it, and we need the European guarantee and the deposit working."

"It is necessary that the European Union gives to the market the idea to trust in this banking union system. We have to complete it with the capital market union."

Such a union would give greater investment protection and soothe the nerves of markets, investors and consumers, Letta said, adding that it was possible to have a "more convergent European banking system." "Italy is very much depending on the European situation. Italy is different from France and Germany. We need Europe, and we need to perform well in Europe."

'I fear Donald Trump as US President'

With the 2016 U.S. presidential election race in full swing, who will eventually move into the White House is on the mind of both Letta and politicians worldwide.

"I think the American situation adds something new, and what is new is the fact that even without the migration problems and a big unemployment problem; people are angry against the establishment," said Letta. "I think it is because of the new way to communicate and the role of the Internet in politics. I hope the American debate will develop some new ideas, because frankly speaking, as [a] European, I fear (Donald) Trump as president of the U.S."

Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the U.S. presidency at Trump Tower in New York City. Christopher Gregory | Getty Images News | Getty Images

What concerns Letta about the Republican candidate is Trump's ideas and his "lack of any experience" politically, adding that any U.S. president has to be "very careful" in how they speak. "I think a president of the U.S. has to be very, very, very careful in speaking. I think Trump is not very careful in speaking. He says anything about anybody, and I fear that a president of the U.S. with all the responsibilities that the U.S. has in the world, with this very strange attitude that Trump shows (is worrying). I have some concern."
The State University of New York (SUNY) has awarded $4.6 million to six SUNY campuses in the North Country region through the universitys Investment and Performance Fund, according to a recent SUNY news release.

The Investment and Performance Fund is an endowment for campus practices that are designed to increase student access, completion, and success rates, according to the SUNY website.

SUNY Potsdam will receive $750,000 to establish SUNYs first Center for Applied Learning, which seeks to expand the research, development, testing, and implementation of applied learning with other schools in the SUNY system, according to the release.

SUNY Canton will get $575,000 to expand Jump Start, a summer boot-camp style program that provides remedial instruction for students.

Jefferson Community College and SUNY Canton will receive $500,000 to expand programs that seek to help veteran students stay enrolled and make it to graduation, according to the SUNY website.

SUNY Adirondack, with campuses in Queensbury and Wilton, will get $1.8 million for three projects: the creation of the Center for Student Success, the launch of Adirondack Completes, and the Adirondack Experience, according to the SUNY website. All projects are designed to help students plan and monitor their college studies and to complete their degree on time, according to the release.

Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh will receive $470,000 to launch the Clinton Community College Pathway initiative. This program will introduce degree planning for students in area public high schools and encourage them to look for opportunities at SUNY colleges, according to the release.

SUNY Plattsburgh will get $1 million as the lead campus for SUNY Smart Track Re-Enroll to Complete, a program to help withdrawn SUNY students to finish their degree, according to the release.

SUNY Plattsburgh will also receive $250,000 to establish the Common Problem Pedagogy (CP2): Advancing SUNY Excels. This project seeks to help increase student retention through academic engagement, cross-disciplinary work, and increased community and civic engagement on participating campuses. Through an additional $375,000 award, SUNY Plattsburgh will establish a model for partnerships between SUNY colleges and community-based organizations to increase student access and completion.

The Investment and Performance Fund received 211 proposals for $464 million in total funding from across the SUNY system in August, according to the SUNY website.

Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
The Hall of Languages at Syracuse University, which has moved into the top tier of for research activity among all of the nations doctoral universities. Thats according to the recently released 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. (Eric Reinhardt / BJNN file photo)

SYRACUSE, N.Y.  Syracuse University (SU) has moved into the top tier for research activity among all of the nations doctorate-degree granting universities. Thats according to the recently released 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Syracuse moved up from an R2 designation in 2010, denoting higher research activity, to an R1 designation, the top research class that the Carnegie organization can award a doctoral university, according to an SU news release issued this week.

The R1 list has 115 universities on it while the R2 list contains 107 universities, according to Carnegie.

Carnegie issues its rankings twice a decade. It bases the distinction on an examination of recent data that helps its analysts gauge research activity among doctoral institutions.

The criteria for research activity involves factors such as research and development expenditures, research staff, and number of doctoral conferrals.

Syracuse University was among 15 universities nationwide to move from R2 into the top category in the latest rankings, the school said.

Earning this classification is powerful recognition of our efforts to grow and expand research, Liz Liddy, SU interim provost, said in the universitys news release. We have already identified research and discovery as a key focus area in our academic strategic plan, and this is one more step in the right direction.

The Carnegie Classification is the widely accepted industry standard for classifying schools by higher-education researchers and others, SU said.

The Stanford, Californiabased Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching created the classification and first published it in 1973. In 2014, the Carnegie Foundation shifted responsibility for its Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education to the Indiana University School of Education in Bloomington, Indiana.

The U.S. Department of Education, along with other higher-education associations, uses the classifications to organize data and to determine a schools eligibility for grant money.

The publication U.S. News and World Report also uses the classifications in grouping institutions by type for its popular Best Colleges rankings guide, SU said.

The Carnegie Classification defines its doctoral grouping as those institutions that awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctorates in 2013-14, according to the Syracuse release.

Professional practice doctoral degrees, such as law degrees, did not count toward that total.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Terminal ready to take flight

The new Columbia Regional Airport terminal is open for business. Flights will start next week.
By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A lawyer's motion filed this week asking for the dismissal of a rape charge against his client contains a lengthy narrative about a long delay in testing the evidence in a woman's rape.

Evidence was collected March 17, 2001, after a woman reported she was raped and robbed at the American Inn in the 3200 block of Elvis Presley. She told police that two men, one who had a rifle, entered the motel room and one of the men raped her. The men also took cash and jewelry.

Memphis police took six cards containing fingerprints from the bathroom sink and the woman was examined at the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center.

Her rape kit was not sent to Cellmark Forensics for testing until 12 years and eight months later, according to a motion filed by attorney Charles Mitchell.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported on Jan. 26, 2015, that a match was made to convicted felon Maurice Summerall.

Then, after a request to MPD for the examination of the fingerprints, an examiner reported the prints from the sink matched Summerall.

Summerall, 44, was indicted March 12, 2015, nearly 14 years after the woman reported the rape.

He has prior convictions that include aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated robbery, attempted first-degree murder and sale of cocaine.

His attorney argues that the delay has harmed Summerall's ability to defend himself at a trial, because witnesses have not been located and memories fade. He called the delay in testing the fingerprints "indefensible" and the delay in DNA testing "equally inexcusable."

"Because (Summerall) was not indicted until March 12, 2015, no defense was sought; no witnesses were previously located, no statements taken as to their knowledge of events," Mitchell wrote.

The office of the Shelby County District Attorney General said it will file a response to Mitchell's motion before March 10. City spokeswoman Ursula Madden said the city and Memphis Police Department will not comment on litigation that is ongoing.

The city has grappled with more than 12,000 untested sexual assault kits that accumulated since the 1980s.

A Commercial Appeal investigation found police and prosecutors failed to stop serial rapist Anthony Alliano in April 2004 after his first attacks on young girls. Evidence was left unprocessed in storage rooms and boxes, according to the investigation. He struck five more times before his arrest in 2012, and he was eventually sentenced to 178 years in prison.

In July, a judge ruled that the case of a former Memphis police officer on a charge of rape can go forward despite a 14-year delay. In that case, a woman said in 2000 that an officer raped her after she called police to report a vandalism. The woman's rape kit was part of the untested rape kits, and Bridges Randle was not indicted until 2014.

Randle was indicted in 2002 on a separate charge of raping a woman while working as an officer, but received a year of probation in a plea bargain with the office of then-District Attorney Bill Gibbons, The Commercial Appeal found.

In the case from 2000 that is pending trial, Randle argued that the length of time it took the state to charge him violated his constitutional right to due process.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward said his argument was "novel," but "not supported by law, logic or common sense" and Randle "can receive a fair trial."

Deborah Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women's Council and a member of the city's Sexual Assault Kit Task Force, said that an effort to avoid prosecution because of a delay in testing evidence is "just pretty ridiculous" and that she believes that courts will not allow time clock issues to "set aside what is very valid evidence."

In December, the city unveiled a new $1 million sexual assault evidence storage facility in Frayser. At that time, the numbers on the effort to test the city's rape kits showed 5,355 or 43 percent had been analyzed, 2,787 or 23 percent were at a laboratory awaiting analysis and 4,232 or 34 percent still needed analysis.

The kits were being shipped to labs at a rate of 300 a month.
February 11, 2016 - Former President Bill Clinton delivers a speech Thursday at Whitehaven High School in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for President of the United States. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE February 11, 2016 - Kinslee Miller, 7, naps as former President Bill Clinton delivers a speech at Whitehaven High School in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for President of the United States. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal) February 10, 2016 - Whitehaven High School government teacher Brian Davis holds a copy of Bill Clinton's book, "My Life," while standing in line at his school with daughter, Elizabeth Davis, 10, as they wait to see former President Bill Clinton speak. Clinton is in Memphis to campaign for his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for president of the United States. "I just thought it would be a really cool opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share with my students. How many times do you get to hear a former president talk in person?" (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal

This story has been changed to clarify a quote in the 10th and 11th paragraphs.

Hundreds packed into the Whitehaven High School gymnasium Thursday to hear former President Bill Clinton stump for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Bill Clinton, a giant state flag behind him, spoke largely on issues that plague Memphis, including high unemployment, violent crime and poverty, and said Hillary would help America "grow together."

"Without an economy that works for everybody, we can't be one America, and we can't go forward together," Clinton said.

Clinton also hit on several campaign issues, including the need to improve the economy, create more jobs, lower health care co-payments, and free college tuition for people with lower incomes. He even acknowledged the anger at the status quo that has boosted the campaigns of his wife's Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders, and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

"Why is everyone so mad and full of anxiety? Because we got jobs back but not income, but not enough jobs," he said.

The former president said science has shown that people are genetically 99.5 percent the same, but some people are "fixated" on the 0.5 percent that makes people different. "So what we need now is to say: 'How can we act like we're all 99.5 percent the same?'"

Clinton came to Memphis as his wife's campaign ramps up its effort to reach voters in the state after the start of early voting Wednesday in the state and before the March 1 "Super Tuesday" primary election.

Clinton paid homage to Memphis' good qualities as well, singling out St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for not requiring patients to pay, and said that's how health care should work.

"We need health care plans to induce doctors to do what they do at St. Jude, where nobody pays," he said.

But in talking about the struggles of middle- and lower-class America, Clinton said the country's financial system is "rigged."

"Yeah, it's rigged, because you don't have a president who's a change-maker, who, with a Congress who will work with him. But the president has done a better job than he has gotten credit for."

He wrapped up at about the same time the sixth Democratic debate started in Wisconsin.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen introduced Clinton, and said Hillary would continue her husband's legacy of creating economic prosperity for all.

"She's helping out the women, she's helping out the children, she's ready to go into the White House on Day One," said state Rep. Raumesh Akbari, who with Rep. Joe Towns warmed up the standing-room-only crowd before Clinton's arrival.

The crowd of more than 650 was diverse in age, race, gender, and where they lived in the area, as well as the reasons why they were there.

Marietta Bridgeforth, wrapped in a black coat and wearing a toboggan to ward off the cold, sat on the steps outside the event while her son held her place in line.

Bridgeforth, a Whitehaven resident, said she hadn't decided whether Hillary Clinton would get her vote. She said she wanted to hear more about what Clinton would do to make college education more affordable, which she said could help ease some of Memphis' problems, including high poverty and violent crime rates.

But is Clinton the best one to tackle that problem? "I really don't know. I just don't know," she said.

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said Clinton's words on poverty stuck out to him the most.

"All of it goes back to education," he said.

Several students were also in attendance.

Adrena Nelson, a 17-year-old junior, said the event was exciting for her as she narrows down her choices of whom to vote for when she turns 18.

"It's neat for a school like Whitehaven," she said. Nelson said the words that resonated with her the most were about lowering the cost of college tuition.

Kyrohbi Jones, a 15-year-old member of the Whitehaven marching band that played before Clinton's speech, said he was glad to hear Clinton talk about racial issues.

"It's good to hear... somebody as big as Bill Clinton say 'Black Lives Matter,' " he said.

Waiting in the long line before the event, LaMesa Cole of Southaven said she hopes 10-year-old daughter Leah Cole will be inspired by Hillary Clinton's campaign.

"I want my daughter to see anything is possible," she said.

Cole said she is an aspiring business owner, and hoped to hear Bill Clinton speak to what Hillary Clinton would do to help black, female entrepreneurs.

Clinton was the pick of 47 percent of self-described Democrats in the state in a recent poll by Middle Tennessee State University, compared to the 15 percent who picked her rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, and 26 percent who were still undecided.

Clinton's next challenge will be in the Nevada primaries, which could settle the question about whether Sanders will lose the steam he built from a narrow loss in Iowa and a nearly 22-point victory in New Hampshire.

Nevada could also show how the candidates do in a state that's more racially diverse than the largely white states of Iowa and New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, Sanders won almost every demographic, including women and young voters.

Clinton's team announced the rally this week, and state Republicans were quick to seize on the late notice as a sign that Clinton's campaign was "scrambling in response to the surging of a Socialist (Bernie Sanders)."

"But parachuting in Bill Clinton, hastily opening offices at the last minute and trying to out-flank a Socialist aren't going to be enough," TNGOP Executive Director Brent Leatherwood said in a prepared statement. "It looks increasingly likely that Tennessee is poised to deliver another loss to the Clinton campaign."

Sanders' office is already operational, with seven staff members and a grand opening set for Saturday.

Staff reporter Jennifer Pignolet contributed to this story.
SHARE Clement Marks

By Yolanda Jones and Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

One of the two officers involved in last month's deadly shooting of Johnathan Bratcher had been involved in two prior police shootings, including one last year in which investigators concluded he'd improperly shot and wounded an unarmed, fleeing suspect.

The officer told investigators he believed the suspect he was chasing might have killed a 7-year-old girl earlier in the day, and that he thought he saw him aiming a weapon.

The officer involved in the prior shootings, Clement Marks, 29, has been a Memphis police officer since October 2010. The other officer involved in the Bratcher shooting, Alexander Fleites, is 26 and joined the department in September 2014. He has no prior shootings or disciplinary actions, according to records. Both are assigned to Airways Station and were relieved of duty with pay as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continues its investigation of the Jan. 27 Bratcher shooting.

Bratcher was shot and killed at 888 Kerr after police said he pointed a gun at them and opened fire. The TBI has said its officers have located a gun that Bratcher may have used. The Bratcher shooting investigation takes place against a national backdrop of increased scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against African-Americans, and people have already protested his killing. Bratcher was black, as is Marks. The TBI has said the other officer involved was white.

Police union president Mike Williams said officers are working in a violent city and sometimes lethal force is justified. "You have officers who are confronted with that on a daily basis and the potential for them to be involved in a lethal altercation is increasing. These guys have to react when things happen and unfortunately some are involved more than others."

The Commercial Appeal reviewed personnel and internal affairs records about the prior shootings. The records say that on the night of April 10, 2015, Marks responded to a call from an off-duty officer about a vehicle that may have been involved earlier that day in the high-profile killing of Kirsten Williams, a 7-year-old girl. Marks pulled behind the vehicle in a hotel parking lot at Airways and Democrat. He told investigators that the front seat passenger jumped out and ran. "Initially, that was put in the broadcast, that the front seat passenger was the shooter of the homicide of the seven-year-old girl," he told investigators, according to a transcript.

Marks chased the man and told investigators that he saw the man reach for his waist. Marks said he fired twice, then the man went through a hole in a fence and that he saw him point what he thought was a weapon. Marks fired again.

A later investigation showed that the suspect, Eric Williams, was unarmed, the records say. He was hit in the buttocks and hip  it's not clear how many times. The internal affairs file shows a photo of a man on crutches, displaying a bandage on his left buttock.

Four other men were indicted in the girl's killing  not Williams. It's not clear if Eric Williams is related to the girl.

An investigating officer wrote in a letter to Officer Marks: "Although you clearly perceived a threat, absent any physical description of a weapon, and having only the belief that Williams may be armed, you cannot justify that Williams posed an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury, which is required by policy before deadly force is authorized."

Marks was suspended for 20 days without pay and ordered to undergo eight hours of remedial firearms/use of force training.

Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich's office declined to charge Marks in the shooting, citing "insufficient proof to rebut self-defense and the use of deadly force to arrest an immediately dangerous fleeing felon."

In a December 2012 incident, Marks responded to a scene where a man armed with an AR-15 military-style rifle was firing off shots  the police record says investigators later found 27 spent rifle shells. Marks said that the man had pointed the gun at him, and that he fired his shotgun at the suspect. Marks missed and the suspect threw down the rifle and ran into a house. He was later arrested without incident. The police department ruled the shooting justified.

Marks' personnel file also showed that he was suspended two days in 2014 for damaging his police cruiser and another car that he crashed into when he ran a red light.

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SHARE Joe Biden

By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON  Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Memphis next Wednesday to highlight work on Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor freight-rail project.

Biden's stop in Memphis is one of three he will be making from the Mississippi Delta to the headwaters of the Mississippi River to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The recovery act, which President Barack Obama signed into law just one month after taking office, was a stimulus package passed in response to the Great Recession. It dumped billions of dollars into infrastructure, education, health, energy and other projects across the country.

The Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Rail Project received a $105 million federal transportation grant under the recovery act.

The project is a $2.5 billion plan to upgrade a 2,500-mile, New Orleans-to-New Jersey network by 2020, taking 1.3 million trucks a year off highways. The project spans 13 states and will have intermodal facilities in Memphis and Birmingham, Alabama.

The time and location of Biden's Memphis visit are still being finalized, the vice president's office said Thursday.

Biden will be making two other stops to highlight projects that received funding under the recovery act.

The day he comes to Memphis, the vice president also will visit the Port of New Orleans, which received $16 million to help support a larger $26 million project to rebuild a rail yard at the Louisiana terminal.

The next day, Feb. 18, Biden will travel to St. Paul, Minnesota, which received a $35 million grant for a multimodal rail and transit hub in the city's downtown area.
Feb. 11, 2016  Southaven resident Darren Waggener arrived early at Snowden Grove Park Thursday morning to get a good selection of trees at the DeSoto County Soil and Water Conservation District Tree Giveaway. The annual event brings out hundreds of local residents; this year, more than 300 received trees from a selection of 13 varieties with a total of 18,000 trees given away. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal)

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By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

Kathie Richardson got a text early Thursday from her daughter-in-law: Get free trees.

"She has an ear for free things and a huge backyard," Richardson said by way of explanation as she loaded a Loblolly Pine, a River Birch and a couple of other trees she couldn't identify into the back of her SUV.

Richardson of Southaven was one of more than 400 who showed up at Snowden Grove Park in Southaven Thursday morning for the annual Tree Giveaway sponsored by the DeSoto County Soil and Water Conservation District. The agency holds the event each February in conjunction with Mississippi Arbor Day, celebrated the second Friday of February.

Meleiah Tyus, information and education specialist with the Soil and Water Conservation District, said the event is always a big hit, and this year was no exception.

"We've had more than 300 so far," she said shortly before 10 a.m., "and 250 of those were during the first hour."

Few trees were left to choose from by that time, but people were still streaming in to see what remained.

Thousands of trees and seedlings of 13 varieties were available to start the day: Cherrybark Oak, Shumard Oak, Sawtooth Oak, Black Walnut, Pecan, Bald Cypress, River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Red Maple, Tulip Poplar, Green Ash and Loblolly Pine.

A 14th variety, Pawpaws, did not arrive in time and will be distributed next week in the Soil and Water Conservation office parking lot, 3260 U.S. 51 in Hernando. The date will be posted on the agency's Facebook page.

Any DeSoto County resident was eligible, and each participant could take up to five each of any variety except for the loblollies, where they could take 25 per household.

Organizers see the event as a way to promote good conservation and, well, get more trees planted.

Eddie and Trisha Woodall of Lake Cormorant did their part. They were there with son Trey to see what was available, and they left with a Tulip Poplar, a Pecan and a variety of Oak.

The couple has lived on their property for more than 20 years, but they said there's "plenty of land to always plant something new."

"We lost a really nice willow tree a few years back," Trisha Woodall said, "so we always like to add back."

Woodall said she found out about the event through a flier posted in the clerk's office when she was in Hernando buying car tags.

And as for Richardson, the woman who heard about it from her daughter-in-law?

"I think," she decided as she finished loading, "that I may keep a couple of these for myself."
Germantown Municipal School District's staff-written strategic plan has been in the making for nearly 18 months.

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By Jane Roberts of The Commercial Appeal

Members of the Germantown school board wrestled for hours in a philosophical discussion Wednesday on the standards it takes to be considered the best school system in the state.

In the end, they found common ground by adding measurable goals to a staff-written strategic plan in the making for nearly 18 months.

Board members Ken Hoover and Mark Dely wanted measurable goals  ACT scores, graduation rates and other clearly defined targets that the board could sell to the community and check off each year.

To underscore the necessity, both pointed to numerous strategic plans they created in business.

The three other board members preferred the more general plan presented by Supt. Jason Manuel. Under Goal 1: Maximize Student Potential, its says, Germantown Municipal School District will "provide opportunities for students at all levels to engage with service learning" and will offer "rigorous classes and programs that promote the various student intelligences."

Under Manuel's plan, GMSD would adopt academic goals set by the state Department of Education, including gradual improvement in ACT scores and graduation rates, plus gains in math and reading  based on the previous year's test scores. Like all school districts, it is also graded on how well it decreases the achievement gaps between high-scoring demographics and others.

The state's annual measurable objectives are called AMOs.

"Since I've been in education, we have never hit all the AMOs," Manuel told the board.

"It is rigorous," he said, citing the example of a teacher working with special education children. "If they get a 23 on the ACT, I have done something exceptional. When the state is setting AMOs, they are looking at the cohort (grade level) of kids. (A score of) 21 may be the best we have because of the kids we have," Manuel said.

"I hesitate to pick a number and say we are going to be the best. ... It isn't a number."

"I kind of disagree," Dely said. "If we are not going to strive to be the best, why are we sitting here doing this?

"For me, it's a tremendous mistake," he said. "We need to be able to say our plan is to be the best non-magnet school in the state in terms of ACT scores."

The difference in philosophy underlines, in part, the pressure the municipal school districts face in trying to set themselves apart. In Germantown, the pressure includes drops in enrollment as students from outside the city limits complete terms in schools where they were allowed to stay after the city and county schools separated. It also includes pressure to keep students at Houston High when next-door Collierville is building a $95 million high school that will open in the fall of 2018 with the latest in laboratories, technology and security.

"There is always underlying competition," board Chairwoman Linda Fisher said on Thursday. "We do want to be the best. We have private schools out there. We have good municipal schools, we have optional schools in Shelby County Schools.

"You have to consider the child. You can push to have AP honors courses, dual enrollment and 60-plus clubs that you can choose from. But not every student is driven. Some may have learning disabilities. And not every home life is perfect ..... that is a huge consideration," she said.

"It's not like we are a store and you want to increase sales in this area by this much, and if they don't succeed, you close the store."

Board member Natalie Williams suggested adding several metrics to Manuel's plan. Board members were happy with the compromise.

Fisher says the fissures are the result the board members' varied backgrounds.

"We all come from different places, and that is good. We all want the best for our schools."

The board directed Manuel to rework the plan and bring it back for approval.

"I think this has been terrific," Hoover said. "I look forward to having a similar discussion in the next few months on what it means to be the best school system in Tennessee."
<p>Radio personalities Drake (right) and Zeke (left) are part of the picks panel</p>

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By Kyle Veazey

It is impossible to write an appreciation of Zeke Logan, who passed away Tuesday morning, without appreciating the universe of the popular Drake and Zeke morning radio program.

It is the rarest of combinations. Its rock music, from classic fare to this mornings ode to Beck. Its the mayor, the district attorney, the best-selling author, for 20 and 30 minutes at a time. And its the old reliable of morning radio  the Dumbasses of the Day, the news of the weird  that the hosts riff on in a way that makes the wittiest among us seem hopelessly dull. It is, as a friend put it the other day, what happens when Morning Zoo morphs into a true, honest-to-God public affairs program.

It is a perfect hodgepodge.

It is Memphis.

Today, we appreciate it, because we know how much well miss its current iteration. Two months ago, Zeke  youre OK if we dispense with formality and just go with first names, right?  was cracking wise alongside his friend Drake in the mornings. Today, he is gone. It all seems too sudden, too jarring to be real.

We all have our favorite Drake and Zeke stories, so Ill share mine: I first discovered them in Oxford, Mississippi, the fall of 2001, having just transferred to Ole Miss for college. They were then on in the afternoons, and then on Rock 103 out of faraway Memphis. And I remember what I thought: Wait, this really exists? Is this real life?

There were the sophomoric gags, the borderline-dirty jokes (OK, sometimes past the line), the classic rock music, the stuff that 32-year-old me might find a bit too much but that no 19-year-old college student could resist. All handled ably and comically, and with a strange gravitas by two guys whose only Internet presence consisted of pictures of them wearing suits and sunglasses.

It was my first year at Ole Miss, and while I was not exactly homesick, I was not exactly the man about campus, either. Since I couldnt pick up the station in the dorm, I drove around a lot those first few months, listening to their show in the afternoons after class because they made me laugh. They cost me no small amount of gas money.

Later on, Drake and Zeke moved to the mornings. I moved to Alabama, then back to Mississippi but out of range of their station, and then back to Memphis and The Commercial Appeal in the summer of 2011, this time for good.

And while work here has been good, Ill admit it: Not much excited me more than when they asked last year if Id come on and discuss politics. And this year, too, when they asked if Id consider making it a weekly visit. (Yes, I would.)

Why would a couple of long-haired, classic-rock radio guys really have that much influence on a guy, on a place? They shouldnt, really. But they undeniably do; youll see condolences from mayors and Average Joes alike in the coming hours and days. And that they do have that influence tells us all we need to know.

Les Smith, the longtime reporter for WHBQ-TV, summed it up perfectly on Facebook the other day. Ive laughed with them. Cussed at them. Applauded their brilliance and common sense commentary, he wrote. And hes right: Crude and uncomfortable and politically incorrect at times though they were, there was a common-sense worldview with which everyone could identify.

Ace Atkins, the mystery writer and a frequent guest of the program, spent a conversation Tuesday afternoon recalling long lunches with Zeke on the Oxford Square. A few minutes later, he emailed one more thing. Recalling Zekes penchant to make fun of those who deserve it, Atkins said he never felt that change Zekes love of life. He taught a lot of people that bad stuff existed in this world and the best thing you can do is just laugh at it, Atkins said.

Drake and Zekes show was and is this weird cultural touchstone in a city that doesnt quite fit in any of the boxes. One morning, a best-selling author would be on. Another morning, a City Council member. The next, a politics writer droning on about precinct voting behavior.

But Zeke Logan truly cared about that kind of stuff, because he truly cared about our wild and wonderful city. In return, we cared about him. And thats why Memphis is a place thats a little less fun this afternoon, the day a citys old friend  and my old friend from Oxford  left us, gone entirely too soon.

Kyle Veazey is The Commercial Appeals politics editor.
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By Aaron Bady

The occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Ore., is over. The last four militants surrendered Thursday; previously, 11 others had been arrested and charged, including the Bundy brothers Ammon and Ryan. Only Robert "LaVoy" Finicum made good on his promise to die rather than submit to the federal government.

But if "the tree of liberty is watered by the blood of patriots"  the militia movement's favorite Jefferson quote  then Finicum's death is exactly the sort of martyrdom law enforcement hoped to avoid and didn't. Now is a good time to ask: What exactly did he die for?

To "patriots" like Finicum and the Bundys, the movement to reclaim public lands from the federal government is a variation on America's cowboys and Indians story, but in their version they're the cowboys and the Indians. On the one hand, they position themselves as the descendants of men and women who first won the West, the settlers who originally built this country. On the other, they see themselves as the victims of a huge land grab, locals who have been forcefully dispossessed. That makes them both an oppressed minority and the conquering heroes of manifest destiny.

To understand this precarious and contradictory position  which sits at the radical edge of a larger, well-funded land-transfer, anti-environmental movement that seeks to privatize public property  we have to go back to this nation's original sin.

When the United States took the West from its first inhabitants  by treaty, deception and force of arms  the government put forward a consistent legal, moral and political principle to justify the seizure. It is much the same doctrine Finicum preached around the West to ranchers groups; he called it "productive beneficial use." Put simply: The land belongs to those who use it productively, those whose ranching, farming and stewardship benefit the land.

"I have created a right when I'm the first one in line," Finicum told an audience of cattlemen at a property rights workshop in Piute County, Utah, in November. "As long as I use this for continuous beneficial use, I have it." (According to the Salt Lake Tribune, eight ranchers who were at the November workshop signed letters withdrawing their "consent" to be governed by the BLM and the Forest Service in late January.)

Finicum's claims are a crude version of something the English philosopher John Locke argued in his second political treatise (one of the formative components of Jefferson's own philosophy). For Locke, property was a function of human labor.

God "gave the world in common to all mankind," as Locke put it, but He also commanded individual people "to labour," and "to subdue the earth." If a portion of "the world in common" were improved by an individual "for the benefit of life," Locke reasoned, that individual had made it his personal property, "which another had no title to, nor could without injury take from him."

From this perspective, God-given land was only "common" until someone did something productive and beneficial with it; from then on, it was his or hers alone. Put more crudely: Use it or lose it.

When the United States pushed American Indians off the land, the justification was that Indians didn't use the land productively or beneficially. This required a very narrow and self-interested definition of "productive" and "beneficial," of course: White farmers and ranchers believed they improved the land with their labor, regarding Indians as animals, having no more right to the land than a bear or a bird.

In 1812, the General Land Office began overseeing the disposal of the lands the United States government was busily acquiring in the West. The Preemption Act of 1841 and the Homestead Act of 1862 supplied guidelines for the disposal; the former gave land to those who were already farming it and the latter to those who applied to settle it. But the underlying principle was the same: Having taken the lands from the native peoples, the federal government was to be only a temporary steward of the land until it was given to a "productive beneficial" user.

Over the course of the 20th century, the federal government changed its position in response to environmental degradation, overcrowding, the need for multiple users to co-exist and a general demand that the public have access to public land. The General Land Office became the Bureau of Land Management, and after a piecemeal succession of laws and amendments, Congress convened a commission to reformulate the nation's public land law, from the top down.

The commission's 1970 report  "One Third of the Nation's Land"  argued that "most public lands would not serve the maximum public interest in private ownership" and urged the "reversal of the policy that the United States should dispose of  public domain lands." In 1976, Congress passed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, repealing most of the old disposal laws and dictating that public lands would be "retained in Federal ownership in perpetuity," except for special cases. Though the Bureau of Land Management leases the land for development and a variety of commercial uses, its official mandate is to keep the land open and accessible to all users, preserving it for the future.

The agrarian past is gone. The United States economy has not depended on farmers and ranchers for a very long time. Even LaVoy Finicum couldn't make ends meet as a rancher in the 21st century; his primary source of income, according to Oregon Public Radio, was the payment his family received for fostering children.

In the end, Finicum didn't die for the sake of liberty or the Constitution, but for an outdated, narrow and self-interested notion of how the West was won.

Aaron Bady is an editor at the New Inquiry. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times.
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By Jonathan Bernstein

We began with more than 20 Republican candidates. Seventeen formally announced. Eleven reached Iowa. Now six remain; and with Ben Carson going nowhere, only five have a chance to win the nomination. Here is how each of them could do that.

Donald Trump wins by repeating what he did in New Hampshire. As long as the rest of the field is split, he'll benefit in two ways: Negative ads will be aimed at other Republicans, and a third of the vote will be enough to win.

It remains an unlikely path. Losers drop out. Before long Trump will probably have only one or two opponents. This is bad news for a candidate who remains unpopular among many Republicans and appeared vulnerable to negative ads in Iowa. His ability to dominate the media has been his greatest strength, but that's tougher now than it was before Iowa, and it will continue to get harder.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wins by surviving as other candidates wash out, then by defeating Trump head to head. Rubio's setback in New Hampshire helps him. If Cruz can crush the Florida senator and the other mainstream conservatives in South Carolina, he'll be in good shape whether he beats Trump there or not.

The challenge for Cruz is his unproven ability to draw votes from the ideological center of the Republican Party and his prospects for dominating groups most likely to support him. He has a fair amount of support from party actors, but it is factional. And it can't help that so many Republicans who have worked with him can't stand the guy.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio wins if his post-debate collapse in New Hampshire turns out to be short term. He had a large lead over Jeb Bush and John Kasich nationally before Tuesday and in South Carolina in January, the last time its GOP voters were polled. If that holds, he'll knock Bush and Kasich out soon, and he remains the logical destination for most of their voters. That's the path he has been on all along: survive the early events, and appeal to the widest range of groups, eventually consolidating all of the anti-Trump and-or anti-Cruz vote.

He remains the most likely nominee right now, even though he has lost a lot of leeway. Another bad debate performance could doom him, as might anything that reinforces a view of him as an empty suit.

Most party actors are still sitting on their hands. Still, Rubio has more support from them than anyone else in the race, and that backing is not just from members of Congress. He now has a large lead in support from current and former state legislators. He has added about 100 endorsements from those state-level politicians in the last three weeks.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush wins if he surges off of his mediocre fourth-place finish in New Hampshire. His path to victory is basically the same as Rubio's. He moves up to a strong third (behind Cruz and Trump) or better in South Carolina and knocks Rubio and Kasich out, then consolidates anti-Trump and anti-Cruz votes.

He faces several hurdles that make success unlikely. We have little polling this week, but Bush still probably trails Rubio in South Carolina and nationally. If the press touts one candidate for his showing in New Hampshire (besides Trump), it's more likely to be Kasich than Bush. Republican voters just haven't liked Bush much so far, even though he's outspent everyone. Also a problem for Bush: In a three-way race with Trump and Cruz, his more moderate image and positions would make it tougher for him to compete for conservative and very conservative votes (in contrast to Rubio, who has positioned himself as more conservative).

Ohio Gov. John Kasich wins if his second-place finish in New Hampshire generates plenty of press attention, producing a surge of voter support, which in turn allows him to beat Rubio, Bush and Cruz in the coming contests. But he would need to do well even in conservative states, beginning in South Carolina. He can't win the nomination without that support.

A big theme of this election cycle is that any candidate can get a sudden surge. But so far there's no sign the Ohio governor is receiving one. Even if this happens, Kasich may just be too moderate to win. We'll know more when we get some post- New Hampshire polling. Kasich's campaign has talked about hanging on until some big Midwestern states vote in March, but that's not a winning path.

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.
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By Michael Gerson

COLUMBIA, S.C.  As Donald Trump's GOP opponents descend on South Carolina, they are running smack into a phenomenon.

In this state, Trump is riding a wave of adulation more common for rock stars, faith healers or South American dictators. His rallies run into the thousands  some in excess of 10,000  with cars parked for miles down the side of roads leading to venues.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster, who recently endorsed Trump, describes a woman waiting eight hours without eating to keep her place in the front of the crowd, and promptly fainting when Trump's speech began.

"Nineteen-year-old girls have him sign things and have tears in their eyes," says McMaster, tracing lines down his cheeks.

McMaster is what Trump hopes for the future: an establishment figure who has accommodated to his version of political reality. The lieutenant governor, courtly and dressed to the nines, was once South Carolina's attorney general and the chairman of the state Republican Party. Speaking to me in his office in the state Capitol, McMaster describes three recent rallies he attended with Trump.

"At each stop, Trump asked me, 'You have been in politics for decades. Have you ever seen anything like it?' Each time I told him, 'I have never seen anything like it.'"

What explains this level of enthusiasm? It is not Trump's political organization in the state, which local pros describe as more of a glorified advance operation. Trump's South Carolina co-chairman Ed McMullen explained Trump's appeal to me this way: "He is the alpha male who says exactly what is on his mind."

A revealing description, more biological than philosophic. Trump is running an exceptionally visceral campaign. His goal is not so much the inspiration of the country as the domination of the other candidates. And it has generally worked. They respond to his attacks, hush when he shushes them and envy his huge ... poll numbers.

Trump appeals fairly broadly in South Carolina. Many opponents of Trump I talked with in the state report having some relative who loves him. But there are lots of angry, rural white males at his rallies. They have reason to feel disadvantaged in our economy and overlooked in our politics. This is mixed here (as elsewhere) with baser motives.

On racial matters, according to one senior South Carolina Republican, Trump is using "not a dog whistle but a train whistle." His Muslim immigration ban was announced in Charleston Harbor, aboard the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. His questioning of Ted Cruz's faith because "not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba" was taken as an argument that Cruz is foreign, not one of us. And the Trump campaign's willingness to associate with Jake Knotts, the former state senator who famously called Gov. Nikki Haley a racial epithet, has been taken as a signal.

In South Carolina, Trump is encouraging elements of the party for which old times there are not forgotten. And this is clearly complicating Haley's attempt to reform and modernize the GOP here, symbolized by the empty spot on the front lawn of the statehouse where the Confederate battle flag once flew.

Everyone I spoke with in South Carolina who wasn't paid by one of the candidates (there are a few) believes Trump will win. And it now seems likely that Trump will be unstoppable in much of the South, the region that dominates the primary calendar through mid-March.

Republicans who remain unreconciled to the Trump dynasty now comfort themselves with one scenario. After the shock of early Trump victories wears off, some candidate in a winnowed field will need to rise and restart the race.

"Trump," this heretofore mythic figure will argue, "has won some early primaries in the South. But he has a ceiling of support  just 35 percent in the GOP  that dooms him with the national electorate. So, here I am, the only candidate who can unite the party and win a majority in November." At that point, the spigots of Republican money will open and the electoral terrain  in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, and eventually in New York and California  will dramatically improve.

All of which depends on two questionable assumptions. First, I can remember when Trump's ceiling was supposedly 25 percent. After a series of victories, it may rise again. Second, this scenario assumes that any of the mainstream candidates are capable of cutting the alpha down to size.

Michael Gerson's email address is michaelgerson@washpost.com.
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Chris Whitehouse is Secretary to the Conservative Group of Isle of Wight Councillors

The Isle of Wight is one of those quirky places which is almost, but not quite, a unitary authority in terms of responsibilities, whilst in size it is more like a District Council. This, exacerbated by the additional costs of doing business on an Island, creates all sorts of problems in delivering quality public services. However, it need not create quite as many as the current, dysfunctional Independent administration have achieved during their almost three years in office.

We have no local government elections this May. On the Island they are in May 2017. However, such is the disastrous record of the Independents, that the Conservative Group on the Council has begun its consultation process which, through a genuinely deep and wide dialogue with the Island Community will establish the priorities for our election manifesto next year.

We make no apologies for the fact that we are asking the people of the Island, whatever their own political views, to share with us their ideas for how we can, in the words of our document, make the Island the best place in the country to live and work.

The current administration includes, despite its independent brand, several leading Liberal Democrat Party activists and a hard-core of unreconstructed socialists. It lacks strategic vision. It is rudderless and it is failing.

Our Consultation Document , The Island Conversation, identifies the Independents record in office as seeing the Council bottom of national league tables for adult care, bottom of South East Region school league tables, failing to secure grant funding from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, slashing services, unnecessarily closing public toilets, abolishing free parking periods to the detriment of local retailers, making front line and backroom staff redundant, out of its depth in managing the important PFI contract with Island Roads, failing to engage with the business community, and lacking vision and innovation in economic development.

Our document invites the Island to consider our proposed priorities and to challenge us if they have better ideas, though we think there will be general widespread support for our commitment to protecting our community, preserving the environment, growing our economy, supporting our residents, and creating opportunity for all. We have posed 12 open questions:

Q1. Are our priorities outlined in this leaflet correct? (As an Island resident what is most important to you?)

Q2. What are the things the Isle of Wight Council does well?

Q3. What are the things in which the Isle of Wight Council performs badly, that it needs to improve or which it doesnt do at all, but should do?

Q4. What do you think we need to focus on in the future to deliver the kind of Council and services you want?

Q5. What should we be doing to deliver economic development for the Island?

Q6. How best can we boost tourism on the Island?

Q7. What is the best way to ensure we see appropriate housing development on the Island?

Q8. What do you not want to see happen on the Island?

Q9. Would you be prepared to contribute to the development of our Island and if so how?

Q10. How can we improve our education and training on the Island so that its the best it can be?

Q11. How can we improve our social services and health services so that they really meet the Islands needs?

Q12. Are there any other suggestions you would like to make to help us improve the council and life on the Island?

Obviously, Conservative councillors are working closely with our excellent Island MP, Andrew Turner, to make representations to the Minister about the special circumstances of the Island, but the fact remains that one of the biggest single reasons for the islands problems is the downright incompetence of the current Council Executive, which is propped up by Labour.

It blames everything on the Conservative Government and appear to have forgotten already the dreadful recession and lack of money we inherited nationally from Gordon Browns period in office as both Chancellor and Prime Minister. Ask anybody working in County Hall, theyll tell you that the Independents Root and Branch Review of the Council delivered nothing but a delay of a year in tackling the real budget challenges and a complete distraction of senior officer time. Had fundamental changes and restructures been introduced during that first year of their tenure, we probably wouldnt collectively face the severe problems that now arise.

We need to get away from the Vicar of Dibley style politics conducted by the Independents, where so much depends on personality clashes, vested self-interest and the collection of Special Responsibility Allowances. We should return to a professional, collective approach to tackling the Islands problems, and we need to harness the energy and enthusiasm of island businesses, organisations and residents.

As Conservatives we stand accused now of seeking to crowd-source the writing of chunks of our Manifesto to the people of the Island. The reaction of the Island media, and the positive immediate feedback from island businesses and residents to our launch suggests that its an approach, like open primaries, which could reinvigorate local politics. I strongly commend it to readers!
Iain Dale is Presenter of LBC Drive, Managing Director of Biteback Publications, a columnist and broadcaster and a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate.

The EU Referendum campaign continues  albeit with the Prime Minister still rigging things in his favour. He still feels free to opine on the issue, and yet bars any minister who takes a different view from speaking.

His ridiculously pathetic attempt to scare us into believing that the Calais Jungle would suddenly become the Folkestone Jungle was quite a sight to behold. Good for the French in immediately making it clear they wouldnt seek to rip up the bilateral arrangement, which has absolutely bugger all to do with the EU. The mayor of Calais was no doubt doing her nut.

The latest scare story comes not from Cameron but from Hilary Benn, who has tried to make out that Vladimir Putin would be secretly rather pleased if we left the EU. Youve got to laugh. As if Putin would give a toss either way.

There is a view that if the Prime Minister recommends we stay in (and lets face it, hes not going to do anything else) then thats game, set and match for the Remain campaign. I take a different view. If you have the political establishment, big business, the BBC, the Church and the beautiful people all advocating one thing, dont be surprised if the people do the exact opposite. Weve become a suspicious bunch and far less deferential to those supposedly know better than us.

But there is still a leadership problem for Leave. Those speaking out in favour of leaving still resemble people attending the disastrous John Redwood leadership election campaign launch in 1995. Where are those who can articulate why we should leave without frothing at the mouth and their eyes resembling the aftermath of a Ketamin intake?

Well, there have been two significant developments recently. First, David Davis gave a lengthy death by powerpoint lecture to the Centre for Policy Studies during which he carefully went through all the positive reasons for leaving, and scotching many of the scare stories. It was immediately interpreted as a bid to lead the Leave campaign. Whether it was or not (and I genuinely dont know), it could do far worse.

Secondly, Sarah Wollaston, previously a self-confessed Euro-enthusiast, wrote a brilliant article on Wednesdays Times articulating why she has decided that we now have to leave. She described Camerons EU deal as a threadbare offering and asks What use are emergency breaks when the driver has no control or red cards that have no credible chance of being deployed?

She concluded: If they are to have any hope of persuading the undecideds, the leave campaigns must settle their differences and inspire. We need a clear blueprint for Britain working alongside the EU in a constructive new partnership. We would join as the worlds fifth largest economy, not isolated but confident, outward-looking and open for business.

And this is the challenge for the Leave campaign. Unite, inform, inspire. Are they up for the challenge?

    

When youre in a campaign you need to want to win it. You need to look as if you want to win it. You need to have all guns blazing. Radiate optimism. Inspire your campaign workers.

At the moment, Zac Goldsmith is doing none of these. He looks as if hed rather be anywhere else but doing what hes doing. It appears that being in a bathtub with Mrs Brown would be preferable to sitting in a studio answering questions on his vision for London. Cameron needs to give Zac a lesson on how to appear being pumped up.

    

The common consensus is that Sadiq Khan is having the better of the campaign so far. But all is not lost by any stretch. Assuming that Zac discovers his Mojo, he also has a powerful ally. Dont laugh, but his name is George Galloway. Galloway knows he wont win, but he can inflict some significant damage on Khan in some of the inner London Boroughs.

I am told that his supporters are encouraging voters just to use their first preference vote, and leave the rest of the ballot paper blank. Neither of the main two candidates is likely to win on the first ballot. If enough Galloway supporters dont use their second or even third preferences for Sadiq, that could let Zac through the back door. Stranger things have happened.

    

In March I am publishing David Laws book on the history of the coalition. Its imaginatively titled Coalition. I finished reading the unedited manuscript recently. I know Im the publisher and I am biased, but it certainly doesnt disappoint. There is one politician who comes out of it very badly indeed and wont be a happy bunny. Such a tease

    

If youve never listened to the Alex Salmond Phone-in (Wednesday at 4 on LBC), youre missing a treat. This week Mr S couldnt remember his salary as First Minister and was challenged to a fight on air by a certain William Wallace of Brentwood.

Och aye, we even bring back people from the dead on LBC. Its no doubt part of the reason David Mellor and Ken Livingstone have a show! Just my little joke. I actually think their Saturday morning show is one of the best shows on the station. It ought not to work, but it really does. Tune in on Saturday mornings from 10 and judge for yourself. Class bantz.
Lewis Baston is author of Reggie: The Life of Reginald Maudling and several books about British general elections. He is a consultant on politics, elections and constituencies.

Last month, I wrote about the events of 30 years ago: the Westland scandal that divided the Thatcher government and caused two Cabinet resignations in early 1986. I allowed another anniversary to pass by, namely, the 110 years since the last Liberal overall majority was elected in the landslide of 1906. It is just about feasible that the same individual may have been able to vote both in the 1906 election and in the 1987 election that followed Westland  in the latter case as a man aged 103 or so, but there are few other threads linking the two.

The events of the 1906 campaign, and the broad shape of the results, are a familiar enough story. The Conservatives, tired, divided and beset by resignations after a long spell in government, stumbled into one of the worst defeats in their history. A chain of consequences was set in motion that led to the establishment of the welfare state, the rise of the Labour Party, Irish independence and the supremacy of the Commons over the Lords. It was quite an important election in historical perspective, but the coming of the 1906 election was the result of a rather strange manoeuvre that suggests that it was a bit of a game that got severely out of hand.

We are accustomed to the expectation that a sitting government calls an election at the end of its parliamentary term, and that if the election result is negative the Prime Minister then tenders the resignation of the government, or in some cases remains in office to explore the possibility of forming a coalition (1974, 2010) or faces parliament to be formally defeated (1886, 1892, 1923-24).

Occasionally, though, a novel variation can happen in that a government resigns and puts the other side in before an election takes place, even without suffering what would generally be regarded as a defeat on a vote of confidence. Gladstone and Rosebery did this in 1885 and 1895, essentially turning the keys of Downing Street over to Salisbury. It was therefore odd, but not unprecedented, for the Conservative Prime Minister Arthur Balfour to return them to the Liberals without a fight in December 1905.

Party leaders and strategists are often not very good at assessing events and tendencies in the other party. They sometimes believe their own propaganda and either underestimate their opponents, or else endow them with imagined near-supernatural powers of political manipulation in order to find psychologically satisfying explanations for losing. This happened even in the clubland environment of Edwardian politics where, despite the vicious intensity of party conflict ,the Liberal and Conservative elites were socially intertwined. The relative ease with which Campbell-Bannerman formed a broadly united Liberal government should not have come as a surprise, but it seems to have done. The issues that divided the Liberals in 1900 had slipped down the agenda and, by promoting Tariff Reform, Chamberlain had at once divided the Unionists and pushed the Liberals most unifying cause of Free Trade to the top of the agenda.

Free Trade also gained the Liberals the tacit or overt support of small-c conservative interests that normally favoured the Unionist cause, in the press and among the leaders of local society in rural and small town England. The Liberal Party organisation had revived strongly since 1900, and the party was ready to field an almost full slate of candidates in Great Britain, in contrast to 1900 when 163 Unionists were returned unopposed. The Liberals benefited from a surge in turnout and enthusiasm.

The Liberal landslide was enormous. The Conservatives and Liberal Unionists fell to 157 MPs, the worst-ever showing on the right hand side of the aisle (a little worse than 1997, when there were 165 Tories elected), against 400 Liberals and another 113 MPs from the Liberals allies among Labour and the Irish Nationalists on the other side. The electoral system, as it does sometimes, had produced a rather strange transformation in the votes cast, because the swing to the Liberals was greatest where they needed it most. Although on the face of it the Liberal lead in vote share was comparatively modest  49 per cent to 43.6 per cent for the Unionists  the electoral pact with Labour means that the Lib-Lab combination should probably be counted together to give the left 54.9 per cent support. But the reward in seats was still particularly high.

The principal holdouts of Conservative support in 1906 were Chamberlains fortress of Birmingham, although the Liberals did make inroads in the wider West Midlands; Liverpool and west Lancashire; central and west London; and Ulster. The 1906 election was the only time, ever, that the Tories have lost their majority of seats in south east England, with Liberal gains appearing in strange seats such as Chertsey, East Grinstead and Henley. These gains were transitory, and reversed at the next election in January 1910, but some aspects of the political map of 1906 stuck. Liberal strength in Lancashire and the west of Scotland was maintained in 1910 when southern England and rural areas flipped back to the Unionists; the map of 1910 was much more about class politics than the map of 1885.

The Balfour gambit was not quite as suicidal as it may seem to us now. While Roseberys resignation in 1895 led in short order to electoral disaster, Gladstones resignation in June 1885 had more ambiguous consequences because the Conservatives governed ineffectively for a few months before the election and the causes of Gladstones unpopularity in the summer had receded into memory. The three acts reforming elections passed during 1880-85  franchise extension, new constituency boundaries and tough laws against corruption  all meant that calling an election was more uncertain than usual, and that the Liberals would be likely to benefit. The Liberals won a big majority in Great Britain, something that had seemed very unlikely a few months previously, and it was only because of the fluidity of the Irish situation and British high politics that it all fell apart again so quickly in 1886.

Another factor making Balfours gambit seem reasonable was that Britain in 1906 was not a full democracy. The value of the prize at stake in an election was different for each party. A Conservative government essentially got to do whatever it wanted, while a Liberal government had to tiptoe around the power of the Lords with its entrenched wealthy, landowning interests and its outsized Unionist majority of 479 peers to 88 Liberals. The Tories had a back-stop against any Liberal measures that came too close to threatening their interests, and they used it militantly during the parliament of the Liberal landslide. They responded to their landslide defeat in 1906 with a notable lack of humility, Balfour stating that the great Unionist Party should still control, whether in power or opposition, the destinies of this great Empire, and F.E. Smith making his career with a maiden speech brimming with wit, defiance and chutzpah. If the Tories had won in 1910, after hobbling a majority Liberal government, Balfours resignation in 1905 might have seemed a brilliant longer-term version of what Gladstone had worked in 1885-86. It was not until the Parliament Act of 1911, which might not have happened had they been more restrained in 1906-11, that losing an election became a particularly serious matter for the Conservatives. It may be noted that the Tories got a lot better at winning elections from 1918 onwards.

The change of government in 1905-06 was probably the last time that a Prime Minister underestimated the importance of the power to dissolve Parliament, and indeed the inherent power of being the tenant of Downing Street. Part of the choreography of elections is to make it difficult for people to imagine the opposition party taking power, and to exploit the aversion to change among many electors. Admitting that youre having trouble governing, getting the Leader of the Opposition to try on being Prime Minister for size and him then announcing a few popular policies and call an electionit seems to break all the rules. But in rejecting the Balfour Gambit, our modern understanding of politics actually concedes that the other side might do a decent job of governing for a bit rather than being a chaotic disaster. If a Prime Minister really believed that the opposition were unelectable and incapable of governing, elections would be more frequent and would sometimes involve the Balfour Gambit.

But wait a moment. The rules about dissolutions were changed in 2011 by the Fixed Term Parliament Act. Early elections are still entirely possible, but they now require some parliamentary procedures that would have looked strange to Edwardians  major-party collusion to pass an election motion, or an engineered no-confidence vote. In the event of a hung parliament, an updated version of the Balfour Gambit might come into play either by accident or design. Imagine Government Party A, in the depths of unpopularity and recession, after successive Commons defeats, deciding to let Government Party B have a go. By exhausting the possibilities of the existing parliament, it would be in the (easily subverted, but still) spirit of the Fixed Term Parliament Act, and might have political benefits. Party A could prevent Party B from calling an election during the honeymoon period of the new government, and allow it to share a bit of the blame for bad times and get a buffeting from the smaller parties in parliament. Perhaps in 20 years time it will be easier to understand what Balfour, the mildly decadent author of A Defence of Philosophic Doubt, was up to in December 1905. Like the famous flap of the Amazonian butterflys wings, Balfours languid gesture may have had far-reaching consequences.
It's generally assumed that insurance rates will go up after you have an accident and file a claim, but by how much? More than you might think, according to a report by insuranceQuotes.com.

The survey found the average driver will face a 44% rate hike after a single claim of over $2,000.

The biggest increase would come if you happen to live in California. There, a driver making a first claim would face an average increase of 78%. Massachusetts and Wisconsin are nearly as expensive, with average rate hikes of 67% and 54% respectively.

On the other hand, claims are less expensive for drivers in Maryland, Michigan, and Oklahoma, who see their rates rise between 22% and 25%.

Second claim

If you have an accident and make a claim, the only worse thing you can do is have another accident and make a second claim. The study says your insurance rate will be twice as high as a driver without a claim.

Previous claims are a big factor in car insurance rates and can affect the amount you pay for years, Laura Adams, senior analyst at InsuranceQuotes, said in a release. If you get a rate hike for making a small claim, it could end up hurting your finances over the long run. In some cases, not making a claim can be a smarter move.

That's a hard concept for many consumers to grasp. You pay for insurance every month, so why can't you use it when you need it?

That's certainly a rational argument, but unfortunately that's not how the insurance system works. Insurance is all based on perceived risk  the chances you will file a claim that costs the company money.

Insurance companies believe that once you file a claim, chances are good you will file another at some point. Fair or not, under the concept of shared risk, you'll be penalized.

Judgment call

It becomes a judgment call when it makes economic sense to file an insurance claim and when it pays to pay for damage yourself. InsuranceQuotes.com has this handy calculator to help you figure it out.

Why have insurance at all if you are penalized for using it? Good question. In a majority of cases it would pay to self-insure, putting the money you would pay for car insurance each month into a savings account.

Unfortunately, your self-insurance policy would not be able to cover all potential accidents  which could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and liability.

That's why every state requires motorists to carry auto insurance, or pay into a state-maintained uninsured driver fund each month.

The best thing a driver can do is put the phone away and drive carefully.
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The ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere through plankton networks, and deposits it deep into the water, according to scientists from The Ohio State University.

The Tara Oceans Expedition, conducted its experiments through three years and was run by 200 experts examining the sea to better understand its residents---whether they be animals or microbial beings.

"We're trying to understand, 'Does carbon in the surface ocean sink to the deep ocean and, if so, how?'" Matthew Sullivan, who participated in the research, said in a press release. "The reason that's important is the oceans help mitigate our carbon footprint on this planet."

With the help of advanced genetic sequencing techniques, the team could identify the clusters connected to oceanic carbon depositing. They captured phytoplankton that is responsible for the deposition of carbon to "safe" resting spots.

"It's the first community-wide look at what organisms are good predictors of how carbon moves in the ocean," Sullivan said.

They found that viruses are also important, especially those that infect cyanobacteria cells.

"What was really surprising was that only a handful - less than 10 out of more than 5,000 - viruses seem to be specifically linked to carbon export. This means that we can now go after these key players specifically and try to characterize their impact on the ecosystem," he said.

The findings were published in Feb. 10,2016 issue of Nature.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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Troubling Zika updates suggest that the mosquito-borne virus appears to be linked to eye abnormalities among newborns that could ultimately end up in permanent vision loss or blindness. Scientists have recently discovered that more than a third of Zika-affected Brazilian babies examined since December 2015 have damages to their optic nerves.

In a study published in JAMA online, researchers at the Federal University of Sao Paulo carried out a careful thorough examination with a series of tests involving 29 newborns affected with the virus.

"These are severe retina lesions that will impede the ability of the children to see well. Many of these children could be blind," remarked lead author and ophthalmology professor Rubens Belfort as quoted saying by CNN.

As previously reported, Zika has already been a purported cause of microcephaly- a condition wherein babies are inherently born with unusually small head and brains. There are an estimated 4, 000 microcephaly cases in Brazil prompting the government to admonish women to delay or postpone pregnancy.

"Twenty-three of 29 mothers (79.3%) reported suspected Zika virus infection signs and symptoms during pregnancy, 18 in the first trimester, four in the second trimester, and one in the third trimester," wrote the research team as quoted in a report by the International Business Times.

According to Daily Mail, Zika has seen a massive upsurge in Latin America and Caribbean since news about the outbreak in Brazil broke out around April last year. Like its dengue and malaria cousins, the virus is carried by Aedes Aegypti mosquito with 20% of cases experiencing mild symptoms while most infected people just simply exhibited no symptoms at all.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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The largest drugstore chain in US, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has threatened to sack its partnership with Theranos Inc. unless the company specializing in blood-testing doesn't quickly fix the issues reported by federal inspectors at its California lab, reported the Wall Street Journal. Late last month Walgreens issued a warning in a letter to the blood-testing company, confirmed the people familiar with the matter. Walgreen spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.

The laboratory services offered by Theranos in partnership with Walgreens has been suspended on January 28th following the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid claim that the poor practices followed by Theranos at its Newark Lab posed "immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety". Theranos gained a lot of negative publicity after the Wall Street Journal report suggested that the blood-testing devices are not accurate that produce flawed results.

Theranos wellness centers, 40 of them, located in the Walgreens stores in Arizona are one of the leading revenue sources for the company and also acts as the most potent channel to reach the customers. However, this partnership is threatened by the latest reports and Walgreens is already negotiating its future with Theranos since the article published in Wall Street Journal in October, as reported by Reuters.

The two companies entered in a partnership with plans to offer blood tests all across the country with its more than 8,000 stores. However, the drugstore chain has stalled the expansion plans and stopped sending the blood samples of their patients to Theranos lab, putting a question mark on its relationship with the company. The two companies are still in talks, confirmed inside sources. Theranos claims that the findings of the inspection do not "reflect the current state of the lab." Theranos did not comment further on the matter, as reported by Market Watch

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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The Brazilian army will begin a door-to-door fight against the Zika virus.

On Saturday, roughly 220,000 soldiers will be handing out educational leaflets about the mosquito-borne virus with the hopes of preventing the number of cases of microcephaly, a birth defect that has been linked to the virus, from increasing. In Brazil, 404 confirmed cases of microcephaly have been tied to the virus. Another 3,670 cases of the defect, which is characterized by an abnormally small head and an underdeveloped brain, are being studied.

Information on the leaflets includes how to avoid mosquito bites, where the breeding grounds for mosquitos are and more. The soldiers are expected to reach more than three million homes in 350 cities.

The army will also be conducting a huge operation to kill Aedes aegypti populations across the nation. 50,000 soldiers and city health workers will also be using insecticides inside of people's homes. This type of mosquito transmits other viruses that can cause dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

"We have to protect the population, especially pregnant women, athletes and tourists who will come for the Olympic Games," the country's Defense Minister Aldo Rebelo said at a news conference Thursday.

Rebelo stated that by the summertime, the Zika virus should not be a problem. There is currently no treatment or vaccine for the virus, which was considered to be a mild infection before officials noticed a link between Zika and microcephaly. The virus has also been tied to Guillain-Barre syndrome. Several studies and projects to find a vaccine have started.

Symptoms of a Zika infection include a fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). In about 80 percent of the cases, symptoms will not show up, which is why it is important for pregnant women or women looking to get pregnant to consult their doctors if they think they could have been infected.

The 2016 Rio Games begin on August 5.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar Arrested On Sedition Charges And Remanded To Police Custody

By Countercurrents.org

12 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Jawaharlal Nehru University's students union was arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy. He was remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi Metropolitan Magistrate. The police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons. The police also placed on record a CD of the event, which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.

Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested allegedly for raising anti-India slogans at an event organised by the students to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in Tihar Jail on February 9, 2014.

He was arrested by the Vasant Kunj north police in south Delhi. Earlier on Thursday, police took suo-moto cognizance and registered an FIR against unknown students.

Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event. He claimed in the court that this was a politically-motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students union (JNUSU).

Kanhaiya Kumar said in a Facebook post said yesterday,

Friends, JNU is still best University of this country however ABVP/RSS and Swamy are doing their best to malign it. It is very shameful that the sanghi lumpens are trying to repeat the same thing which they have done in University of Hyderabad but we want to tell them we will not loose any #Rohith We will fight for democracy, for our constitution and the equal nation for all. In the name of Afzal Guru, ABVP is trying to divert all the issues to save the failure of the Central Govt.




NATO To Send Thousands Of Troops To Forward Bases In The Baltics And Eastern Europe

By Thomas Gaist

12 February, 2016

WSWS.org

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will expand its military infrastructure in Eastern Europe and deploy thousands of additional troops to areas bordering the Russian Federation, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday just prior to NATO discussions in Brussels.

The alliance agreed to a set of principles to enhance NATOs deterrence posture, Stoltenberg said in a statement to the media.

NATO officials agreed to various measures to enhance NATOs military positions in Eastern Europe, including more NATO bases, more pre-positioned military equipment, thousands of additional combat troops, and stepped up preparations for cyber and asymmetric war.

This infrastructure will serve as the basis for a new multinational vanguard force, tasked with leading continuous NATO war games along Russias western flank. The enlarged NATO presence is aimed at deterring Moscow, the NATO chief said.

Russia has used military force to change borders and threaten neighbors. We will have as much presence in the East as needed. We have to be able to defend all allies against any threat, he said.

The new force would be rotational and be complemented by necessary logistics and infrastructure, he said. The multinational composition of the force would make clear that an attack against one ally is an attack against all allies, Stoltenberg said.

These measures build upon the already staggering militarization of Eastern and Central Europe orchestrated by the NATO governments. During the past year, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has announced deployments of US military hardware and forces to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland. NATOs Rapid Reaction Force and other US and NATO forces joined with Lithuanian regulars to conduct exercises near the Russian border, including five simultaneous NATO war drills beginning on November 9.

The new force will come in addition to the NATO Response Force (NRF) established in 2002, and the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), formed as the lead unit of the NRF in 2014. As Stoltenberg boasted on Wednesday, NATOs Rapid Response Force has tripled in size since its formation.

NATOs elite armies will benefit from at least two new bases on the soil of NATOs Eastern allies, the NATO secretary announced.

NATO will decide on further increases to its armed presence in Eastern Europe during talks scheduled for June and July, Stoltenberg said. He went on to trumpet NATOs recent increase in military aid to Turkey and launch of an international military headquarters in Romania.

The US and European ruling elites are engaged in a predatory drive to intimidate, dominate and ultimately carve up Russia. Toward this end, they have carried out a general military buildup in Eastern Europe, Poland, and the Baltic states, seizing on the crisis produced by the US-backed February 2014 coup in Ukraine, and the ensuing secession of Crimea from Ukraine, to justify breakneck war preparations.

NATO faces pressure now on its eastern border and in the Mediterranean, and today we need to unite round a clear plan to deploy troops and ships to deter any aggression and the threats that weve seen. And we want to see faster deployment of those troops, British defense secretary Michael Fallon said Wednesday.

According to NATO strategists, the latest round of war preparations is intended to ready the alliance for both near term scenarios involving hybrid warfare against Russian-backed paramilitaries in the Baltics as well as a head-on confrontation with Russias military.

As the Center for Strategic and International Studies alleged in its recent report Evaluating Future US Army Force Posture in Europe, Russia is preparing to use guerrilla and asymmetric methods to probe NATOs weaknesses in the East.

In lines that could easily have served as the inspiration for Stoltenbergs new multinational force, CSIS warns that Russian strategy will be designed to remain below NATOs Article 5 (an attack against one is an attack against all) threshold.

At the same time, the CSIS planners envision the outbreak of conventional warfare, involving tanks, artillery, and all-out warfare aimed at seizing and conquering capitals.

Such cataclysmic scenarios are considered as inevitable within US ruling circles, as the actions of the US government make clear. The latest NATO escalations come barely one week after the Obama administration released plans to more than quadruple its allocations for US forces and military operations in Europe. On February 2, the White House authorized the Pentagons European Reassurance Initiative, or ERI, which includes nearly $3.5 billion in additional forces, weapons and training programs.

While continuing to pour vast sums into the Pentagons European projects, Washington also seeks to mobilize European and Middle Eastern militaries on behalf of its aims. The US wants more from its allies, US Defense Secretary Carter said Wednesday.

On the same day, Great Britain held military exercises in Jordan involving some 1,600 British troops and over 300 military vehicles. The drills were designed to prepare for the sudden deployment of 30,000 soldiers to Eastern Europe, military sources told British media.

This is much more about us being prepared to join the US in Ukraine than it is in Syria, an unnamed British Army Source told the Telegraph. Meanwhile, Washington is preparing actively for a nuclear confrontation with Russia.

The Pentagons fiscal 2017 budget unveiled this week allocates $3.2 billion for a nuclear modernization program to build up the US force of nuclear submarines, bombers, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) and nuclear-equipped cruise missiles. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a Department of Energy agency that handles development of nuclear warheads, is slated to receive another $12.9 billion. Military analysts estimate that the US is on track to spending more than $700 billion over the next 25 years on the US nuclear arsenal.




Israel/Palestine: Is It Too Late For Peace?

By Alan Hart

12 February, 2016

Alanhart.net



Before I offer my own answer heres a quick review of how things are and look like going.

* President Obama is not going to use the leverage he has to cause or try to cause Israel to end its defiance of international law and denial of justice for the Palestinians.

In the past I entertained some hope that in the last year of his second term he would do so, and there was quite a good reason for a small degree of optimism on my part. It was in what President Jimmy Carter once said to me. He explained that any president has only two windows of opportunity to take on the Zionist lobby and its stooges (I prefer to call them traitor agents) in Congress.

The first window is the first nine months of his first term because after that the fund raising for the mid-term elections gets underway. (In his first nine months Obama tried and failed to get a settlement freeze).

The second window is the last year of his second term if he has one. (President Carter didnt).

Because Obama has nothing to lose personally (accept perhaps his life) I think its not impossible that he would like to confront the Zionist lobby and those who do its bidding in Congress, but he knows that doing so would almost certainly have disastrous consequences for some Democrats who are seeking election or re-election to Congress. So he wont.

* There is no reason to believe that Obamas successor or any future president will ever have the freedom and the will to put Americas own best interests first and do whatever is necessary to try to oblige Israel to make peace on terms the Palestinians could accept.

That said, there could be a scenario for hope if the rules were changed to take big money out of the electioneering process  to prevent wealthy supporters of Israel right or wrong buying those seeking election or re-election to Congress.

But thats most unlikely to happen. President Kennedy tried several times to introduce legislation to prevent wealthy donors buying chunks of what passes for democracy in America, but on each occasion he was blocked. (The notion that America is a democracy in more than name is as ridiculous as Zionisms assertion that Israel has always lived in danger of annihilation).

* Those who believe that France, Britain, Germany and other European powers will one day get totally fed up with Americas refusal to call and hold Zionism to account and use the leverage they have to try to oblige Israel to be serious about peace on terms the Palestinians could accept are guilty of wishful thinking.

On the matter of confronting the Zionist monster or not the European powers will only follow America/s lead.

* The regimes of a corrupt, authoritarian and repressive Arab Order will never confront Zionism in any meaningful way and/or use the leverage they have to try to cause America to do so.

* The occupied and oppressed Palestinians have no credible leadership.

As Abdalhadi Alijla noted in a recent article for openDemocracy, Most of the occupied and oppressed Palestinians have no trust in Fatah, Hamas and the PA (Palestine Authority) in general.

His article was headlined Peace  a meaningless concept. And he opened it with this line. Peace now has no meaning and has been discredited as both a concept and a word. He added: Since Netanyahu came to power in 1996, peace has become a nauseating word.

* The BDS (Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions) movement is gathering momentum, and that in part is a manifestation of the rising, global tide of anti-Israelism which is being provoked by the Zionist states policies and actions, but Without the endorsement and participation of governments, BDS is most unlikely to be a game changer.

Taking account of what I have summarised above, and that Israel is stealing more and more Arab land and water and demolishing more and more Arab homes, my answer to my headline question is yes. I mean that as things are and look like going it is too late for peace based on justice for the Palestinians and security for all.

In my view theres a very strong case for saying that its actually been too late since November 1967 when the American-dominated UN Security Council surrendered to Zionism with Resolution 242. Because the Six Days War in June of that year was a war of Israeli aggression not self-defence, 242 ought to have required Israel to withdraw from the newly occupied Arab territories without conditions; and it ought to have put Israel on notice that it would be isolated and sanctioned if it settled the new Arab land it had grabbed.

Though 242 did pay lip-service to the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war, it left Israel totally free to determine how much if any of the newly occupied Arab territory it would withdraw from. In other words, this infamous resolution, which didnt even mention the Palestinians by name, put Zionism into the driving seat for any future negotiations.

As things are and look like going the reality on the ground in Palestine that became Israel, and the complicity by default of all the major powers (and the Arab regimes) in Israels on-going colonization, mean that the occupied and oppressed Palestinians have two options if their resistance is not be crushed at some point by a final Zionist ethnic cleansing.

One is to abandon their struggle for justice and either accept crumbs from Zionisms table in the shape of Bantustans on 30-40 percent of the West Bank which they could call a state if they wished, or pack their bags and leave to start new lives elsewhere.

The other is to seek to change the dynamics of the conflict by insisting that the PA be dissolved with full responsibility and complete accountability for occupation handed back to Israel.

As I have suggested in previous posts this would impose significant security, financial and political burdens on Israel. Its leaders would respond with ever more brutal repression which would cause the global tide of anti-Israelism to rise higher sand higher.

And that just could be enough at some point to cause the governments of the major powers (including the one in Washington D.C.) to say to each other behind closed doors something like this: Its not in any of our interests to let this conflict continue to fester because it is helping to fuel sympathy and support for violent Arab and other Muslim extremism in all its manifestations. We must now use the leverage we have to try to cause Israel to end its defiance of international law and be serious about peace on terms the Palestinians could accept.

It is, of course, possible that even if the dynamics of the conflict could be changed in this way, Israels nuclear-armed leaders would tell the whole world to go to hell. But we will not know for certain how Israel would respond to real international pressure unless it is applied.

As Thomas Friedman noted recently in the New York Times, Avigdor Lieberman, the former Israeli Foreign Minister and would-be prime minister, is one Israeli leader who is firmly on the record with the statement that he doesnt care what the world thinks about Israels policies and actions.

Last December at the Brookings Saban Forum on the Middle East he was asked a provocative question by Atlantics Jeff Goldberg.

Things are shifting radically not only in non-Jewish America but in Jewish America as it concerns Israel and its reputation. My question is: (A) Do you care? (B) What are you going to do about it? And (C) how important is it to you?

Lieberman replied:

To speak frankly, I dont care.

Israel, he went on to say, lived in a dangerous neighborhood, and to ram home his main point he added this:

I dont really care what American Jews and non-Jews think about Israel.

What I am saying in conclusion comes down to this. If the occupied and oppressed Palestinians insisted on the dissolution of the PA and handing back to Israel full responsibility and complete accountability for occupation, the answer to my headline question might not be yes.

Alan Hart is a former ITN and BBC Panorama foreign correspondent. He is author of Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews. He blogs at http://www.alanhart.net and tweets via http://twitter.com/alanauthor




JNUSU President's Arrest: Fascism In The Name Of Nationalism

By People's Union For Democratic Rights

12 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

People's Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR) strongly condemns the Delhi Police for arresting the JNU students union president, Kanhaiya Kumar today, 12th February, on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding a protest demonstration on February 9th against the judicial hanging of Afzal Guru, three years ago.

The events between 9th and 12th February demonstrate how the administration (including the University authorities) have caved in to the demands of the ABVP, the BJP led students party which has only one seat in the JNU students union. On 9th the ABVP protested against the event and termed it anti-national as pro-Kashmiri slogans were allegedly raised during the demonstration.

The ABVP subsequently organized protest demonstrations against what it termed as anti-nationalism both in JNU and in Delhi University. Significantly, the BJP leader from East Delhi, Maheish Girri, filed complaints with the police along with the ABVP on Thursday, 11th February, that led to Kanhaiya Kumar being arrested this morning. The NDTF, the teachers wing of the BJP in Delhi University also gave a call in tandem with the ABVP against Anti India and pro Pakistan/ pro Jehadi/ pro -Naxal activities in JNU. In another incident, S.A.R Geelani, lecturer -Delhi University, was booked for sedition for a speech delivered at the Press Club on 10th February during the course of a similar event.

The arrests it may be noted have been expedited by the explicit sanction given to the Delhi Police by the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh to take strong action against the organizers and participants of both these events. Judging by the speed of the police actions against Kanhaiya Kumar and SAR Geelani, PUDR wishes to strongly underscore the following points:

1. Afzal Guru was secretly hanged in February 2013. Terming a protest demonstration which takes place three years after as anti-national is not only vindictive but also proof of the growing fascist definitions of nationalism propagated by the BJP through its students and teachers wings.

2. The JNU authorities assertion that it believes in debate and dissent is ridiculous as it could have easily contained the altercation internally. After the altercation, it has deliberately chosen to make the technical point of permission into a political matter.

3. The comments by the Union Home Minister underline the fact that the Central Governments partisan interest in upholding the ABVPs viewpoint. In the Rohith Vemula case, students have repeatedly demanded action against the Vice Chancellor and the Union HRD Minister. Why did it not agree then? It is significant to remember that in the Hyderabad incident, the matter was first politicized by its MP, Bandaru Dattatreya, when approached by ABVP Hyderabad University unit president Susheel Kumar in August 2015, who levelled similar allegations of extremist and anti-national activities against students belonging to the Ambedkar Students Association.

4. The promptness shown by the police in using the sedition clause in the JNU case is proof of its partisan nature. While the colonial nature of the sedition clause of the IPC is obsolete and should be struck down, its continuous use against critics of the government, is an alarming instance of the coercive nature of the state machinery. The fact that the FIR is registered against unknown persons leaves scope for further arrests in the coming days.

5. Since the BJP and the ABVP have assumed that they alone are the custodians of nationalism, how do they defend the essence of Art. 19 of the Constitution, that deals with freedom of speech and association? This is a serious question and one which demands a debate: the definition of dissent and its role in democracy.

In the light of the above PUDR demands:

a. Immediate Release of the JNUSU President, Kanhaiya Kumar

b. Quashing of FIR and withdrawal of Sedition charges against unknown persons and S. A. R Geelani.



Moushumi Basu, Deepika Tandon

Secretaries, PUDR (pudr@pudr.org)




Dalit Struggles And Choice

By Cynthia Stephen

12 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

One of the queries raised by a senior retired government official from the Dalit community, who continues to engage with community issues well into his retirement, asked this question in the wake of the Rohith Vemula incident:

"Should Dalit energy be wasted for causes like protesting against execution of Memon, favouring beef eating and needless confrontations with ABVP ???"

I spent a lot of time mulling over this issue. Why did this valid question arise in the mind of our elder brother? I have not heard this question from anyone else in this entire very vexed debate. Most interlocutors seem to take for granted the fact of Rohith's involvement in larger issues as well as campus politics. Why then this question? I feel this is a valid question as it raises a number of issues of agency, voice, and representation.

At a pragmatic level this seems to be the most sensible approach, the question of responsibility to one's family and one's career. At another level it may be the issue of wasting Dalit energies on battle which is not directly impacting upon Dalit lives, such as the Yakub Memon issue. The family had struggled immensely and was perhaps seeing some light at the end of an economic tunnel when this happened. Should he have done this? Why couldn't he have just focussed on his studies and got a job and thus contributed to his family's and community's betterment?

Now as a consequence of his political stances he faced many challenges and finally decided that the best option was to leave his body. All of us have been impoverished by this loss.

I suggest that it was due to his thirst for justice and freedom, something larger than life itself, was the cause for his choice to take a strong position against the forces of casteism, communalism and discrimination. In this I believe he has followed in the footsteps of our Babasaheb. An article on 27th Jan in The Hindu partially addresses the meaning of Rohith's revolt: 'Can the subaltern speak for himself?' Thus the question is whether or not we should focus on our own studies and career and families or seek to address the larger issues of our birth and their attendant structural injustices as a representative of an affected huge and silenced minority?

I believe  after reading first person accounts of those who lived and worked around him  that he had a huge vision to be part of the larger project to build solidarities of the marginalized 'minorities' in this country, including the Dalits, Muslims, and any others who have been oppressed by the brahminical superstructure and wish to work together for liberation of the oppressed. His liberal convictions were also against the death penalty, causing him to join the protest against the carrying out of the sentence against Yakub Memon. That he was spectacularly successful was the reason for the paranoid reaction against him by the ABVP and the misguided interference in the matter by Bandaru Dattatreya, and the over-the-top response by elements within the MHRD. This exemplary force against one single individual had an expected result. Many attempts to see this as a matter of mental health, that he was depressed and hence did himself to death have been made, only to be rejected wholesale by all and sundry. He had given ample notice of his intentions in his letter dated 18th December to the VC, where he asks for rope, and poison to be given to the reserved category students who enter into the institute. It shows a condign dereliction of duty on the part of the then VC, P. Appa Rao, who chose to sit on the letter without taking any action at all. At the very least, he must have informed the Campus Medical Officer  himself a Dalit and who has now gone public about systematic harassment by the University authorities. This was not done, just one of a series of errors of omission and commission which resulted in the present outcome.

This lack of institutional sensitivity is the dead give-away to the marginalized masses, of the folly of continuing to place their faith in the institutions and structures of the mainstream which are  from all indications  implacably opposed to the democratic values of equality and non-discrimination. Can we believe that by students focusing on the present and future, without challenging the status quo, given the present and deteriorating situation for these values in India's institutions will still give us salutary results?

The last and most important aspect of this question of the individual's agency was his choice to identify with his mother's people, not with the ulterior motive of gleaning benefit but to link his destiny with them. Though his father was an OBC, after finding out that his wife was actually an SC, he began to ill-treat her more, ultimately causing the marriage to fail. This truth was sought to sully Rohith's struggle and integrity.

The writer of the article 'Crossing caste lines' below addresses this.

Thus it is a question of whether we should hunker down and work on our own - this choice is made by most people. It is for only a few to become conscious of the stardust in their makeup, and to live up to the glorious destiny this enables them to aspire for.

Rohith was granted that consciousness and made his choice. The far-reaching effects of that personal choice may yet be unfolding before us.

Cynthia Stephen is an Independent Writer and Researcher.




The People Make The Peace: Vietnam's Lessons For Today

By Steve Thornton

12 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Last year there were 3,343 events scheduled to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. In 2016 there are more to come. They are all funded by the Pentagon and its partners.

Most are reunions and DAR banquets. But the Vietnam War Commemoration, authorized and funded by Congress back in 2008, is not really about honoring veterans. The Pentagons purpose is to rewrite the history of the War.

That's why it is so important to read The People Make the Peace, recently published by Just World Books. It chronicles a 2013 trip to Vietnam by nine U.S. antiwar activists. Their first-hand accounts bring to a new generation some much needed clarity about our countrys criminal involvement in Southeast Asia.

The contributors were among 200 Americans who traveled to Vietnam during the course of the War, in spite of the dangers they faced there and the consequences that awaited them back home. The trip of the Hanoi 9 (as they have dubbed themselves) was organized by Karin Aguilar-San Juan and Frank Joyce, both authors and activists in their own right. The two open the book with a sharp analysis about the state of American memory and the War. They point out, for example, that while the Civil Rights movement has held plenty of symposia to debrief and record collective experiences, the Vietnam antiwar movement has had precious few. This leaves a vacuum that Pentagon war apologists are racing to fill.

The center of the book (and its title) is the People's Peace Treaty, one of the many creative and powerful tactics devised by the U.S. antiwar movement. The Paris peace talks had been dragging on for two years when in 1970 students from around the country organized a people-to-people initiative that they eventually took to Saigon and Hanoi.

The next year the people's treaty gained traction when 188 college campuses used it as a focal point for protest. It was endorsed by a wide range of public figures and entertainers. Progressive members of Congress such as Bella Abzug and Ron Dellums introduced a resolution supporting the grassroots effort in 1971. Three of the book's authors played central roles in organizing the students international campaign. Jay Craven, Doug Hostetter and Becca Wison describe their organizing within the context of the other antiwar actions taking place at the time, which helps to keep this one project in perspective.

The writers in The People Make the Peace represent different political trends. Alex Hing, for example, was a self-described revolutionary nationalist. He recalls his development from Chinatown poverty, to San Franciscos Free Speech Movement and SCLC Poor People's Campaign, to the Red Guard Party (formed by the Black Panthers), and finally his union activism with the Hotel workers. He traveled through Vietnam and Korea, and as part of the first U.S. delegation to visit China since the 1949 revolution led by Mao Zedong.

John McAuliff was a conscienous objector whose alternative service was to work for Goodwill (he printed antiwar material on their presses). McAuliff surveys the work done after the war to normalize relations with Vietnam and the frustrating attempts to maintain support for those efforts among the American public. Writer and journalist Myra MacPherson explores Vietnam past and present through the eyes of American ex-soldiers, all members of Veterans for Peace. Nancy Kurshan was a co-founder of the Yippies who links the torture and Tiger Cages of South Vietnam to the development of the U.S. prison system.

The words of Madam Ngyuen Thi Binh are saved for last. This extraordinary revolutionary, still active at 88, welcomed the peace veterans to Hanoi. A freedom fighter as a young woman, she was jailed and tortured by the French even as their colonial grip on her country was slipping. Madame Binh led the Vietnamese delegation in Paris when the Peace Accords were signed in 1973, formally ending the War.

There is an added benefit to this volume, a scrapbook of sorts. Scattered through the pages are personal documents from private collections of the writers and other prominent activists. There's a page from the antiwar comic book Julian Bond created after he was kicked out of the Georgia legislature for opposing the War; a photo of Judy Gumbo leading a women's march at the 1972 Republican Convention; Rennie Davis presenting to the President of Vietnam a framed photo of the 1971 May Day actions in Washington. Each photo and leaflet is a story in itself, often moving and enlightening.

In addition, the book provides a good list of resources-- groups, books and films-- that can be used to counter the Pentagon's whitewashing of what the Vietnamese call The American War. A recurring theme among the Hanoi 9 is the disastrous, ongoing effects of Agent Orange and unexploded ordinance. This resource guide lists groups with whom the reader can get involved.

In an unintentionally humorous disclaimer, the Pentagons Vietnam website states that its content is evaluated for fairness and acceptability as being in the best interest of the public. Yes, the military knows what's in your best interest. It pledges not to contain misleading information or unsubstantiated claims, or be in conflict with our [Department of Defense] stated mission or policies.

And yet, when I used the sites research engine, I could not find the following terms: My Lai Massacre, President Diem Assassination, Operation Phoenix, CIA, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, or Agent Orange.

In fact, this self-serving effort by the military establishment is rife with errors and omissions. Most notable are the lies about the so-called Gulf of Tonkin incident that provided cover for the U.S. Congress to declare war. One can spend a long time reading documents on www.VietnamWar50th.com without ever learning the most significant aspects of the Conflict. American involvement in Vietnam, if the sites downloadable fact sheets are to be believed, was nothing short of noble.

Buy The People Make the Peace. Read it and share. Use it in your school curriculum. Learn its lessons. There are plenty more wars coming, and we will need the passion, courage and stamina of the Vietnam generation to help stop them.

The People Make the Peace, Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement

Karin Aguilar-San Juan and Frank Joyce, editors

Just World Books, 2015, 268 pages

Steve Thornton is a retired union organizer who writes for the Shoeleather History Project (www.ShoeleatherHistoryProject.com). His first arrest took place in 1972 at Sikorsky Aircraft in Connecticut, which produced Army helicopters for the Vietnam War.




Quality Of Components In Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant In India -

Case Study Of The Defective And Prematurely Aged Polar Cranes

By VT Padmanabhan

12 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

During the two and a half years of its operation, the first reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP-1), built jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and the Russian company Atomstroyexport (ASE) has not reported any serious accident. This first and only operating pressurized water reactor (VVER-1000) belonging to Generation-III is advertised as the safest reactor in the world. There are plans to build four more reactors of similar vintage at the same site located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Tamil Nadu state of India.



During the 840 days of its grid connection (on 22 October 2013), the reactor worked for 372 days, tripped (forced outage) for 20 times and was off-grid for 468 days and its capacity factor has been less than 25%. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) attributes these as teething problems due to novelties in the design. The issue of sub-standard and counterfeit components and equipment used at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) has been under discussion for the past four years. In the light of the dismal performances of the first unit (KKNPP-1) which has been grid connected in October 2013, Dr A Gopalakrishnan, the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) reiterated that KKNPP-1 was one of (the) dangerous reactors in the country, the components that went into the construction of the unit at Kudankulam were not checked properly for quality, n there was no proper quality check on the components used for the reactor, and no one knows which part of the KKNPP is going to breakdown and on which day.[1]



The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) claimed that unflinching commitment to quality and safety are the hallmarks of Indian nuclear power plants. Quote from the letter No NPCIL/CP&CC/2016/M dated Feb 03 2016:

This case study of the polar cranes installed in KKNPP reactor buildings is a live testimony of the quality assurance programme of NPCIL and the role of AERB in ensuring this.



The Polar Crane



The polar crane of KKNPP weighs 600 tons and according to the Russian manufacturer, its nominal and maximum hoisting force is 350 tons and 450 tons respectively. The first use of the polar crane is for the erection of nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) equipment such as the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), pressurizer and steam generators (SG). It will be also used for repairs of equipments and transportation of hazardous loads such as spent fuel.[2] This is a safety grade component which moves on a circular rail above the reactor shaft to perform transportation and hoisting operations anywhere in the reactor building. Safety grade means that it has a role in prevention and mitigation of accident, besides the role in normal operation.



The Crane according to AERB in 2008



The ship carrying the first crane reached the Kudankulam mini port in January 2005 and on 25 October 2005, the NPCIL said that erection of the "polar crane and other equipment were under way"[3] The AERB annual report for 2007-08[4] recorded that its Advisory Committee for Project Safety Review (ACPSR) held four meetings and reviewed the problems observed in polar crane erection and implementation of corrective measures. (page 8) The narration of the problems and their remedial actions given on pages 12-13 of the same report: "As per the joint protocol between the Site (NPCIL) and the Russians", it was decided to temporarily limit the maximum load capacity of the polar crane up to 332 Tons due to tilting of the main hoist fork under a load of 350 Tons. The polar crane was then released for the erection of steam generator (SG), reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and pressurizer for unit-1. Suitable modifications were incorporated to eliminate the problem subsequently (pages 12-13). (Italics ours)

AERB and NPCIL about the crane in 2015



So in 2008, the maximum load capacity of the crane was 332 tons against its nameplate capacity of 450 tons. Seven years later, in 2015, the AERB and the NPCIL gracefully replied to the queries about the capacity of the polar cranes of the two reactors at KKNPP and excerpts from their replies are given below:

The AERBs letter dated 20 November 2015 said: as the activity at that time (in 2008) was only limited to handling of SG, RPV and pressurizer, all of which have weight <332 t, hence temporarily AERB agreed to restrict the safe working load (SWL) of polar crane upto 332 T and subsequently, site installed permanent stoppers for eliminating the problem of inadmissible tilt of main hoist and then polar crane was permanently re-rated back to 350 T capacity. This was checked during regulatory inspections.[5]



The NPCIL letter dated 11 December 2015, informed that the hoisting capacity of the polar cranes at KKNPP-1 and 2 is 320 tones.[6]

The capacity of the cranes in 2008 was 332 tons. Seven years later it increased to 350 tons according to the regulator and decreased to 320 tons according to the operator. The regulator gives the credit for increasing the capacity to the remedial action by the NPCIL, while the latter is totally unaware of this and says that the hoisting capacity has actually been reduced by 12 tons.



Manufacturing history



According to the manufacturer it is the first time that cranes meeting such stringent requirements are manufactured in Russia.[7] Media reports from Russia show that the NPCILs quality assurance (QA) experts posted in Russia had done their QA job with textbook precision. A report dated 26 March 2004 states that on March 19, 2003, they visited the UHMEW for auditing the manufacturing capabilities and signed the protocol.[8] Fifteen months later, www.nuclear.ru reported that an an acceptance-transfer test on 17 August 2004 showed that the first polar crane "complies with stringent technical requirements,[9] and it was shipped to India on 17 December 2004.[10]



During 2005-11, UHMEW manufactured 125 small and large cranes, of which, 57 were supplied to Kudankulam. The polar cranes supplied to KKNPP are not mentioned in the list of cranes manufactured by it. UHMEW did not manufacture a polar crane for any other NPP either.[11] But they are still ready to make them for India as this February 2015 website entry affirms: it has delivered for the Indian NPP two circle (polar) cranes with lifting capacity of 350+190/32 tons and the references obtained will allow us to have advantages when participating in tenders for manufacturing equipment for the third and the fourth power generating units for the Indian station.[12]



The Russia-India joint protocol for Quality Assurance



The AERB annual report mentions about the the joint protocol between the Site (NPCIL) and the Russians in which the issue of polar crane was resolved. The exact agenda, date and venue of this protocol is not known. But there are some details about a VVIP conclave at Kudankulam, two months before the commissioning of the polar crane. On 23 January 2007, The Hindu reported that the Russian Minister for Atomic Energy (currently the chief of Rosatom, the Russian civil nuclear manufacturing conglomerate) Sergie Kirienko visited Kudankulam two days before the Delhi visit of the President of the Russian Federation. He held discussions with Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar and top officials of the NPCIL including its CMD S.K. Jain, Director (Projects) S.K. Agrawal and Project Director (KKNPP) K.C. Purohit after inspecting the RPV installed in the first reactor.[13] Inspection of equipment is done by specialists; Kirienko is a bureaucrat turned politician turned businessman. The polar crane of KKNPP-1 was commissioned in April 2007, two months after this conclave.



Here, two brand new cranes with a name-plate capacity of 450 tons could lift only 332 tons. About the crane for the second reactor, AERB says that some base metal defects and weld defects were observed at site for polar crane for unit-2, which were not observed in the manufacturing plant" and "these defects were rectified at site.[14](Ref 46 pp 12-13) We will revert to the quality culture of DAE and NPCIL after a brief description of what two other regulators say about the safety significance of the polar crane.



The Safety significance of the polar crane



The Finnish regulator, STUK says that there are tens of cranes in use at the nuclear power plant, but only the (polar) cranes used in the transfer of nuclear fuel or in other safety significant lifting operations are under its special control."[15] No wonder the Indian regulator held four advisory meetings on the issue.



A US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Survey of Crane Operating Experience at NPPs during 1968-2002 shows an increase in load drop events involving overhead cranes during 1992-2002.[16] KKNPP-1 polar crane started shivering -an ageing effect- even before the erection. According to another NRC study the principal safety concerns related to heavy load handling, involve load drops that damage either the spent fuel storage facilities, the fuel in RPV, or the residual heat removal capability while the plant is shut down with fuel in the reactor vessel. If a floor breach were to occur during a load drop, safety-related components located on the lower floors could be adversely affected. A load drop that penetrates the operating floor in certain areas could simultaneously initiate an accident and disable the equipment necessary to mitigate the accident.[17]

The Role of AERB in Quality Assurance

The AERB has been involved in literature survey on quality assurance in nuclear plants since at least 1993 and it has so far published 10 guidelines on this topic. The AERBs QA Guidelines (2009 revision) assigns only a minor insignificant role for the regulator, as the ultimate authority on QA of nuclear installations in India is the responsible organization (RO). The RO is the organization having overall responsibility for siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of a facility. By this definition, QA is the responsibility of the NPCIL. While in other countries, safety significant components are manufactured under the supervision of the regulator, the AERB does not mix up with the contractors. For instance, 2003 the AERB wanted to know the elemental balance sheet of the steel that was used for the fabrication of the KKNPP reactor pressure vessel. The NPCIL replied only years after the arrival of the RPV. All what the AERB does in the field of quality assurance is the regulatory inspections at the construction sites. During 5 years between 2004-08, components weighing about 50,000 tons were received from Russia and the AERB conducted 15 regulatory inspections KKNPP-1.

What happens if substandard components are detected? The product or process that does not conform to the specified requirements shall be identified, segregated, controlled, recorded and reported to an appropriate level of management within the organisation and the impact of non-conformances shall be evaluated and non conforming products or processes shall be either (a) rejected, (b) repaired, (c) reworked, (d) accepted with modifications, or (e) accepted as is.[18]



This evaluation has to be done by the NPCIL and that is what happened in the case of polar cranes. The AERB detected the defects, held four advisory committee meetings and informed the NPCIL accordingly. The NPCIL evaluated the defects, held a high level joint protocol between the DAE/NPCIL and the Rosatom and accepted the cranes as they were. There it ends. One does not need more evidences for assessing the quality assurance culture of NPCIL. There are a couple of other instances too, as the polar crane is not the only junk piece of equipment installed at KKNPP.



The quality-safety conscious scientists of AERB committee succeeded in holding back the underperforming crane for two years. That was their self-imposed limit as per AERBs own Safety Guideline. They also recorded their findings and experiences for posterity, so that they will not be blamed if the unthinkable happens. Those 50 odd words speak volumes on the quality and safety culture of the Department of Atomic Energy. In spite of the absence of autonomy and whistle-blower protection, the AERB scientists have done their best, and kept the KKNPP safety debate alive with their cryptic comments in so few words.



DAEs Quality Control in the Courts



The issue of safety of the components at KKNPP was raised in the writs and appeals in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India. The Hon'ble Mr.Justice P.Jyothimani and the Honble Mr.Justice M.Duraiswamy wrote in their judgment dated, 31.8.2012 in W.P.Nos.24770 etc in the Madras High Court:

It is seen that at various stages of commissioning of the plant, the AERB acts as a continuous supervisor, being an expert body, and at every point starting from the initiation of the nuclear power plant, apart from other plants like heavy water plants; Uranium/Thorium processing and fuel fabrication plants; mining and processing of radioactive ores and minerals; the Code contemplates various stages of consenting process, namely siting, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning.[19]

The affidavit submitted by Soumen Sinha, scientific officer of the AERB in the Special leave petition (Civil) No 36179 of 2013 in the Supreme Court of India, contains a copy of the AERB Safety Code No AERB/NPP/SC/QA (pages 45 to 82). If the Honourable Judges had read this 37 page document, would they have painted a larger than life image of the AERB as a continuous supervisor and dismissed the concerns of poor quality control at KKNPP? Incidentally, the details of the polar cranes and other obsolete equipment at KKNPP were available in the public domain during the hearings.[20]



Conclusion



NPCILs reply to the query under the Right to Information Act shows that the hoisting capacity of the cranes has decreased by 12 tons (from 332 tons to 320 tons) during seven years post-erection. The AERB says that some of the equipment inside the RB weigh 330 tons. This means, KKNPP does not have a functional polar crane. Is it safe to run this reactor? Time for another joint protocol between the DAE and the RF?



The aged and shivering polar crane will not initiate an accident in the immediate future as it has no role to play in the day-to-day operation of the plant. Nevertheless, the DAE/NPCIL/AERB may consider responding to this specific safety issue, point by point. Quotes from textbooks on QA are good for kids writing their term papers.



As mentioned earlier, there are other safety grade components whose defects were revealed since the first failed attempt of fuel-loading of the reactor in September 2012. Most of them were fabricated in the Soviet Union during the 1980s and were rendered surplus due to the post-Chernobyl cancellation of over two dozens of VVER-1000 reactors. A very important item in the primary coolant was maked in India by poorly qualified welders with no certification in nuclear-grade welding. Some of the items were damaged and replaced by the manufacturers. We will continue our gossips about the safest, Generation-III reactor in the world. In the mean time, please remember that the warranty period of the KKNPP-1, reactor which has already expired on 30 December 2015, has been extended for another three months. Let us pray that the operators of the reactor will not be unduly pressurized to deliver, as they are dealing with the confined spaces with high pressure, containing toxins that can inflict unacceptable and unimaginable sufferings to millions of people.

VT Padmanabhan, a member of the Nuclear Consultancy Group (NCG) has been writing on nuclear safety and health effects (genetic and somatic) of ionizing radiation. All his reports on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant have been published in the Countercurrents.org Most of his published works are available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Padmanabhan_VT.



Email : vtpadman@gmail.com

[1] The Hindu, January 31, 2016. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/kudankulam- plant-not-safe-without- proper-quality-checks/article8173932.ece

[2] IAEA, 2013, Status report 107 - VVER-1200 (V-392M) (VVER-1200 (V-392M)) http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Downloadable/aris/2013/35.VVER-1200%28V-392M%29.pdf

[3] The Hindu, 25 October 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/25/stories/2005102506040500.htm

[4] AERB Annual Report 2007-2008. p 8, www.aerb.gov.in/T/annrpt/2007/annrpt2k7.pdf

[5] AERB letter No AERB/RSD/RTI/Appl. No 646/2015/6530 dated 20 Nov 2015, addressed to VT Padmanabhan

[6] SK Shrivastava, 2015, NPCIL letter No MPCIL/CPIO/MUMBAI-HQ/685/2015/1572/711 dated 11 Dec 2015 addressed to VT Padmanabhan

[7] Tests of the second polar crane manufactured by Uralmashplant are successfully completed at Kudankulam NPP in India, 14.12.2007. http://www.uralmash.ru/eng/presscentre/news/aboutnews.htm?news=37

[8] Uralmashzavod manufacturing capabilities for NPP Kudankulam equipment were inspected .21.03.2003. http://www.nuclear.ru/eng/press/other_news/1800136/

[9] Polar crane for Kudankulam NPP accepted. 17.08.2004. http://www.nuclear.ru/eng/press/other_news/1800949/

[10] http://www.nuclear.ru/eng/press/other_news/1801140/

[11] United Heavy machinery , 2011, Precise Solutions For The Heavy Industry http://www.omz.ru/media/press-center/OMZ_2011_eng.pdf

[12] http://www.omz.ru/en/news?id=511

[13] http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/23/stories/2007012316701200.htm

[14] AERB Annual Report 2007-2008. pp 12-13 www.aerb.gov.in/T/annrpt/2007/annrpt2k7.pdf

[15] http://www.stuk.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/2006/en_GB/news_419/_files/89665450803012526/def ault/investigationreport.pdf

[16] Lloyd, RL, 2003, A Survey of Crane Operating Experience at U.S. Nuclear Power Plants from 1968 through 2002. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1774/sr1774.pdf

[17] US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2005, NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2005-25: Clarification of NRC guidelines for control of Heavy Loads. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/reg-issues/2005/ri200525.pdf

[18] AERB Safety Code No. AERB/NPP/Sc/Qa (Rev. 1) Quality Assurance In Nuclear Power Plants Approved by the Board on January 16, 2009 http://www.aerb.gov.in/AERBPortal/pages/English/t/publications/CODESGUIDES/SC-QA1.pdf

[19] The Hon'ble Mr.Justice P.Jyothimani and The Honourable Mr.Justice M.Duraiswamy, 31.8.2012 W.P.Nos.24770 and connected Miscellaneous Petitions in Madras High Court

[20] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237087081_Counterfeitobsolete_Equipment_and_

Nuclear_Safety_issues_of_VVER-1000_Reactors_at_Kudankulam_India




Israel - A Zionist "Ghetto" Against "Wild Beasts"



By Dr. Ludwig Watzal

11 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Israel is walling itself in with fences (90 percent) and a Zionist Protective Wall in order to protect itself against "wild beasts" that apparently encircle Israel, as Premier Benyamin Netanyahu stated during a visit to a construction site on its Eastern border to Jordan. Large parts of this barricade were being built on Palestinian Occupied Territory, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague ruled on July 9, 2004 "contradicts International Law".

Netanyahu's racist statement should not surprise anyone, called Ehud Barak, a former Israeli Premier, years ago Israel "a Villa in the Jungle". Netanyahu continued saying: "At the end, in the State of Israel, as I see it, there will be a fence that spans it all. Ill be told, this is what you want, to protect the villa? The answer is yes. Will we surround all of the State of Israel with fences and barriers? The answer is yes. In the area that we live in, we must defend ourselves against the wild beasts. The existing gaps in the wall will shortly be sealed too. Netanyahu is famous for his racist statements. Before the last Israel election, he said about Israeli Palestinians whom he describes as "coming out in droves".

What makes this kind of racism so dangerous are Israel's huge arsenal of atomic warheads. On September 21, 2003, David Hirst quoted in the British newspaper "The Observer" Israeli military historian Martin van Creveld, Professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as saying: "We possess several hundred atomic warheads and rockets and can launch them at targets in all directions, perhaps even at Rome. Most European capitals are targets for our air force. Let me quote General Moshe Dayan: 'Israel must be like a mad dog, too dangerous to bother.' I consider it all hopeless at this point. We shall have to try to prevent things from coming to that, if at all possible. Our armed forces, however, are not the thirtieth strongest in the world, but rather the second or third. We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that that will happen before Israel goes under."

Speaking of walls, not only Israel is building them, at the moment, they are the ant's pants in some European countries to protect themselves against refugees from the Middle East. Naftali Bennett from the right-wing Jewish Home Party criticized Netanyahu's plans saying: No fences are needed because in "Australia or New Jersey there is no need for fences". Mr. Bennett, in New Jersey or Australia there aren't "wild beasts" living. Or does Bennett wants to expand Israel further North and East? Criticism from the US or European countries is not expected.

Dr. Ludwig Watzal works as a journalist and editor in Bonn, Germany. He runs the bilingual blog

http://between-the-lines-ludwig-watzal.blogspot.de/




SHARE "Maize Vaise" by Tony Treadway. "Bread Pudding Filter" by Jeremiah Ibarra.

By Kelly Gifford of the Courier and Press

The Sarah Campbell Blaffer Ceramics Studio in New Harmony has stood relatively idle in recent years. Other than workshops here and there or other programming from the universities, the studio hasn't housed much consistent programming.

Docey Lewis, a board member of the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation, approached Lenny Dowhie and several others about brainstorming ideas to use the studio regularly with artists wanting time to focus on creating new bodies of work in an artistically-oriented town such as New Harmony. The idea sparked the Ceramics Residency in New Harmony that began last fall and continues through April. The artists' work is also on display at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art through Feb. 20, with a closing reception from 4-6 p.m. that night at the gallery.

"It was really a bunch of us bouncing ideas around and the residency stuck in our minds," said Dowhie, who built up the ceramics program at University of Southern Indiana for more than three decades. "We thought New Harmony would be a great space for artists to come and explore their work and be part of a community that would allow them to be creative and enjoy living in."

Dowhie said he; Erik Arneberg, the grandson of Jane Blaffer Owen, and Arneberg's wife Lora, as well as the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation, helped fund the residency and organize accommodations and materials. The program provides all materials, a space to work, accommodations for the duration of the residency and a stipend to help with any other costs. Despite being in its first year, the residency attracted many applicants, four of whom were selected to join the program for a select amount of time during the program's first year.

Dowhie wanted the residency to be flexible and relatively hands off on his part. He said allowing the artists the chance to make the most of their time in New Harmony and create a schedule that works for them was more conducive to creating their best work.

Jeremiah Ibarra, a ceramic artist from Texas, was drawn to the residency because it would allow him the time to develop his work after graduate school. He was originally supposed to finish the program at the end of December but extended his stay to continue developing his portfolio. Ibarra works in ceramics as well as mixed media creating sculptures that incorporate not only his ceramic skills but sewing as well.

"The residency has allowed me to explore new ways of putting my skills together and work in environments that I haven't tackled yet," Ibarra said. "I've learned so much more. I've gotten to explore incorporating color in my clay differently, working in higher heats and different surfaces."

Ibarra's extended stay with the residency was not the norm for the other residents. Tony Treadway, Mark Lyman and Anne Meszko all attended the residency but for a much shorter time to work with their schedules.

The residency was not just a way for artists from across the nation to have time to develop their work. The artists coming and experiencing New Harmony benefit the historic town as well.

Garry Holstein, director of the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, said residencies are beneficial in creating opportunities to create a dialogue about the cultural landscape of a region. He added that the new ideas and influences from artists helps enhance the culture of New Harmony and exposes the town to developing more relationships.

Holstein is glad the gallery got involved with the program by showcasing the work of the first year residents because the relationship can only grow and develop from here.

"The residency is just one example of strategic programming meant to build connections within the community and the region," Holstein said. "The program is in the early stages of development, which is an exciting time to be involved. As it evolved, I anticipate that here will be a lot of opportunities to collaborate in different ways."
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By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy Wednesday afternoon after he was accused of rape by another teen.

Authorities identified the suspect as Deontre J. Drake, of Evansville. He was preliminarily charged with rape and was automatically waived to adult court.

Police were called to the St. Mary's Medical Center, where the alleged victim, a 16-year-old girl, had sought treatment, according to the probable cause affidavit. The girl reportedly told police investigators that Drake said he needed help because he was locked out of his grandmother's house.

When the girl went to the home, Drake hugged her and then picked her up and carried her inside the residence, according to the affidavit. The girl told investigators that she then tried to leave, but Drake grabbed her and pulled her pants down. After that, Drake allegedly pulled his own pants down and forced himself on the girl.

The girl also showed investigators several text messages that she said were from Drake apologizing for the alleged incident. According to the affidavit, Drake and his parents declined to speak with investigators without an attorney.

Jail records indicate Drake is initially being held without bond in the Vanderburgh County jail.
JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS Kaito Asai, 7, leads a guessing game with fellow first grade students in Reiko Suzukis class at the Southern Indiana Japanese School located inside Nativity Catholic Church in Evansville Saturday. Teachers at the school learned that students at the school won its 10th consecutive School Award in Writing from the Japan Overseas Educational Services. The area students spend one day a week at the school where the teachers use Japanese textbooks and workbooks.

SHARE JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS Kozue Mochizuki a fifth grade teacher at the Southern Indiana Japanese School works with Ichiro Matoba, 11, at the school that is located inside Nativity Catholic Church in Evansville Saturday. Teachers at the school learned that students at the school won its 10th consecutive School Award in Writing from the Japan Overseas Educational Services. The area students spend one day a week at the school where the teachers use Japanese textbooks and workbooks. JASON CLARK / COURIER & PRESS Work by students enrolled in the Southern Indiana Japanese School is featured on the walls located inside Nativity Catholic Church in Evansville Saturday. Teachers at the school learned that students at the school won its 10th consecutive School Award in Writing from the Japan Overseas Educational Services. The area students spend one day a week at the school where the teachers use Japanese textbooks and workbooks.

By Megan Erbacher of the Courier and Press

Nono Higuchi doesn't mind going to school six days a week.

While her American peers enjoy Saturdays off, Higuchi, 16, spends six hours every Saturday at the Southern Indiana Japanese School in addition to her five days at Tell City High School.

"It's fun," she said. "We have all the grades in the same school. So we can talk, and be friendly and be friends with all kids. It's a good opportunity."

The Southern Indiana Japanese School is a program of University of Southern Indiana Outreach and Engagement. The school opened in 1997 with financial support from regional companies wanting to keep children of employees abreast of their peers in Japan. It also helps prepare students for a smooth transition when they return home.

At the end of last year, SIJS teachers learned students won the school its 10th consecutive School Award in Writing from the Japan Overseas Educational Services. A total of 40,311 literary works were submitted to the contest. Only 20 out of about 300 Japanese schools abroad receive the award, which is a subsidiary of the Japanese government's Ministry of Education and Science.

Nine additional writing prizes were awarded to seven SIJS students.

Principal and Director Keietsu Nishimura said students work hard on their writing and submit a piece every year. Nishimura said the names of winning schools are printed in a monthly magazine catering to Japanese educational services.

"So when we first won the school award, we were surprised and very happy, of course, for such a small school as ours to have their name among schools that won the award," he said. "And it was a surprise that we could keep winning the awards." The SIJS currently enrolls 55 students in first through 10th grade, and has 11 teachers, including a special education teacher and Nishimura. On Saturdays, students study Japanese, math and social studies with Japanese textbooks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After class, kids can play kendo, a traditional Japanese sport similar to fencing.

The school is important, Nishimura said, because with so many families moving to the Tri-State for their parents to work for local automotive companies, it's the only place Japanese students can connect with one another. Nishimura said the families typically stay between 3-5 years before returning to Japan.

"They need to keep up with their Japanese peers. When they come to us, they usually do not have English skills and they cannot communicate with classmates and teachers," he said. "It's difficult for them to express their feelings and thoughts in American schools. But they come here and can communicate with each other freely."

But he said the students are also happy at local American schools because American teachers and students are kind to them.

Now a high school junior, Higuchi has lived in the Tri-State a total of nine years. Her family first moved to the area when she was about 2 years old for her father's job at ATTC Manufacturing. She attended Tell City Elementary School through third grade, before the family returned to Japan. They moved back when she was in eighth grade.

At Tell City High School, Higuchi plays the trumpet in marching band, and for the first time in 10 years the group went to state competition last year.

"Everyone (in Indiana) is really friendly," Higuchi said. "In Japan, they're friendly, too. But here people hold the door for each other, they say hello to people they don't even know. It's just a friendly state. So I like it here."

SIJS board chairman Katsuhiko Ueda moved to the area with his family last January. Ueda's two sons  a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old  attend the school.

"It's a very good opportunity to have a good Japanese education in Indiana," Ueda said. "For students, they have a double opportunity (American and Japanese schools). ... For the parents, education is a big fundamental for life. Of course, it's important to make catch-up easier. The Japanese school is very meaningful and necessary for the student."

The Japanese school also helped Tadashi Kojima find happiness again.

Kojima, 64, is from Evansville's Japanese sister city, Tochigi City. He applied for the sister city exchange program in 2011 after his wife died from cancer four years earlier. Through the program, Kojima studies at USI and student-teaches at the Japanese school.

"I wanted to change my environment," he said. "And to think of the meaning of my life."

Kojima was an engineer in Japan for 35 years, so teaching was a new adventure. He enjoys being in a different city, with a new language and culture.

"The children studying at the Southern Indiana Japanese School are special," he said. "That means that living in a foreign country and studying second language is a special experience and they can enjoy the benefits."

The school runs April through March and is located inside Nativity Catholic Church, 3635 Pollack Ave. In the summer months, students go to classon Fridays in June and one Friday in July. They also take field trips to Audubon State Park, New Harmony and Wesselman Woods, among others, and participate in traditional Japanese customs.

Before moving to Evansville, Nishimura lived in Indianapolis with his wife and two children, who are now grown. Nishimura has been involved with the school since it opened in 1997. He takes care of administrative work Tuesday through Friday, and teaches on Saturday.

"I really enjoy being with the students," he said. "Being with the children and teaching them. So Saturday is my happiest day in the week because I can teach the children. And the children have a lot of energy so they give energy to me."
By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press

The man who authorities believe shot and killed his son at a Chandler mobile home on Thursday evening faces a preliminarily murder charge.

Roy Cronin, 61, reportedly admitted to investigators that he fatally shot Tony Cronin, 37, after his son goaded him when the elder Cronin answered the door to his 716 Tanglewood Drive residence armed with a shotgun, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

Roy Cronin reportedly told investigators that, during the argument, Tony Cronin grabbed the barrel of the gun, aimed it at his forehead and challenged his father to, "do it," before cursing at him.

That's when Roy Cronin said he "snapped," and pulled the trigger, according to the affidavit. Tony Cronin was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators recovered a shotgun and ammunition for Roy Cronin's home, according to the affidavit. Authorities wrote that Roy Cronin told investigators that his son had contacted him several times on Thursday and that he knew that he was "upset."

Roy Cronin is the one who called 911 and reported the incident to dispatchers, according to the affidavit against him. The incident was reported just after 6:30 p.m.

Tony Cronin did not live at the same residence as his father, according to Warrick County Sheriff's Office Brett Kruse.

Although Roy Cronin has been arrested, the investigation is still ongoing, according to the Warrick County Prosecutor's Office. A formal charging in the case could come as soon as Tuesday.
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By Susan Orr of the Courier and Press

As Tropicana Evansville drives toward its planned land-based casino, it's approaching a major checkpoint this month.

Before the project can proceed, the Indiana Gaming Commission must first approve two things: Tropicana's revised lease with the city of Evansville, and the casino's request to move from its riverboat to a land-based facility.

Both issues will be on the agenda at the commission's Feb. 24 meeting, which will take place in Indianapolis.

Last year, Indiana lawmakers passed legislation that enables casinos to move onto land if they choose. As that legislation is written, the Indiana Gaming Commission must approve a casino's move from riverboat to land.

Tropicana will be the first to go through the process. Casino representatives will be at the meeting to give a presentation to commission members, said Tropicana General Manager John Chaszar.

"This is the first casino to avail themselves of the new inland casino provision," said Sara Tait, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission. "We look forward to seeing the plans and seeing the presentation."

Chaszar said Tropicana attorneys have been in contact with the Gaming Commission about the casino's plans, so the meeting should go smoothly.

In November, Tropicana announced its plans to build a new $50 million land-based facility that would sit between its Tropicana and Le Merigot hotels on Riverside Drive.

That construction, though, will almost certainly require some demolition.

Tropicana's casino complex includes an executive conference center, which offers 11 meeting rooms and 20,000 total square feet of space. The center, which is adjacent to the Tropicana hotel, opened in 2004.

Though nothing is set in stone yet, Chaszar said, Tropicana's current plans include demolition of the "Maple" wing of its conference center. This area, which has an outside entrance to South Third Avenue, houses three smaller meeting rooms.

"Those meeting rooms are definitely in the middle of what we want to do," Chaszar said. "It was unfortunate we had to lose the space, but it's all in the best interest of our long-term plans."

The "Walnut" wing of the conference center will remain in operation, Chaszar said. This part of the property fronts Northwest First Street and contains a mix of larger and smaller rooms.
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By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press

There will be no criminal charges filed against the bus driver involved in the crash that killed an Indianapolis principal who had ties to Evansville.

Susan Jordan, 69, was killed after being struck by a school bus in the parking lot of Amy Beverland Elementary School, where she worked.

Two 10-year-old students were also injured in the crash. Jordan, who graduated from Harrison High School and the University of Evansville, was lauded in the days after her Jan. 26 death for preventing more injuries from happening after the bus jumped the curb. Witnesses said she pushed students out of harm's way.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry made the announcement on Thursday that he did not plan to pursue charges against the bus driver, who has been identified as Christine Beeler. Blood tests were done on Beeler and came back negative for drugs or alcohol. Curry's office also reviewed video of the crash before Thursday's decision.

"This tragic accident and the loss of Principal Susan Jordan has impacted many in our local community and in the education community nationwide," Curry said in a statement. "Our sympathy goes to the family, friends, and extended network of students, parents and educators who knew Mrs. Jordan."

An inspection of the bus on the scene did not find any mechanical defects.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  The Indiana Statehouse rotunda has been shrouded in black for two days of memorial ceremonies honoring former Gov. Edgar Whitcomb following his death last week.

State troopers and Indiana National Guard members took turns Thursday afternoon in an honor guard alongside Whitcomb's official portrait from his time as governor from 1969 to 1973. Visitors to the rotunda could sign condolence books.

A funeral cortege will travel Friday through downtown Indianapolis from the Indiana War Memorial to the Statehouse, where a public memorial service with Whitcomb's family and Gov. Mike Pence is to begin at noon. A 19-round cannon salute and military honors will follow on the Statehouse lawn.

Whitcomb served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was held in a Japanese prisoner camp in the Philippines.
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Jerry Lawrence

Evansville

"I pledge allegiance to the flag ..."

How many of us can complete that important promise we've recited all our lives in just 15 seconds or less?

I was overwhelmed last night when a popular quiz program posed the question "Which of the following includes a "J" in it?"

The options were "Santa's reindeer," the "Pledge of Allegiance," "the Periodic Table," and "names of countries in South America?"

Not many of us could recite the Periodic Table or the countries in South America. A few can remember all of the names of Santa's little creatures.

But, I ask, "Who doesn't know the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Well, last night it was overwhelming 59 percent of the audience! That's how many were unable to recall the pledge, a mere 31 words, to determine it has that "J" in its closing "with liberty and justice for all!"

The sad commentary in today's politics is that too many of us, especially politicians, seem also to forget another key phrase in the pledge, "One nation, under God, indivisible ..."

President Obama said it well in his address in Springfield, Illinois: "Our children see us arguing among ourselves and being mean to each other." We seem to have lost our civility!

This certainly proves the phrase "Our Country is going to hell in a hand basket!"
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Steve Hurm

Evansville

I'm sure that everyone has heard the news that Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann is leaving her post and is being replaced by Eric Holcomb to serve out the remainder of her term and to replace her on the ticket in this year's election.

In 2012, when Mike Pence ran for governor, he was lacking something that his opponent had  diversity. John Gregg had already announced State Sen. Vi Simpson as his running mate and so Pence picked a newcomer to his ticket in State Rep. Sue Ellspermann. Her duties were mainly ceremonial but her main job was to be a firm backer of the governor no matter how backward his ideas proved to be.

Last year during the RFRA disaster, Ellspermann proved she could no longer be the good soldier. On numerous occasions she spoke out about how the business community begged Pence to abandon his homophobic views toward Hoosiers. She was rewarded with a boot in the backside. The plain truth is that Sue Ellspermann could not wait to get off the sinking ship that is the Pence administration before it collided with the iceberg of reality.

So what sort of person is Eric Holcomb? The first thing to know is that he is no stranger to Indiana politics or controversy. If you like Mike Pence, you'll love Eric Holcomb. As chair of the Indiana GOP, Holcomb spearheaded the push for a constitutional ban on gay marriage which morphed into the RFRA debacle. Holcomb has stated a vote for funding for Indiana University was a vote for "bestiality and homosexuality." As district Director for then congressman John Hostettler in 2002, Holcomb helped seed the notion that breast cancer was caused by abortion.

If ever Mike Pence needed a "mini-me" he has surely fond one in Eric Holcomb. Here's hoping Hoosiers follow the lead of Sue Ellspermann and abandon Mike Pence before the next disaster.
Jake May / The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP Amarria Jackson, 16, of Flint, looks away not being able to stand the sight of blood as a health official takes her blood for a lead test on Monday at Carriage Town Ministries in Flint. Molina Healthcare provided children up to 6 years of age with free lead testing, as well as water filters for families to take home and install.

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By Joel Mathis And Ben Boychuk

Department of Justice officials this week said the FBI and other federal criminal investigators would look into whether the water poisoning crisis in Flint, Mich., was the result of criminal wrongdoing.

Although Flint's lead-contaminated water supply made national news in October, local officials and activists say the crisis' roots reach back years or even decades and are a result of steady economic decline along with state and federal government neglect.

If Flint were a prosperous city, would the water supply have been cleaned up sooner? Or is this just another case of incompetent government? Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, weigh in.

JOEL MATHIS

Was Flint neglected because it's poor? Of course it was.

Put it this way: You'll never see brown water coming out of the pipes in Beverly Hills. Or in a Manhattan penthouse. Or in any other place you might call "rich." And if somehow you do see brown water in those locations, rest assured that government officials would fall all over themselves to fix the problem as soon as possible. Rich people always get the best government money can buy.

If you're in Flint? It turns out you and your children are disposable, barely worth a thought.

"Would more have been done, and at a much faster pace, if nearly 40 percent of Flint residents were not living below the poverty line? The answer is unequivocally yes," the NAACP said in a statement quoted on CNN.

My conservative friends sometimes like to tell me how awesome it is to be poor in America these days. After all, poor people have Xboxes! Poor people have refrigerators! They can even wear pretty nice shoes!

Well sure. But they're often undernourished. And live in struggling school districts. And they're much more likely to have brown water coming out of their pipes.

Here is what is especially tragic about this situation. A growing number of studies show there's a correlation between lead ingestion and crime: A 2013 story in the liberal magazine Mother Jones showed how that's true at the national  and neighborhood  level. Lead, it seems, causes "physical damage to the developing brain that persists into adulthood."

"Even moderately high levels of lead exposure are associated with aggressivity, impulsivity, ADHD, and lower IQ," the magazine observed. "And right there, you've practically defined the profile of a violent young offender."

It seems likely then that the poor, troubled children of Flint will grow up to be poor, troubled adults. My conservative friends will probably tut-tut about the pathologies of poverty. And maybe they'll be right. The people of Flint brought it on themselves, after all, by never getting rich enough to ensure their government protected them.

BEN BOYCHUK

If what happened in Flint isn't a crime, it ought to be. The criminals are government officials at the local, state and federal levels.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, so far has received the brunt of the criticism about the state's response to the crisis. The state was slow to act, it's true. But Scott did declare a state of emergency and he did order the National Guard to truck in bottled water for residents. Scott also asked the Legislature for $28 million in emergency funds to address the crisis.

But the governor is not the state's chief water manager. Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality is the state agency responsible for ensuring Flint's water supply conforms to state and federal requirements. Nobody there seems to know what's going on.

The agency's new director, Keith Creagh, told the U.S. House Oversight Committee this week that the Environmental Protection Agency kept his agency waiting for months for a legal opinion. Turns out, the Obama administration knew of Flint's problem for at least a year and barely lifted a finger.

Flint is not a great city. It's poor, broke and crime-ridden. And, by the way, Democrats have run the place for decades. Flint's Democrats did what Democrats often do: obliterated the tax base and spent the city into oblivion.

About 10 years ago, Flint went into state receivership and has had a series of emergency managers ever since.

As it happened, Scott appointed the emergency manager  another Democrat, but who's counting?  who along with the city's Democratic mayor and Democratic city council made the fateful decision to switch Flint's water supply from Detroit to Lake Huron as a cost-cutting measure. The city tapped into the Flint River as a stopgap, after the Democrats in Detroit cut off Flint's water before a new pipeline from Huron was finished. (It's scheduled for completion this year.)

Government exists to perform a few basic functions. Ensuring people have a clean, drinkable water supply is one of them. The party of big government failed in Flint, just as it has failed in Detroit and other cities with one-party rule. It will keep failing.
IT security research body Cybersecurity Ventures has released the second annual Cybersecurity 500 list of the top security companies in the world.

The research firm ranks the security industry based on innovation, rather than size or revenue.

The list was dominated by US companies, with Colorado-based consulting firm Root9B topping the list, followed by Lancope, AlienVault, Dell SecureWorks and IBM Security.

The highest ranking non-US company was AVG Technologies, headquartered in The Netherlands. Last years winner FireEye came in seventh.

Three Aussie businesses managed to make this years list, one more than last year.

[The full 2016 Cybersecurity 500 list]

Data protection vendor StratoKey was the highest-ranking Australian company, placing 71st overall. The Tasmanian-based company had a huge 2015 highlighted by its expansion into the US.

StratoKeys flagship product is a cloud data protection solution that acts as an encryption gateway to the cloud. It intercepts communications between users and cloud software-as-a-service applications to encrypt private content.

This also provides real-time monitoring and behavioural analytics on users for threat detection.

Last year, StratoKey expanded into the US, and now as a sales team in Texas as well as a new partner program.

Chief executive Anthony Scotney noted that his company was one of the few vendors writing security software in Australia.

"We have a complete solution in the CASB [cloud access security broker], some of our competitors dont have the complete suite," said Scotney.

"The company started off doing this, we didnt pick up a report and start trying to implement this."

Canberras QuintessenceLabs made the list for the second time, maintaining its 231st ranking. QuintessenceLabs claims to be the world's first vendor to "harness the quantum properties of lasers" to deliver cryptography.

Sydneys Wontok came in at 305th for its anti-malware solutions. Wontoks technology tackles malware at kernel level to intercept and protect any system.
Panasonic Australia is recalling all of its CF-VZSU61U rechargeable battery packs due to a glitch that can potentially expose its customers to a "risk of fire or a burn hazard."

The recall dated 10 February is for all rechargeable batteries with the CF-S10 Panasonic Toughbook computers that were sold nationally by Multi Media Technology from 1 April 2012 until 1 June 2013.

The corrupted batteries are easily identifiable through a sticker perched on the battery itself with the manufacturing lot numbers of BAW, BBF, BBX, BBY, BC, C1 C2 and C3.

In the meantime, Panasonic has advised all affected users to only use the computer with an AC adapter, power cord and mains supply power until the batteries are replaced.

Panasonic has also urged consumers with defected batteries to deal with the company directly for a free replacement.
Storage News

Report: Dell Hits Financing Hiccup In Blockbuster $67B EMC Acquisition

Joseph F. Kovar

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The New York Post is reporting that Dell is finding it more difficult than it expected to raise the initial round of funding for its $67 billion acquisition of storage giant EMC.

The Post reported Thursday that Dell, which needs to raise $45 billion to finance the acquisition of EMC, had expected to price the first $10 billion of debt on Wednesday. However, the group of banks working on the deal, which is being led by JPMorgan, needs another 10 days to arrange the loan, The Post said.

The New York Post, citing an unnamed source, said the loans have proved harder to sell than expected because of tightening credit markets.

[Related: What Will A Merged Dell-EMC Look Like?]

Furthermore, Dell has run into a possible delay in its plans to sell its Perot Systems professional services business as one of the leading suitors for Perot, France-based Atos, has dropped out of the bidding, the Post reported, again citing an unnamed source. That leaves India-based Tata and Japan-based NTT Data as the two remaining suitors, the Post reported.

The EMC transaction is on schedule under the original timetable and the original terms, said a Dell spokesperson in an email to CRN.

Bob Venero, CEO of Holbrook, N.Y.-based solution provider Future Tech, No. 232 on the CRN 2015 Solution Provider 500, said the small delay in financing the initial $10 billion is "miniscule when you think of the size of this deal."

"Everyone is trying to create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) with this deal," said Venero. "But the loans are going to happen and the deal is going to get done. History will prove once again that (Dell CEO) Michael (Dell) will make it happen just as he made it happen when he completed the largest leveraged buyout in technology history even with Carl Icahn trying to disrupt the process."

Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of LAN Infotech, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Dell partner, said he is also confident that ultimately the deal will be completed.

"I am sure [Dell Chairman and CEO] Michael Dell will get this deal done," Goldstein told CRN. "He has the Wall Street connections and the confidence of investors. Look at everything he has done. I would never bet against Michael."

Customers are "excited" about the potential of the Dell EMC combination, Goldstein said.

"They are buying into the one stop end to end technology solution that Dell EMC will bring to the table," he said. "If you delve deep into the EMC portfolio, it is more than just storage. It is virtualization, security, document management. From a partner perspective with a single deal registration it is going to make it easier to do an end to end deal that runs from the desktop to the data center."

Dell in October said it plans to purchase EMC in a deal worth $67 billion. The deal is expected to close sometime this year.

Part of the deal includes paying EMC shareholders $24.05 per share in cash along with an as-yet unspecified amount of tracking stock in VMware, 80-plus percent of which is currently owned by EMC. However, EMC share prices have lost well over a quarter of their value since the planned acquisition was announced.

Even so, Dell and EMC are continuing forward as if the acquisition is a done deal. Michael Dell will be a keynote speaker at this year's EMC World in May. And David Goulden, CEO of EMC's Information Infrastructure business, this week told EMC employees the acquisition will give EMC the opportunity to take a long view of the storage market.

Steven Burke contributed to this story.


The Anthem of the Seas has suffered damage to one of its Azipods, according to Royal Caribbean Cruises, which cited Coast Guard findings. The Coast Guard reportedly found that the left Azipod became inoperable during the storm the ship last Sunday. Despite conflicting reports that the Anthem must be repaired before it can sail, Royal Caribbean said on its website today that the Saturday, Feb. 13 cruise will depart as planned. The ship can sail and maneuver with its remaining pod.

Royal Caribbean insisted that the damage was cosmetic before the Coast Guard issued its findings. The cosmetic damage included broken glass, furniture and water damage.

Many passengers have described their experience as scary and that they were afraid the ship would sink. According to the Coast Guard, the Anthem was never in danger of sinking, and the captain and the crew were praised for acting in a professional and capable manner.

Sailing from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, last Saturday, the Anthem hit a storm on Sunday with 120 mph winds and 40 foot waves off the coast of North Carolina. Nearly 5,000 passengers were told to remain in their cabins for the duration of the 10-hour storm.

After the storm, instead of continuing on its seven-day cruise, the Anthem turned around and returned to Cape Liberty on Wednesday.

According to weather sources, storm warnings had been issued for the Mid-Atlantic Ocean during the week, days before the ship headed into the path of the storm. Royal Caribbean said that the forecast was for winds in the range of 55 to 65 mph, not sustained winds of more than 120 mph.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) has called on the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate why the ship sailed into the storm despite the weather forecasts.

Royal Caribbean also issued a statement that the incident identified gaps in its planning system that will be addressed.

Passengers aboard the Anthem received a full refund of their aborted cruise and 50 percent off a future cruise.
As we arrive at the first quarter halfway point of 2016, the electricity sector again sees itself in the newspapers, a lot. So far this year, we have seen the media fallout of the Ukraine grid-attack, rise of the BlackEnergy malware (first reported in 2007), and the continuous onslaught of articles dedicated to Ted Koppel and his sky is falling case for selling books. This is all happening while industry implements and readies their NERC CIP-014 and CIP Version 5 programs.

With just a few months left until the Version 5 enforcement deadline of April 1, 2016, many utilities subject to the regulation are scrambling to put their remaining provisions in place to ensure that they meet their compliance obligations. Industry is busy, to say the least.

This all happens concurrently with the fact that utilities are in the midst of a fundamental cultural change with respect to cybersecurity. While the electricity sector has been the only critical infrastructure sector that has had mandatory and enforceable cybersecurity standards to date, this minimum level of protection is not enough to battle the continuous onslaught of malicious code and targeted attacks against IT and Industrial Control Systems (ICS).

The comprehensive baseline of security found within the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards is necessary to ensure that we are all speaking the same language. These mandatory standards, while minimal, provide awareness and basic security precautions for utilities. However, cybersecurity professionals are hungry for a strategic advantage to battle new denial-of-service attacks and unauthorized access to systems.

Industry has started to focus its efforts on combating the issue head-on through timely cyber threat intelligence. Large utilities with the manpower and resources to address this initiative are changing the security model from reactive to proactive. If you understand your adversaries tactics, intent, and capabilities, you can develop strategies to combat their attacks and better plan for future threats. Better, more proactive security, can be achieved through information sharing agreements and partnerships with other utilities, regulatory agencies, and intelligence partners.

The electricity sector, along with other energy sector partners such as the oil and natural gas sector and the chemical sector, are already drowning in cybersecurity information overload. Raw, unfiltered data feeds, typically from third-party companies, provide information regarding harmful IP addresses and other information such as virus or disruptive software installation. This mountain of data, while useful in theory, is oftentimes overwhelming and needlessly sounds alarm bells.

Many utilities do not have the dedicated resources to dissect and aggregate this data and are thus unable to react appropriately, or wind up drawing inaccurate conclusions. As a result, the electricity sector is demanding more access from regulators and federal partners to actionable intelligence and threat streams. With this added intelligence, utilities can better pinpoint threats to specific systems and focus efforts on system recovery and restoration. This will undoubtedly drive better, more informed responses to security incidents.

[ ALSO ON CSO: Israel's electric grid targeted by malware, energy minister says ]

President Barack Obama recently stated that the country needs to integrate intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism." While the United States government has nearly limitless resources and the ability to conduct offensive operations, this statement still rings true for private sector businesses. Near real-time intelligence sharing can enable critical infrastructure owners and operators to block rapidly emerging threats and mitigate targeted attacks against utility infrastructure.

The complexity of the cyber operational domain, the speed with which activity and operations take place, and the supposed inherent advantage of the attacker has been discussed among utilities and the NERC Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). The E-ISAC, which establishes situational awareness, incident management, and coordination for security events within the electricity sector, has been the prime advocate for the need to feed real-time intelligence updates to stakeholders.

By beginning to define the overall environment and the problem set in manageable threat stream products and emphasizing the importance of integrating sound and time-tested intelligence thinking and methodology into the equation, it becomes easier to address the problem. This intelligence is meant to help reduce uncertainty for the decision-maker and prevent surprise.

It is no revelation that the majority of infrastructure in North America is owned and operated by the private sector. Because of this, it is vital that the public and private sectors work together to protect these assets. Over the past few years, the FBI, DHS, and the Department of Energy have made considerable strides in improving information sharing and giving classified access to intelligence products such as bulletins, alerts, and secret level briefings. These data points have been used to mitigate threats, reduce cyber risk, and update internal security policies. Additionally, this data flow has enhanced communications between security teams, management, and board members by providing authoritative threat warnings, which ultimately drive better investment strategies by more directly connecting security priorities with business risk management priorities.

Ultimately, information and intelligence sharing is a two-way street. Private sector entities must remove the words compliance risk from their lexicon and readily share relevant information as it happens. Nobody knows their systems better than they do. Nobody knows how the worlds largest machine works better than the dedicated engineers within the electricity sector. Thus, cyber alerts coming from utility cybersecurity professionals are imperative to the collaborative exchange process.

Concurrently, federal intelligence partners must alert those within the sector who actually have the ability to stop the cyber-bleeding. The electricity sector has been hiring security professionals with military, law enforcement, and intelligence backgrounds, so actionable information that has been compiled, analyzed and validated by federal intelligence partners, should be disseminated to the sector for action once available.

Utility CISOs and CIOs must continue to raise the cybersecurity intelligence information issue with their state fusion centers, FBI Cyber Watch liaisons, and other intelligence professionals within DHS and DOE. A mature cybersecurity program integrates baseline compliance, risk management, trained professionals, and the continuous recognition that theres a threat of compromise.

Cyber space is an increasingly attractive hunting ground for criminals, activists and terrorists motivated to make money, gain media attention, or cause disruption to utilities through online attacks. Regardless of motive, advanced cyber threat actors are organized, patient, and willing to make significant investments to accomplish their objectives. Threats are varied, often highly complex, and continually evolving.

[ ALSO ON CSO: Are vendors on the wrong path where smart plant security is concerned? ]

Recent reports confirm that cyber-attacks on several multinational energy companies resulted in security breaches long before the victims became aware that their systems had been compromised. Energy companies are attractive targets because they possess valuable proprietary data and intellectual property, and a serious breach will most likely be newsworthy.

With todays civilization dependent on interconnected cyber networks to virtually operate many of the critical systems that make our daily lives easier, many criminals, terrorists, or governments will attack those critical systems in order to inflict maximum damage. To battle these threats, the utility industry and government intelligence agencies must act in unison, through a public-private partnership, to stay one step ahead.
Microsoft this week made good on a 2014 promise and withheld security updates from users of older versions of the company's Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

All Windows users still running IE7 or IE8, and those running IE9 on any other edition of Windows but Vista, as well as those using IE10 on anything but Windows Server 2012, did not receive the patches Microsoft distributed Tuesday to systems equipped with the newer IE11 or Edge browsers.

As is its practice, Microsoft issued a single, cumulative update for IE on Feb. 9. The update, labeled MS16-009, included fixes for 13 vulnerabilities.

[ ALSO ON CSO: Microsoft fixes 36 flaws in IE, Edge, Office, Windows, .NET Framework ]

While Microsoft did not spell out which fixes were not given to older copies of IE, it isn't difficult to pinpoint those unsent.

Of the 13 vulnerabilities patched by MS16-009, nine affected every version of IE that is still supported, including IE9 on Windows Vista and IE10 on Windows Server 2012. Because different versions of Microsoft's browser share large amounts of code -- that was one of the primary reasons the Redmond, Wash. company has dead-ended IE and started over with Edge -- it's almost certain that the nine vulnerabilities also exist in IE7 and IE8, and in IE9 and IE10 on Windows editions ineligible for patching.

In other words, more than two-thirds of the vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft on Tuesday probably exist in the retired IE versions.

The danger with known, but unpatched vulnerabilities is significant: Cyber criminals regularly parse updates and compare "before" and "after" code to determine what was changed. They then use that information to investigate further in an attempt to reverse-engineer the patch to find the underlying vulnerability. Once the bug has been identified, they craft an exploit to successfully hack unpatched software, knowing that not everyone updates immediately.

In this case, the vulnerability found in, say, IE9 on Vista -- which was patched this week -- may give them insight into the location of the bug in the older IE8. From there, they can create an exploit for the unpatched browser.

Cyber criminals will have motivation to do this work, at least temporarily, because a large number of IE users worldwide are still running the now-retired versions. According to data from analytics vendor Net Applications, about a third of those running IE last month used a version that has stopped receiving security updates.

Microsoft declared the early retirement of IE7 and IE8, and partial retirement of IE9 and IE10, in August 2014, when it told customers they must upgrade to the latest browser available for their OS by Jan. 12, 2016. For most users, the latest version is IE11.

This story, "It's official: Older versions of IE are now at risk" was originally published by Computerworld .
If you're giving up meat for Lent, you're in the majority here in the United States.





TIME used Google data to discover what most people in each state are probably giving up for Lent. Google determined the item people in each state are most interested in giving up for Lent by looking at searches containing the terms "Lent" and "give up" from Feb. 1-8, 2016.





Click through to see the most popular items and visit time.com for the full list.
WASHINGTON  When President Obama announced a historic nuclear deal with Iran last summer, opponents charged it would play into the hands of Islamic fanatics bent on secretively building a bomb, wiping Israel off the map and otherwise destabilizing the volatile Middle East.

Fast forward seven months. The U.S. and its allies lifted sanctions in January after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran so far had fulfilled its end of the bargain by shipping 98 percent of its nuclear fuel to Russia and dismantling two-thirds of its uranium-enriching centrifuges.

Iran even dumped concrete into a reactor core designed to produce plutonium. And in a swap, Iran let go of five U.S. prisoners including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who had been jailed in Iran for over 18 months.

For supporters like Connecticut Democrats Chris Murphy, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Jim Himes, member of the House intelligence committee, is it time for a victory lap?

The Iran nuclear deal is working, without question, said Murphy. None of us who supported it claimed it would turn Iran into a good guy overnight. They still do bad things in region but at least dont do them under a nuclear umbrella.

Himes said his view is one of cautious optimism tempered by partial validation.

Its easy to say they are a state sponsor of terror, but the deal here was not designed to turn Iran into a fairy godmother, he said. The deal was designed to take away their ability to build a nuclear weapon, which so far, up to this point, is working.

While the U.S. and its allies negotiated with Irans foreign minister and its elected president, Hassan Rouhani, real power is said to be held by its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Iran deal presented lawmakers like Murphy and Himes with a difficult political choice. On the one hand as loyal Democrats, both wanted to hand a major foreign-policy victory to President Obama. But on the other, they were wary of complaints from defense policy hawks and Jewish groups that the deal would be bad for the U.S. and Israel.

The lifting of sanctions gives Iran access to about $100 billion in frozen assets. Republican presidential candidates have condemned the deal and pledged to roll it back if elected.

Democratic supporters of the deal, however, said the IAEA report confirmed that so far Iran is holding up its end of the deal.

But can Iran be trusted? And how can the U.S. be sure they are not building a bomb in secret?

If they cheat meaningfully, we will know, said Himes, who as an intelligence committee member is regularly briefed on sensitive intelligence matters. Suffice it to say, the IAEA is not the only entity working to make sure they dont cheat.

Not all Democratic lawmakers are true believers in the deal.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who opposed the deal because he feared Iran would use it to achieve its nefarious goals, said that in the wake of sanctions being lifted, were in a period of watchful waiting.

Iranians havent done a good job of behaving themselves in the last six months  so now we have to watch them like a hawk, he said.

Schumer was referring to missile tests last year that drew new sanctions, and Irans support of Houthi rebels in Yemen  a proxy war with its regional rival Saudi Arabia. Also, Iran continues to support the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon and President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

But isnt the shipment of nuclear materials to Russia a positive sign?

Positive and negative, Schumer replied. The real period we have to watch is when sanctions are lifted, and that was just (last month).

dan@hearstdc.com
A 37-year-old Stamford woman, who authorities say was employed as a temporary worker, is accused of ripping off the state $23,101 by collecting unemployment checks.

Kawanda D. Brickhouse, of Revere Drive, was arrested Thursday on one count of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud.
BRIDGEPORT  Michael Gargano Jr. has been named the new president of St. Vincents College.

Gargano, a Hartford resident, was named after a national search to lead the college, which specializes in training students in nursing and other medical fields. His tenure starts Monday.

Anita T. Gliniecki, who retired as president at Housatonic Community College, has been serving as interim president. She took over for Martha K. Shouldis, who retired in July.

St. Vincents College, a subsidiary of St. Vincents Medical Center, has an enrollment of 783 students and offers associate degrees in nursing, medical assisting, radiography and general studies, and bachelors degree completion programs in nursing, radiologic sciences and health care leadership.

Dr. Garganos extensive experience at high-caliber educational institutions is exactly the leadership we want as we begin the colleges next quarter century, said Stuart G. Marcus, MD, president and CEO of St. Vincents Medical Center.

Gargano served as provost of the Connecticut State College and University system before leaving in 2014. He also held leadership positions at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, the Louisiana State University System and several other higher education institutions.
Vin Diesel is in Cuba

Submitted by: Juana

Cinema

Havana

United States

Personalities

02 / 12 / 2016



As reported by Vistar Magazine, actor, producer and film director Mark Sinclair Vincent, better known as Vin Diesel is in Havana right now.

His visit to the island is because he is part of the production team responsible for carrying out the casting for the eighth of the famous saga "Fast and Furious" which will shoot some scenes in Cuba.

According to Cuban sources participating in the selection process, Vin Diesel is immersed in the search for actors of the island to the "Cuban part" of this new release, whose premiere is scheduled for April 2017.

source: www.cibercuba.com
What's going on in and around Somerset County?
Ian relief: Deadline extended for property tax payments

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order delaying the payment of property taxes across 26 Florida counties struggling from impact of Hurricane Ian.
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In 2014, Aseel Muthana (main image), a 17-year-old from Cardiff, decided to travel to Syria to team up with his 21-year-old brother Nasser, a former medical student. He was was recruited over the internet by Forhad Rahman (inset), who was living in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Heres another one of those stories I dont know whether to file under Mind How You Go or You Couldnt Make It Up. Police kept secret the fact a British Izal recruit was gay because it would breach his human rights.

No, I cant believe Ive just written that sentence, either. But youll just have to bear with me. Ive had to read at least three different versions of this madness to work out what the hells going on here.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then Ill begin. It goes something like this. In 2014, Aseel Muthana, a 17-year-old from Cardiff, decided to travel to Syria to team up with his 21-year-old brother Nasser, a former medical student.

Nasser had abandoned his ambition to become a doctor so he could run away and join Izal. He was last seen as part of a death squad decapitating 16 Syrian soldiers in the desert. As you do. I suppose all that medical training comes in quite handy when youre chopping someones head off.

Scimitar please, nurse. Swab? No, that wont be necessary.

Aseel was recruited over the internet by Forhad Rahman, who was living in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. They exchanged flirtatious messages, calling each other babe and honey and signing off with kisses and heart symbols. During this electronic courtship, Aseel pleaded with Rahman: Radicalise me babe x.

Who said romance was dead?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, fortunately Plod got wind of this, but not before Aseel had already had it away on his toes to Syria. As far as anyone knows, hes still there.

Rahman and two Muslim accomplices were nicked and charged with paying for Aseels journey and helping him obtain a dodgy passport. All three appeared at the Old Bailey this week on terrorism charges and between them were jailed for 15 years  which means theyll be out in under three.

Par for the course, these days. The sentencing guidelines are a complete fiction, designed to delude the public into thinking that Britain is tough on crime. No one ever serves more than half their time.

Rahman and his oppos will soon feel at home behind bars, as they join the 12,225 Muslim inmates who currently make up 15 per cent of all prisoners in Britain  twice the number ten years ago. In high-security jails, the figure is one in five.

And in Category A prisons  which cater for the worst offenders, such as terrorists  almost half are Muslim. (Rumour has it that the Chicken Cyclone on the culturally appropriate menu at Belmarsh is up for a Michelin star.)

All this in a country where were told that Muslims comprise less than 5 per cent of the total population. No wonder the Home Office is considering setting up special jihadi-only jails, to stop Islamists recruiting behind bars.

Anyway, lets put that to one side for now. Because this is where it starts to get interesting. As the trial unfolded, it was revealed that police and prosecutors had attempted to conceal the identity of Aseel Muthana and prevent the publication of his text messages to Rahman.

They argued that they had to do this to protect his safety. Izal takes a pretty dim view of homosexuality. Men suspected of being gay are routinely blindfolded and thrown off the top of tall buildings in front of cheering crowds.

Aseel (pictured) was recruited over the internet by Rahman and they exchanged flirtatious messages, calling each other babe and honey

The prospect of that happening to poor, sweet, vulnerable Aseel Muthana was simply too horrible for the Heddlu (thats Welsh for Old Bill) to contemplate. Nikki Holland, Assistant Chief Constable of South Wales, said: There is a real threat to him and we still have a duty of care. Everyone is entitled to police protection. It doesnt stop at the border, even for a terrorist.

He has a right to life. We dont put anything into the public domain that would deliberately impact on human rights.

Sadly, thats the kind of sentimental drivel weve come to expect from the senior ranks of the Great British Constabulary, equipped with their worthless sociology degrees and expensive sensitivity training.

At this stage, let me reiterate my admiration and support for the dedicated anti-terrorism officers who work tirelessly to keep us safe.

How must they feel when they hear some dopey bird with scrambled egg on her hat trying to defend the yuman rites of a scumbag who has run off to join a deranged Islamist death cult  and who might one day bring murder back to the streets of Britain? More to the point, when did you ever hear of any self-respecting Assistant Chief Constable calling herself Nikki? It makes her sound like a Page Three girl.

With any luck, news of Aseels identity and sexual proclivities will already have reached Izal and next time we see him, his head will have been severed from his body

But this is what were up against. As brave, jobbing coppers put their lives on the line every single day, some of their soft-in-the-head superiors are more concerned with the rights of the terrorists they are trying to arrest.

Thank goodness the judge at the Bailey had more sense than to fall for this lunacy and we are free to know the identity of this young British man who ran off to join the ranks of the New Nazis  and, given half the chance, would kill us all in our beds. Frankly, who cares if they did find out he was homosexual and chucked him off a tower block?

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

For what its worth, Ive always assumed half the Izal mob are gay. You often find that allegedly heterosexual gangsters and the extreme Right are big on homo-eroticism, while mouthing rabid anti-gay rhetoric. That might be why they treat women so badly. And the uniforms are a dead giveaway.

With any luck, news of Aseels identity and sexual proclivities will already have reached Izal and next time we see him, his head will have been severed from his body  ideally by his own brother, as part of a ritual loyalty test.

On reflection, this is one of the most depressing columns Ive written for ages. To sum up: a young Muslim from Cardiff, whose brother is already fighting with a death cult in Syria, is recruited by an Islamist cell in Cirencester.

(When did Cirencester become a hotbed of jihad, for heavens sake?)

Meanwhile, the main concern of the Old Bill is trying to stop the rest of us finding out who he is  on the grounds that hes gay and may be in danger from the very terrorist organisation he has chosen voluntarily to join.

It doesnt bear thinking about. In the hierarchy of victimhood, do the yuman rites of homosexuals trump Muslims? Or terrorists? Or both? Or all three? Or none of the above?

I give up.

This is the brave new world we live in. Never mind You Couldnt Make It Up or Mind How You Go. Theres only one place to file this: We Are All Going To Hell In A Handcart.

Theresa May has bottled it. Shes given Bernard Hyphen-Howe a one-year extension to his contract at Scotland Yard. He wanted three  and if hed had any dignity hed have rejected Mays grubby little compromise deal and walked away.

But its not about Bernard any more. Hes a dead man walking, a laughing stock who has lost all public confidence.

This is all about Theresa. She could have sacked him, or she could have given him the three years he so desperately sought. By awarding him a one-year contract shes feebly endorsed Hyphen-Howes serial abuse of police powers and disgraceful refusal to apologise to any of those wrongly accused in the bonkers historic sex abuse inquiries.

Theresa May has bottled it. Shes given Bernard Hyphen-Howe a one-year extension to his contract at Scotland Yard

You dont need me to go over his sins again. He will be remembered as the worst Met Commissioner in history. And Theresa May will be forever linked to him.

Her cowardice will not be forgotten. This is the Bisto-thick woman who fancies herself as our next Prime Minister, yet has forgiven the arrogant bully who outrageously persecuted one of her predecessors beyond the grave and smeared the reputation of a 92-year-old war hero.

Theresa and Bernard deserve each other. Quite what weve done to deserve either of them is beyond me.

But Mays appalling lack of judgment will come back to haunt her. Make the most of the Home Office, Theresa. Its as good as its going to get for you.

I hope Bernard is worth it.

When I first saw those pictures of a masked jihadi supervising a four-year-old boy in military fatigues blowing up a car packed with Izal prisoners, I naturally assumed it was a Top Gear stunt. Especially as it came on the day that the BBC unveiled the new Austin Seven line-up which will feature in the revamped Chris Evans version.

Looking again at the masked man (right) in that car explosion picture, it seems that Jeremy Clarkson may finally have found his replacement for The Stig (left)

When Spurs flogged Gareth Bale to Real Madrid and signed seven new players, pundit Garth Crooks quipped that theyd sold Elvis and signed The Beatles. It didnt quite work out like that. I hope for Chris Evanss sake that having got rid of the original Top Gear team, the Beeb hasnt signed S Club 7.

Although, looking again at the masked man in that car explosion picture, it seems that Clarkson may finally have found his replacement for The Stig.
It seems that Mansur Gavriel, the cult handbag label, can do no wrong.

After the brand released its first line of shoes exclusively on Net-a-Porter Wednesday morning, many of the summer sandals have already sold out.

Priced between $395 and $625, the designer slip-ons are offered in several shades of colorful suede, ranging from cobalt blue and brick orange to burgundy and rose

Cult favorite: After Mansur Gavriel released its first line of shoes exclusively on Net-a-Porter Wednesday morning, many of the summer sandals have already sold out

Minimalist's dream:Priced between $395 and $625, the designer slip-on mules are offered in several shades of colorful suede, ranging from cobalt blue and brick orange to burgundy and blush

Designers Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel announced they would be launching shoes in September last year during their first New York Fashion Week presentation. Since then, fans of the label have been patiently waiting for the shoes' release.

'We're very excited that they're finally launching!' Floriana Gavriel told Vogue UK.

'It feels like a long time in the making for us too. We're very careful and considered in how we release new product, and the shoes have been in development for at least three seasons,' she added,' she added.

'From the beginning of the brand we had an idea for lots of products and, although shoes felt like the natural evolution after the bags, we like any product we release to be very simple and very perfect.'

New styles: Fans will be relieved to know that Mansur Gavriel will also sell its shoe collection at Dover Street Market New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Opening Ceremony, Colette, Steven Alan Tribeca, and Lane Crawford

Waiting patiently :Designers Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel announced the launch of shoes in September last year. Since then, fans of the label have been patiently waiting for the shoes' release

Fashionable feet: Rachel Mansur explained to Vogue UK: 'The shoes dovetail with the bags in that they're also sculptural objects in classic silhouettes, which allow us to experiment with color and fabrication'

Fans will be relieved to know that Mansur Gavriel will also sell its shoe collection at Dover Street Market New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Opening Ceremony, Colette, Steven Alan Tribeca, and Lane Crawford.

After launching in 2012, Mansur Gavriel quickly gained a devoted fashion following. The brand has since made a name for itself as an 'It' handbag label, where new products often sell out within minutes on the brand's own e-commerce site.

Rachel Mansur explained to Vogue UK: 'The shoes dovetail with the bags in that they're also sculptural objects in classic silhouettes, which allow us to experiment with color and fabrication.'

For die-hard fans hoping the designers will make a foray into ready-to-wear, they may be waiting a while. 'We're always working on and thinking about ready-to-wear, but not yet,' admitted Rachel.
A woman who grew tired of today's throwaway culture, turned her bugbear into a burgeoning business after setting up a shopping site.

Londoner Tara Button, 33, launched Buy Me Once - a website featuring a curated selection of durable goods that promise to last a lifetime - including everything from furniture and kitchenware to beauty products and clothes.

Brands are selected on the basis of durability, or if their manufacturer offers a lifetime guarantee or a free repair service.

Shoppers can read about why the product is a long-lasting buy on Tara's site, and then click through to the original retailer to make their purchase.

Scroll down for video

Londoner Tara Button, set up Buy Me Once - a website featuring a curated selection of durable goods, from beauty products to clothes, that promise to last a lifetime. Tara's brainwave for the website came last year as she was washing her Le Creuset casserole pot (left), which came with a lifetime guarantee

Tara told FEMAIL: 'I set up BuyMeOnce because we need to throw away our throwaway culture.

'The site makes it easy for people to find amazing products that can last a lifetime.

'We look for the best in show when it comes to longevity and also challenge manufacturers to do better. Our aim is to save people money and save the environment at the same time.'

Tara's brainwave came last year as she was washing her Le Creuset casserole pot, which came with a lifetime guarantee.

'It struck me that if more things were like this, we would all save money and time in the long run as we wouldnt have to replace things constantly,' she said.

Buy Me Once launched at the beginning of this year and features a range of clothes, kitchenware, shoes, furniture, toys, accessories, tools and beauty products that promise to last for years. Many of the featured brands also offer repair services

'It struck me that one of the biggest problems facing the environment is the fact that there are so many products now that arent built to last.

'They all end up in landfill and the energy and materials to constantly churn them out is staggering.'

Tara started doing some research and was shocked by what she found.

'I started looking at all sorts of products, including clothes, many of which are now made to be worn just a few times before they are discarded,' she explained.

'I discovered that 1.5 million tons of clothes get thrown away every year in the UK. Thats 120,000 London buses worth.

'Imagine all those buses lined up bumper to bumper for 74 miles? That would take you from London to Cambridge and youd still have eight miles to go. This is horrifying and incredibly wasteful.'

Buy Me Once launched at the beginning of this year and features a range of clothes, kitchenware, shoes, furniture, toys, accessories like bags and umbrellas, tools and beauty products that promise to last you for years.

Tara (pictured) often spends days researching just one item for inclusion on the site. Brands featured include LK Bennett, Patagonia, Tweezerman and Dr Martens, who offer a lifetime of repairs on their boots

'It can be really hard to find durable products,' Tara revealed. 'We spend days and days researching for just one item.

'Luckily there are still manufactures that pride themselves on making products that last, but they are few and far between.'

Luckily there are still manufactures that pride themselves on making products that last, but they are few and far between

L.K. Bennett, whose nude heels are a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, is one brand that has made the grade.

It was included after Tara consulted with cobblers all over the country about which shoe brands offer longevity. Their classic styling, which transcends seasonal trends, also means they remain wearable in the long run.

Dr. Martens are also included as once a buyer has registered their boots, the company will repair them if they ever wear out.

Buy Me Once also features beauty products, such as Tweezerman Tweezers for 20 that come with free lifetime sharpening and 128 Donna Bella hair straighteners that come with a lifetime warranty.

But Tara says that finding appliances that stand the test of time is particularly tricky.

Tara believes that a capsule wardrobe of a few quality items that are built to last is so much more gratifying than opening a wardrobe bursting with clothes and feeling you have nothing to wear

'I think consumers should be really angry about the fact that appliances now only last a couple of years when they used to last far far longer,' she said.

'The truth is that we have the technology to make these appliances last.

'If we can put a man on Mars, which is what they are talking of doing in the next few years, we can jolly well make a kettle that doesnt die on us after a few cups of tea.

'Manufacturers want us to be constantly replacing our items, but this is completely unsustainable and very short-sighted environmentally.'

Part of Tara's Buy Me Once mission is to encourage people to recognise good quality for themselves when they are out shopping.

The website also includes tips on how to care for your clothes and repair them so they last longer. 'There are some great YouTube videos on how to fix buttonholes and simple repairs,' she said

Tara has even found an everlasting sock brand called Darn Tough which cost from 14.25 a pair. However, she concedes that many people are forced to keep buying cheap products over and over because they can't afford to splash out

'If youre looking for clothes that last longer, look at the seams. Ask how well are they stitched,' she suggested.

'Are there bits of cotton sticking out that just need a pull to unravel the whole thing? What is the weight of the fabric and what is it made of?

'Linen, denim and bamboo fabrics are particularly durable and pre-shrunk fabrics will protect you from any nasty surprises.

'Talk to friends and ask them which brands have lasted them the longest.'

Buy Me Once promotes clothing brands such as Patagonia who offer high-quality items and also offer a lifetime repair guarantee. Tara has even found an everlasting sock brand called Darn Tough which cost from 14.25 a pair.

Tara has downsized her make-up back to a selection of key items including mascara, eye shadow, concealer, lipstick and perfume. That way she can spend more on good quality products

Tara's personal Buy Me Once collection includes Dr Martens shoes, Tweezerman Tweezers, a Stellar Cookware garlic press and a Davek umbrella

But she concedes that one reason that people spend money on cheap, throwaway items is that they can not afford to splash out on better quality goods.

'Hard-pressed families get trapped into cycles of poverty because they cant afford items that last longer,' she said.

'They end up paying over and over again for shoddy items and therefore pay much more overall in the long run.

TARA'S TOP TIPS FOR MAKING THINGS LAST LONGER Always follow the care instructions and wash clothes on the gentlest washes you can get away with. As soon as a small hole or tear appears in clothes, try to fix it. There are some great YouTube videos on how to fix buttonholes and simple repairs. Invest in wooden hangers, instead of wire or plastic ones, because theyre better in retaining the shape of items such as jackets and coats. Knits are better off stored folded in drawers, as hangers will mess up their shoulder shape and can stretch them in length unnecessarily. Denim is better stored hanging in the closet, as it's a breathable fabric. Woods main enemies are the sun and heat. Don't position furniture near sources of heat and try to keep it away from direct sunlight or close to windows. To repair scratches on wood rub a walnut back and forth across the entire length, and leave it alone for thirty minutes for the natural oils to seep through. Buffer with a soft, non-abrasive cloth for a perfect finish. Leather goods need to breathe, so don't use plastic containers to store shoes and bags, as this will cause mould to grow. For bags, use dust bags or even cotton pillowcases, and include a couple of silica gel packets to absorb the moisture. Advertisement

'But if consumers start voting with their wallets and choose things based on their longevity, manufacturers might be forced to up their game.'

'There is a terrific gap in the market for the manufacturer that bucks the trend and starts making appliances built to last for decades.

'Thankfully not all high-quality items are expensive and we are finding more all the time and manufacturers are now approaching us which is fantastic.'

Another of Tara's initiatives is to get people to downsize their consumption, so they can save their money to spend on longer-lasting items that may be more expensive.

'A capsule wardrobe of a few well-picked items you adore, make you feel fantastic and are built to last is so much more gratifying than opening a wardrobe bursting with clothes and feeling you have nothing to wear,' she said.

'As well as finding items we believe are the best in show in terms of longevity, we also talk about choosing the items we bring into our lives more carefully and mindfully. Having too much stuff around us actually brings us nothing but stress.

'On the site I actually made a list of "Things I Don't Need" and found it very freeing.'

Her kitchen list includes a bread machine, waffle maker, smoothie maker, more than four pots, more than one frying pan and matching mugs.

'I do not need a watch,' she said. 'I do not need any more than eight pairs of shoes - trainers, summer flats, winter flats, flip flops, heeled, winter boots, hiking boots, wellies and slippers.'

Tara has also downsized her make-up bag collection to just five staples: mascara, eyeshadow, concealer, lipstick and perfume.

'I'm a big fan of the tidying guru Marie Kondo who teaches us that unless an item is really useful or sparks real joy in our lives, it is not needed and is just a drain on our energy and clutters our homes,' she explained.

Taking care of the items you already have is important too.

'If an item is not bringing you joy, donate it, which will give you more energy to spend on the rest,' she said.

After getting rid of a treadmill she never used, Tara freed up valuable space and says she's a huge fan of tidying guru Marie Kondo who teaches that unless an item is really useful or sparks real joy in our lives, it is not needed

Luckily there are still manufactures that pride themselves on making products that last, but according to Tara they are few and far between

'Every item should have a place in your house as then it wont be neglected, forgotten, piled upon or broken by accident.

'Treat all your clothes as though they are your best dress or suit, even if they only cost a tenner. Pretend they cost 500 and you will naturally be more careful with them.

Tara has all sorts of tips and tricks online to make things last longer, such as softening your water with tablets to prevent limescale build up and using washing powder instead of gel that tends to clog.

'Turning the water temperature down and rinsing plates can help extend your dishwashers life,' she said.
Roses are red, violets are blue. What you do on the day says a lot about you.

As the annual celebration of love creeps up this weekend, its been revealed that how you spend the day reveals more about your generation than you think.

Recent research from OpenTable shows that Generation Y (also known as millennials, or those born from the 1980s through to the 2000s) are the most romantic, with some 83 per cent of them planning to spend money on their Valentine.

Meanwhile, Generation X (those born between the 1960s and the 1980s) and the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are much less extravagant, being 10 per cent more likely than Generation Y to think the day is overrated and often falls short of expectations.

FEMAIL met three couples from the different generations to talk about their feelings around the holiday, and their plans for the big day.

The big day: Recent research shows that your generation often determines what you will do on Valentine's Day

Number crunching: Generation Y is most romantic, while Generation X and Baby Boomers think it's overrated

Valentine's Day plans: FEMAIL met three couples from different generations to find out what they plan to do

THE BABY BOOMERS

Jen Evans, 71, from Sydney, says that she and her husband, Rick, will be doing what they always do  going to their favourite restaurant in Crows Nest, Sydney. This tallies with one in five Australians (some 10.3 million), who will eat out on the day in the evening.

It is our wedding anniversary on 10 February  we recently hit the 48 years married mark  so we often combine the two and go to the restaurant where I celebrated my 70th birthday, says Jen.

I dont think Valentines Day is such a big deal for our generation as it is for the young. About 30 years ago it suddenly became a thing, but before then my husband remembers it as this anonymous mischievous day where you could reveal a crush.

Baby boomers: The Baby Boomer generation are the least extravagant of the three generations

He says that when he was a teenager and wanted to go on a date with someone, his mother advised him to send an anonymous card  like Bathsheba in Thomas Hardys novel Far From The Madding Crowd. These days its far more commercial and full of big gestures.

While Jen says she likes to mark the day by doing something, for her, the perfect Valentines Day is as simple as a cup of tea brought to me, breakfast in bed, flowers and a meal out in the evening.

She says that she probably does spend as much as the average Australian on Valentines - $107  when all things are taken into account.

Quiet meal: Jen (right) says the perfect day is a cup of tea, breakfast in bed and a relaxed evening meal out

GENERATION X

Louise Auer-Hernandez, 35, from Sydney, is planning an even smaller affair than Jen.

Right now, my husband, Andy, and I, are mainly focusing our energies on our one-year-old daughter. Any outings fit around her and her feeds and sleeps, so this Valentines Day well probably be staying in rather than going out.

We might get a takeaway, as most of our relaxation is done around food, but it wont be anything major. Because our daughter was newborn this time last February I cant even remember what we did last year!

Average spent: The average Australian will spend $86 on Valentine's Day in total

While, for Louise, the most important thing for a special day is being with the person you love, she says that she hopes that her and Andy will be able to go out again in the future:

Once things calm down a bit well probably go out for a meal on Valentine's Day again, she says.

Its nice to have that bit of extra effort on the day.

Chilled evening: For Louise (left), it will be much less as she and her husband plan to stay in due to their child

GENERATION Y

Celebrating Valentines Day by having a meal in a restaurant is most popular among Generation Y  some 52 per cent of them plan to dine out, according to the OpenTable research..

Well be going out for a long boozy lunch with another couple on Sunday, says Holly Mason, 26, from Sydney.

Well definitely spend more than the $107 most Aussies spend on Valentines Day.

Long lunch: Generation Y is most extravagant, and they are often fond of big romantic gestures

No expenses spared: Holly (left) says her and her boyfriend will spend more than $86 on a long boozy lunch

'While we dont usually do gifts, myself and my boyfriend, Brad, will pretty much always do cards and a shared experience such as a restaurant or hotel.

As a couple, we both like hanging out with other couples who are mutual friends on Valentines Day as it makes the day more fun.
After 20 years working the in the Channel 10 newsroom, Jennifer Hansen saw a lot of things. Now, with her television news career behind her, Ms Hansen has turned her hand at writing, using her knowledge of the media industry to write a novel.

'I had ensure to make all of the characters fictional,' Ms Hansen laughed. 'I have a lot of friends who still work in television.'

Making Headlines, which is Ms Hansen's debut novel, has all the makings of the next chic-lit phenomenon. 'We've described it as the Devil Wear Prada meets Bridget Jones' Diary with a bit of Sex and the City thrown in,' Ms Hansen said.

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Behind the scenes: Former newsreader Jennifer Hansen has written her debut novel about a young journalist and how TV news really gets made

The book follows a TV reporter called Rachel Bentley, who is ambitious young journalist who sets her sights on becoming a newsreader. 'Rachels path sees her pitched against egos in the newsroom, office politics and corrupt politicians, not to mention rampant sexism and a mystery stalker,' the book's description reads.

Looking at Ms Hansen's career, you can see the similarities: she worked as a reporter for 10 years before becoming co-host of the Melbourne nightly news in 1996.

Some of the scenes in the book Ms Hansen based off real life experiences. Others, she explained, were total fiction. 'There's a bombing scene in book, which was based on an experience I had in real life,' she said.

'As a young journalist I was on the scene at the Russell Street bombings. It was a confronting scenario as young journalist, it was terrifying. That kind of thing effects you forever.'

'There used to be pretty wild media parties': Ms Hansen said some of the party scenes in the book were drawn from real life experiences

''I had ensure to make all of the characters fictional': Ms Hansen drew her inspiration from her 20 year career working for Channel 10

'Pitfalls and positives': Ms Hansen, who is married to Neighbours star Alan Fletcher, said they both understand the the pros and cons of being in the public eye

There were some other similarities between Ms Hansen's career and the character of Rachel in the book. 'I have covered a story about corrupt politician but he never threw a book at me! I never had a stalker but I did have prank phone calls. Someone once called me and said "youre going to die tonight."'

The Sex and the City-esque chpaters of the book and Rachel's many boyfriends, Ms Hansens laughs, were 'definitely all fiction.' Ms Hansen is married to actor Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr Karl Kennedy, and the couple have two children.

She says having a partner who is also famous means the couple understand the 'pitfalls and the positives' of being in the public eye. 'You've got to be careful about what you do when you're out and about,' she says. 'If youre at the Logies you dont get drunk and dance on the tables!'

Although some of the partying described in the book does come from memories Ms Hansen has from her time as a young TV reporter. 'There is one industry party that is described in the book that is quite full on. There used to be pretty wild media parties back in the day!' she laughed.

Boom: A scene in Making Headlines was based off Ms Hansen's experience as a young journalist on the scene of the Russel Street bombing

Part of the novel also sees Ms Hansen's main character dealing with sexism in the television news industry, something she said she say during her career.

'It's about a woman's struggle in a male dominated industry. There's definite challenges in the industry, it is tougher on women. You've just got to deal with it as best you can,' Ms Hansen said.

Although she remembers her time as a journalist fondly, Ms Hansen said she had always wanted to write a book, and so is very proud to have the 'stamp of approval' from HarperCollins for her debut.

Making Headlines is published by HarperCollins and available exclusively as an ebook.



Hot off the press: Some of the stars of Neighbours were at the launch party for Making Headlines
A mother-of-two has detailed the emotional and physical reasons she chose to leave both of her children attached to their umbilical cords and placenta until they fell away six days after she gave birth to each of them.

When welcoming her first child, Ulysses, into the world five years ago, Adele Allen, from Brighton, opted to have a lotus birth, which is the practice of leaving a newborn's umbilical cord attached rather than cutting it off near the stomach. Mothers who choose this childbirth method have to carry around the placenta with their baby as they wait for the cord to naturally detach from their infants.

In an essay for blog Mom.Me, Adele explained that she kept the placenta 'smelling pleasant' by sprinkling it with a 'coating of rock salt and rose petals before wrapping [it] in muslin cloths' that they changed every couple of days.

Au naturel? British mother Adele Allen, from Brighton, opted to have a lotus birth, which is the practice of leaving a newborn's umbilical cord attached (pictured) rather than cutting it off near the stomach

In order to transport her baby, Adele would place the placenta into a hand-held cooler bag to keep everything 'clean and aerated'.

Adele said that the process 'felt so instinctual' to her that nine months ago she chose to birth her second child in the same way, explaining that having a lotus birth allowed her to stay connected to her children for hours after they came out of her womb.

She recalled how she remained physically attached to her son for five hours after his birth as she waited to discharge the placenta and fetal membranes that are known as 'after birth'. When she gave birth to her daughter nine months ago, the delivery of the after-birth took a total of 12 hours.

'This extended period of literally remaining connected ensured I could bond successfully with both my babies without any interference or unnecessary weighing, bathing or medical tests,' she wrote.

Blood flow in the umbilical arteries and veins usually continues for a few minutes after a baby is born, and advocates of the lotus birthing method believe infants are put under unnecessary stress when they are cut off from the remainder of the blood supply that is flowing through the cord from the placenta.

Personal preference: Adele said she had a lotus birth with both of her children and found it to be a 'relaxing' experience. However, The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns against the 'trend'

Adele said the benefits of a lotus birth the same as those of delayed cord clamping, a practice in which the umbilical cord isn't clamped until after pulsations have ceased.

According to the mother, the practice ensures that babies receive the 'full 30 to 50 per cent remainder of their blood supply' and their 'vital stem cells'.

The World Health Organisation states the 'optimal time to clamp the umbilical cord for all infants regardless of gestational age or fetal weight is when the circulation in the cord has ceased, and the cord is flat and pulseless', a process that takes three minutes or more.

And while there is evidence that there are benefits to waiting a few minutes after birth to cut or clamp the umbilical cord, it is believed that keeping the cord attached to the placenta long term carries a risk of infection.

The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warned against the 'trend' in 2008 after a small number of women in the UK were opting to have lotus births.

Fresh as a daisy: Adele explained that she kept the placenta 'smelling pleasant' by sprinkling it with a 'coating of rock salt and rose petals' before wrapping it in muslin cloths

Hush little baby: Adele's husband Matt is pictured holding one of their children who is sound asleep

'If left for a period of time after the birth, there is a risk of infection in the placenta which can consequently spread to the baby,' a spokesperson said at the time. 'The placenta is particularly prone to infection as it contains blood. Within a short time after birth, once the umbilical cord has stopped pulsating, the placenta has no circulation and is essentially dead tissue.

'If women do opt for umbilical non-severance, the RCOG strongly recommends that their babies be monitored carefully for any signs of infection.'

However, Adele, who studied Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, claimed the risk of infection 'seems highly unlikely as the cord literally begins to dry up and shuts off the supply to the placenta as soon as the blood and stem cells have finished traveling through to the baby'.

'The actual evidence of such infection occurring in lotus born babies is zero, unlike the many cases of infected cord stumps bought about by cutting the cord,' she continued.

Adele admitted that she has no idea if having a lotus birth instead of delayed cord clamping made a different in the quality of her children's lives. She even noted that her son had trouble sleeping as an infant, while her daughter didn't.

What she did offer is the belief that her choice 'made for a much more relaxed birth experience'.
Is there more to life than being really, really ridiculously good looking? Yes, having a really, really great wardrobe.

So naturally, costume designer Leesa Evans, whose film credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, Bridesmaids and 22 Jump Street, pulled out all the stops when dressing Zoolander and his cronies for the model's long-awaited sequel, Zoolander 2 - out today.

The film's wardrobe closet was filled with high-end designers like Saint Laurent, Valentino,Vintage McQueen, Gucci, and of course M, by Mugatu for the lead characters Derek Zoolander, Hansel, Valentina, Alexanya and Mugatu played by Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrel respectfully. Leesa gave online retailer Moda Operandi an inside look.

Striking a pose: Stars of the screen and runway, Zoolander 2 actors Ben Stiller (Derek Zoolander) and Owen Wilson (Hansel) make their best Blue Steel faces

DEREK ZOOLANDER

Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller) first realized he wanted to be a model when he was a toddler and saw his reflection in a spoon.

His chiseled good looks and Blue Steel pose took him to the top of the modeling game and now it's only the best for this incredibly vain character. 'Derek's very allergic to any fabric that isn't silk, cashmere or leather,' says Leesa.

He's a flashy guy with an over-the-top wardrobe to match. From a Saint Laurent sequin jacket to a Valentino pantsuit (below), it's no wonder Derek's everyone's favorite male model and on the cover of this month's Vogue.

Vanity at it's finest: He's got a flashy personality with a Saint Laurent sequin jacket to match

High-end favorites: 'He's very allergic to any fabric that isn't silk, cashmere or leather,' says costume designer Leesa Evans. Valentino separates (above)

Best of the best: Derek struts his stuff in this Valentino jacket (left) custom shirt (right)

HANSEL

Hansel (played by Owen Wilson), Derek's runway rival, is the opposite of Zoolander in terms of style and ethos.

Having traveled the world on a number of varied adventures - which he is all too happy to talk about - it is unsurprising that his style has developed a somewhat nomadic quality.

'His look is very eclectic,' says Leesa. 'He never wears more than one item of clothing from the same country.'

Intermixing raw materials and billowy silhouettes with artifacts he's collected from his travels, he pulls off a chill, casual vibe. But his laid-back sense of style isn't as bohemian as he would have you believe; despite appearances, the quirky fashion star buys all of his 'off-the-beaten-track' esque items from designer labels, like the Loewe sweater, Saint Laurent beaded necklace and Cousu espadrilles (below).

Hansel's secret to mixing-n-matching? 'He never wears more than one item of clothing from the same country,' says Leesa

His designer duds: A Loewe sweater (left) and a Saint Laurent necklace (right) complete Hansel's faux hippe vibe

Relaxed accessories: They say shoes make the man. Hansel favors these Cousu espadrilles (left). He tops off his look with a cotton beenie

VALENTINA

Special agent and former swimsuit model, Valentina (played by Penelope Cruz), turns up the heat with her seductive spywear.

In a red leather Costume National jumpsuit and Christian Louboutin spiked ankle boots (below), she whizzes around on her motorcycle fighting crime in high fashion.

From her sleuth-style trench coat to her saucy bustier tops, it's no surprise she's Derek Zoolander's new love interest.

Red hot: As a special agent Valentina turns up the heat in sexy attire

Showing off her shape: Valentina highlights her former swimsuit model curves in a Gucci jacket (left) and Costume National leather jumpsuit (right)

It's all in the details: It's no surprise she's Zoolander's new love interest wearing spiked Christian Louboutin boots (left) and an Agent Provocateur bustier (right)

ALEXANYA

More is most definitely more for Mugatu's cohort, Alexanya Atoz (played by Kristen Wiig), and that includes her exaggerated plastic surgery! From fillers to Botox and placenta facials, Alexanya is a sight  for sore eyes that is.

While she features a mostly neutral color palette and monochromatic looks, she can't help but come off as totally over the top with her zany attire and frozen face.

Like a true socialite, 'Alexanya never wears an outfit more than once,' says Leesa. And how could she? With ensembles as unforgettable as the billowy purple number she wore to the House of Atoz fashion show, repeat wear is not an option.

No repeat wear: 'Alexanya never wears an outfit more than once,' says Leesa.

Her classic combo: Alexanya's Alexander McQueen black and white skirt suit is far from ordinary

MUGATU

Would an evil fashion guru who once attempted to brainwash Derek into killing a world leader wear basic clothing? Of course not.

Jacobim Mugatu's (played by Will Ferrel) wardrobe spans from outlandish to awesomely ridiculous. In loud colors, bold prints and clown like silhouettes topped by a crazy, platinum blonde hairdo, his look is truly as unique as his character.

Like a true narcissist, he almost always wears pieces from his own line, M by Mugatu (below). Somebody has to!

While Zoolander 2 has an impressive lineup of celebrity cameos, including Justin Bieber, Lenny Kravitz, Ariana Grande and Joe Jonas, let's face it: the real star is the wardrobe.

Like a true narcissist: Mugatu in almost always wearing his own line M by Mugatu, complete with his signature curly blonde hairdo

A standout: He may be an evil fashion designer but he never blends in. Mugatu stands out in these M by Mugatu threads
The couple has been together since they were 14, and Jourdan said each trip they fall more in love

They travel on a budget and are happy to forgo expensive meals in favour of eating fruit on the beach

There they share incredible photos of their travels from around the world, including India, Morocco and Turkey

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In the inky blackness of early morning Jourdan Bowen woke his girlfriend, Madeline Relph.

It was 5am and the sun was yet to rise, but fueled by adventure they took off on a scooter towards one of Turkey's most captivating landmarks: Goreme Valley.

Together they sat besides a fire and waited.

As the sun rose so did 100 hot air balloons, and the couple from Sydney's northern beaches captured the intimate moment on camera.

'Starting the morning right,' Madeline wrote on Instagram to her 72,200 followers.

The romantic setting was not unusual for the couple who have been together since they were 14 and together travel the world.

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'Starting the morning right': Madeline Relph and her boyfriend Jourdan Bowen watched the sun, and 100 hot air balloons, rise in Turkey's Goreme Valley

World wanderers: The couple from Sydney's northern beaches have close to 80,000 followers on Instagram where they share incredible photos of their travels abroad

Jourdan, 26, told the Manly Daily travel brought them closer as a couple and they fell more in love each trip.

The couple met 10 years ago in Adelaide.

They now live in Mona Vale in Sydney's northern beaches, and when they're not exploring the rest of the world, Madeline works as a model for Tree of Life and Contiki, and Jourdan as a labourer.

Together the pair has close to 80,000 Instagram followers who share in their incredible lifestyle.

Life well travelled: Madeline and Jourdan have been together since they were 14 years old

Wanderlust: Jourdan said each trip brings them closer and they fall more and in love

Leading the way: When he is not tracking through the desert with camels in tow, Jourdan is a labourer from Sydney's Mona Vale

Making the most of life: Madeline said they travel on a budget, and have slept in airports, on buses and trains and eat street food

Madeline's own page is a collection of sun drenched beaches, sandy deserts and tropical paradises. Her bikini-clad lifestyle is enough to make anyone want to pack their bags and book a one-way ticket abroad.

Jourdan told the Manly Daily the blonde beauty was the perfect travel companion.

'We are there to see new things and meet new people,' Madeline said. 'We have slept in airports, on buses and on trains and we eat street food and share meals.

'We do everything cheap  and enjoy life to its fullest.'

Sun-drenched lifestyle: Madeline, who has modelled for Tree of Life and Contiki, posts enviable photos of her bikini-clad lifestyle

Salt and sand: The couple are happy to eat fruit on the beach instead of dining in expensive restaurants as a way to save money

'Thought we should try fit in with all the honeymooners': The couple shared a moment on the beautiful beaches of Seychelles

'We named her Bronwyn': While in India the couple made friends with the country's sacred cows while lounging on the beach

Rather than spending money on expensive food and drinks, Madeline said they were happy to take some fruit down to the beach.

Photos from their Instagram show the pair lounging on the sand in Seychelles, an island off East Africa in the Indian Ocean, sitting on granite rocks by crystal blue water, swimming in the ocean and kissing on the beach.

'Thought we should try fit in with all the honeymooners,' Madeline wrote alongside a snap of the couple hugging on the sand.

The couple has also travelled to India where they made friends with the country's sacred cows.

'We named her Bronwyn, she enjoys long walks on the beach and thorough scratching sessions,' Madeline captioned a photo of her cuddling a cow on the beach.

On safari: A fashionable Madeline dresses according to where she is travelling, be it Khaki while on safari or saris in India

Vision in red: 'Had so much fun running around India I look forward to coming back some day soon,' Madeline wrote

Day dreamer: Their travels have taken them to Morocco, Tanzania, Turkey, Guatemala, Santorini and the US

Model life: Madeline said she and Jourdan were happier than ever after travelling around Europe for 13 months and she was 'so unbelievably grateful'

Other places the couple have been include Morocco, Tanzania, Turkey, Guatemala, Santorini and the US.

'I couldn't have done this with anyone else, 13 months of travels and we are home happier than ever,' Madeline wrote in one Instagram post.

'When we left for Europe I never thought we would have seen and done this much!
Singaporean airline Scoot has started celebrating Valentine's early on a flight from Australia to Singapore by helping passengers have photoshoots with their seatmates.

Nick Renwick, from Geelong, posted a photo to his Instagram account of himself and his partner on their flight from Melbourne to Singapore showing the romantic event.

He said that midway through his flight, the crew turned on rainbow cabin lighting and played the song Lovefool by The Cardigans. They then proceeded down the plane and took photos of people with their valentines.

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Love is in the air: Nick Renwick (above left) posted a photo on social media of the special Valentine's event on a Scoot flight

'Ok so @flyscootau is the coolest airline,' Mr Renwick wrote on his Instagram post. 'Halfway through the flight, they turned on rainbow lighting and the song Lovefool then we got to do photo shoots.'

The photos were taken by the cabin crew and featured fun props like cardboard glasses, hats and mustaches. Each couple were photographed in a frame decorated with hearts, flowers and butterflies.

The frame had 'Be my valentine' and 'Kiss me' written along its sides, as well as 'Be my lover' and a reference to the famous Jerry Maguire scene with 'You got me at hello.'

It also featured '#Wannabeascootee' the company's social media hashtag where customers can share images of their flight experiences on Scoot.

Be my Valentine?: Mr Renwick said the cabin crew turned on rainbow lighting and played the song Lovefool whilst taking photos of passengers

A spokeperson for Scoot Airlines said that whilst some on board events are planned in advance by Scoot head office, the company encourages cabin crew to have fun and do mini-events for passengers, meaning every flight is different. The company calls it 'scootitude.'

'Scootitude is our crew's fun, and "can do" attitude. We like to imbue them with a sense of fun, and a willingness to go the extra mile to make a passenger's flight enjoyable,' the spokesperson said.

'Sometimes the crew plan things in advance with our headquarters team for larger days like Valentines, Halloween, Easter and Christmas, but if there is an event on board that they find out about they are able to do a spontaneous "fun event" as well.'

'Get naughty with the Mrs': Scoot also has a Valentine's Day promo with discounted flights

Loveshack: A scoot spokesperson says cabin crew can plan their own events for special occasions on flights

The rainbow lighting is a regular feature on Scoot flights and are built in to the company's new fleet of 787 Dreamliners. The Dreamliners feature 'mood lighting' that can be changed depending on the time of the day.

Scoot's website explains that the staff can then turn the lighting into a rainbow 'when it's time to bring out some Scootitude inflight!'
She stands next to a stained, threadbare chair, a naked lightbulb dangling behind her. And as she raises her pink crinoline to her waist  flashing her fishnet smalls  she fixes the viewer with that familiar, defiant stare.

The sight of Kate Moss in her knickers is the first thing that greets visitors to the Vogue 100 show, which opened this week at the National Portrait Gallery in London, marking the centenary of the feted fashion magazine.

The picture of Moss, shot in 2008 by Mario Testino, is simultaneously beautiful and grotesque. The colours are those of a Renaissance painting, sullied only by the sleazy backroom atmosphere. Mosss tanned, flawless legs, invitingly open, end in a rough pair of workboots. The elegance and femininity of the skirts pink cloud of tulle clashes with her military-style jacket.

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Fashion: The sight of Kate Moss in her knickers is the first thing that greets visitors to the Vogue 100 show, which opened this week at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The picture of Moss, shot in 2008 by Mario Testino, is simultaneously beautiful and grotesque

Its an uneasy mixture of vulgarity and style, of arrogance and vulnerability. It also captures the way most ordinary people feel about how modern fashion presents itself: a kind of voyeuristic confusion, an unsettling sense of alienation, a sneaking sensation that someone, somewhere, is having a grand old laugh at our expense.

Like the Kate of this picture, fashion beckons us in only to cruelly slam the door in our faces the moment we presume to approach.

A magazine on a newsstand is a very ordinary sort of thing. While an invaluable platform for advertisers and celebrities, for most of us, it is something to flick through on the train home, or with which to pass the time in a doctors surgery. But in the august setting of a museum, such as the National Portrait Gallery, it takes on an another dimension entirely.

Here, it becomes a matter of historical record, a social monitor, a timeline not only of our changing tastes in clothing, but also  and far more compellingly  of our changing mores and attitudes.

That is the aim, and ultimately the achievement, of this show, which charts 100 years of British Vogue, from its first, gentle, scholarly appearance in September 1916, followed by Twenties ascendancy under the editorship of Dorothy Todd (a lesbian and leading light of the Bloomsbury set) to its current incarnation under the hugely successful Alexandra Shulman, at the helm since 1992, its longest-serving editor.

Where there is subversion, it is clever, it has purpose: Linda Evangelista, a vision of cartoonish Fifties elegance in elegant green and mauve, shot by Patrick Demarchelier in 1991

Here, it becomes a matter of historical record, a social monitor, a timeline not only of our changing tastes in clothing, but also  and far more compellingly  of our changing mores and attitudes

Seen like this, across the decades in all its glory, Vogue sheds its mantle of a fickle fashion bible, in thrall to the changing seasons and passing whims of powerful advertisers and egomaniacal designers, and takes on a far more noble bearing.

The roll-call of writers and celebrity interviews is as impressive as it is eclectic. Tallulah Bankhead, Kingsley Amis, Alfred Hitchcock, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Charlie Chaplin, Aldous Huxley, to name but a few.

Then there are the photographers: Snowdon, Beaton, Demarchelier, Testino, Donovan, Parkinson and many whose fame is lost in the mists of time, such as the improbably named Baron Adolph de Meyer, Vogues first staff photographer.

Theres also Lee Miller, a former American model who, during World War II, became the magazines battle-hardened war photographer, capturing Hitlers Bavarian hideaway as it burned to the ground in 1945 and documenting first-hand the Nazi atrocities at the liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps.

The story of how we descended from class acts such as these to the likes of Kate Moss, known as much for her tawdry behaviour as her undeniable beauty, is as much a tale of changing fashions as it is of changing values.

Not one of these pictures bear the slightest relation to style. They have no intrinsic value as fashion photography, they offer no useful service to the viewer. Pictured, Claudia Schiffer in Paris by Herb Ritts, 1989

It becomes more about the fashion and less about the famous faces displaying it  or not, as the case may be. For most striking aspect about 21st-century imagery is the abundance of nudity

Journeying back through the years (the exhibition is played out simply but effectively, each room representing a decade), the visitor is treated to a century of social and cultural change, seen through a gilded filter of fashion and fame.

As the present gives way to the past, not only do the tone and quality of the Vogue pictures change, with digital reverting to film and old-fashioned lighting replacing Photoshop, so do style and beauty take the centre stage, casting out modern-day cynicism and arrogance.

Curiously, the past feels more real, less staged and self-conscious  which is odd since the poses are more rigid, the clothes less fluid. But theres an honesty, an absence of artificiality.

In particular, it becomes more about the fashion and less about the famous faces displaying it  or not, as the case may be. For most striking aspect about 21st-century imagery is the abundance of nudity.

Heres Moss again in 2012 on some far-flung beach, in nothing but a Valentino micro-mini; and in 2001, riding starkers and bareback on a white stallion, allegedly styled by Stella McCartney (although quite what there is to style when theres not a scrap of clothing to be seen is a mystery).

Heres Lara Stone, for reasons that are unclear, wearing a giant bin-liner. Or take Cara Delevingne scowling next to someone dressed as a duck. Someone else rides a yak, dressed herself as a yak  pure Ab Fab, but without the irony.

Curiously, the past feels more real, less staged and self-conscious. Heres Lara Stone, for reasons that are unclear, wearing a giant bin-liner

As the present gives way to the past, not only do the tone and quality of the Vogue pictures change, with digital reverting to film and old-fashioned lighting replacing Photoshop, so do style and beauty take the centre stage, casting out modern-day cynicism and arrogance

Women walk by framed photos at the press preview for 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style' exhibiting the photographs that has been commissioned by British Vogue since it was founded in 1916 at National Portrait Gallery

Alexander McQueen glares down from a giant canvas, a cigarette in his mouth, his chin resting on a skull thats also, ho-ho, smoking.

Not one of these pictures bear the slightest relation to style. They have no intrinsic value as fashion photography, they offer no useful service to the viewer.

They are mere statements, the fashion equivalent of conceptual art, and equally as superficial. They are vanity, pure and unadulterated, filling a cultural space utterly devoid of ideas.

As the decades roll back, however, something begins to happen. The egos recede, and fashion once again becomes something real, tangible, more a true craft and less a series of half-baked concepts.

Where there is subversion, it is clever, it has purpose: Linda Evangelista, a vision of cartoonish Fifties elegance in elegant green and mauve, shot by Patrick Demarchelier in 1991.

A 1941 picture by Beaton entitled Fashion Is Indestructible shows the back of an exquisite figure in gloves and hat, silhouetted between two pillars on a bombsite; Clifford Coffins 1947 Renaissance, an austere-looking model clad in a lavish ballgown standing at the bottom of a once grand staircase, now crumbling and pockmarked by shrapnel, has real meaning in the context of a post-war Britain struggling with deprivation.

As the decades roll back, however, something begins to happen. The egos recede, and fashion once again becomes something real, tangible, more a true craft and less a series of half-baked concepts

So much of modern fashion despises the wearer. Caught up in an endless search for newness, it retreats into itself, replacing creativity with pretentiousness, artistry with attitude

Journalists look at a photo of famous models at the press preview for 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style'

Contrast that with that opening shot of Moss flashing her knickers  similar dishevelled settings, similar styling  and you see opposite sides of the same coin, one elegant and meaningful, the other over-stylised and empty.

Twiggy, shot in 1967 by Ronald Traeger, captures all the exuberance of the era; as does Demarcheliers 1987 The Romance Of Lacroix, in which a group of brightly dressed young things, all in matching black stilettos and sheer black tights, skip along the streets of Paris.

Striking also is a picture by Norman Parkinson of his model wife, Wenda, wearing a 1951 Hardy Amies suit. The stunning elegance and simplicity of the suit, set against a rainy Hyde Park, is the very image of post-war austerity, yet the clear rapport between husband and wife suffuses the portrait with an unmistakable sense of hope and romance.

My favourite room is the Forties, a rich boudoir-red, the pictures smaller but with so much more content than their modern counterparts. It is an era when Truman Capote and Cecil Beaton were the figures of the day.

Elsewhere a line of beautiful airmen climb aboard a plane, captured in all the luminescence of youth as they proceed to their deaths. Nearby, a whimsical 1944 Carl Erickson drawing, Bright fashion for dark days, catches the eye.

An image of Princess Diana is inspected at the press preview for 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style'

Clothes, style, fashion, these things are not frivolities. They are a source of dignity, humanity and sanity

Its not nostalgia that draws us back to the Vogues of years gone by. It is a yearning for something that fashion has too long denied us: style

The striking thing about the Vogue of this era, in contrast to the magazine of latter years, is that  like the world it reflected  it is a place of utter certainty. Against the bleakest of backdrops, there was still comfort and aspiration to be had in knowing precisely which hat and gloves to wear for any given occasion.

So much of modern fashion despises the wearer. Caught up in an endless search for newness, it retreats into itself, replacing creativity with pretentiousness, artistry with attitude. It tries to break free of the confines of the human form, so dreary and restrictive with its bourgeois concerns of cost, comfort and the like  and in so doing too often ceases to be relevant.

Because the truth is that in a world of uncertainty the simple boundaries of a well-cut skirt or jacket are sometimes all that hold a person together.

Clothes, style, fashion, these things are not frivolities. They are a source of dignity, humanity and sanity.

Its only in the graceless hedonism of the 21st century that such ideals are being lost.
Some people say proposal is PR stunt by carpet shop

Expert says there's going to be a slew of women proposing this year

Message from mystery lady asking man to marry her appeared last night

A mystery Irish woman has proposed very publicly to her boyfriend in a busy Dublin shopping area by erecting a huge banner declaring her love.

The message, which appeared last night over carpet shop Des Kelly Interiors in the Phibsborough district of the Irish capital, asks 'Alex' to be her husband.

It reads: 'Hey Alex, can't believe I'm doing this, but spring has sprung, it's a Leap Year, so here goes.... Will you be my forever Valentino? Lucy X'.

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This gigantic billboard message from 'Lucy' asking 'Alex' to marry her has appeared above a Dublin carpet shop two days before Valentine's Day

A picture of the billboard has been shared widely on social media but as yet neither 'Lucy' or 'Alex' have been identified  and it is unknown whether he accepted.

One Twitter user, Louise McSharry, joked: 'A proposal via Des Kelly carpets. A Dublin dream.'

However, there has been speculation that the sign, which appeared two days before Valentine's Day, might be a fake as it follows the appearance of a similar billboard above the Des Kelly Interiors shop four years ago.

In 2012 photos surfaced of the shop carrying the message: 'To the girl in the blue mini I changed your tyre last week but I was too shy to ask for your number. Please call me.'

Des Kelly Interiors could not be reached for comment.

This picture from 2012 shows the Des Kelly carpet shop also hosted another romantic message on its billboard, prompting speculation that the Valentine's proposal is a fake

Fake or not, there has been a slew of creative proposals which have garnered attention in and around the Irish capital lately.

In December a Monaghan woman was surprised when she arrived to pick up her boyfriend from Dublin Airport to find a choir singing carols, a crowd and her man on bended knee.

Louise Mooney arrived at the airport  where she had met partner Martin Mulroe exactly three years earlier to the day  only to discover that he'd flown in from Australia hours earlier and enlisted the help of airport staff, a local choir and decorated the arrivals hall with flowers and balloons.

The moment was caught on film and Louise can be seen saying yes before the couple embrace to squeals and applause from onlookers.

Another Dubliner, Robert Keegan, 27, took over Grafton street to propose to his girlfriend of ten years, Kelly MacDonald, 26, when he engineered a flash mob.

Kelly MacDonald, 26, pictured above being proposed to by Robert Keegan, 27, on a busy Dublin street, was shocked when he started dancing along with a flashmob to Bruno Mars' 'Mary You'

Robert apparently spontaneously joined in with dance moves to the Bruno Mars hit 'Marry You' on the busy Dublin high street before going down on one knee with a ring.

In Easter 2014 a plaque appeared on a park bench in Dublin's Merrion Square proposing to a mystery lady named Clare.

The author, who had a bit of help from Oscar Wilde, had written: 'Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood. Clare, will you marry me?'

Last month another mystery proposal in Cornwall gained attention when a romantic placed a note in the window of a local charity shop.

Kelly's emotional reaction to the proposal was caught on film, see video above, and she can be heard screaming and crying when she realises what is going on

The note, written on red paper cut into the shape of a heart, read: 'To Sophie, you are my world, will you marry me? Xx'.

The British Heart Foundation shop in Commercial Street, Camborne, launched an appeal to find out whether she accepted.

Shop manager Dannii Bates told West Briton newspaper: 'We are still waiting to hear what happened with the proposal.

'It was posted through the letter box overnight so we don't know who popped it in but we were quite surprised when we read it and it's definitely the first proposal we've had.
Stepped out in a satin cream dress, metallic high heels and a pink clutch

Princess Diana's niece unveiled her really wild side as she attended a glitzy party in London.

Socialite Lady Kitty Spencer stepped out in a leopard print fur coat for the Bright Young Things bash at the city's legendary nightspot, Annabel's, on Thursday evening.

The 25-year-old blonde bombshell was joined at the lavish night-time do by former Made In Chelsea star, Amber Atherton, the Duke of Rutland's daughter, Lady Alice Manners, and Matthew Williamson's right hand woman, Rosanna Falconer.

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Princess Diana's niece Kitty Spencer unveiled her really wild side as she attended a glitzy party in London

The socialite stepped out in a leopard print fur coat for the Bright Young Things bash at the city's legendary nightspot, Annabel's, on Thursday evening

Glamorous Kitty, who is the eldest daughter of Charles Spencer and Victoria Aitken, dazzled in the bold outerwear, a knee-length satin cream dress, strappy gold high-heels and a candyfloss pink clutch bag.

The IT girl tousled her glossy blonde locks into elegant curls and left them to hang loosely around her shoulders.

She ramped up the evening look a notch with the help of nude smoky eye make-up and clear lip gloss.

Kitty, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, arrived at the famous haunt with a brunette pal who was dressed in a black fur coat, a sheer top and leather leggings.

Kitty, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, arrived at the famous haunt with a brunette pal who was dressed in a black fur coat, a sheer top and leather leggings

While Kitty Spencer had clearly gone for a sophisticated evening look, Lady Alice Manners opted for a far more daring outfit

The 21-year-old, who is the second eldest daughter of the Duke of Rutland, turned heads by going braless in a low-cut mesh top that flaunted her cleavage

Ex-reality star Amber Atherton appeared to follow Kitty's lead by arriving in a striking leopard print coat

While Kitty had clearly gone for a sophisticated evening look, Lady Alice Manners opted for a far more daring outfit.

The 21-year-old, who is the second eldest daughter of the Duke of Rutland, turned heads by going braless in a low-cut mesh top that flaunted her cleavage.

Taking the racy outfit up a notch, she completed the ensemble with some tiny black hot pants and a pair of thigh-high suede boots.

Clearly in high spirits, Alice, who attends the 29,000-a-year all-girls boarding school Queen Margaret's in York, merrily posed for waiting photographers.

Meanwhile, ex-reality star Amber Atherton appeared to follow Kitty's lead by arriving in a striking leopard print coat.

The 24-year-old jewellery entrepreneur looked relaxed in a plain black dress, sheer tights and flat shoes with silver buckle detailing.

The Chelsea businesswoman carried a grey handbag that had a silver chain strap and wore a delicate gold charm necklace.

Rosanna Falconer, who is designer Matthew Williamson's right-hand digital girl, stunned in a metallic and feather mini skirt, a turquoise fur scarf and lilac fringed ankle boots

T-shirt designer Alexandra Bayley, pictured left, arrived at the celebrity-packed gala alongside 24-year-old lawyer Mijanou Dilks, right

Rosanna Falconer, who is designer Matthew Williamson's right-hand digital girl, stunned in a metallic and feather mini skirt, a turquoise fur scarf and lilac fringed ankle boots.

The 30-year-old fashion insider warded off the cold with a black leather bike jacket but left her tights at home to showcase her deep golden tan.

T-shirt designer Alexandra Bayley arrived at the celebrity-packed gala alongside 24-year-old lawyer Mijanou Dilks.

Alexandra, 27, looked elegant in a bright pink dress, which featured a floral cut away design and matching cerise high heels.

Meanwhile, Mijanou decided to keep her party dress hidden underneath a knee-length black coat and fur stole.

Model Charlotte Carroll was all smiles in a cosy grey fur coat as she posed alongside night club entrepreneur Diego Bivero-Volpe, who looked dapper in a grey suit.
Says mums experience relief and joy, while fathers are usually shocked and amazed

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Some have sheer joy written all over their faces and others just look overwhelmed with relief, while some can't contain their tears.

Photographer Marry Fermont, 35, from the Dutch province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands, has captured the intensity of the occasion when parents meet their babies for the first time in her 'First Moments' photo series.

Marry told FEMAIL: 'When a baby is born, its like everything happens really fast, but also in slow motion like time is standing still. But at the same time so much is happening.

Photographer Marry Fermont , 35, from Zeeland, in the Netherlands has captured the intensity of the occasion when parents meet their babies for the first time in her 'First Moments' photo series

Marry says that when a baby is born everything happens very quickly, but it also feels as if things are in slow motion and time is standing still. Here she's captured the moment a midwife hands a newborn to its mother for the first time

Still exhausted from giving birth, a new mother has skin to skin time with her cryiny newborn as her partner supportively strokes her hair. Marry says that it's a particularly special moment for the partner who has only ever felt the baby kicking

'To be present at such an intimate moment feels like a privilege and you forget everything that happens around you, except for taking photos of course.'

The photographer, who also documents her work on Facebook, admitted that sometimes she can't help but be swept up in the emotion herself.

'Sometimes I shed a tear myself, because you are so into the moment,' she revealed. 'This moment is extra special, because the emotions are so real.

'You can never predict what will happen in this moment and you cannot censure it. Its the one of the most pure moments in life.'

Smiles of relief: A woman cuddles her newborn as her partner plants a kiss on her forehead. According to Marry, new mums most commonly express emotions of joy and relief

Both mum and baby shed a few tears as they meet for the first time. Marry, who has photographed 105 births, says that every single one is magical

A newborn is placed on its mother's tummy before being taken away to be cleaned up by hospital staff

New parents share an emotional moment shortly after the arrival of their baby. Marry says that although the fathers often cry, it usually takes a while for it to sink in that they are now a dad

Marry revealed that mothers and fathers always react totally differently when they first set eyes on their child.

'For the mum it's usually relief and joy, often with tears,' she explained. 'For the dad it's shock and amazement. Dads often cry too, but much later than the moms. It's like it takes a while for them to really let it sink in: "I am a dad".'

But she points out that it's a particularly special moment for the fathers even if it does take time for it to all sink in.

'You as a partner after all these months in which you just felt the kicking come face with your baby,' she said.

'There are so many emotions in this moment: joy, relief, amazement, pride, love, euphoria, contentment and so many different reactions - smiles and tears. Moments of silence and moments of extreme joy. It is always magical.'

An emotional new mother holds her baby close to her and covers up with a blanket to keep warm. Marry witnesses a huge range of emotions in her job: joy, relief, amazement, pride, love, euphoria, contentment and so many different reactions - smiles and tears

A mother looks amazed as she meets her baby for the very first time. Marry often photographs women giving birth but says the shoot would not be complete without capturing birth session the first emotion when the baby is born

Marry has photographed home births, hospital births, water births and hypnobirths in the Netherlands and Belgium and is on call 24 hours a day. She snapped this baby right at the moment it emerged into the birthing pool

The parents featured in the series hired Marry to be their birth photographer - a job she's been doing since 2011.

'I was the first professional birth photographer in the Netherlands,' she said. I always loved taking photos. I worked as a tour guide in foreign countries for a long time and I was always documenting the trips and my groups. Many people told me to do something with my photos but I didnt know what.

There were already so many family photographers out there. When I came back to the Netherlands I decided to study midwifery and it was during that time that I got the idea of birth photography. It was the two things I love the most combined.'

Marry who has just documented her 105th birth, added: 'When people contact me, they often say that they love the emotion in my photos and they would love a photo like this.

Welcome to the world: As new parents gaze adoringly at their newborn they appear to get a cheerful wave

People hire Marry to photograph them giving birth because they love the emotional nature of her photography

The baby may be crying, but the new parents can't contain their joy that the new arrival has been born safe and well

No birth is out of bounds and Marry captured the moment this child was lifted from its mother's womb following a Caesarean

'And of course a birth session is not complete without the first emotion when your baby is born. It is of course always great to see how your baby is actually born, but there is so much more if the photo has an emotion.'

According to Marry, the most rewarding part of her job is being 'allowed to be part of one of the most beautiful moments in life'.

'When parents receive the photos they are so grateful. I have the most rewarding job ever,' she said.

Marry also photographs women during their pregnancies as well as shooting portraits of new babies.

She has photographed home births, hospital births, Caesarean's, water births and hypnobirths in the Netherlands and Belgium and is on call 24 hours a day.

Marry is on call 24 hours a day as there is no predicting when a baby will choose to make its appearance. But she says being part of such a special moment makes it all worthwhile

The relief on the new mum's face is palpable as she cradles her newborn on top of her hospital gown, while her partner kisses her head

Since becoming a mum herself when her daughter Liv was born in 2014, Marry now has firsthand experience to bring to the table

Mum and dad can't contain their delight at meeting their baby for the first time. Marry can now relate to what parents go through since becoming a mum herself and appreciate how difficult it is to experience labour

The most difficult part is that you are always on call. It affects your whole life and your lifestyle. You can never go far away from home, you cant drink alcohol and you always have to keep in mind that you might have to go to document a birth. But having said that, its worth it.

Since becoming a mum herself when her daughter Liv was born in 2014, Marry now has firsthand experience to bring to the table.

'It will be different to document, because now I really know what women are going through and how important the photos are. I think I will love my job even more now,' she said at the time.

A mum clings on to her new baby who has just been delivred and placed in her arms. 'When a baby is born, its like everything happens really fast, but also in slow motion like time is standing still. But at the same time so much is happening,' Marry said

Marry , who also trained as a midwife, has been a birth photographer since 2011, after spotting a gap in the market

Trained midwife Marry says that photographing birth combines the two things she loves the most
Bristol Palin celebrated her mother Sarah's 52nd birthday by sharing a new family photo as well as throwback pictures of her youthful looking mom holding her grandchildren and posing at Disney World.

The 25-year-old took to Instagram on Thursday to wish the former Republican vice presidential candidate a happy birthday while praising her for being such an amazing grandmother to her seven-year-old son Tripp and her seven-week-old daughter Sailor Grace.

'Happy birthday mom!! Thanks for loving my kids like your own,' she captioned an image of her mom happily cuddling her children on the day of Sailor's birth in December.

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Party time! Bristol Palin posed with her seven-year-old son Tripp and her six-week-old daughter Sailor Grace on Thursday at what appears to be her mother Sarah's birthday dinner

Happy family: To celebrate the former Republican vice presidential candidate's 52nd birthday on Thursday Bristol posted this heartwarming photo of Sarah with her grandchildren on the day of Sailor's birth

In the heartwarming photo, Sarah is helping Tripp hold his new half-sister as he sits on his grandmother's lap. Sarah can be seen gazing adoringly at the infant while the little boy smiles for the camera.

Another image, which appears to have been taken during Sarah's birthday dinner on Thursday, sees the mother-of-two turned away from the table as she poses for the camera with her children.

While Tripp donned a blue and aqua plaid short-sleeve button-down shirt for the occasion, Sailor looked precious in an olive green jumper that matched Bristol's scarf. The infant also had a headband featuring a black bow wrapped around her head.

'My babies,' Bristol captioned the photo.

Bristol also shared an image of her and her mom posed in front of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney World in Florida last February.

Throwback: The 25-year-old also shared this photo of her and her mom posed in front of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney World in Florida last February

Fit momma: Bristol took to Instagram on Monday to share this photo of herself grabbing a meal replacement shake as she explained she was trying to shed the 'last few pregnancy pounds'

'52 and still looks this good,' she wrote of her mom, who was 51 years old in the photo.

In the image, Bristol is wearing a baggy black top and jeans while Sarah is showing her patriotic side in an American flag top.

The mother-daughter duo are both wearing sunglasses and throwing the peace sign as they pose for the camera.

Earlier this week, Bristol Palin revealed that she is on a mission to shed the 'last few pregnancy pounds when she shared a photo of herself grabbing her morning weight loss shake before walking out the door with Sailor in tow.

'Exercising and #310shake to lose the last few pregnancy lbs! @310nutrition #sp #fitnessgoals [sic],' she wrote, tagging the shake company 310 Nutrition.

True beauty: The proud mom shared this precious photo of her little girl smiling for the camera last Sunday

Cafeteria catch-up! Bristol snapped this image of Tripp and his half-sister Sailor enjoying lunch at his school last week

It has been a stressful couple of months for Bristol who is involved in not one, but two custody battles over her children Tripp and Sailor.

After Bristol and her ex-fiance Dakota separately announced Sailor's birth on December 24, one day after she was welcomed into the world, the alleged father filed paperwork asking a judge for joint custody of the little girl. However, Bristol has never confirmed that he is the father of her baby girl.

The Medal of Honor recipient is now being forced to take a paternity test as part of the former couple's increasingly bitter custody battle over her new baby.

Court documents seen by Daily Mail Online reveal that Meyer's bid for joint custody in a suit filed in Kentucky and Alaska has stalled pending the results of the paternity test.

Meanwhile, her son Tripp's father Levi filedcourt papers on January 26 asking a judge to reduce his child support payments after Bristol claimed he owned more than $80,000 in unpaid support.

Broken romance: Bristol is currently embroiled in custody battles with Sailor's father, marine Dakota (left), 27, and Tripp's father, Levi Johnston (right)

In court papers seen exclusively by Daily Mail Online, 25-year-old Levi alleges that his earnings have dropped since a temporary child support order was granted in 2010 and based on his estimated income, which was in excess of $100,000.

According to Levi, who was ordered to pay $1,750 a month for Tripp to a then 20-year-old Bristol, he no longer makes anywhere near six figures.

However, despite her issues with her exes, Bristol is keeping her focus on her children. The proud mom often shares photos of her kids on Instagram, and the past week was no exception.

Last Sunday, Bristol shared a precious snapshot of a growing Sailor stretched out on her changing table, seemingly smiling for the camera.

'Can't get enough of this peanut,' she captioned the picture. The day before, Bristol took her little girl to work with her at Alaska Dermatology Laser and Skin Cancer Center in Anchorage, where she has been employed for more than six years.
Viewers said they struggled to sleep after the BBC's Dickensian last night, which many praised as the 'best' of the series so far after it ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger.

Fans were left screaming at their television screens, urging 'evil' Frances Barbary, played by Alexandra Moen, not to kill her sister's baby during the intense 30-minute episode.

Others likened the programme to a dark version of Call the Midwife, as Honoria Barbary, portrayed by Sophie Rundle, is seen giving birth with only her villainous sibling Francis to help.

Fans were left screaming at their television screens, urging 'evil' Frances Barbary not to kill her sister's baby during the intense 30-minute episode

Viewers said they struggled to sleep after BBC's Dickensian last night, which many praised as the 'best' of the series so far after it ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger

Kim Gill tweeted: 'I sense the onset of a sleepless night after tonight's Dickensian. In tears'

The sisters initially believe the girl has been born dead, but at the end of the episode Frances hears her crying.

Instead of telling Honoria, she is hovers over the baby and viewers are left wondering what she will do next.

Kim Gill tweeted: 'I sense the onset of a sleepless night after tonight's Dickensian. In tears.'

Maria Wharton added: '#dickensian just booked a therapist to be on standby for the Nancy and Bill storyline after tonight I'll need help to get through it.'

Maria Wharton added: '#dickensian just booked a therapist to be on standby for the Nancy and Bill storyline after tonight I'll need help to get through it'

Red Scarlach wrote: 'So far, #Dickensian has sort of wanted to be a soap but wasn't quite embracing it, but tonight's episode was 100% Eastenders with corsetry'

Maha added: 'Episode 16 of #dickensian is the series' best and not just because Bleak House is the best source material. BAFTAS for all involved'

John Millington tweeted: 'My goodness #Dickensian met #callthemidwife last night. I'm emotionally drained. Looking forward to tonight's episode'

Others likened the programme to a dark version of Call the Midwife, as Honoria Barbary is seen giving birth with only her villainous sibling Francis to help

Red Scarlach wrote: 'So far, #Dickensian has sort of wanted to be a soap but wasn't quite embracing it, but tonight's episode was 100% Eastenders with corsetry.'

Maha added: 'Episode 16 of #dickensian is the series' best and not just because Bleak House is the best source material. BAFTAS for all involved.'

John Millington tweeted: 'My goodness #Dickensian met #callthemidwife last night. I'm emotionally drained. Looking forward to tonight's episode.'

Sophie Green added: 'Tonight's episode of #Dickensian was insanely good. Best 30 mins of TV I have seen in a long time.'

Alice Foster wrote: 'Honestly this episode of #Dickensian was more intense than all 6 episodes of war and peace put together.'

Alexandra Citron tweeted: 'Caught up with the latest #Dickensian episode - knock out performances in virtual two-hander from the Barbary sisters.'

Sophie Green added: 'Tonight's episode of #Dickensian was insanely good. Best 30 mins of TV I have seen in a long time'

Alice Foster added: 'Honestly this episode of #Dickensian was more intense than all 6 episodes of war and peace put together'

Alexandra Citron tweeted: 'Caught up with the latest #Dickensian episode - knock out performances in virtual two-hander from the Barbary sisters'

Frances Barbary, played by Alexandra Moen, in last night's BBC period drama, Dickensian

Rap-doortraveller tweeted: 'Just been shouting at Frances. Such good storytelling #Dickensian'

Laura Wood added: 'Oh god, Frances. Please. Do the right thing #dickensian'

Joy Kluver tweeted: 'No, Frances! Don't do it! We were just starting to like you!'

Karen Obrien tweeted: 'There will be outrange if Frances does not hand that baby over to Honoria. She is evil personified!'

Many fans were left yelling at the TV as they urged Frances to tell her sister the baby was still alive.

Rap-doortraveller tweeted: 'Just been shouting at Frances. Such good storytelling #Dickensian.'

Laura Wood added: 'Oh god, Frances. Please. Do the right thing #dickensian.'

Joy Kluver tweeted: 'No, Frances! Don't do it! We were just starting to like you!'

Whilst other audience members were left questioning whether Frances was now the most 'evil' character in Dickensian and even worse than Miss Havisham's fiance, Compeyson.

Karen Obrien tweeted: 'There will be outrange if Frances does not hand that baby over to Honoria. She is evil personified!'

Stuart Scott added: 'Blimey!!! Dickensian was a tough watch tonight. Please tell me Frances couldn't possibly be that evil - please!!!'

Whilst Jane Gerst said: '#Dickensian Could Frances be any more hateful? #sister issues.'

There are four more episodes of the BBC series, which is set in the fictional realms of Charles Dickens' novels and brings together a collection of his most iconic characters.

Written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan, each of the episodes costs 500,000 to make.

There are four more episodes of the BBC series, which is set in the fictional realms of Charles Dickens' novels and brings together a collection of his most iconic characters

Stuart Scott added: 'Blimey!!! Dickensian was a tough watch tonight. Please tell me Frances couldn't possibly be that evil - please!!!'

Whilst Jane Gerst added: '#Dickensian Could Frances be any more hateful? #sister issues'




For more of the latest on New York Fashion Week visit www.dailymail.co.uk/nyc

Images of Gisele Bundchen and Alek Wek are also on display

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Every year the Pirelli Calendar features some of the most exclusive images in the world, but now 130 of the rare and iconic photos from the publication's illustrious history will be on display in a new exhibition.

The Cal: Pirelli Icons Exhibition will be on view at the Skylight at Moynihan Station throughout New York Fashion Week, which kicked off on Wednesday.

Image of everyone from Italian actress Sophia Loren to this year's calendar star Serena Williams are featured at the exhibit celebrating the limited images that were taken and distributed by the Italian tire company over the past 50 years.

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Famous face: Photographer Herb Ritts took this stunning portrait of supermodel Cindy Crawford for the 1994 Pirelli Calendar. It is just one of the 150 images on display at the Pirelli Icons Exhibition in New York City

Hollywood legend: The rare images will be on view at the Skylight at Moynihan Station throughout New York Fashion Week. Sophia Loren is pictured smiling at the camera in 2007 in this photo taken by Inez and Vinoodh

The Pirelli Calendar, which is widely known for its exclusivity, also features portraits from famous photographers who icons in their own right.

Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, and Annie Leibovitz have all shot images for the internationally celebrated publication.

One of the images on display is a breathtaking portrait of Cindy Crawford taken by Herb in 1994 at the height of the supermodel's career.

In the photo, Cindy is giving the camera a sultry come-hither stare as she poses in a cleavage-baring dress with her tousled hair flowing down her back.

Artsy shot: This image, which was also taken by Herb, shows Herb, shows a completely nude Alek Wek flaunting her flawless figure in 1999

Scantily clad: Gisele Bundchen showed off her tan lines in this sultry image taken by photographers Mert and Marcus in 2006

Another artsy image from 1999, which was also taken by Herb, shows a completely nude Alek Wek flaunting her flawless figure as she poses with her hands on her hips.

The exhibition was curated by fashion photographer and art collector Amedeo Turello, who said the selection of images is meant to pay tribute to the calendar's past photographers and stars.

'This exhibition pays homage to the great cultural exchange that has existed between London and New York since the Calendars inception,' she explained. 'The selection of images honors a time of imagination and great creative talent.

'In this show, we rediscover the greatest photographers who, together with the most intriguing models, were able to represent intangible beauty and elegance.'

Athletic beauty: This year's Pirelli Calendar, which was created by Annie Leibovitz, features the likes of tennis star Serena Williams

Funny girl: Comedian Amy Schumer posed topless for the 43rd edition, which celebrates the world's most inspiring women

Other photos include a sultry shot of Gisele Bundchen flaunting her tan lines for photographers Mert and Marcus in 2006, and a portrait of a smiling Sophia Loren taken by Inez and Vinoodh.

'The Pirelli Calendar is a testament to the power of combining fashion, art and popular culture,' said Mark Shapiro, who is the chief content officer of WME/IMG, the talent management company that owns and operates 13 fashion weeks around the world, including New York.

'The models, artists, photographers and stylists who come together each year to create this work embody the spirit of this industry and mirror what we do here at WME/IMG,' he added.

Rock star: Music legend Patti Smith is one of the 13 women cast in this year's edition featuring women of outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment

Performance artist: Yoko Ono posed in a top hat and heels during her shoot for the exclusive calendar, which is gifted to celebrities and Italian tire company's clients

For 2016, the celebrated calendar, which is known for featuring glamorous models and actresses, opted to feature some of the world's most inspiring women, including artists, athletes, and even bloggers.

The 43rd edition, which was created by Annie Leibovitz, features the likes of Serena Williams, Amy Schumer. Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, and Tavi Gevinson.

It was noted that the 13 women cast in this year's edition are of outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment.
Rumours circulated last year that she had reunited with her ex-boyfriend Prince Harry but it seems that the main man in Cressida Bonas' life at the moment is her handsome step-brother.

The 26-year-old actress was spotted lovingly joking around with Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 30, following a lunch date in central London.

The pair, who are notoriously close, were spotted chatting intimately and laughing raucously on the pavement before walking down the road arm-in-arm.

Rumours circulated last year that she had reunited with her ex-boyfriend Prince Harry but it seems that the main man in Cressida Bonas' life at the moment is her handsome step-brother

The 26-year-old actress was spotted lovingly joking around with Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 30, following a lunch date in central London

Looking her usual stylish self, Cressida sported a long brown suede coat, a black baker boy-style cap and dark blue jeans.

The blonde bombshell, who has modelled for Mulberry and Burberry, gave the look a rocky edge with the help of a pair of black biker boots and electric blue snakeskin handbag.

Meanwhile, DJ Jacobi looked casual in a black padded gillet, indigo jeans and suede desert boots.

Cressida, a daughter of Jacobis mother Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon by another marriage, is likely to be enjoying some down time before the start of London Fashion Week where she is expected to make an appearance.

The pair, who are notoriously close, were spotted chatting intimately and laughing raucously on the pavement before walking down the road arm-in-arm

Looking her usual stylish self, Cressida sported a long brown suede coat, a black baker boy-style cap and dark blue jeans

The blonde bombshell, who has modelled for Mulberry and Burberry, gave the look a rocky edge with the help of a pair of black biker boots and electric blue snakeskin handbag

Cressida, a daughter of Jacobis mother Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon by another marriage, is likely to be enjoying some down time before the start of London Fashion Week where she is expected to make an appearance

It's likely that Cressida, who recently jetted off to Paris for a Christian Dior show, will make an appearance at London Fashion Week

Jacobi was spotted whispering in Cressida's ear following their lunch date in central London

The pair were clearly enjoying their day out together and were spotted laughing raucously

Last month Cressida, who has has previously dated Wolf Hall actor Edward Holcroft, flew to Paris to sit front row at the Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2016 Haute Couture presentation.

Cressida, who is no stranger to the fashion scene, looked effortlessly elegant in a light-blue polo neck jumper complete with peach stripes and a plain black mini skirt.

The IT girl braved the January chill to flaunt her bronzed tan from a recent New Year break to Richard Branson's Necker Island, which she jetted off on with Jacobi.

Former city worker Jacobi has previously spoken openly about how tough being in the public eye is for his beloved sister and how she coped with the attention while dating Prince Harry.

He told Evening Standard: 'Shes not a tough cookie at all. Shes a very sensitive, sweet girl, all my family are  theyre incredible.

'Its challenging, you cant deny it. Its not something that is easy for anyone dating a royal or marrying into the family or anyone in the royal family themselves. I think on some level it is different to any other type of fame.'

Cressida and Jacobi were watched by onlookers as they exited the restaurant following their lunch
Amy Revell struggled to breathe when her tongue

A student who had her tongue pierced ended up needing hospital treatment after it swelled so much she struggled to breathe.

Amy Revell, 17, had developed a a huge blood-filled lump called a haematoma in the days after the piercing.

Immediately after the procedure she felt a tugging on her tongue, which continued to swell over the next two days.

'It's normal to have swelling and bruising but my breathing was affected too - it was bad,' she said.

Upon returning to the shop where she had it done staff said she was fine.

Concerned, she removed it anyway - hoping that would solve the problem - but it continued to get worse.

Amy Revell, 17, developed a huge blood-filled lump called a haematoma in the days after having her tongue pierced. She had to seek hospital treatment after it burst

'It was a big lump - like a purple ball - that had developed under my tongue over the vein, said Miss Revell, from Fintry, Stirling.

Then, to her horror, the lump burst - filling her mouth with blood.

'I had to keep running to the toilet to spit blood and was struggling to breathe - I was really scared,' she said.

When the bleeding failed to stop, she rushed to the A&E department at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

After being admitted, the teenager was told by doctors she had a haematoma.

'The hospital staff said they had never seen one on a tongue - I was terrified I'd need surgery,' she said.

Instead, she was given medication to treat any possible infection, before falling asleep in the hospital.

When she woke, the haematoma had come off and she was able to spit it out.

She added: 'I felt very relieved, like the worst was over.'

Miss Revell's tongue with the vessels. Research shows 15.4 per cent of patients who have had their tongue pierced need medical treatment afterwards

Miss Revell she had spent more than a year wanting to get her tongue pierced - but had no idea of the risks involved.

She said: 'I was so excited, and a bit nervous, too.

'What's happened has put me off getting my tongue pierced, but I still want to get my lip done.

'I never realised the risks before, I don't think any 17-year-old does, but I'll be more careful from now on.'

The tongue gets its blood supply primarily from the lingual artery, which branches off from a major artery in the head and neck.

Piercing the tongue can perforate the lingual blood vessels on its surface, causing bleeding and haematoma formation, according to a paper in the American Family Physician journal.

In fact, some 15.4 per cent of patients who have had their tongue pierced had to seek medical treatment for a complication.

These include infection, deep tongue abscess with subsequent Ludwigs angina, a type of skin infection that occurs on the floor of the mouth, under the tongue.

Tongue piercing can also cause haemorrhaging, which can reduce the volume of blood circulating in the body and endocarditis, a rare and potentially fatal type of heart infection.

Sarah Calcott, British Body Piercing Association director, said: 'Please always remember most body piercers are not medical professionals.
The suspected link between the Zika virus and two serious neurological disorders - microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome - could be confirmed within weeks, health experts said today.

A sharp increase in microcephaly cases in Brazil has triggered a global health emergency over the mosquito-born virus.

The feared link between the illness, and the birth defect, which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and often severe brain damage, prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a crisis.

And it has spurred a race to develop a vaccine, medication and better diagnostic tests for the disease, which had previously only thought to be a relatively mild illness.

The World Health Organization today said evidence linking the Zika virus with microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome should be confirmed within weeks. Marie-Paule Kieny, of the WHO, also said there are two candidates which appear most promising in the race for a Zika virus vaccine

The WHO said US government scientists and an Indian biotechnology firm were the front-runners in the vaccine effort but said it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots.

The UN health agency also for the first time advised pregnant women to consider delaying travel to Zika-affected areas.

In addition, new findings about Zika lingering in the semen of an infected British man raised fresh concern about sexual transmission of the virus.

Brazil, which is at the centre of the outbreak that has seen Zika spread to more than 30 countries, is set to host the Olympics in August in Rio de Janeiro, an event expected to draw hundreds of thousands of athletes, officials and spectators.

'It seems indeed that the link with Zika (and microcephaly) is becoming more and more probable, so I think that we need a few more weeks and a few more studies to have this straight,' Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, said.

Studies of Zika-infected pregnant Latin American women who were due to deliver their babies soon should yield evidence, Ms Kieny said, adding that data also was coming from studies in French Polynesia and Cape Verde.

She said Zika-hit areas also have experienced increased cases of the neurological disease Guillain-Barre, adding: 'The direct causality has still to be demonstrated but the association in time and in location seems to be clear.'

Guillain-Barre syndrome, in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system, causes gradual weakness in the legs, arms and upper body and sometimes total paralysis.

The WHO declared the Zika outbreak a public health emergency after growing concerns it has caused a surge in cases of microcephaly, where babies are born with smaller than usual heads and often, brain damage. Pictured, Daniele Santos, 29, holds her son Juan Pedro, who was born with the birth defect

In a statement, the WHO reiterated it was not recommending any general travel or trade restrictions related to the virus.

But it added: 'Women who are pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider and consider delaying travel to any area where locally acquired Zika infection is occurring.'

Researchers in Brazil have worked to determine whether Zika has caused a big rise in cases of microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads, with more than 4,000 suspected cases reported to date.

If we take all the information we have at the moment, the case for a causal link is quite strong. We should now say that Zika is guilty until proven innocent Christopher Dye, WHO official

Brazil has confirmed more than 400 of those cases as microcephaly and has identified the presence of Zika in 17 babies but a causal link has yet to be proven.

Many scientists are convinced the link is real.

New evidence of Zika in the brain of an aborted foetus, reported on Wednesday, added to the case.

Speaking at an American Association for the Advancement of Science news conference in Washington, another WHO official, Christopher Dye, reiterated the agency's strong suspicion.

'If we take all the information we have at the moment, the case for a causal link is quite strong,' Dye said.

'We should now say that Zika is guilty until proven innocent.'

The WHO's Ms Kieny said two vaccine candidates seem to be more advanced: one from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and one from the Indian company Bharat Biotech.

The NIH is working on a DNA-based vaccine that uses the same approach as one being developed for West Nile virus.

India's Bharat said last week its experimental vaccine would start pre-clinical trials imminently in animals.

Overall, about 15 groups are working on Zika vaccines.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes - those that spread the Ziks virus - float in a mosquito cage at a laboratory in Cucuta, Colombia

Researchers in Brazil announced on Thursday a new partnership with the University of Texas.

Ms Kieny said new diagnostic test kits also were being rapidly developed and could be available within weeks.

Zika is predominantly spread by mosquito bites, but scientists are studying transmission by blood transfusions and sexual contact, which could complicate efforts to contain the outbreak.

British health officials reported Zika was found in a British man's semen two months after being infected, suggesting the virus may linger in semen long after infection symptoms fade.

They said the 68-year-old man, infected in 2014 in French Polynesia, had low levels of the virus in initial blood tests. Subsequent tests of semen showed positive results at 27 days and 62 days after the start of Zika symptoms, with higher levels of the virus in the semen than the initial blood tests.

'Our data may indicate prolonged presence of virus in semen, which in turn could indicate a prolonged potential for sexual transmission' of this virus, the researchers from Public Health England and the National Institute for Health Research in Liverpool wrote in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a journal of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The WHO has advised women, particularly pregnant women, to protect themselves from mosquito bites in Zika-affected areas and to practice safe sex through the use of condoms.
A statin for the brain could prevent millions of cases of Alzheimers disease.

Cambridge University scientists have discovered drugs that could stop the cruel disease ever developing.

They say that, just as people at risk of heart attacks today are given statins to keep them healthy, in future, people could take these neurostatins to stave off dementia.

Everyone over the age of 30 could be offered them to keep their brain healthy for as long as possible.

Researcher Professor Michele Vendruscolo said: That would be the dream.

To find a compound, which is cheap and safe and therefore can be given early to everybody.

Scientists have discovered drugs that could stop Alzheimer's disease from ever developing. Pictured are CT scans of sufferers' brains

Alzheimers and other forms of dementia affect some 850,000 Britons and cost the economy 26billion a year.

Existing drugs delay the progress of Alzheimers, but their failure to tackle the underlying cause in the brain means that they quickly wear off and the disease soon takes its devastating course.

The new research, detailed in the journal Science Advances, brings hope to millions around the world.

It centres on amyloid-beta, the sticky protein that clogs the brains of Alzheimers patients and kills off vital cells.

The Cambridge University scientists developed a way of studying the proteins formation with greater accuracy than ever before.

They then searched the medical literature for a drug that interfered with the very first stage of the process.

When they tested this drug, bexarotene, in a test-tube, it stopped the clumps from forming.

WORLD FACES 'ALZHEIMER'S EPIDEMIC': EXPERT WARNS 106 MILLION PEOPLE WILL BE BATTLING THE CONDITION BY 2050 More than 100 million people across the world will be battling Alzheimer's by 2050, experts have warned. In the last 10 years, the number of adults living with the disease has jumped from almost 26 million to more than 36 million. But, in the next 34 years, that number is set to soar - reaching 106 million. The explosion in patients is down to an aging population - and the fact most sufferers are diagnosed after the age of 65, according to experts at the National Institutes of Health. It will become a full-blown 'public health crisis', University of California Los Angeles experts warned. Dr Ron Brookmeyer, a biostatistics professor at the UCLA School of Public Health, said: 'This is a long illness. 'Once you're diagnosed, you might live with it for 10 or more years, and the intensity of care required will vary during that time. 'From a public health point of view, it's important to look at where people will be in different stages of the disease and the needs we will be facing as a society.' Advertisement

Tests on worms were even more exciting.

The genetically modified worms doomed to develop Alzheimers as they got older.

But when bexarotene, which is used to treat cancer, was given at the right time and in the right dose, they never developed Alzheimers.

Professor Vendruscolo, who worked with Swedish and Dutch scientists on the project, said: We found that when given early to worms bexarotene was preventing the disease.

In these worms, it was acting as a neurostatin.

This, in terms of an approach for Alzheimers disease, would be the equivalent of what statins do for heart conditions.

So you would take them well in advance of developing the condition to reduce your risk.

Good as bexarotene was, Professor Vendruscolo has since found several that are even more powerful.

Much more research is needed before their Alzheimers prevention powers are tested on people but the professor is optimistic that it will one day be possible to stop the amyloid-beta protein from poisoning the brain.

If he does find a safe and effective neurostatin, it could be offered to all adults from their 30s, to prevent clumps, or aggregates, of amyloid beta from forming.

The professor said: We have a very powerful natural defences in our bodies that prevent the formation of these aggregates.

We get Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases in old age because it is when our natural defences start to crumble.

Our idea is that we should supplement these natural defences by this chemical means.

The hope is to have for Alzheimers the same type of drug as statins for heart disease. That is the ambition.

The new understanding of how the compound is formed will also aid the search for drugs that act later in the process and so treat or even cure those who already have the disease.

In future a statin for the brain could prevent millions of cases of the condition, researchers said (file photo)

Professor Vendruscolo said: The next target of our research is also to be able to treat victims of this dreadful disease.

Dr Rosa Sancho, of Alzheimers Research UK, said: We know that the accumulation of amyloid is a hallmark feature of Alzheimers and that drugs to halt this build-up could help protect nerve cells from damage and death.

Over the next 35 years, the number of people with Alzheimers disease is predicted to go from 40 million to 130 million, with 70 per cent of those in middle or low-income countries.

This would be the equivalent of what statins do for heart conditions. You would take them well in advance of developing the condition to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's Professor Michele Vendruscolo, University of Cambridge

The only way of realistically stopping this dramatic rise is through preventive measures: treating Alzheimers disease only after symptoms have already developed could overwhelm healthcare systems around the world.

Others cautioned that previous attempts to use bexarotene to treat Alzheimers once it had already developed have not been successful.

Dr Doug Brown, of the Alzheimers Society, said: Previous studies looking at bexarotene, a cancer drug, to clear away amyloid plaques from the brain in Alzheimers disease, have not been successful in people.

But he added: We havent found any new drugs for dementia in over ten years, and repurposing drugs that already work for other conditions could provide us with a shortcut to new dementia treatments.
RAPTOR

by James Macdonald Lockhart

(Fourth Estate 16.99)

ORISON FOR A CURLEW

by Horatio Clare (Little Toller 12)

Both these books are about a journey - or rather, several journeys and one quest.

James Macdonald Lockhart sets off on 15 trips to contrasting parts of the British Isles, with a mission to find out more about 15 birds of prey. Horatio Clare travels through Europe in search of one bird that he is almost certain not to see.

The larger book, Raptor, is a hymn in praise of living, soaring, terrifying grandeur. The much shorter Orison (meaning prayer) is a sad little requiem for an exquisite creature, the slender-billed curlew, which stands on the edge of extinction. Both inspire reverence for the natural world.

The larger book, Raptor, is a hymn in praise of living, soaring, terrifying grandeur. The much shorter Orison (meaning prayer) is a sad little requiem for an exquisite creature, which stands on the edge of extinction

Lockhart sums up his ambitious project: 'To spend some time in the habitats of these birds of prey . . . beginning in the far north in Orkney and winding my way down to a river in Devon.

'A long journey south, clambering down this tall, spiny island, which is as vast and wondrous to me as any galaxy.'

The wonder is that he can write so beautifully while frozen, grubby, aching, homesick, buffeted by winds and wet - conditions that are the bird-watcher's lot.

From the first page, his exquisite, poetic language is a sensuous delight without sacrificing scientific accuracy. Raptor is, quite simply, a tour de force.

It's tempting to think of raptors - birds of prey - as one wild mass, but Lockhart paints individualistic word-portraits of the hen harrier, merlin, golden eagle, osprey, sea eagle, goshawk, kestrel, Montagu's harrier, peregrine falcon, red kite, marsh harrier, honey buzzard, hobby, buzzard and sparrowhawk.

By the end of his travels you feel these gloriously different winged creatures are more real to him than the humans he encounters along the way.

Or do I mean superior? Most raptors have eyes that are as large, if not larger, than a human's. A human eye contains around 200,000 photoreceptor cells (essential to sight) per millimetre squared, while the eye of the common buzzard 'has roughly one million of these rod-and-cone photoreceptors, enabling the buzzard to see the world in much greater detail'.

From the first page, his exquisite, poetic language is a sensuous delight without sacrificing scientific accuracy

They also see things magnified by 30 per cent; the golden eagle, for example, can pick out prey more than a kilometre away.

The Outer Hebrides is the place for these huge birds. Compared with the dashing little hobbies and merlins, he says, golden eagles do not seem to show off their speed - but can switch from a graceful soar to a deathly dive-bomb in seconds.

He notes: 'An aeroplane pilot flying down the east coast of Greece recorded being overtaken by a golden eagle while the aircraft was travelling at 70 knots.

'As the eagle passed the plane at a distance of 80 ft, the bird turned its head to glance at the aircraft before it eased past it at a speed, the pilot estimated, of 90 mph.'

The author bears patient witness to miracles of airborne balletic grace.

Watching and waiting, he wonders why the female hen harrier rushes upwards from her nest to greet the male.

She is the larger of the pair, so what is she doing when she appears to be rising to attack him, then at the last split-second flips over on her back beneath him, so that their talons almost brush? This is the food pass.

It's tempting to think of raptors - birds of prey - as one wild mass, but Lockhart paints individualistic word-portraits of the hen harrier, merlin, golden eagle, osprey, above, and the sea eagle, goshawk and kestrel

Looking after the nest, incubating the chicks, the female depends on the male to bring food - and this is the way they do it, high in the sky so no other predator can detect the site of the nest.

This book is another reminder (and how lucky we are with the wealth of modern nature writing) that the more we observe and learn, the more likely we are to value and protect the natural world that is our heritage.

And if we don't? Horatio Clare's short book is a powerfully condensed warning.

His story of the disappearance of 'the Western world's rarest bird' would be thoroughly depressing were it not for the work of 'intensely idealistic and effective people across national boundaries' who are working to find and conserve it.

Clare's melancholy journey in search of a 'ghost' could make you weep to read (yet again) how humankind has trashed the planet and its wild things. Yet, mercifully, he offers a small counter-balance of hope.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the multinational cola giant to add fruit juices to its drinks to help Indian farmers increase sales

Beverage giant Coca-Cola is set to launch a new juice with fizz drink, more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the multinational cola giants to add fruit juices to their drinks to help Indian farmers increase sales.

Coca-Cola India will be launching what it termed its latest innovation - a juice with fizz product formulation - at the Make in India Week to be held during February 13-18 in Mumbai.

The idea of this product is rooted in prime ministers vision for the food processing sector and the role that the beverage industry can play in minimising fruit wastage to benefit Indian farmers, said the company in a letter sent to the food processing ministry.

In September 2014, Modi had asked multinational cola giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to help Indian farmers in increasing their fruit sales by adding fresh fruit juices to their fizzy drinks.

Modi had said that as millions of people buy Pepsi and Coke the companies could put 5 per cent natural juice in their drinks and it would help farmers make a lot of money and not throw their fruits away.

Coca-Cola said its new product is a formulation that contains 10.4 per cent juice concentrate procured from local farms and pulp processors.

The launch of this product gives us a sense of satisfaction, since it was a significant R&D challenge to begin with, the company added.
A group of students at JNU celebrated the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru

Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case of sedition in connection with an event at JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124A of IPC (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station, and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action.

Mail Today had reported how a group of students at the university marked Guru's death anniversary on Tuesday and shouted slogans against the government for hanging him, despite the varsity administration cancelling permission for the protest after a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity anti-national.

The JNU administration has already instituted a disciplinary inquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.
Pakistan-American terrorist David Coleman Headley stirred up a political storm when he identified Ishrat Jahan as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, triggering a war of words between the BJP and the Opposition.

The Opposition questioned the manner in which Headley was posed a question on Ishrat, while the BJP claimed that Headley's confirmation that she was a terrorist vindicated their position.

Taking names

Headley picked up Ishrats name from the three options given to him to identify a woman who was part of a botched LeT operation and was killed in a police shoot-out.

David Headley (right) identified Ishrat Jahan as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. Ishrat and three others were killed on the outskirts of Gujarat in 2013.

Inquiring about a womens wing of the LeT, public prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam asked Headley to name women suicide bombers, but he could not give any names.

Acknowledging that there was a botched-up operation in which a female LeT member was killed, Headley attributed the information to a conversation between LeT commander Zaki-ur- Rehman Lakhvi and an LeT member Muzammil Butt.

Testifying via video-link from the US, Headleys revelation was part of his deposition in the 26\11 Mumbai attack in which he has been made the approver.

The 19-year-old Mumbar girl was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004 in Gujarat.

The CBI had filed a charge-sheet in August 2013 stating that the encounter was fake and pressing charges against officers of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the state police.

The Ministry of Home Affairs did not grant prosecution sanction against IB officials citing lack of evidence of them being part of the conspiracy to carry out the encounter.

There was a female wing in LeT which was headed by one Abu Aiman's mother. Zaki sahab (Zaki-Ur- Rehman) told me about Butt's botched up operation in India. It was some shoot-out with the police, he said.

When prodded by Nikam to give more details he said: I don't know which part in India. But there was one female who was killed in the shoot-out. I think she was an Indian national and not a Pakistani, but was an LeT operative.

After Thursdays hearing, Nikam told reporters that Headley had stated during the testimony he had heard Lakhvi telling Butt that an operation in Gujarat had failed because of a female suicide bomber.

I don't know any female suicide bomber in LeT. I cannot name any suicide bomber in LeT, Headley told the court when he was asked by the prosecutor about suicide bombers.

He added that he named three women suicide bombers associated with the LeT - Noor Jahan Begum, Ishrat Jahan, Mumtaz Begum.

When he heard the names, he said that he had heard the name of Ishrat Jahan and that she was killed in a police encounter, Nikam said.

Nikams claim was questioned by Ishrat's family lawyer, Vrinda Grover, who maintained that Headley said that he had only heard about a botched-up operation and that he did not know of any female bomber.

Conspiracy

Asserting that Ishrat had no terror links, Grover said Headley's subsequent statement stating that he had heard Ishrats name after Nikam gave a multiple choice question, cannot be treated as evidence.

It is not evidence. It is all mockery pointing to a conspiracy, she said, adding that certain questions posed to Headley by the prosecutor had nothing to do with 26/11.

Headleys revelation had the BJP attacking the Congress for covering up for Ishrats death.

Now there are two separate and distinct issues which are involved - the first is whether Ishrat Jahan and her accomplices are LeT operatives or not. In the light of Headleys statement, if the government wants to investigate the matter further they can, said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari .

It is an important conformation of a fact that has been in public circulation for long. Headley had pointed towards Ishrat in 2013, but at that time there was an attempt to not accept truth. The attempt seems to be more than finding the truth...the idea was clearly to clog a terrorist with other issues and I think this raises important questions that the truth has to been seen as it is, BJP leader Nalin Kohli said.

Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Joha were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
TERI Director Sanjay Joshi has admitted that he approached the woman who has accused RK Pachauri of sexual harassment for an out-of-court settlement.

Joshi told investigators that he had asked a former colleague of the complainant to convince her to settle the case. However, he maintained it was a casual conversation and was not at the behest of Pachauri, who is presently out on bail.

I had met Rahul Singh, a colleague of the complainant, to reach out to her and ask her to settle the matter with Pachauri to save the organisations image before the media, Joshi said.

TERI executive vice-chariman RK Pachauri has been accused of sexual harassment by a junior

The statement was read out from the status report filed by the Delhi Police.

Prashant Mendiratta, advocate for the complainant, told the court that Pachauri was heading the organisation and he may not have directly pressurised anyone, but could have done so indirectly. He also said that the investigating officer had not informed the court about Rahul Singhs complaint during the hearing on January 13.

Rahul, a former research associate at TERI, had filed a complaint on January 12 stating that TERI senior directors Sanjay Joshi, Alok Dholeya and and area convernor Reena Singh had asked him to meet the complainant and convince her to settle the matter out of court.

The woman got to know about Rahuls charge against TERI senior directors and area convener only after the media reported it. She then moved the court to seek a cancellation of Pachauris anticipatory bail.

Pressure tactics

The report clearly establishes that TERI directors were trying to make the complainant settle the matter out of court as it would have eventually benefitted Pachauri, Mendiratta said.

In the status report, the Delhi Police mentioned that it had questioned Reena who was also accused of having a similar conversation with Rahul Singh. Reena told police that she had not spoken to Rahul about any settlement and was only reacting to the comments and opinions being made by him in casual conversation.

Both Sanjay Joshi and Reena have maintained that it was just a casual conversation. The police also told the court that they had sent notice to TERIs senior director Dr Alok Dholeya to join the investigation, but that has not happened yet as he is not in the country. Police said they will question him once he returns.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Pachauri, said the victim was trying to sensationalise the case and it is on record that Pachauri has never pressurised anybody.

He said there was no evidence to suggest that Pachauri had influenced witnesses or any other person related to the case or interfered in the investigation.

While the court has reserved the order on the plea seeking cancellation of Pachauris anticipatory bail, Delhi police said the charge-sheet is ready and has been sent to the prosecution branch. It will be filed within 15 days.

Another case of alleged sexual harassment against Pachauri came to light on Wednesday when a former employee of TERI came out in public making similar allegations while demands were made for putting on hold his fresh appointment as TERIs executive vice-chairman.
In a significant remark, former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has pointed straight at the Inter-Services Intelligence for training Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, while saying that 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed was a Pakistani hero.

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) trains Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, Musharraf told India Today TV in an exclusive interview.

His comments have come in the wake of 26/11 attacks convict David Coleman Headleys deposition before a Mumbai court, saying that the ISI had a role in training the terrorists who were involved in the carnage.

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said he did not believe David Coleman Headley's testimony, as he could have been manipulated by intelligence agencies

Musharraf said he did not believe what Headley said as intelligence agencies could have manipulated him.

I dont believe anything that Headley had said... Pakistan intelligence should interrogate Headley, he said.

Noting that Masood Azhar was a terrorist, Musharraf said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief was a hero in Pakistan.

Masood Azhar is a terrorist and the law enforcement agencies would take proper action against him, said Musharraf while referring to the JeM leader, who was involved in an attack on him.

Musharraf also blamed India for derailing the peace process.

Musharraf branded Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar a terrorist

India derailed peace process every time and the country only wants to discuss terrorism, Musharraf said.

The former Pakistan president also said India should hand over the 2007 Samjhauta Express accused to Pakistan. He further blamed India for spreading terror in Pakistan.

LeT is not involved in terror in Pakistan. Indian Intelligence agency is behind Pakistan attacks, had evidence against RAW agents, Pervez said.

Noting that anti-peace elements were on both sides of the border, Musharraf said things will not improve until India addressed the core issues, and Kashmir was one of them.

Those fighting for the cause of Kashmir were freedom fighters, he said.

Musharraf said terrorist attacks against India were happening for the Gujarat riots and the Samjhauta blasts. He accused India of dominating the peace talks, saying: You want to bulldoze us.

He said PM Modis recent visit to Lahore did not address any substantial issues. He also noted that the Pakistan army was on board over the peace talks with India but there was public support for acting against Indian army and law enforcement agencies.

He also said LeT and Hafiz Saeed are not involved in terror activities in Pakistan.

Former Pakistan President discharged from ICU

Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was on Thursday rushed to the ICU of a naval hospital in Karachi after he developed high blood pressure and fainted.

The 72-year-old ex-commando-turned-politician was admitted to the Pakistan Navy Ship Shifa or PNS Shifa, a multi-speciality naval medical treatment facility.
Having secured a last chance to get homosexual acts legalised, activists supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights are leaving no stone unturned.

To bolster their fresh appeal against a December 2013 court judgment which made homosexual acts an offence attracting up to 10 years in jail, they have attached affidavits filed by LGBT community members or their families giving examples of the torture and harassment meted out to them by the police.

The police have also allegedly sexually exploited them.

LGBT activists want the court to understand the suffering and abuse endured by members of their community since homosexual acts were declared illegal in December 2013.

Mail Today has accessed three affidavits, which will be taken up by a five-judge constitution bench once it commences hearing.

The data also details how one of the victims committed suicide by self-immolation after harassment.

Similar affidavits were presented and read out before the earlier two-judge bench of Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya, but according to the curative plea they were ignored and a surprising finding was given to the contrary.

It said the LGBT community failed to furnish details of police harassment and assault.

Pro-gay activists miserably failed to furnish particulars of incidents of discriminatory attitude consequent denial of basic human rights, harassment and assault from public authorities. the bench had said.

"There are so many errors in that judgment. Crucial material and evidence we had furnished to prove harassment and assault has been ignored by the bench and in the verdict it says enough proof and details have not been produced. It is a serious lapse," said senior advocate Ashok Desai, who will represent film director Shyam Benegal, one of the petitioners in the case supporting the LGBT rights.

The following is the gist of the affidavit:

AFFIDAVIT ONE

It said that on May 1, 2006, an 18-year-old transgender person, Mona, (name changed) was picked up by the police ostensibly looking for his brother on suspicion of theft.

The family members were told that he would be released once he gave them his brother's whereabouts, but he was also made an accused.

Every day thereafter, a police constable would arrive at his house and take him to the police station. He would return home around 11pm, tired, worn down and refusing food.

Initially, he refused to tell his sister what had happened, but she insisted and he eventually broke down and told her that the police were sexually and physically abusing him daily.

Unable to bear the shame, the victim committed suicide.

AFFIDAVIT TWO

I identify myself as a gay. I am also a volunteer for an HIV/AIDS organisation. On September 19, 2006, I was standing at the Dhaula Kuan bus stand when two policemen picked me up and accused me of being a homosexual, saying tub hi wahi hai.

"They beat me with lathis, targeting my groin and buttocks. Once in the police station, they said they could put me inside on false charges. They kept beating me. One of them took me to an inner room where other policemen were sleeping.

"The one accompanying me woke one of them up and said dekh main tere liye kya tofa laya hoon. They forced me to take off my clothes. Four policemen then raped me.

"One of them forced me to have oral sex with him while the other three had forced anal sex as well as oral sex with me. None of them used a condom. They let me off only next morning.

AFFIDAVIT THREE

I identify myself as a hijra. On the night of June 18, 2004, I was raped by 10 goondas. When the police arrived at the spot they ran away. Inside the police station, I was subjected to brutal torture. They removed my clothes and touched my private parts and made sarcastic comments.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all states and Union Territories to formulate a uniform scheme to provide compensation to victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, especially those who are differently-abled.

Indisputably, no amount of money can restore the dignity and confidence that the accused took away from the victim. No amount of money can erase the trauma and grief the victim suffers. But this aid can be crucial in the aftermath of crime, said a bench headed by Justice MY Eqbal, ordering the Chhattisgarh government to grant Rs 8,000 per month compensation to an 18-year-old blind girl who was subjected to sexual violence.

The apex court said they should consider and formulate programmes for such victims in the light of the scheme framed in Goa, which provides compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh.

The Supreme Court directed all the states and UTs to formulate a uniform scheme to provide compensation to the victims of sexual abuse

It said the authorities should look into the Victim Compensation Scheme under Section 357-A of the Criminal Procedure Code for providing compensation to the victims or dependents who have suffered loss as a result of such crime.

It is clear that no uniform practice is being followed in providing compensation to the rape victim for the offence and for her rehabilitation. This practice of giving different amounts ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 10,00,000 as compensation for the offence of rape under section 357 A needs to be introspected by all the states and the union territories, the court said.

The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal by a rape convict challenging a Chhattisgarh High Court decision which had upheld the order of a trial court awarding him seven years in jail for raping an 18-year-old girl on the false promises of marriage.

Observing that being differently-abled, the victim was already in a socially disadvantaged position, the court directed the state government to pay Rs 8,000 per month for life.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed that crime rates were soaring while arrests were down

The Aam Aadmi Party, known for its frequent run-ins with the Centre and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, accused the BJP-led central government of 'saffronising' the Delhi police.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday claimed that crime rates were soaring while arrests were down.

He said: 'The Centre has resorted to cheap tactics to stop our government from functioning through the L-G, the police, the ACB and by wresting control over transfer and postings.

'A six-year-old boy died inside a private school, but no one has been arrested so far. A teacher of a government school was brutally beaten up.

'Besides, the city has witnessed a consistent rise in the crime rate, that includes rape and murder, but no one has been arrested.'

Sisodia alleged that instead of bringing the crime rate down and punishing the culprits, the police are wasting their energy elsewhere.

Police are nabbing an AAP MLA who had a fight with his wife and another party legislator who had a quarrel with officers.

'Khaki is being saffronised so much like it has never been done in any other state before. Delhi police officers have earned respect for khaki by sacrificing their lives, but Centre is saffronising them,' Sisodia alleged.

The deputy chief minister said that the biggest challenge for the AAP government is to tackle the attitude of the BJP-led central government.

'They (Centre) are taking revenge from the people for not choosing BJP in the Delhi Assembly polls which is shameful.

'They have snatched Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) from us in order to scuttle our efforts to make Delhi corruption-free.

'Centre also tried to control transfer and postings of bureaucrats and by doing so, they don't want to allow us to work, even on women safety.

'Lieutenant governor is declaring our orders null and void and they are threatening our officers not to follow the Delhi governments order,' Sisodia said.
Piggy bank: Junior Isas help encourage long-term saving

When it comes to saving or investing for children there are a number of different options depending on whether you want something tax efficient but rigid or flexible but liable for tax.

You can save and invest for your children in a standard account, but there are some slightly bizarre tax rules on this, explained below.

Ultimately, these mean that any savings or investment income generated above 100 per year from money derived from either mum or dad is taxed at that parent's tax rate.

Parents can save tax-free for their children up to the age of 18 through a Junior Isa which was launched in November 2011 to replace child trust funds.

Every year they have an allowance, it is up to 4,260 for the 2018 tax year.

There are also saving and investing plans for children that have fewer age and contribution limits but may charge income tax.

Outside a Junior Isa or CTF, the interest on most children's savings is paid tax-free. But there is a very big stumbling block which means parents and step-parents are restricted on how much they can gift to their child tax-free.

We take a look at the ways you can save for your children, how the schemes work and provide tips and guidance.

> Is your child sitting on a lost CTF windfall

The Junior Isa

Like a normal Isa, there is a cash and stocks and shares option for the Junior version, but remember, you are not investing for yourself, but for your child who will be able to access the money age 18.

Nowithdrawals are allowed until the child's 18th birthday, except in cases ofdeath or terminal illness.

Upon reaching 18 only the child (and no one else) can withdraw the money.

Most DIY investing platforms offer a Junior Isa, look for those with low charges that suit how you will invest and that offer any assistance you may need.

The rates on cash Junior Isas are better than standard savings accounts. A selection of the best is below and you can check all the top Junior Isa and children's savings rates here.

JUNIOR CASH ISAS Bank/building society (min investment) % tax-free Coventry BS (1+) 3.60 Nationwide BS (1+) 3.25 Tesco Bank (1+) 3.15 Darlington BS (1+) 3.00 Halifax (1+) 3.00 (1) You need to give the society 45 days' notice if you want to switch out of this account. (2) You lose 90 days' interest if you transfer out of this account. (3) Preferential rate for children of 123 and Select customers.

Do you really want a Junior Isa?

Before deciding to save into a Junior Isa or put money into CTF, parents should consider carefully the restrictions.

Money put in cannot be taken out until the child is 18 and when they reach that milestone age, their pot is passed to them. Ultimately, beyond bringing parental influence to bear on them, you will not be able to stop them doing what they like with the money when they hit 18.

One alternative to a Junior Isa is to simply save into a standard child's savings account or invest using a standard DIY investing platform account, or even a children's specific investment plan. This carries tax implications, however, as explained above.

Some financial advisers suggest that if you are not using all of your own annual Isa allowance, then you could set aside some of this to invest for your children, holding some funds or a pot earmarked for them within your own DIY investing account.

This is a much more viable option now that the Isa allowance is 20,000 a year. Bear in mind though that money retained in your accounts will fall into your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

For many there will be plenty of spare capacity for this, but for those who use a lot of their Isa allowance, plan on investing a sizeable sum for their children, or have a number of kids, this may be restrictive. A couple with two children could both have DIY investing Isas and use one of each per child.

Start them early: Teaching kids about saving and helping them do so is the first step on the path to learning about money and financial life

Child trust funds

Underthe child trust fund scheme all babies born on or after 1 September, 2002 received a minimum 250 at birth and will get a similar lump sum when they reach the age of seven.

Parentsalong with friends and relatives can top up to 4,080 in the tax-free fund each year. No withdrawals can be made from the account until the child reaches 18 - at this point he or she is free to spend the money asthey wish. You could open an account as soon as you receive your voucher

The child trust fund scheme was replaced in 2011 by Junior Isas. Parents could keep on putting money into the child trust funds but there would be no more government support and no transfers were initially allowed into Junior Isas.

As a result of this closure fund houses have concentrated their business on junior Isas meaning the choice of investments in and providers of CTFs has shrunk.

We have successfully campaigned for the government to allow transfers from CTFs to Junior Isas, and following a consultation on the issue, you are now able to move from your CTF to a Jisa.

Moving from a CTF to Junior Isa You will need to choose a Jisa provider to move to and it should take up to 15 working days to transfer to a cash accounts and 30 days for non-cash accounts. You will have to transfer the full amount from your CTF before then closing it. The provider cannot refuse. However, the Junior Isa provider can decline the funds. Five steps to move your Child Trust Fund 1. Check the value of the Child Trust Fund and whether there will be any loss of guarantees or excessive charges upon transfer 2. Choose the Junior Isa provider to move to 3. Complete the Junior Isa providers application/ CTF transfer form and return to the Junior Isa provider 4. The Junior Isa provider opens the account and submits the transfer application to the CTF provider 5. After the transfer of the savings from the CTF to the Junior Isa, the Child Trust Fund is closed The Junior Isa provider does the anti-money laundering checks electronically and may ask for further proof after the application. Transfers should not take more than 30 days. In most cases CTF savings will be transferred as cash.







The bizarre tax treatment of childrens savings



Children can earn money from savings interest and dividends from shares and in theory if it is below the personal allowance of 11,850 they would pay no tax.

There is a catch though. Children can only earn up to 100 in interest or dividends a year tax-free on money gifted by their parents or step-parents.

If it generates income above this, then tax will be charged at the parent who gifted the money's tax rate.

The parent's savings allowance, of 1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and 500 for higher rate taxpayers, can be used to cover this but if they have used that up then tax will be charged to them at their tax rate.

The idea here is to stop parents salting money away in childrens' accounts but with a 20,000 annual Isa allowance, 1,000 savings allowance and 2,000 dividend allowance this looks like an even more bizarre anachronism than before.

Money given by grandparents and other adults is not subject to this cap.

If you do want to invest or save outside of an Isa for children, investment companies, banks and building societies also offer children's investment and savings plans.

These products use a child's personal tax allowance as an amount they can earn a year before being taxed.

Parentsneed to fill out an R85 form - available at every bank - for each children's account opened so that tax isn't paid on savings. If tax is mistakenly paid, use an R40 form to claim back.

For a longer term investment, you could put money into a children's investment plan.

Aberdeen offers the choice of 16 investment trusts and you can put in a lump sum minimum of 150 per trust or 30 a month per trust.

Baillie Gifford provides a range of eight investment trusts. You can invest a lump sum from 100 or make monthly contributions from 25.

Both have annual management charges and you will need to pay stamp duty on share purchases.
A raft of pension changes, an ageing population and a low-yield environment have left many wondering how they will bridge the income gap in their retirement.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a number of funds have sprung up to cater for this shortfall, and the latest is the British Enhanced Income fund, which targets a gross annual yield of 4 per cent.

Saga Investment Services, which has partnered with Tilney Bestinvest to launch the fund, claims over-50s are missing out on up to 15.2billion in income every year through keeping their savings in cash instead of investing.

Recklessly cautious: More than 75 per cent of Isa savers aged 55 or over hold their money in cash

The average instant-access cash Isa now pays just 85p in interest for every 100, while the average savings account pays 48p for every 100 saved, according to the Bank of England.

But even though they are earning next to nothing, the majority of over-50s have refused to diversify, with more than three-quarters of Isa savers aged 55 and over holding their money in cash.

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, managing director of Saga Investment Services, said: 'One of the biggest challenges for over-50s has been how to get a decent income on their savings in a low-interest world. And despite falling savings rates, too many have stuck to cash.

'This fund has been launched to help customers make the transition from cash to stocks and shares  and the opportunity for a better income  as smooth, simple and stress-free as possible.'

Saga points out that there is a healthy dividend culture among UK companies, giving the country one of the highest-yielding markets in the world.

Extra boost: The fund will invest in income-generating investments such as commercial property

The British Enhanced Income fund, which sits in the Investment Association's Unclassified sector, will invest primarily in UK assets, although up to 20 per cent can be based overseas.

The offering will feature a combination of funds managed by the likes of Fidelity, JO Hambro Capital Management, Schroders, Unicorn and Standard Life, which Saga says will give investors exposure to small, medium and large cap companies.

It will also include other income-generating investments, including bonds and commercial property.

British Enhanced Income fund in numbers 18: Anticipated number of underlying funds held in the British Enhanced Income portfolio 500: Minimum investment 1.43%: Estimated ongoing charge for the fund 50%: Amount held in equities, with almost 90% in UK investments 34%: Amount held in fixed income (26% in 'quality bonds', 8% in high-yield bonds) 6%: Amount held in commercial property 5%: Amount held in cash.

The minimum investment in the fund is 500, and there is no initial charge.

Investors will pay an estimated annual fee of 1.43 per cent, which is made up of a 0.75 per cent management charge, and a 0.68 per cent charge on the underlying funds.

This is one of many recently-launched investment products designed to help retirees boost their income, although it has a higher equity component than most.

Two years ago, Kames launched its Diversified Income fund, which has a historic yield of 5.72 per cent and an ongoing charge of 0.6 per cent. The fund invests primarily in bonds, and also has a small component in listed property.

Jupiter's Enhanced Distribution fund launched last September with an ongoing charge of 0.64 per cent, and an entry charge of up to 5.2 per cent. It has a split of approximately 60-40 across bonds and equities and a yield of 3.4 per cent.

At the end of last year, Legg Mason revamped its Western Asset Retirement Income Bond fund, which has a distribution yield of 3.2 per cent, and an ongoing charge of 0.8 per cent (although from April this will drop to 0.3 per cent).

EXPERT VIEW: ADRIAN LOWCOCK, AXA WEALTH MANAGEMENT When looking for income it is important to have a broad range of diversified income sources as this will help protect your capital and the essential income stream, which is especially important for those getting closer to retirement. At its core, this fund is a traditional equity and bond fund with a smidgen in commercial property. However, for this portfolio you are paying an additional 0.75 per cent and total ongoing charge of 1.43 per cent, and there are similar funds charging less than 1 per cent. At a gross 4 per cent yield, this fund also doesnt seem to be targeting an enhanced income - this would be closer to more traditional equity income and bond funds. Given the fund primarily invests in UK equities and bonds, it doesnt address the fundamental need for investors to diversify their income streams and primarily focuses on the areas that income seekers already have a core exposure to. The fund does, however, offer some capital protection as it has exposure to absolute return funds.




Bristol has become the latest airport to clash with the Government over aviation policy.

Britains ninth busiest airport warned that its local economy could lose 843million if Wales wins the right to set a lower rate of passenger duty for passengers travelling from Cardiff Airport.

Air Passenger Duty is a levy set by the Government. If Wales is given autonomy over the rate, Bristol Airport warns it will see a 25 per cent drop in passenger numbers by 2020 as they flock to neighbouring Cardiff where flights would be cheaper.

Flight fears: A jet takes off at Bristol Airport where bosses are concerned that they might lose business to Cardiff if Wales is granted the right to set its own rate of passenger duty

Bristol Airport published a report that claimed the move could cost 1,569 jobs over the next ten years.

Separately, Europes third-biggest budget airline, Norwegian Air, posted fourth-quarter earnings above expectations.

It has launched flights to the Middle East, south-east Asia and the United States, bringing the low-cost model to the long-haul market.

In a blow for Heathrow Airport, the independent regulator for railways has ruled against it seeking to charge train operators, such as Crossrail, to use its Heathrow Express track.

Heathrow paid more than 1billion building the line into Central London, and had hoped to charge Crossrail an annual 40million to use it.
Rolls-Royce has halved its dividend to shore up its finances after a slowdown in demand for some of its engines caused a 12 per cent fall in 2015 profit.

The world's second largest maker of aircraft engines, which issued three profit warnings last year, has cut its dividend to 7.1p as it bids to conserve cash.

Rolls-Royce had already alerted investors to the risk to its dividend back in November, when it announced it was putting the payout under review amid a further deterioration in its markets.

Sunnier days: Engineer Rolls-Royce saw its shares jump 13 per cent today as it bolstered its finances by halving its shareholder payout and eased fears by not issuing any fresh profit warning

The Derby-based manufacturer - popular with pension funds - has not reduced its payout to shareholders since the slowdown of 1992.

Chief executive Warren East said that the company recognised the importance of paying a 'healthy' dividend to shareholders, adding that 'subject to short-term cash needs, we intend to review the payment so that it will be rebuilt over time to an appropriate level.'

Nevertheless, Rolls-Royce shares soared in early trading as investors were relieved the engineer had avoided another profit warning. In early morning trading, the stock topped the FTSE 100 leader board, up 13 per cent, or 68p to 598p.

Rolls-Royce's profits came in at 1.43billion last year, down from 1.62billion a year earlier, as the business was hit by civil aerospace cuts and falling commodity prices that have impacted output at its marine division, which supplies the oil industry.

For 2016, Rolls-Royce stuck to its guidance for profits to be 650million lower than this year, in line with the warning it had given in November.

Analysts said Rolls was experiencing 'a perfect storm' with aerospace and defence contracts coming to an end, while other civil aviation programmes are only just getting off the ground.

As a result, the business has been forced to embark on a heavy long term restructuring programme which it said was making good progress.

Making gains: This Bloomberg graph shows that Rolls Royce share price spiked this morning after it avoided yet another profit warning

Big changes: Last month, Rolls-Royce boss Warren East, (pictured) told employees that a quarter of their 200 senior managers would be made redundant as part of the group's turnaround plans

Part of the plan includes scrapping its current Aerospace and Land & Sea divisional structure.

The shake-up comes amid a major revival plan to boost performance and slash costs by between 150million and 200million a year instigated by Mr East, who joined the company last year.

Last month, the Rolls-Royce boss told employees that a quarter of their 200 senior managers would be made redundant as part of the turnaround plans.

Alex Joyner, senior analyst at Galvan Research, said: 'With 2016 guidance left unchanged, investors fearing yet another warning will be breathing a sigh of relief today.

'Both underlying pre-tax profit and free cash cash-flow, a key metric for Rolls, came in better than expected.'

He added: 'The engineers first dividend cut in 24 years is undoubtedly a big step, but it shows East is serious about cutting costs. Hes on track to make annual savings of 145million by the end of 2017, which is encouraging.

'However, despite todays bounce higher, theres plenty more work to be done before we can expect to see a long-term recovery in the share price.'

Part of Rolls-Royces problems stem from its decision a few years ago to withdraw from supplying the narrow-bodied air passenger jet market, which subsequently grew quickly as low-cost airlines flourished.

The firm has instead been concentrating on supplying engines for wide-bodied, long-haul aircraft, a market in which it has a 50 per cent share.

More of its older engines, which provide income through maintenance contracts, are being taken out of service while Rolls-Royces newer engines have yet to take up the slack.

Mike van Dulken, Head of Research at Accendo Markets, said: 'With shares down 43 per cent since last May and down 53 per cent over 2 years, following multiple profits warnings, the thankful absence of another and the maintenance of FY16 guidance and no talk of a rights issue is probably the real news.'
Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline has been fined 37million for paying off firms to delay the launch of cheap versions of an antidepressant drug in a move that denied the NHS 'significant' cost savings.

The Competition Markets Authority said Glaxo paid about 50million between 2001 and 2004 to companies including Generics UK and Alpharma to make them delay the launch of cheaper versions of its blockbuster anti-depressant drug Seroxat.

Had these agreements not taken place, the NHS could have potentially saved significant amounts of money on these drugs, according to the CMA.

Anti-depressant: Glaxo has been fined for paying firms to delay launching cheap versions of its Seroxat drug

These pay-for-delay agreements deferred the competition that the threat of independent generic entry could offer, and potentially deprived the National Health Service of the significant price falls that generally result from generic competition, the CMA said in a statement.

It said that Glaxo had abused its dominant position in the market and, along with the other firms involved, it had infringed competition law.

The smaller pharma companies, which were also fined a total of 7.4million, eventually released generic versions of the paroxetine drug in 2013.

Although in the two years to 2013, the average paroxetine prices dropped by over 70 per cent, the CMA said. The watchdog added that, in the UK, 4.2 million prescriptions were issued for Seroxat in 2000, and Seroxat sales topped 90million the following year.

The 37million fine is unlikely to be felt by Glaxo, as earlier this month it reported annual profits that jumped from 3billion in 2014 to 10.5billion in 2015, despite losses of 416million in the final quarter. Annual turnover rose 4 per cent to 23.9billion.

Michael Grenfell, the CMA's executive director for enforcement, said: Today's decision sends out a strong message that we will tackle illegal behaviour that is designed to stifle competition at the expense of customers - in this case, the NHS and, ultimately, taxpayers.

This investigation shows our determination to take enforcement action against illegal anti-competitive practices in sectors big and small.

Cracking down on these practices is essential to protect consumers, to encourage legitimate business activity that such practices stifle, and to stimulate innovation and growth.

Glaxo said it disagreed with the CMA ruling, claiming its agreements with the generic firms allowed them to enter the market early, saving the NHS 15million over two years from 2002.

The drug giant said: GSK disagrees with the ruling by the UK CMA.

GSK and the generics companies entered into these agreements at the time in order to settle costly, complex and uncertain patent disputes.

In 2012, Glaxo was fined $3billion (2billion) in the biggest healthcare fraud in US history after it admitted paying medics to prescribe Seroxat for children although it was not intended for under 18s, while it also pushed its Wellbutrin drug for uses for which it was not approved.
A Gold Coast woman who spent 12 horrific months trapped in a global sex trafficking network has spoken publicly about how she escaped the clutches of a violent Jamaican pimp.

Katie Lang, 27, was 'psychologically enslaved' by Damion St Patrick Baston and forced to work as a prostitute in Queensland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and in the United States.

She recalls one chilling moment when she refused Baston and he stuck a burning hot blade against her neck.

'I felt like he was going to slit my throat so I jumped up and he just threw me back down and he kept strangling me,' Katie recalls in an interview with 60 Minutes.

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Katie Lang (pictured above) was one of three women lured from Australian into global sex trafficking

Damion Baston is serving 27 years in jail after being found guilty on 21 sex trafficking charges

Katie Lang was lured from the Gold Coast and forced into prostitution by Baston - her testimony was crucial in the trial against the convicted sex trafficker

Six women gave evidence against Damion Baston's international sex trafficking business at his trial in 2014 including two Australians and a New Zealand woman who'd been living on the Gold Coast

Images obtained by Daily Mail Australia from US authorities show Baston is a series of bizarre poses including this black and white photo showing him wearing gold fangs

Baston, 39, a former male stripper, was arrested in December 2013 by the US Department of Homeland Security.

He was convicted in Florida in 2014 to 27 years in prison after being found guilty of 21 charges of sex trafficking.

Florida District Court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia show Baston toting high-powered semi-automatic weapons, lying in bed covered in Australian bank notes, posing in a fox fur with a fistful of $100 bills, and wearing a bizarre pair of gold fangs.

Six young women, including Ms Lang, another Australian and a New Zealander, gave evidence into the life of prostitution and stripping for money Baston made them take part in.

In the interview, Ms Lang revealed how Baston used violence and threats against the women and their families to get them to do his bidding.

'I was so fearful of him not only hurting me but also hurting my family, he always used to say "I know where your grandma lives",' she said.

'I could put up with what I was going through but not knowing my family would be hurt.

'I basically just let go of myself and just let go of my soul and let him control me.'

Katie Lang recalls the regular beatings at the hands of Baston and how he would threaten to hurt members of her family back in Australia

Baston (left) seen holding wads of $100 bills while wearing a fox fur and toting a machine gun (right)

Photographs obtained from the Florida District Court show him lying in bed covered in Australian bank notes

US Homeland Security officers tracked Baston down in the Bronx, living with his mother and a new pregnant girlfriend in New York - he has four children to different women

Katie Lang, 27, was forced into sex trade by Jamaican pimp Damion St Patrick Baston, who operated a global sex trafficking network. He prostituted girls from Australia to Dubai and through United States

The 60 Minutes report paints Baston as a charismatic, imposing manipulator who showered women with expensive gifts and told them he loved them to lure them into his world.

Ms Lang fell for Baston's story and they began a relationship. As his influence on her grew, she quit her university studies and work with the crisis support service Lifeline, and became increasingly isolated from her family.

Baston is believed to have first set up a brothel on the Gold Coast in 2009.

Ms Lang was forced to leave Australia and fly with him to Dubai amid threats that he would have 'his gang' harm her relatives if she didn't leave.

She came home to Australia after a year when he US visa expired, promising Baston she would return when she could.

But Baston was known to authorities and Ms Lang's US visa application prompted them to question her.

Ms Lang agreed to testify against Baston, and became a critical part of the prosecution case.

Baston was convicted by a jury on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, importation of an alien for prostitution, transportation for prostitution, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Baston's lawyer insisted he had merely been a 'tourist'.

His appeal will be heard on February 27.

Katie's story is featured on 60 Minutes on Sunday at 8.15pm on Channel Nine
Jakisa has a lengthy criminal record in Minnesota, including multiple convictions for driving while impaired and disorderly conduct

Authorities in Bosnia have said Jakisa is wanted for questioning in an investigation into war crimes there, but provided no details.

Authorities said in 2014 that he didn't disclose that he had served in the armed forces of the Croatian Defense Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina

He and his wife settled in Minnesota and obtained permanent residency four years later

Zdenko Jakisa, who came to the United States as a refugee from war-torn Bosnia almost two decades ago will be deported, a judge announced on Thursday

A man who came to the United States as a refugee from war-torn Bosnia almost two decades ago will be deported for concealing a long criminal past in his home country, including the killing of an elderly Serbian neighbor, a federal judge said on Thursday.

Zdenko Jakisa, 47, settled in Minnesota in 1998, obtaining permanent residency four years later.

He apologized in court for withholding information when he first came to the United States, saying he felt at the time he had no choice.

'The reason I was lying was only to save my life and my wife's life,' he told Judge Susan Richard Nelson. 'I did not come here to hurt anyone, or do anything.'

Authorities said in 2014 that when he was filling out refugee and legal permanent resident applications, he didn't disclose that he had served in the armed forces of the Croatian Defense Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina and had gone to prison.

Nelson told Jakisa she was in no position to judge him for actions committed during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

'I need to sentence you for the crime that you've been convicted of, which is misrepresenting important material matters on your immigration application,' she said, issuing an order that he be removed from the United States.

As part of his plea, Jakisa agreed he was a Bosnian citizen and that he would surrender to US immigration officials as early as Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear when he would leave the country, but his attorney said he hoped it would be with days or weeks.

In Bosnia, Jakisa was convicted of various crimes including killing his neighbor by firing an AK-47 through her bedroom window and and kidnapping, robbing and assaulting a Bosnian Muslim man in 1993. He was also convicted of assault, disturbing the peace and other criminal activities.

Jakisa and his wife, Anna, have been living in suburban Forest Lake, where they co-owned a taxi business.

A flashback to the horrors in Sarajevo, pictured in 1993, where families looked on as military vehicles took over the streets

He has a lengthy criminal record in Minnesota, including multiple convictions for driving while impaired, disorderly conduct and obstructing legal process.

The judge attributed many of his recent troubles to mild mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcoholism, but said he had made progress toward getting better.

According to a June 6, 2012, article in the Forest Lake Press, Jakisa and his wife applied to come to the United States in 1998 through the US Embassy in Croatia.

They were approved through a lottery system and sponsored by Catholic Charities and a local church.

That article mentions that Jakisa was required to serve in the military in Croatia's 1991-95 war for independence from the Serb-led Yugoslavia.

'I lost tons of my friends,' Jakisa told the newspaper. 'My brother is also in a wheelchair, shot in the spine. There is almost no person in Croatia who did not lose somebody or is not crying for somebody.

'It was a bad war for nothing, just good for government people so they can still talk lies to their own people.'

Authorities in Bosnia have said Jakisa is wanted for questioning in an investigation into war crimes there, but provided no details.

More than 100,000 people were killed during the conflict, which also turned half the country's population of 4.3million into refugees.
Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame, 20, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS

A Minnesota man accused of plotting to join the Islamic State group pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to the militant organization, saying he was attracted to the idea of fighting overseas to create an Islamic caliphate.

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Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame, 20, admitted in U.S. District Court that he learned about Islam from videos on YouTube and listening to lectures, including those of Anwar al-Alwaki, an American who joined al-Qaida and was killed in 2011. He said he knew members of the Islamic State group had carried out killings, but he felt it was his duty to fight and help Muslims who were being oppressed.

'At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do and it was justified ... by Islam,' Warsame said.

Warsame faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. Prosecutors say he was a one-time leader of a group of friends in Minnesota's Somali community who recruited and inspired each other to join the Islamic State group. Nine others have been charged: three have pleaded guilty, one is believed to be in Syria and the rest face trial in May.

Warsame's admissions could put pressure on the five men awaiting trial. In addition to terror-related charges, they each face one count of conspiracy to commit murder outside the U.S., which carries a life sentence.

Under questioning from a prosecutor and U.S. District Judge Michael Davis, Warsame admitted he and other group members began meeting in the spring of 2014 to watch propaganda videos on YouTube and talk about ways to get to Syria.

Warsame admitted he knew that one man, Abdi Nur, planned to travel to Syria; Warsame said he went shopping with Nur before he left. Warsame also admitted he gave another defendant $200 for an expedited passport, and he helped another Minnesota man get to Syria from Turkey by providing him with a contact number. Warsame also applied for an expedited passport of his own.

Warsame admitted that he learned about Islam from videos on YouTube and listening to lectures, including those of Anwar al-Alwaki (left). Warsame admitted he knew that one man, Abdi Nur (right), planned to travel to Syria

Warsame, who said he is a Sunni Muslim, told Davis that he attended mosque but, at the time, he thought the teachings of imams were wrong and were against the Islamic State group. Warsame said his view of Islam was formed by lectures he heard, and he thought Islam justified the killing of disbelievers, including Shiites, whom he did not consider Muslim.

'I was always listening to one side, not the other side,' he said. 'I didn't see the other side of it  that innocent people were being killed.'

He said a turning point came when he watched a video where a pilot was burned alive; he said burning someone contradicts Islam's teachings.

Video courtesy of KSTP

Warsame's mother, Deqa Hussen, said she didn't know her son was plotting to go to Syria, but she learned about some of his friends in 2014 and sent him to Chicago to get him away from 'bad influences.' Hussen, who has been outspoken against terror recruitment in Minnesota, said the guilty plea was hard to hear, but she was glad her son had the courage to tell the truth.

'When I find out some of the stuff that he did ... I commanded my son to tell the truth. And that's what he did,' she said after the hearing. 'I'm so proud of him for telling the truth.'
guilty to one count of theft by unlawful taking and agreed to repay $170,805

A New Jersey woman has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from former Saturday Night Live cast member Joe Piscopo.

Under terms of a plea agreement, Jennifer LaRocca of Hackettstown pleaded guilty to theft and has agreed to pay nearly $171,000 in restitution.

She did not 'literally plead guilty to stealing that amount because her plea agreement calls for her to be sentenced as a third-degree offender who stole between $500 and $75,000,' according to The Daily Record.

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Jennifer LaRocca has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from former Saturday Night Live cast member Joe Piscopo. Above he is pictured in 2015 in Montclair, New Jersey

She admitted her husband, Frank LaRocca, was hired to pay Piscopo's bills, and she unlawfully wrote checks for her own expenses. Above is the Season 6 cast of SNL is pictured, with Joe Piscopo (far right)

However, the 40-year-old woman did accept the amount as the theft and signed a consent form to pay Piscopo $170,805.

She admitted her husband, Frank LaRocca, was hired to pay Piscopo's bills, and she unlawfully wrote checks for her own expenses using the funds between 2010 and 2014.

The woman told Superior Court Jude Catherine Enright that she committed the thefts from several locations including Chester Township and Randolph Township, according to the Daily Record.

Morris County prosecutors will recommend she be sentenced in April to probation on the condition she makes the payments.

Frank LaRocca, 40, is also charged with theft and will appear in Superior Court on February 17. He has agreed to share the restitution owed to the actor along with his wife.

Piscopo starred on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s along with Eddie Murphy. The entertainer, who was known for his impressions of Frank Sinatra, has not commented about the theft.
The sister of a Canadian resident jailed for life after being brutally 'beaten and electrocuted' until he confessed to creating a porn website has begged the Iranian authorities to release him.

Maryam Malekpour has intensified her campaign to ensure her brother, Saeed, 40, is freed following the release of five Americans as part of a prisoner swap in January.

She has decided to speak out despite being warned she would be raped in front of her brother if she highlighted his case in the media.

Prisoner: Saeed Malekpour was detained when he returned to Iran to say goodbye to his dying father. He was accused of creating a pornographic website and claims he was tortured into confessing while in prison

Campaigning: Saeed was warned his sister Maryam Malekpour (pictured) would be 'raped in front of him' if she continued to speak out about his case to the media. But she says she won't stop fighting until he is freed

She told MailOnline: 'When they released the U.S. prisoners, it gave us hope for our family and for Saeed.

'There is no sign they are going to release him anytime soon, but I'm not going to stop fighting until my brother is released and he comes back home. Saeed is my life, he is my everything.'

Software engineer Saeed had been living in Canada with his wife since 2003 and had applied for citizenship, but returned to Iran in 2008 to say goodbye to his dying father.

Maryam, who was living in Iran at the time, said: 'I called him and said: "We miss you and we are going to lose our dad". He had a brain tumour, he was very sick and had only six months to live.'

One day during his visit, Saeed failed to return to his mother's home and in the middle of the night, five men armed with guns ransacked the property and took his belongings.

'We started searching but we didn't know anything, we couldn't even guess,' Maryam explained. 'After two weeks my mum received a call from Saeed. He told my mum: "please forgive me" and he hung up. My mum was going crazy.'

Later Saeed would reveal he had been blindfolded, handcuffed and bundled into the back of a car in Tehran on October 4.

Family: Maryam says her brother is 'everything' to her. She is pictured (centre) with Saeed (right) and their brother Hamid when they were children and living in Iran

Behind bars: Saeed has been behind bars in Iran since 2008 and is likely to spend his life behind bars. He is pictured when he was visited in prison in 2010

In a letter he penned behind bars in 2010, which has been shared with MailOnline, he wrote: 'The arrest resembled abduction. They transferred me to an undisclosed location which they called the technical office.

'When we arrived, several agents physically beat me severely and verbally abused me. While I remained handcuffed and blindfolded, they forced me to sign a few forms, but I was not able to read the contents.

While I remained blindfolded and handcuffed, several individuals armed with cables, batons, and their fists struck and punched me Saeed Malekpour

'That night, I was transferred to ward 2-A of Evin prison. I was placed in a solitary cell and I was only allowed to leave the cell twice a day at specified times for a break of fresh air.

'However, every time I left the cell, I was blindfolded.'

The letter, translated from Farsi, revealed the torture he endured at the hands of his captors and the devastating physiological effects of spending years in a tiny solitary confinement cell.

Saeed, 40, who maintains his innocence, wrote: 'I spent 320 days in solitary confinement without access to books, newspapers, or any contact with the outside world.

'In the first few months following my arrest, I would be interrogated various hours both during the day and night.

'While I remained blindfolded and handcuffed, several individuals armed with cables, batons, and their fists struck and punched me. At times, they would flog my head and neck.

Tortured: Saeed claims he was beaten and electrocuted while behind bars and has always denied creating a pornographic website. He has revealed the treatment at the hands of his captors in a handwritten letter

Canadian: Saeed, 40, had been living in Canada since 2003 with his wife before he returned to Iran to say goodbye to his dying father

IRAN TRAVEL WARNING U.S. citizens traveling to Iran, particularly Iranian-Americans, risk arrest and detention in the Islamic republic, the U.S. State Department said. The travel warning was issued days after five Americans, including four dual Iranian nationals, were released by Iran in a prisoner swap coinciding with the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran as the implementation of a deal to curb its nuclear program began. The warning aims to 'reiterate and highlight the risk of arrest and detention of U.S. citizens, particularly dual national Iranian-Americans, in Iran,' the State Department said. 'Various elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States,' it said, adding that Iran has 'continued to harass, arrest, and detain U.S. citizens, in particular dual nationals' since the nuclear deal was signed in July. Advertisement

'Sometimes, they used extremely painful electrical shock that would paralyse me temporarily.

'Once in October 2008, the interrogators stripped me while I was blindfolded and threatened to rape me with a bottle of water.'

He added: 'One of those very days, as a result of being kicked, punched, and lashed with cables on my head and face, my face became very swollen.

'I lost consciousness several times, but each time they would wake me up by splashing water on my face [and continued with the torture].

'On January 24, 2009, after being subject to severe beatings, one of the interrogators threatened to pull out my tooth with a pair of tongs.

'One of my teeth broke and my jaw was displaced after I was kicked in the face by him.'

Saeed later appeared in a video confession admitting to posting pornographic images, which was broadcast on Iranian television shortly after his father's funeral.

On the basis of that confession, he was convicted of 'insulting and desecrating Islam' and sentenced to death.

His case was appealed in 2013 and his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. He remains behind bars and overall has spent five years in solitary confinement.

Detention: Saeed was taken to Evin Prison (pictured) in north-west Tehran - Iran's most notorious prison - after being arrested in October 2008

Confession: Saeed appeared on Iranian television admitting he created the porn website, but he claims he was tortured into making the confession

Maryam began campaigning for his release while still living in Iran, but received a chilling warning from her brother.

'They told him: "If you sister talks to the media we are going to arrest her and rape her in front of you here",' she said. 'They called me several times and two times asked me to go there for interrogation.'

Maryam fled to Canada, where she has continued to fight for her brother.

In January, Iran and the U.S. sealed the implementation of a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear programme with a prisoner swap

In exchange for five Americans, including four dual Iranian nationals, Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians and withdrew arrest warrants for 14 others.

They included The Washington Post's Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who had been detained in Iran for nearly 18 months, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini and former US Marine Amir Hekmati.

' Saeed called me and he said: "Is there any hope the Canadian government can do something for me?",' Maryam added.

She said the news of the swap has brought her hope, and she has written to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pleading for help.
A Georgia police was gunned down during a drug operation in an Atlanta suburb on Thursday, before cops shot dead the suspect.

Riverdale police officers were assisting Clayton County police with an operation at an apartment complex in Riverdale late Thursday morning, Riverdale police Assistant Chief Michael Reynolds said at a brief news conference.

The officer has been identified as Maj. Greg Barney, who was reportedly not wearing a bullet-proof vest at the time of the incident, WSBTV reported.

He is the fifth cop to be killed in the U.S. in the past 24 hours, and the fifth this week.

Killed: Authorities said Maj. Greg Barney (pictured) was taken to Southern Regional Medical Center in critical condition after being shot on Thursday. He was taken into surgery but did not survive

A Georgia Bureau of Investigations officer carries evidence from the scene of a fatal police shooting

Barney was part of a team serving a no-knock drug warrant around 11.15am at the Villages on the River, an apartment complex in the 6600 block of Church Street.

Instead of surrendering, the male suspect ran out a back door.

'He ran approximately 100 to 200 feet from the incident location and we had officers from Riverdale on the perimeter,' Clayton police Chief Michael Register told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

'He confronted one of the Riverdale officers and shot the officer in the torso.'

The Riverdale officer was struck twice by gunfire, police said.

The suspect then fled but was confronted at the front of the apartment complex by another officer.

The suspect was shot and subsequently died. He has not been named.

The wounded officer was rushed to hospital and taken into surgery.

While officials said they were 'hoping for the best', the officer died in hospital.

Scene: Georgia Bureau Investigation, Riverdale and Clayton County police investigate the scene where an officer was fatally shot by a suspect during a drug operation

Reynolds said Barney's family was still being notified of the shooting on Thursday afternoon.

The apartment complex was covered with officers from multiple agencies.

Riverdale is a city of about 15,000 people just south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Barney is the fourth officer to be killed in the U.S. in the space of 24 hours, and the fifth this week.

Officer Jason Moszer, 33, of Fargo, North Dakota, was shot and killed during an 11-hour standoff with a gunman on Wednesday.

Moszer responded to the scene Wednesday night and parked near the home the suspect was barricaded inside.

During a press conference Thursday morning, Police Chief David Todd said that the gunman, identified as 49-year-old Marcus Schumacher, had been found dead inside his Fargo home shortly before dawn.

Also on Wednesday, two Maryland sheriff's deputies were shot dead during an incident at a Panera Bread in Abingdon.

Officer down: Fargo police officer Jason Moszer (left), 33, was mortally wounded amid a standoff with an armed domestic violence suspect identifed as 49-year-old Marcus Schumacher (right) Wednesday night

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey (left) and Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon (right) were killed Wednesday by David Evans in a Panera Bread restaurant in Maryland

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey, a 30-year veteran who served in the Marines, and Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon, a 16-year department veteran who served in the Army, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Dailey responded to a call at the restaurant Wednesday and encountered 68-year-old David Evans, who shot him within seconds, police said.

A short time later, Evans was in a shootout with deputies and killed Logsdon.

Evans was slain in the shootout.

A fifth officer, sheriff's deputy Derek Geer of Mesa County, Colorado, was shot by a 17-year-old boy on Monday.

Officers say the boy pulled a handgun, fired several times and fled, leaving Geer mortally wounded.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and two other senior Liberal MPs are under fire for accepting $250,000 worth of presumably fake Rolex watches from a Chinese billionaire.

Li Ruipeng gifted the watches to Abbott, Ian Macfarlane and Stuart Robert at an informal dinner at Parliament House in June 2013 as a goodwill gesture, reported The Guardian.

'Instant noodle' billionaire Mr Ruipeng is the chair of the Li Guancheng Investment Management Group and met with MPs to discuss investment opportunities in Australia.

Tony Abbott and two other senior Liberal MPs are under fire for accepting $250,000 worth of presumably fake Rolex watches from a Chinese billionaire

The Rolexes were given to Abbott, Ian Macfarlane and Stuart Robert at an informal dinner at Parliament House in June 2013 as a goodwill gesture

'Instant noodle' billionaire Mr Ruipeng is the chair of the Li Guancheng Investment Management Group and met with MPs to discuss investment opportunities in Australia

According to The Guardian there were also watches for Abbott's wife, Margie, and Robert's wife, Chantelle, who were not present at the dinner.

Former minister for industry and science Ian Macfarlane said he wore the Rolex 'occasionally', but believed it to be a fake and declared the gift to the clerk of the House of Representative to be worth between $300 and $500.

Macfarlane had the watch valued in Sydney after the September federal election, he was told it was was worth about $40,000.

The clerk of the House of Representatives told him because the watch was on his register, he would be allowed to keep it. But he decided to return the watch to the company in China, and informed Abbott and Robert theirs were the real deal. Both Robert's and Abbott's offices said they had returned theirs as well.

Ian Macfarlane said he wore the Rolex 'occasionally', but believed it to be a fake and declared the gift to the clerk of the House of Representative to be worth between $300 and $500

'There was no way in hell I'd keep a watch worth that,' Macfarlane said.

A spokesman for Abbott told Guardian Australia that the two watches given to him were declared as well, though Abbott had also taken them to be fake because of the way it was given.

'My understanding is that they were handed over in a plastic bag, as has been reported, and I think everybody was of the same view,' said the spokesman.

Liberal MP's dealings in China have come under scrutiny recently as Turnbull's department investigates whether Robert, minister for veterans' affairs, breached ministerial standards when he flew to China in 2014 to help a friend and Liberal Party donor secure a mining deal.
In his testimony, accused stalker insisted he never intended to scare Paltrow or physically harm her

The 'Shakespeare In Love' star testified Monday she feared Soiu and his messages

A man charged with stalking Gwyneth Paltrow told jurors that he kept writing to the actress in recent years in the hope she might want to marry him, and also because he wanted her forgiveness for sending her pornographic messages nearly 17 years ago.

Dante Soiu was one of the final witnesses at his four-day trial focusing on dozens of packages and letters  some of which expressed his desire to marry Paltrow  sent in 2014 and 2015.

Soiu, 66, testified that he never intended to scare Paltrow or physically harm her.

'Stalker' speaks: Gwyneth Paltrow's accused stalker Dante Soiu took the stand this week, telling jurors he kept writing to the actress in the hope she might want to marry him, or at least be his pen pal

First post-testimony photo: Paltrow, seen here on Tuesday at Santa Monica Seafood with her boyfriend, Brad Falchuk (not pictured), testified a day earlier that she was scared of Soiu

'I have no desire to hurt her feelings,' Soiu told the court on Thursday. 'I have no desire to harass her.'

A prosecutor, however, urged jurors to disregard his statements and instead view Soiu as a calculating, crazy stalker who would never stop harassing Paltrow.

'It's a compulsion and an obsession to insert himself into her life,' Deputy District Attorney Wendy Segall said in closing arguments.

She told jurors that the case actually got Soiu what he wanted  to spend time with Paltrow, who testified against him on Monday.

'He gets to spend hours in a room with the object of his desire,' Segall said. 'This is not a stupid man. This is actually a highly intelligent man.'

On Wednesday, Soiu testified that he wanted his messages to show her unconditional love and friendship and that he had no animosity toward her over the earlier case, which involved 500 messages, including sex toys and pornography, Soiu sent Paltrow in 1999 and 2000.

Soiu told jurors he wanted to let Paltrow know he was available and willing to marry her if the opportunity arose.

Segall questioned why Paltrow would want to marry him after he had sent her so many lewd messages and she had to testify against him.

Persistent suitor: Soui (left) said that he wrote to a variety of public figures but only wanted to marry Paltrow (right), to whom he had sent lewd messages and sex toys in 1999 and 2000

'I was trying to show I had changed and I had become a different person,' Soiu said. 'I wanted to show a new face towards her.'

Soiu also said he didnt want to scare the actress, but he was intent on her responding to him. 'I wanted her to say flat out, "I dont want to marry you,' he said. 'That way I would have a definite response from her.'

The defendant explained to jurors that he was lonely and wanted a pen pal and kept writing to the Oscar winner despite the previous stalking case involving the actress that led to him being sent to a mental institution for several years.

Prosecutors say Soiu sent 66 messages to Paltrow between 2009 and 2015 before he was arrested.

Soiu's attorney Lynda Westlund has said her client was merely trying to minister to Paltrow in the latest messages and she misinterpreted his biblical messages.

The actress testified Monday that she was scared of Soiu and broke down when a prosecutor asked if she was afraid for the safety of her children.

Paltrow, seen in a courtroom sketch from Monday, broke down on the stand when a prosecutor asked if she was afraid for the safety of her children

Soiu testified Wednesday that he wrote to a variety of public figures, including President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin offering counsel on world affairs and solutions to problems.

He conceded that his notes to Paltrow were the only ones that expressed an interest in marriage.

'Oh, no, I dont want to marry Putin,' he said.

He previously tried to meet Paltrow in 1999 and 2000 after sending her the pornographic messages and sex toys.
Price-hiking pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli made an offer of $10million to buy out Kanye West's newest album on Thursday so it would be released solely to him, and kept from the public.

Shkreli shared the letter addressed to West on Twitter in which he asked him to withhold the release of his album.

'Here is my initial offer for the album. @kanyewest Thanks for your consideration and I look forward to your response,' he tweeted.

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Price-hiking pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli (pictured on February 3 as he leaves court) reportedly owes the government more than $4.5million in unpaid taxes

On Thursday, he tweeted at Kanye West with an initial offer of $10million for the rapper's newest album

Shkreli's offer in part read: 'I am writing to you in hopes of convincing you to withhold the release of your forthcoming studio album.

'Instead of releasing this product for your millions of fans, I ask you to sell this recording solely to me, for the price of $10,000,000.

'I believe you (and your partners) will find this financial arrangement more attractive than your current course of action.'

Shortly after he added that his offer should delay the release of the album, The Life of Pablo, by a few days.

'Kanye and his label are legally required to take my offer letter to their Board of Directors, ' he wrote. 'This should delay the album by a few days.'

West has yet to respond to Shkreli.

Kanye West shared his cover art of the album on Twitter on Thursday, noting it was the work of Peter De Potter

Following his offer, Shkreli tweeted that his offer should delay the release of the album by a few days. It didn't

The rapper and fashion designer debuted his new album, despite Shkreli's claims, and clothing collection at famed music venue Madison Square Garden as part of New York Fashion Week.

West played new tracks for the upcoming album as dozens of models were unveiled standing on raised platforms in the center of the arena, wearing the new Yeezy Season 3 that he designed for sports brand Adidas.

The show - viewed by more than 20 million viewers as it was streamed for free online via subscription music service Tidal - quickly became a top social media trend, as fans tweeted about the collection and the music.

The rapper and fashion designer debuted his new album, despite Shkreli's claims, and clothing collection at famed music venue Madison Square Garden as part of New York Fashion Week

Model Naomi Campbell appears onstage during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 fashion show on Thursday in New York City

The show - viewed by more than 20 million viewers as it was streamed for free online via subscription music service Tidal - quickly became a top social media trend, as fans tweeted about the collection and the music

Shkreli, who is often referred to as 'pharma bro', made his offer after reports came out stating he allegedly owes the government more than $4.5million in unpaid taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against the 32-year-old last month saying he reportedly owes $3,431.85 from 2013 and $4,625,496.70 from 2014, according to Gawker.

The document states a demand for payment was made but that it is still unpaid, resulting in a lien 'in favor of the United States on all property and rights to property belonging to this taxpayer for the amount of these taxes.'

The notice was prepared on December 18 and was filed on January 11.

On Tuesday, a Long Island artist sued Shkreli and others over the use of his art in a Wu-Tang Clan album, saying he never expected portraits he posted on a fan blog two years ago to be used without his permission.

Shkreli pictured above on Feburary 4. The document states a demand for payment was made but that it is still unpaid, resulting in a lien 'in favor of the United States on all property and rights to property belonging to this taxpayer for the amount of these taxes'

The Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against the 32-year-old last month saying he allegedly owes $3,431.85 from 2013 and $4,625,496.70 from 2014, according to the notice shown above

Artist Jason Koza said in the Manhattan federal court copyright infringement lawsuit that his portraits of members of the New York-based hip-hop group were used without authorization on the Wu-Tang Clan album Shkreli bought for $2million.

The lawsuit comes after Shkreli's recent not guilty plea in Brooklyn federal court to securities fraud charges claiming he cheated investors in companies he created.

Shkreli became widely known last year after a drug company he founded, Turing Pharmaceuticals, spent $55million for the U.S. rights to sell a life-saving medicine called Daraprim and then raised the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill.
Military commanders are being offered legal insurance to protect themselves against future battlefield claims, it was revealed yesterday.

Insurance firms are cashing in on fears among senior officers that they may be liable for claims under human rights and health and safety legislation.

But applying such legislation to the military could prevent Britain winning wars and the litigation circus was torturing the Armed Forces, the Lords heard.

Fears: Insurance firms are cashing in on senior officers' concerns that they may be liable for claims under human rights and health and safety legislation (file image of a British soldier)

Former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Boyce attacked the increasing legal encirclement of our Armed Forces and what he described as lawfare.

The cross-bench peer told the Lords there was growing concern in the Armed Forces about crown immunity  or the lack of it  in warfare situations.

It was being fuelled by a large number of cases of alleged inappropriate behaviour against locals, enemy combatants or in the use of allegedly inappropriate equipment.

These investigations in Iraq and Afghanistan overlooked the precept in war that you have to fight with what youve got. Lord Boyce said there were now insurance companies touting insurance to commanding officers against the possibility of being involved in litigation at some stage.

Row: Former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Boyce attacked the increasing legal encirclement of our Armed Forces and what he described as lawfare

He said there was a public perception that military leaders, down to junior level, could be in the dock arising from actions and decisions within the Geneva Convention that have been taken in the heat of battle. All this is in danger of leading to a very worrying risk-averseness that will imperil operational effectiveness.

The Ministry of Defence is facing hundreds of claims of alleged abuses from the Iraq and Afghan campaigns.

Court rulings that the Government has a legal duty to protect its soldiers human rights, even on the battlefield, have raised concerns commanders will be sued if they are found to have taken risks.

One scheme advertised described itself as aimed at any commander who is or may be sued in the UK courts for negligent acts and or omissions made in the course of his or her military duties.

The Commanders Protection scheme from The Military Mutual includes legal advice and representation, as well as help gathering witnesses and evidence. A spokesman for the firm said the scheme was still being piloted and tested.

Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, recalled his own combat experience in the Falklands War as the upper house debated the second reading of the Armed Forces Bill.

He said: I knew that my anti-aircraft armament was insufficient to counter air attacks so close against land, but it is the duty of military men to fight the war they are in with the equipment they have.

Armed forces: Applying such legislation to the military could prevent Britain winning wars and the litigation circus was torturing the Armed Forces, the Lords heard (file image of British soldiers)

Lord Empey, the former Ulster Unionist leader, also hit out at the ludicrous legal position facing the Armed Forces and said the situation was completely out of control. We are torturing ourselves and torturing the Armed Forces through this litigation circus that is going on, he said.

Lib Dem peer Lord Burnett said that while Britain must always comply with the Geneva Convention, the Government must ensure we do not paralyse the Armed Forces with red tape and doubt.
Controversial: Jeremy Hunt has forced through his new contract for junior doctors, claiming further negotiations were not 'realistically possible'

Junior doctors are threatening a mass exodus to Australia after Jeremy Hunt forced through his controversial new contract yesterday.

There has been a huge surge in the numbers seeking certificates to practise abroad and some have already lined up jobs.

Almost 760 doctors were issued with documents by the General Medical Council in the first four weeks of this year  nearly 200 a week and almost double the usual number. Although they include some older GPs and consultants, the vast majority were disillusioned younger doctors.

Each junior doctor costs the NHS at least 350,000 to train over eight years, including university costs and hospital placements.

If only half of the doctors issued certificates last year moved abroad, it would amount to a loss to taxpayers of 1.5billion.

Yesterday Health Secretary Mr Hunt announced he would be imposing the contract because further negotiations with the doctors union were not realistically possible.

His decision followed a 24-hour strike by junior doctors on Wednesday  the second in a month. The walkouts have led to a total of 7,000 cancelled operations.

Last night up to 300 junior doctors and other campaigners protested outside the Department of Health in Whitehall, calling on Mr Hunt to resign.

They chanted Where are you Jeremy?, Jeremy Hunt has got to go and We wont give up the fight.

Labour health spokesman Heidi Alexander accused Mr Hunt of effectively acting as a recruiting agent for Australian hospitals.

The British Medical Association union warned that junior doctors would vote with their feet and said they would be considering all options.

Fury: Demonstrators stand with placards at Salford Royal Hospital during a 24-hour strike over pay and conditions in Manchester, northwest England, on February 10

Upset: Junior doctors march on Parliament, as numbers of junior doctors applying for certificates to work abroad sees a huge surge

Costly: Each junior doctor costs the NHS at least 350,000 to train over eight years, including university costs and hospital placements. Pictured, junior doctors and supporters strike at St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster

Possible action by the union is likely to include further strikes and a demand that its junior doctor members refuse to sign the contracts.

But figures from the GMC suggest many are already making plans to move overseas. Nearly 760 doctors were granted Certificates of Current Professional Statement  enabling them to practice abroad  in the first four weeks of 2016.

This is in addition to the 8,627 in 2015, which was twice as high as previous other years. Not all who are given certificates end up leaving, but doctors cannot practise abroad without one.

THE DEAL THEY REJECTED A 13.5% increase in basic salary (current basic is 40,000) Time and a third on Saturdays  but only for junior doctors who work at least 1 in 4 Saturdays Time and a half for overnights, 9pm to 7am (currently offered from 7pm) No junior doctor will have to work more than 72 hours a week (down from 91). If they do, they will be paid double for extra hours Doctors on call from home more often than 1 in 4 nights will be paid 10 per cent extra. Currently they can get up to 60 per cent more Advertisement

Among those already working in Australia is the daughter of Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, chairman of the Health Select Committee. She works in an A&E with her husband at a hospital staffed almost entirely by British-trained doctors.

Junior doctors are tempted to work in Australia by higher basic salaries and shorter hours, including less weekend working. Mr Hunt revealed the BMA had rejected a take it or leave it deal while Wednesdays strike was in full swing.

This had included several key concessions such as raising basic salaries by 13.5 per cent and ensuring doctors who work the most Saturdays are paid premium hourly rates. The contract centres on increasing the numbers of doctors working at weekends and nights  when death rates are currently 16 per cent higher.

Mr Hunt told the Commons despitewillingness from the Government to be flexible on the crucial issue of Saturday pay a negotiated solution is not realistically possible.

The Government had drafted in Sir David Dalton  chief executive of Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust  to broker a deal but the deadlock could not be broken.

Mr Hunt told MPs that with the backing of major NHS groups including NHS Employers and NHS England, Sir David has asked me to end the uncertainty for the service by proceeding with the introduction of a new contract that he and his colleagues consider both safer for patients and reasonable for junior doctors.

Last night several NHS chief executives who had apparently put their names to a key letter used by Mr Hunt to justify imposing new contracts withdrew their support.

The names of 20 health trust bosses in England were attached to Sir Davids letter advising the Government to do whatever it deems necessary to break the deadlock with junior doctors and the BMA.

Argument: Junior doctors are tempted to work in Australia by higher basic salaries and shorter hours, including less weekend working

Support: Several NHS chief executives who had apparently put their names to a key letter used by Mr Hunt to justify imposing new contracts have withdrawn their support

But last night at least nine said they never supported the idea of forcing junior doctors to accept new contracts. It is unclear whether the chief executives saw the letters text before it was sent to Mr Hunt.

Sir Andrew Cash, head of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: I support the improved offer as fair and reasonable, but I do not support imposition.

Andrew Foster, of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS FT, said: I have not supported contract imposition. I have supported the view that the offer made is reasonable.

Claire Murdoch, head of the Central and North West London NHS FT, said she was not even aware that her name was on the letter, and immediately asked for it to be removed.

Row: Mr Hunt told the Commons despitewillingness from the Government to be flexible on the crucial issue of Saturday pay a negotiated solution is not realistically possible

Contracts: A picketer puts up a sign outside Maudsley Hospital during a 24-hour strike by junior doctors over pay and conditions in London on February 10

Betrayal: Critics insisted that the doctors should show the NHS more loyalty, but supporters say junior doctors are right to flee a country 'where our government has no respect for our profession'

Hours after Mr Hunts announcement, junior doctors were using social media to encourage each other to go to Australia. Zahra Small wrote on Facebook: Pack your bags my fellow doctors. Australia it is  why work in a system where our government has no respect for our profession?

Critics insisted that the doctors should show the NHS more loyalty. Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said: I object to my money going on junior doctors only for them to push off and spend half their time on the beach in Australia.
Migrants will be scooped up by Nato warships in the Aegean Sea and taken back to Turkey, Michael Fallon said in a dramatic escalation of the crisis

Migrants will be scooped up by Nato warships in the Aegean Sea and taken back to Turkey, Michael Fallon said last night.

In a dramatic escalation of the response to the crisis, the Defence Secretary said migrants rescued as they make the treacherous journey to Europe will be returned.

His comments came after the security alliance announced it would deploy three ships to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe.

Fears were raised that the plan could drag the crisis into further chaos by encouraging migrants to make the journey  knowing they would be picked up and dropped off in Greece.

Last year British ship HMS Bulwark rescued nearly 5,000 migrants during its eight-week deployment in the Mediterranean and dropped them all off in Italy.

But Mr Fallon said: 'They won't be taken back to Greece... they will be taken back to Turkey. That is the first time we have seen a group tasked with returning migrants.'

Last night politicians said the plan would show people trafficking gangs that Turkey was not a 'stepping stone' to Europe.

The move could potentially stop the flow of tens of thousands of migrants to EU countries, including Britain.

Announcing Nato's deployment, secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would divert the warships 'without delay' to the waters off Turkey and Greece.

It marked Nato's first intervention in the migrant crisis and was seen as an admission that the European Union has failed to tackle the influx.

Speaking at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Mr Fallon said it was a 'huge development', and that both Turkey and Greece had signed up to the plan to send all migrants picked up in the sea back to Turkey.

Britain was 'urgently looking' at which warships it could deploy to help with the task, he added.

Even if migrants had made it to Greek waters, they would still be returned to Turkey, he said. Officials hope the policy will stop people-smugglers making use of the relatively short journey from Turkey to the Greek islands of Kos, Chios, Lesbos and Samos.

Sir Gerald Howarth, a former defence minister, said: 'This will send a very clear message to the filthy traffickers that they now have to contend with a military response.

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Syrian refugees arrive at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, after NATO ordered three warships to the Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean to help stem the flow of migrants

Three vessels from the NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), pictured during training with the Turkish Navy in the Eastern Mediterranean, have been sent out with immediate effect

'Therefore this should act as a real deterrent in the run-up to the summer season and secondly it will reassure the British people that the Government is completely committed to using all means available, including the military, to deter migrants.

'It will also send a message to Greece, that we understand the immense challenge it has faced, and it will help Turkey because it will send the message: do not use Turkey as a stepping stone to the EU.'

Tory MP David Davies added: 'It is absolutely excellent, for the migrants themselves. They are risking their lives because they know as soon as they step foot on European soil they will be allowed to stay. They can go to refugee camps in Turkey... and they won't feel any incentive to risk their lives to come to Europe.'

Peter Bone MP added: 'You don't want to pick them up and take them to where they are trying to get to when they have got no right to be there. Now there will be less of a pull factor.'

'Human tragedy': NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the move is 'about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and refugees'

The move is aimed at helping Europe tackle its worst migration crisis since the Second World War

But Iverna McGowan, of Amnesty International, said: 'Any Nato ships that witness a boat in distress must provide immediate life-saving assistance.

'In no way must Nato forces become yet one more barrier between refugees and the international protection they are legally entitled to. Intercepting refugees attempting to reach Europe and pushing them back to Turkey... would be a serious violation of their right to claim asylum, and would fly in the face of international law.'

Mr Stoltenberg said jets will also be sent to the Turkey-Syrian border to step up spying missions. He added: 'This is about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and the refugees and coping with a demanding situation and helping them to manage the human tragedy in a better way than we've been able to do so far.'
A cardiologist has revealed he was smeared by NHS bosses and left with his career in ruins after he spoke publicly about dangerous overcrowding at a hospital.

Doctor Raj Mattu, who has been left with a 1.4million legal bill following the dispute, has warned against whistleblowing as he revealed the shocking practices he reported at Walsgrave hospital in Coventry still haven't been investigated.

In this interview, the 56-year-old describes the 'terrible' and 'humiliating' experience of being labelled a sexual pervert by bosses desperate to quash his claims as he reveals his life will never be the same.

Doctor Raj Mattu has a blackboard in his loo that says: Now is the time to open some champagne and dance on the table.

Too true, you might think. For last week, this brilliant cardiologist, who was sacked and vilified by health chiefs for 15 years after exposing shocking NHS failings, won an eye-watering 1.22 million damages in a dramatic victory for free speech.

Finally, it seemed, the once internationally renowned doctor, whose name was dragged through the mud by bosses at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (formerly Walsgrave Hospital), had cause for celebration.

Dr Raj Mattu, pictured with his wife Sangita, has revealed how he was smeared by NHS bosses after he publicly revealed he was concerned about patient safety at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry

But when we meet at his modest Warwick home, Dr Mattu, 56, is in no mood to pop champagne corks. Neither is his wife Sangeeta, 43. For the career at which Dr Mattu excelled, as a heart clinician and respected academic, is over. He was suspended after speaking out on overcrowding on Walsgrave Hospitals wards, which he said led to the death of two patients.

Now, given the trusts refusal to reinstate him and bring him up to speed on the strides that have been made in his field during his lengthy suspension  a so-called re-skilling, required by the NHS  an employment tribunal was forced to suggest he take up a post as a science teacher.

Add to this the fact that once he pays the 1.4 million bills he has run up fighting a trust that threw 10 million of taxpayers money at the case, he will be 200,000 in debt.

A victory? It is, as he says, a hollow one. Even now the deaths I reported have never been investigated and Ive been left worse than penniless, he says. My career as a doctor is over.

If I were able to work in the job Ive loved since qualifying, Id roll up my sleeves and work to clear my debts, but I cant because Ive been robbed of that opportunity.

The Government says it wants to protect whistleblowers, but what theyve come up with is wholly inadequate. If Id had children to support would I have put my head above the parapet? I cant say I would.

The 56-year-old, pictured on his wedding day, went public about overcrowding after the death of two patients at the hospital

As things stand, Id strongly caution anyone against whistleblowing to save them from suffering what my family have had to endure.

Dr Mattu is not a man given to hyperbole. His chilling words echo the sentiments of a panel of senior doctors who this week condemned NHS treatment of whistleblowers.

In a letter to the Times, Professor Sir Brian Jarman, former head of the British Medical Association, called for reform of whistleblower protection, saying that despite a year passing since the landmark report which ruled whistleblowers would be protected from discrimination, not one healthcare worker sacked for speaking out has been found comparable NHS re-employment.

This appalling state affairs is borne out in Dr Mattus case. Before going public in 2001 with his concerns about patient safety at Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, following two deaths, he had a glittering future ahead of him.

When he was headhunted to work at the hospital in 1997 he was credited with being the first person to report a common mutation in the gene that protects against heart disease and acquired 2.5 million in grants to fund his 12-man research team.

Life, as he says, was good. With his 70,000 salary there were ski holidays, romantic breaks, meals at restaurants, a Mercedes with personalised number-plates, a 600,000 house in Solihull and savings in the bank. Today, he doesnt have two brass farthings to rub together and is mortgaged to the hilt.

This has had a terrible effect on my private life, he says. Its put everything on hold. Its prevented us from enjoying things we should have enjoyed long ago  marriage [he and Sangeeta eventually wed in 2009], children, the normal activities of life.

Dr Mattu pictured after blowing the whistle on the NHS failures. He was later labelled a pervert and rapist by bosses

When I was suspended in 2002, Warwick University decided to stop my research, too.

He cant keep the tears from his eyes as he says: Without the trust taking me back and reskilling me, I cant work as a doctor. No other NHS trust is going to pay for that, particularly with all the smears around me.

Dr Mattus lawyer claims he has faced no fewer than 200 absurd and invented allegations levelled by the trust since speaking out, claims that ranged from bullying and fraud to the completely unsubstantiated allegation of rape  all so groundless that, astonishingly, to this day, he has never been shown details about his so-called crimes.

He says the police have dismissed the claims with scorn.

Yet before blowing the whistle hed never had a whisper of complaint against him since he qualified at University College London in 1984.

But then we didnt have trusts or managers in charge, he says. At Walsgrave there were more managers knocking around than doctors.

Half the time I couldnt work out what most of them were meant to be doing. I remember asking for a stapler because my secretarys had broken and we couldnt order it. It took them five months to get one.

The trust had glorified administrators with grand titles and limited knowledge of healthcare. The director of medical staffing used to be a telephonist when I was a junior doctor and the director of clinical governance  patient safety  used to be a porter.

Patient safety was Dr Mattus greatest concern. A Labour government drive to cut waiting lists, under the Health Secretary Alan Milburn, prompted a management decision to cram five beds into four-bed bays.

Not only was movement around the beds been restricted, but emergency equipment  oxygen, suction, defibrillation  was installed to service only four beds, not a fifth under a window.

It was, says Dr Mattu, a time bomb. He and fellow consultants voiced concerns on numerous occasions with everyone from his line managers to chief executive David Loughton, but the practice continued.

I knew the moment someone became acutely unwell we wouldnt be able to do anything, he says. One morning my worst fear was realised.

Dr Mattu was on the ward on December 21, 1999, when a cardiac arrest alarm sounded. He hurried to a bay to find a 35-year-old man slipping out of consciousness.

What happened next is so terrible it continues to haunt him.

Normally we take off the beds head so we can get round the patient to put lines in the blood vessels and a tube in the lungs. But we couldnt move the bed forwards because it kept hitting the two other beds.

At that time he was pink and warm. I was trying to do all the stuff we normally do. Then, he starts going blue in front of my eyes, bleeding in the gut and vomiting. We try to put the heart-tracing machine on, but weve got nowhere to plug it. Were jumping up and down trying to keep this young guy alive. I use a piece of apparatus to expose his airway and, bang, Im staring at a huge clot. I ask the nurses for suction. I put out my free hand. No suction. Wheres the suction?

Dr Mattu racked up 1.4 million bills fighting the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which will not reinstate him

The suction tube is a certain length and its by another patients bed and wont reach. So then Im desperately trying to grab the clot with forceps, but they wont reach.

Im thinking If I push it down far enough, sacrifice one lung, we can give him oxygen and save him, but we cant get the oxygen to him either.

I ask a nurse to go to the theatre to get a portable oxygen canister. This guy is now blue and his hearts stopped. I ask for the defibrillator, but the wires wont reach.

I had to make a decision to wedge the clot down, but we had to wait five minutes before the portable oxygen came, by which time hes so oxygen-deficient theres probably very little to retrieve even if we had kept him alive. He shakes his head.

Within three weeks there was a second death, again in an over-crowded bay. The managements response was to put an extension lead on the cardiac arrest trolley.

In February 2000, Health Secretary Alan Milburn boasted to the Commons: The in-patient waiting list is 87,000 below the level we inherited.

Dr Mattu says: Hospital chief executive David Loughton was oiling the machine for his government paymasters, so Alan Milburn could go on air and say what a wonderful man he was reducing waiting lists. He was railroading every clinician who raised concerns.

But the concerns were well-founded. In September 2001 a report into the NHS trust by the Commission of Health Improvement (CHI) found it to have a 60 per cent excess death rate, translating into 3,500 unexplained deaths, more than twice as many as those seen during the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

The CHI urged the trust to stop the overcrowding. That evening Loughton appeared on the news to deny any knowledge of patients being harmed as a result of overcrowding.

Short of accusing me of being a terrorist, anything they could think to throw at me they did  rape, sexual assault, fraud, tax evasion Doctor Raj Mattu

I almost choked on my tea, says Dr Mattu. I wrote to the Strategic Health Authority saying: Will you please intervene. I heard nothing. A week later, the trust received a zero star rating from the Department of Health. The BBC asked Dr Mattu to appear on the News. He spoke about the dangers of overcrowding and the campaign against him began.

Within months he was suspended on a trumped-up charge of bullying a member of his research team in February 2002 and accused of waging a campaign against Loughton.

From that moment I wasnt allowed to contact anyone I worked with. It was so humiliating. Then, when I got home, there was just this emptiness and disbelief, he says.

I didnt think in Britain, let alone the NHS, anyone could have the ability to misuse their authority in that way. I felt tearful, but I still had the confidence that he wouldnt get away with it.

I had every faith the people in charge would properly investigate my concerns and see the management were putting peoples lives at risk.

But from the moment I whistle-blew the trust seemed determined to trash my reputation. I now realise its how they silence a whistleblower.

Short of accusing me of being a terrorist, anything they could think to throw at me they did  rape, sexual assault, fraud, tax evasion. I was investigated three times in four years by the Inland Revenue.

But the most hurtful allegations were the ones that made me out to be a sexual pervert.

I had no idea at the time what was being said about me. The charges were never put to me.

It wasnt until many years later when documents were released to me during litigation that I discovered the trust had held secret meetings with the GMC during which theyd made these unforgivable claims.

The GMC began to investigate these allegations though the police.

In the end the West Midlands police got so fed up with the GMC inquiries they said: There are no crime reference numbers, no reports. As far as were concerned, there is no incident. Why dont you simply ask the doctor? To this day I have not been provided with any details of these fabricated sexual attacks.

When I received these documents from the GMC shortly before they decided there was no case against me to answer in 2009, my heart sank. I couldnt believe what I was reading.

I thought, How on earth do I tell Sangeeta? She was very quiet then she said: Theyre some of the nastiest people Ive ever come across. Why would they want to destroy you and your reputation in this way? 

Dr Mattu remained suspended for five-and-a-half years, one of the longest suspensions in NHS history.

It was finally lifted in July 2007 after he took the trust to the High Court. He eventually started reskilling in London in August 2008.

However, once the GMC closed his file the following March, the trust again looked for ways to get rid of him.

A memo, revealed here for the first time, from the HR director to the chief executive, dated April 23, 2009, shows them weighing up the pros and cons of dismissing him.

A tribunal ordered .122m in damages once it was made clear Dr Mattu would never work again as a doctor. Above, the University Hospital in Coventry, which used to be called the Walsgrave Hospital

Damningly, one of the cons spells out: Exposes (to no useful purpose?) the failure of previous senior officers at the trust and the Strategic Health Authority.

Deciding the cons outweighed the pros, the trust withdrew Dr Mattus right to retrain in academic work.

Because I wouldnt sign an agreement to withdraw from research re-skilling, they started a disciplinary procedure against me, he says.

Such was the pressure on him that his health  he suffers from an autoimmune disease  deteriorated. He spent time in hospital as part of a lung was removed. All the while, the trust bombarded him with up to four letters a day.

Then while Im lying in a bed at the Brompton Hospital they held a disciplinary hearing in my absence and dismissed me, he says.

Dr Mattu has not worked or been paid since November 30, 2010. Thankfully, his wife Sangeeta supported him.

I am not sure I could have survived this without Sangeetas love, says Dr Mattu. Lots of women would have walked away years ago and I wouldnt have blamed them, but shes been there for me.

When I think of all shes had to sacrifice. She should be a mum . . . Again the sentence trails away. Three years ago, the case was heard at an employment tribunal.

Under cross-examination, chief executive David Loughton, who was forced to resign in shame in March 2002, finally admitted he knew about both deaths reported by Dr Mattu.

He seemed to be saying that overcrowding was happening because he needed the NHS to give us more money. The tribunal found Mr Loughton was not prepared to look at the options to improve the unacceptable practice in other ways, says Dr Mattu, shaking his head in despair.

Dr Mattu only launched the proceedings that drew to a close last week because he hoped to get his job back. The tribunal ordered the damages once it was made clear he would never work again as a doctor.

David Loughton was awarded a CBE by Labour in 2010 for services to health care and earns more than 200,000 as chief executive of the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust.

Four years ago, he suspended whistleblower Sandra Haynes-Kirkbright for alleged bullying after she said the hospital was fiddling death rates.

Earlier this year, internationally acclaimed oncologist Professor David Ferry was cleared of accusations of bullying by the GMC, levelled by Loughtons Wolverhampton Trust in 2013 after he spoke out about inappropriate care for cancer patients.
At that circus of bruises, the Public Accounts Committee, two Google smarmers tried to explain their companys amazingly low tax bill.

Facing them were MPs outraged by the internet firms tax avoidance.

This was digital-age Darwinism v analogue-era aggro, private-sector amorality up against demotic parliamentary outrage.

The Googlies tried to spin and twist but were made to look greasily corporate.

What a piece of work we had in Matt Brittin, president Google, Europe, Middle East and Africa (an empire to make Caesar himself envious).

Mr Brittin, British, was plausibly matey, a fluent voice with a habit of interrupting his interrogators  simply to help, doncha know. He used to work for the Daily Mirror, of all things.

Google Inc. Vice President Tom Hutchinson (left) and President of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa Matt Brittin give evidence to the Commons public accounts committee at Portcullis House, London on Thursday

Alongside him: Tom Hutchinson, vice-president Google Inc. Tanned Tom was American-preppy, though with a weak mouth. He had a habit of saying oddit and prafit (audit and profit). A drawler.

The committees chairman is no longer fingernail-lifter Lady Hodge, who has quit the ring with her personal reputation not entirely intact. Multi-millionaire Lady H has been succeeded by Meg Hillier, seeking her first kill.

Miss Hillier (Lab, Hackney S) has about her something of a London policewoman: flat vowels, a resentful haircut. One suspects she may not often be second in the queue for buns at elevenses.

She flew at Mr Brittin, asking about Googles finances (its chief executive in America is on some 138million a year). This pay was new stock-based compensation said Mr Brittin, with a shrug of sympathy.

Do you hear the ANGER and FRUSTRATION out there? said WPC Hillier, suddenly upping the volume, her eyelids shuttering. Any bloke knows hurriedly to agree when a woman shouts about frustration.

Absolutely, said Mr Brittin blithely. DO YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ANGER, MR BRITTIN? she cried. He said he would happily acknowledge that.

Miss Hillier asked the cocky Brittin what he himself was paid. He claimed he could not remember. Oh! The room exploded with cackling laughter  some of it, I fear, from the childrens table where they place the sketchwriters.

Google executive salaries being what they are, it may well be hard to recall the number of noughts on a payslip but it was, well, an impolitic admission. Miss Hillier had pierced his armour. Blood!

Conservative MP and Public Accounts Committee member Stewart Jackson questions Google Inc. Vice President, Tom Hutchinson, and President of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa, Matt Brittin

Mr Brittin started to take on water and begin his answers with so (never good). He tried to pass the buck to his American colleague. Tom can explain more, he said at least three times. Stewart Jackson (Con, Peterborough), who was by now in the interrogation seat: Ill decide who Im asking questions, thangyew.

Mr Brittin was doing a lot of nodding.

He furrowed his brow in a show of earnest concern and insisted that he was a disciple of transparency. He did that thing of touching together the tips of his index fingers  a gesture people often use when they are speaking tommyrot.

David Mowat (Con, Warrington S) repeatedly noted that Googles tax dodges involved the double Irish, the Dutch sandwich and the use of Bermuda  available from your local Ann Summers, perhaps.

How did such fiscal wheezes match Googles professed new-world ethics? Mr Brittin claimed that Google had gone to Ireland for its linguistic abilities. We have people speaking 40 languages, he said three times. Blimey. Now that is clever.

Caroline Flint (Lab, Don Valley) extracted an admission that Google managers discussed tax with Government ministers.

And Richard Bacon (Con, S Norfolk) whipped out a calculator, his hairy sausage fingers suddenly as nimble as those of a concert pianist. He emitted a flurry of exasperated words. Tom the Yank: If you could slow dahn a bit

Mr Bacon wanted to know why the tax inspectors trawl through Googles accounts had taken six years (longer than the Second World War). Either youre very slow to explain or theyre very thick at understanding, deduced Mr Bacon. Silence.
David Camerons draft agreement with Brussels had already been condemned as feeble by backbenchers but has now been watered down even further, according to leaked documents

David Camerons thin gruel EU referendum deal has been watered down even further, according to documents leaked last night.

The Prime Ministers draft agreement with Brussels had already been condemned as feeble by Tory backbenchers. But No 10s hopes of bolstering the deal ahead of next weeks summit were dashed by an updated version which critics say is even worse.

Eurosceptics said the changes reassert the powers of the institutions of the European Union, water down so-called protections for the City and make it more difficult for the UK to trigger its emergency brake on migrant benefit claims.

On major changes to EU banking law, it says all relevant Union bodies as well as Union institutions are given the power to take action that is necessary to respond to threats to financial stability. This, critics fear, leaves open the door to measures being passed which would harm the City.

In addition, the European Central Bank and European Banking Authority will continue to hold powers to supervise subsidiaries of foreign banks based in London. Ahead of the Brussels summit, UK officials also want to remove or weaken a tapering mechanism that would see EU migrants gradually gain access to in-work benefits over a four-year period.

The Tories 2015 election manifesto promised to strip away handouts altogether for the first four years they are in the UK.

Yet there is no hint of Brussels giving ground in the latest draft.

Instead, the document makes clear there is no prospect of the brake being applied beyond in-work benefits to the likes of the state pension. It also apparently makes it more difficult for the UK to trigger the emergency brake, as it adds that the Commission must now examine not merely the UKs notification of a decision to use the brake, but also the reasons stated therein.

The Eurocrats effectively rebuke Britain for the decision  taken by Labour under Tony Blair  not to impose so-called transitional controls on workers from Eastern Europe when their states joined the EU in 2004.

Unlike most other members, Britain gave Poles and other citizens of the former Eastern Bloc unfettered access to our jobs market. The document makes it clear the UK is only being allowed a belated brake on benefit payments to make up for lost time.

The draft deal has also been revised to reassert the powers of the institutions of the Union, including throughout the legislative and budgetary processes.

Eurosceptics say this affirms the supremacy of EU law over that of the UK and, because Britain has very few votes in the EUs Council of Ministers, the UK will continue to be outvoted on every occasion it opposes a measure.

Eurosceptics said the changes reassert the powers of the institutions of the EU, water down so-called protections and make it more difficult for the UK to trigger its emergency brake on migrant benefit claims

They also say it leaves the UK with no wriggle room to resist paying its annual 19billion contribution to the EU, or to avoid additional surcharges such as the 1.7billion Britain was landed with in 2014.

Tory MP Steve Baker, who is co-chairman of Conservatives for Britain, said: The Prime Minister is asking for very little in this renegotiation but now the EU is watering it down even further.

Worse still, the proposed deal now contains hidden nasties that will be used to undermine British interests. A Remain vote will be a green light for more money and power flowing to Brussels with Britain helpless to stop it.

The new draft also turns the screw on other EU countries, making it clear that the march continues towards getting every nation other than Britain to adopt the single currency.

Last night Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond claimed the UK still has issues with the proposed package: There is no deal at present; there is a working draft.
Mark Dixon was inundated with messages after announcing the delicacy would be served

An award-winning chef has removed foie gras from his Valentines Day menu after staff were bombarded with death threats from animal rights activists.

Thousands of phone calls, text messages and emails were received within hours of Mark Dixon announcing the delicacy would be served.

The Kings Arms in Fleggburgh, Norfolk, also received up to 30 false bookings and was warned protesters would turn up outside.

Mr Dixon, who was Norfolk Chef of the Year in 2013, eventually decided to remove the dish from the 50-a-head tasting menu for the safety of his staff.

We have had foie gras on the menu before but no one has batted an eyelid, the gastropubs 32-year-old head chef said.

We live in the country and our customers dont normally see it as anything out of the ordinary.

As soon as the activists got hold of (the menu), we got around 200 death threats. We have had between 4,000 and 5,000 messages, calls, texts and emails.

It got to the point where staff were in tears and were scared to answer the phone. I thought enough is enough and pulled the foie gras from the menu.

I suppose in a way weve let the trolls win, but I cant risk the safety of the staff.

The situation was reported to Norfolk Police, which said it could not take action because there had been no credible direct threat to specific individuals.

Foie gras is made from the livers of ducks or geese fattened by force-feeding with corn through a tube, which animal rights campaigners say is cruel. It is illegal to produce in the UK but can be imported.

When the Kings Arms five-course menu was posted on its Facebook page, it triggered furious responses from vegan activists as far away as New Zealand.

Mr Dixon used the social network to withdraw the dish, saying: We have listened to every opinion but when people go as far as ringing our staff, constantly, calling them murderers and [making] death threats we class this as harassment and completely unacceptable.

The Kings Arms (pictured) in Fleggburgh, Norfolk, also received up to 30 false bookings and was warned protesters would turn up outside

When the Kings Arms five-course menu was posted on its Facebook page, it triggered furious responses from vegan activists as far away as New Zealand

No threats were posted on Facebook, but there was evidence of the row on the pubs page yesterday. Anne Morrissey wrote: Lets all go for a romantic plate of tortured animal!

But Laura Jane Curtis said: Im really sorry you have had this kind of negative attention. Im a vegan and I hate this kind of activism.

And Rob Shepherd wrote: I foie one will still be supporting your restaurant in future.

A long list of restaurants and retailers including Sainsburys and Waitrose no longer offer foie gras after opposition from activists.
2GB's Alan Jones has taken a swing at the

Radio shock jock Alan Jones is the latest to take a swing at NSW Premier Mike Baird over the state's controversial lock out laws.

During his show on 2GB on Friday Jones expressed his outrage at the 'nanny state' rules, saying: 'You can shoot up heroin in Kings Cross but you can't buy a bottle of chardonnay after 10pm'.

He was referring to the supervised drug injecting centre in Kings Cross, which was approved in the formerly bustling nightspot in 2010 after a decade-long trial period.

Radio shock jock Alan Jones is the latest to take a swing at NSW Premier Mike Baird over the lock-out laws

On Thursday the premier announced the beginning of an independent review into the measures

The lock-out and last drinks laws were introduced in 2014 to combat alcohol-fuelled violence in the Kings Cross and Sydney city area

The lock-out and last drinks laws were introduced in 2014 - sparked in part by the tragic one-punch death of Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross in 2012.

On Thursday the premier announced the beginning of an independent review into the measures, calling on the public to make submissions.

Following this, Jones questioned whether the laws were even efficient in targeting the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence, saying if the measures were in place when Thomas Kelly was attacked they would not have prevented his death.

Kelly died at the hands of Keiran Loveridge, who is currently servicing a ten year prison sentence.

Jones denied the lock-out laws would have prevented the tragic death of teenager Thomas Kelly in 2012

Since the laws were introduced, foot traffic in the area has reduced by more than 80 per cent

Mr Baird has been repeatedly targeted over the laws in recent weeks by musicians, the hospitality industry and the public

Jones pointed to the fact the attack happened earlier in the evening and the perpetrator had been drinking before arriving in Kings Cross.

'Remember Loveridge hadnt been inside a licensed premises in Kings Cross,' the shock jock said on Friday, the Herald Sun reported..

'Put another way if the current rules were in place when Loveridge was loose in Kings Cross nothing in the legislation would have stopped Loveridge,' he added.

Jones then went on to described the NSW Government as 'stark raving mad' for thinking they had solved the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence, arguing they had simply moved it.
Hope: Women and equalities minister Nicky Morgan (pictured) said the move would encourage firms to reward all staff equally

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Women workers should demand their bosses give them the same wages as male staff, a minister said as she unveiled details of new gender pay gap league tables.

All companies with more than 250 staff are to be forced to reveal what they pay men and women, including any differences, from April next year.

The first tables, letting staff compare their companys wages with rivals, will be published on firms websites in 2018.

Women and equalities minister Nicky Morgan said the move would encourage firms to reward all staff equally. She added: Im calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses.

The 8,000 firms affected will be divided into different industries and as well as highlighting the average gap between staff wages of men and women, employers will also have to detail any bonuses they pay.

The information will be divided into quarters to show salary gaps between the top 25 per cent of staff and their less well-paid colleagues, exposing firms dominated by male bosses but with more women in junior roles.

Business groups warned the data could be misleading and risked becoming box-ticking.

Official figures suggest the gender pay gap is at its lowest level  less than 10 per cent  since records began, and only two per cent for full-time workers under the age of 40. Women aged 22 to 29 and 30 to 39 earn more than male counterparts. Mrs Morgan said she hoped the moves would secure real equality.

Weve seen the best employers make ground-breaking strides in tackling gender inequality. But the job wont be complete until we see the talents of women and men recognised equally and fairly in every workplace.

I am announcing a raft of measures to support women in their careers from the classroom to the boardroom, leaving nowhere for gender inequality to hide. At the same time Im calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses, ensuring their talents are given the recognition and reward they deserve.

Ministers want to encourage 15,000 more girls to study maths and sciences by 2020, a 20 per cent rise on current numbers.

Bonus: The 8,000 firms affected will be divided into different industries and as well as highlighting the average gap between staff wages of men and women, employers will also have to detail bonuses they pay (file image)

Some business groups warned publishing pay league tables could make the problem worse by putting women off careers that seem male-dominated.

Dianah Worman, of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said they could disincentivise women from science, technology, engineering and maths where they were already seriously under-represented. She claimed naming and shaming firms could also hinder meaningful change.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, urged ministers to ensure that this new legislation helps close the gender pay gap, rather than ending up as a box-ticking exercise.
Teaching unions have called on schools to boycott tests for four-year-olds claiming they can damage self-esteem and make children cry.

Campaigners say the government's new 'baseline assessments' can be 'damaging' to children who are not ready for the literacy and numeracy checks.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said pupils had been left tearful and frustrated by the tests.

The assessments are taken by infants just weeks after they start school, to allow the government to see how far they have progressed by the time they leave.

Teaching unions have called on schools to boycott tests for four-year-olds claiming they can damage self-esteem and make children cry

They are intended as a way to measure performance of schools  rather than pupils  but teachers say the experience is too stressful for such young children.

Around 2,000 schools in England already failed to administer the tests last autumn, when they were trialled for the first time.

The checks, which are officially introduced this September, are technically optional, and the unions urged more schools to boycott them.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: 'One of the things that we do have a genuine concern about is what the effect of this is on children.

'For example, in the report you see there are children bursting into tears with frustration, because they don't actually understand what they are supposed to be doing.'

Ministers have insisted that the move will help ensure children leave primary school with a good standard of reading, writing and maths.

But a report commissioned by the ATL and the NUT concludes that many teachers and school leaders have serious doubts about the accuracy of the assessments, with just 7.7 per cent of union members polled saying the data gathered was an accurate and fair way of assessing children.

Ms Blower said: 'This charade of baseline assessment is essentially a house built on sand.

'It goes from problematic, questionable to frankly dangerous. We think that there are some questions ministers didn't ask. They didn't ask what is the impact on children's learning and well-being in those first really precious weeks.'

NUT general secretary Christine Blower worries that the government's new 'baseline assessments' can be 'damaging' to children who are not ready for the literacy and numeracy checks

More than half of the more than 1,000 teachers surveyed said that the checks had disrupted children's start at school, while a similar proportion did not think that the scores gave an accurate reflection of children's attainment.

Researcher Guy Roberts-Holmes, from University College London's Institute of Education, said: 'Ironically, in order to create a baseline, a true baseline, teachers told us they had to stop teaching, because clearly, if they are being taught, very young children pick up information very quickly, and it would be unfair as children who did their assessment just a couple of weeks later would have picked up all sorts of things.'

Other issues raised included concerns that children were being grouped or put into sets based on their results, while parents were worried that their summer-born children and those with shy youngsters would not perform well.

Ms Blower said: 'The fact is that baseline is not mandatory. 2,000 schools didn't do it, we would like to see that number increase and we would like to open up a conversation so that heads, and early years teachers and indeed all teachers in primary and parents are thinking about why it is that we should not do baseline in this way.'

She added: 'Our initial approach to this is the discussion to say 'you don't have to do this'. It adds nothing to the sum of your knowledge of the children with whom you work, it adds to teacher workload, it doesn't give parents any helpful information, it is completely, as far as our research suggests, a redundant and useless measure by which to look at what children are doing in Year 6.'

A Department for Education spokesman said: 'As part of our mission to deliver educational excellence everywhere, we want to see all children pushed to reach their potential.
Syria's fragile peace deal descended into farce today after President Bashar al-Assad vowed to retake the entire country despite attempts by world powers to broker a ceasefire.

In a rare interview published just hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a planned truce, Assad said he would continue to fight 'terrorism' regardless.

He also warned it could take a 'long time' to defeat opposition groups, including Western-backed rebels, because so many countries were involved in the conflict.

Assad said his regime's eventual goal was to retake all of Syria, large swathes of which are under the control of rebel forces or ISIS.

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President Assad vowed to retake the entire country despite attempts by world powers to broker a ceasefire

Speaking at his office in Damascus, Assad said he supported peace talks, but that negotiations do 'not mean that we stop fighting terrorism'.

He told AFP news agency: 'Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation.

'It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part.'

He said a major Russian-backed government offensive under way in the northern province of Aleppo was aimed mainly at severing the opposition's supply route from Turkey.

Assad said he saw a risk that Turkey and Saudi Arabia, key backers of the opposition, would intervene militarily in Syria.

He also addressed the massive flow of refugees from his country, saying it was up to Europe to stop 'giving cover to terrorists' so that Syrians could return home.

Assad rejected UN allegations of regime war crimes, describing them as 'politicised' and lacking evidence.

With air support from key ally Russia and backing by pro-government fighters, regime troops have nearly encircled Aleppo, Syria's second city.

His interview was published just hours after Mr Kerry announced a 'pause' in hostilities, due to begin in a week, after a crisis meeting in Munich.

But critics were quick to dismiss the agreement as 'not worth the paper it's printed on', it was reported by the BBC.

Agreement: John Kerry announced the agreement alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov

The working group of 17 countries met in Munich to hold crisis talks and announced a nationwide ceasefire

The deal also does not apply to Russian airstrikes which have been supporting advances by Syrian troops.

Nor did it include either ISIS or Al Qaeda's affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra which hold swathes of the country and contribute to much of the fighting.

Mr Kerry announced the deal just after midnight, saying leaders had agreed to 'accelerate, expand' humanitarian aid in Syria during a pause in the fighting to begin in one week.

He was joined in a press conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Syrian Peace Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

But Kerry reiterated that the war will not necessarily end in the near future and the agreement was merely to provide a 'pause' to allow humanitarian aid into Syria.

'Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas,' Kerry said.

He also said peace talks between rebels and the Syrian government would resume in Geneva 'as soon as possible'.

They were derailed earlier this month as the regime began bombarding the key rebel city of Aleppo with support from Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, triggering an exodus of over 50,000 refugees.

Exodus: Up to 50,000 people have fled Aleppo city and countryside since the Russian bombing has intensified

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Kerry added that there was a 'need for a more permanent (solution) and something far more reflective of an end of conflict'.

Mr Kerry said: 'The objective is to achieve a durable, long-term ceasefire. That will only become possible if the parties are willing to negotiate round the table.

'We're doing everything in the power of diplomacy to try to bring an end to this conflict.'

He added that a long-term ceasefire in Syria depended on parties to its civil war engaging in 'genuine negotiation'.

He said 'the objective is to achieve a durable long-term ceasefire at some point in time' but that depended on future negotiations.

Mr Kerry acknowledged that differences remained over the future of Syrian president Bashar Assad, but said: 'You have to be at the table to deal with that.'

He said the aim was to end up in a 'secular, whole state'.

'We're convinced that's the only way Syria survives and can make peace,' he said, adding that President al-Assad's future 'has to be resolved in the context of the negotiation'.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that if the deal is to work, Russian bombing 'will have to stop' and that there can be no lasting ceasefire 'if opposition continues to be targeted'.

Turkey's border has stayed closed to Syrians fleeing the bombing in Aleppo countryside. The country has taken nearly 2.5 million refugees since the beginning of the hostilities in 2011

Mr Hammond said: 'The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich committed members to achieving a cessation of hostilities within a week, to delivering humanitarian assistance to named besieged communities by this weekend and to facilitating rapid progress in negotiations aimed at political transition.

'If implemented fully and properly by every ISSG member, this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria. But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its supporters.

'Russia, in particular, claims to be attacking terrorist groups and yet consistently bombs non-extremist groups including civilians.

If this agreement is to work, this bombing will have to stop: no cessation of hostilities will last if moderate opposition groups continue to be targeted.'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the 'humanitarian situation is worsening' and that 'collective efforts are needed to stop it'.

Russia had proposed the March 1 ceasefire, but the U.S. and others saw that as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels.

The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting. Both countries appeared to have made concessions on that front.

Aid: The nationwide ceasefire, which is expected to begin in a week's time, will provide humanitarian relief to hundred of thousands of Syrians fleeing the fighting and who have been besieged

Despite the concession on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it.

The new task force, which will include military officials, will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago.

At the moment, only two groups - the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front - are ineligible for the truce because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, should not be eligible for the ceasefire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a 'broad endorsement' of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State.

After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions.

He predicted 'tangible gains' in Iraq and Syria by March.

'We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight,' he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.
A rookie New York City police officer who shot an unarmed man in a pitch-dark public housing stairway has been convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang buried his head in his hands as the verdict came on Thursday after 17 hours of jury deliberations.

A jury in Brooklyn found Liang guilty in connection with the death of Akai Gurley, 28, who was killed by a bullet fired from Liang's gun on November 20, 2014, that ricocheted off a wall.

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Rookie New York City police officer Peter Liang buries his head in his hands as he is convicted of manslaughter on Thursday in connection to the death of Akai Gurley, who was killed by a bullet fired by Liang's gun last November

Liang was patrolling in the public housing in Brooklyn with his gun drawn when he fired; he said a sound startled him. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit 28-year-old Akai Gurley (pictured) on a lower floor

Jurors delivered their verdict during the second full day of deliberations in Liang's manslaughter trial, which has been closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The manslaughter charge carries up to 15 years in prison and Liang's sentencing is set for April 14.

The officer was on patrol inside a Brooklyn public housing project with his partner and drew his gun upon entering a pitch-black stairwell last November.

He fired a single bullet that ricocheted off a wall and into the chest of 28-year-old Akai Gurley, who was walking one floor below.

At the time, Gurley was taking the stairs with his girlfriend instead of waiting for an elevator.

Prosecutors said Liang, 28, handled his gun recklessly and did almost nothing to help Gurley.

Liang said he fired by accident after a noise startled him, and acknowledged not helping Gurley's girlfriend try to revive him.

However, Liang explained he thought it was wiser to wait for professional medical aid.

Peter Liang as the verdict is read in court at the Brooklyn Supreme Court in New York on Thursday

'Oh my god, someone's hit,' a tearful Liang (right) recalled saying upon finding a bleeding Gurley (left) lying on a landing, as his girlfriend frantically tried to revive him

'Instead of shining a light, he pointed his gun and shot Akai Gurley,' Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexis said in his closing argument.

Prosecutors argued that Liang fired toward the sound and that he must have known only another person could have caused the noise that surprised him.

Liang said he had been holding his weapon safely, with his finger on the side and not the trigger, when the sudden sound jarred him and his body tensed.

'I just turned, and the gun went off,' he testified.

He said he initially looked with his flashlight, saw no one and didn't immediately report the shot, instead quarreling with his partner about who would call their sergeant.

Kimberly Ballinger, the domestic partner of Akai Gurley, is pictured leaving court after Liang was found guilty of manslaughter. When Liang went to look for the bullet, he heard cries and found the wounded Gurley, with his weeping girlfriend trying to tend to him

Sylvia Palmer, mother of Akai Gurley, (left) is led from the courtroom on Thursday after hearing the verdict

The victim's family is pictured above. Liang said he had been holding his weapon safely, with his finger on the side and not the trigger, when the sudden sound jarred him and his body tensed as he fired and the bullet hit Gurley

Liang thought he might get fired.

But then, he said, he went to look for the bullet, heard cries and found the wounded Gurley, with his weeping girlfriend trying to tend to him.

'Oh my god, someone's hit,' a tearful Liang recalled saying upon finding a bleeding Gurley lying on a landing, as his girlfriend frantically tried to revive him.

Liang then radioed for an ambulance, but he acknowledged not helping Gurley's girlfriend try to revive him.

'I was panicking. I was shocked and in disbelief that someone was hit,' Liang said, who added he was so overcome that he needed oxygen as he was taken to a hospital for ringing in his ears.

Prosecutors argued that Liang fired toward the sound and that he must have known only another person could have caused the noise that surprised him

Liang pictured above as he is led from the courtroom after hearing the verdict. The manslaughter charge carries up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing is set for April 14

The shooting added to nationwide protests over the use of police force against minorities, though Liang, a Chinese-American, was not accused of deliberately killing Gurley.

The shooting happened in a year of debate nationwide about police killings of black men, and activists have looked to Liang's trial as a counterweight to cases in which grand juries have declined to indict officers, including the cases of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York.

Like Gurley, Brown and Garner were black and unarmed.
Eurosceptic Cabinet minister Chris Grayling (pictured) has condemned the 'fear' tactics used by those campaigning to keep Britain in the EU

Eurosceptic Cabinet minister Chris Grayling yesterday condemned the 'fear' tactics used by those campaigning to keep Britain in the EU.

As Labour claimed Brexit would strengthen Vladimir Putin, Mr Grayling called on the 'In' campaign to abandon its 'Project Fear' strategy, saying voters wanted a 'measured debate, based on facts'.

His comments came just days after Tory MPs accused David Cameron of 'scaremongering' over claims that leaving the EU would result in Calais-style refugee camps being set up in Kent.

Mr Grayling, who is tipped to join the 'leave' campaign later this month, told MPs that the Europe debate 'needs to be based on facts and information'.

The Leader of the House of Commons added: 'All this talk about 'Project Fear', about innuendo, actually we've got to table information, we've got to make arguments in a measured way so the public can form an informed decision before they vote in the summer or whenever it is.'

Mr Grayling's intervention coincided with claims by Labour that Brexit would embolden Russia.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said the European Union had played a key role in standing up to Mr Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In a speech at the Chatham House think-tank in London, he said the Russian strongman would see Brexit as a sign of 'weakness', adding that it was down to 'Europe's collective response that we have been able to exert real pressure and have an impact'.

'Efforts towards the creation of an EU-wide energy union will, over time, weaken Russia's dominance as an energy supplier in Europe,' he said.

'Let's be clear. President Putin would shed no tears if Britain left the European Union. He would see Brexit as a sign of our weakness and of the weakness of European solidarity at the very moment when we need to maintain our collective strength.'

Mr Benn said leaving the EU would mean the UK was less able to deal with international challenges such as the migrant crisis and climate change. And he warned that campaigners for Scottish independence would take the opportunity to 'have another go' at breaking up the Union if Scotland is forced out of the EU against its will.

Mr Grayling's comments came just days after Tory MPs accused David Cameron (above) of 'scaremongering' over claims that leaving the EU would result in Calais-style refugee camps being set up in Kent

Mr Benn, who campaigned against EU membership in the last referendum in 1975, said he had 'been on a journey' and now believed continued membership was essential.

He said: 'We live in a changing world and if you look at the future challenges we face I believe the case for Europe is stronger now than ever.'
David Camerons Immigration Minister faced questions last night after it emerged that Syrian refugees have not been welcomed to the well-heeled area where he is MP.

Days ago, James Brokenshire told MPs that prosperous parts of the UK must take their fair share of asylum seekers after MPs and councillors in poorer areas complained they are over-burdened.

But at a House of Commons committee, the Minister admitted there were none in his constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup in Kent.

In fact, Bexley Council, home to his constituency, has refused to take any of the 20,000 Syrian refugees offered sanctuary through the Prime Ministers flagship resettlement programme.

Refusal: Days ago, James Brokenshire (pictured) told MPs that prosperous parts of the UK must take their fair share of asylum seekers after MPs and councillors in poorer areas complained they are over-burdened

Last night Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, expressed surprise that Mr Brokenshires area is not offering help to the Syrians.

He is planning to write to every Minister asking what commitment each has made to house them, and ordinary asylum seekers, in their constituencies.

MP Vaz added: The burden should be shared throughout the country. Ministers, particularly the Im-migration minister, should take the lead in this.

Ministers must encourage by example regarding the settlement of Syrian refugees in their areas.

The latest census shows three quarters of residents in Bexley are white British. Only 14.1 percent are non-UK born. It is one of the greenest boroughs in London and its outskirts, with low unemployment and poverty.

Last night (Thursday) Paul Moore, Bexleys acting chief executive said since he took over last October, neither the Government or the Conservative Party had asked the council to take in asylum seekers or Syrian refugees.

The council has not made any decision to take in Syrian families, he added.

Safety: But at a House of Commons committee, the Minister admitted there were none in his constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup in Kent. Pictured, a man reacts after arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos

Relief: In fact, Bexley Council, home to his constituency, has refused to take any of the 20,000 Syrian refugees offered sanctuary through the Prime Ministers flagship resettlement programme. Pictured, refugees in Kilis, Turkey this week

The resettlement programme, funded by the Government, will bring in Syrians as family groups from Middle East refugee camps over five years. It is up to individual councils to volunteer to join the pro-gramme.

In response to Freedom of Information requests from the Mail, the West Oxfordshire council, home to the Prime Ministers Witney constituency, said it is taking six Syrian families this year. It has no asy-lum seekers.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, where Home Secretary Theresa May is MP, will take in ten Syrian families. In 2015, it was reported to be housing five asylum seekers.

But Tories are not the only politicians under the spotlight about the warmth of their welcome to asy-lum seekers and refugees.
Arrested renegade rancher Cliven Bundy is facing prison after his followers were forced out of the Oregon stand-off after 41 days.

Bundy, whose son Ammon led the militiamen during their protest over land rights, was charged on Thursday by federal authorities with leading a tense April 2014 armed standoff with Bureau of Land Management agents near his ranch in Nevada.

A federal magistrate judge ordered Cliven Bundy to remain in custody at least until next Tuesday, and said she'll consider his request for a court-appointed attorney.

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Prison: Cliven Bundy (pictured in his booking photo and last month) was arrested in Oregon just before the FBI moved in on the wildlife refuge where his supporters were holed up on Wednesday night

He is charged with leading a tense April 2014 armed standoff (pictured) with Bureau of Land Management agents near his ranch in Nevada

U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart said she wanted to see financial documents first.

Federal authorities have said Bundy owes more than $1.1million in fees and penalties for letting cows graze illegally on public land for about 20 years near his Bunkerville, Nevada, ranch.

Bundy, 69, was arrested on Wednesday night when he arrived at Portland International Airport from Las Vegas to visit his sons, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy.

His detention means he'll be housed in the same jail as his sons, the leaders of an armed group that occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge.

A federal magistrate judge ordered Cliven Bundy to remain in custody at least until next Tuesday, and said she'll consider his request for a court-appointed attorney. Pictured, the standoff in April 2014

Bureau of Land Management federal officers set up command center along I-15 on April 11, 2014 west of Mesquite, Nevada

But the charges against the patriarch don't stem from the occupation by the sons of the refuge in Burns, Oregon.

The criminal charges instead arise from a tense armed standoff with federal officials near the family ranch in Nevada in 2014.

They reopen a festering question of how federal officials would fulfill promises to take action following the cancellation of a roundup of Bundy cattle from rangeland about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

A 32-page criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas accuses Bundy of leading more than 200 self-styled militia supporters into the April 2014 confrontation that had snipers with military-style weapons on a freeway overpass training their sights on federal agents who were attempting to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle.

Cliven's son Ammon Bundy (pictured in January) was involved in a police shootout that saw one of his followers killed

'Bundy and his confederates recruited, organized and led hundreds of others in using armed force against law enforcement officers in order to achieve their criminal objectives,' the charging document said.

The complaint refers to at least four other people as co-conspirators, but doesn't name them. Federal authorities said no other arrests were immediately expected in the April 2014 incident.

THE BUNDY FAMILY Cliven Bundy: The 69-year-old Bunkerville, Nevada, rancher for years has refused to pay grazing fees or follow regulations on federal land where he runs cattle. Federal authorities are widely seen as having backed down from enforcing rules on him in 2014. They were rounding up Bundy's cattle when he put out a call and armed groups showed up. Bundy was arrested Wednesday after arriving at the Portland airport. Ammon Bundy: Cliven Bundy's son Ammon led an armed group in the January 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The 40-year-old, of Emmett, Idaho, demanded that officials free two ranchers jailed for arson and relinquish the 300-square-mile refuge to local control. He owns a truck maintenance company in Arizona. Ryan Bundy: Ammon's older brother Ryan planned to open the refuge to cattle grazing this spring, though exact details were never spelled out. The 43-year-old, from Bunkerville, Nevada, was arrested with his brother on January 26. Both are charged with felony conspiracy to interfere with federal workers. Advertisement

But federal prosecutors in Oregon said nine more people from six states have been charged in connection with the Oregon wildlife refuge occupation. Seven were arrested Thursday.

That brought to 25 the number of people facing felony counts of conspiracy to interfere with federal workers as a result of the Oregon standoff.

Bundy's sons had been leading an armed group that occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and demanded it be handed over to local control for ranching, mining, logging and other uses. They had also asked that two jailed ranchers in the area be freed.

Authorities arrested Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy and other group leaders at a road block on Jan. 26 as they traveled to a community meeting north of the refuge.

A family member in Bunkerville, Nevada, Bundy daughter-in-law Briana Bundy, said Thursday she didn't think Cliven Bundy was committing a crime in trying to visit his sons.

She questioned why authorities waited almost two years to bring charges.

Officials wouldn't say why it took almost 22 months to charge Bundy.

The criminal complaint accuses Bundy of conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapon use an possession, extortion to interfere with commerce and aiding and abetting. If convicted of all six charges, he could face more than 40 years in federal prison and more than $1 million in fines.

Heidi Beirich, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, called charges related to the 2014 standoff 'the right thing,' but said Cliven Bundy's arrest should have come sooner.
Dr Adam Osborne, brother of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, has been struck off after a London tribunal ruled his fitness to practise was impaired due to his 'deplorable behaviour'

News that his mistress had blown the whistle on their secret two-year affair could hardly have come at a worse time for Dr Adam Osborne.

For starters, there was his long-suffering partner to consider. Also a doctor, she had previously stuck by him after he had been caught up in another sex scandal involving a cocaine-addict prostitute. They had since married and had two children, the youngest born during his latest infidelity.

Then there was the psychiatrist's wider family to think about.

It was February 2015 and all the talk was of the forthcoming General Election, set to be the closest for a generation.

And with Dr Osborne's eldest brother, George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the thick of things, this was hardly a good time to be dragging the family name through the mud.

And so it was to this background that the 39-year-old sat down in front of his computer and composed a series of emails to his deeply troubled former lover, who was, at the time, in hospital having taken an overdose.

'Please don't do this to me  it will destroy me and my family in public,' read one message.

Another begged: 'You still have the power to tell the GMC [General Medical Council] that you made this up because you were angry at me for discontinuing therapy or that you were confused, paranoid, deluded  whatever excuse you can think of,' he wrote.

When that did not work, he started to threaten her: 'If I get into trouble for this, then I will never forgive you and I will make sure you pay.'

As Osborne would discover to his cost, those threats would seriously backfire.

This week, a tribunal ruled that Osborne's 'deplorable behaviour' meant that his fitness to practise was impaired. Yesterday, the same panel ordered that he be struck off from the medical register. In other words, his medical career is over.

Following the ruling, Osborne issued a statement, accepting he would never practise as a doctor again.

'It was never my intention to hurt anyone, although I can now clearly see that my irresponsible behaviour has led to a great deal of distress to the people that I care about, in particular my family and the patient in question,' he said.

Yet what is so tragic is that this was a man who had the world at his feet, yet who went on to betray his profession not once, but twice.

As Bernadette Baxter, counsel for the GMC, pointed out, his latest patient relationship bore 'real parallels' to the earlier case, which saw him suspended for six months for prescribing medication to a 150-an-hour prostitute with whom he had been in a 'relationship'.

Dr Osborne only returned to work following that suspension in late 2010  and then met his new lover, a patient, the following year.

Questions will inevitably be asked as to why he was ever allowed to practise again after that first, serious indiscretion.

In evidence presented at the time, Osborne pleaded for his suspension to be lifted, claiming he was a changed man who had 'grown up' and been on a 'personal journey'.

Disrepute: Adam Osborne, and, left, in a purple top, playing Monopoly with his family in 1992

The panel was persuaded to give him a second chance  which he blew, quite spectacularly, three years later.

The second youngest of four sons born to Sir Peter Osborne, the founder and chairman of the fabric and wallpaper group Osborne & Little, and his wife, Felicity, Dr Osborne enjoyed a privileged upbringing.

Multi-millionaire Sir Peter, who holds the title Baronet Osborne of Ballintaylor, raised the family in a five-bedroom Georgian house in London's wealthy Notting Hill.

It was there that they were famously photographed en famille, playing a game of Monopoly  the ironies of which were not lost on voters when the picture was republished after George achieved high office. In the picture, a floppy-haired George, then 18, is being thrashed by his three younger siblings. They have fistfuls of 'cash', while George  who would one day run Britain's economy  seems to be down to his last few notes.

Doctor: Adam Osborne, pictured outside his hearing, had a two-year affair with his 'vulnerable' patient

The other Osborne boys went on to forge successful careers of their own: the second oldest, Benedict, now 42, became a graphic designer.

Meanwhile the baby of the family, Theo, who's now 30, is an entrepreneur. His businesses include an investment fund and a company that provides tailor-made holidays.

All were educated at the ultra-academic, fee-paying St Paul's School in South-West London.

Initially, Adam did not consider a career in medicine. On leaving St Paul's, he had a place at university to read French and History, but decided to take a gap year instead, travelling in Asia with a number of medical students.

While on those travels, he decided that he should do something 'meaningful' with his life.

When he returned to Britain, he studied medicine first at St Andrews University in Fife, then at the University of Manchester.

It was following a lecture in his first week at St Andrews that he met his future wife, Rahala Noor. That she came from a very different background is something of an understatement.

A Bangladeshi-born Muslim, her family had moved to Manchester in 1980 when she was two.

One of six siblings, her father Abdullah, who worked in an Indian takeaway, saved money to open and run his own restaurant.

While Dr Osborne's family are said to have welcomed Rahala as a positive influence in their son's life, the couple kept their relationship hidden from her family until after her father's death in 2008.

'She knew that her parents probably wanted her to have an arranged marriage and she did not want to disappoint them,' a friend said. 'Rahala explained to her three brothers and two sisters that she was deeply in love and wanted to marry Adam. I don't think they were too keen.'

The marriage would go ahead in late 2009, by which time Dr Osborne had qualified as a psychiatrist and Dr Noor as a plastic surgeon. He also agreed to convert to Islam, adopting the name Mohammed, and studying the religion's teachings at a local mosque.

This included praying five times a day and abstaining from alcohol.

To cater for the two branches of the family, there were two marriage ceremonies  a civil one at St Andrew's Castle in Scotland and an Islamic one in a banqueting hall in Manchester, close to where the couple lived.

There, Dr Osborne was photographed wearing a red and gold suit called a sherwani, and a red turban. Despite the festivities, there was already a dark shadow hanging over Dr Osborne's career and his relationship.

In December 2008, the News of the World had published a story headlined: 'Osborne's brother, the 150 hooker & drugs.'

Sibling: Dr Osborne, who is five years younger than his Chancellor brother George (above), has been struck off

It told how, during 2007, Dr Osborne had booked a prostitute from an agency, then carried on seeing her, 'off the books'. Eventually they came to another arrangement. Instead of paying her by the hour, Dr Osborne agreed to pay her 795-a-month rent  in return for what she described as 'sex on tap'.

But, the woman, who was 21 at the time, had a cocaine habit that was spiralling out of control and which would ultimately expose Dr Osborne's secret life.

His misconduct came to light when she was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary's A&E on May 12, 2008, displaying psychotic symptoms associated with the side-effects of cocaine.

The woman had been taking quetiapine  used to treat schizophrenia  which she admitted had been given to her by Dr Osborne.

He was placed under investigation and suspended, before resigning from Wythenshawe Hospital on May 29, 2008.

His case was heard by the GMC in February 2010, where he admitted prescribing medication by using a false name (as he only knew her first name) and not telling the prostitute's GP.

He was suspended from practising medicine for six months after being found guilty of 'dishonest and misleading' behaviour.

He was told that his relationship with the woman had 'clouded his judgment' and he had put her safety at risk.

A disciplinary tribunal found that married Dr Osbornes behaviour was 'profoundly unacceptable'

At the end of the period, in September 2010, Dr Osborne successfully persuaded the panel to lift the suspension.

'Hardly a day goes by that I don't at some point feel shame,' he told them. 'I hope I am given the chance to rebuild trust in me. I am now a family man, a married man. I think over the past couple of years I have grown up a lot.'

By then, his wife had given birth to their daughter (a son would follow in 2013), and they had set up home in London, buying a 1.5 million four-storey townhouse with the help of Dr Osborne's wealthy father.

Soon afterwards, he set up his own company, Elitemed Ltd, and began to see patients privately.

Among them was a woman he started treating in February 2011. She had problems with substance abuse and self-harming, and was involved in a custody battle for her two children.

This relationship, said to have become sexual in 2013, formed the basis of the latest case.

The Fitness To Practise Panel in Manchester heard this week how Osborne had ended the relationship during an email exchange on February 6 last year, after which the patient took the first of three overdoses and was admitted to hospital.

During a consultation with another psychiatrist, the woman disclosed that she had been in a relationship with Dr Osborne.

On February 14, 2015, the woman complained to the General Medical Council.

After learning of the complaint, Osborne bombarded her with emails begging her to retract. His wife, by then aware of the affair, also emailed her (no details of those emails were revealed).

His messages, the panel heard, suggested that he saw himself, not his patient, as the victim.

While Dr Osborne did not attend the hearing, Julian Woodbridge, his counsel, said he admitted the relationship had been inappropriate, but denied his fitness to practise had been impaired. He added: 'He apologises for his conduct in this respect. Dr Osborne also accepts that after he tried to end the relationship, he did subsequently send a number of inappropriate emails in a moment of panic.

'Again he apologises and much regrets any further distress.'

Ruling against him, chairman Dr Nigel Callaghan, said: 'The tribunal regards Dr Osborne's behaviour as profoundly unacceptable and [it] undermines the public's confidence in the medical profession.

'By his actions, Dr Osborne has brought the reputation of the medical profession into disrepute, breached a fundamental tenet of the medical profession and put [the patient] at risk of harm.'

WHAT the future holds for the Chancellor's brother is unclear. In recent months, he has spent time in Calais helping out in the refugee camp.

As for his wife's reaction, that is also unknown. When the allegations against him were made public last March, he quit as a director of his company, a role she immediately took on. In December he became a director again. Yesterday, there was no sign of either at their home.

In their absence, it is left to Dr Osborne to provide his own postscript, words delivered to the tribunal on his behalf that show he knew full well that, this time, the writing was on the wall.

'It was a fulfilling and rewarding career and I am sad that it is now inevitably over,' he said.
Rogue reviews: Watchdog is checking whether like Amazon and TripAdvisor are doing enough to weed out false positive or negative reviews

Watchdogs are investigating whether websites such as Amazon and TripAdvisor are doing enough to weed out fake reviews and paid-for endorsements.

The Competition and Markets Authority fears that some of the 23billion spent online each year is being wasted due to website reviews that cannot be trusted.

Also at the centre of the probe are some of Britains biggest services review websites, including Checka-trade, which recommend tradespeople, and Carehome.co.uk.

The government regulator is looking at whether sites are doing enough to weed out fake feedback and the trolling of competitors for commercial advantage. It is examining evidence that firms pay people to post fake positive reviews on Amazon about everything from books to hi-tech devices.

There is also concern about the validity of reviews for hotels and restaurants on sites such as TripAdvisor, with evidence that some have been ruined by fake negative feedback. Nisha Arora, the CMAs senior director for consumer issues, said: Millions of people look at online reviews and endorsements before buying, so it is crucial that review websites check and present reviews in a way that ensures consumers can trust them.

Review sites play a critical role in giving consumers this valuable information and ensuring that consumers can trust reviews they see.

A spokesman for the CMA said: We have opened investigations into a number of companies involved in reviews and endorsements, and expect to make further announcements in the coming weeks.

The CMA says the scams include sellers and businesses writing or commissioning fake positive reviews to boost comparison website ratings  or creating fake negative reviews about rivals, as well as review websites cherry-picking positive reviews or suppressing negative ones. It said this behaviour may breach the Consumer Protection from Unfair Regulations Act, which could lead to legal action and fines.

Rogue firms may also be breaking the UK Advertising Codes, which are policed by the Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA said huge sums of money may be involved because consumers spend 23.3billion a year after consulting what they believe are independent online reviews.

The CMA says the scams include sellers and businesses writing or commissioning fake positive reviews to boost comparison website ratings (file photo)

The CMA said it has already secured agreements from five leading review websites covering tradesmen and care homes to clean up their act.

The websites Checkatrade, Trust A Trader, Carehome.co.uk, Care Opinion and Most Recommended Care also agreed not to block genuine negative feedback and to make thorough checks to ensure reviews are genuine.

Miss Arora said: These changes should help people to make the right choices when hiring a tradesperson or making a vital decision on the care of a loved one.

Amazon said they 'use a number of mechanisms to detect and remove the small fraction of reviews that violate our guidelines'

We use a number of mechanisms to detect and remove the small fraction of reviews that violate our guidelines.

TripAdvisor said: We make it easy for owners to report suspicious reviews to us. We have a team of over 300 content specialists who investigate using fraud detection techniques similar to those adopted by the banking and credit card sectors.

We know the patterns and traces that fraud of this nature leaves behind. If our investigation determines that a review is not based on a genuine customer experience, it will be removed.

TripAdvisor said: 'We haven't received notification of an investigation by the CMA and based upon the text of the CMA report last June we don't expect to. The June report and its recommendations were in line with our own existing policies to protect the integrity of our online reviews.'

Amazon said: 'Our goal is to make reviews as useful as possible for customers.
A valet attendant in Michigan says he was fired from his job this week after unholstering his licensed pistol to rescue a woman who was being stabbed.

Didarul Sarder, 32, a contracted valet for General Motors Technical Center in Warren, said he heard a woman screaming for help on Wednesday and rushed over to help.

The woman, Stephanie Kerr, 52, a GM employee, was being stabbed by her 32-year-old daughter, police say.

'The lady kept saying ''I'm dying, someone help,'' and it was just natural reaction,' Sarder told the Fox 2 Detroit.

'I just see this lady getting stabbed. I only had like half a second to think and I unholstered my firearm and pointed it at her to drop the knife.'

'Hero': Didarul Sarder (pictured) was fired from his valet job this week after saving a stabbing victim

Police say the 52-year-old victim, Stephanie Kerr, was stabbed by her daughter outside the office building where Kerr works (pictured). Sarder says he saw the attack and ran over to help

Warren police say the suspect, a 32-year-old woman, came to see her mother at work.

The pair argued in the lobby, then went outside.

The suspect then pulled a knife and allegedly stabbed her mother multiple times in the neck, back and abdomen.

Sarder said he told the woman to stay put until she was arrested by police.

The victim is now in hospital in a critical condition.

However, within moments of the attack, Sarder says he was fired and escorted from the premises.

He said that a GM employee told him he shouldn't have had a weapon on premises.

'I was really bummed out. I got a little emotional,' Sarder said.

'(But) I would do it all over again. If I could save this woman's life over a job. I can get another job.'

'I would do it all over again. If I could save this woman's life over a job,' Sarder said in a Fox interview (pictured)

However, Sarder's actions were commended by Jim Fouts, the Mayor of Warren, who called him a hero in a Facebook post.

Fouts said that Sarder 'probably saved' Kerr 'from being murdered', noting that his gun was licensed.

'Had he not legally exercised his second amendment rights this woman would probably not be with us today,' Fouts wrote.

'He is employed by a GM contracted valet service. Right after it happened someone in authority asked him off the premises because he violated company rules with a gun.

'That was absolutely the wrong response to this hero.

'Hero's should be rewarded not terminated.

'Didarul is a resident of Warren and a resident that we can all be proud of!'

'Hero's should be rewarded not terminated': Sarder's actions came to the attention of Warren Mayor Jeff Fouts, who commended him on Facebook

As a result of the backlash, GM Motors have offered Didarul his job back.

Sarder said he has accepted the offer and will return to work at GM.

He is know hoping that Kerr pulls through.

'I hope she makes it,' he said.
The disaster-prone boss of HM Revenue & Customs admitted she was not a tax expert during a stormy review of Google's 130million tax deal.

MPs reacted with incredulity when Dame Lin Homer, chief executive of HMRC for the past four years, said she would not consider herself a deep expert on tax.

The head of the tax office - dubbed Dame Disaster after winning a gong in the new year honours - also insisted to MPs she was proud of the agreement with the search giant.

MPs reacted with incredulity when Dame Lin Homer (pictured), chief executive of HMRC for the past four years, said she would not consider herself a deep expert on tax

She made the comments when asked how many tax experts work at the HMRC.

She have evidence to the public accounts committee as part of an investigation into the Google deal and shortly after the MPs had grilled executives from the tech firm.

As the hearing grew more heated, the civil servant instead pointed to colleagues, such as Jim Harra, HMRCs director general of business tax who was sat alongside her.

I am not a tax expert, she said. Jim is a tax expert, Jenny is a tax expert Nick has been on the staff for 28 years.

I dont think I would regard myself as a deep expert.

'I am the least tax expert and I dont sit on any of the hearings.

Tory MP Richard Bacon said: We shouldnt even be having this discussion.

Dame Lin replied she was at HMRC to implement the functions of government.

And she insisted the agreement with Google, which is collecting 130million in extra taxes for the past decade, was a good sign.

GOOGLE'S TAX ARRANGEMENTS WERE DISCUSSED WITH MINISTERS Matt Brittin, pictured right, said Google's tax arrangements would have been discussed during meetings with government ministers such as George Osborne, pictured left, who came under fire after hailing Google's 130million tax deal as a 'major success' Google boss Matt Brittin revealed to MPs today that Google's tax arrangements had been discussed during meetings with government ministers. But insisted the internet giant had never sought or held a meeting about the 130million tax audit that was concluded last month. Both Google and ministers have insisted that deal was only a matter for the investigation carried out by tax officials and was not intervened on politicians. Instead, Mr Brittin said, the meetings were dominated by issues such as child safety online, counter-terrorism and security, he said. But he added: 'I'm sure, given the scrutiny we have had, tax will have come up from time to time as a question. 'The main thing we would have been saying is that we would support simplification and want to be paying the right amount of tax and to be seen to pay it.' Mr Brittin added: 'We have never sought or had a meeting about the tax audit with any Government minister.' Advertisement

Dame Lin said: 'We feel the work we have done ... is bringing about a change in behaviour.

'We are rather proud of that. If the Chancellor thinks that as well, that's a good thing.'

Denying the suggestion that companies like Google were given preferential treatment by the taxman, Dame Lin added: 'It is exactly the same system we apply to everyone.'

Dame Lin followed Google Europe Boss Matt Brittin into the committee.

He was asked repeatedly by committee chairwoman Meg Hillier to declare his Google salary before finally admitting: 'I don't have a figure'.

Dame Lin is a life-long civil servant  dubbed Dame Disaster after she received the honour in the New Year  and will step down in April.

Just last month she appeared to confirm some tax avoiders had avoided prosecution under her leadership.

In another committee hearing, she said: It is fair to say there are some people who have evaded their tax in the past and will be in the future who will not be prosecuted because we will never prosecute everyone.

It is fair to say over the last five years and over the next, weve decided we will prosecute more in a number of categories.

There is no particular category of wealth of type that weve either left to one side or decided to target.

Asked again whether this suggested some people who will be prosecuted in future may not have been under the current system, she said: Yes.

In 2012 Dame Lin was appointed to run HMRC on 185,000 a year.

The move lead Keith Vaz, the Home Affairs Committee chairman, to about rewarding failure.

Chancellor George Osborne defended the appointment insisting she is a very able public servant.

After her departure was confirmed last month, Mr Osborne added: 'Lin Homer has made a real contribution to public service modernisation and transformation.'

In 2014 the tax office was rocked by a scandal over millions of miscalculated tax bills.

And last summer it emerged the taxman failed to answer 18million phone calls from the public last year  more than a quarter of those it received.

In September Dame Lin admitted half of taxpayers who called the HMRC helpline did not get through during busy periods. Last month she apologised and urged taxpayers to contact officials online rather than by phone.

Before taking up her position at HMRC, she headed up Britains shambolic immigration system as chief executive of the UK Border Agency.

For three years before that she was chief executive of Birmingham Council, where she was criticised by an election commissioner over a postal vote rigging scandal he said would disgrace a banana republic.'
George Osborne has been warned he faces a riot from Tory MPs if he goes ahead with a multi-billion pound raid on middle-class savers pensions.

The Treasury has been considering plans to axe pensions tax breaks designed to encourage saving worth around 34billion a year.

Following months of bitter wrangling with MPs, insurers and consumer groups, the Chancellor will announce plans to reform the pensions tax system during next months budget.

There are growing fears that the Treasury may introduce a flat rate of tax relief, following positive signals from David Cameron last week.

Following months of bitter wrangling with MPs, insurers and consumer groups, the Chancellor George Osborne, will announce plans to reform the pensions tax system during next months budget

Such a move would boost incentives for basic rate taxpayers but would be a blow to millions of higher and top rate taxpayers, who would see their pension perks cut.

Last night senior Tories made it clear the Chancellor will face uproar if he attempts to slash pension perks to plug the UKs 94.7billion annual deficit.

A figure close to Downing Street told the Financial Times: There will be a very big backlash from our own MPs. They are going to be very annoyed.

One Tory MP predicted there will be a riot, while a Cabinet minister warned such a move would hit people hard.

Former Tory minister Sir Alan Duncan said: The one thing we need for pension planning is stability. Raiding pensions like this will destroy peoples planning and I think it will prove very explosive.

Former Tory minister and MP, Sir Alan Duncan

Basic-rate taxpayers receive a 20 top-up from the Government for every 80 they pay into a pension. Higher rate taxpayers  classed as those earning more than 42,385  receive 40 for every 60, while top-rate taxpayers receive 45 for every 55. If the Chancellor introduces a flat rate relief of 25 per cent, all savers  no matter how much they earn  will receive 25 for every 75 they contribute.

Supporters of the move say this would be a fairer system, as three-quarters of tax relief currently goes to higher rate taxpayers. But critics have said it will deter millions of middle-class households from saving into a pension, with Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg saying the Chancellor would face a rough ride if he introduced the change. There are fears that Mr Osborne could go even further in his reforms.

The most radical option being considered by the Treasury is transforming pensions into a type of retirement Isa, whereby savers would not receive any tax relief on their pensions contributions. The only benefit would be that they would not have to pay tax when they start to draw a retirement income.

Proposals for a pensions Isa have met with fierce resistance from the pensions industry, which has warned it could lead to the collapse of the entire system.
raffle organised by her former employer last year

Helen Nolan, the former general manager of the Shane Warne Foundation, won a

Shane Warne's former personal assistant and general manager of his children's charity won a new Mercedes worth more than $50,000 in a raffle organised by the now-defunct Shane Warne Foundation.

Helen Nolan scooped the prize in Browndoggs English Channel Paddle raffle, a charity event that raised more than $70,000 for seriously ill and underprivileged children last year.

Ms Nolan was general manager of the foundation between June 2006 and February 2009, and was also Warnes personal assistant for more than eight years before she stopped working for him in 2014.

She was announced the winner of the brand new car, worth between $50,000 and $60,000, in June 2015.

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Helen Nolan, the former general manager of the Shane Warne Foundation, won a brand new Mercedes in a raffle organised by her former employer last year

Helen Nolan, who was also Warnes personal assistant for more than eight years, receives the keys to a brand new Mercedes-Benz CLA 200

A photo of her on the Shane Warne Foundation website shows her taking the keys of the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 at the car manufacturers Brighton showroom in Melbourne.

The prize draw has raised eyebrows online, with social media users questioning the fairness of the raffle.

But a spokesperson for Shane Warne Foundation told the Daily Mail Australia that the raffle was conducted according to the necessary permits and Mrs Nolans role with TSWF and professional relationship with Shane was disclosed publicly at the time of the draw.

The raffle draw was filmed for compliance purposes by Triple M staff and conducted openly in view of staff and others, the spokesperson said.

The footage was posted online by Triple M, who announced the result live, the spokesperson said.

In January it was revealed that Consumer Affairs Victoria had ordered an independent audit into the financial management of the Shane Warne Foundation.

The watchdog said it started monitoring the high-profile foundation last year over inconsistencies in its reporting and accounting practices.

Shane Warne announced the closure of his charity last month

The former cricket player started the Foundation in 2004, with a mission statement to help underprivileged children

Last month, in the face of mounting scrutiny, the philanthropic organisation ceased operating.

Warne, who started the charity in 2004, in part blamed a malicious media vendetta against the foundation as contributing to its closure.

Ms Nolan quit as Warnes personal assistant in February 2014, three years after leaving his foundation, according to her Linkedin profile.

As his personal assistant, she said she worked tirelessly to keep Shanes life in order, on schedule, and as drama-free as possible.

She is now a founding partner of Melbourne-based company Hire Standards, which offers 'exclusive lifestyle, event, and project management for discerning individuals.

In a rare 2011 interview Mrs Nolan told the Daily Telegraph that she and Warne were best friends.

The Daily Mail has tried to contact Ms Nolan but she is yet to respond.
Republican Ted Cruz's presidential campaign quickly pulled its latest online ad  a spot promoting his conservative Christian values  off YouTube on Thursday after it emerged that a softcore porn actress was among its stars.

The Texas senator's ad, titled 'Conservatives Anonymous', accused Florida Sen. Marco Rubio of duping tea party voters who carried him into office in 2010.

It features a woman cautioning Marco's supporters to 'vote for more than just a pretty face next time'. The ad came down within hours after The Daily Caller identified the woman as Amy Lindsay, whose IMDb filmography lists 74 acting credits dating back to 1994, including 'Milf', 'Sex Sent Me To The ER' and 'Carnal Wishes'.

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Amy Lindsay (pictured) stars in the 'Conservatives Anonymous' ad that Ted Cruz's campaign dropped today

A spokeswoman for Cruz insisted that the campaign would never knowingly hire an adult film actress.

Cruz's press secretary Catherine Frazier said: 'The actress responded to an open casting call. She passed her audition and got the job.

'Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the casting company. Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad.

'The campaign is taking the ad down and will replace it with a different commercial.'

Unfortunately for Cruz, the 30-second video was mirrored by other YouTube users.

In an interview with Buzzfeed prior to the ad's removal, Lindsay said she is a Republican and a Christian conservative - and thought it was 'cool' that a porn star could appear in a Cruz ad.

'In a cool way, then hey, then it's not just some old, white Christian bigot that people want to say, "It could be, maybe, a cool kind of open-minded woman like me,"' she told the website.

She also emphasized that she has not done hardcore porn, and that she has also appeared in films that are not erotic.

Lindsay (pictured right in the ad) has starred in films including Milf, Sex Sent Me To The ER and Carnal Wishes

To comply with federal laws, the candidate must come on and and own the ad, which Ted Cruz did (above)

It's a new setback for Cruz, who despite winning the Iowa caucuses came in third behind Donald Trump and John Kasich in the New Hampshire primary this week.

Just today, Cruz spoke at the Carolina Values Summit, the biggest gathering of Bible-belters and other social conservatives in the state that will hold the next GOP primary on February 20.

Cruz's ad features a gathering that looks like an addiction support group, and begins with a group leader asking, 'Has anyone else here struggled with being lied to?'

One man pipes up to say, 'Well, I voted for a guy who was a Tea Party hero on the campaign trail and then he went to D.C. and played patty-cake with Chuck Schumer and cut a deal on amnesty.'

'Does that make you angry?' the facilitator asks.

'Angry? It makes me feel dumb for trusting him,' the man replies.

Lindsay shared a selfie taken with prolific porn actor Ron Jeremy in January on Twitter

A spokesman for Cruz insisted that if the campaign had known of the actress' full filmography, she would not have been cast in the role. Pictured, a picture posted on Lindsay's Instagram page

Then a woman in the circle, played by Lindsay, says: 'Maybe you should vote for more than just a pretty face next time.'

Rubio's name is not mentioned, but at the end of a commercial a man in a shirt bearing Marco's campaign logo comes in and asks: 'Do you guys have room for one more?'

'Come on in! You can have Frank's chair,' the leader tells him.

Because it's an ad paid for by a registered presidential campaign committee, Cruz was required to put his name on the attack before it hit the Internet.

'I'm Ted Cruz, and I approved this message,' he says.

Ted Cruz dropped his new ad (pictured) on Thursday, titled 'Conservatives Anonymous' that accused Rubio of duping the Tea Party voters who carried him into office in 2010

Marco Rubio's name is not mentioned, but at the end of a commercial a man in a shirt bearing the Florida senator's campaign logo, above, comes in and asks: 'Do you guys have room for one more?'

Text under the video on Cruz's website expands the assault and says: 'Are there unresolved issues in your life because of politicians lying to you? Have you given up on being hopeful about America?'

'Do you need to get some things off your chest about the 2016 election? You are not alone.'

The campaign had said its aim was to show 'how Marco Rubio has betrayed the trust of the American people by breaking his campaign promise to fight amnesty' for illegal immigrants.
A California congressman who has proclaimed his love for e-cigarettes took a pull from his vape during a Capitol Hill hearing as he tried to protest their ban from airplanes.

As Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter exhaled, releasing a cloud that a congresswoman next to him tried to fan away with her hands, he declared: 'So. This is called a vaporizer.'

Fellow members at the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing laughed before the congressman then launched into his argument against Democratic Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton's proposal banning in-flight vaping.

California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter smoked his e-cigarette during a Capitol Hill hearing on Thursday to protest a proposal that would ban vaping on airplanes

Hunter exhaled, releasing a cloud of mist as he declared: 'So. This is called a vaporizer'

'There's no combustion,' he said, still holding his e-cigarette. 'There's no carcinogens. What the gentlelady did not say is smoking has gone down as the use of vaporizers have gone up.

This has helped thousands of people quit smoking, it has helped me quit smoking.

Hunter, who is from San Diego, has been a vocal supporter of e-cigarettes. In December 2015, he wrote an op-ed for The Hill declaring, 'Yes, I vape.'

The congressman explained this his reason for vaping was 'simple' - to keep him away from cigarettes.

'I vape knowing that I'm not inhaling tobacco,' he wrote. 'Most importantly, I vape because it could save my life.

'Now that I vape, does it mean I am one step closer to dying than say, someone who might drink too much, eat too much red meat or live an all-around unhealthy lifestyle? No way.'

Hunter's letter was in response to the Food and Drug Administration's proposal for new regulations on e-cigarettes that would force any such products made after February 2007 off the market to under review and health tests.

A congresswoman sitting next to him could be seen trying to wave the vape away with her hands as fellow House members at the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing laughed

Hunter then launched into an argument of support for e-cigarettes, crediting it with helping him as well as thousands of other Americans quit tobacco

The congressman wrote a letter to House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a vocal opponent of e-cigarettes, and wrote that she was hurting the efforts of those trying to quit tobacco.

'Ironically, by not supporting the commercial availability of e-cigarettes, with all their advancements in recent years, you are giving support - whether intended or not - to traditional cigarettes and other products,' he wrote in a letter posted by The Hill.

On Thursday Hunter argued that vaporizers were the future, and that banning them from airplanes would limit those who may use them to consume medicine in later years.

'In the next decade or so, you're going to be able to inhale ibuprofen, you're going to be able to inhale your Prozac,' he said.

'Anything else you're going to need drug-wise, you're going to be able to inhale.'

Hunter has been a vocal supporter of E-cigarettes. In December 2015, he wrote an op-ed for The Hill declaring, 'Yes, I vape' and said e-cigarettes had saved his life

Hunter then pleaded that the committee shoot down the bill 'for freedom's sake', The Washington Post reported.

Despite his dramatic display, Hunter's plea went up in smoke as the panel voted to pass the amendment. Most major airlines already ban in-flight vaping.

Smoking on Capitol Hill has taken its own hit in recent years.

The last two smoking rooms in the building were closed in 2009, two years after a workplace smoking ban that exempted federal government buildings was passed in the District of Columbia.

There does not appear to be a current ban against e-cigarette's on Capitol Hill, but in 2014 seven Democratic lawmakers called for e-cigarettes to be included in the existing smoking ban on the grounds.
Human Services Minister Stuart Robert has quit the frontbench, the latest minister in the Liberal Party to step down.

Mr Robert has been under investigation over a private trip he took to China with Liberal party donor Paul Marks, during which he met with a Chinese vice-minister.

An investigation by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson found Mr Robert's actions in making the trip to China were 'inconsistent' with ministerial standards.

Human Services Minister Stuart Robert has quit the frontbench

An investigation found Mr Robert had an interest in a company which signed a mining deal at a ceremony in Beijing which he attended.

'Dr Parkinson concluded that Mr Robert had acted inconsistently with the Statement of Ministerial Standards, although he accepts that Mr Robert may not have intended to do so,' Mr Turnbull said.

'Mr Robert recognised that this connection would create the impression that at the time he went to Beijing he had something personally to gain from the Nimrod Resources project.

'As a result, Mr Robert has asked me not to consider him in the pending reshuffle of the ministry.'

Mr Robert, the human services minister who was a junior defence minister in August 2014, had the approval of then-prime minister Tony Abbott to take a personal trip to Beijing.

Mr Robert had been under investigation over a private trip to China

While there, he attended a mining deal signing ceremony with his friend and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks and met a Chinese vice-minister.

The investigation found Mr Robert was under the impression he did not have any interest in or connection to Mr Marks' company, Nimrod Resources.

But after checking his records this week, Mr Robert discovered that shares in Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd, a company in which Mr Marks was also a shareholder, had been allocated to his trustee some time before the visit to Beijing.

The share allocation had been done without Mr Robert's knowledge.

But the minister acknowledged to the inquiry Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd had an interest in Nimrod Resources.

The investigation found Mr Robert had acted 'inconsistently with the statement of ministerial standards', although the minister 'may not have intended to do so'

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dumped Mr Robert from the ministry ahead of a frontbench reshuffle

Dr Parkinson concluded Mr Robert had acted 'inconsistently with the statement of ministerial standards', although the minister 'may not have intended to do so'.

Mr Robert appeared to have not received any financial benefit and the conduct in question did not directly relate to his ministerial duties, Dr Parkinson said.

Ministerial colleagues have spent the week defending Mr Robert against Labor attacks. Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said on Friday he could not see any wrongdoing.

'If meeting people in China is a crime then every politician in this building is gone,' Mr Joyce said.

However, he later told radio 2GB: 'Once the details become apparent, you've just got to say sorry, goodnight Irene.'

Treasurer Scott Morrison earlier in the week said it was the issue was a 'ridiculous beat-up'

Treasurer Scott Morrison earlier in the week said it was a 'ridiculous beat-up'.

Media reports suggest Mr Morrison, a close friend of the minister, tried to save Mr Robert's job when the issue was considered at a meeting of the cabinet governance subcommittee on Thursday night.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said there was 'open warfare' among Mr Turnbull and some of his front bench.

'What we've seen is Scott Morrison going into bat for internal factional reasons, trying to save the career of a minister who had clearly, in an open-and-shut manner, breached the ministerial code of conduct,' Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney.

'Mr Robert has asked me not to consider him in the pending reshuffle of the ministry,' said Mr Turnbull

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Robert and one other senior Liberal MP have also come under fire for accepting Rolex watches worth $250,000 from a Chinese billionaire.

Li Ruipeng gifted the watches to Abbott, Ian Macfarlane and Stuart Robert at an informal dinner at Parliament House in June 2013 as a goodwill gesture, reported The Guardian.

'Instant noodle' billionaire Mr Ruipeng is the chair of the Li Guancheng Investment Management Group and met with MPs to discuss investment opportunities in Australia.
But his stepbrother has now branded him a 'serial liar' and fantasist

Said he was abused by them and witnessed rape, torture and murder

The stepbrother of the man - named only as 'Nick' - who claimed he was abused by high-profile political and military figures in the 1970s and 80s says the claims are 'absolute nonsense' (file image)

The stepbrother of a man who accused a string of Establishment figures of historical sex abuse says he is a serial liar who 'jumped on the bandwagon' and may have been motivated by money.

A man named only as 'Nick' claimed former army chief Lord Bramall, ex-home secretary Lord Brittan and former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath were involved in abuse.

His claims led to the Metropolitan Police to set up its ill-fated Operation Midland, which has since led to a series of embarrassments for the force.

'Nick's' stepbrother has described claims he was taken from the family home to London in order to be sexually abused by senior Whitehall figures as 'bizarre' and 'absolute nonsense'.

He says the family only visited London once, on a trip to the Natural History Museum.

Scotland Yard was forced to admit last year it had made a mistake when a senior officer described 'Nick's' claims as 'credible and true' when it launched a murder investigation.

Det Supt Kenny McDonald used the phrase in 2014 after the force announced an investigation into the alleged killing of three young boys linked to a suspected VIP paedophile ring at the Dolphin Square apartments in Westminster, said to have been active in the 1970s and 1980s.

The probe led to a series of dawn raids and arrests of public figures - including the 92-year-old Lord Bramall, Lord Brittan, and former MP Harvey Proctor.

But the Met was later forced to admit that without Det Supt McDonald's declaration of belief in the witness 'we would not have investigated in the way we have'.

Nick went to police with the allegations in 2014 and ended up giving more than 70 hours of videotaped evidence, in which he claimed his stepfather farmed him out to a cabal of VIP paedophiles and, for the next decade, he was regularly abused.

The Metropolitan Police did not tell Lord Brittan (left) he had no case to answer before he died last January. The force announced last month it had dropped the investigation into Lord Bramall (right)

'Nick' also made allegations concerning former Prime Minister Edward Heath. The police have since said they were wrong to call his claims 'credible and true'

Another of the supposed perpetrators he named was former Prime Minister Edward Heath.

Nick's stepbrother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has now told The Sun that allegations his Army officer father, Nick's stepfather, was part of an elite child abuse ring were complete fantasy.

He said: 'The closest he ever got to Edward Heath was seeing him on the telly.'

Two senior Army Generals were also implicated along with the former heads of MI5 and MI6  almost the entire top tier of the British security establishment back in the Seventies and Eighties,

CONFUSION OVER 'CREDIBLE AND TRUE' REMARK Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe sparked confusion yesterday after suggesting his officers quickly corrected a misleading statement about the reliability of Operation Midlands key witness, Nick. The Scotland Yard boss said his force acknowledged within days that it was wrong for Det Supt Kenny McDonald to call Nicks allegations of a VIP paedophile ring credible and true. In fact, it was nine months before it officially retreated from Mr McDonalds statement, made in December 2014  conceding on September 21 last year that it was for a jury to determine the truth of criminal allegations. Mr McDonald was removed from the inquiry a month later, with colleagues claiming he has been hung out to dry by chiefs who approved his statement. The detectives boss, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse, has declined to comment. Yesterday, on BBC Radio 4s Today, Sir Bernard said Mr McDonald mis-spoke and we acknowledged it fairly quickly afterwards. Asked how quickly, he said a matter of days, I think. Advertisement

The stepbrother said: 'I think he has jumped on the historic sexual abuse bandwagon, maybe hoping to make some money.

'Unfortunately his claims are dragging the reputations of innocent people through the mud.'

One of the most lurid episodes recounted by Nick involved Proctor, whom he said had strangled a fellow victim to death in front of his very eyes, having first stabbed him with a penknife over a period of 40 minutes.

He was only prevented from taking the penknife to Nicks genitals by the intervention of the other [adult] male present.

That person, according to Nicks police statement, was none other than Ted Heath.

Britain's most senior police officer, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, has repeatedly refused to apologise for investigations into historic claims against Lord Bramall and Lord Brittan, who died before it was concluded he had no case to answer.

But he has launched a judge-led inquiry to look into how the Metropolitan Police handled the accusations and yesterday questioned guidance on how allegations are treated.

Sir Bernard has defended his force and insisted it has a duty to look into serious allegations when they are made.

Sir Bernard announced on Wednesday that retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques would carry out a review into the investigations, including Operation Midland once it is formally concluded.

The key findings of the review and its recommendations will be published later this year, but the Met said the full review will contain confidential and sensitive information.

This will only be included in a private report for the Commissioner.

It was claimed by 'Nick' that the so-called 'VIP paedophile ring' operated out of a flat in Dolphin Square

Yesterday, Sir Bernard's review was branded a cover-up and a whitewash, with one suspect questioning what it would achieve.

Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who is still waiting to be cleared of suspicion, said: 'It's a cover up, an attempt to put the Operation Midland scandal into the long grass.'

Lord Bramall last week added to calls for the Met to address the way it responded to such allegations.

He said: They said the allegation was I had abused an under-age male 40 years ago.

I just dont see how a level-headed policeman could have believed a word of it without corroboration, which he didnt bother to get.
See more of the latest on Hillary Clinton at

Sanders called his election historic too - because of his politics - while calling out Republicans for abortion

Hillary Clinton could make history as the country's first female president, but was asked to address how it could be that a majority of women in New Hampshire selected her rival Bernie Sanders as their choice instead.

'I have spent my entire adult life working toward making sure that women are empowered to make their own choices even if that choice is not to vote for me,' Clinton said on tonight's PBS Newshour Democratic debate stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She also provided debate moderators Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill with a fun fact.

'I would notice, just for a historical aside, somebody told me earlier today we've had like 200 presidential primary debates and this is the first time there's a majority of women on the stage,' she said, acknowledging the duo of female journalists posing her questions.

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Hillary Clinton tried to explain her woman problem - more female voters supported Bernie Sanders than her candidacy in New Hampshire - saying she's worked hard to empower women's choices: even if that choice is not to vote for her

Hillary Clinton came armed with a fun face: For the first time in history a majority of debate participants were female including the former secretary of state and debate moderators Gwen Ifill (left) and Judy Woodruff (right)

'Sen. Sanders, you're in the minority, but we still want to hear from you,' Woodruff chuckled.

But it was Clinton who addressed the issue first, arguing that she's made issues like paid family leave and equal pay for equal work central themes in her campaign  which, in theory, should help attract female voters' support.

She touted her endorsements from Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL, pro-choice groups that picked her over her male rival.

And she laughed off her surrogate Madeleine Albright's recent remark, 'There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other,' the former secretary of state had said at a recent campaign event for Clinton.

'Well, look, I think that she's been saying that for as long as I've known her, which is about 25 years, but it doesn't change my view that we need to empower everyone, women and men, to make the best decisions in their mind that they can make.'

Clinton added that she's never asked voters to vote for her because of her gender.

Bernie Sanders aimed his ire at the Republican party for saying they hated the government, except on the issue of abortion

The debate moderators asked Bernie Sanders if he was OK possibly being an 'instrument thwarting history.' He replied that Americans electing someone with his politics would be historic in nature too

'I am asking people to support me because I think I'm the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander-in-chief,' Clinton said.

When it was Sanders' turn, Ifill asked him if he was worried that he might 'be the instrument thwarting history' by keeping a woman out of the White House.

Sanders, who would be the country's first Jewish president, had a colorful reply.

'Well, you know, I think from a historical point of view somebody with my background, somebody with my views, somebody who has spent his entire life taking on the big money interests,' Sanders began.

'I think a Sanders victory would be or some historical accomplishment as well,' he said.

Then Sanders, saying he concurred with Clinton's assessment that women's abortion rights were under attack by Republicans, he stole the ball and dribbled it down the court.

'I'll tell you something that really galls me,' the Vermont senator said. 'It will not shock anybody to suggest that in politics there is occasionally a little bit of hypocrisy, just a little bit.'

Sanders pointed out how the Republicans 'hate the government' and suggest things like cutting Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.

'But, by the way, when it comes to a woman having to make a very personal choice, ahhh, in that case my Republican colleagues love the government and want the government to make that choice for every woman in America,' Sanders pointed out.
Police have released dashcam footage showing the arrest of a black Princeton professor who claimed she was mistreated by cops over a three-year-old parking ticket because of her race.

Imani Perry, and African American studies professor, said she was left 'humiliated and frightened' after being handcuffed and searched during a traffic stop on February 6.

Perry said police denied her a phone call before she was arrested, that a male officer searched her despite a female officer being present, and that she was handcuffed while being taken to the police station and cuffed to a desk after arriving.

Footage of the incident shows that Perry was handcuffed during her arrest, though the officer is at pains to point out that it is simply a matter of protocol.

The video also shows that Perry was denied a phone call prior to her arrest - though again the officer explains that, once at the station, she can 'make as many phone calls as you want'.

This is the moment two white police officers arrest black Princeton professor Imani Perry in an incident which she said left her 'humiliated and frightened'

In the video a male and female officer, both of whom are white, pulling Perry over, informing her that her driver's licence is suspended, and asking if she can recall why.

Perry tells the male officer that she has no recollection of a suspension, at which point he checks her name against police records.

After carrying out the checks, the officer returns to tell her that she has a warrant for a parking offense in New Jersey from two years ago - not three, as Perry claimed.

The officer then tells her: 'What you're going to have to do is come with us, it's $130, so if you have that money we'll be able to post and we'll be able to get you right back out.

'We'll drop you off at the university since you really shouldn't be driving because of your suspended licence.'

After a brief exchange of words with the officer, Perry climbs out of her car and moves off camera where the male officer can be heard explaining that he needs to cuff her.

He says: 'I have to tell you that any time we transport anyone, because you're under arrest because of the warrant we have to put you in handcuffs, OK? That's anyone, that doesn't...'

At that point Perry asks in inaudible question, though from the officer's response it appears that she is asking about whether anyone is going to be informed of her arrest.

After he responds that nobody has to know, she asks whether she will be able to text anybody before being arrested.

The officer responds: 'When we get there, you can call them, you can make as many phonecalls and texts as you want.'

While the footage confirms some parts of Perry's account, it also shows officers behaving politely towards her while explaining clearly what is happening and why

Princeton police department chiefs have supported their officers over the arrest, but admitted that more needs to be done to improve the relationship between cops and minority communities

The officers can then be heard asking Perry if she has any objects in her pockets while offering to put items such as her cell phone, bag and car keys into the police car.

At one point, the male officer asks whether Perry is OK, to which she responds 'no', while sounding out of breath, to which he responds: 'Are you hyperventilating?'

While Perry's response cannot be heard, the male and female officer can be heard reassuring her that if the fine is paid, she is not in any further trouble.

The male officer can then be heard asking questions about pockets on her pants and jacket, though because they are off camera it is unclear whether he is physically searching her.

After another short exchange the male officer can be heard asking Perry to put her hands behind her back, at which point handcuffs can be heard clicking shut.

Following the arrest Perry posted a now-deleted statement on Twitter in which she claimed to have been unfairly treated because of her race.

Princeton University African-American studies professor Imani Perry was arrested by Princeton Police on February 6

She claimed in a series of Tweets that she was mistreated by police officers during an arrest on February 6 because of her race

Yesterday, on my way to work, I was arrested in Princeton Township for a single parking ticket three years ago, she said in the statement. The police refused to allow me to make a call before my arrest, so that someone would know where I was.

There was a male and a female officer, but the male officer did the body search before cuffing me and putting me in the squad car. I was handcuffed to a table at the station.

At any rate, I was afraid. Many women who look like me have a much more frightening end to such arrests.

But the larger point is that I'm working to move from being shaken to renewing my commitment to the struggle against racism & carcerality.'

In a later statement, issued through Facebook, she added: 'I hope against hope that the attention my story has received, and the fact that many people will give me the benefit of the doubt because of my profession, my small build, my attachment to elite universities, and because prominent people will vouch for my integrity and responsibility, can be converted into something more important.

'I hope that this circle of attention will be part of a deeper reckoning with how and why police officers behave the way they do, especially towards those of us whose flesh is dark.'

She said in a statement on Twitter, which has since been deleted, that a male officer performed a body search and she was handcuffed to a desk after being arrested for the three-year-old parking ticket.

Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber released a statement to the The Princetonian on Tuesday in which he expressed concern over the arrest.

Many on our campus and around the country have expressed understandable concern about the arrest this past weekend of Professor Imani Perry, who is a respected scholar and beloved teacher at this university, he said in a letter to the paper.

He said many on campus were shocked that the arrest came from an unpaid parking ticket and that people were distressed about specific aspects of the arrest, adding that he shared these concerns.

My colleagues and I in the university administration were in touch with Professor Perry as soon as we learned of the incident and we contacted town officials about our concerns over the weekend, he said. The town officials responded rapidly and initiated an investigation that they have assured us will be thorough and fair.

We welcome an investigation not only of the treatment of professor Perry, but of the underlying policies, practices, and protocols that were applied.

Princeton's police chief, Nick Sutter, addressed the incident in a public meeting on Monday, according to Planet Princeton.

Perry shared a series of tweets, pictured above, detailing her experience during the traffic stop

He said that after reviewing the incident, he believed that police followed proper protocol, but said he was not trying to avoid responsibility for the perception that police unfairly target African Americans.

'Regardless of it being 100 per cent proper in the eyes of the law, there is a perception because of race,' Sutter said. 'This is a problem for me. It is a problem that is real, and needs to be addressed.'

According to analysis by The Princetonian, it appears that officers did comply with the law in stopping Perry.

Section 39:4-139.10 of title 39 of the 2013 New Jersey Revised Statutes state that the penalties for not paying parking tickets include suspension of the drivers license or the registration of the vehicle.
Unsolved missing person's cases will be probed for links to the man accused of a 'horrific' sex attack against two backpackers - as police revealed a search of his house uncovered items of 'concern'.

A 59-year-old man has been charged with kidnap, rape and attempted murder after he allegedly attacked the female backpackers at Coorong National Park in Salt Creek, south-east of Adelaide.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Douglas Barr said South Australia Police would be 'trawling' through the man's history and checking to see whether he was linked to any outstanding missing persons.

He revealed that police found 'things which caused us some concern' during a search of the man's house and said the seized items would be analysed along with his car and DNA.

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A 59,-year-old man has been arrested and charged over the attack on two foreign women at Coorong National Park in Salt Creek, south-east of Adelaide, on Tuesday

One of the two backpackers - who are from South America and Europe and aged in their 20s- was forced to run naked and bleeding from sand dunes as she tried to escape from the attack on Tuesday.

Police confirmed that one of the women remains in hospital with serious head injuries while the other has been discharged.

Asst Comm Barr told a press conference that the nature of the attack at Salt Creek 'cries out' for a thorough examination of the man's past.

'We will be trawling through his history and other persons he may have come across,' he said.

'It is prudent to inquire background of the offender.'

He confirmed that the suspect remains in custody and that police are not seeking any other suspects.

But he insisted that police would not reveal his identity or whether he has any previous convictions.

'This man has commited a serious offence, so there is a presumption of innocence,' he said.

'His ID will be suppressed until the proceedings are finalised.'

Asst Comm Barr said five calls had been made to Crime Stoppers since the attack - and none of them have been discounted.

'I expect investigators will return to Salt Creek during this inquiry and to follow up every possibly detail in relation to the accused,' he said.

'At this time it is not possible to say where this inquiry will take us, suffice to say South Australia Police will follow every avenue that comes to light.

He refused to elaborate on what had happened to the women, but said they had been subject to a 'terrifying' incident which has 'shocked' the community.

'Those allegations are currently before the courts and police do not intend to air details central to that matter,' he said today.

'However I will say that these two women have been subject to a terrifying incident that has shocked police and the wider community.

'I understand that the public has questions about this matter which we can't answer at this time.'

Acting Assistant Commissioner Douglas Barr (pictured) said South Australia Police would be 'trawling' through the man's history and checking to see whether he was linked to any outstanding missing persons

It came after the charged man's father, who shares a house with his son, said they have not spoken since he was arrested, the Adelaide Advertiser reports.

'If he is guilty, he should have everything coming to him within the law,' he said.

'And if he is guilty, he never has my support ... no, never. He doesn't respect me, he thinks I'm an old fart.

'I have had a shocking experience since Tuesday night when I had six policemen in my house. I've been through too much trauma.'

The 86-year-old man also said it was 'horrible' and 'unexpected', and that police had removed about 20 items from their shared home since the attack.

Another family member, a woman, said she was in shock at the news.

'He's never put hands on family, at least not on me or the kids,' she said.

South Australia Police announced earlier on Thursday it created a specialist team to investigate the case, and to determine whether the man was involved in any other crimes.

'It is difficult for police to detail some matters at this time given the arrest of a man, and the legal constraints that brings,' Superintendent Trent Cox said, according to Seven News.

'However, I would like to assure the public that at this time police are not seeking any other suspect in connection with this matter, but are following every avenue of inquiry.'

It comes after a 23-year-old South American woman was released from hospital, while the other European woman is still receiving treatment.

She and her friend, both aged in their 20s, had only met their 59-year-old alleged attacker the previous day and had plans to drive with him from Adelaide to Melbourne.

The trio had stopped off at Coorong National Park to camp overnight on Tuesday when their savage encounter started to unfold.

The two backpackers suffered horrific injuries with one of the women later saying one was hit over the head with a hammer, while the other was run over in a in a vehicle, Seven News reported.

They split up trying to escape the clutches of their alleged would-be killer, with one of the women getting away to alert nearby fisherman.

But the second woman is believed to have been recaptured and she was found later by rescuers barely conscious and unable to speak.

One of the young backpackers was forced to run naked and bleeding from sand dunes where they were camping at Coorong National Park in Salt Creek, south-east of Adelaide, on Tuesday to escape

The women had only met their 59-year-old alleged attacker the previous day and had plans to drive with him from Adelaide to Melbourne. They stopped off at Coorong National Park to camp overnight on Tuesday

She is understood to have suffered the most serious injuries, but both were quickly airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre.

While police will not reveal the exact injuries the women suffered, it is understood at least one of the women were tied up.

Police later found a fishing knife and hook that had been left behind at their campsite.

Ali Mohammed and Abdul-Karim Mohammed, two fisherman who were driving through the dunes nearby, spotted one of the women running naked towards them screaming she was going to be killed.

'She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like, 'get me out of here, get me out of here. He's going to kill us all',' Abdul-Karim Mohammed, told Seven News.

'She had some scratches and that on the legs, looked like she'd been pulled around, dragged around and that.

'She had a bruised eye; maybe would have punched her or something.'

The two backpackers suffered horrific injuries when they were attacked at the campsite with one of the women later saying one was hit over the head with a hammer, while the other was run over in a in a vehicle

'Her and her friend split up. They were running different directions... She got away and she said 'I want to find my friend',' he said.

'We were just shocked when we seen her and then we go 'there's something bad going on here' we were there perfect timing, if not it would've been worse.'

Meanwhile, another fisherman who was camping about five kilometres away said he saw a car - believed to be the alleged attacker's - speed past him with a screaming woman in the passenger seat.

'Looks like he captured them again and unfortunately she was the one who sustained the serious injuries,' the fisherman said.

The two fisherman who found the first backpacker managed to make a 'panicked' call to the owner of Salt Creek Roadhouse, Adam Stewart, who then alerted police.

Police found and arrested the 59-year-old man soon after in a nearby campsite soon after. It is unclear if the second woman was located with the man.

The man's car was splattered with blood.

He was pictured on the ground with his arms behind his back as he was arrested by two officers. He was wearing a black and white t-shirt and grey pants.

The man faced Adelaide Magistrates court on Wednesday charged with kidnapping, rape, causing aggravated harm to another and attempted murder. Seven News reporters say he was chained to the wall and was dressed in a white hospital gown.

A magistrate ordered that his identity be kept secret while investigations are under way.

The circumstances in which the backpackers met the man and the car he drives has also been suppressed.

The man has several profiles on dating websites looking for women between '22 and 56' and describes himself as 'respectful to women' and able to 'get along with anyone, well almost', according to The Advertiser.

The two women split up trying to escape the clutches of their alleged would-be killer, with one of the women getting away from the campsite to alert nearby fisherman

The campsite and blood spattered car is now a crime scene as police continue their investigations

He didn't speak during his court appearance but on the dating website he says his ideal woman 'can cook Chinese food, loves kids, be well presented, slender, respectful and honest'.

He wrote he hoped the new woman in his life will share his love of the outdoors, camping, walks on the beach and fishing and has eerily shared photos on his social media accounts of himself at the beach.

He also declares himself to be down to earth, kind, thoughtful and not racist.

Photos of him on his Facebook page shows him posing with a gun and shows previous trips to the area with his son.

Salt Creek locals said the man had been visiting the area for 'decades'.

Adam Stewart, the owner of nearby Salt Creek Roadhouse, said he alerted police to the incident after receiving a 'panicked' phone call from a group of fishermen who were on the beach

The camp-site was only metres from the water's edge in South Australia's Coorong National Park
Military lawyers criticised for investigating claims against British soldiers spent 100,000 on a celebrity PR firm which represents David Beckham and P Diddy in a bid to improve their image.

The MoD-funded Service Prosecuting Authority hired The Outside Organisation for a year in 2015 and still uses the agency on an ad hoc basis after its membership expired in October.

The SPA paid 84,000 plus VAT for the firm's services, which include 'media advice and reputation management' - despite the fact SPA has a press officer.

The Service Prosecuting Authority hired PR firm The Outside Organisation, which represents David Beckham, for 100,000 in 2015 and still uses the agency on an ad hoc basis

Former SAS man and novelist Andy McNab told The Sun: 'The SPA isn't a drunk celebrity falling out of a club. It provides a service to the military. It must do its job far better. Then you get the correct reputation.'

Tory MP and former Army Captain Johnny Mercer added: 'It's an organisation seemingly losing control. We must hold service personnel to account. But done ineptly it can be extremely damaging.'

SPA has been repeatedly criticised over its review of war crime allegations against British troops in Iraq and was slammed for bringing a murder case against Royal Marine Sgt Al Blackman.

A SPA spokesman defended their decision to hire the PR firm and said: 'Outside has a track record of giving advice to a range of clients.'

Meanwhile, it has emerged commanders are being offered legal insurance to protect themselves against future battlefield claims.

The SPA paid 84,000 plus VAT for the firm's services, which include 'media advice and reputation management' - despite the fact it has a press officer

Insurance firms are cashing in on fears among senior officers that they may be liable for claims under human rights and health and safety legislation.

But applying such legislation to the military could prevent Britain winning wars and the 'litigation circus' was 'torturing the Armed Forces', the Lords heard.

Former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Boyce attacked the 'increasing legal encirclement of our Armed Forces' and what he described as 'lawfare'.

The cross-bench peer told the Lords there was growing concern in the Armed Forces about 'crown immunity  or the lack of it  in warfare situations'.

It was being fuelled by a large number of cases of alleged inappropriate behaviour against locals, enemy combatants or in the use of allegedly inappropriate equipment.

These investigations in Iraq and Afghanistan overlooked 'the precept in war that you have to fight with what you've got'.

Lord Boyce said there were now insurance companies 'touting insurance to commanding officers against the possibility of being involved in litigation at some stage'.

He said there was a public perception that 'military leaders, down to junior level, could be in the dock arising from actions and decisions within the Geneva Convention that have been taken in the heat of battle.

Tory MP and former Army Captain Johnny Mercer (pictured) added: 'It's an organisation seemingly losing control. We must hold service personnel to account. But done ineptly it can be extremely damaging'

'All this is in danger of leading to a very worrying risk-averseness that will imperil operational effectiveness.'

The Ministry of Defence is facing hundreds of claims of alleged abuses from the Iraq and Afghan campaigns.

Court rulings that the Government has a legal duty to protect its soldiers' human rights, even on the battlefield, have raised concerns commanders will be sued if they are found to have taken risks.

One scheme advertised described itself as aimed at any commander 'who is or may be sued in the UK courts for negligent acts and or omissions made in the course of his or her military duties'.

Lord Empey, the former Ulster Unionist leader, also hit out at the 'ludicrous' legal position facing the Armed Forces and said the situation was 'completely out of control'. 'We are torturing ourselves and torturing the Armed Forces through this litigation circus that is going on,' he said.

Lib Dem peer Lord Burnett said that while Britain must always comply with the Geneva Convention, the Government must ensure 'we do not paralyse the Armed Forces with red tape and doubt'.

He said that to do so would 'lead to death and defeat'.

An SPA spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The Outside Organistion is a long established agency with a proven track record in giving media advice to a range of clients including Help For Heroes, Forces TV and companies in the sports, corporate and financial sectors.

'They were brought in to set up a media function for the SPA that had not previously existed and with training a newly appointed press officer.
Uber has agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle two lawsuits that say it misled customers about its safety procedures and fees.

About 25 million customers filed the two class-action lawsuits regarding trips made between January 1, 2014 and January 31, 2016.

They attacked Uber for charging a fee of up to $2.30 per trip for what it called industry-leading background checks on potential drivers. But Uber didn't do the kind of fingerprint checks required of taxi drivers.

Under the settlement, Uber also would stop using certain safety-related advertising language and would rename its Safe Ride Fee as a Booking Fee.

Uber has agreed to pay a $28 million settlement after 25 million customers filed two class-action lawsuits claiming they were misled about the company's safety policies (file picture)

A federal judge in San Francisco, where the company is headquartered, must still approve the deal.

Uber said its technology does provide safety features, such as track trips through GPS and sharing a driver's photo identification and license plate number before the passenger gets into the car.

'We are glad to put these cases behind us and we will continue to invest in new technology and great customer services so that we can help improve safety in the cities we serve,' Uber said in a statement.

'However no means of transportation can ever be 100 percent safe. Accidents and incidents do happen,' it said. 'That's why it's important to ensure that the language we use to describe safety at Uber is clear and precise.'

Similar lawsuits filed by the district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles are still pending.

Lyft, one of Uber's competitors, agreed in 2014 to pay $250,000 and to stop claiming its background checks were among the best in the industry.

Governments around the globe are grappling with how to regulate and monitor ride-hailing companies. Taxi and limousine drivers and companies complain that the app makers should be subjected to the same regulations and fees they face around the world.

The ride-booking companies counter that their drivers are private contractors who use their technology to find customers in need of rides.

In France, Uber taxi driver unions have just claimed more than $67 million worth of damages in a lawsuit regarding UberPop, an app launched in Paris in February 2014, which enabled any registered Uber user to act as a driver in their own car. Uber suspended the app in July 2015

Uber drivers in New York went on strike earlier this month to protest fare cuts after the company cut its rates. They dropped from $2.15 to $1.75 for the standard UberX service and the basic fare went from $3 to $2.

In January last year, Uber announced it would launch a food delivery app in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago Austin, Washington D.C, Houston Dallas, Seattle and Atlanta. UberEATS should be fully available by March, placing Uber in competition with the popular food delivery website Seamless.
Shocking photos have emerged showing a decapitated wallaroo found lying on a bike track behind a shopping centre.

Robert Orr discovered the animal's headless body during his morning walk along the Bulimba Creek Bikeway near Westfield Carindale, Brisbane.

He said he found the ear of the animal, which is smaller than its close relation the kangaroo, but larger than a wallaby, lying near its body.

It is believed that a larger wild animal, such as a fox, might have killed the wallaroo.

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES

Shocking photos have emerged showing a decapitated wallaroo found lying on a bike track behind a shopping centre

'It would have to be quite a sizeable animal to do that,' he told Quest News.

Wallaroo or kangaroo? Size: Wallaroos can grow to over 5 feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds. Kangaroo males reaching heights of more than 6 feet and weighing more than 200 pounds. Location: Wallaroos are widespread throughout the mainland but don't live in Tasmania. Red kangaroos are common in the arid territory of the Central Australian outback. Habitat: Wallaroos, also known as hill kangaroos, prefer mountainous areas with rocky hills and outcrops. Kangaroos live in more open grasslands where they have plenty of room to graze, grass being the largest part of their diet. Behavior: Wallaroo species are mostly solitary creatures. Kangaroos live in large groups called mobs.

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'I was quite perturbed about  If a family were to see it while walking to the shopping centre, I think it would be quite unsettling for them.'

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said it was likely a fox had taken the creature's head after the animal was hit by a car.

'We're getting more and more of these (incidents),' he said. 'Foxes come after the animal has been skittled by a car.'

Robert Orr discovered the animal's headless body during his morning walk along the Bulimba Creek Bikeway near Westfield Carindale, Brisbane

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said it was likely a fox had taken the creature's head after the animal was hit by a car near the Bulimba Creek Bikeway (shown)

Councillor Adrian Schrinner, the deputy mayor of Brisbane City Council described the find as 'shocking', but said it was a relief that a person had not killed the animal.

'If there are predators coming in and doing this to our native wildlife it's a serious issue,' he said.

He said council would consider a fox trapping program for the area if they were found to be the culprits.

Wallaroos are much smaller than kangaroos, as they will grow to around 5ft tall and weigh around 120lbs.

In contrast, red kangaroos are the largest marsupials in the world, with males reaching heights of more than 6ft feet and weighing more than 200lbs.
Harvey Weinstein may have been the guest of honor at the amfAR New York gala, but when it was his time to take the stage he turned the spotlight - and praise - on to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Weinstein, 63, praised Leo for his Academy Award-nominated role in The Revenant and joked he was breaking the rules by admitting he hoped it would lead to his first Oscar for Best Actor.

'As an Academy member, you're not supposed to endorse anyone up for an Academy Award,' Weinstein told the gala attendees after taking the stage, according to US Weekly.

Harvey Weinstein may have been the guest of honor at the amfAR New York gala, but when it was his time to take the stage he turned the praise onto Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured together at the event on Wednesday)

Weinstein, 63, praised Leo for his Academy Award-nominated role in The Revenant and joked he was breaking the rules by admitting he hoped it would lead to his first Oscar for Best Actor

'But I have to say, Leo DiCaprio is so amazing in The Revenant. His devotion and the way he rolls it all up into something beautiful is amazing.'

'I've never worked with anyone who's so wonderful and so classy.'

Leo, 41, is considered the favorite going into the February 28 ceremony, already taking home trophies at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year.

This year marks his fifth nomination. He was previously nominated for roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1994), The Aviator (2005), Blood Diamond (2007) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2015).

And Weinstein's compliments come just a day after Kate Winslet, Leo's costar in the classic film Titanic, said she would be attending the ceremony to support one of her dearest friends.

Kate was attending the London Critics Circle Film Awards when she told the BBC she believed it was going to be Leo's year.

Leo sat with actress Uma Thurman as well as Weinstein at the gala, held at Cipriani Wall Street

Leo, 41, is considered the favorite going into the February 28 ceremony, already taking home trophies at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year

'I think you can sort of feel it and I think that everyone wants it for him,' she said.

Meanwhile Leo has been making the awards circuit, making headlines in January when he was spotted smoking out of a vape pen at the SAG awards.

Leo's trusty e-cigarette was also in attendance at the amfAR gala on Wednesday night, which he was spotted smoking as he won the bid on a $95,000 10-day trip to Mongolia.

The New York gala, held at Cipriani Wall Street, raised more than $2.2m for The American Foundation for AIDS Research, according to W Magazine.

Leo sat next to Weinstein and actress Uma Thurman, and a host of models were also in attendance to show their support, including Karlie Kloss, Adriana Lima and Heidi Klum.
Unemployed British people are being prevented from applying for cleaning, security and teaching jobs because they cannot speak certain foreign languages, it has been claimed.

Many vacancies on a Government-backed recruitment site say in their descriptions that languages like Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Russian are a prerequisite for roles across the UK.

One advert on the Universal Jobmatch site said it was 'essential' that a painter and decorator could speak Polish.

Many vacancies on a Government-backed recruitment site say in their descriptions that languages like Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Russian are a prerequisite for roles across the UK

Employers are allowed to advertise for jobs which have language requirements where they are necessary for the role, but an investigation found some companies only want those fluent in languages other than English - essentially barring unemployed Britons from the roles.

The investigation by the Daily Express found UK workers were being 'discriminated' against as a result.

Tory MP Philip Hollobone told the newspaper: 'Whatever happened to British jobs for British workers?

'When ordinary British job vacancies can only be filled by people who speak an eastern European language, it's clear things are now getting completely out of hand.

'The only way to stop this madness is for all of us to vote to leave the EU when we get our one and only chance to do so in the referendum.'

Last month the Mail revealed hundreds of public sector jobs in the UK are being advertised through a controversial EU scheme for migrant workers.

The controversial Eures scheme gives taxpayer-funded handouts to young migrant workers for their first jobs abroad (Eures logo is pictured)

The controversial Eures scheme gives taxpayer-funded handouts to young migrant workers for their first jobs abroad.

Jobs mobility grants are worth around 1000 euros per young worker  or 727 each  to help them relocate to another part of the EU.

There almost 78,000 jobs advertised on the European Union's Eures website in the UK alone.

A total of 1,178 unemployed people from the EU were found employment, training or apprenticeships in the country under a 'jobs mobility' programme since it was set up three years ago.

An unnamed primary school in Shepherds Bush, west London, is also looking for foreign teachers, offering a day rate of 140.

Under EU rules, all jobs advertised under the Department for Work and Pensions' Universal Jobmatch scheme had to be advertised across the EU.

An agreement to change the EU law was secured in December 2014 after lobbying by the UK government, allowing companies and organisations to opt out.

Despite the change, public sector jobs are still being advertised to young EU migrants. The Department for Work and Pensions is also promoting the scheme through social media.

Jobs advertised through the DWP's Eures social media account include working as a paddle instructor in PGL activity centres across Britain.

Housekeeping jobs, catering and language roles are also offered across the group's resorts.

Recruitment companies are also taking advantage of the taxpayer funded scheme to fill low-paid, unskilled roles.

Polish workers are being lured to work in British warehouses with offers of hundreds pounds in relocation grants.

The promotion of the scheme by the UK government comes despite David Cameron's wish to cut migration.
Drever couldn't celebrate with colleagues as he has dementia

Finding has been hailed as 'biggest scientific breakthrough of the century'

used LIGO to detect gravitational waves for the first time ever

An eminent British scientist who was pivotal in the discovery of gravitational waves could not celebrate yesterday's announcement with his colleagues because he suffers from dementia.

For the first time researchers have detected the warping of space-time caused by a collision of two massive black holes - something first predicted in Einstein's Theory of General Relativity in 1915.

Yesterday scientists announced they spotted the gravitational waves in a historic discovery hailed as 'the biggest scientific breakthrough of the century'.

Scottish experimental physicist Professor Ronald Drever, 85, was instrumental in setting up LIGO which detected the ripples, but could not mark the occasion with his colleagues as he is ill (Pictured: An artist's impressions of the waves)

But Scottish experimental physicist Professor Ronald Drever, 85, who was instrumental in setting up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatories (LIGO) which picked up on the ripples could not mark the momentous occasion with his colleagues as he is ill.

Professor Drever now lives in a care home just outside Edinburgh but managed to watch yesterday's momentous announcement on television with his brother, Dr Ian Drever.

Astronomer Royal Martin Rees told The Telegraph: 'It's very sad. He invented some of the key features, especially the recycling of laser light to effectively increase the path length.'

Colleague Kip Thorne, who helped him to develop LIGO, said Professor Drever's 'creative genius' had been vital to the project.

An artist's impression of gravitational waves generated by binary neutron stars released by the team

Professor Drever's nephew, Professor John Drever, told the newspaper his uncle had been kept up to date on developments by his former colleagues at the University of Glasgow.

LIGO was originally proposed as a means of detecting these gravitational waves in the 1980s by MIT's Rainer Weiss, Mr Thorne, Caltechs Richard Feynman and Professor Drever, who was a professor of physics at Caltech and the University of Glasgow.

WHAT ARE GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

Scientists view the the universe as being made up of a 'fabric of space-time'. This corresponds to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, published in 1916. Objects in the universe bend this fabric, and more massive objects bend it more. Gravitational waves are considered ripples in this fabric. They can be produced, for instance, when black holes orbit each other or by the merging of galaxies. Gravitational waves are also thought to have been produced during the Big Bang. If found, they would not only confirm the Big Bang theory but also offer insights into fundamental physics. For instance, they could shed light on the idea that, at one point, most or all of the forces of nature were combined into a single force. In March 2014, a team operating the Bicep2 telescope, based near the South Pole, believed they had found gravitational waves, but their results were proven to be inaccurate. Advertisement

Yesterday researchers announced they had detected the signal with two Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatories based in Louisiana and Washington.

These are twin detectors carefully constructed to detect incredibly tiny vibrations from passing gravitational waves.

The gravitational waves, created 1.3 billion light-years from Earth, help confirm that our universe was created by the Big Bang, and will give an unprecedented glimpse into its beginning.

'Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it,' said California Institute of Technology physicist David Reitze, triggering applause at a packed news conference in Washington that followed weeks of speculation over the announcement.

Professor Stephen Hawking said the detection marked a moment in scientific history.

'Gravitational waves provide a completely new way at looking at the universe,' he told the BBC. 'The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy.

'This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging.'

The gravitational wave found in this study is believed to be the product of a collision between two massive black holes, 1.3 billion light years away  a remarkably extreme event that has not been observed until now.

'The colliding black holes that produced these gravitational waves created a violent storm in the fabric of space and time, a storm in which time speeded up, and slowed down, and speeded up again, a storm in which the shape of space was bent in this way and that way,' Mr Thorne said.

Based on the physics of this particular event, LIGO scientists estimate that the two black holes in this event were about 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, and that the event took place 1.3 billion years ago.

Ripples in space-time were first predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago. Pictured is the original historical documents related to Einstein's prediction of the existence of gravitational waves

About three times the mass of the sun was converted into gravitational waves in a fraction of a second - with a peak power output about 50 times that of the whole visible universe. LIGO observed these gravitational waves.

Once the researchers spotted a gravitational signal, they converted it into audio waves and listened to the sound of two black holes spiraling together, then merging into a larger single black hole.

'We're actually hearing them go thump in the night,' says Matthew Evans, an assistant professor of physics at MIT.

Professor Drever is a Professor Emeritus at the California Institute of Technology.

He co-founded the LIGO project, and was a co-inventor of the Pound-Drever-Hall technique for laser stabilisation.

He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002 and shared the 2007 Einstein Prize with Rainer Weiss.
The final four holdouts of the Oregon standoff are pictured in their mugshots hours after they handed themselves in to the FBI.

Jeff Banta, 46, of Nevada, Sean Anderson, 47, and his wife Sandra, 48, of Idaho, walked out of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge shortly after 9.30am on Thursday.

About 90 minutes later, the last protester - David Fry, 27 - followed suit, but only after vowing 'liberty or death' and having threatened to commit suicide.

Their surrender came after Nevada lawmaker Michele Fiore, who is a friend of the Bundy family, talked the occupiers down after a tense 41-day confrontation that left one dead.

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The final four holdouts of the Oregon standoff are pictured in their mugshots hours after they handed themselves in to the FBI. Pictured left, David Fry, who was the final occupier to surrender and right, Jeff Banta, who is pictured for the first time

Sean Anderson, 47, and his wife Sandra, 48, of Idaho, walked out of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge shortly after 9.30 am on Thursday

Fiore arrived in Portland on Wednesday to show support for Ammon Bundy, but when she heard the FBI had surrounded the refuge, she called into the online talk show to try to calm down the occupiers.

It came a day after Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, 69, whose son Ammon led the militiamen during their protest, was arrested as he landed at Portland International Airport on Wednesday.

Bundy is charged with leading a 2014 standoff with federal authorities over grazing rights, which inspired the Oregon activists.

The four were the last remnants of the group that seized the government-owned reserve six weeks and demanded that officials turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires.

And the end of the standoff played out live on the Internet, with tens of thousands of people listening.

Nevada lawmaker Michele Fiore, who is a friend of the Bundy family, talked the occupiers down after a tense 41-day confrontation that left one dead

Following the end of the tense 41-day standoff, signs thanking the FBI appeared in Burns, Oregon

The last four armed occupiers of a wildlife refuge in Oregon turned themselves in on Thursday, ending a tense 41-day standoff over grazing rights on federal land

An open phone line broadcast on YouTube gave a glimpse into the final hours, with the four remaining occupiers heard shouting, laughing and praying.

The holdouts surrendered Thursday, having refused to leave Malheur National Wildlife Refuge after the group's leaders were arrested last month.

The call was streamed live by an acquaintance of Fry, who yelled rambling tirades and threats against the government on a cellphone from a cot inside a tent.

David Fry, 27, was the final protester in the Oregon stand-off. He contemplated suicide and demanded pizza before giving himself up

Fry's friend, a Nevada lawmaker, a Christian lawyer and a reverend tried to calm him and the others between Wednesday night and Thursday.

Fry held off his surrender for more than an hour after the other three walked out, saying his grievances still had not been met.

'I'm actually pointing a gun at my head,' the 27-year-old said. 'It's better to die with honor than be forced to live dishonorably.'

He said: 'This is where you come to the point in your life where it's liberty or death.'

Those on the line begged him not to kill himself.

The livestream showed what was happening on the ground in real time, with reporters kept away from the refuge by the FBI.

Federal authorities moved in Wednesday night, surrounding the holdouts with armored vehicles, saying it 'became necessary to take action' to ensure the safety of all involved.

The occupiers' panic and their negotiations with FBI agents could be heard live on the Internet.

'They're threatening us,' Sandy Anderson said after the group was surrounded. 'They're getting closer. I pray that there's a revolution if we die here tonight.'

The next day, her husband sounded nervous as preparations got underway to surrender. Sean Anderson said that if the FBI double-crosses them, 'all deals are off.'

'We want to be honorary Marines, because I think we stood on the battlefield and fought for our country,' he said.

After the Andersons and Banta - who is pictured for the first time in his mugshot - walked out of the refuge, Fry stayed behind, remaining defiant.

'I'm actually feeling suicidal right now,' he said. 'I will not go another day a slave to the system. I'm a free man. I will die a free man.'

Harney County Sheriff David Ward speaks to the media during a news conference in Burns on Thursday

Handmade signs in Burns, Oregon, displays a sense of pride in the small town's law enforcement leader

Christian lawyer KrisAnn Hall and activist Gavin Seim, who streamed the call, told Fry - the youngest person involved in the standoff - that he was an important voice for their cause and they would protect and support him even in custody.

Fry rambled that he didn't want to pay his taxes, felt like killing himself and wanted a pizza.

His supporters urged him to give up.

'All I needed was marijuana,' Fry said at one point.

This is where you come to the point in your life where it's liberty or death David Fry during his last stand in Oregon

Finally, after one more cigarette and cookie, he said he would leave if everyone would say, 'Hallelujah.' As he walked out, officials standing nearby called out the word.

An officer told him to put his hands behind his back and then the line went dead.

The FBI has not confirmed that the four surrendered, but the phone conversation and pictures of the scene suggest they have walked away.

On a live feed with his supporters, Fry initially seemed concerned that he would not be safe if he left the compound.

He feared he may be shot by the federal agents waiting around the compound.

'I'm not gonna gamble my life in the hands of a corrupt system,' he said.

'I can't come out because I'm a man, I'm making a stand. A stand means you're willing to risk your life,' he added.

He also talked about the possibility of getting abused in jail.

Two of the last occupiers, Sean and Sandy Anderson, are seen in their tent just hours before their last stand. They were both taken into custody after six weeks at the compound

The pair were part of the group that seized the government-owned reserve and demanded that officials turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires

Authorities lead a caravan of the final four occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge through the Narrows roadblock on Thursday morning

Two heavily armed troops stand next to two supporters of the protesters. One of the demonstrators is waving a flag in defiance

A photo from January 10, 2016, (eight days before the start of the occupation) shows David Fry standing at the compound. Before his capture he rambled to his supporters for an hour

But, after spending more than an hour making random statements, including his thoughts on UFOs, he said: 'I'm walking toward them (FBI agents) right now.'

She sat in an armored vehicle outside the refuge, spending hours on the phone with Fry convincing him to turn himself in.

'There was a lot going on in his mind,' she told FoxNews.com. 'I think that sometimes when you dont know whats in store or whats going to happen next, its scary.'

On Wednesday, during the penultimate confrontation with law enforcement, Fry said the group was surrounded by armored FBI vehicles. At one point he said the authorities were '50 feet' and was convinced the group would be 'shot dead'.

Another of the occupants reported seeing FBI snipers perched on a nearby hillside with high-beam vehicle lights trained on the compound.

'If they tear gas us, it's the same as firing on us,' said one of the occupiers, who identified herself as Sandy Anderson. 'Don't come in. Don't do it.

Demonstrators stand on their cars behind the authorities as they wait for the situation to die down. One woman holds a sign saying: 'I'm not ISIS, I'm Gramma (sic) Honey Bunny'

She later reported that federal agents were trying to coax the protesters out of hiding, but added, 'We're not leaving without our weapons.'

Fiore, called in to try to get the occupiers to calm down, saying she could help them only if they stayed alive.

'I need you guys alive,' said the Republican member of the Nevada Assembly who was in Portland earlier in the day to show support for Ammon Bundy, the jailed leader of the occupation.

Fiore told occupiers Wednesday night she was driving to the refuge to try to help negotiate their exit from the refuge.

The occupiers prayed with Fiore and others as the situation dragged on for hours Wednesday night.

Sean Anderson said late Wednesday he spoke with the FBI and that he and the three other holdouts would turn themselves in at a nearby FBI checkpoint at 8am on Thursday.

Anderson relayed the news to Fiore.

'We're not surrendering, we're turning ourselves in. It's going against everything we believe in,' he said.

Ammon Bundy's attorney Mike Arnold (second from left) walks at the Narrows roadblock

A law enforcement checkpoint is shown near the Malheur Wildlife Refuge outside of Burns, Oregon

Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, said in a statement that the situation had reached a point where it 'became necessary to take action' to ensure the safety of all involved.

Bundy and 10 others were arrested in January in Oregon, most of them during a confrontation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state police on a snow-covered roadside where a spokesman for the group, Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum, was shot dead.

The FBI says the Arizona rancher was reaching for a pistol in his pocket, but Finicum's family and Bundy's followers dispute that and say his death was not justified.

The FBI said its agents moved to contain the remaining four holdouts Wednesday evening after one of the occupiers drove an all-terrain vehicle outside the barricades previously set up by the self-styled militia members at the refuge.

FBI agents attempted to approach the driver, and he sped away back to the compound, after which federal agents 'moved to contain the remaining occupiers by placing agents at barricades both immediately ahead of and behind' their encampment, the FBI said.

A number of the occupiers were broadcasting their account of events as they were unfolding via an independent Internet program, 'Revolution Radio,' that is known to be sympathetic to the occupation.

The compound that was the scene of a standoff for 41 days is seen in the distance on the right. The group stayed put in trailers (right) and tents for the duration of their demonstration

Supporters of the ranchers wave the American flags near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon where the 41-day stand off gradually came to an end

Some defiant videos were also posted online, in which one of the holdouts calls FBI agents losers, shows a defensive perimeter they have built and takes a joyride in a government vehicle.

The videos were posted Sunday on a YouTube channel called Defend Your Base, which the armed group has been using to give live updates.

In another video posted Sunday, Sean and Sandy Anderson are sitting together and the husband says they feel like hostages because they can't leave without being arrested.

'What are they to do with us?' Sean Anderson says. 'They either let us go, drop all charges because we're good people, or they come in and kill us. How's that going to set with America?'

Meanwhile, Ammon Bundy's attorneys on Monday released an audio recording in which the jailed occupation leader called on elected officials in eight states to visit arrested occupiers from those states and show support for their rights to free speech, assembly and civil disobedience.

While federal authorities say the refuge occupation is illegal and Bundy's followers had threatened violence and intimidated federal employees, Bundy contends the takeover was a peaceful protest.

Authorities wait near the entrance to the compound as the tense situation approaches a resolution

The takeover at Malheur started on January 2 when their leader, Ammon Bundy (pictured), and followers, seized buildings at the refuge in a protest against federal control over millions of acres public land in the West

His father Cliven Bundy was taken into custody after arriving in Portland from Las Vegas on Wednesday night as he was on his way to join the militia.

He led the protest against with the government over Nevada grazing rights that ended with federal agents backing down in the face of about 1,000 armed militiamen.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas charged the 69-year-old with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapons charges and other crimes.

He is accused of leading supporters who pointed military-style weapons at federal agents trying to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle from federal rangeland.

They are the same as that levelled against two of his sons, Ammon and Ryan, for their role in the siege at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Held: Cliven Bundy (mugshot pictured), the father of jailed protest leader Ammon Bundy, was arrested by the FBI at Portland International Airport hours before the last moments of the standoff

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to represent him ahead of a court appearance in federal court in Portland.

Federal authorities say the Bundy family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill.

The holdouts and 12 others connected with the occupation have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.

The siege in Oregon began on January 2 when two of Bundy's sons, Ammon and Ryan, along with some 30 followers, took over the refuge to denounce federal land management policies in the American West.

The Bundy brothers were among a dozen people arrested late last month after they ventured out of the refuge.

The group's de facto spokesman LaVoy Finicum was killed by police after he tried to get away.

The takeover of the wildlife refuge initially began as a protest against the jailing of two local ranchers, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, who were convicted of arson and sentenced to prison.

But the activists' demands soon grew to include calls for the government to turn over area federal land to local ranchers. In Oregon, nearly 53 percent of the land is federally owned.

The Hammonds distanced themselves from the movement and voluntarily began their scheduled prison sentences after the occupation began.

The Bundy family grabbed headlines in 2014 after another armed showdown with federal authorities over cattle grazing fees.

That standoff ended with federal officials backing down and releasing cattle they had seized from the Bundys.

Stand off: Agents have moved to end the stand off at an Oregon wildlife refuge. Members of the FBI are pictured here at the stand-off in January

Shot dead: Rancher Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum, pictured, was shot in a clash with police during a confrontation

This is the moment LaVoy Finicum jumps out of his car with his hands up (left) then reaches for his pockets (right) as an armed FBI agent approaches him in the snow on the side of an Oregon highway last month
A former Catholic priest charged with killing a beauty queen 56 years ago hours after hearing her confession appeared frail and confused during his first day in court on Wednesday.

John Feit, now an 83-year-old married grandfather, was aged 27 when investigators believe he killed Irene Garza, 25, a second grade teacher once crowned Miss South Texas.

Feit, who has been considered a prime suspect in Garza's death for more than half a century, was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Tuesday before attending a deportation hearing the following day.

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John Feit, 83, a former Catholic priest charged with killing Texas beauty queen Irene Garza in 1960, made his first court appearance on Wednesday when he was asked if he wants to fight deportation to Texas

Feit, who had been living in a retirement community prior to his arrest, appeared frail in the courtroom - using a walker to get around - and complained several time that he didn't understand why he had been arrested

Footage taken from court shows Feit using a walker to help himself to and from his seat, while he also speaks slowly, telling the judge repeatedly that he doesn't understand what is happening.

In the film a judge explains to Feit, who was living in a retirement community prior to his arrest, that he can waive or fight extradition, before handing him a piece of paper and asking him to read it.

When he comes back to the stand several minutes later, he is asked whether he understands what he has read.

Feit replies: 'Not fully no. It almost sounds as if waiving extradition is a better course but this whole thing makes no sense to me because the crime in question took place in 1960.

'And in 2003 esteemed gentlemen were here and questioned me extensively and... DNA sample - that was 13 years ago. I'm totally puzzled at why something is coming up now, after the fact.'

The judge explains that there is nothing she can do about his position, before asking him again if he would like to fight or waive extradition, to which he says: 'My instinct is telling me to fight it.'

Bond was set at $750,000 cash and Feit was told he will have 90 days before his next court appearance, but will not be entitled to a state-appointed attorney.

Feit responded that he has a family attorney, and the judge advised him to get in contact with them.

Feit was 27 when he became the prime suspect in Garza's death (left, in 1961). He was arrested earlier this week (right) after a grand jury chose to indict him, but it is unclear what new evidence has been uncovered

Garza was last seen heading to confession with Feit the day before Easter in 1960. Her body was later found face down in a canal having been raped and strangled

Garza was last seen alive heading to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas, to see Feit on the day before Easter, 1960.

Five days later her lifeless body was found wrapped in burlap, face down in a nearby canal. An autopsy later found she had been raped while unconscious and suffocated.

Feit was interviewed several times during the investigation, and eventually another woman came forward to say he also assaulted her three weeks before Garza's murder.

Feit was put on trial for that crime, but the jury could not reach a decision. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was fined $500, but was never charged over Garza's death.

Garza's family said the church and police orchestrated a 'cover-up' as he was a member of the clergy, and had him moved to a monastery just after the slaying.

According to CBS, Texas Ranger Rudy Jaramillo came forward in 2002 with new evidence, saying a monk had told him Feit talked about attacking Garza during counseling sessions.

Feit later claimed not remember the conversation, but another priest later came forward with a similar story.

It is not yet clear exactly what new evidence caused police to arrest Feit.

Since leaving McAllen in the 1970s Feit seems to have enjoyed life, getting married, having children and grandchildren, while regularly volunteering at his church.

Garza's family accused the church and police of orchestrating a 'cover-up' as he was a member of the clergy, and had him moved to a monastery just after the slaying

However, he is now facing spending the rest of his life in jail if he is convicted.

District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez told The Monitor he had presented his case to a grand jury last Thursday, and they voted to indict him.

'We had kept it quiet as much as we could  we sealed the indictment,' he said.

It comes 12 years after the case was reopened, but a grand jury failed to indict in 2004.

Just 24 days before the 1960 slaying, Feit had been arrested for attacking Maria America Guerra at a church in a town about 10 miles from McAllen.

He was interviewed by police after Garza's disappearance, but told them he didn't do it. However he is believed to have failed a series of lie detector tests.

At the time it was unthinkable for a priest to commit such a horrible act.

Garza's cousin Lynda De La Vina, who was nine years old at the time, told CNN: 'We were accusing a priest that - in those days priests were infallible.'

Noemi Sigler, was only 10, added: 'It was impossible for a priest to do such a deed. I mean, if you thought of it, that would be sacrilegious.'

She also believed that authorities and the church were protecting Feit.

Deputy Sheriffs and volunteer workers remove the burlap wrapped body of 25-year-old Garza from an irrigation canal near the heart of McAllen

Just 24 days before the 1960 slaying, Feit (left) had been arrested for attacking Maria America Guerra, 20, (right) at a church in a town about 10 miles from McAllen

'I don't know whether it was out of respect for the church or anger or fear, I have no idea.

'Shortly after the killing, the church transferred Feit far away to a monastery. He would be moved to other locations over time, and about three years after the killing, the church transferred Feit to Our Lady of Assumption monastery in Ava, Missouri.'

She even recorded a conversation with a former priest at Sacred Heart, Joseph O'Brien, who claimed Feit confessed to him and was sent away from the area because he was 'dangerous'.

Dale Tacheny, a Missouri monk at the monastery Feit attended, also came forward after 40 years because the burden of guilt had become too much, according to CNN.

Garza's cousins supported him as he ran for the DA's office in 2014. They asked him to re-examine the case to see if it could be taken to grand jury.
If you haven't yet heard of Trooper Dan, chances are you're about to.

The highway patrol cop in Georgia quickly became this week's viral star after posting a public service announcement about weather conditions in Paulding County to Facebook.

The video by John Daniel, who goes by Trooper Dan, may have only been 13 seconds long, but it was enough to light up the otherwise-quiet page of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

The short clip was posted online on Tuesday and features Trooper Dan standing in the snow and taking in a charming southern accent.

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Oh hey, Trooper Dan: Georgia highway cop John Daniel picked up quite a few new fans this week after posting this video online giving a weather warning to residents in Paulding County, Georgia

The video by John Daniel, who goes by Trooper Dan, may have only been 13 seconds long, but it was enough to light up the otherwise-quiet page of the Georgia Department of Public Safety

'This is Trooper Dan with the Georgia State Patrol. We ask that you be mindful of the weather and road conditions as you get out and travel,' he says.

'If you can try and stay home, and stay safe. Thank you.'

As of Thursday, it had been viewed almost 45,000 times and shared over 350 times.

However it is the comments section that is the most telling about how the video has been received.

One person referred to him as a 'tantalizing trooper'.

'Well look at that Georgia peach, would you,' one user wrote. 'Lol I'm sure someone's friend request is blowing up after this post.'

Another wrote: 'Trouper Dan is hot.'

'Why can't all cops look like this?' another post said.

Perhaps one of the most important comments, however, was: 'But is he single?'

Well, according to Trooper Dan's Facebook, he is.

In his biography he has written: 'Im just a laid back guy. If you want to know more just ask! I'll tell.'

Single: John Daniel (right), AKA Trooper Dan, has listed himself as single on his Facebook page

He has also included a quote from the film Joe Dirt, that said: 'Life's a garden! Dig it!'

The page says that he is from Tallapoosa, Georgia, and still lives there.

Tallapoosa is city in Haralson County, with a population of about 2,789.

It is about 50 miles west of Atlanta.
A man extradited to Australia to face sex charges against three women allegedly forced a victim to clean his penis and then told her he hadn't wanted to rape her but she was coming in 'hot and cold all night.'

Colin Simpson Henderson, a father of three, has admitted raping three women in Melbourne between 1981 and 1984 after answering classified advertisements for roommates.

He was extradited to Australia last year after fingerprints taken from a wine glass 30 years ago were matched with ones taken by British police when he was arrested for drunk driving in 2014.

Colin Simpson Henderson, a father of three, has admitted raping three women in Melbourne between 1981 and 1984. He appeared in the County Court of Victoria (pictured) on Friday.

Details of Henderson's six historic sex charges were heard in County Court of Victoria on Friday.

In one of his attacks, Henderson went to a victim's home after answering a classified advertisement seeking a housemate in 1984.

The woman, then 30, had put off the meeting several times after feeling Henderson was overly familiar when he called to arrange to view the South Melbourne house.

He brought wine to the inspection and having a few drinks he asked if he could spend the night because he was too drunk to drive.

Prosecutor Kieran Gilligan said Henderson then attacked her, saying: 'If you don't shut up, I'll shut you up for good.'

The woman lay on her bed sobbing and he repeated his threat to kill her if she didn't shut up, the court heard.

He punched her in the head, pulled her hair, demanded she put her tongue in his mouth then raped her, the Crown says.

After he made her clean him he said 'no hard feelings' and told her, 'I didn't want to have to rape you but you were coming on hot and cold all night', the court heard.

Henderson was extradited to Australia last year after fingerprints taken from a wine glass 30 years ago were matched with ones taken by British police

Henderson has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated rape, one count of indecent assault and one count of aggravated indecent assault. Henderson originally faced 58 charges.

In all cases he responded to advertisements in The Age newspaper and brought a bottle of wine to the inspection.

The 64-year-old unsuccessfully fought his extradition in London's High Court, claiming it would be oppressive to fly due to poor health.

When he arrived in Melbourne in May 2015, he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
Troops are also pictured bandaged and sitting in muddy trenches taking brief moments of

The vivid images bring to life the struggles and hardships of Australia's diggers across Europe during battle

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The work of a Melbourne art curator and the release of a new book are bringing historic World War I photos to life by converting them from black and white to colour.

The vivid images portray Australian and New Zealand soldiers wielding guns and bogged down in muddy trenches, to candid snaps of diggers enjoying their down time around a fire all across Europe during some of WWI's fiercest battles.

Dr Benjamin Thomas, Art curator at Trinity college at the University of Melbourne, has converted dozens of stunning photos, bringing the faces and struggles of WWI into the 21st Century.

While 'The Digger's View. WWI in Colour' is a book that gives a new pictorial approach to the war. The collaboration between Juan Mahony and Kent Rowe Digital Print, has resulted in a unique and fresh look at Australia and the Great War.

Both provide fascinating looks at one of the most dramatic times in Australian military history.

In one picture, a group of Australian soldiers are seen sitting around three captured German soldiers, tending to their wounds as one of the injured men stares directly into the camera.

Troops are also pictured near the troop encampment near Cairo, Egypt, as massive pyramids are splashed in the background.

Dr Thomas said he choose the pictures from state libraries and archives across the world and uses Photoshop to layer colours on top of the black and white image.

'In a lot of the images I chose it's those very little moments in time, those social moments that we have but you dont seem to associate with your grandparents or great-grandparents,' he said. 'In colour it suddenly seems like it was yesterday.'

Juan Mahony's 'The Digger's View. WWI in Colour' is a book that gives a unique and fresh look at Australia and the Great War as this image from it shows

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Troops are pictured telling stories to each other during an evening away from the front line in this picture from 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

The sprawling Australian encampment near Cairo, Egypt, in the early months of 1915 is captured in 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

Australian troops are pictured in 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour', wearing protective gas masks as they stand on the muddy ground on the front line of battle

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Australian troops in the Turkish Lone Pine trenches, captured on the afternoon of the 6 August 1915. The soldier at centre back (pictured second from right) is thought to be Private Joseph Clark, of Victoria, an 18-year-old bootmaker

Boats filled with soldiers are tied together as they make their way from land back to the ship in a photo from 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

Australian troops line up with the national flag for a portrait in front of a decimated building in 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

The new book also showed a trio of soldiers check bombs before they attach them to the underbelly of a war airplane

Three Portuguese soldiers looking through the sights of their rifles in a trench in 1918 (pictured)

Australian soldiers dress the head wound of a fellow injured soldier using his first aid dressings (pictured)

Soldiers take a moment of down time during battle in their hollowed out trenches in 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour' book

Four Australian soldiers walking along the duckboard track during the Third Battle of Ypres in September and October 1917

Members of the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion outside their billets in the Cavalry Barracks (pictured)

Soldiers stand in line on a cobblestone street with their weapons balanced on their left shoulder in 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

The new book also contains an image of diggers as they all turn to the camera for a moment of relief in the trenches. A makeshift white cross can be seen near a wooden door frame

A mortar emplacement manned by soldiers in the West Yorkshire Regiment on February 6, 1918 (pictured)

Gunners in the Royal Field Artillery moving an 18 pound gun into firing position next to a ruined home during the Battle of Lys in May 1918 (pictured)

Soldiers carrying empty sandbags to the front line, walking past the remains of a German outlook which was nicknamed 'Gibraltar' by Australian (pictured)

Australian sailors stand looking on as a group hoist the national flag in an image from 'The Digger's View: WWI in Colour'

West Indian troops stacking eight-inch shells at a dump in Ypres in October 1917 (pictured)

German medical officer Lt Schnelling (pictured left) of the 14th Bavarian Regiment was detailed to work with the wounded German soldiers treated by New Zealand ambulances on the front lines
Sheikh Dr Salah Ansari al-Azhari has announced he is leaving Palmers Green Mosque in London after being threatened after he revealed he was joining the counter-extremist London-based think tank

A moderate imam has been forced to resign from his mosque after he was threatened with violence for joining anti-extremism group Quillam.

Sheikh Dr Salah Ansari al-Azhari has announced he is leaving Palmers Green Mosque in London because he was threatened shortly after he revealed he was joining the counter-extremist London-based think tank.

A Quilliam member told Breitbart London that the threats were part of a 'coordinated campaign' against the moderate Muslim.

The unnamed source said the organisation has 'screen shots' of online messages that were circulated which suggest the threats were organised.

Qulliam announced he was joining their team three days ago as a senior researcher in the Theology and Outreach Team.

Prior to joining Quilliam Dr Al-Ansari worked as visiting Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Heythrop College, University of London.

He was appointed an Imam and teacher at the Central London Mosque and then worked in a number of mosques in London, Margate, Woking and Basingstoke, where has led extensive inter-faith activities.

After he announced he was joining the think tank Dr Al-Ansari says he was threatened outside the mosque.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Due 2 physical threats (outside the mosque) I have decided 2 resign. Despite requests 2 stay.'

But following the online revelation he received even more abuse. One person wrote: 'Do you have no shame? Why have you joined @QuilliamF, UK's most hated Muslim organization?'

'Was this the exact moment you sold your soul & decided to join @QuilliamF, Sheikh? Have you no shame?' he added. posting a photoshopped image of the Imam surrounded by money.

Sheikh Dr Salah Ansari al-Azhari has announced he is leaving Palmers Green Mosque (pictured) in London

Following the announcement of his resignation the board of trustees for the Palmers Green Mosque released the following statement: 'Since joining the Quilliam Foundation earlier this week, he felt it would be best for both himself and MCEC Palmers Green Mosque that he resigns from his position with us.

'While some may not agree with his decision, it is not for us to question or judge. One must respect and be honourable to an individual's decision.
Valentine's Day is supposed to be a day of love and happiness but one city in Indonesia has banned the festival after deeming it an 'unlawful act' under Islamic law.

The government in the city of Banda Aceh, located on the island of Sumatra, have requested that locals no longer give cards or chocolates to celebrate Valentine's Day.

The city's mayor, Illiza Saaduddin Djamal, declared that under Islamic law, Valentine's day is considered a forbidden act.

A chocolate vendor arranges packs of chocolates for Valentine's Day in Banda Aceh. Prior to the ban, many Indonesia's celebrated Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is supposed to be a day of love and happiness but one city in Indonesia has banned the festival after deeming it an 'unlawful act' under Islamic law

'Our society and the Muslim youth should certainly not be celebrating non-Islamic holidays.

'The law says it is haram. The government is obliged to protect the public and younger generation from unlawful acts,' he said.

Police will be patrolling the streets of the city, warning people from giving flowers or other gifts for Valentine's Day, according to Breitbart.

The conservative province has been maintaining a strict Islamic criminal code, criminalizing adultery, homosexuality, and public displays of affection outside of a legally recognized relationship.

The local government in the city of Banda Aceh, located on the island of Sumatra, have requested that locals no longer give cards or chocolates to celebrate Valentine's Day

Acehnese women wearing colorful costumes take part in the celebrations of the Islamic New Year in Banda Aceh

INDONESIA GOVERNMENT ORDERS BAN ON EMOTICONS The Indonesian government has ordered social media outlets to remove same-sex couple emoticons. Influenced by conservative Islamic clerics, the country's communication ministry said they 'ca't allow LGBT images that cause unrest' in Indonesia. 'We are banning these stickers because they were causing unrest in society, especially among parents,' confirmed the ministry for information and communication. It said the images cause 'unrest' and damage Indonesia's 'religious and cultural norms'. Indonesia is a majority Muslim country, with 90 per cent of its population viewing Islam as their religious faith. Most Indonesians have a open-minded and tolerant view of other religions and cultures, stemming from the country's Christian and Hindu communities as well as its bustling tourism trade Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia. However in October 2015, Sharia, or Islamic law, police in Aceh arrested a pair of young women for 'hugging in public.' Advertisement

Aceh is the only province in the Muslim-dominated country to adhere to sharia, Islamic law, which puts it at odds with other provinces where the vast majority of the population practices a moderate form of the religion.

'Non-Muslims can choose whether to be tried under sharia law or the regular Indonesian criminal code,' said Syahrizal Abbas, head of the sharia legal department in the provincial government.

The local law in Aceh also criminalizes rape and sexual harassment. Those found guilty could face 40 lashes or more, according to a copy of the legislation seen by Reuters.

Rights groups have previously warned the new law could criminalize consensual sex and create hurdles to reporting rape.

'To punish anyone who has had consensual sex with up to 100 lashes is despicable,' Josef Benedict, Amnesty International's South East Asia campaigns Director, said in a statement.

'This is a flagrant violation of human rights and must be repealed immediately.'

Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2005 as part of an agreement with Jakarta to end decades of separatist violence  and was then able introduce sharia.
Deploying ground troops in Syria would spark World War Three, the Russian prime minister has warned.

Dmitry Medvedev said a ground operation 'draws everyone taking part in it into a war'.

Nations currently taking part in operations with the U.S.-led Coalition include Britain, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Australia and Canada.

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops, he said 'the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war.'

Stark assessment: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that deploying ground troops in Syria could spark World War Three because 'a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war'

Speaking in an interview published by the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Mr Medvedev also criticised the refusal of Western powers to collaborate with Russia in Syria.

The prime minister said ties at the level of defense departments are only sporadic.

His comments came as world powers announced a 'ceasefire' in Syria in a deal quickly dismissed by critics as 'not worth the paper it's printed on'.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last night said a 'pause' in hostilities between Syrian forces and Western-backed rebels would begin in a week after a crisis meeting in Munich.

John Kerry announced a temprary 'cessation of hostilities' alongside Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov

But, crucially, neither Bashar Al Assad's government nor opposition groups have said whether they will obey the truce.

The deal also does not apply to Russian airstrikes which have been supporting advances by Syrian troops.

And it doesn't include either ISIS or Al Qaeda's affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra which hold swathes of the country and contribute to much of the fighting.

The BBC reported that some diplomats are already saying the deal is 'not worth the paper it's printed on'.

Mr Kerry announced the deal just after midnight, saying leaders had agreed to 'accelerate, expand' humanitarian aid in Syria during a pause in the fighting to begin in one week.

Exodus: Up to 50,000 people have fled Aleppo city and countryside since the Russian bombing has intensified

He was joined in a press conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Syrian Peace Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

But Kerry reiterated that the war will not necessarily end in the near future and the agreement was merely to provide a 'pause' to allow humanitarian aid into Syria.

'Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas,' Kerry said.

He also said peace talks between rebels and the Syrian government would resume in Geneva 'as soon as possible'.
Sometimes walking is all a bit much and it's nice to make others do the hard work.

This was obviously the mentality of a dog spotted at a fair in Port Carling, Ontario who was being dragged along on a skateboard by his owner.

Dan John uploaded the video onto YouTube.

Walking is too exhuasting: A dog was spotted at a fair in Port Carling, Ontario who was being dragged along on a skateboard by his owner

Nice day out: The fluffy brown pooch is dragged along by a man with his wife by a length of rope attached to the skateboard

The fluffy brown pooch is dragged along by a man with his wife by a length of rope attached to the skateboard.

The trio are so nonchalant it would seem this activity isn't entirely out of the ordinary.

They pass a stall selling natural beauty products and walk onto Cosmo's Smoked Meat & Cheese.

Onlookers laugh at the ridiculous sight of this lazy dog, although as John points out, perhaps he is simply 'awesome.'

Port Carling is located on the Indian River between Lake Muskoka and Lake Rosseau. It also has access to Lake Joseph and has therfore come to be known as 'Hub of the Lakes'.

It's a very quiet town during the winter but in the summer it becomes a bustling village with cottagers, tourists and locals filling the shops, restaurants and docks.

Just a normal day...The trio are so nonchalant it would seem this activity isn't entirely out of the ordinary

Funny: Onlookers laugh at the ridiculous sight of this lazy dog, although as John points out, perhaps he is simply 'awesome'

In November 2015 Otto the bulldog broke the Guinness World Record for skateboarding through the 'longest human tunnel' in Peru.

He successfully skated through the legs of 30 people and was awarded an official certificate for his achievement.

This came after the world's fastest dog died in October of the same year.

UK-born Tillman had set a world record for the fastest 100m travelled by a dog on a skateboard in 2009, clocking 19.678 seconds.

He died after heart and respiratory problems, aged 10.

Breaking records: In November 2015 Otto the bulldog broke the Guinness World Record for skateboarding through the 'longest human tunnel' in Peru
CIA director John Brennan has warned that ISIS fighters have already used chemical weapons and have the capacity to make small quantities of deadly chlorine and mustard gas.

The terrorist organisation was already believed to have smuggled weapons of mass destruction into Europe, according to a UN report.

According to Brennan: 'We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield.'

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CIA director John Brennan has admitted ISIS has the ability to manufacture chlorine and mustard gas

Brennan, right, said US intelligence agencies were trying to identify the ISIS stockpiles in Iraq and Syria

Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, pictured, said ISIS has used poison gas in Iraq and Syria

Brennan made the admission during a full interview with CBS show '60 Minutes' which will be aired on Sunday.

He warned: 'There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and munitions that they can use.'

Brennan also warned of the possibility ISIS could seek to export the weapons to the West for financial gain.

He said: 'I think there's always the potential for that. This is why it's so important to cut off the various transportation routes and smuggling routes that they have used.'

When asked if there were 'American assets on the ground' searching for possible chemical weapons caches or labs, Brennan replied: 'US intelligence is actively involved in being a part of the efforts to destroy ISIL and to get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside of Syria and Iraq.'

The release of the interview excerpts comes two days after similar comments from spy chief James Clapper before a congressional committee.

Clapper, who is director of national intelligence, told the committee: 'ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent sulfur mustard.'

Bashar al-Assad's regime has also been accused of dropping chemical weapons on civilians

Hundreds of people required treatment, including these children, following a suspected poison gas attack on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Saqba in August 2013

He said it was the first time an extremist group had produced and used a chemical warfare agent in an attack since Japan's Aum Supreme Truth cult carried out a deadly sarin attack during rush hour in the Tokyo subway in 1995.

President Bashar al-Assad's regime and rebel forces have accused each other of using chemical agents in the nearly five-year war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

After an August 2013 sarin attack outside Damascus that much of the international community blamed on Assad's government, the regime agreed to turn over its chemical arsenal.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) -- which oversaw the dangerous removal and elimination of Syria's avowed stockpile -- now says that declared arsenal has been completely destroyed.

But the global arms watchdog has still warned of the continued use of mustard, sarin and chlorine gas in the conflict, without blaming the regime, the rebels or ISIS for use of the weapons, which are banned under international law.

Last year, officials in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan said blood tests had shown that ISIS fighters used mustard agent in an attack on Kurdish peshmerga forces in August.

Thirty-five peshmerga fighters were exposed and some taken abroad for treatment, officials said.

At the time of the attack, The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying they believed ISIS had used mustard agent.

Late last year, a report for the European Parliament claimed ISIS had recruited experts with chemistry, physics and computer science degrees to wage war with weapons of mass destruction against the West.

The terror organisation, according to the briefing document, 'may be planning to try to use internationally banned weapons of mass destruction in future attacks'.

The document, which was compiled in the aftermath of the deadly attacks on Paris claimed that ISIS has already smuggled WMD material into Europe.

Experts fear that ISIS will be able to exploit a failure of EU governments to share information on possible terrorists.

Already, British police forces have been conducting exercises on how to deal with various types of terrorist attack. But the EU report claims that government should 'consider publicly addressing the possibility of terrorist attack using chemical, biological, radiological or even nuclear materials'.

The report, ISIL/Da'esh and 'non-conventional' weapons of terror warns: 'At present, European citizens are not seriously contemplating the possibility that extremist groups might use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials during attacks in Europe. Under these circumstances, the impact of such an attack, should it occur, would be even more destabilising.'

Rob Wainwright, head of Europol said after the attacks on Paris: 'We are dealing with a very serious, well-resourced, determined international terrorist organisation that is now active on the streets of Europe.

'This represents the most serious terrorist threat faced in Europe for 10 years.'

Mr Wainwright warned that ISIS had serious capabilities in terms of resources and manpower.'

Nomi Bar-Yaacov, Associate Fellow in Chatham House's International Security Department said: 'There is a very real risk of ISIS using unconventional weapons in Europe and beyond.'

Wolfgang Rudischhauser, Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation Centre at NATO said: 'ISIS actually has already acquired the knowledge, and in some cases the human expertise, that would allow it to use CBRN materials as weapons of terror.'

The report claims 'ISIL/Da'esh has recruited and continues to recruit hundreds of foreign fighters, including some with degrees in physics, chemistry and computer science, who experts believe have the ability to manufacture lethal weapons from raw substances.'

EU governments have been warned to watch out for 'other radicalised individuals, who have access to, or work in, sensitive areas'.

Intelligence services have also been warned to screen returning Jihadi fighters for 'specialist CBRN knowledge'.

The shocking study claims that 150 cases of nuclear or radiological trafficking are reported annually.

Worse still: 'CBRN substances have been carried undetected into the European Union.
Prosecutor said it means he may now be tried for murder in an adult court

But the country's Migration Agency has said he is actually older than 18

A Somalian migrant alleged to have stabbed a Swedish social worker to death and thought to be aged only 15 is now said to be at least three years older, it has emerged.

Alexandra Mezher, 22, was killed after she tried to break up a knife fight at an adolescent migrant centre where she worked in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Police say she had intervened when Youssaf Khaliif Nuur launched an unprovoked attack on another resident at the centre, suffering fatal knife wounds to the back and thigh.

Sweden's Migration Agency claims Youssaf Khaliif Nuur (pictured in court) is now believed to be 18 or older, rather than 15 as it was initially thought

Killed: Alezandra Mezher, 22, was stabbed to death when she stepped in to stop a fight at the adolescent migrant centre in Molndal, Gothenburg, where she worked

Argument: A person in police custody had allegedly attacked another person at the housing centre (pictured) and Miss Mezher was trying to break up the fight

Psychology graduate Miss Mezher had warned her mother she was caring for 'big powerful guys' aged up to 24 in the shelter for children aged 14 to 17.

Johanna Mahlen, a press spokesperson for Sweden's Migration Agency, told The Local 'the applicant did not make it probable that he was under 18' when he applied for asylum in Sweden.

It follows media reports that Nuur had applied for a work permit in Sweden, despite the obvious fact teenagers do not leave school until they are 18.

Linda Wiking, the case prosecutor, told local paper Goteborgs-Posten he may now be tried in an adult court.

'The migration agency's decision that he is an adult is also relevant in the criminal case,' she said.

Speaking to MailOnline, Miss Mezher's mother Chimene said it was hard to describe how she felt at a time when she was still coming to terms with her daughter's death.

'But I do however think its a good thing if he is tried as an adult and it would be for the best if he is sentenced to spend a long time in prison because what he has done is unforgivable,' she said.

'I'm a mother who has lost her daughter. That is the worst thing that could happen to me and the family. He has destroyed our whole life.'

My family does not feel well, I do not feel well, everything is dark right now: it is like living in a long and terrible nightmare.'

But they will still have to wait for a final decision on his exact age - something which will make the difference between getting as little as two years in jail, Professor Jerzy Sarnecki, of Stockholm University's department of criminology, told MailOnline.

'If Yuseef is a minor and only as reported 15 years old, his time in prison will be reduced severely,' he said.

'Minors in the age between 15 to 17 are rarely sent to prison in Sweden. But when someone is convicted of such a serious crime as murder, I would expect that he will get a prison sentence - but the verdict will be much milder then if he was an adult.'

Professor Sarnecki said, if found guilty, Nuur would be sent to a special facility for under-18s, serving a maximum sentence of four years.

However, if he is convicted of manslaughter instead of murder the sentence could be half that - and he would more than likely be allowed to remain in Sweden afterwards.

Young: The 22-year-old psychology student, pictured at her university graduation in June last year, suffered two knife wounds to her back and thigh and died from her injuries in hospital

Tragedy: A police officer in Sweden has told MailOnline the psychology graduate (right) died trying to break up a fight between two migrants

Even if they do try him as an adult, for which the sentence would be much harsher, he may be allowed to stay.

'If there is a risk that the defendant might get killed, tortured or harmed in any other way in his home country, which could be the case when the defendant is from Somaila,' Professor Sarnecki.

'It depends from what area of the country he is from. If he is from an area controlled by Al Shabaab and not the government, the expulsion will be cancelled after he has served his time in prison and he stays in Sweden.'

But getting a definitive answer on his age looks likely to prove difficult.

'The Swedish courts knows that the scientific ways to determine ones age always leaves a bit of uncertainty,' the professor said. 'There are no absolute methods and the court always needs at least two or three opinions from different branches of the government to be sure.'

Last month a source at Gothenburg Police told MailOnline the alleged murder had begun with an attack on another boy.

There was an argument between the suspect and another resident at the hostel,' the source said. 'I dont know the reason for the argument between the two residents.

But in some way this woman got between them. She was trying to break up the fight. Miss Mezher tried to separate them and told the suspect to stop but then he [allegedly] stabbed her.

The source dismissed any suggestion that the killing had a sexual motive.

He added murder suspect Nuur had had complained of feeling 'unwell' the night before and had not slept at all in the hours before the alleged attack.

It has been suggested that Nuur has psychological issues and had a breakdown in the hours before the attack and complained of hearing voices in his head.

The source revealed: 'The knifeman may have had some kind of breakdown. He may have suffered some trauma previously in his life.'

Court papers: Youssaf Khaliif Nuur appeared in court in Gothenburg last week charged with murder and attempted murder

The source said he was heard pacing around the his bedroom for most of the night before the attack at 8am on Monday.

The Gothenburg Police source told MailOnline: There was no sexual motive in the murder. This Somali boy did not have a motive for the attack other than he was not feeling well.

This lady tried to separate them and told him to stop but he stabbed her. The suspect had been up all night. He had said he was not feeling well the night before.

Managers of the child refugee centre should not have let Miss Mezher work the night shift on her own if they knew one of the residents was suffering a mental health breakdown, the Gothenburg Police source claimed.

He told MailOnline: If the management of the centre knew that one of the residents was not [mentally] well should have got in extra staff to help her that night.

Nuur appeared at Gothenburg District Court last week charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Locked up: He is being held at the high security psychiatric clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg. The facility is for patients with psychotic illnesses

The source, who has worked for Gothenburg Police for over 30 years, has detailed the explosion in crime in the Swedish city since the country threw open the doors to mass immigration.

He told MailOnline: We have experienced an explosion in crime, particularly violent crime, since our politicians threw open the doors to immigrants from all over the world.

I have worked in Gothenburg for more than three decades and I have never known anything like it.

The city always had a bit of trouble, but it was usually amongst people who were drunk and knew each other.

But now I will not let my children go into the city after 2pm and especially not at night.

There are violent gangs roaming around the streets and the use of knives and other weapons have become normal, rather than a rarity as it used to be.

There are 20 robberies in Gothenburg every day - usually with violence or the threat of violence.

This week an 83-year-old lady had a gun put in her face when she was mugged on her way to play bingo. They got away with just 50 Kroner [about 4].

In the summer there were mass shootings with lots of people killed, including a little girl.

He added the city streets were now at the mercy of gangs of young men mainly from North Africa.

The source revealed: In the past couple of months we have noticed a dramatic increase in street robbery. This is a new phenomenon.

NEW POLICE CHIEF SAYS MIGRANTS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLOGNE CHAOS Revellers at Cologne's New Year celebrations set off fireworks during the chaotic party in the city centre Cologne's new police chief has said the New Year attackers in Cologne were migrants, adding many were from countries where such sexual assaults may be more common. Jurgen Mathies told The Local that planning of the attacks was transmitted via social media, with people telling one another they were heading to Cologne city centre for a 'party'. He acknowledged many of the attackers were migrants - saying they were from countries where they might be familiar with such assaults - 'where women are hemmed in and then abused by a large number of men at once'. He added: 'I must say that this phenomenon was not known to me in Germany before.' Police in Cologne have been struggling to restore public confidence after hundreds of women said they were groped and robbed in a mob of mostly North African and Arab men in chaotic New Year festivities. Reports filed by officers after the event described a scene of lawlessness. Officers working in the city centre were swamped by upset women claiming they had been groped and robbed, with many forced to walk a 'gauntlet' through packs of drunk men. The event triggered massive debate in Germany about the ability of the country to assimilate the more than one million asylum seekers that arrived last year. Advertisement

Hard working: Psychology graduate Miss Mezher who was a Lebanese Christian whose parents were from Beirut, was today described by her mother Chimene as an 'angel'

Candles and floral tributes fill a table at a memorial service for Miss Mezher in her home town of Boras, some 40 miles from Gothenburg, on Wednesday

They will do anything to get money  steal a persons wallet, iPhone, jewellery. And then they will attack their victim and kick them half to death.

Drug crime has gone through the roof. Every drug is available on the street nowadays, even in broad daylight.
The mother of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold gives her first-ever TV interview tonight on Diane Sawyers prime-time ABC show 20/20.

The broadcast comes ahead of the publication of Sue Klebolds book, Silence Broken: A Mothers Reckoning.

In Fridays special edition of the show, which will air at 9pm on KMGH-Channel 7, Mrs Klebold talks about her relationship with her son, what it was like in their home in the days leading up to the massacre at Columbine High School and her thoughts on the victims.

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The mother of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold gives her first-ever TV interview tonight on Diane Sawyers prime-time ABC show 20/20

Diane Sawyer's interview comes ahead of the publication of Sue Klebolds book, Silence Broken: A Mothers Reckoning

In Fridays special edition of the show, which will air at 9pm on KMGH-Channel 7, Mrs Klebold talks about her relationship with her son

Klebold has said that the Sandy Hook shootings of 2012 helped convince her to share her story

In 1999, Dylan Klebold (right) and fellow senior student Eric Harris killed 12 students and one teacher at the Colorado high school before taking their own lives

Pre-meditated: Dylan Klebol's (pictured) large-scale attack also involved a fire bomb used to distract fire fighters

At one point in the interview Sawyer asks Mrs Klebod: For all the parents who said I would have known something'

She replies: Before Columbine happened, I would have been one of those parents.

I had all the illusions that everything was ok. My love for him was so strong.

When speaking about the victims, Mrs Klebold breaks down in tears.

'I just remember sitting there and reading about them, all these kids and the teacher,' she says.

'There's never a day that goes by where I don't think of the people that Dylan harmed... I think it's easier for me to say "harmed" than "killed."'

She then continues: I would have felt exactly the same [as the victims families] if it was the other way round.

Klebold has said that the Sandy Hook shootings of 2012 helped convince her to share her story and that she is donating profits from the book to mental health charities and research.

In 1999, Dylan Klebold and fellow senior student Eric Harris killed 12 students and one teacher at the Colorado high school before taking their own lives.

Dylan Klebol's large-scale attack also involved a fire bomb used to distract firefighters.

The choice to write the book was a difficult one for Sue Klebold, but she hopes the title will enable other parents to notice signs that their children might become violent. Signs she regrettably says she she missed.

It is very hard to live with the fact that someone you loved and raised brutally killed people in such a horrific way, Mrs Klebold explains in her interview with Diane Sawyer. I think we like to believe that our love and our understanding is protective, and that if anything were wrong with my kids, I would know, but I didn't know, and its very hard to think of that.

Klebold goes on to say that before the shooting rampage, she was convinced that she was a good mother, and that her son Dylan could talk to her about anything. But the reality was something different.

Part of the shock of this was learning that what I believed and how I parented was an invention in my own mind, that it was a completely different world that he was living in,' she says.

In 2014 Crown Publishers, who are publishing Silence Broken, said that the book will, 'invite readers into [Klebold's] very private struggle of the last 15 years as she and her family have tried to understand the events of that terrible day and the role they ultimately played in it.

At the time, it was the worst school shooting in the country's history before 2007, when 23-year-old Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho went on a shooting rampage on the Blacksburg college campus, killing 32 people.

Five years later, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed 20 students and six teaching staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Susan Klebold has previously described her feelings in an essay for Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and in interviews for Andrew Solomon's book, Far from the Tree.

Mrs Klebold and her husband Tom Klebold, have spoken little to the press following the Columbine tragedy, The New York Times reported in 2004, but did not move or change their names.

In her lengthy essay for O Magazine in 2009, Mrs Klebold wrote: 'In the weeks and months that followed the killings, I was nearly insane with sorrow for the suffering my son had caused, and with grief for the child I had lost.'

She continued: 'But while I perceived myself to be a victim of the tragedy, I didn't have the comfort of being perceived that way by most of the community.

The choice to write the book was a difficult one for Klebold, but she hopes the title will enable other parents to notice signs that their children might become violent. Signs she regrettably says she she missed

Eric Harris (pictured left) and Dylan Klebold (right) pictured in 1999

'I was widely viewed as a perpetrator or at least an accomplice since I was the person who had raised a "monster.'''

Mrs Klebold also told author Andrew Solomon: 'I can never decide whether its worse to think your child was hardwired to be like this and that you couldnt have done anything, or to think he was a good person and something set this off in him.'

The killers' diaries from the time offered chilling details about their activities in the months before the attack. They had 'to do' lists, with each purchase of gasoline or a weapon marked off, and they had a hit list with at least 42 entries, all of them blacked out.

On a calendar entry for April 20, 1999, the time 11.10 is at the top - an approximate reference to the time the attack began.

Elsewhere in the calendar are notations including 'get nails' and 'get propane, fill my clips' and 'finish fuses'.

'Once I finally start my killing, keep this in mind, there are probably about 100 people max in the school alone who I don't want to die, the rest MUST (expletive) DIE!' Harris wrote in a journal entry from October 1998, six months before the attack.

A scrawled entry in Klebold's day planner apparently sketches out April 20, 1999, down to the minute, starting with a 6am meeting, a 10.30am 'set up,' an 11.12am 'gear up' and at 11.16am, 'HAHAHA.'
The laptop bomb used to blow a large hole in the side of a Somalian plane was constructed in such a 'sophisticated' way, it went through the X-ray scanners undetected at the airport.

The shocking finding has left many security officials and intelligence services fearful that Africa could be hit by a wave of new methods for bringing explosive devices on board airplanes.

The suspected bomber who was blown from the Somali jet from Mogadishu to Djibouti was meant to be flying on a Turkish Airlines flight, Daallo Airlines chief executive later confirmed.

Most of the passengers who were on the Daallo Airlines flight were scheduled to fly with Turkish Airlines

The explosion created a gaping hole in the fuselage and forced the plane to make an emergency landing back at the Mogadishu airport.

The bomb, concealed inside the the laptop, had been carefully devised to past through airport security, according to CNN, who quoted a source close to the investigation.

The main suspect is believed to be a Somali national known as Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh. The bomber had been carefully instructed where to sit and how to trigger the deadly device.

It seems that a delay to the flight played a vital part in preventing the deaths of all the passengers as the bomb was triggered before the plane had reached the right altitude.

Mohamed Yassin, CEO of Daallo Airlines, revealed that most of the passengers who were on the flight were scheduled to fly with Turkish Airlines.

But after the Turkish carrier cancelled its flight citing strong wind, the 74 passengers were ferried to Djibouti by one of Daallo planes across the Horn of Africa.

Newly-released footage shows two men handing a laptop to a passenger after he passed through security. One of the two men is wearing a security jacket

The suspected bomber approaches the two men after he passed through security checkpoint

He is being given a laptop, which investigators believe contained the explosives that ripped a hole in the Daallo airlines jet

'That particular passenger (who was behind the blast) boarded the aircraft on a Turkish Airlines boarding pass and was on the list for the Turkish Airlines manifest,' Yassin said.

Yassin told Al Jazeera that the passengers would continue their journey from Djibouti on a Turkish Airlines flight.

'Turkish Airlines have not been in contact with us since the incident happened. You can say they are trying to distance themselves from the incident.' Olad said.

CCTV video has since emerged showing the suspected bomber of the Somali plane at the exact moment when he is being handed a laptop in which the explosives were concealed.

'There are investigations going on and about 15 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident,' a Somali security official who asked not to be named told AFP.

The airport worker in the white shirt has since died in mysterious circumstances. Three days after the plane attack, he was blown up in a car bomb.
A conwoman faked ovarian cancer to scam 14,000 out of her boyfriend so she could get plastic surgery.

Charlotte Roche, 31, from Chatham in Kent, avoided jail despite defrauding Matthew Pilgrim out of a small fortune to go towards fictional treatment at a private hospital.

Instead Roche, who was given a six-month suspended sentence at Maidstone Crown Court, planned to use 4,000 of the cash to carry out plastic surgery.

Fraud: Matthew Pilgrim was conned out of 14,000 by girlfriend Charlotte Roche, pictured on one of their dates

The pair met on the dating site Plenty of Fish and quickly became a couple after a series of dates in 2014, with their first meeting near St Paul's Cathedral in April of that year.

Prosecutor Allister Walker said Mr Pilgrim visited Roche at her home at weekends and she stayed with him in London.

Mr Walker said: 'The relationship developed. He felt they were becoming quite close.'

Deceitful Roche later told her partner that she had financial problems with an Irish bank account.

Mr Walker said this was 'laying the ground for what was to come'.

The court heard how Roche had told Mr Pilgrim that she was going to see a cancer consultant as she believed she had ovarian cancer. She also told him how she had suffered with it before.

She claimed surgery was needed to remove a growth on her ovaries or she may have to get them removed completely.

Paper mill worker Roche said it would be a six-month wait on the NHS but only a couple of days if she went private. The cost was 6,800.

Mr Pilgrim was concerned and wanted to help her. She texted him about it a couple of times and he felt under pressure, so he agreed to lend her the money.

Mr Pilgrim, pictured left, felt 'exploited' after he found out about the scam. Right, the pair on a date in London

However, when he kindly offered to visit her at the hospital in north London, after the operation, she made it clear she did not want him to.

Afterwards, Roche asked him to pay for private prescriptions and post-operative care and he gave her a further 2,000.

Mr Pilgrim then did not see her for a while and it became clear the relationship was over. He asked her to repay the money.

Mr Walker said: 'He felt he had been exploited - and, of course, he had. The excuses continued to flow.'

Roche's sister eventually called him and told him he 'had been had' and to call the police.

Roche, now living in Aberdeen, was arrested at work in October last year.

Roche avoided jail but was given a six-month suspended sentence by a judge at Maidstone Crown Court

Judge Philip St John-Stevens told her: 'It is clear, having developed the relationship with the individual concerned, you acted in a thoroughly dishonest, manipulative and callous way and preyed on his goodwill with an untruthful story about your health.

'As a result, you defrauded him to the tune of in excess of 14,000.'

The judge added there had to be a prison sentence but said he was persuaded it could be suspended.
A man who claims to be the reincarnation of King Arthur has gone into battle with Facebook after they deleted his account because they don't believe he is real.

Former biker Johnny Rothwell, 61, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, who calls himself King Arthur Uther Pendragon, claims he is Britain's Druid King and signs himself Arthur Rex.

Pendragon changed his name in 1986 and has his royal name on his passport and driving licence.

Ex-biker Johnny Rothwell, pictured, legally changes his name to King Arthur Uther Pendragon in 1986

Pendragon, pictured left and right at Stonehenge, says he wants to use Facebook to keep in touch with his druid organisation but the social media site keep deleting his account because of his name

He wants to use Facebook as a modern platform to keep in touch with his druid group, The Loyal Arthurian Warband.

But he says the social media giant keeps deleting his account - and claims that is because rival druids are complaining because they are unhappy with his leadership.

Pendragon has upset some of his subjects with his outrage at English Heritage's plans to ban alcohol at this year's summer solstice at Stonehenge.

He has started a new Facebook account under the name Arthur Rex but is demanding his old one as King Arthur be reinstated, but his new account has also been suspended.

Pendragon said: 'Facebook steadfastly refuse to believe I am Arthur Pendragon.

The 61-year-old is officially recognised under his royal name on his driving licence, pictured

Pendragon has also had his passport updated to reflect his new identity, and said he did not understand why Facebook can't accept his name while the UK government can

'I am back up and running for as long as it takes the 'idiot druids' and the idiot Facebook to pull me down again.

'But guess what - every time they pull me down I bounce back.

'I really don't know what Facebook know that HM Government, who issued the documents, don't.'

Pendragon said he had supplied his driving licence and passport to Facebook - but they told him the documents were fake.

When he contacted the Facebook help centre someone called Davor told him: 'We can't help with your request because we've determined the ID you provided isn't real.

Pendragon, pictured, said he was told by Facebook that they could not help him because his ID 'wasn't real'

'Facebook requires everyone to represent their authentic identity, so you always know who you're connecting with.

'Please respond to this email with a valid ID so that we can help you.'

Pendragon, a former soldier, said he realised he was the reincarnation of King Arthur after reading a book on the legendary leader in the mid 1980s.

In 1998 he was crowned Pendragon and Swordbearer to the Glastonbury Order of Druids and was later proclaimed 'Raised Druid King of Britain' by representatives from five Neo-Druidic orders.

He has led protests against the building of new roads and continues to battle English Heritage over access to Stonehenge.

Pendragon has also run for Parliament as an Independent, campaigning for an end to austerity measures and the withdrawal of British troops from the Middle East.

Facebook has been approached for comment and confirmed they are investigating the matter further.
Thieves have written a quick apology note blaming 'poverty and addiction' after they stole $500 worth of ham and cheese and the daily float from a small business.

The robbery occurred at the Byng Street Cafe in Orange, central west NSW, but the business owner, Jeremy Norris, says that it is the seventh time he has been targeted.

'The message on the note rubs a bit of salt in the wound actually,' Mr Norris told Daily Mail Australia.

A note thieves left a cafe owner after they robbed his business in Orange, NSW

The business is currently being renovated but Mr Norris says the break-ins have made him consider leaving the business

'They took the cash float, and all of the tips as well as $500 worth of Barossa Valley ham which had just been delivered that morning, which is a bit annoying.

'I got a phone call from a staff member, she said 'we have had a visitor, they cleaned out the till and left a note'.

'We didn't even notice they had been through the fridge until we couldn't find the ham which we needed for a function later that day.'

The thieves had 'fine tastes' according to the cafe owner, who noted they took the 'French Brie' during the raid.

That break in occurred on February 5, but it wasn't until Mr Norris' home  next door to the cafe  was targeted on Wednesday that he became really concerned.

In the latest incident at his cafe more than $500 worth of food was takes along with the money in the till and the tips for staff

'It is unsettling to know that someone has been inside your house, it was just crossing the line a bit, an invasion of privacy, it is not a nice feeling knowing there have been people in your home.

The thieves stole a television, iPads and some cherished family heirlooms after gaining entry into the home through the bathroom window.

They left a hair dryer on the hedge outside - 'I thought to myself I don't remember leaving that there, then I went inside and saw the mess they had made as they searched through all of my cupboards.'

'They took stuff that wasn't replaceable, and left cigarette ash on the floor.

'I think this stuff happens too much in this town, my friends woke up recently to find a man crawling across their bedroom floor.

He says the recent two attacks come just six months after a thief gained entry into his business via the roof, kicking in the ceiling to get inside.

That would-be robber was 'scared off' after the alarm sounded.

Mr Norris says that the excuse of poverty and addiction is 'quite comical'. 'The writing appeared to me to be eloquent and well read, so I am not sure about the excuse of poverty.

He says his house, which is next door to the cafe has also been broken into recently

Jeremy Norris says this is the seventh time he has been targeted by thieves

The thief also wrote that they wouldn't be caught because they wouldn't be around. Mr Norris says he is relieved they won't be around but said 'they would be caught one day'.

Mr Norris does not know if the people who robbed his home are the same as those who targeted the shop.

Inspector Peter Atkins from Canobolas Area Command in Orange told Daily Mail Australia the police are investigating the complaints.

'Our focus is on property crime, but it is trending down at the moment, which is good news.

He admitted that the link between addiction and stealing offences is not un-common.

'We do see a trend in property crime which is linked to drug offences,' he said. Mr Norris has said theft  and the damage caused by thieves to his property are 'wearing him very thin' and that he may have to reconsider his business plan if it continues.
An official petition against Jeremy Hunt's decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors soared to more than 44,000 signatures today.

As the backlash against Mr Hunt's decision grew, the petition said junior doctors would 'refuse to sign' the new agreement and 'continue strike action'.

Junior doctors staged a noisy protest outside the Department of Health last night and the Health Secretary was heckled as he attended media interviews.

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The petition, pictured at around 9.30am, grew quickly to more than 41,000 signatures today. It said junior doctors would refuse to sign the contract Jeremy Hunt has decided to impose

After Mr Hunt announced his decision - a move he last year described as the 'nuclear option' - the BMA trade union said it was considering 'all options' for its next move in the dispute.

An all-out strike had been scheduled by the union but it was cancelled last month as talks resumed following a first day of industrial action.

So far junior doctors have cancelled planned operations with their action but have continued to work in accident and emergency departments and provide other urgent cover.

An all-out strike would raise the prospect of hospitals having to close their A&Es - a move which health officials have warned could cost lives.

BMA chief Mark Porter said yesterday it was not clear whether the current ballot of doctors for strike action would extend to a protest after the imposition of the contract as the current mandate related specifically to the threat of imposition.

The initial strike ballot was almost unanimously supported by tens of thousands of junior doctors in England and a new vote is likely to be successful.

In other developments today, it emerged around half of the NHS Trust chiefs who co-signed a letter by Mr Hunt's chief negotiator Sir David Dalton indicating talks with the BMA had reached the 'end of the road' do not support imposing the contract.

Sir David has since insisted the signatories had backed only that the deal on offer to doctors was 'fair' but the withdrawal of support is set to be a further embarrassment to Mr Hunt.

Andrew Foster, chief executive of the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (FT), said the letter he and 19 other NHS leaders backed was not the one that advised the Government to do 'whatever it deems necessary' to break the deadlock with the medics.

Mr Hunt pictured today leaving home, is facing a growing backlash against his decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors

Mr Foster said he had 'not supported contract imposition. I have supported the view that the offer made is reasonable'.

When it was put to him on Twitter that he had supported Sir David Dalton's letter and its advice to Jeremy Hunt that the Government should do 'whatever it deems necessary' to end uncertainty for the NHS, Mr Foster said: 'That is not the paragraph that I agreed to. I did not agree with imposition.'

He added: 'The letter we supported was a different one to that published today.'

Claire Murdoch, chief executive of the Central and North West London NHS FT, said: 'I became aware that my name was on the letter at the point at which it was published.

'When I contacted Sir David Dalton he had it removed immediately, which is reflective of the straightforward way he has sought to deal with a very challenging negotiation.'

She added: 'It is clear to me that the current situation is not sustainable and needs to be resolved for the sake of all involved. The contract must be fair; fair pay, fair hours and excellent training and it must hold at it's heart the needs of the patient in a 24/7 NHS. This has to be deliverable.'

Sir David denied on Thursday that the chief executives listed on the letter had been asked to give their support to imposed contracts.

He told the Health Service Journal (HSJ): 'The statement that they agreed to was confirming that the best and final position was considered fair and reasonable, and that they believed the NHS needed certainty and not continuation of the stalemate.

'If anyone wants to make an inference (from this that they supported) imposition then that is their inference, (but) that is not what (the signatories) have committed their names to. I neither want to say they do or that they don't. There is a variety of opinion on this.'

Professor Dr Stephen Dunn, chief executive of West Suffolk NHS FT, said: 'Not supporting imposition. Supporting fact that David came up with a better offer than the one on the table', while Miles Scott, head of St George's University Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'To be clear, I supported the contract offer but not imposition.'

Around 300 people protested outside the Department of Health last night hours after the Health Secretary announced he would impose a new contract on junior doctors after the failure of negotiations

Placards at the protests insisted the 'NHS is not for sale' while others warned the Government must 'save our contracts, save our patients, save our NHS'

The petition, on the official government website, read: 'J.Hunt is to impose a new contract.

'As incoming junior doctors, with GMC registration, starting work as an FY1 in August 2016 and junior doctors working within the NHS we will refuse to sign the imposed contract and will continue strike action on behalf of the medical profession and greater public.

'Jeremy Hunt has announced that new contracts will be imposed on Junior doctors in his endeavour to destroy the NHS and privatise healthcare in the UK.

'It is in our interest as future and working Junior Doctors and in the interest of the general public that we continue to oppose these new contracts.

'We will refuse to sign these new contracts and will continue strike action until a negotiated resolution has been reached.'

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, MPs will have to consider staging a Commons debate on the subject. Ministers are already required to provide a formal response as it has passed 10,000.

Last night up to 300 junior doctors and other campaigners protested outside the Department of Health in Whitehall, calling on Mr Hunt to resign.

They chanted 'Where are you Jeremy?', 'Jeremy Hunt has got to go' and 'We won't give up the fight'.

Mr Hunt told the Commons 'despitewillingness from the Government to be flexible on the crucial issue of Saturday pay' a 'negotiated solution is not realistically possible'.

The Government had drafted in Sir David Dalton  chief executive of Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust  to broker a deal but the deadlock could not be broken.

Mr Hunt told MPs that with the backing of major NHS groups including NHS Employers and NHS England, Sir David 'has asked me to end the uncertainty for the service by proceeding with the introduction of a new contract that he and his colleagues consider both safer for patients and reasonable for junior doctors.'

The Health Secretary added that while the process had created 'considerable dismay' among junior doctors he felt that given time, the contract would be accepted as a good thing.
Just two years ago, Amal Alamuddin wasn't exactly a name on everyone's lips.

But since her marriage to George Clooney, the human rights lawyer has been catapulted into the global spotlight  and now finds herself being courted by world leaders.

In her latest high-profile meeting, Mrs Clooney accompanied her husband for talks over coffee with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the migration crisis engulfing Europe.

Ears in high places: German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts British human rights barrister Amal Clooney and Hollywood actor George Clooney for talks at the Chancellery in Berlin on the migration crisis engulfing Europe

The couple discussed 'refugee policies' and their involvement in the group International Rescue Committee

The couple, who were in the capital to attend the Berlinale film festival, used their privileged access to discuss 'refugee policies' and their work with the aid group International Rescue Committee.

Before her marriage to Mr Clooney in September 2014, the Lebanese-born barrister had forged a highly successful career in her own right, specialising in human rights and international law.

Among her previous roles she served as an adviser to Kofi Annan in his role as a UN special adviser for Syria and also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his extradition proceedings.

But in recent months, Mrs Clooney has found herself taking her expertise right to the doorsteps of world leaders.

Her meeting with Merkel comes just three weeks after she was hosted by David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister listened intently for an hour as she urged him to help her free the jailed former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.

The pair were accompanied at the 40-minute meeting by David Miliband (left), the former British foreign secretary who heads the International Rescue Committee with which the couple are involved

Mr and Mrs Clooney were in the German capital to attend the Berlinale film festival, which this year also puts Europe's refugee influx in the spotlight

The Hollywood star said he would also meet a group of asylum seekers 'to talk about and ask what messages and what things we can do... to help'

It was also a case that saw her square up to Cherie Blair, the barrister wife of Tony Blair, who has been hired to represent the Maldivian government.

Mrs Clooney also met with U.S. Senator John McCain and other lawmakers last month in an attempt to lobby Congress to level sanctions against the Maldives unless they release political prisoners.

Mr Nasheed, 48, was the first democratically-elected president of the Maldives, but he was deposed in a coup in 2012 and was sentenced to 13 years in jail last March after he was convicted under anti-terrorism laws of ordering the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge.

The UN ruled in October that his incarceration was unjust and there is growing international pressure for him to be permanently released and pardoned by the country's hardline dictator Abdulla Yameen.

Mrs Clooney's meeting with Merkel comes just three weeks after she was hosted by David Cameron at 10 Downing Street (above), where the British Prime Minister listened intently for an hour as she urged him to help her free the jailed former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed (left)

Amal Clooney is guided by the president of the Acropolis museum Dimitris Pantermalis during a visit at the museum in Athens. She became the public face of the legal wrangle between Britiain and Greece over the disputed ownership of the Elgin Marbles when she took a role as adviser to the Greek government

But representatives of Mrs Blair's legal team for the Maldivian government argue the former president was fairly convicted of an offence of the 'utmost seriousness' by the courts and say calls for sanctions are 'inappropriate'.

Mrs Clooney had met Mr Cameron before at the House of Commons in June last year to discuss the same case.

She is also understood to have had dinner with then Labour leader Ed Miliband last year.

Mr Miliband was invited to the exclusive gathering at the London home of top human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson to be briefed on proposals to introduce fresh sanctions against Russia.

Mrs Clooney called for the UK government to introduce US-style travel restrictions on Russian citizens allegedly behind the murder of whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky.

The glamorous barrister also became the public face of the legal wrangle between the British and Greek governments over the disputed ownership of the Elgin Marbles.

Mrs Clooney had been hired by Greece to advise the state ahead of a possible court case aimed at forcing the British Museum to give up the sculptures, which came from the Parthenon temple.

Amal Clooney and Lawyer Geoffrey Robertson arrive for a hearing at the European Court of Human Rights

George Clooney is flanked by his wife Amal Alamuddin as they leave the Aman luxury Hotel on their wedding day in Venice, Italy, in September 2014

She and her husband are among the most high-profile campaigners to push publicly for the return of the Marbles to Greece.

Last year, Mrs Clooney and other lawyers from Doughty Street Chambers delivered a 150-page report to the Greek government advising them on their legal options.

One suggestion was to challenge the UK's possession of the monuments at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

However, the far-Left Greek government announced in December that it will not launch a legal action against the UK  and dropped her services.

The Oxford graduate completed her Masters of Law at New York University and worked in the city at the firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

She returned to London in 2010, joining Doughty Street Chambers as a barrister.
Dramatic pictures have emerged on the moment armed police arrested a teenager in connection with the murder of a businessman 'executed' by masked gunmen during an attempted robbery.

Akhtar Javeed, 56, was gunned down as he tried to fight off two armed raiders who burst into his business premises in Birmingham earlier this month.

The grandfather-of-one was shot in the neck as he bravely refused to hand over cash before his killers made their getaway empty-handed.

It emerged this morning that an 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting after a police raid on a house in Derby.

Armed police swoop on a house in Derby last night in connection with the fatal shooting of Akhtar Javeed

Akhtar Javeed was shot outside his business in Brimingham earlier this month. He later died of his wounds

Photos of the moments before the arrest show armed police lined up behind their cars with semi-automatic rifles raised.

West Midlands Police confirmed the teenager was being held in custody and said a silver Renault Megane had also been seized.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Slevin, who is leading on the investigation, added: 'Extensive investigations into the death are ongoing and we are still appealing for anyone who saw a silver Renault Megane in or around that time to get in touch.

'A man has been arrested but our investigation is still in the early stages and we want to hear from anyone who has any information that could help our investigation.'

A spokesperson for the force added: 'Officers have arrested a man in connection with the murder of Akhtar Javeed who was shot dead in Digbeth last week.

'An 18-year-old man was arrested in Derby by detectives on Thursday night and remains in police custody this morning.

'A silver Renault Megane has also been seized and will be forensically examined. Enquiries are continuing.'

Family have said Mr Javeed was 'a humble, simple family man who worked tirelessly every day'

His daughter Lilas described how her younger brothers will 'have to become men and start life without their role model guiding them' at a press conference this week

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson added: 'We made an arrest at the request of the West Midlands force as part of Operation Aline.'

Five staff members - including Mr Javeed - who were inside the unit at the time of the raid were tied up by the robbers before the fatal shooting last week.

CCTV footage released on Tuesday showed a car which detectives believe may have been used in the offence.

Police are appealing for anyone who spotted the car in the area between 6.20pm and 6.40pm to come forward.

On Wednesday, Mr Akhtar's daughter Lilas Javeed, 30, told how her family had been left 'shattered' by her father's murder and appealed for the public's help in catching his killers.

Ms Javeed described her father as a 'humble and simple' father and grandfather who worked tirelessly to provide for his family.

Earlier this week, police released this picture of a Renault Megane they think may have been used in the raid

A man has now been arrested in relation to the armed robbery which turned into a murder

Ms Javeed said: 'Everything has changed since the day he was taken from us.

'A devoted husband and caring father who selflessly did everything he could to look after the ones he loved is now gone, after having to suffer such a horrific attack.

'It breaks our hearts knowing that his last moments were not spent with us as they should have been.'

Ms Javeed appealed for anyone with information to contact police and added: 'Please, please come forward. It would mean so much to us.
A Japanese politician who made headlines over his quest to take paternity leave quit on Friday after confessing to an affair with a bikini model while his wife was pregnant.

Kensuke Miyazaki, 35, shook up Japan's conservative political scene when he sought to take a month's leave to help his then pregnant wife, a first for a male Japanese lawmaker.

His bid drew criticism from many politicians in a country where fathers taking time off to care for children is rare.

Shamed Kensuke Miyazaki apologises for his actions during a press conference in Tokyo today

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kensuke Miyazaki bows to show his contrition at a Tokyo press conference announcing his resignation

Miyazaki caused controversy by taking paternity leave to assist his wife after she gave birth - a rare move in the country's deeply conservative political establishment

Miyazaki, however, won the backing of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who supported his trailblazing idea.

On Friday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker announced his resignation after a weekly magazine revealed his affair with the 34-year-old woman while they were in Kyoto, his constituency.

Miyazaki's mea culpa was televised nationally with lunchtime news showing the disgraced politician bowing deeply to convey his contrition. Friday's evening newspapers followed suit with the same photo being splashed over front pages.

The admission of his affair triggered outrage online, but politicians were at pains to point out that Miyazaki's fall from grace should not detract from the debate on paternity leave.

'The issue of men taking vacation or paternity leave should not be rejected or devalued because of this sort of thing,' said Japan's Education Minister Hiroshi Hase, who could not resist a thinly veiled swipe at Miyazaki, adding: 'We reap what we sow.'

Miyazaki and his wife Megumi Kaneko, a fellow LDP parliamentarian, at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo last year

Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki insisted the scandal would have no bearing on government policy.

'It is an individual case,' he told local media. 'It is not something which will have any influence on issues of policy.'

Miyazaki met the woman - also a professional kimono dresser - when she helped him and other politicians dress up in ceremonial garb for the opening of Japan's parliament last month.

The sexual relationship happened several days before Miyazaki's wife - fellow politician Megumi Kaneko - gave birth to their first child.

'I have done such a cruel thing to my wife,' he told a press conference.

'I'm deeply, deeply, deeply sorry that what I've been advocating [on paternity leave] was contradicted by my careless actions. So, I have decided to quit.'

Miyazaki had faced vociferous calls for him to step down.

'To think he was lobbying for paternity leave while [having an affair],' fumed Yukio Edano, secretary general of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. 'He has tarnished the debate.'

Paternity leave is rare in Japan, with only about 2.3 percent of men working at private companies taking time off.
Two young ISIS fighters have been caught trying to flee the battlefield in Iraq by disguising themselves in women's clothing.

It is thought the two men saw Iraqi forces closing in on their base and quickly shaved off their beards and donned headscarves and robes.

The MailOnline has not managed to independently verify the two images but they were reportedly taken after the Iraqi army and Shiite paramilitary forces liberated the city of Ramadi.

It is thought the two men saw Iraqi forces closing in on their base and quickly shaved off their beards and donned headscarves and robes

One of the young men, blood dripping from a wound on his nose, appears to be wearing a pink and black striped headscarf

The Iraqi forces posted several photographs of their fighters posing next to the captured ISIS fighters, who were still dressed as women.

One of the young men, blood dripping from a wound on his nose, appears to be wearing a pink and black striped headscarf.

Staring miserably into the camera, the other man wears a colourful tunic. The two men were thought to have been trying to escape by blending into the civilian population.

The news comes as Russia appears ready to sell civil airliners to Iraq and keep providing it with military aid to fight ISIS, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.

Iraqi pro-governement forces stand on their armoured vehicles in the Jwaibah area, on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi

Several members of the Iraqi forces celebrate on a tank after retaking the city of Ramadi

Displaced Iraqi carry their few possessions as they flee the city of Fallujah, which is still controlled by ISIS

His comments comes after he visited the Iraqi capital of Baghdad as part of one of Russia's beiggest delegations in years.

The mission by nearly 100 government and business officials was part of a drive by Moscow to strengthen commercial and security ties with Iraq.

The diplomatic move by Russia could potentially eroding U.S. influence in one of the world's most critical regions.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said discussions had revolved around providing military assistance to defeat Islamic State militants, also known as Daesh, who seized a third of Iraq in 2014 and want to redraw the map of the Middle East.

Many of the Iraqis leaving Fallujah are heading for the newly re-captured city of Ramadi nearby

Russia appears ready to sell civil airliners to Iraq and keep providing it with military aid to fight ISIS

'We need international support from multiple sources, be it from within the international coalition or outside of it,' he said, referring to the U.S.-led coalition which has launched thousands of airstrikes and provided training and advice to Iraq's military.

'We need support, training and intelligence-sharing,' he told reporters. 'Intelligence plays an important role in the war on Daesh, and we've been coordinating for a while now with the Russian side to place this information in the hands of Iraqis.'
Pope Francis has met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity before embarking on a five-day tour of Mexico.

The pope's jet set down at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, where the two-hour meeting with Patriarch Kirill was held.

The 79-year-old pontiff, in his white robes, stepped off an Alitalia plane after a 12-hour flight and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on the tarmac.

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed one another three times on the cheek as they met in a wood-paneled VIP room at the Havana airport.

It is the first meeting between the leaders of Christianity's two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

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Union: Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill together for the first ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity

Healing: Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill (second from left) meet at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana, Friday, February 12

The Argentinian pontiff took off from Rome's Fiumicino airport shortly before 7am GMT en route to Havana.

Francis and Kirill signed a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

'For nearly one thousand years, Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist,' they said in the joint declaration signed after talks in Cuba.

'We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin.'

They said: 'Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re-establishment of this unity willed by God.

POPE FRANCIS' FEBRUARY 12 SCHEDULE 6.45am GMT: Pope Francis departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport 7pm GMT: Arrival at Jose Marti airport in Havana, Cuba 7.15pm GMT: Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill began private meeting 9.30pm GMT: Francis and Kirill to sign a joint declaration 10.10pm GMT: Church leaders' meeting ends 10.30pm GMT: Pope Francis leaves the International Airport of Havana and flies to Mexico City 12.30am GMT: Pontiff arrives at Benito Juarez International Airport, Mexico City Advertisement

'We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East.

'In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated,' they went on.

'We wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence.'

The pair embraced as they met each other for the first time at Havana's international airport.

'We are brothers,' Pope Francis said.

'Now things are easier,' Kirill agreed. 'This is the will of God,' the pope said.

The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, with the final obstacles finally swept away by a combination of the Pope's determination that it should happen and the Russian church's feeling that events in the Middle East have made Christian unity much more urgent.

The rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with the pontiff's drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy.

'I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers,' he said in an interview this week.

But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican since he was elected pope in 2013.

Arrival: Pope Francis is welcomed by Cuban President Raul Castro at the International Airport Jose Marti in Havana, on February 12

Meeting: Pope Francis shakes hand with Cuba's president Raul Castro as he arrives at Havana's international airport, where he is set to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill

'In the background there is a third player (Putin),' Vatican expert Marco Politi wrote in a blog on the historic encounter.

'It would be naive to believe the sudden availability of the patriarch is unrelated to the geopolitical situation Russia finds itself in at the moment,' he argued, in a reference to Russia's intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could '100 per cent guarantee' that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders' meeting.

Patriarch Kirill gave a supportive message to the Cuban leader Raul Castro when they met earlier this evening, ahead of Kirill's meeting with the pope.

Russian news agencies reported from Havana that Patriarch Kirill told Castro that the Cuban people 'have proved their right to live in the way they believe is fit'.

Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying that 'heroism is a spiritual concept that cannot be learned from books. It derives from man's spiritual life'.

Pair: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and Cuba's President Raul Castro meet in Havana on February 12

Welcome: The pope has arrived for the first ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity

Landing: Pope Francis emerges from the his jet at Havana's international airport after a 12-hour flight. He took off from Rome's Fiumicino airport shortly before 7am GMT

Face-to-face: The pope and Patriarch Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria, at around 9.30pm

Alexander Volkov said he hoped the meeting would open the door to 'new prospects of mutual cooperation', but emphasised that reunification of the Eastern and Western churches was not on the agenda.

Despite the breakthrough of a face-to-face meeting, Vatican-Orthodox relations remain strained.

The issues that caused the schism in the first place are unresolved and there are tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

Then there is the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, which has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.

Francis's arrival in Mexico this evening is set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City.

The plan is for believers to light up the road the Popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organiser Roberto Delgado described as a 'wall of light and prayer'.

Francis will spend his nights in Mexico at the ambassador's residence in the capital, but will make a series of trips to outlying states stricken by violence and poverty.

Historic: Pope Francis is the Roman Catholic pope in history to meet a Russian Orthodox patriarch. Pictured: Patriarch Kirill

Visit: Pope Francis wears a sombrero he received as a gift from a Mexican journalist aboard on the plane to Havana

Heading off: Pope Francis waves as he boards a plane at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy on February 12 2016

Journey: Pope Francis is pictured, left, wearing a sombrero and, right being by a policewoman as he arrives to board a plane at Fiumicino Airport

Meet: Pope Francis as he boards a plane to Cuba for a historic meeting with Russian Patriarch Kirill

Historic move: Pope Francis (right) will visit Cuba on February 12 to hold talks with Patriarch Kirill (left)

To underline his commitment to the plight of migrants fleeing persecution and poverty in search of a better life, his schedule will take in trips to both the southern and northern borders.

His arrival in a country that is home to the second-largest Catholic community in the world comes a day after a prison riot left 49 inmates dead in the north of the country.

He is also due to visit three places notorious for drug cartel mayhem: Ecatepec in Mexico State, Morelia in Michoacan and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua.

At Ciudad Juarez, located on the border with the United States, he will deliver an open-air mass which believers on the other side of the border, close to the Texas town of El Paso, will also be able to follow.

The cross-border service on Wednesday is expected to be one of the high points of the trip, but Francis has said the most emotional moment for him will come with Saturday's visit to the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary is one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world.

Francis has visited twice prior to becoming Pope and his schedule has been cleared for Saturday evening to allow him as much time as he wants for private prayer before the revered icon of the Morenita (the brunette virgin).

Violence, excommunications and a bitter rift which has lasted a thousand years: How the Christian church was split between East and West

Relations between the two Christian churches were framed by the bitter legacy of the Great Schism of 1054 and the recriminations, including mutual excommunications and the violence associated with the Crusades, that followed.

The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the authority of the Roman pontiff has long been the primary barrier to reconciliation.

In the Eastern tradition, all bishops are considered equal with church governance the responsibility of synods.

Rift: Pope Francis has made a priority of improving relations between Roman Catholicism and other religions

Culturally-rooted differences over forms of worship and observance, such as the eating of unleavened bread, contributed to the schism although many historians see it as having been primarily driven by the prevailing political forces.

More recently Vatican-Moscow relations have been strained by the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

Russian Orthodox officials have accused Catholics in Ukraine, who use Eastern forms of worship but are loyal to Rome, of both evangelism and fomenting Ukrainian nationalism.

There is also a festering dispute over the ownership of church properties confiscated from Eastern Rite Catholics during the reign of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, some of which were reclaimed from the Russian Orthodox church following the fall of communism.

Since becoming Pope, Francis has met twice with Patriarch Bartholomew, an Istanbul-based cleric who is considered the ecumenical head of the Eastern Orthodox church but does not have the same ecclesiastical clout as Russia's Kirill.

The various Orthodox churches count some 260 to 300 million followers, with the Russian branch accounting for 165 million of them.

In comparison, the Catholic church claims 1.2 billion members around the globe.

Pope Francis has also made a priority of improving relations between Roman Catholicism and other religions.
Ms Garlick was left trembling after a woman harassed her in a school

A frustrated mother has taken to social media to hit back at people who verbally abuse her for parking in disabled spaces - even though her two-year-old son suffers from a range of illnesses.

The emotional young Sydney mother, Hannah Garlick, 30, was left trembling after she was harassed at a school in Western Sydney for parking in a disabled space despite having a disabled sticker clearly displayed on her windscreen.

Ms Garlick is now hoping to change Australia's perspective that all disabled people have a wheelchair as she shares her experiences and images of her son wrapped in bandages during his treatment.

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Hannah Garlick, 30, has taken to social media to slam critics who harass her for using a disability parking space

'Some children have things you will never see... disabilities you can't see but that doesn't mean its not there,' wrote Ms Garlick on facebook.

Her young boy Caleb suffers from eosinophilic esophagitis, an inflammatory condition caused by allergies, laryngomalacia, a congenital abnormality, and severe eczema which requires a daily application of wet bandages to his body.

In a rush to meet Caleb's nurse for his treatment, Ms Garlick parked in a disabled parking spot in order to drop off her daughter at her first day in Kindergarten and rush back home.

But upon exiting her car she was immediately confronted by a woman who harassed her for using a disabled parking space.

Ms Garlick recounted her tragic experience in the online video describing the feeling of dread of having to return to her car.

'Just because he's not in a wheelchair, doesn't mean he's not disabled,

'Just because he's a little boy and some days he looks amazing and looks normal, does not mean there's no disability there,' said Ms Garlick.

Ms Garlick hopes to help Australians see disabilities beyond a wheelchair

Two-year-old Caleb suffers from a range of debilitating illnesses and requires daily treatment which involve an application of wet bandages to most of his body

Ms Garlick told Daily Mail Australia she is constantly harassed bu the public for using a disabled sticker especially when Caleb is left without bandages

Ms Garlick told Daily Mail Australia she had chosen to take off Calebs bandages in order to not scare the other school children.

'I was caught of guard [by the woman]...I felt like I was in trouble, I was shaking.'

'I was hoping to rush home and leaving Caleb without bandages for 15 minutes would be fine..but I had to be quick,' she said.

But upon returning to the vehicle, Ms Garlick was also shocked to discover an irresponsible driver decided to park behind her in order to block her exit.

'The other car who had a NSW disable label, parked right behind me in the middle of the road...it was obvious it was done deliberately because they were at an angle,' said Ms Garlick.

Although the harassment may be less severe when Caleb is bandaged, Ms Garlick is frustrated with the communities definition of disability.

'That is an everyday thing. What annoys me the most is when he isn't wet bandaged I get hammered, absolutely hammered.

'The amount of people that leave notes on my car and it is so hard because people can barely understand what you go through, let alone having to get hammered every day,' said Ms Garlick in the video.

Since the incident Ms Garlick has created a poster to help create awareness

After posting an emotional video recounting the tragic occurrence she was inundated with messages of similar stories

Since posting the video Ms Garlick has been inundated with messages from people recounting similar stories.

'I didn't realise it was a common thing and that it happens to a lot of people.'

Although many people verbally harass the mother-of-two, many also choose to leave notes on the car.

'A lot of people leave messages on the window instead of confronting you... they're really hurtful.

One read: 'youre disgusting and you shouldn't take your nanas disabled sticker','Ms Garlick told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Garlick hopes education will stop similar situations from occurring again

'I did not see a disabled get out of your car,' read a note left by a passer-by on the windscreen of Ms Garlick's car.
Glen Dempsey, pictured, 23, of Liverpool, burgled his then ex-girlfriend's home and stole her cat before filming himself attacking it and sending her the video

A jilted boyfriend who threatened to slit his girlfriend's throat and kill her brother before kidnapping and abusing her cat was spared jail after she pleaded with a judge to let him go free.

Glen Dempsey, 23, of Liverpool, twice burgled Shauna Robbins' flat after she dumped him and stole her cat, filming himself attacking it before sending the video to her.

He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal but avoided jail and was ordered to attend a 'Building Better Relationships' course after Miss Robbins wrote a letter to the judge asking for mercy after the couple reunited.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Dempsey abused the cat by putting it in a shower and closing a door on its head.

Dempsey also sent Miss Robbins text messages threatening to 'cut her brother from ear to ear' and 'slit her throat' and put inappropriate photographs of her on Facebook, which were later deleted.

He claimed he did mean to mistreat the cat by putting it in the shower because 'he did not realise cats don't like water'.

Dempsey, who was convicted of two counts of burglary, told a jury he did not consider taking the cat as theft because he bought it for Miss Robbins as a present.

He added: 'I don't believe I mistreated it by washing it.'

Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, said: 'You are claiming you were just cleaning the cat? So why is it then that you have entered a guilty plea to animal cruelty?'

He replied: 'Because it looks like I'm mistreating the cat..'

Judge Elizabeth Nicholls told Dempsey he owed his partner 'a great debt' after she decided to stand by him.

The court heard Dempsey was still traumatised by the death of his brother in Dublin, which led to his own five-year suspended sentence for firearm offences in 2012.

He spent a year in custody before his conviction for that crime, as 'he was in fear of his own life', and what would happen if he remained on the streets, his barrister Holly Betke said.

Judge Nicholls described Dempsey's actions towards the cat as 'spiteful'.

She said: 'This was to inflict emotional pain on Miss Robbins. I am told both of you want to resume your relationship and Miss Robbins has stated she does not want you to go to custody and she acknowledges you need help and assistance.

Dempsey has since reunited with girlfriend Shauna Robbins, pictured left, and was spared jail after she wrote to the judge at Liverpool Crown Court asking for mercy

The judge at Liverpool Crown Court, pictured, ordered Dempsey to attend a relationship course and also handed him a 16-month suspended sentence

'You should be very grateful to her, she has explored your past - you are a troubled young man who has failed to address significant and traumatic events in your past.

'You will not be able to form proper relationships with anyone in the future (if you don't address your issues).'

Dempsey, who admitted animal cruelty and harassment, was handed a 16-month suspended sentence and banned from keeping animals for four years.
Local hero: Vanora Hereward wanted to save her village so gifted land for homes and a new post office - but died before her dream was realised

Vanora Hereward was distraught to see the village she loved lose its shop, post office and pub as local families were forced out by holiday home owners.

So the local solicitor gifted land next to her own home in Toller Porcorum to secure a brighter future for the West Dorset hamlet near Dorchester.

Miss Hereward then helped set up a community trust to develop it and secured planning permission for five affordable homes and a new post office.

But tragically the 64-year-old, whose other great joy was planting daffodil, snowdrop and other bulbs on Toller Porcorum's grass verges, died before she could see a brick laid.

Her son Satish found her dead at the foot of her stairs after a fall at her home in June 2012.

Today the development on the aptly named Hereward Close is complete and has rejuvinated a village in one of Britain's least affordable areas dominated by holiday lets and retired homeowners.

Barry Rutherford, treasurer of Toller Porcorum Community Land Trust said: 'The housing project was Vanora's notion.

'We lost our Post Office and shop some time ago and the pub closed and was turned into housing.

'It is almost impossible for young people on average earnings to get into the property market in this area.

'People of retirement age and second homeowners can afford to pay the prices and that has helped keep them at the rate they are. The village was in danger of becoming one big old age pensioners' home.'

Fresh start: This is the official opening of the development in Toller Porcorum, and the five new homes house local families who would have been forced out by high prices

Amenities: One of Britain's newest post offices also stands on the parcel of land Miss Hereward gifted to the village she loved

The cul-de-sac is now home to local people who were struggling to afford hugely inflated rents in an area of the country where the average house price is now 330,000.

The close includes a new Post Office and village store with a one bed flat above.

Locals say the development has given a new life to the village of 307 people, and has stopped young people and families from moving out of the area.

Miss Hereward, a Cambridge University graduate and keen bell ringer whose family lived in the village since the 1950s, then had the idea of using the parcel of green land that she owned and was worth more than 30,000.

Mr Rutherford said: 'Vanora had this plot and said something like 'wouldn't it be nice to build a house or two and a new Post Office on it'.

'It was a bit pie in the sky but it went from there. She donated it to the village and we formed the land trust three or four years ago.

'She was one of the directors from the start but before it could go any further she sadly died suddenly.

'She put it on her will that the land would be given to the village hall so we carried on her legacy, if you like.

'We submitted the plans to the local authority and held public meetings and the village was 98 per cent in favour.

'Now these houses have been built and people have moved in. It is nice to have children running around in the village, it breathes new life into the area.

'The only sad thing about it is that Vanrora didn't get to see it. It was only right to name of the new estate after her, given everything she did for the village.'

Beginning: The development was named after Miss Hereward, who died suddenly in June 2012 before a brick was laid

New home: One of the new residents is Jenny Legg, a 28-year-old single mother of Aiden, six, and Isabella, four who pay 595 a month for the house

The trust, which owns the land, worked with housing association the Aster Homes which built the properties and lets them out at a subsidised rent.

One of the new residents is Jenny Legg, a 28-year-old single mother of two.

She had been living in a two bed bungalow with her children Aiden, six, and Isabella, four, before moving into a brand new, three bed home that she pays 595 a month for.

Miss Legg, an administrator, said: 'We lived in the village in a cramped and mouldy bungalow that made Isabella ill.

'I could never have afforded the rent for a three bed house in this area. These new houses have enabled young people to carry on living in the village and given them a brighter future.'

Karl Hine, of Aster Homes, said: 'The project wouldn't have succeeded without Vanora's gift.

'Aster is making a loss on the scheme, partly due to the infrastructure costs involved in the building.
Is a breakup bringing you heartache for Valentine's Day?

Goodwill stores in the Sarasota and Las Vegas areas have an anti-Valentine's Day antidote. They're asking people to donate their ex's stuff with a 'don't hate, donate' campaign.

In a news release, Goodwill Manasota Foundation Vice President Veronica Brandon Miller says the agency is 'having a little fun at the expense of Valentine's Day.'

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Goodwill stores in Sarasota, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada are hosting anti-Valentine's Day donation drives

But she notes that breakups are never easy and that it is important to 'get rid of the items that keep exes stuck in the past.'

She says Valentine's Day is a good time to start fresh. So, start cleaning those closets.

Amanda Emory recently broke up with her long-distance boyfriend and decided to take part in the drive, recently dropping off a teddy bear holding a heart that her ex had given her to a Goodwill in Florida.

Amanda Emory donated a giant teddy bear holding a heart that her ex gave to her, at the location in Florida

'I was thinking, "if I donate this really cute teddy bear, somebody will want to buy it for their girlfriend or boyfriend, or their mom or dad will want to buy it for their kids." I think it will be in much better hands,' she told Fox 13.

Goodwill workers in Sarasota are asking participants only to donate items which belong to them or which their ex has given them permission to throw out.

'If someone leaves something behind, don't be malicious when you donate. Make sure it is something they have left behind or something they have given you that they don't need anymore,' Marketing and public relations coordinator Kelly Davis-Strausbaug said.

A location in Las Vegas, Nevada set up this table with examples of things you could donate during the drive

The Goodwill in Las Vegas is running a more impassioned campaign called 'Dump Your X's Stuff'.

'So did she leave your sweater at your place and you don't want it anymore? Well get this - you can drop it off and it will go onto someone else here,' a KSNV reporter said, explaining the drive.
Entertainer Rolf Harris is to be charged with seven counts of indecent assault, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.

Entertainer Rolf Harris is to be charged with seven counts of indecent assault on victims aged between 12 and 27, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.

The 85-year-old was jailed for almost six years in 2014 after being found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault.

Harris, who is due to be released next year, is now accused of assaulting seven new alleged victims between 1971 and 2004.

A CPS spokesman said: 'We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of Operation Yewtree in relation to Rolf Harris.

'Having completed our review in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Harris to be charged with seven counts of indecent assault.

'The alleged offences date from 1971 to 2004 and relate to seven complainants aged between 12 and 27 at the time of the alleged offending'.

Harris, who is married with one daughter, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on March 17.

It was recently reported that Harris has made 76,000 while in jail through an investment firm of which he was formerly a director.

Company accounts show RHE Investments Ltd saw its assets increase by 76,604 from 7,170,293 to 7,246,843. The company is half owned by Harris and his wife, Alwen, and the other half by family trusts.

It was reported earlier this month that his wife has recently stopped making the two-hour trip to HMP Stafford to see him because she is too ill.

A neighbour of the couple said: 'She finds the journey to see him very arduous and has become a recluse.'

Fallen star: Rolf Harris, pictured left with his portrait of the Queen and his Officer of the Order of Australia medal, was unmasked as a paedophile who 'mesmerised' his victims
A medical student has pleaded guilty to plotting to kill police, soldiers and civilians in a series drive-by shootings bringing terror to the streets of London in the name of ISIS.

One of the men accused of plotting to use a moped in a series of Islamic State-inspired drive-by shootings in London dramatically changed his plea at the Old Bailey today.

The first defendant, Tarik Hassane, 22, admitted conspiracy to murder and preparation of terrorist acts as the defence was about to start in the Old Bailey trial.

Tarik Hassane, 22, admitted conspiracy to murder and preparation of terrorist acts as the defence was about to start in the Old Bailey trial

He pleaded guilty to researching, planning and sourcing a weapon and ammunition with a view to committing terrorist acts in London

The charges state that he conspired with co-defendants and others to murder 'a person or persons unknown' between July 8 and September 25 2014.

He was standing trial along with Nathan Cuffy, 26, Suhaib Majeed, 21, and Nyall Hamlett, 25, who deny the charges.

Hassane, wearing a blue shirt, stood in the dock and answered 'guilty' as the charges were put to him by the court clerk.

Mr Justice Wilkie then directed the jury to record guilty verdicts, adding: 'He will be remanded in custody to come up for sentence at a date to be decided.'

And between July 8 2014 and October 7 2014, they researched, planned and sourced a weapon and ammunition with a 'view to committing an attack or attacks on a person or persons within the United Kingdom'.

Three other co-accused, all from West London, deny the charges. They are: Nyall Hamlett, 25, Nathan Cuffy, 26, and Suhaib Majeed, 21. Some of them are also variously charged with firearms offences.

Trial judge Mr Justice Wilkie instructed the jury to formally find Hassane guilty and said he would be sentenced on a future date.
The partner of a man found dead in a toolbox at the bottom of a Brisbane dam does not know how to tell her three-year-old daughter the devastating news about her father.

On Thursday the bodies of Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru were found in Kingston, it is believed both of the victims who had been reported missing in January were from the neighbouring suburb Logan.

In just a few short weeks Miranda, who does not want her last name to be used, would have been celebrating nine years with Cory Breton instead she has to work out how to tell their daughter he's dead.

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Miranda, Cory Breton's partner of nearly nine years has spoken out about his murder

She says her daughter, 3, still doesn't know why her dad, Cory hasn't come home

The mum has described her partner as 'kind' and 'loving'

I have to try and sort of say to her "look dad is gone and youre not going to be able to see him again", she told 7 News.

A part of me feared this, feared the worse.

It is alleged both victims had been severely beaten, had their mouths taped shut and were then shot dead before they were placed in the box and dropped in the dam.

Miranda has described Mr Breton as very loving, caring, and said he would drop anything for his mates any time of day.

She says she is still missing quite a few pieces to this big puzzle that led to her partners death.

The woman admits she 'feared the worst' when her partner was gone for so long

Cory Breton, 28, went missing on January 21 from the Logan area

Iuliana Triscaru, 31, was last seen at a Marsden address on January 24. Six people have been charged with her murder.

On Tuesday, before the bodies were found Miranda told the media 'to not hear from him, for him to stay away from his little girl for this amount of time, it's not only heartbreaking, it's puzzling in itself.'

'The last couple of weeks have been a real rollercoaster,' she said after the bodies had been found.

The grisly discovery was confirmed by Queensland Police on Thursday afternoon.

Police located the box behind a Coates Hire equipment-leasing shop on Mudgee St, Kingston, in Logan.

Investigators had been scouring the area for the victims, who went missing more than two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Six people have been charged with their murder, after the pair were allegedly shot in the head last month.

Police used a crane to load the metal box, which is believed to hold the bodies of Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru, onto a truck at the crime scene

Police fear the bodies of the Logan duo were stuffed inside the box after they were allegedly shot in the head

Police removed the box from the dam on Thursday afternoon and sent it to the John Tonge Centre where it was examined.

'The box was subsequently opened and found to contain the remains of two people,' police said in a statement.

The remains will be subject to postmortem examinations and positive identification.

Earlier in the day, Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson, Southeast regional crime coordinator, said police found the metal box, which was about two metres long, just after 8am.

Police alleged that the metal box was transported by a dark green 1999 Toyota Hilux on the night of January 24.

Mr Hutchinson has urged anyone that saw the vehicle to contact police.

As a consequence of the investigations we are also of the view that two yellow ratchet straps were disposed of on Third Avenue in Marsden the morning of 25 of Jan," he added.

We will allege the ratchet straps were used to secure the box to the utility," he said, and asked anyone finding the straps to hand them into the police.

Investigators announced on Thursday morning they had charged six people with murder over the disappearance of the Logan duo.

Police fear the bodies of the Logan duo were stuffed inside the box after they were allegedly shot in the head

Police allege that the metal box was transported by a dark green 1999 Toyota Hilux on the night of January 24

Police said they found the metal box, which was about two metres long, just after 8am on Thursday

Police conducted a forensic examination of the crime scene in the Logan suburb of Kingston on Thursday

Mr Breton, 28, went missing on January 21 from the Logan area, while Ms Triscaru, 31, was last seen at a Marsden address on January 24.

Two men were arrested after police intercepted a vehicle on the Gateway Motorway, southeast of Brisbane, just before 5pm on Wednesday.

Three people were initially detained, but only two were charged with murder.

Police also allegedly found a quantity of methylamphetamine when they searched the vehicle.

Two men were arrested after police intercepted a vehicle on the Gateway Motorway, southeast of Brisbane, on Wednesday

The six accused appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, where they were all charged with the murder of Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru and remanded in custody.

It is alleged they shot the Logan duo in the head last month.

The Courier Mail reported that a mother of seven, 36-year-old Ngatokoona Maretti, was among the suspects charged on two counts of murder.

Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 24, Webbstar Latu, 31, Davy Malu Junior Taiao, 21, Stou Daniels, 21, and Trent Michael Thrupp, 22, also appeared in court.

Mr Hutchinson said investigators were still looking for a motive, but suspected the murder was drug related.

He said police were keen to speak to two more men, a 32-year-old from Crestmead and a 25-year-old from Kingston, who they believe have knowledge of the alleged crime.

If those people, and they will know who they are ... we would encourage them to come and see us now, Mr Hutchinson said.

Pictured is the dark green 1999 Toyota Hilux that police believe was used in the murder

Police told media on Thursday that they believed the metal box was strapped onto the Hilux

On Wednesday, police set up two crime scenes in the Logan suburb of Kingston.

One was centred around the house of 23-year-old Lelan Harrington, who disappeared with Ms Triscaru and Mr Breton, but was later found.

A second concentrated on a location off Mudgee Street in Kingston and saw police divers search a dam on a vacant block, while officers and police dogs scoured nearby bushland.

Police resumed their search of the location off Mudgee Street in Kingston today.

Ms Triscaru's mother, Victoria, said she was very worried for her daughter and Iuliana's three children missed her.

Miranda is now preparing for her partner's funeral which she says will be 'massive' as he had a lot of friends.

A crane is captured lifting the metal box out of the dam

The metal box was found in a dam behind a Coates Hire on Mudgee St in Logan

For the past two days police have focussed their search on a vacant block off Mudgee Street in Kingston

Police divers searched a dam on the block, while officers and police dogs scoured nearby bushland
The stabbing victim of the poster for for Black Lives Matters at the Super Bowl has broken his silence to tell of his own ordeal.

The death of Mario Woods, who was shot by police in San Francisco in December, was thrust onto the world stage when Beyonce's backup dancers held up a sign demanding 'justice' and making a black power salute.

But now the man whose stabbing set in motion the chain of events which ended with Woods being shot has gone public to tell Daily Mail Online what really happened.

Marcel Gardner decided to break his silence to tackle claims that Woods, 26, had not stabbed anyone before his death.

Gardner also made clear that he does not condone the police shooting, but said that it was right for the full truth to be known.

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Caught on camera: The final moments of Mario Woods were filmed, showing a series of officers surrounding him and then shots being fired. Police say he had ignored demands to drop a knife

Victim revealed: Marcel Gardner, 26, was stabbed by Mario Woods shortly before Woods was shot and killed by San Francisco police. He has come out of hiding to dispel suggestions that Woods did not stab anyone

Global impact: The picture and video of Beyonce's dancers holding the Justice 4 Mario Woods sign and making a black power salute was seen by millions

Gardner, 26, was attacked and stabbed minutes before Woods, also 26, was cornered by police and shot 21 times.

Until now little had been revealed about how Woods stabbed a man and had been high on drugs.

Gardner told how Woods, who was carrying a kitchen knife, circled his car 'like a shark' and appeared to be high on drugs when he launched his stabbing attack, wounding Gardner in his left arm.

Activists in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco had questioned whether Woods had in fact been involved in a knife attack as police had not identified the victim.

But Gardner, an unemployed technical engineer, has a stab wound in his arm and is certain it was Woods who had attacked him.

Woods had convictions for armed robbery and possession of a firearm. He had been released early from a seven-year prison sentence.

Gardner, who is open that he was smoking drugs at the time of the attack, and that he would not normally co-operate with the police - says that he is clear that Woods was his assailant.

On the afternoon of December 2 Gardner said, he was with two women, one of them a mother who had her child with her, who had met for the purposes of smoking weed.

He said he did not know their names and has not been able to trace them since.

'I had just met the women who wanted to smoke some weed with me,' he said.

'I was chilling in my car and looking at my iPad, looking for jobs and playing videos.

Wounded: This is the stab wound suffered by Marcel Gardner, which was still to heal days after the attack

Remembered: Mario Woods was said to be a 'nice young man' but he had been sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012 and released early. His mother Gwen was said to be pleased at the use of her son's name on Sunday

They were in the car and - Woods admits - 'high' when a man who seemed 'agitated and just a little bit paranoid' approached the car.

'He was just muttering and then in one minute he started zoning in on the car. I couldn't make out what he was saying,' he said.

'He was shouting and screaming and said: "You had better get away from herethis is my block."

'Then he started circling the car like a shark and the girls began tripping out. 'They were on their phones and one girl was talking to her babydaddy and about what he was going to do and I guess he heard it.'

The man seemed to become more agitated, Gardner said, adding: 'He pulled the door open and I pushed the door back and got out of the car.

'I was thinking that if he is this aggressive, he could just bust a window and go Marilyn Manson on me and poking me [stabbing with the knife] and I would have no chance.

'I asked what was going on, but he already had the knife out.

'He ran up on me and tried to swing on me towards my chest and neck area. Most of the time I was trying to dodge his movements with the knife.

Political: Beyonce's dance routine was clearly designed to evoke the Black Panthers and make reference to African-American issues - but it was not intended to be about the death of Mario Woods

Political message: The X formation was seen as an overt reference to Malcolm X

'I tried to land a punch and I felt a nick in my arm. I didn't realize anything until I started feeling this leaking sensation down my elbow.

'My shirt just turned red and I could see the blood coming out.

'I was looking around for something to knock the knife out of his hand as I knew now I was down to defending myself with one arm.

'There were some construction workers watching, but nobody came to help. It went on for two to three minutes.

'He was saying "I am going to poke the s*** out of you" as he came for me. Then he said: "If you hit me again I am going to poke you again."'

Gardner ran into an alley, while one of the girls drove the car away.

'My arm was going limp and I had no strength on my arm whatsoever. I thought I might bleed out and tried to tie a noose around it with my jacket,' he said.

'Blood was gushing out and the ladies were screaming "Oh my god, oh my god."'

Gardner got back into the car, he said. 'He jumped out in the middle of the street with the knife in his hand. The girls were screaming like lunatics.'

Gardner managed to drive away and went straight to San Francisco Hospital for treatment with the women and baby on board..

Meanwhile, his attacker was encountered by armed police four blocks away and cornered. Someone else had called 911.

Videos of the incident captured on cellphones have been posted online and handed to police officers investigating the shooting.

They show the officers circling the suspect who has his back to a wall and is walking adjacent to it.

Officers say they shot beanbag rounds and used pepper spray to try to arrest Woods, but he failed to drop the knife.

The officers opened fire with their guns and he was killed on the spot.

The officers are Winson Seto, Antonio Santos, Charles August, Nicholas Cuevas and Scott Phillips and none have been reprimanded and have returned to work.

Site: This is the place where Mario Woods was shot by police, who say he refused to drop a knife

Political: The memorial to the dead man, who had been released early from a seven-year sentence, has become a focal point for Black Lives Matters slogans

Gardner said a short while after arriving at hospital, police officers emerged to question him about the attack on him.

'I had to go the hospital because I was passing out and I kept thinking about my kids and that I get to see them again.

'I didn't call the police and my only contact with them was when we were at the hospital.

'I began to realize something was wrong when more and more police came to the hospital.

'I didn't know anything about Mario being shot. They kept asking me if I knew the guy who stabbed me and if I knew his face and what he was wearing and I kept saying "No, No."'

He got eight stitches into the wound on his left arm. He drove away from hospital unaware that his attacker had been shot 21 times and that the cell phone video of his last moments was already circulating on the internet.

At 1.30 the next morning, a friend showed him the video on the internet and he immediately recognized Woods as the victim.

'My jaw dropped. I said "whoathat's the dude who stabbed me".'

Woods' last moments led to outrage in San Francisco and street protests were organized while Gardner went into hiding fearing for his safety.

The shooting victim's mother and family argued he was not 'aggressively fighting' the officers, who should have kept their distance and they have filed a lawsuit against the police department.

All the police had told me was that they had got the knife, and I had started putting pieces of the puzzle together, but nobody had told me Mario had been shot dead. After I had seen the video, I realized that this was going to blow up in my face.' Marcel Gardner

Gardner added: 'I am a black man and I didn't want to see another black man get gunned down, especially in my neighborhood.'

He said some of his family knew Woods and described him as a 'sweetheart' and that he had become aware after the death that Woods had been released from prison.

Gardner said he was still angry at what his attack on him, but was 'conflicted' when he learned what happened to him.

'All the police had told me was that they had got the knife, and I had started putting pieces of the puzzle together, but nobody had told me Mario had been shot dead,' he said.

'After I had seen the video, I realized that this was going to blow up in my face.'

As a result of the stabbing he is on pain killers and, he says, has been unable to work since as his arm is weak.

Gardner said that he did not believe his assailant should have been shot.

'When I see the video, I feel that maybe it could have been a lot of different tactics that could have been used like setting a canine on him,' he said.

'I don't know all the police policies but there does need to be other ways to deal with people other than excessive force.

'I believe one shot like a non fatal shot to disarm Mario in the arm would have been enough.'

An autopsy report released last night showed Woods had suffered 21 gunshot wounds and had marijuana, methamphetamine antidepressants and cough medicine in his system,

The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and 27 bullet casings were recovered from the scene.

Shawn Richard, of San Francisco's 'Brothers against Guns, said: 'This was an execution by firing squad. Mario stood no chance.'

San Francisco Police Department said its officers had opened fire on Woods 'fearing serious injury or death'.

Black Lives Matter said the five officers should be sacked and charged with murder and they called for the resignation of police chief Greg Suhr, who had already been under pressure after 14 of his officers were found to have engaged in texting racist and homophobic messages.

But Gardner said he hoped some good could ultimately come from his stabbing and said: 'I wish I could so something. I feel sorry that his life ended the way that it did.
Camila Batmanghelidjh, pictured outside Parliament, has denied she 'mesmerised' the Prime Minster to win grants for her Kids Company charity

Camila Batmanghelidjh, the flamboyant founder of the collapsed Kids Company charity, had denied she 'mesmerised' the Prime Minister to win millions of pounds in government grants.

Kids Company collapsed last year amid claims of financial mismanagement despite receiving more than 40million in taxpayer support - including 3million in the organisation's dying days.

Ministers controversially overruled civil servants to keep the money flowing to the charity but it was not enough to stave off financial collapse last August.

David Cameron personally endorsed the work of the charity as Prime Minister, including inviting Ms Batmanghelidjh to Downing Street, and money was also handed over by the last Labour government.

Ms Batmanghelidjh said she presented ministers with 'robust' arguments and expected them to make their own decisions.

And she told the BBC she had been the victim of malicious media attacks and 'very racist' comments in the wake of the charity's demise.

Ms Batmanghelidjh said: 'I think that it's sad that people think in this day and age that you can mesmerise people.

'I present arguments that I hope are robust, and people that I deal with, I hope, have the intelligence to scrutinise my arguments and make their own decisions.

'I would put the question to you another way - if I was capable of mesmerising the prime minister of this country, who have you voted for? Because that would be very dangerous.'

Ms Batmanghelidjh was responding to a report by the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee earlier this month which criticised the relationship between the Government and Ms Batmanghelidjh.

The report said: 'Ms Batmanghelidjh and Kids Company appeared to captivate some of the most senior political figures in the land, by the force of the chief executive's personality as much as by the spin and profile she generated for the charity. As a consequence, objective judgments about Kids Company were set aside.'

It added the charity received more than 42 million of Whitehall funding between 1996 and 2015, thanks in some part to Ms Batmanghelidjh winning 'unique, privileged and significant access to senior ministers and prime minsters'.

Mr Cameron defended his support for Kids Company at the height of the furore, saying he had been right to give the charity 'one more go' to continue doing 'very good and important work'.

In the committee report, MPs called for a 'radical change' in charity regulation to prevent a repeat of the debacle.

In a bombshell BBC documentary last month, Ms Batmanghelidjh was captured on camera admitting she would stretch and slightly break the law and branding the Government bastards.

In one extraordinary scene, Batmanghelidjh discusses her plans to launch a campaign to use funds intended to cover redundancy payments to keep staff on, seemingly oblivious to the financial consequences of such a move.

Alleway asks: Youre going to be doing something behind the scenes?

Mr Cameron was close to the controversial fundraiser and invited to Downing Street after he became Prime Minister in 2010 for a meeting on the Big Society project, pictured

Ms Batmanghelidjh was close to many senior politicians, including Boris Johnson, pictured in 2007, for many years as she raised money for Kids Company

Tellingly, Ms Batmanghelidjh replies: I never break the law. We have to be very clear about that. I never break the law, I just stretch it a bit.

Because if youre asking me, the correct law is to take care of these children properly. So I want to follow the correct law and if the law of the land is not correct then we have to slightly break it.

The charity chief was well known for courting politicians such as Mr Cameron and Boris Johnson, but the film also shows a hidden side.

While negotiating controversial Government funding of the charity, in an apparent reference to her dealings with Ministers, she adds: Its a chess game. Im playing chess with psychopaths. Someone might think, well youre an equally big nutter. My nuttiness is in the service of children, so its OK.

She is then filmed clutching her phone as it rings, joking: HMRC. They want their money and Ive got no money to give them.

It is not clear what tax bill she is referring to but in July 2015, the MoS reported how HMRC wrote off 589,000 in unpaid employment tax contributions in 2002.

The documentary begins in late June last year, as allegations of financial mismanagement continued to mount against the charity.

In return for a 3 million bailout to keep the charity alive, the Government wants Batmanghelidjh to stand down as chief executive and for Kids Company to downsize its budget.
Victim: This man, who asked to remain unnamed, was driving his Volkswagen Jetta on a busy highway when another driver cut him off and began punching him through his car window

A father of three is facing felony battery and child endangerment charges after he left his children in his car on the highway so that he could attack another driver during a road-rage incident.

Dikran Gligoriu, 35, of Temple City, California, was filmed stopping his car and attacking another driver on the 134 Freeway on Saturday.

Gligoriu's erratic driving caused another driver to begin filming his behavior.

In his Nissan Infiniti, Gligoriu swerved through traffic at a Volkswagen Jetta and eventually cut in front of the car, causing it to stop short..

While cars whizzed past on the busy highway, Gligoriu stopped his car, with three children inside, in front of the Jetta.

Gligoriu burst out of his car in a bizarre frenzy, looked over his shoulder as if to check for cars, then ran over the the unidentified Jetta driver's car and started punching its driver through the window.

The victim, who declined to give his name, but allowed his picture to be used, told told ABC7: 'He was kind of alongside me the whole way down the highway and he seemed angry.

'I wasn't going to go over and look at him. I didn't want to validate his yelling.

'I had my window down because it was a nice day, and before I knew it he was out of his car running up to my window and I'm trying to roll it up.'

The Jetta driver eventually gets away and Gligoriu gets back in his car and drives off also, but the man filming the incident catches not only the entire attack, but also Gligoriu's license plate.

Terrifying: The Nissan Inifiniti drives erratically, following the Volkswagen Jetta down a California highway

Dikran Gligoriu (pictured) stops his car with three children inside and runs over to the Jetta driver

Gligoriu begins punching the Jetta driver through his window while the driver in the car behind films the attack

The California Highway Patrol said the video ultimately helped them find the suspect.

Los Angeles County prosecutors are now considering the possibility of filing felony battery and child endangerment charges against Gligoriu.

The man who shot the video said his first thought was to film the incident.

He said he was suprised the Gligoriu didn't cause an accident or cause him or the Jetta driver to rear end one another.

The Jetta driver doesn't know what enraged Gligoriu but said he's glad the incident was filmed.

'In the end of the day he got his plate number and he got video of the whole story that kind of shows it from beginning to end,' the Jetta driver said.

The Jetta driver suffered minor facial injuries.

'This type of behavior is unacceptable.

'We understand that it is frustrating to be in traffic, but you cannot take out your anger on anyone else,' said CHP Officer Edgar Figueroa.

Gligoriu continues to throw punches as the Jetta driver tries to roll the window up and drive away
Godliness is the latest political battleground in the Republican presidential primary season, with the two front-runners' campaigns in South Carolina pummeling each other over their Christian faiths.

Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate developer who captured Tuesday's New Hampshire primary in sweeping fashion, asked early Friday morning on Twitter: 'How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?'

That slap, a reference to ongoing spats over anti-Trump 'push polls' and claims about Trump's stance on gay marriage, came after radio host Glenn Beck  a key Cruz supporter in the evangelical deep south  said Trump is a 'very dangerous' fake Christian.

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FINGER-POINTING: Ted Cruz claimed Thursday night at a South Carolina church that Donald Trump has 'gone soft' on gay marriage as his endorser Glenn Beck of talk radio fame blasted the billionaire as a fake Christian

PODIUM, NOT PULPIT: Trump doesn't make religion a major part of his sales pitch but has been known to bring his childhood Bible to rallies in evangelical-heavy regions of the country

TWEET-STORM: Trump said online that Ted Cruz is a liar

'Too many people right now are looking like a guy like Donald Trump and believing that that man has ever opened a Bible,' he told a crowd at Morningstar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina. 'That's the biggest crock of bullcr*p I've ever heard! We all know it!'

'But there's too many people who want just to go along for the show. This isn't a show! This is a profoundly sacred responsibility, and each one of us will be held accountable by our creator when we meet him.'

'Donald Trump is very dangerous, in my opinion,' Beck said.

Cruz, a Texas senator, is facing new questions about his own Bible-thumping habits after his campaign released  and then quickly retracted  an ad attacking Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

The reason: A softcore pornographic actress had a role in the 30-second spot.

But whatever self-inflicted moral wounds Cruz may suffer, his religious fervor remains a central part of his campaign. He has made more campaign appearances in churches than anyone else in the GOP field so far.

And on Thursday, hours before his porn-star video kerfuffle erupted, he spoke at the Carolina Values Summit, an annual gathering of Christian right voters.

SWINGING BACK: This tweet from Trump followed Cruz's claim that he has 'gone soft' on gay marriage

CHURCHY: Cruz has held more campaign events in Christian houses of worship than any other Republican 2016 presidential candidate

Cruz said there that his top Republican rivals have 'gone soft' on Christian morality  especially the thorny issue of same-sex marriage.

And he said two in particular  thought to mean Rubio and Trump  have acknowledged that a 2015 Supreme Court ruling on the subject is now 'the law of the land.'

Cruz, however, predicted that the decision 'will not stand.'

'There is something profoundly wrong when Republican presidential candidates are repeating Barack Obamas talking points on gay marriage, saying "we surrender, we give up",' Cruz said.

'You might as well light the White House up in rainbow colors.'

Referring to that statement, Trump tweeted about 'lying Cruz,' asking if he is 'the worst liar, crazy or very dishonest. Perhaps all 3?'

Meanwhile Ben Carson, who is languishing at the bottom of the GOP leader board as it condenses to fewer and fewer candidates, said Friday morning that he has forgiven Cruz for his campaign's 'despicable' efforts to spread a rumor in Iowa that he was quitting the race.

'It's a question of character,' Carson said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' program.

'Character is also indicated by the kind of people that you protect and that you surround yourself with. And you know, the situation in Iowa, you know, I'm willing to forgive Ted Cruz. You know, he said that he didn't know that that was going on.'

SOUTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE AN IMAGE PROBLEM: Amy Lindsay, whose acting resume includes work in softcore adult films, was cast in a Cruz ad that hammered Marco Rubio

CAMPAIGN TRAIL: While Cruz was in South Carolina, whose GOP primary is on Feb. 20, Trump was speaking to more than 13,500 people in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, more than three weeks ahead of the March 5 primary there

Asked what he would do if his campaign failed to catch fire in South Carolina, Carson said 'I believe we're gonna do extraordinarily well here,' but 'I reassess the future of the campaign every day.'

'It's a long race. It's a nine-inning game, we don't call it after the second inning,' he said. 'We're going to do just fine and I think South Carolina will be the turning point.'

While Cruz has Beck and other surrogates questioning the religious bona fides of his opponents, he insists he's not trying to position himself as a Jesus freak.

'I am a Christian and the Word says if you are ashamed of Jesus He will be ashamed of you. I dont intend to have that conversation with my maker. It is an integral part of who I am my faith,' he told 'The Brody File' on the Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday.
Commuters were left blinking in disbelief after a pair of doppelganger women were spotted on the Tube wearing identical outfits.

The duo who appeared to be twins were seen travelling on the District Line sporting the same haircuts, earrings and even similar bags by journalist Sophia Sleigh who swiftly took a picture and posted it on Twitter.

She wrote: 'Did a double take on the tube tonight. Matching shoes, Disney bags and newspapers! Love it#London.'

Double take: These doppelgangers were spotted by Sophia Sleigh who quickly posted a picture on Twitter

However, this is not the first time doppelgangers have been spotted side by side.

Do you know these women? Contact: alex.matthews@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Neil Douglas was shocked to discover his identical twin, Robert Stirling, from London, on the flight from Stansted to Shannon Airport, County Clare, last October.

Instead of asking the stranger to move the 32-year-old wedding photographer, from Glasgow, took a selfie and shared the image on Twitter.

The photograph, which was viewed thousands of times, shows the two complete strangers looking strikingly similar due to their bushy ginger beards, smiles and hairstyles.

The pair, who were even wearing similar black tops, later realised they were booked into the same Irish hotel and enjoyed a pint together in a nearby pub.

Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Douglas said: 'I asked him to move and when the guy looked up, I thought: 'Holy s***, he looks like me.

Twin: Bearded traveller Neil Douglas (right) met his doppelganger Robert Stirling on a Ryanair flight to Ireland

'We had a big laugh about it  everyone had a laugh. We took a selfie and that was it.

'I later checked into my hotel in Galway to find my doppelganger checking into the same hotel ahead of me. Total weirdness.'

In another meeting, father Michael Loneran, 52, was left speechless when he met the doppelganger of his daughter, Shannon, and couldn't tell the pair apart.

Shannon 21, from Country Kerry, Ireland, met up with Sara Nordstorm, 17, from Sweden after she was contacted on the website Twin Strangers.

The pair share the same blonde hair and facial features, which Shannon said 'frightened' her when the pair initially met in Dublin.

Shortly after meeting Sara, Mr Loneran said: 'Oh my God. I had to look twice, I really did. I was shocked initially, shocked. They do look an awful lot alike.
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The first trailer for the remake of Roots was released on Thursday, promising all of the drama and heartbreak that captivated audiences nearly thirty years ago.

The History Channel's remake of the 1977 miniseries, based on Alex Haley's novel of the same name, is due out on Memorial Day and features an all-star cast including Forest Whitaker, Anika Noni Rose, Anna Paquin and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Roots follows the struggles of one African American family told over several generations, starting with Kunte Kinte, an African warrior sold into slavery, through to his great-grandchildren fighting for their freedom during the Civil War.

Out of Africa: On Thursday, the History Channel released the first trailer for the remake of Roots, the popular 1977 miniseries based on Alex Haley's novel of the same name. British actor Malachi Kirby (pictured) will take on the lead role of Kunta Kinte

Taken: The dramatic first trailer shows Kinte being kidnapped by fellow black Africans working at the behest of white slave traders

America bound: Kinte is taken by boat to Colonial America. He and the fellow slaves on board try and fail to mount a mutiny in a last-ditch effort to take back their freedom

Property: When Kinte arrives in America, he is sold to a a plantation owner in Virginia. Above, an excruciating scene in which Kinte is branded

New name: Kinte receives abuse at the hands of his masters for refusing to go by his new slave name of Toby. Above, another scene from the trailer released Thursday

British actor Malachi Kirby will take on the role of Kunta Kinte, the progenitor of the family, who is kidnapped from Africa and brought to Colonial America where he is sold to a Virginia plantation owner.

While he faces abuse at the hands of his new owners for refusing to accept his new name of Toby, he does find friendship after being taken under the wing of an older slave named Fiddler (Forest Whitaker).

Kinte eventually marries a fellow slave named Belle (Emayatzy Corinealdi) and the two have a daughter named Kizzy together.

As Kizzy grows up, the story centers on her friendship with her owner's niece, who teaches her to read and write.

Marriage: Kinte (left) finds friendship in an older slave named Fiddler (Forest Whitaker, center), and eventually marries a woman named Belle (right, played by Emayatzy Corinealdi)

Terror: Kinte and Belle have a daughter named Kizzy, played by Anika Noni Rose (right). When Kizzy's caught helping the fellow slave, she is sold to another plantation owner (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, left) who rapes and impregnates her with a son named George

Next generation: The final act of the story follows George (played by Rege-Jean Page) and his sons fighting for their freedom just before and after the Civil War

Violent: In one of the shocking scenes from the first trailer, two white men in Confederate uniforms lead a bloodied black man towards a noose

True Blood star: Anna Paquin plays the character of Nancy Holt, the wife of a Confederate officer, who according to the trailer, is dead-set on keeping the slave system going

But when she is caught trying to help a fellow slave escape, she is sold off to another plantation owner who promptly rapes her - impregnating her with a son named George (Rege-Jean Page).

The final act of the epic story takes place just before and after the Civil War, and follows George and his sons fighting for their freedom.

Laurence Fishburne will portray author Alex Haley in the new series. Haley based the novel on his family's own African roots and enslavement in the American South.

Famous faces: Rapper Tip 'T.I.' Harris (left) and Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode (right) are also set to star in the epic saga on Memorial Day

The author: Black-ish star Laurence Fishburne (left) will star as Alex Haley (right), author of the books which the miniseries is based off of

Matthew Goode, James Purefoy and Tip 'T.I.' Harris are also set to star in the eight-hour miniseries which will premiere May 30 at 9pm.

Last month, LeVar Burton, who starred as Kunta Kinte in the original series and is an executive producer for the new series, said the Roots remake is arriving at a crucial time.

'As far as we have come in the area of race relations and the topics of social justice, fairness and equality, we still have a long way to go,' he told a TV critics' gathering on January 6.

The first Roots was a television sensation, winning nine Emmys and shattering Nielson ratings for the time.
Three families united in their grief over the cruel murders of their relatives are suing the financial giant HSBC for allegedly aiding terrorism by laundering billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels.

The almost two dozen plaintiffs in the suit are relatives of six people killed in attacks by three different Mexican drug gangs between 2010 and 2011.

The suit alleges that the three attacks were made possible because HSBC 'knowingly' allowed the Los Zetas, Juarez and Sinaloa cartels, along with the Colombian Norte del Valle cartel, to funnel illegal funds through its banks.

By doing so, the suit alleges, HSBC supported terrorist acts against US citizens.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Brownsville, Texas.

The Mexican drug war has raged for a decade and claimed over 164,000 lives. Pictured, thousands of guns seized from cartels are set to be destroyed by soldiers with the Mexican army in 2012

The first attack mentioned in the suit happened on March 13, 2010.

On that day, Lesley Enriquez, her husband Arthur Redelfs and the couple's two-month-old daughter were leaving a birthday party at the US consulate office in Ciudad Juarez when, for unknown reasons, they were attacked by militants from the Juarez cartel.

Enriquez, 35, who was four months pregnant, was shot twice in the head.

Her husband, 34, made a desperate attempt to reach the US border but was gunned down too, leaving his infant daughter 'screaming in the backseat,' according to the suit.

Enriquez worked for the consulate in Ciudad Juarez and her husband was a detention officer for the El Paso County Sheriffs Department.

Three men suspected of carrying out the attacks on the couple, who were killed along with the husband of another consulate employee, were extradited to the US in September last year, according to El Paso Times.

Arthur Redelfs and Lesley Enriquez were slain in a 2010 attack by gunmen sent by the Juarez cartel

Two months after the consulate attacks, newly-wed Rafael Morales Valencia was exiting a church in Ciudad Juarez when he was abducted, tortured and killed along with his brother and uncle.

Around 16 armed men from the Sinaloa cartel were waiting for the wedding party in the church courtyard and held up the congregation at gunpoint, according to the suit.

ICE agent Jaime Zapata, 32, was killed in a 2011 attack by Los Zetas gang members

After a boy was shot to death, Valencia, his brother Jaime Morales Valencia and uncle Guadalupe Morales were kidnapped and brought to a house were they were tortured.

The trio was found dead some days later in a car, apparently killed by asphyxiation because their heads had been wrapped in duct tape.

In 2013, a man was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison by an El Paso court for his role in the May 7, 2010 wedding assault, according to Borderland Beat.

The third attack mentioned in the suit occurred on February 11, 2011, when two federal agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were ambushed on a highway near the city of San Luis Potosi.

The agents, who were traveling in an armored car with diplomatic plates, were forced off the road and blasted with over 100 bullets from assault weapons wielded by militants from the Los Zetas cartel.

Special agent Jaime Zapata, 32, was killed in the attack and his partner Victor Avila, whose family members are also plaintiffs in the suit, was severely wounded.

Four Los Zetas members have pleaded guilty in the attack against the Immigration agents, and a fifth was extradited to the US in 2015, according to the FBI.

The armed vehicle in which two US federal agents were traveling when they were ambushed by Los Zetas militants. Jaime Zapata, 32, died in the attack.

Mourners gather at the funeral for Jaime Zapata, a federal agent who was killed by Mexican cartel members in 2011

The suit alleges the three attacks were 'a proximate result of HSBC's material support to the Mexican drug cartels.'

Employees at HSBC's Mexican branches supported the cartels by 'routinely' accepting deposits of sums that sometimes exceeded a million dollars 'from individuals with no identifiable source of income, delivered in multiple boxes specially designed to fit the precise dimensions of the teller windows,' according to the suit.

In 2012, HSBC were ordered to pay $1.92 billion in fines to US authorities for allowing the Sinaloa and Norte del Valle cartels to launder $881 million through its banks, Reuters reported.

In Tuesday's suit, the drug cartels responsible for the three attacks are labeled terrorist organizations, although the US has not officially designated any Mexican cartels as such.

According to Bloomberg, the recent suit could be the first to make the legal argument that Mexican drug gangs are terrorist organizations.

A spokesman for HSBC told Bloomberg that the company is 'committed to combating financial crime and [has] taken strict steps to help keep bad actors out of the global financial system.'

The Mexican drug war, which has raged for a decade, has resulted in the deaths of over 164,000 people according to 2015 estimates, PBS reported.
New York police are investigating two incidents in Brooklyn as hate crimes, after both victims were assaulted and called 'cracka'.

According to police, a 51-year-old white man was pushed to the ground in East Flatbush on Monday evening, and told: 'This is for Malcom X, cracka.'

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he suffered 'soft tissue damage' but was not seriously injured.

He told the NY Daily News: 'I came forward to police because I don't want this to happen to anybody else. I'm afraid of the guy knowing where I live and having my windows broken in.'

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The New York Police Department released this image from a surveillance video. The man (pictured) is thought to have punched and kicked 44-year-old Randy Aveille in Flatbush on Saturday

A similar incident occurred Saturday night, when 44-year-old Randy Aveille and his fiancee got off the train at Church Avenue station in Flatbush, less than two miles away from the attack on Monday.

The assailant sucker punched Aveille and said: 'Cracka you don't belong here.'

Aveille was heading home after having dinner with his fiancee, when he thought he saw 'Shameless' actress Emily Bergl on the Q train.

Randy Aveille, an amateur photographer who works at American Express, believes the attack was a response to gentrification in Flatbush

He told the NY Daily News the attacker was in his line of sight, and added: 'He must have thought that I was staring...or challenging him in some way.'

When the couple were heading out of the station, Aveille claims the assailant crept up from behind and started punching him in the head.

Aveille said he turned around, got hit in the right eye, and fell over.

The attacker then kicked him, spat in another woman's face when she tried to stop him, and said: 'Someone get his white cracka ass off the floor. It's a black neighborhood...You don't belong here,' according to police.

Aveille said the attacker was a bearded black man who was wearing a skull cap at the time.

The victim, an amateur photographer who works at American Express, is originally from Florida. He has lived in the neighborhood for about a year.

He suspects the attack is a response to gentrification. Aveille said: 'My fiancee and I have walked to the train, and we've heard people having conversations about white people moving to the neighborhood.'

The New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating both cases. It is still unclear whether both attacks were carried out by the same man.
The GOP presidential candidate has said in the past that he has a concealed carry permit and often carries a gun

Had Donald J Trump been around when ISIS attacked Paris, he says he would have 'opened fire.'

'I always have a gun on me,' he reportedly told French magazine Valleurs Actuelles as he made the case for loosened regulations on firearms.

France has strict gun laws and no right to bear arms for its citizens. The U.S. presidential candidate has more than once suggested the laws there be changed there and elsewhere so that victims of such attacks are able to defend themselves.

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WATCH OUT ISIS: Had Donald J Trump been around when ISIS attacked Paris, he says he would have 'opened fire'

PACKING HEAT?: 'I always have a gun on me,' he reportedly told French magazine Valleurs Actuelles as he made the case for loosened regulations on firearms.

A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to DailyMail.com's email asking for confirmation that the Secret Service officers protecting the White House candidate - seen here surrounding him - allow him to pack heat on the stump and take guns on his jet, for that matter

After the Charlie Hebdo massacre in January of 2015, Trump tweeted, 'If the people so violently shot down in Paris had guns, at least they would have had a fighting chance.'

'Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris too place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?'

'Remember, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!'' he said in a third tweet.

In an interview this month that ran in Valleurs Actuelles, Trump referenced the November terrorist attack on Paris and said, 'Do you really think that if there were people in the crowd, who were armed and trained, things would have turned out the same way?'

'I don't think so. They would have killed the terrorists. It makes sense,' he said.

The GOP front-runner for president then declared: 'I always have a gun on me. I can tell you that if I had been in the Bataclan or in the cafes I would have opened fire.'

'I may have been killed, but I would have drawn,' he said, according to The Local, a website that curates news from France.

Trump went on to talk about how Paris and France are not what they used to be, and 'there are areas where you have the impression that they are outside the law... that there are some lost territories of the Republic.'

He said, 'French friends tell me they sometimes no longer feel at home in their country.'

A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to DailyMail.com's email asking for confirmation that the Secret Service officers protecting the White House candidate allow him to pack heat on the stump and take guns on his jet, for that matter.

At an October presidential debate Trump said, 'I do carry on occasion -- sometimes a lot...but I like to be unpredictable.'

That was before he was granted Secret Service protection, however.

Trump is seen here holding a replica flintlock rifle awarded him by cadets during the Republican Society Patriot Dinner at the Citadel Military College last February in Charleston, South Carolina. He's said in the past he also owns a 'H&K .45 and a .38 Smith & Wesson'

Several years ago he gave an interview in which he confirmed that he has a 'carry permit - Ive said that publicly' - and told Emily Miller, then of the Washington Times, 'I own a couple of different guns, but I dont talk about it.'

Trump revealed to her that he owned an 'H&K .45 and a .38 Smith & Wesson.'

Speaking about the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting, Trump told her, 'If some of the people in the movie theater had a gun, theyd have been shooting at him. Nobody had a gun so they were totally defenseless.'

Miller arrived at the determination after the conversation that Trump was 'a true Second Amendment enthusiast.
France is hoping to move 1,000 migrants out of the notorious Jungle camp at Calais as the country increases efforts to disband the asylum seekers' coastal community.

Some 4,000 migrants, most of them from North Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, live in the makeshift camp from where they launch desperate efforts to reach Britain, across the Channel.

Fabienne Buccio, the national's government local representative, said that government representatives would visit migrant communities on Monday 'to explain' the plans.

French authorities hope to move about 1,000 people out of the camp (pictured), declaring that everyone must leave the southern section of the site

A press conference is held at the Jungle campsite today, which could yet be disbanded if French authorities are successful in moving out its inhabitants

A man sells clothes at the Jungle campsite, where a population boom has it turn into a centre akin to a town

She said: 'The time has come to move on, no one must live in the southern part of the camp, everyone must leave this section

'We will give them a week to take up places that will be made available.'

The migrants presence at the makeshift campsite has become a political hot potato both within France and between Paris and London.

As winter set in, a new centre of 125 converted shipping containers was set up to house 1,500 migrants in better conditions, including heating and sockets for electricity.

However many migrants have been opposed to moving into the containers - which required their palm prints to be taken to move in and out - fearing it could impede their efforts to reach Britain and apply for asylum there.

Prime Minister David Cameron has tried to use the camp in his renegotiations of Britain's membership within the EU.

Last week he claimed thousands of refugees could flock to Britain from France if voters decide to leave the EU.

In what critics said was the start of a 'campaign of fear' to try to keep voters in the bloc, the spokesman said leaving the bloc could harm an agreement with France which allows British border guards to make immigration checks there.

A man dries his clothes by a fire in the campsite, which is home to many hoping to successfully make the crossing to Britain

Prime Minister David Cameron has claimed thousands of refugees could flock to Britain from France if voters decide to leave the EU

At a news conference, Cameron backed up the message by saying the agreement, which puts Britain's border inside France, such as at the northern port town of Calais, was a good deal for Britain and one he would fight to keep.

'If ... we can stay in a reformed Europe, you know what you get,' he said. 'You know that the borders stay in Calais, you know that we have a seat determining the rules when it comes to the future of Europe, you know we have that vital information whether it's about terrorists or criminals travelling around Europe because we are part of those organisations.'

He said there were 'a lot of opposition politicians' in France who would like to rip up that agreement, which would open the gates to thousands of refugees now living in Calais in the hope of crossing to England.
David Cameron will speak in Hamburg tonight on his renegotiation and hopes and meet again with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

David Cameron will make a public pitch for EU reform tonight as he prepares for next week's crucial EU summit.

The Prime Minister hopes to finalise his deal on Britain's membership next week and tonight will use a set piece speech in Germany to set out the 'wider agenda'.

Mr Cameron will meet German chancellor Angela Merkel during his visit to Hamburg as part of a week long diplomatic offensive.

The planned speech comes as Chancellor George Osborne said there was a 'real prospect' of an agreement for a 'reformed EU and new settlement for the UK'.

Ed Balls, the former shadow chancellor, today backed Mr Cameron's renegotiation but warned Europe would probably have to go further in restricting freedom of movement - a key sticking point in Mr Cameron's negotiations.

Ahead of tonight's speech, a No 10 spokesman said: 'It will be about setting out the case, talking through the proposals, talking about where we are, reminding people of some of the reasons why we are taking this course of action.'

Mr Cameron's talks were overshadowed today by a warning from 130 Conservative councillors that the PM risks 'splitting' his party by ignoring the eurosceptic concerns of his backbenchers.

In a letter seen by the Daily Telegraph, they said: 'You made clear that if you did not get the deal you wanted in Europe you would not rule out campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union yourself, and we hope you will now unite your party and Britain in doing so'

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Earlier, Mr Balls warned there remained 'a lot more to do' to persuade Britain to vote to stay in.

He told the BBC: 'We have got to show our population that Britain's influence can be used to make real changes in Europe, and that's what David Cameron is trying to do through his renegotiation,' the ex-MP told BBC Radio 4's Today.

'The point is though that we can only make those changes from the inside; we can't solve the problems of companies not paying their tax or Europe's failure to tackle the refugee crisis from the outside.

'We need to win this referendum but there is still a lot more to do to win that case.'

He went on: 'I think David Cameron was right to make the argument that we needed to move away from free movement. I support the argument he has been making.

'At the moment he looks like he is going to secure restrictions on benefits paid to migrants.

Mr Cameron and Mrs Merkel, pictured together in London last week, will meet again today as the Prime Minister works to finalise his deal.

'I think in the end we will end up with moving away from free movement and (towards) national controls on the amount of economic migration.

'That I don't think will happen quick enough for the referendum but what we have got to do is say to people: let's stay in and win that argument over time.'

Both Mr Cameron and EU president Donald Tusk are embarking on a diplomatic offensive over the next week to finalise a deal.

Mr Cameron spoke by phone with Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy to discuss the renegotiation.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'They agreed that good progress had been made and that we should continue to work closely together for an agreement at next week's European Council.'

Mr Tusk, who has warned the talks are 'fragile', is due to travel to a string of EU capitals to try and finalise the deal before the summit starts on Thursday.

Mr Cameron is keen to complete the deal and call the referendum in June.

Out campaigners claimed that the latest revised text to emerge on Thursday represented a further watering down of a plan which they had already dismissed as hopelessly inadequate.

Downing Street sources, however, insisted that the substance of the deal remained unchanged with only 'minor technical changes' to the draft wording.
Shamim Mullick, 13, who died after being severely beaten for leaving his boarding school without permission to meet his parents

A teenage boy who sneaked out of the grounds of his boarding school in India so he could meet up with this parents was so badly beaten as a punishment that he died, his family had claimed.

Police in the district of Murshidabad in West Bengal state confirmed they were investigating the claims made by the parents of 13-year-old Shamim Mullick and had arrested the school's owner and headteacher.

According to the boy's mother Bibi and father Julhas, they had dropped him off at the Al Islamia Mission School in the village of Majlishur.

Three days later the parents returned to the village to visit the boy to drop off some stationary they had bought for him.

He sneaked out of the school grounds to meet up with his mother and father just 100 metres from the facility, but when he returned, he was badly beaten as a punishment for not asking for permission to leave.

Police confirmed that instead of being taken to a nearby hospital for his injuries, Shamim was instead taken to a nursing home, which is also owned by the same people who run the school.

It was only when his condition worsened he was actually taken to a hospital in the city of Murshidabad, where doctors told police he was dead on arrival.

His devastated parents said they only got a call at midnight from the hospital to say that their son had died, but they had not been warned by the school he had been injured.

They also said that the school had tried to claim he had simply fallen ill, but the hospital confirmed he had received a savage beating.

The parents were later told that the beating has been carried out by the headmaster Hanif Sheikh.

The teenager's body is carried from the hospital. His parents have made a formal complaint to police who have arrested the school's headmaster and owner

Shamim's mother Bibi said they wanted punishment for the teachers responsible saying: 'I want to see them hang'

They then made a formal complaint to police who arrest Sheikh and the school's owner Shahzada Al Mamun.

Shamim's father Julhas said: 'He was our only son. We work hard so that we can send him to school because we wanted him to get a better education.'
Media mogul and billionaire Rupert Murdoch will marry former supermodel Jerry Hall at St Bride's church on Fleet Street, the spiritual home of British journalism.

The 84-year-old owner of News UK will tie the knot with former actress Hall, 59, on Saturday March 5, following a five-month courtship.

The venue he has chosen describes itself as the 'spiritual home of the media' and the 'journalists' church'.

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Rupert Murdoch plants a kiss on his wife-to-be's check during the World Cup Final - the couple will wed on March 5 at the 'spiritual home of the media'

The couple will tie the knot after a five-month whirlwind romance (they are pictured together at the Golden Globe Awards on January 10 this year)

St Bride's church (pictured), which describes itself as 'spiritual home of media' has been chosen as venue for the News UK owner's wedding to former supermodel Jerry Hall

Claire Seaton from St Bride's said: 'He will be having a service to celebrate the marriage.'

She said the actual marriage ceremony would take place elsewhere.

Mr Murdoch and Miss Hall started dating in the late summer having been introduced by one of Murdoch's sisters and his niece in Australia.

The couple made their relationship public on October 31 when they were seen for the first time together at the Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham in London.

They were pictured wearing matching Wallabies scarves and smooching in the stands.

The former supermodel and partner of Mick Jagger shows off her 20-carat marquise rock last week

The pair were next seen walking arm-in-arm down the red carpet ahead of the Golden Globes awards ceremony.

Their engagement was announced days afterwards in the Times newspaper - one of the paper's owned by Murdoch - on January 12.

Last week Miss Hall showed off her 20-carat marquise diamond engagement ring, thought to have cost 2.4million.

Announcement: Mr Murdoch, the executive chairman of News Corporation, which owns The Times, shared the the news of their upcoming nuptials in an article on the Births, Marriages and Deaths page of the newspaper

This will be Mr Murdoch's fourth marriage, having divorced Wendi Deng in 2013.

Their break-up came amid reports about her infatuation with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The former Labour leader is also godfather to Grace, 14, his first child with Deng.

His first marriage was to Australian Patricia Booker, a former flight attendant from Melbourne, and he then married Glasgow-born journalist Anna Torv.

It will be Miss Hall's first official marriage after an unofficial Balinese ceremony with Jagger in 1990 was declared invalid when the pair ended their 23-year relationship in 1999.

Miss Hall revealed how aggrieved she felt with Sir Mick - 13 years her senior and the father of her four children - when his incessant womanising finally made her decide to end their relationship in 1999. They had met in 1977.

'I forgave and forgave and forgave to the point that it wasn't healthy at all,' the 6ft model ruefully recalled.

While the couple's former partners are not expected to attend the wedding, Murdoch's six children and Hall's four are all expected to do so.

Other guests will include all his senior executives including Rebekah Brooks, the UK chief executive, and Robert Thomson, the Guardian reported.
Many of the refugees have cited family issues and disappointment with life in the Nordic country

They have cancelled asylum applications and are heading home

Thousands of Iraqi refugees who arrived in Finland last year have decided to cancel their asylum applications and to return home voluntarily.

Many of the refugees have cited family issues and disappointment with life in the frosty Nordic country for the reason they are heading home.

Europe is in the grip of its worst migrant crisis since World War Two, with more than a million people arriving last year, fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and beyond.

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Many of the refugees have cited family issues and disappointment with life in the frosty Nordic country for the reason they are heading home

Germany and Finland's neighbour Sweden have taken in many of the migrants but Finland too saw the number of asylum seekers increase nearly tenfold in 2015 to 32,500 from 3,600 in 2014.

Almost two thirds of the asylum seekers last year were young Iraqi men, but some are now having second thoughts, so Finland will begin chartering flights to Baghdad from next week to take them home.

Officials said about 4,100 asylum seekers had so far cancelled their applications and that number was likely to reach 5,000 in the coming months.

'My baby boy is sick, I need to get back home,' said Alsaedi Hussein, buying a flight back to Baghdad at a small travel agency in Helsinki.

Somalia-born Muhiadin Hassan who runs the travel agency said he was now selling 15 to 20 flights to Baghdad every day.

'It's been busy here for the past few months,' he said.

The freezing cold winter temperatures in Finland have been one of the reasons refugees have decided not to stay in Finland

Most Iraqi returnees pay for their own flight home or seek help from Iraq's embassy in Helsinki

A majority of the home-bound migrants have told immigration services they want to return to their families, but some expressed disappointment with life in Finland.

'Some say the conditions in Finland and the lengthy asylum process did not meet their expectations, or what they had been told by the people they paid for their travel,' said Tobias van Treeck, programme officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Nearly 80 percent of the migrants returning home are Iraqis. Just 22 of the 877 Syrians - whose country is racked by civil war - and 35 of the 5,214 Afghans who sought asylum in Finland last year have asked to return to their home country.

Along with other Nordic states, Finland has recently tightened its immigration policies, for example requiring working-age asylum seekers to do some unpaid work.

Hostility to migrants has also increased in Finland, a country with little experience of mass immigration and which now has economic problems.

Somalia-born Muhiadin Hassan (left) who runs the travel agency said he was now selling 15 to 20 flights to Baghdad every day. 'It's been busy here for the past few months,' he said

Finland had been preparing to reject up to 20,000 asylum seekers from 2015, but the number of voluntary returnees could significantly reduce that figure

Along with other Nordic states, Finland has recently tightened its immigration policies, for example requiring working-age asylum seekers to do some unpaid work

Germany too, which took in 1.1 million people in 2015, has seen small numbers of Iraqi refugees choosing to go home.

Finland had been preparing to reject up to 20,000 asylum seekers from 2015, but the number of voluntary returnees could significantly reduce that figure.

'The number of returnees is increasing steadily ... All asylum seekers are informed about the options for voluntary return and about the available financial assistance,' said Paivi Nerg, a senior official in the Finnish interior ministry.

However, most Iraqi returnees pay for their own flight home or seek help from Iraq's embassy in Helsinki, she added.

Last year the Finnish government and the IOM provided financial help to 631 returnees and a similar number is expected this year.
A 16-year-old British boy has been arrested for allegedly hacking into the emails of the director of the CIA from his bedroom.

Police working alongside the FBI, swooped on an address in the East Midlands and arrested the teenager, who is unnamed but goes by the name of 'Cracka' online.

As well as hacking into the email accounts of CIA director John Brennan, he is also accused of carrying out cyber attacks on a number of other high ranking US government officials.

A 16-year-old British teenager has been arrested for allegedly hacking into the emails of the director of the CIA, John Brennan, pictured

According to CNN, the teenager was reportedly arrested on Tuesday on several counts of suspicion of conspiracy to commit unauthorised access to computer material and has now been released on conditional bail.

A spokesman for the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit said: 'The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) can confirm we have arrested a 16-year-old boy on Tuesday in the East Midlands.

'He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit unauthorised access to computer material contrary to Section 1 Computer Misuse Act 1990, conspiracy to commit unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences contrary to Section 2 Computer Misuse Act 1990; and conspiracy to commit unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing operation of a computer contrary to Section 3 Computer Misuse Act 1990.'

For several months, a group calling itself 'Crackas with Attitude' has been revealing information about Brennan as well as Jeh Johnson, the Homeland Security Secretary, James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence and FBI director Mark Giuliano.

For several months, a group calling itself 'Crackas with Attitude' has been revealing information about Brennan as well as Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, left, and Mark Giuliano, right, director of the FBI

The director of the National Intelligence Agency James Clapper has also been targeted by 'Crackas with Attitude's hacks

For several months, a group calling itself 'Crackas with Attitude' has been revealing information about Brennan as well as Jeh Johnson, the Homeland Security Secretary, James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence and FBI director Mark Giuliano.

WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group, began releasing documents from Mr Brennan's private AOL account in October, days after a hacker claimed he had gained access to it.

Other documents released so far have included a contact list, policy recommendations on Afghanistan and Pakistan, and his family's addresses and phone numbers.

Although an embarrassment, the documents have not exposed national security secrets, and Mr Brennan appears to have stopped using the account in 2008 when he rejoined the government after a period away from public life.

'I was certainly outraged by it,' Brennan said of the hack at the time, adding that he also was troubled by the way some of the media handled it.

Police swooped on an address in the East Midlands and arrested the teenager, who is unnamed but goes by the name of 'Cracka' online (file picture)

'Because of some things that were put out, the implication of the reporting was that I was doing something wrong or inappropriate or in violation of my security responsibility, which was not certainly the case,' he said.

Meanwhile earlier this week, an anonymous hacker leaked sensitive data from over 20,000 supposed FBI employees and over 9,000 alleged Department of Homeland Security staff.

The cyber criminal carried out one half of the hack right after the Super Bowl kick off on Sunday night,.
Farmer from County Louth was once named in court as an IRA commander

Total bill came to 30,000 plus 177,000 more in interest

The 66-year-old adjudged to have evaded tax between 1996 and 2004

Alleged former IRA chief Thomas 'Slab' Murphy owes the Irish taxman almost 190,000 euros, or 147,000, after dodging payments for eight years, a court has been told.

A sentencing hearing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for the 66-year-old bachelor farmer heard details of estimated income and interest built up after he evaded tax from 1996 to 2004.

Murphy, from Hackballscross, County Louth, on the border with Northern Ireland, was found guilty of nine counts of tax fraud by three judges at the non-jury court in December, and he will be sentenced on February 26, the same day as Ireland's General Election.

Alleged former IRA chief Thomas 'Slab' Murphy, pictured, was found guilty of nine counts of tax fraud

He has been described by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams as a good republican while Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said peace was only secured thanks to support from men like him.

In 1998 he lost a libel action against the Sunday Times which described him as a senior IRA figure.

Paul Burns, senior counsel for the state, outlined to the judges the assessments made of Murphy's earnings, taxes owed and interest.

The total tax bill for the eight years was 38,519.56 euros (about 30,000), the court heard.

Interest built up on those unpaid bills totals 151,445.10 euros (about 117,000), taking the final bill to 189,964.66 euros, Mr Burns said.

'I want to make this clear - Tom Murphy has not made any settlement,' he added.

Murphy's trial was at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, pictured, and he will be sentenced on February 26

The court was told the figures were based on income of 15,000 euros (11,600) a year from the Murphy farm.

Judges found he did not furnish Ireland's Revenue authorities with a return of income, profits or gains between 1996 to 2004.

The 32-day trial heard that Murphy received 100,000 euros (73,000) in farm grants and paid out 300,000 euros (220,000) to rent land.

And he was involved in hundreds of thousands of euro worth of cattle deals, buying and selling animals at marts up and down the country.

He was charged with five counts under the Republic's Taxes Consolidation Act and four under the Finance Act that he knowingly and wilfully failed to make tax returns and did so without reasonable excuses.

Murphy denied all counts but the court, which normally hears terrorism and organised crime trials, rejected defence claims that it was his brother Patrick who ran the farming operation and controlled the finances.

It also rejected claims that Murphy's signature was forged on documents linking him to the farm and earnings.

The court rejected claims Murphy's farm in Hackballscross, pictured, was run by his brother Patrick

In the conviction ruling, Judge Paul Butler said that reports before and during the trial about Murphy's 'unconnected activities' had no bearing on the judgment.

Charged with the tax fraud in November 2007, Murphy took legal challenges all the way to Ireland's Supreme Court in unsuccessfully attempts to stop the trial from being held in front of three judges in the court.

During the trial, statements, taken a number of years earlier, were accepted as evidence after discrepancies emerged in witness testimony.

The sentencing is expected to lead to deep criticism of Sinn Fein as Ireland is in the midst of a general election campaign.

The party has said they would abolish the Special Criminal Court if in Government, citing opposition to non-jury trials by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Mary Robinson and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
A video of an adorable three-year-old boy is capturing the hearts of coffee lovers as he might just be the world's youngest barista.

The YouTube video shot by Colorado filmmaker Benjamin Dinsmore has gone viral after showing Adler Webb, the son of Andrew and Jenn Webb, who own Bindle Coffee in Fort Collins, crafting the perfect decaf cappuccino by his father's side.

The video, which has been viewed more than 129,000 times, first shows the cute little boy pouring milk into a mug with espresso before introducing himself as Adler inside Bindle Coffee.

While standing next to his proud father on a stool, Adler then shares that they're going to make a cappuccino together.

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Adorable: A YouTube video has gone viral showing Adler Webb, the son of Andrew and Jenn Webb, who own Bindle Coffee in Fort Collins, Colorado, crafting the perfect decaf cappuccino by his father's side

The video has been viewed more than 129,000 times on YouTube, as Adler loves to make decaf cappuccinos

He then goes through the necessary steps to making the popular drink, as his father helps him along the way with some heavy lifting, pressing the ground beans among other things.

'I'm strong like the Hulk,' Adler says while pushing down on a handle.

His loving father then asks him to blow out the air before he's instructed to steam the milk.

'Now time for cappuccino,' Adler says while tapping the mini cup of warm milk on the counter.

He then pours it into a cup that has espresso in it, before pausing to swirl the milk around.

'There! I make cappuccino,' the charming little boy proudly exclaims after he finished pouring the milk into the mug.

His father then fist bumps him before he tastes the freshly made decaf drink, before allowing Adler a small sip.

His mother, Jenn Webb, says that he can make cappuccinos and is learning how to do pour-overs, as he has a small little kettle

The cute apron-clad toddler then expresses that it's 'good' as he gives a thumbs up with his dad.

Jenn Webb told ABC News that they opened up Bindle Coffee in August 2015 after experimenting making coffee with an espresso machine in their basement.

She said that her son would watch and was always curious about making coffee.

'[Adler is a] very passionate kid, with a sweet and tender side but he also likes to have things his way,' Jenn Webb told ABC News. 'He loves learning and figuring out how stuff works.'

Andrew Webb told Beanhunter.com that making coffee has been 'a natural progression' for his son.

'It's just been a natural progression as he's grown to copy me and be interested in what I'm doing,' Andrew Webb told the popular coffee blog.

'When he started crawling I caught him grabbing a coffee bean on the ground and sticking it in his mouth.

'I pulled it out, but whenever I would open a bag of coffee he would come over and grab one bean out, and chew it up, or now if I have a coffee he always comes over for 'just a little taste.''

His mother also told ABC News that Adler can make cappuccinos and is learning how to do pour-overs, as he has a small little kettle.

The doting mother added that her son does not work at the coffee shop, but loves decaf coffee.
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This is the heart-warming moment a female gorilla enjoyed a cuddle with her two newborn twins.

The infant mountain gorillas are less than one-month-old and were born to mother Isaro at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Not only is this tender moment something scarcely caught on camera but what makes these images even more special is they are only the third set recorded in the last 50 years.

This is the adorable scene as a gorilla nurses her newborn twins who only arrived sometime within the past month in Rwanda

The mother Isaro gave birth to the twins in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and are only the third set recorded in 50 years

There are only approximately 900 gorillas left in the world so the twins, pictured, are massively important to the future of the species

As mountain gorillas are critically endangered with less than 900 left in the world, the newborns have brought fresh hope to the gorilla population.

The father of the twins is not known and Isaro currently cares for them on her own. Because gorillas use their arms to walk Isaro can be seen struggling to keep up as she holds the twins constantly and will not let anyone else care or walk.

The twins are set to be named at the 12th annual Kwita Irina ceremony later this year.

Kwita Izina is an annual baby gorilla naming ceremony, the ceremony is used to raise awareness of mountain gorillas rarity and promote Rwanda.

The images were taken by Jean Pierre Samedi Mucyo, a research assistant at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.

He said: 'I was in Volcanoes National Park, where we were tracking a gorilla group called Isabukuru.

'I was doing behaviour data collection on the gorillas, it was planned that if by chance I saw the twins, which is a rare occasion, then I could take their pictures.

'I was respecting the distance, though the mother is protective of her infants when you keep your distance she feels safe.

Twins are very rare for the gorillas, the DFGFI have been monitoring them for research and we've only seen gorilla twins three times almost 50 years.'

Jean Pierre Samedi Mucyo, a research assistant at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International managed to photograph the scenes
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today said he'll work until he dies because it's 'a family thing'

Jeremy Corbyn has no intention of retiring as Labour leader and suggested he takes after his father who died working adding 'it's a family thing'.

In remarks which will dismay the moderate wing of the party, Mr Corbyn firmly brushed off predictions that he would step down before the next General Election.

The 66-year-old said in an interview: Ive never gone through life with the intention of retiring.

'My dad didnt retire. He died working.

'Not because he was forced to but because he wanted to.

'Its a family thing.

His father David Corbyn, who died in 1986 aged 71, was an electrical engineer who met his wife Naomi, a scientist, at a meeting in support of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

Mr Corbyn, who grew up in Shropshire, is the youngest of their four sons.

He also told the Derby Telegraph that his age will not count against him at the next election in 2020, but which time he will be 70.

Internal critics of Mr Corbyn  who was elected by a majority of party members and supporters who signed up for 3  are pinning their hopes on him voluntarily stepping down before 2020 and handing over to a less divisive successor.

The partys rules make it virtually impossible for rebel MPs to depose him in a coup.

One moderate MP said: No-one has a job for life and it shouldnt be any different for those of us lucky enough to be in politics, especially when work is so insecure for so many of the people we represent.

'Our jobs depend on the work we do and the results we achieve.

Labour lost the marginal seat of Derby North last year to the Conservatives, after holding it since 1997.

Mr Corbyn told the local newspaper that the outgoing MP, left-winger Chris Williamson, was a great friend and he considered it the worst result of the night  which he put down to the national swing against Labour and too many of the partys supporters voting for the Greens.

In an area where thousands of people work in at Rolls Royce making reactors for the vessels carrying Britains nuclear deterrent, Mr Corbyn claimed that they would not lose their jobs if he wins power.

An ardent opponent of renewing the Trident missile system, Mr Corbyn claimed that he would retain these jobs through diversification into other defence needs  but did not specify what these may be.

He said nuclear-powered ships would still be needed, if Britain gives up its nuclear weapons.

The Labour leader was forced to defend his policy on the Trident nuclear deterrent on a visit to Derby where many defence jobs are dependant on the project

The Labour leader, who advocates letting in more Syrian refugees from Europe, in addition to the 20,000 Britain is taking from camps in the region, said people should not see them as a burden.

You will find they start to make a huge contribution to our society, to our economy, he said.

Look at the contribution the Italian community has made in Bedford, look at the contribution the Polish community has made in different parts of the country, look at the contribution Jewish migrants made to East London from the 19th century onwards.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn yesterday rebuked the Labour leader over Trident with a warning no one wants to live in a world where only North Korea has nuclear weapons .

Amid a fierce row over plans to renew the Trident nuclear deterrent, Mr Benn said the weapon system had been 'successful'.

But in a Chatham House speech today, Mr Benn warned: 'If we gave ourselves up I don't believe any one of the other nuclear countries would say, 'You're not going to have yours anymore, we're going to chuck ours in the dustbin.''

He added: 'The deterrent is intended to deter and I think it has succeeded in doing that.'

Pointing to Kim Jong-un's bid to build a nuclear bomb, Mr Benn added: 'Who fancies living in a world in which everyone else has given up their nuclear weapons but North Korea still has theirs?'
A transgender high school student has sparked a debate in California after other boys complained that the freshman was changing for physical education classes in the boy's locker room.

Students, parents and San Diego residents packed into Poway Unified School District's board meeting on Tuesday to raise a wide array of questions over transgender students' rights at Rancho Bernardo High School.

Locker room choice was addressed by the California legislature two years ago, and it was decided that students can use the locker room they identify with.

'I walked in and saw a student who I've known as a girl for years but now claims she's a boy,' freshman Jonathan Franz said at the board meeting about the transgender student, who has not been identified. 'It makes me feel uncomfortable to change around a female body.'

A transgender high school student at Rancho Bernardo High School (pictured) in San Diego, California, sparked debate after other boys complained that the freshman, who is biological female, was changing for physical education classes in the boy's locker room

Students, parents and San Diego residents packed into Poway Unified School District's board meeting on Tuesday to discuss transgender students' rights

Franz's mother, Holly Franz, also spoke at the meeting, claiming she learned when the semester resumed three weeks ago that a female who identifies as a male has been using the boy's locker room, according to the San Diego Tribune.

She said the school should make accommodations for other students who might feel awkward and that the board of trustees notify all students that there is a transgender student in the locker room.

Advocates of transgender rights responded by asking the district to take no action regarding the issue, allowing the student to change where he would like to change.

They said that if the district were to make accommodations, it would segregate transgender students.

'The very fact that we are singling out this boy is already deplorable,' one advocate said at the board meeting, according to Fox 5 San Diego.

He added: 'To say that this student should have to give up his identity because of the discomfort of others is blatantly absurd because I, for one, am uncomfortable with intolerance on our campus.'

The issue was raised during the public comment portion of the school board meeting, so trustees could not take action because it was not part of the meeting's agenda. Now it is up to the superintendent to determine how to address the complaints.

Rancho Bernardo freshman Jonathan Franz said he felt uncomfortable using the same locker room as a student who he has 'known as a girl for years but now claims she's a boy'

Advocates of transgender rights, like the unidentified student above, responded by asking the district to take no action regarding the issue, allowing the student to change where he would like to change

Some members of the crowd applauded after Jonathan Franz's mother, Holly Franz, spoke at the school board meeting

Holly Franz said that she is upset the district has not considered other students' feelings.

'Our position is all about our kids' modesty and privacy,' she said at the meeting. 'I've been contacted by so many students, and they all have their own reasons for privacy.'

She suggested that curtains or another means of providing privacy be used.

Siobhan Garry, 17, a Westview High School senior who was at the meeting to support the transgender student's rights, had no problem with the idea of creating private changing areas for all students.

'Every student finds changing in the locker room fairly uncomfortable to a certain degree,' Siobhan, a transgender student who identifies as nonbinary, or not exclusively male or female, told the Tribune.

The state law implemented two years ago says that transgender or gender nonconforming students are allowed to participate in classes and activites without regard to their birth sex.

It allows transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the sex they identify with, regardless of their birth sex.

California state law allows transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the sex they identify with, regardless of their birth sex

Superintendent John Collins said in a statement that the district has tried to accommodate all students' rights.

'Over the past two years, we have worked to ensure every students' right to privacy, as well as every students' right to feel safe, valued, and included on our campuses,' he wrote.

Kathie Moehlig, a parent of a student in the district and the spokeswoman for the transgender student's family, said this is the first issue with the law that she's aware of.

'In working with people at the Transgender Law Center in California, it's the first one that they know of,' she told the Tribune.

Moehlig said the request for student privacy could result in segregation of transgender students, but if the proposal is to create private changing areas that could be used by all students, she would have no objection.

She does, however, oppose Franz's request that the school notify parents of a transgender student using the changing rooms.
Rory Feek wrote about Valentine's Day, the Grammy Awards, his new album and his daughter's birthday in a heartbreaking post on his website This Life I Live.

Those four major events are all happening this week for Rory and his terminally-ill wife Joey, who has continued to defy the odds in her battle against stage IV cervical cancer.

And while Rory acknowledged how blessed he feels, he also admitted to some of the heartbreak that things will never again be like they were, starting with Valentine's Day on Sunday.

Rory, 49, revealed that his dream would be to enjoy a candle-lit dinner of grilled rib-eyes and some red wine with his wife back at their Tennessee farmhouse like they have done so many times in the past.

Sadly, that will never happen again, and in its place Rory is now 'hoping for a few soft kisses.'

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Blessed: Rory Feek detailed the big week ahead for him and his terminally-ill wife Joey (above last year) who continues her brave battle with stage IV cervical cancer

Growing up: On Wednesday, the couple's daughter Indiana (above on Thursday) celebrates her second birthday, the milestone Joey has been fighting to live long enough to see

Details: 'Our plan is to put streamers up around Joeys bed and move Indianas high-chair in beside her, so Joey can be part of it,' said Rory

Rory is also working hard to make this an amazing Valentine's Day for his wife, without the wine and the grill and the farmhouse.

'Neither Joey, nor I, have laid eyes on our farmhouse back in Tennessee since the middle of October. On top of that, Joeys illness hasnt allowed her to be able to eat much of anything for some time now and she sleeps most of the days and nights away,' said Rory.

'So my hope this year instead is to hold her hand and take her on a "virtual" walk down memory lane together with pictures and videos on my laptop.

'I want to take her back to where our lives first began together, and relive this beautiful journey that God has taken us on from that first song she heard me sing at the Bluebird cafe, to the last one we sang together as we stood on stage and took our final bow to the songs that she will leave behind here on earth and the ones she will soon sing for eternity to our sweet Lord in that heavenly choir up yonder.'

And, of course, Rory is still hoping he in exchange will get those 'few soft kisses' from Joey.

'I live for those kisses. They are enough,' he said.

Valentine's Day is actually the second big event of Joey and Rory's big week however, with the first being the release of their new album.

Joey + Rory Hymns That Are Important to Us is now on sale, and soon there will be a concert special that the couple taped last year despite Joey's sickness.

'Joey was so exhausted, she barely made it through the evening. I actually dont know how she did,' said Rory.

'But to watch, other than her already being thin and tired you wouldnt hardly know it. She was in all her glory on that stage singing those songs, and it shows.'

They taped the commentary for the concert DVD special in early October, and the next day learned that Joey's cancer was terminal.

Now, Rory wants to make this concert part of their special day on Sunday.

'My wife is so beautiful on the stage, in the spotlight. So full of life and love. I started to watch it last night, but decided to wait,' he said.

'Im going to watch it with Joey on Valentines day date night.'

In stores now: Rory and Joey's new album, Joey + Rory Hymns: That Are Important to Us, was released on Friday

Difficult: On Sunday, the two will celebrate Valentine's Day, but not with rib-eyes and red wine like they used to in the past according to Rory

Then on Monday comes the Grammy Awards, where the two are nominated in the Best Country Duo/ Group Performance category for their song If I Needed You.

Rory said that he and Joey will spend the night watching the ceremony in Indiana, despite Joey's wishes that he head out to Los Angeles for the big night.

In their place at the ceremony will be their manager Aaron Carnahan Rory's daughters Heidi and Hopie.

'Joey tried to talk me into going with them many, many times. She even had a Southwest ticket purchased for me that I cancelled,' said Rory.

'I cant leave her. I wont. I have done many foolish things and made lots of mistakes in my life, but this isnt going to be one of them.'

He then spoke about what might happen if they win the Grammy, saying; 'The girls have asked me to write something for them to read just in case. I told them not to worry about it, but they insist.

'I cant imagine our names being called. But then again, Joey and I also couldnt have imagined us being where we are at all the good parts or the bad.

'So I will write something. And when shes awake, I will run what Ive written by Joey like I do all these blog posts. And she will say its beautiful honey, and then gently point out the words Ive misspelled and let me know if Ive left off something important, or am coming across sounding arrogant or insincere.

'Shes so smart and good.

'I might have the words that bring characters to life. But my wife has the character that brings my words to life.'

Big girl: Joey was diagnosed with cancer just a few months after welcoming Indiana into the world, who was born with Down's syndrome

Touching: Joey keeps her three daughters, Heidi, Hopie and Indiana, close to her heart with special necklaces (above)

Then, on Wednesday, comes the one milestone Joey has been fighting the hardest to reach, ever since she was given just six months to live last October - her daughter Indiana's second birthday.

'Our plan is to put streamers up around Joeys bed and move Indianas high-chair in beside her, so Joey can be part of it. So she can watch our little-one eat her cupcake and rip the wrapping paper off her gifts,' said Rory of the big day.

'But Joey is very fragile right now, and so with all of these plans we have, we will need to adjust for what my wife needs.'

Joey had appeared to be defying the odds after being given six months to live last October, making remarkable progress despite being told she would be bedridden for the remainder of her life in late November.

She got out of bed in December and then began to walk again, all things that seemed impossible just weeks before.

She even got to spend Christmas with her family near her childhood home in Alexandria, Indiana.

Then, at the beginning of the year, things began to take a turn for the worse.

Joey, 40, was diagnosed with cancer in June 2014, just a few months after she and Rory welcomed Indiana, who was born with Down's syndrome.

The cancer eventually spread and in October doctors revealed there nothing they could do for Joey.

Back in the day: Joey was as a restaurant owner when she met Rory, falling in love with him as he performed during a songwriter's night (wedding photo above in June 2002)

LA bound: Rory's children Heidi and Hope (above with Joey last year) will attend the Grammys on behalf of the couple

Joey was as a restaurant owner when she met Rory, falling in love with him as he performed during a songwriter's night.

He was also a single father with two daughters, another reason Joey has said she was first attracted to him.

On June 15, 2002, the couple was married in a small ceremony.

Joey shared how she first fell in love with Rory in an interview with People earlier this year, saying; 'Rory was singing In the Round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville with three other songwriters.

'I was just one of dozens of people in the audience that night. From the first song Rory sang, I fell head over heels for him.'

She then added: 'I didn't even know him, but something inside me said, "You're going to marry that man and spend the rest of your lives together."'

And while Rory was a noted songwriter who had penned hits for artists such as Blake Shelton, the couple got their big break in 2008 when they appeared on the reality show Can You Duet which aired on Country Music Television.

They finished in third place on the show and signed a record contract soon after - and have been making music ever since right up until the release of their new album on Friday.

'Our music has taken us many incredible places and let us experience some amazing things in the past 8 years and people we meet have often asked if we had a plan to get to where we are. Ive always answered, yes, theres a master plan its just not ours,'" Rory wrote in his most recent post.
Shocking crime: Timothy Burns, 44, has been charged with four counts of second-degree felony sexual assault after police say he paid four teenage girls to have sex with him

A 44-year-old Texas man has been arrested on sexual assault charges after police say he paid four teenage girls to have sex with him after meeting them through a dating site.

According to a detailed arrest warrant affidavit released Thursday, Timothy Burns offered the underage victims anywhere between $50 and $500 each for sex and also supplied them with drugs and alcohol.

The Arlington resident was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked into the Keller Regional Jail on four counts of second-degree felony sexual assault.

He remained behind bars on Thursday on $400,000 bail.

Investigators say Burns' sexual encounters with the girls, all of them students in the Keller Independent School District between the ages of 14 and 16, took place between September and January in his home in the well-heeled suburb of Lake Arlington.

On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant on his in his $1.2million lake-front home in the 2600 block of Perkins Road, seizing computers, tablets, thumb drives, a camera and a silver clock with a hidden camera inside.

Police launched an investigation into Burns in late January after one of the alleged victims came forward to her parents, admitting that she had sex with a man for money, and the parents then contacted the authorities.

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Sugar daddy: An arrest affidavit states the Texas resident met the first victim with the help of the notorious hookup site SeekingArrangements.com, which matches young women with older wealthy benefactors

Swanky: Police say all the sexual encounters took place in Burns' $1.2million home in Lake Arlington

Officials say all of the girls were students in the Keller Independent School District between the ages of 14 and 16

The teen said she was invited to Burns' home in November 'just to hang out,' but once there, she said the 44-year-old man convinced her and three other girls to have sex with him multiple times.

One of the girls allegedly told police she had never been with a man prior to her encounter with Burns, and that going in, she did not plan to lose her virginity to him, but a friend told her he would pay a lot of money to have sex with her, reported NBC DFW.

She told police she now has an sexually transmitted infection and has never been with anyone else.

The arrest affidavit, obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, states that the man first came in contact with one of the victims in September. He got in touch with the girl with the help of an 'adult teen' he met on the notorious sugar-daddy website SeekingArrangements.com - an online portal that matches young women with older wealthy benefactors.

Client: Burns allegedly paid his underage paramours between $50 and $500 for sex, and also plied them with alcohol and marijuana

Burns and the younger girl began exchanging text messages, and one night he picked her up at a local church and drove her to his home on Perkins Road. According to the affidavit, he told the teen he was 30 years old.

Later that night, Burns plied the girl with marijuana and alcohol, and started getting closer to her and touching her, kissing her and trying to take her clothes off, the affidavit reads.

When the underage girl tried to resist by telling Burns 'no,' the man allegedly promised to give her more money.

Eventually she relented and followed him into his bedroom, where the pair had sex. Afterwards, Burns gave the teen $350, bought her a meal and drove her home, according to the arrest document.

Following that first meeting, Burns continued texting the girl, but she told police she often ignored his messages.

Their second sexual encounter occurred in October. The teen stated that she decided to go back to Burns' house because she broke her phone and needed money to fix it.

After the pair had sex in Burns' bedroom, the man paid the teen $200 -$150 less than the first time - explaining that her fee was reduced because she used his Uber account.

A week after Christmas, the high school student called Burns asking if she could come over and bring two friends with her.

The affidavit describes how Burns and the three girls spent the night drinking, smoking pot and going into his bedroom to have sex in exchange for money.

The 44-year-old man, since in this Facebook page posing with a Bentley, allegedly offered to pay one girl extra if she agreed to lose her virginity to him

On another occasion, one of the teens asked Burns if he wanted to meet another friend, the affidavit stated. Burns assented and sent an Uber car to pick up the undergo duo.

When they arrived at his home, Burns allegedly began having sex with one of them, and later asked the other girl to join them for a threesome in exchange for $500.
A would-be jihadi is facing jail time for terror offences after he was caught planning to leave his pregnant wife and young son for an ISIS bride in Syria.

Naseer Taj, 26, was caught 'red-handed' two days before he was set to catch a train for Brussels and an onward flight to Turkey in December 2014.

A police raid found a stash of al-Qaeda magazines instructing how to send a bomb in the post as well as combat clothes, cash and a mosquito net.

Following an Old Bailey trial, he was found guilty of preparation of terrorists acts and having copies of the al-Qaeda magazine Inspire.

Guilty: Naseer Taj, 26, faces years in jail for planning to travel to Syria to join ISIS and wage jihad

Prosecutor Mark Weekes told jurors Taj had already made a 'dry run' journey to the Syrian border in Turkey in the summer of 2014 and was in communication with other jihadis.

He was also discussing marrying a woman in Syria called Umm Jibreel to smooth their entry into Raqqa city.

On December 13 he told her 'I dnt wanna pressurise u into deciding 100% on marrying me...Keep me posted I'll be waiting (sic).'

She replied: '...no!!! WALLAHI (by God) there's no pressure...I'v been making istikhara (prayer) about this for a long time (sic)'.

He was also in daily contact with Mohammed Uddin, who went to Syria in November 2014 but was sent back after being detained by Turkish authorities.

He exchanged texts with IS fixer Abu Qaqa - aka Raphael Hostey, from Manchester - and asked him if Iraq was the best place for a quick martyrdom.

Taj, a taxi driver, also maintained a prolific Twitter profile, where he sent thousands of tweets, using a profile picture of an al-Qaeda leader with a background image of Jihadi John wielding a knife.

In the days before his arrest, he posted more than 1,000 tweets and retweets, with 27% of them referring to IS.

He re-tweeted a message from a user with the profile of the IS flag which read: 'The only way these filthy kuffar (non Muslims) learn is by their head getting cut off.'

On December 15, Taj tweeted: 'Oh disbelievers!!! Burn in ur rage and commit suicide the Islamic State is coming 2 u. Watch ur back.'

His Twitter profile had a background picture of Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, and an al-Qaeda leader

On the morning of December 29 2014, police swooped on Taj's one-bedroom flat in Victoria Road, Bedford, while he and his wife Rabia Khalique were at home.

He was due to leave the UK two days later, having booked a Eurostar ticket to Brussels and a flight on to Turkey.

Officers discovered the former FedEx worker had a stash of extremist material on his phone, including al-Qaeda magazines which included an article about parcel bombs and UPS and FedEx.

They also seized travel documents and kit for his trip, including factor 50 sun cream, cash, a mosquito net and combat clothes.

Taj was in contact with another man from Bedford, who was due to take the Eurostar on the same day. His home was also searched by police but no further action was taken.

Giving evidence, Taj admitted believing in 'defensive' jihad and said he was planning to travel to Syria 'for peaceful reasons' but changed his mind at the last minute.

He was cross-examined about the instructions to put bombs in FedEx and UPS parcels.

The defendant, who now has a son aged four and an 11-month-old daughter, told jurors he had been made redundant by FedEx in August 2011 - before he downloaded the article.

Naj sent more than 1,000 tweets and retweets, with 27% of them referring to IS the day before he was arrested

Mr Weekes asked: 'It's just a coincidence that there is an article dealing with UPS and FedEx and planning to put bombs in packages and you working for FedEx, is it?'

Taj said: 'I didn't know about this.'

He denied reading much of the extremist material, saying: 'I'm not a reader, I like to read but I don't read because I can't be bothered.'

The court heard he was arrested for a second time in May last year after trying to obtain fraudulent travel documents in a bid to flee the country after his passport was seized on his initial arrest.

The jury was not told that during the course of the trial, Uddin, 29, from Barking in Essex, had been jailed for seven years at Woolwich Crown Court for travelling to Syria to fight with IS.

Detective Inspector Ryan Brammer said: 'Naseer Mirza Taj was a very active supporter of Daesh who had clear plans to travel to Syria to join so-called Islamic State.

'From our investigations, we believe he was planning to attend a training camp in Syria, marry a jihadi bride before fighting and ultimately dying for IS.
The boss of a bed-making factory who employed large numbers of Hungarians as a 'slave workforce' to supply beds to top high-street retailers has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for people trafficking.

Mohammed Rafiq, 60, sourced the Hungarian nationals at his now defunct Kozee Sleep in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire for cheap slave labour.

The trafficked men, who were promised good wages, housing and food in the UK, were forced to work up to 16 hours a day for as little as 10 per week once in West Yorkshire. They survived on scraps of food, with up to 42 men living in a two-bedroom house.

Mohammed Rafiq, 60, was found guilty of conspiracy to commission a breach of UK immigration law. He was sentenced to 27 months in jail

The interior of a house in Bradford where a number of Hungarians employed as 'slave workforce' were housed

File picture of former Home Secretary MP Robin Cook in the showroom with managing director Mohammed Rafiq after opening Kozee Sleep at Ravensthorpe

Rafiq, who was described as having 'a spectacular fall from grace' within his religious community, was aware of the men's circumstances yet went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce.

His conviction follows that of Hungarian men Ferenc Illes and Janos Orsos, who were jailed last year after being found guilty of supplying Kozee Sleep with slave labour.

The factory and its subsidiary Layzee Sleep, in Batley, were to supply household names including Next Plc, the John Lewis Partnership and Dunelm Mill who despite carrying out regular ethical audits failed to spot what was going on.

The Kozee Sleep factory in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, were to supply household names including Next Plc, the John Lewis Partnership and Dunelm Mill

In January, the jury was told how one man, Robert Bodo, travelled to Batley from Hungary in January 2010 and was taken to live in a town property called Gothic House, where 40 to 50 people were living and he shared a room with three others.

Chancellor Alistair Darling visits Dewsbury and Batley, speaking to business owners about the economy and the recession. Kozee Sleep's Mohammed Rafiq (left) shows Alistair Darling and Shahid Malik around the factory

As part of the defendant's contract with the companies he was required to adhere to each of their policies regarding ethical trading, including how persons who worked on their premises were treated.

At Leeds Crown Court Judge Christopher Batty said that having listened to the evidence of witnesses during the trial, it was apparent 'just how upset and how affected the witnesses were and the number of them who were reduced to tears'.

In January, the jury was told how one man, Robert Bodo, travelled to Batley from Hungary in January 2010 and was taken to live in a town property called Gothic House, where 40 to 50 people were living and he shared a room with three others.

Inspectors found the house was in 'a horrendous state'.

Rafiq, who was described as having 'a spectacular fall from grace' within his religious community, was aware of the men's circumstances yet went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce.

Next Plc, the John Lewis Partnership and Dunelm Mill despite carrying out regular ethical audits failed to spot what was going on
A giant pile of lifejackets abandoned by refugees and migrants making the hazardous journey into Europe has been left outside a German concert hall.

They form part of a temporary memorial project by Chinese artist and free-speech advocate Ai Weiwei to commemorate the refugees who drowned on their way to Europe

it comes as plans are being put in motion to block the borders into Eastern Europe, effectively trapping incoming asylum-seekers in Greece.

Eastern European leaders - in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - are set to offer manpower and other aid to help Macedonia seal its Greek border.

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Life jackets left by migrants on Greek beaches are pictured at the Schauspielhaus concert hall

They are part of a temporary memorial project by Chinese artist and free-speech advocate Ai Weiwei to commemorate the refugees who drowned on their way to Europe

Weiwei used about 14,000 discarded life jackets, which he obtained from authorities from the Greek island of Lesbos for this memorial project

Abandoned: Piles of lifejackets have been left to rot on the shores of the Greek island of Lesbos, by refugees and migrants who have made the hazardous crossing into Europe

Journey: Greece has been told by the EU today that its failure to control the hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees crossing from Turkey will result in a long-term suspension of some passport-free travel

The leaders of the Visegrad Group could announce the move when they meet with their Macedonian counterpart at a summit in Prague on Monday, diplomats said.

The EU told Athens today that its failure to control the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have arrived in the past year will result in a long-term suspension of some passport-free travel in Europe.

EU officials added that they expect more border tightening by Greece's Balkan neighbours.

'Some form of heavy control is in the making,' one official told Reuters.

Visegrad states have led the criticism of efforts - notably by Germany - to absorb asylum-seekers who have reached Europe via Macedonia and Serbia.

Outspoken, right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Macedonia and Bulgaria last month to follow his example and close their borders to refugees and migrants.

The leader's action was condemned by many European leaders and human rights groups.

But the idea of stopping people entering impoverished Macedonia and instead holding them in EU-member Greece until they can be offered asylum elsewhere, or deported, has gained momentum with policy-makers.

Concern: The Eastern European Visegrad Group has said it will offer support to Macedonia to help seal its border with Greece

Closure: Many of the refugees and migrants who reach Greece then cross through the Eastern countries of Macedonia and Serbia to reach the rest of Europe

Rot: The EU is concerned that a 'domino effect' of border closures will effectively trap asylum-seekers in some of the poorest countries in Europe

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told Macedonians on Friday that they should be ready to 'completely stop' the entry of migrants and refugees in the next few months, because he expected Vienna to do the same once it reached a self-declared limit on the number of migrants it will accept through its eastern borders.

The EU has offered aid and cooperation to states in the Balkan peninsula, over concern that a 'domino effect' of border closures in the east will leave vast numbers of Syrians, Iraqis and others stranded in some of Europe's poorest countries.

The EU border agency Frontex is working with Greek forces on the southern side of the Macedonian border, but is prevented by its legal mandate from doing so in Macedonia itself.

Another EU diplomat expressed hope that elements of the EU's so far largely ineffective efforts to curb the influx may soon start falling into place.

Borders: The EU has offered aid and cooperation to states in the Balkan peninsula to try to put a stop to the 'domino effect' of border closures

Support: The idea of keeping asylum-seekers in Greece until they can be offered asylum in another country or deported has gained some ground with policy-makers

This includes the new idea to engage the Visegrad states in common efforts by helping Macedonia.

'If this gets them back on board with European efforts on migration, that would be important politically,' they said.

Some Visegrad states already have small security force presences on the Macedonian side. They may also look at helping Greece's other northern neighbours, Bulgaria and non-EU Albania.

EU officials said delaying people in Greece could help kick-start an EU scheme to relocate asylum-seekers from Greece to other EU states.

The second diplomat said: 'Greece would be the place where things would really happen. We would need to help to build more reception facilities, more infrastructure. And we would do that.'

Numbers of people arriving on the Greek borders are expected to rise again once better weather arrives with the spring.
Since being chucked out of Parliament by the voters, Mr Balls has joined Norwich City football club as chairman, pictured

Ed Balls has warned free movement in the European Union will have to be ended in response to the migrant crisis.

Mr Balls, who was a senior Labour advisor when Britain decided not to impose border controls on countries joining the EU in 2004, said the flow of people into Europe meant 'proper borders' were needed.

He endorsed Prime Minister David Cameron's renegotiation and backed reforms which will look set to place limits on migrants' benefits.

But the former shadow chancellor said the sense that migration was 'out of control' would destroy Europe's 'Schengen' borderless system.

His intervention comes as Mr Cameron launches a final diplomatic offensive ahead of next week's crunch EU summit.

Britain has an opt out from the Schengen agreements meaning there are border checks at UK ports.

Mr Balls told the BBC today: 'I think if you look at politics in France and in Germany, in Sweden and in Denmark, you see echoes of what's happening in Britain.

'People feeling that things aren't in control, that politicians aren't rising to the challenge.

'And the reality is that without the refugee crisis maybe you could sustain this Schengen borderless Europe, but at a time when things sort of feel out of control, it's very hard to see how you can carry on without proper borders.... The movement of people on this scale was not expected, it is unprecedented.'

He added: 'I support the argument David Cameron's been making that we need to move away from free movement.

'At the moment it looks like he's going to secure restrictions on benefits paid to migrants.

'I think in the end we will end up with moving away from free movement and national controls on the amount of economic migration.

'But I don't think it will happen quickly enough for the referendum. But what we've got to do is say to people is 'let's stay in and win that argument over time'.'

Mr Balls said the success of Mr Cameron's renegotiation in recent months had demonstrated the strengths of Britain's EU membership.

But the claim was dismissed by Tory MP Marcus Fysh who dubbed the intervention '#EUBalls' on Twitter.

He said: 'Ed Balls says stay in EU to address its migration disaster by getting all 28 members to abandon their cherished free movement.

'Balls then, balls now.'

Tory MP Marcus Fysh dismissed Mr Balls intervention on the debate about freedom of movement declaring it to be '#EUBalls'

Mr Balls, who was the highest profile casualty of Labour's disastrous 2015 election campaign, has acknowledged Labour made serious mistakes in the middle of the last decade in its assessments of migration.

He said last month: 'When it came to the expansion of the European Union in 2004, we didn't see the extent to which low-wage people would move.

'Fundamentally, we didn't think they would.'

The desire of many EU nations to protect the principle of free movement has proved to be the biggest stumbling block in Mr Cameron's negotiations.

His ambition to apply a 'brake' to the number of migrants coming to Britain has been reduced to a taper on benefits paid to working migrants - and redrafts suggest this was only conceded because of Labour's failure to apply transitional protections in 2004.
Thieves have pocketed tens of thousands of pounds by stealing school fee letters from postboxes and changing the details on them to their own bank account numbers.

The crooks sneaked into the luxury flats in Hampstead, north London, and allegedly removed the letters by picking the locks of multi-occupancy letterboxes.

They are then believed to have steamed the letters open in a bid to discover their contents.

If the letter was one from a private school, they 'expertly' changed the bank account details and returned it back to the correct postbox.

Thieves have pocketed tens of thousands of pounds by stealing school fee letters from postboxes on the above road in Hampstead, north London, and changing the details on them to their own bank account numbers

Parents who did not know the letters had been tampered with then paid the school fees into the crooks' bank accounts without realising. They were only made aware of the problem after schools contacted them to say the fees had not been paid.

It is not known how many residents have been targeted but locals said there had been 'scores' of victims.

Police said the gang is 'at large' and confirmed officers were investigating.

Sergeant Ailsa Naish, of the Hampstead Town Safer Neighbourhoods team, added: 'It appears they [a gang] have altered bank details on school fees invoices and then posted them back in.'

Jessica Learmond-Criqui, a solicitor who is chair of the Frognal and Fitzjohns safer neighbourhood panel, which covers the area, said at a meeting on Tuesday that locals had seen suspects 'rifling' through post.

She said a nanny had seen a man interfering with letterboxes and told her employer - the child's mother - who then checked all her post 'thoroughly'.

The crooks sneaked into the luxury flats in the area, including the road above, and allegedly removed the letters by picking the locks of multi-occupancy letterboxes

Ms Learmond-Criqui added: 'The mother was looking at the school fees bill and noticed it didn't look right.

'She telephoned the school who told her that the account number on the letter had been doctored.'

Others spotted two men driving around the flats in the area and appearing to look out for buildings to sneak into.

One local said one of the crooks waits in a car with the engine running, while the other sneaks into flats and removes letters.

Another local said the crooks were 'devious', adding: 'When you open a letter you don't even think of it being tampered with, let alone one from the school.

When you open a letter you don't even think of it being tampered with Local parent

'You'd see the bill and just pay it and think no more of it, until, of course, the school phones you up and tells you it's still outstanding.'

Theatre tickets and bank cards are also believed to have been stolen.

According to the Ham and High newspaper, one victim wrote in an email, which was read out at the meeting on Tuesday: 'Our post and building keys have been stolen on several occasions by a man who has a car with a driver waiting outside for him while he shuffles through the letters.

'He managed to steal a new Barclays card and pin from one of the residents of our building and scammed about 2,300 from her account.'

The area is known for its large luxurious properties, with some three-bed flats selling for up to 3million.

It boasts a number of private schools including Devonshire House Preparatory School and Sarum Hall, which costs more than 4,000 per term.
For the latest on New York Fashion Week visit www.dailymail.co.uk/nyc

Models stood still on the runway that was set in a gigantic box on Thursday

The African tortoises roamed around freely on the sand-covered runway

It's easy to get walked-in on when you're moving slow - and that's exactly what happened to a pair of giant African tortoises during New York Fashion Week.

The two tortoises interrupted designer Mathieu Mirano's desert-themed show to mate with each other on the runway on Thursday.

Guests at the afternoon show were captivated by both the 24-year-old New York native's presentation and the 200-pound creatures who decided to bump shells.

The tortoises roamed around freely on the sand-covered runway that was set in a gigantic box as models graced the uniquely designed catwalk at the Pier 59 studios.

'A large male began pursuing a smaller female tortoise around the models, who stood still posing in the sand,' a guest at the show told the New York Post.

Caught in the act: A pair of giant African tortoises (circled) interrupted designer Mathieu Mirano's desert-themed New York Fashion Week show to mate with each other

Guests at the Thursday afternoon show were captivated by both the 24-year-old New York natives' presentation and the 200-pound creatures who decided to bump shells

Models wearing Mirano's latest luxurious gowns graced the uniquely designed catwalk at the Pier 59 studios

'One model could barely hide her giggles as the determined male followed the female past her feet, and he then proceeded to climb aboard.'

A photo shared to Instagram of the show features a model in a bright striped dress looking fiercely at the camera, as the two tortoises are caught in the act just a few feet behind her.

Another image of shared to Instagram from Mirano's presentation shows them together in a corner going at it as a separate model stood still in a long luxurious gown in front of them.

The African creatures can grow to 33 inches long and are the third-largest species of tortoise in the world.

Mirano (center), who is originally from Long Island, told AMNewYork, that he was inspired for this new collection by past trips he has taken to Egypt, where he experienced his first sandstorm

In addition, they are also the largest mainland tortoise.

Mirano, who is originally from Long Island, told AMNewYork, that he was inspired for this new collection by past trips he has taken to Egypt, where he experienced his first sandstorm.

'I stood still for hours using my sense of physical touch to understand what the wind would appear like if it weren't transparent,' Mirano said according to the newspaper.

Mirano has celebrity clientele, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga and Julianne Moore.
Hillary Clinton is getting a helping hand from a super PAC she last night distanced herself from as she disparaged 'unaccountable money' in politics.

Priorities USA Action is dipping into its general election fund to boost Clinton's standing in the primary with women and minorities, the Washington Post reports.

The PAC will withdraw $4.5 million from its reserves for the early voting advertising campaign its undertaking with a pro-abortion group that works to get Democratic women elected to office and a group that lobbies lawmakers on environmental issues.

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NOT MY PROBLEM: Hillary Clinton is getting a helping hand from a super PAC she last night distanced herself from as she disparaged 'unaccountable money' in politics

As she battled Bernie Sanders last night, Clinton said of the dark money organization supporting her - 'You're referring to a Super PAC that we don't coordinate with, that was set up to support President Obama, that has now decided that they want to support me. They are the ones who should respond to any questions'

Protesters against Clinton are seen here last night at the Helene Zelazo Center for Performing Arts at the UWM campus where the debate was held

Priorities USA will separately spend $500,000 on radio ads in South Carolina that characterize Clinton as the rightful heir to Barack Obama's White House.

At last night's Democratic debate Clinton disavowed the group as she tried to shake off a ham-handed question about millions of dollars that wealthy Democratic donors George Soros and Donald Sussman had given to it to help put her in the White House.

She told PBS' Judy Woodruff, 'You're referring to a Super PAC that we don't coordinate with, that was set up to support President Obama, that has now decided that they want to support me. They are the ones who should respond to any questions.'

Woodruff attempted to narrow her question to deal with dark money on both sides more generally, but Clinton's Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders, who proudly proclaims that he does not have a super PAC - jumped in and said 'Secretary Clinton's Super PAC' accepted $25 million in the last reporting period - $15 million of which came from Wall Street.'

'Our average contribution is $27 dollars, I'm very proud of that,' he declared.

Clinton said he was 'mixing apples and oranges.' And she contended, 'It's not my PAC.'

In her opening address Clinton decried 'unaccountable money' and said she agrees with Sanders that it should not be be in the political system 'and that we have to do much more to ensure that Wall Street never wrecks main street again.'

She repeated the assertion in her closing statement for emphasis.

Former President Bill Clinton smiles for a selfie with a supporter following a speech today in Memphis, Tennessee, in support of his wife. Bill has raised money for both the super PAC Clinton claims to be entirely unaffiliated with and his wife's campaign

Clinton is not allowed under federal campaign finance laws to coordinate with Priorities USA because it takes in unlimited amounts of money that it puts toward advertising.

She is able to work with another super PAC backing her, opposition research firm Correct the Record, because it deals only in messaging.

Clinton ally David Brock sits atop Correct the Record yet serves on the board of Priorities USA.

A New York Times article published last summer says he navigates the legal waters confining the two efforts by limiting himself to fundraising for the group that's not allowed to work with candidate Clinton.

Bill Clinton is seemingly swimming down the same stream, fundraising for his wife's presidential bid last year even as headlined an event for Priorities USA.

The ex-president's work for the group flies in the face of the candidate's suggestion last night Priorities is going to battle without her blessing.

Sanders' campaign doesn't plan to make it easy for Clinton to benefit from the PAC's money while claiming her hands are clean.

In response to Priorities' spending spree on her behalf, it said today, 'Hillary Clinton's super PAC, Priorities USA Action will be spending at least half a million dollars in paid advertising in the South Carolina Democratic primary.'

'This represents the first time one of the pro-Clinton super PACs has purchased paid broadcast advertising.The super PAC previously said it would only deploy its millions for the general election against Republicans.'

Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said, 'It is truly unfortunate that the largest pro-Clinton super PAC has decided to infect the democratic primary process with its haul of Wall Street cash. Democratic voters expect more.

'Doesn't the Clinton campaign have the funds to run its own ads without resorting to its super PAC, which is funded by the very people Secretary Clinton has promised to take on?' Weaver asked.

Clinton raised $112 million for her campaign in 2015 compared to Sanders' $73 million. His fundraising in 2016 has outpaced hers, however.

In the 24 hours after his New Hampshire win over Clinton he broke a previous fundraising record and raked in $6.5 million in one-24-hour period.

The Priorities PAC effort builds on Clinton's publicly disclosed strategy to winning the south.

'For Hillary Clinton and her campaign, the March states represent an opportunity to build a coalition of support thats as diverse as the Democratic Party itself,' her campaign manager Robby Mook said in a memo on Tuesday ahead of Clinton's anticipated loss in New Hampshire.

Mook said, 'Hispanics and African Americans play a critical role in who we are as a party and who we are as a nation. Many of the most delegate-rich states also have some of the largest minority and urban populations  states like Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois and Florida.'

The broader Priorities campaign will target some of the same states, including Georgia, which begins collecting early voting ballots on Monday, along with Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Mailers, radio spots, online ads - they're all part of the push. The Washington Post, which first reported the ad campaign, says one of the online banner ads is of Obama and Clinton, an ex-administration official, standing together, smiling.

The online ads are also geocoded, meaning voters will see information directly pertaining to their voting area.

Clinton typically polls well with African-American audiences, but she's not taking anything for granted in a campaign that's seen her support among another base - women - aggressively erode.

She barely beat Sanders in the demographic group in Iowa and missed the mark by 11 points in New Hampshire.
Five people in northern Alabama have filed a federal lawsuit claiming Texas congressman Ted Cruz is ineligible to run for president.

Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father.

The U.S. Constitution limits the presidency to 'natural born' U.S. citizens. There are differences of opinion on whether or not the federal courts have established what those two words mean.

Cruz's eligibility has been a frequent campaign theme of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE LAWSUIT

THEY WANT TO KNOW: Five Alabama supporters of Donald Trump are asking a federal court to declare that Canadian-born Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is ineligible to run for president

DRUMBEAT: Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, has said repeatedly that Ted Cruz's citizenship could become a problem for the Canadian-born politician

GETTING IN ON THE ACTION: Minutes after DailyMail.com asked Trump's campaign about the lawsuit, he tweeted a threat to file his own legal action against Cruz

One other lawsuit, filed by an attorney in Texas, has already sought to have a judge untangle the question of Cruz's U.S. bona fides.

But this is the first from voters who argue that their rights would be violated if his name were to be placed on Election Day ballots.

Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier declined to comment when DailyMail.com reached her on Friday.

Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said only that he wasn't aware of the legal action.

'I haven't seen it,' he told DailyMail.com in an email.

But just minutes after DailyMail.com asked for comment, Trump himself tweeted a new shot across Cruz's bow.

'If @TedCruz doesnt clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen,' he tweeted.

The Alabama lawsuit seeks a 'declaratory judgment' from a federal judge 'declaring that Rafael Edward Cruz is ineligible to qualify/run/seek and be elected to the Office of President of the United States of America.'

The plaintiffs, Sebastian Green, Shannon Duncan, Kathryne Spears, Kyle Spears and Jerry Parker are all supporters of Trump's candidacy, according to AL.com.

'Mr. Cruz cannot be a natural born citizen of two (2) countries,' the five argue. 'This would violate elementary rules of logic. Since the Defendant, at the moment of birth, was located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; he became a citizen of Canada by virtue of it.'

BRUTAL: Trump has gone after Cruz on Twitter over his dual citizenship, which he dissolved in 2014

'Plaintiffs allege that at the time of Mr. Cruzs birth, the United States could not confer citizenship upon him under any law or legal theory that exists. "Natural born" means native born within the United States or its dominions/territories. Canada is not a territory of the United States. Whether the Defendants mother was/is a United States citizen is irrelevant.'

The lawsuit states that Cruz's U.S. citizenship was 'conferred by other means' than the situation of his birth.

And 'if Mr. Cruz were allowed to run as a candidate, the Plaintiffs' right to have only lawful and constitutionally qualified candidates to run would be violated.'

Cruz is himself a constitutional lawyer and former solicitor general of Texas, a job where he argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

He has insisted that the 'birther' argument is a non-starter floated for political purposes. He maintains that since he is not a naturalized citizen, he is 'natural born' under the Constitution's definition.

But Trump has repeatedly talked on the campaign trail about Cruz's place of birth, urging the senator to seek the very kind of declaratory judgment the five Alabama plaintiffs are asking for.

Trump has said if Cruz were to become the Republican Party's presidential nominee, Democratic partisans could sue in order to have his candidacy nullified, throwing the GOP into chaos just a few months before the November election.

During a GOP debate last month he conceded that he was making Cruz's citizenship an issue 'because now he's doing a little bit better.'

Since then, Cruz won the Iowa caucuses and placed third in the New Hampshire primary.

VICIOUS: Barbs thrown both ways between Cruz and Trump have morphed into bare-knuckle fighting as the Republican primary season kicks into high gear

In the January 14 debate, Trump joked that 'he's got probably a four or five percent chance' of winning the Republican nomination.

'There's a big overhang,' Trump said, telling Cruz 'there's a big question mark' hanging over his head. 'You can't do that to the party. You have to have certainty.'

'I'm not bringing a suit, I promise, but the Democrats are going to bring a lawsuit,' Trump predicted.

Cruz shot back that 'the legal issue is quite straightforward.

'I've spent my entire life defending the Constitution before the U.S. Supreme Court. And I'll tell you, I'm not gonna be taking legal advice from Donald Trump,' he said.

Two weeks later aboard Trump's private plan on the tarmac in Des Moines, Iowa, the billionaire real estate developer told DailyMail.com that 'Cruz has a real problem.'

'They've got to rule. He's got to go for a declaratory judgment,' he said of the federal courts.

And reflecting on the Cruz campaign' challenge for a one-on-one debate, he said he would debate Cruz  in Canada  'to give him home-field advantage.'

The following day in New Hampshire he told a rally audience that 'Ted Cruz may not be a U.S. citizen.'

'But he's an anchor baby  No, Ted Cruz is an anchor baby in Canada!' he said on January 29.

'Anchor baby' is a derogatory term referring to children born in the U.S. whose parents are here illegally.

'When you're born in Canada, you're not supposed to run for President of the United States,' Trump crowed. 'Prime minister of Canada? No problem.'

Cruz held dual citizenship until late in 2014 when he laid the groundwork for a presidential run.

'He's a citizen of Canada. And he was a senator from Texas. And he's a citizen of Canada, joint with the U.S. How the hell does that work?' Trump asked during that New Hampshire campaign stop.
A veterinary assistant has been banned from keeping animals for life after police found several dogs 'living in squalor' under a trap door in the cellar of a surgery.

Rochelle McEwan, 28, worked at Armley Vets, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with vet Gary Samuel, 48, when the police made the shocking discovery.

The pair were, at the time, long term partners and lived above the high street practice.

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Rochelle McEwan, 28, (left) worked at Armley Vets, in Leeds, with vet Gary Samuel, 48 (right). She has now been banned from keeping animals for life

Police were called to the surgery following reports of an altercation but found several malnourished dogs and cats hidden in the cellar

Both were found guilty of animal neglect at Leeds Magistrates Court last month but only McEwan was in court for sentencing today. The court heard Samuel's case had been adjourned until next month.

McEwan had previously been found guilty of four charges of unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two charges of neglect of duty by a person responsible for an animal to ensure welfare.

The previous hearing heard that police initially attended the property after they received a call that Samuel had been threatening McEwan with a hammer.

In a move described by the court as an attempt to 'impinge' McEwan, he alerted police to the animals in the cellar as he took them to a trap door in the surgery that was under a table and covered with carpet.

The dogs were found in the cellar beneath Armley Vets in Leeds (left). Police found 12 'husky-type' dogs in a room described as dark, with a strong smell of faeces and urine

The RSPCA has released images showing the malnourished state and squalid conditions the animals were found in

Both McEwan and Samuel were found guilty of animal neglect at Leeds Magistrates Court. McEwan had previously been found guilty of four charges of unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two charges of neglect of duty by a person responsible for an animal to ensure welfare

Samuel alerted police to the animals in the cellar in an attempt to implicate his girlfried. He took them to a trap door in the surgery that was under a table and covered with carpet

He opened it and said: 'These are her animals. She never feeds them, just collects them.'

Living in the cellar were 12 husky-type dogs.

The room was described as being dark, with a strong smell of faeces and urine and the animals had little clean water or food, the court heard.

There were also three cats in the back room which an officer described as being 'skin and bone' - one of which had to be euthanised.

The police called the RSPCA and some animals were removed from the house that night.

District Judge Marie Mallon sentenced McEwan today to a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

She was also indefinitely disqualified from keeping, owning, dealing or transporting animals.

Leeds Magistrates Court heard the animals had little clean water or food. Police immediately alerted the RSPCA and the animals were almost immediately removed from the property

District Judge Marie Mallon sentenced McEwan to a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months

She told McEwan: 'This case related to a large number of animals, the degree of weight loss was hugely significant in most of them. Their suffering therefore must have been equally significant.

'You were working and living in a veterinary practice, that must be a significant aggravating feature.'

Rochelle McEwan arriving at Leeds Magistrates Court for sentencing

Jeremy Barton, representing McEwan, said since her court case his client had 'received a barrage of abuse' and been threatened with violence

He added McEwan 'was in a position where she felt she was under his (Samuel) control and although she was responsible for the animals she found herself in a very difficult position.

Mr Barton said his client's father owned a farm, so she had been surrounded by, and 'loved' animals all her life.

RSPCA officials said 22 dogs and eight cats were removed from Armley Vets after police attended the property on February 24, 2015.

All the dogs were husky-types, including several puppies, with the exception of two Chinese crested dogs.

Speaking after the sentence, RSPCA Inspector Nikki Cheetham said: 'I'm thrilled with the sentence, the fact he judge saw it as serious enough to warrant a prison sentence is fantastic.

'And, a lifetime ban is what we strive for when we take people to court.

'To go into a veterinary surgery and find those conditions was appalling. People take their animals to the vets to be looked after but to think they are not looking after their own animals in beyond belief.

'At the end of the day if your animals are unwell you go to vet, you don't expect to go to a vet and find animals that are not being treated as they should be.'
The FBI has joined the investigation into the machete-wielding man who stormed into an Ohio restaurant and attacked customers at dinner tables before being shot and killed by police.

Four people were injured in the attack at Nazareth Restaurant and Deli, a Mediterranean restaurant owned by an Israeli man in Columbus, on Thursday.

The victims were taken to an area hospital and are expected to recover, as the suspected attacker, Mohamed Barry, 30, was fatally shot by police.

Columbus police Sgt. Rich Weiner said of the attacker: 'There was no rhyme or reason as to who he was going after.'

According to CBS News, 'investigators were running down leads trying to determine if the attack was somehow tied to terrorist organizations.'

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Four people were injured in the attack at Nazareth Restaurant and Deli, a Mediterranean restaurant in Columbus, on Thursday

Men stand outside as officers inspect the scene inside the Columbus, Ohio, restaurant where a man attacked several people with a machete on Thursday

The suspected attacker has a Somali background, and it is believed he might have traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2012, CBS News reported.

In addition, law enforcement officials are concerned that 'this incident has the hallmarks of the type of so-called 'lone wolf' terrorist attack that they have been working to stop,' CBS News reported.

Police said the man walked into the restaurant, had a conversation with an employee and then left.

He returned about a half hour later and approached a man and a woman who were sitting just inside the door at a booth and started the attack.

Police said employees and patrons tried to get the man to stop.

'Some of the patrons there started throwing chairs at him just trying to get him out of there,' Weiner said.

The man eventually fled the scene in a white car and led police on a short chase.

Officers forced the man off the road a few miles away and when he got out of his car, police said they tried unsuccessfully to use a stun gun on him.

Weiner said: 'At that point he had a machete and another knife in his hand and he lunged across the hood at the officers.'

An officer then shot and killed the attacker. Authorities say no officers were hurt during the shooting.

Courtesy WBNS 10TV

The restaurant owner is Hany Baransi (above) and is an Arab Christian from Israel. He explained that the only reason he was not in the restaurant is because he went home that evening with a migraine

According to WBNS, the four victims injured in the attack have been identified as William Foley 54; Neil McMeekin, 43; Gerald Russell, 43 and Debbie Russell, 43.

The restaurant owner is Hany Baransi and is an Arab Christian from Israel.

'Obviously we were targeted because there's a whole bunch of businesses around here,' Baransi told the Columbus Dispatch.

'I'm the only foreigner. I am the minor, minor, minor of the minority. So nobody likes me.'

He explained that the only reason he was not in the restaurant is because he went home that evening with a migraine.

'The one night I leave early this happens,' Baransi told the newspaper. 'I feel so guilty for leaving my people.'
A man who went missing nearly 30 years ago will soon be reunited with his family after he suddenly remembered his own name.

Edgar Latulip was 21 when he vanished from a hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, in September 1986.

He was being treated after trying to commit suicide and, after he disappeared, police believed he had gone to Niagara Falls to kill himself, the Guelph Mercury reported.

His mother, Sylvia Wilson, told CTV News that she was overwhelmed by the news and that she was planning on meeting her son, although she has not spoken to him yet.

Alana Holtom of the Waterloo Regional Police, said she spoke to Ms Wilson on Wednesday after a detective had given her the news.

Edgar Latulip went missing 30 years ago aged 21 but has just remembered who he is and is now set to be reunited with his family. Photographs from missing person posters show what he could look like

'They are planning to reunite.

'You kind of want to see this storybook reuniting thing, but I think they are going to be handling it privately.

'I'm sure she's very overwhelmed. She expressed her worry over all this time. So for it to come to this conclusion is remarkable,' Ms Holtom told TheStar.com.

Mr Latulip gave a name to a social worker, who searched online and found a missing persons poster with that very name. A DNA test has now confirmed that it is him.

Police believe Mr Latulip, who has the cognitive abilities of a child, did board a bus to Niagara Falls, but at some point suffered a head injury that made him forget who he was.

'Pieces of his memory started coming back,' Niagara Regional Police officer Philip Gavin said.

'Then the social worker found something on the internet that led them to believe this was something more.'

When Mr Latulip went missing in 1986, police believed he had gone to Niagara Falls (pictured) to kill himself





Mr Latulip was living in the St Catharine's area of Ontario, about 80 miles from where he went missing.

In 2014, Ms Wilson said she had never been able to forget about her son and was 'near a nervous breakdown' after he vanished.

'This is always at the back of my mind. Having an answer would mean closure,' she said then.

There was a reported sighting of Mr Latulip in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1993, but police could not track him down.

Detective Constable Duane Gingerich was part of the original search teams who looked for the boy and said his discovery was 'awesome'.

'I had hopes that he was out there somewhere. It's satisfying because most of these cases don't turn out this way. You expect the worst when a person is missing for that period of time.

'It was only recently that these lapses in his memory started to come back. There was enough about it that we thought, 'There's something to this'.'
Meanwhile renewed flood warnings have been issued for tens of thousands of homes and business in Cornwall

The river has burst its banks in areas such as Greenwich and Greenhithe, Kent, with a playground seen underwater

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Flood alerts are in place for London this weekend as the Thames Barrier closed after the river burst its banks due to 'astronomical' tides and heavy rain.

A total of 16 warnings have been issued for areas near the banks of the River Thames, as water levels reached almost as high as the pavements in some parts of central London, including in the Charing Cross area, with flood alerts in place from Greenwich all the way to Putney, west London.

Dramatic pictures showed the high river levels in upmarket areas of the capital, with some people having to hold on to the elevated railings to avoid being soaked.

The water was today seen overflowing in Charing Cross where the average property costs 4.7million, Kew where homes cost about 1m, in Putney where the average home is worth 693,000 and in Greenwich where the average three bedroom house costs around 1.6m.

A combination of the after effects of the recent storms and a high Spring tide is causing the localised flooding. More areas of the capital are set to be deluged in what is forecast to be a wet weekend.

A combination of the after effects of the recent storms and a high Spring tide caused localised flooding of the Thames Path near the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich catching commuters out

The River Thames burst its banks near Kew Bridge in London today. Water levels reached the outside benches of The Bell & Crown pub

The flooding comes after the Thames Barrier was closed recently for the first time this winter. Pictured is a woman walking her dog at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich

The barrier, which is operated by the Environment Agency, has 10 steel gates that can be raised into position across the River Thames. Pictured is flooding near Kew Bridge in London

The Thames Barrier, which spans 520 metres across the river near Woolwich, was shut yesterday 'to protect London from the threat of flooding due to the high level of rain combined with high tides from the sea'.

The action was taken after Storm Imogen lashed the country with heavy downpours earlier this week.

The barrier, which is operated by the Environment Agency, has 10 steel gates that can be raised into position across the River Thames. When raised, the main gates stand as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge. Each main gate weighs 3,300 tonnes.

The River Thames burst its banks and overflowed onto flood plains in Greenwich, south east London, today while dramatic photographs show river levels extremely high in areas such as Embankment (pictured) due to 'astronomically' high spring tides and recent heavy rain

Water levels were almost as high as the pavement in areas across central London today, including in the Charing Cross area, with flood alerts in place from Greenwich all the way to Putney, west London this evening amid fears the river could continue to rise at high tide

Recent rain has also led to the Environment Agency issuing a flood alert and warnings around the River Thames

It is one of the largest moveable flood barriers in the world, protecting 125 square km of London.

The barrier is meant to be closed under storm surge conditions to protect London from flooding from the sea, but yesterday was the first time it has been closed this winter and the 176th time in its 34-year history.

Steve East, engineering manager at the Thames Barrier, said: 'We are closing the barrier to protect London from the threat of flooding due to the high level of rain last week combined with high tides from the sea.'

The barrier has since reopened although river levels within central London remain very high.

On Twitter, a spokesman - @AlanBarrierEA - said much of the flooding had occurred on flood plains engineered for the purpose. One area included a children's playground in Ingress Park, Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent (pictured above), which was underwater earlier today

The Thames Barrier (pictured in action), which is operated by the Environment Agency, has 10 steel gates that can be raised into position across the River Thames. When raised, the gates stand as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge

Flood alerts have been issued from Greenwich to Putney amid fears tonight's high tide could see the river reach 5.6 metres high.

The river was already at a high level following recent rainfall but 'astronomical' spring tides expected tonight could see it rise even higher.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: 'Flooding of land closest to the river may be possible, no property flooding is expected.'

On Twitter, a barrier spokesman - @AlanBarrierEA - said much of the flooding had occurred on flood plains specifically engineered for the purpose. One area included a children's playground.

He wrote: 'The #ThamesBarrier is now closed, protecting #London from the threat of tidal flooding for the 176th time (sic).

'Sorry kids. Our playground is designed to flood when we close the #ThamesBarrier so no playing on the swings today.'

Emma Bilby shared a picture of the playground in Ingress Park, near the Pier pub, and joked: 'Playground's looking fun today'.

Other areas to be flooded include the banks of Gravesend, Greenhithe and near Dartford, Kent.

The barrier is meant to be closed under storm surge conditions to protect London from flooding from the sea, but yesterday was the first time it has been closed this winter and the 176th time in its 34-year history (as shown above). The barrier has since reopened today

The Thames Barrier (pictured closed yesterday) is one of the largest moveable flood barriers in the world, protecting 125 sq km of London

Meanwhile renewed flood warnings have been issued for tens of thousands of homes and business in Cornwall this morning.

The Environment Agency says the flood risk area stretches from Land's End, the Lizard and Mount's Bay to Rame Head.

They say exceptionally high spring tides are likely to be driven by strong winds, sending huge waves crasahing over quays and harbour walls to swamp

seaside towns.

But they say it will not be as bad as the battering Cornwall took when Storm Imogen hit earlier this week.

A spokesman said 'Flooding is expected over the morning high tide on Friday. East south easterly winds Force 4 are forecast for the coast with waves of 1.5 metres predicted.

'Whilst wind speeds and wave heights are less than experienced earlier in the week the higher water levels mean that flooding is possible.

'Spray overtopping is possible as well as overtopping of quays in coastal locations. Please exercise great caution. Some tide locking of rivers is also possible which may lead to localised flooding.

Flood alerts have been issued from Greenwich, south east London, all the way to Putney, west London, by the Environment Agency

'We may issue further Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings over the weekend due to further high tides and forecast rain.'

It comes as forecasters warn snow could fall across parts of the UK within the next 48 hours after an arctic blast sent temperatures plummeting towards -6C today.

Forecasters said snow could fall as far south as the Cotswolds this weekend while the heaviest falls are expected to be in northern Scotland tomorrow.

Much of the country woke up to frosty scenes this morning while Benson in Oxfordshire recorded a temperature of -5.8C (21.6F) at 7am.

Over the next few days an Arctic maritime air mass will continue to push temperatures below freezing overnight in many parts of Britain.

And high areas including Dartmoor and the Welsh mountains could see a dusting of snow as a front comes in from the West this weekend.

The Met Office has a 'be aware' snow warning out for tomorrow for the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus and Perth and Kinross.

It said: 'A frontal zone in cold air will move slowly and erratically southwards across the area, generating rain near coasts but sleet and snow inland.'
A City trader dubbed 'King Popper' has been ordered to refund victims of his Ponzi scam with 2.5m from his personal bank account.

Alex Hope, 26, of Canary Wharf, East London, was jailed for seven years in January for swindling unsuspecting investors to fund a playboy lifestyle of gambling and exclusive nightclubs.

He earned the title 'King Popper' after he spent 32,000 spraying himself with champagne.

Hope blew vast sums in casinos, hotels and clubs around the world in an 'hedonistic' 2 million binge

Judge Deborah Taylor at Southwark Crown Court accepted the advice from Financial Conduct Authority that all of Hope's investors should receive some money

The judge also explained how certain investors had unwittingly encouraged friends and family to invest in the scheme

Judge Deborah Taylor at Southwark Crown Court accepted the advice from Financial Conduct Authority that all of Hope's investors should receive some money.

'The money should be returned on a pro-rata rather than a first in first out basis,' she said.

'Some investors of much smaller sums lost all their savings.'

The judge also explained how certain investors had unwittingly encouraged friends and family to invest in the scheme.

'In this case I heard the evidence given at trial by a significant number of investors who made their payments to Alex Hope at different times.

'Alex Hope needed to raise 5 million to demonstrate to the FCA that he was capable of starting a hedge fund.'

Alex Hope boasted he was a financial whizz-kid while swindling unsuspecting investors out of 5million to fund a flashy playboy lifestyle

Judge Taylor explained that Hope had held a conference in Slough in an attempt to persuade would-be-investors to part with their cash.

'I thereby order that the restrained order be varied to transfer the money currently held in Mr Hope's account to the FCA,' said the judge.

Sarah Clarke, representing the FCA, told the court that for the foreseeable future Hope will be penniless as his victims are refunded.

Hope was promoted as a 'successful and talented' trader by 'mentor' Raj Von Badlo, 57, who lured investors into parting with 4,292,820 with PR stunts and smooth sales patter.

He was convicted of one count of fraud after a retrial in January and pleaded guilty before the trial to carrying on a regulated activity when not authorised by the FSA.

Von Badlo, also known as Raj Shastri, was jailed for two years after confessing to enticing people into the fraud and making misleading statements following the collapse of the first trial.

Former Wembley stadium catering manager Hope reinvented himself as a currency markets expert after teaching himself economics.

He eventually landed an office job with City-based training school Forex Academy before meeting Von Badlo while working as an independent trader at Zone Invest.

By the end of 2011, investors were pouring cash into the trading scheme and huge sums were appearing in Hope's bank account.

Hope pocketed an 'eye-watering' 5,565,620 in just 13 months, between March 2011 and April 2012, which he used as a 'personal piggy bank' to fund his extravagant lifestyle.

Just 520,796 has so far been paid back to the duped investors.

The fraudster blew vast sums in casinos, hotels, shopping sprees and clubs around the world in a 'hedonistic' 2m binge.

The conman splashed 32,000 in one evening at a Champagne Spray event earning him the title 'King Popper'

On one of his shopping sprees, Hope bought 15 pairs of Christian Louboutain trainers - worth around 1,800 each.

Hope, of (2806, 3) Pan Peninsula, Canary Wharf, east London, denied but was convicted of one charge of fraud.

He pleaded guilty to carrying on a regulated activity when not a authorised by the Financial Services Authority.

Von Badlo, of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, admitted making misleading statements and communicating an invitation or inducement to encourage investment activity.
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David Cameron tonight joined Angela Merkel for a lavish banquet in one of Germany's most ornate halls as Brexit negotiations continued to rumble on.

The Prime Minister was spotted enjoying a luxurious meal as he chatted to the German Chancellor during the annual Matthiae-Mahl dinner at Hamburg City Hall.

Photographs showed Cameron laughing and joking with Merkel as the duo ate under the hall's impressive gold-gilded roof - perhaps suggesting the austerity message hasn't got through.

David Cameron tonight joined Angela Merkel for a lavish banquet in one of Germany's most ornate halls as Brexit negotiations continued to rumble on

The Prime Minister (left) was spotted enjoying a luxurious meal as he chatted to the German Chancellor (right) during the annual Matthiae-Mahl dinner at Hamburg City Hall

The spectacular room, which features a 50ft ceiling, includes three chandeliers, which have nearly 300 lights and weigh 1.5 tonnes each.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that a deal could be reached allowing Britain to remain in the European Union and avoid a so-called 'Brexit'.

He also insisted Europe had to 'stand together' against threats such as ISIS and Russian aggression.

He said: 'The reason why I believe it is so vital to keep Britain in a reformed European Union is that when I look at the world today and where it is going I am convinced more than ever that we need Britain and Germany working together to shape a European Union that can deliver prosperity and security for us all.

'In a world where Russia is invading Ukraine and a rogue nation like North Korea is testing nuclear weapons, we need to stand up to this aggression together.

'And in a world where people look at the threat of extremism and blame poverty or the foreign policy of the West, we need to say: no, it's about an ideology that is hijacking Islam for its own barbaric purposes and poisoning the minds of our young people.

'And just as Europe has faced down dangerous and murderous ideologies in the past, so again we must stand together in this, the struggle of our generation.'

Cameron is engaged in an intensive round of high-stakes diplomacy aimed at renegotiating the terms of Britain's EU membership before holding an in-out referendum.

He must convince his 27 fellow EU leaders to back the controversial reform proposals at a leaders' summit in Brussels on February 18 and 19.

Merkel insisted at the dinner that her 'wish is that the United Kingdom is and remains an active member of a successful European Union'.

Meanwhile, the banquet's host, Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz, said Britain was 'irreplaceable' in European foreign and defence policy.

Brexit campaigners labelled the major proposals put forward for the changing of Britain's relationship with the European Union 'cosmetic'.

Cameron and Merkel were joined by Hamburg's Mayor Olaf Scholz (right) and his wife Britta Ernst (left) attend the annual dinner

The officials were pictured entering the room and approaching their table, which was covered in flowers and lit by ornate candlesticks

Cameron looked to be peering up at the halls gilded roof as he waited to sit down for the lavish meal, which is an annual event

The Hamburg mayor took a moment to explain something to the British Prime Minister, who was pictured wearing his glasses as he examined a small document

Cameron was in jovial spirits as he pointed at some of the room's impressive decoration - perhaps the austerity message had not got through

The meal, which was founded in 1356, saw Cameron - pictured looking pensive during the meal - and Merkel invited as special guests

The Prime Minister has also failed to secure reforms in ten key areas he has previously promised action on, Vote Leave claimed.

It claims nearly all the substantive points for overhauling the UK's position in the EU are demands for the status quo to continue, or areas that will require treaty change to make them happen.

The group points to a declaration that the EU has more than one currency and calls for countries outside the eurozone not to be left at a disadvantage, as proposals that simply re-state the current position.

It highlights an end to Britain's obligation to ever-closer union and reforms ensuring that non-euro countries are not liable financially for bailouts propping up the single currency bloc as measures requiring treaty change.

The group also claims that commitments to cut red tape burdens on business and boost competitiveness are 'unlikely to have any tangible impact'.

It criticised the Prime Minister for failing to make good on pledges to secure reforms in ten areas that he has raised during his time as Conservative leader, including nailing down treaty change before a referendum and powers to stop jobless migrants moving to the UK.

The duo's meeting came as Brexit negotiations continued to rumble on, with some people suggesting Cameron did not get a good deal

Despite the ongoing Brexit situation, Cameron and Merkel looked to be making conversation as they entertained Hamburg's Mayor during the meal

Cameron appeared to be perusing what could have been a menu for a long time as he conversed with the Mayor

Later in the meal, the Prime Minister took centre stage as he neglected to eat his bread roll and instead explained something to the Mayor

Cameron signs the Golden Book, which is made of all the signatures of specially honoured guests that have visited Hamburgh

The city hall was lit up as crowds gathered outside it ahead of tonight's dinner. A Union Jack was also raised above the hall's doorway

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: 'David Cameron has asked for very little from the EU, his renegotiation is almost entirely cosmetic.

'Asking the EU to confirm that the status quo continues - like that the pound is the UK's currency - is not going to persuade anyone that he has negotiated hard for Britain.

'Many of the changes he is asking for require treaty change. He is effectively asking the British people to vote for something that has no more value than an unsigned contract.
Pilot ejected and has landed safely, but whereabouts remain unclear

Benghazi is contested by government forces, ISIS and its affiliate groups

Army investigating if 'terrorists' have weapons 'capable of shooting down planes'

Islamic militants have shot down a jet over the country's second largest city of Benghazi, according to the Libyan air force chief of staff.

The fighter plane was downed while carrying out airstrikes against Islamic militants, and is the third to have crashed in nearly 40 days.

Libyan air force chief of staff Brig. Gen. Saqr al-Jaroushi said that a Libyan MIG23 came under fire by militants' anti-aircraft guns in the eastern city of Benghazi early evening local time.

The plane was 'shot down in Qaryunes, northwest Benghazi, as it bombed positions of the (Mujahedeen) Shura Council', a coalition of Islamist militias close to Al-Qaeda, according to a military spokesman.

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Shot down: Libyan air force chief Saqr al-Jaroushi said the jet was shot down by militants by anti-aircraft guns in the eastern city of Benghazi

Benghazi: According to local media Libya al Hurra TV a loud explosion was heard in the suburbs of Benghazi

Al-Jaroush said that the pilot ejected and landed safely and have since been rescued by special forces in Benghazi.

The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group claimed its fighters downed the plane, according to SITE Intelligence Group, a US monitor of jihadist activity on the Internet.

It's not the first time ISIS has claimed to have shot down a plane in Libya, with IS-linked A'maq Media releasing a video purportedly showing the attack on in early January.

The news site also published a short six-second video showing the shooting down of the jet this evening.

Al-Jazeera Arabic also reported that the jet was shot down by ISIS.

It has also been reported that the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), a Islamist group of militias who have unofficially sworn allegiance to ISIS have claimed the attack.

It has also been reported that the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), a Islamist group of militias who have unofficially sworn allegiance to ISIS have claimed the attack

Al-Jaroushi said army is investigating whether 'terrorists have acquired new weapons capable of shooting down our planes.'

It was the second military air crash this week.

On Monday, another MiG-23 operated by forces loyal to Libya's recognised government crashed near the eastern city of Derna after attacking IS positions.

LANA news agency, which is close to the recognised government, blamed 'technical problems' for the downing.

Before crashing, the fighter had carried out raids on IS positions around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Derna.

The air force answers to the internationally-recognized government in eastern Libya, where forces have been fighting Islamic militants since 2014.

In western Libya a rival parliament, backed by Islamist-allied militias, is in control.
Eight police officers have been shot and killed since the beginning of this year - with five in the last week alone.

In the same period last year - January 1 to February 12 - only one officer was shot dead.

The total number of police officers killed in the line of duty has decreased overall, however, with 11 so far this year compared to 13 in the same time period last year.

Most of the deaths in the first six weeks of last year were traffic related.

A total of eight officers have been shot dead in 2016 so far, compared to just one between January 1 and February 12 of last year. Major Greg Barney of Riverdale, Georgia, (pictured) was shot and killed on Thursday

People left flowers, a teddy bear, candles and a sign for Barney outside the Riverdale police station

Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Total Fatalities Firearms-related Traffic-related Other Causes 2016 2015 11 13 8 1 2 8 1 4 Figures compare deaths between 1/1/16 - 2/12/16 and 1/1/15 - 2/12/15 Source: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Advertisement

Case County Sheriff Paul Laney, of North Dakota, said: 'People are hunting us. How do you think that sits with us?

'But yet we wear this badge with honor and pride and we're going to go out every day and protect our communities.'

On Thursday, Major Greg Barney of Riverdale, Georgia was serving a 'no-knock' warrant, which allows law enforcement to enter property without notifying residents.

The suspect ran from his home and opened fire, hitting Barney twice in the chest.

He was taken to the hospital and later died in surgery.

On Wednesday, a Fargo, North Dakota officer Jason Moszer, 33, responded to a domestic dispute.

He was shot by gunman Marcus Schumacher, 49, who was barricaded inside his home during the 11-hour standoff. Schumacher was later found dead as well.

According to the Associated Press, Moszer is the first Fargo officer to die in the line of duty in more than 100 years.

Jason Moszer was shot by gunman Marcus Schumacher after he responded to a domestic dispute. Pictured right with wife Rachel, Moszer is the first Fargo police officer to die in the line of duty in more than 100 years

The same day, two Maryland sheriff's deputies, Patrick Dailey and Mark Logsdon, were shot dead during an incident at Panera Bread in Abingdon.

David Brian Evans, 67, first shot Dailey in the head inside the restaurant on Wednesday, then killed Logsdon in a shootout later, authorities said. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are still investigating Evans' motives, but it is believed he opened fire on Dailey because he was wearing a uniform.

On Monday, Mesa County sheriff's deputy Derek Greer of Colorado was shot by a 17-year-old after responding to reports of an armed man.

Greer was hospitalized and his organs were donated after he was taken off life support on Wednesday. He was a 15-year veteran.

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey (left) was killed on Wednesday, when David Brian Evans shot him in the head at Panera Bread in Abingdon, Maryland. Evans later killed Deputy Mark Logsdon (right) in a shootout
Boualem Guerbi, manager of Barker Shoes' flagship store on London's Regent Street, behaved like a 'randy old man', an employment tribunal has ruled

Two saleswomen at one of Britain's most exclusive shoe stores were sexually harassed by their 'rampant' manager, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Married father-of-two Boualem Guerbi, 61, behaved like a 'randy old man' at the flagship store of upmarket Barker Shoes in the West End of London.

But, remarkably, he is still in his job, despite the Central London tribunal hearing claims he regarded his staff as 'eye candy' and had at least seven victims.

He only hired 'beautiful girls with nice bodies'  then froze them out when they spurned his advances, it was claimed.

Mehrnoosh Bolhasani, 46, and Agnese Avota, 29, finally fought back at their boss, who 'always wanted a hug', stripped to the waist at work, and told lurid tales of the sights he saw on a nudist beach.

They could now be due more than 100,000 after winning employment tribunal claims for sexual harassment and discrimination. Miss Bolhasani has been on unpaid sick leave for more than two years. Miss Avota is studying to be a nurse.

In a judgment issued privately last month following nine days of hearings last March, the tribunal ruled Guerbi sexually assaulted Miss Bolhasani in his office.

The judgment also found that Barker bosses turned a blind eye, noting that they rejected the two women's grievance complaints, and that managing director Alan Pringle left it to his personal assistant to dismiss Miss Avota's appeal.

Last night Miss Bolhasani said: 'Guerbi needs to get punished and realise what he did with me and the other girls was completely wrong.'

Miss Avota added: 'We don't understand why he can harass people and still work there.'

The tribunal was told that Algerian-born Guerbi, of Eltham, South-East London, hired Miss Bolhasani in 2010 to work at a store on Brompton Road in West London.

Miss Bolhasani, from Iran and living in Tottenham, North London, became the 30,000-a-year-plus assistant manager.

She told the tribunal: 'He often told me about his body, how fit he was for his age  stories about how girls approached him to talk to him and make him sexual offers. I found his conversation disturbing.'

She said she was sexually assaulted in his office at Regent Street in May 2012, pulling her towards him and trying to kiss her.

Agnese Avota, 29 (left), and Mehrnoosh Bolhasani, 46, (right) who were sexually harassed by boss Boualem Guerbi, the tribunal ruled

Yet when she complained to bosses that Guerbi only ever employed 'beautiful girls with nice bodies', she claimed she was bluntly told that was why she was hired.

Miss Bolhasani also claimed Guerbi groped other sales assistants. She said: 'Those who refused his sexual approaches fared badly.'

Miss Bolhasani also won a racism complaint because Guerbi said 'bloody Iranians are all aggressive'.

Latvian Miss Avota told the tribunal: 'Because I had rejected Mr Guerbi, he sought to punish me in every way he thought of. He humiliated me in front of colleagues, leaving me in tears, and threatened me with dismissal.'

After seven months she resigned, blaming his 'animal behaviour'.

Mr Guerbi denied being a sex pest but the tribunal panel said Guerbi created a hostile and degrading working environment for women.

It added that Barker was 'anxious from the outset to downplay' the harassment complaints.

Mr Guerbi, working at a Barker shop in London's Regent Street, yesterday refused to comment.
For many people in China, celebrating the new year by handing out red packets of money often referred to as hongbao, is part of the holiday tradition.

Digital apps in the country have brought this custom into the 21st century, allowing its users to send electronic red packets, the People's Daily Online reports.

During this year's Lunar New Year eve, over eight billion electronic red envelopes were sent and received by residents in the country over the WeChat messaging app - more than the number of the global population.

Hongbaos have entered into the 21st century with messaging apps allowing you to send them electronically

According to Tencent who own online messaging app Wechat, over 409,000 envelopes were sent and received every second during peak times. This the equivalent of every person in Cardiff sending at least one envelope.

Tencent say this year's figures were eight times higher than last year's.

Traditionally, cash is put in a red envelope, known as hongbao, which is handed out as a gift in China during Lunar New Year - usually from a senior family member to a junior family member.

But with the emergence of digital 'red envelope', the Chinese tradition was given a spin in 2016. The gifts were shared between friends, colleagues, lovers and even from children to their parents.

Min Rui who works in Beijing says she spent 100 yuan (10.45) sending red envelopes to family and friends.

She told MailOnline: 'When I send hongbaos to group chats among family, it adds to the cliche family reunions.

I prefer the real hongbao but I won't reject the virtual ones. When you hold the money, the texture and fulfillment is just not the same as e-Hongbao.

Electronic hongbao is just a number but the real hongbao is a tradition which binds you with your loved ones. I will hold this tradition because it's deep in my heart.'

Packets of cash: Traditional Hongbaos take the shape of red envelopes engraved with a lucky message

A gift during festive times: The red envelopes are filled with money and handed out on special occasions

While Zhong Min, manager of Century Mart told CCTV news: "I've talked with some customers and franchisers; their opinions on the red envelopes are the same as mine. They said it represents the tradition that has been passed on for many generations. It is irreplaceable'.

The way electronic red envelopes work is that someone sends a red packet. The money is then deposited to their personal account on the messaging app which can then be used to pay for goods or transferred into your bank account.

When someone is sent a red envelope, they are able to open it by pressing on the envelope to then find out how much money they will receive.

The three biggest internet companies have gone head to head during this year's festive period. Baidu, Alibababa and Tencent have launched red envelope sending services and competitions.

During the annual China Central Television gala, a competition was launched by internet giant Alibaba in which the company handed out around 800 million yuan (84 million) to viewers of the show who took part in the hongbao competition.

The Chinese government even started handing out red envelopes to those who could quote phrases used by President Xi Jinping.

Around 300,000 yuan (31,000) was handed out to those who were lucky enough to get hold of an envelope.

Over the past few years, social media such as digital payment apps have become big business in China.
Passengers were left horrified on a subway in China when a woman recently let her grandson urinate openly on the train carriage.

A commuter pictured the shocking moment as the boy relieved himself on the Shanghai metro, reports the People's Daily Online.

The photo was posted online on February 11 by a user named 'realley', many people expressed anger towards the woman, while some sympathised with the boy.

Shocking: A grandmother recently let her grandson urinate on a public train in the city of Shanghai, China

The photo shows the child with his pants down urinating directly onto the floor of the train as the woman watches, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Around them a crowd of commuters look on disgusted and stand out of the way of any splash back.

None of the passengers appear to have stopped the woman.

The picture was shared on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo, and thousands expressed their disgust at the woman's behaviour.

One user named 'NSNS2009' wrote: 'This is the problem of the adult. Her moral standard is too low. It only takes a few minutes for the train to reach the next stop. They are just lazy and do such things to harm public interests.'

'Moregeyan' agreed: 'The parent doesn't plan when they go out. Before going on the subway train, why didn't she take the boy to the public toilet?'

Not the first time! A woman was pictured in August 2015 defecating on a Shenzhen Airlines plane mid flight

But one person name 'Lao hui hui cai' sympathised with the woman: 'She loves the grandchild too much. Perhaps she comes from a different background and is not aware of her behaviour.'

So did 'Xiao lang g': 'I sympathise with the parent. I think there should be free plastic bags in the subway trains in case people need them.'

Chinese travellers are constantly being pulled out for their bad behaviour on public transport.

This is not the first time someone has been caught going to the toilet where they are not supposed to.

In August 2015, a woman was pictured letting her child defecate on the floor of a plane midflight.

The unamed woman was reported to be travelling on a domestic route with Shenzhen Airlines.
While there are fears robots may rise up to take over the world if artificial intelligence progresses too quickly, some of us may find ourselves simply marrying machines in the future.

A leading computer scientist has predicted that as robots become more human-like, people may start turning to them for companionship.

His predictions mirror the plot of the hit TV series Humans, where people formed emotional attachments to robots brought in to help out around the home.

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Robots could soon become intimate companions for humans and some people may even seek to marry them as they become more human-like. The fictional TV series Humans (pictured) depicted a similar scenario where householders began forming emotional attachments to their robotic helpers in the home

Unlike other technology, such as mobile phones and computers, robots will have the ability to interact with us in a far more realistic way.

Dr Kevin Curran, a senior member of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers and a computer scientist at the University of Ulster, argues cloud computing has the potential to transform artificial intelligence so robots can become far more lifelike.

Speaking to MailOnline, he said: 'It seems that when these machines do act in ways just like adults, where they can interact and talk in real-time, robots will become the perfect companion.

'We have got to ask ourselves will robots be re-purposed for companionship? Will humans become intimate with robots? The answer, I believe, is yes.

'Will we start to see people fighting court cases to win the right to marry their companion? We may see court cases arguing that these artificial beings have the same rights as humans.

'What pressures will this put on the opposite sex. All of a sudden people will find they are not just competing with their peer group, but also this perfect race of robots.'

There has been a growing move towards producing robots that are lifelike in an attempt to help them overcome many of the challenges they would face moving around in the real world.

Roboticists have been trying to develop more realistic and life-like machines, such as Bina 48 (pictured) which has been given the biography and identity of a real person, allowing it to answer questions and even argue in a similar way to humans

Robotics firm Boston Dynamics, which is owned by Google, has produced a series of robots that move like dogs, cheetahs and humans, making them able to tackle difficult terrain.

Other researchers have been trying to develop robots that behave more like humans, such a Bina48 - a robot that has adopted the persona of a real person.

Artificial intelligence researchers are also now beginning to explore how to use techniques such as deep learning to give computers emotional intelligence.

This is what allows humans to infer information from the world around them, particularly when talking to other people.

Cracking this will prove essential to allow robots becoming widely accepted in our homes, according to Dr Curran.

Some of the first mass produced robots are likely to be companions for the elderly and children. To achieve this scientists have been attempting to give the robots the ability to interact in a more realistic way, such as with Kismet, developed by MIT, which uses facial expressions when it communicates (pictured)

'There is a new move towards cloud robotics where a lot of the processing is done remotely and this has really helped to increase what is possible,' he said.

'Robots are becoming lighter and more mobile as they are not trying to do everything on the actual body - they just require a Wi-Fi chip and a processor.

'The measurement, accuracy and calculations are being done remotely.

'We are finally starting to see robots that actually can walk like real creatures. Just look at what Boston Dynamics has achieved.'

Dr Curran added it was likely the first mass market for robots will be to provide companions for elderly people or minders to look after children on their way to school.

However, he explained: 'We just have to project a few years down the road and we may see robots being re-purposed for sexual purposes.

COULD HUMANS SOMEDAY FALL IN LOVE WITH ROBOTS? The film 'Ex Machina', in which a computer programmer falls in love with a droid, may not be as far-fetched as you think The idea where a human falls in love with a robot may not be that far fetched. A recent study has found that humans have the potential to emphasise with robots, even while knowing they don't have feelings. It follows previous warnings from experts that humans could develop unhealthy relationships with robots, and even fall in love with them. The discovery was made after researchers asked people to view images of human and humanoid robotic hands in painful situations, such as being cut by a knife. After studying their electrical brain signals, they found humans responded with similar immediate levels of empathy to both humans and robots. But the beginning phase of the so-called 'top-down' process of empathy was weaker toward robots. The study was carried out by researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology and Kyoto University in Japan, and provides the first neurophysiological evidence of humans' ability to empathise with robots. These results suggest that we empathise with humanoid robots in a similar way to how we empathise with other humans. Relationships between robots and humans have been explored in many science fiction films, including the film Ex Machina, the most recent Terminator film and Her. Advertisement

'Other technologies do get re-purposed in this way - just look at the internet. A large amount of traffic on the internet is to adult websites.'

Recently, researchers in Japan unveiled a robotic 'actress' that has been hailed as the 'world's sexiest robot'.

Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory at Osaka University designed the robot, called Geminoid F, to act like a human, and it has rubber 'skin' and a woman's face but cannot walk, so has to be wheeled around.

Dr Curran said as robots become more commonplace it is likely to lead to some social changes.

He said while people are likely to adapt quickly, it may take longer for the authorities and legislation to tackle the rapid advance in technology.

He said: 'Are we prepared as a society for when robots are integrated in society and appear as humans?
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From brutal torture devices to bizarre medical treatments, these terrifying contraptions reveal a darker side to innovation.

They show how inventors throughout history have put their skills and intellects to use in horrifying ways, creating contraptions that have caused unimaginable suffering.

The feature, first published in How It Works magazine, highlights some heinous inventions used in torture, war and medicine.

A feature first published in How It Works magazine, highlights some heinous inventions used in torture, war and medicine. This graphic shows a brutal method of execution invented in ancient Greece by Perillus, a bronze worker in Athens. As well as roasting criminals alive, the device also doubled as a musical instrument, converting the victims desperate cries into bellows

In the past, a punishment much worse than a long prison sentence awaited criminals.

From boiling people alive to sawing them in half, execution methods were often developed to be as cruel as possible and these gruesome events were usually carried out in public to deter others from following in the footsteps of the accused.

Even if people werent sentenced to death, there were plenty of ghastly implements that could be used to torture them. Typically used to extract a confession or information about accomplices, torture was popular in medieval times, with the screams of victims echoing from castle dungeons across Europe.

From boiling people alive to sawing them in half, execution methods were often developed to be as cruel as possible and these gruesome events were usually carried out in public to deter others from following in the footsteps of the accused. A painting showing the crucifixion of Christ is pictured left and an electric chair in a Louisiana prison is shown, right

The inventions feature in How It Works magazine, on sale now

War has also inspired a wide selection of horrific innovations. While guns and bombs were designed to kill instantly, chemical weapons could draw out death for several agonising days  thankfully, this form of warfare is now prohibited.

We are also lucky that some medical devices from history are no longer used. Despite being designed with good intentions, many medieval procedures were truly stomach-churning, making a trip to the doctor quite the ordeal.

CRUEL METHODS OF EXECUTION

One of the most brutal methods of execution ever created took the form of a hollow bull statue.

Invented in ancient Greece by Perillus, a bronze worker in Athens, it was given as a gift to a cruel tyrant named Phalaris of Agrigentum.

As well as roasting criminals alive, the device also doubled as a musical instrument, converting the victims desperate cries into what Perillus described as the tenderest, most pathetic, most melodious of bellowings.

Distrustful of the inventors claims, Phalaris ordered Perillus to climb inside and prove the devices musical capabilities himself.

As soon as he was inside, Phalaris shut the door and lit a fire beneath, causing Perillus to scream for real.

However, rather than letting him die at the hands of his own creation, Phalaris had him removed and thrown off a cliff instead.

Devised over 2,500 years ago as punishment for the most serious crimes, crucifixion would kill victims in a horribly drawn-out and painful way.

With their wrists and feet nailed or tightly bound to a cross, and their legs broken by the executioners to speed up death, the victims weight would be transferred to their arms.

This would gradually pull the shoulders and elbows out of their sockets, leaving the chest to bear the weight.

Although inhaling would still be possible, exhaling would be difficult and the victim would eventually suffocate due to a lack of oxygen.

This excruciating process could take 24 hours.

Although beheading methods had already been around for centuries, in 1789 French physician Dr Joseph Guillotin proposed a much more efficient and humane device for decapitation.

When the executioner released the rope holding the guillotines weighted blade in place, it would drop onto the victims neck, killing them in a fraction of a second. This helped to eliminate the human error that was common with axe and sword beheadings, which sometimes required the executioner to deliver multiple swings to fully remove the head.

Although beheading methods had already been around for centuries, in 1789 French physician Dr Joseph Guillotin proposed a much more efficient and humane device for decapitation - the guilletine. This painting captured the beheading of execution of Louis XVI

Although quick, guillotine executions were popular spectator events during the French Revolution and the guillotine operators become national celebrities.

Electrocution was introduced as a quicker and supposedly less painful method of execution than hanging in the 1880s.

When brought to the electric chair, a person has their head and one calf shaved to reduce resistance to electricity and is strapped in across their waist, arms and legs.

A moistened sponge is then placed on their head and an electrode in the shape of a metal skullcap is secured on top.

Another electrode is attached to their shaved leg and then the power is switched on. 2,000 volts pass through their body, paralysing the respiratory system and causing cardiac arrest.

MOST CRUEL METHODS OF TORTURE: FROM THE IRON MAIDEN TO THUMBSCREWS 1 - Breaking wheel With the victim's limbs tied to the spokes of this large wooden wheel, it would be slowly revolved. As it spun, the executioner would bludgeon the victim's arms and legs with an iron hammer, shattering their bones one by one. If the victim survived this, they were placed on top of a large pole, so the birds could peach at their body until they eventually died of dehydration, which could take several days. 2 - The rack With their hands and feet tied to rollers at each end of the wooden frame, the torture victim would be subjected to intense interrogation. If they failed to confess to their crimes or give up the information the torturer was looking for, a crank would be turned to rotate the rollers. This would pull on the ropes, gradually stretching the victims body and causing intense pain, eventually dislocating their limbs. 3 - Iron maiden A series of menacing spokes protruded from the interior of this iron chamber. With the victim inside, the door was slowly closed, causing the strategically placed spikes to pierce the body. However, the spikes were not long enough to be instantly fatal. Instead, the victim would be left to slowly bleed to death. Torture has been used as a method of punishment and interrogation for centuries, with the ancient Greeks and Romans regularly torturing criminals as part of their justice system. A variety of methods are shown above and the numbers correspond to the explanations in this orange box 4 - Head crusher With a victim's chin placed over the bottom bar and their head between the metal cap, the executioner would slowly turn the screw to bring the two together, only stopping if the victim gave the right answers. As the victim's head was crushed, their teeth would shatter into their jaw and their eyes would pop out of their sockets. 5 - Thumbscrew Used as punishment or a method of extracting information, the victims fingers, thumbs or toes were placed between two horizontal metal bars. When the screw was turned, the two bars were pressed together, crushing the digits inside. Some thumbscrews even featured metal spikes on the bars to increase the pain. 6 - Choke pear Also known as 'the pear of anguish,' this device was inserted into one of the victim's orifices, such as their mouth. When the key or crank was turned, the 'petals' of the pear-shaped end would slowly open up, painfully mutilating the victim's insides, but not causing death. 7 - Heretic's fork Usually reserved for blasphemers, this metal rod with two prongs at either end was attached to a leather strap around the victim's neck. One end would pierce their chin, while the other dug into their sternum, causing immense pain if they attempted to move their jaw or neck, making it more or less impossible to talk. 8 - Lead sprinkler Deceptively designed to look like a holy water sprinkler, this device was actually filled with molten lead, acid or boiling hot oil or water. The long handle was shaken to shower the victim's body with the substance inside. This caused horrific burns and was potentially lethal. Advertisement

A great deal of ingenuity and artistic skill went into developing instruments that would inflict the maximum amount of pain. Often simply threatening to use one on a person was enough to get them to confess, while others would quickly give in after seeing it used on a fellow prisoner. An illustration from the page of an 18th century manuscript showing 'Persian torture' is shown

Torture was usually conducted in secret, such as in an underground dungeon. Fire torture on a wheel is shown

INSIDE A TORTURE CHAMBER

Torture has been used as a method of punishment and interrogation for centuries, with the ancient Greeks and Romans regularly torturing criminals as part of their justice system.

However, by the Middle Ages torture had become particularly prevalent, especially in response to crimes of treason. If you had been disloyal to the sovereign and your country, a whole plethora of horrifying torture devices awaited you.

Torture was usually conducted in secret, with most medieval castles featuring an underground dungeon in which these diabolical deeds took place.

A great deal of ingenuity and artistic skill went into developing instruments that would inflict the maximum amount of pain. Often simply threatening to use one on a person was enough to get them to confess, while others would quickly give in after seeing it used on a fellow prisoner.

Some torture devices were designed to only inflict pain, but others would result in a slow, drawn-out death that prolonged the suffering until the victim drew their last breath.

However, even if a prisoner was lucky enough to survive the torture, they were usually left severely disfigured and often had to be to be carried to their resulting trial, as they could no longer walk on their own.

From the mid-17th century onwards, torture became much less common as there was much speculation about its effectiveness.

Many prisoners would say anything to end their suffering, so it often produced inaccurate information or false confessions.

It wasnt until 1948 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, banning the use of torture.

Trepanning, which involves drilling a hole into the skull, was a popular treatment prescribed to allow the disease-causing evil spirits trapped inside to escape. This graphic shows other terrifying implements used by 'doctors' to treat ailments

MISERABLE MEDICINE

Nowadays, when feeling unwell, we can visit a clean hospital and receive tried and tested treatments from a doctor with years of medical training.

But for our ancestors throughout history were not quite so lucky when it came to health care. In medieval England for example, poor hygiene and filthy living conditions meant that disease was very common.

With little knowledge of the human anatomy, many illnesses were attributed to witchcraft, demons, the will of God or even the positions of celestial bodies.

Trepanning, which involves drilling a hole into the skull, was a popular treatment prescribed to allow the disease-causing evil spirits trapped inside to escape.

Others believed that diseases were caused by the fluids in the body becoming unbalanced, and so bloodletting  draining the blood from a particular part of the body  was thought to restore things to normal.

The doctors who carried out these procedures were usually monks, as they tended to have a basic medical knowledge, or barbers or butchers who simply had the right tools for the job.

The equipment used was very rarely sterilised, as little was known about contamination, and procedures were carried out with no form of anaesthesia to numb the pain. Its no wonder that people would put off seeking treatment for as long as possible.

A variety of gases were used during and after the First World War, to devastating effect. This graphic lists four of them. They can cause a range of nasty symptoms including coughing, burns, blisters, spam and eventually result in death

Napalm was famously used to devastating effect during the Vietnam War. Here, Kim Phuc Phan Thi, who was one of the children in the famous Nalpalm Girl' photograph shows her scars

WEAPONS OF WAR

On 22 April 1915, Germany shocked the world by launching the first large-scale gas attack in war.

After waiting several weeks for the wind to blow in the right direction, German soldiers released clouds of chlorine gas near the enemy trenches in Ypres, suffocating the unprepared Allied troops.

Although The Hague Convention of 1899 prohibited the use of poisonous weapons, Germany justified its actions by claiming that France had already broken the ban by deploying tear gas grenades in 1914.

The chlorine gas attack kick-started a chemical arms race and by the end of World War I, around 50 different chemicals had been used on the battlefield. The most prevalent were chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas, which would result in slow and painful deaths if soldiers were exposed to large enough quantities.

Eventually, gas masks were developed for protection, but chemicals such as mustard gas could still cause horrific blisters if they came into contact with the skin.

Among the most devastating chemical weapons are nerve agents, such as sarin, which attack the nervous system. Even small concentrations can be lethal, killing in mere minutes.

Napalm was famously used to devastating effect during the Vietnam War.

It is a flammable liquid with a gel-like consistency, allowing it to stick to surfaces easily. In a bomb, it is combined with gasoline or jet fuel to explode upon impact, capable of burning at more than 2,760 C.

Even the slightest contact with skin can result in severe burns and it can also cause death by asphyxiation.

When ignited, napalm generates carbon monoxide and removes oxygen from the air, suffocating those in the vicinity.

In ancient times, Greek fire was used in a similarly ruthless way.

Developed by the Byzantine Greeks in the 7th century it was a flammable liquid that could burn on water, making it particularly effective for naval warfare.

This liquid fire was sprayed at the enemy using early flamethrower devices, or thrown in primitive hand grenades, creating a raging fire that could only be extinguished with sand, vinegar or urine.

The true ingredients are a mystery, but scientists believe it could have contained petroleum, sulphur and pine tar.
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Capable of clearing mines, digging trenches and causing wanton destruction in its wake, the British Army's new battle tank looks like the stuff of Hollywood action films.

Designed by British defence and aerospace firm BAE Systems, the aptly named Terrier has been designed to meet the challenges of modern warfare on and off the battlefield.

In fact, the tank is so versatile it has been described as the 'Swiss Army Knife' of combat vehicles.

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Fearsome: Capable of clearing mines, digging trenches and smashing anything in its path, the Terrier from BAE Systems (pictured) is so versatile it has been dubbed the 'Swiss army knife' of combat vehicles

Always ready: The aptly named Terrier has been designed to meet the challenges of modern warfare on and off the battlefield

Out on the battlefield, it can probe for suspected buried explosive devices and split solid concrete with a rock hammer that stretches more than 26ft (8 metres) away from its body using a telescopic arm.

In addition to being manned, for situations deemed too-dangerous for a crew, the 32-tonne machine can be operated by remote control from up to a kilometre away.

The versatile military vehicle was originally launched in 2013 as part of a 360m ($520m) project with the UK government's Ministry of Defence, to aid the British Army in carrying out tasks such as digging, drilling, heavy lifting and path clearing.

But continued improvements to the system mean that the Terrier is now able to wade through deep waters and withstand waves of up to 6.5ft (2 metres), and clear mines on the move, meaning it can operate in more hostile environments than ever before.

The vehicle can hit speeds of 45mph (70kmh) and is equipped with a variety of lifting, grabbing and moving capabilities (pictured)

Since its debut for the British Army in 2013, the vehicle's versatility has led to soldiers dubbing it the 'Swiss army knife' of military vehicles. According to BAE Systems, the modular design of the Terrier means the core vehicle can be continuously improved and upgraded to match the demands of modern warfare, both on and off the battlefield

The vehicle (pictured) has interchangeable equipment such as a forklift and rock hammer, making it 'highly adaptable'

THE TERRIER TERROR Soldiers have nicknamed the versatile bulldozer, crane, mine clearer and armoured vehicle the 'Swiss army knife' because of its multiple uses on the frontline. Despite weighing 32 tonnes, the Terrier can reach speeds close to 50mph and is fitted with five cameras and thermal imaging technology which gives soldiers a 360-degree spying capability day and night. It can lift up to 5 tonnes and has a forklift and a rock hammer to shatter concrete. The vehicle, produced by BAE Systems, can also be armed with a machine gun and smoke grenade launchers for defence. In the most dangerous of circumstances, soldiers can operate it remotely from half a mile away. Advertisement

This, said the manufacturers, could be key in coastal areas or in helping to reach people in disaster hit areas.

Other additions include a ripper for tearing up roads or runways, preventing their use by enemy combatants, as well as an earth augur that drills holes for use in combat engineering.

Rory Breen, a sales manager for BAE Systems, said: 'The greater wading depth and surge protection will make Terrier even better suited for use in coastal or low lying areas, where it can play an important role in disaster relief as well as combat situations.

He added: 'Along with the new telescopic arm and other attachments, Terrier remains the most technologically advanced and flexible combat engineer vehicle in the world.

'Due to the modular nature of the vehicle, it could also be quickly adapted for a range of other situations, such as clearing paths through jungle or thick foliage.'

The vehicle can hit speeds of more than 45mph (70km/h) and already has complete remote control from up to 1km (0.62 miles) away, along with a variety of lifting, grabbing and moving capabilities.

Like the arm of a JCB digger, its front-loader system can lift weights of up to five tonnes and can shift 300 tonnes of earth an hour.

In regions littered with mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), it has a few nifty tricks up its mechanical sleeve to clear a path.

Firstly, its Python rocket is a minefield breaching system which shoots a 200 metre hose of explosives from the front of the vehicle, like a James Bond style grappling hook.

Once deployed and detonated, the system can provide a path clear of any buried explosives.

In addition, it has a lethal looking plough which pushes through the earth ahead of the vehicle to clear mines, while travelling at a speed of over 9mph (15km/h).

Soldiers (one pictured in the interior of the battle tank) nicknamed the versatile bulldozer, crane, mine clearer and armoured vehicle the 'Swiss army knife' because of its multiple uses on the frontline. This soldier is controlling the tank's Python rocket

The Python rocket is a minefield breaching system that shoots 656ft (200 metre) hose of explosives from the front of the vehicle (left), like a James Bond-style grappling hook. Once deployed and detonated, the system can provide a path clear of any buried explosives (right)

The Terrier was first unveiled in 2013 as part of a 360m ($520m) project to aid the British Army in carrying out tasks such as digging, drilling, heavy lifting and path clearing. Its front-loader (pictured) can lift up to five tonnes and can shift 300 tonnes of earth an hour

The armoured digger can be remote controlled (pictured) from more than 1km (0.62 miles) away, allowing military personnel to remain safely behind cover while the vehicle performs its duties on the frontline of a battlefield

But when push comes to shove, the Terrier can bite back.

The vehicle can be armed with a machine gun and smoke grenade launchers for defence.

According to BAE, the Terrier was designed to provide the British Army with maximum flexibility from a single vehicle, allowing them to reduce their equipment and logistic footprint.

The firm's engineers are continuing to develop new attachments for the vehicle, so customers can upgrade their vehicles to meet new requirements without changing platforms.

The crew can sit inside the vehicle (pictured) while it is in use or control it remotely depending on the situation

Cameras mounted on the top of the vehicle provide a 360-degree view which is streamed back to a remote laptop (pictured)

The remote control (pictured) is designed to be simple to use, allowing personnel to stay out of harms way while clearing debris or mines
A huge hole in the ozone layer over the Arctic is set to grow even larger this spring as a blast of cold weather combines with returning sunshine and lingering air pollutants.

The hole over the Canadian Arctic is already thought to be around 770,000 square miles (two million square kilometres) or around the size of Greenland.

But environmental scientists are predicting the gap in the Earth's protective atmospheric layer could grow even larger this spring when the sunshine returns to the region after the long, dark winter.

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The ozone has been depleted by the use of the now banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which react with the ozone as they break down. Nasa satellite data from this month show the thinnest parts of the ozone (in red) over the Arctic stretching across Russia, Canada and the US

According to Science magazine, a record low temperature in the Earth's upper atmosphere could release chemicals which destroy the layer.

Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen molecules which can be hazardous to our health on the ground, but in the upper atmosphere it protects us by soaking up ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Without it, the planet's surface would be exposed to dangerous levels of UV-B rays which can shred DNA, leading to mutations that cause cancers.

Towards the end of the 20th Century, the ozone was found to have been depleted by the now banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which react with the ozone as they break down.

Environmental scientists are predicting a hole in the ozone layer over the Arctic could grow even larger this spring when the sunshine returns to the region after the long, dark winter. As a cold air current persists for longer in the upper atmosphere (pictured), it is creating the perfect conditions for destruction of the gas.

The extent of the hole above Canada was revealed in 2011. In extended cold periods, like the Arctic winter, the hole can become enlarged.

Colder temperatures enable clouds of nitric acid, from natural sources, to condense in the atmosphere where they react with chlorine in the atmosphere and destroy ozone.

GROWING HOLE OVER ARCTIC Extended cold periods, like the Arctic winter, result in the prefect conditions for ozone destruction. The layer has been depleted by the use of the now banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which react with ozone as they break down. But clouds of nitric acid, from natural sources, have condensed in the upper atmosphere this year. These clouds can react to cause chlorine in the atmosphere to react in the sunlight and destroy ozone further. If the cold air system above the article - the polar vortex - persists into the spring, this could create a perfect storm for ozone destruction. Dr Markus Rex, an atmospheric chemist at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany explained that by next week as much as a quarter of the Arctic's ozone will be destroyed. Advertisement

Ozone is constantly replenished in the atmosphere but if the rate of destruction outstrips this then the hole can enlarge.

Scientists warn that if this year's polar vortex  the wintry weather pattern which traps circulating cold air in the upper atmosphere  continues longer than usual into the spring, the returning sunlight could set off a chemical chain reaction widening the hole even further.

Dr Markus Rex, an atmospheric chemist at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Potsdam, Germany explained that by next week as much as a quarter of the Arctic's ozone could be destroyed.

'Should the vortex persist until well into March, the formation of a deep ozone minimum over the Arctic has to be expected,' said Dr Rex.

He added: 'However, if the vortex breaks up before then, the air masses will sufficiently mix with fresh air from lower latitudes and the Arctic will narrowly avoid a new record of ozone depletion.'

The team at the AWI say that the while they are unable to accurately predict the fate of the vortex, and if it will break up before spring returns, the researchers say that there is a chance that a hole in the layer  or 'ozone minimum'  could even drift over central Europe.

The scientists are continuing to monitor the atmosphere closely and releasing weather balloons from a number of stations dotted throughout the Arctic (pictured)

The scientists are continuing to monitor the atmosphere closely and releasing weather balloons from a number of stations dotted throughout the Arctic.

Dr Rex explained: 'We are expecting a general cooling of the stratosphere as a result of global climate change.

'The mechanisms that regulate the temperatures of the Arctic stratosphere, however, are complicated and not fully understood.

'Whether the record low temperatures in the past weeks are linked to climate change is therefore the subject of active research.'

If the polar vortex persists into the spring, the returning sunlight could set off a chemical chain reaction widening the hole even further, say researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany (pictured)
The ripples in space-time were predicted 100 years ago by Albert Einstein

The 33-year-old at first thought the large signal was a test on equipment

Dr Marco Drago was the first to see the signal from the LIGO experiment

As a soft-spoken junior scientist who spends his spare time playing classical piano and writing fantasy novels, he is not the most likely candidate for being someone to make the 'discovery of the century'.

But Dr Marco Drago, an Italian postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck, will go down in the history books as the first person to spot gravitational waves.

The ripples in the fabric of space and time, caused by the collision of two black holes, were first predicted 100 years ago by one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century  Albert Einstein.

Scroll down for video and to hear the sound of two black holes colliding

Dr Marco Drago (pictured) was the first person to spot the signal in data coming from detectors that form part of the Laser Interferometre Gravitational-Wave Observatory. More than 1,000 researchers from around the world work on the project. Dr Drago says at first he thought the signal was part of a test

Since his General Theory of Relativity predicted the existence of gravitational waves, physicists have been hunting for these elusive signals.

Yesterday a team of more than 1,000 scientists working on the Laser Interferometre Gravitational-Wave Observatory  or Ligo for short  announced they had finally found them.

WHAT ARE GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

Scientists view the the universe as being made up of a 'fabric of space-time'. This corresponds to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, published in 1916. Objects in the universe bend this fabric, and more massive objects bend it more. Gravitational waves are considered ripples in this fabric. They can be produced, for instance, when black holes orbit each other or by the merging of galaxies. Gravitational waves are also thought to have been produced during the Big Bang. The discovery has been hailed as the 'the biggest scientific breakthrough of the century'. Researchers say they detected a signal created when two black holes  one around 35 times more massive than our Sun and the other 30 times more massive  spun towards each other 1.3 billion light years from Earth. This collision caused the black holes to radiate energy in the form of gravitational waves that ripple out across the universe. The discovery could open up entirely new fields of physics, allowing scientists to observe black holes and perhaps even shed light on dark matter. Advertisement

The discovery is set to revolutionise physics and astronomy, providing scientists with a new way to look at objects in our universe that have previously been invisible to our eyes.

It promises to shed light on the mystery of black holes themselves as well as perhaps even revealing more about the mysterious dark matter that makes up much of the universe.

Yet the story behind this monumental discovery is one of quiet dedicated work to build the huge experimental equipment needed to detect the faint 'bumps' that echo through space.

The Ligo experiment consists of two beams of light that are fired between mirrors at either end of pipes 2 miles long (4km).

As a gravitational wave passes over the Earth, it causes a slight disturbance in the position of the mirrors, allowing it to be detected.

Dr Drago, a 33-year-old physicist from Padua, Italy who has published two fantasy novels, was at his desk combing through raw data coming from the two detectors that form Ligo, when he spotted a signal that changed everything.

He had been on the phone to a colleague on 14 September 2015 when he received an automated email alert that said the detectors had registered an 'event'.

Timed at 11.50am, the signal was so large that Dr Drago initially did not believe it was real and instead thought it might be part of the testing that was still going on at the time.

Dr Drago told MailOnline: I was working normally in my office, in particular on a paper.

'I was really astonished at the time of the first alert, but I did not really trust it.

'When we realized that it was really true, it was difficult to believe. The first one - amazing. We were waiting for that for a long time and now it is arrived.'

Scientists announced the discovery of gravitational waves (illstrated) for the first time. The ripples in space time were caused by two black holes colliding 1.3 billion light years from Earth

The LIGO experiment uses two detectors - one based in Livingston, California, and the other in Hanford, Washington (pictured) - which use beams of light fired down pipes 2 miles long to detect the tiny disturbances caused by passing gravitational waves

Indeed, he was so astonished by the signal that his first reaction was to ask a colleague to ask someone had been doing 'hardware injections' - where events are artificially created to test the detectors and the software operating on them.

Dr Drago, who has only been working on the Ligo project with a team in Hannover for just over a year, said he felt proud to be the person to have first spotted the gravitational waves.

He spent 10 years working on a rival detector called Virgo, but in 2007 the two projects began working together. He officially moved to the LIGO team last year.

But there are some scientists who have been working on the LIGO detector since 1992.

Dr Drago said: 'I was probably in the right place at the right time.

'It is the results of a great group that work with me, in Padova, Trento, Hannover and Florida. But I am proud to say to my friends and my family what happened.'

After spotting the signal, Dr Drago first called the control rooms of the two LIGO detectors in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, California.

They confirmed the signal was detected in Livingston just after 5am while in Hanford it was seen just after 2am.

An artist's impression of gravitational waves generated by binary neutron stars released by the team. By studying gravitational waves scientists hope to gain insight into the nature of the very early universe, which has remained mysterious

Within a few days senior researchers on the project said it looked like the signal may have been real and ended tests to begin taking further measurements.

Dr Drago told the journal Science that he had been forced to keep the discovery a secret until more data had been gathered and analysed.

He said now the announcement had been made public he told MailOnline he had been beseiged with messages of congratulations.

He said: 'My social network and cell phone are covered in congratulations.'

He added that he hoped the discovery may now lead to new realms of physics being conducted that may reveal new details about the universe.

He said: 'I am sure that now we can open a new physics and we will learn a lot of things in the universe.

'I am so happy to be part of the history! All of the collaboration - we are beginning something new. It is really exciting.'

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE? Scientists said gravitational waves open a door for a new way to observe the universe and gain knowledge about enigmatic objects like black holes and neutron stars. By studying gravitational waves they also hope to gain insight into the nature of the very early universe, which has remained mysterious. Everything we know about the cosmos stems from electromagnetic waves such as radio waves, visible light, infrared light, X-rays and gamma rays. But because such waves encounter interference as they travel across the universe, they can tell only part of the story. Gravitational waves experience no such barriers, meaning they can offer a wealth of additional information. Black holes, for example, do not emit light, radio waves and the like, but can be studied via gravitational waves. Being able to detect gravitational waves will help astronomers probe the 'dark Universe'. The team were also able to trace the final milliseconds before the black holes collided (artist's impression pictured) Being able to detect gravitational waves will help astronomers probe the 'dark Universe'. This is the name given to the large part of the cosmos that is invisible to the light telescopes. They will be able to look deeper into the universe, which means we could better understand the history of the customer. As as result, researchers will be able to investigate black holes and neutron stars. The discovery will also help scientists confirm whether gravitational waves really do travel at the speed of light, as predicted. It will help scientists understand how fast the universe is expanding and what exactly makes stars explode. 'LIGO is just in the beginning with gravitational waves. Over the next decade or two we will have four gravitational windows open looking at the universe,' sad Kip Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech.' Advertisement

With some already talking about the discovery potentially earning the international science team a Nobel Prize, it seems Dr Drago's place in history will be secure.

A short Wikipedia page has already appeared naming him as the first person to see the gravitational waves.

'I am proud that the first two scientists to look at the signal were at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and that our institute played a leading role in this exciting discovery,' says Professor Bruce Allen, director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover.

'Einstein himself thought gravitational waves were too weak to detect, and didn't believe in black holes. But I don't think he'd have minded being wrong.'

Ripples in space-time were first predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago. Pictured is the original historical documents related to Einstein's prediction of the existence of gravitational waves, shown at the Hebrew university in Jerusalem

The scientists have also decoded the gravitational wave signal and determined its source. According to their calculations, the gravitational wave is the product of a collision between two massive black holes, 1.3 billion light years away  a remarkably extreme event that has not been observed until now
Pirates and smugglers on the high seas are embracing technology by using drones, satellite tracking and submarines to plan their daring raids.

With technology constantly improving and becoming more affordable, analysts have warned that pirates and traffickers could potentially develop their own drone air force.

Rather than just trying to outrun naval ships, pirates and drug smugglers may increasingly turn to GPS to track vessels, approach their targets using home-made submarines and use drones for surveillance.

Rather than just trying to outrun naval ships, pirates, drug smugglers may increasingly turn to GPS to track vessels, approach their targets by home-made submarines and launch drones to check the coast is clear. A new report from a Canadian military analyst outlines the future threats. Pictured are Indonesian pirates

The warnings come from a report which outlines the future challenges facing those who fight illegal maritime activity.

It details the increasing reach of technology being used to plan and commit criminal acts at sea, and how military forces must adapt to face these emerging threats.

Those involved in sea-based criminal activity, so-called 'maritime non-state actors' (MSNAs)  which covers pirates, smugglers and people traffickers  are adopting increasingly sophisticated tactics, reports Motherboard.

'MSNAs are increasingly being empowered by technology,' wrote David Rudd, a defence analyst for the Canadian government, who wrote the report.

While relatively rare at the moment, analysts forecast that the rise of drone technology could mean 'maritime non-state actors', such as pirates and smugglers, could develop an air force of their own (stock image)

While relatively rare at the moment, analysts forecast that the rise of drone technology could mean MSNAs could develop an air force of their own.

HI-TECH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY Those involved in sea-based criminal activity, so-called 'maritime non-state actors' (MSNAs)  which covers pirates, smugglers and people traffickers  are adopting increasingly sophisticated tactics. While relatively rare at the moment, analysts forecast that the rise of drone technology could mean MSNAs could develop an air force of their own. A Canadian military analyst, reports that the military could meet the drone threat head on, by using the aerial vehicles to detect shallow submarines used by criminals. Advertisement

It quotes one analyst as saying: 'To date, there have been relatively few cases of other countries and, more important, non-state actors, employing drones.

'But they are comingThe proliferation of drones could radically alter the tactical battle space.'

The Canadian analyst, reports that the military could also deploy drones of their own vehicles to detect shallow submarines used by criminals.

Rudd details how naval units might turn to 'technologies to thwart low-acoustic signature swimmers' in order to catch criminals in the act.

Naval forces are currently engaged in anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations around the world.

The UK government is supporting counter-piracy missions in off the Gulf of Oman, to protect commercial shipping vessels from attacks by Somali pirates.

Naval forces are currently engaged in anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations around the world, such as in the Gulf of Oman, to try and stop the capture of commercial and private vessels (pictured)

The UK government is supporting counter-piracy missions in off the Gulf of Oman, to protect commercial shipping vessels from attacks by Somali pirates (pictured)

British forces have also joined French, German, Spanish and Italian forces in the fight to stop illegal trafficking of refugees to Europe from North Africa.

Rudd calls for military agencies to focus their budgets for suitable tactics to better counter the threats.

The analyst concluded: 'If the RCN is mandated to assume a degree of responsibility for (or visibility in) future maritime security operations, its current re-capitalization plans present a good opportunity to debate how and to what degree new tactics can be adopted and what new technologies can be incorporated into vessels which will soon enter service.'
For many people, Google Maps is the first-stop when it comes to pinpointing places and getting directions, but.

Now one of the first mapping services to appear online has lost a High Court action where it accused Google of abusing its 'dominant position' in the online search market by 'driving traffic' from rivals to its own Google Maps service.

StreetMap said the introduction of a new 'big map' service by Google in 2007 was followed by a 'dramatic loss of traffic' to its website and has vowed it carry on its legal fight.

One of the first online mapping services has just lost a High Court action in which it accused Google of abusing its 'dominant position' in the online search market by 'driving traffic' from rivals to Google Maps (stock image)

The company, based in Medbourne, Leicestershire, launched its online mapping services in 1997- eight years before Google.

It asked Mr Justice Roth to rule that Google had engaged in 'anti-competitive conduct' contrary to provisions of the Competition Act 1998 and EU competition law.

But the judge ruled that the introduction by Google of the new-style Maps OneBox in 2007 was 'not reasonably likely appreciably to affect competition in the market for online maps'.

The judge added that, in any event, Google's conduct was 'objectively justified', and 'on the assumption that Google held a dominant position, it did not commit an abuse'.

Refusing StreetMap permission to appeal, the judge acknowledged that the case raised 'important points of principle' in UK and EU competition law not considered in other cases.

But he said it should be left to the Court of Appeal to decide whether to entertain an appeal.

A Google spokesman said: 'The court made clear that we're focused on improving the quality of our search results. This decision promotes innovation.'

StreetMap said the introduction of a new 'big map' service by Google in 2007 was followed by a 'dramatic loss of traffic' to its website and has vowed to carry on its legal fight. A shot of the StreetMap service is shown

But StreetMap director Kate Sutton said the company would apply to appeal for two reasons.

She said: 'First, this decision is unfair for small businesses. The hands of small businesses are now tied behind our backs.

'The decision makes it effectively impossible for a small business to bring a competition law complaint until it is too late, because the information required will simply not be known to them.

GOOGLE PATENTS SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS WITH LOCKERS A patent reveals Google is working on a smart delivery truck. The patent reveals plans for driverless trucks with lockers inside the cargo are. Customers would receive a message when the vehicle is nearby - meaning the end of uncertainty over delivery times. The Autonomous Delivery Platform patent, first reported by Quartz, describes locker-like containers in the cargo area, which the receivers would type in a code or scan an NFC chip to claim their packages. There is also the option of possibly using the credit card that purchased the packages to open the locker. The document describes the use sensors, video cameras and range-finding lasers as a way for trucks to navigate roads and obstacles that may get in its path. Advertisement

'By raising the standard of proof from probability to 'appreciable effect' a complainant needs to have information which will usually only be known to the dominant company.

'Second, Google has got away with non-compliance with its legal obligations.

'It admitted in the trial that it did not do a UK test when it introduced Google Maps. It instead only looked at its effects on the US market.

'Google put forward no evidence that it had turned its corporate mind to compliance with UK law at the time.

'We think that it is wrong for any company with the duty of a dominant company to take such an approach to compliance with the law.'

Tim Cowen, partner at law firm Preiskel & Co LLP, which acted for StreetMap, said: 'This decision says that companies do not need to have evidence of compliance at the time, so long as they can find something later that may work as a defence.

'StreetMap's business was destroyed. When Google introduced Google Maps in 2007 it did not check for effects outside the US and put forward no evidence that any check was performed for the UK.

'This decision raises a question what big companies need to do to show compliance with EU and UK law.'
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Not long ago, our best image of Pluto was of a blurry, blob that orbited on the edge of our solar system.

But since New Horizon's flyby of the dwarf planet, astronomers have gained an unprecedented insight into its varied terrain, which includes vast plains, parallel blades known as 'snakeskin terrain,' and ice volcanoes.

Now, to help understand the diversity of its features and to piece together how Pluto's surface has evolved, scientists have put together a stunning geological map of its surface.

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This map covers a portion of Pluto's surface that measures 1,290 miles (2,070km) from top to bottom, and includes the vast nitrogen-ice plain informally named Sputnik Planum and surrounding terrain. The map is overlaid with colors that represent different geological terrains. Each terrain, or unit, is defined by its texture and morphology  smooth, pitted, craggy, hummocky or ridged, for example

This map covers a portion of Pluto's surface that measures 1,290 miles (2,070km) from top to bottom, and includes the vast nitrogen-ice plain informally named Sputnik Planum and surrounding terrain.

It is part of a heart-shaped feature, informally named 'Tombaugh Regio' (Tombaugh Region) after Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930.

As the key in the figure indicates, the map is overlaid with colours that represent different geological terrains.

Each terrain, or unit, is defined by its texture and morphology  smooth, pitted, craggy, hummocky or ridged, for example.

How well a unit can be defined depends on the resolution of the images that cover it.

All of the terrain in this map has been imaged at a resolution of approximately 1,050ft (320 meters) per pixel or better, meaning scientists can map units with relative confidence.

The various blue and greenish units that fill the center of the map represent different textures seen across Sputnik Planum, from the cellular terrain in the center and north, to the smooth and pitted plains in the south.

The blue and greenish units represent different textures seen across Sputnik Planum, from the cellular terrain in the center and north, to the smooth and pitted plains in the south. The black lines represent troughs that mark the boundaries of cellular regions in the nitrogen ice. Purple represents the chaotic mountain ranges that line Sputnik's western border, and the pink, floating hills at its eastern edge

THERE COULD BE ALIENS BENEATH PLUTO'S CRUST, SAYS BRIAN COX Alien life may be lurking beneath Pluto's crust, according to physicist Brian Cox. His comments come after the historic flyby of the dwarf planet by New Horizons, which uncovered huge glaciers and mountains made of water ice. These features hint at the possibility of subterranean seas on the dwarf planet warm enough for organic chemistry to thrive, said Cox. The probe 'showed you that there may well be a subsurface ocean on Pluto,' Cox told The Times. '[This] means - if our understanding of life on Earth is even slightly correct - that you could have living things there.' Advertisement

The black lines represent troughs that mark the boundaries of cellular regions in the nitrogen ice.

The purple unit represents the chaotic, blocky mountain ranges that line Sputnik's western border, and the pink unit represents the scattered, floating hills at its eastern edge.

The possible cryovolcanic feature informally named Wright Mons is mapped in red in the southern corner of the map.

The rugged highlands of the informally named Cthulhu Regio are mapped in dark brown along the western edge, pockmarked by many large impact craters, shown in yellow.

By studying how the boundaries between units crosscut one another, mission scientists can determine which units overlie others, and assemble a relative chronology for the different units.

For example, the yellow craters (at left, on the western edge of the map) must have formed after their surrounding terrain.

Producing such maps is important for gauging what processes have operated where on Pluto, and when they occurred relative to other processes at work.

The base map for this geologic map is a mosaic of 12 images obtained by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) at a resolution of 1,280 feet (about 390 meters) per pixel.

The mosaic was obtained at a range of approximately 48,000 miles (77,300km) from Pluto, about an hour and 40 minutes before New Horizons' closest approach on July 14, 2015.

Pluto's terrain may be even more complex than thought. Earlier this month, scientists said that hills of water ice could be 'floating' in a sea of frozen nitrogen on Pluto, moving over time like icebergs in Earth's Arctic Ocean

Hills of water ice on Pluto 'float' in a sea of frozen nitrogen and move over time like icebergs in Earth's Arctic Ocean. This shows the inset in context next to a larger view. The resolution is about 1050ft (320 meters) per pixel and 300 miles (almost 500km) long and 210 miles (340km) wide. It was taken 9,950 miles (16,000km) from Pluto, 12 minutes before New Horizons' closest approach to Pluto on July 14

NEW HORIZONS' NEW MISSION The spacecraft that gave us the first close-up views of Pluto now has a much smaller object in its sights. New Horizons is now track to fly past a recently discovered, less than 30-mile-wide object out on the solar system frontier. The close encounter with what's known as 2014 MU69 would occur in 2019. It orbits nearly 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto. Nasa and the New Horizons team chose 2014 MU69 in August as New Horizons' next potential target, thus the nickname PT-1. Like Pluto, MU69 orbits the sun in the frozen, twilight zone known as the Kuiper Belt. MU69 is thought to be 10 times larger and 1,000 times more massive than average comets, including the one being orbited right now by Europe's Rosetta spacecraft. On the other end, MU69 is barely 1 percent the size of Pluto and perhaps one-ten-thousandth the mass of the dwarf planet. So the new target is a good middle ground, according to scientists. The team plans to formally ask Nasa next year to fund the mission extension for studying MU69. Scientists promise a better name before showtime on January 1, 2019. Advertisement

These hills, which can be seen in the latest images studied by the New Horizons team, are believed to measure one to several miles across.

They are found in the vast ice plain informally named Sputnik Planum within Pluto's 'heart' and are likely miniature versions of the larger, jumbled mountains on the region's western border.

Their discovery follows news last week that Pluto may be covered in a lot more water ice than astronomers previously thought, which could boost the chances for finding a liquid sea and alien life.

Nasa describes the feature as 'yet another example of Pluto's fascinating and abundant geological activity.'

Because water ice is less dense than nitrogen-dominated ice, scientists believe these water ice hills are floating in a sea of frozen nitrogen and move over time like icebergs on Earth.

The hills may be fragments of the rugged uplands that have broken away and are being carried by the nitrogen glaciers into Sputnik Planum.

This image depicts an entire day on the dwarf planet. The space agency released a series of 10 close-ups of the frosty, faraway world today, representing one Pluto day, which is equivalent to 6.4 Earth days. The New Horizons spacecraft took the pictures as it zoomed past Pluto in an unprecedented flyby in July. Pluto was between 400,000 and 5 million miles from the camera for these photos

'Chains' of the drifting hills are formed along the flow paths of the glaciers.

When the hills enter the cellular terrain of central Sputnik Planum, they become subject to the motions of the nitrogen ice, and are pushed to the edges of the cells, where the hills cluster in groups reaching up to 12 miles (20km) across.

At the northern end of the image, the feature informally named Challenger Colles  honouring the crew of the lost space shuttle Challenger  appears to be an especially large accumulation of these hills, measuring 37 by 22 miles (60 by 35km).

This feature is located near the boundary with the uplands, away from the cellular terrain, and may represent a location where hills have been 'beached' due to the nitrogen ice being especially shallow.

The more detailed map reveals the spread of water ice across much of Pluto, much more than previously known.

Some regions on the map, including Sputnik Planum, the western region of Pluto's 'heart,' and Lowell Regio in the north, were observed to exhibit little evidence of water, if any at all.

This suggests that the bedrock in these areas is buried beneath an accumulation of other ices, such as methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide.

Flowing ice and a extended haze are among the discoveries from Nasa's New Horizons mission, which reveal distant Pluto to be an icy world of wonders. This panorama was captured by the New Horizons spacecraft from 18,000 kilometers (11,00 miles) away, just 15 minutes after the probe's closest approach

THE BIGGEST ICE VOLCANO IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM: IMAGES REVEAL 90 MILE-WIDE CRYOVOLCANO ON PLUTO The most detailed image yet of a giant mountain on Pluto, which is suspected to be an ice volcano, was released by Nasa last month. It is one of two potential cryovolcanoes spotted on the surface of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015. At about 90 miles (150km) across and 2.5 miles (4km) high, this feature is enormous. The feature, known as Wright Mons, was informally named by the New Horizons team in honor of the Wright brothers. If it is in fact a volcano, as suspected, it would be the largest such feature discovered in the outer solar system. 'These are big mountains with a large hole in their summit, and on Earth that generally means one thing  a volcano,' said Oliver White, a New Horizons researcher. The most detailed image yet of a giant mountain on Pluto, which is suspected to be an ice volcano, has been released by Nasa (left). It is one of two potential cryovolcanoes spotted on the surface of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015. At about 90 miles (150km) across and 2.5 miles (4km) high, this feature is enormous Mission scientists are baffled by the sparse distribution of red material in the image and wonder why it is not more widespread. Also perplexing is that there is only one identified impact crater on Wright Mons itself, telling scientists that the surface - as well as some of the crust underneath - was created relatively recently. This is turn may indicate that Wright Mons was volcanically active late in Pluto's history. The other potential ice volcano on Pluto has been named Piccard Mons, is up to 3.5 miles (6 km) high. Both ice volcanoes are located near Pluto's South Pole. 'We're not yet ready to announce we have found volcanic constructs at Pluto, but these sure look suspicious and we're looking at them very closely,' said Jeff Moore, a planetary scientist at Nasa said in an earlier release. Nasa says that if Pluto does have cryovolcanoes, it may be an indication that there is volatile ice that coats its surface. Advertisement




Boat will be launched in

The US Navy is set to unleash an army of 'ghost boats' to scour the coasts for enemy submarines.

They hope to end the growing threat of quiet, diesel powered enemy submarines entering American waters undetected.

Bosses revealed the first 132 foot long ship, officially named 'The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel' will take to the water on April 7th.

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The first 132 foot long ship, officially named 'The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel' will take to the water on April 7th. It could be used for counter-mine missions, reconnaissance and resupply.

THE SILENT ENEMY SUBS Diesel-electric submarines, with their nearly-noiseless engines, are incredibly difficult to track from afar. They're also cheap at $200 million to $300 million apiece, making them affordable to the likes of Iran, which claims to have a fleet of 17. Advertisement

Darpa director Dr. Arati Prabhakar and deputy director Dr. Steve Walker revealed the craft.

'Imagine an unmanned surface vessel following all the laws of the sea on its own,' Walker told media, 'and operating with manned surface and unmanned underwater vehicles.'

The robot boats will go to sea for us to three months at a time.

It will be christened in April in Portland, Oregon, and then begin to demonstrate its long-range capabilities over 18 months in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research and the Space and Naval Systems Warfare Command.

'We think the real cost savings will be in operating this vessel at sea compared to how we operate vessels today,' he added.

'It could be used for counter-mine missions, reconnaissance and resupply.'

The project began in 2010, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, announced that they were building a 132-foot autonomous boat to track quiet, diesel-powered submarines.

The program was dubbed Anti-submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, or ACTUV.

In six weeks of tests along a 35-nautical mile stretch of water off of Mississippi earlier this year, testers at engineering company Leidos and Darpa put the ACTUV's systems through 100 different scenarios.

The test boat was able to tail a target boat at 1 kilometer's distance, something military bosses say is a major step forward.

'Picking up the quiet hum of a battery-powered, diesel-electric submarine in busy coastal waters is 'like trying to identify the sound of a single car engine in the din of a major city,' says Rear Admiral Frank Drennan, commander of the Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command.

Speaking at a National Defense Association Event in Virginia last year, Darpa program manager Ellison Urban outlined why the Navy needs sub-hunting boat bots.

The test boat was able to tail a target boat at 1 kilometer's distance, something military bosses say is a major step forward.

'Instead of chasing down these submarines and trying to keep track of them with expensive nuclear powered-submarines, which is the way we do it now, we want to try and build this at significantly reduced cost.

'It will be able to transit by itself across thousands of kilometers of ocean and it can deploy for months at a time.

'It can go out, find a diesel-electric submarine and just ping on it,' said Urban.

Diesel-electric submarines have nearly-noiseless engines, are incredibly difficult to track from afar.

The Anti-submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, or ACTUV will be able to operate for several months at a time scouring the seas and coastal areas for silent, diesel powered enemy submarines.

Price tags ranging from $200-$300 million put diesel-electric subs within reach of smaller, volatile countries.

Russia has been selling diesel-electric subs to buoy its shipyards, triggering what some are calling an undersea arms race.

Reportedly, Algeria has ordered two, Venezuela is expecting five, and Indonesia will have six subs by 2020. Iran claims to have a fleet of 17 diesel-electric subs.

To spot the threat, Leidos developed an unarmed, unmanned vessel to shadow diesel-electric subs for months across thousands of miles of ocean and chase them out of strategic waters.

'Called the ACTUV, the unmanned boat can be deployed for months and track underwater threats for thousands of miles without human contact.

'It keeps our troops out of harm's way and also minimizes risks to the marine ecosystem by limiting the use of sonar,' the firm says.

It claims diesel-electric submarines are quickly becoming one of the biggest threats to naval operations and a $1.8 trillion commercial shipping industry.
With jaws still locked together, a vicious fight between two ants 100 million years ago has been frozen in time in a piece of amber discovered in Burma.

The tiny insects were encased in tree sap as they wrestled, causing them to be preserved within the material as it fossilied into amber.

Scientists believe the two ants are from different species, which were alive while the dinosaurs still roamed the planet, may have been fighting over food or during a raid on a nest.

Two ants - one with its jaws locked around the others antennae and the other with its jaws around its opponents leg - have been found preserved in a piece of amber. The insects are thought to be 100 million years old

It was found with other pieces of amber containing giant soldier termites - providing the oldest evidence to date of advanced social behaviour in ancient insects.

Ants and termites have been successful over tens of millions of years because of their ability to organise in hierarchies.

WHAT IS AMBER? Amber has been used in jewellery for thousands of years, but perhaps became most famous following its role in Jurassic Park. The golden-coloured translucent substance is formed when resin from extinct coniferous trees became hardened and then fossilised. Often insects, plant material, pollen and other creatures became trapped in this and were preserved within the material. In Jurassic Park, fictional scientists use blood extracted from mosquitoes trapped in amber to obtain the DNA they needed to clone dinosaurs. Advertisement

Two of the six different termite species are new to science - Krishnatermes yoddha and Gigantotermes rex.

The latter is one of the largest ever found - about an inch in length, half of it being its head, with scissor-like jaws.

The amber fossils have helped to preserve a number of social behaviours in the ants.

These include the presence of different castes, including queen ants and workers, groups of worker ants in single pieces of amber, probably nestmates foraging together and the two workers of different ant species engaging in combat.

It has provided clues that these early species of ants maintained social structures similar to those seen in modern species today.

Biologist Dr Phillip Barden, of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, said: 'We know wingless solitary relatives of ants don't fight or defend territories against other species.

'But modern ants war all of the time. The behaviour of these fossil ants, frozen for 100 million years, resolves any ambiguity regarding sociality and diversity in the earliest ants.'

Among the other insects preserved in the amber were termites, like this Krishnatermes yoddha, which is a new species to science. Its wings suggest it was going through its reproductive stage when it was trapped in the amber

Zoologist Dr Dave Grimaldi said: 'Ecologically, advanced sociality is one of the most important adaptive features for animals.

'All ants and termites are social, and they are ubiquitous across terrestrial landscapes, with thousands of described species and probably even more that we have not yet found.'

The study published in the journal Current Biology proves advanced sociality in ants and termites was present during the Cretaceous, much earlier than suggested by the previous fossil record.

Advanced sociality, or eusociality, is a hallmark of worker and queen castes, a phenomenon of the group of invertebrates known as arthropods.

Queens and reproductive males take the roles as the sole reproducers while the soldiers and workers defend and care for the colony.

It occurs in a range of arthropods, from some shrimp, beetles, and aphids, to various wasps, but is most common in honey bees, ants and termites.

The researchers also found a new species called Gigantotermes rex, which is the largest termite soldiers ever found and grew to be more than an inch in size (left). On the right are the three castes of Krishnatermes yoddha - the reproductive, worker and soldier termites (L-R)

Among vertebrates, eusociality is found in just two species of African mole rats.

Eusociality is believed to have appeared first in termites in the Late Jurassic, about 150 to 160 million years ago.

But before the new work, the earliest termites ever found that could definitively be tied to a caste system were from the Miocene, a mere 20 to 17 million years ago.

A similar story held true for ants, whose evolutionary history with eusociality was also thought to be long, but only weakly supported by the fossil record.

Added Dr Barden: 'In the Cretaceous amber we examine, the ants and termites represent the earliest branches of each evolutionary tree, and the species are wildly different from what their modern relatives look like today.

'We wanted to know how social these creatures were, if they were social at all.'

The amazing pieces of amber were recently recovered from Burma, also known as Myanmar, and gave the researchers a clear answer - eusociality was going strong in both groups during the Cretaceous
When Ron and Elaine Houghton head to the airport for their annual Valentine's break, Elaine, 56, can be sure of only one thing: that the destination will stay completely secret until they're about to board the plane.

Because incurable romantic Ron, 73, insists on surprising his wife with their holidays, enlisting the help of airport staff to keep his travel plans under wraps.

For the past 12 years, since they got together, every break has been a covert operation with Elaine's only clue being the type of clothes she needs to pack.

Forget flowers and chocolates, Ron Houghton loves to surprise wife Elaine with a mystery trip away each February for Valentine's Day. Here pictured in 2005 in Venice

Incurable romantic Ron, 73, insists on surprising his wife with their holidays, enlisting the help of airport staff to keep his travel plans under wraps

For the past 12 years, since they got together, every break, such as this one to Slovenia, has been a covert operation

Last year Ron whisked Elaine off to Fuerteventura - but is keeping this year's one a surprise as usual

Elaine said: 'Ron always has a little chat with the check-out staff so that they don't let it slip where we're going. We're always the last to board and the staff blank out the destination on the boarding sign, so I have no idea where we're going until we take off.

'The first I know is when they make an announcement from the cockpit.'

The couple met socially 12 years ago and Ron was romantic right from the start.

Elaine said: 'We really fell for each other. We'd both been married twice before and so we were at the stage in life where we knew what we wanted.

'Ron is a real romantic. He took me for my favourite chip-shop tea and ice-cream parlour once a week. He was so thoughtful.

'Even now, he makes sure I always have fresh flowers. He opens doors and treats me like a real lady.'

The couple met socially 12 years ago and Ron was romantic right from the start, pictured here on one of their early holidays in Paris in 2006

The pair had been married twice before and Elaine said that Ron always makes sure she has fresh flowers and opens doors for her

Before they head off on their secret trip, Ron has a chat with the check-out staff so that they don't let the destination, such as 2013's trip to Montreal, slip

Conquering fears: Elaine is scared of flying, but that didn't stop her jetting off to Norway in 2010

Ron's first secret trip away was to Dublin, a year after they met.

He said: 'I got her passport from her mum and secretly booked a holiday. I packed her case myself.

'When we got to the airport, Elaine confessed she had a fear of flying so it took some persuasion to get her to board the plane. But when we finally got there, we had the most wonderful time.'

On each Valentine's Day since, Ron has planned mystery trips for Elaine all over the world.

The Liverpool couple have visited Egypt, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Latvia, Andorra, France, Venice, Bratislava, Lanzarote, Tenerife, and all around the UK.

The couple (pictured here in Jersey in 2009) - who have five children, six grandchildren and a new great-grandson between them - were married six years ago

The Liverpudlian lovers pictured by Lake Geneva in 2011 and Elaine's favourite country, Latvia, in 2005

Elaine gets advised as to whether or not the weather will be hot or cold before she packs, so she brings to correct outfits to trips such as 2007's holiday to Lloret de Mar in Spain

Elaine said: 'All I have to do is pack. Ron tells me if it's going to be hot or cold, but even if he says it's warm I still pack a few jumpers, because I don't trust him at all.

'My favourite place was Latvia because of the snow. We were mugged in Brussels but we still had fun.'

The couple - who have five children, six grandchildren and a new great-grandson between them - were married six years ago but on that occasion Ron's best laid plans didn't quite become reality.

For their first holiday they went to Dublin, but this trip to Llangollen was one of their early romantic breaks in 2004

In 2014 the pair opted for somewhere closer to home, and enjoyed a romantic trip in Wales

Ron, a retired prison officer, said: 'I'd arranged for us to get married on a cruise without telling Elaine but something went wrong with the paperwork so we couldn't.

'But our children were mad at the idea of missing our wedding, so it worked out well in the end, and we did it at home instead.'

Ron has carried on with his hush-hush holidays and already has this year's trip planned  but is refusing to reveal any details.
Newlyweds have won a five-figure settlement from Thomas Cook after they both fell violently ill during their dream honeymoon at a luxury Egyptian resort.

Guy Chapman, 37, and wife Denise, 50, travelled to the four-star Sierra Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh in June 2013 for what should have been a fortnight of sun, sea and relaxation.

But instead the Birmingham couple were hit by gastric illness after eating in resort restaurants and spent much of their holiday confined to their room with sickness.

Guy Chapman, 37, and wife Denise, 50, travelled to the four-star Sierra Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh but fell ill with gastric illness not long into their honeymoon

Their symptoms continued after they arrived home and they instructed Birmingham law firm Irwin Mitchell to take legal action against Thomas Cook.

Despite no admission of liability being made, the holiday company has now paid out 12,000 to the Chapmans, who had paid 1,800 for the honeymoon.

Mr Chapman, an engineer, said: 'We were looking forward to this holiday for a long time and were excited to be celebrating our honeymoon and also my 35th birthday.

'The illness severely impacted our enjoyment of the holiday and every time we look back on it, all we have are terrible memories.

'We ate in the restaurants at the resort but were extremely disappointed. On occasions we noticed the chicken sometimes was being served pink on the inside and some food did not feel hot enough.'

After returning home from their honeymoon at the Sierra Resort, the couple remained unwell, and launched legal action to discover the cause

Nichola Blackburn, from Irwin Mitchell, said: 'This couple suffered terrible symptoms while staying at the Sierra Resort, including stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting, on what was supposed to be a relaxing and luxurious holiday.

'Guy and Denise are extremely relieved that they have now received a settlement from the tour operator, which they placed their trust in when booking this holiday.'

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'We know how important holidays are to our customers and how upsetting it can be when they fall unwell while overseas. We have been liaising closely with Mr and Mrs Chapman's appointed solicitor and are pleased to have reached an agreement with them to amicably resolve this matter.'
A young cancer patient says she was treated 'disgustingly' by easyJet staff when she tried to cancel a booking because she required 'severe and gruelling' treatment and was unable to travel.

Emily Wellfare, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said an employee from the Luton-based budget airline asked her to prove she was terminally ill in order to receive a refund for the 215 holiday.

Left stunned and outraged, the 25-year-old, who suffers from an acute form of leukaemia but is not considered to be terminally ill, started a blistering social media campaign to get her money back plus an apology.

Emily Wellfare, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said she was unable to travel after her cancer returned

The 25-year-old said she had to cancel the flights because she needed 'severe and gruelling' treatment

WHAT IS EASYJET'S CANCELLATION POLICY FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS? On its website, easyJet said it is a non-refundable airline but will offer a refund, which may be in the form of a flight voucher, in 'exceptional circumstances'. EasyJet advises those who need to cancel or change a booking due to the diagnosis of a terminal or serious illness to contact its customer service team, although it warns refunds are not guaranteed. The airline's website states: 'Please be aware that the decision to offer a refund, change or a flight voucher is made at the discretion of our customer service team.' The Luton-based budget airline said passengers who are no longer able to travel and do not receive a refund can change their flight to a future date and destination. It encourages passengers to take out travel insurance as it may cover the cost of their flights in certain circumstances when they are unable to travel due to things such as medical reasons. Source: easyJet.com Advertisement

Wellfare suffers from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow.

Last November she booked easyJet flights to Prague as a present to her boyfriend, Sam Edwards, but her cancer returned just before Christmas.

She had to undergo intensive treatment and had no choice but to cancel what was supposed to be a romantic getaway in January.

Wellfare said: 'Unfortunately I relapsed with leukaemia and am undergoing severe and gruelling treatment.

'This involves high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant for which I have to be an inpatient for. I am in hospital for very long periods of time and am not even allowed to go outside.

'When I contacted easyJet to inform them of the situation I was treated disgustingly.'

Emily Wellfare booked the flights to Prague as a Christmas present to her boyfriend, Sam Edwards

WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA? Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a rare type of blood cancer that affects 2,000 people in the UK each year - usually those over 65. Normally, blood cells are made in the bone marrow in an orderly and controlled way. In patients who have AML, this process gets out of control and many abnormal leukaemia cells are made. These immature cells aren't able to develop into normal functioning blood cells. They don't mature and don't work properly. This leads to an increased risk of infection as well as symptoms such as anaemia and bruising caused by fewer healthy red blood cells and platelets being made. Most people with acute myeloid leukaemia start treatment quickly after diagnosis. The main treatment is chemotherapy, although some may require blood transfusions, platelet transfusions and antibiotics. Advertisement

Despite giving a month's notice, Wellfare said easyJet staff were rude and unhelpful and showed no sympathy towards her situation.

Wellfare, who is unable to work due to her condition, said: 'The outrageous statement made to me involved the fact that if I could not prove I was terminal then I would not be entitled to my money back.

'As a 25-year-old woman trying to fight off cancer for a third time this is a very upsetting statement along with being completely unfair.

'I'm trying with every cell in my body not to die yet easy jet just threw this ridiculous line at me.'

She said doctors are unable to tell whether her condition is terminal, but she is 'very sick'.

Wellfare claimed easyJet staff were insensitive and rude, so she turned to social media for help

After hitting a wall with easyJet's customer service team, Wellfare posted a scathing message on the airline's Facebook page.

After the post was shared by other users, she said the airline contacted her and offered a full refund.

She said: 'I just feel it's such a shame the only reason they were kind and helpful in the end was because I had publicly shamed them and not because they strive to treat customers with respect and give good service.'

Wellfare used the publicity as a way to encourage people to donate blood and join the bone marrow registry.

An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline Travel: 'EasyJet is sorry to hear of Ms Wellfare's situation and we sympathise with her.

'We apologise for the customer service she initially received on this occasion and will be investigating this with the agent concerned.

'Although our tickets are usually non-refundable, we have provided her with a full refund of her booking.

'We always recommend customers have comprehensive travel insurance to cover for unexpected circumstances and will always provide a letter to insurance companies when customers need to make a claim.'
He's a true romantic, but he's just a bit tired at the moment after promoting his new film Zoolander 2.

That's why Justin Theroux is looking forward to a quiet Valentine's night at home with his wife Jennifer Aniston, he told E! Online

This comes after 'wearing out my credit card' on gifts for her 47th birthday, which falls on Thursday.

See Jennifer Aniston updates as she and Justin Theroux plan quiet V-Day

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Date night: Justin Theroux has revealed that he and his wife Jennifer Aniston, pictured at the New York premiere of Zoolander 2 on Tuesday, are planning a quiet Valentine's Day celebration

'You gotta take care of each other on Valentine's Day, every day,' the 44-year-old told E! Online at the event.

'But we've actually scratched our dinner plans because I'm tired so we're probably just going to put on pajamas and catch up on some Netflix.'

However, it sounds like he plans to surprise Jennifer with some pricey gifts for both Valentine's Day and her birthday.

He told Entertainment Tonight the same evening that he had been 'wearing out my credit card.'

Gifts galore: The 44-year-old said he's too tired for a night out after promoting the comedy around the world but said he's worn out his credit card buying gifts for Valentine's Day and her 37th birthday, which fell on Thursday

The couple looked thrilled to be together as they joined a host of stars, including Justin's co-stars Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Penelope Cruz at the premiere at Alice Tully Hall in Manhattan.

And the former Friends star gave her husband a taste of what he's been missing.

The celebrity showed some cleavage in a stunning burgundy Galvan corset gown with a thigh-high split as she supported her man on his big night.

Stealing the show: It was Justin's premiere but he was happy to stand aside and let Jennifer get all the attention in a revealing burgundy gown

Justin showed off his comedy chops by dressing as his Zoolander No. 2 character Evil DJ on the red carpet before changing into a smart black suit.

The former Friends star isn't on Instagram or Twitter but that didn't stop her fans wishing her a happy birthday on Thursday.

A video clip that Justin shared of himself as Evil DJ on Wednesday was quickly bombarded with birthday greetings for the actress.
With his broad shoulders, dashing smile and ever-so dapper sense of style, Kris Smith has been synonymous with Myer since he took the helm of their men's fashion department as an ambassador in 2009.

But after leading the charge for season upon season of collection launches since, the former rugby player was very noticeably absent from the department store's Autumn/Winter showcase on Thursday.

His usual spot alongside fellow ambassador Jennifer Hawkins, was left vacant for the new look show that took place at Sydney's Barangaroo Reserve.

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Missing in action: Kris Smith was absent from the Myer Autumn/Winter runway show on Thursday night, pictured here at the 2014 Spring/Summer collection launch

Smith, 37, is currently in Botswana, Africa, after Daily Mail Australia revealed last month that he will be hosting extreme survival show Spartan X, for an international broadcaster.

It seems his filming schedule and the timing of the collection launch clashed, as production on the second series of the reality show - which has been described as a mix of Survivor and The Amazing Race - is already under way.

Interestingly, former Daily Edition panellist Smith was silent on social media and didn't post any public good luck messages to his Myer colleagues back in Australia.

Runway: The male model, 37, starred in the most department store's last show in August last year (pictured) alongside fellow ambassadors (L-R) Kate Peck, Rachael Finch and Jennifer Hawkins

Leading male fashion: He has been a staple for the brand since first signing on in 2009

A spokesperson from the department store giant told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that despite his absence, Smith is still very much a part of the family.

'Kris is a Myer ambassador currently under contract. We just re-signed him,' they said.

Alongside Smith, fellow ambassadors Rachael Finch and Jodi Anasta have also recently had their contracts with the brand renewed, while long-serving face of Myer, Kate Peck, was unexpectedly dropped.

With Smith away and Peck no longer participating in the show, it also came as a surprise to see former Miss Universe Australia Finch fail to take to the runway - particularly after she made her stellar debut at their recent Spring/Summer launch.

Left alone: Hawkins was left to participate in Thursday's show without her three colleagues after Finch failed to take to the runway, Smith was absent and Peck was dropped by the brand

Standing solo: Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik (centre left) was brought in to keep Hawkins company on the catwalk

Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik, was brought in to fill in the gaps and kept the only remaining ambassador, Hawkins, company on the catwalk.

It was confirmed by a spokesperson that Shaik's appearance was 'a one off'', suggesting it is unlikely she will return as a regular member of the Myer family.

Thursday's showcase was a departure from the norm in many senses, not least of which being the change of faces.

It was located, for example, in Sydney, breaking tradition of holding the Spring/Summer show in the Harbour City and the Autumn/Winter in the nation's fashion capital of Melbourne.

New venture: Smith is filming extreme survival show Spartan X in Africa for an international broadcaster

The nature of the evening was also different as instead of having a cocktail party with guests later ushered to their seats for a dramatic runway show, a sit down dinner was the order of the day.

With long-running tables set up inside of an expansive, minimalistically decorated space, invitees swivelled in their stools to catch a glimpse of the passing models.

Overall it offered a very different feel when compared to their principal rival David Jones' Autumn/Winter offering which was a more-is-more event complete with a host of dancers and a star-studded cast lead by Jessica Gomes, Jesinta Campbell, Montana Cox, Cat McNeil and Jason Dundas.

Not a new ambassador: A Myer spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that Shaik's appearance was 'a one off'
She was left outraged after being forced to participate in a cringe-worthy Sex And The City reenactment with Sunrise's Samantha Armytage on Thursday.

And as Kristin Davis reels from the appearance, for which producers have since apologised, the network's rivals have been quick to rub salt into the wound.

Within hours of the segment, Today host Lisa Wilkinson had taken to Twitter to lobby the actress to appear on their show.

Making a move: Today's Lisa Wilkinson (left) lobbied Kristin Davis to appear on her show after the actress's disastrous segment on rival Sunrise on Thursday (right)

Congratulating the 50-year-old for her work with refugees, Lisa gushed: 'Next time ur in Oz, love to have u on the Today show to talk about it' (sic).

Taking her up on the offer, Kristen replied politely: 'Thank you! I would love to join you next time.'

The exchange makes the beauty's dealings with Sunrise the previous day all the more embarrassing.

Eager to discuss her philanthropic work with hosts, Kristen was left unimpressed when she was asked to take part in an awkward reenactment of a scene from the HBO series which made her famous.

Sitting opposite host Samantha Armytage, who had put on a blonde, curly wig to portray Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie, Kristin begrudgingly ran lines with the team who struggled to stifle their giggles.

Friendly: The host wasted no time in approaching the actress following her appearance on Sunrise

Unimpressed: Kristin reluctantly took part in a reenactment of a Sex And The City scene with Samantha Armytage and her Sunrise co-hosts

Afterwards the beauty took to social media to complain that she had not been given enough time to discuss her work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

'Hopefully someone will let me talk about refugees,' she said.

Lisa was not the only rival to take advantage of the faux pas, with Studio Ten producers also poaching the star.

'You should come on Studio 10. We keep our promises,' said executive producer Robert McKnight.

Priority: Kristin had hoped to spend more time discussing her work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Speaking out: The beauty took to social media to express her disappointment at not being able to focus on the issue

Sunrise issued a statement shortly after the show, with producer Michael Pell apologising: 'We are Sex and the City tragics at Sunrise.

'Our obsession may have gotten the better of us. We apologise for the bad acting and terrible costumes and we thank Kristin for being such a good sport.

'She is one of the most gracious stars weve had at Brekky Central.'

Kristin was visibly uncomfortable when asked to take part in the segment and said afterwards: 'I just want you to know I have never done this.'

Super fan: Sunrise apologised for the segment admitting that the hosts may have gotten carried away

'I don't know that this is a great idea frankly. No offence.'

The actress has worked with the UNHCR for years, regularly travelling around the world to campaign for the rights of female refugees and their children.

Appearing on The Project on Thursday evening, she told of their plight.

'Even in the middle of a camp where people have just arrived and they need water and food, their joy at just being in a safe place.

'I think it's one of the biggest misconceptions that somehow they're destitute. There really is a resource there because they're committed to making it work,' she said.
They were the stars of the show on Thursday night when strutting the runway for the Myer Autumn/Winter 2016 collection launch.

And Jennifer Hawkins and Shanina Shaik were very much the fashionistas even before hitting the catwalk, flaunting their model figures in designer ensembles for a pre-runway shoot in Sydney.

Dressed to impress, 32-year-old Jennifer stunned in a powder blue lace dress, while 25-year-old Shanina wore a black patterned frock before changing into a flowing yellow maxi dress.

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Fashionistas: Jennifer Hawkins and Shanina Shaik were very much the fashionistas before hitting the Myer catwalk on Thursday, flaunting their model figures in designer ensembles for a pre-runway shoot in Sydney

Proving just why she was once crowned Miss Universe, stunning Jennifer posed in a strappy pastel number, the laced dress fitted at the bodice before flowing out.

Finishing just below the knee, the blonde beauty's outfit revealed a glimpse of her trim pins, while her slender arms were completely on show for all to see.

Proving she's a professional in front of the camera, Jennifer worked her best angles and made the most of the outdoor studio setting.

Gorgeous girls: Dressed to impress, 32-year-old Jennifer stunned in a powder blue lace dress, while 25-year-old Shanina wore a black patterned frock

Vision in yellow: Not afraid to mix it up, Shanina then went on to swap her short dress for a floor-length yellow number

She elegantly placed her arms on the surrounding rocky walls, while effortlessly tilting her head back and flashing her pearly whites.

Her golden tresses were styled in loose beach waves for the shoot, while her pout was painted a pale pink to complement the soft colour of her dress.

Meanwhile Shanina showed off her Victoria's Secret figure in a a fit and flare black frock.

With a multicoloured print splashed across the mini number, the model's dress was secured at the waist with a sleek black belt.

Working it: The brunette stunner held onto the skirt of the maxi, twirling the canary coloured fabric as she posed for the camera

Glamazon: Proving just why she was once crowned Miss Universe, stunning Jennifer posed in a strappy pastel number, the laced dress fitted at the bodice before flowing out

While Shanina wore a pair of strappy black heels, Jennifer slipped her feet into some nude pointy-toed footwear.

Not afraid to mix it up, Shanina then went on to swap her short dress for a floor-length yellow number.

The brunette stunner held onto the skirt of the maxi, twirling the canary coloured fabric as she posed for the camera.

Both Jennifer and Shanina showcased new season designs on Thursday night during the Myer Autumn/Winter collection launch.

The pair were joined by fellow models Rachael Finch and Jodi Anasta for the exclusive event held at The Cutaway at Sydney's Barangaroo Reserve.

Adaptive: Proving she's a professional in front of the camera, Jennifer worked her best angles and made the most of the outdoor studio setting
Late last year she dropped three dress sizes after losing 15kgs but it appears that Brynne Edelsten has shed even more weight in recent weeks.

The 33-year-old looked appeared extremely slim as she attended the opening of photographic exhibition Sofitel Revealed in Melbourne on Thursday.

Brynne appeared tired at the event, despite putting on a smile for the cameras.

Slim and drained: Brynne Edelsten looked super slim and tired at the opening of photographic exhibition Sofitel Revealed in Melbourne on Thursday. Pictured right in 2012

Muscular display! The socialite flashed her muscular biceps for the cameras in the sleeveless dusty pink top

Her usually glowing appearance was gone and instead her skin appeared dull and drained.

The blonde socialite emphasised her tiny waist with a wide belt pulled tightly around her mid-section, where her dusty pink tank top joined her floral skirt.

Wearing white strappy heels that matched her belt, the blonde posed against the photowall to showing off her outfit and highlighting her significant weightloss.

Bronzed beauties: Brynne Edelsten and Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic posed together sporting matching tans as they attended the Sofitel Revealed exhibition opening in Melbourne on Thursday night

Wearing her long locks in a centre parting and low ponytail, Brynne appeared to sport a lot of fake tan.

As she posed alongside beauty queen Monika Radulovic, the pair appeared to sport matching deep bronzed complexions.

Trim, toned, terrific: The 33-year-old flaunted her slimmed down figure in a summery ensemble

The current Miss Universe Australia also attended the exhibition, curated by Pablo Picasso's grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso

She wore a black lace high neck frock with high-skimming hemline on the mini-dress.

Her luscious ombre locks were left out and cascading over her shoulders, while a bold red lip added a pop of colour to the black and nude ensemble.

Brynne also posed alongside Celebrity Psychic Harry T at the event.

I predicted you'd be here! The socialite bumped into old friend and celebrity psychic Harry T

Taking in the display: Brynne was seen looking at an image of Salvador Dali among the exhibition which boasts the likes of Pablo Picasso and Brigitte Bardot among the subjects on display

Brynne was seen without her on-off boyfriend Cemre Volkan, whom she celebrated her birthday with last month.

The month before that police in Western Australia dropped a drug possession charge against her.

The reality TV star was accused of possessing an ecstasy tablet early last year and was due to stand trial over the incident on Christmas Eve, after pleading not guilty to the charge in July.

According to ABC News Brynne, who arrived at the Perth Magistrates Court in December in a black lace shift dress and matching gloves, spoke to the waiting media outside, saying: 'I don't condone the use of drugs'.

'I don't use drugs and that's what's been proven today,' she said, adding: 'I'm happy to put this behind me and that the truth has come out.

Wanting to be a good role model, the socialite explained: 'I'm proud of my choices as a person.'

'I have two little sisters who are 15 an 16 and they mean the world to me and I try to set a good example for them, and even just for them, let alone anyone else.'

Sofitel Revealed will be on show at Sofis Lounge, Sofitel Melbourne On Collins till March 29, 2016.
They were told there was a one percent chance of having a child without doing IVF.

But Lady Antebellum founder Charles Kelley, 34, and wife Cassie McConnell Kelley, 32, defied the odds, giving birth naturally to a baby boy on Thursday morning.

According to Cassies lifestyle website Womanista, Ward Charles Kelley was born at 9:20am Central Time weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

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It's a boy! Cassie McConnell Kelley gave to Ward Charles Kelley on Thursday morning, defying the odds after being told she had a one percent chance of having a child

Best buddies already  can't believe these two guys are mine. So overwhelmed with love & gratitude, Cassie captioned in an Instagram post of dad and bub.

Charles took to Instagram to exclaim his excitement as well, saying he couldn't stop staring at this little nugget.

The country superstars said their first born hadn't stopped chitchatting with them since he arrived, according to Womanista.

Proud dad! Lady Antebellum founder Charles Kelley holds newborn Ward who weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long

'He's got momma's nose and daddy's eyes and vocal chords and a head full of blond hair,' they exclaimed via the website.

The couple were married back in 2009, and the couple thought that 'when youre young, healthy and youre ready to start a family, you just dont envision there will be any problems doing that.'

But after months of trying, the singing duo still could not conceive and decided to seek the help of a fertility expert.

Overcoming the odds: The couple wed in 2009 but were told that they only had a one percent chance of conceiving a child naturally without doing IVF

'From that we learned that my body doesn't ovulate regularly which is problem number one, and also I had a blockage in my left Fallopian tube which also happened to be connected to my dominant ovary,' she said.

The blonde songstress added, 'Our doctor, when all was said and done, she told us we had a one percent chance of conceiving a child naturally without doing IVF.'

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, over six million women in the United States struggle to get pregnant and many of them opt to try IVF, or in vitro fertilization, a fertility treatment.

Welcome to the family! Kelley's lifestyle website posted this announcement to its Instagram soon after baby Ward was born

The chart-topping couple were about to begin IVF when they were pleasantly surprised by news that Cassie was finally pregnant.

They revealed last August in a Good Morning America interview that they were expecting their first child.

'I just get choked up thinking about and we're thankful, we're so - blessed isn't a strong enough word - we were up against some incredible odds and it still happened,' Cassie said at the time.

Almost there! The 32-year-old posted this photo to her Instagram account on Sunday, saying the waiting game on Super Bowl Sunday was the best excuse to lounge and eat snacks all day
Janet Jackson said a month ago that cancer was NOT the mystery illness that forced her to reschedule the dates on her Unbreakable tour.

The 49-year-old pop star had that 'unbreakable' spirit on Wednesday night as she was seen for the first time since the cancer denial.

Janet was leaving Lazarides art gallery in London and smiling shyly while hand-in-hand with her billionaire husband Wissam Al Mana, 41.

Spotted: Janet Jackson displayed that 'unbreakable' spirit as she emerged for the first time since denying she had cancer while on an outing in London with her husband Wissam Al Mana

The hitmaker was dressed to the nines in a long furry black coat over a black wrap-around ensemble and tall black wedge-heeled boots.

Her ombre hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, and a light patterned scarf was tied snugly around her throat.

The singer had announced on Christmas Eve that she was postponing a number of shows because she needed an urgent operation, but declined to elaborate on the details.

Bundled up: The 49-year-old pop star was bundled up in a furry black coat with a light patterned scarf wrapped snugly around her throat

Art lover: Janet and her art investor husband had visited the Lazarides art gallery in London one month after she strongly denied that throat cancer was the mystery illness that had forced her to reschedule tour dates

She also revealed that she would restart her tour on March 30 in Birmingham, England, which was already set to be the first date on her European leg.

Last month, Janet denied rumours she was battling throat cancer, telling fans in an Instagram message that she was 'recovering' without revealing the nature of her condition.

'The rumors are untrue. I do not have cancer. I'm recovering,' Janet wrote on January 7.

'I'm recovering': The hitmaker wrote to her fans, 'I do not have cancer'

Shifting of schedule: Janet will restart her tour on March 30 in Birmingham, England, which was already set to be the first date on her European leg; the singer was pictured on October 13 of last year

Janet's postponed North American dates, which had been due to take place from January through March, will now come after the European leg.

Her last date will now be in Cleveland,Ohio on August 28, almost a year after she started the Unbreakable tour in Vancouver.

After her brother Michael died in 2009, Janet had temporarily retreated from the public eye but returned two years later with a global tour.

Unbreakable, Janet's first album since the King Of Pop's death, was released in October of last year with mostly positive reviews and with a sound that's been compared to her late brother's..
She is said to be so happy with her love life she recently 'proposed' to girlfriend St. Vincent in Paris.

But Cara Delevingne seemed far from in a celebratory mood as she stepped out in the romantic French capital on Wednesday.

Instructing her entourage to cover her with coats as she emerged from a chauffeur driven car, the supermodel looked glum as she raced into a nearby restaurant.

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Cover (up) girl: Cara Delevingne came over unusually camera shy in London on Thursday as she repeatedly hid her face on a night out with pals

Keeping her face covered but her hands on show, the beauty was clearly not wearing a ring on her engagement finger.

Back in London, the 23-year-old - who usually is happy to pose for snappers - was still in cover-up mode, this time having a burly security guard by her side to keep her face hidden as she left Nobu.

A source tells MailOnline: 'She was acting very oddly and shouted at her entourage to keep her covered.

'She has not been seen with St. Vincent in days and seemed in a foul mood.'

See more of the latest on Cara Delevingne and her 'proposal' to girlfriend St Vincent

Not ready for your close up? The supermodel showed off ringless fingers just days after she reportedly 'proposed' to girlfriend St. Vincent in Paris

Big guns: She had a burly minder on hand to help guide her to a car as she covered her eyes

Not snap happy: The catwalk queen was reportedly in a 'foul mood' as she left the restaurant

Squad: Cara was surrounded by aides who helped her to her car

Not in the mood: Cara continued to conceal her appearance when she hopped into her car

No celebrations? Cara also acted bizarrely in Paris earlier in the day as she raced to hide her face

Her bizarre behaviour comes after she reportedly got down on one knee at the top of the Eiffel Tower, according to fellow tourists in the City of Lights.

An eyewitness told The Sun: 'There are two lifts going up the tower and they were in the one ahead.

'As my group got out of the lift I could see Cara on bended knee, clearly proposing to her girlfriend.

'It was really touching. Cara obviously likes to do things traditionally.'

The tourist added it wasn't clear if Cara was joking or was serious.

See Cara Delevingne updates as she was 'on one knee with girlfriend St Vincent in Paris'

Loved up: Her bizarre behaviour comes after Cara reportedly proposed to girlfriend St Vincent in Paris after 11 months of dating

Time for romance: Cara and St Vincent in Paris last week, where the model/actress was said to have proposed to the singer

Part of the set: Cara and St Vincent attended the Burberry show at London Fashion Week together last September with pals Kate Moss and Sienna Miller

High-profile fling: Cara briefly dated American actress Michelle Rodriguez in 2014

If Cara did propose, she'd be following in the footsteps of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who got engaged at the Eiffel Tower back in 2005.

St Vincent, real name Annie Clarke, and Cara have been dating since March 2015 and have made several public appearances together.

In October, the pair were spotted matching rings on their wedding fingers at Paris Fashion Week.

The place to be: Cara wasn't the only big name enjoying a night out at the Chiltern as model Suki Waterhouse. 24. was also seen leaving the hotspot

If you've got it... The model showcased her natural beauty as she went make-up free for the night out

MailOnline has contacted Cara's representative for comment.

Cara spoke about her sexuality in an interview with Vogue last year, admitting she was attracted to both men and women.

She said: 'It took me a long time to accept the idea, until I first fell in love with a girl at 20 and recognised that I had to accept it. But I have erotic dreams only about men.

Making the effort: Suki was joined by her younger sister Immy, 21, who was clad in a glittery black jumpsuit

Hitting the town: Actor Cuba Gooding Jr - who is in town ahead of the BAFTAs - couldn't resist a night out at the celebrity haunt

'If I ever found a guy I could fall in love with, Id want to marry him and have his children.'

However, she was forced to speak out after the interview to insist her sexuality was not 'a phase' after the Vogue writer suggested her parents were unconvinced.

She clarified: 'My sexuality is not a phase. I am who I am.'

Prior to Cara's romance with St Vincent, she had a high-profile fling with Fast & Furious actress Michelle Rodriguez.
Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman haven't been impervious to it.

So it was understandable when relative red carpet novice Lynzey Murphey, fell victim to a bit of a makeup fail while attending a Maxim Valentine's Day party on Thursday night.

Walking the red carpet in Sydney in a cut-out black dress, the former MKR star's under-eye concealer reflected off the light from the flashing photographers, leaving large white circles across her face.

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Oops: Former My Kitchen Rules star Lynzey Murphy suffered a bit of a makeup fail on Thursday night while attending the Maxim Valentine's Day party

Lynzey's makeup artist explained to Daily Mail Australia the following day that: 'unfortunately due to the heavy flash during photos her under eye area has reflected too much light'.

Stressing that 'this has never happened before' they added that 'some cosmetics have light reflecting particles like illuminators which look great when applied but have too much flashback with flash photography and unfortunately this was the case.

'She looked perfect in person and in the photos we took while she was getting ready.'

Indeed, away from the blaring flashbulbs fitness enthusiast Lynzey's makeup appeared flawless, with the amateur chef going for a dewy complexion with bold brows and a cherry red lip.

Bad luck: The beautiful brunette's under eye concealer reflected off the flashing lights as photographers snapped away on the red carpet

LBD: The former reality star wore a tight-fitting dress that hugged her ultra toned physique and flashed a generous portion of flesh thanks to gaping cut-outs along the sides

Her brunette hair was left loose in tumbling curls and tossed over to one side so as not to detract from the racer-front cut of her little black dress.

The tight-fitting number by Australian label Nookie, hugged her ultra toned physique and flashed a generous portion of flesh thanks to gaping cut-outs along the sides.

For a cute touch in the lead up to Valentine's Day, she carried a special edition, heart-shaped clutch with monogrammed initials by cult label The Daily Edited and wore strappy black pumps by Siren.

Her glamorous jewellery was courtesy of local jeweller, Colette by Colette Hayman.

Lynzey isn't alone in having suffered a makeup fail, with a host of high-profile celebrities having stepped out with poorly blended concealer, contouring disasters and patches of white finishing powder in the past.

Kim Kardashian was famously one of them when she arrived at Paris Fashion Week last year with dark stripes down the sides of her nose.

Fails: Lynzey isn't alone in having suffered a makeup fail, with a host of high-profile celebrities having stepped out with poorly blended concealer, contouring disasters and patches of white finishing powder in the past

Not quite finished: Kim Kardashian arrived at Paris Fashion Week last year with dark stripes down the sides of her nose

Similarly, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato and Eva Longoria have been seen with unusually bright concealer under their eyes while in a more extreme case, Angelina Jolie was photographed with patches of white powder around her chin at a film premiere in 2014.

Lynzey meanwhile, is working on the launch of her very own fitness program with gym, home and outdoor-based branches.

Her own best ambassador, the super bendy beauty told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that she trains between three to five days a week to keep herself in top shape, saying: 'I will add that my rest days are typically active rest days.

Light overload: Lynzey's makeup was fine away from the flashbulbs

Too light: Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have similarly suffered bright under eye fails

Oops: Likewise Taylor Swift once stepped out before properly blending her concealer

'I'm normally at the beach or I'm going for a walk, I'm always trying to fit in some incidental exercise here and there.'

Offering advice to people who may not be as comfortable in a gym environment as herself she said: 'I'd probably recommend that they find themselves a good PT [personal trainer] or a friend that they can go to the gym with that keeps them accountable'.

'Buy yourself some new gym gear to keep yourself motivated and keep scheduling it into your diary and making sure that you prioritise training as part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth.'

Coming soon: Lynzey is working on the launch of her very own fitness program with gym, home and outdoor-based branches
Regal role: Glenda Jackson plays the ageing Queen in Elizabeth R 1971. She is set to return to acting to play King Lear in October after 25 years

Glenda Jackson will make a dramatic return to the theatre after an absence of more than a quarter of a century  during which time, as a Labour MP, the House of Commons was her stage  to play Shakespeares tragic King Lear.

Its a mouthwatering bit of gender-blind casting.

The double Oscar-winner will take to the boards of the Old Vic theatre in October, and said she was excited to be tackling the Bards most challenging work.

Jackson left acting in 1990, at the height of her powers, and made her maiden speech to Parliament two years later, after being elected to represent Hampstead and Kilburn in North London.

She stepped down from professional politics at last Mays General Election and within months was playing a 104-year-old character in an Emile Zola tale on BBC Radio 4.

Last night renowned director Deborah Warner, who will direct the 79-year-old Jackson, disclosed that she will start rehearsals in late August. Performance dates will be announced in April.

I have not been able to find another instance of a major, world-class thespian returning to the theatre after such a long time away from the footlights.

It is very exciting  biblical, really, director Warner said. Who else has done that?! Who else has done that in any art, in any medium?

Warner revealed she met Jackson just before Christmas to discuss what was then merely the possibility of tackling Shakespeares tragedy. The fact that Glenda Jackson was excited about doing anything was overwhelmingly exciting, she laughed.

She added that having directed the play twice before  a celebrated production for the Kick theatre troupe that played at the Edinburgh Festival and the Almeida Theatre in 1985, followed five years later by a version at the National Theatre  she found the prospect of staging a third Lear dismaying. But that was before she met with Jackson.

Jackson did not want to discuss details of the production now, but promised she would talk about her new project later. However, Warner, speaking from New York, filled in some of the gaps for me.

She said Jackson had seen her great friend, the Spanish actress Nuria Espert, play Lear in Barcelona 13 months ago. Seeing her do it must have been the trigger, Warner surmised.

I wondered how Jackson would tackle the part: In a role reversal as a woman, or strictly straight? I think shes playing Lear, full stop, Warner said. He, or she, who takes the words into their mouth of any Shakespearian character, becomes the character. Boom. Done.

Ms Jackson won two Oscars for her roles in movies Women In Love and A Touch Of Class during the 1970s

Second career: The actress went into politics as a Labour MP at the 1992 General Election before quitting in 2015. She has since had a role in a Radio 4 play

The director insisted that the production is not an exploration of gender. She did grant that there may be other bits of gender-blind casting, but she said she hadnt made a decision on it, yet.

Before her years as an MP, Jackson inspired generations of actresses with performances in plays such as Strange Interlude and Mother Courage (as well as her collaborations with the visionary Peter Brook); her title role in the BBC drama series Elizabeth R; and her movies Women In Love and A Touch Of Class, which won her Academy Awards.

Her Lear will attract theatregoers and thespians alike  even those who dont share her politics.

Some have criticised her as humourless, but that is not the case. Shes always acknowledged that she won her part in A Touch Of Class after being spotted in the Antony and Cleopatra sketch on the Morecambe And Wise show.

It reminded me to ask Warner to consider how Jacksons Lear would match up against her Hamlet... Im talking about Ernie Wises version, which she performed on the comedy duos 1979 Christmas special.

Hopefully, very well, she responded, with an almost straight face.
Baz Luhrmann has put his baby  the stage musical version of Strictly Ballroom  up for adoption.

Back in 1984, he created a stage show that did well in Sydney, but really took off after being shown at the Czechoslovakia Youth Drama Festival. It was made into a movie that was a sensation at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.

Two years ago, Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, his wife and closest collaborator, unveiled a big, flashy musical version of Strictly and toured it round their native Australia.

Musical treat: Baz Luhrmann's stage musical version of Strictly Ballroom is heading for the UK, directed by hot British choreographer Drew McOnie to give it a fresh new perspective

Now theyve contracted hot British choreographer Drew McOnie to direct the show in Britain and give it a fresh perspective, because Luhrmann and his team are filming a TV drama in New York for Netflix.

The childs been born! Luhrmann told me, referring to his show. But if we were to wait for the parents to be available to bring it up, it would have moved on, gone to college and retired!

Initially, McOnie met up with Luhrmann in Melbourne with the idea of simply choreographing a British production. But Luhrmann and producer Carmen Pavlovic (from Global Creatures) were so impressed by him they suggested he choreograph and direct.

Collaboration: Initially, McOnie (right) met up with Luhrmann (left) in Melbourne with the idea of simply choreographing a British production - but they so were impressed with him, he's going to direct as well

Theres something about his energy that reminds me of when youre at an early place in your career and youve got that killer enthusiasm, was Luhrmanns view of the choreographer. McOnie, who runs his own dance company and who choreographed the award- winning musical In The Heights in London, will begin casting the UK Strictly next week.

I saw it as an eight-year-old, he said of the movie about a Sydney ballroom dancer who rebels against the stuffy local ballroom society.

It previews at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, from November 30 and opens on December 6  a co-production between WYP and Global Creatures.

Bryan Cranston has been following the race for the White House with great interest. He told me he imagines that if Dalton Trumbo, the blacklisted screenwriter he portrays sublimely in the film Trumbo, were alive today, he would be able to write a terrific movie script about shenanigans behind the scenes.

He joked that that stuff would overshadow whatever Walter White, the nefarious drug lord he played in Breaking Bad, got up to.

Cranston said: You see the candidates at the top, but you rarely see the people pulling the strings at the bottom.

Political mind: Bryan Cranston (pictured) has been following the race for the White House with great interest

In Jay Roaches movie, in cinemas now, Cranstons Bafta and Oscar-nominated performance examines what the writer endured after he was barred from Hollywood because he was a registered Communist (or a swimming pool Soviet, as they put it).

Ironically, he ended up doing some of his best work undercover, Cranston said. Trumbo wrote Roman Holiday under an assumed name  and won an Oscar.

The only part Cranston didnt enjoy was the hours spent sitting in the bathtub.

He liked to write in the bath, and my poor skin ended up rather wrinkly, said the star.

WATCH OUT FOR:

Josette Simon, once a theatre mainstay, who returns to the stage to play a teacher who becomes concerned about a 17-year-old student at an American high school in the suburbs after she finds something in his locker that could be explosives. The young man is Luce, and its also the title of J. C. Lees play, which Simon Dormandy will direct at Southwark Playhouse from March 9. Dormandy told me that the drama resonates quite painfully now. Martins Imhangbe plays Luce, while Mel Giedroyc plays his adoptive mother.

Gina Beck, Emmanuel Kojo and Rebecca Trehearn, who are among the cast who will transfer from Sheffield to the West End in Daniel Evanss simply glorious production of the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat. Many of the company who appeared in the revival at Sheffields Crucible Theatre over Christmas will be in the show when it begins previews at the New London Theatre on April 9. Michael Xavier, a fine Gaylord Ravenal in Sheffield, wont be moving, as hell be opposite Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard not far away, at the London Coliseum.

Star: Gina Beck (pictured), Emmanuel Kojo and Rebecca Trehearn, who are among the cast who will transfer from Sheffield to the West End in Daniel Evanss simply glorious production of the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat

David Walliams, who will host the Jameson Empire Awards in London on March 20. Readers of the popular film magazine vote for their favourite movies and stars. You can be sure that Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant and The Martian will be nominated  but I hope Spotlight, The Big Short, Carol, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl  and Beasts Of No Nation with my old friend Idris Elba  get some love from Empire, too.

Steve Coogan, Andrea Riseborough and brilliant young newcomer Garion Dowds, who star in director Oliver Schmitzs gripping courtroom drama Shepherds And Butchers. The movie, screening at the Berlin Film Festival, explores why a young prison guard who worked on Death Row at a South African prison in 1987 shot and killed seven members of a sports team. Coogan plays the young mans advocate, who argues that the guard was subjected to psychological trauma as a result of witnessing scores of hangings of inmates he had got to know. Producer Anant Singh snapped up Chris Marnewicks novel several years ago and waited for the perfect cast.

Drama: Steve Coogan, Andrea Riseborough and brilliant young newcomer Garion Dowds (pictured), who star in director Oliver Schmitzs gripping courtroom drama Shepherds And Butchers
Hugh Grant was in a visibly good mood as he took a rare night off from fathering duties to show his support to a charity ball in his native London on Thursday evening.

The Bridget Jones' Diary actor beamed from ear-to-ear as he arrived at The Savoy Hotel in the capital to attend the British Heart Foundation's Roll Out The Red Ball fundraiser, following the apparent birth of his fourth child in December.

Hugh, 55, welcomed the rare opportunity to dress up and he looked his typically suave self in a sharp tuxedo, complete with bow tie.

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Father's night out: Beaming Hugh Grant suited up to make a rare public appearance at a charity ball in London, following the 'birth of his fourth child', on Thursday evening

He appeared delighted to be back in the limelight - albeit temporarily - as he arrived without his television-producer partner Anna Elisabet Eberstein.

Hugh looked devilishly handsome in a crisp white shirt, black tapered and a double-breasted black coat.

He couldn't contain his happiness as he sported a wide grin while posing for obligatory red-carpet photos on arrival, with his hands in his coat pockets.

Stepping back into the spotlight: Hugh, 55, welcomed the rare opportunity to dress up and he looked his typically suave self in a sharp tuxedo, complete with bow tie, as he arrived at The Savoy Hotel for the British Heart Foundation's Roll Out The Red Ball fundraiser

Suited and booted: The Bridget Jones' Diary actor looked devilishly handsome in a crisp white shirt, black tapered and a double-breasted black coat which he took off to unveil a sharp blazer jacket

Fancy seeing you here? The Man from U.N.C.L.E. actor couldn't contain his happiness as he showed his support and mingled with the all-star guest list

The Hollywood heart-throb is believed to have become a father for the fourth time in late December, Swedish regional newspaper Sundsvall Tinding reported.

Anna Eberstein from Sundsvall has had her second child with film star Hugh Grant, the report stated. The newest member of the family saw the light of day for the first time last Wednesday.

Ms Eberstein, who is mother to his second eldest child, three-year-old son John, and the wider family were said to be overjoyed with the news.

Her delighted mother Susanne, a judge and prominent left-wing politician, confirmed to Swedish newspaper Ornskoldsviks Allehanda the baby, her second grandchild, had been born.

The Hollywood heart-throb is believed to have become a father for the fourth time in late December, Swedish regional newspaper Sundsvall Tinding reported, after Anna Elisabet Eberstein apparently gave birth to the couple's second child. Here the couple are pictured at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in July 2015

I can confirm that I have another grandchild,' she told the publication. It is wonderful that we now have grandchildren [more than one grandchild].

A close friend of the family told MailOnline: I heard from Annas parents that she had given birth last Wednesday. It was a little girl. Everything seemed to have gone okay.

Her brother Christian Eberstein added: We are a wonderful family and we all love each other very much.

As a family we are very loving towards everyone both those who have been in the family for a long time and those who newly have become part of this family.

In October, it emerged Ms Eberstein, 37, was pregnant for a second time, although neither party have responded to questions about the paternity of the child.
It was very recently she testified to the Kentucky House committee on behalf of Save the Children .

But it was back to her regular routine as Jennifer Garner was spotted in full workout gear on Thursday.

The 43-year-old actress went make-up free as she grabbed a coffee in Brentwood with her blonde gal pal.

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Fitness fanatic! Jennifer Garner, 43, was spotted in full workout gear in Brentwood on Thursday

She showed off her sculpted stems in charcoal grey Under Armour leggings and wore a black hoodie to keep warm.

Her silky brunette locks were swept back into a ponytail, which highlighted her flawless features and natural beauty.

The Dallas Buyers Club starlet kept concealed behind tortoise shell shades but placed them on top of her mane post-workout.

Caffeine fix! The Golden Globe winner went makeup-free as she grabbed a coffee with her blonde gal pal

Slim pins! The Dallas Buyers Club star showed off her sculpted stems in charcoal grey Under Armour leggings and wore a black hoodie to keep warm

Impeccable! Garner skipped the makeup which highlighted her natural beauty and flawless complexion

Once Jennifer decided she had indulged enough on the warm beverage, she poured out the remaining coffee on a patch of grass as she walked along the sidewalk.

The A-list actress carried a colorful blue and pink backpack at one point, which matched her bright trainers as her girlfriend donned similar looking sneakers.

The Miracles from Heaven star returned back home after she paid a visit to lawmakers in Kentucky on behalf of the organization, Save the Children.

Jennifer - who's on the board of trustees - testified before the House budget committee on Tuesday, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

Satisfied! Once Jennifer decided she had indulged enough on the warm beverage, she poured out the remaining coffee on a patch of grass as she walked along the sidewalk

Matching! The A-list actress wore colourful blue trainers as her girlfriend donned similar looking sneakers

Charitable! The Miracles from Heaven star returned back home after she paid a visit to lawmakers in Kentucky on behalf of the organization, Save the Children

Selfless! Garner asked state legislators to preserve $1 million in funding for the organisation's early childhood and literacy programs that serve more than 12,000 Kentucky children, according to the Lexington Herald Leader

She asked state legislators to preserve $1 million in funding for the organisation's early childhood and literacy programs that serve more than 12,000 Kentucky children.

Garner, who was raised in West Virginia, urged state senators on the Education Committee to support the program and to 'keep something working so well for the kids here in Kentucky.'

The Golden Globe winner told about a mother she met in the area six years ago whose children had no books until a program coordinator brought them.

Girls gang: Later in the day Jennifer was seen out with her two daughters

Dinner date: The trio were on their way to meet Ben Affleck at a restaurant in Brentwood

'The kids lit up like Christmas trees. They could not have been more excited,' the mother-of-three stated.

Later in the day Jennifer was seen out with her children and Ben Affleck.

The actress walked along the street with her two girls, Seraphina and Violet and appeared to have picked her daughters up from school.

They trio then went to meet Ben, who was seen arriving at a restaurant in a separate car.

Family time: The actor arrived in a separate car and looked pleased to be having the get together
Millions have been enthralled by the racy BBC adaptation of Tolstoys War And Peace, which came to an end last weekend with a heart-rending finale.

But lovers of book adaptations need not be downcast as there are plenty more where that came from. Novels have always provided a rich source of material for TV  from John Galsworthys Forsyte Saga in 1967 through to Jane Austens Pride & Prejudice in the Nineties and Winston Grahams Poldark novels today.

And that trend continues this year with murder mysteries, spy dramas and a wartime thriller. Get ready to enjoy these literary-inspired treats...

Doctor Thorne (ITV)

By Anthony Trollope

Now hes free from Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes turns to adapting for the small screen one of his favourite novels by one of his favourite writers. Fellowes cites Trollope as one of the major influences on his work, and this, the third of the six Barchester Chronicles books, is sure to be a warm-hearted affair suited to Sunday nights.

Victorian melodrama: Harry Richardson as Frank and Stefanie Martini as Mary in Doctor Thorne, adapted for the small screen by Downton's Julian Fellowes

Tom Hollander is the penniless Doctor Thomas Thorne, who lives in the village of Greshamsbury in Barsetshire, with his niece Mary. But trouble brews when Lady Arabella Gresham (Rebecca Front) discovers her darling son, Frank, has fallen in love with Mary and she is determined to put a stop to the relationship.

Fellowes is tremendously excited by the project, expected on our screens in early March.

What to expect: Victorian melodrama from the master storyteller.

The Secret Agent (BBC1)

By Joseph Conrad

Toby Jones, Vicky McClure and Stephen Graham lead the cast this summer in an adaptation of the classic Conrad thriller, directed by Charles McDougall (Hillsborough, The Good Wife) in his first British drama for a decade.

The story, first published in 1907, is set in London in 1886.

Toby Jones (pictured), Vicky McClure and Stephen Graham lead the cast this summer in an adaptation of the classic Conrad thriller, directed by Charles McDougall

Jones will play Adolf Verloc, whose seedy Soho shop hides his role as an agent of the Russian embassy. His job is to spy on a group of London anarchists from within  the role takes on more sinister undertones when he is ordered to carry out a terrorist attack at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The book was previously adapted into a BBC mini-series in 1992 with David Suchet as Verloc.

What to expect: Thought-provoking drama with themes of anarchy and terrorism as relevant today as they were in the 19th century.

Hugh Laurie plays against type as immoral arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper, who has friends in very high places, in The Night Manager

The Night Manager (BBC1)

By John Le Carre

This is the first serialised TV adaptation of a John le Carre novel since A Perfect Spy in 1987. Its a six-part adaptation of Le Carres 1993 novel of love, loss and revenge, starting on Sunday, February 21 at 9pm.

The cast is led by Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) as Jonathan Pine, a former soldier who, while working as the night manager of a Cairo hotel, is recruited by Olivia Colmans intelligence operative to expose the alliance between the British intelligence community and the secret arms trade.

Hugh Laurie plays against type as immoral arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper, who has friends in very high places.

What to expect: A complex tale of intrigue and double-cross with Bond levels of glamorous locations, beautiful women and strong violence.

SS-GB (BBC1)

By Len Deighton

The pedigree for this Len Deighton adaptation this autumn could not be better: written by the Bafta award-winners Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who have penned five James Bond films, including Casino Royale and Spectre, and featuring Hollywood stars Sam Riley (Pride And Prejudice And Zombies) and Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns).

Set in Nazi-occupied London, the five-part thriller is based on the intriguing premise that the Germans won the Battle of Britain and now rule England with a rod of iron. Riley is British detective Douglas Archer, forced to work with the SS when investigating what appears to be a black market murder. Bosworth is U.S. journalist Barbara Barga, who becomes inextricably linked with the murder case  and Archer.

What to expect: Thrilling tale of nasty Nazis, and plucky Brits fighting back against the odds.

Maigret (ITV)

By Georges Simenon

Rowan Atkinson hasnt been seen on the small screen since he played Inspector Raymond Fowler in the Ben Elton sitcom The Thin Blue Line 20 years ago.

He returns in the spring to play French detective Jules Maigret, who first appeared in print in 1931 and whose adventures went on to sell more than a billion copies. The stories will be adaptations of Maigret Sets A Trap and Maigrets Dead Man.

Rowan Atkinson (pictured) returns in the spring to play French detective Jules Maigret, who first appeared in print in 1931 and whose adventures went on to sell more than a billion copies

Atkinson admits he has been a devourer of the Simenon works for many years and he may have to get used to smoking the detectives trademark pipe if these initial cases prove a success  there are 73 more Maigret novels.

What to expect: The new Hercule Poirot.

The Durrells (ITV)

By Gerald Durrell

Keeley Hawes will play Louisa Durrell in this sun-drenched adaptation of Gerald Durrells trilogy of Corfu memoirs, which includes My Family And Other Animals, due to be shown this spring.

Set in 1935, this timeless drama is full of warmth, humour and fun as it follows Louisa who, following the death of her husband, ups sticks and moves with her four unruly children (including ten-year-old Gerald) to the beautiful Greek island.

Its written by Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly)  who also wrote a 2005 adaptation of Durrells novel for the BBC  and will star Leslie Caron as Countess Mavrodaki.

What to expect: Ray of sunshine to brighten up the British gloom.

Keeley Hawes (pictured) will play Louisa Durrell in this sun-drenched adaptation of Gerald Durrells trilogy of Corfu memoirs, which includes My Family And Other Animals, due to be shown this spring

Also in the pipeline...

The Cormoran Strike Mysteries (BBC1)

By Robert Galbraith

Last year the BBC adapted J.K. Rowlings The Casual Vacancy to great success, and now there are plans to adapt The Cuckoos Calling, the first in the Cormoran Strike series of novels written by the Harry Potter author under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

His Dark Materials (BBC1)

By Philip Pullman

At the end of last year, the BBC announced it will be bringing to the screen Philip Pullmans epic fantasy trilogy of novels, His Dark Materials. The series consists of the novels Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, which between them have sold more than 17 million copies.
Zoolander 2 (12A)

Verdict: Self-indulgent silliness

Rating:

Fashion industry satire Zoolander came out in 2001.

On the basis of this sequel, which has moments of exhilarating silliness, but is mostly a mess, I wont mind waiting at least another 15 years for a third outing in the company of affable but spectacularly dim Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), whose brains are all in his famous Blue Steel pout.

Still, if stars were awarded for A-list cameos, Stiller  who also directs, and co-wrote with Justin Theroux, John Hamburg and Nick Stoller  would get the full shebang.

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On the basis of this sequel, which has moments of exhilarating silliness, but is mostly a mess, I wont mind waiting at least another 15 years for a third outing of Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), writes BRIAN VINER

Ben Stiller plays Derek Zoolander, Penelope Cruz plays Valentina Valencia and Owen Wilson plays Hansel

Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino and Marc Jacobs all pop up to poke fun at the business that has made them famous. So does Anna Wintour, as shiny as the average catwalk, and twice as wooden.

Also among those also making cameo appearances are Sting, gamely consenting to a tantric sex gag, and Justin Bieber, who in a 007-style pre-credits chase through the streets of Rome, ends up being machine-gunned to death (though not before posting his own dying pout on Instagram).

And Benedict Cumberbatch gets a few moments as a transsexual model, casting that has caused a right old he-her hoo-hah in transgender circles. They say its a cartoonish representation. But if it werent, it would look even more absurd.

Nothing in Zoolander 2 is taken remotely seriously. Thats very much the point.

The plot is the least serious thing of all. Our hero has gone into hiding after being implicated in the collapse of the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Cant Read Good, and has lost custody of his son.

When finally they are reunited, Derek has a shock in store. The boy is fat.

Even worse (arguably), Derek Jnr turns out to be at the centre of a plot masterminded by the evil godfather of fashion crime, Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), who has got his fiendish hands on a bomb designed by Philippe Starck, in collaboration with Al-Qaeda.

Helping Zoolander process all this in his tiny brain are his old rival Hansel (Owen Wilson), and Valentina (Penelope Cruz), a former swimwear model who now works for Interpols fashion division.

Its all as ridiculous as it sounds, but for the most part, wearyingly rather than hilariously so.

Its nice to see Cruz enjoying herself, ditto Kristen Wiig, as a grotesquely over-Botoxed fashionista. But if you can imagine a feature-length version of one of Monty Pythons less successful sketches, thats sort of what it feels like.

It is saddled with the kind of script that doubtless created no end of belly laughs in an office in West Hollywood, but yields rather fewer in the cinema.

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (15)

Verdict: Not for Janeites

Rating:

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies also sounds like an idea that seemed hilarious after the third bottle of wine at a bibulous industry lunch, and against the odds, made it to the silver screen

In fact it is an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smiths best-selling 2009 book, in which Jane Austens celebrated story is re-told against a backdrop of the living dead. Its star is Lily James, of Downton Abbey, War And Peace and Cinderella, enhancing yet at the same time subverting her growing reputation as the fairy princess of costume dramas.

In Regency England, an abominable plague (blamed squarely on the French) has unleashed a zombie apocalypse. Can fiery Elizabeth Bennet (James) team up with Mr Darcy (Sam Riley) to bring the ghastly apparitions to their knees, and in so doing will they lift the lid on their simmering love for one another?

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies is an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smiths best-selling 2009 book, in which Jane Austens celebrated story is re-told against a backdrop of the living dead. It stars Lily James (pictured)

I think you can guess the answer to both questions, although youll have to think some way beyond the conventional image of Lizzy (see Jennifer Ehle and Keira Knightley).

This version, energetically played by a now dark-haired James, whose passionate Natasha Rostova in the BBCs War And Peace was lifeless by comparison, keeps daggers under her petticoats. Helpfully, while Lizzys social-climbing mother (Sally Phillips) has been plotting to marry off her string of daughters to eligible bachelors, their father (played, almost inevitably, by Charles Dance) has been having them tutored in Japanese martial arts.

If you dont mind entertaining the very silly idea of one of our finest novels being so infiltrated by modern horror-film tropes  to the extent that its possible to imagine Miss Austen turning in her grave so violently that she herself rises to join the undead  all this is rather good fun.

Matt Smith is hilariously effete as Lizzys other would-be suitor, the frightful Mr Collins.

On the whole, though, Im still old-fashioned enough to prefer my Miss Bennets and Mr Darcys more as their creator intended.

And for all the sporadic giggles, its impossible to avoid the conclusion that this is a one-note joke that has been stretched too far.

The films director and writer is Burr Steers, whose late uncle, the novelist and famously waspish wit Gore Vidal, once recommended that everyone should write something, even if its just a suicide note.

If hed seen this, the old boy might just have reconsidered his advice.

Deadpool (15)

Verdict: Ultra-violent parody

Rating:

Deadpool is a spin-off from X-Men, but it is another parody, this time of all superhero movies.

However, Marvel poking fun at itself is a bit like fashion titans doing the same thing in Zoolander 2. It feels a little self-satisfied.

The mickey-taking begins with the opening credits, promising us stereotypes such as A Hot Chick, A Moody Teen, A British Villain, and so on.

From there, we join Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in a horribly violent shoot-out on a New York expressway. Indeed, the levels of violence and gore in this film would be unacceptable even if the principal intention were to make us gasp rather than laugh.

Deadpool (shown above) is a spin-off from X-Men, but it is another parody, this time of all superhero movies

Deadpool, it turns out in flashback, is the alter ego of a tough former special forces soldier, Wade Wilson.

When Wade was diagnosed with a terminal illness, he sought help from a cancer specialist who turned out to be that obligatory British villain (Ed Skrein) and was really running a mutant factory.

Wade was left disfigured and forced to wear a mask. He acquired some useful super-powers into the bargain, but the timing of his disfigurement was especially unfortunate as he was just about to settle down with the feisty but lovely Vanessa (Morena Baccarin, who played Damian Lewiss long-suffering wife in the TV series Homeland).
Kristin Davis wasn't giving anything away as she made her way to a UN fundraiser in Sydney on Friday.

The Sex And The City star, who is in the country to raise awareness about the plight of refugees, commanded attention this week after she slammed breakfast show Sunrise for having her participate in a cringeworthy skit rather than focus on her charity work.

As a result, the show's host Samantha Armytage, was dropped as the MC of Australia for UNHCR lunch and asked not to 'attend at all'.

Keeping cool: Kristin Davis wasn't giving anything away as she arrived at a UN fundraiser in Sydney on Friday a day after her row with breakfast show Sunrise

Arriving at the Ivy in the city's central business district, Davis was looking cool and calm.

She brushed aside reporters' attempts to question her and kept a pair of dark shades over her eyes as she walked briskly towards the venue.

The US actress was dressed in a very 1960's style midi-length frock with a black and white checked pattern which she cinched in at the waist with the help of a belt.

A neutral coloured handbag was slung over one of her shoulders and her long hair was styled in natural waves and left to fall loose over her shoulders.

Charity work: The Sex And The City Star is in Australia to raise awareness about the plight of refugees

No comment: The actress, 50, brushed aside reporters' attempts to question her and kept a pair of dark shades over her eyes as she walked briskly towards the venue

Davis recently visited the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of her work for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

She was left disgruntled therefore, after her appearance on Sunrise was centred more around a Sex And The City reenactment with the show's hosts than her charity work.

Taking to Twitter that day she wrote: 'Hopefully someone will let me talk about @Refugees'.

As a result, Sunrise co-anchor Armytage - who was due to host guests at the charity lunch - was replaced at the last minute.

Addressing the incident on-air on Friday, Armytage and her co-star David Koch delivered a stony-faced apology.

Apologetic: Sunrise host Samantha Armytage was dropped as the MC of the charity fundraiser after Davis appeared on her show the day before

No laughing matter: Amytage and her co-hosts reenacted a scene from Davis' hit show on-air

Insisting that they had devoted significant airtime to the UNHCR and Davis's efforts, the pair revealed that Armytage had been stood down as the event's host and told not to attend at all.

Professing their support of the organisation, Armytage said: 'Sunrise partnered with Australia for UNHCR for a fundraising event being held today.

'I was asked to MC that event and conduct a Q&A with Kristin. I immediately accepted.'

Koch added somberly: 'Since our interview yesterday, organisers have asked Sam not to host or attend the event at all which came as a surprise.'

Dismissing accusations that the star had not been given enough time to discuss her work with refugees, he continued: 'We spoke to Kristin extensively in her appearance about her important work in this area.'

Not happy: The star took to Twitter to vent her fury and thanked fans for their support on her work
She knows how to be saucy and show off her sartorial savvy.

Zendaya hit the red carpet at the 2016 at Essence Black Women in Music event, held at Avalon nightclub, in LA on Thursday wearing an outfit she could have just got out of bed in.

The 19-year-old showed off her lithe physique in a floorlength black lingerie style dress.

Saucy! Zendaya hit the red carpet at the 2016 at Essence Black Women in Music event, held at Avalon nightclub, in LA on Thursday

The nightwear style frock featured a thigh high split and was embellished with lace.

She teamed it with a pair of over the knee boots and a leather shirt.

The model and singer wore her blonde crop in a mussed up style as she posed on the purple carpet.

Lingerie as going out gear: The frock had a just got out of bed look

Legs eleven: A thigh high split showed off her perfect pins

Fashion statement: She teamed it a leather shirt

Chic: The model and singer wore her blonde crop in a mussed up style as she posed on the purple carpet

Just last month, the Disney Channel star released the music video for her song, Neverland, from the soundtrack of the Broadway musical, Finding Neverland.

Essence magazine was honouring black women in music and recognising their achievements at the soiree.

Zendaya was joined by Queen Latifah and also actress Yara Shahidi at the event.

On Wednesday, she was ever the exquisite beauty as she made her way into the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studios in Hollywood.

The talented starlet was gearing up to promote her song, according to a tweet shared by the show.

Lithe limbs: Zendaya wasn't afraid to show off her fabulous physique

Caution! Actress Yara Shahidi was in a showstopping outfit

Fancy frock: Recording artist Andra Day went for leopard print and orange

The singer and actress is known for switching up her look, courtesy of a collection of wigs.

In an interview with Glamour, the stunning starlet revealed that she has never coloured her locks.

'I have never dyed my hair. This [brown] is still my natural colour,' she revelead.

Dressed down: Actress and recording artist Queen Latifah wore a gorgeous silk shirt

The United Nations AIDS activist recently released the music video for her song, Neverland.

The track was featured on the Broadway show, Finding Neverland, and Finding Neverland the Album which was released in June of 2015.

In a behind-the-scenes interview from the making of her music video, Zendaya expressed her happiness to be able to have her own take on the song.

'I thought it was really cool because [songwriter] Gary Barlow allowed every single artist to do kinda do what they wanted with it and kinda make it their own, so I had a lot of freedom to add harmonies and really add my own personality to it,' she began.

'As an artist, that's a great place to be,' she said.

Ladylike glamour: On Wednesday, Zendaya was ever the exquisite beauty as she made her way into the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studios in Hollywood
She's one of Britain's most sought after actresses.

So it was no surprise to see Natalie Dormer lending her support to the BAFTA Film Gala in London on Thursday evening.

The Game of Thrones actress, 34, is never one to go unnoticed on the red carpet, and her arrival at the event, which raises money to support young people from all backgrounds to make it in the movie industry, was no exception.

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Hot property: She's one of Britain's most sought after actresses. So it was no surprise to see Natalie Dormer, 34, lending her support to the BAFTA Film Gala in London on Thursday evening

Wearing an eye-catching, stitched yellow-striped dress to the charity event, Natalie looked truly radiant.

The summery tones in her dress, which was held up by thin shoulder straps and plunged at the front to show off her cleavage, reflected the star's bubbly personality perfectly.

On her way into the venue, she wore a loose black cover-up to counter the bitter winter chill.

Blonde bombshell: Wearing an eye-catching, stitched yellow-striped dress to the charity event, Natalie looked truly radiant

Sauntering along the glittering gold carpet clasping a Globe-Trotter box clutch, Natalie was only too happy to pose for the assembled cameras, producing a seductive pout.

Stood in a pair of strappy black heels with her hand on her hip, the star looked happy to be in attendance as she flashed a beautiful smile.

Her golden tresses fell in waves onto her shoulders and her pale blue eyes were framed with subtle smokey eye make-up and lashings of mascara.

Golden girl: Sauntering along the glittering gold carpet clasping a stylish black clutch, Natalie was only too happy to pose for the assembled cameras, producing a seductive pout

Bright and bubbly: The summery tones in her dress, which was held up by thin shoulder straps and plunged at the front to show off her cleavage, reflected the star's bubbly personality perfectly

The well-supported event, in support of BAFTAs Give Something Back campaign, saw the likes of Jason Isaacs, Sam Claftin, Colin Firth and Simon Pegg attend.

In addition to her role as Margaery Tyrell in the fantasy epic Game of Thrones, Natalie has also starred in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 alongside Jennifer Lawrence.

Season six of GoT is set to air in April and last month Natalie appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote it.

She told Jimmy that the majority of her scenes in the upcoming season were filmed in Belfast and Spain.

And she revealed that the cast were scattered during filming, with press junkets and premieres the only time everyone was together.

And she told the host that she liked to watch the show as a fan: 'I watched Ned Stark have his head chopped off and was like that's f*****g cool. That's amazing.

'When I joined in the second season I wanted to go back like a fan so I stopped reading other people's storylines.'
She made a number of headlines while filming The Block last year.

But it appears, despite collapsing on-set due to 'non-stop partying', Suzi Taylor might be making a return to television.

Sydney Confidential reported on Friday the controversial reality TV star is 'finalising details' with Network Ten to become a regular co-host of their morning show Studio 10.

Returning to the small screen? Suzi Taylor from The Block is reportedly in talks with Studio 10 to become a regular host

If the reports are true, it would see the 44-year-old work alongside regular co-hosts Joe Hildebrand, Jessica Rowe, Sarah Harris, Denise Drysdale and Ita Buttrose.

It would also mean the former Penthouse covergirl will defect from Channel Nine to rival, Network Ten.

Suzi's management was contact by Daily Mail Australia for comment, however they were unable to confirm or deny the speculation at time.

Despite the series of The Block finishing up on-air in November, all contestants are required to obey terms and conditions in their contracts for three months following the finale air date.

In December, the Gold Coast mother-of-three reportedly breached her contract after speaking without the network's permission to the media after revealing photos of her surfaced online.

Joining the crew? If the reports are true, the busty brunette would work alongside regular co-hosts (L-R) Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand, Ita Buttrose and Jessica Rowe

Controversial: Suzi was a contestant of The Block's 12th season last year and had more headlines about her private life than her renovation skills

Suzi was reportedly gagged from speaking to the media about The Block because of several topless photos taken on a boat in the days before the finale aired.

Due to the racy photos, the reality TV star revealed to the Daily Telegraph that '[Nine] are threatening not to give me the money from the auction'.

At the time, a representative from Nine refused to confirm the move, but explained: 'Suzi has broken her contract by talking to the media.

Those photos: Suzi was reportedly gagged from speaking to the media about The Block because of several topless photos taken on a boat in the days before the finale aired

'We have told her the terms of her contract many times,' the spokesperson added.

But a spokesperson from the network confirmed to AAP that 'it's unlikely the money would be withheld' from the Gold Coast mother.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Studio 10 for comment.
They are undoubtedly Britain's most famous presenting duo.

And Ant and Dec's national treasure status has certainly been confirmed since they forged an increasingly close bond with the royals - most recently when filming an intimate documentary with Prince Charles.

The beloved Newcastle natives candidly revealed to Graham Norton that while they stayed in the royal's Scotland home, Dumfries House, they enjoyed an excess of booze with their wives before fearing they would wake up Prince Charles who was sleeping down the hall.

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Feeling merry? Ant and Dec's national treasure status has certainly been confirmed since they forged an increasingly close bond with the royals - most recently when filming an intimate documentary with Prince Charles

Appearing on the BBC chat show the duo spoke of their ITV documentary celebrating 40 years of Prince Charles' charity, The Prince's Trust, which aired last month.

Ant and Dec, both 40, were granted access to His Royal Highness, his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, his wife Duchess of Cornwall, and his work for the one-off special.

While the documentary was well-received and praised for its candid representation of the royal, the cheeky Geordie duo revealed they did get up to no good during filming.

Before the merriment: The beloved Newcastle natives candidly revealed to Graham Norton that while they stayed in the royal's Scotland home, Dumfries House, they enjoyed an excess of booze with their wives before fearing they would wake up Prince Charles who was sleeping down the hall

Access all areas: Ant and Dec, both 40, were granted access to His Royal Highness, his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, his wife Duchess of Cornwall, and his work for the one-off special

They said: 'We were invited to stay at his house in Scotland. It was the weirdest thing. We thought it would be a massive place and we would stay in another wing but it is a house and we stayed in rooms next to Charles.

'We shared a butler and as we were going to bed he asked if wed like anything else and we asked for two bottles of wine.

'We then got drunk with our wives but we were very conscious that Charles was down the corridor so as we got louder every now and again one of us would go: "Shush, hes in bed!" It was very bizarre.'

Having a laugh: While the documentary was well-received and praised for its candid representation of the royal, the cheeky Geordie duo revealed they did get up to no good during filming

While their close bond with Prince Charles confirmed, they have now scooped the coveted role of hosts of ITV's coverage of The Queen's forthcoming 90th birthday celebrations.

The duo delightedly announced that Queen Elizabeth reportedly personally requested them as hosts.

They said: 'Apparently she asked for us to do it. We dont really know how it happened but can only imagine shes called Charles and asked if he knew anyone that could do it? and hes said, Ive just met a couple of lads whove been following me around for a year."'

The busy pair have also been working on the new season of Saturday Night Takeaway in which they have a sketch called Who Shot Simon Cowell, which was penned by esteemed screenwriter, Chris Chibnall, who wrote Broadchurch.

They revealed how they nabbed him, for the job, saying: 'We asked him on the off chance and he said yes. We were like, "What?"'

Dapper duo: While their close bond with Prince Charles confirmed, they have now scooped the coveted role of hosts of ITV's coverage of The Queen's forthcoming 90th birthday celebrations

Oops! Ahead of hosting the BRIT Awards later this month, the pair spoke about last year's gig in which Madonna suffered a dramatic fall on stage when an ill-fated dance move went wrong

Ahead of hosting the BRIT Awards later this month, the pair spoke about last year's gig in which Madonna suffered a dramatic fall on stage when an ill-fated dance move went wrong.

They said: 'Wed done our last link by introducing Madonna. Wed landed the plane and we were out of there, drinking champagne. Then we heard a massive gasp in the room and saw she was on her back  we couldnt work out what happened and thought it must be part of her routine.

'It was only when we watched News at 10 and saw the headlines that we realised she had fallen. It was the first we knew about it and we were like, Oh, is that what happened!'

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday at 10.35pm
She quit TOWIE to pursue a full time career as a TV presenter, but Ferne McCann is certainly doing her best to make a statement in the fashion world too.

The I'm A Celebrity star, 25, looked stunning in a sleeveless and elegant striped blouse as she partied at the Very VIP Valentine's party, along with the likes of former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James.

Ferne dazzled in her colourful ensemble as she arrived at the romantic-themed do at London's Hospital Club on Thursday.

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Flawless: Ferne McCann opted for a chic bold striped blouse as she attended the Very VIP Valentine's party at London's Hospital Club on Thursday

Ferne brightened up the wintry evening with her lovely blouse in shades of mustard, navy, mauve and white, which she teamed with a pair of figure-flattering black culottes.

She was clearly looking ahead towards the next fashion season as she rocked a pair of tan suede peep-toe heels.

The naturally pretty star kept her make-up simple and sophisticated with a nude lip and a winged slick of eyeliner.

She opted for a funky bright purple manicure and a Folli Follie silver bangle to offset the look as she partied alongside model pals Ashley and Charlotte de Carle at the plush event.

Splash of colour: The 25-year-old brightened up the party with her colourful ensemble, which she teamed with flattering black culottes

Striking: Ashley James toughened up her whimsical princess dress with a striking red jacket as she stepped out to party with pals

Ashley - who was recently romantically linked to Britain's Got Talent star David Walliams - toughened up her whimsical princess dress with a striking red jacket as she stepped out to the soiree.

The beautiful star looked svelte in her lacy tiered mini-dress complete with frills, showing off her lovely legs.

Her intricate frock was sleeved with sheer panelling and stunning floral embroidery on the bust and torso.

The former Made In Chelsea babe - a frequent guest at London's showbiz parties - oozed sartorial sass by throwing a sharp red jacket over her girlie combo and amped up the glam with a Rue Gembon ear cuff.

Fashion forward: The beautiful star looked svelte in her lacy tiered mini-dress complete with frills

Red hot: The MIC star, who was last year linked to comedian David Walliams after they enjoyed dinner togerher with friends, oozed glam by throwing a sharp red jacket over her girlie combo

Later in the evening she switched up her style and draped a gorgeous cream duster coat over her ensemble instead of the red jacket for a softer effect.

Meanwhile, Ferne recently confirmed she is taking a break from TOWIE, the show that made her famous.

The reality star, who has become a TV presenter following her successful stint on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, said she is taking a step back from the show, but has left the door open to return if her friends ever 'need' her.

Take two: Later in the evening she switched up her style and draped a gorgeous cream coat over her ensemble instead of the red jacket for a softer effect

In a video posted on TOWIE's Twitter page last week, she said: 'Many of you have been wondering if I will be returning back to Essex after my adventure Down Under.'

She said she has been 'super busy since I've been back from Australia' and, pointing to her face, added: 'You won't be seeing as much of this on The Only Way Is Essex.

'To be honest with you, you might enjoy the break. However, if any of my friends ever need me or need my advice I will make sure I'm back to Essex to help them.'
Australian-born Cody Simpson has become known for his effortless cool guy style.

And the 19-year-old musician showed off his swagger when he stepped out with a male friend at Venice Beach in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

He looked cool as he wore a motorcycle style leather jacket and donned a pair of dark sunglasses while strutting along the street.

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Cool guy style: Australian-born musician Cody Simpson stepped out in Venice Beach on Wednesday looking stylish in a leather jacket

Cody layered the leather jacket over a black T-shirt, which he wore tucked into a pair of fitted dark blue jeans.

He accessorised his look with a brown belt that featured a gold buckle, and layered silver rings onto fingers on both of his hands.

His blonde locks were slicked back underneath a black baseball cap which he wore backwards and finished his look with brown boots.

Signature style: The 19-year-old slicked his blonde locks back underneath a black baseball cap which he wore backwards and finished his look with brown boot as he strolled along the street with a male friend

The now American-based musician was spotted out with a friend, who opted for similar casual attire.

The pal also wore a leather jacket over a black T-shirt with a printed design on the front, and paired his look with grey jeans.

Cody has become known for his rocker-chic style mixed with a bohemian edge and it appears to be rubbing off on his American friends.

Earlier this year he sent fans into a frenzy with the teaser of a new track, and what might feature in his upcoming music.

Social: He has enjoyed plenty of outings lately and was spotted after a night out with a mystery woman late last month

He took to Instagram to share a black-and-white video of a recording studio computer and gave his devotees something to get excited about.

'ITS REALLY SOMETHIN WHEN THE FEELS RIGHT,' he captioned the shot cryptically.

While Cody made no mention of One Direction's Niall Horan in his post, fans wasted no time in point out that the British pop-star's voice can be heard in the recording.

Cody and Niall have been friends for some time, and were recently spotted enjoying a night out with Justin Bieber in Los Angeles.
Earlier this month, one of Australia's most iconic magazines was confirmed to be shutting its doors after 44 years.

So on Friday, Cleo staff past and present raised a glass for the publication at a farewell party held at the Woollahra Hotel in Sydney, of which one of the walls was adorned with doughtnuts.

Inaugural editor Ita Buttrose and youngest ever editor Lisa Wilkinson, who took the reigns at the age of 21, led the celebrities who joined in the bittersweet celebrations.

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Going out with a bang! Lisa Wilkinson and Ita Buttrose toasted Cleo magazine at its exclusive farewell party in Sydney on Friday ahead of closing its doors after 44 years

'So proud to have called Cleo home for 10 wonderful years,' wrote Lisa on Instagram.

'Grateful for the many friendships I still hold dear,' she added.

Lisa, who is now host of Channel Nine's hit breakfast show Today alongside Karl Stefanovic, looked sophisticated in a white shirt dress.

She a accessorised with a beige quilted Chanel purse and glittery pumps, with luminous make-up and minimal jewellery.

Ita, who helped create and launch the title in 1972, looked chic as usual in an all-navy ensemble with her trademark bob haircut and a bright red lip.

Famous last words: Ita, as the magazine's first editor, spoke fondly of the monthly title she helped create

Glamour! Lisa, the youngest ever editor of the monthly magazine, accessorised with a beige quilted Chanel purse and glittery pumps

Summer perfect: Mia Freedman looked summery in a bohemian, yellow and grey frock

Mia Freedman was also at the event and looked perfect in a summery, bohemian frock with neon yellow and beige zebra stripes.

She accessorised with a brightly coloured fold-over purse in a South East Asian inspired embroidery and a pom-pom necklace.

During the night, the past editors of the magazine all gathered together to pose for photographs, as did the original Cleo team.

Living legends: Former editors Lisa, Ita, Mia and Paula pose for a selfie

Cheese! Lisa shared the moment to Instagram later

Exotic: The former editor accessorised with a brightly coloured fold-over purse in a South East Asian inspired embroidery

Past and present: All the editors of Cleo posed for photographs (from L to R: Nedahl Stelio, Sharri Markson, Ita Buttrose, Lucy Cousins, Lisa Wilkinson, Paula Joye)

First and final: Ita and Lucy, the first and last editors for Cleo

The original team: Ita posed with the six members of the original Cleo editorial staff

The announcement of the magazine's closure came after a week of rumours in January surrounding the publication.

Bauer Media also revealed a renewed digital focus on new-look teen magazine Dolly, which will now be bi-monthly.

Sources told Daily Mail Australia at the time that the future is 'still being discussed' and revealed that Dolly will be operated by a team of just four staff members - despite the increased workload and new cross-platform format.

Looking lovely in lace: Beauty Editor Rachael Mannell posed for photographers in a pretty black lace frock

Back in black: Former editor Paula Joye posed in a chic all-black ensemble, highlighting her neon pedicure

Leading ladies: From L to R Sharri Markson, Paula Joye, Lisa Wilkinson, Rachel Mannell strike a pose

Catching up: Lisa and Paula enjoyed an animated discussion

It was also revealed that editor Lucy Cousins, who will depart the company, and the editorial team, had no idea the news was coming.

In a statement, Acting CEO Andreas Schoo said that while they 'considered all the options', the publication simply wasn't 'commercially sustainable for the longer term.'

'I would like to thank Lucy Cousins and all of the Cleo editorial team for their ongoing dedication to the magazine over the years,' Mr Schoo wrote, adding that the closure will not impact Cleo Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia.

The sweetest end: A wall of the Woollahra Hotel adorned with doughnuts
He's the self-proclaimed 'international male model' who faced public humiliation last year after his fiery showdown with Sam Frost on The Bachelorette.

But despite suffering a brutal backlash on social media - and later claiming HE was a victim of bullying on the Channel Ten show - it would seem David Witko still has a sense of humour.

The 31-year-old poked fun at himself while attending a screening of fashion comedy sequel Zoolander 2, sharing a photo of himself on Instagram doing his best 'Blue Steel' impression.

'International male model': David Witko, 31, proved he still had a sense of humour after last year's The Bachelorette controversy by posting a 'Blue Steel' Instagram selfie before attending a Zoolander 2 screening

Flanked by two really, really, really good-looking pals, the Melbourne based personality boasted about the screening to be filled with 'just male models'.

In the photo, David - who made headlines after being kicked off The Bachelorette for saying Sam, 26, was materialistic - can be seen pulling the facial expression made famous by Ben Stiller in the original film.

In 2001's Zoolander, the 50-year-old actor played dim-witted male model Derek Zoolander, who is known for his trademark pout called 'Blue Steel'.

And the image shared with David's nearly 8,000 followers is certainly a decent effort by the DKNY model - who also sported the character's signature black-and-white headband.

Separated at birth? David impersonated Ben Stiller's character Derek Zoolander - a parody of self-obsessed male models - while also sporting his signature black-and-white headband in the image posted on Friday

He opted for a casual ensemble, resting a pair of sunglasses in the band of his black V-neck T-shirt and trimmed his facial hair into the 'designer' stubble look.

Interestingly, the ex-reality star did not attend the film's premiere in Sydney last month, which was attended by the likes of Heidi Klum and actor Ben Stiller.

Instead, he merely landed tickets to a 'gold class screening', boasting in the caption: 'When you're invited to a full gold class screening of @zoolander with just male models'.

VIP treatment? The ex-reality TV star - pictured en route to the cinema on Friday - boasted on Instagram of being invited to a 'gold class screening' of Zoolander 2 with several other male models

Later that evening, he posted a video of himself and a group of handsome models, presumably en- route to the luxury screening.

In the 10-second clip, David films himself and his friends as they stroll through what appears to be a cinema lobby.

Pouting for the camera, he speaks in a soft, mock-American accent similar to Ben Stiller's famous character while panning the camera to show his pals, who are laughing and smiling.

Introducing the group, David says: 'Look at all the male models. Male models everywhere. Everywhere.'

'Male models everywhere': In the 10-second clip, David swept the camera to show his male model pals

He's still dressed for the occasion, wearing the same Zoolander-inspired headband from the photo posted an hour previously.

Aside from their physical resemblance, there are many comparisons fans may draw between David and the fictional Derek Zoolander - a caricature of narcissistic fashion models.

During his car crash stint on The Bachelorette last year, David's inflated ego bordered self-parody as he constantly repeated his status as an 'international male model' - which soon earned him the reputation of series 'villain'.

But after being unceremoniously booted off the show, he acknowledged the Zoolander comparisons in a spoof video posted onto his Instagram page.

'This is just a shout out to all my international model friends': David Witko took to Instagram last year to do an impersonation of Derek Zoolander from the 2001 comedy

Car-crash stint on reality TV: David became known as the 'international male model' in The Bachelorette mansion after repeating his title constantly throughout the series

Lying sideways on his bed, he said in a Zoolander impression: 'This is just a shout out to all my international model friends, Derek and Hansel'.

Hansel McDonald, played by Owen Wilson, is a fictional male model and Derek's main rival in the first movie.

He tagged the short clip 'David Witko School For International Models', the name of a modelling course he previously joked about starting up.

'You can leave': Sam Frost, 26, (right) decisively sent David home from The Bachelorette last year after he suggested she was materialistic - and he later had the cheek to complain she acted like a bully
On Thursday, she stole the show as she returned to her native Australia to strut her stuff for the Myer Autumn/Winter 2016 collection launch.

And on Friday, Shanina Shaik stepped out with friends for a belated birthday lunch at the sophisticated China Doll restaurant in Sydney.

While the 25-year-old looked stunning, all eyes were drawn to the rock which now graces her left hand as she showed off her engagement ring.

That ring: The 25-year-old flashed her stunning engagement ring as she animatedly spoke with her hands during her birthday lunch

Shanina wore a delicate white lace frock that featured a very plunging neckline and shoestring straps.

Her dark chocolate tresses were parted in the middle and pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

The model showed off her natural beauty with fresh faced make-up, positively glowing, while adding lashings of mascara and subtle foundation base for the day-time look.

She accessorised her look with a pair of oversize gold hoop earrings, a thin black choker, an evil eye bracelet and a Cartier Juste Un Clou nail bracelet.

Belated birthday: Shanina Shaik stepped out with friends for a celebratory lunch at the sophisticated China Doll restaurant in Sydney on Friday after working the Myer catwalk on her birthday, Thursday

But the stand out of her outfit was her engagement bling, which she flaunted as she moved her hands about while talking animatedly.

The Victoria's Secret model celebrated her birthday on Thursday with a low key breakfast at the trendy Boathouse in Balmoral.

And the celebrations continued as she dined with friends at the restaurant on the trendy Woolloomooloo Wharf in Sydney the following day.

White hot: Shanina wore a delicate white lace frock that featured a very plunging neckline and shoestring straps

She's a natural: The model showed off her beauty with fresh faced makeup, positively glowing, while adding lashings of mascara and subtle foundation base for her day-time look

The bevy of beauties smiled and laughed as they sipped cocktails over their leisurely long lunch.

Although Shanina returned to Australia this week she didn't appear to be suffering from jet lag, beaming broadly at the lunch.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the Victoria's Secret model, who announced her engagement to DJ Rukus - real name Gregory Andrews - in January.

Radiant: Although Shanina returned to Australia this week she didn't appear to be suffering from jet lag, glowing at the lunch

Happy: The bevy of beauties smiled and laughed as they sipped cocktails over their leisurely long lunch

As he got down on one knee to propose to his brunette beauty he gave her the choice of not one but two exquisite engagement rings nestled together in the same box.

The pink box featured two Lorraine Schwartz rings, a large silver diamond shaped ring and a gold hexagon-cut.

As she announced her engagement on social media she showed off her ring of choice, the hexagon shape which features the pair's initials in diamonds and amethysts, her birth stone behind the band.

A whirlwind few weeks: The Victoria's Secret model o announced her engagement to DJ Rukus - real name Gregory Andrews - in January

Twice as nice: As DJ Rukus got down on one knee to propose to his brunette beauty he gave her the choice of not one but two exquisite engagement rings

Later in the month she returned to her home country for an Australia Day cruise on Sydney Harbour, before she jetted to Paris and then the Bahamas for work.

On Thursday night, Shanina wowed on the catwalk for the Myer Autum/Winter 2016 launch and strutted her stuff among a host of Australian faces.

She was in good company alongside Jennifer Hawkins as they showcased new season designs during the collection launch.

The pair were joined by fellow department store ambassadors, Rachael Finch and Jodi Anasta, for the exclusive event held at The Cutaway at Sydney's Barangaroo Reserve.

Strutting her stuff: Earlier this week Shanina wowed on the catwalk for the Myer Autum/Winter 2016 launch and strutted her stuff among a host of Australian faces including Jennifer Hawkins
She was a key player in the Brit Pop era.

But Meg Mathews looked more like she was representing the rave scene with her bizarre glow in the dark ensemble on Thursday evening.

The interior designer, 49, opted for a strange colourful, clashing look as she rocked up to Waterstones in Piccadilly in London, no doubt turning heads as she went.

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What the? Meg Mathews turned heads in a colour clashing cardigan with palm tree motifs and animal print tie in London on Thursday

Although she's approaching 50, she showed she has a youthful vibe in her multicoloured fluffy cardigan, adorned with palm tree, dinosaur and bird prints.

The knitwear consisted of stripes of neon pink and acid yellow and green leopard print, interspersed with blue and white.

But the most bizarre element of the entire piece was the animal print scarf tied around her neck like a tie, the accessory sitting over the half-buttoned cardigan.

She clad her legs in a pair of distressed faded blue jeans and added height with some chunky taupe wedge heeled boots.

Gaudy: The 49-year-old's knitwear consisted of stripes of neon pink and acid yellow and green leopard print, interspersed with blue and white - not a look for the faint of heart

Although her gaudy attire was a questionable look, her hair and beauty was rather lovely - her blonde locks fell in soft waves and she donned a pair of oversized shades, despite the evening light.

Meg, who has gorgeous lookalike daughter Anais Gallagher, 15, with ex Noel, had been out catching up with her pal Sadie Frost for a girl's night out on.

Perhaps Meg's outfit is the look of love, after she recently spent her first Christmas with new beau Damon Williams.

The former rock chick is believed to have been dating her man for around six months, and the pair couldn't keep their hands off each other after jetting off to Miami to catch some winter sun last year.

Meg's main girls: Meg cut a far more elegant figure while hanging out with her bestie Kate Moss and her daughter Anais Gallagher in December

Worlds apart: Meg's appearance was a far-cry from her famous rock 'n' roll look, which she perfected during her time married to Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher in the Brit Pop era

And it seems things are getting serious between them, with Meg often sharing pictures of the couple on her social media pages and displaying her affection with heart emojis.

They were first seen together at the PupAid 2015 Fun Dog event in September, which was also attended by her daughter Anais.

Their Stateside trip is just further proof that the mum-of-one has found love again for the first time since her two-year engagement to menswear boutique owner Peter Sidell, ended in 2011.
She was feted with the coveted Best Actress gong at last year's BAFTAs.

And Julianne Moore has just touched down in London ahead of Sunday's 2016 ceremony to see who will take the crown this year.

The 55-year-old actress looked incredibly ladylike as she headed to the BBC Radio 2 studios in an elegeant tweed dress with sexy strappy heels.

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Fiery haired: Julianne Moore has just touched down in London ahead of Sunday's 2016 ceremony to see who will take the crown this year

The Freeheld actress looked typically elegant in her structured tweed dress which perfectly flattered her figure and was both sexy and age-appropriate.

Julianne's no doubt-designer piece boasted a polo-neck detail and a nipped in waist while skimming her knee in hem-length.

She added in low denier tights with super-sexy strappy heels - the perfect addition to ensure the prim dress was not aging or overly demure.

Gorgeous in grey: The 55-year-old actress looked incredibly ladylike as she headed to the BBC Radio 2 studios in an elegeant tweed dress with sexy strappy heels

A long-strap handbag which sat at her hip with gold trimmings and a three-section detailing.

Julianne's famed fiery locks were worn in lustrous waves, worked through with a crimped detail.

Her alabaster skin was dewy and smooth while she added lashings of deep mascara and an expertly applied brow which perfectly sculpted her face shape.

Elegant display: The Freeheld actress looked typically elegant in her structured tweed dress which perfectly flattered her figure and was both sexy and age-appropriate

At last year's February ceremony, the North Carolina-born beauty, was honoured with the trophy for her role in Still Alice, in which she plays a doctor struggling with the onset of dementia.

She beat out tough competition from Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Amy Adams (Big Eyes), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) and Reese Witherspoon (Wild).

She took to the stage and emotionally thanked the female members of her family, insisting she felt compelled to mention them during her first ever BAFTAs speech - because they hail from the UK.

Former winner: At last year's February ceremony, the North Carolina-born beauty, was honoured with the trophy for her role in Still Alice, in which she plays a doctor struggling with the onset of dementia

She said:' Thank you for including me among these beautiful performances both British Felicity, Rosamund and American Amy and Reese I'm honoured to be honoured with you tonight.

'Film is a collaborative medium, there's no way you can give a performance by yourself and the thing i value most about my job is the creative partnership with others.'

This year's BAFTA ceremony takes place on Sunday.
Turning 25 is considered a milestone in various parts of the world.

So to celebrate her coming of age, Georgia May Foote was adorned with kisses by her boyfriend Giovanni Pernice on Thursday.

Pictured as they enjoyed a stroll in London, the besotted pair kept close to one another as they shared an affectionate embrace while journeying on.

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Birthday kisses! Georgia May Foote was adorned with kisses by beau Giovanni Pernice on Thursday in London

Besotted: The loved up pair beamed as they kept close to one another as they journeyed along the pavement

Spending some quality time together ahead of their performance at Wembley Arena, Georgia looked chic in a casual ensemble.

For their day out, Foote wore a hybrid jumper and shirt with a pair of black dungarees teamed with a leather jacket and ankle boots.

In good spirits, the budding couple beamed for ear to ear as Giovanni draped his arm on his lady's shoulder while she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Cute: The dancer planted a peck on Georgia's head as they posed for a selfie which she posted to Instagram

Going in for the kiss! Pernice draped his arm over Foote's shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his waist

Keeping close: As they enjoyed their afternoon stroll, the couple beamed from ear to ear

Coordinated couple: Both Georgia and Giovanni donned outfits mostly made up of black

The loved up sighting came after Pernice paid tribute to his girlfriend via Instagram.

Wishing her well on her birthday, the dancer shared a rather steamy photo of him kissing the former Coronation Street actress.

Keeping the caption simple, he wrote: 'Happy birthday Amore!!!'

Georgia and Giovanni have been dating since last December, shortly after the actress ended her eight-month romance with former Corrie co-star Sean Ward.

Sean, who played bad boy Callum in the soap, was cheering on Georgia in the final on December 19, but by New Year's Eve, she was welcoming in 2016 with Giovanni at Disneyland Paris.

Chic: The former Coronation Street actress wore black dungarees with a hybrid jumper and shirt

Hand in hand: The couple have been dating since last December after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing

'Oooops i just woke up 25': Foote marked her milestone birthday with a pretty selfie

A show source told the Mirror: 'Georgia was very fond of Sean and she cared for him deeply, but he found it difficult to get over the close friendship she had with Giovanni.

The insider added: 'It was Sean who pushed Georgia away, he didn't feel secure in their relationship and it led to huge rows.'

Georgia and Sean went public with their romance in April, shortly after she left the soap and before he was killed off during the live episode in September.

They started dating after Georgia ended her engagement to childhood sweetheart, plumber John Sage in February.
NATO 'exploring possibility' of joining anti-IS coalition: US

NATO is considering joining the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday.

"Thanks to the leadership of NATO (head) Jens Stoltenberg we are exploring the possibility of NATO joining the coalition as a member itself," Carter said after a meeting of the coalition in Brussels to discuss increasing their contributions to the campaign.

The coalition already includes all 28 NATO member states individually but not the alliance in its own right.

US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter (C) speaks as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (3-L) looks on during the Global Coalition meeting against the Islamic State group, held at NATO headquarter in Brussels on February 11, 2016 Thierry Charlier (AFP)

Some NATO member states have been wary of the alliance becoming directly involved in the IS campaign but the threat it poses, with some of its leadership moving to Libya and closer to Europe, has increased the pressure for change.

Speaking after the meeting at NATO HQ in Brussels, Carter said getting the alliance on board would be a "significant development."

"NATO as a new member would bring unique capabilities ... including experience in building partner capacity, training ground forces and providing stabilisation support," he said.

"I look forward to discussing NATO's appropriate role with fellow NATO allies in the days and weeks ahead," he added.

Stoltenberg has repeatedly said in the past that NATO supports the efforts of its member states in the fight against IS but has also stressed that the alliance had no direct role in the Syria and Iraq conflicts.

Earlier Thursday, NATO defence ministers agreed "in principle" to a US request to deploy its AWACS surveillance aircraft so as to free up US planes which would then be deployed against IS.

The NATO aircraft would not be directly involved, instead filling in for US planes that would be re-tasked to gather IS intelligence over Iraq and Syria.
California gas leak under control

A massive gas leak near Los Angeles that forced thousands from their homes for months was brought under control, a utility official said.

The methane leak, the biggest in California's history, has been deemed an environmental disaster by several outside experts.

More than 4,500 families living in the affluent Porter Ranch area were forced to relocate after the leak was detected in October as residents reported getting ill from the noxious fumes spewing out of a damaged pipe.

A Porter Ranch resident wears a gas mask as he joins others in a protest outside a meeting of the Air Quality Management Board over the continuing gas leak, on January 23, 2016 Mark Ralston (AFP/File)

Chris Gilbride, a spokesman for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), told AFP that a relief well on Thursday had reached the stricken well and that workers had pumped mud and heavy fluid to plug the flow of gas.

He said the next step would be to pump cement into the damaged well over several days in order to permanently seal it.

"There is no more gas flowing from the well now," he said, adding that state regulators would eventually carry out inspections to ensure the leak was over.

The company said that once the well is permanently sealed, residents forced out of their homes would be able to gradually return to the area.

Thursday's breakthrough was welcomed by area residents whose lives were disrupted by the leak and who have expressed concern about the environmental and health impact.

"Most of the families in the community are very excited to get back, but they will not be distracted by the leak stoppage," Paula Cracium, head of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council, told the Los Angeles Times. "They still want to know that their homes are safe."

The gas leak over the past three months has spewed greenhouse gases that will significantly contribute to global warming, experts have warned.

Methane, which is colorless and odorless, is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Officials attribute the headaches, nausea and nosebleeds reported by Porter Ranch residents to the odorant added to methane so it can be detected.

But public health officials and the gas company -- a division of Sempra Energy -- insist the fumes pose no long-term health risks.

More than two dozen lawsuits have been filed against SoCalGas in relation to the leak which could cost the company billions of dollars.

A lawsuit filed by California's attorney general last week, alleging that SoCalGas violated state health and safety laws by failing to promptly contain the leak, seeks unspecified civil penalties.

It follows similar action taken in December by the Los Angeles city attorney.

Many Porter Ranch residents have also joined a class action suit against the gas company.

The entrance to the SoCal Gas facility where a gas leak that started in October forced thousands of residents to flee from the Los Angeles suburb of Porter Ranch, California Mark Ralston (AFP/File)
No 'reason to doubt' N. Korean army chief executed: US

There is "no reason to doubt" that North Korea's army chief of staff was executed, a US State Department official said Thursday following reports of the death.

"This is, again, par for the course in North Korea, that you've got a leader who carries out purges of his cabinet, or of his administration periodically," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, but stopped short of confirming an execution.

South Korean media reported Wednesday that Ri Yong-Gil, chief of the Korean People's Army (KPA) General Staff, had been executed earlier this month for forming a political faction and corruption.

A man identified by South Korean media as Ri Yong-Gil (L), chief of the Korean People's Army General Staff, pictured with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at a parade in Pyongyang in an undated image released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KNS (KCNA/AFP/File)

"We've seen it, as you said, before, so we have no reason to doubt that this is the case this time -- that this individual was killed, executed," Toner said.

Reports -- some confirmed, some not -- of purges, executions and disappearances have been common since Kim Jong-Un took power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011.

The US government, which has no diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, did not "have much visibility" on the execution's broader implications for the North Korean regime, Toner said.

The report of the execution comes at a time of highly elevated tensions on the divided Korean peninsula following the North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said a nuclear-armed North Korea poses an "overt threat, a declared threat to the world."
Corruption crackdown nets 46 US prison officers

Nearly 50 prison officers were arrested in the southern US state of Georgia Thursday after authorities raided several penitentiaries in a crackdown on corruption and smuggling.

The officers are charged with a range of crimes, from accepting bribes to drug trafficking, according to John Horn, US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

A total of 46 corrections officers were arrested and two civilians and one prisoner were also charged during the operation which took place across nine prisons, he said.

Nearly 50 prison officers were arrested in the southern US state of Georgia after authorities raided several penitentiaries in a crackdown on corruption and smuggling Paul J. Richards (AFP/File)

"Our work is nowhere near finished, these are systemic problems," he added.

The investigation was at first focused on the smuggling of cell phones into prisons until authorities found numerous other irregularities and expanded their probe, according to Horn.

"It is truly troubling that so many corrections officers from across the state of Georgia could be so willing to sell their oaths, to sell their badges for personal profit to benefit and protect purported drug transactions," Horn said.

Nearly 200 agents searched the prisons and made the arrests Thursday, he added.
Erdogan threatens to send refugees to EU as NATO steps in

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU member states, as NATO pledged to deploy ships to the Aegean Sea to ease the migrant crisis.

Erdogan stepped up his denunciations of Western policy on migrants in a speech in Ankara, confirming he had threatened EU leaders at a summit meeting in November that Turkey could say "goodbye" to the refugees.

Alarm is growing in EU capitals that thousands of migrants are still crossing the Aegean daily from Turkey after over a million made the perilous journey last year.

Two Syrian women and a boy wait in front of Oncupinar crossing gate, near the town of Kilis, Turkey on February 9, 2016 Bulent Kilic (AFP/File)

NATO has agreed to send a naval group to the Aegean to crack down on people-smugglers feeding the influx of migrants, while Greece is considering sending anyone picked up in the waters back to Turkey.

Turkey, already home to some three million refugees, is also under EU and UN pressure to take in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing regime advances in the Aleppo region.

Erdogan said Turkey had every right to turf the refugees out of the country if it so wished.

"We do not have the word 'idiot' written on our foreheads. We will be patient but we will do what we have to. Don't think that the planes and the buses are there for nothing," Erdogan said.

- 'Defended Turkey's rights' -

Greek website euro2day.gr had reported that Erdogan made the threat to EU Commission president Jean Claude Juncker in November, quoting him as saying: "We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and put the refugees on buses."

"I am proud of what I said. We have defended the rights of Turkey and the refugees. And we told them (the Europeans): 'Sorry, we will open the doors and say 'goodbye' to the migrants'," Erdogan said in his speech Thursday.

Turkey is already hosting 2.5 million refugees from Syria's civil war and hundreds of thousands from Iraq and is increasingly bitter it has been left to shoulder the burden.

The EU has agreed to give Ankara three billion euros ($3.3 billion) in financial aid for the refugees, but the funds have yet to be handed over two-and-a-half months after they were agreed.

Erdogan said Turkey had already spent some $9 billion on hosting refugees and lashed out at the UN for pressing it to let in tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing fighting in Aleppo massed on its border.

The NATO deployment follows a request this week by alliance members Germany, Greece and Turkey for assistance in tackling Europe's biggest migrant crisis since World War II.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), by February 7, 70,365 migrants arrived by sea in Greece from Turkey, an average of 2,000 a day. It said 319 perished on the way.

- Send them back -

Among them was an eight-year-old girl, whose body was found by Turkish security forces Thursday washed up on the shore close to Didim in the Aydin region.

She had been dead for some 15 days, had no clothes and her body was starting to rot, the Radikal online daily said.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO is "now directing the standing maritime group to move into the Aegean without delay and start maritime surveillance activities".

"This is not about stopping and pushing back (refugee boats)... but about critical surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks."

The group comprises three ships that are currently under German command.

German Defence Minister Ursula Von der Leyen said "there is a clear accord with Turkey that any refugees picked up will be sent back to Turkey".

Greece, meanwhile, is also considering sending back migrants picked up in the Aegean Sea to Turkey.

A government source told AFP Athens is mulling whether to declare Turkey a "safe third country" which would allow it to return any asylum seekers picked up in the waters.

"No decision has yet been taken", but "it is being looked at", the source said, adding that while Greece might make the decision unilaterally, Turkey would have to agree to it to be put into practice.

Syrian refugees in Turkey John Saeki/Adrian Leung (AFP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech in Ankara on February 10, 2016 Adem Altan (AFP/File)

Migrant families, helped by rescuers, disembark on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey, on November 25, 2015 Bulent Kilic (AFP/File)
First Arab contender in 20 years opens Berlin film fest race

A love story set against the aftermath of Tunisia's watershed revolution will kick off the competition at the Berlin film festival Friday as the first Arab contender in two decades.

Hailing from the North African country that triggered the Arab Spring, "Hedi" is the debut feature-length film of Tunisian filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia.

It is the first film in Arabic and set in the Arab world since 1996 to vie for prizes at Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year.

Hailing from the North African country that triggered the Arab Spring, "Hedi" is the debut feature-length film of Tunisian filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia Fethi Belaid (AFP)

"It's not that I'm not ambitious, but I never imagined going to Berlin! All of us are surprised," Ben Attia told AFP.

It is a rare achievement for any first-time filmmaker to be invited to the Berlinale competition.

The only other debut feature in the race this year -- British theatre director Michael Grandage's "Genius" -- has an all-star cast including Colin Firth, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

"Hedi" will have its world premiere as one of 18 films from around the world vying for the festival's Golden Bear top prize, with three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep heading up the jury.

Its tale of "emotional upheaval" echoes Tunisia's recent history, said Ben Attia, who turns 40 this year. But rather than impart a political "message", his movie describes a kind of personal revolution.

- Wake-up call -

The film's main character Hedi -- whose name means "serene" in Arabic -- "isn't unemployed, his family doesn't have any money problems... but he feels out of place in society", Ben Attia said.

When he meets a tour guide called Rim and love strikes, Hedi (played by Majd Mastoura) begins to ask serious questions about the man he wants to be and his role in society.

Ben Attia said he himself used to be a "conformist", selling cars for a living before launching into filmmaking.

The wake-up call came on January 14, 2011 standing in the crowd outside the interior ministry demanding the removal of longtime dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

It was the end of an era "under censorship that we thought was only political, but in fact was (also) sedating everybody", he said.

Protests swept Tunisia in late 2010 after the death of a street vendor who set himself on fire in protest at unemployment and police harassment, leading Ben Ali to flee the country.

In his own "emotional upheaval" alongside the tumult wrought by the revolution, Hedi "discovers himself through a love story" and "detaches himself from conventions".

He realises "he has another choice -- but then, after the euphoria, he discovers it's not all that easy", Ben Attia said.

- 'Bit of a hangover' -

Tunisia is hailed as a rare success story of the Arab Spring, although authorities have failed to improve the economy or do much to ease social exclusion.

Authorities last month imposed a nationwide curfew to curb some of the worst social unrest since the revolution.

"It's true we have a bit of a hangover," Ben Attia said. "We thought he (Ben Ali) just needed to leave for it all to get better.

"We truly believed in this radical change, just as Hedi wants to believe in his love story."

Political instability and jihadist attacks have taken their toll on Tunisia's vital tourism sector.

In the film, after Rim (played by Rim Ben Messaoud) loses her job, the lovers start thinking about quitting the country.

But the director said he has never contemplated leaving, especially as Tunisian films make waves abroad.

"Tunisian cinema has been on the move. We've seen films that stand out, that are well received abroad and at home," he said.

Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid's film "As I Open My Eyes" won the top award for fiction feature at the Dubai Film Festival in December.
China slams Britain for 'interfering' in Hong Kong bookseller case

Beijing blasted Britain Friday for suggesting that a Hong Kong bookseller believed detained by China was "involuntarily removed to the mainland", accusing the former colonial power of interfering in Chinese domestic affairs.

Britain had earlier released a report describing the disappearance of Lee Bo, who holds a British passport and published books critical of Chinese politics, as a "serious breach" of an agreement signed with Beijing before Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.

They were Britain's strongest comments yet on a case that has rocked Hong Kong, adding to growing fears that freedoms are being eroded in the semi-autonomous city.

A protester holds a mock missing person notice for Lee Bo, one of five Hong Kong booksellers from Mighty Current publishing house to go missing, as they walk towards China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong on January 3, 2016 Anthony Wallace (AFP/File)

Beijing hit back, slamming London for making "groundless accusations against China".

"Hong Kong affairs are China's domestic affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement late Friday.

"We ask the British side to mind its words and actions and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs."

Four other booksellers from the Hong Kong-based Mighty Current publishing house also disappeared in October and Chinese authorities have confirmed they are now under criminal investigation.

But questions remain over what has happened to Lee, 65, who went missing in December -- the only publisher to have disappeared from Hong Kong.

Letters purportedly written by Lee and sent to his wife confirmed he was now on the mainland and said he had gone to China of his own volition to help with unspecified investigations.

But Hong Kong lawmakers and activists have accused Chinese authorities of snatching Lee from the city, contravening laws that do not allow mainland police to operate within the territory.

"The full facts of the case remain unclear, but our current information indicates that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) law," said Britain's foreign secretary Philip Hammond in a regular parliamentary report on Hong Kong.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system."

Hammond said Britain had called for Lee's immediate return to Hong Kong and had been in communication with the Chinese government "at the highest level".

However, the Hong Kong government questioned Britain's claim that Lee had been "involuntarily removed".

"Any suggestion that 'Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the Mainland' remains speculative," a government spokesman said.

Seeking to quell rising concern over the disappearances, city authorities insisted they attached "great importance to the cases" of the missing booksellers.

"The (Hong Kong government) will continue to follow through with the cases."

- 'Reasonable conclusion' -

Booksellers Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping and Lam Wing-kee disappeared in southern mainland China in October.

A fourth missing member of the company, Gui Minhai, a Swedish national, was paraded weeping on Chinese state television in January, where he said he had turned himself in for a fatal driving accident 11 years ago.

Gui had failed to return to Hong Kong from a holiday in Thailand in October.

Albert Ho, a prominent pro-democracy politician who has accused mainland authorities of kidnapping Lee from Hong Kong, said Britain's comments would raise the pressure on authorities in the city and Beijing.

"There could be no other conclusion for any reasonable person to draw," said Ho, adding he believed the accusation would be echoed by other nations.

Britain had previously expressed concern over the case.

Washington also called on Beijing this month to explain the disappearances, with a State Department spokesman saying the incidents "raise serious questions about China's commitment to Hong Kong's autonomy".

Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, protected for 50 years until 2047 under the joint agreement.

But there are growing fears those freedoms are under threat, with attacks on journalists and interference in the city's education institutions exacerbating concern.

"There are specific grounds for serious concern around rights and freedoms," Hammond said in the report.

"We assess that some of these rights and freedoms have come under unprecedented pressure during the reporting period," he added, saying that was harmful to confidence in the 'one country, two systems' set-up.

Running battles between young Hong Kongers and police Monday and Tuesday, in which 100 were injured, were a violent reminder of the simmering tensions in the city.

Those clashes were sparked by government officials patrolling illegal street hawkers, with protesters gathering to protect the stalls from being cleared.

They were the worst unrest since pro-democracy rallies brought parts of the city to a standstill in 2014.

Factfile on five Hong Kong booksellers, four of whom are now under criminal investigation in China, after being reported missing John Saeki / Adrian Leung (AFP)

Portraits of missing booksellers Lee Bo (L) and his associate Gui Minhai (R) are seen left by members of the Civic party outside the China liaison office in Hong Kong on January 19, 2016 Philippe Lopez (AFP/File)

Magazines about Chinese politics displayed in a bookstore in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay district on January 5, 2016 Philippe Lopez (AFP/File)
US mayor apologizes for ambulance bill sent to family of boy shot by police

The mayor of Cleveland apologized Thursday after an ambulance bill was sent to the family of Tamir Rice, the black 12-year-old who was shot by police while holding a toy gun.

Rice's November 2014 death at the hands of a white officer in the US state of Ohio shocked Americans and the $500 bill sent to his family has only stoked further outrage.

"Asking Tamir's family to pay for his ambulance is heartless. Cleveland should drop this fee," Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Twitter.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has apologized after an ambulance bill was sent to the family of Tamir Rice, the black 12-year-old who was shot by police while holding a toy gun Angelo Merendino (Getty/AFP/File)

Local media reported that lawyers for the Rice family said the bill only added "insult to homicide."

Faced with the snowballing controversy, Mayor Frank Jackson called a news conference Thursday during which he admitted a mistake had been made.

"We will start off again apologizing to the Rice family if this has added to any grief or pain they may have" he said, surrounded by other city leaders.

Together they explained that the bill was sent under routine procedure and that it was meant for the boy's insurance company, not his family.

Surveillance video showed Rice was fatally shot within seconds of a patrol car arriving on the scene as he began to pull the toy gun out of his waistband. The boy died hours later in hospital.

The shooting followed a series of high-profile incidents of police violence involving black Americans and helped fuel protests against what some say is white police impunity despite discrimination against blacks.
South Korea, US could begin missile shield talks next week: Seoul

South Korea could begin detailed discussions with Washington on bringing in an advanced US missile defence system opposed by China as early as next week, a senior official said Friday.

The two allies are setting up a joint task force to look into the rollout of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD), which would be deployed as a counter to North Korea's growing missile threat.

"The task force will be able to start discussing details concerning the THAAD deployment as early as next week," the senior official told journalists.

Objects believed to be debris from a North Korean rocket are displayed on a South Korean navy ship at the Second Fleet Command of Navy in Pyeongtaek on February 11, 2016

On the agenda are issues like location, cost-sharing, environmental protection and a timeline for installation.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

South Korea and the United States announced their intention to start discussions on THAAD's deployment last Sunday, just hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket that both condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The Pentagon has since stressed that it would like the system to be deployed in South Korea "as quickly as possible."

China and Russia argue that it would undermine stability and could trigger an arms race in a delicately balanced region, with Beijing voicing its "deep concern" over the deployment.

China is South Korea's most important trade partner and -- in deference to Beijing's sensitivities on the issue -- South Korea had previously declined to formally discuss bringing in THAAD.

But North Korea's continued testing -- and Beijing's resistance to imposing harsh sanctions on Pyongyang -- triggered a change in Seoul's stance.

There is already a THAAD battery stationed in Guam and the other key US ally in the region, Japan, is also considering taking on the system.
Kuwait to sign Eurofighter jet deal with Italy: minister

Kuwait and Italy will finalise a multibillion-euro deal next week for the Gulf state to purchase Eurofighter jets, Kuwait's defence minister has said.

Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah did not specify the number of planes involved in the deal but the Eurofighter consortium said in September that Kuwait had agreed to buy 28 fighter jets.

"Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti will visit Kuwait next week to sign the Eurofighter warplanes deal," Al-Sabah was quoted as saying Thursday evening by the official KUNA news agency.

Kuwait's defence minister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah did not specify the number of planes involved in the deal but the Eurofighter consortium said in September that Kuwait had agreed to buy 28 fighter jets Adrian Dennis (AFP/File)

Media reports said the value of the deal was between 7-8 billion euros ($8-9 billion).

The minister said he met with his Italian counterpart earlier Thursday on the sidelines of an anti-Islamic State group coalition meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The Kuwait deal follows Oman's order of 12 Eurofighter Typhoons in December 2012. Saudi Arabia already uses the fighter jets in its air force.

Kuwait is looking to upgrade its firepower against the backdrop of increased security concerns in the region linked to the rise of IS.

Its parliament last month unanimously approved a request by the government for $10 billion in additional funds for military spending over the next 10 years.

The emirate is a member of the US-led coalition that has been bombing IS targets in Syria and Iraq since last year and is also taking part in a Saudi-led coalition striking Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

In November, Kuwait signed 2.5 billion euros worth of fixed and provisional military deals led by the purchase of 24 Airbus-built Caracal helicopters.

Paris said Kuwait would purchase the helicopters for one billion euros, with an option for a further six.
Banker battles prof for Central Africa presidency

Both candidates in Sunday's presidential run-off in the volatile Central African Republic tout their track records in cleaning up the country's murky public finances and seek to reassure voters battered by years of violence.

The race between Anicet Georges Dologuele and Faustin Archange Touadera, both 58-year-old Christians, is expected to be tight with both ex-premiers enjoying support from candidates defeated in December's first round of voting.

Widely known as "Mr Clean", Dologuele triumphed in the first round with just under 24 percent of the vote.

Billboards supporting Anicet Georges Dologuele and Faustin Archange Touadera in a Bangui Street Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

He worked at the Bank of Central African States serving a monetary bloc of six central African countries, before being named prime minister -- a job he held from 1999 to 2001 under President Ange-Felix Patasse.

His term in power was marked by attempts to clean up public finances and renovate damaged public buildings, especially schools.

He also points to a peaceful past, noting before the election that "at age 58, I have never held a weapon."

"I'm still happy to recall that from 1996 until now, the only time there were no military or political crises in the country was during my time in office," he also said.

After leaving his job as prime minister, Dologuele headed the Development Bank of Central African States from 2001 until 2010 and then set up the Central African Union for Renewal party.

His campaign is backed by the person who came third in the first round as well as the party of former President Francois Bozize, whose ouster by mainly Muslim rebels in 2013 touched off the country's most recent spell of violence.

- 'Very critical situation' -

His opponent, Touadera, was considered a rank outsider until surprising everyone by winning 19.4 percent of the vote in the first round.

A well-respected former maths professor, Touadera also served as prime minister under the disgraced Bozize between 2008 and 2013.

The softly-spoken academic stood as an independent and many say his popularity is largely due to a grassroots measure -- the payment of salaries of government officials into bank accounts -- thereby ending decades of pay arrears and unpaid wages.

"He will be remembered as someone who paid civil servants and he is greatly appreciated for that," said a diplomatic source in the capital Bangui.

Touadera also demonstrated impressive diplomatic skills in 2008, leading tortuous talks involving the government, the opposition and rebel groups which led to several peace accords being signed with insurgent groups.

Even during his stint as prime minister, Touadera -- who studied in France and Cameroon -- clung to his academic roots and continued to teach at the University of Bangui.

"He has never run after a career in politics. It's more politics that sought him out for his qualities," said a source close to him.

Touadera's electoral pitch touts his prime ministerial stint and track record.

"Our country is still facing a very critical situation ... Many Central Africans are worried about the future. They need someone who can reassure them, someone who has experience," he said.

Anicet Georges Dologuele (left) and Faustin Archange Touadera, the two remaining contenders in Central Africa's presidential election Sia Kambou, Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

Faustin Archange Touadera surprised everyone by winning 19.4% of the vote in the first round Issouf Sanogo (AFP)
Hopes for peace as S. Sudan president names rival as deputy

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has named his arch-rival Riek Machar as vice-president, raising hopes for the implementation of a repeatedly broken peace deal to end more than two years of civil war.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million forced from their homes since war between the rivals broke out in December 2013, pushing the world's youngest nation to the brink of famine.

"I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, do hereby issue this Republican Decree for the appointment of Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the first vice President of the Republic of South Sudan," said the decree issued late on Thursday.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million forced from their homes since war between the rivals broke out in December 2013, pushing the world's youngest nation to the brink of famine Andrei Pungovschi (AFP/File)

While the appointment was agreed as part of an August 2015 peace deal, its announcement now adds pressure on Machar to return to South Sudan from exile.

But fighting continues, and the conflict now involves multiple militia forces driven by local agendas or revenge, who pay little heed to paper peace deals.

Machar, who was vice-president from 2005 until he was sacked in 2013, and who has yet to return to Juba since fleeing when war broke out, welcomed the decree.

"It is welcome news because it is a step forward in the implementation of the peace agreement," Machar told AFP from Ethiopia.

"It means we are implementing the peace agreement as stipulated."

- 40,000 starving to death -

Some 2.8 million people -- or a quarter of the country -- needs aid, while in war-torn northern areas 40,00 are being starved to death, with violence blocking desperately needed aid.

It was not immediately clear when Machar would travel to Juba to take up his post, and what it would take for him to feel secure enough to return.

"If I get the support needed for the implementation of security arrangements, I think within a few weeks I will be able to take up my position," Machar said.

Analysts warned that while Kiir's decree may help end the war between the two, levels of intense violence and conflict will likely continue at a local level.

- 'Multi-polar war' -

Casie Copeland, from the International Crisis Group (ICG) pointed out the increasingly "fractious" nature of rebel and opposition forces, repeating previous warnings that violence is shifting into "a multi-polar war with localised conflicts."

The peace agreement is increasingly fragile, with Kiir undermining a fundamental pillar of its power-sharing clauses by nearly tripling the number of regional states.

Kiir also signed into law on Thursday a controversial Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill, restricting numbers of foreign aid workers, which has both raised fears it will hinder efforts to help millions in need, and goes against the peace agreement.

Civil war erupted when Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines.

The two leaders come from the south's two main ethnic groups, Kiir from the Dinka people and Machar from the Nuer, tribes that are themselves split into multiple and sometimes rival clans.

Kiir and Machar are former rebel leaders who rose to power during Sudan's 1983-2005 civil war between north and south, after which South Sudan seceded in 2011 to form the world's youngest country.

Current vice-president James Wani Igga will remain in his post, but now rank below Machar.

Both the government and rebel sides have been accused of perpetrating ethnic massacres, recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to "cleanse" areas of their opponents.

Residents in Juba welcomed the appointment - but said they would wait to see the agreement fully implemented before celebrating.

"It gives hope to the people," said bar owner Michael Duku. "If this decree is implemented and Riek returns to Juba and takes office, I think this is the beginning of the peace process."

Akeen Santo, an unemployed young man, said it was "a first step...but more needs to be done."

Last month, a UN panel of experts recommended sanctions on both Kiir and Machar for their role in the brutal war.

But Machar said the most important thing was trying to create peace.

"Do you want war to continue, or do you want to bring peace? If you want peace, then you have to follow the political will to implement the peace agreement," Machar said.

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar, who was vice-president from 2005 until he was sacked in 2013, and who has yet to return to Juba since fleeing when war broke out, welcomed the decree Isaac Kasamani (AFP/File)
Pakistan foils attempt to free Daniel Pearl murderer: military

Pakistan's military on Friday said it had foiled a prison break bid aimed at freeing British-born militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, currently on death row for the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Three militants groups -- Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- were working together on the plot, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said, adding that the plan to attack Hyderabad Central Jail was close to execution.

Bajwa told a Karachi press conference: "A deputy leader of Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent named Mussanah was mastermind of the plan and was arranging all the finances while he was aided by the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Naeem Bukhari."

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002, while researching a story about Islamist militants

Mussanah, Bukhari, and a man said to be their handler, named Huzaifa, were later paraded before the media in handcuffs.

Bajwa said the perpetrators had prepared two explosive-laden vehicles which they were supposed to ram into the gate of the prison.

He added the plotters had a list of prisoners that they were supposed to kill after gaining access to the jail, while rescuing around 100 prisoners including Sheikh.

He added the same cell was behind major terrorist incidents across the country including the 2014 siege of Karachi airport, as well as attacks on a naval base, air base, and intelligence headquarters in the cities of Multan and Sukkur.

Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002, while researching a story about Islamist militants.

A graphic video showing Pearl's decapitation was delivered to the US consulate in the city nearly a month later.

British-born extremist Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by an anti-terror court, while three other co-accused received life imprisonment.

One of them was acquitted in 2014.

In January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University in the US following an investigation into his death made chilling revelations when it claimed that the wrong men were convicted for Pearl's murder.

The investigation, led by Pearl's friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Asra Nomani and a Georgetown University professor, claimed the reporter was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged brains behind the September 11 2001 attacks, not Sheikh.
EU 'gives Greece three months' to tighten border against migrants

EU member states on Friday gave Greece a three-month ultimatum to remedy "deficiencies" in controlling the influx of migrants or effectively face suspension from the Schengen passport-free zone.

The decision -- taken by ministers over Greek objections -- culminates weeks of pressure on Greece, the main gateway for the million refugees and migrants who entered Europe last year, stoking the continent's biggest such crisis since World War II.

A report adopted 10 days earlier by the European Commission, the EU executive, found Greece was failing to properly register and fingerprint migrants during inspections at the Turkish land border and several islands in the Aegean Sea last November.

Migrants arrive on the Greek island of Kos island on a small dinghy on August 19, 2015 Angelos Tzortinos (AFP/File)

"It is of utmost importance that Greece addresses the issues identified in the report adopted by the Commission as a matter of priority and urgency," EU ministers said in the recommendation that two EU sources said was adopted Friday.

The document, seen by AFP, gave Greece, which is already struggling to emerge from a massive debt crisis, one month to "establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies."

After a further two months, Greece must report back on how the scheme is being implemented.

The document was not immediately published on EU websites, which nonetheless confirmed that member states had given Athens a three-month ultimatum to fix the problems or face effective suspension from Schengen.

If Greece fails to remedy the problems by mid-May, Brussels could authorise other member states to exceptionally extend border controls within the EU's cherished Schengen area, including with Greece, for up to two years, instead of the normal six months.

Such a scenario is outlined under article 26 of the Schengen border code.

Germany, which along with other member states introduced such border controls late last year, on Thursday extended the measures until May, the limit under current Schengen provisions.

The Schengen area allows passport-free travel through 26 countries, most of them in the EU, and is put forward as one of the major European achievements on unity.

- Greece's 'substantial' costs -

An EU source told AFP that Greece voted against the ultimatum, while Cyprus and Bulgaria abstained.

In a meeting with EU ambassadors in Brussels on Wednesday, Greece registered its objections to the recommendation to be adopted.

In a document published on the European Council website, Greece rejected the report's contention that it was responsible for "serious deficiencies" in border control and denied it was "seriously neglecting its obligations."

Greece also said it had taken a number of measures at "substantial national financial and social cost" and reminded Brussels that the massive influx on its borders would put any member state under "severe pressure."

However, it said it would continue cooperating with the EU and its institutions in dealing with the crisis.

In formally announcing the three-month deadline, the European Council website noted that any member state would have been hard pressed to deal with such an unprecedented influx.

But Greece had to take action on registration procedures, sea border surveillance, border checks, risk analyses, human resources and training as well as equipment and international cooperation, it said.

Germany, which saw 1.1 million asylum seekers enter the wealthy country last year, has been the main destination for most of the migrants once they land in Greece or other points in Europe, with Athens accused of just letting them through.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal refugee policy came under fire again as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Friday it is not sustainable in the long run.

Valls's criticisms came after his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev lambasted Merkel's asylum policy as a "total failure."

Tensions between Brussels and Ankara continue to mount as the EU seeks to enforce a November aid-for-cooperation deal to curb the tide of migrants making their way from Turkey, which hosts 2.7 million mostly Syrian refugees.

A senior Turkish official said Friday that some 100,000 Syrian refugees are being looked after in camps inside Syria close to the Turkish border as they flee the latest upsurge in fighting.

As Ankara came under EU and UN pressure to open its border, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to send the millions of refugees in Turkey to EU member states.

Migrants walk through the port of Piraeus near Athens on their arrival from the island of Lesbos on February 10, 2016 Louisa Gouliamaki (AFP)

Migrants look out of the window from a train heading to Serbia at the border between Greece and Macedonia near the town of Gevgelija on February 8, 2016 Robert Atanasovski (AFP)

Hundreds of migrants disembark from a ferry at the port of Piraeus on February 10, 2016 Louisa Gouliamaki (AFP)
Tanzanians jailed for British wildlife pilot murder

Four Tanzanians facing trial for the murder of a British conservationist whose helicopter was shot down have been jailed for 20 years for possessing firearms, lawyers said Friday.

Roger Gower, 37, died when suspected poachers gunned down his helicopter during a patrol of the Maswa Game Reserve in northern Tanzania, close to the world famous Serengeti National Park, on January 29.

Photographs of the crashed helicopter show twisted metal, apparent bullet holes in the fuselage and smears of blood on the pilot's seat.

Roger Gower was killed close to the Serengeti National Park Stuart Price (Make it Kenya/AFP/File)

Four men have been charged with Gower's murder: Shija Mjika, 38, Njile Gunga, 28, Dotto Pangali, 42, and Moses Mandago, 28.

Although they face murder trial in the high court, on Thursday they were found guilty of the possession of guns and ammunition at a separate hearing.

"The suspects pleaded guilty of being in unlawful possession of firearms and rounds of ammunition," said senior government prosecutor Yamiko Mlekano.

"The court on Thursday sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment each for possessing firearms, and 20 years each for being found with ammunition." The sentences will run concurrently.

They have not yet entered any plea concerning the murder charges, which carries a potential death sentence if found guilty, although Tanzania has not carried out capital punishment for decades, with scores of prisoners in jail on death row.

Gower, who worked for the Friedkin Conservation Fund, had been tracking poachers after spotting the carcasses of recently killed elephants.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 elephants are killed for their tusks every year across Africa.

Their ivory is prized for jewellery and decorative objects and much of it is smuggled to China, where many increasingly wealthy shoppers are buying ivory trinkets as a sign of financial success.
Rwanda to relocate Burundi refugees to other countries

Rwanda is to relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, the government said Friday, amid accusations Kigali was meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour.

"The government of Rwanda... will immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries," the statement read, which took the UN refugee agency by surprise.

Last week, UN experts told the Security Council that Rwanda has recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, among them children, who wanted to remove Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza from power.

Some 75,000 Burundian refugees are in Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which said it had not be informed in advance of the decision Stephanie Aglietti (AFP/File)

Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.

"Rwanda readily shoulders its obligations to protect and care for refugees," the government statement said.

"However, experience in the Great Lakes is that the long-term presence of refugees so close to their country of origin carries considerable risks for all involved."

Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win. Hundreds of people have been killed and at least 230,000 have fled the country.

Some 75,000 Burundian refugees are in Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which said Friday it had not be informed in advance of the decision.

"Our representative in Rwanda has immediately sought a meeting with the government," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva.

- 'Risks to national security' -

"The callous indifference to the well-known root causes of instability in Burundi, and the refugee exodus is troubling," Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said.

"It also exposes refugees to increased threats from forces at home and compromises lasting political solutions. For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable."

Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130,000 and Democratic Republic of Congo has over 18,000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21,000.

It was not clear where Rwanda plans to send the refugees to.

"In recent months, Rwanda has made requests to international partners and organisations to host Burundians living in camps and in towns in Rwanda," Kigali's statement added. "No party has come forward yet, even as the political situation in the refugees' country of origin shows no improvement."

Violence continues in Burundi. On Thursday, a grenade blast wounded 26 people in the capital Bujumbura, nine of them seriously, the latest in a string of attacks.

On Wednesday, the United States accused Rwanda of involvement in "destabilising activities" in Burundi.

The US concerns were raised in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by two top diplomats, who cited reports from colleagues in the field that point to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.

"There are credible reports of recruitment of Burundian refugees out of camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks by Burundian armed opposition against the Burundian government," said Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Syria opposition says rebels must decide on ceasefire

A key Syrian opposition body said Friday that a proposed pause in fighting in the country would have to be examined and decided upon by rebel forces on the ground.

The comments came a day after world powers agreed an ambitious plan for a "cessation of hostilities" across Syria to begin within a week.

"The project of a temporary truce to halt hostilities will be examined with the rebel factions on the ground," said George Sabra, a leading member of the High Negotiations Committee.

Syrian security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack at a police officer's club in the Masaken Barzeh district of on February 9, 2016. Louai Beshara (AFP)

The HNC is an umbrella group of opposition bodies and figures formed in Riyadh to negotiate at peace talks in Geneva that collapsed earlier this month.

Sabra said rebels in Syria "are the ones who will decide on the implementation of this truce," adding "we are committed to this decision being taken by the HNC and the factions."

HNC chief Riad Hijab also stressed on his Twitter account that the truce would be "conditional on the agreement of the factions of the southern and northern fronts" in Syria.

Sabra said that if the rebels agreed to the ceasefire and a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the targeting of civilians as well as aid access across Syria was implemented, then "the door will open to the resumption of talks in Geneva."

The UN-sponsored peace talks opened in late January but struggled to get off the ground.

Negotiations collapsed after the opposition refused to hold talks without the UN resolution being implemented, and as regime troops backed by Russian air strikes launched a major operation around the city of Aleppo.

The plan agreed by world powers Thursday sets up a UN task force co-chaired by Russia and the US to "develop the modalities for a long-term comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," according to US Secretary of State John Kerry.

A separate aid task force will work on ensuring humanitarian access throughout Syria, including to besieged areas.

More than 260,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

Riad Hijab says the truce in Syria is "conditional on the agreement of the factions of the southern and northern fronts" Justin Tallis (AFP)
Van Gaal uncertain about future if United miss Champions League

Louis van Gaal has confessed he does not know if he will still be Manchester United manager should he fail to lead his team to a top four finish in the current campaign.

The Dutchman seems to have steadied the ship since the turn of the year with only one defeat in eight games although the likelihood of securing a top four finish, and with it the lucrative place in the Champions League, still seems distant.

But with speculation consistently surrounding his future - and the shadow of Jose Mourinho never far from discussions about the Old Trafford job - van Gaal is clearly not able to guarantee his survival should his team miss out on the lucrative Champions League places.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal seems to have steadied the ship since the turn of the year with only one defeat in eight games although the likelihood of securing a top four finish still seems distant Paul Ellis (AFP/File)

"It is not a question for me, I think," said van Gaal. "It is a question of the board of Manchester United, you have to put that question to them. I have a contract for three years."

However, despite the uncertainty surrounding his position in charge of the club, van Gaal does not expect any clarification from his employers over his status.

Van Gaal has spoken of his strong relationship, not only with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward but also with American owners the Glazers, and does not feel they need to respond to speculation over whether or not he will see out the third and final year of his United contract.

"No," said van Gaal. "I do not agree because I have said many, many times that - not all the media, of course - but a lot of the media is inventing stories and we don't have to answer invented stories. I agree with this policy of the club."

- 'Mentally strong' -

United have responded to the disaster of a home defeat to Southampton last month, which resulted in outright hostility from Reds supporters, with two wins and a draw and still retain interest in two cup competitions and the United manager believes his players are handling the pressure well given the turmoil around the club and surrounding his own job security.

"I have to say that we are doing great in that respect," he said. "Because we have lost four matches in a row in December but when you see us playing now you can only say that we are mentally very strong.

"We can cope with the pressure but that is not enough. We have to improve our results and consistency and we have to win a lot of matches in a row now because we have to minimise the gap between us and our competitors."

However, the veteran United manager is not inclined to make a prediction about how many of their remaining matches United will have to win if they are to bridge that gap to the four leading clubs.

"It's also dependent on your competitors," said van Gaal.

"At the end of the competition the pressure is rising for everybody. Then you have to cope with that pressure and Manchester United is more or less used to that pressure."
Russia launches probe after Boeing engine fails mid-air

Russia's prosecutors said Friday they were investigating after a Boeing passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Dominican Republic with 371 people aboard.

Operated by Russia's Orenburg Airlines, the airliner had to turn back when one of its engines malfunctioned soon after take-off for Moscow from Punta Cana on Wednesday evening, prosecutors said.

Transport prosecutors based in the southern Russian city of Orenburg said they would evaluate the carrier's actions during the incident, in which the plane's alarm system sounded at a height 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) and the left engine had to be shut down due to a "malfunction."

A Boeing-777 stands on the tarmac at London's Heathrow airport November 10, 2005 Odd Andersen (AFP/File)

Orenburg Airlines said in a statement that the pilots "managed to land the plane in a difficult situation and saved the lives of nearly four hundred people."

It said there was a loud "pop" from the left engine of the Boeing-777, followed by smoke in the cabin, after which the captain turned the engine off.
Transcript of exclusive AFP interview with Syria's Assad

In the following AFP interview with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, the questions were asked in French and he replied in Arabic.

Question 1: How do you feel when you see tens of thousands of your citizens starving, running away from hunger, from their areas which are being shelled by your Russian allies, and trying to cross the borders to Turkey? And how do you feel when you see the pictures of them drowning in their attempt to cross the seas?

President Assad: If we talk about emotions, I belong to this people; and it is self-evident that I have the same feelings my people have. Any scene of suffering is painful to all of us as Syrians. But as an official, the question for me is less about emotions than about what I, as an official, should do, being responsible before my people.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gives an exclusive interview to AFP in the capital Damascus on February 11, 2016 Joseph Eid (AFP/File)

However, when the cause of this suffering is the terrorists, not the Russian shelling as claimed by Western media, and when one cause for migration is the almost five-year-old embargo against the Syrian people, naturally my, and every Syrian official's first task is to fight terrorism essentially using Syrian capabilities, but also using our friends' support in the fight against terrorism. That's why I say the problem of Syrian refugees abroad, as well as the problem of hunger inside Syria, as you referred to it, is a problem caused by terrorism, Western policies, and the embargo imposed on the Syrian people.

Question 2: Mr. President, can we talk about the possibility of putting an end to shelling civilian populations and also lifting the blockade imposed on certain areas?

President Assad: The conflict has been, since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, about who wins the support of the people in Syria. Consequently, it doesn't make sense for us to shell civilians if we want to win them to our side. This is in theory. Practically, while moving around in Syria, you will find that in any area under the control of the state, all sections of Syrian society, including the families of the militants, are being cared for by the state. What is more is that in a city like Raqa, which is under the full control of Daesh (ISIS), the state continues to pay the salaries of employees and send vaccines for children. So it doesn't make sense for the state to shell civilians while doing all the above, unless we are talking about mistakes which happen in every battle. The general rule is that there are innocent victims in every war. This is a rule of thumb in wars, but this is definitely not the Syrian state's policy.

Question 3: Mr. President, what do you say to those emigrating to Europe? Do you ask them to come back?

President Assad: I would like to ask every person who left Syria to come back. That's natural but not enough. Emotions are not enough. They would ask: "Why should I come back? Has terrorism stopped? Have the basic requirements for life been restored?" Many of those who have emigrated are neither against the Syrian state or with the terrorists, but sometimes there are circumstances which force people to emigrate. So, my answer to this question is: when terrorism recedes, and things are better, they will return of their own volition without any invitation. So, instead of asking these people to return, I'll call on the European governments, which have been a direct cause for the emigration of these people, by giving cover to terrorists in the beginning, and through the sanctions imposed on Syria, to help in making the Syrians return to their country.

Question 4: Mr. President, will the Syrian state regain control over Aleppo in the next few days? If so, what is next?

President Assad: The battle in Aleppo now is not about regaining control over Aleppo, because the Syrian state is there; but the main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey; for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists. The battle is going on now on more than ten fronts at the same time, from north to south, to the east, to the far east too, and to the west in Latakia. It was going on in Homs, and now it's over. So, all these stages are moving in parallel.

Question 5: Do you think, Mr. President, that you can regain control over all Syrian territory?

President Assad: Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation. It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part. The timeframe is dependent on two scenarios. Suppose that the problem is purely Syrian, i.e. that Syria is isolated from its surroundings, we can put an end to this problem in less than a year by moving on two fronts: fighting terrorism and political action. The second scenario -- which is the case now -- taking the shape of continuing supplies to terrorists through Turkey, Jordan, and partly from Iraq  because Daesh (ISIS)exists in Iraq with Saudi, Turkish, and Qatari support - naturally means that the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price. So it is difficult to give a precise answer about the timeframe.

Question 6: Can't you say precisely how many years you need to restore peace to Syria?

President Assad: The question is: for how many years will Turkey and Saudi Arabia continue to support terrorism? That is the question. And when will the West put pressure on these countries to stop supporting terrorism?

Question 7: Who is your main enemy? Is it the so-called moderate opposition and the Islamists, or is it Daesh (ISIS)?

President Assad: I don't think that the term "opposition" can be used, in France or anywhere else in the world, to describe somebody carrying a weapon. Opposition is a political act. Suppose that you mean to say "moderate terrorists", this is a different term. Saying that, you mean that they do not belong to Daesh (ISIS), Al-Nusra, or to these extremist groups. Obama said that the moderate opposition is a fantasy. Biden said the same thing. But what's more important is reality which says that such an opposition is non-existent. Most of the militants belong to extremist groups, such as Daesh (ISIS), Al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, and others. So, my answer is that every terrorist is an enemy. We respect every political opposition; and we do have political opposition inside Syria. They adopt tough positions against the state, and we are not attacking them.

Question 8: You see no difference between these armed groups and Daesh (ISIS), Al-Nusra, and others?

President Assad: Legally speaking, there is no difference. The state will confront all those who carry weapons. It will not ask them about their ideology. But the difference is that the extremist groups refuse to have any dialogue with the state. They believe that they will fight, die, and go to heaven. This is their doctrine. The other groups are not ideological. Most of them have been misled. They got involved in dialogue with the state later. Some of them have laid down their weapons, and some are actually fighting with the Syrian Army today. We grant them amnesty in return for laying down their weapons.

Question 9: Mr. President, what do you think of Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham? They did negotiate with you, and went to Geneva.

President Assad: They went as part of the opposition formed by Saudi Arabia, because it is Saudi Arabia which supports terrorism worldwide. So it is only natural for the representatives of Saudi Arabia to be terrorists, not politicians.

Question 10: So you will not negotiate with those?

President Assad: In principle, direct negotiations were not supposed to take place in Geneva 3. They were supposed to take place through de Mistura. And here we should be precise: we are not negotiating with Syrians, but with representatives of Saudi Arabia, France, the UK, and others. So, if you mean Syrian-Syrian dialogue, the answer is naturally no. Dialogue with these people is not a Syrian-Syrian dialogue at all. A Syrian dialogue is that conducted with Syrian groups which have grassroots in Syria, like the political opposition in Syria, for instance. Any persons calling themselves opposition but belong to foreign states or foreign intelligence services do not represent Syrians in the dialogue, and simply we do not consider them Syrian.

Question 11: All those who went to Geneva were based outside Syria. Can you explain?

President Assad: No, some of them are based inside Syria, and some live outside Syria but they are involved in politics and have supporters in Syria. I'm not talking only about terrorists, I'm talking about people who have been formed in a foreign state and act on behalf of a foreign state.

Question 12: Don't you think that had you been more tolerant in dealing with this opposition in the past, you would have avoided this conflict? Don't you bear part of the responsibility?

President Assad: We do not claim that we did not make mistakes in Syria. This is natural in any state. And we do not claim that we, in the Middle East, have reached a stage of significant political openness. We were moving in that direction, not very quickly, and maybe slowly. Back to your question, the more radical segments of the opposition inside Syria, which attack the state, have not been imprisoned or prosecuted by the state, neither before or after the crisis. So, I don't know what is meant by tolerance in this case.

Question 13: Maybe it was difficult for the opposition inside Syria before. Maybe they did not have a margin for movement?

President Assad: You are talking about a general condition in the Middle East. This is partly true, particularly in the Arab world. But the question in this case is not that of tolerance. The question has to do with individuals rather than institutions. The question is: what is the institutional action that we should take in order to move forward. This has legal, social, or cultural aspects, because democracy is more of a culture than a law. You cannot proceed with laws while remaining culturally in your place.

Question 14: Mr. President, do you think that there might be a Turkish intervention in Syria now? And do you think the Saudi threats are serious?

President Assad: Logically, intervention is not possible, but sometimes reality is at odds with logic, particularly when there are irrational people leading a certain state. That's why I don't rule that out for a simple reason: Erdogan is a fanatical person with Muslim Brotherhood inclinations. He is living the Ottoman dream. For him, the collapse which took place in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria is something personal. This threatens his political future, on the one hand, and his fanatical Islamist ambitions, on the other. He believes that he has an Islamist mission in our region. The same applies to Saudi Arabia. The collapse of the terrorists in Syria is a collapse of their policies. I tell you that this process is surely not going to be easy for them, and we will certainly confront it.

Question 15: Mr. President, are you prepared to give northern Syria to the Kurds for self-rule after the crisis?

President Assad: This question is directly related to the Syrian constitution; and as you know, the constitution is not given by the government, all sections of Syrian society have a say in it, and it is put to public referendum. That's why this should be a national question, not a question put to any Syrian official, whether it has to do with self-rule, federalism, decentralisation, or any similar thing. All these things are part of the political dialogue in the future; but I would like to stress that the Kurds are a Syrian national group.

Question 16: Is it true that the Russians tried to persuade you to step down? Don't you fear a Russian-American deal on this issue?

President Assad: If we look at Russian policies and Russian officials in the same way we look at unprincipled Western officials and policies, this is a possibility. But the fact is the exact opposite, for a simple reason: the Russians treat us with great respect. They do not treat us as a superpower dealing with a minor state, but as a sovereign state dealing with a sovereign state. That's why this issue has not been raised at all in any shape or form.

Question 17: Mr. President, are you prepared to give Russia and Iran permanent bases on your territory? Do you fear that Syria will become a satellite to these powers?

President Assad: Having military bases for any country in Syria does not mean that Syria will become a satellite state to these countries. They do not interfere in issues related to the law, the constitution, nor to politics. In any case, the Russian base exists already, while the Iranians have not asked to have one. But in principle, we do not have a problem.

Question 18: So if the Iranians raise this possibility, will you accept?

President Assad: The issue hasn't been raised, and consequently this is hypothetical. But as I said, when we accept it in the case of Russia, it means the principle is acceptable. But this also depends on the capabilities of every state and their role on the regional and international arena.

Question 19: Has Russia asked your permission to build new bases on your territory?

President Assad: No.

Question 20: The American elections are still at the primaries stage. Are you, personally, with candidate Trump or Clinton or is there a third person who might be in the interest of the region?

President Assad: We have never placed our bets on any American president. We always bet on policies; and these policies are not controlled only by the president, but by the establishment in general, and by the lobbies operating in the United States. If you look at the competition between many candidates, now or in the past, you will find that it revolves around who is more inclined to start wars, and this doesn't bode well. The problem with American politicians is that they say something and do the exact opposite, before and after the elections.

Intervention: So, the promises made by Trump do not frighten you?

President Assad: No. As I said, since I don't build on what the American candidates say, I see no reason why I should comment on any of them, i.e. they are all alike to me.

Question 21: Mr. President, do you intend to be a president for life? And if you don't, are you in the process of grooming a successor, perhaps one of your sons?

President Assad: First, the presidency is not a hobby that we enjoy. It is a responsibility, particularly in these circumstances. As to my selecting a successor, this country is neither a farm nor a company. If I want to remain president, that should be dependent on two factors: first, my desire to be president, and second, the desire of the people. When the next elections come and I feel that the people don't want me, I shall not stand. That's why it's too early to talk about this. We still have years before the next elections.

Question 22: Mr. President, you know that there have been many accusations made about your government and you personally, most recently by the UN investigation committee which accused you of genocide, which is a crime against humanity. Aren't you concerned that you will one day face an international court?

President Assad: First, you know that UN institutions express balance among the superpowers and the conflict among them. And these organisations are now basically controlled by Western powers. That's why most of their reports are politicised and serve a political agenda. The evidence is that these organisations haven't said anything about clear massacres perpetrated by terrorist groups against innocent civilians in Syria. What refutes the reports of these organisations is that, first, they do not provide any evidence, and this is the case in general. Second, there is a logic for things: if Western states and rich Gulf states are against an individual, and this individual is killing his people, how would he withstand for five years in these circumstances? That's why I'm not concerned about these threats or these allegations.

Question 23: But don't you believe that these reports are correct? There are eyewitnesses in this case.

President Assad: No, there is a difference between individual crimes having been committed and having a state policy of systematic killing. I said that innocent people die in the war. That is true, but war crimes are committed when orders are given to follow a policy of committing massacres for certain purposes. Had this been true, people would have fled from state-controlled areas to the areas controlled by armed groups. What is happening is the exact opposite -- everybody moves to the state-controlled areas.

Question 24: Mr. President, how do you think you will figure in history: as a man who saved Syria or a man who destroyed it?

President Assad: This depends on who will write the history. If it is the West, it will give me all the bad attributes. What's important is how I think. Certainly, and self-evidently, I will seek, and that is what I'm doing now, to protect Syria, not to protect the chair I'm sitting on.

Question 25: Mr. President, do you still really intend to negotiate?

President Assad: We have fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of the crisis; however, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria: first, through negotiations, and second through fighting terrorism. And the two tracks are separate from each other.

Question 26: What is your comment on the resignation of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius? Do you believe that this will change French policy?
Israel says freeze on EU peace role is over

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the EU foreign policy chief held talks Friday, in effect ending a freeze on talks with the bloc on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the foreign ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told journalists that the EU's Federica Mogherini said the European Union's November decision to label goods imported from Jewish settlements "does not prejudge the outcome" of the conflict.

"The conversation resolved the tensions and we are, Israel and the EU, back to good and close relations," Nahshon wrote in an English-language comment on social media.

Israeli soldiers aim their weapons during clashes with Palestinian protesters on February 12, 2016 near the occupied West Bank Jaafar Ashtiyeh (AFP)

On November 11, Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, ordered the freeze in response to an EU directive to member governments to label settlement produce imported to Europe as such rather than "Made in Israel".

Nahshon wrote that Netanyahu and Mogherini "agreed that relations between the two sides should be conducted in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual respect...that will assist in advancing the Middle East peace process."

Netanyahu flies to Berlin on Tuesday at the head of a ministerial delegation for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of her cabinet.

US-backed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in April 2014 after nine months of fruitless meetings amid bitter recriminations.

A wave of violence which erupted on October 1 has claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count.

And 166 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Most were carrying out attacks but others died during clashes and demonstrations.

After meeting in Munich on Friday with fellow members of the international Middle East peacemaking Quartet, Mogherini said the group planned to draft "a report on the situation on the ground".

"We want it to be not only a report on the state of play, but with recommendations," for progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, she told journalists.

She would also speak later Friday with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, "to make clear that the international community will not give up on the two-state solution".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, on January 31, 2016 Amir Cohen (Pool/AFP/File)
Russian bombing killed 16 civilians in Syria Friday: Turkish minister

Russian bombing killed 16 civilians in Syria early Friday, hours after world powers agreed to a deal to end hostilities within a week, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"Despite the agreement we made last night, Russia continued bombing the civilians - they killed 16 civilians this morning," he said in Munich, where the Syria agreement was struck.

"There have been strikes against schools and hospitals as well."

An image taken from footage on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website purports to show an explosion after airstrikes carried out by Russian air force on what Russia says was an Islamic State facility in the province of Idlib, in October 2015

Turkey hosts some 2.5 million refugees from the five-year-old war, and a recent major offensive by Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air strikes, on the northern city of Aleppo has driven tens of thousands more to the Turkish border.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was providing humanitarian aid and building camps to accommodate them, though he added that many might choose to return home if a ceasefire held.

"We are building new tents on the other side of the border," he said, adding that "the areas where they are temporarily staying at the other side of the border is safe.

"Why did these people have to leave their town? They stayed there for five years despite all these terrorists and the brutal regime. (They left) because of the Russian bombing."

Turkey has also been the major transit country for Syrian refugees and other migrants headed for Europe, and the EU has asked Ankara to help stop the flow by sealing its borders, fighting traffickers and housing even more refugees with EU financial help.
EU throws attacks-hit Tunisia 500 mn euro lifeline

The European Commission on Friday threw a lifeline to Tunisia's jihadist-hit economy with a proposed 500 million euro ($560 million) financial aid package.

The commission said the funds, requested by Tunisia, would take the form of medium-term loans at favourable financing conditions".

"The recent terrorist attacks have exacerbated an already vulnerable balance of payments and fiscal position, creating important financing needs," EU economic affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici was quoted as saying in a statement.

Unemployed Tunisians sit at el-Mourouj park after they took part in a 400-kilometre march from the city of Gafsa to Tunis to demand work, on February 9, 2016 Fethi Belaid (AFP/File)

"More than ever, it is of utmost importance that Tunisia remains an example to the region," he said.

Tunisia, which saw the overthrow of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali during the 2011 "Arab Spring, lost more than a third of its tourism revenues last year after attacks by the Islamic State jihadist group, official figures showed last month.

Two IS attacks last year killed 59 foreign tourists, badly shaking an industry that accounts for seven percent of the country's GDP.

Fresh protests over unemployment and poverty in central Tunisia have also raised fears of growing social unrest five years after the country's revolution was ignited by similar grievances.
Thousands of Egypt doctors stage anti-police protest

Thousands of Egyptian doctors staged a protest Friday outside their union headquarters in Cairo over a lack of legal action against policemen who allegedly beat up two of their colleagues.

Nine policemen are alleged to have assaulted the doctors in a state hospital in Cairo's northern district of Matareya on January 28 after they refused to forge a medical report.

The prosecutor's office called the nine policemen in for questioning but released them on Thursday.

Egyptian doctors gather in Cairo on February 12, 2016, to protest against an assault by policemen on two of their colleagues in a public hospital last month Mahmoud Khaled (AFP)

The head of the doctors' syndicate, Hussein Khairi, told AFP: "Our demands, which are very fair, are the safety of doctors while performing their job and that the attackers be taken to court."

"The interior ministry are thugs," the protesters chanted, standing 500 metres (yards) away from four armoured police vehicles. There were no clashes.

Heart doctor Ahmad Sweif, 35, had travelled to the protest with his wife from the Nile Delta, north of the capital.

"I came to send the message that the dignity of doctors and all Egyptian people cannot be violated," he said.

Doctor Nagat Abdelghani said: "It's a shame that the police who are supposed to protect us are the ones attacking us."

An interior ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, a court sentenced a policeman to eight years in jail on charges of beating a veterinary surgeon to death while in custody in the northeastern town of Ismailiya.

Five years ago, 18 days of protests -- motivated largely by anger over police brutality -- led to the ouster of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
A look at key players in Oregon wildlife refuge standoff

The last four armed occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered Thursday, ending a tense standoff that began more than a month ago. The armed group seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2 and demanded changes to federal land use policies.

Here's a look at some of the key people in the situation, including occupiers and law enforcement:

THE BUNDYS

FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, rancher Cliven Bundy stands along the road near his ranch in Bunkerville, Nev. Bundy, the father of the jailed leader of the Oregon refuge occupation, and who was the center of a standoff with federal officials in Nevada in 2014, was arrested in Portland on Wednesday, Feb. 10,, the FBI said Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Cliven Bundy  The 69-year-old Bunkerville, Nevada, rancher for years has refused to pay grazing fees or follow regulations on federal land where he runs cattle. Federal authorities are widely seen as having backed down from enforcing rules on him in 2014. They were rounding up Bundy's cattle when he put out a call and armed groups showed up. Bundy was arrested Wednesday after arriving at the Portland airport.

Ammon Bundy  Cliven Bundy's son Ammon led an armed group in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The 40-year-old Emmett, Idaho, resident demanded that officials free two ranchers jailed for arson and relinquish the 300-square-mile refuge to local control. He owns a truck maintenance company in Arizona.

Ryan Bundy  Ammon's older brother Ryan planned to open the refuge to cattle grazing this spring, though exact details were never spelled out. The 43-year-old Bunkerville, Nevada, man was arrested with his brother Jan. 26. Both are charged with felony conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.

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OTHER RANCHERS

Robert "Lavoy" Finicum  The 54-year-old Arizona rancher became a recognizable spokesman for the occupiers before authorities shot and killed him in a Jan. 26 traffic stop. Finicum was driving one of two vehicles carrying occupation leaders. He sped away but swerved to avoid a roadblock and got stuck in a snowbank. The FBI said he was reaching for a gun when he was shot.

Dwight and Steve Hammond  The Oregon father and son said they lit fires on federal land in 2001 and 2006 to protect their ranchland from wildfires and invasive plants. They were convicted and served time  Dwight, 73, three months; Steven, 46, one year. In October, a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each. Protesters gathered Jan. 2 in Burns, Oregon, and Ammon Bundy and others broke away to occupy the refuge. The Hammonds distanced themselves from the armed occupation.

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THE HOLDOUTS

David Fry  The 27-year-old from Blanchester, Ohio, formed an online friendship with Finicum and helped the rancher self-publish a novel. Fry traveled to Oregon against his father's advice and often posted online updates from the occupation. He and the other three holdouts surrendered Thursday. Each faces a charge of felony conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.

Sean and Sandy Anderson  The husband and wife moved from Janesville, Wisconsin, to Riggins, Idaho, within the past several years. Sean, 47, opened a store for hunting, tactical and survival gear. Sandy, 48, worked at a gas station.

Jeff Banta  The 47-year-old has lived in Elko, Nevada, the past several years and worked in construction most of his life. He arrived at the refuge shortly before authorities arrested the occupation leaders. Banta has two children with his ex-wife.

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THE NEGOTIATORS

Michele Fiore  The two-term Republican Nevada assemblywoman known for her brash statements, love of guns and flair for the dramatic traveled to the refuge to assist with the final holdouts' surrender. More than 60,000 people listened to the 45-year-old's live-streamed conversation with the holdouts Wednesday as she worked to calm the four remaining occupiers, who at times sounded hysterical as the FBI moved in.

Rev. Franklin Graham  The 63-year-old Christian evangelist went to the refuge Thursday to assist with the surrender of the four holdouts, at least one of whom requested his presence. Graham is the son of evangelist Billy Graham.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

Harney County Sheriff David Ward  He took his oath of office last year and is up for election in November. The Army veteran served combat tours in Somalia and Afghanistan, the county's website says. Ward and Harney County Judge Steve Grasty voiced strong opposition to the occupation.

Greg Bretzing  He is special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. Bretzing narrated an aerial video showing the traffic stop that led to Finicum's death amid claims the rancher did nothing to provoke officers. Bretzing said the video shows Finicum reaching into his jacket, where authorities later found a gun.

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THE SYMPATHIZER

Peter Santilli  The 50-year-old Internet shock jock from Cincinnati, Ohio, and occupation sympathizer often chronicled the standoff with live video feeds to his 60,000 followers. He is charged with felony conspiracy to interfere with federal workers. His attorney is mounting a First Amendment defense.

FILE - In a Monday, June 3, 2013 file photo, Nevada Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore, R-Las Vegas, works in committee during the final day of the 77th Legislative session at the Legislative Building in Carson City, Nev. Fiore spoke Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, to some of the four occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon. As David Fry and Sean Anderson yelled back and forth with the FBI, Fiore spoke to them and Sandy Anderson on a phone, telling them she could only help them if they stayed alive. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison, File)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 photo, David Fry sits in the driver's seat of his 1980's-era Lincoln Town Car near the entrance to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Ore. On Thursday, Feb. 1, 2016, the FBI said the Ohio resident, who was involved in the militant standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, was apprehended. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; NO LOCAL INTERNET; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

This Jan. 10, 2016 photo shows David Fry in Burns, Ore. On Thursday, Feb. 1, 2016, the FBI said the Ohio resident, who was involved in the militant standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, was apprehended. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; NO LOCAL INTERNET; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Christie seeks federal relief to cover $82M snowstorm costs

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  Gov. Chris Christie asked for federal disaster aid Thursday to help New Jersey pay for last month's winter storm that he was criticized for downplaying during his presidential run.

The Republican governor said in a letter to President Barack Obama that the state incurred at least $82 million in costs from 30 inches of snow that fell in some areas, power outages and coastal flooding.

The request followed his decision Wednesday to end his bid for his party's nomination; Christie performed poorly in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.

In the wake of the late January storm, Christie resumed his campaign in New Hampshire and was criticized for his response and saying, "I don't know exactly what you expect me to do. You want me to go down to Cape May with a mop?"

In the letter to Obama, the governor asked for disaster declarations for 17 of the state's 21 counties. The storm broke snow records in six counties, stretching local budgets to pay for the cleanup. Nearly 300,000 customers lost power.

Christie said that because of beach erosion, destroyed dunes and weakened barriers, some of New Jersey's coastal areas are at risk of further flooding if another storm blows through.

He said last month's storm was of "such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected county and local governments."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will evaluate Christie's request and make a recommendation to the president. In New Jersey, at least $12 million in damages must accumulate before the state can qualify for federal assistance, well below Christie's estimate.

Sea Isle City, a coastal resort town, was one of the hardest hit, incurring nearly $25 million in damage, according to a preliminary estimate. City spokeswoman Katherine Custer said beach damage makes up half that figure, followed by the havoc the flooding wreaked on homes and businesses.
Maine landlord who killed tenants gets life in prison

ALFRED, Maine (AP)  A Maine landlord who admitted killing two tenants following a dispute over parking spots after a snowstorm was sentenced Thursday to life in prison.

A judge imposed Maine's maximum penalty on James Pak, 77, who pleaded guilty to murder last week. Pak shot and killed Derrick Thompson, 19, and Alivia Welch, 18, in Biddeford in December 2012. He also shot Thompson's mother, Susan Johnson. She survived.

Pak showed little emotion during his sentencing, and did not turn his head to look at photos of Thompson and Welch that a projector displayed in court.

The dispute that led to the deaths was over snow shoveling and parking, investigators said. Police were called to intervene, and Pak waited for officers to leave before he began shooting. Court documents indicated he barged into the tenants' apartment saying, "I am going to shoot you all."

Thompson's mother said Thursday she'll never get to see her son grow up or raise children, the Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/23ZTZnQ ) reported. Welch's father, Dan, remembered Welch as a "perfect daughter" whose best days were ahead.

Family members said they were satisfied with the sentence after the two-hour hearing in York County Superior Court.

The shootings happened after Pak and Thompson argued because Pak didn't like the way Thompson was shoveling the driveway, prosecutor Leanne Zainea said.

Pak had originally planned to use an insanity defense. He was a longtime Vermont resident who moved to Biddeford about 10 years ago to open a landscape company.

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Standoff over guns at Tennessee legislative office complex

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  If it's up to the Republican speakers of the state House and Senate, the more than half-million Tennesseans with permits will soon be able to carry guns inside the legislative office complex.

The proposal announced Thursday comes as lawmakers in Arizona, Florida and Wyoming are also considering loosening gun restrictions at their statehouses this year.

But Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration is raising concerns about the proposed change in Tennessee. Haslam said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday that he wants to keep the gun ban within the state Capitol building, which is connected to the Legislative Plaza via an underground tunnel.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam answers questions during an interview Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. Although the speakers of the Tennessee House and Senate want to allow people with handgun carry permits to be armed at the legislative office complex as soon as possible, Haslam said that he wants to maintain the gun ban for the Capitol, calling it a "secure building." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

"We don't think that people should be able to bring weapons in here," Haslam said. "This is a secure building. We've got metal detectors; we've got troopers with guns."

Haslam said it would create a logistical problem in figuring out how to rescreen visitors to the legislative office complex when they enter the Capitol building.

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, and House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, wanted to change the gun policy as early as the start of the year. But the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which operates security in and around the Capitol, asked for time to study how it would have to revise its protocols before putting the change into effect.

"It's not going to be a problem," Ramsey said. "It's a proven statistic  undisputable  that if gun carry permit holders are allowed into a facility, it is safer, not less safe."

Haslam said it's not clear that lawmakers as tenants of the state-owned Legislative Plaza have the authority to change the gun policies there. Legislative officials disagree, arguing that they have the power to decide rules for their offices and committee rooms. Haslam said he's willing to discuss the matter.

"That's their work environment," he said. "If they decide they want to do that, I'm willing to have that conversation. But we feel really strongly about the Capitol not being that way."

States like Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Utah have no restrictions on bringing guns into the Capitol, while others like Texas and Oregon only allow permit holders to be armed.

In Kentucky, anyone can bring guns to Capitol meetings  as long as they are carried openly. Firearms can be carried anywhere on the state Capitol campus in Olympia, Washington, but lawmakers last year banned guns from being carried openly in the galleries overlooking the House and Senate floors.

Democrats pounced on the proposed change in Tennessee.

"Introducing loaded weapons to a crowded space like this poses an unnecessary risk," state Rep. John Ray Clemons, D-Nashville, said in a release.

Beth Joslin Roth, the executive director of the Safe Tennessee Project, also spoke out against the change.

"Contrary to the myths we hear at Legislative Plaza, allowing more guns where they were previously prohibited will only increase the likelihood of unintentional shootings," she said in a release.

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Associated Press statehouse reporters Ben Neary in Cheyenne, Wyo.; Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; John Hanna in Topeka, Kan.; Adam Beam in Frankfort, Ky.; Ryan Van Velzer in Phoenix; and Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Fla.; Kimberlee Kruesi in Boise, Idaho; and Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Wash., contributed to this report.
NASCAR creates 'overtime line' in new rules finish

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)  Aiming to end the frustration and confusion when caution flags come out late in its races, NASCAR has announced it is shifting to an unlimited green-white-checkered finish protocol and establishing an "overtime line" to determine the winner.

The line will vary by track. If the race leader passes the line on the first lap under green before a caution comes out, it will be considered a valid green-white-checkered attempt. If a caution comes out before the leader passes the overtime line on the first lap under green, it will not be a valid attempt. The race continues until a valid attempt.

NASCAR previously had a limit of three tries to complete the race.

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2015, file photo, Ryan Blaney adjusts his cap after winning the NASCAR Xfinity series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. With four-time champion Jeff Gordon retired and three-time champ Tony Stewart sidelined with a broken back, the NASCAR season begins with a much different look and a new rules package. (AP Photo/Garry Jones, File)

NASCAR hopes the change will eliminate some of the angst that has come when late cautions. At Talladega Superspeedway last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't get a chance to challenge leader Joey Logano into the first turn because the race was called after a multi-car wreck behind them. The second-place finish caused Earnhardt to be eliminated from the Chase.

"Let's line them up and turn them loose, give them a chance to race through at least the first couple of turns and halfway down the backstretch before it's an official race finish," Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said. "And if they can't get that far before the yellow comes out, let's line them up again and again and again until it's a clean run."

NASCAR also officially announced Thursday that the Sprint Cup field will be reduced to 40 drivers from 43 because of its new charter model that guarantees a spot in the field for 36 cars. It also detailed plans for Daytona 500 qualifying:

 The 36 teams with a charter earn an automatic spot in the field.

 There will be four open spots up for grabs.

 The highest-finishing non-charter teams in the two duel races will earn a spot in the Daytona 500 field.

 The other two open spots will be determined by pole qualifying.

 Qualifying sets the front row for the Daytona 500 and the starting lineup for the duel races.
House committee passes bill to privatize air traffic control

WASHINGTON (AP)  A Republican-controlled House committee on Thursday endorsed a bill that would wrest responsibility for running the nation's air traffic control system from the government and turn it over to a private, nonprofit corporation run by airlines and other aviation interests.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 32-26 over the objections of Democrats, who called it a giveaway to the airlines that are providing the political muscle behind the bill. The bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration and sets aviation policy for six years.

The panel's chairman and the bill's chief sponsor, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., said "transformational" change is needed because the FAA's air traffic modernization program is taking longer and costing more than anticipated. The program will switch the system from one based on radar to one based on satellites.

FILE - In this May 21, 2015, file photo an air traffic controller works in the tower at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. A Republican-controlled House committee on Feb. 11, 2016, endorsed a bill that would wrest responsibility for running the nation's air traffic control system from the government and turn it over to a private, nonprofit corporation run by airlines and other aviation interests. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Both sides agree the delays and cost overruns have come partly because Congress has subjected the agency to shutdowns, furloughs and repeated short-term funding extensions. It's difficult for the FAA to commit to expensive, long-term contracts for new equipment and services because it's dependent on yearly budget infusions from lawmakers.

A private corporation would be able to set fees for use of air traffic services, which would produce a steady revenue stream and enable it to issue bonds and raise capital. Shuster said that would speed up deployment of the new system, which is expected to boost efficiency and save billions of dollars by reducing air traffic congestion and delays. The FAA would still provide safety oversight.

Opponents of the plan say it's a dangerous gamble that could disrupt the world's largest and most complex air traffic system for years. Although dozens of countries have separate agencies handle their the air traffic services and safety oversight functions, only two  Canada and the United Kingdom  have transferred the ownership of their air traffic equipment and facilities to a private corporation, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Both corporations had to be bailed out after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks resulted in a slowdown in air travel, reducing revenue, the report said.

It would be the largest transfer of U.S. government assets to the private sector in the nation's history, according to Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the senior Democratic committee member.

Other segments of the aviation industry have complained that the bill would give major airlines effective control of the corporation's board. Airlines for America, the trade association for large airlines, would pick four of the corporation's 10 initial board members under the bill. The Air Line Pilots Association, which frequently sides with the major airlines on economic issues affecting the industry, would also select a board member. If they stick together, that would give them veto power over any candidate for chief executive officer of the corporation, who is chosen by the board. The CEO then becomes the 11th board member.

Among the segments of the aviation industry that don't get board seats under the bill are airports and the regional airline industry, which operates for 45 percent of U.S. airline flights.

Shuster has received more in campaign contributions from the airlines in the current election cycle, $63,000, than any other member of the House, according to the political money tracking website OpenSecrets.org. American and United airlines, which are lobbying for the bill, are among the top contributors over the course of his career. Delta Air Lines has parted company with the rest of the industry and is opposing the bill.

As it worked through amendments to the legislation, the committee defeated two Democratic amendments mostly on party-line votes that would have required the FAA to study whether smaller airline seats on many planes are hurting passengers' health and safety, and to conduct evacuation drills to determine whether all passengers can exit an airliner equipped with smaller seats within 90 seconds as the law requires.

The panel also rejected a DeFazio amendment that would allow the FAA to issue safety regulations involving air cargo shipments of rechargeable batteries, which tests have shown can cause uncontrollable fires. A 2012 law passed by Congress prevents the agency from issuing regulations that are more stringent than those of the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, unless there is an air crash caused by a battery fire.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., who authored the 2012 provision, said it's important that there be a single international standard since the batteries are shipped internationally. DeFazio called that stance a "tombstone mentality."

As it stands now, the FAA can't act "until people die," he said.

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Follow Joan Lowy at twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joan-lowy
The Latest: Mayor hopes verdict in cop's case brings closure

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the trial of a New York City police officer charged with fatally shooting a man in a darkened stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing complex (all times local):

9:10 p.m.

New York City's mayor says he hopes a jury's verdict brings closure to the family of a man who was fatally shot by a New York City police officer in a public housing stairwell.

Police officer Peter Liang reacts as the verdict is read during his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)

Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement Thursday night that he respects the jury's decision finding Peter Liang guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct.

He said he hopes the verdict brings closure to Akai Gurley's family for the "painful event."

The 28-year-old was killed in 2014 after the rookie officer accidentally shot him while patrolling the stairwell. Prosecutors argued Liang's actions were reckless and that he shouldn't have had his gun out.

Liang's lawyer said Gurley's death was tragic, but not a crime. He has vowed to appeal.

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9 p.m.

An attorney for an officer convicted of fatally shooting a man in a dark public housing stairwell says he will appeal the verdict.

Defense attorney Robert Brown says Peter Liang is "distraught" after a jury convicted him of manslaughter and official misconduct Thursday in the 2014 death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley. Prosecutors said that Liang shouldn't have had his gun drawn and that his actions were reckless.

Brown has said Gurley's death is a tragedy, but not a crime.

He said he didn't believe prosecutors met their burden of proof in the case and he has asked a judge to set aside the verdict. The judge didn't immediately issue a ruling on that request.

Liang was fired after the jury delivered its verdict. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

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8:30 p.m.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson says "justice was done" when a jury convicted a New York City police officer of fatally shooting a man in the stairwell of a public housing building.

Speaking after the jury reached a verdict Thursday evening, Thompson said Officer Peter Liang's trial "had nothing to do with Ferguson," a reference to the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by an officer in Missouri.

He said Akai Gurley's death brought people from all walks of life together.

The 28-year-old was shot and killed after being shot by a ricocheting bullet fired by the rookie officer. He was patrolling the stairwell in 2014 when he fired his gun.

Prosecutors said Liang's actions were reckless. His lawyer argued the shooting was a tragedy, not a crime.

Liang faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced in April. He was fired from the police force after the verdict was delivered.

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8:15 p.m.

The domestic partner of the man shot and killed by a New York City police officer in a dark public housing stairwell says she wasn't surprised the officer was found guilty of manslaughter.

Kimberly Ballinger, the partner of victim Akai (ah-KEYE') Gurley, says she was "just glad we got a guilty verdict."

Officer Peter Liang was convicted Thursday evening of manslaughter and official misconduct charges. In 2014, he was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn when he accidentally fired the weapon, striking Gurley.

Gurley was taking the stairs with his girlfriend, Melissa Butler, instead of waiting for an elevator.

Liang was fired from the police force after the verdict was delivered. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced in April.

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8 p.m.

The president of the union representing New York City police officers says a jury came to the "absolutely wrong decision" when they convicted an officer of manslaughter in the shooting death of a man in a darkened stairwell of a public housing building.

Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the Thursday evening verdict in Peter Liang's trial was a "bad verdict" that will have a "chilling effect" on officers nationwide. He says 28-year-old Akai Gurley's death was a tragedy, not a crime.

The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired and struck Gurley. Prosecutors said Liang's actions were reckless.

Liang was also convicted of official misconduct.

He declined to comment as he left the courthouse after the verdict.

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7:40 p.m.

A spokesman for the New York Police Department says an officer convicted of fatally shooting a man in a darkened stairwell of a public housing building has been fired.

Spokesman Peter Donald says Peter Liang (lee-ANGZ) was dismissed from the police force after the verdict was delivered Thursday evening.

Liang was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct in connection with the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley.

But an uncertainty remains: Brooklyn state Supreme Court Danny Chun has yet to rule on Liang's lawyers' request to dismiss the charges. They made it before the verdict.

The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired.

Prosecutors said Liang was reckless and did little to help Gurley.

The 28-year-old Liang said he fired by accident after a noise startled him. His lawyers argued it was a tragedy, not a crime.

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7 p.m.

A New York City police officer who shot an unarmed man in a pitch-dark public housing stairway has been convicted of manslaughter.

Jurors delivered their verdict Thursday in Officer Peter Liang's (lee-ANGZ) trial. It's been closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit 28-year-old Akai (ah-KEYE') Gurley on a lower floor.

Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly and did almost nothing to help Gurley.

The 28-year-old Liang said he fired by accident after a noise startled him. He acknowledged not helping Gurley's girlfriend try to revive him, but Liang explained he thought it was wiser to wait for professional medical aid.

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5 p.m.

Jurors deliberating the fate of a rookie New York City police officer who fatally shot an innocent man in a dark public housing stairwell have asked for white boards and the departmental firearms guide.

The jury made the request Thursday in the second full day of deliberations at the manslaughter trial of Officer Peter Liang (lee-ANG').

Liang says he accidentally fired the gun after being startled by a noise while patrolling the stairwell in 2014. Prosecutors say he was reckless and did little to help the dying victim, Akai (ah-KEYE') Gurley.

Gurley was taking the stairs with his girlfriend instead of waiting for an elevator.

Liang faces up to 15 years in prison if he's convicted of manslaughter and other charges.

Police Officer Peter Liang, center, enters the courtroom after the lunch break in his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Jurors are scheduled to start discussing their views of Liangs actions as soon as Tuesday. Closing arguments are expected in the morning, and deliberations are likely to begin in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Police officer Peter Liang reacts as the verdict is read during his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)

Police Officer Peter Liang, center, exits the courtroom during a break in closing arguments in his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Jurors are scheduled to start discussing their views of Liangs actions as soon as Tuesday. Closing arguments are expected in the morning, and deliberations are likely to begin in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

New York City Police Officer Peter Liang, center, arrives for closing arguments at his Brooklyn Supreme Court trial in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Liang says he didnt know anyone was in the pitch-black stairway when he unintentionally fired. The shot ricocheted off a wall and hit Gurley, who was taking the stairs down rather than wait for an elevator. (AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith)

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis holds New York City Police Officer Peter Liang's fire arm as he speak during closing arguments in Liang's manslaughter trial, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. The rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man in a dark public housing stairwell says what happened was a deadly accident. Prosecutors call it manslaughter and say he acted recklessly and then did little to help the dying man. Jurors could start deliberating as soon as Tuesday on whether Liang's actions amounted to a crime. (Gregory P. Mango /New York Post via AP, Pool)

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2015, file photo, New York City rookie police officer Peter Liang arrives at court in New York for arraignment. When Liang fired his gun in a pitch-dark public housing stairwell, he at first thought he had hurt nothing but his career. Then he went looking for the bullet and heard someone crying. He followed the sound down three flights and saw a man lying wounded and a distraught woman bending over him, Liang said Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, at his manslaughter trial in the 2014 death of Akai Gurley, who was unarmed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

New York City Police Officer Peter Liang, center, arrives for closing arguments at his Brooklyn Supreme Court trial in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Liang says he didnt know anyone was in the pitch-black stairway when he unintentionally fired. The shot ricocheted off a wall and hit Gurley, who was taking the stairs down rather than wait for an elevator. (AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith)

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson arrives to Brooklyn Supreme Court for closing arguments in the trial of New York City Police Officer Peter Liang on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Jurors will start discussing their views of Liangs actions as soon as Tuesday. Closing arguments are expected in the morning, and deliberations are likely to begin in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith)

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson returns to the courtroom after a break in the closing arguments in the trial of New York City Police Officer Peter Liang on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Jurors are scheduled to start discussing their views of Liangs actions as soon as Tuesday. Closing arguments are expected in the morning, and deliberations are likely to begin in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Robert E. Brown, attorney for New York City Police Officer Peter Liang holds Liang's fire arm as he speaks during closing arguments in Liang's manslaughter trial, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. The rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man in a dark public housing stairwell says what happened was a deadly accident. Prosecutors call it manslaughter and say he acted recklessly and then did little to help the dying man. Jurors could start deliberating as soon as Tuesday on whether Liang's actions amounted to a crime. (Gregory P. Mango /New York Post via AP, Pool)

New York City Police Officer Peter Liang appears during closing arguments in his manslaughter trial, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. The rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man in a dark public housing stairwell says what happened was a deadly accident. Prosecutors call it manslaughter and say he acted recklessly and then did little to help the dying man. Jurors could start deliberating as soon as Tuesday on whether Liang's actions amounted to a crime. (Gregory P. Mango /New York Post via AP, Pool)

Police Officer Peter Liang, center, leaves the courtroom after closing arguments in his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Jurors are scheduled to start discussing their views of Liangs actions as soon as Tuesday. Closing arguments are expected in the morning, and deliberations are likely to begin in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson, right, is seen in the courtroom after the verdict of police officer Peter Liang's trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
Cosby cases prompt Colorado bill extending time for charges

DENVER (AP)  A Colorado House committee on Thursday unanimously approved a bill prompted by claims against Bill Cosby that would double a 10-year statute of limitations for seeking charges in sexual assault cases.

Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred and two Colorado women who claim Cosby assaulted them decades ago testified that the bill would empower traumatized victims by giving them more time to come forward.

"The shame and the silence of being a victim of sexual assault has to end," said Beth Ferrier of Denver, who alleges that Cosby assaulted her in 1986.

Beth Ferrier, one of two Denver women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by comic Bill Cosby, heads to a hearing room after a news conference Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in the State Capitol in Denver. Attorney Gloria Allred and the two Denver women were on hand to testify before a House committee on whether to permit rape victims to seek criminal charges against offenders beyond the state's 10-year statute of limitations. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Heidi Thomas of Castle Rock said it took 30 years for her to come forward after she was assaulted by Cosby in 1984 in Reno, Nevada.

"I would have been sent off the planet" and lost her job if she come forward at the time, Thomas said.

The Associated Press doesn't typically name people who say they are sex assault victims. However, Ferrier and Thomas spoke publicly about their allegations.

Cosby has consistently denied sexual abuse allegations made by dozens of women around the country. Some of the claims date to the 1960s.

"What's important about their story is that I believe them," Democratic Rep. Rhonda Fields of Aurora said about Ferrier and Thomas, who approached Fields about sponsoring the legislation. Republican Sen. John Cooke of Greeley is a co-sponsor.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-0 to send the bill extending the statute to 20 years to the full House. It isn't retroactive, so it wouldn't affect the allegations made by Ferrier and Thomas if it becomes law.

Fields withdrew a parallel bill that would have eliminated the 10-year statute of limitations entirely.

In 2015, Nevada extended its statute from four to 20 years after testimony by a woman who accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her decades ago.

Oregon's Legislature is considering a similar bill after it doubled the statute of limitations for first-degree sex crimes from six to 12 years in 2015. California is also considering legislation on the issue.

Laurie Rose Kepros, director of sexual litigation for the Colorado state public defender's office, testified against the bill, arguing in part that evidence can disappear and witness recollections can deteriorate over time.

Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, who prosecuted Colorado theater shooter James Holmes, argued for the bill on behalf of the Colorado District Attorneys' Council.

"What this bill is attempting to do is to say (that) we know more about how sexual assault affects victims today" than in the past, he said.

Cosby faces defamation lawsuits by women in California and Massachusetts after he denied their claims that he drugged and raped them.

In a criminal case in Pennsylvania, the comedian is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Colorado and many other states have eliminated limits to seek criminal charges in child sex-abuse cases  a response to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.

Heidi Thomas, one of two Denver women who claim to have been assaulted by comic Bill Cosby, heads to a hearing room after a news conference Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in the State Capitol in Denver. Attorney Gloria Allred and the two Denver women were on hand to testify before a House committee on whether to permit rape victims to seek criminal charges against offenders beyond the state's 10-year statute of limitations. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Attorney Gloria Allred, left, talks to reporters after a news conference Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in the State Capitol in Denver. Allred and two Denver women, who claim to have been assaulted by comic Bill Cosby, were on hand to testify before a House committee on whether to permit rape victims to seek criminal charges against offenders beyond the state's 10-year statute of limitations. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Hammers and shivs used in Mexico prison riot that killed 49

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP)  Mexico's deadliest prison brawl in many years was a bloodbath in which inmates attacked each other with hammers, cudgels and makeshift blades, authorities said Friday, underlining yet again the power that drug cartels wield inside many of the country's lockups.

But questions about the melee deepened Friday when Nuevo Leon state prosecutor Roberto Flores revealed that three officers of the state public safety department, which supplies the prison's guards, had been charged with homicide and abuse of authority. He did not say if they were accused of killing inmates, but authorities have said a guard fired a bullet found in one dead inmate.

Flores also said that four of the nine bodies still unidentified could not be named because the prison had no record of them at the facility.

An inmate shouts and makes a hand sign from behind his barred window at the Topo Chico prison, after a riot broke out around midnight in Monterrey, Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Dozens of inmates were killed and several injured in a brutal fight between two rival factions at the prison in northern Mexico, according to the state governor. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)

"It is a pretty irregular situation," he said. The other five bodies were badly burned and await DNA testing.

Jaime Rodriguez, governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, said 60 hammers, 86 knives and 120 shivs were used in the previous day's fighting at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, where 49 inmates were hacked, beaten or burned to death, and a dozen more injured.

At least 40 of the victims "died from wounds from stabbing and cutting weapons, blows from hammers and clubs," Rodriguez said at a news conference.

Authorities also seized various kinds of contraband items from marijuana and cocaine to televisions and USB memory sticks.

A dispute between rival factions of the Zetas cartel was believed to be behind the violence.

"What we have to see as a reality in the entire penitentiary system is that there is self-rule" by the inmates, Rodriguez said. "All this corruption inside the prison creates the conditions we have today."

He acknowledged that prisoners effectively lord over the facility and that there were not enough guards watching them: "Nobody wants to be a guard," he said, because of the meager pay.

Before flying from Cuba to Mexico Friday afternoon, Pope Francis sent a message to Monterrey's archbishop expressing his profound sorrow for the victims. He also asked that his condolences be conveyed to the victims' families and wished a speedy recovery of those injured in the melee.

About half the inmates at Topo Chico have been sentenced for minor offenses or are suspects still awaiting trial. Nevertheless they are housed in the prison's overcrowded general population alongside many of the country's most hardened killers.

One of them was Raymundo Gonzalez Hernandez, a 23-year-old who is accused of kidnapping but whose trial is still pending. He was not among those listed as wounded during the riot, but his cousin said he was covered by bruises and welts when she was allowed inside to see him.

"Both his eyes were practically closed from all the hits they gave him," Cynthia Hernandez said.

"He couldn't even speak, he just went like this," she added, moving her head from side to side.

The harsh conditions inside the lockup were a familiar story for Victoria Casas Gutierrez, a cleaning lady who waited for hours for news of her 21-year-old son, Santiago Garza Casas, who was facing trial for allegedly acting as a lookout for a criminal gang.

Garza was sent to Topo Chico in September for missing a parole appointment and immediately thrown in with a prison population that included convicted murderers.

With their gang ties and access to drugs and guns, many say the Zetas and Gulf cartels run the prison.

"They charge taxes, and if the relatives don't bring a certain amount ... they beat them," Casas Gutierrez said, adding that the payments can run into the thousands of pesos. "Sometimes we have to sell our homes."

"There is vice inside and everything that is in there is their fault, the authorities," she said.

Casas Gutierrez's son was not on the list of the dead, but some bodies were so badly burned it may take days to identify them.

No escapes were reported in the clash, which took place on the eve of Pope Francis' arrival in Mexico, a visit that is scheduled to include a trip next week to another prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

The fighting began around midnight with prisoners setting fire to a storage area, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky.

Flores confirmed the clash was between two gangs led by two members of the infamous Zetas drug cartel, Juan Pedro Zaldivar Farias, also known as "Z-27," and Jorge Ivan Hernandez Cantu.

Gov. Rodriguez blamed the violence on "the old, outdated, obsolete system" under which Mexican prisons are run and suggested after having visited the United States that his country may have to move to U.S.-style, privately operated prisons.

"We have to think about efforts with private initiative," he said. "We have not been doing rehabilitation work."

He also criticized judicial reforms that have given inmates greater ability to appeal transfer orders that could send them farther from their hometowns. Zaldivar had successfully fought to be moved to Topo Chico, while Hernandez had won a similar appeal against transferring him elsewhere.

"Basically this is creating the conflicts in the prisons," Rodriguez said.

Relatives of inmates try to ram a piece of wood at police, who are standing on the other side of a gate, at the Topo Chico where a riot broke out around midnight, in Monterrey, Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Dozens of inmates were killed and several injured in a brutal fight between two rival factions at the prison in northern Mexico, the state governor said. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)

Inmates from the female block shout from the Topo Chico prison after a riot broke out around midnight in Monterrey, Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Dozens of inmates were killed and several injured in a brutal fight between two rival factions at the prison in northern Mexico, according to the state governor. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)

Inmates stand on the rooftop of the Topo Chico prison after a riot broke out around midnight, in Monterrey, Mexico, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Dozens of inmates were killed and several injured in a brutal fight between two rival factions at the prison in northern Mexico, the state governor said. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)
Presidential contenders fight for minority voters

DENMARK, South Carolina (AP)  2016 Democratic presidential hopefuls fighting for black voters looked for an edge in South Carolina on Friday as Republicans crisscrossed the state in search of a path out of Donald Trump's long shadow.

Democrat Hillary Clinton stepped up her hammering of rival Bernie Sanders for what she said are his false claims on President Barack Obama's legacy. Prominent black leaders echoed the theme  an effort to use the first African-American president as a wedge between Sanders and black voters.

"He has called the president weak, a disappointment," Clinton said of Sanders at a forum on Friday. "He does not support, the way I do, building on the progress the president has made."

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson listens at left as Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush during a Faith and Family Presidential Forum at Bob Jones University, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Coming off a bruising rout in New Hampshire, the former secretary of state hopes the first-in-the-south primary will showcase her strength with at least one core segment of the Democratic coalition. A Democrat cannot win the nomination, much less the White House, without significant backing and enthusiasm from black communities.

For Republicans, South Carolina is another chance to emerge as the viable alternative to Trump, the billionaire reality-TV star who snatched the race away from the Republican establishment. Although Trump appears to have a solid lead in the polls in the state, the rest of the field is hoping to peel off support from the large and influential evangelical community.

As his rivals hustled through rare snowfall Friday, Trump showed he won't make it easy. He was able to steal the spotlight with a Twitter threat to sue his closest competitor.

"If @TedCruz doesn't clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen," Trump wrote.

Another tweet questioned Cruz's faith: "How can Ted Cruz be an evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?"

Trump's broadside was a response to cutting new ads the Cruz campaign is airing in South Carolina.

Jeb Bush and his allies also are aiming attacks on the bomb-throwing front-runner  hoping his coarse style and record on social issues will turn voters off.

Right To Rise USA, the super political action committee backing Bush, released an attack ad blasting Trump for supporting partial-birth abortion, allegedly defrauding students of Trump University and trying "to seize private property to line his own pockets."

On Friday, Bush campaigned at a faith forum at conservative Bob Jones University in Greenville, where he mused about what his famous father, former President George H.W. Bush, would think of Trump's cursing.

"I can't imagine my dad ... ," Jeb Bush said, trailing off as the audience laughed.

Bush has embraced his family's network in the state. He's inviting his brother, former President George W. Bush, to campaign with him. On Friday, he picked up the endorsement of South Carolina's former first lady Iris Campbell, a longtime Bush family ally.

Trump was the only Republican to bypass South Carolina on Friday, redirecting his typically unconventional campaign to Florida, where he planned to hold a rally in Tampa.

On the Democratic side, Clinton's slams on Sanders were backed up by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC. Sanders wants to "undo" Obama's accomplishments, said PAC chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks, pointing to Sanders' past criticism of Obama and his 2011 suggestion that Democrats should mount a primary challenge to the president.

"I believe Senator Sanders' disparaging comments towards the president are misplaced, misguided, and do not give credit where credit is due," the New York Democrat said.

Sanders says he's been largely supportive of Obama, despite his occasional critique.

"Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with the president, including a president who has done such an extraordinary job," Sanders said in Thursday night's debate.

Clinton on Friday significantly bulked up her campaign advertising plan, reaching well beyond the next two states in the state-by-state voting to decide who will represent each party in the November general election. Clinton has an eye on the March 1 "Super Tuesday" contests and now plans to air ads in 17 additional states, including Texas, Minnesota and Georgia.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore ended his campaign after failing to win support. The Republican said he would support the party's nominee.

CORRECTS TO WILSON AT CENTER - Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, accompanied by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, center, and Dr. Oran Smith of the Palmetto Family Council, speaks during a Faith and Family Presidential Forum at Bob Jones University, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

In this Feb. 11, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich meets with attendees during a campaign stop in Pawleys Island, S.C. An energized Kasich heads into South Carolinas Republican presidential primary hoping to build on a strong showing in New Hampshire, but hes refusing to tailor or shift his message to fit the states more conservative electorate.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Hillary Clinton shake hands after a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges photographers after speaking at a campaign rally in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton poses for a picture with a supporter after a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, left, speaks as Hillary Clinton listens during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
FBI: No rigged explosives found at site of Oregon standoff

BURNS, Ore. (AP)  FBI officials said Friday they haven't found any rigged explosives or booby traps at the national wildlife refuge in Oregon that had been seized by an armed group.

Authorities allowed a group of reporters to get closer to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, where the last four occupiers surrendered Thursday. The tour stopped short of the refuge itself.

The armed protesters had blockaded the road near the refuge using a government-owned heavy front-end loader and two pickup trucks. A group of tents and pickup trucks was clustered on a small rise far beyond the road barrier. Larry Karl, the assistant special agent in charge of the Portland FBI, said the tents made up the "shantytown" where the last four holdouts at the refuge spent most of their time.

Police and armored vehicles known as Bearcats block the road to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge at an FBI checkpoint outside of Burns, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

Greg Bretzing, the special agent in charge of the Portland FBI, said investigators have begun their sweep of the property. Karl said that process is still ongoing, however, but they hoped to finish the safety sweep of the buildings and begin processing evidence sometime Friday afternoon.

There was flammable liquid and hazardous materials stored at the site before the armed takeover, Karl said, and the FBI had information that "certain materials" might have been brought to the refuge by the protesters.

"So until we are able to go through the refuge and see what conditions those items are in, that they're properly secured and stored, or what has been brought on that we don't know about," the evidence collection will have to wait, Karl said.

He said the FBI would work closely with the Burns-Paiute Tribe, archaeological experts, federal land managers and others while they process the crime scene

The holdouts who surrendered Friday were the last remnants of a larger group that seized the property on Jan. 2, demanding the U.S. turn over public lands to locals and exposing simmering anger over the government's control of vast expanses of Western range.

David Fry, 27, of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho; were arraigned Friday in Portland, Oregon, along with two of the other 21 people who have been indicted.

They pleaded not guilty and U.S. District Court Judge John Acosta scheduled a 21-day trial to start April 19. Such dates are often pushed back by months.

Fry, the last activist to surrender, appeared in an anti-suicide smock. He waved to Nevada assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who visited Burns to help broker the end of the standoff and promised the holdouts she would be in the courtroom.

Outside the downtown Portland courthouse, Fiore read a statement from jailed standoff leader Ammon Bundy and defended the occupiers, much to the delight of a small group of protesters. She took issue with a reporter who asked if she advocated for more armed occupations.

"I advocate free, peaceful assembly, and that is exactly what happened," she said. "Nobody pointed a gun at anybody."

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This story has been corrected to show the FBI special agent in charge of Portland's last name is Bretzing, not Bretzinger.

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DuBois reported from Portland, Oregon.

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DuBois reported from Portland, Oregon.

Armored vehicle known as a Bearcat blocks the road to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge at an FBI checkpoint outside of Burns, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

Trucks and a front-end loader block the road to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge at the site of an FBI checkpoint outside of Burns, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

A sign warns visitors that this portion of the Malheur National Wildlife refuge outside of Burns, Ore., is closed to the public Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The headquarters buildings at the refuge, near the trees in the distance, were taken over by armed protesters for 41 days. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

Barbed wire signals that this portion of the Malheur National Wildlife refuge outside of Burns, Ore., is closed to the public Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The headquarters buildings at the refuge, near the trees in the distance, were taken over by armed protesters for 41 days. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)
In show-dog circles, breeders in big cities are a small pack

NEW YORK (AP)  In the dog world, Angela Reilly is a rare breed.

Like many show-dog owners, Reilly has bred her own puppies. But she did it in a Manhattan apartment.

She's among the relatively few big-city dwellers who aim to breed dogs like those at next week's Westminster Kennel Club show, where one of Reilly's Cardigan Welsh corgis has won awards.

In this Feb. 4, 2016, photo provided by Angela Reilly, Frankie, a Cardigan Welsh corgi pup, sits among toys in the New York apartment of his breeder, Angela Reilly. Reilly is among the relatively small ranks big-city dwellers who work to breed show-quality dogs.(Angela Reilly via AP)

With shared walls and city sidewalks instead of a country spread or suburban property, Reilly camped out at a veterinarian friend's New Jersey home to await her first litter's birth last fall. She covered her two-bedroom apartment in plastic wrap for the pups' weekend visits.

Now, with two adult dogs and a puppy she's keeping, she rotates one dog at a time to her mom's Connecticut home, since Reilly has set herself a two-dog limit to avoid antagonizing neighbors and having more leashes than arms.

"Everything is more difficult" for urban breeders, says Reilly, who juggles dog care with a banking career (two of her dogs: Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae). "It's a struggle to make it all work, but for me, it's all about the dogs."

Big-city breeders say they have the same goals as their more countrified cohorts: Nurturing healthy animals that exemplify their breed's traits and history. But city life presents special obstacles beyond the expense and work involved in conscientious dog breeding anywhere.

There are space squeezes. Close quarters. Tricky trash situations. Even some who do it occasionally think they're nuts.

"Absolutely," laughs longtime Labrador retriever owner Micki Beerman of Brooklyn. "But it's great."

She's bred Labs since 1987, first in a two-bedroom apartment and now in a house 13 feet wide. She and wife Linda Pensabene currently share it with five Labs, while another one they bred lives down the block.

While other breeders may have acres of land and a freestanding kennel, Beerman's pups are born (dogfolk say "whelped") in a big, specially outfitted box in the couple's kitchen. There's little distance from whatever the little dogs, well, do.

"When they poop, all the house stinks, so you really have to be conscious of everything and pick up immediately," says Beerman, a retired teacher who has sent dogs to Westminster. The quick-cleanup rule also goes for the small backyard, since neighbors are close by.

There are no firm statistics on the number of dog breeders in highly urban settings, but they tend to be scant on breeder lists maintained by fanciers' clubs. And no wonder: In Manhattan, for instance, many buildings limit the number or total weight of dogs per apartment, notes Barbara Fox, a real estate broker and dog rescuer.

The American Kennel Club, the nation's oldest purebred dog registry, urges all breeders to meet standards that include daily exercise and clean premises but doesn't take sides on urban vs. rural environments. Nor does the Humane Society of the United States, though it urges people to adopt rather than buy dogs.

To be sure, there are critics of breeding dogs in any setting.

"We don't feel that there is such a thing as breeding responsibly when there are so many animals dying in shelters," says Daphna Nachminovitch, a senior vice president of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Breeders such as Reilly and Beerman note that they've produced only occasional litters, largely to seek more show dogs for themselves. And they emphasize that it takes a major commitment of care and cash.

It costs thousands of dollars for genetic and hormone tests, breeding fees, ultrasounds, vet visits and puppy inoculations. A small litter  common for some breeds  can leave a breeder in the red. Even with litters as large as nine pups, Beerman says she's never made money.

But urban breeders say they benefit in other ways.

After buying a Chinese shar-pei with serious health problems, Maria Johnson researched breeders more carefully before getting her next puppy. He was healthy, turned out to have dog-show game and made her wonder what his offspring would be like.

In breeding two litters over five years at her home with a small fenced yard in Newark, New Jersey, Johnson has learned a few lessons, such as: Don't put the whelping box in your master bathroom if you plan on getting sleep.

"You have to love it" to do it, she says, but she's seen the rewards.

So, for that matter, so did the Westminster judges. One of Johnson's first puppies, a showman she named Deniro, grew up to win breed awards on the show's green carpet.

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Reach Jennifer Peltz on Twitter @ jennpeltz. See some of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jennifer-peltz .

In this Nov. 9, 2015, photo provided by Angela Reilly, Frankie, a Cardigan Welsh corgi pup, sits on the lap of his breeder., Angela Reilly, in her New York apartment. Reilly is among the relatively small ranks big-city dwellers who work to breed show-quality dogs.(Angela Reilly via AP)

In this Feb. 4, 2016, photo, longtime Labrador retriever breeder Micki Beerman, left, and her wife, Linda Pensabene, give treats to some of the dogs they have bred, at their home in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The retired teachers are among a relatively small number of people who work to breed show-quality dogs in big-city settings. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, longtime Labrador retriever breeder Micki Beerman, left, and her wife, Linda Pensabene, give treats to some of the dogs they have bred, at their home in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The retired teachers are among a relatively small number of people who work to breed show-quality dogs in big-city settings. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

In this Feb. 4, 2016, photo Labrador retrievers get some fresh air in the yard of their breeders, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, as they are watched by Linda Pensabene, left, and neighbors who own one of the dogs. The dogs were bred by Micki Beerman with the help of her wife, Pensabene, both retired teachers who are among a relatively small number of people who work to breed show-quality dogs in big-city settings. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)
UK: Hong Kong bookseller 'removed' in breach of China treaty

HONG KONG (AP)  Britain says a missing Hong Kong bookseller was likely abducted to mainland China, calling it a "serious breach" of the treaty under which Beijing took control of the city.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a twice-yearly report on Hong Kong affairs released Thursday that Lee Bo was "involuntarily removed" to the mainland.

Britain's Foreign Office said it was the first time that Britain has accused China of a "serious breach" of the 1984 treaty, although it has previously raised concerns about Chinese compliance.

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2016 file photo, a protester wearing a mask of missing bookseller Lee Bo sits in a cage during a protest against the disappearances of booksellers in Hong Kong. Britain says the missing Hong Kong bookseller was likely abducted to mainland China in what it says is a "serious breach" of the treaty under which Beijing took control of the city. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a twice-yearly report on Hong Kong affairs released Thursday, Feb. 11, that Lee was "involuntarily removed" to the mainland. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

Lee, a British citizen, is one of five men linked to Hong Kong publishing company Mighty Current Media and its Causeway Bay Bookshop who have gone missing in recent months only to turn up later in mainland China. Their disappearances have raised international concern,

Lee is chief editor of Mighty Current, which specialized in books critical of China's communist leadership that were banned in the mainland but popular with visiting Chinese tourists.

Hammond said while visiting Beijing last month that he made urgent inquiries with Chinese authorities about Lee's whereabouts.

Lee's disappearance at the end of December sparked international concern because he was last seen at his company's Hong Kong warehouse and didn't have his mainland China travel permit with him, raising suspicions he was snatched by Chinese security agents who crossed over from the mainland. He later sent letters to his wife saying he was helping with an investigation on the mainland, though some believe he was coerced.

"The full facts of the case remain unclear, but our current information indicates that Mr. Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR law," the report said.

"This constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of 'one country, two systems' which assures Hong Kong residents of the protection of the Hong Kong legal system," the report added.

The Joint Declaration is the treaty signed in 1984 between Britain and China safeguarding Hong Kong's rights and freedoms after Beijing took power in 1997. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong retains a high degree of control over its own affairs, including law enforcement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China was strongly displeased by the British report, the official Xinhua News Agency said. He said the report contained groundless accusations against China, and urged Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, Xinhua said.

The Hong Kong government said in a statement Friday that while its police are continuing to investigate and have sought assistance from mainland authorities, "Any suggestion that 'Mr. Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland' remains speculative."

Lee's colleague, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, disappeared from Thailand in October and turned up last month on Chinese state TV to confess to a decade-old fatal drunk driving accident. Hong Kong police said last week the three other men are being held on the mainland for an investigation into unspecified "illegal activities."

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'Finally': Pope meets Russian Orthodox leader

MEXICO CITY (AP)  With an exclamation of "Finally," Pope Francis embraced Patriarch Kirill on Friday in the first meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a brief but historic encounter held during a stopover in Cuba before the pope flew on to Mexico.

The meeting in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havana's airport was a landmark development in the 1,000-year schism that has divided Christianity.

"We are brothers," Francis said as he embraced Kirill. The men exchanged three kisses on the cheek.

Pope Francis, left, embraces Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill after signing a joint declaration on religious unity at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The two religious leaders met for the first-ever papal meeting, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, Pool)

"Now things are easier," Kirill agreed. "This is the will of God," the pope said.

Later Friday, Francis flew into Mexico City's airport to begin a five-day visit during which he plans to bring a message of solidarity with the victims of drug violence, human trafficking and discrimination to some of that country's most violent and poverty-stricken regions.

A smiling Francis was greeted with a rock concert-like show with blue floodlights illuminating a stage and bandstands and crowds waving yellow handkerchiefs. Mariachis serenaded as his chartered plane pulled to a stop and people shouted "Brother Francis, you're already Mexican." President Enrique Pena Nieto and his wife met Francis on a red carpet.

The pontiff made no public remarks before making a 22-kilometer (13 1/2-mile) trip to the papal envoy's residence for the night. But less than an hour after arriving, Francis came out the gates of the residence to the delighted screams of the remaining faithful.

He had not been scheduled to speak publicly, but he approached the crowd and accepted two white roses before taking a microphone. He prayed with those gathered and said that everyone needed to rest for the days ahead.

In Havana, the two church leaders' meeting and signing of a joint declaration was decades in the making and cemented Francis' reputation as a risk-taking statesman who values dialogue, bridge-building and rapprochement at almost any cost.

In the 30-point statement, the pope and patriarch declared themselves ready to take all necessary measures to overcome their historical differences, saying "we are not competitors, but brothers."

Francis and Kirill also called for political leaders to act on the single most important issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria who are being killed and driven from their homes by the Islamic State group.

"In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, entire families of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being exterminated, entire villages and cities," the declaration said.

While the meeting has been hailed by many as an important ecumenical breakthrough, Francis has also come under criticism for essentially allowing himself to be used by a Russia eager to assert itself among Orthodox Christians and on the world stage at a time when the country is increasingly isolated from the West.

The declaration was signed in the uniquely ideal location of Cuba: far removed from the Catholic-Orthodox turf battles in Europe, a country that is Catholic and familiar to Latin America's first pope, but equally familiar to the Russian church given its anti-American and Soviet legacy. The pope helped mediate the declaration of detente between the U.S. and Cuba in 2014.

"If this continues, Cuba will become the capital of unity," the pope said.

Calling the talks "very substantive," Kirill said: "The results make it possible to say that today the two churches can actively work together to protect Christians around the world."

The Vatican is hoping the meeting will improve relations with other Orthodox churches and spur progress in dialogue over theological differences that have divided East from West ever since the Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity.

But Orthodox observers say Kirill's willingness to finally meet with a pope has less to do with any new ecumenical impulse than grandstanding at a time when Russia is increasingly under fire from the West over its military actions in Syria and Ukraine. Kirill, a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the most powerful of the 14 independent Orthodox churches that will meet this summer in Greece in the first such pan-Orthodox synod in centuries.

The Russian church has long sought greater influence over the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.

"This isn't benevolence. It's not a newfound desire for Christian unity," said George Demacopoulos, the Greek-Orthodox chairman of Orthodox Christian studies at Fordham University in New York. "It is almost entirely about (Kirill) posturing and trying to present himself as the leader of Orthodoxy."

Popes as far back as Paul VI have met with the ecumenical patriarch, who is the "first among equals" in the 250 million-strong Orthodox Church and the only patriarch who can speak for global Orthodoxy. But the Russian Church is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful in Orthodoxy, and has always kept its distance from Rome.

Catholic and Orthodox split in the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained estranged over a host of issues, including the primacy of the pope and, more recently, Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church was poaching converts in former Soviet lands. Those tensions have prevented previous popes from meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

The most vexing issue in recent time centers on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the country's second-largest, which follows eastern church rites but answers to the Holy See. The Russian Orthodox Church has considered western Ukraine its traditional territory and has resented papal influence there.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, the head of the Vatican office that deals with Orthodox relations, said the future significance of the meeting could not be overstated.

"We still don't have contact with a lot of Orthodox patriarchs, and this meeting could help develop intra-Orthodox relations ahead of the pan-Orthodox council," he told Vatican radio. "Improved understanding between Rome and Moscow will certainly have positive effects on the theological dialogue."

Such hoped-for progress may seem naive, since the Russian church has always been reluctant to engage in theological dialogue over the primacy of the pope, said the Rev. Stefano Caprio, one of the first priests to arrive in Russia in 1989 to minister to the Catholic community and now a professor of Russian history and culture at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

He said the Russian position has long been: "We're interested in ecumenism only in the sense of collaboration in managing the crises of a Christianity that is attacked in some countries by violent forces ... and above all to unite against global secularization," he said.

He noted, for example, that Friday's meeting didn't include any joint prayer  purely talks. "It's not an ecumenical encounter," he said.

While a papal trip to Russia is still a long-sought dream, Caprio ruled it out for the foreseeable future.

In Mexico, the pope will visit the crime-plagued Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, where his visit will shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the government's failure to solve entrenched social ills that plague many parts of Mexico  inequality, rampant gangland killings, extortion, disappearances of women, crooked cops and failed city services.

He will also visit the mainly indigenous southern state of Chiapas, which has the country's highest poverty rate. There he will celebrate a very Indian Mass and present a decree authorizing the use of indigenous languages in liturgy.

Francis will end his trip in the violent northern city of Ciudad Juarez, where he will pray at the border for all who have died trying to cross into the U.S.  a prayer he hopes will resonate north of the border.

___

Associated Press writers Carlos Sanchez, Juan Zamorano and Jacobo Garcia contributed to this report. Nicole Winfield on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nwinfieldven

Women show their blanket decorated with an image of Pope Francis and the Virgin of Guadalupe where they wait along the route the pontiff will take from the airport to the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Pope Francis is arriving Friday for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Pope Francis, left, and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill exchange a joint declaration on religious unity at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The two religious leaders met for the first-ever papal meeting, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, Pool)

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, left, and Pope Francis talk during their meeting at the Jose Marti airport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. This is the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (Adalberto Roque/Pool photo via AP)

Pope Francis, center right, and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center left, meet at the Jose Marti aiport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. This is the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate via AP)

Pope Francis, left, head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center, and Cuba's President Raul Castro stand together during a ceremony where the two religious leaders signed a joint declaration on religious unity at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The two religious leaders met for the first-ever papal meeting, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (Alejandro Ernesto/Pool via AP)

Pope Francis, sitting left, and Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill embrace after signing a joint declaration on religious unity in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The two religious leaders met for the first-ever papal meeting, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (Alejandro Ernesto/Pool photo via AP)

Reporters watch TV monitors showing live images of Pope Francis meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and Cuba's President Ralul Castro at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The two religious leaders met for the first-ever papal meeting, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan)

Pope Francis arrives to Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The pontiff is in Mexico for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Pope Francis waves as he stands between Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto and first lady Angelica Rivera upon arrival to Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The pontiff is in Mexico for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Police stand guard along the route Pope Francis will take from the airport to the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Pope Francis is arriving Friday for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Catholic faithful take up positions along the barriers lining the route where Pope Francis will pass, as they wait to greet the pontiff on his arrival outside the presidential hangar at Mexico City's airport, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. History's first Latin American pope travels to Mexico on Friday for a weeklong tour of some of the most violent, poverty-stricken and peripheral places in the Americas. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A man waves a Vatican flag decorated with images of Pope Francis and the Virgin of Guadalupe along the route the pontiff will take upon arrival to Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Pope Francis is arriving in Mexico on Friday for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)

A woman poses for a picture with a life-size cutout of Pope Francis outside the Catholic Nunciature as she waits for the pontiff to arrive in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Pope Francis is arriving in Mexico on Friday for a week-long visit. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)
Protesting Greek farmers drive tractors through Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  More than a dozen tractors rolled through Athens on Friday, honking horns and flashing lights outside parliament as thousands of Greek farmers thronged the capital's main Syntagma Square to protest tax hikes and pension reforms.

The two-day protest kicked off Friday morning with clashes between riot police and Cretan farmers wielding shepherd's staffs that left 10 policemen slightly injured and smashed windows at the agriculture ministry.

Music blared from loudspeakers and protesters braving rain lit a bonfire near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of parliament, while about 20 tractors parked nearby. Tents were set up in the adjacent central Syntagma Square in preparation for an all-night sit-in.

Farmers drive their tractors during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farming associations have been blockading highways across the country with tractors for more than two weeks, forcing traffic into lengthy diversions to protest a planned overhaul of the country's troubled pension system. So far, they have refused talks with the government, insisting the pension reform plan must be repealed.

Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self-employed and salaried employees.

"They fooled us," Manolis Paterakis, head of one of Crete's farmer blockades, said of the left-led government. "They were telling us that they support us, that they are fighting for the survival of the farmers, ... that young people need to return to their villages and work their land.

"The same people (now) come and confirm the exact opposite," he said. "Whoever farms today, the only thing they will achieve is to have debts to the tax office."

The most severe clashes came in the morning outside the agriculture ministry, where about 800 farmers from Crete were demanding access to the building. Riot police used tear gas to repel groups hurling rocks and tomatoes and setting dumpsters alight.

Numerous windows of the ministry building were smashed, and rubble from broken paving stones littered the road outside. Police said the farmers threatened to spray them with a pesticide used for olive trees if the police used tear gas. At least four farmers were detained.

One outnumbered riot police unit was forced to flee up a street, with farmers wielding staffs and pieces of wood in pursuit.

Separate clashes broke out on highways leading into the Greek capital. To the east of Athens, farmers used tractors to circumvent a police roadblock, drive over a highway barrier and block the main highway to Athens' international airport for about half an hour, leaving travelers with planes to catch walking along the road, wheeling their suitcases behind them.

West of the city, riot police fired tear gas to disperse farmers demanding to be allowed into the city with agricultural vehicles despite a government ban. Running clashes ensued along the highway, with some protesters smashing the windscreen of a patrol car.

"These scenes were aimed at blackening the struggle of the farmers," said Agriculture Minister Vangelis Apostolou. "For us, there is one path  that of dialogue to solve the problems of farmers."

The protests against the pension changes have united a disparate group of professions, including lawyers, artists, accountants, engineers, doctors, dentists, seamen and casino workers.

Throughout Friday, farmers in buses, pickup trucks and cars from north and south were heading to the capital for the main evening rally and all-night sit-in, which is to be followed by another rally Saturday.

____

Derek Gatopoulos and Raphael Kominis in Athens contributed.

Farmers clash with riot police during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers drive their tractors during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers drive their tractors during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers clash with riot police during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

An elderly woman uses a mask as she passes a burning garbage bin during a protest by farmers outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers clash with riot police during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A farmer clashes with riot police during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A farmer clashes with riot police during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A farmer prepares to throw a stone as a garbage bin is on fire during a protest outside Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A riot policeman tries to detain a farmer during a protest near Agriculture ministry in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece have begun gathering in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers and other demonstrators gather during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers and other demonstrators gather during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers drive their tractors during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Farmers drive their tractors during a protest in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Farmers from across Greece gather in Athens for a two-day protest against the government and its plans to impose new tax hikes and pension charges. Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self employed and salaried employees. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
In meeting Pope Francis, patriarch asserts Russia's role

MOSCOW (AP)  When Patriarch Kirill meets Pope Francis this week, the historic event will allow the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to assert Russia's leading role in the Eastern Christian world. It may also allow Kirill, a skillful political player with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, to open a new avenue of communication for the Kremlin as it tries to escape Western isolation.

Francis and Kirill  two clerics who could not be more different in style  took everyone by surprise when both churches announced last Friday that they would meet at the Havana airport in Cuba on Friday in a historic step to heal the 1,000-year schism that split Christianity.

By agreeing to the meeting with the head of the Catholic Church, the Russian Church swept under the rug the grudges it harbored against the Vatican for aggressive proselytizing in the 1990s in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, countries that the Orthodox Church considers its turf.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 file photo, Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, conducts an Orthodox Epiphany service in Christ The Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Putting church disputes aside, now may be an opportune time for Moscow to have a high-profile meeting with a leading Western figure who has not been as scathing of Russian foreign policy as others.

"Putin needs the meeting between the patriarch and the pope now more than ever," Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center wrote in a recent commentary. "The political West is overtly hostile to Russia and to him personally, which makes it all the more important to demonstrate that the religious West is less hostile to them."

Kirill's spokesman, Father Alexander Volkov, insisted on Tuesday that the patriarch will not be carrying a message from Putin but will be "conveying the aspirations" of his flock. Putin has met Francis twice since he was elected pope in 2013.

As a priest and bishop in Argentina, Francis was known for his simple ways: He did his own cooking, went around Buenos Aires on public transport and turned down the offer to move into the grand archbishops' residence when he was promoted. As pope, he hasn't changed a bit: He famously paid his own hotel bill when he checked out of the priests' residence after being elected pope, drives around the Vatican in a Ford Focus and to this day the 79-year-old cooks his own food in the microwave at the Vatican's cafeteria-style dining room.

Unlike most Russian priests, Kirill, 69, never had a non-church job even in Soviet times, but moved through the ranks of the church bureaucracy after taking the cloth in 1969. Like any high-ranking Russian official, Kirill rides in a motorcade and has expensive tastes. Although he often speaks of the bane of consumerism, the patriarch has been caught wearing a $30,000 watch, while his top clerics have defended their expensive lifestyle as something that should reflect the "prestige of the church."

Unlike Francis, Kirill never particularly dwells on the problems of the poor, speaking rather about spirituality and the need for Russians to think about the salvation of the soul.

When elected in 2009, Kirill was perceived as a reformer and a Westerner. But contrary to expectations of reform within the church, he embarked on forging an intimately close relationship with the Kremlin.

When Putin was running for his third term as president in February 2012 and facing mass protests in Moscow, Kirill endorsed him by describing his previous 12 years in office as a "miracle of God" that had helped Russia "to exit this horrible systemic crisis."

Later than month, four women from the Pussy Riot punk collective performed inside Moscow's main cathedral to protest the increasingly intimate relationship between the Kremlin and the church. Three of the women were arrested on charges of hooliganism

During their trial, Kirill lashed out at Christians who called for leniency, saying they were seeking to "justify and downplay this sacrilege." The women were found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison.

In foreign affairs, however, Kirill has not always toed the Kremlin line.

When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and threw its support behind separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, Kirill avoided expressing support for either side. In Ukraine, where both the Russian and the Ukrainian Orthodox churches operate, many have grown suspicious of the Moscow-controlled churches, but Kirill has been careful not to alienate the millions of pro-Western parishioners of the Russian Church, who include Kremlin foe President Petro Poroshenko.

At home, Kirill has been a subject of scandal, which has cast a shadow on a church that many Russians had hoped would be immune from the corruption that has permeated practically all of society.

A Moscow businessman in March 2012 was slapped with a half-million-dollar lawsuit by the patriarch's cousin, who was living in Kirill's apartment. The cousin claimed that a renovation of the businessman's apartment upstairs and the "nano-dust" it caused had done irreparable damage to Kirill's furniture and books.

The giant apartment, situated across the river from the Kremlin, raised eyebrows. The patriarch decried the media frenzy around the case, but never addressed the visibly non-monastic lifestyle the apartment represented.

A month later, bloggers spotted Kirill wearing a $30,000 watch on a visit to Ukraine. Shortly afterward, Kirill was photographed at a meeting with a Russian minister with nothing on his wrist, but a reflection of an expensive Swiss watch could be seen on the glossy table where he rested his hands. The church later apologized for manipulating the photograph, and Kirill argued that it was a gift and that he was not aware of its value.

While Kirill heads the largest Orthodox Church in the world, he is by no means the leader of the Orthodox world, which spans from Greece to Syria. The patriarch's meeting with the pope could be seen as Kirill's and Russia's attempt to assert themselves in the Orthodox arena ahead of a congress of Orthodox leaders in June. Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew is often described as first among equals in the Orthodox world.

Konstantin von Eggert, a Russian journalist and church watcher, said the patriarch has long felt that the Russian church should take the lead. "He really wants to be seen as a global figure that really knows what he's doing," Eggert said.

Kirill's meeting with the pope may be unpopular with conservative believers in Russia, Eggert said, but "this is the risk he has to take in order to get global, in order to rise up unofficially to the level of the Constantinople patriarch and to prove to the Kremlin that on the one hand he is useful in presenting a different image of Russia externally but also reminding the Kremlin that he has independent contacts."

Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida has denied suggestions that the meeting is timed for Russia to arrive at the all-Orthodox congress with a bolstered position.

The meeting also comes at a time when the Russian government finds itself under pressure from Western sanctions and at odds with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

Although Russian clerics deny any political implications, observers inside Russia see Friday's meeting as potentially opening a new avenue for Kremlin communication with the West.

"It creates an important channel for all sorts of discussions and informal diplomacy," journalist Sergei Parkhomenko said on Ekho Moskvy radio last week. "And I don't doubt that in an hour of need, which Putin has brought about, Russia will make good use of it."

__

Nicole Winfield in Rome and Martin Benedyk in London contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 file photo then Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill during his meeting with Russia's religious leaders in the St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow, Russia. (Yana Lapikova/Sputnik, Government Pool Photo via AP)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009 file photo Russian Orthodox Church newly installed Patriarch Kirill, center, holding candles, conducts the enthronement service in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

FILE - In this Saturday, April 23, 2011 file photo, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill holds the Holy Fire as he attends an Easter service in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

FILE - In this Sunday, May 5, 2013 file photo Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, left, greets Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at right, during an Easter service in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Clinton, Sanders vigorously agree _ except when they don't

MILWAUKEE (AP)  Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders vigorously agreed. Except when they didn't.

The rivals spent much of Thursday's sixth Democratic presidential debate in a respectful discussion of their marginal differences on issues like immigration, criminal justice reform and entitlements. But both were animated when the contest turned to one of fundamental questions facing Democrats: has President Barack Obama gone far enough in his policies and if not, how far should the next president go?

Clinton, who has cast herself as the rightful heir to Obama's legacy, accused Sanders of diminishing the president's record, short-changing his leadership and seeking to wipe away his signature health care law.

Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, talk to supporters after a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

"The kind of criticism I hear from Senator Sanders, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone seeking the Democratic nomination," Clinton said in a sharp exchange near the close of the two-hour debate in Milwaukee. Her biting comments followed an interview in which Sanders suggested Obama hadn't succeeded in closing the gap between Congress and the American people  something Obama himself has acknowledged.

Sanders responded: "Madam Secretary, that is a low blow." And he noted that Clinton was the only one on the stage who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential race.

Long viewed as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic race, Clinton has been caught off guard by Sanders' strength, particularly his visceral connection with Americans frustrated by the current political and economic systems. Clinton's own campaign message has looked muddled compared to his ringing call for a "political revolution," and her connections to Wall Street have given Sanders an easy way to link her to the systems his supporters want to overhaul.

Seeking to stem Sanders' momentum, her campaign has argued that his appeal is mostly limited to the white, liberal voters who make up the Democratic electorate in Iowa and New Hampshire. Clinton's team says that as the race turns now to Nevada, South Carolina and other more diverse states, her support from black and Hispanic voters will help propel her to the nomination.

Attempting Thursday night to boost his own support from minorities, Sanders peppered his typically economic-focused rhetoric with calls to reform a "broken criminal justice system" that incarcerates a disproportionate number of minorities.

"At the end of my first term, we will not have more people in jail than any other country," he said.

In one of many moments of agreement between the candidates, Clinton concurred on a need to fix the criminal justice system, but cast her proposals for fighting racial inequality as broader than his.

"We also have to talk about jobs, education, housing, and other ways of helping communities," said Clinton, who was endorsed earlier in the day by the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The candidates both vowed to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, using the emotional issue to draw a contrast with Republicans who oppose allowing many of the millions of people in the United States illegally to stay.

"We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up," said Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both Clinton and Sanders also disagreed with raids authorized by Obama to arrest and deport some people from Central America who recently came to the country illegally.

"We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can," Clinton said.

While the Democratic race has become more heated in recent weeks, Clinton and Sanders have cast their disagreements as matters of substance and degree while condemning Republicans for focusing more on personal attacks. The GOP race has been a fiery contest, with Trump levying sharply personal attacks on his rivals and other candidates, including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, releasing no-holds-barred negative advertisements.

Clinton, who remains the favorite for the Democratic nomination, has a political incentive to keep her disagreements with Sanders focused on policy. She can't afford to alienate the young voters who are overwhelmingly backing Sanders in the primary, if she does become the Democratic nominee.

Still, the former secretary of state sought to discredit some of the proposals that have drawn young people to Sanders, including his call for free tuition at public colleges and universities and a plan for a government-run, single-payer health care system. Clinton said those proposals come with unrealistic price tags. And she accused Sanders of trying to shade the truth about what she said would be a 40 percent increase in the size of the federal government in order to implement his policies.

Sanders didn't shy away from the notion that he wants to expand the size of government.

"In my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all our people have a decent standard of living," Sanders said.

Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively on a call to break up big Wall Street banks and overhaul the current campaign finance system that he says gives wealthy Americans undue influence. His campaign contends that his message will be well-received by minority voters, arguing that blacks and Hispanics have been hurt even more by what he calls a "rigged" economy.

In the debate's early moments, Clinton found herself having to explain comments by surrogates, including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, that suggested women had a responsibility to help elect the first female president.

"I'm not asking people to support me because I'm a woman," Clinton said. "I'm asking people to support me because I think I'm the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander in chief."

It was Sanders  a democratic socialist who would be the first Jewish president if elected  who tried to drape his candidacy in a bit of history, saying:

"I think a Sanders victory would be of some historical accomplishment as well."

___

Pace reported from Washington. AP writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Catherine Lucey at http://twitter.com/catherine_lucey

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, makes a point during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Hillary Clinton shake hands after a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Journalists work as Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton makes a point during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
UK police charge boyfriend in slaying of actress, children

LONDON (AP)  British police say they have charged the boyfriend of a British actress with murdering her and her two young children.

The Metropolitan Police force says Arthur Simpson-Kent is accused of murdering his partner Sian Blake and her children, 8-year-old Zachary and 4-year-old Amon.

Simpson-Kent, 48, was arrested early Friday at Heathrow Airport after arriving on a flight from Ghana. Ghanaian police arrested him on Jan. 9 in the western coastal town of Butre. He did not fight extradition.

He flew to Ghana after speaking to detectives in Britain on Dec. 16 about Blake and the children, who had been reported missing. Their bodies were found in the yard of their London home in January.
UK competition authorities fine GSK $54.5 million

LONDON (AP)  Britain's competition authority has fined drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline plc 37.6 million pounds ($54.5 million) for stalling the potential entry of generic competitors of an anti-depressant drug Seroxat into the marketplace.

The fine levelled Friday is the largest since the Competition and Markets Authority's inception in 2014.

"Today's decision sends out a strong message that we will tackle illegal behavior that is designed to stifle competition at the expense of customers  in this case, the (National Health Service) and, ultimately, taxpayers," said Michael Grenfell, the authority's executive director for enforcement. "This investigation shows our determination to take enforcement action against illegal anti-competitive practices in sectors big and small."

The authority fined the pharmaceutical company for making payments and other transfers of more than 50 million pounds to generic suppliers of the drug, also known as paroxetine. The authority says that GSK first sued generic drugmakers Generics (UK) Limited and Alpharma Limited, but later settled, paying for them to delay their entry into the market.

The generic companies were also fined. In all, the authorities leveled 45 million pounds in fines connected to the matter.

GSK said it disagreed with the ruling and that the agreements were made to "settle costly, complex and uncertain patent disputes." The company argued that the agreements allowed the companies to enter the marketplace early and ultimately enabled savings of 15 million pounds for the National Health Service.
Massive gas leak plugged; residents seek return to normal

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The massive gas leak that spewed uncontrollably for nearly four months drove thousands of Los Angeles residents to pack up and leave their homes, while others rode it out.

Vicky Walker did both, turning her life upside down shuttling between hotels and home every few days, where she lived like a shut-in and stopped walking her dog to avoid the foul stench of gas.

While others blamed the leak for nosebleeds, nausea, headaches and other woes, Walker said she developed a persistent cough and packed on at least five pounds.

FILE - This Dec. 17, 2015 file photo provided by Earthworks shows an overhead aerial view of the relief well at the Aliso Canyon facility above the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles. The utility says it has stopped the natural gas leak near Los Angeles after nearly 4 months. (Pete Dronkers/Earthworks via AP,File)

So it was with a measure of relief that she greeted the news Thursday that the blowout had been stopped for the first time in 16 weeks.

"I want to get back to life as I knew it as soon as possible," Walker said. "It's been horrible. You want the adjective? It's been horrifying."

The well still needs to be permanently sealed and inspected by state regulators, a process that could take several days. But the announcement by Southern California Gas Co. marked a milestone in efforts to stop the leak first reported Oct. 23.

If all goes according to plan, the upscale Porter Ranch community in the San Fernando Valley could begin to return to normalcy after schools were closed and 6,400 families were uprooted by the intermittent odor and fear it was harming their health.

Public health officials blamed symptoms on an odorant added to gas so it can be detected and have said they don't expect long-term health effects.

The leak at the largest underground gas storage reservoir in the West was declared an emergency by the governor. At its peak, the leak was estimated to contribute about a quarter of the state's climate-altering methane emissions, leading some to call it the worst environmental disaster since the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The leak is expected to cost the company, a division of Sempra Energy, $250 million to $300 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

That figure could climb much higher because it only accounts for costs of capping the well, lost gas and relocating families. It does not include penalties from government agencies, expenses to mitigate pollution and potential damages from more than 65 lawsuits, which the company noted could be significant.

While the gas was invisible, its impact could be seen in half-vacant subdivisions, two shuttered schools and on the faces of angry residents who packed public meetings and community forums and demanded the Aliso Canyon storage facility be shut down.

The blowout happened in a 60-year-old well that was built to pump oil from porous rock a mile-and-a-half below the Santa Susana Mountains. After the oil ran dry in the 1970s, the field of 115 wells was reused to store natural gas.

When demand and prices were low, gas was injected at high pressure in the ground. It was piped out during cold months or to fuel gas-run electricity plants during energy spikes.

Word that the leak had been controlled for the first time was met with a good deal of skepticism and a fear of returning to unhealthy homes or a repeat incident.

"Because this one well we know about is shut down, it doesn't indicate anything about the rest of the facility," said Matt Pakucko, president of Save Porter Ranch, a group advocating to shutter the facility. "People are terrified to go home."

Once cement is poured into the well to seal it and state regulators certify it is dead, high-tech equipment will be used to determine how the well ruptured.

Hotel dwellers will have eight days to return home once it is sealed, while those in apartments and rentals houses can stay through the end of short-term leases they signed.

In recent weeks, 1,700 families have returned home as the rate of the leak dwindled and air filters were installed in their homes, the company said.

Walker said she spent three to four nights a week in a hotel, but she returned regularly because it was too inconvenient to relocate her home office.

She said her neighborhood that borders the gas company property was "kind of ghost towny" and that those left behind mostly stayed inside.

Police patrols became a regular a feature after residents worried that their well-publicized exodus would bring crooks. Walker said she posted a sign on her sliding-glass door to deter would-be thieves.

"I won't tell you exactly what I put on the note," she said. "I'm an NRA member. We'll leave it at that."

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Follow Brian Melley at www.twitter.com/bmelley

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015, pool file photo, crews work on stopping a gas leak at a relief well at the Aliso Canyon facility above the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles.The utility says it has stopped the natural gas leak near Los Angeles after nearly 4 months. (Dean Musgrove/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File)
George and Amal Clooney meet Merkel to discuss refugees

BERLIN (AP)  Actor George Clooney and his lawyer wife Amal had a private meeting Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the crisis in Syria and Europe's efforts to help refugees.

The Clooneys were accompanied by David Miliband, the former British foreign secretary who now heads the aid group International Rescue Committee.

"We (...) talked about the responsibilities of all states, not just European states but states around the world to deal with what is a global problem, not just a Syrian problem or a German issue," Miliband told The Associated Press after the 40-minute meeting at Merkel's office.

US actor George Clooney, right, and his wife Amal Clooney, left, are accompanied by Merkel's foreign policy advisor Christoph Heusgen as they leave chancellery after private meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

"It's very clear that Mrs Merkel has been showing very strong leadership and example not just to Europe but globally," he added. "We wanted to hear from her and support what she's doing."

Miliband said it was the actor's idea to ask for a meeting with Merkel, who has received both applause and criticism for letting hundreds of thousands of refugees come to Germany over the past year.

Clooney, who is known for his human rights work and has supported the IRC on other projects, is currently attending the Berlin Film Festival to showcase his new movie "Hail, Caesar!"

"It wouldn't be right to come to Berlin and have a film festival and pretend there wasn't a big global issue for which Germany was in the eye of the storm," said Miliband.

Merkel told reporters later Friday that she had had "a very good conversation" with the Clooneys and Miliband, exchanging ideas for how aid groups and governments can cooperate to encourage citizens to volunteer to help refugees.

The Clooneys planned to meet with refugees in Berlin later Friday.

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Frank Jordans contributed to this report.

US actor George Clooney, right, and his wife Amal Clooney, second left, are accompanied by Merkel's foreign policy advisor Christoph Heusgen, center, as they leave chancellery after private meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Carter says UAE will put special forces in Syria

BRUSSELS (AP)  U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a key Persian Gulf ally has agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters focused on recapturing Raqqa, the Islamic State group's capital.

Carter made the comment after meeting Friday at his Brussels hotel with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.

Carter declined to say how many Emirati special forces would go to Syria. He said they would be part of an effort led by the United States and bolstered by Saudi special forces to train and enable local Arab fighters who are motivated to recapture Raqqa.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, second right, shakes hands with British Secretary of State for Defense Michael Fallon during a Counter-ISIL Coalition Ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter expects Thursdays three-hour gathering of defense ministers from more than two dozen countries to endorse a new U.S. plan for prosecuting the war. The ministers were expected to issue a joint statement at the conclusion of their meeting at NATO headquarters. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

The U.S. war plan for fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is designed to unseat the extremists in Raqqa and Mosul, which is the group's main stronghold in northern Iraq.

Carter also told reporters that however the proposed suspension of Syrian civil war hostilities is implemented, as announced in Munich, the U.S. will continue combating IS in Syria.

"There is no cease-fire in the war against ISIL," Carter said. "Let's be clear about that."

Diplomats meeting in Munich, Germany fell short early Friday in organizing a truce in the Syrian civil war but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in a week's time. The foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week.

Carter said the US military will not participate in those aid deliveries.

U.S. and Russia are to lead a working group meeting Friday to work out aid delivery details.

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Overall, the United Nations says almost half a million people are besieged in Syria. Since the beginning of 2015, Syria's government had approved just 13 inter-agency aid convoys, out of 113 requested, the U.N. reported last month.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, second right, speaks with Iraq's Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, second left, during a Counter-ISIL Coalition Ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter expects Thursdays three-hour gathering of defense ministers from more than two dozen countries to endorse a new U.S. plan for prosecuting the war. The ministers were expected to issue a joint statement at the conclusion of their meeting at NATO headquarters. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Candidates promise unity in Central African Republic vote

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP)  For more than two years, even going to the cemetery to bury a loved one could get a mourner killed in Central African Republic. The threat of attacks from Christian militia fighters was once so high that Muslims here began burying their dead at home.

Now the capital's largest Muslim cemetery has reopened just ahead of the country's landmark presidential runoff vote Sunday with imams, the archbishop and ambassadors all gathering together to watch as the reddish earth was broken to once again receive the dead with palm fronds.

It's one tangible sign that intercommunal relations here are improving after the cycles of violence that have left nearly 1 million people displaced and an untold thousands dead. Central African Republic's future remains highly precarious and yet the barricade that once blocked Bangui's remaining Muslims from leaving their enclave no longer exists. Muslims who only several months earlier were afraid to walk on the streets, even in their own PK5 neighborhood, are now praying in public.

Presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele, wearing a blue shirt centre right, greets the crowds at the national stadium in Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Many credit the November visit of Pope Francis, who met with Christian leaders and ventured in his open-air vehicle to the mosque where many have sought refuge since tensions exploded in late 2013. Whether these advances hold largely depends on the success of Sunday's historic vote that pits two Christians  both former prime ministers  against each other after a crowded first round of balloting. The two went head to head Friday night in a debate filmed at the headquarters of national television.

"We want these elections to take place as quickly as possible  we have waited long enough," says Polycarpe Bebongo-Congo, 40, who is supporting Faustin Archange Touadera, the second-place finisher in the first round.

The election is meant to end a two-year political transition that began when a Muslim rebel leader stepped aside under mounting international pressure less than a year after he deposed the Christian president of a decade. It comes as France prepares to downscale its military presence in its former colony, and as serious questions remain about the U.N. peacekeeping force that has helped secure the country but whose mission has been severely tarnished by allegations that peacekeepers sexually abused the country's most vulnerable  young children living in squalid refugee camps.

Only months earlier, many doubted whether a presidential election could even be held, with many polling stations and voter records destroyed during the conflict. The runoff vote then was postponed several times and the legislative vote was thrown out altogether because of concerns about irregularities.

Since independence from France in 1960 more leaders have come to power here through coups than through fair elections. Both presidential candidates are campaigning on pledges of strengthening unity and peace in the tumultuous capital where only two years ago Muslims were being decapitated in the streets and their limbs set ablaze. Pickup trucks carrying dancing supporters and blaring music from loudspeakers snake through a city still marked by burned out cars and homes reduced to rubble.

Front-runner Anicet Georges Dologuele says he is confident that his presidency could secure the peace, describing himself as someone who is connected to the international community and who can make difficult decisions.

He wants to create conditions that would encourage the hundreds of thousands who fled the country to return from refugee camps in neighboring Chad and Cameroon. Tens of thousands are expected to cast ballots there in Sunday's vote.

Dologuele emphasizes the economic origins of the conflict, which saw Christians pillaging the Muslim merchant class as they fled for their lives, and the work that must be done to improve livelihoods.

"The essential problem for Central Africans is poverty," he said. "When people are poor, they think it's their neighbor's fault."

Dologuele, who led the first round of voting in December with about 24 percent, has since been endorsed by the third-place finisher. His entourage already calls him "the president," and his billboards across town show him flashing the V for victory sign.

His opponent  who surprised many with a strong finish of 19 percent  is also campaigning on a slogan of "peace, security and reconciliation" and has cast himself as "man of the people." Supporters say he has strong grassroots support, including from influential local Christian militias known as the anti-Balaka.

"These elections are important, but they are not the only step out of this crisis," he said this week. "We have to create the conditions for dialogue between the two communities. We will do everything we can so that Central Africans can live together in the Central African Republic."

Presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele adresses his supporter at the national stadium in Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016.Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally during a sand storm in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally during a sand storm in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016.Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele cheer their candidate at the national stadium in Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016.Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally during a sand storm in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A supporter of Presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele waits for his candidate at the national stadium in Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections scheduled for Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

People walk and cycle through the Boeing Muslim cemetery following its reopening in Bangui, Central African Republic, Thursday Feb. 11, 2016. It is one tangible sign that intercommunal relations are improving after the cycle of violence that have left nearly 1 million people displaced and an untold thousands dead. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Men walk through the Boeing Muslim cemetery following its reopening in Bangui, Central African Republic, Thursday Feb. 11, 2016. It is one tangible sign that intercommunal relations are improving after the cycle of violence that have left nearly 1 million people displaced and an untold thousands dead. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Faustin Archange Touadera rally during a sand storm in the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Supporters of Presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele are pushed back by soldiers as they wait for their candidate at the national stadium in Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Dologuele, are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

MINUSCA UN forces from Rwanda patrol the streets of Bangui, Central African Republic, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Two former prime ministers, Faustin Archange Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele , are running neck-and-neck in the second round of presidential elections Sunday Feb. 14 to end years of violence pitting Muslims against Christians in the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Cameroon soldiers kill 27 Boko Haram fighters across border

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP)  Cameroon soldiers killed at least 27 Boko Haram fighters after launching a cross-border operation in the Nigerian locality of Goshi that also resulted in the death of one soldier, a senior military official said.

At least seven other soldiers were injured in the operation early Thursday, said Gen. Jacob Kodji. The Nigerian Islamic extremist group launched a series of attacks in Cameroon earlier this week, said Kodji. Ashigashiya straddles the border of northern Cameroon and Nigeria.

"At least 27 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Thursday morning's operation," said Kodji, commander of Cameroon troops in the area. The soldiers remain on the battle front there, he said.

Regional forces from Cameroon and Nigeria have since December 2015 been launching raids on Boko Haram strongholds along their borders, especially around Ashigashiya.

The Islamic militants began attacks across borders in 2014 and stepped them up early last year on neighboring Cameroon and other countries that have supported the Nigerian military's effort to crush Boko Haram.

In northern Cameroon, officials said two suicide bombers believed to have come from Nigeria on Wednesday killed 10 people and injured 40 attending a wake in a border village. Attacks in Chad and Niger also are blamed on Boko Haram.
The Latest: UN envoy: Key to Syria deal is its 'commitment'

BEIRUT (AP)  The Latest on the conflict in Syria and international diplomatic efforts to end the violence (all times local):

11:00 p.m.

The U.N. envoy for Syria says the key to the agreement reached on a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week is that it is "a commitment" by key nations not just a declaration.

A child navigates rubble and barbed wire in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. The fighting around Syria's largest city of Aleppo has brought government forces closer to the Turkish border than at any point in recent years, routing rebels from key areas and creating a humanitarian disaster as tens of thousands of people flee. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)

Staffan de Mistura said in an interview with NPR radio in the United States on Friday that the cessation of hostilities means all parties will stop using heavy weapons and "that's what Syrian people are waiting for  no more bombing, no more mortars."

But he said the commitment needs to be verified and it doesn't mean the Islamic State group won't be targeted.

After the cessation of hostilities, de Mistura said the next step is to negotiate a cease-fire.

De Mistura stressed that no conflict "can actually end abruptly with a cease-fire."

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10:30 p.m.

A medical aid organization estimates that more than 100,000 people have left Aleppo in the past two weeks because of a Syrian government offensive and fears that the city would become besieged.

Tamer Monla Hasan with the Syrian American Medical Society also told reporters Friday that the main trauma hospital in eastern Aleppo last month operated on 430 people who had been injured by airstrikes and cluster bombs.

The eastern part of the city is held by rebels.

The doctor is calling for a safe corridor between the city and the Turkish border to allow people to flee.

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9.20 p.m.

The head of a U.N.-backed group that is hoping to send humanitarian aid into besieged and hard-to-reach areas of Syria says it will re-launch requests for access to both rebel- and government-held parts of the war-battered country.

Jan Egeland spoke to reporters Friday after convening a humanitarian task force in Geneva just hours after it was launched at a meeting of world powers at a security conference in Munich, where diplomats laid out hopes to send in aid within days.

Egeland said the task force composed of envoys from the International Syria Support Group will reconvene Wednesday.

He said envoys discussed a list of locations for aid deliveries, but declined to provide details, and acknowledged "a lot of work has to be done in the next days for the situation to improve."

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8.00 p.m.

Italy has decided to give 3 million euros ($3.3 million) in humanitarian aid to ease the suffering of Syrian civilians forced to flee bombings near Aleppo.

The Italian foreign ministry announced Friday that the aid, to be distributed via the U.N. World Food Program, will help provide legumes, rice, sugar, flour and vegetable oil. Another U.N. office will use some of the funds to purchase and distribute tents, fuel and other necessities.

Italy said the emergency aid was decided after a humanitarian truce agreement was reached earlier Friday at a meeting in Germany.

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7.50 p.m.

The U.N. humanitarian chief is urging combatants in Syria to ensure "full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access" to besieged, hard-to-reach and all other areas of the country.

Stephen O'Brien welcomed the agreement by key nations to a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week and to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged communities beginning this week.

He said in a statement Friday that "the people of Syria  in Aleppo, Madaya, Foua and Kfarya, Deir el-Zour and elsewhere  need an end to the brutal violence and bombing, the sieges, denial of free movement, food and medical care."

O'Brien stressed that the U.N. and its humanitarian partners need "safe, sustained access for humanitarian workers throughout the country."

Above all, he urged "meaningful action on the ground."

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6.25 p.m.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister is insisting that Syrian President Bashar Assad must go to make it possible to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. He says that "we will achieve" political change in the country.

Adel al-Jubeir addressed the Munich Security Conference on Friday after joining foreign ministers from global and regional powers in agreeing to seek a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria.

Al-Jubeir said his country is working for political change in order to remove "a man who is the single most effective magnet for extremists and terrorists in the region." He said "that's our objective and we will achieve it."

"Unless and until there is a change in Syria, Daesh will not be defeated in Syria," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

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5.45 p.m.

A humanitarian task force for Syria has kicked off its first meeting in Geneva with its leader saying he hopes it can pave the way for aid to be delivered to besieged areas in the war-battered country "without delay."

Jan Egeland says he hopes the meeting of International Syria Support Group envoys would open access to population centers in Syria amid continued fighting between President Bashar Assad forces and opposition groups.

Egeland told reporters Friday that he hoped aid could roll in "once we have all the access that we need."

The meeting of ambassadors and other envoys comes hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following an ISSG meeting in Munich that their two countries would co-chair the Geneva meeting.

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5:40 p.m.

Germany's defense minister has proposed that her country's military can train Syrian refugees to help them rebuild their country when the war there ends.

Ursula von der Leyen said at a security conference in Munich that pictures of the destruction in Syria make it clear that the country will need people with "very varied capabilities" to rebuild it. She noted Friday that the military offers training to craftspeople, technicians, logisticians and others.

Von der Leyen, who spoke alongside her French counterpart, said that if the peace process is ultimately successful Germany could one day help train Syrian security forces.

Syrians were the largest single group among the nearly 1.1 million people Germany registered as asylum-seekers last year  accounting for more than 400,000 of the total.

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5:25 p.m.

Jordan's King Abdullah is urging the international community to "act as one" diplomatically to stop the civil war in Syria.

Jordan neighbors Syria and is home to large numbers of Syrian refugees. The king noted in his speech to a security conference in Germany Friday that Jordan now hosts one Syrian for every five Jordanians.

Abdullah didn't explicitly address the agreement reached by international diplomats early Friday to seek a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria's civil war. But he said that "our world must ... act as one on the diplomatic front."

He added that "the killing in Syria has to stop if we are to move forward and find a political solution, one that protects Syria's independence and integrity."

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1:40 p.m.

The man who is heading up a humanitarian task force on Syria following an overnight agreement on a cessation of hostilities within a week, says the deal could provide a "breakthrough" to get aid needed to civilians in the war-torn country.

Jan Egeland, who heads the Norwegian Refugee Council, was to lead Friday's meeting in Geneva of the task force called for under an agreement reached by the International Syria Support Group, under U.S. and Russian leadership.

Egeland said the task force's main focus is gaining access to besieged towns. He said aid convoys have been denied access and left on stand-by "for too long."

In a statement, Egeland said a request for access to the most-affected areas was made Friday, and aid could be shipped to some of those areas by early next week.

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1 p.m.

Hezbollah's TV channel says Syrian government forces are in position to target the final supply route to the rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo, after troops recaptured several strategic hills in the city's northern countryside.

The advance is part of a broader government offensive to isolate the rebel stronghold, which began in earnest last week when troops supported by allied militias and backed by heavy Russian airstrikes retook the villages of Nubul and Zahra.

The new positions south of Zahra allow forces to target the towns of Anadan, Hraytan, and Kafr Hamra, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV says.

Government forces were repelled in an effort to retake the hills earlier this week, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports.

The Observatory reports heavy fighting between government and opposition forces a few kilometers south, around the town of Tamoura.

In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 photo, children walk down a street in Aleppo, Syria. The fighting around Syria's largest city of Aleppo has brought government forces closer to the Turkish border than at any point in recent years, routing rebels from key areas and creating a humanitarian disaster as tens of thousands of people flee. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)

In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 photo, children peer from a partially destroyed home in Aleppo, Syria. The fighting around Syria's largest city of Aleppo has brought government forces closer to the Turkish border than at any point in recent years, routing rebels from key areas and creating a humanitarian disaster as tens of thousands of people flee. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)

In this photo made from the footage with information taken from Russian Defense Ministry official website on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, an aerial image shows an air strike on militant headquarters in the province of Idlib, Syria. The Russian defense ministry says its airstrikes have hit about 1,900 targets in Syria in the past week. A Syrian government offensive around the city of Aleppo backed by Russian airstrikes has sent tens of thousands fleeing to the Turkish border. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service Photo via AP)

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir arrives at the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

German Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen, gestures during her speech at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry , center, second left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, center left, attend the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich, Germany, Thursday Feb. 11, 2016, together with members of the Syrian opposition and other officials. (Michael Dalder/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attend a news conference after the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Talks aimed at narrowing differences over Syria and keeping afloat diplomacy to end its civil war have gotten under way in Munich. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
France calls on EU to fight financing of extremist groups

BRUSSELS (AP)  French Finance Minister Michel Sapin has urged the European Union to quickly put into effect measures aimed at curbing the financing of extremist groups.

"We need to take action now," Sapin told journalists Friday at a meeting of the 28-nation bloc's finance ministers in Brussels. "We cannot wait for the end of the year to adopt measures that will enable us to fight the financing of terrorism effectively."

The EU unveiled last week a plan aiming at tracking extremists as they move money or assets and limiting their ability to raise funds by targeting their sources of income.

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, center, speaks with Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling, right, during a round table meeting of EU finance ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Sapin recalled that France has pushed for adoption of such measures since the January 2015 attacks by Islamic extremists on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in Paris.
PICTURED: Editor selections from the Middle East this week

Highlights from the weekly AP photo report from the Middle East and Afghanistan, a selection of indelible images you might have missed from a region grappling with unrest on multiple fronts.

This week's gallery features Iranians marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution; airstrikes in Sanaa; rainbows making an appearance as spring weather flirts with the region; and a donkey in Egypt who leaped into Internet fame with her unique talent.

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FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 file photo, a camel stands in an open field as rainbow appears in a cloudy sky over the southern Israeli Beduin village of Rahat. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

This gallery contains photos published Feb. 7-Feb. 10, 2016.

See the latest AP photo galleries: http://apne.ws/TXeCBN

The Archive: Top photo highlights from previous weeks: http://apne.ws/13QUFKJ

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Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers

Follow AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images

Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com

See the AP Images blog: http://blog.apimages.com/

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This gallery was produced by Middle East Regional Photo Editor in Cairo Maya Alleruzzo. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mayaalleruzzo

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during Afghan Air Force aerial demonstration ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistans air force has recently taken delivery of aircraft from the U.S. and India to enhance air power in the war against the Taliban, now in its 15th year. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 file picture, Egyptian farmer Ahmed Ayman, 14, rides his trained donkey as he jumps over a barrier in the Nile Delta village of Al-Arid about 150 kilometers north of Cairo, Egypt. He discovered the donkeys talent after she jumped over a small irrigation canal. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, a rider jumps during a pre race for the inauguration of the first official Motocross track the MX Wingate cross country race track near Netanya, Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 file photo, an Emirati man watches through a special viewfinder at the Museum of the future during the opening day of the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,. Those gathered for the World Government Summit in Dubai offered no immediate solutions to the crises gripping the region, like low global oil prices, global warming and the rise of violent extremism. But all acknowledged that keeping government responsive to its citizens remains crucial. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, an Iranian woman holds the national flag during a rally commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, in Tehran, Iran. The nationwide rallies commemorate Feb. 11, 1979, when followers of Ayatollah Khomeini ousted U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 file photo, people search for survivors under the rubble of a house destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes that killed a TV director, his wife, and three children in Sanaa, Yemen. Officials said the airstrike levelled Mounir al-Hakimi's two-story house and sparked a fire fueled by chemicals being stored in the building. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, members of Iranian Basij paramilitary force re-enact the January capture of U.S sailors by the Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf, in a rally commemorating the 37th anniversary of Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran The nationwide rallies commemorate Feb. 11, 1979, when followers of Ayatollah Khomeini ousted U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, a Palestinian demonstrator throws back a tear gas canister that was fired by Israeli troops during demonstration a calling for the release of Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeq, outside Ofer military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Al-Qeq has refused food for over 70 days to protest his six-month imprisonment without trial or charges, an Israeli practice known as administrative detention.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 file photo, a Palestinian boy uses a homemade wagon made from a plastic crate to wheel his brother during a rainy day in Jabaliya Refugee Camp, southern Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016 file photo, a Pakistani man walks past, during a foggy morning in Lahore, Pakistan. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)
Rights official: Poland's constitutional court 'paralyzed'

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Poland's Constitutional Tribunal has become "paralyzed" by the country's new government, threatening to undermine the rule of law, checks and balances on the government's power and the human rights of Polish citizens, a top European human rights official said Friday.

Nils Muiznieks, human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, gave his assessment to reporters on Friday after four days of meetings with Polish government leaders and human rights officials in Warsaw.

He was on a regular visit meant to assess Poland's protection of human rights, but said the timing was "particularly opportune" because it comes as the country has sparked concern in Europe with measures including changes to the Constitutional Tribunal and greater government control of public media.

Nils Muiznieks, human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, a human rights body, speaks to reporters in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The top European human rights official says that Polands Constitutional Tribunal has become paralyzed by the countrys new government and that this threatens not only the rule of law and checks and balances on its power but also the human rights of Polish citizens. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Muiznieks criticized the government, run by the right-wing Law and Justice party, for rushing through new laws without allowing sufficient time for consultations involving civil society and other professionals, reducing transparency in the law-making process. While he said insufficient public consultation is not a new phenomenon in Poland, it has become worse under Law and Justice, which took power last year.

"My overall message to the authorities was 'slow down,'" he said.

His greatest concern is the crisis surrounding the constitutional court, he said. Soon after taking power in November, the ruling party put through new laws which make it more difficult for the 15-judge court to issue valid rulings. The new law requires that any ruling must be backed by a two-thirds majority of judges, a change from the simple majority of the past.

That will make it extremely difficult for the court to strike down any controversial legislation. The government also tried to place its supporters on the court in a way that has been deemed illegal by the very same court.

"My view is that the Constitutional Tribunal is paralyzed and that this is an issue of great concern," Muiznieks said.

"The crisis affects not only the balance of powers within Poland and the rule of law, it also affects human rights," he said. "Because if the Constitutional Tribunal is paralyzed, individuals cannot apply to the court to seek their rights. And other courts cannot apply to the constitutional court to verify the constitutionality of laws."
5-story building collapses in Istanbul

ISTANBUL (AP)  A five-story building collapsed in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday but it appears no one was trapped inside, according to local officials.

The building collapsed in a small side street close to Istanbul's pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, a main shopping district, reducing much of it to rubble. Police sealed off the area.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters that "according to preliminary inspections there isn't anyone inside."

He added that people near the building realized that it was about to collapse due to the noise and warned people inside. "Our hope is that there wasn't anyone inside," said the governor.

Mayor Misbah Demircan said "people at the car park felt the shaking and they made people vacate the area," crediting them with preventing a disaster.
He will spend five days in Mexico conveying a message of solidarity to communities struck by violence and poverty

President Enrique Pena Nieto and his wife met Francis on the red carpet

He was greeted by a band and dancers on the tarmac, and briefly donned a sombrero

The Pontiff arrived in Mexico City Friday night after a brief stop in Havana, Cuba

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A smiling Pope Francis has been greeted in Mexico City with a rock concert-like show, with a stage and bandstand waiting for him at the airport and thousands of people lining the city's streets waving yellow hankerchiefs, hoping for a glimpse of the Holy See.

Mariachis serenaded as his chartered plane pulled to a stop and people shouted 'Brother Francis, you're already Mexican.'

President Enrique Pena Nieto, suffering the lowest approval ratings for a Mexican leader in a quarter century, and his wife met Francis on a red carpet as he deplaned.

The crowd roared as the three walked together, stopping to speak with four children in folk dress. Then the lights dimmed and the crowd waved lights as the official song composed for Francis' visit was performed. Men in broad sombreros and women in flowing red skirts danced on the tarmac.

Francis stepped to a group of children dressed in white offering blessings and placing his hand on top of each head.

It is the pope's first papal visit to Mexico, in which he wants to convey a message of solidarity with the victims of violence and communities stuck in poverty.

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He has arrived: Pope Francis waves from the Popemobile upon his arrival in Mexico City on Friday night, ahead of a five-day visit

Mighty welcome: Catholic faithful flocked to the streets of Mexico City in the thousands to greet Pope Francis on Friday night

Catholic faithful line the roadside as they wait to greet Pope Francis on his arrival, outside the presidential hangar at Mexico City's airport

Big waves: Pope Francis greets people upon arrival to Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City on Friday February 12, 2016

History's first Latin American pope traveled to Mexico on Friday for a weeklong tour of some of the most violent, poverty-stricken and peripheral places in the Americas

Thousands gathered to see the pope on his first papal visit to Mexico. He wants to convey a message of solidarity with the victims of violence and communities stuck in poverty

Pope Francis rides past Catholic faithful in his popemobile after arriving in Mexico City after flying in from Cuba on Friday night

The pope arrived at Mexico City's international airport from Havana, where he had an historic meeting with the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church.

Francis will tour Mexico, the most Catholic country in the Spanish-speaking world, through Wednesday. According to the most recent census, Mexico's percentage of Catholics has declined from 96 percent in 1970 to 83 percent in 2010.

Francis is scheduled to visit places most affected by poverty, violence and immigration.

Upon arrival, a gust of wind blew the pope's hat from his head. He briefly donned a black sombrero before handing it back to its mariachi owner.

He then drove from the airport to the capital's south side in an open-air popemobile waving to the crowds lining the route. As planned, he did not make any public comments.

The motorcade paused at one point when a man appeared to get past security barriers and run toward the popemobile.

The man was intercepted by security officials and the convoy moved on.

Security is tight outside the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City, where the pope will stay for the next five days.

Welcome!: Pope Francis waves upon his arrival at Benito Juarez international airport in Mexico City on February night

The pope was greeted by a major reception from the second he touched down, with singers and dancers waiting to perform for him

Oops: As he stepped off the plane, a gust of wind blew off Francis' skullcap while he walked with President Enrique Pena Nieto and the first lady, Angelica Rivera

Ole!: Pope Francis wears a traditional Mexican hat for a brief moment upon his arrival at Benito Juarez international airport

Pope Francis is welcomed by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (right) and first lady Angelica Rivera (left) upon his arrival

President Enrique Pena Nieto, suffering the lowest approval ratings for a Mexican leader in a quarter century, and his wife met Francis on a red carpet as he deplaned

Pope Francis greets children dressed in traditional Mexican outfits as he's escorted by Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, behind, and first lady Angelica Rivera

Pope Francis shakes greets Mexican children next to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto upon his arrival at Benito Juarez international airport in Mexico City

Pope Francis greets children next to Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto after his arrival in Mexico City on Friday night

People stood outside huddled against the cold, some covered with blankets.

Waiting for the pontiff to drive by Friday night, 85-year-old Carlos Garcia said he and other Mexicans loved Pope John Paul II and saw him multiple times during his five visits to Mexico. He said they are now ready for this visit by the first Latin American to be pope.

In his words, 'Mexico really needs the pope's message.'

Lawyer Victor Lopez waited with a large silver cross around his neck. He said: 'The pope visits a wounded country that needs his words of encouragement.'

Rosaura Gutierrez staked out her spot early Friday morning and is looking forward to the pope's prayers and encouragement' for Mexico. She said her country has been 'massacred by people far from God.'

Pope Francis says his deepest desire for his trip to Mexico is to simply pray before the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Speaking to reporters en route to his first stop in Havana, Francis said he knew that the Virgin is beloved to Catholics and even those who are not.

'This mystery that they study, study, and there are no human explanations,' he said. 'The most scientific study says this is something of God. This is what I'll tell the Mexicans, even those who say 'I'm atheist but I'm a Guadalupeno.'  Then he corrected himself: 'Some Mexicans. Not all are atheists.'

Francis is now due to celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Guadalupe on Saturday evening. The trip to Mexico runs through Wednesday.

Preparations: A man holds a poster of Pope Francis in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas State, Mexico on Friday

Excited: People await Pope Francis' arrival to Mexico City on February 12, 2016. Pope Francis will visit Mexico until February 17

A woman waves a blanket decorated with an image of Pope Francis along the route the pontiff will take upon arrival to Mexico City

A Catholic faithful holds a flag of Pope Francis before his arrival in Mexico City on February 12. Thousands gathered for the visit

People wait along the route that Pope Francis will take from the airport to the Catholic Nunciatura in Mexico City on Friday

Women show their blanket decorated with an image of Pope Francis and the Virgin of Guadalupe where they wait along the route the pontiff will take from the airport to the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Mexico City

Earlier in the day, Pope Francis sent a message of condolences to the archbishop of Monterrey after 49 inmates died in a prison riot in the northern Mexican city.

Francis expresses profound sorrow over Thursday's violence and asks that his message be relayed to the victims' families. He also wishes those wounded in the melee a speedy recovery.

Mexican officials say the victims were bludgeoned, stabbed and hacked to death when feuding factions of the Zetas drug cartel clashed inside the Topo Chico prison.

Francis also had a brief stop in Cuba for a historic meeting with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Historic: Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center left, meet at the Jose Marti aiport in Havana, Cuba, on Friday. It was the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism within Christianity

The two signed a joint declaration on religious unity after their historic meeting in Havana.

The declaration calls for peace in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine and urges Europe to 'maintain its faithfulness to its Christian roots.'
Man charged with murder in Georgia lawman's shooting death

ATLANTA (AP)  A suspect accused of gunning down a Georgia lawman has been charged with murder in the death of the 25-year police veteran. The fallen officer was struck by two shots as he helped colleagues serve a "no knock" search warrant at an apartment complex near Atlanta, authorities said Friday.

Maj. Greg Barney, a well-known figure in the community of Riverdale, died following surgery after Thursday's shooting, said Riverdale Police Chief Todd Spivey. Friends and colleagues were in mourning and two candles glowed outside police headquarters in the small suburban city of about 15,000.

Barney was shot while helping Clayton County officers serve a search warrant at an apartment complex in Riverdale, south of Atlanta's airport. Riverdale officers, including Barney, were guarding the perimeter while Clayton County police entered the apartment, police said.

Police officers mill around the parking lot of the Villages on the River apartment complex on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, following a fatal police shooting, in Riverdale, Ga. (John Spink/Atlanta Joutal police shooting, rnal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

When officers entered the apartment, Jerand Ross, 24, bolted through a back door, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement Friday. Barney chased Ross, who shot him once in the abdomen and once in an arm, according to the statement.

The statement added that a Clayton County officer, Lt. Francisco Romero, pursued Ross as he ran behind the apartment buildings. After a short chase, Ross pointed a handgun at Romero, who shot the 24-year-old in the head, the GBI statement added.

Ross remains hospitalized at Atlanta Medical Center and is expected to survive, GBI spokesman Scott Dutton said Friday. It was unclear if Ross had an attorney.

The GBI's investigation includes observations from a witness, who saw Ross with two handguns while fleeing from the officers, according to the GBI statement.

"The witness saw Ross throw one of the handguns into the woods behind an apartment building," the GBI said in a statement. That gun was later found by a police dog.

Barney's body was taken to the GBI headquarters, where an autopsy was planned.

After the shooting, a flower wreath was left outside Riverdale police headquarters. WSB-TV showed images of two candles glowing outside the police department's entrance. At a nearby church, Frances Lee said a message was being put on the sign: "Our prayers are with the Barney family."

Barney was well-known in Riverdale, a city suburb just south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Residents recalled him as a police department commander and school resource officer who left a strong impression.

In 2004, Barney became the first African-American to serve as Riverdale's police chief when he accepted the interim post after the retirement of its chief. He served as interim chief for five months, the Atlanta newspaper reported.

"Because of his charismatic personality, Major Barney was an iconic figure in the City of Riverdale," Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill said in a statement. "Anyone who ever lived or worked in the Riverdale knew him, and his name was synonymous with the city."

Akeem Bivins said he first me Barney at Riverdale High School, when he was a student and Barney was the school resource officer. Barney often spoke to him about staying on the right path, he told WXIA-TV.

"He had a positive vibe," Bivens said. "He made me want to do right; he made me want to make my mom proud of me."

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Associated Press writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this story.

Georgia Bureau Investigation, Riverdale and Clayton County police investigate the scene where an officer was fatally shot by a suspect during a law enforcement operation in Riverdale, Ga., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A Georgia Bureau of Investigations officer carries evidence Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, from the scene of a fatal police shooting at the Villages on the River apartment complex in Riverdale, Ga. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Riverdale police officers investigate the scene where an officer was fatally shot by a suspect during a law enforcement operation in Riverdale, Ga., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Clayton County police officers converse at the scene where an officer was fatally shot by a suspect during a law enforcement operation in Riverdale, Ga., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Riverdale and Clayton County police investigate the scene where an officer was fatally shot by a suspect during a law enforcement operation in Riverdale, Ga., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A SWAT officer makes his way down Quacco Rd. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Pooler, Ga., to the scene where a suspect was held up in his home after shooting a Chatham County deputy. Police say the suspect came out of the house on his own and surrendered at about 7:30 p.m. (Josh Galemore/Savannah Morning News via AP)
US company sells classic Etch A Sketch to Toronto toy firm

BRYAN, Ohio (AP)  The company that has produced or owned the Etch A Sketch for decades has sold the classic toy to a firm in Toronto.

Ohio Art Co. sold the Etch A Sketch and the spinoff Doodle Sketch to Spin Master Corp. for an undisclosed price. The Blade newspaper in Toledo reports Ohio Art announced the move Thursday.

Company president Martin Killgallon says handing over the iconic toy is bittersweet but was done in consideration of the business's long-term future. The company plans to focus more on metal lithography, the craft on which it was founded.

The Etch A Sketch was created by a French inventor. The brand was produced or owned by Ohio Art since 1960, when it bought the rights for $25,000.

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US Sen. McCain urges assistance to migrant route countries

SID, Serbia (AP)  U.S. Sen. John McCain on Friday called for additional assistance to countries along the Balkan migrant corridor and expressed hope for an end to wars in Syria and Afghanistan fueling the refugee crisis.

McCain, a Republican from Arizona, traveled with a Congressional delegation to a Serbian border town where thousands of refugees pass daily on their way toward Western Europe.

"We are here to see the transportation of the refugees through the border crossing to other countries," McCain said at the railway station in Sid as hundreds of migrants boarded a train to take them to neighboring Croatia.

U.S. Sen. John McCain visits a refugee center at the train station in Sid, about 100 km west from Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Sen. McCain and a U.S. Congress delegation pledged assistance to Serbia and other countries along the Balkan migrant route. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McCain praised the Serbian government for doing "an excellent job in difficult circumstances." He said more U.S. help is necessary, describing the refugee crisis as "very expensive."

"We will be returning and asking our colleagues to vote for additional assistance which is obviously needed," McCain said.

More than 1 million refugees came to Europe last year in the biggest movement to the continent since World War II. Refugees travel through Serbia and other Balkan countries before reaching wealthy European nations such as Germany or Sweden.

Rami Ildere, 29, from Syria, said he wanted to go to Germany or any "secure country." He said he could not stay in Syria because of the war and constant bombing.

"All my family is going," Ildere said.

McCain urged a "settlement in Syria so that the bombing there and in Afghanistan will stop, so that people will remain in their homes and do not have to leave."

"We also will do everything we can to bring about peace in the Middle East to stop the wanton killing causing this enormous humanitarian problem that is spreading all through Europe and eventually to the United States," he said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain visits a refugee center at the train station in Sid, about 100 km west from Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Sen. McCain and a U.S. Congress delegation pledged assistance to Serbia and other countries along the Balkan migrant route. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

U.S. Sen. John McCain visits a refugee centre at the train station in Adasevci, about 100 km (62 miles) west from Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Sen. McCain and a U.S. Congress delegation pledged assistance to Serbia and other countries along the Balkan migrant route. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Migrants walk towards the train station in Sid, about 100 km west from Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Sen. McCain and a U.S. Congress delegation pledged assistance to Serbia and other countries along the Balkan migrant route. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Coast Guard to decide if storm-damaged cruise ship can sail

BAYONNE, N.J. (AP)  The Coast Guard on Friday inspected a cruise ship that was battered and damaged by an intense winter storm to determine if it will be able to set sail as scheduled on a weekend voyage.

Royal Caribbean was forced to cancel Anthem of the Seas' seven-day cruise to the Bahamas, and the ship returned to Bayonne on Wednesday night after a storm packing hurricane-force winds and waves as high as 30 feet damaged part of its propulsion system and left 4,500 passengers hunkered down in their cabins.

The 1,141-foot ship's left azipod was rendered inoperable during the storm, Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe said. An azipod is a propeller that is mounted to a steerable pod that contains an electric motor.

Passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, await transportation after arriving at Cape Liberty cruise port, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Bayonne, N.J. Carrying 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, the ship returned early from a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas after it was battered by a major storm in the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

The azipod was replaced, Rowe said, and Coast Guard officials were examining it along with the ship's lifeboats and other safety equipment to see if they meet standards. The ship can safely maneuver with one azipod, Rowe said.

In addition to the partial loss of propulsion, Rowe said, the ship had largely cosmetic damage, including broken glass, china and balcony doors. Four passengers had minor injuries.

Royal Caribbean said it expects the ship will sail as scheduled Saturday on an eight-day cruise to the Bahamas.

Many passengers criticized the cruise line for allowing the ship to sail from New Jersey last Saturday as the storm moved up the coast.

Royal Caribbean said the storm identified gaps in its planning system and the company was "strengthening" its storm avoidance policy.

Passengers received a full refund and a certificate toward 50 percent off a future cruise.

This image made available by Flavio Cadegiani shows damage to Royal Caribbean's ship Anthem of the Seas, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. The ship ran into high winds and rough seas in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, forcing passengers into their cabins overnight. No injuries were reported and only minor damage to some public areas. The ship is turning around and sailing back to its home port in New Jersey. (Flavio Cadegiani via AP)

This image made available by Flavio Cadegiani shows damage to the deck of Royal Caribbean's ship Anthem of the Seas, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. The ship ran into high winds and rough seas in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, forcing passengers into their cabins overnight. No injuries were reported and only minor damage to some public areas. The ship is turning around and sailing back to its home port in New Jersey. (Flavio Cadegiani via AP)

Passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, exit the terminal after arriving at Cape Liberty cruise port, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Bayonne, N.J. Carrying 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, the ship returned early from a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas after it was battered by a major storm in the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

A passenger from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, adjusts her luggage after disembarking from the ship upon arriving at Cape Liberty cruise port, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Bayonne, N.J. Carrying 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, the ship returned early from a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas after it was battered by a major storm in the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

A passenger from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, awaits transportation after arriving at Cape Liberty cruise port, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Bayonne, N.J. Carrying 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, the ship returned early from a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas after it was battered by a major storm in the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, exit the terminal after arriving at Cape Liberty cruise port, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Bayonne, N.J. Carrying 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, the ship returned early from a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas after it was battered by a major storm in the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
In southern Europe, an astute negotiator unpicks austerity

LISBON, Portugal (AP)  He doesn't boast about being an expert deal-maker like Donald Trump, but new Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is quietly building a reputation as a canny negotiator and a government leader to watch in southern Europe by doing what many people thought was impossible.

While Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras struggles with the competing demands of bailout creditors and demonstrators on budget austerity cuts, and with Spain's top politicians unable to unblock a post-election stalemate, Costa is providing a lesson for Europe's financially troubled southern countries on how to move things forward.

Costa keeps proving people wrong. Against all expectations, he brokered an unprecedented alliance between his center-left Socialist Party and its four-decade antagonist the Communist Party that enabled him to take power despite losing last October's general election. He has undone last year's banner privatization of the national airline, and he has persuaded hesitant European authorities to sign off on his debt-heavy country's spending plan despite the evident risks it contains  not just for Portugal but for the wider eurozone's credibility.

FOR STORY PORTUGAL - THE AUSTERITY NEGOTIATOR - In this photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 10 2016, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa addresses supporters of his Socialist Party in Lisbon to explain and take questions about the government's 2016 state budget. Costa doesn't boast about being an expert deal-maker, but he is quietly building a reputation as a canny negotiator building unprecedented alliances and becoming the government leader to watch in southern Europe. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Critics says Costa is making high-stakes gambles: already, his budget moves appear to be spooking some investors, with a rise in Portugal's government borrowing rates this week indicating concern about the country's financial prospects.

But Costa's boldness has captured the imagination of many Portuguese weary of austerity measures that are the dregs of the eurozone's financial crisis and Portugal's 78 billion-euro (currently $89 billion) bailout in 2011.

The European Commission "really wasn't open to much negotiation and (Costa) managed to pull it off, and to save the coalition (with the communists), and that's remarkable," said Antonio Barroso, a London-based analyst with the Teneo Intelligence political risk consultancy. He noted, though, that to some extent reaching deals was in the interests of the other players, too, and that Costa faces no challenges in his party to his leadership and strategy.

Costa, a 55-year-old lawyer with a three-decade career in politics, says he wants to trigger an economic upswing in western Europe's poorest country by stimulating private consumption. Among its boldest anti-austerity steps, his government is restoring civil servants' pay that was cut, slashing taxes for low-income families, increasing the lowest pensions, and bringing back four public holidays. The government has also approved a return to the civil servants' traditional 35-hour working week, down from the current 40 hours, and is cutting the sales tax on restaurant meals to 13 percent from 23 percent.

Financial oversight bodies, international ratings agencies and European officials question the wisdom of those measures. They say making savings should be a priority for a country with such high government debt  at around 130 percent of GDP, one of the highest in Europe.

But Costa needed to take such steps to ensure the Communist Party's backing. Costa said his surprise pact with the communists was "like knocking down the Berlin Wall."

Just as unexpected was his reversal of last November's controversial sale of a 61 percent share in the flagship TAP Air Portugal airline by the previous center-right government. The carrier's new owners ruled out an ownership-sharing agreement with Costa's government in mid-December, saying their ideas "didn't match." But seven weeks later, "goodwill and dialogue allowed us to unite," said Humberto Pedrosa, head of the Atlantic Gateway consortium, which consented to surrender its controlling stake and keep just 45 percent.

Costa looks like a cuddly uncle. He is portly  though a natty dresser  and comes across as good-humored and patient.

Those close to him, however, say he can be both charming and tough. When some criticized his government's recent increase in taxes on auto sales, gas and tobacco, Costa said in a televised public meeting that people should use public transport and quit smoking.

Costa's gambles could yet backfire, and his critics complain that he is restoring unfair entitlements that have helped keep Portugal's economy uncompetitive for decades.

His anti-austerity campaign also relies on some political smoke-and-mirrors: there's still plenty of austerity around if you're not on a low income, with the previous government's self-confessed "enormous" tax hikes for the middle class and high earners still in place. And the 2016 government budget raises the overall tax burden to a record level, according to calculations by weekly paper Expresso.

Portugal's change of tack hasn't troubled investors too much so far, largely because the European Central Bank's stimulus program is keeping markets calm. Under that program, the ECB is pumping 60 billion euros ($68.08 billion) a month in newly printed money into the eurozone economy by buying government and corporate bonds, including those of Portugal.

That is effectively keeping down Portugal's government borrowing rates, allowing it to finance itself on capital markets and not require a bailout program.

But the ECB's support depends on Portugal's bonds being classified as investment grade by at least one rating agency. Only one rating agency, DBRS, still holds that view and is due to review its stance in April.

Fergus McCormick, Head of Sovereign Ratings at DBRS, said Friday that a slip in Portugal's finances "is a risk and the high debt burden leaves the country exposed to shocks."

FOR STORY PORTUGAL - THE AUSTERITY NEGOTIATOR - FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2015 file photo, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, left, speaks with European Council President Donald Tusk during an EU summit in Brussels. Costa has done what many said was impossible. He has brokered an unprecedented alliance between his Socialist Party and its four-decade antagonist the Communist Party, he has undone last year's banner privatization of the national airline, and he has persuaded hesitant European authorities to sign off on his debt-heavy country's financial plans. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, FILE)
Migrants attacked around Calais, tinderbox of tensions

CALAIS, France (AP)  Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and elsewhere in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums and deepening concerns the city is becoming a tinderbox of anti-migrant, anti-Muslim rage that's fueling a budding nationalist movement.

The stalkers, sometimes masked, slip through the night armed with clubs, brass knuckles, pepper spray or knives, according to accounts by migrants and groups working to provide medical and legal help.

After months of what appear to be organized attacks, police made their first arrests Thursday, taking seven men armed with iron bars and extendable batons into custody for a suspected attack on five Iraqi Kurds at Loon-Plage, a port town between Calais and nearby Dunkirk. The seven faced charges of violence in a group and forming a group to commit violence, said Dunkirk prosecutor Eric Fouard. Some of the men, aged 24-47, said they sympathized with extreme-right movements in Calais identified as xenophobic, he said.

In this Feb. 5, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

"The ideas they peddle are that there are too many migrants in France," Fouard said by telephone, noting that one of the seven was from Brittany and another from the Paris region.

The head of a legal center set up for the refugees in the makeshift Calais camp alleged on Friday that those living there are regularly subject to police violence, as well. Marianne Humbersot told reporters she was filing 13 complaints  five for violence by militia and eight at the hands of police.

"I have a 13 year old who had his foot broken. And 10 days before being attacked by police, he had his nose broken by racists," Humbersot said.

Migrants  who have converged in northern France hoping to sneak into Britain  have also long complained about police brutality, accounts backed up by medical units that treat them. But attacks in recent months, accounts suggest, are organized and carried out by a militia-style group or groups, opening a new dimension of violence.

A growing security crackdown aimed at keeping thousands of migrants from reaching Britain is giving Calais a fortress-like look. The city bristles with tall barbed wire fences, blinks with police lights and is disfigured by open spaces cleared of brush  including at the two entrances to the camp  so police can better survey.

On Friday, officials in France's northern Pas-de-Calais region said that half of the sprawling makeshift migrant camp will be evacuated. Prefect Fabienne Buccio said between 800 to 1,000 migrants will have to leave their dwellings in the camp on the edge of Calais, which now has shops, mosques, churches and schools built by migrants and volunteers.

Among the city's population, a potentially toxic cocktail of frustration and anger is brewing, with pro- and anti-migrant groups facing off in demonstrations. On social networks, anti-migrant groups, often calling themselves "patriots," are using increasingly virulent language.

"We are playing with fire because people are becoming defensive. They are organizing themselves," said the Doctors of the World coordinator for northern France, Amin Trouve-Baghdouche.

About 150 people defied a ban on a Feb. 6 demonstration in Calais organized by the anti-Islam movement PEGIDA, which staged protests in numerous European countries that day. Police charged the Calais demonstration to end it, pulling a retired four-star general who once headed the Foreign Legion into their security net. Gen. Christian Piquemal was arrested, charged and ordered to stand trial along with four others, outraging some right and far-right politicians and his partisans. Three others, all armed, were convicted and given jail terms of up to three months.

A week earlier, about 50 migrants broke through fencing and briefly occupied a ferry, the "Spirit of Britain," at the Calais port during a demonstration by some 2,000 migrants and supporters.

There are currently about 4,200 migrants in Calais, from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea and elsewhere, and up to 2,000 more in another makeshift camp near Dunkirk, with hundreds of others scattered along the coast hoping to finish their journeys in Britain.

The "jungle," as the open-air Calais migrant slum is known, embodies in one sprawling stretch of filth and mud the hardships, and horrors, of uprooted lives. And the city's tensions reflect simmering uncertainty around Europe as it absorbs 1 million Syrian refugees and other migrants who arrived last year.

The bid to keep the travelers from accessing the Calais ferry port, the Eurotunnel and trucks making the journey to Britain has frustrated migrants, leaving them to take greater risks to make the crossing. Up to 20 have died since the end of June. The local Nord Littoral newspaper said four Afghans in a small boat were saved last week. A body was found this week in the waters of the port.

Now, a new fear, being physically attacked, has surfaced.

"Today, we have organized groups ... dressed in the same way with hoods who say they are police," said Baghdouche of Doctors of the World. The men are armed with clubs, iron bars, pepper spray and knives, he said, citing numerous accounts by migrants seeking medical aid. The attacks occur in town or near the jungle camp  and now closer to Dunkirk.

"They stop them, usually late, at 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., say they are police so obviously the migrants stop. They ask them to undress ... they start to hit them until they fall down, KO (knockout)," Baghdouche said.

The aid group Doctors of the World has helped migrants in the area file at least two legal complaints about attacks.

Prosecutor Jean-Pierre Valensi said he has sent four to five cases for investigation by judicial police over several months, the latest on Wednesday when a group of migrants was attacked with clubs near the camp.

"We have rather vague descriptions (of the attackers). The migrants disappear. We need accounts. We can't find them," he said.

The victims, who are in France illegally, fear filing formal complaints, in part to avoid being trapped here or sent home. Since they are illegally in the country they have no right to eventual reparations.

Some Calaisians worry migrants are hurting the economy of Calais, a tourist destination for British that, it is widely agreed, has a growing image problem. Others worry about their children's safety, noting streets empty in the evening, or property values.

"The migrants are more and more violent. They are blocked here. It's a dead-end," said Sandrine Desert, a founder of Calasiens en Colere (Angry Calasians), a group that cruises town to film migrants in the streets and post them on Facebook. "We are the forgotten ones ... . They always talk of migrants, but we are also in distress."

Philippe Wannesson, who blogs daily about his town, said, "The public debate is becoming far more divided."

"They're not ready to fight," he said, but there is "increasingly violent" extreme-right talk.

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In this Feb. 5, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, a person walks through the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Nigerian army frees 267 detainees, no links to Boko Haram

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  Nigeria's army freed 267 detainees Friday, including dozens of children, some as young as preschoolers, saying that investigators had determined they had no links to Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

Only eight suspects were handed over to police for further investigation, commanding officer Maj. Gen. Haruna Umaru told a ceremony at a military barracks in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.

He said the releases should reassure Nigerians that "no individual will unjustly or unduly be incarcerated." He said the Nigerian military remains "committed to the protection of the fundamental rights of every citizen of Nigeria and foreigners alike."

woman and children detained by Nigeria army who has no links to Boko Haram sits under a canopy before their release at the Military barracks in Maiduguri , Nigeria, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Nigerias army freed 267 detainees Friday including dozens of minors, some looking no more than 3-years old, saying investigators said they had no links to the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola)

Nigerian law requires that anyone arrested be charged before a magistrate within 48 hours and have access to a lawyer. But the military continues to hold people incommunicado, including foreigners, and the exact number still held is not known.

Four people from neighboring Cameroon and Niger were among those released Friday, along with 72 children. Nigerian security forces regularly detain the children of suspects. Glum, weary-looking detainees gathered under a tent for the ceremony, including a malnourished boy dressed only in an oversized T-shirt.

The lone smile came from 21-year-old Hauwa Mohammed, who told The Associated Press she had been held for six months on suspicion of being the girlfriend of a Boko Haram fighter. She said she had gotten sick in detention and wanted to concentrate on taking care of her health.

None of those released would discuss the conditions they were held in, apparently fearful of the nearby soldiers.

Amnesty International has charged that Nigeria's military is responsible for the deaths of some 8,000 detainees between 2011 and 2015  some shot outright and others dying of torture, starvation or asphyxiation in overcrowded cells. The military has denied the charges.

Still, President Muhammadu Buhari has not made good on promises to investigate Amnesty's allegations and its recommendation that nine senior officers be investigated for possible war crimes in the detainee deaths.

At Friday's ceremony, Borno state Gov. Kashim Shettima said the detainees' release "bears testimony to the fact that we are running a professional force, contrary to insinuations from several quarters, insinuations of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and the dehumanization of the citizenry."

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Associated Press writer Michelle Faul contributed to this report from Lagos, Nigeria.

Woman and children detained by Nigeria army sit under a canopy before their release from the Military barracks in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. Nigerias army freed 267 detainees Friday including dozens of minors, some looking very young, saying investigators said they have no links to the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola)
Ryan lays out budget options to divided House Republicans

WASHINGTON (AP)  Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday delivered a message to conservatives unhappy with last year's pact with President Barack Obama that boosted spending for the Pentagon and domestic agencies: You're stuck with it.

Ryan is facing a restive right wing that could deliver him an embarrassing setback by denying the votes for a GOP budget this year. Ryan wants to abide by last year's higher spending deal but wrap in conservative ideas like a balanced budget for the future.

The Wisconsin Republican said at a party meeting Friday that conservative demands to roll back the spending increases could mean a new round of Washington gridlock. That gridlock guarantees the increases get rubber-stamped anyway, either as a catchall omnibus spending measure or by keeping the budget on automatic pilot past the Oct. 1 start of the 2017 fiscal year.

In this photo taken Feb. 11, 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks during his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Ryan is delivering a message to conservatives unhappy with last year's pact with President Barack Obama that boosted spending for the Pentagon and domestic agencies: You're stuck with it. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The person in the room requested anonymity to describe Ryan's message because the remarks were made behind closed doors.

At issue is the arcane, often frustrating budget process on Capitol Hill. The annual budget by Congress typically make bold promises, but in reality it's a nonbinding blueprint that sets the stage for follow-up legislation, specifically a round of appropriations bills and, is some years, special budget legislation that would allow Republicans to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate and deliver cuts to Obama.

It gets complicated, but basically last year's budget deal passed with Democratic votes and was signed by Obama. But any new GOP budget must pass with nearly unanimous Republican support since it will also call for big cuts to domestic programs favored by Democrats and deny Obama his proposed tax increases.

A key wrinkle is that last year's deal, worked out by former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other top congressional leaders, awarded roughly $66 billion in higher spending for the ongoing budget year and essentially requires those levels to stay in place for the 2017 cycle starting next fall. Washington's longstanding practice when faced with budget gridlock is to keep spending at current levels until the impasse is broken.

However, some conservatives  especially the hard-right Freedom Caucus that pushed out Boehner  want to rewrite last fall's agreement to cut back domestic increases such as higher IRS spending. On Friday, Ryan warned that such an effort would fail in the Senate and force the very gridlock that would guarantee the higher levels get renewed anyway.

A new budget would also give Republicans an opportunity to deliver filibuster-proof spending cuts to Obama such tougher requirements for public assistance.

The GOP source in the meeting said Ryan told the rank-and-file that it would be a shame it the party couldn't produce a budget but that "the sky won't fall" since there's no fiscal "cliff" like the need to increase the government's debt limit.
The Latest: Arizona school shooting was murder-suicide

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)  The Latest on a shooting at a high school in a Phoenix suburb (all times local):

5 p.m.

Police now say the deaths of two 15-year-old female students at a high school in a Phoenix suburb is a murder-suicide.

A Phoenix police officer, center, tries to give instructions to parents waiting to board buses to reunite with their children, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz., after two students died in a shooting at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb. The danger at the campus was over, police said, as worried parents crowded stores nearby to await word on their children.(AP Photo/Matt York)

Glendale Police Officer Tracey Breeden say a suicide note was located at the scene of Friday morning's shooting at Independence High School.

She says both victims were shot once and a weapon was found near the bodies, which were located near the school's cafeteria area under a covered patio.

Breeden says the teens have been positively identified, but their names aren't being released by police because they are juveniles.

12:35 p.m.

A student says she was shocked to learn that two teens died in a shooting at her suburban Phoenix high school.

Lanie Walter, a senior, said Friday that the shooting was heartbreaking because "everyone is so loving" at Independence High School.

She says she heard ambulances on her way to the campus in Glendale but didn't think much of it until her first class went on lockdown.

She called her parents to tell them she was OK and said her mother was relieved because she had been watching the news.

Police say two 15-year-old girls, both students, were found dead on campus. Authorities didn't know what led to the shooting but say they're not looking for anybody else.

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11:35 a.m.

Worried parents will be bused to a Phoenix-area high school to be reunited with their children after two students were killed in a shooting.

Police say the two 15-year-old girls were found dead Friday morning at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.

Authorities didn't know what led to the shooting but say they're not looking for anybody else. A gun was found near the bodies.

Hundreds of concerned parents have been waiting outside stores near the school. School district Superintendent Brian Capistran told reporters that parents will be bused to campus to meet their children.

He says families then will be taken off campus by bus. Students may also ride their normal buses home.

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10:50 a.m.

Police say two female students died in a shooting at a high school in a Phoenix suburb.

Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters Friday that both victims were 15-year-old girls and were shot once. She says authorities are not searching for any suspects and a weapon was found near the bodies.

She did not have any information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene. They were found near an administration building.

Breeden says police received a call of a shooting just before 8 a.m. and they were on scene within minutes.

She told parents awaiting word on their kids that "your children are safe."

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9:55 a.m.

Dozens of worried parents are waiting at a convenience store for word about their kids after police say two teens were shot at a high school in a Phoenix suburb.

Glendale police say there's no active shooter and no more danger at Independence High School. Authorities and school officials have not discussed the conditions of the teens.

The Glendale Union High School District says in a statement on its website that no one can leave or enter the campus until police ensure the school's safety and lift a lockdown.

Parents were directed to locations near the school. Many crowded a nearby Walmart parking lot.

At the convenience store, Cheryl Rice said she was frightened for her 15-year-old daughter but was relieved when the girl called to say she was OK.

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9:05 a.m.

Police say two teens have been shot at a high school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, but there is no more danger to the rest of the campus.

Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters Friday that she doesn't know whether the victims at Independence High School are students. She didn't discuss the conditions of the teens.

She didn't say who fired the shots but said there is no active shooter situation now. The school is on lockdown.

Police and fire units have descended on the school. Streets are closed to traffic in the residential area around the campus.

A Glendale Union High School District spokeswoman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

The district website says the school has more than 2,000 students and was founded in 1977.

A police officer tries to give instructions to parents waiting to reunite with their children, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. after two teens were shot Friday at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb. Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters Friday that both victims were 15 years old and were shot once. She says authorities are not searching for any suspects and a weapon was found near the bodies. Breeden told parents awaiting word on their kids that "your children are safe." (AP Photo/Matt York)

Parents and others wait near a high school in Glendale, Ariz., to be reunited with students after police say two female students died in a shooting at the school in a Phoenix suburb. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Japanese musician strangled during Trinidad's Carnival

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP)  A Japanese musician who flew to Trinidad to participate in a well-known steel percussion competition was strangled to death during the island's annual Carnival celebration, authorities said Friday.

An autopsy concluded that Asami Nagakiya, whose body was found Wednesday in a Port-of-Spain park, had been manually strangled. No arrests have been made, and authorities said they were working to determine whether she had been sexually assaulted.

Japanese Embassy spokesman Shoichi Ueda said in a phone interview Friday that Nagakiya was in her 30s and her family lives in Japan. He said it's unclear whether her family would come to Trinidad, or if her body would be sent back to Japan.

Police said in a statement that they searched an abandoned house close to where Nagakiya was found after witnesses said they saw her going in and out of the building. She was last seen with her band on Tuesday around noon, officials said.

Nagakiya flew to Trinidad on Jan. 7 to play with the PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars, a 120-person steel drum orchestra. The band was playing in the Panorama steel pan competition, which is held every February during Trinidad's Carnival.

Officials said Nagakiya joined the band in 2012.

"Her talent and hard work made her the excellent tenor player that she was," the group said in a statement. "Asami would also be remembered for her generosity with craft and jewelry making and the Japanese treats that she always brought back for everyone when she returned to Trinidad."

Nagakiya also was a pannist for a Japanese band called OTSK.

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Obstacles abound in prosecution of Texas priest in cold case

HOUSTON (AP)  Prosecutors face a tough road in their case against a former priest accused this week in the killing of a young Texas teacher and beauty queen nearly 56 years ago, according to legal experts.

John Bernard Feit, 83, remained in custody Friday in Phoenix following his indictment in South Texas' Hidalgo County for the murder of 25-year-old Irene Garza.

Feit had been considered a suspect in the past, and two fellow priests told authorities he confessed to them. But like many cold cases, this one will pose special difficulties stemming from decades-old evidence, a lack of DNA and the long delay in bringing charges.

This photo taken on March 11, 2004, shows a portrait of Irene Garza displayed at the home of her aunt Herlynda De La Vina in Edinburg, Texas. A former priest was arrested Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, in Arizona in the 1960 slaying of the 25-year-old Texas schoolteacher and beauty queen. (Delcia Lopez /The San Antonio Express-News via AP) RUMBO DE SAN ANTONIO OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT

"These are challenges that are not unsurmountable, but they are going to be looked at very carefully by the defense," said Philip Hilder, a Houston criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor.

Authorities allege the then-27-year-old Feit killed Garza on April 16, 1960, after hearing her confession at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where he was a priest.

Her body was found days later. An autopsy determined Garza, who was named Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, had been raped while unconscious and was beaten and suffocated.

Feit's arrest Tuesday followed other investigations over the years, including a grand jury probe in 2004 that concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

"We thought the whole thing was settled. This has been going on for 50 years now," said Matthias Feit, John Feit's 92-year-old brother.

Matthias Feit, from Phoenix, said he did not know if his sibling had hired an attorney. Court records in Arizona did not list a lawyer for him.

John Feit has said he plans to fight extradition to Texas. While extradition is the first problem prosecutors will face, it probably will not be the most difficult one.

Prosecutors will have to confront concerns about the age of the evidence and how well it has been maintained. Some witnesses might be dead, and others may have dim memories, Hilder said.

The long delay in filing charges could also raise concerns about whether the elderly Feit will be physically and mentally able to help in his defense.

"At some point, a case can become so old that it may be nearly impossible for a defendant to be able to put on a competent defense," Houston criminal defense attorney Grant Scheiner said.

Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez has declined to comment on what evidence was presented to the grand jury, saying in a statement that authorities would not elaborate until after the extradition process.

The lack of DNA evidence could also be a stumbling block, said Rene Guerra, the former Hidalgo County district attorney who investigated the murder but never brought charges.

"There's no DNA or anything like that we were aware of where they can say, 'Feit did it,'" Guerra, who was district attorney for more than 30 years before losing re-election in 2014, said in a telephone interview. Now retired, he lives in Edinburg, just north of McAllen.

When Guerra was still in office, Garza's family members and friends criticized his handling of the case, including the grand jury probe that failed to obtain an indictment. The case became an issue in the 2014 district attorney's race. Rodriguez promised that if elected, he would re-examine the case.

Lynda de la Vina, Garza's cousin, was 8 years old at the time of the killing. She believes a strong case can still be brought against Feit.

"DNA makes it easy for prosecutors, I suppose, but not every case depends on DNA if other evidence is pretty overwhelming. It's about connecting the dots," said de la Vina, an economics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Scheiner said Feit's attorneys could point to the 2004 grand jury decision and argue that the new charge was brought "more for political expediency than the pursuit of justice."

Guerra maintains that his prosecutors "served justice" when they took the case to a grand jury in 2004. He said all he wants now is a fair trial.

"I just want Hidalgo County justice to be done the right way," he said.

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Associated Press Writer Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter at www.twitter.com/juanlozano70 .
Military bases among winners of $720M in conservation grants

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP)  Military bases in three U.S. states will share $17.5 million in conservation funding to protect longleaf pine forests used for training troops while assisting the recovery of threatened species, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday.

Projects at bases in Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina were among 84 chosen to receive $720 million. The money comes from the federal government as well as private and nonprofit groups taking part in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which was established by the 2014 Farm Bill.

"The reality is that one-off conservation projects are great, but when we coordinate our efforts we can have so much more of a profound impact," said Vilsack, who credited "unusual partnerships" between more than 2,000 organizations, including the Defense Department and environmental groups.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, during an event at Fort Stewart, GA., announcing $720 million in conservation funding being awarded to 84 projects across the U.S. Fort Stewart, the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River, is receiving $2 million to assist its efforts to preserve more than 278,000 acres of longleaf pine forest that is home to endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. (AP Photo/Russ Bynum)

Vilsack's announcement Friday included a visit to Fort Stewart, the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River, where more than 278,000 acres of undeveloped longleaf pine forest provide soldiers space to train with everything from rifles to tanks.

The longleaf forest is also home to endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and other rare species, including the gopher tortoise and the Eastern indigo snake. Fort Stewart uses prescribed burning  mostly fires started by dropping flaming pingpong balls from helicopters  on about 120,000 acres a year to keep the forest healthy by clearing dead leaves and brush.

This year, Fort Stewart will receive about $2 million of the conservation funding to purchase conservation easements on private land surrounding the Army post to provide an undeveloped buffer. The money should add about 2,300 acres to the 80,000 acres that are already part of the buffer.

"Fortunately the Army is pretty good at starting fires," said Tim Beatty, branch chief for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Fort Stewart. "If we have an urban development at the edge of Fort Stewart, it would be awfully tough to continue to do burning the way we do now."

A portion of the conservation funding includes money from the military bases themselves. In addition to Fort Stewart, they include Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Camp Lejeune and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina and Fort Benning in west Georgia.

The military is far from being the only beneficiary of the conservation grants. The 84 projects announced Friday are spread across all 50 states.

Vilsack was scheduled to visit Moncks Corner, South Carolina, on Friday afternoon to discuss $3.6 million being awarded to a project targeting black landowners in the Carolinas and Alabama. The project will help about 150 black owners of undeveloped forest establish clear legal title to their land and learn sustainable methods for earning money from their property  enabling the owners to resist selling to developers.

"To the extent that we can get an income source from properly maintained and harvested timber, it gives people a chance to keep the land," Vilsack said. "It gives them an income source they didn't have before."

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2 15-year-old girls fatally shot at Arizona school

GLENDALE, Arizona (AP)  Two 15-year-old girls died Friday in a shooting at an Arizona high school that initially caused panic among parents who could not reach their children but later emerged as a murder-suicide.

Police announced that a suicide note was found at the shooting scene near the cafeteria area of Independence High School in Glendale. They said the girls each were shot once, were declared dead at the scene and a weapon was found near the bodies.

"Information gathered by detectives reveal the two girls were very close friends, appeared to also be in a relationship," Glendale police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Students embrace after leaving campus, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. after two teens were shot Friday at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb. Two 15-year-old girls were shot once at the school, but it was not clear what led up to their deaths, Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters. Authorities were not looking for anyone else, and a gun was found near the bodies, she said. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Breeden said it is believed nobody witnessed the shooting.

Both teens have been identified, but Breeden said "their names will not be confirmed or released at this time by the police department due to their juvenile status."

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Associated Press photographer Matt York and writer Samantha Shotzbarger contributed to this report.

A mother and daughter reunite, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz., after two students were shot and killed at Independence High School in the Phoenix suburb. The danger at the campus was over, police said, as worried parents crowded stores nearby to meet their children. (AP Photo/Matt York)
AP FACT CHECK: Dems offer iffy stats on donors, health plan

WASHINGTON (AP)  Eager to share Bernie Sanders's claim to the grass roots, Hillary Clinton is having trouble owning up to the deep pockets helping her campaign. For his part, Sanders is struggling to make a convincing case that the numbers add up in his hugely expensive health plan.

A look at some of the claims in the latest Democratic presidential debate and how they compare with the facts:

CLINTON: "I'm very proud of the fact that we have more than 750,000 donors, and the vast majority of them are giving small contributions. ... We both have a lot of small donors."

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Hillary Clinton argue a point during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

THE FACTS: Clinton is trying to obscure her reliance on big-money donors by emphasizing those who give smaller amounts. The majority of Clinton's money comes from big donors.

Clinton's presidential run is being supported by wealthy donors in ways that Sanders' is not. Last year's fundraising reports show that Sanders raised fully 72 percent of his campaign money from people who gave $200 or less, while for Clinton those donors accounted for just 16 percent of her funds.

Clinton stretched when putting herself in Sanders' league when it comes to grassroots financing. She said they are both getting small donors and that "sets us apart" from Republican candidates. But her rate of small-dollar contributions isn't that much different than that of some of the GOP contenders.

She also minimized the impact of the super political action committee supporting her effort, saying the group was founded to help President Barack Obama and that she has no say over its operations. But no candidate can control the super PACS that are devoted to helping their candidacies, yet they can be vital in White House efforts because they can raise unlimited money and spend heavily on advertising and other help.

Although Priorities USA may have formed to help Obama, it's now steered by her trusted advisers. In fact, Guy Cecil, a former Clinton staffer, was brought in to lead the group last year as a signal to her supporters that they could trust Priorities USA to serve her well.

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SANDERS: "Our Medicare-for-all, single-payer proposal will save the average middle-class family $5,000 a year."

CLINTON: "The numbers don't add up."

THE FACTS: Two early assessments suggest that his accounting comes up short, although more detail and analysis are needed on Sanders' plan for cradle-to-grave, government-financed health care for all.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that the tax increases in Sanders' plan would cover only about 75 percent of what Sanders says it will cost, creating a $3 trillion hole in the federal budget over 10 years.

Emory University economist Kenneth Thorpe says the proposal also underestimates the cost of having the government provide doctors' services, hospitalization, long-term care, and vision and dental care  all without premiums, copays or deductibles.

According to Thorpe, the Sanders plan falls short by about $11 trillion over 10 years. He says the income and payroll tax increases required to pay fully for the proposal would mean 71 percent of those who now have private insurance would pay more.

Thorpe served in the administration of Bill Clinton, handling economic estimates of the former president's failed health care overhaul plan. He says he has no involvement with the Hillary Clinton campaign.

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CLINTON: "Americans haven't had a raise in 15 years."

THE FACTS: She is essentially right.

According to the Census Bureau, median household incomes peaked in 1999 and have been lower in every year since that time. Adjusting for inflation, median household incomes stood at $53,657 in 2014, 7.2 percent lower than the peak level of $57,843 in 1999. Even by another, less complete measure, she's still in the ballpark. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, real wages have gone up 7.5 percent over 15 years  an annual growth rate of 0.5 percent, meaning close to stagnation.

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SANDERS: "A male, African-American baby born today stands a one-in-four chance of ending up in jail. That is beyond unspeakable."

THE FACTS: Sanders exaggerated the rate of incarceration for black males, as Clinton did in an earlier debate.

A 2003 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics said, "About 1 in 3 black males, 1 in 6 Hispanic males, and 1 in 17 white males are expected to go to prison during their lifetime, if current incarceration rates remain unchanged." But that was only a projection. The report went on to say that at the time, 16.6 percent of adult black males had actually ever gone to prison, or 1 in 6.

Since then, the incarceration rate for black men has actually gone down instead of up, according to the Sentencing Project.

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CLINTON: "The Affordable Care Act has helped more African-Americans than any other group to get insurance."

THE FACTS: Actually, more Hispanics have gained coverage, according to the administration's data, though the rate of black uninsured has dropped the most  by half.

Hispanics began with a far higher uninsured rate  41.8 percent  and that has been reduced by 11.5 percentage points, or about 4 million people, since people started signing up in late 2013 for insurance-market coverage that began in 2014. African-Americans started with 22.4 percent uninsured, and that has been brought down by 10.3 percentage points, or about 2.6 million people.

By comparison, the rate for whites, 14.3 percent uninsured in 2013, came down by 6 percentage points, adding 7.4 million under the insurance umbrella.

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SANDERS on the North American Free Trade Agreement, normalized trade relations with China and other trade liberalization: "Those trade policies have enabled corporate America to shut down in this country, throw millions of people out on the street."

THE FACTS: That's an oversimplified reading of America's manufacturing decline. Since NAFTA took effect in 1994, the U.S. has lost 4.5 million manufacturing jobs. But it is not easy to assign blame. In a report last year, the Congressional Research Service concluded that NAFTA's effect on the nation's economy "appears to have been relatively small."

Technology probably plays a bigger role in job destruction: Robots and other machines allow companies to produce more with fewer workers. Economists generally believe that trade has a bigger impact on the composition of the workforce than on the level of jobs. And on that point, economists do find that the lost manufacturing jobs generally paid higher wages than many of the service sector jobs that have replaced them.

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Associated Press writers Martin Crutsinger and Josh Boak contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Hillary Clinton argue a point during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
French official: Up to 1,000 must leave Calais migrant camp

PARIS (AP)  Up to 1,000 people living in a sprawling migrant camp by Calais must leave their makeshift dwellings, the top official in France's northern Pas-de-Calais region announced on Friday.

Prefect Fabienne Buccio said the plan to move out those taking shelter in tents and lean-tos concerns about half the surface of the camp by the northern French city, known locally as the "jungle."

Officials would not say whether the move is part of a larger plan to close the squalid camp, which Buccio has suggested she wants to do.

In this Feb. 5, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

State authorities will visit on Monday to advise those affected that they must leave.

Buccio said her agents will explain to migrants "what we expect" of them  to choose to live in heated containers set up last month on the edge of the camp that can hold 1,500 or agree to be sent to centers around France. They will be given a week to make the choice.

Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other war-torn countries or dictatorships make their way to northern France in order to try to sneak across the English Channel to Britain via ferry, the Eurotunnel train or trucks. The camp on the edge of Calais now has shops, mosques, churches and schools built by migrants and volunteers.

The prefecture estimates there are about 3,700 migrants currently in the camp  lower than the more than 4,000 estimated by aid groups. There were some 6,000 people at the camp just months ago, but the prefecture has made a gradual effort to reduce the numbers. Buccio has suggested that only 2,000 migrants can remain in Calais.

"It's time to tell the migrants of Calais who live in undignified conditions and give Calais an image that isn't dignified either, that we have a solution for each of you," she said.

Tensions are mounting in Calais over the migrant situation, which some say hurts business and tourism. Migrants, in turn, are increasingly being threatened and physically attacked by armed civilians.

In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

In this Feb. 5, 2016 photo, French riot police officers patrol in the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, a person walks through the migrant camp in Calais, north of France. Mysterious armed groups are on the prowl, targeting migrants in night attacks in Calais and other migrant haunts in northern France, sowing fear among the displaced travelers living in squalid slums in hopes of sneaking into Britain but also deepening concerns Calais is becoming a tinderbox fueled with anti-migrant rage and a breeding ground for nationalists. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
O'Farrill's Grammy-nominated CD expands US-Cuba dialogue

NEW YORK (AP)  Arturo O'Farrill's Grammy-nominated "Cuba: The Conversation Continues" just happened to be made in Havana by American and Cuban musicians at a dramatic turning point in relations between the two countries.

The pianist and composer had brought his New York-based Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra to record for the first time in Cuba in December 2014 when during a rehearsal they heard Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announce plans to normalize relations.

"We were just stunned, none of us expected this," said O'Farrill, interviewed by telephone from his Brooklyn home. "Every musician in the room was electrified by their presence in such an historic moment and moved emotionally. I think there were a lot of inspired performances."

FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2015 file photo, Arturo O'Farrill arrives at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. O'Farrill is nominated for two Grammys, one for large jazz ensemble album for "Cuba:The Conversation Continues," and best instrumental composition for "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite." (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

The 55-year-old O'Farrill returned to Havana in December, arriving just days after his double-album received two Grammy nominations.

O'Farrill's orchestra had previously won two Grammys for Best Latin Jazz Album, but he felt particularly gratified to see his orchestra nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album at Monday's awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

His nomination for Best Instrumental Composition  for "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite"  has a more personal meaning.

He calls the album's centerpiece "a loving tribute" to his father, Chico O'Farrill, a bandleader, composer and arranger who played a key role in the emergence of Latin Jazz in New York in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His masterpiece, "The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite" was recorded in 1950 by Machito's orchestra with bebop pioneer Charlie "Bird" Parker on alto sax.

O'Farrill says his composition, commissioned by Harlem's Apollo Theater, was inspired by his father's suite, sharing its experimental spirit.

Chico O'Farrill left Cuba for New York in 1948. After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, he never returned to his homeland "which was very heartbreaking for him" and died in 2001, O'Farrill said.

O'Farrill began traveling to Cuba in 2002 to perform, sometimes bringing his two sons, Adam, a trumpeter, and Zack, a drummer, who both play on the new CD.

O'Farrill believes that normalizing relations offers hope of a better life for ordinary Cubans. He wants the U.S. to lift its economic embargo imposed in 1962, calling it "one of the great injustices in the world" because it has "only hurt the little people" while the communist government remains in place.

But a prominent Cuban musician, saxophonist-clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, says the normalization only serves to legitimize "a failed and cruel regime" that continues to oppress the Cuban people. His marriage was destroyed after he sought asylum during a 1980 European tour and his wife and son were barred for years from leaving Cuba.

D'Rivera sees little benefit to the "jazz diplomacy" practiced by American "Cuba lover" musicians.

"It is indeed undeniable that young Cuban musicians ... might be very happy to be close to the Americans," he wrote in an email. "But what President Obama and his 'normalizing' supporters don't want to understand is that the goal in Cuba should never be just to improve the quality of life on Castro's ruined, unproductive plantation, but to free the slaves at once!"

O'Farrill says he doesn't endorse the Castro regime, but opposes isolating Cuba because he cares about Cuban people.

"You're going to tell me that things aren't right in Cuba and so we shouldn't engage. It's lunacy," said O'Farrill.

"Look outside your door and see the inhumanity of Americans ... that we perpetrate on a daily basis in our lives ...and then tell me that you're going to isolate Cuba as an example. I'm sorry that's unacceptable."

O'Farrill says his album was intended to continue a cultural conversation that began in 1947 when Cuban conga player Chano Pozo joined bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's band, bringing together Afro-Cuban music and American jazz.

For his album, O'Farrill brought in composers from Cuba (Alexis Bosch, Michel Herrera and Bobby Carcasses) and the U.S. (Michele Rosewoman, Dafnis Prieto and Bobby McIntyre), whose pieces covered a wide stylistic range from Cuba's traditional guajira music to progressive jazz.

"I went to Cuba with open arms to learn from Cubans, thank them and really truly collaborate with huge amounts of respect for my Cuban counterparts," said O'Farrill. "If anything, that's the message this album carries."

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Online:

www.arturoofarrill.com

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Follow Charles J. Gans at www.twitter.com/chjgans.
AP News Guide: Diplomats push as Syria battlefield shifts

Diplomats from a dozen countries, led by the United States and Russia, are struggling to make progress in Syria, even as fighting in the north sends tens of thousands fleeing and threatens a deepening humanitarian crisis. Next month, Syria's civil war will reach the end of its fifth year, and its consequences continue to reach new and disastrous levels.

An AP News Guide to the latest events:

WAS A CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT REACHED?

In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 photo, a building is seen with heavy damage in Aleppo, Syria. The fighting around Syria's largest city of Aleppo has brought government forces closer to the Turkish border than at any point in recent years, routing rebels from key areas and creating a humanitarian disaster as tens of thousands of people flee. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)

No. The U.S. and Russia and other nations agreed to try to work for a less ambitious goal: a pause in fighting or "cessation of hostilities," within a week. And even that vague formula will be difficult to pull off.

Moscow and Washington disagree over which armed factions would be covered under the cessation. Russia says it and its ally, the Syrian government, will continue to hit "terrorists," by which they mean not just the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch, the Nusra Front, but also a number of rebel factions opposing President Bashar Assad and backed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey. So that would effectively mean fighting would continue on many fronts even if a cessation is declared.

The U.S. and Russia will chair a task force to work out the "modalities" of a cessation, but then both Assad's government and the opposition would have to sign onto it.

ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Even as the diplomats debate in Europe, the shape of the battlefield is shifting rapidly. For two weeks, government forces have been on an offensive in the north, gaining ground in trying to encircle the rebel-held half of Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war. The campaign has been helped by heavy Russian airstrikes, along with fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla army and members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

The fall of rebels in Aleppo would be the biggest blow to the opposition since the war began  and rebels believe Russia wants the fighting to continue as long as possible to allow troops to encircle and besiege the city. They're almost there: After capturing a string of villages to the north, government forces are poised to target the rebels' last remaining supply route to Turkey.

At least 300,000 people remain in the eastern, rebel-held half of Aleppo and face being cut off from aid. Tens of thousands have been fleeing the violence, compounding the humanitarian crisis.

HUMANITARIAN AID

The nations gathered in Munich also agreed to accelerate humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week. More than 1 million Syrians are estimated to be in towns and districts that have been blockaded for weeks and sometimes months either by government forces or the rebels.

It is not clear how much aid will make it through without a real stop in combat  and each warring side must agree to open the way for the deliveries.

THE HUMAN COST

More than 250,000 people have been killed in Syria since 2011. Large parts of cities like Aleppo and Homs and suburbs outside of Damascus have been blasted into concrete husks by years of bombardment.

Half of Syria's prewar population of 22 million has been driven from their homes by the war, and the numbers continue to swell. Some 6.6 million have fled to other parts of Syria, and more than 4.6 million have left the country, overwhelming its neighbors, especially Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

A half-million Syrians were among the 1 million refugees who flowed into Europe in 2015, the biggest migration for the continent since World War II. Thousands continue to make the dangerous sea journey to Greece, hoping to find new lives in Europe.

The result has thrown Europe into crisis and enflamed tensions among European Union members and beyond. Turkish leaders this week accused the EU of hypocrisy for pressuring them to take in more Syrians, while also demanding that the country block them from entering Europe. Turkey already has some 2.5 million Syrians on its soil and said it is reaching the end of its capacity to take more, but tens of thousands fleeing the Aleppo fighting are massed on its border seeking to enter.

A REGIONAL WAR

With diplomats struggling to halt the fighting even temporarily, chances for a negotiated peace seem further than ever. All those players  directly or by proxy  complicate those efforts and make it effectively a regional war.

Assad's government and military are on one side. The rebels  armed factions ranging from army defectors to Islamic militants  are on the other.

Assad is backed by his top allies: Russia, which began airstrikes against rebels in September, and Iran, which has given Damascus weapons and money and has sent its Revolutionary Guard forces to bolster his overstretched military. Also helping are Hezbollah guerrillas and Iraqi Shiite militias, which have been indispensable for battlefield victories.

The rebels get support from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The U.S. also backs some factions, but its efforts to train and arm an effective "moderate" rebel force have repeatedly floundered. Washington's emphasis has been more on fighting the Islamic State group, using an air campaign against the militants for more than a year in Iraq and Syria.

The Islamic State group has taken over a swath of Syria from the east up to the northwest, linked to its territory in neighboring Iraq. But it has lost ground in both countries because of airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition and advances by Kurdish fighters.

The diplomacy is caught between the interests of those players. Moscow appears determined to help push Assad toward victory, or at least an improved position. The U.S. is caught between its priority of fighting IS and its allies' priority of bringing down Assad. Few seem willing to bend.

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has talked of sending ground troops into Syria. While that's unlikely to happen, it shows that the proxy war in Syria between Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Shiite powerhouse Iran could one day become a direct one.

General view of the first meeting of the Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria, top of meeting at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, February 12, 2016. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
The Latest: Final 4 Oregon occupiers plead not guilty

BURNS, Ore. (AP)  The Latest on the standoff at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon (all times local):

3 p.m.

The four armed occupiers who were the last to leave a national wildlife refuge in Oregon have pleaded not guilty to a federal felony charge.

Police and armored vehicles known as Bearcats block the road to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge at an FBI checkpoint outside of Burns, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

David Fry of Ohio, Jeff Banta of Nevada, and married couple Sean and Sandy Anderson of Idaho appeared Friday in federal court in Portland. They surrendered Thursday, ending the standoff over federal land policy that began Jan. 2 at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

They entered their pleas to a charge of conspiracy to impede employees at the refuge from performing their duties. A judge set an April 19 trial date.

A Nevada lawmaker who helped convince the holdouts to turn themselves in was in the courtroom. Assemblywoman Michele Fiore waved to the four.

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12:55 p.m.

The FBI says it hasn't found any rigged explosives or booby traps at the national wildlife refuge in Oregon that had been seized by an armed group.

Authorities allowed a group of reporters to get closer to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Friday, a day after the last four occupiers surrendered. The tour stopped short of the refuge itself.

The occupiers had blockaded the road near the property with a government-owned heavy front-end loader and two pickup trucks. A group of tents and pickup trucks was clustered far beyond the barrier.

Larry Karl, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Portland division, says the holdouts spent most of their time near the tents.

He says investigators hoped to finish the safety sweep of the buildings and begin processing evidence Friday.
What Facebook's policy on nudity means in practice

NEW YORK (AP)  What are Facebook's rules for posting nude images?

The question is at the forefront again after a French court ruled Friday that a French art teacher can sue the social media service after it suspended his Facebook account. Although Facebook hasn't given a reason, the account suspension came after he posted an image of a classical painting featuring a female nude.

Facebook's rules on nudity have evolved over time. The latest community-standards policy, from March 2015, says Facebook restricts photos of genitals or fully exposed buttocks, as well as some images of breasts if they include the nipple. But Facebook says it allows photos of women actively engaged in breastfeeding or showing breasts with post-mastectomy scarring.

A visitor takes a picture with a phone of Gustave Courbet's 1866 "The Origin of the World," painting which depicts female genitalia at Musee d'Orsay museum, in Paris, France, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of Courbet's famous 19th-century nude painting. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

"We restrict the display of nudity because some audiences within our global community may be sensitive to this type of content  particularly because of their cultural background or age," the policy states.

Here's what that means in practice:

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BREASTFEEDING  Breastfeeding pictures were the subject of controversy for years. Breastfeeding moms protested when images were pulled. In 2009, 11,000 people staged a virtual "nurse-in," replacing their profile photos with nursing ones. It's not clear when Facebook's policy changed internally, but about two years ago the policy wording changed to specifically allow photos of nursing mothers.

MASTECTOMY PHOTOS  In 2013, more than 20,000 people signed an online petition, led by photographer David Jay and breast-cancer survivor Ann Marie Giannino-Otis, urging Facebook not to ban mastectomy images. Facebook responded with an official policy that permits the vast majority of mastectomy photos. Giannino-Otis said Friday that while the policy change helped, many mastectomy photos are still flagged by other users and removed by Facebook. Facebook didn't respond to requests for comment Friday.

PHOTOS OF CHILDREN: In July 2014, North Carolina photographer Jill White's Facebook account was suspended after she posted a photograph of her daughter and a friend on Coppertone's Facebook page. Her 2-year-old daughter's buttocks were partially visible, an homage to the famous Coppertone image of a dog tugging at a child's swimsuit. White says her account was suspended twice, and she was warned it would be banned permanently if she didn't take the photo down. She replaced it with the same image with an emoji covered the offending part. But after friends got away with posting the original photo, she started doing it, too  so far without problems. White says she still doesn't understand Facebook's rules or how they are enforced.

BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY  In 2011, Facebook apologized for disabling the account of an Iowa photographer who posted shots of a friend and her newborn moments after birth; the images partially showed her friend's breasts, but not her nipples. Laura Eckert's photography business, New Creation Photography & Design, specializes in pictures of pregnant women and the first moments of a baby's life. Facebook emailed Eckert to apologize and say that disabling the account had been in error.

ARTWORK  Facebook's policy allows "photographs of paintings, sculptures, and other art that depicts nude figures." Yet many users have run into trouble after posting art containing nudity. Frederic Durand-Baissas, the teacher whose account was suspended, had posted Gustave Courbet's 1866 nude painting "The Origin of the World." Artist Jerry Saltz said in a column for New York magazine's Vulture blog that he lost his account after posting graphic images from medieval art. And in January a Facebook account for the Christopher Stout gallery in New York was suspended after posting an image of an artist sitting topless on a toilet.

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AP Business Writer Marley Jay in New York contributed to this report.

Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 57-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover whose Facebook account was suspended five years ago without prior notice, speaks during his interview with the Associated Press, in Paris, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting. (AP Photo/Thiabult Camus)

Visitors look at Gustave Courbet's 1866 "The Origin of the World," painting which depicts female genitalia at Orsay museum, in Paris, France, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of Courbet's famous 19th-century nude painting. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 57-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover whose Facebook account was suspended five years ago without prior notice, speaks during his interview with the Associated Press, in Paris, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting. (AP Photo/Thiabult Camus)

Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 57-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover whose Facebook account was suspended five years ago without prior notice, speaks during his interview with the Associated Press, in Paris, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting. (AP Photo/Thiabult Camus)
After Oregon standoff, some say: Right fight; wrong tactics

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Right fight; wrong strategy.

That's what many ranchers and sympathizers opposing federal control of public lands in the West concluded after the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon.

For some, the weekslong standoff that ended Thursday with the surrender of the final occupiers has only strengthened their resolve to fight the government's control of vast expanses of Western land. But not all condone the tactics of the armed group that drew the nation's gaze to the snowy landscapes of eastern Oregon.

A man wave American flag from atop a car at the Narrows roadblock, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, near Burns, Ore. The last four occupiers of a Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon surrendered Thursday. The holdouts were the last remnants of a larger group that seized the wildlife refuge nearly six weeks ago, demanding that the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; NO LOCAL INTERNET; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

"We're not backing off," said Greg Whalen, a military veteran from Las Vegas who supports the Bundy ranching family that led the occupation. "We're actually going to fight harder  peacefully."

Whalen and others say protests must remain a key part of the strategy  but they must be civil to avoid giving a reason for arrests.

Others suggest the battle should shift to the courts to pry authority over open space from the federal government. State lawmakers, notably in Utah, are considering a legal way to take control of U.S. lands that account for a majority of the West, including most of Nevada; about two-thirds of Utah, Idaho and Alaska; and half of Oregon.

Federal officials say U.S. control ensures the land is used in the interest of the environment, outdoor enthusiasts and industries, such as ranching, mining, and oil and gas.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert denounced the tactics in the standoff but called it "a wakeup call for all of us that there (are) legitimate issues out there that are causing frustration."

Supporters say sympathy from prominent Western politicians shows that their mantra  that locals can do a better job managing federal lands than out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.  has been embraced by more than gun-toting protesters.

"We're not just cowboys with hats who are hicks and don't know what's going on," said LisaMarie Johnson, who stood with Cliven Bundy at his Nevada ranch in a 2014 armed standoff with federal agents. Bundy is the father of the Oregon occupation's leaders.

"People in New York City don't understand what's going on out here," the Nevada resident said.

The dispute predates statehood in some places. But calls for action have gotten louder as federal agencies designate protected areas for endangered species and set aside tracts for mining, wind farms and natural gas exploration. The latest wave has roots in the Sagebrush Rebellion, which began more than 40 years ago over grazing rights in Nevada.

Occupiers that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon on Jan. 2 demanded the U.S. turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires.

Tom Haynie, a 58-year-old Las Vegas resident who's also passionate about solar energy, medical marijuana and water in the West, subscribes to a common belief in the movement.

"The government wants to control everything," Haynie said. "But it's the people's land, not the federal government's land."

Brett Tolman, a former U.S. attorney in Utah, said it appears the federal government is trying to send a message: You will face legal consequences if you cross the line from peaceful protest.

Cliven Bundy was arrested Wednesday in Portland for his actions nearly two years ago in the Nevada standoff.

A total of 25 people have been charged in the Oregon occupation.

Four people were prosecuted in Utah for riding ATVs on an off-limits trail in 2014, including a well-known county commissioner who was convicted and became a cause celebre in the movement.

Therein lies the danger in the federal strategy: The intended message may be misinterpreted, Tolman said.

"I think people are going to be more hardened and more upset, and in some ways, you make martyrs out of those who have chosen this route," he said.

Many are giving that status to Arizona rancher Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, who was killed by police in a Jan. 26 traffic stop that also led to the arrests of Cliven Bundy's sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy.

Finicum, an Oregon standoff spokesman, was memorialized at his funeral last week near the Utah-Arizona border as a freedom fighter murdered in the name of liberty. Authorities say he was reaching for a gun.

Some worry that the Bundys will garner similar sympathy as they remain in jail. But others say they don't consider them leaders of a movement that has more moderate voices working through the courts.

"How can you go up there and take over government property and expect to accomplish anything from it?" said Demar Dahl, an Elko County commissioner in Nevada and advocate for state control of lands. "Whatever we do, we've got to do within the law."

Jerry DeLemus traveled twice from his home in New Hampshire to play peacemaker  once during the Nevada standoff and once during the Oregon occupation.

"I love the Bundys," DeLemus said this week. "But they made a tactical mistake going out to that refuge. They were portrayed as armed anti-government protesters taking over government buildings. There was a lot of fear."

___

McCombs reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; Michelle L. Price in Salt Lake City; and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed to this report.

A stream meanders through a portion of the Malheur National Wildlife refuge outside of Burns, Ore., that is closed to the public Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. The headquarters buildings at the refuge, near the trees in the distance, were taken over by armed protesters for 41 days. The FBI allowed a group of reporters to move nearer to the refuge Friday morning as part of a guided tour. The group was not allowed to enter the refuge, which is now considered a crime scene.(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)

People protesting the FBI action and in support of the armed occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge stand outside a roadblock near Burns, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. The last four occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon surrendered Thursday. The holdouts were the last remnants of a larger group that seized the wildlife refuge nearly six weeks ago, demanding that the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. (AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)
Organizers plan no course changes for this year's Iditarod

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Officials decided Friday there will be no course changes for this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race despite a lack of snow in Anchorage.

The March 5 ceremonial start of the competition will be staged as usual in Anchorage, and the official start will be held the following day in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage, Stan Hooley, chief executive officer, announced after an executive session of the board of directors in Anchorage.

"We're sure that we're going to be able to stage the restart out of Willow, as anticipated," Hooley told reporters.

Stan Hooley, the chief executive officer for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, announces to reporters on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Anchorage, Alaska, that there will be no course change for this year's race. Hooley's announcement came after the board of directors decided to leave the ceremonial start of the race in Anchorage on March 5, 2016, and the official start the next day in Willow, Alaska, despite a lack of snow in the greater Anchorage area. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

A lack of snow in the Anchorage area last year forced organizers to move the official start of the race 225 miles farther north over the Alaska Range to Fairbanks. That had been considered again this year because of low snow totals from Anchorage to Willow.

Hooley said the snowpack on the Iditarod route after Willow looks dramatically better than it has been for a long time.

"The good part of it is, there's a lot more snow in the Alaska Range than we've had in many years," he said. That includes Farewell Burn, a dangerous area of the race that is notoriously barren.

"From Willow on, it's a much better year than most years," Hooley said.

This year, 86 mushers have signed up for the nearly 1,000-mile race to Nome, which usually takes about nine days.

Hooley had been concerned about whether there would be enough snow to stage the fan-friendly ceremonial start in Anchorage, where little snow has fallen this year and what remains has turned to hardened ice.

In the ceremonial start, each musher transports an auction winner over an 11-mile route of city streets and trails. The Iditarider auction program is an important part of fundraising for the race and its start in Alaska's largest city is also the highest profile portion of the Iditarod. It's carried live on statewide television.

The street department in Anchorage has been stockpiling fallen snow to accommodate the sleds. In addition, the Nordic Ski Association will provide a piece of equipment that will essential pulverize the hardened snow and ice on streets, turning it back into usable snow.

Still, Hooley is doing what he can  including snow dances  to conjure a little more snowfall in the next three weeks.

"We've been dancing a lot, and we'll continue that," he joked.

Mark Nordman, the race director for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, takes a phone call on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Anchorage, Alaska, while the board of directors met in executive session to decide if the start of this year's race would be moved. The board decided there would be no course changes, and the ceremonial start will be held March 5, 2016, in Anchorage, with the official start the next day in Willow, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Inspired by Cape Horn rounding, US duo aims at next VOR

SAN DIEGO (AP)  With the wind  and their competitors  at their backs, Charlie Enright and Mark Towill rounded Cape Horn and allowed themselves a few seconds to savor the accomplishment.

Considered the nautical equivalent of reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the rounding came in daylight on March 30, going 30 knots downwind on the fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.

"This race is mentally taxing like you would not believe," Enright said. "You've got to be on 24/7 for a month. Cape Horn is the only time we had 10 seconds to just reflect on what had happened. The magnitude of that situation was lost on no one."

This March 30, 2013, photo provided by Mark Towill shows team Alvimedica rounding Cape Horn in the lead in the fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. With the wind, and their competitors at their backs, Charlie Enright and Mark Towill rounded Cape Horn and took a few seconds to savor the accomplishment. Considered to be the nautical equivalent of summiting Mount Everest, the rounding came in daylight, going 30 knots downwind on the fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. (Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race via AP)

It was the first time Enright and Towill rounded Cape Horn, and they did it at the front of the fleet.

They hope to make it a habit.

"That was a really special moment," Towill said. "The defining two weeks of the whole race was the Southern Ocean. To be leading when you get to Cape Horn was special."

After heading up Team Alvimedica in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, the Ivy Leaguers recently founded 55 South-11th Hour Racing with an eye on the 2017-18 edition of the grueling round-the-world race. The 55 South refers to Cape Horn's latitude at the bottom of South America.

Their next challenge is finding a title sponsor to assure they'll be on the starting line in October 2017.

Operating with one of the smallest budgets, Team Alvimedica  based in Newport, Rhode Island, and backed by a Turkish company  finished tied for fourth in the seven-boat fleet.

Enright, the skipper, said they're starting the new cycle with some money in the bank from sub-sponsors from the last race who have re-upped with the duo.

"We're in a much better place than we were at this time for the previous race," Enright said.

"Before, we were essentially two ambitious young guys with a dream," said Towill, the team principal. "Now we've got a bit of a track record to stand behind."

Enright, 31, of Bristol, Rhode Island, and Towill, 27, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, both graduated from Brown. They met in 2006 during trials for the documentary "Morning Light," which followed a group of young sailors competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Inspired by mentors who had competed in the Volvo Ocean Race, they set up their own company, All-American Ocean Racing, with a goal of sailing in the round-the-world race.

They made it, with the highlights being the Cape Horn rounding and winning the final leg.

"We accomplished a lot with a little," Enright said last weekend, when the duo gave a keynote address at U.S. Sailing's Leadership Forum in San Diego.

They're cautiously optimistic they'll raise the cash needed to compete.

As they seek funding, they certainly have yarns to tell.

"Explaining what we do to people is often times difficult," Enright said.

"You do the race for two reasons," he added. "It's the competition and the adventure. To be competing at that level 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a month is grueling. To be on all the time is a feeling like no other. You wake up now that the race is over and you've got 15 things on your mind. You wake up on the boat and you've got one  how are we going to beat these guys to the next place we're going?

"That's what drives us, certainly. But then from the adventure aspect of it, you can get competitive playing chess. But that's not what we're doing. You get to sail around the planet, which is an amazing thing. You get to see places that very few people are able to see."

They're hooked, for sure.

"Once you get a little bit of it in your blood, it's hard to get it out," Towill said.

Sailors essentially pack their lives into a 40-liter bag for the nine-leg race that covers 38,739 nautical miles.

"We measure and weigh every single thing we bring on the boat so there's nothing unnecessary," Towill said. "There are no cellphones, no distractions and everybody is working together on a simple and common goal. We're just trying to get to the next place as quickly as we can."

After winning the final leg of the VOR in June, Enright and Towill flew to Newport and a day later left on the Transatlantic Race 2015, helping to sail Lucky to victory.

"That's probably a testament to not being sick of each other," Towill said.

Enright and Towill signed a deal with 11th Hour Racing, which promotes the health of the marine environment. Part of that mission is trying to reduce the amount of trash in oceans.

"We feel like we can speak to that credibly, now that we've been around the world and seen it," Enright said.

___

Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson
Rubio family stars in South Carolina comeback attempt

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP)  Just for a moment, Marco Rubio stops trying to explain what went wrong in New Hampshire. He needs to find out why Dominick is crying.

"She pinched me," the teary 8-year-old tells his father, who's in the midst of an interview, pointing to a small red welt on his left hand.

"Who pinched you?!" Rubio asks, before his wife shepherds the boy back to the kids table where he and his three siblings are eating breakfast.

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, Daniella Rubio, 13, left, plays checkers with brother Anthony Rubio, 10, right, with Dominick Rubio, 8, watching at center, as their father, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and his family arrive for lunch at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Okatie, S.C, after attending a campaign event at the Sun City community. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The momentary domestic dispute at a South Carolina Cracker Barrel restaurant was perhaps a welcome interruption for a Republican presidential candidate who has spent much of the week explaining a disappointing finish in New Hampshire's Tuesday primary that raised serious questions about his long-term viability. Now facing the biggest test of his presidential campaign, Rubio is pulling back the curtain on his family life to help re-focus attention away from his campaign shortfalls.

"It helps me to see them every day," Rubio told hundreds of voters gathered inside a Greenville Christian school auditorium on Thursday. "The most important job any of us will have is to be a parent or a spouse," he added.

The 44-year-old Florida senator, his wife, Jeanette, and their four children  Amanda, 15, Daniella, 13, Anthony, 10, and 8-year-old Dominick  have trekked across the Republican primary calendar together for 13 consecutive days. And eager to shift the focus away from New Hampshire, his campaign is pulling back the curtain on the Rubio road show.

While the Rubio family would make regular appearances at the bigger moments on the trail in the past  debates and higher-profile interviews  they had never before experienced the grueling pace of presidential politics as a unit.

They came together in Iowa the day before Rubio scored a strong third-place finish in the leadoff caucuses, moved directly to New Hampshire where a debate misstep led to an alarming fifth-place finish, and stayed on in South Carolina where Rubio's presidential aspirations may live or die based on his performance in the state's Feb. 20 primary.

Jumping city to city, they sleep in the same hotel suite most nights, with Rubio often falling asleep before all of the children, Jeanette Rubio said. The kids spend most mornings doing homework, which was coordinated with their various teachers before they left Miami. It's unclear how much longer it will last. But Rubio says he went three weeks without seeing them last month and doesn't want to do that again.

The family is a big part of his message, but they often do little more than say hello to the audience when introduced. The boys sometimes stay on stage as Rubio delivers his remarks, as they did Thursday in Greenville, but Rubio leaves it up to them to decide if they want to stay each time.

Rubio, of course, is not the only presidential contender whose children are beginning to play a more significant role on the campaign trail.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump regularly appears with his children  particularly his oldest, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, all in their 30s. Democrat Hillary Clinton has deployed her daughter Chelsea and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who she refers to as her "not-so-secret weapon."

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, have two young daughters, Catherine, 5, and Caroline, 7, who make periodic appearances on the campaign trail. Cruz has a dedicated play room for the girls inside his Houston campaign headquarters.

But Rubio, more than any of his Republican rivals, is seeing the 2016 contest through the eyes of his children as he tries to mount a comeback in South Carolina.

In a Thursday interview, he noted that his kids were watching television over the weekend when news of a particularly aggressive Trump insult, which they did not report directly, instead using "cat" as an alternate word.

"My boys wanted to know what he said. I couldn't tell them. It bothered me," Rubio told The Associated Press. "Now I happen to be his opponent in this race, so people might say that's self-serving. But it was a real moment for me."

Rubio continued: "Look, it works for Donald. Obviously there are people that that appeals to. I'm just telling you as a parent, if my kids talked that way, they'd be in trouble."

The Rubio children also starred in a story about his conciliatory speech Tuesday night after a deeply disappointing New Hampshire finish.

"My kids were watching," Rubio said. "They learned what it is you do when you face disappointment."

The comments came during an interview aboard Rubio's campaign jet as he crisscrossed South Carolina on Thursday. It was one of several moments of expanded access this week designed to drive better media coverage and challenge critics trying to cast him as robotic. Advisers also note that increased media access to Rubio and his family was always part of their plan as the 2016 contest took a more national shape.

The campaign invited a handful of reporters to share breakfast with the Rubios in between South Carolina campaign stops on Thursday. Before addressing his political challenges, Rubio and his wife explained that they prefer Cracker Barrel because it's kid-friendly.

"Every time they come here they like to get some sort of gadget," Jeanette Rubio said, prompting a distinctly fatherly response from her husband. "How many more of the things are we going to buy?" he asked. "They always lose it or break it anyway."

With his children eating at an adjacent table, he soon turned back to presidential politics: "I don't know about how it will work out," he said. "We're prepared to go to the end."

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. boards a plane with his family and staff to leave Manchester, N.H. With him is daughter Amanda Rubio, 15, left, and sons Anthony Rubio, 10, and Dominick Rubio, 8. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2016 fie photo, Dominick Rubio, 8, plays on an iPad as he and his father, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arrive in Greer, S.C, en route to an campaign event in Spartanburg, S.C . (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks during a Faith and Family Presidential Forum at Bob Jones University, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Autopsy: Slain New Jersey sex worker possibly strangled

MILLER PLACE, N.Y. (AP)  A sex worker who disappeared near a remote stretch of Long Island beach highway that was later revealed to be a suspected serial killer's dumping ground for bodies might have been strangled, according to a new autopsy.

Shannan Gilbert vanished in May 2010 after fleeing the home of a client in Oak Beach, New York. The search for the missing woman led to the surprise discovery of 11 sets of human remains, including Gilbert's. No suspects have ever been arrested, or identified, in any of the killings. But investigators believe a possible serial killer  perhaps more than one  is responsible.

Although detectives have long maintained that Gilbert's death is unrelated to the killings of 10 others along Ocean Parkway in suburban New York, John Ray, an attorney for the Gilbert family, said Friday that an independent autopsy suggests the 24-year-old Jersey City, New Jersey, woman may have been strangled.

Attorney John Ray, seated, speaks at a press conference at his office in Miller Place, N.Y., on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Ray represents the family of Shannan Gilbert, a Jersey City, N.J., prostitute whose remains were found near where police discovered the bodies of 10 other slain people in the notorious "Long Island serial killer" case. Ray says a new autopsy suggests Gilbert may have been strangled. At Ray's right is Mari Gilbert, Shannan Gilbert's mother. Standing, from left, are Gilbert's sisters, Stevie Smith, Sarra Gilbert, and Sherre Gilbert. Retired police detective William Mahoney is at right. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman)

An autopsy by the Suffolk County medical examiner following the discovery of Gilbert's badly decomposed skeletal remains in a marsh in December 2011 ruled the cause of death undetermined.

Ray subsequently asked noted forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to conduct an independent review.

Baden found that while "there is insufficient information to determine a definite cause of death," the autopsy findings "are consistent with homicidal strangulation." Baden's letter to Ray also said there is no evidence "that she died of natural disease, of a drug overdose or of drowning."

Ray said at a press conference with Gilbert's mother and sisters that he has requested the Suffolk County homicide squad re-activate the investigation into the woman's death.

Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said in a statement Friday that detectives are waiting to review Baden's findings. Sini announced in December that the department has brought in FBI investigators to assist local detectives with the probe.

A K-9 officer and his cadaver dog were on a training mission searching for Gilbert in December 2010 when they happened upon what would become by spring of the following year 10 sets of human remains  eight women, a man and a toddler. The remains were found strewn along several miles of thicket adjacent to Ocean Parkway, just east of Jones Beach.
World powers work to craft Syria ceasefire

A plan to begin a temporary ceasefire in Syria within a week is an "important step" towards ending the civil war in the country, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

Diplomats meeting at a summit in Munich agreed to seek a "nationwide cessation of hostilities" between Syrian government forces and rebel groups, US secretary of state John Kerry announced.

But it would not apply to extremist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.

US Secretary of State John Kerry announced diplomats meeting at a summit in Munich have agreed to implement "cessation of hostilities" in Syria

The agreement by world powers, including Russia, is the latest twist in a conflict which has killed an estimated quarter of a million people and displaced millions of refugees, many of whom have headed for Europe.

Mr Hammond welcomed the settlement but warned it would succeed only if Russia ceased bombing moderate opposition groups.

He said: "The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich committed members to achieving a cessation of hostilities within a week, to delivering humanitarian assistance to named besieged communities by this weekend and to facilitating rapid progress in negotiations aimed at political transition.

"If implemented fully and properly by every ISSG member, this will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria. But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its supporters.

"Russia, in particular, claims to be attacking terrorist groups and yet consistently bombs non-extremist groups including civilians. If this agreement is to work, this bombing will have to stop: no cessation of hostilities will last if moderate opposition groups continue to be targeted."

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian air strikes against terrorist groups would continue and again denied there had been strikes against civilians in rebel-held areas.

Mr Kerry said the proposed truce would depend on "whether or not all the parties honour those commitments and implement them".

He described it as a "pause" in the long-running conflict but added a long-term solution depended on the Syrian government led by Bashar Assad and opposition groups engaging in "genuine negotiation" about the way forward.

He said: "We are doing everything in our power diplomatically to bring an end to this conflict. The ISSG is engaged actively in the implementation of the ceasefire.

"This is still a complicated conflict, with increasing levels of violence, increasing numbers of terrorists."

The world powers agreed to "accelerate and expand" the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in seven besieged areas of the country and work towards a "Syrian-led" political transition.

Mr Kerry admitted difference remained over the role Assad would play in Syria's future but stressed the need for further diplomacy, saying: "We have to be at the table to do that."

British jets have been involved in bombing runs against IS, which has captured large swathes of the country as the conflict between Assad's government and moderate opposition groups continued to rage.

RAF Typhoon and Tornado aircraft alongside Reaper drones have carried out 585 successful air strikes flown in more than 2,000 combat missions against IS, also known as Daesh.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said: " Far too many lives have already been lost in Syria and a ceasefire is urgently needed to put an end to the bloodshed and bring in humanitarian aid.
Prison suicides cost taxpayer up to 300m a year - charity

Prison suicides are costing the taxpayer up to 300 million a year, according to estimates by a penal reform charity.

Growing inmate numbers, overcrowding and staff cuts have fuelled a 46% rise in suicide rates over the last three years, according to th e Howard League for Penal Reform.

It said p ublic sector funding is being spent on dealing with the aftermath of the deaths when it could be used to prevent them.

Concerns have been raised about the rate of prisoner suicides

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "No one should be so desperate whilst they are in the care of the state that they take their own life.

"Similarly, when conditions in prisons are so dire that people are taking their own lives at a rate of one every four days, no one should have to rely on economic analysis to make the case for change.

"Nevertheless, today's briefing paper shows how greater investment in suicide prevention would make financial sense, generating savings for public services that would benefit everyone."

The charity took the cost of a suicide in the community and estimated the additional costs that are generated by a death in the penal system, including investigations by the prisons ombudsman and the coroner, legal representation for prison staff and contributions to funeral costs.

It estimates that the cost to taxpayers is between 160m and 300m a year.

Andy Bell, deputy chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: "Every loss of life due to suicide is a personal and family tragedy.

"Today's report also demonstrates the wider costs of suicide deaths in prison. It is a reminder of how important it is to take action to protect the mental health of all prisoners and to ensure people with mental health difficulties are offered help as quickly as possible when they come into contact with the criminal justice system."

It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to overhaul the way prisons are run, with governors given greater freedom over the day to day running and the introduction of performance league tables.

Shadow prisons minister Jo Stevens said: "This shocking report makes for disturbing reading and is yet more evidence of the growing prison crisis taking place on David Cameron's watch.

"Quite simply, the policies of the Tory Government have led to greater overcrowding, more assaults against staff and a rise in violence and self-harm.

"If ministers want to be taken seriously as prison reformers they must urgently tackle the appalling conditions in our prisons and make mental health a real priority."

Prisons minister Andrew Selous said: "We take our duty of care to prisoners extremely seriously and on any given day provide support to over 2,000 prisoners at risk of self-harming.
Companies to publish gender pay gap under new government initiative

Companies with over 250 employees will have to publish their gender pay gap under measures being announced by the Government to tackle inequality.

New league tables will also be launched giving details of companies failing to address the problem.

And ministers are taking action to make sure that thousands more girls study maths, engineering, science and technology at school.

The TUC said it was "disappointed" firms would not have to publish their gender pay gap figures until 2018

Women and equalities minister Nicky Morgan said the Government wanted to secure "real equality" for women and reduce the gap in pay between men and women.

"In recent years we've seen the best employers make ground-breaking strides in tackling gender inequality.

"But the job won't be complete until we see the talents of women and men recognised equally and fairly in every workplace.

"That's why I am announcing a raft of measures to support women in their careers from the classroom to the boardroom, leaving nowhere for gender inequality to hide.

"At the same time I'm calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses, ensuring their talents are given the recognition and reward they deserve."

A 500,000 package was announced aimed at helping the 8,000 employers who will have to publish their average pay and bonus gap between men and women.

The first league table will be published in 2018, making it possible for women to compare pay in different sectors.

The Government said it aimed to have 15,000 more girls studying maths and sciences by 2020, a 20% increase on current numbers.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "If David Cameron is serious about ending the gender pay gap within a generation we need a much bolder approach from ministers.

"While today's announcement is a step in the right direction, we're disappointed that firms won't have to publish their gender pay gap figures until 2018.

"It is a real shame that bosses won't be made to explain why pay gaps exist in their workplaces and what action they will take to narrow them."

The TUC said it was "shocking" that the gender pay gap was still over 19% for all workers and 9.4% for full-time employees, adding that at the current rate of progress it would take almost 50 years to close it.

Chris Benson from law firm Leigh Day said: "The Government has finally woken up to the fact that the gender pay gap stubbornly persists, despite over 40 years of unequal pay being illegal, and recognised that steps need to be taken to minimise or remove that gap."

Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director general, said: "League tables should not be used to name and shame firms, as data will only be able to present a partial picture, particularly given factors such as the mix of part-time and full working and sectoral differences.

"Where reporting can be useful is as a prompt for companies to ask the right questions about how they can eradicate the gender pay gap.

"The Government should consult closely with business to ensure that this new legislation helps close the gender pay gap, rather than ending up as a box-ticking exercise."

Kate Green, shadow minister for women and equality, said: "2018 is far too long for women to wait when the UK gender pay gap remains well above the EU average. At this rate it will be another 47 years until the gap is closed, so we haven't a moment to lose. The Tory Government's approach simply isn't good enough for women.

"While Nicky Morgan likes to claim there is nowhere left to hide for gender inequality, it is her government's policies that have consistently worsened and entrenched economic inequality for women."

Ann Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said: "Shining a light on what men and women are paid at every level, as well as monitoring the percentage of women at every level, is proven to speed up progress. Today, women make up 60% of junior managers, 40% of middle managers, and 20% of senior managers.

"Transparent reporting of pay at every level will tackle the 'glass pyramid' that stifles potential and productivity in business."

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "Today's announcement is a welcome, but long overdue, step in the right direction. Mandatory reporting should encourage large companies to take action to close their gender pay gaps.
Sugar-free chewing gum could save the NHS 8.2 million on children's dental treatment a year, a study has found.

If all 12-year-olds chewed sugar-free gum after eating or drinking it would significantly reduce tooth decay, experts said.

Research published in the British Dental Journal estimates the saving - equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups - would be made if they chewed three pieces a day.

This is thanks to the role chewing gum plays in helping prevent tooth decay, researchers from the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry said.

Government figures released last year showed 35 per cent of 12-year-olds have been too embarrassed to smile or laugh due to the condition of their teeth.

Chewing sugar-free gum can be 'extremely effective' in reducing the risk of decay, researchers said

The latest research suggests the NHS could save up to 2.8 million on dental treatments per year if all children chewed one piece of sugar-free gum per day.

This cost saving rose to a potential 3.3 million for two pieces and to 8.2 million for three pieces, researchers said.

Professor Liz Kay, of Peninsula Dental School, said: 'The findings of this study are hugely exciting as they reveal a new and easy way of helping people improve their oral health.

'Crucially, whilst these figures are significant, they refer only to cost reductions for treating 12-year-olds in the UK; if this model was to be applied to the whole population then there is a real potential to create substantial NHS savings.

'Clinical evidence has already proved that sugar-free gum can help prevent caries and now we can also see a clear financial advantage.'

Chewing three pieces of sugar-free gum a day could save the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups

The research, the first of its kind in the UK, was conducted by York Health Economics Consortium and Peninsula Dental School, with support from The Wrigley Company Ltd.

Brushing teeth for two minutes twice a day is still the best way to keep teeth clean and healthy.

But for children over the age of seven, chewing sugar-free gum during the day can be 'extremely effective' in breaking down lingering food, neutralising harmful plaque acids and reducing the risk of decay, researchers said.

The European Commission has approved five oral health claims for sugar-free chewing gum, while the benefits of chewing are recognised by the World Dental Federation and the British Dental Health Foundation.

Each week, more than one million patients in the UK use NHS dental services, with dental disease costing the system 3.4 billion per year.

The Children's Dental Health Survey in 2013 found that 34 per cent of 12-year-olds in the UK had obvious decay in their permanent teeth.

A spokesman for Plymouth University added: ' In the UK, official oral care guidance has rarely explicitly mentioned sugar-free gum.

'However the evidence described above suggests that the potential benefits of including sugar-free gum in preventative oral health advice should be considered.
Factory owner who used 'slave workforce' to be sentenced

A factory owner who employed large numbers of Hungarians as a "slave workforce" in a bed-making firm which supplied retailers like John Lewis, Next and Dunelm Mill will be sentenced later today.

Mohammed Rafiq was found guilty of conspiracy to traffic at Leeds Crown Court last month. Police believe he is the first company boss to be convicted of people trafficking offences in the UK.

A jury was told how an investigation into Kozee Sleep, based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and its subsidiary Layzee Sleep, based in Batley, began after two Hungarians, Janos Orsos and Ferenc Illes, were arrested over human trafficking allegations.

Factory owner Mohammed Rafiq was found guilty of conspiracy to traffic at Leeds Crown Court

Large numbers of Hungarian men were employed at Rafiq's Kozee Sleep factory, supplied to them by Orsos.

Rafiq's trial jury was told how Rafiq knew Orsos's organisation would source him "cheap slave labour to work at Kozee Sleep and Layzee Sleep factories".

Prosecutors said Rafiq was "aware of the circumstances of the Hungarian nationals who were working at these sites and went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce".

The court also heard how ethical audits by leading high street retailers failed to spot what was going on.

The men were promised that good wages, housing and food would be provided in the UK but, once in West Yorkshire, they found themselves living in shared, cramped and squalid accommodation with a large number of others.

They were made to work long hours, working anything between 10 to 16 hours per day, five to seven days per week.

Rafiq, 60, of Thorncliffe Road, Staincliffe, denied a single count of conspiracy to traffic individuals within the UK.
Laura Ashley boss ordered to make settlement offer in 'titanic' divorce battle

A Laura Ashley boss has been ordered by the High Court to make his wife an offer to settle a big money divorce battle that has already run up a "jaw-dropping" 6.1m legal bill.

In what has been described as the first order of its kind, multi-millionaire Khoo Kay Peng, 77, has 21 days to comply with a family judge's direction to "lay out his stall", and possibly save further massive costs.

Dr Khoo's former beauty queen wife Pauline Chai, 69, will then have seven days to say what offer she is willing to accept to achieve a "clean break" following the collapse of their 43-year marriage.

Pauline Chai, the estranged wife of Khoo Kay Peng, non-executive chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings

The judge said during a case management hearing: "I am striving to exercise some control over this titanic case."

Ms Chai contends the net worth of Dr Khoo, who is the non-executive chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings, is over 440m and he earns 5.4m a year.

The mother of the couple's five grown-up children says she is entitled to half of his fortune. Dr Khoo disputes her claim and has put his overall net worth at some 66m.

The gulf between the parties means there will have to be costly investigations to establish the true extent of Dr Khoo's wealth - unless they reach agreement - with evaluations of properties and shareholdings worldwide.

Ordering "open offers of settlement" to be made by both sides, Mr Justice Bodey said: "Otherwise the case will inevitably proceed on its expensive way to the detriment of the parties and the court's resources."

Later Georgina Hamblin of Vardags, the law firm acting on behalf of the wife, described the order as "the first of its kind in the English court".

Ms Hamblin said: "It is a monumental development in family law and the strongest possible message to this husband finally to settle this case.

"The wife has been waiting three years for the husband finally to put his cards on the table and make her a fair offer.

"She now has only to wait another 21 days. An English court has never gone this far before and in forcing an open offer sends the strongest possible message that it will not put up with time and cost wasters."

The judge, sitting in the High Court Family Division in London, made his order during a case management hearing in what is one of the most expensive divorces to come before English courts.

During the hearing, lawyers on both sides variously described the costs so far as "Himalayan, jaw-dropping, eye-watering" and agreed everything should be done to curb future expenditure as far as they were able.

The costs began to mount when Dr Khoo, a highly successful businessman based in Malaysia, fought - and lost - a bid to have the divorce and subsequent cash fight decided in the "forum" of the Malaysian courts.

Costly hearings and appeals over the jurisdiction issue took place over three years in London and Malaysia.

Dr Khoo accused his ex-wife of "forum shopping" and preferring a divorce in London to get the biggest payout.

But Ms Chai, who was Miss Malaysia 1969, won her argument that London was the appropriate forum after saying the family moved to a 30 million mansion in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, before they separated.

Ms Chai supported her claim that England was her main home by saying she had a thousand pair of shoes - 700 stored in several bedrooms, a corridor and the basement of the mansion.

Acknowledging the "forum fight" was largely the reason for the huge costs bill so far, Mr Justice Bodey said: "Hence the actual resolution of the finances of this couple, who have more money between them than they could spend in their lifetimes, has unfortunately taken a second seat.

"The legal costs bill is going on for 6 million at a stage where the case has barely reached the first fence."

The couple married in December 1970 and separated on Valentine's Day 2013. A decree nisi was pronounced in January this year and is due to be made absolute later this month.

The family lived in Malaysia until 1980, when they moved to Australia and the wife took up Australian citizenship. In 1989 they moved to Canada, where Ms Chai also obtained Canadian citizenship.

They bought their first property in England - Wentworth Park - in 1995, and then five years later acquired the 1,000-acre Rossway Park Estate at Berkhamstead, which has a 15-bedroom main house, a smaller house and other properties.

The judge was told Dr Khoo has indirect interests in a range of businesses through two holding companies in Malaysia, and has substantial holdings in Laura Ashley and Corus Hotels.

The pair are in dispute over the extent to which Dr Khoo built up his assets during the marriage and the extent to which his wife should benefit from them.

Dr Khoo owns properties around the world, including in Malaysia, Canada, Australia and the US as well as the UK, which will have to be investigated and valued, along with his shareholdings, if the case does not settle.

The next key stage would be a judge-led arbitration process to resolve the financial dispute. If the parties still cannot settle, the case will go to a full court hearing expected to last 15 days.

Ayesha Vardag, president of Vardags, said: "Dr Khoo, who has gone through numerous lawyers, took the expensive decision to issue rival proceedings in the Malaysian courts, where his wife would, it is believed, be entitled to a far smaller sum from him.

"He is now obliged to submit to the English court's approach to marriage as an equal partnership.

"Dr Khoo has tried to duck the powers of the English court for over three years now, racking up immense costs in the process.

"There are hundreds of millions at play here, with the husband earning millions as annual income alone.
Barry Manilow taken to hospital over oral surgery complications

Barry Manilow has been rushed to hospital due to complications from "emergency oral surgery".

The 72-year-old Copacabana singer was taken back to Los Angeles after a sold-out concert in Memphis.

A couple of his shows are being re-scheduled and it is not known whether he will be able to go to the Grammy Awards on Monday, according to his Facebook page.

Barry Manilow has been taken to hospital due to complications from "emergency oral surgery"

The statement said: "Following a triumphant sold out concert in Memphis, Barry Manilow was rushed back to Los Angeles due to complications from emergency oral surgery that Manilow had on Monday."

It added: "At this time it is unclear if Manilow will be able to attend the Grammy Awards on Monday February 15 where he is nominated for his 15th Grammy Award for his latest album, My Dream Duets."

Manilow is currently on a tour called One Last Time - One Last Tour throughout North America and the UK.
Closure of Independent print titles 'puts 75 jobs at risk'

About 75 jobs are at risk in the wake of the decision to close the newspaper editions of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday, a source close to the business has said.

The owners of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers have confirmed the print version of the titles will close, leaving an online-only edition.

ESI Media said The Independent, launched in 1986, will become "the first national newspaper title to move to a digital-only future".

The Independent newspaper is to become digital only from the end of March

The Independent on Sunday will go online only on March 20, with The Independent following on March 26.

The move comes after the paper's owners, Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev, agreed a deal to sell its cut-price sister paper i to regional publisher Johnston Press for around 24 million.

The Independent newspapers are part of the group owned by the Lebedev family, who have other media assets including the Evening Standard and local TV station London Live.

ESI Media said the independent.co.uk website has seen its monthly audience grow 33.3% over the last 12 months to nearly 70 million global unique users.

It added the site is profitable and is expected to see revenue growth of 50% this year.

The move comes at a time of increasing difficulties for the British newspaper industry, with print advertising revenues falling and few titles having found a profitable online business model.

Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent, said: "The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers.

"They're showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms."

ESI Media said as a result of the move it will create 25 new digital content roles, launch a new subscription mobile app and continue to invest in quality journalism.

It added that due to the expansion of independent.co.uk new editorial bureaux will open in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and its US operation will be boosted.

The group said the Evening Standard is unaffected by the move, "which continues to grow as a profitable and successful newspaper brand in its own right".

The Independent was launched by a group of journalists led by Andreas Whittam Smith. It enjoyed initial success rising to a circulation passing 400,000 by 1988, and claimed it was free from proprietorial influence.

Early advertising featured the famous strapline "It is, are you?", and later editors included Andrew Marr and Rosie Boycott.

The Independent on Sunday launched in 1990, with Stephen Glover as editor.

However, over the years and under different owners the circulation and ad revenues of the titles began to shrink as the newspaper industry lost readers.

In March 2010 ESI Media bought the titles from Irish mogul Sir Anthony O'Reilly for 1.

The Independent's current paid circulation is just over 40,000 while its Sunday sister title sells just under 43,000 copies.
U.S. says wins Saudi air campaign commitment against Islamic State

By Phil Stewart and Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has been under pressure to shore up support from Sunni Arab allies to fight the Islamic State group, on Thursday welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role in air strikes against the Sunni militants.

At a gathering of more than two dozen defense ministers at NATO headquarters, Saudi Arabia, which has quietly resumed its participation in air strikes in the past few weeks, also renewed the possibility of sending forces into Syria.

"Saudi Arabia's defense minister ... indicated that the Kingdom is reinvigorating its commitment to the coalition air campaign, which is very welcome news, and contributing in other critical ways on the ground," Carter said after the talks in Brussels.

Carter, broadly praising contributions from allies, said the U.S.-led war against Islamic State would be won despite former Cold War foe Russia's role in the civil war in Syria on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

On Wednesday, France delivered a rebuke to President Barack Obama, demanding that Washington show a clearer commitment to resolving the crisis in Syria, where Russia is tipping the military balance in favor of Assad.

Four months of Russian air strikes in Syria have helped Assad claw back territory from rebels fighting government forces, alarming Gulf Arab states who back the insurgents.

Saudi Arabia said it has carried out more than 190 aerial missions in Syria, although it has focused its military efforts over the last year on the conflict in Yemen, where it is leading a coalition of mainly Gulf Arab forces battling Houthi fighters who control Sanaa.

In Munich, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was leading a diplomatic push to rescue imperiled peace efforts, which are being held despite Russian bombing raids to bolster Syrian forces around the city of Aleppo.

Carter sought to draw a line between military and diplomatic efforts, saying Islamic State needed to be defeated "whatever happens with the Syrian civil war". But he also said Russia's bombing of Western-backed opposition fighters could prolong the civil war that helped give rise to Islamic State.

"I'm confident we'll (defeat Islamic State). The Russians are not helping in that regard, but we'll do it anyway," he told reporters.

Carter offered allies a long list of required military capabilities, which, beyond air power, included training Iraqi forces and help with intelligence and surveillance. Carter said countries that could not contribute militarily could help in other ways, like by choking Islamic State financing.

Saudi Arabia's Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, a military spokesman, said his country was ready to send troops into Syria if there was a consensus in the coalition. But he declined to elaborate, saying: "It is too early to talk about such options."

"Today we are talking at the strategic level," Asseri told reporters in Brussels.

U.S. defense officials had sought to manage expectations about the talks, since many ministers would need to win support from their parliaments. Carter said about a third of U.S. allies made commitments that still required parliamentary approval, appearing to leave many pledges in limbo.

Britain's defence minister Michael Fallon said there was "certainly pressure on those that are still on the sidelines."

The timeline for the campaign to end Islamic State's control of the strategic cities Raqqa and Mosul in Iraq was also unclear.

The head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency cautioned this week that Iraqi forces were unlikely to recapture Mosul this year, despite hopes by Baghdad.

Carter only said securing Raqqa and Mosul needed to happen "as soon as possible." He also acknowledged the need to grapple with Islamic State's spread beyond Syria and Iraq, particularly in Libya.

"Nobody wants to see Libya on a glide slope to the kind of situation that already engulfed Syria and Iraq," he said.
S.Korea cuts off power, water into Kaesong zone in N.Korea

SEOUL, Feb 12 (Reuters) - South Korea has cut off the supply of power and water into the Kaesong industrial zone run jointly with North Korea, it said on Friday, hours after the North kicked out the South's workers and froze the assets of companies operating there.

The suspension of the factory park, operated for more than a decade as a symbol of cooperation, deepened the confrontation between the rivals by all but shutting down the last remaining window of regular interaction for the divided Koreas.

South Korea said on Wednesday that it was suspending the operation of the industrial zone as punishment for the North's rocket launch on Sunday and last month's nuclear test. The North called the move "a declaration of war."

The 280 South Koreans who had remained in Kaesong rushed to vacate the industrial park on Thursday evening, completing the pullout at 11:05 p.m. (1405 GMT), said the South's Unification Ministry, which handles ties with the North.

A few minutes before midnight, the South shut off the supply of electricity into Kaesong that powered the factory zone, the ministry said early on Friday. The action also cuts off water supply, it said.

The United States, Japan and South Korea said Sunday's launch was a ballistic missile test, and like last month's nuclear test, a violation of United Nations resolutions. They are seeking tougher sanctions against the North.

Isolated North Korea regularly dismisses the South as a puppet of the United States and just as regularly accuses both of acts of war against it.

The Kaesong project employed about 55,000 North Koreans, who were given a taste of life in the South, working for the 124 mostly small and medium sized manufacturers that operated there, about 54 km (34 miles) northwest of Seoul.

The average wage for North Korean workers at Kaesong was roughly $160 a month, paid to a state management company.

Except for Kaesong, both countries forbid their citizens from communicating with each other across their heavily armed border.
Drug cartel battle kills 49 in northeastern Mexican prison

By Gabriela Lopez

MONTERREY, Mexico, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A battle between the feared Zetas drug cartel and rivals at a prison left 49 people dead in the northeastern Mexican city of Monterrey, authorities said on Thursday, days ahead of a planned visit by Pope Francis to another jail in Mexico's far north.

The incident was one of the worst in a series of deadly riots in recent years to rock the country's overpopulated prisons, some of which are largely controlled by cartels.

Fighting broke out before midnight in two areas of the Topo Chico prison between supporters of a gang leader known as "Zeta 27" and another group, with prisoners using bottles and blades, Nuevo Leon state Governor Jaime Rodriguez said.

"Topo Chico is a ... very old prison. A prison with very difficult security conditions," said Rodriguez, who described the state's prison system as a "time bomb" that needed to be defused. Rodriguez himself survived two assassination attempts while opposing drug cartels as mayor of a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico's third most populous metropolitan area and home to many of the country's largest corporations.

A 2014 human rights report faulted Topo Chico for not preventing violent incidents. The prison has long housed members of the Zetas, known for extreme violence. One Zetas leader was stabbed to death there in September.

Authorities revised down their initial death toll from 52, out of a total of about 3,500 prisoners.

One victim died from gunfire, while the rest were killed from a combination of knives and other objects like bottles and chairs. Flames licked the night sky after inmates set light to food storage areas.

Milenio TV reported that inmates' relatives who had been within the prison's premises for conjugal visits had seen inmates with burns. Twelve people were injured, five seriously, the state government said.

Speaking to local radio, Rodriguez acknowledged the public perception that the Zetas dominated the facility and said the prison system was one of his principal concerns.

"The problem is they have people like my brother living with narcos," said an angry relative of an inmate doing time for robbery, waiting for names of the victims at the prison gates.

Rodriguez said 40 victims had been identified so far. The names of Zeta 27 and a rival known as El Credo were not among a list of 20 names released by state government.

Rodriguez said the fighting had been brought under control at about 1:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) on Thursday and ruled out a prison break, adding no women or children were hurt. Worried family members at one point forced open the prison gates and threw timber and stones at riot police inside, television images showed.

Authorities are transfering inmates out of the prison to bring down the population, with 60 people set to be moved on Thursday.

Pope Francis is set to begin his first visit to Mexico as pontiff on Friday. Next week, he will visit a prison in border city Ciudad Juarez, once one of the world's most violent cities.

Both Monterrey and Ciudad Juarez are more peaceful than at the peak of the war between rival cartels for control of routes to nearby Texas.

For much of the last decade, the Zetas spread terror across Mexico before being debilitated by arrests and deaths of their founding members.

Juan Pedro Saldivar Farias, or Zeta 27, has been mentioned in local media as a suspect in the 2010 murder of U.S. citizen David Hartley.

Thursday's riot was a blow to Nuevo Leon, where many were uplifted when Rodriguez, a blunt, outspoken rancher with a penchant for cowboy hats known as "El Bronco," or "the gruff one," defeated President Enrique Pena Nietos ruling party last year, becoming Mexico's first independent candidate to win a governorship.
Connecticut man pleads guilty to charge of shooting at mosque

By Jonathan Stempel

Feb 11 (Reuters) - A Connecticut man pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal hate crime for shooting at a mosque next door to his home shortly after November's deadly attacks in Paris.

Ted Hakey Jr., 48, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally damaging religious property by using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly in Connecticut said.

Hakey entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Michael Shea in Hartford, Connecticut.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison at his May 10 sentencing, but just eight to 14 months under recommended federal guidelines. Hakey also faces a maximum $250,000 fine. He remains free on $400,000 bail.

Lawyers for Hakey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Authorities said Hakey fired four shots with a rifle at the Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden in the early morning of Nov. 14, 2015, after learning about the attacks in Paris by Islamic State militants the day before, which killed 130 people.

The mosque was vacant at the time, and no one was injured.
Brazil court freezes Vale, BHP, Samarco assets -report

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A judge in Brazil's state of Minas Gerais has frozen 470 million reais ($118 million) of assets owned by Vale SA and 1.8 million reais linked to BHP Billiton Ltd to ensure payment of damages related to a deadly dam rupture, Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper said on Thursday.

A tailings dam at Samarco Mineracao SA's main iron ore mine burst in early November, unleashing a tsunami of mud and toxic sludge that killed at least 17, left 800 homeless and triggered what the federal government has called Brazil's worst-ever environmental disaster.

BHP and Vale are 50-50 joint venture partners in the miner in Brazil's Minas Gerais state.

The order to freeze the money was granted after a request from a public prosecutors in Barra Longa, Minas Gerais, O Globo reported in the Lauro Jardim column on its website.

There has been growing frustration over delays in providing compensation or repairing damage to those affected by the disaster. In December another Brazilian court froze an unspecified amount of Vale and BHP assets after determining that Samarco did not have enough cash to pay for the damage alone.

Brazil's federal government and two state governments are suing Samarco, Vale and BHP for 20 billion reais ($5 billion) over the disaster.

Vale's press office said they will appeal the ruling.
Saudi warns U.N., aid workers to leave areas near rebel bases in Yemen

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighboring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas near rebel military bases, according to a letter that was seen by Reuters on Thursday.

A short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London on Friday said the intention was to "protect the international organizations and their employees," presumably from coalition air strikes.

The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, told Reuters that Riyadh sent the letter because, "We're just concerned for the safety of the U.N. staff and their humanitarian agencies.

"We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets," he said.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen.

U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien acknowledged receipt of the note in a Sunday letter seen by Reuters and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need.

He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid.

The Saudi mission to the United Nations responded on Monday that Riyadh would "do its utmost to continue to facilitate and support" humanitarian aid work in Yemen, while also clarifying its request for U.N. and international aid workers to leave areas close to Houthi bases for military operations.

"The coalition's request is consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law and, in no way, can be misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen," it said.

The U.N. Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said.

The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression.

Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict last March, almost half of them civilians.

U.N. sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity.
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Feb 12

SOFIA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- Turkey has banned the honorary chairman of ethnic Turkish MRF party, Ahmed Dogan, and MRF party member, Delyan Peevski, from entering the country, Turkish media reported, citing Dogan's pro-Russian position in the row with Ankara over downing of a Russian warplane. (24 Chasa, Trud, Capital Daily, Monitor, Duma, Sega, Standart)

-- Bulgaria does not plan to build a fence on its border with Greece to prevent possible migrant inflows, deputy prime minister Rumiana Bachvarova said. (24 Chasa, Trud)

-- The executive body of the judiciary said it will launch a check whether prosecutors and judges with serious bank deposits in bankrupt Corporate Commercial Bank had declared them as the law for public official requires. (Monitor, 24 Chasa, Sega, Standart)
Pakistan arrests 97 al-Qaeda and other militants; foils jailbreak plan

By Asad Hashim

ISLAMABAD, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested 97 al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants, including three commanders, in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said on Friday.

The men are accused of involvement in major attacks on two Pakistani air bases, the Karachi airport, several regional intelligence headquarters and on police installations between 2009 and 2015, the military said.

The LeJ's Naeem Bokhari and Sabir Khan, as well as Farooq Bhatti, deputy chief of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), were captured by Pakistani forces in recent raids, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said.

"Our conclusion is that all of the terrorist groups are trying to cooperate with each other in order to carry out terrorist attacks," he told a news conference.

The LeJ and AQIS had been working "in collusion" with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, Bajwa added.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is an Islamist group whose sectarian ideology is closely aligned with Islamic State, as it wants to kill or expel Pakistan's minority Shi'ites and establish a Sunni theocracy.

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent was formed by global al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in September 2014, and is one of dozens of Islamist militant groups, some aligned against Pakistan and others against its neighbours, that operate in the country.

Pakistan has been under domestic and international pressure to crack down on all such groups, and launched a renewed operation against some of them in June 2014.

Bajwa declined to give details of the raids, including their timing.

Several of those arrested, including Bokhari, were in the advanced stages of planning a jailbreak attempt on the Hyderabad Central Jail, Bajwa said.

Khalid Omar Sheikh, who kidnapped and killed the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Pearl in 2002, is being held at that jail and was to be released during the raid, he said.

Six suicide bombers had been enlisted in the attack plan, in addition to 19 involved in facilitating it, Bajwa said. More than 350 kg (772 lb) of explosives had been recovered from a building believed to be a hideout, he said.

The attackers planned to raid the prison compound with two vans filled with explosives, and had a list of about 35 prisoners they planned to kill, Bajwa said, displaying pencil sketches of the prison allegedly made by the militants.

They had a separate list of about 100 prisoners, including Sheikh, whom they were supposed to release, he added.

Video images of the militants' hideout showed blue plastic barrels filled with explosives, washing machines that had been used to transport arms and ammunition, long lengths of detonating cord and dozens of ball bearings.

The footage also showed several rifles that Bajwa said had been stolen from police in earlier targeted attacks.
Brazilian midfielder Oscar commits to Chelsea

Feb 12 (Reuters) - Chelsea midfielder Oscar has said that he has no reason to leave the club and was keen to add to his trophy haul with the Premier League champions.

"I want to stay here for a long time. I want to win more games, more trophies, because I love Chelsea, I love the fans," the Brazil international, whose contract runs through to the end of the 2019 season, told Chelsea TV.

"I don't have (a reason to) change the club. Everyone likes me here and I'm very happy here."
Thousands of Iraqi refugees leave Finland voluntarily

By Tuomas Forsell

HELSINKI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqi refugees who arrived in Finland last year have decided to cancel their asylum applications and to return home voluntarily, citing family issues and disappointment with life in the frosty Nordic country.

Europe is in the grip of its worst migrant crisis since World War Two, with more than a million people arriving last year, fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and beyond.

Germany and Finland's neighbour Sweden have taken in many of the migrants but Finland too saw the number of asylum seekers increase nearly tenfold in 2015 to 32,500 from 3,600 in 2014.

Almost two thirds of the asylum seekers last year were young Iraqi men, but some are now having second thoughts, so Finland will begin chartering flights to Baghdad from next week to take them home.

Officials said about 4,100 asylum seekers had so far cancelled their applications and that number was likely to reach 5,000 in the coming months.

"My baby boy is sick, I need to get back home," said Alsaedi Hussein, buying a flight back to Baghdad at a small travel agency in Helsinki.

Somalia-born Muhiadin Hassan who runs the travel agency said he was now selling 15 to 20 flights to Baghdad every day.

"It's been busy here for the past few months," he said.

A majority of the home-bound migrants have told immigration services they want to return to their families, but some expressed disappointment with life in Finland.

"Some say the conditions in Finland and the lengthy asylum process did not meet their expectations, or what they had been told by the people they paid for their travel," said Tobias van Treeck, programme officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"TOO COLD"

Echoing that comment, travel agent Hassan said: "Some say they don't like the food here, it's too cold or they don't feel welcome in Finland. There are many reasons."

Nearly 80 percent of the migrants returning home are Iraqis. Just 22 of the 877 Syrians - whose country is racked by civil war - and 35 of the 5,214 Afghans who sought asylum in Finland last year have asked to return to their home country.

Along with other Nordic states, Finland has recently tightened its immigration policies, for example requiring working-age asylum seekers to do some unpaid work.

Hostility to migrants has also increased in Finland, a country with little experience of mass immigration and which now has economic problems.

Germany too, which took in 1.1 million people in 2015, has seen small numbers of Iraqi refugees choosing to go home.

Finland had been preparing to reject up to 20,000 asylum seekers from 2015, but the number of voluntary returnees could significantly reduce that figure.

"The number of returnees is increasing steadily ... All asylum seekers are informed about the options for voluntary return and about the available financial assistance," said Paivi Nerg, a senior official in the Finnish interior ministry.

However, most Iraqi returnees pay for their own flight home or seek help from Iraq's embassy in Helsinki, she added.

Last year the Finnish government and the IOM provided financial help to 631 returnees and a similar number is expected this year.
Russia must cease strikes in Syria to allow for ceasefire, humanitarian aid

ISTANBUL, Feb 12 (Reuters) - If Russia does not end its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, a ceasefire reached by major powers will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

Cavusoglu was speaking after a meeting in Munich at which the United States, Russia and a more than a dozen other nations agreed to cease hostilities to pave a way for a political transition in Turkey's war-torn neighbour.
Turkey says up to 40,000 people newly settled at camps

ISTANBUL, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Up to 40,000 refugees have settled in camps on the Turkish border inside Syria in the latest wave of migration, a Turkish deputy prime minister said on Friday, as attacks by Russian-backed Syrian government forces send tens of thousands fleeing.

A diplomatic initiative with Russia and Syria is needed to prevent further waves of migration that would also impact Europe, Yalcin Akdogan told reporters near the border at Oncupinar, in comments broadcast live by TRT television.

"In the last week there has been a new wave of migration, notably because of the Russian bombardment and 35,000 to 40,000 people have flowed to the Turkish border," he said.

Earlier on Friday the United States, Russia and more than a dozen other nations reached agreement in Munich to cease hostilities in Syria and provide humanitarian aid. The deal is aimed at eventually paving the way for a political transition in Turkey's war-ravaged neighbour.

Turkey, which already hosts 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has tried to keep the latest wave on the Syrian side of the border, in part to pressure Russia to cease its air support for Syrian government forces near the city of Aleppo.

NATO member Turkey is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most vehement critics and an ardent supporter of opposition forces. Ankara's relations with Moscow have been very strained since the Turkish air force downed a Russian jet along the Turkish border in November.

'IMPORTANT STEP'

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu welcomed the Syrian ceasefire deal in a post on his Twitter account, saying it was an "important step" towards resolving the crisis.

However, unless Russia ends its strikes on Western-backed Syrian opposition forces, the ceasefire reached in Munich will not hold and humanitarian access will not be effectively secured, Cavusoglu told TRT in comments broadcast from Munich.

He said Turkey and its partners did not object to Russia targetting militant groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front, but said Moscow should do so in coordination with the U.S.-led coalition.

The latest wave of refugees has swelled to 100,000 the number of people sheltering at nine camps located on the Syrian side of the border within 3 km of Turkey, Cavusoglu said, adding that a 10th camp was being prepared.
Millennium after split, pope and Russian church to meet in Cuba

By Daniel Trotta

HAVANA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church meet in Havana on Friday, nearly 1,000 years after Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome, for the first encounter in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch.

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, will address the millennium-long rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

They are also expected to unite in an appeal for an end to persecution and killing of Christians in the Middle East.

The meeting will also carry political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

The Vatican and the Moscow Patriarchate made the surprise announcement just a week in advance of the meeting.

Patriarch Kirill arrived in Havana on Thursday with his long beard, tall domed hat, white stole and black robes. He was welcomed by Cuban President Raul Castro, dressed in a business suit rather than his usual olive green military fatigues.

Francis was due to arrive on Friday afternoon for a three-and-a-half-hour stop in Cuba on his way to a long-scheduled visit to Mexico.

Castro is an ally of Russia who received Francis in Cuba just five months ago. The Argentine pontiff previously played a role in rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, who restored diplomatic relations last year after a 54-year break.

Now the pope is seeking to repair a much longer rupture. Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome in 1054, and today the Russian church counts some 165 million of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians.

Kirill, on a longer stay, will also visit Cuba's small Russian Orthodox Church, built from 2004 to 2008 and attended by Russian holdovers from the decades of Soviet influence in Cuba.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the Russian church, which in turn has backed Kremlin foreign policy, most notably in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Putin has also improved relations with Cuba, which were strained following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 2001, during Putin's first term as president, former Cuban President Fidel Castro approved construction of a Russian Orthodox church, which was given prime real estate on Havana Bay in what is now a booming tourist zone.
Austria tells Macedonia to be ready to seal border to migrants

SKOPJE, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Austria told Macedonia on Friday to be ready to "completely stop" the flow of migrants across its southern border from Greece, warning that Vienna would do the same on its own frontiers within months.

"Most probably in the coming months our maximum number will be reached, so Austria will have to stop the migrants at its border," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said during a visit to the Macedonian capital, Skopje.
US, allies stage 20 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq -statement

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 20 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq on Thursday, concentrated on Mosul and Ramadi, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement.

Six strikes near Islamic State-controlled Mosul destroyed 21 of the militants' fighting positions, a weapons cache, a supply cache, two assembly areas and a vehicle, the Combined Joint Task force said in the statement released on Friday.

Near Ramadi, five strikes destroyed four Islamic State fighting positions, a machine gun, two vehicle-borne improvised explosive device facilities and a "bed down location," it said.

The coalition reported three strikes near Sinjar, two near Habbaniyah and one each near Tal Afar, Sultan Abdallah, Kisik and Qayyarah.
Be ready to halt migrant flow, Austria tells Macedonia

By Kole Casule

SKOPJE, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Austria told Macedonia on Friday to be ready to "completely stop" the flow of migrants across its southern border from Greece and said it would do the same on its own frontiers within months.

Macedonia has erected two lines of metal fencing topped with razor wire along the border at the main crossing point from Greece for migrants, many of them Syrian refugees, crossing the Balkan peninsula en route to western Europe.

Austria, which received 90,000 asylum requests last year, has set a limit of less than half that number for this year. More than a million reached Europe's shores last year, and over 80,000 in the first six weeks of this year.

"Most probably in the coming months our maximum number will be reached, so Austria will have to stop the migrants at its border," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said during a visit to the Macedonian capital, Skopje.

"Macedonia must be ready to completely stop the entry of migrants on its borders," he said through a translator from German into Macedonian.

"We know this will be a hard task and today we agreed that Austria will lend its support, not only in terms of personnel such as police and army but with equipment too."
Hear "Our Cries": new app helps Tanzanian students fight abuse on buses

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - It's 7:45 in the morning and Zulfa Khalid, a student at Mugabe Secondary School in Dar es Salaam, is stuck at Tegeta bus terminal, sweating in the rising heat having waited more than two hours to get on a bus.

"I woke up very early today, imagine I am still here and nobody wants to let me on," she complained.

Fifteen-year-old Khalid is among hundreds of thousands of students in Tanzania's largest city who suffer taunts and abuse at the hands of conductors on crowded buses, popularly known as dala dala, because they pay a reduced fare.

"I have to be very tough to get in otherwise I will stay here forever," she said. "I sometimes miss important lessons and teachers won't go over it again because they don't understand why I'm late," she said.

In an effort to help fellow students, Modesta Joseph, another 15-year-old high school student, has created an app that gives pupils a platform to vent their frustrations.

Named "Our Cries", the mobile app allows students to report abuse to the police and the transportation authority.

"When we are humiliated and adults see it, authorities can do something but because they are busy doing other things, we end up suffering," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

There are about 1.4 million primary and secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, who are often punched, beaten or in some cases sexually assaulted when using public transport, Joseph said.

Students can report their "cries" anonymously to the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA) through a secure system.

Those without access to internet can send text messages or write down their complaints and post them in special wooden boxes placed around secondary schools, she said.

"When we receive such reports and evidence, we forward them to SUMATRA for action," she said.

Ziada Mwakilusa, also 15, suffered a fractured ankle when a bus conductor pushed her last year.

"I used my mobile phone to report the incident and within days the suspect was traced, fined and made to pay for my treatment," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Since it was created in 2014, "Our Cries" has received and filed hundreds of reports to the authorities and now has a popular website, www.ourcries.com.

"I haven't tried that app myself but I am happy something is being done to end this mess," said Khalid, still waiting at the bus stop. "I can't wait to see those nasty guys severely punished."

"Our Cries", which is supported by SUMATRA, grew out of a coding club aimed at empowering women and girls and attended by Modesta Joseph.

The young campaigner is now the winner of several awards.
Colombia's ELN rebels declare 72-hour lockdown

BOGOTA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The National Liberation Army, a leftist Colombian rebel group known as ELN, has declared a 72-hour armed lockdown in areas where they operate, restricting transport and commerce amid signs of further delays in their efforts to begin peace talks.

The lockdown begins on Sunday, said the ELN, which the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group.

"We have directed all the combatant forces of the National Liberation Army to take part in an armed strike," the country's second-largest rebel group said in a statement on its website on Friday. During similar lockdowns in the past, rebels have forced shops to close and buses to halt transport along routes.

The ELN has been holding preliminary peace talks with the government of President Juan Manuel Santos for more than two years, but formal negotiations have yet to begin.

Each side has blamed the other in recent weeks for ongoing delays at these talks. Santos has said negotiations will not start until the group frees two hostages.

The stoppage of commercial activities and transport was being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of rebel hero Camilo Torres, a radical Catholic priest killed in combat, the group said.

"We emphasize that our actions are not against civilians, and we ask them for prudence while the armed strike takes place," the ELN said.

The group has battled a dozen governments since it was founded in 1964. It has continued kidnapping and attacks on infrastructure even during the exploratory talks.

Officials blamed the ELN for a bombing this week on the Cano Limon oil pipeline.

The government looks set to sign a peace deal with larger rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the coming months.
Special prosecutor investigates two top allies of Macedonian PM

By Kole Casule

SKOPJE, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A special prosecutor in Macedonia launched criminal proceedings on Friday against two former ministers on suspicion of intimidating voters, part of an investigation into wire-tap revelations that have damaged the conservative government.

Gordana Jankulovska and Mile Janakievski, former interior and transport ministers, resigned last year in the wake of a scandal that weakened Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's almost 10-year hold on power. Gruevski himself resigned last month, pending fresh elections, under a deal agreed with the European Union.

The Social Democrat opposition to Gruevski released a slew of phone-taps last year that they said were made by Gruevski's allies and exposed government control over journalists, judges, public sector recruitment and the manipulation of elections.

Concerned about the state of democracy in Macedonia, the European Union brokered a deal with Macedonia - which is a candidate to join the EU - by which a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the revelations and Gruevski agreed to an early election expected on April 24.

Gruevski and his VMRO-DPMNE party have denied any wrongdoing and the party has accused the special prosecutor of allying with the opposition to smear the government.

Fatime Fetai, a member of the special prosecutor's team, said the two former ministers - both of whom are close allies of Gruevski - and several other senior state officials were suspected of creating "a group with other as yet unknown members to use their influence to maintain a political party in power."

The are suspected of intimidating and influencing voters during a local election four years ago and face three years in prison if charged and found guilty, Fetai said.

The prosecutor's office said criminal proceedings had been launched, a prelude to possible charges.
Rwanda to send Burundi refugees to other countries after U.S. warning

By Clement Uwiringiyimana

KIGALI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Rwanda will send Burundian refugees to other countries after the United States said that they were being recruited to fight for the Burundian opposition and threatened to destabilise the region.

Nearly quarter of a million people have fled violence in Burundi since April, with more than 70,000 seeking refuge in Rwanda, according to data from the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR.

Rwandan foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, said on Friday that Rwanda would immediately begin working with partners in the international community to relocate refugees from Burundi, but gave no further details.

"For Rwanda, the growing risks to our national security from the Burundian impasse and misunderstandings in our foreign relations are unacceptable," she said in a statement.

The UNHCR Rwanda office said its representative had met Seraphine Mukantabana, minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, who said Rwanda would abide by international obligations to protect refugees, keep its borders open and not forcefully deport Burundian refugees.

"UNHCR has urged the government to make such clarifications publicly as soon as possible to prevent panic on the part of refugees in Rwanda, and to address the many questions which are raised by this morning's statement," it said in a statement.

Burundi was plunged into one of its worst crises since a civil war ended in 2005 after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided in April to run for a third term in office, a move that opponents said was against the constitution.

More than 400 people have been killed since then.

A confidential report to the U.N. Security Council accuses Rwanda of recruiting and training Burundian refugees with the aim of ousting Nkurunziza.

The report cites accounts from several rebel fighters, who told monitors the training was done in a forest camp in Rwanda.

Burundi accused Rwanda in December of supporting a rebel group that was recruiting Burundian refugees on Rwandan soil, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed the allegations.

Burundi government spokesman, Philippe Nzobonariba, reiterated the government's accusation in the camps, and welcomed the reports about Rwanda's involvement in Burundi.

"That is why we ask them (Rwandan) stop recruiting youths but rather let them go back home," he told Reuters by phone.
Five U.N. peackeepers killed by truck bomb, mortar fire in Mali

By Tiemoko Diallo and Adama Diarra

BAMAKO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Five U.N. peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb on Friday, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants.

At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Kidal, a town in an unstable desert region that is home to Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which have staged increasingly bold raids in recent months and have targeted the U.N. base several times.

"At about 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of the U.N. secretary general, referring to the peacekeeping mission.

Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said MINUSMA spokesman Olivier Salgado.

Guinea said three of its peacekeepers were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead and wounded was not immediately known.

The Kidal base is part of an attempt by the United Nations to end violence in Mali following a takeover of the north by Islamists in 2012, which was thwarted by a French-led intervention force that pushed the militants out of key towns a year later.

Islamist militants have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond. These have included an attack on a hotel in Mali's capital in November in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Faso's capital in January in which 30 were killed.

There is also a decades-long separatist struggle in northern Mali by ethnic Tuaregs. Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told Reuters that the Kidal attack had been conducted by Islamists.

There was no official confirmation or claim of responsibility.

During a visit to Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, German President Joachim Gauck said more of the country's soldiers were due to arrive as peacekeepers to boost a contingent of 650 the government approved in January.

In a separate incident on Friday, three Malian soldiers were killed and three wounded when their military convoy was ambushed on a road between Timbuktu and Goundam in northern Mali, a military source said.

The wounded were evacuated to Timbuktu hospital. It was not clear who had conducted the ambush.
South Sudan rebel leader wants soldiers out in further hurdle to peace deal

By Drazen Jorgic

NAIROBI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar said on Friday he wanted soldiers cleared out of the capital before he returns to take up the post of vice president under a peace deal, in another hurdle to efforts to end more than a year of fighting.

President Salva Kiir gave Machar his old job back as deputy leader late on Thursday, raising hopes of a breakthrough after months of troubled negotiations and failed ceasefires.

But Machar told Reuters on Friday he would only come back if the government went through with what he said was a promise to demilitarise the capital Juba. He said he had not spoken to Kiir since August.

"If this is done within a week's time, it would accelerate my going back to Juba," Machar said by phone from Cairo. "If it takes two weeks, then I will wait for two weeks."

Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in 2013, exacerbating a political feud that erupted into fighting between soldiers loyal to both men in Juba.

Machar and his supporters left the city and took to the bush as violence spread across the oil-producing country, killing thousands, forcing more than 2.3 million to flee and reopening ethnic rifts between Kiir's Dinka group and Machar's Nuer.

The two sides signed a peace deal in August, under international pressure and the threat of sanctions, but the ceasefire has been regularly broken.

There was no immediate reaction to Machar's demilitarisation demand, though Kiir had earlier urged Machar to return quickly.

"I now call upon Dr Riek Machar ... to report to Juba immediately so that together we form the Transitional government of National Unity within seven days from today," the president said in a statement through his spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny.

ATROCITIES

South Sudan split away from Sudan in 2011 under a peace deal that ended decades of north-south civil war.

Regional and western powers who backed the peace process were dismayed when unrest continued along the Sudans' joint border, then fighting broke out inside South Sudan between Kiir and Machar's factions.

The United Nations and rights groups have said both sides are guilty of atrocities and accused them of dragging their feet while millions of their people face daily violence and starvation caused by food shortages.

Machar said on Friday he was optimistic that he would be able to rebuild trust with Kiir even though the two rivals have not spoken since August.

"Unfortunately this has not happened," Machar said. "I made several efforts and we have not got in contact with each other."

Even on the day Machar was re-appointed Kiir's deputy on Thursday, the two men did not speak. "I tried," Machar said. "I will try again today, and I think we will still overcome it. It's just a matter of time."
East European states to help stop migrants from leaving Greece

By Jan Lopatka and Gabriela Baczynska

PRAGUE/BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Eastern European leaders are set to offer manpower and other aid to help Macedonia seal its Greek border, sources close to the discussions told Reuters, in a move that could strand migrants in Greece in the coming months.

The leaders of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- known as the Visegrad Group within the European Union -- could announce the move when they meet their Macedonian counterpart at a summit in Prague on Monday, diplomats said.

As the European Union gave notice to Athens on Friday that its failure to control hundreds of thousands of refugees landing via Turkey over the past year will see a long-term suspension of some passport-free travel in Europe, EU officials said they expected more border tightening by Greece's Balkan neighbours.

"Some form of heavy control is in the making," said one.

Visegrad EU states have led criticism of efforts, notably by Germany, to absorb asylum-seekers who have trekked north out of Greece through Macedonia and Serbia, neither of which are in the EU. Outspoken, right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Macedonia and Bulgaria last month to follow his example and fence off their borders against refugees and other migrants.

And while Orban's action was condemned by many European leaders and human rights groups, the idea of preventing people entering impoverished Macedonia and instead holding them in EU-member Greece until they can either be offered asylum elsewhere -- or deported -- has gained ground among policy-makers as they try to prevent new chaos when arrivals rise with better weather.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told Macedonians in Skopje on Friday that they should be ready to "completely stop" the entry of migrants in the next few months because he expected Vienna to do the same once it reaches a self-declared limit on the number of migrants it will accept over its eastern borders.

DOMINO EFFECT

Concern at a "domino effect" of border closures rippling down the Balkan peninsula to Greece and leaving large numbers of Syrians, Iraqis and others stranded in some of Europe's poorest countries, has prompted the EU to offer aid and cooperation to those states, all of them candidates to join the bloc.

Its border agency Frontex is operating with Greek forces on the southern side of the Macedonian border but is prevented by its legal mandate from doing so in Macedonia itself -- prompting Brussels to encourage member states to offer bilateral help.

Another EU diplomat expressed hope that elements of the EU's so far largely ineffective efforts to curb the influx may soon start falling into place, including the new idea to engage the Visegrad four more in common efforts by helping Macedonia: "If this gets them back on board with European efforts on migration, that would be important politically," the diplomat said.

Some Visegrad states already have small security force presences on the Macedonian side. They may also look at helping Greece's other northern neighbours, Bulgaria and non-EU Albania.

Sealing the Macedonian border would raise a prospect of many more people being blocked in Greece. Macedonia has already tried to keep out those who have less prospect of refugee status.

EU officials said delaying people in Greece could help kick start an EU scheme to relocate asylum seekers from Greece to other EU states. Since it was set up, most migrants have preferred to bypass that process and head straight for Germany.
Heralding Schengen suspension, EU gives Greece three months to fix borders

By Alastair Macdonald and Gabriela Baczynska

BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The European Union took a step on Friday towards suspending its cherished free-travel Schengen zone for two years by setting a deadline for Greece to stem the chaotic influx of migrants into the bloc.

EU ministers give Greece three months to fulfil 50 recommendations to put its house in order - a target that officials and diplomats acknowledged few expect Athens to meet.

If it fails, the members of the zone will be able to trigger a hitherto unused mechanism to impose longer-term checks on internal frontiers for up to four periods of six months on the grounds that security on a part of the zone's external frontier has broken down.

"The point is not locking Greece out of Schengen. The point is, if the external border is not being controlled, it allows member states to keep the controls that are in place on their own internal borders," said an EU official.

"If you don't do this you are in a lawless zone and controls could last forever," the official added.

Greece said it had done what it could to control the influx of refugees from Syria and other migrants: "The massive mixed migration flow is of a nature that would put the external border control of any member state under severe pressure," it said.

Greece, the main gateway to Europe for more than a million refugees and migrants last year, has been overwhelmed by the influx and other EU states have increasingly criticised Athens for not managing the flows properly.

"The overall functioning of the Schengen area is at serious risk," the European Council, which brings together EU countries' governments, said after adopting the 50 recommendations for Greece, that include improving registration, sea border surveillance and border checks.

The EU ministers imposed the deadline on Friday by out-voting Athens' rejection of a formal notice from the EU executive that it was "seriously neglecting its obligations" to control its part of the zone's external frontier.
Syrian rebels say get new missiles to confront offensive

BEIRUT, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Syrian rebels have been sent "excellent quantities" of ground-to-ground Grad missiles by foreign backers in recent days, to help them confront a Russian-backed offensive by the government north of Aleppo, two rebel commanders told Reuters on Friday.

"It is excellent additional fire power for us," said one of the commanders, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. The second rebel commander said the missiles were being used to hit army positions beyond the front line. "They give the factions longer reach," he said.
Syria cessation of hostilities an 'important step'-White House

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday an agreement for a break in hostilities in the Syrian conflict is significant, but there is still more to be done in the peace talks.

"This was an important step, but the work is far from over," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters in a briefing.

"In the coming days we will be looking for actions, not words, to demonstrate that all parties are prepared to honor their commitments," he said.

Major powers agreed on Friday to begin a cessation of hostilities in Syria in a week, but Russia pressed on with bombing in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, who vowed to fight until he regained full control of the country.

Schultz said Russia had contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Syria in some instances by targeting areas where there was little presence by the militant group Islamic State.
After first 100 days, Canada PM Trudeau takes Twitter queries

By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who never skips a chance to reach out to voters, marked 100 days in office on Friday by fielding Twitter questions on topics from Star Wars to economics to what he had for lunch.

Critics were already complaining that Trudeau is more style than substance, but he shows no sign of ditching an intensely personal style of governing, which often involves stopping for selfies with well-wishers.

Trudeau, 44, led his Liberals to a surprise election win last October on the back of a promise to change politics. He named a cabinet with an equal number of men and women and dominates the media in a way few of his predecessors did.

His tastes sometimes run to the informal. On Friday he took questions on Twitter for 45 minutes, including one about whether a hot dog was a sandwich.

"Yes. That way, when asked what you had for lunch, you can say 'a sandwich'. Sounds waaaay healthier," he replied.

Other subjects included Arctic security, gay rights, taxes, national security and youth unemployment. He also found time to comment on a toy moose that someone had covered in newspaper pictures of the prime minister.

Trudeau will face a tougher challenge next month when his government releases a budget designed to boost a slack economy. He conceded this week he would run a larger deficit than initially promised.

Perhaps mindful of criticism that he talks a lot without achieving much, Trudeau released a list of what he said his government had done since taking office in November.

The list included pushing through a tax cut for the middle class, launching an operation to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees and creating thousands of summer jobs for students.

The opposition New Democrats were less impressed.

"100 days into a Liberal government and people are still working harder than ever, but can't get ahead," the party said in a statement.

And what does Trudeau think of The Force Awakens, the latest Star Wars movie?
The day the entire nation was praying for Hanamanthappa Koppad, the soldier who was rescued from under 25-feet of snow in Siachen, a few people in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) - known as the bastion of the Left activists - were mourning a traitor and shouting slogans against their motherland. We haven't heard any voices of concern on it from the highly sensitive intolerance-cum-award-wapsi-gharana yet. The nation, it seems, comes last for them. Those who show their bravery in shouting slogans against India are like those who were borne and brought up in the US but bombed their own land and killed those who voted for their right of freedom of expression and movement.

The Kashmiri Muslims sloganeering against India enjoy the freedom to study and move freely in this country because we all have opted for democracy and rule of the Constitution. They, however, abuse all this and more. They operate in the cover of night and try to shield "terrorists".

When David Coleman Headley was scouting in Mumbai to prepare for the 26/11 attack, the bogey of Hindu terrorism was raised and behind this curtain attention of the nation was diverted from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) sleeper cells to an imaginary fear.

It is unfortunate that those who helped 26/11 gunman Ajmal Kasab and one of the main conspirators Headley, have still not been identified and tried. Who provided them logistics in India? Who were giving them shelter and cover? These people were creating false issues of political hatred and revenge through leftist organisations and trying to create communal strife through a more-than-helpful-secular-media, which works hand in glove with such anti-nationals.

Remember the people who woke up the Supreme Court at midnight during Yakub Memon's hanging? And do you remember the apologists for SAR Geelani?

They are forthright in shielding the traitors and campaigning for them through the so-called mainstream newspapers. If they were really from across the border, I am sure the media would have advocated a better treatment to them and asked for their freedom under any pretext. The people sitting on the fences, though very motivated, feel very hesitant to speak about the false alarms of the terrorist-tolerant-Karachiwale-gang and respond to the attacks on the Indian nationhood.

Suppose the angry patriotic JNU students had reacted to the traitors on the campus, what would have been the news and the editorials penned next morning? It might have read like this: "The saffron goons attack innocent Kashmiri boys." Or, "Assault on freedom of expression repeated in Delhi."

Should our faith for the nation be a matter of politics and an issue of debate among different ideological streams? Can there be an ideology existing in the nation which advocates secession? Should the tri-colour now be a debatable piece of cloth?
I feel that the attention being meted out to the death of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad exposes the hypocrisy of the Indian government and us as a "people".

I speak as someone who has had the opportunity to visit Siachen Base Camp and to see first-hand the way in which the Indian army "survives" there. Our soldiers march on their feet to 21,000feet (6,400m) above the sea level to reach the glacier to live in igloos made of fiberglass panels, keeping themselves warm with the clothes on their bodies and kerosene stoves in temperatures as low as -55 degrees!

It takes months of training under extremely harsh conditions to even be prepared to do so. Many politicians and columnists in India know nothing about Siachen, yet they have an opinion on the issue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first Indian prime minister to visit the area, calling for a peaceful resolution of the Siachen conflict. In 2007, the president of India, Abdul Kalam became the first head of state to visit the area. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siachen in October 2014 to celebrate Diwali with the troops and boost their morale. Honestly, is that enough?

My father was posted in Nimo, an army base 35km from Leh. He was there for a little over two years, and still bears testimony of his life in Ladakh in the form of permanent "white spots" on his hands. While tourists are required to acclimatise themselves by staying indoors for two days when they arrive in Leh, our soldiers returning from Siachen can do nothing about the high-altitude diseases that they suffer on their return. Soldiers who come back often suffer problems of hearing, eyesight and memory loss due to the prolonged use of oxygen masks. They get no awards for their sufferings. It is taken for granted; it is part of their job!

Siachen is the highest battleground on earth, where we have been fighting with Pakistan since 1984. Both countries maintain military presence in the region, even at a height of over 20,000ft, and in extreme weather conditions. Thousands of soldiers have died in this inhospitable terrain, not only due to warfare, but owing to the extreme weather and natural hazards. Siachen is just a cold and barren region, of little or no value otherwise, but of symbolic importance to both the countries. While the Indian Army has been in possession of most of the heights with the advantage of the high ground (which makes it easier to target and shoot), the Pakistan army has held posts at lower elevations. The Pakistanis have been unable get up to the crest of the Saltoro Ridge, while the Indians cannot come down and abandon their strategic high posts.

Hence, troops from both countries have to always be present at these altitudes, irrespective of the conditions. But then, how can this war ever be won? Every year, more soldiers are killed because of severe weather than enemy firing. And I am not only talking about avalanches. In an avalanche, multiple soldiers are killed, so it is brought to our notice by the national media, but many soldiers die over a period of time from more natural causes like frostbite, hypothermia, pulmonary oedema, depression and other complications.

One particular incident of a soldier comes to mind. My father's friend was the base commander of Siachen when we visited and he recounted the story of a soldier of his unit who died of depression in his arms because his father was dying of a critical disease and his job entailed that he could do nothing about it. There are many such stories of the soldiers in Siachen! Nausea, speech problems, insomnia and depression are some of the most common problems our soldiers face.

My father lost six soldiers of his regiment, the first Assam regiment, in an avalanche, while they were moving between posts in December, 2012. I remember him telling me about leaving for the airport as the bodies were being flown down to Chandigarh with a slight edge to his voice. Every year, both Indian and Pakistan lose soldiers to Siachen. Official figures for maintaining these outposts are put at $300 and $200 (approximately) million for India and Pakistan respectively. And this when both our countries have millions below the poverty line, even as we grapple with issues such as poverty, unemployment, education, et al.
Respect existence or expect resistance. The new guerrilla movement has started. This time, it's without stones and slogans. Amidst multiple controversies, in a closed room, the curtains are raised and the wall lights up. With films the censor board doesn't want you to watch playing uncensored. On February 11, The Opposition, an association formed by a group of individuals to create resistance in society, organised the Free Speech Film Festival to emphasise freedom of expression in filmmaking. Unfreedom, Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai and Jashn-e-Azadi were the three films which were screened within a closed room at Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi. These films have been, so far, screened at more than 100 locations including universities and private houses without a censor board certificate.

Jashn-e-Azadi

Its August 15, and the Indian flag ritually goes up at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar, Kashmir. The normally bustling square is eerily empty  a handful of soldiers on parade, some more guarding them, and except for the attendant media crews, no Kashmiris. The national anthem plays and its echo reaches Kashmiris confined to their house walls, contradicting what we call freedom.

Jashn-e-Azadi begins to explore the many meanings of freedom  of Azadi  in Kashmir. Directed by Sanjay Kak in 2007, the film stirred controversy during its screenings. In 2012, the screening at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in Pune was stopped by right wing fundamentalists. I think, it's the K word that creates ripples in Indian politics from time to time.

Kak's documentary is not just a rear glance of life under military control but also a pedagogical shed of the many lives revolving around the men in uniform. A desolate father looks for his son's grave in a Shaheedi Qabristan (Martyrs' graveyard); a teen describes the body of a young man in the neighbourhood killed during an army operation: "The body is lying in the crossroad amidst the houses, no one is allowed to approach, even the dog did not go near it."

Unfreedom

Released in 2015, Raj Amit Kumars Unfreedom shocks you with a pandemonium of religious violence and rampant homophobia. The film is shot in two cities with two protagonists, first a young Muslim zealot (Bhanu Uday), who arrives in New York from Pakistan to kill a liberal Muslim scholar (Victor Banarjee) and second, a Hindu lesbian (Preeti Gupta), who defies her father's decision of getting her married to a boy of his choice. Instead, she chooses to marry an international female artist, who is famous for her nude art. The film runs parallel to the two characters, with flashbacks and thriller sound effects thrown in. Unfreedom, a film focusing on religious bigotry and homosexuality, also stirred controversies across India and failed to get a censor board certificate.

Reason: Too much nudity. Or let's say just two girls sleeping on the same bed naked.

Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai

Nakul Singh Sawhneys Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai follows in the footsteps of Kya Hua Is Sheher Ko? (by Deepa Dhanraj), In the Name of the Father (by Anand Patwardhan) and Final Solution (by Rakesh Sharma). It digs into the aftermath of the communal riots that broke out in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli in Uttar Pradesh in August and September 2013.
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RICHMOND  The developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline said Friday they will propose a new route for the 550-mile interstate natural gas pipeline that avoids sensitive areas of national forests that the U.S. Forest Service has put off limits.

Dominion, the Richmond-based energy giant that leads the $5 billion initiative, said the pipeline company will propose an alternative route next week that will avoid portions of national forests in Virginia and West Virginia that provide habitats for endangered or threatened animal species.

The company said it would propose the change in response to concerns expressed by the U.S. Forest Service and staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing the application for the pipeline.

"We will submit the route to avoid two geographic locations  Cheat Mountain and Shenandoah Mountain  because of the sensitive species that inhabit those areas," Dominion spokesman Aaron Ruby said Friday.

The alternative route follows a previous proposal to extend the pipeline south of Cheat Mountain in West Virginia, as well as a new path south of Shenandoah Mountain in Virginia. Portions of the two national forests crossed by the currently proposed route provide habitat for the Cheat Mountain and Cow Knob salamanders, as the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel and sensitive red spruce forests.

The new route would increase the pipeline's overall length by about 30 miles, but reduce the portions that traverse the George Washington and Monangahela National Forests from 29 to less than 19 miles.

However, the alternative route would affect an additional 249 landowners in Highland, Bath, and Augusta counties in western Virginia, as well as Randolph and Pocahontas counties in West Virginia. Previously, Bath, south of Highland, had not been affected by the proposed route.

"We are contacting landowners along the alternative route to request permission to survey their properties so the route can be thoroughly evaluated," the company said in a statement Friday. "Atlantic will submit a preliminary analysis of the route to the FERC next week, and plans to hold a series of public informational open houses along the route in early March."
An Albemarle County police officer is facing three lawsuits alleging excessive force and multiple counts of unlawful search and seizure.

Filed in county circuit court Thursday morning, three lawsuits from a total of six plaintiffs accuse Officer Andrew Holmes of conducting three illegal searches between April 2014 and September 2015  two on vehicles and one on a home.

Attorney Jeff Fogel, who is representing the plaintiffs in all three cases, said during a news conference early Thursday that Holmes has targeted African-American males for stops and intrusive searches. Holmes is white and each of the defendants in the cases is African-American.

Ultimately, Fogel said, each of the searches proved fruitless, and complaints filed by each of the plaintiffs to the police department have seemingly fallen on deaf ears.

In each of the cases we have here today  nothing, but nothing, was found, Fogel said.

A county police spokeswoman said in a statement that the department was not fully informed of the nature of the lawsuits and would not release or discuss specific details of the individual cases. The statement added that the department has mechanisms in place to avert violations of standard policy and procedure.

We regret that we are unable to provide any more specific details at this time due to the pending lawsuits, the statement reads.

Each of the three lawsuits contains an account of Holmes interactions with the plaintiffs, including one that Fogel calls exemplary of Holmes illicit behavior. That suit states that in April 2014, Holmes gives one plaintiff a traffic summons for driving on a suspended license. The following day, Holmes obtained a search warrant for that plaintiffs home on the basis that Holmes was searching for the Department of Motor Vehicle suspension notification that had been issued to the plaintiff more than a year earlier.

At about midnight a week later, Holmes executed that search warrant with other Albemarle County police officers.

The search took approximately two hours, during which the plaintiff and his fiance were prohibited from leaving their home, and the officers found no contraband.

In another lawsuit, two plaintiffs state they were driving together in June 2015 when they were stopped by Holmes, who ordered them at gunpoint to vacate the vehicle and sit on the curb in a Kmart parking lot while the vehicle was searched. The two were detained for nearly three hours before the driver of the vehicle was issued a ticket for not having a front-facing license plate, excessive window tinting and not having his registration with him. Again, no contraband was found in the vehicle.

In the third lawsuit, plaintiff Rodney Hubbard was driving with his mother, Savannah Hubbard, from Lynchburg to Maryland on U.S. 29 in September 2015 when they were pulled over by Holmes, who ordered Rodney Hubbard out of the vehicle. Speaking at the news conference on Thursday, Hubbard said that Holmes told him he had smelled marijuana emanating from Hubbards vehicle. Despite Hubbards insistence that no drugs were in his car, Holmes proceeded to put his hands down the back of Hubbards pants and shake them, apparently looking for stashed contraband. Finding nothing, Hubbard said Holmes put him in handcuffs and tossed him headfirst into the back of Holmes police vehicle before searching the elder Hubbard and putting her in the police cars front seat.

After searching Hubbards vehicle for hours and finding nothing, Holmes gave Hubbard a summons for driving on a suspended license and allowed him to leave with his mother.

Speaking Thursday, Hubbard called the experience humiliating.

Basically, [I was] accused of traveling with my mother with drugs in the car, Hubbard said.

The encounter has left Hubbard suspicious of other police, he said. Hes been dealing with depression and bad dreams ever since.

Its very mentally tormenting, especially at night, Hubbard said. To continue to go through the abuse, that every time you get pulled over its an all-out search, its tough to deal with.

Each of the lawsuits alleges three counts against Holmes: unlawful seizure, unlawful search and denial of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Hubbards lawsuit also alleges use of excessive force.

Fogel said that others have come forward about experiences with Holmes, and while he did find contraband in some instances, he consistently goes through extreme lengths in order to do that  lengths that really violate the privacy rights of the citizens in the community.

The plaintiffs now are seeking documents from the Albemarle County Police Department that will help them pursue the charges, including several years worth of tickets issued by Holmes  which contain the race of the person he stopped  as well as several years worth of warrants, criminal complaints and search warrant affidavits that will help prove whether Holmes has been specifically targeting African-American males.

We are not going to be able to prove a case like this until we have the kind of documentation we are looking for in that subpoena, Fogel said. If we are right and if the police department didnt do anything about it, thats encouragement for other officers and this officer as well to continue their conduct.

Fogel went on to say that there was no choice but to resort to litigation in the matter because the department has not responded to the plaintiffs complaints. The lawsuits, Fogel said, are seeking the transparency and accountability that the outgoing county police chief, Col. Steve Sellers, has touted in the past.

Also attending Thursdays news conference was Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP President M. Rick Turner, who said this slate of lawsuits evoked the historical stain of racism in Charlottesville. The sentiment was shared by Hubbards mother, who called the stop and search of her sons vehicle totally unwarranted.

I was totally distressed. Ive never been placed in a police car in my life, she said. We are not all drug dealers or drug pushers or drug users. Just because the outside might look suspicious we are hard-working people. We work for what we have.

We hope this will bring attention to the Albemarle County Police Department of their employees and what theyre really doing out there, she added.

Dean Seal can be reached at dseal@dailyprogress.com or (434) 978-7268.

The Daily Progress (VA)
Captain Bob Mullins, who is in charge of the Salvation Army's Culpeper-Warrenton service centers, said the operation should open at 571C James Madison Highway after clothes racks, cash registers and other equipment arrive in mid-March.

The facility is currently being cleaned and repainted in preparation for next month's opening, Mullins said. The former Sears location has about 5,000 square feet of retail space, with another 2,500 feet in the rear of the shop for receiving, sorting, storing and preparing items for sale.

Mullins is overseeing the family store preparations from an office the Salvation Army is leasing next door, in a space which formerly housed a jewelry store.

Mullins said Salvation Army family stores are basically thrift shops which sell donated clothing and other items to help fund the organization's charitable operations in the community, including social service, youth and worship programs.

"We will have everything from furniture and appliances to clothing," Mullins said. "We expect to have up to 12,000 items of clothing."

Mullins said all kinds of items, including antiques, are donated to Salvation Army family stores.

The organization has a truck which will be used to make pickups in the county, he said.

Mullins, who is heading the Salvation Army of Culpeper unit along with his wife, Capt. Sandra Mullins, said the couple came out of retirement in June and moved to Culpeper from their home in Charlotte, N.C.

Mullins said an opening in the Charlottesville Salvation Army's operation needed to be filled and sidetracked the couple for much of the past year, but they are now focused on Culpeper and getting the new family store up and running.

A native of southwestern Virginia, Mullins said he spent most of his career with the Salvation Army working in West Virginia.

"I started as a social worker for the Salvation Army in 1992 in Pulaski County," he said. "In 1998, I became a full officer and went to work in West Virginia. I stayed there until I retired in 2012."

Mullins said he and his wife plan to retire and return to North Carolina after the Culpeper operations and the family store are up and running smoothly.

Until recently, the Salvation Army's Culpeper operations were run from the organization's offices in Warrenton, he said.

Mullins said the organization's research showed that Culpeper was in need of its own operation.

"The study showed that Culpeper has about a 17 percent poverty level  I believe that was the latest statistic I've seen," Mullins said.

Mullins said the Salvation Army works with the local United Way and Department of Human Services to identify individuals and families who are in need of help.

The organization offers help in a variety of ways, including donations of food or through help paying bills, he said.

The group also offers summer camps for local needy children at Camp Happyland, a facility in Richardsville it has operated for decades.

Mullins said the Culpeper store has begun hiring staff and will start accepting donations within the next week or so.

For more information, or to schedule pickups, the Salvation Army of Culpeper can be reached at (540) 321-4859.
KOS - Greece - I bet you can't wait for summer time, the relaxed strolls along the beach, the evenings sipping chilled wine, and the 25 million refugees fleeing Russian bombs converging on Europe.

Ahh, you can relax now, summers here and youve got your feet dangling in the warm azure waters, sipping what seems to be an endless cocktail, and the sun beams down on you with a big wholesome smile.

As the Turks open the borders, the Aegean will be a flood of boats, all coming to permanently visit the illustrious shores of Europe, an estimated 25 million refugees will make the crossing this summer alone, the warm weather, an auspicious less perilous journey, all raring to go to the promised land.

Since the Russians have been carpet bombing large swathes of Syria killing civilians indiscriminately, the wave of human misery has not stopped, and will only get worse as Putin, Assads henchman, continues his dirty work.

As for Chancellor Merkel, she is too pre-occupied with her vanity project, the EU, which as sure as night and day is now at the cusp of implosion, especially when Greece is going to ask for another 400 Billion euro bailout.

Book your holiday now while you still have the chance.
This Valentines Day, you may be expecting flowers and dinner with your partner. Maybe youre expecting to find a spark with someone new. Perhaps youre expecting to keep up your annual tradition of saying good riddance to the entire idea of Valentines Day.



Heres something everyone can expect: a slew of quickly written clickbait web articles about love, sex and relationships in the 21st century.



Given their complexities, you cant blame people for seeking out easy answers to the so-called mysteries of love. But what interests Dal postdoc Sarah Vannier is moving past those mysteries to get at the science behind matters of the heart  not to mention, matters of other parts of the human anatomy.



For me, looking at romantic relationships from a scientific perspective gives us a different insight, lets us take away some of the mystery, says Dr. Vannier, a researcher with the Couples and Sexual Health Research Laboratory, led by Dr. Natalie Rosen in Dals Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.



Some people say it makes it less exciting, she adds, but I find it actually makes it more interesting.



The enduring power of romance



Dr. Vannier says one advantage of bringing science into our understanding of sex and relationships is that it helps debunk popular myths and fictions. Consider, as an example, the increasingly common belief that theres a casual sex epidemic or a rising hook-up culture among todays youth.



It gets a ton of media coverage, but its not actually the case; casual sex is not something the current generation invented, she explains. The data shows young people now are more likely to use birth control and protection, they have fewer sexual partners, and theyre having sex at an older age than their parents and grandparents did  which students always find interesting when it comes up in class.



And if you think that romance is dead, think again: The research shows romance is still the thing driving all this stuff: we want to fall in love, we want to feel those butterflies, says Dr. Vannier (left). Even people who are hooking up through tools like Tinder are still hoping it turns into something. It might start with sex, but theres a hope theres going to be a more romantic connection.



But what about the sort of romantic beliefs that cynics of love might consider myths  things like true love, love at first sight, love conquers all? These were the sorts of expectations Dr. Vannier examined during her doctoral research at the University of New Brunswick. In her study of young adults ages 18-24, she explored the degree to which participants endorsed such romantic beliefs, their expectations for an ideal relationship, and how they saw their actual relationships.



She expected to find that people who held romantic beliefs were less satisfied in their relationships, given how hard it would be for their partners to live up to such great expectations. What she discovered surprised her: yes, romantic beliefs increased expectations, but those who held such beliefs were also more likely to identify those characteristics in their current relationship.



Its almost like having romantic beliefs is like putting on rose-coloured glasses: you see the world through that lens, through those beliefs, she explains. These people were more satisfied, more committed, more invested.



She adds that these individuals were also less likely to believe there were better options out there for them, and that additional research shows its men who tend to hold more of these romantic beliefs than women (although this gap appears to be closing among younger generations).



Taking sexuality seriously



Dr. Vannier joined Dr. Rosen's Couples and Sexual Health Research Laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow last summer, and is currently focused on a new research study  together with researchers at the University of Toronto and the IWK Health Centre  that explores the sexual expectations and experiences of new parents.



Were following couples who are having their first child, from 18 weeks pregnancy to one year postpartum, she explains. Most people experience sexual changes, sexual declines, after they have their first child. Its really common to have lower sexual satisfaction and functioning, and youre typically not as sexually active. Im really interested in whether people are expecting these sorts of changes, and what happens when what they experience is worse than expected.



Dr. Vannier greatly enjoys talking with people about her research (and she admits she occasionally gets someone who shares more personal details than you were expecting). This Saturday night, together with Dal PhD candidate Kate Rancourt, shell be presenting on How to Hack Your Love Life as part of the Discovery Centres annual Discover Love Valentines Day event. Also presenting from Dal will be Matthew Numer of the School of Health and Human Performance, discussing modern societys understandings of love.



As for Valentines Day itself, what does Dr. Vannier think of the occasion?



I think its fun! she says. Its nice to have things that let us focus on our romantic relationships. Life gets busy. That said  and no surprise here  she says its all about expectations.



Its important to know what your partners expectations are, and to communicate your own expectations to your partner. If you want to go out for a really fancy dinner, let your partner know that. Make your expectations clear and figure out what your partners expectations are.

For more from the Couples and Sexual Health Research Laboratory, visit its website or keep up with its research on Facebook or Twitter.


Welcome to Deanstalk.net! This website is created for people who are fascinated with the astonishing world of astrology. In his site, we aim to discuss the distinctive qualities and potentials of different zodiac signs and their compatibility when it comes to love and relationships.

So if youre wondering about which zodiac signs are compatible when it comes to romance, youre about to figure that out right now.

There are 7.7 billion people on this planet. Your horoscope tells you that theres one person whos destined to be your partner.

And when you meet, your stars will align and youll have that genuine and powerful connection. Have you ever wondered how youd find that one person? Perhaps, your zodiac sign can help you discover that invisible force.

Human Compatibility as an Invisible Force

Have you ever wondered what makes two individuals click together? It could be mutual interests, similar ambitions, or perhaps, their symbiotic personalities.

Anything can be attributed to compatibility. After all, love knows no bounds and defies all explanations. And once youre attracted to someone, no amount of force can potentially break or stop the impending connection.

But then again, it could be a force that is far greater than any form of attraction. And yes, were referring to your star signs. Horoscope indicates that once your stars align with somebody elses, a strong connection is bound to unfold and it is one that encompasses the physical, mental and emotional aspects of your human nature. Hopeless romantics call this person their soul mate.

Finding Your Soul Mate

Finding your zodiac soulmate

The most interesting aspect about finding your soul mate is that everything is actually a possibility.

This person might be someone you already know like a friend or colleague, someone whom youre about to meet online, in the adult chat lines, and through dating apps, or perhaps this person is part of the daily crowd you come across with on the train, on the bus or on an elevator. Youll never know exactly.

No amount of scientific or theoretical explanation is enough to shed light on what transpires between two individuals who are drawn to each other by an invisible force.

Such connection defies human understanding; yet, it cant be denied that it does happen, and sometimes, the most unlikely combination becomes a possibility.

If you want to try your luck at finding your soul mate, a new friend, or even a potential romantic partner, try searching in various areas you havent explored yet. You can even discuss such matters with astrological experts and psychics.

Alternatively, you can get helpful advice from a friend, a stranger, or someone whos an expert in love and relationship. Most dating sites like free chatlines also offer compatibility tests so you can interact with other singles, explore different love topics, and even test the waters with them.

The Importance of Zodiac Signs in Finding Love

It is often said that love is the universal language of all living creatures. It is expressed in many different ways such as compassion, concern, and understanding but it all falls under the category of love.

For example, when youre attracted or drawn to someone, you feel like youre accountable to do something good for that person. You want to reveal your best qualities in order for that other person to like you back. Hence, you are expressing the language of love by responding to the attraction.

You can find love in the most unlikely places  in a busy cafe, in social media, right there in your workplace, in the dating chat line numbers, and even in various dating apps. You can never tell exactly when or how, but one thing is certain; once your stars align, great possibilities could transpire.

What is responsible for such force of attraction?

Love attraction of zodiac signs

According to astrology, celestial phenomena are related to human activity and the zodiac signs represent characteristic modes of expression. Therefore, each person has specific innate qualities that could possibly draw another person to him/her.

This attraction can trigger a certain mode of expression which could be an unexplained emotional attachment that eventually leads to a course of action.

In order to understand this concept in a better light, think of your astrological sign as a contributing factor to your activities (characteristics) as a human being. These characteristics are the ones that draw another person towards you to express his/her own in response to the force of attraction.

This attraction is believed to be caused by the compatibility of your zodiac signs. Therefore, two people with compatible zodiac signs may find themselves attracted to each other which can initiate a mode of expression between them. This expression can then trigger the universal language of love.

Astrological Zodiac Signs according to their Elements

Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn

Earth zodiac signs

Earth signs are characterized by balance, stability, and patience. People with these signs are particular with aesthetics and refinement. They are not very expressive but can be warm-hearted in the long run.

Compatible with Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) because water nourishes the earth

Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

Water zodiac signs

Water signs are characterized by their highly driven nature and intense personalities. They are extremely warm-hearted, expressive, and very affectionate. People with water signs are generally spiritual and highly emotional.

Compatible with Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) because water nourishes the earth

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

Fire zodiac signs

Fire signs are characterized by their spontaneous, carefree, and fun-loving personalities. They are ambitious and they have aggressive tendencies; yet in general, they dont hold grudges against anyone.

Compatible with Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) because air can intensify the fire

Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

Air zodiac signs

Air signs are characterized by their relaxed and light-hearted personality. They dont like being pressured and they try to avoid conflicts. In general, people with air signs are creative, imaginative and like to explore a variety of options.

Compatible with Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) because air can intensify the fire
Anantapur: The celebrating the Chinese New Year, which marks the beginning of the Year of the Monkey, devotees from Chinese speaking nations presented a glittering cultural evening at Prasanthi Nilayam in the district on Frday.

The session, attended by over 300 Chinese speaking devotees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, was exuberant, marked by piety and gaiety.

Prasanthi Nilayam is engaged in two-day celebrations comprising varieties of spiritual and cultural offerings. Based on Chinese astrology, each New Year is associated with an animal sign, occurring in a 12-year cycle, this New Year being that of the monkey.

Thanksiving, an essential traditional feature of the Chinese New Year, followed next, offered by a group of selected children from the participating countries, who offered traditional Chinese delicacies at the sanctum sanctorum. Devotees from Medan, Indonesia, changed Chinese Buddhist mantras.

Delivering his welcome address, Bro Billy Fong, Chinese New Year coordinator from Malaysia, spoke of the essential message of the festivities and the ultimate goal of man: realisation. He spoke of Sadhana regulations and procedures, prescribed by the Baba.

Devotees from Malaysia rendered bhajans on mouth organs. Bro Alvin Leo, a second general Chinese-Australian and active youth member of Sathya Sai International Organisation, spoke on the Chinese spiritual legacy that points to the Inner Spiritual Essence.

Sadhana is to be followed as prescribed by Baba, as it is a must for mind control and to amplify the will of inner voice, he said and narrated a personal experience with Saibaba in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Bro Alvin is currently media coordinator for Zone 3 and a committee member of the International Youth Programme, of the SSIO.

A medley of New Year songs in Mandarin was followed by a lively rendering of international Sai Bhajans, in a mix of Chinese Mandarin  Prasanthi.
The visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and next President of the United Arab Emirates, is significant, coming within six months of Prime Minister Narendra Modis UAE trip. Sheikh Mohammed last visited India in summer 2003, becoming crown prince the following year, when I was ambassador in Abu Dhabi. Despite the Dubai ruler being UAEs vice-president and Prime Minister, as a special gesture Sheikh Mohammeds visit has been treated as a state visit, Mr Modi in a tweet calling him my close friend.

Nine odd agreements relate to subjects spelt out for cooperation in the joint statement during Mr Modis UAE visit. The phrase used was transformative economic partnership, marrying Indian economic liberalisation and entrepreneurship with Emirati funding, free market philosophy and oil and gas reserves.

Bilateral annual trade was to be lifted from its current $60 billion to over $100 billion. Likewise, Emirati investment in Indian infrastructure development, via a special purpose vehicle, was to touch $75 billion being eminently doable for Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the controlling sovereign fund of nearly $1 trillion.

The agreements cover cyber security cooperation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, currency swap, space and more mundane issues like insurance, culture, skill development and a deal between Exim Bank and Dubai. Most of these issues were discussed in 2003 or probably since then in bilateral exchanges. What then makes this visit significant?

Firstly, the UAE has always played a balancing game between India and Pakistan, getting workers from both while ensuring politics and differences were left at home. India was historically the destination for education, medical treatment, etc., till oil wealth allowed the Gulf countries to turn Westward. While the older generation, represented by Sheikh Mohammeds father Sheikh Zayed or the current Dubai rulers father Sheikh Rashid, remembered the India link fondly, for the current generation and their progeny Indians are basically domestic staff or office aides.

During my tenure as ambassador (from 1999 to 2003), the Indian diaspora numbered one million in a three-million population. Now it touches 2.6 million, the population having also trebled. UAEs rulers are now trying to connect to both Indias  the exporter of blue-collar workers and the one wooed globally as a potential market and engine for growth.

Secondly, this re-assessment began after Bharatiya Janata Partys rise in 1998, the nuclear tests and Indias growing convergence with the US under President George W. Bush. The 9/11 attacks on the US were also a wake-up call that business as usual could not continue, i.e. Dubai as a money-laundering centre justified on old pleas that no local laws were broken.

Dubai began graduating, albeit slowly, to financial probity, besides finally beginning to respond to Indian requests for counter-terror cooperation. The first terrorist deportations began during my term, albeit selectively and by linking to favours in the civil aviation field.

Thirdly, the UAE has been wary of Iran, even prior to the current Shia-Sunni friction in the region, alleging Iran forcibly occupied its three islands as the British withdrew in 1971 and the UAE was created.

With Iran becoming important for India with the Talibans rise and Atal Behari Vajpayee engaging it in 2001-03, the UAE stepped up to neutralise this emerging alliance, realising that as one of only three countries having had diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime, they stood to lose.

Thus, Sheikh Mohammed came to India in a hurriedly scheduled visit as I was completing my UAE term in August 2003. Iran, liberated from sanctions, now looms in UAEs thinking. Fourthly, wanting to diversify its economy, it realises that as an entrepot for Indian exports to the region, it needs closer cooperation with India. It also needs to diversify its sovereign fund investments to hedge risk.

Three stories dominated the television as Sheikh Mohammed received a ceremonial welcome in the front court of Rashtrapati Bhavan  the stock-market meltdown, the death of the Siachen survivor and David Headley alleging Ishrat Jehan was a Lashkar operator.

As regards the first, delay in finalising the methodology for UAE investment in Indian infrastructure flows from an old conundrum  the UAE wanting sovereign guarantees for their investments while seeking market-driven gains. The fiasco of their Etisalat investment in telecommunications, courtesy their associate Shahid Balwa getting embroiled in the 2G scam, will condition their decision. Sheikh Mohammed will reach Mumbai as the market mood is sombre.

The latter two stories underscore the Pakistan factor in India-UAE relations. When the UAE joins India in condemning countries using terror as state policy, they have Iran, and not Pakistan, in mind. The Shia-Sunni stand-off lurks ominously in the background as India engages the Gulf Cooperation Council ruling families.

That is why the Vajpayee-Brajesh Misra line was for balanced engagement of the two camps. Pakistan remains for the UAE and Saudi Arabia the ultimate port of call to counter conventional and nuclear security threats following the US retreat from the region. Thus, the UAE will throw some strategic concessions to India, like deporting sympathisers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which the UAE itself fears, or agreeing to a strategic oil reserve in India. But it is not about to abandon Pakistan, Sheikh Mohammed having been taught flying by a Pakistani Air Force instructor, or open its ADIA coffers without counter-balancing advantage to itself.

Mr Modis warm embrace of Sheikh Mohammed would be noted in Tehran. Gulf ruling family princes have grown up watching supplicants, low and mighty, in their fathers Majlises. They respond best to polite straight talking than favour seeking. That is why accompanying minister Anwar Gargash declared: We want India to find the right channel for investment. Hopefully, as euphoria abates, more realistic targets can be set and geostrategic overhang understood.
The latest atrocity blamed on Boko Haram extremists was committed on people who had been driven from the homes by the insurgents and had spent a year across the border in Cameroon. (Photo: AFP)

Abuja, Nigeria: Strapped with a booby-trapped vest and sent by Boko Haram to kill as many people as possible, the young teenage girl tore off the explosives and fled as soon as she was out of sight of her handlers.

Her two companions, however, completed their grisly mission and walked into a crowd of hundreds at Dikwa refugee camp in northeast Nigeria and blew themselves up, killing 58 people.

Later found by local self-defense forces, the girl's tearful account is one of the first indications that at least some of the child bombers used by Boko Haram are aware that they are about to die and kill others.

"She said she was scared because she knew she would kill people, but she was also frightened of going against the instructions of the men who brought her to the camp," said Modu Awami, a self-defense fighter who helped question the girl.

Her story was corroborated when she led soldiers to the unexploded vest, Awami said Thursday by phone from the refugee camp, which holds 50,000 people who have fled Boko Haram's Islamic uprising.

The girl is in custody and has given officials information about other planned bombings that has helped them increase security at the camp, Satomi Ahmed, chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, told reporters.

Awami said he had no information about how the girl came to be with Boko Haram. The extremists have kidnapped thousands of people and there are fears they may be turning their captives into weapons. An army bomb disposal expert has told the AP that some suicide bombs are detonated remotely, so the carriers may not have control over when the bomb goes off.

Even two days later, it's difficult to say exactly how many people died at Dikwa because there were corpses and body parts everywhere, including in the cooking pots, Awami said.

"Women, children, men and aged persons all died," he said by telephone. "I cannot say the exact number as some cannot be counted because the bodies were all mangled."

The latest atrocity blamed on Boko Haram extremists was committed on people who had been driven from the homes by the insurgents and had spent a year across the border in Cameroon.

They had only returned to Nigeria in January when soldiers declared the area safe. The scene of the killings is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border with Cameroon and 85 kilometers (53 miles) northeast of Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast and birthplace of Boko Haram.

Such attacks make it difficult for the government to persuade people to return to their home areas, especially as there is nothing left for them. The extremists have razed homes and businesses, destroyed wells and boreholes, stolen livestock and seed grains that farmers need to start life again.Boko Haram's 6-year-old Islamic insurgency has killed 20,000 people, made 2.5 million homeless and spread across Nigeria's borders.
Rescue teams continue to use heavy excavation machinery to dig through the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan. (Photo: AP)

Taipei: Almost a million dollars in assets belonging to the developer and three associates of a building in Taiwan felled by an earthquake will be seized, a court ruled Friday, with more than 90 residents confirmed dead in the disaster.

Rescuers are still digging through the rubble of the toppled Wei-kuan apartment complex in the southern city of Tainan which collapsed during Saturday's quake 30 residents remain missing and the death toll has climbed to 94.

Prosecutors questioning the developer and two others connected with the building have said there were "flaws" in the residential complex, including a lack of steel reinforcement girders.

Pictures of the ruins also showed tin cans and foam were used as fillers in the concrete, exacerbating public anger over the latest safety scandal to hit the island.

Tainan's district court Friday gave the city government the go-ahead to freeze up to Tw$30 million ($908,623) in assets belonging to the building's developer Lin Ming-hui and three associates, according to a government statement.

"The Tainan district court handled it quickly, and granted... provisional seizure up to Tw$30 million of the assets of the related people," the statement said.

It added the move was to prevent the developer and associates from "disposing assets".

Lin and two of the men have been detained on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.

The fourth to have assets seized was a contractor used during the construction of the Wei-kuan building, the only high-rise to crumble completely in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake. He has not been detained.

The Tw$30 million is a preliminary figure to cover the property damages of victims who have already made claims, the Tainan government statement said.

The government has also identified land owned by Lin totalling at least 30 plots in Tainan and has directed local authorities to prevent any sale of those assets.

Distraught relatives of residents told AFP they had complained over cracks in the walls of the building.

Engineers helping at the rescue site added that some walls many have been knocked down on the ground floor, which housed part of a multi-storey electronics store.

The Wei-kuan building had 96 apartments and was completed in 1994, before a new building code was brought in following a devastating earthquake that left 2,400 people dead in 1999.

The building collapse has struck a nerve with the public, increasingly embittered by a string of disasters, from food safety scandals to a water park explosion that left 15 dead.
Syrian refugees go about their daily lives at the refugee camp in Osmaniye, Turkey. (Photo: AP)

Oncupinar: Some 100,000 Syrian refugees are being looked after in camps inside Syria close to the Turkish border, including 35,000 who this month fled a Russian-backed regime offensive in northern Aleppo province, a top Turkish official said Friday.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, whose country has come under increasing pressure to open its border to people fleeing the violence, said the refugees were being accommodated in nine camps just across the border with Syria.

"There are nine camps on the other side of the border accommodating 100,000 people including the 30-35,000 new arrivals," Akdogan told reporters at Oncupinar border crossing in televised comments.

He added that a tenth camp was being built three kilometres (1.85 miles) inside Syria.

The refugees are looked after by organisations such as Turkey's emergency agency AFAD, the pro-government aid group Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) as well as international organisations.

Up to 31,000 people have fled Aleppo and surrounding areas since last week, as government forces backed by Russian warplanes press an offensive that threatens to encircle the rebel-held eastern part of Syria's second city.

Thousands came right up to the Turkish border in the hope that Turkey would open the gates and allow them inside. But the Turkish authorities only allowed wounded victims through for treatment.

Akdogan said that in contrast to the early days of the offensive there was no longer a major-build up of refugees on the frontier, with those in need now accommodated in the camps.

"Right now there is no accumulation (of refugees) on the border, no big masses trying to cross the border," he said.

The United Nations and the European Union have urged Turkey to let in refugees fleeing the government onslaught.

But Turkey, already hosting 2.7 million Syrian refugees, has so far refused to let the new wave into the country, providing humanitarian assistance across the border.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted furiously to the international pressure, even threatening to send the refugees into EU states.

"No one should dare teach Turkey a lesson on humanity," said Akdogan, a close ally of Erdogan.

"Turkey has been abandoned in the face of this human tragedy," he said.

"We are opening our borders to those escaping from death. We call on the West to open its heart to the refugees."
But one left-winger just declared his intention to be a candidate in 2017 and analysts swiftly cast doubt on the possible impact of a reshuffle that brings in no charismatic heavyweight and does not change the government's policy agenda. (Photo: AP)

Paris: French President Francois Hollande on Thursday broadened his cabinet to include the heads of two smaller left-wing parties, looking beyond his Socialist party in a bid to improve his faltering chances of re-election in 2017.

Dogged by deep unpopularity and public anger over unemployment, Hollande hopes the reshuffle will widen his voter appeal and discourage other leftist candidates from running against him.

But one left-winger just declared his intention to be a candidate in 2017 and analysts swiftly cast doubt on the possible impact of a reshuffle that brings in no charismatic heavyweight and does not change the government's policy agenda.

Besides handing portfolios to the Greens and the centre-left Radical Left Party, Hollande recalled his former prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, seen as a safe pair of hands, to head the foreign ministry. The appointment of the veteran German-speaker was immediately welcomed by Berlin.

Michel Sapin stays on as finance minister and Emmanuel Macron as economy minister, and the government is expected to largely stick to the pro-business line it switched to two years ago. "This government must act, reform, move forward," Hollande told French television. He said his new three-pronged focus would be on fighting unemployment, now at 10.6%, ensuring security after France was hit by Islamist militant attacks that killed 130 people in November, and protecting the environment. "There is no change of course, but Hollande is trying to broaden his appeal by bringing on allies, expanding his base beyond the Socialist party to boost his chances to qualify for the presidential election run-offs," Ifop pollster's Jerome Fourquet said.

In French presidential elections, only the top two candidates in the first round make it to the run-off. As of now, Hollande is far from certain to reach the second round. "Opinion polls now show that the National Front's Marine Le Pen will most likely make it to the second round so it's crucial for Hollande to do all he can to boost his chances in the first round," Fourquet said.

Firebrand Dissident

Another problem for Hollande is that left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon said late on Wednesday he would run for the presidency again next year, a move that risks splitting the left-of-centre vote.

Besides, the nomination of Greens leader Emmanuelle Cosse, who joins as Housing Minister, is controversial within her own party. Two party spokeswomen said in a statement that the party disapproved of her joining the government and that this meant that she was de-facto no longer party chief. Two dissident ecologist lawmakers, who left the divided Greens party last year precisely because it was becoming increasingly critical of the government, also joined the cabinet as secretaries of state.

The head of the small Left Radical Party, Jean-Michel Baylet becomes minister for local authorities.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "I'm happy that Jean-Marc Ayrault, the former prime minister, who has strong ties with Germany is now the successor in the foreign ministry. I say to Jean-Marc: welcome and looking forward to our cooperation in the future." After two years as prime minister at the start of Hollande's mandate, Ayrault was dropped in favour of the younger and more thrusting Valls. He replaces Laurent Fabius, who is leaving to head France's top constitutional council.
The masked assailants attacked a police outpost in the Basateen area of northern Aden before fleeing, the source said. (Photo: AP)

Aden: Suspected Al-Qaeda members killed five police officers on Friday in an attack in Yemen's second city of Aden, a security source said.

The masked assailants attacked a police outpost in the Basateen area of northern Aden before fleeing, the source said.

The incident came a day after three pro-government soldiers were killed by suspected jihadists in the southern port city.

Al-Qaeda controls parts of Aden, where the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has set up base in its battle against Shiite Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa.

With support from a Saudi-led coalition, Hadi's forces have driven the rebels out of Aden and four other southern provinces since last July but the Shiite rebels control much of the north.

Al-Qaeda and the rival Islamic State jihadist group have taken advantage of the conflict to gain ground in southern cities such as Aden.

They have claimed a string of attacks and assassinations in recent months.

The UN says that the war in Yemen has killed more than 6,100 people since March, more than half civilians, and wounded more than 29,000.
United Nations: Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against rebels in neighbouring Yemen, has warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to a letter that was seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The short note sent by the Saudi Embassy in London on Friday said the intention was to "protect the international organisations and their employees," presumably from coalition air strikes.

The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, said that Riyadh sent the letter because, "We're just concerned for the safety of the UN staff and their humanitarian agencies."

"We want them to go away from areas that are obvious targets," he said.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien acknowledged receipt of the note in a Sunday letter seen by Reuters and said the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need.

He reminded Saudi Arabia of obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access for aid.

The Saudi mission to the United Nations responded on Monday that Riyadh would "do its utmost to continue to facilitate and support" humanitarian aid work in Yemen, while also repeating its request for UN and international aid workers to leave areas close to Houthi bases for military operations.

"The coalition's request is consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law and, in no way, can be misinterpreted to indicate any hindrance to humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen," it said.

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen on Tuesday at the request of Russia, diplomats said.

The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression.

Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict last March, almost half of them civilians.

UN sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity.

The panel of experts documented 119 coalition sorties "relating to violations of international humanitarian law" and said that "many attacks involved multiple air strikes on multiple civilian objects."
Nearly 4,000 children fought alongside the rebels. Many were conscripted by force, while others willingly took up arms, stirred by the idea of a "people's war" that could bring change to the deeply feudal country. (Photo: AP)

Kathmandu: Wincing with pain every time he walks, Bijay Rai is constantly reminded of his decision to join the Maoist army aged 14, as one of Nepal's thousands of child soldiers.

Rai voluntarily took part in the Maoist's decade-long insurgency, launching attacks on government and army posts, because he believed they were fighting for Nepal's millions of poor and oppressed.

But 20 years since the war began, and almost 10 years after it ended, Rai, unable to hold a job because of the bullet shards embedded in his arms and legs, said he feels betrayed and abandoned by the Maoist leadership.

"They used us when they needed us, but when the war ended they did not look after us," the 27-year-old said, ahead of Saturday's anniversary of the start of the war.

Maoist guerrillas first attacked a police post in western Nepal's Rolpa district on 13 February, 1996, launching a conflict that eventually claimed some 16,000 lives and left hundreds more missing.

Nearly 4,000 children fought alongside the rebels. Many were conscripted by force, while others willingly took up arms, stirred by the idea of a "people's war" that could bring change to the deeply feudal country.

The Maoists laid down their weapons in 2006 after signing a peace agreement, with the UN Mission in Nepal tasked with overseeing their reintegration back into society.

Out of 19,000 Maoists identified, 6,500 were offered a chance to join Nepal's regular army while others could take vocational training or a retirement payment of up to 800,000 rupees ($7,400).

But child combatants, including Rai, received little in the way of compensation or job opportunities, after UN officials discovered they were underage and disqualified them from the process.

Instead they were discharged with 10,000 rupees ($90) and offered therapeutic courses such as cooking and photography that were of little use in a country wracked by poverty.

Seduced by slogans

Khadka Bahadur Ramtel, son of a Dalit or "untouchable" bonded labourer in northwest Nepal, was 11 when he was forced to deliver messages for the rebels. Despite being conscripted, he was soon seduced by their slogans promising equality and progress.

But today Ramtel is among those who feel betrayed by the leaders they fought to protect.

Bonded labour, in which landless farmworkers are passed on from one generation of landlords to the next, remains rife in Nepal, including in Ramtel's village, despite Maoist pledges to wipe it out.

"The Maoists preached a strong ideology that would end the tradition of bonded labour and untouchability, that's why I liked them," the 24-year-old told AFP.

After the Maoists swapped guns for politics, they swept constituent assembly elections held in 2008, campaigning on a platform of social change and lasting peace.

But their success story took a swift wrong turn, with the former rebels coming under fire for abandoning revolutionary ideals and developing a liking for luxury.

Strongest criticism was reserved for Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda, whose taste for imported whisky and foreign brands prompted scathing articles in the media.

"They adopted the habits of other political parties very quickly," said Aditya Adhikari, author of "The Bullet and the Ballot Box", a history of the country's Maoist struggle.

"They became enamoured of power and started disregarding their social base," Adhikari said.

When successive governments, largely Maoist-led, failed to write a long-delayed new constitution aimed at unifying the fractured country, prompting a second round of elections in 2013, the former guerrillas crashed in the polls, finishing in third place.

But former Maoist premier Baburam Bhattarai defended the rebels, despite quitting their political party in September in anger over details of the constitution that was finally adopted the same month.

Bhattarai said the rebels deserved credit for engineering a political transformation in the country that eventually ended a 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.

The Himalayan nation's new constitution established Nepal as a secular republic, reflecting Maoist ideology, he said.

"We brought about democratic change, gave democratic rights to the dalits, women and others, so that part of our promise was fulfilled," Bhattarai told AFP.

But for former child soldiers like Rai, who returned empty-handed to his village after the conflict ended, the promises were mere rhetoric.

"The Maoists fought for the poor, they fought for people like us who were oppressed, therefore I joined them," he said.

"They said they would liberate us from poverty... but they destroyed our future."
United States citizen of Pakistani descent, David Coleman Headley on Thursday admitted to receiving money from the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while doing the groundwork for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.





The 56-year-old terrorist said Haji Ashraf, a Lahore-based businessman, was the one who controls the finances of the terror group and that his nephew was killed when security forces repulsed the attack at the Akshardham temple at Gandhinagar on September 24-25, 2002.



Friendly ties

While being stationed in Mumbai on reconnaissance missions, Headley used to receive money from his childhood friend Dr Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was based in Chicago, and used to collect money from Sajid Mir, his LeT handler, Major Iqbal of the ISI and also Major Abdul Rehman Pasha, who left the Pakistani Army to join the LeT and then drifted to al Qaeda.



The Pakistani-American made the disclosures while deposing before Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap, who presides over anti-terror cases, when his examination was conducted by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.



Asked whether he received money from Major Iqbal, he replied in positive and said that he received $25,000 from him before he left for Mumbai. Asked about Sajid Mir, he said that he gave him 40,000 Pakistani rupees.



In April 2008, Major Iqbal again gave me 2,000 Indian rupees and in June 2008, he gave me 1,500 Indian rupees, he said.



It came to the shock and surprise of the court when Headley also revealed that once or twice Sajid Mir also gave counterfeit Indian currency to him. Major Pasha also gave him 80,000 Indian rupees on one occasion.



Tangential comments

In fact, Headleys statement of Thursday was a departure from what he said on Tuesday. When he was asked whether he received funds from the LeT-ISI, he said: This is complete nonsense....this question does not arise....Yes...I am rigid on it. As regards money that he received while in Mumbai from Dr Rana, he said that it was on four occasions  Rs 67,605 on October 11, 2006, $500 on November 7, 2006, Rs 17,636 on November 30, 2006 and $1,000 on December 4 2006.



RBI denied account

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had rejected the application of David Headley to open a business account. On October 12, 2006, he submitted papers signed by Raymond Sanders, the partner of Dr Tahawwur Rana at the Immigrant Law Centre, Chicago.



On June 1, 2007, the RBI rejected the application. Asked whether the Mumbai office of IML had secured US visas for anyone, he said: No...attempts were unsuccessful.
Delhi Polices Crime Branch claimed to have busted a pan-India gang which used to pose as RBI officials to cheat people with the arrest of two people.





The duo was indulged in online cheating by gathering peoples ATM/debit card details on the pretext of verification.



The accused are identified as Vicky Soni, 26 and Sunil Pandey, 25. Both are natives of Chhattisgarh.

Soni is pursuing his graduation while Pandey is an engineering graduate.



They used mobile wallets like Oxigen and PayUMoney as well as Billdesk to transfer the cheated amount into bank accounts opened at remote locations, such as Mungeli and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.



On January 11, complainant Akshay Goyal reported at Sarojini Nagar police station that he had received a telephone call from a person posing as bank official for the verification of his ATM card details. Next day, he found Rs 85,000 had been debited from his account.



During investigation, police learnt that the amount from Goyals account was transferred to different mobile wallets, registered on phone numbers procured on fake IDs.

On further scrutiny of the transactions of these wallets, it was found that the cheated amount was transferred to different bank accounts of ICICI Bank and SBI.



Following a clue, a joint team from Crime Branch and Sarojini Nagar police station went to Mungeli in Chhattisgarh and the two accused were nabbed.

During interrogation, both admitted to their involvement in the crime.



They used to make random calls to people to obtain details of their ATM/debit cards by posing as RBI officials. The SIM cards used by them for making the calls were procured on fake IDs. They would obtain one-time passwords received by the victim on the pretext of verification and fraudulently transfer amounts from their bank accounts to their online fund managing apps (wallets) such as Oxigen, Billdesk, PayUmoney, said a police officer.



The cheated amount was further transferred to different bank accounts. The accused had procured ICICI and SBI bank accounts which were opened at Mungeli and Bilaspur of Chhatisgarh.

They thought that police might not go to such remote locations for verification. To avoid identification, they had procured SIM cards on fake IDs for operating the wallets as well as to make online shopping.



Police said one of their accomplices Mohan Kumar Mandal is currently operating from Jamtara in Jharkhand. They are trying to trace him.
A former BSES employee has been arrested for conducting fake raids on behalf of the power distribution company in east Delhi.





Avinash Singh along with his accomplices targeted customers with pending electricity bills, police said on Thursday.



The gang also accused customers of illegally tampering with the meter and demanded payment as bill for stolen electricity. A bribe was sought to settle the matters.



Avinash lived with family in east Delhis Kondli. The arrest was made after a call was made to the police control room on Tuesday.



The call was made by BSES staff regarding a gang conducting fake raids in Farsh Bazar, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Bhairon Singh Gurjar.



Reacting on the complaint, a team from Anand Vihar police station collected information. They came to know that the gang had settled a matter of an electricity bill in Rs 10,000.



We were also informed that a gang member would come at Cross River Mall in Anand Vihar for collecting the settled money, Gurjar added.



The team along with a BSES vigilance team laid a trap near the mall and arrested Avinash.

During interrogation, Avinash told police that he and the gang members used to earlier work with BSES on contract basis. The gang used to target customers and approach them by personating as BSES employees, Gurjar said.



The gang also used to claim that the meter had been tampered with illegally and the customer would have to pay a heavy fine. They used to remove the meter and claim that the customer would have to make the payment to have the electricity restored.



They are well aware about the working of BSES and the methods to tamper the electricity meter, another police officer added.



Avinashs accomplices are still absconding. The 28-year-old has criminal history and was previously involved in a case with Jaitpur police station.


Days after differences between AAP government and womens distress helpline Chief Khadija Farooqui came in the open, the helpline was handed over to the DCW by Delhi governments Women and Child Development department on Thursday.



The plan of transferring the 181 helpline to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) was in the pipeline since some months and it was finally handed over on Thursday.



For better integration of 181 helpline with affairs connected to safety of women, today it has been transferred to Delhi Commission for Women, tweeted Women and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar.



The announcement comes at a time of an ongoing tussle between Farooqui and the Aam Aadmi Party government.



The womens helpline chief was issued a show cause notice recently to explain why she had not been maintaining her biometric attendance regularly and attending to her day-to-day affairs. Following this, Farooqui staged a protest outside Central Secretariat on Tuesday and highlighted the issue of shortage of staff in comparison to the number of calls received.



She also alleged that she was discriminated against by the department after she brought financial irregularities to the notice of the director of the WCD Ministry.



Resignation denied

On Thursday, an official of the department said Farooqui has resigned from her post after the show cause notice and the helpline has been handed over completely to the DCW.



However, Farooqui declined the reports of her resignation and said that the decision to hand over the helpline was taken hurriedly to divert attention from the ongoing controversy.



All the files have been sent to the commission. The WCD department will only provide the funding and the administration work will be carried out by the DCW, the official said.



Incidentally, the government officials had recently said the plan of handing over the helpline is stuck as the DCW has limited infrastructure and manpower. The commission had also written to the government for providing adequate funds and resources for its efficient functioning.



However, the helpline will for now function from its current office only. DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal Jaihind on Thursday said the commissions main focus would be to expand the role of the helpline which currently acts only as a referral body.



The cases are presently just being referred to 100. We want to expand that role and make the helpline best in the country. However, it is a long process, she said. During our recent visit there, we also found that the helpline is not functioning properly and people working there dont know how to follow up on complaints. So we need to improve a lot of things and publicize the helpline, she told Deccan Herald.



The helpline was set up by Sheila Dikshits government after the December 16 gang-rape.
Days after getting a bailout package from the city government to pay salaries to its protesting employees, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has passed a proposal on Thursday seeking Rs 90,000 salary a month for its councillors while finalising budget for 2016-17 financial year.



It also proposes an increase in the meeting allowance of councillors from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000, up to Rs 10,000 a month. At present, the councillors do not get a salary.



Even the East Corporation had proposed Rs 45,000 salary a month to its councillors on Wednesday.



Leader of House of North Corporation Yogender Chandolia also made a case for the re-unification of the three municipalities to extricate them from their financial crises.



The Unified MCD was economically stable, but it was divided for political reasons which is the main reason for the current financial crisis, said Chandolia.



The North Corporation came into being with a loss of Rs 1,320 crore in 2012 and the then Delhi government deducted Rs 440 crore as an interest payment. The Delhi government owes a total of Rs 633 crore to the North Corporation. This amount should be released immediately, he added.



The 2016-17 budget will focus on sanitation with the municipality planning to install 2,000 steel dustbins and 5,000 plastic dustbins under its areas.



Some 20 toilet complexes would be developed under Swachh Bharat Mission, including 76 modern toilets. Also, 51 women toilet complexes will be developed in the next financial year, he added.

The corporation will also set up 10 mobile toilets under its limits. Some 38 jetting machines to be procured for cleaning urinals in the next fiscal.



A three-storey underground parking facility at Gandhi Maidan is also in the pipeline, and Rs 69 crore has been earmarked for the project. New parking sites will be developed at Pitampura, Shalimar Bagh, Shastri Park, Bank Street and Karampura at a cost of Rs 330.16 crore, budgetary proposals said.



The corporation has also decided to regularise houses constructed up to 100 yards.

Standing Committee Chairman Mohan Bhardwaj proposed putting up advertisements in parks as well as at Bhalsawa landfill site to augment the revenue of the North Corporation.



The Leader of House slammed the city government for putting sanctions on the East and North corporations in lieu of funds. The North Corporation will not abide by the anti-Dalit and anti-poor conditions of the Delhi government in lieu of funds. No contractual safai karamchari and beldar will be removed as against the order of the Delhi government. Neither new recruitment or rebate and exemption in property tax will be stopped, he added.


Over 2 lakh people responded to Delhi governments phone calls seeking feedback on odd-even car curbs, as per a survey conducted by the government.





The Kejriwal government made nearly 10 lakh automated calls, besides inviting suggestions through website, missed call and mohalla sabhas. Overall 81 per cent of people have supported the governments ambition drive to reduce congestion and clean up citys air.



The government had launched many of its surveys in the last fortnight.

Over 40,000 denizens participated in mohalla sabhas organised by MLAs to gauge public opinion on having second round of odd-even car curbs in Delhi. All, save Vishwas Nagar ward number 225, mohall sabhas supported the Delhi



governments decision bring in second phase of the road rationing drive.

Majority of people voted for reintroduction of odd-even formula from February 14. However, the government decided to enforce car curbs between April 15 and April 30, giving more time to enforcement agencies to gear up.



Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the government will hire contract carriages to meet the shortfall of buses like the previous time.



According to the government, the denizens demanded scrapping of some categories of vehicle exemptions. While 80.76 per cent of people participating in public meetings want medical emergencies category scrapped, 68.85 per cent want the government to do away with exemption for vehicles of persons with disability.



Over 48 per cent want government to lift exemptions on vehicles of SPG protectees, pilot and escort vehicles.



Through emails, the government has also received suggestions such as announcing exemption for cars with four or more passengers and giving 20 per cent of challan collections to enforcement agencies as honorarium.



Some have even complained about overcharging by app-based taxi hailing apps such as Uber and Ola.



Defending governments plan of reintroducing car curbs, Kejriwal said the odd-even car formula will prevent people from getting behind the wheels for no more than six days. With all exemptions in place, the road rationing scheme between January 1 and January 15 disqualified nearly 10 lakh private cars from playing on Delhi roads.



The scheme bars private cars from roads on alternate days, except Sundays.
Maharashtra expects an investment of Rs 4.6 lakh crore across sectors like ports, industries and textiles during the 'Make in India' week starting tomorrow.



The summit will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

The state government will set up a separate pavilion to showcase 'Magnetic Maharashtra', where meetings will be held with investors.



An official from the Chief Minister's Office claimed the government expects an investment of at least Rs 4.6 lakh crore as the state Industries department is doing "sincere hard work to bring in actual investments".



A solar panel manufacturer from China is likely to make a big investment in the state, the official said.



"The name of the company would be known after the MoU is signed. The company has asked us for 3,000-5,000 acres of land for its solar panel manufacturing unit. This will be the largest project of such a type in Maharashtra," he said.



According to Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya some foreign universities are also keen on tying-up with Maharashtra in the education sector.



He said Maharashtra expects huge investment in sectors like automobile, electronics, ports and textile.



"We have announced a textile and electronics policy. We have developed 12 textile parks across Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra regions that grow cotton and another 10-12 textile parks are in the pipeline," he said.



The state government expects investments in textile sector as many foreign and domestic companies are ready to invest in Maharashtra, Kshatriya said.



He claimed the state's electronics policy is one of the best in the country where making semiconductors and printed circuit boards (PCB) has been given importance.



"Health, education, ports and non-conventional energy are other sectors that will be showcased by Maharashtra during the 'Make In India' week," he said.



During the course of the week, there will also be panel discussions over 'Maharashtra Leading the Way Forward for India's Manufacturing' and 'Make in Maharashtra - Laying the New Game Plan for Success'.
Delhi Police today told a court here that no cognizable offence was made out against actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who were alleged to have outraged Hindu beliefs on the sets of 'Big Boss 9'.





The police said there was no intention to hurt religious sentiments as the promotional event of the actors entering the sets of a temple wearing shoes while shooting for the reality show was done in a studio.



In its action taken report (ATR) filed in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) V K Gautam, the police said the promotional event was not shot to disturb sanctity of a religious place or to hurt religious sentiments.



"In view of the facts and report, no cognizable offence is made out. The promo was not shot to disturb the sanctity of a religious place or disturb or hurt the religious sentiments of any individual, group, community or section of the society.



"However, the undersigned is ready to abide by the order passed by the court," the report forwarded by SHO of Roop Nagar Police Station and filed by sub-inspector Naveen Kumar said.



The ACMM was on leave and link magistrate Joginder Singh posted the matter for March 2 for hearing arguments. The court had earlier directed the police to file an ATR explaining as to what action it has taken on the complaint filed by advocate Gaurav Gulati.

The complaint had sought the court's direction to the cops to register an FIR against the two actors, Colors channel and director and producer of reality show 'Bigg Boss 9' for the alleged offences under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.



The police, in its report, also mentioned that a similar complaint was filed in a Meerut court, which has already dismissed the application.



The police also referred to the reply of channel producer of 'VIACOM 18' in which it was stated that Shah Rukh Khan had appeared on the set of 'Big Boss 9' and met Salman Khan with whom he had worked in Bollywood movie 'Karan Arjun' a long time ago.



"As they (actors) had met after a long time, the director thought of an idea showing them reuniting on the sets of 'Kali Mandir' in a similar manner as they had reunited in the movie 'Karan Arjun' in Kali temple after their re-birth in the film.



"This idea was not motivated by any intention of hurting any religious sentiments of any religious group and shooting of the promo was done in a studio and the subject incident never took place," police said, citing the channel's reply.



The complaint filed against the actors had alleged that in a video being circulated, Shah Rukh and Salman were seen wearing shoes on the sets of temple of goddess 'Kali' while shooting for an episode of Bigg Boss where the idol can be seen in the background.



"It is a disrespect to the Hindu religion and its belief as it is strictly prohibited to come in the temple with shoes and also they were showing their back to the idol which is also deemed to be an insult to the Hindu goddess... (sic)," it had alleged.



Maintaining that it seemed to be a "well-planned malicious act to outrage Hindu feelings", the plea had also claimed that any kind of misdeed committed by them affected the masses.
Condemning JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest, Left parties today attacked the Centre saying it is reducing India to an "Emergency State" after the police conducted "indiscriminate" raids at hostels in the varsity campus allegedly targeting members of Left-backed students bodies.





Launching a scathing attack on NDA government, Left parties demanded immediate release of Kumar and other leaders of Left-backed outfits and a stop to "illegal and uncalled for action by Delhi Police". The parties said they will take up the issue with Union Home Ministry and also during budget session of Parliament.



"The question is do you know who raised the slogans? Take action according to law against them. When you don't know, then how are you arresting all the student leaders?

"...male police are going and raiding girls' hostels. Only during the Emergency we saw this happen. That is the sort of Emergency State they are reducing our country to again.



This time it is the BJP," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in Kolkata. Yechury claimed the FIR against Kumar and others does not contain any name and sought to know on what basis the alleged raid was conducted "in the name of anti-national activities".



In its Facebook post, the CPI(M) accused Modi government of resorting to "totally dictatorial" measures to "crush" Left-backed students' organisations and promote pro-RSS organisation in campuses "as was done" in Hyderabad Central University, which the party said, was "shameful". It also targeted Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying it was "shameful" for him to intervene in the matter "directly".



Kanhaiya was arrested today in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over holding of an event at the prestigious institute against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.



Deploring the police action, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy insisted that police first "ascertain facts" and demanded "immediate" release of Kumar and others. "CPI demands the immediate release of Kumar and other leaders and withdraw police from university campus," he said.



Meanwhile, party national secretary D Raja visited the campus to express solidarity with agitating students and also met Vice Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar and registrar Bhuprendra Zutshi in this regard. Addressing the protesters there, Raja said the CPI will take up the issue with the Home Ministry and also during upcoming budget session of Parliament.



"The Vice Chancellor has assured us that he will see how interests of students can be protected," Raja said. The CPI(M) Politburo has demanded immediate release of JNU students who have been arrested and ordering of an independent inquiry.



"We strongly condemn the indiscriminate arrests of Left and progressive student leaders from JNU campus. We demand immediate release of those who have been arrested and ordering of a proper independent inquiry under the due process. The university authority must also stop such illegal and uncalled for action by Delhi Police," the CPI(M) politburo said in a statement.



"An isolated incident, which does not reflect the opinion of the vast majority of the students, is now being blatantly used as an excuse to clamp down on the progressive and democratic student movement. This has been a long harboured design of the RSS and its camp followers.



"This anti-democratic authoritarian attack on JNU campus, seen in the light of state sponsored efforts by the BJP central government to silence dissent in premier educational institutions, has serious implications," the statement said.



It noted that for nearly half a century the student movement in JNU has had the "impeccable record of upholding the unity and integrity of the country and rising in protests against any expression of anti-national terrorist activities."



Earlier in the day, Raja had said that CPI was not opposed to taking action against elements who raised "anti-India" slogans in the varsity campus, but insisted Left-backed students' bodies must not be targeted while taking action in "connivance with ABVP", the BJP-backed student outfit.



"By targeting general students, they (ABVP) are creating a sense of terror in the campus. Delhi Police should not act in connivance with ABVP, targeting the entire Left," he said.

The Rajya Sabha MP said Kumar, besides being JNUSU president, is a member of All India Students' Federation (AISF) - students' wing of CPI - which, he added, has a "glorious" history and had played a key role in the freedom movement.



"Where was the ABVP then (during freedom movement)? Kanhaiya is a JNUSU president, but he is also AISF leader. They (police) should know which organisation they are dealing with," he said.
JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises, was today remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court.



Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups.



The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting "anti-national" slogans during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus on February 9.



The police also placed on record a CD of the event which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.



Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event.



He claimed in the court that this was a politically- motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students' union (JNUSU).



He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.



"I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India," Kanhaiya told the court.



After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged after being awarded death penalty by the court, and Pakistan.



Responding to the court's query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders but he can identify all the students who are from JNU.



The court, after hearing the submissions, remanded him to three days police custody till February 15.



During the hearing, the police claimed in the court that five other accused - Omar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anirban - are absconding from JNU campus.

A case was registered yesterday under Sections of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and the ABVP.



A group of students had on February 9 held an event in the campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013.

The event occurred despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who had termed the activity as "anti-national".
Facing flak, TERI's executive vice chairman R K Pachauri today proceeded on leave from two other bodies -- TERI and its governing council, which also appointed former Competition Commission chief Ashok Chawla as the new chairman in an apparent damage control measure.



In its meeting, the council decided that Pachauri will be on leave from TERI, its governing vouncil and the university till further review by it, given the subjudice nature of the matter.



"The Council welcomed former Competition Commission chief Ashok Chawla as its new Chairman. The Council looks forward to his leadership of this important institute.



"The Council also inducted the new Director General, Ajay Mathur as a Member of the Council who will operate with full executive powers," TERI said in a statement after its governing council met.



The council met to discuss "key issues" relating to the functioning of the organisation.

When asked whether Pachauri was forced to go on leave or he took the decision voluntarily, TERI declined to comment on it only saying, "Our version has been made clear in our statement. There is no connotation to it."



Chawla, who was also the former finance secretary, was appointed the new chairman after B V Sreekantan resigned recently after being a Member of the Council for over 40 years.



TERI had yesterday said that Pachauri's role is to ensure a "smooth transition" for Mathur.



Amid outrage over his appointment as TERI's Executive Vice Chairman, Pachauri has proceeded on leave yesterday from TERI University and communicated that he will skip the institution's convocation on March 7 after a group of students refused to receive degrees from him.



Facing the heat due to multiple sexual harassment charges, Pachauri, the Chancellor of the University was recently elevated to the newly-created post, a move which triggered severe critisism from the alumni and women activists across the country.



"R K Pachauri, who had been at the head of the institute since 1982 will be on leave from TERI, TERI Governing Council, and TERI University till this is reviewed by the Governing Council given the subjudice nature of the matter," TERI said in the statement.



TERI said that the process for replacement of Pachauri as DG had culminated after the appointment of Mathur as DG with full executive powers on July 23 last year.



"However as Mathur was able to join only on February 8 this year after he was finally relieved by the government of India, the Governing Council effected various interim arrangements so as not to destabilise the operations of the institute," it said.



The green body said that it has a staff strength of 1200 people, out of which over 33 per cent are women.



"At the highest echelons of the institute, 14 of the 30 directors are women. The Governing Council of TERI supports the rights of women and has consistently ensured the provision of a secure environment and a safe work place for its employees," TERI said in the statement.



The development comes even as woman activists protested outside its office today and demanded the sacking of Pachauri while the governing council meeting was going on inside.



Meanwhile concerns of students regarding posts held by Pachauri have been passed on to the green body's governing council, TERI University said while asserting that its process and systems goes "beyond dependence" on a single individual.



Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Rajiv Seth held two separate interactions with the student body as well as with faculty members.



The move came after some alumni of 2013-2015 batch, had yesterday written to Seth saying the recent "inaction" of the board of management at TERI University with respect to Pachauri "deeply saddened" them.



"Pachauri's continuing presence at the top is completely antithetical to our convictions as alumni and graduates of TERI University. We would like to make it explicitly clear that we are not in a position to accept our degrees from him at the upcoming convocation on March 7, 2016.



"We reiterate that the trajectory that the university is taking is dangerous and grossly inconsiderate and as alumni, we sincerely hope that the TERI University Board of Management may seriously re-evaluate Pachauri's continuing role as Chancellor of the university," the alumni wrote in their letter.
The political slugfest over David Headley's deposition that Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT terrorist, escalated today with Congress asking BJP since when it has started believing in terrorists.





The BJP on its part accused Congress of "whitewashing" facts due to its "congenital dislike" for Narendra Modi because it foresaw him as a "political threat".



Trashing demands of BJP that the Congress leadership should apologise in the matter, party leader Kapil Sibal said that the implicit faith in the statements of the Pakistani-American terrorist was "yet another example of opportunism of BJP."



Sibal said it was "very surprising" as also a "matter of some concern" that suddenly BJP and its leaders have got implicit faith in terrorists and what they say.



"All over the world, Headley is a known terrorist, not to be believed. Suddenly BJP finds truth in what he says", Sibal said, taking a jibe at the ruling party remarking that it would now also believe in what terrorists Masood Azhar and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are saying. "Since when has BJP started believing terrorists?"Headley yesterday said that Ishrat Jahan--who was killed in 2004--was actually an Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) operative.



Seeking an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, then Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other party leaders lined up to "weave a fictional tale" to target Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, the BJP also virtually defended the police personnel arrested for killing Ishrat, saying the then UPA government made sure they were put behind bars.



"A battery of Congress leaders were lined up who went on giving statements there are evidences (against BJP leaders), there are conversations happening, there are people who said the man with white beard and black beard. It was done because Congress has a congenital dislike for Modi.



"He much to their dislike was the state's chief minister. Who much to their dislike ran the state so successfully that they foresaw a potential political threat to themselves and so they targeted him... They wove theories like white beard, black beard," BJP leader and Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a party briefing.



"To what extent the dislike of Congress for individuals could guide its policy and governance and expose the national security. It went to the court with a fictional tale. It almost hounded intelligence and police officials," Sitharaman said, attacking Congress.
Shikhar Dhawan smashed his maiden T20 International fifty to fire India to 196/6 in the second game against Sri Lanka here today.





Dhawan (51 of 25) stood out in India's run feast with the other notable performance coming from his opening partner Rohit Sharma (43 off 36), Hardik Pandya (27 off 12) and Suresh Raina (30 off 19).



The visitors pulled things back in the penultimate over with pacer Thisara Perera (3/33) picking up a hat-trick, the fourth ever in T20 Internationals and first by a Sri Lankan.



Sri Lanka put the hosts in to bat for the second game in a row and India openers were on fire from the word go. Unlike the greenish deck for the first T20, the pitch aided the strokeplay they are known for.



Pacer Kasun Rajitha, who troubled the famed Indian batting on his international debut in Pune, proved to be expensive this time. The 22-year-old bowled short and wide on the very first ball of the match and Rohit comfortably dispatched it to the point boundary.



Dhawan got going with a couple of delightful sixes. He flicked pacer Thisara Perera over mid-wicket before sweeping spinner Sachithra Senanayake in the following over for another maximum. There was no stopping Dhawan after that as he got to his maiden T20 International fifty in 22 balls.



Rohit did not mind watching Dhawan demolishing the opposition bowlers from the other and by the end of six overs, India had to raced to 70 for no loss.



Sri Lanka badly needed a breakthrough to stop the onslaught of the dangerous opening duo and it was provided by pacer Dushmantha Chameera, who had Dhawan caught behind with a sharp and straight rising ball. The southpaw thoroughly entertained the Ranchi crowd with his cracking innings that comprised seven fours and two sixes.



Ajinkya Rahane joined Rohit in the middle but suddenly the boundaries were hard to come by with spinner coming into play on a dry surface.



Rahane released the pressure by hitting consecutive fours off medium pacer Dasun Shanaka, one over mid off and the the came courtesy a deft touch past Rajitha fielding at short third man. India were now 122 for one in 13 overs and 200 was very much a possibility.



The innings' flow was obstructed once again when Chameera pulled off a spectacular caught and bowled off Rohit before Senanayake had caught Rahane at cover point, leaving India at 127/3 in the 15th over.



Pandya, sent ahead of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, came to the party in the final overs in the company of Raina. He smashed Senanayake for consecutive sixes before Raina joined the part by picking up three fours off Chameera in the very next over.



India could have scored more had it not been for the hat -trick of Perera, who removed Pandya, Raina and Dhoni in the 19th over.
Once a strong ally of Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates on Friday joined India not only to condemn efforts by countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues and to use terrorism as instrument of state policy, but also to remind all states their responsibilities to control so-called non-state actors.





In a joint statement issued on the occasion of the visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to New Delhi, India and UAE deplored the use of double standards in addressing the menace of international terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism both at the bilateral level and within the multilateral system.



Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, had two meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday  one restricted, and another with officials of respective sides. They agreed to step up bilateral cooperation to combat terrorism.



Without directly referring to Pakistan, the UAE joined India to condemn efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries.



The traditional close ties between Abu Dhabi and Islamabad suffered a jolt after Pakistan last year decided not to join the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition for targeting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Abu Dhabi sharply reacted and UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Mohammed Gargash warned Pakistan of having to pay a heavy price for taking what he called an ambiguous stand.



Modis landmark August 2015 tour to Abu Dhabi and Dubai also helped cement India-UAE ties, as the two nations called the visit as the one that marked the beginning of a new and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. The two nations in August 2015 agreed to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity building.



Building on the synergy between the approaches of the two nations on counter-terrorism, Modi and Sheikh Mohammed on Friday stated that any justification for terrorism and any link between extremism or terrorism and religion should be strongly rejected by the international community.



They also pointed out the responsibility of all states to control the activities of the so-called non-state actors and to cut all support to terrorists operating and perpetrating terrorism from their territories against other states. The statement came at a time when a move to restart India-Pakistan stalled dialogue came under a shadow following January 2-5 terror attacks on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab and the consulate in Afghanistan.


Indian scientists hope to ride on the success of gravity wave discovery to seek quick approval from the Centre Rs 1,260 crore proposal to set up a gravity wave observatory for which four sites have been shortlisted.



Back in 2011, researchers proposed setting up a gravity wave detector in India. The proposal received a shot in the arm a year later, when the National Science Foundation, USA agreed to shift one of the detectors to be set up at Hanford in Washington to India.



The Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology put up a proposal for establishing and running the observatory over 15 years and sought Rs 650 crore for the 12th plan period (up to 2017) to kickstart the programme. The plan was cleared by the Planning Commission, but stuck in red tapes since then. Prime Minister Narendra Modis tweets, within minutes of the announcement about discovery of gravity wave discovery have boosted scientists' hopes.



Proud moment

Hope to move forward to make even bigger contribution with an advanced gravitational wave detector in the country. Immensely proud that Indian scientists played an important role in this challenging quest, Modi tweeted.



The Prime Ministers tweet reduced our stress level, said Dhiraj Bora, Director of Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, that would develop advanced vacuum system for both arms of the detector besides other vital components.



Scientists shortlisted four sites in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where environmental surveys are being carried out.



Sites on the Deccan Plateau stand higher chance of being selected due to low seismicity, Tarun Sourdeep Ghosh, one of lead scientists at the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune told Deccan Herald.



Setting up the Indian observatory would be a responsibility of IUCAA, IPR and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore. The original plan was to complete the project within eight years, but that plan is now four years behind schedule. Physicists from 16 Indian institutes formed the INDIGO consortium for gravity wave research.



Two arms of the L-shaped Indian detector would be 4 km long and is 150 mt thick.

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time.

Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916.

Einstein compared the universes shape to a single fabric, called space-time.

The force of gravity is the result of curvature in this space-time (similar to the effects of placing a heavy ball on a large rubber sheet).

Gravitational waves are ripples in the space-time, produced when massive objects like black holes collide.

Other powerful processes like exploding stars and the birth of the universe can also create these waves.

Their existence is derived from his general theory of relativity.

Scientists presented the results from the worlds only gravity wave detector, LIGO, US.

These waves were never detected.

India plans to set up the third detector.

A second detector VIRGO is in Italy.

But the Cabinet approval is yet to come, four years after the proposal was made by the Department of Atomic Energy.
India on Friday talked tough, as the testimony of 26/11 terror plotter David Headley before a court in Mumbai and revelations by Pakistans former president, Pervez Musharraf, in an interview exposed role of state actors of the neighbouring country in supporting cross-border terrorism.





New Delhi said that Musharrafs admission on involvement of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan in training the terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed spoke for itself and reinforced once again the need for stopping support from state actors to terrorism in the region.



New Delhi also frowned upon the meeting between Pakistans High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, and Kashmiri separatist leaders, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, here. Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and the issue could be only discussed between the two countries bilaterally, without role of any third party.



Musharraf on Thursday told an Indian TV channel that Pakistans military spy agency ISI trained JeM and LeT terrorists. His comment came even as Headley this week deposed before a court in Mumbai and revealed the nexus between the ISI and the terror networks. Headleys testimony is in relation with the Mumbai terror attack and the testimony is self- explanatory. It is up to Pakistan to investigate and expose fully the conspiracy in Pakistan behind the Mumbai terror attack and bring all concerned to justice, said Swarup



Headleys statement before the court through video conferencing from a US prison this week revealed that state actors of Pakistan had also been involved in planning the November 26-28, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, along with the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley on Friday praised Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist to be captured during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and said that the Lashkar-e-Toiba was deeply saddened with his arrest.



Thats the picture of Ajmal Kasab, Rahmatullah (may Allahs mercy be on him).Yes, he said when Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam showed his photo to him.



Asked whether he was following the 26/11 terror attacks, he said: From news, I came to know that one of them was captured...from news, I got to know that he was Ajmal Kasab. Asked whether his LeT contact Sajid Mir was saddened, he said: He was saddened. Everybody in the LeT was saddened. Talking about the finer details of the planning of the terror attack, he said it was done in detail. LeTs operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi considered two options before the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.



The two options were egress option and stronghold. Stronghold means to remain at the site till death and egress meant that to leave that place and go to Kashmir and fight there. Lakhvi thought that if the attackers knew that they have to flee then the attacks wont be good, he said, adding: Ultimately, stronghold option was decided. Headley also said that Abu Al Kama and Abu Khafa were the two handlers of the 10 fidayeens and this was told to him by Sajid Mir.

Mumbai Airport was surveyed

Headley also confirmed that Mumbai airport was one the targets that were surveyed, however, was not included in the final list where attacks were carried out. I made a video of Mumbai airport, he said.



Loses cool when asked about wife

The otherwise calm and composed David Coleman Headley lost his cool when he was bombarded with a series of questions on his second wife Faiza Outelha alias Faizala Christiana and how she had approached Lashkar-e-Toiba founder and chief Hafeez Saeed to save her marriage
After the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, al Qaeda wanted to target the New Delhi-based National Defence College (NDC) as at one go it would have been able to kill more brigadiers and generals than in any war, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley told a Mumbai court on Friday.





During his deposition on the fourth day, 56-year-old Headley also confirmed that he was spying for al Qaeda, particularly after the Mumbai terror attacks. He said that in February 2009, he had met Ilyas Kashmiri, once considered the successor to Bin Laden. He was also interested in carrying out some kind of an attack and mentioned a few places for reconnaissance, he said, adding that this happened during his eighth visit, the one after the terror attacks, from March 7 to 17, 2009, when he was in New Delhi.



Deposing before Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap, who presides over anti-terror cases in Mumbai, Headley said the places suggested to him include the NDC in New Delhi and Chabad Houses in Pushkar, Goa and Pune. Ilyas Kashmiri gave me the money for the airfare and other expenses, he said, confirming that the al Qaeda man was then heading the 313 Brigade in Waziristan.



When Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam asked if the LeT knew about it, he replied in negative. When asked for reason, he said: I knew they would not allow me to go. They felt things were not secure here in India and I could possibly be apprehended.



When specifically asked whether he was working for al Qaeda, he said: Yes. He said that Major Abdul Rehman Pasha, who was once his colleague in LeT and later drifted to al Qaeda, provided him the list of Chabad Houses in India.



Asked whether LeT was also interested in carrying out an attack on NDC, he said Major Iqbal had mentioned about this years ago. The LeT was not interested (after 26/11), he said.
Days after he admitted that the ISI wanted him to penetrate into Indias military establishment, terror operative David Coleman Headley on Friday said the Pakistani spy agency asked him to recruit people at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) in Mumbai to get classified information.





This revelation came when he confirmed that he was in touch with the ISI while working in parallel for the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the al Qaeda.



Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam asked how does he know about Barc, he said: Major Iqbal (of ISI) told me if at future date I could recruit someone from that location, some employee. When asked for whom, he said: For ISI, not for LeT.

Asked for the reasons, he said: Thats routinemost countries do that with each other. Pressed further, the Pakistani-American said: So that they can give up classified information.



When questioned whether he visited Barc, he replied in positive. But when questioned whether he recruited anyone, he said: As I have said earlier, it was for a future date.



He said he had also made videos and handed it over to Major Iqbal and his LeT handler Sajid Mir.



Targeting Sena

In yet another sensational revelation, David Headley on Friday said that late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena Bhavan at Dadar were the possible targets of Laskhar-e-Toiba.



Headley, a Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist, who also doubled up as an ISI operative and a spy of Osama bin Ladens al Qaeda, confirmed this during is audio and video deposition before a Mumbai court.



Headley said that he undertook the mission on his own and had kept posted Sajid Mir, his handler in the Lashkar.



To a question whether he knows Rajaram Rege, he said: Yes.I had met him at the Shiv Sena headquarters at Dadar. On being asked about the reasons of meeting him, he said that he wanted access in the building and he had been there twice and has taken video clips from inside and also from outside and gave them to Sajid Mir.



I attempted to develop a relationship with him (Rajaram Rege) and it developed a little, he said.



Asked why he did that, Headley said  It was in April 2007as Lashkar-e-Toiba may be interested in launching some kind of an attack or assassinate its head  a clear reference to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.



I think he told me he was his son Uddhav Thackerays PRO. On being prodded whether Sajid Mir asked him to pursue it, he said: Definitely, Yes.



Meanwhile, Rege said that he had met Headley only once. He had come to the Shiv Sena Bhavan and introduced himself as some kind of an immigration consultant, he said. Rege added that he also discussed business proposals. He also said that no videos were taken in his presence. In 2010, he was investigated by the NIA.



The Shiv Sena said that the statement of David Headley does not surprise them. He (late Bal Thackeray) was on the hit list, we are proud of it. We are on hit list of Pakistan, we are proud of itwe are the only people who speak against Pakistan, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.


The City police may take a re-look at the case pertaining to the 2005 terrorist strike at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in December 2005 following certain disclosures made by Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley about the incident on Thursday.





The 56-year-old Headley told the Additional Sessions Court in Mumbai through video-conferencing on Thursday that Abu Aziz was one of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives who carried out the attack at the IISc, in which a retired professor of IIT-Delhi was killed and four were injured.



The City police have filed a charge sheet naming a certain Abu Hamza as the prime suspect. The police concluded that Hamza escaped to Pakistan days after the attack. The disclosures made by Headley have come as a surprise to the police as Abu Azizs name had never come up during their investigation. There is no clarity whether the suspect goes by the two names, Abu Aziz and Abu Hamza.



 We knew that Sabahuddin and Hamza carried out the attack. Abu Aziz was never in the picture. Aziz and Hamza could be one person as the terrorists have many aliases. On the other hand, Aziz and Hamza could be two different people. To verify Headleys claims and to ascertain the fact, there needs to be a fresh inquiry, a retired IPS officer who had investigated the case, told Deccan Herald.



Meanwhile, highly placed sources in the City police said: As an another agency is investigating cases involving Headley, it will have to analyse and verify the authenticity of his claims. If the agency feels that there is a need for re-opening of the case, then a formal communication will be made to the City police. The police will take a decision based on the recommendations made by the agency.



Hamzas involvement was confirmed when me and another officer from the City interrogated Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the Pakistani militant involved in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. He told us that he attended a training session in Pakistan conducted by LeT where Hamza was present. He also told us that Hamza narrated to him how he had carried out the attacks on IISc in Bengaluru on December 28, 2005, the officer said.



Kasab never mentioned Azizs name and hence a fresh inquiry will have to ascertain Headleys claims, he opined.



According to the charge sheet, after the attack, Hamza went to Hyderabad and reached Bihar by train from there.



Later, he managed to sneak into Nepal and flew to Pakistan.



The IISc attack

A man wearing a camouflage jacket had fired randomly with an automatic rifle when delegates of an international conference of the Operational Research Society of India were coming out of the JN Tata Auditorium on the IISc campus around 7.15 pm on December 28, 2005.



Prof MC Puri of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, who was hit by a bullet, was killed and five were injured when the intruder had opened fire and lobbed grenades. The police had recovered three grenades, an AK-56 assault rifle and live bullets from the attack site.
The Karnataka police will now have regular interaction with African students studying in Bengaluru and other cities of the State to ensure their security.





A mechanism for regular interaction between the police and the students from Africa was devised in the wake of the recent assault on a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said.



The decision to have the mechanism was taken after a team of MEA officials accompanied the High Commissioner of Tanzania, John W H Kijazi, to Bengaluru and met Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, senior police officials and representatives of the students from Africa. Swarup said that while 12 people had been arrested in connection with the assault on the Tanzanian, six policemen had been suspended.


Mentored by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), 48 students from the first batch (PGP class of 2015-17) of IIM Visakhapatnam (IIMV) got placed during the summer placements season that concluded on Friday.





The institute is one of the six new IIMs that started in 2015 and presently operating under the faculty mentorship of IIMB.



As many as 48 students were plucked by 33 companies while one student opted out to to pursue a start-up effort.



In the first phase, 31 students were placed when they participated in the summer placement process of IIMB in the first week of November 2015, and many companies selected students from both from IIMB and IIMV in the joint placement process. In the second phase, multiple recruiters visited the IIMV campus over a period of three months to recruit the rest of the students.



Professor Ganesh Prabhu, Chairperson, Career Development Services, IIM Bangalore, said: The first batch of IIMV students rose to the challenge of securing internships within two months of joining, with regular IIMB recruiters making offers to IIMV students also.



Ripusudhan Adhikari, Placement Representative, IIM Visakhapatnam, said: Students had focused-targets in the sectors they wanted to intern with, and every student was able to achieve their target.



Major recruiters in consulting were KPMG and Ernst & Young, who recruited IIMV students for their consulting division and transaction advisory, respectively.



The technology domain saw companies such as Xiaomi, Directi, Mindtree, Capgemini, Sutherland Global, Mphasis and SkyQuest recruiting the students.



Other recruiters included Internet companies such as Hopscotch, Furlenco, Indian conglomerates like Reliance ADAG, Jindal Group, public sector companies such as Vizag Steel, HPCL, Government of Andhra Pradesh, multinational pharmaceutical giant Dr. Reddys, investment advisory firms such as Lexicon Securities, Forum Synergies and start-ups such as Noida-based Zoukloans, Edusports and Grayroutes.




The High Court on Friday dismissed the PIL seeking directions for a CBI probe into the reported nexus between the advertisement lobby and the BBMP officials, and to ban all unauthorised flexes and hoardings.





A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Ravi Malimath dismissed the PIL for it had become infructuous as the State government has handed over the inquiry to the CID and there was no need for a CBI inquiry.



The petitioner, Sai Dutta had argued that BBMP's assistant commissioner K Mathai in his report has stated that the Palike has missed out on augmenting its revenue to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore by not collecting the advertisement fee from hoardings and flexes erected across the City.



At present, BBMP is collecting hardly 1.5 per cent of the total potential revenue from advertisement hoardings as unauthorised hoarding rules the roost in connivance with the BBMP officials and politicians.



The petitioner had contended that there is uncontrolled, unauthorised advertisement hoarding erected on either side of the roads in the City, and the zonal commissioners have failed to penalise the advertisers or take steps to remove illegal hoardings. The numerous flex banners and hoardings have spoilt the beauty of the City.



The High Court on Friday quashed the final notification issued by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) with regard to 36 guntas pertaining to M Mukunda, the petitioner who had challenged the possession of the land. The BDA had issued final notification in 1998 pertaining to 564 acres of land in BTM 6th stage near Hulimavu.



As time had lapsed and no action was taken by the BDA, Justice Anand Byrareddy allowing the petition quashed the final notification pertaining only to the petitioner.
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Gandhis plea seeking quashing of criminal prosecution in the National Herald case, but exempted them from appearing before the trial court.





A bench of Justices J S Khehar and C Nagappan also directed for expunction of certain firm conclusions recorded by the Delhi High Court in its December 7 order.



The high court had rejected Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhis plea for quashing the complaint and observed that the accused had a questionable conduct, smacking of criminality in the case having a fraudulent flavour.



The bench also allowed a plea by Congress leaders, including Motilal Vora, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, seeking exemption from personal appearance before the magistrate on February 20 and on future dates, but clarified that they can be summoned as and when required. Their presence during hearing before the trial court would create more inconvenience than convenience and accordingly they shall be exempted from personal appearance, the bench said. The Congress claimed it would now have an opportunity to expose the false and malicious complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.



Appearing for the Congress leaders, senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and R S Cheema contended before the court that there cannot be any public interest in a case with charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust.



They claimed Swamy had no locus as he is neither a victim nor a deceived person. They also submitted that nobody with links to the Associated Journal Limitedthe publisher of National Heraldor the Congress has complained.



Advising the counsel to raise all issues before the magistrate, the bench observed that the apex court had very limited scope to interject at this stage.



Let there be a fair trial. You will have ample opportunities to say all this at the stage of charge framing. You cannot come here directly. We hereby permit the petitioners to raise all the issues that are open to them at the stage of framing of the charges, the bench stated.



Insofar as the determination rendered by the high court, in rejecting the prayer for quashing the proceedings against the petitioners is concerned, we find no justification in interfering therewith, the bench said.
District administrations and the police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. Electronic voting machines would be used in both the elections. The voting would be held from 7 am to 5 pm.



The ZP/TP elections in Betadur in Dharwad district, where Lance Naik Hanmanthappa Koppad was cremated on Friday, has been put off to February 15.





The ZP/TP elections are being held in two phase. In the first phase on Saturday - Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Kolar, Chikaballapur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, and Gadag is going to polls.





Byelections to three Assembly constituencies, Hebbal in Bengaluru, Devadurga in Raichur district and Bidar and election to 550 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) seats and 1,945 Taluk Panchayat (TP) seats across 15 districts will be held on Saturday.





Byelections to the three Assembly constituencies, including Hebbal in Bengaluru, and polls to 550 zilla panchayat (ZP) seats and 1,945 taluk panchayat (TP) seats across 15 districts, will be held on Saturday.



The polling will be held between 7 am and 5 pm. While the bypolls to the three Assembly segments of Hebbal, Devadurga, reserved for the Scheduled Tribe in Raichur district and Bidar will be monitored by the Election Commission of India, the ZP/TP polls will be held under the aegis of State Election Commission.



The district administrations and the police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.



As many as 20 candidates are in fray for the high-profile the Hebbal seat, which witnessed high-voltage campaigning by political parties in the last 10 days. The Congress has fielded C K Abdul Rahaman Sharief, while two-time MLC Y A Narayana-swamy is contesting on a BJP ticket. Ismail Shariff is the JD(S) candidate.



Up north, Bidar is witnessing a pitched battle between Rahim Khan of the Congress and Prakash Khandre of the BJP with Ayaz Khan of the JD(S) in the fray. In Devadurga, it is an all-in-the-family fight between Rajashekhar Naik (Cong), K Shivanagouda Naik (BJP) and Karemma Gopalakrishna (JD-S).



The results of the three bypolls will be out on February 16.



ZP/TP elections



Saturday will also witness the ZP and TP elections being held in 15 districts in the first phase. These include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagaram, Chitradurga, Davangere, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, and Gadag.



A total of 2,087 candidates are in the fray for 550 ZP seats and 6,288 candidates for 1,945 TP seats. The second phase of the ZP/TP elections for the remaining 15 districts will be held on February 20.



Election officials said carrying the electoral photo identity card (EPIC) or documents specified by Election Commission of India is mandatory to exercise franchise. Taking photographs using camera or mobile phones inside the polling stations is prohibited. Counting of votes for both the first and second phase of the ZP/TP elections will be taken up on February 23. For both the Assembly byelections and the local body elections, electronic voting machines would be used.



The outcome of both the bypolls and the ZP/TPs will once again prove to be a litmus test for the popularity of the Siddaramaiah government. The Congress, after managing to gain control over the BBMP despite the BJP emerging the number in terms of seats, is facing the polls with more confidence.


The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) will soon prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for setting up a state-of-the-art women entrepreneurs park with world-class facilities.





K Ratna Prabha, Additional Chief Secretary, Karnataka Industries Department, held a meeting on Friday with presidents of womens associations across the State and KIADB officials to finalise the modalities of the project. KIADB is expected to submit the DPR by February 28. The Union Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has also approved the project and has assured a grant of Rs 8 crore.



The park will come up on a 100-acre plot earmarked by KIADB in Harohalli Industrial Area, Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district. According to Ratna Prabha, the park will be a model not only for the State but for the country with state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class facilities.



Tax incentives, stamp duty exemption, among other benefits, will be provided to women entrepreneurs.



The proposal for the park, showcased at the recent Invest Karnataka - 2016 summit in Bengaluru, received good response from over 45 women entrepreneurs, who were keen on registering for plots in the park. Women entrepreneurs who wish to apply for plots in the proposed park can apply formally before February 22.



Similar parks are likely to be set up at Mysuru, Hubballi, Ballari in the first phase and at Belagavi in the second phase. A women entrepreneurs guidance cell will also be set up to counsel women entrepreneurs.






The Karnataka Ayurveda and Unani Practitioners ( KAUP) Board in association with the Ayush Department will hold the Global Wellness Meet- 2016 on February 26, 27 and 28.





Delegates from the health sector from across the globe, students of homeopathy, Ayush colleges and universities across the state will take part at the meet at Gayatri Vihar in Palace Grounds. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the event to mark KAUPs 50th anniversary.



At a press conference on Friday, president, KAUP Board Karnataka, Dr Sathyamoorthy Bhat said: "We expect over five lakh people and 20,000 delegates to attend the meet over three days. This is the first time a wellness meet is being held in India. There will be talks on wellness, importance of ayurveda, unani and health related topics by experts. Nearly 400 stalls with displays ranging from books, automobiles to clothes will be set up.

Bhat added that the entry to the meet is free but there will be a charge of Rs 2,000 for attending talks and for availing kits, including food on all the three days. The cost is inclusive of a certificate for participants. Depending on the response, the meet will be held next year too, Bhat added.



As a precursor to the meet, KAUP will also hold 'Arogyathon, a mass yoga and prayer event on February 14 from 2 pm to 6 pm at Gayatri Vihar. Yoga experts Sri Vishwabandu Nagesh, John Maresh and others will demonstrate Yoga.



The Board and Ayush department are erecting a statue of Dhanvantari -- considered to be the God of Ayurveda -- at the venue. The 124-foot statute is made of thermocol and plaster of paris, KAUP members said.



Mark your calender



Global Wellness meet

on February 26, 27 and 28

10 am to 5 pm - talks

5 pm - cultural programmes

February 26 : Talk on global wellness, importance of health, how to keep healthy and related topics.

February 27 : Talk on Health and tourism

February 28 : Discussion on rural health






The bravery of the 80-odd men of 19 Madras Regiment, who risked their lives to retrieve Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad alive from under 35 feet of snow at Siachen Glacier last Monday, is no less breathtaking than the latters miraculous survival.





The avalanche that hit the Sonam post in the northern Siachen Glacier on February 3 had destroyed everything in its way. Its hard to say there was a military post there. Such was the devastation, said Havaldar Ramesh G of 19 Madras Regiment, which is deployed at the worlds highest warfield to guard the 40-odd posts. Ramesh and six soldiers from the regiment had accompanied Koppad from Siachen to New Delhi and then flew down with his mortal remains to Hubballi.



Ramesh recounted to Deccan Herald why Koppads survival for six days under the snow was a miracle. The temperature dips to minus 45 to minus 60 degrees Celsius in the nights. Never in the history of avalanches has a human being survived the natures fury for more than a day, he said, recalling that when Koppad was retrieved from the snow debris, doctors could feel his pulse and heartbeat.



Lance Naik Raju Siruguppe, who belongs to the same regiment, said the bodies of 10 soldiers were recovered in record time. It was the first time in the history of avalanches that the bodies were recovered in just six days. In some cases, bodies were recovered after 25 years, he said.



How the tragedy struck



According to Raju, a 600 ft x 400 ft ice wall that had been standing tall since 1984 gave away all of a sudden. The 10 soldiers guarding the base were completely caught unawares. The 800-metre base was literally washed away and the ice debris spread over two kilometres, he said.



Rescuing soldiers or retrieving their bodies at an altitude of 19,600 feet was not easy. The Indian Air Forces Cheetah helicopter had to land at the accident spot at zero visibility. The pilot, whose name I have forgotten, landed there without caring for his own life. The adverse weather notwithstanding, the helicopter flew Koppad down to New Delhi, he said. Hanamanthappa was given the best medical care at the hospital. All of us at the base were hoping that he would survive. But...



The Army had used specialised earth-penetrating radars to trace the bodies of the 10 soldiers. The rescuers were receiving constant but feeble radio signals from the devastated area that helped them reach the place at the earliest. The efforts of sniffer dogs Dot and Misha in tracing the bodies were no less inspiring.



Koppads comrades, who attended the funeral at his native village of Betadur near Hubballi on Friday, remembered him as a jolly person. We have lost one of our brothers.



Polling postponed in Betadur



The panchayat election at Betadur village in Dharwad district, which was scheduled for Saturday, will now be held on Monday.



The State Election Commission postponed the polling in the wake of the funeral of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad that was held at Betadur on Friday. The polling would be held from 7 am to 5 pm at four polling booths (polling booth 84 to 87) on February 15.



In a press statement, the Dharwad deputy commissioner said a large number of people from various parts of the district and high-profile politicians, including the chief minister, had attended the funeral.


People of Tejuru village have accused the Hassan district administration of not sharing information about when the body of Subedar T T Nagesh, one of the 10 soldiers who died in an avalanche in Siachen Glacier last week, would be brought down to his native village.





Holding a banner with a portrait of Nagesh, the villagers demanded what arrangements had been made for the funeral. Although Deputy Commissioner Umesh Kusugal and Tahsildar Manjunath V had visited the soldiers house a few days after the incident, they failed to assure his family about the arrangements for his last rites.



Kusugal was not in office when the villagers arrived. Hassan MLA, H S Prakash, visited the spot and spoke to the villagers. He called the deputy commissioner to office. Kusugal arrived around 12.15 pm.



Pacifying the agitators, the deputy commissioner said the officials were in constant touch with the Army authorities. He said he had served in the Army for 22 years and was aware of the formalities. The Army will inform the Hassan district administration at least six hours before the body is airlifted from Siachen.



Kusugal assured them that the administration had made all necessary arrangements. The body would be kept near the deputy commissioners office in Hassan to enable the public to pay their last respects to Nagesh. The tahsildar will personally brief the family about the funeral arrangements.



In Tejuru, Nageshs family is anxiously awaiting his body. His two sons have not attended school since his death. The condition of his wife Asha is unstable. She is his niece. He has six sisters and two brothers. Another of Nageshs niece, Shruthi, said he was the only person who was educated in the family.



February 12 was the birthday of Nageshs son Preetham. When Nagesh had visited the village five months ago, he promised to gift him a bicycle. Learning about the incident in the media, a senior citizen from Holenarasipur visited the village and offered to present a bicycle to Preetham.



Expecting the arrival of the body anytime, villagers have voluntarily made preparations for the funeral at Nageshs farm near Tejuru lake.



Mysuru village awaits soldiers body



People of Pashupathi, the native village of Sepoy P N Mahesha, one of the three soldiers from Karnataka who died in an avalanche at Siachen Glacier last week, are unhappy that the Mysuru district administration hasnt made arrangements for his funeral. Maheshas sister Yogamani said the authorities had not provided any information about the arrival of the body, though they had visited the village and collected necessary information.



Maheshas relative P N Dinesh told Deccan Herald that the soldier would be buried near his fathers grave in the village. Youths in the village have voluntarily cleaned the place for the funeral and expressed unhappiness that the authorities hadnt made arrangements for the last rites despite being informed about the burial place. A source said the body would arrive on Saturday.






In Forest Laboratories, Inc., et al. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 14-121-LPS, C.A. No. 14-200-LPS, C.A. No. 14-686-LPS (D. Del. Feb. 9, 2016), Chief Judge Leonard P. Stark recently issued in limine rulings in advance of the pretrial conference for an upcoming ANDA bench trial. Defendants requested Judge Stark exclude one of Plaintiffs witnesses due to late identification as a trial witness. Judge Stark denied the request but permitted Defendants a two-hour deposition of the witness to mitigate any unfair surprise. Id. at 2. Judge Stark granted Plaintiffs request to exclude a new non-infringement theory disclosed by Defendants on January 26, 2016. Id. Judge Stark disagreed with Defendants that the late disclosure was justified as a response to arguments in an expert report filed . . . more than two months before Defendants disclosed their new theory, given the proximity to trial. Id.

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The State Patrol arrested fewer people on allegations they were driving under the influence of marijuana last year than in the previous year, according a report released Thursday.

The report is the first glimpse at how the change in law is affecting highway safety, because the patrol did not keep statistics on the number of people accused of driving under the influence of marijuana prior to 2014, when recreational pot became legal.

In 2015, the second year the patrol kept statistics, 4,546 citations were issued for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Of those, 665 people  or nearly 15 percent  had marijuana in their systems when they were charged, according to State Patrol statistics.

Overall, the number of people cited for marijuana-related driving under the influence of drugs dropped 1.3 percent between 2014 and 2015, the report said. In 2015, 665 impaired drivers had marijuana in their systems, compared with 674 in 2014.

The data do not include arrests made by local police and sheriffs departments. In Colorado, the legislature has decided that the legal limit for impairment by marijuana is 5 nanograms of THC in the blood. However, that is a presumption only and has been rejected in court.

Highway safety experts said they were not reading too much into the numbers. But others said it is a good indicator that Coloradans are getting the message about the dangers of stoned driving.

Its not as much of a public danger as it was made out to be when recreational marijuana was first legalized, said Jay Tiftickjian, a Colorado DUI attorney who edited a textbook on marijuana and the law.

He believes government educational campaigns are working.

But Trooper Josh Lewis, a highway patrol spokesman, said his agency wants three to five years of data before drawing conclusions. One year of numbers is not enough to spot a trend.

Wed certainly like to think education and enforcement action are making our roads safer, but until we have data for multiple years we simply dont know, Lewis said.

Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Sam Cole said the report provides a valuable snapshot, but his agency also continues to evaluate data. So far, it doesnt have enough information to spot any trends related to drivers who are high.

For example, CDOT keeps statistics on drugged driving in fatal crashes. From 2013 to 2014, the number of drivers in fatalities who tested positive for cannabis rose to 83 from 44.

However, researchers do not know if the pots psychoactive effects had worn off before the crash or whether the driver was impaired because of it, Cole said.

CDOT also has surveyed residents about their attitudes toward marijuana and driving.

The results indicate marijuana use is rising in Colorado, but about half of the people surveyed did not understand the risks of driving while high, including that they could be charged with driving under the influence.

What we know is too many people are driving high, and they need to know about the danger and they need to know the legal consequences of doing so, Cole said.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, and other states are looking to it for guidance as legalization becomes more widespread.

However, the state is playing catch-up when it comes to understanding the impact and what it means to be high while driving.

Last year, the State Patrol began testing five devices to help troopers detect whether drivers are too high to be behind the wheel.

Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or @Noelle_Phillips

Staff writer Elizabeth Hernandez contributed to this report.
By Michael Milstein

February 2016 (Northwest Fisheries Science Center)  Toxins from harmful algae are present in Alaskan marine food webs in high enough concentrations to be detected in marine mammals from Southeast Alaska to the Arctic Ocean, including whales, walruses, sea lions, seals, porpoises and sea otters, according to new research published today [Prevalence of algal toxins in Alaskan marine mammals foraging in a changing arctic and subarctic environment]. Harmful algal bloom toxins have been known to cause mortality and illness in marine mammals in Central and Southern California on a regular basis for the past 17 years, but this phenomenon has not been recorded in northern regions. The findings reported online in the journal Harmful Algae document a major expansion of the areas along the Pacific Coast of North America where harmful algal blooms are known to occur and demonstrate that algal toxins are present in Arctic ecosystems with the potential to affect most marine mammal species in U.S waters farther north than expected. The Wildlife Algal-toxin Research and Response Network for the West Coast (WARRN-West) collected samples from more than 900 marine mammals that were harvested or found stranded in Alaska from 2004 to 2013. Testing at NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center found algal toxins present in some animals from each of the 13 marine mammal species examined, and from all regions in Alaska. What really surprised us was finding these toxins so widespread in Alaska, far north of where they have been previously documented as a problem for marine mammals, said Kathi Lefebvre, a NOAA Fisheries research scientist who leads WARRN-West. We do not know whether the toxin concentrations found in marine mammals in Alaska were high enough to cause health impacts because of how difficult it is to confirm cause of death in stranded animals. But we do know that warming trends are likely to expand blooms, making it more likely that marine mammals could be affected in the future. The two main algal toxins detected in marine mammals were domoic acid, produced by algae called Pseudo-nitzschia, and saxitoxin, produced by algae known as dinoflagellates. Favorable conditions can cause the toxin-producing algae to bloom. Shellfish like clams, small plankton-eating invertebrates such as krill, as well as fish such as herring can accumulate the toxins as they feed by filtering the water. Marine mammals preying on contaminated krill, fish or shellfish will then absorb the toxin themselves. Lefebvre stressed that the presence of the toxins in marine mammals is not currently a food safety risk, but could be a food security issue for subsistence communities that depend on marine mammals for food. The levels of algal toxins measured in Alaskan marine mammals were well below the seafood safety regulatory limits for domoic acid and saxitoxin, and commonly eaten tissues like muscle and blubber are not likely to accumulate toxins to levels of concern for human consumption. However, Gay Sheffield of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and coauthor of this study warns that, fresh clams found in the stomachs of harvested walruses and bearded seals are often eaten in several coastal communities throughout western and northern Alaska. Such practices may be of concern for human health if toxin-producing algae increase in the Arctic as waters warm. High levels of domoic acid produced by an unprecedented algae bloom on the West Coast of the United States last summer forced closures of shellfish and crab fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as documented domoic acid related illness in marine mammals as far north as Washington. The results from Alaska animals sampled in 2004-2013 cannot determine whether algal toxins caused the deaths of about 30 large whales in Alaska during the summer of 2015, prompting NOAA Fisheries to declare an Unusual Mortality Event. Algal toxins were investigated as a possible contributor to the large whale UME, but the carcasses were too degraded by the time they were found to produce useful test results. Domoic acid levels in some Alaska marine mammals tested as a part of this study were similar to levels detected in California sea lions that had been observed experiencing seizures from domoic acid poisoning. However it is not clear what levels of domoic acid actually cause the seizures, since the toxin is cleared from the body so quickly. None of the Alaska animals tested were seen experiencing seizures. Recently, a separate study found that California sea lions that had experienced domoic acid poisoning lost much of their spatial memory, which could jeopardize their survival in the wild [Algal toxin impairs sea lion memory and hippocampal connectivity, with implications for strandings]. Lefebvre praised the members of the WARRN-West Network for consistently submitting samples from stranded and harvested marine mammals that provided the data for the study. The WARRN-West network will continue surveillance for algal toxins in marine mammals and is funded by NOAA Fisheries with support from network partners. Network partners include: NOAA West Coast and Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Networks and Office of Protected Resources, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, The Marine Mammal Center, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Alaska SeaGrant, The Whale Museum of Friday Harbor, USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Alaska US Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Veterinary Pathology Service, NOAA Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers, Alaska SeaLife Center, Cascadia Research Collective, Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Washington, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the University of California Davis One Health Institute.
Youre going to be thoroughly spoilt for choices when planning a holiday a century from now. You will still be able to go to the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef, but you will have to weigh those options against taking a weekend flight to the Moon and back. On the Moon you could take a tour of historic landing sites, check out artefacts, visit planned outposts, take a dune buggy ride across the dusty plains, and click a selfie with the Earth in the background (sadly, yes, selfies will still be around). You could also pop in to visit the astronauts on the space station on your way back, before finally riding a rollercoaster-like descent vehicle back into the atmosphere for kicks.

Today, were already taking baby steps towards realising this seemingly fantastic vision. Space is finally opening up to someone other than governments, and thats a good thing. Private companies need to make a profit in the end, and that means a rush to improve technologies and reduce costs. Unlike government aided space programs, the private industry needs to see a clear path to profitability, and every dollar spent is duly accounted for by shareholders.



Rocket engines today are almost exactly what they were during the Cold War. And the monopoly of a few entities manning the gateway to space has to be broken. ULA, Americas leading rocket launch service provider, charges over $225 million per launch, as stated on their website. A more recent launch, which we shall look at in a bit, cost just one-fifth of this, at $54 million. Its not just private companies aiding in this reduction of prices, its also a more global push for space by more governments. India, as you all remember, recently led the cheapest successful mission to Mars, ever.

However, its a bunch of pioneers with keen business acumen that will really make space more accessible to everyone.

What is Space?

Talking about exploring space conjures up images of people in rockets and spaceships, flying off to visit planets. Very Star Trek- and Star Wars-ish. However, where does space really start? Nowhere specific, to be honest because the atmosphere doesnt abruptly stop existing, it just gradually thins out into vacuum. So we cant really use the amount of molecules per given volume, but we can use temperature. As you go higher, temperature goes down. Anyone whos been in an aeroplane knows that its ridiculously cold outside, but pretty warm inside thanks to the air pressure. But what temperature should we choose? So how do we go about deciding where space starts?

The Karman line, named after Theodore von Karman, who calculated that if you were in an aircraft, and kept going higher, at one point youd have to be going exactly at orbital velocity to get the required lift to go any higher. Orbital velocity is the point at which the attraction of gravity and inertia of a body to move out in a straight line instead of following the Earths curvature balance out, and you achieve a stable orbit. This point is about 100 km above the surface of the Earth. So if youre flying below the Karman line youre a mere pilot, and above, youre an astronaut (or cosmonaut).

Space tourism

Obviously, when people are talking about space tourism, theyre talking about taking people above the Karman line, and obviously, bringing them back. Anyone whos seen videos of the Challenger disaster and then the later Columbia one (1986 and 2003 respectively), know that space is not a game. Its dangerous business. Its hard enough to go to space, but coming back to Earth is just as risky.

While Challenger broke up during take off, Columbia broke up during re-entry, underscoring the very real and dangerous risks of spaceflight. A lot of us in India remember the Columbia disaster, not only because it is more recent, but because amongst the people killed was Kalpana Chawla, who was the first woman of Indian origin in space.



Columbia during the take off

Any craft that enters the atmosphere from space has to penetrate it at precisely the right angle. Otherwise, it might just bounce off the atmosphere or break up. Furthermore, as the capsule carrying humans enters the atmosphere, it is in free fall, accelerating tremendously. The sheer velocity of the entering craft is so fast that the air molecules cant move away in time, and this causes such high pressures, that the air is turned into plasma (the fourth state of matter). Space craft have heat shields to keep the colossal amounts of heat from getting into the craft. A part of the heat-shield failed for the Columbia, and its sad that they were literally vaporised!

However, that disaster made us more careful, and all the buzz these days is about the rockets that will carry us into space. There just arent enough things going up into space, because there arent enough affordable rockets, and there arent enough affordable rockets because there arent enough things going up into space.

Private vs. Government

For decades, space exploration and research was in the hands of governments the world over due to the prohibitive costs for going into any mission  in the range of billions of dollars.Businesses are not run by incurring huge costs, coupled with tremendous risks, and no real business model of returns. Thats not something any shareholder of a private company is going to give a go ahead to. Countries, on the other hand, are run by politicians, who have very different agendas, and are willing to loosen the purse strings for non-monetary gain, such as national pride, and winning the Cold War, for example. This is why countries push the frontiers, and companies make it cheap and profitable once all the risks are known.

Today, Low Earth Orbit space travel has known risks, and thats why private companies are needed to take the baton over from countries, to do what they do best  compete, find ways to bring down costs, and invent new business models. While countries push the frontiers even further, its up to the private companies to make the known frontiers more efficient. Why wouldnt NASA or ISRO use a private company to launch their satellites or payloads when a private company can do it at half their cost? Since the biggest clients for private companies will be the government programs themselves, were at a point where they will all work in a symbiotic relationship.

The new entrants

Every private space launch company out there is aiming to bring launch costs down for rockets. The most well-known name is obviously Elon Musks SpaceX, which has set the ultimate goal for themselves of colonising Mars. SpaceX has set all kinds of records: their Dragon was the first private craft to launch, orbit, dock with the ISS, and be recovered; Falcon 1 was the first private rocket to launch into orbit; Grasshopper was the first technology demonstrator to take off vertically and land vertically (VTVL) from a short height, and the mighty Falcon 9, the first private rocket to attempt a vertical landing after launching into space, failing soft landing thrice before finally succeeding this month.



Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon capsule for re-supply missions

The other big name suddenly is Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin. Taking the whole world by surprise, Bezos announced on Twitter  with a video, no less!  that the New Shepard rocket managed to achieve perfect Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing (VTVL) after reaching outer space. New Shepard crossed the Karman Line and reached outer space at 105 km.

Bezoss announcement not only brought him a lot of attention, but also triggered a slew of defensive responses from Musk who chose to explain why Falcon 9 and New Shepard are not really comparable. Musk is right. Blue Origins New Shepard (NS), while impressive, is not exactly an equal competitor to SpaceXs Falcon 9 (F9). Although these two are currently the hot favourites in any reusable rocket discussion, they are two very different projects. The instant you see images of F9 and NS side by side, you know theyre different. F9 is thin and long, while NS is short and stubby. F9 is meant for launching payloads into orbit around the Earth and to the ISS. NS is meant for suborbital flights, which means the flight will not complete a full orbit around Earth, and carrying a maximum of 4 people. In keeping in line with the purpose, the two rockets have very different designs. F9 is very thin and streamlined so as to prevent drag and exit the earths atmosphere easily to go into space. NS, on the other hand, has a thick sturdy, shorter body and is much wider in girth than the F9. Both the rockets attempt to land the first stage back. This is the stage that usually breaks away from the structure and falls back into the sea, as the rest of the components (second stage and higher) proceed further into their journey.



Its all progress anyway right Mr. Musk?

The height and velocity at which the stage breaks away for each rocket are also important factors to be taken into consideration. At nearly 200 km, F9 goes twice as high as NS does before the first stage separates and begins descent. Also, since F9 aims to get to orbital velocity, its velocity at approximately 9000 kmph is thrice as high during separation as the SNs 3000 kmph. This, in addition to different orientation as well. The Falcon 9 turns parallel to the Earths surface during first stage separation, while NS remains vertical, the way it took off.

All of this is important because each private company has different targets and as a whole are bringing space travel closer to the common man. Apart from these two, there are also other names. The third biggest is probably Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic. The SpaceShipTwo is a spaceplane that can fly both in air and space, and gets launched after being carried up to a specific altitude. Virgin Galactic infamously has people with tickets waiting in line to get to space on the SpaceShipTwo, but hasnt successfully managed to launch it into orbit safely. In fact, the breakup of a test craft in late 2014 causing the death of a pilot was a rude reminder to the world just how delicate and fragile spaceflight still is.



Blue Origins New Shepard suborbital system

Yet another name that crops up is XCOR, whose Horizontal Takeoff Horizontal Landing (HTHL) craft, much like SpaceShipTwo, is called Lynx and is scheduled to be tested sometime next year. The British company Reaction Engines Limited meanwhile has a similar plan for Skylon, funded by the British govt. Skylon is an ambitious craft that aims to take off and land on a runway like a regular aeroplane. Sierra Nevadas Dream Chaser targets almost exactly the same mechanism. Indias space agency, ISRO, is looking to develop a shuttle program as well. There are other companies that are known for their satellite making prowess, like Orbital, that both makes and launches its own satellites in its own rockets.

All of them are ambitious with ground breaking designs that will bring about radical changes in the space sector in the process of transformation to space industry. All of the private companies in the space industry are trying to achieve one common goal: reusability.

Reusability

Thats the magic word, really. In any industry, reusability is always a key component in the manufacturing process. It lowers development costs, improves accuracy, and increases safety. Would you fly if every flight from Mumbai to New Delhi cost you Rs. 15 lakh. Then once you got there you saw them dump the plane in the ocean, before rebuilding a plane from scratch for the next flight home? This is exactly where rockets are today. The average cost of a rocket launch was somewhere between $200 million to $500 million. The now reusable Falcon 9, in December 2015, charged just $54 million, and this cost will go down with every reusable launch. This is why we feel that reusable rockets are more promising than HTHL experimental crafts at the moment.



Keep it classy Mr. Bezos!

Reusability comes at a much higher initial cost though. Still, since were not going to give up on space anytime soon, and we will need more and more satellites to enhance our communications and GPS over the decades, its not like that research will be in vain. Reusable components go a long way towards reducing the space debris floating around.

The future

Fifty years from now, you wont just fly to space, you will get a choice of packages. You could just do a simple crossing of the Karman line and coming back, or you could orbit the Earth a couple of times. A century from now we hope the scenario we painted in the beginning of this article will be achievable. Hopefully, SpaceX will realise their dream, and allow our great-grandkids to choose if they want to travel and settle on Mars or Venus! Maybe probes digging around on Jupiters and Saturns icy moons will report signs of life back to our descendants. Its the only real frontier left, and the universe is unlimited

in sheer size comparison to us.

Were going to have to get off this rock eventually to survive, and we are the generation that will be remembered throughout history as the ones who started and supported the first initial steps to achieving just that.
Qannas Investments announced a fresh investment on Friday, putting $5.45m (3.77m) in the Goldilocks Fund, which primarily invests in listed equities in the United Arab Emirates.

The investment was being made at a net asset value of AED 1.37 (26p) per unit, the company's board confirmed.

Cayman Islands-incorporated Qannas said the Goldilocks fund is managed by Integrated Capital - a licensed investment firm registered in Abu Dhabi. Jassim Alseddiqi and Mustafa Kheriva - both directors of Qannas - were also directors of Integrated Capital.

Integrated Capital was owned by Abu Dhabi Financial Group, which also owned Qannas' investment manager, ADCM.

"The independent directors of Qannas, being Richard Green, Chris Ward and Richard Prosser, having consulted with the company's nominated advisor finnCap, consider the terms of Qannas' investment in the fund to be fair and reasonable insofar as the company's independent shareholders are concerned," the company's board said in a statement.
Deutsche Bank has announced plans for a 4.4bn (3.4) emergency debt buyback of euro- and dollar-denominated debt, after worries about the giant German lender's finances undermined wider sector and market confidence for much of the week.

The euro tender offer has a target acceptance volume of 3bn and the US dollar tender offer has a $2bn (1.38bn) target.

Deutsche had been rumoured to be looking at a buyback of senior bonds, of which it has roughly 50bn in issue.

The Frankfurt-based bank said the public tender offer to purchase certain series of its euro- and dollar-denominated senior unsecured debt securities.

"The bank's strong liquidity position allows it to repurchase these securities without any corresponding change to its 2016 funding plan," it said in an announcement.

On Monday, the lender stressed that it had "sufficient" reserves to make payments that were due this year on AT1 securities, with a memo from co-chief executive John Cryan to staff on Tuesday assuring the bank's capital position was "absolutely rock solid".

Cryan, who announced a two-year turnaround plan last October, said he was not concerned about Deutsche's ability to meet legal costs, although it will almost certainly have to add to provisions, which had already been factored into budget plans.

I am personally investing time to resolve successfully and speedily open regulatory and legal cases, he said. I want to remove the uncertainty among staff and in the market that these cases cause. A small group of senior people, led by me, will focus on this. For everyone else, we ask you to continue to focus on our clients and on the implementation of our strategy.

Shares in Deutsche, having tumbled almost 40% from the 22.5 level they began the year, were up 10% at 15.07 just before 1400 GMT.
Tullow Oil has been downgraded from outperform to neutral by Exane BNP Paribas, as it signalled the challenges for the oil exploration and production sector are worse than we thought.

A weakening demand environment, US shales continued resilience and conventional supply growth through Q4 has caused the supply-demand balance to worsen, the investment bank said in a note on Friday.

It said OPEC isnt willing to play ball, so US shale must step up.

However, it did say there are some positives in the sector.

At USD35/bbl US shale will start to accelerate the supply response in H2.

Prices should respond from current levels but will remain capped by the deflationary effects across the value chain, we think.

UBS downgraded BT Group to sell from neutral with an unchanged 430p price target, saying the risk/reward profile was unattractive.

The bank said risks from increasing competition have been underestimated.

Our estimates are broadly in line with consensus and assume a continuation of the current benign competitive environment. However, should competition intensify we see downside to 305p.

UBS said it sees a risk of increasing competition that could lead to long-term EBITDA for BT being 1.25bn per annum lower on a downside scenario.

Investec upgraded Standard Chartered to buy from hold, with the stock trading at a fresh 21st century low of 387p.

The brokerage said it was little surprise StanChart has been almost the worst performing UK bank year-to-date, given the way 2016 has played out so far.

Investec said StanCharts path back to normalised returns remains long and deeply uncertain.

Aside from its disproportionate ($43.2bn) commodities-related exposure, with adverse implications for revenues and impairments, the blow-out in CDS spreads and yields for AT1 securities has implications for its intended $4bn of further AT1 issuance.

The brokerage prefers Aldermore and Virgin Money, both of which it rates at buy.

Investec cut its price target on the stock to 460p from 550p and pointed out that its forecasts for 2015 numbers remain below consensus by a considerable margin.
European affairs will matter more than ever in the coming week, with investors and even the average man on the street expected to keep close tabs on the outcome of the European Council meeting on 17-18 February, in Brussels.

Should European Union heads of state agree to EU council president Donald Tusk's draft proposal for the UK to remain inside the EU club then that would kick-off the countdown for the UK's referendum on membership, which was likely to be called for 23 June as long as an agreement between Cameron and EU leaders was forthcoming before 3 March, Morgan Stanley said in a research note e-mailed to clients.

Against that backdrop, all eyes at the start of the week would be focused on how Chinese investors reacted to this past week's ructions in global capital markets and on the Peoples Bank of China's daly fixing for the country's currency - although at least for the present recent US dollar weakness might have forestalled any urge on the part of Beijing to weaken the yuan against the Greenback.

Also on Monday, investors would need to digest the latest international trade figures for China, which would be followed by data on consumer prices in Asia's largest economy on Thursday.

After last week's sharp strengthening in the Japanese yen, data on that country's gross domestic product, on Sunday, 14 February, and industrial production, on the Monday afterwards, would likely also attract more attention than usual.

European Council aside, UK investors would be watching out for the latest UK employment report which was scheduled for release on Wednesday and data on public finances, on Friday.

In the US, the main releases to watch for were the minutes of the US Fed's last policy meeting, which were expected out on Wednesday, Thursday's Philly Fed manufacturing index and lastly, come Friday, figures on consumer prices referencing the month of January.



Monday 15 February

INTERIMS

City of London Investment Group

Q4

OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S)

FINALS

Amino Technologies, Fidessa Group, Hammerson, OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S), Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Independent Inv Trust

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Income & Growth VCT , Paragon Group Of Companies

Tuesday 16 February

INTERIMS

A&J Mucklow Group, Filtronic, Hargreaves Services

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Schlumberger Ltd.

FINALS

Afarak Group (DI), Anglo American, Spectris

AGMS

MedicX Fund Ltd.

Wednesday 17 February

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Redcentric

Q4

Norsk Hydro ASA

FINALS

Norsk Hydro ASA, Plus500 Ltd (DI)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting)

AGMS

Pressure Technologies, Titon Holdings

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting)

Thursday 18 February

INTERIMS

Go-Ahead Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ideagen, Ludgate Environmental Fund Ltd., Mountview Estates, Penna Consulting, Redrow

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Carnival, GlaxoSmithKline, M Winkworth, MedicX Fund Ltd., Raven Russia Ltd. Cum Red Pref Shares, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', UIL Limited (DI)

Q4

TBC Bank Joint Stock Company GDR (REGS)

FINALS

BAE Systems, Centrica, Indivior

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

32Red, GlaxoSmithKline

EGMS

BH Macro Ltd. GBP Shares

AGMS

Blackrock North American Income Trust , Sunrise Resources , Tertiary Minerals

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cardiff Property

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Avon Rubber, Brewin Dolphin Holdings, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, Pressure Technologies, SSP Group , ULS Technology

Friday 19 February

INTERIMS

DX (Group)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Fletcher King

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd GBP, NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd USD

FINALS

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), SEGRO, Standard Life

ANNUAL REPORT

Independent Inv Trust

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Numis Corporation, Oxford Technology 2 VCT, Oxford Technology 3 VCT, Titon Holdings, UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company, Unicorn AIM VCT , Urban&Civic , Victrex plc
The UK competition watchdog has fined GlaxoSmithKline for making illegal payments to rivals that delayed the launch of potentially cheaper generic medicine, potentially costing the NHS many millions.

GSK has been fined 37.6m by the Competition and Markets Authority, with Merck fined 5.8m and Actavis 1.5m.

The CMA said its investigation found that GSK had paid around 50m between 2001 and 2004 to Generics UK (GUK), which was then a part of Merck, and Actavis in order to halt their entry into the UK market for anti-depressant medicine paroxetine.

GUK and Actavis, then called Alpharma, were poised to launch generic competition to GSK's branded blockbuster version of paroxetine, Seroxat, which at the time generated revenues of more than 90m.

GSK made the payments as it also battled the two companies in the courts, alleging that these generic versions would infringe its patents.

"These pay-for-delay agreements deferred the competition that the threat of independent generic entry could offer, and potentially deprived the National Health Service of the significant price falls that generally result from generic competition," the CMA said.

When generic versions of paroxetine eventually were launched in 2003, average paroxetine prices dropped by over 70% in two years.

Michael Grenfell, the CMAs executive director for enforcement, said: "Todays decision sends out a strong message that we will tackle illegal behaviour that is designed to stifle competition at the expense of customers - in this case, the NHS and, ultimately, taxpayers.

"This investigation shows our determination to take enforcement action against illegal anti-competitive practices in sectors big and small. Cracking down on these practices is essential to protect consumers, to encourage legitimate business activity that such practices stifle, and to stimulate innovation and growth."
ESI Media , parent company of the Independent and Independent on Sunday, has confirmed the closure of the print editions of the newspapers and fully switches focus to its websites.

Owner Evgeny Lebedev on Friday sent a letter to staff that confirmed the sale of sister paper to Johnston Press, subject to Johnston Press shareholder approval, and that the group will cease to print the Independent and Independent on Sunday and begins "embracing an exclusively digital future".

On Friday Lebedev said: The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers.

"Theyre showing us that the future is digital", he added. "This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms."

The newspaper, which was launched in 1986 with editor Andreas Whittam Smith at the helm, will print its last daily title on March 26 and the last Independent on Sunday will drop on 20 March.

Between 20 and 40 members of staff are expected to move to Johnston Press, the Guardian said, with many of the remaining 110-130 full-time staff on the Indy now at risk of losing their jobs.

The paper said it understood that ESI Media chief executive Steve Auckland had been in meetings with editor Amol Rajan most of Thursday afternoon.

Laura Davison, NUJ national organizer, said The closure of the Independent print titles would be a disaster not only for those working on the newspapers but the whole UK media landscape.

Tuesday, Oct 7, 1986 - The @Independent's first front page pic.twitter.com/XB2JfFnUYA  Nikhil Kumar (@nkreports) February 12, 2016

Full text of Lebedev's letter

Dear Colleagues,

Today the Independent titles announce an historic transition. At a time when our journalism is read and respected by more people in more places than ever before, we are embracing an exclusively digital future with independent.co.uk and its associated sites.

We faced a choice: manage the continued decline of print, or convert the digital foundation weve built into a sustainable, profitable future. In choosing the latter, we will create 25 new content roles, launch a new subscription mobile App, enhance the redesigned, thriving independent.co.uk, open new editorial bureaux in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and invest further in our New York based US operation. We will re-name the hugely successful i100 site as indy100.com.

I can now confirm we are selling the Independents sister paper, i, to Johnston Press, subject to Johnston Press shareholder approval. In addition, we will cease to print The Independent and Independent on Sunday. The Independents last edition is expected to be on Saturday 26th March and the last Independent on Sunday is expected be on Sunday 20th March, enabling us to focus our collective energy on the digital Independent.

I believe this is the right decision at the right time for the worlds most free-thinking newsbrand. This transition follows rapid digital growth in the past three years that has made independent.co.ukthe UKs fastest-growing quality newspaper site. Its monthly audience has grown 33.3% in the last 12 months to nearly 70 million pointing towards a fast growing global footprint.

We will be the first of many leading newspapers to embrace a wholly digital future. All of us are immensely proud of the Independent titles, which are better newspapers now than they have been for many years, thanks to your remarkable creativity, work ethic and passion. But UK print newspaper market conditions mean this change is inevitable.

The planned sale to Johnston Press ensures that i will continue to flourish. Johnston Press will be commendable owners of this great, innovative newspaper, whose success has defied industry predictions, and which was named National Newspaper of the Year last year.

We expect a significant number of employees to move across to Johnston Press under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, known as TUPE. A number of employees at Independent Print Limited will be made redundant. I regret this, but can confirm that all those on employment contracts and long term casuals who are being made redundant will receive two weeks pay, subject to conditions, for every year worked, plus your notice period.

The Independent will now offer advertisers access to the worlds largest commercial platform for truly independent journalism. My family bought and invested heavily in the titles because we believe strongly in its values. Its journalism has set the agenda for nearly three decades, with world-class writing, reporting and analysis. Over the past six years alone we have launched a sister title that now outsells The Guardian, grown independent.co.uk to nearly 70 million global users a month, and won countless awards for our unique contribution to news and culture, with values of bravery, compassion, scepticism and wit to the fore.

With the spirit of a start-up, and all the authority of our heritage, this transition means the worlds most innovative newsbrand can embark on a sustainable future. As we set about that, I would like to thank everyone for the part they have played in the development of this great institution.

Yours

Evgeny Lebedev
Streetmap was vowing to take its case against Google further on Friday, having lost its High Court action in which it accused the internet giant of abusing its dominance.

The UK-based company was started in 1997 as one of the first online mapping services, it was reported.

It had claimed Google was in breach of the Competition Act 1998, and that the launch of the now-ubiquitous Google Maps in 2007 had led to a "dramatic loss of traffic" to Streetmap's service.

The complaint centred on the large map - termed the "Maps OneBox" - which appears at the top of Google search results when the search returns an address or location.

Streetmap argued that showing Google Maps results in the OneBox, over those of its rivals, was anticompetitive, along with the launch of the Google Maps app for Android smartphones in 2008.

But in the High Court, Mr Justice Roth said the OneBox was "not reasonably likely appreciably to affect competition in the market for online maps".

He said Google's decision to display its own maps in the OneBox was "objectively justified".

"The court made it clear that we're focused on improving the quality of our search results. This decision promotes innovation," a Google spokesman said.

But Streetmap was obviously less than satisfied with the result, with director Kate Sutton promising the company would appeal the judgement on two grounds.

"First, this decision is unfair for small businesses. The hands of small businesses are now tied behind our backs," she exclaimed to The Guardian.

"The decision makes it effectively impossible for a small business to bring a competition law complaint until it is too late, because the information required will simply not be known to them," she said.

Her second point of contention was that Google had gotten away with not complying with its legal obligations.

"It admitted in the trial that it did not do a UK test when it introduced Google Maps. It instead only looked at its effects on the US market," she said.

The case came ahead of upcoming investigations by the European Union's antitrust regulator into Google's dominance of a number of sectors - namely, travel, shopping, and smartphones through the company's Android playform.
Jamie Dimon has tried to put out a fire in financials stocks, spending more than $26m to buy half a million shares in JPMorgan Chase, the bank he has run for a decade. The purchase  confirmed in a filing on Thursday evening  is the first big open-market purchase Mr Dimon has made since the London Whale scandal four years ago, when the banks shares were knocked by the disclosure that a trading desk had racked up billions of dollars of losses.  Financial Times

SuperGroup founder Julian Dunkerton is selling a 4.9pc stake worth 53m in his first share sale since the fashion retailer listed on the stock market six years ago. It is understood that Mr Dunkerton is selling 4m shares to fund a recent divorce settlement.  Telegraph

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to take its W Hotels brand to Scotland after agreeing a deal to operate a new hotel being built in Edinburgh city centre. The company will open a hotel with around 200 rooms in the redevelopment of the St James shopping centre, which is being built by TH Real Estate. Martin Perry, development director for TH Real Estate, confirmed that the company was in talks with a hotel operator.  Telegraph

Googles executives have been accused of being out of touch with reality after the companys most senior UK-based executive was unable to tell MPs how much he earned. Matt Brittin appeared before the public accounts committee on Thursday to be questioned alongside senior tax officials about 130m in back taxes that Google agreed to pay in a deal announced last month.  Guardian

The former boss of Sainsburys has waded into the row over the tax paid by multinationals such as Amazon and eBay, saying it was unfair that that traditional retailers must pay huge rates bills for services such as roads and waste collection, while their online rivals paid little but received the same benefits. Business rates, said Justin King, are a bigger problem for British retailers than the corporation tax scandal. - Guardian

The builder of the 18 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear power station is to tell its main contractor Areva to look at subcontracting major works for the plant to specialist British steelworks such as Sheffield Forgemasters, The Times has learnt. It is understood that EDF, the French state-owned energy company that is building Hinkley Point in return for government-backed susbsidised fuel prices, is revisiting its supply chain decisions after a row at Westminster in which the industry minister claimed British industries were incapable of taking on the work.  The Times

Fraud investigators are examining the activities of a Barclays hedge fund that is alleged to have profited from using confidential information to make large profits on Libor low-balling at the height of the financial crisis. The Serious Fraud Office is looking at the Ricardo Master Fund as part of its Libor-rigging investigation amid claims that the Barclays-owned vehicle was involved in the rate manipulation scandal.  The Times
The FTSE 250 was in the black on Friday, with the index up 231.28 points (1.52%) to 15,410.08 by mid-afternoon.

Miners featured at the top of the risers list as metal prices rebounded, with shares in Vedanta Resources up nearly 8% as a result.

The company also said it is cutting US$100m from its 2016 capex projects for Gamsberg zinc mine in South Africa in response to current commodity pricing pressure, according to SNL. It also signalled capex cuts of 30% for FY16.

Oil prices were on the rise again, sending shares in Tullow Oil up despite a downgrade by Exane BNP Paribas. The investment bank cut the company from outperform to neutral as it signalled the challenges for the oil exploration and production sector are worse than we thought.

A weakening demand environment, US shales continued resilience and conventional supply growth through Q4 has caused the supply-demand balance to worsen, it said in a note.

It said OPEC isnt willing to play ball, so US shale must step up. However it did say there are some positives in the sector.

At USD35/bbl US shale will start to accelerate the supply response in H2.

Prices should respond from current levels but will remain capped by the deflationary effects across the value chain, we think.

Exane BNP Paribas said it believed Tullow Oil is now fairly priced on revised oil price assumptions, which is why it has been downgraded and had its target price cut 45% to 163p.

Weir Group, which provides engineering solutions to the oil and gas industry, also saw shares rise.

Meanwhile Henderson Group continued to fall on Friday, after a more cautious outlook statement from the company the previous day that outweighed annual earnings beating consensus forecasts.

Final results from the funds group saw assets under management (AuM) of 92.0bn, up 13% over the year and ahead of consensus forecasts of just over 89bn, but net revenue was slightly below expectations at 602m.

Chief executive Andrew Formica said: "The first few weeks of 2016 have been challenging for investors and our clients, with a wide range of economic and geo-political risks weighing on markets. We will review our short term plans if difficult market conditions persist, but remain focused on our long term goals to grow and globalise our business."

Shares in SuperGroup also dropped after its founder sold 4m shares due to personal circumstances amid reports he plans to use the proceeds to fund his divorce.

The shares in the company behind the popular Superdry fashion brand were sold at 1,200p each via an accelerated bookbuild placing to institutional investors.

SuperGroup announced the placing late on Thursday.

Following the share sale, Julian Dunkerton, who stepped down as chief executive in 2014, remains the largest shareholder in the company, with 22.1m shares or a 27.2% stake.

Dunkerton is said to have separated from his wife Charlotte around three years ago but only recently began divorce proceedings.

FTSE 250 - Risers

Vedanta Resources (VED) 225.00p 7.71%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 158.00p 7.19%

Pendragon (PDG) 35.89p 6.66%

Cairn Energy (CNE) 148.90p 6.05%

FirstGroup (FGP) 85.25p 5.57%

Meggitt (MGGT) 368.20p 5.50%

Weir Group (WEIR) 834.00p 5.37%

Aggreko (AGK) 826.50p 4.75%

Tullett Prebon (TLPR) 327.80p 4.69%

BBA Aviation (BBA) 162.80p 4.43%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Henderson Group (HGG) 214.30p -6.46%

Atkins (WS) (ATK) 1,113.00p -6.23%

Supergroup (SGP) 1,286.00p -3.24%

Assura (AGR) 54.10p -2.52%

Lookers (LOOK) 147.80p -2.44%

Tritax Big Box Reit (BBOX) 124.70p -2.12%

Interserve (IRV) 357.70p -2.00%

Countrywide (CWD) 327.50p -1.83%

AO World (AO.) 160.10p -1.78%

PayPoint (PAY) 728.00p -1.62%
Resource stocks rose on Friday to post decent declines following a wider uptick in the commodities market.

The FTSE 100 closed 3.09% or 170.63 points higher at 5707.60, while the FTSE 250 ended 1.66% or 252.51 points higher at 15,431.31. Oil futures registered decent gains, while the previous sessions gold price spike cooled on profit taking as the weekend approached.

Conflicting reports suggested that Saudi Arabia might be willing to sign-up to a Venezuelan proposal that producer countries from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and those from outside freeze their oil output at current levels if Iran also signed up to such an agreement.

At 1717 GMT, the Brent front-month oil futures contract was up 8.48% or $2.55 to $32.61 per barrel, while WTI rose 2.73% or $2.73 to $28.94 per barrel.

Meanwhile, the gold rally faltered as traders booked profits with the weekend in sight. The COMEX front-month gold futures contract was down 0.91% or $11.30 to $1,236.50 an ounce, while spot gold was down 0.81% or $10.04 to $1,236.66 an ounce.

COMEX silver fell 0.22% or three cents to $15.76 an ounce, while spot platinum fell 0.17% or $1.68 to $958.52 an ounce.

Selected base metal futures were in positive territory on the London Metal Exchange. At 1635 GMT, three-month futures contracts of copper (up 0.5%), primary aluminium (up 1.0%), nickel (up 1.5%) and lead (up 1.1%) headed higher. However, zinc (down 0.4%) and tin (down 0.6%) futures posted modest declines.

Invariably, Anglo American (up 18.36%), Glencore (up 12.29%), Antofagasta (up 11.25%) and Standard Chartered (up 10.95%) led the FTSE 100 gainers' rosters. On the FTSE 250, Tullow Oil (up 12.55%), Vedanta Resources (up 9.91%), Amec Foster Wheeler (8.78%) and Weir Group (up 7.90%) were the midcap stars of a positive session.

Away from resource stocks, supermarket leader Tesco (down 1.45%) led the blue chip fallers. Midcap retail stocks Jimmy Choo (down 2.59%) and Poundland Group (down 2.62%) also registered declines.

Finally, BT Group (down 0.49%) headed lower after UBS downgraded it to sell from neutral with an unchanged 430p price target, saying the risk/reward profile was unattractive. The bank said risks from increasing competition have been underestimated.

Our estimates are broadly in line with consensus and assume a continuation of the current benign competitive environment. However, should competition intensify we see downside to 305p, it added.
Columbus-area business profits surged in COVID bounce back

Some Franklin County suburbs did particularly well as the economy recovered from COVID disruptions, according to income-tax receipts.
Ligo confirms predictions of gravitational waves

Research conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology scientists was integral to the breakthrough detection of gravitational waves from binary black holes that was announced today by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration.

RIT scientists produced one of the first computer simulations of gravitational waves from colliding black holes. The signals they predicted were confirmed by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration's first observation of gravitational waves.

The collaboration's findings confirm the existence of gravitational waves predicted by Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity and introduce a revolutionary new way of understanding the universe through gravitational wave astronomy. Six Rochester Institute of Technology researchers are among the authors on the upcoming paper in Physical Review Letters.

The LIGO paper prominently cites 2005 landmark research on binary black hole mergers led by Manuela Campanelli, director of RIT's Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation. The signal detected by LIGO matches the numerical model of the waveform confirmed by RIT researchers and predicted in their 2005 breakthrough science, ''Accurate Evolutions of Orbiting Black-Hole Binaries without Excision,'' originally published in Physical Review Letters, on 22 March 2006. The paper recently appeared in the American Physical Society's curated collection of seminal papers celebrating 100 years of Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Based on this milestone work from a decade ago, RIT researchers at the center, Carlos Lousto and James Healy, numerically modeled the merger of a pair of black holes and simulated gravitational waveforms. The actual wave patterns LIGO detected on Sept. 14, 2015, matched the simulations Lousto and Healy had created.

''The direct observation of a binary black hole merger by LIGO is an amazing confirmation of our theoretical calculations,'' said Campanelli, professor in RIT's School of Mathematical Sciences and an American Physical Society Fellow. ''This is a historic moment in science.''

The RIT team's breakthrough, known as the ''moving puncture'' approach, solved the interrelated equations for strong field gravity that comprise Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Their method radically transformed the landscape of numerical relativity - a specialized field that solves Einstein's equations with sophisticated mathematics and supercomputers- and opened frontiers in gravitational wave astrophysics, Campanelli said.

RIT scientists used the moving puncture approach to make the first calculations of gravitational radiation from merging black holes with arbitrary masses and spins, and the discovery of large gravitational-radiation recoils from spinning supermassive black-hole mergers. The method also made possible their study of spin dynamics effects, such as spin-flips, precession and hang-up orbits, and extreme mass-ratio binaries.

''It is incredibly exciting to see the deep connections between theory and observation,'' said Lousto, a co-author on both the 2006 and LIGO breakthrough papers. ''This is the Holy Grail of science. To confirm amazing predictions of general relativity is a dream come true. We have witnessed a historic event, the confirmation of the 100-year-old predictions of Einstein regarding gravitational waves and our 10-year-old computation of the merger of two black holes in a single event.''

Collaborator Pedro Marronetti, program director of the division of gravitational physics at the National Science Foundation, noted that the simplicity and accuracy of their moving-puncture technique ''opened up the field to a number of groups, large and small, all across the world.''

RIT associate professor Yosef Zlochower, then a postdoctoral fellow and the fourth member of Campanelli's team, said, ''We are witnessing the dawn of a new understanding of the universe,'' he said. ''This has been decades in the making, and we are very proud to be part of this great effort.''


The Donegal Democrat has partnered with the University of Limerick to give you instantly compare candidates positions on General Election 2016 issues.

The app, www.WhichCandidate.ie, was developed by politics lecturer Dr Rory Costello from the University of Limerick.

You can access the app by simply clicking on WhichCandidate.

Dr Costello explains:

Election campaigning is moving online, and we want to provide voters with objective and reliable information to help them cut through the blizzard of material coming from candidates and parties. WhichCandidate.ie is a one-stop shop where voters can learn about the issues and the candidates. You can compare all the candidates in your constituency, see what they stand for and find out who is the best match for you.

All political parties and candidates were asked a set of 22 questions on key election issues including taxation, water, housing and abortion. Their answers reveal clear differences among parties and candidates on all issues.

Visitors to the website can take the same survey to compare their own views with those of their constituency candidates. They can also browse a personal profile page for each candidate to find out more about them or to get in touch.

WhichCandidate.ie was first run for the local elections in 2014, becoming the first website in Ireland to enable voters to compare their views with those of election candidates. It is part of an Irish Research Council funded project examining political representation in Ireland.
Opinionated Commentary on Law, Politics, Economics, and More from Michael Dorf, Neil Buchanan, Eric Segall, Sherry Colb, Matthew Tokson, Diane Klein, and (Occasionally) Others
The Jackson County, Florida Sheriffs Office has identified the man whose body was found early Thursday morning lying in a drive of the trailer park where he lived on U.S. 71 north of Greenwood.

The death of Michael Sheffield, 33, is being treated as a homicide. Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts said the death includes very suspicious circumstances, noting that there were obvious signs of severe blunt force trauma to the victim. He said it does not appear that a firearm was involved in the killing, but said an autopsy will help determine Sheffields exact cause of death.

One vehicle that may be associated with the Sheffield case has been seized, Roberts said, but he did not give details on how it may figure into the case.

Roberts also confirmed that Mr. Sheffields wife, Heather Raines Sheffield, 28, was jailed Thursday for an alleged violation of sanctions imposed by the court in resolving a domestic violence case in which she was charged several weeks ago.

However, he said late Thursday afternoon, she has not been charged in her husbands death. Roberts said the investigation is continuing as officers track down leads and people they want to talk to. He indicated that charges may be pending against more than one person in the case, but did not elaborate.

Sheffield, a native of the Sneads area, and his wife, a native of Marianna, had lived together in the trailer for some time with their two young children.

A resident of the trailer park who was leaving for work called authorities after seeing Mr. Sheffield in the driveway, Roberts said.

The bright yellow crime tape stretched around the scene early that morning was in contrast to the normally serene surroundings of the park, commonly known as Dittys, after the owner of the property it occupies. The Sheffield dwelling, second from the front off Braves Boulevard, sits beside a fenced field where cows and goats were grazing Thursday.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent its big blue mobile crime lab from Pensacola to process the scene, and other agencies are also assisting in the case. Their cars and other vehicles were lined up along the front and side of the trailer park for most of the morning Thursday and investigators were interviewing neighbors for clues as to what happened.

And the death has disrupted much more than that for the longer term. Several family members of the victim were at the scene Thursday, their grief apparent and raw.
W-1 Frank E. Nichols (USN Ret.), 76, a resident of Dothan passed away Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at his residence. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the Sunset Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Woody Farrington officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in Sunset Memorial Park with Robert Byrd directing. The family will receive friends from 1-2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 901 Montezuma Ave., Dothan, AL 36303 or to the Wiregrass Patriot Guard Riders, c/o Bill Seyler, 168 Trent Road, Enterprise, AL 36330. Mr. Nichols was born August 13, 1939 in Birmingham, AL and joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Vietnam War and was a 100% Disabled Veteran. He resided in Leesburg, FL for 30 years where he was employed with the state VA office for several years prior to moving to Dothan in 2004. He was of the Baptist Faith. Survivors include his wife Connie Nichols; step-sons, Joseph Bryan Jernigan and Jeffery Lee Jernigan; grandchildren, Cassandra Lea Jernigan, Brittany Marie Jernigan, Aaron Jernigan, and Hannah Jernigan; a brother, James Nichols; niece and nephew, Jennifer Nichols and Jeff Nichols. Robert Byrd of Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Home 334-983-6604 www.SunsetMemorialPark.com. Sign the guest book at www.dothaneagle.com
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
The new Top Gear team has been assembled.

Just a week after confirming Friends star Matt LeBlanc as one of its entourage, a full seven-member cast (including the Stig) has been assigned to bringing the show back to its former glory, in the wake of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond's controversial departures last year.

Alongside LeBlanc and host Chris Evans, the new guard includes Nurburgring ace Sabine Schmitz, veteran auto journalist Chris Harris, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan and UK journalist Rory Reid.

Reid, far left, is the winner of a public host search conducted by Evans that entailed 30-second video auditions from interested parties around the world.

"We really do have a bit of everything for everyone," Evans said of the cast. "A fellow lifelong petrolhead from the other side of the pond in Matt; a fearless speed-demon in the irrepressible and effervescent Sabine; the encyclopedic, funny and wonderfully colourful character that is EJ; Chris, one of the world's top no-nonsense car reviewers; and Rory, who simply blew me away in his audition and fully deserves his place on the team."

The obvious unknown is the identity of Stig. The BBC's media release included only a brief comment from the man in white, which read: "-.-. .... . .-- .. . --..-- / .-- . .----. .-. . / .... --- -- . .-.-.-"

Translated from Morse code, it says: "Chewie, we're home."

The new Top Gear season will screen from May in Australia on the BBC Knowledge channel on Foxtel.
A mutant off-roader than has the combined superpowers of a heavy-duty hauler, bush-basher and high-performance hot rod could be the next monster truck to invade Australia.

The Ram 2500 Power Wagon, which was unveiled at the Chicago motor show this week, is being evaluated for local sale by Ram Trucks Australia, a joint venture between Ateco, which imports brands as diverse as LDV and Maserati, and the Walkinshaw Group, which owns Holden Special Vehicles.

Ram Trucks Australia says the hulking off-roader is one in a number of different variants in the Ram range under consideration to extend its reach beyond the existing 2500 and 3500 Laramie models currently available. But the company has yet to lock-in any firm plans for the Power Wagon yet as it establishes the brand and business in Australia.

"At the moment we are just focusing on building the foundations for Ram Trucks Australia with the 2500 and 3500 Laramie," said spokesman, Daniel Cotterill.

"However, we see a much wider scope in the future as there is plenty of options for us in the Ram catalogue. We'll look at the Power Wagon, but it may be a little further down the track."

The Power Wagon, which takes its name (and inspiration) from a model that previously ran from 1945-1980, is based on the 2500 Heavy Duty 4x4 Crew Cab ute but comes with a host of unique upgrades to give it a liberal dose of performance - both on and off-road.

Visually, the ute features a bold blacked-out face with a powder-coated grille that masks a 5.5-tonne Warn winch, fairhead roller and 38 metres of high-strength cable. It also has plenty of matching black highlights on its body and rides on exclusive 17-inch wheels with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tyres.

The suspension has also been raised for added ground clearance and off-road ability and the underbody is fitted with additional bash plates for extra protection.

Under the bonnet, the Power Wagon is driven by the same 6.4-litre Hemi V8 from the Chrysler 300 SRT, but has been de-tuned to "enhance its off-road manoeuvreability and finesse", generating 305kW of power 580Nm of torque.

The Ram Power Wagon has the credentials to live up to its name, with a 4.7-tonne towing capacity and 700kg payload.
There seems to be more than ever before. Election posters are all over the town, with some torn down, as we enter the first full week of the election campaign.

The situation is different in Glenties Donegal where all election posters have been banned from the town.

Their local Community Development Group wrote to every candidate asking them to respect their decision to ban posters from inside the towns limits.

Not so in Dundalk. The chairman of Dundalk Tidy Towns Committee said this week that real the problem starts after the election when the plastic ties securing the posters are left on the poles because the canvassing teams cant be bothered to take them off.

I dont think posters are necessary now with have social media, Mr Duffy said. The problem arises after the election when they go to take down the posters but leave the ties.

After the last general election we had to take down over 200 poster ties left on poles.

We see this as a Government issue. There are no posters in German elections. But it seems to be part of the Irish psyche.

Its the only time the politicians have a chance to look down on us, or we have a chance to look up at them.

But the amount of money spent on posters is ridiculous. Some of them are huge.

We have enough graffiti on our streets without them and they dont make any impact.

But one thing is sure. The officials will be out after the election and will be busy if the posters are not down after seven days and the fine is 150, Mr Duffy said.
Jessica was employed in the corporate finance sector when she decided that she wasnt loving the 9 to 5 grind  although, as she quips, it was more like 8 to 8. After all, if youre going to pour so many hours into your day job  wouldnt you want to choose those hours, and be in control of your own decisions?

One of the most appealing benefits of becoming an entrepreneur is gaining control over your professional life. (Jayson Demers, www.entrepreneur.com)

At a time when the online group buying model was gaining momentum in the market, Jessica and her partner together seized an opportunity and founded their own deals website which offered discounts on a range of lifestyle related experiences. In January 2011, EZdeals.com.au was born.

My partner and I funded the launch of EZdeals with a mix of savings and a small business loan. Going half-half in the business was really important to both of us to ensure we were evenly committed, said Jessica.

Riding the wave Jessica and her partner saw coming, EZdeals experienced rapid growth, acquiring a database of over 65,000 subscribers and launching across all major Australian cities. And why stop there. Introduced as an offshoot of EZdeals the entrepreneur duo diversified their online business venture and launched The Escape Lounge, a one-stop-shop for travellers wanting to build and book a customised holiday.

Jessica said after a number of discussions with hotels and tourism bodies, we identified some key opportunities in the online travel space and jumped at the chance to learn more about the industry. The Escape Lounge evolved from there.

Starting a business could be likened to a series of hurdles: no sooner have you cleared the start-up hurdle and youre already staring ahead at the next one in the transition to a sustainable, growing business. While EZdeals and The Escape lounge enjoyed a successful launch and strong initial growth, Jessica comments that their next challenge was finding a way to grow the business in a market dominated by competitors with greater financial clout.

I think our biggest challenge was the competition. We were both surprised at how quickly competitive sites were popping up, how quickly they were innovating and how much money they seemed to have to spend on marketing. Trying to build brand awareness and attract customers in a market dominated by a few big players was a challenge, said Jessica.

Two years into their first venture and with another hurdle upon them, along came an opportunity too good to pass up, says Jessica. In 2013, The Escape Lounge captured the interest of ASX listed Disruptive Investment Group Limited and the owner of Check-in.com.au and was ultimately bought out. By the end of 2013, both businesses had been sold to private buyers.

But once that entrepreneurial appetite has been whet  its hard to turn back.

Once youve had a taste of that freedom, its incredibly difficult to go back, said Jessica.

For me, the main attraction is the freedom and the flexibility. I work long days but I can dictate my own hours and being online, I can still run and connect with the business from anywhere in the world.

In 2014, no sooner had the dust settled on the sale of her first two ventures, Jessica joined forces with her two current business partners to launch Say It With Polish. Funded equally by herself and her two partners Ariana and Anthea, Say It With Polish offers personalised nail polish for the gift market. And after recently celebrating their first birthday, it appears Jessicas start-up luck hasnt gone anywhere. Say It With Polish now ships to 37 countries across the globe and is in the process of launching a retail arm to their business.

We have been overwhelmed with the response to the concept and the amount of orders coming through since launch, Jessica said.

For Jessica  the entrepreneurial pathway has been a tremendous success. It has delivered to her the flexibility and autonomy she sought to achieve when turning her back on employment; and her businesses have been successful. But her experience brings a fresh perspective on the meaning of entrepreneurialism: for some, its about getting back up again after failures, for others its about growing a garage start-up into a large multinational; but for Jessica, it has so far been about mastering the start-up phase and planting the seeds for growth  irrespective of whether you remain at the helm.

Jessica commented that there are three key lessons she has learned from her ventures: You come last; identify tasks youre not strong at and delegate; you cant plan for everything; and you cant do everything!
Crains is reporting that, buried in Governor Rick Snyders budget proposal is a section that will shift public funding and delivery of mental health services to private corporations. The move is being fought by patient advocates and the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards.

Gov. Rick Snyders $54.9 billion fiscal 2017 budget calls for privatizing the $2.4 billion public mental health system by turning over state funding to Medicaid HMOs. In what is called boilerplate language at the end of Snyders 408-page executive budget bill, Section 298 calls for carving in behavioral health benefits to the health plans by the end of fiscal 2017, which ends Sept. 30, 2017. [] Officials with the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards, which is opposed to the plan, have called for an all-out lobbying effort targeted at key policymakers and state legislators, who will be holding hearings on the budget request over the next few months.

In other words, instead of state and local agencies providing services for things like behavioral health, substance abuse, and developmentally disabled populations, provision of these services would be handed over to private, for-profit HMOs.

Proponents of the effort to shift tax dollars from state-provided services to private corporations say the move will save money for the state by eliminating duplication of administration and bureaucracy. Opponents are not so sure:

[CEO of the community mental health board association Robert] Sheehan said the promises of savings to the state may be a mirage. His initial analysis shows administrative costs for the prepaid inpatient health plans, or PIHPs, commonly called mental health authorities, average about 6 percent of costs, compared with the 12 percent administrative costs of HMOs. [] [] Tom Watkins, CEO of the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority, said he has been hearing from many family members and advocates who are very concerned about the state privatizing the public mental health system. They are cautioning the Governor against moving toward what they see as a profitizing the system of care for their family members, Watkins said in an email to Crains. Watkins said the Detroit Wayne authority has cut more than $30 million from its overhead structure the past several years that has generated greater services to its patients.

This is clearly another example of privatizing a system thats working in order to shift tax dollars to private corporations. Those most impacted by the move have little political voice and will bear the brunt of any degradation of services. And, as has been proven time and time again, when corporate profits are on the line, corners will be cut and the recipients of the services are harmed.

In other words, just another day under the governance of a self-described CEO-style governor who sees privatization as the panacea to all our fiscal woes.

[CC photo credit: publik15 | Flickr]
The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday said it recently discovered and halted an automated bot attack on its electronic filing PIN application website.

Identity thieves used malware in an attempt to generate E-file PINs for 464,000 Social Security numbers stolen from another source, the IRS said. The hackers succeeded in accessing an E-file PIN for 101,000 of those numbers.

No personally identifiable information was compromised or disclosed by its systems, the IRS said. It will mail notifications to let affected taxpayers know that their personal information was used to access the IRS application.

Coordinated Response

IRS cybersecurity experts are assessing the incident, and the service is working closely with other agencies and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It also is sharing information with its Security Summit state and industry partners.

The attack was not related to a temporary outage of IRS processing systems that occurred in January, the IRS said.

The announcement comes less than a week after the IRS website experienced brief system outages due to a hardware failure. The outages affected electronic return processing, as well as several other systems provided by the service.

No Immunity

Large commercial enterprises also can find themselves vulnerable when targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks, noted Eric Chiu, president of HyTrust.

Both public and private sector organizations can host large amounts of personally identifiable information that hackers can monetize once stolen, he told the E-Commerce Times.

The information they may possess about citizens, employees and veterans could make them a target not only for financial information theft, but also for theft of information that could be used for identity fraud, as well as for activities that could impact political and national defense operations.

Taxpayers need to check financial statements to make sure their Social Security numbers have not been used to help an attacker engage in any fraudulent activity, or to lure the taxpayer into a scam, Chiu said.

Beware of Phishing Exploits

Another potential risk is that attackers may use stolen Social Security numbers to contact taxpayers directly and pretend that the communication is from a legitimate government organization. The IRS has heightened its usual warnings during tax season, emphasizing that it does not call taxpayers by telephone and cautioning that attackers may attempt to use deceptive means, including bogus email, to engage with taxpayers.

The FBI last year launched an investigation into a massive attack on the IRS, which compromised personal data belonging to more than 100,000 taxpayers. The hackers accessed data they found through the Get Transcript application, which allows taxpayers to access prior-year tax transcripts and employer payment information.

Although the federal government has taken steps to increase protection against illegal hacking activity, it lacks the proper incentives to take the steps necessary to protect itself against repeated incidents, suggested analyst Jeff Kagan.

Since the IRS is a government agency and not a business, they have no competition, he told the E-Commerce Times. Users cannot just switch to an organization that is safer. Because of that, there must be a lower sense of urgency regarding this information.
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Good sexual health is linked to improved health, both physical and mental. Either way, sexual problems can be a drag on your sex life as well as on your relationships.

At LibidoMale, our goal is to give you accurate, expert, and verifiable information about how to improve your sexual performance as a man in general.
(Photo: Christine Matthews)Twilight over London from New Zealand High Commission.

Even though most UK adults believe Jesus was a historical person, they are much less convinced of his divinity, a new study has found.

Rather, belief in Jesus' divinity is not common at all, the Barna study released on Ash Wednesday for Western rite churches on Feb. 10 found.

Only about one in five adults among the general population holds the orthodox belief that Jesus was "God in human form who lived among people in the 1st Century" (22 percent).

The most common belief about Jesus is that he was "a prophet or spiritual leader, not God" (29 percent).

On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar 40 days of fasting in remembrance of the days Jesus spent in the wilderness resisting the temptations of Satan are commorated.

Such days remind believers that Jesus remains a central figure in the American context, a fact affirmed by the number of foreheads smudged with ashes.

Barna says research shows that the vast majority of Americans believe not only that Jesus was a real person, but claim to have made a personal commitment to him.

But what does the rest of the world know and believe about Jesus?

Although the Church of England is the established State church in England, the UK as a whole is often considered more secular than the U.S.

The Church of England, Evangelical Alliance and HOPE commissioned Barna Group to find related to belief in the United Kigdom.

"You don't have to be a Christian to believe Jesus actually walked the earth 2,000 years ago, and among the general population of UK adults, this historical reality is a common assumption," finds Barna.

Six in 10 UK adults believe Jesus was a real person (61 percent).

Age plays a minor role in that beliefadults 35 and older (63 percent) are slightly more likely than those 18 to 34 (57 percent) to believe Jesus actually lived.

Younger adults (26 percent) are also more likely than those over 35 (20 percent) to believe Jesus was a "fictional character from a book and not a real, historical person."

And even though most UK adults believe Jesus was a historical person, they are much less convinced of his divinity.

In fact, belief in Jesus' divinity is not common in the UK.

Only about one in five adults among the general population holds the orthodox belief that Jesus was

"God in human form who lived among people in the 1st Century" (22 percent). The most common belief about Jesus is that he was "a prophet or spiritual leader, not God" (29 percent
By Julia Talarn Rabascall

Puerto Williams, Chile, Feb 12 (EFE).- The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, located at the extreme southern tip of the South American continent and considered one of the last virgin ecoregions on the planet, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has become one of Chile's main attractions for scientific and sustainable tourism.

"This is like 'Jurassic Park' but of the Pleistocene, in other words, a refuge still free of acid rain that offers global society an ideal place to study life," the director of the Biocultural Conservation Program, Ricardo Bozzi, told EFE.

This reserve of 4 million hectares (15,000 sq. miles), which includes both the fjords on the west coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and the Cape Horn archipelago, protects the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the extreme southern tip of South America.

It has been 10 years since the Cape Horn Reserve found its place on the world map of great biosphere reserves and is notable for integrating ecology and ethics into biocultural conservation methodologies.

"Unlike a natural park, a biosphere reserve also includes sustainable human activities, a task to which great efforts have been dedicated at Cape Horn," the German scientist from the University of Magallanes, Elke Schuttler, told EFE.

Research studies of climate, fauna and flora that have been developed over two decades by researchers at the park were key to the success of its nomination to UNESCO more than 10 years ago.

One of its earliest projects is related to the ringing of birds that migrate to its sub-Antarctic forests, the southernmost ones on the planet, after flying thousands of kilometers (miles). In the process, almost 10,000 specimens have been captured of more than 20 different species, making it the first study of that magnitude in South America.

The purity of this ecosystem makes it, according to Rozzi, one of the "best places to study the consequences of climate change."

"The goal of the reserve is to coordinate economic and development needs with the conservation of life in all its diversity. We hope to make it an example to the world," said Rozzi, who expressed his wish that this remote corner of the planet will continue to be a refuge "both for science and for inhabitants of the future."

Relacionados Colombia to expand land devoted to palm oil industry over 3 years
Lima, Feb 12 (EFE).- Crude from an oil pipeline spill last month in northern Peru has spread due to rainfall and reached the Maranon River, an organization comprising Amazon communities told EFE on Friday.

The president of the Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Northern Amazon of Peru, or ORPIAN -P, Edwin Montenegro, said he and local indigenous representatives toured a stretch of the Maranon on Jan. 30 and confirmed that the oil had reached that waterway, a major tributary of the Amazon River.

The spill of some 2,000 barrels of crude occurred when state-owned oil company Petroperu's Northern Peruvian Pipeline began leaking on Jan. 25 at a spot some three kilometers (1.86 miles) from the Chiriaco River, a tributary of the Maranon, in the Amazonas region.

Montenegro said the spilled oil reached the Chiriaco and then the Maranon because the rising water overflowed the protective barriers set up by Petroperu.

"Petroperu is more concerned about recovering the lost oil than in cleaning up the affected area and providing assistance to the communities whose main water source has now been contaminated," Montenegro said.

The ORPIAN-P president added that the state-owned company had paid members of the affected local communities 10 soles (around $2.85) for each bucket of crude collected in the area.

"A total of 200 people are working - including children - who have no idea how toxic the oil is for their bodies," Montenegro added.

The ORPIAN-P filed a complaint Monday with the Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement, or OEFA, alleging that Petroperu had not carried out maintenance work on the pipeline and failed to act quickly to control the leak.

OEFA representative Marin Garzon told EFE that a group of experts would be dispatched to the affected area to corroborate the information contained in the complaint.

Petroperu repaired the pipeline on Jan. 28, three days after the leak occurred, apparently due to a landslide, the OEFA said earlier this month.

That agency said then that an initial assessment had found that the spill had damaged nearby cacao crops and extended along a 3.5-kilometer (2.1-mile) section of the Inayo, a stream that flows into the Chiriaco, contaminating both banks of that small waterway.
Tegucigalpa, Feb 12 (EFE).- Authorities at a Honduras state hospital reported Friday the first case of a child born with microcephaly - an abnormally small skull - associated with the Zika virus, which affects more than 11,400 people in the Central American country.

The director of the Gabriela Alvarado Hospital in the eastern city of Danli, Dr. Gonzalo Maradiago, told reporters that the baby was born at 3 a.m.

The baby has a "congenital anomaly," the director said, adding that the child's 23-year-old mother had contact with the Zika virus during her first three months of pregnancy.

"The patient went through her pregnancy without any prenatal examination," the doctor said.

In Brazil, the Western Hemisphere country with the largest Zika outbreak, the arrival of the virus has been correlated with a dramatic spike in instances of babies born with microcephaly.

More than 11,400 cases of Zika have been registered in Honduras, of which 18 were pregnant women.

Thirty-five people infected with Zika have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause muscle weakness and even paralysis.

The Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same that carries Chikungunya and dengue fever, was first detected in the Central American country in mid-December

The disease can cause moderate fever, bloodshot eyes, skin rash with white and red spots, and less frequently, muscle and joint pain.
Washington, Feb 12 (EFE).- A group of British scientists found remains of Zika in a man's semen 62 days after he was diagnosed with the disease, which indicates that the virus can remain in the fluid longer than expected.

Conclusions of the study, prepared by researchers at Public Health England, were previewed Friday in the online edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases magazine of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, before the full results are published in May.

The research showed that a British man, 68, infected with Zika on his return from the Cook Islands in 2014, showed remains of the virus, not in the blood or urine, but in the semen, which retained it at a higher level 27 and 62 days after the infection than at the onset of the disease.

"Although we did not culture infectious virus from semen, our data may indicate prolonged presence of virus in semen, which in turn could indicate a prolonged potential for sexual transmission," the study says.

"Moreover, these findings could inform decisions regarding what control methods are implemented and which specimen types are best suited for diagnostic detection," it says.

Parallel to the publication of the study, a conference on Zika was held in Washington this Friday as part of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where experts such as Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the World Health Organization's Christopher Dye, acknowledged they don't know how long the virus can remain in the semen and other bodily fluids.

As for the Briton, his was the second case in which the virus was detected in the semen, following that of a man infected in 2013 in French Polynesia, according to a scientific report published by the CDC.

In addition, at least two cases of sexual transmission of the virus have been reported. The first occurred when a scientist infected his wife in Colorado after a working trip to Senegal in 2008.

The second occurred recently, when Dallas authorities reported that a man had transmitted the disease to his partner after being infected by a mosquito bite in another country.

The virus, which is present in a score of countries in the Western Hemisphere, is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also responsible for transmitting Chikungunya and dengue fever.

At present neither a vaccine nor a treatment for Zika exists.
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Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London.

17:55, 17 OCT 2022
Big bridge grant for Austin Free Access Austin Borough has qualified for a state grant to cover construction of a new bridge near the towns northern gateway. A $518,400 allotment from the Multimodal Transportation Fund will allow...

Deeds filed in Cameron County Free Access Following are real estate transactions filed with the Cameron County Recorder of Deeds: Blair A. Lundberg to Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services, Emporium, $185,000; David Jeffrey Smith to Elk Mountain...

These are the best of times for deer hunters Free Access There has rarely been a better time to be a deer hunter in Pennsylvanias northcentral region. Not only has the whitetail population been steadily rebounding, but the deer are healthier...

DuBois family leaves millions for volunteer orgs Free Access Christmas came early to seven community organizations whose work was important to the late multimillionaire Arthur F. DuBois (shown in the inset) of Coudersport. Some $3.1 million in proceeds from...
Re: Permanent hair removal So I tried two types of lasers, the IPL one, and then the different type where they target one hair at a time. Both times at esteemed laser hair removal salons. I have light-tan skin and dark hair. For each type of laser I underwent the therapy for 8wks at a time, at 4wk intervals. The hair did not reduce, and in some cases *increased*. I spoke to quite a few people about this, including some top skincare therapists. They said that while it works excellently for some skin types and skin colour / hair colour combinations, for others, it can just send a signal to the body that that hair is under threat, which can in some cases prompt the body to do all it can to support its growth! (Yay! for the hair, but not its owner!!)



The other thing to watch for, which I unfortunately learnt the hard way, is that after exposing the skin to light therapy, lower levels of the epidermis can become sensitised to sunlight. After having a "rejuvenating" light treatment, and waiting 5 weeks before jetting off to Acapulco, I came back with some of the pigment in my skin somewhat bleached out. Permanently. Thankfully it is only a small patch and it's hardly noticeable. However, it is still lighter. One of the therapists I spoke to when I was seriously considering trying a different laser (try 3!), shared her sister's story with me. She had IPL to the face, exposed her skin to sunlight after 4wks, and ever since has cloud-like pigmentation and *increased* hair growth. Worst of both worlds, and possibly in the place one would least like it!



One last experience that put me right off was a woman I met who'd had her legs entirely IPL'd. We got chatting about IPL and she even recommended a place to go. However, she said the major drawback for her, was that she liked to use a lot of self-tan lotion. Now when she applied it to her legs, the overall effect was one of cracked, (albeit tanned!) porcelain. I kid you not. She showed me. That was the end of my attempted love affair with permanent hair removal... until more advanced lasers are developed, skin-type+laser matching is refined, and medium/long-term effects on the skin are clearer.



Sorry if this is a somewhat downbeat contribution to the overall coolness of the prospect of nipping unwanted hair growth in the bud. I thought it was worth sharing the above with you though, if by any chance anyone fell into the category of women for whom this method of removal does not work! (Though, of course, for several, the results are fabulous.)



Personally, if I went in again for laser, I would prob go in for 2/3 sessions max. and then see the effects after a further 2/3 mth break. I know that they say that the best results are achieved if you go back each month promptly for a specified time period. However, having spent well over 3,000 on this myself, and seeing the results (or lack thereof!) that I have, I just wouldn't want to spend that kind of money again on it, nor to take that risk of skin damage again.
He's gushed about his longtime girlfriend and the family they've created with their daughter, but a new report suggests that Ryan Gosling may be sneaking around with co-star Emma Stone behind Eva Mendes' back.

Ryan Gosling Calls Esmeralda & Eva Mendes His 'Biggest Investment'

According to Hollywood Life, Gosling and his La La Land co-star, with whom he has been friends with for years and has co-starred with as romantic co-leads twice before, have been having secret intimate lunches together--which they're pretending are business lunches so they can hide them better from Mendes.

"Eva can be very possessive and suspicious," a source said.

As it turns out, Mendes would have reasons to be concerned because the supposed meetings between the two have been much more intimate than previously revealed.

Do You Still Ship McGosling?

"[The] 'meetings' are actually intimate lunches for two where they sit and talk for hours," a source said. However, "Ryan insists nothing is going on," even thought "They really don't have a professional reason to get together."

In addition, the meetings are seeming more suspicious because the two are meeting at out-of-the-way restaurants in Burbank to avoid being seen, which is only fueling to the speculation that more is going on.

This isn't the first time rumors have flown about problems for Gosling and Mendes' romance however. The two have constantly been plagued by rumors that they were having issues due to Gosling's ex, Rachel McAdams, and Stone has also been pinpointed as an issue other times as well because of her consistent working relationship with Gosling.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are set to do battle once again in tonight's Democratic Debate in Milwaukee, WI.

Clinton and Sanders will engage in the newest Democratic debate, this time at the Helen Bader Concert Hall in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. PBS NewsHour co-anchors Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff will moderate the debate.

The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, and is scheduled to run for two hours.

This is the first debate after the two big landmarks in the election season, the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. Clinton narrowly defeated Sanders in the Iowa caucus while Sanders handily beat Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.

While Clinton has been the prohibitive Democratic frontrunner for quite some time now, Sanders is steadily gaining momentum. Will national public opinion swing more in Sanders' favor after tonight's debate? Only time will tell.

Watch Democratic Debate On PBS Online Or Through Mobile Devices



So what if you're not near a television (or don't have PBS) and want to view the debate live? PBS NewsHour has a live stream on YouTube, which you can watch below for free without any need for a cable subscription.

Keep Up With Democratic Debate On PBS On Social Media



Want to keep up with the Democratic debate with others who are watching in real time? Use the hashtag #DemDebate on Twitter to give your opinion and see what others are saying.
There is a deadly and dangerous game going on in West Asia which nobody controls any more.

Double standards can kill but there is no reason to cavil if lives are saved where its more beneficent face is on display. Cynicism could be held at bay in desperate situations when a strategic deployment of the human rights rationale relieves desperate suffering.
The Spectral Wound: Sexual Violence, Public Memories and the Bangladesh War of 1971 by Nayanika Mookherjee, Durham: Duke, 2015; pp 325, $26.95, paperback.

Nayanika Mookherjee acknowledges that The Spectral Wound has taken a long time (xxi) to write. She tells us about the early morning thought struggle, as well as the ethical challenges involved in crafting this work.

At the time she started her research, there were no major English language works on the birangonas, the officially sanctioned term for victims of rape during the 1971 Bangladesh independence war. In the intervening years, several researchers have begun looking into similar terrain, possibly intellectually and emotionally inspired by elements Mookherjee also cites in her journey. These elements include the Ain o Salish Kendra oral history project, the Nilima Ibrahim book and related works Ami Birangona Bolchi (I am Birangona Speaking), the codification of the birangona in plays and films, and the evolution of a visual literacy (we may say scepticism) that has led anthropologists to go back and look at some of the iconic horror images produced in the aftermath of the 1971 war. This visual anthropology has included works that problematise the male gaze on the birangona, as in Sayema Khatuns Muktijuddher His-Story: Ijjat o Lojja (His-Story of Liberation War: Honor and Shame) in the Rahnuma Ahmed (ed), Public Anthropology series. Ahmed herself has parsed Naibuddin Ahmeds iconic image of a rape victim (Distances, New Age, 26 March 2008), and that reading can be productively placed alongside Mookherjees rereading of Naib Uddins photographs.
This article investigates the impact of court verdicts on Chennais canals, tanks and related wetlands. It discusses three interlinked cases surrounding Buckingham Canal area and argues that the verdicts in these cases allowed the administration to destroy sophisticated water systems. It also argues that these waterbodies could have mitigated, if not prevented, the NovemberDecember 2015 floods in Chennai.

The proceedings of a high profile seminar organised in 2010 by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) began with the following statement: In spite of the fact that the CMA [Chennai Metropolitan Area] has a long drainage and extensive water storage system of tanks and reservoirs, it suffers from annual flooding of developed urban areas. At present most of these water bodies are not in their original state (CMDA 2010).
On the occasion of the centenary celebration of B R Ambedkars birth anniversary, the eminent scholar of jurisprudence, Upendra Baxi, had warned us: Centenary celebrations are organised political events having distinctive ideologies of recall and distinctive modes of appropriating a historical figure for the purposes of the present. Baxi identified seven Ambedkars in his discourse to highlight different dimensions of his life and thought.

The changing face of Ambedkar in the Hindutvavadi discourse is an interesting phenomenon. A controversy has cropped up in the context of the attempt by the Modi government to print the original collected works of Ambedkar as a part of his 125th birth anniversary celebrations. This venture is facing stiff opposition from Ambedkars grandson, Prakash Ambedkar, who has refused to allow the printing of the original collected works in English. Suspecting the motives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Prakash Ambedkar told the media that he would not forget history wherein the Ambedkarites were pitted against the BJP and RSS. He recalled that when Ambedkars complete works were being published during the tenure of the Shankarrao Chavan government, it was the BJP and RSS who had vehemently opposed it.
Even as the plutocracies of the Republican and Democratic Party represent the same kinds of power interests, there are huge policy differences between even the most corporatist Democrats and the most moderate Republicans, especially on social issues. The new President, from whichever party, will have to address the power that corporate and financial institutions wield over politics in the United States.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Republican Partys presidential nomination last summer, many dismissed him as a joke. Yet he has become the frontrunner for his partys nomination by engaging in explicit racial demagoguery, calling entire groups of people rapists, terrorists or criminals. Such rhetoric was unacceptable in American public discourse. Even as George W Bush was commencing his aggressive wars after 9/11, he was emphatic in his public statements that Islam as a religion was not to blame and that Muslims in America should not be targeted. Trump espouses no such reservations.

There is a consensus amongst political pundits that even if he was to win the nomination, Trumps views are too extreme to win a general election. This may be naive: right-wing politicians who project themselves as strong men often do better than conventional wisdom expects. Few people, even in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expected the mandate with which Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. A more apt parallel might be with Ronald Reagan, who at the end of 1979 was considered too right-wing for the American mainstream and a bit of a buffoon. Not only did Reagan sweep to the Presidency, he changed the contours of American politics for a generation to come. The Trump candidacy is by now a real enough political phenomenon that one cannot discount the possibility of a Trump presidency and all its attendant consequences.

While Trumps campaign has been cynical and his core constituency deeply xenophobic, understanding its success must go beyond romanticising or vilifying the candidate himself to accounting for the articulation of three historical movements: first, the transformation of America from an industrial to a service economy that has privileged the educated elite and limited the possibilities of social mobility for those without higher education; second, the growing economic and political power of corporate and financial capital, leading to levels of economic inequality and inequality of opportunity that have not been seen since the Great Depression; and third, the massive demographic transformations in the country, which will see America become a Hispanic-majority nation within the next three decades.

Trumps candidacy is the ugly confluence of these three trajectories. There is a second more hopeful trajectory that this confluence results in, which is playing out in the equally meteoric rise of Bernie Sanders as a serious candidate for the Democratic Party nomination. I will first elaborate upon the anatomy of right-wing politics that leads to Trumps popularity, before reflecting upon the progressive, alternative trajectory that Sanders represents.

Anatomy of the American Political Right

Even as political pundits dismiss Trump as being unelectable in a general election, there is a segment that worries about the possibility of a Trump presidency under certain circumstances. This is based on Trumps consistent poll numbers through the Republican primary campaign, Hillary Clintons ability to polarise an electorate, and the boost that a Trump candidacy would receive in the event of an Islamist terrorist attack in the United States in 2016, which would potentially broaden the anti-Muslim sentiment that he is preaching. While these are genuine concerns, such poll-driven analysis overestimates white, middle-class voter preference, and assumes a rational voter weighing issues, strengths and weaknesses of different candidates. Electoral political dynamics in America today are not thus constituted. Most likely voters are already committed to one party or another, a function of the complete polarisation of American politics over the past two decades. The mythic independent voter considered pivotal to elections in the 1990s and early 2000s is today largely irrelevant, even if s/he exists.

This election will instead be decided by the power centres within the two parties. In each case, these are constituted by a plutocratic establishment that is in tension with a politically engaged and demanding populist grassroots base. While divisions between these factions in the Democratic Party are substantive, they are also for the most part civil. On the other hand, the differences between the factions of the Republican Party are threatening to tear it apart. It is worth unpacking the anatomy of right-wing representative politics in America today, and the dangerous and untenable contradictions it faces.

The Reagan counter-revolution was configured by the coming together of three forces. At the centre were big money, big business and corporate power. This was articulated by the rising power of evangelical Christianity, and fueled by the growth of right-wing media. At the edges of this alliance was the far-right militia, often constituted by disgruntled white men who felt like they were losing their positions of traditional entitlement in a demographically changing country; and who were losing their capacity for economic stability and mobility in a country transformed by corporatised agricultural and deindustrialised service economies. Through the 1980s and 1990s, such militias were strongest in those parts of the country, such as the South and West, where organised labour was weakest.

While there was broad ideological kinship between the plutocracy and evangelicals on the one hand, and the xenophobic militia on the other, it took the form of a centre-fringe perception, where the latter was tolerated, even encouraged, but kept at arms length. Now this fringe demographic constitutes the heart of Trumps support base and threatens to constitute the heart of the Republican Party as well. Furthermore, it is not just constituted by those who are formally associated with white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies, as was usually the case with fringe militias. It draws from a much larger (but still exclusively white) sociological base, roughly four-fifths of which is constituted by people without a high school degree. What unites this base is not so much ideological purity as economic disenfranchisement that gets coded as social disenfranchisement.

At the heart of this is the spread of economic immobility in the US over the past three decades. An earlier broad-based meritocracy, which allowed for social mobility across domains, has been replaced by a much narrower-based meritocracy that privileges an educated elite equipped for work in the knowledge/service economy, alongside an informalised labour force for low-paying manual and service work that is increasingly drawn from immigrant populations. Blue-collar white Americans have been severely impacted by this transformation; they see their jobs disappearing, even as they find themselves without the skills to succeed in the new economy.

In addition, the attack on trade unions alongside large-scale deindustrialisation in the mid-West has taken away a major source of political community for industrial workers, at the very moment when their livelihoods have come to be more precarious than ever. What is left is a once-socially privileged but now economically disenfranchised demographic that sees no opportunity, only threatto both livelihood and entitlement -- often from others who do not look like them. The cynicism with which Trump has parlayed this into a politics of fear and hate is undoubtedly repugnant. However, the structural ingredients for this were actively cultivated by the Republican Party as a central element of the Reagan counter-revolution.

Hence, the pious denunciation of Trumps rhetoric by the Republican Party establishment is not a repudiation of what he says as much as it is fear that he is saying these things in ways that the traditional party plutocracy is unable to control. Trump represents the Frankensteinian monster they created, which now threatens to devour them. The story of the Trump-possessed Republican Party is one of a corporatist party that has lost control of its xenophobic foot-soldiers, ironically engineered by a New York-based corporate mogul.

Further, Trumps base does not adhere to the ideological purity and corporatist extremism of the party plutocracy on core economic issues. For instance, many Trump supporters are not evangelicals. Cutting government programmes, which is the Holy Grail of some of the most influential power brokers in the Party, is not such a vital concern for them. (In his campaign speeches, Trump has even promised to grow social security, which Republicans have sought to do away with for at least three decades). What we are seeing therefore is a dissolution of the right-wing social coalition that has existed since Reagan, the beginning of the end of the Republican Party as we know it.

Regardless of who wins the nomination, winning the general election is extremely difficult for the Republicans because of the other major reconfiguration in American politics: the growing clout of the Hispanic electorate, the largest growing demographic in the US. In 2012, Obama won 71% of the Hispanic vote. If that margin is maintained by the Democratic candidate in 2016, then the Republican candidate will have to win the white vote by an approximately 30% margin in order to win the Presidencya virtually insurmountable margin of electoral math. This math is not helped by Trump, whose single-point harping on immigration is virtually ensuring that the Democratic candidate will win an even larger chunk of the Hispanic vote than Obama did. Trumps campaign has put the Republican Party between a rock and a hard place. Their own base wants walls and deportation, and anything less will be seen as betrayal. Yet pandering to that base will ensure defeat, regardless of white middle-class voter sentiment, not just in this election but for generations to come.

Sanders and the Democratic Primary

Just because the Democrats have the demographic ingredients for a long-term hold on the Presidency does not mean that they will make the most of it. Here, one must understand the significance of the second populist resurgence happening in America alongside Trumps, which is Bernie Sanders campaign. This represents emergent trajectories of progressive politics that foregrounds economic and racial inequality, and is born out of or in dialogue with social movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter. While grassroots progressives mobilising for Sanders may not detest Clinton the way Tea Party activists detest establishment Republican candidates, this too is a serious intra-party battle between plutocracy and populism. For all her social liberalism, Clinton too is the candidate of a powerful plutocracy, and it is estimated that over 80% of her donations come from big donors.

The Sanders campaign has brought the burgeoning national debate on economic inequality into the heart of Democratic Party politics. This is not the crusade of a single man, but a reflection of one core constituency of the party, which finds expression in the Senate through Elizabeth Warren and her allies, and increasingly in urban politics (Bill de Blasios tenure as mayor of New York being especially significant). But corporate capital has quietly engineered a coup detat in America over the past four decades, and the Democratic Party is fundamentally a corporatist party. This is a face of the Party that Barack Obama, for all his social idealism, immediately made peace with. Clinton is an establishment candidate who will do important things in furthering social equality, but in ways that will at best be mildly reformist of economic structures based on corporate power. The degree to which the Democrats can take advantage of electoral demographics over the long term will depend significantly upon the extent to which such a reformist corporatist agenda can successfully address structures of economic inequality.

Conclusions

Even as the plutocracies of the two parties represent the same kinds of power interests, there are huge policy differences between even the most corporatist Democrats and the most moderate Republicans, especially on social issues. Even if Clinton and establishment Republicans might stand with some of the same interests, they stand for very different things. Nonetheless, unless the hold that corporate and financial power has come to exercise on the American state is challenged, the Presidency itself will have a diminished role in social and economic transformation. This can only lead to the eruption of populist forms of politics that are ever harder to control or predict, in ways that put representative democracy itself at risk.

The legislature in America has already become a broken institution, distorted by decades of political gerrymandering and pandering to the most extremist elements of the Republican base after the Tea Party takeover of Congress in 2010. Ideally, executive power in a Presidential system should represent popular interests, with the potential to historically transform the direction of national politics in ways that broadly represents the will of the majority. Legislative power is meant to temper that and provide a space whereby the translation of executive vision into law and policy happens through dialogue, negotiation and compromise. America today sees an executive captured by corporate interests and a legislature paralysed by uncompromising ideological purity. It is such a structure that makes Sanders call for political revolution ever more urgent and important, even as it renders his vision unrealisable as policy.

In the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Karl Marx reminded us that while men make history, it is a function of the forces and relations of production prevalent at the time. There is uncanny congruence between the contemporary American political economic structures to those that Marx described for mid-19th century Francedivision between country and city, a capitalist takeover of the state, the threat of genuine structural transformation driven by the working class, consolidations and divisions between different forces of capital, a dysfunctional legislature, a mobilised lumpen proletariat, and a peasantry disenfranchised by changing economic conditions and reposing faith in a counter-revolutionary personage. Trump is the Bonapartist figure rising from the ashes of such a time, even as Sanders keeps open the possibility of a populism that leads to stronger, not weaker, structures of democracy.
1)Call your Senators and urge them to cosponsor Senator Tom Udall's (D-NM) resolution condemning the 1965-1966 mass murder in Indonesia and expressing concern about the lack of accountability for these crimes.Call the Capitol Switchboard - (202) 224-3121 - and ask for your Senators' offices. Once connected ask for the Senator or a foreign policy aide. Urge the Senator to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 273 on Indonesia, summarize the resolution, and a give your reasons why you believe it is important. Stress the need for both the U.S. and Indonesia to acknowledge the past by releasing all its documents from 1965/66. By taking responsibility for its role in these crimes, the U.S. will be supporting justice, reconciliation and assist efforts in Indonesia to hold its security forces accountable and to lift ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression.Please encourage others to call. Be sure to follow-up with an email or another call. Let us know the results of your calls.S.Res. 273 urges Indonesia to consider a truth, justice, and reconciliation commission to address crimes against humanity and other human rights violations and calls on the U.S. government departments and agencies involved in developing and implementing policy towards Indonesia at the time to locate, recommend for declassification, and make available to the public all records from that time. Read more about the S.Res. 273 here: http://etan.org/news/2015/10senate.htm

THE MASSACRE of up to 1,000,000 communists, leftists, ethnic Chinese, and others in Indonesia in 1965-1967 is a key event in modern Indonesian political history, but it remains mostly a footnote for most in the United States and elsewhere. The documentary THE ACT OF KILLING shocked audiences as perpetrators of the mass murder reenacted their violence. The film has fueled a debate within Indonesia and drawn attention internationally to events unknown to many. Events that the U.S. facilitated and cheered at the time. THE LOOK OF SILENCE flips the story by following Adi Rukun's investigation into the death of his older brother who was murdered during the violence. Like its Oscar-nominated predecessor, THE LOOK OF SILENCE was recently nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary. These powerful films tell us as much about Indonesia today as they do about the past. However, any evaluation of the events of 1965-1967 must include a discussion of the role of Western powers in the violence, especially the United States. The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) continues to call for accountability for those in the West who encouraged and assisted in the mass violence in Indonesia from 1965 on. The full truth must come out; the U.S. should declassify all files related to Suharto's U.S.-backed seizure of power and the murderous events which followed. ETAN urges you to see films and take action on U.S. accountability for its role in the massacres that followed Suharto's brutal seizure of power. Read Breaking the Silence: The U.S. and Indonesia's Mass Violence .

Yet the silence in the title also refers to our silence. Because the Indonesian genocide is not just Indonesian history, but American history. The U.S. provided weapons, money, and training to the death squads, and lists of thousands of names of public figures whom United States wanted killed. We in the us must do the same work as Indonesians. We must declassify the documents that reveal our role in these crimes, and take responsibility - Joshua Oppenheimer at Independent Spirit Awards

a) declassify and release all documents related to the U.S. role in the 1965/66 mass violence, and b) formally acknowledge the U.S. role in facilitating the 1965-66 violence and its subsequent support for the brutalities of the Suharto regime.



2)urging the U.S. government to take two immediate steps:3) Watch the THE LOOK OF SILENCE and THE ACT OF KILLING. Both films are available on DVD and Blu-Ray or for streaming on Amazon and elsewhere. (Support ETAN by watching or ordering the films on Amazon.) Order discs or watch The Look of Silence from here: http://amzn.to/1T7VECP or The Act of Killing here: http://amzn.to/1O39rEc 4)of the films. Use our brief discussion guide , and let us know if you organize a showing or discussion or have any suggestions or comments. If you are high school teacher or college professor teaching an appropriate subject, consider assigning THE ACT OF KILLING or THE LOOK OF SILENCE to your students. Use it as a springboard for discussions on the impact of U.S. foreign policy, the need to address human rights violations, and how the past affects the present. (Contact: Chris Lundry .)We also have a leaflet to hand out to the audience. PDFs: half-page:8.5" x 5.5" or full page - 8.5" x 11 " or let us know if you want us to send you copies.5)about the petition and the film. Write a letter to the editor and post to facebook or other social media calling for the U.S. to take responsibility for its role in the mass killings in Indonesia. Go here for sample letters, tweets and facebook posts. It is best to use your own words. (Also use ETAN's Backgrounder: Breaking the Silence: The U.S. and Indonesia's Mass Violence for additional information.)Any time is a good time to spread the word; an especially effective time is in response to Oscar nomination of THE LOOK OF SILENCE and if it should win.

5) Support ETAN. We need your support to continue our work for justice and accountability. Please donate today.

For more information see http://www.etan.org

About THE LOOK OF SILENCE

THE LOOK OF SILENCE is Joshua Oppenheimer's powerful companion piece to the Oscar-nominated The Act of Killing. The Look of Silence is in contention for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards. The film explores one of the 20th century's deadliest atrocities through a family that lost their eldest son. These massacres remain largely hidden after 50 years. Indonesia's 1965 army-led purge and killing of as many as one million people. The family discovers years later who killed their son and how, and they must confront how privileged, dangerous, and close at hand the killers remain. The younger son, an optometrist named Adi, breaks the half-century of fearful silence with an act the film calls "unimaginable in a society where the murderers remain in power." While testing the eyesight of the men who killed his brother, Adi confronts them. He challenges them to accept responsibility for their violence. Oppenheimer writes that the film depicts "a silence born of terror," and "the necessity of breaking that silence, but also ... the trauma that comes when that silence is broken." More information about the film can be found here: http://thelookofsilence.com/



About THE ACT OF KILLING
Mother and child malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries encompasses a range of conditions including maternal wasting, micronutrient deficiencies, foetal growth restriction and stunting - a height that is below the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards median - of children younger than five years.

While the prevalence of stunting has decreased during the past two decades, it still affects 160 million children under 5 and is concentrated in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

"In shifting the global burden of stunting and growth retardation, it is important to address determinants such as poor status of women in society, gender disparities, and invest actively in promoting education and economic empowerment of girls," said Professor Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Founding Director, Centre for Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University and Co-Director, SickKids Centre for Global Child Health in Toronto, Canada.

He was speaking as the lead speaker at the session Childhood Stunting: Policy Solutions to Address a Global Burden with Long-Term Impacts at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC.

"The Aga Khan University is leading efforts to monitor nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in Pakistan and the region, including Afghanistan. In addition, scientists and public health specialists at the University are engaged in testing and implementing innovations and low-cost solutions to addressing the problems of stunting and wasting among infants and children as well as adolescent girls in various settings," added Professor Bhutta.

Last year, the University also pledged to support the Global Strategy's ambitious yet achievable targets - which are fully aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals - with an investment of over US$ 85 million to improve capacity and to develop programmes that will reach over 15 million women and children in South-Central Asia and East Africa, and potentially save a million lives.

Other speakers included Professor Andrew Prentice from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Dr Shasha Jumbe from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Professor Bhutta also participated as a discussant in another session The Global Impact of Violence Against Children: Economic, Health, and Policy Perspectives along with Professor Susan Horton from the University of Waterloo and other experts.

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AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling, and a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances.

The AAAS Annual Meeting is the largest and most widely recognized global science gathering.
TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 5, 2016 - Earth and environmental scientists have often had to rely on piloted aircraft and satellites to collect remote sensing data, platforms that have traditionally been controlled by large research organizations or regulatory agencies.

Thanks to the increased affordability and dramatic technological advances of drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), however, earth and environmental scientists can now conduct their own long-term high-resolution experiments at a fraction of the cost of using aircraft or satellites.

"UAVs are poised to revolutionize remote sensing in the earth and environmental sciences," says Enrique Vivoni, hydrologist and professor at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration and Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. "They let individual scientists obtain low-cost repeat imagery at high resolution and tailored to a research team's specific interest area."

Vivoni's own research has focused on rangeland locations in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, which cover large expanses of northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. Using UAVs in these areas has allowed for improved studies on land-atmosphere exchanges and vegetation-runoff interactions.

Once used exclusively for military application, UAV's now offer many civilian uses. Their advances in flight control, robotics and miniaturized sensors, are providing an unprecedented opportunity for high-resolution data collection.

"The biggest challenge for earth and environmental scientists has been obtaining high-resolution [data for] characterizations and predictions," says Vivoni.

Both fixed wing and rotary wing UAVs can be used for ecohydrologic investigations, according to Vivoni. Researchers can also use quad-copters with photo cameras or video cameras, such as the Phantom series.

Vivoni will give his talk "Ecohydrology with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" on February 13 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2016 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The presentation summarizes his work with associate professor Srikanth Saripalli of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, graduate students Nicole Pierini, Cody Anderson and Adam Schreiner-McGraw as well as collaborators from the Agriculture Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Jornada Experimental Range.

"We believe unmanned aerial vehicles can fundamentally change how ecological and hydrological science is conducted and offer ways to merge remote sensing, environmental sensor networks and numerical models," Vivoni says.

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AAAS is the world's largest science and technology society, and its annual meeting draws thousands of scientists, engineers, educators, policymakers and journalists from around the world. Vivoni will participate in this year's annual meeting in a session on 'Unmanned Autonomous Systems for Climate and Environmental Research' organized by US Department of Energy.

About Arizona State University

Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it. Source:

Enrique Vivoni, e-mail: vivoni@asu.edu, phone: (480)727-3575
A panel of British and American researchers, speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC, will present updated research revealing how extreme events which affect the food system are increasingly likely to occur, resulting in 'food shocks'.

Food shocks have the potential to wreak havoc on food markets, commodity exports, and families around the world.

Because distant regions are increasingly connected by global markets, the threat of extreme events occurring in different breadbaskets simultaneously is especially concerning. For example, what if severe drought in the US Midwest withers the soy and maize harvest at the same time that a record-breaking heat wave in Europe bakes the continent's wheat crop?

In a report released last year, an independent expert taskforce from the UK and USA outlined key recommendations to safeguard against threats to food supplies.

At the AAAS meeting, researchers from the taskforce will discuss the impact of new research and outline the prognosis for 2016.

Kirsty Lewis, Applied Climate Science Team Leader at the UK's Met Office, will:

Discuss how our understanding of the geography of food production interacts with meteorology to compound the threats to food production in certain areas.

Comment on the seasonal forecasts and discuss the relationship between the global food system and current El Nino-driven weather patterns.

Joshua Elliott, Computation Institute, University of Chicago, will present:

Findings from ground breaking international projects to map the effects of climate change on crops around the world.

Evidence for increasing risk to global agriculture from larger and more frequent extreme events as climate changes.

New work on the risks posed by a 21st century Dustbowl-like drought to key commodity crops in the US Midwest and central plains.

Prof Tim Benton, Champion of the UK's Global Food Security Programme - which coordinated the task force's report will discuss the recommendations and the ways in which we can develop resilience against the increasing likelihood of food shocks.

Prof Tim Benton said, "The global interconnectedness that makes countries more resilient to local production shocks makes them more vulnerable to shocks in distant 'breadbasket' regions. Crop yields and climate data show us that the global food system is at increased risk as extreme weather events are as much as three times more likely to happen as a result of climate change by mid-century".

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About the GFS programme

The GFS programme brings together the UK's main public funders of food security related research to coordinate efforts and deliver added-value from their collective activities in this area. The GFS Champion will drive forward co-ordination of research activities, as well as contributing leadership and networking to the programme. This will give a boost to food security research, helping to link funders, the research community, public and users of research.

The UK-US Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food System Resilience reports are available at:
BOSTON - Boston Medical Center (BMC) has been awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration to support the Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights. Funding will support the Center's Freedom Through Wellness project, which will work to develop novel programs and support medical, behavioral and social services for torture survivors and their families.

"This grant will support our Center's longstanding commitment to treating torture survivors and their families during the process of healing and recovery," said Lin Piwowarczyk, MD, MPH, director of the Center and the grant's principal investigator. "By providing strengths-based, trauma-informed care and services, and in partnership with strategic education and training partners, we're helping torture survivors attend to their health, build effective support networks, and lead productive and meaningful lives."

Previous studies have estimated that approximately 10 to 30 percent of refugees in Western settings are survivors of torture. The Massachusetts Refugee Health Program reports that almost 65,000 refugees first arrived in Massachusetts between 1986 and 2013, with the largest number of refugees coming from East and Southeast Asia, followed by Africa, and then Eastern Europe and Central Asia. From 2011 to 2014, refugees arrived in Massachusetts from 74 different countries of origin.

The Center provides comprehensive care and case management services to torture survivors and their families in the areas of mental health, primary care, obstetric/gynecological care, case management, career development, patient navigation and asylum evaluations. As part of Freedom Through Wellness, Piwowarczyk and her team will gather outcomes data and build critical infrastructure related to new initiatives and programs. For example, they will work with the YOUNG Africa and the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association, Inc. to better understand issues faced by the Liberian and Ethiopian communities related to mental health literacy and barriers to care.

The Center also will expand its Leadership Skills Academy by incorporating a new program on resilient leadership. The Center staff have developed a seven-week workshop series called "BeWell," intended to help patients better understand best health practices, improve their ability to prevent disease, and maintain good health. Training for healthcare providers on how to identify and care for torture survivors will play a role in the Freedom Through Wellness project.

"We help patients achieve the change they need in their lives, which can have a ripple effect within refugee communities," Piwowarczyk said. "Those who complete our career development and leadership skills training move on to support themselves and their families, become role models for the refugee community, and gain familiarity with the U.S. healthcare system."

The Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights was established in 1998 and has served more than 2,750 patients from 90 countries. The Center has developed a curriculum for refugee healthcare provider trainees, researched prevalent issues affecting refugees and torture survivors, and advocated locally and at the United Nations.

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Administration for Children & Families Administration on Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement.

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UPTON, NY--Graphene, the two-dimensional powerhouse, packs extreme durability, electrical conductivity, and transparency into a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon. Despite being heralded as a breakthrough "wonder material," graphene has been slow to leap into commercial and industrial products and processes.

Now, scientists have developed a simple and powerful method for creating resilient, customized, and high-performing graphene: layering it on top of common glass. This scalable and inexpensive process helps pave the way for a new class of microelectronic and optoelectronic devices--everything from efficient solar cells to touch screens.

The collaboration--led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University (SBU), and the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at SUNY Polytechnic Institute--published their results February 12, 2016, in the journal Scientific Reports.

"We believe that this work could significantly advance the development of truly scalable graphene technologies," said study coauthor Matthew Eisaman, a physicist at Brookhaven Lab and professor at SBU.

The scientists built the proof-of-concept graphene devices on substrates made of soda-lime glass--the most common glass found in windows, bottles, and many other products. In an unexpected twist, the sodium atoms in the glass had a powerful effect on the electronic properties of the graphene.

"The sodium inside the soda-lime glass creates high electron density in the graphene, which is essential to many processes and has been challenging to achieve," said coauthor Nanditha Dissanayake of Voxtel, Inc., but formerly of Brookhaven Lab. "We actually discovered this efficient and robust solution during the pursuit of something a bit more complex. Such surprises are part of the beauty of science."

Crucially, the effect remained strong even when the devices were exposed to air for several weeks--a clear improvement over competing techniques.

The experimental work was done primarily at Brookhaven's Sustainable Energy Technologies Department and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

The graphene tweaks in question revolve around a process called doping, where the electronic properties are optimized for use in devices. This adjustment involves increasing either the number of electrons or the electron-free "holes" in a material to strike the perfect balance for different applications. For successful real-world devices, it is also very important that the local number of electrons transferred to the graphene does not degrade over time.

"The graphene doping process typically involves the introduction of external chemicals, which not only increases complexity, but it can also make the material more vulnerable to degradation," Eisaman said. "Fortunately, we found a shortcut that overcame those obstacles."

The team initially set out to optimize a solar cell containing graphene stacked on a high-performance copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) semiconductor, which in turn was stacked on an industrial soda-lime glass substrate.

The scientists then conducted preliminary tests of the novel system to provide a baseline for testing the effects of subsequent doping. But these tests exposed something strange: the graphene was already optimally doped without the introduction of any additional chemicals.

"To our surprise, the graphene and CIGS layers already formed a good solar cell junction!" Dissanayake said. "After much investigation, and the later isolation of graphene on the glass, we discovered that the sodium in the substrate automatically created high electron density within our multi-layered graphene."

Pinpointing the mechanism by which sodium acts as a dopant involved a painstaking exploration of the system and its performance under different conditions, including making devices and measuring the doping strength on a wide range of substrates, both with and without sodium.

"Developing and characterizing the devices required complex nanofabrication, delicate transfer of the atomically thin graphene onto rough substrates, detailed structural and electro-optical characterization, and also the ability to grow the CIGS semiconductor," Dissanayake said. "Fortunately, we had both the expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation on hand to meet all those challenges, as well as generous funding."

The bulk of the experimental work was conducted at Brookhaven Lab using techniques developed in-house, including advanced lithography. For the high-resolution electron microscopy measurements, CFN staff scientists and study coauthors Kim Kisslinger and Lihua Zhang lent their expertise. Coauthors Harry Efstathiadis and Daniel Dwyer--both at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at SUNY Polytechnic Institute--led the effort to grow and characterize the high-quality CIGS films.

"Now that we have demonstrated the basic concept, we want to focus next on demonstrating fine control over the doping strength and spatial patterning," Eisaman said.

The scientists now need to probe more deeply into the fundamentals of the doping mechanism and more carefully study material's resilience during exposure to real-world operating conditions. The initial results, however, suggest that the glass-graphene method is much more resistant to degradation than many other doping techniques.

"The potential applications for graphene touch many parts of everyone's daily life, from consumer electronics to energy technologies," Eisaman said. "It's too early to tell exactly what impact our results will have, but this is an important step toward possibly making some of these applications truly affordable and scalable."

For example, graphene's high conductivity and transparency make it a very promising candidate as a transparent, conductive electrode to replace the relatively brittle and expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) in applications such as solar cells, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), flat panel displays, and touch screens. In order to replace ITO, scalable and low-cost methods must be developed to control graphene's resistance to the flow of electrical current by controlling the doping strength. This new glass-graphene system could rise to that challenge, the researchers say.

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The work at Brookhaven Lab was funded through Brookhaven Lab's Sustainable Energy Technologies Department by the DOE Office of Science and by Brookhaven's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program. The CFN at Brookhaven is supported by the DOE Office of Science (BES).

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization.
Nine researchers, working on innovative projects that promise to improve healthcare diagnosis and treatment, across a wide spread of issues, were today announced as the first recipients of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's (EPSRC) Healthcare Technologies Challenge Awards.

Their projects range from developing new ways of examining sperm to smart wound dressings that incorporate sensors, to tools to improve imaging, diagnosis and drug delivery to treat cancers.

The award winners will share in a 9 million fund allocated to support a cohort of next generation research leaders to establish a personal programme of high quality, creative, and multidisciplinary research across the EPSRC portfolio, and to build and grow their research groups.

The researchers will work with clinicians, companies and charities to speed up the process of translation and clinical adoption of their innovations, and to help them design their research so the barriers to its implementation in healthcare are minimal.

Life Sciences Minister George Freeman MP said: "From fertility diagnostics to disease detection, these award-winning projects - supported by Government's 6bn annual science budget - are great examples of how interdisciplinary collaboration can achieve game-changing results. By linking patients, technologists, clinicians and scientists, new tools and techniques to improve healthcare can be truly innovative which is why the UK is a world leader in life sciences."

EPSRC's Chief Executive, Professor Philip Nelson, said: "These Healthcare Technologies Challenge Award winners are our future research leaders who will be instrumental in ensuring the UK can meet the 21st century healthcare needs and thrive as a healthy nation."

Below are short descriptions of each of the projects in the researchers own words:-

David Smith, University of Birmingham - Rapid Sperm Capture

Infertility affects around one in six couples. Problems with sperm (swimming ability, abnormal shape) are one of the major causes. Treatment is difficult because diagnostics are imprecise; 'sperm counting' does not yet make use of cutting edge technologies. This project will bring together expertise from computing, maths, bioengineering and the clinic to develop a new device to examine sperm. The system will detect which sperm have the 'right stuff' - the ability to deliver a cargo of safely-packaged DNA to the egg - and to convert this information into better treatment decisions, saving distress and expense, and leading to more healthy births.

Robert Neely, University of Birmingham - Enzymatic tools for biotechnology and medicine

The early detection of diseases such as cancer is a significant challenge. Yet it also represents a significant opportunity for us to improve healthcare. In the case of cancer, early detection of malignancy can dramatically improve the prospects for those who are diagnosed. This project will develop biochemistry, analytical tools and state-of-the-art imaging solutions that will allow us to identify diseases like cancer in their early stages of development, in a non-invasive way. The project is a collaboration between chemists, medics and clinicians and aims to develop simple tests that will improve our ability to treat individual patients.

Asier Unciti-Broceta, University of Edinburgh - Palladium-Activated Prodrug Therapy

This proposal will exploit the biocompatibility and unique catalytic properties of Palladium to create implantable medical devices that will convert inactive drug precursors into anticancer agents just at the tumour site. By increasing the efficacy and reducing the adverse effects of existing chemotherapies, this revolutionary strategy will improve the quality of life and life expectancy of patients suffering from localised cancers of the prostate and the brain, for whom conventional therapeutic approaches have failed to provide a solution.

Ruchi Gupta, University of Hull - Wearable Organic Integrated Sensors for Healthcare: Smart Dressings, a Step Change in Wound Management

Chronic wounds pose significant societal challenges and currently cost ~3 billion annually in the UK. The incidence of chronic wounds is predicted to increase due to lifestyle changes and an ageing population. Standard dressings do not provide insights into the status of the wound underneath and are often changed, which hampers the normal healing process, causes stress and pain to patients, and consumes a significant amount of healthcare professionals' time and dressing materials contributing to spiraling costs. This research will develop a smart dressing with an array of sensors for monitoring wounds' status to facilitate rapid healing while reducing costs.

James Walsh, University of Liverpool - Establishing a Centre for Plasma Microbiology

There is an unprecedented clinical need to establish new strategies to manage the colonisation of medical devices by complex bacterial communities 'biofilms'. Such contamination presents a particularly resilient reservoir of infection, shielded from antibiotics, that often leads to the emergence of multidrug-resistant colonies. This award will establish a multidisciplinary centre of excellence focused on the development of novel plasma based physical interventions to prevent biofilm formation on medical devices.

Antoine Jerusalem, University of Oxford - Electrophysiological-mechanical coupled pulses in neural membranes: a new paradigm for clinical therapy of SCI and TBI (NeuroPulse)

NeuroPulse will build the foundations of a new generation of disruptive and enabling healthcare technologies by exploring and using the interaction between the mechanical vibrational properties of neurons - a specialised cell in the body that transmits nerve impulses - and their electrophysiological functions. This endeavour is set to benefit the medical community in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury, both major, global public health issues, while providing new avenues for non-invasive electrophysiological control, such as pain management.

David Clifton, University of Oxford - Machine Learning for Patient-Specific, Predictive Healthcare Technologies via Intelligent Electronic Health Records

With an ever-growing quantity of data being acquired during routine care throughout the healthcare system, there is an urgent need to develop integrated, intelligent healthcare technologies that exploit these data to improve patient outcomes. This programme in computational health informatics will develop a machine learning platform for fusing data from electronic health records, patient-worn sensors, and diagnostic data for (i) improved management of patients in hospitals and homes, and (ii) better identifying and tracking antibiotic resistance throughout the healthcare system.

Adrien Desjardins, UCL - All-Optical Pulse-Echo Ultrasound Imaging for Real-Time Guidance of Minimally Invasive Procedure

Ultrasound imaging can provide exquisite detail about patient anatomy to guide clinical procedures. Conventionally, ultrasound is transmitted and received electrically. This project is centred on a new paradigm in which ultrasound imaging is performed optically, using inexpensive optical fibres used in telecommunications. The ultrasound probes, developed in close collaboration with clinicians, will be the first to provide real-time optical ultrasound imaging. Integrated into devices such as needles and catheters, they will provide imaging from within the human body that was previously unavailable. There is strong potential to improve patient outcomes in a wide range of clinical contexts.

Silvia Schievano, UCL - A hub for device personalisation in the treatment of congenital diseases - A patient specific computational framework to customise paediatric interventions

Devices purposefully designed for treating children with congenital defects are rare due to the small size of the paediatric market compared to the adult population, but also to the huge variations that are encountered in birth defects compared to acquired diseases.

In this project, I will develop new devices and tools that can be customised in-house for the treatment of children with congenital diseases on demand.

Computational modelling based on routinely acquired clinical data will be used to study each patient dysfunctional site, and drive the device personalisation and optimisation process by simulating device implantation and interaction with the biological site.

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For further information please contact the EPSRC Press Office on 01793 444 404 or email pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk

Notes for Editors:

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

As the main funding agency for engineering and physical sciences research, our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world to Research, Discover and Innovate.

By investing 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, we are building the knowledge and skills base needed to address the scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. The research we fund has impact across all sectors. It provides a platform for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture.

We work collectively with our partners and other Research Councils on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced today the 302 winners of its 2015 Consolidator Grant competition. These excellent mid-career scientists are awarded a total of 585 million, as part of the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. With grants worth up to 2 million each, they will be able to consolidate their research teams and to develop their innovative ideas.

The researchers selected in this call will, for example, develop a new method to control insects transmitting diseases such as the Zika virus, build ultra-thin portable fuel cells, and investigate the effectiveness of political apologies across cultures. They are likely to employ more than 2,100 post docs, PhD students and other research team members. (Read more)

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: "As part of Horizon 2020, the ERC funds the work of some of the most brilliant minds in frontier research, people whose discoveries can start new industries, new markets and contribute to the welfare of the planet."

The President of the ERC, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, said: "The Consolidator grants support researchers at a crucial time of their careers, strengthening their independence and helping them establish themselves as leaders in their scientific fields. Europe needs to unequivocally put its trust in young and very engaged scientists. I'm glad to see that, compared to previous years, there are more women amongst the Consolidator grantees selected in a competition strictly based on scientific quality. I hope that this trend continues. This time the success rate of female applicants actually surpassed that of men."

The share of female grantees in this call was 31%; a further increase from the Consolidator Grant competitions in 2014 (28%) and 2013 (24%). Furthermore, female applicants were more successful than male applicants (the success rate for women was 16% and for men 14.5%). Overall, 15% of applicants in this competition were successful.

The ERC grants are targeted at top researchers of any nationality based in, or willing to move to Europe. In this call, researchers of 34 different nationalities are amongst the grantees. The highest number of grants goes to German scientists (48 grants), followed by British (32), French (30) and Italian (30). (See statistics)

Amongst the grantees, there are also some 30 researchers from outside Europe, mainly from United States, India and Canada. All grantees will conduct their research in host institutions based in the EU or associated countries. Sixty seven grantees will work in the UK, 45 in Germany, 31 in France and 26 in the Netherlands, and the remaining will be hosted in 18 other European countries.

(Discover more projects in this Consolidator Grant competition)

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Background

The ERC Consolidator Grant are awarded to outstanding researchers of any nationality and age, with at least seven and up to 12 years of experience after PhD, and a scientific track record showing great promise. Research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries. The funding (maximum of 2 million per grant), is provided for up to five years.

The European Research Council, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the first European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based in Europe. The ERC also strives to attract top researchers from anywhere in the world to come to Europe. To date, the ERC has funded nearly 6,000 top researchers at various stages of their careers.

The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council, and, since January 2014, the ERC President is Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon. The ERC has a budget of over 13 billion for years 2014 to 2020 and is part of the EU research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, for which European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas is responsible.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 12 February 2016: Mecca's cardiac hospital has described how it copes with the huge patient influx during the Hajj and gives details of the echocardiography service in an abstract presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Saudi Heart Association (SHA).1

The conference is being held 12 to 15 February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Experts from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) will present a special programme.2

"Planning ahead is vital for successfully delivering cardiac services during a large event like the Hajj," said abstract author Dr Mohamed Ali Hassan, a cardiologist at King Abdulla Medical City (KAMC) in Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia. "Our hospital's Hajj Committee works year round to ensure that we are prepared."

Around 2-4 million people attend the annual Hajj (pilgrimage) in Mecca and medical services are provided free of charge. KAMC provides almost all cardiac care in Makkah (Mecca), including during Hajj month when it treats 700-1000 cardiac patients. Of these, 60-70% are Hajj visitors. Most Hajj visitors who have a cardiac event are older than 65 years. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common comorbidities.

KAMC has a Hajj Committee which starts monthly meetings at the end of one Hajj and convenes more frequently as the next Hajj approaches. The committee reviews the hospital's performance during the previous Hajj season and identifies areas for improvement. It also collects information from the Hajj authority and Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia, plus the Hajj missions of visiting countries.

The most crucial piece of information is how many people are expected to attend. The second issue is which countries they will come from. "Hajj visitors come from more than 150 countries but the majority are from the Indian subcontinent," said Dr Hassan. "Knowing the main countries of origin helps us to have interpreters available, since language barriers are one of the difficulties we commonly face."

KAMC asks its staff to come forward if they know other languages. Hajj missions, who are in charge of citizens from their country during the event, also help with interpreting.

Additional doctors, nurses, echocardiography technicians and information technology (IT) staff are recruited to work during the Hajj season. Dr Hassan said: "The good thing is that most of the extra staff work for us during the Hajj almost every year. So they know the hospital and they know what we need them to do. This helps us with our preparations. It's also important when there is a high volume of work to make sure that our IT systems are up to scratch and that any failure will be corrected immediately."

The abstract describes the additional demands on the hospital's echocardiography (echo) service, which is central to the diagnosis of many cardiac conditions. The number of echo studies performed during the Hajj more than doubled between 2011 and 2015, from 318 to 708. Correspondingly, the number of echo machines deployed increased from four to nine and the number of technicians increased from seven to 13.

Hajj missions can help during the event. "Hajj missions with the bulk of visitors tend to have medical services," said Dr Hassan. "Their doctors come to our hospital to see patients from their country, interpret, explain procedures and get consent for transoesophageal echocardiography and other procedures."

He concluded: "Planning cardiac services for the Hajj goes on all year and becomes more intense nearer the time. To get ready for a large event, gather all the information you need for the service you will provide including demographic data about the people who will be coming - are they young or old, and so on. Make sure you have a reliable source of manpower. Specify the equipment you will need and how many staff are required to operate and maintain it. Things should run smoothly if you are prepared."

Professor Hani Najm, SHA vice president, past president and head of international affairs, said: "Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf countries continue to experience a high incidence of coronary risk factors and with the young population there would be a sharp increase of heart attacks in the next decade. This calls for a wide and aggressive move to control these risk factors in order to avoid this tidal wave that may outstretch the resources available."

Professor Roberto Ferrari, a past president of the ESC and course director of the ESC programme in Riyadh, said: "Delivering a high quality cardiac service requires teamwork. The ESC advocates setting up a 'Heart Team' of all the specialties, who come together to manage patients with cardiovascular disease. This team would need to be scaled up to deal with any anticipated rise in demand on the service."

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Boulder, Colo., USA - Fast-paced and complex extensional and contractional deformation, between 170 and 148 million years ago, along the margin of Laurasia coincides with ocean-floor formation within basins. These include as the central Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Valley of California, the Mediterranean Sea, and the southern Caspian Sea.

Along the western margin of North America, numerous basins, formed in the Middle Jurassic and continued throughout the Late Jurassic, are contemporaneous and co-genetic with igneous activity. They are also kinematically compatible with sinistral strike-slip fault movement, suggesting a transtensional origin.

Other comparable basins are postulated to have developed in Russia, Mongolia, China, and Iran. Domains of contractional deformation, attributed to transpression, such as the Blue Mountains (Oregon, USA), the Chersky collision belt (Siberia, Russia), and the early Yinshan fold-thrust belt (northern China), interrupt the belt of Late Jurassic basins. The tectonic evolution that is characterized by linkages among faults and fault-related structures along the margin of the Laurasian plate may be interpreted as recording plate rotation during the breakup of Pangea.

This well-illustrated book includes a map and DVD. The volume editors are Thomas H. Anderson of the University of Pittsburgh, Alexei N. Didenko of the Russian Academy of Science, Cari L. Johnson of the University of Utah, Alexander I. Khanchuk of the Far Eastern Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, and James H. MacDonald Jr. of Florida Gulf Coast University.

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Book editors of earth science journals/publications may request a review copy by contacting April Leo, aleo@geosociety.org.

Late Jurassic Margin of Laurasia -- A Record of Faulting Accommodating Plate Rotation edited by Thomas H. Anderson, Alexei N. Didenko, Cari L. Johnson, Alexander I. Khanchuk, and James H. MacDonald Jr. Geological Society of America Special Paper 513 SPE513, 606 p. plus plate and DVD, $120; GSA member price $84 ISBN 978-0-8137-2513-0

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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Is your boss ethical? Does he or she do what's right, as opposed to what's profitable?

If so, they may turn downright abusive the next day.

New research on leader behavior by Russell Johnson, associate professor of management at Michigan State University, suggests ethical conduct leads to mental exhaustion and the "moral licensing" to lash out at employees.

The study, online in the Journal of Applied Psychology, is called "When ethical leader behavior breaks bad: How ethical behavior can turn abusive via ego depletion and moral licensing." Moral licensing is a phenomenon in which people, after doing something good, feel they have earned the right to act in a negative manner.

"Ironically, when leaders felt mentally fatigued and morally licensed after displays of ethical behavior, they were more likely to be abusive toward their subordinates on the next day," said Johnson, an expert on the psychology of the workplace.

Johnson and MSU students Szu-Han Lin and Jingjing Ma surveyed 172 supervisors over a several-day period in various industries including retail, education, manufacturing and health care. The goal: examine the consequences of ethical behavior for the leaders who exhibited it.

Johnson said it's not easy to be ethical, as it turns out. "Being ethical means leaders often have to suppress their own self-interest (they must do 'what's right' as opposed to 'what's profitable'), and they have to monitor not only the performance outcomes of subordinates but also the means (to ensure that ethical/appropriate practices were followed)."

Ethical behavior led to mental fatigue and moral licensing, and this led to leaders being more abusive to their workers. The abuse included ridiculing, insulting and expressing anger toward employees, giving them the silent treatment and reminding them of past mistakes or failures.

To combat mental fatigue, Johnson said managers should build in time for breaks during the workday; get sufficient sleep; eat healthy and exercise; and unplug from work outside of the office (which includes shutting off the smart phone at night).

Dealing with moral licensing is trickier, as there is not much research on the subject. However, Johnson suggested companies could consider formally requiring ethical behavior. "If such behavior is required, then it's more difficult for people to feel they've earned credit for performing something that is mandatory," he said. "A sense of moral license is more likely when people feel they voluntarily or freely exhibited the behavior."

Ethical behavior could also be formally rewarded with social praise or money. But the praise or bonus should come relatively soon after the ethical behavior in order to counteract the moral licensing, Johnson said.

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The shift from living in jungle huts to cities has dramatically changed human exposure to certain microbes, which could have implications for healthy immune function, according to a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center and published online Feb. 12, 2016 in Science Advances.

"Our study found that urban living spaces increase the number of human-associated microbes we are exposed to, while decreasing our exposure to the outdoor, environmental microbes with which humans co-evolved," says microbiologist Maria Dominguez-Bello, PhD, lead author of the new study, which was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Microbes inhabit our surroundings as well as our bodies, and the potential health impact of the interplay between bodily and environmental microbial species is worthy of study, say the authors. Thus, their first mission was to detail the microbial changes that occur across a gradient of urbanization.

"The remarkable changes in home microbial content across differing levels of urbanization raise the possibility that the reduced microbial exposure to environmental bacteria seen in modern homes contributes to immune and metabolic disorders, from asthma to obesity, which have become the new disease paradigm in the industrialized world," adds Dominguez-Bello, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone. "That said, our pilot study was small in size and limited to one geographical region, so larger studies are needed before we can generalize these patterns."

The research team -- which included architects, environmental engineers, and microbiologists from the United States, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Peru -- examined microbes on the walls and floors of homes in the Amazon river basin. The dwellings ranged from an isolated Amerindian community at the Ecuador-Peru border to a small Peruvian village to the large town of Iquitos in Peru to the Westernized, Brazilian city of Manaus. The team collected samples from ten houses in each location, and then used state-of-the-art genomic and statistical techniques to analyze the mix of bacterial DNA from each sample.

Combining their samples and available databases, the team applied statistical tests that accurately tracked the sources of the bacterial microbes on each floor and wall. Specifically, they found more human bacteria in the town and city houses, such as Streptococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae, and decreasing proportions of environmental bacteria.

On the other hand, the bacteria found on the floors and walls of rural and jungle living spaces were proportionally higher in environmental bacterial species, including soil bacteria, like Mesorhizobium and Luteimonas from water sources, as well as Rickettsiella carried by spiders and insects.

Importantly, the researchers also found that the many walls that define urban homes come to reflect the sources of human bacteria, which in turn depend on the function of a given room. Kitchens and bathrooms, for instance, acquire function-dependent microbial signatures, such as oral Streptococcus and gut Enterobacteriaceae in bathrooms, and food-associated bacteria in kitchens.

"Excessively humanized spaces that are poorly ventilated could increase transmission of pathogens," says Dominguez-Bello. "Understanding the consequences of architectural changes on microbial exposures will be important to improving future home design and ultimately to human health."

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Other key contributors to the study were from the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, and included Jean Ruiz-Calderon, a PhD student from the Department of Biology; Humberto Cavallin from the School of Architecture; Luis Pericchi in the Department of Mathematics and Rafael Rios in the Department of Environmental Sciences. Also making important contributions were Se Jin Song at University of Colorado, Boulder; Rob Knight at the University of California, San Diego; Henrique Pereira of the Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil; Luciana Paulino of the Center for Natural Sciences and Humanities, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil; and Atila Novoselac in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin.
Everyone wants a house to live in, and more and more, people around the world want the kinds of houses seen in Europe and North America, rather than those they grew up with, according to a Penn State engineer. However, industrial building materials are often scarce and expensive and alternative, locally sourced, sustainable materials are often a better choice.

"People want to build a good house, everyone wants to have a good house," said Khanjan Mehta, director, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship Program and assistant professor of engineering design. "But what makes a good house? Is it wood, steel, concrete or bamboo?

"It all depends on the context. In some places steel and concrete are perfect, while straw bales and bamboo are optimal in other places. We should be evaluating what is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable at the necessary scale in a given location," he said.

Mehta acknowledges that often, indigenous housing is temporary housing. Seasonally or yearly it needs to be repaired or replaced due to weather and use damage. However, switching to permanent concrete-block construction is not necessarily the answer. In many places in Africa and South East Asia, cement -- the major component of concrete -- is scarce and or expensive.

"In Zambia, I was in a small village, and the concrete walls moved if someone leaned on them," Mehta told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science today (Feb. 12) in Washington, D.C.

He explains that if cement is expensive, workers will use the least amount of cement they can and instead add more easily accessible sand to the concrete. This mix, however, does not have the strength or longevity of properly mixed concrete.

"In Western Kenya, on the shores of Lake Victoria, all the houses now have tin roofs," said Mehta. "Ten years back, no one had a tin roof and now tin roofs are called by the name of the company that makes them."

This branding reflects the fact that there is only one manufacturer of tin roofs, which creates a monopoly that could lead to price manipulation.

According to Mehta, one project, a windmill farm, failed because of dependence on a single supplier of steel. The material became so expensive, the windmills could not be built.

"What we need to find are materials that are economical, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable," said Mehta. "The materials also need to be scalable."

Cutting down forests to plant bamboo as building material is not the answer, according to Mehta. Individuals can use locally available but scarce materials to build their individual homes, but that strategy will not build all the houses in a city or village because it cannot be scaled up to meet the demand.

"Can we grow mushrooms and process them into a strong packaging material or fiberboard for construction?" said Mehta. "We need cross pollination from different areas to come up with acceptable choices to meet these challenges."

Not only would mushroom farming and materials processing from the mushrooms be sustainable, but it would also create jobs, which is an important factor because over half of the youth in sub-Saharan Africa are unemployed.

Another approach uses locally thrown pottery vessels as the layer between a subroof and the final roof. The pots are all uniform, easily manufactured and inexpensive. Their installation on the roof provides an air space as insulation so that other, more expensive, materials are not needed.

"There are currently few practical approaches, but everyone wants a permanent home," said Mehta. "Temporary houses are probably a better choice for some because they incorporate different cultural designs."

The Maasai people of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania built stick structures tied with string and coated in mud and dung for insulation. Periodically they needed to add another layer of mud and dung. Now, many Maasai build with tin roofs. The hole that used to be left to let in the morning light no longer exists and the houses are more difficult to maintain and to move.

"People see western stuff as better, more modern and therefore they think it is good," said Mehta. "Traditional homes can be just as cool, and maybe more sustainable."

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This news release is available in Spanish.

Cobia, a promising fish for aquaculture, lives throughout the world's oceans except in the Central and Eastern Pacific. In August 2015, a large number of young fish escaped from offshore cages in Ecuador. Cobia have recently been reported from the Colombian and Panamanian Pacific coast, indicating their rapid spread from the release site. Voracious carnivores, cobia could have far-reaching impacts on fisheries and marine ecology in the Eastern Pacific, Smithsonian scientists warn.

"The havoc caused by invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish throughout the Caribbean provides a compelling lesson about the strong adverse effects that alien marine fish can have on naive ecosystems," said D. Ross Robertson, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

"The extraordinary success of the lionfish in the Caribbean is due in large part to its being a type of predator with no near relatives or ecological analogs among the Caribbean fish fauna," Robertson said. "As cobia is the only species in its family, which is most closely related to remoras or shark-suckers, it too represents an unusual type of predator for the tropical East Pacific, which only increases both the degree of uncertainty about its effects and the potential for major disruption of the area's ecosystems."

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) are streamlined in shape with nearly smooth skin, brown above and white below, with a darker brown stripe on the side. Young fish have strong horizontal dark brown and white stripes. They attain a maximum length of two meters (78 inches) and maximum weight of 78 kilograms (172 pounds). They eat crustaceans (especially crabs), squid and fish. Cobia are also known as black kingfish, black salmon (although they are not related), ling, crabeater and several other names.

The species is found in warmer waters on both sides of the Atlantic, and throughout the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. Cobia occur both offshore and in coastal waters and estuaries and are highly migratory. Eggs and larvae float among plankton, making them capable of spreading widely.

Cobia are considered to be an excellent food fish, with firm texture and good flavor. Although the species is relatively uncommon in most of its natural range, it has high potential for aquaculture due to its hardiness and exceptionally fast growth. Cobia are now being cultivated in Taiwan, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Belize, Brazil and on Panama's Caribbean Coast.

Many introduced or non-native species have little or no adverse effect on local ecosystems. However, some become invasive and harm native species via predation, competition or other negative effects. Although examples of invasive species are common in land and freshwater habitats, until recently there were no documented cases in marine environments. In the early 1990s, Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois sp.) were introduced to the Florida/Bahamas area, and have since spread throughout much of the Western Atlantic and Caribbean. Rapacious predators on shrimp and fishes and protected from being eaten by venomous spines, lionfish have produced dramatic changes in coral reef communities in their new range.

Fishermen, marine resources agencies and marine ecologists should be aware that cobia are now present in the Eastern Pacific and the potential deleterious effects they may have. While it is not yet certain that they will become established, their broad environmental tolerance and rapid growth make this a distinct possibility. Catches or sightings (verified with photographs) of cobia in Pacific waters should be noted and reported to D. Ross Robertson at drr@stri.org.

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The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www.stri.si.edu. Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9JDSIwBegk.

Castellanos-Galindo G.A., Baos R., Zapata L.A. (in press) Mariculture-induced introduction of cobia Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766), a large predatory fish, in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.Biological Invasions Records. http://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2016/Accepted/BIR_2016_Castellanos-Galindo_etal_correctedproof.pdf
To convert our planet's consumption of fossil fuels, we need to develop new technologies that can ensure that we have electricity, fuel, and the necessary chemicals when we no longer can use fossil resources.

With a large grant of DKK 150 million, VILLUM FONDEN supports the establishment of the new research centre 'VILLUM Center for Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals', which will be anchored at DTU Physics in Lyngby. This is VILLUM FONDEN's biggest research initiative ever.

The new centre at DTU will be headed by Professor Ib Chorkendorff who will bring together a team of researchers from Stanford University, the University of Copenhagen, and the University of Southern Denmark, among others. In the next eight years, the group will concentrate its efforts on developing the much-coveted technology that can ensure a fossil-free energy and fuel as well as chemical production.

Professor Ib Chorkendorff says: "The grant gives us a unique opportunity to contribute to the green transformation of global society. We will also get a rare chance to test ideas along the way, which are in high risk of not succeeding, but again have the potential to become the technological breakthroughs the world needs. We are facing numerous and very complex technological challenges, and we cannot solve these alone. But we can provide a valuable contribution and help pave the way to a society where prosperity and growth are not based on the extraction of fossil resources that harm the climate, the environment, and biodiversity," says Professor Ib Chorkendorff.

DTU's President Anders Bjarklev, states that DTU is extremely pleased with the grant which supports the University's vision for sustainable value creation. He adds:

"The world is facing major technological challenges that we must solve before we can carry out the green conversion in our societies. Even though it is desirable to stop the consumption of fossil fuels today, it is truly unrealistic. We still lack technology that can replace the fossil fuel resources in, for example, aircraft fuel, in the chemical production, and, to some extent, also the energy supply. Many of the green technologies which we will need are either not mature nor invented yet."

VILLUM FONDEN is the majority shareholder in the VKR Group, which includes, among others, VELUX, and it is on the occasion of VKR Group's 75th anniversary in 2016 that VILLUM FONDEN has taken this extraordinary research initiative with the grant of DKK 150 million VILLUM FONDEN invited all Danish universities to come up with project proposals for 'a research or development project with the potential to make a significant contribution to the long-term protection of the Earth's climate, the environment, and/or biodiversity."

The project proposals received have since been thoroughly evaluated by an international committee of independent scientists.

Jens Kann-Rasmussen, Chairman of the Board of VILLUM FONDEN, says:

"With this initiative, VILLUM FONDEN wishes to make a significant contribution to the long-term protection of the Earth's climate and the environment. The research centre will be a powerful vehicle for reaching this goal. We hope that the research conducted at the new centre will be of the highest standard and that the results will provide a contribution to a future without fossil fuels. There are no guarantees when backing basic research, but as a philanthropic foundation, it is our privilege to be able to contribute and assume such a risk."

"A grant of this size is possible only because the employees in our Group every day work very hard so that we, as a foundation, can support ground-breaking research. We are very proud of this," says Jens Kann-Rasmussen.

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Additional information:

Professor Ib Chorkendorff, tel. +45 45 25 31 70, email: ibchork@fysik.dtu.dk

Press contact Eva Beckmann, VILLUM FONDEN, tel. +45 20 84 20 85, eb@veluxfoundations.dk
This news release is available in German.

Whether an animal or plant community remains stable despite external impacts does not depend on biological diversity alone: asynchrony across the species is also a crucial factor. The more asynchronous the species in an ecosystem fluctuate in their abundances, the less likely it becomes unstable. As a result, diversity takes second place in terms of the factors to be considered in the context of ecosystem stability. A team of scientists spearheaded by the TU Munich and TU Darmstadt have published these findings in the journal Nature Communications.

The long-term functioning of ecosystems depends on the stability of their species communities, as these ensure the functioning of the entire system. However, land use causes a reduction of the number of species in many ecosystems. Accordingly, when it comes to conserving species diversity and providing sustainable protection for natural resources, the stability of such animal and plant communities is the main goal of nature conservation and ecosystem management. In principle, higher species diversity and greater asynchrony can increase the stability of the species community. But if land use is intensified or changed, which of these factors - species diversity or asynchrony - is more important?

Six-year-plus study on over 2,600 species

For their study, the researchers evaluated over 2,600 species ranging from insects and spiders, to birds and bats and through to herbaceous plants over a period of six years. Data from 150 forests and 150 pastures and meadows located in three regions in Germany were collated. "The results show that a change in the use of a landscape, for example when a managed forest is converted into grassland, destabilizes the animal and plant community," explains Dr. Martin Gossner from the Terrestrial Ecology Research Group at the TU Munich. "Similarly, the intensification of land use results in the destabilization of the animal and plant community and this, in turn, impairs the entire ecosystem," adds Dr. Nadja Simons (also from the TU Munich). Animal communities presented a stronger reaction here than their plant counterparts. The most severe reaction by far was observed among birds and bats, which can therefore be seen as indicators of land-use intensity.

The more asynchronous the species, the more stable the ecosystem

What is new about the insights gained in this study is the extent to which the asynchrony of the species can increase the stable interplay of animals and plants in an ecosystem: "The more asynchronously the species develop and act, the more stable the system," says Prof. Nico Bluethgen from the Department of Biology at TU Darmstadt. "We can compare it to the stock exchange, where risk-averse investors are encouraged not to put all their eggs in one basket and to create a portfolio of different securities instead. This is referred to as the portfolio effect. And, just as in nature, in order to cushion the impact of fluctuations in the investments over time, it is important that the portfolio not only contains a lot of investments but also different types of investments." Asynchrony thus assumes a key role in the interaction between diversity and stability. The scientists plan to investigate the factors that lead to greater asynchrony in further studies.

This joint project by several research groups was the most comprehensive study on the topic of stability to date and was carried out in the context of "Biodiversity Exploratories" research alliance. This alliance is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation). One of its express aims is to facilitate long-term studies of this kind, as impacts on the stability of ecosystems can only be studied effectively from a long-term perspective.

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The following universities participated in the research:

TU Munich

TU Darmstadt

Ulm University

University of Bern

University of Vienna

WWU Munster

Contact:

Dr. Martin Gossner, Dr. Nadja Simons

Technical University Munich

Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Management

Terrestrial Ecology Research Group

Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2

85354 Freising

Tel.: +49(0)8161-71-3713

E-Mail: martin.gossner@tum.de

nadja.simons@tum.de

Prof. Dr. Nico Bluethgen

Department of Biology

Technical University of Darmstadt

Schnittspahnstr. 3

64287 Darmstadt

E-Mail: bluethgen@bio.tu-darmstadt.de

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang W. Weisser

Technical University of Munich

Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Management

Terrestrial Ecology Research Group

Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2

D-85354 Freising

Tel: 08161-71-3496/ -3495

E-Mail: wolfgang.weisser@tum.de
PHILADELPHIA--(Feb. 12, 2016)--When breast cancer becomes advanced and spreads to other organs, patient survival is drastically reduced, prompting the need to explore the genes that may cause tumor cells to metastasize.

Now, scientists from The Wistar Institute have shown that one gene that was once thought only to be found in the brain is also expressed in breast cancer and helps promote the growth and spread of the disease. Additionally, they showed how a version of the gene with edited RNA prevents metastasis. The findings were published online by the journal Nature Communications.

If breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages, all patients who are treated successfully are alive five years after treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, when breast cancer metastasizes, or spreads from the breast to other organs, only about one in five patients survive more than five years. This significant gap in survival underscores the need to determine what causes breast cancer to spread. The causes of metastasis in breast cancer at a molecular level are not very well understood, so identifying regulatory genes that prompt this behavior could have a tremendous impact on survival, from early detection to the design of better treatment strategies.

"Metastatic breast cancer is ultimately what kills patients," said Qihong Huang, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program at The Wistar Institute and lead author of the study. "While early detection is critical, it does not help patients whose disease has spread, and so we wanted to determine what was causing this to happen."

The researchers analized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified 41 genes inversely correlated with survival in breast cancer. Huang and colleagues focused on one gene in particular: GABAA receptor alpha3 (Gabra3). The gene was particularly intriguing, since prior to this study, researchers believed that Gabra3 was only found in brain tissue.

There were three main reasons the researchers determined it was worth studying. First, it's highly expressed in cancer tissues, but not in healthy breast tissues. Second, it's a cell surface molecule and therefore something that could be potentially targeted by a drug. Finally, drugs that target Gabra3 are already available for treating other diseases like insomnia. The researchers showed that cells expressing Gabra3 were better at migrating and invading than their control counterparts, and Gabra3 showed metastasis-promoting activity in vivo, and animal models injected with the activated gene all developed metastatic lesions in their lungs. It does so by activating the AKT pathway, a cellular pathway essential to cell growth and survival in many types of cancer including breast cancer.

In some instances, though, certain types of Gabra3 are actually able to suppress breast cancer metastasis. This is closely linked to the RNA of the gene. RNA is a type of molecule similar to the DNA that encodes our genes, and recent discoveries have shown that RNA has a complex role in regulating how genes are turned on or off. In a phenomenon known as "RNA editing," small changes can be made to RNA nucleotide sequences even after they've been generated.

Huang and colleagues found that Gabra3 that had undergone RNA editing was found only in non-invasive breast cancers. When the RNA is edited, it suppressed the activation of the AKT pathway required for metastasis, meaning that breast cancer with this specific type of Gabra3 was unable to spread to other organs. This is particularly encouraging since signaling proteins called interferons can increase RNA editing activity and could therefore prevent Gabra3 from activating the AKT pathway.

"We believe this is the first time that anyone has demonstrated the importance of RNA editing in breast cancer," Huang said. "A combination strategy that that involves targeting Gabra3 while also upregulating the expression of RNA editing molecules could be an effective strategy for managing metastatic breast cancer."

In addition to further studying the role of Gabra3 in breast cancer metastasis, Wistar is actively seeking collaborative development partners to advance the targeted use of existing GABA-A receptor antagonists in Gabra3 overexpressing tumors. Furthermore, Wistar is interested in collaborations to develop blood-brain barrier impermeable GABA-A receptor antagonists as next generation oncology therapeutics.

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This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants R01CA148759, R01CA142776, 15 R01CA190415, R01-GM040536, and R01-CA175058, the Doctors Cancer Foundation, the Breast Cancer Alliance, W. W. Smith Foundation, Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation, ACS-IRG, National Natural Science Funds 81572834 and the Macular Vision Research Foundation. Core facilities support was provided by the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) CA010815 to The Wistar Institute.

Other co-authors of this study from The Wistar Institute include Kiranmai Gumireddy, Anping Li, Andrew V. Kossenkov, Masayuki Sakurai, Louise Showe, and Kazuko Nishikura. Additional co-authors include Jinchun Yan from the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle; Yan Li from Dalian Medical University in China; Hua Xu from Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology in China; Jian Wang from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China; and Paul J. Zhang and Lin Zhang from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. On the Web at http://www.wistar.org.
Two of the world's leading centres for evolutionary science will join forces to strengthen evolution research and education, through a new partnership deal announced today, Friday 12 February, for International Darwin Day.

The Milner Centre for Evolution, based at the University of Bath, was established last year and made possible by a generous 5 million donation from Bath alumnus, Dr Jonathan Milner. Its focus is on studying some of the fundamental evolutionary questions which still persist in biology, and using this insight to find new technological and clinical research applications. A key strand to its work is also in taking the message about evolutionary research out into the community.

It will now partner with the University of Oslo's Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES). CEES has been at the forefront of evolutionary science research for a number of years and, in 2007, was established as a Norwegian Centre for Excellence and international leader in the field.

By joining forces, the researchers hope this partnership will promote international excellence in collaborative research and will lead to important breakthroughs, in particular in applied healthcare.

Professor Ed Feil from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath explained: "Evolutionary biology underpins the whole of Life Sciences. Through our new Centre we're aiming to understand more about how and why species change over time. This new partnership between the Milner Centre and CEES will significantly boost our ability to achieve these aims."

Chair of CEES, Professor Nils Christian Stenseth, added: "The joining of forces between our two universities will certainly be a win-win collaboration, not least in terms of the greater exchange of students and early career researchers. I look forward to our collaboration."

Applied evolutionary research is at the heart of the Milner Centre for Evolution. It focuses on developing tools to tackle real-life challenges, like tracking bacterial disease epidemics or improving agriculturally important animals and plants. As part of this, Bath researchers are taking this message beyond academia, through improved public engagement.

A broad spectrum of complementary disciplines underpins the work of CEES in Oslo, such as population biology, statistical and mathematical modelling, genomics and a focus on ecology as a driving force of evolution via selective processes.

Professor Colin Grant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation) at the University of Bath added: "This kind of partnership between leading international research centres is central to boosting the impact of research in this fundamental area. Through increased research student and staff mobility, we look forward to welcoming our colleagues from Oslo to Bath and, in turn, finding new opportunities to engage in Norway."

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http://www.bath.ac.uk/projects/the-milner-centre-for-evolution/
A single toe bone found on Ellesmere Island in the 1970s is described for the first time

It's official: There really was a giant, flightless bird with a head the size of a horse's wandering about in the winter twilight of the high Arctic some 53 million years ago.

The confirmation comes from a new study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the University of Colorado Boulder that describes the first and only fossil evidence from the Arctic of a massive bird known as Gastornis. The evidence is a single fossil toe bone of the 6-foot tall, several-hundred-pound bird from Ellesmere Island above the Arctic Circle. The bone is nearly a dead ringer to fossil toe bones from the huge bird discovered in Wyoming and which date to roughly the same time.

The Gastornis (formerly Diatryma) fossil from Ellesmere Island has been discussed by paleontologists since it was collected in the 1970s and appears on a few lists of the prehistoric fauna there, said Professor Thomas Stidham of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. But this is the first time the bone has been closely examined and described, he said. Gastornis fossils also have been found in Europe and Asia.

"We knew there were a few bird fossils from up there, but we also knew they were extremely rare," said CU-Boulder Associate Professor Jaelyn Eberle of geological sciences a study co-author who conducts research on fossil mammals, reptiles and fishes. In addition to the Gastornis bone from Ellesmere, another scientist reported seeing a fossil footprint there, probably from a large flightless bird, although its specific location remains unknown, Eberle said.

A paper by Stidham and Eberle appears in the most recent issue of Scientific Reports, an open access, weekly journal from the publishers of Nature.

About 53 three million years ago during the early Eocene Epoch, the environment of Ellesmere Island was probably similar to cypress swamps in the southeast U.S. today, Eberle said. Fossil evidence indicates the island, which is adjacent to Greenland, hosted turtles, alligators, primates, tapirs and even large hippo-like and rhino-like mammals.

Today Ellesmere Island is one of the coldest, driest environments on Earth, where temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, said Eberle, also the curator of paleontology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History.

Originally thought to be a fearsome carnivore, recent research indicates Gastornis probably was a vegan, using its huge beak to tear at foliage, nuts, seeds and hard fruit.

A second Ellesmere Island bird from the early Eocene also is described by Stidham and Eberle in the new paper. Named Presbyornis, it was similar to birds in today's duck, goose and swan family but with long, flamingo-like legs. The evidence was a single humerus, or upper wing bone, collected by the same paleontology team that found the Gastornis bone.

Like Gastornis, Presbyornis was mentioned in several lists of Ellesmere Island fauna over the years but the bone had never been described, said Stidham.

Stidham compared casts of Presbyornis bones excavated in ancient Wyoming to the single bone from Ellesmere Island, including all of the marks for muscle attachments. "I couldn't tell the Wyoming specimens from the Ellesmere specimen, even though it was found roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) to the north," he said.

While the diversity of plants and animals on Ellesmere was surprisingly high in the early Eocene, one of the biggest challenges to life on the island may have been the Arctic winters, said Eberle. "Since Ellesmere Island is high above the Arctic Circle, the lights still went out there for several months of the year, just as they do today."

It is not known whether Presbyornis migrated north to Ellesmere Island every year or lived there year-round, said Stidham. "Given the fossils we have, both hypotheses are possible," he said. "There are some sea ducks today that spend the winter in the cold, freezing Arctic, and we see many more species of waterfowl that are only in the Arctic during the relatively warmer spring and summer months."

The paleontology team working on Ellesmere Island in the 1970s and who found the Gastornis and Presbyornis bones in the 1970s included Mary Dawson, Robert "Mac" West, Howard Hutchinson and Malcolm McKenna.

The new study has implications for the rapidly warming Arctic climate, primarily a result of greenhouse gases being pumped into Earth's atmosphere by humans.

"Permanent Arctic ice, which has been around for millennia, is on track to disappear," Eberle said. "I'm not suggesting there will be a return of alligators and giant tortoises to Ellesmere Island any time soon. But what we know about past warm intervals in the Arctic can give us a much better idea about what to expect in terms of changing plant and animal populations there in the future."

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The study was funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Natural Science Foundation.

-CU- Contact:

Jaelyn Eberle, CU-Boulder, 303-492-8069

jaelyn.eberle@colorado.edu

Thomas Stidham, Chinese Academy of Sciences

presbyornis@gmail.com

Jim Scott, CU-Boulder media relations, 303-492-3114

jim.scott@colorado.edu
CINCINNATI -- While approved generics are required to be equivalent to their brand-named counterparts in terms of active ingredients, some may wonder if a switch between generics could cause problems for someone who relies on daily medication to control a severe, chronic condition, like seizures.

A new study led by Michael Privitera, MD, professor of the Department of Neurology and director of the Epilepsy Center at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, tested two generic lamotrigine (prescription antiepileptic) products and found no detectable difference in clinical effects among patients in the trial. The findings were published this week in an advance online edition of The Lancet Neurology.

"Study results show that as long as patients adhere to their treatments, the two generics did not show any difference in their bioequivalence," says Privitera. "Consequently, it should give increased confidence to both clinicians and patients that existing regulations are providing generic drugs that can be safely substituted, even in cases where medicine is life-saving. Patients can now feel safe about substituting generics (of their antiepileptic drug) without concerns of interactions or undesired effects."

The study included 35 patients, adults with epilepsy who currently take lamotrigine, and looked at long-term dosing using two currently on-market epileptic generic drugs. The researchers took measures to ensure treatment adherence, a factor that can affect long-term trials. This trial used patient diaries, electronic medication monitoring and tablet counts to keep adherence to nearly 100 percent.

This study was initiated after several previous uncontrolled studies suggested risks with generic switching, but other studies showed no such risk. The American Epilepsy Society (AES) expressed concern over reported differences in antiepileptic generics. AES, the American Academy of Neurology and other professional societies had opposed patients substituting antiepileptic generics for people with epilepsy without consent of the physician or patient out of concern that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was allowing room for too much variability across formulations.

The need for effective generics is essential to some patients who need daily medication to treat serious conditions like epilepsy. The FDA estimates $230 billion per year is saved by generic substitutions.

The FDA, who had not tested generic-to-generic, agreed to fund three studies with AES and the Epilepsy Foundation (EF) as co-funders--referred to as EQUIGEN. This trial used two generics considered the most disparate products on the market, and in a double-blind study, switched patients from one generic to the others throughout the course of the trial.

Lamotrigine, a widely used drug for the treatment of epilepsy, is an ideal drug for this assessment, says Privitera, particularly because it has also been the subject of the noted problems with generic switches and complaints to the FDA. Additionally, it is considered a more sensitive drug, susceptible to drug-to-drug interactions.

With these new findings, a variety of factors could explain the cause for the previously reported inconsistencies, says Privitera. "One is the 'nocebo' effect, where patients and clinicians expect the generic products to be inferior, so the therapeutic effect is assumed to be reduced."

Other issues that led to concern over generic switching could be attributed to pill confusion--because every time a patient switches generics, the pill color or shape will change--or that the quality of generics are improving over time, says Privitera.

The study was developed through collaborative efforts of the authors, the FDA and several organizations holding widely differing views on generic safety, designed to address skepticism surrounding generic antiepileptic drug treatments, and clear up several criticisms of the standard generic drug approval process. While the study is limited to a drug used extensively in epilepsy and psychiatry, the implications of such findings extend beyond this particular drug, indicating that FDA standards for bioequivalence are appropriate.

To further confirm the findings in this study, a single-dose study of the same generic lamotrigine products is currently underway.

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The study's co-authors included researchers from Drake University, University of Madison-Wisconsin, University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Harvard Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, the office of research for the Food and Drug Administration and the University of Rochester.

This study was funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Privitera is president of the American Epilepsy Society. He does not cite any conflicts of interest.
West will describe how global and regional data sets can be used to identify opportunities for improving food security while protecting the environment

Paul West, co-director and lead of the Institute on the Environment's Global Landscapes Initiative, will present at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 12. West will discuss opportunities for subsistence farmers to enhance productivity while considering climate change, water availability and quality, and habitat loss.

In regions of the world where increasing crop yields is crucial to improve food security, smallholder farmers lack local data to help them make the best decisions. The talk will highlight work by GLI and other organizations, and illustrate how large-scale data sets can be used to target actions.

The takeaway, said West, is that "global and regional data sets can provide key insights into the opportunities and risks related to improving both food security and the environment in data-limited areas"

The talk, Sustainable Food Production in Data-Limited Regions: Insights from Global Analyses, is part of a panel discussion and Q&A to take place on Friday, Feb. 12 from 8-9:30 a.m. in the Marriott Wardman Park and Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C.

The Global Landscapes Initiative is a strategic initiative of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment that collaborates with leaders from around the world in agriculture and related sectors to develop solutions for meeting current and future global food needs while sustaining our planet.

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Daniele Nouy: 'Non-performing exposures are also still a serious prudential challenge in some countries, including Italy.'

The EUs banking union  the most ambitious integration project since the euro  hit a watershed as the Bank Resolution and Recovery Directive and Single Resolution Mechanismcame into force on January 1.

These bodies now operate alongside the Single Supervisory Mechanism, headed by Daniele Nouy, which assumed prudential control of eurozone bank supervision in November 2014. The common aim is to end taxpayer-financed bank bailouts, by bailing in bank equity and bondholders  relying on creditors for at least 8% of a lenders liabilities  alongside a bank-financed resolution scheme and a harmonized deposit guarantee programme.

But events in Italy and Portugal at the end of last year, before the BRRD came into force, raised questions about both governments commitment to new bailout rules and, by extension, the credibility of the new resolution authority.

In November, Italy used an industry-financed bailout fund which was provided with a short-term loan guaranteed by a state-owned postal savings bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP)  to inject 3.6 billion into four small banks. The intervention wiped out shareholders and junior creditors, while senior bondholders and depositors were protected. Italian officials deny fiscal backing, but there are questions over whether or not the bailout structure would have complied with BRRD rules against discretionary state backing.

Breach

More controversially, leading lawyers and bank investors argue that the bail-in of senior bondholders of Novo Banco in December breaches BRRD norms on the equal treatment of senior creditors and on the transfer of bonds to a third party.

Nicolas Veron, senior fellow at Bruegel, a European think-tank, says: BRRD defines the future stance on bail-in in theory, but it remains to be seen how it will play out in practice. While Novo Banco is no precedent for the future, it does underline the massive uncertainties that remain in that area, as do the recent cases in Italy.

Dan Davies at Frontline Analysts, a bank equity-research house, and a former investment banker, adds: Politicians wanted to get the Italian rescues done before year-end, precisely because they knew that once BRRD kicked in, they lost all powers to a supervisory architecture thats run from Frankfurt, with very little national discretion. At the end of the day, everything got done, and everyone who did anything had to get the ECBs blessing first.

Policymakers claim that the recent leg of the eurozone crisis and negative bank-sovereign feedbackare now over. The bond spread between Portugal and Germany, for example, is only 230 basis points. While this is, in part, thanks to the ECBs monetary actions, the SSMs market credibility has helped.

None of the banks included in the 2014 Comprehensive Assessment have collapsed, in sharp contrast to the ill-fated EU stress tests of 2010 and 2011, Veron says. Greek banks raised equity from private-sector investors, vindicating the SSMs earlier assessment of their solvency, while analysts say the new supervisory regime imposes tougher capital and liquidity requirements than the national supervisors it has replaced.

Regimes

Reform advocates call for further harmonization to complete the banking union, including efforts to reduce the home bias of banks sovereign debt portfolios, and a specific, pan-European insolvency regime.

Veron explains: Bank insolvency law remains national, and so is the insolvency court system. Since bank resolution is defined as an alternative to court-ordered insolvency (no creditor worse off), this means that we are still far from a genuine single resolution mechanism. Taxation, consumer protection, housing finance, pensions, accounting and auditing are among the other areas that are still entirely or significantly national. We are still very far from a pure, complete banking union.

In a speech last November, Nouy stressed: There are still a lot of challenges ahead, most notably in terms of achieving the main goal of the SSM: ensuring fully harmonised prudential banking supervision in the euro area.

She added: Non-performing exposures are also still a serious prudential challenge in some countries, including Italy.

ECB board member Benoit Cure concluded in a speech in January that external and internal rebalancing was a prerequisite for further eurozone integration, as recommended by the Five Presidents Report, authored by heads of key European financial and political institutions.

Of immediate concern is Germanys resistance, citing fears over debt mutualization, to the European Commissions European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS), which EC officials say would complete the banking-union project, in the absence of fiscal integration.

Davies backs Berlin. This is a pretty daft idea because deposit insurance cant help with system-wide crises. Its also politically toxic because the German savings banks see it, correctly, as either a raid on their massive and massively solvent fund, or, also correctly, as an attack on their practice of bailing each other out to avoid washing any dirty linen in public.

For now, supervisory officials are content with focusing on more prosaic matters: to bolster the quality and transparency of data-sets and to harmonize audits while streamlining and centralizing decision-making.

On that front, Italian banks seemed to get a pass after the SSM clarified it would not be undertaking a new asset-quality review of the countrys lenders and didnt foresee new provisions or unexpected requests for additional capital.

The statement came after news of an SSM questionnaire sent to several banks in Italy fed fears over additional provisioning. Italian bank stocks sold off heavily last month. But the SSMs very exercise  to understand the governance of the NPL process management  underscores a more-fundamental point: it has the power to investigate NPLs on a granular, bank-by-bank basis, to audit the auditor and to harmonize valuation-practices, says Davies.

Aside from NPL supervision, theres an argument that regulators should now play second fiddle to the market in solving banks capital problems.

As Euromoney has reported in recent months,a lack of bank M&A and belated decisions on retooling business-modelsare key constraints on credit growth and bank earnings, rather than weak capital ratios per se.
James Ryerson at the New York Times has written what starts out as a nice essay reviewing several books on the theme of the New Atheism and the myth of science and faith locked in combat. Check out the riposte he cites (from James W. Jones) to the idea that religion is just a maladaptive holdover from our ancient evolutionary past.

All is well until Ryerson winds up to ask, You might wonder, then, why the conflict myth has such a grip on us today. The answer he offers is to blame, most curiously, the theory of intelligent design. His source on this is a new book from Cambridge University Press, Creating Scientific Controversies: Uncertainty and Bias in Science and Society, by philosopher of science David Harker.

Count the misconceptions as the pass. Ryerson writes:

You might wonder, then, why the conflict myth has such a grip on us today, especially given that polls indicate a good number of scientists believe in God.

This is a little misleading. Weve often noted the 1998 survey of members of the elite National Academy of Science that showed almost total disbelief.

One reason is the rise of intelligent design theory, which presents itself as a science but is thought by many to pit science against a tacit religious agenda.

This is bizarre. Like it or hate it, ID offers an explanation of lifes origins that, while relying strictly on scientific evidence and arguments and making no theological claims, would have the effect of healing a perceived rift with theism. This is the opposite of pitting science against religion. As for IDs agenda, if thats different from its stated aim of offering a better scientific theory than Darwins, that could be known only by recourse to mindreading.

He goes on to introduce Harkers book, which I havent read and which us[es] as case studies todays heated disputes over climate change, the anti-vaccine movement and intelligent design.

Proponents of intelligent design contend that at least some aspects of the biological or cosmological world can be explained only as the direct handiwork of an intelligent agent.

Can best be explained is more like it. As for nature being the direct handiwork of a designer, thats not a contention of ID. See biologist Michael Dentons new book, Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis, which presents what you might call the case for ID as the ultimate in front-loaded design. The advocates of intelligent design that Im familiar with make no claim to specify the method by which a designer interacts, directly or indirectly, with the handiwork that constitutes the cosmos or biology. Im not sure, as a scientific matter, how that could be known. Philosophy might be of more use in suggesting an answer. See Ann Gaugher, Whats the Mechanism of Intelligent Design?

Harker is aware there exists no simple litmus test that distinguishes science from pseudoscience. (Sorry, Karl Popper fans, falsifiability wont do.) But he does argue that the intelligent design movement features three indicators that strongly suggest it is not engaged in a genuine scientific debate.

Here we go. The first indicator:

First, the movements dominant emphasis is on raising doubts about a mainstream view, not developing and testing positive theses of its own.

In fact, ID does both  critique Darwinian theory and present a testable alternative. See Stephen Meyers book Signature in the Cell, Chapters 18 and 19 and Appendix A as well as Casey Luskin, A Positive, Testable Case for Intelligent Design, and William Dembski, Is Intelligent Design Testable?

The second indicator:

Second, the target audience seems to be the general public, not the relevant expert community. (Media coverage of intelligent design far surpasses its representation in peer-reviewed journals.)

If anything, I think ID could be taken to task for couching its arguments at a level that might assume more background expertise on the relevant sciences than the general public possesses. We could do more by way of popularizing. And see here for Peer-Reviewed Articles Supporting Intelligent Design. Since when did the volume of media coverage become a criterion for evaluating a scientific theory? Anyway, how does media coverage of Darwinism stack up against support for the theory in peer-reviewed journals? Classic Darwinism is, in fact, embattled in precisely such venues, as Steve Meyer shows in Darwins Doubt.

The third indicator:

Third, the motivation appears to be a desire that the mainstream view be wrong, rather than a reason for thinking it inadequate.

Again, mindreading. And motivation, even if known, sheds no light on whether an idea is right or wrong. For that youd need to grapple with the relevant arguments, something Darwinists seldom do. I could cite motivations plainly evident in the writing of some evolutionary spokesman  see our comments on evolutionary biologist David Barash of the University of Washington, who obviously revels in knocking humankind off our presumed perch, according to tradition, as reflecting the image of God. That fact doesnt excuse us from mounting a scientific critique of his views or offering a compelling scientific alternative. More:

Intelligent design theorists will protest that they do have good reason for thinking evolutionary theory inadequate: for example, the appearance in the biological world of irreducible complexity, intricate systems that couldnt have arisen through a series of stepwise alterations as evolutionary theory requires.

This barely scratches the surface of evidence for design in biology and cosmology. Ryerson should go back and read the past months articles at Evolution News, for a start. But moving along:

Here, however, Harker quotes the biologist Michael Behe, perhaps the most sophisticated advocate of intelligent design, who has admitted that even in the case of an apparently irreducible complex system, one cannot definitively rule out the possibility of an indirect, circuitous route by which it was produced.

This is a quote from Darwins Black Box (p. 40). However, Behe goes on immediately to say, As the complexity of an interacting system increases, though, the likelihood of such an indirect route drops precipitously. He finds such indirect evolution highly implausible, and so do others outside the ID movement. Behe cites University of Rochester evolutionary biologist H. Alan Orr, for one, who says:

[W]e might think that some of the parts of an irreducibly complex system evolved step by step for some other purpose and were then recruited wholesale to a new function. But this is also unlikely. You may as well hope that half your cars transmission will suddenly help out in the airbag department. Such things might happen very, very rarely, but they surely do not offer a general solution to irreducible complexity.

Ryerson goes on:

By Harkers lights, this sort of concession is a telling sign that such thinkers are less interested in pursuing a promising avenue of scientific research  e.g., what might that indirect, circuitous route be?  than in gazing in wonderment.

What? First of all, Behe conceded nothing important. And gazing in wonder is lovely on a starry evening, but thats not what ID scientists and scholars do in their writing and teaching. I would invite Mr. Ryerson to confirm that for himself. By way of an initial exploration of ID, I offer him the evidence of Dr. Dentons new book, Stephen Meyers books, the lab work of Douglas Axe and Ann Gauger at Biologic Institute, the journal BIO-Complexity, or  most easily accessed of all  any random day or week of coverage here at Evolution News.

We are going to need to check out Harkers book, which Ryerson indicates is aimed at college students in an introductory philosophy of science course. College students! I hope theres more to it than Ryersons treatment indicates.
Darwin Day, February 12, will soon be here, and in addition to the usual celebrations we also see political posturing by some angling to take the respectable position on Darwins great contributions to science and humankind. Thus Arizona State Senator Andrew Sherwood (D-26) has introduced a resolution (Senate Resolution 1001) proclaiming International Darwin Day in Arizona. The resolution is as follows:

Whereas, February 12, 2016 is the 207th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin; and Whereas, Charles Darwin is recognized for the discovery of natural selection as the mechanism by which biological evolution occurs; and Whereas, Darwins discovery of natural selection continues to serve as the foundation for ongoing advances in science, health, philosophy, art, education and many other areas of modern life; and Whereas, Darwins strength of character is evident in the great courage, wisdom and honesty required to explore and publish the findings supporting natural selection as the mechanism by which biological evolution occurs; and Whereas, there is a consensus among the scientific community that Darwin made multigenerational, worldclass contributions to modern thought and that he belongs among the most influential scientific minds in history, including Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton; and Whereas, the anniversary of Darwins birth is an appropriate day to celebrate and to reflect and act on the principles of intellectual bravery and perpetual curiosity and the hunger for truth that contribute to the wellbeing of all people; and Whereas, the State of Arizona is rightfully proud of its commitment to growth in the biotechnology industry, scientific research and education, natural resource-based recreation and tourism, research hospitals, aeronautics and other areas made possible by ongoing innovation in the life sciences. Therefore Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona: That the Members of the Senate proclaim February 12, 2016 as International Darwin Day in Arizona.

The good Senator seems to think that Darwins discovery of natural selection as the mechanism by which evolution occurs is just settled science. Well, I suppose among the Darwinist true believers it is, but someone might want to inform Sen. Sherwood that the concept of natural selection as the driving force of evolution has fallen on hard times of late.

Perhaps someone should send him a copy of Michael Dentons new book Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis and for good measure Susan Mazurs book The Altenberg 16: An Expose of the Evolution Industry which reports on the serious doubts about evolution and natural selection expressed by several prominent evolutionary biologists.

It is encouraging to note that Sen. Sherwood introduced a similar bill last year that died in committee. Perhaps again this year cooler heads will prevail and the good citizens of Arizona wont have to put up with a host of politically motivated activities promoting an idea that is on its way out.

Image: Arizona State Capitol and State Senate, by Adavyd (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
After the filing of an academic freedom bill in Mississippi, HB 50, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger published a piece featuring some common misconceptions. And predictably, the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), the nations top Darwin lobby group, claimed the bill is anti-science. Permit me to alleviate concerns and clarify the nature of the legislation.

Its always helpful to read what a bill actually says. This one states, [T]eachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught

So, first of all, the bill only authorizes teachers to present scientific information regarding controversial theories. Areas outside of scientific strengths and weaknesses are outside of the legislation, which consequently would not protect instructors who teach about such matters.

Yet the NCSE claims:

House Bill 50, introduced in the Mississippi House of Representatives and referred to the House Education Committee on February 8, 2016, would, if enacted, allow science teachers with idiosyncratic opinions to teach anything they pleased  and prohibit responsible educational authorities from intervening.

That is flatly false. NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch echoed the fiction, telling the Clarion Ledger, Theres no reason a teacher couldnt say that women or blacks are inferior, or  that the Earth was flat or the sun goes around the Earth, and then couldnt be shut down by the administration.

What? Is Branch saying he thinks that, in 2016, racism, sexism, and geocentrism count as scientific ideas? Because thats the only way they could conceivably be protected under the language of the bill. Last time I checked, there were no scientific articles being published in mainstream peer-reviewed journals critical of round-earth theory  but there is indeed mainstream criticism of classic Darwinian theory.

For information on the scientific weaknesses in modern evolutionary science, see Casey Luskins accounts of uncertainty in origins science and controversy over evolution. And check out the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism list (with more than 900 PhD signers).There also seems to be some confusion about whether the bill would allow teachers to discuss creationism or religious beliefs. The answer is no. Public schools cannot legally teach creationism. The Supreme Court has long held that it is unconstitutional to teach religion in the classroom and that creationism is a religious belief (Edwards v. Aguillard). Remember, the bill only authorizes the teaching of scientific information and shall not be construed to promote any religious or nonreligious doctrine.

I dont see how that could be clearer. Promoting a religious idea such as creationism is not protected under this law. As Casey Luskin has pointed out, [I]f youre teaching religion, then youre not protected by an academic freedom bill. Since creationism has been ruled a religious belief by the Supreme Court, teachers who teach it would not be protected.

Neither does the bill authorize teachers to introduce intelligent design. First of all, teaching the strengths and weaknesses of neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory is not the same as teaching about ID. Perhaps more importantly, the bill only permits the teaching of scientific strengths and weaknesses of theories that are covered in the course being taught within the curriculum framework developed by the State Board of Education. Since intelligent design is not part of the curriculum anywhere in Mississippi, it would not be protected by the bill (indeed, we oppose pushing intelligent design into public school classrooms).

Its shame that a group like the NCSE enjoys such success in spreading misinformation. Mississippis legislation would advance quality science education in the state. In a joint issue on the theme of reform in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education, Nature and Scientific American noted, [S]tudents gain a much deeper understanding of science when they actively grapple with questions than when they passively listen to answers.

Make no mistake, Mississippis HB 50 is not anti-science as the NCSE claims. This academic freedom legislation would do a service to educational excellence in science. It does a disservice to students, and to the facts, to say otherwise.

Image: Mississippi State Capitol, by Charlie Brenner [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
Today is Darwin Day, marking the birthday of Charles Darwin, who is celebrated around the world as a secular saint. Everywhere there will be eulogies to neo-Darwinism as a philosophy, touting the support it provides to the mechanistic worldview and the notion that life is an artifact of time and chance. Darwinism in that sense, almost akin to a faith, is indeed going strong.

Yet Darwinism as a scientific theory remains, as it always has been, a highly speculative evolutionary model. My new book, Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis, makes that clear. I document in detail old ideas and new research that come together to severely undermine classic Darwinism and point to a new non-Darwinian paradigm for biology in the 21st century.

As the book shows, key features of the biological realm flatly contradict the Darwinian mechanism of natural selection and the notion that all features of living things are or were in some ancestral form adaptive. My new book is a sequel to my 1985 work, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, and it shows how the crisis has deepened over the past three decades.

To understand the core weakness of the Darwinian worldview, it is important to understand what Darwinian natural selection requires. The process will work its magic, building up functional structures in organisms, only when two very strict conditions are met: First, the structure must be adaptive  that is, helpful to the organism in flourishing in its environment  and second, there must be a continuum of structures, functional all along the way, leading from an ancestor species to the descendent.

That is, the thing we are trying to explain must in some way help the creature survive, and between the creature and the creatures ancestor there must be a gradual change, each step of which is stable and enhances fitness, or success in reproduction.

Problem number one is that there are a great number of complex structures in nature that are not led up to by known functional pathways, and imagining what these pathways might have been is in most cases very hard. But this challenge is greatly compounded by an additional problem: that in many cases complex structures convey not the slightest evidence that they ever performed an adaptive function in putative ancestral forms. This may come as a surprise to the student of evolution. The trade language of biology has focused on the concepts of adaptation, fitness, and utility for so long that it has in a sense blinded us to the universe of apparently non-adaptive order that permeates the entire organic realm.

For example, what is the adaptive fitness of the shape of a maple leaf? Or the shape of any leaf, for that matter? Nor are examples of seemingly non-adaptive order limited to the shapes of leaves. Some of the best examples are embedded deep within the biological world  among the characteristics that define and separate the basic kinds or types of plants and animals from each other.

Consider the pentadactyl (five-finger) design of the tetrapod limb, witnessed in the human arm and leg: one bone (the humerus in the upper arm, the femur in the upper leg), two bones (the radius and ulna in your lower arm, the tibia and fibula in the lower leg ), five fingers and five toes. This unique design occurs in the fore and hind limbs of all tetrapod (four-limbed) vertebrates, including human beings.

It is clear that in all tetrapod limbs the same basic design has been adapted to very different uses. However, given that the adaptive forms of the fore and hind limbs differ to some degree in every known tetrapod, it is very difficult to explain how the underlying pattern could have been arrived at so as to serve some adaptive end in a hypothetical fore and hind limb of an ancestral tetrapod. The Darwinian explanation, attributing the underlying structure to previous rounds of natural selection, is self-evidently ad hoc.

If we cant explain what specific adaptive function the pentadactyl design serves in any known extant or extinct species of tetrapod, there are no grounds for the Darwinian claim that there was some hypothetical species in some hypothetical environment where this unique design did serve some mysteriously obscure adaptive function in both limbs. In this case, even just so stories cant legitimate the Darwinian account.

The challenge to the Darwinian framework is not restricted to the tetrapod limb, but applies almost universally to a veritable universe of other novel structures  the insect body plan, the concentric whorl pattern underlying all flowers, and the enucleated red blood cell found in all mammals, which was the subject of my own doctoral work at Kings College in London.

Contributing further to the challenge inherent in so much non-adaptive order are revelations from the new field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). We now know that the paths of evolution have been highly constrained by a set of universally conserved developmental genetic mechanisms that transcend any immediate adaptive utility. Moreover, evo-devo implies that in the case of many novelties, internal constraints have played a decisive role in evolutionary origins.

In my new book, I detail vast quantities of evidence from the most up-to-date scientific literature, all supporting the radical idea that Darwinism played a very minor role in the history of life, and that evolutionary biology in the 21st century will have to seek an entirely new causal framework.

Darwinists will of course continue to insist that classic Darwinism can provide a completely plausible explanation of all evolutionary phenomena. But the reality is that Darwins theory is well past its sell by date. By Darwin Day next year, we can confidently predict the situation will appear no less dire, and likely even more so.

Editors note: Get your copy of Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis now. For a limited time, youll enjoy a 30 percent discount at CreateSpace by using the discount code QBDHMYJH.

Image credit:  highwaystarz / Dollar Photo Club.
Heres an evolutionary puzzle I had never thought about. Why do we have chins?

That bony protuberance at the end of your jaw may be hidden by a beard or a fleshy throat, but it is still there. Chimpanzees dont have chins, neither do gorillas, orangutans, spider monkeys, dogs, horses, frogs, or fish. Did you know that only humans have chins? I didnt, but then I never studied vertebrate anatomy. It seems that having a chin is diagnostic of being a modern human. Even Neanderthals may have lacked chins, though this is a matter of dispute.

So the question of the origin of chins quite naturally arises. It turns out that a number of scientists have thought about it. Writing in the journal Evolutionary Anthropology, James Pampush and David Daegling discuss all the ways researchers have tried to come up with an explanation for why we have chins. The article is tellingly titled, The Enduring Puzzle of the Human Chin.

The story has caught the attention of science journalists. The funniest is Ed Yong over at The Atlantic. Unfortunately he has taken all the chin jokes that I can think of. Melissa Hogenboom also wrote a piece for BBC Earth.

All those scientists cannot find a good evolutionary answer to the question. A chin doesnt make our jaws stronger for chewing. Or for taking punches  thats another theory. It doesnt aid with speech. It isnt involved with sexual selection since both males and females have chins (thank goodness). It doesnt open up our airways.

It isnt the result of living in groups and needing to reduce testosterone. Thats right  the hypothesis is that less testosterone allows us to live in social groups. Its called self-domestication. Reduced testosterone pulls back the mid face and exposes the chin, so the theory goes. Except that men have higher levels of testosterone than females and have larger chins, not smaller ones.

The last hypothesis: having a chin is a spandrel  a side effect of another adaptive change. The idea is that when we started eating soft food our jaws became weaker. The top part  the maxilla  shrank, and the teeth moved accordingly, but the mandible didnt shrink proportionately, and voila, we have a chin! The trouble with this story is just that. Its a story, with no way of testing it. Well, there were some animal experiments, unpleasant ones, but those yielded no conclusive evidence.

The authors conclude:

Each of the proposals we have discussed falter either empirically or theoretically; some fail, to a degree, on both accounts This should serve as motivation, not discouragement, for researchers to continue investigating this modern human peculiarity perhaps understanding the chin will reveal some unexpected insight into what it means to be human.

Perhaps it does reveal something important about being human. Perhaps no adaptive explanation for chins exists, because they arent adaptations  they arise from aesthetic considerations. Without a chin there would be no delicate curve of the neck in Swan Lake, no graceful oval shape to the face, no balance or proportion in portraits. Its not just that we are used to chins. We respond to proportion in all things, be it architecture, landscapes, or the spiral petals of a rose. The chin balances the face.

Now Ive gone all serious when all I intended was light-hearted comments on looking for adaptations in all the wrong places. Chin up. Im done.

Image credit:  YakobchukOlena / Dollar Photo Club.


Communities throughout Canada have responded to the Government's pledge to welcome 25,000 people from war tone Syria by offering to help them start a new life.While cities have always been a draw for refugees under the Government Assisted Refugees (GAR) programme many municipalities have expressed an interest in integrating them into their communities.Communities outside the traditional network of cities and towns that welcome GARs are being invited to develop a Community Partnership Settlement Plan, which prepares them to welcome Government-Assisted Refugees.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), in cooperation with provinces and territories, has established criteria for communities wishing to become welcoming communities for GARs and the application process will open soon.Municipalities that wish to welcome and integrate Government-Assisted Refugees must develop a plan that demonstrates that they have the necessary services in their communities to help refugees settle, integrate, and ultimately thrive in their new home towns.Municipalities will work with employment, housing, educational and other partners within their community to create a plan which will then be validated by the respective provincial or territorial government, and submitted to IRCC."I am proud of the outpouring of support I have seen from communities across this country. I am pleased that we will be able to welcome Government Assisted Refugees to even more communities," said John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.He explained that communities that wish to welcome Government-Assisted Refugees must have, among other things, a broad set of settlement services, available permanent housing and employment, and established partnerships with stakeholders.Official figures show that since November 2015 some 16,215 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada, of which 9,491 are Government-Assisted Refugees.
Hello There!Post our VISA Grant, we were ecstatic and were into disbelief how quickly we got our grants, exactly 92 days later and that too early morning IST hoursbelieve me opening eyes while scrolling your emails on your smart phone early in the morning was not so contending beforePost our grants we were sure that we have to make our trip quickly and only in month of Jan (due to some other commitments we have) later in the year which needs to be taken care of before we plan to migrate, so that answer our hurry for the trip, with that it was our 1st international trip together so we ( me and my wifey) were equally excited....We started looking for tickets and we knew we are not going to get cheap ones but still greed of getting something cheap took another 4 days, before we concluded on our tickets and finally we booked for Delhi to Melbourne via Bangkok through Thai Airways for 1.56 L (this is the cheapest what we could get with the minimum layover possible)Tip: If you are waiting for your grant and planning for your PR Validation trip  plan ahead and have tentative idea, this will help you save some time and you can try, talk to some agent to at-least block your tickets for some time (this might save some money which you can surely spend thereOk, so boarded our flight late in the night reached Bangkok early morning (their local time), layover for 2 hours some 45 mins. took another long flight for 8 hours to Melbourne, reached there at night about 9:30 their time.Immigration was super smooth, no questions asked, Passport Stamped  Arrived with a smile on face saying enjoy your stay in Oz land.Please Note: Do declare about alcohol, cigarettes and medicines on your Immigration form, they do take it seriously  if you have proper prescription for medicines and alcohol/cigarettes in permissible limit or if you are ok to pay custom charges, you should be OK!Now, flight was good and we didnt feel tried at all, blame it to our excitementWe have our friends in Melbourne, so they came to pick us up from Airport, so it was easy!If you dont have friends or relatives coming to pick you up, not to worry! grab a Melbourne booklet from Airport (they are easily available for FREE) I found the entire booklet very informative - maps were pretty much straight forward and very user friendly, had all major or smaller suburbs properly marked with important train stations with other required details. Look for the details for Train, Trams and Buses  you will get all!Now the Options to reach your destination:You can hire a Cab  Cost you anywhere near 70 Dollars or more, insanely expensive.orYou can get a Sky bus  18 Dollars for a Person and it will take you to Southern Cross station, from here you can get train to your nearest station and from there a cab to your place.We reached our friends place, very very welcoming (didnt knew people will meet you with same excitement and happiness after long 9 years), we love them to bits - (more about our stay later!)We ate and slept like babies, woke up to a lovely morning!Day 1  Friends decided to take a day off but we insisted them to carry on with their work and emphasized on going out by ourselves certainly to get to know local culture, environment, facilities, people they supported and why not  its a lovely placeWe called a cab and reached nearest station (we stayed at Kingsbury nearest station Reservoir)  we paid 12 dollars for approx. 4 Kms. (are you converting it in INR  I did tooOur friends told us to buy Myki cards  It is like a Pre-paid card which can be used for your daily transportation on (Train, Bus, Tram) also available at any Local Grocery shop or station.Bus, Train and Tram connectivity is excellent - so not to worry!.I asked for two cards and asked the person to recharge it for 2 days travel only. Took the train, reached Melbourne CBD and stepped down at Flinders Street Station.1. Walked to Melbourne Sea Life  For us visiting 1st time, it was on the list, nice experience.2. Mighty MCG - magnificent tour for MCG took us in awe  do plan to reach before 1 PM AET, last tour ends at 3:30 PM AET3. Went to Rod Laver Arena  Though tickets were not booked for Australian Open but did get to click some photographs from the outside  Thanks to the Guard there4. Degraves Street is not to be missed  Famous for its road side cafe and pubs  super place!5. Graffiti Street  There is a tiny little street with full of artistic graffiti, if you can like them you should not miss this one!6. Elizabeth and Swanson Street  Famous again for the typical downtown streets with live bands, open air cafe, shopping and lazing around (lot of opens to sit and spend time)7. Eureka Sky Deck  Mesmerising view of the city from 88th Floor, scary and exciting at the same time8. River Quay  Across the Yaara River bridge lies the pool of cafes and pubs with lots and lots of greenery  you can walk down or sit down for a quick cup of coffee or a glass of beer (as per the tasteWith all these to do and visit we walked around 20 KMs and yes I mean it and we were not tried, no honking of cars, no pollution, easy attitude, with so many people you will still have place to sit and relax, no hurriedness everything was so perfectly planned and arranged.In the evening we went to St. Kildas beach with our friends and had a lovely evening.Day 2  We woke up pretty late as we knew we have a match to watch in the evening and again went to CBD for some shopping at (H&M and MYER) very expensive malls  please do avoid if you are with your wives (alas!! I fell into the trap)Evening - Australia vs India 2nd T20 at the MCG  of-course INDIA won and the place was all lit up with Indians chanting Jai Hind, Tri colors and Dhol with Bhangra  Treat to eyes, we were not able to believe out of 73000 people at the MCG 65000 were INDIANS alonePlease Note: If you are visiting Melbourne during any match schedules  do plan to watch them totally worth the price!!It never looked like we were out of India, each and every corner was filled with native countrymen and their families, Melbourne have a very strong Indian Community  you will never feel far away from home.All Indian restaurants were filled and we didnt get any seats till 2 AM :boxing:Ok, now alternatively what you can do  few options:1. Great Ocean Road, 12 apostles, Philip Island (Penguin Parade)  Do take 2 days into account while planning, there are many tour operators for a day trip  but 2 day is worth a price2. Werribee open range zoo  too far from CBD  Please plan accordingly  A Day trip3. Melbourne Zoo  worth a visit, you can reach early and come back in the evening - A Day TripDay 3  Again post partying hard we woke pretty late, after breakfast just went to a nearby beach for lazing around (weekend started), came back in the evening and got ready to visit the famous CROWN CASINO.It is a must visit place on any day (but weekend preferred), it is so beautifully put up  it is surely treat to your eyes. This complex has a huge CASINO for upto 2 floors, Movie hall, Clubs, Shopping Arcade, Restaurants and what not.Before entering i promised myself not spending more than 50 Dollars there! But destiny had something else in store for me, starting at the cheapest table of 2 Dollars and 50 cents even beginners luck was too far from us and we lost more than 80 dollars, I half-heartedly stopped after looking at my wife (who was sarcastically smiling at me for the greed againSuggestion  Dont even think of carrying your wallet - Debit or Credit Card with you  keep only 50 Dollars in your pocket and that should be the only amount with youWe came back very late at around 4 in the morning  that is the pull of this place.Day 4  We woke up early as we have our flight back to India in the afternoon, friends dropped us at the airport and we came back with bag full of happy and contended memories.What we learned most importantly - Stay away from the people who have negative energy or thoughts with them, your 1st trip should strengthen your faith and belief about yourself and not degrade your confidence about coming back and starting a new life.So this was the fun part and visiting places having fun was not only we did  we checked for places where we can rent an accommodation, where to open bank accounts, what is the best approach to get a skilled job, where to look for groceries, furniture, car and other things which is important for people like us..More about it in later posts.Hopefully this entire write up did not bore you!Thanks for readingCheers!!
OK, sorry. Just didn't fancy having long conversations on a forum that's all. Sometimes it's easier to just have a conversation and not be all formal.



Yes I have but since we can't meet the financial requirement without me returning to the UK for over a year to work I've moved onto looking at the visitor visa before we apply for a spouse one.



So I'm moving back to the UK to get back into working and we want to apply for a visitor visa. It says you can stay for up to 6 months but will they actually give him 6 months?



And after this 6 months can he apply again for another 6 months? Because I can see the rules saying that ""You can?t.. live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits".



I think that means he will probably be denied the second time around right?



The visitor visa also says: "How long you can stay



You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months.



You might be able to stay for longer if: you apply (and pay an extra fee) for a long-term visit visa and you can prove you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period"



How viable is this option for our situation? Does "I want to spend time with my woman" class as a good enough reason to be granted an extended visitor visa? If he had that could he come for X amount of months, go home for a few weeks, then return, etc etc?



Basically while I'm moving home to work on the financial stuff we really don't want to be apart for an extended period of time regularly.
A 20-year-old man was sentenced in front his girlfriend and 2-week old daughter Thursday for his involvement in a 2013 rollover crash that endangered at least nine minors.

Darien Cordell Martin, now a three-time felony offender, told Judge Mary Jane Knisely he was ready to turn his life around.

"I mean I've been through a lot," Martin said. "I know I used to get into a lot of trouble. I really do want to do treatment and move on with my life, honestly."

Martin's public defender, Edward Werner, had secured a plea deal with the Yellowstone County Attorney's office to have eight of the 11 charges against him dismissed. Martin had the potential to be sentenced to a four-year deferred sentence for felony criminal endangerment to run concurrent with a three-year deferred sentence for a charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

Martin's plea deal also included a year in jail, suspended, for a misdemeanor charge of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

He could also have been screened for Knisely's veteran's treatment court, but turned down the opportunity because he was working a full-time construction job.

"You had the opportunity to be in a program that would have covered the cost of every single thing that you needed to do," Knisely said. "You were too busy. You could have killed a family with five children in it, not to mention the other youths who were in your car."

Knisely rejected the plea agreement and sentenced Martin to five years with the Montana Department of Corrections all suspended and ordered him to attend treatment. Knisely said she had tried to prevent Martin from the permanent felony record, but that his actions did not warrant the reprieve.

According to charging documents, Martin was involved in a two-vehicle crash on July 12, 2013, at the intersection of Grand Avenue and 24th Street West.

He was driving a Toyota Corolla east on Grand Avenue, crossing multiple lanes, in and out of oncoming traffic. Martin drove onto the sidewalk outside Western Security Bank, 2401 Grand Avenue, where the Corolla began to fishtail and eventually roll. The vehicle rolled into another vehicle stopped at the intersection. The driver of that car was able to maneuver out of the way to avoid the brunt of the Corolla's impact.

A second vehicle had five minors under age 12 inside, along with the driver. Martin's vehicle had four teenagers inside, all of whom were hospitalized. A 15-year-old was seriously injured.

Martin's passengers told police he'd inhaled Dust-Off, a spray cleaner, moments before losing control of the vehicle.

Martin was charged with one felony and three misdemeanor charges of negligent vehicular assault, six charges of felony criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor first offense DUI.

In addition, he was charged with one count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs for participating in a burglary prior to the rollover crash. Martin was accused of being one of an unknown number of boys who used a bat to hit a high school student and steal things from his vehicle.

When Martin's truck was searched after the burglary, just over one and a half ounces of marijuana were found. Officers also found latex gloves, a bat and an orange face mask, according to the search warrant.

Knisely also ordered Martin to write an apology to the family he'd crashed into. She also ordered him to pay a fine of $1,200, and $700 restitution to go to the crime victim's restitution fund.

Martin left the courtroom with his attorney, girlfriend and baby daughter. Sitting on a bench just outside Knisely's chambers, Martin broke down in tears.
A woman whose divorce and custody case was handled by Yellowstone County District Judge Russell Fagg has sued the judge for his deprivation of her right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Benette Johnson, who represents herself in the case, has filed a civil suit in Yellowstone County District Court. The case is now before Yellowstone County District Court Judge Mary Jane Knisely.

Johnson claims in the suit that Fagg plotted against her, harassed her and was biased in favor of her ex-husband and her adoptive parents. She is asking for $10 million in compensation and a requirement that Fagg "not disclose, in any way or to anyone, the details of this complaint."

"I bet a hundred bucks the suit will not see March," former Montana Bar Association President Mark Parker said Thursday.

Parker's bet is a good one, as Montana law states "a member, officer, or agent of the judiciary is immune from suit for damages arising from the lawful discharge of an official duty associated with judicial actions of the court."

When it comes to suing a judge, "it can't be done," Parker said.

Montana Supreme Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin said the Supreme Court has seen cases like this before. Standard practice is for the Supreme Court to appoint the judge being sued a lawyer and have the lawyer file a motion to dismiss. The presiding judge can then dismiss the case.

McLaughlin said to her recollection, people who sue judges have always represented themselves.

If someone disagrees with a verdict or judge's decision, they have several avenues open to them to get a different result, McLaughlin said. They can appeal to a higher court, they can try to substitute the judge, they can appeal to the judge directly and they can not vote for the judge's re-election.

Suing them is not the right way to handle it, McLaughlin said.

"The term is absolute immunity," Parker said. "The law is ancient in origin. A judge could not function if litigants could barrage them with litigation. No one would take the job."

Fagg has presided over Johnson's case since 2011. Due to the civil suit, the ongoing custody suit was moved to Knisely's docket. On the same day the suit against Fagg was filed, Johnson filed suits against her adoptive father, ex-husband and two others.
New Zealand may be the worlds largest dairy exporter, but the countrys milk prices have plunged, causing farmers to operate at a loss.

According to Bloomberg, New Zealand was once known for its sheep population, but that number is down to 29.5 million. The source reports that there are now 5 million cows in New Zealand, more than its human population. The increase in cows is attributed to 2007s record milk prices and high prices in 2013, but now dairy prices are low, along with low global oil prices.

To deal with the loss of income, some New Zealand dairy farmers have turned to tourism to make a living. As Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit enthusiasts know, New Zealand is home to the set of the Shire. Dairy farmers near Hobbiton offer accommodations and an authentic farm experience to tourists. However, it isnt likely that tourism income will be enough to put dairy farmers back in the black.

Via: Bloomberg > Can Hobbit Tourism Save These Troubled Dairy Farmers?
RPA says more Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments have been made this week taking the total number of claims paid to farmers to 68,572 representing 78.7% of all eligible farmers in England and 1.043 billion, out of a fund of 1.43 billion.

Claims will continue to be paid by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) throughout February as they are checked and completed. Remaining claims such as commons, inspections and cross-border cases are being progressed as quickly as possible. Farmers in these groups have been contacted to let them know when they can expect to be paid from.

RPA Chief Executive Mark Grimshaw said: We understand the importance of these payments for farmers and every effort is being made to pay farmers as quickly as possible. We are listening to farmers and understand that they want more communication.

We know that farmers need as much information as possible to manage their business. That's why we have been making regular announcements on the progress with BPS 2015 payments and will continue to do so.

The RPA will continue to provide regular updates for farmers on the status of their BPS 2015 payments, including through farming networks and by contacting individual farmers.

The RPA is working with a range of voluntary organisations to support farmers experiencing hardship. Any farmers wanting help and advice should contact the Rural Payments helpline on 03000 200 301 in the first instance.
New report backs farmers' calls for better waste crime policies
Yellowstone County has agreed to pay a former jail employee $275,000 to settle a complaint that the sheriffs office discriminated and retaliated against her because of disabilities.

Kevin Gillen, the countys chief civil litigator, said this week that the parties reached a settlement for $275,000 during a mediation session last Friday. The county will pay $250,000 of the settlement, while $25,000 will be paid by the countys insurance through the Montana Association of Counties, he said.

The case had been set for a contested hearing next month before a hearings officer with Montana Department of Labor and Industrys Human Rights Bureau.

The former employee, Jolene Wilson, filed a charge of discrimination in October 2014 against Yellowstone County. She alleged the sheriffs office had discriminated against her based on a disability when it placed her on administrative leave and required her to undergo a fitness-for-duty examination. She also alleged the county engaged in retaliation.

Alex Rate, a Livingston attorney who, along with co-counsel Tim Kelly of Emigrant, represented Wilson, said mediation was not required but that all the parties agreed this was a case that was a good candidate for resolution prior to a hearing.

Wilson, who had worked as an administrative coordinator since 1997, initially filed a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Bureau against the county in January 2014 alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. An investigator reached a no cause finding on the complaint.

Wilson filed another complaint in October 2014. This time, an investigator concluded there was cause to believe unlawful discrimination and retaliation had occurred, and the case was set for a hearing.

The October 2014 complaint was Wilsons third complaint against the county. In 2010, Wilson filed a discrimination complaint alleging sexual harassment and wage discrimination by former Jail Commander Capt. Dennis McCave.

Gillen said there were no cause findings in Wilsons first two complaints.

Wilsons settlement is the second case involving a jail employee the county has settled in recent years. In 2013, the county settled a discrimination case for $101,500 after former jail employee Dana Dotson alleged sexual harassment and discrimination because she was hearing-impaired.

Rate also represented Dotson.

Wilson filed the October 2014 complaint after Jail Commander Capt. Sam Bofto placed her on paid administrative leave on Aug. 19, 2014, and followed up with a letter requiring her to submit to a fitness-for-duty examination to determine the cause of behavior we believe to be interfering with your ability to perform the essential functions of your job, the bureaus final investigative report said.

Five days earlier, on Aug. 14, 2014, Wilson began having symptoms of hypertension, notified a sergeant she was leaving work and later got a medical test that indicated she was not in any physical danger, the report said. She returned to work on Aug. 18, 2014, and was placed on leave the next day.

Prior to this, Bofto had not approached Wilson at any time with concerns that a physical ailment, or something he felt was a disabling condition, was affecting her job performance, the report said.

Wilson provided the county a letter from her doctor saying that she was physically fit and able to return to work, but the county refused to accept the evaluation, saying it wanted Wilson to be evaluated by Occupational Health Division of Billings Clinic.

The county contracts with Billings Clinics Occupational Health for such evaluations to treat all of its employees the same.

A Billings Clinic doctor found that Wilson appeared to be physically fit and also advised that although unusual, the next step in the evaluation would be a neurophysiological exam, the report said.

Rate said that even though the neurophysiological exam did not find any disorder that would prevent Wilson from doing her job, the county nonetheless terminated her after it felt like she wasnt fit for duty. Wilson was cleared by her medical providers, but the county relied on one report that she was not, he said.

The county denied it discriminated against Wilson. Bofto explained to Wilson why she was being placed on administrative leave and that his letter focused on workplace issues, the report said.

The county contended that once behavioral and performance issues arose, it took timely action to assist Wilson with her issues, the report said.

While the county acknowledged it had received a letter from Wilsons personal medical provider saying she was fit for duty, the county said it was waiting for more information from Occupational Health to determine if Wilson was able to do her job. The county also said it must defer to recommendations of medical professionals regarding Wilsons return to work, the report said.

The bureau, the report said, acknowledged that an employer can require an employee to undergo a medical exam when health problems affect job performance. But this medical examination should be designed to determine the employees ability to work, the report said.

It was unusual, the report said, that when Wilson provided a release from her doctor, the county chose to ignore this relevant information on the grounds that its medical inquiry had been pushed over to another entity.

The report concluded that the county failed to establish that it had a reasonable belief based on objective evidence that Wilsons medical condition was interfering with her ability to perform her duties and could not establish that its reasons for placing Wilson on leave and requiring an evaluation were lawful.

Wilson also claimed the county retaliated against her because of her January 2014 human rights complaint. The final investigative report in that case was completed in July 2014, and Wilson was placed on leave the next month.

Because the administrative leave happened within six months of the resolution of Wilsons January 2014 complaint, the county had the burden to prove that it did not retaliate.

While the county said Wilson was unable to perform the essential duties of her job, it was unable to show a lawful motive in its actions, the report said.
Pitts: Mailer for Fayetteville council change misleading, say opponents

A former councilwoman who is Black, supports Vote Yes is wrongly depicted as a Democrat. Organizers say it was a mistake; opponents think otherwise.
The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control said Monday it fined Barclays Bank Plc $2.48 million to resolve potential civil liability for 159 apparent violations of the Zimbabwe sanctions regulations.

From July 2008 to September 2013, Barclays processed 159 banned transactions worth about $3.4 million through financial institutions in the United States, including Barclays New York branch.

The transactions were for corporate customers of Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited that were owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly, by a company on OFACs List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.



OFAC said,

This enforcement action highlights the importance for institutions with operations in countries with a significant presence of persons (individuals and entities) on the SDN List to take appropriate measures to ensure compliance with U.S. economic sanctions laws when processing transactions on behalf of their customers to, through, or within the United States.

London-based Barclays didnt voluntarily self-disclose the apparent violations, OFAC said, but the apparent violations [still constituted] a non-egregious case.

Barclays faced a maximum penalty of about $5 million. OFAC reduced the penalty because of the banks cooperation.

OFACs Zimbabwe sanctions started in 2005 (31 C.F.R. Part 541). The sanctions block money transfers through the U.S. financial system by or for blocked organizations or people.

Beginning in 2006, Barclays UK operations began screening cross-border transactions involving Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe (BBZ) and its customers. Barclays UK relied on BBZs electronic customer records for sanctions-related screening.

BBZs electronic records system didnt accurately capture or screen for beneficial ownership information for its corporate customers, OFAC said.

Barclays knew about the systems shortcomings and tried to fix them in 2007 and again in 2009. The work arounds were too cumbersome and little used.

Barclays anti-money laundering policies required the banks operations  including BBZ  to identify the ultimate beneficial owners of corporate customers.

But, OFAC said,

BBZs Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures were ambiguous and difficult to follow with respect to the requirement to identify related parties and/or beneficial owners of corporate customers.

As a result, Barclays UK was unaware of, and incapable of screening, this information for certain BBZ customers.

In July 2008, OFAC designated Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) under the Zimbabwe sanctions. BBZ maintained U.S. dollar-denominated accounts for three corporate customers owned 50 percent or more directly or indirectly by IDCZ and were therefore blocked persons.

Neither BBZ nor Barclays UK identified these customers as blocked persons at that time due to the aforementioned issues, however, and continued to process USD transactions for or on their behalf to or through the United State, OFAC said.

Barclays serviced the blocked accounts until September 2013.

Multiple business lines and personnel within Barclays, including supervisory and management staff in the banks compliance and audit functions, had actual knowledge or reason to know of the conduct.

Barclays failed to implement adequate controls to prevent the apparent violations from occurring despite numerous warning signs that its conduct could lead to a violation of U.S. sanctions laws, OFAC said.

OFAC said Barclays substantially cooperated with the investigation by producing detailed and organized information and signing a statute of limitations tolling agreement.

OFACs February 8, 2016 Enforcement Information is here (pdf).

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
The idea behind the plaster repair and repainting of the Western Heritage Centers walls and ceilings on the main floor is that visitors will barely be able to tell the difference  in most spots.

Since the century-old sandstone gem is our biggest artifact, it requires tender loving care, and occasional paint and plaster repair, said the museums interim director, Joyce Mayer.

The look was good, and now its going to be good through and through, Mayer said during an impromptu Thursday tour of the museum, constructed as the citys public library in 1901 with a 1923 addition.

The museum is closed until March 15, when staff will once again begin hearing the kind of noise they like to hear: curious students out on a field trip designed to teach them more about local history, said Lisa Olmsted, Western Heritage Centers business manager.

I like the sound of students running through here, she said. They make this a happy place.

The center needed a good bath and some paint, said Kevin Kooistra, Western Heritage Centers community historian. Aesthetically, it really lights up the place. This is one of our communitys great buildings, and it requires a lot of long-term care.

With the reopening less than five weeks away, weve still got a lot to do, he said, including re-establishing some exhibits and constructing and making space for new displays.

While the centers three full-time and two part-time employees all have job titles, those titles have essentially gone out the window with all the work that needs to be done.

Weve all taken a turn with a paintbrush, Kooistra said.

The work did push back one of the centers favorite traditions, Playapalooza, a family activity and fundraiser that allows children to play traditional games, including marbles, jacks, hopscotch and other pleasant diversions from a century ago. Playapalooza will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 at the center, 2922 Montana Ave.

The work on the county-owned building, according to Greg Erpenbach, Yellowstone Countys facilities manager, will cost $54,837  $38,721 for ceiling repairs and $16,116 for wall repairs.

With plastering nearly complete and painting well underway, the only significant difference is a change in hue in the East Gallery, which accessed by the centers main entrance. Gone is the old navy paint, replaced by white shade that makes the gallery appear larger.

It brings the eye up and highlights the architecture, Olmsted said. Repairing the plaster, she added, solved the potential safety issue of cracking plaster coming down on visitors, staff and volunteers.

The work and the fresh paint also serve to make the old building look newer than it is.

Artifacts and displays have been put away for safekeeping while the works being done, and some new exhibits have been timed for the March 15 re-opening. Those Noble Brutes: Engravings of the American Bison, 1749-1909, will run through June 4. History on Canvas: J.K. Ralston will be on display in the Hawkins Gallery through Sept. 1.

The High Noon Speaker Series will resume shortly after the re-opening. The initial speaker March 17 will be Elisabeth DeGrenier. Her talk is on Cities of the Dead: A History of Billings Early Cemeteries.

Staff remains on the job to answer questions even as the work continues. The telephone number is 406-256-6809. The website is www.ywhc.org.
'Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle has been slapped with a four-year driving ban after he was found guilty of drink-driving.

Brendan Coyle

The 52-year-old actor - who was known for playing valet Mr Bates in the popular period drama - was dished out the punishment when he appeared in court yesterday (10.02.16) after he was caught behind the wheel of his BMW convertible while three times over the alcohol limit in Norfolk in January.

The 'Noble' star was also hit with 12 months community service, ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work, told to complete 15 days rehabilitation, and pushed to cough up 85 in court fees and a victim surcharge for his boozy crime.

The judge heard that Brendan - who appeared in court under his real name David Coyle - had hit the bottle hard on board a flight back from Thailand, where he had spent the month of December in rehab, before he jumped into his plush vehicle and headed down the A149 near King's Lynn, Norfolk, at 8.30pm on New Year's Day (01.01.16).

The actor was pulled over and failed a roadside breath test, before he was taken to a local police station for a further test, which proved he had 98 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath.

Meanwhile, this isn't the first time Brendan - who is described as having a "significant" alcohol problem - has been convicted of drink-driving as he also committed the crime in 2011.
Adele donated eight pairs of tickets for her London shows to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Adele

The 'When We Were Young' hitmaker teamed up with the Give to GOSH charity to give lucky fans the chance to see her in concert at The O2 this year by handing over the tickets for a prize draw.

The 27-year-old singing superstar's support for the campaign started by The Independent and London Evening Standard newspapers to provide funds for the world renowned children's hospital follows in the footsteps of Sir Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp and David Beckham, who have long supported GOSH.

Tim Johnson, chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, said: "It is so wonderful that Adele has backed our appeal in such a generous way. These tickets are like gold dust and it's fantastic that we are able to offer readers a chance to win them in a way that will also support the Give to GOSH appeal. Adele is a record-breaking artist and this has been a record-breaking charity appeal so this feels like a fitting way to see out the final week of this incredible campaign."

'Adele Live 2016' has become one of the most highly-anticipated live shows of the year, with tickets selling out in minutes.

Adele will perform at The O2 for eight nights from March 15 to March 22.
Britain's Duchess of Cornwall spoke of her personal connection to osteoporosis as she collected her Honorary Degree from the University of Southampton.

Britain's Duchess of Cornwall

The 68-year-old royal was presented with the recognition by the university, which is based in the south of England, and remembered her late mother, who tragically died of the condition, which gives sufferers brittle bones.

Speaking to the audience, she said: "When my mother died in 1994, I knew scarcely anything about osteoporosis, but I was determined to find out more - and to find a way of helping other people avoid the same excruciating pain and disregard that she encountered in those bad old days."

Clarence House's official Instagram account also shared pictures of the day, including one of the Duchess accepting the honour from a member of the university.

The caption reads: "The Duchess, President of the National Osteoporosis Society, and a previous speaker for the International Osteoporosis Foundation, has been a champion for all who work with, or suffer from this debilitating disorder. This is a role close to The Duchess's heart, having lost her mother and grandmother to the disease.

"Her Royal Highness's work has been recognised today by The University of Southampton who have awarded her with an Honorary Doctorate of Science."

Duchess Camilla then toured The Centre for Hybrid Bio Devices Laboratory at the university where she met and chatted with researchers.

Another post on the site reads: "After receiving her Honorary Doctorate of Science, The Duchess visits The Centre for Hybrid Bio Devices Laboratory in the Institute for Life Sciences building at The University of Southampton. #UoSRoyalVisit #WomenInSTEM (sic)"
Britain's Duke of Cambridge joined mourners to remember the late Henry Worsley.

Britain's Duke of Cambridge

The 33-year-old royal attended a service at St Paul's Church for the Antarctic explorer, who tragically passed away mid-expedition last month.

Following the service, retired Colour Sergeant Andy Whatley, who served with Mr Worsley, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "He was an absolute legend, a fantastic man. People were told to come in colourful clothes because, let's say, Henry didn't tend to do things in the customary way, his attitude was 'why should it always be the same old, same old'. He was a gentleman and he has gone well before his time."

And Prince William was also on hand to attend a private celebration of Henry's life at the Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Meanwhile, the Prince previously praised Henry for his "courage" and being such an inspiration to others.

He said: "We have lost a friend, but he will remain a source of inspiration to us all ... Henry Worsley has achieved a great deal over this epic journey, and I am immensely proud of all his efforts.

"The courage he has shown is a source of inspiration for the wounded servicemen and women who benefit from his support of The Endeavour Fund."

Henry is survived by his wife Joanna and their children Max and Alicia.
Hidayet Karaca arrested 2nd time part of so-called parallel structure investigation.

Samanyolu Broadcasting Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca, who has been in prison more than a year, has been arrested for a second time as part of so called parallel structure investigation.

Karaca, arrested on charges of attempting to overthrow the government by force and violating constitution.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutors Office launched an investigation into the parallel structure in early 2015 and many Hizmet sympathizers have been accused of membership in a terrorist organization and arrested, despite the absence of any solid evidence.
In his 2013 book, Toward an Islamic Enlightenment-The Gulen Movement, Hakan Yavuz examines the structure of the Hizmet Movement by analyzing the authority, networks and opportunity spaces perspective. According to Yavuz, Fethullah Gulen argues that salvation cannot be found in the exit or withdrawal from social life. On the contrary, he advocates salvation in the midst of social and economic activities. The movement is an important case study for examining how religious ideas is put into practice and also how the followers of the movement give subjective meaning to their economic activities. To understand the movement, Yavuz looks at Max Weber`s idea of elective affinities in terms of the mutually constituted formations and rationalization of economics and religion. Weber argues that the human mind is driven to reflect on ethical and religious questions, driven not by material need but by inner compulsion to understand the world as a meaningful cosmos and to take a position toward it Yavuz analyze this from social and instrumental ties perspective.

The Gulen Movement is made up of a bundle of networks of ideas, practices, and instruments of mobility with the purpose of creating the necessary conditions that would allow the realization of their definition of being a good human being. Thus it is constituted by social networks in which followers form bonds through shared norms and goals. These bonds affect the relations between followers of the movement. In the networks the bonds determine the norms an patterns of behavior and lifestyle. These networks in turn form the community, or the movement, which blends the Weberian notions of social ties based on shared values and belief (gemeinschaft) and impersonal and formal instrumental ties(gesellschaft) of society.

Fethullah Gulen, Gulen Movement and Media

As the Hizmet Movement continues to pursue success in various venues, it draws wider groups into its activities. Yavuz states that, although being a spirituality based one, the movement is no longer only a faith movement. Rather, it is increasingly becoming a useful network for mobility and profit making by providing the necessary means and networks. According to Yavuz, One of Fethullah Gulen`s most remarkable achievements has been shifting Muslim energy away from mosque building and political Islam towards building educational networks to overcome ignorance, establishing dialogue institutions and cultural centers to combat disunity, and founding humanitarian aid organizations and relief agencies to alleviate poverty. Building public consensus via media and economic power through building competitive companies and financial institutions are also important to mention.

The Gulen Movement has organized itself in several areas. Its followers have established regional, national and international business associations to network among business community. With the support of these entrepreneurs, the movement has opened hundreds of schools and colleges in Turkey and around the world in 160 countries. It has the second largest media conglomeration in Turkey, the two largest daily newspapers, in Turkish and in English, six TV channels, two radio stations, a worldwide news agency, numerous publishing houses and a number of periodical magazines and journals. The movement also has private hospitals and health clinics, and has set up an insurance company and a non-interest-bearing bank.

Yavuz underlines that the Gulen Movement does not issue membership cards or offer an official joining ceremony. The movement leaves the door open for those who want to join its activities, or alternatively, leave if they are not satisfied. This free and flexible affiliation structure helps the movement to project itself as a voluntary civic association. The religiously rooted social and civic associations of Hizmet Movement take part in the public debate and expand the boundaries of the public sphere by incorporating diverse ideas and worldviews into discussion, which makes it unique.
Japanese investment fund Integral will acquire apparel company Itokin for an estimated 16.5 billion yen ($144 million) to lead its turnaround efforts, the Nikkei Asian Review has reported.Itokin's decision to get help from Integral in its rehabilitation efforts came as the company faced the prospect of imminent insolvency

Japanese investment fund Integral will acquire apparel company Itokin for an estimated 16.5 billion yen ($144 million) to lead its turnaround efforts#

Integral will obtain new shares in Itokin via private placement for some 4.5 billion yen to gain 98 per cent of voting rights. The fund plans to occupy more than half of the seats on the board, including the chairman.Established in 1950, Itokin is Japan's fifth-largest women's apparel company. The unlisted Osaka company offers such brands as Michel Klein and Elle. Slow to shed money-losing brands, the company had suffered losses for four straight years through January 2015.Integral will reduce brands to around 20 from the current 28, and consolidate stores to about 1,000 from 1,400. At the same time, it will promote mainstay brands such as Hiroko Koshino through store renovations. By pouring resources into e-commerce as well, Integral hopes to make the company profitable in the year ending in January 2017. The fund plans to raise the corporate value over three to five years, with possible plans to list it on the stock market.With the rise of specialty retailers of private-label brands such as Fast Retailing, known for its Uniqlo brand, traditional apparel companies like Itokin have struggled. Department stores, the main sales channel, have seen substantial declines in apparel sales over the past five years. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Myanmar based garment factory North Andaman Apparel will exhibit at both Apparel Sourcing Exhibition, which is part of Texworld, in Paris and Asian Sourcing in Berlin from 15-18 February and 24-26 February, respectively.

We are experienced in manufacturing and exporting products like shirts, blouses, premium quality baby dresses, children's wear, nightwear, swimwear, handwoven fabric, leather belts, gloves and shoes from Myanmar for nearly 20 years, and we deliver on time competitively priced quality garments, Richard Williams, general manager and director of the company, told Fibre2Fashion.

With our growing team of marketing, merchandising, quality and compliance, logistics and finance professionals, we offer global buyers highly competitive CMT/CMP and FOB in terms of price, quality and social responsibility, he added.

Myanmar based garment factory North Andaman Apparel will exhibit at both Apparel Sourcing Exhibition, which is part of Texworld, in Paris and Asian #

North Andaman Apparel has more than 12 garment factories and production co-operatives in Asia.

This will be the first year that North Andaman will take its stand at these exhibitions. During the events, the company officials would be present at stand L014 in Paris and at stand C48, hall 2-1 in Berlin to exhibit their various services.

Myanmar (formerly Burma) currently represents a tremendous opportunity for garment and apparel buyers worldwide. With the extension of GSP privileges to Europe, its apparel / garment industry has recovered to its former volumes with the likelihood of substantial further growth driven by Myanmar's highly motivated and eager workforce. (NA)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
If the Andhra Pradesh has its way, the state will soon have eight handloom clusters. The State Government has proposed the Ministry of Textiles to set up eight handloom clusters in Krishna district to boost the handloom industry under the Ministry's National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP).Each of the proposed clusters would be equipped with infrastructure to directly cover at least 300 handloom weavers and provide indirect employment for hundreds of workers, including women. The clusters can potentially relieve many weavers caught in a debt trap.

If the Andhra Pradesh has its way, the state will soon have eight handloom clusters. The State Government has proposed the Ministry of Textiles to #

We have already submitted a proposal to the Development Commissioner of Handlooms, New Delhi, recommending the need for setting up eight clusters in Krishna district. A sum of Rs. 2 crore will be sanctioned for each cluster, Assistant Director (Handlooms) Ch. Laxmana Rao told The Hindu.According to the proposal, four of the clusters are to be set up at Pedana and one each at Machilipatnam, Ghantasala, Mallavolu, and Polavaram in Krishna district. Each cluster will cover weavers in the surrounding areas.The cluster, a house of at least 300 handlooms, consists of work and yarn dying sheds. Experts in the fields of dying and designing will also share their expertise with the weavers to tap the market for their products, mostly sari, added Laxmana Rao.The clusters are likely to rescue the debt-ridden weavers caught in the grip of 'master weavers', who are actually money lenders who own handloom worksheds at the village level.The system had taken its toll in tiny towns of Pedana, Kappaladoddi, and Polavaram in Krishna district, forcing hundreds of weavers out of the industry.Under the NHDP, a weaver who owns 100 yards of land would be financially assisted to construct a workshed, apart from being trained in designing.In 2015 December, the State government announced a loan waiver of Rs.110 crore for weavers and the beneficiaries had also been identified in the district. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
China's cotton yield continued to decline in 2015 as acreage shrunk, official data showed.The country 's cotton yield decreased 574,000 tonnes, or 9.3 per cent, year on year to 5.6 million tonne, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

China's cotton yield continued to decline in 2015 as acreage shrunk, official data showed. The country's cotton yield decreased 574,000 tonnes, or #

Last year, the cotton acreage went down 423,400 hectares, or 10 per cent, to 3.799 million hectares, in China, said Hou Rui, senior statistician of the NBS.The acreage in the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin went down by about 17.8 per cent and 14.8 per cent, respectively, according to the NBS.The relatively low profitability of cotton and the government's abolishment of its "temporary purchasing policy" to prop up prices were to blame for the declining cotton growing area, said agronomist Pan Xiufen, Xinhua reported.But China will remain a big consumer of cotton due to its large population, growing income and increasing export demand, the Ministry of Agriculture said. Shrinking acreage would result in a supply gap in the cotton market, it added.While acreage and cotton yield fell in most parts of China, northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was grew more.In 2015, Xinjiang, home to half of the country's cotton growing area, produced 3.5 million tonnes of cotton, accounting for 62.5 percent of China's total, compared to 59.5 percent in 2014, NBS data showed.Cotton yield per hectare in Xinjiang stood at about 1,840 kilograms, 24.6 per cent higher than the national average.China's cotton yield peaked in 2012 at 6.84 million tonnes, more than 2.2 times than that of 1978, official data showed. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
A research team led by Chemical Engineering Professor Mitch Anthamatten at the University of Rochester in the US created a material that undergoes a shape change that can be triggered by body heat alone, opening the door for new medical and other applications.The material developed by Anthamatten and graduate student Yuan Meng is a type of shape-memory polymer, which can be programmed to retain a temporary shape until it is triggered - typically by heat - to return to its original shape, the University said on its website.

A research team led by Chemical Engineering Professor Mitch Anthamatten at the University of Rochester in the US created a material that undergoes #

Tuning the trigger temperature is only one part of the story, said Anthamatten. We also engineered these materials to store large amount of elastic energy, enabling them to perform more mechanical work during their shape recoveryThe key to developing the new polymer was figuring out how to control crystallization that occurs when the material is cooled or stretched. As the material is deformed, polymer chains are locally stretched, and small segments of the polymer align in the same direction in small areas - or domainscalled crystallites, which fix the material into a temporarily deformed shape. As the number of crystallites grows, the polymer shape becomes more and more stable, making itincreasingly difficult for the material to revert back to its initial - or permanent - shape.The ability to tune the trigger temperature was achieved by including molecular linkers to connect the individual polymer strands. Anthamatten's group discovered that linkers inhibit - but don't stop - crystallization when the material is stretched. By altering the number and types of linkers used, as well as how they're distributed throughout the polymer network, the Rochester researchers were able to adjust the material's stability and precisely set the melting point at which the shape change is triggered.Heating the new polymer to temperatures near 35 C, just below the body temperature causes the crystallites to break apart and the material to revert to its permanent shape.Our shape-memory polymer is like a rubber band that can lock itself into a new shape when stretched, said Anthamatten. But a simple touch causes it to recoil back to its original shape.Having a polymer with a precisely tunable trigger temperature was only one objective. Of equal importance, Anthamatten and his team wanted the material to be able to deliver a great deal of mechanical work as the shape transforms back to its permanent shape. Consequently, they set out to optimize their polymer networks to store as much elastic energy as possible.Nearly all applications of shape memory polymers will require that the material pushes or pulls on its surroundings, said Anthamatten. However, researchers seldom measure the amount of mechanical work that shape-memory polymers are actually performing.Anthamatten's shape-memory polymer is capable of lifting an object one-thousand times its weight. For example, a polymer the size of a shoelace - which weighs about a gram - could lift a litre of soda.According to Anthamatten the shape-memory polymer could have a variety of applications, including sutures, artificial skin, body-heat assisted medical dispensers, and self-fitting apparel. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
One of the most beautiful women in the world, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was spotted today (February 12, 2016) visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar amidst the shooting of her upcoming film, Sarbjit. And we gotta say that even in a de-glam look, this lady is looking every bit of beautiful.

Reportedly, Aishwarya has to shoot few sequences inside the Golden Temple, for her upcoming biopic on Sarabjit, and that's why she was spotted in her character 'Dalbit Kaur'. Those, who don't know, Aishwarya will be seen playing Sarbjit's sister in this film. Dressed in a plain grey suit, the actress was looking simply stunning!

Click On 'View Photos' To See All The Pictures:

Reportedly, the crew of Sarbjit especially the bouncers, misbehaved with media person, who were trying to get the shot of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and later they (Sarbjit's crew) were told to wrap the shoot.

Talking to HT, the SGPC additional secretary Daljit Singh Bedi said, "The attitude of the film crew was uncalled for. We cannot tolerate such behaviour inside the shrine. We have to maintain the sanctity of the place as well as the convenience of the devotees."

"The crew was to shoot inside the langar ghar (community kitchen) and Parikarma, where Aishwarya had to take holy water from the sarovar. We thought it would be done in a peaceful way but the bouncers spoiled everything so we had to halt the shoot."

Meanwhile, amidst all the chaos, the Jazbaa actress maintained her calm and was seen waving at the fans and folding her hands in all humility and smilingly posed for the shutterbugs, who gathered to have a glimpse of Aishwarya.

Sanam Re Movie Review: Except Music, Nothing Is Great!
Sanam Re, starring Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam and Urvashi Rautela is releasing on February 12, 2016. The movie, is a pure love story that showcases love blooming from the childhood days of Pulkit & Yami.

The movie also stars veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, playing the role of Pulkit Samrat's father.

READ THE AUDIENCE RESPONSE BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE SLIDER

Sanam Re Live Tweets kiaara sandhu @kiaarasandhu1 - "Among #Fitoor and #SanamRe , no one impressed me. Both ar e crap." Sanam Re Live Tweets KRK Retweeted KRK - "Survey result- 68% ppl don't want to watch #SanamRe means it can open 10-15% at multiplexes n day1 can be 1.5-2Cr." Sanam Re Live Tweets Bobby Talks Cinema @bobbytalkcinema - "SANAM RE - 7 ppl in the theater......in its first show." Sanam Re Live Updates Priya Gupta @priyagupta999 - " Friends...if you ever loved someone, go and watch @SanamRe today..." Sanam Re Live Tweets PaRtH (Mithoon) @Vicky_Nimavat -"Best Wishes for #SanamRe . I m very exicted @yamigautam @TSeries @iamDivyaKhosla @PulkitSamrat @Mithoon11 @FalakShabir1 "

Sanam Re, has received a clear 'U' certificate from the Censor Board, and the movie has passed off without a single censor cut, which is a rarity in today's cinema. The movie, is a complete youth and family entertainer which showcases the emotions of love & pain combined.

Producer Bhushan Kumar was quoted as saying,

"Also, love is incomplete without pain. This story will answer a lot of questions about love. The scenes and the dialogue were written very sensitively. Pulkit and Yami have performed enhanced the emotions with their performances."



Sanam Re, will have a deeper understanding of love and pain, and the timing of the movies release is apt for Valentine's week.

The movie, was shot at spectacular locations such as Shimla, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Mumbai and Canada. The backdrop are an absolute delight to watch on the silver screen.

It is also reported that veteran actor, Rishi Kapoor, constantly brainstormed with the director, Divya Khosla Kumar about a lot of scenes and dialogue in the movie. The brainstorming sessions has helped the film-makers immensely in terms of performence.

Fitoor Movie Review: Katrina Kaif-Aditya Starrer A Visual Masterpiece
For an economy that is currently growing at an electric pace, India has a dark worry gnawing at its heart: mounting bad debts.

From a macro level all seems fairly good. The country reported GDP growth of 7.3% in 2015, a very rosy level when compared to most of the rest of Asia.

Yet all is not well in the worlds largest democracy. Economists fear its economic growth is overstated, while problem loans are building up, particularly among the state-owned lenders that control about three-quarters of the countrys bank assets.

The Indian Express reported that 29 state-owned Indian banks wrote off INR1.14 trillion ($16.7 billion) in bad debts in the last three full fiscal years to March-end 2015, according to the Reserve Bank of India.

Quoting the Indian central bank, the report said total bad debts stood at INR525.4 billion by the end of fiscal year 2014/2015, with State Bank of India alone writing off INR213.1 billion during the 12-month period.

All told, 11.1% of the Indian bank sector's gross assets were stressed as of March 2015, according to the RBI.

The volume of stressed assets is partly rising because state banks, including SBI, lent to a series of unprofitable but politically sensitive infrastructure and power projects. Indias politicians and its judicial system are also reluctant to shutter businesses that may employ thousands, while the countrys bankruptcy laws are disparate and weak. Forcing companies into insolvency is extremely difficult.

India's growing debt worries led RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to warn on February 11 that the country's lenders needed to classify many of the loans they could not sort out for deeper surgery. He wants the banks to sort out their bad debt by March 2017.

As part of this effort the RBI has directed banks to raise the current 5% provisioning required for any restructured loan  where the borrower has restructured the payment terms  by 2.5% every quarter from April 1 to a maximum 15% by March 2017. That is the same level Indian banks currently have to provision against official non-performing assets.

That follows the decision last year by several state banks to reclassify some borrowers as NPAs, due to pressure from the central bank. As a result, five of the eight state banks that had announced their October-December quarterly results by February made a loss, according to The Hindu newspaper.

Indias nationalistic government wont countenance merging state banks or selling them to the private sector. Yet simply bailing out what looks likely to become a mounting bad debt problem would likely impact the governments budget and deficit expectations, potentially crimping economic growth for the year.

So New Delhi should look to another option to conduct the surgery Rajan believes necessary: a bad debt agency.

Bad debt specialist

Many countries have found it necessary to establish bad debt companies.

China in 1999 set up four so-called asset management companies  Huarong, China Great Wall, Cinda and China Orient  to siphon off the dud loans of its four largest lenders.

South Korea, similarly, formed the Korea Asset Management Company after the 1998 Asian financial crisis, to deal with the countrys cornucopia of chaebol-linked bad debts.

Essentially, bad debt companies purchase the loans that borrowers are unwilling or unable to repay at sharp discounts. They then chase these borrowers and try to convince them to offer something in return. Its laborious work and it can take years to get outstanding debtors to settle defaulted loans, especially if they are large and well connected.

However, the good news is that settling these loans is the sole focus of a bad debt agency, unlike banks, which are often conflicted as the clients might well conduct business across multiple product lines.

Additionally, bad debt agencies typically enjoy explicit central government support in their actions, to ensure they have the clout to be effective.

India particularly needs an effective debt arbiter, given the weakness of its outstanding bankruptcy laws. Yet without the ability to threaten with the full force of the law, debtor companies face relatively few consequences by delaying debt payments.

The government understands the problem; finance minister Arun Jaitley tried passing a modern bankruptcy law in late 2015, which among other things envisaged a fast-track regime for resolving corporate insolvency of less than 90 days and a maximum resolution period of 270 days. But under opposition pressure, he sent the draft law for parliamentary review in December. The results review panel is meant to discuss its findings this month.

Given the delay, the government might well benefit from ensuring the proposed new law incorporates a bad debt company as well.

Such a company would buy particularly troubled NPAs from the banks at a discount.

Ideally it would be allocated explicit powers to force a settlement on negligent debtors, with the power to force organisations that do not cooperate into insolvency.

The government would need to initially capitalise such an agency to buy bad debts but once it established its credentials it could raise capital in its own name via equity or vanilla debt issues, or potentially by securitising the bad debt portfolios it accumulates.

After all, Chinas asset management companies have shown that is entirely feasible.

None of this will entirely solve the bad lending habits of many Indian state banks. But short of a political change of heart over restructuring state banks, a bad debt agency may help India to better manage its mounting bad debt conundrum.
The SEC has barred Nicholas Rowe, a former New Hampshire advisor, from the securities industry for life. This decision follows another lifetime ban handed down by the state in a case involving a series of risky investments and insufficient disclosures.

The commission reached a settlement with Rowe, who ran an RIA practice in Bedford, N.H., prohibiting from associating with any broker, advisor, transfer agent or national rating organization.

Rowe could not be reached for comment, and his attorney did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether his client has any intention to seek reinstatement to the industry.

The case stems from his use of inverse and leveraged ETFs for clients, who, regulators determined, were unaware of the risks involved in these investments. Moreover, the products were unsuitable for some of his clients, some of whom were elderly widows. New Hampshire authorities initiated its enforcement action against Rowe and his firm, Focus Capital Wealth Management, in August 2012. In total, losses from the bad bets topped $2 million.

Rowe was registered with the SEC through 2012, when he switched over to a state registration. New Hampshire's investigation dates back to fall 2011, however, and the state went on to issue a fine and bar Rowe and his firm from holding a securities license.

REGULATORY OVERKILL?

"This may seem like piling on by the SEC, but the regulators increasingly work together to stop wrongdoers from regulatory forum shopping," writes Cipperman Compliance Services, which circulated a note on the matter. Cippermans note suggests that the SEC and states have been coordinating their enforcement activities to ensure that bad actors don't slip through the cracks.

The action might be unusual, but not a complete surprise. Duane Thompson, senior policy analyst at the fiduciary training firm fi360, points out that in a case like Rowe's, the SEC and New Hampshire both have jurisdiction, regardless of his registration status.

"I haven't seen anything like this before, but I would expect that there's a sound rationale behind it, and not simply piling on," Thompson says. "Both the feds and the states have authority over fraud and deceit activities of investment advisors, whether registered with the SEC, a state or not at all."

Read more:
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/11/16 -- Long Run Exploration Ltd. ("Long Run" or the "Company") (TSX: LRE) is pleased to announce that Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") has recommended that shareholders vote in favor of the arrangement involving Long Run, Long Run securityholders and Calgary Sinoenergy Investment Corp. (the "Arrangement"). Glass Lewis is widely recognized as a leading independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm, whose analyses and recommendations are relied upon by many major institutional investment firms, mutual funds and fiduciaries throughout North America.

After an extensive review of the Company's strategic and financial options to improve its capital structure, Long Run's Board of Directors and management believe that pursuing the Arrangement is in the best interest of Long Run and its stakeholders. Long Run's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders and debentureholders vote in favor of the Arrangement.

Long Run has scheduled a special meeting (the "Special Meeting") of securityholders to vote on the Arrangement to be held at 2:00 pm (Calgary time) on February 29, 2016 at the Livingston Place Conference Centre, 222 - 3rd Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta. Securityholders may attend the Special Meeting in person or be represented by proxy. Further details can be found in Long Run's information circular and proxy statement dated January 29, 2016 (the "Information Circular") filed on SEDAR.

The Company also announces that it has filed and is mailing an addendum (the "Addendum") to its Information Circular, which was mailed to Long Run securityholders. The Addendum includes the written fairness opinion of Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. which was not included in the Information Circular as a result of a clerical error made on compiling the Information Circular.

Further details can be found in the Information Circular and the Addendum which have been filed under Long Run's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Visit the Company's website at www.longrunexploration.com.

ADVISORY

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this press release, including information and statements which may contain words such as "could", "plans", "should", "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "will" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the proposed Arrangement and plans to mail the Addendum. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Long Run's control. Completion of the Arrangement is subject to a number of conditions. Failure to satisfy any of these conditions, the emergence of a superior proposal or the failure to obtain approval of Long Run's shareholders, optionholders or debentureholders may result in the termination of the arrangement agreement. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risks that could affect completion of the Arrangement will be set forth in the information circular, which will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The actual results, performance or achievement of Long Run could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Long Run will derive therefrom. Long Run disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Long Run Exploration Ltd.

William E. Andrew

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 261-6012



Long Run Exploration Ltd.

Corine Bushfield

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(403) 261-6012



Long Run Exploration Ltd.

Lauren Kimak

Manager, Investor Relations

(403) 716-3222

(888) 598-1330

information@longrunexploration.com




Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc / Index: AIM / Epic: EOG / Sector: Oil & Gas

12 February 2016

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc ('Europa' or 'the Company')

Award of New Offshore Ireland Licensing Option

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, the AIM listed oil and gas exploration, development and production company focused on Europe, is delighted to announce it has been awarded a new Licensing Option (the 'LO') in the southern Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland, as part of phase 1 of the 2015 Atlantic Ireland round. This follows the announcement on 11 February 2015 by the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources ('DECNR'), Mr. Joe McHugh.

The Company understands it will shortly be issued with a formal letter of award from DECNR, at which point Europa will confirm its acceptance of the LO. Once all the awards have been accepted Europa's LO will be allocated a number and DECNR will publish a map showing the awarded LOs and the relevant companies. Europa will have a 100% interest in the two year LO. Following the completion of a work programme, Europa has the option to apply to the Irish authorities for their consent to convert the licence into a FEL.

Licence awards in the 2015 Atlantic Ireland round are being made in two phases. The Company understands that phase 1 announced on 11 February 2016 was designed to accommodate applications in areas where firm seismic acquisition programmes formed part of Licensing Option work programmes with some surveys planned to be acquired in summer 2016. The offer of awards for 14 licensing options involves eight companies, Eni, Europa, ExxonMobil, Nexen, Scotia, Statoil and Woodside as operators, along with BP who will partner with Eni. Europa has made additional licence applications and awaits the outcome of the second and final phase of awards scheduled for mid-May with great interest.

Europa CEO Hugh Mackay said, "We are delighted with the award of this Licensing Option, particularly given the strength of the competing companies. This is an endorsement of the strong technical work that supported our bids. We are pleased that major and mid-cap oil companies are now taking acreage positions around our licences and we feel this is providing validation of our long held belief that the South Porcupine Basin is underexplored and has the potential to hold substantial hydrocarbon reserves. The success of this licensing round indicates that the Porcupine is no longer under appreciated. We have made other applications that remain live and look forward to the announcement of the second phase of awards during May."

FEL 2/13 and 3/13

Europa understands that formal documentation from the Irish Authorities authorising the transfer of Kosmos Energy Ireland's interest and operatorship for FEL 2/13 and 3/13 to Europa is in preparation. Once this has been formally approved, Europa's interest in both these licences will revert to 100%. As announced on 12 May 2015, a Competent Persons Report ('CPR') prepared by ERC Equipoise ('ERCE') detailed total Gross mean Un-risked Prospective Resources of 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent ('boe') across three prospects in FEL 3/13. ERCE estimates a mean Un-risked Net Present Value ('NPV') of approximately US$7 billion to a 100% working interest in these three prospects and a US$1.1 billion NPV on a risked basis.

Activity on these licences is focused on finding a farm-in partner with whom to take the licences into the next exploration phase and drill an exploration well. The target market is major and mid-cap oil companies and the farm-out data room opened on 11 January 2016. Europa is pleased with the response from target companies and considers the Phase 1 awards to be a positive development for the farm-out.

* * ENDS * *

For further information please visit http://www.europaoil.com/ or contact:

Hugh Mackay Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Phil Greenhalgh Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Matt Goode finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Simon Hicks finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Frank Buhagiar St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Susie Geliher St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177

Notes

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc has a diversified portfolio of multi-stage hydrocarbon assets that includes production, exploration and development interests, in countries that are politically stable, have transparent licensing processes, and offer attractive terms. In 2015 Europa produced 141 boepd. Its highly prospective exploration projects include the Wressle development (targeting production startup in H2 2016 at up to 500 bopd gross) in the UK; 100% owned gas exploration prospect (107 bcf) and appraisal project (CPR 277 bcf) in onshore France a joint venture with Vermillion Energy also in onshore France; and two licences offshore Ireland with the potential to host gross mean un-risked Prospective Resources of approximately 2 billion barrels across both licences.

Qualified Person Review

This release has been reviewed by Hugh Mackay, Chief Executive of Europa, who is a petroleum geologist with 30 years' experience in petroleum exploration and a member of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Fellow of the Geological Society. Mr Mackay has consented to the inclusion of the technical information in this release in the form and context in which it appears.
BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (dpa-AFX) - French car maker Renault SA (RNSDY.PK, RNSDF.PK, RNT.L) reported that its net income, Group share, for fiscal year 2015 increased to 2.823 billion euros from 1.890 billion euros in the prior year. Earnings per share grew to 10.35 euros from 6.92 euros per share last year. The Group's operating profit amounted to 2.320 billion euros, compared to 1.609 billion euros in 2014. The Automotive operating profit was up 638 million euros to 1.496 billion euros. The performance was mainly attributable to volume growth (480 million euros) and cost reduction (527 million euros). On the other hand, the mix/price/enrichment effect was negative by 379 million euros, mainly due to costs related to the life-cycle management of some ageing products, and to Euro 6 costs. The Group's operating income came to 2.121 billion euros, compared to 1.105 billion euros in 2014. The increase in operating profit and significant reduction in other expenses led to this improvement. Annual Group revenues were 45.327 billion euros, up 10.4% from 2014. At constant exchange rates, revenues grew by 10.6%. Automotive revenues amounted to 43.108 billion euros, up 10.9%, reflecting an increase in Group's brands volumes and sales to partners. The price effect was positive, primarily due to price increases in some emerging markets to offset currency devaluation. In 2016, the global market is expected to record growth of 1% to 2% compared with 2015. The European market is expected to increase by 2%, with a 2% increase also for France. At the International level, the Brazilian and Russian markets are expected to decline further, by 6% and 12% respectively. On the contrary, China (+4% to +5%) and India (+8%) should pursue their momentum. For 2016, the Renault group aims to increase group revenues at constant exchange rates; improve group operating margin; generate a positive Automotive operational free cash flow. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WILMINGTON, North Carolina, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AAIPharma Services Corp./Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc. (AAI/CML), a leading provider of custom manufacturing and development services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, today announces expanded sterile fill-finish capabilities and capacity in its Charleston, SC site. Substantial growth in demand has driven several recent investments.

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When AAI/CML acquired the Charleston facility in 2001 it had one filling line with small-scale lyophilization. The site has invested in significant upgrades to equipment and staff since, including a small scale lyophilizer for cycle development studies conducted by an expert formulation development (FDL) team on site. Customers requiring lyophilization receive the benefits of quick turnaround times from an experienced staff that also supports sterile filling and GMP manufacturing.

A second line for GMP batches was qualified in 2015 to support continued growth in demand for sterile manufacturing, more than doubling the filling capacity for the site. This has been used for multiple regulatory submissions and is expected to produce its first commercial product in 2016. A new, mid-scale lyophilization unit has been recently installed and will be qualified by May, doubling the site's lyophilization capacity. To complement the additional equipment capacity, a third manufacturing shift has been added, increasing capacity and scheduling flexibility.

"These upgrades to our manufacturing facility in Charleston support the overall progress of our growth as a company to meet the needs of our customers. We are excited to offer increased sterile manufacturing capacity to the market and added capabilities for specialized areas of drug product development and manufacturing," stated Ted Dolan, Chief Operating Officer.

The sterile manufacturing facility has an excellent track record of compliance and has been referenced in 15 regulatory filings. The additional lyophilization unit extends AAI/CML's integrated service offerings, which include formulation development, fill/finish, packaging and testing for batch sizes up to 400L.

About AAIPharma Services Corp. and Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc.

AAIPharma Services Corp. and Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc. have joined to form a world-class supplier of comprehensive pharmaceutical development and manufacturing services. With seven sites across the globe, our combined capabilities include API development and manufacturing, solid state chemistry, formulation development, analytical development and testing services, clinical and commercial finished dosage form manufacturing (solid dose and parenteral), packaging, and stability services.
Enovacom is delighted to announce the company's participation at the annual HIMSS conference and exhibition in Las Vegas this year. We will be presenting our complete suite of interoperability and security software products that are dedicated to the needs of the healthcare market.

The company is ready to welcome an expected 40,000 visitors and engage the community of 1,300 registered healthcare organisations supporting the event. Enovacom is the vendor of choice in France, providing best of breed technology solutions to 1,500 healthcare customers spread across diverse and complex healthcare systems.

A unique solution to concretely and sustainably respond to computerized health issues

The French company shows its unique approach through an interoperability solution including data integration, biomedical devices integration, securing of access and authorization or log traceability. With one objective: "Facilitating the exchange and sharing of patients' data" to improve care in the utmost confidence.

Enovacom's software, developed in accordance with international standards (HL7, FIHR etc.) adapts to the specifics of countries' health systems and pragmatically responds to problems in health establishments.

The goal being to sustainably manage health fields which are more and more computerized and spread out with new functionalities: patient follow up until they return home, growth in data mobility but also with secure access.

A reinforced international ambition by dedicated teams and the development of a partner network

In 2015, Enovacom exceeded the cap of 110 collaborators, 10% of which are dedicated to international development.

"Our company works throughout Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland. The annual HIMSS conference represents an opportunity to build contacts with hospitals and potential partners in North America, but also in areas such as Asia", explains Laurent Frigara, President and Co-Founder of Enovacom.

"We also wish to reinforce our partnership policy with major vendors in the market, but also with local partners to which Enovacom wishes to delegate the deployment and support of its solutions", highlights Renaud Luparia, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Enovacom.

They will be present for three days during the trade show. On stand 2573, visitors will be able to benefit from a personalized presentation of Enovacom's Integration Engine solutions, Identity Manager and Smart Audit.

For an interview, please ask contact@enovacom.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160212005201/en/

Contacts:

Enovacom

Nathalie Perchard

contact@enovacom.com
GLASGOW, Scotland, February 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

SystemsUp recognised for expertise in transforming business with AWS

iomart (AIM:IOM), the hosting solutions company that delivers any cloud your way, announced today that its public cloud transformation specialist SystemsUp has become an Advanced Consulting Partner in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network.

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To be recognised as an Advanced Consulting Partner SystemsUp had to demonstrate its expertise in delivering customer success and its commitment to best practice capabilities in consulting on AWS. Amazon's Partner Network (APN) is a global programme accessible to professional services firms that help customers of all sizes design, architect, migrate, or build new applications on AWS.

Richard Ingram, Director of SystemsUp, said: "Promotion to the enhanced status of AWS Advanced Consulting Partner is another step on our journey towards being the best business focused, vendor agnostic consultancy in the UK. Being awarded Advanced Partner status is also a nice reward for all the hard work our staff have done with our valued enterprise customers to date."

SystemsUp is a specialised IT technical consultancy with a wide range of expertise covering areas such as Cloud, System Management, Automation, Virtualisation, Business Continuity, Storage and Security. It has a proven track record in helping government departments, agencies and local authorities migrate their IT and applications onto AWS successfully.

Angus MacSween, CEO of iomart, said: "This new status underlines SystemsUp's professionalism in delivering truly transformational advice to customers across the public and private sector who want to use a "cloud first" approach to deliver innovation and efficiency within their IT environments."

SystemsUp adopts a vendor agnostic approach and carries a range of accreditations, making it one of the leading cloud consultancies in the United Kingdom. Using its unique assuredCloudStrategy' and assuredCloudEconomics' methodologies, SystemsUp has gained an outstanding reputation for helping organisations transform their business strategies and processes to become more dynamic and flexible.

SystemsUp is part of UK cloud company iomart which provides the managed services and support infrastructure to help businesses and organisations exploit the myriad benefits and features of the AWS solution.

About iomart

iomart Group PLC (AIM: IOM) delivers cloud consultancy, facilitation and digital transformation to ISVs, SMEs, enterprises and the UK public sector. The award-winning and highly ISO accredited hosting company provides public, private and hybrid cloud solutions -including managed AWS andMicrosoftAzure - from a network of secure UK data centres connected by a high capacity private fibre network.

iomart is a long term supplier to G-Cloud and its infrastructure and cloud and backup services are designed to meet the requirements of the UK public sector. They are certified for connection to the Public Services Network (PSN) and N3 NHS network and are CESG Pan Government Accredited.

To find out more about how iomart delivers any cloud your way visit http://www.iomart.com
LONDON, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The first cohort of graduates from the University of Roehampton, London Online programmes gathered from all corners of the world and celebrated together with events and a graduation ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 8 February 2016.

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The University of Roehampton, London, has a proud 175-year history of expanding access to education. The institution introduced a suite of online programmes in 2012 to increase access to quality masters degree programmes to more people worldwide.

"Since the establishment of Whitelands College in 1841 as the first all-women training college, we have continued our long-standing commitment to enabling access to education. With the introduction of our online programmes, we are now providing more students with a life-changing experience and a stepping stone towards a brighter future," said Professor Paul O'Prey, Vice-Chancellor for the University. "Our online students have achieved a personal milestone through hard work, commitment and dedication, and I'm delighted to welcome our first online graduates to the University's global community of over 70,000 alumni."

Students as far away as Nigeria and Oman, having engaged through the online global classroom and social platforms for the last several years, graduated together with the University's campus-based students at the Royal Festival Hall, in the heart of London's South Bank arts and cultural quarter.

"What I enjoyed most about studying online with Roehampton was the interaction with my fellow students; it was very enriching and fruitful. I learned a lot from practitioners around the world, including their approaches to solving problems and developing innovations," said Valentina Maggiulli, a programme coordinator for a feminist peace organisation and an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate who attended the ceremony and events. "Studying online was the perfect opportunity for me to broaden my horizons while maintaining a busy and demanding full-time job."

The first cohort of online graduates was from the MBA and MSc in Project Management programmes. Online graduates had the option to attend the graduation ceremony in person.

Currently, students from more than 150 countries choose to study online with the University. Designed for adult learners, the fully online learning model delivers contemporary online programmes reflecting the world in which its students live and work. Through these programmes, students gain the critical thinking skills and practical knowledge they need to expand their expertise and advance their careers.

Roehampton Online offers a portfolio of online masters degrees in areas of study including business and management, psychology, public administration, public health, education and theology. For more information about the University of Roehampton's online programmes, please visit https://online.roehampton.ac.uk.

About the University of Roehampton, London Online

Located in London, the University of Roehampton has a proud history that dates back 175 years. Today, working professionals from more than 150 countries have chosen to study online and earn a quality education assured by the UK government's Quality Assurance Agency.

Roehampton Online believes that learning is a life-changing and lifelong journey that provides access to a brighter future, and offers a range of online masters programmes that have been designed to enrich students' knowledge and help them develop practical skills that can be applied immediately and promote career advancement. For information about Roehampton's online programmes, visit https://online.roehampton.ac.uk. These programmes are provided in partnership with online learning expert, Laureate Online Education. For more information about Laureate, visit www.laureate.net.
Regulatory News:

Vattenfall has decided to invest EUR 83.5 million in order to refurbish the combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Wedel. The investment is necessary to secure the city's heat supply for the next couple of years and to comply with environmental standards.

Vattenfall and the City of Hamburg are collaborating to find a long-term solution to secure the City's heat supply and to replace the hard coal-fired CHP plant.

"In parallel to the refurbishment of the plant in Wedel Vattenfall is developing a concept to achieve climate neutrality in Hamburg heat operations by 2050. It could include heat storage, power-to-heat, industrial heat, decentral solutions and possibly gas-CHP that will replace the existing plant. The concept will be developed in close alignment with the City of Hamburg," says Tuomo Hatakka, Head of Business Area Heat.

Starting in summer 2016, the Wedel plant will be refurbished to ensure the city's heat supply for a few more years and compliance with new environmental standards. In particular, this work will involve the turbines, boiler and control system of the plant. Most of the refurbishing activities are planned for the maintenance periods in the summer months of 2016 to 2018.

Issued by: Vattenfall's Press Office, telephone: +46-8-739 50 10, e-mail: press@vattenfall.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160212005238/en/

Contacts:

Vattenfall

Press Office

telephone: +46-8-739 50 10

e-mail: press@vattenfall.com
DEARBORN (dpa-AFX) - Ford Motor Co. (F) said Friday that new vehicle sales at Ford Of Europe for the month of January were up nearly 10 percent on strong demand for SUVs, commercial vehicles and performance cars. Ford's Europe sold 96,900 units for the month in its 20 traditional European markets. Ford market share increased by 0.2 percentage points to 7.9 percent. Ford sold a total of 105,200 vehicles in it 50 European markets, up nearly 9 percent compared to an industry growth of just 3 percent. Ford's market share up 0.4 of a percentage point to 7.6 percent. During the month, commercial vehicle sales were up 7 percent, and combined sales of performance cars-Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Mustang sales, almost tripled. In SUVs, EcoSport sales were up 50 percent and Kuga sales rose 19 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (dpa-AFX) - French car maker Renault SA (RNSDY.PK, RNSDF.PK, RNT.L) reported Friday higher profit in its fiscal 2015, with strong growth in automotive profit and revenues. The company announced higher dividend. Looking ahead, for fiscal 2016, Renault expects to increase group revenues at constant exchange rates and improve group operating margin.



For fiscal year 2015, net income, Group share climbed to 2.823 billion euros from 1.890 billion euros in the prior year. Earnings per share grew 49.6 percent to 10.35 euros from 6.92 euros per share last year.



Operating profit amounted to 2.320 billion euros, 44.2 percent higher than last year mainly with 74.4 percent growth in Automotive operating profit to 1.496 billion euros. The performance was mainly attributable to volume growth and cost reduction.



Group operating profit margin improved 1.2 percentage points to 5.1 percent from last year's 3.9 percent.



Annual Group revenues were 45.327 billion euros, 10.4 percent higher than last year's 41.055 billion euros. At constant exchange rates, revenues grew by 10.6 percent.



Automotive revenues increased 10.9 percent from last year to 43.108 billion euros, reflecting an increase in the company's brands volumes and sales to partners. The price effect was positive, primarily due to price increases in some emerging markets to offset currency devaluation.



New registrations increased 3.3 percent in the year to 2.8 million units.



Further, the company announced a dividend of 2.40 euros per share, higher than last year's 1.90 euros, which will be submitted for approval at the next Shareholder's Annual General Meeting.



In 2016, the global market is expected to record growth of 1 percent to 2 percent compared with 2015. The European market is expected to increase by 2 percent, with a 2 percent increase also for France.



At the International level, the Brazilian and Russian markets are expected to decline further, by 6 percent and 12 percent respectively. Meanwhile, growth of 4 percent to 5 percent is expected for China and 8 percent for India.



Carlos Ghosn, chairman and chief executive officer of Renault, said, 'We must now achieve our revenue target while maintaining a margin in excess of 5 percent.'



In Paris, Renault shares were trading at 68.89 euros, up 0.06 percent.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
The capture of bison  with the goal of removing 600 to 900 animals this winter  is scheduled to begin on Monday at Stephens Creek, near the north boundary of Yellowstone National Park.

To protest, bison advocates have planned a week of events across the state beginning on Monday in Bozeman.

Over 6,000 of Americas last wild bison have already been killed under a plan set up to serve Montanas livestock interests since the year 2000," said Mike Mease, Buffalo Field Campaign co-founder, in a statement. "Yellowstone National Park intends to continue to do the dirty work of the livestock industry by initiating capture-for-slaughter next week, and killing all bison that dare to migrate.

But Yellowstone's hands are legally tied. In 1995, Montana sued the National Park Service because bison were migrating out of the park onto state lands. A court-mediated settlement was reached in 2000 creating the Interagency Bison Management Plan. The settlement requires Yellowstone to manage for a target population of 3,000 bison. The average population over the past 10 years is about 4,000.

The Park Service has said it continues to look for alternative ways to manage bison, which may be reflected in an updated plan now under development. The NPS has also proposed that bison that test free of the disease brucellosis be quarantined and used to establish or augment populations elsewhere, such as the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

Stockgrowers call for EIS on Yellowstone bison plan The Montana Stockgrowers Association is requesting that Yellowstone National Park complete a

Capture isn't the only way that the Yellowstone bison herd is thinned. State and tribal hunters have already killed more than 360 bison this winter in Montana, mostly near Gardiner. To meet the plan's objective, though, more bison will be rounded up and captured at the Stephens Creek corrals and then shipped to slaughter. The meat is provided to tribal members.

Tribal hunts are anticipated to continue during the operations at Stephens Creek.

Stephens Creek is where the bison are captured and held until they are shipped. The facility is closed to the public year round. During bison operations an additional area closure goes into effect around the facility. A judge recently upheld a challenge to that closure.

Judge denies bid to halt Yellowstone bison slaughter A federal judge has denied a request to halt the planned capture and slaughter of bison migr

A map of the closure is available to the public during normal business hours at the Superintendents Office, the Chief Rangers Office, and the Albright Visitor Center in Mammoth Hot Springs. A map is also available on the parks website at www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/upload/TempBisonAreaClosure.pdf.

The IBMP signatories include the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Montana Department of Livestock, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Nez Perce Tribe.
NIJMEGEN, Netherlands, February 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

SMART Research BV have signed a contract for the provision of the Bonaparte DNA matching software system and associated support services to the Government of Vietnam. The procurement is part of a 10-year project that aims to identify at least 80,000 of the 650,000 unidentified victims from the Vietnam War.

Initiated by the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, "Project 150" will be the largest DNA identification project ever conducted. Three laboratories will be upgraded with latest forensic technology from technology suppliers as Qiagen and Eppendorf, while consultancy and training are provided by BioGlobe and The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in Bosnia. With the signing of this contract, SMART Research BV now proudly joins the project team.

Bonaparte's state-of-the-art indirect matching algorithms will provide the Vietnamese Government Laboratories with powerful kinship and familial search possibilities required for this ambitious project. The Bonaparte system allows for identification of unknown remains based on reference DNA from family members using arbitrary pedigree trees.

The Bonaparte system has been deployed in real world identification work on many occasions; it played an important role in the identification of the victims of the 2010 air disaster in Tripoli, and in the identification of the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in the Ukraine in 2014.

Bonaparte was commissioned in 2007 by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), and has since then been further developed and improved by SNN and its subsidiary SMART Research BV in close collaboration with the NFI.

SMART Research BV is the commercial spin-off company of SNN - the Dutch Foundation for Neural Networks at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. SMART Research develops, maintains and provides support for Bonaparte. SMART Research specializes in applying advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to solve real world problems. These technologies are also at the basis of the Bonaparte system.

http://www.bonaparte-dvi.com
BLACKROCK INCOME STRATEGIES TRUST PLC (the "Company") Composition of the Management Engagement Committee The Board of BlackRock Income Strategies Trust Plc announces that Ms Ruddick will step down as a member of the Company's Management Engagement Committee with immediate effect. This decision has been taken as Ms Ruddick also serves on the board of another investment trust managed by BlackRock and is therefore deemed not to be independent of the manager under the terms of the UK Listing Rules. The AIC Code of Corporate Governance recommends that only directors who are independent of the manager should be involved with reviewing the performance of, and contractual arrangements with, the manager, and therefore to ensure compliance with best Corporate Governance practice Ms Ruddick will no longer serve on the Committee. Notwithstanding Ms Ruddick's position on the Board of two BlackRock managed trusts, the Board considers her to be independent in character and does not believe that these circumstances will affect Ms Ruddick's judgement. Ms Ruddick will continue to serve as a director of the Company, which has a majority of independent directors and complies with best practice under the relevant guidance. For further information please contact: Sarah Beynsberger BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited Secretary Tel: 020 7743 2639 12 February 2016 END

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PUNE, India, February 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Sheet Molding Compound and Bulk Molding Compound Market by Resin Type (Polyester and Others), Fiber Type (Glass Fiber and Carbon Fiber), Application (Transportation, Electrical & Electronics, Construction and Others) and Region - Global Forecasts to 2020", published by MarketsandMarkets, The Global SMC and BMC Market is projected to grow from USD 2.36 Billion in 2015 to USD 3.26 Billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.69% during the same period.

Browse 71 market data Tables and 41 Figures spread through 102 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Sheet Molding Compound and Bulk Molding Compound Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sheet-bulk-molding-compound-market-186191200.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

SMC and BMC materials are used in large volumes due to its superior features as compared to other traditional materials made from iron and steel. The increase in the demand for light and superior mechanical properties of SMC and BMC coupled with high demand for fuel-efficient vehicles is the factor driving the global market.

Increasing demand for lightweight and superior mechanical properties of SMC and BMC will drive the market in transportation application

The major factor driving the SMC and BMC Market is the usage of these materials in the transportation application due to its lightweight and good mechanical properties. High demand for fuel-efficient vehicles is also acting as a crucial factor for the growth of the SMC and BMC market. These products offer superior properties including high corrosion resistance, high strength and rigidity, fire & flame resistance, and good electrical insulation.

Transportation application: one of the key segments in the SMC and BMC market

The transportation application will be the fastest-growing segment of the SMC market during the forecast period, whereas electrical & electronics application is expected to propel the growth of the BMC market. SMC finds various applications in the automotive industry, which includes deck-lids, front ends, spoilers, bonnets, and hoods. BMC is also used in automotive parts such as headlight liners, valve covers, and ignition parts. BMC possesses good electrical insulation properties, therefore it is majorly used in the electrical & electronics parts such as motor and anchor insulators, fuses, and switchgear.

Inquiry of this Report at http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=186191200

Asia-Pacific is the largest market for SMC and BMC

China contributes a major market share in the Asia-Pacific region, whereas the U.S. constitutes the major market of the North American region. High growth in China is attributing to the large presence of automobile and electrical manufacturer in the country due to low raw material prices. Increasing urbanization and growth in the transportation industry are some of the factors that are expected to propel the growth of the SMC and BMC market in this region.

The major players in the SMC and BMC market include:

IDI Composite International (U.S.)

Citadel Plastics Holding Inc. (U.S.)

Continental Structural Plastics (U.S.)

Core Molding Technologies Inc. (U.S.)

Menzolit GmbH ( Germany )

) Showa Denko K.K. ( Japan )

MarketsandMarkets broadly segments the SMC and BMC market on the basis of fiber type, resin type, and application. The study covers more than seven countries for the four main regions namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW.

Browse Related Reports:

Advanced Composites Market by Type (Carbon, S-Glass, Aramid), by Manufacturing Process, by Resin Type (Thermoplastics and Thermosetting), by Application (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Wind, Sporting Goods, Pipe & Tanks, Construction, Marine), and by Region Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/advanced-composites-market-3930953.html

Thermoplastic Composites Market by Product Type (SFRT, LFRT, GFRT, CFRT), by Fiber Type (Carbon Composite, Glass Composite, among others), by Application (Transportation, Aerospace & Defense, Electricals & Electronics, Consumer Goods, among others) and by Region - Trends & Forecasts to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/thermoplastic-composite-market-111944669.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

Contact:

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Newmarket Gold Inc. ("Newmarket Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: NMI)(OTCQX: NMKTF) today announced that on March 30, 2016 (the "Redemption Date") it intends to redeem in full all of its then outstanding convertible unsecured debentures due April 30, 2018 (the "Debentures") in accordance with the provisions of the indenture dated as of April 5, 2013, as supplemented and amended by the first supplemental indenture dated as of July 10, 2015 (together, the "Indenture"), in each case between the Corporation and Equity Financial Trust Company (the "Trustee").

The redemption price for the Debentures shall be 100% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount ("Redemption Price"), together with accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the Redemption Date. In accordance with the Indenture, the Company intends to elect to satisfy its obligation to pay the Redemption Price by issuing to Debenture holders common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares") and to pay all accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, in cash. The number of Common Shares delivered will be determined by dividing the Redemption Price by 95% of the then current market price (as defined in the Indenture) of the Common Shares on the Redemption Date in accordance with the terms of the Indenture. Debenture holders have the right, by giving notice to the Trustee by no later than 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on March 29, 2016, to elect to convert their debentures into Common Shares at the conversion price in effect on the date of conversion in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Douglas Forster, M.Sc., P.Geo., President & Chief Executive Officer

About Newmarket Gold Inc.

Newmarket Gold is a Canadian-listed gold mining and exploration company with three 100% owned operating mines across Australia. The Company is focused on creating substantial shareholder value by maintaining a strong foundation of quality gold production, over 200,000 ounces annually, generating operating cash flow and maintaining a large resource base as it executes a clearly defined gold asset consolidation strategy. The Company is focused on sustainable operating performance, a disciplined approach to growth, and building gold reserves and resources while maintaining the high standards that the Newmarket Gold core values represent.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statements", and "forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which includes the Company's intentions with respect to the redemption of the Debentures and the Company's expectations about its business and operations, and are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans", and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are included in this press release or incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Newmarket Gold, Inc.

Laura Lepore

Director, Investor Relations

416.847.1847

llepore@newmarketgoldinc.com

www.newmarketgoldinc.com



Newmarket Gold, Inc.

Ryan King

VP, Corporate Communications

604.559.8040

rking@newmarketgoldinc.com




SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Amazon Web Services said it signed an agreement to acquire NICE, a provider of software and services for high performance and technical computing. It expects the deal to close in the first-quarter of 2016. From their headquarters in Asti, Italy, NICE delivers products and solutions to customers all over the world. These products help customers to optimize and centralize their high performance computing (HPC) and visualization workloads while also providing tools that are fit for distributed workforces making use of mobile devices. According to Amazon Web Services, The NICE brand and team will remain intact and will continue to develop and support the EnginFrame and Desktop Cloud Visualization (DCV) products. Customers will continue to receive support and services, enhanced with the backing of the AWS team. Going forward, NICE and AWS will work together to create even better tools and services. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Khan Resources Inc. (CSE: KRI) ("Khan" or "the Company") announced today that it has filed its financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended December 31, 2015 on SEDAR and has posted these documents to its website www.khanresources.com.

Highlights

International arbitration award - On March 2, 2015 the international arbitration tribunal rendered an award to Khan as compensation for the Government of Mongolia's illegal actions in relation to the cancellation of Khan's uranium licenses in 2009. As of the date of the approval of this MD&A, February 11, 2016, the award aggregates to approximately $106 million (US) with interest currently accruing at a rate of 2.78% or $7,256 per day (US). In Canadian dollars at February 10, the value of the total award was $148 million.

On June 12, 2015 the Company filed a petition for confirmation of its international arbitration award in the US District Court in the District of Columbia. Mongolia responded to the petition by filing on September 4, 2015 a motion to dismiss or stay the Company's petition. These were followed by memoranda by the Company and by Mongolia on September 29 and October 13 respectively in support of the corresponding arguments. In addition, Mongolia has requested a verbal hearing of the arguments. The Judge on the case has not yet made a ruling on the motion to dismiss or the request for a verbal hearing. Dependant upon the judge's initial ruling, the Company's petition to certify will then be addressed. When certification is confirmed, the award will be executable in the US as a court judgement and the Company can begin a process of seizure of non-immune Mongolian sovereign assets in the US.

On July 9, 2015, the Government of Mongolia filed a notice in the French Court of Appeal in Paris for annulment of the international arbitration award. The Government of Mongolia filed their arguments in support of the annulment on December 9, 2015. The Company's counsel is currently preparing arguments for the filing of the defense, due April 9, 2016 at the latest.

Meetings were held in December, 2015 and January, 2016 with representatives of the Government of Mongolia to discuss the outstanding obligations of the Government. Those discussions have now been suspended at the request of the Government and no further meetings have been scheduled.

Cash -The Company's outflow of cash in the first quarter of 2016 was $289,000 greater than the first quarter of 2015 due to legal expenses associated with US confirmation of the international arbitration award, defense in the French Court of Appeal and other initiatives in respect of the collection of the arbitration award. Cash and cash equivalents stand at $1,114,000 as at December 31, 2015.

Investments - The Company did not dispose of any of its holdings in Plateau Uranium Inc. ("Plateau") during the quarter. The fair value of the Company's investment in Plateau increased by $37,000 to $353,523 at December 31, 2015.

The following table summarizes financial results of the Company for the first fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

In thousands of dollars ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change 2015 2014 % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net loss from continuing operations Three months ended December 31 (330) (219) -50.7% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income (loss) from discontinued operations Three months ended December 31 - (8) 100.0% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic and diluted earnings per share ($) Three months ended December 31 (0.00) (0.00) 0.0% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flow Three months ended December 31 (457) (168) -172.0% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents As at December 31 1,114 184 505.4% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working Capital As at December 31 1,444 806 79.2% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, which are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking statements and information are characterized by words such as "will", "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "forecast", "schedule", "estimate" and similar expressions, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions and are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, including the impact of international, Mongolian and Canadian laws, trade agreements and regulatory requirements on Khan's business, properties, licenses, operations and capital structure, Khan's ability to re-instate or re-register the Dornod uranium project licenses, regulatory uncertainty and obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals, legislative, political, social, regulatory and economic developments or changes in jurisdictions in which Khan carries on business, the nature and outcome of pending and future litigation, arbitration and other legal proceedings, the speculative nature of exploration and development, risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business, changes in market conditions, changes or disruptions in the securities markets and market fluctuations in prices for Khan securities, the existence of third parties interested in purchasing some or all of the common shares or Khan's assets, the method of funding and availability of any potential alternative strategic transactions involving Khan or its assets, including those transactions that may produce strategic value to shareholders, the need to obtain, maintain and/or re-register licenses and permits and comply with national and international laws, regulations, treaties or other similar requirements, and uncertainty in the estimation of mineral reserves and resources. In addition, a number of other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in such statements and information, and there is no assurance that actual results will be consistent with them. For further details, reference is made to the risk factors discussed or referred to in Khan's annual and interim management's discussion and analyses and Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such forward-looking statements and information are made or given as at the date of this news release, and Khan assumes no obligation to update or revise them, either publicly or otherwise, to reflect new events, information or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

Contacts:

Investor Relations Contacts:

Khan Resources Inc.

Grant Edey

President & CEO

Office: 416.360.3405

gedey@rogers.com



Khan Resources Inc.

Bruce Gooding

Chief Financial Officer

Office: 416.360.3405

bgooding@khanresources.com

www.khanresources.com




Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Members of a US university group have accused that Adele's smash hit song 'Hello' is normalizing sexual harassment. The University of Oklahoma's Gender + Equality Center's members have distributed campaign posters featuring popular song lyrics to promote Stalking Awareness Month. On the poster, they have used the Hello lyrics, 'I must have called a thousand times,' followed by slogan, 'Even great songs can normalize sexual harassment.' Kathy Moxley, director of the Gender + Equality Center, explained that the song was chosen to begin a much needed conversation about harassment on college campuses. The music examples were used to demonstrate how aspects of popular media could be interpreted to normalize unhealthy relationship behaviors, she added. Adele's Hello isn't the only song the Gender + Equality Center uses for their posters. They also try to draw students' attention with the line 'Baby, I'm preying on you tonight. Hunt you down eat you alive' from Maroon 5's 2014 single Animals. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BEVERLY, MA--(Marketwired - February 12, 2016) - Cellceutix Corporation (OTC: CTIX) (the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies with oncology, dermatology, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic applications, today announces that the Company's counsel, The Ashcroft Law Firm, on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 submitted to the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, a Memorandum of Law in support of our Motion to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint filed by The Rosen Law Firm, lead counsel to the only plaintiff in the case, Greg Zagami (as told to the court in December 2015).

The document can be viewed at:

http://cellceutix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/37-2016.02.10-Defendants-Memo-of-Law-in-Support-of-Motion-to-Dismiss-SAC.pdf

The Request For Judicial Notice can be found at:

http://cellceutix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/38-2016.02.10-Defendants-Request-for-Judicial-Notice.pdf

As Cellceutix has previously stated, the Company considers this case to be extremely frivolous and believe the facts in the Memorandum of Law prove this contention. Cellceutix wants to better clarify how a motion to dismiss works. At this point in a case, a judge essentially accepts everything in the (Plaintiff's) complaint as true. While the Company would like to say, "That allegation is factually not true" and provide reasons why, that is not how it's done in a Motion to Dismiss. As the defendant, Cellceutix is tasked with providing facts that the Company and its officers did not do anything improper with respect to disclosing information, disclaimers, scienter or any other of the allegations. The Company is limited in what exhibits may be used to plead its case, primarily kept to only regulatory filings and other documents the plaintiff referenced.

Cellceutix believes that the Ashcroft Law Firm clearly and effectively conveyed the message in the Memorandum of Law and Motion to Dismiss. Cellceutix's lead counsel, Mike Sullivan, addressed each allegation, systematically dismantling the complaint with legal precedent as to why the plaintiff's allegations are insufficient, that Cellceutix and its officers did not make any false or misleading statements and that the allegations do not state a claim.

In short, it is Cellceutix's contention that there are no legal grounds for the complaint and that The Rosen Law Firm has not provided factual allegations that are sufficient for the complaint to survive dismissal. As Mike Sullivan puts it, they are only trying to "create smoke."

Additional background material can be viewed at:

"Cellceutix Responds to Rosen Law Firm"

http://cellceutix.com/cellceutix-responds-to-rosen-law-firm/sthash.Oo6p7vwW.1NQAedgg.dpbs

Boston Business Journal

"My Visit To Cellceutix, The Biotech That A Short Seller Recently Called A Sham"

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2015/08/my-visit-to-cellceutix-the-biotech-that-a-short.html?ana=twt

The Rosen Law Firm press releases

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/search/'searchType=all&searchTerm=Rosen%20Law%20Firm&searchPage=1 (It's necessary to scroll down past all the other releases Rosen files to August 6, 2015 and September 11, 2015 to view press releases regarding Cellceutix).

Other

The true Cellceutix. This week Cellceutix announced two important events. Regular updates will be forthcoming.

Cellceutix Meets With FDA for Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Kevetrin for Ovarian Cancer

http://cellceutix.com/cellceutix-meets-with-fda-for-phase-2-clinical-trial-of-kevetrin-for-ovarian-cancer/sthash.wtV4ZA0R.dpbs

Cellceutix to Submit Special Protocol Assessment Request to FDA for Phase 3 Clinical Study of Antibiotic Brilacidin for ABSSSI

http://cellceutix.com/cellceutix-to-submit-special-protocol-assessment-request-to-fda-for-phase-3-clinical-study-of-antibiotic-brilacidin-for-absssi/ - sthash.uUkQhEWL.dpbs

About Cellceutix:

Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Cellceutix is a publicly traded company under the symbol "CTIX". Cellceutix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. Cellceutix believes it has a world-class portfolio of compounds and is now engaged in advancing its compounds and seeking strategic partnerships. Cellceutix's anti-cancer drug Kevetrin is concluding a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers' Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Cellceutix is now preparing its application for a Phase 2 study. In the laboratory Kevetrin has shown to induce activation of p53, often referred to as the "Guardian Angel Gene" due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Cellceutix is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of Oral Mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Brilacidin-OM, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative oral mucositis by more than 94% compared to placebo. Cellceutix's anti-psoriasis drug Prurisol is in a Phase 2 trial. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. Cellceutix's lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (Superbugs). Cellceutix has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause Cellceutix's actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward looking statements. Cellceutix has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "hopes," "estimates," "looks," "expects," "plans," "intends," "goal," "potential," "may," "suggest," and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are Cellceutix's need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that Cellceutix's compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in Cellceutix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Cellceutix undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT:

Cellceutix Corporation

Leo Ehrlich

Email contact


ALISO VIEJO, California, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Sequent Medical, Inc. announced today that it has commenced patient enrollment in a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the WEB' Aneurysm Embolization System ("WEB") specifically for the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Prof Laurent Spelle, MD, Head of Neuroradiology at Bicetre University Hospital, in Paris, France and Principal Investigator of the CLARYS study, enrolled the first patient.

The study, the CLinical Assessment of WEB device in Ruptured aneurYSms ("CLARYS"), will enroll 50 patients with ruptured aneurysms at up to 15 sites in France and Germany. Although patients with ruptured aneurysms have been included in previous WEB studies, CLARYS will be the first prospective, multi-center study focused exclusively on gathering data on the WEB system in this patient population. Ruptured aneurysms currently comprise over half of all aneurysms treated globally.

The primary endpoint of the study will be the rate of aneurysm re-bleeding at 30 days. An independent core lab will review all study data and CLARYS will also feature independent clinical event adjudication.

The WEB device consists of a dense mesh constructed from a large number of extremely fine Nitinol wires, and functions as an intrasaccular flow disruptor, bridging the neck of the aneurysm and providing rapid, peri-procedural stasis.

"The combination of rapid and durable stasis, a safe, fast procedure and the avoidance of long term dual antiplatelet therapy makes the WEB an ideal treatment option for ruptured aneurysms," stated Prof Spelle. "The initiation of the CLARYS study represents the next important milestone for this exciting technology platform and a critical step towards improving outcomes in a large patient population with significant unmet needs."

"The CLARYS study is the latest chapter in our ongoing commitment to build a solid foundation of clinical evidence for the WEB system, which includes three other European prospective, multicenter studies (WEBCAST, French Observatory, and WEBCAST 2), a US IDE study (WEB-IT), 30 peer-reviewed publications, and over 2,500 patients treated with the WEB," said Sequent President and CEO Tom Wilder. "At Sequent Medical, we pride ourselves not only on groundbreaking technical innovation, but also on robust scientific evidence."

About Sequent Medical, Inc.

Founded in 2007, Sequent Medical, Inc. (www.sequentmedical.com)is a privately held venture backed medical device company that is dedicated to the development of innovative catheter-based neurovascular technologies. WEB Aneurysm Embolization System and VIAMicrocatheter have both received the CE mark. The VIA Microcatheterhas been cleared for commercial use in the United States. In the United States, the WEB is an investigational device limited by United States law to investigational use. Sequent Medical is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, and has European operations based in Bonn, Germany.

About WEB Aneurysm Embolization System

Building upon the foundation of endovascular embolic coils, the WEB device is an intrasaccular flow disruptor that is implanted into a ruptured or unruptured intracranial aneurysm to promote rapid, peri-procedural stasis. The WEB system is based upon Sequent Medical's proprietary MicroBraid' technology, a dense mesh constructed from a large number of extremely fine wires. Unlike conventional medical braids, MicroBraid allows for a mix of wire diameters or materials to achieve a tailored balance of compliance, porosity and profile across device sizes.

The WEB system enables physicians to treat a broad range of intracranial aneurysms with the familiarity of an intrasaccular approach while using established biomaterials. To date, the WEB device has been used to treat over 2,500 ruptured and unruptured aneurysms worldwide.
JACKSON  A plan to renovate or demolish a number of historic Grand Teton National Park buildings is drawing pushback from residents.

The proposed Historic Properties Management Plan targets three decades-old building clusters for removal and would restore four other dilapidated properties.

Park spokesman Andrew White said the plan includes reusing some of the properties, such as those in the Mormon Row Historic District, to house seasonal park employees.

Jackson resident Franz Camenzind opposes plans to restore the 4 Lazy F Dude Ranch for housing. He said it would negatively impact native wildlife and could lead to more encounters between humans and grizzly bears.

The Alliance for Historic Wyoming has started a petition against the park's planned demolition of the Moose-Wilson Road's Sky Ranch.
12 February 2016

Capita appointed as preferred bidder by Blackburn with Darwen for place-based partnership

Capita has been named as preferred bidder by Blackburn with Darwen Council to become its technical services partner. The partnership is expected to be worth at least 60m for an initial term of five years, with the ability to extend for another five years.

The deal will see Capita and the Council form a new flexible partnership, with Capita providing a blend of services and business cases that will deliver savings, income and growth for the borough. The deal will build the North of England's first 'place-based partnership', creating new opportunities around the development of land, local assets and skills that generate income and transform Blackburn with Darwen.

The core of the new contract includes technical services such as highways and property. The Council will also draw down a wide range of expertise from across Capita to enable it to deliver a strategic transformation over the next five years. Beyond generating savings through reducing costs and increasing efficiencies across the Council, Capita will also work with the Council to generate new income through the commercialisation of existing services and assets.

The contract includes a wider 2bn framework, which allows a number of other public organisations to directly procure Capita's services for a wide range of infrastructure and development projects. This includes organisations within Blackburn with Darwen, across Lancashire, including all 14 other councils within Lancashire, and the wider neighbouring region.

Cllr Andy Kay, Executive Member for Resources for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This flexible contract represents the next generation of partnerships between local government and the private sector. Our Council must now find a sustainable model for funding and growth that can support us for the future. The services provided by our partner, Capita, and access to its wider capabilities and expertise will potentially help us to grow our revenues, reduce our expenditure and transform the borough to meet the needs of our residents over the next five years and maybe beyond."

Andy Parker, Capita's Chief Executive, said: "We have been working with the Council for fifteen years, and this contract builds on that long-standing relationship.

"This partnership model will transform Blackburn with Darwen and drive further investment and funding into the area - as well as allowing the Council to draw upon the complete breadth of expertise across Capita. The wider framework also means we can enable Blackburn with Darwen to maximise the opportunities as regional devolution in Lancashire begins to develop.

"This model is gaining a high level of interest across local government as it focusses on delivering valuable local outcomes in a flexible manner meeting the Council's individual needs and challenges."

-ENDS-

For further information:

Capita plc

Tel: 020 7799 1525

Andy Parker, Chief Executive Officer

Shona Nichols, Executive Director, Communications

Andrew Ripper, Head of Investor Relations

Media enquiries

David Hendy

Tel: 020 7654 2399

David.Hendy@capita.co.uk

Note to editors

Capita's previous partnership agreement with Blackburn with Darwen Council is due to end in June 2016. Preferred bidder status has been awarded through an open competitive tender process.

Capita is a leading UK provider of technology-enabled customer and business process services and integrated professional support services. With 74,000 people at over 400 sites, including 80 business centres across the UK, Europe, India and South Africa, Capita uses its expertise, infrastructure and scale benefits to transform its clients' services, driving down costs and adding value. Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L), and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 with 2014 revenue of 4.4 billion. Further information on Capita can be found at: http://www.capita.co.uk/.
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Baidu Inc. (BIDU) announced its board has received a non-binding proposal from Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, CEO of Baidu, and Yu Gong, CEO of Qiyi.com Inc., proposing to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Qiyi beneficially owned by Baidu based on an enterprise valuation of $2.8 billion. Baidu currently owns 80.5% of Qiyi's total outstanding shares. The Board of Baidu has formed a special committee comprised of three independent directors, to evaluate the proposal. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A jury found a rookie New York police officer guilty of manslaughter in the 2014 fatal shooting of an unarmed black man -- an incident that fueled US protests against police tactics.



Peter Liang now faces up to 15 years in prison for the death of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old father who was struck in the chest by a bullet that ricocheted off the wall in the stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing project. The jury found 28-year-old Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct after a two-week trial in Brooklyn, prosecutors said. The jury had begun deliberations on Tuesday. Sentencing was set for April 14.



'Today's verdict represents justice for Akai Gurley who was totally innocent when he was shot and killed that night,' said Brooklyn district attorney Ken Thompson. The trial was a rare case of a US police officer criminally charged for opening fire, and comes at a time when departments are under scrutiny for the shootings of unarmed suspects, many of them black, and other alleged brutalities.



The Chinese-American police officer and his partner had been on a routine patrol of Louis H. Pink Houses when the incident occurred. Liang left the roof and walked down the stairs to the eighth floor. Gurley was shot as he stepped into the stairwell, where the lights were not working.



Liang had been on the job just 11 months before the shooting.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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PUNE, India, February 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Internet of things (IoT) in smart cities market by Solutions (Remote Monitoring, Data Management) Platform (Application & Device Management) Application (Building Automation, Energy Management, Transportation) - Global Forecast to 2020", published by MarketsandMarkets, The market size is estimated to grow from USD 51.96 Billion in 2015 to USD 147.51 Billion by 2020, at an estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.2% during the forecast period.

Browse 63 market data Tables and 46 Figures spread through 135 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Internet of things (IoT) in smart cities market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/iot-smart-cities-market-215714954.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The major growth drivers of this market include increasing demand for intelligent cities globally and the rising demand for IoT devices. More than 200 smart city projects across the globe provide huge opportunities in this market for IoT vendors, service providers, platform providers, and consulting companies.

Growing concept of connected cities and increasing deployment of connected devices to open major opportunities

The market smart city has considerably grown over the past few years and the emergence of disruptive technologies such as IoT and connected devices has further augmented the opportunity areas for IoT in smart cities. The advancement in IoT technologies, cloud-based platforms, and services are marked with increasing IoT application and has led to significant investment in smart cities. The development of smart devices such as smart meters, home gateways, smart appliances, and smart plugs would also act as an opportunity for the IoT in smart cities market. Government policies, privacy and security issues, inadequate financial incentives for utilities and interoperability and standard interface are the major restraints of the overall growth of this market.

Data management solutions sub segment expected to hold the most promising potential for next five years

The IoT in smart cities market has been segmented into solutions, services, technologies, platforms, and applications. The data management and location analytics solution sub segment is projected to grow at a high growth rate and present good market opportunity during the forecast period. System integration services hold a major share in the IoT smart cities services segment. The increasing integration of ICT and IoT with different industries is considered as the primary driver influencing the growth of the IoT in smart cities services market.

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North America contributes maximum market share in 2015

North America is expected to hold the largest market share and dominate the IoT in smart cities market from 2015 to 2020, with the growing number of smart city projects and increasing grants from the U.S. government. Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa offer potential growth opportunities due to large-scale infrastructure development and growing number of smart city projects.

The major vendors covered in the IoT in smart cities market for this study include Bosch Software Innovation, Cisco Systems Inc., Huawei Technologies, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation., Schneider Electric, SAP SE, Symantec Corporation, ThingWorx, and Verizon Communications.

MarketsandMarkets segments the Internet of things (IoT) in smart cities market on the basis of solutions: location analytics, network security, application security, real-time streaming analytics, network bandwidth management, remote monitoring system and data management solutions; services: system integration services and other services; platforms: device management, application management, and connectivity management platform; technologies: satellite networks, cellular networks, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), and Wi-Fi; applications: transportation, infrastructure management, building automation, energy management, intelligent cities service, and emergency and incident management; and regions. A detailed analysis of the regional markets has been done to provide insights into the potential future business opportunities in different regions.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Databricks, the company behind Apache Spark, today announced that Findify, an intelligent e-commerce search solution powered by machine learning and big data, has selected Databricks as its big data platform to utilize Spark for its mission-critical use cases including extract, transform and load (ETL), analytics, and machine learning.

Findify's mission is to create seamless online shopping experiences that lead to loyal customers, ultimately increasing revenue. By utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, Findify's Smart Search continuously improves its accuracy as users use the service. As such, building features that employ predictive analytics requires Findify to retain user behavior patterns and determine popular suggestions in a short amount of time. Findify began using Apache Spark on a homegrown solution to perform their ETL process, conduct analytics, and execute machine learning algorithms. Yet, the complexity of the process was time-consuming for their team and ultimately led to customer frustrations and reduced productivity of the entire development team.

Findify turned to the Databricks platform to scale up the deployment of sophisticated machine learning models and streamline complex big data operations. Databricks enabled Findify to easily overcome their big data challenges, resulting in:

Faster time to complete projects: Zero-maintenance Spark clusters and Jobs infrastructure resulting in faster feature development and reduced customer frustration caused by delayed analytics.

More efficient operations: The managed platform eliminated time spent on DevOps and infrastructure issues, allowing the engineering team to focus on leveraging machine learning to build innovative features.

Improved collaboration: With a team that is spread across Europe and traveling globally, the ability to easily iterate, visualize, and collaborate allowed Findify to complete their projects quickly and effectively.

"From day one, we saw the value of Apache Spark and the level to which our business would benefit from utilizing the engine. There are no other solutions in the market that offer such ease of implementation, usage, and zero-maintenance -- while allowing us to be so close to running a pure Apache Spark stack -- as Databricks," said Meni Morim, cofounder and CEO at Findify.

"Everything that Findify does is data-driven, from choosing which features to develop, to exposing the right analytics to their customers," said Ali Ghodsi, CEO at Databricks. "Databricks is helping to further Findify's mission of creating frictionless online shopping experiences, while enabling their team to gain significant productivity improvements and easily collaborate across the globe."

With Databricks, Findify has been able to focus less on DevOps and more on employing advanced machine learning algorithms and models to build more innovative features, creating new revenue opportunities for their customers.

Download the Findify case study: http://go.databricks.com/case-studies/findify

For more information on Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/product/databricks

About Databricks:

Databricks' vision is to make big data simple for the enterprise. The company was founded by the team that created and continues to drive Apache Spark, a powerful open source data processing engine built for sophisticated analytics, ease of use, and speed. Databricks is the largest contributor to the open source Spark project providing 10x more code than any other company. The company has also trained over 20,000 users on Apache Spark, and has the largest number of customers deploying Spark to date. Databricks is venture-backed by Andreessen Horowitz and NEA. For more information, contact info@databricks.com.

Media Contact:

Suzanne Block

Merritt Group for Databricks

E: DatabricksMG@merrittgrp.com

P: 617-824-0981




CLEARWATER, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Endurance Exploration Group (OTCQB: EXPL) is pleased to have the following article published today by the BBC. Investors can view the full article using the link below.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160210-inside-the-hunt-for-a-million-dollar-haul-of-ocean-gold

Endurance CEO Micah Eldred said, "We're very pleased to have our story presented to the BBC's readership, and we look forward to providing future updates on the salvage of the Connaught and other projects which we have in the works."

Endurance Exploration Group LLC was formed in 2009 to explore, from an operational and financial perspective, the feasibility and potential economic return of recovering historic and modern day shipwreck cargos. We began by developing a research methodology with three goals. The first goal was to establish a comprehensive understanding of the larger economic, technological and social trends that lead to the transport of physical wealth across oceans during different historical periods, along with creating a "High Interest" list of shipwrecks and their cargos lost across various historical periods. Conflict, accidents and acts of nature claimed a percentage of all voyages, and many of the shipwrecked vessels are believed to have carried a valuable cargo. Our second objective was to identify, from this prior population of potential shipwreck losses, those shipwrecks that could be legally salvaged and recovered, and the cargos sold, with a positive return on the capital investment required for their location and recovery. Our third goal was to move those projects which had the potential to generate positive investment returns into an operational phase with a high, risk-adjusted, chance of success; and, to develop a portfolio of projects in various stages of research, search, survey and recovery.

From these databases and other searches, we have developed an initial "High Interest" list of approximately 400 shipwrecks. In 2011, we began purchasing key equipment for operations. Our equipment purchases have included a 100-foot survey vessel, tethered side-scan sonar units, and light work-class and inspection Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), "Shackleton 1" and "Squirt". Projects code-named "Sailfish" and "Black Marlin" have now reached operational or pre-operational status. For project "Sailfish" we have now surveyed over 700 square miles in the Western Atlantic Ocean in search of a sunken passenger liner carrying a substantial cargo of gold coinage. In addition to this manifest cargo, we also expect to find additional valuables among the personal stores of the ship's passengers. For project "Black Marlin" we have secured a three-year contract with a sovereign island nation in the Indian Ocean for the survey and recovery of a Colonial-era merchant vessel carrying silver. This contract also allows for other potentially valuable "targets of opportunity" within the territorial waters of this nation.

We believe this survey and recovery capability combined with our proprietary research will allow us to conduct approximately two deep-water surveys per yearly weather window, should we have sufficient capital to undertake such operational surveys.

More information about Endurance is available at the follow sites:

http://www.eexpl.com/

www.facebook.com/EnduranceExplorationGroup

About the S.S. Connaught

Built in Ireland and launched in 1860, the 380-foot iron-hulled side-wheel steamer S.S. Connaught was lauded as one of the largest and most luxurious ocean-going liners in service, a true Titanic of her time. Upon sinking on only her second voyage, the S.S. Connaught became best known for her tragic role in what has been called one of the most courageous and daring rescues in maritime history.

The elegant S.S. Connaught departed Galway, Ireland on September 25, 1860, bound for Boston by way of St. John's, Newfoundland. She departed for the final leg to Boston with 50 first-class passengers, 417 in steerage and a full crew of 125. In addition, she was quietly loaded with  10,000 in gold coins, possibly bound for a visiting member of the British royal family.

Her routine voyage became perilous when she sprang a leak in a sudden storm, forcing passengers and crew alike to join forces in an effort to save her. Though the leak was brought under control, the doomed ship soon faced a far more dangerous adversary -- a fire below her decks.

Smoke and flames drove passengers and crew alike to the top deck, building in strength so quickly that none of the gold cargo or valuable passenger belongings could be saved. Lifeboats were ordered lowered, but they were smashed by the violent waves. Disaster seemed all but certain -- until a tiny fruit transport sailed to intercept the burning ship. By this time the S.S. Connaught's hulls were so hot they boiled the waves as they crashed against her. Heroism abounded as a line was thrown across decks, transferring women and children first, then the male passengers and crew. There were soon so many people on the tiny fruit transport that they stood on every available patch of deck, some even clinging to the tall masts and rigging.

The Captain of the S.S. Connaught was bound by tradition to leave last. Soon after he departed, both rescuers and rescued watched as the S.S. Connaught disappeared beneath the waves, over one hundred miles from the nearest land. It was a long and trying night, but every soul was safely delivered to Boston's India Wharf the following day. Nearly 600 souls had been transferred from one of the largest ocean liners of the time to a tiny fruit transport without a single loss of life.

The contracts were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Endurance.

Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.

This Form 8-K and the attached press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "will," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to legal and operational risks of offshore, historic shipwreck recovery.

Forward-looking statements contained in this Form 8-K and in the attached press release are made under the Safe Harbor Provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated. The information contained in this release is as of February 12, 2016. Endurance Exploration Group, Inc. assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this Form 8-K and attached press release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

Contact:

Endurance Exploration Group LLC

Keith Holloway

727.533.5555 ext 280

keith@eexpl.com




LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Avala Resources Ltd. ("Avala" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AVZ) wishes to announce that, on February 11, 2016, it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement (the "Agreement") with Dundee Precious Metals Inc. ("DPM") (TSX: DPM) the controlling shareholder of Avala, whereby DPM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Avala that it does not already own by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Arrangement").

Under the Arrangement, each holder of Avala common shares, other than DPM, will receive 0.044 of a common share of DPM (the "Exchange Ratio") in exchange for each Avala common share. The Exchange Ratio reflects a 25% premium for Avala shareholders based on the 10-day volume weighted average price of the Avala common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") and of the DPM common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"), and a 24.5% premium based on the closing prices of both Avala and DPM common shares on February 11, 2016.

David Fennell, Executive Chairman of Avala, said "Our board and management believe that the Arrangement provides an opportunity for the Company's shareholders to increase liquidity while retaining exposure to the upside potential of the Company's properties through DPM shares, an organization with the strength and financial resources to continue unlocking value from our properties. Considering the low liquidity of our stock, the regulatory and administrative costs of maintaining Avala as a separate publicly traded company, and the generally challenging financial environment for junior mining companies, we believe that this transaction currently provides the best opportunity for our shareholders."

As a result of the Arrangement, the Avala shareholders, other than DPM, will own approximately 956,340 shares of DPM, representing 0.68 % of the issued and outstanding common shares of DPM following completion of the Arrangement. Completion of the Arrangement is subject to, amongst other things, applicable regulatory approvals, including approvals of the TSX for the issuance of common shares of DPM, the satisfaction of certain closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature, including the approval of the Supreme Court (British Columbia), and all required Shareholder approvals. In this regard, the Arrangement must be approved by (i) a majority of the Avala common shares voted at a meeting of shareholders to be convened to approve the Arrangement (the "Meeting"), other than common shares held by DPM and any other interested parties to the Arrangement in accordance with Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions); and (ii) no less than 66 2/3% of holders of common shares voted at the Meeting.

The Agreement includes customary representations, warranties and covenants and deal protection provisions. Avala has agreed not to solicit any alternative transactions and to pay a break fee equal to $300,000 in certain specified circumstances. In addition, Avala has granted DPM a right to match any competing offer. Directors, officers and a shareholder of Avala holding an aggregate of 1,242,740 common shares have entered into voting support agreements with DPM pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote their Avala common shares in favour of the Arrangement, subject to certain permitted exceptions.

In accordance with the Agreement, the closing of the transaction must occur by no later than April 30, 2016.

As DPM is the controlling shareholder of Avala, owning approximately 50.1% of the outstanding Avala common shares, the board of directors of Avala formed a special committee of independent directors which considered the fairness of the Arrangement to Shareholders of Avala, other than DPM, and recommended that the board of directors of Avala approve the Arrangement, which approval was given. Primary Capital Inc. was retained by the special committee as financial advisor. There is no finder's fee payable in connection with the Arrangement. Avala and DPM had entered into a non-binding exclusivity letter agreement on December 23, 2015.

Full details of the transaction will be set out in Avala's information circular that will be prepared in respect of the Meeting, which is intended to be held on April 5, 2016. Avala intends to mail the information circular in early March. Avala shareholders and other interested parties are advised to read the materials relating to the proposed Arrangement after they are filed by Avala on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Resignation of CEO

Avala also announces that James Crombie has resigned, effective today, as President, CEO and director to concentrate on other opportunities in the mining industry. "The Company wishes to thank Mr. Crombie for his past years of services and wishes him well in his future endeavours." said Mr. Fennell.

Mr. Fennell will serve as Interim President and CEO of the Company in addition to his role as executive chairman.

About Avala Resources Ltd. Avala Resources is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of gold and copper projects in Serbia. The Company's key projects are the Timok Gold Project, the Tulare Project and the Lenovac Project.

The Common Shares trade on the TSXV under the symbol 'AVZ'. Avala's issued and outstanding share capital totals 43,598,138 Common Shares, of which approximately 50.1% are held by Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM). Additional information about Avala is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and at www.avalaresources.com.

About Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Dundee Precious Metals is a Canadian based, international gold mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, mining and processing of precious metals. The Company's principal operating assets include the Chelopech operation, which produces a copper concentrate containing gold and silver, located east of Sofia, Bulgaria; the Kapan operation, which produces a copper concentrate and a zinc concentrate, both containing gold and silver, located in southern Armenia; and the Tsumeb smelter, a concentrate processing facility located in Namibia. DPM also holds interests in a number of developing gold properties located in Bulgaria, Serbia, and northern Canada, including the Krumovgrad project and interests held through its 50.1% owned subsidiary, Avala Resources Ltd., and its 12.0% interest in Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

This communication does not constitute an offer to purchase or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to sell or exchange any securities of Avala or DPM, nor shall there be any sale or exchange of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the laws of such jurisdiction. The distribution of this communication may, in some countries, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe these restrictions.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information in this press release includes information about the completion and timing of the proposed transaction between Avala and DPM and the potential benefits thereof. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, the contemplated transaction not being completed as a result of a number of factors including, without limitation, the shareholders of Avala not approving the transaction, or required regulatory or court approvals not being obtained, the possible failure to realize anticipated the expected expense reductions or other benefits of the transaction; and other risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Avala does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular to be prepared in connection with the Arrangement, any information related or received with respect to the arrangement may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Avala should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transactions and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Avala Resources Ltd.

David Fennell, Executive Chairman, Interim President and CEO

+1.450.640.0810

info@avalaresources.com

www.avalaresources.com




CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, joined by the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, and the Honourable Wade MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island, announced two significant investments in research commercialization centres.

In Charlottetown, the Natural Products Canada (NPC) will receive $14 million over five years, in support of its work to establish Canada as a global leader in the development and marketing of natural products.

In Montreal, the Centre for Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy (C3i) will receive funding of $15 million over five years to develop, translate and commercialize cancer immunotherapy.

These two recipients are the two successful applicants from the most recent competition in the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program. The CECRs match clusters of research expertise with the business community, facilitating the development of products and technologies at a stage in the commercialization process where it is otherwise difficult to attract private-sector investment.

Quick facts

-- The NPC, headquartered in Charlottetown, will capitalize on ongoing research that has demonstrated a wealth of applications for natural products in promoting good human and animal health. They will also work to develop green alternatives to agricultural products and industrial chemicals. The centre will evaluate, scientifically validate and invest in products and technologies. -- C3i, which is based in Montreal, will accelerate access to innovative cancer immunotherapies for patients. Operating out of the Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont's Research Centre, C3i will be a one-stop shop for the development, translation and commercialization of ground-breaking cancer treatments. -- The CECR program currently funds 23 centres, working in areas that include information and communications technologies, health, natural resources and energy. Created in 2007, the program invests $30 million per year in Canadian innovation.

Quotes

"Today's CECR recipients reflect the impressive depth and quality of research conducted here in Canada in two vital areas: innovative cancer therapies and ground-breaking natural alternatives to products already on the market. The Government of Canada is proud to support this important stage on the research spectrum: getting products out of the lab and into the market, so that they can begin to improve the lives of Canadians."

- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"The CECR program helps to fill that important gap between conducting research, and being able to develop a commercially viable product. Today's announcement is yet another example of the great scientific research that is being done across the country, and the tremendous efforts that these researchers are making to dream beyond their research, and to how they can improve our quality of life. Congratulations to both successful organizations."

- The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

"Our research ecosystem needs to be balanced in a way that supports the constant interchange between discovery and innovation. Commercialization centres satisfy a very specific need, by providing a solid connection between the ideas generated by foundational research and the expertise that can take the most promising ideas towards commercialization."

- B. Mario Pinto, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Chair, Networks of Centres of Excellence Steering Committee

"By harnessing the power of the immune system, we have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. These are game-changing therapies, and with this support C3i can work to ensure a brighter future for cancer patients. At the same time, Canada has the expertise in this area to become a world leader and take advantage of the tremendous business opportunity presented by immunotherapy. C3i will act as a catalyst to support this development."

- Lambert Busque, Chief Medical Officer, C3i

"This funding will enable us to link Canada's natural products assets, strengthen the sector's position within the global market and realize positive outcomes for Canadians. Together with our founding partners, we can connect existing research, infrastructure and expertise from regions across Canada, and we are pleased to lead the first national CECR hosted in the Maritimes."

- Shelley R. King, Chief Executive Officer of Natural Products Canada

Quick facts

-- The NPC, headquartered in Charlottetown, will capitalize on ongoing research that has demonstrated a wealth of applications for natural products in promoting good human and animal health. They will also work to develop green alternatives to agricultural products and industrial chemicals. The centre will evaluate, scientifically validate and invest in products and technologies. -- C3i, which is based in Montreal, will accelerate access to innovative cancer immunotherapies for patients. Operating out of the Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont's Research Centre, C3i will be a one-stop shop for the development, translation and commercialization of ground-breaking cancer treatments. -- The CECR program currently funds 23 centres, working in areas that include information and communications technologies, health, natural resources and energy. Created in 2007, the program invests $30 million per year in Canadian innovation.

Associated links

CECR competition results

CECR program information

Currently funded CECRs

Follow the NCE on Twitter: @NCE_RCE

Follow the Minister on Twitter: @MinisterISED

The Networks of Centres of Excellence, which manages the CECR program, operates a suite of national funding programs on behalf of the three federal granting agencies-the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). NCE programs support large scale, multi-disciplinary collaborations between universities, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations, which focus Canada's research capacity on economic and social challenges, help commercialize and apply research breakthroughs, increase private-sector R&D, and train highly qualified people.

Contacts:

Media Relations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

343-291-1777

ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca



Martin Leroux

Media and Public Affairs Officer

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

613-943-7618




Regulatory News:

Eurotunnel (Paris:GET) today celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Treaty of Canterbury, the document which set in motion the creation of one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century, the Channel Tunnel.

As early as 1982, Pierre Mauroy, Prime Minister in the government of Francois Mitterrand and a major force in the development of the project, had brought a new drive to the discussions regarding a connection between the two signatories to the Entente Cordiale. The Treaty of Canterbury, which was signed thirty years ago today, in the Chapter House at Canterbury Cathedral, by Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe and his French counterpart Roland Dumas, in the presence of Margaret Thatcher and Francois Mitterrand, authorised the construction of the Fixed Link beneath the Channel and set the terms for its construction and operation.

Those 32 miles have transformed Europe forever and have become a symbol of extraordinary determination and political courage and also of the capacity that men and women of vision to transform the world.

Today more than 366 million people and 73 million vehicles have been through the Channel Tunnel.

Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Eurotunnel SE stated "Beyond the symbolic nature of this anniversary, we should also recognise the quality of thought and drafting that went into the Treaty of Canterbury which was both visionary and pragmatic and which underlines its importance 30 years later".

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160212005440/en/

Contacts:

Eurotunnel Contacts

For UK media enquiriescontact

John Keefe on 44 (0) 1303 284491

or

For other media enquiries contact

Anne-Laure Descleves on +33(0)1 4098 0467

or

Email: press@eurotunnel.com

or

For investor enquiries contact

Jean-Baptiste Roussille on +33 (0)1 40 98 04 81

Emailjean-baptiste.roussille@eurotunnel.com

or

Michael Schuller on +44 (0) 1303 288749

Email:Michael.schuller@eurotunnel.com


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar was trading in a positive territory against its major rivals in European deals on Friday, after retail sales rose slightly more than anticipated in January, partly led by an increase in auto sales.



Data from the Commerce Department showed that retail sales climbed by 0.2 percent in January compared to economist estimates for a 0.1 percent uptick.



The report also showed that retail sales in December rose by an upwardly revised 0.2 percent.



Excluding auto sales, retail sales inched up by 0.1 percent in January, matching the revised increase in December. Economists had expected ex-auto sales to come in unchanged.



Meanwhile, data from the the Labor Department showed a notable decrease in U.S. import prices in the month of January, mainly due to another steep drop in fuel prices.



The report said import prices tumbled by 1.1 percent in January, matching the revised decrease reported for December. Economists had expected import prices to slump by 1.5 percent.



The Labor Department also said export prices slid by 0.8 percent in January after plunging by 1.1 percent in the previous month. Export prices had been expected to drop by 0.6 percent.



The prospectus for a March rate hike has receded after the Fed Chair Janet Yellen sounded cautious about the state of global economy in her Congressional testimony and indicated weak growth across the globe would have spillover effects in U.S. economic growth and slow the pace of Fed rate hikes.



The greenback showed mixed performance in Asian deals. While the currency held steady against the euro and the pound, it climbed against the franc. Against the yen, it declined.



The greenback bounced to 1.4484 against the pound, from a 2-day low of 1.4570 hit at 5:10 am ET. The greenback is likely to find resistance around the 1.42 zone.



Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that British construction output grew at a slower-than-expected pace in December, after falling in the previous month.



Construction output rose 1.5 percent month-over-month in December, reversing a 1.1 percent drop in November. The expected rate of increase was 2.0 percent.



The greenback advanced to 2-day highs of 1.1228 against the euro and 0.9781 against the franc, compared to Thursday's closing values of 1.1322 and 0.9722, respectively. If the greenback extends rise, it may locate resistance near 1.10 against the euro and 0.99 against the franc.



After a brief pause, the greenback rose back to 113.16 against the Japanese yen. Further gains may take the greenback to a resistance around the 116.00 level.



The greenback climbed to 0.6643 against the NZ dollar, after having fallen to a weekly low of 0.6739 at 5:45 pm ET. On the upside, 0.65 is possibly seen as the next resistance level for the greenback.



U.S. business inventories report for December and preliminary consumer sentiment index for February are due shortly.



New York Federal Reserve William Dudley will attend a press conference on household debt and credit report in New York at 10 am ET.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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A bill that stated it would have further protected religious freedoms failed in the Wyoming Legislature on Thursday.

Rep. Nathan Winters, R-Thermopolis, sponsored the Government Nondiscrimination Act that narrowly missed the necessary introduction vote threshold.

It was designed to prevent state and local governments from penalizing people with sincerely held religious beliefs regarding marriage, Winters said.

This bill simply acknowledges our First Amendment right and preserves the right to a free conscience," Winters said.

Winters also sponsored a religious freedom restoration act last year that passed the House but failed in the Senate.

Rep. Mary Throne, the Democratic leader in the House, was the only legislator to speak out against this year's religious nondiscrimination act.

The First Amendment already protects freedom of religion, Throne said, and it wasnt necessary to further protect the religious freedoms the Legislature holds dear.

This is not a First Amendment bill," Throne said. "This is a discrimination bill. It will harm our tourism industry in the state at a time when we are doing our utmost to enhance all of our economic opportunities.

When he was given a chance to answer, Winters maintained that the bill was the exact opposite.

This bill is not a discrimination bill, Winters said. It is an anti-discrimination bill. This protects the religious liberty of people that have sincerely held religious beliefs.

The bill narrowly missed the two-thirds majority support necessary to make it past the introduction vote. Other bills with a social focus also failed to gain traction in the Legislature on the fourth day of the session.

A hate crimes bill from Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, gained little traction Thursday and only received 10 votes in support of it making past introduction.

The legislation Pelkey was proposing would have allowed prosecutors to seek a 25 percent sentence enhancement for violent felonies if the victim was targeted because of their membership in a protected group.

Pelkey told the Star-Tribune last week that the bill came about as a result of a Riverton shooting last year, when Roy Clyde shot two male members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe.

Hate crimes, Pelkey said, are in essence an assault against a community.

The House also failed to support an effort sponsored by Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, that would have eliminated the death penalty as a punishment for murder.

The expense to law enforcement and the state is enormous, Connolly said, and innocents have been executed, an injustice that can't be rectified.

The bill then failed to pass the intro vote, with 21 voting in favor and 39 voting against.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Noble Corp. plc (NE) Friday announced a settlement agreement in principle with Paragon Offshore plc which was spun-off by Noble in 2014. Pursuant to the settlement, Paragon would release Noble from all claims relating to the spin-off. Further, Noble said it would assume certain pre-spin-off obligations relating to Paragon's Mexican tax matters. Noble would take control of the administration and defense of Paragon's Mexican income, value-added and customs tax audit and assessment matters for specified years up to and including 2010. Noble would also assume the Mexican income and value added tax liabilities relating to the Paragon business after audit and assessment. Further, Paragon and Noble would equally share the other income, value-added and customs tax liabilities arising out of such audit and assessment process. Noble projects tax settlement to be in the range of $8 to $12 million. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Daniels Corporate Advisory Co., Inc. (OTCQB: DCAC) ("DCAC") is pleased to announce the addition of Patrick Johnson to its Board of Directors.

Patrick is the CEO and Director of Victura Construction Group Inc. (OTC PINK: VICT) ("VICT"), a vertically integrated holding company focused on strategic growth in the disaster recovery and restoration segments of the construction industry primarily in the Dallas/Fort Worth commercial and residential markets. His company's six operating subsidiaries have human assets that collectively have a history of performance achievements in industry partnerships.

"Patrick's function on our board will be to provide insight on strategic acquisitions within industry segments that service the construction, consumer products, oil and gas, software, and nutraceutical industries," states Arthur D. Viola, CEO of DCAC.

DCAC is exploring other areas of concentration with VICT in the areas of Water, Fire and Storm insurance Restoration and reconstruction services regarding property damage, which are paid by Insurance Proceeds, a recession-proof opportunity within the Construction Industry, in both residential and commercial markets.

"Any venture between the two firms or a target acquisition by Daniels would benefit the Parties through providing the ability to exponentially increase the footprint of existing business through Acquisition and/or Expansion," states Patrick Johnson, CEO of VICT.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and/or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's suppliers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties.

Contact:

Daniels Corporate Advisory Co., Inc.

Arthur D. Viola

Chairman and CEO

(347) 242-2148

onewallstreetn@aol.com




MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - Pope Francis on Friday is embarking on a two-nation tour that includes a historic meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuban capital Havana. The Argentinian pontiff is due to spend around two hours in private conversation with Kirill at Havana's Jose Marti airport. It will be the first meeting between the religious leaders of Christianity's two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East. Francis and Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria. The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, and the rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with Francis's drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy. I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers, he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world. A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could 100 per cent guarantee that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders' meeting. From Cuba, the spiritual head of Catholics heads to Mexico dominated by modern day problems of drug-related violence and migration. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The US Department of State has alerted U.S. citizens to the risks of traveling to the Xaisomboun province of Laos due to recent shooting attacks and detonations of improvised explosive devices. The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane has prohibited its personnel from traveling to Xaisomboun province, and urged U.S. citizens to adopt similar security measures. In a Travel Alert issued Thursday, the State Department urged U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Laos to take precautions, remain vigilant about their personal security, and be alert to local security developments. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK-based homebuilder Countryside Properties said Friday that its initial public offering values the company at 1.013 billion pounds, or about $1.46 billion.



The company priced its 135 million shares in the IPO on the London Stock Exchange at 225 pence per share, at the low end of its previously forecast range of 225 pence to 275 pence per share. The IPO represents 30 percent of the company's outstanding shares.



The IPO marks Countryside's return to the equity markets, with the company being previously listed in London between 1972 and 2005. In 2013, funds advised by U.S.-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management L.P. acquired a majority stake in the company from Lloyds Banking Group plc (LYG, LLOY.L).



Shares of Countryside rose almost 3 percent in conditional trading on the London Stock Exchange on Friday. Unconditional trading in the shares is expected to begin on Wednesday, 17 February.



Ian Sutcliffe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Countryside, said, 'We have been extremely pleased with the investor response to our offer, in what has been a challenging period for the wider markets. Our differentiated business model, and the future growth opportunity it represents, has been well understood by investors.'



Countryside will receive net proceeds of about 114 million pounds from the IPO, of which it will use about 64 million pounds to pay down debt, while about 50 million pounds will be used to accelerate growth in the development of existing sites.



The selling shareholders - OCM Luxembourg Coppice Topco S.a r.l., an entity controlled by Oaktree, and certain other shareholders will receive gross proceeds of about 174 million pounds from the IPO.



Assuming no exercise of the over allotment option, Oaktree will own 60.6 percent of the company's outstanding shares, while Countryside's directors and senior management will hold about 7.6 percent of the issued share capital.



Founded in 1958, Brentwood, Essex-based Countryside develops residential homes and mixed-use communities, primarily operating in the London area and in the southeast, the east and the northwest of England.



The company reported revenue of 615.8 million pounds in its 2015 fiscal year, up 16 percent from the prior year. Operating profit surged 93 percent from the prior year to 91.2 million pounds.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Federal investments in several disciplines will help push the frontiers of knowledge in fields like ocean and coastal research, children's health, and sustainable infrastructure. Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was at the University of Ottawa, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, to celebrate 15 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs.

The University of Ottawa will receive $13.8 million for these chairs. They include Dr. Benoit Lessard, the new Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials and Organic Electronics. Dr. Lessard is looking at another growing application of organic electronics: highly specific sensors. He and his research team will focus on the use of smart polymers (i.e. responsive to stimuli) in organic electronics sensors and study how the environment affects these devices. This research will lead to the development of inexpensive, flexible and highly selective sensors that can be used for everything from environmental monitoring to novel health care systems to improve quality of life.

Minister McKenna also announced an additional $12.6 million through the Research Support Fund to cover the indirect costs of research at the university as well as more than $2.3 million in infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This funding will help support cutting-edge research in a number of fields, including environmental and climate science.

Quotes

"I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to the latest new and renewed Canada Research Chairs. The Government of Canada is proud to support these elite researchers who improve our depth of knowledge, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness and help train the next generation of our highly skilled workforce."

-The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

"The researchers that we are celebrating today at the University of Ottawa offer unique and essential expertise to help develop technologies and services to benefit our province, Canada and the world. The nearly $29 million in funding announced today for the University of Ottawa will support world-class research and education opportunities in Ottawa."

-The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"The Canada Research Chairs program remains a cornerstone of our efforts to attract and retain the brightest minds in Canada. It has become one of our most important and respected investments in research and provides resources to mentor and train the research leaders of tomorrow."

-Dr. Mario Pinto, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

"Leading researchers are pushing the boundaries of sustainable technologies, but their efforts rely on state-of-the-art facilities and labs. With the right tools, Canada's top researchers are helping to reduce our environmental burden, stimulate the economy of the future and transform our lives."

-Dr. Gilles Patry, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

"The Canada Research Chair will enable us to build an internationally renowned program able to design and engineer novel materials for inexpensive, flexible and highly tunable sensors, create prototypes, and connect Canadian industries with cutting edge research. Ultimately, we aspire to see our efforts improve Canadian healthcare as well as enhance efficiency and safety in chemical manufacturers."

-Dr. Benoit Lessard, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials and Organic Electronics."(Quote

"Thanks to support from the Canada Research Chairs program and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the University of Ottawa continues to offer these brilliant scientists a state-of-the-art environment in order to solve problems and make new discoveries that will contribute to Canada's competitive advantage and benefit all Canadians."

-Mona Nemer, University of Ottawa, vice-president, research.

Quick facts

-- More than 1,700 Canada Research Chairs are working in a wide range of fields at over 70 post-secondary institutions across the country. -- The Government of Canada is investing more than $238 million in support of 119 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs in universities across Ontario, their labs and equipment, and the indirect costs of research. -- The Research Support Fund offsets a portion of the costs associated with managing research at Canadian institutions, such as training costs for workplace health and safety, maintenance costs for libraries and laboratories, and administrative costs. -- The Canada Foundation for Innovation gives researchers the tools they need to innovate by investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada's universities, colleges, research hospitals and not-for-profit research institutions. -- Created in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs program has helped attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds. Canada Research Chairs deepen our knowledge, enhance our quality of life and grow our economy.

Associated link

Recipients list

Follow Minister Duncan on Twitter and Instagram: @ScienceMin

Contacts:

Caitlin Workman

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

819-938-9436



Media Relations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

343-291-1777

ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is nominating Dr. John B. King, Jr. to officially take over as Secretary of Education. King has served as Acting Secretary of Education since former Education Secretary Arne Duncan stepped down at the end of last year. Obama reportedly intended to keep King as acting secretary for the remainder of his term but decided to officially nominate the former teacher and principal after receiving assurances lawmakers will give his nomination speedy consideration. In a statement from the White House, Obama said there is nobody better than King to lead ongoing efforts to work toward preschool for all, prepare kids so that they are ready for college and career, and make college more affordable. 'I look forward to the Senate working in a bipartisan way to confirm John quickly and continuing their work with him to tackle the vital challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,' Obama said. King has served as Acting Secretary of Education since January and also serves as the Education Department's Principal Senior Advisor. When he joined the Education Department in 2015, King oversaw all preschool-through-12th-grade education policies, programs and strategic initiatives, as well as department operations. Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he was glad Obama chose to officially nominate King as Education Secretary and promised a prompt and fair hearing on the nomination. 'For proper accountability, especially as we work with the administration on implementing the new law governing elementary and secondary education, it is important to have in charge of the department a member of the president's cabinet confirmed by the United States Senate,' Alexander said. Alexander has previously said King's nomination is likely to receive Republican support in the Senate, barring some scandal or ethical lapse discovered during the confirmation process. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-02-12 16:56 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the initiative and decision of the Management Board of AB INVL Technology (legal entity code: 300893533, address of the registered office: Gyneju g. 16, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania, hereinafter, the Company), the Company's extraordinary general meeting of shareholders is to be held on 7 March 2016 at 4:30 p.m.The extraordinary general meeting of shareholders will be held in the premises of UAB INVL Asset Management at Gyneju g. 14, Vilnius.Registration of the shareholders will start at 4:00 p.m.Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the accounting day of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders are entitled to participate and to vote at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders.The accounting day of the meeting is 29 February 2016.The total number of the shares issued by the Company, with the nominal value of EUR 0.29 each, and the number of votes carried by such shares in the general meeting of shareholders is the same - 12,175,321 shares. ISIN code of the Company's shares is LT0000128860.Agenda of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders:1. Amendment of the Articles of Association of AB INVL Technology and approval of a new wording of the Articles of Association of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology.2. Approval of the Management Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with the management company UAB INVL Asset Management (legal entity code: 126263073, address of the registered office: Gyneju g. 14, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania).3. Approval of the Depository Services Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with AB SEB Bankas (legal entity code: 112021238, address of the registered office: Gedimino pr. 12, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania).Draft resolutions of the Company's extraordinary general meeting of shareholders:1. Amendment of the Articles of Association of AB INVL Technology and approval of a new wording of the Articles of Association of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL TechnologyIn view of the resolutions taken at the general meeting of shareholders of AB INVL Technology, held on 10 April 2015, regarding the transformation of the activity of AB INVL Technology so that it operates as a closed-ended type investment company in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Collective Investment Undertakings, to approve a new wording of the Articles of Association of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology prepared by the Management Board of AB INVL Technology, by replacing the text of the Articles of Association in full (enclosed).To authorise Kazimieras Tonkunas, Director of AB INVL Technology to sign the Articles of Association of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology.2. Approval of the Management Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with the management company UAB INVL Asset Management (legal entity code: 126263073, address of the registered office: Gyneju g. 14, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania)In view of the resolutions taken at the general meeting of shareholders of AB INVL Technology, held on 10 April 2015, regarding the transformation of the activity of AB INVL Technology so that it operates as a closed-ended type investment company in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Collective Investment Undertakings, to approve the Management Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with the management company UAB INVL Asset Management (legal entity code: 126263073, address of the registered office: Gyneju g. 14, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania) (enclosed), prepared by the Management Board of AB INVL Technology.3. Approval of the Depository Services Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with AB SEB Bankas (legal entity code: 112021238, address of the registered office: Gedimino pr. 12, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania)In view of the resolutions taken at the general meeting of shareholders of AB INVL Technology, held on 10 April 2015, regarding the transformation of the activity of AB INVL Technology so that it operates as a closed-ended type investment company in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Collective Investment Undertakings, to approve the Depository Services Agreement of special closed-ended type private capital investment company INVL Technology with AB SEB Bankas (legal entity code: 112021238, address of the registered office: Gedimino pr. 12, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania) (enclosed), prepared by the Management Board of AB INVL Technology.The shareholders may review the documents related to the agenda of the meeting, draft resolutions on every item of the agenda, documents which have to be submitted to the general meeting of shareholders and other information related to realization of the shareholder's rights in the premises of AB INVL Technology at Gyneju g. 16, Vilnius, during working hours.The shareholders are entitled: (i) to propose to supplement the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders, submitting a draft resolution on every additional item of the agenda or, where there is no need to take a decision, of the shareholder's explanation (this right is granted to shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes). A proposal to supplement the agenda is to be submitted in writing by registered mail or delivered in person against signature. The agenda is supplemented if the proposal is received no later than 14 days before the general meeting of shareholders; (ii) to propose draft resolutions on the issues already included or to be included in the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders at any time prior to the date of the general meeting of shareholders (in writing, by registered mail or delivered in person against signature) or in writing during the general meeting of shareholders (this right is granted to shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes); (iii) to submit questions to the Company related to the issues on the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders in advance but no later than 3 business days prior to the general meeting of shareholders in writing by registered mail or delivered in person against signature.A shareholder participating at the general meeting of shareholders and having the right to vote must present an identity document. Each shareholder may authorize either a natural or a legal person to participate and to vote on behalf of the shareholder at the general meeting of shareholders. The proxy has the same rights as the represented shareholder would have at the general meeting of shareholders. The authorized persons must have identity documents and a power of attorney approved in the manner specified by law, which must be submitted to the Company no later than before the commencement of registration for the general meeting of shareholders. A power of attorney issued abroad must be translated into the Lithuanian language and legalised in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law. The Company does not establish a special form of a power of attorney.A shareholder is entitled to issue a power of attorney by means of electronic communications to legal or natural persons for participation and voting on his behalf at the general meeting of shareholders. The shareholder must inform the Company about the power of attorney issued by means of electronic communications no later than before the commencement of registration for the general meeting of shareholders. The power of attorney issued by means of electronic communications and the notice about it must be written and may be submitted to the Company by means of electronic communications, if the security of transmitted information is ensured and the identity of the shareholder can be verified.A shareholder or his proxy may vote in writing by filling in a general ballot paper, in which case the requirement to present an identity document does not apply. The form of a general ballot paper is presented on the Company's website. Upon a shareholder's request, the Company shall send the general ballot paper to the requesting shareholder by registered mail or shall deliver it in person against signature no later than 10 days prior to the general meeting of shareholders free of charge. The shareholder or his authorized representative must sign a completed general ballot paper. The completed general ballot paper signed by the shareholder or other person having the right to vote and the document confirming the right to vote must be presented to the Company in writing no later than on the last working day preceding the meeting, sending them by registered mail to AB INVL Technology at Gyneju g. 16, LT-01109 Vilnius.The Company does not provide possibilities of participating and voting at the meeting by means of electronic communications. Information in connection with the convened general meeting of shareholders (notice on convocation of the general meeting of shareholders, information about the Company's shares, draft resolutions, etc.) is available on AB INVL Technology's website at www.invltechnology.lt.The person authorized to provide additional information: Kazimieras Tonkunas Director E-mail: k.tonkunas@invltechnology.ltAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=546744
PUNE, India, February 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Market-Research-Reports.com adds "Global and Chinese Potentiometer Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report" and "Global and Chinese Circuit Breakers Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report" studies of 150 pages each, published in Jan 2016, to the Electrical & Electronic intelligence collection of its store.

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The report reviews the basic information of Potentiometer including its classification, application and manufacturing technology. This report explores global and China's top manufacturers of Potentiometer listing their product specification, capacity, Production value, and market share etc. The report further analyzes quantitatively 2011-2016 global and China's total market of Potentiometer by calculation of main economic parameters of each company.

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Table 2011-2016 Global Potentiometer Key Manufacturers Production Share List

Figure 2011-2016 Global Potentiometer Manufacturers Production Share

Figure 2011-2016 Global Potentiometer Capacity Production and Growth Rate

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Figure 2011-2016 Global Potentiometer Production Value and Growth Rate

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HENDERSON, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Rx Safes, Inc. (OTCQB: RXSF) ("Rx Safes" or the "Company") announced today that it has commenced litigation in Federal court against the parties involved in the previously announced unauthorized conversions of a debt instrument.

The company filed the lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Second Circuit in New York under case no. 1:16-cv-01095 against Kodiak Capital Group, LLC, Ryan Hodson, BMA Securities and Island Stock Transfer for fraud, breach of contract, conversion of property, and Rule 10(b)-5 Securities Fraud violations and expects to implead the New York State Attorney General's Office to monitor potential NY Penal Code violations as well as notifying FINRA and the SEC, to initiate their own investigations to determine if Kodiak Capital Group, LLC., BMA Securities and Island Stock Transfer violated regulatory laws or rules.

"As indicated in a prior release, the Company stands firm in its claims that the named parties violated Rx Safes' rights and in doing so negatively affected our price per share and market valuation well in excess of $5 million in damages. We are committed to defending the Company and protecting our shareholders to the fullest extent of the law," commented Lorraine Yarde, Rx Safes, Inc. Chief Executive Officer.

The company is represented by Mazin Sbaiti, Esq., a senior partner at Steckler, LLP, a Texas based securities litigation firm. Mazin Sbaiti is an award-winning trial lawyer and Texas Super Lawyer. He has successfully tried and won matters on behalf of large and medium sized companies in the securities, intellectual property, construction, class action and pharmaceutical arenas. "There was an obvious sleight of hand perpetrated against the Company resulting in potentially millions of dollars of damages. As counsel to Rx Safes, Inc. we will be very aggressive against all parties involved in facilitating these acts against the Company," stated Mazin Sbaiti, Esq.

About Rx Safes, Inc.

Rx Safes is medical device and healthcare technology company, and is an emerging leader in the personal and professional healthcare drug security market. Our products incorporate proprietary patented fingerprint technology to provide drug security solutions for use in homes and healthcare facilities. Prescription drug misuse, skyrocketing insurance and pharmaceutical treatment costs and increased regulatory pressures create an unfortunate, yet necessary opportunity for Rx Safes to expand our reach and offerings in this growing market, valued at over $50 billion annually. Annual spending on healthcare technology products exceeds $34.5 billion. In addition, the market is being driven by ongoing Government support for successful drug abuse prevention initiatives, with a financial commitment of $25.4 billion in 2015 alone. For more information, please visit www.rxdrugsafe.com.

About Steckler LLP

Steckler LLP combines nearly a hundred years' worth of securities litigation experience trying over seventy-five cases to juries, judges and arbitrators (and preparing hundreds more that settled) on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to possibly license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop products; the availability of financing; the Company's ability to implement its long range business plan for various applications of its technology; the Company's ability to enter into agreements with any necessary marketing and/or distribution partners; the impact of competition, the obtaining and maintenance of any necessary regulatory clearances applicable to applications of the Company's technology; and management of growth and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor Relations Contact:

Tram Bui

Email Contact

Tel: 646-536-7035



Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RxDrugSAFE




The Commission published its final decision on the Anti-Circumvention process and has retroactively approved tariffs on Chinese PV producers exporting via Taiwan and Malaysia. In late December the EU had submitted a preliminary report on Chinese producers circumventing solar tariffs in this fashion. Countervailing duties of 11.5% will now be applied on imports from Chinese suppliers importing goods to the EU via these countries. In addition, anti-dumping duties of 53.4% will be applied to the cases examined in the Anti-Circumvention process. The duties will be applied retroactively to goods imported from May 2015. "Customs offices of the [EU] Member States can now retroactively levy duties for the entire period of the duties, namely from the end of May 2015," a spokesman for the EU told pv magazine. The ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t6lg8k/china_online) has announced the addition of the "China Online Education Industry Report, 2015-2018" report to their offering.

The industry continues to grow rapidly. At present, China online education industry is still in its infancy, with the market size continuously expanding. Chinese online education market size grew at a CAGR of 18.96% in 2008-2014, and jumped by about 19.41% year on year to RMB119.17 billion in 2015.

Among online education market segments, the share of online higher education has gradually declined, while the share of K12 online education ascended from 6.47% in 2010 to 11.82% in 2015. Since 2014, the Internet giants (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), traditional education companies (New Oriental, TAL, Xueda Education, etc.), traditional enterprises (Central China Land Media) and education information firms (Talkweb) have deployed the K12 online education sector whose market size keeps growing in China. In 2015, Chinese elementary and secondary online education market size reached RMB13.8 billion, up 34.90% year on year; the online pre-school education market size hit RMB290 million or so, an increase of 31.82% over last year.

Compared with the spree in 2013-2014, the capital market has tended to be rational about online education investment and diversified the investment since 2015. In H1 2015, 25.8% of online education investment concentrated in K12, 16.7% in early childhood education, 15.7% in vocational education, 14.1% in language training and 9.4% in overseas studying. Besides, interest education, educational media, education informationization and tutoring O2O companies have attracted the capital market's attention as well.

Since 2015, some mature online education companies (such as Hujiang, New Oriental, Baidu Education, Taobao Education and TAL) have made progress by adjusting their business layout. After the business restructuring, Hujiang has formed four business systems: Hujiang.com, Hujiang community, learning tools and recording & broadcasting platform; Baidu has founded Baidu Education Division centering on Baidu Chuanke; TAL has formed the pattern -- a platform, two divisions

Key Topics Covered:

1. Overview of Online Education Industry

2. Overview of China Education Industry

3. Development of China Online Education Industry

4. Market Segments in China Online Education Industry

5. Key Enterprises in China Online Education Industry

6. Development Trends and Forecast

Companies Mentioned

- 17zuoye - ATA Inc. - Baidu Jiaoyu - China Distance Education Holdings Ltd. - ChinaEdu Corporation - Genshuixue - Hujiang - NetEase Cloud Classroom - New Oriental Education and Technology Group - TAL Education Group - Taobao Jiaoyu - Tarena Technology Group Ltd. - Tencent Classroom - Xueda Education Group - Youdao School

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t6lg8k/china_online

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, +353-1-481-1716, press@researchandmarkets.net
The global smart airport marketis expected to reach close to USD 13 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of almost 6%, according to Technavio's latest report.

In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of theglobal smart airport market for 2015-2019. The market is further divided into terminal operation, airside operation, and landside operation in terms of application. Of these three applications, the terminal operations application accounted for 51% of the market share in 2014 and is expected to keep the leading position until 2019.

Technavio's research study segments the global smart airport market into the following regions:

Geography Countries covered APAC India, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, New Zealand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Nepal Americas Countries of North America and Latin America Europe France, Germany, Russia, Spain, the UK, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Denmark, Ireland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland Middle East Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen

APAC: largest smart airport market

As of 2014, APAC held the largest market share, accounting for over 40% of the global smart airport market. This region will continue to dominate the market through 2019. Rsing aircraft fleets and passenger traffic, especially in India and China, is one of the major drivers leading to the growth of this region. India, Singapore, and China are some of the countries that will showcase the highest demand for smart airport technologies during the forecast period.

According to Sriram Mohan, a lead analyst from Technavio's aerospace sector, "China accounted for a significant share in APAC because of an increase in government funding that is aimed at facilitating the development of airports. For instance, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration is planning to invest USD 500 million in the construction of 69 regional airports in China by 2019."

Ask for a sample of this report: http://goo.gl/WjOLMg

Smart airport market in Europe to reach USD 4 billion in revenue by 2019

The smart airport market in Europe is expected to reach USD 4 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of close to 6%.The growth of the smart airport market in Europe is due to increased air passenger traffic over the last couple of years in European countries.

As per Technavio's assessment, air traveler traffic has increased to 500 million for domestic flights in European countries, whereas the number has increased to 330 million in international routes over the last couple of years. Sriram further adds, "Increased passenger traffic has encouraged airport and airline authorities to further increase their investment in the development and innovation of technologies that provide various services such as flight status, baggage tracking, smart parking, and smart advertising in airports."

Increased investment in airport construction in Latin America fueling the smart airport market in the Americas

With just over 21% of the overall market share, the Americas still need to catch up to the trend of smart airports. In 2014, the smart airport market in the Americas was valued at USD 2 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 2.72 billion by 2019, depicting a moderate growth.

In North America, the US is the largest market for commercial airport luggage-handling systems. Latin America is expected to increase its demand for smart airport technologies because of the increased investment in airport construction.

Middle East an emerging market for smart airports

The Middle Eastern market for smart airports is emerging. This is because of an increase in investment by the UAE government toward expanding airport capacity and building efficient operations. The use of smart technologies will help airport authorities reduce 25% of operational costs and provide passengers with seamless travel. The smart airport market in the Middle East is expected to reach USD 850 million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of more than 4%.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Aviation Actuation Systems Market 2016-2020

Global UAV Flight Training and Simulation Market 2015-2019

Global Aerospace Fasteners Market 2016-2020

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160212005228/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC and VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Note to editors: two images are included with this press release on Marketwired's website.

CellArt.ca a leading Canadian wine cellar manufacturer, today announced a Canadian Alliance Partnership with STACT Wine Displays Inc., a global leader in wine storage solutions.

This exciting partnership opens the door to unlimited possibilities in premium wine cellar design.

Exclusively through CellArt.ca, STACT modular wine storage elements can now be customized, in a made-to-measure format allowing for seamless integration into any space, whether a new-build or a retrofit. CellArt.ca is focused on developing innovative wine cellar concepts while leveraging STACT's patented technology to deliver unrivaled refinement, functionality, and aesthetics.

From the tiniest kitchen space for everyday wine storage to the large-scale cellar, STACT custom cellar systems bring forth an unprecedented level of creativity and refinement to design professionals. It's now possible to choose from an endless array of materials, textures and finishes - allowing for a perfect fit with any decor, whether modern, traditional, or transitional.

Wine lovers, and design enthusiasts alike, are sure to be amazed by the uniqueness, craftsmanship and quality of materials.

"CellArt.ca's extensive network and distinguished reputation for innovation and quality amplifies our ability to drive forward our mission to provide wine lovers who appreciate good design, with wine storage solutions that are smart, simple, and stunning." said Jamie Kasza, President, STACT Wine Displays Inc.

"I believe in the product, I love the design and I am confident that this partnership will be beneficial to our organizations but especially to our clients who will get a chance to have a customized product that combines performance and design," said Jonathan Primeau, President, CellArt.ca.

About STACT Wine Displays Inc.:

Known as "the pioneers of modern wine storage" STACT reimagines how wine is stored and showcased in the home. Designed by world-renowned designers and crafted with high-quality materials, the resulting solutions are uniquely versatile, space efficient and customizable to fit any space or decor. STACT wine racks have received international acclaim, having been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Gizmodo, AskMen, Globe & Mail, and Design Milk, ranked as the #1 Kickstarter design product by Huffington Post's StyleList, and selected by Uncrate as 'Most wanted'.

For more information visit www.getSTACT.com

About CellArt.ca:

Distinction, efficiency, quality craftmanship, creativity and refinement, all terms that best describe CellArt.ca wine cellars. A passion for wine naturally steers us to seek out the finest materials and the most sophisticated techniques. Every detail is carefully thought out to optimize storage and bottle age, while respecting the chosen design. CellArt.ca offers assistance in wine cellar management and inventory. CellArt.ca is an ever-growing team of rigorous and seasoned professionals with experience in all spheres of the world of wine. For those reasons, CellArt.ca is a laureate of the Montreal Inc. Foundation and is RBQ-certified.

For more information visit www.cellart.ca

To view the images accompanying this press release, please visit the following links:

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/IMG_4782.jpg

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/IMG_4809.jpg

Contacts:

CellArt.ca Media Contacts:

1-844-cellart and/or 1-844-235-5278

cellart@cellart.ca




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A bill to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea easily cleared the House on Friday and now heads to President Barack Obama's desk. The House voted 408 to 2 in favor of the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, with only libertarian-leaning Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich., and Thomas Massie, R-Ken., voting against the bill. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday, although Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has received some criticism for missing the vote. The bill would impose mandatory sanctions on individuals who contribute to North Korea's nuclear program and proliferation activities, cyberattacks, censorship of its citizens, and human rights abuses If enacted and signed into law, the legislation would be the first passed by Congress to impose mandatory sanctions on cybercriminals. 'This legislation is the first step toward building a new policy that will put pressure on Pyongyang to peacefully disarm and cease its violations of international norms,' said Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Col., the bill's chief sponsor in the Senate. Gardner claimed the Obama administration's policy of 'strategic patience' toward North Korea has been a strategic failure and has not stopped the 'Forgotten Maniac,' a reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Given the legislation's strong support in both the House and Senate, Obama is expected to sign the bill, with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes saying the administration and Congress agree on the need for increased sanctions. Passage of the sanctions on North Korea comes after the impoverished communist nation's recent launch of a long-range rocket as well as its purported test of a hydrogen bomb last month. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --International Medical Group, Inc. (IMG), a leader in global benefits and assistance services, announced immediate changes to its executive leadership team:

Brian Barwick , formerly president and CEO, will remain CEO of IMG.

, formerly president and CEO, will remain CEO of IMG. Todd A. Hancock , formerly executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been promoted to the role of president of IMG.

, formerly executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been promoted to the role of president of IMG. Daryl Chapman , formerly senior vice president of insurance operations, has been promoted to the role of chief operating officer of IMG.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160212/332742LOGO

"These changes in the IMG leadership structure allow us to best utilize our individual competencies for the collective benefit of our company, colleagues and constituents," Barwick said.

In his role as CEO, Barwick is responsible for establishing IMG's strategic direction and ensuring the company has the resources available to deliver on that strategy.

"It is my pleasure to turn over the role of president to Todd Hancock," Barwick said. "This change more accurately reflects the work he is already doing at IMG to expand our global presence, product lines and service capabilities."

As president, Hancock is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day performance of the company meets the expectations of IMG's producers, clients and members.

"Our leadership team is strongly focused on the strategy and vision of IMG," Hancock said. "We will continue to deliver on our mission to be there to protect and enhance the health and well-being of our constituents."

In turning over the title of chief operating officer, Hancock added, "Moving Daryl Chapman and his tremendous business acumen into the chief operating officer role affords us the opportunity to truly focus on leading and growing IMG."

Chapman brings to the position an extensive background and a deep understanding of insurance operations.

"It's a privilege to be entrusted with IMG's great tradition of service excellence," Chapman said. "I am committed to being a steward of the effort put forth every day by the staff of IMG. Their hard work and commitment to 'be there' is the essence of the IMG promise."

To learn more about IMG, visit www.imglobal.com.

About International Medical Group, Inc.

For more than 25 years, International Medical Group - headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. - has provided global benefits and assistance services to millions of members in almost every country. We're committed to being there with our members wherever they may be in the world, providing them Global Peace of Mind. With 24/7 worldwide assistance and medical management services, multilingual claims administrators and highly trained customer service professionals, IMG delivers the insurance products international members need, backed by the services they want. IMG's global family of companies includes Akeso Care Management, IMG Europe Ltd., Global Response Ltd., iTravelInsured, IMG-Stop LossSM and International Medical Administrators, Inc.
CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced today that the Government of Canada is investing up to $709,138 in a project with the University of Prince Edward Island's Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) to create diagnostic tests that will make it easier to safeguard the health of Canada's bovine and swine herds.

The college's research team will develop new tests that are faster, more sensitive and less costly to detect bovine and swine viruses. A key goal is to create tests that can identify multiple viruses from a single sample. Researchers will target animal diseases that carry the highest economic risk in the global marketplace, including swine enteric viruses and bovine respiratory and enteric viruses.

Disease testing is part of the national assurance systems Canada uses to back the safety and quality of its meat products in markets around the world. The new tests developed under this project will be used by veterinary laboratories across Canada.

Quick Facts

-- The beef and pork sectors account for almost $15 billion in farm cash receipts and $8 billion in export sales. -- The pork industry depends on exports for almost 60 per cent of their sales, with the largest export markets being the United States, Japan, Russia, China and Mexico. -- The Canadian dairy industry has $6.07 billion in farm cash receipts with $15.4 billion in sales in the processing sector. -- This investment is being made under the Growing Forward 2 AgriMarketing Program - Assurance Systems stream. The stream supports developing national assurance systems or standards for food safety, animal and plant health, market attribute/quality and traceability.

Quotes

"Canada's reputation for safe, high quality meat and dairy products is one that is backed by science and helps to keep our sector competitive and profitable. This partnership with one of Canada's leading veterinary colleges will ensure our industry continues to be recognized domestically and internationally for producing high quality products."

- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister Agriculture and Agri-Food

"This investment in the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI supports the critical role our regional institution plays in health management of food-producing animals, effective disease surveillance, and prosperity of our key industries. We thank the Government of Canada for this funding and for recognizing the role that innovative diagnostic advances within veterinary medicine play in strengthening the overall well-being of our nation."

- Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor of UPEI

"With this generous support from the Government of Canada, Diagnostic Services at AVC will develop a new testing method that will screen and test for more pathogens in a more efficient and cost effective manner. This project will strengthen our ability to monitor for, and prevent the spread of, diseases that may affect the beef, dairy, and pork export industries in Atlantic Canada."

- Dr. Greg Keefe, Dean, Atlantic Veterinary College

Additional Links

- AgriMarketing Program (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

- Growing Forward 2 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

- www.upei.ca/avc

Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Contacts:

Media Relations

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Ottawa, Ontario

613-773-7972

1-866-345-7972




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Canada's Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, was in Washington, D.C., this week, where she met with important science officials of the United States and moderated a panel discussion on Arctic research and international collaboration. She also participated in the Governor General's round table, meeting with Canadian innovators and education leaders based in the D.C. area.

During her visit, Minister Duncan met with Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator; Kathryn Sullivan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association; Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; and other senior U.S. officials. In addition, she attended the New Zealand reception during the American Association for Advancement of Science's (AAAS) annual meeting, where she met with Sir Peter Gluckman, Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

During her various meetings and appearances, Minister Duncan underscored the importance of encouraging discovery-based research that can help find solutions to global problems. She also stressed the importance of international collaboration across the sciences and spoke on how developing a strong science ecosystem can translate into economic and societal benefits for all Canadians.

Quote

"The Government of Canada believes in science and values international scientific collaboration with partners in the United States, New Zealand and the global scientific community. Sharing research across borders and across disciplines is an integral part of the scientific process, and the Government of Canada is committed to encouraging Canadian scientists to share their research with the world."

- The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

Quick facts

-- Minister Duncan met with various international officials and dignitaries to discuss the role of science in government decision making and how to encourage scientific collaboration across borders. -- While in Washington, Minister Duncan met with locally based Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and educators and participated in several important discussions about how to further advance a strong climate for scientific excellence in Canada. -- Minister Duncan also moderated a panel on how the successes of international scientific collaboration in the Arctic-in which Canada played a prominent role-can be translated to other scientific fields. -- According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada's higher-education sector spending intensity on scientific research and development is the highest in the G7. The Government of Canada and Minister Duncan look forward to building upon this base to spur further scientific discoveries that enrich and better the lives of all Canadians.

Associated links

- American Association for the Advancement of Science

- AAAS Annual Meeting Program

Follow the Minister on Instagram and Twitter: @ScienceMin

Contacts:

Camille Martel

Communications

Office of the Minister of Science

343-291-2700

camille.martel@canada.ca



Media Relations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

343-291-1777

ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca




BUENA PARK, CA --(Marketwired - February 12, 2016) - Ahoy! The salty ol' sea dogs of Pirate's Dinner Adventure are offering a special ticket discount in honor of Presidents' Day.

Tickets are now on sale for our Pirate's Dinner Adventure Presidents' Day show. This special offer is good for the 5pm show on Monday, February 15, 2016. Adult tickets are $34.95 (save $25). Children's tickets are $27.95 (save $9)*

Call 866-439-2469 or visit www.piratesdinneradventureca.com for information and reservations.

*Valid only for shows on Monday, February 15, 2016. Use discount code PDPDA16. May not be combined with any other discount, special offer or group rate. Not valid for special shows, holidays or prior purchases. Restrictions may apply. Upgrade packages, tax, gratuity and applicable fees are additional. Valid only at the Buena Park, California, location.

Pirate's Dinner Adventure is located at 7600 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park, CA. Pirate's Dinner Adventure is the "World's Most Interactive Dinner Show!"

Pirate's Dinner Adventure

mykal@pirates-ca.com

(866) 439-2469
BIRMINGHAM, AL -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Momentum Telecom, a premier provider of Business Voice, Broadband Management and Unified Communications solutions, will be demonstrating their Real-Time Provisioning Manager (RPM) application at the NCTC Winter Educational Conference from February 15th-16th at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, AZ. Momentum will be exhibiting in Booth # 604.

RPM is a turnkey and branded management tool for service providers, their agents and their end-users. RPM simplifies the activation of and changes to voice services by providing a single, user friendly interface for activating and managing subscribers.

"RPM will enable our White Label reseller partners to make real time changes and updates to their service which will allow them to dramatically reduce turnaround time for provisioning requests improving customer satisfaction," states Todd Zittrouer, President at Momentum Telecom.

Momentum will also be demonstrating their Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) and BBX Fiber applications in Booth #604.

"RPM, PNM and BBX are critical applications which enable our white label partners to proactively manage and support their customers with reduced turnaround time for provisioning and support. This helps our partners to deliver a best-in-class experience with the highest customer satisfaction," stated Colin Scott, Director of Wholesale Sales.

Over 250 attendees representing over 120 NCTC member independent cable providers are expected to attend the conference.

For more information about Momentum Telecom or to discuss partnership opportunities email sales@momentumtelecom.com or call 877-251-5554.

Momentum Telecom is a premier provider of Business Voice, BBX Broadband Management and Unified Communications solutions. Momentum's solutions offer smart, customizable cloud-based applications such as voice, video and collaboration that enhance business productivity and efficiency for direct customers and more than 500 channel and white label partners, nationwide. Momentum Telecom is committed to delivering best-in-class products backed by a geo-redundant network paired with industry leading uptime and customer service. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Momentum Telecom has regional offices across the United States. To learn more visit momentumtelecom.com or connect with us on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, LinkedIn or check our blog. At Momentum Telecom our mission is to enable others to thrive by combining smarter technology with seasoned experts to deliver an unmatched customer experience.

Media Contact

Beth Hildreth

bhildreth@momentumtelecom.com

315-579-7112




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- New Pacific Metals Corp. (TSX: NUX) ("New Pacific" or the "Company") today announced its unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2015.

This earnings release should be read in conjunction with the Company's Management Discussion & Analysis, Financial Statements and Notes to Financial Statements for the corresponding period, which have been posted on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and are also available on the Company's website at www.newpacificmetals.com. All figures are expressed in Canadian Dollars (CAD) unless otherwise stated.

FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

For the three months ended December 31, 2015, the Company reported net income attributable to equity holders of $ 545,369 or $0.01 per share compared to $355,455 or $0.01 per share in the same prior year period.

For the six months ended December 31, 2015, the Company reported net income attributable to equity holder of $1,935,441 or $ 0.03 per share compared to $ 960,006 or $0.01 per share in the same prior year period.

Excluding effects from foreign exchange and other non-cash expenses, the Company recorded cash expenses of $213,982 and $452,362 in the three and six months, respectively, ended December 31, 2015 compared to $321,228 and $603,996 in the same prior year period.

As at December 31, 2015, the Company had $24.4 million cash and cash equivalents and short term investments.

CHANGE OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT

The Company announced that Mr. Peter Torn, the Company's Corporate Secretary since 2010, resigned for personal reasons as of December 2015. The Company wishes to thanks Mr. Torn for his contribution to the Company during his years of service. The Company appointed Mr. Jalen Yuan, who is the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to be the new Corporate Secretary.

ABOUT NEW PACIFIC

New Pacific is a Canadian gold and silver exploration and development company which owns the Tagish Lake gold project in Yukon, Canada and the RZY Project in Qinghai Province, China.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company's material properties; the sufficiency of the Company's capital to finance the Company's operations; estimates of the Company's revenues and capital expenditures; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company's operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company's properties.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licences; title to properties; First Nations title claims and rights; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company's existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in Canada; environmental risks; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended June 30, 2015 under the heading "Risk Factors". Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information.

Contacts:

New Pacific Metals Corp.

Investor Relations

(604) 633-1368

(604) 669-9387 (FAX)

info@newpacificmetals.com

www.newpacificmetals.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/12/16 -- Conifex Timber Inc. ("Conifex") (TSX: CFF) announced today that, pursuant to its previously announced investment agreement, Canfor has exercised its option to convert its senior secured note to acquire a Conifex subsidiary, which held a forest licence in British Columbia. As a result of the exercise, Conifex will record a net gain of approximately $29 million on the sale of assets, representing a gain of approximately $1.37 per share, in the first quarter of this year in connection with the conversion, and will decrease its indebtedness by $30 million.

About Conifex Timber Inc.

Conifex and its subsidiaries' primary business currently includes timber harvesting, reforestation, forest management, sawmilling logs into lumber and wood chips, and value added lumber finishing and distribution. Conifex's lumber products are sold in the United States, Chinese, Canadian and Japanese markets. Conifex has expanded its operations to include bioenergy production following the commencement of commercial operations of its power generation facility at Mackenzie, British Columbia.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that Conifex expects or anticipates may occur in the future. When used in this news release, words such as "estimates", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "projects", "will", "believes", "intends" "should", "could", "may" and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations and beliefs of Conifex's management. Because forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, actual results, performance or achievements of Conifex or industry may be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant uncertainties, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: any risk factors described in Conifex's 2014 annual information form, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking statements and Conifex undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Conifex Timber Inc.

Yuri Lewis

Chief Financial Officer

(778) 331-8687




The crisis brewing in the AirAsia India boardroom seems to have deepened as multiple media reports suggest its chief executive officer Mitu Chandilya has decided to quit the airline.

According to a report by CNBC-TV18 citing sources, Chandilya is unhappy with "micromanagement by its Malaysian parent". His three-year contract is to be over on 31 March. According to sources, he has appraised the management of his unwillingness to continue once the contract ends.

"AAIPL is completely run by parent AirAsia which decides vital issues like network planning and revenue management," sources have been quoted as saying in a report in the Times of India on Friday. According to the report, the company has been performing poorly as its losses widened to Rs 61.1 crore in the September quarter from Rs 44.1 crore from the quarter earlier. It enjoys 2 percent of the Indian aviation market.

A bitter battle has been brewing at Air Asia India involving the company's co-founder Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace and partners the Tata group and AirAsia.

The Economic Times had recently reported that Bhatia was unhappy with the way the airline is being controlled by AirAsia BhD, violating the Indian law of effective control of an aviation company.

AirAsia India is 49 percent owned by AirAsia Malaysia, 41 percent by the Tata group and 10 percent by Telstra. At the time of formation AirAsia India, Tatas had 30% stake and Telestra Tradeplace 21%. The Tatas also have a joint venture partnership with Singapore Airlines for a full-service airline in India, Vistara.

In mid-2013, Bhatia had publicly stated he was disappointed with the Tatas for not keeping him in the loop while investing in a second airline.

Firstpost had recently reported that the Tata group will soon buy out the Telstra's 10 percent stake in AirAsia India, making it the majority shareholder in the low-cost carrier.
JAKARTA Indonesia on Thursday opened dozens of sectors to foreign investors in what President Joko Widodo has described as a "Big Bang" liberalization of its economy, Southeast Asia's largest.

President Joko Widodo's administration loosened foreign investment restrictions on everything from restaurants and agriculture to transportation and movie theaters.

"Today's revisions represent our largest opening to international investment in 10 years," Trade Minister Tom Lembong told Reuters.

"More international investment will bring more capital, more world-class expertise, more technologies to Indonesia. Domestic players must seize those opportunities."

Twenty-nine sectors including restaurants and the movie industry were removed from the "negative investment list" (DNI) altogether, meaning that foreigners can operate in those areas without restrictions.

The negative investment list sets out which parts of Indonesia's economy are partially or fully closed to foreign investors, who in recent years have complained of rising economic protectionism and nationalism as they look to expand into the market of more than 250 million people.

Widodo told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday he was opening up more room for foreigners in the latest of 10 policy packages since last September aimed at stimulating the economy, which grew 4.8 percent last year, the slowest since the 2009 global crisis.

The investment revisions were supposed to come out in early January, but Widodo postponed the announcement because he was not satisfied that the reform was radical enough, Lembong said.

The president still needs to approve the new measures, which will be sent to him within days.

Thursday's announcement was not all about opening up Indonesia's industries, however. Twenty sectors, including low-tech construction, were added to the list of industries with foreign investment restrictions.

Although foreign direct investment into Indonesia has risen in recent years, it remains among the lowest in Southeast Asia in relation to total investment and gross domestic product.

Foreign investors have pushed for years for a greater access to opportunities in Indonesia's vast domestic market, valued at some $840 billion.

Foreign businesses applauded the latest move as a sign that Widodo was moving in the right direction.

"This will help restore confidence that Indonesia is open for business," said Adrian Short, chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta.

But he stressed that "implementation of the regulations will be key."

Others were not as impressed.

"Our initial impression is that this is not entirely broad-based and has fallen short of the 'big bang' moniker used to preview the stimulus package," said Glenn Maguire, chief economist at ANZ.

"They have clearly opened, but one or two gatekeepers have been added."

(Additional reporting by the Jakarta bureau; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Kim Coghill and Jacqueline Wong)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: In a scathing attack, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has accused the BJP-led Central government of "saffronising" the Delhi Police, which has had frequent run-ins with the AAP government. As the Arvind Kejriwal government completes one year, Sisodia said that Centre has resorted to "cheap tactics" to stop it from working through the Lt-Governor, the police, the ACB and by wresting control over transfer and postings.

"There has been death of a six-year-old student at a private school, but no one has been arrested so far. A teacher of a government school was brutally beaten up. Besides, there have been several crimes of rapes and murder, but the police is not arresting anyone," Sisodia told PTI.

He said, instead, the police is nabbing an AAP MLA who had a fight with his wife and another party legislator who had a quarrel with officers.

AAP's one year saw arrest of six party MLAs in various cases including on charges of rioting, domestic violence and forgery.

"Khaki is being saffronised so much that it has never been done in any other state before. Delhi Police personnel have earned respect for khaki by sacrificing their lives, but Centre is saffronising the Delhi Police," Sisodia alleged. The deputy chief minister said that the biggest challenge for the AAP government is to "tackle the attitude" of the BJP-led Central government.

"They (Centre) are taking revenge from the people of Delhi for not choosing BJP in the Assembly polls in Delhi which is shameful. They have snatched Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) from us in order scuttle efforts to make Delhi corruption-free.

"Centre also tried to control transfer and postings of bureaucrats and by doing this, they don't want to allow us to work, even on women safety. LG is declaring our order null and void and they are threatening our officers not to follow the Delhi government's order," he said.

He alleged that Centre wants to control Delhi Police as it fears that if police is handed over to an elected government of Delhi, "several rackets including related to drugs" in the national capital will be smashed.

PTI
In light of the latest developments in the RK Pachauri case, a growing number of former students at TERI University and employees at TERI have been speaking out. The following is a letter from a TERI University alumna who is concerned about the message TERI is sending out by reinstating Pachauri despite the grave allegations against him:

I am an alumna of TERI University. It is the place where I, as a Masters student of Natural Resource Management way back in 2008, was exposed to inspiring teachers and a wonderful peer group. It is where I explored my own interests as a young woman and budding researcher. TERI University served me well and I have proudly watched it expand. Today, TERI alumni hold important posts in prestigious organisations, tackling some of the most critical problems of our generation  from climate change to energy access, from disaster management to environmental policy.

And so, the events of the past year sadden and anger me deeply. What actually happened? In mid-February, 2015, a young female employee of TERI lodged an FIR against Dr RK Pachauri on charges of sexual harassment amounting to molestation and criminal intimidation. Despite these charges, he continued to be the Director-General of TERI and the complainant quit the organisation, frustrated with inaction within TERI. Despite being removed as IPCC chief and remaining under investigation, Dr Pachauri was recently appointed as a vice-chairman with executive powers at TERI.

As an alumna and (until now) proud member of the TERI community, this development is a significant letdown. Over this week, alumni across batches have united to demand the governing council to reconsider its decision to reinstate Dr Pachauri. Several others have taken to social media to put pressure on the GC.

The key points about which we, as alumni, are concerned are as follows:

-Continued silence from the governing council, all of whom are eminent public intellectuals and leaders in their fields, and must surely realise that Dr Pachauris appointment empowers him to continue to intimidate witnesses of the case, legitimately.

-The message TERI is sending out to their employees and TERI University students by creating an environment of fear and intimidation  where people may feel persecuted for raising their voices against injustice, misconduct, malpractice, discrimination  or in the fear that the alleged accused will be back in a more powerful position.

-The precedent this sets for the wider discourse of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at workplaces in India.

TERI is an internationally renowned organisation  one that has nurtured a wonderful cohort of intellectuals and practitioners. However, the GC's apathy, Dr Pachauri's continued appointment, and the complainant's year-long fight makes me wonder if TERI deserves the stoic support its alumni has always given it. Across batches, alumni are unitedly saying that they are ashamed to refer to the institution as their alma mater. As professionals and individuals committed to safe and fair workspaces, they are asking the TERI GC to reconsider its decision and reinstate the trust of all its employees, student and alumni in the institution once again.

For without its people and their passions, any institution, no matter how tall, is hollow.

Chandni Singh,

MSc Natural Resource Management (TERI University's batch of 2008)

Here is the petition signed by a number of TERI alumni:

Cover Letter TERI
The horrifying death of ten soldiers in an avalanche on the Siachen glacier has sharpened focus on the Herculean task of holding the place. The miraculous survival of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa for six days under 25 feet of snow is a vivid metaphor for how nearly impossible a task the Army's men and officers have accomplished day after day for more than 30 years now.

The heroism of the 150 soldiers who continued to search for six days in impossible midwinter conditions at a post equipped for ten soldiers is a further testament to the incredible gritty and determination that has allowed India to hold the place. Some of those soldiers will endure terrible consequences to their health. It is the stuff of epic legends.

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that, although the media spotlight will soon be turned off, such indescribable courage will continue every day and every night, as it has ever since the Army established a hold on the heights above the glacier in the summer of 1984.

An epic race between the Indian and Pakistani armies to establish control over the glacier area continued from 1984 till 1990. Since then, the entire ridge has remained under Indian control, though Pakistan has posts at lower levels. The monetary cost has run into crores of rupees a day. The death toll is recorded at more than 800. Evacuations are frequent, every day. Injuries are constant and horrific - physical and psychological.

Despite all this, morale remains high. There was a healthy debate until the 1990s over whether it was worth continuing to hold the glacier, but there is a general consensus now. It has become a Catch 22: each death adds to the burden of sacrifice, of respect for martyrdom, of the investment of lives. There is a sense that pulling back would amount to a betrayal of all those who have given their lives, or have put up with untold hardship over the 37 years since the first Indian Army expedition went to Siachen in 1979.

Strategic calculations

While it is natural to be swayed by emotion, especially amid the pathos of the recent deaths, it is also important to assess the strategic advantages.

The Indian Army holds the ridge line to the west of the glacier. This ridge runs north towards the Shaksgam valley, the arc at the northern edge of Jammu and Kashmir state which Pakistan ceded to China in March 1963 - just weeks after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became Pakistan's foreign minister. That set the stage for a new Sino-Pak rapprochement, the brokering of Sino-US relations, and for China to gradually become Pakistan's chief mentor.

North of Shaksgam is the Karakoram highway, a passage from China to Pakistan's Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. It is such a vital part of China's trade plans that China announced last year that it would invest $46 billion in that area of Jammu and Kashmir state and Pakistan.

The ridges that run along the west and the east of the glacier form natural barriers against any Pakistani attempt to close in on the area which India controls between the eastern ridge of Siachen and the all-weather Karakoram Pass further east.

Some military strategists further argue that controlling Siachen guarantees Indian control over the Nubra valley, a relatively green (and beautiful) part of Ladakh into which the Shyok river flows. (General Musharraf's hare-brained Kargil misadventure in 1999, had apparently aimed to cut off India's access to Nubra and Siachen, if not Ladakh altogether.)



All these arguments favour holding on to the glacier. However, policymakers must move urgently on three fronts. One, all technical means to hold the area must be explored. Surely it is possible to minimize human deployment in an age of sensors, drones, satellites and other technical infrastructure.

Two, the best equipment, back-up and data must be provided to those deployed. Organizations like the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) should be encouraged to provide real-time actionable inputs regarding unstable snow and ice formations such as cornices and crevasses.

Negotiations

Three, negotiations with Pakistan should get underway. Pakistan's Ambassador Abdul Basit stated on Thursday that Pakistan was willing to talk about resolving the Siachen issue. His expression of sorrow for the tragic deaths on Siachen is appreciable. He described a resolution of the Siachen issue as `low hanging fruit' which could be relatively easily obtained. That he said so to India's main television news agency at Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi indicates that the message was well thought out.

In the past, India's negotiators have aimed at an agreement to mark and mutually agree upon currently held ground positions. Given the high morale and resolve in the Army, and the outpouring of public sympathy and admiration, India could not give up this stated position at this point.

One earnestly hopes enough headway could be made on this for both countries to move to the logical next step - to work towards at least partially demilitarizing the area. This would fit with the spirit of making borders irrelevant, of which both sides have spoken in recent years.

Of course, that would demand enhanced trust between not only India and Pakistan, but also India and China. That is a tall order but, given the stirring sacrifices of the men on Siachen, it is an objective towards which all concerned should work with maximum determination and urgency.
New Delhi: Coca-Cola suspended bottling at three plants in India, including one in the parched northwest where farmers have been protesting the company's use of dwindling groundwater reserves.

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, which is a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Co. based in Atlanta, said it was reorganising operations across its 24 franchise bottling plants in India according to market demand and factory upgrades.

The company's action, however, follows more than a decade of agitation by farmers in the state of Rajasthan, where groundwater levels have been plummeting.

Coca-Cola said it runs the Kaladera plant in Rajasthan "as a responsible corporate citizen," and is collecting rainwater and trying to get more farmers to use drip irrigation, a more efficient method of watering crops.

The plant is still being used for storage and other operations, and could be reopened "should there be a change in demand and volume," company spokesman Kamlesh Sharma said Friday.

The two other plants are in the northeastern state of Meghalaya and the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, according to another company spokesman Kalyan Ranjan.

"Water wasn't an issue in these two plants," Ranjan said, though Andhra Pradesh is another Indian state facing a crisis in its water supply. "We are rationalising capacity and economic viability, and these are very old plants." Meanwhile, the company says it is building new facilities in India.

Both Coca-Cola and competitor PepsiCo Inc., which is headquartered in Purchase, New York, have faced ongoing protests against several of their plants across India over access to dwindling groundwater reserves.

India is heavily reliant on its erratic monsoon rains for recharging rivers and underground aquifers, and parts of the country suffer regularly from drought.

As a result, India is depleting its aquifers more quickly than any other country or region in the world. By 2030, studies predict the South Asian nation of 1.25 billion and counting will have just half the water it needs.

There is no nationwide plan for how India will cope with competing and growing demand for water from agriculture, industry and urban areas. Hundreds of millions of farmers nationwide are still pumping ground reserves with little to no oversight.

Agriculture accounts for 91 percent of the country's groundwater use, while cities swallow up about 7 percent and industry takes 2 percent.

Amid local agitation in 2005, Coca-Cola closed a plant in the southern state of Kerala.

PepsiCo had also faced a backlash against its plants, leading to it pledging a "positive water balance" and announcing it had replenished billions of liters in 2009. The company says it has helped thousands of subsistence farmers by offering guaranteed purchase of their crops. But last year, it faced violent protests against its plans for a new plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

On Friday, some of the 25,000 farmers in the Rajasthani town of Kaladera expressed relief that Coca-Cola had halted bottling operations.

"We are happy," said farmer Mahesh Yogi, part of the local group demanding the plant's closure since 2004. "The plant depleted the water level in the village, and farmers were left with no water to irrigate their fields."

The company maintains, however, that it used less than 1 percent of the town's available water.

"The real issue is that conservation efforts must include steps to get farmers to use water efficiently," the Coca-Cola spokesman Sharma said.

AP
New Delhi: The Delhi government has reason to be satisfied with peoples response to its odd-even scheme, but environmental experts still believe its only a half-measure and a total solution to the air pollution problem needs to go much beyond keeping half the vehicles off the roads on a daily basis.

As many as 80 percent of the Delhiites surveyed have given a loud yes to the continuation of the scheme; 63 percent of respondents want it implemented on a permanent basis. Based on the survey report, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the second phase of the odd-even formula from 15 April to 30 April.

Though a maximum number of people wanted the second phase to be implemented from Valentines Day (14 February) for a fortnight, the government chose to postpone it due to the forthcoming school and board examinations.

The government acknowledges that the odd-even scheme needs to be backed by other measures. Kejriwal proposed a two-tier elevated BRT corridor  one for cars and the other for busesfor smooth high-speed movement of vehicles. We need a better public transport system, he said.

The problem with the new announcement, however, is theres no change in the original format of the scheme. Besides VVIPs, exemption to single women, women drivers (and with kids) and two-wheelers continue to be in place.

Ravi Agarwal, director, Toxics Link, remarked, Creating more road spaces by constructing elevated BRT corridors is a faulty idea. First, itll damage the aesthetics of the city plan and second, itll lead to multiple-level pollution. The aim should be to have a better public transport system in place, rather than creating more road space and thereby inviting more number of cars on roads. Instead of spending on BRT corridors, investment should be made on expanding public transport system, so that people can voluntarily give up driving cars.

Kejriwal announced that by the end of December, a fleet of 3,000 buses would be added to the existing strength.

Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, There should be a clear strategy on the scaling-up of public transport system in Delhi. Only buying buses wont help. The focus should also be on quality of service, safety for women travelling alone in late hours, wider coverage and last mile connectivity. Elevated corridors are bad news, as they will add to more congestion. In comparison to Mumbai or Kolkata, 23 percent of Delhis geographical area has roads.

Delhi has the highest road density of 2,103 kilometres/100 square kilometres in India. According to experts, the Barapulla flyover was constructed to avoid jams (during the Commonwealth Games 2010) and facilitate the smooth movement of athletes, but at present, it witnesses massive traffic congestion.

Delhi has maximum flyovers, yet commuters face severe traffic congestion on these flyovers. Elevated corridors will attract more cars, and people will buy new cars with alternative registration numbers to circumvent odd-even scheme, she said.

The CSE in its earlier reports had expressed a strong concern over extending exemptions to women and two-wheelers.

Continuing with exemption to women and two-wheelers is a major concern. Two-wheelers contribute more than 30 percent of the total pollution caused by the vehicles. It should have also been covered under the odd-even formula. And, should there be class differentiation? Majority of women use public transport in Delhi. Government shouldnt have continued exemption to women and should have treated them at par. If two-wheelers are brought under the scheme, public buses and auto-rickshaws will get more space on roads to ply on, without facing traffic congestion, added Roy Chowdhury.

According to environmentalists, bikes and scooters emit nearly 32 percent of air pollutants generated by the transport sector in Delhi, whereas private cars are the third biggest polluter22%, after Diesel-run trucks, which causes nearly 28% of vehicular pollution. In Delhi, there are over 55 lakh two-wheelers including motorbikes and scooters as compared to over 27 lakh private cars.

Exemptions are political considerations. Exempting two-wheelers is a political decision and not scientific. And, whats the idea of exempting VIPs? Are others less important than a VIP in a democratic system? Unless theres an efficient public transport system in place, number of cars will go on increasing. Its a compulsion and not always a luxury, added Agarwal.
Selma Blair got the 1st perfect score on Dancing with the Stars this season and it was deserved. Announcing she was withdrawing from the competition because she didnt want to hurt her body, Blair danced 1 final time and had the ballroom in tears.
Hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh called for taking action against 'anti-national' elements, the Delhi Police on Friday arrested the JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The students' union has been booked for sedition, even as protests were going on outside Delhi demanding action against the protesting students. The police have claimed that Kumar was seen in a video in which people were allegedly raising anti-national slogans.

He was arrested from a hostel on the JNU campus by police personnel in plain clothes.

On Friday, the police also booked Delhi University professor SAR Geelani for sedition and issued a summons to him, CNN-IBN reported.

Earlier, while addressing the 'All India Principals Conference' where students recited Saraswati vandana, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said she felt satisfied that there are teachers who teach children to pray for the nation and "not anti-India slogans".

The conference was organised by Vidya Bharati-Akhil Bhartiya Siksha Sansthan, an RSS-linked organisation working in the field of education.

The controversy at JNU erupted earlier this week when some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against the "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with the "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination" at the varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

Members of ABVP objected to the event and wrote to the vice-chancellor that such protests should not be held on the campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order the cancellation of the march as they "feared" it might "disrupt" peace.

The JNU administration has already instituted a "disciplinary" inquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

Meanwhile, the police action has drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum. While CPI(M)'s D Raja 'strongly condemned' the arrest of the JNU students' union president, MoS home Kiren Rijiju said, "Those living in our country and still raising such slogans against it is not acceptable. We take such incidents very seriously."

On Thursday, the Delhi Police had registered a case of sedition against "unknown persons" in connection with the event, following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and the BJP's student front ABVP.

With inputs from PTI
By Dinesh C Sharma

Environment scientist Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, who is at the centre of a snowballing sexual harassment case, is one of the oldest serving heads of any academic institution or think tank in India. When I asked a former senior employee of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as to why the institution is not parting ways with him even after serious criminal charges, he said because TERI is synonymous with Pachauri. You cant think of one without another.

The institution is seen as a baby of the former locomotive engineer who has headed it for close to 35 years, for most part of its existence. Though conceived and established by Darbari Seth, who was chairman of several Tata group companies, it is Pachauri who is widely credited with transforming TERI from a small research group into a global energy and environment think tank.

Most senior researchers and scientists in TERI owe their careers to Pachauri as he is the only director they have worked with. Over the three decades, Pachauri built a loyal base of supporters within the organization, maintaining a rapport even with non-technical staff such as security guards and lift-men. This is the reason protests from within the organization have been rather muted, and coming only from lateral entrants or former employees.

As an institution, TERI appears reluctant to disassociate with its tainted head because it was Pachauri who has been the prime mover behind major projects of the institute. TERI mainly works with central government ministries in power, energy and environment sectors. Funds from the government have continued to flow to TERI irrespective of party in power.

A second major source of projects and income of TERI comes from international multi-lateral agencies such as the World Bank and UN agencies. In both the sectors  national and international  it was the clout of Pachauri that gave TERI an edge in bagging contracts.

If a project leader faced any hurdle from any ministry, they would just go to him who would pick up the phone and speak to joint secretary concerned, an employee said. Hiring retired secretaries of ministries concerned as Fellows also helps the institute maintain close ties with important government departments.

Pachauri expanded his network internationally in the 1990s, culminating in his appointment as Chairman of the UNs Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, which further added to his clout. The high point of his career was when he collected the Nobel peace prize on behalf of IPCC.

He even got a second term at IPCC, despite a storm over inaccuracies is some reports of IPCC and allegations of his connections with the fossil fuel industry. It was his IPCC connection that got him a top job in Yale University. But he had to resign from the climate change panel, soon after an FIR was lodged in the sexual harassment case.

Continued association of Pachauri with TERI has begun to dent the brand image of the institute. The first casualty has been TERIs annual high profile event - Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) for 2016, which has been postponed. It is usually held in February and is marketed as a follow-up forum for climate change talks that end in December every year.

The event in the past decade has been attended by UN secretary general, presidents, prime ministers, Nobel laureates and corporate bigwigs. No new dates have been announced for DSDS 2016 till now. Logically speaking, TERI should have gone ahead with the summit without Pachauri if the event has developed a brand of its own in the past 15 years.

It is for the first time in his career that Pachauri is facing continued bad weather. He was successful in warding off the controversy about IPCC reports and conflict of interest issues raised in Western media by blaming climate skeptics and anti-environment lobbies for the same. He even won a defamation suit in the UK. However, this time around he is in a tight spot and solely banking on support from the institute and its handpicked governing council.

Given the seriousness of the charges, it would be better for TERI if it ends its long association with Pachauri right away.
New Delhi: The people of the Roma community spread across various parts of the world are actually children of India, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday.

You are the children of India who migrated and lived in challenging circumstances in foreign lands for centuries. Yet you maintained your Indian identity, Sushma Swaraj said while inaugurating the three-day International Roma Conference and Cultural Festival 2016 in New Delhi.

A strong 20 million Roma population is spread over 30 countries encompassing West Asia, Europe, America and Australia, she said.

Romas are said to be descendants of groups in India like Dom, Banjara, Gujjar, Sansi, Chauhan, Sikligar, Dhangar and other nomadic groups from northwest India.

They are known variously as Zigeuner in Germany, Tsyiganes or Manus in France, Tatara in Sweden, Gitano in Spain, and Tshingan in Turkey and Greece, Tsigan in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania and Gypsies in Britain.

Lauding the community, Swaraj said that the Romas were the perfect example of peaceful co-existence in multicultural societies.

In fact they are perfect flag-bearers of Indian ethos and we are proud of it, she said.

Stating that there was credible evidence which indicated the migration of Roma community from India towards the west in the fifth century, the minister said: We Indians are proud of the progress and name that the Roma community has made for itself at the local and international level. More significantly so, because the process of adaptation, diffusion and progress was based on Indian value systems of peaceful co-existence, respecting other cultures and contributing towards growth. Roma maintained Indian traditions in the countries that were unaware of India, and its culture and traditions and thereby maintained Indian identity.

Swaraj also congratulated all those scholars who have rewritten the forgotten history of the Roma community and its links with India.

This needs to be further augmented with continued efforts and in-depth research. Precious heritage of Roma community and its relations with India needs to be carefully preserved and documented, she said.

Thirty-three scholars and 12 cultural performers from 12 countries apart from 15 Indian scholars are attending the three-day event that is being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad (ARSP)-Bharat.

ICCR Director General C Rajasekhar also highlighted the contributions of the Roma community in First World countries.

In Romania and Bulgaria, Roma community forms 12 percent of their total population. In Turkey they have a population of 2.75 million while they have a significance presence in Russia, Slovakia, Hungry, Serbia, Spain and France. They have kept the Indian spirit alive at all these places despite adverse circumstances, Rajasekhar said.

ICCR president Lokesh Chandra claimed that the Roma community made an immense contribution to building London which is counted among the most developed and amazingly planned modern cities.

Romas have been a community of craftsmen. They have been ironsmiths, coppersmitsh who were living on the outskirts of the habitations, he said.

They made weapons for the state of Hungary in the 15th century during the reign of King Ulaszlo II and were close to royality in those times. They were also primary contributors to building the topmost cities of the world, he added.

IANS
As the row over protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) escalated, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke in stern words on the issue, saying that the government 'will not tolerate any anti-national activities in the country.

"I have instructed the Delhi police to take the strongest possible action against those involved in the incident," the home minister said, according to a report by CNN-IBN.

Home Minister's statement came a day after the Delhi Police registered a case of sedition against agitating students at an event in JNU following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and RSS's student front ABVP. The students were protesting against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on Friday condemned the protest and said: "Any insult to mother India will not be tolerated." Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also warned of "stringent action."

"I am an Indian citizen, so as soon as I saw the footage, I lodged an FIR. I am hopeful about the investigation," Girri said, according to the CNN-IBN report.

However, responding to the FIR, the Congress said that 'dialogue is the best solution', and that there should not be an extreme view, CNN-IBN reported.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124 A of IPC (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action. An FIR has also been registered against Delhi University professor SAR Geelani for sedition, who was said to be present at a meeting condemning Afzal Guru's hanging.

Complain given to DCP on Afzalguru issue in JNU & received the FIR copy.

Will not tolerate anti national activities pic.twitter.com/aLkHDGDTU3  Maheish Girri (@MaheishGirri) February 11, 2016

The JNU administration has already instituted a "disciplinary" enquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

Earlier in the day, the left-dominated JNU students union distanced itself from the controversy, saying ABVP was opposed to it and not the union. Of the four top posts of the union, three are held by Leftist AISA and AISF and one by ABVP.

With inputs from PTI
Apaar Sharma, a former student of the Shivaji College in Delhi University, has written an open letter on Facebook to "the family and friends of the Sociology professors of Delhi University" vehemently criticising the University and its professors for the mass failure in the Sociology examination which took place last year.

In June 2015, at least 410 students of Delhi University colleges had failed in Sociology, triggering protests after which HRD Minister Smriti Irani had intervened and promised an inquiry into the incident.

Sharma is one of the 410 students who had failed.

While 250 out of 260 students from Shivaji college had failed the examination, 102 out of 120 Political (Hons) students at Laxmi Bai college, 38 out of 50 at Janki Devi Memorial college and 20 out of 25 at Keshav Mahavidyalya had also failed to clear the exam, according to a PTI report.

Sharma wrote that after their papers were re-evaluated, only six more students from his batch made the cut. "They had once again failed 85% of the class (sic)," he wrote.

"Some of us were already afraid that it might happen. Earlier, when the results came out for the Geography course, they had failed their entire class (in Shivaji college)," Sharma told Firstpost.

He also said that when he spoke to the Sociology department teachers, they told him that "this happens almost every year and they could not do anything about it."

Sharma claimed that when he finally got to look at his Sociology answer papers three months after the results had been declared, there was nothing in those to indicate why he had been given low marks.

"There were four questions and 75 marks in total. Each question carried 18 to 20 marks. I had filled four or five pages for every answer. They did not mark anything. There were no tick marks, no crosses, no circles. Just at the end of the answer, they put an abysmally low mark...I got 6, 5, 4, 4 marks, respectively, for each of the four questions," Sharma said, adding that the teachers also never gave an indication of the grounds on which they had failed such a large number of students.

Sharma said he was "shocked" after failing to clear Sociology. "I scored very well in my main papers. In my literature paper, I got close to 65 percent."

"I never imagined I will have to go through this. I have never failed in my life," Sharma claimed.

The Shivaji College student has taken the University to court, filing a petition in the Delhi High Court. The next date of hearing is on 26 February.

Here is the full text of Sharma's letter:

Dear all,

In June last year, the newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express reported about the mass failure of more than 400 final-year students of Delhi University in an interdisciplinary paper, Sociology. I was one of them.

I was a student of English Literature in Shivaji College and out of 60 students in my batch only 3 had passed in Sociology when the results were declared on 27th June. Ninety-five percent of the students had failed including the toppers of our class.

The three students, who had passed, all scored the minimum passing marks, 30 out of 75.

It was shocking to see so many students failing in a single subject. 260 students of various Honours courses (like: Political Science, Maths, English, Geography) had opted for Sociology in Shivaji College out of which 250 were failed.

Likewise, 102 out of 120 students of Laxmibai College, 38 out of 50 of Janki Devi Memorial College and 20 out of 25 of Keshav Mahavidyalaya were also failed.

Such improbable result implied that either all the students had pre-decided not to study in this subject and fail or that a few professors of the Sociology Department did not want us to pass and failed us on purpose. I dont need to tell you which one seems more likely in this scenario.

We called our professors in the college and they said they would write to the University about it. We went to the University and were asked to fill the re-evaluation forms.

It was the time of entrance exams and interviews for various post-graduation courses in most universities in India and we urgently needed the revised results in our hands to appear for them.

The re-evaluated result is declared months after filling the form. If we waited for it, we would have jeopardized our admissions in the masters course.

We went to the Department of Sociology but the Heads of the Department were on vacation. A senior professor in the Department of Sociology advised us to meet the Vice Chancellor. Everyone was making us run from pillar to post without providing any real solution.

We emailed to the Vice Chancellor, the Chief Justice of India and the Prime Minister to take cognizance of this grave injustice but no one extended a helping hand.

We decided to go on a protest seeking the revised results within a weeks time.

We marched to the Deans office which had been cordoned off by the police, shouting slogans at the top of our voices and sat outside it for hours, in the afternoons even as the temperature reached as high as 40 C, when in fact we should have been preparing for the entrance tests and interviews.

In the evenings, I returned to my room, exhausted from taking part in the protests. My throat hurt and my voice became hoarse from shouting slogans all day. My body ached and I wanted to cry because a feeling of despair consumed me that nothing right was happening.

After three days of continuous protests failed to make the Dean come out of his office, we hindered the process of new admissions in the University by blocking the way of the applicants who wanted to go inside his office and only then the Dean emerged.

Malay Neerav, the Joint Dean of the Students Welfare and Media Co-ordinator of Delhi University, assured us that the results will be re-evaluated on the priority basis within a week. This happened in the evening of 30th June.

He also said that the University will provide a letter saying that the revised results are in the process to anyone who needs it to secure admission in a post-graduation course in some other university.

We heaved a sigh of relief after days of nightmare. A little hope awakened in us again.

But a week went by and the University did not roll out the revised results. We realized that the University had made a fool of us and had curbed the protest so it could carry out the admission process without any hassle from us.

A friend, who had aced her written examination and interview for a post-graduation course in National Institute of Fashion Technology, approached Malay Neerav for the University letter which would explain that the revised results are still in the process but she was denied this letter.

She couldnt help but cry in the Deans office as the man before her refused to give her the letter he had promised a week ago. She had to withdraw her admission from NIFT as she couldnt produce the revised result during the verification process at NIFT.

The University finally rolled out the revised results two weeks after the Deans declaration on 30th June. They had passed only 6 more students from my batch, so the final result was 9 passed out of 60. They had once again failed 85% of the class.

The media wasnt following the case anymore; the protests were long annihilated by the false promises and the University formally ended the case with this re-evaluation.

Many of my friends who had cherished the dream of becoming professors and who had burned the midnight oil studying the bulky books of The History of English Literature werent even eligible to write the entrance test for the masters degree. They had to take up jobs in call centres and start-ups.

I got admission in Asian College of Journalism in Chennai on the condition that I provide the graduation degree before mid-February. I filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against the University and joined the college in July last year.

My dad calls me every night and in the last eight months, he hasnt talked about anything much except the case  how he has filed another RTI, what did the University reply to his last RTI, how my lawyer is arguing well in the court, when is the next date of hearing of my case and so on.

The next hearing of my case is on 12th February and if it is not resolved in this hearing, I will not be entitled to get my degree in journalism. In April, when my classmates will dress in formals for their interviews for the placement, I will stay behind in my hostel room because I will not be allowed to sit for it.

I cannot even explain how frustrating it is that our lives have shrunken around a single issue and now it has begun to define us.

I havent written any poetry or a piece of fiction since I came to Chennai.

One of my friends, who was a regular on the social media, has not uploaded a single status or photo on Facebook in these eight months. It may seem innocuous or even ludicrous but it has deeper psychological implications.

Another friend has hidden her profile photo and status on Whatsapp, as though shes trying to vanish herself.

Social media is used as a medium of self-expression and my friends have lost this ability. They are insecure and lack confidence.

In December last year, I was back in Delhi for my holidays and was meeting my friends in a cafe, we were talking about college and suddenly we were reminded of the bitter ending. All our reunions and celebrations are marred by disappointment now.

One student got so tired of this strife that they attempted suicide and was in ICU for almost a week.

Im telling you all this because you should know that the examiners who checked our copies and failed us even though we had written ample to pass, are not just respectable professors in an elite university - they are also murderers of our careers, our ambitions and our dreams.

They have blood on their hands. They are responsible for a 21-year-old who tried to kill self and struggled between life and death in a hospital ward.

They are responsible for hundreds of students who stayed out of college this year and for the depression that many of us are dealing with every single day for the last eight months.

I am telling you all this because this discourse should also reach your breakfast tables and dinner-time conversations. You should ask them, on our behalf, why did they do this?

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Apaar Sharma

(With inputs from PTI)
Dharwad (KTK): The body of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was laid to rest with full state honours, after thousands of people bid an emotional farewell to the Siachen braveheart at his native village of Betadur in Dharwad district of north Karnataka on Friday.

Full throated chants of "Hanumanthappa amar rahe" and patriotic slogans rent the air as the mortal remains of Hanumanthappa was buried at a land adjacent to the Gram Panchayat office, with thousands of people from the village and nearby areas cutting across age, in attendance.

The last rites were performed according to Lingayat community rituals.

The scene of Hanumanthappa's wife, mother and two-year-old daughter paying their last respects at the High School ground in Betadur touched the chord of hundreds of people, who had gathered there, leaving many teary-eyed.

An air of melancholy hung in the air as the family of Hanumanthappa was inconsolable, and at one point of time, his wife Mahadevi even fainted and was consoled by members of the family, the military and police.

The village was in sorrow ever since Thursday as hope and prayers gave way to gloom with the death of Hanumanthappa, a resident of Betadur who had joined the army 13 years ago, chasing his dream even after being rejected earlier at some army recruitment rallies.

Earlier, Hanumanthappa's body that was kept at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi last night was shifted to Nehru Ground in the city, where hundreds of people arrived in an unending stream and paid their homage.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister Ananth Kumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, several state ministers and leaders of political parties paid their last respects.

The body was brought to Betadur village in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district in a procession in its final journey.

Siddaramaiah visited Betadur to meet Hanumanthappa's family members and consoled them.

The body of 33-year-old Hanumanthappa,who epitomised grit and determination having survived miraculously under 30 feet of ice and snow under which he was buried for six days, was brought to Hubballi last night from Delhi where he breathed his last after a valiant battle for life.

The Chief Minister had on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the bereaved family.

He had also announced a site, land, job for Hanamanthappa's wife and memorial for the brave heart.

Karnataka government has said that similar compensation will be given to two other soldiers from the state- Mahesh from Mysuru, Nagesh from Hassan who have died in the Siachen tragedy.

PTI
The Supreme Court, hearing a PIL challenging the ban on entry of women aged 10-50 at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, asked the temple officials why this discrimination exists when the Vedas and the Upanishads dont discriminate, NDTV reported. The SC also wondered, Is spirituality only for men? Women incapable of spirituality? The court has given temple officials six weeks to respond.

Hearing a PIL filed by Indian Young Lawyers' Association, on 11 January, the Supreme Court had questioned the tradition of banning entry of women of menstrual age group in the temple. It had asked the Kerala government whether it was sure that women have not entered the temple premises in the last 1,500 years.

The bench had also observed that it was a public temple and everyone needed to have "the right to access".

At best, there can be a religious restrictions and not a general restriction, the apex court had said.

Senior advocate KK Venugopal, appearing for the Travancore Devaswom Board, had said women, who have not attained menopause, cannot preserve the purity during the 41-day religious journey to the temple, located on a hilltop.

The Kerala government had on 6 February told the apex court that banning entry of women of menstrual age in historic Sabarimala temple in the state, is a "matter of religion" and it is duty bound to "protect the right to practice the religion of these devotees".

In an affidavit, the state government said that the administration of the temple vests with the Travancore Devaswom Board under the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act and the decision of the priests is final in the matter of worship.

However, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma favoured the entry of women in Sabarimala temple. "The government is of the opinion that there should be no discrimination in all religious places on (the basis of) caste and gender," he said on 9 February.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif a happy birthday but attacks me, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said, questioning Modi's commitment to "cooperative federalism".

"You go and wish Nawaz Sharif happy birthday and attack me. Am I worse than Pakistan?" Kejriwal asked in an interview to Outlook magazine ahead of the first anniversary of his AAP government.

Kejriwal squarely blamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the AAP government's unending impasse with the Centre and said the Modi government had turned the concept of cooperative federalism on its head in Delhi.

"Cooperative federalism is a sham. Bewakoof bana rahein hai saari duniya ko (They are fooling everybody)," Kejriwal told the magazine.

"The Centre sent paramilitary forces and annexed our Anti Corruption Bureau. Is this cooperative federalism?

"The Lt. Governor declares my orders on raising circle rates for agriculture land null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?

"If I transfer an officer or take action against him, they declare it null and void. Is this cooperative federalism?"

Although Modi hosted him for tea after his election as the chief minister of Delhi in February 2015, Kejriwal said it took him two months to get an appointment with the prime minister in August.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said he and Modi had not met formally in the last six months.

Asked why he thought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a confrontation mode with him, Kejriwal said: "There is no answer... Other than vengeance (for the 67-3 drubbing the AAP gave the BJP).

"It does not make political or logical sense. It does not make any sense at all.

"It is the PMO, especially Nripendra Misra (Principal Secretary to the PM), who is masterminding the entire operation (to derail my government)."

Kejriwal also hit out at Modi's governance since he became the prime minister in May 2014.

"The events of the last two years are scary. The issue of intolerance ... people call it religious fundamentalism, communalism. I call it 'goondagardi'.

"They are not concerned about any religion or community. If you say or do anything they don't like, they will teach you a lesson. That's the lesson they want to give.

"What was (Bollywood actor) Aamir Khan's fault? He just said his wife doesn't feel safe. As a PM, he should have sent two guards. Instead, they cancelled all his contracts and ads."

Kejriwal denied he had national ambitions but predicted that the AAP would sweep the Punjab assembly election in 2017  as it did in Delhi.

But he denied he would vacate the Delhi chief ministership to concentrate on the Punjab election.

IANS
Kolkata: West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday got a shot in the arm with former state minister and one-time frontline CPI-M leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah, ex-Indian cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla and deceased cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya's daughter Vaishali Dalmiya joining its fold.

The troika joined Trinamool in the presence of its supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a party general council meeting here.

Mollah, a former land reforms minister, was expelled by the CPI-M in 2014 after he floated an outfit Social Justice Forum.

The veteran politician - who has won all assembly polls starting from 1972 - during his ministerial tenure in the Left Front regime openly protested against the land acquisition procedure followed in Singur in Hooghly district for the Nano car plant of Tata Motors.

In 2014, Mollah was attacked and injured in an attack, said to have been orchestrated by Trinamool leader Arabul Islam.

Welcoming Mollah to the party, Banerjee refered to him as a peasant leader. "He is for long been a leader in the left movement. He is a veteran peasant leader. We are happy that he has come to our party."

Replying to queries from media persons, Mollah seemed distinctly uncomfortable at having sided with a leader (Banerjee) he had vehemently criticised over decades.

"Why should I tell you the reason for joining this party? If I divulge everything to you, what will I tell the people?"

Asked what he would tell the masses, Mollah snapped: "I will tell the people myself what I feel. You don't have to take responsibility."

It is believed that Mollah wlll be the Trinamool candidate from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district in the coming assembly elections.

Shukla, who played three One Day International matches for India in 1999, has also captained the Bengal Ranji Trophy team.

The grapevine has it that both Shukla and Dalmiya will fight the polls on Trinamool tickets.

IANS
Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an 'anti-national' event inside the university premises, was on Friday remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court even as Opposition parties lashed out at the Modi government. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of "bullying" JNU because it will not toe the BJP line. In the same city, on the same day, Nobel winner Amartya Sen drove home an unambiguous message on the right to dissent: "India has been much too tolerant on intolerance".

The arrest follows a JNU rally against the 2013 hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru at which anti-India slogans were allegedly used. University teachers have criticised the arrest as "excessive police action". Afzal Guru was convicted over a 2001 plot to attack India's parliament. He had always denied plotting the attack, which was carried out by Kashmiri militants and killed 14 people.

Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups.

The police struck after videos of the protest went viral, reports The Hindu.

The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting anti-national slogans during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus on February 9.

The police also placed on record a CD of the event which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.

Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event. BBC News touches a note on the spike in 'sedition' cases.

Kanhaiya claimed in the court that this was a politically-motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students union (JNUSU).

He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.

I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Kanhaiya told the court.

After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged after being awarded death penalty by the court, and Pakistan.

Responding to the courts query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders but he can identify all the students who are from JNU.

After the arrest, the varsity students and teachers protested outside the Vice Chancellors office demanding the administrations intervention into the manner in which students are being compared to terrorists and picked up from campus by policemen in plain clothes.

Equating the events with an emergency-like situation, CPI-M Sitaram Yechury said, The question is that do you know who raised the slogans? Take action according to law against them. When you dont know then how are you arresting all the student leaders?

Male police are going and raiding girls hostels. Only during the emergency we saw this happen. That is the sort of Emergency State they are reducing our country to again. This time it is the BJP, he said.

Questioning the filing of sedition case, Congress leader Kapil Sibal asserted that it was a very serious charge and the BJP government should think before taking action under it.

No one supports anti-national forces. But targetting innocent students using that as an excuse will prove v costly to Modi govt  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 12, 2016

While Anti-India sentiment is unquestionably unacceptable, the right to dissent & debate is an essential ingredient of democracy (1/2)  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 12, 2016

Modi Govt & ABVP bullying an institution like JNU simply because it won't toe their line is completely condemnable (2/2)  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 12, 2016

With PTI
New Delhi: Who raised anti-national slogans in Jawaharlal Nehru University on 9 February? As the campus virtually turned into a battleground on Friday with the right wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and a section of the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) on opposite sides, the question begs for an answer.

The JNUSU and AISA have claimed of not having any involvement in the entire episode of hailing Afzal Guru as a martyr.

JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid through her WhatsApp message said, We the JNUSU office-bearers are appalled at the way uproar has been created over the 9 February happened in the campus. We condemn the undemocratic slogans that were raised by some people on that day. In fact, when the sloganeering had been taking place, it was the Left-progressive organisations and students, including JNUSU office-bearers, asked the organisers to stop the slogans, which were regressive. What is happening here at JNU is a repetition of Hyderabad Central University.

She said: JNUSU president has been arrested. Police are doing rounds of the campus and mindlessly witch-hunting activists. RSS is running campaigns to shut down JNU. No JNU student ever raised any unprincipled slogan in the campus. Dont you think its wrong to arrest JNUSU president? If tomorrow theres Congress government in power and JNUSU president is from ABVP, what would happen? It has set a bad precedent.

Reacting sharply to the statements of JNUSU and AISA members, Saket Bahuguna, Delhi, state secretary of ABVP said, Debate on what -- whether Afzal Guru should be hailed or not? Can any Indian stoop so low as to raise 'anti-India' slogans and hail terrorists involved in Parliament attack that killed our own people as 'martyrs'? Its ridiculous. All such anti-national students should immediately be arrested and JNU campus should be made free of such elements.

Earlier, students affiliated to the ABVP had staged a rally at India Gate demanding immediate arrest of the anti-national elements in the JNU campus. This was in response to a rival protest on campus by other unions.

After Home Minister Rajnath Singhs instruction to take stringent action against the anti-national elements in the campus, the Delhi Police have detained JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Anti-national activities and forces wont be tolerated. Anyone raising anti-India slogan or questioning Indias integrity wont be spared. Government will take tough measures, Singh had said earlier in the day.

The students' union leader has been booked for sedition, even as protests were going on outside Delhi demanding action against the protesting students. The police have claimed that Kumar was seen in a video in which people were allegedly raising anti-national slogans. Kanhaiyas arrest has already made JNUSU members angry. They have got into a war of words on social media and WhatsApp.

However, such incidents like the one happened on 9 February is nothing new in the JNU campus. Earlier too, debates and discourses were held on Naxalism and on Afzal Guru.

Earlier too, Afzal Guru had been discussed and was hailed as a martyr in the campus. ABVP is flexing muscles with the support of the Central government, but thats not the JNU tradition. In JNU we arrive at rational positions through debate and discourse. ABVP could have called an all-organisations meeting or University general body meeting on this issue, remarked Rama Naga, general secretary, JNUSU.

ABVP has demanded the government to identify all the students who raised slogans in favour of Afzal Guru from the video footage and arrest them.

What happened on 9 February?

The controversy at JNU erupted on 9 February when some students had pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against the "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt" and in solidarity with the "struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination" at the varsity's Sabarmati dhaba.

During demonstration, students holding placards bearing Afzal Gurus photos shouted anti-national slogans, hailing Guru as a martyr.

A video of the said incidents shows students, including boys and girls, holding placards displaying photos of Afzal Guru raised slogans and hailing him. The Delhi Police have claimed that one of students in the group was JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Thats why he has been detained. The probe is on, a police source said.

The members of ABVP objected to the event and wrote to the vice-chancellor that such protests should not be held on the campus of an educational institution, prompting the university administration to order the cancellation of the march as they "feared" it might "disrupt" peace.

The JNU administration has already instituted a "disciplinary" inquiry as to how the event took place despite withdrawal of permission and said it will wait for the probe report before taking any further action.

JNU administration has nothing to do with that incident and no permission was taken to hold such a demonstration. The administration has initiated an inquiry into the issue, an administrative official of JNU told Firstpost on the condition of anonymity.

The incident and the follow up protests by ABVP have eventually turned JNU campus a ground for political battle.

While CPM leader D Raja 'strongly condemned' the arrest of the JNUSU president, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said, "Those living in our country and still raising such slogans against the nation is not acceptable. We take such incidents very seriously.

The police have also booked Delhi University professor SAR Geelani for sedition and issued a summons to him, CNN-IBN reported.

However, the Congress party has strongly criticised the incident.

UPA government carried out Afzal Guru's sentence after due process for 13 December 2001 Parliament attack. No one should eulogise him, party communication department chief, Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.

The shameful incident of 9 February has exposed the ulterior motives of Left-backed students unions like AISA, SFI and AISF, who hailed a traitor and terrorist as a martyr. Instead of paying tribute to our Indian soldiers and martyrs, they chose Afzal Guru, Maqbool Bhat and Naxalites above them. Government must take strongest action against such anti-national and pro-Pakistani elements in the campuses. ABVP will continue to hold protests and demonstrations across the country, said Shreerang Kularni, in-charge, national media & PR, ABVP.
With Indias demography heavily tilting towards youth, the Sangh Parivar seems to be doggedly pursuing the agenda of expanding it base in university campuses which have of late turned into a veritable contesting ground for nationalist versus anti-national debates.

There is indeed a thread of consistency in the manner in which a section of students of the JNU owing allegiance to Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) resisted the euologisation of Afzal Guru on Wednesday and the controversy surrounding Rohith Vemulas suicide in Hyderbad Central University (HCU). The Sangh Parivar is ready to fiercely contest their rivals even in arenas which were hitherto inaccessible to it. The ABVP is playing as its active carrier in university campuses. In fact, those who are aware of the growth of the Sangh Parivar would testify that there is a sound political logic behind these developments. In the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is ideological fountainhead and mentor of its affiliated organisations, including the BJP, is quite wary of its unattractive profile to the countrys youth. In a series of their internal meetings, RSS leaders privately admitted their inability to attract the countrys youth.

The average age profile of RSS volunteers has risen to a middle-age level much to the chagrin of RSS ideologues, a fact which is often not acknowledged publicly. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a political affiliate of the RSS, far outpaced the growth the RSS affiliates in the nineties, particularly at a time when the party joined in the VHPs movement for liberation of Ram Janma Bhumi at Ayodhya. LK Advanis articulation on cultural nationalism and pseudo-secularism found traction among a section of educated upper caste youth in the Hindi heartland.

Though the BJP registered phenomenal growth in certain parts of the country, there were many campuses where its ideology found few takers. On the other hand, some of the universities like JNU were regarded as impregnable bastions of the communists and radical left. These campuses remained largely ideologically inaccessible to the Sangh Parivar even during the six-year reign of Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was more inclined towards conciliation than confrontation. For the RSS ideologues, this was a period of lost opportunity.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, the RSS is determined not to let go of this opportunity to develop its own indelible imprimatur on the university campuses and academic institutions. In the HRD ministry, search committees for vice-chancellors unfailingly zeroed in on those with rightist credentials and appointed them as vice-chancellor. The appointment of VCs in JNU and BHU served as perfect example. In states like UP, Bihar and West Bengal ruled by rival parties, the institution of governor is being to appoint of VCs with right credentials to lead the universities. This has often caused friction between chief ministers and governors in various states.

Apparently, there are enough reasons to believe that the university campuses are being used to occupy ideological mind space of the youth. In the Hyderabad Central University campus (HCU), the letters written by union HRD minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya to challenge ideological rivals among students must be seen in this context. Despite a high decibel level of controversy in wake of Rohiths suicide, the BJP-RSS-ABVP combine is hardly apologetic about its ideological position. Far from showing any ambivalence, the ABVP came in support of its ideological position equally fiercely as its ideological opponents from the left, radical left and Ambedkarites.

Similarly, in JNU, where a group of ABVP clashed with their rivals in JNU on the issue of glorification of Afzal Guru, a convict sentenced to death in Parliament attack is unlikely to cede ground to their rivals from the left and radical left who till now regarded the institute as their impregnable ideological fortress. By all indications, the ferment in all such campuses is unlikely to cease till the sangh parivar acquires an easy ideological equilibrium to its favour by pursuing catch them young formula.
Vatican City: Pope Francis heads to Cuba today looking to heal a 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity before embarking on a tour of Mexico dominated by modern day problems of drug-related violence and migration. The Argentinian pontiff is due to spend around two hours in private conversation with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill at Havana's Jose Marti airport.

It will be the first meeting between the leaders of Christianity's two biggest churches since a 1054 schism that helped to shape modern Europe and the Middle East. Francis and Kirill are due to sign a joint declaration on the contemporary persecution of Christians in places such as Iraq and Syria.

The meeting on neutral ground has been decades in the planning, with the final obstacles finally swept away by a combination of the pope's determination that it should happen and the Russian church's feeling that events in the Middle East have made Christian unity much more urgent.

The rapprochement with the Orthodox wing of Christianity is in line with Francis's drive to make the Vatican a more active player in international diplomacy. "I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week. But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican since he was elected pope in 2013. "In the background there is a third player (Putin)," Vatican expert Marco Politi wrote in a blog on the historic encounter. "It would be naive to believe the sudden availability of the Patriarch is unrelated to the geopolitical situation Russia finds itself in at the moment," he argued, in a reference to Russia's intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Orthodox church in Moscow said he could "100 per cent guarantee" that there was no political agenda behind the two religious leaders' meeting. Alexander Volkov said he hoped the meeting would open the door to "new prospects of mutual cooperation," but emphasised that reunification of the Eastern and Western churches was not on the agenda.

Despite the breakthrough of a face-to-face meeting, Vatican-Orthodox relations remain strained. The issues that caused the schism in the first place are unresolved and there are tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

Then there is the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, which has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.

AFP
Damascus: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake the entire country but warned it could take a "long time," in an exclusive interview with AFP that comes as international pressure grows for a ceasefire.

Speaking at his office in Damascus on Thursday, Assad said he supported peace talks, but that negotiations do "not mean that we stop fighting terrorism".

He said a major Russian-backed government offensive under way in the northern province of Aleppo was aimed mainly at severing the opposition's supply route from Turkey.

Assad said he saw a risk that Turkey and Saudi Arabia, key backers of the opposition, would intervene militarily in Syria.

He also addressed the massive flow of refugees from his country, saying it was up to Europe to stop "giving cover to terrorists" so that Syrians could return home.

Assad rejected UN allegations of regime war crimes, describing them as "politicised" and lacking evidence.

With air support from key ally Russia and backing by pro-government fighters, regime troops have nearly encircled Aleppo, Syria's second city.

Assad said his regime's eventual goal was to retake all of Syria, large swathes of which are under the control of rebel forces or the Islamic State jihadist group.

"Regardless of whether we can do that or not, this is a goal we are seeking to achieve without any hesitation," he said.

"It makes no sense for us to say that we will give up any part," he added.

Assad said it would be possible to "put an end to this problem in less than a year" if opposition supply routes from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq were cut.

But, if not, he said, "the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price."

First comments since failed talks

The interview with Assad is the first he has given since the effective collapse of a new round of peace talks in Geneva earlier in February.

The talks are officially "paused" until 25 February and 17 nations agreed early Friday on an ambitious plan intended to bolster efforts for new negotiations.

The plan would see a cessation of hostilities implemented in as little as a week, and also demands humanitarian aid access to all of Syria.

Assad said his government has "fully believed in negotiations and in political action since the beginning of the crisis."

"However, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. The two tracks are inevitable in Syria."

The Aleppo offensive has been the main focus of Syrian government troops in recent weeks.

The regime has virtually encircled rebels in eastern parts of Aleppo city after severing their main supply line to the Turkish border.

"The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists," Assad said.

The operation has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands fleeing their homes, and many flocking to the border with Turkey seeking entry.

The displaced could join a wave of more than four million Syrian refugees who have left the country since the conflict began in March 2011.

Last year, many of those refugees began seeking asylum in Europe in a major crisis that has failed to slow throughout the winter.

Assad said the blame for the influx lay at Europe's feet.

"I would like to ask every person who left Syria to come back," he said.

"They would ask 'why should I come back? Has terrorism stopped?'"

Instead, he urged Europe's governments "which have been a direct cause for the emigration of these people, by giving cover to terrorists in the beginning and through sanctions imposed on Syria, to help in making the Syrians return to their country."

AFP
BAMAKO Five U.N. peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb on Friday, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants.

At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Kidal, a town in an unstable desert region that is home to Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which have staged increasingly bold raids in recent months and have targeted the U.N. base several times.

"At about 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of the U.N. secretary general, referring to the peacekeeping mission.

Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said MINUSMA spokesman Olivier Salgado.

Guinea said three of its peacekeepers were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead and wounded was not immediately known.

The Kidal base is part of an attempt by the United Nations to end violence in Mali following a takeover of the north by Islamists in 2012, which was thwarted by a French-led intervention force that pushed the militants out of key towns a year later.

Islamist militants have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond. These have included an attack on a hotel in Mali's capital in November in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Faso's capital in January in which 30 were killed.

There is also a decades-long separatist struggle in northern Mali by ethnic Tuaregs. Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told Reuters that the Kidal attack had been conducted by Islamists.

There was no official confirmation or claim of responsibility.

During a visit to Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, German President Joachim Gauck said more of the country's soldiers were due to arrive as peacekeepers to boost a contingent of 650 the government approved in January.

In a separate incident on Friday, three Malian soldiers were killed and three wounded when their military convoy was ambushed on a road between Timbuktu and Goundam in northern Mali, a military source said.

The wounded were evacuated to Timbuktu hospital. It was not clear who had conducted the ambush.

(Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: Lashing out at her Republican rival Donald Trump for his anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has described his remarks as "offensive and dangerous".

"We need to understand that American Muslims are on the front line of our defence. They are more likely to know what's happening in their families and their communities, and they need to feel not just invited, but welcomed within the American society," Clinton said participating in Democratic presidential debate.

"So when somebody like Donald Trump and others stirs up the demagoguery against American Muslims, that hurts us at home. It's not only offensive; it's dangerous," she said.

"The same goes for overseas, where we have to put together a coalition of Muslim nations. I know how to do that. I put together the coalition that imposed the sanctions on Iran that got us to the negotiating table to put a lid on their nuclear weapons programme," she said in response to a question.

"You don't go tell Muslim nations you want them to be part of a coalition when you have a leading candidate for president of the United States who insults their religion. So this has to be looked at overall, and we have to go at it from every possible angle," Clinton said in response to a question on the Islamic State.

PTI
Los Angeles: Two teenage girls were killed Friday in a shooting at a high school in the southwestern US state of Arizona, police said, adding they believe the tragedy was an "isolated incident."

Officer Tracey Breeden, of the Glendale police department, identified the two victims as 15-year-old girls who were found next to each with a weapon nearby.

She told a news conference that each had suffered a gunshot wound.

Breeden said it was unclear what prompted the shooting that took place shortly before 8:00 am at Independence High School, with police arriving on the scene within minutes.

The school was placed on lockdown immediately after the shooting that took place in an outdoor area of the school, with panicked parents rushing to the site for word about their kids.

AFP
Washington: Notwithstanding American lawmakers' demand for stopping the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, a senior Obama administration official said the US security assistance to the country reduces the ability of militants to use its soil as a safe haven.

"We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday.

"These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks, and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan. So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the US and in the interests of the region more broadly," he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry has received a letter from Senator Bob Corker in which Corker has said that he would block the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, saying organisations like the Haqqani network, with support from people within the establishment, are using terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan for attacks against US soldiers in Pakistan, Toner said.

"No country in the region has been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan. We believe it is in our vital

national security interest to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks.

"We believe it is an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan. So and in that regard we would welcome Pakistan's efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example, they hosted the Heart of Asia ministerial recently and two of the first three meetings of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group," he said.

Toner said Pakistan has carried out multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil.

"We believe that eliminating those networks is in our national security interest, as well as the security interests of the region," he said while refusing to comment on the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

"We do not comment on proposed arms sales or transfers, or even our preliminary consultations with the Capitol Hill prior to any formal congressional notification. But we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges," Toner added.

PTI
Munich: World powers on Friday agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at reviving the struggling peace process.

The 17 countries agreed "to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week's time," said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The International Syria Support Group also agreed "to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately".

"Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas," said Kerry.

Peace talks collapsed earlier this month after troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, pressed an offensive on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo.

The bombardments have forced 50,000 people to flee, left the opposition virtually encircled and killed an estimated 500 people since they began on 1 February  the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.

Kerry said talks between rebels and the regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that "what we have here are words on paper  what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground."

Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that "whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days".

"When the whole world sees whether today's agreements are kept and implemented  by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia," he said.

Task forces

The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a "new world war" if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.

But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign.

Lavrov called "for direct contacts between the Russian and US military" in Syria and said negotiations on a political transition "have to start as soon as possible, without ultimatums and preconditions".

Kerry said the cessation of hostilities  an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire  would apply to all groups apart from "the terrorist organisations" of the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra.

A UN task force, co-chaired by Russia and the US, will work over the coming week "to develop the modalities for a long-term, comprehensive and durable cessation of violence," Kerry said.

Another task force will oversee the delivery of aid, including pressure on Syria to open routes, since only around a dozen of 116 UN access requests have been granted.

"This working group will meet tomorrow in Geneva," said Kerry. "It will report weekly on progress, or lack thereof, to ensure consistent and timely and approved access moving forward."

Russia, US at odds

Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad.

The two traded accusations on Thursday, with the Pentagon claiming Russian air strikes had destroyed hospitals in Aleppo and denying Russian claims that US planes had struck the city.

Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has benefited from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis in Europe.

Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels.

Instead, it has sought to focus more on combatting IS jihadists, which have taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces.

"The US has given up the idea of toppling Assad," said Camille Grand, of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. "Kerry seems willing to accept pretty much anything to resolve the crisis."

The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washington's increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into "a pool of blood".

AFP
A healthy show of residents filled a meeting room at Bismarck State College on Thursday, with most testifying against a second city sales tax ballot that would help pay for more than $200 million in road projects.

Comments spilled 40 minutes over the 90 minutes allotted for the town hall meeting with a repeated theme challenging the city's incentives used for downtown projects and the city's ignoring previous votes that have gone to residents.

Testimony challenged Mayor Mike Seminary's proposal to add a new sales tax due to a 37-year tax increment finance district in downtown Bismarck, a new TIF district approved for FiveSouth, Bismarck's Renaissance Zone. It also disputed the perception that the city commission renegged on expanding the Bismarck Event Center even though residents rejected it in a citywide vote.

Seminary said the incentives were unrelated to sales taxes. He added that the city commission has voted that 66th Street interchange projects be paid by the state Legislature, but the city cannot ignore roads within the city that need to be widened, such the rural 43rd Avenue and Divide Avenue that lack the capacity to support traffic. Seminary said the downsized Event Center expansion used existing funding sources and did not increase hospitality taxes as residents voted on.

Paul Sorum, a resident of south Bismarck, challenged the new FiveSouth TIF district. "That's not a TIF. That's an appropriation. Why was that a priority over these road projects?"

Putting the road sales tax to a ballot may rest with City Commissioner Josh Askvig, who said after the meeting that he wants to hear more testimony before he makes a decision. He added that he hopes to hear more feedback.

All five city commissioners attended the meeting, but only the mayor spoke from that board as the four commissioners listened from the audience.

Commissioners Steve Marquardt and Parrell Grossman said they remain unswayed and will vote against placing it on a June 14 ballot at a future commission meeting.

City Commissioner Nancy Guy said after the meeting that the issue must go to the voters.

Several of the questions about the FiveSouth Development reverted to Kelvin Hullet, former president of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce, after the city voted to grant the development a new property tax increment for $35 million. Hullet defended it, saying private investment must be made before the TIF kicks in.

City Administrator Bill Wocken said the state Supreme Court declared that after the city was sued it could run its existing downtown TIF district indefinitely. But the Legilsature stopped that and the existing TIF district will expire in 2026.

Hullet said he has not been informed whether the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce will host another town hall meeting. He said he had no findings to announce from a survey emailed to chamber members and other stakeholders in the city.

Dustin Gawrylow, managing director of the North Dakota Watchdog Network, said a smaller new sales tax could be added, but that the city would have to cut some incentives before it can claim it has run short of money.

"The public feels there are cuts to be made. Between the tax freebies and not everybody paying their share and spending things that are questionable, there is enough room to free up some cash to do a portion of what is being asked. In the long run, we'll look at more like a half-cent sales tax," he said

Seminary said he hopes for one more public meeting before the city commission table.
Barbara Jean Gilchrist, 84, Bismarck, died of complications from an aortic aneurysm on Feb. 10, 2016. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Church of Corpus Christi, Bismarck, with the Rev. Paul Becker officiating. Burial will be at St. Marys Cemetery, Bismarck.

There will be no visitation, as cremation has taken place.

Barbara took great pride that she was born shoulder first in a log cabin in south Burleigh County on a very hot July 19, 1931, to Alexander and Ruth (Gamble) Asbridge.

Her early years were spent on the family farm where her loves included riding her horse with her dog, Keedledark, and attending a one-room country school. At the age of 7, she lost her father and the family moved into Bismarck. She graduated from Bismarck High School in 1949 and would have been first in her class, had it not been for the B in typing.

Barbara married Francis Gilchrist on June 18, 1952, at St. Marys rectory, and they were married until his death on Jan. 2, 1999. Her career was raising five children and being a surrogate mother and a short order cook to the multitude of her childrens friends. The door to the Gilchrist home was always open.

Barbaras wit was as quick as her two-step. Her sparkling, blue eyes loved taking in the beautiful blue skies, clouds and sunsets of North Dakota.

Barbara is survived by her children, Pinky (Marie) Gilchrist and her special friend, Wynn Keller; Kevin (Ann) Gilchrist and their sons, Michael and Thomas; Bridget (Bruce) Whittey and their sons, Benjamin Schmidt (Leslie and daughter, Piper Jean) and Alexander Schmidt (his friend Erin Triplett); Chad (Roni Sue) Gilchrist and their son, Jackson; and Martha Gilchrist; and her sisters, Patricia OBrien and Beverly OBrien.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; her parents, Alexander and Ruth Asbridge; her sister, Emma Marie Zidel; and her brothers, Alexander Bud Asbridge and William Swenson.

Memorials may be given to Central Dakota Humane Society.

Go to www.eastgatefuneral.com to share memories of Barbara and to sign the online guest book. (Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck)
Shirley Williams Lee, of Port Isabel, Texas, formerly of Turtle Lake, died Feb. 8, 2016, at Valley View Assisted Living Home, Harlingen, Texas.

Shirley Jane was born Jan. 8, 1924, in Bismarck, to John E. and Maude (Edgerton) Williams. Much of her childhood was spent in Washburn, although she graduated from Bismarck High School, where her father was an attorney for the Welfare Department at the state capitol during the 1930s.

After graduation, she attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., before marrying Warren T. Lee in 1942. After touring the Southern United States as a guest of the U.S. Army Air Force, they settled in Minneapolis, where Warren graduated with his DDS degree from the U of M., after which he accepted a partnership in dentistry in Bismarck.

Shirleys political career was born in the capital city where she served in many positions during the legislative sessions and received her training for her senatorial office. The family moved to Turtle Lake in 1970 and in 1972, she was elected to the North Dakota State Senate, where she served until she retired in 1984, before moving to Long Island Village in Port Isabel, Texas.

During her political career, she was president pro tem of the Senate, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, served on the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, and was a congressional appointed member of the Indian Affairs Committee. Her greatest honor, she felt, was being chosen the Congressional Outstanding State Senator of the Year for which she was invited to the White House for a luncheon meal where she sat next to President Ronald Reagan.

She played a significant role in the following organizations: Turtle Lake Community Chest, Turtle Lake Hospital Auxiliary, Turtle Lake GFWC Womans Club, DAR Chapter, PEO Sisterhood, vice chairman of the North Dakota Nature Conservancy, member of the St. Alexius Hospital Lay Advisory Board, Western North Dakota Health Systems Agency, Mercer McLean Library Board, Salvation Army Advisory Board, Long Island Village board of directors and Fishers of Men Lutheran Church.

She is survived by her four children, Suzan (Al) Schock, Mercer, John (Mary) Lee, Detroit Lakes, Minn., Judy Ondicho, Bismarck, and Steve Lee, Mercer; 15 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and her special friend, Don Lewis.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren, in 2009; her parents; her brother and sister-in-law, Lloyd and Ida Williams; and her daughter-in law, LuAnn Lee.

The family extends a sincere thank you to the Valley View Staff, (formerly Brookdale), to Greater Valley Hospice, and to her special care givers, Anita, Christine, Elida and Isabel, for the loving and compassionate care they all gave Shirley during her illness.

A memorial service for Shirley will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, 603 S. Tarnava, Port Isabel, Texas 78578. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to Fishers of Men Lutheran Church.
Qualcomm has announced a brand new Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which is capable of supporting Cat.16 download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

The X16 LTE modem is built on a 14nm FinFET processor and the Qualcomm RF Transceiver, WTR5975. Qualcomm says it is the first Gigabit Class LTE chipset designed to deliver fiber-like LTE Category 16 download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, supporting up to 420 MHz downlink Carrier Aggregation (CA) across FDD and TDD spectrum with 256-QAM, and 220 MHz uplink carrier aggregation plus 64-QAM for uplink speeds up to 150 Mbps. The Gigabit Class LTE speeds will allow users to take advantage of features such as live streaming 360-degree VR content and faster access to cloud-based apps and services.

The Snapdragon X16 LTE modem also supports Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), the global standard for LTE in unlicensed spectrum. According to Qualcomm, by using carrier aggregation and 44 MIMO, the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem can receive 10 unique streams of data using only three 20 MHz carriers. Its support for 256-QAM boosts the peak throughput of each stream from ~75 Mbps to ~100 Mbps, with additional gains possible with modem data compression. Along with the modem, the company has also announced the WTR5975 RF transceiver which is the first single-chip RF IC supporting Gigabit Class LTE as well as LTE-U and LAA (with 5 GHz unlicensed band support).

Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and president, QCT said in a statement

In addition to serving as a significant milestone for the mobile industry, the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem is a powerful testament to Qualcomm Technologies continued technology leadership in all things wireless, Not only does the Snapdragon X16 blur the lines between wired and wireless broadband, but marks an important step toward 5G as we enable deeper unlicensed spectrum integration with LTE and more advanced MIMO techniques to support growing data consumption and deliver an even faster and smoother user experience.

Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, WTR5975 and QET4100 samples are available now while the first commercial products expected in second half of 2016.
A man, who had ordered a fried chicken breast at KFC some time back, was aghast on being served a nauseating lump. Nevertheless, Mark Nicholas began chewing his food which he believed was a piece of fried chicken breast. However, he soon began to feel sick as he found it to be disgusting and nauseating.

Nicholas, 30, said that he had ordered for the three-piece box from KFC a branch in Labrador, Queensland, Australia, reports Metro UK quoting MailOnline. He told the publications, "I pulled a piece off, then found that and spat the rest out. You don't expect to have that type of crap in your food when you go to KFC."

When the outraged customer took up the matter with KFC, the multinational food chain was apparently cool and shrugged off the incident saying that the perhaps the lump was a part of offal - a kidney or lung, which the chefs ought to have discarded before preparing the dish.

Clarifying the issue, a KFC spokesman from the company's Austrian division said that they usually get rid of offal, but sometimes they are left behind. "Most of the time offal is removed in the preparation process, but occasionally it may remain," the spokesman stated.

Incidentally, this was not the first such incidence at KFC, as earlier another patron from Wilmington, Calif., had alleged that the local KFC outlet had served him a deep fried rat when he had ordered for a boneless chicken breast.

In fact, the patron, Devorise Dixon posted a picture as well as a video of the alleged fried rat on Facebook, but it was not ascertained whether the food served to him was really a deep fried rat. Though the product was shaped like a rat, it may also have been a fried boneless chicken breast, Food Beast reported.

On their part, KFC said though they have taken Dixon's complaint seriously, the problem was that he did not allow anyone from the company to see the product.
There's a good reason that shares of Citigroup (C -0.97%) are trading for the lowest valuation among the nation's biggest banks. Unlike its counterparts at JPMorgan Chase (JPM -0.33%), Bank of America (BAC -0.65%), and Wells Fargo (WFC 0.07%), Citigroup has refused to disclose a pivotal piece of information about its energy portfolio.

Citigroup's shares seem patently cheap. You can buy them right now for a 34% discount to its tangible book value. Bank of America also trades below its tangible book value, but its discount is only 22%. And shares of JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are selling for meaningful premiums to their tangible books.

Bank Tangible Book Value Per Share (Dec. 31, 2015) Share Price (Feb. 10, 2016) Price-to-Tangible Book Value/Share JPMorgan Chase $48.13 $56.31 117% Bank of America $15.62 $12.19 78% Wells Fargo $28.27 $46.54 164.6% Citigroup $56.71 $37.67 66.4%

The problem is that Citigroup has given the least amount of insight into potential losses in its energy portfolio. As oil prices have declined and continue to stay around $30 per barrel, borrowers in the energy industry are beginning to have problems servicing their loans. Shares of Chesapeake Energy, for instance, lost a third of their value since the end of last week after reports surfaced that it hired a restructuring specialist.

Most of the nation's biggest banks have gotten out in front of this:

Bank of America has reserved $500 million against its $21.2 billion-funded energy portfolio. That equates to 2.4%.

JPMorgan Chase upped its reserves last quarter and is targeting a range of roughly $750 million against its $42 billion energy portfolio -- though only $13.8 billion of this consists of funded loans.

Wells Fargo has been the most aggressive on this front, setting aside 7% of its $17 billion portfolio of oil and gas loans, or $1.2 billion, in preparation for higher default rates.

Meanwhile, although Citigroup said on its fourth-quarter conference call that it added $300 million to its energy-related loan loss reserves last quarter, CFO John Gerspach refused to go further. Take this exchange between Gerspach and Morgan Stanley bank analyst Betsy Graseck:

Graseck question: Did you give a ratio of your energy reserves to your energy exposure and if you could split it between oil and gas and metals and mining, wondering if you have that handy? Gerspach answer: I didn't give that ratio and I don't really intend to give that ratio. But obviously, we've taken what we think are the appropriate reserving actions for it.

Later in the conference call, Gerspach persisted in an exchange with CLSA analyst Mike Mayo:

Mayo question: I don't want you being the only bank not disclosing reserves to energy, oil and gas loans. I mean I think most others have disclosed that who have reported so far. And your stock is down 7%, the whole market is down a whole lot. But even if it's a low number, it can't hurt too much more from here. So how much in oil and gas loans do you have and what are the reserves taken against that? I know you were asked this already but I'm going back for a second try. Gerspach answer: When you take a look at the overall portfolio, Mike, we've reduced the amount of exposure. Our funded exposure to energy related companies this quarter is down 4%. It's about $20.5 billion. The overall exposure also came down about 4%. The overall exposure now is about $58 billion and that includes unfunded. When you take a look at the composition of the funded portfolio, about 68% of that portfolio would be investment grade. That's up from the 65% that we would have had at the end of the third quarter. And the unfunded book is about 87% investment grade. So while we are taking what we believe to be the appropriate reserves for that, but I'm just not prepared to give you a specific number right now as far as the amount of reserves we have on that particular book of business. It's just not something that we've traditionally done in the past.

The point here is that Citigroup has left investors to fill in the blanks themselves. And when you consider how poorly Citigroup has performed over the past decade -- pre-crisis shareholders are still down more than 90% on their investments -- everyone on the outside is understandably left assuming the worst.
Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Michael Moore

Narrated and Directed by Michael Moore

Featuring Krista Kiuru, Tim Walker,

Vigdis Finnbogadottir

Despite the title, Where to Invade Next isnt a military strategy guide, but rather a brilliant look at global routines in other civilized countries that the US could take a cue from.

Where to Invade Next is subversive documentarian and divisive liberal political pundit Michael Moores latest movie and his first film since 2009. Moore takes us around the globe to point the camera back at ourselves in a different light as he uses invasion as a metaphor for cafeteria style policy changes that we could use in the United States as a means for treating our citizens better.

Stylistically, the movie isnt as aggressive or pushy as his other films.

This one takes an already much described kinder and gentler style as Moore visits these other countries to tackle everything from free health care to school lunches.

Where to Invade Next may just have enough style and grace to appeal to both sides of the aisle and at the very least get a conversation going about what changes would or could happen here at home for a better tomorrow.

Moore, at the time of writing is in the ICU fighting against pneumonia, unable to attend his usual battery of screenings and talks as the movie opens. This part of the films promotion is important for any filmmaker, especially documentarians as fleeting interest in the genre is relegated to bored weekend afternoons on Netflix and 99 rentals on streaming media ONLY IF there is not a new season of Orange is a New Black to catch up on.

Thankfully, Moore has been in the spotlight and has enough juice behind him that he is garnering enough attention, and by that I mean mainstream FOX News attention, about the current water crisis in his hometown of Flint, MI before being sidelined in the hospital.

I was recently turned on to this movie by his pre-crisis Marc Maron episode pushing Where to Invade Next. And yes, I am sure we will see this in the iTunes 99 bin eventually and when it does, Ill personally give Where to Invade Next another bump.

The concept is simple; Moore invades a number of foreign countries to plant an American flag on their turf (something weve been doing for hundreds of years) as he meets with and consults with regular people, policy makers, prison guards and ex-Presidents to see how things are done on the other side.

The movie starts in Italy, where a young couple of a police officer and clothes buyer regale Michael with their vacation schedule. Italians are given 85 days of vacation a year and that doesnt include an extended maternity or paternity leave for parents, and also a 13th month of pay in December (what we may consider a Christmas bonus). Yes, all of these vacation days are paid time off, on top of the two hours of lunch with the family that these well-taken care of workers are allowed to take each day at their own homes.

As some of the Italian CEOs point out, a well rested, well taken care of worker gets sick less, has the energy to perform their job well and there is no conflict between the profit of the company and the welfare of the workers. Moore plants his first flag in the Ducati factory floor (with the first CEO of any company to meet Moore on a factory floor)!



Where to Invade Next invades many other countries and has a scathing look at our American school lunch programs by sitting down with some kids in France who are eating for an hour a day, almost as if lunch was a class where kids learn to share food and eat respectfully with one another, with a pitcher of water to wash down lamb kebabs, couscous, a cheese and flan for a meal that appeals to all senses.

Also on the school grounds in Finland, we hear of the dangers of our American teaching policy of teaching for standardized tests, as the Finnish kids are given 0-20 minutes of homework a day and are encouraged to spend the rest of their time socializing and playing with their friends. Finland focuses more on creativity and independence than we do in the States, and has the highest rated schools in the world.

Other countries invaded by Moore and his crew include Slovenia (free college), Germany (where they teach about the dangers of repeating the Holocaust daily and without covering anything up), Portugal (decriminalized drug use), Norways innovative prison system, and the dominance of female lead politics and board rooms in Iceland.

The point to be made about this film is that with given our resources, we could ourselves be nicer to our neighbors, our kids, our environment, our people of color and to our women if we adopted some of these smart tactics at home. Its hard to pick a favorite invasion here but Ive never wanted to live abroad as much as after seeing this movie!

This movie inspires, if not just inspires the discussion about how real change can happen in a short period of time. Let the detractors say that Moore picked some highlights of these global economies without pointing out some of the negatives in thesuch as higher taxes in certain countries.

Higher taxes to sustain these lifestyles are absolute truth, but arguing against the documentary doesnt help you understand the artful big picture hes illustrating here. There are plenty of other countries in the world he could have focused on and invaded, like any Asian country for example, not expressed in the film, where schools are very highly rated (Japan) but students work harder than they do in the United States, are more stressed out, and kids go to school more days of the year, rather than less.

Some advance reviewers are calling Where to Invade Next a more subversive film than his previous films and to that point I would more disagree than agree with that point.

What it is might be a more easy to digest film than his other more irritated works, and may be the spoonful of sugar for the mainstream to take a dose of the truths he is getting at, and more people can start to understand this liberal hero as he stands up to the man once again.

This time, hes not pointing the microphone at the chair, hes pointing it at all of us an asking What are you going to do about things, here, now, and today to make it all better for all of us, not just yourself?

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Born to a 14-year-old mother, Tramica left her job at Fortune 500 company to work on Mo's vision. Her support and guidance have been instrumental in catapulting her son to success. She spoke to editor-in-chief, Kimberly Foster, about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and the difficulties of growing a fashion empire from the ground up.



This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tramica Morris is raising an incredible kid. Her son, Moziah, is the CEO of Mo's Bows , a clothier that specializes in hand-made bow-ties. Since their appearance on the 5th season of ABC's Shark Tank the company has grown rapidly, and Tramica has had to balance working for her son with mothering him.Born to a 14-year-old mother, Tramica left her job at Fortune 500 company to work on Mo's vision. Her support and guidance have been instrumental in catapulting her son to success. She spoke to editor-in-chief, Kimberly Foster, about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and the difficulties of growing a fashion empire from the ground up.







We watched the show before. You have to know your stuff, otherwise they will be sharks to you. They reached out to us and asked us to apply, and we did. They accepted us. It was great.















For Harriet: You guys did a wonderful job. You could tell that by the time you appeared on Shark Tank you were already pretty stable in business. The business was thriving. Let's go back to the beginning of the business. How did Mo's Bows come about?

Tramica Morris: As early as 4 years old, I would allow him [Mo] to dress himself. When I knew he could put on his own clothes, I'd just say simply, "Go and get dressed. We're headed out." Either he was going to school or it was on a Saturday morning going out for the day. I would say, go get dressed. To my surprise, getting dressed in his mind was a suit and a tie or a bow tie or some of his best dress clothes, his Sunday best clothes, I suppose.



When he was nine he decided to step up his game, is what he says. He was wearing neckties when I allowed him to, usually clip-ons. Then, he decided he wanted to wear bow ties. We asked granny to teach him [how to make them], and from there he started wearing them and selling them. He started off selling them at one point for $5.00, giving them away first. He would give them away and sell them for $5.00 or trade them for rocks or a bag of potato chips. We watched the show before. You have to know your stuff, otherwise they will be sharks to you. They reached out to us and asked us to apply, and we did. They accepted us. It was great.Tramica Morris: As early as 4 years old, I would allow him [Mo] to dress himself. When I knew he could put on his own clothes, I'd just say simply, "Go and get dressed. We're headed out." Either he was going to school or it was on a Saturday morning going out for the day. I would say, go get dressed. To my surprise, getting dressed in his mind was a suit and a tie or a bow tie or some of his best dress clothes, his Sunday best clothes, I suppose.When he was nine he decided to step up his game, is what he says. He was wearing neckties when I allowed him to, usually clip-ons. Then, he decided he wanted to wear bow ties. We asked granny to teach him [how to make them], and from there he started wearing them and selling them. He started off selling them at one point for $5.00, giving them away first. He would give them away and sell them for $5.00 or trade them for rocks or a bag of potato chips.



Then we fast-forward to 5 years later, he's selling them anywhere from $30.00 to $60.00 and in stores like Neiman-Marcus as well.

For Harriet: That is really incredible. You also sell in a lot of smaller boutiques.

Tramica Morris: Absolutely. I think we're in about 15 states now and specialty boutiques which is great because they really get behind the brand and promote it and push it. We really like the specialty boutiques. We're headed to Florida this weekend for him to appear on Home Shopping Network on Monday. That's going to be fun. Then we fast-forward to 5 years later, he's selling them anywhere from $30.00 to $60.00 and in stores like Neiman-Marcus as well.Tramica Morris: Absolutely. I think we're in about 15 states now and specialty boutiques which is great because they really get behind the brand and promote it and push it. We really like the specialty boutiques. We're headed to Florida this weekend for him to appear on Home Shopping Network on Monday. That's going to be fun.





For Harriet: Absolutely. It seems like from him creating his own bow ties and expressing himself personally, to a business, that happened pretty seamlessly. What was that transition like?

Tramica Morris: Yeah. It was very organic. It was just one of those things. He wore what made him feel good and what made him look good. He realized that just by wearing it he received so many compliments and so many inquiries. Where did you get that tie?  You look sharp! Folks love seeing a good looking kid dressed up in the grocery store or going nowhere in particular but completely dressed up. That's how he wanted to feel all the time.



It grew organically into a business from folks wanting to have those ties. Keep it in mind, too, they were from Granny's fabric. This was fabric that they had for 50 years. To the current eyes, to the newer generation this was different stuff. It's not mass produced in China. She only had pieces and scraps of it. It was from old dresses or uniforms that she made or suits that she made back in the 50s and 60s. It was a very nice, classic print.



For Harriet: I love the idea of passing down this creativity and this mode of expression through the generations. Do you sew?

Tramica Morris: I don't sew. No. My background is simply being a mother who believes in the future of my child and other children period. I just believe in recognizing the passion and then nurturing it. My background is in retirement services for the last 12 years, nothing related to fashion, nothing really related to business, and nothing related to sewing.



For Harriet: This is really interesting then. When you recognized that the business was taking off, was it a difficult decision for you to leave your job and pursue this journey with your son?

Tramica Morris: It was not a difficult decision. Like I said, I used the word "organic" and I've used the word "natural" a lot. Things kind of happened so fast and so quickly. In my mind it's like it's already been done. It's just us taking the time to listen, pay attention and to follow the path that pretty much has been laid for us. That's one thing I stress in Mo's life is that he comes from greatness. That's just something that is enough, and it's important for us to tap into that.



It was really easy for me to transition from working for a Fortune 500 company to working for my child. The company I was working for didn't really appreciate the skills and talents that I possessed in the position I was with them. I found that I was more valuable to Mo and Mo's Bows, and, ultimately, to the future of my child than I was to a company. I said, why don't I just focus all my energy on this until something else comes up. Unbeknownst to me, the business ireally took off when I did give it my all and put all of my energy in it.





For Harriet: I am an entrepreneur, and I know years ago when I started this business that my mom would have much preferred that I chose a more stable life. The Black folks I know say their parents have discouraged them from pursuing entrepreneurship because the stability is not there. Why was entrepreneurship something that you wanted to steer your son toward and encourage?

Tramica Morris: Entrepreneurship was something I wanted to encourage in him. I believe it had to do with my own personal upbringing. My mom being a single mom of 4 [was] having to work 3 jobs at one point. Then myself having to go to work and at times being moved to tears because I was so upset with the position or with what was happening in my other job. I encourage working for yourself, encourage providing jobs for others, and encourage fueling the economy with your talent and your creativity.



It was important [for me] to push entrepreneurship and the idea of working for yourselfto teach him not to grow up and say, "Oh I'm going to get a great job!" No, grow up and say, "I'm out on my own, and I'm going to provide jobs."



For Harriet: Anybody who runs a business knows that there are lots of sacrifices that accompany it. How do you and Mo manage those sacrifices, manage the time and the energy? He is a kid. He's going to school. You're a mom. You still have to be a parent. How do you work through that?

Tramica Morris: Absolutely. It just a tough job. It really is. In fact, what it comes down to is allowing him to keep the balance. Mo is 14 now. Being a teenager is way different than when I was younger. Having those very candid conversations with him like, Hey, what's working for you? What's not working for you? Then allowing him the ability to be 14, as 14 as he can be, and allowing him the opportunity to pull the plug at any time if he feels it.



Pushing him gently. I was on a plane, I think, when we were leaving from filming the Shark Tank episode, and we just so happened to be sitting in the row on the airplane next to Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allens mom. She met Mo. Her advice was to lead from behind. Allow your children to grow but lead from behind. Allowing them to make those decisions, allowing them to make mistakes but still guiding them.



I check in with him. Are you still 14? What do you like? What don't you like, and I listen to him. As far as sacrifices, the thing is really to keep the balance, letting him know who Momma is at all times. Yes, you are the CEO of Mo's Bows, but I am the CEO of Mo. You're 14. It's easy when he's in the spotlight to get a big head and say, "Oh, I'm Mo." It's like, "Yeah, you're Mo, but in this house, you're my child."



He understands that. I have to remind him, of course. We have a pretty good balance of work relationship versus personal. He separates his time. He's home-schooled. In the day he's doing school work. In the evenings he's does bow tie work. Then, of course, he's always playing with friends, or going to the mall and the movies, regular 14-year-old stuff. Like I say, I ask him all the time, "Are you still 14?" That's important. He says, "Yes." As long as he keeps saying yes, I think we're good.



For Harriet: Do you have time to focus on your own interests?

Tramica Morris: I, in the last couple of months, said that I needed to start doing, not so much focus on it, but incorporating it into my schedule. I don't have as much time as I would like. My passion lies in community relations. I sit on the board for a historically Black cemetery. I'm a part of our neighborhood association with an historically Black neighborhood association. Then, my passion again was my children. I only have one, but I say I have a lot of children because I have nieces and nephews and friends' kids. I just found in working with Mo and getting him to this point in his business, that I definitely have a soft spot for the little ones.

the 2016 go mo bow - mosbowsmemphis.com For Harriet: You expressed earlier the fulfillment that you get from seeing your son get to pursue his passion and really grow this business. It's got to be really game changing.

Tramica Morris: Oh absolutely. That's true. I'm 38-years-old. I'll be 39 this year and I don't feel like my life is completely over or I'll never be able to tap into my passions. If I can birth an innovator, then that's good for me to be able to say I've raised an innovator, someone who is going to make a mark on this world.



One of the greatest accolades he received, I'm more excited about it probably than him, is the fact that his bow ties and pocket squares are in the Tennessee State Museum. For his great-great-grandchildren to be able to go into the museum and see our family there, that to me is huge! That's a big thing. Tommy Hilfiger has called me, and he's met the President, even. To me, to really bring it home to our name being in the family museum, or as long as it will be available, that's huge. That's important to me.



For Harriet: Of course that's not to diminish the actual work that you are putting into building Mo's Bows every day. In what capacity do you work with the business?

Tramica Morris: It's full-time for me, 100%. My hands are in everything from the production of the ties to the marketing and relations. We just had the conversation yesterday that it's gotten bigger than me now. I'm a bit of a control freak. There is a market for bow ties and he's tapped into it. We're excited about that.Tramica Morris: Yeah. It was very organic. It was just one of those things. He wore what made him feel good and what made him look good. He realized that just by wearing it he received so many compliments and so many inquiries. Where did you get that tie?  You look sharp! Folks love seeing a good looking kid dressed up in the grocery store or going nowhere in particular but completely dressed up. That's how he wanted to feel all the time.It grew organically into a business from folks wanting to have those ties. Keep it in mind, too, they were from Granny's fabric. This was fabric that they had for 50 years. To the current eyes, to the newer generation this was different stuff. It's not mass produced in China. She only had pieces and scraps of it. It was from old dresses or uniforms that she made or suits that she made back in the 50s and 60s. It was a very nice, classic print.Tramica Morris: I don't sew. No. My background is simply being a mother who believes in the future of my child and other children period. I just believe in recognizing the passion and then nurturing it. My background is in retirement services for the last 12 years, nothing related to fashion, nothing really related to business, and nothing related to sewing.Tramica Morris: It was not a difficult decision. Like I said, I used the word "organic" and I've used the word "natural" a lot. Things kind of happened so fast and so quickly. In my mind it's like it's already been done. It's just us taking the time to listen, pay attention and to follow the path that pretty much has been laid for us. That's one thing I stress in Mo's life is that he comes from greatness. That's just something that is enough, and it's important for us to tap into that.It was really easy for me to transition from working for a Fortune 500 company to working for my child. The company I was working for didn't really appreciate the skills and talents that I possessed in the position I was with them. I found that I was more valuable to Mo and Mo's Bows, and, ultimately, to the future of my child than I was to a company. I said, why don't I just focus all my energy on this until something else comes up. Unbeknownst to me, the business ireally took off when I did give it my all and put all of my energy in it.Tramica Morris: Entrepreneurship was something I wanted to encourage in him. I believe it had to do with my own personal upbringing. My mom being a single mom of 4 [was] having to work 3 jobs at one point. Then myself having to go to work and at times being moved to tears because I was so upset with the position or with what was happening in my other job. I encourage working for yourself, encourage providing jobs for others, and encourage fueling the economy with your talent and your creativity.It was important [for me] to push entrepreneurship and the idea of working for yourselfto teach him not to grow up and say, "Oh I'm going to get a great job!" No, grow up and say, "I'm out on my own, and I'm going to provide jobs."Tramica Morris: Absolutely. It just a tough job. It really is. In fact, what it comes down to is allowing him to keep the balance. Mo is 14 now. Being a teenager is way different than when I was younger. Having those very candid conversations with him like, Hey, what's working for you? What's not working for you? Then allowing him the ability to be 14, as 14 as he can be, and allowing him the opportunity to pull the plug at any time if he feels it.Pushing him gently. I was on a plane, I think, when we were leaving from filming the Shark Tank episode, and we just so happened to be sitting in the row on the airplane next to Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allens mom. She met Mo. Her advice was to lead from behind. Allow your children to grow but lead from behind. Allowing them to make those decisions, allowing them to make mistakes but still guiding them.I check in with him. Are you still 14? What do you like? What don't you like, and I listen to him. As far as sacrifices, the thing is really to keep the balance, letting him know who Momma is at all times. Yes, you are the CEO of Mo's Bows, but I am the CEO of Mo. You're 14. It's easy when he's in the spotlight to get a big head and say, "Oh, I'm Mo." It's like, "Yeah, you're Mo, but in this house, you're my child."He understands that. I have to remind him, of course. We have a pretty good balance of work relationship versus personal. He separates his time. He's home-schooled. In the day he's doing school work. In the evenings he's does bow tie work. Then, of course, he's always playing with friends, or going to the mall and the movies, regular 14-year-old stuff. Like I say, I ask him all the time, "Are you still 14?" That's important. He says, "Yes." As long as he keeps saying yes, I think we're good.Tramica Morris: I, in the last couple of months, said that I needed to start doing, not so much focus on it, but incorporating it into my schedule. I don't have as much time as I would like. My passion lies in community relations. I sit on the board for a historically Black cemetery. I'm a part of our neighborhood association with an historically Black neighborhood association. Then, my passion again was my children. I only have one, but I say I have a lot of children because I have nieces and nephews and friends' kids. I just found in working with Mo and getting him to this point in his business, that I definitely have a soft spot for the little ones.Tramica Morris: Oh absolutely. That's true. I'm 38-years-old. I'll be 39 this year and I don't feel like my life is completely over or I'll never be able to tap into my passions. If I can birth an innovator, then that's good for me to be able to say I've raised an innovator, someone who is going to make a mark on this world.One of the greatest accolades he received, I'm more excited about it probably than him, is the fact that his bow ties and pocket squares are in the Tennessee State Museum. For his great-great-grandchildren to be able to go into the museum and see our family there, that to me is huge! That's a big thing. Tommy Hilfiger has called me, and he's met the President, even. To me, to really bring it home to our name being in the family museum, or as long as it will be available, that's huge. That's important to me.Tramica Morris: It's full-time for me, 100%. My hands are in everything from the production of the ties to the marketing and relations. We just had the conversation yesterday that it's gotten bigger than me now. I'm a bit of a control freak.



For Harriet: How do you handle disagreements with your son about the business?

Tramica Morris: Sometimes I have to bite my tongue because I realize this is something that came from him. This is his passion. My passion is not fashion. His passion is fashion, and this is something that he wants to do. Ultimately, I want him to have a financially secure future which is another reason why we decided to start the business when he was younger. As far as disagreements, it comes down to me sometimes having to say, "You know what? This is his vision. This is his brand. He does know his stuff." I trust him and he's true to the brand. Usually I'm going, Hey this makes sense financially for us, let's do it. He says, "Mom, that doesn't work for me. That's not a part of my brand. It doesn't fit what I envision."



I have to step back. Then there are other times when I say, "No, no, this is the way it's going down and this is how it's going to happen." Then he says okay. I have to pull Mom rank sometimes and he pulls CEO rank sometimes. For me, I guess I've been labeled a free spirit all my life. I don't let a lot of stuff really linger for us. We're real shake-it-off kind of people. Let's move on. Keep it moving. We don't get into a whole lot of arguments. It's like we have so much to do. What's next on the plate. Let's keep it going.





For Harriet: Mo is the face of the business. You have also become kind of a public figure as well. You mentioned that you might be appearing on HSN with him. How have you managed that?

Tramica Morris: I've been nervous about it. I went to college. I majored in communication and a minor with theater. Now, i'm not a stranger to public speaking and being in the public, but I want to make him more of the face. I've received a couple of speaking engagements. I think Mo was scheduled to speak, and someone prior to him had canceled. They asked me to introduce Mo. Just from me introducing him, other people in the audience booked me for two different gigs.



I guess when they look at Mo and what he has accomplished, that means maybe there's a story behind his upbringing. I've handled them pretty well. I prefer not to do a lot of these public appearances just because my focus is really first being mom and that takes a lot. That comes with dinner, homework and a haircut. I feel like the more I'm in the public is the less time I have to do what my first job is, which is to be a mom.



For Harriet: What advice would you give to other parents who want to nurture that creative spirit, entrepreneurial spirit in their kids?

Tramica Morris: I would certainly say to listen to them, to pay attention to them, to invest in them and to believe in your children. That's my big thing, and to certainly let them know who they are and where they come from. I always tell parents I feel like there's a Mo's Bow in every household. I feel like there's a Mo's Bows in all of our children if we nurture that. For instance, one of my friends has a son, he's 4, he really likes race cars. Just pay attention to that. Nurture that, encourage that. He may be not so much a race car driver, but an engineer. You just never know.



For me, it's definitely letting them know who they are and investing in them, encouraging confidence and encouraging that confidence in them.

Tramica Morris: You know what? Shark Tank actually reached out to us after one of the producers saw a write-up of Mo in the August 2013 issue of O Magazine. It was "50 Thing That Make You Say Wow," and Mo was number 9, I believe. One of the producers from the show saw Mo's piece in the magazine and reached out to us. We were actually very nervous. I think we turned them down initially. It was because we were afraid. In my mind it was like, you're not going to be on national TV and have me and my son just looking crazy.
Let me tell you about my boat. It has a single mast and a cabin at the stern. It is painted white with a red stripe at the water line. I bought it in Denmark, at the port from where in 1943 Danish fishermen and others transported most of the country's Jews to safety in neutral Sweden. My boat measures 5 inches long. It is as huge as the human heart.

The doughty Danes, so wonderful in World War II, have now turned churlish. They seize the jewelry and other valuables of Syrian and other migrants seeking to enter the country. This is not the same as barring the migrants, but it shows what happens when a big-hearted people get scared. Much of Europe is now scared.

America is little different. Donald Trump urged that all Muslims be temporarily barred from entering the United States, and almost instantly many Republicans followed suit. In announcing for the presidency last June, he cited Mexican immigration as a major problem  a wave of immigrants that supposedly included more than the average number of rapists and other sorts of criminals. They were taking our jobs and our women. It is a message ripped from the black heart of white racism.

Mexico and Central America are to America what the Arab world is to Europe. In Europe, it is Arabs who allegedly run sexually amok. It is Arabs, too, who purportedly threaten to overwhelm local European cultures, just as the effect of Hispanic immigration here can be seen in signage and heard in public address announcements  Spanish, as well as English.

Donald Trump and the other Republican candidates live in a firehouse that only sounds four alarms. In 1989, Trump took a full-page ad in four major New York newspapers to call for the death penalty for five youths who had been arrested for the rape and brutal beating of a woman in Central Park. The five were subsequently convicted and, had Trump's advice been followed, they would have been executed. Inconveniently for Trump, however, they were later exonerated when another man confessed  and his DNA matched that found at the crime scene. By then, the youths had been imprisoned, one of them for 13 years.

On a summer day in 2000, over 50 women were accosted, some sexually  again in Central Park. This followed the annual Puerto Rican Day parade and it was similar, in its horror, to the mass attack on women at the train station in Cologne, Germany, this past New Year's Eve. The Cologne attack claimed far more victims, over 500, but, as in New York, an identifiable ethnic group was blamed  Arabs or North Africans. All Europe was appalled and frightened.

In both Europe and America, the present moment is touted as the inevitable future. But the Central Park rape, the Puerto Rican Day assaults and other incidents have come and gone  either not what they had seemed or not repeated. Among other things, the cops cracked down. The Cologne incident, too, while larger in scope, has not  or not yet  been repeated. There, too, the police have learned from their mistakes.

The problem in both Europe and America is not just a huge influx of migrants, but a lack of political leadership. The exceptions are Barack Obama here and Angela Merkel in Germany. Merkel showed extraordinary leadership in allowing about 1 million Syrian migrants to settle in Germany. Obama has been stingy in his welcome  about 2,500 migrants  but he has been fulsome in his embrace of the Muslim community. Trump, characteristically, mischaracterized the president's recent visit to a mosque, saying he had gone to apologize. For Trump, no lie is too low.

What both America and Europe need now are more leaders who know how to say, "Hold on a minute. Let's work this out." Instead, we get calls for mass deportations, closing borders, confiscation of wealth. In Europe, Hungary has veered right and ugly. Poland is leaning that way. France is showing a little Vichy, and Germany is shivering with second thoughts.

Trump, I'm sure, knows little about history. His boat, until he was forced to sell it, was a huge, bloated affair. My boat is small, very small, only symbolic. It stands for not just what happened, but what can happen  the heroism of some, the political opportunism and cowardice of many. At the moment, too many politicians have their fingers to the wind. A storm is brewing and, aside from a weakened Merkel and an exiting Obama, not a captain's in sight.

(Richard Cohen writes for the Washington Post. His syndicated column appears Fridays.)
When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was Newport on the Levee. I was mesmerized by the cooks at...
WARWICK -- A body found Tuesday in the Sheyenne River has been identified as Amanda Stach Engst, a 36-year-old missing woman who may have been connected to a couple police say went on a robbery and burglary spree.

Engst's body was discovered after a morning-long search by the Jamestown Fire Department Dive Rescue Team using an underwater camera on a remotely operated vehicle, Eddy County Sheriff Paul Lies said. He declined to comment on a possible cause of death other than to say it did not appear to be natural. The body was sent to the University of North Dakota Forensic Pathology Department in Grand Forks for an autopsy.

The search was conducted along a stretch of the Sheyenne River south of Warwick on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation, which lies partly in Eddy County, he said.

"Based on information we had received, we contacted the dive team to search that area of the river," he said.

The FBI is leading the investigation, he said, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Devils Lake Police Department and several county sheriff's departments in the region are also involved.

Late last week, a possible link between Engst's disappearance and a string of robberies in North Dakota and Minnesota surfaced.

Her vehicle was discovered in the possession of Billy Joe and Crystal Marie Herman, both 36, when the two were arrested separately late last year in connection with the October robberies and burglaries.

The Hermans were sentenced last month in connection with an Oct. 30 bar robbery in Buxton. They still face multiple charges in other robberies or burglaries at businesses in Perley, Minn., and Grandin.

Billy Joe Herman is serving a one-year sentence at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. Crystal Herman is incarcerated at the Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston, Minn.

Norman County Sheriff Jeremy Thornton said authorities have no reason to believe that Engst might have been involved in the robberies.

Engst grew up in Breckenridge, Minn., but had lived recently in Fargo and Halstad, Minn., family members said, adding that the last place they had heard she had been was in Warwick.

Engst last had contact with her family in late October, though family members initially reported her missing in November.

On Saturday, Engst's mother, Denise Stevenson, said her daughter was acting differently the last time she saw her at a family funeral in September. She added Engst had mentioned befriending a man she referred to as "Billy," whom Stevenson said she believes is Billy Joe Herman.

"Amanda (Engst) is a very loving, giving person, ... but her whole demeanor changed," Stevenson said. "Something was really off when she came here in September. She wasn't right. She was angry, she just flew off the handle over anything, got mad at everybody. I don't know what was going on."
Eight years ago, Dulce Valencia and her mother Maria Sanchez crossed the border from Mexico to begin their new life in Nevada. Now 20 years old, Dulce knows the harsh reality and fear that goes along with being an undocumented immigrant in America.

I was out there sharing my story and I was undocumented so part of me was like what if someone sees this and what if someone calls ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]? What if I come home and my mom is not there  what am I going to do? But I tried not to think about it, we cant let fear hold us back, said Dulce Valencia.

Dulce arrived to the United States in December of 2007, just missing the deadline to qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Established by President Obama in 2012, the immigration policy allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday and continuously lived in the U.S starting in June 2007 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and deportation exemption.

That was my wake-up call that I needed to fight for myself and I needed to do something about my situation, she said.

Dulce put her volunteering efforts to good use with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), a bi-partisan group that unites diverse Nevada organizations to fight for issues such as immigration, healthcare and economic justice.

PLAN is one of several organizations that invited 2016 candidates to the presidential forum, Real Solutions for Real People on Saturday at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Democratic contenders campaigns were the only ones that agreed to be in attendance: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clintons surrogate, New Jersey U.S. Senator Corey Booker.

We will have regular community folks, immigrant communities, fast food workers, Native American leaders -- a very racially diverse working class audience interested in hearing from candidates who want to deliver on key issues like immigration reform, minimum wage and make sure we invest in rural communities, said Bob Fulkerson, state director of PLAN.

Fulkerson says this is an opportunity for the candidates to showcase their policy positions before the first-in-the-West caucus on February 20, the next contest in the Democratic race. Approximately a third of the audience will be made up of immigrants from the Latino community, which Fulkerson says is an essential vote in the presidential race.

First and foremost they are looking to keep their families together; People are looking not to have their mom deported and they are looking for their kids to be able to stay with them. Beyond that they want economic security, a decent wage for a hard days work and they are not getting the same things that all working class people want, said Fulkerson.

For Dulce Valencia its a chance to share her story and question candidates about the important issues that matter to her family and community. She hopes to encourage and educate people who can voice their choice at the polls, like her brother Jesus who was born in the U.S. and will be voting for the first time this year.

Even though I cant vote, my brother will be voting in my honor. I dont tell him who to vote for but I want him to listen and see which candidate is going to support our family, immigration reform and who is going to support raising the minimum wage, said Valencia. Every vote matters; Those of us who cant vote wish we could vote.

Valencia recently qualified for a work visa under her mother and started working with PLAN while attending college. She hopes within eight years to reach citizenship status.

The Real Solutions for Real People presidential forum will be live streamed on KJIV 89.1 FM.
Fresh off the New Hampshire primary and on the same day news broke that the Clinton Foundation had been subpoenaed by the State Department last fall, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton faced off Thursday night in Milwaukee. The candidates spent the majority of the debate in disagreement, arguing who would be tougher on Wall Street and who has criticized President Obama more.

In New York City (just under 900 miles away from Milwaukee), approximately 40 members of the Roosevelt Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit organization connected to the Roosevelt Library, watched the debate while laughing at Sanders wagging finger and chatting with one another. The group was comprised of young Millennials, both in college and alumni.

This year, Millennials will make up 31% of eligible voters according to the Pew Research Center, a substantial group for any candidate to not ignore.

FOXBusiness.com stopped by the Roosevelt Institutes debate viewing party to get an inside look at what Millennials thought.

For many of the students attending last night, 2016 will be their first time not only voting, but also their first time voting in a presidential election--for them, the excitement is very high.

Its safe to say that no Millennial would watch a debate disconnected. Every single person in the room had a smartphone in hand, tweeting (NYSE:TWTR) their thoughts, and making GIFs (graphics interchange format) and memes to post on social media. If candidates want to reach Millennials during the debates, head to a mobile platform.

When Sanders spoke about his Wall Street Speculation Tax, one viewer said I like Sanders plans, but I dont know how hes gonna pay for them. And when Hillary spoke of her plans and policies, firmly accompanied with her fist-pounding the podium, many students clapped, cheered and nodded their heads in approval. Still, the room listened with open and eager ears to both candidates' plans.

Millennial viewers not only want to hear specific policy outlines, but they also want to be entertained during a two hour debate. Debates in this election cycle are often highlighted by the frequency of sarcastic or entertaining comments, which this debate delivered on. For the back and forth snarkiness between the candidates, students told me that Sanders won that battle, most notably for his remark "One of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate". When Sanders made snide comments, the room laughed; but when Clinton referred to the pre- Obamacare as "Hillarycare," multiple "thats so snarky" comments murmured throughout the room.

Sanders seemed to entertain Millennial viewers the most with not only his wagging finger, but also with awkwardly phrased lines like "do marijuana." One could argue that these actions and comments highlight the vast age difference between Sanders and Millennials, but students seemed to be unperturbed by that.

Both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are working towards reaching out to Millennials and trying to hear what Millennials want because were becoming such a big part of the vote this year, said Nicole Felmus, 19, a sophomore at Columbia University.

On the two occasions that Sanders said "huge," that word was met with exaggerated "yuge" comments from the viewers. It goes to show that even when Trump isnt there, hes always there.
It was an ant problem that couldnt be handled by an exterminator hundreds of ants were removed from a 12-year-old girls head after setting up a colony.

In a video of the extraction process, live and dead ants are removed from the girls ear. According to the Toronto Sun, a dozen or so emerge every day. Shreya Darji, of Deesa, Gujarat in India, first complained of ear pain in August when doctors found the colony, Medical Daily reported.

While doctors have repeatedly removed the insects, they continue to reproduce and reside in the girls head.

According to the Sun, doctors have tried flushing her ears with antiseptic to drown the ants and have failed to find the queen ant with laparoscopic cameras.

The girls case is very challenging for me, as I have never seen such a case, nor found it in medical history, Dr. Jawahar Talsania told the Times of India. The big ants must be biting her, but the girl did not feel pain inside her ears. Besides, there was no damage inside her ear.

The girl remains under video surveillance as doctors attempt to solve the mystery
In decades of research, scientists have focused on eliminating the signature plaques of Alzheimers to fight the devastating disease. Now, a drug in phase-II trials is taking a new approach, focusing on strengthening cells protection against neurological attacks, which may be a game changer, Time reported.

Dr. Frank Longo of Stanford University School of Medicine and his team are studying the treatment LM11A-31, or C31, as his team calls it, in combination with anti-amyloid and anti-tau therapies, which Time reported could be a potent counterpunch to neurological problems from memory loss to confusion to loss of language.

The field is taking a step back and re-examining where we are with regard to what we know, what we dont know and what might be some of the best avenues going forward to look for treatments, Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimers Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, who is not involved in the LM11A-31 research, told Time.

In the past, scientists focused on treating the degradation of the brain caused by Alzheimersnormally orderly and uniform cells are cut off from their nutrient supply by amyloid plaques that accumulate in an afflicted-brain. Treatments tested tried to find ways to absorb excess amyloid or break it down and while these treatments worked in animals, they were less successful in memory and cognitive function improvement in people, TIME reported.

Researchers then considered the timing of drug administration, but that required knowing when the amyloid first develops about 30 percent of people over 70 have amyloid in their brains but no signs of dementia, TIME reported. Therefore, not everyone who has amyloid has Alzheimers.

According to TIME, similar treatments against tau, another Alzheimers protein, which tends to appear in later stages when memory, organized thinking and language begin to fail.

We think that tau may incite the whole process of neurodegeneration, Dr. William Jagust, a professor of public health and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, told TIME. Thats important if you think of Alzheimers as moving through standardized group stages. The first stage is [depositing] of amyloid. In the second stage, something probably happens with tau. Somewhere in there we begin to see neurodegeneration.

As Time reported, C31 presents itself as a drug that can intervene at any or all of the stages. Longo has found that C31 can disrupt at least 10 of the 14 amyloid-triggered brain signals that can ultimately lead to neuron deterioration.

According to Petersen, theoretically a patient at high risk of developing Alzheimers could be injected with nerve growth factors that prevent or lessen nerve cell damage.

C31, which passed phase I clinical trials for safety and minimal side effects, is currently in phase II, human testing.

C31 is being tested on 72 healthy people who dont have any signs of Alzheimers and is promising, but now researchers are watching to see if it affects memory and thinking, according to TIME.

If successful, the treatment would be groundbreaking, but some have reservations, TIME reported.

If approved, these could be the first drugs that will change the course of the disease rather than just treat its symptoms, James Hendrix, director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimers Association, told TIME. To bring back neurons that have been destroyed by plaques and tanglesto me that still seems almost like science fiction, he continued. I have a hard time getting to that point.

According to TIME, more than 200 Alzheimers drugs have been tested since 2000 and none has proven to be the miracle cure. Longos work with C31 is the first to focus on increasing levels of nerve-growth factors to potentially give people protection against damage and minimize effects.

The open question is figuring out which people can benefit from which types of treatments, TIME reported. Should older people be screened for signs? When should monitoring begin? Perhaps a risk score, as with heart disease, is a solution.

What is clear, is that Alzheimers begins decades before symptoms start and the best treatments occur early, TIME reported, suggesting that C31 may become the first drug in an Alzheimers cocktail.

In an ideal world, you want to take a 78-year-old and say, I think in your brain amyloid is contributing to 20 percent of your cognitive problems, so Ill give you an anti-amyloid therapy. You also have tau proteins contributing to about 35 percent of your problems, and so on, Petersen told TIME. Youd want to design a therapeutic regimen based on the different components and their contributions to that patients disease.

Click here and subscribe for the full article from TIME.
FARGO -- Jason Moszer died Thursday with a fixed place in the memories of his friends and fellow police officers who knew him as a cop who excelled at his job. An Army medic who stayed cool in battle. A father and husband who passed on motorcycle trips to spend time with his family. A funny, reliable pal who helped you on moving day and grilled jalapeno poppers at backyard parties.

Moszer, 33, was a six-year veteran of the Fargo Police Department. He was fatally shot by a man in a standoff with police on Wednesday night at a north Fargo home. His funeral is expected to take place late next week.

"He was a guy who came to work with a smile on his face every day," Fargo Police Chief David Todd said. "He loved working out on the street with his fellow officers They loved working with him."

Moszer, who grew up in Fargo, began chasing his dream of being an officer while he was a student at Fargo South High School, said Chris Potter, a Cass County sheriff's deputy.

At South, Moszer joined the Explorer club, a group for students interested in law enforcement careers. Potter, one of the club's leaders, described Moszer as a scrawny teenager who became the backbone of the club.

"My memory of him was as a kind of quiet, reserved, shy kid, and it turned out that he was one of our longest-serving members," Potter said.

Late Wednesday night, Potter, like dozens of other officers, was called to help with the standoff. In time, he found out that an officer had been shot.

"It was just surreal. It was just devastating," Potter said. "When I learned it was Jason, that was just over the top."

Potter said he and other officers had to set aside their emotions as they worked through the night. "It was pretty solemn, but as a group we had to carry on with what was expected of us."

He said his feelings didn't catch up with him until he went home and put his squad car in park. "It was a hard walk from the squad into the house."

'No fear'

Moszer graduated from South High School in 2001. He went on to receive a criminal justice degree from North Dakota State University in 2009. The same year, he attended Lake Region Law Enforcement Academy in Devils Lake.

For eight years, Moszer served in the Minnesota National Guard. He was deployed to Bosnia from July 2003 to March 2004 and to Iraq from March 2006 to June 2007, said Maj. Scott Hawks, a Guard spokesman.

A soldier decorated with several service medals, Moszer left the Guard in 2007 with an honorable discharge, Hawks said.

Moszer's platoon sergeant, Kerry Buckle, remembered him as a combat medic who never complained about his assignments, who displayed courage in treating casualties after his unit came under attack in Iraq.

"He was one of the best soldiers I ever had," said Buckle, 52. "He had no fear."

Staff Sgt. Anthony Housey, who served with Moszer in Iraq, said Moszer's consistency and competency as a medic rippled through their unit.

"He was very calm under pressure, which is good for the job that he had," Housey said. "He had a finger on everybody's pulse based on how they were feeling and what they had to go through."

'Just a shame'

Moszer's cool demeanor came through on the street as an officer.

In 2011, he and Officer Matthew Siders found two children trapped and screaming inside a burning apartment bedroom. Risking their own lives, the two officers entered the room and saved the children from the fire, and then helped extinguish the blaze.

For their efforts, Siders and Moszer were awarded the department's Silver Star medal.

Pat Claus, a former deputy police chief, said Moszer was the kind of guy who always put others ahead of himself. Claus said he regrets not telling Moszer how proud of him he was.

"He was a natural cop, effortless," Claus said. "He had great people skills."

Reached by phone at his home, Claus said he was feeling "survivor's guilt" on Thursday after learning of Moszer's injuries.

"I was shot at. I did 25 years" on the force, "and here I am sitting in a nice warm living room," Claus said. "It's just a shame that he won't get to grow old like some of us and retire."

Thursday morning, police officials announced that Moszer was mortally wounded. "His family is with him, they're saying goodbye to him," said Todd, who asked news outlets to give privacy to Moszer's family.

Moszer's friend, Drew Schwan, said Moszer was a father to two school-age children, Jolee and Dylan. Moszer died Thursday afternoon at Sanford Medical Center, and his organs will be donated, Schwan said. "Just a couple more lives he's going to end up saving even after he's past," said Mike Lovejoy, a Fargo police detective.

For Lovejoy, the loss of Moszer meant the loss of a superbly dry sense of humor.

"Horribly sarcastic," Lovejoy said of Moszer. "We'd feed off each other."

A lover of riding motorcycles and shooting guns, Moszer was lighthearted, easy to talk with and enjoyed having people over to his house, his friends said. "He always made jalapeno poppers that were delicious," said Chris Horning, a friend from high school.

Dan Bair was one of many Fargo officers who went to the hospital to pay his respects to Moszer and his family.

"As a police officer, he was always great to work with. He always tried to maintain a positive attitude with the citizens. He always tried to help them out," Bair said. "He really cared about people."

Bair said Moszer's death has left Moszer's wife, Rachel, wondering what life will be like without the husband she could always count on.

"He was my rock," she told Bair. "What am I going to do without my rock?"
A new product called Foria Relief offers marijuana compounds in the form of a vaginal suppository, and its makers claim it can relieve menstrual cramps. But is this product safe?

Experts say that, because of the lack of studies on the product, there's no clear evidence that it is safe to use, or that it works.

Foria Relief contains 60 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 10 mg of cannabidiol (CBD), along with cocoa butter. Both THC and CBD are active ingredients in marijuana; THC is responsible for producing the "high" effect of the drug.

The product became available last month in Colorado, where the recreational use of marijuana is legal, and California, where people need a physician's recommendation to obtain marijuana for medical purposes.

The company says that THC and CBD can relax muscles and that, as such, these compounds may help with menstrual cramps, which are caused by the contraction of the uterus muscles. The compounds can also act on the nerve endings of the uterus, cervix and ovaries to block pain, the company says.

However, Foria Relief has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, meaning that the effectiveness and safety of the product have not been proven. The company notes in a disclaimer that information on its product is "based on patients' reported experiences." Because the product is not FDA-approved, it cannot be marketed to treat or cure any disease.

What's more, there's little scientific research on the effect of any type of marijuana on menstrual cramps.

"With exception of a study in the 1800s, I see no evidence in the medical literature that supports that use" of marijuana for menstrual cramps, said Dr. Ranit Mishori, a professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Although there are barriers to studying marijuana in the United States, "the alternative isn't to recommend a treatment in the absence of evidence," Mishori told Live Science. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

There is also a lot of concern about the safety of marijuana-based products  including Foria, as well as edible marijuana products  because these products have little regulation, said Dr. Scott Krakower, assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York.

"You don't know what these products contain," Krakower told Live Science. A study published last year of 75 edible marijuana products found that just 13 of these products accurately listed the amount of THC on the label.

And because there are no safety studies on the new product, the risks are unknown, Krakower said. For instance, it's not clear how much, or how fast, the drug would be absorbed into the bloodstream through the vaginal route. "It's a mistake to market this, until these agents are studied further," Krakower said.

Although the company markets Foria as a "natural alternative" for menstrual cramps, people should remember that marijuana is "still a drug," and can have side effects, Krakower said.

The company says on its website that most users of Foria Relief do not report experiencing a high when using the product, either vaginally or rectally.

The company also says that users should ask their doctor whether Foria is safe to use with other medications, including over-the-counter painkillers. It does not recommend using Foria during pregnancy, or while trying to become pregnant.

Live Science attempted to contact the company for a comment through its website but was not successful.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Classes and weekend activities have been canceled at Ursinus College in eastern Pennsylvania as the school deals with a mystery illness that has sickened more than 190 students.

University spokeswoman Esme Artz says at least 192 students have reported symptoms of a stomach infection. She says Friday's classes were canceled "out of an abundance of caution" but will resume Monday.

She says a handful of faculty and staff has also reported symptoms.

The school's dining hall was closed after students began complaining of vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain Tuesday night. But health inspectors found no issues there, so the dining hall has reopened.

At least two students were admitted into the emergency room and two more were taken to Einstein Medical Center-Montgomery early Thursday.

The school is working with Montgomery County health authorities to try to determine whether the ailment is foodborne or transmitted from person to person. Officials said its common for gastrointestinal illnesses  such as Norovirus  to circulate in colleges in winter.

"Ursinus' first priority is the health and well-being of our students," President Brock Blomberg said in a statement. "We will continue to work closely with officials from the Department of Health and follow their recommendations."

According to the college, health officials estimate it could take a few days to determine the cause of the outbreak. Dining areas are expected to undergo a complete cleaning and sanitization.

Ursinus has partnered with Wawa, Wegman's, local pizza shops and a bakery to provide food while the cafeterias are closed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from WXTF.
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that three people had died of complications linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus and that suspected cases of Zika had risen to 5,221.

Brazil said on Thursday that three people who died last year had the Zika virus, although authorities could not confirm that Zika alone was responsible for their deaths.

Only one in five people infected with Zika experience illness and even then they are normally mild symptoms. The virus is still poorly understood by scientists and no proof yet exists to show it causes the birth deformations or any reported deaths.

"We have 319 confirmed cases, of which unfortunately 68 presented complications and we've had three deaths due to Zika nationally," Maduro said during a broadcast on state television.

He did not provide details of the deaths and did not mention the number of pregnant women thought to have the virus. The Health Ministry did not respond to earlier requests for information on the number of pregnant women with Zika.

Maduro said the number of suspected cases had risen to 5,221 in the period between Nov. 5 and Feb. 8. The only previous public estimate last month said there were around 4,700 suspected cases.

The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over possible links to birth defects from the Zika virus, which has spread to more than 30 countries.

Doctors say Venezuela actually has a far greater incidence of Zika than publicly admitted and that the leftist government is not doing enough to combat the outbreak.

Chronic product shortages mean even pain killers and insect repellent are hard to come by.

Patients suffering Guillain Barre, an autoimmune syndrome that can cause paralysis and has been linked to Zika, are also struggling to find immunoglobulin for treatment.

Maduro on Thursday night thanked Brazil, China, Cuba, India, and Iran for helping provide medicines.

Doctors and non-governmental health organizations say they are monitoring dozens of pregnant women who think they might have suffered Zika during the first months of gestation.

Epidemiologists say any potential cases of Zika-linked birth defects in babies would likely only come to light around April, given the virus is thought to have arrived in Venezuela in the last quarter of last year.

Scientists are investigating a potential link between infections of pregnant women and more than 4,000 suspected cases in Brazil of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Michael Perry)

- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that three people had died of complications linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus and that suspected cases of Zika had risen to 5,221.

Brazil said on Thursday that three people who died last year had the Zika virus, although authorities could not confirm that Zika alone was responsible for their deaths.

Only one in five people infected with Zika experience illness and even then they are normally mild symptoms. The virus is still poorly understood by scientists and no proof yet exists to show it causes the birth deformations or any reported deaths.

"We have 319 confirmed cases, of which unfortunately 68 presented complications and we've had three deaths due to Zika nationally," Maduro said during a broadcast on state television.

He did not provide details of the deaths and did not mention the number of pregnant women thought to have the virus. The Health Ministry did not respond to earlier requests for information on the number of pregnant women with Zika.

Maduro said the number of suspected cases had risen to 5,221 in the period between Nov. 5 and Feb. 8. The only previous public estimate last month said there were around 4,700 suspected cases.

The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over possible links to birth defects from the Zika virus, which has spread to more than 30 countries.

Doctors say Venezuela actually has a far greater incidence of Zika than publicly admitted and that the leftist government is not doing enough to combat the outbreak.

Chronic product shortages mean even pain killers and insect repellent are hard to come by.

Patients suffering Guillain Barre, an autoimmune syndrome that can cause paralysis and has been linked to Zika, are also struggling to find immunoglobulin for treatment.

Maduro on Thursday night thanked Brazil, China, Cuba, India, and Iran for helping provide medicines.

Doctors and non-governmental health organizations say they are monitoring dozens of pregnant women who think they might have suffered Zika during the first months of gestation.

Epidemiologists say any potential cases of Zika-linked birth defects in babies would likely only come to light around April, given the virus is thought to have arrived in Venezuela in the last quarter of last year.

Scientists are investigating a potential link between infections of pregnant women and more than 4,000 suspected cases in Brazil of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Michael Perry)
The Zika virus has been getting a lot of press lately, but is it something Americans should be worried about?

Although, in most cases, the Zika virus is not fatal, it can still pose some serious health complications. For example, the virus has been linked to microcephaly in newborns whose mothers had been affected by the virus during their pregnancy.

What has been worrisome to many scientists and virologists, is that we seem to be dealing with a new breed of Zika virus. Zika has also evolved in behavior making it possible to spread faster, and spread sexually. Since we first started hearing about the virus in mainstream media over the last six months, spread of the virus through blood transfusion and sexual contact has been reported.

The biggest threat, however, has been the spread of Zika in pregnant women and the effects of this virus on the fetus and newborn children. As mentioned, the virus has been linked to microcephaly in infants whose mothers contracted it. A mother already infected with Zika virus near the time of delivery can pass on the virus to her newborn around the time of birth, but it is also possible that the Zika virus could be passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy. Experts are still investigating the microcephaly-Zika virus connection, but it appears likely. If you look at the facts, Zika first began spreading in Brazil in May of 2015. Since then, the country recorded more than 4,000 reported cases of microcephalic births between October 2015 and January 2016.

What pregnant women should know is that there is currently no travel or trade ban. That doesnt mean pregnant women shouldnt consider postponing any planned trip to places known to be affected by the virus. If you are pregnant and traveling, be smart about it and cover up. If you happen to live in an outbreak area then the same rules apply as those traveling. Wear long sleeves and pants, and wear mosquito repellant.

The Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes, more specifically through the bite of an infected Aedes species. These happen to be the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. While it is most common in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America, in recent months the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed cases of the virus in the United States for the first time. There is ample concern that the rapid spread of the Zika virus in recent years could lead to an outbreak in the U.S. A viral spread that previously took over a century to reach the Far East from Africa, spread through Mexico and the Caribbean within a year. The virus first arrived in Puerto Rico during the holidays, and new cases in Texas and Florida have heightened concern about how quickly the virus might be evolving and spreading.

If you have recently traveled to Zika-affected countries, look out for these common symptoms:

Fever

Rash

Joint pain

Eye redness

Symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and chikungunya

Currently, there is no medication available to treat Zika. As with other viruses, Zika can only be fought off by the bodys immune system. With proper rest and hydration, the virus usually goes away within a week. You can take over-the-counter medication to help reduce fever and aches or pains commonly associated with the virus. Prevention of Zika comes from one key element, avoiding mosquito bites. Here are some tips on how to do so, recommended by the CDC:
There's no way former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg would be thinking about an independent presidential bid without these two things: a serious Donald Trump campaign and a wounded Hillary Clinton. Oh, and let's not forget a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist sky-rocketing from total irrelevance to a huge win in New Hampshire, and God knows where else moving forward. Bloomberg sees a huge opening, with his centrist views -- more conservative financially -- more liberal on things like gun control -- potentially reaching a huge swath of Americans who find themselves similarly straddling the fence.

So here's what I wanted to know, which candidate would Bloomberg potentially help or hurt? According to a recent poll -- here's what it would look like.

Going up against Sanders and Trump -- Bloomberg only gets 15-percent, Sanders 35-percent, with Trump coming out on top at 36-percent.

So what about with Ted Cruz? Bloomberg still stands at 15-percent, Cruz comes in at 36-percent, and this time sanders wins at 37-percent.

Of course, that's before Bloombergs spent one dime. and with a billion of his own money to spend, who knows what the eventual shake up would be.
Thursday nights Democratic debate proved that weve got a whole lot of substance on the left.

It's we versus I.



In a lot of ways, that's all this election is about on the Democratic side.



Bernie Sanders talks in we all the time. We need a political revolution revolution, We have millions of working people living in poverty and 99 percent of all new income is going to the top one percent and We are building the largest grassroots campaign in history.

In contrast, Hillary Clinton is running a campaign dominated by I.

I will deliver for you she often says, I will fight to rein in Wall Street and I want to be the president who takes on all the big problems.

After her loss in New Hampshire where Sanders beat her 95-5 in honesty and trustworthiness according to exit polls, Clinton is going to be tested as to whether she has we in her.

Why?

Because voters want to be part of something -- not just led by the most competent, experienced technocrat.

This has been holding her back, not that she isnt qualified to be president or that she isnt what America needs. (For what its worth, I think she is the most qualified and exactly what America needs).

Clinton isnt making voters  or enough voters  enthusiastic about being part of her vision for the future of America.

That said, she began her we revolution after her New Hampshire loss offering that we have to break through the barriers of bigotry and weve learned its not whether you get knocked down that matters: Its whether you get back up.

And Thursday night she got back up.

In the Wisconsin debate, Clinton didnt look like she was fresh off the kind of defeat she suffered in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

She was reasoned and passionate, and most of all a fierce defender of her record and plans to build on the successes of the Obama presidency in health care, the economy and a start at improving race relations in America.

Clinton weathered the storm on her Wall Street donors better than usual  there was no thats what they offered moment  but this continues to be her major weakness as Sanders builds a coalition of voters who believe that the economy is rigged and that Wall Street owes the American people billions of dollars after the recession.

Clinton can continue to invoke the fact that Obama took more Wall Street donations than any candidate in history, but it wont matter to those who demonize the financial services industry across the board: they just arent going to be Clinton voters.

A vote in 2002 is not a plan to defeat ISIS in 2016 may have been the best sound-bite of the evening for Clinton. Everyone knows, including Sanderss supporters and Sanders himself, that she has more foreign policy experience and a deeper understanding of how complicated the situation in the Middle East is.

His vote against the Iraq War is certainly a positive, but it doesnt make him commander-in-chief material.

Whether or not you agree with Clintons actions as secretary of state or her Iraq war vote, I don't believe anyone would dispute her readiness to take on this role and that Sanders has much to learn to do this job well.

This isnt to say that Sanders didnt have a great night. He absolutely did.

When Sanders talks about bringing Americans together with an agenda that levels the playing field and makes sure that people have a decent standard of living you can see why he won over 80 percent of the youth vote in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

Hes idealistic, committed and has a very clear sense of right and wrong  something that many accuse Clinton of struggling with.

This undoubtedly works in his favor.

In a similar vein, Sanders' strong belief that Americans deserve universal health care and free college tuition is right on point for those that are supporting him because he understands that wages are too low, that the economy hasnt recovered and that our system only favors those at the top.

These are cornerstones of his political revolution and part-in-parcel of his criticisms of Obama for not going far enough with his agenda.

While the chances of Sanders being able to accomplish these goals are slim at best  especially when you consider that were unlikely to have a Democratically controlled Congress in 2016  you cant have a revolution without dreaming big. And there are so many who are struggling that they really need to dream big.

So who won Thursday nights debate? They both did.

Clinton continued her argument for experience and pragmatism with bold goals, but not arguably unachievable ones. And Sanders emphatically supported his revolution, calling for a government that represents all of us, as he put it.

And to return to my original premise, Clinton used we a little bit more than usual Thursday night, but its likely that she will always be someone who favors I.

For me, thats just fine. I believe it will be fine with voters when all is said and done, too. But she has to keep working to get more we in her message because you know Sanders isnt about to start talking in I.
Weve seen this movienow playing in Syria-- before.

The Russians have developed a way of getting the U.S. formally to permit offensive Russian military operations against American partners on the ground, all the while calling it a ceasefire.

What the Russians are proposing in Syriaa cessation of hostilities on terms they get to define-- is exactly what they have been doing in Eastern Ukraine for more than a year.

The Minsk II accords, signed in February 2015 between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, with the U.S. in support, supposedly established a cessation of hostilities across all of Ukraine. But Russian proxies on the ground, with active Russian support, have continued to attack Ukrainian positions while loudly blaming the Ukrainians for violating the ceasefire.

Then as now, humanitarian concerns were a prime motive. The West thought the Ukraine ceasefire would keep pro-Russian forces from seizing the town of Debaltseve, then under siege. But Russian proxies took Debaltseve three days after the ceasefire came into effect.

Putin will use exactly the same techniques in Syria to achieve a similar objectivethe weakening or destruction of opposition forces the U.S. has been supporting.

This matters, because Aleppo is one of the last few bastions for opposition groups that offers any hope of a future Syria that is neither brutally oppressed by Assad nor controlled by Al Qaeda and/or ISIS.

The Russians, of course, claim that all of the groups in northern Syria are Al Qaeda or ISIS or their allies.

That claim is a lie.

The opposition in Aleppo includes groups that the U.S. has been supporting. Several of those groups have received TOW missiles from the U.S., indicating that they have passed a rigorous vetting process designed to ensure that those weapons will not end up in the hands of ISIS and al Qaeda.

The Russian false claim that it is fighting terrorists is a cynical device to conceal Putins real aim, which is to re-establish the vicious dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad in order to guarantee Russias possession of air and naval bases on the Mediterranean littoral.

What will happen next?

Heres a version of the worst case. Syrian forces, heavily supported by Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militias, and Iranian troops, still backed by extensive Russian air strikes, will continue their offensive operations around Aleppo, further isolating the opposition in that city and expanding the Assad regimes control.

They will also continue to strike civilian targets in the area, creating additional tens of thousands of internally-displaced people and increasing the refugee flow to Turkey.

Secretary Kerry will no doubt launch strong protests with the Kremlin over this issue, but the Obama Administration will take no other action.

The regime will thus complete its encirclement of Aleppo and proceed to the destruction of the groups the U.S. has been supporting--all in the name of a process that the U.S. has just agreed to.

The net result will be the further weakening of any moderate opposition the U.S. could work with and the strengthening of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their allies.

For one thing, these military operations will disproportionately damage the remaining opposition without striking areas that sustain ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria.

For another, they will powerfully reinforce the claims made by ISIS and Al Qaeda that the U.S. has thrown in completely with Assad and will support the dictators efforts to crush the Sunni population, and that ISIS and Al Quaeda alone are the Sunni defenders.

In this way, the Russians will make their lies come true.

We have watched the Russians execute this playbook in Ukraine for more than a year. The Russians have actually published descriptions of how they manipulate the West in precisely this fashion and that they have made it their policy to do so.

Manipulating the U.S. to support Russias aims is, in fact, Putins primary goal and purpose.

It is astonishing that anyone who has participated in this scenario in Ukraine over the last year could imagine that the outcome will be different in Syria this time.

And yet, at Foggy Bottom and in the White House, they apparently do.

Frederick W. Kagan is the director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute. Kimberly Kagan is president of the Institute for the Study of War.
Dear Suzy,

Every year since you passed away in 1980, Ive written a letter thanking you for having been the most wonderful sister, and the inspiration for taking me on a meaningful lifes journey in patient advocacy and philanthropy.

Its amazing to think how young we were then when you first told me this time the lump was different, and a few years later, as you were dying from metastatic breast cancer, you made me promise that I would do everything I could to end breast cancer forever.

Ive worked hard to keep that promise. In 1982 I founded Susan G. Komen (SGK) in your honor and over the years it grew to be the largest breast cancer charity in the world, raising more than $2.6 billion for breast cancer research, community health outreach and screening, patient advocacy, and numerous related programs in more than 30 countries.

In 1984 I too was diagnosed with breast cancer, which only strengthened my resolve to do something about this terrible disease that many people wouldnt even mention by name at that time.

Your namesake organization grewand then, thanks to my devoted husband Norman Brinker, whom you never had the chance to meet -- was able to thrive on an entrepreneurial model that he had inspired.

The Race for a Cure became a recognized and profitable event around the world that helped fuel fundraising to support research and awareness about breast cancer and the importance of screening, and since 1990, death from breast cancer has been reduced by a third, and the 5-year relative survival rates for early breast cancer rose from 74 percent to 99 percent.

When I decided to post this years letter as a Valentine for you, I asked my friend and op-ed co-author, Eric Rosenthal, the journalist who has observed and covered the cancer community for several decades, if hed help me recount how far weve come since President Nixon declared his war on cancer in 1971.

We didnt want to bore you with lots of details and statistics, but instead provide an overview of the progress made against breast and all other cancers, now numbering more than 200.

Since 1971 a looming cancer enterprise  both public and private -- has arisen with a National Cancer Program that includes the National Cancer Institute and its numerous designated cancer centers and other academic centers, as well as various public and charitable funding mechanisms to support meritorious discovery and state-of-the-art therapies which, hopefully, are made available to all.

The number of cancer survivors today exceeds 15 million in the United States alone, and more focus is being paid to managing cancer, making it a chronic disease for many who will enjoy a good quality of life, and even if not officially cured, will eventually die with the disease but not from it.

Theres also been a lot of positive news on the treatment and prevention fronts with a far greater molecular understanding of cancer leading to whats being called precision medicine, with more genomic approaches to treatment and new interventions such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies.

Theres also been a push to use big data to increase understanding of the disease in more patients, something that SGK worked on just a few months ago during a conference held at Rockefeller University.

Yes, Suzy, its a brave new world for cancer patients today, and President Obama recently asked Vice President Biden to lead a renewed effort to continue channeling excellence and funding into meaningful cancer research.

Rest assured, Suzy, that much progress has been made in your name and by the efforts of many others, and that my promise to you is still very much alive today.

Love,

Nancy
Government investigators squarely blamed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for a 3 million-gallon wastewater spill from a Colorado gold mine, saying an EPA cleanup crew rushed its work and failed to consider the complex engineering involved, triggering the very blowout it hoped to avoid.

The spill that fouled rivers in three states would have been avoided had the EPA team checked on water levels inside the Gold King Mine before digging into a collapsed and leaking mine entrance, Interior Department investigators concluded.

The technical report on the causes of the Aug. 5 spill has implications across the United States, where similar disasters could lurk among an estimated hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines that have yet to be cleaned up. The total cost of containing this mining industry mess could top $50 billion, according to government estimates.

The root causes of the Colorado accident began decades ago, when mining companies altered the flow of water through a series of interconnected tunnels in the extensively mined Upper Animas River watershed, the report says.

EPA documents show its officials knew of the potential for a major blowout from the Gold King Mine near Silverton as early as June 2014. After the spill, EPA officials described the blowout as "likely inevitable" because millions of gallons of pressurized water had been bottling up inside the mine.

More On This...

The Interior report directly refutes that assertion. It says the cleanup team could have used a drill rig to bore into the mine tunnel from above, safely gauging the danger of a blowout and planning the excavation accordingly. Instead, the EPA crew, with the agreement of Colorado mining officials, assumed the mine was only partially inundated.

"This error resulted in development of a plan to open the mine in a manner that appeared to guard against blowout, but instead led directly to the failure," according to engineers from Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, who spent two months evaluating the accident.

The blowout tainted rivers in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and on the Navajo Nation with dangerous heavy metals including arsenic and lead, temporarily shutting down drinking water supplies and cropland irrigation.

The report stops short of assigning fault to any individuals, despite prior claims from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy that it would determine fault and any negligence.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official whose review of the conclusions was included in the report expressed "serious reservations" over the EPA's failure to explain exactly how its communications broke down and why its officials were so insistent on starting work without more information about the complexities involved.

Richard Olsen, a senior geotechnical engineer with the Corps, also questioned why a change in the EPA coordinator for Gold King led to an "urgency to start digging" even though another EPA official had expressed some uncertainty.

The second EPA official in July asked for an outside review of the agency's plans by one of the Bureau of Reclamation engineers involved in Thursday's report. A meeting between the EPA, state officials and the engineer was scheduled for Aug. 14  nine days after the blowout.

EPA officials pointed out that the mine plug already was leaking and could have eventually blown out anyway, and the Interior report acknowledged that was possible.

EPA spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said the report "will help inform EPA's ongoing efforts to work safely and effectively at mine sites as we carry out our mission to protect human health and the environment."

A separate investigation is pending from the EPA Inspector General's Office.

Members of Congress seized on the report to slam the government's handling of the spill. But whereas Republicans such as U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado focused their ire on the EPA, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, also of Colorado and a Democrat, repeated his call for industry reforms to speed mine cleanups.

Guidelines for cleaning up abandoned mines focus on details such as water sampling and treatment. Yet they have "little appreciation for the engineering complexity," and require but don't receive significant expertise, the Interior Department's 132-page report concluded.

Plugging abandoned or inactive mines has been common industry practice for more than a century. The report lists 31 mines across the U.S. where so-called bulkheads were installed since the 1950s to stem the flow of water into or out of a mine.

With coal mines, monitoring and cleanups are funded in part by a fee companies pay. No such arrangements exist for inoperative hard-rock mines, and that's a national problem, the report noted.

Given industry opposition to efforts to hold mine owners accountable, the cleanup has been left to a scattering of federal and state agencies, without common standards or even lists of the most problematic mines.

In the wake of the Gold King spill, EPA temporarily halted some work at 10 polluted mining complexes in Montana, California, Colorado and Missouri because of similar conditions.

Abandoned hard-rock underground mines are not subject to the same federal and state safety requirements other mining operations must follow, and "experience indicates that they should be," the report concluded.

"A collapsed flooded mine is in effect a dam, and failure must be prevented by routine monitoring, maintenance, and in some cases remediation. However, there appears to be a general absence of knowledge of the risks associated with these facilities. A comprehensive identification of sites, evaluation of the potential to fail, and estimation of the likely downstream consequences should failure occur, are good first steps in such an endeavor."
Backers of a proposed ballot measure to legalize marijuana in North Dakota made an error in their petition submitted Wednesday, and the states chief law enforcement officer said their proposal to legalize pot-related synthetic drugs also is a big mistake.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and the head of the state Board of Pharmacy expressed concern Thursday that, in addition to legalizing natural marijuana, the measure would delete synthetic cannabinoids from the list of Schedule 1 drugs after several years of efforts to outlaw the substances.

We all know the abuse and risk to the public is pretty strong on those substances, pharmacy board Executive Director Mark Hardy said. Wed certainly have strong concern with that.

Sponsors need to gather 13,452 signatures by July 11 to put the initiated measure to a statewide vote in November.

If approved, it would make it legal for those over age 21 to grow, possess, use and distribute marijuana and would prevent the state from requiring a license to do so.

The measure also would bar the state, cities and counties from taxing marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia at more than 20 percent.

A review of the language Thursday revealed that the list of Schedule 1 drugs didnt include a number of substances added by the 2015 Legislature.

Theyre going to have to redo that, said Lee Ann Oliver, election specialist in Secretary of State Al Jaegers office.

Eric Olson of Fargo, who chairs the 28-member sponsoring committee, said he couldnt recall when he pulled the Schedule 1 statute from the states website. He said he was unaware that it didnt reflect last years changes to the Schedule 1 list of cannabinoids, which was already two pages long.

The committee will resubmit the petition with the updated law, he said.

As for removing the synthetic cannabinoids, Olson said it wasnt the intent to legalize the drugs found in high-inducing incenses targeted by law enforcement in recent years.

Olson said removing the synthetic drugs from the list is kind of a null point to me, anyway.

The pharmacy board issued an emergency rule in February 2010 to ban mind-altering chemicals that were being used to create synthetic versions of illegal street drugs. The 2011 Legislature codified the rule into law, and subsequent legislatures have updated and broadened the list as lawmakers and the state crime lab try to keep up with manufacturers ever-changing formulas.

Stenehjem, who is seeking the Republican Partys endorsement for governor, called the synthetic drugs dangerous and said hes very much opposed to removing them from the list. He also opposes legalizing marijuana, which voters have done in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.

This will not be a healthier, safer state if we go the route Colorado and Washington have gone, he said. And eliminating the synthetics is irresponsible, and I just have to question if thats really what they intend to do.

State Rep. Rick Becker of Bismarck, who also is seeking the GOP nod for governor, said he supports decriminalizing marijuana to an infraction so violators cant be imprisoned for it. Twenty states have decriminalized pot, including Minnesota, which also legalized medical marijuana last year.

Legalizing it entirely is not in my platform, but if the people speak and thats what they want, I would support that, Becker said.

The other GOP hopeful, Fargo businessman Doug Burgum, said he is open to decriminalization of marijuana. As for full legalization, he said hes open to reading the language on recreational use.

But again, there is a responsibility, whether its health and safety, taxation, everything else we do with food and beverages, some of those rules should probably apply, as well, he said.

(Reach Mike Nowatzki at (701) 255-5607 or by email at mnowatzki@forumcomm.com.)
Hillary Clinton launched her harshest attacks yet on Bernie Sanders during their debate Thursday night in Milwaukee, in a clear attempt to define their differences on major issues and win over black voters  but they had their most heated exchanges over campaign financing, who was the stronger supporter of President Obama  and who was a friend of Henry Kissinger.

The debate fell at a time when Sanders is trying to build his momentum after his big New Hampshire win, while Clinton is trying to regain hers.

As Sanders pointedly reminded her, Youre not in the White House yet.

But the candidates at times offered a similar message. This was evident as they vociferously called for an overhaul of local police departments that they suggested are unfair to black people.

We need fundamental police reform, Sanders said, adding hes sick and tired of seeing unarmed black people shot by police. He likened heavily equipped police departments to occupying armies.

Clinton, meanwhile, echoed those themes, joining Sanders in calling for sentencing reform while saying the countrys systemic racism goes deeper and must be addressed  in education, housing and the job market.

We are seeing the dark side of the remaining systemic racism that we need to root out, she said.

The comments were part of each candidates revived appeal to minority voters, a key voting bloc as the Democratic presidential primary heads to South Carolina.

But even as they stressed those issues, differences were laid bare at the PBS-hosted debate in Milwaukee. And Sanders came prepared to counter Clintons attacks, showing a feistier side than he did at their last showdown.

When Clinton used her closing remarks to suggest Sanders was taking shots at President Obama, Sanders called it a low blow and countered: One of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate.

He even underscored his critique of Clintons foreign policy by pointing to a book where Clinton said she was mentored by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

I am proud to say that Henry Kissinger is not my friend, Sanders said, calling him one of the most destructive American diplomats.

Clinton fired back that we have yet to know who Sanders listens to on foreign policy.

Well, it aint Henry Kissinger, Sanders said.

The two also clashed sharply over Sanders high-cost, big-government plans.

We are not England. We are not France, Clinton said.

Clinton accused Sanders of pushing programs that would grow the federal government by 40 percent. She suggested his health care promises cannot be kept and will be far more costly than he admits.

We should level with the American people, she said.

She also said Sanders plans would upend ObamaCare  though Sanders said he would not dismantle it.

That is absolutely inaccurate, he said, when she claimed his plans would leave many people worse off.

In my view, health care is a right of all people  and I will fight for that, Sanders said, adding it would take courage.

Clinton also criticized Sanders for voting against a 2007 immigration reform bill backed by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Sanders explained that the bill had a guest-worker program that progressive groups opposed.

I think Ted Kennedy had a very clear idea of what needed to be done, Clinton said.

Yet the candidates agreed in their joint criticism of the Obama administrations recent deportation raids.

Sanders, meanwhile, once again hammered Clinton for her Wall Street ties, suggesting the financial sectors big donations are meant to buy influence.

Lets not insult the intelligence of the American people. People arent dumb, Sanders said. Why in Gods name does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? I guess just for the fun of it.

They sparred on the issue as Sanders touted the fact hes the only candidate up here who has no super PAC supporting him. A super PAC backing Clinton, he said, recently raised $15 million from Wall Street.

Clinton countered by noting that Obama took Wall Street donations too, but when it mattered, he stood up and took on Wall Street.

Lets not in any way imply here that either President Obama or myself would in any way not take on any vested interest, she said, calling for more regulation of the financial sector.

The showdown comes as Clinton tries to reset the race, which heads next to Nevada and South Carolina. Her narrow victory in Iowa and resounding defeat in New Hampshire have raised fresh questions about her candidacy, which at one point was seen as a sure thing for the Democratic nomination.

Publicly, the Clinton campaign is voicing confidence. The campaign has been refocusing on the battle to lock down minority voter support, asserting that with their help, the former secretary of state can easily make gains against Sanders. But Sanders is at the same time making a bid to expand his own support beyond rural, white voters -- who largely decide Iowa and New Hampshire.

While the Clinton campaign is banking on minority voters as it heads into South Carolina and other delegate-rich states down the primary calendar, Tuesdays contest exposed serious problems for her. She lost in New Hampshire across almost every demographic, including women.

Overall, she lost to Sanders by more than 20 points.
Drivers caught smoking in cars carrying children 7-years-old or younger could soon get slapped with a $100 fine in Virginia if theyre pulled over by authorities.

The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill this week that would let cops fine people who have been stopped. The money collected from the fines would go directly to help fund literacy efforts in the state.

If approved, Virginia - home to tobacco giant Phillip Morris  would join several other states in banning second-hand smoke in vehicles.

Bill sponsor Del. Todd Pillion, a Republican pediatric dentist from southwest Virginia, said he pitched the bill after he noticed children coming into his practice stinking of smoke.

And in a very tight, enclosed space in a car, its even worse, Pillion said in an interview with The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Under his bill, Virginia police could not pull over drivers for smoking in a car but would be allowed to attach a $100 civil penalty on drivers who are stopped for other reasons, such as speeding. The legislation applies to any lighted cigarette or pipe but excludes electronic cigarettes.

Pillion chose the cut off age because children 7 and under are already required by law to sit in car seats. Pillion told the Times-Dispatch it would help police officers determine a childs age.

Opponents of the bill argue that dictating whether an adult can smoke in a car is an overly intrusive measure by the state government.

But Pillion shakes off the criticism and says, if your nanny smokes with your kid in the car, youd likely fire her.

Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc., based in Richmond, told FoxNews.com in an email that it is not lobbying the bill but that Philip Morris USA agrees that people should be able to avoid being around secondhand smoke, particularly in places where they must go, such as public buildings, public transportation and many areas in the workplace.

The company believes that particular care should be exercised where children are concerned and that adults should avoid smoking around children.

Since 2006, a handful of other states  Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Maine, Oregon, Utah, Vermont  and Puerto Rico have enacted some form of the law. California and Oregons laws are the strictest and include children under the age of 18.

Calls to Pillion for comment were not returned.
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Buzz Cut:

 The Edge: Media gets back on the Trump train

 Power Play: Dirty South

 Ugliest Dem debate yet

 Hillary super PAC jumps in early

 Talk about nonessential personnel

THE EDGE: MEDIA GETS BACK ON THE TRUMP TRAIN

The national medias Donald Trump obsession is back and as intense as ever. After falling into something like parity with his chief rivals after his Iowa defeat, media mentions of Trump skyrocketed after his New Hampshire win.



A media measurement taken by New Analytics before and after Tuesdays primary shows that Trump is back to doubling up the media mentions of his next closest competitor. Number two this week is Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who saw media mentions spike on his runner-up finish in New Hampshire.



As for the rest of the pack, media attention was spread evenly among the trio that essentially tied for third in the Granite State: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush. Ben Carson, on the other hand, is approaching absolute zero.



The team at New Analytics has built The Edge, a unique tool to measure which candidates are being talked about the most, and provided the first look to Fox News First.



Here are the percentages for the candidates shares of national mainstream media mentions on Feb. 10. Points gained or lost from before New Hampshire are listed in brackets. See the full results here.



Donald Trump 41.6 [+7.57]; John Kasich 19 [+11.2]; Ted Cruz 12.9 [-1.1]; Marco Rubio 12.9 [-11.6]; Jeb Bush 12 [-3.25]; Ben Carson 1.1 [-3.3]



Trump turns up Bush bashing ahead of Dubyas campaign debut - The Hill: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is mocking rival Jeb Bush for bringing his brother, former President George W. Bush, to help campaign. Dont fall asleep when I mention the name, Trump said, when he brought up Jeb Bush during a rally in Louisiana on Thursday. I see hes bringing his brother in now. He tried the mother, whos a very nice lady, Im sure, but he tried the mother. That didnt work out so good, he said. Now hes bringing in his brother.



[USA Today: Former president George W. Bush will make his long-awaited public debut on the campaign trail with his brother, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, on Monday. Theyll appear at a rally in North Charleston, S.C., a campaign official confirmed.]



Getting rougher - Conservative group Club for Growth Action, launched a new anti-Trump ad in South Carolina backed by $1.25 million that hits the celebrity billionaire for not having conservative values.



[Watch Fox: Bret Baier anchors Fox News Reporting: Voter Revolt on what is fueling the rise of Sanders and Trump. Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. ET and catch additional airings Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. ET]



Oh, because political ads are so much classier? - NYT: The campaign of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas released a biting negative ad against Senator Marco Rubio of Florida on Thursday, featuring a mock focus group and a woman decrying Mr. Rubio as nothing more than a pretty face. Few will see that ad, however. The woman who made the comment in the ad is a soft-core pornography actress. The woman, Amy Lindsay, as first reported by BuzzFeed, has appeared in multiple movies with titles like Carnal Wishes, Insatiable Desires and Private Sex Club. Ms. Lindsay told BuzzFeed that she was a Christian conservative and a Republican, deciding between supporting Mr. Cruz or Donald J. Trump. The Cruz campaign pulled the ad soon after the report on Thursday.



[A new ad from the Cruz camp hits Donald Trump on eminent domain using the woman whose home Trump wanted Atlantic City to seize so he could build a parking lot.]



Rubios comeback play - With his analysis as smooth as his pocket silk, David Drucker lays out Marco Rubios new strategy with a narrowed field in the first-in-the-South primary: This isnt a resume competition; its about judgment, senior Rubio advisor Todd Harris told the Washington Examiner on Thursday.



Kasich nets Christie whale - WaPo: Republican presidential candidate John Kasichs campaign has secured the coveted support of billionaire Ken Langone, who will join the team to help with fundraising as it seeks to build out a robust national campaign infrastructure.



Power Play: Dirty South - As the GOP heads south, can Donald Trump clinch another victory, or will evangelicals and conservatives come out again in force for Ted Cruz? GOP strategist Mercedes Schlapp and Democratic operative Chuck Rocha give their take to Chris Stirewalt. WATCH HERE.



[#mediabuzz - Host Howard Kurtz is joined by excellence purveyor and Georgia Bulldog enthusiast Mary Katherine Ham, who will share her experience as a debate moderator. Watch Sunday at 11 a.m. ET, with a second airing at 5 p.m.]



WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE

Thursday marked 41 years since Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Opposition Party in Great Britain. She went on to become prime minister and an icon for the conservative movement in Europe, but the so-called Iron Lady was apparently not a fan of the European Union. The Telegraph brings us the recent story: A private letter written by Margaret Thatcher reveals she would have campaigned to leave the European Union, according to the Eurosceptic Conservative MP who has released the note. Sir Bill Cash MP has revealed the private correspondence he had with the former Prime Minister, in which she describes the EU project as contrary to British interests and damaging to our Parliamentary democracyThe letter to Sir Bill was composed shortly after the European Union was established under its current name in 1993 following the Maastricht Treaty. Lady Thatcher had stepped down and was no longer an MP in 1993, so was unable to vote.



Email FoxNewsFirst@FOXNEWS.COM



POLL CHECK

Real Clear Politics Averages

National GOP nomination: Trump 29.5 percent; Cruz 21 percent; Rubio 17.8 percent; Carson 7.8 percent

South Carolina GOP Primary: Trump 36 percent; Cruz 19.7 percent; Rubio 12.7 percent; Bush 10 percent; Carson 8.7 percent

National Dem nomination: Clinton 49.3 percent; Sanders 36 percent

South Carolina Dem Caucus: Clinton 62 percent; Sanders 32.5 percent

General Election Clinton vs. Trump: Clinton +4 points

Generic Congressional Vote: Republicans +0.5



UGLIEST DEM DEBATE YET

Fox News: While Hillary Clinton launched her harshest debate attacks yet on Bernie Sanders Thursday in a clear attempt to distinguish their differences to voters, the Democratic candidates spent almost as much time uniting in their criticism of Americas criminal justice system, the financial sector and more. The debate fell at a time when Sanders is trying to build his momentum after his big New Hampshire win, while Clinton is trying to regain hers. As Sanders pointedly reminded her, Youre not in the White House yet. But the candidates at times offered a similar message. This was evident as they vociferously called for an overhaul of local police departments that they suggested are unfair to black peopleThe comments were part of each candidates revived appeal to minority voters, a key voting bloc as the Democratic presidential primary heads to South Carolina.



Hillary super PAC jumps in early - WaPo: The main super PAC supporting Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is making its first significant foray into the 2016 primary, launching a radio campaign in South Carolina and spearheading a $4.5 million effort to drive early turnout of African American, Latino and female voters in states that hold primary contests in March. The early engagement by Priorities USA Action  which originally planned to hold its fire for the general election  marks the first major infusion of super-PAC money on Clintons behalf and underscores how crucial South Carolina has become in her battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.



[Ahead of this weekends email dump The Federalist gives a quick review of the state of the Clinton email scandal.]



Young black voters lukewarm on Hillary - NPR: After a razor-thin victory in the Iowa caucuses, and a double-digit loss to Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire primary, Hillary Clinton is looking to South Carolina for a big win later this month. And shes counting on strong black support in that state to give her a definitive victory. Most polls suggest shell get that support; by some estimates, she could garner 80 percent of South Carolinas black vote in the Feb. 27 primary. Previously, even Bernie Sanders himself admitted as much. But there may be a hitch. Increasingly, young, black college-aged voters are turning lukewarm on Clinton.



Power Play: Puede hacerlo? - The Democrats head west for their next contest in Nevada, and Bernie Sanders faces his biggest campaign challenge yet: Hispanic voters. So far, Sanders has been in hospitable territory in Iowa and New Hampshire, but Clinton won Hispanic voters over Barack Obama in 08. Does he have a shot at snagging some of that support? Democratic message master Chuck Rocha and GOP wise woman Mercedes Schlapp join Chris Stirewalt to debate. WATCH HERE.



[Fox News Sunday - Candidates campaign in Nevada and South Carolina and Mr. Sunday has all the latest news from the trail. Watch Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.]



TALK ABOUT NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

BBC: A Spanish civil servant has been fined [$30,000] after not going to work for at least six years. Joaquin Garcias absence was only noticed when he became eligible to collect a long-service award. The 69-year-old, whose job was to supervise the building of a waste water treatment plant, has since retired. He denied the allegations and said he was a victim of bullying. A court found in the authoritys favour and ordered him to pay the fine. Mr Garcia was paid [$30,000] a year before tax by a water company run by local authorities in the south-western city of Cadiz. His fine was equivalent to one years salary after tax and was the most that the company could legally reclaim. The court heard that the boss of the water company had not seen him for years despite occupying an office opposite his.



AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES

[Hillary Clintons] strategy is I think quite specific, pointed at South Carolina. She has to win big there. If not, I think her whole campaign could collapse.  Charles Krauthammer on Special Report with Bret Baier Watch here.



Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Want FOX News First in your inbox every day? Sign up here.
Ted Cruz's latest political ad turned out to be too hot for TV.

The Texas senator's campaign confirmed late Thursday that it had pulled a commercial hitting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio over illegal immigration because one of the actresses had previously appeared in pornographic films.

The actress in question, Amy Lindsay, described herself as a Christian conservative and a Republican in an interview with Buzzfeed News late Thursday. She also tweeted her displeasure that the video was pulled from the airwaves.

Cruz campaign spokesman Rick Tyler said Lindsay had responded to an open casting call for the ad.

"Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the production company," Tyler said. "Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad."

An Internet Movie Database page in Lindsay's name lists her as appearing in several movies with titles like "Carnal Wishes" and "Insatiable Desire". She is also listed as having appeared in the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" and the 1996 film adaptation of Henry James' novel "The Portrait of a Lady."

Lindsay's acting background was first reported by the Daily Caller.

The ad, titled "Conservatives Anonymous" featured a faux self-help session in which voters lamented their past support for Rubio.

"I voted for a guy who was a Tea Party hero on the campaign trail then he went to D.C. and played patty cake with Chuck Schumer and cut a deal on amnesty," one of the participants, a middle-aged man, tells the group.

The group moderator asks him: "Does that make you angry?"

"Angry? No, it makes me feel dumb for trusting him," the middle-aged man says.

Lindsay played a woman who tells another group member, "Maybe you should vote for more than just a pretty face next time."

Responding to the ad before it was pulled, Rubio accused Cruz of changing positions on a pathway to citizenship and other immigration issues, telling Fox News: He's willing to say or do anything to win an election.

He portrays himself as some sort of immigration purist," Rubio added. "The bottom line is when immigration reform was being debated in Washington, Ted Cruz was a passionate spokesperson on behalf of legalizing people that are in this country illegally, so he either wasn't telling the truth then or he isn't telling the truth now."

Fox News' Dan Gallo and Serafin Gomez contributed to this report.


Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has a message for Pope Francis: Stay in your lane.

Trump called out the pope during a recent Fox Business Network interview, saying the pontiff didnt fully comprehend the immigration challenges between the U.S. and Mexico.

So I think the pope is a very political person and I think that he doesnt understand the problems our country has, Trump said.

Trump added he didnt think the pope understands the danger of the open border we have with Mexico.

He added, And I think Mexico got him to do it because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is because theyre making a fortune and were losing.

Trump has vowed for months to build a wall along the border with Mexico  and make Mexico pay for it. All along, he's made combating illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, claiming credit for kickstarting the debate which now features heavily in the GOP primary race.

But the pope has gently, but clearly, weighed in on the immigration debate in America, and the heated rhetoric on the issue.

In his address to Congress last September, Pope Francis urged lawmakers not to be fearful of foreigners and reminded them that many are descended from immigrants.

Pope Francis heads to Mexico Friday for a one-week trip.

Among other things, the pontiff, the child of immigrants himself, is expected to address Mexicos immigration problem.
Experts at San Diego Zoo have successfully hatched near-extinct tree lobster insects.

The zoos entomology department recently received 300 eggs of the critically endangered tree lobster, which is also known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect, from Australias Melbourne Zoo.

Related: Rare baby albino turtle spotted on Australian beach

The eggs arrived in San Diego as part of an ongoing conservation effort to bring the tree lobster back from the brink of extinction. The huge insect, which can grow to a length of around 7 inches, was previously thought to be extinct, until its rediscovery in 2001.

San Diego Zoo Spokeswoman Jenny Mehlow told FoxNews.com that the baby tree lobsters, or nymphs, began hatching on Feb. 6. As of Friday afternoon, 19 nymphs have hatched, she added.



"The nymphs seem to emerge from the egg overnight or in the very early morning hours," Paige Howorth, the zoos curator of entomology, told NPR. "Most mornings since Saturday have included one or two little green surprises. We couldn't be happier!"

Related: 7 cool shots of African animals

Howorth added that the new arrivals appear to be munching on the same plants that the insects eat at the Melbourne Zoo, grown from clippings sent from Australia.

Related: Giant Scottish rabbit seeks new home

"The nymph that comes out of the egg is about three times the size of the egg itself," Howorth told NPR. "It's just folded up in there like an origami piece or something  it's amazing."

Clarification: An earlier version of this story said that the tree lobster insects were bred at San Diego Zoo. Breeding actually took place in Australia.


It is one of the world's greatest treasures.

Written sometime around 930 A.D. in the town of Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Aleppo Codex is the oldest surviving copy of the Hebrew Bible, according to experts.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, added the millennium-old manuscript earlier this week to its International Memory of the World Register, which honors some of the most important discoveries in human history.

"It is regarded as the oldest complete Hebrew Bible in the world," Don Bassett, director of the Biblical Museum of History in Tennessee, told FoxNews.com. "The text has been preserved with phenomenal accuracy," Bassett said.

All current versions of the Old Testament are believed to have stemmed "in one way or another, from this ancient manuscript," Adolfo Roitman, head curator of the Shrine of the Book Museum in Jerusalem, told the Christian Post.

"The best Bible for scholarly study available today is traceable back to the Aleppo Codex," added Bassett.

The Codex, which was smuggled out of Syria and brought into Israel in 1958, currently resides at the museum.

Some 190 pages of the Codex -- around 40 percent of the total -- are missing, Bassett told FoxNews.com.

The missing pages include four out of five books of the Pentateuch -- the first section of books in the Bible also called the Five Books of Moses -- and five books from the last section --Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel and Ezra, i24News reported.

Its fitting the Aleppo Codex has been designated as a world treasure, given its storied past and significance to Jews and Christians through the ages, said Michael Holmes, Ph.D., executive director of the Museum of the Bibles research arm, the Scholars Initiative. Its simply unparalleled in the world of biblical manuscripts.

There is also a disagreement over who owns the priceless text.

Filmmaker Avi Dabach, who is making a documentary on the ancient manuscript, told the newspaper he believes the Codex belongs to the Jewish community that fled Syria.

"In the 1960s the Aleppo-Jewish community sued the people who brought the Codex to Israel," Dabach said, according to the Christian Post. "The Israeli authorities decided to confiscate this item and then, from a position of strength, force on the community an arrangement."

UNESCO says on its website that the manuscript, also known as the "Crown," is "the oldest extant nearly complete Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)."

"It is considered by many scholars to be the most exact and authoritative Hebrew Bible and served as a source of text, cantillation and vocalization of the Bible  both in the past and present," according to UNESCO.
Security specialist Symantec warns of an emerging black market for stolen Netflix passwords, which can be bought for as little as 25 cents.

Netflixs success has attracted the attention of hackers, explained Symantecs Threat Intelligence Officer Lionel Payet in a blog post Thursday. We have observed malware and phishing campaigns targeting Netflix users information, he wrote. The details are then added to a growing black market that claims to provide cheaper access to the service.

Related: Hackers could throw off our power grid by manipulating our AC units

From accessing users banking information through malware that uses malicious files posing as Netflix to stealing login details via phishing, hackers are targeting customers of the popular streaming service.

In these phishing campaigns, attackers redirect users to a fake Netflix website to trick users into providing their login credentials, personal information, and payment cards details, wrote Payet.

Related: Google releasing new email security features that remind you not to send unencrypted personal info

Symantec cited, in particular, a phishing campaign on Jan. 21 that targeted Danish users. The phishing email tried to trick users into believing that their Netflix account needed to be updated, as there was an issue with their monthly payment, explained Payet.

Set against this backdrop, an underground economy has emerged where passwords can be bought for 25 cents, according to Symantec.

Related: Identity thieves used thousands of stolen SSNs to generate IRS e-filing pins

Another offering includes Netflix account generators, wrote Payet, noting that the accounts generated through the tools may come from stolen Netflix subscriptions or payment card details. The generators creators regularly update their databases with new accounts and disable ones that dont work anymore, he added.

Symantec advises users to only download the Netflix application from official sources. Additionally, users should not take advantage of services that appear to offer Netflix for free or a reduced price, as they may contain malicious files or steal data, wrote Payet.

Netflix has not yet responded to a request for comment on this story from FoxNews.com.
An executive who appeared unsympathetic when he spoke to the public after a chemical spill sullied tap water for 300,000 people in West Virginia was sentenced to one month in federal prison Wednesday.

Ex-Freedom Industries President Gary Southern, who told reporters a day after the January 2014 spill that he had had a "long day" and tried to leave a news conference multiple times, also was fined $20,000 in U.S. District Court.

Southern, the last of six ex-Freedom Industries officials to be sentenced on pollution charges, told the court Wednesday that he accepted responsibility "for my shortcomings and oversights" and that he was "not the person that I was painted on television."

Southern was a co-founder of Freedom Industries and had direct oversight of the Elk River facility. He was Freedom Industries' chief operating officer starting in May 2009, a member of its board from March 2010 to October 2013 and became president when it was sold in December 2013.

The following month, a corroded Freedom tank in Charleston leaked thousands of gallons of coal-cleaning chemicals into the water supply for nine counties, spurring a ban on tap water for up to 10 days. Residents immediately cleared store shelves of bottled water, and many restaurants were forced to close or cut back services temporarily.

According to an FBI affidavit, officials had been aware of critical deficiencies at the Freedom site for more than a decade, including a cracked containment wall that let chemicals seep down a bank into the Elk River. But improvements to the wall weren't made.

Four others were sentenced to probation in the criminal case; a fifth also received a one-month prison term. Freedom Industries, which filed for bankruptcy eight days after the spill, was fined $900,000, although Judge Thomas Johnston said the fine was symbolic due to the company's liquidation in the other case.

Southern pleaded guilty to three pollution charges and could have been sentenced to up to three years. Prosecutors dropped 12 other counts related to bankruptcy fraud.

However, federal prosecutors said Southern should get a more severe punishment than the other defendants because he tried to mislead a bankruptcy court about his role with Freedom to avoid potential financial consequences of the spill.

Johnston said in imposing the sentence that he put an emphasis on Southern's missteps in federal bankruptcy court and to send a message "to the other Gary Southerns out there to get it right" in complying with environmental laws.

During a Jan. 10, 2014 news conference, Southern occasionally drank from a bottle of water and said "Look guys. It has been an extremely long day. I have trouble talking at the moment. I would appreciate if we could wrap this thing up."

The defense team said Southern had pneumonia and had not slept in the days after the spill.

Johnston said the news conference was "a public relations disaster" for Freedom Industries but had nothing to do with the federal court case.

The government had seized $7.3 million and a Bentley from Southern and put a lien on his Florida house, but his plea deal enabled him to get those assets back.

Johnston granted a defense request to allow Southern to be flown on a friend's private jet later Wednesday to his Florida home and to allow Southern to be assigned to a minimum-security facility in Pensacola, Florida.

A trial in a federal class-action lawsuit is set for July, pitting affected residents and businesses against West Virginia American Water, its parent company and chemical manufacturer Eastman Chemical. In a related proposed settlement, Southern would pay $350,000.

Karan Ireland, a Charleston City Council member, asked the court for the maximum-possible punishment for Southern and was disappointed by the sentence.

"At the same time, I have to respect the rule of law," Ireland said. "I have to believe in our judicial system. I have to believe in democracy. I don't think it's a waste of time. Maybe we'll see justice through the civil proceedings."
FARGO -- A group of North Dakotans recently returned from a trade mission that was the first of its kind.

On North Dakota's first trade mission to Israel, delegates met with Elbit Systems, a Haifa-based technology company that is collaborating with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks and North Dakota State University to fly the first large-scale, high-altitude unmanned aircraft systems at one of six United States UAS test sites.

The Northern Plains UAS Test Site will oversee flying Elbit's Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft. Initial operations will focus on precision agriculture research such as collecting data to monitor and track herbicide-resistant weeds, crop stands, fertilizer needs and diseases, said Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, who is chairman of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and was part of the mission.

"It gives growers the ability to inspect every square foot of their cropland," he said. "We're excited about that."

Testing will start in May and continue throughout the growing season over a significant swath of farmland around Carrington, Wrigley said.

A large-scale UAS operation at altitudes up to 8,000 feet allows more data to be collected faster without worrying about obstructions like power lines, Wrigley said.

"We expect growers to be getting really excited about the possibility," he said.

Information from the test site will be shared with growers and the Federal Aviation Administration in an effort to allow commercial unmanned aircraft systems to operate simultaneously with manned aircraft in the future, Wrigley said.

In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration picked North Dakota to operate a national UAS test site. North Dakota's Northern Plains UAS Test Site was the first to be FAA-certified as ready to begin integrating UAS into national airspace, according to the North Dakota Trade Office.

While in Israel, North Dakota companies also met with potential buyers of specialty crop products.

North Dakota companies were well-received, said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. By the end of the mission, there were a lot of good prospects that will "hopefully yield good rewards," he said.

Dean Gorder, North Dakota Trade Office executive director, said Israel is interested in lentils, chickpeas and flax.

"Based on the current situation in the world with the high dollar value and exchange rates are not in our favor, the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar is a challenge for us, so each new market we can enter and establish long-term relationships, it will pay benefits down the road," he said. "In a tough market, you have to be out there, you have to be working every lead that you can. If times are tough, you've got to be more aggressive."

Part of the trip included North Dakota's second trade mission to Egypt.

Goehring met with Essam Fayed, Egypt's minister of agriculture, to advance possible agricultural opportunities between North Dakota and Egypt.

Egyptian consumers are interested in North Dakota's red lentils, flax and fava beans (also known as faba or broad beans), Gorder said. Egypt is the largest importer and consumer of fava beans in the world. Canada is now its major supplier, according to the trade office.

They also talked about seed potatoes, Goehring said.

"I was pleasantly surprised with our reception in Egypt and the opportunities that present themselves for us," he said. "Once we start opening the door, start moving product in, it's amazing how quickly it will continue to cascade and exponentially grow."

The trade mission was organized by the North Dakota Trade Office, North Dakota Department of Agriculture and North Dakota Department of Commerce.
A North Dakota police officer died Thursday after being hit by a gunshot that authorities suspect was fired by a man later found dead in the home where the officer had responded to a domestic disturbance call.

Officer Jason Moszer, a six-year police veteran with a wife and two children, died at 12:45 p.m. from a single gunshot wound, a police spokesman said. Family members visited him in a hospital earlier in the day to say goodbye, Fargo Police Chief David Todd said.

The shooting began on Wednesday evening when the suspect, identified by police as Marcus Schumacher, fired at officers responding to the domestic disturbance call. A standoff ensued overnight and when the firing stopped, police discovered Schumacher dead inside the home. It wasn't immediately clear whether he killed himself or died from police gunfire, they said.

The violence shook Fargo, which is North Dakota's largest city but has a low crime rate. Police said an officer had not died in the line of duty in more than a century. The only other Fargo police officer killed in the line of duty was Frederick Alderman, 25, who was shot to death July 5, 1882, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a national nonprofit group that keeps records of fallen officers.

Schumacher, 49, was found dead shortly before dawn inside the home where he had barricaded himself, Todd said.

Schumacher appeared to have died from a gunshot wound but "we don't know if that was from us engaging him or something self-inflicted," Todd said. Todd said earlier that Schumacher had exchanged gunfire with a SWAT officer.

Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said the suspect fired "a number of rounds" and that officers were going house to house in a six-block area "to find out where they all went."

Todd said a squad car at the scene had been fired upon and that he believes the suspect was targeting law enforcement. Police said no one else in the neighborhood was hurt.

Moszer, 33, was among officers who responded to the home Wednesday evening. A SWAT team in an armored vehicle retrieved Moszer and took him to a medical facility, where he died.

Police said they tried to communicate with Schumacher through negotiators, but that he didn't respond and the SWAT team eventually entered the house and found the body.

Officers responded after Schumacher's son called dispatchers and said the suspect had fired a gun at his mother, Schumacher's wife. The caller and his mother were able to escape the home unharmed.

Sarah Stensland, 26, lives less than a block from the suspect's home. She said she and her girlfriend locked the doors, turned off the lights and hunkered down in the basement for the night.

"We were scared. We could hear gunshots very clearly, even from the basement," she said. "I felt like my nerves were on edge all night. I'm just exhausted."

Students and staff at nearby Horace Mann Elementary School were shifted to another school Thursday so as not to impede the investigation, Fargo Public Schools said in a statement. The move was made at the request of the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is handling the case.
At least four people were injured in a machete attack at an Ohio restaurant before police shot and killed the suspect Thursday night.

The FBI and Columbus police are working to piece together a motive behind the attack, which includes running down the possibility that this was a terror-related incident, a law enforcement source tells Fox News. The attacker was identified as Mohammad Barry, a separate law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said.



The attack occurred at Nazareth Restaurant and Deli, a Mediterranean eatery, in Columbus. Police said the man walked into the restaurant, had a conversation with an employee and left.

About a half hour later, the attacker returned, approached a man and a woman at a table near the doorway and started his rampage.

He came in and started beating up on another man, I thought it was a personal thing. Then he just started down the row hitting everybody; people were bleeding, Karen Bass, a restaurant patron, told My Fox 28 Columbus.

The man eventually fled the scene in a white car and led police on a short chase. Officers forced him off the road a few miles away. When the suspect got out of his car, police said they tried unsuccessfully to use a stun gun on him.

Columbus police Sgt. Rick Weiner said, "At that point he had a machete and another knife in his hand and he lunged across the hood at the officers."

That's when police said an officer shot and killed the man. It remained unclear what sparked the attacks.

There was no rhyme or reason as to who he was going after, said Weiner. Theres nothing that leads us to believe that this is anything but a random attack."

The four victims were taken to a local hospital and are expected to survive.

Fox News' Matt Dean and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Officials say an Ohio police officer is being put on paid leave over a Facebook comment about a Black Lives Matter activist who killed himself on the Statehouse steps.

The comment posted under Fairborn officer Lee Cyr's account reads "Love a happy ending." It was posted on the Ohio Politics Facebook page Wednesday, two days after MarShawn McCarrel II killed himself.

Police say Cyr was off duty when the comment was posted.

City Police Chief Terry Barlow says internal affairs investigators will try to determine if Cyr violated the department's social media policy.

Cyr didn't return calls seeking comment.

McCarrel shot himself near the front door of the Statehouse on Monday. He had helped with protests after high-profile police shootings led to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Click for more from Fox 28.
Not exactly full of fireworks, but full of substance last night in Milwaukee as the Democrats faced off for the first time since Bernie Sanders smashed Hillary Clinton in New Hampshires primary.

Hillary Clinton opened several new lines of attack against Sanders. He questioned her judgement.

Dan Balz and Abby Phillip write in the Washington Post today,

Fresh off her double-digit loss in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton sought to undermine surging rival Bernie Sanders here Thursday night, arguing that his expansive agenda for government action on health care, college costs and infrastructure investments is both impractical and far more costly than he has said. The debate turned fiery only in the closing minutes, when the two clashed over foreign policy and over comments by Sanders critical of President Obama. "I couldn't disagree more," Clinton said, accusing Sanders of leveling the kind of attacks on the president usually heard from Republicans.

Jonathan Martin in the New York Times writes,

Facing off against Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday night, Hillary Clinton did not comport herself like someone who had just suffered a landslide loss in New Hampshire. She did not raise her voice or express anger. She did not demonize Mr. Sanders or suggest he would be a dangerous choice for Democrats. She remained calm as he pungently sought to highlight their differences. Instead, she behaved like someone heading into Nevada and South Carolina with every reason to be confident and little to fear but her own missteps.

There was some criticism from Ron Fournier on Fox that neither did a great job last night, I think that both candidates really didn't do what I expected them to do. Hillary Clinton did not sharpen her message. She is still meandering all over the place What does she really stand for? Its hard to tell. And Bernie sanders for the love of god, how do you go through the debate and not mention e-mails or the state department went after the Clinton foundation?

Clinton was endorsed during our show yesterday by the Congressional Black Caucus, but it was also revealed yesterday theres another State Department investigation into Clintons time as Secretary of State. The Washington Post breaking news on that investigation yesterday. Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman writing in the Washington Post:

Investigators with the State Department issued a subpoena to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation last fall seeking documents about charity projects that may have required approval from the federal government during Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state, according to people familiar with the subpoena and written correspondence about it.

The subpoena also asked for records related to Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide who for six months in 2012 was employed simultaneously by the State Department, the foundation, Clinton's personal office and a private consulting firm with ties to the Clintons.

On the Republican side, its getting ugly between Trump and Cruz.

David Weigel and Katie Zezima write in the Washington Post, Cruz's on-again, off-again battle with Trump is on again, and the senator and his allies intend to bring the front-runner down with the arguments that they believe worked in Iowa, where Trump came in second behind Cruz: Trump's attempted seizures of private property through eminent domain, the 1999 admission that he was "very pro-choice," and his confusing argument in favor of "single-payer" health care. A campaign TV ad released Thursday accuses Trump of buying influence "in a pattern of sleaze stretching back decades."

Donald Trump also says hes going to watch his mouth. In a speech last night, the front-runner says there will be no more foul language. He used the P-word in New Hampshire last week.

The ninth GOP debate is this Saturday in Greenville, SC.

Theres lots of campaign events for us to monitor today,

1115EST -- Fmr FL Gov Jeb Bush holds a meet and greet. Mama Penn's Restaurant, Anderson, SC. LIVE via LiveU

1130EST -- OH Gov Kasich attends the SC Chamber of Commerce lunch. Columbia, SC. LIVE via LiveU

1230EST approx -- Dr Ben Carson addresses the Faith & Family Leadership Forum. Bob Jones Univ, Greenville, SC. LIVE

1315EST approx -- Fmr FL Gov Jeb Bush addresses the Faith & Family Leadership Forum. Bob Jones Univ, Greenville, SC. LIVE

1330EST -- OH Gov Kasich visits Dukes BBQ. Orangeburg, SC. LIVE via LiveU

Disturbing speech from Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson yesterday warning that terrorists remain committed to targeting aviation. IT comes on the heels of a terror bombing of an aircraft that thankfully killed only the terrorist.

A newly published Al Qaeda newsletter says Usama bin Laden may have gotten the idea of 9/11 after seeing the 1999 crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all onboard. Its believed a jihadist co-pilot purposely crashed the plane.

Pope Francis arrives in Cuba today for a meeting the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church the first meeting since the split of the Catholic Church from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 11th century!

El Chapo may face Brooklyn trial.

46 prison guards arrested in sting at nine prison facilities in Georgia. The FBI say they were involved in a staggering array of crimes.

The U.S. and Russia say theyve signed a deal that could lead to humanitarian aid and a cease fire in Syria.. as talks in Munich wrapped up.

For more news, follow me on Twitter:

@ClintPHenderson
Two 15-year-old girls died Friday in a shooting at a suburban Phoenix high school that initially caused panic among parents who could not reach their children but later emerged as a murder-suicide.

Police announced that a suicide note was found at the shooting scene near the cafeteria area of Independence High School in Glendale.

Parents and students at Walmart 75th Ave. and Glendale awaiting word Independence HS shootings #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/AJhmyYfBtG  Steve Krafft (@SKrafftFox10) February 12, 2016

They said the girls each were shot once, were declared dead at the scene and a weapon was found near the bodies.

"Information gathered by detectives reveal the two girls were very close friends, appeared to also be in a relationship," Glendale police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Breeden said it is believed nobody witnessed the shooting.

Both teens have been identified, but Breeden said "their names will not be confirmed or released at this time by the police department due to their juvenile status."

Our prayers are with the students, educators & families at Independence High School & all the first responders on the scene. #PatriotPride  Doug Ducey (@dougducey) February 12, 2016

The students were declared dead at the scene, each from a single gunshot wound. Investigators said they found one gun next to the girls.

It is not an active shooter investigation and no other students are in danger, police officer Tracey Breeden said. "Your children are safe," she told parents who had reached out to police. She added that there were no credible threats to the school made on social media before, during or after the shooting.

Data curated by FindTheData

Students typically are not allowed to use their cellphones during lockdowns, but as calls from parents flooded the district, officials asked teachers to have students call family, Superintendent Brian Capistran said. Social workers and counselors will be available to students and staff when school resumes Tuesday, the he added.



Dozens of worried parents waited at a convenience store for word about their kids. Cheryl Rice said she was frightened for her 15-year-old daughter but was relieved when the girl called to say she was OK.

The shooting unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. in a covered patio area near the cafeteria. "This occurred in an isolated area," Glendale Police Sgt. David Vidaure added.

Emergency vehicles including an ambulance were seen outside the building, Fox 10 reports. School officials told parents to gather at a nearby Wal-Mart at W. Glendale Ave. & N. 75th Ave. where buses would take them to meet students.

Streets were closed to traffic in the residential area around the school after the shooting.

The Glendale Union School District website says the school has about 2,000 students and was founded in 1977. Glendale is 10 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Click for more from Fox 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FBI bomb technicians are currently in the process of clearing the Oregon wildlife refuge of possible traps or explosives that protesters may have been left behind after the last holdouts left Thursday, a law enforcement source close to the investigation tells Fox News.

Fox is told that authorities had reason to suspect hazardous traps may have been left behind after hearing chatter from some of the protestors there. That chatter came via a livestream of the standoff broadcast hours before the remaining four protestors surrendered.

The concern over possible booby traps at the scene was first reported by Reuters last night.

This source tells Fox News the FBI always exercises caution when working a crime scene, but particular emphasis is being placed on sweeping the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in light of that chatter.

Fox is told FBI bomb technicians began the methodical process of clearing the scene Friday morning and that the activity is expected to last at least the majority of the day. Once cleared, FBI's Evidence Response Team will move in and begin the evidence collection process.

This source tells Fox that at this time bomb techs have not found anything at the scene that is cause for alarm.

The last four protestors occupying the wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon surrendered to FBI yesterday and are now in federal custody.
Federal investigators are launching a second search of the wreckage of a freighter that sank Oct. 1 near the Bahamas, officials said Thursday.

The two-week expedition organized by the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to begin in April, according to a news release. Investigators hope to locate the data recorder or "black box" and develop a more extensive and detailed survey of the shipwreck.

"The voyage data recorder may hold vital information about the challenges encountered by the crew in trying to save the ship," NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart said in the release. "Getting that information could be very helpful to our investigation."

The 790-foot freighter El Faro sank after losing engine power and getting caught in a Category 4 hurricane from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Thirty-three mariners were aboard.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson told The Associated Press that it's uncommon for investigators to launch a second investigation, because the data recorder is usually easier to locate.

"It's been quite some time since we had a challenge in locating a data recorder like this," Knudson said.

The ship was found in 15,000 feet of water, its top two bridge decks detached. Crews located one of the missing decks about a half-mile from the main part of the ship. The data recorder had been mounted at the base of a mast, but that structure wasn't found during the first search, which ended Nov. 15.

The new search will involve an autonomous underwater vehicle covering more than 13 square miles with video, sonar and other sensors, according to the release. The El Faro's black box was capable of recording conversations and sounds on the navigation bridge. This could help investigators understand the sequence of events that led to the sinking.

If the data recorder is located, then a remotely operated vehicle will be sent to retrieve it.
Gender neutrality has become not just a civil rights issue in America in 2016  its become an enticing income stream.

Companies large and small are creating gender-neutral products and policies to satisfy a very small minority of people who perceive bias and take offense where none exists.

Or, as Americablog put it about the pending profits for those who adopt the LGBT agenda, Coming out as pro-LGBT equality is actually pretty great marketing. The McCulture War is increasingly being won by The Gays.

Last weekend, retail giant Target unveiled a new brand of kids home decor called Pillowfort. Its focus is gender-neutral palettes and designs, and themes for the new products include Tropical Treehouse, Stellar Station, and Ocean Oasis. The store asserts this is to express gender neutrality.

"Our design team works with customers in our stores, right next to them in the aisles and in their homes, too," Amy Goetz, a Target spokesperson, told LifeZette. "We are trying to offer more pieces that can be moved from one room to another easily in more neutral colors. We still offer pinks and blues for boys and girls, too."

Goetz added, however, that "we are terming it gender neutral." She said all new designs will include arrows and dinosaurs.

Translation: Target is bowing to a PC culture that frets and obsesses about any perceived gender classification, including the biological differences between males and females.

"The LGBT groups have great influence in big corporations," Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, told LifeZette. "People at the top dont know how to respond, and lets put it this way: If you are called a homophobe, your career is over.

"LGBT groups and individuals within corporations exert pressure on management. The idea is 'show me youre not a bigot."

This follows Targets decision last August to dump any signs in the toy and bedding sections that labeled products by gender. This came after Abi Bechtel of Ohio took to Twitter to raise the issue, protesting a sign at Target for a "Girls Building Set."

All of this completely confuses the issue, a Boston mom told LifeZette.

"Parents used to have more toughness and not complain about everything. Do we just have too much free time now, or what? If you want a boy toy for your little girl, go to the boy aisle and get it. Do we have to change everything just because one thing isnt exactly as you want it?" she said.

But change in response to minority pushback is on the rise throughout American culture

"Here's the fallacy behind mainstreaming gender-neutrality: The real prevalence of children with gender-identity issues is extremely low," pediatrician Meg Meeker, who has been treating children and adolescents for 30 years, told LifeZette.

"We don't know exactly how low, but it is probably lower than the prevalence of homosexuals, and according to the CDC, the prevalence of homosexual adults in the U.S is 1.6 percent. Among adults queried, 1.1 percent of adults identified themselves as 'something else' but they didn't know what that something else was," said Meeker.

Blurring the gender lines has been enthusiastically supported by retailers, however. Northface is now offering more unisex designs, and top designers like Marc Jacobs are offering more androgynous clothing, too.

"If a guy wants to go out and buy a womans scarf and thinks thats fashionable, whatever his sexual preference, its going to happen," Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at research firm NPD, told The New York Times. "This is something where the world jumped ahead of retail, and now retail is trying to catch up."

In middle schools and high schools, a new language is being promoted by LGBTQ student clubs. It would replace the gender-specific pronouns he/she, him/her, and his/her with "zie," "zim," and "zir."

Several U.S. high schools are also changing their graduation gowns to gender-neutral options, creating a sea of PC-based sameness on the special day that's meant to focus on academic and extra-curricular achievement.

In an even more ridiculous scenario, one writer believes doctors should blur a childs sex in hospital delivery rooms.

"This treatment is performed almost universally without even asking for the parents' consent, making this practice all the more insidious," said Cristin Scarlett Milloy in Slate.com. "It's called infant gender assignment: When the doctor holds your child up to the harsh light of the delivery room, looks between its legs, and declares his opinion: It's a boy or a girl, based on nothing more than a cursory assessment of your offspring's genitals."

Just this week, University of Florida professor Jennifer Lee revealed in the syllabus for her class, "Creativity in Context," that she wanted to discard certain traditional labels  like mom, dad, husband and wife.

"Use inclusive language," the syllabus for the class reads under the section "Classroom Communications Policy and Guidelines."

"Speak in a way that does not make assumptions about others based on 'norms,' stereotypes, or ones own identity or experience. Using terms like 'partner/ 'significant other,' rather than boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife  or 'family' rather than mom or dad  is inclusive of alternative orientations and family structures, and free of stereotypes."

Lauren Record Bennett, who lives outside Boston, wondered just how far all this gender-scrubbing will go.

"Will we now see a backlash of people being disgusted at girls who wear pink or boys who prefer blue?" she told LifeZette. "Does everything have to be so homogenized out of fear of being offensive? I actually find that offensive."

More from LifeZette.com:

Celebrating God in the Great Outdoors

Being Present in the Digital Age

What Dads Really Want for Valentine's Day

Parents Alone in the Pew
A Minnesota man accused of plotting to join the Islamic State group pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to the militant organization, saying he was attracted to the idea of fighting overseas to create an Islamic caliphate.

Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame, 20, admitted in U.S. District Court that he learned about Islam from videos on YouTube and listening to lectures, including those of Anwar al-Alwaki, an American who joined al-Qaida and was killed in 2011. He said he knew members of the Islamic State group had carried out killings, but he felt it was his duty to fight and help Muslims who were being oppressed.

"At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do and it was justified ... by Islam," Warsame said.

Warsame faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. Prosecutors say he was a one-time leader of a group of friends in Minnesota's Somali community who recruited and inspired each other to join the Islamic State group. Nine others have been charged: three have pleaded guilty, one is believed to be in Syria and the rest face trial in May.

Warsame's admissions could put pressure on the five men awaiting trial. In addition to terror-related charges, they each face one count of conspiracy to commit murder outside the U.S., which carries a life sentence.

Under questioning from a prosecutor and U.S. District Judge Michael Davis, Warsame admitted he and other group members began meeting in the spring of 2014 to watch propaganda videos on YouTube and talk about ways to get to Syria.

Warsame admitted he knew that one man, Abdi Nur, planned to travel to Syria; Warsame said he went shopping with Nur before he left. Warsame also admitted he gave another defendant $200 for an expedited passport, and he helped another Minnesota man get to Syria from Turkey by providing him with a contact number. Warsame also applied for an expedited passport of his own.

Warsame, who said he is a Sunni Muslim, told Davis that he attended mosque but, at the time, he thought the teachings of imams were wrong and were against the Islamic State group. Warsame said his view of Islam was formed by lectures he heard, and he thought Islam justified the killing of disbelievers, including Shiites, whom he did not consider Muslim.

"I was always listening to one side, not the other side," he said. "I didn't see the other side of it -- that innocent people were being killed."

He said a turning point came when he watched a video where a pilot was burned alive; he said burning someone contradicts Islam's teachings.

Warsame's mother, Deqa Hussen, said she didn't know her son was plotting to go to Syria, but she learned about some of his friends in 2014 and sent him to Chicago to get him away from "bad influences." Hussen, who has been outspoken against terror recruitment in Minnesota, said the guilty plea was hard to hear, but she was glad her son had the courage to tell the truth.

"When I find out some of the stuff that he did ... I commanded my son to tell the truth. And that's what he did," she said after the hearing. "I'm so proud of him for telling the truth."
A North Carolina sheriffs department began placing large In God We Trust decals on its patrol cars this month in a project officials are quick to say won't cost taxpayers a dime.



The phrase is being added to marked vehicles used by the Rutherford Sheriff Department and with the Fairview Baptist Church in Golden Valley picking up the $400 tab, it could head off complaints from atheists that the decals amount to illegal government support of religion.

Were not doing to this to thumb in the eye anyone. Were trying to do this for unitys sake."  Rev. David Ledford

We looked at it as an opportunity to show our patriotism, Sheriff Chris Francis told Fox Carolina. I want to make sure that my deputy sheriffs know what In God We Trust' means and how blessed we are to be citizens in America, to live in western North Carolina and to be able to support our nations motto.

Wisconsin-based atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation has clashed with dozens of police departments around the country over similar stickers.

"FFRF reminds the agencies that citizens trust law enforcement officers to attend to their secular duties, not spend taxpayer time placing religious messages on patrol cars to the exclusion of the 23 percent of Americans who are not religious," reads a letter the foundation sent to departments, including Rutherford.

Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor concludes the letters asking the departments to remove "In God We Trust" from their vehicles to "respect the rights of conscience of all citizens, including those who in good conscience reject belief in a god."

But Rutherford officials believe the church paying for the stickers removes any reasonable objection. The church funding will pay for decals on the departments fleet of 50 marked vehicles and any additions or replacements.

Francis said he expects the decals to draw positive feedback fron many but acknowledged that not everyone will be happy.

Nevertheless, he said he hopes other sheriffs will follow suit.

I wish that more localities would show their patriotism, show what they believe in, he said. I think our nation would be in a different place if they would.

Fairview pastor the Rev. David Ledford told FoxNews.com he has been surprised at the reaction, including some criticism on social media.

Were not doing to this to thumb in the eye anyone, the pastor said. Were trying to do this for unitys sake.

The way we look at it, if somebody is against it, well they carry money in their billfold that says In God We Trust on it,'" he said. "Its contrary to say we cant put something like that on government building or a government vehicle.
Diplomats attempting to negotiate an end to Syria's bloody civil war said Thursday that they had agreed to try and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in a week's time as Russia's prime minister warned that the use of foreign ground troops in the conflict could result in world war.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the agreement as a significant accomplishment. However, the ISIS and al Nusra Front terror groups will not be involved in the truce - and Russia has said it will be continuing its bombing campaign.

Kerry himself admitted that the agreements were "commitments on paper" only, adding that a cessation-of-hostilities agreement would only be a "pause" in fighting and that more work would need to be done to turn it into a full-fledged cease-fire.

"The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them," he told reporters after the nearly six-hour meeting at a Munich hotel, which ran into the early hours of Friday.

Although foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week, their failure to agree on a hard-and-fast cease-fire leaves the most critical step to resuming peace talks unresolved.

Kerry his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both a working group on humanitarian aid as well as a task force that will try to deal with the "modalities" of the temporary truce. That task force will include members of the military along with representatives from countries that are supporting various armed groups in Syria. The Syrian government and the opposition would both have to agree to the details.

The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the United States, which had wanted an immediate cease-fire, and Russia, which had proposed one to start on March 1. The U.S. and others saw the Russian proposal as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting.

Late Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war."

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops to Syria, the prime minister answered that "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war."

Despite apparent concessions on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, should not be eligible for the cease-fire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov also said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups and denied persistent reports that the Russian strikes have hit civilian areas, notably around rebel-held Aleppo, where heavy fighting has been raging for the past week.

Among the issues the task force is charged with sorting out are delineating territories held by ISIS, al-Nusra and other militant groups, ensuring the compliance of eligible parties and referring violations of the truce for appropriate action, including exclusion from the arrangement.

Asked Friday to comment on the Munich talks, Salem Meslet, the spokesman for the Syrian opposition coalition known as the High Negotiations Commitee, said, "We must see action on the ground in Syria."

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the ISIS to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Overall, the United Nations says almost half a million people are besieged in Syria. Since the beginning of 2015, Syria's government had approved just 13 inter-agency aid convoys, out of 113 requested, the U.N. reported last month.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a "broad endorsement" of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted "tangible gains" in Iraq and Syria by March.

"We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight," he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar U.S. aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Canadian man solved his own cold case  by suddenly remembering his identity 30 years after he disappeared.

Edgar Latulip was 21 years old when he vanished from a group home in Kitchener, Ontario, in September 1986.

The last time his mom, Sylvia Wilson, saw her son, he was in a hospital after a failed suicide attempt, and cops figured Wilson, who has the cognitive abilities of a child, traveled to Niagara Falls to kill himself.

His mom suspected foul play, thinking for decades that he may have been abused because of his mental illness, or accidentally killed and his body hidden, she told The Guelph Mercury.

When Edgar disappeared, I became quite sick. I had to take a leave of absence from work. I was near a nervous breakdown, she said two years ago. Having an answer would mean closure.

But on Wednesday, Waterloo regional police announced that Latulip was alive and well, living 80 miles away from where he disappeared.

A DNA test performed last week confirmed that it was in fact him.

Police concluded that Latulip had some kind of head injury that caused him to forget who he was.

Click for more from The New York Post.
Theyre just not feeling the love.

A city in northwest Pakistan has banned Valentines Day celebrations, fearing that such practices could encourage obscene behavior, according to the BBC.

Kohat, run by a religious political party, borders Pakistans conservative tribal areas. The celebrations, although popular in some Pakistani cities, have repeatedly been criticized by hardliners who warn about the spread of un-Islamic Western values, The Express Tribune reports.

"Valentine's Day has no legal grounds, and secondly it is against our religion, therefore it was banned," Kohat district administrator Maulana Niaz Muhammad told the BBC.

The citys government has told police officers to stop shops from selling Valentines Day-related items, but no action appears to have been taken against them so far.

Farther east in Pakistans capital, Islamabad, officials denied earlier reports that Valentines Day celebrations were banned in that city.

Three years ago in Karachi, Pakistans largest city, billboards decorated with a black heart urged residents to SAY NO TO VALENTINES DAY.

Valentines is against Islamic culture. In our view, relationships are sacred. We have arranged marriages in this culture and people dont get married for love, Syed Askari, a spokesman for Jamaat-e-Islami, told The Express Tribune. This is imposing Western values and cultures on an Islamic society."
A pub in Britain announced it would remove foie gras from its special Valentines Day menu after reportedly receiving death threats from vegan activists.

The Telegraph reported that the Kings Arms in Norfolk offered the item on its tasting dinner menu for the holiday. Many activists say the process of making foie gras, which is fattened goose liver, amounts to cruelty because it usually requires force-feeding.

The report points out that foie gras is illegal to produce in Britain but is made in France and Belgium.

People coming to eat with us over the weekend are disappointed and I suppose in a way weve let the trolls win but I cant risk the safety of the staff, Mark Dixon, 32, the award-winning chef at the restaurant said.

Dixon estimated that his pub received about 200 death threats within hours, and some of his workers were in tears and were afraid to answer the phone. The pub has also received up to 30 false bookings.
Diplomats agreed Friday to work toward a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria's civil war within a week, although efforts to secure a lasting cease-fire fell short.

The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the United States, which had wanted an immediate cease-fire, and Russia, which had proposed one to start on March 1.

Although foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week, their failure to agree on a cease-fire leaves the most critical step to resuming peace talks unresolved. It was not clear from their comments afterward if deep differences regarding the truce and which groups would be eligible for it could be overcome.

Speaking for the group, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the results as a significant accomplishment but noted that a cessation-of-hostilities agreement, if it can be achieved, would only be a "pause" in fighting and that more work would need to be done to turn it into a fully-fledged cease-fire.

He also allowed that the agreements made were "commitments on paper" only.

"The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them," he told reporters after the nearly six-hour meeting at a Munich hotel, which ran into the early hours of Friday.

Dramatizing the high-stakes nature of the Munich talks was Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's statement that a full-scale ground operation in Syria could result in a world war.

"A ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war," Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published by the German newspaper Handelsblatt.

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops to Syria, the prime minister answered that "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whet her or not they want a permanent war."

Medvedev criticized Western powers' refusal to collaborate with Russia in Syria. The prime minister said ties at the level of defense departments are only sporadic.

Meanwhile, humanitarian access to the battle-scarred country was to be discussed by a working group on Friday in Geneva. It is key to relieving the suffering of millions of Syrians in the short term, a durable and lasting cease-fire will be required if stalled negotiations between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition are to resume on or before a U.N.-set target date of Feb. 25. The talks broke down last month before they really started, due largely to gains by Assad's military with the heavy backing of Russian airstrikes.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both the working group on humanitarian aid as well as a task force that will try to deal with the "modalities" of the temporary truce. That task force will include members of the military along with representatives from countries that are supporting various armed groups in Syria. The Syrian government and the opposition would both have to agree to the details.

Russia had proposed the March 1 cease-fire date, which the U.S. and others saw as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting.

Despite apparent concessions on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago. At the moment, only two groups  the Islamic State and the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front  are ineligible because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, should not be eligible for the cease-fire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups and denied persistent reports that the Russian strikes have hit civilian areas, notably around rebel-held Aleppo, where heavy fighting has been raging for the past week.

Asked Friday to comment on the Munich talks, Salem Meslet, the spokesman for the Syrian opposition coalition known as the High Negotiations Commitee, said, "We must see action on the ground in Syria."

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

___

Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Lolita C. Baldor and Bradley Klapper in Washington, Robert Burns in Brussels and Geir Moulson in Munich contributed to this report.
Italy's premier insisted Friday that his country's friendship with Egypt can only exist "if the truth emerges" about the death of an Italian doctoral student who was doing research in Cairo.

Premier Matteo Renzi, in remarks on Italian state radio on the day of slain student Giulio Regeni's funeral, kept up the political pressure on the Egyptian government to find and bring to justice whoever tortured and killed the young man.

Regeni had been living in Cairo for a few months to research Egyptian labor movements for his doctorate from Cambridge University. His body was found on Feb. 3, nine days after he disappeared while heading to a subway station.

In the victim's hometown of Fiumicello in northeastern Italy, friends streamed in from afar for a private funeral service Friday afternoon in a gym. Townspeople opened their homes, offering spare rooms and couches to mourners who couldn't find lodging in the small town. The media and authorities were excluded from the service, with the 1,000 chairs in the gym reserved for relatives and friends only. Those who couldn't fit inside huddled together under umbrellas in a light rain and followed the service through loudspeakers.

During the service, a young man read out words of gratitude composed by Regeni's mother for her son. "The energy of your thinking remains in my heart: your thinking, to love, to understand, to build tolerance. Affectionately, Mama."

The 28-year-old student disappeared at the same time that Egyptian police and other security agents were out in force on Cairo's streets, determined to quickly quash any demonstrations to recall the anniversary of the country's uprising in 2011. His body was discovered along a road on Cairo's outskirts.

"It's a dramatic affair," Renzi said on the radio. `'I again express condolences to Giulio's family and I say that which we have told the Egyptians: `Friendship is a precious thing and it is possible only in truth."'

Italian state TV said, without citing sources, that Italian investigators have spoken to a witness who told them that two men, apparently plainclothes police, stopped Regeni and escorted him away as he walked from his apartment building to the subway.

Some of Regeni's friends in Cairo have also told Italian investigators that Regeni was unnerved in December when, as the only foreigner at a labor meeting in Cairo, someone took his photo and left.

Egyptian authorities initially blamed Regeni's death on a road accident. A second autopsy, done in Italy after his body arrived last week, determined that Regeni suffered a fatal fracture of a cervical vertebra, either from a strong blow to the neck or from a severe, forced, twisting of the neck. His hands, feet and other bones had multiple fractures and his face was heavily bruised, the autopsy found.

Italian news reports said his toenails and fingernails had been ripped off.

Laboratory results to determine when he died are expected to take a few more days.
The Latest on Pope Francis's historic meeting in Cuba with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and his subsequent trip to Mexico (all times local):

7:50 a.m.

Pope Francis is taking a big step toward improving relations with the Russian Orthodox Church by meeting in Cuba with Patriarch Kirill. But when might he visit Russia?

Francis was asked the question as he greeted journalists en route to Havana on Friday.

"China and Russia, I have them here," he said, pointing to his heart. "Pray."

Popes have dreamed of visiting Russia but the circumstances continue to dim any hope of a papal visit anytime soon.

The Alitalia jet carrying Francis and his entourage departed Friday morning from Rome's airport. First stop is Havana's airport, where Francis will meet for a few hours with Kirill in a ground-breaking step toward improving Catholic-Orthodox relations.

Francis will then visit Mexico, returning to Rome on Feb. 18.
An official in Mauritania says the secretary-general of the Interior Ministry has been arrested on suspicion of corruption connected to a British company.

The official said Mauritanian police arrested Mohamed El Hadi Macina on Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to reporters.

He said Macina is suspected of corruption from 2006 to 2014 when he was responsible for working on election ballots provided by Smith and Ouzman, a British company convicted in a bribery scandal.

The UK Serious Fraud Office said in December 2014 that the company and two employees were convicted of making corrupt payments totaling 395,000 pounds ($543,000) to public officials for business contracts in Kenya and Mauritania. The company specializes in security documents such as ballot papers.
A British factory-owner has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for employing Hungarian workers for as little as 10 pounds ($14.50) a week.

Mohammed Rafiq's company Kozee Sleep made beds for major retailers including Next and John Lewis, and was supposed to abide by their ethical-trading policies.

But prosecutors said men brought from Hungary worked up to 16 hours a day for between 10 pounds and 20 pounds per week.

Rafiq was convicted in January of human trafficking. Sentencing him Friday at northern England's Leeds Crown Court, Judge Christopher Batty said the workers had suffered "hideous exploitation."

The judge said Rafiq was "a fallen man who has lost it all. You must now lose your liberty."

Two Hungarian men were sentenced to three and five years for trafficking.
Diplomats attempting to negotiate an end to Syria's bloody civil war said Thursday that they had agreed to try and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in a week's time as Russia's prime minister warned that the use of foreign ground troops in the conflict could result in world war.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the agreement as a significant accomplishment. However, the ISIS and al Nusra Front terror groups will not be involved in the truce - and Russia has said it will be continuing its bombing campaign.

Kerry himself admitted that the agreements were "commitments on paper" only, adding that a cessation-of-hostilities agreement would only be a "pause" in fighting and that more work would need to be done to turn it into a full-fledged cease-fire.

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"The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them," he told reporters after the nearly six-hour meeting at a Munich hotel, which ran into the early hours of Friday.

Although foreign ministers from the International Syria Support Group managed to seal an agreement to "accelerate and expand" deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week, their failure to agree on a hard-and-fast cease-fire leaves the most critical step to resuming peace talks unresolved.

Kerry his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said the U.S. and Russia would co-chair both a working group on humanitarian aid as well as a task force that will try to deal with the "modalities" of the temporary truce. That task force will include members of the military along with representatives from countries that are supporting various armed groups in Syria. The Syrian government and the opposition would both have to agree to the details.

The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the United States, which had wanted an immediate cease-fire, and Russia, which had proposed one to start on March 1. The U.S. and others saw the Russian proposal as a ploy to give Moscow and the Syrian army three more weeks to try to crush Western- and Arab-backed rebels. The U.S. countered with demands for an immediate stop to the fighting.

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Late Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war."

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops to Syria, the prime minister answered that "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war."

Despite apparent concessions on potential timing of the truce and the agreement to set up the task force, the U.S., Russia and others remain far apart on which groups should be eligible for it. The new task force will take up a job that was supposed to have been settled months ago.

Russia, Syria and Iran argue that other groups, notably some supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, should not be eligible for the cease-fire, and there was no sign Friday that those differences had been resolved.

Lavrov also said the Russian air campaign in support of Assad's military would continue against terrorist groups and denied persistent reports that the Russian strikes have hit civilian areas, notably around rebel-held Aleppo, where heavy fighting has been raging for the past week.

Among the issues the task force is charged with sorting out are delineating territories held by ISIS, al-Nusra and other militant groups, ensuring the compliance of eligible parties and referring violations of the truce for appropriate action, including exclusion from the arrangement.

Asked Friday to comment on the Munich talks, Salem Meslet, the spokesman for the Syrian opposition coalition known as the High Negotiations Commitee, said, "We must see action on the ground in Syria."

Five years of conflict have killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the ISIS to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Overall, the United Nations says almost half a million people are besieged in Syria. Since the beginning of 2015, Syria's government had approved just 13 inter-agency aid convoys, out of 113 requested, the U.N. reported last month.

As Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a "broad endorsement" of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the Islamic State. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted "tangible gains" in Iraq and Syria by March.

"We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight," he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance agreed Thursday to deploy NATO airborne command and control aircraft in order to free up similar U.S. aircraft for the air campaign in Syria and Iraq.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Fazolis Adds to Leadership and Franchise Sales Teams

February 12, 2016 // Franchising.com // LEXINGTON, Ky.  Fazolis, Americas largest fast-casual Italian restaurant chain, welcomes a new chief marketing officer, vice president of operations and senior director of Franchise Sales.

The hirings come as Fazolis enters a new growth stage amid record sales. The brand was acquired last year by Sentinel Capital Partners, which has put it on the franchising fast track.

Donna Josephson is Fazolis new chief marketing officer, a position she previously held at the 351-unit McAlisters Deli. Josephson brings over 20 years of progressive brand management and marketing leadership with iconic restaurant brands, such as Wendys, Applebees and Chick-fil-A.

Tom Pleiman joins Fazolis as vice president of Company Operations, a role he previously held with Pizza Hut franchisee La Raza Pizza, Inc. Pleiman will lead the Training and Guest Services Departments, as well as oversee the newly created director of Off-Premises Sales position.

Fazolis previous vice president of Operations, Scott Sir Louis, has assumed the newly created position of vice president of Strategy and Continuous Improvement. Sir Louis will work with senior leadership to develop, prioritize and implement new strategies to drive the future generation of Fazolis.

Steve Bailey joins Fazolis as senior director of Franchise Sales, a newly created position. He previously held a similar post at Sonic.

Our goal is to make Fazolis better for our guests, our employees and our franchisees, which will in turn fuel our growth, said president and CEO Carl Howard. These individuals will all play an important role in accomplishing that, and we are thrilled to have them on board.

Connect with Fazolis online at www.fazolis.com, www.ownafazolis.com, @Fazolis, and https://www.facebook.com/Fazolis

About Fazolis

With approximately 220 restaurants, Fazolis is Americas largest Italian fast-casual chain, serving freshly prepared entrees, Submarinos sandwiches, salads and pizza. One of the New York Posts five breakout fast-casual restaurants and a Fast Casual.com Brand of the Year, Fazolis franchisees are experiencing record sales growth. Visit www.ownafazolis.com for details on development opportunities, including new operator incentives.

SOURCE Fazolis

Contact:

Brad Ritter

Tell Your Story.

Brad Ritter Communications

866.284.2170

Britter@bradritter.com

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FranNet to Host Entrepreneurial Workshop for Budding Franchisees

Burnaby Based Workshop to Support Growing Demand for Franchise Opportunities

VANCOUVER, BC - (Marketwired - February 11, 2016) - FranNet, one of Canada's leader Franchise Brokerage and Advisory Groups, is hosting a one day workshop designed to support local entrepreneurs interested in alternative forms of revenue. Potential franchisees will be given the opportunity to explore new business opportunities, speak with successful entrepreneurs and learn about the resources available for starting a small business in British Columbia.

In recent years, the franchise model has become a sought after source of revenue for all ages of professionals. According to a recent study by IHS Economics, the overall economic output of the franchise industry is expected to jump 5.8% to $944 billion -- the fastest pace since before the Great Recession.

"During an economic recession, we often see a spike in interest in franchising opportunities," said Grant Bullington with FranNet. "Many franchises can showcase their strong financial returns even during downturns in the economy. It's that type of resilience, coupled with many professionals looking for alternative sources of income that drives and increases interest in franchised businesses."

Designed as more than just a business expo, each session has been created to allow interested entrepreneurs to engage with potential franchisors, open networking, presentations and educational seminars for starting a small business. Franchise opportunities range from anywhere from a fully hands on business, to semi-absentee or manager-run operation.

The FranNet 2016 event will be held at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre on Wednesday, February 17th. Two sessions are open to the public from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. More information can be found here: [https://frannetwesterncanada.leadpages.co/feb17/].

About FranNet

Since 1987, FranNet has been assisting entrepreneurs in looking for exceptional franchise business opportunities in Canada. FranNet works with over a hundred franchises across Canada in pairing potential franchisees with the business opportunities suited for them.

SOURCE FranNet

Media Contact:

Ryan Tessier

ryan@brixmediaco.com

604-215-2749

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Home Care Assistance Announces Opening of New North Broward, Florida Office

In-home care leader will provide home care services for the growing senior population in Parkland, FL and surrounding areas

February 12, 2016 // Franchising.com // Parkland, Florida  Home Care Assistance of North Broward, the premier home care provider, is pleased to announce the opening of its new office, which will serve the greater North Broward County community. This location is the 119th Home Care Assistance office in North America and is opening during a stage of incredible growth and measured success for Home Care Assistance. The office is located at 6608 Parkside Drive in Parkland, Florida.

I am excited to share the unique and innovative programs offered by Home Care Assistance as a resource for the communities in Parkland and the surrounding area, said James Buscemi, Owner of Home Care Assistance of North Broward. At Home Care Assistance, our mission is to change the way the world ages through distinct offerings such as our proprietary Balanced Care MethodTM based on the scientifically studied lifestyles of the longest living people on Earth and our Cognitive Therapeutics MethodTM, an activities-based program designed to delay the onset of cognitive decline.

Home Care Assistance hires only the most qualified and compassionate individuals as caregivers to serve the evolving needs of the companys clientele; Home Care Assistance accepts only one out of every 25 caregiver applicants on average. Applicants undergo thorough screening including background checks, reference checks and work authorization. A proprietary Caregiver Personality Screening test assesses each applicants traits, such as kindness, honesty and conscientiousness.

James Buscemi, Owner of Home Care Assistance North Broward, upholds these standards in the highly-selective hiring process. Along with his compassion and professional expertise, James matches clients with the caregiver best-qualified for his or her unique needs and preferences and treats every client as though he or she were a part of his own family.

Nine out of ten seniors prefer to age in the comfort of their own home, yet thousands of seniors still move to facilities every year. A professionally trained and compassionate caregiver can provide the support to help each senior age safely and independently for as long as possible where they prefer: home. Home Care Assistance caregivers provide the following services to help seniors live well at home: hourly and live-in care, meal preparation, transportation, walking/transferring assistance, medication reminders, companionship and more.

To learn more about what Home Care Assistance has to offer or to schedule a free in-home assessment, please visit www.HomeCareAssistanceNorthBroward.com or call 954-906-5161 today. Home Care Assistance of North Broward is located at 6608 Parkside Drive in Parkland FL.

About Home Care Assistance

Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States, Canada and Australia. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in Live-In care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2016 Franchise500 and Inc. 5000 Company, Home Care Assistance has received numerous industry awards including Entrepreneurs Fastest-Growing Franchises and Franchise Business Reviews Top 50. For more information about Home Care Assistance, our services and franchise opportunities, visithomecareassistance.com.

SOURCE Home Care Assistance

Media Contact:

Kathryn Zakskorn

Director of Franchise Marketing

650-462-9501

kzakskorn@homecareassistance.com

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Home Care Assistance of Centennial Receives 2016 Best of Home Care Awards

Home Care Assistance of Centennial is recognized for the third consecutive year as one of the top home care agencies in the country based on client and employee satisfaction.

February 12, 2016 // Franchising.com // Centennial, CO  Home Care Assistance of Centennial, a leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is honored to be recognized as a 2016 Best of Home Care Provider of Choice. This prestigious award is given to home care providers who rank in the top 50th percentile in one or more client satisfaction categories, based on monthly satisfaction interviews conducted by Home Care Pulse. Home Care Assistance of Centennial was also recognized as a 2016 Best of Home Care Employer of Choice which is awarded to providers who rank in the top 50th percentile in one or more employee satisfaction categories.

The Best of Home Care Awards recognize the leading home care businesses, the best of the best, said Home Care Pulse Founder and CEO Aaron Marcum. We are excited to announce these award-winners and celebrate their dedication to providing quality in-home care.

Home Care Pulse created these awards to identify the top in-home care agencies that demonstrate a passion for client and employee satisfaction and thereby help families make better care decisions for their aging loved ones. Companies are evaluated based on agency training, communication, overall quality of care, caregiver performance, caregiver morale, response to problems and recommendation of services.

We are proud to be recognized as a superior leader in home care, said Pete Lane, Owner of Home Care Assistance of Centennial. We are in the business of caring for people, both clients and caregivers, and our employees are clearly our most valuable asset. It is quite an honor to have our employees recognize Home Care Assistance as a great place to work, and to also have our clients report that they are receiving outstanding care from our caregivers.

At Home Care Assistance, care plans are tailored to clients individual needs and preferences. Clients are also expertly matched with thoroughly trained, screened and conscientious caregivers. With a mission to change the way the world ages, Home Care Assistance helps seniors live well at home through innovative offerings such as their proprietary Balanced Care Method, a holistic approach to healthy longevity based on scientific studies of the longest living people on Earth, and theCognitive Therapeutics Method, an activities-based program designed to promote brain health and improve quality of life.

Home Care Assistance of Centennial is located at 8200 S. Quebec St., Suite A-5, Centennial, CO 80112. To learn more about Home Care Assistance and how they are changing the way the world ages, please visit www.HomeCareAssistanceCentennial.com or call (303) 957-3100.

About Home Care Assistance

Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States and Canada. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in home care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2016 Franchise500 and Inc. 5000 Company, Home Care Assistance has received numerous industry awards including Entrepreneurs Fastest-Growing Franchises and Franchise Business Reviews Top 50. For more information about Home Care Assistance, our services and franchise opportunities, visithomecareassistance.com or franchise.homecareassistance.com.

SOURCE Home Care Assistance

Media Contact:

Kathryn Zakskorn

Director of Franchise Marketing

650-462-9501

kzakskorn@homecareassistance.com

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Image One USA Franchise Affiliate Launches New Territory in Nashville

Maria Bogacki teams up with Image One in the commercial cleaning business expansion plans.

NASHVILLE, TN (PRWEB) February 11, 2016 - Image One USA veteran franchise owner Maria Bogacki is bringing her top-notch commercial cleaning business to a new market, and its the buildings of Nashville that will benefit.

Ive enjoyed being a part of the Image One franchise so much that when I needed to relocate to Nashville, there was no question that I would bring my business with me, Bogacki said. The entire Image One team has been so supportive and I couldnt imagine ever going somewhere else, or doing something different with my life.

Bogacki established her Chicagoland janitorial business in 2014 following her medical retirement as Staff Sergeant from the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. After learning that Image One USA provided an attractive startup option for military veterans to own and operate a recurring-revenue business at a fraction of the cost of some other franchise models - opening the door to ambitious veterans with limited capital - she knew she had found the business to invest in.

Amid her relocation to Music City U.S.A, the continued support from Image One has played a big role in her continued dedication and in her decision to relocate the business in early 2016.

With nearly 100 franchise owners across the United States, and a newly launched franchise affiliate program that provides additional opportunities for owners, Image One USA continues to expand its name and business model. Image One President and co-founder Tim Conn is enthusiastic and proud to have Bogacki continue her business goals with the commercial cleaning company.

Were so happy that Maria has decided to remain a part of the Image One family, and is now helping lead the charge of our franchise expansion across Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, Conn said. She is exactly the type of owner-operator we want for our company. We are so fortunate to have her continued dedication within our franchise community.

Additional owner-operated locations are available across other markets in the Midwest and Southeast. Image One USA offers a low-cost franchise business for driven individuals who want to make a difference and grow their own business.

About Image One USA

Image One USA is a commercial cleaning services business. The Image One franchising model was formed on the principles of transparency, training, and top-notch financial and customer service support. In a 2015 Franchise Business Review survey measuring franchisee satisfaction, Image One received high ratings from franchisees, including a 4.3 out of a possible 5 rating in the Core Values category.

Image One franchisees work for themselves in a unique relationship with Image One. Image One provides them with customer support for their business, ongoing training, along with assistance with billing, equipment and insurance coverage. Image One has more than 80 commercial cleaning franchise locations throughout the Midwest. Immediate franchise and affiliate expansion plans call for locations across Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa.

For more information on the commercial cleaning franchise, visit imageonefranchise.com, call 1 (847) 370-2745 or email Director of Franchising Scott Kochanski at scott@imageoneusa.com.

SOURCE Image One USA

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Spend Valentines Day with Your 3 Favorite Guys: Stephen, Ben and Jerry!

Ice Cream Maker Celebrates 9th Year Living the Americone Dream and Shares Love of CBS The Late Show Host

BURLINGTON, VT - February 12, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Only a few of Ben & Jerrys flavors introduced in the last two decades have taken a hold in the top 10. (Which is ironic because one of the guys whos on that list replaced a host who used to do Top Ten lists every night.) This Valentines Day, Ben & Jerrys and Stephen Colbert mark nine years of a loving relationship What else can Ben & Jerrys say except: He completes us. As Colbert has transitioned from his iconic and beloved character by the same name on the Colbert Report, to assume CBS top late night host, the ice cream maker feels it is time to give Colberts pint a fresh, new look. I left my character behind, but I could never leave this ice cream. I can barely put the pint down, said Colbert.

Hes not the only one. Stephens Americone Dream ice cream flavor, almost a decade old, had an exceptional year. Volume sales increased by +26% and for 2015 it was ranked among the best-selling flavors for both velocity and overall volume sold. As frozen as his flavor is, that Stephen Colbert is one hot ticket.

Now the Emmy, Peabody and Grammy winning entertainer has settled into his new role entertaining millions more viewers nightly. Between his wit and his charm its only natural to expect fans would want to spend their Valentines Day with Stephen. So Ben & Jerrys is reaching out to some of Colberts biggest Late Show fans who will receive a surprise Spend Your Valentines Day with Your 3 Favorite Guys package this weekend, including an Americone Dream t-shirt, a pint cozy, and TWO free pint coupons for the flavor  one for themselves, and one to share with someone they love.

It was back on Valentines Day in 2007 when Ben & Jerrys fans were introduced to the new flavor sensation featuring vanilla ice cream, a caramel swirl, and chocolate coated waffle cone pieces  once again, ironic, for the guy who as his blowhard, right wing character never waffled. It was love at first bite.

In addition to the Valentines Day fun, the new pint packaging will be unveiled for the Late Shows first anniversary in September. Ben & Jerrys has a lot more in store to recognize nine years of Stephens flavor, including a special Americone Summer waffle cone offering in Scoop Shops, as well as a giveaway to help celebrate those public servants who protect and serve their communities.

In the end of 2015 Ben & Jerrys partnered with the television host to conduct Stephen Colberts Salute to Heroes which focused on visiting dozens of fire departments, police stations and EMT workers offices around the United States to scoop out Stephens Americone Dream flavor and to thank them for their service. A video of the event features Colbert, himself, serving New York City police and fire department employees as a surprise scooper dishing out his fan favorite flavor. Ben & Jerrys will hold its second Stephen Colberts Salute to Heroes giveaway in September to celebrate The Late Shows very first anniversary of Colbert at the helm, bringing Colberts flavor to even more of those first responders who take care of their communities.

You can catch Colbert on CBSs The Late Show at 11:35 pm. Check your local listing.

For more information about Ben & Jerrys Franchise Opportunities, please visit: http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/franchise.

About Ben & Jerrys

As an aspiring social justice company, Ben & Jerrys believes in a greater calling than simply making a profit for selling its goods. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream, yogurt and sorbet using high-quality ingredients. Ben & Jerrys incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices in a number of ways including a focus on values-led sourcing. In 2015 the company completed its transition to using entirely non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients by source as well as to fully source Fairtrade-certified ingredients wherever possible, which benefits farmers in developing countries. Ben and Jerrys products are distributed in 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerrys Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerrys, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Ben & Jerrys became a certified B Corp (Benefit Corporation) in 2012. The Ben & Jerrys Foundations employee-led grant programs totaled $2.5MM in 2015 to support economic and social justice, environmental restoration, and peace through understanding. For the inside scoop on Ben & Jerrys visit www.benjerry.com.

SOURCE Ben & Jerrys

Contact:

Sean Greenwood

Ben & Jerrys

802-233-0840

PR Poobah

Sean.Greenwood@benjerry.com

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If you suffer from acid reflux, your doctor may prescribe Nexium. But at $9 a pill, the price is enough to give you a worse case of heartburn.

Thats the lowest price in the U.S. If you live in Canada, though, you can get the drug for less than a $1 a pill.

This price disparity leads many politicians to think the solution is obvious: Americans should just buy drugs from Canada or other countries where they are cheaper.

Its plan supported by economic liberals like President Trump and Bernie Sanders. Several years ago Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John McCain (R-Az.) twice introduced legislation to allow Americans to order up to a 90-day supply of medicines from a licensed Canadian pharmacy. The Democratic Party even made it a part of their party platform in 2016.

If this seems too easy, its because its an economically ignorant idea. Writing in the Harvard Business Review a few years ago, Rafi Mohammed explained why this strategy wont work:

The reason why pharmaceutical prices are relatively high in the U.S. is that drug companies employ a common strategy called differential pricing. This strategy targets specific segments with different prices. So instead of having the same price for everyone, the goal is to tailor the right price to various segments. Movie theaters, for instance, use differential pricing by offering lower prices to students and seniors. The assumption is students and seniors are sensitive to price, so offering targeted discounts to them is profitable. As a result, moviegoers seated next to each other often have paid different prices. For differential pricing to be profitable, targeted segments have to be easily identifiable, and, most importantly, arbitrage cannot occur. By arbitrage, I mean those who receive discounts dont resell to customers who are currently paying more. This strategy works well at cinemas: its easy to identify seniors/students, and since tickets are sold individually at the door, enterprising seniors/students typically arent reselling discounted tickets for a profit. Why are drug prices so much higher in the U.S.? The answer is straightforward: most countries regulate prices or have a single-payer health care system, in which the government pays for citizens health care costs. In a single-payer system, the government buys all a countrys pharmaceuticals, and it has leverage in take it or leave it negotiations with pharma companies.

Mohammeds explanation is helpful, but its also incomplete. What he doesnt mention is the reason why the price differential for drugs can work: because expensive medicines in the U.S. subsidize the creation of drugs for the entire world.

According to the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, the average cost to discover and develop a new drug is between $800 million to $1.2 billion, and the average length of time from discovery to patient is 10 to 15 years.

If a product costs $1 billion to produce and bring to market, that is the initial fixed cost. Think of it this way: the initial cost to produce the very first Nexium pill is roughly $1 billion. But once that first pill is created, the cost to produce the second, third, fourth, . . . hundred thousandth pill is very low. But if the initial fixed cost cannot be recovered, then no company will lay out the money and spend a decade or more creating the product. New medications will simply not exist.

This point should be obviousand yet it is widely overlooked and ignored. People see a drug, like Nexium, and forget that it only exists because a pharmaceutical company believed it could recoup the cost of research and development and make a profit by selling the medicine. But how is the company able to earn back the initial billion dollar fixed costs? By charging some buyerwhether a government, HMO, insurance company or individuala price that will cover the initial fixed costs.

Once that fixed costs of creating the drug is covered, though, the price can be reduced since the remaining variable costs (e.g., the cost to produce each individual pill) tend to be relatively low. And this brings us to why you, as an American, pay a higher price for a drug that Canadians and Europeans get much cheaper.

To make it easier to understand, lets imagine that a medicine is created to cure a single disease in three patients living in America, Canada, and France. Now lets say that the patient in America pays all of the fixed cost ($1 billion), plus the variable cost for one pill (50 cents), plus 50 cents in profit for the company. In total, the American ends up paying $1,000,000,001 for a single pill.

The pharmaceutical company is happy because they recouped their costs and made a profit (50 cents). Canada and France say that they too want to buy the drug, but they will pay only $1. The drug company agrees to sell the pill for $1 to both Canada and France because an additional $1 profit is better than $0 in additional profit. Everyone is happy.

Well, maybe not everyone. The American may say that it wasnt fair for them to pay all the fixed costs and theyd be right. In our example, Canada and France are free riders that are able to take advantage of the lower costs only because the Americans have already paid the exorbitant fixed costs. The American subsidized the cost of the drug for the patients in the other countries.

This is exactly what happens with most drugs. Very few new medicines are produced in countries that have government restrictions on drug prices. And almost no new drugs would be produced if all countries had government restrictions on drug prices. Without the willingness of the United States to pay the higher prices, the drugs would never even come into existence. Countries like Canada and France are like roommates who let you pay full price for a pizza but expect you to give them a slice in exchange for a few pennies they found in the couch.

Which brings us back to the reimport the drugs strategy. The reason this approach wont work is because once Americans stop subsidizing the drugs for the rest of the world, pharmaceutical companies will not be able to recoup their costs for R&D. Pharma companies simply wont be able to afford to create innovative new medicines. That makes everyone worse off than before.

Ultimately, socialized medicinein the form of government-imposed drug pricingdoesnt work for the same reason Margaret Thatcher said socialist governments dont work: They always run out of other peoples money.
ToysRUs, Inc. Names Joe Venezia Executive Vice President, Global Store Operations

February 12, 2016 // Franchising.com // WAYNE, NJ  ToysR"Us, Inc. today announced the promotion of Joe Venezia to Executive Vice President, Global Store Operations, effective February 22. In this newly elevated role, Mr. Venezia will continue to be responsible for delivering an exceptional shopping experience across the companys more than 850 ToysR"Us and BabiesR"Us stores nationwide, with expanded responsibilities for providing strategic direction and support for Global Store Operations. This includes leading global initiatives and facilitating best practices in the operations area. He will report to Dave Brandon, Chairman and CEO, ToysR"Us, Inc. and serve as a member of the companys Global Leadership Team.

Since joining ToysR"Us two years ago, Joe has played a critical role in our transformation process, leading efforts to drive the business forward and deliver consistent operational execution across all stores, as well as improving customer satisfaction and developing a strong store operations team," said Mr. Brandon. Im proud to have Joe as a leader on my team and believe his guidance will be an asset as we seek to grow our brands globally and create a world-class shopping experience for our customers."

Mr. Venezia joined ToysR"Us, Inc. in February 2014 as Senior Vice President, Store Operations. Earlier in his career, he held key operations and management positions at The Pantry, Walmart U.S., Wells Fargo Merchant Services and Procter & Gamble. Mr. Venezia also served as an Airborne Ranger Officer in the U.S. Army Infantry for nine years and was deployed abroad three times, receiving a Bronze Star Medal for demonstrated bravery during Operation Desert Storm. He received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

FOR MEDIA USE: Download a photo of Joe Venezia here: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d-sf0833fbb6474728b.

About ToysR"Us, Inc.

ToysR"Us, Inc. is the worlds leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 856 ToysR"Us and BabiesR"Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 755 international stores and more than 250 licensed stores in 38 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys at FAO.com. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, ToysR"Us, Inc. has an annual workforce of approximately 66,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about ToysR"Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow ToysR"Us and BabiesR"Us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus and Facebook.com/Babiesrus and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrusand Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

SOURCE ToysR"Us, Inc.

Media Contacts:

Alyssa Peera

ToysR"Us, Inc.

973-617-5634

Alyssa.Peera@toysrus.com

Elizabeth Gaerlan

ToysR"Us, Inc.

973-617-5632

Elizabeth.Gaerlan@toysrus.com

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MONTERREY, MexicoA brawl between rival drug gangs at an overcrowded penitentiary in northern Mexico turned into a riot Thursday, leaving 49 inmates dead and 12 injured in the countrys deadliest prison melee in years.

No escapes were reported in the clash at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, said Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez. The riot took place on the eve of Pope Francis arrival in Mexico, a visit that is scheduled to include a trip next week to another prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Rodriguez said in the morning that 52 people had died, but he lowered that by three in the late afternoon. The reason for the changed death toll was not clear.

At a news conference the governor read a list of 40 names of confirmed victims, saying five of the remaining bodies had been charred by fire and four were yet to be positively identified. One of the injured was in grave condition.

Terrified relatives gathered at the prison gates, where officials posted the names of the dead as they became known.

Ayyy, my son is on the list! 63-year-old Maria Guadalupe Ramirez screamed when she saw the name of her son, Jose Guadalupe Ramirez Quintero, 26, before collapsing into the arms of a daughter and human rights workers.

Ramirezs grief echoed the concerns of others whose loved ones were tossed into Topo Chico along with some of Mexicos most hardened criminals, despite being sentenced for minor offenses or even while they were still on trial.

He had already gotten out. They picked him up again just for drinking. ... There is injustice in this prison, she said, shaking her fists and sobbing.

The fighting began around midnight with prisoners setting fire to a storage area, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky. Rescue workers were seen carrying injured inmatessome with burnsfrom the facility.

Rodriguez said the clash was between two factions led by a member of the infamous Zetas drug cartel, Juan Pedro Zaldivar Farias, also known as Z-27, and Jorge Ivan Hernandez Cantu, who has been identified by Mexican media as a Gulf cartel figure.

A turf war between the gangs bloodied Nuevo Leon state and neighboring Tamaulipas between 2010 and 2012. The Zetas once nearly controlled the area around Monterrey.

Zaldivar Farias was a suspect in the 2010 killing of American David Hartley on Falcon Lake, which makes up part of the border between Mexico and Texas. Hartley was reportedly gunned down while touring the reservoir with his wife on jet skis.

In the morning, a crowd of people bundled against the cold gathered at the prison gates, demanding to be let in to learn the fate of their relatives. Some threw rocks, kicked and shook the gates as riot police with plastic shields kept the crowd out. Prison officials later began letting people enter in small numbers.
You would think that serving as a representative of the people, Del. Mark Cole and House Speaker Bill Howell, not to mention other legislators in Richmond, would have everyone's best interest in mind and would help serve to make Virginia a great place to live and work.

Yet, Cole has used his time proposing a bathroom bill (HB 781) that aims to discriminate and intimidate members of the transgender community, both young and old. It could likely lead to bullying and potentially even violence.

It seems clear that Cole, among others, has little knowledge of what it really means to be transgendered. Lawmakers should educate themselves properly on matters before seeking to recklessly create laws like this.

As a transgendered woman, I can tell you personally what its like growing up with gender dysphoria, dealing with the pain and depression. I can also tell you about what its like to be rejected by your family and your friendsas well as the bullying that comes along with it.

When entering the restroom, we are there to use the facilities and then go on about our day. We have no interest in what the person in the next stall is doing.

Transgender people are not criminals, and should not be treated as such. Honestly, were no different from anyone else out there; we just want to be treated with the same respect and dignity.

The transgender rights movement of today mirrors that of the civil rights movement of the 1960s where common sense was used to explain discrimination as OK.

We need to take a stand and tell Cole and Howell that creating bills like HB 781 and shelving protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are not OK and not in the best interest of Virginia.

Kensi Mills

Spotsylvania

Editors note: The House of Delegates General Laws Committee defeated HB 781 on a 148 vote on Tuesday.
Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. Confirms February 16 & 18 as Dates for Free Stock Market-Trading Workshops

Learn-To-Trade.com reaffirms Tuesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 18 as the next dates for its complimentary, two-hour stock market-trading workshops.

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Toronto, Canada, February 10, 2016 - Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. (www.Learn-To-Trade.com), Toronto's leading provider of professional stock market-trading courses designed to create successful traders on the financial market, reaffirms February 16 and 18 as the next dates for its complimentary, two-hour stock market-trading workshops.

The first free stock market trading workshop occurs on Tuesday, February 16, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Learn-to-Trade.com Inc. head office, which is located at 885 Don Mills Road, Suite 200, in Toronto. The second free stock market-trading workshop takes place on Thursday, February 18 from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at Humber College North Campus, which is located at the corners of Finch Avenue West and Highway 27.

"While the TSX has rebounded slightly, it is still down 2.0% and has lost 17.5% of its value since last April. On top of that, more and more American CEOs are warning about a looming recession in the U.S.," says George Karpouzis, co-founder and director of education at Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. "People may be wary of investing in this kind of environment, but at Learn-To-Trade.com, we understand that this economic climate actually presents investors with a large number of growth opportunities."

Karpouzis explains that there are proven investing strategies that investors can use to profit, regardless of whether markets are going up, down, or sideways. Those who attend the free two-hour stock market-trading workshops conducted by Learn-To-Trade.com can learn all about these investing strategies.

"Attendees will learn how they can secure their stock positions against losses, speculate on stocks using options, rent stocks to create monthly cash flow, about trading currencies, and about stock index markets," Karpouzis explains. "They will also learn about Learn-To-Trade.com's unique Lifetime Membership, where members can re-attend any part of the Learn-To-Trade.com program as often as they like."

Those interested in participating in the free two-hour Learn-To-Trade.com stock market-trading workshop on Tuesday, February 16 or Thursday, February 18 can register online at www.learn-to-trade.com, email: info@learn-to-trade.com, call 416-510-5560, or visit the Learn-To-Trade.com offices at 885 Don Mills Road, Suite 200, Toronto.

Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. is the leading provider of stock market training courses in the Greater Toronto Area. Led by licensed, industry professionals, its extensive courses provide its members with the necessary tools to trade financial products in today's complex and fast-paced markets. Stock trading training courses with Learn-To-Trade.com, Inc. teach investors both basic and advanced stock market investing principles, including: how to read and understand stock prices and quotes, fundamental analysis and technical analysis, and various trading strategies. Through its Lifetime Membership, Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. also provides extensive training and knowledge in stock option trading, stock index trading, futures trading, futures option trading, forex trading, risk management, and capital preservation. Members utilize real-time, simulated trading platforms to paper trade until they gain the confidence to make independent market decisions and produce consistently profitable results. As the leading and oldest financial educator in Canada, Learn-To-Trade.com Inc.'s instructors are also educators for the Toronto-Montreal Exchange, through which its instructors host educational sessions for the major banks across Canada.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.learn-to-trade.com/

Contact Info:

Name: George Karpouzis

Organization: Learn-to-trade.com

Address: 885 Don Mills Road Suite 200 Toronto, ON, M3C 1V9

Phone: 416-510-5560

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/learn-to-trade-com-inc-confirms-february-16-18-as-dates-for-free-stock-market-trading-workshops/103723

Release ID: 103723

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 Zionism is Threat to Democracy? according to Haaretz | Main | Who Did It? CNN Won't Say 

February 12, 2016

Poll: Majority in France Believe Jews Responsible for Antisemitism



Sixty percent of French citizens believe that Jews are at least partially responsible for rising antisemitism, according to a poll by Ipsos, a market research firm.

The survey, reported by The Jerusalem Post, is part of an 18-month study sponsored by the Fondation du judaisme francais (Poll: Most Frenchmen believe Jews responsible for rise in anti-Semitism,? Feb. 2, 2016).

The poll also found that 56 percent of the country believe Jews have a lot of power? and possess great wealth. Repeating another old antisemitic trope, 40 percent said Jews are a little too present in the media.?

Thirteen percent of those surveyed said there are a few too many Jews in France.?

For their part, many French Jews are expressing a growing interest in leaving the republic.

The Jerusalem Post notes another recent poll by the Institut francais dopinion publique, which pegged the number of French Jews mulling moving to Israel at 43 percent. Given Frances approximately 700,000 Jews, that translates to about 200,000.?

In 2015, nearly 8,000 French Jews made aliyah. By contrast, in 2013 less than 3,300 Jews moved to Israel. Figures from 2011, show only 1,900 French Jews immigrating to the Jewish State (Au revoir and shalom: Jews leave France in record numbers,? CNN, Jan. 25, 2016).

Jews have increasingly come under attack in France.

On Jan. 9, 2015 four French Jews were murdered in Paris at a Jewish kosher deli by Islamic state sympathizers. In one week in June 2014, Jews were attacked in three different incidents in Paris, with the assailants using tear gas, axes and an electric taser (Jewish teen wearing yarmulke tasered in Paris,? Tablet Magazine, June 11, 2014).

More recently, French Jews have been increasingly attacked in the city of Marseille. In January 2015, a fifteen-year old ethnic Kurd who supports the Islamic State terrorist group stabbed a Jewish school teacher, Benjamin Amsellem, nearly killing him. At his arraignment, the unnamed teenager said he was ashamed? his attempt was unsuccessful (Teen Jihadi proud of attack on Jewish man in Marseille,? Times of Israel, Jan. 13 2016).

The Times of Israel reports that the attack was the third in as many months in the French city. Frances Jewish community has grown used to living under the surveillance of armed soldiers around synagogues and schools,? the paper says.

As CAMERA has noted, antisemitism has been rapidly growing in Europeanti-Jewish violence up forty percent in 2014, according to a study by Tel Aviv University. The majority of these attacks were in western Europe (Violent antisemitic attacks up 40 percentWheres the Coverage?? April 21, 2015).

With the current trend of antisemitic violence in Franceand a majority of the public willing to blame the victimit may come as little surprise if French immigration to Israel increases in 2016.





Posted by SD at February 12, 2016 10:35 AM

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Performing Dance Arts Weighs in on Dancing Starbucks Barista

Performing Dance Arts, Toronto's leading dance studio providing professional dance lessons for kids of all levels, discusses an autistic coffee shop employee dancing on the job.

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Performing Dance Arts February 9, 2016 - Performing Dance Arts (www.PerformingDanceArts.ca), Toronto's leading dance studio providing professional dance lessons for kids of all ages, is weighing in on the dancing autistic Starbucks barista.

A Toronto Starbucks has been made popular for more than just its lattes. An autistic high school student named Sam, who is a barista there, has drawn attention for his behind-the-counter dance moves. Because of Sam's autism, he has to deal with sudden, uncontrolled movements. He had initially thought he would never be able to hold the type of job he now enjoys, but the dancing has turned his disorder into a building block for Sam's confidence. (Source: Mangione, K., "Dancing Toronto Starbucks barista with autism goes viral," CTV News, January 26, 2016; http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/dancing-toronto-starbucks-barista-with-autism-goes-viral-1.2752189.)

"This is not unusual," says Ashley Daychak, creative director at Performing Dance Arts. "We've talked a lot about the benefits of dance beyond just skill and physical activity. We get to see firsthand how much dancing really does help build confidence in kids. That confidence extends to all parts of their lives, not just on the dance floor."

The video of Sam dancing while making a drink has been viewed over 140,000 times. It was posted by a young woman who suffers from a more severe case of autism, which keeps her from speaking. However, she was able to post this video to help inspire others who may be suffering with autism and to show how it is still possible to function.

"There have been many studies conducted showing the positive effects of dancing on people with autism, including helping them focus," says Daychak. "It's wonderful to see what some simple dance moves can do to move thousands of people,"

Performing Dance Arts offers both professional and casual dance classes to kids of all ages and levels. They operate out of a dance studio in the Woodbridge area and serve all of the York Region and the Greater Toronto Area.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.PerformingDanceArts.ca

Contact Info:

Name: Ashley Daychak

Organization: Performing Dance Arts

Address: 331 Cityview blvd Unit #2 Vaughan, Ontario L4H3M3

Phone: 905-856-1030

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/performing-dance-arts-weighs-in-on-dancing-starbucks-barista/103716

Release ID: 103716

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Polyacrylamide Industry 2016-2021 Global Market Analysis by Regions, Types and Manufacturers

DeepResearchrRports.com Introduced latest report on Global Polyacrylamide Industry 2016 Market Research Report of 272 tables and figures to its Chemicals Category.

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"The Global Polyacrylamide Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Polyacrylamide industry."

The Polyacrylamide Industry provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Polyacrylamide market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.

Major companies with their market volumes and revenues are covered for each of the regions. Top players in the industry are Snf Floerger, Kemira, Basf, Ashland, Nalco, Dia-Nitrix, Mitsui Chemicals, Arakawa Chemical, Snf China, Petrochina Daqing Refining & Chemical Company, Beijing Hengju, Anhui Jucheng Fine Chemicals, Xitao Polymer, Shandong Polymer, Anhui Tianrun Chemicals, Zhengzhou Zhengli Polymer Science Andtechnology, Xinxiang Boyuan Water-Purifying Materials And Zibo Xinye Chemical.

Complete report on Polyacrylamide Industry providing 18 company profiles, their product information and 272 tables and figures is available at http://www.deepresearchreports.com/152761.html .

Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

The Polyacrylamide Industry focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Polyacrylamide industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

With 272 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

Order a copy of 2016 Market Research Report on Global Polyacrylamide Industry at http://www.deepresearchreports.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=152761 .

Major Points from Table of Contents

Table Polyacrylamide Major Raw Materials List

Table Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Polyacrylamide in 2015

Figure Manufacturing Process Analysis of Polyacrylamide

Figure Global Price Analysis of Polyacrylamide 2011-2016 (USD/Unit)

Figure Global Cost Analysis of Polyacrylamide 2011-2016 (USD/Unit)

Figure Global Gross Analysis of Polyacrylamide 2011-2016

Table Capacity (K Units) and Commercial Production Date of Global Polyacrylamide Key Manufacturers in 2015

Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Polyacrylamide Manufacturers in 2015

Table R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Polyacrylamide Key Manufacturers in 2015

Table Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global and China Polyacrylamide Key Manufacturers in 2015

Table Global Production of Polyacrylamide by Regions 2011-2016 (K Units)

Figure Global Production Market Share of Polyacrylamide by Regions in 2015

Table Global Production of Polyacrylamide by Type 2011-2016 (K Units)

Figure Global Production Market Share of Polyacrylamide by Type in 2015

Browse more Chemicals reports at http://www.deepresearchreports.com/cat/chemicals-market-research.html .

About Us:

Deep Research Reports is a database of selected syndicated market reports for global and China industries including but not limited to life sciences, information technology & telecommunications, consumer goods, food and beverages, energy and power, automotive and transportation, manufacturing and construction, materials and chemicals, public sector as well as business and financial services. We provide 24/7 online and offline support to our customers. Call +1 888 391 5441 with your research requirements or email the details on sales@deepresearchreports.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we would be happy to help you find the business intelligence that you need.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.deepresearchreports.com

Contact Info:

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Organization: Deep Research Reports

Address: UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India.

Phone: +1 888 391 5441

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/polyacrylamide-industry-2016-2021-global-market-analysis-by-regions-types-and-manufacturers/103620

Release ID: 103620

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Remove Those Bugs Launches New Website To Promote Houston Extermination Services Online

Remove Those Bugs is a team of expert exterminators in Houston, and has created a new website to promote their services to potential clients searching online via search engines.

Houston, TX -- February 12, 2016 (FPRC) -- As the weather continues to swing between extremes in February, the animal kingdom is in equal dismay to the human world, and this leaves large populations of pests seeking shelter in human habitation. This has led to a startling rise in infestations of homes and offices, and many people are seeking a means to eradicate these new and unwelcome guests as soon as possible. Remove Those Bugs is a Houston extermination service that offers the best services available, and has now launched a new website to promote their services online.



The new website has been designed to seamlessly integrate a strong brand identity, multimedia content including images and video, and a comprehensive list of both the services offered and the areas covered by the company. The site is fully responsive and loads seamlessly on any device.



The new website will enable the company to be found organically by Houston residents using major search engines like Google and Bing, thanks to state of the art localized SEO ( http://removethosebugs.com/houston/pest-control/ ), enabling them to attract new clients, who in turn will benefit from the best services available in Houston.



A spokesperson for Remove Those Bugs explained, Extermination is an essential service, and helps people to keep pests at bay and prevent them from creating structural and health risks that can affect both their property and their lives. This new website will enable us to promote our services passively, and introduce ourselves to more new people than ever before, thanks to local matching SEO. This means we can access a broader potential customer base, and those that choose us will get the most effective, best value services available. Its a win win for Houston, and we look forward to the difference this will make in 2016.



About Remove Those Bugs: Remove Those Bugs is the extermination team to call for those looking for a quick and painless solution to a pest control problem in Houston, Texas. They provide a full suite of solutions for rodents, mice, rats, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, carpet beetles, mosquitoes, flies and more. They offer rapid response and emergency call out services to help people get problems under control quickly and easily. For more information please visit: http://removethosebugs.com







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Tim Holdy Receives Three Separate Advanced Certifications In Real Estate For 2016

The Holdy Realty Teams Tim Holdy has been awarded three advanced Designations and Certifications from industry bodies for 2016.

Jensen Beach, FL -- February 12, 2016 (FPRC) -- The National Association of REALTORS and its affiliated Institutes, Societies, and Councils provide a wide-range of programs and services that help members increase their skills, proficiency, and knowledge. The Holdy Realty Team at Real Estate of Florida is happy to announce that REALTOR Tim Holdy has been awarded three different designations and certifications for 2016. He is now a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) holding both an e-PRO Internet Professional Certification (e-PRO) and an At Home With Diversity Certification (AHWD), making him one of the most qualified real estate agents in Florida.



The Seniors Real Estate Specialist Designation (SRES) is accredited by the SRES Council of the National Association of Realtors. Holdy successfully completed a comprehensive course in understanding the needs and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older. SRES designees are trained to compassionately counsel seniors and their families through major financial and lifestyle transitions in relocating, refinancing or selling a family home.



The RSPS Certification is a nationally recognized certification awarded by the National Association of REALTORS to real estate professionals who demonstrate and promote their expertise in the resort and second home specialty.



NAR's e-PRO certification enables Holdy to use cutting-edge technologies and digital initiatives to link up with today's tech savvy real estate consumer, while The At Home With Diversity certification has helped him to master business conduct sensitive to all client profiles and build a business plan to successfully serve them.



Real Estate Agent in Jensen Beach, FL Tim Holdy said, "I am proud to have earned these Designations and Certifications. I take my real estate education very seriously. I have completed nearly 80 additional hours of education courses beyond the minimum required for license renewal. While nothing beats the experience that comes with being a daily practitioner, I am committed to expanding my knowledge by taking career-building education classes such as those in designation and certification programs."



About The Holdy Realty Team: The Holdy Realty Team at Real Estate of Florida is a team of licensed Florida REALTORS providing honest, trustworthy and knowledgeable insights and actionable advice and recommendations to clients. They specialize in Martin County, Florida homes for sale including Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, Palm City, Stuart & Sewall's Point as well as covering South Florida real estate from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. For more information please visit: http://www.holdy.com/





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Alo KombiServisi Launches New Website To Promote Istanbul Combi Boiler Servicing Online

Alo KombiServisi is a company offering Combi Boiler installation, service and repair in Istanbul, Turkey, and has launched a website to help people find their services via search engines.

San Francisco, CA -- February 12, 2016 (FPRC) -- Istanbul is one of the oldest and most famous cities in the world, famed for its diversity of influences from east and west. The climate in Istanbul varies hugely across the span of the year, meaning energy efficient boilers are becoming increasingly important to the population. Combination boilers are starting to become increasingly popular, and Alo KombiServisi is the first business set up exclusively to help install, maintain and repair these technologically advanced and energy efficient boilers. They have just launched a new website enabling them to promote their services online.



The site has been designed with the latest techniques and strategies in mind, including the latest search engine optimization capabilities ( http://alo-kombiservisi.com/umraniye-kombi-servisi/ ), enabling the website to climb the rankings of search engines so those searching online for combi boiler specialists will now be able to discover the top rated company by customers.



The site includes a full and comprehensive description of their services and credentials, their teams and experience, together with useful resources and information on how to get the best out of a combination boiler ( http://alo-kombiservisi.com/maltepe-kombi-servisi/ ), and the advantages of owning one. There is even information on their service areas, which covers almost all neighborhoods in Istanbul.



A spokesperson for Alo KombiServisi explained, Alo KombiServisi is pleased to be able to launch an online presence, as this will enable us to promote our services more effectively than ever. So far we have thrived through customer recommendations, but that has deprived those who dont already know about us from getting the best combi boiler experts in Istanbul. Now, the website will allow a greater number of clients to discover us organically online, which will lead to more business for us and a better service for them. Its an exciting time for us, as the market in Turkey is only growing, and we hope to grow alongside it.



About Alo KombiServisi: Alo KombiServisi is a local specialist service for Istanbul, Turkey, helping people discover companies offering combination boiler repair and service. The site works tirelessly to provide the best opportunities for great service. The combination boiler industry is growing in Turkey and so repair and service business demand is increasing steadily.



For more information about us, please visit http://alo-kombiservisi.com/





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Successful Winter Coat Drive by Charlotte Plumbing Company ER Plumbing Services

Charlotte plumbing company, E.R. Plumbing Services, partnered with WSOC TV Family Focus to host and man a successful winter coat donation drive in January 2016.

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"How many kids in Charlotte don't have winter coats?" David Parker, owner of E.R. Plumbing Services asked. "Thousands. That's way too many. We've got to do something about that."

E.R. Plumbing Services partnered with WSOC TV's Family Focus program to host and man a winter coat donation drive called Steve's Coats For Kids (named after TV personality Steve Udelson). The local plumbing company volunteered its time, location and manpower to make the coat drive happen.

"We hosted one of the donation drives at CPCC campus in downtown Charlotte," Parker said. "The response was incredible. So many people came out, bringing new and gently used coats, with smiles on their faces and an obvious desire to give to those in need in our community."

E.R. Plumbing Services also opened their office as an official donation site, collecting coats in Matthews and bringing them to the main drop off site, where the coats were cleaned and then distributed through Crisis Assistance Ministry of Charlotte. Steve's Coats For Kids has been a city wide charitable program for eleven years. This is E.R. Plumbing Services' first time as a partner with the program.

Steve's Coats For Kids 2016 was another record breaker. It was the program's first time ever collecting over 20,000 coats; a total of 20,385 were donated this year.

"It's very rewarding both to see how much joy donating the coats brings to people as well as to realize how many kids will be receiving winter coats this year," Parker sais. "As a company, we're always looking for ways to give back to the community. Steve's Coats For Kids is a great way for us to support the youth of Charlotte in a tangible way."

E.R. Plumbing Services has been in operation since 1997. Located in Matthews, NC, the company serves the Charlotte metro area (including a 30-mile radius of the city). Learn more about E.R. Plumbing Services (residential and commercial plumbing services including hot water heater repair and replacement, leak detection and drain cleaning) and the company's ongoing efforts to give back to the community on their website blog.

For more information about us, please visit http://erplumbing.com/

Contact Info:

Name: David Parker

Organization: ER Plumbing Services

Address: 648-C Matthews Mint Hill Rd Matthews, NC 28105

Phone: 704-269-1066

Release ID: 103742

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Darling Buds of Annandale Now Delivers to Rozelle

Darling Buds of Annandale, known for its stunningly created birthday, graduation, Valentine's Day's and Mother's Day floral arrangements, now delivers to Rozelle, a fast developing local suburb in Sydney, Australia, which is located 3km from Darling Buds of Annandale.

--

Darling Buds of Annandale, known for its stunningly created birthday, graduation, Valentine's Day's and Mother's Day floral arrangements, now delivers to Rozelle, a fast developing local suburb in Sydney, Australia, which as of the 2011 census, has a population of 7,917 and is located 3km away from Darling Buds of Annandale.

"This will be a special moment for residents looking for florists for Rozelle, especially that Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and we are looking to deliver lots of Valentine's Day goodness to fuel the love passion of Rozelleians," said florist and manager Natalie Truong, who jointly manages the business with husband Tony.

"Besides, whenever residents of Rozelle are looking for flowers of the freshest quality and beautiful floral arrangements at a reasonable price, they no longer have to worry. Why? Because we have the largest variety of fresh flowers to suit their every taste and occasion," added Natalie.

Darling Buds of Annandale bouquets are usually delivered stylishly wrapped in a self-contained water system to keep them fresh during delivery.

Among the many special occasion the florist for Rozelle caters and Rozelle residents will benefit from include:

- Birthdays - Graduation Day - Valentine's Day - Mother's Day or Father's Day - New born boy or girl - Sympathy or Get well soon, to a simple "thank you"

Established since 1991 and well known in the suburb of Annandale for looking after their customers, Rozelle's residents can rest assured Darling Buds of Annandale will "take pride in using only the freshest flower in our floral arrangement," noted Natalie, the florist Rozelle spokesperson.

Other products Rozelle's residents can expect to enjoy from Darling Buds of Annandale include: beautiful bouquets and floral arrangements, living plants, baby gifts, gifts for birthdays, teddy bears and soft toys, and chocolates and hampers.

"If they aren't yet aware, we also do arrangements for corporate events, grand openings, weddings and funerals. Our florists will take the time to create floral arrangements to suit your budget and desire," said Natalie.

ABOUT DARLING BUDS OF ANNANDALE Darling Buds of Annandale is jointly owned and managed by husband and wife Tony and Natalie Truong. Natalie is a florist and manages the shop and customer service and Tony Truong, does the delivery. The business has been established since 1991, and is totally committed to 100% customer satisfaction. Their website provides a click-and-collect, meaning the customer can order online and then come into the shop to collect their order at a time convenient for them. In addition to Rozelle, which population of 7,917 and is located 3km away from Darling Buds of Annandale , the florist near Rozelle delivers to other local suburbs.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.darlingbuds.com.au/Fast-Flower-Delivery-To-Rozelle.html

Contact Info:

Name: Minh Ta

Organization: Darling Buds of Annandale

Address: 93 Booth Street Annandale NSW 2038 Australia

Phone: 02 9552 1258

Release ID: 103748

For more information visit r



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Alexander Moore Partners Unveils Newest Media Brand at Chartcons.com

New site launches with a mandate to cover anything and everything that can enlighten, excite interest, entertain, or raise eyebrows, Chartcons editors report

Enugu, Nigeria -- February 12, 2016 (FPRC) -- Bringing excitement and a huge range of interesting stories and updates to the bored, the curious, and those just looking to fill a little time, Chartcons has launched at http://chartcons.com/ . The latest addition to the Alexander Moore Partners Ltd media network, Chartcons covers everything from sports, fitness, fashion, and movies to technology, finances, cooking, and lifestyle topics. With a wealth of articles, lists, and features already online since the new site's Feb. 1 launch, Chartcons will be updated regularly to ensure that visitors always have something fresh to dive into.



"We've put in a lot of hard work preparing for this moment, and we're happy to announce that Chartcons is now live and welcoming online visitors," Alexander Moore Partners co-founder and CEO Chuka Udeze said, "Like so many other people, we've bemoaned the lack of a place we could count on to satisfy our curiosity, cure our boredom, or set us straight on complicated, timely topics. Chartcons is the answer to those needs and more, and we're committed to making this already fascinating site an even more exciting and rewarding one to visit."



Even while companies of all kinds increasingly turn to the Internet for their marketing activities, competition can be fierce. Particularly with regard to the pay-per-click advertising programs offered by Internet giants like Google and Facebook, many businesses find it difficult to make their investments into these market-priced products pay off.



Alexander Moore Partners was founded in 2014, after extensive R&D and a successful product beta period the year before, to provide a more rewarding, reliable alternative. With a total of ten distinct content brands now under the group's umbrella, Alexander Moore Partners helps advertisers deliver their messages directly to qualified readers interested in hearing them.



Chartcons is the latest product of the company's quest to engage consumers in satisfying, unique ways that benefit all involved. With almost 100 million page views across the Alexander Moore Partners family to date and nearly 2.5 million social media fans and followers, the company set out to create a new media brand of truly general interest.



Already packed full of enticing content, Chartcons is the result of that quest. Equipped with a wide-ranging founding mission that will see the new site covering everything from business and marketing to love and romance, Chartcons launched with a slew of viral-ready lists and collections, all of them primed for social media sharing. With the considerable resources of the Alexander Moore Partners team powering it, the new site is already attracting readers and producing impressive returns for advertisers and will be updated regularly as time goes on.



About Chartcons:

An online oasis for the bored, the curious, the perplexed, and anyone looking for something interesting to read, Chartcons covers it all. With fresh, exciting takes on everything from science and technology to sports, cooking, fashion, and leisure, Chartcons delivers what readers of all kinds want and need.





Send an email to Chuka Udeze of r

234 90 8000 0465

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Global Molded Plastics Market is growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2015 to 2022

Global Market News has released report on "Global Molded Plastics Market 2016".

Deerfield Beach, FL, United States of America February 12, 2016 /GlobalMarketNews.us/ --

The Global Molded Plastics Market is growing at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. Growing practice of plastics in the household care products, strong demand from automotive industry and growing demand for plastic components in mobile phones are the key factors fueling the market growth. However, variable prices of crude oil and volatile raw material prices are hampering the molded plastics market. Plastic pipes being used in construction of new oil and gas transmission lines is creating opportunities for vendors in the market. The Asia-Pacific commanded the global molded plastics market in 2012, owing to increasing disposable income of a majority of population in this region.

Request For Report Sample Here:

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/molded-plastics-global-market-outlook-46846#RequestSample

Some of the key players in the market include Reliance Industries Limited, Huntsman International LLC, Continental Structural Plastics, LyondellBasell Industries NV, BASF, Rexam, NOVA Chemicals, ABC Group, Eastman Chemical Company, Tosoh, SABIC, British Polythene Industries, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, DuPont and INEOS Group AG.

Application Covered:

o Automotive & Transportation

o Packaging

o Building & Construction

o Consumables & Electronics

o Others

o Stationery

o Clothing

Do Inquiry About This Report Here:

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/molded-plastics-global-market-outlook-46846#InquiryForBuying

Products Type Covered:

o Molded polypropylene

o Molded polyethylene

o Molded polyvinyl chloride

o Molded polystyrene

o Others

o Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

o Polyurethanes (PU)

Technology Covered:

o Roto Molding

o Injection Molding

o Extrusion Molding

o Blow Molding

Regions Covered:

o North America

o US

o Canada

o Mexico

o Europe

o Germany

o France

o Italy

o UK

o Spain

o Rest of Europe

o Asia Pacific

o Japan

o China

o India

o Australia

o New Zealand

o Rest of Asia Pacific

o Rest of the World

o Middle East

o Brazil

o Argentina

o South Africa

o Egypt

What our report offers:

 Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments

 Market share analysis of the top industry players

 Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

 Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets

 Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)

 Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

 Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

 Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments

 Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

About Market Research Store:

Market Research Store, we have market research reports from competent publishers. Our Research Specialists have thorough knowledge about offerings from different publishers and different reports on respective industries. They will help you refine search parameters and get desired results at your doorstep. Here you can review the complete range of available reports, review the scope of study and methodology of reports. Apart from the published market research reports, we also provide customized study on any topic to meet the varied requirements of our clients.

Whether you are looking for new product trends, competitive analysis or study on existing or emerging markets, Market Research Store has best offerings and expertise to get the critical information for you. You can also choose the option to purchase full reports or sections from the report or only charts or tables.

Contact us:

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The post Global Molded Plastics Market is growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2015 to 2022 appeared first on Global Market News.

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by Nancy Ward, Coordinator of Committees

LOVE is everywhere in our February Committee Reports. The committee chairs share what they LOVE about CWG committees, but first, heres what they would LOVE to have from you:

Blog ideas? Contact Kathryn Cunningham.

Can you moderate for the Online Conference or edit the video? Contact Karina or Laura.

Want to schedule CWG tweets along with your own? Karina needs a tweet scheduler for our Facebook group.

Love to cut and paste info for the CBN and email? Dawn Witzke needs a backup person who can do prep and get the Catholic Book News out when she cannot.

Could you help with Seal of Approval forms or train to evaluate books? Contact Erin McCole Cupp.

Do you read the Blog? Dennis McGeehan would love to have another person to help select articles for Zenit.

Like to network with CWG members? We need a new chairperson for the Volunteer Committee. Contact Nancy Ward.

Every committee chair would love to have your prayers and support.

Blog: Kathryn Cunningham and Dennis McGeehan  LOVE the excitement and enthusiasm of our guest bloggers. Weve had two in the last couple of months who were very well received. Love the idea of together we are more powerful than one. Anyone, send me any brainstorming about encouraging Guest Bloggers and members. Had lunch with our wunderkind Mary Woods during the holiday. She is a smashing success at Wyoming Catholic College and still loves CWG. The feeling is mutual!

Dennis McGeehan: The SOA Committees new tutorials will be soon be linked on the CWG blogs SOA page. Erin is joining the Blog Team and will be doing SOA-related posting. Dennis is updating the blogs CWG Contact Info page, with new Board members and also the new SOA Committee members on that page.

CALA (Catholic Arts and Letters Award): Carol Ann Chybowski  I love being part of the revival of Catholic literature. Were a quiet little committee, not much to do after we send out the author invitations and confirm the judges. (I am still waiting to confirm one judge.}

But then, its my first year, so Im sure you have some publicity duties coming our way!

Catholic Book News  Dawn Witzke  I love that Gloria Winn has got my back on proofing. Im sometimes in a rush to get the newsletter out and dont always catch errors. Book News for Jan 20 featured Edgewater by Poet Arthur Powers and True Radiance: Finding Grace in the Second Half of Life by Lisa Mladinich in the categories of Womens Issues, Spiritual Growth and Inspiration.

In 2016, I plan to update the current template to something mobile ready. Would love to get a backup person on my committee who can do prep and get the CBN sent if I cant.

CWCO: Ann Lewis, Karina Fabian and Laura Lowder 

From Laura: The 2016 Writers Conference Online is shaping up rapidly now. We have a nearly full schedule of wonderful presenters on topics ranging from elements of the writing craft to legal issues for writers to a look at the very noble challenge of our motto: The Rebirth of Catholic Arts and Letters.

Were soliciting volunteers to help with moderating presentations. Karina is scheduling times for presenters to learn the webinar program and to practice on it. Weve also opened registration for attendees. We are charging $40/person for the conference, $25 for CWG members

I LOVE being part of the Guild and working with such wonderful people as Karina and Ann Lewis and others Ive met through these conferences!

From Karina: Let me start with what I hate: I hate dealing with technology. Every day, I note the irony that my day job is testing and reviewing software, yet I am not comfortable using anything past Office. Why do I tell you this? We are using a webinar platform for the CWCO. This is new technology for a lot of people. However, I  a 21st-century Luddite  have tested this software and found it the easiest platform for coordinators, presenters and attendees to use (yes, including Google Hangouts and Skype). Plus, I am going through all the behind-the-scenes hassle so its easy for the attendees as well.

Second, Im doing it because I love the online conference. I love that we can reach people who cannot attend a live conference. We have so many talented writers, and I love watching them come alive during presentations and side conversations as they learn new skills, make connections, or just chat about their latest work in progress. (We have scheduled time in between each session for free chat, BTW.) I love that people come away inspired to write more, market their books better and approach publishers. And each time we have the conference, we end up with a new book out in the world. It really does foster a rebirth of Catholic Arts & Letters!

Finally, I love the people. Laura Lowder is a joy to work with, as has been Ann Lewis when we collaborate. Presenters and volunteers have been giving and fun to work with, and I always learn so much.

What do we need? As Laura said, were calling for volunteer moderators. It looks like we also need someone to edit the recordings. In order to make this easier on attendees and still deal with the software, we need to have five multi-hour presentations, which means the recordings will have about 6 hours for conference, with 5 or 6 presentations. The editing will be simple  just cut it into the five or six one-hour presentations  but we need someone who can handle that large a recording and can cut it up and save it as separate presentations we can then post online.

CWCL  Ann Lewis  More details of the Life Conference July 22-25 in Chicago will be out after the Online Conferenc.

Facebook/Social Media  Karina Fabian  What I love: I recommended the CWG FB group when we had so much trouble getting people to gather and communicate on the website. I love, love, love that it has taken off. We have formed the community wed hoped for. Im sorry that non-FB-using members are not getting the benefits, but it has been wonderful for the many who participate. I also love that even though Ive not been posting, people seem to be sparking conversations and basically adhering to the rules. (At least no one has come complaining to me about excessive sales-y or Read MY Blog!!! posts.)

Im also grateful for Gina Marinello-Sweeny and Michael Fraley for taking on the two big FB group tasks  approving members and running the Book Blast. (Side note: Michael has had some trouble with the book blast getting edited and posted on the blog, but were keeping a closer eye on it.)

What we need: Jane Lebak and Carolyn Astfalk rewrote the regular tweets and FB posts for our social media posting. Ive been on sabbatical from the social media, but will be programming these in soon. However, I could use a volunteer to help me load them into Buffer once a month. As a bennie, I dont mind letting the person using my buffer account to schedule posts for their own social media as well.

Membership: Maureen Smith -Current active members number 473.

Retreat: Ann Lewis and Margaret Rose Realy  This is held every other year. Stay tuned!

SOA: Erin Cupp  Its a new year, and the SOA Committee is in LOVE! We LOVE the sense of adventure that comes with putting together our new, convenient online training modules for our evaluators. We think our evaluators will LOVE these tutorials and quizzes when they roll out in early February, and we are in LOVE with the hope that this new training will help our evaluators to be more confident what they do for the SOA Committee. Even more so, we LOVE how patient our authors and publishers are being as we take 1st Quarter 2016 off to prepare and administer this training. We also LOVE Ann Seeton for volunteering to protect evaluator confidentiality in her new role as our Hard Copy Coordinator. We furthermore LOVE Laura Nelson and miss having her as our Forms Coordinator, and wed LOVE to have you, yes you, sign on to fill the gaping hole she left in our heartsas long as you have some familiarity with Google Forms and Docs, that is. Would you LOVE to help us with our forms? Or are you thinking about becoming an SOA Evaluator? Wed LOVE to have you! Contact the committee at SOA@catholicwritersguild.com.

Speakers Bureau/Educational Outreach: Dennis McGeehan  I can add your name when requested.

Volunteer Committee: We would LOVE a new CHAIR! We thank Nichole Latif for organizing this new committee last year. She set up a system to match the needs of the committee chairs with the talents of the CWG members.

Zenit: Dennis McGeehan  I would love to have one more person on the Zenit committee to help select CWG Blog posts to submit to Zenit.com

Fiction Critique Group; Contact Don Mulcare

CWG Non-Fiction Critique Group: Contact Nancy Ward or Connie Rossini.

For other concerns and suggestions about our fabulous committees, contact Nancy Ward, Coordinator of Committees.

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"Not so easily will the lights of freedom die." That was Winston Churchill, the "Last Lion" of the British Empire who saw England through its darkest hours of WWII.

And I wonder, "Are we past the point of no return? Is America in an inexorable decline?" Probably. Does that mean I give up fighting for her? Absolutely not. I refuse to relinquish the Republic to those who would contort and corrupt her for personal gain. We, indeed, have a choice. Sit back, complain, and let our country slip away or defiantly shrug off the hopeless desperation.

It's time to send real local folk to Washington D.C.. Neighbors we know. People of integrity and principle. I recently met with Matt Lynch who's running for the House seat for District 14. I looked him in the eye as he spoke about his beliefs -- beliefs that founded this country. Beliefs that celebrate the limitless possibilities of hard-working men and women. Beliefs that recognize the true nature of man -- not imaginary portrayals of how man should be.

So, I'm endorsing Mr. Lynch. That's right -- I'm a special interest group all my own. My interest is in the preservation of our God-given rights as Americans as clearly stated in the Bill of Rights. He's got my vote.



Benito Alvarez, MD,



Chesterland
CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- A man was arrested in a Tennessee Walmart after police say he urinated in the store while trying to stuff a package of trout in his pants.

According to multiple media reports, Clarksville police responded to a call at the store around 1:33 p.m. Wednesday.

Upon arrival, employees told officers that 56-year-old David Wylie of Clarksville was caught urinating on the floor near the alcohol section while in the process of trying to put a package of trout in his pants.

Wylie attempted to leave the store without paying for the fish before being detained by store personnel.

A police report indicated Wylie admitted to officers he urinated on the floor, but was not concerned because the offense is a misdemeanor. He also acknowledged being under the influence of alcohol, but again was not concerned because public intoxication is also a misdemeanor.

Wylie was charged with shoplifting, vandalism, indecent exposure and public intoxication. He was booked at the Montgomery County Jail under a $2,000 bond.
About Our Travel Programs

We craft journeys that reflect how we love to travel. It's not about checking things off a list. We're passionate about getting to know and love another culture, making new friends, and getting beyond day-to-day boundaries. But after an exhilarating day exploring new lands and cultures, we still enjoy a good night's sleep in a great hotel with modern amenities. With Friendly Planet, you don't have to choose between cultural immersion and comfort.

For 40 years, we've been obsessed with creating top-notch tours and packages that are both the trip of a lifetime and an exceptional value, all backed with an extraordinary level of personalized service. From experienced tour guides to caring reservation agents, you'll feel like you're chatting with a friend. And unlike other many other travel services, if you need help while traveling we're reachable 24/7by phone, text and email.

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The Right Size: While other tour operators often herd around 4050 people on a tour, our Small Group tours include no more than 16 travelersand often fewer. We believe this is the perfect size for visiting sites comfortably and efficiently and getting to know your travel companions. Share the excitement of discovery with an intimate group of likeminded travelers, without paying a premium for a small group tour.

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Creative & Comprehensive Itineraries: You'll enjoy guided tours of all the must-see spots, along with off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences you won't find on other tours. We also build in opportunities to get to know the locals, and ample time for you to explore on your own or join optional excursions.

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Included Flights: Most tours include flights from the U.S. on well known, reliable carriers such as United, Lufthansa, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air China, LATAM and others. We negotiate unbeatable wholesale rates and pass the savings on to you. Compare our pricessome of our air-inclusive tours cost about the same as you'd pay for flights alone!

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Like our small group tours, our Value Vacations are carefully designed to give you a great experience in the destination you're visiting. These tour packages are operated by our carefully selected, valued partners and may be shared with other English-speaking passengers, ensuring guaranteed departures. The number of passengers may vary, and groups may be larger than our small group tours, but no more than 29. And like all other Friendly Planet tours, save with fantastic prices and leave everything to us. We arrange your flights, transfers, hotels and tour program. You'll have licensed, English-speaking guides for some or all of your journey, and throughout your tour, you'll always have a local contact for any questions, problems or suggestions.

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Sometimes it's nice to get away to a new place for a few days on your own, with no set itinerary and no expectations. If that's your style of travel, check out our Independent Packages to dozens of top cities in Europe and beyond.

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Want to travel just with your with friends or family? We've been creating customized travel for groups and individuals since 1981.

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Have your own unique journey in mind? We'll gladly help make it a reality, creating the right trip, at the right price, just for you. With operations in more than 40 international destinations (and adding more all the time), if you can dream it, we can probably make it happen.

Learn more or request a proposal
Staying Healthy

Before visiting Cuba, it is recommended that you are up to date on all your routine vaccines (measles, mumps, tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine etc) You may need to get the following vaccinations and medications for vaccine-preventable diseases and other diseases you might be at risk for at your destination: Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid and Rabies.



(Note: Your doctor or health-care provider will determine what you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities.)



Although there are pharmacies, they only give you the essential medicines, as most are scarce and the ones you can get will be expensive. Therefore it is desirable to take, in addition to the remedies prescribed by your doctor, a basic kit with analgesics, tablets for diarrhea, antacids, antihistamines, calamine lotion, sterile gauze, Band-Aids, insect repellent and sunscreen.



Center for Disease Control

World Health Organization
Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
Zurich UK Lifes interim chief executive said he is really happy with the firms results, despite seeing a dip in operating profits last year.

In its full year results, released yesterday (11 February), the insurer reported a 2 per cent fall in operating profits, dropping to 113m last year from 115m in 2014.

Speaking to FTAdviser, the current head of Zurichs UK life arm Jim Sykes, said: We are down slightly on our headline profit, but we are really chuffed about that, because we know we had a very large one-off event in 2014 which wasnt really repeatable.

We are really pleased that its moving in the right direction, he added.

In 2014, Zurich faced large one-off costs relating to policyholder tax benefits and in 2015 the provider blamed profit falls for the first half of the year on lower bond yields and stock market.

Mr Sykes said comparing 2015s profits with the previous year was not particularly meaningful, adding that if the one-off item had not been included in last years figures, then the business would have seen a comparable rise to other life insurers.

We cant necessarily choose when those one-off items appear on our results.

He also argued the firm has worked really hard to manage its legacy books, pointing to the deal with Rothesay Life as a positive move.

We have done a load of other efficiency work and margin management work during 2015, which has helped us a lot.

Our two protection businesses, the retail and the corporate, are both contributing quite significant profit now and thats been growing year on year, so underlying we have got some really positive changes in there.

Mr Sykes also pointed out that growth in the wealth business was driven by the expansion of its retail platform, while the new business margin was up 16 per cent; 2.5 per cent higher compared to last year.

Im not interested in having lots more business if we havent got the margin, he stated.

Mr Sykes was also absolutely convinced that the Swiss group would be investing more in the UK, suggesting that it is gaining market share, pointing to growth in the retail protection proposition over the past 18 months.

As a side note, he added that Zurich has some exciting plans in the pipeline to provide more tools and facilities for advisers over the coming year.

It is really crucial to help the adviser in their back office and we have got a long-term focus in that space to try and make us indispensable.

katherine.denham@ft.com
Joanna Hall, vice president of financial services at business management consultant North Highland Consulting, has called for an Ministry of Transport style test for robo-advice.

Ms Hall said: I agree that there needs to be a standard. Who checks that I dont know, but people need to have the confidence this sort of thing is to a particular standard and meets certain requirements.

Ms Hall said the body in charge of such an MOT-style system would need to be completely independent, so it could, for example, be run by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Using the analogy of a cars engine, she said: Robo-advice has different costs and comes from different makes with different engines so it is like making sure the key or the engine works - it is the same principle.

Ms Hall said such a system would reduce the possibility of a mis-selling scandal down the line.

But she added unfortunately there is always scope for human error and that each person has different circumstances and different levels of risk they are willing to take.

Her comments come after the Personal Finance Societys chief executive Keith Richards said in December last year that robo-advice compliments, rather than threaten regulated advice.

However he also added: A word of caution though: even though they potentially increase public access to advice, you cant automate critical systems without running the risk of creating another formulaic mis-selling scandal.

Dominic Fryer, head of corporate pensions at Aviva, agreed it was important that robo-advice systems are validated to ensure they are delivering advice that complies with regulatory standards.

He said this may help to mitigate the risk of generically flawed advisory models that could result in poor customer outcomes.

Mr Fryer said: Given that the current framework for advice does not discriminate between robo and human interaction advice models, it is sensible to have independent validation to test the end to end customer journey to safeguard for customers, advisers and providers. Given that the current framework for advice does not discriminate between robo and human interaction advice models, it is sensible to have independent validation to test the end to end customer journey. Dominic Fryer

David Moffat, group executive of outsourcing organisation International Financial Data Services, said robo-advice terrifies advisers at a certain level because they do not actually believe they add sufficient value for what they earn.

He said advisers are worried robo-advice will undermine them by offering a much cheaper alternative to themselves.

Mr Moffatt said: People who might use that (rob-advice) in their twenties or thirties for narrow specific advice will be the clients who have 20 years hence actually started building up a portfolio, who will then go back to a financial adviser when they are heading towards retirement.

At that point (they) will have the finances and the portfolio to make it worthwhile for face to face advice.
Newtons Rob Marshall-Lee has dismissed Chinese currency volatility, suggesting opportunities have arisen from markets overestimating the extent to which the renminbi will fall.

This years torrid start for investment markets was triggered by falls in the renminbi, with its path prompting fears of a full-blown devaluation.

Some commentators suggested that investor sentiment would only improve once Chinese officials provided more clarity over their intentions for the currency, the exchange rate for which is still largely dictated by policymakers.

But Mr Marshall-Lee, head of emerging and Asian equity at Newton, said the currency is not as overvalued as markets indicate.

The manager, whose team runs the Global Emerging Markets, Asian Income and Emerging Income funds, said a devaluation of at least 20 per cent was being priced in to markets, whereas he expected a 5-10 per cent drop at most over the course of the next 18 months.

This 5 or 10 per cent is less than factored in by the market, we think 20 or 30 per cent is factored in and that provides opportunities, he said.

We are seeing opportunities in high-quality companies with long-term growth. When we see 50 to 100 per cent upside on companies, taking 5 or 10 per cent for the currency on the chin is neither here nor there.

He acknowledged the currencys value had increased a long way in recent years in trade-weighted terms, but said this was counteracted by Chinas products moving up the value chain, thus becoming more expensive. If you adjust for that, its a 20 per cent appreciation rather than a 40 per cent appreciation. China is [also] increasing its market share globally, which does not point to an overvalued currency or an economy that should be rapidly depreciating its currency.

Part of the renminbis strength was due to quantitative easing programmes in Japan and the eurozone that are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, the manager added.

He said Chinas $3.3trn (2.3trn) in currency reserves, a figure that has fallen from $4trn in recent months as it sought to defend its currency, remain sufficient to prevent sharp falls in future.

About 20 per cent of Mr Marshall-Lees GEM fund, which has returned 8.5 per cent since he took over in September 2013 compared with a 7.9 per cent loss for the IA GEM sector, is exposed to China.

When Hong Kong exposure is added, almost one-third of the fund is focused on the region. The fund also has a 50 per cent exposure to consumer stocks, with Chinese education and e-commerce stocks a key play.

Meanwhile, the team-managed Asian Income fund, formerly run by Jason Pidcock, has 14 per cent in Hong Kong stocks.

In keeping with his view that opportunities are emerging, Mr Marshall-Lee said he is keeping one eye on the Chinese state-owned enterprises, and has a small holding in PetroChina.

He said there are signs of government retrenchment in such sectors, as well as the removal of excess and unprofitable capacity in the cement and steel space.
Nearly 2.65m will be returned to investors after a ruling in Southwark Crown Court today.

He ran a fraud which claimed to be making large returns for investors from the profits of his Forex trading.

Today (12 February) Judge Deborah Taylor also ruled that Hope should pay 166,696 after approving a confiscation order.

A statement from the FCA said this must be paid in full within three months or he will face a further sentence of 20 months imprisonment, consecutive with the seven-year sentence imposed upon him in January 2015.

The order follows a confiscation order made against Raj Von Badlo, Hopes co-defendant, who was ordered to pay 99,819 at a hearing in December after pleading guilty.

Judge Taylor directed that all sums confiscated from Hope and Von Badlo be paid by way of compensation to the investors who were victims of their crimes.

In total, investors should therefore expect to receive more than 2.9m, which equates to approximately 55 per cent of the capital sums that are owed to them.

Mark Steward, the FCAs director of enforcement and market oversight, said: This is the largest sum returned to victims of crime following an FSA/FCA prosecution and is the result of quick action in the first instance to restrain the proceeds of Hopes offending.

The FCA will continue to work hard to ensure wrongdoers are held to account not only for their wrongdoing but also for its consequences, especially to victims, to the fullest extent possible.

Von Badlo must pay his sum in full within three months or face a further sentence of 15 months imprisonment, consecutive to the two year sentence he received in January last year.

In addition, he was made the subject of an order that prevents him leaving the UK until his confiscation order is satisfied in full.
FCA chairman John Griffith-Jones filed expenses of 29,738.69 for the period between April and December last year, according to figures published yesterday (11 February) by the regulator.

Foreign travel accounted for the largest tranche of his expenses during the period at 25,406.63.

This included 11,836.57 spent between July and September, and 8,645.73 spent between October and December.

From April, when his expenses began, to June, Mr Griffith-Jones spent 4,924.33 on foreign travel.

Hotel and food bills for the overseas trips accounted for 2,296.91.

The FCA said overseas travel would have included trips to attend meetings of the Financial Stability Board, which are held in various locations, as well as trips to attend European Union meetings in places such as Brussels.

His expenses compare with those of former FCA chief executive Martin Wheatley, who racked up 33,017.59 over 12 months from 2014 to 2015.

This was the highest annual expenses bill since the FCA was launched in 2013.

Mr Griffith-Jones became chairman of the new FCA in April 2013, and chairman of its subsidiary, the Payments System Regulator, in April 2014.

He worked at KPMG from 1975 to 2012, spending 11 years in audit and 15 years in corporate finance before becoming chief executive of KPMGs UK firm and subsequently chairman and senior partner for the UK in 2006.

He became joint chairman of KPMG Europe in 2007.

Acting chief executive Tracey McDermott, who took over following Mr Wheatleys departure last summer, has recorded 5,539 in expenses claims for the year to date.

FCA strategy and competition director Chris Woolard, who joined the regulators board following Mr Wheatleys exit, has claimed 7,712, mainly in the final three months of 2015.

Andrew Nevett, managing director and financial planner at Freedom Financial Planning, said: Would the FCA allow us to have foreign travel trips that count towards our continued professional development?

Nice work if you can get it.
Welsh farmers will soon be able to bid for a share of 37m through the countrys Rural Development Programme (RDP), known as Glastir.

Five different schemes will open on 29 February offering grants to farming businesses for sustainability projects and land management, animal welfare improvements, food enterprises and also support grants for rural communities.

The Sustainable Production Grant Scheme will offer 6m for capital investments in facilities and equipment related to animal health and welfare, crop storage, livestock housing and handling, renewable energy production and soil and crop management.

See also: Farmworker wages rates in Wales to rise 6%

Grants will range from 16,000 to a maximum of 400,000 and applications will close on 25 April.

The 5m Sustainable Management Scheme will support collaborative landscape scale projects to deliver actions that improve natural resources and deliver real benefits to farms, rural businesses and local communities. The closing date for applications is 7 May.

About 2m is available under the Timber Business Investment Scheme, which will support proposals to encourage both active woodland management and increased value of outputs. It closes on 23 May.

Applications for the largest, the 14m Food Business Investment Scheme, is open until 25 April. The scheme is designed to help primary producers with capital investment support and particularly farm businesses that want to process their own agricultural products.

Up to 4m has been allocated for the Rural Community Development Fund, which aims to tackle poverty in rural communities.

Farmers Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts welcomed the announcement but said more needed to be done.

We are one of a number of industry bodies which have developed an ambitious joint vision for the Rural Development Programme aimed at bringing about positive changes for entire sectors.

It is therefore welcome to hear the deputy minister [food and farming minister Rebecca Evans] refer repeatedly to transformational change, and we look forward to hearing more details regarding the schemes announced today and numerous other elements of the RDP.

Announcing the latest round of funding, Ms Evans had stressed the importance of UK membership of the EU for Wales, saying 200,000 jobs depended on access to the single market and the benefits it provided in facilitating trade.

On 19 March, the Welsh government will open the 6m Co-operation and Supply Chain Development scheme, which will run until 9 May. The scheme will support the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies in the agriculture, forestry and food sectors.
The 2016 Farmers Apprentice is on the hunt for bright young talent, aged 18-25 years, to take part in a week long residential bootcamp at Bishop Burton agricultural college near Hull.

If you want that first step on the farming ladder enter now on the Farmers Apprentice website.

This is the third Farmers Apprentice competition, which puts 10 youngsters through a series of challenges to select one overall winner.

This year the prize is something money just cannot buy  a one year internship with Farmcare, one of Britains biggest farming operations, which manages 20,000ha of cereals, fruits and vegetables from Carnoustie to Kent.

This is a unique 25,000 package opportunity to gain business, practical and management insight on the whole farm to fork process  and fast-track a career in agriculture.

The 20 finalists and winners have found the experience of taking part in the week long residential bootcamp life-changing and invaluable in getting to the positions and places that they are now.

Be inspired by their stories and entry videos and enter Farmers Apprentice now.

George Brown, Dairy Herd Manager, Cairnhead Farm, Cumbria

2012 Winner

Watch his video on winning 2012 Farmers Apprentice

George was a Cambridge University graduate with no previous experience in farming.

He is now the dairy herd manager at one of the top dairy farming businesses in the country  Cairnhead Farm in Ainstable, Cumbria in 2014, following 18 months working in New Zealand on two very different dairy farms initially as a farmhand and then becoming assistant manager.

After winning Farmers Apprentice, a farmer in Cumbria tweeted me say pop in and say hello. I took him up on this and now he is my current boss. I have Farmers Apprentice to thank for my current role, says George.

Catherine Barrett, Commercial Technical Advisor Bayer CropScience

2012 Finalist

Watch her video entry

Catherine was working in Westminster as a researcher with no previous farming experience before Farmers Apprentice.

She is now a Commercial Technical Advisor for Bayer CropScience, based in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

As a result of bootcamp she enrolled on the Bayer CropScience graduate training programme in where she has gained experience in field trials, sales, marketing, regulatory affairs and is now Basis qualified.

When I applied for the position of trials assistant with Bayer, some of the people that were interviewing me had already seen an interview with me on Farmers Apprentice.

This helped me a lot and gave me a kind of foot in the door, showed my interest and passion for farming and was a great ice-breaker, says Catherine.

The Farmers Apprentice gave me a great insight into farming and allowed me to work out what I wanted to do before I committed to a career in agriculture. I was struck by the enthusiasm and passion that people have for the farming industry.

Sam Gosling, en route to Gs Growers in Spain

2014 finalist

Watch his video entry

Sam was a second year Reading University student studying rural property management when he attended bootcamp at Easton College in the summer of 2014.

Although not from an agricultural background, the experience at bootcamp fired his desire to go into farming.

Hes been working on an arable and dairy farm in his home county of Rutland and saved enough money to invest in three years of travel to explore farming systems in Europe, southern hemisphere as well as China and India.

I took away a great deal from Farmers Apprentice but if I had to select just one thing it would be that although farming is a tough industry, there is no doubt that you can make a success out of the challenges.

The opportunities are endless.

At bootcamp, I learned as much about myself as I did about farming; for me it was the perfect springboard to deciding what I want to do in agriculture. It gave me such a boost confidence-wise.

I had thought about being a land agent but the experience helped me to decide to go straight into farming.

Carwyn James, ruminant nutritionist, ForFarmers

2014 finalist

Watch his video entry

Carwyn and his brother manage the familys 300ha Pembrokeshire farm of beef sucklers and Texel sheep.

As a direct result of bootcamp, he now works as an account manager for ForFarmers, advising farmers across West Wales on feed and nutritional plans.

Farmers Apprentice really reinforced a lot of things I already had ideas about, says Carwen.

Theres some brilliant talent in the agricultural industry, but it is a very competitive sector and you need to do more than ever to stand out.

As farmers, we need to communicate and collaborate with each other a lot better than we currently do, to control prices and demand. Bootcamp was fantastic, I had so much fun. It was so stimulating and really required all the finalists to think outside the box.

I met a recruiter at bootcamp and got a job as a ruminant nutritionist with Countrywide on the back of Farmers Apprentice 2014.

Joshua Metcalfe, agricultural robotics engineering

2012 finalist

Watch his video entry

Joshua had no previous farming background when he came to bootcamp, but the experience galvanised him to approach an agricultural robotics engineering company where now works installing and maintaining mechanical farm equipment (milking machines, grain hoppers) across the UK.

In his spare time he manages 14 of his own white-faced woodland sheep.

Farmers Apprentice helped me to narrow down what it was I wanted to do in agriculture, as well as what I didnt want from the industry! I have an absolute passion for farming and feel privileged to be able to travel around the UK meeting like-minded people every day.

Be bold and push yourself to enter, the experience and the consequences are more than worth it.

Kate Yells, Royal Agricultural University

2014 finalist

Watch her video entry

Kate flew back from Australia, where she was working on sheep ranch, to take part in the 2014 Farmers Apprentice.

She is studying a one-year diploma in agriculture at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester and works part-time milking on an organic dairy farm locally.

Taking part in the Farmers Apprentice bootcamp has done a great deal to make my CV stand out as a candidate for new positions. This is something that employers have actually told me.

The fact that I am one of only 20 people who can say they are a Farmers Apprentice finalist is a fantastic thing to be able to tell employers.

It also helped me to network and meet like-minded people that may help me in the future.

Richard Bradley, Harper Adams University

2014 finalist

Watch his video entry

Richard was only 18 years old, and the youngest of the farmers apprentice finalists, when he went to bootcamp in 2014.

Hes now in his second year at Harper Adams studying agricultural engineering, managing a small sheep flock near the University and as keen as ever to make his mark in farm business.

Bootcamp was life-changing, no seriously it fuels the fire. It motivated me to start looking at all the different options and systems used in the agricultural industry.

A lot of people in the farming are doing the same thing, but the Farmers Apprentice opened my eyes to the importance of diversifying to spread risk. I have recently looked into a pig shed fertiliser factory  producing fertiliser from pig waste with a view to spreading on the fields.

Rebecca Kelsall, Genus and Harper Adams

2014 Finalist

Watch her video entry

Two weeks after bootcamp, Rebecca went on a year-long placement with Genus where she worked on their breeding programme.

She visited farms, photographed bull daughters and logged them on to a central base as well as liaising prospective buyers. Shes back now at Harper Adams University and will finish her Agribusiness degree this summer.

I can say for sure that being a 2014 finalist has helped to improve my CV, and helped me to get my placement with Genus. Not only is it a great thing to talk about with other people in agriculture but actually attending the bootcamp gave me lots of great new contacts too.

I was also approached by NFU in September 2014, to help them at the Lord Mayors Show, this too was a result of attending Farmers Apprentice 2014.

Tips on your video entry

1. Be a bit different

Try and think of something original that will set you apart from the crowd. When you do get to bootcamp, dont turn any opportunity down and throw yourself into every task. If someone asks if you want to be a team leader, do it. Catherine Corbett, 2014 Finalist

Watch her video entry

2. Dont think about it too much

I produced my video on my iPhone, over a couple of days. I found that instead of sitting about and thinking about it, if you crack on and have a go you will naturally find you have a minute of film in no time.

James Baker, 2012 finalist

3. Think outside the box

And sell yourself. A lot can be said in 60 seconds so make it memorable and stand out from the crowd. Be engaging and enthusiastic, using voice recorders and video editing programs to pack in all your key points and make people watch your whole application.

Annabelle Story, 2012 finalist

4. Be confident in your own abilities

This time around the prize is even better. The chance of a foot in the door for the winner will be great and will positively benefit the rest of their career. Rebecca Kelsall, 2014 finalist

5. Just do it. What have you got to lose?

I saw an advert for Farmers Apprentice in the Metro newspaper, jotted down some notes on what I wanted to include in my video and then took some time to shoot it with my colleague at work. Sam Pitchley, 2012 finalist

Enter the Apprentice now
Defra minister George Eustice has defended the lack of a government plan for farming should the UK leave the European Union.

Mr Eustice outlined the governments position regarding the forthcoming in-out referendum to farmers and reporters at the Norfolk Farming Conference on Thursday (11 February).

The onus will be on the leave campaign to paint the picture of what it would look like for agriculture in the event that the UK decides to leave the EU, he said.

The government could yet decide to campaign in favour of leaving the EU, but that would depend on the outcome of talks to renegotiate the UKs relationship with Europe.

It comes as prime minister David Cameron tries to strike a deal on a UK renegotiation package with other European leaders at a council of ministers meeting on 18-19 February.

A successful outcome, with the government campaigning in favour of remaining in the EU subject to new terms and conditions, could pave the way for a referendum as soon as June.

See also: No plan for farming if UK quits EU, admits Truss

Farmers have repeatedly complained that they cant make an informed decision on which way to vote unless the government outlines its likely policies in the event of an exit from the EU.

There is particular concern over how a UK government outside the EU would support agriculture, and whether it would do so to the same extent as Brussels.

Mr Eustice said: Both campaigns  those who want to leave and those who want to remain  will be able to set out their stall, and argue the pros and cons of leaving and remaining.

He added: If the government decides to argue to stay in the European Union, the government will obviously point out the risks of leaving the European Union.

But the onus will be on those on the leave side to paint the picture about leaving the EU.

Earlier, Mr Eustice told reporters the campaign would start once the prime minister had announced the date of the referendum.

It would be up to the leave campaign to explain what coming out of the EU might look like in terms of the impact for agriculture, he said.

There would be lots of scrutiny on both sides of the campaign; lots of scrutiny of claims made by those saying we need to stay in and those saying we need to come out, added Mr Eustice.

One thing I am confident about is that at the end of the debate everyone will be sick and tired of hearing about the European Union, he added.

I hope people will feel they have all the information they need to make a decision.
Military veterans are being encouraged to work on farms in a bid to help solve the shortage of skilled workers in agriculture.

A project being trialled in East Anglia is matching military leavers with future employers  with a special focus on agriculture.

The Veterans Employment Transition Support Programme (Vets) East scheme is the first regional hub for the Vets programme, launched last November.

See also: Rebuilding Afghanistan through agriculture

Recent figures suggest agriculture needs to find at least 6,000 new entrants a year, yet job vacancies are proving increasingly hard to fill because the sector is frequently perceived as unattractive.

Military veterans are seen as an untapped pool of expertise for farmers looking for capable staff who are willing to work on their own initiative outdoors and capable of operating large machines and equipment.

Ideal workforce

Nicola Currie, apprenticeships ambassador for Easton & Otley College, is leading the initiative for farming and land-based industries.

Recruiting the right young people into farming and related industries is vital for the future of the rural economy, she says.

Former servicemen and women are the ideal workforce to help grow the regions farming and land-based businesses, she adds.

Many veterans find it difficult to secure gainful employment. But Mrs Currie says: We have here a group of people who are already equipped with many of the skills we are looking for in East Anglias modern, progressive farming industry.

In the east of England, only a quarter of former veterans feel their employer fully recognises their skills and experience. But if successful, the initiative could be rolled out to other parts of the UK.

Common ground

Although some people question estimates that agriculture needs 60,000 new entrants over the next decade, there is no doubt recruitment is a problem. But agriculture and the forces have much in common, says Mrs Currie.

Most people dont realise the jobs there are in agriculture. If you told the average person leaving the forces, they would probably have no idea, yet both jobs are very compatible. Both work with big bits of kit and computer technology and the skills are transferable.

Former servicemen and women are reliable, used to operating large vehicles, have good attention to detail, are disciplined, enjoy working outdoors  and they are fit too.

Mrs Currie says she was disappointed to find that the MoDs careers transition unit at nearby Colchester Barracks had no information for service leavers on careers in farming and the food industries despite the wide range of good opportunities.

Her enthusiasm for the Vets scheme was fuelled by seeing her own nephew struggle to adapt to civilian life after five years in the Parachute Regiment. Farming can offer a buffer that many other industries cant, she says.

Agriculture also offers a comradeship that is similar to life in the forces, Mrs Currie adds.

In the military, you are expected to work as a team and back each other up. Farming is similar. But in a civilian office environment there is often none of that  it just isnt always the ethos.

The farmworker

Other than growing up in rural Suffolk, William Brew-Butler had no connection with agriculture  but the early signs were there. When Bury St Edmunds had a cattle market, that was my place to go, he says. When I was little, Mum would take me up there to watch the pigs being sold.

Mr Brew-Butler spent five years as a gunner in the RAF Regiment  the ground fighting force of the RAF. His time included a tour of Afghanistan in 2010 before he left a year later, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and hearing loss.

When I left the forces, animals were a big part of helping with my post-traumatic stress disorder. I started keeping a few sheep and cattle on a smallholding  it was my therapy. An animal will never judge you in the same way that another human would.

He is now an assistant farm manager on an outdoor pig unit for WH Wallace & Son at Hall Farm, Coney Weston, near Bury St Edmunds. The farm is an outdoor breeding unit of 900 sows producing about 1,200 piglets every three weeks.

Farming is a world apart from the military but Ive still got my uniform hanging in the wardrobe, he says.

Ive got bags of kit in the spare room too. Its all there  untouched since I left. I know I dont need it but I am ready to go  even though Im never going to use it again.

Mr Brew-Butler says he received little careers help after leaving the military. I got no help writing my CV  my dad did it for me.

To be honest, as soon as I left, they didnt really want to know anything anymore. Something like the Vets project would have been really useful.

He believes farming could offer opportunities for other former servicemen and women too.

People in the forces  most of us didnt really do well at school and many of us arent really academic. I dont read or anything like that and a lot of the lads wouldnt know where to start when it came to writing a CV, let alone anything else.

Most of the 30 or so lads I passed out with have left now. A lot of them have gone into office jobs but I like the outdoors and knew I wanted to go into farming so it was something I pursued  but most people dont consider it because it doesnt even occur to them.

After finding work as a stockman on a farm for a year, the 26-year-old successfully applied for his current job, which he has been doing since last May.

He is now helping to promote the Vets scheme to encourage other former members of the armed forces to carve a new career in agriculture.

Mr Brew-Butler appears to have found his niche in farming. I see this as a long-term career move, he says.

Id like to manage my own pig unit. Im never happy until I get to the top of what I am doing and I enjoy pushing myself hard.

The farmer

Herefordshire farmer Tom Powell left the forces eight years ago to return to the family farm. Former servicemen and women are ideally suited to careers in agriculture, he believes.

In order to serve in the armed forces, you need a high level of drive, determination and resilience, says Mr Powell, who served for six years as an officer in the Royal Artillery, which included a tour of Iraq in 2006.

The armed forces develop your initiative, problem-solving and communication skills. Those qualities and other attributes that crossover well are reliability, the hard-working nature you need for both industries, and the ability to work comfortably outdoors and operating all sorts of light and heavy machinery.

The family farm at Yazor is mainly combinable crops, potatoes and cider apples. It was always my intention to return home but I wanted to develop my core skills elsewhere, says Mr Powell.

I found that those skills were entirely transferable when it came to farming.

About the Vets project

The Veterans Employment Transition Support initiative in East Anglia is the first regional hub for a national partnership project providing support, registration, mentoring, and other employment services for former members of the armed forces.

Research with nearly 800 former veterans found many employers do not value military experience as highly as they might.

This means many businesses are missing out on a wealth of talent, says Nicola Currie (pictured), apprenticeships ambassador for Easton & Otley College.

Vets East is matching service leavers with the regions businesses  in particular, small and medium-sized enterprises. Mrs Currie is leading the initiative for farming and the land-based industries, encouraging local farmers to consider veterans as potential employees.

We have here a group of people who are already equipped with many of the skills we are looking for in East Anglias modern progressive farming industry.

Couple this with the right additional training and we have access to an ideal workforce to help grow the regions farming and land-based businesses.

Farmers and employers are encouraged to sign up on the Vets East website where they can advertise job vacancies or offer mentoring and work placements.
Story Highlights Residents in states with higher tax burden more likely to want to leave

Connecticut and New Jersey residents most likely to want to leave state

Montana residents least likely to want to leave state

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Residents living in states with the highest aggregated state tax burden are the most likely to report they would like to leave their state if they had the opportunity. Connecticut and New Jersey lead in the percentage of residents who would like to leave their state.

Tax burdens are based on Tax Foundation data. The aggregated state tax burden is based on the combined income, property and sales tax rates in each state. States are arranged into quintiles based on their 2015 state tax scores. States in the first quintile represent the 20% of states that have the lowest aggregated state tax burden, and states in the fifth quintile are the 20% of states with the highest aggregated state tax burden. A full list of the quintile assignments by state is included at the end of this article.

Approximately a quarter (26%) of residents who live in states with the lowest tax burden say they would like to leave their state. And this rate generally holds for residents in the second and third quintiles. However, there is a three-percentage-point increase to 31% among fourth-quintile states and an even greater jump to 36% among the fifth quintile. Even after controlling for various demographic characteristics including age, gender, race and ethnicity, and education, there is still a strong relationship between total state tax burden and desire to leave one's current state of residence.

The results are based on Gallup's 50-State poll, conducted March 30-Dec. 22, 2015, with approximately 500 respondents in every state. Full results for each state appear at the end of the article.

Connecticut and New Jersey Lead in Percentage of Residents Who Would Like to Leave

Nearly half (46%) of Connecticut and New Jersey residents say they would like to leave their state if they had the opportunity. At 13%, Montana has the smallest percentage of residents reporting they would like to leave the state.

Despite having a desire to leave one's state, few actually report that they intend to move permanently to another state. For example, only 12% of Connecticut residents who report they would like to move say they plan to do so in the next 12 months.

Implications

States with growing populations typically have strong advantages, which include growing economies and a larger tax base. Gallup data indicate that states with the highest state tax burden may be vulnerable to migration out of the state, putting them in jeopardy of missing out on some of these advantages.

States in the first, second and third quintiles have similar percentages of residents reporting they would like to leave their state; however, this percentage increases for residents living in states composing the fourth and fifth quintiles. These data suggest that even moderate reductions in the tax burden in these states could alleviate residents' desire to leave the state.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted March 30-Dec. 22, 2015, with random samples of approximately 500 adults, aged 18 and older, living in each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total state samples, the margin of sampling error is 5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Data are weighted to account for unequal selection probability, nonresponse and double coverage of landline and cellphone users in the two sampling frames. Data are also weighted to state estimates of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education and phone status (cellphone only, landline only, both, and cellphone mostly).

Each sample of state adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.
As a reporter I almost always find it interesting/fascinating to cover a new subject or attend a new meeting.

Such was the case Jan. 29 with the Oregon State University Board of Trustees meeting at the Memorial Union.

Two items on the agenda caught my eye. First, was a review of presidential compensation policy that looked like it might yield a raise for OSU President Ed Ray. The second was a panel discussion on housing issues in Corvallis. Ray got a 3 percent raise and gave it back to the university, which was worth reporting, but that portion of the meeting had nowhere near the resonance that the housing panel offered.

Some background, first. The high-wattage state universities in Corvallis, Eugene and Portland used to report to the state. Now, they have their own boards of trustees. Local control instead of Salem control is the goal. But there also is a learning curve to deal with, particularly given that most of the trustees are from out of town.

OSUs board did not meet until mid-2014, and it is my understanding that last months meeting was the first that included this much information on housing. Thats 18 months in business and virtually no focus on what to many Corvallis residents is the No. 1 issue in terms of the citys relationship with the university. OSU has grown dramatically in recent years, leading to development changes, large infill development, changing codes and livability issues such as parking, trash and loud parties.

No housing discussion? Thats one oddity in my book. A second is that the panelists (city housing official Kent Weiss, former councilor and planning commissioner Trish Daniels, realtor Angela Stuckart and OSU housing official Dan Larson) essentially presented no "new" information. Low vacancy rates for rentals, housing prices, supply and demand, infill, student enrollment trends, information from a housing study the city released in 2014. It was interesting stuff, but there were no revelations, at least for this reporter.

Then I took a look at the audience: Ward 1 City Councilor Penny York, longtime community activist Kent Daniels (Trishs husband), former Planning Commission member Marilyn Koenitzer, former city official Rollie Baxter and community activist Jeff Hess.

These are people that I have seen at literally dozens of meetings on housing, going all the way back to the summer of 2012 when I joined the Gazette-Times and first began writing about the collaboration project between the city and OSU. And during the past two council terms the city has had a housing goal it has been working on. And working on.

Well, all of the presentation seemed to be news to the board, although it was a bit disconcerting to note that only three members: Ray, Kirk Schueler of Bend and Paul Kelly of Portland had any questions or comments to make on the presentations.

Even more disconcerting was a question Schueler appeared to be asking his colleagues: Did we reach any conclusions on housing at the retreat?

Even more disconcerting was watching Ray ask Larson, his own executive director of housing and dining services: We are looking at public/private partnerships, arent we?

Some more background: Going back to that same summer of 2012 Larson participated on the neighborhood planning workgroup of the collaboration. The group recommended that OSU work on a possible public-private partnership to add to its on-campus stock of housing.

Larson answered Rays question by noting that yes, such a concept was being discussed, but that it was slow moving. Larson also discussed the concept in a guest opinion the Gazette-Times published last April.

Now, my antenna was really up. Does Ray not know if his top housing official is working on such a project? That seems unlikely. So Rays question, then, must instead be meant to reinforce the universitys position. But for whom? The audience? Unlikely. They already know how slow the going has been. The board? That makes more sense.

Which leads me to the big picture: There are plenty of people in town who think the university has been slow to act on housing issues. So should this panel be viewed as a breakthrough in the information campaign?

York, one of the smartest politicians in town, praised the panels performance and the importance of the information it presented during her council report at the Feb. 1 City Council meeting. So am I barking up the wrong tree? Maybe.

Lets say for the sake of argument that OSU IS slow to act on housing. Well, if community members continue to bring the heat on OSU, Ray can bring up the panel discussion and note that the board is working on the issue.

Which, through one set of lenses might mean progress. Through another, however, it could mean just more delays.
ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.

RASPBERRY (razbere) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.

Lets start, uncharacteristically, with a couple of ROSES to the Oregon Legislature.

First, ROSES to the House of Representatives, which on Thursday paid fitting tribute to Army Spc. Cody Patterson and his family, from Philomath.

Youll recall Patterson died along with three others on Oct. 6, 2013, in a suicide bomb attack during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. On Thursday, the House unanimously approved a resolution to recognize Patterson for his military service. The effort is part of the Heroes Highway Project and pending likely approval in the Senate, Pattersons name will appear on a roadside sign to honor his service. The project has been a priority for Rep. Andy Olson of Albany.

Maybe the best thing about Thursdays event was that representatives, in the middle of a busy session, took time to pay their respects to members of Pattersons family, who traveled to Salem for the ceremony. In the meantime, we look forward to the day when were driving west on Highway 20 toward Philomath and the sign honoring Patterson comes into view, an enduring reminder of a soldiers sacrifice.

The second batch of ROSES to the Legislature goes to the state Senate, which on Thursday scuttled a proposed constitutional amendment that looked good on paper but struck us as bad public policy.

On a party-line vote, the Senate apparently killed Senate Joint Resolution 204, which would have amended the state constitution to mandate that 28 percent of the states budget in the 2017-19 budget cycle be appropriated to public safety and K-12 education. (We write apparently because its the Oregon Legislature, where zombie bills rise from the dead with frequency.) The percentage would have increased to 33 percent of the state budget by the 2021-23 budget cycle. (Oregon spent about 25 percent of its budget on schools and public safety in the 2015-17 biennium.)

We understand the idea behind the resolution, which would have referred the proposition to voters: to help ensure that vital services such as K-12 education and public safety are properly funded, mandate that a certain percentage of state money is devoted to those areas.

Republicans supported the resolution. Democrats were against it.

In our view, though, Senate Joint Resolution 204 wouldnt have done anything to ensure proper funding of Oregons schools or its public-safety agencies. It would have hamstrung the very body we elect, the Legislature, in its attempts to write budgets that serve the need of all Oregon residents.

After all, its not the percentage of the pie that matters: Its the size of the pie. It may well be (in fact, we have argued in the past) that Oregons schools and public-safety agencies are underfunded. But simply guaranteeing that 1 of every 3 state dollars will be earmarked for schools and public safety doesnt mean that there will be adequate dollars to go around in the first place.

Besides, creating the state budget is a more complex process than just determining what percentage to allocate to which area. Circumstances and conditions change, and legislators need the flexibility to adjust the state budget accordingly. Its just not good public policy to tie their hands by nailing down a batch of inviolate budget formulas.

ROSES to snowpack. Remember how a year ago, our mountain ranges were devoid of snow? Oh, we had precipitation, but it was falling as rain, not snow, and the snow never came.

Its still too early to celebrate  much could change over the next few weeks as winter turns to spring. February and March are critical for accumulating snowpack. A stretch of unseasonably warm and dry weather still could cause real mischief.

But thus far this season, the snowpack numbers are extremely encouraging. Snowpack in the Willamette Basin is at 107 percent of normal, and those happy conditions are repeated throughout the state.

The first big beneficiaries of the snowpack numbers are, of course, the regions ski areas, which suffered through a horrendous season last year. (None had worse luck than Mount Ashland in Southern Oregon, which didnt open at all last season for the first time in its 50-year history and then, this season, had to delay its opening because big snowfalls in the region were playing havoc with power supplies. We suspect Mount Ashland officials were considerably happier with this years set of problems.)

RASPBERRIES to a particularly nasty variation on a time-worn scam: The FBI reported last week that con artists are using a phone spam that spoofs the FBIs telephone number  that is to say, the FBI telephone number appears on the victims caller ID. Who wouldnt pay attention to that phone call when it shows up?

So, when you pick up the phone, you get the classic scam: You have an unpaid ticket or otherwise owe money, and the FBI will arrest you if you dont pay up, because the FBI has nothing else to do, right? Lets make a long story short: Dont pay. Its not the FBI calling. Hang up. Call your local law enforcement agency.

Speaking of the FBI, did you notice that the agencys Art Crime Team is now at work at the site of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, trying to assess any potential damage to artifacts or sacred burial grounds caused during the standoff? Thats true, according to a news release issued Thursday by the bureau. It is, however, not true that the Art Crime Team had to be diverted from a lengthy investigation into Adam Sandlers movies.
Public lands are a treasure that elevate the quality of life here in the West. These shared lands are a big part of why so many people are moving to Oregon. I think the greatest good of public lands is simply that they stay in public ownership so that they can be enjoyed by all in perpetuity. But we dont have to look to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to see threats to the existence of public lands.

Imagine a 94,000-acre temperate rainforest including old growth that is home to imperiled species, and countless streams that support native salmon runs. This is our Elliott State Forest, nestled in the Oregon Coast Range just northeast of Coos Bay. Its currently threatened with privatization because historic obligations linked school funding with logging and now the State Land Board thinks it is not generating enough money for schools.

But these forests provide our children with clean cold water, wildlife, protection against climate change, recreational opportunities, and an outdoor classroom that is always there to educate them. Each of us needs to do our part and push the State Land Board, led by Gov. Brown, to scrap the plan to privatize the Elliott  Oregons coastal rainforest gem  and find a more acceptable way to fund education that doesnt sacrifice our public lands legacy, the best outdoor classroom our children will ever have.

David Mildrexler

Corvallis (Feb. 7)
The transition and remodeling of the four former Oregon State University housing co-ops is underway and on time.

The four houses, Avery Lodge, Azalea House, Dixon Lodge and Oxford House, used to house more than 200 students. The university shut down the co-ops in a controversial move at the close of the 2013-14 school year, citing the cost of required renovations and revisions that university officials felt were required in the co-operative housing program.

A handful of students tried to continue the co-operative housing model at a house on Northwest 15th Street called Oak Lodge, but the experiment did not continue after the 2014-15 school year.

The four co-op buildings, which are contained in the four-block area bounded by Jefferson and Madison avenues and 11th and Ninth streets, date to the early part of the 20th century, although they were not used as housing co-ops until the 1950s.

One of the co-ops, Dixon, already has transitioned to its new role, said Dan Larson, executive director of University Housing and Dining Services. Dixon has 30 single rooms with shared bathrooms and a common kitchen. The space is used for short- and long-term housing for visiting scholars and researchers.

Larson said that construction is on track at Oxford, Avery and Azalea, with Oxford scheduled for completion in June, with the other two houses due to be finished in late summer.

Here is a look at the plans for the other three buildings:

Avery will host the Human Services Resource Center, which provides services, outreach, education and referral services for students battling hunger, poverty or other challenges. The space also will house the OSU Emergency Food Pantry.

Azalea will be used for campus services to support student parents and their child-care needs as well as administrative offices for OSUs Child and Family Resources Team.

Oxford will become office space for University Housing and Dining Services.
David vs. Goliath

To the Editor: The St. Pauls debate has been heavily dominated -- in the media and public meetings -- by sermons from save the building advocates. The latter group is...

POAs start primary process open to all residents

As previously announced, the four Property Owners Associations (Western, Estates, Central and Eastern) have made changes to their processes to nominate residents to serve as trustees for the Village Board of Trustees (BOT) and the Board...

Now the time has come

To the Editor: The Governance Committee should be appreciated for their work which generated several meritorious recommendations relating to the Village government. I was present when two members of Governance...

School tax bill fiasco

To the Editor: The county assessments are now in a 5-year phase-in program thanks to our past county executive's changes to the assessment process. Also, the Star program which once...
American students : Beethoven Hall with banana please

Bonn American exchange students studying landscape design say a banana would perk up the Beethoven Hall.

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Erik Boyer does not mince his words, I never thought that it would look so dingy around such an important building. He is one of several exchange students from Penn State University who are studying landscape design. On his foray to the Beethoven Hall in Bonn, he found the area littered with pop cans, candy wrappings, green plastic bags, corks, cigarette butts and a whole array of other discarded items. Not to worry though, he said he could imagine the garbage on display as art.

Boyer and fellow student Zachary Wright also noticed an ugly black sheeting which has been hovering over the roof of the Beethoven Hall for nine years now to protect against further damage. Their idea  lets put a banana on the roof! And so came the concept of the giant, 30-meter long banana peel on the roof of the Beethoven Hall. If you have a stain, cover it up. Maybe, they thought, someone would even want to sponsor the trademark banana.

Boyer and Wright and the other exchange students from Pennsylvania State University are part of a program run by the Academy for International Education (AIB). They are spending a semester in Bonn. Berlin artist Thorsten Goldberg lead a workshop for the students about coming up with creative and artistic ideas for the area encompassing the Beethoven Hall.

Opinions of the students varied. John Hall sees the building as post-war and says I can understand that some Bonners dont want to build a new hall, since this is already the third. Zachary, on the other hand would definitely tear down the old and build a new hall. Matthew Gawarzewski said he knows uglier buildings, but One needs to make the area surrounding the hall more attractive, and urgently. Its right in the middle of the city. In particular, the students said better lighting was needed, outdoor seating, and a better connection to the inner city.

If you want to see their other creative ideas, the work of the students will be on display in the Stadthaus (city administration building) until February 16.
Fleet modernization : Police criticize new cars

Foto: Axel Vogel

Bonn Police hand in their VWs for BMWs but not all of them are happy. Some complain the new cars are too small.

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Normally a brand new BMW would be a welcome thing for nearly anyone. In this case, however, not all North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) police are exactly thrilled. As part of a modernization program, police in NRW are trading in their old VW Passat station wagons for new BMW 318 d Touring models. The problem? They are too small.

In Bonn, about 60 old police cars will be traded in for the BMWs in the next weeks, while in Siegburg 30 cars will be traded in. NRW police hope to update their entire fleet of vehicles by the end of 2018, which calls for a replacement of 1,845 old cars with the new BMW 318 d Touring models.

The new BMWs offer less space than the currently used VW Passat station wagons. Some police officers complain that the seats are too low and also narrow when considering the extra belt and equipment they carry around their torsos. Add to that, police say the cars dont work efficiently when it comes to hauling someone away. Often, police have a law enforcement student riding in the back seat, and a fourth passenger doesnt fit back there. A second police unit would have to be called in to make an arrest and take someone to the station. Trunk space is also small, giving less space for needed storage.

Technically, the BMWs are superior to the old Passats because they are all equipped with digital wireless technology for data transfer, have navigation systems and dynamic braking lights. Run flat tires allow the car to go on even if there is no air pressure in the tires. And just so they stand out in the crowd, they have a fluorescent yellow marking that is visible in daytime hours. A big advantage of the new cars was the economic efficiency, according to the NRW Interior Ministry.

On the positive side, police say the new cars ride well and have decent motors. NRW Interior Minister, Ralf Jaeger said, The new police cars fulfill the highest technical requirements for daily patrols, and offer a high standard of security. Bids were taken from four different car manufacturers and it came down in the end to BMW and Opel.
Weekend tips : Whats happening in Bonn and region

BONN/REGION If youre not sure what to do this weekend, check out these happenings!

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Friday, Feb. 12

5:30 p.m. Kinopolis, Dirty Grandpa (engl.) Right before his wedding, an uptight guy is tricked into driving his grandfather, a lecherous former Army-Lt. Colonel to Florida for spring break.

8:00 p.m. Barbershop choir Barberellas, Dottendorf city center, Dottendorfer Str. 41

8:00 p.m. (in Cologne) Jimmy Carr  Funny Business, British Comedian, Theater am Tanzbrunnen, Rheinparkweg 1, (0221) 8212121

8:00 p.m. Bounce: A Tribute to Bon Jovi, (Bonn) Harmonie, Frongasse 28-30 (0228) 614042

8:00 p.m. Louis Lortie (piano)- works from Chopin Chamber music room, Beethovenhaus, Bonngasse 24-26

8:00 p.m. Oran nam Bo-songs from Kuhen, Michael Klevenhaus (gaelic vocals), Anna Lindblom (Swedish vocals), Thomas Zoller (bagpipes), Nachfolge-Christi-church, Beuel, Dietrich-Bonhoeffer str. 8

7:00 p.m. Tonight Alive (Cologne) Rock, Luxor, Luxemburger Str. 40 (0221) 924460

8:00 p.m. Arcadien (Cologne) Rock, Funk, Electro & Indie, Blue Shell, Luxemburger str. 32 (0221) 212034

8:00 p.m. Salsa party (Bonn), Anno Tubac, Kolnstr. 47 (0228) 654074

11:00 p.m. Dark Night Awake (Bonn), Party, Club das sofa. Maximilianstr. 8

Saturday, Feb. 13

1:00 p.m.  6:00 p.m. LVR Landesmuseum  Staged Confusion from Boris Becker, Colman str. 14-16

1:00 p.m.  6:00 p.m. Stadtmuseum Bonn  history of the city of Bonn from the Romans until today, Franziskanerstr. 9

15:30 p.m. Concert in the park, Concert hall Kurpark, Bad Neuenahr

From 8:00 p.m. Casino Bad Neuenahr- Lounge music and roulette for beginners (take your chances, maybe they can explain it in English too!)

11:00 p.m. Kinopolis, The Hateful 8 (engl.) Sometime after the civil war a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape...a journey for justice and through a stormy mountainside.

11:15 p.m. Kinopolis, Deadpool (engl.) based on Marvel Comics, the story of a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who adopts the alter ego Deadpool.

Sunday, Feb. 14

Happy Valentines Day to all GA English readers!

9:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Swim and brunch at the Ahr-Thermal pools, Felix-Rutten-Strae 3, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

11:00  4:00 p.m. Toy fair (matchbox cars and trains, etc.), accessories and old tin models, Stadthalle in Bad Godesberg, Koblenzer str. 80

11:00  6:00 p.m. LVR Landesmuseum  Staged Confusion from Boris Becker, Colman str. 14-16

3:00 p.m. Dance FLASHMOB  One Billion Rising  no to Violence against women -Munsterplatz

3:00 p.m.  8:00 p.m. Girls/Womens fleamarket: Bruckenforum, Beuel, Friedrich Breuer str. 17

4:00 p.m. Blues 66: Rhythm & Blues, Sonjas, Friedrich Str. 13 (0228) 635825)

11:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m. Stadtmuseum Bonn  history of the city of Bonn from the Romans until today, Franziskanerstr. 9

11:00 a.m. Concert in the park, Concert hall Kurpark, Bad Neuenahr

12:30 p.m. Kinopolis, Alvin and the Chipmunks (engl.) Through a series of misunderstandings, Alvin, Simon and Theodore think Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in Miami and dump them.

12:30 p.m. Yoga in the park, Kurpark Bad Neuenahr

3:30 p.m. Concert in the park, Concert hall Kurpark, Bad Neuenahr

7:00 p.m. Blues Caravan: Blues-rock with Layla Zoe (Canada), Ina Forsman (Finland), (Tasha Taylor (US), Harmonie, Frongasse 28-30, (0228) 614042

7:30 p.m. Kinopolis, The Hateful 8 (engl.) Sometime after the civil war a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape.a journey for justice through a stormy mountainside.

8:30 p.m. Kinopolis, Deadpool (engl.) based on Marvel Comics, the story of a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who adopts the alter ego Deadpool.

Note: for weekday listings of Kinopolis movie in OV (engl.), please visit their website at http://www.kinopolis.de/bn/showtimes/wek/1.php/

Interested in the Bonn music scene? You might want to check out this blog: 3songsbonn.com

Wanted: Anyone with tips about events for English speakers is welcome to send them in to <strong>english@ga.de</strong>

Twitter: GA English is now on Twitter with news updates in English.click follow!

Coming up

Exhibitions in Wallraf Richartz Museum.

Palmyra: Whats Left? Louise-Francois Cassas and his travels in the Middle East: Feb. 26-May 8. The ancient city of Palmyra has fascinated people for centuries  until the summer of 2015 when it was attacked by terrorist organization Islamic State. The appalling situation has caused the Wallraf-Richartz Museum to think about what survives. More than thirty drawings are presented from French artist Cassas.
clarajancita at 12-02-2016 10:14 AM (6 years ago) (f)

Protesters trooped to the streets in the community of Ikere Ekiti on Wednesday following the destruction of a billboard with the picture of the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Ayodele Obasoyin allegedly on the orders of the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

Protesters trooped to the streets in the community of Ikere Ekiti on Wednesday following the destruction of a billboard with the picture of the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Ayodele Obasoyin allegedly on the orders of the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

It was gathered that the Olukere has been in a bitter fight with the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu who is strongy supported by the governor. It was alleged that Fayose personally tore the Olukere's picture on the billboard. It was gathered that the governor tore the picture on the billboard while he was returning to Ekiti after visiting his Akwa Ibom State counterpart.



The protesters, who gathered at the popular Odo Oja junction at about 6pm on Wednesday, chanted anti-government slogans in condemnation of the action.

In retaliation, angry youths barricaded roads leading to the town and attacked billboards with Ogogas picture in Ikere Ekiti.

This caused a major traffic, as Akure, Ita Ogbolu, Iju, Ise, Emure, Ado Ekiti roads were blocked for hours. The protesters continued on Thursday, prompting the police to deploy more men to the community to restore calm.



The Olukere, who addressed reporters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, expressed surprise at the destruction of the billboard with his picture.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter.



Obasoyin said, It was gathered that the Olukere has been in a bitter fight with the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu who is strongy supported by the governor. It was alleged that Fayose personally tore the Olukere's picture on the billboard. It was gathered that the governor tore the picture on the billboard while he was returning to Ekiti after visiting his Akwa Ibom State counterpart.The protesters, who gathered at the popular Odo Oja junction at about 6pm on Wednesday, chanted anti-government slogans in condemnation of the action.In retaliation, angry youths barricaded roads leading to the town and attacked billboards with Ogogas picture in Ikere Ekiti.This caused a major traffic, as Akure, Ita Ogbolu, Iju, Ise, Emure, Ado Ekiti roads were blocked for hours. The protesters continued on Thursday, prompting the police to deploy more men to the community to restore calm.The Olukere, who addressed reporters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, expressed surprise at the destruction of the billboard with his picture.He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter.Obasoyin said, Quote My life now is at stake. If someone could personally supervise the tearing of my billboard, what would he do if he meets me face to face?

It is rather surprising that with the hectic work the office of the governor requires, he could still go to the street to destroy Obas billboard. Fayose and Ogoga have forgotten so soon that the land Ogoga is occupying in Ikere and the authority he is using were given to him by my palace, including his crown.

Ogoga in history was never a crowned prince anywhere, including in Benin, where he claimed to have come from. I made him who he is and he should not push my people to go to war. They should let Ikere be.

They wanted to ignite crisis and burn down my town, but I am pleading that they should desist because I am the owner of the land and I wont allow it to burn. I am a descendant of Oduduwa and one of the founders of Ekitiland. We are going to resist any attempt by Ogoga, who is a stranger in my land, to conspire with Fayose to obliterate my stool.



But Adelusi said, But Adelusi said, Quote There are some lies when told, you win sympathy. But in other cases, you will look foolish. To say that the governor tore the poster or destroyed the billboard or sent people to destroy the whatever is a lie carried too far.

Fayose is not from Ikere. He is not interested in who rules Ikere. How can he nurse animosity against the Olukere? That this administration gave recognition to the Ogoga, Fayose was simply following the law, particularly on the Ikere issue.

None of the past administrations gave recognition to Olukere to rule over Ikereland. Does the Olukere expect Governor Fayose to do otherwise and cause crisis in the ancient town?

The Olukere was only ventilating his anger when he alleged that the governor destroyed or sent people to destroy his posters. The allegation is unfounded.



Reporters has it that the governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has denied the allegations and dismissed it as unfounded lies. This was revealed through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi. Reporters has it that the governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has denied the allegations and dismissed it as unfounded lies. This was revealed through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 12-02-2016 10:14 AM (6 years ago) | Hero
Valentine's Day Best Gifts 2016: Top 20 Smartphone Exchange offers Deals! Features oi -Harish

Do you know the reason behind Valentine's day celebration? Let me tell you this story in short! As per one theory, there was a great saint named Valentine, who was a Roman clerk served amid the 3rd century in times of Claudius II.

In an attempt to extend his army, Claudius II has banned the wedding so that the solitary men joins this troops without any hesitation. Understanding this, Valentine continued to perform wedding functions covertly ( Conducting wedding is one of his exercise). At the point when his activities were found, Claudius requested his manager to execute him.

SEE ALSO: Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him-Her: 10 Best Smartphone Deals!

Valentine endured affliction on February 14, about the year 270 A.D. Some trust that Valentine's Day is celebrated on that day in February to celebrate the commemoration of his demise.

Nowadays, Valentine's day is celebrated by exchanging gift between our loved and dear one's. The gift may vary from a toy to diamond ring. In case if you are geek and planning to gift a smartphone, we have the best idea to surprise your sweetheart.

Today, we are going to present you the top 20 smartphones starting from iPhone 6s to Moto E2 available at lower cost in exchange to your old mobile. Do swirl through!

Motorola Moto X Force Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

Key Features 5.4-inch (14402560 pixels) Quad HD AMOLED 540 ppi display with Moto Shattershield

2.0 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno 430 GPU

Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

3GB LPDDR4 RAM

32/64GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD

Hybrid dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)

21MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 4K video recording

5MP front-facing camera

4G LTE / 3G, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GPS, GLONASS, NFC

3760mAh battery Apple iPhone 6s Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

Key Features

4.7 Inch Retina HD Display With 3D Touch

A9 Chip With 64-Bit Architecture Embedded M9 Motion Coprocessor

Force Touch Technology

12MP ISight Camera

5MP Front Facing Camera

Touch ID

Bluetooth 4.2

LTE Support

1715 MAh Battery Motorola Moto G 3rd Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

Key Features

5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)

1.4 GHz quad-core 64-bit Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor with Adreno 306 GPU

1GB RAM with 8GB internal memory

2GB RAM with 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD

Dual SIM

13MP rear camera

5MP front-facing camera

IPX7 rating for water resistance

4G LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS

2,470 mAh battery Gionee S6 Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) Super AMOLED Display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection

Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Amigo 3.1 UI

1.3GHz Octa-Core Mediatek MT6753 Processor with Mali T-720 GPU

3GB RAM

32GB Internal memory

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Hybrid Dual SIM Slot (micro SIM + nano SIM / microSD)

13MP Camera with LED Flash

5MP front Facing Camera

4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB Type-C

3150mAh built-in battery Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

Key Features

5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

1.5GHz Octa-Core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 GPU

2GB RAM

16GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD

Dual SIM

Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)

13MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash

5MP front-facing camera

IP67 rating for dust and water resistance

4G LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS

2,470 mAh battery with Turbo Charging Huawei Honor 5X Click Here To Exchange Your Old Smartphone

Key Features

5.5-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels) Full HD IPS display

Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with EMUI 3.1

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 (MSM8939) (41.5GHz + 41.2GHz) processor with Adreno 405 GPU

2GB RAM

16GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Dual SIM (micro + nano)

13MP rear camera with LED Flash

5MP front-facing camera

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Airtel moves 40,000 network sites to green technology News oi -GizBot Bureau

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced the migration of 40,000 of its network sites across India to green technology.

Airtel said, in a statement, that its network transformation programme "Project Leap" is now focusing heavily on a series of fresh initiatives towards a greener environment and building sustainable network for the future, and under the project, it will establish a world-class and future-ready network, while bringing down its carbon footprint emission by 70 percent by 2018.

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"We are committed to bringing down the carbon emission by 70 percent and are taking all measures including bringing in state-of-art technology and partnering with the best globally," said the firm's MD and CEO (India & South Asia) Gopal Vittal.

"We plan to adopt solar and new battery technologies in a big way and double our Green network sites by 2020. With a strategic focus on creating a green network, we remain committed to learning from the telecom industry's best practices from across the globe," he added.

Source IANS

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Pushkar-Gayathris Vikram Vedha showcases that a film can be made in any language or for any audience, can be told with the premise & outcome without deviating and keeping the narrative tight.
Budget Request Trims Modernization; Procurement Funds Buy Capability

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, February 11, 2016  Modernization took the biggest hit in the Defense Department's fiscal year 2017 budget request, but the $102.5 billion in the procurement account can purchase a lot of capabilities, Mike McCord, DoD's chief financial officer, told reporters at a Feb. 9 Pentagon news conference.

As part of the Bipartisan Budget Act signed in November, the Defense Department had to make up $22 billion in its budget. Modernization took the biggest hit, McCord said.

"Modernization took the brunt of the reduction," he said. "I would say not in a stupid way. We didn't terminate programs. We didn't break multi-year [procurements]."

The act gave DoD two years of relief from sequestration and gave defense planners most of what they believed they needed for the years ahead, McCord said.

Defense officials really didn't touch compensation, force structure or readiness in the fiscal year 2017 defense budget request. There are no civilian reductions-in-force or other cuts to personnel, "that would involve sort of flailing around and breaking things," McCord said. "We were careful and thoughtful in how we approached this."

Aviation Systems

The department took some risk in modernization. There are 24 fewer UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in the budget and five fewer F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters for the Air Force. There are fewer V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Overall, reduced aircraft accounts saved about $4 billion, McCord said.

There is also less money in the budget for shipbuilding, the comptroller said.

But even with these cuts, there is still $102.5 billion in procurement proposed in FY 2017, and that can buy a lot of capabilities, he said.

While there will be fewer F-35s, DoD is still asking for 63 of the fifth-generation aircraft. The Marine Corps would get 16 of the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing models, the Navy would get four of the F-35C carrier models and the Air Force would get 43 of the F-35A conventional models.

Again, while there will be fewer V-22s requested, DoD still budgeted for 16 of the tilt-rotor aircraft.

The military services are asking for 14 C-130J Hercules airlifters. The aircraft has uses in conventional and special operations roles.

The Air Force has budgeted $3.3 billion for 15 KC-46A tankers.

In unmanned aircraft, DoD is asking for 24 more MQ-9 Reapers, two more RQ-4 Global Hawks and eight RQ-7 Shadows and RQ-21 Blackjacks.

The proposed budget has room for 52 AH-64 Apache helicopters, 22 CH-47 Chinooks and 36 Black Hawks.

The Navy is asking for six E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.

The Marine Corps wants 24 more AH-1Z Viper or UH-1Y Venom attack helicopters.

The Navy has asked for 11 more P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and two more F/A-18 Super Hornet jets.

Planning for tomorrow continues with the Air Force budgeting $2.1 billion for the Long Range Strike Bomber.

Ground Systems

DoD proposes spending $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2017 for ground systems, which includes weapons, combat vehicles and light, medium and heavy tactical vehicles.

The Army plans to buy 1,828 joint light tactical vehicles, 481 heavy tactical vehicles and 1,100 medium tactical vehicles. The Army is upgrading the M1 Abrams battle tank and M109 Paladin family of howitzers. The service is also replacing the venerable M113 armored personnel carrier with the armored multi-purpose vehicle.

The Marine Corps is buying light and medium tactical vehicles and investing in the amphibious combat vehicle.

Missile Systems

Ballistic missile defense program spending totals $8.5 billion in the proposed 2017 budget. Tactical missile defense accounts for $1.8 billion, tactical ballistic missile defense is pegged at $1 billion and $5.7 billion is aimed at the ballistic missile defense system. These include systems such as the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, the Patriot PAC-3 and Aegis systems.

To replenish missile stocks depleted by the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the FY 2017 budget request asks for $13.9 billion for everything from AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles to Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles to Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The department is also asking for 5,846 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

Sea, Space Systems

Shipbuilding and maritime systems take up $27 billion of the procurement total with $12.5 billion going for surface combatant ships, $7.8 billion for submarines and $2.9 billion for support ships.

The Navy has asked for $2.7 billion for building the next two nuclear aircraft carriers -- the USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise. The service has also asked for $3.5 billion for two more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and $1.6 billion for two more littoral combat ships. They have also budgeted $1.6 billion for an America-class amphibious assault ship.

Around $5.3 billion is going to two more Virginia-class attack submarines. The Navy has also asked for $1.8 billion for the Ohio-class nuclear missile submarine replacement.

Finally, in space the department has budgeted $7.1 billion. This includes $3.2 billion for satellites, $1.2 billion for support and $2.7 billion for launches.

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Defense Ministers Meet to Discuss Coalition to Counter ISIL

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, February 11, 2016  In Brussels, Defense Secretary Ash Carter today hosted a meeting of defense ministers from countries contributing troops to the global coalition to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

According to a joint statement released by the attendees, defense ministers from Belgium, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States were in attendance. Australia, the Czech Republic and Singapore also sent senior representatives and intend to provide forces or other support to the campaign, the statement noted.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed the military campaign plan, took stock of recent efforts to accelerate the counter-ISIL operation in Iraq and Syria, considered a shared approach against ISIL's global ambitions, and examined ways to ensure the protection of their nations' citizens, the statement said.

The defense leaders paid tribute to the efforts of all Iraqi security forces, including the peshmerga and Sunni tribal forces, and moderate Syrian opposition forces who are fighting ISIL and have caused numerous tactical defeats of ISIL in recent months, the statement said. They also acknowledged the coalition force commander's assessment that these successes mark the transition of the counter-ISIL campaign, the statement said.

However, the statement said, the ministers also acknowledged that significant work remains to be done to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIL and the restoration of stability in Iraq and Syria. The defense leaders called on those states playing a counterproductive role in the fight against ISIL and the Syrian peace process to play a more constructive role, the statement said.

Counter-ISIL Campaign Plan

The defense ministers provided broad support for the objectives of the counter-ISIL campaign plan and reaffirmed their governments' unwavering commitment to work together against ISIL, the statement said.

They also agreed, "as a matter of urgency, to accelerate and intensify the campaign, in order to deliver a lasting defeat to this barbaric organization as quickly as possible," the statement continued. "We also recognized that recent battlefield successes provide an opportunity to gather additional momentum in our campaign as we enter the next phase of dismantling [ISIL's] operating capability throughout Iraq and Syria."

To that end, the statement said, "coalition members highlighted the importance of turning ISIL's purported strengths into its greatest weaknesses."

Specifically, coalition members underlined the importance of collapsing ISIL's two power centers in Raqqah and Mosul and continuing to target its underlying infrastructure, including its financial capability, the statement added.

Resources

The defense leaders noted the substantial resources provided by coalition members that have enabled progress in the military campaign and thanked those nations that have, from the start of the campaign, demonstrated leadership and support, the statement said.

They also welcomed the many countries that have increased their contributions since the horrific attacks in Paris, Turkey and other locations since the last quarter of 2015, it said. Those contributions have come in the form of additional air assets, increased commitments or extended operations to Syria, additional trainers, special operations forces, personnel recovery assets and additional material support, the statement noted.

Other nations have committed to restarting flights in the near future or have embarked on national conversations to increase in one or more of these categories, including additional police trainers to expand the current police training effort led by Italy, the statement said.

In addition to what has been provided, the statement said that the defense leaders agreed on an "enduring set of requirements that will be needed to expand efforts against [ISIL] -- and welcomed the Coalition Chiefs' of Defense Conference and the Coalition Force Generation Conference taking place in the next four weeks, where these requirements will be explored in detail."

"As part of that discussion, we agreed to review regularly the coalition's campaign plan and the progress in its implementation," the statement said. "To that end, ministers agreed to meet again before the end of the year."

Military Campaign Alone is 'Insufficient'

The ministers acknowledged that while the military campaign is an essential part of the overall effort to defeat and destroy ISIL, it alone is insufficient to ensure lasting success. The defense leaders said they are committed to ensuring that the military actions of the coalition are consistent with non-military lines of effort in order to set the conditions for sustainable political stability in the region, the statement noted.

"We thank all of our partners who are helping us advance the military campaign against [ISIL] and its economic and industrial infrastructure," the statement said. "We recognize in particular the heroism, dedication, and steadfastness of all Iraqi security forces, including the peshmerga and Sunni tribal forces, and moderate Syrian opposition forces who are fighting [ISIL]. We also thank the men and women deployed with coalition forces who are playing their part to degrade and defeat [ISIL]. We encourage others to contribute and join us in this noble effort."

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-052-16 February 11, 2016

Readout of Secretary Carter's Meeting with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense for Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in Brussels today.

Secretary Carter and the deputy crown prince discussed their shared security challenges, including the effort to defeat ISIL. They discussed the importance of accelerating the Counter-ISIL campaign. The secretary thanked the deputy crown prince for participating in today's meeting of coalition defense ministers, and for Saudi Arabia's decision to increase its military contributions especially the Kingdom's offer to expand its role in the air campaign. The secretary also welcomed Saudi Arabia's leadership in establishing an Islamic coalition to counter extremism. The two discussed ways the Islamic anti-terrorism coalition can complement the counter-ISIL coalition.

Secretary Carter underscored the U.S. commitment to the enduring defense partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/654672/

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook February 11, 2016

Media Availability with Secretary Carter at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: I just concluded a short while ago a very successful and productive meeting with defense ministers from coalition nations participating in the military campaign against ISIL. So a very good conversation. Before I provide you with an overview of our discussions and what we agreed to, which was very significant, let me give you some context about how we arrived here today.

Since I became secretary of defense, dealing ISIL a lasting defeat has been one of my top priorities, and over the course of the last six months, we've taken a number of steps to accelerate our -- that is the U.S. -- contribution to the campaign and to put ISIL on a trajectory towards a lasting defeat.

Last summer, we decided to consolidate our war command under the leadership of Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, one of our nation's foremost military commanders and a veteran of the Iraq war, to ensure that we enhanced our own unity of effort. In the fall, at my, Chairman Dunford and General Austin's recommendation, President Obama approved a series of accelerants to our military efforts against ISIL, including fielding some of our most elite units and advanced capabilities in Iraq and Syria.

As we implemented these enhancements, we also refined our military campaign plan. Last month, I had the opportunity to preview this campaign plan at Fort Campbell, Kentucky to our troopers from the 101st Airborne Division who are headed to Iraq as well as to some of our core allies in Paris and to Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi. They understand what our campaign seeks to accomplish and know our staunch determination to accelerate ISIL's defeat.

Today, first, I shared that campaign plan and its operational concept with my fellow defense ministers from throughout the coalition, and am very pleased to report that there was unanimous support for the campaign plan's objectives as well as for the concept of operations. As a reminder, those objectives are first, to destroy ISIL's parent tumor in Iraq and Syria; to combat its metasticies worldwide, and to protect all of our homelands.

To accomplish our objective in Iraq and Syria, we have two big arrows pointing in the direction of Mosul and Raqqa where we intend to collapse ISIL's control over these two cities.

To update my fellow ministers on near-term steps we're taking to support our partners in their march towards Mosul and Raqqa, I asked General MacFarland, our overall operational commander as I indicated, to join us today and to provide an update on the campaign progress and on the way forward in the coming weeks and months.

Sean has done an absolutely superb job of prosecuting and accelerating the campaign, and the ministers were pleased to have an opportunity to hear from him firsthand.

Now, in addition to the broad endorsement of the campaign plan, which was the first accomplishment we achieved in our meeting today, we also all agreed on the need to accelerate the campaign. This acceleration will, of course, require all members of the coalition to step up, each in their own ways, with additional contributions, another critical outcome of today's meeting.

For our part, the United States is showing the way forward through intensifying our counter-ISIL operations, and we stand ready, as we've made clear, to do more, as our campaign acceleration generates more opportunities. We're absolutely determined to lead the campaign against ISIL, and I'm grateful to say the United States is not in the fight alone.

Last December, as we stepped up our own efforts, I sent letters to 40 of my counterparts asking their nations to contribute more to the military campaign, and many nations have responded favorably since then.

Core countries, including the Australians, French, Italians, British and Germans have stepped up their already significant contributions. Two additional major contributors to this campaign, the Netherlands and Canada, have announced an expansion of their commitments just in recent days.

The Dutch shared with the coalition just minutes ago that they are now prepared to carry out airstrikes in Syria, in addition to their ongoing air operations in Iraq.

The Canadians agreed on Monday to triple their training effort in northern Iraq and double their intelligence efforts, among other critically important non-military contributions that they're making in addition to their military contributions.

And since arriving in Brussels earlier this week, and even today, I've received additional pledges of further commitments from the Czech Republic, from Poland, from Romania, from Denmark, pending final approval, of course, by their respective governments.

Encouragingly, furthermore, several of the coalition's Gulf state partners have indicated their willingness to intensify their counter-ISIL activities as well.

Saudi Arabia's defense minister, for example indicated that the kingdom is reinvigorating its commitment to the coalition air campaign, which is very welcome news, and contributing in other critical ways on the ground.

We also discussed working with the kingdom in their efforts in leading a collection of Islamic nations in the fight against violent extremism, whose efforts will be complementary to our own within the counter-ISIL coalition.

Saudi Arabia and its regional partners have a clear stake in this fight, and I hope its neighbors in the Gulf also intensify their counter-ISIL campaign in the coming days.

And I could go on, but altogether almost 60 percent of military -- of the coalition members have -- have already decided to increase their contributions to the campaign. An additional third of them have made commitments over the last few days to seek approval for additional contributions from their parliaments.

In sum, nearly 90% of the countries participating in the coalition's military campaign have stepped up to do more in the last months and days; whether in extending their air operations to Syria; providing additional trainers, critical logistic support or materiel to local partners on the ground; training police; stabilizing; assisting recovery -- the coalition is clearly intensifying the counter-ISIL campaign.

I should also mention that, thanks to the leadership of NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, we are now exploring the possibility of NATO joining the coalition as a member itself. This, too, is a significant development.

NATO as a new member would bring unique capabilities that could be brought to bear against ISIL, including experience in building partner capacity, training ground forces and providing stabilization support.

I look forward to discussing NATO's appropriate role with fellow NATO allies in the days and weeks ahead, and as I indicated this morning, that was discussed this morning, and a path ahead was charted at this morning's meeting.

And I also indicated this morning what kinds of capabilities NATO brings collectively, over and above what its individual members bring, and therefore how it could, as an organization, also make a separate contribution. That's very positive.

Now, many of the nations present today are also contributors to the critical non-military aspects of the campaign against ISIL. That's just as important. We discussed them, as well.

Those are needed capabilities as well, whether helping contain the flow of foreign fighters or financing to ISIL, or in delegitimizing ISIL's toxic messaging, or in providing stabilization support, these activities are vital tools in the coalition's arsenal.

In the weeks to come, there will be several opportunities to -- for us to follow up on the contributions offered today, and on the -- the campaign's continuing requirements as it marches towards the defeat of ISIL.

Both the Chiefs of Defense Conference later this month and a CENTCOM force generation conference next month present opportunities for partners to assess the effects of their recent commitments, and deliver additional resources.

So I'm very pleased that so many nations have stepped up and answered the call, even in recent days. But my challenge to coalition members to accelerate our military campaign will not end today, any more than America's resolve to lead and make more contributions itself will end today. It will continue.

Indeed, the constructive dialogue we engaged in here today and the determination my counterparts brought to this ministerial must continue so that we can truly deal ISIL a lasting defeat.

With that, I'm happy to take some questions. Peter?

PETER COOK: We'll start first with Thomas Watkins of AFP.

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

In your opening remarks ahead of the meeting today, you said the coalition should see some tangible gains in the coming weeks. I was wondering if you could describe to us what tangible gains, exactly, you envision, and if you really consider this to be a new -- critical new phase in the campaign.

And also, I was wondering if you have any reaction to President Erdogan's comments yesterday about America contributing to a pool of blood by supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria. Thank you.

SEC. CARTER: Well, with respect to the first part of your question, the tangible results of today's ministerial are, as I outlined, namely the universal or unanimous support for the campaign plan that we have devised, and its -- and the operational plan that goes with it, and for the capabilities that will be required.

And then also very substantial new commitments of additional capabilities. And -- I'm sorry -- and with respect to what happens on the ground as a consequence of those capabilities, is that what your question is?

Q: (off-mic.)

SEC. CARTER: Oh. Well, there's too much to enumerate. I'll tell you about some of the ones I can talk about. There are other ones that I can't talk about.

But we have some new efforts to strike at ISIL's financing that you'll see, there are a number of Iraqi units which will rotate out of their training bases and be deployed up north towards Mosul for the attack on Mosul. We are carrying out some important activities in the information area I can't discuss much further with you. A number of the countries present here -- I'm going through others, there's just a lot going on so I don't exactly know how to zero in on answering your question, there's so much going on.

The stabilization of Ramadi is getting started now that most of the downtown is cleared of IEDs, so the beginning of the provision of water and electricity. And so I'm -- you know, I'm covering a wide variety of types of contributions in places where they're happening. But there's just a great deal going on. Now of course, you know, I'm very -- I'm happy to see so much going on, but I -- we're also impatient and we want the pace to accelerate.

With respect to the Turkish government's comments of, I guess, yesterday afternoon, you know, obviously Turkey is a good and longstanding ally of the United States. We're not going to agree with them in all matters. We staunchly agree with them and always have that we oppose terrorism in any form. We are working with capable local forces in Syria to defeat ISIL, and we will continue to do that. But we also continue to work very closely with Turkey. Turkey was in the room today, the defense minister obviously made a very strong contribution not only to the discussion but in describing Turkey's own efforts to accelerate its participation in the coalition, even as the rest of us are doing so.

MR. COOK: Next question, Aaron Mehta, Defense News.

Q: Thank you, sir. You mentioned that Saudi Arabia plans to reinvigorate its air campaign. One of the Saudi officials here also told press that they're still interested in a ground campaign if they were asked by the coalition. Can you outline exactly what Saudi Arabia said it would be willing to do today, and what you -- has the coalition accepted from Saudi Arabia?

And I'm asking this because things like reinvigorate are kind of a nebulous term that we've heard used before and then seems to also maybe not --

SEC. CARTER: I'm sorry. Let --

Q: The term reinvigorate has been used before by partners in past cases, and we haven't seen things necessarily materialize --

SEC. CARTER: Well, I understand. Oh, well, I think in the case -- if the -- their air contribution and then I'll get to the ground contribution. Reinvigorate means something very specifically in this case, which is air assets that were -- have not been operating in the -- as part of our ATO [air tasking order] in the air campaign, and we're not doing so months ago -- begun to do so in the last few weeks. It's a number of strike aircraft that's an important contribution, a skilled contribution. So it -- in this case -- I don't know what other context that words has been used in, but it kind of means what it says, more aircraft dropping ordinance as part of the coalition ATO

With respect to ground operations, we talked about a wide variety of things, so let me give you the kinds of things that we've talked not only to Saudi Arabia about, but other forces -- I mean, other coalition contributors here as well.

I mean, first of all, there is training and -- of both military forces and police forces. We need forces on the ground that participate in training. Then enabling, including even accompanying partner forces. That's something that ground forces can do. We obviously talked about, but I'm not going to talk about it here, special forces that have some very special and distinctive capabilities.

And then we also talked about logistics support, sustainment, rebuilding of a kind that is going to have to go on Ramadi. So all of these are activities that coalition partners, to include Saudi Arabia, will participate in, and that whole gamut we discussed today, both in my individual meeting with the defense minister and deputy crown prince and also at the larger meeting where we were all together, the (off-mic.)

Q: Are you convinced the Saudis can wage a two-front war, one in Syria, one in Yemen?

SEC. CARTER: Yeah. I mean, I don't think they really wish to be doing that any more than anybody else would wish to be doing that, but if you're first talking about capability, they are importantly -- and here we helped them very steadily to defend themselves and Saudi territory against attacks. So that part we're very familiar with because that's the part that we share with them because we have a longstanding commitment to Saudi, the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia. And they have indicated a willingness to put the resources also into the counter-ISIL fight.

At the same time -- I can't speak for them, but certainly we wish on their regard and we wish on everybody's regard in Yemen that things would wind down there because it's not good for the population of Yemen, and that situation needs to be settled so that people aren't fighting there.

MR. COOK: Jonathan Beale with BBC.

Q: Thank you, sir. Just on the Saudi question, I mean, is it right then that you, beyond special forces, you were not looking for a large boots-on-the-ground contribution to take the fight to IS because that might not be a good idea.

SEC. CARTER: I understand the question. That is not for any of us in the coalition, individually or collectively, our strategic approach. Let me just remind you of that, and that was discussed at the meeting. Our strategic approach as a coalition, and the one that makes sense for all of us, is to enable capable and motivated local forces to take and hold territory out of the simple recognition that at the end of the day, territory retaken from ISIL has to be occupied and governed by people who are from that area and want to live there.

So our whole strategic approach, collectively and individually, is to enable capable and motivated local forces, and that strategic principle was in fact discussed today.

Q: I just wanted to follow up quickly, sorry, on -- on Libya. You didn't mention Libya by name, but I just wondered -- how long can you sort of sit on the sidelines --

SEC. CARTER: Libya was discussed.

Q: -- okay, but how long can you sit on the sidelines and do nothing about the chaos that's descended on Libya because of IS?

SEC. CARTER: We discussed Libya today. The discussion was led by the Italian defense minister, and -- and the activity there, aimed at bringing the Libyan parties together, to resolve their differences so that they can, having done that, do something that all Libyans agree about, which is they don't want foreigners on their territory, milking their population, stealing their oil income and so forth.

We stand ready -- and of course, Italy has indicated it would take the lead in that regard, and Italy's done a lot of planning in that regard, and -- and reported on its planning. The United States has participated in that. The United States and other coalition partners have pledged their support for such an operation.

And in the meantime, of course, people are doing what they need to do to protect themselves from a counterterrorism point of view, and the United States has done that, and others have done that.

So that's -- but it was discussed -- an important subject to discuss, because -- important as defeating ISIL -- what I've called its parent tumor of the cancer in Syria and Iraq, it's important to get at the metastases as well. Nobody wants to see Libya on a glide slope to the kind of situation that already engulfed Syria and Iraq.

MR. COOK: Got time for one more. Wassim Ibrahim from As-Safir?

Q: Yes, of course. And I am from As-Safir Newspaper.

Secretary, I would like to ask you, is it in principle possible for the coalition to send or plans to send ground troops to fight ISIL in Syria without coordination with Russia, especially considering the high risk linked to the -- what you called irresponsible heavy Russian activities there? Even troops to train, or special troops?

SEC. CARTER: Okay, well --

Q: And -- and linked to this, if I may --the NATO secretary-general described the Russian significant build-up in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean as a factor changing the strategical balance. So is it a strategic build-up and not a tactical build-up? So what is your strategic response?

SEC. CARTER: Okay. With respect to -- we have a channel to the Russian military in which we guarantee that our military activities are not in conflict with one another, and that our forces don't come into contact with one another.

That's a channel that is working. It's -- one of the people in this room is the U.S. side of that channel. Now, in -- the United States and partners on the ground, in coordination with other countries in the region, are working with forces that are fighting ISIL.

Sadly, and in answer to the second part of your question, that's what the Russians said they were going to do, and it's not what they're doing. The Russians have overwhelmingly, in their -- particularly their airstrikes -- struck targets that are not ISIL targets.

Instead, they have become a participant in the civil war in Syria, which needs to end, by backing the regime and fueling the civil war.

To get your point about what's going on in recent days, I mean, I think the most tragic thing -- consequence of Russian actions at the moment is the movement of a large number of people -- very cruel movement of a large number of people in Syria.

I have said before, and this hasn't changed at all -- this is a strategic mistake by the Russians that we don't intend to coordinate with or take any part in, and we are determined, in our campaign to defeat ISIL militarily -- and we'll do that. I'm confident we'll do that. The Russians are not helping in that regard, but we'll do it anyway.

And as far as the Syrian Civil War is concerned, they're taking it in the wrong direction. We continue to want to take it in the right direction: namely, one in which there is a political transition that provides a government for the Syrian people in the future that does not have Bashar Assad as part of it, does sustain the structures of the Syrian government, and therefore order and structure, but include moderate opposition of, by the way, the very kind that Russian activity either directly attacks or undermines by fueling extremism. That's the effect of their actions.

MR. COOK: Thank you very much, everyone.

SEC. CARTER: Thank you all very much.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/655070/

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter February 11, 2016

Department of Defense Press Conference with Secretary Carter at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming this morning, appreciate it. And for me, it's very good to be back in Brussels, this -- my third ministerial as secretary of defense.

Over the last day and a half, I have had several productive discussions with all of my NATO counterparts on, first, how we as an alliance can better deter and defense against high-end threats from the east.

Second, how our nations can better address challenges emanating from NATO's south, like ISIL. And how we must continue to uphold the commitments we have made elsewhere, such as in Afghanistan.

First, I want to mention the German-Turkish-Greek proposal to expand NATO's maritime mission in the Mediterranean, to address the ongoing migration crisis.

Today, I commended Germany, Turkey and Greece for coming together on this proposal.

And we recommended that the North Atlantic Council task the NATO military authorities to provide its advice on options for implementing it, which will be reviewed by the military committee and then brought to the council

Now, another topic I addressed in our meetings was how America is doing more to strengthen deterrence here in Europe, including through our budget for fiscal year 2017 that President Obama submitted earlier this week.

Among other things, it invests in forces and capabilities to operationalize our strong and balanced strategic approach to Russia. In particular, the budget quadruples funding for the European's Reassurance Initiative to a total of $3.4 billion, and broadens its focus to include deterring Russian aggression against NATO allies.

As I told my NATO counterparts, this will support more rotational U.S. forces in Europe, including heel-to-toe rotations that maintain the persistent presence of an armored brigade combat team throughout the year. It will fund more training and exercises with allies; it will provide more prepositioned in Europe, including war fighting gear and supplies to support and additional armored brigade combat team, a division headquarters, as well as brigades for air defense, fires and sustainment.

It will also fund infrastructure improvements to air fields, training centers and ranges throughout Europe that will expand military capability and allow for the quick deployment of forces to the region.

When combined with U.S. forces already in and assigned to Europe, all of this together by the end of 2017 will let us rapidly form a highly capable, combined arms air, maritime and ground force that can respond theater-wide, if necessary.

I also noted in our meetings that the U.S. defense budget makes important investments in vital advanced capabilities to bolster deterrence against high-end potential adversaries.

I saw some of this last week at our China Lake weapons facility in Southern California. And while I can't talk about everything I saw there, I can say we're way ahead of any potential competitors.

Now, as the United States increases its focus and investments to deter Russian aggression, we're also expecting NATO allies to do the same. For this reason, I'm pleased to see progress in implementing our readiness action plan.

With countries like Turkey and Denmark stepping up since our last defense ministerial in October to provide forces that will help make our alliance's very high readiness joint task force operationally capable.

Now, all of this work is important, but as Secretary General Stoltenberg and I stressed, as well as many other defense ministers agreed, we must do more.

While the RAP was a good first step, we can be doing more as an alliance to set the conditions for credible deterrence. That is why NATO must further strengthen its posture to deter, and if necessary defeat any aggressor across the full spectrum of threats.

And whether it comes to hybrid, cyber or information operations, Russia's actions speak volumes. They make clear why all allies must continue to invest in and modernize their capabilities, not only to respond to current challenges, but to stay ahead of potential, future threats.

We, in the United States, have thought through the details of what we might have to do. And I've asked our allies here in Europe to do the same.

For this reason, I'm pleased that this ministerial incorporated an informal, collective defense scenario-based discussion yesterday afternoon. This was something I had proposed at one of our defense ministerials earlier -- early last year, and it gave all of us the opportunity to consider our responses to hybrid warfare, as well as innovative operational concepts that might be required to respond to aggression against any ally.

Indeed, this is essential to NATO's adaptation to a new playbook. In our defense budgets, in our planning, in our capabilities and in our actions, we must demonstrate to potential foes that if they start a war, we have the capability to win on our terms. Because for a force to deter a conflict, it must show that it can dominate a conflict.

As I made clear to my NATO counterparts, and as I was pleased to hear they agreed, this is a responsibility we all share.

Finally, we also had conversations about the ways that NATO could take on a stronger, positive role in our global coalition to defeat ISIL. While all NATO members are already part of the counter-ISIL coalition, it's worth exploring how NATO as NATO could make an appropriate contribution to the coalition, leveraging, for example, its unique capabilities such as force generation that individual countries may not necessarily have, but the collective alliance does.

As you know, this afternoon, I'll be convening my defense counterparts from nations contributing militarily to the counter-ISIL campaign. I look forward to that meeting and I'll have more to say about that this afternoon.

Thank you. And now I'll take some questions.

STAFF: We'll start first, Associated Press, Bob Burns.

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Question on the last topic you mentioned, which is your discussions this afternoon on the counter-ISIL question.

As you yourself have mentioned, those countries that may be agreeable to contributing more militarily to the campaign would need to have, in many cases, parliamentary approval or go through other national processes to get the authority to actually act.

Why should we think that these pledges that might come today and in coming days would make a real difference on the ground in achieving the goal of recapturing, for example, Raqqah and Mosul this year?

SEC. CARTER: Well, the capabilities that will be required to carry out the campaign plan, which we're going to discuss this afternoon, will be clearly delineated. Many of the participants, but not all the participants, at the meeting have had the opportunity to review them before, but this is the first time. And I think -- I'd just remind you this is the first time that the defense ministers of the counter-ISIL coalition, the defense ministers themselves, have come together. That's very important, and I'm very pleased at the attendance here today. And that's very significant.

Second, they will -- and to your question -- we will be sharing with them the operational campaign plan for the defeat of ISIL, which as you say, as you indicated yourself, we need to get done as soon as possible. In that connection, the campaign plan calls first and foremost for the defeat of ISIL in Syria and Iraq, because that's the place from which this cancer arose. And it needs to be defeated there, and significantly, the cities of Mosul and Raqqah need to be recaptured. And our operational plan focuses on that.

Additionally, of course, there are metastasizes of that cancer elsewhere around the world, and then we all work on defending our own homeland. Across that whole spectrum of the campaign -- military campaign plan, we'll have an opportunity to discuss that plan and to agree on that plan. That will be new for there to be a plan that everyone sees, which is a concrete military campaign plan. This, and an opportunity to do what the United States has been doing for some months now, which is accelerating its own contributions.

And that gets to the last part, Bob, which is in -- in addition to reviewing the campaign plan, we will array all of the capabilities that will be required to carry out this plan. Now, some of those capabilities, countries and their parliaments may already be familiar with. Everybody's familiar with air power, for example, and a number are already participating in the air campaign and have indicated they'll join the air campaign.

But there's much more than that. There is, for example, trainings -- the training of Iraqi security forces, more security forces of the kind that were successful in taking Ramadi and will be required for the taking of Mosul. There are logistics, sustainment, intelligence surveillance and requirements -- reconnaissance capabilities, a number of kinds of capabilities that the countries that are part of the coalition may not yet have realized they could make. And they're going to be necessary, and can make a major contribution to the defeat.

So if we can lay all that out for their defense leaders, and then, as you indicate, in many cases for their parliaments as well, which we understand will be required in some cases, then they can begin to amass those capabilities this year in the same way that the United States is accelerating its own campaign.

The last thing I'll say that we'll do this afternoon is we also cannot forget, and we will not forget this afternoon that that there are nonmilitary capabilities that will -- while we'll be discussing the military campaign plan with the defense ministers, there are a lot of nonmilitary aspects to this campaign as well, having to do with foreign fighter interdiction, countering ISIL's financing, its evil messaging and Internet activity, and so forth.

And so all those capabilities that will be required to defeat ISIL for the totality of the campaign, that will all be in front of them and they'll have the opportunity then to go home and, in addition to the things they've thought of so far and the pledges they've already made so far, and the great capabilities already at work today, can join us in accelerating their effort.

So, this is a terrific opportunity to have the acceleration that the United States and President Obama is committed to reinforced by all of the military members of the coalition. Obviously, I'll have more specifics to say about that this afternoon, but that's basically the content of the meeting. And it's very important that the defense leaders get together for the first time, really, to discuss those capabilities and the need to hasten the defeat of ISIL.

STAFF: Next question, Phil Stewart of Reuters.

Q: Mr. Secretary, Secretary Carter has cautioned that if his peace efforts fail, a plan B will be needed that presumably would involve military action.

SEC. CARTER: You mean Secretary Kerry.

Q: Secretary Kerry, yeah.

Are you going to brief your allies gathered here on a plan B that diverges from the campaign plan that you've kind of outlined? And how would you respond to France's foreign minister who has called U.S. policy in Syria 'ambiguous'?

SEC. CARTER: Well, Secretary Kerry is right now as we speak in Munich working on the very important issue of trying to find a political end to the Syrian civil war. That is a tragic series of events that has unfolded over a number of years. It's a complicated situation. But it has to end with a political solution that is acceptable to a wide enough array of Syrian people, that they can once again restore decency and decent living to a country that has been sadly torn.

I don't want to get out in front of what Secretary Kerry is doing; he is hard at work on that prospect right now. If it were easy, I'm sure it would have been done a long time ago. But it is actually very complicated, he is working very hard on it.

Our focus here is going to be on counter-ISIL. And that campaign will go on, because ISIL must be defeated, will be defeated. But whatever happens with the Syrian civil war, but it certainly would help to de-fuel extremism if the Syrian civil war came to an end.

STAFF: Over here. Question from Dragos Favara of Romanian TV.

Q: So, secretary, I would like to ask you, what is your assessment about the eastern countries' air force, eastern part of the alliance air force to strengthen their own self defense?

They must do more, and what they can do? And what is the importance of this self-defense in your U.S. program in Europe?

SEC. CARTER: Yes. We talked about a number of steps that all of the allies can take. Your question is specifically about those -- or that lie geographically to the east.

And there are a number of answers to your questions. One of them that was discussed quite a bit at the ministerial was increasing the resilience of those states to the kind of hybrid warfare, the little green men kind of phenomenon that we saw play out elsewhere in the east, particularly in Ukraine.

So, it's important to harden those states to that kind of activity -- and there are ways that they can do that individually, your question. But there are ways that NATO can assist in that regard.

Then another one is a border surveillance, and the broader question -- excuse me -- of intelligence and indications of warning. Because it is very important if we're going to head off a crisis in Europe, that we understand very clearly, early on, what is going on.

And so, the alliance is able to react, and rapidity of action was another theme of the discussion.

And then third was the strength of the response -- air forces, ground forces, naval forces. And the point there is, not only that which already exists in Eastern Europe, whether it be Eastern European forces themselves, or NATO forces like U.S. forces there. But also, the forces that could rapidly flow.

So, we talked about the very high readiness joint task force, and the United States in particular about a number of its initiatives aimed at prepositioning equipment, which will, of course, help forces arrive quickly, because they don't have to bring all of their equipment with them. As well as things that you may consider more mundane, but that are critically important.

Like, the secretary general has urged all NATO members to get their border authorities to coordinate in advance how forces would move across borders. Now, this may seem like a small thing, but as we exercise the very high readiness joint task force, it proved to be a barrier to action, outside of the purview of defense ministers.

Secretary general, to his great credit, called attention to it. Almost all of the NATO partner governments have since then improved the speed at which their border authorities would be able to facilitate the passage of forces. So, there are lots of ways that forces could be quickly built up to fortify and strengthen the defense of NATO territory from the east.

STAFF: All right, final question, Anna Piesenaro from Europa.

Q: Thank you sir. So, it's going back to the Turkey, Greek and German proposal.

Do you see U.S. assets contributing to this mission? What would happen with the smugglers? Would they be taken also by Turkey? Because I understand that migrants that would be rescued would be taken back to Turkey. Or would each of the countries deal with the traffickers that they detain?

And if I may, on the AWACS, sir. Did you get a positive response from the rest of the allies to use AWACS? And the fact that these AWACS might not be deployed in the region straight away in Syria and Iraq, but more for U.S. missions in U.S. territory.

Is that a sufficient commitment from NATO as an organization in the fight against ISIL, or would you like more from NATO?

Thank you.

SEC. CARTER: Okay. First, with respect to the agreement among Germany, Turkey and Greece.

I would really prefer to let them speak for themselves about the details of its implementation. NATO and all of the parties at the table this morning, indicated a willingness for NATO to support and be a part of that operation. I described the process by which that would occur, ultimately the approval of the North Atlantic Council.

All three of those countries emphasize the need to -- for NATO to act quickly, with which the United States strongly agrees, because this is -- these are people's lives and destinies at stake here. It's important to act quickly.

One should remember here, and this is an important point, that Germany, Turkey and Greece made, but others have made as well. There is now a criminal syndicate which is exploiting these poor people. And so, this is an organized smuggling operation.

And targeting that is, I think, the way that the greatest effect can be had in the humanitarian dimension, and I think that's principle intent of this.

With respect to NATO and counter-ISIL, yes, AWACS was discussed. And it is a mechanism to make AWACS -- more AWACS capable available to the coalition effort in the counter-ISIL campaign, while NATO AWACS can be employed to take the place of some of those assets, divert it from where they now are.

That is an important contribution, it's a positive contribution. To your question, is that all? No.

I think -- the ministers today were discussing other ways that NATO can make a contribution. And you might say, well, how could NATO make a contribution that the individual country -- because NATO is made up of the individual countries, right?

And the point I was trying to make in my opening statement is this: NATO does have some collective capabilities that individual countries, if they have to do it by themselves, it's more difficult. For example, status of forces agreements, force generation.

So, there are ways that, by having NATO involved, the contributions of individual countries, such as I'll be meeting with this afternoon, can be facilitated. And since we're in a hurry, we want to accelerate and strengthen the campaign to defeat ISIL immediately.

NATO can make that kind of contribution. So, it doesn't end with AWACS.

STAFF: Thanks, everyone. And the secretary will be back this afternoon, after the counter-ISIL meeting.

SEC. CARTER: Thank you. Look forward to seeing you then.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/654823/

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Why does no one care about Yemen?

By IRIN

LONDON, 11 February 2016 (IRIN) - Shortly before IRIN's regular contributor in Yemen, Almigdad Mojalli, was killed in an airstrike, he took a trip to Jordan and had a disturbing realisation.

He had been working tirelessly to cover the war that had driven his country from humanitarian disaster to humanitarian catastrophe. He had spared no detail in describing the civilian casualties, nor the survivors so desperate they were eating out of garbage bins.

But in Jordan, he discovered that the war hardly made the news. Locals were shocked to hear what he had to say. Mojalli knew it was a struggle to get an English-speaking audience interested in his country, but he thought in a place with a shared mother tongue it might at least make a few headlines.

Before he fell victim to the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people since March, the dogged Yemeni journalist was still struggling to understand why the world found it so easy to turn a blind eye.

Experts ask the same question. 'It is absurd," says Adam Baron, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "This is one of the most devastating conflicts in the region, but people apparently don't get it."

IRIN went hunting for the answer. Here's what we came up with:

It's marginalised

In 1996, when the sitcom Friends was in its heyday, Matthew Perry's character Chandler attempts to evade an on-and-off girlfriend by telling her he's been transferred to Yemen.

The joke works because it's the furthest, most ridiculous place he can think of, where she can't possibly follow him. The show's dunce, Joey (Matt LeBlanc), doesn't quite get it.

"Yemen, that actually sounds like a real country," he says.

It's not only in American sitcoms that Yemen is a byword for backwater. It's a regional problem too  stereotyped as tribal and traditional, it somehow lacks the cultural standing of countries like Egypt, Syria, Iraq or Jordan. And in a region where oil is king, it has none. Even before the war, it was by far the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula.

Apart from when the occasional "terror" plot is linked to a group operating in its mountainous hideouts and large wildernesses, Yemen is simply not a priority, regionally or internationally. The war was born of a failed political transition after Arab Spring-inspired protests, a movement dubbed the "forgotten revolution" long before the current fighting became Yemen's "forgotten war."

Farea al-Muslimi of the Carnegie Middle East Institute believes the country's isolation is to some extent its rulers' doing.

Low spending on education by Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled the country for 33 years, meant that contacts with the Western world were more limited.

Until a few years ago, he told IRIN, "it would have been easier to get an AK-47 in Yemen than an English dictionary."

Lacking the same strong diaspora of an Egypt or a Syria, Yemen "is a country of untold stories," al-Muslimi says.

It took two decades and two failed attacks against the United States traced to Yemen  including the infamous underwear bomber  to bring a high-ranking US official, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to the country in 2011.

It's complicated

Those trying to get the word out aren't helped by the fact that the conflict is incredibly complex. It lacks the clear good guy v bad guy narrative many in the West saw at the start of the Syrian war, for example.

In Yemen, it never felt simple. This is a complicated civil conflict with local and international alliances that don't appear to make much sense to the casual  sometimes even the studied  onlooker.

The trouble began long before the Saudi Arabia-led coalition began bombing in March 2015. Saleh had been battling a Shiite Houthi rebellion since 2004, but was only forced out in 2011 amid a power struggle with opposition leaders and their tribal militia, as the country was roiled by months of popular demonstrations against his rule.

His replacement, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, is still the internationally recognised president of Yemen, but he was effectively ousted when the Houthi rebels took the capital in January last year, later fleeing to Saudi Arabia. That he is the leader of a united Yemen is his main claim to legitimacy, but he also happens to be on the same, tenuously allied side of southern separatists, anti-Houthi tribal leaders and Sunni Islamists.

While the Houthis are often portrayed as proxies of regional Shiite superpower Iran, they have their own grievances, leaders, and decision-makers. Confusingly, they are now also backed by Saleh, their former enemy.

Saudi Arabia entered the fray in March, accusing Iran of supporting the Houthis and forming a coalition of 10 Sunni-majority or Sunni-ruled countries, including all the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, save Oman. In addition to almost non-stop airstrikes in support of Hadi's forces, the coalition has imposed a naval blockade and put boots on the ground: there are even Colombian fighters sent by the United Arab Emirates.

Islamist groups have meanwhile taken advantage of the chaos to gain new territory. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and so-called Islamic State are both now present in the strategically important southern port of Aden.

No one seems any closer to actually winning the war, so it is harder to become invested in its outcome, especially as neither side has made any real move to negotiate and UN-led peace talks have been postponed.

'The fact that it has long been enmeshed in one conflict or another makes it is easy for people to shrug it off," says Baron. "They recognise that Yemen is at war, but see it as always at war."

Vested interests & crisis fatigue

Surely the United States, Britain and France  all of whom either provide logistical support or sell arms to the Saudis  have reason to care?

A report by a UN panel of experts on Yemen, leaked last month, found the Saudi-led coalition had carried out "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilian targets in violation of international humanitarian law.

Human rights groups have been pressuring the UK in particular to reconsider its arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which last year were at a record high  2.8 billion pounds ($4.2 billion) in the first three quarters alone.

That's dwarfed by American sales. Since September 2014, US President Barack Obama's administration has informed Congress of arms sales to Saudi Arabia totaling more than $21 billion. Some members of Congress have spoken out against a proposed $1.29 billion deal on air-to-ground munitions because of how they might be used in Yemen, but the sale appears poised to go ahead.

Last week, US Senator Chris Murphy called for his country to get out of the war, but he is for the most part a lone voice.

'I just don't see any evidence right now that the Saudis are conducting that military exercise in a way that's responsible. It's just feeding the humanitarian crisis inside Yemen,' Murphy said.

The fact is that intelligence sharing with Saudi Arabia has been a key part of US and UK foreign policy for years, and they consider the kingdom a stabilising force in the region. With the Houthis attacking its borders and Saudi Arabia raising the threat of Iranian influence, the West is unlikely to rein its allies in.

The media, meanwhile, gravitates towards the bigger regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq, whose impact on the West is so much clearer to define in terms of refugees, extremist attacks, and geo-political dangers.

"Policy makers have limited bandwidth, think in relatively short term, and pay attention to things that generate headlines," explains Peter Salisbury, an expert on Yemen from the influential Chatham House think tank.

There is also a sense of crisis fatigue, a feeling that the audience can't find room to process Yemen when their minds are already saturated by so many other, more pressing emergencies.

"It is sadly a forgotten conflict in many ways," says al-Muslimi. "Everyone is overwhelmed with Syria, the rise of ISIS in Libya, and the world is quite a messed up place to start with."

Why we should care

The World Health Organization counts more than 6,000 conflict related deaths in the last 11 months. Given that Yemen's health system is decimated  there's a lack of supplies, not to mention 69 facilities damaged or destroyed  and 14.1 million Yemenis lack sufficient access to healthcare, it's safe to say the real number is higher.

OCHCR, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told IRIN by email that it recorded 318 civilian casualties in January: 118 killed, 200 injured. This brings estimated civilian casualties since March 2015 to 8,437: 2,913 civilians killed, 5,524 injured.

By comparison, after a year of conflict in Syria, the UN was reporting 7,500 deaths.

UN agencies and other aid organisations are struggling to cope with the severity of the humanitarian crisis, with their access to conflict zones restricted and an ongoing siege in the city of Taiz.

Some 19.3 million people lack access to clean water or sanitation, and almost 320,000 children are severely malnourished.

"The needs are huge, so there is no way that humanitarian organisations can cover all of them," Julien Harneis, UNICEF's Yemen country director, told IRIN in December.

Maybe, in today's social media-dominated news environment, Yemen just needs its viral moment. It took a photo of Alan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian toddler lying facedown on a Turkish beach, to bring the world's attention to the refugee crisis.

But those, like Salisbury, who realised the scale of the humanitarian disaster and the risks of the war in Yemen long ago, are fairly exasperated.

"With the people who know or who have worked on Yemen, there is fatigue from people jumping up and down and saying, 'Yemen is important,'" he explains.

Ultimately, "people will be asking this question: Why didn't we pay more attention to Yemen? Why didn't we take it more seriously when we had a chance to do something?"

as/ag

Theme (s): Conflict,

Copyright  IRIN 2016

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NATO sends ships to Aegean on refugee mission

Iran Press TV

Thu Feb 11, 2016 6:40PM

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has launched a naval mission in the Aegean Sea in what is seen as a move to stop the influx of refugees into Europe.

The move came after NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels on Thursday at an earlier request for help by Greece, Turkey and Germany to deal with the refugee crisis in Europe.

The alliance will now deploy at least three warships under German command. Germany currently leads the three-ship NATO force in the eastern Mediterranean.

The alliance says it seeks to focus on monitoring the refugee flows and carrying out surveillance as well as gathering intelligence to help Greece and Turkey end human trafficking. NATO also seeks to serve as a deterrent to refugees trying to make the dangerous crossing.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed that the mission does not aim to stop refugees from reaching Europe but to tackle human trafficking.

"This is not about stopping and pushing back (refugee boats)... but about critical surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks," Stoltenberg said.

He said NATO is "now directing the standing maritime group to move into the Aegean without delay and start maritime surveillance activities."

Stoltenberg said the refugee crisis, driven by foreign-backed conflicts across the Middle East and North Africa, posed a major security threat to the 28-nation alliance as it faces new challenges in Europe driven by the Ukraine crisis.

German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen said that "several NATO members had pledged ships" for the mission.

Sources say the NATO force would eventually comprise five to seven ships.

Turkey was the main transit route for the more than one million refugees who reached Europe last year. Most of the refugees reached Greece before heading to Germany and other richer countries.

The stream of refugees has triggered the worst such crisis the continent has seen in decades. Most of those refugees are from war-ravaged and poverty-stricken countries in the Middle East and Africa, with many saying EU powers are also to blame for the unprecedented exodus as they have done little to contain the problems in those regions.

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NATO approves military build-up in eastern flank

Iran Press TV

Thu Feb 11, 2016 11:26AM

NATO has approved a plan to strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe, where its activities have already irritated regional power Russia.

NATO defense chiefs agreed during a summit in Brussels Wednesday to beef up military presence in the so-called eastern flank, citing perceived threats from Russia.

The plan envisions a multinational force stationed in Eastern European members states of NATO on a rotational basis.

A larger rapid-response contingent would also be made available and deployed on short notice from among other NATO members.

The approval of the plan, whose details are to be discussed at a July summit, comes at a particularly sensitive time in relations between NATO and Russia.

Tensions have been building up between the two ever since March 2014, when the crisis in Ukraine flared up. Relations are now at their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

NATOlargely made up of Western European nationsaccuses Russia of having a hand in the crisis in Ukraine, which is a former Soviet Union state in Eastern Europe. Moscow denies any such involvement.

Speaking at a news conference prior to the meeting, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the military build-up in eastern Europe is directed at any would-be aggressor.

"This will send a clear signal. NATO will respond as one to any aggression against any ally," he said.

Last Monday, Russia put its military on combat alert across its southwest region amid massive military exercises.

In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a document declaring NATO a threat to Russia's national security.

The document was a response to a rising military presence by NATO countries in Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

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Pentagon Promises to Intensify Efforts Against Daesh in Afghanistan

Sputnik News

21:33 11.02.2016(updated 21:42 11.02.2016)

The United States is stepping up efforts against the Islamic State and Taliban extremists in Afghanistan to counter gains they have achieved, US Resolute Support mission spokesman Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner told reporters on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Washington has 'significantly increased' pressure on the Daesh in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province in the past three weeks, Shoffner said.

Moreover, a US Army infantry battalion would soon replace the existing unit in the southern Helmand province conducting 'force protection' operations, he added, where the Taliban have recently taken hold of the province and increased operations there.

Shoffner confirmed that the United States was increasing the number of soldiers in the Helmand province to conduct more training of Afghan forces as well as, advise and assist missions.

'We're gonna continue to try to look at how we can do the advising mission more efficiently and more effectively within the authorities we have,' Shoffner stated. We're gonna provide or allocate as many forces as we need for force protection wherever it is in the country whether it's in Helmand or somewhere else.'

Shoffner remarks come as the Taliban and the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, have made significant gains in the eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan. The advances have forced Washington to give more authority to its forces to expand its mission in Afghanistan.

 Sputnik

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US Intel Chief Concerned About Beijing's South China Sea Militarization

by Yang Chen, Li Bao February 11, 2016

U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper has told a Senate committee that he expects China to continue building on artificial islands to sustain its 'exorbitant' territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.

Addressing the Senate Intelligence Committee's worldwide threats hearing Tuesday, the top U.S. intelligence official implied that China is militarizing those land features, despite an assurance by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Washington last year that China did not intend to do so.

"Apparently President Xi may have a different definition than we do ... [putting] in runways, hangars and ... installing radars, doing port calls with Chinese navy, and Chinese coast guard ships,' Clapper said. "I think it's very clear they will try to exert as much as possessiveness, if you will, over this area and South China Sea in general."

'Expansive territorial claims'

Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said China has now reclaimed 1,300 hectares of land in the Spratly Island chain, where Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim territory.

"China continues its rapid military modernization while taking coercive actions to assert expansive territorial claims,' he said. 'At the time of this hearing last year, China had reclaimed a total of 400 acres [160 hectares] in the Spratly Islands. Today that figure is a staggering 3,200 acres [1,300 hectares] with extensive infrastructural construction under way or already completed."

China claims 80 percent of the waters and islands of the South China Sea and has been involved in island reclamation projects in recent years.

The United States recently carried out several "freedom of navigation' activities in the region, triggering Chinese protests.

Clapper said U.S. allies in the region fully understand and support American policy on this issue.

"I think they welcome our freedom of navigation operations,' said the top U.S. spy. 'I think they are a bit reticent about speaking publicly as supportively as they do in private."

Clapper also said China prioritized the deployment of regional ballistic and cruise missiles to expand its conventional strike capability against U.S. forces and bases throughout the region.

"They continue to field an anti-ship ballistic missile, which provides the capability to attack U.S. aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific Ocean,' Clapper said. 'China also displayed a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of striking Guam, during its September 2015 military parade in Beijing."

Pentagon's China, Russia focus

Pentagon officials on Tuesday said after years of fighting terrorism, they are shifting focus to dealing with near-peer competitors such as Russia and China, and that that intention is reflected in the fiscal 2017 defense budget.

At a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said the U.S. military must focus more on building the capacity, capability and readiness to deal with the ever-more aggressive Russia and China.

The new budget calls for $582.7 billion for the nation's defense, which is roughly the same as the current spending level.

Work also said the U.S. simply can't sustain its deterrence by outspending competitors and called for investing more in new technology to offset the competitors' advantages in military power.

General Paul Selva, a deputy chief of staff, said all branches of the armed forces are pursuing high-end combat capabilities to meet growing challenges from Russia and China.

China denies its military modernization has any aggressive intentions, and accused the United States of using China's military threat as an excuse for continuous military development.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin service.

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US Forces in Afghanistan Up Anti-IS Strikes, Presence in Helmand

by Carla Babb February 11, 2016

The United States is ramping up efforts on two fronts in Afghanistan  'significantly' increasing airstrikes against Islamic State in the country's east while providing more advisers to Afghan troops fighting the Taliban in the country's south.

Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon via videoconference from Kabul on Thursday that the U.S. estimates there are now between 1,000 and 3,000 Islamic State-Khorasan fighters in Afghanistan. Islamic State has designated Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran as its so-called 'Khorasan' province.

Most fighters pledging allegiance to Islamic State-Khorasan are in four or five districts in the southern part of Nangarhar province, where Shoffner says he's seen them trying to 'establish a base.'

Nangarhar province borders the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, allowing IS-Khorasan to recruit both Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban, or TTP.

'Additional flexibility'

The White House approved military authorization to target Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan late last month.

'The change in authorities has given us additional flexibility,' Shoffner said.

Before the change, U.S. forces could only strike Islamic State militants in Afghanistan if they were a threat to U.S. forces. Asked by VOA if IS-Khorasan had ever tried to attack U.S. troops, Shoffner said he would not 'get into specifics of targeting and tactical level details.'

Advisers to Helmand

In addition to more strikes in the east, Shoffner said the U.S. military is increasing its footprint in Helmand province.

Afghan special forces are increasing operations in Helmand so that the regional Afghan Army 215 Corps there can rebuild, according to the general. Therefore, more Afghan operations require more U.S. advisers.

'We are increasing our advising effort in Helmand province,' Shoffner said. 'We are also  positioning soldiers to provide force protection.'

The repositioning of U.S. forces in Helmand will not affect the overall number of U.S. troops on the ground in Afghanistan, which remains at about 9,800.

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NATO Alliance May Join Anti-IS Coalition

by Carla Babb, Ken Bredemeier February 11, 2016

The NATO alliance may become a member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Thursday.

Carter told reporters at a meeting of more than two dozen defense ministers in Brussels that NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg was exploring the possibility.

The addition of NATO would bring the alliance's experience in building partner capacity and training ground forces, Carter added. All of NATO's 28 member states are already in the anti-Islamic State alliance, but only in the capacity of individual nations.

The Pentagon chief said the group provided 'unanimous support' for an operational campaign plan he laid out to defeat Islamic State. The plan focuses on destroying IS in Syria and Iraq, combating its metastasis worldwide and protecting from IS infiltration at home.

Carter said he also offered the defense ministers an opportunity to accelerate their countries' contributions, which the United States has been doing for months.

Earlier in the day, Carter spoke privately with some officials but also publicly shamed some unnamed countries in the 66-nation coalition for doing 'nothing at all.'

The Netherlands announced last month that it is expanding its role in the fighting from Iraq to Syria, while Saudi Arabia's defense minister told Carter Thursday that the country was expanding its role in the air campaign.

The coalition has launched more than 10,000 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in the last year and a half in Iraq and Syria, but the U.S. by far has launched most of the attacks, 68 percent of them in Iraq and 94 percent in Syria.

The U.S. estimates that the coalition and Iraqi forces have recaptured 40 percent of the Iraqi territory and 10 percent of Syrian lands that Islamic State had seized over the last two years.

President Barack Obama's budget plan for the year starting in October calls for $7.5 billion to fight Islamic State, a 50 percent increase over the current year. Part of the spending calls for buying 45,000 more GPS-guided smart bombs to use against Islamic State targets.

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South Sudan's Kiir reappoints rival Machar as vice president

Iran Press TV

Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:47AM

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reappointed his former deputy and current rebel leader Riek Machar as his vice president under a peace deal aimed at ending months of civil war in the country.

A decree by Kiir broadcast on state television said on Thursday that his arch-rival Machar will be reinstated as the first vice president, but gave no more details.

The new announcement has raised hope for the implementation of an August 2015 peace deal, which has been repeatedly broken by both the government troops and rebel forces loyal to Machar.

Machar, who is not currently in South Sudan, has welcomed the decree.

"It is welcome news because it is a step forward in the implementation of the peace agreement," said Machar, who was vice president from 2005 until he was sacked in 2013 on charges of plotting to overthrow the Kiir government.

It was not immediately clear when Machar would return from Ethiopia to the capital Juba to take up his post.

South Sudan plunged into chaos in December 2013, when fighting erupted outside the capital between troops loyal to Kiir and defectors led by Machar.

The August 2015 peace agreement has so far failed to end the conflict, which has left thousands of people dead and forced more than two million others to flee.

Both the government and rebel sides have been accused of serious violations including mass killings of ethnic groups, recruiting children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations.

Last month, a UN panel of experts proposed sanctions on both Kiir and Machar for their role in the brutal war.

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North Korea executes chief of military staff: South Korea

Iran Press TV

Thu Feb 11, 2016 6:41AM

North Korea has executed the country's chief of military staff over alleged corruption, says a South Korean official.

The South Korean official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that Ri Yong Gil, the chief of the North Korean military's general staff, was executed on charges of "factionalism, misuse of authority and corruption."

The South Korean official declined to give further details on how or when Ri had been executed.

The official said the North Korean chief of military staff was considered one of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's trusted aides because he frequently accompanied Kim's inspection tours of army units and factories.

In an official meeting last week, Kim had reportedly called for a fight against the misuse of authority, abuse of power and "bureaucratism," which he said undermined unity in North Korea.

North Korea has reportedly executed a number of its top officials for corruption or treason in the recent past.

The most remarkable among them were the country's Defense Minister Hyon Yong Chol who was executed in 2015, and Kim's powerful uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was executed in 2013.

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Construction of Wall Around Baghdad Stirs Concerns

by Rikar Hussein, Salah Bamarni February 11, 2016

The Shi'ite-led Iraqi government has started constructing a giant wall around Baghdad that it says will prevent militant attacks and reduce the large number of checkpoints inside the city.

But Sunnis and Kurds worry it is a politically motivated attempt to isolate the capital from the Sunni areas.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry's police spokesman, Brig. Gen. Saad Maan, told the Associated Press last week that work began on a 105 kilometer stretch on the northern and northwestern approaches of the capital  about 32 kilometers from the city center.

Maan said the wall will be three meters high and partially made up of concrete barriers already in use across much of the capital.

The partitions will dramatically improve security and reduce the number of checkpoints inside the city by 50 percent within six months, the government said. Baghdad has been a target of numerous sectarian and terror-related bombings since the U.S.-led intervention in 2003.

Separating Sunnis

But Sunni and Kurdish leaders see the wall as an attempt toward "demographic changes" favoring Shi'ite interests in the capital.

Mohammed al-Karbouli, a Sunni MP and a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defense, told VOA that the project is an attempt to isolate Sunni tribal areas from the capital.

"The majority of the areas surrounding Baghdad belong to Sunni tribes," he said. "This wall will separate a brother from a brother. This is why we are worried."

Karbouli said he was concerned that the Shi'ite militia known as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) would make demographic changes in the Sunni areas surrounding the capital after it recaptured them from the Islamic State (IS) occupiers.

"We have experienced that any area captured by [PMF] will be seized and not given back to its rightful owners," Karbouli said.

Retaliating against Kurd

Jamal Kochar, a Kurdish MP, asked the Iraqi government to release "objectives" behind the building of the wall.

Kochar fears that the Iraqi government is retaliating against Kurds who have begun digging trenches in northern Iraq.

Kurdish officials say the trenches are to strengthen their defense line against IS. But the Iraqi government accused the Kurds of attempting to set up a de-facto Kurdish border as part of a process toward independence.

"When we started digging a trench in the frontline against IS, they [Iraqi government] accused us of separating from Iraq," Kochar said. "Today they are building a wall around the capital."

But MP Ahmed al-Badri of the National Alliance (a Shiite) rejected the concerns and described the decision to build the wall as "moving toward the right direction."

"Killing, kidnapping, and explosions have increased in Baghdad recently," he told VOA. "The security forces concluded that building a wall was a realistic and effective way to improve security and to prevent terrorist groups from entering the city."

"Baghdad is the capital of all Iraqis and no wall or fence will isolate the city or prevent citizens from entering it," the Iraqi government said in a statement, aimed at being reassuring. "It is our responsibility to protect all residents of the capital from the criminal acts of terrorist organizations."

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News Analysis: Putin Pulls Levers As Russian Patriarch, PM Head Abroad

February 11, 2016

by Steve Gutterman

With the Russian patriarch and prime minister both holding big meetings abroad, this weekend presents a chance for President Vladimir Putin to soothe a world still stunned by Moscow's aggression in Ukraine and dismayed by its bombing campaign in Syria.

Russian Orthodox Church chief Kirill holds historic talks with Pope Francis at the airport in Havana, Cuba, on February 12, the first such meeting since Christendom split in two more than 1,000 years ago.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will speak at the annual Munich Security Conference on February 12-14 -- the same forum at which Putin ripped into Washington and the West in a 2007 address that set the tone for years of discord.

Facing deep economic troubles and persistent Western sanctions, Putin may be looking for ways to alleviate Russia's isolation.

But will he use the high-profile meetings of two top allies to build real bridges, or to execute tactical moves in a mounting confrontation with the United States and Europe?

Signs point to something far short of the first and closer to the second: an effort to improve Russia's global image and score points with the West without giving ground on the gritty issues of Syria and Ukraine -- or even the deep-rooted disputes between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.

The clearest of those signs, perhaps, is the fact that Putin is not attending the security conference.

'I will not come to Munich,' he said bluntly in an interview with German tabloid Bild last month.

Why not?

It would seem like an opportune time for Putin to pitch for a thaw in ties with the West, or at least make a case for two things he wants: relief from sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union over Russia's role in the war that has killed more than 9,000 people in eastern Ukraine, and an end to criticism of its bombing campaign in Syria.

Putin Steers Clear

But there are at least two potential motives behinds the decision by Putin, who has not attended the Munich Security Conference since his jolting 2007 appearance, to give it a miss once again.

One is the apparent animus between Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose opposition to Russia's interference in Ukraine was by all accounts tougher than the Kremlin expected and dashed Moscow's hopes for a muted Western response.

Merkel, whose position at home has been weakened by an influx of refugees now aggravated by Russian air strikes in Syria, said in February 8 that she was 'not just appalled but horrified' by the suffering caused by the bombing in Syria, primarily by Russia.

For the time being, Germany is enemy territory for Putin.

But the main reason that Putin is not going to Munich may be that he just doesn't think he needs to.

He seems to have the upper hand in Syria at the moment, and may believe he'll get it soon in Ukraine.

Russia's stepped-up military campaign appears to have reshaped the five-year war in Syria,bringing President Bashar al-Assad's government back from the brink of battlefield defeat and increasing the chances that if a resolution is achieved, it will suit the Kremlin.

Russia is facing growing criticism over civilian casualties in Syria and risks becoming mired in a long and costly conflict with repercussions for its own large Muslim minority. But for now, Putin seems confident he is winning what many see as a proxy war with the United States.

In a bid to put pressure on Washington ahead of the conference and a February 11 meeting in Munich on Syria, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had proposed a 'concrete plan' to end the conflict and expressed hope the United States would not dawdle with a response.

In eastern Ukraine, a fragile cease-fire is turning the war between government forces and Russia-backed separatists into a frozen conflict that is a constant threat to the country's unity and economic health.

Medvedev In Munich

Russia has not achieved what many analysts believe is a chief goal: a say for the separatists in Ukrainian foreign policy decisions, which would in effect mean a Russian veto on NATO and EU membership for Kyiv.

But with cracks appearing in European unity and increasing frustration in the West over the slow pace of reforms in Ukraine, Putin has grounds to hope that this year will bring an end to many of the economic sanctions on Russia -- or even the collapse of the government in Kyiv.

Instead of going to the Munich Security Conference himself, Putin is sending both Lavrov and Medvedev, the pliant protege who helped mend ties with the West while keeping the presidential seat warm in 2008-12.

Putin could be hoping for a similar effect from Medvedev in Munich. Alternatively, he may use Medvedev as a mere messenger, tasked with delivering a version of Putin's own stern words and absorbing whatever criticism comes his way.

Whether the prime minister lays into the West or appeals for understanding, any message Putin wants to send is undermined if delivered by Medvedev because of his image as an underling with no real clout.

Ahead of the Munich meeting, Moscow set about playing down its significance. Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of Russia's upper parliament house, said she does not expect a 'breakthrough' and blamed the West in advance.

'Regrettably, we do not see reasonable ideas coming from the West,' she said on February 10.

Kirill The 'Courier'

The Munich Security Conference starts the same day that Patriarch Kirill is set to meet Pope Francis at the Havana airport.

It will be the first meeting since the Christian world split in the Great Schism of 1054 between the heads of the Catholic Church and what is now the largest church in Eastern Orthodoxy.

A meeting with the Moscow patriarch had eluded Francis's two most recent predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, with the Russian church frequently saying longstanding disputes -- over property in Ukraine and Russian Orthodox accusations that the Catholic Church has poached members of its flock, among other issues -- must be resolved before it could happen.

Many Russians believe the decision to meet the pope now is not the result of a change of heart by Kirill, but of a pragmatic calculation by Putin.

'It's a good sign, but it's obvious that the Russian state is seeking lines of communication with the West, and the patriarch is a courier,' Aleksei Venediktov, the editor in chief of Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy, said on the air on February 6. Kirill's job, he said, is to tell the pope that 'Western European leaders' can communicate with Russia through him.

Kirill has strongly supported Putin at home in Russia, even offering crystal-clear backing in the 2012 election that returned him to the Kremlin.

That record has led to suspicions that Putin may see the historic meeting as a chance to paint Russia in a positive light -- as a proponent of peace, moral rectitude, and global religious unity -- at a time when it is under fire over its actions from the takeover of Crimea to what critics say is an indiscriminate bombing campaign that has killed large numbers of Syrian civilians.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/putin-kirill-pope- medvedev-munich-ukraine-syria/27545372.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia: Aleppo militants lay down arms

Iran Press TV

Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:24PM

Russia says some opposition groups in the Syrian city of Aleppo are breaking ranks with militants and cooperating with the government.

In Dara'a Province, several groups have agreed to lay down their arms, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters in Moscow on Thursday.

'Syrian opposition groups have been productively sharing intelligence with us. Many are shifting to cooperation with the Syrian government,' he said.

Aided by Russian airstrikes, the Syrian army is closing in on the last pockets of militant positions in Aleppo which borders Turkey.

Konashenkov said terrorists are trying to flee to Turkey, 'blending into' civilians as they know Russian jets won't attack peaceful population, the Tass news agency reported.

'Mass desertion is fixed among gunmen groups operating in the area of Aleppo. Terrorists intimidate local population and use force to drive people to the Turkish border,' he said.

He said terrorists were dropping their weapons and trying to hide among the civilians.

The spokesman also turned the tables on the US over allegations that two hospitals had been targeted in Russian airstrikes in Aleppo.

US warplanes, he said, had flown from Turkey to hit targets inside Aleppo on Wednesday.

"Only, aviation of the anti-ISIS [Daesh] coalition flew over the city yesterday," Konashenkov said in a statement.

"At 13:55 Moscow time, two US Air Force A-10 attack aircraft entered Syrian airspace from Turkish territory. Reaching Aleppo by the most direct path, they made strikes against objects in the city," he added.

The statement came after the Pentagon accused Russian and Syrian government forces of destroying two main hospitals in Aleppo in air raids.

Konashenkov said Russian warplanes only hit targets some 20 km (12 miles) from the city on Wednesday.

He said Russian armed forces and their partners 'have deployed a multi-layered intelligence system that ensures reliable detection of targets.'

'Only after multiple checks of the obtained data and ruling out any risks for peaceful civilians, airstrikes are delivered at those targets,' he told reporters.

The US has been carrying out airstrikes inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate.

Brett McGurk, special envoy of US President Barack Obama, said Wednesday Russian airstrikes around Aleppo "directly promote" the rise of Daesh.

Syria's government advances and militant losses have unleashed a chorus of warnings by the West and its regional allies about a new wave of refugee influx.

On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating in Aleppo, saying the surge in fighting has displaced about 50,000 people.



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Syria expects to free Aleppo in short, tough battle

Iran Press TV

Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:3AM

The Syrian government says its forces will soon take full control of the militant-held areas of Aleppo but predicted a tough battle for the largest city in the Arab country.

'These battles are not easy, but the day will come, God willing, when all Aleppo - its rural areas and the occupied part of the city - will return to state authority,' Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on Wednesday.

The Syrian army and its allies, backed by Russian warplanes, have recently made major advances against Takfiri militants north of Aleppo.

Zoubi declined to predict how long the campaign would last, but added, 'I do not expect the battle of Aleppo to go on long.'

He said militants were well-financed and armed, naming groups that have received US-made TOW anti-armor missiles, as well as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, and other Takfiri militants such as the Turkistan Islamic Party.

'They have TOWs, they have tanks, they have armored cars, they have bombs, they have many weapons,' Zoubi said.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating in Aleppo, adding that the surge in fighting has displaced about 50,000 people.

The Syrian army has launched major ground offensives against Takfiri militants in the province of Latakia near the Turkish border as well as in Dara'a province bordering Jordan since September 30. The areas have been used by terrorists as major supply routes into Syria.

On Wednesday, the foreign-backed opposition urged its mentors to supply them with anti-aircraft missiles to counter Russian airstrikes that have helped the Syrian army win back several areas across the country.

'If we had these, this would solve the problem of Syria,' opposition spokesman Salim al-Muslat said of the weapons.

He said the opposition would not allow the weapons to fall into the hands of Takfiri militants, who already have access to some of the similar weapons supplied in the past.

'We really guarantee that they do not go anywhere - that they will be in the hands of the moderates under the eye of our friends, whether European or American,' he said.

Saudi Arabia and other regional allies are funding militants and providing them with weapons to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

On Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom was ready to send special forces to Syria if the US-led coalition decided to deploy ground troops.

'We will discuss details with experts from the countries involved to decide on the nature of the participation,' he told reporters during a visit to Morocco.

Syrian Information Minister Zoubi warned against such a move.

'Even thinking about this is a big adventure and gamble, the results of which I don't believe Saudi can bear, neither for its army or its internal situation,' he said.

Saudi Arabia is already a member of the US-led coalition that has been conducting air raids inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate.

On Saturday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem strongly warned against a potential troop deployment in the country.

"Let no one think they can attack Syria or violate its sovereignty because I assure you any aggressor will return to their country in a wooden coffin," he said.

Damascus accuses Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar of funding and arming terrorist groups operating inside the country, including Daesh.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which flared up in March 2011, has reportedly killed more than 260,000 people and left over one million injured.

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Riyadh Rules Out Reconsidering Ground Campaign in Syria - Defense Advisor

Sputnik News

19:30 11.02.2016(updated 19:55 11.02.2016)

Saudi Arabia will not reconsider its decision to launch a ground operation in Syria, Ahmed Asiri, advisor in the Office of the Minister of Defense, said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Last week, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it stood ready to deploy ground troops to Syria to fight the Daesh militant group.

'Saudi Arabia's announcement of sending its troops for a ground operation will not be reconsidered,' Asiri said on the Al Arabiya television channel.

The official stressed that the operation would begin as soon as the US-led international coalition makes a corresponding decision.

The US-led coalition has been launching airstrikes against the group since 2014 without approval from Damascus or the United Nations, and providing military aid to the so-called moderate opposition which aims to oust the current government.

Russia, having outlawed the group, began launching airstrikes against the IS last September on request of the Syrian authorities.

 Sputnik

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Russian Operation in Syria to Remain Exclusively Airborne - Deputy PM

Sputnik News

18:29 11.02.2016(updated 18:49 11.02.2016)

Deputy Prime Minister said that Russia does not intend to carry out a ground operation in Syria.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik)  Russia does not intend to carry out a ground operation in Syria, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday.

'[Speculations about] possibility of Russia's ground operation in Syria are not true,' Rogozin said in Baghdad during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari.

He added that Syrians must free their country from terrorists by themselves, while Russia assists them with pinpoint airstrikes requested by the Syrian authorities, as well as providing the Syrian side with the necessary equipment.

Russia launched its aerial campaign against jihadist militants in Syria in September 2015 at Syrian President Bashar Assad's request. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that the Russian military campaign in the country will be limited to air operations.

 Sputnik

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DoD Officials Discuss Regional Deterrence, Nuke Modernization

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, February 11, 2016  The administration's nuclear sustainment and modernization plan is what is needed for effective deterrence, and the plan is affordable if the Defense Department prioritizes it, senior defense officials told Congress yesterday.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces were Robert M. Scher, assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities, and Arthur Hopkins, acting principal deputy assistant defense secretary for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs.

Effective deterrence, Scher said, requires that U.S. nuclear capabilities and posture allow the nation to implement U.S. defense strategy, preserve the strategy's credibility and reinforce overall strategic stability.

"Our approach is to maintain a deterrent that is inherently robust and stable rather than one that is simply reactive to every action of a potential adversary," the assistant secretary said.

Full Nuclear Triad

The best way to do this is to sustain a full nuclear triad -- strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles -- and dual-role aircraft with a range of nuclear explosive yields and delivery modes, he added.

Dual-capable aircraft, or DCA, are allied and U.S. fighter aircraft that can perform both conventional and theater nuclear missions.

"The triad and DCA provide the credibility, flexibility and survivability to meet and adapt to the challenges of a dynamic 21st century security environment," Scher added, "without the need to mirror every potential adversary system-for-system or yield-for-yield."

Regional Deterrence

The U.S. strategy for deterring a large-scale nuclear attack is well established, he added, but deterring nuclear use in regional conflicts may be a more immediate challenge for the nation.

"We must be able to deter not only large-scale nuclear attacks -- the predominant focus during the Cold War -- but also limited nuclear attack and deliberate nuclear escalation by an adversary that might arise out of a conventional regional conflict," Scher said.

In his remarks Hopkins, also acting staff director for the Nuclear Weapons Council, said the council has developed a strategic plan for integrating all three components of the nuclear enterprise -- warheads, platforms and infrastructure.

"Portions of the plan are well underway, including production of the W761 refurbished warhead and the design engineering for the W88 warhead modernization," he said. These are for the Navy's submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the B61 Mod 12 bomb life-extension program for strategic missions and extended deterrence, Hopkins told the panel.

Modernizing Warheads

In fiscal year 2017, the National Nuclear Security Administration will continue to deliver W761 warheads for the Navy's Trident D5 missiles and will complete production in FY 2019, he said, and the W88 warhead alteration effort, also for the D5 missile, is on schedule to deliver the first production unit in December 2019.

The B61 bomb life-extension program is also on schedule to deliver a first production unit in March of 2020," Hopkins said.

Scher said the B61, the remaining gravity bomb for the nuclear forces, remains strategically important.

"We want to make sure that we have a full range of options, range of yields and delivery systems, and as a result that's a critical piece of the air leg of the triad," he said.

Hopkins added, "One of the most significant advantages of the B-61 modernization, which is going to produce the B61-12, is that it'll take the place of four different variants of the existing B61. So there's a certain degree of efficiency and  safety associated with reducing the numbers and types of weapons in the inventory."

Funding Delivery Systems

Modernizing nuclear delivery platforms is essential to nuclear deterrence, Hopkins said, noting that in fiscal 2017 the department will continue funding for several delivery systems.

One is the Ohio-class submarine replacement and its Trident II D5 life-extended missile, he said. Another is sustainment of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile and its follow-on capability, the ground-based strategic deterrent.

Others are upgrades to the B-2 and the B-52H heavy bombers, the development of a long-range strike bomber, and the development of a long-range stand-up cruise missile to replace the aging air-launched cruise missile, Hopkins said.

Requirement to Modernize

Scher said the modernization schedule is closely tied to the estimated lifetime of existing systems.

"After several years of delaying the modernization  ," he said, "we have reached a point where virtually every leg of the triad is nearing the end of its anticipated service life, and we've extended as many as we possibly can as long as we can."

Scher told the panel, "What we're seeing now is a requirement for the department to modernize the delivery systems and to extend the lives of the various nuclear weapon components."

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Lithuanian English

Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-02-12 13:17 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IKKB OMX Baltic Benchmark Fund, code 111713358, office address: A.Tumeno g. 4, Vilnius (hereinafter  the Company), managed by UAB Orion Asset Management, code: 111707985, office address: A.Tumeno g. 4, Vilnius (hereinafter  Management Company), extraordinary shareholders meeting which was scheduled for 11 February 2016 did not occurred.

By the decision of the Management Company, additional extraordinary shareholders meeting shall be convened (hereinafter  Meeting). The Meeting will take place at the Management Company registered office on 26 February 2016, 11 am. Meeting record date: 19 February 2016.

The right to participate in the Meeting and to vote may be exercised only by those who are registered as shareholders or other persons mandated by shareholders, or other persons who has the right to vote according to the agreement between the parties.

A. Agenda of the Meeting:

Agenda for the Meeting:

1. Election of new members of the Supervisory Board;

2. Approval of the Companys financial statements for the years 2013, 2014;

3. Amendments of the Companys Articles of Association due to EUR changeover process.

B. Drafts decisions

1. New members of the Supervisor Board for 4 years period shall be:

 Benas Poderis, who is the head of the Investment Funds Center of UAB Orion Asset Management. Moreover, he is Fund manager of Orion Alternative Energy Fund. Benas has obtained a Master degree from Vilnius University Faculty of Law, previously worked at AB SEB bank, Tark Grunte Sutkiene;

 Mykantas Urba, who is chartered financial analyst (CFA), obtained Bachelor degree from Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, also Master degree from Erasmus School of Economics. Currently, he works as the head of corporate finance division at UAB FMI Orion Securities, Mykantas has more than 8 years experience in the corporate finance field;

 Linas Garbaravicius, currently works as Chairman of the Management Board of UAB East Europe Investment Group, and he also is a director of this legal entity. Moreover Linas is a member of UAB FMI Orion Securities Management Board. He obtained Bachelor degree in economics from Vytauto Didziojo University, also he holds Master degree from Mykolas Romeris University Faculty of Law.

2. To approve the audited Companys financial statements for the 2013, 2014 years.

3. To approve amendments of the Companys Articles of Association made due to EUR changeover process, also obligate and mandate Management Company to make amendments of Companys Articles of Association (e.g. to change all references expressed in LTL into EUR) and to sign new Articles of Association of the Company).

C. Voting procedure

Initiator of the Meeting does not allow to participate and vote in the Meeting through electronic communication instruments. Draft decisions, agenda of the Meeting, documents which will be submitted to the Meeting and the information related with shareholders subjective rights, shall be published on the website at www.am.orion.lt. Select general menu, column on the left Funds management, item OMX Baltic Benchmark Fund. Also, this specific information for shareholders is available at the Management Company office, on working days from 11.00 until 12.00 and from 14.00 until 16.00.

By registering to participate at the Meeting, shareholders or other persons mandated by shareholders must provide identification cards. Persons mandated by shareholders must present mandate (power of attorney). Mandate which was issued by natural person, must be approved by notary. Mandate which was issued in a foreign country must be translated into Lithuanian language and legalized according to the legislation. Mandated person can be authorized by more than one shareholder and can vote separate due to indication of the shareholder.

Shareholder can mandate natural or legal person to participate and vote in the name of shareholder at the meeting via electronically means of communications. There is no obligation to approve such mandate by notary.

Mandate which was issued using electronic communication instruments must be confirmed by shareholder electronic signature (using certified software) which one is confirmed as safe. Shareholder must inform initiator of the Meeting about mandate which was issued using electronic communication instruments by email, this information must be sent to oam@orion.lt, no later than one day before shareholders meeting 04.00 pm.

Mandate and notification must be of the written form. Mandate and notification must be signed by shareholders electronic signature (not only the email should be signed). Shareholder which provides notification must indicate internet address where software which may be used to inspect the validity of electronic signature can be downloaded.

There is no specific form of mandate approved.

Shareholder or other mandated person can vote by correspondence (filling and signing voting ballot).

If shareholder requires, initiator of the meeting must send general voting ballot by registered mail or personally serve it, no later than 10 days before shareholders meeting. General voting ballot must be signed by shareholder or other mandated person. If ballot was signed by mandated person, additional document proving the right to vote must be attached.

Filled and signed general voting ballot must be submitted to the initiator of the Meeting. It must be sent by registered mail or presented directly. Completed ballot will have power only if it will be received until shareholders meeting.

On the website www.am.orion.lt, column on the left Funds management, item OMX Baltic Benchmark Fund, News shall be indicated following information:

- Notification about shareholders meeting;

- Drafts of the decisions due to agenda issues and other related documents which will be submitted to the meeting;

- General voting ballot.

D. Procedure of submission of questions and sumplements of agenda

Shareholders dont have the right to propose any additional modification of the agenda. At this Meeting agenda must be the same content as it was prepared in the previous extraordinary shareholders meeting.

Shareholders whose shares are carrying voting rights at least 1/20 of the all votes, have the right to propose new projects of decisions, which are included in the agenda of the Meeting. Proposals must be submitted on paper or must be e-mailed.

Proposals which are submitted on paper must be presented until 09.00 am to the initiator office or can be sent by registered mail. Proposals which are submitted on paper can be presented to the chairman of the Meeting after the announcement of agenda, but no later than before shareholders will start to consider issues which are indicated in the agenda. Proposals which are submitted by email must be sent to oam@orion.lt. Shareholders meeting will considerate all decisions projects proposals (due to questions indicated in the agenda) which would be sent no later than on 26 February 2016, 09.00 am.

Shareholders have the right to submit additional questions regarding the item included in the agenda of the Meeting. Questions submitted on paper must be presented to the initiator office or must be sent to oam@orion.lt, no later than 3 working days before shareholders meeting.

Annex.

1. General voting ballot.

2. Audited Companys financial statements for the 2013 years.

3. Audited Companys financial statements for the 2014 years.

Respectfully,

UAB Orion Asset Management

Managing director

Ramunas Baranauskas
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VANCOUVER, Feb. 11, 2016 /CNW/ - Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX: NSU / NYSE MKT: NSU) is pleased to provide its 2016 Bisha Mine production and cost guidance and overall outlook for the year.

2016 OBJECTIVES

Maintain top quartile safety performance at Bisha operations

Deliver zinc flotation plant expansion on time and under budget

Complete successful transition to primary ore processing by Q3

Produce 40 to 50 million pounds of copper from supergene ore

Produce 40 to 60 million pounds of copper from primary ore

Produce 70 to 100 million pounds of zinc from primary ore

Monetize 80,000 to 100,000 gold equivalent ounces from stockpiles

Grow Bisha district mineral resources and deposits through exploration

Continue paying peer leading dividends

Continue to pursue M&A opportunities supported by our strong balance sheet

Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX: NSU / NYSE MKT: NSU) today announces its 2016 outlook guidance which includes revenues from copper, zinc and monetization of precious metal stockpiles from the Bisha Mine in Eritrea. The Bisha Mine, operated by Nevsun's 60 percent owned subsidiary Bisha Mining Share Company (BMSC or Bisha), remains an exceptional base metal mine with a track record of resource growth. 2016 is a transitional year as the operation moves into the primary ore body at Bisha, adding zinc concentrate production to revenues. All financial figures are in US dollars.

Cliff Davis, Nevsun CEO commented, "Bisha continues to provide positive surprises. The latest example is the unusually high-grade precious metal in already mined stockpiles that will be direct shipped to customers. We have 90,000 tonnes of 25 g/t gold material that could provide $40 million of additional cash flow for the mine in 2016, which gives additional financial comfort for 2016."

Zinc Expansion Project

Nevsun expects that BMSC will finish the zinc expansion project, including in-progress cold commissioning, by April and commence ore commissioning later in Q2. As of the date of this news release, approximately 94% of the total project is complete with total forecast capital cost not expected to exceed $80 million. Full commissioning is not expected to exceed 3 months duration prior to commercial production.

Copper and Zinc Concentrate Guidance

Remaining supergene ore processing in the first half of 2016 is expected to produce 40 to 50 million pounds of copper in copper concentrate at a C1 cash cost of $1.20 to $1.40 per payable pound of copper. BMSC will, after completion of the zinc expansion project, commence processing primary ore, generating separate copper and zinc concentrates. Including commissioning, production estimates are 40 to 60 million pounds of copper in concentrate and 70 to 100 million pounds of zinc in concentrate. Cash costs will be presented on a co-product basis once commercial production is achieved. We will provide updated C1 co-product cash costs once we enter commercial production.

The transition from the supergene ore horizon to the primary ore portion of the deposit will require diligent management. While primary mined grades will range from 1.9% to 3.5% copper and 3.5% to 4.0% zinc in the transition zone, the copper mineralogy is variable and the host pyrite minerals can impact metallurgical recoveries and concentrate grades.

Precious Metal Stockpile Guidance

Bisha continues to mine, and has historically stockpiled, a variety of highly variable precious metal materials. In 2015 Bisha invested in equipment to screen and beneficiate portions of the materials in an effort to create saleable contiguous lots of material. These efforts recently defined 90,000 tonnes varying materials assaying 20 to 30 grams per tonne gold and 800 to 900 grams per tonne silver. Bisha plans to market this material throughout 2016 and forecasts sales of 80,000 to 100,000 gold equivalent ounces from stockpiles during 2016.

Exploration Plans

In 2016, Bisha will continue its balanced exploration approach, focussing not only on near term resource expansion opportunities, but also on discovering new greenfield deposits. At Harena, drilling will continue to explore the deposit down dip where it remains open and is demonstrating a trend of increasing thickness and grade with depth. Opportunities also occur immediately along strike of the deposit to the north and south. Over 12,000 metres of drilling is planned at Harena in 2016. The Bisha Main deposit remains open at depth and a 10,000 metre drill program will focus on expanding the deposit below the proposed ultimate open pit. Greenfield exploration will mainly target opportunities in the Asheli area of the Mogoraib River exploration license, where a new massive sulphide deposit was discovered in 2015. Exploration work including 12,000 metres of diamond drilling will be used to explore the 4 kilometres of untested favourable stratigraphy. A total budget of $11 million is planned for exploration in 2016.

Sustaining Capital

The Company plans to limit sustaining capital expenditure to less than $9 million for the year.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Nevsun continues to dedicate significant management time and effort to external growth. The Company's approach to M&A is based on capital discipline and staying true to our commitment of generating a financial return on investment for shareholders that will allow us to maintain or grow our dividend in the future.

About Nevsun Resources Ltd.

Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 60% owner of the high grade Bisha Mine in Eritrea. Bisha has over 9 years of reserve life, generating revenue from both copper and zinc concentrates containing gold and silver by-products. Nevsun has a strong balance sheet with over $US 400 million in cash, no debt and pays a peer leading quarterly dividend. Nevsun is well positioned to grow shareholder value through exploration at Bisha and acquisition of additional mining assets.

Forward Looking Statements

The above contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimated," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will," "may," "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are statements concerning the Company's current beliefs, plans and expectations about the future including but not limited to commercial production, future production of copper and related cash flows and are inherently uncertain. The actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, the risks that: (i) any of the assumptions in the historical resource estimates turn out to be incorrect, incomplete, or flawed in any respect; (ii) the methodologies and models used to prepare the resource and reserve estimates either underestimate or overestimate the resources or reserves due to hidden or unknown conditions, (iii) exploration activities or the mine operations are disrupted or suspended due to acts of god, internal conflicts in the country of Eritrea, unforeseen government actions or other events; (iv) the Company experiences the loss of key personnel; (v) the Company's operations or exploration activities are adversely affected by other political or military, or terrorist activities; (vi) the Company becomes involved in any material disputes with any of its key business partners, suppliers or customers; (vii) the Company is subjected to any hostile takeover or other unsolicited attempts to acquire control of the Company; (viii) the Company is subject to any adverse ruling in any of the pending litigation to which it is a party; (ix) the Company incurs unanticipated power interruptions or failures due to electrical circuit failures or inadequate fuel quality or supply required to effectively operate power generators for the plant or otherwise or unexpected costs or repairs to the plant; * the Company incurs unanticipated costs as a result of the transition from the supergene ore phase of the Bisha mine to the primary ore phase or experiences challenges with copper mineralogy or host pyrite minerals that impacts metallurgical recoveries and concentrate grades in the transition zone; or (xi) are associated with the speculative nature of exploration activities, periodic interruptions to exploration, failure of drilling, processing and mining equipment, the interpretation of drill results and the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, changes to exploration and project plans and parameters and other risks are more fully described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Company's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made and the Company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.

Further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and our business can be found in our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2014, which is available on the Company's website (www.nevsun.com), filed under our profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) under cover of Form 40-F.

NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD.

"Cliff T. Davis"

Cliff T. Davis

President & Chief Executive Officer

SOURCE Nevsun Resources Ltd.
Conditions $15,000 cash payment at the signature of the Agreement





60 day period for Lepidico to undertake additional due diligence Upon exercise of right to farm-in post due diligence $35,000 cash payment on or before May 10, 2016



$500,000 payment in shares or cash on or before May 10, 2016, such value to be determined by dividing the 5 day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of the Shares immediately following the completion of the "going public transaction" between Lepidico and Platypus Minerals Ltd or another Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") listed company.



$35,000 cash payment on or before September 9, 2016 Earn 50% interest Lepidico to spend $800,000 by December 31, 2016 in exploration expenses



Lepidico to spend additional $1,200,000 by December 31, 2017 in exploration expenses



Lepidico to deliver a Joint Ore Reserves Committee ("JORC") Code compliant resource by December 31, 2017 Earn additional 25% interest (total 75%) Completion of definitive feasibility study and environmental study on Lemare by June 30, 2020





Payment of $2,500,000 (cash or shares) Royalty 2% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") payable to Critical Elements





Rights to buy back 1% of the NSR for $2,000,000 Milestone Payment Maximum payment of $1,500,000 in cash or shares for delineation of a JORC resource in excess of 20.0Mt at a cut-off grade of 0.6% Li 2 O

MONTREAL, Feb 11, 2016 - Critical Elements Corp. ("Critical Elements" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CRE) (OTCQX:CRECF) (FRANKFURT:F12) is pleased to announce that Critical and Lepidico Ltd ("Lepidico") has entered into a binding agreement ("Agreement") that gives the right to Lepidico to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Lemare lithium project.Under the Agreement, Lepidico will earn its interest in Lemare by way of a farm-in arrangement. The key terms of the Agreement are detailed in the table below:

The Lemare project consists of 158 claims for a total ground position of 7,433 hectares (74 km2) in a region of Quebec that boasts other lithium deposits and known lithium mineralisation, as shown in the maps and table below. The Lemare project is potentially a new lithium field in an established lithium district.

Table 1. Lithium resources of the James Bay area.

Company Project Measured & Indicated Inferred Sources Nemaska Lithium Whabouchi 13.0Mt measured @ 1.60% Li 2 O and 15.0Mt indicated @ 1.54% Li 2 O 4.7Mt @ 1.51% Li 2 O NI 43-101 Technical Report - Feasibility Study on the Whabouchi

Lithium Deposit and Hydromet Plant (Revised), prepared by Met-Chem Canada inc., revision date January 22nd, 2016 Critical Elements Rose Lithium-Tantalum 26.5Mt indicated @ 1.30% Li 2 O equivalent 10.7Mt @ 1.14% Li 2 O equivalent Technical Report and Preliminary economic assessment on the Rose Tantalum-Lithium Project, prepared by Genivar, December 10th 2011 Galaxy Resources James Bay 11.7Mt indicated @ 1.30% Li 2 O 10.5Mt @ 1.20% Li 2 O Mineral Resource Evaluation

James Bay Lithium Project,

James Bay, Quebec, Canada, prepared by SKR Consulting, December 30, 2010

Figure 1. Location of known lithium deposits in the James Bay area of Quebec. To view figure 1 please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/JB1_English.pdf

In October 2012, Monarques collected 43 channel samples from six trenches totalling 62 metres in length across the exposed spodumene pegmatite. Of these, 11 samples returned a Li 2 O content superior to 2%. The results of the channel sampling are shown in the table below:





Table 2. Channel sampling results from Lemare (Monarques Resources Inc.)





Channel Grade

Li 2 O % Length

(metres) LEM(Li)-12-R1 1.61 9.5 including 2.00 6.0 LEM(Li)-12-R2 1.96 12.0 including 2.68 6.0 LEM(Li)-12-R3 1.74 10.5 LEM(Li)-12-R4 2.12 4.8 LEM(Li)-12-R5 1.18 14.2 including 1.58 10.1 LEM(Li)-12-R6 0.42 10.5 including 1.12 3.0

Brownfields Projects: There are existing mining projects around the world that currently have lithium bearing micas being passed through to waste dumps or tailings dams. Lithium bearing micas can be effectively concentrated by flotation, which would allow the L-Max process to be utilised to produce lithium products (and other by-products) from a source that has previously been deemed to be of no value.





Greenfields Projects: There has been limited exploration to date relating to identifying deposits of lithium bearing micas. These micas typically occur in pegmatites (coarse grained granites), often in association with other lithium, tin or tantalum containing ores.

Initial exploration at Lemare was undertaken in 2012 by Monarques Resource Inc. who discovered a "granite pegmatite dyke containing a considerable amount of spodumene." The pegmatite ranges in apparent thickness from 4.8 to 14.2 metres and was followed for close to 200 metres in length on surface. The full length of the dyke remains unknown and is open in both directions. The pegmatite is undrilled so the depth extent also remains unknown.Figure 2. Trenching program at Lemare showing the six trenches channel sampled. To view figure 2 please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/mona_ENG.pdfFigure 3. Location of the Lemare project claims in the James Bay area, Quebec, Canada. To view figure 3 please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/JB2_ENG.pdfOutside of this trenching program, there has been limited lithium exploration undertaken at Lemare. Based on other lithium deposits around the world, it is a common occurrence for pegmatites to exist in "swarms." As part of the due diligence process, Lepidico and Platypus will assess the potential for other pegmatites to exist within the project area."Lemare is a significant landholding that is highly prospective and sits in a proven lithium district, and boasts a large pegmatite that is ready to be drilled," stated Gary Johnson, Chairman, Lepidico."The arrangement with Lepidico allows Lemare to advance towards resource delineation and project development over its other properties. Critical Elements is currently focussed on the development of its Rose lithium project. With Lepidico farming into the Lemare project, shareholders of both companies will be able to benefit from successful exploration of a highly prospective project," stated Jean-Sebastien Lavallee, President and CEO, Critical Elements.Jean-Sebastien Lavallee (OGQ #773), geologist, shareholder and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.On February 1, 2016. Lepidico and Platypus entered into an exclusive agreement to complete mutual due diligence for the purpose of investigating whether or not an agreement for the acquisition by Platypus of Lepidico or its assets can be agreed.Platypus Managing Director Tom Dukovcic said, "The Lemare acquisition is another prospective opportunity for Lepidico that we will consider as part of our due diligence. Platypus has undertaken to assist Lepidico in the assessment of Lemare and we are fully supportive of the potential acquisition as it would deliver a quality project to the growing portfolio."Lepidico is a lithium exploration company and the 100% owner and licensor of the L-Max technology, a proprietary process which has the potential to commercially extract lithium and other by-products from unconventional sources at a competitive cost.Currently, the majority of the world's lithium is produced from either brines or hard rock spodumene. L-Max delivers an opportunity to create a third supply source of lithium, namely lithium bearing micas such as lepidolite and zinnwaldite. Although there are a number of known deposits of lithium bearing micas around the world, these materials have typically been overlooked as a source of lithium as there has been no commercial process available to economically extract the contained lithium and produce lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide that is suitable for end users.As part of its exploration activity, Lepidico has commissioned and received several geological reports to assist in the identification of ore bodies that have the potential to host commercial quantities of lithium bearing micas and associated lithium minerals.With the use of its L-Max technology, Lepidico is seeking to unlock the potential value of such lithium bearing micas. Lepidico is actively exploring opportunities to apply L-Max directly to:

Lepidico was founded in February 2015 by Executive Chairman Gary Johnson and has achieved significant progress in a short period of time. Gary Johnson is a metallurgist and has over 35 years experience in the mining industry in various roles. Gary currently is the Owner and Principal of Strategic Metallurgy Pty Ltd, which specialises in providing metallurgical and strategic consulting to various mining companies, including Sirius Resources, which Strategic Metallurgy has been involved with since first drill core. Gary was also the former Managing Director of Norilsk Nickel Australia and was a key proponent in the development and commercialisation of Activox, a process technology for treating refractory gold ores and nickel sulphide concentrates.

About Critical Elements Corporation

A recent financial analysis (Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Rose lithium-tantalum Project, Genivar, December 2011) of the Rose project based on price forecasts of US$260/kg ($118/lb) for Ta 2 O 5 contained in a tantalite concentrate and US$6,000/t for lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) showed an estimated after-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 25% for the Rose project, with an estimated Net Present Value (NPV) of CA$279 million at an 8% discount rate. The payback period is estimated at 4.1 years. The pre-tax IRR is estimated at 33% and the NPV at $488 million at a discount rate of 8%. (Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability). (The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature). (See press release dated November 21, 2011.)



The conclusions of the PEA indicate the operation would support a production rate of 26,606 tons of high purity (99.9% battery grade) Li 2 CO 3 and 206,670 pounds of Ta 2 O 5 per year over a 17-year mine life.
TSXV: GGI

OTC: GGIFF

Frankfurt: RQM

VANCOUVER, Feb. 11, 2016 /CNW/ - Garibaldi Resources Corp. (TSX.V: GGI) (the "Company" or "Garibaldi") is pleased to report that initial assay results from the first five holes ever drilled by the Company at its 300 sq. km, 100%-owned Grizzly Project have revealed unique Sheslay district mineral discoveries along a 1.2-km wide portion of Grizzly Central including a potential large-scale deposit in a "Kaketsa multi-element ultramafic". The fertile Kaketsa pluton towers approximately 2.5 km west of the "Ultra 1 Zone" defined by three of the holes.

A fully winterized camp allows for the immediate continuation of Garibaldi's program while the discovery of the Ultra 1 Zone supports the theory that a series of "masked" deposits may exist at Grizzly Central which is almost entirely overburden-covered. Garibaldi is the Sheslay district's dominant landholder with seven regional target areas adjacent to Cu-Au porphyry deposits on two other properties, 120 km west of the Red Chris mine.

Ultra 1 Zone

Widely-spaced drill holes GC-15-01, GC-15-03 and GC-15-04 in the Grizzly Central Ultra 1 Zone intersected a very thick, homogeneous ultramafic "black unit", including a 206-m section in GC-15-03, consisting of high-grade magnesium (grades ranging between 21.7% and 23.5% Mg) and elevated nickel (ranging between 0.11% and 0.15% Ni). This structure is preceded by consistent, highly elevated scandium at the top of each hole including 54 meters grading 34 g/t in GC-15-03.

All three holes bottomed in the strongly magnetic, fine-grained and intensely altered black unit. Notably, nickel appears to be associated with sulfides as indicated by a preliminary nickel weak acid leach extraction test carried out by Bureau Veritas. Ongoing metallurgical testing of the black unit will determine, among other things, the potential for high purity magnesium oxide. Results are expected shortly.

GC-15-03, collared 200 meters south of GC-15-01 and 586 meters east of GC-15-04, was the deepest hole drilled (308 m), angled at 65 degrees toward the east.

Speculatively, this unique ultramafic package discovered in the Sheslay district could be a layered intrusive with the potential to host even higher grade zones along with other types of mineralization including PGM's and gold which were detected above background levels in some of the core samples

The above holes cover only the southern portion of a 5-km north-south belt of elevated magnetic response trending north to northeast over Grizzly Central, consisting of three separate magnetic highs as much as 2000 meters in width

The Ultra 1 Zone is open in multiple directions and is interpreted through geophysics to expand significantly toward the south in terms of distance, width and depth

Steve Regoci, Garibaldi President and CEO, commented. "Given our gold-silver success in Mexico and now these discoveries on first-ever drilling at Grizzly Central, we're extremely confident in our geological team's ability to track the geochemical and geophysical signatures of potential blind deposits that may exist elsewhere at Grizzly Central and other regional areas. It's very clear why the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia refers to this region as the #1 greenfield district in the entire province."

Easternmost Drill Hole Returns Scandium Throughout

GC-15-05, collared 650 meters east of GC-15-03 on a small ridge just beyond the Ultra 1 Zone, returned consistent, highly elevated scandium in all assayed 3-meter core samples (20 in total) at various depths throughout its 253-meter length. This included a 33-meter section (from 19 meters to 52 meters) grading 34 g/t Sc, while the final 3 meters of the hole returned the highest scandium grade of 39 g/t.

Eastward, a very large and highly prospective area of Stuhini volcanics exists in the Grizzly Central valley beginning about 200 meters downslope from GC-15-05 (drilled toward the east).

"A big arrow points toward the east with this unusual hole and that has us very excited," commented Regoci.

Garibaldi is conducting extensive analysis of GC-15-05 and looks forward to providing additional information on this hole in an upcoming Grizzly Central update.

Given the pervasiveness and grades of scandium in GC-15-05, and similar grades above the black unit in GC-15-01, GC-15-03 and GC-15-04 to the west, Garibaldi geologists will be investigating the potential for higher concentrations of this important element at Grizzly Central. Five out of nine surface samples taken along a hill 50-200 meters south of GC-15-04 returned scandium values grading between 34 g/t and 45 g/t while the other four samples assayed between 20 g/t and 25 g/t Sc.

Moving Forward

Metallurgical and petrographic details, more assay results and consultation with various experts will drive the company's important follow-up strategy on the ground at Grizzly Central

The north-south fault bounded Ultra 1 Zone appears to bisect Stuhini volcanics to the east from the Kaketsa porphyry environment to the west (multiple domains)

The area covered by this first-ever drilling represents just 4% of the entire 25 sq. km Grizzly Central regional target as defined to date, highlighting scale and the potential for additional discoveries elsewhere at Grizzly Central and throughout the entire Grizzly Project

Porphyry System Potential Closer To Kaketsa

Alteration zonation, vein density and lithology, coupled with an increasing westward trend of gold-in-soil results in an ionic leach survey, suggest the potential for a Cu-Au porphyry core west of the Ultra 1 Zone along the immediate periphery of the 30 sq. km multi-phase Kaketsa pluton. Hole GC-15-02, drilled toward the west, intersected a diorite and quartz monzodiorite package featuring high temperature alteration consistent with a nearby porphyry environment.

For further details on the 5 holes completed to date, project maps, core photos and additional information regarding the Grizzly and the Sheslay district, please visit the Garibaldi web site at www.GaribaldiResources.com.

Cautionary Statement

The potential quantity and grade of the mineralization at Grizzly Central are currently conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Mexico Update

Crews are on the ground, advancing Garibaldi's high-grade Rodadero Silver-Gold Project in central Sonora State, Mexico, which features the Silver Eagle near-surface deposit and a minimum of 11 other target areas over a land package encompassing 45 sq. km.

Corporate Fact Sheet

To view the updated corporate Fact Sheet for Garibaldi Resources, please visit the Company's homepage or the following URL:

http://www.garibaldiresources.com/i/pdf/GGI_Factsheet.pdf

Quality Assurance & Control

As part of the drilling program Garibaldi conducted a QA/QC program whereby standard samples with known elemental concentrations were inserted into the drill core sample stream prior to being sent to the laboratory. Samples were prepared and analyzed by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. (Acme Labs) at their facility in Vancouver. Samples generally consisted of 2-6 kg of material. Gold, platinum and palladium analyses were performed by 30 gram fire assay fusion with ICP-ES finish. Base metals and other elements including magnesium were analyzed as part of a 45 multi-element 4 Acid digestion ICP-MS package. Additional nickel analysis was conducted on select samples to determine presence of nickel outside of silicates using weak ammonium citrate leach. Additional QA/QC was conducted on behalf of Garibaldi by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd including duplicating select drill core samples and analyzing additional in-house standards.

Qualified Person

Mr. Adrian Smith, P.Geo., an on-site consultant for the Company's Grizzly Project and a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations, has reviewed this news release and approved the contents thereof.

About Garibaldi

Garibaldi Resources Corp. is an active Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in some of the most prolific mining regions in Mexico and British Columbia.

We seek safe harbor.

Garibaldi Resources Corp.

Per: "Steve Regoci"

Steve Regoci, President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Garibaldi Resources Corp.
Montreal, Canada / TheNewswire / February 12, 2016 - Algold Resources Ltd. (ALG: TSXV - "Algold" or the "Corporation" www.algold.com) is pleased to announce that Gryphon Minerals Ltd. (ASX:GRY) ("Gryphon") has agreed to an extension of the option granted to Algold in October 2015 (the "Option"). Under the Option, Algold's wholly-owned subsidiary, Kanosak Barbados Inc., may acquire Gryphon's Mauritanian Tijirit and Akjoujt exploration licences (permit numbers EL447, EL1117 and EL448), which are approximately 2,200km2 in size, as well as Gryphon's 60% interest in Shield Saboussiri Mining Mauritania SA ("Shield"), an entity that owns a joint venture with respect to the Saboussiri project (permit numbers EL236, EL879 and EL1074). Algold may now exercise the Option at any time on or before March 23, 2016.

As consideration for this extension, Algold has issued 300,000 common shares to Gryphon.

For more information on the Option, please see Algold's press release dated October 28, 2015.

ABOUT ALGOLD

Algold Resources Ltd. is focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in West Africa. The board of directors and management team are seasoned resource industry professionals with extensive experience in the exploration and development of world-class gold projects in Africa.

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release discusses items that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws and that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements include those with respect to the completion of the acquisition of Gryphon's properties (the "Properties") and share issuances to be made. Although Algold believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they can give no assurances that those expectations will be achieved and actual results may differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements and information. Such assumptions, which may prove incorrect, include that the acquisition of the Properties will obtain all required regulatory approvals and that Gryphon will complete the sale of the Properties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include Algold's inability to obtain the required approvals or Gryphon's refusal to proceed, for whatever reason, either on a timely basis or at all. These factors and others are more fully discussed in Algold's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Algold Resources Ltd.

1320, boul. Graham, bureau 132, Mont-Royal, Quebec, H3P 3C8, www.algold.com

Francois Auclair M.Sc., PGeo Yves Grou, CPA CA

President & CEO Executive Vice Chairman

f.auclair@algold.com y.grou@algold.com

(514) 889 5089 (514) 237 7757

Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
LAKEWOOD, CO, Feb. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE MKT:UUUU; TSX:EFR) ("Energy Fuels" or the "Company"), one of the largest producers of uranium in the United States, is pleased to announce that the Company has achieved several key licensing, development, and production milestones at its Nichols Ranch in situ recovery ("ISR") Project in Wyoming.

The Company is pleased to announce that it has completed the construction and licensing of the previously announced elution circuit at the Nichols Ranch ISR Plant as scheduled. The Company has received final notice from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") that uranium recovery operations involving elution, precipitation, filter press, and slurry processes are authorized to commence. Now that the elution circuit is completed and fully-licensed, Energy Fuels has 100% self-contained ISR processing capabilities. The new elution circuit is expected to significantly lower the Company's future costs of production on a per pound basis by avoiding 3rd party toll processing fees. The elution circuit also provides the Company with operational flexibility as it executes its development plans and responds to future market conditions.

The Company is also increasing production at the Nichols Ranch Project on a controlled basis. Through ongoing well-field development and drilling, the Company is confirming  and in certain cases increasing  its level of confidence in the uranium resource estimates contained in the most recent Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Nichols Ranch Uranium Project dated February 28, 2015, prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (the "Technical Report").

A 6th header-house at the Nichols Ranch Project began production in November 2015. It continues to maintain grades and produce uranium at higher-than-expected rates. Furthermore, through the successful execution of slant hole drilling, the Company has been able to place significant additional resources under pattern at this 6th header-house that were previously thought to be inaccessible due to challenging terrain.

The Company is scheduled to place the 7th and 8th header-houses on-line at the Nichols Ranch Project in March 2016 and July 2016, respectively. Drilling and installation of production wells for these two header-houses is proceeding at the current time. The pattern for the 7th header-house was originally believed to have lower uranium grades. However, drilling is now indicating that the high-grade zones identified in earlier patterns of the project are more continuous than originally estimated. Indeed, the Company has recorded the 3rd highest intercept ever observed at Nichols Ranch (0.441% U 3 O 8 with a thickness of 15.5 feet), in addition to other high-grade intercepts between 0.11%  0.15% U 3 O 8 with thicknesses of 9.0  14.5 feet. Future drilling will confirm whether additional resources can be placed under pattern above the estimates contained in the current Technical Report. Finally in late 2015, the Company successfully completed the installation of the monitor wells and began baseline and hydrological testing work in the next phase of the Nichols Ranch Project. Energy Fuels expects to start development and uranium recovery operations in this next phase in the latter part of 2016.

Stephen P. Antony, President and CEO of Energy Fuels stated: "Nichols Ranch continues to meet  and exceed  the high expectations we had when we acquired the project in June 2015. Nichols Ranch is proving itself to be a reliable and scalable long-term U.S. uranium production center, which has large areas of high grade uranium resources that can be produced at an attractive cost. The 6th header-house at Nichols Ranch is producing very well, and we have similarly high expectations for the 7th and 8th header-houses, which are scheduled to come online later this year. While we expect uranium prices to increase in the coming years, Nichols Ranch has become vitally important for Energy Fuels as we navigate today's challenging uranium price environment. I wish to congratulate our permitting and technical teams for achieving these important milestones at Nichols Ranch. Between our ISR team in Wyoming and our conventional mining teams in Utah and Arizona, I think it is clear that Energy Fuels has the right people and projects in place to solidify our position as a dominant uranium producer in the U.S."

Stephen P. Antony, P.E., President & CEO of Energy Fuels, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About Energy Fuels: Energy Fuels is a leading integrated US-based uranium mining company, supplying U 3 O 8 to major nuclear utilities. Energy Fuels operates two of America's key uranium production centers, the White Mesa Mill in Utah and the Nichols Ranch Processing Facility in Wyoming. The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the U.S. today and has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year. The Nichols Ranch Processing Facility, acquired in the Company's acquisition of Uranerz Energy Corp., is an in situ recovery ("ISR") production center with a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year. Energy Fuels also has the largest NI 43-101 compliant uranium resource portfolio in the U.S. among producers, and uranium mining projects located in a number of Western U.S. states, including producing mines, mines on standby, and mineral properties in various stages of permitting and development. The Company's common shares are listed on the NYSE MKT under the trading symbol "UUUU", and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "EFR".

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to the Company being one of the largest producers of uranium, the ability of Nichols Ranch to continue to meet or exceed expectations, the ability of the Company to reduce its cost of production and respond to market conditions, the ability of the Company to produce resources placed under pattern, the ability of the Company to increase resource estimates through future drilling, the Company's position as a dominant uranium producer in the U.S., and any other statements regarding Energy Fuels' future expectations, beliefs, goals or prospects constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions) should be considered forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Energy Fuels' ability to control or predict. A number of important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including without limitation factors relating to: the Company being one of the largest producers of uranium, the ability of Nichols Ranch to continue to meet or exceed expectations, the ability of the Company to reduce its cost of production and respond to market conditions, the ability of the Company to produce resources placed under pattern, the ability of the Company to increase resource estimates through future drilling, the Company's position as a dominant uranium producer in the U.S., and other risk factors as described in Energy Fuels' most recent annual information forms and annual and quarterly financial reports. Energy Fuels assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as otherwise required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Energy Fuels' filings with the various securities commissions which are available online at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations, beliefs and plans of the management of Energy Fuels relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, that speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Energy Fuels Inc.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 12, 2016) - Skeena Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") has compiled historic work on high-grade gold-silver and bulk tonnage copper-gold exploration targets on its GJ property, acquired in October 2015. The GJ property totals 38,374 hectares and is adjacent to British Columbia Provincial Highway 37 and the new Iskut Extension powerline and Tatogga substation, which feed the nearby Red Chris mine of Imperial Metals. Several other roads and trails access portions of the GJ property.

Skeena's review focused on targets within the northern portion of the GJ property and does not include the Donnelly, North Donnelly, GJ and Camp (North) porphyry copper-gold deposits in the central core of the property. Those deposits are the subject of a pending 43-101 technical report currently being prepared by Dr. Giles Peatfield, Ph.D, P.Eng., which will incorporate an updated independent resource estimate for the Donnelly and Donnelly North deposits. The estimate was completed by Mr. Gary H. Giroux, M.A.Sc, P.Eng., and is detailed in Skeena's news release of January 14, 2016. An estimated $25 million in exploration was spent on the GJ property between 2002 and 2014, most of it on the two Donnelly deposits.

Skeena has identified five additional high-priority targets, four of which have received minimal or no previous drilling. Two are drill-ready bulk tonnage copper-gold porphyry targets, and three are high-grade gold-silver vein targets that require only minimal work to bring to the drill stage.

Walter Coles, Skeena President and CEO commented, "We are enthusiastic about the blue-sky potential of the GJ property, especially the opportunity to focus on the high-grade gold-silver targets, which are complementary to the on-going exploration work at our adjacent Spectrum project."

These priority targets are shown on the GJ map on Skeena's website and historic results are summarized below.

Trevor Peak Gold-Silver Veins

Multiple, northwest striking, west dipping, quartz-carbonate-sulphide veins and gossanous shear zones over a 500 by 600 metre wide area.

No previous drilling.

Historic geochemical trench sampling yielded highly anomalous values including: 0.8 m grading 17.0 g/t Au, 1.87% Cu (Toon showing) 1.5 m (true width) grading 18.0 g/t Au and 0.47% Cu (Ferro showing) 0.5 m grading 23.0 g/t Au and 0.47% Cu (Flin showing) 3.0 m grading 29.6 g/t Au and 17.7 g/t Ag (Trench 4) 6.3 m grading 2.35 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag (Trench 5)

Several IP chargeability anomalies are associated with the vein structures, which remain open to depth and along strike to the southeast and northwest.

Additional IP, magnetics, mapping, and prospecting are recommended prior to drilling.

Gordon Gold-Silver Veins

Six separate quartz-carbonate-sulphide vein targets with significant gold and silver values are present over a 960 m strike length in a NE direction. Historic results include: Chip of 1.31 m grading 13.0 g/t Au and 99.4 g/t Ag (Main) Chip of 1.5 m grading 4.7 g/t Au (Main) Chip of 1.0 m grading 11.7 g/t Au and 363.4 g/t Ag (Top) Chip of 1.4 m grading 23.3 g/t Au and 233.5 g/t Ag (Gordon vein) Chip of 1.0 m grading 89.5 g/t Au and 194.8 g/t Ag (Upper Gordon) Drill hole 91-4 intersected 2.47 m (true width) grading 19.9 g/t Au, 202.3 g/t Ag, 3.0% Cu, and 5.31% Zn (#2 vein, Upper Gordon) Drill hole 91-5 intersected 0.5 m grading 9.9 g/t Au, 79.6 g/t Ag, 0.81% Cu, and 3.53% Zn (Upper Gordon) Chip of 0.4 m grading 4.48 g/t Au, 82.4 g/t Ag (Oz vein)

The only drilling to test this target was completed in 1991 and was limited to two holes totaling 174.7 m.

Limited additional IP, magnetics, soils, mapping and prospecting are recommended prior to drilling.

Seestor Gold Target

Prospecting of a gossanous area near the crest of the hill in 1990 resulted in the discovery of high grade chalcopyrite-bearing talus boulders up to 1 metre in diameter. Follow up hand trenching failed to reach outcrop but grab samples taken from 3 separate sites over 175 metres yielded assays up to 14% Cu and 1.9 g/t Au.

Values of up to 0.46% Cu and 31.3 g/t Au were obtained from semi massive arsenopyrite pyrite veins discovered in 2011. Several samples returned >1 g/t Au from both vein and disseminated pyrite arsenopyrite pyrrhotite occurring within the gossan and adjacent diorite dykes.

A gold-silver-antimony soil anomaly with dimensions of at least 2200 m by 300 m is coincidental with a 1200 m long IP chargeability anomaly. Both anomalies pass through the area with mineralized boulders and bedrock and are open along strike.

This target has never been drilled but has both high-grade vein and bulk-tonnage possibilities.

Only minimal prospecting and field verification is needed to define drill collar locations before drilling can test the area yielding high grade rock samples.

Limited additional soil sampling, mapping and prospecting is required to define additional drill targets along the 1200 m long IP chargeability anomaly.

QC Copper-Gold Porphyry

Other than the Donnelly, GJ and North (Camp) deposits, this is the most advanced copper-gold porphyry target on the GJ property.

Geochemical work, geological mapping, ground magnetic and shallow IP geophysical surveys have outlined a 5 km long by 850 m wide, open-ended structural corridor that has been investigated by prospecting, mapping, soil sampling and geophysics, and limited shallow drill testing over the easternmost 1.6 km.

Between 1970 and 1991, thirteen holes totaling 2,878 m were drilled in the Main and Cliff zones. At least 4 were abandoned due to bad ground; however the rest had long-low-grade porphyry Cu-Au intersections including: DDH 70 2: 148.13 metres grading 0.13% Cu DDH 70 3: 139.60 metres grading 0.07% Cu DDH 70 4: 322.78 metres grading 0.13% Cu DDH 70 5: 300.84 metres grading 0.12% Cu DDH 90 Q01: 87 metres grading 1,067 ppm Cu (0.11%) and 21 ppb Au and 12 metres grading 1,162 ppm Cu (0.12%) and 912 ppb Au DDH 90 Q02: 16.5 metres grading 1,168 ppm Cu (0.12%) and 16 ppb Au and 12 metres grading 1,435 ppm Cu (0.14%) and 140 ppb Au DDH 91 1: 69.0 metres grading 0.276% Cu DDH 91 2: 63.0 metres grading 0.190% Cu DDH 91 3: 72.0 metres grading 0.140% Cu

Although historic, shallow drill results are low-grade, interpretation of geology, alteration, magnetic and IP geophysical results suggests a potential higher-temperature, higher-grade zone coincident with a magnetic and IP chargeability high may exist at depth below previous Main Zone drill holes.

Two deep holes (550 and 650 m depth) are recommended to test the target beneath the main zone.

Limited exploration work west of the existing geophysical surveys has extended the length of the QC porphyry system a further 1500 metres west where it remains open.

Rock and silt sampling in this West Zone portion of the QC copper-gold porphyry target has yielded significant gold values with indications that the area has a higher Au:Cu ratio than observed at the Main-Cliff Zone.

It is recommended that the soil sampling, prospecting and IP survey coverage be extended to the south and west to cover the remaining portion of the structural corridor, including the gold-rich West Zone area.

Wolf Plateau-Blow Down Copper-Gold Porphyry

Exploration work identified two northeast striking chargeability highs coincident with copper-gold soil anomalies and underlying diorite-monzodiorite intrusive rocks.

The upper, Wolf Plateau anomaly was drill tested with 8 holes in 2011 and 2012 that yielded interesting but low copper-gold grades over relatively narrow intervals. The best holes returned 71.9 m grading 0.15% Cu and 0.05 g/t Au (hole GJK-12-232) and 29 m grading 0.21% Cu and 0.15 g/t Au (hole GJK-12-236).

The Blow Down anomaly to the southeast is a 400 m wide by 2200 m long chargeability anomaly which has been traced through the Pup and Blow Down showings which have yielded anomalous Au (0.1 to 5 g/t) and Cu (0.1 to 3%) values in rock samples.

Two holes are recommended to test the coincident soil and chargeability anomaly, one each at the Pup and Blow Down showings.

Secondary Targets

Skeena also identified several other secondary targets that will require additional prospecting, mapping or other field surveys to bring to a drill-ready stage, including:

South Seestor is a porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum prospect defined by a soil and IP chargeability anomaly. Only one hole has been drilled here, which intersected weakly anomalous values (hole GJK-12-233 intersected 27 m grading 0.10% Cu and 0.03 g/t Au).

Sentra - Fire Creek includes narrow quartz-carbonate-sulphide veins and a moderate copper in soil anomaly with scattered elevated Au, Ag and As values. Three historic holes were all lost due to bad ground but one yielded an intercept of 9 m grading 2.2 g/t Au and 3.8 g/t Ag.

Horn Silver and Horn East have returned anomalous Ag and Au values in soils and rock, including up to 65.9 g/t Au in rock float. The source of the float has not been located in bedrock.

West Wolf is an 800 by 300 m target with narrow quartz-calcite-sulphide veins and fracture fillings that have returned anomalous Au and Cu values.

Detailed compilation of historic work continues, and planning and permitting for the 2016 exploration season is underway. Work at GJ will benefit from an existing 40-man field camp purchased from previous operators.

Cautionary Statement on Historic Exploration Results

This historical compilation report on the GJ property was completed by Mr. David Mehner, M.Sc., P.Geo and is based on personal files and experience gained while working on the Klastline Plateau from 1989 1991 and 2002-2007, as well as information filed in numerous assessment reports, unpublished internal company reports, and summary information provided by Teck Resources Ltd. covering their work between 2010 and 2014.

Certain historical data has not been verified by a Qualified Person, and should not be relied upon. Nevertheless, it is considered to be relevant to the further exploration of the project. Future field work will focus on evaluation of identified areas based on these historical results, expansion of known anomalies and prioritization of targets for future drilling.

The exploration targets on the northern GJ property are early-stage exploration prospects, conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target beings delineated as a mineral resource.

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael S. Cathro, M.Sc., P.Geo., Skeena's vice-president of operations and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Ltd. is a junior Canadian mining exploration company involved in the acquisition, exploration and development of prospective base and precious metal properties throughout British Columbia. The Company's primary activities at present are the evaluation of the high-grade Spectrum gold project and adjacent bulk-tonnage GJ copper-gold project, located in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern BC. Skeena's management includes a highly experienced team of mine-finders, including Ron Netolitzky, Chairman, who was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2015.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

Skeena Resources Ltd.

Walt Coles Jr., President & CEO

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this news release is forward-looking within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, information with respect to the results of the Company's exploration and the Company's beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. The words "may", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "target" and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release describes the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release and accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/12/11G082676/G082676Skeena-f76ab324f8049e10851e7a781917db46.pdf


Chair of judges Paul Mannassis (standing) samples an espresso while judge Joseph Gadallah looks on at the Sydney Royal Coffee Competition that precedes this year's Easter Show at Homebush. Photo: James Brickwood

It sounds like a dream job for any coffee-crazy-caffeine hound until you actually do it: Taste 70 lattes over a two-day period.

Armed with a bucket to spit after the first taste, 27 industry judges from around Australia are in the process of sampling more than 1600 cups of coffee to choose the winners of this year's Sydney Royal Coffee Competition. The winners of gold, silver and bronze will be displayed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, opening mid-March.

Joseph Gadallah, the head of roasting with Allpress Espresso, spent Thursday morning judging espressos, his choice of coffee. He'd given a bronze to a "completely surprising" and "absolutely beautiful" decaffeinated espresso  which was competing against caffeinated brews.

Another decaf had been so bad he hadn't wanted to score it.

"The roast was completely wrong; the flavour was like sucking on a lemon," said Mr Gadallah who decided to follow his "passion" for coffee and switch from a career in computer science about 10 years ago.

To reduce palate fatigue  an increasing problem given the record number of entries this year  the judges are given a break after tasting six coffees. They're also provided with a plate of snacks. Often the flavour lingers long after the coffee, a plus with a good coffee and a nasty memory with others we tasted.

Mr Gadallah took the mega dose of caffeine in his stride. "Your tolerance builds up," he said, adding that he once retired for a nap after 40 espressos at one industry show.

For the first time this year, the judges are using the record 302 entries of coffee beans to make plunger coffee, espressos and lattes,which replace cappuccinos for the first time. The shift represents the increasing popularity of lattes  described by the chair of judges Paul Mannassis as a coffee with milk folded in with a nice creamy foam on top and served in a glass cup. Other judges suggested the difference between a latte and the Australian favourite, the flat white, was small.

A bank of professional baristas turned out uniform lattes, with the required decorative swirl in the milk. Yet the judges were looking for the best beans  from their appearance to their aroma and the final product  and not how each coffee was made.

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Australians had one of the most sophisticated coffee cultures in the world, said Mr Mannassis. Only beans that were roasted or grown in Australia  and were available on a commercial basis  were eligible for entry into the show.

Asked about the trend to artisanal coffee houses, Mr Mannassis, who owns Mocha Coffee in Marrickville NSW, said the average person wanted a good coffee at a reasonable price.

"They are all great, but if you follow the general public in cafes, where they are offering five different origins, cold drip and all, people just want a cup of coffee.

"They will just walk in, say they want their latte, turn their back and read their paper, get their coffee and go off to work. We've improved a lot, we're scientific, there is an art, but a lot of people want an average fair cup of coffee that should taste right, and I think they're on a winner if that happens."

See results next week at Sydney Royal Fine Food or at the Easter Show.
Belles Hot Chicken sandwich is hopping from the specials board to the main list in Richmond. Photo: Ben Christensen

Stand by for sandwiches stuffed with cayenne-spiced chicken or hot fish and coleslaw when Belles Hot Chicken opens in Richmond on Tuesday, February 16.

As at their Fitzroy diner and Sydney pop-up, Nashville-style hot chicken takes centre stage on the menu, but in Richmond, sandwiches are leaping off the specials board and on to the main list.

Medium-spiced boneless thigh chicken will come with cheese, lettuce and sauce, and rockling will join coleslaw and cheese in soft milk buns. There's also a portobello mushroom option for vegetarians.

Belles Hot Chicken co-owner Miranda Campbell in the soon-to-open Richmond eatery. Photo: Josh Robenstone

Wine guy Peter Jo has been busy collating a drinks list showcasing locally made natural wines and a smaller selection of French and Italian imports. They'll have Coopers beer on tap, along with house-made lemonade and iced tea.

As for the interior, co-owner Reno Pontonio has been able to start with a clean slate, rather than inheriting the Fitzroy decor from Belle's Diner. Business partner Miranda Campbell describes the 100-seat Richmond space as sleek and stylish, with beautiful timbers and textures.

The team has batted away rumours of a fourth Belles opening in Singapore or Hong Kong, but says they're nearing an agreement for a permanent Sydney base.

Open Sun-Thu noon-10pm, Fri-Sat noon-11pm.

107 Swan Street, Richmond belleshotchicken.com

Update: Belles opened on Tuesday, February 16.
Victor Liong's take on padron peppers may make the Lawyers, Guns and Money menu. Photo: James Boddington

The opening of a breakfast-serving sister venue to Lee Ho Fook  chef Victor Liong's prog-Chinese restaurant is named, like this new project, for a Warren Zevon song  is good news for congee fans everywhere.

The minor bad news? Liong just discovered one gas booster is busted.

It's not a disaster, just a minor setback for the project which, to be fair, had an ambitious turnaround. Liong only got the keys last week, and after a brisk retooling, he had planned to open for lunch on February 10.

Victor Liong. Photo: Eddie Jim

But your pre-work crab congee dreams are on hold only until Monday, when Lawyers Guns and Money will open for breakfast and lunch, five days a week, albeit with a limited menu.

For those just tuning in, the entire pitch of the daytime op is Asian breakfast and lunch  mostly Chinese, with some Taiwanese cold cuts thrown in, all with Liong's particular fresh skew.

From Monday you can get congee, that broken rice porridge, as a plain, chicken and ginger, or crab and scallop version, which you can pimp out with 62-degree or lime-cured century egg, fried wontons or oysters.

The cold cuts, including the rolled pork belly you may recognise from Lee Ho Fook with hot mustard and chilli oil, will make the opening day list, as will Dr Marty's crumpets  one of the only Melbourne breakfast concessions. There's a 75 per cent chance of the fried bread with condensed milk and Milo being ready to roll, but the spring onion pancake and steamed tofu will come later, when all hobs are burning.

Lunch, cooked by head chef Mike Li (Lee Ho Fook's sous) currently reads as fast and casual, which should bring back a little of the get-in-get-out energy from when Lee Ho Fook was located on Smith Street. All signs are pointing to a speedy lunch of wok-tossed noodles (which Liong has always refused to do at Lee Ho Fook) with braised brisket and greens, or a vegetarian version of wheat noodles with spicy Sichuan oil. Maybe padron peppers, or fried chicken wings done Shandong-style with black vinegar caramel, or steamed barramundi (though this falls into the "we'll see how service goes pile.")

Dinner might happen. Anything could, really. Liong moves as fast as he talks. For now - unusually - one of the only certainties is that there will be drinks, as the license is ready to roll.

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At breakfast, your hair of the dog will take the form of vodka and fresh squeezed apple juice rather than a bloody mary. It's an aggressively refreshing carte overall of

Tsingtao beer and Lucky Duck cider, French 75s and a clutch of bright Australian wines.

Set your Monday alarms.

Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-4pm.

505 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
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By Amy Alkon

Dear Advice Goddess: I'm a woman who's both loving and seriously hating Tinder. Guys on this app mostly want to hook up, and even those who say they want a relationship are flaky, often disappearing after a single date. Sure, this sometimes happens with guys I meet in real life, but not at the rate of my Tinder dates.  Annoyed

Dear Annoyed: Tinder takes all the wait and effort out of speed-dating. You just "swipe right" on your phone to match with somebody  and maybe even swipe 'em right into your bed 20 minutes later.

However, for anyone seeking "happily ever after" Tinder can pose a problem, and that problem is too much choice. Research finds that people are easily overwhelmed by a slew of options  often choosing poorly and being bummed about it afterward or feeling too confused to choose at all.

Social psychologist Barry Schwartz explains that these problems with choosing are about protecting ourselves from regret  the pain of blaming ourselves for making the wrong choice. But having a lot of options isn't necessarily unmanageable  if we have enough information to differentiate between them and narrow the field. However, on Tinder, there's minimal info  only age, location, pics and a few lines about a person.

Also consider that Tinder is not designed to help you find love; Tinder is designed to keep you Tindering. The psychological hook is "intermittent reinforcement." Predictable "rewards"  like if you swiped and always got a match  quickly give us the yawnies. But Tinder's unpredictable rewards  the random ding! "It's a match!"  turn you into a coke-seeking lab rat, relentlessly swiping for your next high.

Dates that come out of real-life meetings are probably more likely to lead to second dates, and maybe more. At a party, you're, say, one of eight single women, five of whom a guy isn't that attracted to and one of whom he broke up with last year.

And finally, there's how face-to-face meetings come with behavioral constraints that Tinder convos lack. It's the rare guy at the coffee shop who immediately follows up "That a soy latte?" by pointing to his zipper: "Ready for showtime?"

Dear Advice Goddess: My girlfriend has been feeling neglected and keeps worrying that I'm mad at her. I love her, but I have big business problems now, and I don't want to burden her with them. Also, since we have a good thing, doesn't it make sense to focus on the stuff that's a mess?  Startup Guy

Dear Startup Guy: Unfortunately, it isn't possible to outsource your relationship to some guy in the Philippines: "Please stay on the line. Your feelings are very important to us."

Men and women tend to deal with crisis in different ways. Women manage their emotions by expressing them; men just hope theirs will go away. Evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby explain that men evolved to be the defenders of the species, and in battle, it would have put them at a disadvantage to show their feelings  especially those reflecting vulnerability.

Being predisposed to bury your feelings in the backyard doesn't mean you should  assuming you don't want your next startup to be a new relationship.

This isn't to say you need to blather on about everything. You just need to share the bad as well as the good, even just by texting, "tough day, babe." You might even put reminders on your phone to send brief sweet messages a few times daily.

Maybe that seems dumb and unromantic. What's dumber and more unromantic is adding breakup problems to your business problems because you didn't put in 46 seconds a day telling a woman that she matters.

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com.
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By Glenn Dromgoole

Huntsville bird watcher Kermit Cummings has produced a book for young children about birds. He also has developed an interactive app, allowing children to hear the bird calls of the species featured in the book.

"A Backyard Birding Adventure: What's in Your Yard?" (Brown Books, $16.95 hardcover), illustrated by Holly Weinstein, introduces children through rhyming text to 10 common birds that may be found around their homes  such as the robin, blue jay, wren, woodpecker and cardinal.

Cummings includes a note to parents on how to help their children take up birding or bird watching as an educational and entertaining activity.

"The first step is to put up a bird feeder," he suggests. "Another must is a birdbath." And a good pair of binoculars.

Oil and Ranching: Dennis McBeth of the Crews community has published "Oil About Ranching" (Ballinger Printing, $22.95 paperback), a collection of his columns printed in Livestock Weekly in San Angelo.

The pieces are arranged pretty much in chronological order from April 2013 to August 2015, McBeth points out, chronicling the oil boom and bust over that period.

In the introduction, McBeth apologizes in advance "to any English teachers who might be drinking hot coffee and have a spasmodic reaction regarding the use/misuse of the English language. Some of which may be intentional."

He also says he has tried to "keep it clean," noting a friend's advice: "By leaving out the profanity from oil field stories, it takes a third less ink and paper."

In the Livestock Weekly column and in the book, McBeth's goal has been to "help bridge the information gap between ranchers and the oil field in an informative and entertaining manner."

The book is available at Cactus Books in San Angelo and online. Or contact the author at Dennis.McBeth@gmail.com.

Mineral Wells Tales: Stephenville author James Pylant has written "Texas Gothic: Fame, Crime & Crazy Water," which he says is the "untold story of Mineral Wells" (Jacobus Books, $18.95 paperback).

The book, Pylant says, include "true tales of the town's forgotten past: murder, white slavery, prostitution, and a headless corpse." And, of course, the 14-story Baker Hotel, which is being renovated, and the Hexagon, a mansion designed like a honeycomb but torn down more than 50 years ago.

One of the central characters in the book is Corinne Griffith, a Mineral Wells belle who would become a famous star in silent movies and one of America's richest women.

Read more at jacobusbooks.com.

Glenn Dromgoole writes about Texas books and authors. Contact him at g.dromgoole@suddenlink.net.
Plaque being placed in honor of Uziyah Garcia at San Angelo Kid's Kingdom

A plaque will be placed in the San Angelo Kid's Kingdom in honor of Uziyah Garcia, a San Angeloan who was killed in the mass shooting in Uvalde.
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By Ngan Ho of the San Angelo Standard-Times

The San Angelo Police Department has joined the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office in adding "In God We Trust" decals to its patrol vehicles.

SAPD made the announcement in a news release Thursday.

"It's something that we've been wanting to do for a while," Chief Tim Vasquez said. "We decided to do it, and we're glad to be doing it now."

The decals were donated by the same local business that gave about 100 decals to the Sheriff's Office last month.

"I just offered it to them because I figured they wanted it," Peggy McElrath, owner of Adobe Signs & T-shirts, said of SAPD. "It's always makes me feel good to do something for them. It gives me pride, and I have a lot of pride in our law enforcement."

McElrath said someone commented that if the Sheriff's Office was using the decals then maybe San Angelo police should do it, too. McElrath contacted SAPD, and the department happily accepted, she said.

"They were tickled to death," when she dropped off about 150 stickers at the police station last week, she said. "I got phone calls from people thanking me for doing it."

McElrath said her business will make more free decals for SAPD if necessary. Like her donation to the Sheriff's Office, she did not check the total cost for producing the decals but guessed it was several hundred dollars.

"In God We Trust" decals placed on law enforcement vehicles became controversial in recent months when the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained to the Childress Police Department about the agency using such decals on its official vehicles. Childress Police Chief Adrian Garcia responded by telling the foundation to "go fly a kite."

In early November, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said law enforcement agencies using the decals are not in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Vasquez said after Paxton's announcement, he and staff members discussed adding the decals to SAPD patrol vehicles.

He said the stickers will be used only on marked vehicles and not on unmarked cars or patrol motorcycles.

McElrath said she has made a custom "In God We Trust" decal for people to put on their car windows. The decals are free, she said, but anyone who stops by the shop to pick them up should make a donation, which will be given to local law enforcement agencies.

SAPD officers are "very supportive of it," Vasquez said from the police station. "We're (adding stickers) either at home or here out back. All that we're requesting is that the car show up clean and ready to place the stickers."
Photo courtesy of Grape Creek ISD Tom Green County Sheriff David Jones and deputies stand behind a homemade sign with Grape Creek Elementary students on Thursday.

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San Angelo students make Valentine gifts

By Federico Martinez

Elementary students throughout Tom Green County delivered hundreds of early Valentine's Day cards to the Tom Green Sheriff's Office and San Angelo Police Department on Thursday.

The cards were handmade by students from Fort Concho, Santa Rita, Fannin and Grape Creek elementary schools and included personal notes of thanks to law enforcement officers.

"We just wanted to say 'thank you' for taking all the bad stuff away," said Wyatt Bosworth, a second-grader, who helped deliver and distribute Valentine's Day cards to officers at the Police Department. "You keep people safe."

Bosworth was joined by sisters Taeyle and Taegan Self who high-fived officers as they handed out the cards. Taeyle is in fourth grade and Taegan is in second grade. The three students all attend Fort Concho.

Stephanie Free, director of schools for the San Angelo Intermediate School District, said this is the second year students made cards for local law enforcement.

Schools in the district participate on a rotating basis. The purpose is to develop a stronger relationship between children and law enforcement, Free said.

"It has been a great success," said Police Chief Tim Vasquez who introduced the students to about a dozen officers. "It totally touches the hearts of the officers. It lets them know they care about them."

Cards would also be shared with officers who couldn't be present because they work different shifts, Vasquez said.

Representatives from the sheriff's office visited Grape Creek Elementary on Thursday afternoon where students presented them with cards. Students also invited deputies to join them in classrooms where Valentine's Day parties were being held.

"They treated us well," said Tom Green County Sheriff David Jones. "I even had me some homemade ice cream. We always enjoy going out and seeing the kids. It made our day."
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Riding the expectations game is a bit like riding a tiger: It's hard to keep on top for very long.

That's what Marco Rubio learned in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.

Eight days ago, the Florida senator's close third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses sparked fears among fellow GOP candidates he might outflank them to become Donald Trump's major rival and concern among Democrats that the Republicans might actually nominate their strongest potential standard-bearer.

But Rubio froze under the pressure of a fierce verbal assault from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in last Saturday's GOP debate. When New Hampshire Republicans voted Tuesday, Trump won easily and Rubio's hopes of running second faded to a disappointing fifth place finish behind the billionaire builder, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and two others.

As a result, Rubio faces an uphill fight in the upcoming South Carolina primary and Nevada caucuses. And Democrats concerned about polls showing he might be their strongest general election rival might feel a bit better than after the Iowa voting.

To be fair, the New Hampshire results showed that Democrats have their own serious problem. The breadth of Sanders' decisive victory over Hillary Clinton signaled a long, drawn out primary battle in which the former secretary of state's onetime inevitability no longer seems so inevitable.

That can hardly please the Democratic establishment, which is heavily committed to Clinton and worried what would happen if the party nominated a 74-year-old self-styled democratic socialist.

But that fear was offset, at least for now, by the fact that, once again, two of the three GOP leaders were Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who even Republicans fear would be weak general election candidates.

Trump's smashing victory, in which he more than doubled the vote of his closest rival, confirmed his position as the Republican to beat. And though New England is hardly favorable territory for the outspokenly conservative Cruz, the Iowa winner showed he remains someone to be reckoned with by finishing third.

Still, the total for Kasich, Bush, Rubio and Christie was far more than Trump got, suggesting Republicans could be headed for a lengthy three-way race if one of them could consolidate that support.

The fact that Kasich, Bush and Rubio all remain will make it hard for any of them to beat either Trump or Cruz in the Palmetto State. Foreshadowing the bitter campaign for survival about to unfold, Rubio aide Alex Conant suggested Trump can't be beaten if Bush stays in the race, and a Bush staffer disparaged Kasich's long-term chances.

Still, by finishing an unexpected second, Kasich kept alive his hope of maintaining his candidacy until the race reaches Michigan and his home state of Ohio next month. But the reality is he received a smaller percentage of the GOP vote than former Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. did in 2012. His candidacy, with a moderate tone markedly similar to Kasich's, flamed out after he finished third in New Hampshire.

Kasich has a stronger financial base and is a more substantial figure within the GOP than Huntsman, but confronts significant obstacles in South Carolina and other even more conservative Southern battlegrounds.

Still, the night's biggest Republican loser was Rubio, whom Democrats have long targeted as the most formidable potential GOP rival.

"Young Marco Rubio is in trouble," noted Republican strategist Alex Castellanos, a fellow Cuban-American who has been highly critical of Trump and Cruz and friendly to Rubio. "He was exposed, even though he is right and Chris Christie is wrong: Barack Obama was not too young to be an effective president."

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Contact him at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com.
Fears over eating produce from gardens in Flint fed by suspect water. The plight of children who drank city water but now live elsewhere. A lack of information about how to survive when lead-tainted water still flows from taps.Those were the revelations that Gov. Rick Snyder said he gleaned Thursday from talking to Flint residents by phone during a virtual town hall about the city's drinking water crisis."We've learned something from every time we've done these calls," Snyder told listeners during the 45-minute call.Phoning Flint residents and patching them in directly to the second-term Republican governor is one of the ways his administration has tried to push out information about the crisis directly to those affected.It's also driven by a strategy hatched inside a besieged administration anxious to boost Snyder's flagging profile. The governor has taken a number of political hits after Snyder said his administration failed to protect city residents properly from lead leaching from corroding water pipes. Other critics also blame a lack of oversight by federal regulators and city officials.Snyder's popularity and job approval numbers plummeted as a result of the Flint drinking water catastrophe, with 69% of those surveyed in late January saying the governor has handled the crisis poorly. Several prominent Democrats, including presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont, have called for Snyder's resignation.The governor has rebuffed those calls, saying he is dedicated to restoring safe water for the city and aiding those affected by the crisis, including children who may have consumed lead-tainted water.While the audience appears broad and diverse on the conference calls, Snyder's staff is able to control the questions from callers. The dial-in experience also does not require the governor to appear in a public forum in Flint where residents could be joined by disruptive protesters.Before Thursday's call, the governor held two previous calls that drew a total of 12,667 callers, according to his staff. Of them, 739 people pressed zero to ask a question.All who didn't get to ask a questions received a letter from the governor's office with information on water resources and how to contact officials directly. For those who didn't answer their phones, 27,750 voice messages have been left with similar information.Tele-town halls are not a new communications strategy. They have been a common method, for example, used by members of Congress to reach out to constituents.Calling Flint residents directly was one of a number of public relations options outlined in recent weeks by Mission Flint. That team of state officials led by Richard Baird, a top aide to the governor, was set up to address the long-term needs of Flint and its nearly 100,000 residents.Some critics have questioned why Snyder has not appeared in public at an open meeting with the general public to answer questions directly about the water issue. His spokesman Dave Murray said that idea is still on the table."We're looking into some possibilities, but nothing has been scheduled yet," Murray said in an e-mail. "One of the television stations had a town hall, but the timing didn't work out, so we recorded an interview with the station earlier in the day that it could play during the event."Since he declared a state of emergency in Flint on Jan. 5, Snyder has been a near-constant presence in the city. Most of the time he is there, officials said, Snyder stops at a place to talk to residents and thank volunteers. His appearances are usually announced only shortly before he arrives.On Thursday, he visited the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to talk about nutritional food distribution. He's also spent time at fire stations where water, filters, replacement cartridges and testing kits are being distributed.Last Friday, Snyder appeared Our Lady of Guadalupe church to speak to people about efforts to reach every home in the city. He attended a Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at University of Michigan-Flint and stopped at every table to talk to people.He has appeared at news conferences in Flint City Hall, met with local pastors and attended two meetings of the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee, the second of which was live-streamed on the Internet.Administration officials argue that the smaller events give people a unique chance to share their thoughts with the governor directly.On Thursday, the questions were straightforward and no one directly criticized the governor or the response of his administration. Two callers thanked Snyder for taking the time to address their concerns individually.Most callers did not identify themselves by their full names. One caller who said her name was Tisha asked about water deliveries for a 91-year-old Flint resident. Darlene inquired about reimbursement for her water bill. Another caller simply asked how long it would take to see safe water flow through her tap again.A constant theme was why the state has not immediately begun to dig up the city's lead pipes and replace them with those that wouldn't leach into the drinking water.Snyder responded that his administration first needed to assess the location and condition of the city's lead piping starting this month. Premature removal of damaged pipes, he said, may cause more harm than good if the replacement effort was not done correctly."If it's not done properly," he said. "It can result in more lead into the system."
(TNS) -- A San Francisco Bay company, Pramata , has opened an office in the Crossroads Arts District, the latest to be attracted to Kansas Citys growing tech community.Pramata, which uses advanced data analysis to help businesses attract and keep customers, will bring 15 jobs to the area, said CEO and co-founder Praful Saklani . He was in town Thursday for the announcement, along with Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri Nixon also announced that LaunchCode , another company with a new Crossroads office , will receive a second $250,000 grant from the Missouri Technology Corp. to support its expansion in Kansas City.LaunchCode, a nonprofit started in St. Louis that helps train tech talent and match it with internships and job openings, got a similar grant last year to start its efforts in Kansas City.The governor made the announcements after a tour of the Sprint Accelerator, which provides office space and other support for entrepreneurs. Its also home for LaunchCodes Kansas City office.The burgeoning technology scene here in Kansas Citys Crossroads is a big reason why Missouri is a nationally recognized leader in high-tech jobs and innovation, Nixon said. By balancing budgets and making smart investments in education and entrepreneurship, we will continue to move Kansas City and the entire state forward.Pramata, headquartered in Brisbane, Calif., on the San Francisco Bay, has offices on both coasts and clients throughout North America. It helps businesses that serve other businesses by extracting and analyzing information from the companies contracts, billing and other interactions. The Kansas City office initially will provide administrative and sales support.Kansas City offers a unique combination of a skilled talent pool along with a central location, Saklani said. Its the ideal place to anchor our U.S. expansion and a fantastic base from which to serve our customers.Missouri has offered economic incentives, and Saklani said Pramata, impressed by the welcome it has received in Kansas City, expected to have no problem meeting its 15-job target. The Missouri Partnership, the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and the Kansas City Area Development Council also assisted the company with its expansion.LaunchCode announced its Kansas City office last year at the citys first Techweek and opened the space just last month. The mentoring and job matchup organization was founded in 2013 by Jim McKelvey, who also started the mobile payments company Square.At the announcement Thursday, LaunchCode executive director Brendan Lind said the new office had already partnered with several area businesses and would launch education and training efforts next month.Making Kansas City Americas most entrepreneurial city is one of the Big 5 goals of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Sly James joined in the announcements Thursday.
The database is a story of murders, suicides and suffering that's 10,000 data sets strong. It chronicles the deaths of inmates found in their cells; officers shot on duty; and incidents of drug abuse, domestic violence, hate crimes, gang activity and a litany of other wrongs. The data is murky and dispiriting both for what it depicts and what it does not.Billed as the  Hall of Justice , the repository designed by the Sunlight Foundation was released this month to spotlight the dearth of open criminal justice information available and the wealth of controversial issues surrounding data publication. In total, the transparency group said the gathering process required 18 months and support from multiple public and private institutions. The result is an exhaustive inventory of criminal justice data from all 50 states, which cumulatively, indicates a need for major policy reforms to bridge information gaps. hoj.gif Sunlights Damian Ortellado, the research analyst who led the project, said this message grew more apparent as data collection progressed. Comparable data, and the standards that would create them, are nearly nonexistent throughout the U.S., he said. Whats more, most of the data that does exist isnt digitally accessible  much of it being tied up in PDF documents.You are seeing a lot of this data scattered around the country in various localities from the national level, to state level, to county level, to even the city or neighborhood levels, Ortellado said. The goal of the project  with all of the post Ferguson energy in mind  was to show the extent of the problem through a consolidated and robust collection of data sets.Since that fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer in 2014  and subsequent controversies involving police use of force  data transparency reforms have commanded national attention as officials attempt to regain public trust. In 2015 the Obama administrations Police Data Initiative committed 26 police departments to open data releases, and there are many independent efforts by law enforcement to produce similar results.Still, what Americans see now is a fractured landscape, a picture Sunlight's new database paints well. There are cities like Seattle and states like California that are pioneering data transparency, while others dont even show up in certain searches. For example, researchers found only 28 states had some type of data related to police use of force. And even within this sampling, much of the data was outdated, heavily redacted, or isolated to only a few localities.A lot of times with police use force incidents  or police shootings  those events are kind of restrained to internal data and internal affairs, and the officers are dealt with by their department, Ortellado said.Equally striking about the datasets was the disparity in privacy policies when publishing the data. The Florida Department of Corrections publishes the full name and cause of death for inmates who died in custody, while the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation redacts personally identifiable information on many in-custody deaths due to suicide and homicide for the deceased's family.An office spokesman for California Attorney General Kamala Harris said the justice department, which manages the states law enforcement data site OpenJustice , redacts names and other personally identifiable information as part of a larger policy to adopt responsible transparency. Under the practice, the office has rolled out a series of data sets on its site that document arrest rates and violence against law enforcement, along with alleged perpetrators.The office spokesman said they support measures like the Hall of Justice and other academic and research projects like it. For the Attorney Generals Office, the vision is to leverage transparency to enhance Californias criminal justice reporting via key performance indicators and interactive analytics tools for citizens  something they hope more jurisdictions embrace.Moreover, in the wave of viral arrest phone videos and social media, the DOJ asserts that more data, not less, is the best way officers and criminal justice workers can show the whole picture of operations  as opposed to leaving it to the quick video snippets and online wordbytes.At the forefront of this digital transformation for internal law enforcement data are govtech startups like Mark43 and SceneDoc , and Ortellado said it's likely more startups  or transparency companies like Socrata , which has partnered with the White House on its Police Data Initiative  arrive to assist with criminal justice data for citizens. As it stands now, Hall of Justice is meant to be a one-time research project, so consistency will require solutions from civic-minded entrepreneurs and jurisdictions themselves.Along these lines, Ortellado commended localities like Portland, Ore., for its mapping and data work, and efforts in places like Dallas where leadership published incident reports in real time.I think with all the incidences happening lately, there's a strong desire to get out in front of these kinds of things, make data public facing and build community trust, he said.
F1 legend Mario Andretti has his fingers crossed that the US grand prix in Austin goes ahead as planned.

The October race has been given only provisional status on the 2016 calendar, amid a funding dispute between race organisers and the Texan government.

"After all the investment to make this very attractive facility, we need this grand prix," Andretti, the 1978 world champion and a naturalised American, said.

"Interest in the US is growing, especially now that there is an American team, but I think F1 needs the US in equal measure," he told the Spanish daily El Pais.

"When you look at each team's sponsors, you see that all of them are global and most would have business there (in the US)," Andretti added.

Another cloud is hanging over the historic Italian grand prix at Monza, as La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the latest meeting between Bernie Ecclestone and race chiefs Angelo Sticchi Damiani and Ivan Capelli in London did not go well.

A further meeting is reportedly now scheduled for the end of February.

Some in the pitlane would heave a sigh of relief if the bursting 21-race calendar is reduced in size, but 75-year-old Andretti thinks more races is a good thing.

"It is an extra burden for the teams," he said, "but they have to appreciate that it is all more exposure for the brands.

"It is wonderful for F1 because it means demand is incredible, the drivers are willing to do more races so I think it's not a bad thing at all."

(GMM)
Bob Bell has set to work on turning the near-collapse of the Lotus team into a Mercedes-style success story.

With the new title of chief technical officer, the Irishman has arrived at Renault from Manor, but within memory of having led Mercedes' now-dominant technical project.

He was also instrumental to the success of the last Renault works project a decade ago, but acknowledges that times have changed.

"At Mercedes, the task was similar to now" at Renault, Bell told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"The essence of the team at Enstone still knows how to build good race cars," he added, "but we live in a different era to 2005.

"What is important now is to create the right foundation for long-term success. We're not looking to the next race, but one and a half years ahead," said Bell.

The 57-year-old will be the intermediary between Renault's two technical directors, Nick Chester (chassis) and Remi Taffin (engine).

"I will have more influence (than in the past) on engine development," Bell explained, "even if I am not an engine engineer. But both sides must be linked together.

"I have to make sure both sides are marching in the same direction, and that the resources are distributed correctly between them," he added.

(GMM)
In an effort to help schools explore blended learning, a think tank has created an updated online nationwide database of schools using the strategy, in the hope that educators will communicate and learn from one another.

The Clayton Christensen Institutes education program recently revamped and expanded the site, called the Blended Learning Universe , with new features that allow for customizable searches and the ability to track changes over time. The nonprofit institute has long pushed for schools to use technology to improve teaching and learning.

In its research, the group has identified seven distinct blended learning models favored by schools. The website allows for advanced searches of schools based on what the institutes director of education research, Julia Fisher, calls the organizations taxonomy of blended programs.

In addition, the new advanced search feature allows for searches based on school location, demographics, grade level, academic subject, and the type of ed-tech product utilized. Schools create their own profiles within the site and are encouraged to update them regularly. The database allows users to track changes and trends in schools blended-learning policies, academic performance, and their use of specific vendors.

Fisher says that its important that schools not approach blended learning as a one-time off-the-shelf fix, but rather as an iterative process in which schools are making changes to reflect the reality on the ground.

District officials who use the site will be able to see which vendors their peers have chosen.

Fisher cautioned that schools that succeed in using blended learning do so by being very deliberate about re-assessing their instructional model long before making ed tech purchases.

Its important that schools not go blended for blendeds sake, but rather identify and target an acute problem that a blended learning system can address, she said.

Because schools self-report information, its unclear if they will be willing to share information on their stumbles with certain ed-tech products, or update information on academic outcomes, particularly if the results are bad.

Fisher said that the site will encourage the sharing of information on blended learning practices among schools in the same geographic areas, leading to clusters of schools working together.

The database also features a large repository of resources and research to help guide school officials in improving blended learning.

Moving forward, the institute plans to link information on schools experiences with different blended learning models to research on those strategies, Fisher said.

See also:
UPDATED

Thomas Tucker, the superintendent of Princeton City schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, was named the 2016 Superintendent of the Year on Thursday at the AASA, the School Superintendents Associations, annual education conference in Phoenix.

Tucker was chosen from a field of four finalists, which included Pamela Moran of the Albemarle County Public school district in Charlottesville, Va.; Steven Webb of the Vancouver district in Vancouver, Wash., and Freddie Williamson of the Hoke County school district in Raeford, N.C.

Dan Domenech, the executive director of the AASA, said it was a difficult task to select a winner from such a stellar crop of superintendents.

Tucker joined the Princeton City schools in 2015, and previously served in school districts in Kansas and Ohio, according to the AASA. Over a 26-year career, he has worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, curriculum director, and superintendent.

In 2008, Tucker became the first African-American to serve as superintendent in the Licking Heights district in Licking County, Ohio.

In brief remarks after he donned the traditional blue blazer following the announcement, Tucker said the award was not really about him.

Its about the work of our students, our teachersthe best teachers in the worldour support staff, our community members, and our board of education members, he said. And I ask you to join me today and, in the future, in continuing to improve our education system.

Tucker also congratulated his fellow finalists, whom he called outstanding.

I had my bets on them, and I would certainly continue to lean heavily on them, he said.

And he sounded a theme that was a constant during the night: a defense of American public education. He thanked educators, parents, and the community for supporting public education and the nations public schools students.

American public education is second to none, " he said later, to applause. " Again, is second to none.

The AASA awards a $10,000 college scholarship in the winners name to a high school student in the high school from which the winner graduated or a high school senior in the winners current district.

The association also named Elizabeth Ann Sanders, an adjunct professor at Baker University in Kansas, as the winner of the Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award. The award is named after educator Effie H. Jones, who worked on elevating the status of minorities and women in education while employed in the Office of Minority Affairs at the AASA.
Pixabay

Two biotech companies have emerged as frontrunners in the race to develop a vaccine for Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has affected more than 4,700 live births in Brazil and crept into 32 neighboring countries, according to a report from the World Health Organization.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, a small Pennsylvania pharmaceuticals company, has positioned itself as one likely contender thanks to its previous work with mosquito-born diseases and its relatively quick turnaround time from concept to testing, according to Fortune.
Board of Education members are pushing for administrators to beef up the school districts ethics regulations and staff training, a move that some on the board said is partly motivated by the suspension last year of Greenwich High School band director John Yoon.

The John Yoon case heightened my awareness of the need for written procedures for the policy on ethics, school board vice chairwoman Barbara ONeill told Greenwich Time this week. You manage what you value.

Ethics questions arose frequently during hearings for Yoons appeal of Superintendent of Schools William McKersies decision to terminate him for allegedly bullying two students. Yoons attorney, Daniel Young, said that administrators used an erroneous code to evaluate Yoon, although McKersies attorney contested that allegation.

ONeill said she thinks the school system needs more regulations that spell out how the district enforces its ethics policy.

It would seem to me that we need some procedures so that we are accountable for what we say were doing, ONeill, a former teacher and administrator in the district, said at a Feb. 4 board meeting. If were saying we do X, Y and Z, then I think we should write it down and say this is what were doing, then hold people accountable to that.

Now, as they review a new report from human resources director Bob Stacy on the districts ethics standards for teachers and administrators, school board members are mulling changes.

Current policy requires teachers and administrators to follow ethics codes established by the state and town. Greenwichs teacher-evaluation system also includes behavior expectations that line up with the state teachers code.

Administrators said they are conscientious about making sure staff are aware of the ethics codes. They are posted in every school and included in contracts, annual salary agreements, orientations for new hires and substitute teachers and in disciplinary letters. Those practices, however, are not codified in the districts policies and procedures.

Board member Peter Sherr, also citing the Yoon case, suggested that the district make sure that its standards  for instance, its requirements for how often staff attest to reading ethics rules  are more stringent than those of the state.

New district employees have to sign forms confirming that they have read the towns code of ethics. All of the school systems employees also have to disclose each year whether they have any financial relationships with the town, not including their pay and benefits, that exceed $100. But returning employees do not have to confirm that they have read the town or state codes of ethics each year.

Requiring all employees to attest each year to reading the state or town codes would be fairly easy to do and a simple process, Stacy said.

Staff could also benefit from more training, including a test of their understanding of ethics standards, Sherr said.

Im interested in the attestation, but Im much more interested in that they actually know what it is and they actually know how to recognize when theyre in a gray or yellow or red zone and they can adjust their behavior, Sherr said.

All teachers in their first two years participate in a state professional-development program that covers ethical standards. But the focus on ethics is less clear for more experienced teachers. Stacy, who is in his first year as HR director, said that he was not sure of the extent of ethics training for teachers with more than two years experience. The HR department is looking into ways to increase professional development in that area for more experienced educators, he said.

Other board members also expressed support for more ethics training.

I think that would be a really great piece to have added in here that its not just a piece of paper and Ive read it, but theres a conversation that goes deeper into helping administrators and teachers understand whats really meant by that to get to a deeper level, said Gaetane Francis.

Board Chairman Laura Erickson was more circumspect about pursuing changes.

Whats the problem were trying to solve? Erickson said. I think more training is always better, recognizing theres only so much time to do this training. But if there is a root cause, Im not sure thats been identified, so I just want to keep it balanced.

Carol Sutton, the districts teachers union president, and Angela Schmidt and David Walko, co-presidents of the districts administrators union, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

pschott@scni.com; 203-625-4439; twitter: @paulschott
The following is a list of warming centers across southwest Connecticut to provide a refuge from the bitter cold.

The list is from United Way 2-1-1 is Connecticuts statewide, 24 hour, information and referral service. For updates, click HERE.

BRIDGEPORT

Warming Centers are open during the day at the following locations and times:

Greater Bridgeport Transit Bus Terminal - 710 Water St, Bridgeport CT (7 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.)

Senior Centers:

East Side Senior Center- 1057 East Main St Bridgeport, CT (9:00am-4:30pm)

Black Rock Senior Center- 2676 Fairfield Ave Bridgeport, CT (9:00am-4:30pm)

North End Bethany Senior Center - 20 Throme St Bridgeport CT (9:00am-4:30pm)

Bridgeport Public Library Branches:

Main Branch - 925 Broad Street, 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday

Black Rock Branch - 2705 Fairfield Ave., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Newfield Branch - 1230 Stratford Ave., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday

North Branch - 3455 Madison Ave., 10 a.m. - 5: p.m. Friday and Saturday

Old Mill Green Branch - 1677 East Main St,, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday

For anyone in need of shelter overnight who does not already have a place to stay in Bridgeport, the United Congregational Church located at 877 Park Avenue will be available. In order to register for that location, people can arrive at the Harrison Apartments on 651 State St, Bridgeport, CT 06604 from 4pm-6pm .

After 6 p.m, those in need of shelter can go directly to Prospect House located at 392 Prospect St.

After 9:30 p.m. - those in need can call Prospect House at (203) 610-6252 to be put into the overflow shelter at United Congregational Church. The church however does not accept walk-ins without going through intake at either the Harrison Apartments or Prospect House. Anyone who knows in advance that they will need shelter after 9 p.m. is asked to call Prospect House prior to 6 p.m. to go through the intake process.

DANBURY

Danbury City Shelter will be open during the following times:

Friday, Feb. 12 until 2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 until 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, Feb.14th until 12:30 p.m

Good Samaritan Day Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-3 p.m, at 13 Maple Avenue. (203) 794-7952 ext. 230

Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen opens at 3 p.m.

Shelter From the Cold at Saint James AME Church, 45 Williams St., Danbury is open from 5:30-8:45p.m., only during cold weather state activations.

MONROE

Monroe Senior Center, 235 Cutlers Farm Road.

Friday 8:30 a.m-4:30 p.m.

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, 733 Monroe Turnpike

Friday 1 -5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Sunday Noon -4 p.,m.

STAMFORD

Chester Addison Community Center, 245 Selleck St.

Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Government Center

888 Washington Blvd., 1st floor lobby

Monday - Sunday, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Jewish Community Center, 1035 Newfield Ave.

Monday - Thursday, 5:30am-10pm; Friday, 5:30 a.m-6 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. 6 p.m.

Glenbrook Community Center, 35 Crescent St.

Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

During severe cold weather protocols, Inspirica, a Stamford-based provider of services to the homeless, will provide an overnight warming center from 8pm to 8am the next morning at 8 Woodland Place, Stamford.

Stratford

All fire houses are available as warming centers should anyone need to get out of the cold beginning 6 p.m. Friday, until midnight on Monday. Firehouses will be accessible 24/7 during that period.
Images of the mold, warped gym floor, and dilapidated playground at Detroits Spain Elementary-Middle School have fueled public outcry over the decaying condition of the citys schools.

The plight of students and staff at the school have now drawn the attention of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who secured $500,000 from Lowes Companies, Inc. in technology, materials for renovations around the campus, and funding for additional staff.

DeGeneres reached out to the Detroit school system earlier this year about helping make improvements at the school. The donation will go through the Detroit schools capital improvements fund and be funneled to the school, a district spokeswoman told the Detroit News.

Teachers who participated in several sickouts earlier this school year cited the conditions at Spain and other Detroit schools as one of the motivating factors. The issues teachers raised led Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who spotted a dead mouse during a building tour , to order city crews to inspect all the citys schools by the end of April.

The problems at Spain may be the most stark, but its just one of many schools in dire need of improvements. The school systems outgoing emergency manager the repair bill for the most pressing problems could top $50 million .

Heres a PBS NewsHour report on the troubles at Spain and the problems facing the cash-strapped Detroit district, which faces the threat of bankruptcy this spring:
Could $1 billion make teaching the best job in the world? Well, the U.S. Department of Education is banking that it can at least help make a dent in the perception of teaching as underpaid and not prestigious, anyway: Its pitching a $1 billion program toward that end as part of its fiscal year 2017 budget request.

Under its proposal, districts would use the funds to improve teacher salaries, working conditions, and professional development. Overall, the initiative also aims to help improve the distribution of teacher talent, something the agency has struggled to get states to do.

I think if we want to ensure that teaching, particularly in our highest-need schools is attractive, weve got to make sure the compensation reflects the complexity of the work. Thats why this initiative includes the opportunity for districts to increase salaries for effective teachers in high-needs schools, Acting Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr., said in a press call with reporters Friday. We have a lot of work to do as a country so that regardless of the ZIP code youre in, you have access to an excellent education, and teacher salaries are a part of that. And so too are working conditions, he said, noting the deplorable state of many Detroit school buildings.

The federal program, called RESPECT: The Best Job In the World, would give out competitive grants of $50 million to $250 million to states, which would then offer subgrants to school districts. With the cash, districts would aim to implement the following activities:

Create teacher-advancement opportunities.

This would include increasing salaries for effective teachers, allowing them to move up the salary scale at an accelerated pace, or move into hybrid teacher leadership roles. (Wondering what the ideal model would look like? Theres a lot more detail in the Education Departments budget justifications , in which it discusses the District of Columbias teacher-bonus and leadership systems.)

Increase flexibility for teacher professional development.

Provide teachers with common planning time, establish teams to analyze and review student work, and have teachers lead professional development for their peers.

Improve teachers working conditions and school climate.

This could include adding more time for school counseling, wraparound services for students, reducing class sizes, or establishing teacher-leadership opportunities in which teachers can retain one foot in the classroom.

The Education Department envisions giving out between five and 10 grants of somewhere between $50 million and $250 million each.

Does this all sound a little familiar? Well, as it happens, the department proposed a $1 billion teaching program last year , too (and a $5 billion one several years before that ), none of which got any traction in Congress. The new programs emphasis does seem somewhat different, perhaps because ED officials said that it builds on educator feedback from its Teach to Lead project.

About that price tag. Even though this is envisioned as a one-time, mandatory-spending program, funding prospects for the program probably arent any better than in the past, given Congress tepid reaction to the overall budget request.

Queried about this, King said he was nevertheless optimistic that the program had a shot, given the very effective, bipartisan cooperation that led to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act late last year.

Photo: Acting U.S. Secretary of Education John King, center standing, speaks during a roundtable discussion with lawmakers and local leaders in January in El Paso, Texas.Victor Calzada /The El Paso Times via AP-File

For more on the Education Departments teacher-leader initiatives:
A rendering of the new town square. Photo: Fox

A tiny town in Slovenia is positioning itself as Europes go-to spot for Clark Griswold types hoping to live out a Homer Simpson public-intoxication fantasy. Elected officials in Zalec, population 4,878, say theyve decided to build a large, $400,000 fountain in the square that will spray beer instead of water, because why not? The aim is to attract tourists to the region, already known as the Valley of Green Gold because of all its hops, with a sort of self-serve public tap that they say will be the continents first. The fountain will dispense a variety of Slovenian beers priced at six euros apiece (about $7).

Novinarska konferenca ob zakljucku razsiritve avle Doma II. slov. tabora in informacije o Fontani zelenega zlataPosted by SAVINJSKA TELEVIZIJA on Friday, February 5, 2016

Theres no date yet for completion, and getting residents blessing for the project hasnt been easy. Apparently, the local water supply could use a little TLC as well, and some local politicians would prefer tax dollars go toward that. Opponents held a special town-council meeting last week to overturn the plans, but were roundly defeated in a two-to-one vote. Its true the fountain wont be cheap, Zalecs mayor conceded, but there will be take-home commemorative mugs involved, and who can say no to that keepsake?

[Fox News]
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How Much Jail Time for Stealing a Car?

You were a fan of the video game grand theft auto, and now you wonder what would happen if you played in real life. How much jail or prison time would you serve for stealing a car if caught and convicted?

The answer will depend on numerous considerations, such as where the crime takes place, the value of the car, how the theft occurs, whether you have a prior criminal record, and other factors. So let's take a look at some key terms and state laws to see what's involved in possible punishments.

Jail or Prison?

Before we get started on punishments for stealing, let's cover some criminal law basics that must be established to have a meaningful discussion. Misdemeanor crimes are subject to jail time, usually meaning local county incarceration for up to a year. Felonies are generally punishable by a year or more in prison (up to life) and convictions result in incarceration in state institutions.

Whether you go to jail or prison for stealing a car will depend on where the crime happens, whether you have a record of theft or other crimes, and how the theft is charged. In most states grand theft auto is a felony punishable with prison time, rather than jail.

Wobbly California

Some people call stealing a car a "wobbly" crime in California, and the reason is that this is a rare state where auto theft can be classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Theft of property valued over $950 is classified as a felony in California but even theft of a very cheap car can be charged as a felony according to the statute. Still, prosecutors do have the option of charging some car thefts as petty crimes.

Grand Larceny in NYC

In New York, meanwhile, any vehicle theft will be charged as grand larceny, which is a felony. Even a car only worth $100 will qualify as a grand larceny in the fourth degree, punishable with prison time. The precise amount of time in prison will vary again depending on the defendant's record, with New York Judges provided leeway to sentence a class E felony conviction for someone who is not a repeat offender with even less than a year in prison.

No Typical Charge

The reason that states give judges leeway on punishments and there are so many factors at play is because punishments should to some degree at least fit both the crime and the criminal. Most states have sentencing multipliers, which means that if you have a habit of stealing cars, the punishment will get worse and worse. But if you only do it once, a judge can give you a break within the limits determined by state law.

There is no way to say what a typical charge would be. It depends where you are and who charges you and on numerous other considerations.

Accused?

If you have been accused of a crime, meet with an attorney immediately. Get information and guidance. The only way to know what you realistically face is to talk to someone about the specifics of your case.

Related Resources:




Haiti - News : Electoral Zapping...





FLASH: 5 presidential candidates already registered

According to statements by Senator Wesner Polycarpe, the President of the Special Bicameral Commission, so far 5 people are already on the list for the position of interim President of the Republic. The first day Mackenson Cange, Duverra Jean Luthes and Felicien Jean Thomas and the second day Charles Geraud and Joseph Sergo Louis Charle, have not yet paid the 500,000 gourdes, noting that the deadline for registration ends according to the schedule this Friday at 11:00 am. Recall that in the criteria of the Electoral Decree to become President in Article 36, no money is asked.



Jean Hector Anacacis outraged

Jean Hector Anacacis, General Coordinator of the Alternative League for Progress and the Haitian Emancipation (LAPEH), showed himself outraged face to the registration process of candidates for the interim presidency of Haiti, according to him it is a hiring and one should not claim the 500,000 gourdes asked. Moreover he expressed concern about ribes to obtain votes. According to him the best formula would be to note that the Prime Minister Evans Paul at the charge of the executive, and that the process of designating an interim president to be launched after 60 days of presidential vacancy, referring to the section 149 of the 1987 Constitution amended.



Jocelerme Privert possible candidate for the interim presidency ?

Senator Andris Riche (OPL) is opposed to a possible candidacy of Jocelerme Privert to the provisional presidency of Haiti. According to him the Senator Privert does not have a clearance certificate in proper form for its management to the General Tax Directorate and the Ministry of Interior during the five year term of Jean Bertrand Aristide.



For their part, leaders of the popular sector and of MONOP provide their support to Jocelerme Privert as temporary President, announcing three demonstration days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to force the presidents of the two branches of parliament to fulfill their responsibilities by providing the country with a provisional president in the best delay.



The Quaestor of the Lower House disagree

The Deputy of Delmas Gary Bodeau also Quaestor of the Chamber of Deputies does not agree with his colleagues on the agreement signed between the presidents of both chambers and former President Michel Martelly. According to him no member of National Assembly should be a candidate for the post of interim president of Haitibecause they can not be judge and party at a time. Also according to the Deputy his agreement resembles to a parliamentary Coup inviting the elected parliament to recover.



HL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - France : 25 years required in appeal against Amaral Duclona





Thursday in the trial on Appeal of Amaral Duclona, aka "Berthone Jolicoeur", former leader of a gang of "chimeric" which began on Monday in Creteil, France https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16550-haiti-flash-a-former-haitian-gang-leader-retried-in-france.html , the Advocate General requested a sentence of 25 years imprisonment against the accused.



Let us recall that "Berthony Jolicoeur" was arrested in September 2009 in the Dominican Republic and extradited to France in 2010, accused of kidnapping, forcible confinement and murder in 2004 in Cite Soleil, of a French-Haitian entrepreneur Claude Bernard Lauture. He was convicted of these facts, by the French Justice in May 2014 after deliberation by the jury, to 25 years in prison.



According to the Advocate General "there is sufficient evidence that he participated in the detention and sequestration of Claude Bernard Lauture," deploring that Amaral Duclona be alone in the box, saying "It lacks some of the perpetrators [... ] much more serious, missing people much higher," convinced that "the shadow of the power of Jean-Bertrand Aristide has hovered over this kidnapping."



For his part Amaral Duclona throughout the debates this week has continued to minimize his role in Cite Soleil and his innocence, "I ask myself the same question for six years: why am I here? [...] I am innocent," claiming not being involved "either near or far" in this case.



The verdict is expected this Friday.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16550-haiti-flash-a-former-haitian-gang-leader-retried-in-france.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11217-haiti-justice-amaral-duclona-aristide-s-armed-wing-sentenced-to-25-years-prison.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11195-haiti-justice-second-day-of-trial-for-amaral-duclona.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11174-haiti-justice-opening-in-france-of-the-trial-of-a-gang-leader-of-chimeres.html



TB/ HaitiLibre


















States With the Strictest Drunk Driving Laws

A feature of American law is that it's difficult to make bold general statements about requirements and penalties. They vary from federal to state law and differ from state to state. But it is safe to say that it is pretty much always bad news when a drunk driver is stopped and charged, across the country.

The punishment for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) varies from state to state, and depends on whether it's a first or subsequent offense. As you can see, even the charge's name is not uniform. Rest assured, however, that it's a hassle to deal with a charge wherever you are, and that in some states you'll really feel the pain.

Driving Drunk State to State

Only Wisconsin makes a first-time DUI a civil infraction. The 49 other states all consider driving drunk a criminal offense, which can be penalized with jail time, probation, mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meeting attendance or other treatment, abstention, testing, license suspension, and more.

Some states -- like Florida -- automatically suspend your license for 6 months when you are charged with a DUI and refuse to take a test, making an accusation a big deal to manage even if you aren't guilty.

In many places it is only when the case is resolved that you can you drive again, and then only if you are found not guilty after trial or the charge is somehow dismissed. And all states uniformly consider the legal limit for intoxication a blood alcohol content level of .08.

States With Jail Time for First-Time Offenders

Still, the range in severity of punishments for those found guilty is quite wide. Arizona, Tennessee, and Georgia require first-time offenders to serve jail time. Other states allow for probation as an alternative because they recognize that drunk driving offenses are not limited to a conventionally criminal class.

Accused of a DUI?

If you or someone you know has been accused of drunk driving, or any other criminal charge, don't delay. Speak to a defense attorney today. Whether you are guilty or innocent, your lawyer's job is to minimize negative consequences. Get help. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.

Related Resources:




Haiti - Humanitarian : Operations Director of OCHA visiting the country





John Ging, Director of Operations of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) arrived in Haiti Thursday and will stay in the country until February 13, 2016, in order to be aware of the impact of crises in the country, the priority humanitarian needs, the ongoing response, gaps, and to take cognizance of the humanitarian profile of the situation in Haiti.



The humanitarian situation in Haiti has deteriorated significantly in 2015 due to the convergence of several factors humanitarian risks. These include an increase in food insecurity; malnutrition due to drought and the prolonged effects of "El Nino"; the persistence of the cholera epidemic; a protection crisis triggered by forced or voluntary return of tens of thousands of Haitians from the Dominican Republic and the remaining displaced people since the earthquake of 2010. In addition, Haiti remains highly vulnerable to major natural hazards.



The visit of the Director of Operations of the UN agency, is designed to provide operational support to humanitarian leadership and the humanitarian community as a whole. In Anse-a-Pitre, Mr. Ging will also have the opportunity to provide an update on the deteriorating living conditions of returnees and deportees Haitians living in sites in Parc cadeau and those living in host communities. He will evaluates vulnerabilities and humanitarian needs and of immediate protection, the current response and possible gaps. This will allow him to appropriate facts and advocate for increased and coordinated response for populations in need.



During the visit, Mr. Ging will met with senior Haitian officials and authorities, vulnerable populations, including women and community leaders as well as the humanitarian community working on both sides of the border between the two countries.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Chilean family-centric group Oceans of Grace will release their first full-length offering February 26. The self-titled album includes 10 original worship cuts written by the group's members and recorded in both English and Spanish. The result is a double-disc, 20-song debut helmed by acclaimed Atlanta-based producer Jason Hoard (Shane & Shane, John Waller). The project also features Third Day frontman Mac Powell, who guests on cornerstone track "I Know That You Love Me," as well as Casting Crowns' drummer Brian Scoggin, who contributed on every song.



The Oceans of Grace Deluxe Digital Edition features a collection of bonus material, including acoustic versions and performance videos of two songs, "Remember Lord" and "How Great You Are"; the official music video for "How Great You Are"; and a special video of "Psalm 63 (Oh Lord Your Love)." The release will be available at major digital retailers, as well as oceansofgraceband.com.



Although they recorded the project in Atlanta, the multi-generational group resides in Calera de Tango, Chile. Comprised of brothers Eric and Gabe Phillips, who share lead vocals, the collective also includes Eric's wife Debi, friend Hector Ramirez and Gabe's daughter Sayen.



"We believe worship transcends language," says Eric Phillips. "One day people from every nation, every tribe and every tongue will sing together, worshipping at the feet of Jesus."



Oceans of Grace introduces a band not only steeped in the culture of their homeland, but a group of people who live out the message they sing. As such, service is as much a part of their ministry as music. Since 2010, the members of Oceans of Grace have been instrumental in restoration efforts following a massive earthquake and tsunami in Chile. Through their work, more than 100 homes have been built for people in need. In addition, the group has assisted with water and food programs in Ecuador and Peru.



"We want to be a part of a movement of worshippers that ignites a fire in our generation," Gabe Phillips adds. "We hope people can encounter how great our God is, and the main thing we hope resounds in this album is our small attempt to bring glory to our King."



The Oceans of Grace legacy originally began with Jeff and Kathy Phillips, who as newlyweds moved from the West Coast to Chile to start a family rooted in missionary service. Their sons, Eric and Gabe, grew up immersed simultaneously in the Gospel and South American culture. Today, as they raise families of their own, these men have merged their passion for music with a commitment to serving others. Through Oceans of Grace, the brothers dedicate their lives to the Gospel's call to meet people's physical needs and use their music to encourage listeners to do the same.

Tags : oceans of grace oceans of grace news oceans of grace new album
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

15:19, 20 OCT 2022
Kendall Jenner Sues Cutera for $10M Over Ads

The half-Kardashian super model Kendall Jenner is suing Cutera, a skin treatment company, for claims that it's responsible for her "nearly flawless skin." Cutera claims its laser acne treatment perfected the 20-year-old. But Jenner's filing says she had no deal and is accustomed to getting paid, which according to TMZ is the take-away from this case.

Jenner Demands $10 Million

Kendall Jenner is indeed a successful model. As her court documents state, she has graced the covers of the world's most prestigious fashion magazines, including Vogue, Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan, Vogue Brazil, Harper's Bazaar (shot by Karl Lagerfeld), Allure, GQ, Glamour, Marie Claire, LOVE, Interview, Paper, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Cleo, Garage, Dazed, and others.

So she doesn't really need the $10 million she's demanding. But it does sound like a valid claim that could succeed if there was no deal to promote Cutera.

"The right to associate Kendall Jenner's name and likeness in connection with a product or service belongs solely to Kendall Jenner and is protected by Federal and State law," according to Jenner's lawyer Todd Wilson. "Today's lawsuit by Ms. Jenner against Cutera, Inc., for the unauthorized use of Ms. Jenner's name and likeness to promote its product should serve notice that Ms. Jenner will vigorously defend her rights under the law."

No Stranger to the System

Jenner is the daughter of Caitlyn Jenner and Kris Kardashian, widow of Robert Kardashian, OJ Simpson's defense attorney now being depicted on television's American Crime Story, so she's no stranger to lawsuits. She has her own trademarks and projects that infringe on other people's intellectual property too.

Jenner recently settled just such a suit. The settlement was for an unspecified amount and resulted in Pac-Sun yanking Jenner's stuff from stores because her inspirational tees infringed on the copyright of a luxury resort brand's famous shirts. The shirts were part of a line designed with her sister, Kylie.

But Jenner's got many projects, of which Cutera laser acne treatment promotion was apparently not one. In the family tradition, she is famously difficult to keep up with.

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By Kaitlan Morehouse

Do you want to see a play by an award-winning playwright? You can at Appalachian State Universitys Valborg Theatre any day between Wednesday and Sunday, Feb. 24-28.

Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-27. The 2 p.m. show on Sunday, Feb. 28 will conclude the month-long campus- and community-wide discussion entitled, How We Talk About Race in 2016, which began with a performance of A Raisin in the Sun last month.

The Sunday, Feb. 28 performance, which will be interpreted in American Sign Language, will conclude the month-long, campus- and community-wide discussion How We Talk About Race in 2016.

The Clybourne Park performance has a small fee of $10 for ASU students and $17 for adults.

From playwright Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park is the only play to win the Triple Crown, which is a group of three awards: the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play and the Olivier Award for Best Play in the United Kingdom.

Bruce Norris has crafted a devilishly clever play that exposes our cultures complacency about racial inequality, said the productions dramaturg and Associate Professor of Theatre Paulette Marty. He makes us laugh, while at the same time challenging us with the question, If weve made so much progress on racial equality, how come our neighborhoods are still almost as segregated as they were in 1959?

Clybourne Park

A spin-off from Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun, the play has two acts, which are set in 1959 and 2009, respectively. Both feature the same Chicago house and suburb, but one focuses on a black family moving into a predominantly white neighborhood and the other a white family moving into a historically black neighborhood.

The story line features one character who is deaf, so four actors will use American Sign Language.

The script is so rich, like peeling back the skin of an onion, said John M. Blackburn Distinguished Professor of Theatre Keith Martin.

Clybourne Park is directed by Martin, with scenery designed by Professor Mike Helms, costumes designed by Associate Professor Sue Williams and lighting and sound designed by ASU Theatre Arts alumna Tim Snyder.

The ASU Theatre and Dance Department Clybourne Park cast members in order of appearance include:

Act one:

Dylan Brown as Russ

Lydia Congdon as Bev

Koria Johnson as Francine

Logan Frazier as Jim

T.J. Lewis as Albert

Aaron Scotch as Karl

Jenna Tonsor as Betsy

Act two:

Logan Frazier as Tom

Jenna Tonsor as Lindsey

Lydia Congdon as Kathy

Aaron Scotch as Steve

Koria Johnson as Lena

T.J. Lewis as Kevin

Dylan Brown as Dan

Jake Roberts as Kenneth

Karina Galiano will serve as the production stage manager.

Our students have done stellar work in this production, Marty said. Theyve done extensive historical research that has informed the actors performances and designers choices, dug into the themes of the play with the director to help him shape his concept for the production, and found great materials for audiences about the plays themes and context.

Similar to In/Visible Theatres recent production of A Raisin in the Sun, talkback discussions will take place immediately following the performances, which will include an experienced panel of experts comprised of faculty, staff and community members:

Joseph Bathanti from the ASU English Department

Mark Bradbury from the ASU Government and Justice Studies Department

Tandrea Carter from the Institute of Health and Human Services

Elisabeth Cavallaro from the Wellness and Prevention Services

Rich Crepeau and Elizabeth Shay from the ASU Geography and Planning Department

Cameron Lippard from the ASU Sociology Department

Keith Martin and Paulette Marty from the ASU Theatre and Dance Department

Sonye Randolph from the ASU Office of Equity, Diversity and Compliance

Moderators for the discussions are Traci Royster and Lindy Wagner from the Office of Multicultural Student Development.

The intention of these talkbacks is to take these themes off the stage and place them into the context of our own community, as a powerful reminder that the dream continues to be deferred for many of us, said Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Compliance and Chief Diversity Officer Bindu Jayne.

The talkback discussions will include issues like race, segregation, gentrification, upward mobility, mental health, PTSD and suicide.

Martin said the illumination of these issues will bring everyone together.

Chancellor Sheri Everts and Provost Darrell Kruger will offer opening remarks to ignite the discussions and put issues into perspective.

The arts can be incredibly powerful in highlighting social issues in a way that sparks deep and honest conversation, Everts said. I look forward to the dialogue that Clybourne Park will spark on our campus and in our community.

For more information on Clybourne Park, visit ASUs Theatre and Dance Department website.

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Bikram Yoga Guru Loses Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Bikram Choudhury, founder of his eponymous hot yoga empire, has been ordered to pay a former employee $7.4 million for retaliation, wrongful termination, and sexual harassment. Minakshi "Miki" Jafa-Bodden sued Choudhury, claiming she was fired for refusing to cover up an investigation into another woman's rape allegation against the guru.

The once ubiquitous Bikram yoga brand has been rocked by controversy in recent years. Numerous profiles have highlighted claims of harassment and abuse. And Jafa-Bodden's was just one of six lawsuits against Choudhury, each accusing him of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Dream Job, Nightmare Boss

Jafa-Bodden, an attorney herself and Choudhury's former legal advisor, claims that women in his presence -- clients and employees -- were subjected to a "hyper-sexualized" and "degrading" environment, were ordered to brush his hair and give him massages, were referred to as "f***ing bitches," "fat bitches," and "stupid bitches."

Her lawsuit, all 40 pages of it, is a laundry list of abuses and slurs, and well worth reading. Witnesses also accuse Choudhury of saying, "I should rape more girls, it's good for business," "AIDS is caused by gays ... but these f***ing a**hole guys love me," and if Hitler "was more efficient, all these f***ing Jews would be finished."

$7 Million in Truth

Choudhury claimed he was innocent in an interview last year. "I want to show you," he told CNN, "tell the truth to the world, that I never assaulted them." The guru claimed he would never need to force women to have sex. "Women like me. Women love me," he said. "So if I really wanted to involve the women, I don't have to assault the women."

While other claims of sexual misconduct remain pending, the jury in Jafa-Bodden's employment lawsuit wasn't buying it. A Los Angeles Superior Court ordered Choudhury to pay Jafa-Bodden $6,471,878 in punitive damages and $924,000 in compensatory damages.

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Rajeev Suri, the chief executive officer of the network equipment manufacturer, states in a press release that he is pleased with the fourth-quarter performance of Nokia Networks and, especially, Nokia Technologies.

Nokia has announced that its net sales crept up by roughly 700 million euros year-on-year to 12.5 billion euros in 2015.

Nokia Technologies saw its net sales and operating profit grow considerably, based on strong licensing growth including a contribution from the arbitration award related to our licensing agreement with Samsung, he says.

Nokia Networks delivered on its commitments for the full year.

Nokia Technologies reported a year-on-year increase of 170 per cent in its fourth-quarter and an increase of 77 per cent in its annual net sales, whereas Nokia Networks reported a year-on-year increase of 5 per cent in its fourth-quarter and an increase of 3 per cent in its annual net sales, the press release indicates.

Suri reminds that the network equipment manufacturer is likely to face headwinds in its competitive environment this year as 4G LTE rolls out in China and some other markets begin to slow down.

In this environment, we will continue our sharp focus on operational and commercial discipline, ensure we deliver synergies as quickly as possible, and focus our energy on targeting the growth segments within the overall telecoms market, he says.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The Parliament engaged yesterday in an impassioned debate over a proposal tabled by the Government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) that would wipe out the national restrictions and replace them with the cabotage regulations of the European Union.

Lifting national cabotage restrictions would unleash a wave of bankruptcies in the transport industry of Finland, warns Antti Lindtman, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group.

Cabotage refers to the carriage of goods within a country by road vehicles registered in another country. The European Union allows hauliers Hauliers registered in the EU or European Economic Area (EEA) to perform cabotage within its borders.

This will unleash a wave of bankruptcies among hard-working Finnish transport companies. [Timo] Soini (PS) will start swinging his axe. Why do you, honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, believe Finland should be a model student on this particular issue when you're fully aware that there's an alternative? asked Lindtman.

Denmark, he pointed out, chose not to replace its national cabotage regulations with those of the European Union.

Soini shifted the blame to his predecessors and reminded that Finland will be able to offer incentives to domestic hauliers.

We have the possibility to introduce a vignette to increase the burden on foreign transport companies and, thereby, offer relief to Finnish ones. We have a variety of means at our disposal. But why we've ended up here is because the previous governments neglected the protection of interests in their preparatory work, he replied.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Petteri Paalasmaa  Uusi Suomi

Source: Uusi Suomi
Knox takes helm of Van Winkle law firm

Caroline Knox

The Van Winkle law firm, a 109-year-old Asheville-based firm with 38 attorneys, has reached into its smallest office to tap a new president.

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Caroline Knox, an elder law specialist in Van Winkles Hendersonville office, was recently installed as the law firms president.

Legal services are about more than just the law, Knox, who becomes the first woman to lead the largest law firm west of Charlotte, said in a news release. Its about developing relationships with clients, helping them navigate important decisions and achieving their goals. You have to understand peoples stories, their ambitions and oftentimes their fears. Its a personal connection regardless of whether the client is an individual or a business.

The daughter of a career naval officer, Knox grew up all over before finishing high school in Arlington, Va., where she rowed on a varsity crew team that finished eighth in the nation. After spending two years at St. Marys College in Raleigh, she earned a bachelors degree in philosophy from William and Mary in 1992.

A fresh-out-of-college career woman, Knox decided where she wanted to be before she decided what she wanted to be. She took a job in the accounting and development office of the Kanuga Conference Center.

I worked there several summers in college and that was my primary connection to the area, she said. I knew I wanted to live here and make some roots, having lived all over when I was growing up.

Caught law bug

When she went to work for a Hendersonville attorney, she caught the law bug herself. She went back to school, earning a law degree from Wake Forest in 2000. Since then shes been on a steady climb in the category of law that guides older people through everything from savings to health to end-of-life choices. She was in the first class of nine lawyers to be certified as specialist in Elder Law by the North Carolina State Bar and is one of only 18 lawyers in the state designated as a certified elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation.

As law firm president, she leads a seven-member board that runs the day-to-day operations of the firm, frames strategy and sets longer-term goals. In some law firms, the leadership role is described as the managing partner.

Obviously our long-term vision is growth both locally and in our Charlotte office, she said, and were looking in the short term at client service and service delivery to be competitive in the new economy.

She supports the work of a new innovation committee, which she likens to research and development shop charged with recommending enhanced services that the law firm can use to better serve current clients and grow its client base.

Knox, 45, succeeds Philip J. Smith, an Asheville attorney who led the firm for 12 years. The new role will take her to Asheville on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Shell continue her own robust practice of elder law, working in guardianships, estate planning, nursing home or assisted living placement and asset preservation.

I often feel like I am a part of my clients family, someone who cares deeply about their best interests, she said in a profile the Van Winkle firm posted.

The mother of a 13-year-old daughter and boys ages 10 and 8, Knox is a runner who enjoys hunter pace horseback riding with her daughter and attending sporting events with her kids.
What makes Hendersonville great? How can it be better?

Councilman Jerry Smith designs a magazine cover story with input from his fellow council members.

What makes Hendersonville great?

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Downtown. Rhythm & Brews. Vastly improved city and county cooperation. Leadership on the Duke Energy transmission line. Cooperation on the Wingate-Pardee-BRCC Health Sciences. Better care and feeding of business. Being the best place to retire. Being the safest city in North Carolina. Sen. Apodacas power to make Raleigh recognize Henderson County. Customer service at City Hall. A water and sewer system that responds to growth.

Warren Miller, a facilitator from FountainWorks in Raleigh, pulled those thoughts and more out of the Hendersonville City Council members and city personnel during a visioning retreat on Friday at the Chamber of Commerce.

City Council members looked back over the past 15 years to identify major events and changes. Here are the highlights:

During the recession, the city actually invested in the three phases of downtown redevelopment, adding new sidewalks, streetscaping and new infrastructure underground. The city stretched the work larger than original plans because construction bids came in under projections. We paid for it all out of pocket, Councilman Steve Caraker said.

Rhythm & Brews, which started three years ago, was a catalyst for more development downtown. When we started it, we had one brewery in town, said Lew Holloway. Were now looking at two cideries and four downtown breweries. I dont claim credit but certainly what weve managed to do with events and infrastructure is one reason why Hendersonville is so appealing. Were proud of that.

City leadership: Using a more diplomatic approach than other cities' kneejerk Not in My Backyard reaction, the city, working with Henderson County leaders, urged Duke to take the least disruptive route possible if it did build the controversial transmission lines. It also urged Duke to consider other options, which the utility ultimately did. When Duke Energy dropped the idea, its executives credited the city and county with a collaborative approach.

Good place to retire. Safest city. Recent polls have ranked Hendersonville as the No. 1 place to retire in North Carolina and the safest city in the state. The city police department has used innovative policing strategies for many years, like body cameras, Chief Hubert Blake said. There are still cities debating that. Weve been doing that for eight years.

Water and sewer. The city worked with the county to extend a water line to the Bold Rock cidery and the Tri-Hishtil plant-grafting operation on Schoolhouse Road.

City-county cooperation. I love the way leadership of city has taken lead on several things, Councilman Jeff Miller said. We helped facilitate the Wingate-Pardee project and it here in town. I also like the way we are working with that area to try to lessen the traffic impact through a study of Ninth Avenue traffic. When John Connet came on board as city manager in 2013, he worked to mend a strained relationship with the county administration, meeting routinely with County Manager Steve Wyatt, communicating regularly and working toward some common goals. I think one of the best things thats ever happened is that this barrier between the city and county is no longer there, Miller said. Its a bridge and its active. A few years ago, when city and county leaders gathered, There was a lot of whispering over shoulders, Councilman Steve Caraker added. That doesnt exist anymore.

The ongoing greenway development to connect Jackson Park and Berkeley Park and the donation of the Berkeley land to the city were among the big assets council members cited. The Berkeley Park property added green space north of the city, Caraker said. Everything else was toward the center.

Hendersonville rising. After the election of state Sen. Tom Apodaca in 2002, Hendersonville and Henderson County gained power and influence it had not enjoyed in many years. This is selfish because hes a friend, Miller said. I think a big deal for this whole area was when Tom was elected. He is just bullheaded enough to make them recognize there was something west of I-77. We actually became a player because of that and I really do give him a lot of credit for that. Hes aggressive and hes stubborn and he knows where hes from, Caraker added. Council members praised state Rep. Chuck McGrady, who over the past five years has pushed for local interests in the House. You get that dynamic duo but it started with Tom, Miller said.



The identification of the citys assets and successes was not intended solely to sing praises. The council members moved next to an exercise in which they created Hendersonvilles magazine cover story in the year 2030.

The make-believe cover story featured headlines drawn in green, orange, purple and brown marker on a large sheet pasted to the wall. Hendersonvilles water system ranks No. 1 in the Southeast. The last phase of the Ecusta Trail has opened. Berkeley Park is finished. The median age is dropping. The city has affordable housing. Its maintained its AAA bond rating. Its population hits 20,000. The story contains quotes from Hendersonville residents. My Google car has no problem finding parking in downtown Hendersonville, one says.
Get Help Protecting Your Business Assets

Right now your business is running smoothly. Everything is operating and workers seem happy and healthy. But a business, like a person, can experience sudden setbacks. Accidents and emergencies happen, so you have to ensure that you are following the law and that business assets are protected. Otherwise, a fluke occurrence could wipe out your empire.

We get insurance to cover our homes and health and lives. Yet business owners don't always apply that principle to their babies, the shop you've worked so hard to build. Let's consider a few reasons to review and protect your assets.

The Forms of Disaster

It's important to be optimistic. Being a downer gets nothing done. But sometimes bad things happen to good businesses and you have to be prepared for the different forms of disaster.

You pay the state for employee workers' compensation coverage and your employees have health care. But a serious accident that ends in injury or death and results in a lawsuit could end with a claim for damages that puts you in the red unless you have your assets protected.

Then there are natural disasters, the kinds of things that trigger a force majeure clause in a contract. If you have everything pinned on a deal that ends up failing, you could trigger a downward spiral. Plus market woes, unexpected price hikes or valuation changes that impact your business.

These are just some of the ways that disaster strikes and destroys seemingly solid empires. But the point here is not to strike fear in your heart. It is, rather, to discuss relief, how you can use a lawyer to strengthen your business and protect it from potential problems.

The Forms of Relief

A lawyer can do many things to help protect your business assets, including:

Advising on investments

Establishing holding accounts

Finding the appropriate insurance policies for any eventuality

Negotiating better contracts

Ensuring you work within the law

In addition, an attorney review of your business structure, could help with long-term strategy and savings.

You may find that a review of your company structure reveals flaws in your organization or unnecessary expenditures and processes. An impartial account by a fresh set of eyes never hurt any project, business or artistic. Consult with an attorney and get help protecting and building your business.

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THREE young children who suffered "recurring respiratory illness" because of the state of their local authority home have been awarded damages against Dublin City Council.

The Circuit Civil Court heard that the mother of the children, Janice Maguire, believed her family's illnesses had been caused by damp and mould in her home at Lissadel Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12.

Barrister Kevin Lenahan said Ms Maguire had accepted undisclosed damages to settle her own 38,000 personal injuries claim against the City Council.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane approved settlement offers for the three children - 6,000 for Harrison Maguire (5) and 4,000 each for his brother Chad (9) and his sister Kadie Mae (8).

Mr Lenahan told the court that family members who moved into the two-bedroom maisonette in 2010 have had to attend their GP on various occasions during 2010, 2011 and 2012 for ongoing treatment for respiratory illness.

He said the family had suffered personal injuries arising from their housing conditions including damp and mould and had suffered episodic bouts of chest coughs developed from allergies to household mites caused by the mould.

Mr Lenahan told Judge Linnane that when Ms Maguire took over the tenancy of the maisonette in 2010 there was an implied term that the property would remain fit for habitation.

Ms Maguire (28) alleged part of the living room ceiling had collapsed and that she and her children had suffered deterioration in their respiratory systems.

Duty

Dublin City Council claimed it was not negligent and had not breached duty to its tenants.

Mr Lenahan said he was recommending the settlement offers on the basis that, in the event of losing their case at trial, the family could end up with no compensation.

He said the reason for Harrison Maguire's damages being 2,000 higher than his siblings was that he was born in 2011 after the family had moved into the house and it could not have been shown that any contribution to his ill health had been caused having lived elsewhere.

Judge Linnane struck out Ms Maguire's personal claim which had been settled. Terms of her settlement were not publicly divulged in court.
Canvassing and evidence gathering is not the modus operandi for most politicians, but Paul Murphy is happy to tell his constituents he is not like other TDs.

The Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) candidate had a team of canvassers who pounded the pavements in the Knockmore area of Tallaght on an afternoon in pouring rain.

One house proved to be a very easy sell.

"I was there with you that day at Jobstown," Janine Cummins told him when he called to her door.

The Tallaght resident was at the protest where anti-water charge protests blocked Tanaiste Joan Burton's car as she left an event in Jobstown. She also had a video that she thought might be useful.

The pair swapped details so that Janine could send the footage on - it might prove helpful for the AAA TD's defence, she said.

It had turned out to be a productive canvass in more ways than one for Mr Murphy.

His impending trial for charges that relate to the protest was on the lips of many of the constituents he met in Knockmore.

"Good luck with the trial pal," one man shouted as he left his driveway.

"People are keen to talk about it and they want to know what's happening," Mr Murphy told the Herald.

He couldn't be drawn on whether it would have suited his campaign to have the trial date looming sooner.

"I haven't thought about that much  the media can't really report on it anyway," he said.

This is the Dubliner's second time in less than two years canvassing Dublin South West, having been elected in the by-election to replace Brian Hayes when he was elected to Europe.

He took some flak at the time from his opponents for standing in an area in which he didn't live. In the interim he moved to Kingswood in Tallaght and settled in after six months or so in his new neighbourhood.

Originally from Goatstown, Mr Murphy said that it didn't come up much with voters that he was from another part of the city.

"I think people tend to judge you on what you do and what you stand for," he said.

Now, despite the awful weather (he said it's always colder in the west of the capital), it is clear he felt at home as he walked from house to house, avoiding puddles.

"I don't like being out in the rain usually, but I do enjoy being out talking to people," he said.

Welcome

There weren't many people home as it was still mid-afternoon but those who were, were mostly keen to greet the TD. He got a big welcome from several constituents.

One woman had yet to fully make up her mind on what candidate to back, she said, but promised that she would use her vote on polling day.

"It's been drilled into me all my life by my dad 'use your vote'," she said with a laugh.

"What do you think of the Fine Gael-Labour recovery," Mr Murphy asked her.

"What recovery? You're just constantly chasing your tail, trying to catch up with yourself.

"I'm a single mum, I work hard, I try to do everything right but you're getting docked for something else every time you turn around," she said.

The refrain that the coalition -led economic recovery had not made it to communities such as Knockmore was the core of Mr Murphy's pitch and it went down well on the doors where he had a chance to chat.

"Joan Burton giving me 2.50 on my fuel allowance, sure that wouldn't buy me a pint of milk. They're robbing us blind," said John Maher.

The AAA hopes to return two TDs in Dublin South West - it's an ambitious plan but they're confident that both Murphy and Sandra Fay, a teacher from Jobstown, can be returned.

"Why not? Labour returned two out of four in 2011 and I don't think they'll even get a seat this time," he said.

On the doors, he was explicit with voters about the seats the party was vying for.

"The Labour party was supposed to represent the ordinary people... and it became all about getting into power," he said at one door.

The strategy was clear as Mr Murphy asked voters for their number two preference and then introduced his party colleague as their number one candidate.

A low turnout could pose a problem so the team had asked voters to convince between five and 10 family members of friends to vote.

"There's been a real politicisation of the working class and I think we'll see that this year," Mr Murphy predicted.
Padraic Quinn has paid back 3,000 of the 7,786 he stole

A worker at a cheque-cashing shop stole more than 7,000 from his employer to fund a gambling addiction, a court heard.

Padraic Quinn (34) has been told by a judge to pay full compensation before sentencing and warned he is facing jail.

Quinn pleaded guilty to more than 20 theft and fraud offences.

The offences included theft of money and fraudulent use of cheques, and happened at his workplace in Dublin as well as at Bank of Ireland, Ballsbridge in 2009 and 2010.

The case had been before the courts since 2013 and Judge Patricia McNamara said the defendant had been given time to come up with compensation.

The total loss was 7,786 and the accused had 3,000 in compensation in court, his solicitor Tony Collier said.

Quinn, of The Courtyard, Diswellstown Road, Clonsilla, had dealt with his addiction and he was now "doing well in all aspects of his life".

"The fact that he has been able to put together such a significant amount of money is an indication of that," Mr Collier said.

He explained that Quinn had taken up another work contract and was in a stable relationship.

Judge McNamara noted the amount of time the case had been before the court and said Quinn had paid no other compensation until now.

Compensation

The accused was in a "much better position now than he had been" to pay the victim back, Mr Collier said.

"He wants to put his best foot forward and complete the compensation," he said.

"It will affect sentencing if 100pc of compensation is paid as opposed to less than 50pc," Judge McNamara said.

She granted a short adjournment "to see how much he has got together ... because he is certainly facing a custodial sentence".
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Labour Party deputy leader Alan Kelly have led the rallying call for Joan Burton amid fears she will lose her Dail seat.

Labour are set to put an extra focus on Dublin West after a Herald/Millward Brown poll showed she was trailing Ruth Coppinger by 5pc for the final seat in the constituency.

Party sources said the results would "spur on" her supporters in the final two weeks of campaign.

The poll showed that Health Minister Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein's Paul Donnelly were both on 20pc, followed by Fianna Fail's Jack Chambers on 17pc.

Ms Coppinger is in fourth place on 15pc, while the Tanaiste is languishing on 10pc.

Refocused

Labour sources said they knew Ms Burton was in a battle, but the poll has refocused everybody. "It's difficult, because she needs to be at national events everyday and at the same time look after the constituency," said a source.

Reacting to the poll, Ms Burton pointed to the 14pc of voters who were undecided.

"I have said repeatedly to yourselves and others that, in terms of this particular election, I don't think a lot of people will make up their mind until very close to election day," she said.

"I'm told that I'm very transfer friendly. That's something that I've been told before. Polls are part of life for a politician, I read them with great interest."

Ms Burton previously lost her seat in 1997, but continues to insist that she is "very confident" of surviving.

Her deputy leader Alan Kelly - who has ambitions to be the next party leader - jumped to her defence. "Anyone who underestimates Joan Burton, does so at their peril," he said. "Joan Burton is one of the best political fighters that I have ever seen.

"She will win her seat, and she will lead the Labour party into the next government, I have no doubt about that."

Mr Kelly tried to avoid questions about whether he would want to take over if the Tanaiste is not back in Leinster House after the election.

"It's not going to be an issue, she will lead us into the next government."

"I'm telling you, can I be very clear about this ... Joan Burton is not going to lose her seat."

However, he eventually added: "Everyone who walks into Dail Eireann has aspirations to go as far in politics as they can, that's just a natural thing."

Speaking in Tuam, Co Galway, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Ms Burton was "a fighter".

Transformation

He praised her work at the Department of Social Protection saying she had driven a transformation in its work from "just a list of people drawing the dole" to a "vibrant living entity" that helps the unemployed find work and training. "I'm glad to see Fine Gael showing up well in that particular poll - not that I have any great belief in them [polls].

"I expect the Tanaiste to fight her corner and fight it well."

Asked if he would encourage Leo Varadkar's supporters to vote strategically and help ensure Ms Burton wins back her seat, Mr Kenny replied: "Obviously Fine Gael are advised to canvass the Fine Gael ticket, vote for the Fine Gael ticket - after that to vote for the Labour candidates."

The poll showed that 43pc of Fine Gael voters in Dublin intend to give their second preference to Ms Burton.

The fact that the highest number of voters in Dublin West cited 'Hospitals/Health Service' as the number one issue that will affect their vote appears to be playing out well for Mr Varadkar.

Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown has been repeatedly in the news due to overcrowding in its emergency department, but it was also announced as the site of the new Rotunda Hospital last year.

Around 15pc of voters said the economy would be the key factor when deciding their vote.

Just 10pc of Dublin West voters said water charges was their number one issue despite Ms Coppinger being heavily involved in the anti-water charge protests.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has denied he is repeating the mistakes of the past, despite pledging a series of sweeteners in the party's General Election manifesto.

Mr Martin said the manifesto was not a throwback to 2007, adding that Fianna Fail was adopting a far more "prudent" approach to tax cuts and spending than other parties.

Among the key measures included in the manifesto are the replacement of Irish Water with a new slimmed-down agency, the abolition of prescription charges, and a 30 weekly increase in the old-age pension.

The party is placing a significant emphasis on childcare and has pledged to introduce a 2,000 childcare support credit for parents, extending maternity by four weeks, as well as increasing child benefit by 10 per month.

It is proposed that the Universal Social Charge (USC) - introduced by Fianna Fail during the economic crisis - will be scrapped by 2021 for those earning up to 80,000. The party said it would hire more doctors and nurses and put more gardai on the streets.

A new savings scheme for first-time buyers is also included in the manifesto, which was launched by the party in Dublin City yesterday.

Asked whether he was repeating the same mistakes of the past, Mr Martin said his party's manifesto was independently costed and represented a "prudent and affordable plan".

"We've taken our blame and we've acknowledged we got things wrong," he said.

But the launch was once again overshadowed by questions over whether Mr Martin would be willing to lead his party into a coalition with Fine Gael.

On at least six occasions, Mr Martin refused to categorically rule out such a scenario, as well as the option of supporting Fine Gael in a minority-led government.

Ridiculous

"This is getting to the ridiculous in my view in terms of hypothetical sort of questions, you can ask 100 hypothetical questions," the Cork South Central TD said.

"I'm telling you where Fianna Fail want to be - we want to be the lead party in the next government."

"I'm not going any further because this is an election campaign in which there is a real choice on issues in the political parties and I think the real choice needs to be issues."

Mr Martin also laughed off suggestions that he could end up serving as Taoiseach with Labour Party deputy leader Alan Kelly as his Tanaiste.

"I just look at the strained version of Joan Burton every day and it's a very difficult proposition," he said.

Mr Martin added that members of the Cabinet that oversaw the economic collapse will be considered for ministerial positions again if Fianna Fail is in government.

He also hit out at "election slogans" which call for changes to the country's abortion laws.
The Dublin South-West constituency was home to both a cabinet minister and a junior finance minister around this time five years ago.

Now, two weeks out from the General Election, neither politician's name is on the ballot paper.

Former Communications Minister and Labour Party TD Pat Rabbitte slung his hook and called a day on national politics, while Brian Hayes, the one-time Fine Gael junior finance minister, is now dividing his time between Brussels and Dublin as an MEP.

In the meantime, the constituency gained Paul Murphy, an Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit TD in the 2014 by-election. How the votes will fall in this newly-enlarged constituency is anyone's guess.

Dublin South-West now takes in several thousand new voters from the middle class areas of Rathfarnham and Knocklyon and stretches to the outer reaches of Tallaght.

Ahead of this month's vote, political minds of all hues are finding it difficult to predict who will fill the five Dail seats once the votes are counted.

The only given is the return of Sinn Fein TD Sean Crowe, and Gerry Adams' party is hoping to secure another seat but with South Dublin County Mayor Sarah Holland running, however, this is unlikely.

Mr Hayes had a strong vote last time round and, with Fine Gael hovering around 30pc in the opinion polls, the party will be confident of a seat once the ballots are counted.

The party is fielding three candidates: Colm Brophy, Anne-Marie Dermody and Karen Warren.

Mr Brophy and Ms Dermody - both councillors - have locked horns in the constituency for the first seat but Fine Gael insiders have said that the former was winning the battle.

Mr Brophy is the most likely of the two to become a TD at this stage of the campaign.

Fine Gael is hopeful of two seats, but the second seat will likely to be hotly contested by Fianna Fail's John Lahart, who has been given a free run of the constituency.

This means Mr Lahart has a lot of ground to cover for a councillor who disappointed the party with just 8pc of the vote in the by-election two years ago.

Fianna Fail may rue not putting party stalwart Charlie O'Connor on the ticket.

However, there is traditionally a Fianna Fail seat in the constituency and if Micheal Martin's party gets a bounce before polling day, Mr Lahart should become a TD.

Socialist TD Paul Murphy is facing a court date this year over allegations of false imprisonment stemming from protests in Jobstown last year.

Mr Murphy is well-placed to take a seat but will certainly not receive the massive 27pc of the vote he received during the by-election.

Damage

First-time TD Eamonn Maloney landed a seat with Labour but quit over the party's constituency strategy and is now running as an Independent.

He is unlikely to be elected but will damage Labour's chance of a seat as Mr Maloney has a strong personal vote in the Tallaght end of the constituency.

Labour is fielding councillors Pamela Kearns and Mick Duff with the Templeogue-based female candidate seen as the party's best chance.

Burton's party hopes Ms Kearns will get over the line on the back of Fine Gael transfers if the Coalition's vote pact is implemented - but on the ground sources have said there was little evidence of either parties working together for votes.

Senator Katherine Zappone, who was appointed to the Seanad by Taoiseach Kenny, is running as an Independent and is expected to do well.

Ms Zappone has built a strong profile over the last five years through her community work in Jobstown and her campaigning for the same-sex marriage referendum.

A good outside bet is Renua councillor Ronan McMahon, who secured a good vote in the by-election as an Independent candidate.

However, a lot of his support in the local elections was based in Dublin South Central. Overall, it is expected two of the five seats will go to the left and the other three will go to the established parties.
Dangerous Detox: High Lead Levels in 'Bentonite Me Baby' Detox Clay

Beauty and health crazes abound but be very careful with what you put on and in your body, whoever is touting it. There are products sold for purification that are actually poisonous. The latest culprit to come under fire is a brand of bentonite detox clay.



Bentonite Me Baby, reports Boing Boing, is a clay touted for internal and external use and sold at Target. It contains dangerously high levels of lead. Although the product is meant to purify consumers of unspecified toxins, it contains lead far beyond FDA limits for ingestion. So what's the story?

Isn't Lead Dangerous?

We know from the recent reports of children poisoned from drinking water with lead in Flint, Michigan, that this cannot be good news. But the manufacturer of the detox product, Alikay Naturals, dismisses concerns, all while admitting the extraordinary lead levels.

The company is able to sell a poison product as a detox aid somehow, saying it is a "cosmetic" and not a "food." Nonetheless the label reportedly advises ingestion, "to aid in colon and detox cleansing to remove harmful toxins from the body, which helps many things including raising energy levels."

Scary Stuff

The scary stuff was discovered and reported by a conscious Target shopper, who happened to know of a family harmed by bentonite clay that had high lead levels. Megan Curran de Nieto, director of community health programs at Saint Paul-based CLEARCorps, was shocked to find Bentonite Me Baby on store shelves.

She was even more disturbed when she noted the advice to try eating the clay. Yet bentonite has a following among celebrities, juicers, and other pseudo-purists.

Not So Pure

If you have been injured by a cosmetic or any other product, consult with an attorney. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.

Related Resources:

Hurt by a product or accident? Get your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)

What Is an Unavoidably Unsafe Product? (FindLaw)

Lead FAQ (FindLaw)


'Freeheld' is one of those cool scenarios where there was a short documentary that won an Oscar a couple of years ago, which transitioned into a narrative feature film with A-list actors. The person behind this politically charged and emotional film is Ron Nyswaner. Nyswayner wrote the Tom Hanks Oscar winning film 'Philadelphia'. Since then, he has written for 'Ray Donovan', 'Homeland', and 'The Painted Veil'. However with 'Freeheld', he returns to familiar territory with gay rights and someone dying.

'Freedheld' is the true story of Laurel Hester, who is played here by Julianne Moore. Hester was a police officer in New Jersey who developed terminal lung cancer. She was also gay and had a life partner named Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). It's not a huge issue anymore with the recent supreme court decision, but a decade ago, same sex couples couldn't pass their pension and benefits to their loved ones. This is the main conflict of the film and what Hester fought for in her last months.

'Freeheld' is a solid film, however the documentary short gets straight to the point and focuses on how Hester and her partner Stacie take on the local government to have equal rights. For the sake of this narrative film, we receive a bit more history on both characters, some of which works, some of which doesn't. The first act is more or less setting up Hester's life as a police officer with her on-duty officer partner Dane (Michael Shannon). She keeps her life private, in that nobody knows she is a lesbian. She meets a much younger girl named Stacie (Page) at a sporting event and the two hit it off.

Soon though, Hester is diagnosed with cancer and finds out she won't be able to pass her pension and benefits to Stacie, which brings us to the major part of the film where the whole country gets involved in this equal rights issue. Unfortunately, the style and flow of the film is very uneven. At certain moments, the film seems sappy enough for a Lifetime movie, then at other times, seems like a screwball comedy with the arrival of Steven Goldstein (Steve Carell), the founder of an equal rights foundation.

His character is so over-the-top zany and flamboyant that he doesn't seem to fit with the other characters in their somber and dramatic mood. Sure, he's fun to watch, but it takes you out of the story for a bit. Then there is Stacie, played by Page who doesn't have a lot to do here other than cry and longingly stare. I had hoped her character would have had more screen time and more to do, but she is left on the back burner. Julianne Moore gives a riveting performance, especially in her final moments, which is down right difficult to watch. It's award worthy for sure.

Even though there are some flaws here and there, there is enough emotional drama and a certain connectivity to these characters that make this film worthwhile, even if it doesn't hit the emotional chord that 'Philadelphia' did all those years ago.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Freeheld' comes with a 50GB Blu-ray Disc and a digital copy code from Lionsgate Films and is Region A locked. The disc is housed in an eco-friendly hard blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. No inserts other than the digital download code are included.


Gravitational waves are real, and scientists have detected them. In the video above, PBS Space Time explains the discovery by researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). From the New York Times:



A team of physicists who can now count themselves as astronomers announced on Thursday that they had heard and recorded the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years away, a fleeting chirp that fulfilled the last prophecy of Einstein's general theory of relativity.





That faint rising tone, physicists say, is the first direct evidence of gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted a century ago (Listen to it here.). And it is a ringing (pun intended) confirmation of the nature of black holes, the bottomless gravitational pits from which not even light can escape, which were the most foreboding (and unwelcome) part of his theory.





More generally, it means that scientists have finally tapped into the deepest register of physical reality, where the weirdest and wildest implications of Einstein's universe become manifest.
This weekend might be the last warm one we have in awhile

local
The story of the modern exodus of "Beta Israel" the Jews of Ethiopia during Operations Moses and Solomon, which together airlifted some 22,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel, is well known. Less well known is the dramatic exodus of over 48,000 Jews from Yemen. Almost unknown is the role played by Alaska Airlines.

No one knows for certain when the first Jews came to Yemen. Local legend has them being sent as traders by King Solomon. In any event, Jews have lived in Yemen for many centuries. In that backward and poverty-stricken country, the Jews were the poorest and lowest of citizens living in contempt and on sufferance asdhimmis. However, in their synagogues and schools, they taught their male children to learn and write Hebrew. They never forgot their faith, protected the traditions, observed the Sabbath and passed the Torah and Talmud to each succeeding generation. Following World War I, when Yemen became independent, life in that Muslim country for the Jews became intolerable. Anti-Semitic laws were revived; Jews were not permitted to walk on pavements; in court a Jew's evidence was not accepted against a Muslim's; Jewish orphans had to be converted to Islam. Some Jews were able to escape to Palestine but most were trapped.

In 1947, following the United Nations vote to partition Palestine, the situation of the Jews in Yemen turned from despair to physical danger. Arab rioters in the adjacent port of Aden, then a British Crown colony and now part of Yemen, killed 82 Jews and torched the Jewish quarter. The establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 and Israel's War of Independence increasingly endangered the Yemeni Jews as it did in all Arab countries. It was not, however, until May 1949, when the Imam of Yemen unexpectedly agreed to permit all Jews to leave his country that they were able to flee. They longed to return to Zion if only they had the means. At that time, slightly over 49,000 Jews lived in Yemen.

As the War of Independence ended in early 1949, Israel was devastated and virtually bankrupt. Notwithstanding, David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, defying logic and the advise of his economic advisers, ordered the immediate and rapid "Ingathering of the Exiles." Where would Israel get the money? "Go to the Jews in the Diaspora and ask them for the money," Ben-Gurion answered the skeptics.

For the Jews of Yemen, Egypt had closed the Suez Canal to them and therefore they would have to be transported by air to Israel. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the international Jewish humanitarian aid organization, agreed to fund the Yemenite exodus and organize the airlift, but they needed aircraft.

Alaska Airlines was founded in 1932, when Mac McGee purchased a used three passenger Stinson and started an air charter business in Alaska. With the arrival of James Wooten as president in 1947, the airline began to purchase surplus planes from the U.S. Government and within a year became the world's largest charter airline.

The JDC approached Wooten and asked if Alaska Airlines would agree to accept the Yemen airlift. Wooten wanted Alaska Air to take on the mission of mercy but Ray Marshall, chairman of the board, was cool. Marshall felt the deal was a waste of the Airline's time and money. It would take at least $50,000 to set up the charter, cash that the Airline did not have. Marshall insisted that Wooten front the funds himself. Wooten raised the $50,000 by borrowing it from a travel agency associated with the JDC. The contract was signed and Operation On Wings of Eagles, more popularly known by its nickname Operation Magic Carpet, commenced.

As Yemen would not permit the Jewish refugees to be flown out of their country, Britain had agreed to the establishment of a transit camp in the adjoining Crown Colony of Aden from which the airlift could commence. Alaska Airlines set up its base in Asmara, Eritrea with their ground crew, pilots and aircraft,-DC-4s and C-46s. The arrangement was to fly from their base in Asmara to Aden each morning, pick up their passengers in Aden and refuel. Thence fly up the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba to the airport in Tel Aviv, unload the refugees, fly to the safety of Cyprus for the night and return to their base in Asmara at dawn, before starting all over again. The round trip would take about 20 hours.

The aircraft as configured could not carry enough passengers or sufficient fuel. So, the planes were modified by replacing the regular airline seats with rows of benches and fitting extra fuel tanks down the length of the fuselages between the benches. Aircraft intended to carry 50 passengers could now carry 120 and fuel would last a skinny extra one hour.

Meanwhile the transit camp in Aden, called "Camp Geula" (Redemption) was organized by the JDC and staffed by Israeli doctors and social workers under the directorship of Max Lapides, an American Jew. Also headquartered at the camp were emissaries responsible for paying various Yemeni tribal chiefs a "head tax" which would permit the Jewish refugees to pass through their territory.

As news of the evacuation reached the Jews of Yemen, they left their few possessions behind (except their prayer books and Torahs) and like the biblical exodus, began to walk out of slavery into freedom. They traveled in family groups, some hundreds of miles, through wind and sandstorm, vulnerable to robbers and a hostile local population, until half-starved and destitute they reached the border with Aden where Israeli aid workers met them and transported them to the transit camp. There they encountered electricity, medicines, running water, toilets and personal hygiene for the first time. During the entire operation, the Jews of Yemen arrived at Camp Geula in a steady stream, newer ones arriving as an earlier group was airlifted out.

Getting the Yemenite Jews to Aden was one problem, getting them on the aircraft was another. Nomads who had never seen an airplane before and never lived anywhere but in a tent, many of the immigrants were frightened and refused to board. Once reminded that their deliverance to Israel by air was prophesized in the Book of Isaiah, "They shall mount up with wings like eagles," reinforced by the painting of an eagle with outstretched wings over the door of each aircraft, induced them to board the planes. Once inside many preferred sitting on the floor to unaccustomed soft seats. Keeping them from lighting fires to cook their food was a task. During the flight, about half would get sick, vomiting over the extra inside fuel tanks. Notwithstanding, the Yemenites upon landing in Israel chanted blessings and burst into song.

To start up Operation Magic Carpet, Alaska Airlines sent Portland native Bob Maguire, a pilot with management experience, to the Middle East. Maguire flew between 270 and 300 hours a month. Ben-Gurion called Maguire the "Irish Moses." The work cost Maguire his career. He contracted a parasite that affected his heart and as a result lost his commercial pilot's license in the early 1950s. Another pilot was Warren Metzger, born in Lethbridge who found time between flights to marry his flight attendant. At least one pilot, Stanley Epstein, was Jewish.

The airlift that began in June 1948 was hard on the pilots who were flying 16-hour days and hard on the planes that flew well beyond their scheduled service intervals. Fuel was difficult to come by, the desert sand wreaked havoc on the engines and flying was seat-of-the-pants with navigation by dead reckoning and eyesight.

The work was dangerous. Many airplanes were shot at. One pilot, getting a little close to Arab territory while approaching Israel, watched tracer bullets arching up towards his airplane. Another plane had a tire blown out during a bombing raid in Tel Aviv. On one occasion, Maguire was forced to land his aircraft in Egypt when it ran out of gas. The Israelis had warned all pilots that if they had to land in Arab territory, the Jewish refugees and perhaps even the crew would likely be shot. The quick-witted Maguire told airport officials he needed ambulances to take his passengers to hospital. When they asked why, he replied that his passengers had smallpox. The frightened Egyptians wanted him out of there right away. Maguire received his fuel and flew on to Tel Aviv.

Part way through the operation, the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board forced Alaska Airlines to shut down its international charter business and a company called Near East Air Transport, whose president was James Wooten and whose pilots and aircraft were all Alaska Air's, completed the Operation Magic Carpet airlift. Near East Air Transport was just Alaska Airlines operating under another name.

By the time Operation Magic Carpet ended in September 1950, 28 Alaska Airlines pilots had made some 380 flights and airlifted 48,818 refugees, almost Yemen's entire Jewish population, to Israel. Miraculously not one death or injury occurred.

Operation Magic Carpet was kept secret for reasons of security and to prevent sabotage. It would be many months later before the public or the press would become aware of the remarkable operation.

Yemenite Jews en route to Israel from Aden, Yemen.

Later, Israel would once again call upon Alaska Airlines to aid in the rescue of Jews, this time from Iraq. El Al and Alaska Air, in a secret partnership, formed a new airline, again using the name Near East Air Transport for that purpose. Israeli ownership was hidden so that the airline appeared to be strictly an Alaska Airlines venture.

Today, Alaska Airlines is an international carrier serving 60 cities and three countries. Passengers flying Alaska Airlines do not realize that they are flying with the airline that saved the Jews of Yemen.

Joe Spier is a retired lawyer with a keen interest in Jewish history. Based in Calgary, he is a frequent winter vacationer in San Diego and writes columns for the San Diego Jewish World. He can be contacted at joe.spier@sdjewishworld.com.
By Cnaan Liphshiz

KAZAN, Russia (JTA)-When the six members of the Simcha klezmer band hauled their instruments into a dilapidated rehearsal space, no one suspected they were about to hijack a government building in this large, clean city some 450 miles east of Moscow.

But that's exactly what happened in 1995 when this popular ensemble-founded in 1989 by Jewish musicians during the Soviet Union's twilight years-entered the Teacher's House, a government-controlled building that had once been a synagogue. For three years, city officials had pledged to return the structure to the Jewish community.

But the band's members had had enough of empty promises. Determined to hold the mayor to his word, the players remained barricaded inside for three days as police prepared to storm in.

The standoff ended with the city giving up the synagogue, which it signed over to its 8,000-member Jewish community the following year.

In this part of Russia, near the Ural Mountains that divide Europe from Asia, Simcha has been the linchpin of the Jewish community's growth and strength and a symbol of the Jews' determination to maintain their religious and cultural identity amid persecution.

"Many Russian Jewish communities grew to include klezmer bands," Eduard Tumansky, the band's current leader, told JTA after a performance in September celebrating the synagogue's centennial. "But I know of no other klezmer bands besides ours that grew into a Jewish community."

Violinist Leonid Sonts, who founded Simcha, "used musical activities as a vehicle for building a Jewish community long before open worship became tolerated again in Kazan," said the city's Chabad rabbi, Yitzhak Gorelick.

Sonts, who opened a Jewish cultural center, Menorah, in 1987, "used the band to turn musical events into cultural-religious events," Tumansky recalled. "We performed during the holidays. Before [Kazan's] Jewish people had a synagogue, they got together at Simcha concerts. Simcha became the engine for Jewish life.

"Simcha was the Jewish community's main lobbying platform and face," he said. "So when the Soviet Union collapsed, we already had strong partnerships. Everybody in Kazan knew Simcha."

Later the community hired a rabbi for its synagogue and built a Jewish school-institutions that took over the task of serving as an axis for Jewish life here. Sonts became the president of Kazan's Jewish community-a role he maintained until his passing in 2001.

After returning the Teacher's House, authorities in Kazan have done more than give the Jews a synagogue: They turned it and the community into tourist attractions.

Since 2012, the city has held an annual Jewish music festival around Rosh Hashanah. And last year, the city held a series of Jewish-themed events outside the synagogue, including Kazan's first Limmud FSU Jewish learning conference and a gathering by Chabad rabbis from across the former Soviet Union.

The events attracted an unlikely mix of secular and religious Jews, who flooded the spacious, red-cobble pedestrian streets of Kazan's old city, with its mosques and gold-spired Russian Orthodox churches.

Local Jews say they feel safe among the Sunni Muslim majority in the Russian state of Tatarstan, of which Kazan is the capital.

"I regularly put my tefillin on while waiting for the subway in the morning," said Gershon Ilianski, 16, a student at the Jewish high school here. "I know they have problems with Muslims in Western Europe, but I never worried anyone would bother me here."

Thirty years ago, however, when Russia was still communist, Jews, Muslims and Christians all needed a non-religious alibi to worship.

"Simcha performed at Purim and Hanukkah parties while camouflaging the religious and communal nature of these events," Tumansky said. "To the community, the concerts were [seen] as a Jewish event. To authorities, just a musical one."

Even so, such musical gatherings were not allowed elsewhere in the Soviet Union, where Communist government sought to blur ethnic identities. This policy was less strictly enforced in Kazan, as its population was deeply attached to Islam and its heritage.

"Moscow realized it couldn't restrict the locals too much on religion and tradition, because there'd be too much alienation," said Chaim Chesler, founder of the Limmud FSU organization. "The result is an inspiring example of coexistence."

This atmosphere of relative tolerance in Kazan during the Soviet era attracted hundreds of Jews from other parts of the Soviet Union. At a time when some universities nearer to Moscow barred Jews, they were accepted without problem at Kazan's institutions of higher education, the Ukraine-born Sonts said in an interview he gave to local media before his death.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Kazan already had a functioning Jewish community-something that would take years to grow in other Russian cities.

This head start has meant that Jewish lay leaders have been able to have a more hands-on approach to developing their community. For example, unlike most other Jewish Russian communities, Kazan employs its Chabad rabbi, Gorelick, full time. Elsewhere in Russia, rabbis often work independently of the community, sometimes competing with its lay leaders for donations from local philanthropists.

Last September, the community celebrated its strength alongside its synagogue's centennial by rededicating the shul following renovations. Tumansky, wearing his trademark black hat, performed with Simcha's other five musicians before a crowd of several thousand outside the synagogue.

"It's true that we are now the sideshow of the community we used to run," he said of the band. "But then again, that was exactly what we fought for: to have a normal community."

The concert was unorthodox; while Simcha primarily played klezmer, there were notable electric guitar and country music influences. After each solo, the crowd, a mix of Jews and non-Jews, waved blue and white balloons emblazoned with a Star of David, enthusiastically reacting with whistles and yelps.

"Tell me," Tumansky told a reporter after the show. "Have you ever seen a Jewish community built on rock and roll?"
Oy vay, here we go again?...

I am really getting concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism. It is upsetting to say the least, but not talking about it, keeping quiet about it, is definitely the WRONG thing to do. So I am passing on to you the following article in part from the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Digest:

"The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a unanimous resolution regarding 'the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe.' This follows March 2015 hearing in which World Jewish Congress leaders delivered poignant testimonies.

The resolution, pointing to data from the FBI and Jewish Community Security Service in France, home to Europe's largest Jewish community, the number of anti-Semitic acts rose from 423 to 851 between 2013 and 2014. These included acts involving violence, which rose in number from 105 to 241.

In Britain, an increase in anti-Semitic acts from 535 to 1,168 was recorded. In Germany, recorded incidents rose sharply from 788 to 1,076. The resolution also highlighted several serious incidents from 2015, including the January terror attack at a kosher supermarket in Paris and the February attack at Copenhagen's main synagogue. The resolution was introduced by Democratic Congressman CHRIS SMITH, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. 'This resolution is a blueprint for actions that are critical to prevent more deadly attacks on Europe's Jewish communities,' Smith said in a statement.

Formal recognition and partnerships between governments and Jewish community groups are key. The resolution also highlights the need for research, training, resources, public awareness campaigns and communication as part of the fight against anti-Semitic violence. If our government encourages and works with our European allies to do these things, it will help save lives' he added. In addition to working with European governments to achieve these goals, the resolution calls for working with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, the EU's police agency, Europol, and the International police organization Interpol."

(Anti-Semitism is here in the States as well, so we have to keep informing people that it exists and where it exists. We must remember the words Never Again...NEVER AGAIN!)

Remembering Jewish history...

Jan. 8, 1975, marked the death of Richard Tucker at age 61. Born Rubin Ticker in Brooklyn, N.Y., he enjoyed a dual career as a cantor and world-renowned operatic tenor. His cantorial recordings are considered among the finest of their kind.

You can't hear my Brooklyn accent. Right?...

WRONG???? Okay, it never leaves me! Anyway, writing that Richard Tucker was born in Brooklyn reminded me of a movie I saw on TV recently. "On The Town" is its name featuring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. "New York, New York, a wonderful town. The Bronx is up and the Battery's down, New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!" Leonard Bernstein and Comden Green wrote the song but I can't sing it because of my Brooklyn accent. (New Yawk, New Yawk... oh well.)

A talented writer...

I recently received an email from LOIS ALPERT and pass it along to you:

"Our daughter, LINDSAY SAMUELS, wrote and self published 'The Infinite Puzzle'. It explores her own life experiences, both painful and enlightening, while giving tools to help others dealing with their own journeys. From insecurities to dealing with the loss of loved ones, to everyday stress, she offers meditation, Choice Theory and other approaches that are easily available to everyone.

Lindsay's goal is not to make a fortune, but to add richness to the lives of those who read her book (and apply these tools). Those who have bought it, say it has changed their lives. It's the type of book that you keep close...on your night table or wherever you can just pick it up when you need some inspiration.

Lindsay lives by her words. Every moment in her daily life is motivated by her pure intention and consideration towards others. Lindsay is currently teaching Yoga while further expanding her knowledge of meditation and various forms of yoga throughout he world.

I've attached the link for those interested to purchase Lindsay's book directly, or people can contact me at la3@att.net and they can buy it from me. Here's the link... http://www.createspace.com/5077939"

(I would probably benefit from Lindsay's book as I try to find happiness inspite of my grief.)

"These boots were made for walking"...

I'm not writing about the NANCY SINATRA hit song. Rather about a terrific show coming to Orlando very soon.

"Kinky Boots" is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winner Cyndi Lauper and a book by Tony-winner Harvey Fierstein.

It is opening at the Dr. Phillips Center for The Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave, Orlando, on Feb. 23.

Based on the 2005 film "Kinky Boots" by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, which was inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits a shoe factory from his father. To save the business, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen, Lola. With Lola's help, Charlie develops a plan to produce a line of high-heeled boots. In the process, he and Lola discover that they are not so different after all.

This much acclaimed musical took Broadway by storm and now we have the opportunity to enjoy it right here!

For ticket information, phone 855-660-7034 or 844-513-2014.

(Don't miss this one folks!)

One for the road...

Sam's daughter says to him one day, "Dad, as you're coming up to 80, why don't you go see Doctor Seigal and get him to give you a full medical? You haven't been yourself ever since Mom died."

"OK," says Sam. And sure enough, a week later, he has a full health check.

Lindsay Samuels

Three days afterwards, Doctor Seigal is surprised to see Sam walking towards him in Winter Park with a beautiful, sexy looking lady on his arm. She looks no more than 30. When they meet, Doctor Seigal says, "It's nice to see you Sam. When you have a moment, why don't you call me? I have something I need to discuss with you."

"OK doctor," says Sam, "I'll call you this afternoon."

When Sam rings later that day, Doctor Seigal says to him, "I see that you've decided to start seeing other women, Sam."

"Yes doctor," replies Sam, "I'm doing what you suggested when you said 'get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'"

"But that's not what I said, Sam," said Doctor Seigal, "I told you that 'you've got a heart murmur... be careful.
BERLIN (JTA) - Set amid a 1944 prisoner uprising at Auschwitz, "Son of Saul" stood out as a long shot when its producers first applied for funding from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. The film's director, Laszlo Nemes, had no experience with feature films; its lead actor hadn't been on a film set in 15 years; and its script included long, silent and out-of-focus shots.

But the Claims Conference, which negotiates restitution for Nazi victims, ultimately decided to help bankroll the film. It's a gamble that now seems prescient, as "Son of Saul" is favored to win best foreign language film at the Oscars on Feb. 28.

Worldwide ticket sales for the Golden Globe-winning film are north of $2 million, already exceeding the film's slim $1.6 million budget.

"People all over the world are realizing we're facing the last generation of Holocaust survivors, so we're in a race against time to cling to the experiences of the survivors still amongst us," Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference's vice president, told JTA.

Since the 1993 release of Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List," which won the Oscar for best picture, representations of the Holocaust have emerged as an important genre in cinema in and beyond the U.S. market. Other award-winning productions, such as "Life is Beautiful" (1997), "The Pianist" (2002), "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) and last year's "Woman in Gold," have followed.

In recent years, many filmmakers from Europe have trained their lenses on the same theme, resulting in such critically acclaimed productions as "Phoenix" (Germany, 2014), "Ida" (Poland, 2013), "Suskind" (The Netherlands, 2012) and "Sarah's Key" (France, 2010).

The Claims Conference, which since 2008 has devoted a small portion of its budget to funding educational Holocaust films, provided about $50,000 of the "Son of Saul" budget. But even that relatively small contribution was subject to "serious internal debate," Schneider said.

"It was a risk that paid off," he said.

The Claims Conference receives funding requests for about 50 films a year. One factor that helped clinch the deal with Nemes was the quality of a short Holocaust film, "With a Little Patience," that he had made back in 2007. Another factor was the director's meticulous attention to historical accuracy, as demonstrated by the "Son of Saul" script.

While fictional, the plot uses an accurate backdrop in telling the story of Saul Auslander, a member of the Sonderkommando, a group of Jews whom the Germans forced to work in the gas chambers. In the film, an unemotional Auslander is seen herding transport after transport of his brethren to their deaths before becoming unhinged at the sight of a Nazi doctor suffocating a boy of 14 who had somehow survived the poison. Oblivious to the rebellion being planned around him, Auslander abuses the access that his gruesome job affords him in an attempt to bury the teenager.

"Auslander's story is fictional, the rest is accurate," Schneider told JTA last week in Berlin, where the Claims Conference organized the film's premiere in Germany. (The Sonderkommando at Auschwitz did stage a rebellion in October 1944. Separately, two teenagers were murdered after surviving the gas chambers.)

Whereas straightforward filming of an Auschwitz-Birkenau set would have yielded "a pornography of death," as the lead actor, Geza Rohrig, said, the camera focuses on the living Sonderkommando and scenery, weaving the carnage around them into an out-of-focus but omnipresent background.

Though the Claims Conference provided less than 4 percent of the total production cost of "Son of Saul," its contribution "came in the final stages of production when we were really lacking money," "Son of Saul" producer Gabor Sipos said.

Since 2008, the Claims Conference has spent a total of $2.25 million, or an average of $282,000 a year, to fund educational Holocaust films. The organization's total annual budget has ranged from $700 million to $870 million, with the vast majority going toward improving the quality of life for Holocaust survivors.

Of the dozens of films funded by the Claims Conference, "Son of Saul" is "by far the most successful in terms of return on investment," Schneider said. It is the first film funded by the organization that has won a Golden Globe or been nominated for an Oscar. Among others that have received funding from the Claims Conference are the award-winning "Numbered" (2012) and "The Decent One" (2014).

The remainder of the budget for "Son of Saul" came almost entirely from the Hungarian National Film Fund. Agnes Havas, the Hungarian fund's CEO, told the Budapest Business Journal that the film's commercial appeal makes it "the most successful project supported by the film fund." "Son of Saul" is also Hungary's first Oscars nominee since 1988.

But the funding from Hungary is also exposing "Son of Saul" to criticism by those opposed to the right-wing policies of the country's prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose government was recently accused of downplaying Hungarian complicity in the Holocaust and relegating all the blame to Germany.

"I wonder if getting money from the Hungarian state is a problem for you, or you just don't mind," one critical viewer, who accused the government of anti-Semitism, said at a post-screening Q&A.

In replying, Sipos said the filmmakers were "proud of the film fund," which they "hope has nothing to do with [the policies of] Hungarian government."

He noted that while requests for funding "Son of Saul" were "rejected in countries that are seen to be less anti-Semitic," including France, Germany and Israel, "the Hungarian film fund decided to support us, meaning this film would not have existed if not for their help."
Joseph Zollman, a former editor-in-chief of the Minkus Stamp Catalogs and a Life Member of the American Philatelic Society, died Jan. 28, 2016 in Altamonte Springs. He was 93.

Zollman started his philatelic career at the United Nations Postal Administration shortly after its launch, and often noted that his daughter Yvonne was born during his tenure at the UNPA. With its terrific health insurance coverage, his co-pay for the medical bills for her birth was 25 cents.

For many years, Zollman wrote the Stamping Grounds column about stamps, collecting, designers and Judaica on stamps. It appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines, including the Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald and the Long Beach (N.Y.) Herald. He also was a stamp collector, owning a wide range of covers and stamps with a focus on United States commemoratives.

In his other careers, he worked for various New York-based distributors of advertising specialties and as a traveling salesman selling costume jewelry and womens accessories to mom-and-pop stores in Upstate New York.

Zollman was born in Belgium in 1922 and escaped the country immediately after the Nazi invasion in 1940. After traveling alone through France, Morocco, Martinique and Puerto Rico for several months, he made his way to New York where he was reunited with some of his family. He moved to Florida in 1999.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Greta; daughter, Yvonne Zollman Mosca (married to John Mosca); sons, Peter (Ellen), and Steve (Lori); seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Joe and Greta also were surrounded by outstanding caregivers, including Carolle Joseph.

Funeral services and interment were held at Congregation of Reform Judaism Cemetery, Gotha, with Cantor Jacqueline Rawiszer officiating. In memory of Joseph Zollman, memorial contributions may be made to Jewish Family Services of Orlando, http://www.jfsorlando.org, the Jewish Pavilion of Orlando, http://www.jewishpavilion.org or the National Kidney Foundation, http://www.kidney.org

Arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando.
Orlando Hadassah is preparing for the Bunny Rosen Womens Heart Health Luncheon and Fashion Show on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. at The Alfond Inn in Winter Park.

Having experienced the perfect combination of great food, great service and a great venue last year, Orlando Hadassah will again hold its annual charitable event at The Alfond Inn whose profits go to the scholarship fund of Rollins College.

The fashion show will feature clothing and accessories by Chicos Winter Park. This years theme is Masquerade, therefore the names of the models cannot be revealed. The event also features unique vendors, and a Chinese auction.

Hadassah promotes Every Beat Counts throughout the U.S. and worldwide to get the word out to women that cardiac screenings are a key factor in heart disease prevention. Every Beat Counts is a pioneer in preventing heart disease in women through the development of heart-health programs, educational materials and awareness campaigns that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.

Meal choices are Herbed Salmon or Eggplant Rollatini. Couvert is $45 and tables of 10 are available.

For reservations please mail your check made out to Hadassah, your Meal Choice and Table Reservation to: Orlando Hadassah, 1040 Bloomsbury Run, Heathrow, FL 32746.
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org)-The Israeli Foreign Ministry slammed CBS News on Wednesday over its report on a terrorist attack near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, which carried a headline reading, "3 Palestinians killed as daily violence grinds on." The Palestinians identified in the headline were actually the terrorists who carried out the attack, which killed 19-year-old Israeli Border Police officer Hadar Cohen.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon blasted the media outlet's "gall" for focusing solely on the deaths of the Palestinians, and ignoring the fact that they were terrorists. This was "unprecedented chutzpah, a slanted and false headline," Nahshon said.

After the Foreign Ministry, as well as Israel's National Information Directorate at the Prime Minister's Office and Government Press Office, all contacted CBS, the headline was changed to "Israeli police kill 3 alleged Palestinian attackers." It was later changed again, to "Palestinians kill Israeli officer, wound another before being killed."

Government Press Office Director Nitzan Chen said, "This will not be tolerated. This time we will consider revoking the press credentials from reporters and editors who neglect to do their job, and present readers with headlines that have nothing to do with reality."
TEL AVIV (JTA)Israels government approved a compromise to expand the non-Orthodox Jewish prayer section of the Western Wall, putting to rest the decades-long fight between Women of the Wall and Israels haredi Orthodox religious establishment.

The deal achieves what had been an elusive goal: an interdenominational consensus on Judaisms holiest site with official recognition. The non-Orthodox prayer section at the wall will become much larger and more accessible. But haredi control of the Orthodox section will also be solidified, though non-Orthodox leaders have long protested that monopoly.

The deal, a copy of which JTA obtained ahead of the Cabinet vote, still contains a few unknowns. It is unclear how long construction will take. It does not say whether clear signage will direct visitors to the non-Orthodox section. Nor does it say exactly when Women of the Wall, an embattled womens prayer group, will move its monthly services from the Orthodox Jewish main prayer section to the non-Orthodox one.

Still, the Conservative and Reform movements can declare victory. The size of the non-Orthodox section of the Western Wall will double to nearly 10,000 square feethalf the size of the Orthodox main section just to its north. A committee of non-Orthodox leaders and government officials will manage the non-Orthodox section. And a single entrance will lead to both sections.

The Western Walls haredi Orthodox management, called the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, also safeguarded its interests. Non-Orthodox leaders had campaigned for a share of control of the Orthodox section of the wall, but the Heritage Foundation will retain full authority over it and the larger plaza behind the prayer sections. And when the plan is implemented, Women of the Wall will move to the non-Orthodox section, one of the Heritage Foundations long-standing demands.

They all came to the conclusion that they must make serious compromises because they want it to remain one Kotel for one people, Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky told JTA, using the Hebrew term for the site. lts the place that must unite us more than anything else, and it turned into the most ugly war.

Plans for the non-Orthodox sections expansion, spearheaded by Sharansky, began in December 2012. In October of that year, police had arrested the Women of the Walls chairwoman, Anat Hoffman, for wearing a tallit during the groups monthly servicean act that at the time was illegal at the site.

Talks on a plan to expand the non-Orthodox section of the wall, located in an archaeological park known as Robinsons Arch, began in April 2013. Sharansky and outgoing Israeli Cabinet secretary Avichai Mandelblit led the negotiations, which included representatives of the Reform and Conservative movements, the Heritage Foundation and Women of the Wall.

Nearly three years later, the deal enacted Sunday calls for the creation of an official and respected, 9,700-square foot prayer space in the non-Orthodox section of the Western Wall, running along a 31-foot segment of the wall, that Sharansky said will fit approximately 1,200 people. It will have a government-funded staff, Torah scrolls and other ritual objects, and be open to all forms of Jewish prayer. Sharansky estimated its construction could take up to two years.

Even after it is completed, the non-Orthodox section will remain smaller than its Orthodox counterpart. The Orthodox section measures some 21,500 square feet, adjacent to a nearly 200-foot segment of the wall, and has some 27,000 visitors on an average day.

The area is divided into two sections: a larger one for men and a smaller one for women. The rules prohibit women from reading from Torah scrolls in the Orthodox section.

A committee composed of two Reform leaders, two Conservative leaders, two non-Orthodox women representatives, the Jewish Agency chairman and six government officials will run the non-Orthodox section.

The Orthodox and non-Orthodox sections of the Western Wall will share an entrance near the Old City of Jerusalems Dung Gate, one story above the Western Wall plazas current entrance. Currently, the path to the non-Orthodox section is long, narrow and accessible only through a gateway tucked in a back corner of the plaza. The deal will create a wide and visible walkway to the section.

The deal does not specify, however, whether there will be signs at the entrance informing visitors of the non-Orthodox section or anything else notifying visitors of its existence.

The vision of the new section of the Kotel is a physical and conceptual space open to all forms of Jewish prayer, a statement from Women of the Wall read. Instead of splitting up the existing pie into ever more divided, smaller pieces, we are making the pie much larger and sharing the new space.

The Western Walls haredi management, headed by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, has long pushed for Women of the Wall to leave the site. Under the deal, the womens group has agreed to move to the non-Orthodox section only once the deal is implemented. And a faction of Women of the Wall has vowed not to budge from the Orthodox sectionregardless of what the deal says.

The Western Walls religious status has been under contention for decades. Women of the Wall was founded in 1988 to advance womens prayer at the site, which is prohibited under haredi Orthodox Jewish law. Until 2013, much of the groups activity contravened the Heritage Foundations regulations and thus was illegal. Police regularly detained members of the group.

Non-Orthodox groups also suffered persecution at the site. In 1997, an egalitarian Conservative Shavuot celebration behind the prayer section was attacked by protesters throwing bottles, diapers and refuse at the worshippers. The incident led to the establishment of the non-Orthodox prayer section at Robinsons Arch in 2000.

Following an international backlash to Hoffmans 2012 arrest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tasked Sharansky with forging a compromise solution to the dispute. An outline Sharansky proposed in April 2013 called for the non-Orthodox section to be equal in size and elevation to the Orthodox section, but it proved unworkable due to objections from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Waqf, the Islamic body that governs the Temple Mount.

In August 2013, Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett tried for an interim solution by building a 4,800 square-foot platform that created more space in the non-Orthodox section. Women of the Wall rejected the platform, calling it a sundeck. Now the architects of Sundays compromise hope that all sides of the debate will be able to put their differences behind them for the sake of the Western Walls symbolism.

This contains the hope that the Western Wall will no longer be an arena for disputes, and will regain the uniting character that befits its special place for the entire Jewish people, the agreement reads. May this also bring peace among us.
(JTA)The Iowa caucuses are overand the first real test of the presidential candidates viability gave us more questions than answers.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won the Republican caucus on Monday night, relegating Donald Trump, the real estate billionaire, to second place. Both Trump and Cruz ran insurgent anti-establishment campaigns. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made a strong showing for third place, well ahead of the other establishment candidates.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., effectively tied for first.

The New Hampshire primary is on Feb. 9, with Nevada and South Carolina later this month.

By March 2, the day after Super Tuesday, when 14 states and a territory select favored candidates, we should have some answerslike who among the 11 GOP candidates is serious, how much stamina Sanders has and what the general election might look like on Nov. 8.

In the meantime, here are some of the known unknowns for the Jewish and Middle East obsessed.

1. Will Jebs exclamation point turn into a question mark?

A year ago Jeb Bush, the former Republican governor of Florida, was the GOPs favored son, literally and figuratively, despite his convoluted attempts to distant himself from his father and his brother, including dropping Bush from his logo and replacing it with an exclamation point.

Bush attracted the lions share of the partys traditional fundraisers, including Jewish funders like Fred Zeidman of Texas, Mel Sembler of Florida and Sam Fox of Missouri. They raised over $100 million toward an extension of the Bush dynasty.

Trump, who went hard at Bush from the outset, has more or less killed that dream. Bush scored 3 percent in Iowa, and before the Iowa vote was polling at 6 percent in New Hampshire. His backers have been loyal until now, but it may be time for a reality check. Rubioonce Bushs protege, although they have clashed during the campaignis hoping to reap the establishment dividends of a Bush departure.

2. Is Donald Trump fired?

Before the Iowa vote, the reality TV starwho relegated dozens of would-be apprentices to the unemployment linewas well ahead in the New Hampshire race and nationally. But he has staked his candidacy on being a winner and decreed his victory in Iowa a foregone conclusion. On Monday night, he delivered an uncharacteristically subdued concession speech, promising to win in New Hampshire and consider buying a farm in Iowa.

Plenty of Jewish Republicans wouldnt mind seeing Trump with a hoe. He has alienated a broad cross-section of the community, offending the socially moderate with his broadsides against Muslims and Hispanics, while unnerving conservatives with his dithering over whether all of Jerusalem is Israels capital and questioning of Israels commitment to making peace.

3. Cruz and the Neocons: A new hit band?

Cruz has been second to none in his Israel boosterism; of the four victory speeches Monday night, only his mentioned the country.

If you want a candidate who will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel, then support a candidate who has led the fight over and over again to stand by our friend and ally, the nation of Israel, he said.

But Cruz has also faulted neoconservatives for leading the country into too many wars, among them the signature foreign policy event of George W. Bushs presidency, the Iraq War. The Venn diagram overlap between Jewish Republicans and neoconservatives is substantial. Cruzs broadsides against that ideology, coupled with attacks on New York values, have made some Jewish Republicans wary of whether the Texan is using code to appeal to the less salutary values in the American conservative heartland.

Now that he has emerged as a front-runner, does Cruz reach out to the establishments Jewish wing of the party and make nice?

4. What will the Adelsons do?

Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate, pro-Israel powerhouse and Republican kingmaker has taken to joking in recent weeks about his bickering with his physician wife, Miriam, over Cruz and Rubio. She favors the former, he the latter. On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, it was revealed that the couple had maxed out direct donations to Cruzs campaign, each anteing up $2,700.

It doesnt necessarily mean theyve made up their minds. The Adelsons gave similar amounts last year to the campaign of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., but thus far have refrained from spending the tens of millions to fund political action committees not directly affiliated with candidates. The couple have made known to associates that they do not want to repeat what they now feel was a mistake in 2012giving millions to groups supporting Newt Gingrich, only to wound the ultimate nominee, Mitt Romney, who lost to Obama in the general election.

With Cruz and Rubio still viable, dont expect an Adelson determination just yet. One thing the couple will be watching is whether Rubio improves his ground game, the network of volunteers and staff necessary to get out the vote state by state. Reporting has suggested that he was surprisingly weak in this area in Iowa.

5. Does Bernie do foreign policy?

In his speeches, Sanders manages to turn typically soporific economic analysisincome inequality, banks, health careinto a rousing call to action.

Not so on foreign policy, where he has allowed himself to be put on the defensive by Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady, who has framed Sanders as naive and inexperiencedwith some success.

It doesnt help that in one debate, Sanders called for normalization of ties with Iran and then seemed to backtrack, or that he has repeatedly called Jordans King Abdullah, a monarch not especially thrilled with the democratic process, one of his heroes.

Sanders has focused on the opposing votes he and Clinton cast 14 years ago on the Iraq War: He voted against when he was in the U.S. House of Representatives, she voted for when she was a New York senator.

If Sanders hopes to peel away foreign policy-focused voters from Clinton, he will need to flesh out his plans for the Middle East in particular, where he has said he agrees with Obama and Clinton that America needs to maintain leadership.
Catherine Berdah, right, with her husband and daughters in their apartment in Raanana, Israel.

RAANANA, Israel (JTA)-Before she traded her native France for Israel, Catherine Berdah ran a successful drug store in an affluent suburb on the eastern edge of Paris.

A 50-year-old pharmacist with a master's degree in business and decades of experience, Berdah earned over $6,000 per month and presided over an expanding business with 14 employees. But Berdah sold out last year and moved with her husband and two teenage daughters to this central Israeli city because she feared for their future in France amid rising anti-Semitic violence.

Berdah hoped to build a new pharmacy business in the Jewish state. But six months after settling here, she has already quit a $6-per-hour job as a cashier that offered no prospect of advancement and another in a health clinic where she was told to stack boxes in a storage room. Berdah left the latter because she was unable to lift the boxes.

"At 60, I was told that lifting boxes was basically all I'm good for," Bredah said. "That's when I started to feel humiliated."

Now Berdah is studying Hebrew and waiting to take an exam that will grant her an Israeli pharmacist's license. But before she can do that, she must meet a range of demands, including that she produce her attendance log from a pharmacology internship she completed 30 years ago with a French pharmacist who is no longer alive. According to Qualita, an umbrella group of 12 French immigrant associations in Israel, the exam has an 80 percent fail rate.

All of which has Berdah wondering if she made a terrible mistake in uprooting her comfortable life in France for a chance at a better one in Israel.

"I'm going to give it another year," Berdah said. "But it's not going too well."

Some 15,000 French Jews have settled in Israel in the past two years alone, driven here by a combination of rising anti-Semitism and economic stagnation, among other factors. But while their impact is felt everywhere from the opening of multiple kosher patisseries to the launch last year of a French-language kindergarten to the sounds of yarmulke-wearing boys imitating their favorite French movie stars in Raanana's Yad L'Banim Square, Israel's Francophone newcomers are struggling to make economic inroads.

Their plight recalls that of Russian immigrants who arrived in Israel in the 1990s, many of them highly trained professionals with advanced degrees forced to work low-skill jobs as garbage collectors and street sweepers because their credentials did not transfer.

"French physicians, nurses and pharmacists who've studied for five, eight years won't work here as sanitary workers like their Russian counterparts did in the 1990s," said Mickael Bensadoun, the director of Qualita. "They're Zionist, but there's a limit. And if it comes to that, they'll return to France or move to countries hungry for skilled newcomers, like Canada."

Both Bensadoun and Berdah believe Israeli authorities have presented unnecessary obstacles to protect local professionals from immigrant competition. The Israeli Health Ministry declined to respond to the charge and referred all inquiries to the Ministry for Immigrant Absorption, which told JTA that efforts are underway to smooth out the certification process for health care professionals.

"We represent a boon for Israel, please don't put us through a bureaucratic hell for this desire," David Tibi, a dentist who immigrated to Israel in 2014, wrote in a letter last month to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the meantime, French immigrants are taking matters into their own hands. In 2014, they launched an aggressive lobbying effort to break through the bureaucratic tangles they fault for making absorption exceedingly difficult for those already in Israel, while deterring countless others from coming.

The lobbying, led by Qualita and its member organizations, has already led to some changes, including the easing of certification requirements for French physicians in 2014 and pending legislation that would exempt experienced French dentists from taking a certification exam. Other professionals still must undergo thorough testing to work, regardless of their experience or the French standards they meet.

Last month, the lobbying effort received a big push from Meyer Habib, a Jewish member of France's National Assembly and friend of Netanyahu, who declared he would advise French Jews against moving to Israel unless progress is made within three months.

"I cannot support a situation which creates tragedies in people's lives," Habib wrote on Facebook.

According to Bensadoun, some 300-400 French health care professionals cannot work in their chosen field because of certification issues. He also pointed to official figures suggesting that the situation is leading 15-20 percent of French immigrants to return to France within two years.

Still, Bensadoun says he is optimistic, partly because of lessons drawn from the trials of Russian immigrants in the 1990s.

"The Russian olim's success and immense contribution to Israel's rise as a start-up nation have created an awareness in the Knesset and public of the potential dividends from educated olim," said Bensadoun, using the Hebrew word for immigrants. "In a way, we're sailing in their wake."

For all her troubles, Berdah is not quite ready to give up on Israel. But the situation has put strains on her marriage. Her husband, Michel, wants the family to return.

"You think you have something to offer here?" Michel says as they argue on the subject. "Israel doesn't want anything from you."

Berdah, in turn, has her own disagreements with her oldest daughter, Clara, 18, who wants to stay in Israel and-to Berdah's chagrin-serve in an army combat unit. Her younger daughter, Naomi, has acclimated well at her high school, where she studies in a special class for new immigrants and is considering starting a modeling career.

"The silver lining here is that the girls are really fitting in," Berdah said. "It makes me wonder whether Israel really wants us or only our children."
Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org)A senior Hamas official warned Wednesday that the Palestinian terrorist groups efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strips terror tunnel grid are advancing rapidly, and that some tunnels dug under the border already run deep into Israeli territory.

Israeli technology will not be able to stop the resistance as long as Hamas exists, Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told Oman-based Alwatan News. Even if Israel is able to uncover a tunnel, or two, or 10, they [the tunnels] run deep under Israel, beyond Gaza, into 1948 territory.

He added that regardless of the tunnel grid, Hamas had other advanced measures with which it could fight Israel.

The Israeli military had destroyed Hamass terror tunnel network during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.
The Central Florida Jewish Community was honored to welcome elite Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier and Jewish National Fund (JNF)/ Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush to a Feb. 2 evening event in Winter Park, hosted by the Central Florida division of the JNF Young Professionals Group, JNFuture.

Harush was, in the midst of his career in the IDF, involved in the 2014 operation to find the terrorists responsible for the kidnapping of the three boys immediately prior to Operation Protective Edge, known to some as the Summer 2014 Gaza war.

Harush had the simple yet profound message for the attendees on Feb. 2; as he stated it, Our homeland is your homeland as well and we build it together. Harushs work with the JNF helps develop the Halutza Community in the Israeli Negev, and his perspective on this work of building up the Jewish homeland of the land of Israel he summed up in a succinct statement, namely, To make a difference in Israel, you have to be a player, not in the audience.

Harushs perspective is born of decades on intimate experience with the most volatile components of life in the land of Israel. He was born in the community of Atzmona in Gush Katif, the formerly existing Jewish community in the Gaza Strip. Harush was, as a teenager, forced out of Gaza, along with the rest of his community, in the 2005 Israeli Disengagement from the region. He described the experience of being forced from his home by the Israel Defense Forces, as tough, and a shock.

He chose to not become angry toward Israel because of the experience, however; instead, he resigned himself to his new circumstances and moved on, determined to work to make a difference. He took one opportunity to do so by working as a paratrooper in the IDF, telling of an important symbolic learning experience on his first day in the IDF. On that day, his unit was directed to carry stretchers with sand bags atop them.

Normally, as Harush told it, those who carry stretchers have replacements available; this time, everyone carried a stretcher and no one had an available replacement, with everyone walking the entire distance. For his unit, the stretcher represented the State of Israel and their walk with no replacement represented the soldiers unshakeable responsibility for the security of the Israeli nation.

As Harush described it, strong resolve and an intense personal strength is a core part of the specialness of the State of Israel and its people. The terrorism that faces the people of Israel seeks to break the Israel spirit, as Harush also related, and fighting the terror therefore involves building up life at an ever-increasing rate as the Israelis and their supporters do.

An audience member related his own stories on this same subject, telling how, in one instance he saw an in-use Israeli clothesline strung right up to a pockmarked wall in Jerusalem; while, another time, he was at a kibbutz and completely unaware of a major military skirmish going on in the immediate vicinity. He only found out about the incident from news sources the next day!

In the face of continuous personal threats, the Israelis are forced to focus on personal security and livelihood, which allows for the uniquely Israeli response of continuing and growing daily life as they do in the midst of daily lethal threats. Life in Israel is peaceful, Harush told his listeners. Try to walk around Israel, and youll feel it; youre safe and constantly watched by people to keep you safe.

Going forward, Israeli life really is growing, too. About a month ago, Harush said, Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz dedicated what is now the largest solar field in Israel, located in the Halutza community in the Negev, and he also told of a current major project to pave the road to Beersheva, which would cut down the travel time from 1 hour to only 20 minutes.

JNFuture engages and energizes young leaders who are committed to environmentalism and community development in Israel. The group will be holding a gala at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center on Feb. 16.

Caleb R. Newton is a global affairs analyst living in Central Florida and the founder of Global News Breakdown. Find him at Global News Breakdown, Dissecting Society, and the Times of Israel. Contact him at calebrnewton@globalnewsbreakdown.com.
The Indiana House of Representatives passed new legislation that targets businesses or other entities engaging in the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, marking the latest victory in the fight against BDS on the U.S. state level.

House Bill 1378, which was introduced by Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma and passed unanimously by the legislature on Jan. 25, requires the public retirement system to divest from businesses that engage in action or inaction to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel. The bills next stop is the Indiana Senate, followed by the governors desk.

Speaker Bosmas leadership role in support of Israel places Indiana at the forefront of states taking a strong position in favor of the United States closest ally, Elliot Bartky, president of the Jewish Affairs Committee of Indiana (JAACI), which was at the forefront of lobbying efforts for the new measure as well as different anti-BDS state legislation last year, told JNS.org.

The latest legislation is the third pro-Israel measure sponsored by Bosma since 2011. Last year, Bosma introduced a resolution that condemned the BDS movement; the move was inspired by an earlier anti-BDS resolution passed by Tennessees state legislature.

Bosmas 2015 resolution, which eventually was approved by the Indiana Senate and signed by Governor Mike Pence, expressed opposition to the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel BDS movement, adding that the global spread of anti-Jewish speech and violence represents an attack, not only on Jews, but on the fundamental principles of the United States.

Following in the footsteps of Tennessee and Indiana, three other statesNew York, Pennsylvania, and Floridalast year passed similar legislation condemning BDS, while Illinois went even further by passing a bill that prohibits state pension funds from including in their portfolios companies that participate in the BDS movement. Early this year, a California state legislator introduced a bill to ensure that California doesnt contract with businesses that engage in boycotts based on race, color, religion, gender, or nationality. The Florida Senate, meanwhile, recently passed a resolution that requires a state board to identify all publicly funded companies that are boycotting Israel or are engaged in a boycott of Israel.

JAACIs Bartky noted the importance of the Indiana bill at a time when anti-Jewish behavior is rising locally, nationally, and internationally.

In Indiana, there is a growing movement on university and college campuses to demonize Jews and Israel, Bartky told JNS.org.

According to Bartky, public funds have been used to sponsor anti-Jewish and anti-Israel programs on local Indiana campuses, such as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Bartkys group tried to get the universitys administration to distance itself from an anti-Israel speaker, Rima Najjar Merriman, who presented at IUPUI in a talk dubbed Why Boycotting Israeli Universities is the Right Thing To Do, but the administration did not follow through.

At the same time, pro-Israel speakers were verbally attacked on the campus. Allon Friedman, vice president of JAACI and a faculty member at the Indiana University School of Medicine on the IUPUI campus, was called a Jewish Zionist on Merrimans Facebook page and was told by the university administration that free speech rules allowed anti-Semitic speech on campus.

Friedman told JNS.org that he hopes the anti-BDS bill will be followed by more moves to put an end to anti-Semitic incitement at Indiana schools and elsewhere.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando is hosting a Community Education Event on Combating the Delegitimization of Israel on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roth JCC Auditorium, 851 North Maitland Avenue in Maitland.

The Federation is pleased to welcome Avi Weinryb, assistant director of Community Strategy and Communications at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)s Israel Action Network, who will lead the event. Attendees will learn how to engage in effective Israel advocacy in the face of campaigns such as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, and will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion.

We are delighted for the opportunity to offer this outstanding programming from the Israel Action Network, said Olga Yorish, JFGOs executive director.

And we are grateful to JFNA for making it possible for Avi Weinryb to share his expertise directly with our community. We look forward to an evening of highly relevant content that helps us all advocate for our beloved Israel.

This event is free thanks to the generosity of the Jewish Federations of North America. Event Registration is required at www.jfgo.org/israel2016. Note that you must show a photo ID to enter the Roth JCC.
When parents of students in grades K-5 gathered for Orlando Jewish Day School's annual spelling event on Tuesday, they were both amused and surprised to find that it was more of a high-tech school spelling performance. A large welcoming screen greeted the audience, with student names projected in various colors onto a large, white wall. Soft music played in the background, as the participants were introduced to the rules of the bee.

"We think of this more as a spelling celebration," said Dini Druk, the bee's coordinator. "We are celebrating the achievement of all of our students in spelling, and we are excited to present you all with what they've accomplished."

The bee began with a presentation by Simcha Dubov, a student with Down's Syndrome who attends the school with the assistance of a personal para. "My name is Simcha, and I'm 11 years old," he began, before proceeding to read and spell a series of words presented to him by his para, Ms. Christina. The students clapped and cheered for Simcha, as they seemed to be genuinely proud of his accomplishments.

Next up, the kindergarten class surprised the audience with their own segment of the spelling bee, in which they successfully spelled almost two dozen words while watching their names light up on the wall with every point scored.

Before moving on to the more competitive element of the bee, students in grades 1-4 participated in a live game show, during which teams of students worked to unscramble and correctly spell words presented on the screen in real time. Parents were invited to try their luck as well, and students cheered them on, clearly delighted to see their parents involved in the spelling competition.

As the bee progressed, students were invited to move onto more competitive segments, culminating in a traditional spelling bee for the school's top spellers.

Simcha Dubov with personal para, Ms. Christina.

"The beauty of this type of spelling bee is that we are promoting rigorous academics and encouraging healthy competition, while still allowing every child to shine," said Chani Konikov, the school's director. According to Konikov, the school's high-level academics surpass Florida State standards yet remain highly individualized, thus allowing for students on multiple levels to each be challenged. "A large percentage of our students are great spellers, and we are encouraging them to aim for Washington, D.C.," she said, referring to the final level of Scripp's National Spelling Bee of which the school is a member. "Other students have different strengths, but that doesn't have to stop them from participating in the school's spelling program."

In the final round, a winner was selected from every grade level, with third-grader Maya Sinberg taking the trophy as the school's spelling champion. A representation from Orlando Jewish Day School will participate at the county level bee later this month, sponsored by the Orlando Sentinel.

For more information about Orlando Jewish Day School and its offerings in South Orlando, visit http://www.orlandojewishdayschool.com
An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more.

But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be  and shouldnt be  bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre.

Have an interest in what youre writing about

Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show.

If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words  within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating.

Include fascinating details

Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to.

Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting

When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read.

Borrow some creative writing techniques

Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting.

consider your own opinion

Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others.

Cut the waffle

Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem.

Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose.

employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing

Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them.

You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect.

Avoid repetitive phrasing

Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable.

Use some figurative language

Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know.

As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts  mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy.

Employ rhetorical questions

Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.

One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration.

Proofread

Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them.
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida has announced that they will be honoring Valeria and Jim Shapiro at their annual Dinner of Tribute on April 7.

According to the Center's Executive Director Pam Kancher, they were chosen for their long history of building bridges among local organization.

"Jim and Valeria thrive on bringing people and organizations together," Kancher said. "They understand that encouraging people and groups to work together strengthens all of us. It is because of this passion for making those vital connections, and their dedication to the Holocaust Center and its mission, that we're taking this opportunity to honor them."

The Shapiros have been actively involved with the Center for many years. Jim has served as a board member for 15 years, including two terms as president and Valeria chaired the Dinner of Tribute twice. Most recently they spearheaded the Holocaust Center's partnership with the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, where Valeria is a board member, to produce "The Best of Enemies"-a powerful play about race relations and school desegregation in the 1960s as part of our Center's 50th anniversary celebration of the Civil Rights Act.

Kancher calls them remarkable leaders "who are passionate about making the world a better place." Besides the Holocaust Center, Jim serves as a board member of Seniors First, and last year they received the Jewish National Fund's Tree of Life award for their commitment to community involvement and devotion to peace.

The Dinner of Tribute will be held at the Rosen Plaza Hotel on International Drive. Opportunities to be part of the tribute-reservations, program ads and auction donations-are offered. More information is on the Center's website (www.holocaustedu.org) or by calling 407-628-0555.
When in Rome, do as the Iranians do.

That was the core message emerging from Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis visit to Europe this week, in a bid to boost trade relations now that the sanctions related to Tehrans nuclear program have been lifted. Arriving at Romes venerable Capitoline Museum for a meeting with his Italian counterpart, Mateo Renzi, Rouhani was swiftly escorted past the museums priceless collection of Roman statues, including many nudes that had been covered upyes, reallyto avoid offending the sensibilities of a man frequently and falsely described as a moderate.

It has, finally, come to this. Western leadersboth in Europe and Americadont even blink when it comes to agreeing to the most outrageous demands of Irans ruling theocracy. When our female politicians visit Iran, they are compelled to wrap their heads with the hijab. But when Iranian politicians visit our countries, we bow and scrape and now hide those aspects of our Western culture that we should be unapologetically proud about.

Those of us who havent been blinded by the endless reassurances that Iran is now a responsible international citizen will regard this scandal as confirmation that the Tehran regime is as fanatical as ever. And in kowtowing to an Islamist philistine like Rouhani, our leaders are doing a marvelous job of proving to the Iranians that when they say, Jump, we ask meekly, How High?

What is true in the case of art and culture is also true in politics. The normalization with a thoroughly abnormal Iran heralded by last summers nuclear deal continues apace. Anyone who questions the wisdom of this strategy will be labeled a warmonger, or worse, a supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

You see, whenever the Iranians demonstrate to us that they view our democracy and our way of life with contempt, there will be a chorus of Western politicians and commentators who try to change the subject, typically by talking about the malicious designs of Israels elected leader. President Barack Obama has set the standard on this one for the last eight years, and his media echo chamber dutifully follows. Hell, theyll even make stuff up if thats whats needed.

Take columnist J.J. Goldberg of the Forward newspaper. Ever since the nuclear deal was announced, Goldberg has been trying to persuade his readers that the Israeli security establishment thinks its actually a great idea, only Netanyahu wont permit them to say so openly. So he hunts around looking for anythingan isolated quote, a bodily gesture, a suggestive pausethat might count as evidence that his beloved Obama is right about Iran.

Goldberg is now claiming that Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, the chief of staff of the IDF, told a conference hosted by Israels Institute for National Security Studies that the nuclear deal has actually removed the most serious danger to Israels existence for the foreseeable future, and greatly reduced the threat over the longer term. Note well: That phrasing belongs to Goldberg, not Eizenkot, because Eizenkot didnt say anything of the sort.

Indeed, reading Goldbergs piece, I was struck by the absence of key quotes from Eizenkots speechan astounding omission given his assertion that the very same speech amounts to a point-by-point refutation of Bibi-ism. For example, Eizenkot expressly said, Their vision of obtaining a nuclear weapon will continue insofar as Iran views itself as a regional power, which most observers would regard as an indictment of the deal, rather than an endorsement. In similar vein, when Goldberg discussed Eizenkots views on the threats posed by terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic State, he neglected to quote the IDFs chief of staffs statement that Iran manages a war against Israel by means of proxies such as Hezbollah, which today represents the most serious threat to Israel.

In other words, Eizenkot considers Iran to be the primary source of the threats Israel facesone that, crucially, hasnt given up on its ambition of weaponizing its nuclear program. Yes, Eizenkot also said that the deal brought opportunities, but probably not of the sort Goldberg had in mind. Those opportunities for Israel lie not in diplomatic outreach to the Iranian regime, but in forging alliances with its Sunni neighbors, whose fear of Iranian power is even greater than Israels.

The question remains as to why someone would make such extravagant claims when they are easily refuted by checking the record. I can only speculateand unlike Goldberg, I dont dress up speculation as factbut it seems to me that there is a whiff of desperation in all of this. If you believe against all the available evidence that the Iran deal has made us safer, then youll be worried that it wont survive the Obama presidency. Ergo, who could possibly be more credible in making the case to retain it than a serving Israeli general (and never mind that he didnt say what you said he said...)?

Be warned, then, to expect more of this sort of thing in the coming months. And be prepared for some even more bizarre spectacleslike J Street, the anti-Israel group that markets itself as pro-Israel to win over Jewish liberals, campaigning to rid Congress of some of Israels closest and most reliable friends, like Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), on the grounds that they oppose the surrender to Iran that Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated in Vienna.

The key point to remember is that nothing has substantively changed. Iran remains a brutal theocracy, unashamed of imposing its primitive values on democratic nations, as Rouhanis visit to Rome testifies. Irans leaders are personally responsible for some of the most vile atrocities of the Syrian civil war, through their backing of Bashar al-Assads dictatorship. Iran wants to destroy Israel and turn the Islamic world into a web of deadly sectarian violence.

In other words, Irans rulers are the enemy, as they have been since the 1979 revolution, and as they will be for as long as the Islamic Republic remains in place.

Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism (Edition Critic, 2014).
Last week Jews worldwide were treated to two stabbings, one murdering a Jewish mother of six bereaved children. The consequence of the second is the imminence of more to come.

The immediate threat is to Jews, but there are many reasons why everyone should care.

In Israel, Dafna Meir, a Jewish mother of six, was stabbed to death fighting off an Arab terrorist who broke into her home. Her children were home as she struggled with the terrorist to protect them. Her actions were selfless and heroic, and her death equally sad and grotesque.

Israelis have been subject to a plague of terrorism leaving dozens murdered and hundreds injured, and hundreds more bereaved and traumatized. Each death is a personal and national tragedy. Yet this was especially despicable because it was up close and personal, the terrorist singling out his victim, not simply shooting anonymously into a crowded cafe, traffic jam of commuters sitting idle, or ramming his car into dozens of people waiting for a bus.

Making this murder all the more horrific is that the terrorist broke into Dafnas home, and murdered her in cold blood before her children. That she fought to protect them exalts her humanity, compared to the inhumanity of a terrorist murdering a woman in front of her children.

Before the day was out, news reports dismissed, and even justified, her murder because Dafna was a settler living in a Jewish community, in part of the Land of Israel that was established after 1967. Dehumanizing the victim by writing her off as a settler is not new, but just as Dafnas murder was especially grotesque and inhuman, so too is any excuse justifying this because of where she lived.

Dafna Meir was murdered by an Arab terrorist because she was a Jewish woman living in Israel. Any other rationalization is as disgusting as her murder itself.

Stab me once, shame on you.

This week, world Jewry was treated to another figurative stabbing, in the back, which will lead to more Dafnas, not only in Israel. In its prisoner swap with Iran before releasing hundreds of billions of dollars to the rogue murderous Islamic regime, as if to pretend that the world order is perfect, the U.S. did something horrific, and that makes it compliant.

Four Americans were released from years of imprisonment in Iran, something wonderful for which all should be elated. However one American was left behind. By coincidence he is Robert Levinson, an American Jew. Theres simply no possibility that hes only missing and the Iranians dont know where he is. Of course they do. And its no coincidence that the one left behind was a Jew.

One doesnt expect better from Iran, but one ought to be able to expect better from the U.S. Levinson is the latest sacrificial lamb, and thats bad enough. His abandonment by the US is a betrayal of all Jews and American values.

The message through this betrayal is that Jewish lives dont matter. It gives Iran and its global terrorist network not just a free pass to kill more Jews, but in fact the incentive to do so. The message is clear. If you happen to kidnap Americans, whether reporting or preaching in Iran, or sailors right off their boats, we will expect them back and thank the hostage takers for returning their victims.

But hold a Jew hostage? Thats OK. Send snipers to the Israeli border to kill Jews in Israel? No worries. Fire rockets at Israeli cities? Not a problem. Blow up a community center, synagogue or kosher market? All in a terrorists days work.

That the Iranians just got billions of dollars as a cash bonus will grease the wheels and provide greater resources, ability and incentive to do so.

Stab me twice, shame on me.

But Im not prepared to be a victim or let others become victims either. And Im certainly not prepared to be written off as just a settler and therefore a legitimate target. Today, all Jews are less safe, not because of where Dafna Meir lived and was murdered, or because of where I live, but because Iran and its global terrorist network not only got a free pass, but the funding to do whatever they want.

Other than writing this and hoping it will be shared widely, Im not sure what I or any other individual can do to turn the tide. Please share, but also share your thoughts.

One thing I do know is that Jews and Christians and all people of good will need to stand together and raise a public outcry. Its no coincidence that as the festival Purim approaches, celebrating the Jews overcoming a similar global Persian threat as chronicled in the book of Esther, there are parallels we need to learn from, and actions we must undertake.

We need to have an outcry of prayer thats loud, sincere and ongoing, beseeching God not to allow any more victims of the Iranians or their proxies.

And if it takes a squadron of Israeli planes to take out the ultimate threat, lets pray that they go and return in safety, and carry out their mission with complete effectiveness.

There are abundant parallels with the rise of the Nazis in Europe. Pastor Martin Niemoller wrote about the cowardice of Germans to speak out following the Nazis rise to power.

First they came for the Socialists, I did not speak outBecause I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak outBecause I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, I did not speak outBecause I was not a Jew.

Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

If its not good enough to raise an outcry over this murder and betrayal just because the victims are Jews, what will you say or do to be sure that you are not next?

Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. He has a three-decade career in nonprofit fundraising and marketing and throughout his life and career, he has become a respected bridge between Jews and Christians. He writes regularly on major Christian web sites about Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He can be reached at FirstPersonIsrael@gmail.com.
(JTA)The relationship between Israel and American Jews is a complicated mix of good news and bad news, and this weeks government compromise on the Western Wall, or Kotel, is a case in point: Its a step forward in providing access for non-Orthodox Jews, but may also reinforce the reality that the main plaza doesnt welcome Reform or Conservative Jews, who comprise the majority of affiliated American Jews.

The main Kotel plaza may never accommodate non-Orthodox prayer, but a new poll by the Ruderman Family Foundation provides some hope and direction for more positive developments on other fronts. (The poll, conducted by the Dialog research firm, surveyed 500 Israeli adults; the margin of error is 4 percent.)

The good news:

Behind some dismissive statements and controversial actions by members of Israels government, average Israelis genuinely value the involvement of American Jews. In our poll, 82 percent of Israelis agree with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus recent pledge that every Jew should feel that the Western Wall belongs to him and every Jew should feel welcome in Israel. Two-thirds agree that the relationship between Israel and American Jews directly impacts Israel-U.S. relations, and 88 percent think their leaders should work to strengthen that relationship.

The bad news:

Despite the generally warm feelings and intentions of so many Israelisplus Prime Minister Netanyahus own formative experience among American Jewsmany Israeli decision-makers and religious leaders still fail to see the value proposition. First, for Israel to be secure, it still needs a strong and vibrant alliance with the United States in which American Jews play an obvious and integral role. Second, if Israel wants to remain the Jewish state, it must find ways to recognize and accommodate, rather than alienate, the bulk of Americas committed Jews.

American Jews seem to be a target of choice for Israeli politicians seeking to score cheap points with their supporters. Religious Services Minister David Azoulay sparked controversy last July by saying that Reform Jews arent real Jews. Just last December, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau condemned Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennetts visit to a Conservative Jewish school in New York. Even more perplexing, Rabbi Lau himself had previously made a similar visit.

It is easy to assume wrongly that American Jews either dont matter or they will continue supporting Israel because they have no other Jewish homeland. In the United States, Reform and Conservative Jews remain very supportive of Israel, and both movements have a strong showing in programs like Taglit-Birthright Israel and longer summer and yearlong programs. So yes, despite being treated occasionally as second-class citizens, American Jews still identify with Israel. In the long run, however, enough insults and humiliations leave a bitter taste, and it becomes more challenging to see Israel as a pathway to Jewish meaning for all.

Even though Israelis are favorable toward American Jews and the more liberal streams, they still underestimate their numbers. While in our poll, Israeli respondents see affiliated American Jews as 32 percent Reform, 12 percent Conservative and 17 percent Orthodox, the 2013 Pew study found 40 percent Reform, 22 percent Conservative and only 12 percent Orthodox.

Should skeptics be proved right about the eventual demise of progressive Judaism in America, the movements are still likely to dominate among American Jewry for the next several generations. And even this modern Orthodox American-Israeli sees no cause to celebrate a theory of diminishing Jewish returns.

The hope:

Clearly, Israelisincluding at least some Orthodox Jewsoverwhelmingly value American Jews and their connection to Israel. Beyond the Ruderman Foundations own efforts to concretize this commitment among Knesset members and within the next generation of government and business leaders, there is a growing awareness among Israels elite that Israel needs American Jews at least as much as we need Israeland this necessarily includes Reform and Conservative Jews.

With this new poll, we see that most Israelis dont just need American Jews on board, they also want American Jews as part of Israels Jewish family. Any Israeli who says theres no place for non-Orthodox Jews or American Jews in Israel can no longer claim to be speaking for more than a sliver of Israelis.

No matter how many delegations and conferences we organize, its ultimately up to Israelis at all levels of society to hold their leaderspolitical, religious, culturalaccountable. This isnt just because American Jews expect it, but because Israelis do.

Jay Ruderman is president of the Ruderman Family Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRuderman.
Followers of Islam face a growing threat of becoming a pariah community in the United States, as a consequence of now frequent acts of mass-murder committed by co-religionists here and abroad.

Horrified by the war in Syria, violence in Africa, and in about 50 areas around the world, where Muslims interface with non-Muslims, and Muslims of different sects, disgust and fright at the rise of the Islamic State, cause otherwise tolerant Americans to set aside natural instincts for acceptance of others and their religion. Widespread violence in the name of Allah causes increasing numbers to perceive Islam as a religion of violence rather than a religion of love, as we have been told to believe by well-intentioned political, lay and religious leaders, in a misguided effort to avert an impending social disaster. This shift of popular opinion can no longer be prevented by misleading assurances from our leaders. To change the course of current events, at least in the United States, the problem must be addressed at its root.

The root is Muslim hatredblind, bitter, persistent, mindless hatred, ancient in its origins, stemming in part from 109 verses in the Koran calling Muslims to war with non-Muslims, including:

Koran 2:191 And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out.

Koran 3:56 As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.

Koran 8:12 I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore, strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.

Koran 9:73 Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.

According to the website TheReligionofPeace.com, there is no place in the Koran where Muhammad commands Muslims to love people of other religions. By contrast, there are at least three-dozen verses that tell Muslims to fight against non-Muslims and about 500 that speak of their place in Hell. They are from each period in Muhammads life, scattered across 87 of the Korans 114 chapters.

These passages justify this hatred, communicated daily to Muslims from mosques, media, and most effectively to Muslim children via a world-wide network of schools, largely financed by Saudi Arabia, which are enormously successful in creating a culture of hatred which is roiling the world in violence.

There is still time to halt, and even reverse the trend of negative feelings for the American Muslim community by attacking the root of the problem. For this to happen, the following must take place: The Muslim community must become an engine of change. Muslims must acknowledge awareness of the antipathy which threatens them. They must openly agree to become assimilated Americans and abandon allegiance to Sharia law, which subjugates women, advocates honor killing and female genital mutilation and violence against gay people, and which is clearly incompatible with our Constitution and its concept of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Muslim community must publicly condemn acts of violence committed by their co-religionists wherever they occur.

Muslim leaders must join the several Muslim groups such as American Islamic Forum for Democracy, which are actively attempting to reform Islam by ridding it of its advocacy of violence, and world domination.

Muslim terrorists pray in mosques around the country, many of which incite and recruit terrorists. Muslims must find the courage to cleanse their mosques of these violent elements.

To encourage these measures, our political, lay, and religious leaders must insist that the Muslim community adopt them, and themselves face and acknowledge reality, cease characterizing Islam as a religion of love, and cease the misguided practice of denying the use of terms such as Islamic terrorism.

In December of 2014, President Al Sisi of Egypt, in a display of extraordinary courage, called on the Islamic world to abandon its objective of achieving world dominance, and to reject violence as its way to settle differences. It is incumbent on our political, lay, and religious leaders to embrace and support President Al Sisi in his unprecedented, heroic position. By the same token, our leaders must support our friends, such as the Kurds, and must oppose, in equal measure, those such as Saudi Arabia, who are fueling Muslim hatred with the financial wherewithal to promote it.

In our generations, Nazism, and Communism, both lethal threats to world peace, have been defeated. Out of their ashes has arisen a new monstrous threat to the peace of the World and to Western Civilization. The threat, which has already engulfed much of Europe, now laps at our shores. The source of the motivation of our adversary is hatred, which can and must be expunged by the Muslim community in the United States. Failure to face and defeat this hatred will surely bring about isolation and contempt for American Muslims, and shame for all Americans.

This article originally appeared in the Jewish Journal and is reprinted with permission.

Robert I. Lappin is the founder of the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation.
Weve had another round of clamoring about who is responsible for the failure of Israelis and Palestinians to reach an agreement ending their disputes.

There are two fronts in the recent verbiage.

One consists of accusations by Mahmoud Abbas and Benyamin Netanyahu about one anothers willingness to meet.

Another concerns the prospect that a former commander of the IDF, Gabi Ashkenazi, will enter politics as a moderate, and lead one or another party to make peace with the Palestinians.

Both fronts are convoluted by other considerations, and were likely to be at the same place when the dust settles. Its worth a bit of poking at the details to help clarify where we are, and where we aint likely to be going.

The Abbas-Netanyahu flap is marked with mutual accusations about who has rejected the possibility of talks. Mahmoud says that it is Bibi. Israeli opposition politicians are taking advantage of the furor to say once again that Netanyahu is fixed in the status quo, and causing the country problems with Americans and Europeans as well as Palestinians. Against this, there are Israeli centrists as well as rightists who cite Palestinian polls showing that the weight of their public opinion in favor of violence, as well as a number of factions among Palestinians maneuvering to replace the moderate Abbas. Its easy to claim that Abbas isnt all that moderate. He praises martyrs who sacrifice themselves when attacking Jews, alongside his claims to oppose violence.

Abbas has said once again that he cant accept the designation of Israel as a Jewish state without endangering Arabs, as shown by recent Israeli terror against Arabs. For Netanyahu, Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is a prime demand for reaching an agreement.

Netanyahu says that Israels present thrust is not to keep knocking at Abbas door, but to nurture contacts with moderate Arab governments. The list features Saudi Arabia and Gulf Emirates, as well as Egypt and Jordan, all of whom are suspicious of Iran.. Israel has been warming things with the Kurds, perhaps as a swipe against Turkeys leadership. Bibi says that Israels contacts with other Muslims may eventually bring Palestinians and Israelis closer together.

Gabi Ashkenazi left his position as chief of the IDF General Staff five years ago under a cloud of media revelations and police investigations involving his participation in a cabal of leading officers who worked against Defense Minister Ehud Barak and a prominent candidate in line to replace Ashkenazi. The story has come to the headlines in several waves, with more fuzziness than clarity about who did what.

The scandal focused on the impropriety of military personnel campaigning against decisions that were in the realm of their political superiors.

Its been one of the hot potatoes of Israeli politics that the head prosecutor chose to avoid deciding. Prospects were that it would cause the prosecutor to go after Barak as well as Ashkenazi, even though some of Baraks records had been erased. (Remember Nixons tapes?) Finally, however, the prosecutor announced that there was no evidence justifying criminal charges against Ashkenazi and several others. At the same time, he also noted that Ashkenazi and colleagues had not acted properly, in the manner expected of senior IDF personnel.

The qualified decision to close the prospect of a criminal charge has opened the competition between several political parties to woe Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi has a charismatic presence, said to have been a generals general and among the most popular of men to have headed the IDF.

Supporters say that he is moderate on the issue of Palestine, and capable of leading the government to a breakthrough on issues of peace.

On the other hand, he hasnt said much in public, and his behavior as head of the IDF will open him to tough charges by those who oppose him.

Askenazi also has an active wife, who was mentioned as participating in the cabal of generals. Few Israeli politicians act like Americans in making a big deal about their families, and most spouses are invisible. Not Sarah Netanyahu and not Ronit Ashkenazi. Yet Sarah is more a cause of public comment than an actual detriment to her husbands career. So Ronit may likelwise figure more in media gossip than in derailing whatever becomes of Gabi.

Several polls taken within a day of the prosecutors announcement of closing the file against Ashkenazi and the efforts of several parties to recruit him show mixed results. One poll indicates that Ashkenazi running along with Kahlon and Lapid could overcome Bibi and Likud. Working against this combine, however, is the general Ashkenazi conspired against. Yoav Galant, is now a government minister, and a ranking Knesset Member of Kahlons party.

Other polls indicate that Ashkenazi would not add enough weight to any grouping to overcome the popularity of Benyamin Netanyahu.

Its early days. We still havent heard from Ashkenazi, so we cannot know how he would stand up to the open fires of political competition.

It is also doubtful that Ashkenazi holds a magic bullet that will bring peace.

None of his advocates has been able to identify a likely partner among the Palestinians.

With the exception of leftists who see the lack of progress as entirely the fault of Israel, those hopeful of some solution are saying that the Palestinians have to produce a leader who can move from old demands, deal with the various centers of violent opposition within their community.

Only then can such a Palestinian and an Israeli inclined to accommodation meet somewhere that could be called halfway or part way between the opposing positions that leaders of each side has clung to as the rest of us have grown older.

Comments welcome. Ira Sharkansky (Emeritus), Department of Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, irashark@gmail.com.
DENVER  Lincoln County deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle call at a Dollar General on Wednesday where they found two women in the vehicle with slurred speech, according to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office.

A third woman was inside the store when deputies arrived. The women gave the deputies permission to search the vehicle, which led to the discovery of used and unused syringes. A field test of the liquid in two syringes tested positive for heroin, according to the release.

The substance has been sent to the State Bureau of Investigation for more tests.

The three women arrested are Lisa Sabbarth Tucci-Caselli, 48, of Franklin, Brianna Amanda Powers, 25, of Robbinsville and Tiffany Ann Phillips, 24, of Denver. All three were each charged with one felony count of possession of heroin and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three were issued individual $15,000 secured bond.
The lawyers of incarcerated media czar Peter Mukherjea have slapped a legal notice on the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanding that a film loosely based on Sheena Bora murder case may show their client in a poor light and, therefore, its release should be stopped till they get to see it.

Kolkata-based director Agnidev Chatterjee has shot a film Dark Chocolate that is going through the post-production phase and is expected to be released in March.

Mahima Chaudhury, Riya Sen, Rajesh Sharma and Sudip Mukherjee have acted in the film.

It is apparent that the film is per se defamatory, inter alia, with respect to our client. In addition to the above, any release of the said film has the serious potential of creating immense prejudice to our client, read the letter sent to CBFC sent by Priyanka Khimani & Associates, the solicitor firm of Mukherjea.

A copy was also marked to the director and producer.

Its inspired by a crime that is widely reported in the public domain. No one has any copyright on that. We have taken it from there. Its completely a work of fiction, said Chatterjee at a news conference in the city on Friday.

Whatever has been said in the notice is completely untrue. The notice says that whatever is in the film might resemble Peter Mukherjeas life. Its a dangerous statement. Does that mean they are saying whatever we have shown in the film is actually what happened to him. Dark Chocolate is also a fiction film, said the director.

The poser of Dark Chocolate.

Earlier, Chatterjee also made a film 3 Kanya, inspired by the infamous Park Street gang rape.

The case is still in the courts and the notice says that neither Mukherjea nor his representatives have given their permission for the making, marketing or promotion of the film.

Producer Pradip Churiwal appeared confident of releasing the film releasing in March.

The notice is marked to the CBFC not to issue any certificate for public exhibition. The allegations are unfounded and arbitrary. The notice says they have gathered information through friends and well wishers. We have not shown the film to anybody... how can they know the content of the film, said Churiwal.

However, the director agreed that the film is inspired by the sensational murder case.

 I dont know why they have approached the censor board. They should have appealed to the court and sought an injunction. This is just harassment. They are asking the censor board to let them watch the film, added Chatterjee.

We are yet to complete the film. We will submit the film for censorship and we will take legal aid when required, said the director.

Sheena Bora, the daughter of Mukherjeas wife Indrani and her former husband, went missing on April 24, 2012. Three years later the nation was shocked when, in August 2015, police arrested her mother Indrani Mukerjea for allegedly killing her.

In November 2015 Peter Mukherjea, Indranis husband, was arrested in connection with the murder case.

Presently he is in judicial custody at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.

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Sanjay Kapur, the estranged husband of Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor, has moved the Supreme Court asking it to transfer a case pertaining to their matrimonial dispute from Mumbai to Delhi on the ground that underworld don Ravi Pujari has threatened to eliminate him.

Sanjays advocates told a bench headed by justice AK Sikri that the businessman had lodged a complaint with the Delhi Polices special cell, a copy of which was also presented to the court.

Taking note of the serious allegations, the bench asked deputy commissioner of police (special cell) to submit a status report of its investigation on Sanjays complaint. It shall take up the matter after two weeks.

Read | We are Kapoors, we do not need anyones money: Randhir Kapoor

The couples matrimonial dispute is pending before a Bandra court in Mumbai. A resident of Gurgaon, Kapur wants his case to be heard by a Delhi court.

Karisma Kapoor and her estranged husband & businessman Sanjay Kapur in happier times.

The couple had moved a mutual consent divorce petition in 2014. But the consent was withdrawn after differences cropped up over their childrens custody and financial settlement. In a fresh divorce petition filed by Kapurs lawyers, Sanjay alleged that Karisma married him for money and later cheated on him.

Rubbishing allegations that Karisma has been trying to extract money from Sanjay Kapur who runs the leading auto components firm Sona Koyo Steering Systems, Randhir Kapoor told Hindustan Times, Everyone knows our credentials. We are Kapoors. We dont need to run after anyones money. We have been blessed with not only money, but our talent can support us for the rest of our lives.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.

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Actor Richa Chadha, who is portraying the role of Sarabjit Singhs wife Sukhpreet Kaur in the much-awaited Omung Kumar biopic on the Indian prisoner, is all set to throw light on a part of the entire struggle to bring Sarabjit back from a Lahore jail that had remained hidden from media glare so far.

The cast and crew of the movie has already started to gather in Amritsar. Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai, who plays Sarabjits sister Dalbir Kaur, is already in the city. Richa Chadda also landed in Amritsar on Thursday.

Amritsar-born Richa is not only excited to be back home to meet family and relatives but is also determined to justify the role of Sarabjits wife which she sees as a responsibility in her career. Curious to meet Sukhpreet, who lives in Bhikhiwind (40km from Amritsar), Chadda who claims to have read a lot about Sarabjit and his family says a lot will be clearer once she spends time with Sukhpreet.

SUKHPREETS UNTOLD STORY

Richa said, This biopic has three primary characters. Sarabjit (played by Randeep Hooda), Dalbir Kaur (Sarabjits sister played by Aishwarya) and Sukhpreet. Sukhpreet is one character not known to people but is important. Reading and knowing about her and what she went through made me curious but I wont ask her intrusive questions.

Talking about Aishwarya and her role, she said, Aish is incredible and her role is pivotal as she plays Sarabjits sister Dalbir. I am really looking forward to work with her, adding, I play a beautiful character - Sukhpreet is quiet and gentle and thus it would be a challenge to play her. In this biopic, we have characters who are fighting for justice, but there is also a character like mine who is quiet and would emote through her silence.

VERSATILITY IN BOLLYWOOD

The 27-year-old actor has brought uniqueness to every character she has played till date, ranging from the demure and long-suffering Devi Pathak in Masaan (2015) as well as the local gangster Bholi Punjaban in Fukrey (2013). So what has her journey been like so far?

My journey has been quite experimental and I have taken many chances and this is evident from the roles I have played. My character in Gangs of Wasseypur, in Fukrey actually got me a lot of appreciation and encouragement to work harder. Even Sukhpreet is a character close to life. The industry receives versatile actors very well now and the best example for that would be Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has achieved immense stardom because of his talent, says Richa, whose parents were teachers at the Guru Nanak Dev University.

AMRITSAR CONNECT

I have a strong connection with Amritsar. I am here for 15 days and I am going to try all the sumptuous delicacies and offer prayers at the Golden Temple. This shooting has given me a chance to meet close family and relatives, says Richa.

ON HER CHARACTER

It is a huge responsibility to play her it is a beautiful character. Sukhpreet is quiet and gentle and thus it would be a challenge to play her

ON AISHWARYA RAI

Aish is incredible and her role is pivotal as she plays Sarabjits sister Dalbir. I am really looking forward to work with her

ON BOLLYWOOD

The industry receives versatile actors very well now and the best example for that would be Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has achieved immense stardom because of his talent

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Low-fare airline AirAsia Indias managing director and chief executive officer Mittu Chandilya has resigned and a new executive from the parent airline is likely to take over in the next two to three months, two persons close to the development said.

Chandilya has submitted his resignation, one of the two persons quoted above said, adding that he is unable to confirm if the airline has accepted his resignation.

AirAsia India is a joint venture in which AirAsia Bhd holds 49%, Tata Sons Ltd 41% and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace Pvt. Ltd the rest.

An AirAsia India spokesperson declined to comment.

AirAsia will hold a board meeting shortly to decide the new CEO, said the person quoted above. AirAsia is scouting for potential candidates. Though the airline has shortlisted a few names, AirAsia has not yet finalised one, he said, adding that Chandliya will continue in the post for the next 2-3 months before handing over charge to a new CEO.

Read the entire story here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Make in India week in Mumbai on Saturday, a programme claimed to be the biggest multi-sectoral event in Asia, and one of the biggest in the world.

Government officials, previewing the event a day before the inauguration, said five partner countries  Sweden, Germany, Poland, Australia and Korea  will participate. More than 1,000 global and over 8,000 Indian firms are scheduled to display their manufacturing abilities, which will provide a boost to the sector, which has been over the years overtaken by services.

It is an opportunity for all firms to showcase their manufacturing prowess, and will see participation of all international companies that have export hubs in India, a senior government official said.

Over 3,000 bilateral meetings are expected to be held while a number of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transactions are likely to be concluded, the official added.

Industrial delegates from 78 countries are slated to attend the event, including government delegations from 64 countries.

Keeping in mind the focus on start-ups, a start-up contest is scheduled to be held with a Rs 2-crore prize to be won on the spot. All Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and premier engineering institutes, and over 13 international institutes are also participating in the event.

The government has instituted awards in various categories, including Best manufacturer, Best Innovator, and Best Young Creator.

The Indian Navy is also organising an exhibition on maritime design and manufacturing.
With an aim to strengthen its position in the US health insurance market, Indias third-largest information technology services exporter, Wipro, on Thursday said it will acquire US-based HealthPlan Services for $460 million (about Rs 3,200 crore).

Wipro said it signed a definitive agreement to fully acquire Tampa, Florida-headquartered company from Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry.

HealthPlan Services offers technology platforms, and a fully-integrated Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) solution to health insurance companies in the individual, group and ancillary markets, and employs over 2,000 associates.

It connects its payer clients to over 40 public exchanges and over 150 private exchanges in the US.

As part of the agreement, Wipro will acquire 100% of HealthPlan Services shares for a purchase consideration of $460 million, Wipro said in a statement.

The addition of HealthPlan Services capabilities complements Wipros strengths in claims processing and back office services. This is a strategic move for us, as it advances Wipros vision of leveraging unique insights into customer-buying behaviour and applying this across the healthcare value chain. This will help us lower the cost of healthcare and transform the quality of the member experience, said Jeffrey Heenan Jalil, senior vice-president and head, healthcare life sciences and services, Wipro.

This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is likely to be completed in next 60 to 90 days, the Bengaluru-based IT major said.

This is Wipros third acquisition in the current fiscal year.

In December 2015, Wipro announced acquisition of German IT solutions and services company Cellent AG for 73.5 million euros (around Rs 520 crore when announced), a deal that will add 800 people to Wipros strength. In the same month, Wipro also announced its plans to acquire 400-people strong and US-based Viteos Group, a BPaaS provider for the Alternative Investment Management Industry for $130 million. Both the deals are expected to be closed by March 31, 2016.
This is an insidious argument that gains currency every time a sexual harassment case, especially a high-profile one, comes up. The woman in question was using her looks or wiles to entrap the hapless man. In the RK Pachauri case, this has come up more than once. There are dark hints that the woman in question did not repel his advances forcefully enough, that she was a pawn of larger interests out to unseat a great public personality, that the whole situation may have been consensual and that she used this relationship if it can be termed that to further her career. Her emails were ambiguous, she could have upped and left, she should have reported the matter on the spot and so on.

In the Tarun Tejpal case, it was alleged that the woman in question willingly accompanied him a second time into the lift after the incident in question was reported to have taken place. In the David Davidar case, it was said that the woman was an active participant in either banter or something more. But this obscures the real issue. Let us assume that a woman indeed tried to entrap a powerful man at her workplace. Irrespective of her motive, it is absolutely incumbent on that man, in most cases in a supervisory role, to turn down such approaches and ensure that all future meetings with that person be conducted with a witness present or in public. In the Pachauri case, if indeed she attempted an entrapment, he could have told the woman that this was inappropriate conduct and that she should cease to do so, failing which he could have taken disciplinary action against her.

But none of this happened, as the damning FIR shows. The entrapment theory seems a smart ploy to get powerful men off the hook, to portray them as victims of the attentions of opportunistic women rather than acknowledge that most of them are sexual predators, and that too serial offenders. In a recent case, an Iranian television presenter had to flee the country after she took on her harasser who was her boss publicly after years of suffering his unwanted attentions. That she was a single mother did not help her case.

We got to know about these cases because they involve high-profile people and the media has been hyper-active on this front. But though the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 covers all establishments, I find it hard to believe that a woman working in a small establishment or factory will find the courage to speak up against her harasser. If she does, the likely response will be that she was asking for it or she will have to quietly leave. In most cases, a woman who speaks up in such a scenario would be labelled a troublemaker, someone who is not fit for the workplace, someone covering up her inadequacies and incompetence by making frivolous charges.

In India, there are other challenges that women face at workplace. There is a vast cohort of women who work in the agriculture sector. They work in fields at the mercy of male overseers or landlords. There is no recourse to any work-related mechanism like a committee, which is mandatory in all establishments. There are women workers in villages who are often victims of a patriarchal system which feels threatened by their attempts to change the status quo. The case of Bhanwari Devi comes to mind. She campaigned relentlessly against child marriage in a Rajasthan village for which she was raped by a group of upper-caste men. The rapists were an old man and his nephews. With no help from her employer, in this case the state government, she sought legal help. The judge in question came out with an obnoxious statement that upper-caste men are not likely to rape a women in the presence of younger relatives and that Bhanwari was hardly a candidate for male attention as she was an old woman and hence not attractive.

The time factor is often used to denounce the motives of a woman victim. There have been several cases, not just in India, but across the world where women come forward much later, maybe even years later, to report a case of harassment. The question then snidely asked is, if she was so distressed, why did she wait so long to voice her complaint? Could it be that the harasser is now in a very powerful position and she hopes to cash in on this to get either compensation or publicity? The most plausible answer is that long after the trauma, the woman has finally gathered enough courage to speak up. Or that she has been emboldened by the fact that someone else has been brave enough to voice their experience.

Instead of dismissing the woman complainant as a mercenary or a disgruntled employee, we should pause to think of how difficult it is for a woman in India to make such allegations, which could leave the door wide open to all sorts of insinuations and insults. Despite the outward trappings of modernity in pockets, we remain a deeply conservative society where it is not done to openly talk about sexual matters, even if it is a question of harassment. The other problem that a woman who makes an allegation of harassment faces is providing evidence to buttress her case.

In the Pachauri case, the Tejpal case, the Davidar case, there were emails and other forms of evidence. But in many cases, since the abuse often happens in private, whether verbal or physical, it boils down to the womans word, which is often disbelieved and ridiculed. There are no easy answers on how to deal with this. For a start, all establishments must adhere to the law that there has to be an effective internal committee to look into such cases. Not everyone has the inclination or wherewithal to go to court and many cases can be resolved at the workplace itself. Such a committee should also guard against the victim becoming the object of vindictiveness. Sometimes, men dont even realise that they are out of line. Remarks that a woman considers unacceptable are not seen in the same light by the men who make them, instead they often mean them to be compliments, albeit of a crude variety. These are issues which should be discussed at the point of entry of employment for both men and women. It may not end sexual harassment, but it would certainly eliminate the excuse that many men come up with that they did not know they were crossing red lines.

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For a brief moment this week, a natural disaster on the worlds highest battleground achieved the seemingly impossible: It united an otherwise fractious country.

Five days after an avalanche buried an army post at 19,600 feet at the Siachen Glacier, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad clung to life and taught us the meaning of grit. When they found him, saved by an air-pocket, he was drowsy, disoriented, dehydrated  but conscious.

For another three days he held on to life. The bodies of nine of his colleagues were left up at the glacier where the weather has, as yet, thwarted human effort to bring them home.

An unknown number of ordinary Indians prayed, in schools, in temples, at homes. A housewife from Lakhimpur Kheri offered her kidney. A retired CRPF jawan said he was willing to donate any organ.

The sparring that now characterises much of our public discourse was largely missing. Yes, some muted criticism on whether the media should have left the family alone. Others wondered whether India ought to rethink its Siachen strategy, given its human cost. But overwhelmingly there was just one emotion, and it was hope.

When he died on Thursday morning, there was a spontaneous outpouring of grief. Braveheart and Siachen Hero were the more common honorifics on Twitter.

Yet, most of us would be hard-pressed to name the nine others from the 19 Madras Regiment who died in the same avalanche. Or know that 878 have already died there in the past 30-odd years, slayed by an enemy called the weather. Or understand what its like to serve in conditions where the mere act of breathing becomes a challenge and where soldiers walk tied to each other by rope so that if one falls into a crevasse, the others might be able to stop a free-fall into a bottomless death.

Why did this one death on a glacier move us so?

Partly it was because of its immediacy. This is the first Siachen disaster covered so extensively by live TV: Photographs of the rescue, sound-bites from Hanumanthappas mother and wife, medical updates, tributes at Delhis Brar Square and his funeral at his village. Ironically, the disaster and its aftermath has for the first time also resulted in creating an awareness about the hardships undertaken by our soldiers who serve there.

But partly it was also the primordial drama of the story: Human resolve versus natures caprice. A soldier is buried alive under 35 feet, survives through some unknowable combination of fortitude and luck, and is saved in a stunningly heroic mission involving 150 soldiers, 300 sorties and two dogs, only to finally die in hospital. It brought to mind that other great mission  though that one ended happily  involving 33 Chilean miners buried alive for 69 days in 2010.

But mainly, the Hanumanthappa story plays out at a time when few ideas unite us as a nation. An unseemly political tussle has broken out over David Headleys testimony. Universities are turning into battlegrounds of ideology, Left versus Right. The horrors of caste-based discrimination are emerging as Indias most shameful and enduring legacy nearly 70 years after Independence. The sleazy impunity of former TERI director general RK Pachauri sends out a depressing message to working women.

And, then, in the midst of all this, comes a story of daring, rescue, and endeavour. It offers us a pause from the unceasing cacophony that surrounds us, reminding us of our better selves, of how some things are worth fighting for and how some things must remain inviolate, undisputed, free of the taint of controversy or contention.

Watching the tributes in Brar Square to the haunting strains of the last post, in the presence of the three army chiefs, the political leadership of bitter rivals, the BJP, Congress and AAP and in the presence of ordinary Indians, many who serve and many others who watched from home on their TV sets, I thought about what we had lost: A soldier up on the glacier. But also perhaps who we once were as a nation, united in optimism and idealism.

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Mark Zuckerberg is like a head of state. Facebook, the company he founded and heads has 1.6 billion users across the planet. If it was a nation, it would be more populous than China.

His estimated wealth is around $45 billion. Thats more than Rs 300,000 crore.

So it makes real news when he gets snubbed by the Indian telecom regulator when he is trying for the next 500 million users and possible wealth to match. But it takes grace to accept defeat and carry on--as he seems to have done. Perhaps the Harvard geek deserves a second chance. For Indians, it is not yet time to unfriend Zuckerberg.

After the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) struck down differential pricing of Internet tariffs--and in effect, Facebooks Free Basics initiative to offer a stripped-down version of the Net to digitally unconnected--FBs board member Mark Andreessen raised the ghost of colonialism in a sarcastic tweet on TRAI that left many Indians convinced that the regulator was anything but wrong.

As the venture capitalist hastily apologised and retreated Zuckerberg was quick to douse the fires.

I want to respond to Marc Andreessens comments about India yesterday. I found the comments deeply upsetting, and they do not represent the way Facebook or I think at all, the 31-year-old said in a post that attracted 141,000 likes on the last count from among 49 million followers.

India has been personally important to me and Facebook. Early on in my thinking about our mission, I traveled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people, he said. As our community in India has grown, Ive gained a deeper appreciation for the need to understand Indias history and culture. Ive been inspired by how much progress India has made in building a strong nation and the largest democracy in the world, and I look forward to strengthening my connection to the country.

Mark Z, unlike Marc A, sounds humble. The cynic may wonder if the venture capitalist on the board of Facebook was trying to play bad cop to Zuckerbergs good cop but there is plenty in the CEOs words to suggest that he may match up to his words.

That can be done only through initiatives that go beyond normal commercial activity.

It is tempting to compare Facebooks activities in India with those of Google with whom it competes for advertising dollars globally in the digital age. Google has begun offering free wi-fi in Indian railway stations, leads the pack in boosting local languages and has dabbled in education initiatives linked to India. Googles Doodle routinely celebrates Indian festivals and historic figures.

And yes, Googles parent Alphabet Inc has an Indian CEO in Sundar Pichai for its core search business and a fellow Chennai man, Kavitark Ram Shriram, on its board.

Interestingly, Ram Shriram was on the executive team of pioneering browser firm Netscape, which Andreessen founded.

To start to walk his talk on India, Zuckerberg may like to have an Indian on its board or, at any rate, do something more Indian than have a maverick board member talk in sweeping terms about a nation that he does not even seem to have visited.

Google has been working with the Indian government, not showing immature attitude at its regulators. Zuckerbergs famous associations with India so far have been photo opportunities with its prime minister and a jog in front of India Gate.

Fancy a Second Coming in India, Mark? Or, should we call that a reincarnation?
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of saffronising the Delhi Police, which has had frequent run-ins with the AAP government.

As the Arvind Kejriwal government completes one year, Sisodia said the Centre has resorted to cheap tactics to stop it from working through the Lieutenant Governor, the police, the ACB and by wresting control over transfer and postings.

There has been death of a six-year-old student at a private school, but no one has been arrested so far. A teacher of a government school was brutally beaten up. Besides, there have been several crimes of rapes and murder, but police is not arresting anyone, Sisodia told PTI.

He said, the police is instead nabbing an AAP MLA who had a fight with his wife and another party legislator who had a quarrel with officers.

AAPs one year witnessed the arrests of six party MLAs in various cases, including on charges of rioting, domestic violence and forgery.

Khaki is being saffronised so much that it has never been done in any other state before. Delhi Police personnel have earned respect for khaki by sacrificing their lives, but Centre is saffronising the Delhi Police, Sisodia alleged.

The deputy chief minister said the biggest challenge for the AAP government is to tackle the attitude of the BJP-led central government.

They (Centre) are taking revenge from the people of Delhi for not choosing BJP in the Assembly polls in Delhi, which is shameful. They have snatched Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) from us in order scuttle efforts to make Delhi corruption-free.

Centre also tried to control transfer and postings of bureaucrats and by doing this, they dont want to allow us to work, even on women safety. LG is declaring our order null and void and they are threatening our officers not to follow the Delhi governments order, he said.

He alleged that the Centre wants to control Delhi Police as it fears that if police is handed over to an elected government of Delhi, several rackets including related to drugs in the national Capital will be smashed.
A five-year-old boy was crushed to death when he was sandwiched between a reversing auto-rickshaw and a parked car in an illegal parking lot in northeast Delhi on Thursday.

Residents told police that Mohammad Uzefa, a resident of Sunder Nagri, was hiding behind the parked car while playing hide and seek.

A few children witnessed the accident and rushed to inform Uzefas parents. By the time the parents reached, the auto-rickshaw driver abandoned his vehicle and fled, said police. The child was rushed to GTB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Barely two hours before the incident, Uzefa was treated for head injuries after falling down a flight of stairs at home.

Doctors were shocked that Uzefa, whom they treated earlier, was killed in a second accident.

I was shocked when my officers told me that the boy had survived the first accident in which he had slipped down the stairs of his house and sustained injuries, but died (in the second accident), said AK Singhla, deputy commissioner of police (northeast).

Police said they impounded the auto-rickshaw. But it did not have a number plate. They suspected that the driver removed it to delay investigation.

The DCP said they identified the driver using the vehicles engine and chassis number.

He said they registered a case of rash driving and causing death by negligence against the driver.
Of those who gave feedback through the website oddevenidea.delhi.gov.in and in the 276 public meetings (mohalla sabhas) held across the city over the past 15 days, a sizeable majority wanted the road rationing scheme to come back as soon as possible and in a permanent fashion.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, however, brushed aside the possibility as the citys public transport system is not equipped to deal with the increased pressure in a permanent way yet. The exemption for two-wheelers, which numerous people supported, was also justified by Kejriwal in a similar manner.

We cant implement the odd-even restriction in a permanent manner. We dont have the public transport capability to support it. If we implement the scheme on the nearly 30 lakh two-wheelers, there will be chaos, he said.

There are close to 90 lakh registered vehicles in Delhi. Of these, around 27 lakh are cars while 53 lakh are registered two wheelers.

Overall, 81% of the 410,443 people who gave feedback wanted the restriction back.

The government got feedback from 29,076 people on email, 43,113 at public meetings, 328,680 through phone calls and 9,574 through email.

Of a total of 276 public meetings it was only in one meeting in Vishwas Nagar where people were against the reintroduction of the road rationing scheme. At three others in Patel Nagar and Vishwas Nagar people said they would buy new cars if the scheme came back.

According to the feedback collected, a majority of people were against giving exemption to the seven categories of VIPs that were kept out of the ambit of the rule under the first phase of implementation.

Kejriwal, however, said this suggestion was not to be implemented. We will request VIPs to follow the (odd-even) system. But we will keep the exemptions. The more the VIPs follow it voluntarily, it will be good, Kejriwal said.

The Supreme Court had also backed the scheme, dismissing a slew of legal challenges, while even top judges carpooled during the trial.

The Delhi government introduced the scheme as part of a wider anti-pollution drive, after courts themselves took action including banning new, large diesel-guzzling SUVs.

The citys air usually worsens in winter as cooler air traps pollutants and people light fires to stay warm.

A 2014 WHO survey of more than 1,600 cities ranked Delhi as the most polluted, partly because of the 8.5 million vehicles on its roads, with 1,400 more added every day.

Environmentalists had also welcomed the restrictions, but say they are unlikely to make a dramatic difference in the short term
Four family members of 23-year-old Naveen Khatri, suspect in the murder of his girlfriend and DU student Arzoo Singh Chauhan, were arrested on Friday for destructing evidence in the case.

Khatris father Rajkumar, uncle Krishan Kumar, brother Sandeep and cousin Navin were booked for harbouring the offender as well, a week after Khatri was arrested.

The four men were arrested from their house and produced in the court, where they were granted bail.

Naveen (Khatri) told his father that he killed her near southwest Delhis Nangal Dewat and then kept the body in his cars boot. He lied that he dumped the body at a forest near Gurgaon-Faridabad highway. After the confession, Rajkumar called a meeting (of the five men) and they decided to first destroy all evidence, police sources said.

The men got the car in which the body was transported cleaned and decided to send Naveen to Goa. Sandeep booked a ticket for Naveen to fly to Goa on February 5, said police.

On the morning of February 5, Naveen told his father about the body being in the house. It was then that they panicked. They called for another meeting and decided to dispose the body in a nearby jungle using acid after nightfall, sources said.

But before they could execute the plan, the police reached their house and discovered the body.

The day Khatri was arrested, his father, brother and cousin were detained for questioning. But police said they tried misleading the police.

Arzoos semi-decomposed body was recovered from the ventilation shaft of Khatris four-storey home at Rajpura near Model Town on the northwestern parts of the Capital on February 7.

The 23-year-old, final-year Hindi honours student of Laxmibai College, was abducted on February 2 from outside the institution allegedly by her boyfriend from the same neighbourhood.

He allegedly strangled her with a dupatta inside the car.

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The British School in the high-security Chanakyapuri area was put under a security lockdown for the second time this month on Friday after the school received a suspicious call.

The VoIP (voice over internet protocol) call was received at the schools landline number around noon, with the caller demanding to speak to the principal about something very important.

The school had received a similar call on February 4 when a man claiming to have AK-47s and bombs, including RDX, had threatened to kill everyone in the school.

A case was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station and investigation handed over to the special cell. The special cell officers are still trying to locate the city/country from where the call was made.

After Fridays call, the school authorities again put the institution in a precautionary lockdown between 12.15 pm and 1.20 pm and informed the police and the parents.

The school management suspects that Fridays call too was made by the same person who had called the school on February 4.

A team from Chanakyapuri police station rushed to the spot and conducted a security drill after which the school campus was declared safe.

The school administration also issued a statement saying everything was normal after the brief security lockdown.

The school was locked down for around an hour. Police later gave us an all clear. This was a precautionary move in response to a suspicious phone call. Everyone is safe. School will end at the normal time and buses will also leave at the normal time. Students are being taken to their classrooms. All planned events will take place as usual. (sic), a statement issued by the school read.

Kumar Gyanesh, additional DCP (New Delhi), said the school receptionist panicked after receiving Fridays call where the caller asked for the principal with whom he wanted to discuss something very important.

The receptionist, who immediately disconnected the call, claims that the callers voice was similar to that of the person who had threatened to kill everybody earlier this month. The receptionist informed the school authorities who called the police.

This time, the caller did not use any threatening words. He only wished to speak to the principal. It was a VOIP call and we are trying to trace its location, said a senior police officer. He added that security around the school had been beefed up after the anonymous call.

A case in connection to this was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station and investigation was handed over to the special cell. The special cell officers are still trying to locate the city/country from where the call was made.
The government might lift the ban on wearing veils and headscarves during the central medical entrance examination as demanded by Muslim organisations.

Candidates could be allowed to wear a burqa or a hijab during the exam scheduled for May 1 as the CBSE that conducts the All India Pre-Medical Test is likely to revisit the ban imposed last year, sources said.

The ban on long sleeves and veils was introduced  and upheld by the Supreme Court  after the medical entrance test taken by over 600,000 candidates in May last year was cancelled and re-conducted amid reports of cheating with the use of electronic devices and microphones stitched to candidates clothes.

The CBSE then issued a notification stating that the candidates will not bring items like belts, cap, scarf, etc to the exam hall. It asked candidates to wear light clothes with half sleeves as well as open footwear.

This year, however, the board is planning not to ban veils of religious significance though candidates will still not be allowed to wear scarves or caps.

Read more: CBSEs exam dress code for AIPMT puts Muslim aspirants in a spot

The CBSE is conscious not to hurt any religious sentiments. All the efforts we take are to prevent any unfair means, said a senior official requesting anonymity.

However, the official explained that special measures will be put in place to ensure those wearing a veil are properly frisked.

Educationist and Urdu writer Masoom Moradabadi welcomed the move as a good message to the community.

This is a very good decision of the board. A few days back a Sikh actor (Waris Ahluwalia) had to face a similar incident in Mexico City when he was asked to remove his turban and he refused as it is part of his religious beliefs. For Muslims, too, the burqa is a symbol of their faith, Moradabadi said. We have no objection to girls wearing a burqa being checked thoroughly by women security personnel but a ban is not the solution. While a final decision on lifting the ban is awaited, the CBSE is geared to prevent a repeat of last years cheating episode at the exam  a gateway to prestigious medical colleges in the country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian scientists for their role in helping to detect gravitational waves for the first time since their existence was theorised by Albert Einstein.

Immensely proud that Indian scientists played an important role in this challenging quest, he tweeted.

Immensely proud that Indian scientists played an important role in this challenging quest.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2016

Historic detection of gravitational waves opens up new frontier for understanding of universe, he said in a series of posts on the microblogging website.

Historic detection of gravitational waves opens up new frontier for understanding of universe!  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2016

US Scientists announced on Thursday that they had detected, heard and measured gravitational waves, a scientific triumph that is being compared to Galileo first turning a telescope to the heavens 400 years ago.

We have detected gravitational waves. We did it, said David Reitze, head of LIGO Laboratory, the scientific facility that found them, to applause at a crowded news briefing in DC.

Physicist Gabriela Gonzalez, one of the four scientists present when LIGO announced that it had detected gravitational waves for the first time. (Photo courtesy: Louisiana State University )

The waves captured were triggered by two blackholes colliding to form a larger blackhole approximately 1.3 billion years ago, according to scientists making the announcement.

They were captured by the LIGO  Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory  facility in Louisiana at 551AM on September 14, 2015, and confirmed by another such device in Washington state.

Sixty Indian scientists from nine Indian institutes were part of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration that is involved in research and analysis of data generated from the detector.

Noted theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking took to Facebook to express his joy at the landmark discovery.

As a theoretical physicist, I have spent my life contributing to our understanding of the universe. he wrote. It is thrilling to see predictions I made over 40 years ago such as the black hole area and uniqueness theorems being observed within my lifetime.

(Image courtesy: Stephen Hawkings official Facebook page)

Gravitational waves are ripples in the space-time fabric triggered by colliding blackholes or a neutron star (that is formed by explosive death of another star).

These waves were known to scientists only in theory, first propounded  or prophesied, as has also been said  by Albert Einstein in his theory of relativity around 100 years ago.

Until September 14, when they were first detected, and February 11, when they were revealed to the world ending days of feverish speculation among scientists and space geeks.

Read: Ripples in space time: Gravitational waves seen from black hole

They looked like squiggles on an ECG chart displayed at the announcement, and sounded, in a short 20-millisecond burst, like a chirp, as described by a scientist who replayed it for reports.

Einstein would be beaming wouldnt he, said France A Cardova, head of US National Science Foundation, which funded the LIGO facilities and the project.

LIGOs are L-shaped devices each with 4-km-long arms that have laser beams racing back and forth between mirrors to catch, and measure, the tiniest inflection in space.

Watch: Ripples in space-time fabric

There are just two of them now, and both in the US, operated by scientists drawn from all parts of the world. But there are plans for more, including one in Pune, India.

For the first time the universe has spoken to us through gravitational waves, Reitze, the California-based head of LIGO who could barely conceal his excitement, said.

We will hear more of these things  we will also hear things we never expected, we never saw before, he added.

Scientists expect the detection of gravitational waves to help them explore the universe better  go deeper, as one of them put it, by unlocking known and unknown mysteries.

Since gravitational waves are not absorbed or reflected by matter, they theoretically carry information on the motion of objects in the universe. By detecting and analysing them, it is believed that we will be able to further our understanding of the creation of the universe and its history.
With the death of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad and nine of his comrades, India has lost two soldiers every month due to avalanches or extreme climatic conditions in the Siachen Glacier, since first sending troops to the contested Himalayan area 32 years ago to counter the Pakistan army.

Overall, 869 Indian troops died serving at the Glacier between 1984 and December 2015, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. The death of 10 soldiers of the Madras Regiment on February 3, 2016buried under an avalanche that struck their post at an altitude of 20,500 feetand four others this year brings Indias Siachen casualties to 883.



The toll includes 33 officers, 54 Junior Commissioned Officers and 782 other ranks.

The number of troops killed in Siachen has declined steadily, from 24 in 2011 to 5 in 2015, according to Lok Sabha data. All of these are a result of avalanches or extreme climatic conditions, not enemy fire. The deaths this year were from avalanches.

India has spent Rs. 6,566 crores between 2012-13 and 2014-15 on clothing and mountaineering equipmentmuch of it importedfor soldiers at Siachen.

The worlds highest battlefieldbut the battle is mostly with the weather

The Siachen Glacier, situated in a Himalayan region astride the India-Pakistan border, holds the dubious distinction of being the worlds highest battlefield.

Siachens forbidding conditions have claimed the lives of many Pakistani soldiers as well. Most recently, in 2012, an avalanche hit a Pakistani army camp at the strategically important Gayari sector killing 140 people, including 129 soldiers.

Altitudes reach as high as 22,000 feet (The top of Mount Everest, the worlds highest peak, is at 29,000 ft) and temperatures dip below -45 degrees C.

Oxygen levels are low, and soldiers are prone to suffer from memory loss, blurred speech, frost bite, lung infection and severe depression. They also deal with the dangers of crevasses (long cracks or fractures in ice surface), especially during summer months.

Transporting the most basic supplies in these conditions is an arduous task, with some posts accessible only by helicopters. A few posts use pulleys to hoist supplies up the mountainside.

During winter, when land routes close, ageing, light Cheetah helicopters are the only means of food and ammunition supplies and emergency evacuations.

Nearly 3,000-4,000 Indian troops from three battalions serve year round. Each battalion spends up to three months on the Glacier after acclimatisation.

The high monetary and human costs of deployment have prompted calls for the Glaciers demilitarisation. However, mistrust between India and Pakistan has prevented that.

The decision on Siachen is based on the security of the nation, said defence minister Manohar Parrikar recently. I am disturbed by the loss of life, but I think that due to this, some other solution [withdrawal] would not be the proper analysis.

(Sethi and Jalan are writers based in Mumbai.)

IndiaSpend welcomes feedback. Please write to respond@indiaspend.org. They reserve the right to edit responses for language and grammar.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley told a Mumbai sessions court on Friday that Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai and the National Defence College in Delhi were on the hit-list of the Pakistan-based militant outfit.

The accused-turned-approver against Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, the prime accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case, also revealed that there were plans to assassinate Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

I thought, perhaps the LeT would be interested in attacking the building or assassinating the head of the organisation (Bal Thackeray), he said.

Headley told the court that he had come in contact with Rajaram Rege, the then media coordinator for Uddhav Thackeray, during his visit to Shiv Sena Bhavan in April 2007 because I was interested in accessing that building.

Rege, however, denied that he had provided Headley any information about the Sena headquarters or Thackerays bungalow at Bandra. It was only a two-minute conversation. I refused his request for help to get permission for video shooting of the Sena Bhavan, Rege said.

Nonetheless, Headley said he took photographs and videos of the building and gave them to his LeT handler Sajid Mir and a major in the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence.

He revealed that the defence college in the national capital was also a high-value target of al Qaida and that he had scoped out the college as well the Chhabad Houses at Pushkar in Haryana, Pune and one more in Goa for the terrorist outfit.

After the 26/11 attacks, Headley met the al Qaida commander in February 2009 and was asked to visit India again to survey certain targets. He said his subsequent visit to India between March 7 and March 17, 2009, was financed by a retired Pakistani army official.

Major (Abdul Rehman) Pasha had said that if they succeed in the attack on the National Defence College, they would be able to kill more Indian brigadiers than what might have been killed in India-Pakistan wars, said Headley.
Mumbai attacks conspirator David Coleman Headleys claim that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an encounter in 2004, was a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist renewed the political slugfest on the issue between the BJP and the Congress on Thursday.

The BJP demanded an apology from the Congress for targeting its government in Gujarat for many years over Jahans killing in an encounter with security forces. Latching on to Headleys statement, the ruling party took potshots at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly having described Jahan as Bihars daughter.

Read more: Ishrat Jahan, killed in fake encounter, was LeT operative: Headley

Appeasement of terror outfits and terrorists had been given the name of secularism by some political forces. A thorough inquiry should be done on what he (Headley) has said, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari told HT.

Jahan and three others, Javed Shaikh, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, were killed in a June 15, 2004 operation in Gujarat led by deputy inspector general of the state police DG Vanzara who was later jailed in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case.

The BJP accused Congress of politicising the encounter as part of its hate politics against Modi, then Gujarat chief minister.

BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma said police personnel who fought terrorists risking their lives were put behind bars by the then UPA government and security agencies such as the CBI and the IB were politicised. He alleged it was done to defame and fix Modi as part of a political conspiracy.

Headleys deposition that she was LeTs suicide bomber has unmasked those who do politics over terrorism. We do not expect any morality from Congress, Sharma said.

The Congress refused to go on the back foot. Party leader Sandeep Dikshit alleged that Lashkar accomplice Headley had named Jahan as a terrorist as part of a deal.

Four or five days before the statement, I heard from a number of people that this is one of the deals that has been done and Headley will take Ishrat Jahans name as a terrorist. How is it that many people who dont even know who David Headley is knew that he would be making this deposition? Dikshit said.

The Congress argued that Jahans murder was a very clear case of human rights violation and the Gujarat government or police had not been able to provide any evidence to prove her links with any anti-national activity.
The ongoing spate of killings in Bihar since the start of the month claimed a high-profile victim on Friday when BJP state vice-president Bisheshwar Ojha was gunned down near Ara in Bhojpur district in south-central Bihar.

Ojha was shot in public by assailants who pumped nearly a dozen bullets into him. The incident came within hours of the discovery of the body of another BJP activist, Kedar Singh, in Taraiya-Masrakh area of Saran district in north Bihar.

Opposition BJP gave a 72-hour ultimatum to the state government to arrest Ojhas killers. Party state president Mangal Pandey said chief minister Nitish Kumar was reviewing the law and order situation with the police brass almost everyday but without any tangible result.

These reviews are a mere eyewash, Pandey said.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said the two killings showed that the situation has got out of control of the government.

Doesnt the spate of killings in the past few days remind people of the situation in the 1990s? asked LJP state president Ramvilas Paswan. He was alluding to the questionable law and order situation during the tenures of now RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his wife, Rabri Devi.

Its a mockery of claims of rule of law in Bihar, he said.

The incidents left the ruling JD (U) on the defensive.

JD(U) state spokesman Neeraj Kumar said the police were investigating the matter and the Anti-socials killed Ojha, the husband of former Shahpur MLA Munni Devi, Kumar said, refuting BJP leaders claim it was a political killing. He recalled the JD (U) and BJP were allies in 2011 when BJP MLA Rajkishore Keshri was killed  the BJP then had not called it a political killing.

JD(U) president Bashishtha Narain Singh was not available for comments.
China has reacted angrily to reports of possible joint patrolling by the US and India in the South China Sea, most of which is claimed by Beijing, saying the region should not be militarised by countries from outside the area.

Chinese officials took time out from the week-long national New Year holiday to warn the US and India against any naval patrolling in the disputed waters. They were responding to a media report that Washington and New Delhi had discussed joint patrols, including in the South China Sea.

China lays claim to most of the South China Sea but is locked in dispute with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam over the ownership of islands in the region.

No cooperation between any countries should be directed at a third party, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Countries from outside the area must stop pushing forward the militarisation of the South China Sea, cease endangering the sovereignty and national security of littoral countries in the name of freedom of navigation and harming the peace and stability of the region, Hong said.

We hope that the relevant parties speak and act with caution, refrain from intervening in the South China Sea issue, and especially avoid being manipulated by certain countries and ultimately harming their own interests.

Read: India, US consider joint naval patrols in South China Sea

A US defence official told Hindustan Time that India and the US had held informal discussions on conducting joint naval patrols but no decisions had been made. The officials further said the South China Sea did not figure in those discussions, contrary to a Reuters report on Wednesday which said the two countries planned to start the patrols within the year.

Sources in the Indian defence ministry described the report as highly speculative. Indian officials also noted that the country had never conducted joint patrols with any country and there was no change in the governments policy of joining an international military effort only under the UN flag.

Chinas hackles were raised when the United States sent a missile destroyer to patrol in the South China Sea. China has always maintained that discussions surrounding the disputed maritime territory cannot involve third parties. (REUTERS)

Any mention of the South China Sea in international diplomacy triggers a sharp reaction from China, which says no country, other than those involved in the disputes, has the right to be involved.

China has become more assertive in the region and has been building airfields and increasing its naval presence.

When the September trilateral dialogue among the foreign ministers of Japan, India and the US mentioned the South China Sea, Beijing responded with a pointed statement to Hindustan Times.

China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and their adjacent waters as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant seabed and subsoil, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a written statement.

The response mentioned the Five Persistence policy followed by China. we have always adhered to the principle of Five Persistence, which stands for persistence in maintaining the peace and stability of South China Sea; persistence in settling disputes with the party concerned according to the international laws via bilateral negotiation based on respect for historical facts; persistence in relying on rule-based system to control disputes; persistence in sustaining the freedom of flight and navigation in South China Sea.
Delhi University professor SAR Geelani was booked by police on Friday under charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans and hailing executed Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as a martyr.

Along with Geelani, professor Ali Javed was named as the organiser of a political meeting at the Press Club of India where the alleged incident took place. Javed was released late Friday evening after being questioned at the Parliament Street police station and told to present himself for questioning on Saturday. Police said after Javeds interrogation, Geelani would be summoned to join the investigation.

Geelani was arrested in 2001 for his alleged role in the Parliament attack case and convicted by a trial court. The Supreme Court acquitted him in 2005 for lack of evidence but remarked there was serious suspicion whether Geelani was unaware of the planning behind the attack.

In the FIR registered on Friday, the Press Club general secretary said a first floor hall was booked by Javed, a member, from 3-6pm on February 10. The official told police that around 5.30pm, when he heard commotion in the meeting hall, he went upstairs and saw Geelani shouting anti-India slogans. Geelani and his friends were hailing Afzal Guru as a martyr. After much difficulty, we stopped them and ended their meeting, the officials statement in the FIR read.

The club served a showcause notice on Ali. Geelani did not respond to HTs calls and text messages requesting a comment. Police sources said during the investigation it emerged that permission for booking the hall was sent from Geelanis email address. DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said Geelani was the main organiser of the event.

Police sources said Ali and Press Club office-bearers had been asked for video and audio footage. Ali is learnt to have told police the meeting was not videographed.

The investigation has just started. The organisers had booked the hall for a political meeting. During the function, they reportedly shouted slogans such as Afzal Guru Amar Rahe and Kashmir leke rahengay. Ali claims he was not aware of Geelanis plans to raise such slogans, an investigating officer said.
An atmosphere of fear prevailed at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Friday, even as present and former teachers of the institute came out in support of students saying the situation on the campus was no less than the emergency.

As soon as the news of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumars arrest spread on the campus, students and teachers started gathering around vice-chancellors office. There was heavy police deployment outside the university main gate and only students with identity cards were allowed inside.

The only previous occasion when the president of the JNUSU was arrested was during Emergency, and the present situation on the campus brings back those memories, said former teachers and deans in a statement.

Students said that heavy police deployment on the campus has increased their tension. I feel safer standing here in front of the V-C office rather than being in my hostel. Girls hostels are being raided by police. It is scary. We are just students, said a female PhD student, who did not wish to be named.

Students disassociated themselves from the alleged anti-national slogans raised at the institute and blamed outsiders for it.

Nobody from JNU will raise such slogans. Those who organised the event were formerly part of the ultra left party. Nobody supports them. It is wrong to target all JNU students. Kanhaiya Kumar is the president and he had gone there to control the situation, but now he has been arrested, said a student from School of Arts and Aesthetics

Earlier in the day, residents from nearby areas including Munirka staged a protest outside the main gate of the institute and demanded action against students allegedly involved in anti-national activities.

Meanwhile, ABVP also held a demonstration at India Gate against an event on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru held at the institute recently. Students across party lines are protesting against what happened at JNU. Strict actions should be taken against anti-national students, said Saurabh Kumar, joint secretary JNUSU and ABVP member.

MP D Raja also visited the campus and met the V-C. The V-C and registrar know their students better and should stand by its students, he said.

JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora said, With this one act they have clamped down on all the campaigns. JNUSU and some of the left parties have already condemned the incident. How can Kanhaiya be arrested for sedition. This witch-hint needs to stop, she said.

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A fire ravaged the primary section of over 100-year-old Downhill School at Kurseong in Darjeeling district late Thursday night.

A major mishap was averted as the school was closed for winter vacation. The girls school located 3km uphill from Kurseong town is one of the famous schools built during the British era. It was established in 1879 and is located amidst lush green forest.

Anurag Srivastava, district magistrate of Darjeeling, said the fire broke out after 10pm on Thursday and was controlled at 2.30am.

History is lost. I have spent half of my life in the school, said Radhika Pradhan (81), former headmistress of the school.

Locals said the two-storey wooden building of primary section was totally gutted. The cause of the fire is being ascertained.

No casualties have been reported as the ICSE school was closed for winter vacation and is scheduled to reopen on February 22.

Fire engines were rushed from Kurseong, Darjeeling, Siliguri and Bijanbari, which prevented the the blaze from spreading to the adjacent building that houses senior classes. Firemen found it difficult to reach the spot due to narrow lanes and sharp turns.

The management of the school is controlled by the West Bengal government.

The incident occurred barely 24 hours after a class 10 student of famous St Joseph School in Darjeeling was stabbed to death by his classmate.

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The Food Safety and Drug Administration has decided to go strict on noodle manufacturing companies violating the FSDA norms. Recently, in Barabanki, companies making noodles like Knorr soupy noodles, Horlicks foodles and Chings were charged with putting more ash in their products than the permissible limit.

Incidentally, Barabanki is the same place where Maggi samples were reported to have more lead than permissible last year. This had caused a hue and cry and Maggi stocks were recalled from the shelves of shops.

We will file the case in court if they do not challenge our report within a month, said designated officer FSDA in Barabanki, Manoj Varma.

He said the companies could face a fine of Rs 2 lakhs if they accepted the report.

Last time, in Barabanki, Nestle, which makes Maggi, challenged the report of the Lucknow Lab. The samples were then sent to Kolkata which confirmed the presence of lead in them.

This resulted in a countrywide ban on Maggi. However, now the makers of Knorr soupy noodles, Horlicks foodles and Chings noodles are in a fix. If they challenge the report of the FSDA Barabanki and the report is seconded by Kolkata lab, then they can face a fate similar to Maggi.

Manoj Varma said on Wednesday, a meeting of all the designated officers of FSDA was held in Lucknow and a strategy to collect samples of all noodles and soups prepared.

Last year, samples of Yippee noodles also failed the lead test in the Lucknow lab. However, this time more ash was found than the permissible level while lead was under permissible level.

Additional commissioner, FSDA Ram Araj Maurya said, We will follow the rulebook and action will be taken according to the law.

However, the traders who hold the agency of these noted brands of noodles are feeling jittery. A stockist said on condition of anonymity that if the noodles failed the tests again, credibility would be hit. That is why they had advised the company officials to not challenge the report. We have advised them to just pay the fine and settle the matter, he said.
E-commerce firm Snapdeals employee Dipti Sarna who went missing on Wednesday night from Ghaziabad reunited with her family when she reached home on Friday morning .

Dipti called her parents at around 7 am in the morning from an unknown persons name. It is not clear how she reached there.

Diptis father and brother met her when she arrived at the Delhi railway station and picked her up from the Ajmer Gate.

Read more: Abducted Snapdeal employee Dipti reaches home but bag, mobile missing

Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was kidnapped two days ago, has been traced and has reached her home in Ghaziabad on Friday. (HinduSakib Ali/Hindustan Times)

The family members of the 23-year-old victim said that she was seen twice while coming of Vaishali metro station on Wednesday and later met some untoward incident while travelling in an auto near river Hindon. One of her friends who informed the family said that he heard her shouting and shreiking when last heard over the mobile, in Ghaziabad, India, on Thursday, February 11, 2016. (Sakib Ali / HT Photo)
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the soldier who was buried under snow for six days after an avalanche hit an Indian Army post, transfixed the entire nation as he breathed his last on Thursday morning.

The Indian Army hero was honoured by politicians, defence personnel and the masses who flocked to the cantonment area in the national Capital to pay their tributes to Koppad who was rescued on Monday night and was being treated at the Army Hospital Research and Referral (R and R) in New Delhi the next day.

We tried our best to fight death, Lt Gen SK Dhuan, chief of the army hospital said on Monday after Koppad succumbed to acute hypothermia among other ailments on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet, The soldier in you remains immortal, while the three defence chiefs and politicians -- including defence minister Manohar Parrikar, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia -- paid their last respects at Brar Square in New Delhi on Thursday.

Koppads last rites will be performed in his native village in Dharwad district of Karnataka with full state honours on Friday.

Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, air chief Marshal Arup Raha and navy chief Admiral Robin K Dhowan pay homage to Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad at Brar Square in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to the Indian Army soldier who was found alive after being buried under snow for six days at the Siachen glacier. (PTI Photo)

A group of social activists pay homage to Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, in Gurgaon. (PTI Photo)

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad's mother arrives at Brar Square where people thronged to honour the soldier who died at the army hospital four days after he was found alive in Siachen. (PTI Photo)

Army chief General Dalbir Singh pays his last respects to Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad in Brar square, New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Bollywood stars also tweeted their condolences. Saluting Late Lance Naik Hanumanthappa and all the#SiachenBravehearts...Your bravery is immortal, wrote actor Anil Kapoor, as did countless others.

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad's mortal remains being taken to Brar Square in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar lays a wreath on Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppads body in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

President Pranab Mukherjee also condoled the soldiers death on Thursday: I am deeply sad to learn about the passing away of your son, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad. Lance Naik Koppad was a hero who demonstrated exemplary will power and courage in the face of adversity. He made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Children observe a minute of silence to honour Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the Indian Army soldier who died at the army hospital in New Delhi, in Moradabad. (PTI Photo)
India will house worlds third Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO-India) to detect gravitational waves, similar to the two detectors in the US. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are among the states shortlisted for the experiment.

Read more: Hawking thrilled with gravitational wave discovery, PM lauds India role

By 2022, India will be one of the countries, including the US, Italy and Japan, to play a major role in understanding Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity. Even as a final cabinet nod is awaited, soon after the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: Hope to make an even bigger contribution with an advanced gravitational-wave detector in the country.

The government will have to fund the Rs 1,260-crore observatory project over 15 years. The Planning Commission has cleared the project, which has been studied by the department of atomic energy and the department of science and technology.

General relativity explained gravity in terms of the curvature of four-dimensional spacetime, and predicted the existence of black holes. The observatory will help spot more gravity waves, the discovery of which will prove general relativity beyond doubt.

Read more: Ripples in space time: Gravitational waves seen from black hole

The US has two observatories known as the LIGO, while Italy has the third called the Virgo Interferometer and Japan is constructing another one.

Read more: Einsteins most important theory is true: What you need to know

If the Indian observatory  LIGO-India  materialises, the country will join the global network of gravitational wave detectors. Establishing an observatory in India assumes importance because the further the distance between the observatories, the greater will be the accuracy in locating gravity waves.

Without LIGO-India, we cant locate where the event happened. Therefore, three identical telescopes are needed, said professor Tarun Souradeep, of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune.

The Indian Institute of Plasma Research in Gandhi Nagar is among the lead institutes to build components for the Indian detector for central data acquisition and control for the futuristic machine.
Two security personnel were injured after an encounter broke out on Friday between militants and security forces in a village in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Police, assisted by the army, launched a cordon and search operation at Marseri village in Chowkibal area following specific information about a group of militants hiding in a house, officials said.

Soon after the cordon was established, the search party were attacked by the hiding ultras. The security forces then returned fire, they said. Two security personnel, including an officer, were injured in the gunbattle which took place this afternoon, they said.
A 24-year-old Snapdeal employee who went missing on her way home from work in Ghaziabad in the national capital region returned to her house on Friday morning.

Dipti Sarnas father told HT she was left inside a train at Narela station in northwest Delhi but refused to give out any more details.

She called me early in the morning and told me she was safe and in New Delhi. She said she will come to Vaishali railway station and asked me to pick her up from there, said her mother Vandana Sarna.

We asked her to stay where she was and her father would go to pick her up.

Dipti has been found and reunited with her family. Will update with more details. Thank you for all your support and prayers. #HelpFindDipti  Snapdeal (@snapdeal) February 12, 2016

Dipti reached home at 10 am but her bag and mobile phone were still missing.

An executive with the e-commerce majors legal department since April, Dipti left her office in Gurgaon at 5.30pm on Wednesday and took an office shuttle to the nearest Metro station.

She was seen exiting the Vaishali Metro station in Ghaziabad at 7.42pm and heading towards a nearby auto stand. From her shared auto around 8.30pm, she called her friend Nivrat, who said she heard Dipti scream before suddenly going silent.

Read: She screamed and the phone went dead: Missing Snapdeal employees friend

Ms.Dipti spoke to her parents; soon to join them; we are eagerly awaiting for her return, said Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police Dharmendra.

Ms.Dipti spoke to her parents; soon to join them; we are eagerly awaiting for her return- Sh.Dharmendra,SSP, GZB #HelpFindDipti  Government of UP (@UPGovt) February 12, 2016

Diptis alleged abduction triggered protests on Wednesday with a crowd of 500 people joining her family to block the Ghaziabad-Hapur road leading to national highway 24, demanding immediate police action.

The e-commerce firm also launched a twitter hashtag #HelpFindDipti with the Uttar Pradesh government ordering police to launch a manhunt for the woman.

Our friend Dipti Sarna is missing since yesterday. Please DM any info you might have & #HelpFindDipti pic.twitter.com/TTcq1D87bq  Snapdeal (@snapdeal) February 11, 2016

UPCM @yadavakhilesh has instructed SSP GZB to personally head the search operation of #HelpFindDipti. Several teams formed, chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs official Twitter handle said.

After receiving Nivrats call, the Sarna family called Diptis mobile several times but it was switched off by then. They immediately called the police.

The police traced her mobile phones last location to a secluded place close to the Raj Nagar Extension area and launched a hunt with PCR vans, cops on horseback  due to the rough terrain  a dog squad, a forensic team and surveillance drones.

Read: Why women are being forced to opt for risky shared autos
Day five of David Coleman Headleys deposition before a Mumbai court on Friday revealed more details of the Lashkar-e-Taibas plans to attack Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai and National Defence College in the Capital.

Here are highlights of all that Headley revealed before the court via video link from an unknown US location:

1:30 pm David Coleman Headley told the court that the National Defence College in Delhi was on the radar of both Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Al-Qaeda. Headley said that he had casually visited the college in 2007 when he had come to India because Sajid Mir had asked him to have a look at the college. He said after 26/11 terrorist attacks he had conducted the reconnaissance of the National Defence College (NDC) again, and of Chabad houses in Pushkar, Pune and Goa on the instructions of slain 313 brigade leader Illyas Kashmiri who later joined Al-Qaeda.

1145 am Bal Thackeray, Sena Bhavan on LeT target list: Headley

Late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and the partys headquarters at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar was on Lashkar-e-Taibas (LeTs) targets, said David Coleman Headley while deposing before a sessions court in Mumbai.

Headley said that he had conducted a reconnaissance of Shiv Sena Bhavan, and had also befriended Rajaram Rege  a close confidante of Uddhav Thackeray. Rege had then emailed Headley asking for people from United States who wanted to invest in various projects in India.

Headley had informed this to his handler Sajid Mir, who had then asked Headley to make further inroads into Shiv Sena Bhavan. Sajid had told him that LeT would either want to assassinate Balasaheb Thackeray or conduct a terror attack on Sena Bhavan.

10 am Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) wanted to attack Mumbai International Airport and Indian Navys helicopter base INS Shikra in Mumbai, said David Coleman Headley while deposing before the sessions court of judge GA Sanap on Friday.

Headley told the court that Major Iqbal wanted him to conduct a reconnaissance of Mumbai Airport and the Navy base. But Headley said that he did not conduct the reconnaissance of either places after he found the two vital installations heavily guarded.

When Headley returned to Pakistan, Major Iqbal was visibly upset when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members dropped the plans of attacking airport and the navy base, saying that they would have to use all the 10 LeT attackers at one spot if they had to carry out an attack on the Mumbai airport or the navy base.

Headley told the court that even Siddhivinayak Temple was dropped from the attack plan after Headley found it heavily fortified.

Headley then told court that the saffron bands Mohamed Ajmal Kasab and other attackers were wearing were given by him. Headley had bought the bands from outside Siddhivinayak Temple after he learnt that those following the Hindu faith wore such bands. Headley said that the bands would have masked the attackers identity.

Headley said that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the chief operational commander of LeT, wanted the attackers to land at Gateway of India because of his proximity with Hotel Taj Palace and Towers. But Headley had then Lakhvi that to reach Gateway of India the 10 attackers would have to cross naval installations and the possibility of them being apprehended would be more. It was on Headleys behest that Badhwar Park was finally chosen as the landing point.

9: 30 am Lakhvi said 26/11 is answer to all blasts done by India: Headley

David Coleman Headleys deposition over the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack entered its fifth day on Friday where he revealed that Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack has said the Mumbai attacks would be Pakistans revenge.

Lakhvi said, this (26/11 attack) is very imp. It will be an answer to all bomb blasts done by India in Pak. It will be our revenge: Headley  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Headley also said that Major Iqbal had directed him to recruit people from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for ISI.

Headley even admitted that he visited and made a video of BARC, and then handed it to Major Iqbal & Sajid Mir.

The deposition which is happening via video conferencing began on Friday as special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam arrived at Mumbai court.

On the fourth day of the deposition, Headley made sensational revelations, in which he took the name of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter and said that he was informed by Muzammil Bhatt about a botched operation in Gujarat because of a female suicide bomber.

David Headley has made many sensational revelations. The first revelation was made when we asked him how many wings does Lashkar have. He replied that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi is the operation commander. Hafiz Saeed is the founder. He also named finance wing, women wing and a naval wing. We further asked him who the head of the women wing was, to which he said that Abu Hunjas mother was the head of the wing, said special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, Ujjwal Nikam.

During the last three days of deposition, Headley revealed several names in Pakistani Army and the ISI who are working closely with terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamat-ul-Dawa (JuD) to carry out attacks in India.

He informed about the ISI giving moral, financial and military support to the LeT and gave a detailed plan of modus operandi behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks
A private autonomous college in Trichy has declared that a meteorite killed a bus driver in Vellore on February 6, keeping alive a bubbling debate after American agency Nasa overruled the death-by-space-rock theory.

Driver Kamraj of Bharathidasan Engineering College at Natrampalli, around 170km from Chennai, was killed and three more men were injured in an explosion after a burning object fell from the sky and created a three-foot wide crater. Police recovered a black, pockmarked stone from the site.

National College, a private engineering institute, said tests at its lab confirmed that samples collected from the spot were indeed fragments from a meteorite.

The sample showed presence of carbonaceous chondrites, college principal K Anbarasu told Hindustan Times over the phone on Friday afternoon. We are 100% confident that it was a meteorite as the substance we recovered from the spot contained globular particles found only in meteorites and not in any other terrestrial material.

Samples were collected from the terrace of the college building on February 9. These contained minerals like nickel, chromium, sulphur and iron. We have sent these for a detailed chemical examination  in an instrument called ICP or Inductively Coopted Plasma, the principal said.

If that is so, Kamraj could be the first human casualty of a meteorite.

But scientists at Nasa have discounted the theory, saying online photographs of the site were more consistent with a land-based explosion than with something from space. The agency said a death by meteorite impact was so rare that one has never been scientifically confirmed in recorded history.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru and the Geographical Survey of India (GSI), the final authority in the country on the subject, did not share the Trichy college principals confidence. They were yet to make any authoritative comment on the object.

We have sent samples to laboratories  only after getting the results we would be in any position to make a confirmation, a senior scientist from the Bengaluru-based institute said.

S Raju, the Chennai-based deputy director of GSI visited inspected the spot and did not find any meteorite-like object on the campus. But nothing can be said unless we analyze the chemical properties.

He said there has been no recorded literature yet of a man getting killed by a meteorite.

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Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has criticised the NDA governments handling of relations with Indias neighbours, saying it has been inconsistent while dealing with Pakistan.

Singh, who spurned several invitations to visit Pakistan during his two terms as premier, said he had not given in to pressure from various sides to go to Islamabad because there was no assurance of some effective outcomes.

I would say that the real test of foreign policy is in the handling of your neighbours. And here I would say that the Modi governments handling of Pakistan is inconsistent. It has been one step forward, two steps back, he said in an interview with India Today.

Indias relations with major world powers such as Russia, China and the US had improved, he said. But this wasnt the case in ties with neighbours. Control of terror remains a primary concern in relations with Pakistan, he added.

And Pakistan made promises it didnt keep. I think, in substance, the problem has not disappeared. The question is, how is the Modi government responding? Whatever your views on Pakistan, our effort was that we have to engage Pakistan. They are our neighbours. We can choose our friends, but we cannot choose our neighbours, Singh said.

He said he believed the NDA government had been inconsistent because it went out of its way to invite (Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif for the prime ministers swearing-in ceremony but the advantage that should have been taken from that move did not materialise because the Modi government made it conditional that the Pakistani government could not talk to the Hurriyat.

Singh said he didnt know if Modis trip to Lahore in December to wish Sharif on his birthday was well-thought-out.

There seems to be no evidence that the Pakistanis have taken action against those who perpetrated the crime in Pathankot...And now it comes out that Pakistan is asking - what it used to ask us - that you are not providing enough evidence. I think with regard to Pathankot, history is repeating itself, he said.

If you are not sure about the outcome of your initiative, I think you are wasting the levers of power that you have regarding Pakistan. So I dont think that the PM thought it through.

Singh said he had decided not to go to his ancestral village of Gah in Pakistan unless and until I was assured of a positive outcome, which was that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack be brought to book and that Pakistan stops using its territory to launch terror attacks against India.

When Modi sought Singhs views on dealing with Pakistan, he had replied: I told him, whatever your views on the relationship, we must engage Pakistan. Engagement doesnt mean that we have to agree with Pakistan on everything...I told him that at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, the US and the Soviet Union were eyeball to eyeball but they continued to talk to each other all the time.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will undertake a five-day official visit to India from February 19, his first foreign trip since assuming office last October.

Olis trip was cleared during a meeting of his cabinet on Thursday evening. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including prominent businessmen.

During his trip, the two sides are expected to sign deals on using the $1 billion India promised Nepal for reconstruction work related to the devastating earthquakes of last year.

Agreements are also expected on two hydropower projects to be built with another $1 billion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged during his Nepal visit in 2014.

Oli, known for his staunch nationalist image, has said he wont sign any deal which might hurt Nepals sovereignty and integrity.

He and his delegation are also expected to visit Mumbai, where he will address eminent Indian businessmen with the aim of securing investments in the impoverished Himalayan nation.
Northern Army Commander Lt General DS Hooda has ruled out any possibility of withdrawal of troops from the Siachen, the highest battleground in the world. He added it was unwarranted to link troop withdrawal with the tragedy at Siachen, where an avalanche had to the death of nine soldiers. A survivor also breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday.

Let me make it clear that we had a tragedy at Siachen, but I see no reason to connect it with troop withdrawal. There is no link to it. We are committed to defend our border and we will continue do so, said Hooda at a media interaction in Udhampur.

On Thursday, Pakistan had made a fresh appeal that both countries should mutually agree to withdrawal of troops from the Siachen. It had said matter should be treated in urgent manner to ensure that more lives are not lost.

For an agreement on troops withdrawal, some conditions have to be met and these are not agreeable to the other country. The first step is to authenticate the actual position, where we have our posts and both sides should agree on this. There is no such agreement, he said.

Young militants a concern

Hooda added that even as the level of militancy had come down in Jammu and Kashmir, but concerns persisted on young people joining terrorist outfits. He said the army will help them in rehabilitation if such young militants surrendered, provided they had not committed heinous crimes.

From a security perspective, things are improving on the ground as many top terrorists have been killed and incidents of terrorism have come down. From a larger perspective, young people joining terror groups remains a concern. Its also tragic also as terrorists have life span of six months to a year. We will help them in rehabilitation. They should leave the gun and come back, he said.

He said though there hasnt been any incident of cross-border infiltration along the LoC for the last three months, but terror infrastructure remained intact.

Infrastructure needs

to catch up with China

Lt General Hooda added that Indian infrastructure, especially roads along the Line-of Actual control (LAC), was not comparable to what China had built along its border.

The Chinese have a better-developed infrastructure along their border, but the Indian government has also given a push to building more roads and deploying additional troops. Things have improved over the years.
The arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition on Friday resulted in a political slugfest, with HRD minister Smriti Irani calling it an insult to mother India and the Congress and other opposition parties accusing the ruling party of curbing students voice.

I only want to say that today is the day of worship of Goddess Saraswati. Saraswati blesses every family that whatever they speak is for progress and strengthening the nation. Nation will never tolerate insult to mother India, she told reporters at JNU.

Welcoming the arrest, the BJP questioned the silence of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the issue. On one hand our soldiers are sacrificing their lives on the border and on the other, anti-India slogans are being raised in an institutes like JNU and terrorists are being hailed as martyrs. This is very unfortunate, said party national secretary Shrikant Sharma.

BJP welcomes the arrest and hope that action will be taken against other accused too. There is a limit to everything, he added.

Hitting back, the Congress said that the BJP should stop branding JNU as anti-national and raised questions over the NDAs capacity to tolerate a different point of view.

The BJP has been curbing students voice and it was evident from the protests at FTII, IIT Madras and Hyderabad Central University. Is police action in JNU a desperate attempt to perpetuate it? Take action against those guilty but isnt BJP using Delhi Police for its anti-JNU tirade? Proud of JNU, stop branding it anti-national, said Congress communication department chief Randeep Surjewala on Twitter.

Another party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said merely saying something does not fall in the category of sedition, unless it is backed by some action.

Addressing the media from the AICC podium, Singhvi also alleged that not only workers but BJP MLAs, MPs and ministers have made similar shocking divisive anti-national statements.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in Kolkata, The question is do you know who raised the slogans? Take action according to law against them. When you dont know, then how are you arresting all the student leaders? ...male police are going and raiding girls hostels. Only during Emergency we saw this happen. That is the sort of Emergency state they are reducing our country to again. This time it is the BJP.
The presence of the relatives of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar of Hyderabad University who committed suicide last month, in Muslim Leagues Kerala yatra, has baffled many including Left parties.

Rohiths mother Radhika Vemula, brother Raj Vemula and their family friends attended the concluding session of the yatra led by state industry minister and League leader PK Kuhalikutty on Shangumugam beach in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

We are still facing threat to our life. We came here to express solidarity with the League which is fighting for minority community members and other backward people, said Raj Vemula, adding that politics was not involved in their visit. He reiterated that their struggle would continue till the resignation of two central ministers.

But Left leaders fear that their presence would help the ruling UDF. In fact, Left student unions were spearheading agitation on many campuses across the country alleging victimisation of Dalit and backward students after his death.

We are really shocked. We have no idea how a party with communal background managed to rope in close relatives of Vemula. It is real setback for progressive outfits, said a senior leader of the CPI(M).

However, League leaders said it would help them float a secular democratic platform. Their presence is a big boost to us. We will take a lead in forging an alliance with minorities and Dalits, said minister Kunhalikutty.

Of late, League has been trying hard for a pan-India presence. Political observers see it as a move to checkmate plans of Salahuddin Owaisi, chief of the Hyderabad-based Majlis Ittihadul Muslimeen Party, to expand his base. In Bihar assembly elections, Owasi had fielded many candidates.

Muslim League is the second-largest UDF partner after Congress with two Lok Sabha MPs and a RS member from the state. An also-ran in many other states the party is desperately trying to strengthen its base outside Kerala. Recently the party had a launched a nationwide signature campaign against the move to implement common civil code in the country.

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The Energy and Resources Institutes governing council on Friday asked its executive vice-chairman RK Pachauri to go on leave in the face of protests against his elevation despite being accused of sexual harassment.

The environmental think tank handed over all executive powers to its new director, General Ajay Mathur, and also named ex-finance secretary and former Competition Commission of India chairman Ashok Chawla as its new chairman.

Sources within TERI indicated this could be the end for Pachauri at the institute he headed since 1982, considering the governing council will now take a call on whether the 75-year-old can return to TERI at all. Most of Pachauris supporters are out of the council and his contract with TERI ends later this year.

Pachauri will be on leave from TERI, TERI governing council and TERI University till this is reviewed by the governing council, given the sub judice nature of the matter, the council said in a statement after a two-hour meeting.

Pachauri was promoted on February 8  a move a former colleague who has accused him of sexual harassment said made her skin crawl. The 29-year-old former TERI researcher had lodged a case against Pachauri with the Delhi Police last February.

Two days later on Wednesday, another ex-colleague accused Pachauri of sexually harassing her and other women in her presence. The woman had quit TERI in 2003 and first made the allegation against Pachauri last year.

She claimed the police had failed to act on her complaint.

Activists and protesters gathered outside the TERI office on Friday seeking Pachauris sacking.

The outrage has, in fact, been building since January when a researcher, Rahul Singh, accused a top TERI functionary of pressuring him to ask the first complainant to withdraw her case.

The police corroborated this on Thursday when it told the Delhi high court that a TERI director had admitted to speaking to Singh about an out-of-court settlement. The police said they would be filing a charge sheet against Pachauri within 15 days.

After the case was filed last year, Pachauri had quit the intergovernmental panel on climate change that he headed for over a decade and was asked to leave the PMs Council on Climate Change.

But he remained in control at TERI as its director-general even as the investigation continued, a TERI spokesperson told HT earlier.

That changed Friday as the governing council laid out its future leadership plan with Mathur given full executive powers and Chawla entrusted with the role of guiding the institutes 1,200 employees worldwide.

Chawla later announced that TERI would get an external ombudsman to address employees complaints regarding internal processes.

The governing council supports the rights of women and has consistently ensured the provision of a secure environment and safe work place for its employees, the statement read.

Read | Pachauri on leave? Wont attend Teri convocation after protest

Read | Protests within TERI: Students refuse to take degrees from Pachauri

Read | Pachauri feels the heat as second victim resurfaces

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The government said on Friday it would take strong action against Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University students accused of shouting anti-India slogans as police arrested the student union president and lodged sedition cases.

Home minister Rajnath Singh said he instructed police to take strict action against students who organised a controversial event in JNU to protest against the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru three years ago, and allegedly shouted anti-India slogans.

If anyone raises anti-India slogans and tries to raise questions on the nations unity and integrity, they will not be spared, Singh said.

Police arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was remanded to three days of police custody by a Delhi court. Students protested against the court allowing Kanhaiyas custodial interrogation.

The JNU administration distanced itself from the row, with vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar saying the incident was a result of fringe elements misusing their freedom.

Human resource development minister Smriti Irani said the nation couldnt tolerate any insult to Mother India, as police filed a second sedition case against the organisers of a similar event at Delhis Press Club of India on Wednesday.

In the second case, Delhi University professor SAR Geelani was booked by police on Friday under charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans and hailing executed Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as a martyr.

Along with Geelani, professor Ali Javed was named as the organiser of a political meeting at the Press Club of India where the alleged incident took place. Javed was released late Friday evening after being questioned at the Parliament Street police station and told to present himself for questioning on Saturday. Police said after Javeds interrogation, Geelani would be summoned to join the investigation.

Meanwhile on Friday, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers clashed with police and protested against the JNU students, many of whom demonstrated outside the VCs house.

On Thursday, police lodged an FIR and examined video footage from the event titled, A country without a post office  where the sloganeering allegedly happened  after the ABVP and east Delhi BJP MP Maheish Girri filed a complaint.

Read | Sedition case filed against JNU students in Afzal Guru row

The Left criticised the government for arresting the students and likened the developments to situations during Emergency.

By targeting general students, they (ABVP) are creating a sense of terror in the campus. Delhi Police should not act in connivance with the ABVP, targeting the entire Left, CPI national secretary D Raja said.

Raja met the university VC, after which he told students to stay united and said, Universities have become battlegrounds for ideas and ideologies. Dont be scared.

The university received at least six letters from MPs seeking action against those responsible for the incident.

Though the FIR was filed against unknown people, official sources in the university said they received a list of 20 names from the police, including some female students.

A preliminary inquiry conducted by a high-powered inquiry committee constituted on Thursday in JNU found eight students of the university were involved. They have been barred from academic activities till the inquiry is pending.

I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Kanhaiya told the court, alleging that it was a politically motivated case and he was being framed as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the union election.

As a CD of the event was played inside the courtroom, the judge asked Kanhaiya to identity the people seen shouting slogans supporting Guru and Pakistan, to which he responded by saying he could only identify students from JNU but most protesters had come from outside.

Some students said girls hostels were searched by police.

Those who raised slogans are not from the campus. A group of unknown people had come to the campus and raised those slogans. JNUSU office-bearers and other Left parties have already said they do not agree with such slogans, said a PhD student who did not wish to be named.
Actor Shah Rukh Khan had to pay Rs 1.93 lakh to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as demolition charges in a case dating back to March 2015.

According to a Right to Information (RTI) reply petitioned by activist Anil Galgali, the actor was asked to pay for the illegal ramp demolished by the BMC outside his house Mannat in 2015. Last year, the residents in the surrounding area had accused the actor of encroaching public space, as the ramp obstructed movement to the Mount Mary Basilica during the annual Bandra fair.

The actor allegedly used the ramp for parking his vanity van. On February 14, 2015, BMC officials brought down the ramp amid heavy police protection.

Following the demolition, on March 5, the actor was asked to foot the bill of Rs 1.93 lakh within seven days or face action under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act (MMC), 1888, Galgali said.

BMC received the payment from the actor on March 11, the RTI query reveals.
India will bid a tearful farewell to Siachen hero Hanamanthappa Koppad on Friday when his last rites are performed at his native village in Karnataka with full state honours including a 21-gun salute.

The 33-year-old lance naik of the Indian Army passed away in a hospital in Delhi on Thursday, ten days after he miraculously survived an avalanche in the icy heights of Siachen which also killed nine of his fellow-soldiers.

The survival and rescue of Hanamanthappa from under a 35-feet ice sheet had gripped the nations attention and sparked patriotic frenzy among the people unseen since the 1999 Kargil war.

Read More | #Siachenbravehearts: In soldiers death, a peoples hero is born

The soldier is survived by his wife and two-year-old daughter.

Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni said all preparations are complete for the funeral of Hanamanthappa at Betadur village of Dharwad district.

On Thursday night, chief minister Siddaramaiah received the mortal remains of the soldier at Hubballi airport from where it was taken to KIMS hospital. The coffin draped in the Tricolour was later shifted to the Nehru Ground for public viewing in the morning before it was transported to the village.

Paying his last respects, Siddaramaiah announced a relief of Rs 25 lakh to the next of kin of the martyr.

We are giving 25 lakh as compensation, two acres of wet land or four acres of dry land and job to one dependent of the family, Siddaramaiah told the media.

In Betadur, hundreds of people gathered at the house of Hanamanthappa overnight to mourn his death.

When Hanamanthappas mortal remains were brought by road from Hubbali airport around midnight, his extended family plunged into grief.

The state government will also pay hefty compensation to families of two other soldiers from the state -- sepoy Mahesha from Mysuru district and subedar Nagesha from Hassan district -- who perished in the same mishap atop Siachen.

Read More | Siachen hero soldier dies despite best medical efforts

We are pained because we thought he will recover in one or two days and come back. We prayed to all gods but in vain. His family is shattered, Hanamanthappas neighbour Manjunath told reporters, weeping inconsolably.

Koppad belonged to the 19th battalion of Madras Regiment, which he joined 13 years ago after failing to get through into the army on three occasions in past.

Hanamanthappa was posted on the Siachen glacier since August 2015 and deployed at one of the highest posts (Sonam) facing Pakistan and where temperatures plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius and winds blow up to 100-km per hour.

Read More | Dont pull out troops from Siachen, says 1987 hero Bana Singh
A 23-year-old woman working with e-commerce major Snapdeal, who was abducted from Vaishali Metro station in Ghaziabad two days ago, returned home unhurt on Friday.

Deepti Sarna called up her family to tell them that she was on a train from Panipat in Haryana.

The woman told police that she was abducted by four men she was sharing an auto with on her way home from the Metro station.

Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police Dharmendra Singh said the men were illiterate and appeared to be petty thugs who were spooked by the 200-men hunt and massive media coverage to locate Dipti.

The men dont appear to have physically harmed Dipti. She is being given some time to rest. The investigation is on and we will prepare a sketch of the four men, he said.

Watch | Abducted Snapdeal employee returns home

<span itemprop="name" content="Watch | Abducted Snapdeal employee returns home"></span><span itemprop="description" content="24-year-old Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was kidnapped from Ghaziabad on Wednesday night, has been traced in Panipat district of Haryana. Dipti called her family and informed them that she is safe. Her family went to New Delhi Railway Station, along with the police, to meet her as she arrived. She went missing after telling her father in a frantic call that the auto driver was going in a wrong direction. The phone got disconnected soon after that call and she didn&#x27;t reach home thereafter."></span><span itemprop="duration" content="40"></span><span itemprop="thumbnail" content="http://cfvod.kaltura.com/p/1679921/sp/167992100/thumbnail/entry_id/0_yewo24km/version/100002/acv/192"></span><span itemprop="width" content="640"></span><span itemprop="height" content="362"></span>

An executive with the e-commerce majors legal department since April, Dipti took a shared auto from the Metro station at 7.42pm on Wednesday. But the vehicle broke down halfway at Mohan Nagar, forcing the passengers to board another auto to the old bus stand in Ghaziabad.

But minutes later, the only other woman passenger in the auto was forced to get off at knifepoint by the four men in the vehicle, somewhere near the Hindon river.

The men snatched Diptis bag and mobile but not before a friend she was speaking with on the phone heard her scream. The men then drove the auto to a secluded area in Raj Nagar extension.

As pressure mounted on the abductors with multiple police search teams and intense media coverage, the men didnt take the risk of stopping at a hideout for the night.

They travelled with Dipti the entire night, sometimes in an i10 car, sometimes on a bike. They made Dipti walk around 10km, senior officer Singh said.

Read | Heres how Snapdeal used Twitter to help locate abducted Dipti Sarna

Early in the morning, the men brought her to a suburban railway station and made her board a Delhi-bound train, setting her free.

Around 3-4 stations later, she recognized Narela station and borrowed a mobile phone from a passenger and used it to call her family, Singh said.

Deeptis father Narendra Sarna, a resident of Kavi Nagar, said she called him in the morning and told him that she was in train in Panipat and coming to Vaishali.

I told her I will come to New Delhi railway station to pick her. I dont know how she came (managed to escape). She was found sitting in the train. I dont know whether she was in trauma, he told reporters.

Ghaziabad police intercepted Sarnas car and escorted them to Vaishali police station for questioning.

Earlier, when police failed to trace the girl even after 30 hours, residents staged a protest by blocking roads and held a sit-in at Hapur road outside the SSPs office.

(with agency inputs)

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Union home minister Rajnath Singh came down heavily on a group of students at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University on Friday for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans as police arrested the institute unions president on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy.

Reacting to the same incident, Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani told media: nation can never tolerate any insult to Mother India.

Singh said he instructed police to take strict action against the students, who organized a controversial event in JNU to protest against the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and shouted anti-India slogans.

If anyone raises anti-India slogans and tries to raise questions on the nations unity and integrity, they will not be spared, Singh told news agency ANI.

I have given necessary instructions to Delhi police commissioner about what happened in JNU.

Anyone who raises anti-India slogans or tries to put a ques mark on nation's unity & integrity will not be spared-HM pic.twitter.com/Za1r33SnpF  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

These strong remarks came a day after Delhi Police lodged an FIR and examined video footage from the event titled, A country without a post office after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and east Delhi BJP MP Maheish Girri filed a complaint. Police also arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

In January, the NDA government was embroiled in another student agitation in Hyderabad where Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula committed suicide.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) disassociated itself from the event while the vice-chancellor called for an inquiry by the proctor, saying the event was an act of indiscipline. The JNU administration had cancelled permission for the event.

Stringent actions must be taken against them (who raised anti-India slogans in JNU) and strict action will be taken: HM Rajnath Singh  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Strict action should be taken against the offenders so that such shameful and anti-India activities are not repeated, Girri said.

The event also triggered a fierce debate on social media as #ShutDownJNU trended on Twitter and Facebook with many demanding jail time for the organisers.
A face-off between right-wing Hindu groups and the administration in Madhya Pradeshs Dhar blew over after Muslims offered Friday namaaz under heavy security cover at a disputed shrine claimed by both communities.

Communal tension had been brewing in the town, 255 km from capital Bhopal, over the past few days with Hindu groups demanded that Muslims be barred from namaaz at the shrine on Friday, celebrated as Basant Panchami to appropriate Goddess Saraswati.

Even as Hindu devotees offered puja and performed havan outside the shrine, known as Bhojsala , police escorted a group of 25 Muslims through a back gate. After they offered prayers on the roof of the Bhojshala, they were escorted out of the complex, the divisional commissioner Sanjay Dubey and additional director general of police Vipin Maheshwari said in a formal announcement.

The Archeological Survey of India, which maintains the historic structure, allows Hindus to pray at the shrine on Tuesdays while Muslims can do so on Fridays.

The administration had deployed a large number of security personnel as Hindu devotees offered prayers inside the shrine in the morning.

Devotees also queued up for a puja and havan  outside the shrine  conducted by the Bhoj Utsav Samiti along with the Dharm Jagaran Vibhag, an outfit of the RSS.

A seer from Varanasi, Swami Narendranath Saraswati, sat on dharna outside the shrine demanding that only puja be allowed inside the shrine.

The administration said more than 1,500 devotees offered prayers at Bhojshala on Friday.

The Samiti, which is controlled by hardline Hindus had announced they wont be going inside the Bhojshala if namaaz is allowed. The samiti announced in the afternoon that devotees will enter the shrine since the namaaz was over.

The Samiti held a 35,000-strong rally on Monday and mobilised devotees across the Malwa-Nimar region.

With tension mounting, the rest of the town appeared to shut itself up with all shops and business establishments remaining closed since the morning.
The H1N1 influenza has claimed 25 lives in Rajasthan this year, an official said on Thursday.

Since the start of this year till February 10, 25 people have died due to swine flu virus in the state. Besides this, 128 others have been found H1N1 positive, a medical and health department official told IANS here.

Ten deaths have been reported from Jaipur, four from Ajmer, two from Churu and rest from other cities.

Eighty-two cases have from Jaipur have tested positive, eight from Alwar and six from Ajmer among others.

We are taking steps to curb the spread of the disease, said the official.

The state government has directed to have separate out patient departments, isolation wards and ICUs in all government-run hospitals.
Trumbo

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis CK

Rating: 4/5

Sitting in a bathtub with a pen in one hand and glass of whiskey in the other, a long cigarette holder dangling beneath his wiry moustache, Dalton Trumbo wrote countless Hollywood screenplays. From B-movies to Oscar winners, he remained prolific throughout his career, even during the 13 years he was blacklisted by the movie business for being a communist. He went to prison for holding fast to his ideals  that Americans have the right to believe as they please without retribution from the government  and upon his release, he worked constantly and defiantly, but at significant personal and professional cost.

But you dont have to know a thing about Trumbo, Hollywood or communism to enjoy watching Trumbo. A biopic lovingly rendered with input and approval from his daughters, Trumbo is about an idealistic yet imperfect man who stands up for what he believes is right, even when it means risking the things he holds most dear. The script is funny and fact-filled; the acting outstanding.

The ensemble of supporting actors is also excellent.

As the title character, Bryan Cranston gives a performance as compelling and complex as the man himself must have been. Cranstons Trumbo is eminently interesting, from his rounded posture and curious eyes to his distinct cadence and diction. Appearing in nearly every frame of the film, Cranston infuses John McNamaras clever screenplay with even more life. With a vocabulary of witticisms, Trumbo speaks like a man who loves language.

The ensemble of supporting actors is also excellent. As Trumbos wife, Cleo, Diane Lane embodies quiet strength, conveying heartbreak, pride and concern with just her eyes. Louis CK plays Trumbos fictional friend Arlen Hird, who delivers sharp one-liners and clever retorts just like the comedian himself might. Dean OGorman is uncanny as Kirk Douglas, right down to the chin dimple. Michael Stuhlbarg brings the necessary gravitas as actor Edward G Robinson. Helen Mirrens grounded performance keeps the outlandish gossip columnist Hedda Hopper from becoming a caricature.

And John Goodman absolutely steals his scenes as B-movie producer Frank King. Watching him smash up his office with a bat and explain what keeps him in the movie business is alone worth a trip to the theatre.

Director Jay Roach (Game Change, Meet the Parents) keeps these big performances of even bigger personalities in balance, an oscillation of stars around Trumbo.

The story begins in 1947. Trumbo, a labour-union supporter, would regularly meet with his friends  Hird, Robinson and other Hollywood colleagues  to discuss political and social ideas. Like many others, Trumbo had become a communist after the Great Depression, and the group was concerned about the state of the country. As Louis CK describes it: It was kind of like blogging, but they did it in person.

The US government, meanwhile, was concerned about the rise of communism, and thought movies were one way communists conspired to control American minds. The House Un-American Activities Committee called on Trumbo and other artists to testify about their political beliefs and identify colleagues who might be communists. Trumbo declined to name names, and said his right to peaceably assemble and share ideas is protected by the Constitution. He was held in contempt of Congress and spent a year in jail. Others in Hollywood did name names, and those believed to be associated with communism were suddenly indefinitely unemployed.

The industry policed itself through the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (which sounds fake, but wasnt). John Wayne (David James Elliot) was its leader, and gossip columnist Hopper its unofficial enforcer.

By combining archival footage with shots of the cast, Roach effectively inserts them into history, lending a sense of realism to the events. Production designer Mark Ricker and costume designer Daniel Orlandi bring mid-century LA to life with vintage cars and short neckties.

It all makes for an enthralling story about how far government, industry and individuals might go to uphold what they believe is right.

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From hiring high-end cars to booking suites in starred hotels, the state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the Make In India event becomes a success. Prime minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on Saturday.

The state and central government did not get much of a response from state heads of leading countries. The only countries that will attend various programmes during the week are Sweden, Lithuania, Finland and Poland. Dozens of other countries, however, have agreed to send their official delegation of ministers.

With more than a 100 foreign delegations expected to land in the city for the week-long event, the city does not have enough Mercedes cars to rent out. It has requested the Ministry of External Affairs for additional cars from other cities. The demand for the high-end cars shot up owing to the VIP attendance. Most of the countries have booked S and E series Mercedes cars for their respective heads. The bookings made privately by the participating industries have also led to the shortage. The government will need more than 30 Mercedes cars. We were forced to approach the Ministry of the External Affairs for the additional cars, said an official from Mantralaya.

The state government has also blocked suites in starred hotels in south Mumbai to cater to the last-minute rise in demand during the Week. According to protocol, the government provides accommodation and transport of a 10-person staff accompanying state heads. The delegations that are not headed by the prime or deputy prime ministers are provided with other high-end cars. The Mercedes cars cost us around Rs18,000 a day, while other cars like the Corrola cost Rs6,000 a day, the officer said.

Four state agencies  the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation(MIDC), the BMC and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation  are shouldering the financial burden of the Week and it is expected to range between Rs80 crore and Rs100 crore. The major responsibility of big events, exhibitions and hospitality, logistics has been taken by the MIDC, which is spending more than Rs40 crore. The MMRDA is spending on the space and logistical support. This costs about Rs15 crore, an official said.

Meanwhile, the state government plans to sign an MoU with leading multinational firms.

According to Mantralaya officials, the state government has sealed deals with giants from various sectors and the official announcement will be made on Monday. Besides automobile and IT, we are expecting sizeable investment in the textile sector. Leading global players in education and healthcare are also in the process of discussion and deliberation,said Swadheen Kshatriya, state chief secretary.

Uddhav accepts CMs invitation to attend event

Ending the week-long suspense, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend events during the Make in India week. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has not only invited Thackeray for the event, but has also asked him to give concluding remarks at the Make in Mumbai seminar to be held on February 15.

The move has got significance in the wake of recent war of words between the allies on various issues.

According to sources, Fadnavis personally invited Thackeray for the event, which was accepted.

Following this, a formal invitation was sent to Thackeray by industries minister and senior Sena leader Subhash Desai on February 9.

The suspense had been building up over Thackerays attendance. The Shiv Sena chief was not invited to lay down the foundation stone for the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Dadar on October 11 last year. This, despite all the other BJP allies being invited to the event, which was even attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thackeray will attend a cultural event called Maharashtra Night to be held at Girgaum Chowpatty on February 14. Thackeray will visit Maharashtras stall at the exhibition centre on February 15 to be held at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. He will also address the concluding session of the Make in Mumbai seminar to be held at the same venue in the evening, said a senior official, on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Confirming the same, Desai said the chief minister has invited the Shiv Sena chief for the event and he has agreed to attend. The chief minister spoke to him on the phone and extended the invitation, Desai told Hindustan Times.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Make In India week on Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the Shiv Sena, BJPs main ally, wont share the dais with him at all, but Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will.

This has irked Sena leaders. Thackeray would not be sharing the dais with PM Modi at the inauguration owing to protocol because he does not hold a constitutional post. At the same time, Modi and Pawar will be seen together at a non-government function organised by the Bombay Arts Society in Bandra.

The Sena leadership has given a clear signal to the BJP-led state government that Thackeray would attend the programmes only if he shares the dais with Modi. But this will not be possible at the two programmes organised for the launch of Make In India week because of the presence of the governor, state chief minister and heads of three nations.

Since the formation of BJP governments in Maharashtra and at Centre, the Sena, an ally of NDA, has been complaining of poor treatment meted out to the party and its leadership.

To pacify the Sena leadership, the state government has invited Thackeray for two other functions, including a seminar on Make in Mumbai.

However, Sena leaders are not happy with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last-minute invitation for the two events.

We are their ally. Surely, they could have ensured our leader was also part of the events. He doesnt have to hold a constitutional post to attend these events, the leader said.

A senior official from the chief ministers office (CMO) said there is a technical glitch in inviting Uddhav for inauguration event of Make In India week. Protocol has to be followed at any PMs programme. More importantly, this is the central governments event. As far as the state government is concerned, Uddhav has been invited for two events, the officer said.

Sena leaders revealed Fadnavis and his office were constantly trying to reach Thackeray on Thursday. The BJP seemed nervous that wed spoil their party if Thackeray was not given a respectable invitation. Hence, at the last minute, they tried desperately to reach out and tell us theyve made him the chief guest for one event, said a Sena leader close to Matoshree, the Thackerays official residence.

Pawar, however, will share the dais at the inaugural function of the Bombay Art Society complex at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Rangsharda Auditorium on February 13.
The police and the family of Dipti Sarna, the 24-year-old Snapdeal executive who returned home safe on Friday, are waiting for a detailed account of the 36 hours that the she spent in captivity and finally got back.

Sarna was allegedly abducted in a shared auto on her way back home in Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, from the Vaishali Metro station on Wednesday evening.

I just want to sleep was all that she said when approached on Friday evening. Her family said Dipti was not allowed to sleep for 36 hours and was very tired.

She is too tired. They (the abductors) made her walk for over 10km. She had daal chawal and went to sleep, said Vandana Sarna, Diptis mother.

When asked about a mark below her left eye, her family said it was a birth mark.

She is fine and had no injuries. When they abducted her, they slapped her once and pulled her hair to overpower her. After that, she was not harmed, said Narendra Sarna, her father.

Diptis family friends, neighbours and relatives made beeline for the Sarnas house on Friday.

Whenever I asked her about the incident, she would start speaking but soon choke and start crying. So, we have not troubled her much. We will speak to her once she is comfortable, said Jatin, her brother who is pursuing BBA from Delhi.

Her family also rejected media reports that they did not wish to press charges against the accused.

Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police Dharmendra Singh said police had a 25-minute chat with Sarna on Friday and every statement that she has made will be verified.

She told us that to conceal her identity, Dipti told the abductors that her name was Sneha. They told her that they had been following her for 14 months. We took the victim for a medical examination and also to the crime scene, Singh said.

Read | She screamed and phone went dead: Missing Snapdeal employees friend

We have also roped in sketch artists to prepare portraits of the four abductors. We will also verify the route taken by the abductors as well as the victim on her way back home, Singh said.

Diptis mobile phone, bag and the laptop along with the internet data card are yet to be recovered. Her last mobile location was traced near an isolated stretch of the Raj Nagar Extension Road near the Hindon river.

Meanwhile, police teams seized the clothes and shoes worn by Dipti on the night of the incident and sent her belongings for forensic examination.

The police have detained an auto driver, Hamid, who was standing near the Meerut Crossing where the four accused dropped the second woman passenger at knife-point. The police have also picked up nearly 60 auto drivers from the Vaishali Metro station for questioning and verifying their credentials as well as location at the time of the incident.

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Despite the seven unguarded Automatic-Teller-Machines (ATMs) which were looted in the last ten months ,under the police commissionerates jurisdiction, the city police is yet to learn. 122 ATMs of the city continue to not have proper security.

The jurisdiction of the additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-2) has the maximum number of ATMs. It has 209 ATMs out of total 389 kiosks in the city. According to information gathered from the police, amongst the 209 ATMs in the ADCP-2 jurisdiction, 56 dont have a guard in the day or night. Similarly, in the area of ADCP-1, 66 of 180 kiosks remain unguarded.

Four of the last seven heists happened in the jurisdiction of ADCP-2.

Police station seven jurisdiction has 50 ATMs, the maximum, followed by Sadar police station which has 41 under its jurisdiction. Both police stations come under the area of ADCP-II. In the area, 13 and 10 ATMs dont have security guards.

In 2015, the robbers looted Rs 9.98 lakh from a State Bank of India ATM at Jandiala on October 6, and on September 26, three robbers, including a girl, had uprooted Punjab National Bank ATM containing Rs 4.46 lakh at Sarhali village.

An FIR was registered in both cases at the Sadar police station.The ATM robbery on Wednesday was reported in the police station seven.

A senior police official said they dont have sufficient manpower in the investigation wing. He said work load has doubled during routine working hours of officials, which has hampered work. He said as the robbers had targeted only locked ATMs and looted cash after uprooting machines or breaking with gas cutters, they needed additional force to guard each ATM.

Generally, it is the duty of the banks to guard its kiosks. However, since the cash is insured they do not pay heed to security, he said by adding that people are not interested in registering cases against bank officials, which is a hindrance in tackling the situation.

The ATM robbers dont leave any clues, so it has become a challenge to catch them. It is shameful that we have failed to make headway in any case, he added.

Directions issued

In the view of a spurt in ATM loot incidents, Kapurthala district magistrate (DM), on Thursday, issued strict instructions to banks and non-banking finance firms to deploy full-time guards.

DM said it had been noticed that robbery incidents involving ATMs, took place where security was the treated as the lowest priority. He said strict action will be initiated against violators for not deploying proper security guards.

DM added that besides private and public sector banks, money changers and financers should manage 24-hour proper security at their premises to avoid such happenings. The order will last till April 10, 2016.

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The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) stopped the shoot of the biopic Sarbjit after the bouncers accompanying film stars allegedly misbehaved with the media inside the Golden Temple complex on Friday.

Trouble began at around 9:30am, when actor Aishwarya Rai entered the Parikarma of the shrine to begin the shoot. Things turned ugly when the bouncers accompanying her started misbehaving with the local photojournalists, who were trying to grab a shot of the star.

First, the bouncers jostled with photographers and even tried to snatch the camera of the HT photographer.

The media persons later took up the matter with the SGPC, which asked the crew to wrap up the shoot. The entire crew then went inside a serai.

Though, the SGPC additional secretary Daljit Singh Bedi claimed that they were aware of the shoot, a section of the SGPC officials maintained that the SGPC had not given any formal permission for shooting inside the shrine.

Talking to HT, Bedi said, The attitude of the film crew was uncalled for. We cannot tolerate such behaviour inside the shrine. We have to maintain the sanctity of the place as well as the convenience of the devotees.

Read: Dalbir is not real sister of Sarabjit Singh, says Ludhiana woman

The crew was to shoot inside the langar ghar (community kitchen) and Parikarma, where Aishwarya had to take holy water from the sarovar. We thought it would be done in a peaceful manner but the bouncers spoiled everything so we had to halt the shoot.

When asked why bouncers were looking into the security when the SGPC has its own task force, Bedi said: The task force was asked to be around and were managing things. They actively intervened when the bouncers started creating problems in the Parikarma.

Notably, when the confrontation took place, director Omung Kumar also threatened photographers saying he would take up matter with their organisations.

Meanwhile, amidst all the chaos, Aishwarya Rai maintained her calm and was seen waving at the pilgrims, who gathered to have a glimpse of the actor.

Meanwhile, Sarabjits sister Dalbir Kaur also came to meet Aishwarya at the shrine.

Aishwarya will portray the role of Sarabjits sister Dalbir Kaur in the film which also stars Randeep Hooda and Richa Chadha in a prominent role.

Read: Her brothers keeper? The story of Sarabjits sister

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The Khadoor Sahib assembly bypoll, rendered low-key by the absence of the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will be held on Saturday. The result will be declared on Tuesday.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dals candidate, Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, son of Akali stalwart and Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, is pitted against Congress rebel Bhupinder Singh Bittu and former AAP state convener Sumail Singh Sidhu. Apart from Bittu and Sidhu, the independent candidates are Anantjit Singh Saini, Sukhdev Singh Khosla and Harjit Singh, while Puran Singh is contesting for the Bahujan Samaj Party (Ambedkar).

The seat had fallen vacant late last year when sitting Congress MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki resigned in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

District election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal said, Of the 133 polling stations, 31 have been declared hyper-sensitive and 62 as sensitive. 150 micro-observers have been deployed.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manmohan Sharma said tight security arrangements had been made to ensure free and fair polling. He added that around 2,100 security personnel had been deployed, including about 1,500 from the Punjab Police and the rest from paramilitary forces.

BOX

In figures

1.87 lakh total voters

98,498 Male

88,681 Female

133 Polling stations

210 Polling booths

850 Polling staff

2,100 Security personnel
Its a contest long thought to be over, but before the campaigning for the assembly byelection closed at 5 pm on Thursday here, the intensity of the final effort to woo the voters suggested theres still something to play for on Saturday (February 13).

The Khadoor Sahib seat had fallen vacant when Congress legislator Ramanjit Singh Sikki had resigned in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Baath village in the segment. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had skipped the byelection to be able to concentrate on the state elections of 2017. Since it expected the ruling party to misuse its power, it said contesting would be futile.

The Congress pulled out of the race on the final day of nomination after trying in vain for many days to convince Sikki to contest. Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh said the sacrilege issue, on which Sikki had resigned, was still unresolved and the state government had not arrested the culprits.

With both major threats out of the picture, Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, son of Akali stalwart and member of Parilament (MP) Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, is up against just six lightweights  five independents and one is from the Bahujan Samaj Party (Ambedkar)  of which only Congress rebel Bhupinder Singh Bittu and former AAP state convener Sumail Singh Sidhu can put up any serious fight.

The junior Brahmpura, who is also Tarn Taran district planning committee chairman, is first-time contestant but not new to politics. He has managed the his fathers campaigns in the previous three assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections of 2014. Sensing an easy victory, the ruling party has shifted focus to increasing the voter turnout and triumph by a wide margin. Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal wants the SAD to win by at least 1 lakh votes. On the last day of the campaign, he addressed many meetings in different villages of the constituency, everywhere asking for a record participation and support.

Sikki, who has considerable influence in the constituency, has called upon voters to boycott the election over the sacrilege issue.

Khadoor Sahib market committee chairman Bhupinder Singh Bittu, who has been distributing grants from the local area development fund of Rajya Sabha member Manohar Singh Gill, has pulled impressive crowds at different villages.

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The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs on Friday assured people to consider their demands to ensure integrated development of the border area and increase employment opportunities.

The panel, here on a two-day visit, held a meeting with farmer organisations to ascertain the problems being faced by farmers of the border area. The committee that visited the border areas on Thursday, met state chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, principal secretary home Jagpal Singh Sandhu, DGP Suresh Arora and BSF Punjab Frontier IG Anil Paliwal on Friday to look into the security situation along the border. The committee also visited the Bamial sector, which is supposed to have been used by terrorists to infiltrate.

Committee chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Pardip Bhattacharya, after holding separate deliberations with farmers, and senior officers of administration, police and BSF, said the committee would work on the suggestions given by people and submit a report to the Centre in two to three months.

Bhattacharya said the next meeting of the committee would be held in New Delhi, where they would discuss the issues pertaining to the border area, its farmers, general public, steps to be taken for infrastructure building, strengthening of security, road network and water system.

He said they had received a charter of demands from farmers, demanding an increase in compensation, jobs for their educated children besides basic amenities. He said these demands would be considered sympathetically to develop these areas on par with others.

Bhattacharya said they had discussed the law and order situation in border areas besides other problems being faced by residents.

The committee comprised various MPs from throughout the country, including Prem Singh Chandumajra. Chandumajra told the media that they discussed the problems being faced by farmers in cultivation beyond the barbed fencing. He said they had demanded an increase in Border Area Development Funds besides an increased compensation to farmers having land along the border.

He said welfare minister Gulzar Singh Ranike and chief parliamentary secretary Virsa Singh Valtoha also raised the issues of farmers before the committee. He said the two had urged the Centre to treat border areas as special zones by extending special allowances to teachers and doctors working there. He said they had demanded that the BSF presence in the area be increased.

Ranike demanded that the enhanced compensation be given to farmers besides creating a strong network of schools in remote areas. He said the Centre should recruit youth from border areas on priority.

The committee members visited the Golden Temple in the morning where they were given siropas.

Meanwhile, farmer organisations gave a memorandum to the committee citing problems being faced by the farmers having land between the fence and zero line. They also claimed that farmers had not been paid adequate compensation by the government for the land acquired to make way for the fence along the border.
With air pollution becoming a major issue, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) will install three Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations (CAAMS) at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, which will collect on-the-spot data and display pollutants in air on specially installed electronic display boards on important crossings in cities, to sensitise the public.

The PPCB will also display the pollution data outside and inside the Golden Temple, the most visited place in the state.

The CAAMS, which the board has bought from a France-based company, will be installed at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, industrial area of Mandi Gobindgarh and at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Trials of mobile machine

Besides, the PPCB has been doing the trials of a mobile CAAMS which will collect data from far-away locations and can be used to track pollution from where the complaints were received.

As air pollution has become a major issue, there was need for continuous monitoring and sensitising public on the issue. Initially, we have set up stations at three major polluting cities; later, we will set these at Jalandhar, Bathinda and other major cities. The motive is to track the pollution levels and sensitise the public to help the PPCB control pollution, said PPCB chairman Manpreet Singh Chattwal.

He said the CAAMS would monitor 10 parameters of air, including oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, other pollutants, total suspended particulate matter level, comprising wind direction, wind speed, ambient temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and rainfall. The data will be displayed live on various electronic display boards, which will be installed at important points in the these cities, he said.

Besides, the PPCB has also been studying the mobile CAAMS, which the Delhi government had used for the first time in India to monitor air pollutants during the odd-even vehicle formula.

The machines have been installed in stationary stations, usually away from residential areas. The mobile van, which we have called for trials, will help us understand the quality of air a citizen is breathing near their homes. We can use this inside colonies, at traffic intersections, near polluting industries, and even can send it to the spot from where the complaints of pollution are pouring in. This will give us on-the-spot data, on the basis of which the PPCB can act and even recommend action against erring institutes, Chattwal said.

He said the mobile van for trial basis would conduct data of various points in Patiala, Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana.

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Local traders disclosed rs 5 crore of income in a day after raids on different business establishments in the city on Thursday.The income tax department collected about rs 1.5 crore in tax.

The major success was to get Adalat Bazaar jeweller Dheeraj Singh and Sons to reveal Rs 2.5 crore. Besides, Rajinder Jewellers and a wholesale dealer surrendered about Rs 50 lakh each, while the rest of the businesses, including Jaswant Electricals of Lower Mall and marble dealer Atam Ram Sohan Lal of Focal Point disclosed about Rs 1.5 crore. Confirming the development, joint income tax commissioner Dheeraj Garg said the department had deducted 33% of the income as tax under the rules after this routine assessment, which many in the city described as biggest action in a long time.

Traders closed their shops in protest against the raids and came out on streets. Senior officials assured them full cooperation in future.Patiala Vyapar Bachao Sangharsh Committee president Rakesh Gupta alleged in a memorandum to Jagtar Singh, principal commissioner of the local income tax office that the traders had been harassed for these disclosures. The local business is in a slump and the raids have hit it further. Every business was forced to consume all its capital for routine expenses. The department needs to cooperate with us and find out a solution together instead of harassing us to meet its revenue target, he said.
The Ranchi police on Thursday produced a Class 11 student of city-based Sapphire International School, his parents and sister before two different courts for the alleged murder of Vinay Kumar Mahto, a 12-year-old boy of the same school on February 5.

Police arrested the boys mother, Nazia Hussain, a Hindi teacher with the school and father Arif Ansari, a mathematics teacher with Ranchis Taurian World School for destroying evidences and detained his sister on Wednesday.

Police said the boy killed Mahato as he had a crush on his sister.

Judicial magistrate Chandra Bhanu Kumar remanded the teacher couple to 14-day judicial custody and forwarded them to the Birsa Munda Central Jail in the city.

The boy, 16, and his sister, 11, were produced before the court of judicial magistrate Md. Fahim Kirmani, who ordered the authorities to shift the minor accused to the Boys Observation Home and Women Probation Home in Namkum respectively.

The court asked brother-sister duo if they wished to engage their own lawyer to contest the case or wanted the court to appoint one The minors said they would engage a lawyer.

The minor girl asked the judge why she could not stay with his brother and meet their parents.

The judge said separate provisions are made for boys and girls but they can speak with their relatives over phone installed at the probation home.

The judge told the girl that she could meet her parents only after they were released from jail.

Police said the deceased used to like the couples daughter and had been dating her for the past couple of months, but this did not go down well with her 16-year-old brother.

On February 4, the girls brother invited Mahato to join him and his sister for a party between 12 am and 1 am at their residence in the teachers hostel.

Police said, accepting the invitation, Mahato slipped out of his hostel and reached Nazias residence. The brother began questioning him about his relations with his sister and started punching him. When deceased tried to escape, the brother grabbed him by his neck and repeatedly bashed his head against the wall, which is when he fell unconscious. The boys mother helped her son throw Mahato from the first floor balcony.

The boy then called up his father, who lives in the Taurian school campus in Tupudana. The father reportedly advised them to destroy all the evidence. They wiped the blood stains on the floor and removed other evidence that could lead the police to them.

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A Republican victory in the US presidential election could result in the collapse of the Iran deal, says American political commentator Daniel Pipes.

Pipes, who has served with the US defence and state departments and now heads the Middle East Forum, described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA) signed with Iran as a very, very strange deal.

The (Iran) deal may not survive. If a Democrat wins, it would be more or less a continuation of the present regimes policies. Bernie Sanders would move to the left and Hillary Clinton to the centre, he told editors at Hindustan Times on Thursday.

But if a Republican candidate were to become the next US president, the first thing he would do on January 20, 2017, would be to tear up the Iran deal.

Pipes said he would have preferred Irans nuclear installations being taken out. He added: The deal offers Iran a path towards nuclear weapons. This is a regime that thinks about the End of Days and who know what they would do with a nuclear weapon.

The historian who focuses on West Asia expressed doubts about the longevity of Tehrans current regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not be along for a very long time. It is doomed. There is such hostility within the country to the regime that I see it like the Soviet Union in the 1970s...Its powerful, its aggressive, but it stays on the boil.

Pipes said the Islamic State (IS) poses a serious threat to global security. I doubt whether the IS will last very long because it has so many enemies. But it has the potential to appear elsewhere, like Libya or Yemen, and to inspire individuals in other places in the world.

He was critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying Turkey had become increasingly dictatorial under him. In the long term, more than Iran, Turkey will be a big problem, he said.

Erdogan had strained Turkeys ties with all its neighbours and is pushing the country away from its secular moorings towards radical Islamism.

Pipes believes Indias engagement in West Asia and the war on terror is on expected lines as New Delhi is focussing on economic growth. But he said India, like China, will have to make tough decisions.

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CIA director John Brennan has said that Islamic State fighters have used chemical weapons and have the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas, CBS News reported Thursday.

We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield, Brennan told CBS News, which released excerpts of an interview to air in full on the 60 Minutes news program on Sunday.

The network added that he told 60 Minutes the CIA believes that the IS group has the ability to make small amounts of mustard or chlorine gas for weapons.

There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and munitions that they can use, Brennan said.

Brennan also warned of the possibility that the Islamic State group could seek to export the weapons to the West for financial gain.

I think theres always the potential for that. This is why its so important to cut off the various transportation routes and smuggling routes that they have used, he said.

When asked if there were American assets on the ground searching for possible chemical weapons caches or labs, Brennan replied: US intelligence is actively involved in being a part of the efforts to destroy ISIL and to get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside of Syria and Iraq.

Toxic chemicals in Iraq, Syria -

The release of the interview excerpts comes two days after similar comments from spy chief James Clapper before a congressional committee.

ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent sulfur mustard, Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told lawmakers on Tuesday.

He said it was the first time an extremist group had produced and used a chemical warfare agent in an attack since Japans Aum Supreme Truth cult carried out a deadly sarin attack during rush hour in the Tokyo subway in 1995.

President Bashar al-Assads regime and rebel forces have accused each other of using chemical agents in the nearly five-year war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

After an August 2013 sarin attack outside Damascus that much of the international community blamed on Assads government, the regime agreed to turn over its chemical arsenal.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) -- which oversaw the dangerous removal and elimination of Syrias avowed stockpile -- now says that declared arsenal has been completely destroyed.

But the global arms watchdog has still warned of the continued use of mustard, sarin and chlorine gas in the conflict, without blaming the regime, the rebels or the IS group for use of the weapons, which are banned under international law.

Last year, officials in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan said blood tests had shown that IS fighters used mustard agent in an attack on Kurdish peshmerga forces in August.

Thirty-five peshmerga fighters were exposed and some taken abroad for treatment, officials said.

At the time of the attack, The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying they believed IS had used mustard agent.
The closure of a factory park in North Korea jointly run by both Koreas has cost the impoverished North a rare source of legitimate hard currency. Seoul says it shut the Kaesong complex in response to the Norths recent long-range rocket launch to keep its impoverished neighbour from using the money factories provided to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

With that hit to Pyongyangs already shaky finances gone, at least for now, heres a look at the Norths economy and the external sources of income it maintains despite a raft of heavy international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missiles program.

Pyongyangs economy

Seoul and Washington want more stringent trade and financial sanctions to punish the Norths nuclear and missile adventures, but some question whether sanctions will ever meaningfully influence one of the least trade-dependent economies on the planet.

And what of that economy? It is extremely difficult to read because it doesnt release official trade statistics and treasures its secrecy.

South Koreas central bank, however, provides some idea of whats happening, based on data it receives every year from other government agencies, related organizations and an investigation of research organizations.

The bank has been publishing estimates of North Koreas economy since 1991. In its latest report, it said it believes the Norths economy grew by one percent in 2014 to 33.95 trillion South Korean won, or $28.5 billion, or about two percent of South Koreas economy.

The Bank of Korea said North Koreas combined imports and exports that year were about $9.9 billion, including $2.4 billion in trade with the South, which the Unification Ministry says was generated nearly entirely from the activities at Kaesong.

Trade with China

And then theres China, Pyongyangs last major ally, its diplomatic protector and by far its largest trading partner.

North Koreas main exports to China include coal, minerals, clothing, textiles and foodstuffs, while its imports from China include petroleum, steel, machinery, cars and electronics, according to South Koreas government-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

Beijing, however, is unlikely to support harsh punishment over the nuclear test and rocket launch for fear of provoking a government collapse in Pyongyang and a potential stream of refugees across its border.

Transactions with China accounted for more than 74% of North Koreas trade in 2014, and more than 90% when excluding trade related to the Kaesong park, according to Statistics Korea, Seouls official statistics agency, which analyzed the central bank data and information from trade organizations.

This Dec 19, 2013 file photo shows North Korean workers making jackets at a factory at a jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex in Kaesong North Korea. The closure of a factory park in North Korea jointly run by both Koreas has robbed the impoverished North of a rare source of legitimate hard currency. (AP)

Kaesong Industrial Park

The Souths Unification Ministry says the Kaesong park provided 616 billion won ($560 million) of cash to the North since its establishment in 2004, during an era of rapprochement between the rivals.

More than 120 South Korean companies employed about 54,000 North Koreans at Kaesong, paying each about $150 a month to manufacture products such as clothing, wristwatches, cosmetics and electronics components.

The ministry hasnt provided a detailed explanation on why it suspects money generated from Kaesong was channeled to North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile projects.

Jeong Joon-Hee, the ministrys spokesman, said it was plausible that a sizeable amount of the money the South Korean companies paid for North Korean labor would have ended up in Pyongyangs state coffers because of the way the workers receive their wages. While the South Korean companies pay the North in U.S. dollars, their North Korean employees receive wages in North Korean won based on an exchange rate dictated by the Norths government.

Exporting workers

Outside experts say that North Korea since the mid-2000s has been increasing the number of workers sent for contract labor overseas in an attempt to bring in more hard currency.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, based on information collected from its global offices and reports from international organizations, estimates that 60,000 to 100,000 North Koreans are working in 40 different countries.

Marzuki Darusman, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, said in a report last year that more than 50,000 North Koreans are working overseas and earning the country something between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually in foreign currency.

North Koreans have been employed in a broad range of activities in foreign countries, including working at restaurants in China and Southeast Asia and construction sites in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the International Network for the Human Rights of North Korean Overseas Labor.

North Korean workers overseas often face harsh working conditions and abuse, said the UN report.

A South Korean employee working at North Korea's Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) is surrounded by media at the South's CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine), just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas. (Reuters)

Luring tourists

North Korea has tried to strengthen tourism in recent years by setting up special tourism zones and developing scenic areas and recreational facilities.

North Korean officials have told The Associated Press that about 100,000 tourists came to the country in 2014, all but a few thousand of them from neighbouring China. The growth in tourism has come despite the occasional arrest of foreign visitors, including, most recently, American university student Otto Warmbier, who was detained last month over an unspecified act that the North called hostile.

Tours to the Norths scenic Diamond Mountain by South Koreans were popular for about a decade until 2008, when they were halted after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean woman.

The US state department has long warned against travel to North Korea. After Norths recent nuclear test, Washington has reportedly sought a ban on tourism and restrictions to keep North Koreas flagship airline, Air Koryo, from flying into and out of airports abroad.
Madhesi parties opposed to Nepals constitution and the government informally agreed on Friday to create a mechanism for fresh demarcation of federal states, a key demand of protestors who had blockaded the border with India.

A meeting held at Prime Minister K P Sharma Olis residence between major parties in the ruling coalition and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) agreed to resolve the contentious issue soon.

Further talks were underway on the terms and reference of the mechanism and an official announcement is expected on Sunday, ahead of Olis visit to India next week.

The political mechanism, which will be endorsed by parliament, is expected to suggest fresh demarcation of boundaries of the seven states proposed in the constitution adopted last September.

Nepal doesnt have any states and restructuring of the countrys 75 districts into new federal units is a key component of the new statute.

Madhesis, the people living in the Terai plains bordering India, opposed the seven-state model, and launched an agitation last August. Since then, violent clashes with security forces have claimed 58 lives.

The UDMF was opposed to several clauses in the constitution, but its main contention was that all 20 districts in the Terai region should be included in two Madhes states.

According to the seven-state model, three districts in the east, two in the west and one in central Terai have been left out of the two states to be created in the southern plains.

Two recent amendments to the constitution regarding proportional representation in elected bodies and fresh delimitation of constituencies on the basis of population - two demands raised by UDMF - were rejected by the Madhesi parties as they didnt deal with the demarcation of the states.

The UDMF recently ended its blockade of key border trade points with India, citing troubles faced by the people. But it has vowed to carry on its protest in different forms till its demands are addressed completely.

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The Pakistan Army said on Friday it had arrested 97 militants linked to Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and foiled a jailbreak aimed at freeing Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the mastermind of the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

Chief military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said the militants arrested in Karachi were accused of involvement in attacks on two airbases, the Karachi airport, regional intelligence headquarters and police installations between 2009 and 2015.

This is the biggest ever arrest of those involved in terror activities, said Imtiaz Alam, a local journalist. The arrested militants include Lashkar-e-Jhangvi commanders Naeem Bokhari and Sabir Khan, and Farooq Bhatti, believed to be the deputy chief of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Bajwa told a news briefing the army intelligence believed terror groups were trying to cooperate with each other to carry out attacks. He said the LeJ and AQIS had been working in collusion with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Several arrested militants, including Bokhari, were in the advanced stages of planning a jailbreak at Hyderabad Central Jail to free Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who kidnapped and killed Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002, he said.

Six suicide bombers were enlisted for the attack while 19 militants were involved in facilitating it, Bajwa said. More than 350 kg of explosives was recovered from a building believed to be their hideout.

Video footage of the building showed plastic barrels filled with explosives, washing machines used to transport arms and ammunition, long lengths of detonating cord and dozens of ball bearings. It also showed rifles that Bajwa said were stolen from police. This plan was 90% ready for execution, he added.

The army will continue its operation in Karachi, which has been an unprecedented success, for another year, he said. During the campaign that led to the arrests, the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers carried out 7,000 targeted operations in Karachi. Of the 12,000 militants arrested by the military, 6,000 were handed over to police.

Since the launch of the military operation in Karachi, there had been a significant fall in kidnappings, murders and other crimes, Bajwa said. In September 2013, when the Rangers operation began in Karachi, terrorism was at its peak, he added.

Bajwa noted that some sections of society had expressed concern before the start of the military operation, saying it could create a backlash across the country. A total of 13,212 operations have been carried out by intelligence agencies, he said.
Highlighting attacks and mistreatment of minorities in Pakistan  particularly Ahmadiyya Muslims  several MPs have asked the David Cameron government to review aid to Pakistan to ensure it is not misused to promote religious intolerance.

Participating in a debate in the House of Commons on Persecution of Religious Minorities: Pakistan, more than 15 MPs recalled the plight of Christians, Sikhs and Hindus along with that of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the country to seek a review of aid.

Pakistan is one of the largest recipients of British bilateral aid, receiving nearly 1.17 billion between 2011 and 2015. The MPs paid tribute to Britains peaceful Ahmadiyya Muslim community and recalled Mohammad Ali Jinnahs 1947 speech promising a secular Pakistan.

The community, which has roots at Qadian in Indias Punjab, comprises nearly 0.2% of Pakistans population. MPs listed several threats the community faced, including anti-Ahmadi laws and discrimination.

Siobhain McDonagh (Labour), who led the debate, said: The Ahmadiyya community is also denied the right to religious freedom and expression in Pakistan. On orders from the united religious clerics board, all works by that religious group are now banned in the region of Punjab.

That includes books, CDs, periodicals and newspapers, and it means that hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Ahmadi Muslims in Punjab face police searches, criminal charges and up to five years in prison. Those texts are all religious, and their censorship is totally unjustified.

Focussing on the plight of women from minorities, Fiona Bruce (Conservative) said: Following this debate, I hope that the UK government and those responsible for disseminating aid in Pakistan will pay particular attention to the plight of women and girls in religious minorities, because they are doubly at risk of discrimination, regardless of the faith they adhere to.

She added: They risk systematic abduction, extortion, hijacking, being held for ransom, trafficking, rape, forced marriage, forced conversions, and allegations of blasphemyWomen are treated as second class, but if they come from a minority group, they are third class citizens. For example, Hindu girls in Sindh and Christian girls in Punjab are abducted, raped, or forced to convert to Islam in the face of extreme pressure, including threats to them and their families.

Responding to the debate, Tobias Ellwood of the Foreign Office assured MPs that the government will continue to take every opportunity to raise issues of concern with the Pakistan government, particularly the Ahmadiyya issue with the chief minister of Pakistans Punjab.

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The US move to sell eight F-16s to Pakistan is in more trouble than before with a senior Republican senator blocking it over Islamabads dubious record on combating terrorism.

Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful Senate foreign relations committee, has told secretary of state John Kerry in a letter he couldnt allow the sale, which the US is subsidising.

I do not want US taxpayer dollars going to support these acquisitions, Corker told The Wall Street Journal.

While were spending tremendous amounts of US dollars and certainly tremendous sacrifice in our men and women in uniform and by other agencies, they are working simultaneously to destabilise Afghanistan.

Pakistan is free to buy the combat jets with its own money, Corker is understood to have told Kerry. The deal will cost an estimated $1.32 billion, with each F-16 going for $165 million.

The Obama administration had proposed the subsidised sale through the state departments Foreign Military Sales programme as an apparent reward for Islamabads cooperation in counter-terrorism.

But Corker is not clearly convinced Pakistan has a case, as do many other members of the House of Representatives, who had stalled clearance and sought clarifications, as first reported by Hindustan Times.

I fully understand that our relationship with Pakistan is both complicated and imperfect, Corker wrote in the letter he sent to Kerry on February 9, according to the Journal.

Cooperation with Pakistan is important and has achieved some of our interests, he said, but went on to describe Pakistan as a duplicitous partner, moving sideways rather than forward in resolving regional challenges.

Citing activities by the Pakistan-based Haqqani Network, which operates across the border in Afghanistan, Corker wrote that Islamabad continues to provide haven to its leaders.

Pakistan has claimed that it is conducting a sustained military campaign against terrorists, but thats a claim which hasnt found many buyers in the US and India.

In a recent interview to PTI, President Barack Obama said Pakistan can and must do more to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks operating from its soil.

Just days before this interview, a group of terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is based in Pakistan, attacked an Indian airbase in Pathankot and killed seven security personnel.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised the spectre of an interminable or a world war if powers failed to negotiate an end to the conflict in Syria and warned against any ground operations by US and Arab forces.

Medvedev, speaking to Germanys Handelsblatt newspaper on the eve of talks between major powers on Syria in Munich, said the United States and Russia must exert pressure on all sides in the conflict to secure a ceasefire.

Asked about Saudi Arabias offer last week to supply ground troops if a US-led operation were mounted against Islamic State, he said:

This is bad as a ground offensive usually turns the war into a permanent one. Just look at what happened in Afghanistan and many other countries.

The Americans and our Arab partners must think well: do they want a permanent war? It would be impossible to win such a war quickly, he said according to a German translation of his words, especially in the Arab world, where everybody is fighting against everybody.

All sides must be compelled to sit at the negotiating table instead of unleashing a new world war.

Russia is carrying out bombing sorties around the key city of Aleppo, in support of advances by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. and other Western air forces are also involved in air strikes in northern Syria.

Prize of Aleppo

Capturing Aleppo, Syrias biggest city before the war but now divided between rebel- and government-held sectors, would represent a major military victory for Assad and a symbolic prize for Russia.

Hilighting the rift in perceptions between Russia and the West, French President Francois Hollande Assad to leave power - something Russia has always rejected.

The Munich talks appeared to hold out little promise of progress. This meeting risks being endless and I fear the results will be extremely small, one diplomat said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow had submitted proposals for implementing a ceasefire in Syria and was waiting for a reaction from international powers.

Lavrov was speaking ahead of a meeting in Munich with US secretary of state John Kerry.

Members of the United Nations Security Council pressed Russia on Wednesday to stop bombing Aleppo in support of the Syrian military offensive and allow humanitarian access ahead of the Munich meeting.

You have no one power that can act alone, Medvedev said. You have Assad and his troops on one side and some grouping, which is fighting against the government on the other side. It is all very complicated. It could last years or even decades. Whats the point of this?
The father of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose drowning shocked the world last year, went on trial on Thursday along with two alleged people smugglers accused of causing the death of migrants.

A photograph of the three-year-old, lying face down in the sand on a Turkish beach, caused horror when it was published in September 2015 after his family decided to make the risky journey to Greece in an open boat.

Aylans mother Rihana and brother Ghaleb, four, also died in the same accident.

The trial of Syrian nationals Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad opened at the criminal court in the western Turkish resort of Bodrum, the Dogan news agency reported. If convicted, they face up to 35 years in jail.

They are charged of smuggling migrants and causing the deaths of five people, including Aylan Kurdi, his brother and mother when their boat sank while on its way to Greece.

But also on trial in absentia was Aylan Kurdis father, Abdullah Kurdi, who survived the sinking, on accusations of being an organiser of the smuggling. The precise charges against him were not made clear.

Both of the defendants in court strongly incriminated Abdullah Kurdi as a well-known organiser of people smuggling in the Bodrum area, accusing him of being responsible for the deaths and driving the boat at the time of the disaster.

But Dogan said the court had decided to drop the legal proceedings against Abdullah Kurdi, without specifying further.

The organiser

Abdullah Kurdi, from the mainly Kurdish Syrian town of Kobane on the Turkish border, is currently believed to be outside of Turkey and spending some of his time in northern Iraq.

He became a prominent figure through media interviews at the time of the disaster and also gave the traditional alternative Christmas message in 2015 on British TVs Channel 4.

His family, many of whom are now based in Canada, had previously rubbished similar allegations against him broadcast by foreign television as ridiculous.

The real criminal here, the organiser, is Abdullah Kurdi, who became a hero on television but did not even testify, said Asem Alfrhad in court.

Muwafaka Alabash said he had been told before coming to Bodrum to find Abdullah Kurdi, he does the migrant smuggling. I found him in Bodrum. Everyone knew him. His collected money from his people.

The court also heard testimony from Syrian refugee Emin Haydar, who witnessed and survived the sinking, and said that Abdullah Kurdi had been driving the boat at the time.

While the person behind this gives TV interviews, the two victims remain behind bars, said Alfrhads lawyer Duygu Cakmak Bisen.

It is clear that my client received no money from anyone, he added, saying his client had only wanted to go to Europe.

The trial was adjourned until an unspecified date. The court rejected pleas from the defence to release the Syrians, ruling they must stay in custody as they had no address and constituted a flight risk.

Greece mulls returns

Turkey has become the major hub for Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, Eritrean and other refugees and migrants seeking to undertake the risky crossing to the European Union in a flow that has caused huge alarm across the continent.

The Turkish government struck a deal with the EU in November to halt the flow of refugees, in return for three billion euros ($3.2 billion) as financial assistance.

But the deal and wintry weather in the Mediterranean do not appear to have deterred migrants, with an average of 2,000 people still arriving on the Greek islands daily.

Greece is now considering whether to declare Turkey a safe third country which would allow it to send back asylum seekers picked up in the Aegean Sea, a government source in Athens said on Thursday.

No decision has yet been taken but it is being looked at, the source said.
Five United Nations peacekeepers were killed and some 30 others wounded when suspected Islamists attacked their base in Malis restive north on Friday, as three Malian soldiers perished in an ambush in the same region, the UN chief and security sources said.

The latest attacks highlighted the vulnerability of the sprawling arid north, where UN peacekeepers and Malian soldiers are struggling in their fight against jihadists who seized vast swathes of territory in 2012.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon condemned the massive assault on the base of the UN mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, in the strategic town of Kidal and recalled that targeting peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said some of the peacekeepers who were killed were from Guinea and that there may be other nationalities involved, describing the attack early Friday as a massive and complex one.

Two Guinean soldiers died on the spot. Two other soldiers, among seven seriously wounded, died later of their injuries, a Guinean source said.

The source said a vehicle carrying suicide bombers entered the camp shortly the assailants fired rockets.

The raid coincided with a visit to the region by the new chief of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who began touring the north on Monday.

UN decries odious act

Annadif said the raid was an odious and irresponsible act which highlighted the confusion in the ranks of the enemies of peace.

Annadif was in Kidal a week after a peace pact eased tensions in the town, where the arrival early in February of members of a pro-government group had upset the former rebels in the Coordination of Movements of the Azawad.

Azawad is the name the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people of the desert use for territory they regard as their homeland, straddling the southern Sahara and the Sahel.

In a separate attack, three Malian soldiers were killed and two others were wounded near the fabled city of Timbuktu, a Malian military source said.

Three of our men died today between Timbuktu and Goundam when they were ambushed by jihadists, a Malian officer told AFP. Two others were wounded but their lives are not in danger.

The defence ministry confirmed the attack, condemning what it termed a cowardly strike.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said there was a pressing need to secure the north.

We have to find a solution to this, he said. Kidal cannot remain like this... where attacks occur on a daily basis and the international community and we ourselves watch on, he said.

Visiting German President Joachim Gauck agreed, telling a joint press conference that he was aware of the threat still hanging over the country.

On Thursday, a customs officer and two civilians were killed in another Islamist strike in the northern town of Hombori, two days after three Malian soldiers died in an explosion while they were patrolling the frontier near Burkina Faso.

The latest attack came a week after at least four suspected jihadists and a Malian soldier were killed in clashes at a UN camp for police officers from Nigeria in Timbuktu.

That assault came just a day after the fabled city had celebrated the restoration of its greatest treasures -- earthen mausoleums dating to medieval times that were destroyed during an Islamist takeover in 2012.

Responsibility for the raid on Timbuktu was claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

The sprawling north of the country continues to be beset by violence having fallen under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.

The Islamists sidelined the Tuareg to take sole control and although they were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013 extremist groups still pose a threat.
Wrapping up his victory speech the night of the New Hampshire primaries, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told his supporters he was headed for New York next morning. But not to raise funds, he added.

Sanders was to meet Reverend Al Sharpton, an influential though controversial African-American activist. A picture of their meeting was front-paged in leading dailies the next day.

As the Democratic nominating process moves to demographically diverse states, Sanders and Hillary Clinton are locked in a fierce race to woo minority voters.

Nevada, which is next for Democrats, is 28% Latino, 9% African-American and 8% Asian-American. The numbers for South Carolina are 28%, 5%, and 1.5%. Clinton leads Sanders in polls in both states.

But she was quick with her pitch to African-Americans in the debate on Thursday night, making it in her opening remarks laying out her reasons for running. To knock down barriers, she said.

And among them, those faced by African-Americans  in the job market, education, housing, and the criminal justice system.

Her complete embrace of President Barack Obama re-essayed at the debate, while portraying Sanders as not-so-close or hostile, has been said to be propelled by the same reason.

Clinton also attacked Sanders for opposing an immigration reforms bill in 2007, which would have provided 12 million illegal immigrants, mostly Latino, a path to friendship.

Earlier the same day, Clinton received the crucial endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus, a body of elected African-American members of the House and the Senate.

The endorsement came with a devastating refutation of Sanderss past claims about his work for the community, delivered by John Lewis, a living legend.

I never saw him. I never met him, said Lewis, the only surviving member of the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement that included Martin Luther King Jr.

I was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years, from 1963 to 1966. I was involved with the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery and directed (the) voter education project for six years. But I met Hillary Clinton. I met President (Bill) Clinton.

Clinton does have a massive lead over Sanders among African-Americans, and historically. Her husband Bill Clinton was often called the first black President.

But pollsters have pointed out she is vulnerable among younger African-Americans, who have the same trust issues with her as other young voters, but may eventually go with her.

That presents Sanders an opportunity. He has also picked up some crucial endorsements from African-Americans and polls show he is trailing Clinton majorly among blacks.

Clinton could win 80% of South Carolina African-Americans likely to vote in the primaries, and Sanders 15%, according to a poll published last November.
A New York City police officer was convicted of manslaughter on Thursday for fatally shooting an unarmed black man in a darkened public housing stairwell.

A jury in Brooklyn found Peter Liang guilty in connection with the death of Akai Gurley, 28, who was killed by a bullet fired from Liangs gun on Nov. 20, 2014, that ricocheted off a wall.

A stunned Liang buried his head in his hands after the verdict was read in court.

He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in April. The mostly white jury deliberated for more than two days.

The shooting added to nationwide protests in cities like Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, over the use of police force against minorities, though Liang, a Chinese-American, was not accused of deliberately killing Gurley.

The rookie officer was on patrol inside a Brooklyn public housing project with his partner and drew his gun upon entering a pitch-black stairwell.

He fired a single bullet that glanced off a wall and into the chest of Gurley, who was walking one floor below.

At trial, Liang, 28, testified that a sudden noise startled him, causing his finger to slip onto the trigger and fire. It was only after descending the stairs, Liang said, that he realized the errant bullet had hit Gurley.

Oh my God, someones hit, a tearful Liang recalled saying upon finding a bleeding Gurley lying on a landing, as his girlfriend frantically tried to revive him.

Sylvia Palmer, mother of Akai Gurley. (REUTERS)

But prosecutors argued Liang fired toward the sound deliberately and that he must have known only another person could have caused the noise that surprised him.

It was a tragedy, but justice was done, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson told the television station NY1. He added that the verdict showed Akai Gurleys life mattered, echoing the Black Lives Matter movement.

A defense lawyer for Liang, Robert Brown, said he would appeal and warned that the verdict would put officers in danger.

It says to the NYPD, you have to be very cautious about taking your gun out, to the point of risking your own life, he said.

Gurleys family and friends expressed gratitude after the conviction.

Im just glad we got a guilty verdict, said Kimberly Ballinger, his domestic partner and the mother of his young daughter.

Activists cheered the outcome on social media, with many saying it was an important step in holding officers accountable. Organizers had already called for a demonstration on Friday at police headquarters regardless of the jurys decision.

Liangs indictment last year came weeks after a grand jury declined to charge a white New York officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, sparking citywide protests.

Thompson said the Liang case had no connection to the ongoing debate over police tactics.

This officer was indicted not because of what is happening elsewhere in the country but because of what happened in that stairwell, he said. This conviction is not a conviction of the entire NYPD.

But Patrick Lynch, the president of the citys largest police union, said the verdict will have a chilling effect on police officers across the city because it criminalizes a tragic accident.

Liang was also convicted of official misconduct for failing to offer Gurley aid. His lawyers argued he was in shock and felt unqualified to perform CPR due to inadequate training.

As the trial concluded on Tuesday, prosecutors offered jurors a new and more damning account, claiming for the first time that Liang aimed a shot on purpose toward the sound he heard.

I think its clear to you that he knew someone was there, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis said in his closing argument, adding that the shooting was no accident.

Brown, the defense lawyer, said the jury may have been swayed when the prosecution changed their entire argument.

Liangs lawyers had portrayed the shooting as a million-to-one occurrence. They also emphasized the dangers of so-called vertical patrols, a point that was underscored when two officers were shot this month when conducting a similar patrol in a Bronx public housing building.

In a statement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he hoped the verdict would bring some closure to Gurleys family.
Citing public interest in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's records, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the State Department to release the remainder of her emails on a rolling basis by the end of the month.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras is requiring the State Department to publish on its website all remaining 3,700 emails in four batches, on Feb. 13, Feb. 19, Feb. 26 and Feb. 29, reported The Wall Street Journal.

"The court expects that defendant will endeavor to avoid any additional delay," Contreras said in his order.

Two of these release dates fall the day before key Democratic presidential nominating contests - Feb. 20 in Nevada and Feb. 27 in South Carolina - introducing a sense of uncertainty into a race in which Clinton is already performing worse than expected.

Contreras said at a hearing on Tuesday that he believes voters should have access to as many of Clinton's emails as possible. "To state the obvious, these documents have a lot of public interest and the timing is important," Contreras said at the hearing, according to The Huffington Post.

In May, as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, Contreras ordered the State Department to release by Jan. 29 all 30,000 work-related emails that Clinton turned over from her private unsecured server after leaving office. She unilaterally deleted about 30,000 more that she deemed personal in nature.

Last month, the State Department asked for an extension, saying it forgot to have other departments internally review about 7,000 pages of emails and would have them all released by the end of February. Contreras ordered Thursday that they be released on a rolling basis instead.

The Saturday release will include about 14 percent of the remaining pages, the State Department said in a federal filing on Tuesday, according to CBS News.

"The Department is committed to releasing former Secretary Clinton's emails as expeditiously as possible while also protecting sensitive information and consistent with our FOIA obligations," a State Department official said.

More than 1,500 emails have been retroactively classified at lower levels, while the State Department confirmed for the first time last week that 22 contained "top secret" information, among the highest classification levels and too sensitive to be released publicly, even in redacted form.

The FBI has been investigating Clinton's email arrangement to determine whether she mishandled classified information.

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Amid ongoing murders in Dublin believed to be connected to gang warfare, the city's police force has issued a warning that journalists working for some of Ireland's top newspapers are also under threat of attack from organized crime gangs. Media group INM - which includes Ireland's biggest selling newspaper, the Sunday Independent - said its staff has been put on high alert, and decided to go public with the threats in order to expose how the criminal gangs operate, according to Agence-France Presse (AFP) .

"This is an outrageous threat to the freedom of the press in Ireland and we are taking the threats with the utmost seriousness," said INM Chief Editor Stephen Rae.

Ireland's prime minister Enda Kenny also condemned the threats and said the journalists have the government's "full support", according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Monday night saw the latest in a series of murders that have gripped the city and are believed to be connected to ongoing gang warfare. Eddie Hutch, 59, brother of former gang boss Gerry "The Monk" Hutch, was shot dead by four masked men Monday in his home in Dublin's northern inner city, according to Irish Central.

Detectives believe it was a revenge killing for the murder of leading Dublin criminal David Byrne, 33, Friday in an attack on the Regency Hotel in Dublin's north side.

Rae noted that the recent threats against journalists have come as the 20th anniversary approaches of the death of Veronica Guerin, an Irish crime reporter murdered by drug lords in 1996 whose story was told in a 2003 film starring Cate Blanchett.

"Our media group will not be deterred from serving the public interest and highlighting the threat to society at large posed by such criminals," added Rae.

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Whole Foods Market is reinventing itself. Co-Chief Executive Officer Walter Robb has said that the company's up-and-coming 365 chain is going to offer unconventional services, Time reports. The company is attempting to appeal to younger generations by introducing a new program called "Friends of 365." The program is looking to businesses who sell body care products, music, and who provide tattoo and piercing services to join their team.

These businesses would then move into select 365 store locations to bring in a larger, younger crowd, according to Bloomberg.

"There's a number of smaller-store competitors out there that are doing a nice job. We don't see any reason why we can't go participate in that part of the market as well with our 365 by Whole Foods offer - it's going to be unique," Robb said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

The new stores will not only appeal to a younger audience, but a more budget-friendly one. This will hopefully create more competition between 365 by Whole Foods Market and other grocery stores like Trader Joe's.

The new chain of stores hasn't opened its first location yet, but its first store is set to open in May, USA Today reports. Its located in in Los Angeles, and is the first of 10 that are set to open by October 2017.

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A man was killed by the police after running amok at a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday. He stormed inside the establishment wielding a machete and proceeded to attack several people.

"He came through the front door and then started systematically just hitting people with a machete," Karen Bass, a witness to the incident, told WSYX. "I thought it was a personal thing, and then he just started down the row hitting everybody."

The attack happened at around 6 p.m. while the Nazareth Mediterranean restaurant was bursting at the seams with customers having dinner. At least four people were wounded with two reportedly in critical condition. They are being treated in the nearby hospital, ABC News reported.

The still unidentified attacker is said to have walked into the restaurant earlier and talked briefly with an employee. He left shortly after only to come back with a machete he used to attack people, starting with a man sitting next to the door. People started throwing chairs at the man to drive him away.

He fled the scene using a white car.

When the police apprehended the attacker after a short car chase, he still had the machete in addition to a knife. When he lunged towards the arresting officers with his weapons, he was shot dead, according to FOX News.

Authorities have not released any information about the reason for the attack except to say that it could be nothing but a random act. The FBI, however, was reportedly assisting in the ongoing investigation for still unknown reasons, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

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Two U.N. soldiers were killed and about 30 others were wounded Friday when suspected Islamic militants attacked a United Nations peacekeepers base in the northeastern Mali town of Kidal, U.N. sources said.

"Our camp at Kidal was attacked by terrorists early Friday morning. We fought back but two peacekeepers were killed and 30 others injured," a source from the U.N.'s MINUSMA mission told AFP.

This testimony follows a statement from a U.N. spokesman who said that the attack began at 6:45 a.m., noting that the enemy assault consisted of eight mortar shells and some gunfire. However, there wasn't a definitive count on how many were injured or killed in the attack at the time, with the spokesman only saying that there were "some dead and wounded in the attack."

The attacked base is part of the U.N.'s MINUSMA (Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) mission to maintain peace in the country after it briefly fell under control of Tuareg-led rebels and armed groups linked to al Qaeda in 2012, according to Newsweek.

They were mostly ousted in 2013 after a French-led military operation forced the militants out of key towns, but the U.N.'s presence hasn't stopped the violence, and armed groups still continue to threaten stability.

Militants have begun to ramp up their attacks as of late, expanding to other parts of Mali and beyond, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Such instances include the Nov. 20 attack on a hotel in Mali's capital city of Bamako that left 20 people dead, as well as a similar attack on the Splendid Hotel in Burkino Faso's capital city of Ouagadougou on Jan. 18 that left 29 dead.

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The ninth installment in the Republican debate cycle will take place on Saturday, Feb. 13, with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. EST on CBS News. South Carolina, the next stop on the campaign trail, will host the event that will feature the six remaining GOP candidates.

The GOP field heads to South Carolina in a slightly slimmer fashion than prior to the New Hampshire primary, with both Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie suspending their campaigns for president after poor showings in the polls. Ben Carson, despite numerous claims he would also drop out, has declared he will continue to campaign, although his campaign's financial status has come into question, as HNGN previously reported.

This debate will feature the ongoing name-calling battle between recently reestablished front-runner Donald Trump, who's coming off a win in the New Hampshire primary, and the oft-second placer Ted Cruz. Trump recently took to going so far as to echo the claim that Cruz is a "p---y" when a supporter yelled it out at a rally in New Hampshire, reported the New York Daily News. Cruz recently fired back with an ad in South Carolina, accusing Trump of being a "sleaze," according to CNN. The two are sure to continue to stoke the flames between them during the debate.

Additionally, we're headed into South Carolina after a strong showing from previously lagging candidate John Kasich, who finished behind Trump in the First-In-The-Nation primary with 16 percent of the vote, as FiveThirtyEight reported. He also received a key endorsement from Home Depot co-founder and investment banker Ken Langone, as reported by Salon. Kasich will certainly look to capitalize on this recent bump  and perhaps his last chance to establish himself as a legitimate contender before his campaign runs out of gas (It was down to $2 million prior to the Langone endorsement).

Jeb Bush also saw a slight bump, albeit not as big as Kasich's, collecting 11 percent of the vote in New Hampshire, which was good enough for fourth place behind Cruz. Bush has a long way to go, though, and he has resorted to having his mother, Barbara Bush, and brother, former President George W. Bush, campaign for him, with the latter joining the trail in crucial South Carolina, according to Greenville Online.

After surging post-Iowa, Marco Rubio underperformed in New Hampshire, dropping into fifth place. Not to be forgotten, Rubio has taken his campaign into more aggressive territory, expressing disgust for both Trump and Bush this week, reported The New York Times. Rubio will certainly regroup prior to this debate, as a poor showing in the pre-New Hampshire debate last week and less-than-expected results in the polls have put him in a position that he needs to readily correct, according to Fox News.

What: The ninth GOP presidential debate.

When: Saturday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m. EST

Where: The Peace Center in Greenville, S.C.

Who: Moderators include John Dickerson, anchor of "Face the Nation"; Major Garrett, CBS News' chief White House correspondent; and Kimberley Strassel of the Wall Street Journal.

Candidates participating

9 p.m. debate - Donald Trump, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson.

Rules

To qualify for this debate, candidates must have placed among the top five or top three in the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus, respectively; or have placed in the top five in the national and South Carolina polls recognized by the network, according to CBS News. The conversation will likely cover defense spending and national security, but we're sure to see more talk of immigration and the economy as well.

How To Watch

CBS will air the debate and offer a live stream on its website.

Online: Follow HNGN's President and Editorial Director Michael Bullerdick (@mbullerdick) for his live tweets during both events!

Bullerdick's Predictions: With fewer candidates on the stage, resulting in more questions and airtime to fill, expect the financial strugglers, Bush and Kasich, to hit the front-runners hard. Bush vs. Trump is always a good bet. Rubio gained traction by attacking Cruz two debates ago, so expect more of the same as he attempts to get Chris Christie out of his head. South Carolina's primary is Cruz's to lose given the evangelical vote, so expect him to catch the most heat followed by "The Donald." Outcome: Cruz and Trump tie as debate winners, but the post-event coverage will be on media darling Rubio.

Drinking games!

After a calculated, deep investigation, we found these sites' drinking games to be most exciting and fun for viewers, regardless of party affiliation. Or if you are solely watching to get drunk.

Debate Drinking

Sun Times

A word to the wise, though! Know your limit and drink in moderation, because as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points out, "You simply can't drink every time one of these guys says something silly... It's just a formula for disaster."

This is only the ninth debate of the 2016 presidential cycle. Three more are set to take place. Some have exact dates and sponsors already set, while others are still being planned. Check below to see all of the debates scheduled between now and election day 2016, courtesy of USPresidentialElectionNews.com.

Remaining Debate Schedule

February 26, 2016

NBC/Telemundo Republican Debate

Aired On: NBC and Telemundo

Location: Texas

Sponsors:NBC/Telemundo, National Review

Candidates: To be determined

March, 2016*

Fox News Republican Debate

Aired On: Fox News Channel

Location: TBD

Sponsors: Fox News

Candidates: To be determined

March 10, 2016

CNN/Salem Republican Debate

Aired On: CNN

Location: Florida

Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group

Candidates: To be determined

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CIA Director John Brennan claims in a new interview that the Islamic State group has used chemical weapons in the past and continues to produce small quantities of mustard gas and chlorine in Syria and Iraq. "We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield," he told CBS News in an interview set to air on "60 Minutes" Sunday, according to excerpts of the interview released Thursday, reported AFP.

Brennan added that the CIA believes the terrorist group not only has the ability to make small batches of chemical weapons, but also has access to the chemical precursors needed to make more, as well as munitions to put the gas in.

"There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and munitions that they can use," said the 60-year-old director.

The Islamic State group may even attempt to export the weapons to western nations, warned Brennan. "I think there's always the potential for that. This is why it's so important to cut off the various transportation routes and smuggling routes that they have used," he said.

Chemical weapons are banned under international law and using them is a war crime.

When asked whether American assets were on the ground looking for chemical weapons, Brennan said, "U.S. intelligence is actively involved in being a part of the efforts to destroy ISIL and to get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside of Syria and Iraq."

Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a congressional committee that the Islamic State group produced and used chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, "including the blister agent sulfur mustard," reported Fox News.

Clapper claimed that it was the first time an extremist group had produced and used chemical weapons in an attack since 1995, when members of the Japanese cult movement Aum Shinrikyo released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subway, killing 12 people and severely injuring 50 more.

The United Nations confirmed that a number of chemical weapons attacks took place in Syria in 2013 against soldiers and civilians, suggesting that responsibility lay with opposition rebels groups, some of who are backed by the U.S.

The deadliest chemical attack of the 5-year-long Syrian civil war occurred Aug. 21, 2013, in the suburbs of Damascus, where as many as 1,400 people were killed by sarin. While it's not clear who committed the attack, much of the international community blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the U.S. attempted to trump up support for an invasion. But Russia, who suggested the attack was a false flag, intervened and convinced Assad to turn over his chemical weapons stockpile.

Last August, Kurdish officials also claimed that the Islamic State group used mustard gas against peshmerga forces, according to the Washington Times.

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Ben Carson said on Friday that he reevaluates the prospects of his presidential campaign on a daily basis. Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Carson responded to a question about his campaign's viability if he didn't do well in the upcoming South Carolina primary, saying, "I reassess the future of the campaign every day, so of course I will continue to do that," Politico reported.

Carson suggested he is well-suited for the voters of South Carolina, who go to the polls Feb. 20. "I understand the people here," Carson said, according to CBS News.

"I think they understand me and I believe we're going to do extraordinarily well here," Carson said Friday. "It's a matter of really getting out in front of enough audiences, so that they get a chance to see me and hear me as opposed to the way they have been characterized by many in the media."

He added, "We're going to do just fine and I think South Carolina will be the turning point."

If Carson is correct, polling does not reflect that. In recent polling, Carson is in fifth place only ahead of Ohio Gov. John Kasich among the remaining candidates. In recent averages compiled by RealClear Politics, Carson has 7.3 percent support, which is 30 points behind Republican front-runner Donald Trump. On a national scale, Carson is in fourth place, ahead of Jeb Bush and Kasich.

Carson acknowledged his poor showing in New Hampshire, where he finished in last place behind Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie - both of whom dropped out of the race following their performance in that state. "I had no expectation of doing well in New Hampshire and, you know, a lot of people who spent millions of dollars there and many, many weeks there didn't do that well, either," he said, according to TPM. "I was able to foresee that and you have to pick your battles."

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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders engaged in heated exchanges over immigration policy during Thursday night's debate on PBS. At one point, Clinton contradictorily insisted that "we should be deporting criminals, not hard-working [illegal] immigrant families." The problem is that, by definition, those families are criminals, because they broke the law and entered into the U.S. without proper paperwork, reports The Daily Caller.

The comments came as Clinton and Sanders argued over how effective the Obama administration's immigration reform efforts have been.

Clinton said that she supports Obama's executive action to provide amnesty to millions of immigrants in the country illegally but is against the deportation raids that target families who have already been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge.

"I am against the raids," Clinton said during the debate in Wisconsin. "I'm against the kind of inhumane treatment that is now being visited upon families, waking them up in the middle of the night, rounding them up."

She explained: "We should be deporting criminals, not hard-working immigrant families who do the best they can and often are keeping economies going in many places in our country."

Sanders used it as an opportunity to highlight how in 2014, Clinton supported deporting unaccompanied Central American minors who came to the U.S. to flee violence in their home countries.

"If my memory is correct, when we saw children coming from these horrendous areas of Honduras and neighboring countries, people who are fleeing drug violence and cartel violence. ... I thought it was a good idea to allow these children to stay in this country. That was not as I understand, the secretary's position," the independent senator from Vermont said, reported The Hill.

Critics also note that back in 2003, Clinton said on the "John Gambling Radio Show" that she is "adamantly against illegal immigrants."

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Iran is creating strict rules against Valentine's Day, ruling that people who are seen engaging celebrations for the holiday will be guilty of crime.

News outlets in the country warned retailers against promotion of Valentine's Day on Friday, referring to it as "decadent Western culture," according to the Associated Press. Saudi Arabia is also planning on ridding of the holiday, as is Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The main reason for the ban is that Muslim hardliners describe the holiday as an "insult to Islam," making it worthy to be a part of the Muslim community, Breitbart News reported.

"Our society and Muslim youth should certainly not be celebrating non-Islamic holidays," Mayor Illiza Saaduddin Djamal said.

Police have informed various retailers about the new rule and have warned them to avoid engaging in any celebration or gathering regarding the holiday. The rule also extends to any gifting of flowers or sweets to a loved one.

The annual Valentine's Day tradition has become a popular celebration in Iran in recent years. This recent ban on the holiday is part of a drive against the spread of Western culture.

The ban on the holiday is the latest move in the Islamic Republic taken in a push against Western culture, following five years after state media announced that "symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses, and any activities promotions this day are banned," according to Foreign Desk News. Members of the Muslim community were also warned at the time that "authorities will take action against those who ignore the ban."

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Former President George W. Bush is coming off the sidelines and hitting the campaign trail for the first time in years as he plans to head to South Carolina next week to aid in his younger brother Jeb Bush's campaign, who is seeking a strong finish in the South Carolina primary after a fourth place finish in New Hampshire.

Although President Bush has raised funds for Jeb before, appearing with their father at a major Houston event last fall, as well as taping an ad for Jeb's super PAC, this will be the first time he will appear on the campaign trail on behalf of his brother.

"President Bush has been incredibly supportive of his brother's campaign and Governor Bush is excited to have him out on the trail," Bush's spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell, wrote in a statement provided to ABC News. "With the threats facing our nation and our allies, we need a steady hand. Few people understand that better than President Bush who knows that we need a tested, strong leader as our next Commander-in-Chief."

It's not clear what message President Bush will bring to South Carolina but its likely that the focus will be on the military, considering the high percentage of active duty military and veterans in the state.

President Bush is considered popular among voters in South Carolina. Former President George H.W. Bush won the Palmetto State's primary in the year he was first elected to the White House, according to CNN, and it was particularly influential in President Bush's 2000 primary election bid, where his win there served to stymie Sen. John McCain's momentum.

"President Bush is looking forward to returning to the Palmetto State to support Governor Bush and explain to South Carolinians why he believes that Jeb is the candidate best prepared to handle the rigors of the presidency and make our country safer, strong, and freer," his spokesman, Freddy Ford, said.

Jeb's legacy has played against him at times during his campaign, with opposition referencing the war in Iraq and his relation to President Bush as a means to keep him down in the polls, however that legacy may prove to ultimately work out in Jeb's favor in South Carolina. Appearing in Sumter, S.C., on Thursday, Jeb seemed more comfortable embracing his family's legacy, declaring that he's a true member of the Republican establishment due to his relationship to the two former President Bushs.

"Not only am I part of the establishment, but I won the lottery," he said as the audience punctuated his sentences with cheers, according to CBS News. "I'm blessed, I'm totally blessed to be part of this family. It is an incredible blessing. I am so fortunate to be able to say my family is my family."

President Bush's presence in South Carolina might be just what Jeb's struggling campaign needs to turn itself around. As the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary approaches, a survey from the Morning Consult shows Donald Trump, coming hot off a win in Hew Hampshire, polling at a commanding 44 percent among self-identified Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, while Jeb is only polling at 8 percent within the same demographic.

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A 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) met in Munich Thursday, agreeing on a task force co-chaired by the U.S. and Russia that has committed to the delivery of aid and the "cessation of hostilities" within a week, on the way to a more formal cease-fire in the region. If executed, the ambitious agreement would mark the first formally declared halt to the fighting in Syria that began with the 2011 uprising, according to the New York Times.

The agreements come after an accelerated Russian air campaign that has given fresh support to the government of Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, and caused diplomatic tensions between Russia and the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that a cease-fire would not apply to groups that the United Nations considers terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State and al-Nusra.

Critics are skeptical about how much can truly be achieved through this agreement, and even Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov admitted repeatedly in the hour-long news conference that this is only progress on paper. Some diplomats are already saying "it's not worth the paper it's printed on," reports the BBC.

It's still not immediately clear how Assad's government or the leaders of the various fractious rebel groups will comply with the plan, which will see airdrops of food and supplies to war-torn regions. However, Kerry and Lavrov said both the aid and cessation of hostilities will be presided over by task forces responsible for reporting violations.

In the past week alone, 100,000 Syrians have fled from their homes, according to the International Rescue Committee. Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford said, "the most important thing is to somehow pressure the Russians and the Syrians to stop the aerial bombardments which are causing these floods of refugees," according to Voice of America. In response to accusations from human rights groups that Russian bombs have been hitting civilian targets, Lavrov was defensive. "Some do lie," he said.

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News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
Lausanne / Dusseldorf  METRO GROUP, a German global diversified retail and wholesale/cash and carry group, has signed an agreement with L'Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne to host a collaboration chair on the topic of digital innovation in HoReCa. Hotels, restaurants and caterers are a core customer group of METRO Cash & Carry, the company's wholesale division.

In the recent past, METRO has strongly intensified its efforts to foster digital innovation in the hospitality sector. This includes the "Techstars METRO Accelerator", the first technology accelerator with a specific focus on the hospitality industry and the newly created division "HoReCa.Digital" that is focused on the digital opportunities in the hospitality sector.

The METRO Chair of Innovation at L'Ecole hoteliere is directly assigned to this HoReCa.Digital division. Both partners have agreed on a number of tasks in order to further explore the digitalisation of the HoReCa sector in key markets worldwide as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan. The focus is on the one hand on understanding the barriers and opportunities in the digitalisation of the industry and on the other hand on studying the effects of digitalisation of operations and customer service through digital services, products and channels. With regard to this, the Chair has a dual mission: developing research and expanding education as well as contributing to sustainable development through innovation in the industry. The research is focused on the HoReCa market and its structure, customer needs and trends and strategic implications. Numerous Student Business Projects (SBP) will support the research with creative and innovative solutions.

The Chair holder is Dr Christine Demen Meier Head of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Department, with Senior lecturer Ian Millar responsible for the digital aspects as well as the relationship between both parties.

The first results of the research will be presented at the end of April 2016.

About Metro Cash & Carry

METRO Cash & Carry is represented in 26 countries with over 750 self-service wholesale stores. With a headcount of about 110,000 employees worldwide, the wholesale company achieved sales of about  30 billion in the financial year 2014/2015. METRO Cash & Carry is a sales division of METRO GROUP. METRO GROUP is one of the largest and most important international retailing companies. In the financial year 2014/15 it generated sales of around 59 billion. The company operates more than 2,000 stores in 30 countries and has a headcount of around 230,000 employees. The performance of METRO GROUP is based on the strength of its sales brands that operate independently in their respective market segments: METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry - the international leader in self-service wholesale - Media Markt and Saturn - the European market leader in consumer electronics retailing and Real hypermarkets. More information on www.metrogroup.de

About EHL Group

EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector.

With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com

EHL Hospitality Business School

Communications Department

+41 21 785 1354

EHL
The Cambria hotel & suites Seattle will be locally situated and within walking distance to many of Seattle's iconic locations, including Pike Place Market, Washington State Convention Center, the Seattle Aquarium and the Seattle Art Museum.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) announced it has signed an agreement with Ariel Development to develop a Cambria hotel & suites in Seattle, WA. The 112-room Cambria property will be located in the Belltown neighborhood at 1915 Third Ave, and is expected to open in late-2017.

The Cambria hotel & suites Seattle will be locally situated and within walking distance to many of Seattle's iconic locations, including Pike Place Market, Washington State Convention Center, the Seattle Aquarium and the Seattle Art Museum. In addition, Seattle is home to a number of Fortune 500 companies that include Amazon, Starbucks and Nordstrom, making the Cambria Seattle a perfect destination for business travelers seeking upscale lodging at an affordable price.

"The Cambria hotels & suites brand has seen a significant surge of new developments and openings in major urban markets over the past year," said Steve Joyce, president and CEO, Choice Hotels International. "The Seattle property will serve as the brand's entrance into the Pacific Northwest, and we couldn't be more thrilled to bring our upscale offerings to Seattle's business and leisure travelers."

Designed as a business travel and leisure brand, all Cambria hotels & suites properties feature a larger lobby to give guests a more social atmosphere; oversized rooms with flexible spaces; and the latest technology that allows guests to stay connected while they travel.

"Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is home to many of the world's most celebrated companies, making for an ever-increasing demand for upscale lodging options," said Herzel Hazan, Ariel Development. "The Belltown neighborhood lies in the heart of Downtown Seattle's retail and business districts, and we're excited to partner with Choice Hotels to bring the Cambria brand to the area."

As with all Cambria hotels & suites, the Seattle property will feature other fine amenities such as a contemporary bistro, Social Circle, serving a menu comprised of local specialties created by Chef Michael DeMaria; liquor, wine, beer and freshly prepared grab-and-go gourmet salads and sandwiches; and a barista bar. This property will also boast 1,600 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center and a rooftop patio with views of Puget Sound. Additionally, the building will include 50 apartments for residential use.
With Christy Moore throwing his weight behind People Before Profits' Richard Boyd Barrett as he seeks re-election, we look at Glen Hansard, Beyonce, Noel Gallagher, U2 and others throwing their weight behind causes they believe in

With the news last week that Christy Moore is to play a fundraiser gig for People Before Profit's Richard Boyd Barrett's general election campaign, we take a look at some more artists who've taken political stands through the years.

Damien Dempsey and Glen Hansard Anti Water Charges Protest

Damien Dempsey and Glen Hansard perform "The Auld Triangle" in front of the Dail at an anti-water charges protest in 2014.

Billy Bragg Standing Up For The Miners

Billy Bragg performs "Which Side Are You On" at a miners' protest in 1984. The location is unknown, but Bragg performed up and down the UK in the Thatcher years, supporting the miners and trade unions. In more recent times Bragg supported the Occupy protests and even more recently he supported Jeremy Corbyn in his campaign to become leader of the Labour Party.

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James Taylor and The Democratic Party

No stranger to supporting the Democratic Party, James Taylor played at both of Barack Obama's inaugurations as well as performing at the Democratic National Congress, both of which can be seen below. James Taylor is such a big supporter of the Democrats that he even performed Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come' for fictional president Jed Bartlett's administration on The West Wing.





Beyonce Super Bowl 2016

Since Beyonce's performance at Super Bowl on Sunday night, debate has raged about the political nature of her performance. Her dancers wore something mimicking a Black Panthers uniform, while the famous fist-in-the-air salute was seen by the biggest American TV audience of the year. This song symbolises what is happening in middle America at the moment and maybe Beyonce feels now is her time to say what she feels about the treatment of young black Americans.

U2 and Greenpeace Protest at Sellafield

After a 1992 show in Manchester U2 jump straight on their tour bus and make the journey to Sellafield to support a Greenpeace protest at the nuclear power plant that is only separated from Ireland by a few miles of water.

Noel Gallagher and New Labour

Noel Gallagher threw his weight behind 'New Labour' in the 1997 general election. Gallagher, who was at the height of his Britpop powers, saw it as an end to the Thatcher and Major years that had plagued his generation. I think we'll let Noel and Liam tell the story.

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Tom Morello at Occupy Wall Street

Tom Morello is no stranger to a protest, here he is at Occupy Wall Street back in September 2012 but he has also been vocal in his opposition of Guantanamo Bay, NATO and supports many trade union movements in the U.S.

Mos Def

Mos Def appeared outside the VMA's in 2006 to play a free concert on the back of a flatbed truck only to be arrested minutes into the performance. Police said he was arrested for not having a permit and crowd conditions were unsafe. Mos Def was performing 'Katrina Clap' when arrested, a song in response to George Bush and his administrations slow response to helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Medinah Minerals (OTCMKTS:MDMN, MDMN message board) started off an incredibly long time ago with the idea of becoming a leading junior mining company. Many deals were struck over the years, a few acquisitions were closed, and some Joint Ventures were entered into. The number of press releases and the optimism spurring out of them, however, is even more astonishing.

Yet, after all these years and all these promises, MDMN started the month with next to no volume and a price of around $0.015 per share. This is not really much of a surprise considering the fact that at the end of Q3, the company's financial statement looked like this:

cash: $40 thousand

current assets: $801 thousand

current liabilities: $19 thousand

quarterly revenues: $103 thousand

quarterly operating loss: $188 thousand

Clearly, all the excitement coming from press releases from days gone by hasn't really made much of an impression on MDMN's financial situation. At the beginning of the month, however, the management team set themselves the task of convincing investors that this is about to change.

After a business trip to Chile, Gary Goodin, a Director at MDMN, wrote a letter to the shareholders in order to update them on the most recent developments around the company. Not a whole lot was disclosed in terms of details, but Mr. Goodin's letter does leave us with the impression that everything is going well. At one point he even mentions a purchase formula proposed by AURYN, a partner of MDMN at the Altos de Lipangue property which, in Mr. Goodin's words would enhance Medinah's longterm prospects.

The letter in question came out on February 1, and at first, only a few people were interested. One of them, however, was so convinced that this will be a true breakout for MDMN, that he set up a blog dedicated to the company and its shareholders. Apparently, quite a few people saw the blog and they liked what they read. The volumes over the last few days have been huge and thanks to four consecutive green sessions, the ticker reached $0.022 yesterday  the highest close in over a month.

So, is this the moment people have been waiting for for so long? Has the time come for MDMN to finally pop up on the map for good?

Some people reckon that it has. Then again some people reckoned that it had come four and a half months ago and as you can see from the chart at the beginning of the article, they turned out to be mistaken.
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-12 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Massive farmers' protest at Syntagma square [02] PM Tsipras and ND Mitsotakis speak to ANA-MPA [03] Body of missing helicopter crew member found on Kineros islet [04] We need a politically and socially sustainable Europe, says Italian parliament president Boldrini to ANA-MPA [01] Massive farmers' protest at Syntagma square A massive farmers' protest has been scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Syntagma square. Farmers are requesting that the government withdraws its proposed social security and pension reform plan. According to the organizers, more than 35 busses are expected to arrive in Athens on Friday morning, while many others will join then in private cars. Protesters are expected to meet at Omonoia square and walk towards the Parliament on Syntagma square, where they will set up tents to house farmers who will remain there for the entire weekend. Farmers from Crete have already arrived in Athens while farmers from other regions and 65 blockades around the country are expected to arrive in Athens by 18:00. Meanwhile, the police have set up their own road blocks across the national high ways in order to prevent farmers from driving their tractors to Syntagma. "The representatives of the coordinating committees need to isolate such incidents and condemn extremist views," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Apostolou on Friday said upon his arrival to Parliament on the clashes between farmers and police. "The scenes that took place today in the Ministry of Agriculture aimed to discredit the farmers' struggle," he stated. "Damages were reported on the first floor of the ministry and fortunately there were no employees injured," he added. "The representatives of the coordinating committees need to isolate such incidents and condemn extremist views. It is a shame to add such dark pages in the history of the agriculture movement," he underlined. Apostolou concluded that there is only one way and stressed the importance of dialogue in order to solve the farmers' problems. [02] PM Tsipras and ND Mitsotakis speak to ANA-MPA ANA-MPA's magazine "To Praktorio" on Friday hosts two articles on the refugee crisis by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "There are moments in history that the geographical position and wealth of our islands force us to assume great responsibilities; responsibilities that sometimes are beyond us. But we have repeatedly demonstrated that we can face the challenges and also defend our values and our culture successfully," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said. The Greek Coast Guard and other authorities, volunteers and residents are making a superhuman effort in the name of the European culture and human values: they protect the life, the asylum, the dignity of refugees. This effort has already granted the global recognition of the public opinion and the media, the prime minister said. "However, only our efforts are not enough. They are not enough because in fact they will never be able to address the root causes of the refugee flows, nor to fully cover the needs of the refugees," he underlined. The permanent and effective response to the refugee crisis is a collective responsibility of the European Union and the International Community. The effective management of the refugee issue is exclusively based on the implementation of the collective plan and the responsibilities that each one has assumed. Europe has to develop a plan. Greece meets its commitments. It is the time of responsibility for the other partners. The solution lies in the implementation of agreements and action plans, and not in the adoption of an anti-European, xenophobic agenda, Tsipras noted. On his part, main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his article to ANA-MPA's magazine said that New Democracy will do its national duty. "The condition is extremely crucial. Amidst adverse conditions, Greece is called on to respect human lives and at the same time to protect its borders and security. "The first task is consistent with our culture and humanism that historically characterizes Greece and the Greeks. The second one is a national obligation and top mission in order our country to not be left unguarded. We need to fulfil both," he underlined. Mitsotakis stressed the importance of the government meeting its commitments, Europe implementing a solidarity policy to Greece, as well as Europe putting pressure on Turkey. He concluded: "The first and main responsibility lies within the government. We will do our national duty as always. Soberly and with strong determination. My message is clear: We will protect the human life as well as Greece's security." [03] Body of missing helicopter crew member found on Kineros islet The body of the captain of the Hellenic Navy helicopter AB-212 that crashed early Thursday was found on Kineros islet on Friday. The captain's body was found near the spot where that bodies of the two other crew members and the remains of the helicopter were found near a hilltop on Kineros. [04] We need a politically and socially sustainable Europe, says Italian parliament president Boldrini to ANA-MPA The president of Italian parliament Laura Boldrini sends a message of support to Greece and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras with her visit to Athens on Friday. In an interview with ANA-MPA, she said that she came to a country that is trying hard because she deeply believes in the European family and the eurozone. "We support choices that were painful, but with a high sense of responsibility," she underlined. During her meeting on Friday with Tsipras, Boldrini said that she wants to be briefed by the Greek prime minister on the developments. "I know that he does everything to bridge the harsh austerity measures of the memorandum with social cohesion, something that is very difficult," she said adding that "if today the issue of Europe is so timely in the political debate, we owe it to Alexis Tsipras who highlighted the austerity issue last July and upgraded it to a key issue at an international level, something that I also share." Boltrini stressed that austerity alone cannot continue and it cannot be implemented at any cost if we want to maintain the democracy in our countries. "We must have a more political and socially sustainable Europe," underlined Boldrini. The Italian top official, that has served as UN representative for the refugees in the past, will visit the island of Lesvos. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-12 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Frontex will work closely with NATO against traffickers, agency chief says [02] Santorini emerges as one of the world's top tourism destinations [03] Sklavenitis, Marinopoulos supermarket groups sign partnership agreement [01] Frontex will work closely with NATO against traffickers, agency chief says BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA / C. Vassilaki) -- Frontex will be working closely with NATO in order to stem illegal migrant-trafficking in the Aegean, the head of the European border agency Fabrice Leggeri said on Friday. He announced a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos on Monday to coordinate action on the refugee and migrant crisis. "We will work closely with NATO and its members in order to do whatever we can to fight the criminals earning billions of euros from trafficking desperate people from Turkey to Greece," he said, adding that all operations will continue to be carried out with respect for the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Human Rights. [02] Santorini emerges as one of the world's top tourism destinations With two million visitors arriving each year - or nearly 10 pct of the total number of tourist arrivals for the whole country - as well as frequent first-place rankings in surveys of favourite holiday destinations, the Greek island of Santorini has emerged as one of the top tourism destinations worldwide. There are currently 75 airlines offering flights to Santorini, with their number rising and flights arriving from dozens of countries, reaching as many as 57 a day during the summer months. Visitors also arrive on cruiseships that dock at Santorini from March until almost Christmas, letting off as many as 25,000 people a day. According to Thira (Santorini) Mayor Nikolaos Zorzos, the island is very close to achieving the target of all-year tourism. He noted that some 100 hotels remained open throughout the winter of 2015-2016 - representing one eighth of the island's total accommodation capacity - in order to serve visitors in the winter months. He noted that the small size of hotels on Santorini made this feasible, since hotels that stayed open did not have such high running costs as the larger units on other islands. Zorzos said that Santorini's goals in terms of tourists were not quantitative but how to better coordinate and distribute arrivals, in order to ensure that visitors had the best time possible. He said the Municipal Harbour Funds of Santorini and Mykonos had commissioned a study on "berth allocation" from the University of the Aegean in order to achieve this goal, so that arriving cruise ships only let off as many visitors as the island could handle. The island was also seeking to develop theme tourism, such as gastrotourism, wine tourism, cultural tourism in its bid to become a year-round destination, with plans to open a new geology museum this year and increase available hiking routes from the current eight to 19, he said. Work on the island with EU funds was continuing, he added, such as a recent project to remove electricity pylons from the view down into the caldera. [03] Sklavenitis, Marinopoulos supermarket groups sign partnership agreement Sklavenitis supermarket group and the Marinopoulos chain on Friday announced the signing of a partnership agreement to create a new joint company to operate and develop hypermarkets throughout Greece. The new company will operate a network of 33 stores, currently owned by Marinopoulos Group in large urban centers, and will plan a future expansion of the network. These units currently employ more than 3,000 people while their turnover was around 325 million euros in 2015. The two groups will have an equal share in the new company, with Marinopoulos Group choosing the non-executive chairman of the board and Sklavenitis the chief executive. The two companies, commenting on the agreement, jointly announced: "Two Greek families with a long presence in the retail commerce sector are joining forces to the benefit of consumers, Greek producers and their employees. We hope that with this new company will positively contribute to support the Greek economy". Completion of the deal is expected in the next two months after approval by competition authorities. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Hillary Clinton's week just went from bad to worse https://t.co/HnUMoz42F4 pic.twitter.com/T34iqxmYFh  Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) February 12, 2016

How much trouble is Hillary Clinton really in? https://t.co/HagXEjzTpq | AP pic.twitter.com/Eff8dYgby3  POLITICO Magazine (@POLITICOMag) February 12, 2016

Interesting Obama Intel chief calls for Hillary to halt her campaigning in light of FBI probe. https://t.co/T494TCUQFd  Richard Pollock (@rpollockDC) February 11, 2016

Losing New Hampshire by 22 points to an avowed socialist was bad enough for Hillary Clinton. But then came the news  first reported by WaPo  that the State Department had opened a inquiry regarding the activities of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation during her time time as secretary of state. And bad went to way, way worse....at some point Clinton will need to directly face down the fact that it's not just Republicans who are talking about her emails or her paid speeches or the Clinton Foundation. The numbers coming out of the New Hampshire exit poll make plain that Democratic voters care about honesty in their politicians, and those that prize it the most are voting heavily against Clinton.
A brave girl just gave the world haunting insight into the extremist world of Boko Haram.

A potential suicide bomber removed her explosives and abandoned her mission as two other bombers killed 58 people at a refugee camp in Nigeria on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

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In this Feb. 10, 2016 file photo, rescue workers transport a victim of a suicide bomb attack for treatment at a hospital, in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Photo: Jossy Ola/AP via Canadian Press)

Her story shows that certain children employed by Boko Haram as suicide bombers know they're going to die, the agency said.

She said she was scared because she knew she would kill people, Modu Awami, one of the fighters who questioned the girl, told AP.

The three bombers, all of them girls, came from a town close by, Al-Jazeera reported.

The girl worried that her family was at the camp, so she surrendered, said The New York Times.

She also warned that Boko Haram could attack the camp in future.

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Displaced persons stand waiting for food at Dikwa Camp in northeastern Nigeria on Feb. 2, 2016. (Photo: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)

Northeast Nigeria's Dikwa refugee camp houses as many as 80,000 people, the Times reported.

It is 85 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the capital of the state of Borno and the centre of Boko Haram's violence.

The group has resorted to suicide bombings at markets and attacks on villages after it lost ground to government forces last year.

Boko Haram is widely known for kidnapping 219 schoolgirls in 2014.

Some of the children who were rescued from the group say they were used as sex slaves, according to the New York Times.

At least 100 kidnapped women and girls  as young as eight years old  have been used for suicide missions since June 2014, according to UN estimates.

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The leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives couldn't resist taking a playful jab at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after a Tory candidate rolled to a byelection win in Whitby-Oshawa Thursday.

And Patrick Brown's words reminded a wider audience that Trudeau has just shared in arguably his first real loss since coming to power in October.

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"It's nice to see sunny ways have come with blue skies here in Whitby-Oshawa," Brown said at an election night party for Lorne Coe.

"It's nice to see sunny ways have come with blue skies here in Whitby-Oshawa" @brownbarrie@lornecoe#onpolipic.twitter.com/tGjzW7DrWe  Ontario PC (@OntarioPCParty) February 12, 2016

Coe, a regional councillor, took 52 per cent of the vote, easily defeating Ontario Liberal Elizabeth Roy and NDP candidate Niki Lundquist. Voter turnout, however, was an abysmal 29 per cent.

He will now replace Christine Elliott, a longtime MPP and widow of former federal finance minister Jim Flaherty. Elliott gave up the seat last summer after losing a race for the party leadership.

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Flaherty held the riding provincially from 1995 to 2006, when he made the jump to Ottawa.

Some might argue that the PC party keeping a reliably PC riding is no big deal. And byelections, to be sure, always get way more attention than they should  win or lose, the Ontario Liberals' majority government was never in jeopardy.

But the stakes were raised this week by both Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Trudeau.

In a move dubbed unusual and, in some circles inappropriate, Trudeau participated in a campaign rally with Wynne and Roy on Tuesday. Though Trudeau campaigned with Wynne during the provincial election in 2014, and she campaigned with him in the federal election last year, it's highly uncommon for a prime minister to insert himself into a local race.

Trudeau's stump speech echoed what he said on the federal campaign trail about "sunny ways" and positivity trumping division.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a campaign rally with Elizabeth Roy, on Feb. 9, 2016. (Photo: Fred Thornhill/CP)

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"You'd think that people would have learned from that," Trudeau said. "You'd think the people who were pushing fear and division might have said after Kathleen's win, after our win in October that maybe we shouldn't engage in personal attacks. Maybe we shouldn't be scaring people. Maybe we shouldn't be looking for fault lines to exploit and ways to divide each other."

But Ontario Liberals told The Canadian Press that the byelection wasn't especially nasty or marred by personal attacks.

Trudeau has helped other Liberal leaders

Before becoming prime minister, Trudeau went out of his way to help Liberal leaders at the provincial level. In addition to Wynne, he campaigned with Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, and Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan during provincial elections.

Federal New Democrats even called out Trudeau last April for lending his support to P.E.I. Liberals, who would not commit to fully funded and unrestricted access to abortion on the island.

The close relationship between Trudeau and Wynne has provided plenty of fodder for Tory MPs from Ontario who attempt to link federal Liberals to the scandals or controversies of their provincial cousins.

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Last year, Tory MP Cheryl Gallant rose in the House of Commons to demand Trudeau "order" Wynne withdraw the province's changes to the sexual education curriculum  even though education is clearly a matter of provincial jurisdiction.

In question period last week, rookie Tory MP Alex Nuttall asked the federal Liberals to promise they would not give former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty a patronage appointment. Several one-time McGuinty government staffers now work for Trudeau, including his chief of staff Katie Telford and principal secretary Gerald Butts.

"McGuinty has cost Ontario taxpayers billions of dollars in higher taxes, big spending, and gas plant scandals," he said at the time.

With files from The Canadian Press

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In the years and days before the Jian Ghomeshi story broke out, I never heard one person state anything but praise for the CBC Radio superstar.

"He's sexy!"

"Jian's great!"

Oh, one person did whisper to me during his appearance in London that he "seems to dress to impress."

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No crime in that.

Days after Jian himself was the national story, I was at a birthday party and some women who described themselves as feminist said of Ghomeshi:

"Always thought he was creepy."

"Icky."

"Never liked the guy."

"Poppycock," I said. "There seems to be a rewriting of history here. 'Hot journalist' is all I've ever heard."

This odd intro to the Jian Story seemed a little too ominous for my comfort. A portent of things to come?

Months later, sigh. That old shiver runs down the length of my spine and the knots reform in the pit of my stomach yet again, for here we go again. Brave women came forward convinced that their story would be believed if they come forward in numbers.

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I can't even muster my old refrain: "Increasing public awareness is always a good thing, no?"

When I heard even women laughing this week about the evidence as reported, my old knots burst into frayed ropes.

I just don't want to see one more guilt trip dumped on women who had the guts to come forward feeling they've been smacked against a wall, again.

Of course, the guilt trips are usually accomplished in subtle ways. OK, this time, not-so-subtle. (Read ANY report on the women's testimony and you'll see what I mean.)

I grew up with men and women of faith telling me that a woman who does not physically fight off a rapist is guilty of fornication, yet she must not fight off a physical attack because violence is a sin. Yes, I know, that's right there on the same level as former Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's 2012 statement that pregnancies resulting from rape "is something God intended to happen."

Methinks only the accused comes out of these scenarios without blame. Am I right?

I can remember as clear as yesterday my mother delivering the message that she was taught: if a woman doesn't fight, she is a sinner. Even though I was uneducated on the subject, there I was, a child, arguing "That just does not make sense. What if a woman is afraid for her life? What if she freezes in shock?"

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But what did I know? A lot, apparently.

Well, it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. I'm still arguing my points decades later.

I've heard of a male prosecutor who suggested that victims "should fight back and not submit," adding, "physical injuries heal a lot faster than the emotional scars."

Really?!

I suggest the psychological mantle of victimhood will be helped more by demonstrations of understanding and empathy, and less by people who judge a woman's choice to do "nothing" when a perpetrator is doing "something."

Are we still asking "Did she stop it?" instead of "Why did he do it?"

Apparently so.

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Last January 21, when Mayor Denis Coderre, the spokeman of the 82 municipalities of Montreal 's Urban Community, said "no" to TransCanada's Energy East pipeline, there was an uproar in Western Canada.

Many, including Premier Brad Wall and Rick Mercer made wild accusations, saying this was a national unity question. There were disparaging remarks about equalization payments.

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One can wonder why the same kind of verbal abuse was not also aimed at British Columbia, the First Nations or President Obama of the USA -- they also blocked three major pipelines required to expand the tar sands industry! Or are these inflammatory remarks flirting dangerously with blatant Quebec-bashing?

Despite such hostile reactions, I will rein in my feelings and try to explain why Energy East's arrogant attitude has led to its serious public relations problems.

If TransCanada wants to built its pipeline, it has to persuade the population that the benefits outweigh the risks. It must answer legitimate questions from local officials and concerned citizens.

Last fall, Montreal's Urban Community held public hearings to ascertain the concerns of its citizens on the matter. More than 150 memoires (written presentations) were submitted at these hearings -- but TransCanada decided to boycott the hearings!

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With its absence, TransCanada snubbed 82 mayors and the four million citizens they represent. This was foolishly against TransCanada's own interests, for "those who are absent are always wrong." [1]

In other words, when you are not at a conference table to defend your project, you cannot influence your audience.

The mayor of Quebec City, M. Labeaume, although favourable to Energy East, is unable to accept the "arrogant and incompetent" attitude of TC. The people of Montreal, of Quebec and of Ontario have tough questions to ask.

TransCanada has to come out of its ivory tower. It simply cannot play the fancy public relation games suggested by its former PR firm, Edelman.

Public hearings, (including those of the NEB) must include such issues as the preservation of our sources of potable water, emergency plans in case of a mishap, greenhouse gases produced at both ends of the pipeline in the context of the warnings of IPCC and the conclusions of the Conference of Paris and potential economic benefits for all. Like the rest of Canada, Quebec wants a thriving, diversified economy, not handouts.

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For the last 10 years, Canada's economic policy has consisted of exporting raw natural resources without refining. This archaic approach has had a devastating effect on our manufacturing sector; it means a near recession and a Loonie at $0.70.

In the 21st century, should an industrialized nation of the G8 have a diversified economy, or should it simply export raw products like a company town, leaving it constantly at the mercy of price slumps in the commodity markets?

To pit one part of the country against another is unacceptable; to inflame one region against the other is despicable! In contrast to the divisive comments of Premier Brad Wall and Rick Mercer, I appreciated the balanced debate between M. Coderre and Premier Gallant of New Brunswick.

On the screen of the popular talk show, TLMEP[2], they disagreed on the the Energy East project; however they respected each other's position. And they both demanded real answers from TransCanada.

If built, Energy East will have a profound impact on our collective future. Serious talks are essential! Environment Minister David Heurtel says TransCanada has to do more than just change its tone. I agree!

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Rick Mercer and Premier Brad Wall should cool down. Harsh words and a phony national unity issue cannot replace the real substance of much-needed hearings.

Gerard Montpetit

1]Translation of a popular french saying; Les absents ont toujours tort.

2]TLMEP=Tout le Monde en parle with Guy A. Lepage, Radio-Canada, Sunday, February 7, 2016

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Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

For those old enough to remember, the Conservative party of 2016 has a familiar look -- almost as though it has discovered a portal back to the way things were 15 or so years ago.

Rather than engaging in a robust post-election rebuilding process and seeking to broaden its base, the Conservative party has decided to retreat into their comfort zone of regional grievance politics.

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Under the leadership of Rona Ambrose, the Conservatives appear to be abandoning any attempt to repair the national coalition that swept them to power in 2006. Indeed, today they look more like the Canadian Alliance of the early 2000s than the governing Conservatives of the last 10 years.

The latest and most obvious example of this is the party's recent opposition day motion on the Energy East pipeline. The motion called on the government to support the Energy East pipeline project before an environmental assessment was complete. Over the last two sitting weeks, three of every four of Ambrose's questions in the House have focused on Alberta and the Energy East pipeline.

Ambrose's rhetoric appeals to those impacted the most by the current state of Canada's energy sector.

On the face of it, this is an understandable tactic. Alberta's economy and the energy sector in Canada are contracting. The Conservative caucus is largely dominated by Albertan MPs, with constituents facing very grim economic news. There is no question that all MPs, particularly ones from that region, are under a great deal of pressure to do something.

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Furthermore, there are likely more than a few MPs on the Conservative side who are still wary of the fact that Justin Trudeau's Liberals were able to breach the walls of Conservative Fortress Alberta in the last general election. Not to mention the NDP victory in the provincial election last year.

Something needs to be done.

Rather than help Alberta's economy, Ambrose's rhetoric decreases the likelihood of projects receiving the broad popular support required to proceed.

Industry believes that the fastest way to approve large-scale pipelines is to tone down the rhetoric and let the experts do their jobs. Even Stephen Harper's government understood this simple reality.

The wording of the opposition day motion is a major departure from the previous government's policy on the matter.

Some will recall that the Harper Government refused to officially endorse the Northern Gateway Pipeline project until the National Energy Board's Joint Review Panel had a chance to finish its review. Anxious to shore up support for its western base, the new Conservative party is asking the government to endorse a project before the experts have had a chance to review it.

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The use of pipelines as a wedge issue poisons the discussion about Canada's energy sector. Rather than help Alberta's economy, Ambrose's rhetoric decreases the likelihood of projects receiving the broad popular support required to proceed.

In contrast, the Liberals are offering a more appealing way forward for industry by attempting to de-politicize the process. A regulatory process that depends less on politics and more on evidence will strengthen the public's and industry's confidence in the regulatory framework.

Perhaps Ambrose has made an honest mistake. People whose livelihoods are tied to this industry are concerned. This tactic could be an attempt to address their fears and worries. A cynical person might say that this was all about fundraising. That this was an attempt to get Conservative supporters in the region to open their wallets for the party cause. Or maybe it was part of a strategy to prevent the Liberal government from succeeding in building a large-scale pipeline project that meets high environmental standards -- something their government failed to do during the 10 years they were in power.

Regardless of motive, this is the wrong call. Not only does this threaten the economic rebound of the industry and the region, but also it threatens the long-term viability of the Conservative movement. National coalitions aren't built in one region of the country.

Greg MacNeil is Vice President of Ensight. In the past, he has worked for the Liberal Party on Parliament Hill and at Queen's Park. Ensight represents a number of clients in Canada's energy sector.

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I met artist John Scott back in Windsor in the late 60s, long before he started painting bunny ears on boxer Mike Tyson and a sci-fi wheelchair for a long-forgotten pope! It was my first year being on-air at the Windsor U radio station and it was an era of profound change in Canada's Motor City.

Back then Scott was a young street artist. He was also a factory worker (he had dropped out of school before he finished Grade 10) and a union activist.

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It was a good time and a good place for him to be. Anyone young and living in Windsor in that decade, John Scott included, was politically aware and ready to take to the streets to support the cause of the week.

He had a ringside seat for the burning of an American city during the Detroit Riots. There were the anti-nuke protests that brought us all out to shut down the Ambassador Bridge -- industry's causeway into the U.S. The anti-war movement was in overdrive, fuelled by an army of American draft dodgers who sought asylum. It was interesting times that had a strong impact on all of us -- none more so than John Scott.

His art was born out of the anti-war movement. Scott was one of this country's first anti-establishment painters who was impacted by the Cold War and the raging war in Vietnam. He wasn't supported in his art by government grants and largess from deep gallery pockets; instead, he got by working in a chemical factory by day and painting his black and white cartoonish canvasses at night.

In the 70s Scott was in Toronto attending what is now the Ontario College of Art (where he currently works). By the 80s his art had been elevated from the street level to the rarefied world of public galleries and high-end galleries. He earned a Governor General's Award in 2000, and many of his large, science-fiction driven paintings were being sold before the paint even dried on the canvas.

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"Scott's bold and rough graphic drawings are characteristically crude, often made with the cheapest materials at hand. One of his working methods was to repeatedly soak paper in solvent and develop an image by grinding-in dark pigments, thick black paint, graphite and charcoal," says the Federal National Gallery.

Scott's work is part of the National Gallery's permanent collection. "Scott has depicted dark warplanes hovering over destroyed landscapes devoid of human presence. He has also drawn rabbit-like figures to stand in for the anxiety-ridden human being, the harassed victim of the technological threat and militaristic oppression. Heavy dark lines record an impending sense of tragedy and terror."

Health issues and substance abuse problems kept him out of the public eye early in the century. Scott has overcome those issues and is now seeing his work exhibited at public galleries across across North America.

I met up with John Scott last fall at a downtown Toronto gallery as he prepared for a comeback exhibition. It was a triumph success where some of the city's top rock 'n' rollers snapped up his $40,000 paintings.

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Innocent Pope by John Scott

Forty years almost to the day I first interviewed him, Scott talked on camera to me about the influence Windsor has had on his art. He also explained to me how his vision of Pope Innocent X is deeply entwined with Doctor X of the X-Men comics and Irish painter Francis Bacon's paintings of the pope.

Scott talked to me about his paintings of Mike Tyson, complete with bunny ears and the pope in his X-Men wheelchair on YouTube. Filmed and produced by Canada Art Channel's George Socka, the two Toronto interviews can be found here and here.

John Scott's art is currently on display in a touring exhibition that has crossed Canada and the United States. The first half of the show just closed at the McMaster University Gallery in Hamilton. Part Two opened earlier this week across town at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

The exhibition, curated by Faulconer Gallery at Grinnell College, Iowa, has its official launch on February 20 in downtown Hamilton, it runs until May 15, 2016.

Fearful Symmetry includes 28 works on paper in a vast installation in the AGH's largest rooms reserved for contemporary art exhibitions.

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The AGH describe the work of Scott as being driven by his "imagination (that) has been fed by science fiction, the Space Age and Motor City (Windsor) manufacturing might and blight. Sympathy for the worker as a human tool in the global industrial complex pervades what some have called his apocalyptic vision.

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The Caribbean Princess at a port of call.

What's this Wave Season I keep hearing about?

No, wave season doesn't have anything to do with surfing or bad weather; it's much more exciting than that. Wave Season is the big annual sale for cruises, which starts in January and finishes in March.

It gives you the opportunity to get a great deal and the first pick of cabins because you're booking early.

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Oasis ships by Royal Caribbean offer something for every type of traveller.

What makes Wave Season more special than any other time of the year?

You may be thinking that cruise sales happen all year around, and you'd be right. The point of Wave Season is the bonuses and extras that are added onto an already discounted price, meaning it's the sale where you'll get most value for your money.

These can be anything from onboard credits (there are plenty of shops to traipse around on your days at sea), free upgrades or prepaid tips to shore excursions and unlimited alcoholic beverages. While all your meals are included on a standard cruise, drinks are usually extra and can add a hefty sum. So snagging a deal that includes free drink means you can sip that pina colada by the pool or raise that glass of bubbly to the sunset in your fancy evening wear without worry of cost.

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A toast on the Crown Princess by Princess Cruises

Ok, so what should I know when booking a deal during Wave Season?

Check the fine print

There's nothing worse than thinking you've got a great deal and realizing that it's only valid if you do A, B or C. Make sure you read the terms and conditions; there may be a certain cabin category you have to book in order to get a welcome bottle of champagne, or it may be as simple as having to travel within a certain time period.

Cruise lines may hide the specifics because they want to lure you in. Just know that it probably is still a good deal, but there could be a few catches.

See the Alaskan Glaciers on the Oosterdam by Holland America

Know the value

To get the best deal you can, a bit of research goes a long way. Find out what the usual price is for the kind of cruise you're planning to book. The destination -- whether it's Europe, Alaska or the Caribbean -- and the length of time aboard the ship will change prices drastically.

As upgrades are the big factor in Wave Season, it really helps to find out what the normal value of these components are so you really know when you're onto a winner. For example, research what an inside cabin usually costs in comparison to a balcony cabin.

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Time to unwind on the Oasis Royal Caribbean.

Choose a cruise right for you

There's a lot of variety in cruise itineraries and amenities, so it's important to consider who you're travelling with and what cruise line or destination may be best. Most cruises have a few sea days, which is when amenities become really important. It may come down to the perfect match of free extra and your vacation style that seals the deal.

Princess Cruise ship headed for the Panama Canal

If you're travelling with kids, look for a cruise line that organizes great activities or, like P&O and Princess Cruises, has a designated kids club. If you're a retired couple looking for a bit more peace and quiet, Holland America may suit best. For a multi-generational group or as someone who likes a bit of everything, Royal Caribbean is a good bet.

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Just one of the on-board activities on the Oasis Royal Caribbean.

Wave Season nicely coincides with the end of the holidays and when we're all thinking about our travel plans for the year ahead. On top of that, it's designed for people planning future trips rather than looking for last-minute deals (although you'll see some of those too) so it's really worth taking advantage.

Check out Travelzoo's cruise deals here.

Andrea Chrysanthou is the editor of the Travelzoo Canada blog and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Travelzoo has 250 deal experts around the world who rigorously research, evaluate and test thousands of deals to find those with true value.
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has criticised politicians for scaremongering and cultivating a mistrust in immigrants as they fight over whether the UK should leave the European Union.

Appearing on the BBCs Question Time, the funnyman cooly accused both those campaigning to leave and stay in the EU in the upcoming in-out referendum of failing to provide proper economic arguments.

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Instead, debate had been reduced to suggesting oh Kents going to look a bit dodgy.

Romesh Ranganathan: "Ukip accused David Cameron of scaremongering - and thats their territory.

And faced with Nigel Farage on the panel, he took apart the UKIP leader - a key player calling to leave - for suggesting that without quitting the EU then Britain would be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

But he also turn his measured fury on David Cameron, who wants the UK to remain in the union if he can claw back power from Brussels, for being just as guilty of propagating fear.

This week, the Prime Minister suggested the Jungle refugee camp in Calais may have to shift across the channel to Calais under Brexit - even though the deal with France has nothing to do with EU membership.

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And on Wednesday, Nigel Farage claimed the Cologne sex attacks were a bloody powerful argument for leaving the EU.

Ranganathan made the point that all of the sides in this argument seem to be using scaremongering tactics.

He said: Mr Farage said we need to get control of our borders because if we dont therell be an increase in terrorism. Thats exactly the kind of scaremongering that worries me. Those kinds of sentiments I find frightening.

Look at the terrorist atrocities that happened in England - the 7/7 bombers, three of four of those were British-born. The people who murdered Lee Rigby - both of those were British-born.

Youre looking at a situation here where people are cultivating a feeling of distrust of immigrants and immigration, and ignoring what theyve contributed to the UK in order to create this sense of fear that we dont want immigration to happen."

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Brexit is the only way we can control immigration, said Nigel Farage

Ranganathan continued: Its not just (the leave campaign). David Cameron is guilty of it as well. I saw a speech where (addressing Tory Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, who was also on the panel) said the fear factor shouldnt come into it. But David Cameron made unacceptable comments about this jungle moving from Calais to the south coast, should we go ahead with exiting Europe. It is absolutely ridiculous. I want to hear proper economic arguments. I dont want to hear oh Kents going to look a bit dodgy if this happens.

If thats not scaremongering I dont know what is. In fact, Ukip accused David Cameron of scaremongering - and thats their territory.

In response, Farage said there were pros and cons of immigration, but that public services cannot cope with a British population rising by half a million people a year.
Labour was facing major embarrassment today after it emerged that one of its current Shadow Cabinet ministers had described its former MPs in Scotland as f*cking useless.

The revelation, which is sure to be pounced on by the SNP, came from an academic who had exclusive access to senior party figures for a new guide to the 2015 general election.

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Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London said that hed asked about Labours disastrous performance north of the border.

Prof Cowley, who was co-author with Dennis Kavanagh of The British General Election of 2015, told students at the books launch this week that he got a surprising reply from the unnamed Labour MP.

There was an interview with a Shadow Cabinet member. This is a current, serving Shadow Cabinet member, who told us the result in Scotland had an upside.

This was after the election. And we naively said how could it possibly have an upside?

And he said - and this is a direct quote - well because its got rid of 40 fucking useless MPs.

Referring to the recent Labour analysis of why the party lost the last election, Prof Cowley joked: You wont find that in Margaret Becketts report.

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Searching in vain for votes, Jim Murphy and Margaret Curran

Labour lost all but one of its 41 seats in Scotland in May 2015, as the SNP scored one of the most stunning political victories in living memory.

Nicola Sturgeons Scottish National Party won 56 out of the 59 seats as voters flocked in record numbers to her partys message.

Only Ian Murray, now Shadow Scotland Secretary, was the only Labour MP to survive the SNP tsunami.

Among the casualties were Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, who was defeated by Mhairi Black, and Shadow Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, who lost his own 10,000 majority to the SNP.

The SNP's Shadow Commons Leader Pete Wishart pounced on the remarks, telling HuffPost UK: 'Labour's election disaster in Scotland was inevitable following their toxic campaign alliance with the Tories in the referendum and their extraordinary support for George Osborne's austerity and cuts - hitting families and communities hard.

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"They let the people of Scotland down again and again.Their woes continue  now finding themselves locked in a battle for second place with the Tories for the Holyrood elections.

"With their plans to shift the burden of Tory austerity onto workers by hiking taxes on the low paid being comprehensively rejected, their situation is only going to get worse.

A triumphant Nicola Sturgeon

Other former ministers and shadow ministers who lost seats included Cathy Jamieson, Gregg McClymont, Margaret Curran, Tom Harris and Tom Greatrex.

And among those who lost was also Katy Clark, the left-wing MP who is now Jeremy Corbyns political secretary.

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Buoyed by Mr Corbyns victory and the election of Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale, the party has been trying to win back support.

But polls suggest it will receive another drubbing in the coming Holyrood elections for the Scottish Parliament in May, losing possibly all of its constituency seats.

In-fighting over Labour's failures at the last election has seen some argue that the party directed valuable resources in Scotland when it should have been defending seats like that of Ed Balls and others in England.

Some Labour MPs are pushing hard for a more distinctive English message for the party, with former Shadow Education Secretary recently calling for a referendum on an English Parliament, amid fears it will take years to recover in Scotland.

At the book launch this week, Prof Cowley also revealed that Ed Milibands reaction to poor polls presented by pollster Stan Greenberg was Why do you have to be so negative?

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He said that the Prime Minister had a very different approach to negative polls.

Compare that with David Camerons reaction when presented with some really quite difficult polling in 2011 on the NHS. Cameron scribbled on the memo: Give me the right language in speeches, and physically attack me - underlined - with the right words before an interview. I will do what I am told.

Prof Cowley said that some would see that remark as a sign of a shallow cynical politician. For me its a sign of a pro, he said.

Its a sign of someone prepared to listen to expert advice. And maybe its one of the reasons that he will be Prime Minister, by the time he leaves for something close to 10 years, and Ed Miliband wont be.
The daughter of Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell has said that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt should be sacked.

Hannah Mitchell, a doctor and the daughter of the former cabinet minister, wrote that Hunt was either "dishonest or stupid" and accused him of alienating an entire generation of junior doctors.

After the Tory health secretary confirmed he would impose unpopular new contracts on junior doctors after months of protests, Mitchell wrote in a letter to The Guardian that, "What Jeremy Hunt has managed to achieve is nothing short of spectacular."

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Hunt leaving his home today

After negotiations between the Government and the British Medical Association lasting four years failed to reach an agreement, Hunt announced yesterday that new contracts would be imposed from August 2016.

Mitchell accused him of misusing statistics, and said junior doctors have no confidence in him and that "he must be sacked", prompting her father to joke that there is "no three-line whipping system" in their family.

Hannah's letter read: "Health secretaries have come and gone, imposing new measures of varying unpopularity on the NHS but not one has managed to so completely unite doctors in their dislike and alienate healthcare workers across the board in the way he has."

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#Tories seem to be losing control of their relatives - well done Hannah Mitchell and #Dave's mum and aunty. Anything from the Smiths yet?  Jane Smith (@oldlefty47) February 12, 2016

With the moral of doctors at breaking point, she claimed Hunt "demonizes" the doctors union and continues to use statistics that he has been told are incorrect, meaning he is "either dishonest or stupid", she wrote.

The letter, published by the Guardian on Friday, was written from Botswana where Hannah is doing a research fellowship.

Her father Andrew Mitchell has been MP for Sutton Coldfield since 2001, secretary of state for International Development from 2010 to 2012.

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Junior doctors went on strike this week

He also served as chief whip in 2012 before resigning over the 'plebgate' scandal, when he was accused of swearing at a police officer outside Downing Street.

In response to the letter, he told the Guardian: There is no three-line whipping system in the Mitchell family. We are an open democracy and there is no dad in the country who is prouder of his daughters and the fantastic doctor that Hannah has become.

Whatever the merits of this matter the junior hospital doctors are a dedicated, hard-working and inspiring group of people, although inevitably the government is responsible for managing this resource.

Commenters online were amused but, and supportive of, Hannah's letter.

"#Tories seem to be losing control of their relatives," one wrote, while another said the piece showed "what it feels like to be a real doctor".

@sarahwollaston if you want to remember what it feels like to be a real doctor, have a read of Hannah Mitchell article #JuniorDoctorsStrike  Matthew Izett (@DrMattIzett) February 12, 2016

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I think Dr Hannah Mitchell is being unfair. Jeremy Hunt is perfectly capable of being both dishonest AND stupid. #NHS  james_bb (@james_bb) February 12, 2016

Labour MP Heidi Alexander asked Hunt to 'correct' his statement on the junior doctors contract, after it was revealed that more than a dozen NHS bosses had not in fact given him their support for the move despite his claims.

Meanwhile Mark Serwotka, the General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, the trade union for British civil servants, wrote to Mark Porter, the Chair of the BMA, saying doctors still had his "full support" after Hunt's "disgraceful" decision.

"The health secretary and his supporters insult the whole medical profession when they try to claim your members have not understood, or are refusing to understand, the implications of what is being proposed," he wrote.

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Youd think a sleepover at a Royal residence would require ones best behaviour, but Ant and Dec have admitted to being rather mischievous, and getting drunk while staying with Prince Charles.

The presenting duo filmed a show with the heir to the throne last year, and during an appearance on Fridays (12 February) Graham Norton Show, they admit to getting drunk while staying with Charles, at his Scotland residence.

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Ant and Dec

We were invited to stay at his house in Scotland. It was the weirdest thing, they explain. We thought it would be a massive place and we would stay in another wing but it is a house and we stayed in rooms next to Charles.

We shared a butler and as we were going to bed he asked if wed like anything else and we asked for two bottles of wine.

We then got drunk with our wives but we were very conscious that Charles was down the corridor so as we got louder every now and again one of us would go, Shush, hes in bed! It was very bizarre.

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Wonder if they'll ever get another Royal sleepover invite?

Wed have been on best behaviour and in bed by 9pm, but hats off to them for their commenting to enjoying some complementary bevvies.

Ant and Decs appearance on Grahams chat show comes ahead of the Queens 90th birthday coverage, which theyll be fronting for ITV.

The duo will also return when the next series of Britain's Got Talent airs, though it could be their last one.

Watch Ant and Decs full interview on The Graham Norton Show on Friday 12 February. Catch up after this date on iPlayer.

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Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America has tweeted a damning picture to highlight the lack of global understanding there is around the Zika virus.

Entire world literature on Zika. 50 years of neglect. pic.twitter.com/iX7zbJSTC5  Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrFriedenCDC) February 12, 2016

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Testifying before politicians in Washington, Dr Frieden warned that a vaccine could be 'years away' while a WHO official has confirmed that broad trials are expected to be at least 18 months away at the earliest.

Zika has gained public prominance after an outbreak in South America has started to spiral out of control. While it symptoms are mild for most, the virus can have a devastating impact on pregnant women and their unborn children.

One of the major side-effects of contracting the virus while pregnant is that it will be passed onto the baby causing a very particular symptom known as Microcephaly.

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A baby born with microcephaly in Brazil

Microcephaly is a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and neurological abnormalities.

There are believed to be over 4,000 cases of this condition in newborn children, a drastic increase in numbers prompting the World Health Organisation to declare Zika to be a global emergency.

Countries have started issuing warnings to travellers and tourists while South American countries have begun a massive campaign to both rid the worst hit areas of the mosquitos that can transmit it and also to educate the population after it was discovered that the virus can be transmitted through sexual activity.

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CDC Director Tom Frieden has been answering questions on Twitter about the virus.

There is currently no known vaccine for the virus, instead countries can only implement preventative measures to try and stem the spread of the infection.

Outside of South America there have been a handful of confirmed cases of Zika in the United States and in Ireland.

Zachary Thompson, the director of Dallas County Health and Human services, said in a statement: "Now that we know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases our awareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others.

"Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention method against any sexually transmitted infections."

A warning from the Foreign Office, recommends women who are pregnant, or who are planning on becoming pregnant, to avoid travelling to countries where outbreaks have been confirmed.

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Donald Trump "always" carries a gun and would have opened fire on the Islamic State attackers had he been in Paris during the November massacre, the businessman revealed this week.

Speaking to French Magazine Valeurs Actuelles, the US Republican presidential frontrunner argued for a loosening of French gun laws, suggesting access to guns would allow victims to better defend themselves.

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Trump holds a replica flintlock rifle during the Republican Society Dinner at the Military College on February 22, 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina

On the attacks on the French capital last year that left 130 people dead and 368 injured, the winner of the New Hampshire primary asked, "Do you really think that if there were people in the crowd, who were armed and trained, things would have turned out the same way?"

I don't think so, he continued. They would have killed the terrorists. It makes sense.

"I always carry a weapon on me," Trump reflected. "If I'd been at the Bataclan or one of those bars, I would have opened fire. I would have perhaps died, but at least I would have taken a shot. The worst thing is the powerlessness to respond to those who want to kill you." The tycoon added that the killers were "like kids in a candy store," according to a translation by The Telegraph.

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Paramedics remove bodies from outside the Bataclan concert hall after an attack on November 13, 2015 in Paris, France

The property mogul has some form on telling the French how to best serve their citizens. After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015, also in Paris, the businessman tweeted:

If the people so violently shot down in Paris had guns, at least they would have had a fighting chance.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2015

Isnt it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2015

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Remember, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2015

Trump currently enjoys protection from the Secret Service while on the campaign trail. His team have refused to answer questions as to whether the 69-year-old is strapped when giving one of his tub-thumping xenophobic stump speeches. However, Trump did tell the Washington Times in November that he owns a couple of different guns, but he doesnt talk about it.
Last night I was the sole doctor on site caring for over 100 patients who were acutely unwell with complications from their cancer.

Some couldn't breath, some were fighting overwhelming infections with literally no immune system, one had bleeding in their head, one had a blockage in their bowels. If I made a mistake because I was tired, any one of these patients could've died.

Every cancer patient in the south birmingham region has a direct line to call for advice or help. 11 new unwell patients arrived and I assessed and treated them too.

There was not a single manager in the whole hospital. Last night, I ran the oncology service for the whole south birmingham region from inside the biggest teaching hospital in Europe.

Apparently I have no transferable skills to find a different job.

And then I stood on a picket line in the cold to save our NHS. But my shift wasn't during the strike, it was just what countless other junior doctors do everyday.

I am 27 years old. I work 60 hours a week, for the 48 that I'm paid for, I earn 18/hour.

Apparently I lack vocation, I'm overpaid and I need to work harder.

Screw you Jeremy Hunt. We never asked for thanks. All we do is for our patients, how dare you try and turn them against us. All of this is your government's fault. Well you've picked a fight with the wrong crowd.

Go on, announce imposition, and just see what the most resilient, driven, passionate, intelligent group of people in Britain do next. Bring it on.
unior doctors protest outside the Department of Health at the Government's intention to impose new contracts on them Dan Kitwood via Getty Images

The Government has been accused of deceit for using its row with junior doctors as cover to bury bad news.

Ministers slipped out an announcement that it is to close 86 courts in England and Wales just minutes after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced yesterday he would controversially impose a new contract on junior doctors.

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Officials also released controversial details of a key welfare reform, student loan repayments and cuts to health spending on the same day.

Jeremy Hunt announced he would impose a new contract on junior doctors before 12pm, and the courts closures were "slipped out" as a written statement half an hour later

Hunts announcement to Parliament was hugely controversial and dominated the digital, print and broadcast news agenda yesterday. By contrast to Mr Hunts oral statement to MPs, the Ministry of Justice announced the courts closure programme by way of a written statement.

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Whats more, both announcements were made in the last day Parliament was sitting before the half-term recess, and MPs return to their constituencies - undermining the prospect of parliamentary scrutiny.

The justice announcement, which means the doors of one-fifth of courts and tribunals will shut, was among 16 statements ministers published yesterday.

Among the most controversial within the pack was the expansion of the single Universal Credit benefit, the Governments flagship welfare reform which will roll six payments into one.

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Labour warned as only a handful of areas have been moved onto the new regime there is a perverse postcode lottery whereby some working families are 3,000 worse of than others.

And there was more: ministers announced those who failed to pay their student loans would be prosecuted as it lifts the cap on the number of under-graduates.

Other announcements included cutting council public health grants by 160 million over two years, and extending Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howes contract, despite the controversy over the handling of sex abuse allegations from the 1970s and 1980s.

The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents many court workers, said the proposals would restrict access to justice.

General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With courts closures and cuts to legal aid, access to justice has been significantly restricted by the previous government and now this one. We do not believe it is in the interests of justice to leave our communities without easy access to courthouses and tribunals."

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A spokesman for the union made clear it believes the Government used the junior doctors row and parliamentary recess to provide cover.

He said: "We actually originally expected the courts announcement to be made on Wednesday, but then we heard it was going to be Thursday, the last day before the recess.

Jeremy Hunt announced he was imposing the junior doctors contract just before 12pm, and the courts closures were slipped out as a written statement half an hour later.

It's deceitful, and an insult to Parliament and the public to announce such important and life-changing decisions in this way."

Disgraceful that important announcement on courts closures made on last afternoon of parliament before recess https://t.co/Ne49UxBHQf#PCS  PCS Union (@pcs_union) February 11, 2016

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Burying bad news or taking out the trash is an oft-used political device, blitzing news organisations with announcements at an inconvenient time to lessen the impact of some of them. Politicians and civil servants, though, always deny there is a conspiracy.

The day before the Christmas recess, the Government unfurled 36 written statements within a blizzard of statistics and reports.

Hunt imposed the new contract on junior doctors, effectively the nuclear option, after talks with the British Medical Association broke down amid a series of 24-hour strikes, leading to thousands of operations to be cancelled. The contract will see Saturdays between 7am and 5pm become part of a junior doctors normal working week for the first time.

The announcement prompted demos at Whitehall, though Hunts PR-operation unravelled as 14 of 20 senior NHS bosses he suggested supported the plan revealed that, in fact, they didnt.

Justice Minister Shailesh Vara said: Our courts and tribunal system is in need of urgent reform. Maintaining our underused and dilapidated court buildings costs the taxpayer 500 million a year but some courts sit for less than half the time available.

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This is simply unsustainable. Closing these courts in poor quality buildings will raise 40 million to re-invest in the justice system, and save hard-working taxpayers 27 million per year.
Murderer Levi Bellfield has reportedly made a formal complaint to police, denying that he confessed to abducting and killing schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The 47-year-old, who is serving a whole-life sentence after being convicted in 2011 of murdering the teenager, is understood to have claimed that he never admitted killing her.

Bellfield's solicitor Julie Cooper has contacted Surrey Police to suggest that "covert" recordings were made during a prison interview and has demanded access to the tape recording and notes from the meeting, according to The Telegraph.

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Convicted murderer Levi Bellfield now claims he never admitted killing Milly Dowler

Colin Sutton, the former Scotland Yard detective whose investigation into the murders of three other young women put Bellfield in prison, said the killer's claims were "breathtaking".

He told the Press Association: "I am almost lost for words on this. He has been toying around with the police and also the victims' families, particularly the Dowlers.

"It is even beyond the cruel, wicked games that I know he was capable of. This is almost beyond what I thought even he was capable of."

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According to The Telegraph Cooper wrote: "We request the tape recording of the alleged confession; the attendance notes relating to the alleged confession; the circumstances surrounding the alleged confession and we would be grateful if you would confirm or deny whether a covert tape was being used during the course of the interview with Mr Rahim and we look forward to your early response."

Milly Dowler was just 13 when she was murdered

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way from school to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002.

Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing her following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Earlier this week her family released a statement in which they outlined the harrowing details of Milly's last hours and what Bellfield admitted doing to her.

The serial killer had supposedly told Surrey Police how he repeatedly raped and tortured her in the 14 hours between her abduction and murder.
People aged 65 and over are living longer than ever before, new statistics from Public Health England (PHE) have revealed.

After turning 65, men live on average for another 19 years, reaching 84 years old. Meanwhile when women hit 65 they can expect to live for another 21 years, reaching 86 years old.

Despite showing an increase in life expectancy, the report also revealed that many older people are living in "poor health".

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PHE has advised middle-aged people to "make changes today" to boost their lifespan. They recommend for people to quit smoking, eat healthily and be more active.

The report is a welcome change after data from 2011 and 2012 showed a drop in life expectancy at some older ages.

Statistics now show that men who turn 75 can expect to live on average for a further 12 years, reaching 87. Meanwhile women live for another 13 years, reaching 88.

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Men who turn 85 can expect to live, on average, for a further six years - until they are 91. While women who reach 85 can expect to live a further seven years, until they are 92.

Both sexes who hit 95 can expect to live, on average, for a further three years.

PHE said that there is a "variation in the figures for regions and local authorities".

In all but one region of England, male and female life expectancy at age 65 increased between 2013 and 2014 and is higher in 2014 than in any other year presented. The exception is the North East, where male life expectancy was highest in 2013.

The majority of local authorities showed an increase or no change in life expectancy at age 65, however one quarter showed a decrease.

Professor John Newton, chief knowledge officer at PHE, said: "Overall the report presents a positive picture nationally and life expectancy is the highest its been since we started measuring.

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"People in England are living longer than ever and that makes achieving a good quality of life in later years even more important.

"Our current evidence shows that people are living longer but many are doing so in poor health.

"This report is an opportunity to remind people that, even during mid-life, it is not too late to improve your health. Most of us could make changes today, like stopping smoking, being more active or eating better, that would allow us to look forward to healthier later years."

He added: "The reasons for the variation in trend between local areas are not yet clear. PHE will continue to monitor these trends and analyse the data for 2015 as soon as possible."

Danny Dorling, professor of human geography at University of Oxford, said: "Although national average life expectancy continues to rise, in many parts of England improvements have stalled in recent years.

"There is an urgent need to determine why this is happening. Beneath the headline figures of this report there is evidence of worsening health for many older people in some parts of the country."

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Dominic Harrison, director of public health for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, added: "With such a high proportion of deaths each year now in those over 80, continuing the improvement of life expectancy at older ages is critical to improving the life expectancy of the nation.

"It is great news that life expectancy is improving in some areas but worrying that life expectancy has decreased in others.

"Deaths in older age groups  who are amongst the most vulnerable in the population  may actually be telling us a lot about the risks being experienced by us all. I welcome this report - we need to look very carefully at what it might be telling us."
The Dark Lord Voldemort has joined a group of 11 NHS bosses to distance himself from Jeremy Hunt's policies after it was speculated some dark magic may have been at play.

"Jeremy Hunt is not one of my Death Eaters nor do we condone his actions," He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named told HuffPost UK.

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"We have carried out some truly horrific acts in our time, but Mr Hunt's actions exceed any evil we could possibly comprehend."
A mother whose five-year-old daughter died from an illness that initially appeared to be nothing more than a "simple chest infection", has launched a fundraising campaign in her child's honour.

Natalia Spencer will walk the entire coastline of Britain to raise money for Bristol Children's Hospital where her daughter Elizabeth was treated before she died.

Spencer described her daughter as being a "fit, active and healthy" child but in November 2015, she was taken ill with what the family thought was a chest infection.

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"Within hours her condition had quickly deteriorated and she was diagnosed with a rare auto immune condition called secondary HLH," Spencer explained on her JustGiving page.

Secondary Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare disorder of the immune system often caused by an inherited problem. With this condition, cells in a person's immune system don't work properly to destroy damaged cells as they should.

Spencer said Elizabeth's condition worsened to the point where she couldn't breathe and an emergency team were called at the hospital.

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"For first time we realised that things were getting desperate  our daughters life was slipping away," she wrote on her blog.

"She was so ill that her body had shut down the blood supply to everything apart from her heart and brain, cutting off the supply to other organs and her limbs with dreadful consequences."

Elizabeth remained unconscious in hospital for 18 days before she died.

"The nursing staff demonstrated so much care and compassion for Elizabeth that I could not have improved on their efforts myself," Spencer added.

Spencer said she was inspired by how much the doctors and nurses tried to save her daughter, so she decided to set up Elizabeth's Footprint - a fundraising campaign to raise money for Bristol Childrens Hospital Charity.

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Spencer hopes to raise money for life-saving equipment, family accommodation and arts, music and play therapy for patients and their families at the hospital.

She said she used the symbol of a rainbow for her campaign to reflect the "dazzling personality of her little girl".

The mother will be starting her walk on Sunday 14 February.

"I will start my journey in Durdle Door and walk clockwise around the whole coast of Great Britain," she explained.

"Rather than getting bogged down with having to walk a certain number of miles a day, I have chosen to concentrate on walking from town to town, stopping overnight in larger villages and towns if at all possible."

She is aiming to walk 20 miles per day and only use transport when absolutely necessary. Her four-week walking schedule can be viewed here.

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Spencer added: "I hope to find this journey therapeutic for my own personal grief and I am looking forward to discovering parts of Britain that I have never seen before, and Elizabeth will be with me, in spirit, every step of the way."

To donate, visit Spencer's JustGiving page.

For more information on her ongoing fundraising efforts, visit elizabethsfootprint.com.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said Russia is "lying" when it claims it is not targeting civilians in Syria, warning that the bombarded city of Aleppo could become "the next Sarajevo.

Fallon suggested that the situation in Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, could develop into that of the devastating 1990s siege in Sarajevo, when the city was surrounded by Bosnian Serb Army for almost four years.

Speaking on Channel 4 News, Fallon hit out at recent Russian claims that its airstrikes were only targeting ISIS, claiming the country was lying.

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Aleppo will be the next Sarajevo Aleppo will become the next Sarajevo if the Russians don't stop bombing bakeries, shops and mosques. That was the stark warning from Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Posted by Channel 4 News on Friday, February 12, 2016

They're lying. We estimate that at least 70%, possibly more of their air strikes have been in areas where there is no Daesh at all, where the terrorists aren't.

"They've simply been targeting moderate opposition to the Assad regime and they've been killing hundreds of innocent civilians and there is mounting evidence that they are deliberately now targeting food shops, mosques, bakeries and driving the population out of its towns and villages north towards the Turkish border.

"Indeed, fuelling the refugee crisis."

He said unless Russia stops bombing civilian areas, Aleppo's fate could rival the crippling 1,425-day Sarajevo siege, which was was the longest ever of a capital city in modern warfare. From 1992 to 1996, it led to some 13,000 deaths in the Bosnia and Herzegovina city, and periods where residents were cut off from food, medicine and utilities.

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A boy playing on a tank in Sarajevo in 1996

"This is a very large city," Fallon said. "A population that's increasingly trapped there. That is being caught now between Russian airstrikes and the Assad regime and of course Daesh terrorism further north. So there is a humanitarian disaster now in the making.
Ted Cruz, the son of a blustering evangelical preacher, a man told by God to run for the White House, a Christian so devout he called same-sex marriage the definition of tyranny, hired a porn star this week to feature in an attack advert for his campaign.

The Texas Senator was forced to pull the TV spot targeting Florida Senator Marco Rubio late on Thursday after it was revealed one of the actresses in the production had previously enjoyed a turn in several pornographic movies.

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Ooh la la, Ted

Amy Lindsay gave an interview to BuzzFeed, confirming her background, but insisting she was a Christian conservative and that her inclusion in the advert would enhance Cruzs stuffy image.

Its not just some old, white Christian bigot that people want to say, It could be, maybe, a cool kind of open-minded woman like me, she said.

She also tweeted her disappointment that the spot was pulled, adding ominously #moretocome.

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The Cruz campaign said Lindsay responded to an open casting call.

"Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the production company," campaign spokesman Rick Tyler said. "Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad."

Among Lindsays back catalogue are Confessions of a Lap Dancer, Intimate Sessions. Silk Stalkings, Secrets of a Chambermaid and the much underrated MILF. Its all lightweight fare but enough to have Cruz and his team clutching for their pearls.

Heres the advert:

The gaffe marks the end of an indifferent week for Cruz. He placed a reasonable third in the (liberal) New Hampshire primary, but was called a "pussy" by Donald Trump over his aversion to torturing people.
The five things you need to know on Friday February 12, 2016

1) BALLS V BOJO

David Cameron is off to Hamburg to make his final Big Speech ahead of next weeks crunch EU summit. With Angela Merkel in the audience, will he praise her and the EU in a bid to woo more concessions? Or will he play hardball, warning everyone this is the last throw of the dice before Brexit? Most likely, hell try and do both.

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What Boris will do remains to be seen. And today one of his old foes re-enters the domestic political ring for the first time since the election: Ed Balls has told me that Boris risks putting his own personal ambition ahead of the UK national interest if he backs Brexit.

Speaking from the US, where hes now a visiting fellow at Harvard, Balls praised long-time adversary George Osborne for having the statesmanship to put nation before party. Read the full story HERE.

Balls says: Whether the UK stays in the EU is much more important to Britain than who succeeds David Cameron as the next Conservative leaderSay what you like about George Osborne, at least he's putting the country's interests before his own on this issue, in contrast to some of his rivals.

And in a Wall St Journal piece overnight, Balls made a more US-focused and international case for staying in the EU. But both the Out and In camps may seize on that article: Balls warns that Camerons current deal does little to tackle the real reforms needed on freedom of movement and says border controls have to be reintroduced even after our EU referendum.

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As for the real cause of Europes migration crisis, at least theres some good news overnight on Syria. The US, Russia and others have unveiled a ceasefire between Assad and the rebels (not ISIL) to start in one week. But wholl take the refugees already on the Turkish border?

2) MAGGIE MAY, OR MAY NOT

The battle for the ghost of Margaret Thatcher gets more ghoulish every day. Earlier this week, Sir Bill Cash produced a letter from the late PM which hed been told to keep private until there was any doubt she was in favour of the European Project. The letter said the Maastricht Treaty was contrary to British interests and damaging to our parliamentary democracy.

Well, today, the In camp have their own letter and No.10 is kinda pleased. The Times reveals that Mrs T wrote another letter to her former foreign policy adviser Lord Powell, saying: The majority of the British people want to be in Europe and so do I.

The Telegraph splashes its front page with a letter from 130 Conservative councillors warning Cameron that he is risking the long term future of the Conservative party if he ignores grassroots party members in the EU referendum campaign. The PMs urging his MPs to ignore their own constituency associations really seems like a throwaway remark that could linger in some activists memories longer than any other Cameron legacy.

3) HUNT BLUNTED

James Blunts tweet to his million followers yesterday - Im officially handing over my Cockney Rhyming title to @Jeremy_Hunt - went viral pretty swiftly. No.10 were expecting a backlash of course, and boy did they get one.

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Doctors were warning there would be an exodus to Scotland, Wales, Australia and elsewhere after the new contract was imposed. But just as damaging to the Health Secretary was the way his PR operation unravelled last night, with half of NHS chief executives taking their names off a letter supporting his lead negotiator Sir David Dalton. Full credit to Health Service Journal for this story.

When the list of 20 names appeared yesterday morning, I tweeted that they would surely be on any hit list for BMA demos. Its not quite clear what the chief execs thought they were signing, given the letters wording that Hunt should do whatever necessary to get his new contract. But several of them want to make clear while they want a new contract, they dont agree with Hunt imposing it. One chief exec, Andrew Foster, even claims the letter he signed was not the one that appeared.

On Question Time last night, one doctor lambasted Hunts claims about links between junior doctors and weekend death rates.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch possibly the whackiest (and most cringeworthy) party political broadcast youve ever seen: Irish TD Martin Heydon pitches himself as Marty McFly from Back To The Future.

4) TICKING TIME BOMB

The Guardians Nick Watt reports Whitehall sources confirming suspicions that the Government will delay a decision on Trident until after Labours party conference this autumn. As rehearsed frequently in the WaughZone, Michael Fallons desire to push for a March vote was always resisted by some in No.10 who saw a bigger opportunity to exploit Labours divisions as much as possible (as well as the Treasury wanting to look more closely at the procurement process).

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When the PM made his announcement last November that the costs of Trident had increased, he refused to give a timetable and in doing so cast doubt on a vote taking place in the first part of 2016. Yet the real reason for delay is Cameron wants nothing to get in the way of his EU In campaign push.

Today, Watt reports that sources believe any vote would get in the way of the EU referendum expected in June (and lets be honest much of Whitehall is already slowing down in anticipation). But theres one get-out: if the EU referendum is delayed to September, a Trident vote could take place in July: after Emily Thornberrys interim defence review report.

5) THE LITTLE SHORT

Possibly as early as today, ministers are expected to unveil details of the consultation on cuts to the Short Money that funds opposition parties. John Penrose, one of the politest ministers in the Government, got quite a kicking in the Commons yesterday as few Tories turned up to defend him from a Labour pounding over Osbornes planned 19% cut.

As revealed by HuffPost this week, the backlash from smaller parties in particular has unnerved many Tories and theres the whiff in the air of another Treasury U-turn. In the Autumn Statement, this was presented as a done deal, not a consultation so that at least suggests some movement.

Quite what that movement will be remains to be seen. Maybe there will be less pain for smaller parties (already they will take disproportionately smaller cuts in policy development grant), maybe the overall cut percentage will come down? Labour sources dismiss as nonsense suggestions that they threatened to withdraw usual channels over the row. But as the Sun already compares this to the Chancellors U-turn on tax credits, lets see how Osborne spins this one.

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COMMONS PEOPLE

Our latest CommonsPeople podcast is out HERE. Lots on the junior doctors contract, Trident, Brexit, and Google tax. Oh, and our usual ace Quiz Of The Week: guess who earns more - or less - than a junior doctors starting salary?

If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox.
A British family who trafficked, enslaved and forced a man to work unpaid for almost five years by beating and starvng him have been jailed for several years.

On Friday Damian Siwak, 31, was jailed for three years and four months and Kyrstian Siwak, 25, and Rozalia Siwak, 47, were jailed for two years and three months, having earlier being found guilty of bringing a man to the UK with the intention of exploitation and forced labour.

A court heard how the 46-year-old victim was approached in his native Poland in September 2010 and offered a job in the UK where he was told he would earn "a good wage for an honest days work".

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The man met Kyrstian Siwak at an address in Poland and flew with him to Liverpool Airport, having agreed that the airfare would be taken out of his wages.

Kyrstian Siwak was sentenced to two years and three months jail for his part in the exploitation of a Polish man

Upon landing in the UK, he was taken to the Siwaks home address in Bolton, where his identification documents were taken away from him for "safe-keeping". He was to never see them again.

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The court heard that the victim was immediately put to work, carrying out night shifts alongside Damian for six months without ever receiving payment.

Over the course of the following 18 months, between mid-2011 and the end of 2012, the victim continued to work for what he believed was an agency, mainly carrying out construction work.

The victim never knew exactly how the work was being arranged or received any official wage, as he was told the money he earned would be paid into a bank account controlled by Rozalia, the court heard.

Damian Siwak was jailed for three years and four months

The victim was never given any of the money he earned, and instead the Siwak family fed, clothed, gave him accommodation and paid him in cider.

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The victim described the clothes as "shabby", and later told police he was given leftovers rather than actual meals, that he was not allowed to get anything from the fridge and was forced to live by "gypsy" rules.

Police said in a statement: "He (the victim) was effectively kept under the complete control of the Siwak family, and regularly received beatings from both Kyrstian and Damian to ensure they retained an element of physical and mental dominance over him."

The family and the victim later moved to a new house, also in Bolton, and they continued to force him to work, often between 10 and 12 hours a day on building sites, police said.

The man ran away on several occasions, but when he was found by the Siwak family he was severely beaten and told he would be buried in a forest if he attempted to escape them again.

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Rozalia Siwak was jailed for two years and three months

Police said the harsh treatment continued for many months, and "a growing alcohol dependency alongside poor meals and terrible treatment meant the 46-year-old soon became increasingly malnourished and physically weak".

In the early stages of 2015, police said the man was moved to a third Bolton address, along with two other men that the family had flown to the UK.

Police said: "They, too, were treated terribly by the family and made to work long hours, for no pay, under the constant threat of beatings and brutality. "

Police said the three men "frequently approached a neighbour to beg for food and cigarettes". The neighbour, police said, felt "sorry for them" and offered them paid work.

But when Damian and Kyrstian found out they threatened the neighbour saying "the men from that flat are under our control and any work you want them to carry out should go through us first", the court was told.

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After nearly five years of suffering at the hands of these men, the victim finally managed to escape in June 2015.

On 8 June 2015, the victim fell from a ladder and broke his ankle, an injury which forced the family to take him to Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment.

Police said that while he was at the hospital staff became "concerned for the victims welfare", and after speaking with him, realised the abuse he had suffered, and notified police.

Hospital staff called the police and officers soon swooped to safeguard the victim and remove him from harm.

Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Mossop said: This is a harrowing case and involves one of the longest periods of enslavement and forced labour that I have ever come across.

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I cannot imagine the mental anguish suffered by this man, spending five years of his life at the beck and call of a family intent on exploiting him to the fullest extent.

They worked him to the bone, day after day, week after week, month after month, never once giving him what he was owed or even treating him like a fellow human being.

Worse still, whenever he did not do what they wanted, they beat him.

They conditioned him to believe they were in complete control, that there was no escape.

Such was their mental and physical dominance, that had he not suffered this injury and appeared at Royal Bolton Hospital, then I believe he would still be under their control."

Mossop said the victim's physical deterioration over five years was "startling, and their treatment left him malnourished and an alcoholic".

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He said: The cider they provided to keep him under their control was his only outlet from the pain of his day-to-day existence.

Luckily, this mans story does have a relatively happy ending."

Mossop said that after "superb work by our partner agencies" - such as the UK Human Trafficking Centre and the Salvation Army - the victim has now been sober for months and has "made excellent steps with his physical recovery and has started to look for paid work".

He said: It has been a long road, but his story demonstrates that once people are identified as potential victims of modern slavery offences, systems are now in place to protect, support and nurture those people until they are back on their feet.
A matching stem cell donor has been found for the 24-year-old Londonstudent whose fight with blood cancer inspired more than 20,000 people to register to donate in just under a month.

Lara Casalotti shared her good news in a video, above, saying: "I'm very excited to tell you some great news, a well-matching donor has been found.

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"If all goes to plan I will go to transplant soon. It's amazing to think this person is the one in 25 million."

Lara announcing her matching donor had been found

She continues: "Thanks to everyone's efforts, there are lots of donor drives still planned - I urge everyone to go to these drives and sign up.

"There are still plenty of people who are waiting to find their donor."

In January, people desperately tried to find a stem cell donor to help Lara using the hashtag #Match4Lara, after she developed acute myeloid leukaemia at Christmas whilst visiting Thailand.

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Casalotti during her intensive chemotherapy

As Lara is Thai-Italian, she faced a needle in a haystack search as only three per cent of stem cell donors are mixed race.

The flood of new test subjects has also improved the chances for others awaiting matching cells.

Lara Casalotti was diagnosed with leukaemia at Christmas last year

Laras mother Supanya said: As a mum, I feel pure relief as we knew that the odds were stacked against Lara. Whoever the donor is, they will never, ever know how grateful I am. The transplant is still a few weeks away and I wish I could wrap them in cotton wool to keep them safe!

We know we have a long road ahead as a transplant is an extremely serious procedure, but knowing there is a good match for Lara is a weight off our shoulders that we desperately needed.

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The #Match4Lara appeal has been backed by thousands of friends, strangers and celebrities including J.K. Rowling, David Cameron, Gareth Bale, Stephen Fry and Mark Wahlberg.

What is a stem cell transplant? If a patient has a condition that affects their bone marrow or blood, a stem cell transplant is their best chance of survival. Doctors will give new, healthy stem cells to the patient via their bloodstream, where they begin to grow and create healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

In the UK, the Anthony Nolan Trust saw an unprecedented spike of new donors from black, Asian, ethnic minority or mixed race backgrounds.

At the campaigns peak, more than 50 percent of those signing up to the register were from BAME backgrounds, the highest proportion ever seen by the charity.

Lara, who is studying for a Masters in global migration at UCL, will now proceed to the next stage of the transplant process.

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Ann OLeary, Head of Register Development at Anthony Nolan, said: Were over the moon that weve been able to find a suitable donor for Lara and that shes now able to begin her transplant journey.
Copyright: @LIONBABE

These pair are pretty much my new favourite people. The lion is an animal known for its unpredictable ferocity and has inspired generations of sartorialist's for serving some wildlife realness. A Babe . . . well, go figure. One of the dopest names I've heard for an act, in almost like . . . forever, they took inspiration from bands like Blondie and Pink Floyd when picking a name. Jillian Hervey reigns from Westchester and she began artistically developing her style as a dancer, an art she started aged two. Lucas Goodman comes from East Village, New York, and both form this two-person Soul stylefest. Producing some of the coolest music being made right about now. They are so chameleonic it's difficult to slap them with a definition.

Check out their new video for "Where Do We Go":

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"

The pair met in school through a mutual friend, Zack Baker, a family friend of Hervey's and University friend of Goodman, though they didn't really form until about three years after that. Hervey, not knowing many producers, asked Goodman to score a dance piece of hers, a very organic and congenial experience that kept on going after a neat fit. Their song 'Treat Me Like Fire' blew up something major, and they seemed to get a lot attention in the UK. A cocktail of sounds from different time periods, they are making music that they think needs to be out there, and that they want to hear.

"Treat Me Like Fire":

"

Taking diverse inspiration from Wu Tang Clan, Billie Holiday, Flying Lotus, Jack White, Frank Sinatra, The Neptunes, Diana Ross, The Strokes, Curtis Mayfield, and Hendrix. The goal, they've declared, "is to make timeless music without any genre, and that can work in any age." Also, check out their mates. They've worked with Pharrell Williams, Jeff Basker, and Andrew Wyatt (Mike Snow). Donald Glover (Childish Gambino), asked them to open for him at South by Southwest and featured on their plush track 'Jump Hi'.

"Jump Hi":

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"

Creatively, they begin by free-styling and making some beats, melodies, words, and rhythms, see what they're feeling and evolve on from that. Aiming to complete a song a day. Hervey has a real street-smart classic-funk vibe going on, and that hair is untold. Goodman brings a contrast of real slicked-back keep-calm-and-move-on, and his t-shirt collection is a walking exhibition of eclectic influences. I think, really, what's happening here is an anti-genre innovation that is pushing the medium. Only a month after David Bowie died, it really is encouraging to see a new credible and risky new group pushing what music can be. These guys are ones to watch, to hear, to inspire.

Disclosure - Hourglass ft. Lion Babe:
We are on the eve of the doctor's strike over the proposed junior doctor contract. What are the reasons that this most conservative of professional groups is taking strike action? Is it just about the money?

The background to the doctors' strike is the righteous search by the Government to improve on standards of medical cover in hospitals and in GP practices. Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary has been charged with introducing '24/7' care into the NHS, to improve services. There is a cost to this effort and an additional need to limit spiralling NHS spending, currently running at 9.8% of our GDP, and at 115 billion in 2014/15, an increase of 15% from 2010/11.

One way of reducing expenditure is to cut the wages bill. Pay accounts for 45 billion of NHS annual spend. So, salaries look like a good place to start saving money. But this approach may not be reasonable. The typical junior doctor, starting work after a five to six year period of training has a basic pay of 22,636. A police constable earns 22,221. Payment for unsocial hours work adds to junior doctors' salaries, typically by an extra 40%. The Health secretary has offered to improve basic salaries by up to 11% but wants to cut unsocial hours' payments. For some doctors this will result in a pay cut. This prospect has proven unpopular with the doctors whose salaries have been reduced in real terms by 10.9% since the year 2000. Although current salary levels will be guaranteed until 2019, and secures current trainees, the juniors are worried about the financial status of doctors employed after 2019. But it is not just about the dosh!

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More than money, doctors are concerned that the safeguards to protect working hours will be removed. There are concerns that this will affect junior doctors training because changing shift patterns will mean that they may not see their consultants whilst they are at work, which means that the opportunity for learning from effective consultant review of patients is reduced. In addition without the financial penalties imposed on hospitals for breaking the safeguards there is less incentive to prevent hospitals bringing back the unhealthy hours of yesteryear to cover an already struggling service due to dwindling doctor numbers.

This is not the first doctors' strike. The first strike was in November 1975, when one of the authors of this blog had just qualified as a doctor, and was working a one in two shift, a 120 hour working week. This was not a perfect way to practise medicine. It wasn't good for the doctors and... oh yes; it wasn't particularly good for the patients to be cared for by sleepless zombies. In 1975 we went on strike to establish the principle of 'overtime working'. We provided emergency cover and routine procedures were cancelled. The NHS did not close down, and care was maintained. We all worked even harder during the strike period because a skeleton service had been provided to ensure patient protection. The industrial action united the doctors just as it has this time around and no patients came to any harm because of the action. The strike was successful, and the principle of overtime was established.

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Extended working hours continued largely unchanged for junior doctors until the 1990's when workers' conditions came under the scrutiny of the European Union. The European Working Time Directive, introduced in 1993 and modified in the year 2000, ensured that the working week was restricted to 48 hours and that no worker was allowed to work for more than 11 hours without a break. At the time, these changes were railed against by another Hunt, David, the UK employment secretary who claimed that the ruling was an attempt by the EU to introduce the Social Chapter 'By the back door'.

But the Working Time Directive led to a further improvement in doctors' conditions. However, these improvements have been largely lost because the numbers of junior doctors have been so pared down by local cost saving initiatives that a doctor's life has become hugely stressful. These costs savings have led to just one junior doctor covering hundreds of patients and this compromises care and is dangerous. Dissatisfaction with the enormous stress of working in the NHS has led to huge numbers of doctors emigrating or leaving the profession. It is no wonder that today's junior doctors are apoplectic! They feel demoralised and devalued. They should not be forced to strike. A compromise must be found that improves 24 hour care in the NHS but a compromise that doesn't disadvantage those that give so much to our nation.

If you would like to learn more about Professor Jonathan Waxman please visit his website:
After almost a quarter of a Century of war and conflict, large swathes of Iraq are once again being subsumed by violence. Generations of children have known nothing but war. Thousands have been killed and many more have suffered life-changing injuries.

Now, once again, chaos reigns with the monsters of Daesh running riot in the North and West. But whilst the spiralling numbers of dead and injured may grab headlines, just as devastating - but far less reported - are the conflict's traumatic effects on children's mental health.

Young people in Iraq have witnessed sights that no child should ever have to see. Many have experienced bombardment, with shells raining down upon their family homes in the middle of the night. Some have been forced to watch as their parents, siblings and friends were abducted or killed in front of them. Others have themselves been kidnapped by Daesh - forced to become child soldiers, or locked up as sex slaves, at the mercy of these men's perverted desires.

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Recently, one of the doctors who works for my charity, the AMAR Foundation, told me of a nine year old he had met. "She was held by Daesh and raped every day," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. "When she escaped, she refused to speak for weeks on end. She simply couldn't begin to digest the horrors she had been through. I cannot comprehend this type of violence - how on earth can we expect children to?"

Millions of others have been forced to flee their homes - bound for a life of uncertainty in Iraq's sprawling camps or congested host communities. Over two million are without access to education - deprived not only of academic activities, but the traditional support network offered by peers.

With so many sources of trauma, rates of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) are rapidly on the rise amongst Iraq's youth. Vulnerable and impressionable, children are increasingly displaying symptoms of psychological ill-health as they grapple to comprehend the violence and confusion surrounding them. According to estimates, at least 40,000 are in urgent need of psychological therapy - but with limited resources, these needs are going unmet.

Bed wetting, night terrors, behavioural problems, academic difficulties, constant anxiety, loss of appetite, social introversion - all remain untreated. "My daughter really struggles to sleep," one father told me recently when I visited Khanke Camp in the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq. "She keeps waking, asking if she can go home."

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These poor children urgently need our support so that they can recover, but all too often, mental health is regarded as a secondary issue - overshadowed by primary physical health needs.

But when we provide them with the right environment and a sense of protection and support, children can be extremely resilient to trauma.

Every time I visit Iraq, I am shocked by the bravery and determination of the children I encounter. Zeynab, for example. A 15 year old girl whose entire world was turned upside down in the summer of 2014 when Daesh attacked her home in Tal Afar. The teenager's mother and several cousins were killed by a missile strike, and she lost both of her legs.

Despite the horrors she witnessed, Zeynab remains a fiercely determined young woman who remains hopeful for a better future. AMAR's staff have been visiting her regularly in Baghdad, providing her with a much-needed support network whilst overseeing the inspirational young lady's recovery. Just the simple act of regular contact has boosted her ability to remain positive.

Elsewhere, we are witnessing the positive effects of recreational therapy. Working with local teachers who have been trained in Children's Accelerated Trauma Therapy (CATT), AMAR's unique therapeutic storytelling sessions are helping children to move beyond the trauma they have experienced.

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Using two expertly designed books which tackle issues such as loss and displacement for a young audience, our teachers are holding regular reading sessions for children living in camps. Whilst keeping a keen eye on students, referring any in need to specialist care at AMAR's clinics, they are encouraging children to talk about their feelings in a safe and secure manner.

Perhaps most importantly, they are allowing children to reclaim their childhoods.

"My daughters were so happy when I first read the book to them," commented Hussein, one of the teachers involved in our storytelling sessions. "They were jumping around our tent acting like the frogs in the story. It made me so happy to see them playing like children again after all that they have been through."

AMAR's teams are working around the clock to help children recover from the ordeal of war. But more needs to be done if we want to prevent Iraq from losing an entire generation.

We are currently running an appeal called #Escaping Darkness which is raising money to train local professionals in psychiatric medicine.

Mental health can no longer be viewed as a subsidiary to physical health. As Children's Mental Health Week - so excellently championed by HRH the Duchess of Cambridge - comes to an end, I implore the international community to readdress its approach to healthcare within conflict zones and to remember the mental health needs of war's victims.

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Across the UK there has been a disturbing lack of research into sexual violence and consent at universities, a testament to how we are failing to ensure a safe and enjoyable time to students. What little evidence that has been collated is not reassuring.

One of the few that has researched this issue is Cambridge University, who found that 22% of participants (equaling a staggering 2,130 students) said they felt unsafe during the evening and that over 80% across all types of incident made no report to university authorities or the police.

Further research done by the Union of Students in Ireland found that students appear to be unclear as to what the situation is in relation to the support available to students who have been victims of violence, sexual assault or harassment. They are unsure whether or not their universities, colleges or students' unions provide information about victim's support.

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The lack of knowledge is even worse in Northern Ireland. The region has only been included in one piece of research and NI students only accounted for 0.2% of the responses and the survey only looked at sexual violence against women. This was carried out between August 2009 and March 2010, and revealed that one in seven survey respondents had experienced a serious physical or sexual assault during their time as a student. 16% have experienced unwanted kissing, touching or molesting during their time as a student, the majority of which has taken place in public. The most common reason for not reporting serious sexual assault was that the victim felt ashamed or embarrassed; 43 per cent also thought they would be blamed for what had happened, and one in three thought they would not be believed.

To redress the serious deficit in knowledge that is most glaring in Northern Ireland, a group of Queen's students have founded the S.C.O.R.E. (Student Consent Research) Collaboration. They have been working closely with the QUB Student's Union to produce the Stand Together Survey. This is the only survey to focus specifically on Northern Irish students.

The S.C.O.R.E collaboration is more than just a research group, their aim is to make Queens University Belfast safer and support survivors of sexual violence and improve understanding of consent. The project is keen to address the lack of data concerning men suffering sexual harassment and abuse as well, with many surveys in the past not reflecting the problems men and also the LGBT+ community face too.

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S.C.O.R.E Collaboration is run by a committee of 5 students and 1 SU welfare officer. They have been working alongside internal and external advisory boards and has been 18 months in the making. There is an external advisory board including representatives from Nexus NI, Woman's Aid, The Rainbow Project, The Rowan, Hollaback, The Public Health Agency, FPA, Brook and ONUS, and an internal advisory board made up of QUB staff (Lecturers, student guidance centre). They achieved ethical approval through the Queen's School of Sociology. The diverse range of backgrounds reflected in those involved highlights the fact that this is an academic as well as a welfare issue, with many students leaving or suffering a drop in grades after a non-consensual sexual experience.

The collaboration have launched the Stand Together Survey to measure the level of non-consensual sexual experiences on and off campus on 9th February, 2016. First of its kind in an educational institution in NI. The Stand Together Survey will be anonymous and the information gathered will be used to create change within the university to help support students and make QUB a safer place.

The survey is only open to QUB students, and it is hoped that through raising awareness within QUB about consent and sexual violence it will have a positive effect on those living Queens area and will also encourage other local universities to follow suit.

If you are a QUB student we'd encourage you to fill out the survey, whether you've had an experience like those described above or not: all answers will be private and confidential, and it will be used to ensure that QUB is a safe environment for everyone. If you're not a Queen's student but feel that this is something that your university or place of work should be taking action on, then contact the group on their Facebook or Twitter page: https://www.facebook.com/qubstudentconsentresearch/?ref=br_rs

@ScoreQUB

If you have been affected by any of these issues and would like to talk to someone, please do not hesitate to call:

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Nexus NI: 02890326803

Women's Aid: 0808200024724
Arthritis affects around 10 million people in the UK and as well as causing pain, stiffness and loss of function, can also lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression can significantly affect how well people with arthritis function and what will happen to them in the future. People with osteoarthritis of the knee and who have anxiety and depression and fear of the pain of arthritis have worse function than people who are not depressed or anxious. These feelings can lead to reduced levels of activity, more pain and potentially more isolation and depression in an ever-declining vicious circle. They are also three times more likely to not take their medicines as instructed, and may therefore be at higher risk of future joint damage and disability.

That is why improving mood and anxiety for people with arthritis should be a priority as it can be an effective way of improving function, reducing pain and improving outcomes. One therapy that has been considered to reduce stress in long-term physical conditions is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

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Mindfulness is a form of meditation derived from Buddhist practices. It is currently very fashionable but has actually been practiced in the West for more than 30 years, and for thousands of years if counting the link to Buddhist meditation. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.

The first MBSR programme was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts and was designed to help people in hospital deal with pain and other emotional issues. Although the programme has been used since 1979, it is only recently that researchers have become interested in whether mindfulness works and if so, how this might happen.

In clinical studies, mindfulness has been shown to help with anxiety and depression and can also help some people with the pain and distress of arthritis, as well as back and neck pain.

Mindfulness may also help people with rheumatoid arthritis as it improves pain and stiffness, which leads to improved feelings of well-being, ultimately improving function and quality of life in the long-term.

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Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for some people with depression and you should ask your GP if this applies to you. The official MSBR course is an 8-week course taught by certified trainers but it is possible to learn some simple mindfulness techniques at home using a free introductory online course on the Mental Health Foundation website or the introductory meditation app offered by Headspace.

UK charity Arthritis Action encourages people with arthritis to explore self-management techniques to empower them to deal with the pain and stress associated with the condition. Mindfulness is one of those techniques which can help them achieve a sense of well-being and a positive outlook on life.
It's a scary fact that more than half the parents in the UK don't think their child could swim to safety in open water if they were in trouble. And yet swimming seems way down on the list of priorities of most schools, and a fair few parents too. In countries such as Australia, swimming lessons are mandatory for all schoolchildren, and most of us remember our weekly outings to the local pool with our classmates. So what's changed?

This week, the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) warned that more children would drown every year unless something was done about current measures for teaching children to swim. A spokesman said almost half (48%) of seven to 11-year-olds in England, some 1.1 million children, cannot swim the length of a standard pool. And only 2% of schools surveyed last year delivered the government's recommended 22 hours a year of swimming lessons. Worse still - 1,300 schools don't offer any swimming lessons at all, which is against National Curriculum guidelines. A report based on ASA's findings urged Ofsted to focus PE inspections on swimming as "it is the only sport that can save lives".

Some 338 people died from drowning in 2014, according to the most recent figures from the National Water Safety Forum. Of these, 38 were aged under 19.

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"These numbers could increase in future if the current issues with school swimming programmes are not addressed," warned the ASA. But still nothing seems to be being done. Schools will blame budget constraints and staff availability to facilitate the required measures. But what excuse do parents have? Again, it comes down to time and money.

I took my son swimming every week from the age of two months until Baby No. 2 came along, but it can be a costly activity, and nigh on impossible when you have another child if you don't have help. Taking a child to the pool is no mean feat. It is rarely going to be a spur of the moment occasion as anybody who has grappled with a nappy while a shivering baby wriggles across the only changing bay in the leisure centre can testify. And that is after the chaos of getting said child ready for the excursion, and getting them back home again. For the sake of twenty minutes in the pool, there's a lot of palaver in the planning that often makes you think it's just not worth it. It's not helped by the fact that local pools seem so ill-equipped to cater for parents with small children.

But it is worth it. Or so says Chantal Burgess, Mini Me's teacher at Hillingdon Leisure Centre in west London. Chantal has been teaching the Little Man to swim since he was six months (he can still barely doggy paddle, but he knows the basics of water safety - don't run, how to climb into the pool, never try drinking the water!), and is passionate about it getting swimming lessons back on top of the priorities of parents.

"By taking your child swimming you are keeping them fit, building up their confidence and teaching them a new skill," she says. "But most importantly, you're teaching them a lifesaving skill. And the thing is - it's great fun. Most kids love to splash around with their friends, explore the pool with mum or dad, and show off what they have just learnt. Even the tiny ones have great fun splashing around and being held by mum or dad while we all sing nursery rhymes. They grow in confidence every week and it's a great way for parents and babies to bond - baby loves the pool, but also loves the security and protection that mummy or daddy gives by holding them close. It's a great way to spend time with your child."

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And it's not just the obvious skills that are developing when a child goes to their swimming lesson. Chantal also told me: "The thing is it is really useful for speech development - we sing nursery rhymes with the young ones and are constantly talking and explaining what's happening. It helps with socialisation skills and co-ordination - I have taught lots of children with special needs and it is incredible to see how it helps them. I truly believe swimming lessons can help children in so many ways, it breaks my heart to think there are so many missing out."
"Unborn babies die when earthquakes strike," says Shanta Poudel. "I was really scared."

Shanta lives in Ramkot, an isolated village in the hills of the Kathmandu District of Nepal. She wasn't the only woman in the region worrying about her pregnancy, after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in April 2015, word had spread that earthquakes harmed foetuses in the womb.

Rumours are common in humanitarian emergencies, tensions are high, events are evolving rapidly, and information vacuums are quickly filled with gossip and scaremongering - some of which can have fatal consequences. One rumour that was circulating in West Africa during that Ebola outbreak, was that eating onions could cure the disease.

Shanta's worries were put to rest after she listened to a radio broadcast. "I relied on the BBC Milijuli Nepali programme," she says. "I learned that I needed to rest and not worry, not to do anything strenuous because that's what causes babies to die in the womb. If I hadn't got that information, I would have been frightened all the time."

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Milijuli Nepali (Together Nepal) was a special 15 minute, daily magazine programme which the organisation I belong to, BBC Media Action, started after the earthquake. It was broadcast through a network of hundreds of local stations in Nepal to help those affected by the earthquake.

When disasters strike, people need accurate, useful information, fast. The media can play a powerful role here. And although the world has seen a major shift away from traditional platforms towards social media, for millions of people a far older technology can still provide a lifeline in disasters.

Radio can reach thousands of people immediately, including in areas that are remote and difficult for aid workers to access. A driving message from UNESCO on World Radio Day, 13th February, which this year highlights the value of radio in disasters and emergencies, is that it reaches the most vulnerable - people who are isolated, poor, illiterate, home-bound or unconnected to the digital world.

But what use is listening to the radio when your house has collapsed, you have no food or water, or you are injured? The answer is that the right kind of information on the airwaves can do a lot.

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The first and most important responders in a crisis are not aid agencies, governments or emergency services. It is the people who are directly affected by the crisis, who act first and who are the core agents of survival and recovery.

Aside from sharing information on when help is coming and where to get it, broadcasters can draw on expert advice on what people can do in the absence of aid - how to boil contaminated water to ensure it's safe to drink, how to clean wounds, how to build a safe temporary shelter, how to help a traumatised child.

Often the best solutions come from local people themselves. Atheer Gaza (Gaza on Air) a radio series, BBC Media Action produced in 2014, gave practical advice and information to people affected by conflict. The advice to boil water was of limited use for families who didn't have any fuel. An elegant answer to that problem came from a listener, who explained how he used sunlight to purify water and - after health experts confirmed his advice was sound - producers were able to put his step-by-step description on air for others to use. In another episode, a listener explained his ingenious way of safely using a car battery to charge his mobile phone.

Miljuli Nepali and Atheer Gaza are what we at Media Action describe as "Lifeline Programming", content designed to help people facing crises - programming for - not about those people. The approach and content is quite different from conventional news coverage of disasters. Over the years we have learnt some lessons about what audiences find helpful during humanitarian emergencies and create a free Lifeline course to prepare and encourage journalists to think differently about disaster coverage and produce content for the affected population, as well as about them.

Here are my top three learnings:

1. A focus on solutions, not just problems

Most coverage of disasters tends to focus on 'telling the story' - explaining what happened, the plight of those who are suffering, the struggles of the humanitarian response, and so on. But in a crisis, people don't just want to hear their problems fed back to them or updates on the death toll; they need to hear and discuss solutions, and they need 'news you can use' - accurate information that is practical and actionable.

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2. Hearing from people 'like me'

In the early stages of the West Africa Ebola outbreak, much of the communication about what people needed to do, to prevent the spread of the virus felt flat. It was top-down, untrusted and gave little consideration to how deeply engrained the cultural practices and behaviours were which people were being asked to change.

A major turning point was when heads of communities, religious leaders and ordinary people became involved in the discussion. For example, Imams worked with disease control experts to draw parallels between the messages of the Koran and the measures around hygiene that people needed to take. Religious leaders also came up with acceptable alternatives to the tradition of washing the bodies of deceased.

3. Programmes that are engaging and uplifting
I am a proud trade unionist. Organised labour and the trade union movement have been central to every social progress in this country. There can be no real democracy without proper industrial democracy. The strike is not a breakdown of collective bargaining - it is the indispensable cornerstone of that process.

For nearly 20 years, I have worked in solidarity with workers around the world to realise their rights at work: workers in Colombia or Guatemala who face assassination or violence for standing up for their co-workers, workers in South Korea who see their unions banned, workers in mining communities in Central Asia fighting for decent working conditions and health and safety.

So it is with real anger that I watch Cameron and his millionaire's cabinet going way beyond anything Thatcher attempted in the 1980s.

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Attacking all routes by which ordinary people can express dissent or improve living and working conditions: they've already limited access to justice through changes to employment tribunals, pulled back domestic workers rights and gagged civil society. Now they propose to go further threatening the basic right to strike.

This is a right internationally recognised and defended as a human right by the International Labour Organisation. With the Trade Union Bill they are reversing social progress and want to send us to join a club of dictators and repressive regimes.

Employers will be able to break strikes by bringing in agency workers to cover for strikers. Think of the safety implications! It will lead to worse public services. It will increase the risk of blacklisting - just at a time when brave campaigners are winning that fight. All of it taken together fundamentally undermines the rights for unions to organise, negotiate and strike in defence of their members at work.

The motivation for many eurosceptics in the Conservative Party (and, by extension UKIP) is to remove the blockages that the EU provides to extend their damaging domestic agenda. The EU acts as an essential block on many of their attempts to weaken workers' rights.

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The EU referendum is not about the future of the prime minister or the dramas of the Tory Party or which mad right-winger is running which leave campaign, but about working people - about workers' jobs and workers' rights.

We take for granted the benefits of EU membership: including a minimum four weeks' paid holiday; a right to parental leave; extended maternity leave; the same protection for part-time workers as full-time workers, anti-discrimination laws, and protection for the workforce when companies change ownership.

It is thanks to our collective work that David Cameron has not been able to renegotiate away our rights, and we must now ensure working people keep these rights by remaining in the EU.

Labour MEPs are working not just to protect but to extend these rights. To ban abusive zero-hour contracts. To stamp down on abuse of these contracts to exploit workers and avoid paying fair wages, and to tackle employers who exploit workers from other countries to undercut wages - this would be the agenda we would be advancing if we were the ones renegotiating reform.

At a time when progressives across Europe are striving to improve rights for their workers, the Tories are working hard to undermine them. We must not give them a free hand to do it - we must defeat the Trade Union Bill in the courts and on the street if necessary with European human rights rules as our weapon.

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Last week's release of around 200 photographs showing abused detainees held by the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq over a decade ago marks a chilling - though seemingly momentary - return to the early days of the "war on terror".

The 198 images reluctantly published by the US Department of Defense - released only after a long fight for their publication by the American Civil Liberties Union - take us right back to those dark days of CIA "black sites", Abu Ghraib, US-orchestrated rendition, "enhanced interrogation" techniques and of course the legal limbo of Guantanamo Bay.

The photographs will be familiar to anyone who's ever read a typical Amnesty report on torture over the years: close-ups of wounds on backs, legs and feet. Yet as the ACLU points out, these particular photos are likely to be at the milder end of the US detainee abuse spectrum. Within the archive of 1,900 photos or so still being kept secret, there are said to be images showing the physical and sexual abuse of an Iraqi woman in her 70s, a teenager subjected to a mock execution, and an Iraqi farmer apparently shot dead at a close range while handcuffed. There could well be many other horrors.

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So, as with the Senate Intelligence Committee's 2014 report on CIA torture, we're again - even after years of a battle for disclosure - only seeing a fraction of the bigger picture. In the case of the Senate report, what was eventually allowed into the public domain (again after a fraught and much-contested process) was only a 525-page "executive summary" of a 6,700-page report which still remains secret today. And even the much smaller "unclassified" document still had some 7% of its text blacked out.

Yet if we're still a long way from full disclosure on US torture, we've never even begun the journey when it comes to accountability. Investigations, prosecutions, jailings and recompense for the victims: there has been no serious effort from the US authorities over any of this. Though President Obama famously said "we tortured some folks", he and his administration have set their faces against any official investigation. Perpetrators are very consciously and publicly being allowed to get away with it.

Mr Obama's rhetoric over US torture is one of condemning the actions and adjuring us to "leave" them "where they belong - in the past". As if that answers to the seriousness of what took place. Few people would be content with a political arrangement which went no further than the condemning-and-leaving tactic if we were considering the everyday crimes of theft, fraud, assault or rape. I don't see why an official US programme of organised kidnap, illegal imprisonment and serial assault should be any different.

Meanwhile, as with so many things, there's a creeping sense that the UK Government is destined to emulate the US in this area. After David Cameron promised a "judge-led" inquiry into allegations that the UK's security services were complicit in torture in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo, this has been downgraded to an investigation by the Intelligence and Security Committee. This body is tightly controlled by the Prime Minister himself (with veto powers over its membership, the evidence it's allowed to examine, and what it's permitted to publish).

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It's recently been reported that a former MI5 officer is intending to tell the ISC that the British intelligence agency knew full well that detainees - including Britons - at Guantanamo were being tortured as early as 2002. Whether this happens remains to be seen but overall it seems highly unlikely that this hamstrung committee will in the end be able to unearth the truth over the UK's role in this truly dark episode. Amnesty and others, meanwhile, are insisting that a judge-led inquiry is still established, as the only likely means of learning how far the UK was dragged into the mire during the war on terror.
The Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has been exposed this week doing the very thing he accuses of his political rivals - using fear to back up a false argument.

In a speech in London on Tuesday, he claimed that the National Health Service would come under increasing pressure if the United Kingdom broke free from the European Union.

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To an ex-pat living in an EU member state, those words could cause some alarm.

In the same speech, Tim also said: "The leave campaign will play nasty."

Let's take those two points to task.

First, Tim, whoever said that ex-pats would have to return home to Britain should the UK quit the EU?

That'll be absolutely no one. Not a single ex-pat, elderly or otherwise, would "have" to return home after Brexit.

That is because upon leaving the EU - and Tim Farron should know this perfectly well - the UK and the EU would still be bound by the 1969 Vienna Convention honouring the existing free movement agreements.

Which means anyone who has already moved either in or out of the UK under existing EU agreements can remain exactly where they are.

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Secondly, who's really playing nasty here, Tim?

Who is it exactly that is putting the thought into elderly people's minds that they might be forced to uproot and return to Britain after Brexit?

That will be one Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader. But he's not alone.

Dominic Grieve, the Government's former Attorney General, has claimed: "EU exit would make 2m Britons abroad illegal immigrants overnight."

Yet Mr Grieve, a trained lawyer no less, should also know about the provisions within the Vienna Convention. And if he doesn't, then it's about time he crammed in some law revision.

Even a House of Commons Library note has clarified: "Generally speaking, withdrawing from a treaty releases the parties from any future obligations to each other, but does not affect any rights or obligations acquired under it before withdrawal."

So there is no threat whatsoever from British citizens returning home to put strain on the NHS.

Where there is strain, of course, is from the number of people coming here and treating our national health service as an international health service.

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Unbridled immigration inevitably puts pressure on public services like the NHS, housing and the transport network because it means those services are having to cope with more people but with the same budgets.

People realise this when they're waiting for hours to see a GO or a doctor in A&E. They know it when they're stuck on waiting lists for housing. And we all know how crowded our roads and railways are.

I find it pretty appalling that Tim Farron would seek to invent a non-existent threat against elderly Britons living abroad.

That, Tim, really is the stuff of the "Project Fear" of which you accuse your political foes - and a demonstration from the Liberal Democrat leader in the art of utter hypocrisy.
I have been granted a sneak preview of a history book due to be published in 2061. In view of the latest headlines about a 'partial cessation of hostilities' agreement in Syria, I thought you might be interested to see it, so here's an extract:

'Fifty years after the start of the uprising in Syria that led to a devastating regional conflagration, the global effects of which are still being felt, it is now possible to attempt an assessment of the world powers' catastrophic failure to prevent the disaster that was unfolding in front of their eyes.

'The question that needs to be asked is why, with so much real-time information available to them, and with the unprecedented amounts of detailed surveillance data that they were able to collect from drones and satellites, world leaders did so little to contain the conflict. Indeed, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the actions they took fanned the flames rather than damped them down. Their faith in a succession of flimsy so-called ceasefire agreements served only to highlight the inadequacy of their response to what they all knew was a major humanitarian disaster.

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'In 1920, the then British prime minister David Lloyd George said that Europe had "staggered and stumbled" into the First World War. The same could be said of the conflict that engulfed the Middle East after the start of the woefully misnamed "Arab Spring" in 2011. Regional powers, especially Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, turned Syria into a battleground on which they fought for domination, and when President Putin committed Russia's air power on the side of the Assad regime in late 2015, the table was set for a war without end.

'To understand the reluctance of the other world powers -- especially the United States and the European Union -- to take early and effective action in Syria, it is necessary to acknowledge the deep trauma suffered by Western decision-makers after their disastrous military interventions in Afghanistan in 2001, Iraq in 2003, and Libya in 2011. In each case, intervention was seen to have done more harm than good. It is no surprise, therefore, that the brief flowering of the UN doctrine known as 'the responsibility to protect' (R2P), did not survive.

'In February 2016, the Washington Postpublished an article headlined "Syria, already a catastrophe, seems on the verge of an uncontrollable disaster", in which it quoted the then German ambassador to the US, Peter Wittig, as saying of the refugee crisis caused by the war: "The United States has been slow to recognize this is a much bigger thing than anything else we've experienced since the beginning of the European Union ...We were totally unprepared."

'Coincidentally, on the same day, the Financial Times ran a piece by a leading Russian analyst, Dmitri Trenin, of the think-tank the Carnegie Moscow Center. After Russian warplanes had pummelled opposition positions in Syria's biggest city, Aleppo, he warned, there was a chance that both Saudi Arabia and Turkey would be tempted to commit their own troops to the war. If they did, he said, "With the US, Russia and regional powers directly involved, Syria can become the first battleground in the global competition for power and influence that has restarted after a 25-year hiatus."

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'On 11 February 2016, the Russian prime minister Dimitry Medvedev, was quoted as telling a German newspaper: "The Americans and our Arab partners must think hard about [deeper Saudi military involvement in Syria] - do they want a permanent war? All sides must be forced to the negotiating table instead of sparking a new world war." The warning could not have been starker -- yet it was ignored.

'Another analyst, Julien Barnes-Dacey, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, accurately forecast the next phase of the conflict: "A central story of the Syrian conflict has been the cycle of escalations and counter-escalations in the continued pursuit of victory by both sides, and we're likely to now enter a new, equally devastating, phase."

'We now know that this is exactly what happened. Each party to the conflict committed more military resources to the battlefield in the belief that a stronger position on the ground would strengthen their hand in negotiating a political settlement. It is impossible to overstate the wrongheadedness of this approach and the incalculable cost in human suffering that it caused.

'What makes any convincing analysis of European leaders' myopia so difficult is that by 2015, the impact of the Syria crisis was affecting them directly, with hundreds of thousands of refugees from the war flooding across their borders. The net result, however, rather than encouraging them to seek a resolution of the conflict, was that they focused their energies almost exclusively on how to keep the refugees away from their borders and how to protect their citizens from what they mistakenly characterised as an existential terrorist threat. It was to prove a major error of judgement.

'The approach of the US President, Barack Obama, who had come to office on a promise to end wars, not start them, was one of extreme caution verging on paralysis. Towards the end of his eight years in the White House, he relied increasingly on his secretary of state, John Kerry, to keep alive the hope that negotiations could end the conflict. But after the inauguration of his much more hardline successor in January 2017, US military aid to the anti-Assad forces was sharply increased, resulting in turn in an increase in Russian military support for the regime and an intensification of the conflict.

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'It is not as if no one saw what was coming. One of the US's most influential commentators, Tom Friedman of the New York Times, wrote in February 2016: "I am certain that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is deliberately bombing anti-regime Syrians to drive them into Europe in hopes of creating a rift in the European Union, strain its resources and make it a weaker rival to Russia and a weaker ally for America."

'The Russian analyst Dmitri Trenin wrote: "The Middle East has entered a period that will probably last a couple of decades, in which there will be little peace and a lot of fighting." He was wrong -- but only in underestimating the duration of the conflict.

'If there were an Inter-Galactic Judicial Authority -- and given the recent discovery of life forms far more advanced than ours elsewhere in the universe, such an authority may soon be established -- it would be fully justified in ruling that the political leaders on Planet Earth in the first half of the 21st century were culpably negligent in the way they mishandled the Syria crisis. The tragedy is that their successors have not shown any sign so far of learning from their mistakes. War has become the new normal.'
On Valentine's Day, 27 years ago, Salman Rushdie began a transition that would lead to a life on the run, going by the name of Joseph Anton.

Most people will be aware of the controversy, but it is often interesting to go over the facts again: a passage from Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses was considered by the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeni to be blasphemous; the cleric then issued a fatwa condemning Rushdie to death.

In a time before this one, when mock outrage and tender feelings tended to be more suppressed, it's often tempting to wonder what the growing sense of dread that the threats against his life - which were not idle ones - must have felt like for him.

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I remember reading all about it in Rushdie's memoirs, suitably entitled Joseph Anton. That a man of such literary talent and distinction will continue to be defined by something that eventually went beyond his writing is something of a shame; but the story is engrossing: I must have finished it over the course of a wet Glasgow weekend a few years ago.

Now, as someone who had grown up in India, where religious controversies have often brought the nation's diverse faith groups into conflict, this may have been expected. What happened next was not: in a process of what we now recognise to be going viral, anger against the slight, real or perceived, led to mobs burning copies of Rushdie's work all over the world.

The viral part of it is just one aspect of why it seems to have been such a harbinger of the world to come beyond the 1980s. Islamic extremism burst into the popular imagination; the case offered an unfortunately brief and cursory introduction to Islamic theology for many, and it could be argued that many contemporary misconceptions about Islam follow from the controversy.

The bizarre reactions of some who then sought to ban Midnight's Children - a highbrow literary effort that would never be sought after by the National Front - out of some misplaced cultural sensitivity could themselves be seen as a forerunner of the types who try to ban speakers from University campuses for having views they disagree with.

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There are so many aspects of the whole saga which have been somehow forgotten in the intervening years: The assassination of the Japanese translator, for example; or the attack on the the Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard who was shot three times, reveal that the fatwa was not all about Joseph Anton, but about anyone who had helped to disseminate his work too. And what of Rushdie's family? A life of police protection; constant location changes; ducking and diving meant that his relationships would suffer. The most heartbreaking of all would be the challenges he faced in trying to be a father to his son, Zafar.

The scenes of book burning and violent, even murderous, censure was to light a fire in many who refused to accept Rushdie's fate. That the rights of a writer, and the life of a man, could be so irrevocably changed by the forces of censor, especially when there was no intention to hurt the sensibilities of believers, made a great impression on me.

And so it is, that since my election in May, alongside my duties to my constituents, I have made a commitment to free speech and human rights a key part of what I hope to achieve in Westminster. I've consistently sought to hold the Government to account on their relationship with Saudi Arabia, especially in the light of their treatment of another writer, Raif Badawi: himself imprisoned because of works perceived to be blasphemous.

One of my first actions in Parliament was to hold a debate in Westminster about Raif Badawi; and since then I have been fortunate to meet a whole range of groups, from Amnesty International to English & Scottish PEN, who bring awareness of freedom of speech and human rights abuses to a wider attention: I'd certainly recommend helping them out when you can.

And so it was this week that I laid down an Early Day Motion to celebrate the literary achievements of Salman Rushdie, himself a winner of the PEN Pinter prize like Raif Badawi. This was intended, not only as a reminder of the great contribution Sir Salman has made to English literature, but that his story now, more than ever, remains important.

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I am still a member of the National Union of Journalists, and am proud of the fact that I am now able to have more of a platform to speak for them, at a time of job losses in the industry here in Scotland, caused not only by economic considerations, but also sadly legal ones, in the case of Graham Spears and Angela Haggerty at Herald newspapers. The struggle for free speech and critical writing is not a foreign battle but one that we must engage with here at home too. Politicians have a particular duty to defend this important pillar of democracy and if we become ambivalent towards it then it will be the undoing of our ancient traditions.
Fairfax Media

Another 267 refugees may soon be on their way to immigration detention on Nauru, but while the Australian government is sending them there, it is also giving them incentives to leave the island and return home or to a third country.

The High Court of Australia ruled last week that offshore detention in facilities like those on Nauru or Manus Island is legal, paving the way for the government to ship almost 300 refugees currently in Australia to said centres. Speaking on ABC TV program Insiders last Sunday February 7, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was unwavering in his commitment to the offshore detention scheme, but outlined how the government had opened other avenues for refugees to pursue.

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He told host Barrie Cassidy, according to a transcript of the interview released by his office:

"We are providing every incentive to the people on Nauru to go back to their country of origin. We're providing them with considerable incentives and assistance to do that. We're providing them with incentives to settle in other countries."

But what are these incentives?

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection told The Huffington Post Australia in a statement that the Government of Naurus Refugee Status Determination program gives asylum seekers on Nauru travel assistance "to return home as well as to re-establish themselves following the return".

"142 asylum seekers have voluntarily departed Nauru with returns assistance since September 2012," the department said.

"To date, all departures with returns assistance have returned to a country-of-origin, being to India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam."

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The island of Nauru (file pic)

Refugees have the option of being settled in Nauru for up to 10 years, or can opt to permanently settle in Cambodia. To date, the department says five refugees have taken the Cambodia option, with Cambodia said to have "committed to an arrangement that provides refugees with the support they need to begin new lives".

The department also said assistance comes from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with a "Rapid Departure Assistance programme" providing transport back to their home country, travel documents, plane tickets, "a small cash allowance" and counselling when they return home. The IOM also provides "reintegration assistance", which is said to comprise "in kind and/or cash to support income generating activities in-country".

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said "this assistance is available to all asylum seekers".

"Information about this assistance is available through either IOM or departmental staff in Nauru and is well understood by asylum seekers."

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On its website, the IOM said it had provided four refugees from Nauru with assistance in Cambodia, including "intensive Khmer language and cultural and social orientation". The IOM said its resettlement services would be provided for up to 12 months, including health insurance "commensurate with local community standards" for up to five years. The IOM also said it would provide "language training, cultural and social orientation, education services, health services and employment services".
Last year, when my daughter, Sophie, was seven and in second grade, her teacher taught a unit about our country's 44 U.S. Presidents. One day, Sophie came home from school, and with a very serious look in her eye asked, "Mom, is it illegal for a woman to be president?" Shocked that a little girl could be asking such a question in 2015--shouldn't the answer to that question be obvious?--I stood still for a moment, uncharacteristically silent, trying to figure out how to respond.

"No," I answered, launching into a speech about politics and gender and the power and importance of feminism.

"Good," she answered. "Then I will be the first woman president."

My daughter has made achieving that milestone her number one priority. So much so, in fact, that she applauded when Carly Fiorina dropped out of the election earlier this week; she hopes Bernie will trump Hillary so that she still has a chance at her goal. While I'm trying to encourage her nascent interest in the daily highs and lows of presidential politics, I've also let her know that I hope we have a president who's a woman long before she's old enough to vote, let alone run for office.

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An amazing array of thought leaders have jumped into the debate around whether women should be voting for Hillary because she's a woman, and whether that's the best way to advance equal rights for women--or whether being gender-blind and voting solely based on ideology is a sign of greater progression.

What my daughter's reaction to this election cycle strongly suggests to me is that both are important. As a woman who bridges two generations--that of the second-wave feminists so well-represented by Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem, who have been vocal about the need to stand behind Hillary as a woman--and the millennial generation, which has been vocal about the need to vote solely based on policy--both perspectives play an important role in advancing the position of women in politics. While I instinctively favor the "millennial" approach, what my daughter taught me is that to discount identity may be naive. My daughter isn't saying she wants to be president because of the issues. She's saying she wants to be president because she wants to break a barrier--and the only way to break that barrier is to capitalize on her identity to rectify the fact that women have been absent from our highest levels of leadership for far too long.

Just as it was critical to have a Catholic and then an African-American man ascend to the presidency, in order to know, deeply, that barriers constituted around religion and race could be destroyed, it's crucial for the world to see that a woman can lead the country. We all know the importance of role models for breaking stereotypes, in demonstrating for ourselves and for the next generation what is possible. But we also know that having the ability to vote "gender blind," staying focused not on identity but on the issues, signals a huge leap forward for woman- and man-kind.

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Can we have the latter without the former? Hillary supporters suggest that in her candidacy we have an opportunity for both. For Bernie supporters, it's not so easy, since voting for Bernie doesn't put a woman in the Oval Office. But could his progressive politics ultimately do more for women than simply having a woman in office? And by arguing we're "past" the need to think about gender, can we maybe make it so?
Silhouettes of refugees people searching new homes or life due to persecution. Vector illustration

I am an immigrant. An exile. I am a Venezuelan. And I am an American. But most of all, I am a human being.

These labels and names which have been ascribed to me are based on where I'm from and, sometimes, how I look. Despite any associated benefits and consequences they may carry, these categories have placed me in the same class as at least 41.3 million other residents of the United States, if not more.

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Attitudes towards these millions of people have shifted recently from mostly general indifference to extreme scrutiny and, in some cases, rejection and hate. This is mostly due to the outpouring of refugees from Syria and other parts of the Middle East. As a fellow immigrant, this post is directed, not to these unfortunate victims, but to the immigrant who has built their life in America, though I welcome-and encourage-all to read it.

It might have had something to do with the fact I was raised in a cultural hotspot known as the "Capital of Latin America," but my identity as an immigrant and as a Hispanic was something I never called into question. I always felt I lived at the perfect intersection between two worlds. One, an Anglo-American nation which welcomed my family and I with open arms, allowing us to restart our lives in the U.S. The second, a hub of Spanish-speaking immigrants which made up the majority of my classrooms, neighborhoods, the shops I ventured into, and the community where I lived.

This might have been the reason why leaving the "Miami Bubble" was such an eye-opening and insightful experience. I arrived at the University of Florida in Gainesville, the last stop of the Deep South and home to my first long-term contact with Real America (and not North Cuba). I would like to make it explicitly clear that Gainesville has been and continues to be an incredible home to me. Go Gators!

What Gainesville and its daily experiences did make crystal clear was that I, Alfredo Ramirez, was in fact an immigrant, a distinct term which roughly translates to "I was not born here" in its most rudimentary context. This difference was apparent when new friends and strangers asked, once they discovered I was Hispanic, if I could dance well, what an arepa was, or mistook my pronunciation of Venezuela for "Minnesota."

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The experiences also made it that much easier to find other people similar to myself. During my time in Gainesville, I have worked and collaborated with UF's Hispanic Heritage Month, the Gainesville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and several other multicultural student organizations. My experiences with vastly different kinds of people from all corners of the globe and walks of life taught me an incredibly important principle, applicable to the situation the world finds itself in today:

One individual immigrant is part of a much larger and immense community of immigrants, regardless of where we are from, what language we speak, what religion we practice, or how we look.

If you take apart the word immigrant and instead choose to look at the person in corporeal form, you will find that there is a single, unifying characteristics among all classes and groups of immigrants. At one point or another, whether we know it or not, we, as immigrants, were once without a home.

Now I don't mean that we were all living on the streets. To some, the reality of the situation is actually much worse. In my case, as in many cases, it means that my parents decided to seek a new home, away from their native land, in order to find a better life for their new family. If that message didn't sink in, let me try again: my mother and father, having lived their entire lives in Venezuela and knowing it as the only country home to their friends, family, and history, made the conscious decision to seek a better life away from the one they grew up in, taking their children with them to a strange, new land.

This is a decision that does not come lightly. It means the life which you knew, the people you were friends with, the job you worked, and country you love are not good enough. If you want something better, you must leave all you know behind in the hope that there is something better waiting for you, requiring you to travel an uncertain amount of distance and time before you can reach that beacon. Even with the promise of a job and improved life, this is still a brutally tough decision to make. So much so that residents of conflict and struggling parts of the world choose to continue making their livelihood in the only homes they've ever known.

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I can only be grateful my parents had the courage to undertake this burden and make a decision that has been wholly beneficial to my family. Yet, I still find myself worrying about the country and people that I left behind. This sympathetic worry, however, pales in comparison to the worries of my parents decades ago or to the people who continue living in the murder capital of the world. It is even less compared to the trauma suffered by the 59.5 million people forcibly displaced, according to the UN.

Now I am not here to advocate an open-door immigration policy nor amnesty to all who want enter this country; not only is this idea naive, it also fails to remember that many of these people have no greater desire than to return home to try and rebuild their lives. But I will ask of my fellow immigrants and children of immigrants, next time you consider the status of another immigrant, exile, refugee, or whatever you desire to call these human beings, ask yourself the question: What if they had said no? What if you had been a victim of the same treatment and injustice which they suffer now?
While there are vocal activists on both sides, I believe most college students are largely neutral on or even indifferent to the Israeli-Palestinian-Jewish-Arab-Muslim conflict. And while universities are (or should be) good places to learn about such conflicts, there must be many students who do not appreciate the specific manner in which activists take over their campuses and student governments not merely to educate others on their cause--which used to be the role of professors, in the old days--but to agitate for it. The result is typically a lot of hollering, tremendous divisiveness, individuals feeling marginalized and even attacked, and overall a great diversion of resources from what should be the main focus of student governments: tackling issues that directly concern student life on campus.

The activists will claim (for example) that social justice and human rights are the business of student governments. They will point to previous successes, in particular the anti-apartheid movements on campuses against South Africa, which (they will claim) helped lead to the overthrow of that regime. They urge repeatedly that Israel is guilty of apartheid as well, and that student governments should rise to the challenge once again.

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But there are big differences between then and now. For one thing, however critical you may be of Israel, the use of the word "apartheid" is simply false, a dangerous libel, and offensive to the victims of true apartheid in South Africa. More importantly, the case against South African apartheid enjoyed near universal consensus on campus. It was a no-brainer, requiring minimal campus resources. When a student government passed a resolution against South Africa, one could feel that it represented the student body opinion. Protesting South African policy didn't leave many students on campus feeling directly targeted. None of those apply with respect to the debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When the debate visits a campus, it typically leaves behind a campus in shambles: friendships and relationships are severed, people stop talking to each other, and the overall educational mission of the institution is irreparably harmed.

To be clear, I am not suppressing free speech, or advocating that students don't learn about the Middle East conflict, or rejecting the role that students groups might play in educating student populations. Have at it, I say: have campus rallies, sponsor speakers, set up a soapbox and pontificate all you like. What I am saying is leave student government out of it. Student government has better things to do. Like govern student life, addressing the immediate needs and concerns of the local student population. This cannot be done if they are forced to spend hours debating complicated, decades-long international conflicts going on half a world away, about which they are largely ignorant. Students should resist efforts by angry activists to hijack their student governments in the service of their divisive agendas.

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So here is my proposal. Let us spread as far and wide as we can the following template for a resolution, to be submitted to as many student governments as possible. I hereby relinquish any copyright claim to the text below (though I would appreciate an acknowledgment if you use it), and of course I license anyone to edit as s/he believes would be most useful at his or her institution.

Whereas, the primary purpose of student government is to address matters of immediate relevance and urgency directly affecting the campus life of the general population of students attending this institution;

Whereas, the many very complex and long-standing political, military, economic, and civil disputes going on all over the world simply are not such matters;

Whereas, it would require long and intensive study before anyone could expect to have an appropriate, fair, and well-informed opinion about such complex and long-standing disputes;

Whereas, those volunteering their time on student government do not have the time or resources to undertake such long and intensive study on matters not directly pertaining to campus life;

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Whereas, those interested in the noble pursuit of activist causes concerning such disputes are perfectly free to pursue them elsewhere on campus, and already have many resources available to them to support their pursuit (such as the ability to form special interest groups, sponsor lectures, and hold other events), not to mention take relevant classes;

Whereas, it is simply not appropriate for a student government, aiming to represent the interests of all students, to take official positions on complex issues on which the student population is deeply divided and as a result of which many students may feel disenfranchised as well as personally targeted;

Whereas, the introduction of student government resolutions on such matters, and in particular on the century-long conflict between Israelis/Palestinians/Jews/Arabs/Muslims, has on many campuses proved extremely disruptive and divisive to normal campus life;

Whereas, the introduction of such resolutions has often produced very hostile environments in which many members of the campus community felt isolated, marginalized, dehumanized, under attack, and unsafe;

Whereas, such environments are not at all conducive to the proper academic study of the disputes in question and can have long-term negative consequences on the civility of campus life, as well as damage the mutual civility and respect necessary to ensure genuine freedom of speech;

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Be it resolved, that

(1) This student government reaffirms its commitment to freedom of speech, to the free exchange of ideas, to the safety of all who express their ideas and in particular to those supporting minority opinions, to the mutual civility and respect parties must show to those who disagree with them, and, overall, to the careful and objective and fair and rational pursuit of truth in all such exchanges;

(2) This student government urges all those interested in the noble pursuit of activist causes to whole-heartedly pursue their activism by means of the many other resources available on campus;

But
Image: A Russian military parade dedicated to the anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-45). Author: Kremlin.ru

News coverage of the trial of a Russian soldier accused of killing all seven members of an Armenian family in 2015 has revived the issue of Russian neglect and mistreatment of its troops.

The question of Russian troops having to beg for money for food surfaced in media discussions of Private Valery Permyakov's motive for killing the Avetisian family at their home outside the Russian military base at Gyumri, where he was stationed.

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The trial, which is still under way, has yet to bring out a reason why Permyakov, who has a history of mental instability, killed the family, including a six-month-old child.

At one point, those investigating the crime said Permyakov entered the family's house to get a drink of water. How they obtained this information has not been revealed.

At the trial, Permyakov gave a different account of why he entered, saying he needed a place to change his uniform.

News organizations covering the trial used investigators' contention that he was looking for water to discuss the problem of Russian soldiers panhandling in Gyumri.

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The panhandling mention was brief, but spoke volumes.

An overriding impression was that if Russian soldiers were begging in downtown Gyumri, they must be short of food and drink.

One news account said that, in 2015, Gyumri assigned additional police to places where there is heavy foot traffic. The implication was the city had done so because of soldier panhandling.

The issue of Russia neglecting or mistreating its soldiers has generated headlines a number of times since the country became independent in 1991.

But it's even more relevant today as Russia deploys troops on military adventures in Ukraine and Syria, and to bases across the former Soviet Union, including Armenia.

Armenia has essentially become a colony of Russia, relying on it for natural gas, electricity and military protection. It is learning, however, that this kind of servitude comes with a price. The panhandling Russian soldiers in Gyumri is just one example.

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Not a week goes by without Russian news organizations trumpeting the country's decision to spend billions of dollars to develop new warplanes and other weapons. It's all part of a military-hardware modernization program that Russian President Vladimir Putin is making sure the world knows about.

Russia's recent news coverage of the military has not focused on the fate of the average soldier, however.

The Gyumri soldier-panhandling accounts conjure up past neglect and mistreatment of Russian troops that -- given Russia's current dwindling national revenue -- could be on the upswing again.

Both Russian and Western news organizations reported in the late 1990s that soldier-panhandling was rampant across Russia. That was a time of recession, and news accounts said suppliers were refusing to provide the military with food because they had not been paid for previous shipments for months.

Food has also figured in other accounts of Russian-soldier neglect or mistreatment since the 1990s.

Russia has both Interior Ministry as well as military troops, and a Russian whistleblower generated international headlines in 2011 by posting a YouTube video contending that some Interior Ministry troops in Russia's Far East were being fed dog food.

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The ministry denied the account of Major Igor Matveyev, who was drummed out of the service for going public with his accusation.

Matveyev maintained that Interior Ministry troops in Vladivostok were being fed a stew whose meat content was actually dog food. He said labels on dog food cans had been replaced with labels listing the contents as "premium quality beef."

The ministry's denial was quick and forceful.

It said its forces in Vladivostok included security dogs, and that cans of the meat that the troops were eating were stored in the same place as dog-food cans. But there was no labeling switching, it said.

Russian troop provisioning generated global headlines again in 2013, when soldiers stationed at another Far East outpost said they had had to eat maggot-infested food for a month. To prove their claims, some of the troops on Kunashir Island took pictures of food crawling with the insects.

"My son has served in this base for half a year, (and) he has lost 10 kilograms," a woman complained on the Internet. "Packages take two months to reach Sakhalin (the region where the base is), and not everyone has the money to buy food in shops. The life and health of soldiers and officers are obviously not important for the Sakhalin region's military leadership."

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In the quarter of a century since the break-up of the Soviet Union, there have been many reports about mistreatment of Russian troops, particularly hazing deaths of recruits.

The military has blamed the deaths on a few bad apples.

The issue of the military providing its troops with so little food that they have to panhandle can't be blamed on a few misfits, however.

It is a failure of the system -- and the military's top leaders should be held accountable for it.

If the problem is rearing its head again outside Russian bases such as Gyumri, it can only get worse as the Russian military stretches itself thinner to accommodate its leaders' lust for combat adventures.
'Islam is not the problem' written on a wall in Shoreditch (London). Picture taken on the 10th january 2015, three days after the shooting in the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris

I return here to Jean Birnbaum's book, Un silence religieux (Seuil 2016), which I mentioned in passing in last week's column.

The book raises a thorny issue and advances debate by highlighting our systematic underestimation of the spiritual element when analyzing jihadism.

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Birnbaum gets it right -- and this is the book's strongest point -- when he mocks what he calls no-connectionism (as in "Islamism has no connection with Islam"), which, among commentators and political leaders alike, invariably accompanies the rote warning, intoned after each attack, not to tar all Muslims with the same brush.

Stimulating and new are the pages in which the author, traveling up the long, unquiet river that is the history of the left, catalogues the thousand and one ways in which, from Marx's time to Michel Foucault's, the left has tried to reduce religion to a symptom, an opiate, an ideological ornament, a passing illusion, a diversion -- every possible argument that might help us avoid coming to terms with the solid, singular, irreducible fact of political Islam.

This reductionism has had two immediate and terrible consequences that the book does a good job of revealing.

First, despair among the proponents of enlightened Islam, whose struggle within the faith to lay down bright lines to distinguish the spiritual treasures of Islam from their bloody caricatures is obliterated and betrayed.

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And, second, the strategic and moral error of a segment of the left that, by consenting to share the stage with an heir of the Muslim Brotherhood, by backing a veiled woman in a regional election, or by urging the "proletariat" to join forces with a self-styled "prophet" whose flock consists of the lost sheep of the revolutionary pastoral, is running the awful risk of justifying the unjustifiable.

So far, so good.

But the book's last chapter, entitled "Jihadists and Brigadists," suddenly changes everything.

In these strange pages, written, as it were, in another hand, the author, wishing to move one step closer to serious consideration of the enemy's discourse, explores its transnational dimension, mutual assistance among the world's Muslims, and the way in which that assistance exploits, and I quote, the "grammar" of "borders," "territories," and "sovereign powers."

In the process, he treats us to an item-by-item comparison of Islamic radicalism with the international brigades in Spain, the other great modern example of an indignant, rebellious youth leaving father, mother, and social milieu to demonstrate its active solidarity with martyred brothers by traveling far beyond its national base and its points of reference.

I acknowledge that Birnbaum is cautious.

And I did read the passages in which he takes care to specify that the jihadists' relationship with death -- their habit of treating it like good news and glorifying it -- means that we are dealing with "two ideas of man that are irreconciliable twins."

But if that is what he believes, why place so much emphasis on the "parallel destinies" of the French volunteers who, in the 1930s, crossed the Pyrenees and, today, cross the border between Turkey and Syria?

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Does he have the right to illustrate the "symmetry of the two scenes" by commandeering Malraux's Man's Hope and the fraternal passion that, from Madrid to Barcelona, from the fall of Toledo to the rescue of the wounded aviators from the Sierra de Teruel, shines through the novel?

Are we really talking about the same fraternity here? When the members of one group speak of the "Muslim brotherhood" and those of the other lay claim to the motto of republican France, as do Malraux's Manuel, Garcia, and Barca the winemaker, are they talking about the same thing? The same hope? The same "fervor" and "enthusiasm"? Are the two really examples of the same "rebellious imagination," to use the terms of Foucault, who Birnbaum invokes once more?

For someone like me, who grew up admiring the nobility of republican, international Spain, there is in this comparison something deeply offensive that I cannot just let pass.

To concede to the jihadists an "ideal," a taste for "solidarity," and a will to "engage in a decisive struggle on which the fate of humanity turns," as well as the courage to "defy death" and to die (and I quote) "for their ideas" is quite a gift.

But more than that, I believe that Birnbaum's reasoning is faulty and that, between the hopes of the two groups, between the lived fraternity of one group and the terror-bound assembly of the other, between the taste for life of the heros of free Spain and the unvarnished nihilism of the Daesh rabble, one finds the same difference that the philosopher found between the constellation Canus and the barking dog.

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How is it that the same man, in the same book, that is, in the same act, can start off seeing so clearly and then get it so wrong in the end? That is another question, one that will not surprise those of my readers who are at least somewhat familiar with the history of intellectuals coming to grips with what is tragic in their time. But this paradox, this deviation, as well as the apparent success of the book and the favorable reception that, I am told, its final chapter is getting, made this expression of disagreement all the more urgent. There are various ways of banalizing evil, of which Birnbaum's is one.


Declan Eells and Kate Skinner.

Photo by Russ Ross.

If you mention the name "Tennessee Williams" around most people with even a passing familiarity with theatre, they probably will conjure images of a shirtless Marlon Brando, fading southern belles, and/or small glass unicorns. But that's only the tip of the Williams iceberg, and directors like Cosmin Chivu have been expanding that conception for several years. In 2013, Chivu transformed the New Ohio Theater's stage into Christmas-time in New Orleans with Mink Stole and Penny Arcade with an inspired production of Williams's late play The Mutilated. I was lucky enough to interview him about that excellent production, which was the first instance of one of Williams's later works feeling like they were really a product (albeit a different kind and style of product) of the playwright who is for so many people still associated with the images listed above.

It was this excellent experience with Chivu's earlier production that leads me to be so excited about his next endeavor: Tennessee Williams 1982. This night consists of two of Williams last one-acts, both completed in the year prior to his death: A Recluse and His Guest and The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde completed in 1982. In order to find out more about this exciting new production, I took the opportunity to ask Chivu about his work on this piece.

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Bess Rowen: I, and hopefully at least some of my readers, are familiar with your excellent production of The Mutilated that was presented in New York a few years ago. What keeps drawing you to these later plays, which so often get ignored in discussing Williams's ouvre?

Cosmin Chivu: Williams's late work lives and breathes in the present moment. It is rich with fresh ideas, free imagery, surprisingly timely topics, intense stories, and juicy, bigger-than-life characters. These late plays are also extremely hard to stage. In fact some of them appear, at least on the page, to be unstageable. What an exciting and scary provocation for a director, right? There is always that moment when I scratch my head over stage directions that are impossible to fully realize on stage, or especially when the action involves shocking language and brutal action that is used to make a point in the play but would might make an audience uncomfortable. [I think] How would I do that on stage? But then you find solutions that result into better solutions and so on. Also my excitement and my imagination take over and the impatient, burning feeling to put these stories up on stage becomes magnetic. I often wonder how his late work was kept under wraps for all these years, given the scores of books and articles on Williams since his death. Probably the most common reaction I encounter after a performance is, "How come I've never heard of or knew about this play?" With this project I enter my fourth major attempt to crack open the late work and hopefully to change perceptions about this rarely produced material that sweeps away much of our theater's conventionality and clutter. There is so much more to be discovered about the theatricality of Williams's later plays - if we don't stage them, we'll never find out how they really work, how complex they are, and what he had to say.

BR: One of the things that I commented on in your production of The Mutilated is that you managed to make this later play seem like a natural companion of the playwright who had once written The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. These two one-act plays are also quite outlandish, especially The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde, what do you think Williams was exploring through these two pieces?

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CC: I see both pieces as an interesting meditative and raw window into Williams's soul, at the end of his life. The writer kept up with the times and by the early 1980s - long after the critics had given up on him - he was intensely aware of the nuclear arms race, the influence of money in politics, and how the country was turning to the right. The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde speaks directly to those issues. It is possible that one of America's most celebrated, outspoken, and poetic writers saw parts of society as Mint: victimized, starving, paralyzed, and powerless. A Recluse and His Guest is more a reflection of Williams late in his life, an acceptance that life is finite and yet with his life-long refusal to give up, his determination to continue forward no matter what. Nevrika is a perpetual traveler who becomes the guest of a recluse after a life of searching for a home. Probably the playwright saw himself as both Nevrika as well as the Recluse himself, who has found the world too much to bear and has cut himself off from it.

BR: As a follow-up question, why did you put these two plays together?

CC: Although these two pieces live in two completely separate worlds, their recurring theme of a life imposed exile stands strong. In both pieces the accumulation of life experience rises to awareness. How the women figures of Williams's work survive is also a common theme in both of these plays. I think they complement each other.

BR: What should the audience know about these pieces before they come to the theatre, if anything? What plays that people might be more familiar with, if any, do these remind you of?

CC: These two pieces are different, unlike anything that Tennessee Williams had created. They are not like any of the more famous Williams plays. And they are even a bit of a departure from some of the later work too. I hope people will arrive with open minds and be open for the experience of these arresting dramas. These pieces are also allowing us, the creative team, to extend the space generated by the written word to an audience where their imagination fills in the spaces and connects the dots and brings the story to full realization. In fact, I hope to discover more about these plays from the audiences who come to see them and participate.

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BR: How has working on these plays been in rehearsal? Have you learned anything new about them in production that you hadn't quite realized by simply reading them?

CC: I learned that suspending and moving an actor around from hook to hook is nearly impossible - a great metaphor that causes headaches to the design team. But we found a way to do it, and it's extraordinary. I also learned that no matter how simple some of the writing may appear at first or second glance, there are always many layers and complexity that are revealed in rehearsal and performance. It is a testament to Williams's theatrical instincts that his plays are only truly understood with an audience.

BR: What's next for you and Williams, is there another piece you're already considering doing? (I hope so, because I love when you direct Williams!)

CC: With this project it feels that this is where my work on Tennessee Williams begins. I don't know what Tennessee Williams plays are in my future. I can't wait to find out!
A supporter cheers after Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is announced the winner of the New Hampshire primary during a watch party at Concord High School, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The best, most effective way to discourage young people from voting is to tell them that there is no difference between the two sides, that Republicans and Democrats are all the same, that all politicians are corrupt and cannot be trusted. Works every time.

I fear that the new voters who see Bernie Sanders as their savior are coming to view the rest of the Democratic party and those of us who have long worked to achieve it's goals as the enemy. When Bernie Sanders ran for governor as an Independent in Vermont against Madeleine May Kunin, a Democrat, his statement regarding Democrats and Republicans was: "It is absolutely fair to say you are dealing with Tweedledum and Tweedledee." Direct quote. Sure he has since said things like "On our worst day we are better than the Republicans," but it speaks to my larger concern about the tone of this campaign and the rhetoric of absolutism. If you are not endorsing him you are the "establishment" ... you are the "bogeyman." This is dangerous. I am thrilled that these young voters are engaged. I welcome the passion and fervor Mr. Sanders evokes, but I also want to temper this with a simple fact.

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We Democrats are on the same side and it is not the one occupied by the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. We may support different candidates at this point, but in the long run we must stay together and work together to promote a Democratic agenda no matter who is leading that charge. Young people it is your future on the line and I care about that. So does Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democrats who are supporting her. Whoever wins, you will need our help to shape that future. We are not your enemy.

Today's headlines have been screaming that we are going to South Carolina and "it is going to get ugly" I hope not. I truly think it has gotten ugly enough. It is very painful to be told that despite much evidence to the contrary I am not a progressive. Turns out I am just an establishment hack who worships big business and lacks any real conviction. I support Hillary Clinton for president and therefore I must realize that I am a part of the problem. It is more than a little disheartening to learn that all of those years I spent working on behalf of People with AIDS, Good Shepherd Home for Battered Women and Children, The Progressive Majority, Voices for Progress, Power Pac and "establishment" organizations like Planned Parenthood and the HRC I was under the thumb of "the man." All of time that my friends and I spent working to support folks like Howard Dean, Russ Feingold, Sherrod Brown, Claire McCaskill and Barack Obama, I was just a misguided fool in the pockets of the big banks. (Someone should have explained this to my accountant who had to call me into his office and explain that, if I kept giving so much of my money to so called "progressive" politicians and causes I thought were worthy, I was headed for a future of wheeling a shopping cart down Hollywood Boulevard.) My Facebook page is full of people screaming that I am being fooled by the media and that the political process is rigged. The "Berners" are hurling Karl Rove's talking points at me as proof of this.

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So let me explain as calmly as I can that while I may disagree with your tactics and support a different candidate than you, I am absolutely on your side. I implore you to understand that there is a big huge gaping maw of a difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

I have issues with some of the proposals in Bernie's platform, but I certainly do not think that he is the equivalent of a Donald Trump. Barack Obama has worked his heart out to achieve what were pre-Bernie known to be "progressive" goals. The fact that he has not been able to convince a Republican congress to collaborate on many of the left's shared ideals does not mean that he is the same as George W. Bush. Bill Clinton recovered our economy from a serious recession and helped usher America into the most prosperous era of my lifetime. He was not perfect on every social issue, but he cared and he tried and he was an entirely different leader in terms of his temperament and values than his predecessor Ronald Reagan.

The response of the Bernie camp to any critique of his platform is to accuse the questioner of being a shill for the establishment. This is also dangerous. When Claire McCaskill dares to suggest that a socialist candidate for president is going to be a tough sell in Missouri, let's consider that she may speaking from experience. She might believe this because she had to spend millions of dollars and campaign very hard to defeat an opponent who suggested that women seeking family planning assistance should "hold an aspirin between their knees." I am going to go out on a limb here and say that perhaps she knows her constituents and would like to see a Democrat in the White House. Maybe she cares about stuff like that. Maybe it matters to her that we have a chance at winning her state. You know, so that pesky Supreme Court does not become entirely dominated by right-wing nutters like Anton Scalia. Or maybe she wants women to be able keep the reproductive freedoms that many have worked so hard to achieve. She is a tough, savvy and loyal Democrat. Her opinion matters and she is entitled to it.

Let's just for a moment dare to discuss the topic of "feminism." Susan Sarandon recently gave a ringing endorsement of Sanders saying, "Bernie is the only candidate who's actually saying specific things about the way things are." Boldly flying in the face of the criticism that his plan is sorely lacking in specifics, she went on to declare, "I do not vote with my vagina." Well I am glad to hear it. Me either. My vagina can do some lovely things, but, I have yet to train it to hold a pen. No one is saying that it is "feminist" to vote for Hillary, but it is indeed consequential that she is the first truly viable female candidate to aspire to the presidency. When Gloria Steinem recently made an offhand comment on a talk show, her six decades of service toward the betterment of women's lives all the world over was immediately invalidated by the fact that she said of Bernie's young female fans "well ... sometimes girls like to be where the boys are." Not a well thought out statement to be sure, but she is not the enemy of those girls. She has fought for them all of her life and that should count for something. Susan Sarandon is better than me at a lot of things. She is a movie star. I spent the better part of a decade talking to a mechanical cat on television. She has bigger boobs and younger boyfriends. She is a wonderful talent and a dedicated activist, but her argument that it is more feminist to NOT support the female candidate is lost on me. I simply cannot grasp this.

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I am going to walk out onto the new third rail in our political realm and offer some thoughts on the whole concept of Democratic Socialism. While you are sharpening your pitchforks, I am going to propose that while we extoll the virtues of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, nations who make this seem like an achievable utopia, we must also take a hard look at just how much tax those folks pay. Rates that will be a hard if not impossible sell to your fellow Americans in this capitalist society. Certainly this kind of tax rate cannot be instilled by a president alone, which means you are going to need one hell of a majority of those dreaded establishment Democrats to even give it a go. You are going to have to care about getting them elected and keeping them in office. You will need to vote in the mid-terms, raise money for them and rally to their side.

I want health care for all, but I am worried that raising taxes on families who earn as little as 30,000 per year might have a deleterious effect. Mr. Sanders keeps saying that it is OK to raise their taxes because the government is going to take care of their health and their education, but we had better be prepared to offer them food banks as well, because many of them are going hungry as it is. As for a tax rate on the wealthy that could reach as high as 90 percent under Mr. Sanders's plan, I am unconvinced that this can be enforced. We live in a global economy. Already our wealthiest individuals and corporations are relocating themselves to avoid the existing tax rate and there is very little we can do to stop them. When the Dodd-Frank passed, enforcing some much needed discipline on our banking system, many American banks sent their traders to live and work in Switzerland to avoid dealing with the new regulations that "establishment tool! Clinton shill!" Barney Frank dedicated many years of his life trying to enact.

So yes, I have my doubts about Bernie Sanders's approach, but let me make this perfectly clear to those of you who believe in his brand of Democratic Socialism: I do not have my doubts about you. I do not question the goodness of your intentions and I ask you to trust in the goodness of mine. I admire your ideals, I just prefer a more pragmatic approach. I am not the enemy of progress or of Bernie Sanders and his followers. I am glad that you care. I am glad that you are participating. I am glad that there is a fight going on for the soul of the party and the goals we want to achieve. I am thrilled that there are two dynamic candidates on the left providing a much needed antidote to the poisonous gas-bagging on the right. I appreciate your passion, but I ask you again to remember that there is a huge difference between Republicans and Democrats.

In 2008 our economy was in shambles. George W Bush's tenure proved to be disastrous, but we are climbing out of the abyss. America's unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in decades. Our debt is easing and wages are rising. The situation is not perfect, many people are still struggling and we have a long way to go, but under Barack Obama things have gotten better. We are really just having a discussion of how to further improve them. We must win the presidency in order to have any say in the matter at all.
Last month, Marvin Krislov, President of Oberlin College, responded to African-American student demands by refusing to look at them. His reasoning was that a list of demands, "explicitly rejects the notion of collaborative engagement." Just last week, the president of Brown University, President Paxson, published an article about a new diversity action plan in which she publicly supports "constructive irreverence." Is there a right way to agitate for sweeping change?

We are a mother and daughter in academia (professor and student, respectively) both white, both activists for diversity in STEM. During the winter break, we talked about the campus diversity movement and the notion of "collaborative engagement." (We think Krislov's response probably won't lead to it.) We also talked about our own experiences and challenges in allyship across movements, and how we need to move forward.

Beth: I'm really interested in the student diversity movement right now. It seems like there are appropriate demands for improving respect for everyone and also for greater diversity among faculty. My own experience shows the value of working collaboratively and over time with multiple campus groups to achieve goals. It sounds as though the President of Oberlin didn't feel like the movement there resulted in a conversation but rather in directives. What's the student perspective?

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Tess: There is so much anger and justified anger on campuses these days, predominantly from people of color. I've been involved with some of these discussions and activities - not many - in making campuses more supportive and accepting of people from different backgrounds. Right now, it is hard for me as a white woman to be a part of the race conversation even though I think that there are useful parallels between the race and gender movements. For example, the low numbers of people of color and women in senior faculty and leadership positions is important to both groups, and we can work on this together - as well as a host of other issues that both groups face including imposter syndrome.

Beth: Interesting; so why is your activism generally more focused on gender issues?

Tess: For me personally, gender is easier to work on and I feel that people are more receptive to me as that activist because I am a woman in STEM and people can envision me in that role. The current activist movements around race on campus seem framed around justified anger. As women, especially women in STEM, we're angry too about how we are treated, but organizing efforts and events generally remain separate.

Beth: I've had that experience too as a faculty activist where I am not directly involved with the movement about race. Sometimes I have felt that women of color want me to be an ally, but not part of the movement. For example, women of color set up a separate association, Minority Women Faculty, on my campus and come to meetings of all women faculty but only women of color may participate in their meetings. I understood that members of the group wanted a space to talk about issues that are specific to their concerns. Is this related to your experience? Do students seem like they are working together across race or gender? Are students working with faculty or administrators?

Tess: Well, sometimes. Allyship takes time to develop, and we, as students, don't have a huge amount of time within university communities! We do have the desire to engage with our learning and the intense friendships and connections we do form in our journey through college provide an opportunity for allyship. Students can be powerful allies. Maybe students are the not so secret ingredient that has been left out of many conversations. Student anger and emotion can be leveraged to make sustainable change.

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Beth: What do you mean by allyship? Is that different from being an ally?

Tess: Yes, there's a big difference. Like Jay Dodd eloquently said, "Allyship, in its best form, is constant work." It's the difference between identifying as an ally - someone who supports change versus someone who is part of a long-term process where trust and accountability are developed.

Beth: Oh I get it. It is the difference between lending support every once in a while versus being an integral part of the process. I never thought of myself as a part of a process until someone said to me - Oh Beth, you really are an activist for diversity. Hearing a Latina faculty member say that surprised me and made me think of my activities and myself differently. But I also realize that I do identify as an ally; though, allyship is the real goal. It can be challenging sometimes to develop allyship. I remember a conversation at a committee meeting - the group was appointed by the president of the university to come up with activities to improve campus climate for women and minorities. A veteran activist in the LGBTQ community was getting really agitated and saying we must do this and we must do that! I said to her, I am an associate dean and am living and working in this structure. Some of the things that you are saying are not really practical or doable. And she looked me in the eye and said something to me that resonated and helped me understand why that kind of emotion and those kinds of "crazy" ideas can be useful at the end of the day. She said, you know Beth, there is a role for inside agitators and for outside agitators - we just play our roles differently. For me, that was a really useful moment to understand that being part of an administration, I could not be inflammatory, but I could still make changes by being a part of that complex system. But I had to do it differently. It also means that sometimes allyship can be challenging, but worthwhile, to develop across those lines. Do you see allyship developing among students?

Tess: Yes, but there is a lot of rhetoric that sometimes obscures the true goals, making allyship challenging. There have been a lot of important discussions about police on campuses that are based on very real racial issues, like when a visiting Latino student at Brown attempted to protect a female student from what he perceived was inappropriate police behavior and was then told that he was trespassing. When the visiting student went to look for his student host, he was grabbed by security, thrown to the floor, and detained until Brown students came to identify him. This situation should not have happened, and I want to be a part of the process to change that. Yet, calls to disarm or eliminate campus police in response to situations like this are hard for me as a woman to immediately get behind because of the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence on campus. It is difficult to develop trust in a movement that may make me, as a woman, more vulnerable. These are really important conversations, but if everyone doesn't feel included, decisions are likely to emerge that are not productive and create new problems.

Beth: You are describing a polarizing situation.

Tess: And we miss an opportunity for allyship. Even when an issue is not directly connected to another group, there should be space for that other group to come and offer support and be part of the process.

Beth: I think that you are absolutely right about allyship. In order to live together in this diverse world, we have to be cooperative and collaborative in this movement - although we do have different roles to play. I think that it is important to remember that men have helped the women's movement and women of all backgrounds contribute. To be sure, major social change like the civil rights movement in the 1960s could not have succeeded if everyone's voice had equal weight. I understand that argument, and it is a powerful one. This reminds me of when I first went to the National Science Foundation and I was given the torch to promote both gender and racial diversity on campuses - as a white woman. I was told by people who knew more than I did that being white I could say things that women of color could not. In that sense, we could play off of one another. I always go back to the issue of white women understanding their privilege and what that means. I did not fully understand the power of white privilege until I was forced to face the fact that even though I consider myself a minority in many ways, as a woman and as a Jew, that other people view me as a member of a powerful white majority. I learned that my role was not based just on how I view myself, but also on how other people view me. And that we can use our privilege to end divides.

Tess: I think that is a really important point. Going back to white women potentially having more space to say things, I am very involved in mentoring women and activism for women in STEM at Brown. Recently, we have been organizing events to get faculty and students to talk together about the future of women in STEM and STEM more generally. Some people involved in racial activism on campus approached another student leader and me about using this same paradigm to talk about race and gender issues in STEM. I found myself the only white woman in STEM in the room. Two black women, a supportive white male administrator, and I sat in a cramped office. One concern that we had in applying our approach of bringing students and faculty together to race and gender issues was that there might simply not be enough women of color in STEM at Brown to fill the room. Our conversation turned to the possibility of also inviting and training white allies to attend these events. My colleagues of color told me that as a white woman, I have the power to call out old white men on racist and sexist behavior. By calling out people who may look like me, they will start to realize that even though I, and others, look like them; we don't condone their behavior. I can say to them that even though I am not a black woman in STEM, your behavior towards women of color is wrong, makes me feel uncomfortable, and affects me as a as a person in STEM - not to mention the impact on women of color! So making those connections is really important.

Beth: I think that it is important for us to highlight the validity, value, and importance of both separate and combined activism and activities, like the collaboration and allyship that you talked about.

Tess: I want to make sure that you understand, Mom, that I mean allyship across lots of groups - not just faculty and students but also among different racial and ethnic groups as well as different sexual orientations. And let's not forget the importance of the foreign-born population too.

Beth: Absolutely. The polarization (maybe lack of allyship) that we talked about before is encouraging a new kind of suppression of free speech on campus and reduction of civil rights for some.

Tess: There has been talk about having disclaimers on syllabi or safe rooms for when there are debates that are particularly polarizing. I respect that some people need that (for example, in conversations about rape), but I personally would like to put myself in a position where I am uncomfortable and I am engaging with uncomfortable issues in order to work on solutions. If we do not learn how to sit through and contribute to uncomfortable conversations, then how are we going to resolve our differences? And how can we develop allyship if we are not talking together across groups? I guess the real issue is that students - and maybe faculty too - need to learn how to have difficult and productive conversations while people are angry and emotional.

Beth: The same goes for faculty and university administrators - we also need to learn that we may actually be on the same side.

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After Bernie Sanders' convincing win in the New Hampshire primary, many establishment Democrats are renewing the argument that Bernie cannot win in November because he is too liberal. It doesn't hold up.



In her February 5th column, Washington Post writer Ruth Marcus expressed the establishment case:

The success of Sanders's full-throated progressivism among the party faithful is no surprise, especially in liberal-leaning Iowa and New Hampshire. But, notwithstanding the current head-to-head polls that he likes to cite, Sanders at the top of the Democratic ticket threatens a general-election disaster, and not just for the top spot. True, more Americans overall identify themselves as liberal -- up from 17 percent in 1992 to 24 percent in 2014, according to Gallup. But that leaves the vast majority with a different outlook, 34 percent who describe themselves as moderate, 38 percent conservative. How, exactly, are they going to respond to a democratic socialist's call for a political revolution?

Of course, what happens if Bernie is the Democratic nominee will depend upon whoever the Republican Presidential nominee is. If the GOP proffered Donald Trump - a nominee with historically high unfavorability ratings - the outcome might be different than if the GOP nominee was Governor John Kasich, for example.

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But setting aside the context of voters' decision, Ruth Marcus argues that Sanders is too liberal for the 2016 electorate and uses a 2014 Gallup poll to support this contention. But more recent polls paint a more complex picture. A January 2016 Pew Research Poll found that the electorate is very polarized: Democrats have shifted to the left and Republicans have shifted to the right. "94 percent of Democrats are more liberal than the median Republican." "92 percent of Republicans are more conservative than the median Democrat."

The most recent Gallup Poll found that, over the past 16 years, Democrats have increasingly embraced the "liberal" label and there are now more liberals (42 percent) than moderates (38 percent) and conservatives (17 percent) in the Party. (Dems are considerably more liberal now than they were during the Clinton presidency, 1992-2000).

A May 2015 Gallup Poll found that the 31 percent of all voters described themselves as "very liberal/liberal" on social issues and another 31 percent described themselves as "very conservative/conservative" on social issues.

This implies that if Sanders wins the Democratic nomination, he will have about one-third of the electorate behind him (Democrats and fellow travelers) and one-third of the electorate dogmatically opposed (Republicans and fellow conservatives). Therefore, he and the other Democrats running for public office will have to attract vote from the middle third.

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Bernie could attract independent/moderate voters on an issue-by-issue basis.

At the moment, the number one voter issue is the economy. If this trend continues, it plays to Bernie Sanders strengths. In the January 17th Democratic debate Sanders said:

Our campaign is about... thinking big. It is understanding that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we should have health care for every man, woman, and child as a right. That we should raise the minimum wage to at least 15 dollars an hour, that we have got to create millions of decent paying jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. So what my first days [in office will be] about is bringing American together to end the decline of the middle class, to tell the wealthiest people in this country that yes they are gonna start paying their fair share of taxes, and that we are going to have a government that works for all of us and not just big campaign contributors. Sanders identified five key issues: healthcare, minimum wage, new jobs repairing our infrastructure, taxing the wealthy so they pay their fare share, and reducing the influence of money in politics. Sanders identified five key issues: healthcare, minimum wage, new jobs repairing our infrastructure, taxing the wealthy so they pay their fare share, and reducing the influence of money in politics.

How do Americans feel about these issues?

Recent polls indicate that 68 percent of Americans are in favor of raising taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million. (This plurality includes 53 percent of Republicans, 63 percent of Independents, and 87 percent of Democrats.)

Recent polls shows that 75 percent of Americans favor raising the minimum wage to $12.50 by 2020 and 63 percent favor raising it to $15. (Among those who favor raising it to $12.50 are 53 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of Independents, and 93 percent of Democrats.)

Recent polls shows that a majority of Americans (58 percent) favor a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system.

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Recent polls indicate that spending millions to repair America's crumbling infrastructure was a high priority for 65 percent of respondents.

Finally, recent polls indicate that an overwhelming majority of Americans want a change in the campaign finance system: 48 percent think the current system should be scrapped and 38 percent believe it needs "fundamental changes."
In the media these days, as in Salem itself, one can't swing a figurative black cat without hitting a witch, and the depictions of those witches are often poor enough to make The Witches Education League take notice. With the recent publicity about Proctor's Ledge, Salem's true hanging ground that has gone unrecognized for centuries, even more attention has been paid to the already saturated Witch City, so it was with trepidation that I attended a pre-screening of "The Witch," writer-director Robert Eggers' feature debut that was previewed recently for a few writers and historians at the Salem Cinema. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Though the genre may be horror, at times reminiscent of "The Shining" or the grimmest of Grimm's tales, "The Witch transcends genre. Set in 1630 in a colonial settlement closely resembling Plimoth Plantation, the film convincingly lays the groundwork for what will happen in Salem in 1692. Here is the film maker's description:



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Upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest--within which lurks an unknown evil. Strange and unsettling things begin to happen almost immediately--animals turn malevolent, crops fail, and one child disappears as another becomes seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter, Thomasin, of witchcraft, charges she adamantly denies. As circumstances grow more treacherous, each family member's faith, loyalty and love become tested in shocking and unforgettable ways.

Winner of Sundance's Best Director Prize in the U.S. Narrative Competition, Eggers demonstrates great skill as an auteur. His attention to detail is remarkable, his historical accuracy nearly perfect, something that seldom happens in films on this subject. As with good literature, his film captures the senses. The visuals are starkly and stunningly beautiful. The subtle lighting (interiors were lit with natural light and candles) and the unusual score/sound (a combination of choir, frequent recitation of prayer, and somewhat subliminal but pervasive nature sounds) serve as a constant reminder of the fierce elemental power that lies just beyond the family's rustic cabin. The cast was so good that I believed they were living their parts, which was concerning in terms of the overall mental health of the actors, but their willingness to embody disturbing states of being helps to make this an unusually believable film.

We understand viscerally what this family is up against. So many Pilgrims were lost during their journey to this New World, and of those who survived, several more were lost during that first winter in Plimoth. We see their struggles reflected here, and, as we watch from a comfortable distance, we realize that these were sturdier souls than ourselves, driven by a faith that was constantly challenged by the forces of nature, untamed and cruel elements they can't help but equate with evil. And all the while, just beyond their line of sight, the larger evil lurks in the woods, as it does in almost every fairy tale worth its salt. The dark forest is the great unconscious, the edge, the devil. For the family, as for the early colonial settlers, some of the greatest dangers came from the woods.

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So it is no great surprise that the witch emerges from those very woods. It is important at this point to distinguish what the earliest settlers defined as witch vs. our modern day Pagan equivalent, which has no connection to any kind of devil. To the settlers, as in the film, the witch, like the devil himself, was a shape shifter, able to pit people's greatest fears against their greatest desires. To the Puritans and Separatists who settled in New England, and brought the history of the European witch hunts with them, the witch was always the companion of a devil.

"The deeds of witches are such that they cannot be done without the help of Devils." -- Malleus Maleficarum, 1486

Though the depiction of the witch is artfully done and certainly scary enough, far more interesting and frightening is what we see as the family begins to turn on each other. In this patriarchal society that fears the feminine, it is the sin of the father that brought them to this brink, and the father is clearly falling apart, evidenced by the building ferocity of his wood chopping and the constant echo of his unanswered prayers. The Calvinist idea that no amount of prayer and good behavior can guarantee salvation is an ever present reminder.

Though in theory, the Puritans and Separatists left England to practice more religious freedom, the reality of their religious discipline was far more constrained that that of the Anglican church, which had made far too many concessions to the Catholic Church to satisfy such purists. Deeply embedded in their religious faith was the idea of predestination, a theory first expressed by John Calvin and stating that humans are depraved and sinful creatures inheriting the original sin of Adam and Eve, and that one's salvation had been pre-determined by God before the dawn of history.

As the Puritan catechism in The New-England Primer of 1646 states: I was conceived in Sin and Born in iniquity.

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One can't talk about this film without mentioning the children, the innocents, who fare the worst in this story of hysteria and possession. By far the most frightening scene in the film is when the son, Caleb, returns home after being taken by the witch and falls into a religious ecstasy that turns demonic. But earlier scenes which demonstrate the children turning on each other are almost as frightening. Thomasin's offhanded threat of bewitchment meant to discipline her young sister plants the seed that will ultimately grow to condemn her. It becomes evident early on that the most powerless victims of the hysteria are the children. Little by little, all power and choice is removed as the extremity of religion and God's apparent absence devastates the family.

It's ultimately this devastation that makes the story an important one. Fear of the other, the turning, the hysteria all set the stage for what will happen in Salem sixty-two years later, and, sadly, still goes on in the world today. The characters in the film weren't just pioneers and pilgrims, they were religious refugees and then outcasts, first from their native country and then from the colony they came to rely on for their survival in this new world. One can't help but be reminded of the refugees fleeing Syria. In some ways, times are not that different. Like the Puritans and Separatists, we are experiencing such rapid world changes that we find it increasingly difficult to adjust. And like them, we are propelled into the great unknown. Perhaps the most poignant moment in the film is when the mother wishes they had never left England and desperately wants to go back. Because, of course, there is no turning back. The end of the film demonstrates this perfectly.

Fans of horror are certain to enjoy this film. But I predict it will find a far wider audience as a metaphor for our times.

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By the Fall of 2014, the White House admitted a collective failure to address the ISIS propaganda juggernaut. In contrast to earlier contentions that it was only a lack of equivalent volume that stymied US efforts, Obama stated that the US was still in search of an effective counternarrative.

During a December 2015 meeting, Obama doubled down on his efforts: He set up a (small) task force and hub in the State Department, martialing social media executives' support, and noted that some in the advertising community were "interested" in helping with the effort.

Stop there: To many in the communications world, this proposition might be more than interesting - it's an incredible opportunity to use our tools in a domain that matters. And these tools are formidable. The combination of Hollywood's creative muscle, advertising innovation, and marketing science drive even the most level-headed of us to devote our time and money to causes that benefit us only indirectly, if at all. Can we use this combustive set of capabilities for the forces of good?

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To answer this question, my students at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business watched one of the few ISIS recruiting videos that can be found online. An understanding of consumer behavior allowed them to identify elements of the message that might explain its power: strong identity-based appeals, promises to meet esteem, social belongingness and self-actualization needs, attention-grabbing visuals, a fluently processed English-speaking narrator, production values that cue high source credibility. From there, we began to discuss how these elements and arguments could be countered - and my students generated a lot of creative and research-based suggestions.

But, we know it's not this simple. As with any marketing effort, the discussion quickly turned to the fact that all our ideas could go awry if we don't understand our audience. Blind to the geopolitics, social norms, and expectations in the Middle East, we could easily translate what we know in ways that could be not only useless but dangerously counterproductive.

Perhaps, we thought, we could see the way that the deep political and sociological knowledge of the Department of State took shape in their counterpropaganda. The primary publicly visible campaign, called "Think Again Turn Away" has been tweeted over 11,000 times and has nearly 26,000 followers, has over 11,000 Facebook fans, and offers a group of videos on YouTube. Despite its good intentions, this campaign has been widely criticized for presenting misinformation, making weak arguments, courting extremist trolling, and generally failing.

These efforts may present an alternate blind spot. The missing piece here may involve a lack of psychological and behavioral insight associated with motivation and consumption. In fact, comments by Major General Michael Nagata, Special Operations commander for the Middle East's forces, implicated such a deficit: "We have not defeated the idea...we do not even understand the idea."

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So, advertisers, marketers, and social scientists can develop powerful messages, but lack the context to effectively do so in the case of ISIS. Meanwhile, government may fail to develop successful counternarratives without using psychological and behavioral science that could shed light on what's working, suggest ways to change attitudes, and support desired behaviors effectively.

What can we do?

The suggestion to join forces may be aversive to some. Social scientists tend to be more liberal than conservative, and many in the advertising and communications industries may balk at working with the military-industrial complex. But we have an opportunity here. The behavioral economists' ability to enhance government effectiveness provides an excellent template for the application of science in the human interest.

Behavioral economics is but only one tool from which we can draw. We also have rich research and industry experience in shaping consumption, self-control, emotions, identity, goal-directed behaviors, responses to scarcity, power, and an understanding of the interplay of culture and communication, among other topics. If we enlarge the range of theory that can be applied to the public good, we can inform a broader range of human behaviors -possibly even beginning to untangle and address the complex constellation of cognitions and emotions that underlie an individual's decision to support ISIS.

Thus, this situation presents a call to a new type of public-private partnership, one that will require learning on multiple sides. On the marketing, advertising, and social science side, we need to understand how the world works outside our labs, focus groups, and target segments. It'll take time and effort, but we can't afford to be ignorant of the world in which we communicate or to make the mistake of approaching it with glib, superficial understanding that leans on stereotypes more than historical comprehension.
While claiming the mantle of continuity with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton is in fact sending a message of impotence, inability to change and acceptance of the status quo.

Her tone is gray, stern, highly reminiscent of Seinfeld's "The Soup Nazi".

"No soup for you!", says Hillary to anyone who feels the system has been rigged against them.

That's clearly the repositioning chosen by her handlers after the New Hampshire debacle. She conveyed that message abundantly and eloquently during Thursday night's debate in Wisconsin.

Bernie Sanders, and the tens of thousands of young people inspired by him, should not demand that money be taken out of politics. Nothing can be done about it. It's just the way it is. "No soup for you!", says Hillary. (As a small consolation prize, the politician saddled with an unsurmountable trust problem asks for the voting public's trust in her assurances that politicians can both accept the millionaire grants and keep their independence.)

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Free college may sound good. But even if other major economic powers offer it, the U.S. is different. So there. Hillary's message to young people is "No soup for you!" Bernie Sanders' proposal that a tax on Wall Street's greed could pay for it is simply unrealistic.

No soup either for workers who demand a $15 minimum wage. Never mind that working people cannot scrape a living on anything below that. That they have to resort to public assistance. Or that the scourge of below-poverty-threshold wages devastate African American and Latino communities. It cannot be done: "No soup for you!"

For Central Americans who've fled the ravages of the drug war, and against all odds inched their way to "El Norte", her message is, "we'll continue to send back your children so 'stay there.' No soup for you!"

Same for those who wish to stop -- or even challenge -- the state of perpetual wars around the world, particularly the Middle East. It's just the way it is -- regardless of major strategic blunders like the invasions of Iraq and Libya.

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And to top it all, no one can question any of President Obama's policies. Those who do so belong in the camp of Republicans like Donald Trump.

The 2008 Obama campaign was swept into power by a mass movement of young people, minorities, progressives, all united under a slogan, "Yes We Can". It was as massive and inspirational as anything that's happened in this country in modern history.

That all belongs to the past, argues Hillary Clinton, the candidate who claims to represent continuity with Barack Obama.

Times are different.
When I was very young growing up in England back in the 60's and 70's I was so lucky to have parents who loved to travel and at the time I didn't realize it but they were giving me the best of educations too!

Each summer my parents would plan an incredible 4 week camping trip around Europe, it wasn't about staying in fancy hotels but picking campsites in interesting places and planning the best driving route. We had an old dormobile (camper) which was packed with as much as we could possibly squeeze in, our breakdown kit, lights adjusted to suit the requirements for the rest of Europe and of course lots of maps. Then off we would head excitedly to catch the ferry from Dover to Calais, dad in the driving seat, mum with map in hand and me and my older brother and sister bouncing around in the back with no seat-belts to restrain our enthusiasm.

As we drove off the ferry in France onto the wrong side of the road my eyes were wide open taking in all the different sights and wondering where we would end up that night. There we were driving from country to country stopping wherever we wanted at campsites filled with people from all over Europe. I loved going to the camp store with my mum as we picked all sorts of different foods that we never saw at home. My mum would always try to speak the language but sometimes there was a breakdown in communications, one time I remember as she paid the lady at the desk I was offered to choose a sweet, which I was very excited about, only later did my mum realize it was instead of being given change!

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After France and visiting wineries, where I'd actually be offered wine at 5 years old which I must mention my mum was more than happy to drink on my behalf, we stayed in Switzerland at a campsite in Interlaken with the Jungfrau as the backdrop, jumped on the infamous stairs from the Sound of Music before we headed on down to Italy. At each campsite I made friends and played happily with children whom I couldn't understand because they spoke differently to me but we always got over that barrier, we found our own universal language; it was the language of friendship we were different but we were also the same.

When the summer holidays were over and it was time to go back to school often we were asked to write about what we had done during the vacation, well I never had a shortage of things to say and write about. I absolutely believe that all the experiences I had gave me such a great understanding of people and places, that we can be very different but still get along and accept our differences. It also gave me the ability to not be afraid to try new things, discovery is wonderful and sometimes we even discover more about ourselves when we are in unfamiliar surroundings.

My wanderlust spurred me to travel alone to America, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, I even flew to Boston for a first date with my now wife, Laurie, something I am sure I would never have done if my parents hadn't given me the confidence as a child to experience the world!

Over the years I have continued to travel and I have tried to give my two sons the wanderlust that I have, our most incredible time was when we went to India, it honestly felt like we were in a movie. We were going for the inauguration of a school we had raised funds to rebuild after it was destroyed by the tsunami of 2004. It was in 2007 and my wife Laurie was the photographer for the occasion and both my sons gave speeches to the school, Andrew was 9 and Leo was only 6 and I was so proud to see them stand up in front of a whole village in a place called Sothikuppam situated in the Tamil Nadu region. The insight this trip gave us all was something we will never forget, we saw extremely poor children begging for money, they had no shoes on their feet, when my sons wanted to give away all their holiday spending money I knew they really understood how fortunate they were. When we actually arrived at the school we were surrounded by excited children who then put on such a colorful show for us outside dancing and singing in the sand. After the show all the children couldn't wait to meet us and as I looked at my boys interacting with children they couldn't understand it took me right back 40 years to my young days traveling with my parents.

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It is important to understand about being safe while traveling, you need to know area's to avoid and as a lesbian couple we are always careful to research as much as possible, about the places we are visiting, because there are still many countries that are opposed to same sex couples. India was in fact one of those places and we were told not to be openly loving to one another when in public, we didn't have any bad experiences while we were there and we were definitely off the beaten track.
I am invariably moved by stories of young people who dare to be different by starting businesses in response to rallying behind social causes they are deeply passionate about. I recently had a serendipitous introduction to one such individual: college student and entrepreneur, Abby Hamilton. While in high school, Abby started Patriot Portraits, a socially minded photography company that hires young photographers to provide affordable family portrait sessions for military families.

I first had the privilege to listen to Abby speak about her startup at the 2015 Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Gala, then - later that year - at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year event. I wanted to connect further. It turns out we share a small world: Steve Mariotti, Founder of NTFE (and the person responsible for getting my foot in the door as a Contributor on The Huffington Post), is both a mentor to me and the person who made possible Abby's early career as an entrepreneur through NFTE.

When Abby and I were introduced, I was flattered to learn that Abby was also eager to meet me, as she had heard about my work at The Global Good Fund. Our mutual admiration made our connection come full circle, which is always a meaningful moment to reflect on as an entrepreneur.

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Abby graciously took me up on the offer to interview her for The Huffington Post. She shares her wisdom on the importance of following your passion, the power of mentorship, and advice about how to balance everyday life as a college student (she is currently at Syracuse University) while running a social enterprise. I trust you'll gain inspiration from her story, as I certainly have!

How did you come to create Patriot Portraits?

In an Entrepreneurship class my junior year of high school, our final project of the year was to create a viable business plan that connected one of our passions to a problem we witnessed within our community.



Growing up five minutes from the Pentagon, my business partner, Emma, and I realized that countless military families - our neighbors, classmates, and friends - were facing deployment, resulting in often over a year separated from loved ones.

Professional photography sessions are often an unfeasible luxury to military families, especially due to quick turnarounds of deployment notices. As a young photographer, I personally experienced the unfortunate common stigma of young photographers, that age correlates to quality. My peers were creating publication-quality images, yet were continuously overlooked in the professional industry.

When you reflect on how far you've come, how is Patriot Portraits changing the lives of military families?

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Through Patriot Portraits, we host monthly photography events where military families facing deployment are photographed by talented young photographers at a low cost in order to provide them with quality family portraits to cherish during times apart.

In the past two years, we have trained, employed, and empowered over twenty young photographers. We provide lasting memories to military families in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as through our franchise in Dallas, TX.

What inspired you to pursue your passion and become an entrepreneur?

Growing up, my parents instilled in me an entrepreneurial mindset through arguably the greatest American pastime - a lemonade stand. Every afternoon for three summers, my brothers and I would perch on a nearby intersection to catch commuters on their way home from work and treat them to a cold glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

The lemonade stand taught me much more than the economics of one glass, or that the return on investment in a cup of limeade was much higher than that of its counterpart: passion, effort, and a bit of elbow grease can solve almost any problem.

Today, I look to the unrivaled support from my mentors, professors, community within the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), family, and friends in all entrepreneurial pursuits.

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As an entrepreneur still in college, how do you manage working with people older than you? How do you approach delegating and making decisions when your colleagues may have significantly more experience than you do?



It can definitely be intimidating to work with seasoned industry professionals. One of the biggest assurances is that that they chose to work with my business and do so because they believe in it. At the end of the day, these colleagues trust me to successfully run the business. They trust in my ability to identify each of their strengths in ways that benefit the venture, making past experiences much less of a focal point.

What is one opportunity that has allowed you to get where you are today?

By far, NFTE made the largest impact on me as an entrepreneur by providing me with an invaluable foundation. From the first day of my Entrepreneurship class my junior year, my teacher, Ms. McCormick, coupled with the NFTE staff and mentors, tirelessly invested in my success. I valued their support as I prepared my business plans for launch and NFTE's National competition.

This past summer, NFTE's Citi Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship connected me with nine student entrepreneurs, all NFTE alumni, who quickly became close friends and confidants as each of us launched and grew new ventures over the summer.

What do you look forward to when thinking about the future of Patriot Portraits? What about your personal journey as an entrepreneur?

During my years at Syracuse University, I aim to open Patriot Portraits' doors in upstate New York in cooperation with Syracuse's Institute for Veterans and Military Families. In the future, I aim to grow the capacity of our organization to serve families and young photographers across the nation.

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Currently, I am preparing for the launch of another venture, which addresses the problem of low voter engagement, set to release in beta at George Washington University this May.

How did NFTE shape your development as a young entrepreneur?

Throughout high school, there was never a class that I naturally excelled in, nor a subject that I was especially passionate about. My first two years of high school, my career option of choice ranged from fashion blogging to orthodontistry.

Finally, in my NFTE-sponsored Entrepreneurship class Junior year, I realized that I had found my passion. Through this class, I was able to develop a business plan for Patriot Portraits and compete at a Regional and National level, providing me with a strong foundation for presenting and creating business plans in college.

How do you inspire other young leaders to forge their own paths and explore their passions through entrepreneurship?

This past summer, I was honored with the opportunity to represent the D.C. region in NFTE's Citi Foundation Entrepreneurship Fellowship. The highlight of this experience was the opportunity to assist in the programming of an entrepreneurship summer camp for teenagers in the D.C. area. At camp, each student developed a business plan and pitched the plan to a panel of judges, similar to competitions I had entered in high school. The opportunity to share my passion with other young entrepreneurs was indescribable.

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On the last day of camp, about young twenty female entrepreneurs had just been alerted that they were eliminated after the semi-finals round of competition. For one precious minute, I was left alone with the discouraged group. Hastily, I lunged for the microphone and stammered an unprepared monologue, telling each entrepreneur that her business brought incredible value to this world, that every moment they invested in their business would change their futures, and recited my email address.

While I had never been one for spontaneous public speaking, thirty seconds of bravery resulted in six emails in my inbox by that Monday morning asking for business advice.

What tips do you have for other entrepreneurs starting enterprises while still in school? How do you find the time to balance it all?

My main piece of advice to young entrepreneurs balancing work and school is to start a business that unleashes a relentless passion that profoundly separates the feeling of "work" from working on the business. The ability to turn a vision into reality should be fun. While this idea sounds like an oxymoron, investing countless hours into the development of said vision should be energizing. Once a young entrepreneur has reached that point with his or her business, the likelihood for success grows exponentially.

Secondly, I would strongly encourage young aspiring entrepreneurs to find an entrepreneurial community at their respective schools. Whether it's a club at school or a group chat, the struggles a business owner faces are atypical. An empathetic support system is imperative to success.

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This semester at Syracuse's Whitman School of Management, I am excited to be taking a class called LaunchPad where students with businesses of their own gather weekly to discuss the challenges and successes one faces as a young entrepreneur.

How do you actively seek mentoring opportunities? How does mentoring help advance you in your professional and personal development?

Connecting with an individual who believes in you and your entrepreneurial ventures is not only helpful, but can be a lifeline when running a business becomes challenging. Patriot Portraits would not have grown to the point that it has without the unwavering support of mentors who inspired me to take calculated risks and strive for positive growth.


Autumn Harry enjoys her beloved Pyramid Lake. Photo courtesy of Autumn Harry.

By Darryl Lorenzo Wellington

Autumn Harry has spent her twenty three years living on the Paiute reservation in northern Nevada. She will spend her whole life there if she has her way. Or else, if her work as a fish culturist or the pursuit of a Master's degree takes her elsewhere, she hopes to always live with and among Native Americans on a reservation.

"I'm studying undergraduate environmentalism. I work part-time with a fishery program which tries to maintain the trout population. Raise them for a year or so, and then throw them into the lake. Oh, it's so beautiful! " she exclaims.

Autumn explains that she is bewitched by the beauty and expanse of Pyramid Lake. She is taking a walk along the beach as we talk. Pyramid Lake Valley, in the Great Basin, has been the ancestral home of the Paiute for thousands of years. There is no man-made pyramid. Yet tufa formations have created large pyramidal shapes along the shores.

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"It's sunset. No wind - so beautiful. And the pyramid. It's shining!" she says.

Autumn's enthusiasm seeps through as she speaks of her work monitoring water quality and saving the Cui-ui, the cultural fish of the Paiute, a tribe known as "the Cui-ui eaters." In the early 1900's, a dam built near the reservation diverted water, which resulted in the lake level diminishing 50 feet. The fish population, such as the Cutthroat trout and Cui-ui, were unable to spawn and became endangered species. Today both species have returned.

Autumn's voice sparkles with hope for nature and all life.

That might be unremarkable, in a young person living close to home and nature, except that Autumn is a member of a troubled generation.

A 2014 Washington Post article says, "A toxic collection of pathologies -poverty, unemployment, domestic violence, sexual assault, alcoholism, and drug addiction - has seeped into the lives of young people among the nation's 566 tribes." The result is a crisis number of youth committing suicide. Officials have summed up the tragedy as "an outcome of pervasive despair," the article says.

Suicide statistics among Native Americans are tilted toward youth. It's both the case that suicide rates overall are higher for Native Americans than national averages, and that 40 percent of them are the sad and early deaths of Native Americans between 15 and 24.



"It's depression. It's trauma from colonization. A lot has to do with a Western education system - and the result of youth not learning about their Native language, or cultural values. I was one of those kids who connected with my culture early. I work with other youth on learning our Native language," Autumn says.

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She estimates as few as 10 elders still speak their native tongue fluently.



Two weeks ago, Autumn received a call from an organizer with PLAN (Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada) asking her to join a summit in Reno, on Saturday Feb. 13th that looks at how to reach real solutions for real people who are struggling in this economy. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Sen. Corey Booker, representing candidate Hillary Clinton, will speak at the "Real Solutions for Real People," which is also hosted by the Center for Community Change.

Recognizing Autumn's work in her community, PLAN organizers invited her to represent her tribe. She will have the opportunity to speak -- and a chance to ask the political leaders one question.



"I'm definitely nervous," says Autumn.

The pressure of asking one question daunts her. "When I ask Sanders a question, I'm not just going to focus on suicide.



"I'm committed to staying here. It's beautiful. We have a lot of abundant resources. There are things that have to be improved. Our education, our healthcare.

"Different industries come on our land, trying to extract our natural resources through mining.



"Rates of diabetes are too high -- we need to go back to traditional medicine and educate our residents on how our people used to live and go back to eating our traditional foods.



"We don't have technological access on the reservation which we need to do the basic functions of everyday living. Even as a college student. I don't have Internet access at home, and if I want to use a computer I have to go forty miles to use it."



And given this, how can Autumn choose one question from among a labyrinth of points that in their own way strangle Native communities? She will focus her question on how reinvestment needs to happen in all corners of the state, the small town and communities that need the most help, especially in Indian Country.



The Nevada caucus will be held on February 20th. Autumn at this point remains "undecided" and says this is another hardship among Native Americans - political exclusion by neglect.
Governor Bill Clinton and wife Hillary Clinton at a Texas campaign rally in 1992 on his final day of campaigning in McAllen, Texas

No matter who wins the Democratic nomination, it is now utterly clear that the Clinton team disastrously misjudged the American electorate. This is not an accident. It derives from the Clintons' gradual evolution from idealists to hardened insiders, America's decline into crony capitalism, and the Democratic establishment's betrayal of its base, over the last forty years. In the most recent debate Hillary tried to pivot, and she might just pull it off, in image though not in reality.

Hillary Clinton started her political life as a reformer in an era when one could still be an ethical insider, and when American banking, politics, and academia had not yet been completely deformed by money. Her life since has been a succession of brutally hard lessons, compromises, and eventually betrayals. Some were her own fault, some were her husband's, while others came from the pressures and incentives generated by the growing corruption of America's establishment over the last generation.

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Hillary Clinton's first compromise was her choice of husband. Bill Clinton's brilliance, ambition, charm, and dishonesty showed early, and Hillary made many sacrifices for him - moving to Arkansas, becoming the lone female partner of the Rose law firm -- and joining Walmart's board of directors. She supported her family (Bill Clinton's salary as Arkansas governor was under $40,000), tolerated her husband's tasteless infidelities, and helped plan his ascent to the White House.

The White House was brutal to both of them. They had no money. The Secret Service agents charged with protecting their lives had served Republicans for the previous twelve years; some were openly disdainful, even to the media. The Clintons also made avoidable errors, antagonizing the press and Congress unnecessarily. The first term was rough; the second, horrific. A Republican House of Representatives, a disgusting pig of a Special Prosecutor trolling through their private lives, Monica Lewinsky, impeachment, the Asian financial crisis, Bosnia, failed Mideast peace talks. His legal expenses were huge -- lawsuits by Paula Jones, the Special Prosecutor's investigations, impeachment. When the Clintons left the White House, their net worth was something like negative $10 million.

One must feel enormous sympathy for Mrs. Clinton in these circumstances. However, one must also note several extremely disturbing trends dating from the same period -- trends which have intensified since. The Clinton Administration gave Wall Street everything it wanted, even when there were clear signs of danger. It repealed Glass-Steagall, stopped enforcing laws and regulations, pushed developing nations to open their financial markets to Wall Street, and banned the regulation of derivatives. Huge banking mergers went unchallenged, even when their legality was questionable and their economic benefits even more so. Capital gains taxes were sharply reduced.

Aggressive deregulation and lax enforcement continued even as abuses and crises mounted. Wall Street committed rampant fraud in promoting Internet stocks; nothing was done. The collapse of the Long Term Capital Management hedge fund signaled that derivatives did need to be regulated, but Larry Summers and Robert Rubin arrogantly overruled the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Asian financial crisis signaled clearly that finance was running amok; but the Clinton administration resisted reform.

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And then there was money. The Clintons left the White House determined never to be at anyone's mercy ever again. When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2000, she made it clear that her husband's unqualified support was required. Aided by the President, Hillary Clinton raised more money than anyone ever had -- so much that Al Gore's Presidential campaign was infuriated by the diversion of resources, which some feel may have cost Gore the Presidency. In January 2001, Bill Clinton pardoned four criminals in a New York Hasidic enclave whose one thousand residents had voted nearly unanimously for Hillary.

After leaving office, Bill Clinton embraced money-making with a vengeance, making speeches to nearly anyone who would pay. After Hillary left the State Department, she did the same thing. Following the 2008 financial crisis, both Clintons remained remarkably silent about Wall Street deregulation, reregulation, and, especially, about the question of criminal prosecution. When pressed on these matters, Bill Clinton was thoroughly dishonest. Several years ago, I conversed with him about the subject. When I asked about his deregulation of derivatives, he lied beautifully, claiming that he was forced into it against his will. Neither Bill nor Hillary ever called for criminal prosecutions or for breaking up the banks.

The Clintons were accepting reality. American business was becoming concentrated and ultra-powerful, and its money was flooding politics and academia. In banking, defense, telecommunications, drugs, energy, industrial food, and airlines, unchallenged mergers led to consolidation and enormous profits - profits only possible through deregulation and, frequently, criminal behavior. The financial crisis of 2008 was the most spectacular result, but there are many others, including the prices that Americans pay for health care, air travel, and even Internet access.

The Clintons are insiders now, their personal wealth of over $50 million derived nearly entirely from the wealthy and powerful. And it shows. Hillary's gradualism in health care carefully protects health-related industries. Her proposals for financial regulation do not include putting executives in jail, or confiscating the wealth they obtained by theft. Ironically, Bernie Sanders apparently feels that he must tread carefully here, because being fully direct about this issue would require criticizing President Obama. So Mrs. Clinton might just get away with pretending to be the reformer she once was.

But which she isn't anymore. She is imprisoned by the money, politics, husband, supporters, foundation, friends, privileges, and opportunities. It is hard to give up being an insider. The parties aren't as good, you don't fly on private jets, you can't meet absolutely anyone you want, and you don't always win. But America might just be entering a new era of real social and economic upheaval, with demands for reform on a scale not seen since the Depression. And despite all her brilliance and experience, Mrs. Clinton is now on the wrong side. Not nearly as far over on the wrong side as Trump, Cruz, and reactionary Republicans, but on the wrong side nonetheless. And this is, in fact, a real tragedy.
US Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders greet the audience before the PBS NewsHour Presidential Primary Debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 11, 2016. / AFP / Tasos Katopodis (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)

2016 is seeing the complete breakdown of the political party system in the United States; mainly the two-party system. And as the parties implode, we are the ones left in the debris and rubble the politicians are leaving in their wake.

Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat, he is a Progressive at best, an Independent at least. This ridiculous notion of what it takes to be a progressive or who is more progressive only exemplifies the fact that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are not running for a nomination of the same party; they are running against each other for President.

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Bernie is interested in winning, not in the Democratic Party winning, it's health, or survival for that matter. On the contrary, he talks of being anti-establishment, which by definition would mean against the established Democratic Party. Why he isn't on a ticket on his own, on the Independent side, or a new Progressive Party side is beyond me. He is not a Democrat and has no interest in the Democrats taking the White House. More importantly, many of Sander's "exciting and new" followers are not interested in being Democrats, they're interested in Bernie Sanders winning the White House. What happens after that, they have no idea, but he must win. Him, not the Democratic nominee, but him.

Hillary Clinton is a Democrat through and through. She waivers from Republican light to Blue Dog however she has never been a "progressive" meaning a basic socialist. Which is not a dirty word to me and shouldn't be to anyone; but again, she is many things but not that. She's no Ted Kennedy, the last real "progressive" of the Democratic Party.

So Bernie and Hillary are actually not vying for the same nomination, or shouldn't be. Marty O'Malley and Hillary, sure, but Sanders should be an Independent or Progressive.

But he wants to win, so what did he decide? To JOIN the establishment, to continue on in a party that he does not believe in, a platform that he does not support and an opponent that he will be as quick to attack and turn sour on as her Republican rivals.

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But the Democratic Party allows it for the same reason Republicans are allowing their party to be taken over by the Tea Party or tea-party sympathizers (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio) and another Independent, Donald Trump. In fact, Sanders and Trump should probably be debating each other for the Independent Party's nomination, Hillary, O'Malley and others for the Democratic and Kasich, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie for the Republican's.

But instead of that three-way split of the votes, and the profits from the debates, a Progressive Party or Independent, Bernie Sanders, is competing for the nomination of a party he doesn't support with that party's clear frontrunner and best candidate for the party. Many of his followers are making it clear they will not support Clinton if she takes the nomination and that sets the stage for a President Trump, Cruz or Kasich.

How chilling. That a man who's open xenophobia and hatred for Muslims, for Mexicans, for women, contempt for the poor, a man with no concept of the Constitution or foreign affairs, would be the Republican Party's front runner. But he isn't because he isn't really a Republican, but no one will say it or do anything about it. And he's running for a nomination against two men who are so tea party adjacent that they should be in that party.

And the parties crumble, the nominees fight about each other and we, the people, get lost in the entire process. Embarrassing and harmful rhetoric rises and is accepted as campaign fodder, hatred flourishes. Feb. 10 our President presented a budget, as a President Sanders would, and the Congress completely ignored it, didn't look at it, refused, as they more than likely would to a Sander's budget. The level of disrespect for a seated president at this level has simply not been seen before. It is the first time ever that Congress has not had the budget presented.

Why? So the Tea Party won't revolt inside the Republican Party. Because they are dealing with a party within a party just as Democrats are dealing with the Progressive party within the party.

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I have maintained that the regression and hatred the leading Republicans are espousing is horrific and obscene, yes obscene. The FCC says something is obscene when it is a direct affront to the decency standards of the community; well, Trump, Cruz, Rubio, they are a direct affront to we, the people who are not filled with hatred.

Hatred. Trump taps in to the angry white conservative that feels powerless because the Republican Party has been coopted by the Tea Party or is just plain racist and Sanders taps in to the angry Democrats who feel that we have been mired by compromise and that the people's voice, their needs, haven't been met while the one percent get richer. Where's our piece of the American good life? Well I'll tell you where it isn't; it isn't under Present (Insert Republican Candidate, Any, here).

So candidates from four parties, Progressive, Democratic, Republican and Tea Party are competing for two nominations in two parties that have had their base eroded, their platforms distorted and their effectiveness thwarted. (Snap).

And we could be left in a horrific mess with a zealot in office, zealots in the Congress and a Supreme Court made up of horrific conservatives for the next 40 years given the next President will likely get four members on the bench.

I was for both candidates, Sanders or Clinton. Sanders lost me in Iowa when he joined Republicans in unfair attacks on Clinton and when I figured out he simply could not get medicare for all, free college and the destruction of the Wall St. infrastructure of greed. He won't break up the banks, destroy Wells Fargo, Bank America or Citibank's ability to destroy lives, won't end all the mortgage wrong doing being done again (after watching "The Big Short" know it's happening again)....he'll fight his Congress, the public will loose interest and he'll lose his shine and we'll be back fighting over everything again.

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Will Clinton be able to do more? Her record says yes, but that remains to be seen.

But what is for sure, is having four parties competing for two spots makes us the losers, the debates absurd and the country broken in to more pieces now than ever.

Face it, there is no unity candidate, because there is no American unity.
The public has sporadic interest in air travel news; seat size and ticket prices get attention, as do stories of badly-behaving flight attendants . But two issues being debated in Washington deserve somethought for their significance as safety issues with wide-reachingimpact.

On Wednesday, the Federal AviationAdministration issued yet another warning about the danger of carrying lithiumion batteries on airplanes. This was ostensibly timed to coordinate with Florida SenatorBill Nelson's new proposed legislation to ban shipping lithium ion batteries in bulk as cargo onpassenger flights.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have beenwarning for years that lithium ion batteries harbor a trifecta of threats;

they are a source of ignition,

they provide their own fire fuel

they can create explosions as well as producing toxic gases

"If FAA testing has found that fires orexplosions caused by lithium-ion batteries can lead to a catastrophic loss ofan airplane, then why on earth would anyone want to prohibit safetyregulators from banning large shipments of these batteries on passengerairliners?" the senator said in a press release accompanying his proposal.

In fact, that Nelson's bill is an attempt to bust through preciselythat; a legislative ban on what the FAA can do to ensure passenger flights are not brought down by lithium ion battery fires as several cargo flights have been. (It is a subject for another day why we care more about passenger flights than cargo flights that can just as easily crash into residential neighborhoods, as El Al Flight 1862 did in Amsterdam in 1992.)

In 2012, U.S. lawmakers acted to prevent the FAAfrom taking any action more restrictive than what International Civil Aviation Organization does. Since at this pointICAO deals with lithium metal (non rechargable) but not lithium ion batteries, (the kind in all your electronic gadgets). The effect is that FAA's attemptsto go farther to prevent a battery-initiated disaster have been thwarted. If it sounds incredible,that's because it is.

So far airline attempts to deal with the threat have been piecemeal. Just in time for theholiday gift-giving season many airlines at the urging of the International Air Transport Association , prohibited travelers from carrying hoverboards and their large lithium ion batteries onto planes, a decision that caused the actor Russell Crowe to tweethis outrage when he and his children could not board a Virgin Australia flight six weeks ago.

Still, when the federal bureaucrats get active to fix a threat andlawmakers obstruct, one can only shake one's head in bewilderment.

It gives me little confidence in theoutcome of the second subject being discussed in Washington, the privatizationof the nation's air traffic control system.

This is a hugely complex subject with long-reaching consequences I won'tpretend to suggest I can foresee. Though the public debate ought to boil down to thisquestion, "Who can better handle safely separating airplanes with the emerging21st Century technology?"

Instead all parties are talking about who will own the infrastructure and how will it affect the fees airlines and private aviators pay. Airlines 4 America, a national trade association that, notsurprisingly, is a proponent of business sees switching air traffic control fromthe government to a not-for-profit company not yetidentified, as all upside. So does the controller's union, National Air TrafficControllers Association. Delta Air Lines and Air Line Pilots Associationoppose it, as does the business aviation community.

Concerns about the FAA's inability tooversee and implement new airspace technology, and a shortage of trainedcontrollers are long standing problems. Still, I find it hard to imagine that aprivate company governed by a board of industry insiders is going to be any swifteroff the mark to deal with these challenges. In fact, it seems distancing thisessential service from the accountability of the FAA could worsenthe situation.
Sunnylands summit: Hanoi officials must commit to improve freedom of information in exchange for trade agreement.

President Obama is set to host the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Sunnylands, California February 15 and 16. Many countries in attendance, including Vietnam, have signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on February 4. Now that the TPP is sure to be a hot topic at the summit, President Obama must take this opportunity to make clear that the agreement's implementation cannot be successful without serious human rights improvements in the region.

Among the leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries expected to attend the summit is Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The government of Vietnam's freedom of information record is dismal. Hanoi is one of the worst jailers of bloggers and citizen journalists in the world, with at least 15 bloggers currently in prison. The country is ranked 175 out of 180 in Reporters Without Borders (RSF)'s press freedom index, scoring just one point higher than China, and only two points higher than Syria.

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On December 16, human rights lawyer and blogger Nguyen Van Dai was arbitrarily arrested for "conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam." He was detained just one day after the European Union and Vietnam held their annual dialogue on Human Rights. Ten days prior, he was severely beaten by plainclothes policemen shortly after participating in a discussion about human rights and Vietnam's 2013 Constitution.

Before his arrest in December, Nguyen Van Dai told us that the attacks would not discourage him. He called on "international NGOs and democratic governments to do anything they can to stop the violence that the Vietnamese police have increasingly used in recent years against human rights activists and independent news providers."

A respected defender of human rights and freedom of information, Nguyen Van Dai was the most prominent Vietnamese activist to speak out in favor of the TPP. He argued that the TPP would compel Hanoi to respect international standards and ultimately lead to greater political openness. His harassment and subsequent arrest show that Vietnamese authorities are cracking down on even moderate voices of dissent advocating for basic rights for the Vietnamese people.

While Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski has welcomed the release of several prisoners of conscience since TPP negotiations began over two years ago, it is clear that Vietnam is not as pretty a picture as some US officials are painting. While traditional arrests, trials and convictions of bloggers and citizen journalists may be in general decline, there has been a serious uptick in violent beatings by the authorities and the thugs they employ. In November 2014, French consul Emmanuel Ly Batallan was assaulted by gangsters and plain-clothes police when he tried to assist Pham Minh Hoang, a franco-Vietnamese blogger placed under house-arrest in November 2011 and the subject of harassment ever since. In addition to physical violence, the Vietnamese government has increasingly used online trolls to post negative propaganda about cyber activists on facebook and report activists' accounts in order to shut them down.

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What can the US do on this issue? The answer is a great deal. Last November during an interview with the New York Times, Malinowski declared that the TPP was "the best opportunity we've had in years to encourage deep institutional reform in Vietnam that will advance human rights." Ensuring that Hanoi follows through on its commitments--to deliver meaningful human rights reform and greater access to information before the TPP can go into effect--is key. The US administration must compel Hanoi to put this agreement into place every chance it gets. The ASEAN summit is of course no exception. We urge President Obama to request the Vietnamese authorities to release all bloggers in prison and to stop harassing cyber activists and dissidents through police beatings and online trolling. No trade is possible without freedom of information.


Image courtesy of Christopher Clark

As we drive through the reserve -- without another vehicle in sight and surrounded by acacias and red Kalahari earth -- for the most part it's hard to imagine that Madikwe wasn't always like this. Then every so often there's a small glimpse of its past life: the foundations of an old stone house poking out of the earth here; an old borehole there.

"All the farmers laughed and said it would never work," says Jaci van Heteren, owner of two of Madikwe's first lodges, as she speaks about the idea of turning an area of largely abandoned, exhausted and crumbling cattle farms into a 75,000 hectare game reserve. "But we believed in it. it was what we wanted to do, it was our dream -- it was that easy. We've seen it change so much since the beginning."

Today, Madikwe Game Reserve is one of South Africa's biggest and very best wildlife areas and lauded around the world as a great conservation success. A seven year project called Operation Phoenix, which culminated in 1991, saw approximately 8,000 animals translocated and reintroduced into the area that now comprises the reserve, in what remains the world's largest translocation project. It was also the first project to translocate complete herds of elephants.

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As we pull up to the entrance of Jaci's Tree Lodge with a big bull elephant pulling some roots out of the dry soil just beside us, Jaci tells us that today there are more than 1,000 elephants in the reserve.

But for all its conservation success, Jaci says that Madikwe is still often overlooked because people tend to go for more known reserves and parks such as Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands. As far as I can see this is just another part of the reserve's appeal.

I dump my bags in my room and go to explore the property, which is made up of a series of wooden walkways, raised wooden decks and high-ceilinged suites on stilts beneath the forest canopy and close to the river bank.

A photographer's paradise



Image courtesy of Christopher Clark

Obviously infected by the pioneering spirit that seems to be at the core of everything about Madikwe, Jaci's Lodges has recently teamed up with Pangolin Photo Safaris with a view to making Madikwe a leader in the specialized photographic safaris market. Just beyond the perimeter of the lodge, a unique new submerged photographic hide, aptly-named the Terrapin Hide, pokes its head out of the water in the middle of a deep waterhole that is a favourite for elephants to swim in.

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I take a walk through the low, underwater tunnel that leads to the hide with 'Guts', the man who designed it. As we come out just above water level a lone zebra is drinking from the edge of the waterhole. It doesn't seem to notice us in the hide. As it turns to walk away, I see that it's back left flank has been ripped almost clean off, most likely by a lion. I'm not sure how it's still alive, let alone walking.

We eat a hearty tea in the lounge back at the lodge and then head out for an afternoon game drive with a team of top wildlife photographers who have been invited to test out Pangolin's and Jaci's Lodges' new product. In addition to the Terrapin Hide, some of Jaci's safari vehicles have been fitted with custom-made camera mounts. All the photographers fall silent as they attach their cameras and play around with the gimbals' movements like kids with new toys.

Soon after leaving the lodge, we find four adult cheetah lounging lackadaisically in the scant shade cast by an acacia. Like everything else in the reserve, they look like they are waiting patiently for the rain, which is a rare treat in these parts.

After our game drive we dine beneath the stars around the boma, and I drink a few too many gin and tonics and then one too many glasses of some very good red wine from Jaci's cellar before stumbling precariously along the wooden walkway to bed.

Looking to the future



Image courtesy of Robert Bernatzeder

The next morning, we are off in search of the nine wild dogs pups that have survived from a litter of twelve born a few months ago. Madikwe has become particularly well-known for its population of this critically-endangered predator, though a large percentage was killed off by rabies a year or so ago. With just one pack left, everyone here is rooting for the new pups.

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Along the way, Jaci tells us a little more about the new photographic focus. "We wanted to introduce a new niche and a new direction . . . it's a new era," she says, "and it makes complete logical sense". With wildlife photography becoming an ever more popular and accessible pursuit all over the world, it would be hard to question her assertion.

Renowned South African wildlife photographer Andrew Averley pipes up in the back of the vehicle and says that an increased photographic emphasis will help create awareness with regards to wildlife and Madikwe's conservation credentials. "It'll encourage people with social media platforms, that now reach every corner of society, to see, capture and preserve the natural side of things". He says photography also encourages people to treat animals with greater respect.

This is an important argument in light of increasingly vociferous discussions about the ethics of trophy hunting across Africa. As Toby, one of Pangolin's founders, puts it: in Madikwe they want to do as much as they can to promote the "shoot to thrill rather than shoot to kill" philosophy, taking a leaf out of Botswana's book (Botswana does not allow any hunting or culling).

Marina Cano, a famous Spanish wildlife photographer who's also in the car with us, agrees that wildlife photography has an important role to play in conservation today. "It's a vehicle to create awareness in people about what is going on with Africa's wildlife, particularly with regards to elephants and rhinos."

Down with the dogs



Image courtesy of Christopher Clark

Our guide Obakeng turns around and puts his finger to his lips to tell us to be quiet. We're approaching the wild dog den. We creep around a bend and there they are: all nine of them playing around in the dust just next to their underground lair, while a rather tired looking adult who has been assigned babysitting duty looks on disinterestedly from a distance.

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It's a special and incredibly rare sight, and the photographers' cameras click away like machine guns on either side of me. Then everyone stops and falls completely silent and we just watch these beautiful animals, who have become so synonymous with Madikwe.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has offered a far-reaching proposal for improving what he describes as the "scandalous" failure of the English and Welsh prison system. Calling his plan the biggest overhaul to the national corrections system since the Victorian era, Cameron said he is the first prime minister to speak on the problem in several decades.

In a Feb. 8 speech to the London-based think tank Policy Exchange, he called for reforms that would not treat prisoners as liabilities to be controlled, but rather as "potential assets to be harnessed." Cameron painted in stark terms the problems plaguing the UK prison system, saying its levels of violence, drug use, self-mutilation and suicides "should shame us all."

Official statistics for last year show the over-85,000 prison population of correctional facilities in England and Wales accounted for more than 14,000 inmate assaults on other prisoners, nearly 600 serious assaults on prison staff members, thousands of self-mutilations, and 89 suicides. In addition, about 32% of former prisoners are convicted of further offenses after being released. A recent report by the UK's chief prison inspector conceded adult prison conditions had worsened since 2010.

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Improving prisoner education holds a key role in Cameron's reform plan, which calls for closer government ties with private teacher training and support groups, such as TeachFirst, to draw newly graduated teachers into working in national prisons. That effort will be headed by a former education minister and member of Parliament, from the Liberal Democrat party rather than Cameron's Conservative party.

His support of prison education programs in UK prisons is refreshing, albeit a bit stale. It should come as no surprise that prison education is a smart crime control policy and also the most cost-effective, proven method that we currently know of reducing recidivism rates. Yet both the UK and U.S. prison systems have ignored the significant benefit of prison education. This isn't merely a recidivism reduction benefit, but also a public safety and corrections spending benefit.

The prime minister also said his government will accept recommendations on prison education that will be made in a government-commissioned study of education in adult prisons. The report of that public-private review panel is due this spring. Cameron's plan also calls for giving juvenile detention facilities the leeway to adopt new educational measures.

The proposal, which will be spelled out in greater detail in a bill to be introduced in Parliament, would within the next five years give half of all 121 current penal facilities complete autonomy in their budgets and operation, while their performance on such rehabilitation factors as recidivism, literacy and finding employment would be publicly ranked. Further, by the end of this year, Cameron's plan calls for transforming six as-yet-undesignated correctional facilities into pilot program "reform prisons."

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Other provisions of his plan would make deportation of foreign prisoners faster and easier, move towards satellite tracking of prisoners allowed to spend part of the week outside prison, and direct the government to work with communications companies on technology to block signals into prisons, as a way to disable cellphones smuggled into prisoners.

In announcing the plan, Cameron said he would fight to make sure the corrections system current 130 million budget is not reduced. As a way to improve ex-offenders' chances of gaining employment, he also voiced support for "ban the box"-type restrictions that would prevent employers from asking job applicants in the early stages of the hiring process whether they have a criminal history.

If we could once set aside our need for retribution and instead focus on fixing those in our prison systems, we could divert billions of dollars from corrections and back into important social services such as education. Better yet, we could reduce crime and victimization. Lives could literally be saved through the vehicle of correctional education.
J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.
ARCHIV - Ein undatiertes Portraet von Charles Robert Darwin. Ausgerechnet ein studierter Theologe hat die Schoepfungsgeschichte als Mythos entlarvt: Vor 150 Jahren veroeffentlichte der Naturforscher Charles Robert Darwin sein bahnbrechendes Werk "Ueber die Entstehung der Arten" (The Origin of Species). Damit stellte Darwin die Kenntnisse zur Entwicklung von allen Lebewesen auf eine voellig neue Grundlage. (AP Photo/Str, Archiv) ** zu APD2798 ** --- FILE - An undated portrait of British scientist Charles Robert Darwin, founder of the theory for the evolution of life. Born Feb. 12, 1809 and died April 19, 1882. Photo was made shortly before his death. (AP Photo/Str, File)

As the world celebrates Darwin Day, much of humanity refuses to accept evolution.

Creationists pretend that their argument is with science. Their posts are littered with gems of motivated reasoning such as this: "If natural selection were true, Eskimos would have fur to keep warm, but they don't."

Yes, I suppose if the ancestors of the Inuit had gone naked they might have eventually evolved fur, or more likely perished. But they weren't as dumb as the dude who wrote that, so they went clothed in furs. That's not to say their adaptations to the harsh Arctic climate were entirely cultural. The Inuit face shows evidence of natural selection at work: high, plump cheeks and thick eyelids that function to protect the eyes from icy winds and glare.

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But the arguments over evolution have little to do with science. While creationists rehash fossil gaps, ignoring abundant new fossil evidence that supports Darwin's theory, genetics has roared on by, furnishing us with a detailed phylogenetic wheel of life.



If evolution is so settled (and it is), why the continual fracas? For an answer, we turn to Darwin's beloved geology professor, Adam Sedgwick of Cambridge University. On reading Origin of Species, Sedgwick, a devout Christian, wrote to Darwin:



This view of nature you have stated admirably [is] admitted by all naturalists & denied by no one of common sense. ... [But] the crown & glory of organic science that it does ... link material to moral ... Were it possible (which thank God it is not) to break it, humanity in my mind, would suffer a damage that might brutalize it--& sink the human race into ... degradation.



There you have it: the elemental fear that belief in evolution will cause morality to collapse. That fear is predicated on a powerful assumption: that morality comes to us from God via religion. This is false. It is demonstrably false.

If religion were God's UPS, delivering a package of moral laws to humanity, you'd expect a single, consistent set. Yet, each religion includes unique laws that outsiders find baffling or repugnant. Hinduism has its "untouchables." Buddhism (as understood by many) spurns those born blind or otherwise disabled for bad behavior in past lives. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity each have their oddities: Judaism's law against mixing meat and dairy, Islam's prohibition on figurative art, and Christianity's ritual drinking of Christ's blood, for example.

These do not add up to clear guidelines from God. And it's no use to argue that one religion is right and the others false, for there's no consistent interpretation of morality -- not even of central commandments such as "Thou Shalt Not Kill" -- within any major religion. But perhaps God as lawgiver can be rescued if we just blame human stubbornness and stupidity.

Sorry, it won't wash. If religion were the vehicle that delivers morality, then atheists, the disaffiliated, and those who have never heard of God's laws should show comparatively inferior moral behavior. They don't.

Murder stands as most heinous of immoral acts, yet we find that the countries with the lowest murder rates include those with the lowest rates of religiosity: Sweden, Japan, Britain, and the Czech Republic, to name a few. Murder rates in medieval Europe, when religion was universal, were ten times modern rates. Within the U.S., states that have the highest rates of religiosity also tend to have the highest murder rates.

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Homicide is not an exception; this pattern holds for other crimes. Are we perhaps capturing an affluence effect? Nope. Vietnam is a poor country (per capita GDP ~ $5,000). It is both moderately religious and murderous -- but still has a lower homicide rate than the wealthier and more devout United States.

So where does morality come from? Evolution. This is as close to certain as science gets.. Human universals are pretty good evidence for a start. It turns out that a prohibition on murder is found in every known culture. (Of course there are individuals -- drug dealers, dictators, and fanatics, for example -- who use murder as a tool of their trade, but they are the exceptions.)

Most human universals are not moral matters. Jokes, tools, and aesthetics have no inherent moral valence. That we can pick out some behaviors as morally relevant is a clue. That we can pick out some behaviors as morally relevant is a clue. It points to the fact that we have evolved moral instincts. At root they are empathy, disgust, and fairness.

These go beyond human universals. Experiments with Capuchin monkeys show that they have a sense of fairness. If one is offered a lesser treat than his neighbor, he screams with outrage. On the softer side, experiments show that even the lowly vole will comfort a grieving companion -- something dolphins, elephants, and others are also known to do.

How could such behaviors have evolved in a world of survival of the fittest? A major misconception is that evolution is strictly "nature red in tooth and claw." Sure, competition pulses at the heart of evolution, but right alongside it beats cooperation. For proof just tap your chest: your heart is a galley of willing oarsmen who pull together for decades to give your genes a chance to get into the next generation. Cooperation is everywhere, especially in social species like ours.

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So too, of course, is selfishness. The evolutionary pathway to morality, then, runs through the mutual benefits that come about when members of a group cooperate not only to care for kin, secure food, and fight off rival groups, but to suppress bad actors within the group. Put those together, and you have the beginnings of morality; love, sympathy, kindness, fidelity, and generosity are its shoots and leaves. Add to it the power of human language, abstract thought, and social contracts, and you get the rise of a civilization capable of moral progress.

Ancient religion likely advanced morals. Amid the debris of ritual commandments in the Bible and Koran are moral injunctions, such as Exodus 23:5: "If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden...thou shalt surely help with him."

Today, however, the problem with religious morality is evident: it's frozen in time. If morals came down the mountain with Moses or through an angel's pen, progress makes no sense. That's precisely the stand that ISIS and Christian Reconstructionists take.

Rejecting that stand doesn't require one to be an atheist. Evolved morals are consistent with theistic evolution--a position held by about one-third of Americans. But surely acknowledging the evolutionary origins of morality will help us revive the concept of moral progress. Otherwise we're stuck looking to Scripture for guidance on texting while driving.
By Courtney C. Radsch, CPJ Advocacy Director

On World Radio Day this Saturday, the Committee to Protect Journalists is paying tribute to the vital role radio journalists play in bringing their communities news and commentary, sometimes at great personal cost. Seventeen radio journalists were killed for their work last year. Africa and the Americas were the most dangerous regions for radio journalists, with Brazil and South Sudan tied for deadliest country. On a single day, January 25, four radio journalists and a camera operator were ambushed and killed in South Sudan. There have been no arrests in the case more than a year later. Four journalists were also killed in Brazil, three of them local journalists covering corruption; and the fourth, a Paraguayan, covering politics. Among them was Gleydson Carvalho, who was shot dead while presenting his radio program. His murder came a year after Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff told CPJ her administration is committed to addressing attacks on journalists and ending the cycle of impunity for their murders.

At least 14 radio journalists are imprisoned, most on anti-state or no charges, according to CPJ's 2015 prison census. Ekberjan Jamal, imprisoned in China since February 28, 2008, has spent the longest time in prison among radio journalists listed on the 2015 census. The freelance journalist was sentenced to 10 years in prison for separatism and revealing state secrets after he sent recordings and a description of riots to Radio Free Asia and Phoenix News in Hong Kong. CPJ has not had any new information about Ekberjan's case since April 2009. Join CPJ in calling on Chinese authorities to provide information on his health and well-being, and to drop the charges.

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Some radio journalists on CPJ's prison census are being held without charge, such as Ali Aliwiwe, a journalist with Palestinian Radio 4, who has been held in administrative detention by Israel since October 21, 2015. A request by CPJ for additional information from the prime minister's office in late December has not yet been answered.

Africa is the worst jailer of radio journalists, accounting for half of those behind bars, CPJ's records show. Radio, particularly community radio, remains one of the most important news sources in Africa, yet even coverage of seemingly apolitical issues such as health epidemics can be dangerous for journalists. In September 2014, Facely Camara, who worked for the privately owned station Liberte FM at N'Zerekore, and two media workers for a community radio station, were killed while covering an Ebola education campaign in Guinea.

Elections are particularly dangerous times for radio journalists. In Uganda and Burundi, authorities shuttered radio stations and cut transmissions ahead of elections. Just last month, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo ordered two stations off the air for allegedly failing to pay taxes and licensing fees, a charge the director-general, Olivier Tuta, denied. The stations are owned by Moise Katumbi, a businessman and politician who left the ruling party last September and later joined an opposition party. Local media had reported he may be considering running in presidential elections that are due to take place later this year.
"Wherever you go, there you are." I love a relevant cliche. I've been pulling 'a geographical' ever since we left my mother and brother in Northern NJ on December 31st. This is an ineffective method of moving locations to ease discomfort. What's interesting to learn is, paradise or not, environment has zero to no effect on emotional turmoil.

We left Tulum, Mexico a few days ago and took a ferry to Cozumel. It was a relief to leave the touristy hustle and bustle of the east coast Yucatan. Tulum is over the moon expensive these days. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the last private beach sanctuaries on the Caribbean. Let me give you an example. In 1998 Sue Ann stayed on a beachfront cabana for 15 US dollars per night. The resort next to our hippy sanctuary was 785 US dollars per night during high season. An 80-minute massage three doors down from our treehouse was 320 US. Holy cow. How a few smart New Yorkers can run riot and ruin paradise while turning an ancient culture upside down. Here's an example of the common con: eco-chic is a hotel-dwelling less electricity. Powering down your cell phone comes as an extra. Hey, I'll turn your cell phone off for half-the-price, and hide your charger while I'm at it.

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In the 16th century, the Mayan women traveled to Cozumel for the fertility goddess Ix Chel ("the goddess of making children"). An interesting fact I learned yesterday from a middle-aged lesbian couple who moved here from Paris, CA four years ago. The locals are sweet. Especially our BnB host Lupita. We are staying in a modest studio one block from the ocean. Lupita volunteered to pick us up from the boat. Picture a third world style Santa Barbara. Our room is comfortable. We're getting better and better at setting things up with essential comforts like coffee, dates, nuts, sunscreen, bug spray -- we got slaughtered by the mosquitos in Tulum. I have at least fifty bites on my arms and legs alone. The one thing we haven't been able to locate is the automatic air freshener that spits out an overtly sickly sweet floral stream into the air every twenty minutes. It sounds like a coughing gecko. I imagine the little lizard pumping an ol' fashioned perfume ball dispenser at ever spray, smiling and hacking out his unwanted burst. We cover our noses every time and giggle at this small mystery of life.

Yesterday we took a scooter ride from our neighborhood around the Island to a beach called Palancar. It was liberating to ride. Unfortunately, every time I stopped to brake, our bike stalled. We eventually had to use a technique I like to call the hard-stop-gas. I feel as if my scooter driving tricks are at an all time high, here in Mexico. Palancar is where we walked on the beach and saw pelicans in their natural habitat. Driving back to town, we stopped at an oceanfront massage spot called Sky Reef. It was the first time we had our backs rubbed outside during a hurricane. The talents of these women were many. They pinned down towels with rocks while rubbing out our aches and pains, Esalen style. Seriously one of the best massages I've ever received, less the wind, rain, and cold.

Today we took a day trip to find the Mayan ruins where they worshiped the goddess Ix Chel. It did feel like holy land walking through the forest. Or as Sue Ann likes to say, the jungles. I like to pretend I'm not in the jungles. The tourists came in all shapes and sizes. There was a family from Alberta Canada, climbing the structures from 1200 AD. They were too fat to get up over the mossy stones (and I was mildly appalled at their irreverence). There were Latin hipsters taking selfies in front of the temples. And me and Sue Ann, two little gays from LA running out of clean clothes, dressed up in Thai elephant pants and flannel. As we left the temple grounds, I blessed us, just in case Ix Chel has since retired. It may be a tad late for me and conventional fertility, but I'll take a blessing or two for more songs and stories. Sue Ann on the other hand, may fare well with the traditional magic. As we put-put our way back to home base, the darts of rain pinch my face and soak our anti-wardrobe, one layer and one kilometer at a time.

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During the next few days of his visit to Mexico, Pope Francis will represent one more international observer for the worsening human rights situation throughout the country. A week ahead of his trip, a spokesperson said that Pope Francis wouldn't skirt difficult issues and Mexicans are hopeful that he will make strong statements denouncing the corruption, insecurity, violence and gross human rights violations with which they live on a daily basis.

More statements from him and governments, advocates and influential figures, including from the United States, are profoundly necessary in Mexico's current context. International pressure is needed because despite obvious signs of a deteriorating situation, the Mexican government continues to deny the gravity and pervasiveness of human rights violations, calling them "isolated" or "irrelevant to the reality in the country", often attacking the messengers rather than seizing the opportunity to address the criticisms.

In fact, human rights violations are anything but the exception in Mexico. Mexico began the year by earning the recognition of being the most corrupt among OECD countries according to the latest Corruptions Perceptions Index. It remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights defenders and journalists. Anabel Flores Salazar is already the second reporter this year to suffer the fate that at least six did last year; her dead body was found just days ago in Puebla, murdered after having been taken from her house in the neighboring state of Veracruz by armed men.

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Even Mexico City, once a refuge for those escaping violence, is no longer safer than the rest of the country. When I visited the capital a few weeks ago, civil society organizations told me about break-ins to their offices in the last few months. The modus operandi was often the same; unknown perpetrators who seemed to strike when defenders were denouncing abuses and getting close to finding the truth about victims' cases. The message being communicated seems clear: stay quiet or you'll suffer the consequences. Because differences between organized crime and law enforcement are increasingly blurred in Mexico, the majority of victims and their families are too scared to report crimes, or they do so knowing that they'll have to search for justice on their own. Ninety-nine percent of all crimes remain in impunity in Mexico.

And it's not just brave human rights defenders and journalists who are receiving attacks across Mexico. A campaign to discredit the work of the Interdisciplinary Groupof Independent Experts, who have already refuted the government's main theory behind the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students, has been gaining traction recently in the mainstream Mexican media. Despite calls from Nobel Laureates and international organizations denouncing these attacks, the Mexican government has remained silent.

Throughout the next few days, Pope Francis will have the opportunity to be close to some of Mexico's most vulnerable populations including indigenous communities, children, youth, and prison inmates, among the thousands of others that will flock to see him. Although they won't be meeting with Pope Francis privately, civil society organizations will hold events in the different cities he will be passing through in efforts to amplify human rights concerns already sent to him in a letter signed by groups from across the country.

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The states of Chiapas, Michoacan and Chihuahua that Pope Francis will visit represent particularly poignant examples of Mexico's landscape of disappearances and deaths, of forgotten communities fighting for justice and truth on their own. The wall separating the U.S.-Mexico border in Juarez where the Pope will hold a mass next Wednesday, February 17th is a symbol not just of the millions of families separated by ineffective and harmful militarized enforcement policies but also of the thousands of Central American migrants transiting through Mexican territory and of all of the suffering they have endured along their journey to escape violence in their home countries.

In the usual defensiveness against possible human rights criticisms, the Mexican Undersecretary for Population, Migration and Religious Affairs, Humberto Roque Villanueva, already said a day before the Pope's visit that there will be no political gains from the Pope's visit and that there are "no concerns about what the Pope might say about Mexico's problems." He asserted, "The Pope's words will be valued and will have an effect on Mexican society and on the government at its three levels."
How has the most powerful El Nino in nearly two decades and the extraordinary weather patterns it spawned this winter affected birds?

You can join with tens of thousands of volunteer citizen scientists to help find the answer by spending just 15 minutes in your backyard or neighborhood this weekend during the annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

It's science crowdsourcing at its best: Grab a pair of binoculars or just head outside and invite your family and friends to help count all the birds you spot within a 15-minute period. No previous experience necessary.

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Last year, more than 140,000 citizen participants submitted their bird observations online to birdcount.org, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

This year's citizen count is going to be more important to science and conservation efforts than ever. We learned during our earlier citizen science event, the annual Christmas Bird Count, that this year's record warm winter kept Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes lingering longer in the north. And other birds were showing up far from their usual homes and rest stops.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, held February 12 to 15 at the start of the spring migration season, will help scientists understand even more about the impact a record warm winter and unusually fierce storms are having on where birds are living and migrating.

Audubon - which helped originate science crowdsourcing with its annual Christmas Bird Count 116 years ago--is engaging citizen scientists to change science and conservation as we know it.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual census nearly two decades old, is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society along with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

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How can the birds you report seeing in just 15 minutes contribute to science and conservation?

In past years the Great Backyard Bird Count helped track rare influxes of Snowy Owls and the decline (and eventual rebound) of the American Crow population.

But even more vital--each year's information adds to the data Audubon has been collecting for more than a century and engages new citizen scientists in collecting it. That information is essential to our research in tracking species and learning how they have adapted--or not--to everything from climate change to suburban sprawl.

This research, enhanced by the technology of a smartphone in everybody's pocket and map-based technologies, is giving conservation groups, government agencies, businesses and private landowners powerful tools for present and future conservation efforts.

Citizen scientists provided invaluable data for Audubon's Birds and Climate Change report, the largest and most comprehensive study of birds and climate change ever done in North America.

We found that of the 588 species studied, 314 may lose 50 percent or more of their current ranges by 2080 if the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause global warming are not significantly reduced. Those numbers are shocking, and they include some of our most beloved birds like the Common Loon and the Baltimore Oriole.

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Birds are giving us clear warnings about the health of our world. And they're showing us what we need to do to make our communities and our planet safer and healthier for birds and people.

Citizen science is reshaping the climate debate, connecting abstract concepts to what people are witnessing in their backyards.

When people see these changes in person, they get it: climate change is real, it's local and it has an impact on the wildlife that they care about. That's when people stop arguing about politics and start talking about nature.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is all about making science more personal.

You can participate from anywhere in the world--not just in the United States--and submit data in English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Mandarin, German, Russian or Portuguese.

Birders from more than 100 countries participated in last year's count, documenting over 5,000 species--nearly half the total bird species in the world.

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The species the most people reported seeing last year? The charismatic Northern Cardinal followed by the Dark-eyed Junco and the Mourning Dove.

Beyond the numbers and the data, it's a great way for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature and show some love for birds this Valentine's Day weekend.

You can get all the info you need to join this year's citizen science team in the Great Backyard Bird Count at www.birdcount.org

And if you need help identifying the birds you see, you can download the free Audubon Bird Guide App.
The recent backroom bi-laterals talks between the United States and Russia about Ukraine have caused anxiety in the region, raised hopes that sanctions could be lifted, and elevated Russian President Vladimir Putin's status to super power level.

All are counterproductive.

Since the bi-laterals talks, and optimistic statements by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about possible peace in Ukraine, Russian proxies in Ukraine responded by moving people and weapons westward from Donetsk and re-escalating violence near Mariupol, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Clearly, offering an olive branch doesn't work. Only tightening the noose will.

"European and American sanctions must remain in place," said former US Ambassador to Ukraine John E. Herbst in an interview. "The United States should also provide Ukraine with defensive lethal weapons to protect itself against Russia's ceasefire violations and to emphasize that another offensive could be easily achieved. Britain should issue targeted sanctions in connection with the Russian government's role in the 2006 murder of Alexander Litvinenko."

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In addition, future talks involving Ukraine should involve Ukraine. Europe's largest, and besieged nation, should not become a pawn in some two-way geopolitical chess game concocted by Vladimir Putin.

More importantly, Washington must not fall for Russia's attempt to conflate the Ukrainian and Syrian crises. Russia is not a solution in either conflict, but an aggressor, directly in Ukraine and indirectly through its support and arms sales to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's murderous regime.

The West must not waver when it comes to sanctions. They are working and undermining Putin's support at home. His cronies and corporations are denied access to credit. The Ruble has cratered, along with oil prices, making imports and travel unaffordable for Russians.

By 2017, the country will go bust, say experts.

"Russia's attempt to have Western sanctions removed over Ukraine is a 'race against time,'," said billionaire George Soros recently. "Russia is in a very, very weak position. It has enough reserves that it can last a couple of years... and in 2017 a lot of debt comes due."

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Moscow's budget deficits soar, and social spending has been cut, leaving only shrinking foreign reserves to keep the lights on. Soros says there is $360 billion left, others say there's only half that amount left.

The current situation "actually violates the social compact that has made him [President Putin] so popular, which is basically financial stability and a slow but steadily rising standard of living. He has to do something about it ... [before] the impending collapse of the Russian economy," said Soros.

Putin's woes are why Kerry's ebullient statement at Davos that sanctions could be lifted this year was unhelpful, handing him a victory at home without cost.

"Unfortunately, Kerry expressed this position in an upbeat way designed to make it appear more acceptable to Moscow," wrote Herbst. "As we have sadly learned, since the invasion of Crimea nearly two years ago, conciliatory gestures and language have not persuaded Moscow to do the right thing."

There are some faint signs of capitulation from the Russian side, he added. Fewer ceasefire violations have occurred since September, local leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway regions have mysteriously died, and more moderate Russian negotiators with close links to Putin have been appointed.

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"My sense is that the Kremlin will try in the next few months to insist on Ukraine's passing constitutional reform that gives the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic an effective veto over Ukraine's foreign policy -- a complete non-starter," said Herbst. "Once this gambit fails, the Kremlin will have to decide whether its goals in the Donbas are worth the economic pain."

With Russia on the ropes, Ukraine and the West are well advised to simply play a waiting game, and reinforce Ukraine's military capability. Kyiv must be able to better defend itself against an escalation, or, alternatively, to start to claw back territory from a weakened adversary.
On January 8, Zhao Wei, known as Koala on the Internet, was formally arrested, which ended her criminal detention, which began on July 10, 2015. Zhao used to work for Beijing Gao Bo Long Hua Law Firm as a paralegal assistant. Given Zhao is a young woman born in the 1990s, her arrest caused great public concerns. However, this type of case is all too common ever since July 9, 2015, when massive crackdown on human rights lawyers and activists started.

This massive crackdown has so far resulted in more than 300 people disappearing and being arrested, detained, beaten up, harassed and put under surveillance. Among them are famous activists Zhou Shifeng, Wang Quanzhang, Li Heping, Wang Yu, Bao Longjun and Hu Shigen. Fifteen people have been officially arrested.

Prior to the large-scale human rights crackdown on July 9th, the Chinese government had always been relentless in suppressing dissidents. For instance, Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Zhao Changqing, Li Huaping were arrested and convicted for their involvement in the New Citizens Movement. Gao Yu, Pu Zhiqiang, Guo Feixiong, Tang Jingling and others were also arrested. While pre-July 9th crackdowns on human rights lawyers and activists had been relatively restrained, the post-July 9th repression of human rights lawyers has been unprecedented. This is the darkest moment for Chinese human rights in years.

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Firstly, a large number of lawyers fighting for their clients' legal rights have been affected. They mainly operated within the framework of Chinese law, rather than being directly engaged in political dissent. According to incomplete statistics, more than three hundred people have been subjected to various forms of persecution, most of whom are active human rights lawyers. More people may have chosen to remain silent after being threatened, resulting in their names going uncounted. The newest round of persecution started as Beijing's Feng Rui Law Firm and Gao Bo Long hua Law Firm were investigated, and all kinds of human rights activists have been subjected to various kinds of persecution.

Secondly, the lawyers who were arrested on July 9th have been persecuted more brutally than before, with almost everyone arrested having disappeared for a long time. The Chinese authorities refuse to provide basic information to the victims' family members by claiming that such information is related to "national security." Nobody knows where they are detained. No one has seen them. Family members and lawyers have painstakingly tried to find the whereabouts of the missing people, but they have failed. When Ge Ping (Gou Hong Guo)'s wife learned that her husband had been officially arrested for "suspicion of subverting state power," she said to those who tried to comfort her, "It's a relief for me. It is good news, at least I know he is still alive." So far, the whereabouts of famous Chinese dissidents Qin Yongmin and his wife are still unaccounted for.

Thirdly, in the previous human rights cases, those arrested were likely to be charged with "suspicion of inciting subversion of state power." This time, however, many human rights lawyers and activists are charged with "suspicion of subverting state power." Although these charges are arbitrarily placed by the Chinese government, the charge of "subversion of state power" means longer prison terms, because "the ringleaders who commit major crimes should be sentenced to life imprisonment or imprisonment for more than a decade." On January 18, Zhang Haitao, who had been arrested last June on a relatively minor charge of "inciting subversion of state power," was sentenced to nineteen years of imprisonment on a non-public trial. One can simply imagine what brutal persecution the activists arrested on July 9th will face.

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I would also like to ask people to pay attention to two issues. One is that in the more recent arrests, there have been more violent assaults on victims and more family members implicated. The other is that among these arrested was Swedish human rights activist Peter Jesper Dahlin. China's official Xinhua News Agency declared him guilty him without trial by claiming that together with Wang Quanzhang and Xin Qingxian, he had been engaged in activities that endanger China's national security.


George Clooney in a shot from Joel & Ethan Coen's Hail, Caesar! photo: Universal Pictures

To those who are serious about their love of film, Berlinale is the best of the best in European festivals. What about Cannes, you say? Oh, no, the Germans know how to do it better. I mean, they even managed to get Meryl Streep to be president of the jury this year, a task she had never agreed to before this.

The greatness that surrounds the visitor at Berlinale all starts with an organization that ticks like clockwork and great respect for the laws. I watched a car being loaded onto a truck by a crane yesterday, because it was parked on the wrong street at the wrong time. I mean, George Clooney was coming, with that black tulle puff vision of style and attitude that is Amal on the red carpet, so everything had to be done just right.

But I find it's also due to the German understanding of the true concept of democracy. There are no yellow badges or pink polkadots on white badges here, no "I'm better than you" credentials. As press, we are all a happy, equal shade of orangy-red badge at Berlinale, and that's exactly how I like it. It creates the perfect environment for watching as many films in as little time as possible, getting to press conferences on time, and interviewing the filmmakers. And that's the true essence of a film festival. Because at its core, Berlinale loves films, filmmakers and all who make the magic of cinema possible.

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I like to think that even that lone journalist, watching films from the comfort of his or her armchair, at an early morning screening, gladly stepping out of the cold into the cozy warmth of the theater, is helping to contribute to the magic of the movies. I sure like to believe I do.

Upon arrival in Berlin, I got a reminder of the power of one, that incredible strength and ability to change the world we all possess. I picked up a copy of Variety and found, on its inside cover, a beautiful, full page add for Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Human participating in the EFM in Berlin, quoting a sentence I wrote about the film in Venice: "Arthus-Bertrand comprehends the power of one. It is a power we often forget. The ability to change the world..." If you have not watched Human, find a way to do it now, today, as early as you can. It may just change your life, and that's really all one can hope from a film. One person, one moment, one action, one change, one film at a time. I'm not just saying it because I love being quoted, it's a film near and dear to my heart, on so many levels, for so many reasons.



A still from Hotel Dallas, with Livia Ungur

Right before the screening of Hail, Caesar, I met up with filmmaker Sherng-Lee Huang, whose film Hotel Dallas screens in the Panorama section of this year's Berlinale. Huang co-directed, co-wrote and co-produced Hotel Dallas with his wife, Livia Ungur, and without giving too much away till the film's official premiere on the 15th of February, it turns out to be a real feast of visual images, ideas, humor, sounds and Romanian-American culture clash.

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The couple's artistic background and love of cinema really show through their work, but Hotel Dallas also carries a deeper message. Can a US television show like Dallas, once broadcast in a country like Romania in the '80s take on a whole new meaning? Could it have helped "to tear down the wall" of communism? Possibly and even the Washington Post seemed to think so but to watch the idea in a film, treated with care and humor as the filmmakers do here, was eye-opening. And I'm all for watching the power of media in changing history.

Finally, it's time for some opening night goodies. It was beautiful to see the Berlinale Palast all decked out in red carpet complete with matching red, giant bear. There is something magical about the Potsdamer Platz, something otherworldly. I saw a vision of the perfect world in a film today and it looked a lot like this side of town. Lights blinking down trees, women decked out in gowns showing skin walking side by side with busy, bundled up passersby. And the glow of the Palast is visible from blocks away, with the buzz of the crowd anxiously awaiting celebrities for an autograph.

In perfect style, both George Clooney and Channing Tatum stopped to take selfies with the crowd and sign their names on whatever piece of paper was available. Some came prepared with photos of the stars, others simply opened their notebook to welcome there the "GC" of Clooney's signature. Mrs. Clooney, dressed in a vintage Yves Saint Laurent black dress, managed well to hide her strength as the powerful human rights lawyer she is, while hanging from the arm of her hubby. It's a skill she's obviously perfected, and he leads her around like the perfect damsel on the red carpet, to the delight of the crowds.

The Coen brothers are always interesting, their cinematic choices bold and featuring hidden messages. Hail, Caesar! is no different, in fact there are so many sub-themes and inside jokes sprinkled throughout the film, it would take at least three viewings by yours truly to get about half of them. Yes, I'm proud of not being a film historian, it makes movie watching a much more fun activity than for my fellow critics.

And the after-party, you ask? Why, delicious of course. Great food, good conversations, the lovely, warm smiles of fellow movie lovers mingling, sharing a common passion. What's there not to love? I managed to walk up the stairs, on my way out, right behind the lovely Daniel Bruhl. He's my favorite contemporary German actor, so all in all, I'd call it a perfectly successful opening night. And the goody bag from L'Oreal Paris didn't hurt...

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DENMARK, SC - FEBRUARY 12: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to voters in South Carolina a day after her debate with rival candidate Bernie Sanders on February 12, 2016 in Denmark, South Carolina. Clinton is counting on strong support from the African American community in South Carolina to give her a win over Sanders in the upcoming primary on February 27. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Bill Clinton barely got the words out of his mouth lambasting the Bernie Sanders camp for what he bluntly said were attacks on Hillary that were to sexist and too "profane" to repeat when a Sanders campaign official shot back that the attack was "disappointing." Sanders for his part took the high road approach, acknowledged that he'd heard some nasty things from his supporters about Clinton, and demanded that they knock it off.

The brutal reality is that no matter how much Clinton and Sanders call for civility when it comes to what's said about Hillary, it won't happen. Clinton is not simply another marked man presidential candidate. She's exactly what she was in 2008, a marked woman presidential candidate. One media investigative team even compiled hundreds of the most outrageous digs about Clinton from the 2008 campaign from assorted commentators, male and female. Not much has changed this go round.

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The vulgarities are heaped on top of the hard-headed belief of many men and women that a woman just doesn't have the right stuff to be the nation's commander in chief. In one poll nearly 70 percent of men and women were lukewarm at best in answering the question whether they thought women were "respected" in politics. One out of four respondents flatly said that there would never be a woman president, and the most optimistic thought it would take at least another five years before that happened.

Even this seemed to be a step up from polls during the 2008 campaign that consistently showed that far more Americans had a bigger problem voting for a woman for president than an African-American. The worst part of that then was that if any one dared make a racial crack about then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama they'd have been pounded into the sand as the worst kind of bigot.

The big worry for the Clinton camp then and now is not the sexist innuendoes, wisecracks and even the double standard that Clinton herself has more than once made note of. The problem is how many voters might be scared away from Clinton and run to the GOP presidential rival if she wins the nomination. There's good reason for the scare again. The gender gap was first identified and labeled in the 1980 presidential contest between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/12/opinion/women-vs-reagan.html

That year Reagan got more than a 20 percent bulge in the margin of male votes over Carter. Women voters by contrast split almost evenly down the middle in backing both Reagan and Carter.

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Men didn't waver from their support of Reagan during his years in office.

Many of the men that backed Reagan made no secret about why they liked him. His reputed toughness, firmness and refusal to compromise on issues of war and peace fit neatly into the often time stereotypical male qualities of professed courage, determination and toughness. The gender split is always apparent when there's a crisis such as a brush fire war, a physical conflict, or the threat of a terrorist attack.

This was not a major concern for men.

The divergence between men and women on the issue of war and peace showed up again in even more stark contrast two decades later on the Iraq war. Polls showed gaps of nearly twenty percent between men and women when asked how long they thought American troops should stay in Iraq.

Far more women than men said that the troops should be withdrawn as quickly as possible.

The huge spread in male and female views on public policy issues was just as pronounced in the terrorism war. More men than women took a harder stance against nations that they perceive back terrorist groups. In countless surveys, polls, and anecdotal conversations, women say they are less likely to stay up on political issues than men, and are more likely to vote for a candidate based on personal likes or dislikes than men.

When asked what they liked about Clinton, many women reflexively say they like her toughness. That's generally considered a rough-and-tumble male quality.

The issues of war, national security, strong defense, and terrorism doesn't totally explain the constant 15-to-20 percent gender gap between men and women on candidates and issues in elections noted as far back as 1980.

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Another possible explanation for that is how men and women perceive the messages that male candidates convey and whether they use code words and terms to convey them. Republicans at times artfully stoked male rage with racially charged slogans like "law and order," "crime in the streets," "welfare cheats," and "absentee fathers."

President George Bush's John Wayne frontier brashness, and get tough, bring em' on rhetoric in talking about the Iraq and the war against terrorism was calculatingly geared to appeal to supposed male toughness.

The issue that time around isn't Clinton's toughness, it's just everything else that a woman presidential candidate has to swallow because she's a woman. Bill's broadside on sexism and Hillary just underscored that -- again.
I was laid off this week from my job that I just returned to after a year of maternity leave. Oh yeah, I'm a (fairly) new mom too. Before we lay on the sympathy and start the pity party, let's keep some perspective. Have you ever read those articles where people say, "It's the best thing that ever happened to me!"? Well, I wouldn't push it that far. My wedding day and the birth of my son were pretty amazing, but overall, it isn't that bad!

Why? I think I knew awhile back that I wanted off this corporate train and, more specifically, out of the shallow end of the fashion industry pool. My move to London almost six years ago has given me the chance to travel and see a lot outside of my office bubble and the insight has been astounding. My work has taken me to developing countries where people live for a year on a fraction of what I have taken home in a month.

I remember one meeting in particular in India where I was complaining about a design detail not being perfect when, outside of the window, I saw two children walking barefoot down a dirt road. One looked to be about eight years old and the other maybe three or four. There was no adult in sight.

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This was a turning point. I knew then that eventually I wanted to be a part of a different type of business where I felt good about the work, and where my time and energy gave back. I started researching which brought me to Start Something that Matters, an incredible book written by TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie. In it he writes:

Conscious capitalism is about more than simply making money -- although it's about that too. It's about creating a successful business that also connects supporters to something that matters to them and that has great impact in the world.

It is a simple concept. Didn't we learn as kids to do what we love and to be nice to people? I knew after reading his book and some other wonderful articles exactly where I wanted to focus. It was time to start something that mattered! I partnered with a brilliant friend, and we developed our company trying to keep these ideas at the forefront of our business model.

Many people have praised us for our project. While I appreciate people's excitement which I share, I always reply with the conviction that what we are doing should be the norm. I think every company should be doing their part to make the world a better place. There is so much need around us. According to The United Nations, a staggering 76 million people require humanitarian assistance, and in recent years, this level has increased to a number not seen for generations. I don't think giving back a portion of profits makes someone great or is something that deserves loads of praise and celebration, I believe it makes business leaders into global citizens.

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I think we as consumers are in such a commanding position, and we don't even realize it. Every day, we can vote with our wallets. I challenge everyone to do their research when making a purchase. Get to know where your money is going. Consider if it is helping out in some way or is it going to make more profit for a company who isn't doing their part to make the world a better place for us and future generations.
China's military wants to put its relatively small nuclear arsenal on hair-trigger alert for the first time, according to newly translated documents. That's not good. Such a radical departure from the country's longtime nuclear policy could pose a threat not only to the United States, but also to China itself.

Gregory Kulacki, an analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, discovered evidence of this potential policy change in a number of Chinese military documents. He published a paper this week that provides the details of what he found.

Why is the People's Liberation Army (PLA) considering such a major policy change?

According to Kulacki, it's due to U.S. intimidation.

"It's a combination of factors," he explained. "First, the PLA is worried that it doesn't have a credible nuclear retaliatory counterweight to highly accurate U.S. nuclear weapons, conventional weapons, and missile defense systems. Second, U.S. officials have refused to acknowledge that the United States is vulnerable to a Chinese retaliatory strike, which the Chinese think means the United States is not deterred from attacking them. And third, the United States has threatened China with a nuclear attack a number of times and still refuses to adopt a no-first-use policy. All that makes the PLA very nervous."

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But why would it matter if the Chinese put their nuclear weapons on high alert?

Because it's an extremely dangerous policy.

Too Many Close Calls

Since the beginning of the Cold War, both the United States and Russia have had a percentage of their respective nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert, enabling them to be launched within minutes if an early warning system detected an attack. Given that it is highly unlikely that either country would launch a first strike against the other, it's more likely that a technical glitch or human error would cause an accidental ICBM launch in response to a false warning. In fact, there have been a number of incidents of this kind in Russia and the United States over the last few decades that could have prompted a nuclear launch. It's dumb luck that one of them didn't start World War III.

Unlike the United States and Russia, China currently keeps its nuclear weapons off alert. Its warheads are not even attached to their delivery vehicles. But Kulacki found passages in a several Chinese military texts suggesting that the PLA is considering adopting a launch-on-warning, high-alert posture. For example, the latest edition of The Science of Military Strategy, a standard Chinese military text, lays out what China would be able to do when its nuclear weapons are on high alert: "When conditions are prepared and when necessary, we can, under conditions confirming the enemy has launched nuclear missiles against us, before the enemy nuclear warheads have reached their targets and effectively exploded, before they have caused us actual nuclear damage, quickly launch a nuclear missile retaliatory strike."



Adopting a hair-trigger policy would require China to build an early warning system like the ones the United States and Russia deploy, and such a system may be in the offing. An internal November 2014 military document Kulacki obtained includes a chapter on constructing a system and asserts: "There are plans to launch experimental early warning satellites." About a year later, in September 2015, China launched an experimental satellite that an independent U.S. news site, NASASpaceFlight.com, said may be the first in "a new series of Chinese satellites dedicated to early warning similar to the American Space-Based Infra-Red Sensor satellites." An official Chinese press release claimed the satellite was for communications.



Still Time to Nip It in the Bud

The United States has a strong incentive to dissuade China from adopting a hair-trigger policy. As noted above, putting weapons on alert increases the risk of nuclear launches instigated by accidents or false warnings. And a mistaken launch due to a false warning is more likely to happen during the development of a new warning system. Indeed, the record shows that it was in the early days of U.S. and Soviet warning systems when technical glitches and human errors were a particular problem.



Kulacki recommended a number of actions the United States can take to help keep Chinese nuclear weapons off alert. One is for U.S. officials to recognize China's nuclear deterrent by acknowledging that the United States and China are vulnerable to a nuclear attack from each other. A second is for the United States to abandon first-strike options by declaring that the sole purpose of its nuclear force is to deter and, if necessary, respond to a nuclear attack by another country.

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Kulacki also argued that the United States should end its own hair-trigger policy. How can the United States credibly argue that China should not put its nuclear weapons on high alert when some 900 U.S. warheads can be fired within minutes? In any event, keeping U.S. weapons on high alert is not necessary for deterrence and increases the risk of a nuclear exchange that could devastate the United States.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has long recommended that the United States take its own nuclear weapons off high alert, and President Obama could do that without congressional approval before leaving office. Such a move, which has the support of a significant number of former high-ranking administration and Pentagon officials, would help put international pressure on Russia to do the same and China to refrain from adopting such a policy.

"It's critical for the Obama administration to pay attention to this ongoing debate in China over a hair-trigger policy because it's part of a bigger conversation about the future of the country's nuclear forces," said Kulacki. "They're also talking about abandoning their no-first-use policy and using nuclear weapons to respond to conventional attacks. The alarm bells should be going off.



"But U.S. officials have to realize that China is contemplating these changes because it believes the United States is unwilling to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy--what President Obama promised to do in his famous speech in Prague back in 2009," he added. "What the U.S. says and does regarding nuclear weapons has a profound effect on Chinese thinking. And right now, we're pushing China in the wrong direction."
Back in the day, when the Mission was just the Mission and not the hippest place on Earth, there was a Taco Bell at the triangle where Valencia butts into Mission Street. I never understood who would frequent a Taco Bell in the heart of Taqueria heaven, and by the mid-2000s, Taco Bell and its triangular parking lot was replaced by an upscale triangular faux Victorian 4 story office building. I still like to call the spot Taco Bell Triangle.

I hesitate to divulge this, but Taco Bell Triangle is my new favorite night life destination. Yes, it was terrific when Tartine opened in the Mission, but who has time to stand in line for 30 minutes for coffee and a morning bun? (Many people, obviously.) Pretty much scratch off my list eating anywhere on Valencia between 17th and 22nd streets after 6 pm.

But, if (sshh) you scootch bellow Cesar Chavez, the intensity of hyper-hipness mellows out. Blue Plate was one of the very first upscale restaurants in Taco Bell Triangle, but there are other great and affordable low-key restaurants like Mi Lindo Peru, where the owner's mom once made me a custom ordered Pinata of a pregnant woman for an ill-conceived baby shower I hosted.

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Too many people know about El Rio, the bar that still, on certain nights, represents the utopian integration of the old Mission; It was there, in the the early 90s that I discovered that unlike in New York, gays don't really need gay bars in San Francisco. More recently, I discovered that the establishment doesn't even frown on me bringing in take-out and dining on a back yard picnic table with my food and their pints.

But if your looking for a one-stop spot for great food and beer, and you'd prefer not to eat out of a foam carton, Taco Bell corner has a fabulous new brewpub which means you don't need to battle the doorway crowd at Monk's Kettle or the suffer the Millennial scene at Southern Pacific Brewery. But its not just the chill vibe that makes Old Bus Tavern a super choice; unlike so many upstart gastro pubs, Old Bus Tavern is an owner-operated artisan microbrewery and the dining is so many notches above pub fare. Yes, there's chili, but they also serve Sunchoke tempura and Quail eggs and other delicately delicious fare.

This warm but upscale tavern has been around since the summer but I didn't discover it until it hosted an SF Beer Week three-course, paired beer dinner that was roundly decreed one of the best of Beer Weeks 600+ events. Their beers selection included exciting originals like the Lemon Basil Saison Belgian, a Hand of Doom IPA and a chili porter brewed with sixty pounds of Poblano chiles.

All of which will fortify me next week to do battle at Simpson's Trivia night at The Knockout, next door.

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Millions of tourists from all over the world are visiting Greece every year. This pilgrimage started about two millennia ago when the Romans run the Mediterranean.

In 146 BCE, a Roman army wiped out Corinth as a lesson to the rest of the Greek poleis. Faced with overwhelming Roman forces of occupation, the Greeks in mainland Greece learned to live with minimum of democracy, indeed, with foreigners telling them what to do. This humiliating existence lasted for several centuries until the Eastern Roman empire became thoroughly Greek sometime after the sixth century of our common era.

The Romans and the Greeks lived next to each other for centuries. In fact, Greek philosophy flourished in southern Italy, which was Greek. The Romans called it Magna Graecia, Greater Greece. The Romans borrowed their alphabet, religion, and technology from the Greeks. Then when the opportunity arrived, they conquered Greece.

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Despite the conquest, the Romans never lost their admiration for Greek culture. They were the first tourists visiting the temples and other archaeological treasures of Greece. They were also the first foreigners who started asking questions about their Greek contemporaries. What happened to their genius?

Tourists in modern times keep asking the same questions. They visit the fabulous and mind-opening Greek museums and necessarily wonder why Greece in 2016, for example, is in such a deplorable state.

How could the descendants of Greek poets, philosophers and scientists who, literally, invented philosophy and modern-like science and technology (and our way of life) are asleep at the wheel?

The ancestors of modern Greeks were great thinkers: Poets: Homer, Hesiodos, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes; natural philosophers: Thales, Pythagoras, Anaximander, Empedokles, Herakleitos, Parmenides, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Theophrastos; historians: Herodotos and Thucydides; scientists and engineers: Hippocrates, Eudoxos, Euclid, Aristarchos of Samos, Apollonios of Perge, Archimedes, Ktesibios, Philon of Byzantium, Hipparchos, Poseidonios, Geminos, Heron of Alexandria and Ptolemy (and dozens of other polymaths).

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Given these extraordinary beginnings, why have the Greeks of our time fallen so low of relying on humiliating aid from people their ancestors called barbarians? What happened to their pride, self-reliance, ingenuity and democracy?

These questions are not academic, though some professors may be asking in the privacy of their writings.

But to do justice to modern Greeks, no modern poet, philosopher, scientist or engineer from any modern country can compare to the ancient Greek thinkers. Aristotle, for example, invented science. Archimedes set the foundations of mathematical physics and engineering. And Greek scientists and engineers in the second century BCE created the world's first computer (Antikythera Mechanism) with advanced science and technology.

Greek history is millennia long and complicated. And it's not easy to be objective. I sympathize with Greek historians like Polybios, Strabo, and Athenaios who reported on Greece and Rome while living under Roman rule. They saw occupied Greece through Roman eyes.

Greece in 2016 is theoretically free. And I live under American rule.

I also studied Greek history in the United States. Do I see Greece through American eyes? I don't think so.

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The huge contrast between museum Greeks of more than two millennia ago and the living Greeks of 2016 is a result of massive changes. Ancient Greeks accomplished so much so soon in an environment they believed in, the political life of the polis and the Greek state of the Alexandrian era. They had built both of them. They were independent. Even a tiny fraction of their writings surviving today sufficed to wake up the Europeans from the millennial slumber of the dark ages. That awakening is known as the Renaissance of the fifteenth century.

Christianity brought on the dark ages to Europe in the fourth century by shutting down the light of ancient Greece. Greeks paid a tremendous price from the Christianization of their country. They lived though genocide and witnessed the destruction of their intellectual and material culture.

Christian Greece suffered even more from other Christian states and, finally, from the appalling Turkish occupation.

Christian Greece became independent in 1828.

Modern Greeks carry with them the double inheritance of ancient Greece and Christianity. Those Greeks who know Greek history reject the Christian background and seek inspiration from the likes of Homer, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle and Archimedes. Then they face our times, inundated by fragments of truth and massive propaganda about everything, including the inheritance we have from ancient Greece.

The Greek politicians of our time are largely educated in the US. But the politicians running Greece in 2016 are the product of the Greek civil war of the 1940s and cold war. They absorbed the communist propaganda but wear blue jeans. So they are destroying Greece for selfish and unpatriotic reasons.

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However, the fake Greek politicians are not alone. They are doing the bidding of the powerful consortium of European and American banks that insist they must have their pound of flesh for the bad loans they made to corrupt Greek governments.

So the tourists look at the ancient Greek treasures with admiration and nostalgia, food for thought for the rest of their lives. These treasures, and the surviving works of Homer and Aristotle, for example, are the future for modern Greeks and the rest of us. If only we had the courage to take them seriously.

I don't mean the biology of Aristotle and the engineering of the Greek computer are superior to our biology and computers. No. But Aristotle brings to his work virtues we must have to avoid our biology becoming biological warfare. Aristotle studied animals because, he said, they bring out the truth of nature and they are beautiful. UNESCO is celebrating in 2016 the 2,400 anniversary of his birth.

The Greek computer also brought the heavens and the Earth together for the common good.

The Greeks wrote and built things for beauty, truth, and the public good, virtues they brought down to Earth from their studies of the heavens.

The struggle of modern Greeks, trying to understand who they are, should be our struggle. Their classical inheritance is ours, too.
By Irani Arraiz and Yuri Soares





Irani Arraiz leads the impact evaluations of many Multilateral Investment Fund projects, including projects that are designed to increase the competitiveness of businesses in Latin America. She has a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland and an MBA from IESA in Caracas, Venezuela.

Have you noticed that when you are driving with a passenger in your car, you stop talking whenever you have to perform a complicated maneuver (such as passing a truck on a narrow road or merging into traffic from an on-ramp)? It's because that task requires extra attention, and we have a limited budget for attention (cognitive bandwidth). Because the two activities requiring attention (the maneuver and talking) interfere with one another, it is a challenge to successfully complete the two simultaneously.

I learned this very early. When my brother and I were kids, we bickered a lot, as siblings usually do. During one of our arguments, my mom scratched the side of her car; she was climbing a narrow spiral ramp in a manual car with a couple of squabbling kids in the back seat. That afternoon was not pleasant for my brother and me. From then on, we were mindful of driving conditions, and reserved the squabbles to empty roads, so as not to tax my mom's bandwidth.

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When we train entrepreneurs using traditional training methods, we tax their bandwidth. The activities that we have taught them and that we ask them to put in practice--such as calculating cash flow or keeping accurate records--also demand bandwidth. If you run a small business and must make constant decisions--how much inventory to purchase, where to get better terms for a loan--plus worry about issues such as power outages, while also dealing with the everyday issues of family life, your bandwidth is likely to be overtaxed. As a result, you are bound to suffer from decision fatigue and tunneling. Your attention selectively focuses on only the most pressing needs, often ignoring important tasks and decisions. The chances are that you won't spend much time thinking about the steps required to implement a proper accounting system for your small business, or any of the concepts typically mentioned during a traditional business training session.

The failure of traditional business training to understand and adapt to constraints faced by microentrepreneurs may be one of the reasons that training programs are usually found to be ineffective. In a 2013 review by David McKenzie and Chris Woodruff, the authors find that only in a very few cases does training of small businesses have demonstrated impacts on profits or sales.



Multilateral Investment Fund

That is why modern development practice is adopting a new approach to business training, which limits the effortful attention required from the entrepreneur by using rules of thumb. We are testing this new approach and training about 1,600 micro and small entrepreneurs in Ecuador. For instance, instead of teaching the entrepreneurs how to calculate their cash flow (Have you calculated a cash flow? It's complicated!), we teach them simple behaviors. For example, we tell them to start each day with the same amount of cash in their cash box, and that if they count the cash at the end of the day (which they need to record so they can keep track of their weekly and monthly cash flows), they will have a pretty good idea about their cash movement. We also tell them that they need to keep their business's and household's money separate, and that it is much easier to keep track of sales and payments if they use different spaces in the cash box. Furthermore, we give them cash boxes and financial diaries that are already labeled to easily keep their business's records. We try to keep it very simple. The end result is the same--the entrepreneur understands his or her cash movement and can plan accordingly.

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There is evidence that this method is working. Alejandro Drexler, Greg Fischer and Antoinette Schoar show that applying a rules-of-thumb approach to training microentrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic improved the business owners' financial practices and boosted their revenues. For example: during weeks when business was slow, sales for the 404 business owners that received this training were, on average, 18.5% greater than sales for a group of 387 microentrepreneurs who received no training.

Using rules of thumb increases the chances of the entrepreneur adopting "best practices" because it does not require major mental effort. And in Ecuador, we are further helping the business owners. We offer

reduced costs of participating in training (we provide free transportation to the training sites, which are located near their businesses, and offer training at convenient times)

(we provide free transportation to the training sites, which are located near their businesses, and offer training at convenient times) incentives to adopt the practices (raffles for those completing the "challenge")

to adopt the practices (raffles for those completing the "challenge") reminders to reduce the action-intention gap

We expect that training based on rules of thumb will lead many more entrepreneurs to adopt best practices, and that these practices will lead to better managed small businesses.

Yuri Soares

Yuri Soares is chief of development effectiveness at the Multilateral Investment Fund. He has a PhD in economics from Michigan State University and a master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Florida. He has worked in the United States and Brazil.
The word "childhood" usually brings to mind things like school, friends or play. But for too many children, these are foreign concepts. In dozens of armed conflicts around the world, there are currently tens of thousands of children -- and some estimates even go as high as 250,000 -- engaged as soldiers or being held by armed groups. The notion of children living in military camps or fighting wars is inhuman in the strictest sense of the word: it robs its victims of a phase of their lives to which every human being is entitled. But for many children impacted by conflict, this is the reality they must face every day.

The situation is especially dire in South Sudan, a nation where violence continues even after last August's peace agreement between government and opposition leaders. This conflict has disproportionately affected the children of South Sudan. During my many visits to the country, I have seen malnourished boys and girls in camps for displaced people, schools turned into army barracks, and perhaps worst of all, hundreds of child soldiers wearing military uniforms and carrying guns. According to UNICEF, there have been 16,000 children recruited by armed groups in South Sudan since the conflict began.

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In 2014, I and Leila Zerrougui, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, met with ranking leaders from both sides of the conflict to discuss this pressing issue. Despite pledges from South Sudan's president and the primary rebel leader that they would end the recruitment of child soldiers and do more to protect children impacted by the violence, little genuine progress has been made. According to the UN, more than 2,500 children were recruited as soldiers in 2015, and over the past few months, the use of child soldiers has been the most frequently reported violation of the August peace agreement.

"The notion of children living in military camps or fighting wars is inhuman in the strictest sense of the word: it robs its victims of a phase of their lives to which every human being is entitled."

In South Sudan and six other countries, the Children, Not Soldiers campaign -- an initiative undertaken by the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict -- continues to work with governments and other groups to end the use and recruitment of child soldiers. My commitment to Children, Not Soldiers is rooted in my own experiences growing up in South Los Angeles, knowing too many children whose lives would be forever marred by gang violence. For those children whom violence is robbing of a future, it is imperative that we act now.

But we must also realize that our obligations to these children do not end when they are liberated from armed forces and groups. Helping children rebuild their lives after such unfathomable traumas is central to the Children, Not Soldiers campaign -- reintegration is part of each and every action plan signed by governments with the United Nations.

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We may take a child out of an army, but unless we do more for him -- help him re-enter society, enroll him in a good school, teach him a useful trade -- we have not set him free. For so many of these children, war and violence are all they have ever known, and if we do not take it upon ourselves to teach them something new, then they are just soldiers-in-waiting. And when another war breaks out five or ten years in the future, they will be the first ones recruited to go back to the battlefield.

We must act to prevent this. Not only because these children deserve the chance to live normal, healthy lives, but also because we have an opportunity to avert future violence. If we can make these children emotionally whole again and restore a sense of normalcy to their lives, then they will be able to put down their arms for good, and, instead of perpetuating vicious cycles of violence, they will help build a peaceful future for their country.

In the last few years, we have coalesced around this issue in unprecedented ways and have made important strides toward ending the use of child soldiers around the world. Countries that have long been among the most egregious violators are now showing a true will to reform. The international community must continue its support for these efforts without compromise or exception, and -- just as importantly -- we must provide the resources necessary to put in place and strengthen the programs that we need to truly rebuild these children's lives.

It is impossible for us to comprehend the magnitude of a child soldier's pain: how deep his wounds, how heavy her burden, how alone these children must feel when they return from the battlefield to a world they do not recognize. Unless we are there to meet them with open arms, open homes, and open schools, their wars will never end. And neither will ours.
Love charm from tiny but powerful Aioi-Sha Shrine, Kyoto. Photo by Gail Nakada.

Packing your heart along with your passport for that trip to Japan? Has Kyoto got a shrine for you!

History and beauty are not the only reasons Japanese choose which of the hundreds of temples and shrines to put on their Kyoto to-do lists. For centuries (and longer) certain shrines have made a reputation for themselves as especially lucky in love.



Scarlet and white knotted cords represent the love bond. Jishu Jinja Shrine, Kyoto. Photo by Gail Nakada.

For the record, I'm not saying a quick stop at these shrines will actually lead to true love. Visiting holy places to ask for luck in love, health, or work is an ancient Japanese folk ritual and an important part of any visit to a temple or shrine. For visitors, it's a great way to participate in the local culture and bring back some good stories.

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The entrance to Jishu Jinja is up this set of stone stairs. The sign on the right says 'enmusubi kami' -- shrine for the love bond god. Photo by Gail Nakada.

Jishu Jinja Shrine

Situated right on the grounds of must-see Kiyomizu Temple, Jishu Jinja is easy to include in your itinerary. It's a happy place where the Miko, holy maidens, always add "Oshiawase ni," -- may you find happiness -- with every charm or votive object they sell.

There are lots of things to see, touch, and do, all squeezed into a compact setting. Whether you are looking for love or not, don't miss a visit here. It's just so much fun.

If you're going to do this like a local, stop at the spring of freshwater, the tenmizuya, to purify yourself before you enter.

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The shrine's beloved pet rock. Well, rock that you pet... Photo by Gail Nakada.

Jishu Jinja's most famous sacred object is the Koi Uranai no Ishi, the love fortune stone, believed to enhance love luck. One of the basic principles of Shintoism is that divine energy and spirituality can reside in natural objects: trees, mountains, water, stones, so many things.

Bound by a Shinto shimegawa straw rope, the Koi Uranai no Ishi stands at the top of a short staircase that leads to the main altar. Everyone stops to give it a pat.

Before you go up the stairs to the stone, look to the right at the bronze statue of a man in ancient Japanese dress and a very happy rabbit.



The love god and his happy bunny. Jishu Jinja, Kyoto. Photo by Gail Nakada.

The man is the Shinto god Okuninushi. He has been a number of things in the heavenly pantheon, among them the ruler of spirits and magic. The rabbit is his special friend. In an ancient myth, Okuninushi helped the poor animal when it was in agony. In return, the rabbit predicted Okuninushi would meet his true love. And, as the story goes, he did! The two of them are iconic figures for love shrines. Be sure to pay your respects on the way up the steps.

But wait! There's more!

Hanging just above the happy rabbit is an ornate gold-painted object that looks something like an overweight hammer. Pick it up and shake it.

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Do it!

Marked with the words enmusubi (to join together), this magic hammer belongs to Okuninushi. For the Japanese, enmusubi is a symbol of the love bond and is most often found at love shrines and written on love charms. Shaking the hammer here at Jishu Jingu is supposed to sprinkle some of the god's love luck on visitors.

Now go to the top of the stairs and pet the rock.

The lucky stone has a twin just a few yards straight ahead. The myth is that a person looking for love must close their eyes and walk from one stone to the other.



This is where you walk the Jishu Jinja walk of love. Photo by Gail Nakada.

No helping from friends or they, in turn, must also walk-the-walk in order not to jinx the ritual. Foreign and Japanese visitors one after the other try the walk (it's not that hard) cheered on by those in line.

Here at the top of the hill is the main altar plus several sub-shrines clustered close together. Colorful and intricately decorated, they all make beautiful photo ops.

Be sure to stop at the shrine for Ebisu (toward the back, on the right). He's the God of Fisherman and Good Fortune from the Seven Gods of Good Luck and another guy with a magic hammer.

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The Ebisu Shrine at Jishu Jinja is hands-on. Notice the same triumphant pose as Okuninushi! Photo by Gail Nakada.

After tossing a few coins in the offering box, bowing, and making a wish, visitors are supposed to rub the statues -- there are several -- for an extra boost of good luck. Go ahead. It's fun to have permission to actually touch these objects.

Another popular stop is at a table containing an offering box and thin sheets of white rice paper. Visitors make an offering, take a piece of paper, and carefully write their wish.



Write your wishes on the rice paper and place it in the water. Notice the 'closed' sign? We did not make the 5 p.m. cut off. Photo by Gail Nakada.

Once that's done, they place it in the large wooden container of clear water blessed by the priests next to the table. As the paper dissolves, they ask their wish be granted.

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Back down the steps by the shrine store selling charms, go to the left to visit the ornate Inari Shrine and its fox guardians. Inari is the God of Rice and by association, commerce. Rice was the old measure of wealth. The foxes are both guardians and divine messengers carrying the wishes of the people to the god.



Charms are clearly marked in English at Jishu Jinja. Photo by Gail Nakada.

What to Buy: Love charms, of course, but also shiawase omamori, charms for happiness, since this shrine is considered a very happy place. There are several types of enmusubi omamori (love charms) and all have signs in English to help you make your choice. Prices start at just 500 yen. If you are already married, you should just buy one enmusubi charm as a couple since this symbolizes your strong union will not be divided. Happiness charms have no such restrictions -- so spread the love!

Access: From Kyoto Station, take the 100 express bus or the 206 bus to Kiyomizu Temple. Walk up the hill. After passing by Kiyomizu's brightly painted gate and pagoda, look for the stone steps to the left. Up the stairs is the entrance to Jishu Jinja Shrine.

Hours: 9-5. They begin shutting things down a little early at the upper shrine. If you want to write your wishes on rice paper, be sure to arrive at least by 4:30. The lights go out promptly at five.
Cupido is coming to town once again!

And for his arrival all around the world, every Feb. 14, restaurants make special menus, red candies and heart-shaped chocolates pop up in grocery stores and hotels in the most romantic destinations, included my lovely Venice, fill up.

Music has always been a way for me to express my feelings and how I felt in some situations. And love is often the focus of my songwriting. Love is also the key work for me to choose songs form my concerts. Love is also the way I live my life.

Is there any better festivity for a hopeless romantic like me? Answer: For sure no.

Even thought I think we should celebrate love everyday, to have a day dedicated to LOVE gives us "romantics" the chance to make it as lovely and unforgettable as we can.

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Nowadays lovers exchange chocolates, candies and expensive jewelries. But how did Valentine's Day become what is today?

They say that its roots go all the way back to an ancient Roman ritual called Lupercalia, a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture and to Romulus and Remus (founders of Rome). Lupercalia was later outlawed because of its un-Christian nature and Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 St. Valentine's Day in honor of a martyr who lived in the third century.

But it was during the 14th century that St. Valentine's Day became connected with love. Scholars say Chaucer was one of the first who linked the festivity with romance. Also, in medieval France and England it was believed that birds mated on Feb. 14, that is why Chaucer used birds as symbol of lovers. By the 18th century, people started exchanging hand-made Valentine cards: it officially became the day of love.

Personally, I love intimate dinners or long walks, but usually the most appreciated gifts are said to be romantic escapes (what about a getaway on a beach in the Caribbean or a gondola ride in Venice at night?).

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Concerts (people often propose during romantic songs!) and dinners in beautiful restaurants are also very popular. Another perfect date to me, would be to watch a romantic movie. 50 First Dates, Sleepless in Seattle and Roman Holiday are some of my favorites.

I did some researches because I love quick facts and Buzzfeed-like lists. So here are some numbers:

Valentine's Day factshttp://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/valentines-day-facts:

According to a Hallmark research, more than half of the U.S. population celebrate Valentine's Day by purchasing greeting cards. 150 million cards are exchanged each Valentine's Day. More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold. More than 220 million roses are produced for the holiday in a year. All together American spend more than 20 billion dollars for Valentine's Day. 6 million couples are likely to get engaged on February 14.

There are also many Valentine's Day Superstitionshttp://superstitionsonline.com/valentines-day-superstitions/ Here some of my favorites:

1. On Valentine's Day, the first guy's name you read in the paper or hear on the TV or radio will be the name of the man you will marry.

2. If you see a goldfinch on Valentine's Day, you will marry a millionaire.

3. If you see a robin on Valentine's Day, you will marry a crime fighter - maybe they mean Batman!

4. If you see a flock of doves on Valentine's Day, you will have a happy, peaceful marriage.

In Italy for the love's day we usually go on a date or book a weekend somewhere. My top choices would be Florence, Rome, Positano and -- guess what -- Venice.

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And if you are in Venice on Valentine's day here are three wonderful things to do you will never forget:

1. Grab your loved one for an impromptu dance under the moon in St. Mark Square.

2. Walk over the Bridge of Sighs hand-in-hand with your loved one while you visit the Doge's palace.

3. Leave the crowds and take a wander down less well-known alleys where lay the places to stumble across the real deal in some delicious Venetian cooking.

4. Get lost in the rainbow color island of Burano. A dream in a dream!

You can't go wrong with them.

And if Cupid has not sent his arrow to your heart yet and you are single? No reasons not to celebrate and here's what you can do:

1. Pamper yourself and buy yourself cute Valentine's Day gifts, which could be flowers, a cute teddy or a dress you have been planning to buy since long or shoes. You may also indulge yourself by going in for spa or head to toe beauty treatment. Indulging in books, CDs, and gourmet meals can be a good way of enjoying the day for some.

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2. Have a fun extravaganza night with friends: Plan out a dinner, a movie or a concert with best friends. You may also throw a "singles party" or "Un-Valentine's Day Party" at your home and have a blast. You will know that life is fun in the company of loving friends.

3. Express gratitude for friends and dear ones: instead of feeling depressed and ashamed for not having a significant other to spend the day you can spend Valentine's Day in a constructive manner by expressing love and affection for people around you. One can thank and greet Valentine's Day to one's parents, friends, colleagues, neighbors or anyone dear. Visiting hospitals and giving roses to sick can also be a touching way of experiencing bliss on Valentine's Day, or visiting an orphanage or old age home who are always in need of love and affection.

And as for me this year on Valentine's Day?

I will be in Roanoke Virginia sharing love and music live in the studio of Blue Ridge PBS where my television show "From Venice With Love" will air at 7 p.m.

So what can you do also on Valentine's Day if you live in Roanoke, Virginia ? Have a nice dinner for two ready, with a nice glass of prosecco... candlelight the TV tuned in on Blue Ridge PBS ad enjoy my super romantic television special From Venice With Love with your loved one.

You don't live there? You can play my DVD of "From Venice With Love" or my CD... and love will be in the air.

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Let the countdown starts...

From Venice With Love,
The world is a big old place, and sometimes one of the biggest travelling challenges can actually be deciding where to venture to next. When you're choosing between the Caribbean coast lines of Belize, the lush tropical lands of South East Asia or the cosmopolitan pull of East Coast America, which one do you pick?

Yet for us, there's always something about Europe. Call us old school, but that winning formula of bedazzling Mediterranean coastlines, vintage Hollywood glamour meets hipster chic cities and food that's so good it makes you want to cry yourself to sleep when you can't eat it anymore, kind of gets us every time. Europe just does something to you, it gives you a feeling, like this is the kind of travel experience you've always been searching for. Call us philosophical, but a trip to Europe really does change who you are as a person, and we can prove it...

YOU'LL SEE CULTURES AND TRADITIONS YOU'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE

With approximately 50 countries that make up the continent, that's a whole lot of different cultures to get your head around, each one with their own beliefs and traditions. Did you know that, for example, the locals of Budapest take to the Szechenyi Baths each day for a friendly game of chess, or that the residents of Ashbourne, a small market town in Derbyshire, England, celebrate Shrovetide every Pancake Day - an annual game of rugby that takes over the town and pits the Northern vs Southern residents against one another. From the 24 hour ravers of Berlin to the Matriarchal mothers of Italy, each country is entirely different from the next, and only by travelling and immersing yourself fully into each culture can you truly appreciate just how varied and incredible Europe really is.

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Image Credit - six-two

YOU'LL HEAR A WHOLE LOAD OF NEW LANGUAGES

C'mon, admit it, everyone wishes they could speak another language - there's just something so innately attractive about someone speaking a tongue that isn't your own. And whilst a trip to Europe isn't going to suddenly make you a bilingual whizz kid, it will make you more sensitive to other languages, and even pick up a few key words and phrases along the way. The golden key to doing this? Actually make an effort. Everyone knows the Europeans have killer English language skills, but they will respect you so much more as a visitor to their country if you actually make the effort to speak to them in their mother tongue, irrelevant of how terrible you sound. And in doing this, you in turn become more receptive to new languages. So go on, challenge yourself, if nothing else you'll pick up a few new words along the way.

Image Credit - six-two

YOUR DEFINITION OF OLD WILL BE REDEFINED

We're not just talking old, like 500 years old, we're talking oooolllllllddddd, as in thousands of years old. The Pantheon, the Acropolis, the Colosseum, Stone Henge, The Pyramids (OK so in Africa, but close to Europe) - all these buildings are literally steeped in history, and give you a sudden and very clear insight into what life was like back in the (very old) day. Suddenly you get an appreciation for our modern day world and luxuries, and at the same time realise how very transient and quickly we each exist on this planet. Deep thoughts aside, these ancient and monumental structures and just fundamentally cool; they make history come alive, and they make you wonder with amazement how such complex structures were built without modern day advancements like electricity or transport.

Image Credit - six-two

YOU'LL TASTE FOOD THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

You seriously haven't lived until you've eaten a bonafide, home cooked pizza from Italy, tiny and tasty Dutch pofferjes, Spanish tapas or Hungarian goulash. Literally, the list of European dishes is endless, and again it comes back to the fact that each country within Europe is so completely different to the next. Leave the weight worries at home and just go forth and EAT - taste everything, from the glorious to the gruesome and all that's in between, then wash it all down with a rejuvenating aperol spritz or cheap but delicious French plonk.

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Image Credit - six-two

YOUR OCEAN GOALS WILL REACH NEW HEIGHTS

If you're travelling from a country like Australia, you're naturally going to be a little sceptical in believing Europe can offer ocean magnificence in the same scale as what you're used to. But oh how Europe will surprise you! Take it from someone who's travelled extensively - the colour of the water in the Greek Isles, and the clarity and beauty of the Adriatic coast of Croatia, is like nothing you've ever seen before. Don't underestimate the power of the Mediterranean and the quality of Europe's beaches, they are quite honestly spectacular - the kind of beauty and ocean colour you dream about on a rainy afternoon wishing for escapism.

Image Credit - six-two

YOU'LL WALK STRAIGHT INTO A REAL LIFE MOVIE SET

If you're a sucker for all things cinema, or HBO for that matter, you won't have reason to complain. Europe's cities have provided real life movie sets for some of the silver screens biggest blockbusters - a whole heap of the Bond movies, Bourne Ultimatum, the Harry Potter franchise, every Richard Curtis film ever (think Notting Hill, Love Actually), The Godfather - the list goes on, and on, and on. And how can you forget Croatia and it's now legendary relationship to Game of Thrones. Just walking along the city walls of Dubrovnik gives you tingles, for all the right reasons.

Image Credit - six-two

YOU'LL MEET PEOPLE WITH INCREDIBLE STORIES TO TELL

Behind every face is a story, some good, some bad, some unbelievable. War, progression, the ever fluctuating economy - all these factors are contributing players to Europe's story, and in turn form part of the story of Europe's residents. Take the time to speak to locals and listen to what they have to say - listen to the stories recounted from when the wall fell in Berlin, when the Croatian War of Independence finally ended, the continuing temperamental nature of the Greek economy, and get to know the real history of Europe, as told by the people who lived through, and continue to live through these significant events. What will amaze you the most is the resilient nature of the human race, and the ability to find peace and happiness despite the greatest of adversities.

Image Credit - six-two

YOU'LL HAVE EXPERIENCES YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD

Where else in the world can you haggle for goods in the bazaars of Istanbul, get lost amongst the vines on a wine tasting tour in Florence, spend lazy days on deck cruising the azure waters of the Greek Islands or soak up the apres vibes after a hard day hitting the snowy slopes of Austria, all within a few hours flying of one another? Europe offers the kind of unique, once in a lifetime experiences you can't get anywhere else in the world - the kind of experiences you'll reminisce about when you're old and grey, storytelling to your Grandchildren.

Image Credit - six-two

BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT OPPORTUNITY IT COULD LEAD TO

Travel is so much more than just getting on a plane, exploring a few different countries then returning it home. If you see it as an opportunity, it's one of the biggest things you can do in your life, which can have the biggest influence on you and your path in so many different ways. You could fall madly in love, you could meet your best friend for life, you could get chatting to a local, get offered a job and stay forever, or come across a project that piques your interest and end up volunteering for the next few months. Travel is what you make it, and if you see your trip to Europe as an opportunity, that's exactly what it will be. Let Europe open your eyes, fill your heart and leave you with memories that will last a lifetime. Corny as crap, but you know it's true...

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Image Credit - six-two

Want to give your trip to Europe the total #OMG factor? Head on over to contiki.com/omg and take advantage of the epic savings available.
Over 100 JAKKS BIG-FIGS Stormtrooper action figures are seen as a part of an installation at The Americana at Brand for the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, in Glendale, Calif. The new BIG-FIGS Stormtroopers, inspired by the latest Star Wars movie, are available now at all major retailers. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for JAKKS/AP Images)

Global Risk Insights recently spoke with Dr. Zachary Feinstein at the Washington University in St. Louis about the connection between science fiction and political risk.

The human race has never known any limits to the imagination. From energy exploration on the moon to the space act signed last November by the Obama administration, space and science fiction mixes seamlessly into the possibilities of innovation and future opportunities. What lessons does this genre hold for analysts and researchers of international affairs, economics and political risk?

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Science Fiction's Beginnings

The "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" miniseries inspired by the Jules Verne novel takes place in 1886. (ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

What is some of the history of political risk in the world of science fiction? Do we see elements of risk in works such as "The Foundation" series by Isaac Asimov? What can business analysts and students of political economy and international affairs learn from works from the classical age, or from sci-fi, in general?

The history of political risk in science fiction goes back even before Isaac Asimov to the original classics. It goes to Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," it begins with an international incident. This is where political risk begins to appear in science fiction. Captain Nemo begins his journey after his family is murdered in a war.

Going forward to the "Foundation" series, you see the idea of psychohistory and the first and section foundation. This is the done by the mathematician Hari Seldon to hedge his bets in regards to the political risk and to make sure the dark ages did not extend 10,000 years. This was based on statistics, mathematics, and low probability events; psychohistory and the second "Foundations" was how to restart a stable, galactic government when these low probability events, such as The Mule, happen. This character was depicted as powerful warlord that was extremely powerful. However, it turned out that he was a lot weaker than everyone thought he was.

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The Economics of 'Star Wars'

Tatooine's twin suns. (Istvan Kadar Photography via Getty Images)

What parallels does the original "Star Wars" trilogy have to economics here on Earth? What examples of political risk exist for the Imperial government and normal citizens of the Galactic Empire and the post-war order?

The Galactic Empire has to have a tremendous amount of economic control.

This would be done through the banks in existence; the "InterGalactic Banking Clan" was nationalized, which is as close as we come to a central bank in "Star Wars." This is almost a "too big to fail" institution that is closely linked to a dictatorial regime.

Once you have the downfall of that regime, they knew that those who would come to power would choose to not rescue this bank. Even if they could do so, in the wake of the Galactic civil war, you wouldn't have this institution survive. The "InterGalactic Banking Clan" would go under. Other banks would be affected. This would spread into the financial sector and into the banking sector. This would impact loans and commodity pricing and spread throughout the economy.

This is an example of a low probability event (the Rebel Alliance taking out the empire). In one sense, this would be good from a political freedom point of view but in the short term would have big economic consequences, like the IMF or the World Bank would have to provide loans to the new government. But we'd likely end up with economic disaster.

This could even impact regular citizens who were largely left alone by the empire. If you look at life on Tatooine, until the droids and stormtroopers showed up, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker didn't seem to be impacted by the empire in the least.

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How does the criminal underworld and black market exist in "Star Wars" (original trilogy)? Are there economic lessons for our world that can be drawn from Jabba the Hutt and the empire's employment of bounty hunters?

The outer rim planets are operating in their own economy. The black market is very dominated in this region of the galaxy, and is under the rule of the Hutts. We have characters like Han Solo, who is a smuggler and is pretty good at it (except for dropping his cargo at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser). This economy might be a sign of high tariffs imposed by the Galactic Empire. For instance, if there was a free trade agreement, you might not have people smuggling too much.

After Episode IV and the failure of the Imperial forces to capture the droids, they tend to rely on bounty hunters like Boba Fett that are specialists in finding people or droids, rather than using foot soldiers of the Empire. After the destruction of the first Death Star, they also lost a large number of stormtroopers and leadership, like Grand Moff Tarkin, a lot of material and wealth. However, the regime continued and they decided to build a second Death Star. This would mean higher taxes and unintelligent policies.

But this brings us to the notion of mutually assured destruction. The Rebel Alliance would never have the resources necessary for a bailout, which would equal 15 to 20 percent of the entire Galactic economy. Many people on the outer rim planets may have preferred to live under the rule of the Hutts, even though they are a gangster regime, because they would possibly allow more economic freedom.

'The Force Awakens'

"The Force Awakens" characters on display in Mexico. (Victor Chavez/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios)

What does "The Force Awakens" tell us about political risk and economics as the new trilogy kicks off? What does the state of the galactic economy show us for life 30 years after the Battle of Endor?

In "The Force Awakens," we have the New Republic, the Resistance and the First Order. The Resistance has the backing of the New Republic and appears to be fighting the First Order's territory. This shows parallels to the Cold War, just as the United States and the Soviet Union supported different proxies.

However, the New Republic doesn't have any technology that could match the First Order that would guarantee mutually assured destruction.

The New Republic sought a peaceful and non-militaristic existence with a highly militaristic regime and was destroyed in one attack. This alludes to France, Britain and Germany before WWII with the Munich Agreement.

The Galactic economy has not fared well during the last 30 years. You really see this on Jakku, with Rey, an entire economy based on recovering materials from destroyed starships and not producing anything new. Rey is living in an AT-AT walker and survives by selling parts directly for rations.

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The Starkiller Base may have been cheaper to build than the Death Star. You would need to create an entire atmosphere inside the Death Star. With the Starkiller Base, they just used an existing planet which already had the atmosphere and materials. The costs, though I haven't crunched the numbers, may have been smaller. Bigger is not always more expensive. The destruction of the Starkiller Base won't be good for the economy of the First Order.

Extreme political parties do better during these times. We've seen it during the Great Depression and we see it now. Saddam Hussein's army officers and intelligence officers had everything, and now we have seen them go to form ISIS.

From an economic point, things have been so bad since the Battle of Endor that people may have preferred to go back to the empire.

This would be especially true if the Galactic economy was destroyed. For someone uninterested in politics, now suddenly poorer, the First Order comes along and says, "Join us and we will pay you." Then they become a stormtrooper. A lot of people would agree with that choice during a time of economic hardships. Extreme political parties do better during these times. We've seen it during the Great Depression and we see it now. Saddam Hussein's army officers and intelligence officers had everything, and now we have seen them go to form ISIS. That was their livelihood and we see that in Star Wars with the First Order.

The possibilities of the First Order's existence might come from a comparison to Alexander the Great, whose empire was split up into four smaller ones after his death: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Mesopotamia and Central Asia, Attalid Anatolia, and Antigonid Macedon.

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High level generals have competed and a battled it out over time. The First Order was probably the one faction that emerged from all the remnants of the Galactic Empire, though we may see some other factions at another point in the new trilogy.

Dr. Zachary Feinstein joined the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis in 2014. His research focus has been on the applications of set-optimization to financial risk measurement, with projects studying and defining dynamic risk measures in markets with transaction costs and measures of systemic risk. This piece first appeared on Global Risk Insights.

Also on WorldPost:
BEN JEALOUS: In 2016 she supports the death penalty.

I'm willing to say, let's not hold any of her husband's bills against her, we're talking about her own actions.

Her own words

This is a woman who starts off supporting Barry Goldwater, fine that's her parents, and then she supported the Black Panther Party.

Bernie in college was going to jail with the Congress of Racial equality.

In the 80s, she chaired the Children's Defense Fund, but then in the 90s, the CDF came out with the "Super Predator" theory which said there were some kids who were so sociopathic by age six months that they were beyond redemption.

It is not just a violation of psychology it is a violation of theology.

And it was not used against young white men in Columbine, it was almost always used to explain the actions of young urban black men...

I can't explain it. It confounds me...

It comes down to the trio that MLK referred to as the triplets of evil: racism, militarism, and greed.

Bernie Sanders has been very consistent in fighting racism, in fighting stupid wars, Vietnam or Iraq, he has been very consistent in fighting greed.

When you take those with Hillary, it just gets confusing, confusing.
Co-authored with Diana K. Buchwald and Jurgen Renn

The confirmation of gravitational waves, announced this week, arrives almost exactly one century after they were first predicted in Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The detection of gravitational waves has been one of the great challenges of modern astrophysical research. Its success will open a new window on the universe and allow us to trace its evolution almost to its beginning.

Collaborative work on the historiography of 20th century physics by the Einstein Papers Project at Caltech, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, carried out over many years, has recently shown that the early story of gravitational waves was more dramatic than has hitherto been realized.

The first debates about the existence of gravitational waves even preceded the completion of general relativity by Einstein in November, 1915. The physicist Max Abraham, one of Einstein's competitors in creating a field theory of gravitation, discussed gravitational waves as early as 1912, noticing that they must be different from electromagnetic waves. When Einstein presented his theory of general relativity on Nov. 25, 1915 in Berlin, the question of whether such waves would constitute a consequence of his theory remained untouched. Einstein mentioned gravitational waves for the first time in a letter of 19 February 1916 to Karl Schwarzschild, a pioneer of astrophysics. After some obscure technical remarks, he laconically stated:

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"There are hence no gravitational waves that would be analogous to light waves."

But within a short time, he revised his opinion. On June 22, 1916 he published a follow-up paper to his recently formulated theory of the gravitational field in which he predicted the existence of gravitational waves traveling at the speed of light, in analogy with electromagnetic radiation (i.e. light, radio waves, etc.). In it, he derived a formula for the emission of gravitational waves that was marred by an error which he corrected in a subsequent paper in 1918. His calculations showed, however, that these waves were too weak to be observed with the technology then available. In addition, he also argued that a future theory of quantum gravity would be required to guarantee the stability of atoms.

Nevertheless, for decades afterwards, Einstein and many others remained uncertain about the actual, physical existence of these waves. The subject receded into the background of physics research until it was revived in the mid-1950s.

It has now taken center stage after a joint effort of the international physics community. On Feb. 11, 2016, physicists at the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory confirmed the existence of ripples in the fabric of spacetime produced by colliding black holes, gigantic astronomical objects also predicted by Schwarzschild a century ago.

The beginnings of this dramatic story have remained obscure. But now a reexamination of primary documents contained in the Einstein Archives and elsewhere, following up on the historical investigations by Daniel Kennefick, has shed new light on the earliest explorations of this subject.

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The first to squarely address the issue of gravitational waves in general relativity was Schwarzschild. He had also been the first to find an exact solution to Einstein's brand new theory while stationed at the Eastern Front during World War I, corresponding with Einstein and other physicists.

On Feb. 6, 1916 Schwarzschild wrote to Einstein about properties of a special solution to the gravitational field equations that later turned out to be crucial for the understanding of black holes. Einstein, however, showed little interest, excusing himself for his belated answer because "the special cases treated [by you] have raised my interest to a lesser degree." But he did react with excitement to something else that Schwarzschild had mentioned. It is now clear that a second communication from Schwarzschild, now lost, had fired Einstein's curiosity anew: "But your new communication I do find interesting. I confirmed your calculation." This remark is followed by Einstein's first statement about gravitational waves quoted above. So, what did Schwarzschild write that Einstein found so much more interesting than an exact solution to his field equations?

Even at that time, in the midst of a devastating war, physicists maintained a tight, albeit small, network of scientific communication, a circumstance that now allows historians to reconstruct the full story. At about the same time as he was corresponding with Einstein, Schwarzschild also communicated with another colleague, Arnold Sommerfeld, a pioneer of quantum physics: "I am rummaging around further in Einstein's field equations. Today I am totally flabbergasted."

He had tried in vain to deduce gravitational waves from an approximation to these equations and was puzzled by a conundrum he had encountered. This must have been the same problem with which he also confronted Einstein in the letter now lost. Einstein repeated the calculation and he too was unable to find gravitational waves. In his response to Schwarzschild, Einstein blamed this failure on the approximation method which he himself had come to abandon. He also referred to an argument first published by his one-time competitor Abraham against the very existence of such waves.

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But the conundrum must have remained on Einstein's mind even after Schwarzschild's premature death in May 1916.

Soon afterwards the astronomer Willem de Sitter, Einstein's main interlocutor in the debate on the structure of the universe, wrote to Einstein, spurring him to return to the challenge of gravitational waves. Einstein wrote to De Sitter: "Highly esteemed Colleague, your letter pleased me very much and inspired me tremendously." Einstein went on to explain that he had now found how the gravitational equations can be solved by circumventing the problem that had prevented him earlier from overcoming Schwarzschild's conundrum. De Sitter's letter has not survived either, but we know its effect on Einstein. On the same day he submitted his milestone paper along the long road to understanding gravitational waves as part of our physical reality.

As we now realize, these first steps were also a joint effort, even if not to the same extent as the most recent achievement.
I recently received a message from a friend still living in a suburb of Aleppo. She told me that she was closing the school she had been operating (underground since the uptick in airstrikes), and was taking the children closer to the Turkish border. As I thought about her message, I was reminded how a ceasefire observed by all parties will protect children like her students, today. But only a long-term political settlement will secure the country they will hopefully still call home, when they have children of their own. My friend's story and the fate of future generations were at the forefront of my mind as I headed to the Syria peace talks in Geneva this month.

As a member of the Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee who is a believer in dialogue rather than violence, it is still clear to me that the solution to Syria's crisis is political not military. Thus, after weeks of preparations, travel, and meetings--observed with renewed interest by the media--it felt terribly difficult to postpone the very talks necessary to make this political solution a reality.

Ultimately, when I departed Geneva two days after the official decision to postpone the Syria peace talks (scheduled to resume February 25), I couldn't help but reflect rather emotionally on the wave of activity that had transpired during the previous two weeks.

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Sitting in the Palace of Nations with UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura last Monday, our delegation listened closely to the ceasefire framework that was established. Shortly after, we met with an assembly of ambassadors who confirmed our growing confidence in the feasibility of this plan. Yet from the outset, we were concerned about compliance. The escalating Russian airstrikes around Aleppo last week, as our talks unfolded, raised internal debates about whether Russia would comply with a prospective ceasefire. And there are other concerns that linger. Will extremist factions like the al-Nusra Front observe or exploit such a deal? Does Syria's moderate opposition - of which I am a part - have a reliable commitment from all parties so that a ceasefire will adequately protect civilians? Is the establishment of a transitional government still an objective?

This last point is of particular interest.

As someone with close ties to those still suffering inside Syria, I can speak to the extent to which a ceasefire and political transition are viewed as closely intertwined. There is genuine concern that a ceasefire without the assurance of a political transition will simply preserve the current power-dynamics, and in the process, the same sources of suffering will endure. Likewise, there is grave worry about the international community, which must continue to prioritize humanitarian action as an immediate focus of these peace talks. If Syrians on the ground see humanitarian corridors open, reduced civilian casualties, and the release of detainees, they are more likely to show enthusiasm for a negotiated ceasefire.

As Syrians, we are asking what the world can do for us. And what we can do for ourselves. The ceasefire negotiations to resume later this month have opened an important opportunity for addressing Syria's humanitarian crisis in a more lasting way. But the ceasefire discussions cannot be separated from the larger political dialogue. An ultimate political transition remains the light at the end of this dark tunnel. It is the light that Syrians continue to strive toward, even in the darkness.

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Tourists couple travel in Havana, Cuba having fun. Young multiracial happy couple on backpacking vaction standing on Plaza de la Catedral, Old Havana.

As originally seen on howfarfromhome.com

I am smiling a really, really big smile right now. If you could see me, I bet you'd tell me to close my mouth because my whites were blinding you. I'm smiling because I just saw a two-part tweet from a young gent in Lagos who is looking for, as I quote, a

[Part 1]

"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with a hint of Chrissie - John Legend's wife kind of love...."

[Part 2]

"Or the couple traveling the world, running the @howfarfromhome acct on Instagram".

Someone in Nigeria has ranked us in his top 3 #relationshipgoals. That's crazy!

What's also crazy, is that Stevo and I have been inseparable for (nearly) 365 days - quite literally doing e-ve-ry-thing together (besides the obvious bathroom things, and one sailing trip Stevo took without me when we were touring the Greek isles, but that only took a few hours). Other than that, it has been just the two of us, non-stop, glued together, seeing each other's good sides, tired sides, hangry sides and back sides. It's been just the two of us and our desire to create, travel, explore, and see this fantastic world.

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I gotta stop and wonder, 'how did I get so lucky?'

It wasn't that long ago (just over a year in fact) when we were living like most serious-relationship-living-together kind of couples, only really enjoying each other's company for a brisk 30-45min in the morning, a couple hours at night, and some time on weekends (when we weren't sleeping to recover from the week, or out shopping or socializing with friends and family). We went from spending 30% of our awake time together, to 99.7% of our awake time together.

One could say we are completely head-over-hiking-boot in love. Hell, even Nigerians thousands of kilometers away can feel the love, and we're not even trying to show it.

For the record, Stevo and I are not married. We've been dating for nearly five and a half years, since the night of the blind date (yes, our amazing-we-need-to-name-something-after-her-one-day friend Ani set us up back in 2010) and we have endured one of the most fast-paced years of our lives, all whilst staying perfectly happy together.

I'm not saying we haven't had difficult times. No, no. We've argued in public, cried, questioned intentions, and then cried some more. But we've certainly come out stronger and more in love because of it all.

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We've been asked by friends, family, and even married couples how we manage to do it. As anyone knows, traveling itself heightens stress levels; between the heavy suitcases, constant getting lost, language barriers, strict budget, lack of sleep, and multiple foreign beds, and to be doing it constantly with no place to call home, one could say we are completely nuts, or really hardcore (maybe a bit of both).

What people don't know though, is that instead of adding stress and increasing the magnitude of frustration, Stevo is actually my stress relief during all of this.

Let's be honest, whenever we did something large in our life, we did it with other people. Learning to walk and talk for example - we watched our parents and they guided us. School, college, work, books, social media - we are surrounded by people and always have the luxury of asking - for advice, for guidance, for encouragement.

Having Stevo by my side, to wipe my tears, to push me, to listen to my whines and my next world-changing idea, to carry the extra packet (because there's always an extra packet), to hold my passport, to hold me in the snow, to photograph me on the mountain, to challenge my thinking, to pump the toilet that was blocked when I was cleaning it that one time in Sweden, to carry the heavy rented sled up the mountain, to cook me my food when I was wo-man down, to open my chip packet when my fingers were wet, and my jam jar when my arms were too girly, to bring me tea and breakfast when I was sick and bed ridden, to catch me when I fell off the bunk bed in the Swedish night train, to laugh at me when I picked up an entire un-cut pizza to take a bite out of it, to write our chalkboard number in the 40 degree heat and negative 20 degree snow, to find my lost glasses, to hold me during every flight's take off, to cycle beside me, to wipe my rear... view mirror in the misty rental, to brainstorm ideas with, to tickle my back while we watch movies, to talk me out of buying that horrible jacket, to enjoy my Noma birthday meal with, to run across train tracks in Florence with, to let me be my absolute true self, and to encourage me to face my fears and come to accept who I am, and who I was born to be, has been the best thing to happen to me.

I would never have taken this crazy trip alone, and I wouldn't have asked for a better human to say yes to the world with.

So what have I learnt from this experience? Quite a lot actually. There's several "rules" it seems, to keeping a relationship happy, fresh and growing stronger, so below are my tid bits of advice after spending 24-7-365 with my Stevo:

1. Compromise.

Whether you like it or not, you cannot have it your way all the time. In fact, things will rarely go your way, so learning to accept that is vital. There's also multiple ways of doing things, so know when to push for something, and know when to meet your better half, halfway.

2. Put the other person first, always.

Whether it's making tea, getting a fluffier pillow, carrying the heavy bag, or simply listening to their opinion or point of view, always put them first and follow second. If you both do it, you'll both end up super happy, all the time.

3. Communication, not assumption.

If you want something, say it out loud and spell it out. Don't assume the other person understands what your funny facial expression meant, or what your exhausted sigh implied. Spelling it out will ensure less confusion, less chance of misunderstanding, and more time to laugh.

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4. Laugh.

Stop taking everything so seriously. Honestly. Have fun. Ask your person if they're having fun. If it's no longer fun, for either of you, move on or change things up. Let excitement be your new relationship goal.

5. Take time to reflect.

You're lucky to be spending your time with the best person in the world (in your eyes). Look back often to see how far you've come together - you'll get all the feel-goods in your tummy and it will guarantee a couple of laughs.

- Chanel, How Far From Home
Approaching my 55th birthday I said a prayer, "Please let true love come into my life at this stage of my journey."

A couple of years later I was on a plane headed home from a speaking engagement in Chicago. Due to my extensive travel I was thrilled to be able to upgrade to first class. Settled in my window seat I mused that I hoped I would have an interesting seat partner to chat with. A few minutes later, with cellphone in hand, a tall handsome gentleman strode up the aisle. I overheard him chatting with his daughter as he stowed his briefcase and leather jacket in the space above. I pretended to concentrate on the book I was reading to not overhear his conversation. The flight attendant offered a beverage before takeoff and we both asked for a Chardonnay. Still nestled in my book I heard him say hello in a very deep "Radio or TV" appealing voice. He then said "Where are you going?" "Tampa." I answered. "You?" He answered Atlanta. He inquired as to my occupation. My first book was about to be published so I said "Author!" He said that he had a book about to be published too. That exchange started a two-and-a-half-hour sharing of life stories. He prefaced his by saying "I will never see you again so may I tell you my life story? It has been an emotional day." When he finished he turned to me and said "You?" I said that I would never see him again so I shared next. When the plane landed in Atlanta we de-planed and exchanged cards and said goodbye. He went off to baggage claim and I to catch the connecting flight.

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I thought of him daily for a long time but never heard a word. I did know his life story so I was not surprised. Two years passed! YES ... Two Years. This is the part of my story where everyone says that too!!! TWO YEARS!

I just had finished speaking at an event when I returned to my hotel room. I played my cell phone messages and there was that intriguing voice again. He said that he didn't blame me if I didn't return his call as he had never reached out to me but that he was in Tampa and wanted to see if I would like to meet him for a drink. My heart started to beat faster and I was in disbelief. I quickly returned the call and said that I understood as I knew his story. I would have loved to but at the time I was in Seattle. He said that he would be in Orlando six months later and would be in touch.

Months went by and one day in late March the call came. On the very day he was supposed to be in Orlando I was too. We planned to meet for lunch after my presentation. As I waited for him to arrive I wondered if I would recognize him. It had been two and a half years after only a two-and-a-half-hour plane flight. The moment arrived and he walked in the door. He took my hand and we were seated at a quiet table. He asked if I would like a glass of wine. We ordered and then he took my hand and said, "Where have you been the last two and a half years?" We sat engrossed in deep conversation and time flew and then I asked the all important question! "Why did you wait two years to call me?" I had to know. He paused and then said, "I had nothing to offer you but an affair and I knew from that airplane ride that you were not that kind of woman." Now everyone that hears our story says "Ahhhhhh!" Yes his life had changed. He was offered a wonderful opportunity in Chicago that took him out of retirement and back into his amazing career and he wanted to get to know me better. He said that he had kept my card all that time and knew if his life ever changed he would look for me.

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The rest is a fairy tale come true as my prayers were answered. On my 60th birthday I had a beautiful engagement ring on my finger. We have now been married almost eight years. Each day is a love affair all over again. He is a true partner, boyfriend and husband in one. To find this at this stage in my journey of life is a gift that I treasure everyday.

So as you take your own journey always have hope that your life's partner is just a step or a seat away.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:
One year ago today, the United States Senate, in one of its first acts of the 114th Congress, passed the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015, on a vote of 980.

As Senator Grassley explained, "the choice is between the convicted child pornography offender being held responsible for the full loss and the innocent victim not receiving full compensation."

Unfortunately, the Senate's bold vision for child pornography victimsled by Senators Hatch and Schumerhas all but died in the House Judiciary Committee which has failed to act for almost a year.

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During that time federal courts have grown increasingly frustrated, while child victims have been denied meaningful compensation for the lifelong injuries they suffer. Child pornography criminals, who have repeatedly expressed fear and dismay about paying restitution, are newly emboldened in attacking every aspect of the current restitution law.

The painful outcome for children who have been repeatedly raped and sexually exploited is unpaid bills for therapy and few resources to help them live with dignity.

Without criminal restitution, many victims must rely on taxpayer-funded public assistance while wealthy defendants serve a few years in a minimum security taxpayer-funded prison and return to a life of relative comfort and privilege.

Sadly, young victims of some of the most heinous crimes are ignored and forgotten while the House Judiciary Committee sits idly by, seemingly immune to the despair and injustice unfolding daily in the federal courts.

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Chief Justice Robert's warning in the disastrous Supreme Court decision in Parolinewhich began this current round of sufferinghas been repeated over and over again by the lower courts:

Unfortunately, the restitution statute that Congress wrote for child pornography offenses makes it impossible to award that relief to Amy in this case.Congress set up a restitution system sure to fail in cases like this one.[I]t would be a mistaketo lead readers to conclude thatCongress has done justice for victims of child pornography. The statute as written allows no recovery; we ought to say so, and give Congress a chance to fix it.

Paroline v. United States (2014).

Despite the almost unanimous consensus in the Senate, and 74 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House led by Amy's Congressman Matt Cartwright, Congress has long had a chance to "fix it" and failed.

Judges across the country are equally frustrated:

"As an initial matter, the Court notes that of the handful of district courts that have grappled with the matter of restitution in child pornography cases post-Paroline, several have expressed their concern with the lack of precise guidance from Congress and the Supreme Court in deciding restitution awards in these circumstances. Having now grappled with the same issues, this Court finds that such concerns are well-founded." United States v. Miner (Northern District of New York)

"It appears to this Court that some of the factors the Supreme Court suggests be considered are at best difficult, and at worst impossible to calculate in this case as in most similar cases. The Court is not entirely comfortable making such calculations in this or similar situations but believes it compelled to do so by the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Paroline." United States v. Crisostomi (Rhode Island)

"Paroline suggests that district courts, 'as a starting point, determine the amount of the victim's losses caused by the continuing traffic in the victim's images'[T]he Court believesit is simply not possible for the Government to show, 'as a starting point,' the amount of losses caused by the 'continuing trafficking' in Cindy and Vicky's images. This theoretical starting point will simply not exist in many cases." United States v. Reynolds (Eastern District of Michigan)

"Some courts have difficulty determining a starting point for the losses caused by the "continuing trafficking" of images.Paroline is of limited use because no logical starting point can be determined." United States v. Austin (Nevada)

"While the Paroline factors offer some guidance, the practical application of those factors is extraordinarily difficult." United States v. Ayer (Nevada)

"It is extremely difficult to quantify the loss sustained by these minor victims." United States v. Miller (Eastern District of Michigan)

"These tools provided by Paroline, while seemingly useful in a theoretical sense, have proven to have very difficult, and very limited, practical application." United States v. Campbell-Zorn (Montana)

"Though commentators may quarrel over the astuteness of the Supreme Court's professed confidence in the skill of the district courts to divine a true course through this thicketthe task seems akin to piloting a small craft to safe harbor in a Nor'easter.. The task of charting passage through these unknown waters is overwhelming." United States v. DiLeo (Eastern District of New York)

"While Congress could and should have made determination of the amount to which a victim is entitled a simple matter, it regrettably did not." United States v. Galan (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals)

"Congress is currently considering a enacting a law that would provide for a graduated system of restitution for victims of child pornography beginning with a minimum amount of $25,000 for possession. If enacted, this law would eliminate much of the present variability in victim restitution awards." United States v. Schultz (Massachusetts)

"The current statutory process for restitution does not fully compensate losses suffered by child pornography victims and may, in fact, dissuade victims from seeking restitution; the end result is hardly worth yet another reminder of their continued exploitation. The court cannot remedy this problem. Rather, it is up to Congress to develop a system to truly compensate child pornography victims for the losses they continue to suffer." United States v. Galan (Oregon)

"We do agree that this area, in which Congress has adopted a scheme that at least approaches the limits of fair adjudication, despite attempts by the courts to avoid caprice, cries out for a congressional solution." United States v. Galan (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals)

Almost two years have passed since Justice Sotomayor, writing in dissent in Paroline, presciently observed that "[i]n the end, of course, it is Congress that will have the final say." Unfortunately Congress has said nothing.

While countries like the United Kingdom press ahead with the reforms envisioned by the Amy and Vicky Act, the United States Congress remains stuck in neutral.

Political gamesmanship needs to come to an end. It's time for the House Judiciary Committee to present the Amy and Vicky Act to the full House for a vote on the merits.

The House needs to heed the endorsements of victims' rights and law enforcement groups like:

National Center for Victims of Crime

National Crime Victim Law Institute

National Organization for Victim Assistance

National Task force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women

Enough is Enough

Building Empowerment by Stopping Trafficking

ECPAT-USA

Rape Abuse and Incest National Network

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Forty Four State Attorney Generals

and pass S.295 / H.R.595, the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015.

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As Senator Hatch explained just one year ago, "The current statute maximizes a victim's burden and minimizes her restitution. This bill minimizes a victim's burden and maximizes her restitution."
Caldara (at 2 min 30 seconds): In the last few years...Medicaid enrollment has gone up 350 percent. Do I have that right?

Cadman: Absolutely.

Caldara: And because of that, it's squeezing out other things. [Emphasis added]

Cadman: Yes, Yes... we do have one program that has grown 350 percent in that same amount of time, and if you look back just one year ago, the growth was only 280 percent. So think of the growth in just the last year. And at the peak, about a year and a half ago, we were adding about 14,000 people per month to this program. And you can call this an offshoot of Obamacare, because that's really what it is.


Alert: Women Business Leaders Missing in the Pipeline to the C-Suite

I was recently asked to keynote a Women's Leadership event for the Georgia Tech MBA Women's Alumnae Network. Georgia Tech is an amazing institute, and from a full disclosure standpoint, I am the proud father of a graduate.

In my work on advancing women and engaging men I wanted to take this time to examine the critical role of an MBA in closing the leadership gap in this country for women. Women still only represent about 14% of the seats in the C-Suite. This number has been lamented as being unchanged for a long time and, quite frankly, may not change significantly in the near future.

What's the role of an MBA in closing the leadership gap in this country for women?

Why? Simply because it takes a very long time to move through the pipeline and garner the skills and experiences necessary to make it to the top. Additionally, not all C-Suite jobs are created equally. Women who do make it to this rare air are typically in Staff roles. This is not to say that Staff functions don't have big responsibilities; but POWER, real POWER in organizations comes from Operations: functional front-line roles with P&L responsibilities such as Sales, Supply Chain and Operations.

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If we examine current female CEO's in the Fortune 500, literally every one of them came from two areas: Operations and Finance.

Elissa Ellis Sangster, executive director of the Forte Foundation, notes that over 50% of the female CEOs have MBAs. Sangster surmises, "Clearly the pipeline of women MBAs is a critical part of getting women into the C-suite."

The fact that there is a huge gender imbalance in the ranks of corporate America is not news. A recent Catalyst study found that while almost 37% of mid-level managers in S&P 500 companies were women, that number substantially thins out at the top - with just 22 women (less than 4.5%) CEOs across the S&P 500.

A similar lack of women is found in the graduate school level, especially in MBA programs where women constitute less than one-third of the total programs, according to U.S. News and World Report. Wharton also reported a slight fall in the percentage of women enrolled in its full time MBA class of 2016 - down from 42% last year to 40% this year.

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So, where are all the female MBAs?

Over the past few months, I have been talking to Millennial women about their career expectations and how they see themselves fitting into the American workplace. I had the opportunity to sit down with one such Millennial, Smriti Rao, who embodies diversity, global opportunities and the drive for women's empowerment.

A primetime news anchor in India, Smriti (pronounced SMREE-THEE) worked in broadcast journalism for more than a decade before getting her Master's in Journalism from Columbia University. The former Bloomberg TV (India) anchor is now part of a handful of female MBAs at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

I asked her why she thought there were so few female MBA candidates and how women can thrive in a typically male-dominated business program. Here's what Smriti had to offer.

JTH: How did you feel when you found out how few female MBAs are out there?

SR: The numbers are definitely disappointing. It's sad to see how few women are in the actual MBA candidate pool. They represent less than 40% of the 2014-2015 applicant pool for full-time two-year programs, according to data from the Graduate Management Admission Council. And you see that reflected in classrooms across MBA programs in America. Unless you are in a program such as University of North Carolina, Greensboro or even at UC Berkeley which has a large female class population, chances are you'll be in a male-dominated business program.

JTH: Why do you think that's the case?

SR: I think there are several factors that play into making the decision of when and where to get an MBA. First off, it's not cheap. An MBA from a top-rung school could easily set you back between $100,000- $200,000, excluding books and other costs. Then, there is the decision to take time off the workforce and take yourself out of the running, perhaps, for some projects you have been vying for a long time. Women, of course, have harder choices to make, because for many, a 2-year commitment to an MBA means putting off starting a family or finding reliable (yet affordable) childcare for the kids they already have. It's a decision that hinges on so many economic and social factors and that could be precluding women from enrolling. Even in situations where your company is willing to pay the expense, it is a huge commitment.

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JTH: What can business schools do to change the narrative and bring more female students into the fold?

SR: The conversation around women in business is already changing and I'm excited to see business schools take the lead on this in conjunction with the White House. Just last year, top ranked business schools including Harvard, Yale and my own school--Georgia Tech--met with White House officials to discuss what they can do to expand opportunities for women given the changing nature of the workforce. As millennials, we value diversity, choice and flexibility and it's good to see schools recognize that.

Business schools are recognizing the unique lifecycle challenges female students face in trying to pursue an MBA, juggling work and a family, by being more flexible in their enrollment, offering different types of programs, making students more aware of gender differences in communicating, negotiation strategy and helping female students find mentors and sponsors. Business schools can play such an integral part in creating the next generation of female business leaders and I'm excited to be part of this wave.

While I realize Smriti represents a sample size of one person, I think the comments are representative of other young women I have spoken with. In Part 2, I will provide some further insights into what a broader segment of millennial women are talking about regarding an MBA.

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Jeffery Tobias Halter is the country's leading male expert on advancing women and engaging men. He is the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on engaging men in women's leadership issues. Jeffery is a TEDx speaker, Huffington Post Blogger and the author of two books.
Man, what a banner year for paid maternity leave.

Bloomberg, Accenture, Spotify, Netflix, Vodaphone and eBay are just a few well-known employers that earned kudos in 2015 as they ratcheted up their paid leave offerings, prompting others to review their own policies, looking for ways to compete for top talent. And thus, the cycle continued.

Amen to that.

But while we urge this employer momentum to continue, let's remember that today is the 23rd anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act. We in the United States have a unique perspective when it comes to paid family leave: Simply put, we remain the only developed country without a paid leave law--and the likelihood that a new mom will have access to paid leave through her employer remains far too low.

Currently, employer-offered programs cover only 12 percent of private sector workers, and even among those working moms who can swing some paid time off by hording sick or vacation time, new research finds 1 in 4 return to work within two weeks of giving birth.

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All of which means that in 2016, millions of new working moms still will have to choose between work and caring for a newborn. (By contrast, every Working Mother 100 Best Company offers fully paid maternity leave--on average, 8 weeks of it.)

Paid leave has certainly become a stump issue for the current crop of presidential candidates--and that's great. However, the FAMILY Act, which would create an employee-funded program akin to unemployment insurance, remains stalled in Congress even as some cities and states--including New York, Connecticut and Washington, DC--make progress in the fight.

As for the relatively few companies that do offer paid leave, the question of company culture remains. For just because a policy is written down doesn't mean managers will encourage its use. If company leadership doesn't actively communicate its support for paid leave, make use of it themselves or hold managers accountable to its use, then the message to employees is clear: Take paid leave at your own career peril.

For the many companies waking up to the necessity of paid leave, creating the supportive culture that encourages its use is the next step to becoming an employer of choice. To be sure, it's a step that leads down a path that never ends. Just ask Johnson & Johnson and IBM, which have earned a place on the Working Mother 100 Best Companies for 30 years in a row or GE, a 124-year-old company that opted to completely revamp its family-friendly policies last year.

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So bring on the big numbers of paid leave weeks at digital companies and every employer that wants to compete with them for talent. Who doesn't like a high score? Just know that this isn't a game. For most employees, accessing paid family leave will be the first time a major life event requires them to ask for substantial support from their employer.

And thus, it is right at this moment that employers must rise to the challenge of truly supporting their employees--vulnerable new parents seeking just a few weeks of pure family time in a career that will likely last decades. Know that such support will be remembered, noted and shared not only by that employee, but by your entire workforce (and even your customers and community), resulting in better engagement, lower turnover and improved health to mother and child.
"I vote Republican because of economic issues but consider myself socially liberal."

"I am a Republican, but I support you and your family completely."

"I support gay rights but vote Republican because that is just one issue."

Living in southwest Missouri, these are a few statements that I have heard all too frequently. Normally, I respond with a "liberal" sentence or two and then move on because I recognize I live in the Bible Belt where Fox News reigns supreme. However, I was recently asked by my mother, a woman I love and adore and who supports my family completely (I am married to a man, and we have two amazing children), if I would vote for a presidential candidate that aligned with every one of my policy stances except LGBTQ equality issues. Needless to say, I was astounded by this question, simply because I thought the answer should have been obvious to her. I was wrong.

Just to be clear, I could never support a candidate that didn't value the rights of my family or my community. Could one justifiably ask a follower of Islam to vote for Donald Trump after he endorsed a Muslim registry and proposed banning Muslim entry into the United States? It would be equally ludicrous to expect someone to vote for a candidate who expressly stated his hopes to invalidate my marriage and legalize my discrimination.

What her question did do was cause me to reflect on the possible lack of perspective that prompted the question. The fact that many Republican allies still see LGBTQ equality as just one of the many policy opinions they possess is quite frightening because it is so much more than a policy issue. Are people being beaten in the streets because they believe we should be investing more in solar energy? Are teenagers committing suicide because of the bullying they experience due to their stance on universal healthcare? Are kids being thrown out of their homes because their parents discovered they secretly support the Iran nuclear deal?

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I am in no way attacking allies. On the contrary, I always stressed with my former Gay-Straight Alliance and continue to stress with my LGBTQ students and friends how invaluable all of our allies are. The majority of my friends and family are allies (many Republican), and I can't imagine not having them in my life. They are incredible role models for my children. They have willingly chosen to support the LGBTQ community. However, with a presidential election swiftly approaching, my mother's words reminded me that sometimes everyone can benefit from a slight perspective shift.

As Atticus Finch, the great literary symbol for justice, explained to Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." If allies on the Right could slip into the skin of their LGBTQ loved ones, they would see that LGBTQ equality isn't just one more policy issue to consider this November. They would see how imperative it is to feel valued, respected, and protected by our leaders and how damaging, internally and externally, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and laws can be.

It is very important to note that our allies will not understand any of this if we don't share with them how critical it is that they speak up. We must have these important soul-revealing conversations. We must share with them our fears. We must articulate our reality in such a way that they slip into our skin and see the world through our eyes. It was unfair of me to expect my mom to know that her question would upset me, but after speaking with her I think she understands where I am coming from in a much greater way.

I am not asking Republican allies to abandon their party of choice; I would never do that. However, it is time to be more vocal with your leaders. If you support LGBTQ equality, tell your party leaders. Let your candidates know that their hateful words and discriminatory policies will no longer be tolerated. Those against LGBTQ equality are loud. Be louder. Those against LGBTQ equality are committed to devaluing us and relegating us back into the closets and the shadows. Be more committed.

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The LGBTQ community could not have made the strides we have made without our allies on the Left and the Right. I thank each and every one from the bottom of my heart. Regrettably, the fact of the matter is that we need all of our allies now more than ever. We must all decry harmful and discriminatory legislation. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there are currently well over 100 anti-LGBTQ laws proposed in over 30 states. We must also rally behind pro-equality legislation. In my own state of Missouri, LGBTQ activists and allies have been trying to pass the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act since 1998. This legislation would protect against discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, and public accommodations.
Seventeen years ago, at age 50, I decided to adopt a 15-month-old baby girl from China, a radical decision that turned my life upside down, making me unrecognizable to myself. It was the best decision I've ever made.

At 50, I pretty much had it all. After creating several TV series, I'd become a web pioneer, originating communities for kids and teens. I was at the height of my career, CEO of a start-up, speaking at web conferences and on TV and in a loving relationship with a wonderful man. You'd think I'd be satisfied. And I definitely was, in many meaningful ways. But deep inside, something was missing. Part of me had always wanted to have a child, and I'd worked hard at repressing that desire for 30 years.

Becoming a mother at 50 was not an easy proposition. I envied men, who could wake up one day deciding they wanted to be dads and start families at 60. Then a friend told me he was adopting a child from China, where 10,000 baby girls were abandoned every year, and my life-altering journey to motherhood began. I decided if David could adopt a baby on his own, so could I.

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In a wonderful bit of synchronicity, David's adoption agency was having a picnic for adoptive families the next weekend. The parents I met, surrounded by their joyful children, opened my eyes to a path forward. A few days later I headed to the Gladney Agency, where a sign on the wall -- "Create the family of your dreams through adoption" -- confirmed I was in the right place, at the right time. I started the process that day. But making the decision to adopt at my age also made me question my sanity and my ability to give up my freedom. I wondered how I would be able to balance the demands of my 24/7 professional life with those of motherhood as a single parent. Plus, I loved my independence, going out to new restaurants and gallery openings and flying to LA at the drop of a hat.

I faced skepticism from my friends, too. Those without kids wondered why I wanted to risk ruining my "perfect life." My girlfriends with grown kids wanted to keep me as a playmate. My boyfriend of 15 years didn't want to become a father, and my own father warned I would become a "slave to a child."

I had doubts about my ability to put most of my energy into raising a child, but something bigger kept me going. I was pretty sure I'd find a way to make it work. Fortunately, my closest friends supported me completely and my motherhood journey required enormous documentation. Instead of nine months of pregnancy, I had 15 months of processing time to grow into my decision.

The Chinese government required an Adoption Dossier, which included sessions with social workers and doctorate-length treatises. I had to analyze why I wanted to become a mother, defining the kind of parent I intended to be. The Dossier also required photographs of my family and my baby's future home. As I slogged through the paperwork, something incandescent and magnetic propelled me forward. I began formulating ideas about the kind of mother I would become and the support system that would surround us. My doubts started to lessen and my excitement started to build.

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I adopted my daughter Lola from an orphanage in Shanghai, traveling 7,300 miles to bring home a baby I had seen only once in a photograph. I was scared, but on a mission, and the moment I held Lola in my arms a surge of love enveloped us. Filing the final adoption papers uncovered a magical element of synchronicity that solidified my belief in a higher power at work. September 8, 1998, the day I filed for adoption in NYC, was the same day Lola was abandoned on a doorstep in China. Our family was meant to be.

Flash forward to September, 2015, Bay State Road in Boston. My 17-year-old daughter Lola, a high school senior whose yearbook quote is "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken," was standing next to me in front of my college dorm. It was one of those surreal and dazzling moments, when who you were and who you are come careering together.

In 1963, when I was a freshman living in that dorm, if you had told me I'd be a single mom, start-up co-founder, running a website for women entrepreneurs and taking my 17-year-old Chinese-born daughter to tour colleges in Boston, I'd have said you were out of your mind. Cognitive dissonance doesn't begin to describe the disparity between the highly socialized, soon-to-be-married teacher I was back then and the boundary-breaking, competent woman standing outside the dorm with her daughter.

The journey to motherhood was an essential next step in my life, teaching me the real meaning of unconditional love. I discovered unexpected, hidden parts of myself that had been repressed for a lifetime. And I learned that the stories we tell ourselves about our limitations, our options and our possibilities can be altered and rewritten, if we have a clear enough vision and faith in the outcome.

Of course, I faced unanticipated challenges as a working mother. It hasn't been easy juggling the full 360 of work and life. I made a not-so-easy decision to work at home and run a not-quite-full-time business. Now, Lola is preparing to head off to college and I'm preparing for the next phase of life: letting her go. Of course, she'll always be the biggest part of my life, but our relationship is evolving.

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In preparation for this new chapter, I partnered with Peggy Doyle and launched WHAT NOW WHAT NEXT, a collaborative network where women support each other in creating the next stages of our multi-layered lives. Whether you're launching and growing your ventures, leaving your corporate job, or caring for your aging parents, there's nothing better than the wisdom and support of your tribe.
CLINTON: But I want to -- I want to follow up on something having to do with leadership, because, you know, today Senator Sanders said that President Obama failed the presidential leadership test. And this is not the first time that he has criticized President Obama. In the past he has called him weak. He has called him a disappointment.

He wrote a forward for a book that basically argued voters should have buyers' remorse when it comes to President Obama's leadership and legacy.

And I just couldn't agree -- disagree more with those kinds of comments. You know, from my perspective, maybe because I understand what President Obama inherited, not only the worst financial crisis but the antipathy of the Republicans in Congress, I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for being a president.... who got us out of that... put us on firm ground, and has sent us into the future. And it is a -- the kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our president I expect from Republicans. I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama.

SANDERS: Madam Secretary, that is a low blow. I have worked with President Obama for the last seven years. When President Obama came into office we were losing 800,000 jobs a month -- 800,000 jobs a month. We had a $1.4 trillion deficit. And the world's financial system is on the verge of collapse.

As a result of his efforts and the efforts of Joe Biden against unprecedented, I was there in the Senate, unprecedented Republican obstructionism, we have made enormous progress.

SANDERS: But you know what? Last I heard we lived in a democratic society. Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with the president, including a president who has done such an extraordinary job.

So I have voiced criticisms. You're right. Maybe you haven't. I have. But I think to suggest that I have voiced criticism, this blurb that you talk about, you know what the blurb said? The blurb said that the next president of the United States has got to be aggressive in bringing people into the political process.

That's what I said. That is what I believe.

SANDERS: President Obama and I are friends. As you know, he came to Vermont to campaign for me when he was a senator. I have worked for his re-election. His first election and his re-election.

But I think it is really unfair to suggest that I have not been supportive of the president. I have been a strong ally with him on virtually every issue. Do senators have the right to disagree with the president? Have you ever disagreed with a president? I suspect you may have.

CLINTON: You know, Senator, what I am concerned about, is not disagreement on issues, saying that this is what I would rather do, I don't agree with the president on that, calling the president weak, calling him a disappointment, calling several times that he should have a primary opponent when he ran for re-election in 2012, you know, I think that goes further than saying we have our disagreements.

As a senator, yes, I was a senator. I understand we can disagree on the path forward. But those kinds of personal assessments and charges are ones that I find particularly troubling.

IFILL: Senator, if you would like respond to -- you may respond to that but it is time for closing statements and you can use your time for closing statements to do that.

SANDERS: Well, one of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate.


Take our latest Week to Week news quiz and figure out what your Secret Service code name should be. Our suggestion? "Quizmaster."

Here are some random but real hints: One penalty at a time; they have more time on their hands; she got in a dig at Scott Walker; and that's what they called Sir William Stephenson. Answers are below the quiz.

1. What is the latest company to pay a multi-billion-dollar settlement over claims of wrongdoing related to mortgage financing?

a. China National Bank

b. Morgan Stanley

c. Fairchild Whitney Cooperton LLC

d. GE Capital Finance

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2. Whom did the city of Cleveland sue for $500?

a. Ted Cruz's campaign after an election rally got out of hand, resulting in three park trees being torched

b. The city of Cincinnati

c. The Obama administration, to recover costs from problems in administering Obamacare to city workers

d. The family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was killed by a police officer while he was playing with a pellet gun

3. Where is NATO deploying ships?

a. To the Aegean sea to catch people-smugglers

b. To the Caribbean to catch drug-smugglers

c. Into the Arctic to protect Norwegian and UK oil fields

d. Into the mid-Atlantic to protect shipping lanes from pirates

4. What did Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina have in common this past week?

a. They tied for second place in the New Hampshire primary

b. They were both endorsed by billionaire conservative Sheldon Adelson

c. They were both endorsed by billionaire liberal George Soros

d. They both dropped out of the presidential race

5. Who was vindicated this week by a new discovery?

a. Meryl Streep had predicted that film festivals that have all-white juries would also select all-white filmmakers as prize winners

b. Predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity were supported when scientists recorded the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years from Earth

c. Conservative polemicist Ann Coulter had predicted that Chris Christie would be endorsed by Sheldon Adelson

d. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson had predicted that the recently discovered tenth planet in our solar system would be a frozen gaseous planet

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6. According to Whole Foods' co-CEO, what type of services might his company include in its new stores?

a. Tattoo parlors

b. Free showers

c. Tantric massage stations

d. Micro-lending banks

7. Who picked up a big endorsement this week?

a. Hillary Clinton was endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus

b. Bernie Sanders was endorsed by Shari Belafonte

c. Donald Trump was endorsed by the South Carolina Hispanic Action League

d. Carly Fiorina was endorsed by the board of Hewlett-Packard

8. Who threatened to commit suicide rather than turn himself in to the police?

a. The al Qaeda-linked terrorist who masterminded the takeover of the suburban Cairo mall last Saturday

b. David Fry, the last of the people occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon

c. Indonesian convicted terrorist Abu Tholut

d. The last of the terrorists who attacked Paris in November and fled to Germany

9. Who is Reinhold Hanning?

a. The Facebook board member who tweeted a defense of colonialism regarding India

b. The Social Democratic challenger to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April's election

c. A 94-year-old former guard at Auschwitz who is on trial as an accessory to 170,000 murders

d. The inventor of AppAppApp, a new mobile app that suggests mobile apps to use

10. Where did Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders meet for their Thursday night debate?

a. Charleston, South Carolina

b. Charlotte, North Carolina

c. Indianapolis, Indiana

d. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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BONUS. This week it was announced that the U.S. Secret Service has given Bernie Sanders a code name. What is it?

a. Saint Bernard

b. The Marxist Avenger

c. Intrepid

d. Kumbaya

ANSWERS

1. b.

2. d (the expense was for his emergency medical treatment; the city later backed down).

3. a.

4. d.

5. b.

6. a.

7. a.

8. b (but he did eventually give himself up, after complaining about UFOs and the federal government and then having a cookie for a snack).

9. c.

10. d.

BONUS. c.

Want the live news quiz experience? Join us Monday, March 7 in downtown San Francisco for our next live (and lively) Week to Week political roundtable with a news quiz and a social hour at The Commonwealth Club of California. Panelists will include Malissa Caen.
The Dominican Republic's September 2013 court ruling that stripped citizenship from over 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian ancestry sparked deserved outrage. Media coverage and protests highlighted racism in the country to explain the discriminatory decision, and many used terms like " apartheid" and "ethnic cleansing" to describe the government's deportations last summer. There were also calls to reinstate citizenship for everyone affected by the court decision, which would have been a just response to the mass denationalization. Yet despite the rallies, the op-eds, the calls for boycotting Dominican tourism, and more, we are over two years past the court ruling, and all the attention has failed to bring about lasting change.

In the Dominican Republic, ultra-nationalist, bigoted power brokers exert undue pressure on moderate politicians, strengthening a widely accepted narrative that many Dominicans of Haitian ancestry are Haitian and not Dominican. The international community needs to acknowledge this political and social reality and understand that the Dominican government will not give citizenship to everyone in the country who is entitled to it. Commentators and activists who focus only on the racial component of exclusion and demand sweeping reform undermine the people and institutions working for a more just Dominican Republic: effecting change in the country will require understanding racism on the island, but also focusing on practical steps to help the Dominicans who are trying to make their country more inclusive.

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Over the past two months, international media have overlooked important efforts that have pressured the Dominican government to better comply with its own citizenship laws. In December, U.S. Ambassador James Brewster and E.U. Ambassador Alberto Navarro threatened to oust Roberto Rosario from his presidency of the Junta Central Electoral, the government agency in charge of documentation. The ambassadors used their diplomatic clout because the JCE failed to comply with Law 169-14, created after the 2013 court ruling, which stipulated that 55,000 Dominicans of Haitian ancestry--categorized as Group A because they had received Dominican birth certificates--should receive full citizenship. In early January, Dominican civil society and international institutions met with government leaders to apply more pressure; afterward, the JCE committed to providing citizenship to the 55,000 people listed as Group A. Civil society organizations report that over the past month, hundreds of people who had struggled for years to obtain their identity documents and citizenship have been receiving them at local JCE offices. This is an important step in the right direction.

To be clear, there are still many obstacles that keep thousands of Dominicans of Haitian ancestry from obtaining their citizenship. First, some in Group A are still being denied documentation. Additionally, Law 169-14 categorizes people born in the Dominican Republic who never received a Dominican birth certificate as Group B. The denationalized in Group B--estimates run from a few tens of thousands to over 150,000 people--had to register in the government's byzantine and expensive Naturalization Plan to avoid threatened deportation; only 8,755 did so successfully, and the government is temporarily categorizing them as Haitian during a two-year waiting period before their citizenship supposedly will be recognized by the state. Nationwide, tens of thousands of people in Group A and Group B are at risk of never getting their Dominican citizenship because of these government shortcomings.

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The complex situation makes the actions of Dominican civil society and Ambassadors Brewster and Navarro regarding Group A commendable: they focused on results, and their strategic pressure could produce documentation and citizenship for many thousands of people. These advances, and the limitations that come with them, point toward steps civil society and international institutions should take to effect lasting change.

First, civil society needs to consistently follow up with members of Group A to make sure they receive their documents, and apply pressure--with diplomatic help if necessary--to make sure the JCE complies with Law 169-14. Civil society must also identify everyone in Group B to ensure that over the next few years, these Dominicans obtain their citizenship. Urgent action should be taken to better report abuses by military and police, who are not held accountable for rampant extortion of the under-documented and undocumented.

While these immediate steps are essential, in the long-term, civil society and international institutions must help Dominicans create a more inclusive country. Dominicans of Haitian descent--who often come from marginalized, impoverished barrios and bateyes--need help overcoming the numerous barriers that prevent them from getting an education and finding work beyond the informal agriculture and construction economies. The organization I co-founded, Yspaniola, is focused on this key outcome: supporting Dominicans from marginalized communities and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry so they can receive a quality education, graduate from university, and be advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. Beyond improving educational access, educators and policy-makers need to strengthen the country's education system, which consistently ranks as one of the worst in the world, and to create curricula and programs that emphasize inclusivity and tolerance. Finally, despite the setbacks that resulted from strategic litigation after 2000, lawsuits on behalf of Dominicans being denied documentation could someday be successful when the country's social and political institutions have changed, and when improved rule of law, due process, and accountability for Dominican government institutions would make a court ruling enforceable.
Last Monday, thousands of islanders and tourists gathered in the historic seaside town of Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canary Islands for Carnival. People from across the globe arrived in La Palma to celebrate "Los Indianos" or "The Indians," a day that commemorates the migration of palm growers to Cuba and other parts of Latin America. They returned to their homeland loaded with money, treasures, new music and new languages -- or so the legend goes.

The Carnival draws people from across the world -- tripling the town's inhabitants. The practice of throwing talcum powder or flour among the crowds marks the celebration. La Palma's clear sky turns a white that dies with the colors of dawn.

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Carnival goers recreate the look of the Indianos; they dress fully in white, hats, jipijapas (traditional Panama hats), and smoke cigars. The event pays tribute to those who migrated in hopes of "making it in the Americas."

JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT Advertisement JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT Advertisement JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT JOSE AYUT Advertisement
US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders participates in the PBS NewsHour Presidential Primary Debate with Hillary Clinton in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 11, 2016. / AFP / Tasos Katopodis (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Back in the fall of 2011, when the Occupy Wall Street movement seized Zuccotti Park and then spread at unprecedented speed across the globe the criticism we heard coming from the corporate media (when they weren't denouncing the movement outright) was that the movement had "no direction" and had "no leaders."

We were lectured at. We were dismissed. We were mansplained. We were told we were "naive" and didn't know how the economy worked. "Your criticisms of Wall Street might be popular," they said, "but your program is vague and your movement is rudderless."

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Enter Senator Bernie Sanders.

In case you haven't noticed, the centerpiece of Senator Sanders' campaign is the exact same critique that Occupy Wall Street offered us four and half years ago: Wall Street is functioning as a criminal enterprise that is too big to fail, too big to jail, and too corrupt to manage an economy upon which the 99 percent depend.

Sanders correctly states that only through a "political revolution" and a groundswell of grassroots activism will we be able to challenge the power of the corporate and banking oligarchy that has seized power in Washington.

If the Obama years have taught us anything it is that going to the Republicans on bended knee begging for a quarter loaf and toning down your demands before you even make them is a recipe for stasis.

All of the major progressive changes that have taken place historically in this country have occurred with an aroused citizenry putting pressure on politicians to take a stand: Are you with us or against us?

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President Franklin Roosevelt, facing labor unrest and street protests, didn't offer to dial back his New Deal programs because Republican politicians, wealthy newspaper owners, and other moguls were screaming loudly against it. He welcomed the hatred of the "economic royalists." FDR didn't go hat in hand begging Hoover era Republicans for half a loaf.

Similarly, in 1965, Lyndon Johnson sidelined the Republicans to pass Medicare, which moved millions of senior citizens out of poverty. He didn't beg Senator Barry Goldwater and other Republicans to meet him "half way." They denounced Medicare as the end of "freedom" that would usher in Soviet-style socialized medicine.

Fifty years later, Medicare remains (along with Social Security) one of the most popular government programs ever enacted. Americans love single-payer health care - so long as they can make it to the age of 65.

Since the New Deal, every progressive social program that has been successful was accomplished by mobilizing the citizenry, shelving the reactionary Republicans, and passing the needed laws and reforms over the heads of kicking and screaming right-wing opponents.

Bernie Sanders is calling for a new political realignment, not a continuation of the "bipartisan" compromises of the last 20 years that have screwed over the working class. The Bill Clinton and Barack Obama years have coincided with the consistent slide into economic ruin for a large chunk of the once sizable American middle class. After a pair of two-term Democratic presidents what do progressives really have to cheer about with regard to domestic policy other than Mitt Romney's health care reform?

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Hillary Clinton apparently believes that by promising to preside competently over this continuous downward slide of the middle class she can win just enough votes to get elected.

Labor unions are weaker, the safety net is in tatters, the profiteers and asset strippers in our health care, prison, and education systems have become richer than ever. And more working people today are feeling economically insecure. We all know we've been ripped off and the economic "gains" we keep hearing about since the "recovery" haven't trickled down.

Has it ever occurred to the Democratic Party establishment that the wipeout midterm elections of 1994 and 2010 might have something to do with their standard bearer not being brave enough to go big and go bold even when the Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress?

The movement that Bernie Sanders is working so hard to lead might finally give us the experiment we've been waiting for: let's find out if taking bold progressive stands can win the presidency and keep the Democratic base energized through the midterms of 2018 and offer the country a different result. We've got nothing to lose for trying.

Bernie is doing exactly what I hoped I would see one day: The Democratic primaries utilized to present a strong critique of the excesses of American capitalism. After the Great Recession destroyed the livelihoods of so many people it's not enough to point to job numbers and say that things have gotten better.

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Things are better than they were during the height of the Great Recession. But we've also seen a qualitative shift away from good paying jobs with benefits to McJobs and the "gig" economy where workers earn "chump change." We also live in a period where Congress no longer responds to the will of the people and the Republican attack on the social safety net marches on.

Long ago the Koch brothers and Wall Street decided to wage class warfare against working people. It's time to fight back. We don't know if the "political revolution" that Bernie Sanders talks about will happen because nobody has tried it yet.

All we've had since Bill Clinton and his "New Democrats" are milquetoast leaders supping at the same trough of corporate money and willing to water down there own demands even before beginning to "negotiate" with the right-wing opposition.

Fifty percent of millennials believe the American dream is over. Yet they very quickly transformed the country's attitude toward gay marriage and marijuana. Maybe they can do the same with economic justice.

And wouldn't it be great if the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2016 could find a way to finally put an end to the "Southern Strategy" and welcome back into the party a more conscious working class that no longer falls for the Republican tricks of racial dog whistles and cultural manipulation?

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The cynicism of the Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings that Mitch McConnell and other congressional Republicans greeted with glee might have created an unpredictable backlash. There is widespread revulsion towards an activist Supreme Court that has turned the country over to a corporate oligarchy. The gutting of the Voting Rights Act added insult to injury.

Following two terms of the nation's first African-American president, it's impossible to gauge the effect on the Republicans' "Southern Strategy." In this first post-Obama presidential election all bets are off. The nation now might be ready to finish what Obama started, defy the political prognosticators, and realign our politics in a more progressive configuration.

When Bernie Sanders denounces the control of big money over our politics and the unwarranted power of the millionaire and billionaire class, he's not just speaking truth to power, he's mobilizing the "people with the pitchforks" that Obama said early on he was protecting the bankers against.
Nicholas Heyward Sr. has been trying to find justice for his son, Nicholas Jr., for over 21 years. Little Nicholas Jr., 13 at the time, was fatally shot in a Brooklyn public housing staircase in 1994 by a housing cop named Brian George. If that sounds familiar it's because that's what happened to Akai Gurley in November of 2014, just about 20 years later. Heyward and Gurley both took their last breaths in a NYCHA staircase. Two lives separated by a generation but linked by the barrel of a cop's gun.

Mr. Heyward, along with the mothers of other victims of police violence, was at the side of Gurley's family earlier this week in court. Only another parent can know what it's like to lose a child. For now Gurley's family won't have to live with the pain of Akai's killer walking scott free. Rookie police officer Peter Liang was convicted last night of manslaughter for shooting into the staircase of the Pink Houses that night.

The network of families who support each other not only share the same pains, they know that their pain is the result of a pattern--the product of a system. The continued theft of black and brown lives, from Nicholas to Akai, from Tamir Rice to India Krager, is, as Akai's supporters have always chanted, "no accident."

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Liang's conviction last night wasn't delivered by the district attorney. It was the product of thousands of New Yorkers clogging city streets. It was demanded at every march and vigil where his family, friends and supporters would lift his name. Akai's aunt, Hertencia Peterson, one of the most graceful and powerful people I've ever met, led marches and inspired supporters with her words. The family's early decision to not allow Al Sharpton to commandeer Akai's name resulted in a powerful, family-led movement.

They made this happen.

While no one should be 'happy' this morning, there is some level of relief for the family and that's important. But it's also important to recognize that even in the conviction there is a salute to the police. Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, asked for comment after the verdict, said that the result was in no way a reflection of any systemic issues with the NYPD, which he called "the greatest police department in the world." For Thompson, like many others, the bad apples are the proper focus--not the system.

There is also the deafening silence from the police unions. Blowhard PBA president Pat Lynch was nowhere to be found after the verdict, instead delivering a three sentence statement to the press. Somehow the thought of a rookie Asian-American cop being carted off to jail didn't elicit the usual table-pounding we've come to expect from Lynch. On the other hand, white cops like Daniel Pantaleo and Richard Haste, responsible for the deaths of Eric Garner and Ramarley Graham, have not only avoided prosecution but have been furiously defended. Haste even received a hero's welcome from applauding and cheering cops during his court appearances while Ramarley's parents cried for their son.

So where do we go from here?

Ramarley's parents have begun to pressure US Attorney Preet Bharara to bring charges against Haste. Garner's family has followed suit, waiting for federal action. While there is a long line of parents who've had feds deny their requests for involvement, the Department of Justice recently announced that they're looking deeper into Garner's case. On the other hand, they have provided cover for a city and police department that is refusing to fire him outright. The DOJ has also not, like in Ferguson, taken steps to investigate the NYPD more broadly.

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And what about for residents of the Pink Houses and other public housing developments? Despite Lynch and Liang's lawyer's predictions that the conviction would have a "chilling effect" on cops, public housing residents should expect an increase in intrusive policing tactics after the killing of an East Harlem housing cop last year and the shooting of two others last week in the Bronx.

For demonstrators, many of whom have found their voice in shutting down traffic and lifting the names of other relatively unknown victims of police violence, there is the surveillance and aggression by cops eager to snuff out political protest. Mayor Bill de Blasio, as comfortable with the police than he's ever been, has given his blessings and approval to an NYPD that has taken a more aggressive tone with activists. There are, after all, former military prison guards (from Abu Ghraib, no less) leading the NYPD's policing of protests.

To counter Thompson's bad apple-ism we should put the focus right back onto the system. That's why Gurley's family and supporters have called for a rally tonight at 5pm in front of police plaza.

We have a long way to go in any fight for justice. Vertical patrols will continue. The city will still rather send an armed cop in public housing than open a community center or provide basic services. And convictions or no convictions, the memories of police brutality victims will continue to haunt us.
A lot of people want to travel and I have recently been talking to many people who want to do it long term - their only real worries: A Philippines passport and money.



I have already shared on my own travel blog (Two Monkeys Travel Group) about my personal experiences of getting visas to over 35 countries accross 4 continents, so I personally know that having a Philippines passport can have limitations, but this dream of traveling around the world is still more than possible! (Here's my Filipino passport visa experiences story).

Everybody loves to travel but being a Filipino and having Philippines passport definitely is a hassle at times, but we know we can go further! So I asked these 7 fellow Filipino adventurers about where their Philippines Passport has taken them, so that they can also inspire you to believe that having a 3rd world passport won't stop us exploring the world.

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1. DJ Yabis of Dream Europe Trip

"I have been traveling the world since 2007 and have started by traveling around South East Asia because it's the nearest and easiest region to visit from the Philippines. I moved to Europe in 2009 to study my Masters as an Erasmus Mundus scholar and since then I have travelled pretty much most of Europe and a number of destinations in North Africa, Middle East and USA. I really don't count countries but I think I have visited over 50 countries in total. I try to discover new destinations every year and last year I visited these countries for the first time: Israel, Morocco, Indonesia, Switzerland, Montenegro, Romania and Hong Kong. I loved all of them!

And yes, I am traveling with a Filipino passport! I hate applying for visas but this doesn't stop me from traveling to new places. And it shouldn't stop you too! If you love Europe, go get that Schengen visa. If you love South America - well guess what - we don't need visas in a lot of countries there."

"My passport has taken me to 19 countries and counting- from Europe to Asia, the Americas and Africa. I was able to visit all these places on tourist visa with my Philippine passport. Last year my husband and I did more than a year-long backpacking honeymoon around the globe. This year, who would have thought that we would find ourselves settling down in the place where we started our journey, the Philippines. We plan to visit the rest of Europe in the following year as we want to focus building The Birdhouse a glamping hotel in El Nido, Palawan. We still have a long list of places we want to visit like India, Morocco, Nepal, Turkey and Australia which are high on our list and don't feel like having a Filipino passport will be an issue, it hasn't been so far!"

3. Aleah Taboclaon of Solitary Wanderer



"I started traveling internationally in 2008, and I have visited 23 countries so far using my Philippine passport. I used to think it's very weak, but based on my travels in 2015, it isn't so at all. Just last year alone, I've visited Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and the United States. This year, I will continue my solo backpacking trip across South America, and hopefully, go up north to Mexico as well."

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"I've been to the United States, Germany, France, Switzeland, the Netherlands, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Sri Lanka and Spain. I plan to travel to Scotland, Italy, Iceland and Morocco. We're currently based between France and Portugal so we will most likely make a lot of road trips in those countries as well as Spain."

5. Marky Ramone Go of Nomadic Experiences



"I started traveling within South East Asia initially avoiding countries that requires a visa. However, as my wanderlust widens I realized I better face my fear of 'Visa Rejections'. Since then I have traveled to countries like India and Sri Lanka, two nations that requires a visa for a Filipino to enter. I found out that having a Filipino passport doesn't hold one back when it comes to traveling. It isn't like having a first world passport but It ain't bad either. After that, I applied for a Japanese visa and not soon later I was enjoying the countrysides of Nagoya and its surrounding Prefectures before finding myself wandering the streets of Tokyo until I got lost. My fear of 'Visa Rejection' has now diminished and is now looking to travel far and wide into Australia and hopefully someday, to Europe and Africa."

"My passport has taken me to Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Laos. This 2016, I'm eyeing to go to India and Taiwan, depending on the political climate."

"My passport has so far taken me to far places even I could not believe it could. When I was young I only dreamt of visiting Europe but it became my reality back in 2007 when I moved from Philippines to Finland to study, my Philippine passport did not hindered my dreams to travel the world!"

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So contrary to the popular belief that a "3rd world passport," like a Philippines passport, is weak and worthless, you can do a lot more than you think! We Filipinos are "madiskarte" which means we will always find a way!

So, now that you're over your 'limiting 3rd world passport', it's time to think about money! Being a Filipino in the Philippines and having a very low minimum wage compared with much of the western world, our earnings don't convert quite so favourably in our destination countries. If you want to travel further on your Philippines Pesos, you can read my article about 50 tips to travel long term if you only have limited savings.



About the Author:

Kach is a proud Filipina who quit her corporate job to become a long-term traveler promoting Sustainable Travel Lifestyle. She's also a certified Tantra Yoga teacher, TEFL qualified, Ayurveda Massage Therapist and the Little Brown Monkey behind Two Monkeys Travel Group. Follow her at facebook.com/twomonkeystravel or Twitter - @2monkeystravel

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In 2013, I went to prom.



It was my junior prom, to be exact, at an art gallery on the outskirts of downtown San Antonio. I wore a black dress with a heart-shaped neckline, tasteful floral lace on the back and dangly black and white earrings. My date was a boy I loved who loved to dance and loved me for me even though I couldn't walk in the heels I bought on the clearance rack. We posed for pictures. We went to dinner. And if it's between you and me, it was my first time not wearing a bra in public (the dress didn't call for one, you get me ladies) and for an insecure 17-year-old, that was a big step.

It was everything a prom should be, funny, emotional and riddled with teenage blunders that can only happen in high school. Someone cool won the titles, I tripped a few times, and then for the first time in my young life I went to a boys house after midnight and we watched "Across the Universe" and talked about The Beatles.

The night was carefree- or as close to it as it could be with his mother's bedroom door cracked open. It was a night where I could order the pasta from Chili's and feel okay about the bill. A night where my earrings glittered when the light hit them just right and a night when a boy's smile made me realize what love was.

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It wasn't perfect, but nothing is. It was beautiful in its own way. A celebration of adolescence. As close to carefree as we could get.

"Carefree"

I don't use that word very often. Even typing it just now was odd. I'm not sure if I've ever really known a time where there hasn't been something to worry about, besides the speckles, like prom night. Growing up in a single-parent household with a mom who worked 40+ hours a week, a family where someone was always in-and-out of the hospital, and my own insecurities come teenagehood, the words "...maybe you shouldn't..." often played on repeat in the back of my head. I erred on the side of caution, always, because it was easier to afford.

The thing is, I didn't realize my life was different from other peoples. Not really, at least. Kids that I called my best friends came from situations that were similar to mine, with moms they'd see only sometimes because they were working so much or dad's who they hadn't heard from in years. We were the kids who shopped at thrift stores because it was what we could afford, not because it was trendy. You could get three or four shirts for less than a dollar on Tuesday's and by the time you hit your first decade your eyes were laser-trained to search for the day's colored tags at Goodwill.

It was a good life, I think. My mom understood the power of saving and with savings came trips to the mall for back-to-school shopping. We teetered on the left edge of middle-class, never paying full price and never taking family vacations. Had I not been tall for my age, the people at Denny's may have believed I was under 12 when I was wasn't because kids eat free on Wednesday's. Money was always a concern ticking away at the back of my neck, but we just learned how to live with what we had.

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I didn't mind, not really. That's just how things were. But, I think it's because I didn't know what carefree looked like outside of a spinning dance.

College



I never really knew rich people that were my age until I arrived up North. I knew people with big houses and nice cars in San Antonio, but the levels of wealth of some at my university is greater than any wealth I have ever known. I never really understood the division of the 1% and the rest of us until I met people who fall into the first category. And, with that, my first semester of college was a culture-shock of pink whales, Canada Goose and Starbucks gold members. In the first week I met a girl who's father owns a yacht that she spent her last days of summer partying on. I spent mine working fast-food.

I had no idea this world existed.

No matter how many movies you watch about a rich businessman or a CEO, you won't really understand them until you meet his daughter in person.



She's a girl who seems carefree. The type of girl who goes out on Tuesday's and flutters around in pretty dresses that cost hundreds of dollars, with jewelry that always seems to sparkle, even during math class. The type of boy who racks up bar bills because he can and deals drugs on the side to feel some kind of self-importance. He knows he'll be okay if he does another line of coke, though, because his dad got him an internship in New York City this summer. He'll refuse to take the subway, he never has, because it's dirty and he has a driver.

To me, initially, it seemed like these kids were always living on prom night. It seemed like their whole lives were built on the definition of the word "carefree." I'd like to say that for a second I wanted to be just like them (I think that would make this story better), but I don't even think I can afford the thought of that, haha. I think what I struggled with understanding was why my situation was different. How did I get dealt this card when life can be so easy if you just have so much money? I don't know.

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But, on a night where buying textbooks is a struggle, it would be nice to be carefree. It would be nice to have family vacations and pasta from Chili's, but that's not my reality, not right now at least, and I'm okay with that.

"Carefree" Revisited

Every day shouldn't be prom night. If it was, I wouldn't be writing this blog post. I think everyone should know financial struggle because it tests what makes you human. It tests what it means to fall in love and to stay up late talking about The Beatles. It makes things hard and it brings out emotions you didn't even know could be felt. It weakens you, in a way, but only to make you stronger.

It would be selfish to think that these kids I know are completely carefree. We're all human and with being human comes a natural instinct to worry. Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a good time. But, so can good people and I like that much better. I've found my little diamonds in the rough in college and I'm really happy about that.

I think in acknowledging my own worries, financially and otherwise, I've learned to acknowledge other peoples. Though some have never learned the struggle of money, they may know the struggle of a parent they never see because they're working so much or a dad who left when they were young. There's always more to someone's story and you can't blame someone for how much money their family makes, that's just the card they were dealt. You can only accept people for the things that make them different and be cognizant of those differences. Just because someone doesn't have to care about something doesn't mean it's not important and impactful on others, and that should be acknowledged. Ignorance shouldn't be blissful and instead awareness should be encouraged.

If you're living a life that is financially carefree, that's awesome. Utilize that. But remember, there are kids out there that only see speckles of nights as shiny as prom sometimes. We are all people. It's important to know we exist, too.

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So, you can call me the 99% or you can call me Katherine. With education and hardwork, though, hopefully one day it can feel like prom night again. Not perfect, because nothing is, just as close to carefree as we can get.
Pedicure

At nine years old, I moved to Canton, Georgia, where my mother shifted from working in the restaurant business to doing nails for the affluent Southern women (and men) of Cherokee County. By the age of seventeen, I was joining her on weekends, apprenticing at multiple nail salons through the latter half of my high school career in order to pay for my college education.

Most days were frustrating, filled with the judgments and racism of a predominantly white Christian county, which I considered set in its ways. Of course, my assumption that caucasian Baptists were racist combated some possibilities for discussion at the beginning of my apprenticeship, and I came away from the day-to-day experiences with a renewed sense of shame -- shame for both my foreign family and my growing wariness toward the people around me.

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One day on a drive home, my mother asked me a troubling question: "Lam, why is it that my clients don't greet me in public?"

The question was painful to hear as a first-generation Vietnamese American. Today, you can ask my mother what the best country is, and she won't hesitate to say, "Why, America!" My father flies an American flag at the front of every house in which the Ho family resides. When she asked this question, she didn't realize how ironic it seemed to me. My parents, who were forced to learn English and adapt to the American work force after the Vietnam War, are proud American citizens.

My mom was (and is) a popular pedicurist at the salon, always finding -- and keeping -- loyal clients. After work one day, my mother, initially quite happy to run into a client outside of the nail salon, greeted her client with enthusiasm. The two were in a local Publix super market, where a many Canton residents from different backgrounds shop. Yet my mom didn't even receive a wave in return from a woman who was talkative whenever she crossed the threshold of Diva Nails. To my dismay, my mom was now looking to me for the answer to her question: "Why?"

I realized that this was not the first time she had experienced a client ignoring her -- many had, probably because of our family's socioeconomic class or Buddhist background. Perhaps it was even because of the subordinate stereotype people often put pedicurists in, even accidentally. I had no answers, only the pain of a daughter whose mother's occupation or origin was interpreted as an embarrassment.

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But what I consider most often today, three years later, has very little to do with that institutionalized racism. When I think about those days, and the summer breaks during which I still work as a manicurist and pedicurist, I remember what makes it a cultural bond: the washing of feet.

The intimacy of washing feet is a concept that spreads across a number of cultures, but in my life if stands as a symbol of love in both my Vietnamese background and my Christian faith. Spending my preadolescence in the Bible Belt exposed me time and time again to the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

I often reflect on the moment when Jesus washes Peter's feet. He says, "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him" (John 14-16).

In this passage, I hear Jesus telling us that we are all equals, capable of washing each other's feet (and having our feet washed) in a symbolic practice of humility and equality.

As a young girl, I remember a relative showing me a wedding photo in which her husband washed her feet in a ritual of compassion. Stemming from that same humble love, the image has stuck with me through my life and pops into my head when I feel discouraged after a long day of work at the nail salon. To her, washing feet was a symbol of unity, binding her marriage in an act of cultural togetherness. Her background, like mine, blended Vietnamese conservatism with American romance.

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Both metaphorically and literally, I think, the love we show for one another and the understanding we express through our words are equivalent to the cleansing of a pedicure. This is not to say that working in the nail salon was not a transaction of a service, but a reminder that if we can treat professors, therapists, and doctors kindly (which I understand is not always the case), then perhaps we can reconsider how we see pedicurists, massage therapists, and dental hygienists.

Perhaps I come from a Buddhist household. Perhaps English is not the first language I knew as a young girl. Perhaps I am the one washing feet. But that does not imply that I shouldn't be greeted at the grocery store.

Next time my mom tries to greet a client -- and she has not given up on such a thing -- that person, even on the most fundamental level, will see her for what she is: a strong, competent, and unique person, not an inferior, lowly servant. This should not have to transcend a rivalry between whites and Asians or Christians and Buddhists; it is a simple and trite argument for equality for all, including and between you and me.
Watching the Democratic debate last night illuminated two thoughts: first, how in the world could anyone have thought that limiting the number of Democratic debates was anything resembling a good idea; and second, how fundamentally different the tenor and substance between the two parties is with respect to discussion of issues that really matter to the country.

I could not help but think how constructive and positive the discussion between Hillary and Bernie is versus how nasty, vacuous, vindictive and petty the Republican circus is. Democrats ought to be thankful if not downright giddy as they watch the two candidates virtually agree on larger concepts and argue only about how best to reach them: universal health care, affordable college tuition, social and economic equality, compassionate immigration policy, racial justice, the role of government and public service in the protection of civil liberties and rights and any host of other important issues. There is little disagreement over the need to remove the scourge of dysfunction that so deeply afflicts our society only the degree to which each candidate views the practicality of approaches to get there. Both candidates deserve respect for the intellectual gravitas they have brought to the public discourse.

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The Democratic debates are exercises in forward thinking, the Republican debates are a race to the bottom to find that mythical time where things were just right, the goldilocks vision of history. I often wonder if those who want to take the country back have really thought this through? Do they want to return to periods that reflect what the Democrats are talking about?

For instance, was the time when college tuition was affordable a good reference point? Was the time when a growing union movement that essentially built a burgeoning middle class the right time? Was the era of enhanced federal government intervention to ensure voting rights, civil rights, fair housing, environmental protection, and social programs bolstering Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid the right time? How about the time when a staunch Republican president who was a career military commander boldly cautioned us to beware of the growing military industrial complex? Or maybe it was that four-year period when the country was not involved in war, you know the Carter years?

No, I sincerely doubt that the period of our greatest intellectual growth and international prowess based upon a growing quality of life is what is envisioned when Republicans talk of making America great again. Dare I say those trumpeting a return to a period of greatness most likely involves a projection of military might and ass kicking. Of course as is often the case those proclaiming greater use of military might most likely used their influence to avoid military service or have never seen actual combat? In an impolitically correct world there might be a vulgar anatomical female body part ascribed to these folks but I will leave that to Donald Trump.

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Importantly there is an enormously positive influence coursing through this election cycle and it involves first and foremost the involvement of previously disaffected millennials. The key will be to make sure they remain involved after the initial excitement gives way to slogging in the trenches in what is going to be an extended battle. As a father of two millennials I am excited to see the younger generation becoming involved in issues that are going to affect them far more than any other generation. The greatest caution I would offer is to not be discouraged by a process that may relegate who you feel may be the best candidate to the sidelines. The important thing is that the ideas will live on and only your continued involvement will accelerate their acceptance and implementation. Once you start the revolution you cannot walk away, you must see it through to its conclusion.

Winning the White House is only a first step. Because of the construction of our process of checks and balances and the incremental and deliberative nature of our federalist system of government the legislative branch of government needs a radical makeover and that will take some time. But also be cognizant of the important nature of our judicial branch, most particularly the Supreme Court, which will be set for decades by the next President.

This is an exciting time and this election could represent the beginning of the political revolution that Bernie talks about. But it will only be the beginning and will require much work to be done regardless of which Democratic candidate sits in the White House next year. I believe both Bernie and Hillary have done a masterful job of tempering their disagreements so far and it is so vitally important that they energize their respective bases without poisoning the well of respect that should be afforded to each other. After all, they are essentially in agreement on the major issues, and for this I believe the Sanders campaign has done an inestimably commendable job. Keep up the good work.

But let this serve as a shout out to the millennials who are pouring out their hearts and souls for their respective candidates: this is your game, your party, your world, grab ahold of it and mold it to your needs and ideals. Too many people are too easily discounting your staying power, prove them wrong. The palpable energy that is evident in the election can be a portent to a much brighter future. Carpe diem.
As a female in the workplace, you automatically have to deal with a set of factors about which your male counterparts don't have to worry. And, whether or not people like to discuss it, pregnancy is something that women often tiptoe around at their jobs. If you're pregnant, or preparing to become pregnant, you need to make sure that you have a plan for how you'll handle this important phase of your life and career.

How to Tell Your Boss That You're Pregnant

The biggest stressor for most is telling her employer that she's pregnant. A lot of people have heard about instances where a boss erupted, or the news wasn't received as well as she'd hoped. This can be discouraging for many women who're already dealing with heightened emotions and physical discomfort.

In the majority of situations in which a boss responds in a negative manner, there's a reason behind the negative reaction. If you can avoid these triggers and deliver the news in a responsible, timely, appropriate manner, the conversation will be much healthier and more productive.

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Here are some things to consider:

1. Know When to Share

When a boss takes the news badly, it's almost always related to timing. If you wait until you're 24 weeks along and clearly showing before you break the news, your boss will probably be frustrated that you didn't say something sooner. On the other hand, if you do what most women do and announce at the beginning of the second trimester, then you're able to give your employer a substantial heads-up that allows him or her to prepare for your impending leave.

2. Have the Right Frame of Mind

Announcing your pregnancy is all about having the right frame of mind. "I don't know what it is about maternity leave that makes people so uncomfortable," says Cheree Aspelin, a pregnancy blogger. "I think of it like a planned surgery or an extended vacation."

If you look at your pregnancy like this, your fears and guilt will start to subside. It'll also impact the way that you tell your boss. Instead of cowering and mumbling your announcement, you'll be able to say confidently, "Hey, I've got great news! I'm pregnant!"

3. Be Consistent

One issue that gets many people in trouble is that they tell their coworkers the news first and then wait a while before informing the boss. You need to make sure that you're being consistent as to when and whom you tell the news.

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As soon as you tell one or two coworkers, you can expect them to tell a handful of other employees. Eventually, it'll work its way around the office and end up at your boss' desk. This may backfire if your boss feels like you're hiding something.

4. Don't Do This

Finally, there are a handful of things that you definitely don't want to do when telling your boss you're pregnant. For starters, never set up the conversation in a negative context. In other words, don't begin with, "I have bad news." This automatically sends things in the wrong direction.

Secondly, don't ask your boss how much time they want you to take off. Also, under no circumstances should you tell your boss that you won't be returning after the pregnancy. There'll be plenty of time to discuss leave and work after the birth. Now isn't the appropriate time.

Focus on Health and Productivity

As soon as you learn that you're pregnant, you need to start focusing on your health and productivity. These will become two key responsibilities for you in the coming weeks and months.

Keep these tips in mind:

1. Eat Healthy

Because of morning sickness and nausea, it can be hard to consume healthy meals throughout the day. However, you need to try your best. Healthy eating is extremely important for the health of your changing body and your growing baby.

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Some of the best foods to eat during pregnancy include bananas, beans, avocados, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and other foods that are high in vitamins, folic acid, calcium, iron, protein, zinc, riboflavin, and other important nutrients.

2. Listen to Your Body

The worst thing that you can do is to try to push through and treat your body like you aren't pregnant. While the nausea, fatigue, and discomfort may be frustrating, don't ignore these things. Take short breaks, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of sleep every night. Your body's sending you these signals for a reason.

3. Make Yourself Comfortable

If there's a time where it's acceptable to make yourself comfortable at work, it's when you're pregnant. As your physical discomfort increases throughout your pregnancy, adjust your office and workspace so it's conducive to your needs. Try padding your chair with pillows. Adjust the temperature in your office to suit your needs. Get up, and walk around. Nobody will blame you for switching things up.

Know Your Rights

As a pregnant worker, you have rights. While these rights will hopefully never come into question, it's helpful at least to be aware of them so you know when you're being treated unjustly. If something ever feels out of the ordinary or wrong, be sure to check with HR, or read up on employment laws to learn more.

Here are a few things that you should know:

1. You Cannot be Fired for Being Pregnant

No matter how an employer tries to disguise the discrimination, it's illegal for him or her to fire you because of your pregnancy. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 clearly protects your right to employment during and after pregnancy.

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2. You Don't Have to Tell Your Boss That You're Pregnant

While it's wise to tell your employer that you're pregnant - and, let's be honest, he or she's going to find out when you begin to show - you're under no legal obligation to notify him or her. You could theoretically wait until the baby is born, and then call your employer to tell him or her that you'll be taking leave. However, this isn't recommended - for obvious reasons.

3. Your Employer Can't Force You to Take Time Off

Even when an employer thinks that he or she's acting in the best interest of the employee, he or she can't reassign a pregnant worker or force her to take time off - if the employee is fully capable of doing her job. In other words, an employer can't legally base employment decisions on assumptions that the pregnant worker's capabilities will be limited by health concerns and physical limitations.

Don't Feel Guilty

It's common for women in the workplace to feel guilty when they find out that they're expecting. This is incredibly unfortunate, since it's such exciting news. If you've recently discovered that you're pregnant, don't feel guilty or overwhelmed. Women get pregnant and have babies every single day - and many are in situations just like yours.
US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton participates in the PBS NewsHour Presidential Primary Debate with Bernie Sanders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 11, 2016. / AFP / Tasos Katopodis (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)

After seven years of secretive negotiations, the presidential primary has finally dragged the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) from the shadows. And just in time.

The TPP is called a "trade" deal, but it's really a deal to make trade more profitable for corporations and harder on workers. In one fell swoop, the TPP would: make it easier for corporations to offshore more American jobs; bring down wages for the jobs that remain; increase medicine prices even more; limit our ability to fight climate chaos; and flood our country with unsafe imported food.

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But this unprecedented threat can only become reality if the TPP is approved by Congress and then signed into law by the president. Participating countries signed the final text of the deal on November 3. Now we must demand that every candidate for president and everyone running for Congress state a clear position on it.

A majority in Congress does not currently support the TPP, so the decision may well roll into 2017. That means one of today's candidates for president will make the final call.

Which candidates will promise today not to send the TPP to Congress for approval if elected? Which candidates will promise today that he or she will not sign the TPP into law if Congress approves it?

Bernie Sanders has made that promise. He also has been a leader on this issue in Congress, spotlighting the fact that the job-killing deal is rotten to the core. The TPP is packed with hundreds of pages of new corporate privileges and rollbacks of the basic consumer and environmental safeguards on which we all rely. Think NAFTA on steroids, but covering 12 nations and 40 percent of the world's economic activity and open for China and more nations to join.

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Never has a trade deal garnered such unified and fierce opposition from progressive organizations and activists nationwide.

After previously declaring that the TPP sets the "gold standard" for trade and investment agreements, Hilary Clinton now says she does "not currently support it as it is written." What is her plan on the TPP? During the New Hampshire MSNBC debate, she touted her record renegotiating "the trade agreement that we inherited from President Bush with Korea."

But the Korea Free Trade Agreement, which was the template for the TPP, exemplifies how not to do a trade deal that benefits most Americans. In just its first three years, the U.S. trade deficit in goods with Korea swelled 90 percent. Instead of the Obama administration's promise of "more exports, more jobs," U.S. exports dropped 7 percent.

That trade deficit increase equates to the loss of more than 90,000 American jobs in the first three years of the Korea agreement, counting both exports and imports, according to the trade-jobs ratio that Secretary Clinton and the rest of the Obama administration used to project job gains from the deal.



Clinton also touted support for that pact by the United Auto Workers. But UAW president Dennis Williams not only strongly opposes the TPP, but says the UAW regrets having supported the Korea Free Trade deal because it cost jobs. "We've lost 75,000 jobs in manufacturing today since we signed that agreement," says President Williams, "and the deficit continues to rise. That's not a fair trade agreement."

Given that sorry record, will Clinton commit to not sending the TPP to Congress unless and until the three issues she has repeatedly raised as the basis for her new opposition to TPP are addressed? Will she commit to stopping any TPP treaty that does not have enforceable disciplines against currency cheating in its core text? Will she eliminate the new monopoly rights that the TPP would grant to Big Pharma -- rights that will raise our medicine prices? Will she demand stronger terms on labor rights terms and enforcement so the TPP does not push down Americans' wages?

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We certainly did not hear that at the debate. Instead, she talked about ensuring there was a safety net for Americans hurt by the pact. But it's simply not possible to compensate the losers. Why? Because even when you account for for Americans' access to cheaper imported goods, the current trade model's downward pressure on wages outweighs those gains, making most Americans net losers.

Trade theory states that while those specific workers who lose their jobs due to imports may suffer, the vast majority of us gain from trade "liberalization" because we can buy cheaper imported goods. But when the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) applied the actual data to the theory, they discovered that trade-related wage losses outweigh the gains from cheaper imported goods for the vast majority of Americans.

CEPR found that U.S. workers without college degrees (63 percent of the workforce) lost an amount equal to 12.2 percent of their wages, even after accounting for the cheaper goods, meaning a net loss of more than $3,400 per year for a worker earning the median annual wage. TPP would spell pay cuts for all but the 10 percent of wealthiest Americans, increasing income inequality as past free trade deals have.

Bottom line: our current trade policy needs fundamental transformation. That is what Sanders had committed to do as president and what he has fought to do since the day he entered Congress.



Now is the time when the other presidential candidates must join Sanders in committing not to send any trade deal to Congress that includes the terms found in the TPP -- terms that make it easier for big corporations to offshore more American jobs.

They must promise not to pass any agreement like the TPP, which would bring down our wages by throwing Americans into competition with workers in Vietnam making less than 65 cents an hour.

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Every candidate must commit not to send any trade deal to Congress that lacks enforceable rules against currency cheating in its core text, so American workers and firms have a level playing field. Every candidate must commit not to send any trade deal to Congress that includes human rights violators like TPP members Brunei, where gay people and single mothers are stoned to death, and Malaysia, where modern day slavery has made it among the worst nations for human trafficking.

Will each candidate commit to not sending any trade agreement to Congress that includes the outrageous Investor-State Dispute Settlement system? That odious system empowers foreign corporations to skirt our laws and courts, and demand billions in taxpayer compensation from private courts when the new rights and privileges pacts given them are violated by domestic policies to safeguard the environment, public health and financial stability. Oil and gas companies, financial and timber interests, and toxic waste producers have already expropriated billions from taxpayers through this kind of extrajudicial system.
On February 10, 2016, Peace Action--the largest peace organization in the United States--announced its endorsement of Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for President.

Peace Action is the descendant of two other mass U.S. peace organizations: the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE) and the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign (the Freeze). SANE was founded in 1957 with the goal of ending nuclear weapons testing. Soon, though, it broadened its agenda to include opposing the Vietnam War and other overseas military intervention, reducing military spending, and backing nuclear disarmament treaties, as well as supporting economic conversion from military to civilian production. Among SANE's early supporters were Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Walter Reuther, and Dr. Benjamin Spock. The Freeze, initiated by Randy Forsberg, appeared in the late 1970s and reached a peak in the first half of the 1980s, when it led a widespread campaign to halt the Reagan administration's dramatic nuclear weapons buildup and the dangerous slide toward nuclear war. With much in common, SANE and the Freeze merged in 1987 to form Peace Action. Like its predecessors, Peace Action devoted its efforts to building a more peaceful world.

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Although the three peace organizations rarely endorsed Presidential candidates, they did so on occasion. Appalled by the Vietnam War, SANE backed the peace campaigns of Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972. In 1984, challenging the Reagan administration's bellicose approach to international affairs, SANE and the Freeze endorsed Walter Mondale. Then, in 1992, fed up with twelve years of Republican hawkishness, the newly-combined peace organization threw its support behind Bill Clinton.

Sanders' depiction as a peace candidate has inspired some grumbling. During the Presidential race, he has shied away from foreign and military policy issues, and this has disappointed some peace activists. Hard-line leftists, already irked by his benign brand of socialism, have been particularly critical. A writer in the Socialist Worker denounced Sanders' "backing of U.S. imperialism," while another, in Jacobin, charged that he was "willfully blind to the hand-in-glove relationship between capitalism and militarism."

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Even so, when it comes to mainstream electoral politics, Sanders is a logical choice for peace activists. Although it's true that he has focused his campaign on economic inequality within the United States, he has not hesitated to assail the "military-industrial complex," as well as the "regime change" policies of past U.S. administrations. Also, the attacks upon him by leftwing purists are often divorced from reality. Driven by a sectarian mindset and a fierce hatred of the Democratic Party, these firebrands distort or ignore much of his peace-oriented record. Furthermore, they overlook the unpleasant alternatives to a Sanders presidency: a hawkish Hillary Clinton or a rabidly militaristic Republican in the White House.

A more serious question is whether American voters, in 2016, will respond positively to a peace candidate. Although the answer remains unclear, there are some indications that they will. Opinion polls reveal that most Americans do not support increasing the U.S. military budget, are wary of sending U.S. ground troops into another Mideast war, and back recent agreements that ease tensions with "enemy" nations like Iran and Cuba. Therefore, campaigning as a peace candidate might end up producing benefits for Bernie Sanders at the ballot box.
Bill and Hillary Clinton at a St Louis campaign rally in 1992, Bill Clinton's final day of campaigning in St Louis, Missouri (Photo by Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images)

The PBS debate moderators missed a golden opportunity to ask Hillary and Bernie a crucial question: What did they think about the execution of Rickey Ray Rector in 1992?

This is not ancient history. Rather, it is a vital case study in political morality. This life and death decision reveals crucial views on crime, punishment, ethics and political opportunism.

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Since Bernie opposes the death penalty, we know how he would respond. To be fair, it's a much tougher question for Hillary, both because she supports the death penalty and because it happened on Bill Clinton's watch. She was there when the issue was discussed and decided.

Did she approve? Does she still approve?

The sad case of Rickey Ray Rector

In 1981 Rickey Ray Rector, a black man, shot Arthur Criswell in a Conway, Arkansas dance hall over a $3 cover charge dispute. A few days later at his mother's home, Rector said he would turn himself in, but only to Officer Bob Martin whom he knew.

Officer Martin was called by Rector's family to take him to jail. When Martin turned his back for a moment to talk with the family, Rector shot him dead.

Rector then went outside and shot himself in the temple. But he didn't die. Instead he was basically lobotomized, becoming mentally incompetent. (How incompetent? Even though he could talk, he had no coherent understanding of the world around him including the concept of death. His IQ was measured at 63. When he was served his last meal before execution, he asked if the guards could hold his dessert until later.)

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The Rickey Ray Rector case developed into constitutional test of cruel and unusual punishment. Does it violate the constitutional to execute a mentally incompetent person? The Supreme Court chose not to hear his appeal and the execution schedule continued.

As governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton had the power to execute Rector or commute his sentence to life-imprisonment. At the time, January 25, 1992, he also was running for president. So just before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, he flew back to his home state to make sure the execution took place. It was gory. It took 50 minutes to find a vein.

Why did Bill Clinton execute Rector?

Jeff Rosenweig, a Clinton friend and one of Rector's lawyer said at the time:

"My personal opinion is that in his heart of hearts he's against the death penalty. In my opinion, this is a very easy way to show you're tough on crime."

Mike Gauldin, a spokesperson for Clinton at that time said "the Governor had indeed changed some of his policies toward prison inmates since he returned to office in 1983. In his first term, he commuted the sentences of 70 inmates convicted of a wide variety of crimes. Since 1983, he has commuted seven."

Crime issues would become very important to Clinton's run for the presidency. It was generally thought that Governor Dukakis damaged his own presidential campaign when during a TV interview he said he would not even execute a murderer who had raped and killed his own wife.

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In 1992, the New York Times reported, "It is clear that many political experts feel a record of favoring the death penalty is a major plus for a Democratic Presidential candidate."

Other analysts suggest more opportunist reasons.

"In 1979, he had commuted the sentence of a mentally ill, convicted murderer, James Surridge, 73. Less than a year after his release, Surridge committed another murder. The case later came to be known as Bill Clinton's own Willie Horton," reports Politico. He may have lost his 1980 bid for the Arkansas governorship because of it.

Some also claim, that killing of Rickey Ray was timed to shift media attention from the emerging Jenifer Flowers scandal that threaten to sink his presidential run in New Hampshire.

Tough on Crime Legacy

During his two terms as president, Bill Clinton continued his hard-line position on crime. As a result, the prison population more than doubled. The number of youth housed in adult prison also doubled. By the time he left office the US had the largest prison population in the entire world.

In an article entitled "Hillary Does not Deserve Black People's Votes," Michelle Alexander offers a stinging assessment:

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"Bill Clinton presided over the largest increase in federal and state prison inmates of any president in American history. ... He supported the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity for crack versus powder cocaine, which produced staggering racial injustice in sentencing and boosted funding for drug-law enforcement. Clinton championed the idea of a federal "three strikes" law in his 1994 State of the Union address and, months later, signed a $30 billion crime bill that created dozens of new federal capital crimes, mandated life sentences for some three-time offenders, and authorized more than $16 billion for state prison grants and the expansion of police forces. ... Human Rights Watch reported that in seven states, African Americans constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders sent to prison, even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level in 1983."



What does any of this have to do with Hillary?

Bill's actions as President are not current campaign issues, except as Hillary uses them to validate her own experience. What did she learn from the Rickey Ray execution and the tough-on-crime Clinton administration?

We know that Hillary changed her position on capital punishment. When she first came to Arkansas, she worked to undermine the legality of executions. She stopped doing so when Bill became the state's Attorney General.

We know from the February 4th debate that she still believes in state executions: "I do, for very limited, particularly heinous crimes I believe [the death penalty] is an appropriate punishment"

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But we do not know where Hillary stands on the case of Rickey Ray Rector.



Key Questions for Hillary to answer:

At the time, did Hillary disagree with Bill's decision to execute Rickey Rae?

Did she challenge Bill's presidential incarceration policies? Or did she consider them justified, even though those policies differentially harmed people of color?

Most importantly, is Hillary now willing to say publically that the execution of Rickey Rae Rector was morally wrong?

How she addresses this troubling episode would speak volumes about whether she deserves our support.

Les Leopold, the director of the Labor Institute in New York is currently working on a national economic educational campaign with unions and community organization. His latest book, Runaway Inequality: An Activist's Guide to Economic Justice serves as a text for that campaign. All proceeds from the book go to support this educational campaign


Hans Ulrich Obrist is a curator and writer. He is the co-director of exhibitions and programs and the co-director of international projects at the Serpentine Galleries, London. He is also the author of several books, including Interviews, over forty volumes of conversations with artists, architects, writers, filmmakers, scientists, philosophers, musicians, and performers. Our conversation elaborates on some of the key ideas in Ways of Curating, one of his recent books, a tour de force of insights into curating.

Lilia Ziamou: Talk to us about your role as a curator.

Hans Ulrich Obrist: When I started, in the late 1980s, I had a very strong passion for art and I wanted to be useful to art. I think this is the core of curating. Today, the word curating is used everywhere and what curating entails is still the idea of "curare," of taking care, of the curator being a caretaker. The Latin root of the word is still relevant. Furthermore, the "cur" in curating can obviously be freely associated to curiosity. I believe curiosity is why I am a curator. It is a desire to want to know and to connect what we know. Not only making connections but junctions as well. These lead us to one of my favorite definition of curating, which comes from the English writer J. G. Ballard, who told me in our last conversation, just a few months before he died, "A curator is a junction-maker." He explained that on the few occasions he as a novelist curated exhibitions, he made junctions. The question is obviously, what are these junctions?



Historically, from the 19th century to the 1960s, art history is very much a history of objects. In this case, a curator is a junction-maker of objects. I take objects, I install them in a space and I make a junction. Then, in the 1960s, as Lucy Lippard describes so strikingly in her book The Dematerialization of Art, art went beyond objects. A curator is not only a curator of objects but also a curator of non-objects, of immaterial works. Obviously this didn't mean that we no longer curate objects. Even after the 1960s, art history still has amazing objects. Then, there is a third layer of junctions with quasi-objects. Michel Serres has this very interesting notion of the quasi-object; a kind of a performative object that gains meaning if we interact with it. The fourth category is the idea of hyper objects, which is a notion from Timothy Morton, another philosopher. Hyper objects go beyond our idea of time and space. Climate change, for example, is a hyper object.

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So, to expand the Ballardian notion of curating, a curator is a junction-maker of objects, quasi-objects, non-objects, and hyper objects. I would add another element; make junctions between people, because this can have major impact. I grew up as a single child in Switzerland. Not in a big city, it was quite narrow, and you feel quite lonely. So, very early on I developed an extreme desire to bring people together. With my projects, I aim at bringing people together. I bring artists together with architects, curators and scientists, and with all kinds of practitioners. That leads us to what I would call an expanded notion of curating because, in a way, Joseph Beuys in the 1960s talked about an expanded notion of art. When art expands, curating has to expand, because curating follows art, it follows artists. I believe that it is never the other way around.

Lilia Ziamou: In Ways of Curating you talk about the importance of unrealized projects. Why are these important to you as a curator?

Hans Ulrich Obrist: This is actually a recurrent obsession of mine. It's the question I ask when I meet an artist or work with an artist. This was the idea of Alighiero Boetti, the Italian visionary artist. He told me, "You should not mold artists into your mold, but you should listen to artists, to what they really want to do." I think this is my job. To listen to these exciting, unrealized projects. I'm talking to novelists, poets, architects, scientists, and ask them what is their unrealized project. Not only to document it, but also to eventually make some of the most exciting ones happen. So, in 1996 we did a book called Unbuilt Roads where I asked 106 artists to send me their favorite unrealized projects. Since then, we have been able to realize many projects. That leads to the other definition of the curator. I think the curator is also an enabler. Someone who makes seemingly impossible things possible. There are many different types of unrealized projects. Projects that are ahead of their time, when the technology isn't there, yet. Projects that are realizable but there just wasn't enough money, or competitions were lost. Then, there are unrealized projects because artists were too shy to realize them. And there are projects that were censored. And projects that are too small to be realized. These are all projects we need to document. I'm interested in documenting them and in finding great projects that have to be saved for humanity.

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Lilia Ziamou: You also talk about experimentation. What are the parallels between experimentation in art and science and the importance of experimenting?

Hans Ulrich Obrist: Yes, I've always believed that the notion of the laboratory, of experimenting is very powerful. In one of my least known exhibitions, but one of my favorite ones, Laboratorium (co-curated with B. Vanderlinden) we attempted to bridge the gap between the vocabulary of science, and the concerns and preconceptions of the audience. We asked questions such as, what is the meaning of laboratories and the meaning of experiments? When do experiments become public? When does an experiment reach public consensus? Artists, scientists and architects, had to think about the place where they work, where they make inventions, how do they make inventions. We asked what is an artist's studio? What is a scientist's laboratory? Bruno Latour's network theory was very relevant because we were wondering how in the digital age, the laboratory becomes a network. This was in 1999, the digital age had started to gain momentum. It was an interesting opportunity at that moment to reflect on, and we gathered a think tank with art historians, science historians, and many artists. Bruno Latour who now is one of the most influential philosophers and historian of science of the 21st century, had never thought about curating an exhibition. He invited scientists and artists to do an experiment in public, like a performance. That took him into the art of exhibition making and he went on to organize three big exhibitions. My work as a curator is not only to do exhibitions. It is also to bring people together. That is one of the things I'm most happy about. When my work goes beyond what I have planned and becomes a catalyst for change, for new adventures, for experimentation. I believe in experiments. We need to make mistakes and learn from these mistakes to make new mistakes. If we stop experimenting, we stop learning.

Lilia Ziamou: What are some traditional understandings that should be challenged?

Hans Ulrich Obrist: The checklist often stands in the way of the laboratory. There is a need for exhibitions as experiments. We often need a checklist 18 months before the exhibition. It is important that all evolves and that we can make changes until the last moment. And that we can even change the exhibition while it is on view. That doesn't mean that everything moves, because in this very accelerated world, we need stillness, silence, and quiet moments. I believe in that. This is not about art being only about movement, but about the diversity of the experience. We need to resist the rigidity of the checklist. I also think, that we always learn from artists, in many different ways. What sometimes stands on the way is that we put artists in a box, that is to say we attribute them to movements. We should never put artists in a box! When you talk to artists, they always say that there's no such thing. To work with artists is a great adventure for me. They take us to places we could never imagine.

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Introduction by Nancy Chuda Editor-In-Chief

and co-founder of

I have many friends who plant great seeds for the future but few have actualized their visions internationally. My friend Francine LeFrak began her mission with the horrific news of the 1 million people murdered in Rwanda. Having realized that the women and their children, those that survived, would become lifelong victims of poverty and disease, she decided to make a very big difference in their lives. Francine's Huffington Post article today summarizes how trends in consumerism can lead to a more soulful economy.
As CEO of a business that connects families with childcare providers--babysitters and nannies--I'm often asked how I feel about nanny cams, the personal surveillance cameras that are either hidden or installed in plain sight to record a nanny's activities on the job. The topic can be hotly debated. Some feel it's wise to use what technology has to offer to monitor kids' safety and care. Others feel that the use of a camera--especially one that is used to record people without their knowledge--is a breach of privacy or at very least uncomfortable for the person who is being watched.

The bottom line is that a nanny cam can be a useful tool if it is used appropriately, and can also be a quick way to destroy a relationship if it is used improperly. Here's what you need to know about nanny cams in order to decide if they are right for you:

Know the Law

It's legal to make a video recording of anything that happens in your home, as long as you have a legitimate reason for doing it--such as monitoring your baby or caregiver. It doesn't matter if the camera is hidden or not, though if you are recording your nanny you need to do it public areas of the house, such as the kitchen and living room, and not in private area such as the bathroom or a live-in nanny's bedroom.

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In several states (including California) it is illegal to make an audio recording without the knowledge and consent of the person being recorded. For this reason, many nanny cams do not record audio. If you do make a video with audio recording and find evidence of neglect or abuse, the tapes are inadmissible in court and you could be liable for breaking privacy laws (https://it.ojp.gov/privacyliberty/authorities/statutes/1285).

The Arguments for Using a Nanny Cam

Who couldn't benefit from a little peace of mind? It can be difficult to leave your children in someone else's care, especially with a new nanny or sitter. Nanny cams can provide comfort by giving you the ability to see that your kids are safe and content.

Monitoring for safety is common practice. There's surveillance in many workplaces, including most daycare centers and schools. Why should your childcare provider be exempt?

Young children can't tell you what's happening while you are gone. It's easier when kids are older and can let you know if their nanny is distracted by her phone, avoids outdoor play, or doles out snacks you forbid.

You don't want to miss a minute of their childhood. Technology allows you to feel closer to your child while you're away. It's nice to check in and see his face or catch a glimpse of milestones you may otherwise miss.

Childcare is expensive. You want to know you are getting high-quality care.

Cons of a Nanny Cam

No one likes to be spied on. If a nanny discovers a hidden camera has been watching her, she can feel violated, offended, hurt that you doubt her abilities or intent, or simply embarrassed.

You don't see the whole picture. Cameras typically cover a specific area. You may catch a glimpse of a crying baby and not see your nanny preparing a bottle to sooth her, or you may see an exhausted caregiver taking a well-deserved break while a tot naps, but fail to see the activities and play that exhausted them both.

There are laws to consider. States have different laws concerning privacy and recording. Be sure you know the laws in your state (https://it.ojp.gov/privacyliberty/authorities/statutes/1285).

You risk damaging an important relationship. If you record your nanny without her knowledge, you are risking her trust. The International Nanny Association encourages employers to discuss the use of nanny cams with a prospective nanny before she takes the job. You both need to be comfortable with your decision for the relationship to work.

Nanny cams are often used for the wrong reason. The purpose of a nanny cam should be to deter or prevent neglect or abuse, not capture it.

There are other effective ways to ensure and motivate proper care. These include thoroughly vetting potential caregivers through interviews and background and reference checks; being upfront about expectations; occasionally dropping in on a caregiver to observe interactions; keeping open lines of communication; and trusting your gut if the relationship or your child's reaction to the provider doesn't seem quite right.

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FLINT, MI - JANUARY 23: The City of Flint Water Plant is illuminated by moonlight on January 23, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. A federal state of emergency has been declared in Flint due to dangerous levels of contamination in the water supply. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

At a Congressional hearing on the Flint water crisis held last week, multiple lawmakers concluded that the disaster was a failure at every level of government. While many public officials testified at the Washington hearing Michigan Governor Rick Snyder did not attend to explain his part in the disaster.

Snyder has been blamed for triggering the water crisis with an April 2014 cost-cutting decision to switch to Flint River water. Lawmakers learned the river water was not treated to reduce its corrosiveness and that error allowed lead to contaminate the public water supply. By all accounts, there were many other failures - warning signs that were ignored at the federal, state and local levels.

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For example, public officials dismissed residents who complained of foul water right after the switch and they failed to take action even as local hospitals and industries stopped using the public water because the untreated corrosive water had started to erode their equipment.

In spring 2015, an official with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found high levels of lead in the city's tap water. The EPA urged the city to treat the water with agents to reduce its ability to erode the pipes but city and state officials continued to downplay the problem.

Finally, in January 2016, President Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint. As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stepped in to deliver safe water, water filters, test kits and other supplies to protect the city's residents.

This is not the first time that lead has contaminated a city's tap water.

The District of Columbia altered the way it disinfected its water supply in 2000 and that change resulted in eroding pipes and lead in the drinking water. Just as in Flint, there were denials, inaction and, in the end, lead-contaminated drinking water affected thousands of District children.

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As a pediatrician I've seen children affected by lead poisoning, which can lead to brain damage and other lifelong health problems. As a former EPA official and now as the dean of a school of public health I also know this is a tragedy that never had to happen.

What can be done? Stronger enforcement of the EPA Lead and Copper Rule might result in a more rapid response to contaminated water. Under this EPA regulation, city officials must test the water for lead levels that are above certain limits. But they don't have to take any action until they have identified lead in the water and with flawed testing methods and delays that can mean thousands are put at risk each day that the problem remains unaddressed.

If we are to proactively guard against another water crisis, we must attack this problem at its root. We must systematically replace the old lead pipes in our cities that represent a crisis waiting to happen. EPA came up with this very idea in 1991 but in the end decided that pipe-replacement would not be a cost-effective solution.

Since that time, public water suppliers repeatedly test for lead, and when they find it (and they do) they must take actions to reduce the lead. That's an ongoing, costly process that works some of the time. And it can lead to spectacular failures, like the one in Flint.

Infants, children and adults in Flint have been drinking, bathing and using water with dangerously high levels of lead for more than a year. Many of those affected are from lower income neighborhoods and are already struggling with poverty, unemployment and high rates of other health problems.



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We can't erase the failures of the past but policymakers can champion a plan to prevent another water crisis. Replacing the aging lead water pipes in Flint and other major cities in the United States would help keep our water pure--and it would protect all of us from the dangers lead for years to come.
February 9, 2016

OPEN LETTER TO HIS HOLINESS, POPE FRANCIS



His Holiness, Pope Francis at the Vatican:

My name is Mark Charles Hardie. I am a baptized and confirmed member of the Roman Catholic Church. My Catholic/Christian name is Mary Bernadette. I received these names in recognition of my spiritual connections to the Holy Virgin Mary and St. Bernadette of Lourdes. I am known as Mary Bernadette of California.

The purpose of this official letter is to request citizenship in Vatican City, authorized by His Holiness Pope Francis. To be clear, I seek to become a citizen of Vatican City.

I am a member of the African American persecuted minority in the United States of America. African peoples were transported to the 'New World' during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. After slavery was officially abolished in the USA, black African peoples have faced discrimination, hatred, lynching, forced into separate schools and separate housing, forced to reside in poor ghettos, and subjected to police brutality and unfair incarcerations.

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Recently, a movement known as "Black Lives Matter" has generated publicity and public sympathy regarding the unfortunate deaths of unarmed African Americans. Pope Francis, my life matters. I call upon you, Holy Father, for protection and prayer. When I look in the mirror and see my black face, I realize that I am terrorized by white privilege.

Mark Hardie, who has the Christian name Mary Bernadette of California, served in the US Army.

This unfair and hateful treatment has caused me spiritual stress. I ask His Holiness Pope Francis to pray for me. I also ask for the direct intervention of His Holiness in my request for citizenship in Vatican City. I ask for a written response to this request as soon as possible.

I pray to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of my sins. I ask for the blessing and guidance of the Holy Virgin Mary. I ask for the spiritual intervention of St. Bernadette of Lourdes. My God bless this initiative.
In the two weeks leading up to Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, Donald Trump gained momentum from some high-profile endorsements, among them conservative evangelical leader and Chancellor of Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr., oldest son of the late controversial televangelist.

Despite Trump's unfiltered and vitriolic tirades aimed at pretty much everyone who isn't him; despite his proposed policies that feed discrimination against Muslims, Mexicans, and refugees; despite the arrogant bullying that he employs to get what he wants; despite his continued use of crude and offensive language without apology; and despite the fact that nothing he does embodies the evangelical mantra of What Would Jesus Do, Falwell Jr. has decided Trump's the best man for the job. According to exit polls from Tuesday's primary, a good number of New Hampshire's conservative Christians apparently agree. And, as Trump courts a much higher percentage of evangelical voters in South Carolina and some of the other upcoming primary states, he will undoubtedly rely on Falwell Jr.'s continued support. In a country where personal freedom is tantamount, Falwell Jr. can certainly rally behind whomever he wants.

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It's just that when you spend a good part of your career, as Falwell Jr. has, positioning yourself as someone whose life and mission are directed by Biblical principles, someone "called by God" to champion the message of Jesus Christ, such an endorsement can't help but raise a few eyebrows. And it has. Since Falwell Jr.'s January 26th announcement, other evangelical leaders have spoken out. One, John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, even said, "The late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. would be rolling over in his grave [...] this in no way represents the legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr."

As someone affected at a deeply personal level by strands of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr.'s legacy, I can't say that I agree, Mr. Stemberger.

I was raised in a conservative evangelical Christian home. My father's father was a Baptist minister, and my mother's grandparents were missionaries. Sunday school, weekly worship services, Bible studies, Christian fellowship events -- all were central to my childhood and adolescence. And, though we lived in Canada, there was no wall to keep Falwell's voice from crossing the border. Our conservative churches modeled many of the fundamentalist values touted by his Moral Majority here in the United States. The music and sermons from Falwell's Old Time Gospel Hour often filled our house -- especially in the four years my grandmother, who wouldn't let us play cards on Sundays, lived with us. The words of hymns and scripture are embedded in my brain. Loving Jesus was a part of my DNA. And because I was 13 years old and living in comfortable ignorance about the deepening intersections of politics and morality and money, I didn't know that there might be something to fear about the way many Christians attached their worldviews to the legalism Falwell preached from his mighty and influential pulpit.

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Then, something happened.

In 1985, after suffering a massive heart attack, my father -- a surgeon himself -- underwent a quadruple bypass. The lifesaving blood transfusion his doctors gave him during his surgery was tainted with HIV. Eight months later, he tested HIV positive.

In the years before AIDS appeared on the scene, Jerry Falwell Sr. had launched malicious attacks on what he often called "the gay lifestyle." When the first reported cases of the disease in North America were linked primarily to gay men, he wielded his influence as a weapon of discrimination to further that agenda and to shape public perception. Labeling AIDS a "gay plague," Fallwell Sr. inflamed people's fears about the nature of the disease's spread and declared, "AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."

This rhetoric of hate, not unlike Trump's "us" against "them" position on illegal immigrants and Muslims, fuelled a culture that responded with callous ignorance to the growing AIDS pandemic. Messages like Falwell Sr.'s and those of other evangelicals who jumped on his bandwagon spilled down and spawned a church climate where victims of HIV were not only unwelcome, they were denied the care and compassion that Christianity so ardently preached.

In the face of this growing stigma, a stigma that still hangs over the 36.9 million men and women worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, my father knew the threat his HIV status posed. To him, that threat felt greatest in our own Christian community. He made the only decision he thought he could. He kept his illness secret. For the ten years before he died from an AIDS-related infection in 1995, my family lived with the lonely knowledge of his progressing disease and impending death. The unraveling of my involvement with the organized Christian Church in the twenty years since is due largely to my inability to reconcile the cruel and polarizing words and actions of vocal church leaders like Jerry Falwell Sr. with the foundational messages of peace, love, and compassion I believe were the soul of Jesus' ministry.
The world waited with bated breath and then exhaled last Thursday when global leaders gathered in London to pledge support for Syrian refugees. Collectively, the group pledged $10 billion in aid.

During a news briefing, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "Never has the international community raised so much money on a single day for a single crisis."

With at least 11 million people--half of the Syrian population--internally displaced, and nearly 5 million people fleeing to neighboring countries, let's hope the $10 billion is allocated efficiently. After all, there is an onslaught of misinformation regarding the refugee crisis pervading the media landscape in all directions. But it's not for lack of thousands of humanitarians working to create solutions to address the gaps in data. Shelley Taylor of Trellyz is one of the entrepreneurs leading the charge. Harnessing her community building skills, she's built the Refugee Aid App, which provides a single point for refugees to find information, and allows NGOs to deliver aid to where it's most needed. During times of crisis, connectivity and efficiency are everything.

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We caught up with Shelley to find out what kind of impact the location-based tool is having on Syrian refugees and what's needed to take the initiative to the next level.

TB: You started the first-ever platform to show all aid by organization and type. How is the rollout of the app progressing?

ST: We built the Refugee Aid App platform in November, and since then we have been signing up charities and NGOs so that we would have sufficient numbers in the two countries we are going live with first - Italy and the UK. We concentrated on getting the participation of some of the largest aid organizations, because our platform only shows refugees' official aid.

There are other apps out there that are available in some cities and countries where the aid is crowd-sourced, meaning anyone can add information and make it visible to refugees.

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We chose to make our platform only available to trusted charities and NGOs because we were worried (as are the aid organizations) about unfiltered and incorrect information being provided to migrants.

We want to be sure that no one can use our platform for trafficking women or children, so we are very strict about who can use it. Now we have the following organizations using the platform: British Red Cross, Italian Red Cross, Save the Children, and Caritas, among many others.

TB: Are you facing any barriers with refugees not having smartphones?

ST: All the research I have seen says that the large majority of refugees, approximately 85% of Syrian refugees, have smart phones. They use them to travel, relying on Whatsapp and Facebook to find routes and to navigate their journeys. A very large percentage of Syrian refugees are actually middle class and just trying to get to safety. They typically travel with money and smart phones, though very little else.



TB: What do you need to keep driving the platform forward?

ST: Until now my company, a small and private tech startup, has covered the cost of all of the technology and staffing required to make this platform and onboard the non-profits. We would love to roll it out in all countries in Europe, and al of our major aid organization partners would as well. But in order to roll out everywhere, we will need some funding. We have applied for a couple of grants. We would like to find corporate partners who would like to begin building relationships with migrants, at all stages of their journey.

For example, mobile operators could potentially offer locations for their sim cards on the map that refugees have in our app. We would appreciate partnerships with companies like Amazon who could reduce their prices for the hosting services we use to support the platform.

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Any funding we would use to cover the costs of on-boarding NGOs. We would eventually like to move to a model where aid organizations subscribed to use the service, something very small, but so that it could be self-sufficient.

A challenge for a small private company that can create technology that will dramatically improve the delivery of aid resources is that we are not in a position to support the five million refugees in Europe, even if we have created the first platform that allows all aid organizations to improve their delivery and reduce their costs. I have to run a profitable business in order to be in a position to absorb all of the costs of running this platform. I'm not sure that is a realistic model for other technology solutions, so it would be great if aid organizations and funding sources could find a way to participate in solutions that will improve their efficiency.

The Refugee Aid App is available on Android and iPhone. To learn more about the tool and support it's development, go to RefugeeAidApp.com.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day are months away, but Americans aren't waiting until then to honor those who dedicated their lives serving in the U.S. military.

Two inspiring stories emerged this past month -- one in New York City, and another taking shape across the nation to honor more than 1,000 women who were relegated to the proverbial dustbins of history. Both examples show the power of the Internet to elevate the stories of servicemembers and to define what it means to be a hero.

First was Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, born and raised in Staten Island, who from his earliest days wanted to be a soldier like his father and grandfather. Friends said he "had olive-green blood" -- traditional military colors -- and after graduating as an ROTC student from high school in 2006, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Staff Sgt. Ollis served one tour of duty in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. And in January 2013, he left for his third deployment to Afghanistan.

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But he never made it home.

In August 2013, the base where Sgt. Ollis was stationed came under attack from insurgent forces. Sgt. Ollis threw himself in front of a suicide bomber and was killed -- giving his own life to protect a fellow soldier from an ally country.

That could have been the end of the story. But the Internet didn't allow the story of his bravery to go untold.

Inspired by Sgt. Ollis' heroic actions, a fellow Staten Island resident, Anita Salek, started an online petition at Change.org urging the NYC Department of Transportation to honor Sgt. Ollis' life by naming a new Staten Island Ferry boat after him. First a few dozen signed. Then a few hundred. Then over the course of a few months, the petition climbed to more than 5,600 signatures while a corresponding Facebook page hit nearly 3,300 members -- people from all across the country learning about Sgt. Ollis' service to his country, and feeling inspired to keep his memory alive.

A few weeks ago, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that a future ferry will be named after Sgt. Ollis. "Whatever he did, wherever he went, others were inspired by his leadership and his actions. This was an extraordinary young man and we lost him way too soon," de Blasio said.

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Score one for the Internet.

Meanwhile, across the country in California, Tiffany Miller was telling the story of her grandmother, Elaine Danforth Harmon, and more than 1,000 other women like Harmon who did something most World War II history classes gloss over. These women joined the WASP -- Women Airforce Service Pilots -- and spent years during the Second World War supporting the U.S. effort, becoming the first female pilots in the U.S. military.

The WASPs had an enormous impact in the U.S. military. Yet history wasn't so kind to them. They were disbanded at the end of World War II rather than incorporated into the U.S. military, in large part because women weren't considered strong enough to keep up with male pilots during peacetime. For more than 30 years, WASP records were classified, and it wasn't until 1977 when members of the WASP were even considered full-fledged veterans of the military.

It was a decades-long fight to get these women recognized, and yet even with their veteran status, members of the WASP still faced a different set of rules -- including being barred from inurnment or burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

Enter Tiffany and the army of supporters she's built over the past month to call attention to the history and importance of the WASPs, cutting through military bureaucracy in her effort to win a right she feels her grandmother and the other women pilots earned.

With her grandmother's ashes stored in her closet, waiting for the day they can be inurned at Arlington, Miller started a Change.org petition calling on Congress to pass legislation to allow members of the WASPs to be laid to rest at the cemetery.

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In just a few short weeks, more than 140,000 Americans joined the national call for these women pilots to be honored for their important place in history. That momentum has now spurred bipartisan legislation with a real pathway to victory, even in a divided Congress.

We often see the power of technology when it comes to raising money for a cause or a candidate, or to temporarily kick start a national conversation through a hashtag or clickbait headline.

But what makes the efforts of Anita Salek and Tiffany Miller so refreshing is that they're using technology to build up the stories of American heroes, and to make sure that history doesn't forget the contributions of men and women who gave their lives in service.
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, left, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, pose for a photo before debating at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham,NH (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

As a radio host and commentator, and as a gay man, I'm used to conservatives calling in or writing me to straight-splain the world to me. I apparently shouldn't be defending Muslims against bigotry nor support allowing Syrian refugees into the country, for example, because ISIS throws gays off of buildings. "How could you defend people who want to see you dead?" It's not always as simplistic, wildly inaccurate and ridiculous, but it is always just as condescending.

And now it's happening with progressives and liberals, among Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton supporters. Yesterday Charles Blow wrote a column in the Times headlined, "Stop Bernie-Splaining to Black Voters," and it made me think about how the same arrogance is coming from straight supporters of both candidates to LGBT voters.

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Sanders, I'm told by some heterosexual supporters, is the only true champion in the race in the area of civil rights for LGBT people because he was one of a small handful of members of Congress to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 -- a law signed by Hillary Clinton's husband and which she supported until recent years.

But Clinton, others say, is the only true champion of LGBT rights in the race because she, as secretary of state, gave an historic, powerful speech before the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva in 2011, equating gay rights with human rights, and she is talking lot in debates and elsewhere about LGBT rights.

But here's a three-point reality check:

1) Both candidates, right now, support full equality, including adding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to the 1964 Civil Rights Act via The Equality Act, which was introduced in Congress last year and would be a massive lift to get passed in this Republican-controlled Congress (or any foreseeable Congress), let alone even get a vote.

2) Both candidates weren't always in favor of marriage equality.

3) Both candidates have obscured their pasts.

I find it arrogant when straight people tell me Clinton only a few years ago said marriage was "between a man and a woman," when, in fact, President Obama, most Democrats and most Americans -- including many of these same straight people telling me this -- had the same position at that time. It took enormous pressure by activists on Obama to get him to shift, and to shift public opinion.

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Evidence that Obama actually supported marriage equality in the '90s, only to publicly flip as he sought national office, only to flip ("evolve") again, was confirmed last year by his former political strategist David Axelrod -- which makes Obama even shadier on the issue than Hillary Clinton. If consistency and longevity of a position are the only measure by which we should have judged him (and any politician), however, then we should have dumped Obama a long time ago, rather than use him to our advantage and see him eventually lead on the issue. Running for re-election in 2012 as a president who supported marriage equality, pressured by activists after having made promises on equality, he helped in ballot measures in four states in which LGBT activists won on the issue.

Bernie Sanders, as I've written, has had a stellar record for a long time, largely because of his vote against DOMA. But in fact he didn't support marriage equality at the time, though he now claims that he did. In a presidential debate last October he said, "I thought then and I think now that people have the right to love those folks that they want to love and get married regardless of their sexual orientation." But that's not what he said at the time, instead presenting his vote as one for states' rights and not gay equality. His wife Jane, then his chief of staff, said in '96: "We're not legislating values. We have to follow the Constitution. And anything that weakens the Constitution should be (addressed) by a constitutional amendment, not by a law passed by Congress."

In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples must have the same benefits as heterosexual couples and left it to the legislature to decide if they should have marriage or some other scheme. Other state politicians, including Sanders' successor as mayor of Burlington, supported marriage. But Sanders stayed silent.

"Obtaining Congressman Bernie Sanders' position on the gay marriage issue was like pulling teeth ... from a rhinoceros," wrote Peter Frye at the time, a local political reporter whose work Sanders had lauded. "It's an election year, yet despite the lack of a serious challenger, The Bern's gut-level paranoia is acting up."

Sanders supported the eventual outcome, Vermont's inadequate civil unions law, but not marriage. Even in 2006, after he voted against George W. Bush's attempt to ban marriage in the Constitution, when asked if he supported legalizing marriage for gays in Vermont, Sanders said, "Not right now, not after what we went through."

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By 2009 Sanders supported marriage equality. Clinton didn't do so until 2013, a few months after she left the state department and a year after Obama came to support it. She struggled in an interview with NPR's Terry Gross in 2014 about her evolution on the issue, and didn't say marriage equality was a constitutional right until April of 2015, just in time for the Supreme Court's Obergefell ruling and a presidential run.

Sanders called for adding LGBT people to the Civil Rights Act months before Clinton last year. Clinton was criticized last spring, including by LGBT donors who were concerned, because she wasn't discussing LGBT issues. Later in the year she was called out for revising history, claiming that she and her husband Bill supported DOMA in 1996 -- he finally reversed and came out against DOMA just before the Supreme Court struck it down in 2014-- because they were trying to forestall a constitutional amendment. But activists refuted that, saying there was no threat of a constitutional amendment promoted by Republicans at that time.

By that point Clinton had put out a detailed plan for full equality, and gave a powerful speech at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner, slamming Kim Davis and Mike Huckabee and talking in detail about the challenges facing LGBT people ahead.

But still, it's notable that just a few weeks before that speech she was revising history and the rationale for her and her husband's support of DOMA -- just like Bernie Sanders at around the same time revised the history of his vote against DOMA by claiming he'd been in favor of marriage equality at that time when he wasn't.

In other words, they're both politicians.

But, like Obama did during his '08 campaign, they've now made many promises, and that's the most important thing: what they're saying now. It's unfortunate that the Human Rights Campaign endorsed Clinton now -- breaking with their recent past in waiting for the primaries to be over, and with both of them being good on LGBT rights -- so that these two candidates could continue to compete and promise more for the LGBT vote, since there is an enormous amount of work to be done that neither has addressed. And beyond mentions by the candidates, LGBT rights haven't been focused on at all in the debates.

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But that said, activists must, as they did with Obama, keep the next president to his or her promises. Since getting the Equality Act passed is unlikely any time soon no matter who is president, and since Obama has already done quite a bit via executive action -- like signing an order banning discrimination against LGBT people among federal contractors -- the most powerful thing the next president can do, at least from the get go, is use the bully pulpit.

As many states are moving full-force with a backlash, as conservatives use "religious freedom" to legislate hate, we need a president who will be vocal, taking on governors and legislators, and one who will be badgering Congress on federal protections, no matter how futile it seems, and taking the case to the American people.
[Open Letter]

Dear President Uhuru Kenyatta.

I greet you in the name of people who support democratic governance, the rule of law and the right to elect their own leaders.

I greet you in the name of all those who oppose state-sponsored political violence and tyranny.

I greet you more specifically on behalf of all Ugandans who pray that they and their children and loved ones survive the upcoming February 18 General Election.

Surely, based on the current level of state-sponsored election-related violence, many Ugandans will pay the ultimate price. Yet, Mr. President, you have the power to help prevent some possible election-related deaths.

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Mr. President, as you know, of all the sister East African countries, Uganda has had the most tragic and destructive history. The country's politics have been attended by much violence. In the years since independence in 1962, Uganda hasn't seen a single peaceful transfer of power.

First there was the 1966 clash between prime minister Milton Obote and the Kabaka Edward Mutesa II, traditional king of Buganda and also President of Uganda; Mutesa ended up in exile where he died. In 1971 Gen. Idi Amin deposed Obote.

Amin fled in 1979; after he had made the mistake of invading Tanzania, a counter-attack destroyed his army. Obote came back to power after disputed elections. Obote was deposed, again, by the army under Gen. Tito Okello.

Gen. Okello and rebel leader Yoweri Museveni signed a peace deal; then Museveni deposed Okello.

Gen. Museveni has been in power for 30 years. You were 24 when he seized power.

Gen. Museveni has operated a regime of tyranny and divide-and-rule, setting Ugandans against each other. When he's not stoking hatred between people from the Southern part of the country and the Northern part, he is leading a national demonization campaign against members of the LGBT community, simply to garner political support.

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Yet, Ugandans have reached their limit. They will no longer allow Gen. Museveni to divide them.

You may have been following the presidential campaigns. Dr. Kizza Besigye, President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), who has endured beatings and arrests for years under the Museveni regime has been drawing massive crowds.

Amama Mbabazi, Gen. Museveni's former prime minister, who's now abandoned him and running for president, will peel off votes from the same base.

Gen. Museveni and officials of his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party fear possible election defeat come Feb. 18. So the regime's military and political officials have made inflammatory statements that can lead to massive bloodshed as a result.

First it was Gen. Kale Kayihura the unashamedly partisan police commander. While addressing government recruited and trained militias called "Crime Preventers," he said Gen. Museveni wouldn't yield power even if he loses the election. He also said the "Crime Preventers," rather than being armed with sticks must be armed with guns to prepare for "war."

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for human rights and democracy, Tom Malinowski, rebuked Gen. Kayihura, tweeting on Jan. 28 that Gen. Kayihura's comments were "irresponsible" and "dangerous."

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The U.S. has been Uganda's primary financial and military backer.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also called for the suspension of the pro-regime "Crime Preventers" and accused them of election-related violence.

Additionally, the State Department in a statement also condemned election-related violence by state security operatives.

(The statement also raised the issue of the disappearance of Christopher Aine, a senior aide to candidate Mbabazi; Aine's relatives claim he was killed after being arrested by Gen. Kayihura's police).

Not to be outdone by Kayihura, the ruling NRM party's secretary general Ms. Justine Lumumba Kasule while addressing supporters in Wakiso issued a threat directed at youth who dare to protest any rigged election outcome. "Don't send your children to bring chaos in Kampala and cause confusion during elections, disrupt peace in the country, government will handle you --you will be shot," Lumumba Kasule said, adding: "The state will kill your children if they come to disorganize and destabilize the peace and security in Kampala and Wakiso."

Mr. President, it's in this volatile context that many Ugandans were alarmed to learn through a report in a Kenyan newspaper, The Daily Nation on Feb. 5, that at least 35 military-style armored vehicles, some mounted with mounted ploughs -- there is no snow in the streets of Uganda -- and water cannons had arrived in the port of Mombasa, destined for Uganda.

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Mr. President, I urge you to block these vehicles from being shipped to Uganda before the elections; at the very least their arrival must be delayed.

Mr. President, Kenyans are very familiar with the very painful and destructive consequences of election-related violence since your country was almost torn apart during the 2007 - 2008 vote.

Mr. President, I urge you to do the right thing.
New technologies hit the market every day, but a few change the way creative work is being done on a large scale. They allow more people to accomplish what only a few were once able to do. They're beautiful to behold, simple to use, and easy to integrate into the workflow of creatives across the globe. They help creative people be better at what they do. And - perhaps most importantly - they're accessible.

With that in mind, here are the five technologies we've seen come into their own over the last year, that are fundamentally changing the way creatives work.

1. Virtual reality. As a society, we've dreamt of an "alternate sensory experience" for decades, but it's only recently become a reality. In 2015 the technology became more refined, and suddenly it was obvious to everyone: new possibilities were now open in storytelling, building, gaming - really anything that involves creating a new world for people to explore.

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Who's using virtual reality in creative work? Right now, the technology has the most relevance in the world of gaming. With Oculus - after being snapped up by Facebook for a cool $2 billion - emerging as a VR leader, gamers and game developers have latched on to VR the most (or most obviously), creating full-body 3D experiences. Oculus Rift, Playstation VR, and HTC Vive headsets are all poised to hit the market this year and consumer adoption will only drive more creative potential.

In other industries, last year Google and The New York Times rolled out a simple cardboard virtual reality headset, opening up new possibilities in how journalists tell stories and invite readers to engage with them. And builders and architecture firms can showcase projects and spaces still under development: Cadsoft, the software developer for builders, just introduced its new application that lets people walk around a space before it's created.

2. Live-streaming apps. Meerkat and Persicope both launched live-streaming video apps in 2015, to much hype, and it didn't take long before marketers and influencers, from huge brands to individual celebrities, were figuring out how to make it work for them. The appeal of both apps is how they give brands new opportunities to interact with their fans in real-time, catching their attention through sound and motion.

Brands are eating up the opportunity, creating new kinds of advertising and original content unique to the medium. Target used Periscope to give viewers a sneak peak of its Lily Pulitzer collection, which sold out in just a few days, and liquor brand St. Germain created a disappearing ad of sorts, launching a series of racy short films that disappeared after 24 hours called Peep Show, which invited viewers to respond and react in real time. And Taco Bell, not to be outdone by other brands, hosted a mock press conference to promote "Breakfast Defector Day." As new mediums for creative work emerge, creativity is quickly evolving to meet the potential.

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3. Predictive analytics. Predictive analytics - which takes data and makes it forward looking - is changing the way advertising and marketing teams are thinking of creative work. The technology is still pretty new, but these sophisticated tools are pushing creatives to use data-fueled insights to create content that's smarter, more relevant, and more likely to produce the results they are looking for - especially in advertising.

But predictive analytics is being used by more than just advertisers. Some creatives are turning data into an art form, like big data company Teradata, which showcased dozens of analytics-turned-visual-art-display at its user conference last fall. "Great insights are more than science, they are an art form... successful companies must create a culture of creativity," the company says on its website. The visualizations - which use data to represent everything from the flow of money between Chinese companies, to classifications of whiskey - are meant to stimulate different parts of the brain to make certain points clearer, Teradata says.

4. Drones. Drones have been around for years now, but it's worth mentioning the ways drone technology revolutionized creative work for filmmakers and other creatives. With newer, sleeker, more affordable drones flooding the market, camera-mounted drones now make possible the kind of aerial photography once afforded by only the biggest studios.

Drone are even more accessible than ever, thanks to companies like KitSplit. The New York-based startup lets creatives and smaller production companies and studios rent out equipment from other users - a sort of "Airbnb for the creative class," according to Forbes.



5. CGI-influenced stop motion animation. Stop motion animation is an old, beautiful, and (increasingly) rare art form that largely fell by the wayside when computer generated animation came about. But Laika, the animation company committed to making stop motion films, is revolutionizing the form by incorporating computer generated images and 3D printing technology into the traditional stop motion process. Animators there use CGI to alter physical figures, then 3D print variations of those forms to film in stop motion, saving time but preserving the stop-motion form.

"I love this art form. What if we can take it and expand what it can do by infusing this craft with technology?" Laika studio founder explained in an interview with Wired. That's the kind of thinking about technology that changes what's possible in creativity. We hope to see more of it in the future, in filmmaking and other realms of art making as well.

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Depending on how active you are on Twitter, you may or may not be aware of a pretty remarkable occurrence last year in Ireland. Amidst the masses of swirling articles and videos regarding the lack of gender parity in theater that are justifiably and importantly flying around the Internet, a group of women and men in Ireland joined in solidarity to effect some pretty substantive change.

It all began on October 28, 2015 when The Abbey Theater, Ireland's national theater, announced the line-up of plays for their 2015/16 "Waking the Nation" season, intended to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ireland's revolution. Despite The Abbey being a publicly-funded entity - funded, in other words, at least in half by female taxpayers - and catering to a theater-going audience estimated to be over 50% female, only one of the 10 announced plays was written by a female playwright.

In a primal cry of despair, Lian Bell, a set designer and arts manager living in Ireland, wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about the bitter injustice of the situation. To her surprise and then delight, the post immediately received a staggering number of comments, "likes," and reposts by women who shared her outrage. When Bell moved the conversation to Twitter, this collective anger took off into a full-blown movement with the hashtag, #WakingTheFeminists.

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The Abbey, no doubt panicking more than a little at the depth of the outcry, offered their space for a public meeting, giving the impromptu group a forum to discuss these issues. The resulting event featured 29 speakers, including Lisa Tierney-Keogh who, as an Irish-expat living in the States, is this month bringing #WakingTheFeminists to New York. The Abbey's 619-seat venue sold out rapidly (additional live-streams around town were quickly set up), with far more people wanting to attend than could fit in the doors.

What happened inside those doors was something that Tierney-Keogh swears had never happened before in Ireland - nothing anything like it - women turned out in droves and spoke, voicing the unexpressed pain, anguish, and frustration of years of being held back in a system that chronically undervalued their work and stories. Such was the force of the movement that these 29 voices were quickly bolstered on social media by Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Debra Messing, Cherry Jones, and many other luminaries, all expressing their support and shared experience.

So what came of this, you may well ask. Within a month of that meeting, the Irish Film Board released a statement committing to achieving 50/50 gender parity in their funding of projects over the next three years. The Abbey subsequently pledged that when they announce their 2016/17 season, representation of female playwrights will be far more balanced (you can be sure there will be hell to pay if they don't follow through).

But in a larger and maybe more important sense, Tierney-Keogh says that people in decision-making positions have basically just started looking at their numbers and realizing, "Oh. We haven't programmed a woman two years." or "Oh. We really haven't been giving women's stories equal play." Some people have reacted negatively - after all, not everyone likes to be made to see their own bias - but the point is at least now they're seeing it.

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Tierney-Keogh says,

Mostly what I want to is to get everybody talking about it. Because when everyone is talking about it and everyone is having those uncomfortable conversations at their work place, that's when change happens. A lot of people don't even realize they have a gender bias - it's not out of maliciousness [that they don't program women], it's just them not realizing the underlying bias that's there. But, it's not okay anymore. It has to change.

When asked what's driving her and the 27+ other artists working full-time with #WakingTheFeminists on top of their already busy schedules, Tierney-Keogh says,

I spent many years learning to suppress the pain of being overlooked and ignored, the pain of being constantly pushed back. I watched my male contemporaries being produced and celebrated, as I kept plugging away. I had convinced myself that I just wasn't good enough and I know a lot of women have done the same. But it's just not true. And it has to change.

That's a feeling to which a lot of us women working in the arts can surely relate.

On February 29th at 7pm, Tierney-Keogh, in partnership with The Irish Arts Center, will hold the first meeting of the first US chapter of #WakingTheFeminists in New York City.

Tierney-Keogh acknowledges that the US arts scene will be a more complex problem to tackle, given the larger population and the fact that the funding comes largely from private donors rather than a central government body, but she is optimistic about the possibility for change here too through conversation, education, and activism.

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So, please, if you are a woman in theater, if you are a woman who loves theater, if you are a man who cares about women's voices being given credence in theater, or if you are a man or woman who just in general likes women and feels that their stories might be important, please join Tierney-Keogh, Lisa McNulty of The Women's Project, Julia Jordan of The Lilly Awards and many other powerhouse theater artists on February 29th to begin this conversation.

Join her so that we can make practical, substantial progress on these issues in our generation, so that our daughters never have to be told through easy acts of omission that their voices are less than worthwhile.
On Monday the Obama administration announced it would ask Congress for $1.8 billion to help combat the Zika virus, elevating national awareness of the disease and heightening fear of its impact. Following news that doctors had diagnosed a Texas patient with Zika through sexual transmission, America's collective hypochondriac exploded.

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness that has been linked to birth defects in many South American countries. While the Ebola outbreak, the last health emergency declared by the WHO, progressed rapidly in those infected and had deadly effects, only one in five patients who contract Zika display flu-like symptoms. Nearly 80 percent of those infected have no symptoms.

Scientists have linked Zika to the most visible effect of the virus, microcephaly, which causes infants to be born with abnormally small heads, but conclusive evidence has not definitively backed up the correlation. The CDC's full press release advises travel limitations for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant.



Photo courtesy of cdc.gov/zika/geo



If you think the CDC's reaction to the outbreak seems extreme when comparing the virus to, say, Ebola, you're not alone. An article in the Independent also points out the distinct differences between the two diseases. However, media coverage of the Zika virus combined with the global health community's response has gotten people talking. On social media, people's reaction is split between fear and trepidation about Zika's severity.





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I'll admit to feeling as if I were a mild hypochondriac from time to time. I can't watch House or research headaches on WebMD without suffering a sleepless, anxiety-filled night. The media attention surrounding disease outbreaks like Zika and Ebola play right into those fears. The photos of Zika babies with underdeveloped heads have dominated the Internet and stuck in peoples' minds.

"My friend is studying abroad in Brazil and she has mosquito bites all over her leg," whispered a girl sitting next to me in class, giggling nervously as she exclaimed, "She DEFINITELY has Zika."

Another female classmate contemplated delaying a post-graduation trip to Peru because of the outbreak while a third had bigger concerns.

USC senior Gaby Smotrys was over the moon when she learned she had been selected to intern in Rio de Janeiro this summer in conjunction with the Olympic games. While she recognizes the threat of Zika, she's not as concerned as the media suggests she should be.

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"Since it's really just risky for expectant mothers or women who want to be, even if I were to contract it, the health implications wouldn't be that severe," she said. Smotrys also commented on how the weather will improve by summer. With Brazil's weather at 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity now, conditions will be milder by the time the Olympic games happen. Smotrys also thinks that the media is playing less of a role in the hysteria than the health community is.



"I would almost say that the WHO and CDC are more fueling hysteria and the media just facilitating it," she said.

Since this virus affects people in such a comparatively less severe way than Ebola and infects such a specific demographic, why have international organizations reacted in such an extreme way? Fear of global disease outbreaks has dominated America's news and social media consumption for years. Movies like Contagion, The Stand and The Andromeda Strain all deal with how the world would look if a global outbreak killed off large amounts of people. Granted, most of these movies involve zombies or aliens, but the underlying premise is there.

According to a 2008 study chronicled by Science Daily, media coverage of disease outbreaks heavily influences how people perceive and fear the symptoms. In addition, Time Magazine published an examination on how social media caused the spread of false information and hysteria during the Ebola outbreak.

America's collective consciousness fears global health emergencies because we do not know how to stop them. To wage war against illness you need more than weapons; you need medical innovation.

In addition, the Zika outbreak reflects the international health community's efforts to learn from the mistakes it made during its response to Ebola. But Zika is an extremely different illness than Ebola, and should warrant an extremely different global response. One of the major factors impacting the spread of Zika is the vulnerability of poverty-stricken communities who live near open water sources and lack basic resources to fight mosquitoes.

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By Jason Heidemann for the Orbitz Travel Blog

You're planning a romantic getaway for you and your significant other and you know two things going into it: you don't want to see kids splashing around while you're enjoying a moment of bliss in the pool nor do you want to saunter into the hotel's bar only to discover it's a meat market for Millennials. Fear not, there are resorts that are not only just for adults, but are specifically aimed at you and your sweetie. Here are 5 great resorts for couples:

Sandals Barbados

Sandals Barbados: Barbados

This long-standing purveyor of intimate escapes for couples has resorts littered all over the Caribbean. This newer entry into the Sandals family boasts all of its familiar amenities such as love nest suites, private butler service, candlelight dining, private pools and cabanas, couples massages, romantic nooks and crannies scattered throughout and of course is perfect for weddings, anniversaries and honeymoons. But what we love about this lodge in particular is its Barbados location, not only near the strollable St. Lawrence Gap area, but in Barbados itself, a tiny island nation blessed with white sand beaches, British traditions and seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Photo: The Canopy Rainforest Tree Houses and Wildlife Sanctuary

The Canopy Rainforest Treehouse and Wildlife Sanctuary: Australia

Live like the Swiss Family Robinson, minus the children, at this collection of Aussie lodgings nestled high in the trees and surrounded by the Cairns Highlands. Each tree house is outfitted with its very own king bed, double spa, wood fireplace, balcony and hammock. Although each lodging offers total seclusion be forewarned that you will be rubbing elbows with unusual wildlife including cassowaries (large, rather bitchy birds if you ask us), tree kangaroos, green possums and the occasional platypus. If you find the energy to ply yourself away from this demi-paradise, you can treat yourself to lush waterfalls, energetic hikes, crystal clear lakes and much more.

Couples Negril

Couples Negril: Jamaica

You can't swing a dead cat in breezy west Jamaica without hitting an all-inclusive and that includes this couples only resort that vaunts the kind of unique amenities that scream amore. All 234 rooms and suites include private balconies and patios but the real magic happens in places like the tree house spa where mani/pedis, body scrubs, massages and seaweed body wraps are offered for made for two. Among the 18 acres of land, there's a private white sand beach where couples can toss their swimsuits right into the sea (no cameras allowed) and a plethora of Cupid-approved activities (off resort) such as horseback ride and swims, rum tastings, mineral spring soaks and bamboo rafting. Don't forget about chocolate sunsets every Thursday and nightly beach bonfires.
A quick head's up for all you design junkies, I know you're out there right now Instagramming your way to bliss.

Here's a fast way to access the real thing.

The Cooper Hewitt is holding its Design Triennial. Now some of us know that triennials, as in Milano, are rather big affairs with room-size objects and architecture.

The CH has gone the other way. A small, one and a half floors of highly-curated objects that are "beautiful."

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What is beauty? How is it defined? The curatorial staff has divided up the spaces.

For my part, this is overthinking. Beauty as we know is in the eye of the beholder. I'm not sure we need it so neatly subdivided and categorized.

What stands out instead: Digital imagery is infusing everything from elegant clay pots to plastic canopies to dress and jewelry design. And many of the artists are from the Netherlands or Scandinavia, traditionally home to fine craftsmanship, where the word craft is lauded rather than appearing to be second rate to "artist."

Many of the objects surely are Instagram-ready (and ready for your house or body, if you can afford them) but those are not necessarily the ones that caught my eye.

Daniel Emma, from Australia has designed marvelous desktop accessories, a Cork Cone to hold push pins and a Magnetic Tower for paper clips.

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Industrial Facility from England, reminded me of the Herman Miller desk accessories they design which are displayed like a village.

Lauren Bowker, founder of UK Theunseen has made an extraordinary leather jacket that changes color in response to heat and wind.

Iris Van Herpen, a Dutch designer has made the dress I wish I could wear co-designed by Jolan van der Wiel from filings and resin. LOVE.

Courtesy Cooper Hewitt

Sou Fujimoto from Japan, has once again delighted the eye with his mini constructions out of everyday things that are better than a doll house. This time what caught my eye was his model made out of staples.

Finally, I suggest all of you who are addicted to Botox instead follow the lead of Israeli designer Noa Zilberman who has accentuated forehead wrinkles with gold, like a tiara.

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Beauty is as beauty does.
It may seem counterintuitive, or even downright strange, but Israel's geopolitical position is probably stronger now than at any time in the country's history. This is likely to continue at least in the short-to-medium term, but looming long-term challenges should give some pause to Israel's current leaders. They should recall that even way back in the 1960s, then-Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol sardonically referred to Israel as "Shimshon der nebekhdiker," or "poor little Samson."

It is therefore rich with irony that it is undisputed among Republican presidential candidates that President Barack Obama has "thrown Israel under the bus," while Hillary Clinton promises "no daylight" between the United States and Israel, instead of advocating policies that would strongly encourage Israel to ameliorate the Palestinians' untenable situation. Bernie Sanders, who once spent a year on a kibbutz as a young man, seems to prefer to avoid the issue entirely, which is perhaps a different kind of irony..

It is worth reviewing Israel's markedly changed security situation since its establishment in 1948. At that time Israel considered itself in genuine existential danger from the Arab world, and with good reason. This danger lessened with its victory in the 1967 Six Day War, and the Jewish state's safety from an Arab attack was largely sealed with its 1979 treaty with Egypt. However, a sense of insecurity still pervaded Israel once it became clear that peace with Egypt was not going to be followed by normalization with the rest of the region.

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The Oslo process of the 1990s led to formal agreements with only two Arab governments, Jordan and Palestine -- the latter not being a state -- but all recognized that the regional atmosphere had changed markedly. Israel developed informal, often semi-secret relations with Arab countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and the Persian Gulf sheikdoms. The Israeli right warned that Arabs had not given up their dream of destroying Israel, but that went against the zeitgeist, and did not resonate with ordinary Israelis. Then came the breakdown of the Oslo Accords, the Second Intifada, and a general cooling of relations with the Arab world. This included the Durban "Zionism is Racism" reprise, the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, and, since 2006, three asymmetrical wars with Hamas and one with Hezbollah. There was more pressure on Israel to accede to a Palestinian state, and a general perception that Israel was heading toward the pariah status it had experienced in the 1970s and 1980s.

Israel has responded by electing ever more right-wing governments, issuing almost daily accusations of anti-Semitism, increasing friction with the United States, and all but repudiating the two-state solution. The recent wave of stabbings and car-ramming attacks that have caused the deaths of at least 30 Israelis and 150 Palestinians are -- if not a dangerous to the state -- unnerving to say the least.

So how can one claim Israel's position is stronger than ever?

Israelis are stuck in the insecure mindsets of 1948 and 1967, despite the region's dramatic changes. Though the word "Israel" still elicits anger from most Arabs, such passion no longer poses a threat to Israel's existence for the following reasons:

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-- Israel is now an integral part of the regional status quo; Arab governments want stability more than anything else, as does Israel. This has been true at least since the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002. The only issue keeping most Arab governments from normal diplomatic relations with Israel is the absolute need to have a Palestinian state to show their people that they haven't capitulated completely. No Arab state at this point would benefit from Israel's disappearance.

-- The most important Sunni countries in the region actually see Israel as a de facto ally. These include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the rich Gulf sheikdoms, and, of course, Jordan. This is largely because of a shared fear of Iran, but also an equally pervasive fear of state collapse and of militant Islamic movements like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The failed states of Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen serve as daily warning of the dangers of instability.

-- It is more than likely that Iran, if it ever truly was an existential threat, will recede as one in the coming years. There is a desperate fight going on within the Iranian elite, pitting reform-minded President Hassan Rouhani and his supporters against the clerical lobby and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is generally conservative but occasionally empowers Rouhani, is almost 80 and reportedly ailing. So far, Iran has completely fulfilled the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, though it has pushed back in other directions. However, it is palpably eager to rejoin the world economy and rebuild its own, which would give it a lot to lose if it is found in violation of the nuclear pact.

However, even if Iran does switch directions, the risk to Israel is less than it was in years past. The world is awake to that danger, and Israel's interests and those of the rest of the world are more aligned. Israel, in addition to being under the American nuclear umbrella, is widely believed to posses its own nuclear weapons arsenal, and the Iranian leadership has never shown any appetite for bringing certain destruction on itself.

-- Widespread regional turmoil makes Israel a secondary issue. For example, Hezbollah may have 100,000 missiles pointed at Israel, but it has its hands full with the Syrian civil war. Even without that, there is a balance of terror of Cold War proportions between Hezbollah and Israel, and Hezbollah does not want to see Lebanon become like Gaza.

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-- Israel's economic prowess is unprecedented. The discovery of massive natural gas fields off its coast, combined with its role as a high-tech powerhouse, means Israel now has deep economic pockets. Even if economic warfare were levied against it, the country would likely be able to withstand it.

It is solely Israel's insistence on holding onto the territories it occupied in 1967 that prevents most of these elements from being publicly acknowledged and undeniable. Israel, because of its own experiences and those of the Jewish people, is stuck in a mindset that was forged in the 1940s, but that is out of kilter with the current era. Of course, it is still in a dangerous neighborhood, but most of its neighbors are now anxious to be friends. How long will Israel refuse to take notice of that and accept its rightful place in the region?
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, listens as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks during the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

With election season firmly underway, the barbs between those-who-would-be-president are, predictably, heating up. The latest round of trash talking between GOP contenders Donald Trump and Jeb Bush has particularly focused on the other's mental health, if in an entirely juvenile sort of way. This, unfortunately, is the most common format in which mental health is referenced in casual conversation, from "that's insane!" when talking about something surprising to "she's crazy" when talking about a person who may be suffering from a lack of self-awareness. Or what about "her boyfriend went totally psychotic" to describe a person who perhaps overreacted? I heard that one while waiting in line for a latte just the other day.

Using these terms in such an off the cuff manner is unhelpful at best, disrespectful and hurtful at worst. But when it comes from those in the spotlight -- our potential leaders, no less -- the ramifications are even more serious. When Donald Trump described Jeb Bush as "a sad person who has gone absolutely crazy," he did not mean Bush went literally crazy -- but he did mean it to be an insult. But, then, the day before, Bush had taken what was meant to be a shot at Trump with the comment, "The guy needs therapy."

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You know what? He probably does. In fact, most of us do.

And yet that, too, was meant to be a dig and, ultimately, a reason not to vote for Trump. As if there's something wrong with therapy. As if pursuing mental health should make a political candidate less desirable.

Although: Does it?

Few politicians have copped to having enlisted a therapist -- not even presidents, who arguably have one of the most, if not the most, stressful jobs in the world. There's but a handful: Former Florida governor Lawton Chiles, who disclosed his use of Prozac for depression; current Minnesota governor Mark Dayton, who has discussed his struggles with depression and alcoholism; Rhode Island representative Patrick Kennedy, who is bipolar. Former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner has openly talked about his experience in therapy, though only in the context of his "recovery PR." And, of course, President Richard Nixon had a psychotherapist, but that fact wasn't revealed until many years later. Beyond that, political leaders see pastors and priests, counselors and advisers, but not professionals who specialize in mental wellness -- unless they do, and they just don't want to cop to it. With good reason: As the media fury around the admissions of both Chiles and Dayton -- as well as colleagues like Doug Duncan, whose clinical depression caused him to drop out of the race for Maryland governor in 2006 -- show, it's not an easy admission to make.

This says a lot about the view of mental illness in this country. Politicians can talk all they want about the importance of mental health reform, no matter what their particular agenda regarding it, but addressing their own emotional and psychological needs would go a long way towards reducing the stigma that prevents many American citizens from recognizing their own illness or seeking treatment. Why should talking about mental health be an "admission" at all?

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That's not to say all politicians are in treatment and hiding their therapists -- just that it seems hard to believe that there's no one in American politics who utilizes mental health resources, especially given that politicians fit into psychotherapy's exact demo, which has been growing steadily. A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry reported that the number of people seeking outpatient services has increased year after year. Meanwhile, studies also show that people with higher levels of education and more income have a greater acceptance of psychology, and that those with a college education were twice as likely to use psychotherapy than those without.
A city of some 100,000 residents, Flint, Michigan has dominated the news in the United States as a tragic story of mismanagement and health consequences centered on a political decision to save funds by changing the city's water supply to a polluted source, resulting in the release of lead from corroded pipes into the homes and bodies of mostly poor and African-American residents. If there is ever to be an example of how water policy can be used to destroy a community, Flint is it.

The facts are mostly undisputed. A governor, obsessed with conservative ideological zeal, replaces city managers and councils in several cities in Michigan, and remains indifferent to consequent reductions in municipal services in communities already in deep trouble. To save a few dollars, his appointed manager diverted the city's water supply, taken from Lake Huron and treated, to the untreated, chemically polluted Flint River. What has followed is appalling.

The residents were aware of the situation, and for two years had complained, demonstrated at public meetings, and demanded testing and response, only to be denied in spite of the obvious discoloration, the proven poor quality of the river, and the lack of maintenance resulting from no money and indifference by every level of state government. That so-called economy has resulted in the following losses:

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The exposure of some 7,000 children under 6 years of age to levels of lead and high risk for brain damage and other sicknesses from lead poisoning. This impact, of course, bears on every resident, regardless of age or race, and essentially constitutes a premeditated act against the health of the city.

The need for immediate relief aid, delivered water, estimated at $28 million in the short term. President Obama has pledged $80 million in additional federal funds, plus an estimated 1.5 billion to replace the distribution and home systems for safe delivery to be restored to make living there viable again.

The cost of the loss of life and the treatment of thousands of residents affected, of the further family and community collapse, and of the class action lawsuits and settlements for which the city cannot pay and surely the state will become liable.

In sum, the savings were negligible, the costs incalculable.

There are also some extraordinary back-stories being told. For example, General Motors is based in Flint, and when its management complained to the governor that the polluted water was corroding car parts being washed in the local assembly line, some $440,000 was suddenly available for a special, GM-only hookup back to the original Lake Huron source. Moreover, at one point, it was suggested that the polluted water could be treated by the addition of an anti-corrosive element at the cost of $100 per day - a solution for everyone. Suggestion denied.

Michael Moore, the American documentary filmmaker who lives in Flint, contributed this interesting information recently in his blog: that the wife of the governor's chief-of-staff happens to be the Michigan spokesman for Nestle, "the largest owner of private water sources in northern Michigan. It has been recently reported that Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi, all major corporate water bottlers, are rushing 6.5 million bottles to the people of Flint. This is a welcome, however ironic, gesture of little long-term impact."

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What can we learn from this fiasco? First, that yet again public services, whether transportation, education, health service, or clean water, cannot be sustained if there are no revenues available or if those available have been diverted to other private interests or tax cuts for political purposes; and, second, that yet again the necessity of water has been revealed as essential to human survival, for everyone, anywhere, any time, and that its pollution or lack of availability can bring an individual, a family, or a city to sickness in a matter of days and to fatal collapse in not many more.

There are petitions to indict this governor and his managers for crimes against the citizens of Flint. But such actions, if successful, can only provide partial satisfaction or compensation for fundamental loss. After-the-fact litigation will not solve the problem of ignorance and indifference inherent in a deliberate decision to put the advantage of corporate or political interests before the health of the governed, or to understand that, without clean fresh water, their town, and our civilization, cannot stand. What a sad, and unnecessary, cautionary tale.

--
These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answers by Ed Felten, Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer, on Quora.

The $19 billion for cybersecurity in the President's budget represents a 35% increase over the prior year's enacted spending. The biggest piece of the increase is a new $3.1 billion Information Technology Modernization Fund, which is a down payment on the comprehensive overhaul of Federal IT systems that must be undertaken in the coming years. It's a revolving fund that will enable agencies to invest money up front and realize the return over time by retiring, replacing, modernizing antiquated IT infrastructure, systems, and networks that are expansive to maintain, provide poor functionality, and are difficult to secure.

Detailed data on all areas of the President's FY 2017 Budget is available on Github here.

Everyone, whether government or private sector, faces threats from many malicious cyber actors, including foreign governments. As the President wrote in his Wall Street Journal op-ed on Tuesday: "These cyber threats are among the most urgent dangers to our economic and national security." That's why he launched the Administration's Cybersecurity National Action Plan this week.

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Children are inherently philosophers. They want to understand the world, and constantly ask the question of "Why?" So perhaps if we can ask questions in the way first-graders do, we can break down so many of the barriers and false dichotomies in the world today.

As part of Sinai and Synapses' series "More Light, Less Heat," Sinai and and Synapses Fellow Megan Powell discusses how a six-year-old's question changed her perspective. Megan is a doctoral student studying human development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on how children and adults develop epistemological understandings of science and its relationship to religion and other ways of knowing, as well as the implications of these understandings for formal and informal science education.

Here, she shares one of her favorites stories -- how a discussion about states of matter led to deep existential questions in her first-grade classroom:

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TRANSCRIPT

Hi, my name is Megan Powell. I'm a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and in my research, I'm exploring the ways that children think about the relationship between science and religion.

In my own life, this is something I've thought about quite a lot. For one thing, I grew up in a largely secular household, as the daughter of a scientist. But I also went to a Christian school for ten years, and in that time, I noticed the ways that the information I was hearing in one context complemented or conflicted with the information that was being delivered in the other.

I also spent time working at the National Science Foundation, where we talked about way to effectively communicate information to various stakeholders who might be resistant to certain findings. But the thing that brought me back to grad school to think about this issue full time was as my experience as an elementary and middle school science teacher.

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A few years ago, the next generation science standards were released, and among those standards was a simple statement aimed at the kindergarten to grade two level: "Science investigations begin with a question." Sure enough, that's how most of the investigations began in my classroom. Some questions were more notable than others, but none were as memorable as the line of inquiry that began one morning as I sat on the carpet with a group of first graders, when our conversation about states of matter turned to a sudden existential turn.

In the middle of my review of solids, liquids, and gasses, one student shot up her hand to ask a burning question about why matter existed in the first place. Her classmates perked up, and soon others were chiming in with questions about when the first matter came into being, or whether something or Someone was responsible for creating it. Before my eyes, this carpet full of six-year-olds had erupted into a full-scale debate about the purpose and nature of the universe.

Those same standards also state that "science is a unique way of knowing and there are other ways of knowing." This standard is intended for high school students, but in that moment of organic curiosity, it felt like I needed to share the sentiment with my first-graders.

From the origins of matter and the evolution of life, the exploration of deep space and the risks of global climate change, I'd argue it's no exaggeration to say that some of humanity's most pressing problems sit at the intersection of science, philosophy, ethics and faith. I wanted my students to know that the questions they were asking were enormous, complex and important, and that it would likely to take more than science alone to answer them.

As I sat there with my first graders, I did the best I could. I let them hash it out on their own for a few minutes, and then I stepped into deliver a brief extemporaneous lecture of the epistemological underpinnings of science, using as many six-year-old-appropriate words as I could think of, and then class was over, that was it, we had to move on.

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But I think I could have done better, and I want to help other teachers do better when these types of questions come up in their classrooms. That's what brought me back to grad school. I'm wondering a lot about the way we can leverage these types of student questions as opportunities for deeper learning -- not just for the intended scientific content goals, but also about disciplinarity, perspective-taking, and critical thinking.
Ladies rejoice - watching the Super Bowl was more entertaining this year than ever before. Not only did we get to watch buff men from the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers battle it out on the playing field for hours, we also saw more than a few Super Bowl 50 ads that were geared towards women (YASSSS!).

Just based on a few of the Super Bowl 50 commercials that I saw, it's apparent that a gender role reversal is emerging. After years of watching sexy female models prance around in bikinis while eating burgers, or elegantly washing cars with their bums, women are now seeing ads that are finally catered towards them.

Sexy male celebrities, adorable "wiener" puppies and family values were being portrayed more than ever before in this year's Super Bowl commercial line up. Take for instance Hyundai's new Super Bowl ad featuring Ryan Reynolds. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly encourage you to check it below. The theme of the commercial is "a car that doesn't get distracted," and features 2 ladies driving around as they glance out the window to check out Ryan Reynolds:

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Super Bowl 50 Ads: What Women Want

I certainly found Hyundai's ad to be entertaining and appealing, and I'm clearly not the only one. Spot Trender, an industry leader in cloud-based ad-testing technology, recently announced the results of their third annual Super Bowl Ad Performance Test. Conducted for Super Bowl 50, Spot Trender's test examined themes relating to sexuality and gender roles. On February 4, Spot Trender conducted a scientific poll with 1301 participants in a national representative sample. Each participant saw one commercial and completed an online questionnaire through Spot Trender's platform.

The Hyundai ad was included in Spot Trender's survey, followed by this question:

Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements about the ad: (strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree)

Were the jokes funny?

Were you offended?

The conclusion was that both female and male participants found the Hyundai ad to be funny, yet interestingly enough more males were actually offended by it than females. 82% of male and female questionnaires thought the Hyundai ad was funny, while 13% of males either "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that the Hyundai ad was offensive. Only 4% of females either "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that the Hyundai ad was offensive.

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Other notable commercials I saw during Super Bowl 50 were Starbucks and Death Wish Coffee. Both of these ads can be compared to examine "masculinity" in advertising. The Starbucks commercial, for example, portrays a mother making herself a cup of Starbucks coffee on a lazy weekend morning, as she watches her children play. The Death Wish Coffee commercial takes an entirely different approach to advertising their coffee, and instead features a group of Vikings groaning and grunting at one another in accordance to the commercial's theme, "fiercely caffeinated."

Spot Trender's survey also tested both the Starbucks and Death Wish Coffee commercials, asking the research question: "Does having a masculine brand help Death Wish sell more products compared to the more gender neutral Starbucks brand?" The results showed the answer to be 'No,' and that Starbucks performed much better than Death Wish Coffee did, which is an overwhelmingly masculine brand compared to Starbucks. Other results from the survey include:

Starbucks' ad performed much better with females in term of branding than Death Wish

67% of females "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that Starbucks is "the brand for me"; 65% of females said it "fits my needs"; 47% of females said it was "affordable"; 76% of females said it was "premium/luxurious brand"; and said 79% of females said it was a "high quality product"

Gender Norms are Indeed Changing
Do you want to become a better leader?

Well, there are patterns in leadership that if you follow them, you will succeed in becoming a great leader, if you do them poorly you will be forever stuck in the land of weak leadership.

But what are those patterns? And must they be completed in a particular order? Within a given time, frame. Unfortunately, leadership is a difficult journey, and you will make mistakes, lots of them.

I have made, what seems like a series of endless mistakes. Mainly by not being focused or taking appropriate action.

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But my leadership began to improve when I got sick and tired of being a weak leader. I search desperately for someone to model and every time the same name came up  John C. Maxwell. So I focused on modeling Maxwell, and my leadership potential has increased multifold.

John Ellett, CEO of nFusion, is a leader that others should model. Not because nFusion has been recognized as an Ad Age Best Small Agency. But because Ellett adds value, by advising and mentoring leaders. So lets read Johns interview and soak in some leadership experience.

So, what's your story?

I have a passion for helping marketing change agents disrupt the status quo and achieve remarkable things. This focus was fueled by my early career as an advertising leader for the original IBM PC and later as the North America marketing leader for Dell. My time at Dell was during its rapid growth period of the late 80s and early 90s. Both experiences reinforced that game changing ideas can become bigger than anyone expects with good leadership and a strong team.

Lately, I've been helping leaders of other companies achieve their dreams through nFusion Group, which is a combination of a modern marketing agency, a CMO consultancy, and a content studio. Over the past fifteen years, the agency has been recognized as an Ad Age Best Small Agency, an Inc. 500 company and Austin's fastest growing company. I've also written a book, The CMO Manifesto: A 100-Day Action Plan for Marketing Change Agents, which distills the advice of 50 great marketing leaders into simple but effective principles.

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Since moving to Austin in 1987, I've been fortunate to found or co-found three not-for-profits, two of which are actively making a difference today. The First Tee of Greater Austin is helping thousands of young people develop critical life skills and healthy habits. Austin Helps Honduras has transitioned from building almost 100 homes in Juticulpa, Honduras for families displaced by Hurricane Mitch, to supporting continuing education for dozens of youths who finish sixth grade in the school we built.

Why should leaders lead? And when they do, what is their first responsibility?

Nothing great has ever been achieved without the collective talents and energies of individuals who effectively work together to accomplish something significant. A leader helps inspire those talents with a compelling vision and focus those energies with a clear plan.

How does a leader build trust?

A leader builds trust by modeling strong values like honesty, integrity, and perseverance; by communicating a compelling vision and sound plan; by delivering on his or her word; and by demonstrating he or she genuinely cares about the people they are leading.

How are you making things better for the people who follow you?

I worry about this every day. I hope we are creating an environment where our people feel they can do inspiring work by collaborating with other inspiring people. This means we must not sacrifice our standards for expediency. We must continue to improve the culture. And we must support, encourage, and recognize our team members continuously. So, we have formal programs to address each of these areas.

What are you currently doing to develop your leadership?

In the process of advising and mentoring other leaders, I end up learning a great deal from each of them. Plus, it requires me to look for wisdom from other sources. For example, I'm hosting the third annual Cojones Awards which recognizes the attributes of courage and boldness in marketing leaders. I'll talk with all fifteen finalists and learn something insightful from each of them.

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At first in Richard Greenberg's Our Mother's Brief Affair, as described by her son Seth while she is on her deathbed, Linda Lavin's Anna appears to be cut from the familiar cloth of Great Neck moms, ambitious for their children and somewhat lost in suburban torpor. But Anna has a secret, actually two, that she needs to impart to her children. Abby (Kate Arrington) flies in from California, and the siblings learn about their mother, the narcissistic woman with great gams, they've grown to distrust--she was nostalgic for a time that never happened, says Seth (Greg Keller). Well, according to Anna, a great adventure enlivened her boring past.

No spoiler. The title betrays most of it. While Anna brought Seth into the city for classes at Julliard, she was whiling away the wait time with a man (Philip Hoffman on the evening I attended) she met on a Central Park bench, a widower with a wild history, even though he grew up in the neighborhood. They dance in a hotel room, forging a bond from loneliness through revelation. From everything we learn about her, Anna's taste in men, or what was available to her in her time, lacked integrity. And except for her husband, she was either blindly forgiving, or clueless. Greenberg is really good at working this nuance.

Our Mother's Brief Affair, a Manhattan Theater Club production at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, and under Lynne Meadow's fine direction, becomes a memory play for Anna, and a mystery for her children: What exactly is the truth? As the play shifts times and scenes, with Santo Loquasto's spare and dour set, the reason to see it is Linda Lavin's extraordinary performance, her eye rolling and bad dancing enormously endearing. Playing this mom is a well-seasoned fit for her, total comfort theater for us

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I'm rooting for Hillary for a simple reason; I think she'd be the best president. She served New York well in the Senate and was an effective Secretary of State. As has been clear in the debates, she has an extraordinary command of not only the issues but the process of governing and is by far the most experienced of any candidate on either side. As we saw in Obama's first few years in office, it's one thing to get people inspired by talk of hope and change, it's another to actually make change happen.

After voting for Barack Obama in the 2008 primary because his campaign showed a promise for a complete change in the political system, with citizen engagement via new technologies replacing entrenched special interests as a source of power, I was impressed that Hillary took this message to heart and made technology and citizen engagement a priority at State.

Thus it's been disheartening to watch Hillary's 2016 campaign fail to learn so many lessons from 2008, most notably the need to inspire voters and make them feel ownership in the campaign. Also, Hillary stands a good chance to be the first woman president, yet she's allowed herself to be painted as the "establishment" candidate, the conventional vote.

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I see this week's news that Hillary is considering a staff shake-up as welcome news that couldn't come soon enough.

As someone who has given the campaign no indication that I'm a definite voter (apart from a grand total of $3 for a Love Trumps Hate bumper sticker), I've been amazed at how the campaign has taken my support for granted. The campaign has been using all the mechanics of the Obama campaign - especially constant emails - but none of the magic. Despite my being a close follower of the election, I've received almost no communications that seek to inspire me or that make me feel a part of a movement. Rather, the campaign treats me like an ATM with solicitations multiple times a day.

Unlike the Obama campaign or Sanders campaign, I've seen virtually no viral messages from trusted friends and community members supporting the campaign or the candidate on social media. Where in 2012 I was invited to be a member of a Tech for Obama group with campaign staffers, which, if nothing else, made me feel ownership in the campaign, I'm seeing no comparable affinity group efforts for Hillary. And any opportunity to get anywhere near the campaign comes at a high price tag. For example, several months ago Hillary had a fundraiser for the New York tech community that cost $1,000 to get in and $2,700 for a picture. At the same time, Marco Rubio held small gathering for New York's tech community for free, at which he talked about his interest in helping entrepreneurs. What better way for Hillary to send a message to potential influencers that she doesn't need our support, just our money?

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Further, the campaign has shown almost no interest in grassroots democracy groups such as MoveOn and Netroots Nation that are most likely to influence friends / relatives who are primary voters. Of course these groups have concerns about her vote for the Iraq war and her ties to Wall Street. But all the more reason she needs to reach out to show that her views are largely in line with their priorities.

The campaign has also done a poor job of messaging to define the candidate and her vision for our nation's future; rather they have allowed others to define her. And they haven't shown an understanding that 8 years later, people are even more desperate for a change to our political system.

Some messaging that Hillary needs to own include:

Our current political system is corrupted by money and special interests and she has a clear plan to fix it. Of course this will be harder for Hillary, as she's been part of the system for a long time and has earned millions from Goldman and others. But she needs to triangulate and own the issue rather than run from it. Acknowledge that banks / corporations are a critical part of economy, but that money in government is a systemic problem. By better understanding how the system works, she'll be able to reform it.

She needs to clearly communicate that her experience will allow her to get more done than Sanders, especially as most of his idealistic agenda depends on getting support from Congress that will never happen.

She should communicate that inequality is more than a talking point. She needs to talk more of her lifetime of work combatting inequality and communicate a clear plan of what she will do as president.

She should own her rightful place as the person who worked for decades to make Obamacare happen and who will protect it. She needs to talk more about how critical it is to not let GOP take insurance away from 15 million Americans. And talk of how Sanders' incomplete proposal would require a significant tax increase to the middle class - a virtual impossibility with Congress even his proposal otherwise made sense.

She needs to show why it matters that she'd be the first woman president and what she'd do differently.

Finally, Hillary needs to show more of her personal side. Her best moments in the campaign have been unscripted - meeting with Black Lives Matters activists, the debates (which ironically her campaign worked so hard to limit) and even the Benghazi hearings. She should do more events to meet with real people, rather than celebrities. She could make impromptu visits to Meetups of groups supporting her. Have low dollar fundraisers. Assemble affinity groups of supporters.

I look forward to seeing what effect a campaign shake-up will have. Even if she's still likely to win the nomination, especially as Iowa and New Hampshire are among her least favorable states, the general election will be a huge battle and she's going to need all the support she can get, especially from those who are inspired by the Sanders' idealism.
Cuban food? Imagine if the USSR were in the tropics. It's tasty -- if you like pork. Pork is king. Beef, chicken, rice, and beans are also available. Even though the island is surrounded by the Caribbean, seafood is nothing to seek out. Rum drinks are cheap and plentiful, but don't expect much in the way of fruits and vegetables. A trip to the supermarket shows long shelves in the meat department empty except for a handful of uniform sausages at one end.

Restaurant menus that list far more than what's actually available reflect a supply challenge caused by a command economy resisting the laws of supply and demand. Many Cubans suffer from hypertension and diabetes, which local doctors attribute to too much fat -- and, locals (who generally seem comfortable complaining about the system, if not about Fidel) add, "the stress of dealing with a frustrating bureaucracy." Tourists carefully avoid local water. Bottled water is cheap and everywhere.

While the government is slowly opening up opportunities for private and creative restaurants catering to people with enough money to be foodies, they have a long way to go. Privately run paladares promise to raise Cuban cuisine above government-run canteens. But with the ongoing embargo, ingredients are limited, and even the finest chef would be hard-pressed to dazzle any eater. Dining in fine restaurants left me feeling well-fed...but not pampered.

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I found the fancy tourist restaurants served food no better than places that were more basic (but still tourist-friendly). The worst two meals of the trip were our two most expensive and most touristy.
The ongoing American embargo has a crippling impact on the Cuban economy. As is the case with most embargos, rather than bring about the overthrow of the government we don't like, it just bolsters that government's case that the USA is evil and that defiance is a matter of national sovereignty -- deserving whatever tactics are available. (And like most embargoes, it's more damaging to the daily lives of people than to the government.)

For now, because of our embargo, US credit cards don't work. So -- for the time being -- for the American traveler, it's cash only. (Europeans and Canadians are free to use local ATMs -- just not Yankees.) Estimate the cash you'll need, and then bring more -- as there are plenty of temptations, surprise expenses, and locals who know what Americans can really afford. This was my major stress point for this vacation, as I underestimated how much cash I'd need and had to scramble to cover expenses to the end. To keep a little extra hard cash, I ended up paying my guide after getting home via Western Union. (Guides are in the tourist economy and charge far more than the local standards. I paid $100 a day -- still a great value.)

Changing money is easy, as government-sanctioned exchange offices are plentiful and rates are strictly regulated. US dollars are nicked for about a 10 percent surcharge, so you'll save a little money if you bring in Canadian dollars or euros. But I had no problem with the 10 percent loss, as I figured it would help the local economy -- as if I were paying a little extra in Cuban taxes. (In fact, Americans who feel personally responsible for the deprivation aggravated by the US embargo can take solace in paying extra expenses -- like being nicked at the bank or otherwise overcharged or scammed -- which happens a lot.)

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Locals use national currency (Cuban pesos, CUP), and things are extremely cheap by rich world standards. But American tourists are not generally permitted to get or use CUP, so anything a typical tourist might want is sold in Cuban convertible pesos (a.k.a. CUC, pronounced "cuke," worth about $1) -- and when paying in CUC, things get pricey quick. While there are much cheaper alternatives, rich world tourists who insist on rich world standards generally pay rich world prices: 200 CUC for a hotel room, 10 CUC for a taxi ride, 20 CUC for a dinner. At a bus stop, a truck with a canopy over long, wooden benches unloads people paying nickels for the ride next to a comfortable (if well-worn) modern bus loading up those paying dollars for the same ride. A local worker earns about $30 a month (plus the basics the government provides to all citizens, such as health care, education, and subsidized utilities, housing, and some food). But knowing that an American can earn as much in an hour as they do in a month makes it appealing for the Cuban on the street to charge foreigners heavily inflated prices.

Cuban paper money celebrates heroes and great events of their Revolution.
I was teaching last week at universities in Britain and Germany, and as always when in Europe I was struck by all the signs of fair trade products -- coffee, tea, clothing, and more. Socially-aware European consumers, and empathetic media and political leaders have long fostered a commitment to ethical sourcing -- simply put, to treating suppliers in poor countries, vulnerable societies and its workers fairly. This trend is less developed in the U.S., but it's clearly growing, not just in agricultural produce like coffee, but also in manufactured goods like clothing and electronics -- concerns about Apple's manufacturing practices are a good example.

But what about fair trade in services? Clearly, we should also care about how service employees are treated. It's important to shine a spotlight on some highly visible, badly treated airline employees: flight attendants who work for the three Gulf airlines: Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways. These airlines all pursue a high quality/low cost business model, and they can reconcile that economic contradiction by two means: massive subsidies from their government owners ($42 billion just since 2004), and sourcing almost all their labor from poor countries.

In conventional terms, all three of the Gulf airlines project a strong brand and position themselves as offering much higher quality in all classes of service, and true luxury in Business and First Class. Etihad, for example, dazzled the market with The Residence on its A380s: "With a living room, separate bedroom and ensuite shower room, it is the only three-room suite on a commercial airline, designed for two people travelling together." Actress Nicole Kidman features prominently in their ads. In similar fashion, in 2015 Emirates launched TV ads featuring Jennifer Aniston, who promoted their onboard showers. Qatar Airways' abrasive CEO repeatedly asserts that his carrier's superior service, not wheelbarrows of cash from his government, is why they are growing so quickly.

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Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways' human resources strategy for cabin crew is simple: hire young, attractive people, mainly women, from poor countries, give them a short, fixed-term contract, treat them badly, dismiss them easily, and then hire more. Given that the Third World is full of people eager to live a better life (indeed the promise of a glamorous life) and in many cases to send money home to family, this model is infinitely sustainable.

A growing number of employees who have left these airlines, either after firing or voluntarily, are now speaking up -- from the safety of their native lands, of course. The blog DoNotFlyEmirates sheds light on how that airline treats employees. We all know that accounts in the blogosphere can be exaggerated, but even if you discount - say, by 50 percent - either the volume of posts or the seriousness of the allegations, you don't have a fair place to work. The accounts of sexual harassment are particularly sordid. In 2013, The Economist published dozens of comments, many from former employees, in response to an article on worker treatment at Qatar Airways.

Workers have almost no rights in these countries. Trade unions are illegal, and even basic due process and fairness is rare. Complaints against employers never become visible, and when they are made, people either quit or get fired. When that happens, they sometimes have to pay their own fare home, and may lose their contributions to the airline pension plan.

The Gulf carriers dismiss all this criticism with four arguments. First, they say, they are merely living up to their responsibility to care for thousands of young foreigners working in their nations, a "duty of care" argument. This rings hollow if you look more broadly at worker welfare in the UAE and Qatar, economies totally dependent on imported labor from poor countries, and places not known for humane treatment of these vulnerable workers - for example the recent news of mistreatment of construction workers in Qatar, or the accounts of horrific mistreatment of domestic workers and caregivers throughout the region.

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Second, these airlines annually receive thousands of applications for flight attendant jobs. If it's so bad, they ask, why are people lining up for work? The answer, of course, is above: the applicants need a job -- and one that is well set up to send remittances home - and the job looks glamorous. The promise of travel has long attracted people to airlines. Third, the Gulf carriers cite the awards they consistently win for excellent service. Last year, Qatar won Skytrax Airline of the Year award, along with two other trophies. And fourth, they assert that the complainers are a tiny fraction of the total workforce; but given their draconian rules, their intrusive monitoring of employees (Qatar Airways' CEO admits to planting spies among cabin crew), and the threat of dismissal and repatriation, who is likely to complain?
Across the nation, Americans are frustrated with divisive politics and elections in which they feel as though their voice goes unheard. FairVote has long called for reforming winner-take-all elections to address the root cause for congressional gerrymandering, distorted representation, dysfunction, and polarization. But a 1967 law mandating single-winner districts presents a stiff barrier--one that will deny a comprehensive national solution until Congress takes action on our proposed Ranked Choice Voting Act.

However, states are laboratories of democracy, and we now have an exciting new approach to reform--one that promises to kick start a conversation about how to fix congressional elections and initiate change in the states.

Calls for Change in Maryland

Last week in his State of the State address, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) called for an end to gerrymandering--that is, the drawing of district lines to influence election outcomes. By some measures, Maryland is the nation's most gerrymandered state. Its eight districts are all safe for one party with Democrats controlling seven of them.

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Gerrymandering is been practiced by both major parties in red and blue states across the nation in order to create an advantage in elections. Just this month a panel of federal judges ordered the North Carolina state legislature to redraw two congressional districts that they held had been racially gerrymandered. Florida and Virginia have new congressional districts this year after successful legal challenges.

But taking on the problem at a congressional level is particularly complicated for reformers. While most Americans agree that manipulating district lines is wrong, individual states face partisan incentives to keep on gerrymandering. That is, if Pennsylvania's congressional gerrymander allows Republicans to win two-thirds of seats while losing the statewide congressional vote, is it reasonable to expect Maryland to unilaterally be fair? That view is even more likely when what may seem like a fair process can actually produce distorted and noncompetitive outcomes depending on where voters live in a state.

That's why we applaud Maryland legislation introduced this week by Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin. It offers a comprehensive solution to gerrymandering, and new means to break through the partisan standoff that has halted progress on even modest redistricting reform in most states. Here's how it works.

A "Potomac Compact" with Virginia -- and Beyond

A long-time proponent of fair representation voting, Sen. Raskin has put forward a creative way to end the national standoff. Maryland would enter an interstate compact (a contract among states, for example the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey or the National Popular Vote plan for president) that would first involve negotiation with the state of Virginia (hence the name "Potomac Compact"), but could include other states as well.

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Senator Raskin's proposed compact would end having ugly districts, but more importantly end ugly representation and lack of competition. To end gerrymandering, states would agree to form independent redistricting commissions that are empowered to create larger congressional districts in which multiple candidates are elected.

The compact doesn't mandate a specific voting method, but if the commission adopts a multi-winner district, it must establish a method that produces fair and proportional outcomes. This means that in a district that elects three representatives, a majority of voters will always be able to elect two seats, but if more than about a quarter of the voters in the district support a candidate, they will also be able to win a seat. By allowing more than one voice to represent these "super districts," the new plan would break up the monopoly that one party or another has on representation in an area. Every voter would be able to participate in a competitive, meaningful election in November, and partisan outcomes would depend on voters, rather than district lines. It still would need congressional consent to go into place, but it would be Congress consenting to plans agreed to by the participating states.

Today over 200 local elected bodies in the U.S. use some form of fair voting. FairVote would suggest ranked choice voting be used in these super districts. Other permissible options would include the "open ticket" system and cumulative voting -- which Illinois used very effectively for several decades to elect their state legislature and which President Obama backed restoring in 2001.

Maryland and Virginia are natural partners for initiating the compact. The two states mirror each other in their partisan configuration. In 2013 Virginia elected a Democratic governor, but in 2011 Republicans gerrymandered districts and won eight of 11 seats. After a successful claim of racial gerrymandering, a new districting plan recently imposed by federal judges still gives them an edge in seven seats. Maryland in 2014 elected a Republican governor, but the Democratic gerrymander in 2011 gave them seven of eight seats.

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You can see our analysis of these states' districts going into the 2014 elections and an example of fair representation plans for Virginia and Maryland. By mutually agreeing to adopt such plans, these states would each would have fairer results that would offset each other. Neither party might win or lose seats in Congress overall, but voters in both states could be empowered to elect candidates they support. Every voter would matter, no multi-winner district would be safe for one party, and nearly everyone would elect a preferred candidate in a fair reflection of each district's left, center and right.

A Model for Fair Representation Nation-Wide

The Potomac Compact is an excellent model that could be joined by other states to give voters a stronger voice on Election Day and fair representation. Thus far, the national narrative around redistricting reform has focused on taking the responsibility of drawing district lines out of the hands of politicians and establishing a more independent process, as done in Arizona, California, and Iowa. But while independent redistricting helps to prevent political corruption, within single winner districts they often do relatively little to improve fairness or competition in campaigns. When it's winner-take-all, most voters lose.

Senator Raskin's proposal is a model for the rest of the country, because it recognizes that in order to truly end gerrymandering, we need to do more than avoid ugly districts or change who draws them. We need to make voters matter in congressional elections. As Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, writes in support of fair representation voting, "Without competitive elections, the accountability mechanism connecting representatives to citizens falls apart." This is exactly what has happened in U.S. House elections.

As it is, most districts are fundamentally one-party elections. In November, 2014, FairVote projected congressional outcomes for 2016, finding that nearly nine in 10 House districts were safe to project for one party or the other fully two years before the next election. Without real competition in November, elected members need only focus on their primary voters, and don't need to listen to the other side. When a third of voters cannot reliably elect a third of seats, more independent minded voters can't elect someone to represent their views.The impact of this lack of competition on polarization in Congress has been stunning, and has had exceedingly negative effects on the effectiveness of the "People's House."

The case for fair voting in multi-winner districts has only become clearer. Last year, FairVote worked closely with a group of 14 scholars to evaluate 37 different electoral reforms on a variety of criteria, including enhancing competition and reducing polarization. Of all 37, ranked choice voting in five-winner districts was rated #1.

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FairVote also co-hosted an event last spring called Democracy Slam 2015 hosted at American University's Washington College of Law, which Senator Raskin co-hosted and participated in as a judge. Of the reforms evaluated by journalists, scholars, and reformers, FairVote's plan to use ranked choice voting in multi-winner districts was again rated the highest -- especially on its potential to increase competition, decrease polarization in Congress and positively affect fair representation of women and racial minorities.
Jason is a 19-year-old college student. He's been dating the same girl since his sophomore year of high school. They had sex for the first time after their senior prom, and, according to Jason, they "went at it like rabbits" for the entire summer until they went away to different colleges. Despite going to different schools, they've remained in constant contact via text messages and video chats. Over the Christmas holidays, they had sex several times, though Jason says it "wasn't as good as before." Then, over spring break when they tried to have sex, Jason found himself embarrassingly unable to perform. Several times. Worried, he went to see his medical doctor, who found nothing physically wrong. Jason says he still loves his girlfriend and thinks she's "totally hot," and he can't figure out what's causing his sexual dysfunction.

So why would a perfectly healthy young guy, very much in his sexual prime, with an attractive and sexually willing girlfriend, suddenly be dealing with erectile dysfunction?

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That, sadly, is a question that is being asked increasingly often, indicating ED is no longer an issue that primarily affects men over 50. It's now affecting men in general, regardless of age. And the common thread when there does not appear to be an age-related or medical cause appears to be excessive use (some might say abuse) of pornography. Put very simply, guys who use a lot of porn are much more likely to suffer from ED than guys who don't. Jason, for instance, says that when he's separated from his girlfriend he views porn daily -- sometimes for several hours at a time.

This is hardly a surprise to therapists such as myself who specialize in sex and intimacy issues, including the compulsive use of pornography. Porn addicted clients have been telling us, ever since the early days of the Internet, things like:

My girlfriend says it feels like I'm "not there"when we're having sex. And she complains that it takes me way too long to reach orgasm.

I get super hard when I'm looking at porn, but when I'm with a real woman I struggle to both get and maintain an erection.

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When I'm having sex with my wife, I'm thinking about porn. Otherwise, I just can't get it up. I think I might prefer porn sex to real sex.

It's not just clinicians who hear these complaints. The website yourbrainonporn.com, a popular forum for males struggling with pornography, has quite literally thousands of posts discussing ED and other forms of male sexual dysfunction -- delayed orgasm (DE), inability to reach orgasm (anorgasmia), and even a loss of pleasure in general (anhedonia).

Furthermore, the evidence linking porn to sexual dysfunction is more than anecdotal. In one recent study of 350 compulsively sexual people (some but not all of whom were compulsive users of pornography), 26.7 percent reported issues with sexual dysfunction. Similar research, smaller in scale, shows comparable results. One study found sexual dysfunction in 16.7 percent of participants; another study found sexual dysfunction in 58 percent of test subjects. For the most part, this research is limited in scope to individuals who qualify as sexually compulsive/addicted, indicating, in many instances, very heavy porn usage. However, given the increasing abundance of anecdotal evidence provided by non-sex/porn addicts, it appears that lesser levels of usage might also create, in some men, ED and other forms of sexual dysfunction.

Importantly, most of the time this dysfunction manifests with real world partners but not with porn, suggesting the problem is emotional/psychological rather than physical. In other words, it appears that online pornography is causing, in some men, including a lot of men in their sexual prime, an emotional and psychosexual disconnection that is manifesting physically with real world partners as ED, DE, anorgasmia, and the like. This, of course, is awful not only for the men, but the romantic partners who love them. After all, if a guy can't get it up, keep it up, or reach orgasm, his partner's sexual pleasure is also significantly diminished.

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The good news here is that most males who use porn heavily and experience a related loss of sexual functioning find that if they step away from porn for a few months their sexual performance returns to baseline. In other words, when you remove the Pavlovian stimulus (by taking the porn away), the individual's neurochemical and physical settings are able, in time, to respond as they did before the conditioning (i.e., before the porn). Even men who qualify as porn addicts -- men for whom porn use has spiraled out of control, resulting in all sorts of negative life consequences -- tend to experience a sexual rejuvenation when they step away from pornography, though this revival make take a bit longer to manifest.

For more information about compulsive porn use, including porn addiction, and the potential negative effects, please visit my website and/or yourbrainonporn.com.
If your brand is creating content with the intention of driving sales, you may be missing the boat. Your customers can smell advertorial from a mile away, hence the inception of unbiased brand journalism - a service to your niche audience, which if done well, can turn into a healthy prospect list and thriving community.

Phoebe Chongchua, brand journalist and host of The Brand Journalism Advantage podcast, has said, "Brands that learn to think like journalists, use multimedia storytelling, and publish regularly the way a newsroom does, will not only gain expert authority and receive greater ROI, but they'll also attract loyal followers and brand evangelists." Chongchua believes that every company has the ability to be a media company, and to do it "right" your content must inform, educate, amuse, and help readers make better decisions. We're talking about something different than content marketing, which feeds prospects useful content but with a different purpose in mind.

Publisher of PR Daily and CEO of Ragan Communications Mark Ragan comments on the value of brand journalism: "It's a cheap way to build up your brand by targeting a specific niche (your niche) and gain followers who trust you to provide great and insightful stories. Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on one-hit advertising. For a fraction of the cost you can build a daily news operation and staff it with a few good reporters."

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Sure, not every company is equipped to hire in-house reporters, but you don't need a team of ten media veterans to reap the benefits of the think-like-a-journalist mindset. Creating unbiased stories - that could help to build the most loyal audience you've ever had - is really about approaching content differently. So take off your content marketing hats for a moment and step into the light of a few companies who are setting the bar high when it comes to brand journalism.

1. First Round Capital's First Round Review

Seed-stage venture firm First Round Capital's media entity, First Round Review, publishes articles that appeal to its core audience of tech entrepreneurs. Camille Ricketts, head of content and marketing at First Round Capital, explains: "Instead of coming up with an editorial calendar of topics to pursue, we let people drive our coverage. We make a point of connecting with extraordinary leaders and technologists we admire, and then work with them to develop topics that speak to their passions but will also be helpful for our readers."

With regular cameos from startup CEOs and tangible tips for the worker bees who are making big ideas happen, First Round Review gives its audience exactly what it's looking for. Plus, the articles are so well-built it's as if you're reading your favorite tech publication. Ricketts adds, "We believe that too much valuable knowledge is trapped in the minds of experts who are too busy to share their wisdom. Our goal is to make it easier for people to learn from them."

2. General Electric's GE Reports

From impressive guest contributions like this piece by futurist Jim Carroll to articles about water treatment technologies complete with mesmerizing GIFs, General Electric's GE Reports does the impossible by turning less-than-sexy topics into interesting, helpful, and inspiring reads.

"What I like about GE Reports is that they're taking 'techy' content that is often hard for people to digest and making it not only palatable but desirable," said Chongchua. "Instead of boring press releases, the brand now turns out intriguing stories that look and feel like traditional news. They've also established a digital platform separate from their main company website to distribute their content, which I highly recommend."

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Complete with a control room called "M Live" and stacked with nine screens broadcasting things like social media campaigns as they unfold in real-time, Marriott's in-house newsroom, which launched last October, is enough to make any content producer green with envy. The goal? To create an environment where Marriott employees can react quickly to potential digital marketing opportunities and combat the fact that customers aren't engaging as much as they used to be with traditional advertising.

4. Advocate Health Care's health enews

When done well, brand journalism can also get you more media hits. Within a week of launching its news site, Advocate Health Care scored coverage on CNN because of a story it published. That's what you get when you publish high-quality articles equipped with news-like photos and quotes from primary sources. Not every piece will garner this type of attention, but you sure do make it easier for a reporter to cover if you write the story like they would.
The debate over whether girls should also be required to register for Selective Service (aka, "the draft"), as 18-year-old boys have since 1980, gained momentum last week.

After high-ranking military officers told Congress that it is the next logical step, two congressmen introduced a bill titled "Draft America's Daughters Act," which would require registration for all women ages 18 to 26.

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This is an important topic for parents, one that has always affected moms with sons but might soon affect moms with daughters, too.

Here are some frequently asked questions and thoughts on why this should be the next conversation at every American dinner table.

Selective Service vs. "the draft"

As the topic surfaces nationally, there is much confusion about the difference between Selective Service and "the draft." Since 1980, young men have been required to register for Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. If they don't, they face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and ineligibility for financial aid and government jobs.

But the government has not enacted a draft, in which they tap into the country's database of young men, since 1973, making it easy for many people to forget about Selective Service at all.

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Unless they have sons.

Why daughters? Why now?

The purpose of Selective Service is to make a draft fair and equitable among those who can serve in the military. Now that women can serve in combat roles, an opportunity for which many fought tirelessly, a draft that does not include them can never be "fair and equitable."

Expect lawsuits if the country enacts a draft from a Selective Service registry that does not include young women.

But not all women want to be in the military.

Neither do all men, and assuming they do is as sexist as assuming a woman can't fly fighter jets.

Herein lies the thorny dilemma. Taking a side on this issue forces you to reject one of society's two closely held beliefs: that women can do anything a man can do or that men go off to war to protect the country's women and children.

If you support the idea that your daughter should have choice -- in employment, over her body and pregnancies, about maternity leave -- you probably don't like the idea of her not having choice, even in theory, about joining a war.

So where has our sons' choice been all these years?

We have fought for women's choice regarding their bodies and their lives, but apparently boys having no choice about joining a war is par for the course of being male.

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But our daughters?

During the most recent Democratic debate, Clinton said, "The idea of having everybody register concerns me a little bit." She didn't elaborate on why.

Was she thinking about her own daughter? Her granddaughter?

Was she imagining what it would be like to love and protect a child for 18 years and then tell her she's required to sign up for Selective Service or face jail time?

Was she thinking about the tough, heartbreaking questions that child might ask about it?

Was she realizing what it would feel like to have the government decide the fate, even just in theory, of a child you have birthed, raised and loved?

Certainly she wasn't thinking that women need to stay home, have babies and raise them.

But maybe she was suddenly realizing what mothers like me who have sons have faced since the 1940s?

If not your daughters, then why my sons?

It's not likely we'd have another draft anyway, right?

During the debates, many candidates seemed to hang their lukewarm passion for this on the hope the draft will never be used anyway. "I have a hard time imagining the kind of national emergency that would require the use of the Selective Service system," Hillary Clinton said.

Clinton's reasoning fails to address one thing: So why are our boys still registering, and why are they penalized if they don't?

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Another draft might be a long shot, but the consequences for boys who fail to register are very much real. So far, 18-year-old girls have not faced that same obligation. And their mothers and fathers haven't had to think about it either.
US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton participates in the PBS NewsHour Presidential Primary Debate with Bernie Sanders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 11, 2016. / AFP / Tasos Katopodis (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)

In their most recent debate in Wisconsin, the two remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination for president, Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, clashed on a number of domestic and foreign policy issues. According to many experts and political observers questioned by the main stream media in the aftermath of this debate, Hillary Clinton separated herself from Bernie Sanders on the issue of foreign policy, in a large part because of the perceived strength of her record as a former Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

Senator Sanders questioned Secretary Clinton's judgment in voting in support of a war with Iraq back in 2002, and furthered the issue of poor judgement by highlighting her support of policies promoting regime change in Libya and Syria since then, noting that such policies, while playing well to public sentiment, often have unintended consequences that prove to be far worse than the problem they ostensibly sought to resolve. Hillary Clinton responded by declaring "a vote in 2002 is not a plan to defeat ISIS."

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In keeping with her overall strategy of wrapping herself in the record of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton noted that President Obama trusted her judgement on foreign policy enough to select her as his first Secretary of State. Senator Sander's protestations over her policy choices in Libya and Syria, and her approach toward resolving differences with Iran, seemed to fall on deaf ears.

A closer examination of the issues raised during the debate, in particular the decision to bomb Libya and remove the regime of President Muammar Gaddafi, the ongoing debacle unfolding inside Syria, and the recently concluded Iranian nuclear agreement, only underscore the reality that Senator Sanders, far from being weak on foreign policy matters, was right to question both the judgement of Hillary Clinton when it came to foreign policy and national security issues and her record as Secretary of State.

The decision by the Obama administration to intervene in Libya was both indefensible as policy and legally questionable in terms of international law. The United Nations resolution authorizing the imposition of a "no fly zone" did not contain any language that could sustain the notion of expanding the "no fly zone" into a general aerial bombardment of Libya designed to remove Gaddafi from power -- the United States, Great Britain and France were compelled to turn to NATO to provide some semblance of diplomatic cover for that operation.

Even if one accepts the morally unsupportable notion that the ends justify the means, the rapid decline of Libya from a relatively stable nation state run by a repressive yet containable dictator (Gaddafi) to the chaotic morass of Islamist-infused anarchy that exists today makes even that contention moot -- there can be no doubt that Libya and the world was better off with Gaddafi in charge.

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Senator Bernie Sanders is quite right to question the historic error of judgement on the part of both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama in using -- or abusing -- a United Nations mandate for the creation of a humanitarian "no fly" zone as cover for large-scale military intervention, void of express authority under international law, to achieve regime change in Libya.

Compounding this error is the decision that followed -- to capitalize upon the significant stocks of arms and munitions existing inside Libya in order to supply Islamist groups in Syria, intended to facilitate yet another round of regime change, this time targeting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Hillary Clinton has denied any knowledge of CIA efforts, run from the now-infamous "annex" in Benghazi, to collect and ship captured Libyan arms and munitions to Turkey. Once in Turkey, the government of then-Prime Minister Erdogan transferred these arms to Islamist militants, including the Al Nusrah Front and other pro-Al Qaeda elements, who were fighting to overthrow Bashar al-Assad. "You'll have to direct that question to the agency that ran the annex," the then-Secretary of State said to Senator Rand Paul after being questioned directly about a link between the CIA, Libya and Turkey when it came to illicit gunrunning. "I don't have any information on that."

In this response, Hillary Clinton is clearly lying. Her representative in Libya, Ambassador Christopher Stevens (who tragically died in an attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012), was at the center of a massive arms smuggling operation that saw hundreds of millions of dollars worth of guns and ammunition shipped from Libya to Turkey and Qatar (both of these nations were, and are, key supporters and suppliers for the anti-Assad Islamist militants fighting in Syria). Stevens was personally involved in getting US Government approval of a $200 million contract to ship weapons and munitions from Libya to Qatar (which then flew the weapons into Turkey for further transshipment to Syria), and on the day of his death he had met with the Turkish ambassador to Libya to coordinate shipments of additional weapons and ammunition via sea transport from Libya to Turkey, again for use in supplying Islamist rebels inside Syria.

The notion that a US Ambassador would engage in such action without the express knowledge and permission of the Secretary of State is ludicrous. The CIA is a powerful organization, but there are limits to that power, and getting the permission of a US Ambassador for covert operations of the sort that were being conducted in support of supplying the Syrian rebels with Libyan weapons is one such limitation. To accept at face value Hillary Clinton's contention that she had no knowledge of this is to accept that Christopher Stevens, a renowned veteran American diplomat, had gone "rogue" and was working for the CIA independently of his State Department masters. The argument that Hillary Clinton knew nothing about either Ambassador Stevens' actions, or those of the CIA, simply does not pass muster.

The larger issue of Hillary Clinton's addiction to "regime change" as a cornerstone of American foreign policy still looms. It manifests itself in the legally questionable covert policy to acquire weapons and ammunition in Libya and deliver them, through proxies, to Islamist militants in Syria. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has a clear record of advocating for "regime change" in Damascus, and in doing so has sold the American people a bill of goods regarding the true state of affairs in that nation. The role played by the United States in facilitating the rise of Muslim extremism inside Syria is a dark chapter in the history of American foreign policy, and while Hillary Clinton was not the originator of that policy, she inherited it and helped sustain and grow it, promoting the very violence that plagues that nation to this day.

Misrepresenting the facts is par for the course for Hillary Clinton. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was well aware of the fact that it was the Turkish chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, and not enraged "peaceful demonstrators," that set in motion the violent uprising against Bashar al-Assad in the spring and summer of 2011. The State Department closely tracked a meeting of the Muslim Brotherhood in Istanbul in April, 2011, where the situation inside Syria was discussed, as well as various options on how best to exploit the unrest to the benefit of the brotherhood.

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A critical component of the Syrian uprising was the creation of a narrative propagated by a network of informants inside Syria loosely known as the "local coordination committees," or LCCs. Starting in February 2011, Syrian activists, working closely with the advocacy group Avadaa, procured 100 satellite telephones, pre-paid international SIM cards, laptop computers with special modems, and cell phone cameras -- enough to equip several interactive networks, which would be in position to operate outside the control of the Syrian government and capture the "reality" of the Syrian government's response to civil disobedience.

Hillary Clinton has largely embraced the Syrian narrative published by the LCCs. That this should be the case should not take anyone by surprise, given the role played by the United States, and in particular Hillary Clinton's State Department, in the creation and sustaining of these LCCs. Far from a grass-roots effort brought together in haste in response to the "Arab Spring" phenomenon sweeping the Middle East, the LCCs were, in fact, part of the broader regime change effort first promulgated by the Bush administration in 2006-2007, and later incorporated into the so-called "digital democracy" campaign spearheaded by the State Department. In support of this effort, the State Department led a delegation to Syria in 2010, which included representatives from Microsoft, Dell, Cisco Systems, and other companies, whose mission was to persuade the Syrian government to allow greater access for the Syrian public to new internet tools, ostensibly to create a better business environment to attract foreign investment. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised this effort, calling it "21st-century statecraft."

Left unsaid in this drive to get the Syrian government to open its doors to the internet was the existence of an active Syrian opposition that had been specifically trained by the United States to exploit the internet for the purpose of carrying out anti-regime activity. Funding for this activity came from a US-based organization, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a non-profit organization established by the US Congress in 1983, and which has been accused of providing funding for activities, including those that were the former purview of the CIA, involving direct interference in the internal political affairs of foreign nations. The NED supported an organization known as the International Republican Institute (IRI), which in 2006-2007 received significant funding, as part of a US State Department-managed program known as the Middle East Partnership Initiative, or MEPI. Under MEPI, more than $6 million was funneled to anti-regime activists, both inside and outside Syria (included in this funding was more than $1.2 million designed to influence the outcome of the 2007 Syrian Parliamentary elections, where the IRI proposed backing a prominent Syrian politician with anti-regime leanings).

The NED was also responsible for funding efforts to provide Syrian activists with the training and tools necessary to advocate effectively over the internet. Working hand-in-glove with MEPI, the NED provided millions of dollars to Syrian activists for the purpose of underwriting the acquisition of computers with special satellite-capable internet modems, satellite telephones and international SIM cards, and the means to gather and transmit video data.

These activities were widespread, and predated the so-called "Arab Spring" by several years. Many of these Syrian activists were trained and in place by the time Hillary Clinton's State Department began pressuring the Syrian government, in 2010, to open up the Syrian internet system to social networking sites and interactive communications capabilities found in Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. The fact is, most of the younger generation of internet-savvy "bloggers and posters" who constituted the LCCs and who captured the western media's attention during the early stages of the violent uprising against Bashar al-Assad in 2011 were the recipients of millions of dollars of US-provided funds designed to train and equip them for the purpose of generating anti-regime propaganda.

The Local Coordination Committees, once viewed as the ultimate expression of free will among an oppressed Syrian people, today serve as little more than the generators of reports used by a media outlet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has all but self-identified as an arm of the British Government. Despite this fact, western media sources continue to cite the Syrian Observatory on nearly every major story to break from inside Syria. The sad fact is this effort at manufacturing a compelling narrative out of Syria has not only produced the kind of "unintentional consequences" Senator Sanders has cautioned about, but also enables Hillary Clinton to continue to sell a story to the American people about Syria that is false and deliberatively misleading.

The true nature of the threat facing Syria today is radical Islamic extremism, and not the government of Bashar al-Assad. The failure of the United States to appreciate the seriousness of this threat, and to formulate policies which can effectively and efficiently confront and contain it, is derived largely from the fact that it was the United States, through its ill conceived campaign of "digital democracy"-induced regime change, that helped create the crisis unfolding inside Syria today. More importantly, a threat founded on the principles of radical Islamic fundamentalism that could have, at the time, been dealt with by Syrian authorities now has had the opportunity to grow and expand in a manner which transformed Syria's suffering into regional catastrophe.

The events inside Syria did not take place in a vacuum, but rather represented the most public manifestation of the violent militancy which defined the anti-regime activities inside Syria since the outbreak of demonstrations in March 2011. This violence, and the actions of the Syrian government in response, provided the fodder for a network of internet-savvy people who were trained and equipped by the United States for the sole purpose of disseminating misleading information to a western media all-too willing to publicize these data without even a modicum of quality control. This was the very essence of the reality behind "digital democracy," which sought not to spread ideas and values, but rather disinformation and distortions.

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The non-violent objectives of the US government, and the opposition groups inside Syria that America supported, were quickly subordinated to the militant violence promulgated by the Muslim Brotherhood (and their Turkish sponsors), which in turn was hijacked by more fundamentalist movements such as Jabhat al-Nusra, and even more recently by ISIS, all of whom captured an audience shaped by the work of the US-trained LCCs. These militants then used the tools of the internet promoted by Hillary Clinton's State Department to build the social media structure that today attracts the attention, and loyalty, of thousands of militant Muslim youth around the world.

When one incorporates into this already unseemly narrative the illicit gun-running scheme Hillary Clinton's State Department was facilitating out of Libya, the result was like pouring gasoline on a fire -- catastrophic. The fact that the former Secretary of State continues to support the creation of a no-fly zone over northern Syria that would serve to protect the last remaining strongholds of the Islamist militants her State Department helped create, train, and equip is indicative of the kind of alternate reality she and her supporters seem to live in -- one where the sins of Secretary Clinton's past (in Iraq, Libya and Syria) are forgotten amid a largely fabricated narrative that, while self-serving for Hillary Clinton, is a massive disservice to the American people and the millions of innocent civilians in the Middle East and elsewhere whose lives were turned upside down as a result.

It may be true that, as Hillary Clinton stated, "One vote in 2002 is not a plan to defeat ISIS." But the real issue is whether or not Americans should entrust someone who helped facilitate the rise of ISIS with a plan to counter that threat. Secretary Clinton played a vital role in the formulation and implementation of policies that, in the end, helped create, empower, and sustain ISIS. Bernie Sanders is right to point out the reality of unintended consequences, and to question whether or not Secretary Clinton is the right person for the job of fixing the very same problems she helped create. Some Clinton supporters may argue that, in an extension of former Secretary of State Colin Powell's famous "Pottery Barn Rule" (i.e., if you broke it, you have a responsibility to fix it), there is no one better qualified than Hillary Clinton for this task. But Bernie Sanders could very easily respond by noting that the role played by Secretary Clinton is more likened to a bull in a china shop. Recognizing that to leave the bull in the china shop would simply condemn more china to be broken, perhaps the best policy available would be to simply remove the bull.

Hillary Clinton has likewise sought to spin the Iranian nuclear deal to her political advantage. According to her account, she initiated the engagement with Iran that, thanks to the pressure exerted by economic sanctions her State Department helped strengthen, drove Iran to the negotiating table, where the United States was able to "put a lid" on Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Like most of Hillary Clinton's re-telling of American diplomatic history during her tenure as Secretary of State, this one, too, is false. While Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton did in fact support secret back-channel discussions with Iran, via Oman, in an effort to build a framework for a larger nuclear deal. But the American position -- that Iran would have to abandon its nuclear enrichment program -- fell on deaf ears in Iran.
When listening to people talk about the Democratic Primary, I often hear people describe Bernie Sanders using pejoratives related to his idealism. I cannot count the number of times I've heard supporters of Secretary Clinton cite the fact that Republicans control Congress, and Senator Sanders has promoted unabashedly liberal principles, which cannot be legislated, as a reason that they cannot vote for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. Instead of looking at Bernie's idealism as a negative, I want to spin it in a positive light.

While I'm not naive enough to suggest that Bernie Sanders is going to be able to accomplish every one of his priorities, if he's elected president, a Sanders presidency would be a step in the right direction of progress. Even if the Democrats managed to retake the House and the Senate, Bernie would likely face opposition among certain members of the Democratic caucus. Democrats should be pleased that Senator Sanders has started a conversation on many of these important issues.

During his run for the presidency, Bernie Sanders has put the spotlight on many issues such as income inequality, Wall Street reform, mass incarceration, and college affordability, which had previously been ignored by members of political elite. These issues are all considered to be "losing issues" because they are issues that affect less traditional voters. Candidates tend towards issues where they can reach the largest number of voters (or raise the largest amount of money).

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Many people acknowledge the President of the United States' responsibilities as a legislative leader or as Commander-in-Chief, but few people think about POTUS as the leader of their respective party. In the event that Bernie Sanders becomes President, it is likely that he will be able to continue the conversation on these issues within the context of the Democratic Party. While Hillary Clinton has begun to discuss many of the issues that Bernie has prioritized, it remains to be seen if Hillary will continue to push for these progressive policies, if she ends up in a closely contested general election. Bernie Sanders has remained constant on the issues from his earliest days as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. While Bernie has undergone a natural progression on certain issues, his political career has been based on ideas of alleviating poverty and closing the gap between the wealthy and the disadvantaged.

The new Sanders campaign ad emphasizes, "Our job is not to divide. Our job is to bring people together." This reminds me of message from another once insurgent presidential candidate. "There is not a liberal America. And a conservative America. There is the United States of America. There is not a Black America. A White America. A Latino America. An Asian America. There's the United States of America." Yes, that was then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, who would later go on to become a US Senator, and then become the 44th President of the United States after defeating Hillary Clinton and John McCain. In 2008, many Clinton supporters questioned the idealism of the young Illinois Senator, questioning whether he had the experience, or the know-how to accomplish his lofty, liberal agenda. Nearly eight years later, I do not think many Democrats would question the many accomplishments of President Barack Obama.

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This is not the time to capitulate to the demands of the party establishment. The 2016 election can be used to show the establishment what our values are as Democrats. Do not let the establishment set the agenda for what we can and cannot do as a united party. The Democratic Party says it espouses the values of all over the values of the few. The DNC and other party auxiliaries are only a small fraction of the Democratic Party. The millions of Americans from Chicago to Charlotte, Denver and Dallas, who are voting for Democratic candidates, are the heart of our party. Millionaires writing checks to PACs do not fuel the Democratic Party; the grassroots voters who are knocking on thousands of doors across the country fuel the party. Remember, your vote counts as much as Debbie Wasserman Shultz's, Barack Obama's, and George Soros's. Hillary Clinton may have won the support of the party elites, but that does not mean the discussion is over. It is time for grassroots voters to show the party what we believe.

Senator Sanders has cobbled together a coalition of voters, who have been previously disenfranchised by our American democracy. For too long, many in our party have stated they are fighting for the disadvantaged; fighting for the workers; fighting for minorities. But at the end of the day, many of their actions show they are working for the millionaires on Wall Street who are signing the checks that keep them in Washington, instead of the grassroots organizers who work tirelessly for meaningful political change. A win in New Hampshire provided legitimacy to the Sanders campaign, even if it was in an advantageous environment. Currently, over half of African-Americans hold no opinion of Bernie Sanders in South Carolina. As Bernie moves to Nevada, South Carolina, and beyond, minorities, who previously saw an air of inevitability to Hillary Clinton, will see a candidate who backs up his rhetoric on minorities with actions in Bernie Sanders. We have seen the beginning of this movement with recent statements of support from esteemed social commentators, Michelle Alexander and Ta-Nehesi Coates, and former NAACP President Ben Jealous. After South Carolina and Nevada vote, I truly believe that we are going to see a true melting pot that is the Sanders campaign. This is not the campaign of the establishment. This is not the campaign for the advantaged. This is the campaign for those who have had enough. A campaign for those who are angry with the misguided messaging of the two parties, who have made promises to Americans, and then gone up to Washington and turned their back on their constituencies.

I am proud to support Senator Bernie Sanders. We have spent too much time trying to place candidates into narrowly defined categories. Who or what defines what a progressive or a moderate is? What I see in the Sanders campaign is a candidate who shows an unwavering passion for improving the well-being of marginalized populations and creating opportunities for all Americans. At the end of the day, I believe that is why so many Americans, especially younger Americans, Feel the Bern. It is not about what messaging a candidate utilizes to speak to voters. Americans are sick and tired of candidates pandering on the issues. It is about a candidate's actions and values when off the stump. Bernie Sanders has ignited a conversation about these issues on the campaign trail in 2016, but if you examine Bernie's history, you see that he practices what he preaches. Bernie Sanders should embrace being identified as an idealist. We should be less afraid to embrace this term, which has initiated so much progress over the years. FDR was an idealist when he proposed the policies of the New Deal. JFK was idealistic when proposing the Civil Rights Act. LBJ was idealistic when proposing Medicare and Medicaid. I am Sebastian Ivory. I am proud to be a Democrat. I am proud to identify as a progressive. And I am proud to be an idealist.

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This is between you and me BLACK SISTERS, so lean in. STOP coddling black men. I know your motherly instincts and your womanly proclivities make you want to bring confront and care and I know you want to support him, but trust me on this, it's time for TOUGH LOVE. Challenge the Black Man's Manhood. NOT in regard to yourself, as his woman or the woman in his life, respect that, but what I say challenge him on is what is HE DOING in the community or for his community? Put your hand on your collective hip, look the Black man in his eye and say "stand your ass up and fight, stop marching in circles and lead us somewhere"! If your beautiful Black sister would say, I know my man is not going to let nobody hold him back, because if you are going to protect me, what I need with you? Do you know what would happen? Have you ever been to the club and a sister screaming on her man like "I know you aint going to let him talk to me like that"! No matter how big the man or the fight in him, if he is any kind of man, somebody getting knocked out. That is what will happen, but in a meaningful, constructive sense. Force him to use the brain and body he has to get his people to a better standing. Whisper in his collective ear "win" and watch that Rocky music anthem light up in his eyes. But if you keep mourning his death, justify his weakness and coddle his insecurities, then he will forever remain your baby...are we clear

Boko Haram is using little black girls as HUMAN BOMBS. The press is calling them suicide bombers. They are not doing this of their own will or their own accord or based on their beliefs. It is MURDER. If they resist, they are tortured and killed. The same little girls the First Lady marched and tweeted about are now being strapped to explosives and blown to bits. Where is the outrage about this? Where is our outrage about this? Do you have children? Could you imagine your ten year old daughter being strapped with dynamite and then her being nothing but a mist? If that doesn't move you to tears or to anger or to action, then you are only human in appearance. Black lives mattering is not limited to the United States. Globally the treatment of Blacks is not on the up and up. To the BLACK MUSLIM BROTHERS, I am calling all Black Muslim Brothers, Sunni, Shia, Nation of Islam, Moor or Five Percenters, Your Nigerian daughters are being slaughtered in the name of Islam. When are we, as Muslims going to hold the International community accountable for their silence in the face of such horrors? If Syrian is a tragedy and Palestine a tragedy, then Nigeria is the very face of evil. When are we going to stand up and call Boko Haram a COWARD and DISGUSTING and a bitch for hiding behind children in the name of Islam?! When? Because if you don't, if you remain silent, then you are a coward and disgusting also. Straight like that. Black lives matter? Really? Show me. Save those babies if you don't there is nothing Black about you, but you are Sick at heart!
Cleve Heidelberg has been in prison for 45 years. Convicted of killing a police officer in the early morning hours of May 26, 1970 in Peoria, Illinois. He was sentenced to 99 to 175 years of incarceration. Now at 72 years old, the injustice of Heidelberg's conviction is finally coming to light. And Chicago Lawyer Andrew Hale is on a mission to free the innocent man.

"This is a case from 1970," Andrew Hale says. "There was an attempted robbery at a drive-in movie theater in Belleville, Illinois right outside of Peoria. A guy showed up at the movie theater. He tied up the projectionist. He took the office manager hostage. He tried to go collect money out of the concession stand and little did he know the guy, the projectionist, untied himself and called the police. When the police car pulled up the guy pulled out a gun and shot the Peoria County sheriff's deputy in the head, killing him. The guy got into the car and sped back to Peoria in high speed chase."

Thirty minutes after all this Cleve Heidelberg gets arrested when he's walking down the street to get his car. Now here's the twist, Cleve Heidelberg lent his car to another guy named Lester Mason that night. Lester Mason then lent the car to another guy named James Clark. James Clark is the guy that went to the drive-in and tried to do the armed robbery. Cleve Heidelberg got a call about 1:30 in the morning saying "Your car got left at the intersection of Blaine and Butler in Peoria." AS he went to retrieve his car, completely unaware of what had just happened, the police close in on him thinking he is the cop killer.

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"They chase him." Hale says. "They go grab him and he gets arrested. Then they beat the crap out of him. I mean literally like six, seven, eight officers standing over him kicking and punching him. A black guy and his wife come out of their house, because this is in their back yard and break it up. He tells the cops, hey, knock it off. Heidelberg goes to the hospital to get stitches over his eye. He's beat up. They take him back up to the police station and they put him in a lineup, even though he's all beat up, which you shouldn't do. It's a suggestive lineup and the people from the movie theater identify him as the offender and he gets charged with the crime and he never confesses. He always denies it."

The short story is Cleve Heidelberg had a trial in 1970. This is at the height of the Black Panther party. At the end of the turbulent 60s. He doesn't have a chance. He gets convicted. Despite his innocence. No one cared. The establishment wanted someone to pay, it didn't matter who. Just as long as they were black. But there were questions raised about his innocence early on.

"After he gets convicted another guy comes forward, James Clark, the guy who actually used the car. He confesses." Hale says. "He's interviewed by the Peoria Journal Star newspaper, tells the whole story, gives a detailed affidavit. So basically this doesn't go anywhere. The Courts, they don't really look into it thoroughly and it just kind of doesn't go anywhere and Heidelberg stays in prison where he's been for 45 years."

Imagine that? Forty-five years for a crime you didn't commit. Kind of unbelievable that something like that can happen in America, but it's happening. And everyday that Cleve Heidelberg stays in prison is a travesty. The courts could have corrected the problem a long time ago but they were apathetic to justice being served.

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"I only heard about the case because when we did the Alstory Simon case, "A Murder in the Park." Alstory Simon as a favor asked, 'can you do me a favor and look into my best friend's case. I think he's innocent.'" Hale says. "I was skeptical, because I normally defend police officers and here a police officer got shot and killed. As a favor to Alstory I said I'd do it and the more I looked into it, the more and more issues popped up, the more and more I was convinced that Cleve Heidelberg is actually innocent."

From all the facts and evidence, which is available to view at www.freecleve.com,

it is pretty clear that Cleve Heidelberg is innocent and James Clark committed the murder. During Andrew Hale's investigation into the case he's found a bunch of inconsistencies, outright lies and things being covered up in the case.

"There's all kinds of things that were wrong with the investigation." Hale says. "It was a suggestive line up, witnesses were manipulated. The police eavesdropped on Heidelberg when he was meeting with his lawyers. There was an FBI fingerprint report that was suppressed. The police radio log shows that after the car crashed they were chasing the guy running north and he ran about four blocks north and they lost him and that's consistent with the James Clark affidavit talking about where he ran. Heidelberg is arrested a half hour later when he comes back to get his car about a block down the street."

All Cleve Heidelberg was guilty of was loaning his car to the wrong guy. He has no complicity in the crime whatever. But due to his color it was a foregone conclusion that he was guilty in 1970s Peoria, Illinois.





"There's no way in my mind that this is the same guy who bailed out of the car and ran north a half hour earlier." Hale, who has revisited the scene of the crime and drive and walked the routes says. "That guy would not have circled back to the crime scene and just been walking down the street. So there's a bunch of issues. I think it was a botched investigation. I think the police felt like since it was Heidelberg's car, which it was, they thought, hey, we've got our guy, case solved."

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St. John National Park is a water lover's paradise. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish

About 60 percent of the island of St. John where Virgin Islands National Park is located is protected parkland, and that excludes the 5,650 acres of parkland area that is submerged beneath the water surrounding its shores. St. John is the least developed and smallest of the three best-known United States Virgin Islands, and with just a couple of roads on the nine-mile-long island, it is hard to get lost and therefor conducive to letting travelers carve-their-own adventures.

The U.S. Virgin Islands (US VI) are well known to mariners and island hoppers for pure white sandy beaches and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea that bring them there. It's one of those perfect environments to do what people love to do on any paradise island -- soak in the sun, play in the sand, and swim in the sea. We did all of that. It's also a perfect multi-sport destination. We composed ours of three activities: hiking, snorkeling, and relaxing. Relaxing as a sport? After canoeing backcountry in the Everglades, exploring the waterways of Biscayne, and camping in the Dry Tortugas, we thought that a little relaxation would be a fine thing to work into the itinerary at park No. 4. And, relaxing is sport in the US VI.

ZoZo's restaurant at the Caneel Bay Resort is one of the most popular restaurants on the island, for the food, and especially, for the view. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish

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Because we flew from mainland America to reach St. John (flying into St. Thomas first then crossing by ferry to the park), we had to leave our Airstream back in Florida. As we had no outdoor gear with us, we decided that this would be a good time to find a hotel to stay in for a couple of days (and take a proper shower.) In keeping with our goal to spend as much of 2016 within national park boundaries, we chose the only accommodation inside of US VI National Park: the Caneel Bay Resort on the north shore. Located on Laurance Rockefeller's former personal estate, the resort provides access to some of the islands very best beaches, and provides equipment to explore them with. Learn to windsurf, paddle, dive -- it's all right there. Sharing this natural setting was a dream of Rockefeller, who was known professionally as an esteemed financier and philanthropist, and known better in his inner circles as a passionate environmentalist and preservationist. During the 1950s, he acquired 5,000 acres of parkland on the island and donated it to the U.S. government who established it as one of our 59 beloved U.S. National Parks in 1956.

One of the best ways to explore the island is to hop in a jeep and set out on a self-guided tour. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish

60 years later, after one full day of leisure, we were ready to explore the park outside of the resort. We grabbed a map and rented a Jeep Wrangler with a basic no-plan plan in mind. "Don't be alarmed by the low tire-pressure," Jennifer with the leasing office said, "that keeps the tires from blowing out!" Okey-dokie. Off we drove along the steep, rocky, harrowing back roads that took us to the roof of the island and to the first stop on our multi-sport adventure.

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Rams Head Trail located at Salt Pond is a short one-mile trail, but is difficult all the same as it is fully exposed to the heat of the blazing sun. The steep climb brings you along rocky cliff sides to a mountaintop where you have full panorama views of the island. We both loved this trail -- short, sweet, and enough to break a sweat. It put us at a perfect vantage point to realize that while hiking is our activity of choice in many of the parks, where we really wanted to be at that very-high-up-near-the-sun moment was in the water down below.

Down we went.

Instead of swimming at the beach based at Rams Head, we ventured to other beaches on the island. Hawksnest had to be visited because of the Seattle Seahawks connotation (No. 12s). On the east side of the island, there is a galley of private residences offering beach access for $2.50 per person at a lesser-known local spot faved by locals called Vie's . The same locals who sent us to Vie's advised us to steer clear of Trunks Bay, the most popular beach on the island, because it is so overly touristed. We stopped there anyway to check out the famed underwater snorkeling trail. On the shore, the wide sandbar shaded by seagrape trees and coconut palms made it very photogenic and it was a very lovely place to just be. The underwater snorkeling trail -- 225 yards of coral reef along the seabottom marked with points of interest -- is, in fact, a unique excursion. It's pretty perfect for families with gaps in skill level and it's quite accessible. If you are looking to find the wild jewels of the sea, it's kind of a snore to be perfectly honest. At least while we were there, the area lacked abundant sea life in comparison to other places we'd snorkeled while visiting places like Scott's Beach back at Caneel Bay where we saw families of sea turtles, stingrays, sergeant major fish, other fish, octopus, puffer fish, coral of all sizes and shapes, and I think a shark. Jon says "maybe," I say, "it was definitely a shark."

With an amazing amount of sea life including sea turtles, fish, corals, and rays, snorkeling was the star of our multi-sport adventure. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish

We got lost in those snorkels (what an amazing way to explore the world!), in long wanders through remains of ancient civilizations and among ruins of sugar plantations located in the lush vegetation that grows so wild on the island; and made time otherwise for a couple of really great meals restaurants in town that cater to foodies -- a welcome change to the dehydrated camping food and protein bars we'd been living for three weeks prior. And aside from all that, we relaxed, saving up energy for a long trek to park No. 5!

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This is not an error: you actually see only one hiking stick medallion from the US VI. We lost one. Hoping to find one online... stay tuned! Photo credit: Stefanie Payne
In spite of the historic Paris climate meeting in November and agreement to limit the increase in the global average temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius, none of U.S. presidential candidates of either party is talking about climate change. Yet, both our economic and national security (which the candidates do spend a great deal of time talking about) depend on addressing climate change right now.

2015 was the hottest summer on record, and 2016 promises one of the wettest winters. It is hard to have missed the flood of headlines that closed out 2015 and began the new year. "Monster Storm System Spawns Tornadoes, Blizzards, Flooding" "Death Toll Rises in Missouri Floods; California is Entering the Fourth Year of a Record-Breaking Drought"

California and much of the Southwest have been impacted by an extended drought as the southeast and Midwest have been experiencing unprecedented flooding. While it may seem contradictory--too much water vs. not enough--these extreme weather and climate conditions are intensified by climate change, can occur at the same time in the same place, do not cancel each other out, and have a direct impact on our hopes of a sustained economic recovery and a peaceful, prosperous future.

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Extreme weather events such as storms and drought are increasing and increasingly being linked to climate change. The threat to our economy is becoming obvious. For example, in South Florida, an area historically plagued by floods now worsened by rising sea levels caused by climate change, a renewed building boom has triggered a heated conversation between water advocacy groups such as Miami Waterkeeper, scientists such as Harold Wanless at the University of Miami and developers of luxury real estate in what could resemble a future "Waterworld."

Back in the 1990s the military coined the acronym VUCA to map planning for times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. But I would argue, that midway through the second decade of the 21st century, we are living in the days of VUCO--volatility, uncertainty, complexity and opportunity.

Yes, opportunity.

That is the part we need to embrace. We cannot afford to look away. Our future depends on it.

Miami Mayor Phil Levine has been proactive in balancing the environmental and economic needs of the city by raising the storm-water fee $7 per household per month and fast-tracking a program to install electric pumps along prime flooding spots on the city's west side. He has been able to draw upon tax revenues provided by the building surge to pay for environmental initiatives.

The Santa Clara Valley in California is another area that has long dealt with the threat of seasonal flooding from the Guadalupe River. Thanks to the Guadalupe River Park and Flood Protection Project, local agencies have dramatically improved flood protection for downtown San Jose and other neighborhoods and businesses while protecting habitat and greatly expanding the Guadalupe River Park with new trails, plazas and open space. Over the past two decades, Santa Clara Valley Water District has invested $1.2 billion in flood protection improvements, including major construction projects, channel maintenance, an underground bypass system to divert fast-moving floodwater away from the river, channel widening, bridge replacement, trails on both sides of the river, and additional riparian habitat.

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2016 is the year when we can choose to embrace opportunity.

The global climate accord represents an opportunity and a blueprint for climate security that we must embrace. Let's let our elected officials and candidates know we expect them to honor it.

Clean energy represents a tremendous economic and job creation opportunity. And it is ready to be built to scale. Let's thank our Congressional Representatives who voted to extend tax incentives for the development of solar and wind to help diversify our energy portfolio and urge them continue to support action to decarbonize our economy.

In addition, our ability to innovate and develop new technologies promise solutions to many of our climate-related challenges, but we must invest in those solutions now, so they will be there when we need them.

So, when you are choosing a presidential candidate to support, go to their websites and see what their plans are for addressing climate change and participating in the climate accord. When you attend a campaign event, ask them if they support regulations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (those gases that warm the planet). Ask them if they support investing in research that supports the ability of our best minds in our nation's universities and in the private sector to work on finding solutions to our climate challenges.

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Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen got it half right yesterday when she answered a question about how the Fed can help reduce disparities in unemployment in the states.

During Dr. Yellen's testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services, she was questioned by a congressman from Minnesota about what the Fed can do to address the yawning gap between white and black unemployment in Minneapolis. Unemployment among blacks in Minneapolis was 14 percent in December, while only 2.9 percent for whites.

Dr. Yellen explained that the Fed's tools to influence employment are too broad to differentiate between white and black workers. She said that education and training were more important, and that this disparity was Congress' job to address.

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Nationally, the disparity was 4.1 percent for whites and 8.8 percent for blacks in the 4th quarter of 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There is clearly an even bigger problem in Minneapolis, with black unemployment more than four times higher than white unemployment.

This is not news to Minnesotans. The Minnesota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report in 2011 on the unemployment disparity in the state. That report followed a similar analysis in 2005. The 2011 report found:

"While metropolitan areas across the nation are grappling with similar challenges, our research indicates that some of the issues that have resulted in intolerably high unemployment rates for African Americans are unique to Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro area."

But many across the country listening to Dr. Yellen pointing to Congress to solve this might get the wrong idea. The solutions to racial disparities in unemployment won't come from a one-size-fits-all approach from Washington. The solutions to minority unemployment in Minnesota are in Minnesota.

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There is a vicious cycle at work. High school children who see huge barriers to employment and access to occupational training, even when the local economy is doing well, have little incentive to stay in underperforming schools. Without a high school diploma, employment prospects simply worsen.

Local employers are part of the solution. They can be more engaged in giving high school students of color a reason to stick it out in sub-standard schools and troubled neighborhoods. Partnering with high schools and community colleges, some employers are giving students hope that there is a decent job after school.

Companies like E.J. Ajax, a small metal forming manufacturer outside of Minneapolis, is one example. They are among scores of Pioneer Employers chronicled by the Hitachi Foundation's Good Companies@Work program. The Foundation has crossed the nation finding examples of employers who are profiting from investing in their front-line workers.
young woman looking tired in bed

In an effort to change how Georgetown University students and professors think about sleep, I recently wrote an article describing our university's poor sleep culture. I made the argument that getting the proper amount of sleep would help students achieve their goals and in Georgetown President John J. DeGioia's words, "become their very best selves."

In the weeks since, my mother and my roommate have been quick to point out that, on occasion, I too find it difficult to heed my own advice. So in an effort to practice what I preach, I set out on a grand sleep experiment. The design was as follows:

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It was as simple as that. For one week, I would follow the National Sleep Foundation's healthy sleep guidelines to a T. And if things went as planned, I'd be a well-rested sleep guru in seven short days.

But...things didn't go as planned...and I've finally been forced to accept that they generally never do for 20-year-old college students.

Step 1: Wake up at the same time each day.

No problem. DC Water employees facilitated this step, conducting a major construction project on my street the same week. Each morning when the clock struck eight, my neon-vested friends made sure I was awake with a jolting chorus of jackhammers. By Friday, the construction got so close to my house that the vibrations shaking the ground actually woke me up. Definitely no snoozing that day.

Step 2: Use bright light to help manage circadian rhythms.

Little to no problem with this step either. The bedroom of my university townhouse might be the brightest location imaginable that is not itself the sun. The quest for darkness to help manage circadian rhythms was far more formidable.

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Step 3: Exercise daily.

Here we begin to run into problems. On four of the seven days of my experiment, I did at least sixty minutes of cardio. On two days, I had too many classes and extracurricular commitments to work out. And on the remaining day, my creative writing professor decided to distribute a poem I wrote about a boy to my entire class, all but forcing me to avoid public areas (including the gym) until the storm of embarrassment had passed.

However, some may have considered that last incident a cardio activity, as my heart rate did indeed remain elevated for an extended period of time.

Step 4: Avoid consuming large meals 2-3 hours before bedtime & caffeine 5-6 hours before bedtime.

Another problem area. Large meals? Not too bad. I generally prefer to eat miniscule amounts of food at a continuous rate throughout the day anyways. As for caffeine...as the venerable Scooby Doo might say, "Ruh, roh." To begin with, you'd never imagine just how many beverages and foods contain caffeine. Even Earl Grey tea! I've watched my mother drink a cup of said tea before bed every night of my life, and it was only staring at the ceiling at 2:00 a.m. that I understood not all Earl Grey tea is of the decaf variation.

Step 5: Establish ideal sleeping environment.

This was probably the easiest step to achieve. I bought a new pillow and outfitted my bed in fresh clean sheets. I turned off the lights, turned down the air, and spritzed some febreeze. Once a ratty college dorm, my room was suddenly a slumber palace.

Step 6: Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.

A thought-provoking recommendation. The National Sleep Foundation suggests following a guided meditation, reading, or deep breathing to calm the central nervous system and ultimately signal to the body that it is time for sleep. I tried them all. The most effective guided meditation I found was the podcast "Sleep with Me." Unfortunately, just as I was about to doze off, my roommate knocked on the door, fearing the sound of the podcast was actually a mouse.

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Step 7: Go to bed at the same time each day.

I really did try to follow this one, but as any college student could attest, life came up and none of my days were the same. On Monday, I had to stay up to hear the results of the Iowa Caucus. On Tuesday, I had to finish my theology reading. On Wednesday, my best friend had an identity crisis. And so the list went on. What I did commit to was at least making sure I was physically in my bed by 11:30 p.m. each night.

Results:

Aside from construction waking me up at 8:00 a.m. on the dot every day, almost none of my experimental procedure went exactly according to plan. What I can report is that even the small steps I took made an enormous difference in the quality of my sleeping and waking hours. During the week of my experiment, I was more alert in class. I felt much less tired than I usually do during the day. I actually - gasp - looked forward to going to the gym. My time and my emotions were more easily managed and my days seemed brighter.

As college students and as humans, we often look to a far-off "better" future as the time when we'll get good sleep. In the course of my Grand Sleep Experiment, I learned that we need not wait for such an elusive time. Even a few small changes to your sleep routine can result in incredible health gains. Why not start now?
With her husband having taken his own life, Kathleen Willey has since had to struggle to handle his debts and now faces the foreclosure of her home outside of Richmond. At the same time, she has kept a heavy schedule of newspaper and radio interviews, speaking the truth about the Clintons and exploding the myth that Hillary is an advocate for women.

That is why I need your help today.

Negotiations with Kathleen's mortgage company are at an impasse. Her mortgage company, Seterus, Inc. Home Loan Servicing, is a financial predator unwilling to come to any reasonable terms that will allow her to keep her home. In 19 short days she will be evicted. Kathleen will lose the place where she has lived with her pets for 20 years.

You and I cannot let that happen. Kathleen Willey has an important role to play in the 2016 election. It's shameful that Bill and Hillary are worth over $250 million while Kathleen has fallen behind in her mortgage.

Working with other women, we have established the KATHLEEN WILLEY MORTGAGE PAY-OFF TRUST FUND. I intend to raise $100,000 to bring her mortgage current to at least stop the foreclosure of her home and hope to raise $386,000 to pay it off entirely.

A CPA in California administers the fund. This is NOT a political action effort; this is a sincere effort by supportive women to save Kathleen's home.

Every dime other than the cost of this solicitation will go to save Kathleen Willey's home. There will be no overhead, no lawyers' fees and no administrative fees. A full audit of the fund will be published on-line when we pay off the mortgage and close the fund.
By Karolina ChorvathI'll never forget running along a student protest under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona last year, as chants against the Spanish government's new rules for university students echoed off the buildings. The sticky May air was as heavy as the protest, and my clothes clung to my body. My notebook nearly fused with my hand as drops of sweat mixed with the ink on the pages. While reporting for two months on the student movements, I became enamored with the culture of protest. When I returned to school at Northeastern University in Boston, my friends asked me what I liked most about my time in Spain -- the food, the wine, the music? And every time I answered, "The people." In Spain, people my age are as infuriated as they are inspired. They express it to those around them and strive to change what is fueling their frustrations. I encountered so many students and activists that refused to let any law or regulation determine their future or their right to talk about it. Activist Lucia Lois told me, "We are going to be able to stand up, to analyze the causes of what we are suffering. Not as victims but as active participants in the politics of this country." But this fire and struggle isn't limited to Spain. According to the International Labour Organization, the global youth unemployment rate is projected to grow to 12.8 percent by 2018 with current levels of youth joblessness higher than 50 percent in countries such as South Africa, Greece and Bosnia. Young people around the world are screaming about the inability to achieve their dreams and sometimes their inability to just get a job. The GroundTruth Project is listening. Youth represent 41 percent of the world's unemployed people. The numbers are there but as we know, they're only part of the story. So GroundTruth, along with RTI International, has developed a user-generated, multimedia storytelling platform to bring young people further into the global conversation. Are you tired of older generations treating you like a second-class citizen? Have you worked for four years to get a degree and no matter what, can't get hired? Are you frustrated when you read an article about youth unemployment with a byline belonging to someone older than your parents? Does your government create laws that restrict your education? Have any or all of these things gotten in the way of your dream job? If so, tell us. Whether your medium is video, photo, text or song, we want you to share your story. Maybe you already have your dream job? If that's the case, tell us how you got it. Whatever your story is, Youth Voices is your microphone and it's our generation's chance to change the narrative. We're aiming to collect 10,000 stories by April 30, and then we'll offer paid assignments to contributors who stand out. Tell us your story.


Credit: VALENTIN VALKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK

How many times have you been shoveling snow and muttered to yourself, "I would give ANYTHING to be on a Caribbean beach right now"? Every time, right? Sure, but you probably also slogged on thinking a mid-winter escape to a tropical paradise costs a fortune.

Not so. Traveling to the Caribbean can be done on a budget -- you just need to know where to go. (Also, you can't stay at a big fancy resort, but you knew that.) And to help you out, we've put together a short list of the cheapest destinations in the islands.



Credit: BILDAGENTUR ZOONAR GMBH/SHUTTERSTOCK

St. Lucia

Average budget hotel: $50 per night

Average daily food cost: $7

Cheapest beer: $0.74

Here's some St. Lucia trivia: the island is shaped like a mango. Remember that for your next pub night. Also, it's an island that offers everything from mountains and rainforests, to charming fishing villages and secluded volcanic beaches renowned for reef diving.

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St. Lucian food is a combo of Creole with French and West Indian influences, and for cheap eats, you're gonna want to roll with the roti -- unleavened Indian bread stuffed with curried vegetables and meat. At Prudee's House of Roti, two people can take down a hearty beef and chicken plate for a mere $10.

What's the catch? The island is a bit remote from the US so pack snacks -- you might have a long wait for a connecting flight.



Credit: DARRYL BROOKS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Curacao

Average budget hotel: $65 per night

Average daily food cost: $23

Cheapest beer: $0.94

Did you know that one of the official languages of Curacao is Dutch? Well, it is. Situated off the north coast of Venezuela, Curacao is still a territory of the Netherlands and a bit off the beaten tourist path; although it does maintain a bustling airport, which helps keep airfares down. Beer at local bars is cheap if you avoid US brands, but if you really want to save your guilder, stock up on booze at Centrum supermarket.

What's the catch? The mosquitos at night -- they are not friendly.

Negril, Jamaica

Average budget hotel: $50 per night

Average daily food cost: $23.50

Cheapest beer: $2.25

Known for long stretches of white sand beaches and shallow bays of calm, aquamarine waters, Negril offers visitors the most bang for their Caribbean buck. Sure, Jamaica has a lot of pricey resorts, but this area -- situated on the western side of the island -- rocks a good mix of inexpensive two- and three-star hotels along the gorgeous Seven Mile Beach.

Negril is also less touristy than the other parts of Jamaica, which helps make it less expensive. Be sure to enjoy a panoramic sunset while drinking cheap Red Stripe at Peewee's Restaurant.

What's the catch? It's popular among Americans spring breakers, so if beer bongs and beach parties aren't your scene, perhaps you shouldn't visit in March.

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Cancun, Mexico

Average budget hotel: $36.50 per night

Average daily food cost: $17.85

Cheapest beer: $1.37

And speaking of spring breakers, Cancun is one of the busiest destinations in the Caribbean. Reason being: there are a plethora of inexpensive flights from the States, and accommodations are cheap on the outskirts of town. The place also rocks beautiful beaches, a solid nightlife scene, and easy access to artsy Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel. Oh yeah, also, Mayan ruins to explore -- El Rey and the a crumbling tower of pale gray stone known as Yamil Lu'um -- and gorgeous cenotes in which to swim. Or venture to Las de Guanatos to score a bucket of beers for a mere 100 pesos.

What's the catch? Again, the low cost of Cancun makes it a popular spring break hotspot. Also, be sure to research your hotel. You might save some cash, but there are a lot of accommodation horror stories.



Credit: DARRYL BROOKS/SHUTTERSTOCK

St. Kitts

Average budget hotel: $80 per night

Average daily food cost: $10

Cheapest beer: $0.74

St. Kitts is a rare gem in the Caribbean. It's also an island shaped like a chicken leg -- again, just throwing that out there for trivia night. This lush, tropical paradise has an intoxicating blend of rolling hills, aqua-green sea, abundant vegetation, rainforests, and volcanoes that loom majestically in the cloudy mist.

Though the tourist beach bars are amazing, some of the best watering holes on the island are in the Old Town section; they simply look like random structures that dot the roadway. Don't hesitate to stop. In fact, be sure to hit Paula's Shop; it's run by a woman named... Julie -- just kidding! Her name's Paula -- and she sells cheap Carib beer (the Kittitians' local brew of choice), delicious home-cooked chicken, and not one, but two types of shampoo.

What's the catch? Tourism isn't St. Kitts' main industry -- so outside of the main beach areas, your options are limited for attractions.

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I was recently invited to speak on a panel regarding third party risk strategies for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's (SIFMA) Internal Auditors Society. While there, I had the opportunity to meet and hear from two individuals who are well known and respected in their related fields: former US Attorney General John Ashcroft and noted author and cyber risk authoritarian MacDonnell "Don" Ulsch.

John Ashcroft, in the keynote for this event, touched on topics ranging from homeland security and terrorism to cyber espionage. He delivered one commanding prediction; that financial institutions will need to prepare for "anticipatory compliance." In other words, organizations will need to be prepared to show that their organization is actively anticipating, studying and acting on perceived threats.

This makes sense on a couple of fronts.

First, given the present state of the world, we are evidencing on an almost daily basis cyber threats from foreign adversaries, activist groups, crime syndicates and - yes - even from within our own walls. These can cause major disruptions to organizations, third party service providers and ultimately the consumers relying on the products and services that organizations provide. In addition to cyber threats, environmental and political events need to be added into the equation, as these can further affect our supply chains and third party vendors that support critical process.

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Second, as organizations are moving full speed ahead to hit their targeted goals, they may not always be taking the time required to see information on their radar that reveals possible business line threats. That means that they become locked into reactionary mode (e.g., putting out fires), making it increasingly difficult to find the time to analyze their threat horizon. And when such time does become available, their resources are all too often pulled right back into the fray to fight the next blaze. In this way, perceptions of advancing threats become an afterthought, rather than part of the planning process.

Both of these SIFMA speakers warned organizations that regulators are aware of this gap and are looking to close it. With this prediction, it would be prudent for financial institutions to start to prepare themselves for scrutiny into how they: anticipate new threats; establish policies, procedures, standards and practices on how to deal with them; as well as how they document these processes. This emerging construct demands that every organization's evaluation and planning be fluid, as well as robust.

The same cautions surrounding anticipatory compliance extend to a financial institution's use of third party vendors for critical processes. Don Ulsch noted that FBI statistics show that two-thirds of all breaches are at third party levels. Various regulatory guidance has already been promulgated to the financial service community pointing the way as how organizations are to take into account the roles third party service providers play in key processes and that anticipatory compliance should be further pushed from the financial institution to the third party vendor (1).

This would include targeted inquiry to third party vendors regarding what steps they themselves are taking with respect to anticipatory compliance: to monitor, chart and provide analysis to risks affecting key systems and processes that affect their customers.

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None of us were ever issued a crystal ball, but we need to keep our eyes and ears open to possible threats and risks to our enterprises and develop a strategy to address these head-on. This is generally what anticipatory compliance demands. Additionally, organizations will need to document this work for assessment personnel and regulators.

1. Most notably: Third Party Relationships: Risk Management Guidance. Bulletin OCC-2013-29. Office of the Comptroller of Currency. October 30, 2013. http://occ.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2013/bulletin-2013-29.html; FFIEC Information Technology Examination Handbook. Appendix J: Strengthening the Resilience of Outsourced Technology Services. FFIEC. February 2015. http://ithandbook.ffiec.gov/it-booklets/business-continuity-planning/appendix-j-strengthening-the-resilience-of-outsourced-technology-services.aspx
On February 12 of 2013, the night of the State of the Union, a town meeting was held at the Chopin Theater in Chicago's Near West Side. The subject was tax increment financing. Despite the complexity of the topic and the competition from President Obama, some 230 people packed the theater to hear a journalist, an academic and an activist discuss TIFS.

The Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Illumination Project is an effort of a group of volunteers in Chicago to investigate and expose a decades-old municipal finance scheme that annually extracts almost 500 million dollars of local property taxes and places that money in a program controlled by the mayor. This program has dispensed billions of property tax dollars to major U.S. companies (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola, United Airlines, Willis Insurance) to well-heeled developers of Loop office towers and to a collection of connected developers throughout the city.

This program has been a source of controversy here for years but is not readily understood by Chicagoans. It is decidedly not a public process and the rationale behind what projects are selected for subsidy in the name of "community development" is not apparent or available for any community to debate or participate in. Chicago has a notoriously corrupt and opaque government with numerous local councilmen having been sent to prison. The city was ruled with an iron hand for 43 years by the father and son Daleys, and the Democratic Machine had a firm lock on local government for almost one hundred years. This is a tough town for civic engagement, government transparency and grassroots urban policy planning.

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A Tax Increment Finance district is created by the City's Department of Planning and Development. It is a tool to capture property taxes from all properties inside the district. A TIF is usually created to build some project in a "blighted" community that the free market won't support. The developer seeks a gift of cash and/or land to do their project because it is deemed to be a public good. A snapshot is taken of the value of the properties inside the district and how much property taxes they are paying. The TIF district captures all INCREMENT from all those properties for 23 years. The money captured by the TIF is effectively "off the books" from the annual public budgeting process.

Since TIFs first appeared in Chicago in 1986 they have captured over $7 billion in property taxes.

The TIF Program has taken on significant political and civic import because it diverts and disperses property taxes. In Chicago about 54 cents of every property tax dollar collected by the city is supposed to go to the Board of Education. Other units of government that rely on property taxes for significant parts of their budget include the public libraries, the public parks, the city colleges, the county government and the city, itself. So any entity that steps in and skims, so to speak, hundreds of millions of property tax dollars annually is a grave threat to the finances of local government. Currently Chicago has 148 TIF districts covering about 32 percent of the city. No other city in America has so many special taxing bodies.

About 32% of Chicago is in a TIF district!

The TIF Illumination Project is an exercise in civic imagination. It's about civic geography and civic mental map-mapping. We set out to answer the question of "What are TIFs doing to MY community?" If you ask a person, "How is life in the Kinzie Industrial TIF?" they will look at you blankly. But if you ask, "How is life in the 27th Ward?" then people can locate themselves and form a response based on their lived experience of that community. We are telling people what TIFs are doing to us a ward-by-ward basis.

Our volunteers have acquired eight different sets of data and using data mining, GIS coding, map making, investigatory journalism and crowd-sourced organizing, we have compiled an unprecedented picture of what TIFs are doing across the city.

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We can tell you, on a ward-by-ward basis:

How many TIFs are in the ward

How much money they extracted from within the ward last year

How much money was left in the TIF accounts at the start of this year

What projects were funded by TIFs inside the ward

How much money was transferred IN or OUT of the TIFs

How much money the Department of Planning and Development skimmed from those TIFs (in 2014 it was a total of $8.8 million from ALL the TIFs)

How much money was given to banks in terms of finance fees (in 2014 Amalgamated bank and Well Fargo received a total of $98.6 million from all TIFs)

Location of public schools that have closed by the Board of Education

Location of public schools that have received budget cuts for the current year

We produce a graphic poster showing all this against a map of the ward we are covering plus a general piece that explains what TIFs are. We do a 50-minute presentation that walks through the history and scope of the TIF program and then zooms in to reveal the details of the TIFs in the ward we are visiting.

At the TIF Town Meeting at the Chopin Theater on February 12, 2013, we asked the attendees if they found the information useful. There was a strong response from the audience that this information was a revelation. We then invited folks to return to their communities and organized public meetings -- or Illuminations -- as we call them.

People responded with enthusiasm. The first meeting was in the 6th Ward on March 9 and since then we've been to 47 meetings and have Illuminated 141 TIFs across 34 wards! Over 4,600 people have attended these meetings. In addition, we've done Illuminations in Oak Park, Woodstock and for two suburban school districts.

All the presentations are available at our TIF Data Store.

Here is the graphic produced for the TIF Illumination of the 4th Ward (Hyde Park, home of the University of Chicago and President Obama) we did on May 13, 2013.

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The piece is designed for ledger size, two-sided, full color. The fold is along the left. The front follows this pattern, with a call out to the residents of the ward we are visiting. We identify the major named neighborhoods inside the ward and produce the TIF district shapes as though they are the culprits on a wanted poster. The headline is derived from looking at one or more TIFs that are entirely inside or mostly inside the ward.

The back of the piece remains the same across all our Illuminations and will be updated for meetings in 2014 to incorporate the latest data. We endeavor to explain what TIFs are using text and graphics.

The piece was produced by Tom Tresser, designed by Carlyn So and based on the data research of Cory Mollet and Bill Drew. There are many others who helped and some would prefer to keep their participation private.

Our first poster went through seven iterations and was reviewed by one of America's most experienced academics in the TIF and local government finance arena. We are constantly testing this work. Is this the best way to explain TIFs? We've translated this part of the poster into Spanish and are working to turn the poster into a comic book and animation.

This section is immediately below the map and contains the final exclusive piece of news that the TIF Illumination Project delivers to communities. We use the same data analysis that got us the basic Illumination to determine how much money was left in the TIF accounts from the in-ward TIFs at the start of the year.

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This number is shown in red and asks the provocative question: "What would you do to improve the ward" if you had this money available? In the case of the 4th Ward at the start of 2012, that number was $15.3 million.

The remainder of this section of the graphic explains what the TIF Illumination Project is about and also explains that it is a project of the CivicLab, a new co-working space in the West Loop dedicated to collaboration, education and innovation around civic engagement.

We have shown folks who has gotten paid via TIFs and revealed details hitherto kept secret -- including the startling fact that the TIF accounts held $1.4 billion on January 1, 2015. That number HAD been $1.7 billion on January 1, 2014. So we also revealed a 71% increase in TIF spending over that one year time period.

This information challenges the notion that we are broke.

The net result is that people ask more questions than can be answered. They are angry. They wonder if the city is truly broke, as the mayor claims. They want to know who green-lighted the projects that received so much public dollars and why are essential city services being cut (including the closing of 49 public schools) at the same time?

We launched an online petition to put TIF data on the property tax bills that the county issues twice a year, and that reform was instituted by Cook County Clerk beginning with the bills issued in July of 2014.

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We launched a second online petition demanding that the mayor account for the $1.7 billion and release those funds to the units of government that SHOULD'VE gotten those funds in the first place. Over 4,500 people have signed so far.

We have placed all our presentations online for easy access and purchase at the TIF Data Store. You can also purchase a copy of our TIF Atlas that shows ALL the TIFs in the new ward maps PLUS locations and details of all TIF funded projects up through 2010 and much more!

In October of 2014 we launched our first crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to produce a TIF training video so we could Illuminate more people more efficiently. 80 donors gave over $3,300 and the 20 minute "TIF 101" video is now available for your viewing pleasure. Please do get Illuminated.

Our thanks to Professor Rachel Weber of the University of Illinois and Cook County Clerk David Orr for appearing in the video to share their knowledge and perspectives on Tax Increment Financing.

We did a second crowdfunding campaign to fund the video "TIFs Off the Rails: Public Policy Problems With TIFs in Chicago" and 44 donors chipped in $1,160. You can see the 17 minute video here.

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Thanks to Professor Richard Dye of the University of Illinois and Professor Stephanie Farmer of Roosevelt University for appearing in that video.

IMPACTS

We are delighted that our Illuminations have shed new light on a major piece of Chicago's financial infrastructure and that our work is impacting public policy. Over 80 stories have been written on our work.

Candidates for mayor and alderman have worked with us to articulate their positions on TIFs and twelve TIF Illuminations have been sponsored by candidates running for alderman for the 2015 municipal election.

An article in the Chicago Sun-Times and an editorial in the Chicago Tribune referenced $1.7 billion in TIF funds. The only way that the editors at the Chicago Tribune (as well as the rest of the public) knew that there was $1.7 billion sitting in TIF accounts was because the volunteers of the TIF Illumination Project has been opening up all the annual reports from the TIF districts when they are released in July and manually adding up the balances! We've been doing that since 2009 (although the TIF Illumination Project formally launched in February of 2013, this work has been going on for quite a while). See our analysis for all of Chicago's TIFs for 2013 and and for 2014 at our TIF Reports web site.

The impacts our work we felt in the 2015 municipal elections and all through the debate on the 2016 budget.



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Listen to this exchange from the August 31, 2015 budget forum at Malcom X College. Tom asked the Mayor and his budget director to come clean on the status of the TIF money and they ANSWERED!

We upload our presentations to SlideShare so that people can see the work we do. However, we only put the FULL presentations with WARD-SPECIFIC data online at The TIF Data Store. Since the TIF Illumination Project started in February of 2013 these presentations on SlideShare have been viewed a staggering 118,000 times!

As this update is being written TIFs are all over the news again.



State legislation has been introduced to flush Chicago's TIF accounts in order to send a cash infusion to the public schools.

A resolution to allow Chicago aldermen to voluntarily surrender funds from TIFs in their wards failed to reach a vote in City Council on February 9 due to the preemptory ruling of committee chair Carrie Austin.

Parents from Raise Your Hand disrupted that committee meeting by shouting "Parents want a vote!" They did not get the vote. These parents are not going away.

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RECOGNITION

Tom Tresser, the lead organizer of the TIF Illumination Project, was named a "Best of Chicago 2015" by NewCity Magazine for his public work.

The local papers in Chicago have covered the TIF Illumination Project very well.

However, we have failed to get coverage in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business or on WBEZ-FM (public radio).

We thank the Voqal Fund for the operating support thy gave to the CivicLab in 2014. That money allowed us to operate and the TIF Illumination Project had a home for two years. Also, the Crossroads Fund gave us $500 in 2014 to cover the cost of printing materials distributed at TIF town meetings.

A hearty "Thank you!" to the 248 people who donated a total of $9,568 to support the work of the TIF Illumination Project and the production of our two TIF training videos.

We are thrilled to see how are work has become part of the civic landscape and dialog in Chicago.

WHAT'S NEXT

We are building on this work by launching a crowdfunding project in March to support the publication of a book: "Chicago is Not Broke. Funding the City We Deserve." More details here.

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The book is based on this Huffington Post Chicago op-ed piece.



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More information on the TIF Illumination Project, including all public presentations made to date, is online at http://www.tifreports.com. All our presentations, as well as our 50 Ward TIF Atlas can be purchased at our TIF Data Store.
This week I was honored to have taken the stage with First Lady Michelle Obama, Deputy Secretary Heather Higginbottom and the 10 outstanding award recipients from around the globe being honored at the 2014 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony. These honorees' unwavering dedication to improve the lives of their communities and countries in the face of serious adversity is truly remarkable. I am deeply inspired by these women -- and by the countless other women like my colleague Maureen -- who persevere to make positive change in the world despite significant challenges set before them.

As we approach International Women's Day this coming Saturday, I have been thinking often about Maureen. She is a physician volunteer currently based in Tanzania, part of a novel partnership aimed at creating a new pipeline of well-trained doctors and nurses in the countries where there are crippling healthcare worker shortages.

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On Maureen's first day in Tanzania, where she is teaching obstetrics and gynecology, she sent me an email with an unassuming subject line: "Day 1 in Sengerema." But the email's content was another story. I read it with shock and pain as Maureen recounted her first day.

Maureen wrote us just hours after her arrival. Amid half-unpacked bags and unopened boxes, a nurse had summoned her urgently to the hospital. Maureen didn't even know yet where the operating rooms were. She had no idea what medications or surgical tools might be available. She had barely caught the name of the surgical nurse who was leading her down the sparse concrete hall to the door marked "Operating Theatre." What Maureen did recognize, though, was that the pregnant woman on the operating table lay dying and there were few options to save her. Performing an emergency c-section, she hoped she might at least be able to save the mother's baby. She delivered twins but painfully she and her new colleagues lost them too.

In her email Maureen concluded that she was sad and shaky, but okay. And in a remarkable gesture before signing off she tried to comfort us: "Tomorrow has to be better. Right?"

The next day, dumbstruck, I read her second sad account. A mother had arrived from her village in labor for over a day with her sixth child. She had the worst uterine rupture Maureen had ever seen; it was so forceful it had destroyed the adjacent organs in the mother's pelvis. It had also cost the baby's life. Faced with the choice of witnessing her fifth death in two days, Maureen walked her colleagues through a life-saving surgery for the mother. She knew the procedure well from her US training, but it was one unfamiliar in actual practice to her Tanzanian colleagues. That mother lost her uterus that day but she kept her life. She is alive, and most importantly, was able to return home to care for her other five children.

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Maureen helped turn the course of a typical day in Tanzania: where one woman every hour dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth; where there is approximately one doctor per 100,000 people, compared to 240 for the same number in the US; where the negative effects of poor healthcare and high maternal mortality ripple throughout a household, a community, and a country fueling social and economic disadvantage.

Maureen is trying to help change this. She is one of 27 extraordinary, committed US doctors and nurses that are serving in medical and nursing schools throughout Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. These health professionals are volunteers in the Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP), a joint program between Seed Global Health, a non-profit, and the Peace Corps. This year, by each teaching hundreds of trainees in the classroom and at, these volunteers are not only helping to improve education and training, they're also helping strengthen the health systems in the countries where they work. But it is going to take many more committed volunteers, local medical and nursing schools, students, funders and private-sector partners to help us expand this remarkable model beyond these three countries. That's my mission.

Maureen's emails have sadly kept coming. Her initial shock has now evolved into expectant outrage. But she has deep pride in what she is accomplishing and inspiring in her trainees. Her students are proud too. Maureen and her many colleagues, including four other obstetricians and midwives, are helping to address this need and many others this year.


Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Compiled from a series of stories by Jeff Klinkenberg for VISIT FLORIDA

The legendary River of Grass is one of the wonders of the world, a vast subtropical wilderness that has been declared a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve and Wetland of International Importance. There are many ways to experience the Everglades - here are eight entry points.

Corkscrew Swamp: Land of Giants





A boardwalk leads into Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which occupies around 13,000 acres in the western Everglades. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Deep in the heart of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, in the largest stand of old-growth cypress trees on the planet, living giants tower over the primeval landscape. Some of the trees measure more than 135 in height and nearly 40 feet in circumference. A 2.1-mile-long boardwalk leads into the Corkscrew wilderness.

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Read and see more here.

Big Cypress: Brake for Alligators



If you don't see an alligator during an Everglades visit, especially when traveling through Big Cypress National Preserve, you're doing something wrong. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Along the Tamiami Trail in the 720,000-acre wilderness of Big Cypress National Preserve, alligators line the canal banks like scaly, cold-blooded Lincoln logs. The reptiles reign in the swamp, particularly along the 25-mile Loop Road that leads off the main highway into the deep Everglades.

Read and see more here.

Step Into the Mystery of Fakahatchee Strand



Fakahatchee Strand is a wild and beautiful 7,000-acre preserve in the western Everglades. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Venture into Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and you could see an elusive Florida panther, or a black bear, or the famous ghost orchid, which was featured in Susan Orlean's best-selling book "The Orchid Thief" (which was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Nicholas Cage).

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Read and see more here.

Rolling Down the Gator Trail



Take the tram on the 15-mile Shark Valley loop in the Everglades if you want to get close, but not too close, to a lot of alligators. James Branaman for VISIT FLORIDA

Shark Valley Visitor Center is located 25 miles west of Miami and 70 miles east of Naples. The 15-mile Tram Loop is closed to motorized traffic except for the regular tram tours; many visitors choose to bike the trail, stopping halfway to take in the view from the observation tower.

Read and see more here.

Store Stocked with Tales of the Florida Frontier



The Smallwood Store was a frontier outpost for Gladesmen, Seminole Indians and other Everglades denizens. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA



Stepping through the doorway of the Smallwood Store on the island of Chokoloskee is like stepping back in time. Opened in 1906 by Florida pioneer Ted Smallwood, the wooden building on pilings is more museum than retail establishment now, with a trove of stories and artifacts from bygone days.

Read and see more here.

Eat Your Fill, Sit a Spell at Joanie's



Joanie Griffin's crab shack is housed in the oldest standing building in the Everglades. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

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Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe isn't fancy, but it serves up heaping helpings of old-fashioned Old Florida character with every plate of fresh seafood. Proprietor Joanie Griffin, who practically grew up in the Everglades fishing and hunting with her late husband, presides with downhome charm and hospitality.

Read and see more here.

Visit 'the Disney World of Tropical Fruit'





Robert Moehling's fruit stand near Everglades National Park's main entrance has been feeding visitors and passersby since 1959. Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

At Robert Is Here, browse the aisles for exotic produce - dragonfruit, lychee, sapodilla, Monstera deliciosa - as well as more familiar fare, like tomatoes cucumbers, bananas, mangoes and more. Owner (and namesake) Robert Moehler, a big, friendly man who will talk your ear off, grows most of what he sells.

Read and see more here.

Go Deep for Everglades Chickee Camping



The rising sun outlines campers on the Pearl Bay Chickee and illuminates the beauty of Hell's Bay. James Branaman for VISIT FLORIDA

Canoe into Hell's Bay in the southern tip of the Everglades for a backcountry chickee camping adventure. Chickees are sheltered camping platforms standing in the water. Open on all sides to allow the breeze to flow through, the chickees make roughing it not so rough for wilderness camping novices.

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I will admit I was a bit skeptical when I received the invitation to hear President Obama speak for the first time at a U.S. mosque. What would he say? Would he again tell Muslims that they were responsible for rooting out extremism, as he did after the San Bernardino shooting? Or turn it into a political opportunity to bash Republicans under the guise of denouncing Islamophobia?

To my pleasant surprise, the President did neither. In fact, he began with two words, which he said Muslim Americans don't hear enough: "thank you."

That moment set the tone for the rest of the speech, in which not only did he thank Muslims and Muslim Americans for their significant contributions to the world, but he also quoted Quranic verses and Prophetic sayings (Hadith), and assured Muslims that they are just as American as everyone else.

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It was a powerful pushback to the anti-Muslim rhetoric that has increased at an alarming rate during his Presidency. It was also a validation that Muslim communities are hurting from the heightened amount of physical violence they have experienced, especially after the Paris attacks.

"You fit in here," Obama said, specifically to the youth watching in the audience and via live stream. "You don't have to choose...You are Muslim AND American."

President Obama's focus on youth was purposeful and timely among increasing concerns about youth radicalization. Terrorist groups like ISIS prey on young individuals who feel marginalized by society and recruit them by providing a sense of belonging and empowerment. By telling Muslim children that they were welcome in the U.S., he was countering that extremist narrative and hopefully, lessening that attraction to join.

It was also significant that he took the opportunity to refute the popular belief that ISIS is solely a Muslim problem.

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"It can't be just a burden on the Muslim community," President Obama said. "We all have responsibilities."

These words generated a largely positive reaction inside the mosque, but one can't help but wonder what policy implications, if any, the speech will have outside. The Obama Administration has been widely criticized by Muslim Americans for policies on drone warfare, police surveillance, Guantanamo, support of the Israeli military, and Muslim-centric countering violent extremism programs. If Obama wants to truly reach Muslim Americans, beyond denouncing anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes, he will have to address these policies as well as acknowledge the role the U.S. plays in conflicts in Muslim countries abroad.

There is also the issue of how late into his presidency the mosque visit occurred. Despite calls from Muslim American advocates for years, President Obama waited until his final year to carry out the request. Was it because he was trying to distance himself from the Muslim community for the sake of his critics, who claimed he was Muslim (as if that was a bad thing)? Or did he consider it a victory lap during the end of his term (without the threat of reelection), like the successful Iran nuclear deal?

The White House attributed the timing of the visit to anti-Muslim rhetoric currently being spewed by Republican candidates. However, there were plenty of opportunities prior to this election season for President Obama to express his solidarity with Muslim Americans through a mosque visit. The Chapel Hill shootings, a hate crime that resulted in the death of three young Muslim Americans, the Arizona mosque overtaken by armed rebels, and the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy were all appropriate times for Obama to make a statement.

But better late than never, right? As a Muslim American, I appreciated President Obama's gesture, his affirmation of our "Americanness", and his recognition of our community's concerns. I just hope that the words weren't empty ones, and look forward to seeing if they create change during the final year of his Presidency.

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President Obama's nostalgic speech in Springfield has local politicos wondering what he has planned after leaving the White House.

"I miss you guys," Obama said during an address in the Illinois statehouse on the anniversary of his Presidential campaign announcement. He returned to his frequent theme of bringing civility and compromise to politics.

Next year I'll still hold the most important title of all, and that's the title of citizen. And as an American citizen, I understand that our progress is not inevitable -- our progress has never been inevitable. It must be fought for, and won by all of us, with the kind of patriotism that our fellow Illinoisan, Adlai Stevenson, once described not as a "short, frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."

Obama will only be 55 when he leaves office next year and clearly wants to do more than paint self portraits.

His visit included a trip down memory lane to his old Senate office and a campaign-style stop to a popular lunch spot, The Feed Store. Obama has previously said Bentoh's was his favorite during legislative sessions, but like many local businesses, they were forced to leave downtown as attacks on the state workforce damage Springfield's economy.

Current Governor Bruce Rauner's failure to attempt anything that remotely resembling governing has Illinois residents eagerly looking forward to replacing him in 2018. That's just enough time for Obama to get settled in a new house and open his Presidential Library before running for Governor.

Rauner's unpopular budget hostage taking makes him unlikely to win a second term but you can't dismiss anyone willing to spend millions of his own dollars to fund a campaign. Perhaps only a former President can raise enough to match Rauner's spending.

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One challenge facing Illinois Democrats is that nearly everyone in state government has been involved in the dysfunction of recent years. Former Governor Pat Quinn lost the support of many Democrats with his attack on public employee pensions and his attempt to launch fracking. Members of the legislature who supported those actions will face similar wrath from some primary voters.

Democrats are better off looking for a candidate outside state government, like popular Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who has been taking shots at Rauner, or the perennially rumored potential candidate Chris Kennedy. Or, of course, President Barack Obama.

He wouldn't be the first former President to continue their political career. Andrew Johnson returned to the U.S. Senate. John Quincy Addams served in Congress and William H. Taft was appointed to the Supreme Court.
Cut lemons on wooden surface

The Bank Whistleblowers United announce the inaugural Financial Fraud Lemons of the Week award. There can be no more fitting recipient than the ironically named Department of Justice (DOJ). The "lemon" is used in the economics and criminology literature to refer to a car of surpassingly terrible quality. The quality is so bad that the car can only be sold through fraud. We will award it each week to an example of dishonesty or cowardice about financial fraud that is worthy of public ridicule. We want to leave room in our scale for truly spectacular examples, so this first award will only receive Four Lemons. The first award is for what has become a routine example of dishonesty and cowardice by DOJ. Its conduct should be a scandal of national proportions, but by now everyone expects DOJ to embarrass our nation when it deals with elite bankers.

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DOJ wins the inaugural award for picturing its humiliating settlement with Morgan Stanley as a triumph. This first column in a series we will do on DOJ's refusal to prosecute the scores of senior bankers that led Morgan Stanley's criminal enterprise will focus on DOJ's press release. In the course of the series we will see that state and federal investigators, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and Clayton's (not very) "due diligence" reviews have repeatedly documented that Morgan Stanley was one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world and committed tens of thousands of acts of fraud that cost the American people billions of dollars in losses.

But you would never guess that from the DOJ settlement with Morgan Stanley, which at least partially explains why readers were presented by article titles that are themselves worthy of our weekly lemons awards. The New York Times entitled its story "Morgan Stanley to Pay $3.2 Billion Over Flawed Mortgage Bonds." Headline writers are normally hired to craft bold titles that will grab the reader's attention, but this was one written to be a snorer. The Wall Street Journal's title was even more somnolent: "Morgan Stanley to Pay $3.2 Billion to End Government Mortgage Probes." The mortgages weren't even worthy of the euphemistic "flawed." The WSJ title portrayed it as if it were a settlement of an extortionate nuisance suit.

There was no moral content in either title, even though they are reporting one of the most destructive financial fraud schemes in history. Neither article used the "f" word, though at least four governmental investigations found massive fraud at Morgan Stanley in its sale of mortgage paper.

The DOJ press release on the case partially explains why the newspapers were not forced to use the "f" word in their coverage. DOJ refused to make clear statements about Morgan Stanley's massive fraud schemes. This column focuses on only four, spectacularly dishonest aspects of DOJ's press release, each of which earned them a lemon.

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"Today's settlement holds Morgan Stanley appropriately accountable for misleading investors about the subprime mortgage loans underlying the securities it sold," said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery. "The Department of Justice will not tolerate those who seek financial gain through deceptive or unfair means, and we will take appropriately aggressive action against financial institutions that knowingly engage in improper investment practices." "Those who contributed to the financial crisis of 2008 cannot evade responsibility for their misconduct," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "This resolution demonstrates once again that the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act is a powerful weapon for combatting financial fraud and that the department will not hesitate to use it to hold accountable those who violate the law."

The first lemon is for the not-so-artful attempt at a slight of hand. How can a bank be held "appropriately accountable" for tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent mortgage sales? We can't imprison a bank or shame it. The bank is inherently incapable of being held "appropriately accountable" because that is a moral concept and a bank has no soul to damn.

The second lemon is for failing to admit that DOJ held no Morgan Stanley official "appropriately accountable" while claiming that its settlement did the opposite. Delery claims that DOJ "will not tolerate those who seek financial gain through deceptive or unfair means." The settlement proves the opposite, for DOJ "tolerated" Morgan Stanley's senior officers being made wealthy through leading a massive fraud scheme - with zero accountability imposed on those officers. Delery claims DOJ "will take appropriately aggressive action against financial institutions that knowingly engage" in fraud. A "financial institution," cannot "knowingly engage" in fraud except through vicarious liability for the actions of its officers. Delery is admitting that Morgan Stanley's officers "knowingly engage[d]" in fraud and became wealthy by doing so, but DOJ took no "action against" those officers, much less "aggressive" prosecutions.



The third lemon was awarded for Mizer's claim that DOJ's settlement with Morgan Stanley proves that "those who contributed to the financial crisis of 2008 cannot evade responsibility for their misconduct." There is the small discordant note that the settlement meant that those senior Morgan Stanley officers that led the epidemic of fraudulent sales of mortgage product that were one of the three great fraud epidemics that caused the financial crisis have, as with every DOJ settlement, entirely "evade[d] responsibility for their misconduct." DOJ, once more, refused to prosecute these elite frauds, did not require that they be fired, did not require them to give back their bonuses and other compensation that they received due to fraud, did not sue them, and did not even name them. Mizer then extended his lie by claiming that "the department will not hesitate to use [the law] to hold accountable those who violate the law." True, DOJ did not "hesitate" to apply the rule of law to elite bankers - they once again refused to do so. Morgan Stanley could only "violate the law" vicariously - through the actions of its officers. If Morgan Stanley violated the law DOJ could, and should, have prosecuted those officers.

The fourth lemon is awarded for unintentional honesty in the midst of trying to mislead the public.

Today's settlement is part of the ongoing efforts of President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force's RMBS Working Group, which has recovered billions of dollars arising from misconduct related to the financial crisis. The RMBS Working Group is a federal and state law enforcement effort focused on investigating fraud and abuse in the RMBS market that helped lead to the 2008 financial crisis.



We have agreement from DOJ, collectively through its pathetic settlements, that Bernie Sanders' charge is correct. Agencies of the United States, after investigation, have confirmed at virtually every enormous bank that the business plan was fraud. Moreover, DOJ admits that the fraud epidemics by the world's largest banks were leading causes of the financial crisis and the Great Recession. The Bank Whistleblowers United have confirmed both of these points.


African Great Lakes Region

This past February 9, 2016, in the US House of Representatives, in the Capitol Visitor Center, we attended an "Africa Policy Breakfast" sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass, the House Africa Subcommittee Ranking Member, on the topic "Boko Haram and its Regional Impact".



Rep. Karen Bass (photo cr. politic 365.com)

The following day, February 10, 2016, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a two panels hearing on the subject "US policy in Central Africa: the imperative of good governance", chaired by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.



Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee (photo cr. hngn.com)



On both days, the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs in the State Department, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, gave the main presentation on the state of governance in Central Africa as well as on Boko Haram (the ambassadors of Mali and Niger who attended the Breakfast also spoke of Boko Haram and other terrorists groups being present in their countries and a Congolese-American spoke of children being recruited in Congolese villages for $10 by these terrorists groups already). In this season of tell-it-like-it-is presidential primaries, Ambassador Greenfield was as diplomatically blunt as she could be. She did not mince words, on February 9th when she addressed "the conditions that gave rise to Boko Haram".

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On February 10, Ambassador Greenfield did not shy away either from telling the senators that, as far as governance or "good governance" is concerned, these African leaders (if they can be called "leaders") don't give a damn about America and what America says or does; they're not afraid of or show respect for America's advice or America's encouragement. Well, Ambassador Greenfield did not really put it that way; after all, she's a real lady and a seasoned diplomat. This how she phrased it:

"Despite our efforts to encourage these leaders to ensure their legacy by stepping down and allowing the healthy alternation that is an essential component of any democracy, I must report that previous commitments by some leaders in the region to support independently run and credible electoral processes, as well as to respect presidential term limits, were not honored or are now in doubt."

Thomas Perriello, the US Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes and the DRC who followed Ambassador Greenfield on this first panel, spoke in the same vein as Ambassador Greenfield. After stating that 2016 is a year that is "testing" whether the 2 decades bipartisan United States "investment in stability, democracy, atrocity prevention, and shared prosperity in the region", he stated the obvious that is also bleak that,

"Unfortunately, we are tracking several disconcerting regional trends -- closing political space, escalating conflict, and leaders determined to stay in power beyond Constitutional term limits."

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The second panel, on February 10, was highlighted by Roger Meece, former ambassador to the DRC and former UN representative to the DRC. After outlining on these issues that he knows personally, he acknowledged that President Obama's speech to the African leaders at the AU summit was important in his telling them the appropriateness of good governance and of democracy. But, ambassador Meece rightfully noted that,

"But in my view statements are not enough. While there have been some sanctions and suspension of international aid to Burundi arising from government actions there, there have been few practical costs to governments in the region to the removal of term limits or authoritarian government practices in general."

Ms. Sarah Margon, the Human Rights Watch Director in Washington DC, as a human rights expert, was as forthright as she could be in speaking about the generalized and pervasive human rights crimes and violations in Central Africa and the African Great Lakes Region. Without detour, Ms. Sarah Margon goes right to the core evil of these so-called "leaders":

"The suppression of rights is frequently part of a cadre of ruthless tools used to destroy the rule of law, perpetuate impunity, and reverse progress on good governance - all the while creating a pretext to remain in power in perpetuity. Sometimes it is security forces employing lethal force in response to peaceful demonstrations. Sometimes it is government officials detaining activists or opposition party members without charge or on politically motivated charges. Other times governments obstruct the media and curtail civil society organizations from covering "sensitive issues" such as corruption, human rights and fiscal transparency. Often it is all of the above together - along with threats or physical assaults against those who contest an incumbent's actions."

The question facing the members of US Congress, US policy makers, US president, and the US government in general, is: what is America going to do in this "crucial" year of 2016, that will be different from the previous 20 years that have brought no significant change for the good of the populations of Central Africa or of the African Great Lakes Region, beside the distorted images fed by these dictators such as in Rwanda, in the DRC where thousands of Congolese in exile are now galvanizedhttp://apareco-rdc.com/index.php/a-la-une/le-fil-de-linfo/2488-urgence-rdc-declaration-solennelle-des-congolais-de-la-diaspora-et-avertissement-a-tous-les-pays-membres-des-nations-unies.html to end what they call their country's occupation, an assessment backed up by Tanzania?

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Ambassador Meece gave, in his presentation, a glimpse of these African leaders:

" (Dictator Denis Sassou Nguesso of) the Congo Republic (Brazzaville), (Dictator Paul Kagame of) Rwanda, and (Dictator Pierre Nkurunziza of) Burundi have all recently modified constitutional presidential term limits to permit (their) continued tenure... in processes that I don't believe could be fairly described as democratic or reflecting free and open public debate by any objective observer."

"The presidents of Uganda (Dictator Yoweri Museveni) and Angola (Dictator Jose Eduardo dos Santos) have both been in office for over thirty years with no signs of any change soon".

In the DRC, "(Paul Kagame's Trojan Horse and Dictator 'Joseph Kabila' is using) delay tactics often referred to "glissement" or "slippage"... (in order to make it become) increasingly... impossible to hold legitimate free and fair national elections this year, including a presidential vote, as required by the constitution."
Co-authored by Franklyn Rocha-Cabrero, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, MSIII, Vice President and National Policy Chair; Lizbeth Alvarez, MPH, University of George Washington University, National Policy Intern; Christian Pean, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, MSIV, Executive Director of Medical Students for Haiti, Inc.; Dr. Orlando Sola, MD, MPH, Family Medicine at Mt Sinai, PGY2, National Physician Policy Advisor

Unconscious biases and stereotypes undeniably impact our daily interactions and decisions in profound ways. This is especially true in professions that operate in the delicate space where life and death hang in the balance, such as healthcare related fields and law enforcement. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that implicit biases contribute to health care disparities by shaping individual behaviors and beliefs. These same behavioral changes lead to differences in treatment from medical personnel and law enforcement due to preconceived notions of race, ethnicity, gender or other characteristics. Mr. Alan Pean, a Houston resident of Afro-Latino descent was almost a casualty of such unconscious bias. He is one of many recent victims of the public health epidemic of police shootings and use of excessive force across the country. With the advent of social media and the advocacy of student organizations like the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), we are only now beginning to discuss cases like his with the tenacity these issues deserve.

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On the night of August 26, 2015, Alan Pean, called his family in distress while suffering from acute psychiatric symptoms. Alan's family attempted to seek care on his behalf from Houston's mental health crisis prevention team. Unfortunately, they were unavailable. Thus, Alan drove himself to the nearest hospital and after hours in the emergency room was finally admitted the next morning. It is important to note that Alan never received a psychiatric evaluation for the symptoms that motivated him to seek care. The next morning, Alan found himself alone and scared in his inpatient hospital room on the eighth floor. Without the assistance of medical professionals trained in psychiatric care, Alan's condition worsened. Although he never exhibited homicidal or suicidal symptoms, hospital security was alerted when he became confused and was found walking out of his room nude. The responding security personnel, off-duty police officers, were untrained in dealing with mental illness; they used intimidation and force towards Alan without reason. He was unarmed and alone in his hospital room at the time. Within minutes of interacting with security, Alan was tasered and then shot in the chest. After being shot, rather than seek readily available medical attention for Alan, police officers placed him in handcuffs and watched him bleed onto the tile floor of his hospital room. When recalling the event, Alan's brother Christian, a current medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, states:

"People have framed this like a chaotic situation that couldn't be controlled...but in reality Alan had been complaining of psychiatric symptoms and had altered mental status throughout the 12 hours he was at the hospital. Our family begged for a psychiatric evaluation. This was completely preventable."

As seen with Alan and other cases, implicit bias in conjunction with the use of unwarranted lethal force against certain ethnic groups and races has terrible consequences for our society. The increasing count of unarmed people of color killed by police forces us to face this reality. More troubling to us is the increasing encroachment of the thin blue line on people in need of medical attention, not deadly force. Kelly Thomas, homeless and mentally ill, was brutally beaten to death at the hands of police officers in a transit parking lot on July 5, 2011. Laquan McDonald, mentally altered due to PCP use, was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer as he walked down the street allegedly brandishing a knife. A subsequent cover-up scandal in Chicago has led some to call for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down. Sandra Bland, Natasha McKenna, Ruben Jose Herrera--the list of names appears to go on endlessly. Although, some of these events occurred outside of the hospital setting, use of force is never an appropriate medical intervention for someone suffering from psychiatric symptoms. Hospitals and physicians are guided by principles of minimizing harm to patients and providing optimal care. Christian Pean states,

"Hospitals are meant to be safe havens for the ill and the vulnerable. Not houses of hostility, harm and oppression."

It is clear that hospital security and staff members callously mistreated Alan Pean and his family. They failed to implement medically appropriate interventions at every conceivable opportunity to do so, and instead nearly killed an unarmed, ill man inside his hospital room. Alan's case is representative of a more widespread mental health delivery crisis. Medical literature has consistently shown that people of color with and without mental illness are less likely to be diagnosed appropriately and less likely to receive important medications when compared to their white counterparts. Little has been done to address these biases. Additionally, minority health policy has rarely been a priority in undergraduate and graduate medical training. It has left most unaware of how implicit bias can influence critical decisions in health care treatment and the quality of care that patients receive. Implementation of improved policies can help reduce the incidence of tragedies such as Alan's. He comes from an upper middle class family; his father is a physician and his brother a medical student. If he was so easily victimized by such an egregious violation of patient rights, then what will be the outcome in similar situations for members of our disadvantaged and poor communities? How will it affect monolingual Spanish speakers who do not have the resources to advocate for themselves when faced with such injustice? Even now, for unfathomable reasons, Alan was arrested and is facing criminal charges. This sequence of events establishes a dangerous precedent and sends a frightening message: minority patients should fear for their lives and liberty when seeking treatment for mental illness.
In this Sept. 21, 2012 photo, a North Korean worker handles wires at a South Korean-run factory inside the Kaesong industrial complex in Kaesong, North Korea. On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, North Korea refused entry to South Koreans trying to cross the Demilitarized Zone to get to their jobs managing factories in the North Korean city of Kaesong. Pyongyang had threatened in recent days to close the border in anger over South Korea's support of U.N. sanctions punishing North Korea for conducting a nuclear test in February. (AP Photo/Jean H. Lee)

1. The effect of sanctions on small and medium South Korean sized businesses is larger than those on North Korea.The Kaesong Industrial Zone obtains all of its raw materials from the South. Production is then carried out at Kaesong, and the finished goods are brought back to the South. Since distribution costs are of utmost importance, the industrial complex was built in Kaesong, as close as possible to the military demarcation line. Let's say wages to North Korea represent 1 unit. In that case, the cost of raw materials is 5 units, and the direct economic effect is more than 10 units. If the Kaesong Industrial Zone shuts down, then North Korea loses only 1. On the other hand, South Korea suffers a loss of at least 10.

If it chooses to do so, North Korea can easily utilize Kaesong as a consignment-manufacturing complex targeting Chinese businesses. However, the small and medium sized businesses that withdrew from the Kaesong Industrial Zone have nowhere to go, as it is difficult for labor-intensive businesses, working for example in garments or shoes, to invest overseas. The majority of businesses that are part of the Kaesong Industrial Zone already have experience investing overseas. They have exhausted their options and chose Kaesong as a last resort. If Kaesong closes down, these businesses will have no alternative, and will be forced to shut down.

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2. Has North Korea used wages from the Zone to develop weapons of mass destruction? The Ministry of Unification has put together a detailed answer to this question, which is readily accessible on the Internet. Money from the Kaesong Industrial Zone is earmarked for three uses. First, North Korean authorities take a fixed portion for welfare costs (such as housing, education, health care). Next, a portion is paid to laborers in the form of 'wages in kind,' as well as cash wages. Wages in kind --in the form of vouchers-- can be used to buy goods at exclusive stores in the Zone. This portion was in fact increased after Kaesong laborers lobbied continuously for an increase in pay. The remaining dollars are converted into North Korean won and given directly to the laborers.

Will it even be possible to compensate the companies involved? You can bring up cooperative economic insurance, but previous shutdowns of the Kaesong Industrial Zone have proved just how excessive losses can be.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Unification stated that wages from the Kaesong Industrial Zone have been diverted to fund the development of weapons of mass destruction, but there is no concrete evidence.

3. Is compensation even possible?The construction of the Kaesong Industrial Zone was funded by taxes from South Korean citizens. Electricity is supplied directly from Munsan. The South Korean government funded most of the construction --from sewage facilities to almost all of the infrastructure-- through taxes. Because the government announced a unilateral suspension of the Kaesong Industrial Zone, South Korea will invariably be responsible for all damages incurred in the the so-called 'liquidation phase.' Is it right to give up on South Korean citizens' taxes that easily?

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In this Sept. 21, 2012 photo, North Korean workers assemble suits at a South Korean-run garment factory inside the Kaesong industrial complex in Kaesong, North Korea. (AP Photo/Jean H. Lee)

Will it even be possible to compensate the companies involved? You can bring up cooperative economic insurance, but previous shutdowns of the Kaesong Industrial Zone have proved just how excessive losses can be. It's not like a joint fund between North and South Korea has been growing all this time. It's hard to envision how companies could possibly be compensated.

4. The South Korean government should assume all responsibility for the termination of the contract. "Although North Korea and South Korea do not have a country-to-country relationship, North-South economic cooperation agreements fall under international legal conventions. Therefore, actions to suspend business at the Kaesong Industrial Zone, which was the focus of several economic cooperation agreements (such as the 4th Economic Cooperation Agreement, Kaesong Industrial District Act, agreements related to entering and remaining in the Kaesong Industrial Zone, etc.) represent 'unilateral suspension,' per these agreements. Specifically, it's clear that provisions related to the conclusion, termination, or withdrawal, outlined in article 56, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, have been violated."

This is what The Ministry of Unification said in 2013 when the Kaesong Industrial Zone was suspended. At that time, as North Korean labor withdrew, the 'legal validity of the suspension of the Kaesong Industrial Zone' became a thorn in the South Korean government's side.

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5. The South Korean government didn't consider the companies at all.The decision was made in the morning, the press release was released at around 1 p.m., and a conference with representatives of the companies was held at 2 p.m.

The South Korean government, which should first and foremost ensure the safety of its citizens, is acting very irresponsibly.

If the companies were informed even a few days earlier, they could have at least recovered inventory from their warehouses when they left the Zone ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Because the South Korean government terminated the contract unilaterally, North Korea would be incurring damages; there is a very big possibility that they will try to make up for these losses by recovering equipment or products. As the Ministry of Unification so neatly put it, because of this contractual breach of international law, North Korea will surely exercise their right to indemnity.

Ultimately, small and medium South Korean businesses are being forced to exit empty-handed. The South Korean government is referring to it as a "break in operations." Yet if you look at it logically, it is closer to a shutdown. The problem doesn't merely stop at the announcement of the suspension. Issues are increasingly piling up, starting with wages. It will most likely be impossible to avoid the possibility of temporary detainment as the dispute unfolds.

The South Korean government, which should first and foremost ensure the safety of its citizens, is acting very irresponsibly. Even if they wanted to suspend operations, there was plenty of time to go through the necessary steps, take responsibility, ensure the safety of the workers in the zone, and minimize financial damages.

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6. The government's measures are too weak.The Ministry of Unification told the small and medium sized companies that they would search for a replacement area of land in a third party country. No company is going to believe that. Is there anywhere in the world where you can pay $150 a month for manual labor? Whether it's Russia or South East Asia, even if you create a substitute industrial complex, will the government really offer wages in return?

Why haven't many companies withdrawn from the Kaesong Industrial Zone during the difficult times leading up to the suspension? Even though it was an uneasy situation, both politically and militarily, and even though there were movement restrictions, the availability of high-quality, cheap labor made it worthwhile for companies. The attractiveness of low-cost labor made up for all the unfavorable conditions. Minus the wage variable, any alternative would be useless.

(One or two companies may emerge in the near future on TV to reveal problems with the Kaesong Industrial Zone, but the tension among participating companies is significant. Even if they have something to say, they may refrain. Yet it's clear that there is a large number of companies that have experienced financial difficulties due to internal problems.)
UTV Motion Pictures/YouTube

When watching a film adaptation of one of the greatest novels of all time, what is it that you should look for?

Is it faithfulness to the source material thats more important or should that be reserved for consistency with the source materials overall themes? If the movie places the story in a different context  a different time, place, and people  do the original themes still matter as much? Shouldnt the entire point of an adaptation be to present viewers a different side of the picture?

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These are the thoughts Im grappling with as I try to make sense of Abhishek Kapoors Fitoor, a commendably ambitious but ultimately lukewarm Bollywood take on Charles Dickens classic bildungsroman, Great Expectations.

The story begins in 90s Kashmir, standing in for the marshes of Kent, England in this story. Were told that its 15 years ago from what we assume to be present-day; however, later on, a character played by Rahul Bhat makes a reference to Javed Miandads last ball six at Sharjah (in 1986) being 25 years ago, which indicates that the latter part of the story is set five years ago.

Not that this makes a difference, of course. Kapoors film is set in a timeless world where the only, often-jarring indicators of modernity are computers and mobile phones. The wintry landscape of Kashmir blends seamlessly with the stark, minimalism of Delhi's posh art galleries, which eventually gives way to quiet, tree-lined streets in central London. Yes, Fitoor is frequently gorgeous to look at, with cinematographer Anay Goswamy using wide shots, filtered external lighting, and fluid camera movements to memorable effect. The production design looks immaculate. Even the background score, by Hitesh Sonik, largely aids the film instead of dragging it down.

A beautiful canvas, then, to tell us the story of Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur), an orphan who assists his artisan brother-in-law at a modest workshop in Srinagar. He makes elaborate sketches and patterns in secret, revealing a talent beyond his means. A job with his brother-in-law at a mansion (this movies Satis House) brings him into close contact with the ethereal and frosty Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) and the enigmatic and mysterious Miss HI mean, Begum Hazarat (Tabu).

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(From left) Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur in a still from the movie

Great Expectations is about several things and Fitoor does well to establish some of its spins on the novels overarching themes right away. Noor is the archetypal social aspirant, looking to make it mostly to win Firdaus heart, while the Begum represents the self-serving bourgeoisie. However, in this case, he doesnt care so much about becoming a gentleman (as is in the novel) as much as he wants to be a successful version of himself.

Unlike in Vishal Bharadwajs Haider, militancy and politics in Kashmir are merely plot-points here, rather than contributing to a full-fledged backdrop. Given that the same story couldve worked just as well in many other settings, it made me wonder whether this was simply a ploy to make the film look beautiful.

Fitoor takes a multi-layered classic, dilutes its themes of imperialism and social hierarchies, and chooses instead to interpret it in a more Bollywood-esque manner. But that isnt whats wrong with it. Ultimately, what prevents the film from truly soaring are the undeniable chinks in its otherwise attractive armour

As this movies Pip (Dickens protagonist), Kapur retains the wide-eyed wonder of Noor the boy, even after he grows up to be an impossibly hunky young man. To his credit, he looks the part and his performance is credible on certain occasions, such as when he smoothly replies in Urdu to questions asked to him in English by snooty Delhi art-enthusiasts. In others, such as a crucial scene in the second half, when he discovers the reason for the change in his fortunes, his acting appears a little too studied. Occasionally, the movie uses him as eye-candy, thrusting his chiseled torso upon the audience (not that its displeasing to the eye in any way) to distract us from any other shortcomings.

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Tabus Begum is, predictably, the best thing about Fitoor. The screenplay, by Supratik Sen and Kapoor, gives her character plenty to chew on. At first, her off-kilter interpretation of this iconic role comes across as a bit jarring, saddled as she is with clunkers like Yeh ishq nahin aasaan, Noor miyaan, but trust an actress of her calibre to pull it off anyway. Towards the end, as her tragic back-story comes full circle, she gets a great opportunity to truly showcase her abilities.

Tabu, in a still from the movie

Equally predictable is the worst thing about the movie: Kaifs disastrous, one-note performance. Her stilted Hindi delivery, muddled accent (how does someone who grew up in Kashmir and then studied in London sound American?), and unimpressive histrionics are a massive blot on this film.

When will studios realise that star value neednt and shouldnt come at the cost of the basics? Thank heavens the rest of the cast is consistently better than her, with special mention for the young actor who plays Noors best friend, Aarif (he even looks a little like a young Alec Guinness, who played the same role in David Leans 1946 version).

The screenplay takes a number of liberties, which brings me back to my earlier question about faithfulness. In the novel, an escaped convict named Abel Magwitch is central to the plot; here, that character is reduced to a half-hearted cameo by Ajay Devgn that barely registers. Many other characters and plot-points are either changed or completely absent.

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Should that count against the movie? My best attempt at answering this question is that whatever the aim is, it must be shown convincingly as per the films setting.

So, Fitoor takes a multi-layered classic, dilutes its themes of imperialism and social hierarchies, and chooses instead to interpret it in a more Bollywood-esque manner. But that isnt whats wrong with it. Ultimately, what prevents the film from truly soaring are the undeniable chinks in its otherwise attractive armour  evidence that Kapoor was aiming to make a much better movie.
JOHN MACDOUGALL via Getty Images Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) addresses a press conference following the release of the IPCC report 'Climate Change 2014, Mitigation of Climate Change' in Berlin on April 13, 2014. The world has a likely chance of meeting the UN's warming limit of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) if it cuts annual greenhouse gas emissions 40-70 percent by 2050, especially from energy, a top expert panel said Sunday, April 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JOHN MACDOUGALL (Photo credit should read JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- Today might be the day when RK Pachauri is finally asked to leave The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) until a court decides on a year-old sexual harassment charge against him. According to reports, the think tank's governing council has called for an urgent meeting today. It will decide how the organisation is going to respond to a rising chorus of outrage both within and outside the organisation against the 76-year-old's elevation to executive vice chairman in TERI despite serious criminal charges levelled against him.

The council will "revisit decisions" and is expected to "take a tough stand", reportedThe Times of India. According to the report, Pachauri may be forced to go on leave until the court decides on the case. New members may be added to the council today as well, according to TOI.

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TERI has defended its previous inaction against Pachauri, claiming that the charges against him were "just allegations", and even quashed an internal report that found the climate scientist guilty of gross misconduct.

While the allegations against Pachauri first surfaced in February last year when the 29-year-old researcher filed a police complaint against him, matters came to a head this week after Pachauri's elevation to executive vice chairman and his induction to the governing council. The woman complainant wrote an open letter, calling the decision "shameless" on the part of TERI. A second woman, who had last year spoken out about facing similar harassment from Pachauri, also wrote a detailed statement on her experiences and made them public this week. Outrage also poured in from former students of TERI University, who refused to accept their degrees at their convocation if Pachauri wasn't removed as chancellor of the university.

The dominos fell quickly. First, Pachauri went on leave from TERI University, in what is perhaps the first time he has been forced out of his responsibilities connected with TERI. Today's council meeting may make further that.

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Manfred Schmid via Getty Images VIENNA, AUSTRIA - SEPTEMBER 02: A general view of wax figure of Albert Einstein is seen at Madame Tussauds Vienna on September 2, 2013 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo by Manfred Schmid/Getty Images)

The Morning Wrap is HuffPost India's selection of interesting news and opinion from the day's newspapers. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.

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The second phase of the odd-even traffic-control formula will be enforced in the national capital from April 15 to April 30, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced. Once again, women and VIPs will be exempt from the scheme, which runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 pm, barring weekends.

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Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, who was fighting for his life after being rescued alive from under 35 feet of snow six days after his post in Siachen was hit by a glacier, passed away at the Army hospital in Delhi.

Uber just made it easy to be a deaf driver in India. An update to the taxi-hailing app, which was launched in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., has now gone live in India. Check out how it works.

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley revealed some shocking details about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, including the role of Pakistans spy agency ISI. In a nutshell, read the 10 important revelations he made.

Main News

With rumours of leopard sightings doing the rounds three days after a dramatic operation to rescue a spotted feline from a school in Varthur, Bangalore, the Education Department declared a holiday for 134 schools in the city.

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US scientists have spotted the elusive space-time ripples. After decades of search for these ripples in space-time, scientists working with the gigantic optical instruments in the US called LIGO, detected signals of gravitational waves emanating from two merging black holes 1.3 billion light years away arriving at their instruments on the Earth.

Nearly a week after an unidentified object caused an explosion at a college in Tamil Nadu, leading to reports of space debris at the site, a lab in Trichy concluded that samples recovered from the site are meteorite fragments.

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley told a special court in Mumbai that young college girl Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004 in Gujarat, was an LeT operative.

Describing terrorism as a "common threat to India and the UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, agreed to step up counter-terrorism cooperation, government sources said.

North Korea's army chief of staff has been executed, the South Korean media reported, in what would amount to the latest in a series of purges and executions of top officials by leader Kim Jong-un. The execution ... suggests that Kim Jong-un still feels insecure about his grip on the country's powerful military, a sources was quoted saying.

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Off The Front Page

A deputy jailer from Salem was placed under suspension after a video of him dancing in front of his colleagues went viral. The police officer, Shankaran, was visiting Chennai to take part in the Republic Day Parade and decided to perform an impromptu routine for his colleagues while clad in his official attire.

A 10-year-old and a 14-year-old ran away from their homes in Begusarai, Bihar, to travel to Delhi, nearly 1,200 km away, just to see and ride on the Metro. After their worried parents informed the authorities, the kids were tracked down to a train at in Bareilly and detrained.

Syed Hamid Mohsin, who runs an outdoor advertising business, was known for his love of cars, buying the latest models of luxury cars every year. Six years ago, he found himself facing serious questions. Hes now devoted to dispelling misconceptions about Islam and fostering inter-community harmony through billboards, social media and other channels.

British daily The Independent, will revert to using Bombay instead of Mumbai when referring to the financial hub of India, to take stand against a "nastier strain of Hindu nationalism, its Indian-origin editor said.

A 32-year-old woman in Sidhi district of Bhopal was booked for attempt to murder for chopping off her brother-in-laws genitals with a sickle to defend herself against repeated assaults. The police said before they could reach the man, he had committed suicide.

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Opinion

Most people are not familiar with the strategic imperative of ensuring the armys occupation of the Saltoro Ridge, which dominates the Siachen Glacier complex, and also the lower reaches lying west to it and held by Pakistan. Many peaceniks express the view that India should vacate the ridge and convert it into a peace park. That this ill-informed opinion matches that of the Pakistani armys intentions and of the Chinese establishment points to its flaws, writes Kamal Davar in The Hindustan Times.

LIGOs detection of the gravitational waves promises to be a turning point in astronomy. It could enable us to study hitherto inaccessible phenomena, writes a columnist in The Indian Express.

In a swift move, the BJP has reached out to its asserting allies with party president Amit Shah assuring them that the party was keen to follow the coalition dharma. The damage control exercise this week ahead of the crucial Budget session of Parliament has somewhat mollified the allies who were irked with the BJPs arrogant behaviour, writes Kalyani Shankar in The Pioneer.

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MUMBAI -- Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley today told a court that ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the 26/11 terror attack, and that he had videographed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and was asked to recruit someone from there to work with the Pakistani spy agency.

Testifying via video-link from the US, he also told the court he was interested in developing close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought that LeT would be interested in future to either attack Sena Bhawan or assassinate its head.

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"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," Headley said.

In another major revelation, Headley said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

"I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI," Headley said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

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In further disclosures, 55-year-old Headley, who recently turned approver in the 26/11 case, said that after he had recced Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

Headley revealed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, prior to the 26/11 attacks, he had surveyed and videographed the Chabad House in south Mumbai.

"I don't know who was staying there. Sajid Mir and Pasha asked me to survey this place and said that it was an international location as it had Jewish and Israeli people," he said.

Headley said he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack.

"I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the ten attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only," he said.

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He further disclosed that during this visit, he had also gone to Siddhivinayak temple and made a video of it.

"I purchased the red and yellow wrist bands.... I forget the name of it. I thought that the ten youths could wear it as a cover so that people would think they were Indians.

"Nobody asked me to do so. I saw a man selling it outside the temple, so the thought occurred to me. After I returned to Pakistan, I gave those wrist bands to Sajid Mir and explained to him that practising Hindus in India wear this and hence, it would be a good idea if the ten gentlemen (attackers) also wear it as it would look like they are Hindus," he said.

Headley also said that during his last visit, he had purchased five books from a shop at the Taj Hotel.

"During the same visit I also visited the Nalanda book shop inside Taj Hotel where I purchased five books. One of the books was 'Indian Army Vision 2020'. I was interested to know the progress of the Indian Army in the future," he said.

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When Judge G A Sanap asked Headley why he had purchased the other four books, he said, "The other books were pictorial and beautiful, hence I purchased them. There is nothing sinister about those books. The first book was sinister."

Headley told the court that he had finalised Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade as a landing site for the ten attackers, as the area is covered with shanties and hutments from the main road, and hence he thought it would give tactical advantage to the terrorists.

"In May 2008, I visited US. I could not meet Tahawwur Rana (Headley's business partner), but I spoke with him on the phone. I said that I had gone to India and selected landing site," he said.

Headley said that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman wanted to finalise Gateway of India as the landing site for the 10 terrorists as it was very close to the Taj hotel.

"I, however, said it was not a good idea as the attackers would be required to go through Gateway of India by crossing naval installation and they could be detected. Zaki Sahab and others agreed to my suggestion," he said.

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"When Zaki Sahab saw the targets I had selected, he said this was very important and has to be done properly. Zaki Sahab said surveillance for the attacks should be done properly. He said this would give a chance to take revenge for all the bomb blasts India had done in the past in Pakistan. Zaki Sahab wished me good luck," he said.

He told the court that the idea to divide the ten terrorists in different groups was also discussed in one of the meetings in Pakistan.

Headley is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks, in which 166 people were killed.

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 14: JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) students and others demonstrate outside the office of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha against their Valentine's Day diktat, on February 14, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Over 500 people arrived in the area to demonstrate against Mahasabha's diktat, to marry any unmarried couples found outside on Valentine's Day. Police said about 225 people were detained for now, and were to be let off by evening. (Photo by Sushil Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

The campus of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University has turned into a veritable battleground with the arrest of a student leader, who was part of an event that commemorated the death anniversary of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru, on sedition charges even as the government promised to prosecute anyone who raised anti-India slogans.

Delhi police today arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the JNU students union, two days after a group of students organised an event on the campus to mark Guru's death and allegedly shouted anti-national slogans. Born in Kashmir in 1969, Guru was convicted and given a death sentence for attacking the Indian parliament in 2001. He was hanged to death on 9 February, 2013, after the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee, rejected his mercy petition.

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What is happening in JNU? Police on campus, arrests & picking up students from hostels. This last happened during Emergency- Sitaram Yechury  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

FIR AGAINST SAR GEELANI

An FIR has also been registered against Delhi University professor SAR Geelani for sedition. Geelani allegedly held a meeting on 10 February at the Delhi Press Club condemning Guru's hanging.

Home minister Rajnath Singh said the government will not tolerate anti-national elements. He said he had given necessary instructions to the Delhi police commissioner to take action against offenders.

"If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on country's unity and integrity, they will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken against them," he told reporters.

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Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister, Smriti Irani, added her voice to the rising chorus against the JNU event and said an insult to India in any form would not be tolerated.

"Today is the day you worship Saraswati, and the goddess blesses everyone so that the voices from their throats are directed towards the upliftment and strengthening of the nation. These voices are meant for praising India, but the nation won't tolerate any insults on Mother India," Irani said.

Following objections from Akhil Bharatiya Vidharthi Parishad (ABVP), the university had withdrawn the permission for the event fearing that it will disturb peace in the campus, but the students went ahead with the event.

Various right wing organisations and social media users criticised the pro-Afzal Guru students. While the Vishwa Hindu Parishad reacted by saying that it would be better to shut JNU down if stern action is not taken against those who raised anti-India slogans, the Hurriyat Conference backed the students who protested against the hanging of Guru.

JNU Vice Chancelor M Jagadesh Kumar said that the incident is a work of the fringe elements in the campus.

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images DHAR, INDIA - FEBRUARY 11: Heavy police forces deployed at Bhojshala premises on February 11, 2016 in Dhar, India. A communal flare-up is feared in the otherwise peaceful town of Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, on Friday, February 12. The contested site is the Kamal-al-Din congregational mosque of Dhar, protected by the Archaeolgical Survey of India, which allows Muslims to offer jummah or Friday prayers. Hindus are allowed entry in the monument to offer prayers on Tuesdays and conduct a special puja on the occasion of Basant Panchami. This week, however, the Friday prayers coincide with the festival of Basant Panchami. (Photo by Shankar Mourya/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- Instead of quarreling, Hindus and Muslims gave each other the space to pray on the same day at a disputed religious site in Dhar town of Madhya Pradesh, ending communal tensions which were brewing in the days ahead of Basant Panchami.

Hindus prayed inside and outside the "Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque" site on Friday , PTI reported. Around 25 Muslims offered namaz inside the religious site, ANI reported.

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While Hindus believe Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque is a temple dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati, Muslims treat the 11th century site, often called 'mini Ayodhya', as a mosque.

Over the past few days, heavy security was deployed around the disputed site to prevent any instance of religious violence. On Thursday, the Rapid Action Force also carried out a flag march in the tense town of Dhar, which is located around 270 kilometers from Bhopal.

During the week, the disputed site doubles up as a temple and mosque, with Hindus performing puja on Tuesday, and Muslims offering namaz on Friday. But trouble started brewing after right-wing Hindu groups insisted on praying at the site for the entire day to mark Basant Panchami, which was to fall on Friday.

The Archaeological Survey of India, which oversees the site, ordered that Hindus will pray at the site from sunrise to noon, and 3:30 pm to sunset, while Muslims will offer namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm, PTI reported.

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On its webpage about the site, the ASI states: "It is believed that it was originally a temple of goddess Sarasvati built by Parawara King Bhoja in circa 11th Century AD. The mosque is built using structural members of the temple. The monument also retains some slabs inscribed with Sanskrit and Prakrit literary works. Noted as a great patron of art and literature, Bhoja is said to have established a school, now known as Bhojashala."

Despite the jingoism by right-wing groups in the days ahead of Basant Panchami, the day passed peacefully. These groups claimed to have created history by getting the 'right to pray' at the time reserved for namaz, ANI reported.

This explosive situation wasn't entirely new to Dhar since Basant Panchami was celebrated on Friday in 2003, 2006 and 2013, PTI reported. In 2006, Hindus and Muslims clashed with each other after they couldn't resolve the matter peacefully.

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Though the details of her 30-hour ordeal are still sketchy at the moment, several reports seemed to suggest that Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna, who was missing since Wednesday after she boarded an auto-rickshaw on her way home from work, managed to get away from her abductors and reach home safely on Friday.

IANS quoted Sarna's grandfather KN Sarna as saying that at 6:00 am Deepti called-up her father from an unknown mobile number and told him that she had managed to flee from Karnal and had reached the New Delhi Railway station. She asked him to pick her up. Her phone and purse are missing.

"Papa, I have come, I am fine," she reportedly told her father who rushed to the station to meet her. An NDTV report claimed Dipti was abducted by four persons who allegedly "blindfolded her and drove around before dumping her."

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There are conflicting reports about what actually happened during the period she was missing. Superintendent of Police (city) Salman Taj Patil said they are investigating the case and will question Dipti later in the day as she needed rest now. He said Dipti has not been "physically harmed".

Snapdeal exec Dipti who was found in Panipat 2 days after she went missing, reunites with her family in Ghaziabad. pic.twitter.com/TjqDhIjlWL  ANI (@ANI_news) February 12, 2016

Dipti has been found and reunited with her family. Will update with more details. Thank you for all your support and prayers. #HelpFindDipti  Snapdeal (@snapdeal) February 12, 2016

"We will probe as to how she had gone to Panipat. We are very sure that she has not been physically harmed and she is fine," the SP said. Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh along with other officers will question the girl about the incident, Patil said.

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Deepti's father said she called him up in the morning and told him that she was on a train from Panipat.

"She told me that she will come to Vaishali, but I asked her not to come to Vaishali and said I will come to New Delhi Railway Station to pick her. I don't know how she came (managed to escape). She was calling me up from the phone of her co-passenger in the train. She was found sitting in the train. I don't know whether she was in trauma," he was quoted by PTI as saying.

Here's a happy ending to a story that could easily have ended very, very badly in a country where crimes against women are rampant. A massive manhunt was on to trace the 24-year-old woman who worked with the e-commerce portal in Gurgaon.

Ms.Dipti spoke to her parents; soon to join them; we are eagerly awaiting for her return- Sh.Dharmendra,SSP, GZB #HelpFindDipti  Government of UP (@UPGovt) February 12, 2016

On Wednesday night, Dipt's father received a call from his daughter when her auto crossed the Hindon river bridge, to let him know that she was on her way. This was a route Dipti had been taking for the last one year and nothing was amiss until then.

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According to his statement to Uttar Pradesh police, senior Sarna said it was then that he got a call from a friend of Dipti's in Bengaluru who warned him that his daughter might be in danger. The friend has apparently been speaking to her and heard some commotion.

Dipti had taken a shared auto rickshaw and another woman told the auto drivers around that area she was forcibly pushed out of the vehicle. Police are looking for the woman who allegedly said some men had waved a knife at her to force her to get down.

Her father was waiting for her near the Ghaziabad bus stand when he received a call from her friend. The friend informed her father that she was in danger. He had been speaking to her on the phone when he heard her scream and the call got disconnected.

"He had been speaking to her on the phone when he heard her scream and the call got disconnected, City SP Salman Taj Patil told the Indian Express. She was also heard shouting at the auto driver for taking a wrong route. Her phone was switched off after that.

An FIR has been filed at Sihani Gate police station under Section 364 (kidnapping in order to murder) of the IPC.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had instructed the Ghaziabad SSP to personally head the search operation.

UPCM @yadavakhilesh has instructed SSP GZB to personally head the search operation of #HelpFindDipti .Several teams formed.  CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) February 11, 2016

Her company had also put out a public appeal on Facebook to help trace her.

Our friend Dipti Sarna (Age: 24 years, Height: 5 feet 11 inches) is missing since yesterday & we need your help in... Posted by Snapdeal on Thursday, February 11, 2016

Our team is our family https://t.co/PksCWIOwXo  Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) February 12, 2016

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A sea of humanity turned out at Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad's ancestral village in Karnataka's Dharwar to bid a hero's farewell to the soldier who was rescued six days after his post was buried in an avalanche in Siachen. The soldier fought for his life at the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi for three days before dying of multiple organ failure at 11.45 am on Thursday.

The body Koppad was brought at Hubli in Karnataka where citizens gathered to pay their last respects, before being taken to his village in Dharwad for the last rites. The district administration has made preparations for people to pay their respects to Koppad at the Nehru Stadium in Hubli and later at Betadur Government High School.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will also be present for the last rites of Koppad.

Although presumed dead, Hanumanthappa, was found with a pulse by rescue workers using shovels and chainsaws to cut through the ice and snow to reach the buried soldiers at a height of 19,600 feet. The army said he died after suffering multiple organ failure, pneumonia and blood clotting.

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"He leaves us sad and devastated," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his Twitter page. "The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India." The discovery of the soldier sent a wave of patriotic pride through India with television networks calling him the "Siachen braveheart".

ALSO READ: Mortal Remains Of 9 Soldiers Yet To Be Airlifted

The soldiers were manning a post opposite Pakistani troops in an area known as the battleground on the roof of the world in northern Kashmir, where avalanches and landslides are common.

On the glacier, thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers contest an area where they must deal with altitude sickness, high winds, frostbite and temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius. The weather and terrain have claimed more lives than fighting.

Last month, four Indian soldiers were killed by an avalanche while on patrol in the same region. In 2012, an avalanche on the Pakistan-controlled part of the glacier killed 129 soldiers.

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(With inputs from agencies)

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SAUL LOEB via Getty Images India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Toronto on June 27, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that his successor Narendra Modi has failed to speak on issues that mattered and give every Indian the confidence that he cares for their well being. Singh, long-reviled by candidate Modi as 'Maunmohan Singh' during his years as India's top leader, was speaking in his first interview since departing from office. Here are some of the key points he made during his interview with India Today's Jyoti Malhotra.

1) Modi has failed to speak out on issues that matter, like the Muzaffarnagar riots and the Dadri lynching. "The public in our country expects the prime minister to take the lead in managing public opinion. But he has never spoken; whether it is on the beef problem or whether it is what happened in Muzaffarnagar or elsewhere, he has kept quiet... He is the prime minister of all the people of India and he must give every Indian the confidence that in him we have a prime minister who cares for our well-being."

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2) The people of the country have lost their faith in the government. He observed that the ministers say all the right things, but things have not really improved on the ground and that there exists a "crisis of confidence in the government". He added that for one reason or the other, the government is not able to get its act together.

3) Dr Singh said that the real test of foreign policy for any government lies in the way it handles the countrys neighbours, but the BJPs approach with Pakistan has been "inconsistent". Modi government's handling of Pakistan is inconsistent. It has been one step forward, two steps back. Also, with regard to Nepal, once again we have a situation where the government there is accusing the government of India of putting up a blockade, and that is very unfortunate, he told the magazine.

4) Dr Singh said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, like Narendra Modi, too had a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background when he became the Prime Minister, but unlike Modi, Vajpayee "grew in office". They have a huge majority in the Lok Sabha. In the hands of a purposeful government and wise leadership, there are enormous opportunities to make progress in the management of the economy and in containing social tensions."

5) The former prime minister said that despite a sharp fall in oil prices (From a peak of $150 a barrel levels when his government was in power to sub $30 levels as on date), the Modi government has failed to capitalise on it. He observed that the fall in crude prices has helped Indias balance of payments, current account and fiscal account deficits but the government has failed to make the most of the situation in terms of using the opportunity to set up investments in a big way.

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6) He criticised the incumbent government for spending two years out of their five-year term without giving people the feeling that the country is on an upward path. Bank credit is not moving--the rate of growth of bank credit is much lower than would be the case if the economy was on an upward trend, he said.

You can read the full interview here.
ASSOCIATED PRESS An activist of right wing Shiv Sena pokes a knife into a placard with an anti-valentine's day message during a protest in Amritsar, India, Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. Protests by groups like Shiv Sena which says it is defending traditional Indian values from Western promiscuity have become an annual event during Valentine's Day which falls on Feb.14. The placard in Hindi reads

The first image that Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) conjures in our minds, is that of their cadres burning Valentine's Day cards, smashing display windows of shops with Valentine's Day decorations. The Senas have long been Mumbai and Maharashtra's equivalent of the anti-Valentine.

However, this year, both the parties are singing an unfamiliar tune. While the MNS has decided to set up a selfie point in Mumbai and decided to decorate it with heart shaped balloons for couples to take pictures, Shiv Sena had decided to dump their anti-Valentine's Day movement.

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According to reports, the softening of stance comes ahead of the BMC polls scheduled to take place in February next year.

Even last year, Shiv Sena had harassed couples in places like Nagpur.

Though MNS has said that they will be using the day to express their love for Mumbai and Marathi culture, it is clear that they are out to woo the youngsters. And the compulsion to reach out to the youth, clearly, has come from the activities of none other than the Shiv Sena.

Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, popular with Bollywood celebrities and frequently seen in high profile social events rubbing shoulders with the rich and the glamorous of the city, has made it very evident that he has a different vision for the party. Yuva Sena is the youth wing of Shiv Sena led by Aditya's father Uddhav Thackeray.

In fact, last year, when some Shiv Sena goons went on a rampage during Valentine's Day, reports suggest, Yuva Sena had expressed displeasure at their activities.

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A senior party member told DNA, "If youngsters want to celebrate the festival, it is not a good idea to oppose it. The party had to soften its stand to keep a large section of voters happy. Ever since Aadityaji took over, we have stopped attacking couples. We have moved on, and, in fact, it is Aadityaji who is batting to revive the city's nightlife."

MNS even plans to have a theme - Marathi poet Mangesh Padgaonkar's lines 'Shatada Prem Karave' (Keep loving always) - mark Valentine's Day.

People familiar with the parties' hooliganism around this time of the year, is most likely to react with shock and suspicion.

And it's not just the Sena, the Bajrang Dal too has decided to pipe down on the Valentine's Day issue. They, however, have nothing great or tasteful to say about young couples. According to a report on The Indian Express, Bajrang Dal's UP convenor Surendra Mishra said that what the couples indulge in is 'similar to nature of animals', hence, beneath the outfit to protest.

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ASIF HASSAN via Getty Images To go with Pakistan-unrest-politics-Afghanistan-India,INTERVIEW by Guillaume LAVALLAE In this photograph taken November 14, 2014, Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf gestures during an interview with AFP in Karachi. The departure of NATO combat forces from Afghanistan could push India and Pakistan towards a proxy war in the troubled state Musharraf warned in an interview with AFP. AFP PHOTO / Asif HASSAN (Photo credit should read ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images)

KARACHI -- Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf yesterday said ISI trains LeT and Jaish militants and terror attacks in India will not stop until New Delhi addresses the "core" issue of Kashmir.

"Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) trains Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists," said Musharraf.

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"Pakistan army is not training civilians. Intelligence organisation on our side as well as on your side is involved," he said in an interview to India Today TV.

When asked if he sees any progress in the Indo-Pak peace process, Musharraf said, "Everything will stop if you address the core issue. The unfortunate terrorists acts and the militancy will continue unless we address the core issue. That is what you don't want to do," he said.

"Kashmir continues to arouse sentiments in Pakistan," the 72-year-old former president said as he defended terrorist activities in India.

"Anyone who is fighting in Kashmir is a freedom fighter," he said.

"I don't think we will move forward on the core issue.

You don't want to. You want to bulldoze us, you want to bully us and you want to dominate us. You only want to talk about issues concerning you like terrorism, Mumbai and Pathankot. So I don't feel core issues are moving forward," he said when asked to comment on Foreign Secretary-level talks that were postponed after Pathankot attack.

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Speaking on Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, who is currently deposing before a Mumbai court in connection with the 26/11 attack case, Musharraf said, "I don't believe anything that Headley had said... Pakistan intelligence should interrogate Headley."

When asked about JeM chief Mesood Azhar, who was involved in two attacks against Musharraf himself, the former military general said, "Anyone who is doing any other act in Pakistan like, I know that he attacks me, is a terrorist certainly.

Therefore I call him a terrorist."

"LeT and Hafiz Saeed are not involved in terror activities in Pakistan," he said.

He said India derailed peace process every time and wants to discuss only terrorism.

"You create hysteria in your country against Pakistan.

Whenever we try to speak ....You want to bulldoze us to whatever is your point of view.

He also accused India's intelligence agency RAW for carrying out attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS Pakistan army soldiers involved in a rescue work after a massive avalanche which buried 140 people including 129 Pakistani soldiers last week at the Siachen glacier in Pakistan, on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. Pakistan's army chief called for the peaceful resolution of Himalayan glacier dispute with rival nuclear power India. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

SRINAGAR -- The mortal remains of nine soldiers, who were buried alive by an avalanche in the Siachen Glacier, are yet to be airlifted from Siachen, said the Northern Command in a release on Thursday.

"We continue to wait for favourable weather so that the mortal remains can be transported on helicopters," it said.

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Elucidating the basic plan, the Northern Command said the mortal remains will be transported from Siachen to Hunder, a place near Partapur in Siachen, on helicopters.

At Hunder, the mortal remains will be embalmed and after certain formalities, a quick wreath laying ceremony will be done. Thereafter, all mortal remains will be transported to Delhi from Thoise in an IAF aircraft, it said.

"In Delhi, another wreath laying ceremony is planned, following which the bodies of the nine martyrs will be transported to their home towns," said the Northern Command.

The lone survivor of the Siachen Glacier Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad died on Thursday after almost a week-long battle.

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Ex-officer was a churchgoer, family man. Police say he may be a serial rapist.

The Allen family lived on the northwest side of Hutchinson, less than two miles from Rice Park, where several women said they were accosted.
David Bowies Legacy On Copyright: Did He See The Future?

While all of David Bowie's predictions about copyright  like its no longer existing  may not have been one hundred percent accurate, he was correct about the panic the copyright industry would experience, causing them to enact policy which is now hurting, rather than incentivizing, the creative economy.

__________________________________

Guest Post by Mike Godwin and Zach Graves on Techdirt

Amid the steady stream of "hot takes" the past few weeks on the legacy of the late great David Bowie, The Washington Post's Robert Gebelhoff dug up some of the rock legend's contrarian views on copyright, if only to rebuke them thoroughly.

Gebelhoff's piece cited a 2002 interview Bowie gave to The New York Times in which he prophesied: "I'm fully confident that copyrightwill no longer exist in 10 years, and authorship and intellectual property is in for such a bashingIt's terribly exciting."

Exciting though it may have been, Bowie's prediction obviously has not come to pass, for which Gebelhoff says we should be thankful. In his piece, he notes that strong copyright laws "play an essential role in our creative economy  and have done so for centuries." He cites as evidence a recent Stanford University/NBER study on how differing laws in Italian city-states led to more operas being produced where copyright was protected.

Bowie has long been an innovator and music visionary, experimenting with early ways to use the Internet to "cybercast" concerts and connect with fans. But it's important that Bowie wasn't necessarily seeking the death of copyright (after all, he used it to make a living). Instead, he was paying heed to what digital media already had done to revolutionize copyright-centered industries.

What he got right was detecting traditional copyright industry's anxiety  the same anxiety that has led them to push successfully for copyright terms to be extended by nearly 580 percent over the last 200 years. Mickey Mouse famously has enjoyed several retroactive copyright term extensions since Walt Disney's death, though Walt has yet to take advantage of this added incentive.

So why would Bowie, whose fortune and fame owed so much to the music industry, be excited about the end of copyright? The answer is straightforward: as a working, successful musician and producer, he knew as well as anyone that unlimited copyright protection could hinder creation, as well as remunerate it. If you're a fan of Bowie's "Young Americans," you know that part of its power as a song derives directly from its unembarrassed quotation of the Beatles song "A Day in the Life."

While copyright didn't disappear in the decade since Bowie's interview, Bowie was in many ways right about the impending shakeup of the industry. More and more consumers, particularly millennials, are listening to their music on demand through a streaming subscription, rather than purchasing copies a la carte. Remix has become a central technique for new creativity. And heavy-handed copyright can get in its way. Look, for instance, at what future presidential candidate Kanye West did with Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman." Bowie's vision that "music itself is going to become like running water or electricity" turned out to be pretty accurate.

This trend has led to sharply declining revenues from physical sales (except for vinyl, which is doing fine, thanks to hipsters) and a steadily increasing share for streaming. Digital downloads are still popular and continue to represent a major revenue source for now. As physical formats have fallen out of favor, as Bowie perhaps foresaw, the industry experienced a period of sharp disruption.

The result has been not just depressed global revenues, but also a whole apparatus of production, distribution and retail falling away. As a 2015 study by Midia observed, the narrative of "music industry decline is a label phenomenon." Which echoes what Bowie saw coming in 2002: "I don't even know why I would want to be on a label in a few years, because I don't think it's going to work by labels and by distribution systems in the same way."

Of course, the role of our copyright system is not to protect established industries from disruption. Policymakers shouldn't protect the record store from Apple or the bookstore from Amazon. Our nation's founders gave Congress a mandate to use copyright to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts." That is, to provide the carrot to spur artistic creation. If we take copyright "incentives" too far, they can undermine artistic freedom by imposing limits on other forms of creative expression and uses of tangible property.

Even the opera study Gebelhoff cites in his piece acknowledges this, as its authors write that "there is no clear evidence" that copyright extension beyond the author's life span creates meaningful incentives. In fact, they suggest it has little effect "beyond the first five years." In an article about the study, New York University law professor Christopher Jon Sprigman notes that: "[this] conclusion is particularly important because our contemporary debate is usually not whether to have copyright at all, but rather whether to extend already very long copyright terms."

Bowie was wrong that copyright would end, but he was right that copyright as we know it is under threat. Its foundation, built for an analog age, increasingly struggles to function in the digital one. And its market, warped by decades of heavy-handed government intervention and industry carve-outs, doesn't know how to operate freely anymore.

That's why substantial reforms will be inevitable. As Congress slowly moves in that direction, it should be mindful of this lesson: stronger copyright laws don't automatically incentivize more creative freedom. In fact, they often come at its expense.

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Long hampered by government Internet restrictions and hamstrung by sanctions that limited the ability to buy censorship-bypassing software, Iranians will now be able to obtain the tools and services needed for greater Internet access.

Increased foreign investment and access to foreign companies technology products in Iran now that sanctions against Tehran have been lifted will not only aid the countrys ailing economy, it will also give Internet access a vital boost.

The removal of sanctions will be unequivocally positive for Iranian Internet users, Collin Anderson, a researcher on Iranian Internet policy, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Both the human rights community and policy makers have long understood that greater access to information technology empowers the public to bypass governmental controls on expression.

While US companies will still be restricted in their dealings with Iran due to the continuation of most American sanctions against the Islamic Republic, European companies, as well as the foreign affiliates and subsidiaries of US companies, are free to do business with Iran.

One of the immediate benefits will be Iranians access to secure international SSL certificates. These certificates are critical to Internet freedom; they ensure that a users connection to a server is encrypted and thus any content passing over that connection is undecipherable. With activists in Iran imprisoned for their online activities, security is vital.

Previously, Iranians could not purchase international SSL certificates, due to financial sanctions. As a result, they had to buy Iranian national SSL certificates, which allowed state authorities to decrypt the connection and gain access to accounts.

Iranians will also now be able to purchase web hosting services from companies based outside Iran. Without physical access to the servers, state authorities cannot gain access to user accounts, a danger Iranians faced when they could only purchase these services from domestic companies.

In addition, Iranians will now be able to purchase original copies of popular applications, ensuring that they dont inadvertently buy fake copies of software that are designed to allow state authorities backdoor access to accounts.

There are still pitfalls. US companies were allowed to sell personal communications tools to Iran under the General D1 license issued by the US Treasury Department in 2013. However, many companies refused to sell or make their services available to Iranians, for fear of running afoul of US compliance regulations. As a result, many items that were technically permissible were still not available to Iranians.

Erich Ferrari, a legal expert who specializes in U.S. sanctions on Iran, cautions against heady expectations: I dont see anything in terms of the sanctions reliefs legal effect that would suggest it would have immediate and direct benefits for Irans telecommunication industry. Through exemptions in the embargo, OFACs prior statements of licensing policy, and General License D-1, there was already a lot of legal authority from the U.S. side that authorized telecommunications transactions. Also, with the exception of some authorities targeting parties engaged in human rights abuses through the use of information technology, there were no secondary sanctions or designation authorities impacting that particular sector of Irans economy, he said, in remarks to the Campaign.

And Internet researcher Anderson warns, The onus is now on the private sector to reopen their services and platforms to Iranian users.

Nevertheless, with international banking transactions with the Islamic Republic permissible, private sector reluctance to sell to Iran will likely be reduced.

Some technology companies, such as Microsoft, have already resumed email services to Iranians. Apple, Hewlett-Packard (Suisse) Sarl, the Swiss-based subsidiary of the US-based company, and the Hong-Kong-based Lenovo Group are exploring a return to the Iranian market, as well, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The lifting of sanctions has also raised expectations for investment in transforming Irans communications infrastructurea goal shared not only by activists, but also by many Iranian officials in President Rouhanis administration who believe such an infrastructure upgrade is essential for a modern economy.

On January 21, 2016, Communications and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said, that Iran hoped to see increased investment geared towards increasing the countrys limited Internet bandwidth levels. This would increase Internet speeds in Iran, facilitating professional and commercial communications. It would also benefit the Iranian human rights and activist community, which has long been hampered by slow Internet speeds that impede online information sharing.

Alireza Yari, secretary of the Native Search Engine Guidance Council, said on January 22, 2016, that Iran could collaborate with Google and Yahoo. Previously we had expressed interest in collaborating with domestic search engines in Russia, South Korea and China. But they did not show any interest because Irans domestic market is not attractive to them, he added.

Legal expert Ferrari added that Irans access to billions of dollars of blocked assets would enable the country to import the high-tech equipment necessary to upgrade its communications infrastructure. We may see an indirect impact on the industryas we will with all Iranian industrydue to the availability of more foreign currency, since Iran will be reintegrated into the global economy and will no longer have its foreign reserves from oil sales tied up in restricted accounts abroad, he noted.

With more foreign currency available, it should allow for greater importation of goods, services, and technology that could further expand and modernize telecommunication infrastructure in Iran. Also, greater interest from foreign investors could lead to investment in the telecommunication sector, which would also further its growth, Ferrari continued.

In recent weeks there has been a growing number of requests from Iranians on social media for major tech companies to move forward with sales to Iran, now that sanctions have been lifted. For example, Farhad Bagheri, who has been a user of the Docker software services in Iran, sent an email to the company requesting a resumption of services. Dockers founder wrote back, We are going to check with our legal tech whether there is any procedure we should follow. Then we will move right away to open the service.

Internet freedom experts cautioned that the lifting of sanctions should not be seen as an opportunity to give Iranian authorities access to online spying technology.

These openings are not opportunities for foreign companies to collaborate with the Iranian government to tighten controls and spying on the publics communications. The US and Europe both maintain longstanding restrictions against the provision of censorship and surveillance equipment to Iran, including Executive Order 13606, TRA 703, and Council Regulation (EU) No 264/2012. These sanctions remain in place, and include extraterritorial sanctions and other punitive mechanism against companies found to have contributed to the Iranian governments violation of human rights, Colin Anderson told the Campaign.

Source: https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2016/01/removal-of-sanctions-for-iranian-internet-users/
Insurance agents, prepare for a new coverage need.Dronesfeared for their seeming dominion over the air and the various security nightmares they causenow have a natural predator (of sorts): the eagle. Both drone operators and enthusiasts might want to consider insurance coverage for their costly flying equipment should this oddball safety measure gimmick actually take off.Dutch security company Guard From Above has been training eagles specifically to snatch drones from midair. The company recently released a video demonstrating the avian predators easily grabbing the drones with nary a scratch. Guard From Above partnered with the countrys law enforcement agency to train the birds, with the hope that they would be used for actual, real-life scenarios.UK Met Police has seen the video, and is eager to jump into the anti-drone eagle bandwagon as well.As efficient as the avian creatures are at taking drones, they are unsurprisingly rough with the equipment, as well."These birds are used to meeting resistance from animals they hunt in the wild, and they don't seem to have much trouble with the drones," said Guard From Above CEO Sjoerd Hoogendoorn.Hoogendoorn additionally noted that eagle talons are strong enough to nab most consumer-grade dronesso powerful, that the birds end up destroying the delicate equipment."The real problem we have is that they destroy a lot of drones," he remarked regarding the eagles during testing. "It's a major cost of testing."Drone enthusiasts, you have been warned. Those whose drones have been mistakenly crushed midflight by a bird of prey will wish they had insured their expensive equipment beforehand.
Centene Corporation announced on Feb. 8 that Nebraska Total Care, one of its subsidiaries, has been selected by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care to administer its Heritage Health program.Nebraska Total Care joins two other managed care organizations in offering the health program statewide.Heritage Health merges the states physical health, behavioral health, and pharmacy programs into a single system to serve 230,000 Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees."We are pleased and honored to be selected to offer coordinated healthcare services and programs to the people of Nebraska," said Centene chairman, president, and CEO Michael F. Neidorff. "Nebraska will be the 24th state in which Centene operates and is a continued example of Centene's dedication to providing innovative health solutions at the local level for the members and states we serve.""Nebraska Total Care is pleased to partner with the State of Nebraska to bring member and provider-centric services as part of the Heritage Health program," stated Centene senior vice president and chief business development officer Brent Layton. "We look forward to implementing our innovative care management value-added programs to address the whole person, including social determinants that impact one's health."The Department of Health and Human Services will cooperate with the Division of Administrative Services to execute the final contracts with the three managed care organizations chosen. The new contracts are expected to commence early next year, pending regulatory approvals.
President Obama suggested a 10-year, $18 billion cut to the federal crop insurance program as part of his budget proposal.The program includes meat inspection fees under the Food and Safety Modernization Act and agricultural research funding.According to the Crop Insurance Reinsurance Bureau and the American Association of Crop Insurers, the Presidents proposed budget will take about $1.8 billion a year from the crop insurance program.While the term crop insurance suggests that it works just like regular insurance policies in that it allows farmers to insure themselves against crop loss and falling prices, it is actually closer to a welfare program due to the way it works.A report by the Environmental Working Group revealed that for every dollar farmers spent on crop insurance premiums for the past 15 years, they got back twice as much in payouts.The report also noted a startling disparity in crop insurance payouts. Cotton farmers in Texas and corn farmers in Arkansas received $3 back for every dollar they paid the program from 2000 to 2014. On the other hand, soybean farmers in Illinois only got 12% more money back through the program, and the insurance program was not as profitable enough for those corn farmers in Indiana and Illinois.Iowa State University economist argued that the Department of Agriculture is setting higher insurance premiums in the wrong areas and missing out on areas were crop failure risks are much higher, such as the Great Plains.Babcock proposed an alternative to the current crop insurance program, wherein the government would issue grants to farmers, which they can use to purchase insurance. This means farmers will have to purchase private insurance without any government subsidy. The grant would be adequate enough to cover for crop losses, particularly if the farmers lost about 65% of their average yield per year, without actually overpaying them.
Its been a difficult week for insurance startup Zenefits.Just days after a BuzzFeed news report revealed that the company was using unlicensed brokers to enrol consumers in health insurance plans, co-founder and chief executive Conrad Parker resigned and was replaced by David Sacks amid compliance concerns.Now, the benefits company is the subject of a probe by the California Department of Insurance.Commissioner Dave Jones confirmed the existence of the investigation late Thursday, which is looking into whether Zenefits has complied with regulations requiring the licensing and training of insurance agents and brokers. The investigation has been ongoing since 2015.San Francisco- based Zenefits makes software for businesses to automate certain aspects of their human resources operations, including health insurance. It makes money as a health insurance broker, selling policies through providers like Anthem Blue Cross and earning the commission or broker fee.However, there is reason to believe those selling these plans were not licensed as health insurance brokers in the states in which they were operating. According to a Thursday BuzzFeed report, Zenefits created a secret software tool to let sales representatives in California fake the completion of an online training course required for a broker license.The program made it appear that brokers were completing the mandatory course, while in fact allowing them to spend less than the legally required 52 hours on training, Sacks said in a staff email.It is these issues Jones and his office are investigating.The recent resignation of Zenefits CEO Parker Conrad is an important development, but it does not resolve our ongoing investigation of Zenefits business practices and their compliance with California law and regulations, Jones said in a statement.The department added that it will not release information about the investigations findings until the probe is complete.This marks the second such investigation into Zenefits, following an ongoing probe by the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner into unlicensed sales related to insurance policies.The investigation could result in some kind of enforcement action, but that is still undetermined, Steve Valandra, deputy commissioner for public affairs, told Reuters.
'Hail, Caesar!': I Come to Criticize, and Praise a Little, Too

While love has been a major theme of motion pictures since the medium's inception, Hollywood hath no greater love than that of itself. Thus it was only a matter of time before the filmmakers Coen, les freres Ethan and Joel, would sing a paean to the industry where they've so consummately plied their artistry. Set in the 1950s, the last, so-called glory days of the studio system, the deliciously parodic "Hail, Caesar!" starring Josh Brolin as fixer Eddie Mannix, is both adoring homage and acerbic satire.



Movie buffs will have a field day identifying the characters both scandalous and heroically upright, even if the Coens themselves claim no direct allusions, but rather, just a panoply of familiar stereotypes. In any case, they are by and large a petulant bunch that needs reining-in, and Brolin's take-charge tsar proves an engaging Zeus to their Olympian-like frivolities.



Scarlett Johansson is DeeAnna Moran, the swimming star "pretty sure" who the father of her expected child is; George Clooney is the soon to go missing matinee idol Baird Whitlock, protagonist in the title sword-and-sandal epic that's causing the studio fits; Alden Ehrenreich is affable cowpoke Hobie Doyle, thrust from horse operas to parlor drama; and Tilda Swinton does double duty as the warring twin gossip columnists, Thora and Thessaly Thacker. Recognizable extras are the icing on the cake. If there were an Oscar for casting, this would be in the running.



The characterizations are entertaining in and of themselves, blithe spirits tossed into the greater framework of Tinseltown with the McCarthy era barely in the rearview mirror. It presents a bit of a sticky wicket. While the Coens manage a modicum of abstract wit in plumbing this nadir in our political history, the flippant zaniness, attempting a sort of critical judgement without detracting from the overall mood and levity, lacks the sagacious insight we've come to expect from the brothers.



This is ameliorated in good part by Brolin's interestingly paradoxical company man, as comfortable cleaning up a piece of dirty business perpetrated by one of his irresponsible charges as he is sitting at the kitchen table discussing domestic mundanities with his adoring wife. In the confessional, the Catholic anguishes that he hasn't told her about the few cigarettes he's snuck, but feels no compulsion to inform the priest how he's literally slapped sense into a wayward starlet.



The juggling act Eddie performs to keep all the balls in the air more or less commands the storyline. But this is mostly a movie of moments, wonderful stage sets, charming interactions and screwy ideas about celebrity, all sprinkled with a bit of stardust. While there is ultimately problem and resolution when Clooney's bigtime star finds himself smack in the den of communist screenwriters, it's not so much a secondary plot as it is a branch upon which to hang some shtick.
Will Dudley is leaving Williams College to become president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

Williams Provost Accepts President Position of Virginia College

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Will Dudley, who has served as provost at Williams College since 2011, has accepted the position of president at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.



W&Ls Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dudley as the universitys 27th president during its meeting in Lexington on Friday. Dudley will assume his duties on Jan. 1, 2017, succeeding Kenneth P. Ruscio, who announced in May 2015 his intention to step down from the presidency and who will remain in office until Dec. 31, 2016.



Will Dudley possesses a blend of experience in, and commitment to, the distinctive liberal arts education that we prize at Washington and Lee, said J. Donald Childress of Atlanta, rector of the board and a member of the search committee. We were fortunate to attract an extraordinarily strong pool of well-qualified candidates for the presidency, and Will emerged as the unanimous choice of the committee, which was impressed by his intellect, his skills as a communicator, his many achievements both in the classroom and the administration at Williams, and his passion for the power of the liberal arts.



Craig Owens, a W&L trustee from Bryn Mawr, Penn., and a 1976 graduate of the university, chaired the 15-member search committee. Owens praised the committee for its dedication to the process.



We knew at the outset that we faced a difficult task in finding someone to succeed Ken Ruscio as president and maintain the universitys strong momentum, said Owens. Will impressed us all with his record of achievements as a teacher and scholar and with his collaborative leadership style. We are pleased to introduce him to the university community, and we are confident he will serve W&L well.



As Williamss provost since 2011, Dudley has overseen operations that directly support the colleges academic mission, allocating budgets and positions and undertaking strategic initiatives. He supervises the directors of Admission, Financial Aid, the College Libraries, Information Technology, the Science Center, Institutional Research, the Williams College Museum of Art and the Zikha Center for Environmental Initiatives. He has been intimately involved in aligning fundraising efforts with the colleges needs, including establishing priorities for Teach It Forward: The Campaign for Williams, which was launched in October 2015 with a goal of $650 million.
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Email IC Arizona at azpoliticalintel-at-yahoo.comIC Arizona is a subsidiary of IntellectualConservative.com
Kaspersky Labs Global Research and Analysis Team has published extensive research on the Adwind RAT, a cross-platform, multifunctional malware program also known as AlienSpy, Frutas, Unrecom, Sockrat, JSocket and jRat, and which is distributed through a single malware-as-a-service platform. According to the results of the investigation, conducted between 2013 and 2016, different versions of the Adwind malware have been used in attacks against at least 443,000 private users, commercial and non-commercial organizations around the world. The platform and the malware are still active.

At the end of 2015, Kaspersky Lab researchers became aware of an unusual malware program that had been discovered during an attempted targeted attack against a bank in Singapore. A malicious JAR file was attached to a spear-phishing email received by a targeted employee at the bank. The malwares rich capabilities, including its ability to run on multiple platforms as well as the fact that it was not detected by any antivirus solution, immediately captured the attention of the researchers.

The Adwind RAT

It turned out that the organization had been attacked with the Adwind RAT, a backdoor available for purchase and written entirely in Java, which makes it cross-platform. It can run on Windows, OS X, Linux and Android platforms providing capabilities for remote desktop control, data gathering, data exfiltration etc.

If the targeted user opens the attached JAR file the malware self-installs and attempts to communicate with the command and control server. The malwares list of functions includes the ability to:



collect keystrokes

steal cached passwords and grab data from web forms

take screenshots

take pictures and record video from the webcam

record sound from the microphone

transfer files

collect general system and user information

steal keys for cryptocurrency wallets

manage SMS (for Android)

steal VPN certificates

While it is used mainly by opportunistic attackers and distributed in massive spam campaigns, there are cases where Adwind was used in targeted attacks. In August 2015 Adwind popped up in the news related to cyber-espionage against an Argentinian prosecutor who had been found dead in January 2015. The incident against the Singaporean bank was another example of a targeted attack. A deeper look into events related to the usage of the Adwind RAT showed that these targeted attacks were not the only ones.

Targets of interest

During their investigation the Kaspersky Lab researchers were able to analyze nearly 200 examples of spear-phishing attacks organized by unknown criminals to spread the Adwind malware, and were able to identify the industries most of the targets worked in:



Manufacturing

Finance

Engineering

Design

Retail

Government

Shipping

Telecom

Software

Education

Food production

Healthcare

Media

Energy

Based on information from Kaspersky Security Network, the 200 examples of spear-phishing attacks observed in the six months between August 2015 and January 2016 resulted in Adwind RAT malware samples being encountered by more than 68,0000 users. The geographical distribution of attacked users registered by KSN during this period shows that almost half of them (49%) were living in the following 10 countries: United Arab Emirates, Germany, India, the USA, Italy, Russia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Turkey and Taiwan.

Based on the profiles of identified targets, Kaspersky Lab researchers believe that the clients of the Adwind platform fall into the following categories: scammers that want to move to the next level (using malware for more advanced fraud), unfair competitors, cyber-mercenaries (spies for hire), and private individuals that want to spy on people they know.

Threat-as-a-Service

One of the main features that distinguishes the Adwind RAT from other commercial malware is that it is distributed openly in the form of a paid service, where the customer pays a fee in return for use of the malicious program. Based on an investigation of users' activity on the internal message board and some other observations, Kaspersky Lab researchers estimate that there were around 1,800 users in the system by the end of 2015. This makes it one of the biggest malware platforms in existence today.

The Adwind platform in its current state lowers significantly the minimum amount of professional knowledge required by a potential criminal looking to enter the area of cybercrime. What we can say based on our investigation of the attack against the Singaporean bank is that the criminal behind it was far from being a professional hacker, and we think that most of the Adwind platforms clients have that level of computer education. That is a worrisome trend, - said Aleksandr Gostev, Chief Security Expert at Kaspersky Lab.

Despite multiple reports about different generations of this tool, published by security vendors in recent years, the platform is still active and inhabited with criminals of all kinds. Weve conducted this research in order to attract the attention of the security community and law enforcement agencies and to make the necessary steps in order to disrupt it completely, - said Vitaly Kamluk, Director of Global Research & Analysis Team in APAC at Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky Lab has reported its findings on the Adwind platform to law enforcement agencies.

In order to protect yourself and your organization against this threat, Kaspersky Lab encourages enterprises to review the purpose of using a Java platform and to disable it for all unauthorized sources.

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Caltex Fuel Your School (FYS), a collaborative program wherein senior-ready public schools, motorists and Caltex retailers, work together to provide quality classroom project materials in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects, is feted as the grand prize winner in the Improving Quality and Access to Education category in the recent AmCham CSR Excellence Awards. It is estimated that at least 600 public school teachers and 102,000 public high school students will benefit from the FYS donation.

Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of the Caltex fuels and lubricants, was lauded for its pioneering efforts of localizing Chevrons global program in education to fit the needs of the Philippine public school teachers and students by focusing on the needs of public high schools that in 2015, the year Caltex FYS was launched in the country, were still preparing for the full implementation of senior high school grade levels.

Targeting the highest need senior public high schools in Metro Manila as its first years beneficiaries, Caltex Fuel Your School aimed for a five million pesos donation fund or Php150,000 per school to be raised by Caltex retailers and customers in the metropolis in one month. The FYS project partners, which also included the American Chamber Foundation (ACF) and the Department of Education, not only met the target but achieved it in a mere 24 days. As a result, teachers from at least 27 senior-ready public high schools shortlisted by the Department of Education were able to make their wish list come true when the FYS project partners delivered to their schools several laptops, multimedia systems, ,scientific calculators, tablets, laboratory equipment, books and other materials to make STEM learning easier for the incoming grades 11 and 12 students.

This achievement is also due to FYS highly successful social media project awareness campaign. FYS engaged the schools stakeholders -- from its teachers, students, parents, alumni to join forces with Caltex customers in driving the fuel-to-donate campaign. As a result, more than 6 million digital impressions and 2.8 million digital reach were logged during the two-month campaign period.

The AmCham CSR Excellence Awards is held every two years to recognize corporate social responsibility projects of member-companies of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

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Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) continues to deliver on its promise of Innovation that Excites as it ends 2015 with a record 60% growth in vehicle sales.

We are proud to say 2015 has been an exciting year for Nissan in the Philippines. Antonio Zara, President and Managing Director of NPI said. From innovation through a strong product lineup and the introduction of new car models to the market, to exciting new programs, we have gone far in establishing our brand of motoring excellence in the Philippine automotive scene. Through the support of our loyal customers, new associates, and friends from the media, we can now say that Nissan is truly back. 

REFRESHED PRODUCT LINE-UP

The resurgence of the Nissan brand in the Philippine automotive scene mirrored the enthusiasm of the market to the new product lineup.

While two of Nissans sedan models, the Sylphy and the Altima, were introduced in 2014, 2015 saw the introduction of the companys best-selling vehicles across different segments, such as tough and smart NP300 Navara pick-up truck, the powerful and practical hauler NV350 Urvan, the spacious New Almera sedan, and the Philippine market debut of the thrilling new Nissan Juke subcompact crossover.

As a testament to the successful introduction of its new products to the market, Nissan gathered a number of accolades for its best-selling vehicles, including the 2015 C! Magazine Best Compact SUV and 2015-2016 Autofocus Peoples Choice Best Design for Midsize SUV Award for the Nissan X-Trail; the 2015-2016 Autofocus Peoples Choice Best Value for Money Van for the Nissan NV350 Urvan; the 2015 Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) Best Subcompact Crossover SUV for the Nissan Juke; and the 2015 CAGI Best 4x2 Pick-up and Truck of the Year Award for the Nissan NP300 Navara.

The success of the Nissan NP300 Navara in the local automotive scene mirrors its performance globally, as the vehicle was also awarded the International Pick-Up Award 2016 in Lyon, France.

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

In addition to the refreshed vehicle line-up, Nissan also introduced a number of innovative programs and activities last 2015.

For the first time ever, the Nissan GT Academy Asia was held in the Philippines. The program seeks to find the best aspiring race car driver through a virtual competition to test their racing skills. From among the 15,000 participants, 6 Filipino gamers advanced to Silverstone Race Circuit in the UK to compete with the best gamers in Asia in a real motorsport combat. A Filipino virtual gamer and motorsport enthusiast, 26-year-old Joward Policarpio, emerged victorious to become the first Nissan GT Academy Asia Champion.

2015 also saw NPI teaming up with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), in the Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan project that promotes local tourism in the country. The program aims to promote local tourism through road travel, in support of the DOTs Its More Fun in the Philippines campaign. It kicked off at the Higantes Festival in Angono, Rizal, where select media drove the new Nissan Almera.

EXPANDING NISSANS REACH

Nissan also ramped up its nationwide presence, starting with the expansion of its dealership network with 11 new dealers in key cities and provincial areas in 2015.

To bring the brand even closer to its customers, Nissan also unveiled an industry first: the Nissan Parts Online. The Nissan Parts Online is a new online shopping platform where customers can easily view and purchase genuine Nissan parts, accessories and merchandise in the comfort of their homes. Products are showcased in an online catalogue, and can be easily searched by car part, year, or vehicle model. Car owners can then purchase these items and have it delivered to their homes within 24 hours in Metro Manila, with no delivery charge.

In line with Nissans commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience, the company also held its 2nd Nissan Service Technician Excellence Competency Award (NISTEC), and the Nissan Service Advisor Excellence Competency Award (NISAC) at the Nissan Training Center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The competition, designed to showcase the technical skills and knowledge of the Nissan Technicians and the customer service relations management skills of the Service Advisors, is seen to boost the standards of the Nissan after-sales group.

PAYING IT FORWARD

With all the successes for the company in 2015, NPI gave back to the community by partnering with Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFH-P). NPI concretized its tie-up by donating an NV350 Urvan and an NP300 Navara pickup to HFH-P during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement.

Later in the year, NPI and HFH-P conducted a Shelter Rebuild Drive in Oras, Eastern Samar for Typhoon Ruby victims, as well as spearheaded a house building project at Bistekville 5 in Brgy. Payatas,Q.C.

The company also showcased its support during the APEC week in Manila, supplying 325 units of the Altima, the Sylphy, Almera, and NV350 Urvan for the APEC delegates.

Nissans success locally is also reflective of its global success as Nissan was also named as one of the top global brands for 2015, according to Interbrands Best Global Brands Study. The company was ranked at 49, up from 56 in 2014 and 90 with a brand valuation of $3.819B from the companys inaugural appearance on the list in 2011. This made Nissan the fastest-rising automotive brand in this years study.

Being named as one of the world's most valuable brands for 2015, we take on the challenge of bringing the company, and the country, further up the road to progress, as we continue our drive for excellence in the coming days, Zara said. Expect new things, new innovations to come, as we at Nissan makes it happen.

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Imperial County Announces Special Board of Supervisors meeting to select a new EAS Provider

Imperial, California - The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has announced a special meeting on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 9:30 am to select a new Essential Air Services (EAS) provider for flight services for Imperial County. The RFP process produced 3 proposals to fill the void left when SeaPort Airlines ceased operations in the county in early January.

January 15, 2016 Imperial County was notified that SeaPort Airlines was ceasing operations as the countys Essential Air Services (EAS) provider. Shortly after the cancellation of these air services, County of Imperial staff began to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to find a solution. The DOT released an Emergency Request for Proposals (RFP) on January 20 for replacement EAS in Imperial County, among other locations, with or without subsidy requests.

I am very pleased with the quick efforts by our County staff and the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure 3 competitive bids to provide air service for our county. In a short period of time we will see a new carrier offering services for the people who need flight services, stated Jack Terrazas, Chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors.

The EAS program is a federal program which provides small communities with air service by certificated air carriers. DOTs mandate is to provide the EAS communities with access to the national air transportation system.

Each of the 3 proposals is being reviewed internally to determine how well it meets the community's air transportation needs. A recommendation of which proposal best meets local flight needs is expected at this meeting and will be forwarded immediately to the DOT. The County of Imperial welcomes and encourages the attendance of the applicants and all interested parties at this special Board of Supervisors meeting.

For questions or additional information, please contact Ralph Cordova at 442-265-1001.
President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate John B. King as Secretary of Education

Washington, DC - President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate John B. King as Secretary of Education:

President Obama said, Since joining the Department of Education, John has worked to build on the progress our country has made in expanding opportunity for all of our children. There is nobody better to continue leading our ongoing efforts to work toward preschool for all, prepare our kids so that they are ready for college and career, and make college more affordable. John knows from his own incredible life experience how education can transform a childs future. I look forward to the Senate working in a bipartisan way to confirm John quickly and continuing their work with him to tackle the vital challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

President Obama announced his intent to nominate John B. King as Secretary of Education:

Dr. John B. King, Nominee for Secretary, Department of Education

Dr. John B. King, Jr. is an accomplished lifelong educator who has been a teacher, a principal, the leader of a network of schools, and the State Commissioner of Education in New York.

Dr. Kings belief in the power of educational opportunity is rooted in his own life. Both of Kings parents were career New York City public school educators. Though their lives have inspired him throughout his lifetime, both died from illness by the time he was 12. Dr. King has often said that his future could have unfolded very differently after that, but New York City public school teachers saved him and gave him hope and purpose.

Dr. King currently serves as Acting Secretary of Education, a position he assumed in January 2016. Dr. King also serves as the Department of Educations Principal Senior Advisor. King joined the Department in 2015 and was delegated the duties and responsibilities of the Deputy Secretary, overseeing all preschool-through-12th-grade education policies, programs and strategic initiatives, as well as Department operations. In that capacity, King also played a key role in President Obamas My Brothers Keeper Task Force and coordinated the launch of multiple high priority administration initiatives, including the Second Chance Pell pilot program and the Every Student, Every Day campaign to end chronic absenteeism.

As Commissioner in New York State, Dr. King brought numerous lasting changes that benefited students. He created grants to help support teacher leadership, built nationally recognized instructional resources and a statewide professional development network to support educators as they implemented higher learning standards, and launched a pilot program to encourage voluntary efforts to promote socioeconomic diversity in schools. He also spearheaded an initiative to reduce unnecessary and low-quality tests, working with the state legislature to cap the amount of time students spend on standardized tests.

Prior to his time at the New York State Education Department, Dr. King was a Managing Director of Uncommon Schools. He also co-founded and co-led Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, which closed achievement gaps and became one of the highest performing urban middle schools in Massachusetts.

King began his career as a public school teacher. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in government from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in the teaching of social studies from Columbia University's Teachers College, a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, and a Doctorate of Education in educational administrative practice from Columbia University's Teachers College. Dr. King lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife and two children, who attend local public schools.
If Humans Lived on The Planet Mars, This is What Our Home Might Look Like
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Tomorrow is Valentines Day, and our thoughts turn naturally to romance among the titans of art. Say what you like about Dante and Beatrice, Abelard and Heloise, Keats and Fanny Brawne  for me the best literary love story remains that of Willie Yeats and his beloved Maud Gonne.

It isnt just the chronicle of a poetic chap who fancied a pretty girl and wrote some romantic verses to her; their tormented relationship was conducted against the backdrop of the Irish Rising a century ago, and Yeatss love for Maud became inextricably bound up in his admiration of radicalised nationalism. Its also a fascinating record of delusion and secrecy, and of a lover being led a merry dance for many years.

They met 127 years ago on 30 January 1889 in London, when Willie was living with his sisters near Chiswick. Maud had known their father when he was a painter in Dublin, and came a-calling. A hansom drove up to our door at Bedford Park with Miss Maud Gonne, Yeats wrote, and the troubling of my life began. She was an amazing sight: six feet tall, bronze-haired with huge melancholy eyes and beautiful skin, an English ex-debutante of 22, the daughter of an army officer, with a passion for Irish nationalism and a love for romantic poetry, a fin de siecle beauty in Valkyrie mode, wrote Yeatss biographer, Roy Foster, and both her appearance and character represented tragic passion.

How could Yeats not fall for her? His memory of her was understandably confused: he remembered her standing luminous as apple blossom through which the light falls... by a great heap of such blossoms by the window  even though, of course, apple blossom is nowhere to be seen in January. His sisters Lily and Lolly hated her regal sort of smile, disapproved of her slippers, but were impressed by the well-heeled insouciance with which she left the cab waiting at the front door.

Yeats asked her to dinner the next evening; they saw each other every day the following week. He was 24, bearded, dark, intense, socially maladroit but, with the publication of The Wanderings of Oisin behind him, growing in confidence and making his name around London, giving talks to literary salons and wowing the ladies with his passionate readings. How could she not be impressed?

But Maud was harbouring a secret. She was having an affair with Lucien Millevoye, a much older and married right-wing French journalist and politician, whom shed met two years earlier at a spa. Three months after meeting Yeats, she was pregnant with Millevoyes child; it was born in late 1889 but died in 1891. Yeats knew nothing about these matters until she confessed all, years later. Maud managed to keep them quiet by retreating to her house in Paris and keeping her Irish suitor at arms length.

WB Yeats (Getty)

But their worlds kept colliding. Yeats wrote articles about her inspirational speaking tours on behalf of evicted Irish peasants, talks that reduced sophisticated Parisian aristocrats to tears, not realising that her radicalism had been tutored by Millevoyes political sympathies. When Willie introduced her to occult societies such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, she embraced them in the hope that they might reincarnate her dead baby. Yeats was oblivious to that too.

When they met in Ireland after the childs death in 1891, Yeats discovered her exhausted and vulnerable, and fell in love with this different side to her personality. Possibly seeing where things were heading, Maud told him about a dream shed had, in which theyd been brother and sister in a past life, sold into slavery in Arabia. Yeats liked the idea of their spiritual association but got the message that she wanted only a platonic relationship.

Straightaway he went to her and proposed. She refused, said shed never marry and explained that she had a morbid dread of sex, but hoped theyd always be friends. Together they visited Howth Head in Dublin Bay, talked about their feelings, and afterwards he sent her The White Birds, his first of many poems about her, describing, not entirely convincingly, his longing for a land beyond passion, desire and smut.

It set the pattern for the rest of their lives: her determination that theirs should be a spiritual union, a mystical marriage, an astral connection, an amitie amoureuse, while she devoted herself to the Irish struggle for independence and co-founded the Irish League; while Yeats wrote beautiful poems about his sexual torment and her enraging commitment to action of the wrong kind. He proposed to her three more times, unsuccessfully. But they remained close right up to his death in 1939.

And that would be the whole frustrating love story, except for one thing. Yeats scholars gradually wondered exactly what took place in the summer of 1908, when Maud was emerging from a long divorce case against her husband, John MacBride. She was 41; Yeats was 43. Their correspondence ceased being entirely astral. They were reunited in Paris, Dublin and London. She wrote that shed dreamed of him becoming a great serpent  and during a month-long stay in Paris, it seems they became lovers. A later poem recalls her lying in his arms and crying in his ear, Strike me if I shriek!

Judging by her letters, she soon went back to insisting on spiritual union. But we readers can be pleased that the poet and his muse gave consummation at least one shot. Perhaps we should regard their relationship as merely the occasion for immortal poetry, as Maud did. When Yeats told her he wasnt happy without her, she replied: Oh yes, you are, because you make beautiful poetry out of what you call your unhappiness, and are happy in that. Marriage would be such a dull affair. Poets should never marry. The world should thank me for not marrying you.
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You come from the griot caste in Mali. For those who don't know, could you explain what that entails?

We called it a "nyamakala". It's a very important role in West African society. You'll find one in every village. It is almost like for a country you have a secretary for internal affairs, a secretary for foreign affairs, and so on. A griot is the one who will deal with disputes between families, neighbourhoods, between different villages. He calls for peace among the people and in society. Then another role is to play music, which is also a big part.

I was reading that rap is going from strength to strength in Mali at the moment. Do you have any concerns about the Malian musical tradition being lost in this Americanisation?

Rap is pretty new as a scene in Mali. I think it's a good thing in a way. It inspires the youth to make music, which they do in their language. It might sound American in its production but it's still very local. So, no, I'm not concerned about it. That's just how it is nowadays  young people are turning more and more to American culture.

Culture news in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures 30 September 2016 An employee hangs works of art with "Grand Teatro" by Marino Marini (R) and bronze sculpture "Sfera N.3" by Arnaldo Pomodoro seen ahead of a Contemporary Art auction on 7 October, at Sotheby's in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 29 September 2016 Street art by Portuguese artist Odeith is seen in Dresden, during an exhibition "Magic City - art of the streets" AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 Dancers attend a photocall for the new "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany REUTERS Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 With an array of thrift store china, humorous souvenirs and handmade tile adorning its walls and floors, the Mosaic Tile House in Venice stands as a monument to two decades of artistic collaboration between Cheri Pann and husband Gonzalo Duran REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A gallery assistant poses amongst work by Anthea Hamilton from her nominated show "Lichen! Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The installation allows visitors a 3-D look into the museum which has twenty-two paintings belonging to the British Royal Collection, on loan for an exhibit from 29 September 2016 till 8 January 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Shiva performs on a chariot as he participates in a religious procession 'Ravan ki Barat' held to mark the forthcoming Dussehra festival in Allahabad AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Air Power', 1984, is displayed at the Bowie/Collector media preview at Sotheby's in New York AFP/Getty Culture news in pictures 25 September 2016 A woman looks at an untitled painting by Albert Oehlen during the opening of an exhibition of works by German artists Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen in Reutlingen, Germany. The exhibition runs at the Kunstverein (art society) Reutlingen until 15 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 24 September 2016 Fan BingBing (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival at Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain Getty Images Culture news in pictures 23 September 2016 A view of the artwork 'You Are Metamorphosing' (1964) as part of the exhibition 'Retrospektive' of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The exhibition runs from 25 September 2016 to 1 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 22 September 2016 Jo Applin from the Courtauld Institute of Art looks at Green Tilework in Live Flesh by Adriana Vareja, which features in a new exhibition, Flesh, at York Art Gallery. The new exhibition features works by Degas, Chardin, Francis Bacon and Sarah Lucas, showing how flesh has been portrayed by artists over the last 600 years PA Culture news in pictures 21 September 2016 Performers Sean Atkins and Sally Miller standing in for the characters played by Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell during a photocall for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children" at Potters Field Park in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A detail from the blanket 'Alpine Cattle Drive' from 1926 by artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is displayed at the 'Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Arts' in Berlin. The exhibition named 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Hieroglyphen' showing the complete collection of Berlin's Nationalgallerie works of the German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and will run from 23 September 2016 until 26 February 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A man looks at portrait photos by US photographer Bruce Gilden in the exhibition 'Masters of Photography' at the photokina in Cologne, Germany. The trade fair on photography, photokina, schowcases some 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and runs from 20 to 25 September. The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I AP Culture news in pictures 13 September 2016 Visitors look at artworks by Chinese painter Cui Ruzhuo during the exhibition 'Glossiness of Uncarved Jade' held at the exhibition hall 'Manezh' in St. Petersburg, Russia. More than 200 paintings by the Chinese artist are presented until 25 September EPA Culture news in pictures 12 September 2016 A visitor looks at Raphael's painting 'Extase de Sainte Cecile', 1515, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during the opening of a Raphael exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The first Russian exhibition of the works of the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino includes eight paintings and three drawings which come from Italy. Th exhibit opens to the public from 13 September to 11 December EPA Culture news in pictures 11 September 2016 Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd perform during Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration - Rehearsals at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia Getty Images for Otis Redding 75 Culture news in pictures 10 September 2016 Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers at the Last Night of the Proms 2016 at the Royal Albert Hall in London PA Culture news in pictures 9 September 2016 A visitor walks past a piece entitled "Fruitcake" by Joana Vasconcelo, during the Beyond Limits selling exhibition at Chatsworth House near Bakewell REUTERS Culture news in pictures 8 September 2016 A sculpture of a crescent standing on the 2,140 meters high mountain 'Freiheit' (German for 'freedom'), in the Alpstein region of the Appenzell alps, eastern Switzerland. The sculpture is lighted during the nights by means of solar panels. The 38-year-old Swiss artist and atheist Christian Meier set the crescent on the peak to start a debate on the meaning of religious symbols - as summit crosses - on mountains. 'Because so many peaks have crosses on them, it struck me as a great idea to put up an equally absurd contrast'. 'Naturally I wanted to provoke in a fun way. But it goes beyond that. The actions of an artist should be food for thought, both visually and in content' EPA Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures

Islamist groups imposed a ban on music in a large section of northern Mali, which was finally lifted in 2013. How has local music changed since?

First, it's not just a Malian problem. You can sense the sentiment behind the ban throughout the region. I have not really seen a direct consequence in music but it's an ongoing debate among people. You will have some very Muslim people thinking or saying that music is not good. But then the Malian people in general are very musically open. I sense the effects of the ban in Bamako, where I live: it's more and more difficult to organise music events. Still, it remains a very musical country  definitely.

You're with French cellist Vincent Segal. Were there many differences in your approaches to music?

Playing with Vincent has always been very natural. We both have the same desire to play and we both admire each other. Starting from there made it very easy. I first saw Vincent play at a festival in Amiens in France. I contacted him afterwards and he was already aware of what I was doing. We started to talk and I invited Vincent to start playing with me. We had no specific plan, just to meet and play. And that's how it started.

What do you do when you're not playing or in the studio?

If I don't have any concerts, I'll go back to Bamako. My house is there. I'm always busy in Bamako. There are a lot of people to visit. I have a big family counting on me. Otherwise, the day will just be like a typical Bamako day, you know?

What are your first memories of Western music?

From 13 to 23, I was in the national orchestra, L'ensemble Instrumental National du Mali. That was never just about Malian music  I was exposed to the music of the region. But not Western music. When I left, that's when I first started to hear that.

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But, for example, do you remember when you first heard the Beatles?

I never heard the Beatles in Mali when I was growing up. My introduction to Western music all happened after I turned 23. When I left the orchestra, I began to collaborate with Western musicians and was introduced to it through them. I couldn't read music the way they could so it was through playing and discussing with musicians outside of Africa that I started to understand what hiphop and rock was all about. But before that, it was just African music.

Biography

Ballake Sissoko, 49, is a Malian kora player who first found fame with his 1981 duet with Toumani Diabate. He has made five solo and four collaborative albums, and lives with his family in Mali's capital, Bamako. 'Musique de Nuit', his second album recorded with the French cellist Vincent Segal, is out now. He tours the UK from 1 March. serious.org.uk
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Ex-Boyzone member Ronan Keating thinks it would be "fun" to pull a McBusted and reunite both Boyzone and Westlife as a combined force.

"The idea's been thrown around alright. Different collaborations," he told PA (via Digital Spy). "Not just Westlife, but Girls Aloud and lots of different collaborations. I don't know. Maybe, maybe. Never say never to those sort of things."

"We'll see. Not right now, but maybe, maybe we would," he added. "It'd be cool fun I think to do something like that, definitely."

And, now, onto the important business. What exactly would this beast of a supergroup be called? Boylife sounds a little boy scout manual, whilst Westzone sounds a little post-apocalyptic laser tag arena, so the group will have their work cut out if they want to land on an actually catchy name.

Boyzone and Westlife, both hailing from Ireland, rose to fame in the mid and late-90s. Keating has since developed his own solo following, having just released his 10th studio album Time of My Life; though he featured in Boyzone alongside Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch, Michael Graham, and Stephen Gately. Gately, unfortunately, passed suddenly from a congenital heart defect in 2009.

Westlife's membership was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden. If Keating could somehow gather together all these disparate members, then, maybe Boylife/Westzone could even further combine with McBusted to make the undefeatable megaband, McBoybustzone.
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What lurks at the bottom of the garden? Across Spain, there are increasing fears that it could be the toxic pine processionary caterpillar, which is hatching earlier than usual this year because of the unusually mild weather.

Experts have warned that the caterpillar, which carries poisonous proteins in the barbs on its back, could be a particular risk to small children and animals, especially if the proteins are ingested.

The inch-long caterpillar is a common enough sight in Spain, especially in pine forests from which they get their name. The mild winter, following Spains hottest-ever recorded summer last year, has led to an explosion in the number being born early.

Contact with the pine processionary caterpillar, or Thaumetopoea pityocampa, causes skin irritations. Pet dogs and cats are at particular risk as they tend to lick the burns on their paws that are caused by contact with the caterpillar.

After a winter that has been much milder and drier than normal, the population of the processionary caterpillar has flourished and brought forward their arrival, Milagros Fernandez de Lezeta, director of Anecpla, Spains pest-control association, told The Local news website.

They pose a major risk to children, adults and pets causing dermatitis, eye damage and severe allergic reaction.
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From cancer to career upheaval, and a set of decisions and dilemmas on a scale most of us are never faced with, Jo Malone has been through a lot these past 15 years. The emotion of it all is evident when I sit down with the businesswoman who has become a byword for beautiful fragrances. "Cancer definitely changed my perspective on life," she says. "Although some of the lessons I learnt I've let slip through my fingers."

There can't be many people who haven't had some Jo Malone in their home  one of her signature scented candles, perhaps, or some fancy bath oil, or a crisp cologne. Very likely such items will have been received as a gift, nestling in a cream and black box lined with tissue paper and tied up with a grosgrain bow. In all these ways Malone creates a kind of magic, but the idea that her life might have been as idyllic as the world she creates is some way from the truth.

At 52, Malone can look back on more than three decades of extraordinary achievement during which she built a staggeringly successful brand. But back in 1999 the sale of Jo Malone to the beauty behemoth Estee Lauder turned out to be a mixed blessing, for all the millions Malone made. It presaged a period in her life that was professionally challenging to say the least, and when cancer struck, that challenge became even harder. But Malone  a woman of immense drive and energy  has come through the dark times and right now, with her Jo Loves range keeping her at the forefront of the beauty business, she is back to her true love, which is being creative.

The Ten Best Perfumes Show all 10 1 /10 The Ten Best Perfumes The Ten Best Perfumes 77611.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77610.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77609.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77608.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77607.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77606.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77605.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77604.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77602.bin The Ten Best Perfumes 77601.bin

There's a steeliness to Malone and there's no doubt that she had to learn to be tough from an early age. "I grew up in a little two up, two down on a council estate in Bexleyheath," she recalls. "My father was a very brilliant artist, and I'd help him in the market selling his paintings. He was also a member of the Magic Circle and I'd be his magician's assistant. I had a pet white dove with clipped wings that used to sit on my shoulder when I came home from school and there were white rabbits everywhere." Her father was something else, though  "a huge gambler", but the matter-of-fact way that she refers to this seems to be testament to a reconciling with her past, for all the difficulties it presented. "I remember sitting in my bedroom, looking out and thinking, I don't want to grow up like this. I was the sole provider for our family from the age of 11, 12 years old."

Her mother, a beautician, suffered a stroke, and Malone left school at 15 to care for her. She had no qualifications but the inspiration for what would turn out to be her career had already presented itself in the form of a woman called Countess Lubatti, whom Malone's mother worked for. "I was eight or nine and I'd go to work with my mum and watch this incredible woman in the laboratory. I'd watch how face masks were made; watch Madame Lubatti grind the sandalwood." Malone's job was to pour the finished products into little pots for Lubatti's wealthy clientele, but she proved to have an exceptional ability for creating them too. She was on her way, the Bexleyheath council house was left far behind, with the clientele that she inherited from Lubatti becoming her first customers when she launched her own range of bath oils from her kitchen table in 1994.

That a company as big as Estee Lauder would eventually make a bid for Jo Malone was perhaps inevitable. Malone, by then in her mid-thirties, stayed on as creative director, but it was now that her cancer was diagnosed. "When I came out of a very drawn-out, excruciating year of chemotherapy, I suddenly felt like I could run at life again," she says. And that realisation led, in 2006, to her next big decision  to leave the company that bore her name. "There was a disconnect and it was to do with me. I started looking at it purely as a business, and I'd never felt that way about it before."

For a perfumer a sense of smell is obviously vital, but Malone's ability is rare even among industry noses (David Vintiner)

A new-found seizing-hold of life, coupled with a fear that the cancer would return, persuaded her to make the leap, but by the time she was reassured that the disease wasn't returning it was too late to think about where she'd really be landing. She had fought for her life, but without fragrance, she felt that she was no longer really living: "I made the right decision for the business, and for Estee Lauder. But for me, as a creator, it was the worst thing in the world that I could have done."

Under the terms of the deal whereby Malone moved on, she was obliged by Estee Lauder to take a five-year hiatus from the industry, and she suddenly found herself with a lot of time on her hands, much of it spent miserably. As a lover of the beauty industry, retail and branding, she says that she "couldn't even walk through a department store I was so unhappy. I'd look at other businesses being built and I'd literally get choked up. My mind was full of endless possibilities and creations, and there was nothing I could do".

She kept herself busy, sitting on various boards, a role not suited to her given her fondness for plain-speaking and doing things her own way. She made a TV programme with the BBC which drew on her retail skills. She holidayed and spent time with her family, husband Gary and son Josh. She was made an MBE for her services to the beauty industry, a bitter irony considering the misery inflicted on her by her enforced absence from it.

Finally, the five years was up, and as soon as Malone was free to work in the business again, she did, launching Jo Loves in 2011. It wasn't easy. Her departure from Jo Malone five years earlier had not been widely publicised so the new venture came as a surprise to many. "I thought everybody knew I'd left, but there I was starting all over again. The first year was very tough." And it was made even tougher by the fact that for a start-up venture the scrutiny was intense, exacerbated by her own exacting standards. She tells a story about her first scent  Pomelo  that says a lot about her.

Malone can look back on more than three decades of extraordinary achievement during which she built a staggeringly successful brand (David Vintiner)

"I really felt Pomelo was my voice. It conjured up exactly how I was feeling, the emotion of everything. We'd got right the way through the process  ordered the bottles and the compound, the labels even, and we were ready to launch as soon as I got back from our Easter holiday. I was walking down the beach in the resort in Turks and Caicos, on my own one morning, and this stingray swam by the side of me as I walked up and down. And in that moment I knew in my heart that the fragrance wasn't finished, and I pulled it. It cost us 100,000 and nobody spoke to me for a week  it was a really big deal. I was so desperate to get back to this industry that I'd been ignoring this nagging voice, but I knew I couldn't ignore it any more."

No sense of any such difficulties lingers when I meet Malone at the Jo Loves store, a serene white space tucked away in Belgravia. On the day of my visit, florist Matthew Dickinson is installing a Valentine's Day-themed window display: a veritable meadow of lemons and white silk roses in homage to White Rose & Lemon Leaves, the second best seller in the Jo Loves range after Pomelo. Above the display hangs a glowing white heart. Compared with the stream of virulent red-and-pink that infects the high street at this time of year it is chic, minimal and clean. But that could be Malone's mantra  purity of ideas and ingredients are the pillars on which she has built two brands.

Malone is dyslexic, so she couldn't follow a formulation, but by watching the process she was able to "hook the various stages and then knit them together. I could make a face cream from the age of nine, and I could tell when it was ready by the texture". When she had sold her company to Estee Lauder they, understandably, asked to see the formulations. "I said, 'I haven't got a formulation, I make it from my head.' I sat in their laboratories and they'd ask me to make something, and off I'd go. They'd say, 'Stop, stop! How many drops was that?', and I'd say, 'I don't know! Until it feels right!', and we'd have to start all over again."

This affinity for the ingredients is innate: "I could tell if the camphor or rosemary oil was past its sell-by just by the smell. I was taught from a really young age that what I saw and what I smelled were really valuable tools in the industry."

Malone says: 'I can smell all kinds of things that are normal to me, but not to other people' (David Vintiner)

For a perfumer a sense of smell is obviously vital, but Malone's ability is rare even among industry noses. When she recently said that she could smell running water in her building it was laughed off by her family, until six weeks later a leak burst through the wall. "I can smell anything. I could smell when my husband was sick, when there's something not right with the dog, when it's going to snow. I can smell all kinds of things that are normal to me, but not to other people."

When she underwent chemotherapy she says she wasn't worried about losing this ability, instead focusing her energies on surviving."I was living in New York, and creating these basil candles. I love the smell of basil. Well  I did love the smell of basil. I don't now. The product came over to my apartment for me to test and every time I burnt them, boy was I sick. Even if I smell it now it turns my stomach. But I didn't let cancer take anything more from me than it needed to. Chemotherapy takes a lot from you  but it gave me everything back, apart from my eyelashes. But my sense of smell has come back stronger."

It's not just Malone who has faced life-threatening illness. In 2014 Gary suffered adrenal failure, and she says that her belief in God has helped her face up to these challenges. "My faith is a very important part of my life," she says. "It's my compass. When I talk about inspiration, innovation, integrity  these are elements inspired by my faith. I faced my own mortality. When I was going through chemotherapy there was a week when I thought I was going to die. There was no two ways about it. And when I sat by the bedside of my husband, who I thought was going to die, my faith was what got me through. I wouldn't impose it on anybody else, but it's something that I choose to live by."

Her charity work is another expression of her values. She is involved in Magic Breakfast, which helps ensure that underprivileged children start the school day with a healthy meal: "Not one child in this country should go to school hungry. It's ridiculous." Also ridiculous, she reckons, is the current furore over parents still in pyjamas dropping their children off at school. "Do you know what matters to me?" she asks. "That your child gets to school having had breakfast and brushed their teeth. When I was a kid, you all looked after each other rather than judged each other."

Unusually, Malone doesnt follow perfume formulations. I make it in my head, she says (David Vintiner)

So what about her politics? "I don't always love politicians, but politics is about people and their lives. It's not about a group of people that run something. I'm more interested in how we help people  that's my politics." During last year's election she gave her support to the Conservatives. "I put my head above the parapet and I fought because I didn't want to see a lot of the work small business had done being undone."

You can see how she ruffled feathers in her various board positions. Currently her only directorship is of Walpole, which promotes the luxury industry and on which she is allowed to speak her mind. She is also a fundraising committee member with the British Film Industry. "If I could choose two things in life it would be fragrance and film. I go to the movies twice a week; I love being totally immersed in somebody else's creativity."

She says she compartmentalises her life into "moments". That epiphany on the white sand of Turks and Caicos was a defining one, and another occurred in Montana, where she visits a horse ranch every year. "One summer I wasn't back at work and I was very unhappy and I couldn't find who I was at all," she recalls. "We went to the ranch and I took Josie, my horse out. I was getting these terrible anxiety attacks where my heart was pounding, and coming back down the mountain it was all shingle and every time Josie put her hoof down she'd slide. I could tell that she was frightened and I just burst into tears. The cowboy who we were with said 'Trust your horse Jo, she'll get you down.'" Nearly three hours later Malone was at the bottom of the mountain. "It was as if life was saying to me, 'Every time you step somewhere something shifts, but you've still got to take every step.' From that minute I looked at life differently."
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When I signed up to a laughter yoga class, I was intrigued and excited. But my enthusiasm to spend an hour laughing with strangers swiftly evaporated after watching a video of the group I had decided to join: Ellies Laughter Playshop. I felt I had made a terrible decision. The thought of joining a hysterical cult in front of the Royal Festival Hall as a perpetual stream of city bankers and theatregoers passed by filled me with apprehension, not joy. I imagined the awkward interactions, the nervous giggling and the public humiliation, and seriously contemplated not going.

Indian physician Dr Madan Kataria founded the laughter yoga movement in 1995, claiming there are profound psychological and physiological benefits to laughter.

Curiousity overcame self-consciousness and I found myself walking along South Bank listening out for frenzied laughter. We were due to meet at the Nelson Mandela statue, but they werent there. I wandered into the Royal Festival Hall and spotted a small group huddled together in the foyer.

Recommended Read more Simple exercises to help you get fit in 2016

Are you the laughter yoga group? I asked. Yes, do join us, they said in unison, beaming. The six of us stood in a circle holding hands as people bustled past to get to the toilets and lifts. Lets start by speaking gibberish, Ellie said and everyone nodded and started to chatter excitedly in an invented language as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

We were then told to imagine chewing a very hot chilli. As we hopped from one foot to the other, the lift doors opened and our monkey howling was met by looks of amusement and annoyance.

I had never realised there were so many different ways of laughing. We did deep belly laughing, hot floor hopping, howling and the can-can while hysterically giggling. After each laughter exercise we did a cheer. Wed all jump in the air, clap our hands, and elatedly shout very good, very good YAY! I felt like I was in the computer game The Sims.

Our shrieking in the Royal Festival Hall foyer did not go unnoticed. One of the attendants awkwardly appeared to disrupt our elation. You cant dance in here. You have to go outside.

Oh, were not dancing, Ellie, remarked cheerily as we tried to supress our giggles. He did not share our glee. Yeah, whatever. Go outside.

So we ended up leaping like kangaroos and soaring like airplanes outside in the theatre square. The reaction of passers-by didnt shame us into silence, but rather intensified our amusement. Some people increased their pace, feeling embarrassed on our behalf. Others would stop, stare and point. One guy who was on the phone, abruptly ended his conversation when he saw us.

We were standing next to a hip hop dance group practising their dance routine. As soon as we started running around like lunatics, they decided to abandon their dance and imitate us instead. The highlight came when we were told to play a volleyball match with an invisible ball. Our uncoordinated leaps and flailing limbs inspired a routine and uncontrollable laughter on both sides.

After wed recovered, Ellie told us to go to the top of the steps and boldly declare a prize. Nick bounced up the steps and shouted: I won the moon! He strutted down the stairs as we all whooped and applauded him. The next exercise is about feeling comfortable laughing at each other and yourself. Pointing a finger at ourselves we burst into peals of laughter. Passers-by looked on in horrified fascination.

I was surprised at how natural it felt to laugh in the company of complete strangers. It was slightly awkward at first, but I quickly overcame my self-consciousness and it soon started to feel quite natural. After an hour of non-stop laughter, I felt both energized and relaxed.

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It feels like a proper workout, business analyst Zoe gasped at the end of the class. Always keen to try new experiences, she said this one was completely surreal, like nothing Ive ever done before.

I love it when you laugh so hard you get winded, IT consultant Jude told me. Hes been attending Ellies Laughter Playshop for over a year. I have quite a tough job and I like to escape. Laughter yoga is a good form of escapism, not like alcohol or drugs. Its not good to be serious all the time, laughter yoga allows you to be silly and go back to your childhood.

Ellie and Jude met at a silent disco in Trafalgar Square. They both started going to the laughter playshops and a year ago Ellie became a facilitator. I havent done any formal training. I just practise the exercises by myself.

What do people think when they hear laughter yoga? They think were a bunch of hippies, Jude laughed.

The unconventional yoga class certainly draws attention and the uninhibited behaviour of the participants is met with disapproving glances. But next time I walk past a laughter yoga group, I wont judge. Ill know theyre having a really good time.

Ellies Laughter Playshop is every Wednesday at 7pm at the Nelson Mandela statue, outside the Royal Festival Hall, central London. Classes cost 5, or 3 online via the meetup page. If you pay for 4 classes at one time, you get the 5th class free
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Rogue fertility clinics operating in countries with few or no legal controls over IVF technology are likely to be the first to experiment with a new gene-editing technique to produce genetically-modified babies, senior scientists have warned.

One researcher who advises the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in Britain said the prospect of rogue IVF clinics creating the first GM babies worries him because of the potential for serious harm to the children who are born as a result.

Im very, very concerned about this. This whole notion of rogue clinics is something that has occupied fertility science for many years where these clinics have cropped up in many different countries, including the US, which are offering treatments with no real basis in science and may be dangerous in some cases, said Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem-cell scientist at the Crick Institute in London.

You can quite easily imagine that if you were to apply these gene-editing techniques, then the places it would happen would have to be associated with IVF clinics. In the UK we are lucky to have good regulation but in many countries there is no regulation, or minimal regulation, he told the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

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The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. 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The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. 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Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. 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Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. 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The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

You can quite easily imagine a combination of egos of the person running the clinic and someone who wants to have treatment and has enough cash saying Ill give you $50,000 or whatever  and that scares me, it really scares me. Its bad for the field, he said.

The development of a powerful gene-editing technology called Crispr-Cas9 has transformed the ability of geneticists to make changes to the human genome.

One group at the Crick Institute has already been given approval by the HFEA to use Crispr-Cas9 to undertake genetic modification of IVF embryos specifically donated for research into the genes that are important for the development of the foetus in the womb  although experimental IVF embryos will not be implanted into the womb nor allowed to live beyond about seven days.

However, Professor Lovell-Badge and many others in the field are concerned the private fertility business will be tempted to experiment with Crispr-Cas9 and offer it as a potential treatment for couples with genetic problems that they do not want to pass on to their children, or as a way of offering genetic enhancements, such as taller stature.

Commenting on the fears, Lord Winston, the fertility pioneer, said from London: With the power of the market and the open information published in journals, I am sure humans will want to try to enhance their children.

Professor Francoise Baylis, a fertility ethicist at Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax, Canada, said the pressure to start using Crispr-Cas9 on babies will come as much from parents as from commercially-motivated clinics.

Its a very real worry many of the activities in the area of human reproduction have move forward without proper clinical trials, which has meant we dont actually have data that is robust in the clinical context, she told the meeting.
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Q. I recently found some Visa dollar traveller's cheques issued by Citicorp. They are about 15 years old and have a face value of $500 [345 at today's exchange rate]. I would like to cash them in.

I took them to Lloyds bank, which has my current account. It initially accepted, countersigned and stamped them. Three days later it called me to say that its head office had refused to accept the cheques and would I please collect them? Lloyds then told me to take them to Barclays. However, Barclays refused to accept them as they had been stamped by Lloyds. Lloyds refuses to take responsibility for its mistake. I don't have the original receipts any more. HV, by email

A. We spoke to Citi, which is willing to encash them, but needs to discuss with you the most practical way to arrange this. A spokesman for Citi said: "Clients need a financial institution they can count on for the long term, so Citi is pleased to assist in covering the value of these cheques in this instance."

You tell us that in the meantime you escalated your complaint with Lloyds. "The bank has now said it will refund the cheques as well as compensate me for the inconvenience and as a goodwill gesture," you told us.

Am I paying too much VAT with TalkTalk?

Q. TalkTalk has refused to provide any information about the VAT charged on our phone and internet account.

First I was told I would need to subscribe to paper billing, but that provided no information, and then I was repeatedly promised letters that never arrived.

I want to know if I have been overcharged. My utility company charges 5 per cent VAT, but it seems that I am being charged 20 per cent by TalkTalk. GP, London

A. VAT has been charged correctly. Energy is subject to a reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent. Telecoms, including broadband, are subject to the full VAT rate of 20 per cent. But TalkTalk apologises for not providing an adequate response when you requested VAT invoices. There is a section on its website  help2.talktalk.co.uk/how-do-i-request-vat-invoice  which explains how to arrange both paper and VAT invoices.

How should I fund a buy-to-let apartment?

Q. I am purchasing a buy-to-let apartment. I own three other properties, which I financed with cash. This latest property will cost me 51,000 and I have around 30,000 in cash. I am 62, self-employed and my taxable income is between 50,000 and 60,000 a year. What is my best mortgage option for raising the other 20,000? I can probably repay the money in full within two years. BB, Northern Ireland

A. Ray Boulger, of the mortgage broker John Charcol, questions whether a mortgage is your best option. Set-up costs can be high, most lenders will require a minimum loan of 25,000, and you need to find a mortgage that comes without early-repayment charges. As you are buying in Northern Ireland, you are further restricted as several lenders will not provide mortgages there.

"I think you would find it cheaper to borrow on an unsecured basis  either an unsecured loan or a 0 per cent money-transfer credit card deal, or perhaps a combination of the two," he said. "With several lenders offering unsecured loans from 7,500 up to as much as 25,000 in some cases, I think this would probably be a better option than a mortgage. Of the credit cards that offer a money transfer, Virgin Money currently has the best deal for new customers  0 per cent for 32 months for a 1.69 per cent fee. Once the fee has been paid, there are no costs for two years and eight months.

"For disciplined borrowers, the best way to maximise the benefit of this card is to set up a direct debit to pay the minimum each month  and then put any additional savings in an account that pays interest; the intention would be to save enough to pay off the credit card after 32 months. The cost of the money on this basis, in effect, is less than 0.7 per cent a year.

"MBNA also provides this facility, but is less competitive. Both Barclaycard and MBNA offer money transfers to some customers. The best rate currently available on personal loans is 3.3 per cent, from HSBC, M&S and Zopa. M&S provides loans between 7,500 and 15,000 for up to seven years; HSBC has loans between 7,000 and 15,000 for up to five years; Zopa offers loans between 7,500 and 15,000 for two to five years.

"Zopa also has loans of between 15,001 and 20,000 for four or five years at 3.6 per cent, and between 20,001 and 25,000 for one to five years at 3.9 per cent. There are no early-repayment charges with Zopa.

"As a comparison, for a small remortgage on a buy-to-let basis meeting the key requirements, the cheapest deal is from Leeds building society at 2.4 per cent, which is a 3.59 per cent discount on its standard variable rate for two years. This is available up to 60 per cent loan to value and has a fee of only 199, a free valuation and, on remortgages, no legal fees. There are no early- repayment charges."
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HSBC, Europes biggest bank, has caved into pressure and agreed to cancel a pay freeze set for this year after a revolt by staff.

The chief executive Stuart Gulliver told employees that the freeze had been rolled back after protests from bank managers over the plan.

The move comes just two weeks after Mr Gulliver said that the traditional bump in pay packets scheduled for this tax year had been cancelled to help the bank cut costs.

Now the decision has been reversed. We have listened to feedback and as a result decided to change the way these cost savings are to be achieved, Mr Gulliver told staff in an email.

We will proceed with the pay rises as originally proposed by managers as part of the 2015 pay review  noting that, consistent with prior years, not all staff will receive a pay rise.

HSBC is hoping to save $5bn (3.5bn) in costs by 2017, and put the pay freeze in place to meet this target. A moratorium on hiring will remain in place.

Staff will learn whether they are to receive a pay rise in their annual performance reviews, which take place in the days after HSBC reveals full-year results on 22 February. Any rises will take effect in March.

The money for the pay hikes will be taken from the 2016 bonus pot, which starts accruing next month. Whatever is left over after the pay rises are taken into account will be distributed as bonuses in 2017  meaning those payouts could be significantly lower next year. Bonuses for 2015 are set to be paid to staff next month.

As flagged in our Investor Update, we have targeted significant cost reductions by the end of 2017, HSBC said in a statement.

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The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. 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Bank pay has come under pressure in Europe due to plunging profits, with a number of lenders, such as Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, cutting jobs while Barclays has also introduced a hiring freeze. In June HSBC unveiled a plan to cut up to 25,000 jobs and close unprofitable parts of the business.

Mr Gullivers move on bonuses will keep the cost of the pay increase away from the banks obligations on its variable costs, which will give it more flexibility in meeting the $5bn savings target.

The bank, whose shares slid by 21.25p to 420.15p yesterday in a falling market, is due to decide imminently about whether to move its base out of the UK. The proposal has been subject to a long-running review, although Mr Gulliver is believed to be leaning towards a decision to remain in London.
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The conflicts in Syria and Iraq continued to take a big chunk out of cigarette sales at Imperial Brands in the final three months of 2015.

The company (which changed its name from Imperial Tobacco earlier this month) said that withdrawing completely from Syria, where its Gauloises and Gitanes cigarettes have been big sellers, and further disruption to supplies in Iraq, accounted for nearly half the 9.1 per cent fall in volumes in the quarter.

But the ability to push price rises through for cigarettes in the UK, Germany and Australia  and the benefits of last years $7bn (4.9bn) US takeover of ITG Brands (Kool, Winston and Salem)  helped boost tobacco revenues by 16.6 per cent to 1.63bn.

A spokesman said that while Syria and Iraq had traditionally been important markets for Imperial, particularly its French brands, they were less important in terms of profitability. He added that the impact of the two countries on sales would begin to unwind in the next few months and be less marked in the second half of the year.

In the US the group has upped marketing for both the Winston and Kool cigarette brands, which it said had made them more visible in shops.

Imperial also reported growth in both its cheaper and premium cigars.

Its chief executive Alison Cooper said: We are further sharpening our focus on quality revenue growth and have advanced the simplification of our portfolio... In the US, the ITG Brands team has made excellent progress in the quarter, successfully executing our retailer and wholesale programmes and establishing the foundations for a year of strong delivery.

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Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. 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On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty

The group is still expecting to make 55m of cost savings during 2016  part of its plans to cut costs by a total of 300m by the end of 2018. It recently closed a factory in Logrono, Spain  a move that it blamed, in part, on the increasing number of smuggled cigarettes making it into the country.

Imperial said that it was well placed to meet expectations for the full year  a period in which it will also benefit from the impact of no longer distributing Philip Morris brands in the UK and Morocco; the 10-year deal ended last September.
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Its not only massive oil companies Shell and BP that have been forced to cut jobs because of low oil prices.

Now even Isis fighters are feeling the pinch.

Leaked documents appear to show that Isis is cutting salaries for its foreign fighters by up to 50 per cent because of the jihad of wealth and the jihad of soul.

Documents purporting to be from the Isis treasury department, or the Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen, posted online said: On account of the exceptional circumstances the Islamic State is facing, it has been decided to reduce the salaries that are paid to all mujahideen by half.

It is not allowed for anyone to be exempted from this decision, whatever his position.

Those exceptional circumstances are reported to be continued air strikes of Syria-based Isis oil operations and low oil prices..

Foreign fighters were previously paid double their local counterparts, Oilprice.com has reported. The wage cut brings their pay in line with local fighters.

Media outlets in the Balkans, where many Middle Eastern fighters reportedly came from, said that many foreign fighters are defecting in light of the cuts

A report by the Financial Action Task Force in 2015 said that Isis profits from its control of large oil fields in eastern Syria and western and northern Iraq.

The report said that, as well as using petrol and selling it to local customers, Isis was selling oil near the pump for between $20-35 per barrel to middlemen, who could sell it on for between $60-100 per barrel.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

The price of oil has fallen from $100 a barrel in 2015 to around $30, making that sort of mark-up unlikely in 2016.

Air strikes involving the UK also been targeting Isis-controlled airfields, to try and cut off supply.

Isis has other revenue streams. It is reported to have taken control of hundreds of millions of dollars in a 2014 raid on an Iraqi bank.

But as the leaked document appears to show, it is not immune from changes to global markets.
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Richard Dawkins has been forced to cancel appearances in Australia and New Zealand after suffering a minor stroke.

The controversial atheist writer, 74, fell ill at the weekend before he was due to appear at the Sydney Opera House. His stroke was described as minor and he is expected to make a full or near full recovery.

The House said in a statement: On Saturday night Richard suffered a minor stroke, however, he is expected in time to make a full or near full recovery. He is already at home recuperating.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

This, unfortunately, means Richard will be unable to make his planned Australian and New Zealand tour.

He is very disappointed that he is unable to do so but looks forward to renewing his plans in the not too distant future.

A spokesperson for Dawkins could not provide any further details on his recovery, telling The Independent: I think we would have to leave it at that. He has had to call off the tour to Australia and New Zealand and other engagements that he's got are being handled on an individual basis.
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A scientist accidentally spoiled one of the biggest scientific announcements this century  by baking a cake.

Erin Ryan is a research associate at the University Maryland and works at Nasa, who had baked a cake to celebrate the announcement of the detection of gravitational waves. She tweeted a picture of her work in celebration  but 14 minutes before anyone was supposed to know.

Scientists heard the all-important gravitational wave back in September, and have been working to check and understand it since. It meant that many scientists already knew about the news.

But the official announcement was embargoed until 10.30 local time. That meant that reporters and other scientists already knew about the news, but werent supposed to announce it until the team had a chance to do so.

However, the cake broke that embargo, and announced the discovery at 10.16.

Ryan said on the Twitter account, where posted the cake, that the embargo only applied to the press. It didnt cover all other people, including if they just wrote the news down on a baked good, she said.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. 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And, she claimed, the cake picture wasnt the moment that the embargo was actually broken. That was when she commissioned the cake, she wrote  Embargo was already broken to tell the baker!

Ryan previously broke another embargo by tweeting a picture of the cake that showed the discovery of a chemical on Titan, one of Saturns moons. She said that her boss officially reprimanded me for breaking the propene embargo for Cassini.
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Nicky Morgan reportedly "waged a valiant battle" with David Cameron over his decision to block compulsory sex education in classrooms across the country.

On Wednesday the Education Secretary rejected MPs calls to make sex and relationship education compulsory in all schools, to the dismay of many campaigners. At the moment the lessons are not mandatory in academies or faith schools  where parents can refuse to allow their children to participate.

The National Aids Trust said it was extremely disappointed at the decision.

But, according to Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, the Education Secretary waged a valiant battle to persuade the Prime Minister for the case of mandatory sex education classes in all schools. Newman adds: What's worse is David Cameron decided to ignore the entreaties not only of his Education Secretary  and the aforementioned assembled ranks of supporters and experts  but also several other senior women in the Cabinet.

According to the report, the Home Secretary Theresa May, the Business Minister Anna Soubry and International Development Secretary Justine Greening all backed the change in policy.

A government source told Ms Newman: Theres a divideFor me it gets to the heart of why we need more women in politics. Its not just because it should be fair, its just these are the sort of issues which they understand and the men dont.

A source close to the Education Secretary, however, told the Independent they did not recognise any description of a row.

 parents-on-pupil-sex-education.jpg

A spokesperson for Mrs Morgan added: Both the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister believe that young people should be provided with a curriculum for life that prepares them to succeed in modern Britain  high quality teaching of PSHE is one way schools should be doing that.

After careful consideration, we believe it is not the availability but the quality of PSHE teaching that is the most pressing issue and we have now asked leading head teachers and practitioners to produce an action plan for improving PSHE. We have also received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.

Cabinet reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt promoted to Health Secretary as Andrew Lansley and Ken Clarke are demoted Show all 3 1 /3 Cabinet reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt promoted to Health Secretary as Andrew Lansley and Ken Clarke are demoted Cabinet reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt promoted to Health Secretary as Andrew Lansley and Ken Clarke are demoted reshuffle.jpg Getty Images; PA Cabinet reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt promoted to Health Secretary as Andrew Lansley and Ken Clarke are demoted Clarke2GETTY.jpg Getty Images Cabinet reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt promoted to Health Secretary as Andrew Lansley and Ken Clarke are demoted Theresa-Villiers.jpg Reuters

We will continue to keep the status of PSHE under review and work with these experts to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and SRE.

Lucy Emmerson, co-ordinator of the Sex Education Forum, described the sex education lessons earlier this week as "every child's right".

"Yet the government has ignored the views of parents, teachers and pupils and failed to guarantee that all children, in all schools, get this vital learning for life," she added.

"SRE must begin in primary school and build year-on-year to enable young people to understand a wide spectrum of issues, including the difference between acceptable and abusive behaviour, consent and sexual health.
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A Saudi billionaire applied to become a diplomat in a "spurious" bid to claim diplomatic immunity and defeat his ex-wife's financial claim against him in the UK, a High Court judge has ruled.

Christina Estrada, a former Pirelli calendar girl, is seeking a multimillion-pound share of Sheikh Walid Juffali's estimated 4 billion fortune after 13 years of marriage and the birth of a daughter, now aged 13.

Dr Juffali argued he had already provided the London-based former supermodel with a "generous" settlement, and his diplomatic status shielded him from any financial claim in the courts.

The 60-year-old international businessman believed he had acquired diplomatic immunity when he was appointed a permanent representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia in April 2014.

But Mr Justice Hayden, sitting in the High Court family division in London, ruled his appointment was "an entirely artificial construct" - and marked the second time he had sought to avoid the English divorce courts.

The judge said it was legitimate to observe that Dr Juffali had gone to "considerable lengths in the divorce of his first wife, who also lived in the UK with their children, to avoid the jurisdiction of the English court."

The judge added: "I am satisfied that a similar motivation to avoid the jurisdiction of this court is the driving force behind (Dr Juffali) seeking the IMO appointment."

The judge also found Dr Juffali was liable to face the courts because of his residence in the UK, where he owns several luxury properties.

Saudi billionaire and St Lucian diplomat Walid Juffali, right, with Christina Estrada in 2010 (Rex)

Dr Juffali's spokesman Michael Farrant said later the tycoon was proud to serve as St Lucia's permanent representative to the IMO and the judge's ruling would be appealed in the Court of Appeal.

Mr Farrant said the judge's comments were "deeply offensive" and his findings set "a dangerous precedent for diplomats everywhere".

Mr Farrant added: "He (Dr Juffali) does not believe that the English justice system has performed its duties in an appropriate manner in this case, nor that an English judge has the capacity or right to intrude on matters relating to the diplomatic arrangements and/or appointments of another state.

"In addition, Dr Juffali has been surprised and disappointed by the calculated misinformation campaign that wrongly asserts that he does not and has not provided generous financial support to his family. He has done and continues to do so."

Ms Estrada, 53, had argued her former husband's diplomatic status appeared to be "a flag of convenience" and the tycoon had never attended a meeting of the IMO since his appointment.

The former supermodel also gave evidence in court that he was seriously ill with cancer in a Swiss hospital unable to carry out diplomatic activity and his diplomatic status was a "contrivance" to defeat her case.

Rejecting the ex-husband's application to strike out her financial claim, the judge declared: "I am satisfied that what has transpired here is that (Dr Juffali) has sought and obtained a diplomatic appointment with the sole intention of defeating (Ms Estrada's) claims consequent on the breakdown of their marriage.

"Dr Juffali has not, in any real sense, taken up his appointment, nor has he discharged any responsibilities in connection with it. It is an entirely artificial construct."

Frances Hughes, senior partner of law firm Hughes Fowler Carruthers, who represented the ex-wife, welcomed the ruling.

Ms Hughes said: "Mr Justice Hayden has found that Dr Juffali sought diplomatic immunity with the sole intention of defeating my client's claims.

"The issue of diplomatic immunity is one with profound international importance, and my client is grateful to the judge for his clear findings in her case.

"Nevertheless, all my client seeks is an appropriate and fair settlement of herself and the parties' daughter."

Dr Juffali divorced Ms Estrada in Saudi Arabia but asserts in court statements that he has made "generous" provision and acquired for her a property in Beverly Hills, California.

He says he already pays Ms Estrada 100,000 US dollars (70,700) per month and meets all the expenses of their 13-year-old daughter and intends to make further provision for her "at the appropriate time".

Recommended Read more Saudi diplomat accused of raping two maids leaves India

Ms Estrada says Dr Juffali obtained the divorce without her knowledge and it is not possible for her to bring any financial claims against him in his Saudi homeland.

According to papers before the court, London-based Ms Estrada's claim, if successful, could potentially be worth "many millions of pounds". She has said she is "unsure" of the legal ownership of the Beverly Hills property.

She obtained leave under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, which relates to overseas divorces, to make an application for financial relief in the family courts in London.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA

Ms Estrada's legal team argued that any immunity he did have was limited to his official, diplomatic functions and did not extend to the family court proceedings because he is "a permanent resident" of the UK with strong and enduring ties to the country, including those with his ex-wife and his daughter, who was born in England.

Her lawyers submitted Dr Juffali had acquired from his mother Bishopsgate House, a 10-bedroom property set in 40 acres adjoining Windsor Great Park which was the matrimonial home and valued in the region of 100 million.

He had also acquired a 41 million property in Walton Place, Kensington and Chelsea, south-west London, and a substantial property in Devon.

Although the properties were now subject to trust and corporate structures, they were clear indications of his very close ties to England.

Dr Juffali's legal team argued that he had substantial property elsewhere, including in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and did not permanently reside in the UK.

They also contended he enjoyed "general immunity" from being sued in the UK courts, including by his ex-wife, under Article 15 of the International Maritime Organisation (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2015.

But the judge rejected Dr Juffali's arguments.

Press Association
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More than 60,000 people in less than 24 hours have signed a petition calling for the government to debate a vote of no confidence in Jeremy Hunt, amid an intense row over junior doctors' contracts.

The growing backlash from the public follows the Health Secretarys controversial decision to impose the new junior doctor contract without further negotiations with the medical profession. The British Medical Association said that it would consider all options open to us and a full walk-out from accident and emergency departments will be back on the table.

The petition, which is gathering momentum on social media, says: Mr Hunt recently gave totally inappropriate advice to Google conditions before seeking medical opinion.

Recommended Read more Jeremy Hunt event cancelled after junior doctors buy tickets

It adds: He referred to Paramedics as Ambulance Drivers and has caused the first Doctors strike in years of the NHS. Mr Hunt is destroying all staff morale in the NHS & will cause recruitment issues.

The government is obliged to respond to petitions submitted to its website that reach 10,000. If it reaches 100,000 it will be considered by a committee made up of 11 MPs and has the potential to end up as a debate in the Commons.

Meanwhile, a second petition also gathering momentum has been launched, calling on the Health Secretary to resume meaningful contract negotiations with the BMA. At the time of writing, it had over 45,000 signatures.

 Junior Doctors Contract

The petition says: J. Hunt is to impose a new contract. As incoming junior doctors, with GMC registration, starting work as an FY1 in August 2016 and junior doctors working within the NHS we will refuse to sign the imposed contract and will continue strike action on behalf of the medical profession and greater public.

In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London

Yesterday, the Health Secretary announced that NHS junior doctors will be forced to accept a controversial new contract without agreement or further negotiation. He added that imposing the contract unilaterally would end uncertainty in the health service.

Doctors have been on strike over the new contract, which they say will put patient safety at risk and leave medics working the longest hours worse off.

The new terms of employment re-define anti-social hours and make it cheaper for hospitals to roster doctors on weekends and evenings. In retaliation, up to 300 junior doctors and other campaigners protested outside Mr Hunts department and called on him to resign.
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The Government has been accused of preparing to gerrymander the parliamentary system in the Conservatives favour in a review of constituency boundaries that will cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

The major political parties will hold talks with the Boundary Commission when work gets under way later this month on redrawing the parliamentary map.

It is due to come into force at the 2020 general election and is expected disproportionately to affect Labour MPs, who tend to represent constituencies with smaller electorates.

Eleven months ago the Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee argued that the number of MPs should be gradually reduced instead of scrapping 50 parliamentary seats at a stroke.

It also called for greater flexibility in the size of constituencies, arguing for electorates to be within 10 per cent of the national average, rather than the 5 per cent advocated by the Government.

But Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin rejected the cross-party committees key recommendations, saying the subject had been extensively debated and settled in 2011 when legislation was passed bringing the proposed cut in constituencies into effect.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA

In a furious response, Labour MP Graham Allen, who chaired the committee during the last parliament, denounced the Governments response as another affront to our democratic process.

He said: It is appalling that the Government has simply rejected the recommendations of PCRC out of hand, especially seen as it had taken them nearly a whole year to reply. I will be raising this matter with the Speaker.

The Conservative Government is quite clearly trying to fix the electoral system for its own party advantage by ignoring the sensible recommendations made by the committee.

Detailed work on drawing up the new boundaries will follow the publication on 24 February of updated statistics on the size of the electorate.

The Boundary Commission is expected to stick closely to the map it published in 2013, when its implementation was delayed by the Liberal Democrats. Under those proposals, more than half the UKs constituencies would have faced major changes.

Tory and Labour officials have already discussed the impact of the expected changes in internal meetings and will make detailed representations to the commission within weeks.

Most experts believe the impact of the new constituencies will be to cost Labour 20 seats. If the proposed new boundaries had been used in last Mays election, the Tories would now enjoy an overall majority of 44 rather than 12, according to UK Polling Report.
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The daughter of former Conservative cabinet member Andrew Mitchell has called on Jeremy Hunt to be sacked for alienating an entire generation of junior doctors.

In a letter to the Guardian, Dr Hannah Mitchell - a junior doctor currently working on a research project in Botswana - accused the Health Secretary of misusing statistics and painting [them] as the problem.

She said: What Jeremy Hunt has managed to achieve is nothing short of spectacular. Health secretaries have come and gone, imposing new measures of varying unpopularity on the NHS but not one has managed to so completely unite doctors in their dislike and alienate healthcare workers across the board in the way he has.

He says we lack vocation, he paints us as the problem. The morale of the workforce is at breaking point, with [the] imposition [of the contract] the goodwill of doctors who work hours beyond those they are rota-ed and paid to do will dry up.

She said she is likely to seek permanent work in South Africa after he research trip ends and is unlikely to return to the UK if Mr Hunt imposes his proposed new contract on doctors.

Mr Hunt announced in Parliament that he will "unilaterally" impose a contract on Thursday after talks brokered by the mediation service Acas broke down.

 Junior Doctors Contract

Junior doctors went on strike on Wednesday in protest at the proposed changes to their terms of employment which will re-define anti-social hours and make it cheaper for hospitals to make doctors work on weekends and evenings.

They say they are already at breaking point in terms of the number of hours they are working and that the changes will affect patient safety by encouraging dangerous shift patterns.

A survey reported by the Independent on Wednesday found that over 90 per cent of junior doctors would leave the profession if the contract was imposed without agreement.

In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London

Dr Mitchell accused Mr Hunt of demonising the British Medical Association - which has led the protests - and said junior doctors had no confidence in him so be must be sacked.

Speaking to the Guardian, her father Andrew Mitchell said there was not a three line whip in the Mitchell household and there is no dad in the country who is prouder of his daughters and the fantastic doctor that Hannah has become.

Mr Mitchell famously lost his cabinet position after an alleged altercation with a police officer outside Downing Street where was accused of calling the man a pleb.
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Councils across the country are abusing powers aimed at preventing anti-social behaviours, using them against people ranging from dog walkers to buskers, campaigners have warned Home Office minister Lord Ahmad.

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) can be used to ban anything deemed to be a persistent nuisance, with penalties including court fines of up to 1,000.

But there is mounting concern over the way the orders, which apply to England and Wales, are being used.

In the latest of a series of controversies, it emerged last week that under a PSPO by Havering Council, London, parents could be fined if deemed to be parking dangerously while dropping off their children at school.

Local authorities are throwing these things around like confetti, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones told The Independent.

He has written a letter to Lord Ahmad, which is signed by seven organisations including Liberty, the Kennel Club, and the Musicians Union.

The Governments guidance says that the orders should not be used to ban reasonable activities.

But the consensus of those monitoring PSPO enforcement, and many of those at the sharp end, is that the statutory guidance is not sufficiently clear and is not preventing the inappropriate use of these powers to restrict reasonable activities, the letter says.

And PSPOs are being used without any prior evidence of significant harm, it states.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, should warn local authorities against misusing the powers, and meet with campaigners to strengthen the existing guidance, says the letter.

The Home Office does not comment on private correspondence. But a spokesman for the Local Government Association said: Public Space Protection Orders can be used to address anti-social activities in public spaces, which are having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of local people.
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Most of the NHS bosses who Jeremy Hunt claimed supported his decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors have said they do not actually support the decision.

The Health Secretary produced a letter apparently signed by 20 NHS chief executives who he said backed his plan to impose the new deal without further negotiations.

Trade publication the Health Service Journal has however contacted the chief executives and found that at least 14 denied supporting the letter.

Recommended Read more Jeremy Hunt event cancelled after junior doctors buy tickets

The magazine says Mr Hunt gave the bosses a deadline of just four hours to respond to his request for support.

Though the named executives support the proposed contract, most how now have distanced themselves from the forced imposition.

I was very unhappy to see my name added to an endorsement of the final offer for NHS Employers. As whether it was fair and reasonable was exactly what I'd been asked, Claire Murdoch, CEO of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust told the magazine.

The Guardian subsequently have me as supporting the imposition. I have told NHS Employers to remove my name and they have done so.

The British Medical Association warned yesterday that the contract had alienated an entire generation of doctors, while the Royal College of GPs said it would trash doctors morale and make it harder to recruit enough medics for the NHS.

Mr Hunt himself has launched an inquiry into junior doctor morale, but has refused to meet junior doctors head on for a debate.

In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London

The Health Secretary pulled out of a planned drinks and canapes event this evening where he was set to be the star attraction  amid fears doctors could turn up and quiz him.

NHS executives who denied support Mr Hunts decision include Miles Scott, chief executive of St Georges Trust, Andrew Foster, of Wrightington, Wigan, and Weight NHS Foundation Trust, ad David Sloman, of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Others are Professor Dr Stephen Dunn, of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, David Loughton of Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Joe Harrison of Milton Keynes NHS Foundation Trust, and Sir Andrew Cash of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

More still were Claire Murdoch of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Peter Homa, of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Peter Miller of Leicestershire Partnerships NHS Trust and Susan Acott, chief executive of Dartford and Gravesham Trust.

The Government says the new contract will improve patient care at the weekends but junior doctors say it will incentivise unsafe staffing rosters and put patient care at risk.

The British Medical Association, which has been leading negotiations on behalf of junior doctors, said it would look at all options available to it in order to prevent the contract from being implemented.

Junior doctors have staged two days of strike action as part of negotiations; those who voted were 98 per cent in favour of taking action.
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A petition calling for a vote of no confidence in Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will be considered for debate in Parliament after reaching more than 100,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.

The backlash follows the Health Secretary's controversial decision to impose the new junior doctor's contract without further negotiations with the medical profession.

The petition says: "Mr Hunt recently gave totally inappropriate advice to Google conditions before seeking medical opinion."

It adds: "He referred to Paramedics as Ambulance Drivers and has caused the first Doctors strike in years of the NHS. Mr Hunt is destroying all staff morale in the NHS & will cause recruitment issues."

In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London

Parliament considers all petitions which get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. It will be considered by a committee made up of 11 MPs and has the potential to end up as a debate in the House of Commons.

Yesterday, the Health Secretary said imposing the controversial new contract unilaterally would end "uncertainty" in the health service.

Doctors have been on strike over the new contract, which they argue will put patient safety at risk and leave medics working the longest hours worse off.

The new terms of employment re-define anti-social hours and make it cheaper for hospitals to roster doctors on weekends and evenings.
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A right-wing think-tank secured a dramatic shift in government policy, to ban charities from using public funds to lobby, after receiving a ring-fenced donation to promote the change, The Independent can reveal.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Britains oldest neoliberal think-tank, accepted 15,000 from an unnamed source to develop its controversial proposals to prevent charities from using public grants to lobby ministers, civil servants or MPs.

Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock last week announced that the Government was implementing the change and cited the IEAs extensive research on the issue as a principal influence on the decision. The ban has been described by charities as a gagging clause designed to restrict their ability to inform Whitehall decisions.

The IEA, which has previously accepted donations from tobacco companies while publicly raising tobacco-related issues such as plain cigarette packaging, declined to name the source of the donation, made in 2013. It insisted the money had come from an individual rather than a company and was not used to commission research.

But the existence of the donation and the IEAs success in persuading ministers to adopt its proposals, set out in a series of policy papers between 2012 and 2014, will raise questions about the links between the Government and think-tanks, as well as the transparency of the policymaking process.

How The Independent reported the Brexit campaigns links with the IEA

A study last year of 169 think-tanks by the Transparify campaign group gave the IEA the lowest rating for transparency of its donations, describing it as highly opaque.

Senior charity executives said that it was highly unusual for government to announce a significant policy change based on one organisations work.

Kathy Evans, head of Children England, said: This is a policy that was announced without consultation  there has been no effort to seek input from those affected.

It raises extremely important issues. I would defend to the hilt the importance of charities being able to provide to ministers and MPs information that goes into the policymaking process. Charities and voluntary groups are often the only voice of those vulnerable groups affected.

I dont think that the IEA should be more influential towards government on the basis that they dont receive public funds. I think it is perfectly legitimate to ask, in a democracy, what is the source of funding that results in a change in policy?

Charities and politicians from all major parties have reacted angrily to the introduction of the anti-advocacy clauses into all grants from public bodies.

The IEA was one of two think-tanks with close ties to the main Out groups whose supposedly independent research was being used to make the case for Brexit. (PA)

Sarah Wollaston, a former GP who is now Conservative chairwoman of the Commons health select committee, warned that the changes would have serious consequences in the public health sector where balance [is] already distorted in favour of industry.

A leading think-tank on the charities sector said that the Cabinet Offices announcement was bad policymaking. Dan Corry, CEO of New Philanthropy Capital, said: I cannot remember any government putting out a press release saying they have decided to change the law as a result of one think-tanks reports. It is very hard to understand why there has not been proper research and a proper process looking at these proposals.

Britains 165,000 charities receive about 100bn in income, of which 13bn comes from grants from local and national government. The IEA claimed in three reports that such state funding was having a perverse effect by making charities less inclined to criticise government policy and thereby creating sock puppet organisations which were an unnecessary and wasteful use of taxpayers money.

The IEAs accounts filed to the Charity Commission show that, after its two initial reports in 2012 and 2013 on sock puppets, the organisation received restricted funds of 15,000 that could be spent only on this issue.

A note on the most recent accounts for 2014 shows that the money was spent that year to develop further the ideas within the Sock Puppets web papers already published.

When asked by how often it had met with ministers or officials to discuss its proposals, the IEA said: As often as we were able.

The IEA defended its sock puppet research as thorough. (AFP/Getty)

Cabinet Office sources said that Mr Hancock had not met with anyone from the think-tank over the proposals. A spokeswoman added that the new measures had been piloted by the Department for Communities and Local Government over the past year.

This week, The Independent revealed that the IEA was one of two think-tanks with close ties to the main Out groups whose supposedly independent research was being used to make the case for Brexit.

The IEA defended its sock puppet research as thorough, adding that it was under no obligation to disclose the identity of its donor.
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A teenage girl sent by extremist group Boko Haram to blow up a refugee camp tore off her explosive vest and fled as soon as she was out of sight of her handlers.

Her two companions blew themselves up in the Dikwa refugee camp in northeast Nigeria, killing at least 58 people.

The girl who refused to kill herself and others was later found by local security forces. She is now in custody and has given officials information about other planned bombings, helping them to increase security at the camp.

Recommended Read more 2 female suicide bombers kill at least 56 in Nigerian refugee camp

"She said she was scared because she knew she would kill people," Modu Awami, a self-defence fighter who helped question the girl, said.

"But she was also frightened of going against the instructions of the men who brought her to the camp."

The girl was among thousands held captive for months by the extremists, according to Algoni Lawan, a spokesman for the Ngala local government area.

She confessed to our security operatives that she was worried if she went ahead and carried out the attack that she might kill her own father, who she knew was in the camp," he said.

The rise of Boko Haram Show all 20 1 /20 The rise of Boko Haram The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau delivers a message. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the mass killings in the north-east Nigerian town of Baga in a video where he warned the massacre was just the tip of the iceberg. As many as 2,000 civilians were killed and 3,700 homes and business were destroyed in the 3 January 2015 attack on the town near Nigeria's border with Cameroon AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks in the northeast region of Nigeria, are seen near their tents at a faith-based camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Yola, Adamawa State. Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state that will revive the glory days of northern Nigeria's medieval Muslim empires, but for those in its territory life is a litany of killings, kidnappings, hunger and economic collapse The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted and held hostage by suspected Boko Haram militants, is seen as he arrives at the Yaounde Nsimalen International airport after his release in Yaounde, Cameroon on 21 January 2015 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Officials of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visit victims of a bomb blast in Gombe at the Specialist Hospital in Gombe. According to local reports at least six people were killed and 11 wounded after a bomb blast in a marketplace in Nigeria's northeastern state of Gombe on 16 January 2015. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for a string of recent attacks in the North East of Nigeria The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in a area know to be targeted by the militant group Boko Haram in Kano on 28 November 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather to look at a burnt vehicle following a bomb explosion that rocked the busiest roundabout near the crowded Market in Maiduguri, Borno State on 1 July 2014. A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the city repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram President Goodluck Jonathan visits Nigerian Army soldiers fighting Boko Haram Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Displaced people from Baga listen to Goodluck Jonathan after the Boko Haram killings AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan speaking to troops during a visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State; most of the region has been overrun by Boko Haram AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Members of the Nigerian military patrolling in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria, close to the scene of attacks by Boko Haram EPA The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, appears in a video in which he warns Cameroon it faces the same fate as Nigeria AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima (C) weeps as she speaks with school girls from the government secondary school Chibok that were kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, and later escaped in Chibok The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram South Africans protest in solidarity against the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram and what protesters said was the failure of the Nigerian government and international community to rescue them, during a march to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Haram militants have seized the town in north-eastern Nigeria that nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from in April 2014 AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A soldier stands guard in front of burnt buses after an attack in Abuja. Twin blasts at a bus station packed with morning commuters on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital killed dozens of people, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Boko Haram Islamists, April 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The aftermath of the attack, when Boko Haram fighters in trucks painted in military colours killed 51 people in Konduga in February 2014 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau (with papers) in a video grab taken in July 2014 AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Ruins of burnt out houses in the north-eastern settlement of Baga, pictured after Boko Haram attacks in 2013 AP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A Boko Haram attack in Nigeria, 2013 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau, Boko Harams leader AP

The girl tried to persuade her companions to abandon the mission, he added, "but she said she could not convince the two others to change their minds".

Her story was corroborated when she led soldiers to the unexploded vest.

Boko Haram's six-year insurgency has killed around 20,000 people and made around 2.5 million homeless.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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The kindergartners at Rio Vista Elementary School likely won't finish college until 2032, but their tuition is already accounted for after a stranger has vowed to pay for higher education for an entire class of the youngsters.

Lawyer Marty Burbank and his wife have pledged to pay for the tuition of each of the 26 students for two years at community college and two years at a California public university -- or the same amount if they attend college elsewhere, according to multiple reports.

The deal, of course, comes with a tiny catch: the students at Rio Vista, in Anaheim, California, must give Mr. Burbank an annual update -- either a picture or essay -- about what they want to be when they grow up and what going to college would mean for their families.

"I'm a strong believer in visualizing your goals, and this way they'll be think about this each year for the next 12 years," Mr. Burbank said, according to CNN.

Before deciding to pay for the kids to go to school -- which Mr. Burbank has estimated will cost about $1 million -- he said he was going to buy a yacht. He even had his choices narrowed down to two boats.

But Mr. Burbank's pastor reportedly inspired him to help out the kids in Tessa Ashton's kindergarten class instead.

"I though that buying a boat at that point would be a selfish thing," he said.
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Doctors have operated on the wrong baby in the US after asking for the wrong infant at a hospital in Tennessee.

Jennifer Melton, 31, gave birth to her son Nate on 16 December at the University Medical Center in Lebanon, near Nashville.

The following day a nurse took him away for what she was told would be a routine check-up but returned with blood in his mouth.

The surgery was carried out at the University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee (Google Streetview)

Ms Melton told People a nurse told them he had undergone a frenectomy  cutting a band of tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the mouth  to help with non-existent nursing problems.

I picked up my precious Nate and looked in his mouth and saw speckles of blood under his tongue, she said.

I immediately began crying, wondering what had they done to my innocent child! It's not like he can speak up and tell them to stop.

The pediatrician explained to me that he had accidentally asked for the wrong child, and performed the surgery on Nate by mistake.

In a progress report obtained by WTVF television, the paediatrician admitted wrongdoing.

I had asked for the wrong infant. I had likely performed the procedure on an infant different than the one I intended to ... and I admitted my mistake and apologised, he wrote.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. 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Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. 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At almost two months old, Nate seems healthy but Ms Melton and her 33-year-old partner Dominique Harper are concerned his speech and eating habits may be affected.

I can't sleep, it's like a horrible dream come to life, Ms Melton told People.

I worry and pray that he doesn't have any issues in the future from what they did with this unneeded procedure.

Frenectomies are a minor procedure carried out when the flap of skin connecting the underside of tongue is too tight and causes feeding and speech problems.

Up to 5 per cent of babies in the US are born with some form of tongue-tie, which can also cause breast-feeding issues.

The University Medical Center told US media outlets it could not comment on the incident because of privacy regulations. It has not responded to the Independents request for a comment
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A dog who had his nose brutally cut off by thieves in Egypt after he barked at them has been flown to the US to be re-homed.

Anubis, who is believed to have been a former guard dog in Cairo, was found wandering the streets of the Egyptian capital without a nose after the attack, which left him cut almost up to his eyes, according to The Dodo.

After several years suffering beneath parked cars, he was taken in by the Animal Protection Foundation and spotted online by an American couple across the Atlantic.

Joseph and Katiria Declete told a local TV station in El Paso in Texas that they wanted to home Anubis, who is believed to be an Egyptian Baladi breed, immediately.

"The moment I saw him I'm like, 'I want this dog. I want to make a difference in his life," Ms Declete said.

"It's a dream for us to foster him, but there's no way we could have financially made that undertaking, and it speaks volumes about the different groups that helped get him here."

Mr and Ms Declete said they could not have raised the funds to bring Anubis to Texas alone (Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation)

The Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation (SNARR) organisation, which rehomes animals with particular physical, behavioural or health issues in the US, helped the couple raise the funds to fly Anubis the 7,000 miles to them.

"We've taken dozens of animals from them [the Animal Protection Foundation] and brought them to the States, animals who otherwise would be in agony in a country that cannot care for them," said SNARR according to ITV News.

Anubis being goofy, playing in the sun. Posted by Anubis The Egyptian Baladi on Sunday, January 31, 2016

The scale of animal abuse in Egypt is huge, according to the Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt.

"An unsympathetic community that does not understand, and therefore does not respect, animals as sentient beings, harsh stray animal control, bad veterinary care, lack of education in regards to animal behavior and dire conditions in establishments selling animals" are some of the reasons the charity gives for poor treatment of animals in parts of the country.

Dogs made up 64 per cent of animals in the US suffering from cruelty at the hands of humans, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
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A 51-year-old Canadian man has solved his own missing persons case after remembering who he was, thirty years after he first disappeared.

His case was solved after he told a social worker his name was Edgar Latulip and he was from Kitchener, Canada.

He was discovered to be living just 80 miles from his family.

Mr Latulip, who has a mental age of 12, voluntarily submitted to a DNA test along with a member of his family which positively confirmed his identity.

He had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, in September 1986, after attempting to take his own life.

It is thought Mr Latulip, then aged 21, boarded a bus to Niagara Falls with the intention to try again, police said.

But he suffered a head injury en route which caused amnesia, Guelph Mercury reports.

The North America Missing Person Network described his disappearance: "He left his residence without his medication.

 Teen Solves His Own Missing Person Case Trying to Apply for College

"It is possible that he took a bus to Niagara Falls.

"Latulip suffers from mental health problems and is developmentally delayed (mental capacity of a 12-year-old)."

Mr Latulip's mother, Silvia Wilson, had thought for years her son had been abused because of his developmental disorder.

A photo mock up of what Mr Latulip would look like after 30 years (North American Missing Persons Network)

On being told the news, she felt "overwhelmed" and excited to see her son.

The Niagara Police department and local community partners are working to reunite them.

Niagara Regional Police officer Philip Gavin said: "Pieces of his memory started coming back.

"Then the social worker found something on the internet that led them to believe this was something more."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. 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Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. 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A member of the original team investigating Mr Latulip's disappearance, Detective Constable Duane Gingerich, said: "I had hopes that he was out there somewhere. You expect the worst when a person is missing for that period of time.

"I did speak with one of the family members yesterday and today, and they're obviously very happy about it, and theyre making plans to get together with Edgar and speak with him further."
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Pope Francis has touched down in Cuba for a historic meeting with his Russian Orthodox counterpart, Patriarch Kirill, in the first ever encounter between the heads of the two biggest Christian Churches.

We are brothers, the pontiff said as he embraced Kirill in Cubas Havana airport, where the three-hour encounter took place.

Now things are easier, Kirill agreed as the pair exchanged three kisses on the cheek.

Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images

Patriarch Kirill had earlier told the Cuban President, Raul Castro, that he placed great hope in the meeting with Pope Francis.

It was the first meeting between the heads of the two churches since the East-West Schism of 1054 which saw the Catholic and Eastern orthodox branches of Christianity mutually excommunicate each other, following an entrenched row over the extent of the Popes authority.

Relations between Patriarch Kirill and the Holy See have worsened in recent years because of the conflict in Ukraine. The Orthodox Church has accused Catholics there of evangelism and of fomenting Ukrainian nationalism.

Pope Francis is then due to fly Mexico for a week-long tour. (Getty Images)

But after their scheduled two-hour meeting at Havana airport, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill are expected to make a joint declaration that focuses on a key issue of shared concern between the Catholic and Orthodox churches today: the plight of Christians across the Middle East.

Pope Francis is then due to fly Mexico for a week-long tour, during which he will address the issue of the drug-fuelled violence that has ripped apart Mexican society.

On the eve of Franciss departure for Havana, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said the Pope would use his time in Mexico to denounce narcotrafficking, violence, and crime.
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They appear on the sand like any piece of sea detritus. Sometimes theyre found, amid the candy wrappers and cracked shells, by volunteers cleaning up the area. Other times a vacationer might glimpse the grisly discard from the corner of her eye, a serene walk along the beach interrupted just like that.

As more people learned about these discoveries, they attracted morbid scavengers to the Pacific Northwest shorelines, where the Salish Sea connects waterways along the west coasts of the United States and Canada.

What these scavengers sought remains a prickling curiosity: severed feet attached to running shoes, washed up from origins unknown.

Sixteen of these detached human feet have been found since 2007 in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state. Most of these have been right feet. All of them have worn running shoes or hiking boots. Among them: three New Balances, two Nikes and an Ozark Trail.

The most recent one turned up earlier this week.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Charlotte Stevens of British Columbia was taking a walk with her family on Vancouver Island, the CBC reported, when her husband spotted something in the sand.

It was a shoe, which they could see right away. But a closer inspection revealed something more.

He picked it up and brought it out on to the beach, she told the CBC, and we had a look at it for about five minutes and we thought, it almost looks like there is an actual foot bone in it.

Sure enough, the B.C. Coroners Service confirmed that the shoe came with a dismembered foot. As with the others, theres no telling for exactly how long the foot was in the water, but the regional coroner, Matt Brown, said the exact model of shoe had gone on the market after March 2013, indicating that it once belonged to someone who went missing between then and December.

Brown is working with the police to link the foot to individuals who disappeared from the area around that time.

If history is any indication, however, the identity associated with the foot will stay adrift.

Over the years, armchair sleuths and scientists alike have used a number of terms to describe the feet: severed, dismembered, detached, disarticulated.

Found, but still lost.

After the first two feet  both right  were found in British Columbia just six days apart from one another, locals began sounding the alarm, and authorities expressed equal surprise.

Two being found in such a short period of time is quite suspicious, Cpl. Garry Cox of the Oceanside Royal Canadian Mounted Police told the Vancouver Sun in August 2007.

Finding one foot is like a million to one odds, Cox said, but to find two is crazy. Ive heard of dancers with two left feet, but come on.

Five more were found in the next year, including one near Pysht, Wash. Speculation increased, as recounted in a 2008 article in the Toronto Star:

Speculation ranges from natural disasters, such as the tsunami of 2004, to the work of drug dealers, serial killers and human traffickers.

One theory concerns a plane crash off Quadra Island three years ago with five men aboard. Only one of the bodies has been found.

Other theorists believe the coastline is being used as a body dump for organized crime activity; a third scenario is a serial killer is at work.

But to the disappointment of many a conspiracy theorist, science suggests more mundane answers.

Writing for the Pacific Standard, Spenser Davis pointed out last year that a study on the Puget Sound found that when a body floating in water is subjected to the push and pull of its environment, the bones of hands and feet are almost always the first to fall off.

In British Columbia, two of the feet have since been identified as having belonged to people with mental illness, while three others were linked to individuals who probably died of natural causes.

Foul play is not suspected in any of the other cases, though it hasnt been ruled out, either.

All of the ones whove been identified so far, theres no mystery, Gail Anderson, a criminologist at British Columbias Simon Fraser University, told the Daily Beast in 2011. These people were very depressed, unhappy about life, and were last seen heading toward the water. People jump off bridges. They deliberately wish to disappear.

This is a fair conclusion, as the city of Vancouver is full of bridges.

But there are other points of strangeness. For one, why did the feet start turning up only after 2007, and why have they continued to turn up with such a frequency since then?

The Daily Beast considered the power of the Vicious Cycle theory, which suggests that once people became aware of the phenomenon, they started subconsciously  or completely deliberately, in some cases  scanning the shorelines for shoes.

Also a likely answer.

And yet  its hard not to wonder.

There are so many coincidences taking place, forensics consultant Mark Mendelson told the Daily Beast in 2011. Everybody who jumps off a bridge is wearing runners? Until you can show me something pathologically concrete that this is a natural separation of that foot from a body, then Im saying youve got to think dirty.

 Washington Post
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Ted Cruzs campaign team have taken down an advert targeting his Republican rival Marco Rubio after being told it features an adult film actress.

Amy Lindsay, who has also appeared in a range of films and mainstream television series including Star Trek: Voyager, said she was extremely disappointed by the decision.

She was among the actors hired to appear in a mock Conservatives Anonymous support group for Rubio voters, telling a man: Maybe you should vote for more than just a pretty face next time.

The Daily Caller reported that the advert was removed from YouTube shortly after it put in an inquiry with Mr Cruzs aides after spotting Ms Lindsays appearance on Thursday.

Her IMDB page lists numerous titles dating back to 1994 including Deviant Whores, Kinky Sex Club, Exposed and Milf, as well as appearances in Star Trek: Voyager and The Portrait of a Lady, a 1996 adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich.

A spokesperson for Cruz for President said: The actress responded to an open casting call. She passed her audition and got the job.

Unfortunately, she was not vetted by the casting company. Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad.

The campaign is taking the ad down and will replace it with a different commercial.

Senator Ted Cruz at a caucus night rally on Monday with his wife in Des Moines, Iowa (AP)

Mr Cruz, the Republican Presidential candidate who beat Donald Trump in Iowa and is currently second to the billionaire in the nomination race, has based much of his campaign on family values.

Life, marriage, and family are the fundamental building blocks of society, his website says, detailing his fervent Christianity and opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion.

The porn industry is not mentioned but the ultra-conservative politicians aversion to being associated with an adult actress with credits including Sin City Diaries and Animal Lust can be imagined.

Speaking to BuzzFeed News, Ms Lindsay described herself as a Christian conservative and a Republican.

She said she thought it was a positive move for Mr Cruzs campign to feature a cool kind of open-minded woman rather than some old, white Christian bigot.

Republican presidential nominations Show all 9 1 /9 Republican presidential nominations Republican presidential nominations Jeb Bush Who he is: Brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H. W. Bush, Mr Bush has formed a Political Action Committee and is exploring a presidential bid. He was the governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. The issues: Mr Bush has indicated that his campaign would focus on the economy, foreign policy and energy. He is also known as a proponent of education reform. Getty Republican presidential nominations Marco Rubio Who he is: Mr Rubio is a US senator from Florida who has served since 2011. He is an early favourite to receive heavy donations from ultra-rich donors the Koch brothers. The issues: Mr Rubio has said the biggest issue facing the US in the near future is foreign policy and dealing with threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. AP Republican presidential nominations Ben Carson Who he is: Dr Carson is a retired neurosurgeon, who became one of the most prominent physicians in the US. He has no political experience, but has formed a PAC to consider a run for president. The issues: A big proponent of smaller government, Dr Carson holds a tough stance on illegal immigration and is staunchly opposed to government involvement in health care. Getty Republican presidential nominations Ted Cruz Who he is: Mr Cruz has served as a US senator from Texas since 2013 and previously was the solicitor general of the state from 2003 to 2008. The issues: Mr Cruz is strongly against illegal immigration and figures to offer a presidential campaign heavy on foreign policy. He supports tough sanctions on both Russia and Iran. EPA/SHAWN THEW Republican presidential nominations Carly Fiorina Who she is: Ms Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and a former executive at AT&T. She also was a 2010 nominee from California for the US Senate. The issues: Ms Fiorina, should she run, will campaign as a pro-business candidate whose background as chief executive of a major company proves she can handle the US economy. Getty Images Republican presidential nominations Mike Huckabee Who he is: Mr Huckabee was the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and ran for president in 2008. An ordained Baptist minister, he also hosted a talk show on Fox News until early this month. The issues: Mr Huckabee supports tax reform and often touts the FairTax, which would eliminate income and payroll taxes in favour of a uniform sales tax. getty images Republican presidential nominations Rand Paul Who he is: Mr Paul has served as a US senator from Kentucky since 2011. He is a libertarian and son of former US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. The issues: Mr Paul supports balanced spending by the government, unlike some of his peers in the Republican Party who oppose most government spending. He has been called an isolationist by some political pundits. AP Republican presidential nominations Scott Walker - OUT Who he is: Mr Walker has served as the governor of Wisconsin since 2011 and has long been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. Mr Walker this week launched a PAC to prepare for a presidential run. The issues: Mr Walker opposes compromise with Democrats on key issues and would encourage increasing the fight against Isis. AP Republican presidential nominations Rick Perry - OUT Who he is: Mr Paul has served as a US senator from Kentucky since 2011. He is a libertarian and son of former US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. The issues: Mr Paul supports balanced spending by the government, unlike some of his peers in the Republican Party who oppose most government spending. He has been called an isolationist by some political pundits. Getty

I assumed that they knew (about my career), she added, saying she is currently deciding whether to support Mr Cruz or Mr Trump.

The adverts removal has sparked intense debate on Twitter, with some conservatives criticising Mr Cruz for hiring a porn star and calling her appearance totally disgusting.

Opponents criticised the decision as immature and stupid, comparing it to other decisions and ethical standpoints.

Meanwhile, Ms Lindsay was being flooded with support from people saying she had been badly treated.

Star Trek fans running the Trek Initiative account had the final say, writing: Ted Cruz is embarrassed by this ad featuring The Doctor's wife, Lana from Voyager's finale. We can't imagine why."
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On a damp winter afternoon at the Robert Sinskey Vineyards in northern California, Gig, a six-year-old English Sheepdog, weaves between the leafless trees, nose to the ground as she hunts down her elusive quarry. In her day job as a search-and-rescue dog, Gig has sought out murder victims and missing people, but today she is on the scent of something new.

Finally she stops, sniffs the muddy earth, and barks to tell her handler that she has found what she was looking for: a small, buried vial of oil carrying the scent of a black winter truffle.

This demonstration is part of the sixth annual Napa Truffle Festival, a weekend of truffle discussion and consumption, and Gig is being trained for the day when she can smell out a real truffle in the same spot.

Recommended Read more Angela Hartnett to forego profit on truffles as prices soar

Its five years since a start-up business called the American Truffle Company, or ATC, planted a small truffle orchard at the Sinskey vineyard near Sonoma. It takes five to seven years for farmed truffles to bear fruit. As and when a dog finds one of the precious fungi here, the firms founders say it will be the first truffle ever cultivated in California, and the first scientifically grown truffle in the entire US.

The Sonoma Valley and neighbouring Napa Valley are where the first internationally acclaimed New World wines were produced. In winter, the vines are brown, but ATC is confident that its crop is flourishing below ground. Last year, truffle dogs identified three trees in the orchard with truffle potential, where the scent is strong enough for the firm to hope theyll produce ripe truffles soon.

Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle Show all 4 1 /4 Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle 40355.bin Loic le Loet Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle 40356.bin Loic le Loet Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle 40357.bin Loic le Loet Black magic: Skye Gyngell reveals the best way to serve truffle 40358.bin Loic le Loet

A culinary delicacy, not to be confused with the confectionery of the same name, truffles are the fruit of a fungus that thrives among tree roots. The varieties most highly prized by chefs are the black winter truffle, originally from the Perigord region of France; the black summer truffle, from Burgundy, and the white alba truffle, from Piedmont in northern Italy. There are hundreds of other truffle varieties, including at least four species that occur naturally in nearby Oregon, but none are as celebrated for their flavour as that mid-European triumvirate.

French and Italian truffles take at least three days to arrive in California, but ATC says it will be able to deliver black truffles to a kitchen in Napa 20 minutes after they emerge from the ground.

That would make a crucial difference to a foodstuff that begins to lose its freshness, flavour and perfume as soon as it is harvested. Truffles have a so-called aroma half-life of four to five days. After eight to 10 days, 75 per cent of their pungency is gone. Ken Frank, chef-owner of Napas Michelin-star La Toque restaurant, says a California-grown truffle would be a game changer.

It means we could brag of having cracked the code of yet another world-class food item, says Mr Frank, who has cooked with truffles for more than three decades. We cleared a bar with wine in the 1970s. We cleared another 10 years ago when Michelin started handing out stars in the Bay Area. California is known for some of the best foods grown in the world. Truffles would be a natural fit.

Over the past decade, two countries have dramatically disrupted the global truffle market. (AFP/Getty Images)

Truffle harvesting today is very far from the traditional image of a man scouring the woodland floor with a pig and a stick. Most modern truffle hunters use dogs  pigs are banned from the practice in Italy.

The basic method for cultivating truffles, by inoculating young oak or hazel trees with truffle spores, was developed in the 1970s. Cultivation of the white truffle still eludes science, but nowadays 95 per cent of black truffles that are harvested in France are not wild, but grown in orchards.

Over the past decade, two countries have dramatically disrupted the global truffle market. China has begun exporting vast quantities of its inferior black truffles, which resemble the Perigord variety in looks but not flavour. Like fake Rolex watches, they are regularly passed off as the real thing.

Australia, meanwhile, has enjoyed marked success in cultivating genuine Perigord truffles, giving northern hemisphere chefs an unprecedented opportunity to cook summer ingredients with winter truffles. Wines differ based on the slightest climatic variation, but a Perigord truffle from Tasmania tastes the same as one from Perigord  whatever French gourmands may claim to the contrary.

So-called chief truffle officer at ATC is Robert Chang, a 45-year-old former executive with American technology company Yahoo! He first tasted truffles at a trattoria in Munich 15 years ago and gave up his career in Silicon Valley for one in Napa Valley in 2007.

ATC, he says, is a start-up not unlike the classic Silicon Valley model, where a technology guy founds a company with a business guy. Our technology is proprietary, but in this case the product is truffles, not computers.

The technology guy is ATCs chief scientist, Dr Paul Thomas, who grew up in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and fell for fungi while foraging for mushrooms as a child. At Sheffield University, where he studied plant sciences, he once had a batch of truffles delivered to his student digs. I opened the bag and it filled the whole house with truffle aroma, he says. It didnt go down well with my housemates. It even flavoured the orange juice in the fridge.

Dr Thomas, now 35, presented his original idea for a truffle cultivation business on the first series of BBC TVs Dragons Den in 2005, securing investment from YO! Sushi restaurant chain founder Simon Woodroffe, only to pull out of the deal after the cameras stopped rolling. But when Mr Chang tracked Dr Thomas down in London two years later, the pair hit it off and agreed to set up ATC.

Dr Thomas begins cultivating his gourmet crop by growing the trees in a lab, using seeds inoculated with truffle spores. The saplings arent planted in an orchard until they are a year old. Rival efforts at sustainable truffle production elsewhere in the US have yet to succeed at scale. What sets us apart is that we produce our own trees, Dr Thomas says, so we produce far better inoculated plants.

Truffles can be many times more profitable per acre than grapes.

ATC partners with its truffle producers, providing the trees, expertise and distribution in return for a minority share of the revenues. The firm now has client orchards in more than two dozen countries, and last year Dr Thomas excavated the first black truffles from a six-year-old ATC orchard in Leicestershire  the UKs first successful commercial truffle production.

Robert Sinskey was the first California winemaker to come on board five years ago, but others have since followed. The firm chose to focus on the Napa region, says Robert Chang, because it has a favourable climate for both the cultivation and the business of truffles: wineries already have the necessary land for an orchard, and follow a business model based on patience, which is set up to serve a sophisticated foodie market. ATC intends to sell truffles directly to consumers, as well as to chefs.

Truffles can be many times more profitable per acre than grapes. A successful truffle orchard produces some 50lb of Perigord winter truffles per acre annually, and more than twice that weight of summer truffles. Perigord truffles currently cost about 700 per lb, while the Burgundy variety is worth up to 276.

Domestic truffles will command at least what imported truffles do, and likely will command a higher price because theyre so much fresher, Mr Chang says.

The centrepiece of the Napa festival is a five-course truffle dinner at La Toque, featuring dishes such as truffled cappuccini with truffle butter toast and shaved black truffle, and Mr Franks truffle-studded veal, roasted on the bone. This year, the truffles on the menu came from an Italian supplier. Next year, they might just be all-American.
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Two teenage girls been shot in what police said was an isolated incident at a high school in Arizona.

The 15-year-old girls were shot once at Independence High School, but it was not clear what led up to their deaths, Glendale Officer Tracey Breeden told reporters. Authorities were not looking for anyone else, and a gun was found near the bodies, she said.

The Associated Press said that the circumstances suggested the possibility of a murder-suicide or double-suicide, but Ms Breeden said no determination had been made. She had no information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene and were found near an administration building.

Police arrived within two minutes of being called, and the school of more than 2,000 students went on lockdown, police said.

Hundreds of worried parents soon began arriving at nearby discount and convenience stores. Ms Breeden told parents awaiting for word about their youngsters that your children are safe.

Cheryl Rice said she went to a store after a friend called about the shooting and asked after her daughter. But the girl called as Ms Rice arrived at the store.

You dont know if its your daughter or not. You dont know whos being bullied. You dont know who is being picked on. You dont know anything. It could be anybody, she said.
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George W Bush will attend a rally next week to help save flailing younger brother Jeb Bushs presidential campaign before the South Carolina primary.

The 69-year-old former president who served in the White House between 1995 and 2000 will make his first appearance in the 2016 election campaign trail in North Charleston on Monday.

Jeb Bush was expected to distance himself from his older brother - mainly due to associations of the economic downfall and war in Iraq - when he first made his White House bid.

I am my own man, and my views are shaped by my own thinking, Jeb Bush has previously said.

Yet Mr Bush appears to be increasingly banking on the Bush family name, first enlisting his mother Barbara and now his older brother on the campaign trail.

George W Bush has fundraised for Jeb before, and appeared with their father at a major event in Houston last autumn. The older brother also featured in a radio ad earlier this week in South Carolina and in a Super Bowl ad in New Hampshire, which was sponsored by Right to Rise, the Bush Super PAC.

Right to Rise has said it will invest $4.2 million in advertising in South Carolina.

In the advert, George W Bush said of his brother: I know Jeb. I know his good heart and his strong backbone. Jeb will unite our country. He knows how to bring the world together against terror, and he knows when tough measures must be taken. Experience and judgment count in the Oval Office. Jeb Bush is a leader who will keep our country safe.

George W Bush won the South Carolina primary in 2000, while their father, former President George H W Bush, won the same primary in 1988 and 1992.

The brothers' 90-year-old mother Barbara Bush also appeared on the campaign route before the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night, where her son gathered just 11 per cent of the Republican vote, coming behind Donald Trump, John Kasich and Ted Cruz.

President Bush has been incredibly supportive of his brothers campaign and Governor Bush is excited to have him out on the trail, Bushs spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell, wrote in a statement provided to ABC News.
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Some presidential hopefuls preach about policy. Others brag about past achievements. Many fight each other. John Kasich prefers to pull on the heartstrings.

In his new campaign video, the 63-year-old Ohio governor Kasich has revealed his humble beginnings - his father was a postman - and how he turned to God after both his mother and father were killed in a road accident.

The advert is proof that his campaign has been given a breath of fresh air after scoring second place in the New Hampshire primary with 15.8 per cent of the Republican vote. Now he will be gearing up for the South Carolina primary on 20 February.

He had less national name recognition than his colleagues but he diligently visited many small coffee shops and halls in New Hampshire to shore up support and offer an alternative vote to outspoken Mr Trump.

Many presidential candidates have pulled out of the race after failing to shine in either Iowa or New Hampshire.

The departure of Mr Kasich's colleagues - Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul - has not resulted in the exit of the most softly-spoken Republican.

Unlike many Republicans, Mr Kasich, who was endorsed by the New York Times, has let his record of achievement in Ohio speak for itself, and he has deferred from making inflammatory remarks about immigrants.

My father was a postman that told me Johnny, you stand on your own two feet. You go out there and change the world," he said in the video.

My parents were killed by a drunk driver but my parents did not die in vain - I was transformed. I discovered my purpose by discovering the Lord. I believe the Lord put us on this Earth to use the gifts weve been given to bring about a healing.

Governor Kasichs main theme of religion has been a strong trend among the Republican candidates, leading critics to say that a speech by Ted Cruz was more like a preacher than the next President.

Previous campaign videos from fellow Republicans featured many mentions of being the next "Commander in Chief" and focused on issues like immigrants, including one video from Ted Cruz which showed suited and booted immigrants jumping over sand dunes.

Ted Cruz pulled his latest advert that featured adult film actress Amy Lindsay accusing rival Marco Rubio of just being "a pretty face".
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At least three people have died in Venezuela due to complications related to the Zika virus, the president has announced.

President Nicolas Maduro added 68 people have also been hospitalised due to links the mosquito-borne virus.

We have 319 confirmed cases, of which unfortunately 68 presented complications and weve had three deaths due to Zika nationally, Mr Maduro said during a broadcast on state television, Reuters reports.

The announcement marks the first Zika-related deaths in the country.

There is currently no vaccination for Zika available; however the World Health Organisation announced today a possible Zika vaccine could be at least 18 months away from large-scale trials.

WHO assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, Marie-Paule Kieny, said the UN health agency's response is "proceeding very quickly" and 15 companies or groups have been identified as possible participants in the hunt for vaccines.

The Zika virus - in pictures Show all 5 1 /5 The Zika virus - in pictures The Zika virus - in pictures A three-month-old, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil. A rise in microcephaly cases is thought to have been caused by the spread of the Zika virus in affected countries Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A mother holds her baby who has microcephaly Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A five-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A pediatric infectologist examines a two-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A baby affected with microcephaly

Mr Maduro did not say what the complications were or how the deaths had been confirmed to be liked to Zika. He also made no mention of the number of pregnant women thought to have the virus.

The number of suspected cases rose to 5,221 between 5 November and 8 February, the president said.

Previous public estimates last month suggested there were around 4,700 suspected cases, although local health organizations say the real number is likely to be much higher and have suggested the government is not doing enough to combat the outbreak.

Chronic product shortages mean even painkillers and insect repellent are in short supply.

On Wednesday, China confirmed its first case of the Zika virus in a 34-year-old man who had recently travelled to Venezuela.

WHO has declared a global emergency over possible links between the disease and the birth defect microcephaly, a condition which causes babies to be born with 'shrunken' heads.

Ms Kieny said on Friday WHO believes the link between the mosquito-borne virus and microcephaly is "more and more probable".

Doctors and non-governmental organisations say they are monitoring dozens of pregnant women who they think may have suffered from Zika in the first months of gestation.

Epidemiologists in Venezuela say any potential cases of Zika-linked birth defects in babies would likely come to light around April, given the Virus is thought to have arrived in the country in the last quarter of 2015.

Scientists are also investigating a possible link between Zika and Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause temporary paralysis and is sometimes fatal.

Last week, Colombian health officials suggested there is a connection between the virus and the nerve disorder after three deaths.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Sixteen months ago, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens swamped the citys boulevards and camped there for weeks, protesting against the refusal of Beijing to allow them to pick their own candidates for Chief Executive. These were the most placid, good-humoured expressions of mass civic anger I have ever witnessed. But when the protests finally fizzled out, it was hard to see what they had achieved beyond publicity.

The contrast with the events of the past week could not have been starker. Over the Chinese New Year holiday, the pictures from the former British colony were of flying bricks, charging riot police, cars set on fire, protesters with bloody faces dragged away, streets of rubble and ashes. An apparently trivial confrontation over potentially unlicensed food vendors went ballistic.

Had the gritty suburb of Mongkok turned into Tahrir Square? One commentator compared Hong Kongs people to a woman worn down by years of domestic violence, who finally snapped and hurled a bottle at her husband. Was Hong Kong on the way to becoming ungovernable?

A little perspective is helpful. TV cameras love a riot, and this one erupted in the zone which saw all the most tense encounters in 2014. The violence looked more dramatic than it was, and the numbers involved were tiny compared to the Occupy Movement. Anarchic protests can only strengthen the governments hand, so some suspected the involvement of agents provocateurs.

The Hong Kong government now relishes confrontation, a long-term expatriate said, and goes out of its way to get people out on the streets so it can paint a narrative depicting democrats as violent trouble makers.

Now, 15 students and 20 others appeared in court charged with rioting and unlawful assembly.

A rioter throws brick at police on a street in Mong Kok district of Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

But there is no doubt that the riots showed a society in growing turmoil, facing a future profoundly different from its past, and one for which it has little appetite. And more ominous than the violence for many Hong Kongers is the disappearance in recent months of five men linked to a local publishing company that specialises in spicy books about the Peoples Republics leadership.

One of the five men, Lee Bo, is a British citizen, and the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has accused Beijing of committing a serious breach of the one-country, two-systems treaty under which Hong Kong gained independence in 1997 by abducting him. Mr Hammond wrote in a report: Our current information indicates that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due processThis constitutes a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of one country, two systems.

The Hong Kong government said that its police were continuing to investigate the disappearances and had sought assistance from mainland authorities. Any suggestion that Mr Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland was speculative, it said.

The abductions have given many in Hong Kong their nastiest fright since the ties with Britain were severed 19 years ago. Its really serious, said the same long-term foreign resident. This is precisely the spectre of the midnight knock on the door that everyone feared after 1997. Increased Chinese intervention in the running of Hong Kong was always inevitable

The whole point about Hong Kong is that it was supposed to be the place where there is a free flow of information and rule of law  precisely the things that do not exist on the dark side.
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Members of an armed far-right militia are attacking Calais migrants in an unprecedented, brutal campaign of violence, according to evidence seen by this newspaper. In a series of incidents in recent weeks, refugees living at the Jungle camp claim to have been targeted by organised thugs  sometimes in uniforms.

The Independent was told of one attack in which young male refugees were taken by van to a field where they were stripped naked and had their hands cuffed behind their back. They were then made to watch as their abductors  a group of unidentified men  beat them individually.

Migrants accuse local French police of failing to protect them from the beatings  and also carrying out their own assaults.

A coalition of NGOs, legal advisers and charities has decried both an increase in incidents of police aggression and the rise in attacks on refugees by groups of civilians, thought to be racist gangs.

The claims are outlined in a report compiled by staff at the camps legal centre, along with the British charity Care4Calais, which is to be submitted to the state prosecutor. It included 10 testimonies of violence, eight at the hands of police and five by civilian groups.

Many of the accounts are corroborated by medical reports from international humanitarian organisations Medecins sans Frontieres and Medecins du Monde. Four videos thought to be included in the report have been seen by The Independent. One shows a 16-year-old Afghan boy whose arm is in a cast saying he was forced into the back of a van and taken to a field where he was beaten by a group of men. His arm and two fingers are broken. A similar account is given by another 16-year-old boy who refers to the unidentified men as fascists.

 France: Shakespeare's Hamlet played out at Calais 'Jungle' refugee camp

Marianne Humbersot, head of mission at the camps legal centre, said she has about 50 accounts in total which bear striking similarities of violence at the hands of policemen and a certain civil militia of which we do not know the exact identity.

She said: We are talking about injuries that are life-threatening. Not just bruises but also stabbing, strangling and beating with metal sticks. These attacks are against men, women and children. Minors. I have the account of a 10-year-old boy who has been subjected to police violence. I have a 13-year-old who was beaten by police  and 10 days before he had his nose broken by racists.

Inside the camps in Calais Show all 20 1 /20 Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais A Kurdish child and her father get out of their tent in the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Kurdish migrants works around the tents of the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Volunteers from Holland set up a bridge of fortune over the mud using pallets of the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Refugees walk among tents in a makeshift camp as containers (rear) are put into place to house several hundred migrants living in what is known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais Inside the camps in Calais A makeshift camp is seen in front of containers (rear) put into place to house several hundred migrants living in what is known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais The camp near Calais harbour where refugees from the Middle East and central Asia congregate to attempt the crossing from France to the UK Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria or the Kurdish administered regions Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Camp residents cook and share food at their site just outside Calais Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A group walk through the camp near Calais Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria or the Kurdish administered regions Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A 16 year old immigrant from Eritrea tries to brace himself against the rain and cold by sheltering under the road bridge Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Rubbish strewn on the ground near one of the campsites Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A man stands among the tents at the campsite just outside Calais, France Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A camp near Calais harbour where migrants from the East africa congregate to attempt the crossing from France to the UK. Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Eritrea. Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Graffiti depicting the dangerous journey trying to smuggle onto a lorry to the UK

Concerns around these attacks have increased in the past month. The local region came close to electing Front Nationale leader Marie le Pen in the recent elections. But the Care4Calais report forms the most comprehensive evidence of systematic violence against refugees at the hands of suspected right-wing militias.

While there is no suggestion that the police have worked with the group, many have accused them of failing to protect migrants as they hope to soon clear the camp. On Friday, the local police prefecture announced a large area of the camp, home to 800 to 1,000 people, would be bulldozed next week.

Migrants in Calais Jungle camp (AP)

For the camps inhabitants, awareness of far-right groups has been heightened following a hostile political march held in early January that ended in clashes. Many migrants said they know people who have been attacked by these groups. Ali-Muhammad Jumar, 23, from Sudan was one such case. He had a broken finger and a fresh cut above his left eyebrow that he said were the result of being beaten the previous night by police near the Eurotunnel train tracks. There are racists in Calais who beat people with sticks, he added.

MSF and MDM both confirmed they had heard accounts and issued medical reports that corroborated the testimonies in the report.

Most of the injuries are head trauma with bruises and face lacerations, some needing stitches, said Marlene Malfaid, MSF medical co-ordinator for the camp. She added that the agency sees about 12 incidents a week of people who have been victims of violence. In the past week alone, they have had a dozen reports, eight regarding police violence and four of non-police attacks.

Isabelle Bruand, Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional co-ordinator for MDM, said: What we see now seeing is targeted violence: groups who are targeting immigrants in the area near the camp for no reason other than simply to beat them. We dont know who these people are. Some people say they are beaten by civilians. Some tell us they are beaten by groups of the CRS [the French riot police] and other policemen.

These groups of civilians feel organised. In some cases they have weapons and they seem to come with the idea of we will go to the camp and find some immigrants to beat up.
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"Cannabis clubs" allowing members to use the drug without facing a penalty are reportedly set to open in four Swiss cities.

Zurich, Basel, Bern and Geneva have all agreed to launch pilot clubs, which have allegedly been in discussion for sometime, local broadcaster SRF reports.

Representatives from the cities met in Bern on Thursday to discuss how to regulate the sale of cannabis, which is illegal to possess in Switzerland.

If the project is accepted up to 2,000 people will be able to legally use cannabis in the venues - a small share of the 500,000 people who smoke marijuana in Switzerland despite the threat of prison time and fines, The Local reports.

The projects are proposed to run over four years and will be scientifically monitored, SRF said.

Implementation of the clubs, however, is still subject to approval by cantonal governments and the federal office of public health.

Reports of so-called "clubs" offering state-certified cannabis for personal use have been circulating since 2014.

It has previously been suggested the venues would be adult-only and called associations of cannabis users, according to the Local.

At present cannabis bought illegally on the black market cannot be taxed by the state, Snadro Cattacin, sociology professor at the University of Geneva an Geneva representatives told SFR. Neither can the government place controls on cannabis products or conduct proper prevention programmes - problems the proposed clubs hope to counter.

According to previous reports, other benefits of the proposed scheme include greater control of elements such as the level of THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, and the use of pesticides.

The proposed pilot plan would also authorise the controlled use of cannabis for young people and adults suffering from problems linked to the drug.

The use and possession of cannabis remains illegal in Switzerland, although enforcement differs widely across the country.

According to the Federal Law on Drugs in Switzerland, production, culture, use and possession of cannabis is punishable by up to three years in prison.

The government liberalised its policies with a law that took effect in October 2013 making the possession of small amounts of cannabis punishable by a set fine of 100 Swiss francs.

The change aimed to reduce the 30,000 or so cannabis-related cases clogging Swiss courts annually.
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Three Holocaust survivors have recounted the horrors they experienced in Auschwitz at the trial of a former SS sergeant charged as an accessory to the murder of 170,000 people.

Reinhold Hanning sat only a few meters from the witnesses in the court room in Detmold on the second day of his trial.

Justin Sonder, the youngest of the witnesses at 90, told how he was sent to Auschwitz aged 17 and was selected to be a slave labourer for the IG Farben company.

He told the court how, after three or four months, he was considered one of the "older" prisoners at Auschwitz and how he used to fear selection days, when SS men would look at rows of inmates, forced to stand in a line naked for up to four hours, and decide who was still fit to work and who should be killed.

"I don't have the words to describe how it was, when you know that you could be dead in one or two hours, it made you sick, made you crazy," he said. "I survived 17 selections."

Justin Sonder (left) told how he feared 'selection days' at Auschwitz (Getty)

A former police officer from Chemnitz, Sonder lost 22 family members in the Holocaust.

Hanning is accused of serving as an SS leader - an Unterscharfuehrer, or junior squad leader - in Auschwitz from January 1943 to June 1944.

He admits working at the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland but denies involvement in the mass murder that took place there.

Prosecutors argue he is guilty of accessory to murder because he helped the camp function, even though there is no evidence of him committing a specific crime.

"Perhaps he will try to explain  it would be good if he did," Sonder told the Associated Press after the session.

"I hope he finds the courage to say something."

Hanning's lawyer said it was "highly likely" Hanning would make a statement during the proceedings, but gave no indication of how detailed it would be.

Erna de Vries was separated from her mother at Auschwitz and taken to the Ravensbrueck concentration camp (Getty)

Survivor Erna de Vries, who went with her mother to Auschwitz, told the court how she was later separated from her and taken to the women's concentration camp Ravensbrueck.

Leon Schwarzbaum, a 94-year-old Auschwitz survivor from Berlin, also gave evidence.

He had been used as a slave labourer to help build a factory for Siemens outside the camp.

Sonder, de Vries and Schwarzbaum are among about 40 survivors and their families who have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs.

Given Hanning's age - he is 94 - and those of the witnesses, the trial in Detmold is likely to be one of the last of its kind.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Standing face to face with an elderly former Auschwitz SS guard, 95-year-old Holocaust survivor Leon Schwarzbaum held back tears as he pleaded with the man to tell the truth about the mass murder committed at the infamous Nazi death camp.

A former Auschwitz inmate, Mr Schwarzbaum was giving evidence at the opening of the trial in Detmold of Reinhold Hanning, 94. Hanning faces charges of complicity in the murder of 170,000 Holocaust victims during the Second World War, having worked as an Auschwitz guard in the camps Deaths Head SS division from January 1943 until June 1944.

Recommended Read more Two British teenagers face trial over Auschwitz thefts

Standing up and looking straight at Hanning, Mr Schwarzbaum visibly shook with emotion as he told the him across a hushed courtroom:  You and I are almost the same age and we will soon be meeting our maker. Why dont you tell the historical truth about what you and your comrades did  just as I do.

However 94-year-old Hanning, who appeared neatly dressed in a brown tweed jacket and bright yellow pullover, refused to respond. Instead the former guard, who worked as a small company director after the war, simply stared at the courtroom floor, his head under a mop of thick grey hair, his eyes partially concealed behind the thick glass of his spectacles.

Auschwitz survivor Leon Schwarzbaum attended court in Germany to give evidence (EPA)

Mr Schwarzbaum, one of more than 40 Holocaust survivors who are co-plaintiffs in the case against Hanning gave a harrowing account of how he saw a 17-year-old Jewish girl being shot at point blank range in the head at Auschwitz. He also recalled seeing a lorry packed with screaming naked Jews who were all waving their arms in the air as they were driven towards the Auschwitz gas chambers.

It was Dantes Inferno, he told the court.

Hanning, has admitted serving in the SS at Auschwitz. However, he denies any involvement in mass murder. Prosecutors argue that by serving as a guard at the death camp, he facilitated the murder of thousands Holocaust victims.

Doctors have ruled that Hanning is psychologically capable of spending only two hours a day in court. His lawyers said he had been overwhelmed by the charges and did not understand much of what he was accused of. They said he was still considering whether to speak during his trial.

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Like the vast majority of former SS guards, Hanning escaped prosecution when he was released from prisoner of war captivity after 1945. He married and lived an unassuming life as the director of a dairy goods company in the German region of Lippe until early last year when prosecutors identified him as one of the last living Auschwitz guards.

His case follows the prosecution of former Sobibor Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk in 2012 and former Auschwitz SS guard Oskar Groning last year. Both were convicted on the basis that their mere presence at the death camps meant that they were complicit in mass murder. Both cases marked a sea change in the attitude of German prosecutors to Holocaust perpetrators. Until 2012, German judges had demanded specific eyewitness evidence directly implicating the accused which in most cases proved impossible to find.

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Hanning is one of three other elderly former death camp guards German prosecutors want to put on trial this year. If convicted, he faces a maximum 15 year jail term.

Justin Sonder, a 90-year-old Auschwitz survivor and co-plaintiff insisted: It is never too late to put the perpetrators of the Holocaust on trial. What the German judiciary is doing is absolutely right.
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Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake the whole of Syria by force, even as diplomats continue increasingly frail attempts to secure a lasting ceasefire.

In a rare interview, the Syrian President told the AFP news agency that he realised that the involvement of regional and international forces means that the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price.

He styled his opponents as terrorists, although Syrian forces have mainly been fighting anti-government rebels including the Free Syrian Army, who were initially supported and trained by the US.

 Drone video shows levels of devastation in Homs, Syria

Isis holds swathes of the country, as does a coalition of other Islamist groups including the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra.

Assad told AFP his forces would fight to retake territory without hesitation, despite ongoing attempts at a fragile peace process.

He was speaking shortly before diplomats at the current Syria peace talks in Munich agreed a temporary cessation of hostilities in Syria's civil war within a week, although efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire fell short.

The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the US, which had wanted an immediate stop to fighting, and Russia, which had proposed a ceasefire to start on 1 March.

Syrian civilians among the rubble in rebel-held Aleppo after Russian-backed air strikes (AFP/Getty Images)

The real test is whether or not all the parties honour those commitments and implement them, John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, said in the early hours of Friday morning.

Discussions between the Syrian regime and anti-government rebels are due to re-start on 25 February after breaking down rapidly last month as Assads military made significant advances backed by Russian air strikes.

In recent weeks, government forces have closed in on Aleppo, Syria's largest city, and are now targeting the Free Syrian Armys last remaining supply line.

Assads troops are also moving towards the north-eastern city of Idlib, which is held by Jaysh al-Fatah (Army of Conquest), the Islamist coalition including the al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar ash-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa.

Civilians react following a reported Syrian regime air strike in a rebel-controlled area in Aleppo (Getty Images)

They are internationally recognised as terrorist groups and have not been invited to peace talks, but the US-led alliance has been at loggerheads with Syria, Russia and Iran over the inclusion of "moderate" rebels.

Russias air strikes, which started in September at Assads request, have been accused of indiscriminately targeting residential areas and killing countless civilians, while the US-led coalitions bombing has concentrated on Isis territory.

The West considers Assads resignation as the key and perhaps only way to stop the Syrian war, but he has doggedly refused to go.

David Cameron has repeatedly said the Syrian President has no place in the countrys future and has called for peaceful transition to a new government, in line with Barack Obama, Francois Hollande and other leaders in the US-led international coalition.

In pictures: Syria conflict Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Syria conflict In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians carry children amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl on a street covered with dust following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians react as they stand amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis An injured Syrian man walks out from the rubble of a destroyed building following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman makes her way through debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis People stand on the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the Al-Fardous neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian residents stand amid the rubble of destroyed buildings In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian resident grasps a mattress amid rubble in the al-Firdous neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A view taken from Tel al-Sawadi shows a large explosion allegedly at the Wadi Deif Syrian army base in northwestern Idlib on May 14, 2014, which opposition fighters have been trying to capture for more than a year. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamist rebels detonated explosives planted in a tunnel under the army base killing or injuring dozens. AFP In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A bullet-riddled parking sign stands amid debris in a deserted street leading into the old city of Homs In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A general view shows abandoned buildings on a deserted square in the old city of Homs after Syrian government forces regained control of rebel-controlled areas In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A military vehicle that belongs to the Free Syrian Army is seen in Al-Amariya district in Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A mosque is pictured through shattered glass in the old city of Homs, as rebel fighters withdrew from the city centre in line with a negotiated withdrawal deal with the government after having held out under tight siege for nearly two years In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Buses carrying Free Syrian Army fighters leaving Homs. Exhausted and worn out from a year-long siege, hundreds of Syrian rebels left their last remaining bastions in the heart of the central city of Homs under a cease-fire deal with government forces. The exit of some 1,200 fighters and civilians will mark a de facto end of the rebellion in the battered city, which was one of the first places to rise up against President Bashar Assad's rule, earning it the nickname of "capital of the revolution" In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian government forces hold up a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad (L) while others raise the national flag on top of a pole in the old city of Homs In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad run through Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr crossing after their release by rebels. They were freed as part of a larger deal which saw the last remaining Syrian rebels in central Homs city evacuate their positions and free captives in several locations in northern Syria In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman and two children walk past heavily damaged buildings in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man carries a wounded girl following a reported bombardment with explosive-packed "barrel bombs" by Syrian government forces in the al-Mowasalat neighborhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A wounded man sits as he is treated at a makeshift hospital following a reported bombardment with explosive-packed "barrel bombs" by Syrian government forces in the al-Sakhour district of the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters and Islamic rebels said was an operation to strike Al-Sahaba checkpoint, which is considered a gateway to Al-Dayf valley, and remove forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Maarat Al-Nouman, Idlib province In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Men try to put out fire at a site hit by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Azaz, north of Aleppo, near the border with Turkey In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Civil Defence members try to put out fire In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Survivors react at a site hit by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Azaz, north of Aleppo, near the border with Turkey In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Residents queue as they wait to receive food aid distributed by the UNRWA at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, south of Damascus In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Belongings of Syrian rebels inside a chapel at Crac des Chevaliers, the world's best preserved medieval Crusader castle in Syria. The village was destroyed in fighting between the government and rebel forces while the castle, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, also has been damaged over the past two years In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Hosen Sabah, a 16-year-old student is comforted by his mother at a hospital in Damascus. Nosen was wounded by a mortar outside his school, while 14 other students were killed and over 80 wounded In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Free Syrian Army fighter works on a locally made launcher before firing it towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Mork town In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian policemen and citizens inspecting the site of a car bomb at the entrance of Moadhamiyet al-Sham neighborhood in rural Damascus. According to Syria's Arab News Agency (SANA), a car bomb explosion has gone off in the countryside of Damascus and initial information say there are casualties, where a car rigged with explosions was remotely detonated at the entrance of Moadhamiyet al-Sham neighborhood in rural Damascus during engineering units it was trying to dismantled it In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Opposition fighters carrying a rocket launcher during clashes against government forces in the Sheikh Lutfi area, west of the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man helps a woman to make her way through debris following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man reacts as he carries the body of injured boy following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian rescue workers carry the body of a woman following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman walks past the burning wreckage of a car following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man and two children run to a safer place following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man holds an injured child after, according to activists, two barrel bombs were thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Hullok neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis An injured man talks on a walkie-talkie after, according to activists, two barrel bombs were thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Hellok neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man walks inside a mosque damaged by, according to activists, a barrel bomb thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Old Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians gather at the site of reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Rebel fighters carry their weapons as they run to avoid snipers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Morek in Hama province

Saudi Arabias foreign minister reinforced the sentiment today, saying his countrys objective was to remove Assad, which he considers a necessary step to defeat Isis and end the conflict.

The UK almost went to war with the Syrian regime in 2013 after evidence emerged of its use of chemical weapons against civilians, and reports of massacres, war crimes and human rights abuses continue.

The UN hopes to start delivering aid to some besieged areas in Syria within the next 24 hours but around 13.5 million people are in desperate need of food and basic supplies.

More than 250,000 people have been killed and around 11 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria, which partly sparked the European refugee crisis.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has vowed to regain control over the whole of his country, casting doubt on a tentative international agreement to halt the fighting after almost five years of bloodshed.

In an interview with the AFP news agency in Damascus just hours before a surprise deal that also promised to grant sustained access to civilians in dire need of aid, he said that his troops would without any hesitation try to retake all territory lost to rebel groups.

He warned, however, the involvement of other regional powers in what has become an increasingly tangled proxy war means that the solution will take a long time and will incur a heavy price.

Recommended Read more Agreement between US and Russia is a vital step to ending war in Syria

He said that his government fully believed in peace talks, but warned: If we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. Mr Assad has long sought to cast all those seeking to topple him as terrorists.

His remarks, made public only yesterday, will raise concerns about the prospects for peace after the agreement for a cessation of hostilities that is planned to take effect at the end of next week. If successfully implemented, it could represent a major breakthrough in a conflict that has claimed an estimated 470,000 lives and forced 11 million people from their homes.

However, the deal was met with deep scepticism from opposition fighters and activists, not least because it made no mention of Russian air strikes that have pummelled rebel-held areas for almost five months, helping President Assad to gain the upper hand.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Russian warplanes continued to bomb northern Syria on Friday, fuelling fears that Moscow and Damascus would use the week before the deadline to press on with key offensives. They include a major push around Aleppo, Syrias second city, where rebels are all but encircled after pro-Assad forces succeeded in cutting their main supply line.

The agreement emerged after late-night talks at the Munich Security Conference between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and over a dozen world powers.

Shortly after midnight on Thursday, Mr Kerry announced that they had struck a deal and would set up a UN task force to thrash out the modalities for a long term and durable cessation of violence.

The agreement stopped short of a full ceasefire because it was not signed by the main parties themselves  the Syrian government and the factions fighting against it. Mr Kerry cautioned that, if implemented, the deal would only achieve a pause in fighting and that more work would be needed to reach a full ceasefire.

Syrians who have fled the attacks congregate at the Bab al-Salama crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border (Getty Images)

The official opposition group formed to negotiate with the Assad government gave the deal a cautious welcome. Its spokesman, Salim al-Muslat, said that there must be visible impact before his group would resume peace talks in Switzerland, which were halted at the start of this month after just three days. If we see action and implementation, we will see you very soon in Geneva, he said.

The deal also promised to secure aid for civilians who have found themselves not only trapped in the middle of the fighting but also used as pawns. It set out plans for air drops and land deliveries to besieged areas  including a pro-government enclave surrounded by Isis in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour and the stricken town of Madaya, which has been under protracted siege by the Syrian army and fighters of the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.

A major potential stumbling block will be which combatants should be demarcated as terrorist groups. Mr Lavrov said that Moscow would not stop its campaign of air strikes because the deal did not cover Isis, the jihadist group that holds territory across Syria and Iraq, or Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate which fights alongside less hardline rebel groups across much of Syria.

Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, hailed a provision to deliver aid to besieged civilians within days as a potential breakthrough.

But David Miliband, the former foreign secretary who now heads the charity International Rescue Committee, said: You dont wait a week for an emergency operation, and the people of Syria should not have to wait a week for relief from bombings. He said that he would await further detail to see whether the agreement was a turning point or a false dawn.

The Kremlin insists that its aerial bombing has only ever targeted those two factions since it began in September. But the US and Britain say that most of Russias energies have been spent attacking other, non-Isis groups opposed to President Assad in order to help his troops make gains.
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The people of Syria have been handed a glimmer of hope after world powers agreed to seek a nationawide cessation of hostilities within a week.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Munich that Syrian peace negotiations should resume in Geneva as soon as possible. He said that the cessation in hostilities would not include Western operations against Isis and other miliant groups fighting in Syria.

Mr Kerry said the ceasefire plan was ambitious and said the real test would be whether the parties honoured the commitments.

America's top diplomat, flanked by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, acknowledged that the meeting produced commitments on paper only. He and Mr Lavrov agreed that the real test will be whether all parties to the Syrian conflict honor those commitments.

In pictures: Syria conflict Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Syria conflict In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians carry children amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl on a street covered with dust following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians react as they stand amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis An injured Syrian man walks out from the rubble of a destroyed building following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman makes her way through debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis People stand on the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the Al-Fardous neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian residents stand amid the rubble of destroyed buildings In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian resident grasps a mattress amid rubble in the al-Firdous neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A view taken from Tel al-Sawadi shows a large explosion allegedly at the Wadi Deif Syrian army base in northwestern Idlib on May 14, 2014, which opposition fighters have been trying to capture for more than a year. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamist rebels detonated explosives planted in a tunnel under the army base killing or injuring dozens. AFP In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A bullet-riddled parking sign stands amid debris in a deserted street leading into the old city of Homs In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A general view shows abandoned buildings on a deserted square in the old city of Homs after Syrian government forces regained control of rebel-controlled areas In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A military vehicle that belongs to the Free Syrian Army is seen in Al-Amariya district in Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A mosque is pictured through shattered glass in the old city of Homs, as rebel fighters withdrew from the city centre in line with a negotiated withdrawal deal with the government after having held out under tight siege for nearly two years In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Buses carrying Free Syrian Army fighters leaving Homs. Exhausted and worn out from a year-long siege, hundreds of Syrian rebels left their last remaining bastions in the heart of the central city of Homs under a cease-fire deal with government forces. The exit of some 1,200 fighters and civilians will mark a de facto end of the rebellion in the battered city, which was one of the first places to rise up against President Bashar Assad's rule, earning it the nickname of "capital of the revolution" In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian government forces hold up a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad (L) while others raise the national flag on top of a pole in the old city of Homs In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad run through Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr crossing after their release by rebels. They were freed as part of a larger deal which saw the last remaining Syrian rebels in central Homs city evacuate their positions and free captives in several locations in northern Syria In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman and two children walk past heavily damaged buildings in the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man carries a wounded girl following a reported bombardment with explosive-packed "barrel bombs" by Syrian government forces in the al-Mowasalat neighborhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A wounded man sits as he is treated at a makeshift hospital following a reported bombardment with explosive-packed "barrel bombs" by Syrian government forces in the al-Sakhour district of the northern city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters and Islamic rebels said was an operation to strike Al-Sahaba checkpoint, which is considered a gateway to Al-Dayf valley, and remove forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Maarat Al-Nouman, Idlib province In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Men try to put out fire at a site hit by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Azaz, north of Aleppo, near the border with Turkey In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Civil Defence members try to put out fire In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Survivors react at a site hit by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Azaz, north of Aleppo, near the border with Turkey In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Residents queue as they wait to receive food aid distributed by the UNRWA at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, south of Damascus In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Belongings of Syrian rebels inside a chapel at Crac des Chevaliers, the world's best preserved medieval Crusader castle in Syria. The village was destroyed in fighting between the government and rebel forces while the castle, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, also has been damaged over the past two years In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Hosen Sabah, a 16-year-old student is comforted by his mother at a hospital in Damascus. Nosen was wounded by a mortar outside his school, while 14 other students were killed and over 80 wounded In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Free Syrian Army fighter works on a locally made launcher before firing it towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Mork town In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian policemen and citizens inspecting the site of a car bomb at the entrance of Moadhamiyet al-Sham neighborhood in rural Damascus. According to Syria's Arab News Agency (SANA), a car bomb explosion has gone off in the countryside of Damascus and initial information say there are casualties, where a car rigged with explosions was remotely detonated at the entrance of Moadhamiyet al-Sham neighborhood in rural Damascus during engineering units it was trying to dismantled it In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Opposition fighters carrying a rocket launcher during clashes against government forces in the Sheikh Lutfi area, west of the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man helps a woman to make her way through debris following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man reacts as he carries the body of injured boy following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian rescue workers carry the body of a woman following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman walks past the burning wreckage of a car following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man and two children run to a safer place following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man holds an injured child after, according to activists, two barrel bombs were thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Hullok neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis An injured man talks on a walkie-talkie after, according to activists, two barrel bombs were thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Hellok neighbourhood of Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A man walks inside a mosque damaged by, according to activists, a barrel bomb thrown by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Old Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians gather at the site of reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Rebel fighters carry their weapons as they run to avoid snipers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Morek in Hama province

What we have here are words on paper, what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground, he said.

A UN task force will be set up to ensure humanitarian access is granted to all sides, Mr Kerry added. He also said the powers had agreed to immediately accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Mr Lavrov said there were reasons to hope we have done a great job today.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (right) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announce the planned Syrian ceasefire in Munich (AP)

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said a cessation of hostilities in Syria could only succeed if Russia stops air strikes supporting Syrian government forces' advance against the opposition.

If implemented fully and properly... , this (deal) will be an important step towards relieving the killing and suffering in Syria, Mr Hammond said in a statement.

But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its supporters. Russia, in particular, claims to be attacking terrorist groups and yet consistently bombs non-extremist groups including civilians. If this agreement is to work, this bombing will have to stop: no cessation of hostilities will last if moderate opposition groups continue to be targeted.

The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, made further advances in Aleppo province. The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo.

At the press conference Mr Kerry again suggested that Russian strikes were targeting opposition forces, rather than mililiants, as Moscow says.

One Western diplomatic source told Reuters: "We did not get a deal on the immediate end of Russian bombings, but we have a commitment to a process that if it works would change the situation.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday raised the spectre of an interminable conflict or even a world war if powers failed to negotiate an end to the fighting in Syria, which has killed 250,000 people, caused a refugee crisis and empowered Islamic State militants.

The first peace talks in two years between belligerents in Syria collapsed last week before they began in the face an the offensive by President Bashar al-Assad's forces, one of the biggest and most consequential of the five-year war.

As Mr Kerry met with the Syria group in Munich, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter was in Brussels to rally fresh support for the fight against the Islamic State group in largely the same territory.

Mr Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a broad endorsement of a refined US plan for defeating Isis. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Mr Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions. He predicted tangible gains in Iraq and Syria by March.

We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight, he said, appealing to coalition partners to expand and deepen their military contributions.

Statement of the International Syria Support Group:

Meeting in Munich on February 11 & 12, 2016, as the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Arab League, China, Egypt, the EU, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States decided that humanitarian access will commence this week to besieged areas, and an ISSG task force will within one week elaborate modalities for a nationwide cessation of hostilities.

The ISSG members unanimously committed to immediately facilitate the full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted unanimously December 18, 2015. The ISSG reaffirmed their readiness to carry out all commitments set forth in the resolution, including to: ensure a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition based on the Geneva Communique in its entirety; press for the end of any indiscriminate use of weapons; support and accelerate the agreement and implementation of a nationwide ceasefire; facilitate immediate humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas and the release of any arbitrarily detained persons; and fight terrorism.

Ensuring Humanitarian Access

In order to accelerate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, sustained delivery of assistance shall begin this week by air to Deir Ez Zour and simultaneously to Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of Rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, and Kafr Batna by land, and continue as long as humanitarian needs persist. Humanitarian access to these most urgent areas will be a first step toward full, sustained, and unimpeded access throughout the country

The members of the ISSG will use their influence with all parties on the ground to work together, in coordination with the United Nations, to ensure that all parties allow immediate and sustained humanitarian access to reach all people in need, throughout Syria, particularly in all besieged and hard-to-reach areas, as called for in UNSCR 2254. To this end, the UN will submit a plan to an ISSG humanitarian task force, which shall convene on February 12 and next week. This group will comprise the ISSG co-chairs, relevant UN entities and members of the ISSG with influence on the parties in a position to ensure humanitarian access. The ISSG reaffirmed that humanitarian access should not benefit any particular group over any other, but shall be granted by all sides to all people in need, in full compliance with UNSCR 2254 and international humanitarian law. The ISSG asks the UN to report weekly, on behalf of the task force, on progress on the implementation of the plan referenced above, so that in any cases where access lags or approvals are lacking, relevant ISSG members will use their influence to press the requested party/parties to provide that approval. There will be a process for resolving any problems so that relief can flow expeditiously. Any questions about access or delivery will be resolved through the task force. All ISSG members commit to immediately work together with the Syrian parties to ensure no delay in the granting of approval and completion of all pending UN requests for access in accordance with UNSCR 2254, paragraph 12.

ISSG co-chairs and members will ensure that aid convoys are used solely for humanitarian purposes. International humanitarian organizations, in particular the United Nations, will play the central role, as they engage the Syrian government, the opposition and local populations, in arranging

the monitoring and sustained and uninterrupted distribution of aid.

Achieving a Nationwide Cessation of Hostilities

The ISSG members agreed that a nationwide cessation of hostilities must be urgently implemented, and should apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra, or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council. The ISSG members commit to exercise influence for an immediate and significant reduction in violence leading to the nationwide cessation of hostilities.

The ISSG members decided to take immediate steps to secure the full support of all parties to the conflict for a cessation of hostilities, and in furtherance of that have established an ISSG ceasefire task force, under the auspices of the UN, co-chaired by Russia and the United States, and including political and military officials, with the participation of ISSG members with influence on the armed opposition groups or forces fighting in support of the Syrian government. The UN shall serve as the secretariat of the ceasefire task force. The cessation of hostilities will commence in one week, after confirmation by the Syrian government and opposition, following appropriate consultations in Syria. During that week, the ISSG task force will develop modalities for the cessation of hostilities.

The ISSG task force will, among other responsibilities continue to: a) delineate the territory held by Daesh, ANF and other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council; b) ensure effective communications among all parties to promote compliance and rapidly de-escalate tensions; c) resolve allegations of non-compliance; and d) refer persistent non-compliant behavior by any of the parties to ISSG

Ministers, or those designated by the Ministers, to determine appropriate action, including the exclusion of such parties from the arrangements for the cessation of hostilities and the protection it affords them. Although a cessation of hostilities can facilitate humanitarian access, it cannot be a precondition for such access anywhere in Syria. The ISSG decided that all members will undertake their best efforts, in good faith, to sustain the cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian assistance, and take measures to stop any activities prohibited by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2170, 2178, 2199, 2249, 2253, and 2254. The ISSG again expressed concern for the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons and the imperative of building conditions for their safe return in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law and taking into account the interests of host countries.

Advancing a Political Transition

The members of the ISSG reaffirmed the imperative of all sides engaging in negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible, in strict compliance with United Nations Security Council 2254. They reaffirmed that it is for the Syrian people to decide the future of Syria. The members of the ISSG pledge to do all they can to facilitate rapid progress in these negotiations, including the reaching of agreement within six months on a political transition plan that establishes credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance and sets a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution, free and fair elections, pursuant to the new constitution, to be held within 18 months and administered under supervision of the United Nations, to the satisfaction of the governance and to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. Full implementation of these objectives will require the ISSG co-chairs and members, the UN and others, to work closely on political, humanitarian, and military dimensions.
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The deployment of foreign ground troops in Syria could draw nations into a world war, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned.

Speaking to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the Prime Minister said "a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war".

When asked about Saudi Arabia's proposal to send in ground troops, he said "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war".

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia confirmed it is planning to deploy ground troops in Syria to fight Isis.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Nations currently taking part in operations against Isis under the US-led Coalition include Britain, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Australia and Canada.

Mr Medvedev also criticised the refusal of Western powers to collaborate with Russia in Syria. He said the conflict must be resolved through talks, not by opening another front in the war.

Over 250,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, which has caused a refugee crisis and empowered Isis militants.

 Syria agreement: Cessation of hostilities within week

World powers agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" within a week, after a crisis meeting in Munich.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said a "pause" in hostilities between Syrian forces and Western-backed rebels would begin in a week.

He said the "ambitious" ceasefire plan would not include Western operations against Isis and other militant groups fighting in Syria.

However, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said a cessation of hostilities in Syria could only succeed if Russia stops its air strikes, which support the Syrian government forces' advance against the opposition.

Additional reporting by AP
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Two Yemeni TV journalists and their three children have died after a Saudi-led coalition airstrike supported by the US struck their home in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday.

37-year-old Munir al-Hakami and his wife, thirty-year-old Suaad Hujaira, both worked for Yemen TV, a state-owned channel under the control of Houthi-rebels which is critical of Saudi military intervention in the region.

According to The New York Times, local residents said they were living in a residential neighbourhood and there was no clear military target in the area.

The two journalists are the most recent casualties in a conflict which has seen persistent violence against journalists carried out by both sides.

Yemen is currently in the grip of its most grave crisis in years and has been pushed into a civil war since March last year.

Human rights groups have blamed the coalition, which has been fighting the Houthis, for killing hundreds of civilians in indiscriminate airstrikes.

Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Show all 4 1 /4 Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod

The local union of journalists has recently called for an immediate end to the violence against journalists and an enquiry into the deaths of those targeted.

Since the beginning of Yemens latest war in March 2015, violence against journalists has radically increased and the union says it is increasingly restricting the freedom of expression in Yemen, The New Arab reported.

In December, Pro-Houthi troops kidnapped and beat the son of a reporter who had documented human rights violations by Houthi rebels.

While in January, Almigdad Mojalli, one of the few local journalists working with global news outlets, was also killed by Saudi led-coalition air raids.
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The war in Syria and Iraq has reached a decisive turning point with the announcement by the US and Russia in Munich that they have agreed on the delivery of food and other aid to besieged communities in Syria; this would be followed by a cessation of hostilities in preparation for a formal ceasefire.

A de-escalation of the conflict will be difficult to implement because it does not apply to Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra, both of which are designated by the UN as terrorist movements; between them, they control more than half of Syrias territory  though a far lower proportion of the population. There is no agreement on which other members of the armed opposition are terrorists, so Russia can continue bombing those whom the US and its allies claim are moderates.

But the agreement in Munich is still a crucial stage in ending the five-year war that has convulsed much of the Middle East and brought terror to people across the world, from Paris to Jakarta. Despite problems in implementation, the agreement is significant because it is brokered by the US and Russia, the only states with enough influence over the many participants in the war to begin the process of ending it.

The outcome of the conflict will not be determined by diplomacy alone, but by events on the battlefield, where winners and losers have been emerging over the past six months. A crucial development was the entry of Russia as a participant in the war; its bombing campaign in support of the Syrian army, which began on 30 September, ensured that President Bashar al-Assad was not going to lose the war. When the Syrian army cut the rebel supply lines between Aleppo and the Turkish border on 2 February it became increasingly possible that he would win it.

The only development that might lead to the military balance of power swinging back in favour of the Syrian armed opposition would be the direct intervention of the Turkish army in Syria. But it is getting very late in the day for this to happen, despite deep unhappiness in Turkey at the advance of the Syrian Kurds along its southern frontier. Saudi Arabia has been an important backer of the armed opposition and has offered to send ground troops to Syria; but it has not said when, where or how it would intervene.

 Major Powers Reach Agreement on Syria Ceasefire - John Kerry

The first test of the new agreement  and of Russias ability to ensure that the Syrian government acts in accordance with it  will be the delivery of food and other supplies to besieged and blockaded towns in Syria, such as Madaya and Zabadani. Ending the sieges, or at least alleviating the suffering of the besieged, raises a problem in that almost half of the 486,000 estimated by the UN to live under siege are in government-held areas encircled by Isis and al-Nusra.

In the government-held part of Deir Ezzor, in eastern Syria, 200,000 civilians are trapped and malnourished, according to the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. When Isis broke into part of the besieged city in January, its fighters executed 85 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Sieges and blockades have played a central role in the Syrian war because neither side wants to suffer casualties among their combat troops in house-to-house fighting. Government strategy has been to seal off urban areas it has lost by placing checkpoints around them; often these are manned by conscripts who are elderly or out of condition. It then bombards the rebel-held area with artillery and bombs, turning them into ghost districts  uninhabited heaps of rubble and shells of burned out buildings.

In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work

Going by past experience, government forces will be averse to allowing through food and other necessities to places held by their enemies, whom they have been fighting for years. Nevertheless, the Syrian army is so dependent on Russian air strikes for its recent successes that President Assad will have difficulty resisting Russian pressure, if it is applied, to comply with the terms agreed in Munich.

A cessation of hostilities, to be followed by a formal ceasefire, presents problems and opportunities because so much of the armed opposition is dominated by Isis and al-Nusra, which are not part of the deal. Both groups are, in any case, highly motivated fighting machines for which battle is a proof of Islamic faith, and neither would flourish in conditions of peace. They may benefit from a revulsion among many Syrian opponents of the government at the belief that they are being sold out, after all their years of suffering, and that President Assad and the Baath party are going to stay in power.

One of the more important paragraphs in the statement by the International Syria Support Group concerns the policing of compliance with a truce. The paragraph states that the ISSG looks for support for a cessation of hostilities, and in furtherance of that have established an ISSG ceasefire task force, under the auspices of the UN, co-chaired by Russia and the United States, and including political and military officials, with the participation of ISSG members with influence on the armed opposition groups or forces fighting in support of the Syrian government.

The ISSG task force will clarify which parts of Syria are held by Isis, al-Nusr and anybody else labelled as terrorist.

There is plenty of room for disagreement, but for the first time there is a plan for de-escalating the war, and a mechanism for enforcing it that is backed by the US and Russia. Syrian and regional forces will find it difficult to sabotage the agreement, though they may try to evade it. Inside Syria, parties are exhausted by the long war and are so reliant on outside support that they may have little option in the long term but to comply. Regional powers such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar may not like what has happened, but there may not be much they can do about it either.

President Assad has survived and the alliance of Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah has avoided defeat and got much of what it wanted. Probably President Assad would like to fight on and win decisively, but his successes over the past four months stem from Russian and Iranian backing.

The approach to peace in Syria will be as messy as the war itself, but despite the many obstacles to diplomacy, this agreement may be a step towards peace: it has the backing of the US and Russia, and it reflects the balance of power on the battlefield.
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The world's most suppressed countries have been named after a watchdog ranked them according their level of freedom.

Democracy watchdog organisation Freedom House released its annual list alongside the conclusion that "global freedom is under pressure".

Its findings are presented in the map above, produced for The Independent by statistics agency Statista.

The group uses standards enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, focusing on the political rights and civil liberties of individuals.

It applies them across the world "irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development."

The countries are ranked as free, partly free or not free.

However, the tumultuous events of 2015 have "contributed to the 10th consecutive year of decline in global freedom," according to the report.

Perhaps the most significant single factor is the Syria crisis, which has continued to escalate and become more complex, involving numerous proxy powers. It has also led to an unprecedented refugee crisis hitting Europe, which has in turn caused a resurgence of far right sentiment in the region.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

The lack of an effective strategy to resolve the crisis "betrayed a worrying lack of self-confidence and conviction" in the leading democracies, said Freedom House.

This was reinforced by the claim that the elections and legislative process in the US "have suffered from an increasingly intricate system of gerrymandering and undue interference by wealthy individuals and special interests."

It also raised concern over the apparent widening of racial and ethnic divisions in the US.

Economic pressures have also contributed to the decline in freedom. In China, the economic slowdown contributed towards "harsh campaigns against dissent and a renewed emphasis on the Communist Partys leadership in political, social, and economic life. These measures more than offset the modest reform measures which also took place in 2015, according to the report.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The falling price of oil has threatened many 'petro-states' dependent on oil output.

"Wary of spending cuts, declining living standards, and the social unrest they could cause, most of these regimes cracked down on rights activists and other critics," said the report.

For Saudi Arabia and its Gulf state allies, participation in proxy conflicts, such as the war in Yemen, and influence over repressive regimes, such as in Egypt, has continued.

In Iran, where economic prospects are improving following the lifting of sanctions following the nuclear deal, hard-line elements of the regime have worked to "smother public expectations that it would lead to a more open society," the report said.

The fall in oil prices has also affected Russia, hurting it further following sanctions imposed on it over the Ukraine crisis. Freedom House said the country's government had used its "high-volume propaganda apparatus" to clamp down on voices critical of its overseas military actions.

In Latin America, gang and political violence and endemic corruption continue to grip many countries. Violence and civil unrest has caused many governments, such as that of of President Maduro in Venezuela, to resort to repressive measures, the report said.
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Nearly one in 10 of landlords say they have found or received sensitive personal information such as bank statements, payslips, utility bills, chequebooks and passports when a tenant has moved out. Royal Mail and the National Landlords Association are warning renters who don't update their address details that they are putting themselves at risk of identity theft. The most common items left behind by tenants are clothes, followed by toys, and then animals.

Winter bills

Two-thirds of people expect to make major lifestyle cutbacks this year to pay their energy bills  6 per cent will even downsize their home to do so. Santander's survey also shows that around 17 per cent turn on the oven at home to warm up and 6 per cent spend more time than usual at work because it's warmer.

Home insurance companies

A quarter of people aged over 50 do not trust home insurance companies to handle their claims fairly, according to SunLife. Of those without cover, a fifth say they don't have enough contents to justify having cover and a similar figure say it is simply too expensive or the cost of premiums outweigh the risk.

Home alone

In a poll asking about the biggest financial turn-off in a relationship, around 10 per cent of people told Ocean Finance that they would not continue seeing someone who is financially incapable of moving out of their parents' home into a place of their own. A separate survey from Hugo Oliver suggests that one in five people have broken up with a partner over a dirty bathroom.

Cost of renting

The average first-time buyer getting on to the housing ladder this year will already have spent 52,900 on rent, says a new report from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla). First timers in the North-east will have spent 31,300 on rent, the lowest amount in England, while in London the average amount is 68,300. Last year Arla says on average people in the UK spent 22 per cent of their wages on rent. In a separate report, HomeLet says the average rent in the UK (excluding Greater London) is now 740 per month, and 1,510 per month in Greater London itself.

Capital stamp duty

Knight Frank's latest research shows that London boroughs accounted for 44.3 per cent of all stamp duty in England and Wales between January and October 2015, up from 41 per cent in same period in 2014.

Outrageous property deals in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Outrageous property deals in pictures Outrageous property deals in pictures The Park Lane townhouse set to become one of the UK's most expensive student flats at 4,000 a week A town house situated in Park Lane, one of the most affluent places in London, is about to become the capitals most expensive student residence. Most of London students usually live in halls of residence before moving on to house-share. For this reason it is fair to say few will able to afford the 3,540 square foot three-bedroom flat, which is available for 4,000 a week, 16,000 per month or 192,000 per year. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures London's most expensive flat goes on sale at Buckingham Palace near Buckingham Palace priced at 150m A luxury flat in Londons historic Admiralty Arch, which overlooks Buckingham Palace, could sell for up to 150 million. If sold for that price, the 15,000 sq ft apartment will become London's most expensive flat, topping One Hyde Park, a flat which sold for 140 million in 2014.The Grade I listed property boasts 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms Outrageous property deals in pictures Little White House inside the US embassy complex in London goes on sale for 2.5m A luxury home inside the US embassy complex has gone on sale for 2.5m. The property is said to be the most protected home in Britain and any visitor is asked to carry an identity card at all times. The complex has patrolling US marines, a 24-hour British police presence, checkpoints, anti-tanks blocks and CCTV.But potential buyers looking for a fortress should not get their hopes up as all the security will disappear once the US embassy moves to a new site in Nine Elms in 2017. The home, located at 4 Blackburnes Mews near Grosvenor Square, dates back to 1732 and owes its nickname to its white facade, grand entrance and sweeping staircase as well as its proximity to the US embassy. It provides nearly 3,000 sq ft of living space and benefits from access to communal gardens. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures First London luxury flats to contain their own private art gallery with prices going from 3.8m up to 7.7m The first private luxury apartment building in London with its own private art gallery has been unveiled in March. The Chilterns at 24 Paddington Street contains 44 luxury residences, the majority of which were sold in 2013. It contains a signature restaurant, a 24 hour-hotel style concierge service, a gymnasium and sauna and a private cinema. The new art gallery, with original pictures of the area by David Bailey, is part of the lobby of the building and is one of the most exciting and unique features of the Chilterns, according to Stephen Conway, CEO of Galliard Homes. With prices going from 3.8 million up to 7.7 million for a three bedroom flat, the residence is located between the local shops of Marylebone High Street and Baker Street. Outrageous property deals in pictures Margaret Thatcher's Belgravia home is up for sale for 30m Margaret Thatchers six-floor townhouse in Belgravia is on the market for a cool 30 million. The Grade II listed building on No. 73 Chester Square, one of Londons most prestigious addresses, now boasts a lift, a newly constructed mews house with a roof terrace and a private garage after a three-year refurbishment by Leconfield, a development and construction company. Some features from Thatchers time at the property remain. The layout and design of the formal dining room and interlinking study on the ground floor has been reinstated exactly as the Iron Lady had it during her 22 years at the property, from 1991 until her death in 2013. Outrageous property deals in pictures Tiny London house that is just 10ft wide goes on market for 800,000 A tiny terraced house that measures no more than 10ft wide has gone on the market in south London for a staggering 800,000. The house, generally labelled "unique" by estate agent Foxtons, looks all the more unusual because it is sandwiched between two regular-sized homes. It doesn't even have a proper back door - images of the interior suggested renovators had sought to maximise the property's space by including a folding aperture to the similarly narrow back garden. Outrageous property deals in pictures The Mayfair penthouse that sold for 30 million A Mayfair penthouse on Albemarle Street, one of Mayfair's oldest roads, sold to a mystery buyer for 30 million in December. The 5,845 sq ft, three-bedroom family home is thought to be one of the most expensive properties sold in the capital this year, and comes with an annual service charge of 61,000. supplied by Estate agent Peter Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures The dilapidated pre-fab 'shed' sold for nearly 1 million A pre-fabricated bungalow in south-east London has sold at auction for just under 1 million. The 1950s property in Peckham comes with 0.6 acres of land, is in need of renovation and has no fitted bathroom, but still sold for 950,000. A guide price of 590,000 was initially set, but increased rapidly during the bidding. Google Maps Outrageous property deals in pictures The starter home flats that went for a combined 60 million Some 215 affordable starter homes, specifically designed for first time buyers, sold out in just three hours in November, after dozens of aspiring homeowners camped overnight and queued in bad weather to get their hands on the flats. The starter home flats at Trinity Square by Galliard Homes went for a combined 60 million, or an average of 700 per sq ft. Londoners looking for affordable housing did not hesitate to camp out for up to two days to snag a flat, despite the fact that the project will not be complete for another two years. Galliard Outrageous property deals in pictures The longest lateral flat where H.G wells hosted a book club: yours for 3.65m The 2,200 square foot apartment in Chiltern Court in Marylebone was also home to author Arnold Bennett and political cartoonist David Low. Now on the market for 3.65 million through Rokstone agency, the four-bedroom flat has been refurbished into a luxury apartment, providing an exceptional 40 meter window frontage and depth. It claims to be the longest and most outstanding lateral flat - ones that stretch the full width of a building, or sometimes across two buildings - currently for sale in Londons West End. Rokstone Outrageous property deals in pictures Gatti House: the flats with celebrity links and private "pizza" lift that sold for a collective 16.5 million Celebrity links, a famous history and a private pizza lift has helped set a new record for price per square foot for a block of flats in central London. The four flats have sold for a collective 16.5 million at Gatti House on Londons Strand. Gatti House, a magnificent grade II building built in 1867, was sold as four separate apartments priced from 2.95 million to 5.95 million by CBRE Residential and Beauchamp, which has completed the last remaining sale. CBRE Residential and Beauchamp Outrageous property deals in pictures Londons most expensive office A newly refurbished office in the heart of Mayfair measuring 6,000 sq ft was unveiled by Enstar Capital in October. At 500 per sq ft, it is set to be the most expensive commercial fit out ever undertaken in the West End, according to the developer. The workspace on 54 Brooks Mews features gold-plated executive washrooms inspired by Armani-hotel in Italy, timber flooring imported from a 16th century monastery in Tuscany and an Art Deco entrance restored with a new 54 entrance logo replicating Steve Rubells famous studio 54 nightclub logo from the seventies. While the directors floor include a rooftop terrace dressed with loungers and an outside meeting and dining table. Enstar Capital Outrageous property deals in pictures Former garage in Mayfair become worlds most expensive mews house at 24m in Mayfair In September, the worlds most expensive mews house, in Reevews Mews, sold to a Qatari buyer for an eye-watering 24 million. Outrageous property deals in pictures A penthouse where you canoe from your front door, yours for 16.95 million London luxury dockside complex located on Chelsea creek is due for completion by the end of 2016. But its luxury flats are already on sale including this penthouse yours for 16.95 million. Its future residents will be able to slip down the river for a work out on the water at anytime of the day. Outrageous property deals in pictures The only property in London too expensive for the citys super-rich property buyers A 45 bed-room mansion near Hyde Park, previously owned by a Saudi Prince, received a private bid for 280 million. If accepted this would have made the property he most expensive single home ever to be sold in Britain. It was originally listed with an asking price of 300 million more than double the price of the UKs second most expensive home.

Stories behind the pictures

The housing charity Shelter is searching for the children and families featured in iconic pictures of England's 1960s slums taken by its photographer Nick Hedges over three years showing families living in cold, damp and dangerous conditions. An exhibition of Nick's photos will tour Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester next year. More information at http://stories.shelter.org.uk/make-life-worth-living

Bournemouth on the up

House prices rose 700 in January in England and Wales, according to Your Move, to push the average just past the 290,000 mark. The largest monthly jump was in Bournemouth, up 2.9 per cent or 7,370.
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The Government has warned it will prosecute graduates from across the UK and overseas who fail to pay their student loans back on time as part of a new strategy.

In a statement from Minister for Universities Jo Johnson to the House of Commons, the politician said the new plans were needed to ensure the repayment system remains fair, robust, and efficient as the higher education system sees more people gain entry than ever before, due to a cap-lift on numbers.

Recommended Read more The moment 18 MPs took just 90 minutes to axe maintenance grants

He described how the Government is committed to maintaining the UKs world-class education system while living within its means, and said: As more loans are issued to new students each year, it is vital the repayment process is robust, convenient for borrowers, and working efficiently to ensure the sustainability of the student finance system, and value for money, for the taxpayer.

Student news in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Student news in pictures Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain a student demonstrator during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain student protestors during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters demanded that the parliament takes steps to impeach President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures Filipino demonstrators face off with anti-riot police during a protest near the US Embassy in Manila, Philippine EPA Student news in pictures Hundreds of protesters including Indigenous People, students and militant groups marched towards the US Embassy to protest against the presence of US military troops and condemning the violent dispersal which left at least forty people hurt including twenty police officers and three people who were run over by a police van EPA Student news in pictures A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students Student news in pictures A man holds up a photograph of a missing student with a caption reading 'We are missing 43,' during a meeting marking the 25-month anniversary of the disappearances of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero, in Mexico City. A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students AP Student news in pictures Miguel Perez, an intern student from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, puts away his cell phone before walking into the operating room at the Dr. Isaac Gonzalez MartInez Oncological Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Once they complete their general surgery training, many residents are moving to the United States in search of better wages, one of the main factors linked to the current shortage of specialists in the Island Student news in pictures Fewer EU students have applied to start university courses in the UK next autumn. There was a 9% fall in the numbers who had applied for courses, according to admissions service UCAS. PA wire Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. Masses of protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on the heels of a move by congress to open a political trial against Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election AP Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela AP Student news in pictures Thousands, most of them high school students, march during a demonstration in Madrid, Spain, on a one day strike to protest about the country's education law that increases the number of annual exams AP Student news in pictures Students gather on the west mall to confront the Young Conservatives of Texas student organization over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action Student news in pictures Donald Parish Jr, right, confronts Electrical and Computer Engineering senior Dewayne Perry over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action AP Student news in pictures Brigham Young University announced that students who report sexual assault will no longer be investigated for possible violations of the Mormon-owned school's strict honor code that bans such things as alcohol use AP Student news in pictures Students of secondary education march to protest against the final examinations and LOMCE (The Improvement Quality Education Law) law, after a call by trade unions, in Murcia, Spain EPA Student news in pictures South African police have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters who had marched to the parliament building to call for free university education, where the finance minister was giving a budget speech AP Student news in pictures Police break up student protests outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures South African Policemen fire rubber bullets at student protestors in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures A student protestor is hit by a rubber bullet in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures An injured student is helped by colleagues during protest outside the parliament during South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium term budget speech in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures Plaintiffs and bereaved families of elementary school students killed in the tsunami that followed a major earthquake in northeastern Japan in 2011, show banners that say 'victory in a suit filed with the Sendai District Court' in Sendai. A Japanese court ordered municipalities to pay $13.7 million dollars to families of school children who were swept away to their deaths by the 2011 tsunami Getty Student news in pictures A group of student at Ewha Womans University calls for a thorough investigation into those involved in years of engagement with state affairs backstage by Choi Soon-sil, a personal confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the school's front gate in Seoul, South Korea EPA Student news in pictures Students raise placards during a strike action called by the student union, in Madrid against university entry exams Getty Student news in pictures Libyans throw a newly graduated student into a fountain as they celebrate during the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Thousands of Thai Catholic students take part in mourning tributes and in singing the Thai Royal Anthem to honour late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Saint Dominic School in Bangkok, Thailand EPA Student news in pictures Students of Silpakorn University paint portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures A student of Silpakorn University paints a portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend PA wire Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend, an annual tradition where student 'parents' inflict tasks on the unfortunate first-years they have adopted as 'children' as part of a mentoring scheme PA wire Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) take part in a practice in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) wait in line to enter a classroom in Havana, Cuba Reuters

Despite acknowledging that the majority of borrowers do repay on time, Mr Johnson said the Government will take stronger action to track down borrowers who avoid repaying, including those overseas. He said: We will act to recover loan repayments where it is clear borrowers are seeking to avoid repayment, consider the use of sanctions against borrowers who breach loan repayment terms and, if necessary, prosecute.

Read more about the Governments new strategy:

For students who need more help, Mr Johnson said the Government will offer more support to ensure their repayment obligations are met. In the interests of fairness to both the taxpayer and to borrowers, though, he added: We will be tougher on those who do not [seek to meet repayment obligations].

The move will see the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Student Loans Company, Her Majestys Revenue and Customs and the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all work together seeing how the loan repayment process is the same across all four parts of the UK.

The Government has recently been criticised for making a U-turn on a student loan promise which originally saw post-2012 students repay the amount they borrowed once they earned 21,000 or more.

However, having backtracked - and amid overwhelming opposition from respondents to a consultation - the Conservatives have placed a freeze in the threshold, meaning graduates will now have to repay more of their cash each month.
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Terminal Neige Totemis not just another new hotel in the Alps. In the 1960s, Flaine started out as a family resort with half a dozen modest hotels, but one by one they failed, leaving visitors to pick from an expanding range of apartments and chalets. The Totem was the last to go, standing empty for three years until its rebirth this winter as the flagship of Terminal Neige, a new youth-oriented three-star brand.

The creator is the Sibuet family, farmers-turned-innovative hoteliers who built up a reputation for elegance linked to history at the Mont Blanc and Les Fermes de Marie in Megeve. So far, so good, but the new generation, Nicolas, 32, and Marie, 28, have no interest in polished antiques and bone china: their Totem, created over three months for the pre-Christmas opening, is about hustle and bustle, getting what you want when you want it, no frills attached. That could be bleak if the young team wasn't so eager to help in all contingencies. A flooded cloakroom in the lobby? No worries. Open up an empty bedroom until the crisis is resolved.

The ground floor of the Totem is a huge integrated space, with an emphasis on informality. No queuing to check in: the staff step up swiftly to hand out keys. To the right, a rental shop with a coffee bar. To the left, a prominent island bar dividing the dining zone from the soft seating. No two tables are alike: perch on stools at a long raised bar, sink into animal furs in a convivial circle, pick a romantic twosome by the window.

The Totem is exceptionally proud of its bespoke chairs, especially the models that pay homage to Marcel Breuer, Flaine's celebrated Bauhaus architect. When he wasn't designing buildings to mirror the surrounding cliffs, he conjured up seats on curved steel supports inspired by cycle handle bars. You will find out that some are more comfortable than others.

Dining here is relaxed, with two well-stocked kitchen corners offering breakfast and dinner buffets, plus a lunch menu of sharing plates.

Location

Set on one side of Flaine Forum, the hotel is the ultimate in ski-in, ski-out convenience. Clip in for a 30-second glide to the Grandes Platieres gondola, the artery into a wide bowl above the tree line offering diversity for all standards. At 1,600m, Flaine is the highest and most snow-sure of the resorts on the Grand Massif lift pass, but its neighbours, Les Carroz, Samoens, Morillon and Sixt, provide a contrasting sense of adventure on runs cut through the forest. The 14km blue cruiser from the top of the gondola down to Sixt is one of the longest in the Alps.

Flaine was conceived by a Swiss architect who loved ski touring in the Massif and it was financed by Eric Boissonnas and his American wife, Sylvie, who dipped into her oil fortune to hire Breuer to build it between 1960 and 1975.

Not everyone likes Breuer's pre-cast concrete New Brutalism, but the French recognised its importance by adding the main buildings to an inventory of historical monuments in 1991. In the same era, the resort introduced big art to the Forum, notably Picasso's Head of Woman and Dubuffet's monumental Copse of Seven Trees.

A bedroom

Comfort

The Totem has 96 rooms, 50 classic doubles and 33 slightly larger club doubles. With eight deluxe rooms, four suites with spacious sitting rooms and the Loft Space apartment, there is no shortage of choice. Each room has one wall decorated with bold black graphics on a white background and complemented by cupboards with black and white cowhide doors. My deluxe room had a glass wall opening on to a spacious balcony on the sunny side.

The Essential Skiing Guide: France Show all 5 1 /5 The Essential Skiing Guide: France The Essential Skiing Guide: France 490143.bin Sophie Batterbury The Essential Skiing Guide: France 490144.bin PRESS PICTURE The Essential Skiing Guide: France 490145.bin AP The Essential Skiing Guide: France 490146.bin The Essential Skiing Guide: France 490147.bin AP

The Pure Altitude spa has an outdoor hot tub, a gym, sauna, hamman and a tempting range of treatments. The deck is dominated by a brightly painted native American totem pole, created by Pierre Magara, Megeve's favourite sculptor.

Travel essentials

Terminal Neige Totem, Flaine Forum, Flaine, France (00 33 457 74 74 74; terminal-neige.com).

Rooms 

Value 

Service 

Classic Doubles start at 150, Club Doubles at 180, including breakfast.

Inghams (01483 791 114; inghams.co.uk) offers seven nights' half board at the Terminal Neige Totem, from 1,079pp, including flights from Gatwick to Geneva and transfers.
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Audrey and Brian Kay were robbed. During a trip to Australasia, to celebrate their diamond anniversary, their passports were stolen somewhere between Sydney airport and the city centre. The theft led to their family learning that the octogenarian couple had paid astronomical amendment fees to a firm called CheapOair.

The flight tickets for a short hop from Sydney to Auckland and back had originally cost 143 each. But Mr Kay was then charged 1,049 to move the inbound flight by a day. After the theft, his daughter-in-law had to amend the flight once more, and was charged a further 950. For a couple of minor changes, they paid seven times the original cost of the flights.

Richard Kay, the couple's son, contacted me to ask if the fees were fair. Initially, I couldn't say for sure: it can sometimes cost a fortune to adjust flights for perfectly legitimate reasons.

The freedom to amend cheap tickets was initiated by easyJet 20 years ago. Before that, the typical airline attitude was: you've bought a cheap ticket; if you can't fly exactly as booked, we'll hang on to your cash. (For some of them, that still is the policy.) Then easyJet took a more reasonable view. If your plans alter, just pay a change fee (currently 15 to 45 per person per flight) plus  crucially  any difference in fare.

That latter component can trigger extreme price hikes. For example, I am flying to the Bavarian Alps next month, out on easyJet to Friedrichshafen and back from Munich. The cost to switch to this week  half-term for most schools  is 686, or 16 times my original fare. No complaints; easyJet is simply offering an option. Don't like the price? Don't switch the flights.

There might have been a good reason for a spike in demand, and therefore fares, on Mr and Mrs Kay's new dates to cross the Tasman Sea: school holidays, a big sporting event or a mega-convention. But Air New Zealand, the airline they flew on, told me the change fee would be around 80 each.

So, what led to the couple being charged 2,000? CheapOair says extracting the two very large payments was merely a mistake.

Special agents

Travel agents provide tremendous value, so long as they are on your side. My experiences with the real, live versions who you can talk to and look in the eye have been overwhelmingly positive.

Haydn Wrath, founder of Travel Nation of Brighton, saved me 500 on a multi-stop South Pacific adventure by using a little-known airpass loophole to max out a round-the-world ticket with the One World alliance. Less exotically, but just as useful, agents such as Jacqui Ridler of Cruise.co.uk demand customers' passport details  partly to ensure that names on tickets match travel documents, and also to detect problems such as an expiry date that could leave you marooned.

Shall I compare thee?

With human travel agents you can form a view about their devotion to you. But with the online variety, loyalty is harder to ascertain. Should you need a cheap flight from Sydney to Auckland, you could just type cheap flight from Sydney to Auckland into Google. When I tried, the top search result was CheapOair  the firm that proved an expensive choice for Mr and Mrs Kay.

Better to assess your options through a fare-comparison website. Skyscanner, Dohop and Kayak deliver an excellent picture of airlines, fares and flight times on pretty much any route you would want to take (with the exception, with Kayak, of Cuba, due to US travel restrictions).

Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Show all 8 1 /8 Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Winners: Landscape category - Jurassic Coast (Dorset, UK) by Tony Cowburn Tony Cowburn Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Winner: Icon category - Tiger's Nest (Paro Valley, Bhutan) by Kasia Nowak Kasia Nowak Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Winner: People category - Reflections (S-21 Prison, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) by Charlotte Currie Charlotte Currie Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Winner: Wildlife category - Escape! (Tanzania) by Vittorio Ricci Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Runners-up: Icon - Snow Time (Westminster Bridge, London) by Ron Tear Ron Tear Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Runner-up: Wildlife - Momentary (Bucks, UK) by Porsupah Ree Porsupah Ree Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Runner-up: Landscape - Polar Bear Landscape (Wrangel Island, Russia) by Gunther Riehle Travel Photo of the Year: The winning entries Runner-up: People - Let Sleeping Sikhs Lie (Amritsar, India) by Allan Dransfield Allan Dransfield

When the flight-comparison elves have performed their marvellous free-of-charge service, don't instantly plump for the cheapest deal. If it is offered by an agency that you haven't dealt with before, find out where the firm is based; those reassuring .co.uk suffixes may mask a headquarters in Sweden, Switzerland, Greece or Russia.

If things go awry, a faraway firm may prove less responsive than an agency on your High Street, or at least one within reach of the long arm of Trading Standards. And note the Spanish practices of eDreams.co.uk, based in Barcelona. I searched for an Edinburgh-London flight, and eDreams offered one for just 3.88. But the small print says the best price is available only when paying with Visa Entropay. If, like most human beings, you don't have a virtual Visa card but instead use a real debit card, the price rises five-fold to 21.58. Buyer beware.
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Jimi's joint

The London flat where Jimi Hendrix lived in the late 1960s is now on show in Brook Street, Mayfair  with the living room restored to how it looked in 1969. It is adjacent to the house where George Frideric Handel lived in the 18th century. Handel and Hendrix in London explores the legacies of both musicians.

handelhendrix.org

Beach hop

The beach airport at Barra in the Outer Hebrides is accessible for the next five weeks with a special day-return fare of 79 from Glasgow. Passengers fly out on the morning service, spend two or three hours on the island and fly back in the afternoon. Tea and a cake at the Airport Cafe are included.

bit.ly/BarraLanding

All mine

Spend a night underground in an abandoned slate mine as part of the Great Weekend of Welsh Adventure. Led by experienced guides, the Sleepover Adventure takes place on 2 April, when intrepid visitors can bed down in Corris Mine, just north of Aberystwyth. Tickets are 150 with dinner and breakfast; minimum age 16.

corrismineexplorers.co.uk

Zika latest

If you missed this week's live Facebook Q&A session on the Zika virus and its implications for travellers, you can watch the recording online. Simon Calder talks about the infection, the risks it poses and options for holidaymakers booked to travel to an affected region.

bit.ly/FBzika

Capital gain

British Airways returns to Stansted on 28 May, when it launches flights to Faro, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza. It will be the fourth London airport for the carrier, which will compete with easyJet and Ryanair on the new routes. Flights will be operated by BA's subsidiary, CityFlyer, using 98-seater Embraer 190 jets.

ba.com

Snowdonia (Getty)

Worth a peak

Planning a spring walking break? The Coast and Peaks rail rover ticket allows four days' travel in eight across parts of North Wales and Northern England, from Anglesey and Snowdonia to the Peak District. The price of 73 can be reduced by a third if you have a railcard.

bit.ly/CoastPeak

Isle say

Island-hoppers can make use of Garuda Indonesia's new Wonderful Indonesia Travel Pass, a flexible flight ticket priced by distance. Prices range from 25 for up to 200 miles to 150 for 1,400-2,000 miles, and for each you can book three to five flights. The passes cover two dozen destinations including Denpasar (Bali) and Lombok.

garuda-indonesia.com

Set sail

Jet2 has added cruises along Croatia's Dalmatian coast to its summer programme. Departing from Dubrovnik or Split, the week-long voyages take in islands, national parks and Unesco sites. Boats have just 18 cabins; prices start at 719pp, including flights.

jet2holidays.com
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In the last moments of the record-breaking Give to GOSH appeal, Prudential became the latest business to dig deep with a fantastic donation for the hospital.

Prudential joins a large number of corporate supporters who have played a key part in the appeals phenomenal success.

The Give to GOSH appeal has raised more than 3.5 million since its launch in November 2015, making it the most successful Christmas appeal in the history of The Independent.

Tim Johnson, chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity, said: It is wonderful that we are still receiving donations, right until the very last moments of the appeal. People across the country have pulled out all the stops to support the Give to GOSH appeal and as we approach the final stage, this donation from Prudential, which will go to patient and family support programmes, is the cherry on the top!

This has been a phenomenal appeal and surpassed all of our expectations. All the donations that have been made will help to give seriously ill children the best chance for life and we are all eternally grateful.

The money raised by the Give to GOSH appeal will support some of the hospitals most urgent needs. These include the creation of a specialist unit helping children in urgent need of a heart transplant, and funding research programmes which aim to find new cures and treatments for children with rare diseases. The Give to GOSH appeal will also help to fund the patient and family support programme at the hospital, and the Louis Dundas Centre for Childrens Palliative Care, for patients who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Special thanks goes to:

Deloitte

Essentra plc

The Hunter Foundation

ICAP

J Browne Construction with partners Crangy and Glenea

Morgan Stanley

Royal Bank of Canada

Ridgeway Partners

Segantii Capital Management (UK) Limited

Tesco

Trailfinders

Xchanging plc

Prudential

For more information about corporate partnerships with Great Ormond Street Hospital, please visit http://www.gosh.org/corporate-giving
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Even if no one would publicly admit the fact, it is always tacitly conceded that Chloe, born six years after the youngest of her three elder sisters, is Mrs Pargeter's favourite child. Much was made of her when she was an infant, and a great deal more once she reached the tantalising plateau of her early teens. Mrs P used to take her to pop concerts in London  the family hails from West Sussex  meet her out of school and ride home with her on the bus, somewhat to the amusement of her less maternally inclined classmates.

Aged seventeen-and-a-half now, and temporarily becalmed after her recent dismissal from sixth-form college (an episode Mrs Pargeter is still "very cross about", on the grounds that, "Really, you know, she was only looking after the cannabis for her friend Zak"), Chloe is now even more inseparable from her mother. They go to the gym together, where Chloe lounges in the sunroom while her mother plods away on the treadmill, to the cinema to watch romantic comedies, and on shopping excursions to the Brighton malls. "Just like having a younger sister," Mrs P tells her friends.

There is, of course, only one topic of conversation on these jaunts, and that is the question of Chloe's future. Mrs Pargeter, as she frequently explains to third parties, "has faith in Chloe" and reckons her intellect and aspirations are seriously underestimated. Not only is she a "great reader", but her interest in politics is "astonishing" for one so young, and her involvement in the Green Party's Brighton campaign during the most recent election did her the greatest credit. A place at one of our leading universities surely beckons if she can only find a "sympathetic environment" in which to continue her studies.

As to what these studies might comprise, no one has ever come up with a satisfactory answer, least of all Chloe. She is a plump, sallow-skinned and somewhat passive girl who can rarely be got to leave the house, save in her mother's company, whose "reading" consists of vampire romances and whose interest in politics extends to a single appearance at one of Caroline Lucas's rallies.

Still, to imagine that your geese are swans is one of the great privileges of motherhood and Mrs Pargeter, fondly regarding her daughter as she tries on dresses in the White Stuff boutique, is entitled to hope for the best.
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A worrying footnote in the history of opera took place this week. It occurred in the English National Operas production of The Magic Flute. In one scene, Sarastro should appeal to his assembled Masons for their support in solving the problem of Taminos future, but instead he turned to the audience. In a twist that Mozart would not have foreseen, but one that the mischievous composer might have relished, the cast and director had clearly decided to forget the masonic overtones of the plot and make this moment a cry for help for English National Opera itself.

After weeks, no make that months, no make that years, of recurring financial crises and endless changes in top personnel, this week the chorus, threatened with what they have interpreted as redundancies and a 25 per cent pay cut, held a mass meeting and threatened to strike.

The new chief executive, management consultant Cressida Pollock, who still uses the vocabulary of her former employer McKinsey, and refers to this renowned and brilliant opera company as the brand and the business, announced on the company website that ways were needed to remodel the business to weather a 5m cut from the core Arts Council grant.

In a statement that begs a lot of questions, she talked of producing different work, performing in different spaces, reducing our main stage season at the London Coliseum, producing more work in and outside of London, and, with another nod to the opaque but threatening language of management consultancy, work towards a solution with the ENO chorus which would see them maintained as a permanent ensemble but with a greater degree of flexibility in their contracts.

If I were a member of the chorus Id be very afraid.

As I say, it begs a lot of question. For a start, where in and outside of London will they now be performing? But I would suggest another solution altogether. Instead of accepting the Arts Councils savage cut to such a great company, the company must, to use a Cressida Pollock word, rebrand itself as The Peoples Opera, stop the self-defeating ticket price rises of recent years, and have no seats above 50. Then, in the summer months, when it lets out the Coliseum to other companies, instead of ceasing to perform, it should tour the country (and incidentally thus become the first national company to do so).

What an irresistible case it would have then to get its 5m (and more) back from the Arts Council. It would be the company that brought opera to the people at affordable prices, and that actually leaves London to tour the country. It really would be an English National Opera.

Why must it be never on a Sunday at the National Theatre?

The National Theatres artistic director Rufus Norris has announced an interesting new season. Im particularly looking forward to Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, a play exploring why British teenage girls go and join Isis. Its what theatre should be doing, casting light on the most disturbing issues of the moment. I just regret that I wont be able to see it on a Sunday. For, Mr Norris has also announced that he is discontinuing the initiative of his predecessor, Sir Nicholas Hytner, to have shows on Sundays. I always supported this as its a good time to get families to the theatre, and theres also the point that parking is easy and usually free. The National says that Sunday audiences have not been huge. But I wonder how many people knew about it. I dont recall the sides of buses advertising Sunday opening at the National, or even posters on the Tube proclaiming it. People will come, but they have to know about it first.

Remembering the bold, blunt Sam Wanamaker

Practising what I preach, I did go to the theatre last Sunday. I went to see Dame Eileen Atkins performing her one woman show at the atmospheric, candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeares Globe. Dame Eileen played a number of Shakespeares heroines in a dazzling tour de force. But being there also reminded me of the time I met the late Sam Wanamaker, as he was realising his dream of setting up the Globe, We had both just seen the film of Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Helena Bonham Carter. Helenas Ophelia has really got balls, he told me. He was not just a theatre visionary, but a believer in robust, no-nonsense literary criticism, which we could do with more of.

d.lister@independent.co.uk/twitter@davidlister1
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After a typically selfless quest for a cultural reference point to soothe David Camerons soul after what must have been a troubling week on the family front, my best advice is this. The Prime Minister should settle down tonight for a spot of chillaxing over a few early episodes of The Sopranos, purely to place the difficult mother thing in perspective.

If the PM is smarting from the implied attack by his dear old mummy, small wonder about that. During a visit to her little lads constituency of Witney, you may have read, Mrs Mary Cameron took the trouble to sign a petition against the proposed closures of various childrens services to which Oxfordshire council has been driven by scything cuts in government funding.

While Mother Cameron declined to comment, her sister Clare Currie was more forthcoming. In PG Wodehouse terms, Clare appears to be the clans Aunt Agatha (the ferocious battleaxe who incessantly berates her nephew for being an imbecile) to Mr Camerons Bertie Wooster. These cuts, she told ITV News, are a great, great error... Its a very short-sighted decision.

A more reticent Mother Cameron restricted herself to a brusque my name is on the petition but I dont want to discuss this any further, but did she need to say any more? The simple act of appending her name to a form had said enough. And what it said, according to the latest Written Signature-Monty Python translation software, was this. My son isnt the messiah. Hes a very naughty boy.

Now none of this makes Mrs Cameron the retired home counties equivalent of Tony Sopranos mother. Named after the wife of the Emperor Augustus, arguably historys most resolutely murderous and unmaternal women, Livia Soprano is no paradigm of the doting Italian mama. A screechingly embittered hyper-narcissistic sociopath, Livia plotted with Tonys Uncle Junior  the Auntie Clare of the piece  to kill him in Juniors interests.

So some consolation there, one has to hope, for the PM. His mother may be furious with him. She may regard his administration as shamefully indifferent to the plight of Oxfordshire families (and even perhaps families in other counties) who need help. She may, even, be rerouting chunks of Davids inheritance to Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party and public service trade unions. But what she isnt doing, it feels safe to assume, is scheming to ice the Prime Minister and install her sister Clare as No 10s capo di tutti capi in his stead.

And yet he must feel humiliated by her intervention. So far as Im aware, a maternal assault on a serving PM, even one as implicit as this, is unprecedented. The mother-child relationship may be the backbone of psychoanalysis, but in the history of British politics it has until now been the dog that never barked.

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Winston Churchill seemed to glamorise his mother in the way of the son sent to boarding school as a small boy, but without any apparent psychic angst. Anthony Edens mother was quite a card (he was never entirely sure of his paternity), but no one has tried to pin Suez on that. Margaret Thatcher was so fixated on her father that she didnt even acknowledge her mothers existence in her Whos Who entry. Mr Tony Blairs mother died when he was a very young man, so it fell by default to his father Leo to be the embarrassing parent with an anecdote about how, when the family was emigrating to Adelaide and the ships band struck up, exhibitionist toddler Tony danced until his nappy fell down. Thanks, Dad, he ruefully muttered when Sue Lawley trotted out the anecdote on Desert Island Discs.

Lest Mr Cameron is tempted toward a sarcastic Thanks, Mum, he should consider that a critical mother might be preferable to a traditionally doting one. A chat with his old boss and mentor Michael Howard would illuminate the point.

About 25 years ago, Lord Howard had hopes of succeeding John Major as Tory leader in an era when being Jewish wasnt necessarily a huge help to such a dream. He wasnt trying to disguise his origins, but he certainly seemed to be making efforts to present himself as a Tory toff.

When he became embroiled in some long-forgotten furore about the telling of fibs (not the prisons row, which came later), I felt his mother needed support. My grandmother, Bessie Norman, a close friend of Mrs Hilda Howard on the Elderly Jewish Ladies North London Kalooki Circuit, gave me her phone number. When I rang Hilda to commiserate, we got to chatting about the old days. She recalled how Michael once went home to Llanelli for Rosh Hashanah with his Cambridge University friend Leon Brittan. Well, she said, they went off to synagogue, and on the way home they were soaked in a rainstorm. Leons suit was all had with him, she reminisced. I had to dry it out on my hostess trolley.

Whether it was the hostess trolley (not a huge winner among the snobby grouse moor clique) or the archetypal protective Jewish mother schtick, or most likely both, he was less than thrilled when the conversation appeared in print. According to Bessie, relations were strained for a long while.

There is no way of knowing whether a broigus, to give any inter-family froideur its technical Yiddish name, will ensue between David and Mary Cameron because  ably assisted by Auntie Clare  she has placed him on the metaphorical naughty step. Mothers, love them as we do, are seldom easy. But on balance, one who tacitly lacerates your fiscal cruelty is probably preferable to one who frets about your lack of sleep, be it in your bed or with the fishes.
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Your report on the junior doctors strike (11 February) includes a quote from a health department official that the BMA had not made any offer that would support the NHS in tackling excess mortality rates at the weekend. This is hardly surprising, since the assertion that the alleged excess mortality has anything to do with staffing levels is completely unsupported by evidence, and is the result either of misinterpretation of that evidence by a scientifically illiterate secretary of state, or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

The fact that government officials continue to state that the new junior doctor contract has anything to do with seven-day working (which we already have) or with reducing weekend mortality rates is an illustration of their belief that if you tell a big enough lie often enough, it will eventually be accepted.

Dr Bob Bury

Leeds

One of the sticking points that is delaying a deal between junior doctors and Jeremy Hunt, it seems, is the Saturday working. The doctors want Saturday working to be overtime rates, essentially. Hunt says no, only after 5pm will the extra payment apply.

Weekend shifts are the norm in many fields. As a reporter on regional newspapers I had to work Saturdays and Sundays for no extra pay  even after 5pm. Instead you got a day off in the week. So why would you be any more tired and be risking patients safety?

Rose Taylor

Peterborough

Doctors already work weekends, of course, because the NHS is a seven-day service, no matter what Jeremy Hunt spins. But as a matter of principle, it should be acknowledged that Saturday is not a normal working day.

This isnt about doctors demanding unseemly sums to work weekends. The BMA put forward a cost-neutral proposal that maintained the unsocial hours premium but reduced basic pay rise to account for that. It was rejected.

Dr Balmer

Manchester

Dr Paul Baird (letters, 10 February) reminds us that Jeremy Hunt studied economics. A chapter of the old textbook he could re-read is the one about returns on investments. Most junior doctors trained in the UK at medical schools funded by our taxes. Now that they are qualified, their work can be seen as repaying the cost of their education. If Mr Hunts stubbornness results in doctors quitting the NHS for countries with more favourable working conditions, he will be squandering both our taxes and the goodwill underlying the quid pro quo aspect of medical education.

S Lawton

Kirtlington, Oxfordshire

Many junior doctors resign because the Government-imposed contract is unacceptable to them. The NHS begins to collapse. Private companies rescue the situation by employing the doctors and supplying their services to the NHS at commercial rates. The Government claims it has solved the problem of BMA intransigence. The companies, being private and mostly foreign-owned, manage their affairs professionally and pay little UK tax. QED. Mission accomplished for the rich and powerful.

Dr David Rhodes

Nottingham

Someone should point out to Jeremy Hunt that it is legally and logically impossible to impose a contract on anybody.

Colin Yarnley

Southwell, Nottinghamshire

The chances are that we will see our doctors deserting the NHS, leaving it completely untenable and ripe for privatisation, using the doctors as scapegoats. If we are really passionate about our NHS belonging to us, and not profit-driven businesses, then we must fight for it, and show this Government we know what it is up to.

John Hudson

Derby

Jeremy Hunt is still claiming that, under the proposed junior doctors contract, hours worked will reduce, pay will remain the same, yet weekend patient care will be raised to the standards of weekday care  and all of this will happen with no significant increase in overall costs. Wow! He must have a magic wand.

Peter Cave

London W1

Isnt it odd that we wont allow lorry drivers to work over a certain number of hours a week for safety reasons, yet allow doctors to work 90 hours a week?

Michael Adams

Exeter

Refugees deserve our compassion

Egged on by Ukip and the popular press Britain is making a miserable response to the need to accept refugees from the awful crises in Syria and other regions of the Middle East and Africa.

My shame at this is exacerbated by the fact that, in the years immediately following the Second World War, our then war-torn and poverty-stricken country accepted 86,000 DPs (displaced persons) from Europe plus 115,000 Polish veterans. No doubt some of these returned to their home countries while others moved on to places like Canada, the US and Australia, but many stayed on to make their homes here and contribute to British society.

Our nation certainly hasnt suffered any long-term damage as a result of our compassion in those desperate times. Surely we can now accept a few thousand children without destroying our society.

Peter Milner

Shrewsbury

If David Cameron is willing to think of prisoners as assets rather than liabilities (front page, 8 February), could he not apply this positive approach to young asylum-seekers? Having, quite rightly, looked after unaccompanied children and educated them until they are 18, this country could then benefit from their skills and energy instead of cruelly returning them to often war-torn countries where they may have no family or connection. It is a pitiless policy which deprives both us and the asylum-seekers.

Sylvia Platt

Oxford

If our neighbours house were on fire most of us would open our doors and let our neighbours in. Why is it different when a whole country is burning?

Bambos Charalambous

Manchester

Why cannot politicians and public get it into their heads that people fleeing for their lives or seeking better ones, sometimes both, are not very interested in our benefits system. Maybe we ought to crack down on Brits exploiting other EU benefits systems, but I dont hear much about that.

Cole Davis

London NW2

Members jobs come first for unite

Andy McSmiths McCluskey urges loyalty to Corbyn  but forgets Trident (10 February) could not have been more wrong. Let me set the record straight: Unite will never sacrifice our members jobs in the defence sector, no matter who is leader of the Labour Party.

He could have easily clarified this for himself with a simple phone call, whereupon we could have told him about Unites upcoming special conference of defence workers, bringing together our members across the country.

Or he could have checked with the Oxford Union whereupon he would have been told that I addressed the issue of Trident fully in the Q&A session where it was more appropriate.

Come on Andy, please do not sow division where there is none. And just so you are 100 per cent clear from now on  members jobs and their communities come first in Unite.

Len McCluskey

Unite general secretary

London WC1

Matthew Norman (10 February) sets out the hollow arguments over renewal of the UKs Trident nuclear capability. Having Trident may have been a deterrent against a coherent state, but it is no deterrent against a rogue extremist.

Howard Fuller

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Theres no positive proof of relativity

The theory of relativity proved says your headline (12 February), but scientific theories can never be proved right; they can only be proved wrong. A theory is usable until such time as a new experiment shows it to be fallacious. It is a tribute to the towering intellectual feat that is general relativity that it has endured, but as Martin Rees (12 February) shows, Einstein himself wasnt precious about the theory, submitting a paper  subsequently shown to be wrong  purporting to show that gravitational waves couldnt exist.

Complacency in science is dangerous; physics was thought to be all figured out at the end of the 19th century  and look what happened then.

Professor Martin Williams

St Albans, Hertfordshire

Puzzle of the political peerage

Your 10 February headline Corbyn will deny Jack Straw a peerage, based on the anonymous views of a senior Labour Party figure, is fiercely illustrated in Dave Browns cartoon of a ferocious Corbyn about to  decapitate?  a blubbering Jack Straw. Yet all I find in the article itself is a denial by the Labour leaders spokesman that Corbyn is even considering the peerage question...

Carla M Wartenberg

London NW3
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Nothing is achieved by locking up women for minor offences. We might as well set fire to a big pile of banknotes and dance around them.

There are approximately 3,800 women in prison today, depriving 17,000 children of their mothers. Children who have to be shunted around family members or placed in care, eating up even more limited resources than the 36,000 it costs to imprison someone for a year. Children who will be stigmatised through no fault of their own.

There are two issues here. First, is it cost effective to stick someone in a cell when there might be cheaper and possibly more effective options? And second, in the 21st century, sending someone to prison is no deterrent and statistics prove it doesnt change their future behaviour.

Successive home secretaries determination to be tough on crime with stiffer sentences has increased the prison population by a third  the vast majority of whom will reoffend, having children who will probably follow in their footsteps. This cycle needs to be broken, and I cant believe that a female drug carrier or a shoplifter, who is probably the victim of abuse herself, will learn anything from prison other than the chance to meet others in the same boat.

David Cameron offered some thoughts about penal reform last week, commenting it was absolutely terrible that small children were incarcerated with their mothers  women who had themselves been born in jail 20 years earlier. When a pregnant prisoner gives birth, the child can stay with her for up to 18 months. Last year, about 100 babies were living with their mothers in prison. Cameron has ordered a review to determine whether mothers and babies could be housed in resettlement units or tagged. You could argue that this is sexual discrimination: why treat mums differently from fathers? Surely there are plenty of men in prison who would like to bond with their children and they are not being considered for special treatment. At the risk of enraging you, Id argue that women deserve to be treated differently.

The majority (80 per cent) of women prisoners have not committed a violent crime; 60 per cent are serving sentences of six months or less, of which almost half are for theft and handling stolen goods or drugs. A large number of female prisoners have committed their crime to support someone else  often a man who controls them  and a third will lose their homes while they are in jail.

Research shows that a large number of women in prison suffered physical or sexual abuse as children, and a third have been in care. These are damaged people who are illiterate and under-educated, with low self-esteem. If someone brought you a dog with a broken leg, would you lock it up because it had nicked a plate of food? Yet we treat female prisoners worse than our pets.

Its not being soft on crime to try  as Cameron seems to be articulating  to find a more constructive way to break the cycle of reoffending, which is rooted in social and emotional deprivation. Prisoners should be at the top of our agenda. More people are incarcerated (100,000) than live in Doncaster or Eastbourne, and the problem wont be solved by building bigger jails.

In Sweden, the reoffending rate stands at between 30 per cent and 40 per cent over three years  half that of the UK  and they have been closing jails, not building new ones. There, a prisoner is categorised by their needs, with appropriate intensive support.

Would you pay slightly more tax to remove women from prison, offer them mentoring, education and training in residential units with their children, with the goal of getting them off benefits and out of a cycle of petty crime? I cant see any other humane answer to the time bomb thats ticking away inside our prisons.

Rock gods dont always have the best taste in design

In late 1966, I was a second-year student at the Architectural Association in London. I could pretend I worked hard, but these were exciting times and a huge amount of time was spent at parties, art happenings and gigs. Pink Floyd even played at one of our college events.

The highlight was seeing Jimi Hendrix perform at a dance at Imperial College  and by then Id seen the Stones and the Yardbirds in tiny venues. On stage he surpassed them all, a powerhouse of energy and brilliance.

By 1968, Jimi was well established in London and moved into a top-floor flat at 23 Brook Street  next door to the former home of another musical legend, Handel. Now the museum premises have been renamed Handel and Hendrix, and the rock gods bedroom has been lovingly re-created, complete with embroidered silk shawls, wall hangings and a shell-encrusted stash box.

Having hauled myself up the narrow stairs past Handels music room, dressing room and bedroom to the third floor, I was rather disappointed to discover it has cost millions (courtesy of a Heritage Lottery grant) to lovingly craft an interior that looks exactly like my first scruffy bedroom in a shared flat in Earls Court in 1966.

If I had known that scratchy tapestry cushions, Moroccan fabrics and half-drunk bottles of Mateus rose were to become fetishised objects of worship like holy relics, then I wouldnt have put the whole lot in a skip and replaced it with Art Deco by 1970. The late Sixties produced memorable music, but appalling taste in interiors.

How to turn fictional agony into concrete help for women

Listening to The Archers is like eavesdropping on the most subtle and horrifying form of domestic abuse happening right in your kitchen, and youre powerless to intervene. The legal definition of abuse was recently widened to include controlling behaviour. Having experienced this myself a long time ago, I can testify that abuse doesnt mean you are being physically touched, but your mind is no longer your own.

It is utterly evil and cruel, and three cheers for the scriptwriters who have highlighted this through Helen and Robs ghastly relationship. She is slowly losing the strength to argue, as he systematically takes over every aspect of her life. One fan had the brilliant idea of setting up a JustGiving page to raise money for Refuge, calling the page The Helen Titchener Rescue Fund, and almost 50,000 has been received in a week  money which will help real-life victims of domestic abuse find somewhere safe to go.

We need to think more about how we leave this planet

Ive been to two funerals this week. First a memorial service immediately after the cremation of my friend Charlie Courtauld, who died after a long illness. We sang along to the Pogues and heard a poem about pugs, a moving celebration of a funny bloke who was devoted to his family.

Yesterday, I said goodbye to my only nephew Kerry, whose life tragically ended after a stroke in his thirties. The only consolation I have is that he leaves a gorgeous little boy, Owen, who looks exactly like him. Saying anything on these occasions is difficult; I wish there was another way to leave this planet instead of a funeral. Following a body in a box just seems not good enough.

I havent planned my own funeral. (Maybe you could come up with appropriate suggestions.) The Natural Death Centre issued a crass quote this week about the need to get value for money when planning a funeral. Perhaps my body could go straight to bags of compost.
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There are many reasons to worry about the Conservative Partys apparent attempts to take control of the parliamentary process. A proposed cut to Short money, funding provided to the opposition party to cover its costs and operate effectively, is one. It would mean that the Tories  the better-funded party  could hobble an already-weakened Labour Party by enforcing a financial inequality between Government and Opposition.

The likelihood of a Tory rebellion over the issue, which is prompting a rethink on the cuts, demonstrates the breadth of concern about its effects. Whatever its merits in terms of liberalism, the forcing through of changes to trade-union rules  meaning members must opt in to rather than opt out of paying a levy to Labour  is another, given the chilling effect it will have on funding for the Opposition.

Yet the matter that is drawing criticism for the Conservative Party this week, that of changes to constituency boundaries, seems the least deserving of attention. It is both fair and proper, in democratic terms, to update boundaries to represent a changing population.

A review is long overdue. It is also right to consider reducing the number of MPs as it cuts costs. Labour worries it will be penalised by fewer constituencies, but many Tory MPs may also find themselves chopped out.

Graham Allen, the former chair of the defunct Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, said the Tory Government is trying to fix the electoral system for its own party advantage. And hes right that, due to individual voter registration, the boundaries are being redrawn with almost a million voters missing from the electoral register. But given that new registration system is designed to engage voters, there can be no basis for Mr Allens claim. There are reasons to worry about a Conservative stranglehold, but its for more complicated reasons than the creation of a constituency map designed to represent modern Britain.
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A cessation of hostilities has been announced in Syria. What this means, according to the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, is that no military offensives will be permitted between the moderate rebels on one side and the regime, Russia and Iran, on the other. The fight against Isis will continue, with America in the lead, and few of the above parties paying much attention. The most immediate benefit should  by the terms of the cessation  be the delivery of aid to besieged towns, such as Madaya and Zabadani. It is no exaggeration to say that Syria lies on the edge of serious and speedy deterioration. A million citizens are currently enduring starvation, 800,000 of those due to Bashar al-Assads sieges. Food must now be allowed to reach these people.

A pause in the fighting, and a breaking of the sieges, would mark a critical moment in a conflict that has so far led to the deaths of 11 per cent of the Syrian population, and displaced more than seven million. Some Syrians will certainly be relieved when the cessation comes into force within the next week. The question is how many, and for how long. There are grounds for pessimism here.

Not long after the cessation was announced, Mr Assad claimed he plans to retake the whole country, however long it takes. Those who posited that the pause in fighting would simply provide cover for Mr Assads forces to solidify their recent gains, and plan future incursions into the territory of moderate rebels, will have had their fears confirmed. It can be expected that the regime will attempt to seal off its northern border, so cutting off rebel supply lines, either in the days preceding the cessation or after it. How far it will abide by the terms during the pause is also open to question.

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America has agreed to terms that have one key loophole. Russia and the regime are free to continue targeting terrorists under the cessation. One distinguishing feature of Russias intervention has been how it groups all the rebels under that label, following the lead of Mr Assad. It has labelled every one of its bombing raids as targeting Jabhat al-Nusra or Isis, despite the majority of munitions falling on territory held by moderate rebels, far from Isis strongholds. The campaign against Aleppo has killed hundreds of civilians and cannot be said primarily to target either of the terrorist groups.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped is that, as the former British ambassador to Syria Peter Ford suggested, the moderate rebels will now make an effort to distinguish themselves from Nusra. The al-Qaeda offshoot has proved adept at winning the trust of rebel factions, mostly through its prowess on the battlefield. Yet the deeper al-Qaeda worms into the revolution, the harder it will be to weed out in the event of hostilities permanently ceasing. Now would be a good time for Ahrar al-Sham, a nationally grown, less hardline Islamist group, to put down a clear marker of its opposition to Nusra  with whom it has often clashed.

Mr Kerry claims that this cessation  ceasefire is the wrong word, as it carries more legal weight  will test the seriousness of the Russians, Iranians and the Assad regime. In terms of letting relief through, or seeking peace, they have failed all tests thus far. A better deal would have seen the cessation of all military operations, except those surrounding Isis territory. Whom, and where, Russia bombs must be watched closely. And Mr Kerrys stated Plan B, of increasing support for mainstream rebels, must be brushed up meanwhile.
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This week, the Public Accounts Committee called upon Googles top execs, giving MPs the opportunity to coherently voice the outrage of UKs taxpayers over the affectionately known sweetheart deal.

Although hailed a victory by George Osborne, the internet giants top brass faced questioning in light of the derisory 130m settlement. While many tuned in to spot possible signs of Government collusion on the matter, I felt my anger rapidly fizzling into bemusement by the Committees tittering and combative approach.

The Committees Chair Meg Hillier began by asking Googles Head of Europe, Matt Brittin, whether he shared the anger felt by her constituents, quickly followed by five tactless attempts to ascertain how much he earns.

Visibly puzzled, Brittin replied that he would detail his salary if it were deemed relevant. Predictably, the room then filled with the chortles of MPs delighted to see him squirming to avoid the question.

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Of course, this question was never going to elicit the answer Hillier demanded. But wouldnt it have just been a new reporters dream soundbite? On the same day junior doctors are told theyll have a contract imposed upon him, the internet Leviathans Head of EMEA is earning an astronomical sum for his services  while the company pays barely any tax at all. What a brilliant bulletin that would have made.

Whilst the Committee continued to toy with Brittin, I was becoming less and less convinced that this was the probing investigation I had expected. Rather, it was an opportunity for MPs to mock the hypocrisy in Googles do no evil slogan. A chance to chuck in a laboriously rehearsed taxing pun that even David Cameron would be ashamed of using in PMQs  one that ultimately solves nothing.

Despite the Google execs lack of remorse for taking advantage of porous and complex international tax laws, I ended up momentarily siding with Brittin throughout these impolite exchanges.

This is because there is something inherently tasteless about asking someone to disclose their salary. As children, we are rightly taught that financial worth isnt indicative of a persons character, nor is it particularly significant. Its so entrenched by adulthood that we naturally distance ourselves from those at parties who break the ice by asking you what you do and subtly proposition whether theres a bit of money in your line of work later in the conversation.

Now, I am not suggesting we surrender investigations into aggressive tax avoidance out of social embarrassment and poor etiquette. But, what can be gained from knowing what we already know? The Head of EMEA at the worlds most innovative and ubiquitous tech firm will be earning extortionate money  of course he will.

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He is a senior figure at an organisation which has developed technological innovations responsible for literally changing the world. His influence over Googles tax arrangements is a matter of public interest - but the same cannot be said for his base salary, which neither incriminates him nor his employer.

I believed the Committee hearing would be a catalyst for discussion about the pursuit of ethical tax arrangements. One which ensures that guilty multinationals repay our economy for investing in their employees through education, healthcare and infrastructure, which has in some part contributed to Googles 3.6bn UK revenue figure in 2015.

This futile salary-shaming and crass demagoguery was a particularly awkward episode demonstrating that we are light years away from constructive conversations with the very high-earning execs we must engage with in order to achieve the transparent tax system we desperately need.
Thomas "Slab" Murphy faces sentencing after being found guilty of tax offences

Alleged former IRA chief Thomas "Slab" Murphy owes the Irish exchequer almost 190,000 euro for eight years of tax dodging, a court has been told.

A sentencing hearing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for the 66-year-old bachelor farmer heard details of estimated income and interest built up after he evaded tax from 1996 to 2004.

Murphy, who has a border farm at Ballibinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, was found guilty of nine counts of tax fraud by three judges at the non-jury court in December.

He has been described by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams as a good republican while Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said peace was only secured thanks to support from men like him.

In 1998 he lost a libel action against the Sunday Times which described him as a senior IRA figure.

Paul Burns, senior counsel for the state, outlined to the judges the assessments made of Murphy's earnings, taxes owed and interest.

The total tax bill for the eight years was 38,519.56 euro, the court heard.

Interest built up on those unpaid bills totals 151,445.10 euro, taking the final charge to 189,964.66 euro, Mr Burns said.

The court was told the figures were based on income of 15,000 euro a year from the Murphy farm.

"I want to make this clear - Tom Murphy has not made any settlement," he said.

The sentencing hearing continues.

The sentencing hearing was adjourned for two weeks to February 26.

Murphy was remanded on continuing bail.
Alleged former IRA chief Thomas "Slab" Murphy will be sentenced for tax evasion on the same day as the general election.

The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard the 66-year-old bachelor farmer owes the Irish exchequer almost 190,000 euro for eight years of tax dodging.

The non-jury court adjourned sentencing until February 26 to consider examples of similar tax evasion cases.

Murphy, from Ballibinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, on the border with Northern Ireland, was found guilty last December by three judges of nine counts of tax fraud.

He has been described by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams as a good republican, while Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said peace was only secured thanks to support from men like him.

Murphy, dressed in a pink shirt and brown jacket, was in court for the two-hour hearing and sat in the dock and shook his head at one stage to confirm he has no dependants.

During the 32-day trial in the Special Criminal Court, which normally hears terrorism and organised crime trials, the farmer sat in the public gallery and did not give evidence.

One of his brothers supported him in court.

Murphy has been living with his sister since he was charged with tax offences in 2007 and he was remanded on continuing bail ahead of sentencing in a fortnight's time.

After hearing examples of penalties for previous tax evasion cases, Judge Paul Butler said: "It's a matter we do want to consider in light of the submissions made."

Sinn Fein has been roundly criticised in the election campaign as it is a longstanding party policy to abolish the Special Criminal Court if in power.

Murphy's sentence will be dealt with as Irish voters go to the polls and while a broadcasting moratorium is in place on election issues but it will not have any impact on the court report.

In 1998 Murphy, who has no previous convictions, lost a 1 million libel action against the Sunday Times which described him as a senior IRA figure.

In one of only two occasions when he has spoken publicly, he claimed he had to sell a home in order to pay for some of the cost.

Paul Burns, senior counsel for the state, outlined to the judges the assessments made of Murphy's earnings, taxes owed and interest from 1996 and 2004.

The total tax bill for the eight years was 38,519.56 euro, the court heard.

Interest built up on those unpaid bills totals 151,445.10 euro, taking the final bill to 189,964.66 euro, Mr Burns said.

The court was told the figures were based on income of 15,000 euro a year from the Murphy farm.

"I want to make this clear - Tom Murphy has not made any settlement," Mr Burns said.

Murphy was charged with five counts under the Republic's Taxes Consolidation Act and four under the Finance Act that he knowingly and wilfully failed to make tax returns and did so without reasonable excuses.

The court found he did not furnish Ireland's Revenue authorities with a return of income, profits or gains or the sources of them over eight years.

It also said Murphy received 100,000 euro in farm grants and paid out 300,000 euro to rent land.

And he was involved in hundreds of thousands of euro worth of cattle deals, buying and selling animals at marts up and down the country, and hundreds of thousands of euro was lodged and transferred out of a Permanent TSB account in Dundalk during the eight years.

The sentencing hearing heard Murphy has 70,000 euro in a pension with Irish Life which was frozen by Irish authorities after he was charged.

Defence barrister John Kearney QC told the judges "there's money in the bank" if a financial settlement is to be reached with tax inspectors over the evasion.

"A suspended sentence is not out of the question in a case like this," he said.

"I'd respectfully ask the court to consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67, for offences, some of which were 20 years ago."

Murphy has worked as a yardsman for C&F Productions in Crossmaglen in south Armagh since April 2007, the judges heard.

The court was also told he only missed one court hearing in the years since he was charged and that was because of snow, and that he has signed on in a Garda station "hundreds and hundreds" of times as part of his bail conditions.

Murphy denied all the charges.

Convicting Murphy at the end of last year, the court rejected defence claims that it was his brother Patrick who ran the farming operation and controlled the finances.

The court heard Murphy could face five years in jail or fines of up to 100,000 euro for the tax offences.

Mr Kearney challenged the tax liabilities and penalties detailed to the court.

"These headline figures, no doubt they will become headline figures, but these headline figures, they are the stuff of guess work," he said.

Mr Kearney also claimed the judges should look at imposing sentence for tax evasion on the base figure of 38,000 euro rather than 189,000 euro which included "compound cumulative interest".

The sentencing hearing was also given detail of the raid on Murphy's farm in March 2006, led by Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau which targets proceeds of crime.

Cash sums of 256,235 euro and 111,185 (142,957 euro) was found along with computers, ledgers and documents in black bags hidden among hay bales in a cow shed

There were also uncashed cheques worth 579,270 euro.

In other mitigating circumstances Mr Kearney said he did not dispute the guilty verdict of the court but claimed confusion remained over who was running the farm and controlled cattle herd 0127124X.

"Some comfort can be taken from the fact that tax was paid by Patrick Murphy on the 24X herd," he said.

The lawyer said the family connections to the farm and its operations had created a confusion over who was running the business.

Mr Kearney said this was the "blurred lines, the grey area surrounding this family unit, this farming unit or units".

In other investigations the trial also heard Murphy's brother Patrick had settled tax bills worth more than one million euro with the Revenue.

Nine properties in north-west England, worth 445,000 (573,000 euro) and owned by Slab's brother Francis and his wife Judy, were recovered by UK authorities.
Anna Malmhake is leaving Irish Distillers to take over at Absolut

The chief executive of Irish Distillers, Anna Malmhake, is to leave the post to become CEO of the Absolut vodka company.

The move is part of a major organisational change being implemented by Pernod Ricard, which owns both the companies.

Ms Malmhake will be succeeded by Jean-Christophe Coutures, who is currently chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The Irish Distillers boss was the marketing director at Absolut before she was appointed to the top role in Dublin in 2011.

Irish Distillers produces Jameson, sales of which soared during the first half of Pernod Ricard's financial year. The whiskey is one of the group's key brands.

Ms Malmhake said that Jameson sold 5m cases around the world in the last financial year, and that in the first half of the current financial year, it experienced volume growth of 8pc and value growth of 11pc. More than 50 markets are reporting double or triple-digit growth of the whiskey, with the top-performing markets being the United States, Russia and South Africa.

In terms of worldwide organic growth in the first half of the financial year, Jameson was the best performer of any of Pernod Ricard's top 14 brands, beating top names in the group's stable such as Glenlivet and Beefeater. Other Irish Distillers brands, including Midleton Very Rare and Redbreast, also performed very well.

"While we celebrate this global success, we are now more than ever focused on the challenges in our home market," said Ms Malmhake, who added that the current environment for indigenous producers is "very difficult".

"Irish Distillers is fully committed to tackling alcohol misuse. However, the current legislative proposals contained in the Alcohol Bill are a disproportionate and ineffective response and will have unintended consequences," she argued.

In the Irish market, sales of Pernod Ricard brands struggled in the first half, with sales volumes rising 1.1pc, and 2.2pc in value terms.

The organisational changes being implemented by Pernod Ricard include the appointment of the current boss of Absolut, Irishman Paul Duffy, as head of Pernod Ricard North America.

He was once the chief operating officer at Irish Distillers.

The company's Americas business is being split, and Mr Duffy, will run the unit that comprises the US and Canada. He was previously the Head of Pernod Ricard USA.

The Latin American operations that had been part of the Americas unit now will report to Pernod Ricard's Europe, Middle East and Africa unit.

Pernod Ricard sales rose 7pc to 4.95bn in the first half of its financial year, with organic sales growth of 3pc. Foreign exchange tailwinds boosted the reported figure.
Traders at Bank of Ireland. Now rating agency says the Irish banking system is transitioning from post-crisis recovery. Photo: Bloomberg

Irish banks could be in for a ratings upgrade this year as they move from recovery to normality, Standard & Poor's has signalled.

The ratings giant said the prospects for Irish bank ratings could be positive.

"In many ways, we consider that the banking system has reached an inflection point as it transitions from post-crisis recovery to a phase where the sustainability of its recovery, and the resilience of banks' underlying business models, will be put to the test," S&P said.

The agency said the economy's strong rebound over the past two years supported a significant improvement in the Government's fiscal position and debt burden. But Irish bank ratings have improved more gradually, reflecting the view, S&P said, that they remain constrained by ongoing risks to the banking system.

The ratings giant said these include a still high private sector debt burden and a high stock of non-performing loans.

"Notwithstanding rising downside risks to the global economy, these factors may lessen over the course of 2016 and could potentially support higher ratings on Irish banks," S&P said.

"That said, our ratings will continue to recognise that Irish banks operate in a small, open economy that is susceptible to cyclical downturns due to both external risks and domestic factors."

It added that there were four key credit issues for Irish bank ratings in 2016. First, the pace and extent of continued private sector deleveraging, as well as the underlying trend in system wide credit losses, excluding the impact of write-backs.

It also highlighted the sell-down of the Government's stake in the banks, and "clarity on the resolution strategies of the systemic domestic banking groups." The report comes just days after a more downbeat assessment from Fitch which said its recent upgrade of Ireland's credit rating does not automatically mean Irish banks will get one as well.

The banks' asset quality is a hindrance to an upgrade in the short-term, Fitch said. "The ratings gap between the sovereign (A/Stable) and the banks is considerable: four notches for BOI (BBB-/Positive) and five for AIB (BB+/Positive)," Fitch said.

"Asset quality is the key vulnerability for these banks and working through the 30bn backlog of impaired loans will take time. In the meantime, this vulnerability constrains their fundamental creditworthiness."

But it argued the banks have made good progress in reducing bad loans.
The directors of the Central Bank do not appear to have discussed variable mortgage rates being charged by banks when they met in December.

The board of the Central Bank has for the first time published minutes from its meetings.

But the minutes, which contain redactions, make no mention of variable rates, which are double what is charged elsewhere in the eurozone.

A spokeswoman for the Central Bank would not confirm or deny if variable rates were discussed.

Around 300,000 families are on variable mortgage rates, which see them paying up to 4,000 extra a year on a 200,000 mortgage compared with the average in the eurozone.

Brendan Burgess of the Fair Mortgage Rates Campaign said it was clear the Central Bank board, known as the commission, did not discuss the issue.

"There is no evidence from the minutes that the commission discussed variable rates. Why would they redact that if they did discuss it? It's simply not a concern for them," Mr Burgess said. He also said that the Central Bank Governor Philip Lane did not take him up on a request for a meeting to discuss variable rates.

Mr Lane announced the publication of the Central Bank Commission minutes last month as part of a move to make the Central Bank's activities more transparent.

The minutes outline the governor's interactions with the European Central Bank, moves to produce more press releases in the Irish language, and how to monitor the implementation of the bank's Strategic Plan 2016-2018.

There is no mention of variable rates in the minutes for December, Prof Lane's first meeting as governor.

But two parts are omitted - under the sections headed supervisory update, and credit unions.

Asked if this indicated there was no discussion of variable rates, a spokeswoman for the bank would only say: "You can see from the minutes the items that were discussed. Any redactions are clearly flagged," she said.
US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has called on the European Union to reconsider tax probes targeting multinational companies such as Apple.

In a significant intervention, Mr Lew warned that Brussels was creating a "disturbing" precedent with its examination of whether US companies are benefiting from illegal state aid in Europe.

In a letter addressed to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Mr Lew warned that he had "serious concerns about fundamental fairness" of the EU's tax policy.

Mr Lew said the Commission appeared to be targeting US companies disproportionately and warned they may be more heavily penalised than other companies.

"While we recognize that state aid is a longstanding concept, pursuing civil investigations - predominantly against US companies - under this new interpretation creates disturbing international tax policy precedents," Lew wrote.

"We respectfully urge you to reconsider this approach."

The letter was also sent to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, according to Reuters.

Ms Vestager has been pursuing so-called sweetheart tax deals involving US firms such as Apple and McDonald's in several EU countries, including Ireland.

In recent weeks Apple chief executive Tim Cook held a private meeting with Ms Vestager, as EU regulators close in on a final decision into the company's Irish tax deals.

European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso acknowledged receipt of the letter.

Mr Cardoso denied any bias against US companies, saying EU laws apply to all companies doing business in Europe.

Ordered

"In its state aid decisions on tax rulings to-date, the Commission has ordered member states to recover unpaid taxes mostly from European companies," he said.

Mr Cardoso said the Commission does not apply its rules retroactively, that it had been in contact with US authorities on several occasions and would give any clarifications required.

Last month, Ms Vestager ordered Belgium to recover about 700m from 35 multinational companies including Anheuser-Busch InBev, BP and BASF because of their participation in an illegal tax scheme.
Louis Walsh is hotly tipped to return as a judge on this year's The X Factor

Simon Cowell has reiterated that he is fully behind Ireland's Got Talent, despite TV's recent rejection.

Louis Walsh had approached TV3 with the idea for the show but TV3 boss Lynda McQuiad rejected it on the basis that it would feel "very parochial, very quickly".

However, Cowell told the Radio Times that he believes there will be an Irish version of his hit ITV talent show in the future.

"It should be, it better be... because that was the promise I made Louis," he said.

Cowell axed pal Louis from the X Factor judging panel last year after 11 years although they have remained in touch.

However, with TV3 rejecting the format, it remains to be seen whether or not the show ill find a home on an Irish station.

McQuaid, however, was unconvinced the show could work.

Weve had a long debate, myself and Louis. But I dont think Irelands Got Talent is very TV3, I dont think it would work.

I dont think we have a culture of working mens clubs which is where it came out of. They now search the world for their acts, shows like Britains Got Talent.

So my feeling is that an Irelands Got Talent would start to feel very parochial, very quickly. So thats been ruled out. Hes not happy about that because thats the one he really wants to do and he disagrees with me, he thinks that the talent is out there.
Gerry Adams will not be in the Special Criminal Court today for a sentence hearing involving the man he previously called "a good republican", Thomas "Slab" Murphy.

Mr Murphy was convicted on nine charges of tax fraud after a 32-day trial late last year and the three-judge court will today consider sentence at a hearing beginning at 10.30am.

Canvassing in Mullingar yesterday, the Sinn Fein leader would not say if he was apprehensive about the fall-out from today's hearing for his party's election prospects.

"I have no plans to go to the court tomorrow," he said in reply to a question from the Irish Independent.

Mr Adams again insisted voters were not interested in his plans to abolish the Special Criminal Court - in spite of the upsurge in gangland killings. He said "only the media" were asking him about the matter - in spite of two drug-gang murders in Dublin inside four days.

"The issue of our long-standing policy on the Special Criminal Court has not been raised with me by even one person outside of the media," Mr Adams said during a break from canvassing in Mullingar.

Adams also brushed aside suggestions that Sinn Fein will struggle to get transfers over this and other controversies surrounding the party. "That has been disproved in previous elections and I'm telling our people every day to ask those who say they are voting for another candidate to ask for a preference for us," he said.

He said the real problem with crime was how Fianna Fail had closed Templemore Garda Training College and began a process which cut 3,500 gardai from the force. He said the current Government had "made a mess" of the justice portfolio.

Mr Adams added that members of the Garda's Emergency Response Unit (ERU) deployed to the Border after the killing last year of Garda Tony Golden in Co Louth had now been transferred to Dublin following the recent gangland murders.

He welcomed a poll for yesterday's Irish Independent which showed his party candidate, Paul Donnelly, on target to take a Dublin West seat.

"I am pleased - Paul 'hit the crossbar' last time," he said.

Adams accusations: from murders to shooting jokes

For decades Gerry Adams has faced accusations that he was the former chief of staff for the IRA. He has denied the charges.

In 1987 Mr Adams's niece Aine told him that she had been abused by his brother Liam. In 2000 Liam Adams confessed to the Sinn Fein leader that he had raped Aine but he didn't disclose this information to police for nine years.

In April 2014 Mr Adams was arrested by detectives investigating the abduction and murder of Jean McConville. Sinn Fein claimed the arrest was politically motivated. He was released without charge.

Mr Adams has faced continuous questions about his handling of the Mairia Cahill and Paudie McGahon sex abuse cases. Both were subjected to the kangaroo courts by the republican movement.

At a five-star dinner in New York in 2014 Mr Adams made what was perceived by many to be a joke about a gun being held to the head of the editor of the Irish Independent during the civil war.

Mr Adams has continued to defend Thomas 'Slab' Murphy as "a good republican" despite his conviction for tax evasion in the Special Criminal Court.
An 11-year-old boy who suffered severe brain injuries at birth is to receive 3m under an interim settlement approved by the High Court.

Mohammad Daud Assad, who has cerebral palsy and will require full time care for the rest of his life, was born on February 20, 2004, at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin.

It was claimed a delay by the hospital in delivering him by a caesarean section caused his injuries and had he been delivered several hours earlier, he would not have sustained such catastrophic injuries,

Through his mother, Alia Muryem Assad of Lough Conn Terrace, Ballyfermot, Dublin, he sued the governors of the Rotunda for negligence.

Denis McCullough SC, for the boy, said liability had been admitted in the case in the last two weeks.

The matter was due to be heard as an assessment of damages only, but the parties had reached a settlement which includes an interim payment of 3m, he said.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross agreed to adjourn the matter for six years when the boy's needs going forward will be reassessed.

As well as reflecting damages for the injuries sustained by the boy, the interim award is to cover various costs.

These include his past care and ongoing care needs, housing, specialised equipment and music therapy which would be of immense benefit to him, counsel said.

In the action, it was claimed the defendant was negligent and breached its duty of care towards the boy by failing to prevent him from suffering the injuries he did by carrying out a timely caesarean section.

His mother arrived at the hospital at 9am on the date in question having been 10 days overdue. However, Mohammad was not delivered until 10.30pm by emergency C-section when it was too late.

The hospital failed to summon either the obstetrician or a senior member of the obstetrics team much earlier than it did despite clear signs of foetal distress, it was claimed.

Following his birth the boy required resuscitation.

He suffered severe brain injuries, and has both a mental and physical disabilities, counsel said.

He attends school and is unable to speak but is responsive and likes music.

Counsel said the house he lives in at the moment is unsuitable for his needs.

The boys parents told the court they were content with the settlement.
A Dublin man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 33-year-old Kenneth OBrien.

Paul Wells (48) is accused of killing the father-of-one, whose remains were found by passers-by in the canal last month.

Mr Wells was remanded in custody after Dublin District Court heard he replied after caution: I am responsible for killing Kenneth and I gave a true account of what happened.

The accused, with an address at Barnamore Park, Finglas is charged with the murder of Kenneth OBrien on or about January 15 and 16 last.

The murder is alleged to have happened at Mr Wells' home address at Barnamore Park

At a late sitting of the court, Gda Sgt Gerard Moore of Leixlip Garda Station told Judge Anthony Halpin he arrested the accused for the purpose of charge at Naas Garda Station at 4.53pm today.

Expand Close The coffin of Kenneth OBrien is taken from the chuch of St. Matthew in Ballyfermot. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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Whatsapp The coffin of Kenneth OBrien is taken from the chuch of St. Matthew in Ballyfermot. Photo: Tony Gavin

He charged him at 5.16pm and handed him a true copy of the charge sheet.

No bail application was made on the accuseds behalf by his solicitor Kieran Conway as bail cannot be granted at district court level on a murder charge.

There cant be, we have to go to the High Court, Mr Conway said.

Legal aid was granted after Sgt Moore said the gardai were aware of the accused's financial means.

The accused, wearing a blue hooded top over a black tshirt, black trousers and white runners, did not address the court during the brief five-minute hearing. Judge Anthony Halpin remanded him in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on February 18.

Mr O'Brien's partner sat in the court's public gallery during the proceedings.

Mr O'Brien, a JCB driver, was reported missing on Friday, January 15. He was last seen in the early hours of that morning, when he left his home on Lealand Road in Clondalkin telling his partner he was going to work.

Mr OBrien had recently returned from Australia, where he had lived and worked for three years.

A second man, aged in his 30s, who was also arrested, was released without charge previously and a file in relation to him is being prepared for the DPP.
A man has been jailed for three years for an unprovoked assault on a woman walking home alone from a night out with friends.

Jeffrey Mitchell (44) dragged the struggling woman backwards from the footpath before she managed to get free and seek help from a taxi driver. He had told her during the attack he would throw her into the canal if she kept moving.

Mitchell, of Cabra Park, Dublin , pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting the woman causing her harm at Crossguns Bridge, Phibsboro on February 8, 2013.

Defence counsel for Mitchell, who had consumed up to 30 vodkas on the night, said he did not remember anything at all about that night. Mitchell has 70 previous convictions including assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and handling stolen property.

Judge Martin Nolan said he could only imagine what was going through the woman's mind during the assault and she probably feared the worst. He said it was extremely frightening attack without apparent motivation.

Judge Nolan noted Mitchell had a long history of convictions and due to the seriousness of the offence he had to impose a substantial sentence. He jailed Mitchell for three years.

Detective Garda Niamh Coates told Seamus Clarke BL, prosecuting, that the woman left McGowan's pub in Phibsboro at 3am to walk home.

She was making her way towards the canal when she heard a running noise behind her and an arm reached around her neck in a hug like manner.

At first she thought it was a joke but soon realised with the force of the pulling it was serious.

Det Gda Coates said the woman was dragged from the footpath onto gravel towards the canal.

Mitchell told the woman if she kept moving he would throw her into the canal. She fell during the struggle tearing her jeans and scraping herself. She kept fighting Mitchell off as he tried to pull her backwards.

The woman managed to get free and ran screaming to the main road where she met a taxi driver.

The incident lasted a few seconds and the man was chased for a time by passers-by.

The gardai retrieved CCTV from local premises and were able to identify Mitchell and track his movements from when he left a fast food outlet just after the woman passed on the opposite side of the road to where the incident occurred.

Mitchell admitted being in Abrakebabra but told gardai he had turned right in the opposite direction to the woman after leaving but later conceded he had turned left. He said he had consumed a lot of alcohol.

The woman said she has been crippled with anxiety since the incident and suffered flash backs. She said she no longer felt safe and did not know if she would ever feel safe.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, said Mitchell, who was drinking heavily and dabbling in heroin at the time, did not remember anything at all of what happened and accepted what the woman said.

Counsel said Mitchell had lost eight family members, including his parents, during an eight month period as he served a sentence in 2002 and fell into drug addiction. He managed to rehabilitate for a time but had relapsed prior to this offence.

He said Mitchell had once again dealt with his drug problem and was in a new relationship, ready to put this part of his life behind him.
A man jailed for a headbutt assault, which led to doctors telling the victim's wife to prepare for the worst, has had his sentence cut on appeal.

Kris Collins (25), with an address at Murphy's Rock, Old Mallow Road, Cork, had pleaded guilty to assaulting a man causing him serious harm in Cork City on September 7, 2014.

He was sentenced to eight years imprisonmnet by Judge Donagh McDonagh at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on June 17, 2015.

Collins successfully appealed his sentence today and the Court of Appeal resentenced him to five years imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the injured party had been socialising in Cork city centre with a friend on the night in question.

It appears the two men approached Collins' girlfriend who was standing outside a bar when suddenly and without warning a headbutt was delivered to the injured party's head, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

Having been struck, the injured party's head hit the ground heavily as he fell. People in the vicinity heard a thump and when he hit the ground, a crack, prosecuting barrister, Paul Murray BL, told the court.

The injured party didn't seek medical attention apart from first aid administered by security staff but went home. There was some concern that he didn't appear to be walking entirely normally, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

The next day, while alone in his house, he lapsed into unconsciousness while lying on the sofa.

At Cork University Hospital, a CT scan confirmed the presence of a clot between the skull and brain. His wife was told to prepare for the worst, Mr Justice Birmingham said, with a 50/50 chance" of him coming through.

He had emergency neurosurgery and the clot was removed. As a result, the pressure on his brain was near normal, the judge said.

His wife told the sentencing court that his whole life had changed following the assault with huge mood swings. She said she found it difficult to watch him crying on a regular basis.

He could not take up employment as a Turkish barber, as he had been due to, and they suffered financial hardship as a result, the judge said.

Collins had 15 previous convictions including one for headbutting a doorman for which he was required to undertake 100 hours of community service. He had positive testimonials, a good work ethic and brought 4,000 compensation to court.

Counsel for Collins, Sean Gillane SC, submitted that the sentencing judge erred in seeing the offence as being in the upper mid-range of seriousness before proceeding to impose a sentence that fell outside of that range as established by case law.

Mr Justice Birmingham said a combination of factors meant the sentence imposed could not statnd.

He said it was a mid-range offence where mitigating factors were present including Collins' co-operation, his guilty plea, offer of compensation and that this was the first time he'd be required to spend time in prison.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards, said five years was an appropriate sentence.

He said it was desirable that when Collins completes his sentence, there should be an incentive for him to behave and remain out of trouble.

The court suspended the final 12 months on condition Collins enter into a good behaviour bond for two years post release.
Charges against Irish nanny Aisling Brady McCarthy were dropped in August last year. Photo: Keith Bedford//The Boston Globe via AP

The parents of a baby girl who died while in the care of an Irish nanny have filed legal proceedings against her five months after Boston police dropped their criminal case.

Aisling Brady McCarthy (37) was arrested in January 2013 following the death of one-year-old Rehma Sabir in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Cavan woman, who was in her mid-thirties at the time, was accused of shaking the child, causing a sudden catastrophic brain bleed.

However, after being detained for two years, new expert testimony cleared her name.

She was released last September and returned home to Ireland.

Yesterday, the parents of little Rehma filed papers in Middlesex County Superior Court, claiming Ms McCarty caused the death of their first-born child due to her "negligent, malicious, wilful, wanton, reckless and/or grossly negligent acts."

Speaking to the 'Boston Globe' newspaper Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui said they filed the lawsuit to "protect their daughter's memory."

Ms Siddiqui's statement is the first time the couple have spoken publicly since their daughter's death.

Their daughter died two days after being rushed to the emergency room at Boston Children's Hospital on January 14, 2013.

The couple, who have had two sons since Rehma died, said they wished to remain out of the public spotlight adding: "We respectfully request privacy and we defer any questions to our attorney."

The couple's legal representative Jonathan Friedmann said they would be willing to drop the wrongful death suit if agreement could be reached with Ms McCarty on certain matters of contention.

Charges against Ms McCarthy were dropped in August last year after a medical examiner changed the cause of the child's death from homicide to "undetermined".

Murder was not ruled out completely as a possible cause, but Middlesex County prosecutors said the medical examiner's new views made it unlikely they could prove murder charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

The nanny continuously professed her innocence throughout her two-and-a-half-year incarceration while awaiting trial.

Melinda Thompson, one of Ms McCarthy's attorneys in the criminal case, said that by filing the lawsuit Rehma's parents are "compounding the tragedy" of their child's death, calling the suit "shocking and disturbing."

Ms Brady McCarthy said her family, as well as the cards and letters of support she received, were a source of great strength for her.

Ms Brady McCarthy cannot return to the United States for a decade as a result of overstaying her visa.
Thomas Murphy arrives for sentencing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, Ireland February 12, 2016. The alleged former chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Thomas 'Slab' Murphy, attended court for sentencing on Friday, for failing to pay tax on his farm income. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Prominent republican Thomas Slab Murphy has had his sentencing for tax fraud adjourned at the Special Criminal Court.

The three-judge-court deferred sentencing after hearing that Murphys outstanding bill over nine years of failing to file income tax returns was just under 190,000.

The court was also told he has not put any arrangements in place for repayment of the money.

Murphys lawyer asked the court to consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67 before arriving at a decision.

He was remanded on continuing bail for two weeks - to February 26, the day of the General Election.

Murphy (66) was convicted last December of failing to make tax returns for the years 1996 to 2004.

He had denied the charges, his defence lawyer claiming that his brother, Patrick, was in control of farming activities and was therefore liable.

The trial came nearly a decade after files were seized in sheds on his farm that straddles the Border during a raid led by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), backed up by 400 Irish and British soldiers, gardai and the PSNI.

Murphy, from Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, was previously named in a libel action (that he lost) as a senior IRA commander and was described as "a good republican" by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in 2006 following the CAB raid on his farm.

Today, a detective inspector, attached to CAB, was led by Paul Burns SC, for the prosecution, through a summary of the evidence against the accused.

The detective inspector confirmed that Murphy had no previous convictions. He said Murphy had to date not made any payments in respect of his tax liability and no payment scheme or arrangement had been put in place.

The total amount due, based on a 15,000 annual income is 38,519, rising to 189,964, including interest, the court heard.

The court heard the total maximum sentence for each charge was five years imprisonment. Two of the counts carried a maximum fine of 10,000, and the remaining carried maximum fines of the equivalent of 126,970 each.

The detective inspector confirmed that separately, CAB had made a tax assessment against Murphy of 5,344,157.

At the request of the court, Mr Burns outlined examples of sentencing in other tax fraud cases including that of Paul Begley, who was convicted of evading tax by labelling imported garlic shipments as apples.

He said there was a wide spectrum of sentences and said it was a matter for the court. He said he would not object to any sentences imposed being made concurrent.

Murphys lawyer, John Kearney QC said it was in fact an unusual case.

He questioned the figure produced by the State as potential loss of revenue, saying: it rather looks like its nowhere near the figures that have been guessed.

He said he accepted fully the verdict of the court but asked the judges to take into account the blurred lines and grey areas surrounding the family unit and the farming unit or units.

Mr Kearney said 38,510 was the baseline figure which multiplied into the higher figure through compound punitive interest.

He said he was not being critical of this, saying one fully understands that for the State in ensuring compliance with the tax code, punitive interest must have a use.

He said it had been a generally loss-making business with a trickle of animal activity in terms of numbers entering and leaving the herds.

This is a case where, had returns been made, it may very well have been the case where there was no profit and no tax due, he said.

He also pointed out that the case involved failure to file returns rather than being a case where returns are made but are deliberately misleading.

These are offences of omission as opposed to commission, Mr Kearney said.

Mr Kearney said the baseline figure in this case compared to 1.6 million in the Paul Begley case.

He said the cases put before the court were clearly much more serious and a suspended sentence was not out of the question.

Mr Kearney said in other cases, there was a clear sentencing distinction depending on whether it was a case where a false return had been made or no return made at all.

On the issue of restitution not having been made, he added that there were matters which had not been finalised and there is some money out there.

He is now in his mid-60s, would you consider the impact of a prison sentence on a man approaching 67 in relation to offences some of which were 20 years ago, some 10 years ago? Mr Kearney asked the court.

He said Murphy is now working as a yardsman with a company in Crossmaglen.

Judge Butler adjourned sentencing.

When he convicted Murphy, the judge had said the court was "satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that in each of the individual counts on the indictment the accused is guilty".

During the 32-day trial, the court heard Murphy received 100,000 in State and EU subsidies and had been involved in cattle sales worth hundreds of thousands of euro at a number of marts.

The 2006 raid led to the seizure of 625,000 in cash and cheques. Following the raid a 1 million settlement was made with CAB and the UKs Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

The trial heard evidence from Department of Agriculture employees, cattle mart and meat factory managers, Criminal Assets Bureau investigators and a Revenue Inspector that, although Murphy conducted dealings in relation to cattle and land, and received farming grants from the Department of Agriculture, he failed to make any returns to Revenue.

Murphy's defence lawyers had claimed that his brother, Patrick, was in control of the farming activities and was therefore the person chargeable to tax on income

Two witness statements were read into evidence under a Section 16 application. Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, allows for a witness's statement to be read into evidence if there is an inconsistency between evidence given in court and a statement given to gardai.

Giving judgment, Judge Butler said the statements represented the "true state of affairs", which was that Murphy was involved in the farming business.
David Drumm faces 33 charges on his return to Ireland (James Horan/Photocall Ireland)

The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank boss David Drumm will be of "major significance", Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

Mr Kenny was speaking after Mr Drumm dropped his fight against extradition from the US and agreed to return to Ireland to face a number of charges.

He noted that Mr Drumm had objected to extradition in "a series of court hearings in the United States".

Mr Kenny said: "I'm glad that he has decided to withdraw his objection to the extradition claim and I expect that there will be a very major trial for Mr Drumm when he returns here to Ireland.

"That's a trial of pretty major significance," he added.

Mr Drumm is accused of conspiring to conceal massive losses from shareholders.

He left Ireland after the bank collapsed and moved in 2009 to the Boston suburb of Wellesley, where he was arrested in October.

A March 1 extradition hearing had been scheduled, but during a hearing in federal court, Mr Drumm waived his right to an extradition hearing.

In an affidavit filed with the court he said he would continue to contest the charges in the Irish courts.

It was not immediately clear when Mr Drumm will be returned to Ireland.
Fine Gael will offer the Social Democrats a cabinet seat in return for the party's support if a government cannot be formed with the backing of the Labour Party after the General Election, the Irish Independent has learned.

Senior Coalition figures have now all but conceded that they will not reach the 80-seat target required to form a new government without support.

There is now a strong view at senior Fine Gael level that the Social Democrats will be required to "prop up" a so-called 'rainbow coalition'.

It is felt within the party that a deal involving the Social Democrats will be more acceptable to backbenchers than one involving Lucinda Creighton's Renua party.

Fine Gael is confident that it can win 60 seats in the election - 20 short of what is required to form a coalition.

To make up the numbers, it is highly likely that other TDs in the Dail will have to be courted.

Fine Gael strategists privately say they would be prepared to offer at least a cabinet and junior ministerial role to the Social Democrats, which currently has three high-profile TDs.

"It's fair to say the Social Democrats will be our first port of call," said a senior source.

But there is concern within Fine Gael over the Social Democrats' leadership structure.

The party claims to have three leaders - Roisin Shortall, Catherine Murphy and Stephen Donnelly - who jointly decide on issues such as policy.

Fine Gael strategists believe Mr Donnelly is the best candidate to lead the newly formed party but the Irish Independent understand the topic has not been approached for some time within the Social Democrats.

However, it is understood the Wicklow TD will represent his party in RTE leaders debate due to be aired on Monday.

Alarm

It is likely that for the Social Democrats to be part of the next Government, the newly formed party would have to select one TD as their leader.

However, news that Fine Gael is open to approaching the Social Democrats will alarm Labour Party figures.

Two of the three deputies, Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall, are former Labour members.

In recent days, Labour has sent out a series of press releases criticising elements of the Social Democrats' election manifesto.

And in a guide distributed to Labour candidates' campaign teams at their conference in Mullingar, the Social Democrats are accused of not knowing what social democracy is.

The document says "their policies will plunge us back into the darkest days of Fianna Fail by placing the greatest burden of all on PAYE workers".
Mark CondrenJoan Burton on the campaign trail at Luttrellstown Community College, Clonsilla. Photo: Mark Condren

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Labour Party deputy leader Alan Kelly have led the rallying call for Joan Burton amid fears she will lose her Dail seat.

Labour is set to put extra focus on Dublin West after an Irish Independent/Millward Brown poll showed she was trailing Ruth Coppinger by 5pc for the final seat constituency.

Party sources say the results will "spur on" her supporters in the final two weeks of campaigning.

The poll showed Health Minister Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein's Paul Donnelly are both on 20pc, followed by Fianna Fail's Jack Chambers on 17pc.

Ms Coppinger is in fourth place on 15pc, while the Tanaiste is languishing on 10pc.

Labour sources said they knew Ms Burton was in a battle but the poll has refocused everybody.

"It's difficult because she needs to be at national events every day and at the same time look after the constituency."

Reacting to the poll, Ms Burton pointed to the 14pc of voters who were undecided.

"I have said repeatedly to yourselves and others that, in terms of this particular election, I don't think a lot of people will make up their minds until very close to election day," she said.

"I'm told that I'm very transfer friendly. That's something that I've been told before."

She added: "Polls are part of life for a politician, I read them with great interest."

Ms Burton previously lost her seat in 1997 but insists she is "very confident" of retaining it this time round.

Her deputy leader, Alan Kelly, who has ambitions to be the next party leader, has jumped to her defence.

"Anyone who underestimates Joan Burton, does so at their peril," he said. "Joan Burton is one of the best political fighters that I have ever seen.

"She will win her seat, and she will lead the Labour Party into the next government, I have no doubt about that."

Mr Kelly tried to avoid questions about whether he would want to take over if the Tanaiste was not back in Leinster House after the election. "It's not going to be an issue, she will lead us into the next government.

"I'm telling you, can I be very clear about this... Joan Burton is not going to loose her seat."

However, he eventually added: "Everyone who walks into Dail Eireann has aspirations to go as far in politics as they can, that's just a natural thing."

Speaking in Tuam, Co Galway, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Ms Burton was "a fighter".

He praised her efforts at the Department of Social Protection, saying she had driven a transformation in its work from "just a list of people drawing the dole" to a "vibrant living entity" that helps the unemployed find work and training.

"I'm glad to see Fine Gael showing up well in that particular poll - not that I have any great belief in them [polls].

"It's the 26th is the day, and I expect the Tanaiste to fight her corner and fight it well."

Asked if he would encourage Leo Varadkar's supporters to vote strategically and ensure Ms Burton wins back her seat, Mr Kenny replied: "Obviously Fine Gael are advised to canvass the Fine Gael ticket, vote for the Fine Gael ticket - after that to vote for the Labour candidates.

The poll showed that 43pc of Fine Gael voters in Dublin intend to give their second preference to Ms Burton.

The curse of the Tanaiste

If Joan Burton loses her seat after the General Election, she will join an esteemed group of former Tanaisti who befell a similar fate.

The outcome of the last two general elections do not bode well for Ms Burton's chances as she fights to save her seat in two weeks' time.

In 2011, Mary Coughlan saw voters in Donegal turn their backs on her as Fianna Fail received a hammering in the polls in the wake of the financial crash.

Ms Coughlan was appointed Tanaiste by Taoiseach Brian Cowen when he took over the party from Bertie Ahern in 2008. The Donegal TD has not sought re-election since she was voted out of office.

Former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell was also given his marching orders by the electorate while holding the second highest office in government.

Mr McDowell's failure to get elected was a major surprise in the 2007 election which saw Fianna Fail return to power.

The barrister resigned as party leader before the final count in the RDS in Dublin, and has also not returned to politics since.
Counting continued into the night last night in the count afresh of the 2014 Local Elections for the Listowel Electoral Area in Kerry.

Fianna Fail General Election candidate John Brassil topped the poll and was deemed elected on the first count. Sinn Fein's Robert Beasley was also elected having exceeded the quota.

The count afresh in Co Kerry follows a successful Supreme Court challenge by former Fianna Fail senator Dan Kiely, who stood as an Independent candidate but lost out on a seat by two votes.

Earlier at a special sitting of Limerick Circuit Court Judge Tom O'Donnell adjudicated on 32 disputed ballot papers and ruled 18 of these valid while rejecting 14.

Significantly, Judge O'Donnell rejected votes being included in the valid poll where the perforation was on the counterfoil and not on the ballot paper.

He also overruled returning officer Charlie O'Sullivan on nine recommendations he'd made on 'suspect' ballots.

Because of the judge's ruling, Mr Kiely's first preferences were down by three from the previous count in May 2014. Fine Gael's Mike Kennelly, who beat Mr Kiely by two votes for the last seat the last time out, was also down one first preference.

Fianna Fail councillor Jimmy Moloney, who was five votes ahead of Mr Kiely when elected in 2014, also lost one first preference in the count afresh.

The count was expected to continue into until it was completed last night but even the most seasoned observers were unwilling to predict if the overall outcome would be changed.
Tanaiste and Labour Party leader Joan Burton TD at the first General Election 2016 TV and radio debate on TV3. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD at the first General Election 2016 TV and radio debate on TV3. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin TD at the first General Election 2016 TV and radio debate on TV3. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD at the first General Election 2016 TV and radio debate on TV3. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The leaders of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Fianna Fail turned on Gerry Adams in the first televised debate of the General Election campaign.

Mr Adams became increasingly irritated as the other leaders pressed him on Sinn Fein policy for fighting crime, as law and order continued to dominate the election agenda.

Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin said it was "the height of hypocrisy" for Mr Adams "to parade yourself as a civil libertarian objecting to the Special Criminal Court".

"There are many people in Northern Ireland who would have much preferred the Special Criminal Court than the kangaroo courts ye oversaw for years," Mr Martin said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny suggested it was ironic for the Sinn Fein president to demand that the Government do something about criminal gangs in border areas - while simultaneously calling for the court to be abolished.

And Tanaiste Joan Burton said: "I don't know what planet Gerry Adams is living on by having a witness protection programme in place of the Special Criminal Court.

"For a man who's auditioning to be Taoiseach, this is appalling."

All three leaders ruled out going into a coalition with Sinn Fein during the 'VOTE2016 - The Leaders' Debate' live on TV3 and Newstalk.

Mr Adams responded: "The politicians here could learn a lesson from the Unionists who have more reason not to trust SF but Ian Paisley can go into government with Martin McGuinness."

During a section on health, Mr Kenny said he "regretted" that Fine Gael were unable to fulfil many of the promises made before the 2011 election.

He said that in certain areas the service "hasn't measured up" but insisted the number of people on trolleys in emergency departments was reducing.

Ms Burton said no elderly person should be on a trolley "so we have to change our system so that elderly people don't just have to go into hospital".

She said the Coalition had opened 60 primary care centres and would continue to fund more if re-elected.

Micheal Martin defended his record as a former minister for health, and said that if Fianna Fail was in government after the election he would like his party to take the health portfolio.

"The man [Enda Kenny] has some brass neck to talk the way he talks about health. Their policies and performance is a disgrace," he said.

Gerry Adams denied that Sinn Fein are overseeing a crisis in the health system in Northern Ireland.

When asked how she would manage the economy for the next five years Ms Burton said her party would put the emphasis on creating jobs.

She said she was "mystified" to see Sinn Fein only abolishing USC on income up to 19,572 and accused Mr Adams of having "fuzzy Sinn Fein economics that is a jobs killer".

Mr Martin accused the Government of causing a "dissemination of public service".

The Taoiseach replied: "Neither Sinn Fein or Fianna Fail can have any of this unless you have an economy that thrives."

The issue of the Eighth Amendment was the only time Mr Kenny and Ms Burton disagreed during the debate, which was moderated by Newstalk's Pat Kenny and TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick.

The Fine Gael leader did not commit to repeal of the ban but proposed "people's convention to review" the law.

However, the Labour leader said she would try to convince Fine Gael on a referendum.

"We've been talking about this for 30 years. I speak as a mother," she said.
Thomas Murphy arrives for sentencing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin

A Sinn Fein TD has said he does not have full confidence in the conviction of Thomas Slab Murphy ahead of the tax dodgers sentencing.

Peadar Toibin has claimed that Mr Murphy, who was chief of staff in the IRA, should not have been tried before the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Murphy, with an address at Ballybinaby, Co Louth was found guilty of nine counts of failing to file tax returns between 1996 and 2004.

Despite the conviction Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams continues to describe Murphy as a good republican and the partys manifesto sets out a plan to abolish the Special Criminal Court.

Speaking in Dublin today, Mr Toibin said he had confidence in the judges of this country  but not in the judgements of the Special Criminal Courts.

"I believe the quality of the judgment is improved when there is a jury.

If you have a non-jury court for some people and a jury court for others, what you have is a two-tier justice system, he said.

Pressed on whether he believed Murphy is guilty of the tax evasion charges, Mr Toibin said: I dont have full confidence in the quality of a judgment unless there is a jury involved.
Officers stopped a car on the M6 motorway on Wednesday evening carrying an estimated 8,400 worth of MDMA (Stock image)

More than 8,000 worth of ecstasy powder, which was destined for Galway's unofficial Rag Week, has been intercepted by gardai.

Officers stopped a car on the M6 motorway on Wednesday evening carrying an estimated 8,400 worth of MDMA.

Two men were arrested and held overnight. They have since been released and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Gardai in Galway say they believe the drugs were destined for sale to students flocking into the city for the unofficial Rag Week next week.

Sgt Peter Conlon of Galway Garda Station said the city was expecting a significant influx of students from around the country.

He said a "very comprehensive" garda operation was in place for the entire week.

"Starting from next Monday we will have added manpower with additional gardai on duty in the city centre."

The drugs find occurred after gardai stopped a car on the westbound lane of the M6 at Cappataggle at 5pm on Wednesday evening.
Five more people have died from swine flu, bringing the death toll from the virus to 11 so far this winter.

It remains the dominant form of flu circulating, accounting for most hospitalisations and admissions of patients to critical care.

There have been 15 deaths from flu this winter, with other casualties due to the B strain of the virus.

The average age of patients who died from the flu is 63 years. A five-year-old boy was among those who have died from the complications of swine flu.

Hospitals continue to report that healthy children are among those treated for complications of flu along with at-risk groups.

Visiting restrictions have had to be enforced in University Hospital Limerick due to the flu.

The restrictions have also been imposed on Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital as they grapple with the high incidence of flu in the mid-west region.

A spokesman said that, in a bid to protect vulnerable patients, the group of hospitals was asking people who were considering visiting a friend or relative to ensure they do not do so if they had flu-like symptoms.

The group is limiting visits to one visitor per patient during the flu season and visitors are reminded that children under 14 are not allowed to visit.

Swine flu accounted for most of the outbreaks last week, while GPs are seeing a lot of youngsters aged five to 14 years with influenza-like illness.

Flu continues to put pressure on emergency departments. Beaumont Hospital in Dublin is cancelling all non-urgent surgery today again to free up beds to cope with the trolley crisis.

Meanwhile, Dr Ray Walley, President of the Irish Medical Organisation, warned the public health service was "perilously close to collapse and in urgent need of emergency attention".

He blamed years of cutbacks in essential services, a manpower crisis fuelled by record emigration of Irish-trained doctors, and a 10-year-long "national emergency" in our emergency departments.

He claimed that doctors are leaving for the UK at a rate of one every day because of poor working conditions, exacerbated by a loss of around 7.7bn in investment in the health service over the last seven years.

"This is the biggest challenge facing Ireland now and in the years ahead.

"Five years ago, we moved heaven and earth to rescue failed Irish banks; surely we can now do the same to rescue the Irish health service on which all of us ultimately depend.

"What we need now is an immediate investment programme, followed by a period of sustained funding so that we can repair the damage done," he added.
Gardai probing the murder of Kenneth O'Brien have recovered all parts of the power saw used to dismember his body after he was shot dead.

The discovery is considered a major breakthrough by investigating gardai as the prime suspect in the case remains in custody today.

Mr O'Brien, a father of one from west Dublin, was shot in the head and his remains were dismembered using equipment before being disposed at various locations.

His torso was discovered in mid-January in the Grand Canal at Ardclough, in Lexlip.

A father and son were arrested last Saturday in connection with the murder and yesterday the son, aged in his 30s, was released after five days of questioning.

After the two arrests, gardai sealed off a house in Finglas and a forensic examination of the building was not completed until yesterday.

Gardai now believe they have recovered all of the power saw used after the murder.

A motorised component of the power tool was retrieved from the Royal Canal, at Carton, Maynooth, in north Kildare last month and blades were located earlier this week in a pond at Lumville on the Curragh after a search.

Further searches took place this week as dozens of gardai combed a landfill in Co Wicklow in an attempt to find the murder weapon and missing pieces of the victim's head.

The prime suspect is known to gardai and has been under investigation in the past for suspected links to an organised crime gang, as well as a connection to the Continuity IRA.

Both men came to light as persons of interest more than a week ago and were placed under garda surveillance prior to their arrest.

Meanwhile, two investigating officers have also travelled to Australia in a bid to find out more about Mr O'Brien's life there. He had lived in Australia for three years before returning to the capital.

Originally from Ballyfermot, Mr O'Brien lived in Clondalkin with his partner and their young child.

Mr O'Brien left his home at Lealand Road in Clondalkin at 7am on Friday, January 15, after telling his partner that he was travelling for work. Gardai believe he met his killer by arrangement.

One line of inquiry being pursued at the moment is that Mr O'Brien's death was at the hands of a criminal gang following a dispute over money.
Gardai officers have told members of the public that they are putting "huge resources" into tracking down the culprit. Photo: Getty

GARDAI are on the hunt for a serial sex attacker after a spate of four assaults in South Dublin.

At a public meeting in Shankill last night, officers told members of the public that they were putting huge resources into tracking down the culprit.

However, they urged people not to take the law into their own hands.

Since December 2, there have been four reported sex attacks  three in Shankill and another on Military Road, Killiney  and a further two suspicious approaches.

inquiry

Concerned residents in Shankill met in a car park last night to discuss the four reported assaults on women with gardai.

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At least three women of varying ages have reported being assaulted near Shankill Dart Station.

Inspector James Murphy told those at the meeting that officers are following over 70 lines of inquiry.

The first incident, on December 2, took place close to Shankill Dart Station.

The second occurred on January 3, near the entrance of the Holly Park housing estate.

Two further assaults were reported on February 9 and 10, on Quinns Road and Military Road near Killiney.

Meanwhile, two suspicious approaches in the area were also reported on January 20 and February 7.

Inspector Murphy said Shankill Garda Station now has a full-time incident room to deal with the attacks, and that garda patrols have been put in place close to the Dart station.

He added they would not release a description of the perpetrator at this stage.

However, he also warned against vigilantism as locals expressed frustration over a perceived lack of garda presence.

We understand your concerns but you have to leave this investigation to us, he said.

But, as always, we need your help and assistance with anything you think could help us.

Meeting

The meeting came a day after around 100 people protested outside Shankill Garda Station about a perceived lack of garda presence following the attacks.

It was hoped the event would take place in the Shanganagh Park House Community Centre.

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However, organisers said the community centre management said they did not have room.

Sandra Perry, who lives close to the Dart station, said the fact the meeting could not be held in the community centre was an absolute disgrace.

Local man Beppie OHalloran (18) was yesterday among the protesters and claimed he had witnessed a worrying attack on a young woman about two weeks ago.

We [he and his friends] were running for the Dart and this man was standing beside this girl and he said something to her like look at the kids running and then we saw him grab her and try to pull her into the woods, he told the Herald.

She got away and ran off.
The winning ticket was sold at the Fairgreen shopping centre complex (Photo: Google Maps)

Its a balancing act for acrobats Henrik Gard and Leidy Vidal who are getting to grips with 130 million ahead of Fridays EuroMillions jackpot.Picture Andres Poveda

The champagne was flowing freely outside the Carlow store that sold the winning 66m Euromillions ticket which was claimed yesterday.

The ticket was sold in the Eason's Store, Fairgreen Shopping Centre, and co-owner Eoin Hennigan said that it has been receiving lots of congratulations from customers since the news broke earlier today.

The lucky ticket was sold on January 27th, and a syndicate of friends, who have remained anonymous claimed the prize at National Lottery offices in Dublin yesterday.

Mr Hennigan (41) said that everybody is hoping that it is locals who have won the massive prize.

"I am absolutely hoping it's a local. It would be a great boost to the economy, and it's good for the area, and it's good for the shopping centre. Obviously, it's good for us, and good for the winners," Mr Hennigan, told Independent.ie

"The winners want to remain anonymous, and we have to respect that," he said.

"We have never sold a jackpot ticket before. We are open just over four years, and we had been hoping for it, so we are happy."

He said that he has no idea who won. "I haven't heard any rumours, I just don't know," he said. "We can't even speculate. So many people bought EuroMillions tickets around this time, because it was such a big jackpot," he said.

"I found out yesterday that we had sold the winning ticket at around 4.30pm. A Lotto representative informed me.

"The rep came in and he asked me to sit down and I knew something was up," he said. Mr Hennigan then learned about the big news, but couldn't tell anyone until this morning.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," he said.

He said there had been great excitement since the word spread. "Something like this spreads very quickly. Customers are coming in and congratulating us. It's great."

Speaking about the intense publicity surrounding the win, he pointed out: "Andy Warhol said everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. "This is my 15 minutes," he said.

The winning ticket was won by a syndicate of friends who picked up their winnings yesterday at the National Lottery HQ in Dublin.

The winners claimed their share of the 132,376,632 jackpot at the National Lottery office after presenting their lucky 15 Quick Pick ticket.

Wishing for their identities to remain private, a spokesperson for the group said that they are nonetheless overwhelmed by their "enormous good fortune".

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"We are completely dumbstruck to have won this fantastic prize," said the purchaser of the ticket, which was bought last Wednesday.

"The ads are true; it is riches beyond your wildest dreams, even when it's shared by a group like this. It's a life changing amount of money for each of us."

Another winning ticket was purchased in France, which meant that the Irish winners claimed half of the jackpot.

This jackpot win collection ranks as the fourth highest, in terms of the size of EuroMillions jackpots won in Ireland, of which there have been eight.

Dolores McNamara won over 115m in the largest Irish EuroMillions win to date in August 2005.

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In July 2008, a 15m winning ticket was sold in Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary and a 29.4m winning ticket was sold in Dublin in June 2009.

More recently, a lucky player won 94m with a ticket purchased in Mace, Beaumont, Dublin 9 in June 13 while a young man from the South East shared a jackpot of over 25.6 million with a player in Spain in September of that year.

In 2014, there were two wins: a 15m jackpot won by a family with a ticket was purchased in Stauntons Costcutter Express, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; and in September an 86.7m EuroMillions jackpot was won from a ticket purchased in Ballybrack, Dublin by a syndicate.
The son of Eddie Hutch Snr will not be granted compassionate leave for his father's funeral later next week.

Alan Hutch (33), one of Eddie's five children, is currently being held in the Training Unit of Mountjoy Prison.

The nephew of former crime boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was caged for eight years in 2013 after he threatened to kill three Gardai claiming he had a grenade.

At the time he was also serving a suspended sentence of four years for a 2009 robbery and assaulting a garda.

Hutch, of Sherrard Street Lower, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery on Drumcondra Road on August 27, 2012 and to assaulting Garda Sergeant Charlie Armstrong during the same incident.

He attempted to bite the garda after he was arrested for a robbery he had just committed on another man.

He also pleaded guilty to car theft, dangerous driving, and damaging a garda car during a high-speed chase around north Dublin on October 1, 2012. He admitted escaping from lawful custody at the Mater Hospital on the same date.

Hutch admitted to stealing a BMW while the owner was at the boot of the car on Parnell Street. He then drove at speeds in excess of 135kph in built-up areas around the north inner city, breaking red lights, driving along the wrong side of the road and ramming garda patrol cars.

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Hutch, who has 48 previous convictions, was arrested a week after escaping from custody in the Mater Hospital. He later committed an armed robbery with a knife in Dublin City Centre.

Despite his behavior he has been described as a model inmate and has stayed out of trouble since his jail term began. He was transferred to the Training Unit for good behaviour in 2014.

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A spokesman for the Prison Service said they could not comment on individual cases.

However, sources have revealed he wont be released for security reasons.

Tensions are very high at the moment and he wont be let out for the safety of Prison Service officers. Someone would have to be chained to him and there is a credible threat that he may be harmed, said a source.

Dublin central General Election Candidate Christy Burke has hit out at the ruling and said he is writing to the Minister for Justice to demand that Hutch be allowed to attend his fathers funeral.

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It is a disgrace that he wouldn't be let out. He is a model prisoner he has never caused any problems and he isn't a flight risk. He should be allowed to pay his respects to his father. I am writing to the minister 

Eddie Hutch Snr (58), a brother of Gerry The Monk Hutch was shot up to nine times in his north inner city home at Popular Row earlier this week.

His death has been linked to a bitter feud between members of the Hutch crime syndicate and the Kinahan drug cartel.

Sources have said it is highly unlikely that Eddies nephew, armed robber Derek Del Boy Hutch will be allowed compassionate leave for his uncles funeral either.

He is currently in a special protection wing in Wheatfield Prison where he is considered to be a target for associates of the Kinahan Cartel.
Enda Kenny has condemned threats from criminals to the safety of a number of reporters at Independent News and Media

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has led a chorus of condemnation of threats from criminals to the safety of a number of reporters at Independent News and Media.

The sinister warnings immediately brought back memories of the murder of the journalists' colleague, Veronica Guerin, 20 years ago.

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The fearless 'Sunday Independent' investigative reporter was shot dead by members of the drug trafficking gang, led by John Gilligan, in June 1996.

The latest threats were formally notified by the gardai to INM, and security for those named journalists is now being strengthened.

The threats were issued as a bloody feud between two major crime gangs erupted in Dublin, resulting in two deaths in less than 80 hours and saturation policing in the centre of the capital.

INM said it was working with gardai to increase security around the journalists, and taking every precaution to ensure their safety.

I should say that the personal security and safety of our people is of our utmost priority, and we have employed outside security consultants to provide risk assessments, said Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae.



Weve been working closely with the Garda to come up with a comprehensive security plan for the journalists.



He continued: Its frightening to think that 20 years on, were back to the same scenario were reporters are threatened for doing their jobs."



Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland Mr Rae said, after consulting with the reporters involved, it was decided to make the threats public to highlight the danger posed to the media.



"The risk to our journalists represents a risk to society at large, this was one of the reasons why we went public this is a very violate situation and these are a very dangerous gang of criminals who pose a threat to society at large."

The INM Editor-in-Chief said the attempts to intimidate reporters posed an outrageous threat to the freedom of the press.

"It is disturbing that threats of this nature have emerged as we approach the 20th anniversary of the death of our colleague, Veronica Guerin.

"I remember the trauma the organisation went through at the time," he told Morning Ireland while also referencing the murder of Martin O'Hagan in Belfast in 2001.



"Both these colleagues were murdered simply because they were exposing the criminal activities of major gangs.

"Our media group will not be deterred from serving the public interest and highlighting the threat to society at large, posed by such criminals."



Mr Rae went on to say that the threats against the INM journalists were due to their reporting of the ongoing gangland feud and not because of the photos taken during and after the audacious gun attack on the Regency hotel last Friday.

Speaking to Independent.ie on the threats to INM journalists, the brother of the late Veronica Guerin said it was 'important' to make the threats public.

I want to express my full support and admiration for the journalists under threat and for how Independent News & Media have dealt with this," Jimmy Guerin said.

I think it was very important that they brought the information into the public dominion because it highlights the difficult circumstances that journalists have worked in since Veronicas untimely death.

I just hope that the people and the public come out and are very supportive of the journalists in question. I would added that my thoughts are with them at this time and I admire them for their bravery in going about their work."

Speaking about what the public could do, he said: I think the public have a perfect opportunity, including politicians from all parties and political divides to send a common message that not enough action is being taken to deal with the criminals and to make society a safer place for journalists, Gardai, and everyone else going about their work.

Weve an opportunity over the next two weeks that when we raise all the issues we want to raise with the politicians."

Also speaking this morning to RTE's Morning Ireland was Seamus Dooley, Secretary of the NUJ, who described journalism as a dangerous profession, with 115 worldwide members of the NUJ killed last year.

Major political parties across immediately condemned the threat.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he deplored any threat made to any journalist in this jurisdiction.

"One of the pillars of a functioning democracy is freedom of speech, and in any self-respecting society journalists must be afforded the freedom to go about their jobs without fear of reprisal. Those who engaged in the recent killings on our streets will be brought to justice and no resource will be spared in doing so."

He said the journalists under threat had the Government's full support, as did all journalists going about their daily duties.

Tanaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton described the threat as a very disturbing development and an unwelcome reminder of the murder of Veronica Guerin.

A free press was the cornerstone of a democracy and any threat to an individual journalist was a threat to us all, she said.

Ms Burton pledged that she and her Cabinet colleagues were determined to ensure the gardai had whatever resources they required to tackle these threats.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said journalists played a vital role in democracy, shining a light on wrongdoing.

"I regard any threat to the freedom of the press in Ireland as a threat to the State itself."

The minister said the gardai were working closely with INM.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said: "There can be no place in society for threats to any journalists. It is clear that the thugs and gangsters behind the recent shootings in Dublin believe that they can act with impunity.

"There is no place for them in our communities and An Garda Siochana must be fully supported and resources freed up to bring these gangsters to justice."

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the sinister development evoked memories of the very worst days of gangland violence and Ms Guerin's murder.

"It will add to the sense of vulnerability and chaos that many communities now feel, and further confirms the total contempt that these thugs have for our society and the freedoms that we hold dear.

"We must face this violence with resolute action and we face these threats to journalists with more public scrutiny," Mr Martin said.

He wanted journalists to know they did not stand alone and that all decent people in this country stood behind them.

Renua Ireland leader Lucinda Creighton called on Government parties to suspend campaigning and meet urgently to agree a garda response.
Gerry The Monk Hutch in a still taken from RTE's Prime Time.

The criminal mastermind Gerry The Monk Hutch has been a well-known figure in Dublins underworld for more than two decades.

He is now the focus of attention since his return to Dublin from Spain for the funeral of his murdered innocent brother Eddie, shot last Monday in a gangland retaliation attack for the murder of David Byrne.

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Hutchs presence in the city at a time when armed gardai patrol the streets shows how crime links different generations.

While gardai are satisifed he was the mastermind of two of the biggest cash heists in Irish history, he never admitted carrying out the raids.

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In later years, he insisted he had given up all his criminal activities  but admitted he was heavily involved in crime in his younger years.

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Born in 1963, one of the youngest of an impoverished family of eight children, his first home was a run-down block of flats at Corporation Buildings in the deprived north inner city. His father Masher Hutch was a docks labourer on the Dublin docks, while his mother Julia looked after their large brood.

Tearaways

The family moved to Summerhill in 1971. The future crime boss became involved in a succession of thefts and street crimes. Although highly intelligent, his education was neglected and he spent his time hanging around with fellow teenage tearaways.

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According to leading crime journalist Paul Williams  who chronicled Hutchs criminal career in his book The Untouchables  he notched up more than 30 convictions as a teenager for burglary, assault, larceny, car theft, joy riding and malicious damage.

He was a leading member of a notorious teenage gang called the Bugsy Malones, who graduated to more daring and dangerous crimes of robbing banks by jumping over the counters and threatening staff with guns.

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This gang developed such a reputation that Hutch was interviewed by RTE radio at the age of 16. He said: I cant give up robbing. If I see money in a car Im takin it. I just cant leave it there. If I see a handbag on a seat Ill smash the window and be away before anyone knows whats going on.

I dont go near people walking down the street ... theyre not worth robbin.

When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said with a giggle Id like to be serving behind the bank ... just fill up the bags and jump over the counter.

He was sentenced to detention 11 times and served his sentences in industrial schools, later graduating to Mountjoy Prison.

Speaking of his younger days to Sunday Independent crime journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996, less than three months before she was shot dead, he said: We were kids then, doing jump-overs (jumping over counters in banks to steal cash), shoplifting, robberies, burglaries, anything that was going we did it. That was normal for any inner-city kid then.

Aged 20, Hutch was jailed for two years for malicious damage. It was to be the last time he was jailed.

The deaths of four members of his old Bugsy Malone gang from drug addiction and drug deaths of several young cousins made him detest and avoid hard drugs use.

Unusually for his background, he was a non-drinker and non-smoker. He hated drug use and the devastation it was causing to the people with whom he grew up. His sober behaviour later earned him the nickname The Monk.

Now aged 52, he was only 23 when he was reputed by gardai to have masterminded a record-breaking cash robbery.

Gang

On a dark evening in January 1987, Hutch led a four-man gang in the robbery of a Securicor van outside the Bank of Ireland at Marino Mart in Fairview in Dublin.

They brandished guns and ejected two security van staff from the front of the van and drove it away. The gang discovered a third security guard in the vault of the van up the road and stopped and ejected him too.

They drove into the grounds of Colaiste Mhuire, off Griffith Avenue, and quickly cleaned out a large quantity of cash. They were astounded to discover they had netted more than 1,350,000 (1,723,000).

The young crime boss was given advice about how to stash the money in bank accounts in the north of Ireland.

He recruited two men with no criminal records, Francis Joseph Sheridan and Lonan Patrick Hickey, to travel across the border and lodge large amounts of the haul in accounts in financial institutions.

The two bagmen admitted to gardai they were working for Hutch and were later jailed for 21 months. Hutch was never charged and was referred to as Mr X in the court case.

When Securicor went to court in Belfast to get the money from Hutchs bank accounts returned to the firm, Hutch attended the court hearings to claim it was his own money.

Appealed

But the judge ruled the money was in all probability the proceeds of the Fairview van heist and ordered its return to Securicor. The Monk appealed the decision as far as the

House of Lords, but was unsuccessful.

Hutch began to use a businessman and property developer Paddy Shanahan, a convicted thief, to launder the proceeds of his crimes by investing in building projects.

Using his friend Shanahan as a front, Hutch invested in the construction of new apartments in the north inner city and availed of tax incentives while doing so.

In January 1995, Hutch is reputed to have carried out the biggest cash heist in the history of the State when he masterminded the robbery of almost 3m (3.8m) from the Brinks Allied security company depot at the Clonshaugh Industrial estate.

The heist involved meticulous planning and the use of heavily-armed robbers and four stolen SUVs.

The gangs preparation included weakening security fencing in the days before the robbery and building a bridge over a dyke to facilitate the military-style raid. No one was convicted with the crime.

The murder of crime reporter Veronica Guerin in 1996 by a gang led by John Gilligan resulted in the setting up of

the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).

CAB made Hutch their number one target with Operation Alpha. He eventually agreed to hand over the equivalent of more than 1.5m to become tax compliant.

He sold two houses in Buckingham Street and gave a bank draft to CAB. He paid the balance by walking into a bank in Dublin with a hold-all containing the equivalent of 635,000 in cash, which he lodged and then handed over a bank draft to gardai.

He later got a taxi licence and named his limousine business CAB  Carry Any Body.
Distraught relatives of inmates gather outside Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, Mexico, scene of a battle between drug gangs

Here are the stories you may have missed overnight and what is hitting the headlines on this morning's papers:

Mexican prison battle leaves 52 dead



A battle between rival drug gangs at a prison in the northeastern Mexican city of Monterrey has left 52 people, days ahead of a planned visit by Pope Francis to another jail in Mexico's far north.



Fighting broke out before midnight in two areas of the Topo Chico prison between a faction of the brutal Zetas gang and another group.

It was not immediately clear how the victims died but there were no reports of gunfire during the fighting.

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Two on trial over deaths of Aylan Kurdi (3) and family

Two alleged people-smugglers have gone on trial in Turkey accused of causing the death of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, after his family's ill-fated crossing of the Mediterranean last year.

An image of the boy, in red t-shirt and shorts, lying lifeless on a beach in Bodrum, shone a spotlight on the suffering and perils facing migrants travelling to Europe when it appeared on newspaper front-pages across the world.

The trial against Syrian nationals Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad opened in the Aegean resort of Bodrum yesterday, and the pair face upwards of 35 years in prison each if convicted.

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NATO steps in to end migrant smuggling



NATO is to send a naval flotilla "without delay" to help stop people smugglers in the Aegean Sea, following a request from Germany, Greece and Turkey, the alliance's chief said yesterday.



The move comes as Turkey warns it is unable to cope following the latest upsurge in migrants streaming from Aleppo following days of bombardment by Russian warplanes in support of forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The multinational task force, under German command, is composed of a German flagship, the 20,000 tonne supply vessel FGS Bonn, the 3,000-tonne multi-purpose frigate TCG Barbaros from Turkey and the HMCS Fredericton, a 5,000-tonne Halifax class frigate from Canada.

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What it says in the papers

Why we wont be intimidated reads the front page of the Irish Independent. The newspaper reports several reporters have been threaten by feuding crime gangs after INMs coverage of two deaths in Dublin less than 80 hours apart.

The sinister warnings bring back memories of the murder of the journalists' colleague, Veronica Guerin, 20 years ago, says an editorial in the paper.

The fearless 'Sunday Independent' investigative reporter was shot dead by members of the drug trafficking gang, led by John Gilligan, in June 1996.

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Elsewhere The Herald splashes with the headline Net Closes on Gangs, and reports that Gardai have identified the gunmen behind the shocking murders that took place at the Regency Hotel and North Stand.



The Irish Sun leads with a similar story, and says Gardai are in a race against time to catch the killers before their gang rivals do.

The Irish Daily Mirror leads with the headline Killer In Drag Probed Over Second Murder.

It reports that the gunmen who murdered Baiba Saulite are suspected to have been behind the brutal slaying of Eddie Hutch Sr.

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The Irish Times carries the same story, leading the news that Mr Drumm faces 33 charges in relation to transactions carried out while he ran Anglo.

It also leads with a political angle, saying that Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin put in a forceful performance in the first televised leaders debate of the general election campaign.
Premium

John Downing Opinion Pension reforms are dicey territory  but grand plan by minister Heather Humphreys just might win through

Pension system changes all across the western world have a great propensity to infuriate those most feared by politicians: the grey brigade. And when the oldies take to the streets, they usually play for keeps.
For months, Labour Party strategists have warned us to ignore the party and think about the personalities.

It was an unusual line of defence from people who normally tell journalists to focus on policies and issues rather than individual candidates.

The argument went that while nationally Labour are treading water on anywhere between 6-10pc, Joan Burton, Alan Kelly, Brendan Howlin and others couldn't be that low. But now it appears the Tanaiste is not just fighting to save her party but also her own political skin.

The results of yesterday's Irish Independent/Millward Brown poll, that Ms Burton faces losing her seat, caused shock within her party.

If Ms Burton, who topped the poll last time, can't survive, nobody is safe.

However, it isn't time to press the panic button either.

In fact, some of her supporters believe the true picture of how much danger the Tanaiste is in will come at the perfect time.

Her supporters now have a new message to bring to the doorsteps of Dublin West.

They can go for the sympathy vote, saying: 'She's in trouble, give her a chance.' After all, Irish people love an underdog.

Or they can point out that without Joan Burton, this Government is very unlikely to be returned.

That approach will concern Leo Varadkar, who is in a head-to-head battle with Sinn Fein to top the poll.

While Burton is in a dogfight, her Cabinet colleague runs the risk of suffering from 'safe seat syndrome'.

If he is able to top the poll, Varadkar will have another notch on his political belt ahead of a Dail term where the leadership of the Fine Gael is likely to come up.

But to make that happen, he can't afford to lose any of the 20pc he is currently getting. The figure is a long way off the 33-35pc that Fine Gael are hoping for nationally.

And now the Health Minister could lose some of the 'stability' vote to Burton.

She backed the transfer pact with Fine Gael and now she needs it more than anyone.

Enda Kenny and Burton could never be described as the best of friends but they are practical politicians.

They realised a long time ago that their best chance of getting back into Government Buildings was to stick together.

Mr Kenny would not fancy the prospect of negotiating a new programme for government with Alan Kelly, especially given the hassle he caused trying to hammer out a housing package with Michael Noonan last year.

Brendan Howlin is rapidly becoming the favourite to replace Ms Burton as leader of Labour but without her he would face a mammoth task to convince the party membership another stint in government wouldn't see them wiped out altogether.

There is time for a 'Burton Bounce' but her statement yesterday that she is "very confident" of being in the next Dail is a complete hyperbole.
The majority of our political parties are still failing to engage the youth vote, and when you look at the obstacles that people my age and younger are facing, it's difficult not to blame it all on generational injustice. It's the young who are most apathetic about politics right now and yet they have the most to lose.

According to Spunout.ie, one-third of 18 to 22-year-olds are still not registered to vote. And in the 2011 General Election, the turnout figure for 18 to 24-year-olds was 20pc below the national average. A European Social Survey in 2011 showed young Irish voters were among the least likely to vote in Europe, falling 10pc below the EU average for youth electoral participation.

This time around, things could have been different. Young people were enormously engaged by the marriage referendum and we also have Smartvote - an app that asks you 20 questions on topical issues, like water charges, abortion, and the legalisation of cannabis, and then matches you with the candidates whose views are most similar to yours. Independent.ie has also launched Count Us In, giving people aged 18-24 a public platform.

The marriage referendum showed us that young people and their ideals can make a difference. #VoteYes trended for weeks on Twitter and 66,000 people registered to vote at the last minute. But young people don't tend to vote in general elections because the major topics don't affect them directly. Young people don't have mortgages or pay water charges.

Youth unemployment is so high that they don't pay much in taxes either. The 18 to 35-year- olds are the ones who have been disproportionately affected by austerity and theirs is the first generation that will be worse off than their parents. There's an untapped stream of young people in Ireland who feel their politics are not being represented. You see them on the austerity marches and on social media.

If political parties want to engage with the young, they need to tackle issues such as college fees, rent prices and the employment prospects for graduates. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has highlighted higher education funding, student accommodation and repealing the Eighth Amendment in its election manifesto. The union is also calling for the abolition of JobBridge, more support for postgraduate students and measures to counter zero-hour contracts. But subjects that disproportionately affect the young get bumped down the political agenda.

The main parties are finally waking up to the housing crisis - perhaps because middle-aged homeowners started wondering why their children are still living at home and because the scandal of those sleeping on our streets couldn't be ignored any longer. It's not just the thought of buying a house that leaves young people nervous, even renting is becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the solutions offered are limited. We need to hear how politicians are going to make housing affordable again - be it by building new houses, helping first-time buyers or calming the market to bring prices down.

Young people bear the brunt of many of the country's economic problems, especially the lack of first-time jobs. Many are now forced to accept unpaid JobBridge internships if they are to stand any chance of getting paid to work. The problem is that only the well-off can afford to work for free. We need politicians to tackle business's expectation of free labour and the exponential rise of unpaid internships, or risk seeing professions becoming even more elitist. Every policy attacking the young hits poorer young people harder. Those who are able to rely on the bank of mum and dad, with parents who can subsidise their rent, support them through a JobBridge internship and guarantee their first mortgage, are mostly invulnerable. But this is only creating a massive gulf between the haves and have nots.

Those with wealthier parents can climb the property ladder and work in their unpaid dream job. Those who don't, emigrate or languish on the dole. Our class divide grows ever wider.

Similar to same-sex marriage, young people have strong views on repealing the Eighth Amendment. It follows that it is the parties that have pledged themselves to this, like Labour and Sinn Fein, who will get their votes. Young people are not stupid or apathetic. They recognise that the political system has not been built with them in mind and, despite this, thousands of them are involved in it somehow, whether through community projects or online campaigns.

To engage the young, politicians need to show that they have a credible vision for their future. Otherwise, we'll eventually be left with a public so disengaged from politics the prospect of their voting at all becomes a doubt.
Kevin McDermot's letter of last Thursday tells the sorry story of today's destruction of what Ireland is known internationally - friendly people' villages and family farms producing natural nutritious food.

It is unfortunately even worse than he describes as with the almost complete withdrawal of policing in rural Ireland today the criminals have almost got a free hand. This has forced rural dwellers to lock up the country! So sad to see locked gates preventing the normal "call in" neighbourly visit we so enjoyed. Today many hardly know who lives beside them let alone call in.

Communication - everyone says the internet is vital to sustaining local communities, but few rural areas have workable broadband or in some areas even mobile phone access is a problem. You have post offices closing and transport being so heavily taxed, isolation is setting in and taking a severe toll, especially on the elderly

Rural retail business rates are soaring, they say due to Dublin revaluations, one increased five fold last year! At the same time business is reducing due to rural people being forced into towns and cities to go to the bank or in some areas the post office. Naturally while there, they visit the big supermarket, most with free parking.

These supermarkets are taking good profits themselves while they force down the prices paid to the primary local food producers - some farmers receiving below the cost of production for their milk and beef. It can't last much longer.

On top of this add the property tax with no services in rural Ireland in return, County council cuts of up to 70pc in some cases over the past 5 years and then the Irish Water Quango debacle who take most of our motor tax leaving rural roads almost impassable in places. Then add all the increased charges for water, bin collection, insurance and anything else the politicians can add to drive us out of the countryside into towns and cities and to top it all we can't even have a drink in the local without being watched by gardai out to try and collect finance for the state!

This is destroying rural Ireland's unique attraction for visitors who may not want to come and see barren land and empty villages from a bus which won't stop in case the tourist spent some of their money outside the cities.

What business would set up in these surroundings?

When you vote remember that any candidate controlled by a Dublin-controlled Whip can do nothing for us here in rural Ireland although they may try. This is shown in practice here today

David Thompson

Cappamore, Co Limerick

Garda Inspectorate Report

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has responded to the initiative of establishing an armed garda unit dedicated to the Dublin Metropolitan Region with the claim that this only involves the redeployment of 55 gardai from other front-line policing duties, not an addition to the strength and capacity of the force in Dublin.

There are over 3,600 gardai deployed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and the issue of effective front-line policing is more far-reaching and fundamental than the redeployment of 55 skilled and experienced armed gardai to defend the people of Dublin from lethal mayhem and brutal treachery.

Last November the Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate published a detailed report titled 'Changing Policing in Ireland' after a very precise examination and analysis of the structure, staffing, organisation and deployment of personnel within An Garda Siochana.

Among the issues highlighted, once again, in a Garda Inspectorate report is that as many as 1,000 gardai could be released to front-line policing duties from activities that ought not require the services of a garda, on a daily basis, if the standards and protocols applying to police services in other jurisdictions comparable to Ireland applied here.

These include Garda Superintendents and Inspectors being involved with District Court prosecutions, distracting them from overseeing the policing of their own districts; gardai deployed on security duties within the premises of Garda Headquarters, the Garda Training College and the Dublin Metropolitan Regional Headquarters at Harcourt Square that could be outsourced to contractors.

Gardai have also been unnecessarily deployed in the provision information and communication technology solutions and services to the force, financial services, the transport of remand prisoners, healthcare oversight for persons in custody and the serving of summonses - all of which could be undertaken without risk by a civilian support staff, or third-party contractors.

The AGSI comments maybe predicated on the perception that the safety and security of the public is linked directly to the number of gardai rather than the overall effectiveness of the policing service and policing outcomes that they provide. That is misleading to the public.

It would therefore be timely and informative if the Garda Commissioner and Minister Fitzgerald were to advise the public what steps are being taken to implement the recommendations contained in the latest Garda Inspectorate report and the timetable for these.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors could usefully comment on the capacity and willingness of their members to adapt to change from an organisational culture perspective, a culture that has been criticised as stale, insular, defensive and closed to innovation.

Myles Duffy

Glenageary, Co Dublin

Thank you Dublin

Once again thank you to the people of Dublin for the great hospitality over the Rugby weekend Friday 5-8 February. As a Welshman I first came over to Dublin in 1959, and stayed with a family in Artane D5, and remained friends ever since again meeting the family Saturday evening in Merrion row. I was shocked to see the state of O'Connell Street, with cheap eating places and tacky shops, and still the gaping hole that once housed The Royal Dublin Hotel. Yes I know Dublin like many European Cities has had its problems, but Dublin to me is the jewel in the crown as a European capital city with its broad O'Connell Street, surely its time to make the street look more like the best street in the Irish capital. As the eyes of the world will be on Dublin this Easter marking the 100 years since the revolution. All the best to the city and its celebrations.

John Chamberlain,

Bangor, Wales
Cast member George Clooney and his wife Amal arrive on the red carpet for the screening of the movie 'Hail, Caesar!', during the opening gala of the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival, in Berlin

George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Amal Clooney attends the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Cast member George Clooney and his wife Amal arrive on the red carpet for the screening of the movie 'Hail, Caesar!', during the opening gala of the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival, in Berlin

Movies might have been all about George, but Amal Clooney commands the red carpet.

The human rights barrister (38) has consistently brought her style A-game while accompanying her husband of 18 months at various events, but she may have outdone herself on Thursday night.

For the premiere of the Oscar-winner's latest flick Hail Caeser! at the Berlin Film Festival, Amal dazzled in a vintage dress by Yves Saint Laurent and according to London-based vintage store William Vintage, the princess style gown was originally worn in 1981.

While he's busy on the promotional tour for his latest film, George (54)has been taking every opportunity to gush about his wife Amal.

Expand Close Amal Clooney attends the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Amal Clooney attends the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Im a very lucky man," he gushed to Britain's Hello! magazine. "I met the woman I desperately wanted to marry and a lot of luck played into that.

"I am a great believer in the idea that luck comes and luck goes away in life - because nobody bounced from mountaintop to mountaintop, we all go through valleys too. So I have learned over the years to appreciate the times that are good and pay attention to them and celebrate them."

In keeping with George's fleeting view on luck, the Gravity star recently told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that his union didn't get off to the best of starts. After planning a romantic proposal, the mood was nearly killed when Amal confused her ring for lost property. The 38-year-old also kept George waiting for 25 minutes before accepting his proposal.

Luckily the loved up pair could laugh about the incident, with George revealing that Ama's humour is probably her best trait.

Expand Close George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend the 'Hail, Caesar!' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palace on February 11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Amals fun to be with and for Amal and me, probably the number one thing in our relationship is her sense of humour," he smiled.

"Its funny, because in her work she does such serious things and works on such serious subjects - but she is also one of the funniest people you will ever meet, so Im lucky there.

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A photo mock up of what Mr Latulip would look like after 30 years

Edgar Latulip pictured before going missing in September 1986 North American Missing Persons Network

A 51-year-old Canadian man has solved his own missing persons case after remembering who he was, thirty years after he first disappeared.

His case was solved after he told a social worker his name was Edgar Latulip and he was from Kitchener, Canada.

He was discovered to be living just 80 miles from his family.

Mr Latulip, who has a mental age of 12, voluntarily submitted to a DNA test along with a member of his family which positively confirmed his identity.

He had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, in September 1986, after attempting to take his own life.

It is thought Mr Latulip, then aged 21, boarded a bus to Niagara Falls with the intention to try again, police said.

But he suffered a head injury en route which caused amnesia, Guelph Mercury reports.

The North America Missing Person Network described his disappearance: "He left his residence without his medication.

"It is possible that he took a bus to Niagara Falls.

"Latulip suffers from mental health problems and is developmentally delayed (mental capacity of a 12-year-old)."

Mr Latulip's mother, Silvia Wilson, had thought for years her son had been abused because of his developmental disorder.

On being told the news, she felt "overwhelmed" and excited to see her son.

The Niagara Police department and local community partners are working to reunite them.

Niagara Regional Police officer Philip Gavin said: "Pieces of his memory started coming back.

"Then the social worker found something on the internet that led them to believe this was something more."
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy often follows an episode of acute stress such as a bereavement, accident or divorce

Scientists are to explore for the first time the long-term effects of so-called "broken heart syndrome".

The condition, known to medics as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, often follows an episode of acute stress such as a bereavement, accident or divorce.

Sufferers experience heart attack-like symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath but, while the heart muscle is weakened, there is no evidence of a blockage in the coronary arteries.

Researchers at Aberdeen University will study the long-term effects of the untreatable and little-understood condition after they were awarded a grant from the British Medical Association.

Dr Dana Dawson, a senior lecturer in cardiovascular medicine and consultant cardiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said: "While the condition was originally thought to be self-limiting, we were surprised to see that, later, patients still lack energy, or are unable to return to work.

"There are also reports from other groups that these after-effects continue to linger with sufferers - albeit in a non-specific way. It's difficult to say definitively with the current knowledge what is wrong with them.

"At the moment, we believe the condition is under-diagnosed because many front door physicians don't consider it as a possibility.

"Certainly we feel the number of cases diagnosed is far smaller than the real amount of sufferers."

The study will see Dr Dawson and her team look closely at the activity of the heart using magnetic resonance imaging and test the ability of the heart and body to participate in physical activity.

Where someone is not able to exercise to the level they should expect, researchers hope to establish whether it is down to the heart or lungs, or something else.

Dr Dawson said: "We will recall many of the previously diagnosed patients and hope to examine thoroughly to what extent their hearts have recovered.

"Do they ever recover fully? Do they remain at an intermittent level of recovery, explaining why they couldn't do what they did before? Or is it a psychological issue?"
A US judge has been charged over the death of his son in a hot car

An Arkansas judge has been arrested on a complaint of negligent homicide after the death of his son in the back seat of a hot car last summer.

An arrest warrant filed in Garland County on Thursday says Circuit Judge Wade Naramore is named in the misdemeanor complaint.

The judge's 18-month-old son, Thomas Naramore, died on July 24 after being left in a hot car for about five hours.

According to the warrant, the judge told police he called 911 after getting in his car to pick his son up from day care in the afternoon and realising his son was still in his car seat.

Special prosecutor Scott Ellington said Naramore surrendered and was later booked and released on a 5,000 dollar (3,400) bond.
Murderer Levi Bellfield has reportedly denied that he confessed to abducting and killing schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The 47-year-old, who is serving a whole-life sentence after being convicted in 2011 of murdering the teenager, is understood to have claimed that he never admitted killing her.

Bellfield's solicitor Julie Cooper has contacted Surrey Police to suggest that "covert" recordings were made during a prison interview and has demanded access to the tape recording and notes from the meeting, the Daily Telegraph said.

But Colin Sutton, the former Scotland Yard detective whose investigation into the murders of three other young women put Bellfield in prison, said the killer's claims were "breathtaking"

He told the Press Association: "I am almost lost for words on this. He has been toying around with the police and also the victims' families, particularly the Dowlers.

Expand Close Undated handout photos of Levi Bellfield and Milly Dowler. Photo: PA/PA Wire / Facebook

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"It is even beyond the cruel, wicked games that I know he was capable of. This is almost beyond what I thought even he was capable of."

According to the Telegraph Ms Cooper wrote: "We request the tape recording of the alleged confession; the attendance notes relating to the alleged confession; the circumstances surrounding the alleged confession and we would be grateful if you would confirm or deny whether a covert tape was being used during the course of the interview with Mr Rahim and we look forward to your early response."

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way from school to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002. Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing her following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Earlier this week her family released a statement in which they outlined the harrowing details of Milly's last hours and what Bellfield admitted doing to her.

The serial killer told Surrey Police how he repeatedly raped and tortured her in the 14 hours between her abduction and murder.

Mr Sutton said he struggled to believe that there would not be an "unassailable record" of Bellfield's confession.

He said: "I would be astounded if Surrey Police did not have some sort of proper, decent, thorough corroboration of his claims, because when you are dealing with somebody like him you would not go public with it unless you had that.

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"Given the high profile nature of this case and who he is I would be absolutely astounded if there isn't some sort of unassailable record of these confessions."

Mr Sutton said he would expect a confession on tape - with or without Bellfield's knowledge of it being recorded - or a written note of a confession which Bellfield would have signed at the time, which the retired officer said he "doubted" the killer would do.

He said: "Unless you have that kind of standard of corroboration of his admissions I think it would be a highly questionable decision to go public with it in the way they have over the last few weeks."

Mr Sutton said that Bellfield's retraction of his confession was "yet another (example of) the ever-growing and expanding catalogue of Levi Bellfield's cruelty on the Dowler family."

He added: "But of course he's got nothing else to do in some ways. He's in prison forever, he may as well just make mischief, and certainly he's capable of making the most wicked kind of mischief and that could be what he's doing.

"It could well be that he's just playing games. But it could backfire on him because he could be doing it under the impression that Surrey can't prove that he did say it when in fact they can. In some ways I hope that's the case, because it would certainly be the best outcome for Surrey Police."

Surrey Police were unavailable for comment.
Brendan Coyle, as the Downton Abbey actor has been banned from the road after admitting to drink driving

As the actor who plays Lord Granthams stoical valet in Downton Abbey, Brendan Coyle has won plaudits for his portrayal of a man duty bound to carry out his instructions with dignity and decorum.

Yesterday he cut a more contrite and sorrowful figure, as he appeared before Norfolk magistrates yesterday, charged with drink driving.

Coyle, who plays John Bates in the award-winning ITV drama, was banned from driving for more than four years, after he was found to be nearly three times over the drink-drive limit while driving his BMW convertible.

He was alleged to have been drinking heavily on a flight back from Thailand, where he had spent a month receiving treatment at in a rehabilitation clinic.

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Whatsapp Brendan Coyle, as the Downton Abbey actor has been banned from the road after admitting to drink driving

The actor was pulled over by police, who had followed him on the A149 near King's Lynn, Norfolk, at 8.30pm on New Year's Day.

Prosecutor Sally Rose told the court he failed a roadside breath test and was taken to a Police Investigation Centre at King's Lynn, where a further test showed he had 98 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The drink-drive limit is 35mcg.

The actor, who appeared in court under his real name David Coyle, was banned from driving for 50 months and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a 12-month community order with 15 days rehabilitation activity and told to pay 85 costs, plus a 60 victim surcharge.

Kings Lynne magistrates heard how Coyle, 52, of Heacham, Norfolk, suffers from a 'significant' alcohol problem.

Coyle, who was also convicted of drink-driving in 2011, had spent all of last December being treated for his alcohol problem at a rehabilitation unit in Thailand.

Steven Dyble , defending, told the hearing: "I can't say it was a success as the commission of the offence clearly shows it wasn't and failed. As was made plain to the arresting officer, the flight home was quite lively."

Mr Dyble told the bench that all the progress made in the previous four weeks had been lost on one flight, adding: "He stands before you a very contrite man who appreciates he has a problem and is doing his best to confront it and very sorry for burdening you with this appearance."

Mr Dyble  who described Coyles alcohol problem as significant - said that the actor was now seeking to put his life back on track and would be receiving treatment for his drinking problem at a clinic in England.

He added: "For a few weeks those who were privileged to know Mr Coyle were very concerned about his wellbeing in general."

Coyle, whose TV alter-ego Bates was wrongly imprisoned for murder until proven innocent thanks to the efforts of his wife Anna, was admitted himself to a Promis rehabilitation clinic on January 16 and remained there until February 3.

Senior therapist Steven Bember, from the Promis organisation, gave evidence on the aftercare programme which Coyle is undertaking. Mr Bember said it included a two to four day residential stay every four to six weeks.

The court that Coyle, who received a Laurence Olivier Award in 1999 for his performance in Conor McPherson's play The Weir - based entirely in a rural Irish pub of the same name - has also embarked on a 12 steps programme with Alcoholics Anonymous to tackle his drinking.

Probation officer Sharon Cooper told the court that Coyle described himself as a recovering alcoholic for the last four to five years and had felt he was OK to drive.

Mrs Cooper said: "There is a high level of remorse and a lot of relief that he did not hurt any other road users or himself."

She said he had cancelled work contracts to focus on remaining sober and has taken two months off.

There had been rumours about the actors heavy drinking in recent months. In January it was reported that he struggling to deliver his lines during filming of Downton Abbey, following a couple of heavy nights out.

The problems allegedly led to the filming of scenes being halted and Coyle being sent home to nurse a hangover.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Two migrant twin brothers look at each other as they wait to continue their train journey to western Europe at a refugee transit camp in Slavonski Brod, Croatia

Nato is sending a naval flotilla "without delay" to help stop people smugglers in the Aegean Sea, following a request from Germany, Greece and Turkey, the alliance's chief said yesterday.

Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference that Nato was directing the "standing maritime group to move into the Aegean without delay and start maritime surveillance activities" after alliance defence ministers backed the move.

The move came as Turkey warned it was unable to cope following the latest upsurge in migrants streaming from Aleppo following days of bombardment by Russian warplanes in support of forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The multinational task force, under German command, is composed of a German flagship, the 20,000 tonne supply vessel FGS Bonn, the 3,000-tonne multi-purpose frigate TCG Barbaros from Turkey and the HMCS Fredericton, a 5,000-tonne Halifax class frigate from Canada.

A British Ministry of Defence spokesman said UK forces would not be part of the current deployment but welcomed the Nato decision, saying it would save lives and was "firmly aimed at breaking the business model of criminal gangs who operate in the region".

He said: "Illegal migration and trafficking is placing thousands of lives at risk through treacherous journeys into Europe."

The Nato chief said the migrant crisis now posed a major security threat to the 28-nation alliance. "This is not about stopping and pushing back (refugee boats)... but about critical surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks," he added.

The move is an unusual step into humanitarian aid territory for an alliance that normally reserves its assets for strictly military matters.

Ashton Carter, the US Defence Secretary, earlier said that the Nato ministers had backed the plan.

"Nato and all the parties at the table this morning indicated a willingness for Nato to support and be a part of that operation," Mr Carter said.

The move comes amid mounting Turkish fury about the latest Russian attacks on rebel positions in northern Syria, and at the inaction of its western allies in Nato in response.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had long proposed the area north of Aleppo to the Turkish border - historically the heart of the Ottoman Empire whose towns and cities have remained closely linked to the economy of southern Turkey - as a "buffer zone" for the protection of Syrian refugees.

However, he has been repeatedly rebuffed by the United States and Nato, but feels he is now being made to bear the brunt of the consequent destruction of the region by Russian bombs and Iran-supplied troops.

The Standing Maritime Group is a force used by Nato to respond to crises around the world, and is usually made up of Nato members with a significant navy, including Britain, the US, Spain, Canada, Holland, Norway, Italy, Greece and Turkey. When not on crisis duty, they work together in military exercises.

Gerry Northwood, a former Royal Navy captain who commanded the UK counter-piracy force off Somalia and who now runs MAST, a maritime security company, said that the mission to the Aegean would probably comprise at least five ships, probably frigates and destroyers.

On the possible success of the mission in fighting people-smuggling, he said: "It is not going to be easy. The distances are short and you have so many islands, which cumulatively is a massive coastline to be protecting.

"But one shouldn't underestimate the value of deterrence, and once you establish good intelligence networks you get results."

It would also probably mean that Nato would have to downscale its anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean, where piracy has ebbed away in recent years as commercial ships have begun to deploy armed guards.

"There is a risk that Nato are starting to spread themselves quite thin, and it means that Nato is unlikely to be a player for much more in the Indian Ocean, which is currently relatively quiet," he said.

"Then again, we have to bear in mind that the Somali pirates will be listening to what is going on, and we hve to ensure they cannot exploit the situation." ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A 32-year-old Indian woman cut off her brother-in-law's penis and handed it to police, claiming he had sexually assaulted her.

Accompanied by her three children, the woman went to a police station in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh in central India, where she told officers her brother-in-law had raped her, the Times of India reported.

Police attempted to send medical support to the man, but he was found to have killled himself.

His body was reportedly found hanging from a tree near their house.

The woman had been living with her brother-in-law because her husband worked more than 700 miles away, in Nashik, Maharashtra.

She reportedly told police that she had used a sickle to cut off her brother-in-law's penis as it was the only way to stop him attacking her.
Both victims were shot once in the incident at Independence High School in Phoenix

Two teenage girls have been killed in a shooting at a high school in Arizona.

Police said both victims were 15-year-old girls and were shot once each in the incident at Independence High School in Glendale, Phoenix.

A spokeswoman said authorities are not searching for any suspects and a weapon was found near the bodies.

She did not have any information on the relationship between the girls, who died at the scene near an administration building.

Earlier, police and fire units descended on the school and surrounding streets were closed to traffic as police put the campus on lockdown.

Dozens of worried parents gathered at a nearby convenience store for word about their children.
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By Mike Eads of the Independent Mail

A new food pantry will open soon on the Clemson University campus.

Shannon Kay, president of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government, told Clemson's board of trustees Friday that the Paw Pantry should be open for business sometime this semester in the University Union next to the Chili's Too restaurant.

"Collections have been largely successful thus far," Kay said afterward. "All of the donations have been from internal, sustainable sources, such as student organizations or university departments. Volunteers have been recruited. Right now, we are waiting to finalize financial specifics before opening."

Kay, a senior whose term expires after next month's student elections, credited CUSG Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Emily Blackshire with spearheading the effort to create a food bank that could serve students with no questions asked.

Kay said the CUSG doesn't have any specific Clemson numbers, but there is national research indicating a growing need for campus pantries at universities and community colleges.

The College and University Food Bank Alliance has over 260 member groups nationally. Spokeswoman Clare Cady said the alliance has several member groups across the South, but none yet in South Carolina.

According to a report from the Student Government Resource Center, one unpublished study from the University of Arkansas found that nearly 35 percent of students do not have consistent access to food. Similar studies at Bowling Green State University in northern Ohio and the University of California campus in Merced found rates of 19 and 32 percent, respectively. Feeding America, a national network of food banks, claims 10 percent of its clients are college students.

The SGRC report, titled Running a Campus Food Pantry, cites a 14.5 percent poverty rate for college students nationally, despite over 80 percent them working at least part-time. It goes on to state that over half of all students who live off campus without family support are below the poverty line.

"Contrary to the stereotype, today's typical student is not a recent high school graduate who lives in a dormitory and is supported by his or her parents," the report states.

For more information, email pawpantry@clemson.edu. The SGRC report can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/1XlOYS3.

Follow Michael Eads on Twitter @MikeEads_AIM
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By Ray Chandler

WALHALLA  "How do you know who you're really voting for?" is a question some Oconee County residents posed to legislators Thursday.

"There's no paper trail, no paper printout," said Rosellen Aleguire. "I have no idea if the machine records my vote the way I voted."

Aleguire was one of three residents who questioned the current system of electronic voting in South Carolina at a forum for the county delegation  Sen. Thomas Alexander, Rep. Bill Whitmire and Rep. Bill Sandifer  to hear general public concerns.

Aleguire said the machines the state uses, many purchased almost a decade ago, have frequent breakdowns and are inaccurate, according to some surveys.

Eleanor Hare objected to the printouts that are produced by some machines that indicate voting only by a bar code.

"Who can read a bar code?" she asked.

Alexander said that he intended to support a new system that prints out a text receipt for the voter that is then placed in a ballot box.

"There is technology out there that will do these," Alexander said. "It's a good backup for the voting, especially if there has to be a recount."

With replacement of the state's aging voting machines on the horizon, Alexander said, the issue is one the state needs to address.

"I will not support the state purchasing any machines that does not produce that printout," he said.

Ben Turetzky, executive director of the Friends of Lake Keowee Society, asked the legislators to address the issue of more buoys in Lake Keowee to mark "no wake" zones.

Over the past two years, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and other agencies have removed buoys placed by lakeside residents themselves.

Alexander announced that the legislators are working with the SCDNR to place more buoys that would be under the agency's control.

Whitmire told Turetzky that a bill currently in the House of Representatives would increase the "no wake" zone from the current 50 feet from shorelines to 100 feet.

The increase has long been goal of FOLKS.
SHARE Jeffery Scott Turner

By Independent Mail

A North Carolina man who was reported missing is the person found dead Friday morning near a hiking trail about 10 miles north of Mountain Rest, a coroner said.

Jeffrey Scott Turner, 57, of Canton was found off the Blue Trail near Big Bend Road by an Oconee County search team and cadaver dog, said Karl Addis, Oconee County coroner.

Addis said Turner was familiar with the terrain, as he had hunted and fished in the area before.

"The preliminary investigation supports Mr. Turner died as a result of a self-destructive act. It is presumed he died late Monday afternoon," the coroner said in a news release.

An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday, Addis said.

Turner, 57, was last seen at his workplace in Canton around 10 a.m. Monday, according to North Carolina authorities.

Oconee County Fire Chief Charlie King said the search began Tuesday when Turner's family reported him missing. His pickup was later found near Big Bend. Oconee County emergency responders were assisted by dozens of personnel from the state's forest service and nearby agencies in Georgia and North Carolina throughout the week.
SHARE Kevin Bowers

By Mj Kneiser/Wlhr Fm-92.1/Special To Independent Mail

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has a new deputy on the job.

Kevin Bowers recently graduated from the Regional Police Academy in Athens. There he participated in a 10-week, 408-hour basic law enforcement training course as required by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.

The course provides instruction in various areas of criminal justice including criminal law, constitutional law, community relations, modern police procedures, firearms, emergency vehicle operations and first aid training. Bowers was part of the 237th session graduated by the academy.
KAMERE postavljene na njihove kacige snimile su vatrogasce iz Sacramenta kako iz zapaljene kuce spasavaju psa.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Pronasli su ga skrivenog, u straznjem dijelu kuce koji na srecu vatra nije zahvatila. Vrlo brzo odveden je na sigurno i spojen sa svojom obitelji. Snimku su vatrogasci objavili na Facebooku.
Canara Bank, oldest and one of the major commercial banks of India , reported standalone net profit of Rs. 84.97 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015, registering decline of 87.04% yoy and 83.93% qoq. The bank's Net Interest Income (NII) stood at 2,226.60 crore, witnessing decline of 6.46% yoy and 15.86% qoq.



Gross non-performing assets (NPA) for the quarter stood at 5.84%, grew by 249 bps yoy and 157 bps qoq. Provisions stood at Rs. 1,428.85 crore, recording rise of 69.83% yoy and 17.86% qoq.



For nine months ended December 31, 2015, the company reported standalone net profit of Rs. 1,092.67 crore, down by 47.71% yoy. Its standalone Net Interest Income (NII) stood at Rs. 7,389.60 crore, registering growth of 2.95% yoy. Provision for bad loans stood at Rs. 4,000.89 for the quarter, increasing by 63.75% yoy.





Result Highlights : (Rs. In Crore)

Result Reported Bloomberg Estimates Variance % Standalone Interest Earned 10882.07 3251.22 234.70 Standalone Net Profit 84.97 501.06 (83.04)



Standalone EPS for the quarter stood at Rs. 1.56.



Stock Commentary:

Canara Bank is currently trading at Rs. 164.9, down by Rs. 7.8 or 4.52% from its previous closing of Rs. 172.7 on the BSE.

The scrip opened at Rs. 170.05 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 174.5 and Rs. 161.15 respectively. So far 6601881(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 9377.46 crore.

The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 10 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 451.2 on 04-Mar-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 168 on 20-Jan-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 207.5 and Rs. 169.3 respectively.

The promoters holding in the company stood at 66.3 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 26.79 % and 6.92 % respectively.

The stock is currently trading above its 200 DMA.
Bank of Baroda Ltd, one of the leading lenders in India among public sector banks, will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL forecasts the banks net revenue for Q3 FY16 to plunge to Rs. 3,118 crore, at a rate of 5.1% yoy and 3.9% qoq.Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), an OP Jindal Group company, will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL forecasts that the company is likely to report a loss of Rs. 528 crore for Q3 FY16.KNR Construction Ltd will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL forecasts the companys net revenue for Q3 FY16 to decline to Rs. 204 crore, at a rate of 4.5% yoy and 6% qoq.MM Forgings Ltd will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL expects net profit to plummet to Rs. 12.1 crore at 6.9% yoy and 7.2% qoq.Simplex Infrastructures Ltd will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL forecasts the companys net revenue for Q3 FY16 to plummet to Rs. 1,417 crore, at a rate of 1.2% yoy; however, it is likely to rise 1.5% qoq.Dynamatic Technologies Ltd, an industrial machinery manufacturer, will announce its Q3 numbers today. IIFL forecasts that the company is likely to report a loss of Rs. 1.2 crore for Q3 FY16.Vivimed Labs Ltd, one of the leading pharmaceutical firms in India, will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL expects net profit to increase to Rs. 27 crore at 28.6% yoy and 12.5% qoq.Global Offshore Services Ltd, one of the leading shipping firms in India, will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL expects net revenue to increase to Rs. 102 crore at 1.9% yoy and 9.2% qoq.Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd (GPIL) will announce its financial results on February 13 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. IIFL forecasts that the company is likely to report a loss of Rs. 29 crore for Q3 FY16.
Structural factors  including low per-capita income, weak governance indicators, and high political risks weigh on the ratings of the five Asia frontier sovereigns assessed by Fitch Ratings despite exhibiting some of the strongest GDP growth rates globally (5-year average of about 6.8%). Fitch has taken four rating actions across the Asia frontier sovereign portfolio since end-2011: initiating coverage of Bangladesh in August 2014, and of Pakistan 13 months later; upgrading Vietnam to BB-/Stable in November 2014, and downgrading Mongolia to B/Stable in November 2015.

Per-capita incomes of Asias frontier markets remain low relative to that in other regions. Bangladesh and Pakistan both report per-capita incomes of under USD1,500 per year, and Mongolia is the only Asia frontier sovereign with per-capita income in excess of USD4,000. High levels of violence, corruption, and political instability weigh on broader governance scores in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Vietnam scores poorly in voice and accountability, whereas Mongolia outperforms across nearly all governance metrics.

Public debt across a number of frontiers has increased since 2011. Mongolias government debt rose to about 66% of GDP in 2015, from 24% in 2011, due to high deficits and external bond issuance. Vietnams government debt increased to 49% in 2015, from 39% of GDP in 2011, as fiscal revenues declined from a series of corporate-tax cuts and lower oil receipts. Sri Lankas headline debt levels are the highest among Asia frontier sovereigns at about 76% of GDP, and Fitchs 2016 budget deficit forecast of 6.3% of GDP (official budget: 5.9%) suggests that government debt will rise further absent a change in fiscal policy. Commodity dependence is low among Asia frontier sovereigns relative to their peers in Latin America and Africa, with the exception of Mongolia. Bangladesh has the lowest commodity dependence across all emerging markets globally, at about 4.5% of current account receipts. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam also exhibit relatively low dependence, which in part reflects economic models focused on the export of garments and other labour-intensive manufactured goods. Mongolias high dependence reflects its rich endowment of natural resources and a ramp-up in copper exports from the Oyu Tolgoi project.

Foreign-reserve buffers are by far the highest in Bangladesh, at an estimated 6.6x current external payments. Vietnams reserve coverage ratio had risen to 2.1x in 2015, from 1.5x in 2011, but still stands out as a weakness relative to the B and BB median peer, particularly in light of its quasi-fixed exchange rate regime. Pakistan has seen the most significant deterioration in reserve coverage since 2011, but Fitch expects buffers to increase in 2016 amid ongoing support from an IMF Extended Fund Facility.

Ratings Impact

Structural and governance reforms that improve medium-term growth prospects would be ratings positive since structural factors  at 54%  represent the largest weight in Fitchs sovereign rating model. Public and external finances bear model weights of 17% and 18%, respectively, suggesting prudent fiscal and monetary policies are also important ratings determinants.
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Imports

Exports

Import Prices

Export Prices

In January, prices for U.S. imports decreased 1.1 percent for the second consecutive month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In both months, the declines were primarily driven by lower fuel prices. U.S. export prices also fell in January, decreasing 0.8 percent. The decline followed a 1.1-percent drop the previous month.All Imports: The price index for overall imports fell 1.1 percent in January, the largest monthly decrease for the index since a 1.8-percent drop in August 2015. Both fuel and nonfuel prices continued to trend down. Import prices fell 6.2 percent over the past year. Despite declining in January, the 12-month drop in import prices was the smallest over-the-year decrease since the index fell 5.6 percent between December 2013 and December 2014.Fuel Imports: Import fuel prices declined 12.4 percent in January, the largest 1-month drop since a 12.7- percent decline in August 2015. Import fuel prices have not risen on a monthly basis since a 1.5-percent advance in June 2015. The January drop was led by a 13.4-percent decline in petroleum prices, although natural gas prices also fell, decreasing 3.2 percent. The price index for import fuel declined 34.5 percent for the year ended in January, while over the same period petroleum prices fell 35.3 percent and natural gas prices decreased 40.1 percent.All Imports Excluding Fuel: In January, prices for nonfuel imports declined 0.2 percent after declining 0.3 percent in each of the past 6 months. Lower prices for nonfuel industrial supplies and materials as well as capital goods drove the January drop in nonfuel import prices. In contrast, the price indexes for foods, feeds, and beverages; automotive vehicles; and consumer goods all rose in January. Nonfuel import prices decreased 2.9 percent over the past 12 months with each of the major import categories factoring into the decline.ExportsAll Exports: Prices for U.S. exports fell 0.8 percent in January and have not recorded a monthly advance since the index rose 0.5 percent in May 2015. In January, declining prices for both agricultural exports and nonagricultural exports contributed to the overall drop. The price index for overall exports fell 5.7 percent for the year ended in January.Agricultural Exports: Agricultural export prices decreased 1.1 percent in January, after declining 1.0 percent in December and 0.9 percent in November. Lower nut prices, which fell 7.8 percent in January, were the largest contributor to the decline for all 3 months. In January, falling prices for soybeans, meat, corn, and wheat also factored into the decrease. Prices for agricultural exports fell 12.7 percent from January 2015 to January 2016.All Exports Excluding Agriculture: The price index for nonagricultural exports declined 0.8 percent in January, after a 1.1-percent decrease in December. The January drop was driven by lower nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices, although lower consumer goods prices and capital goods prices also contributed to the overall drop in nonagricultural export prices. In contrast, automotive vehicle prices advanced in January. Nonagricultural export prices declined 5.0 percent for the January 2015-16 period, following a 4.9-percent decrease over the previous 12-month period.All Exports: Prices for U.S. exports fell 0.8 percent in January and have not recorded a monthly advance since the index rose 0.5 percent in May 2015. In January, declining prices for both agricultural exports and nonagricultural exports contributed to the overall drop. The price index for overall exports fell 5.7 percent for the year ended in January.Agricultural Exports: Agricultural export prices decreased 1.1 percent in January, after declining 1.0 percent in December and 0.9 percent in November. Lower nut prices, which fell 7.8 percent in January, were the largest contributor to the decline for all 3 months. In January, falling prices for soybeans, meat, corn, and wheat also factored into the decrease. Prices for agricultural exports fell 12.7 percent from January 2015 to January 2016.All Exports Excluding Agriculture: The price index for nonagricultural exports declined 0.8 percent in January, after a 1.1-percent decrease in December. The January drop was driven by lower nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices, although lower consumer goods prices and capital goods prices also contributed to the overall drop in nonagricultural export prices. In contrast, automotive vehicle prices advanced in January. Nonagricultural export prices declined 5.0 percent for the January 2015-16 period, following a 4.9-percent decrease over the previous 12-month period.Imports by Locality of Origin: Import prices from China edged down 0.1 percent in January, following 0.2-percent decreases in each of the previous 2 months. Prices for imports from China have not increased on a monthly basis since ticking up 0.1 percent in December 2014. The price index for imports from Japan also fell 0.1 percent in January. Import prices from Japan have not recorded a monthly advance since the index rose 0.2 percent in March 2014. Prices for imports from Canada declined 2.8 percent in January, led by lower fuel prices. Falling fuel prices in January also impacted the price index for imports from the European Union and from Mexico, which declined 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.Nonfuel Industrial Supplies and Materials: The price index for nonfuel industrial supplies and materials fell 1.5 percent in January, after decreasing 1.1 percent the previous month. The January decline was led by a 2.2-percent drop in chemical prices and a 1.9-percent decrease in metal prices.Finished Goods: The major import finished goods categories were mixed in January. Capital goods prices declined 0.2 percent and last recorded a monthly advance when the index increased 0.1 percent in June 2014. In contrast, prices for automotive vehicles rose 0.2 percent, and consumer goods prices ticked up 0.1 percent.Foods, Feeds, and Beverages: Prices for foods, feeds, and beverages advanced 0.6 percent in January, the largest monthly rise for the index since a 0.7-percent increase in December 2014. The January advance was driven by a 10.9-percent increase in vegetable prices.Transportation Services: Import air passenger fares declined 1.0 percent in January, following a 0.6-percent drop the previous month. In January, lower Asian and Latin American/Caribbean fares helped to offset an 11.0-percent increase in European fares. Overall import air passenger fares fell 4.3 percent over the past 12 months. The price index for import air freight declined 4.6 percent in January, the largest monthly drop for the index since a 4.9-percent decrease in December 2008. Import air freight prices fell 7.5 percent for the year ended in January.Nonagricultural Industrial Supplies and Materials: Nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices declined 2.1 percent in January, after a 3.1-percent drop in December. Both decreases were led by falling fuel prices.Finished Goods: The price indexes for consumer goods and capital goods each fell in January while prices for automotive vehicles ticked up 0.1 percent. Consumer goods prices declined 0.4 percent for the second consecutive month. Prices for export capital goods edged down 0.1 percent in January and 0.7 percent over the past year, the largest 12-month decrease since the index fell 0.7 percent in January 2004. Those were the largest over-the-year declines since capital goods prices decreased 1.0 percent in November 2003.Transportation Services: Export air passenger fares increased 6.2 percent in January, the largest monthly advance since the index rose 8.3 percent in December 2014. In January, a 9.0-percent increase in Asian fares was the largest contributor to the advance. Despite the January rise, export air passenger fares fell 9.7 percent over the past year. The price index for export air freight rose 1.7 percent in January and declined 2.5 percent over the past 12 months.
Tata Motors declared their Q3FY16 results, which saw Consolidated net sales growing 3.3% yoy as 10.4% yoy growth in standalone revenues was partly offset 1.7% decline in JLR sales.ofpresents Media Interaction highlights with the top management of Tata Motors -, Executive Director (Commercial Vehicles),, Chief Executive Officer at Jaguar Land Rover,, President and Group Chief Financial Officer, and, President and Head, Advanced and Product Engineering.We have reported solid revenues and profits in our latest financial quarter, reflecting very positive customer demand for our new and refreshed line-up of vehicles. JLR revenues for Q3 FY16 were at 5,781mn lower by just 1.7% yoy but a surge of 19.7% qoq. Yoy fall was driven by lower realizations as volumes saw an increase of 12.6%. On qoq basis 23.8% yoy increase in volumes was partially offset by 3.4% fall in realizations. Total wholesale volumes for JLR were at 137,631 units an increase of 12.6% yoy as Jaguar volumes jumped 41.8% yoy while Land Rover volumes were higher by 7.2% yoy. On a sequential basis, total wholesale volumes jumped by 23.8% as both Jaguar and Land Rovers volumes saw growth of 24.6% and 23.6% respectively. Realizations were lower on the back of adverse geographic mix, weaker product mix and increased variable marketing expense.The product portfolio last year was very much in transition. The run out of the products like Discovery Sport, XF as well as the start of the new plant in China and the localisation of the new products contributed to it and are the reasons for the lower mix.The overall volume in China is coming back. Comparing it to last year, it is still lagging but we expect the market to stabilise. We are cautiously optimistic that with the growth of Chinese economy to nearly 6.7-7%, we will emerge as the no.1 supplier there.There is difference between the growth of M&HCV and SCV. M&HCV growth continues inspite of high base. We have a consistent growth from the last 7-8 quarters, and some of them have exceeded the peak growth of 2011. In the SCV segment, the issues are not fully out of the way. There is still a fair amount of underutilisation. Deliquency and loan rates continue to be worrisome. Lending is still well below 90%. However, what we see now is a slight base effect. On low base, we see a creeping recovery, as we have a better picture of December, Jan and Feb.The industry would really like to see sustained reforms. Our expectation is no different from any other automaker. To be fair, some of the recovery in the past few month is due to the construction sector picking up. So, we would like to see some reforms there. As the growing debate on pollution levels continue and the government plans to abolish "older" vehicles, we would like the government to devise schemes that would make the trasition of the owners as seamless as possible. We are not expecting anything on excise duty reduction.Europe was our biggest market in 2015, largely because of its strong growth. We expect the momentum to continue. Overall the perspective is cautiously optimistic.Yes. We had made a provision of 245m regarding the Tianjin blast. This quarter, we have received some part of the compensation (30 million pounds) from the insurance companies, and is reflecting in the P&L account as an exceptional item.
Buying fruits from the green grocers can be annoying especially when you're paying a hefty price for quality that doesn't seem to touch any standard. Have you ever wondered what fresh fruit tastes like, especially when it's been handpicked by you and untouched by the grubby paws of middlemen and corporations?

If you're planning to head into the countryside this season, here are some orchards you can visit to experience that fruit-picking sensation.

1. The vineyards of Nasik

Made famous by Sula Wine, Nasik, Satara, Beed, Latur, Sholapur are home vineyards where one can see farmers tending to grape crops. Visitors are welcome to the vineyards owned by Sula where they can witness the wine making process, stomp grapes and end the day with a wine paired dinner.

Season: January to May. In the monsoon season, it's time for guava picking.

flickr.com/Yogendra Joshi

2. Plum, Mulberry and Jamun picking in Amritsar

The Khalsa College of Agriculture came up with a new variety of plum called Aloo Bukhara Amritsari which is much sweeter, more nutritious and without flesh clinging seeds. In addition to this, there are Javanese and Japanese plums which can be picked in orchards around Amritsar from June to July along with ripe mulberries and jamun.

The Green Acres Haveli has a large plum orchard that includes a mulberry and jamun grove.

tripadvisor.in

3. Apple picking in Himachal Pradesh

The apple orchards of Kinnaur, Kotgarh and Rohru look marvelous with the backdrop of the Himalayan ranges. Offering apple picking treks and tours of jam factories are just some activities available to visitors.

The Apple Orchard Inn and the Banjara Orchard Retreat offer visitors an experience centering around the versatile fruit.

Season: June to September

flickr.com/Ashish Gupta

4. Orange picking in Punjab

If smelling fresh tangerine zest on a wintry morning is your thing, be sure to go orange picking in Punjab. Citrus County Farm Stays in Hoshiarpur (near Jalandhar) offers luxury tents pitched amid a 75-acre farm.

Season: End October to February

the-shooting-star.com

5. Mango picking in Konkan Mahrashtra

Ratnagiri along the Konkan coast is a land of gold during the arid summer. Home to the Alphonso Mango, there are several government-run and privately-owned hotels and homestays that give visitors a chance to stroll through mango orchards.

A village-tourism initiative called the Majhya Mamacha Gaon project offers day-long and special weekend packages for families to pick ripe mangoes of many varieties from their orchards at Boisar, in the Thane district.

Season: May to August

wikimapia.org

6. Strawberries in Mahabaleshwar and Meghalaya

The popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra offers strawberry picking trips, and the jam brand Mapro's Strawberry Festival (March 28 - 31) showcases packaged products and bizarre innovations.

Season: December to February

flickr.com/Bernard Oh

In Meghalaya, the village of Sohliya hosts its own festival dedicated to strawberries on Valentine's Day. There's fresh strawberries to pick and delicious treats in strawberry flavour.

Season: End January to March.

tehelka.com

7. Chikoos in the Maharashtra-Gujarat border

The chikoo farms in the Gholvad and Dahanu districts distribute the fruit all over the country. The Tarpa and Save farms in Dahanu not only allow fruit picking, but also educate visitors about organic composting techniques, bee-keeping, and harvesting methods used by local farmers. There is also a nursery where guests can purchase saplings for themselves.

Season: December to March

seansluysabroad.wordpress.com
theffjournal

Ranveer Singh should just stop doing all this and raising the bar for us!

The 'world's best boyfriend' is living up to his title yet again and giving us relationship goals! The adorable actor has now flown to Toronto to spend Valentine's Day with Deepika Padukone. As a big surprise, he silently left for Canada for a romantic weekend with his oh-so-beautiful girlfriend. Proof? A fan shared a picture with Ranveer at the Toronto airport, and it is making waves back home.

Awesome meeting major #Bollywood star and boyfriend of #DeepikaPadukone, #RanveerSingh. He is visiting #Toronto for Valetine's Day weekend with his love, who films #XXX: #TheReturnofXanderCage in #The6ix. A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong  (@mrwillwong) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:33pm PST

Deepika is busy shooting her first Hollywood movie xXx: The Return of Xander Cage along with Vin Diesel. Since she was unable to skip her schedule to ring in Valentine's Day, Ranveer planned the entire surprise instead. It is heard that Deepika was highly moved by the romantic gesture and she introduced Ranveer to her co-stars on the sets too. Ranveer is currently preparing for the shoot of his upcoming movie Befikre.

bollywoodlife

"Ranveer has some time off before he starts shooting for Befikre. With Valentines Day around the corner, he didnt want to spend it alone and decided to surprise Deepika by flying all the way to Canada." - A Source

Ranveer had also recently posted a picture of an Indian taxi with the "xXx" logo on it, sending some love notes to Deepika all the way from India. He even wished his ladylove all the luck and told her that her film is already a 'rage in India'.

Facebook

While Bollywood is still recovering from B-town's high-profile break-ups, Katrina Kaif-Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli, the romance of Ranveer and Deepika is only blossoming by the day. Aren't we happy to see one couple going strong? <3
via Kelly Lab

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are unique cells because they have the potential to turn into any type of cell in the body. Normally, a muscle cell will divide and form two muscle cells, and a red blood cell will divide and become two red blood cells. However, when a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to become any type of cell (muscle, tissue, bone marrow, liver, blood, brain, etc.) or to remain a stem cell. Scientists can use stem cells to regenerate certain cells that the body requires, and cure several diseases.

Stem cells also serve as an internal repair system, continuing to divide and produce more and more cells that the body requires, as long as the person is alive. They can be used to regenerate damaged tissues under the right conditions.

There are two types of stem cells, embryonic and non-embryonic "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from 5-day old foetuses and somatic stem cells are found in certain organs and tissues.

via Orthopaindocs

Mass-produced stem cells will be sold in Japan for the first time.

Mesoblast, a Melbourne-based Australian company will be selling their product, TEMCELL, in Japan. TEMCELL consists of industrially manufactured stem cells, whereby stem cells are harvested from healthy donors and are then multiplied to produce billions of standardised cells. Each bag will have 72 million living human cells in it! In the past, patients were injected with stem cells generated from their own cells, but that process took weeks and didnt always work.

via MayoClinic

These cells can be used to treat certain complications of bone marrow transplants.

When cancer patients have bone marrow transplants, a common complication is graft versus host disease (GVHD). The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved the use of TEMCELL cells to treat acute GVHD in both adults and children. This happens to be a very niche segment of the population, but Mesoblast is currently conducting trials for stem cells that can be used to cure heart failure, chronic lower back pain as a result of disc degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic nephropathy.

via Afr

The product has to be tested further to gain US approval.

Mesoblast is in the process of carrying out additional trials in the hopes of getting US approval next year. TEMCELL won approval in Canada and New Zealand, but was never commercially launched in either country. It is being sold in Japan through licensee JCR Pharmaceuticals. In the past, these cells were only used in unregulated private clinics or experimental clinical trials. Now, they can be manufactured cheaply and sold off the shelf, just like certain drugs.
They say that love makes the world go round, and while were not sure whether or not thats true, one thing we are sure of is the fact that love is good for you. Love is a very powerful and intimate bond between people, so its not surprising that it has a positive impact on both mental and physical health.

Check out these scientifically-proven health benefits of love.

1. A happy marriage lowers blood pressure.

via Instagram/milkadara

A study published in the Annals of Behavioural Medicine found that happily married couples had the lowest blood pressure levels, followed by people who were single. People who were unhappily married had the highest blood pressure levels.

2. Positive emotions like love improve immunity and reduce the chances of you falling sick.

via Instagram/sparklenolan

A study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University found that people who exhibit positive emotions are less likely to get sick after being exposed to cold or flu viruses.

3. Love protects you against heart disease.

via Instagram/ripiripi.s

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that women in happy marriages were at a lower risk of heart disease than women in stressful relationships.

4. People in stable, long-term relationships have less anxiety.

via Instagram/vampringo

Researchers from the State University of New York did functional MRI brain scans on passionate new couples and stable long-term couples. They found that people in both the groups had activity in the part of the brain associated with love, but the couples in stable relationships had much lower activity in the part of the brain associated with anxiety, as compared to the newer couples.

5. Love can reduce the intensity of pain.

via Instagram/maharashtra_ig

Several studies have shown that love can battle the effects of pain. The same study mentioned above found that the couples in stable relationships had more activity in the part of the brain that keeps pain under control. A study by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) involving over 1,27,000 participants found that married people were less likely to complain of headaches and back pain.

This could be because the hormones associated with love, like oxytocin and endorphins, block the bodys pain receptors.

6. Married people visit the doctor less often.

via Instagram/oh_sole

The Health and Human Services Department in the US reviewed several studies on marriage and health. One of the conclusions of their report was that married people visit the doctor less frequently and have shorter stays in the hospital, on average. They believe this could be due to the fact that human beings survive better in closely-knit units, or because marriage forces people to take better care of their health.

7. Marriage also reduces the risk of depression.

via Instagram/rosencranz

The report mentioned above also found that people who were married were less likely to get depressed. This is not surprising because social isolation is linked to higher rates of depression.

8. Love can help you beat cancer.

via Instagram/djodie1985

A study conducted at the University of Iowa found that ovarian cancer patients with strong and satisfying relationships had more of the vigorous cancer-fighting white cells at tumour sites than those who didnt.

9. Love helps wounds heal faster.

via Instagram/antique_cameo

Researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center gave married couples blister wounds. They found that the wounds healed almost twice as fast in couples who interacted warmly with each other than in couples who displayed hostile behaviour toward each other.

10. Love reduces stress levels.

via Instagram/vazeaaditya

Love reduces stress levels, because knowing that someone is there to support you can be very comforting, as compared to having to face challenges alone.

11. Love may also give you better skin.

via Instagram/louweezybby

Stress is widely known to be a major cause of acne, since it disrupts your hormonal balance. When your stress levels are lower, chances are that your skin will be clearer as well.

12. Married people live longer.

via Instagram/clare_0808

A massive study conducted over eight years using data from the National Health Interview Survey in the US found that people who had never been married were 58% more likely to die prematurely than married people. This ties back in with the loneliness aspect, where people who feel socially isolated are not as strong mentally.
The media is calling him " Jharkhands waterman", and for farmer Simon Oraon, that tag became a sort of honorific when he was chosen as a Padma Shri recipient this year.

The 83-year-old man has been fighting for the better part of a century against drought, dropping out of Class IV after water shortage brought desperation and hunger to his land

reuters | representational purpose only

I had no idea about the award until a friend from the media called up this afternoon to congratulate me, he told the Hindustan Times, not even aware that he had won the award. As a 28-year-old man, he made rudimentary mud dams to control rainwater. When these failed, he nagged the government machinery into providing his village a concrete dam.

A massive tree plantation drive followed, and Simon then organised a well and pond digging initiative to store rainwater.

51 villages today owe him the agriculture and prosperity that he brought them through simple water conservation efforts. Today, his village is Jharkhands agri produce hub, supplying 20,000 metric tonnes of vegetables to various districts in and around Jharkhand.
Indian scientists played a crucial role, including in data analysis, in the path-breaking project for the detection of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time. These had been predicted by Albert Einstein predicted a century ago.

Several institutes, including Institute of Plasma Research (IPR) Gandhinagar, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore were involved in the research.

Immensely proud that Indian scientists played an important role in this challenging quest.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2016

The announcement of detection of gravitational waves was made simultaneously at IUCAA, Pune, and by scientists in Washington DC, USA. Incidentally, India is also one of countries where an advanced gravitational laboratory is being set up.

The key tasks they carried out included the following:

* Understanding the response of the LIGO detector to the signals and terrestrial influences

* Bounding the orbital eccentricity and estimating the mass and spin of the final black hole

* Estimating energy and power radiated during merger

* Confirming that observed signal agrees with Einstein's Theory of Relativity

* Searching for a possible electromagnetic counterpart using optical telescopes.

Some of these jobs were carried out in high performance computing facilities at IUCAA, Pune and ICTS, Bengaluru.

Hope to move forward to make even bigger contribution with an advanced gravitational wave detector in the country.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2016

The group, led by Bala Iyer at the Raman Research Institute in collaboration with scientists in France, had pioneered the mathematical calculations used to model gravitational wave signals from orbiting black holes and neutron stars.

Another group led by Sanjeev Dhurandhar at IUCAA initiated and carried out foundation work on developing data analysis techniques to detect these weak gravitational wave signals buried in the detector noise by looking for the best match between the calculated waveforms and the detector signal. Meanwhile, the director of Pune's Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) Somak Raychaudhury said he was looking forward to the launch of a similar observatory in India.

TOI

A similar facility is being planned in India in a direction opposite to the two American observatories in Louisiana and Washington. "We need detectors in many more directions so that the exact route of the gravitational wave can be traced... hence, the proposal to set up an observatory in India," Raychaudhury told TOI.

LIGO-India is being envisaged as a collaborative project between a consortium of Indian research institutions, the LIGO Lab in the US and its other international partners. The Centre has offered a funding of Rs 1,200 crore for the project. While the LIGO lab is set to provide the complete design and the key detector components, Indian scientists will be responsible for the infrastructure to install the detector at a suitable site in India.

TOI

Read Also: Scientists Have For The First Time Discovered Gravitational Waves That Einstein Predicted Years Ago
National bird peacock and state animal wild bison are among animals proposed to be listed by the Goa government as 'nuisance animals'.

economictimes

"We have listed several wild species including wild bore, monkey, wild bison (Gaur), peacock as nuisance animals. These animals are creating problem for farmers and are destroying their cultivation in rural areas," Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar told reporters in Margao last evening.

The government's decision is likely to evoke strong resentment from the environmentalists as peacock is national bird and wild bison is declared as a 'protected species' and Goa's state animal and the move may make them vulnerable.

britannica

Tawadkar said he is completely aware that the national bird and state animal are part of the list and said government will have to follow a procedure wherein the case has to be prepared which will allow them to be declared as a 'nuisance'.

"We will have to compile the record of how many complaints are received from farmers of crop destruction by these animals," he said, adding that there are several complaints and it is the demand of farmers to declare them as "nuisance animals".

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar during the recently held state legislative Assembly session had said government will declare monkey and few other animals as 'vermin' (nuisance animals) as they pose a threat of loss to farmers.

Parsekar had also pointed out that cases of monkey fever were reported from certain parts of the state.
The country's lightest revolver 'Nidar' seems to have got off to a flying start. A day after TOI reported about the new, indigenously developed .22 caliber gun, more than 100 people have placed orders for the weapon, while five have already purchased it.

TOI

On Tuesday, Rifle Factory Ishapore launched the revolver, which weighs just 250 grams and costs Rs 37,400, excluding taxes. The factory's earlier product, .32 caliber Nirbheek, launched after the Nirbhaya gangrape case, is priced at Rs 1,22,513. Speaking to TOI, officer in-charge at Rifle Factory Ishapore, P K Aggarwal, said, "We have already dispatched five units of 'Nidar' and have received over 100 orders and queries for the purchase of it from people across various strata, especially office-goers and women." He added, "This is a very exciting start for our product. We expect to sell at least 10,000 units of the revolver by the end of the year."

The manufacturers of 'Nidar' claimed that anyone with a valid arms licence can buy the .22 calibre revolver, which is priced at less than one-third of 'Nirbheek'. One can also place an order online by visiting the official website of Rifle Factory Ishapore, which comes under the ministry of defence.

Talking about the "successful" launch of the gun, 'Nidar' manufacturers claimed that to make the weapon light they developed a new alloy of aluminum called 'DTD5124'. Coupled with the negligible weight, it has supreme metal strength, they said. The revolver is capable of firing eight rounds loaded in a revolving chamber, with accuracy up to seven metres and has a barrel length of 40.3 mm.

According to senior officials at Rifle Factory Ishapore, since the revolver has eight chambers, the weapon overcomes the range issue as firing more than one bullet on an assailant from a close range in quick session will be lethal. In a state like Uttar Pradesh, where over 11.22 lakh people have arms licence  this number is more than four times the count of firearms available with the Uttar Pradesh Police (2.5 lakh) the makers of 'Nidar' expect to get a huge demand for the weapon from within the state itself.
The figure of Rs 70,000 crore cropped up frequently in 2015. This was the total amount that mutual fund firms invested in equity markets. This was also the amount that India offered to pay Russia to acquire anti-ballistic missile systems in what is considered the biggest defence deal between the two countries. Also, the Union finance minister proposed an increase in investment in infrastructure by Rs 70,000 crore in 2015-16.

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Now, consider the fact that the overall burden of debt on farmers of Punjab today is almost as big as what the entire country invested in mutual funds last year or the size of India's biggest defence deal with Russia!

A survey by Punjabi University, Patiala, has put the outstanding debt on farmers of the state at a staggering Rs 69,355 crore.

Of this, Rs 56,481 crore is owed to the institutional sector and Rs 12,874 crore is to be payable to private lenders. This may also explain why there has been a string of suicides by farmers in the state in the past couple of years. The survey covered 1,007 farm households in Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Mansa districts in the financial year 2014-15. It was sponsored by the Indian Council for Social Sciences and Research (ICSSR), Chandigarh.

Project director Professor Gian Singh, along with four researchers Anupma, Gurinder Kaur, Rupinder Kaur and Sukhvir Kaur, visited the respondent farmers in their villages. "The survey revealed that large farmers had a debt of Rs 2.30 lakh per household. Marginal farmers have a debt burden of 1.35 lakh. The increased loans indicate that the farm sector was surviving on bigger loans," said Prof Singh.

The survey has found that an average farmer in what is the country's food bowl has a debt of Rs 50,211 per acre. Combine this with natural calamities like unseasonal rains and pest attacks like that of the whitefly last year, and you have a perfect recipe for disaster.

The researchers visited 301 households of farm labourers and discovered that 241 or 80.07% were under debt. They did not have the capacity to repay the amount or the interest.

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"In the first place, poor farmers with small landholdings and farm labourers did not get loans easily. But, once they received it, they were unable to payback," said Singh on why such a large number of farmers may have committed suicide in the state. "Crops were damaged in natural calamities and the compensation was too less and too late which played heavy on the minds of the beneficiaries leading to suicides."

Punjab government has recommended compensation to families of 55 farmers who committed suicide between April 2013 and November 2015. Farmer organisations believe that the number of suicides is much higher.

Prof Singh said the survey also threw light on the fact that the debt declined with a rise in the land under cultivation while the burden of farmers went up with the decrease in cultivable land.

Jagmohan Singh Dakaunda, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) said, "Farmers' indebtedness will not end until the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations are accepted in full." The key recommendation is to offer at least 50% more as price of crops over the total input costs. "The biggest damage to farmers is done by private lenders who charge exorbitant interest," he added.
Over a decade after 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan was gunned down by Gujarat Police, the jury is still out on whether she was on a mission to kill Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the states erstwhile Chief Minister. Yesterday, 26/11 accused David Coleman Headleys testimony to a special Mumbai court that Ishrat Jahan was affiliated to the LeT, sent shockwaves through the intelligence community and the corridors of power.

Why is the Ishrat Jahan case so important?

toi

After #2002, the next big stain on Modis reputation was Ishrat Jahan, declared innocent by the intelligentsia and used by the UPA government to attack him for over a decade. Along with high profile arrests of top ranking policemen, the case saw, possibly for the first time the CBI attack the Intelligence Bureau in the Supreme Court. And apart from Ishrat Jahan, evidence cast suspicion on the the backgrounds of the other 3.

It all began in 2004, 2 years after the 2002 communal attacks

June 15, 2004: Ishrat Jahan Raza and three others Pranesh Pillai (alias Javed Gulam Sheikh), Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar killed by the Ahmedabad Police. The police claimed that the four were LeT affiliates, attempting to kill Modi as revenge for for communal riots of 2002.

5 years later, the first accusations of a false encounter

After a report submitted by a magistrate SP Tamang, the local court the killing to be a fake encounter, claiming that Crime Branch police kidnapped Ishrat and the others from Mumbai, brought them to Ahmedabad and then killed them. The Gujarat government fought back, claiming that the accused policemen couldn't present their side of the arguments. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), sent teams to Srinagar, Delhi, Lucknow and Nashik to probe Ishrat's alleged terrorist links.

In 2011, SIT claims that the encounter was fake

Based on these findings, the policemen involved were accused of murder, and cases were filed against them under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder).

The identities of the four

* Ishrat Jahan Shamim Raza: 19-year-old second year Bachelor of Science student at Mumbai's Guru Nanak Khalsa College. She worked as a Javed Sheikh (Pranesh)s secretary.

* Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Gulam Sheikh: booked for four assault cases in Mumbai and Pune, and charged with involvement in a fake currency racket. Found with two passports, one in his original name Pranesh and the second one in his new name.

* Amjad Ali Rana (also known as Akbar or Salim): Originally a Pakistani resident, he had reportedly claimed to be planning a terrorist act in Ahmedabad.

* Zeeshan (alias Jisan Johar alias Abdul Ghani), along with Amjad, is said to have been caught in a trespassing case in Srinagar in 2003.

The relevance of Headley's statement

While Home Ministry officials claim David Headleys statement has vindicated their claim of Jahan being a terrorist, his disclosure is, according to a Press Trust of India report, "based on hearsay, which carries no weight even though he was making the statement under Section 164 CrPC, which is admissible in a court of law" The CBI had accused the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau Rajinder Kumar and three other IB officials with murder and criminal conspiracy in the case. Headley's statement doesn't bring them any closure.

What happened to the police officers charged for Jahan's murder?

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Out on bail in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, 1980-batch IPS officer PP Pandey, accused of killing Jahan in a false encounter, now has his suspension from service revoked. More importantly, he is now made head of a probe against Satish Verma, who had fought for Pandey's arrest in the first place.

D G Vanzara, a former DIG of the Anti-Terrorism Squad in Gujarat and a key accused in the encounter case, said Headley vindicated not just his, but the stand of Gujarat Police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) which had for years said that Ishrat was an "LeT fidayeen''. A year ago, Gujarat police officer D G Vanzara walked out of Sabarmati Central Jail after spending seven and half years in prison. Vanzara was arrested on April 24, 2007 by CID crime in connection with the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, and since then he was behind the bars.

The politics of the Ishrat Jahan case

The UPA government had submitted two affidavits - one that the four were terrorists and the second saying there was no conclusive evidence  within two months in 2009. They repeatedly charged Gujarat Police with staging an encounter, questioning the allegations against Ishrat.
Dubai has never been one to think small. After the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, Dubai has set forth for another big first - the world's largest shopping mall.

Despite an economic slowdown looming here, it is still set to make the 'Mall In The World', albeit in phases.

aljazeera

The Mall of the World project, encompassing 8 million square feet (745,000 square metre) of shopping space connected to a theme park, 100 hotels and serviced apartment buildings with 20,000 rooms, was announced in mid-2014, just as oil prices began a precipitous plunge.

A boost to Dubai's economy?

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Oil makes little direct contribution to Dubai's economy, but its drop has dampened consumer and investor confidence in the Gulf's financial and tourist hub as neighbouring governments slash subsidies and economists cut growth forecasts. "We will be reacting to the demands of the market. The project is massive and complex and will have to be built in stages," said Ahmad bin Byat, vice-chairman and managing director of Dubai Holding, a company owned by the emirate's ruler that is responsible for the project.

He predicted it would still become the world's largest shopping destination, adding that the first phase - representing about a quarter of the project's size - would be completed before Dubai hosts the Expo 2020 exhibition. Plans for the remainder "will be dependent on market dynamics", Byat told a news conference, saying the project would be funded through an equal split of his company's internal resources, institutional investors and debt.

22 billion dollar budget

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He estimated the total bill would be nearly 80 billion dirhams ($22 billion) and that Dubai Holding would provide "just shy" of 30 billion dirhams. "We're talking to advisors, financial investors, sovereign funds, many people," Byat said. "We have a lot of understandings with quite a few people. This is a mixed-use project which will be very interesting not only to locals but for the global market to invest in."

thenational

Having become world famous for its lavish real estate developments, Dubai was badly hit by the global financial crisis in 2009 and was forced to shelve or cancel scores of projects However, it did not take long for investors to return and the emirate, one of seven in the United Arab Emirates Federation, has resumed its ambitious plansa
Follow us on xiaomi mi 5 camera sample by hugo barra reveals impressive performance

New Delhi: Xiaomi is all set to unveil its flagship smartphone, Mi 5, at the MWC 2016 later this month. Xiaomi has already revealed several features of the smartphone before the launch. One of the main highlights of the smartphone is the camera. Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's global vice president, has just posted a stunning shot taken by the Mi 5.

The single shot of what looks like a Cycas Revoluta has plenty of detail even as it might have been altered for social media state. Taken in full light condition, the sample image is really impressive in terms of colours and clarity. The highlight of this image is the quality and minimum distortion.

Spent the holidays hanging out with my folks.aaaaand playing around with the insanely AMAZING #Mi5 camera. I didn't even have to fiddle with manual settings or adjust anythingexcept turn on HDRthis is a pure SOOC shot. I've cropped and zoomed in on the original, too, just so you can see the incredible details up close, he posted.

According to all the leaked information the smartphone will feature a 5.1-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, along with 3GB / 4GB of RAM and will be available in various internal storage options. The company's officials already confirmed that the phone will come in a fullHD display, and that it will have a Snapdragon 820 SoC. The dual-SIM capabilities have also been confirmed, as well as built-in NFC. The Mi 5 might come with a 16-megapixel snapper on the back, and an 8-megapixel shooter up front. It will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi's MIUI 7 OS on top of Google's operating system.

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Follow us on salman katrina late night and a long drive. yes this happened

New Delhi: Since Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif has broken up with her bae of six years Ranbir Kapoor, she has found immense support in her ex boyfriend Salman Khan. The superstar has been her anchor lately when she is going through this turmoil.

Be it giving her advice to open up about her relationship, to going ahead and even saying in public that the chapter (Ranbir Kapoor) is over; Salman Khan has become really close to her these days.

From what we hear, Salman did not stop at showing up on the sets of Comedy Nights Live, where Kat was promoting her movie Fitoor'. Media reports suggest that after the show's shooting ended, Salman was there to pick her up.

Apparently, Kat had ordered her driver to go home and Salman was the one who gave her a ride to her place. It is also being reported that Katrina was in a jovial mood when she saw Salman.

On the movie front, Salman Khan is busy shooting for Sultan' while Katrina Kaif's last movie Fitoor' released on Friday. In Sultan' Salman willl be romancing Anushka Sharma and he plays the role of a wrestler. The movie will release on Eid this year.

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Follow us on sanam re review a clich d love triangle that achieves new heights of boredom

Genre: Romance Drama

Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam, Urvashi Rautela, Rishi Kapoor

Rating: **(2/5)

Director: Divya Khosla Kumar

New Delhi: Even though, expectations were never high from this second directorial venture of Divya Khosla Kumar, but the melodious musical score along with the much hyped Pulkit-Yami's alleged real-life' love affair made us hopeful for a decent love story if not an extraordinary one.

But the film shatters that little ray of hope into small pieces as it turns out to be an over-the-top melodramatic love affair. The major drawback of the film is its amateurishly written script that is so predictable that even a 10 year old would tell the next sequence.

The story of the film revolves around Aakash (Pulkit Samrat) who has moved to Mumbai from his home-town Tanakpur to pursue a job. As he struggles in the new city trying to settle down amidst the bustling crowd, his boss keeps him irritated the entire time.

After a good few years, when Aakash goes back to his home-town following a family emergency, he remembers his childhood sweetheart Shruti (Yami Gautam). His Daadu's (Rishi Kapoor) lessons on love create an urge within him to go back to his first love.

But in a twist of fate, he is suddenly sent to Canada to crack a deal for his company and get promoted. Now enters Mrs. Pablo (Urvashi Rautela), who stands between Aakash and his goal. So, in order to get it done, he has to woo the lady.

He is taken aback when he meets his long-lost first-love Shruti at the camp in Canada and then begins his chase to get her back in his life.

This done to death script is nothing more than a yawn-fest as every Hindi film viewer would know what is about to happen in the next frame exactly. It becomes an uphill task to sit right through a film with such stretchy sequences and outdated dialogues.

It seems like the first half of the film is preparing the viewer for an even worse second half. The only saviour of this love-story is its songs that come every now and then and its beautiful locales.

Keeping in mind Divya's previous directorial venture Yaariyaan', it is not a surprise that Sanam Re' has an extremely sloppy direction, even more than the script. Following the path of the typical love-stories of Bollywood and presenting the same sequences with new star-cast and rehashed dialogues is not called direction.

The film rides high only on its brilliant cinematography. The amazing locations of Leh, Himachal and Canada are a visual delight.

Another department that earns brownie points for the film is its music. The songs are already quite popular among the listeners and they come as a relief in the film from the painful story.

As far as performances are concerned, there isn't anything to talk about that either. Pulkit Samrat does an ordinary job as a young romantic lover but the blame of an average performance is to be put on the script.

Yami Gautam delivers a weak performance. It is disappointing to see her doing the same kind of acting again and again.

Urvashi Rautela is merely used as a showpiece in the film. All she has done is skin show which doesn't require much of acting.

Rishi Kapoor in a small role does an excellent job and is probably the most effective actor in the movie.

Overall, Sanam Re is a total Valentine-Day spoiler with a torturous plot. Such films don't even deserve to be viewed on TV, forget spending your hard-earned money over it.

Watch the trailer here:

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Follow us on real munnabhai sanjay dutt turns radio jockey in yerwada jail

New Delhi: Actor Sanjay Dutt whose jail term in Yerwada jail, Pune ends in few days has emerged as a celebrity in the confined walls. Well, he already is a celebrity but in Yerwada jail he has a new found stardom, that of a radio jockey.

Very similar to the character he played in Lage Raho Munnabhai, a one who turned a radio jockey from a criminal, Sanjay Dutt is doing the same in real life. Dutt started a radio show last month called, 'Aap ki Farmaish', which takes requests for songs, poetry and even film dialogues.

Since the time it was incepted, the show has become a hit in the jail and Sanjay is flooded with requests. The show was started on a pilot basis but the rising popularity forced it to make it a weekend one.

Dutt is serving his term for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

He also makes paper bags in the prison and is a favourite RJ of the show. A total of four shows are aired from 11 am to 2 pm, as the inmates work and have lunch. These shows are planned and run by Dutt and his three fellow inmates, under the guidance of jail officials.

Speaking about the logistics of the show, an insider from the jail told a leading daily, Suggestion boxes at kept at all 30 barracks in the jail, through which inmates can send their requests to play songs, shayari or even poems written by them. The four RJs and prison officials prepare a theme based on these requests, and based on the availability of songs, the shows are planned starting a day in advance.

Another official added, Sanjay Dutt begins the show in typical Munnabhai style and greets his listeners with 'Namaskar bhai log'. There are speakers outside all the barracks and work areas, so inmates can enjoy the shows during work and lunch. Daily, there are different themes based on festive occasions or on current affairs. Now that some of the inmates are aware that Dutt will be released in a month, his fans here are mostly requesting dialogues and songs from his films like Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Inmates keep requesting Sanjay to say popular dialogues from his movies, like; 'Asli hai asli. Pachaas tola. Kitna? Pachaas tola.'(From Vaastav) 'Full confidence mein janeka aur ekdum vinamrata ke saath karneka.' (Lage Raho Munna Bhai), 'Apun ke pass Bapu hai Mamu!' (Lage Raho Munna Bhai).

Sanjay will walk a free man on February 25.

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Follow us on al qaeda wanted to target india after 26/11 strikes david headley

Mumbai: In more chilling testimony, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today said al-Qaeda was in touch with him to attack Delhi's National Defence College and unravelled the plot by LeT and ISI to target Mumbai airport, BARC and the Naval air station here.

Headley also told Special Judge G A Sanap via video-link from the US that he attempted to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, would be interested in future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan here or assassinate its head (late Bal Thackeray).

Continuing his deposition for the fourth day, Headley claimed he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack as they were

heavily guarded.

Headley told the court here that his handlers in Pakistan spy agency ISI and LeT wanted to target Mumbai airport and Naval air station during the terror attack in November 2008.

"Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack," he said.

Headley testified in detail on how al-Qaeda was also interested in carrying out attacks in India after 26/11 strike.

"After the 26/11 terror attack I met Ilyas Kashmiri (of al-Qaeda) in February 2009 and he asked me to visit India again as they were also interested in carrying out terrorist activities in India. He mentioned few places like the NDC (National Defence College) which was their primary target," he said.

He also said NDC was a high-value target as it housed senior military officers, from Brigadier to General rank.

"Abdul Rehman Pasha (Al-Qaeda member) said that if this attack is successful then we would be able to kill more Brigadiers and Generals than any killed in the wars between India and Pakistan in the past," said the 55-year-old, who recently turned approver in the 26/11 terror attacks case.

He told the court that as per Kashmiri's orders, he also visited the Chabad houses located in Pushkar, Goa and Pune as they were secondary targets of the terror outfit.

He said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI.

"I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI," he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal.

Headley also testified on his interaction with a Shiv Sena member.

"I met Rajaram Rege (PRO of Uddhav Thackeray) inside Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar.

I was interested in accessing the building at that time and I attempted to develop closer relations with Rege as I thought the LeT would be interested in future to attack the Sena Bhavan or assassinate its head,"

Headley told the court.

Rege said he had met the Pakistani-American terrorist outside the Sena Bhawan just for two minutes and flatly declined his request to gain access into the building.

"Headley had met me outside the Sena Bhavan with one Vilas Warke. He wanted me to show him the Sena Bhavan from inside but I had flatly declined his request. My meeting with him had only lasted two minutes," Rajaram Rege said.

Headley also identified the recently executed lone 26/11 convict, Ajmal Kasab, when he was shown a photograph of him.

"This is Ajmal Kasab Rehmatullah Aliah," Headley told the court.

When he was again asked to spell out the full name of Kasab, he said, "His name is only Ajmal Kasab but Rehmatullah Aliah means god bless him or god forgive him," and added that after Kasab was captured, Sajid Mir and everybody in LeT were saddened.

In further disclosures, he said that after he had conducted a reconnaissance of Mumbai, he had several meetings in Pakistan with LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Kahfa and Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal.

Headley revealed that during his last visit to Mumbai in July 2008, prior to the 26/11 attacks, he had surveyed and videographed the Chabad House in south Mumbai.

"I don't know who was staying there. Sajid Mir and Pasha asked me to survey this place and said that it was an international location as it had Jewish and Israeli people,"

he said.

Headley said he discouraged the LeT about Naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack. "I discouraged them (LeT) about Naval air station and

Siddhivinayak temple as targets as then all the ten attackers would have had to concentrate on one target only," he said.

Continuing to spill beans on the brazen terror attack, he said "for the 26/11 terror attack, LeT handler Sajid Mir and Abu Kahfa, on instructions from Zaki Sahab, decided to go with the stronghold option which means stay put in the place of the target and keep on fighting."

"The second option that was discussed was egress option which means leave the place of target and go to India occupied Kashmir and continue fighting with the troops there," he said.

"Kahfa told me that the egress option was discarded as if it was in the mind of the person (attacker) that he has to leave then he will not fight well," Headley further said.

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Follow us on david headley bought sacred threads for 26/11 attackers

Mumbai: Continuing his deposition via videoconference before Special TADA Court Judge GA Sanap, Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley said that Pakistani spy agency ISI eyed staff of the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to procure 'classified information' from them.

Headley also said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (to which he belongs) told him to survey naval air station in Mumbai and Siddhivinayak temple, but he discouraged the idea to target them as both were heavily guarded.

Highlights:

* In 2007, Sajid Mir asked me to take a look at National Defence College if I visit Delhi. I did that, but didn't make a video

* Abdur Rehman Pasha said that if we target National Defence College successfully, number of deaths of Army Brigadiers and Generals will be more than deaths in any India-Pak war

* One of the reasons I didn't tell about this to LeT is that they will think I may be apprehended in India.

* Ilyas Kashmiri wanted to target National Defence College because it was a prime target. He said National Defence College was a high value target and many senior Indian Army officers stay there. He gave me money for air fare. I didn't share these facts with LeT because I thought they won't allow this visit

* I Met Ilyas Kashmiri in Feb 2009, he asked me to go to India to conduct recce for future attacks. He asked me to survey National Defence College (Delhi), Chabad House (Pushkar, Pune) & Chabad House (Goa)

* al Qaeda intended to attack National Defence College (Delhi) many years ago

* When shown the picture of Ajmal Kasab, David Headley said in court: "Rahmatullah Ali" (May God bless you). I was also working for al Qaeda

* On November 28, 2008, I got an e-mail from my wife stating "Congratulations on your graduation, ceremony was great". She was talking about the 26/11 attacks. My wife gave me full credit for the successful terror attacks

* My wife met Hafiz Saeed and requested him to convince me to take her back as I had divorced her. My wife Faiza knew that I was a true follower of Hafiz Saeed who called me through somebody after hearing my wife's request

* I heard in news that one terrorist named Ajmal Kasab was captured by security forces in Mumbai. Sajid Mir and entire LeT were saddened by this

* 26/11 attackers used Indian cell phones and got directions from control room in Karachi. Sajid Mir gave me one of those Indian cell phone numbers, asked me to visit Wagah border to check if it's working in that area

* I met Rahul Bhatt (filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son) through a person called Vilas, during a body-building competition. Vilas was the in-charge of Moksha Gym

* I developed a close friendship with him (Rajaram Rege). I wanted to access the Shiv Sena Bhawan in case LeT is interested in attacking the building in future. I took a video of Shiv Sena Bhawan and handed it over to LeT; they were planning to target Shiv Sena HQ and Bal Thackeray in future.

Video:

* I visited Gateway of India, Cuffe Parade, Worli to select landing site for 26/11 attackers and later finalized Cuffe Parade

* I also did recce of Mumbai airport. But, Major Iqbal was unhappy for not including Mumbai airport as a target spot

* I visited Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple, made video of premises and purchased 15-20 wrist bands (sacred thread) for 26/11 attackers so that they would look like Indians, as a cover up of their identities. When I returned to Pakistan, I gave those bands (sacred threads) to Sajid Mir who thought it was a good idea

* Lakhvi said, this (26/11 attack) is very important. It will be an answer to all bomb blasts done by India in Pakistan. It will be our revenge

* Major Iqbal of Inter Services Intelligence said that in future I should recruit people from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for ISI, who can collect classified information

* Chabad House was selected by LeT as a target as it was an international location where Jewish and Israeli people were staying. In July 2008 I visited Chabad House (Nariman House) in Mumbai, made a video of the premises as I knew that it was a Jewish community centre

* Also discouraged LeT from attacking Naval Air Station and Siddhivinayak Temple as I observed that both are heavily guarded

* Major Iqbal asked me to survey the Naval Air Station in Mumbai, which I did and then discussed about it with LeT operatives

* David Headley admits he visited and made a video of BARC, and then handed it over to Major Iqbal and Sajid Mir

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Follow us on jnu row student leader held for sedition sent to three day custody

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises, has been sent to three-day police custody by a Delhi court.

Kanhaiya, who was picked up by the Delhi Police from the JNU campus earlier today, was produced before metropolitan magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly on the run, with terrorist groups.

The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting "anti-national" slogans during the event organised in JNU campus on February 9.

The police also placed on record a CD of the event which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.

On his part, Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event.

He claimed in the court that this was a politically-motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students' union.He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.

"I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India," Kanhaiya told the court.

After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru and Pakistan. Responding to the court's query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders but he can identify all the students who are from JNU.

The court, after hearing the submissions, remanded him to police custody till February 15.

Kanhaiya's arrest followed a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered by the police on Thursday after anti-India slogans were raised at an event to protest the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2014. Police said that Kanhaiya was seen in a purported video of people raising anti-national slogans.

The case was registered following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maheish Girri and RSS's student front Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad.

The move to arrest the student leader came hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government would not tolerate any anti-national activity in the country and that stringent action would be taken against the demonstrators who raised 'anti-national' slogans at the JNU campus.

The ABVP also staged protests at the campus, demanding that all students who 'misled' the university about the nature of the events must be expelled.

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event at the university campus and shouted slogans against the government for hanging him. The event was held despite the varsity administration having cancelled the grant of permission for the programme.

Meanwhile, the university has also set up a proctorial committee, headed by Professor Kishan Kumar, to inquire into an event organised by some former members of the Democratic Students' Union (DSU) that led to violent clashes on the campus.

JNU Students Union joint secretary Saurabh Sharma of the ABVP demanded an inquiry against all the 10 students who had organised the event and said that it was the responsibility of the university administration to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the campus again. If the university fails to take action within a week, then 'a campus strike will be carried out', he said.

Video:

(WIth PTI inputs)

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Follow us on nation mourns lance naik hanamanthappa last rites today

Dharwad (Karnataka): The mortal remains of Siachen braveheart, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who passed away on Thursday morning after battling for life since his miraculous survival in Siachen, was brought home late night.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with his Cabinet colleagues HK Patil and Vinay Kulkarni, Opposition leader in the assembly Jagadish Shettar, among others, received the body at the airport. The state government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the bereaved family.

Siddaramaiah has also announced a site, land, job for Hanamanthappa's wife and memorial for the braveheart.

"Besides an ex-gratia amount, the state government will give Koppad's family farm land, a residential plot at Hubbali for building a house and a government job to his widow," he said.

Hanamanthappa will be given full state honours, Dharwad district in-charge Minister Vinay Kulkarni said, adding "all arrangements for public viewing and last rites have been made at his village, it will be done with state honours."

Hundreds of people gathered at the house of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad at Betadur village yesterday night to mourn his tragic death. When Koppad's mortal remains were brought on road from Hubbali airport around midnight, wrapped in a casket and draped in tri-colour, his extended family plunged into grief even as his brother and close relatives broke down.

The 33-year-old brave-heart lost the battle for life three days after he was rescued from a Siachen glacier at the world's highest and coldest battlefield where he was buried under 35 feet in ice for six days after an avalanche struck his camp on February 3.

"We are pained because we thought he will recover in one or two days and come back. We prayed to all gods but in vain. His family is shattered," Koppad's neighbour Manjunath told reporters, weeping inconsolably.

When news of Koppad's death reached his village on Thursday afternoon, many people also felt proud that he was martyred in the mountains while serving the country.

"Koppad will be laid to rest on Friday afternoon with full state honours, including 21-gun salute in the presence of army personnel and state reserved police.

Koppad belonged to the 19th battalion of Madras Regiment, which he joined 13 years ago after failing to get through into the army on three occasions in past.

Koppad was posted on the Siachen glacier since August 2015 and deployed at one of the highest posts (Sonam) facing Pakistan and where temperatures plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius and winds blow up to 100-km per hour.

The 10 soldiers buried alive were maintaining the world's highest helipad in the area, which brought supplies for soldiers on the Siachen glacier.

While nine soldiers, including one junior commissioned officer, died, Koppad was the only one who survived for six days buried under tonnes of snow.

With Agency Inputs

Latest India News
Follow us on what happened before governor s rule was imposed in jammu kashmir

After the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the then CM of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), there has been no progress in the formation of the new Government. In the meanwhile, Governor's Rule has been imposed in J&K. Governor's rule can be imposed in J&K when there is breakdown of constitutional machinery or no party is able to form the government. The President of India has to concur with Governor's opinion.

Documents provided by the Home Ministry in response to a RTI application reveal the entire chain of events leading to the imposition of Governor's Rule.

What happened after Mufti's death?

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has disclosed the communication between the Governor N N Vohra & MHA in response to a RTI application filed by Mr. Venkatesh Nayak of Delhi. From these documents, it is clear that the Governor communicated to both PDP & BJP about the need to form a government immediately.

Governor reminded both BJP & PDP multiple times

In his report to the President of India, the Governor mentioned that he spoke to both Mr. Nirmal Singh of BJP and Mr. Naeem Akthar of PDP during the last rites of Mr. Mufti Sayeed and appraised them about the constitutional requirements and the time frame for forming a new government.

He went onto say that Mr. Muzaffar Baig & Mr. Nizam-ud-Din Bhat from PDP met him at Srinagar Airport in the evening of 07th January. According to the report, Mr. Baig informed the Governor that he has a letter from his party PDP, intimating about the party's decision electing Ms. Mehbooba Mufti to be the next CM. But Mr. Baig did not submit the letter as he wanted to recheck and ensure that all PDP MLAs were in agreement with this decision.

New CM to be installed by the evening of 8th January

The Governor made it clear to Mr. Baig that the new CM had to be installed by the evening of 8th January and asked PDP to submit the following documents.

 Resolution of the PDP legislature party electing Ms. Mehbooba Mufti as their leader

 Communication from BJP endorsing PDP's decision

The Governor in his report mentioned that he waited till 1pm on 8th January and yet did not receive any communication from either the BJP or the PDP. He mentioned that fax communication was sent to both PDP & BJP at 1.30pm on 08th January.

The Governor also mentioned the discussion that Mr. Ram Madhav of BJP was having with the PDP. The report then goes onto say that no formal response has been received from either of the parties and that the governor has no option but to issue a proclamation for Governor's rule.

Concurrence by the President of India

Based on the Governor's report, the MHA recommended Governor's rule and sent the file to the President of India. The file noting has the signatures of the President, Prime Minister and also the Home Minister.

The President of India concurred with the Governor and thus Governor's rule was imposed in J&K.

Latest India News
Follow us on isi trains let jaish terrorists pervez musharraf

Karachi: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has accepted that spy agency ISI 'trains LeT and Jaish militants' and 'terror attacks in India will not stop until New Delhi addresses the core issue of Kashmir.

"Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) trains Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists," he said.

"Pakistan army is not training civilians. Intelligence organisation on our side as well as on your side is involved," he added.

When asked if he sees any progress in the Indo-Pak peace process, Musharraf said, "Everything will stop if you address the core issue. The unfortunate terrorists acts and the militancy will continue unless we address the core issue. That is what you don't want to do."

"Kashmir continues to arouse sentiments in Pakistan," the 72-year-old former president said as he defended terrorist activities in India.

"Anyone who is fighting in Kashmir is a freedom fighter," he said, adding "I don't think we will move forward on the core issue".

You don't want. You want to bulldoze us, you want to bully us and you want to dominate us. You only want to talk about issues concern you like terrorism, Mumbai and Pathankot. So I don't feel, core issues are moving forward," he said when asked to comment on Foreign Secretary-level talks that were postponed after Pathankot attack.

To a question on David Headley's deposition, he said, "I don't believe anything that Headley had said... Pakistan intelligence should interrogate Headley."

When asked about JeM chief Mesood Azhar, who was involved in two attacks against Musharraf himself, the former military general said, "Anyone who is doing any other act in Pakistan like, I know that he attacks me, is a terrorist certainly. Therefore I call him a terrorist."

"LeT and Hafiz Saeed are not involved in terror activities in Pakistan," he said.

He said India derailed peace process every time and wants to discuss only terrorism. "You create hysteria in your country against Pakistan. Whenever we try to speak ....You want to bulldoze us to whatever is your point of view."

He also accused India's intelligence agency RAW for carrying out attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

With Agency Inputs

Latest World News
Follow us on no plans for joint maritime patrol with india in south china sea us

Washington: The US and India have a shared vision of peace, stability and prosperity in Asia, a topAmerican official has said but dismissed reports that the two countries were planning a joint maritime patrol in the Indian Ocean or South China Sea.

"At this time, I can say there is no plans for any joint naval patrols," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

"The US and India do have a shared vision of peace, stability and prosperity in Asia. We are committed to work together with others in the region to achieve our shared goals in an open, balanced and inclusive security structure," he said.

Toner was responding to a question on news reports that India and the US were considering joint naval patrol.

According to the State Department official, no such decision has been taken either in the Indian Ocean or South China Sea.

When asked, "No plans for naval patrol on South China Sea or anywhere?," Toner replied in the negative.

"Even in the Indian Ocean, there is no plan," Toner was asked again, to which he said "No".

Recently, there were some media reports which said that India and the US have held talks on conducting joint naval patrols in areas including the South China Sea where Beijing has maritime and territorial disputes with several neighbours.

The US wants its regional allies to adopt a more united stance against China over the South China Sea, where tension has spiked since China's construction of seven islands in the Spratly archipelago.

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use.

Latest World News
Follow us on pakistan bans valentine s day celebrations in islamabad

New Delhi: Pakistan government has ban all activities linked to the celebration of the Valentine's Day in the capital, Islamabad. The day's celebration on February 14 had often been criticized by Islamists as 'insult' to Islam.

According to reports, the Interior Ministry said that the decision to ban the Valentine's Day celebrations was taken at the orders of Minister Nisar Ali Khan. The ban has, however, not been announced officially.

Khan, in the order, has also promised 'strict action' against anyone caught engaged in outward celebration of the festivity.

The order will be enforced through capital administration and formal notification will be issued by Islamabad deputy commissioner, reports said.

Khan had earlier this week announced that flower shops and restaurants will be closed on the eve of Valentine's Day to avert unpleasant incidents. But soon after, he retracted his statement and said the capital would not shut down because of threats from a small minority.

Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad account the largest celebrations on February 14. Last year, a Valentine's Day fiesta at a park in Karachi was attacked by a group of Quran Academy. The mob had attacked couples, broke up equipment and detained some girls.

Pakistan is not the only Muslim country to ban celebration on February 14. The Indonesian city of Banda Aceh has also banned celebrations of Valentine's Day, contending that the day violates Islamic law.

The Valentine's Day activities have often been disrupted in the past by the supporters of hardline Jamaat-e-Islam, but it is for the first time that the state has intervened to ban the festivities of the day.

Latest World News
Follow us on bihar bjp vice president shot dead second bjp leader killed in a day

Ara: The vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Bihar unit Visheshwar Ojha was today shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bhojpur district while returning from a wedding.

Ojha is the second BJP leader of the state to be killed within a day's time. Earlier in the morning, another BJP leader Kedarnath Singh was shot dead in Chhapra.

Ojha, who had unsuccessfully contested Assembly election in 2015 from Shahpur constituency, was fired by gunmen when he was returning after attending the 'baraat' at Parsaura village.

The incident took place between Sonvarsha and Parsaura village under Shahpur police station of Bhojpur.

Ojha's driver and another person accompanying him were also seriously injured in the firing.

Ojha was taken to Shahpur referral hospital where he died during treatment, the hospital's in-charge Dr Ajay Kumar said, adding a medical board comprising three doctors had been formed to treat him.

The injured are being treated at Sadar hospital and doctors have declared them out of danger.

Meanwhile, BJP's state unit leaders have condemned the killing of its senior party functionaries. Terming Ojha's killing as a 'heinous crime', former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said Nitish Kumar has lost his will power to run the affairs of the state.

"The chief minister is only attending meetings to control law and order but criminals are out of control," Modi said.

Another senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh also condemned Nitish Kumar for what he called as targetted political murders. "For how long will Nitish Kumar remain like Dhritarashtra?" he said condemning the chief minister of turning a blind eye to the killings.

"There are serial political killings happenijng in Bihar. Do people who opposed him or did not vote for Nitish Kumar have no right to stay in Bihar? I will appeal in my personal capacity to the Governor to submit a report on the law and order situation in the state to the Centre. Nitish's resolve is to kill and abduct," he said.

(With PTI inputs)
Follow us on there is a crisis of confidence in the govt former pm manmohan singh

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said there is a crisis of confidence in the government and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must give "every Indian" the confidence that he cares for people's well-being.

Stating that "people don't believe the government", the former prime minister said, "when they (apparently industrialists) go and call on the ministers, they say the right things, but when they come out, all of them say that nothing much has changed... There is today a crisis of confidence in the government."

Singh was critical of the prime minister for not speaking on issues like beef or communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and elsewhere. Singh said beef controversy and issues like intolerance were problems.

"I don't know. I cannot read his mind. But he is the prime minister of all the people of India and he must give every Indian the confidence that in him we have a prime minister who cares for our well-being," news agency PTI quoted the former PM as having told a news magazine.

Reacting to his remarks, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the criticism was "misplaced" while adding that the Modi government had launched a host of schemes like Mudra and Jan Dhan besides other welfare measures for the downtrodden and weaker sections of society.

"Singh is very welcome. He advised the prime minister to be PM for all India and I will like to say that Modi's campaign was 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (with all, development for all) and he is very clearly fulfilling this," the BJP leader said.

Singh also criticised the Modi government's handling of Pakistan and Nepal, saying its dealing with Pakistan was inconsistent. "It has been one step forward, two steps back."

He recalled that Modi had told him during an event to mark Sharad Pawar's 75th birthday that the government was following his suggestion to him.

"I don't think he would ever do that in public," Singh shot back when asked if Modi was giving credit to him.

The Prime Minister's surprise stopover in Lahore on his way to India from Afghanistan was not thought through and there was no need to create an euphoria about it, he added.

Singh, a noted economist himself, also faulted the government's economic policy and said the economy is not in good shape as it could be, "despite the fact that the situation today was much more favourable than it was when we, the Congress-led UPA, were in government."

Asked about the hostility between the treasury and opposition benches, he said it wasn't good for democracy and the country.

"There is unwanted bitterness between the two sides. It does not have to be that way," he said, blaming BJP for this.

(With PTI inputs)
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Saudi Arabia Makes "Final" Decision To Send Troops To Syria By Tyler Durden February 11, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Zero Hedge " - As you might have heard, the opposition in Syria is in serious trouble. Last summer, Bashar al-Assads army was on the ropes, as the SAA fought a multi-front war against a dizzying array of rebel forces including ISIS. Then Quds commander Qassem Soleimani went to Russia. After that, everything changed. As of September 30 the Russian air force began flying combat missions from Latakia, rolling back rebel gains and paving the way for a Hezbollah ground offensive. Once Moscow had stopped the bleeding for the SAA (both figuratively and literally), Iran called up Shiite militias from Iraq who, alongside Hassan Nasrallahs forces, pushed north towards Aleppo. Now, the city is surrounded and the rebels are cut off from their supply line to Turkey. In short: its just a matter of time before the opposition is routed. So much for President Obamas Russia will get itself into a quagmire line. The only thing that can save the rebels at this juncture is a direct intervention by the groups Sunni benefactors including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey. That, or an intervention by the US. Both the Saudis and the Turkey have hinted at ground invasions over the past two weeks and just this morning, a spokesman said Riyadh's decision to send in troops was "final." But direct interventions are tricky. Russia has never denied it intends to bolster Syrian government forces against the rebels, all of whom Moscow deems terrorists. On the other hand, Washington, Riyadh, Doha, and Ankara cling to the notion that while they dont support Assad, theyre primary goal is to fight ISIS. Well ISIS is in Raqqa, which is nowhere near Aleppo, meaning theres no way to help the rebels out in their fight against the Russians, Iranians, and Hezbollah under the guise of battling Islamic State. Against that backdrop we found it interesting that Moscow and Washington are now delivering conflicting accounts of airstrikes in Aleppo on Wednesday. The Pentagon, without specifying what time the strikes allegedly took place, says Russia destroyed the citys two main hospitals. Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov notes that Warren didnt provide either hospitals coordinates, or the time of the airstrikes, or sources of information. Absolutely nothing, he said, describing Warrens report. The Kremlin, on the other hand, says US warplanes conducted strikes at 1355 Moscow time. Two U.S. Air Force A-10 attack aircraft entered Syrian airspace from Turkish territory, Konashenkov said in a statement. Reaching Aleppo by the most direct path, they made strikes against objects in the city. Only aviation of the anti-ISIS coalition flew over the city yesterday, he added. When asked on Wednesday whether the U.S.-led coalition could do more to help rebels in Aleppo or improve access for humanitarian aid to the city, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said that the coalition's focus remained on fighting Islamic State, Reuters wrote on Thursday. The group is "virtually non-existent in that part of Syria, Warren said. Right. Which makes you wonder what two US Air Force A-10 attack planes were doing bombing in and around Aleppo. Is the US set to conduct airstrikes in support of the rebels, thus marking a fresh and exceptionally dangerous escalation of hostilities in the country? As for what exactly it was that the US warplanes struck, Konashenkov will have to get back to us. Hes too busy winning a war to care right now: Im going to be honest with you: we did not have enough time to clarify what exactly those nine objects bombed out by US planes in Aleppo yesterday were. We will look more carefully." * * * Below, find excerpts from Will Russian Victories In Syria Spark A Regional War? by Yaroslav Trofimov as originally published in WSJ Defying U.S. predictions of a quagmire in Syria, Russia is achieving strategic victories there with this months Aleppo offensive. The question now is whether this is a turning point that hastens the five-year wars end or the trigger for a counter-escalation that will drag other regional countries into the conflict. Few expect that Moscows main targetthe moderate rebels backed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.would now be forced settle the conflict on the Kremlins, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assads, terms. Their victory in Aleppo is not the end of the war. Its the beginning of a new war, said Moncef Marzouki, who served in 2011-14 as the president of Tunisia, the nation that kicked off the Arab Spring, and who recently visited the Turkish-Syrian border. Now, everybody would intervene. To be sure, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have few easy options to counter Russian military might in Syria. But because of national prideand internal politicsneither can really afford to have the rebel cause in which they have invested so much wiped out by Moscow and its Iranian allies. While the Obama administration has long been determined to minimize U.S. involvement there, for Turkey and Saudi Arabia the prospect of Syria falling under the sway of Russia and Iran would be a national-security catastrophe. The whole situation, not just for Turkey but for the entire Middle East, would be reshaped. The Western influence will fade away. The question is: Can we accept Russia, and the Iranians, calling the tune in the region? said Umit Pamir, a former Turkish ambassador to NATO and the United Nations.
Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter Man Shot Alongside RFK Say Sirhan Sirhan Should Be Granted Parole



By Steve Fiorina



February 11, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " C10 " - Paul Schrade, now 91 years old, was shot in the head on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles while standing alongside Kennedy. Schrade contends that Sirhan was not the only shooter that night. In an exclusive interview that aired on 10News Tuesday night, Schrade stated that Kennedy was actually killed by a second gunman.



Here is the full text of the statement he gave Wednesday to the parole board at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where the now 71-year-old Sirhan is being held. I am Paul Schrade of Los Angeles. I am 91-years-old. And back when I was 43, I was among six persons shot at the old Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at just after Midnight on June 5th, 1968.



I was shot along with Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who had just won California's Democratic Primary Election for the Presidency of the United States. Five of us survived our wounds. And as history knows, Senator Kennedy was fatally wounded.



I am here to speak for myself, a shooting victim, and to bear witness for my friend, Bob Kennedy.



Kennedy was a man of justice. But, so far, justice has not been served in this case. And I feel obliged as both a shooting victim and as an American to speak out about this -- and to honor the memory of the greatest American I've ever known, Robert Francis Kennedy.



Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was originally scheduled for release in 1984 but, after intense political pressure, his parole date was rescinded and he has since been denied 14 times.



In order for you to make an accurate determination of Sirhan Sirhan's parole, you need to know my feelings on this case and the full picture of what actually happened.



Sirhan, I forgive you.



The evidence clearly shows you were not the gunman who shot Robert Kennedy. There is clear evidence of a second gunman in that kitchen pantry who shot Robert Kennedy. One of the bullets -- the fatal bullet -- struck Bob in the back of the head. Two bullets struck Bob literally in his back. A fourth bullet struck the back of his coat's upper right seam and passed harmlessly through his coat. I believe all four of those bullets were fired from a second gunman standing behind Bob. You were never behind Bob, nor was Bob's back ever exposed to you.



Indeed, Sirhan, the evidence not only shows that you did not shoot Robert Kennedy but it shows that you could not have shot Robert Kennedy.



Gentlemen, the evidence clearly shows that Sirhan Sirhan could not and did not shoot Senator Bob Kennedy.



Several days ago, I made sure that several documents were submitted to this board for you to review. If you have not done so as yet, I would ask you to please review them very carefully during your deliberation. I will be glad to re-submit these documents to you, here today.



I believe, after you review these documents, that it should become clear to you that Sirhan Sirhan did not shoot -- and could not have shot -- Robert Kennedy. What I am saying to you is that Sirhan himself was a victim.



Obviously there was someone else there in that pantry also firing a gun. While Sirhan was standing in front of Bob Kennedy and his shots were creating a distraction, the other shooter secretly fired at the senator from behind and fatally wounded him. Bob died 25 hours later.



Gentlemen, I believe you should grant Sirhan Sirhan parole. And I ask you to do that today.



Along with what Sirhan's lawyers have submitted to you, the following are the documents that I made sure were submitted to you and which should also be factored into your decision today.



First, I want to show you this. It's a letter written in 2012 by my good friend, Robert F. Kennedy Junior. Bobby wrote this letter to Eric Holder, who was then the Attorney General of the United States. In his letter to Mr. Holder, Bobby requests that federal authorities examine the Pruszynski Recording, the only known audio recording made of his father's assassination at the Ambassador Hotel. The recording was uncovered in 2004 at the California State Archives by CNN International senior writer Brad Johnson.



This next document is a federal court declaration from audio expert Philip Van Praag, who Johnson recruited to analyze the Pruszynski Recording.



In this document, Van Praag declares that his analysis of the recording concludes that two guns were fired in the Robert Kennedy shooting.



Van Praag found a total of 13 gunshots in the Pruszynski Recording. Sirhan's one and only gun at the crime scene held no more than eight bullets and Sirhan had no opportunity to reload it.



Van Praag also found what he calls "double-shots" -- meaning two gunshots fired so close together that they could not both have come from Sirhan's Iver Johnson Cadet revolver. Van Praag actually found two sets of these "double-shots".



Additionally, he found that five of the 13 gunshots featured a unique audio resonance characteristic that could not have been produced by Sirhan's gun model, meaning those five shots were fired from a second gun of a different make.



Van Praag further found that those five gunshots were fired in a direction heading away from Pruszynski's microphone. Since the microphone was about 40 feet west of the Kennedy shooting, those five shots were fired in an eastward direction, which was opposite the westward direction that Sirhan is known to have fired his eight-shot Iver Johnson Cadet.



These documents are statements from two witnesses to the Robert Kennedy shooting, both of them assistant maitre d's for the Ambassador Hotel. These two men, Karl Uecker and Edward Minasian, escorted Robert Kennedy into the kitchen pantry immediately after the Senator delivered his victory speech in a hotel ballroom for having won the California Primary. Both Uecker and Minasian say Sirhan was in front of Bob Kennedy as the Senator walked toward Sirhan, meaning that Bob and Sirhan were facing each other. Both witnesses say Sirhan was still in front of Bob as Sirhan fired his gun. And both say that after Sirhan fired his first two shots, Uecker quickly pushed Sirhan against a steam table, placing Sirhan in a headlock while grabbing hold of Sirhans firing arm, forcing the tip of Sirhans gun to point away from where Bob Kennedy was and causing Sirhan to fire blindly his remaining six bullets.



In other words, Sirhan only had full control of his gun at the beginning, when he fired his first two shots, one of which hit me. Sirhan had no opportunity to fire four precisely-placed, point-blank bullets into the back of Bob Kennedy's head or body while he was pinned against that steam table and while he and Bob were facing each other.



This document is the official Robert Kennedy autopsy report summary. It shows that all bullets directed at Senator Kennedy were fired from behind him at point-blank range. As the autopsy states, and as these drawings show, the bullets traveled from back-to-front at steep upward trajectories. One bullet struck Senator Kennedy at the back of the head, two bullets at the right rear armpit and a fourth bullet at the right rear shoulder of his jacket, which passed harmlessly through his jacket.



Again, Sirhan's bullets could not have struck the back of Bob Kennedy's head or the back of his body or the back of his jacket's right shoulder, as the autopsy clear shows took place, because Sirhan was never in a position to administer any of those four Kennedy shots. The prosecution never placed Sirhan in that location and position.



These are documents from the Los Angeles Police Department that reveal LAPD misconduct in the police investigation of the Robert Kennedy murder. They detail evidence that was destroyed while Sirhans appeal was still pending as well as a photograph that was acknowledged by the LAPD to be "effective rebuttal" but was withheld from the defense team.



Indeed, the LAPD and L.A. County District Attorney knew two hours after the shooting of Senator Kennedy that he was shot by a second gunman and they had conclusive evidence that Sirhan could not -- and did not -- do it. The official record shows that the prosecution at Sirhan's trial never had one witness -- and had no physical nor ballistic evidence -- to prove Sirhan shot Bob Kennedy. Evidence locked up for 20 years shows that the LAPD destroyed physical evidence and hid ballistic evidence exonerating Sirhan -- and covered up conclusive evidence that a second gunman fatally wounded Robert Kennedy.



This document is a memo written by Criminalist Larry Baggett, who investigated the Robert Kennedy shooting for the LAPD. The Baggett memo states that the bullets that hit Senator Kennedy and William Weisel, another shooting victim in the pantry, were not fired from the same gun. The memo also states that the bullet that traveled upward through Bob Kennedy's body and into his neck was not fired from Sirhan's revolver. Such a finding would be proof that Sirhan did not shoot Robert Kennedy.



Mr. Deputy District Attorney, based on all of this information and more, I ask that you inform Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey that I am formally requesting her to order a new investigation of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. I will also be making the same request of Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.



Please note, Mr. Deputy District Attorney, that I am using the word "new" here. I am not requesting that the old investigation simply be re-opened. For that would only lead to the same old wrong conclusions. I am requesting a new investigation so that after nearly 50 years, justice finally can be served for me as a shooting victim; for the four other shooting victims who also survived their wounds; for Bob Kennedy who did not survive his wounds because his were the most grievously suffered in that kitchen pantry; for the people of the United States who Bob loved so much and had hoped to lead, just as his brother, President John F. Kennedy, had led only a few years before; and of course for justice, to which Bob Kennedy devoted his life.



Furthermore, Mr. Deputy District Attorney, I ask that you please also tell the District Attorney, Ms. Lacey, that I would appreciate the opportunity to personally meet with her in Los Angeles at her earliest convenience. Would you please convey my message to her?



I hope you will consider all of the accurate details of this crime that I have presented in order for you to accurately determine Sirhan Sirhan's eligibility for parole. If you do this the right way and the just way, I believe you will come to the same conclusion I have: that Sirhan should be released. If justice is not your aim, then of course you will not.



Again, Sirhan was originally scheduled for release in 1984 but after intense political pressure, his parole date was rescinded and he has since been denied 14 times.



The best example of this can be found in this statement of Los Angeles District Attorney John Van de Kamp.



Again, gentlemen, I believe you should grant Sirhan Sirhan parole. And I ask you to do that today in the name of Robert F. Kennedy and in the name of justice.



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Torture, Murder and Donald Trump By Patrick Martin February 11, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " WSWS " - Only four days after his public defense of torture and a hell of a lot worse in US military-intelligence interrogations, billionaire Donald Trump added assassination to his foreign policy arsenal as well. Speaking Wednesday on the CBS This Morning program, Trump said that his solution to the US conflict with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program would be to eliminate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly, Trump told interviewer Norah ODonnell. When she followed up by asking if that meant having Kim Jong-un assassinated, Trump replied, Well, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude. Trump was responding to the declaration by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday that Pyongyang had made progress in developing both nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and could conceivably reach parts of the United States with a nuclear warhead. The billionaire demagogue, fresh off a victory in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday that confirmed his status as the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, said the US government could engineer Kims removal through China. Beijing has absolute control over North Korea, he said, and I would force the Chinese to do iteconomically. I wouldnt leave it up to them. I would say, You gotta do it. You gotta do it, Trump said. If China refuses, he said he would repeat the demand and do it a little more forcefully. Trump was escalating the thuggish, gangster language that has been the hallmark of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. At last Saturdays debate in New Hampshire, he declared his support for waterboarding, adding, I would bring back waterboarding and Id bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. At a campaign rally the next day, Trump used a vulgar term for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, one of his major rivals for the nomination, because Cruz expressed some reservations about waterboarding, suggesting that its use should be infrequent rather than widespread. The candidate took the same tack in a series of appearances on Sunday network television interview programs. On CNN, NBC and ABC he was asked about his comments on waterboarding, and each instance he reiterated his support for torture, although he declined to spell out what methods of interrogation would be a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. On CNN, interviewer Jake Tapper pointed out that US law bans treatment of prisoners that causes serious and nontransitory mental harm, like waterboarding, then asked Trump, How would you bring it back, if it is currently a war crime under US law? Trump responded, I would go through a process and get it declassified, frankly. He portrayed this form of torture as necessary retribution for the methods of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, even if it was ineffective in extracting information. They laugh at us when they hear that were not going to approve waterboarding, he said, and then they will have a James Foley and others where they cut off their heads. And, you know, you can say what you want. I have no doubt that it does work in terms of information and other things, and maybe not always, but nothing works always. But I have no doubt that it works. But, more importantly, when theyre chopping off the heads of people, and innocent people in most cases, beyond waterboarding is fine with me. On NBCs Meet the Press program, interviewer Chuck Todd asked Trump what was worse than waterboarding, but Trump declined to define it. Todd suggested, referring to ISIS, They want to be barbaric. Were not barbaric. Trump disagreed, declaring, OK. They can do it, but we cant? Then he added, You can do waterboarding and you can go a step beyond waterboarding. It wouldnt bother me even a little bit. On the ABC program This Week, interviewer George Stephanopoulos asked directly, As president, you would authorize torture? Trump replied, I would absolutely authorize something beyond waterboarding. And believe me, it will be effective. If we need information, George, you have our enemy cutting heads off of Christians and plenty of others, by the hundreds, by the thousands. This exchange followed: STEPHANOPOULOS: Do we win by being more like them? TRUMP: Yes. Im sorry. You have to do it that way. And Im not sure everybody agrees with me. I guess a lot of people dont. We are living in a time thats as evil as any time that there has ever been. You know, when I was a young man, I studied Medieval times. Thats what they did, they chopped off heads. Thats what we have ... STEPHANOPOULOS: So were going to chop off heads? TRUMP: Were going to do things beyond waterboarding perhaps, if that happens to come. Stephanopoulos was the only interviewer to pose the torture question to another candidate, in this case Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican. Rubio declared that there shouldnt be public discussion of specific interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to avoid alerting suspected terrorists. But he made it clear he had no differences with Trump on resuming waterboarding and other forms of torture-interrogation. With that, the corporate-controlled media has turned the page, more or less dropping the subject. The question was not raised during the saturation coverage of the New Hampshire primary Tuesday. Network television news broadcasts on Wednesday did not mention Trumps call to assassinate Kim Jong-un or his campaign for torture. Significantly, neither Democratic candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, criticized Trump for his embrace of torture and murder. Clinton, of course, has her own record of endorsing barbarism, with her notorious comment during the US-NATO war against Libya, referring laughingly to the torture and murder of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, We came. We saw. He died. Clinton was part of the Obama administration during the initial campaign of drone missile assassinations, including the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki in 2011 and his teenage son two weeks afterward. She was in the cabinet when Obama made his decision to block any prosecution of CIA officials for torture, when he suppressed evidence of torture, including graphic photos, and while the CIA fought a protracted battle against the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture. Copyright  1998-2016 World Socialist Web Site
Next Onslaught in Gaza:

Why the Status Quo is a Precursor for War By Ramzy Baroud February 11, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - It is not true that only three wars have taken place since Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Other wars that were deemed insignificant or skirmishes also took place. Operation Returning Echo in March 2012, for example, killed and wounded over 100 people. But since the death toll, relative to the other major onslaughts seemed trivial, it was not cited as war, per se. According to this logic, so-called operations Cast Lead (2008-9), Pillar of Defense (2012) and the deadliest of them all, Protective Edge (2014) were serious enough to be included in any relevant discussion, especially when the prospective new Israeli war on Gaza is considered. It is important to denote that most of the media, mainstream or other, adheres to Israels designations of the war, not those of Palestinians. For example, Gazans refer to their last confrontation with Israel as the Al-Furqan Battle, a term we almost never hear repeated with reference to the war. Observing the Israeli war discourse as the central factor in understanding the war against the Resistance surpasses that of language into other areas. The suffering in Gaza has never ceased, not since the last war, the previous one or the one before that. But only when Israel begins to mull over war as a real option, do many of us return to Gaza to discuss the various violent possibilities that lie ahead. The problem of relegating Gaza until Israeli bombs begin to fall is part and parcel of Israeli collective thinking  government and society, alike. Gideon Levy, one of the very few sympathetic Israeli journalists in mainstream newspapers wrote about this in a recent article in Haaretz. The addiction to fear and the eternal wallowing in terror in Israel suddenly reminded one of the existence of the neighboring ghetto, he wrote in reference to Gaza and sounding of Israeli war drums. Only thus are we here reminded of Gaza. When it shoots, or at least digs  (only then) we recall In fact, Israels exceedingly violent past in Gaza does not hinge on Hamas relative control of the terribly poor and besieged place, nor is it, as per conventional wisdom, also related to Palestinian factionalism. Certainly, Hamas strength there is hardly an incentive for Israel to leave Gaza alone, and Palestinians pitiful factionalism rarely help the situation. However, Israels problem is with the very idea that there is a single Palestinian entity that dares challenge Israels dominance, and dares to resist. Moreover, the argument that armed resistance, in particular, infuriates Israel the most is also incorrect. Violent resistance may speed up Israels retaliation and the intensity of its violence, but as we are currently witnessing in the West Bank, no form of resistance has ever been permissible, not now, not since the Palestinian Authority was essentially contracted to control the Palestinian population, and certainly not since the start of the Israeli military occupation in 1967. Israel wants to have complete monopoly over violence, and that is the bottom line. A quick scan of Israels history against Palestinian Resistance in all of its forms is indicative that the Israel vs. Hamas narrative has always be reductionist, due partly to it being politically convenient for Israel, but also useful in the Palestinians own infighting. Fatah, which was Palestines largest political party until Hamas won 76 out of the legislative councils 132 seats in the early 2006 elections, has played a major rule in constructing that misleading narrative, one that sees the past wars and the current conflict as an exclusive fight between Hamas, as political rival, and Israel. When seven of Hamas fighters were recently killed after a tunnel collapsed  which was destroyed during the 2014 war by Israel and was being rebuilt  Fatah issued a statement that appeared on Facebook. The statement did not declare solidarity with the various resistance movements which have operated under horrendously painful circumstances and unremitting siege for years, but chastised the war merchants  in reference to Hamas  who, according to Fatah, know nothing but burying their young people in ashes. But what other options does the Resistance in Gaza actually have? The unity government which was agreed on by both Fatah and Hamas in the Beach Refugee Camp agreement in the summer of 2014 yielded no practical outcomes, leaving Gaza with no functioning government, and a worsening siege. That reality, for now, seals the fate of a political solution involving a unified Palestinian leadership. Submitting to Israel is the worst possible option. If the Resistance is Gaza was to lay down its arms, Israel would attempt to recreate the post-1982 Lebanon war scenario, when they pacified their enemies using extreme violence and then entrusted their collaborating allies to rearrange the subsequent political landscape. While some Palestinians could readily offer to fill that disreputable role, the Gaza society is likely to shun them entirely. A third scenario in which Gaza is both free and the Palestinian peoples political wishes are respected is also unlikely to materialize soon, considering the fact that Israel has no reason to submit to this option, at least for now. This leaves the war option as the only real, tragic possibility. Israeli analyst, Amost Harel highlighted in his article, Hamas Desire to Increase West Bank Attacks Could Trigger New Gaza War the reasoning behind this logic. To date, Israel and Palestinian Authority security forces have succeeded in scuttling most of Hamas schemes, he wrote, referring to his allegations that Hamas is attempting to co-opt the ongoing uprising in the West Bank. In one of several scenarios he offered, The first is that a successful Hamas attack in the West Bank will spur an Israeli response against the group in Gaza, which will lead the parties into a confrontation. In most of Israeli media analyses, there is almost total disregard for Palestinian motives, aside from some random inclination to commit acts of terror. Of course, reality is rarely close to Israels self-centered version of events, as rightly pointed out by Israeli writer Gideon Levy. After his most recent visit to Gaza, Robert Piper, UN envoy and humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Territories, left the Strip with a grim assessment: only 859 of homes destroyed in the last war have been rebuilt. He blamed the blockade for Gazas suffering, but also the lack of communication between the Ramallah-based government and Hamas movement in Gaza. Theres no changes to the underlying fragility of Gaza, he told AFP, and the situation remains on a frankly disastrous trajectory of de-development and radicalization, as far as I can tell. Of the blockade, he said, It is a blockade that prevents students from getting to universities to further their studies in other places. Its a blockade that prevents sick people from getting the health care that they need. Under these circumstance, it is difficult to imagine that another war is not looming. Israels strategic, political and military tactics, as it stands today, will not allow Gaza to live with a minimal degree of dignity. On the other hand, the history of Gazas resistance makes it impossible to imagine a scenario in which the Strip raises a white flag and awaits its allotted punishment.  Dr. Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20 years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His books include Searching Jenin, The Second Palestinian Intifada and his latest My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gazas Untold Story. His website is: www.ramzybaroud.net.
By Agencies

February 11, 2016 "

Information Clearing House

" -

MUNICH, Germany: Moscow warned Thursday that any move by Gulf nations to send in troops to support the rebels in Syria would risk a new world war. It also said that it had made a quite specific cease-fire proposal for Syria as foreign ministers gathered in Munich, hoping to revive a floundering peace process amid warnings of a new world war.

Meanwhile, a Saudi source said a new Saudi-led coalition to fight terrorism in Islamic countries will gather in the kingdom next month for its first publicly announced meeting.

This development came days after the kingdom, which backs some of the rebels that Moscow is helping to defeat, has floated the idea of sending ground troops to help the U.S. effort against Daesh (ISIS).

This was criticized by Russian premier Dmitry Medvedev, who said, The Americans and our [Arab] partners must think hard about this: Do they want a permanent war? he told Germanys Handelsblatt daily.

We made propositions for a cease-fire that are quite specific, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said as he sat down for talks with U.S. counterpart John Kerry.

Moscow has refused to confirm reports that its cease-fire would take effect only on March 1, giving another three weeks to an offensive which the U.N. says could place 300,000 people under siege. Observers say the shelling on Aleppo have killed 500 people since they began on Feb. 1.

The meeting in the German city of Munich was meant to allow powers to coordinate support for ongoing talks, but instead has turned into a desperate bid to resurrect them.

A Western diplomat told Reuters that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wanted an immediate cease-fire in Syria  All or nothing. Moscow, however, had proposed a truce that would begin only from the start of next month, giving its Damascus allies 18 more days to recapture Aleppo, once Syrias largest city. Western powers were hopeful wording could be agreed that at the very least would allow more access for aid to besieged areas.

Here we need something of a breakthrough, said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Today, we will try what has not been achieved so far especially, to get better supplies to people locked in Syria and link this to first steps in a significant reduction of violence.

But a senior Western diplomat summed up the pessimistic outlook: This meeting risks being endless and I fear the results will be extremely small.

Lavrov, who met Kerry ahead of the talks, said Moscow had submitted proposals for a cease-fire and was awaiting a response from other powers. But Western officials do not expect Moscow to accept the immediate halt to bombing Washington seeks.

Kerry said he expected a serious conversation.

Obviously, at some point in time, we want to make progress on the issues of humanitarian access and cease-fire, Kerry said.

Russia is widely viewed as unlikely to halt support for the government advance until Damascus achieves its two main objectives: recapturing Aleppo and sealing the Turkish border, for years the lifeline for rebel-held areas.

That would amount to the most decisive victory of the war so far, and probably put an end to rebel hopes of removing Assad by force, their goal throughout five years of fighting that has killed 250,000 people and driven 11 million from their homes.

The goal is to totally liberate Aleppo and then to seal the northern border with Turkey, said Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Strategic Trend Studies in Moscow, explaining the Russian government thinking. The offensive should not be stopped  that would be tantamount to defeat.

Washington is leading its own air campaign against Daesh militants, but has resisted calls to intervene in the main battlefields of Syrias civil war in the west of the country, where the government is mostly fighting against other insurgent groups.

That has left the field to the Russians, who support Assad against an array of rebel groups backed by Turkey, Arab states and the West.

A Western diplomat said that details of how the grouping of the new Saudi-led coalition would work remained unclear and they dont have the infrastructure yet to run such a coalition.

This is official now, that they will meet end of March, the Saudi source said, without giving a date.

The source added that the coalition now has 35 members, up from the 34 announced initially.

Member countries named previously by the Saudis range from the tiny African nation of the Comoros to major regional powers like Turkey.

Saudi Arabia said the alliance would share intelligence, combat violent ideology and deploy troops if necessary.

The kingdom is a member of the U.S.-led coalition that has been bombing Daesh in eastern Syria and northern Iraq for more than 18 months.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on February 12, 2016, on page 1.

Updated 02/12/2016

See also -
Syria War Pause Plan Agreed By World Powers By Agencies World powers have agreed to seek a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to begin in a week's time, after talks in Munich, Germany. The halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front. The 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) also agreed to accelerate and expand aid deliveries. The announcement comes as the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, advances in Aleppo province. The move threatens to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in rebel-held parts of the major city of Aleppo. The Syrian government has not yet responded, though a key rebel coalition welcomed the announcement. "If we see action and implementation on the ground, we will be soon in Geneva," Salim al-Muslat told reporters, referring to the Swiss city where the UN is trying to get peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels off the ground. More than 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria. Both Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry admitted, repeatedly, this was only progress on paper. Some diplomats are already saying "it's not worth the paper it's printed on". There are still major gaps. One of the biggest is that Russia's bombing of Aleppo and what it calls terrorist targets is not included in the possible truce even though its actions are seen by many as strengthening Syrian government forces. On the issue of delivering desperately needed aid to besieged areas, UN officials say they are determined to seize this new opening. The next week will confirm whether Syria's government and opposition forces are ready to provide access denied for so long. It will be a week which tests the commitment of all outside players, as well as Syrians on all sides. That, in itself, is some progress. But moving towards talks to end Syria's devastating war will still take far more than that. US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted the ceasefire plan was "ambitious" and said the real test would be whether the various parties honoured the commitments. "What we have here are words on paper, what we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground," he said. A task force chaired by the US and Russia will work to implement the truce through consultations with Syria's rival groups. Aid deliveries for besieged Syrian communities are due to begin as early as Friday. What has been agreed? To try to immediately step up aid deliveries to besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria For a US/Russia-led task force to work to achieve a "cessation of hostilities" across Syria beginning in one week's time "Cessation of hostilities" will exclude action against so-called Islamic State group, jihadist group al-Nusra Front and other UN-designated terrorist groups To work towards an eventual ceasefire and implementation of a UN-backed plan for political transition in Syria Mr Kerry made the announcement alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. Mr Lavrov said there were "reasons to hope we have done a great job today". An earlier proposal from Russia envisaged a truce starting on 1 March. At the news conference Mr Kerry again suggested that Russian strikes were targeting what the West sees as moderate opposition forces, rather than terrorists, as Moscow says. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the cessation would only work if Russia halted its raids, although Mr Lavrov said they would continue. The ISSG also agreed that peace talks involving the Syrian government and rebels should resume as soon as possible. Initial talks were suspended just days after they began earlier this month in Geneva, in the wake of the Aleppo offensive. Thousands of people displaced by the fighting have been stranded at the border with Turkey and aid agencies have warned of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.
The Race To Raqqa Is On - To Keep Its Unity Syria Must Win By Moon Of Alabama February 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Moon Of Alabama " - The race to Raqqa is on. Syria and its allies are competing with the U.S. and its allies to snatch east Syria from the Islamic State. Raqqa in eastern Syria is held by the Islamic State as are the other cities along the Euphrates towards Iraq. To defeat the Islamic State in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and other eastern Syrian towns and to liberate them is the aim of all purported enemies of the Islamic State. But this question has to be seen in a larger context. Could the U.S. and its allies capture Raqqa or Deir Ezzor and with it parts of eastern Syria it could use them as a bargaining chip to gain some negotiation power with Syria and its allies over the future of Syria. Alternatively it create a Sunni state in east-Syria and west-Iraq. Mosul would be part of such a Sunni state and it would probably be put under the tutelage of Turkey. There have been U.S. plans for such a "Sunnistan" and a revision of the Sykes-Picot borders for some time. For Syria and its allies the upholding of the unity of Syria is a major objective. To leave Raqqa and the eastern oil fields to the U.S. would be a devastating loss. Syria and its allies have therefore to beat the U.S. and its allies in the race to Raqqa and the larger east Syria. According to Southfront Syria just made the first major move. A brigade of the Syrian Arab Army attacked the positions of the Islamic State along the Ithriyah to Raqqa road. The town Tal Abu Zayhn has been taken on the way to the first objective, the Tabaqah military airport. Additional supporting forces from various allied groups are assembling in Ithriyah to later support the attack.

The U.S. move towards east-Syria is still in preparation. The first U.S. plan was to use the Syrian-Kurdish YPG forces of north-east Syria. These were labeled Syrian Democratic Forces after attaching a few fighters from Arab tribes. These forces would have attacked Raqqa from the north. But the Kurds did not want to invade the Arab lands they would not be able to hold. Their aim is to connect to the Kurdish enclave in north-west Syria along the Turkish border. The U.S. is coming up with a new plan. There are only sketches visible so far and the following is just somewhat informed speculation. The U.S. has extended the runway of the agricultural Rumeilan/Abu Hajar airfield (map) in the Kurdish held area in north east Syria to be able to supply larger operations in the wider area: This location has been chosen because it's just 100 miles (160 kilometers) from ISIS frontline positions and some of its lucrative oil fields, but well within territory held by Kurdish fighters known as the YPG. The runway is being nearly doubled in length from about 2,300 feet to 4,330 feet (700 to 1,320 meters) -- long enough, say, to receive C130 transport planes. A small apron is also being paved. Some U.S. special operation forces are said to already operate from there. This is the vanguard on a reconnaissance mission. It was publicly disclosed that one brigade if the U.S. 101st Airborne Division would go to Iraq to train, advise and assist the Iraqi forces for an attack on Mosul. Some 1,800 soldiers from the 101sts Headquarters and its 2nd Brigade Combat Team will deploy soon on regular rotations to Baghdad and Irbil to train and advise Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga forces who are expected in the coming months to move toward Mosul, the Islamic State groups de facto headquarters in Iraq. But Col. Pat Lang was told that two brigades of the 101st would deploy: I was told today that two brigades of the 101st Airborne Division are going to Iraq, not just one. This probably is related to the Saudi Juggernaut. pl The Saudi "juggernaut" was the recent announcement that the Saudis would be willing to send troops to Syria. Nobody was, at first, taking that serious but it now starts to make some sense. The Saudis today confirmed their intent: Saudis decision to send troops to Syria in an attempt to bolster and toughen efforts against militants is final and irreversible, the Saudi military spokesman announced on Thursday. Brig. Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri, said that Riyadh is ready and will fight with its U.S.-led coalition allies to defeat ISIS militants in Syria, however, he said Washington is more suitable to answer questions on further details about any future ground operations.

...

The statement comes as Saudi Arabias Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman visited NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss the Syrian civil war. The Saudis would fight under the control of the one brigade of the 101st airborne that was not announced to go for Mosul. The Saudis would deploy from Saudi Arabia likely via a U.S. controlled airstrip in west Iraq towards Syria while the brigade from the 101st would probably deploy from the Kurdish area in north Iraq through the Kurdish areas in north-east Syria towards Raqqa. Raqqa would thereby be attacked from a north-eastern and a south-eastern. The airport of Rumeilan/Abu Hajar would be one of the major supply bases. Such a move of forces would be quite large and over relative long distances. But most of the area is desert and modern motorized military equipment could easily cover those distances in a day or two. This would put Saudi troops into Syria. If they would take Raqqa or Deir Ezzor and the eastern Syrian oilfields they would NEVER let go of it unless Syria would bend to the Saudi demand of introducing an Islamist led government. The plan is workable but it would also instigate a large mobilization of Shia forces and could lead to a bigger conflict. The Russian Prime Minister Medvedev warned today that new Arab forces entering the Syrian war could spark a much wider war. The Saudi operation was said today to start within two month. The Syrian government forces and their allies will now have to rush to the east to protect the unity of the country. The U.S. for its part may want to hinder the Syrian advantage by whatever means it has, including - possibly - some "erroneous" bombing. The race for Raqqa, and Syria's future, is on.
Are Americans Too Insouciant To Survive? By Paul Craig Roberts February 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - When one looks at the deplorable state of the world, one cannot help but wonder at the insouciance of the American people. Where are they? Do they exist or are they a myth? Have they been put to sleep by an evil demon? Are they so lost in The Matrix that they cannot get out? Ever since Clintons second term the US has been consistently acting internationally and domestically as a criminal, disregarding its own laws, international laws, the sovereignty of other countries, and the US Constitution. A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves. According to polls, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders are splitting the Democratic vote 50-50 as preferred Democratic presidential candidate. This is extraordinary. Hillary Clinton represents the interests of Wall Street and the mega-banks, the Israel Lobby, and the interests of the military/security complex. These interests are totally opposed to the interests of the American people. In his book, Whats the Matter with Kansas, Thomas Frank raised the question of why Americans vote against their own interests? Why do Americans go to the voting both and do themselves in? Whether you agree with Thomas Franks answer or not, Americans do, on a regular basis, harm themselves by voting for people who are agents of vested interests diametrically opposed to the interests of American citizens. How is it possible, if Democrats are informed people, that half of them prefer Hillary Clinton? Between February 2001 and May 2015 Bill and Hillary collected $153 million in speaking fees. The fees averaged $210,795 per speech. http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/06/no-artful-smear-clintons-paid-153-million-speaking-fees-analysis-shows I can remember when Bill and Hillary were in public office when their speeches were free. No one wanted to listen to them when the speeches were free. Clearly, Bill is being paid off for his past services to the powerful interest groups that control the United States, and Hillary is being paid off for her future service to the same groups. How then is it possible that half of Democrats would prefer Hillary? Is it because she is a woman and women want a woman president more than they want their civil liberties, peace, and employment for themselves, their spouses and their children? Or is it because, given the presstitute character of the American media, the people havent a clue? If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for someone who has been paid off to the tune of $153 million by powerful vested interests who have no concern whatsoever for your interests. In addition, Hillary has the necessary campaign funds from the powerful interest groups for her presidential nomination campaign. As if this isnt damning enough, Hugh Wharton writes that the National Democratic Committee is in league with Hillary to steal, if necessary, the nomination from Sanders and the voters. http://usuncut.com/news/the-dnc-superdelegates-just-screwed-over-bernie-sanders-and-spit-in-the-faces-of-voters/ In contrast, the interest groups who rule America are not contributing to Sanders. Therefore, the choice of Sanders is obvious, but 50% of Democrats are too braindead to see it. Although Hillary is a substantial threat to America, the threat of nuclear war is much greater, and the Democratic Obama regime in the hands of neoconservatives has just greatly amplified the threat of nuclear war. The United States government, or perhaps we should say the exploiter and deceiver of the American people, has announced a three-fold increase in its military presence on Russias borders. The excuse for this great boost in the profits and power of the US military-security complex is Russian aggression. But there is no sign of this aggression. So Washington and its servile presstitutes in the Western media make it up. They proclaim a lie. Russia invaded Ukraine proclaims the propaganda. No mention is made of Washingtons coup in Ukraine that overthrew a democratically elected government and began a war against the Russian populations of eastern and southern Ukraine, former provinces of Russia added to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic by Soviet leaders. In the presstitute media, no mention is made of Washingtons intention of seizing Russias only warm water port in Crimea on the Black Sea. http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/02/us-control-over-crimea-aim-of-coup-in.html Having created a nonexistant Russian invasion in place of the real US coup in Ukraine in the minds of the indoctrinated Americans, Washington now claims that Russia is going to invade the Baltics and Poland. Nothing could be further from the truth, but this lie from the Obama regime now determines that the US military presence on Russias borders will increase three-fold. The escalation of the US/NATO threat on Russias borders forces a Russian response. Considering that the Russophobic governments in Poland and the Baltic States have unstable judgement, military buildups bring risks of miscalculations. There is a limit to the level of threat that the Russian government can tolerate. The impotent Obama is in the firm grip of the neoconservatives and the military-security complex. The neoconservatives are motivated by their ideology of American world hegemony. The military-security complex is motivated by power and profit. These motives bring the United States and its vassals into conflict with Russias (and Chinas) sovereign existence. Within the councils of American foreign policy there is not sufficient weight to counter the neoconservative drive to war with Russia and China. In conventional war, the US is not a military match for the Russian/Chinese strategic alliance. Therefore, the war would be nuclear. The power of hydrogen bombs is immensely more powerful that the atomic bombs that the US dropped on Japan. Nuclear war means the end of life on earth. Americans can know that democracy has failed them, because there is no check on the neoconservatives ability to foment war with Russia and China. The neocons control the press, and the press portrays Russia as an existential threat to the United States. Once this fiction is drilled into the brains of Americans, it is childs play for propagandists to create endless fears that deplete taxpayers of income in order to create profits for the military-security complex by relaunching the Cold War and an armaments race. That is what is currently going on. The inability of Americans to realize that they are being taken into a conflict that benefits only the profits and power of the military-security complex and the ideology of a small group of crazies demonstrates the impotence of American democracy. Universities and think tanks are replete with ambitious people who, chasing grants and influence, fuel the Russophobic hysteria. For example, on February 9 the Washington Post published an article by Michael Ignatieff, the Edward R. Murrow professor at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School, and Leon Wieseltier, the Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. The article is a complete misrepresentation of the facts in Syria and called for US measures that would result in military conflict with Russia. It was irresponsible for the Washington Post to publish the article, but the decision is consistent with the Posts presstitute nature. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-era-of-us-abdication-on-syria-must-end/2016/02/09/55226716-ce96-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html The propaganda line maintained by the US government, the neoconservatives, the military/security complex, the presstitutes, and fiction-writers such as Ignatieff and Wieseltier is that Russia is not bombing the Islamic State jihadists who are attempting to overthrow the Syrian government in order to establish a jihadish state that would threaten the Middle East, Iran, and Russia herself. The official line is that the Russians are bombing the democratic rebels who are trying to overthrow

an alleged brutal Syrian dictator. The conflict that the US government started by sending ISIS to Syria to overthrow the Syrian government is blamed on the Russian and Syrian governments. Ignatieff and Wieseltier say that the US has put its moral standing at risk by permitting the Russians to bomb and to starve innocent women and children, as if the US had any moral standing after destroying seven countries so far in the 21st century, producing millions of dead and displaced persons, many of whom are now overrunning Europe as refugees from Washingtons wars. The recently retired head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael Flynn, has said that the Obama regime made a willful decision to support ISIS and use ISIS against the Assad government in Syria. That the violence in Syria originated in a US/ISIS conspiracy against Syria is ignored by Ignatieff and Wieseltier. Instead, they blame Russia despite the fact that it is Russias air support for the Syrian Army that has rolled back ISIS. Where were Ignatieff and Wieseltier when Washington and its vassals destroyed Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, much of Pakistan, overthrew the first democratically elected government in Egypt, overthrew the government in Ukraine and started a war against the Russian population, and supplied Israel with the weapons and money to steal Palestine from the Palestinians? Where were they when Clinton destroyed Yugoslavia and Serbia? Where are they when ISIS murders Syrians and eats the livers of its executed victims? It would be interesting to know who financed the professorship in Edward R. Murrows name and the fellowship in Isiah Berlins name and how these positions came to be staffed with their current occupants. Reagan and Gorbachev brought the Cold War to an end. The George H.W. Bush administration supported the end of the Cold War and gave further guarantees to Russia. But Clinton attacked Serbia, a Russian ally and broke the agreement that NATO would not expand into Eastern Europe to Russias border. When the neoconservatives plans to invade Syria and to attack Iran were frustrated by Russian diplomacy, the neocons turned on Russia with fury. In 1961 President Eisenhower warned the American people of the threat posed by the military-security complex. That was 55 years ago. This complex is so strong today that it is able to divert massive taxpayer resources to its coffers while the living standard and economic prospects of the American people decline. The military/security complex requires an enemy. When the Cold War ended, the Muslim Threat was created. This threat has now been superceded by the Russian Threat, which is much more useful in keeping Europe in line and in scaring people with prospective invasions and nuclear attacks that are far beyond the power and reach of jihadists. Superpower America required a more dangerous enemy than a few lightly armed jihadists, so the Russian threat was created. To drive home the threat, Russia and her president are constantly demonized. The conclusion is unavoidable that the insouciant American people are being prepared for war. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
The Internet and Social Fragmentation



By Fred Reed February 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " -The existence of the internet may not be news in most places, nor that it does things astonishing to those alive before the net and boring to those who came after. But I wonder whether the net might have underlying consequences perhaps not well understood. In particular, I wonder how to measure the influence of the internet in Battambang, Bali, Bukittinggi, or Tierra del Fuego. Or in small towns in Mexico, such as Jocotepec, down the road from me. Fifty years ago, such places existed in near-perfect isolation from the world at large. Nobody, bright or otherwise, had much chance of learning much of anything. There was AM radio with a limited selection of music and governmentally controlled news. There might be a small library. If you lived near a big city, Guadalajara, in Mexico or Bogota in Colombia, there were good bookstores but books cost money. It was de facto intellectual imprisonment in an empty world. The, ker-whoom, the internet. A kid in Aranyaprathet, Salta in Argentina near the Bolivian border, or a girl in Joco had virtually the same intellectual and cultural resources as people in Leipzig or Boston. This is nuts. I am persuaded that it is also impossible, but since the internet is everywhere I may have to modify my views. My question is: How much and what effect has this had without being quite noticed? Here in Mexico I watched my stepdaughter Natalia growing up from about ten. She was a bright kid. Bright kids litter the earth. Millions of metric tons of them have the internet. Some things were predictable. Kids like music. Nata began spending long hours conectada, connectedplugged into earphones. So did her friends. Those earphones plugged into the entire earth. One day she said that she had discovered a wonderful new form of music. What, I asked? Se llama country. Ye gods and little catfish, I thought. Boxcar Willie had come to central Mexico. Soon she knew more about country music than I did, followed by an interest in blues, bluegrass, jazz, in short pretty much every form of music that existed. You might ask reasonably, So what? To American kids, yes: So what? But to kids in remote towns in the third worldwhatever that meansit was a huge jump in cultural sophistication. They listened to bands in South Korea, Japan, all over Latin America. Then of course came Kindle for books, giving Natalia (and the whole earth) the Library of Congress in a twopound box and, of course, millions of books in lots of languages. Further, the net allowed easy access to news the that governments didnt want people to have, and the social media allowed people unhappy with things to realize that lots of other people were also unhappy. Presumably people were doing the same in Vientiane, Taijung, Yellow Knife, and Lost Hope, North Dakota. It was crazy. It still is. We just dont notice it. What, if any, practical effect does this have? Granted, some consequences of the net were not so salubrious. Today there is a karaoke app that lets people on different continents sing together horribly. Movies became equally available, junk movies ad Fellini and Kubrick and weird cult stuff nobody has ever heard of. Netflix, YouTube, pirated CDs put on-line. Larceny being a major component of adolescence, kids quickly learn to steal software, to use proxy servers (burlando los servidores, spoofing the servers) .Opera? I told Violeta that Id like to hear the Habanera, whereupon she pulled up five versions that she likedCallas, Carmen Monarcha and so on and one, so help me by the Muppets. On demand, streaming, good sound, no commercials. Somewhat parenthetically, the universities in poor countries profit mightily from the net. In nations without much money, Americas ninety-dollar textbooks are out of reach. But when students have iPads, now expected at least hereabouts, a great deal of necessary reading is on-line. And so I find bright kids, and the young adults they are turning into, far more sophisticated than I was at their age. In remote villages. What consequences does this have? What about the effects of the net on the US? People in Casper now have access to most of the cultural and intellectual advantages of Manhattan of course, but what are the political effects? Whether America has ever had freedom of speech or a free press can be debated. Until roughly the Sixties, free expression was limited by a combination of national consensus, governmental censorship, cooperative media, and lack of lateral communication. In the Fifties, television meant ABC, CBS, and NBC which, then as now, were almost federal departments. Communism was the hated enemy and nobody with any circulation questioned this. HUAC, the House Un-American Activities Committee punished dissent. Access to information that the government didnt like barely existed. Minor socialist papers existed in New York, but people in Farmville,, Virginia had no access to them. Any sort of sexual content was quashed. Crucially, there was no lateral communication: You could write letters to editorsvertical communicationwhich would be censored according to the editors whims. That was it. The aggregate effect was a manufactured unanimity, or the appearance of one. In the post-war prosperity, Americans bought washing machines and tract houses and were content. Television was wholesome, sterile, and not very informative. Superman jumped out of window to promote truth, justice, and the American way, then thought to be related. Came the internet. Fairly suddenly, every point of view became available to everybody: The KKK, the Black Panthers, communists, fascists, feminists, loon left and loon right, the-earth-is-flatters. The social media and comment sections allowed lateral communication with a vengeance. A consequence was that the major media became known for what they were, propaganda organs of those who ran the country. Stories that the fossil media would have liked to ignore flew instantly to hundreds of thousands of inboxes, appeared on countless blogs and websitesoften with cell-cam video. What effect, if any, has the net had on sexual mores? When children of nine years can watch pore-level porn of any imaginable type, what happens? A related question is whether any code of sexual morality can be enforced by a society with internet pornography. Almost all civilized societies in almost all times have imposed restrictions of some sort. Often these have been of religious provenance, and religion is fast being squeezed out of Western societies. Another question is whether the internet causes, or merely reports, the current fragmentation of the public into warring groups. Today the country seethes with hatreds that were unknown in 1955perhaps existent, but unknown. Without the Salons and Breitbarts, would their respective readerships even know of each others existence? Would misandrist feminism have the enormous traction it enjoys if CalBerkeley could not communicate easily with Boston U? Would all the deeply angry people of today have same political clout if the net had not allowed them to learn of each other and coalesce? In a country with a fairly homogeneous society, the net may be less politically potent. If there is only one race and one religion, you dont have racial and religious antipathies. But America is heterogeneous. When the internet forces very different regionsMassachusetts, Alabama, and West Virginiainto digital propinquity, does this arouse hostilities? When widely distributed members of fringe groups the governments dont like can congregate on websites and in the social media, does this encourage fragmentation? I dunno. You tell me. Fred, a keyboard mercenary with a disorganized past, has worked on staff for Army Times, The Washingtonian, Soldier of Fortune, Federal Computer Week, and The Washington Times. http://fredoneverything.org
How Republics Perish By Patrick J. Buchanan February 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - If you believed Americas longest war, in Afghanistan, was coming to an end, be advised: It is not. Departing U.S. commander Gen. John Campbell says there will need to be U.S. boots on the ground for years to come. Making good on President Obamas commitment to remove all U.S. forces by next January, said Campbell, would put the whole mission at risk. Afghanistan has not achieved an enduring level of security and stability that justifies a reduction of our support.  2016 could be no better and possibly worse than 2015. Translation: A U.S. withdrawal would risk a Taliban takeover with Kabul becoming the new Saigon and our Afghan friends massacred. Fifteen years in, and we are stuck. Nor is America about to end the next longest war in its history: Iraq. Defense Secretary Ash Carter plans to send units of the 101st Airborne back to Iraq to join the 4,000 Americans now fighting there, ISIS is cancer, says Carter. After we cut out the parent tumor in Mosul and Raqqa, we will go after the smaller tumors across the Islamic world. When can Mosul be retaken? Certainly not this year, says the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart. Vladimir Putins plunge into the Syrian civil war with air power appears to have turned the tide in favor of Bashar Assad. The moderate rebels are being driven out of Aleppo and tens of thousands of refugees are streaming toward the Turkish border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to be enraged with the U.S. for collaborating with Syrian Kurds against ISIS and with Obamas failure to follow through on his dictate  Assad must go! There is thus no end in sight to the U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, nor to the U.S.-backed Saudi war in Yemen, where ISIS and al-Qaida have re-arisen in the chaos. Indeed, the West is mulling over military intervention in Libya to crush ISIS there and halt the refugee flood into Europe. Yet, despite Americas being tied down in wars from the Maghreb to Afghanistan, not one of these wars were among the three greatest threats identified last summer by Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security, said Dunford, If you want to talk about a nation that could pose an existential threat to the United States, I would have to point to Russia, if you look at their behavior, its nothing short of alarming. Dunford agreed with John McCain that we ought to provide anti-tank weapons and artillery to Ukraine, for, without it, theyre not going to be able to protect themselves against Russian aggression. But what would we do if Putin responded by sending Russian troops to occupy Mariupol and build a land bridge to Crimea? Send U.S. troops to retake Mariupol? Are we really ready to fight Russia? The new forces NATO is moving into the Baltic suggests we are. Undeniably, disputes have arisen between Russia, and Ukraine and Georgia which seceded in 1991, over territory. But, also undeniably, many Russians in the 14 nations that seceded, including the Baltic states, never wanted to leave and wish to rejoin Mother Russia. How do these tribal and territorial conflicts in the far east of Europe so threaten us that U.S. generals are declaring that Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security? Asked to name other threats to the United States, Gen. Dunford listed them in this order: China, North Korea, ISIS. But while Beijing is involved in disputes with Hanoi over the Paracels, with the Philippines over the Spratlys, with Japan over the Senkakus  almost all of these being uninhabited rocks and reefs  how does China threaten the United States? America is creeping ever closer to war with the other two great nuclear powers because we have made their quarrels our quarrels, though at issue are tracts and bits of land of no vital interest to us. North Korea, which just tested another atomic device and long-range missile, is indeed a threat to us. But why are U.S. forces still up the DMZ, 62 years after the Korean War? Is South Korea, with an economy 40 times that of the North and twice the population, incapable of defending itself? Apparently slipping in the rankings as a threat to the United States is that runaway favorite of recent years, Iran. Last fall, though, Sen. Ted Cruz reassured us that the single biggest national security threat facing America right now is the threat of a nuclear Iran. Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, wrote James Madison, No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. Perhaps Madison was wrong. Otherwise, with no end to war on Americas horizon, the prospect of this free republic enduring is, well, doubtful. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of the new book "The Greatest Comeback: How Richard Nixon Rose From Defeat to Create the New Majority." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.
Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday said that over 42 per cent of teachers in the State were unqualified.

Mr. El-Rufai stated this at the commissioning ceremony of a 1,500-seater capacity hall named after him at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria, Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the edifice was constructed by the college through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

The governor said that despite the large number of unqualified teachers, we do not intend to sack anybody, but we want them to upgrade their knowledge.

We are lucky to have FCE, Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), among other teacher training institutions in the state, which are going to be used to advance the knowledge of the teachers.

While thanking FCE for the gesture, Mr. El-Rufai advised the management of the institution to introduce more degree courses to enable people benefit more from the college services.

Earlier, the provost of the college, Muktar Maccido, said the newly-commissioned hall was the biggest of its kind not only in the college but in the entire colleges of education and polytechnics across Nigeria.

Mr. Maccido said the college had been transformed during his tenure as provost through staff strength and structural advancement.

Before, the college had a little above 700 staff but now have over 2,200 staff while students population was initially about 4,000 but now exceeds 31,000 students, he said.

Mr. Maccido said the college had established an FM radio station, adding that a television station is expected to be on air soon.

(NAN)
A Court of Appeal sitting in Yola on Thursday reversed the impeachment of Murtala Nyako as governor of Adamawa State. INFORMATION NIGERIA recalls that Nyako was removed on July 15, 2014, after 17 of 25 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly adopted a report of a panel set up to investigate him for alleged corruption and the report found the governor guilty of all the 16 allegations of gross misconduct. However, in its Thursday ruling, the Court of Appeal ruled that the impeachment of Mr. Murtala Nyako as governor of Adamawa state in 2014 was not done in accordance with the provision of the law. Asides Nyako, who are the Nigerian governors who have had their impeachment overturned by the court? INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together the governors, deputy governors and speakers who have had their impeachment upturned by the court

Rashidi Ladoja was elected governor of Oyo State in April 2003 on the platform of the PDP, and took over office on 29 May 2003. He was supported by Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, a PDP power broker in the state. By August 2004, Ladoja and Adedibu were locked in a fierce struggle over allocation of government appointees. Ladoja was not supported by the party in this dispute. On 12 January 2006, Ladoja was impeached by Oyo State legislators and forced out of office. The impeachment may have been due to the argument between Ladoja and Lamidi Adedibu. His deputy, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, was sworn in as the new governor. On 1 November 2006, the Appeal Court in the state capital, Ibadan, declared the impeachment null and illegal, but advised waiting for confirmation of this decision by the Supreme Court.

Sunday Onyebuchi, a former deputy governor of Enugu State, was impeached on August 26, 2015, by the immediate past State House of Assembly led by Eugene Odoh following the recommendation of the seven-man Impeachment Panel set up by the State Chief Judge, Innocent Umezuruike, which investigated allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by then governor, Sullivan Chime. However, an Enugu High Court presided over by Justice Reuben Odugu nullified his purported impeachment and ordered the restoration of his rights and benefits from the time of removal from office to the period his tenure elapsed in December 2015.

Hon. Adamu Usman was a speaker of the 7th Niger State House of Assembly. He was impeached on the 4th of May 2015 by some members of the Niger State House of Assembly and Hon. Isah Kawu installed as the new speaker of the 7th Assembly. Usman thereafter challenged his impeachment at the High Court presided over by the chief judge, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar on the ground that the procedures followed for his impeachment was unconstitutional and the presiding judge therefore ruled that the plaintiff remained the speaker as at the time of the purported impeachment was concluded.

Alhaji Garba Gadi was deputy Governor of Bauchi State until he was was impeached on August 14, 2009 for his refusal to defect from the All Nigeria Peoples Party to the PDP like the governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda. However, a High Court in June 2010, upturned his impeachment and asked that Gadi, be reinstated to office without delay. Justice Haruna Tsammani of Bauchi State High Court 4, who delivered the ruling, also ordered the sitting deputy governor, Alhaji Babayo Garba, to vacate the office immediately and allow Gadi to resume duty. Justice Tsammani also directed the state government to pay Gadis salaries and allowances accruing to him while the illegal impeachment lasted. The judge described the seven-man committee set up by the Bauchi State House of Assembly as being in complete conflict with the integrity of the court of law.

Peter Obi after nearly 3 years of legal battle with his rival, Chris Ngige of the Peoples Democratic Party, got the Court of Appeal on 15 March 2006 to overturn Ngiges victory. He entered office on 17 March 2006 and on 2nd November 2006, he was impeached by the state house of assembly after seven months in office and replaced the next day by Virginia Etiaba, his deputy, making her the first ever female Governor in Nigerias history. Obi successfully challenged his impeachment and was re-instated as the governor on 9 February 2007 by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu. Etiaba handed power back to him after the court ruling.
Recently, the airwaves were agog with revelations from Tope Aluko, a former Secretary of the PDP in Ekiti state and Returning Officer of the party in the 2014 governorship election. Aluko described how Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose used the military to rig the gubernatorial election, interfere with political opposition and suppress voters. He also described how he, Mr. Fayose, Mr. Obanikoro, and Mr. Adesiyan agreed to enlist the help of Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh to coordinate the various military units and strike teams. Following these revelations, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, has called for the arrest of Mr. Fayose. INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together the reasons thrown forward by this well respected lawyer

 Mr. Falana called for the arrest and trial of Mr. Ayodele Fayose and his cohorts over the N4.8bn deployed to perpetrate the grave electoral malfeasance that characterised the last Ekiti State governorship election

 Falana said because Fayose was a candidate and not a governor when the serious electoral offences were committed by him, he should prosecuted.

 With respect to fresh facts which have established that the election was marred by monumental fraud, Mr. Falana has opined that the Supreme Court could be approached by the APC to review its judgment on the endorsement of the election of Mr. Fayose since it is trite law that any judgment obtained by fraud is liable to be set aside.

 Falana added that with respect to recent earth-shaking revelations that have been credited to those who took part in the illegal use of armed soldiers to manipulate the election in favour of Mr. Fayose, Fayose should be arrested.

What do you think???
United Nations Human Rights experts today urged the Government of Nigeria to ensure that the areas they claimed to have liberated from Boko Haram forces are truly safe for people displaced by the violence, enabling them to return home. They also called for camps, both formal and informal, for internally displaced persons (IDPs), to be adequately protected, and stressed that all returns should be voluntary and coordinated.

The experts appeal comes after a series of brutal attacks by Boko Haram on villages in north-eastern Nigeria that included an attempt to storm an informal IDP settlement near the village of Dalori, where more than 90 people, predominantly women and children, are believed to have been killed. In addition, according to reports, on Tuesday two female suicide bombers attacked the site for internally displaced Nigerians at Dikwa, located some 90 kms west of the Borno capital, Maidugiri, killing more than 50 people and injuring dozens.

We call on the Nigerian Government to plan carefully for any IDPs return, given the relentless attacks by Boko Haram in ostensibly safe areas, said UN Special Rapporteur on sale of children Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, who two weeks ago visited the Dalori camp. The expert, together with the UN Special Rapporteurs on slavery, Urmila Bhoola, and on health, Dainius Puras, visited Dalori camp during their mission aimed to examine the efforts to reintegrate and rehabilitate women and children abducted and abused by Boko Haram.

While noting governments announcement to reinforce security measures around IDP camps and civilian sites, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chaloka Beyani, stated: We condemn this cynical attack on people who have already lost so much. They must not be returned to areas lacking adequate security. The experts expressed the need to support the search for durable solution including safe and voluntary return, local integration and relocation to safer areas.

These attacks put yet another strain on already depleted resources to cater for the need of the existing displaced individuals and add enormous anguish to women, men and children who are already traumatized by the horrendous abuses and unspeakable cruelty at the hands of Boko Haram which has caused immense suffering, Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio said, underlining the IDPs extreme level of vulnerability. We urge the Nigerian authorities to do more to stem the wave of recent violence.

Child rights expert Benyam Dawit Mezmur, who currently heads the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, reminded the Nigerian authorities that they must ensure the safety and security of civilians on its territory, and to address human rights abuses by third parties.

The Nigerian authorities are legally obliged under international human rights law, in particular under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which it has ratified, to take all necessary steps to respect, protect and fulfil the right to life of children, as well as ensuring their right to safety and security which among others, entails protecting them from violence, intimidation, sexual abuse and slavery, Mr. Mezmur said on behalf of the Committee.

The UN experts also stressed that countering terrorism and addressing the Boko Haram threat will require more than military action, and urged the authorities to publicly pledge to hold to account all those who have committed human rights violations  including, but not limited to, Boko Haram.

The Nigerian authorities must ensure accountability in the context of the insurgency; encourage community reconciliation; and ensure protection for all, in particular women and girls, they said. There can be no impunity for the most serious crimes.

The conflict in the north-east has in recent years forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes, including more than 2.1 million displaced within the country. About 10 percent live in camps and the rest with host families. About 1.6 million of these internally displaced people are in Borno, where many live in sites like Dikwa, which is home to 70,000 displaced people. Dikwa is one of the hardest hit of the 27 Local Government Areas that make up Borno. Dikwa has so far remained inaccessible to the UN refugee agency and partners because of generalized insecurity.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday formally resumed work at the State House in Abuja after a six-day vacation, a statement by his office said Thursday.

The statement, signed by special adviser on media and publicity to the president, Femi Adesina, said in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, Mr. Buhari has sent a formal notice of his resumption to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The presidents return to work signaled the end of Vice President Yemi Osinbajos first tenure as acting president.

It is the first time since May 29, 2015 when the current administration assumed office that President Buhari would step aside for his deputy to take charge of the affairs of the country. It was also the first time since 2010 that Nigeria had an acting president.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested, Lara, the wife of the immediate past Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), over the arms procurement scandal.

Impeccable sources said that Mrs. Lara Amosu was picked up by the EFCC operatives last week in Abuja.

She has been in the custody of the EFCC in Lagos for the past one week.

It was learnt that her lawyer has been battling without success to get her released.

Mrs. Amosus arrest followed the alleged discovery of about N3 billion in her bank accounts. She was allegedly holding the money in trust for her husband.

A source said that other properties traced to the former CAS were also being held by his wife and children.

It was reported that the EFCC discovered N17.5 billion in the accounts of wives of three airforce chiefs. The monies were scattered in various banks accounts.

A source familiar with the investigation said that N13 billion was traced to the bank accounts of a wife of a retired Air Vice Marshal, who held strategic position in the Nigeria Air Force (NAF).

In the bank accounts of another wife of a serving senior officer, N1.5 billion was found.

It was learnt that the officers handled the finance, budget and accounts of NAF.

Amosu was arrested two weeks ago by the EFCC over his involvement in the arms scandal.

Shortly after Amosu was picked up in Abuja, his wife, Lara, was subsequently arrested. Investigations conducted showed that some of the monies the former Chief of Air Staff made through some contracts and procurements in NAF were traced to his wifes accounts.

About N3 billion was traced to the wifes accounts while some assets acquired by the former service chief was in her name and some others in her companys name.

So, Lara is an accessory to a crime. The proceeds with her are from the arms funds. As we prosecute her husband, she must also be held accountable, the source said.

It was further learnt that the wife of Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, Chief of Account and Budget of NAF, has travelled out of the country two weeks ago, shortly after the arrest of her husband. The hurried trip was said to

Adigun has been indicted by the presidential arms panel. He is in the EFCC custody. Several of his properties in Lagos and Abuja have been seized by the antigraft agency. Billions of naira was said to have been traced to Adiguns wifes accounts.

It was also learnt that the EFCC retrieved $1 million cash in Amosus residence in his residence in Badagary, Lagos.

A source said that the money, in foreign currency, was retrieved when EFCC operatives carried out a search on Amosus residence in Badagry.

According to the source: In continuation of the investigation into the arms probe, the EFCC operatives took Amosu to his residence in Badagry. After a thorough search of the residence, a fresh small soakaway pit was discovered in the compound. The operatives suspected foul play, which informed the breaking of the soakaway. Surprisingly, $1 million was found in it. The money was subsequently confiscated.

It was also learnt that Air Commodore Akinwale (rtd) who manages the St. Solomon Health Care Limited, an ultra-modern diagnostic centre owned by Amosu, along Adeniyi Jones Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos is still in the custody of the EFCC

The retired airforce officer oversees the medical centre on behalf of Amosu. The diagnostic centre has been sealed off by the anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is still keeping Amosu, Adigun, and Air Commodore O. Gbadebo in Lagos. A source said that the anti-graft agency has been taking the indicted officers to assets traced to them, considered to have been acquired through funds illegally realised from the arms procurement. Some of the identified properties have been sealed off.

Amosu, Adigun and Gbadebo were arrested two weeks ago in Abuja. Impeccable sources said that the trio were flown into Lagos in an airforce aircraft on a Sunday and discreetly kept in a hotel.

The arrest and interrogation of Amosu is coming after it was reported in the November 30, 2015 edition, that the Federal Government had directed the EFCC to prosecute the ex-CAS.

Amosu, Adigun, Gbadebo and other indicted officers are being investigated over 10 NAF contracts totalling $930,500,690 awarded to Societe D Equipments Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd. between January 2014 and February 2015.

The award letters, according to the arms probe panel, contained misleading delivery dates, suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process.

Operatives are also grilling the ex-chief of army staff and the two senior officers over the procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of $136,944,000.

The helicopters were discovered to be excessively priced and not operationally airworthy at the time of delivery.

The arms probe panel established that a brand new unit of Mi-24V Helicopter goes for about $30 million. The helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.

The three of them are also being grilled over the procurement of four used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of $7,180,000.

Whereas NAF paid for four used Alpha-Jets, the panel confirmed that only two of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalisation of engines from the NAF fleet.

They are also being investigated in the procurement of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar for NAF, which was awarded to GAT Techno Dynamics Ltd in April 2014 at the cost of $33 million under his watch.

The arms panel averred that the radars were excessively priced as a complete set of such radars goes for $6 million.

Acting on the recommendations made by the 13-man presidential committee auditing arms procurement between 2007 and 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, had ordered the EFCC to conduct further investigation on the indictment of Amosu, former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd); Air Marshal M.D.

Umar (Rtd), Maj- Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd), AVM I.A. Balogun (Rtd), AVM A.G. Tsakr (Rtd), AVM A.G. Idowu (Rtd), AVM AM Mamu, AVM O.T Oguntoyinbo, and AVM T Omenyi. Others were: AVM J.B. Adigun, AVM R.A. Ojuawo, AVM JA Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre S.A. Yushau (Rtd), Air Cdre A.O. Ogunjobi, Air Cdre G.M.D. Gwani, Air Cdre SO Makinde, Air Cdre A.Y. Lassa, Col. N. Ashinze and Lt Col. M.S. Dasuki (Rtd). Badeh had been in the custody of EFCC since Monday. Over N29 billion and $2 billion had been expended on the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) procurement activities alone between 2007 and 2015.

Source: Today.ng
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has described as an exercise in futility, calls by the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Jide Awe, for a review of the 2014 governorship elections in the state.

Mr. Fayose won the June 21, 2014 election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by defeating the incumbent and candidate of the APC, now Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

But almost two years after the polls, the Ekiti APC has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, asking him to review the outcome of the polls on the strength of recent revelations by a former secretary of the PDP in the state, Temitope Aluko, that the election was manipulated by the party.

APC had previously written two petitions, dated February 13, 2015 and November 23, 2015, on the same subject matter.

Mr. Fayose, however, described the call as another APC comedy, saying the AGF had no such power to review the election.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said Mr. Awes demand for a review suggested that he had no knowledge of the law.

The issue concerning June 21, 2014 governorship election is a concluded matter which can never be revisited.

The issue raised by Awe is an election matter conducted under stipulated time under the law because it is time bound.

All parties have exhausted their rights at the tribunal, appeal court and Supreme Court under the law.

It is only an unserious minds like Awe that will rely on what Temitope Aluko has been saying, Mr. Adelusi added.
The predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by Russian air strikes, have captured a former military airbase near the border with Turkey after heavy clashes with rebel factions, a monitoring group and activists have said. The fierce fight for control of Aleppo province continued on Thursday as diplomats from major powers sat down in Munich to discuss the Syrian peace process  including a proposal from Moscow for a nationwide ceasefire to start in March.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian air strikes, launched a major offensive from the north of Aleppo and captured several strategically important towns earlier this month.

The offensive has led to the displacement of more than 50,000 civilians from Aleppo, tens of thousands of whom have amassed in camps at the Turkish border. On Thursday, Kurdish fighters captured a former military airbase near the rebel-held town of Azaz in Aleppo province, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have captured the Menagh airbase following heavy clashes with Ahrar al-Sham and al-Nusra front, Taj Kordsh, an SDF spokesman, told Al Jazeera on Thursday. Russian air strikes have backed and helped the SDF fighters capture this airbase which is close to the Turkish border. Sami Kekhia, a Syrian activist on the Turkey-Syria border, confirmed to Al Jazeera that the airbase had been captured by the Kurdish fighters.

Aljazeera
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed over support for the president in their first debate since the New Hampshire primary. Mrs Clinton sought to cast herself as the protector of Barack Obamas legacy, sharply attacking Mr. Sanders for criticising the president. The kind of criticism I hear from Senator Sanders, I expect from Republicans, Mrs. Clinton said.

Nevada and South Carolina, states with large minority populations, vote next. At the PBS NewsHour televised debate, Mrs. Clinton repeatedly emphasized her ties to Mr. Obama who is extremely popular among minority voters.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders took pains to tailor to his message of economic fairness to address disparities in black communities. Mrs. Clinton also stressed her pragmatism, questioning Mr. Sanders pledges to provide universal healthcare and free higher education. We have a special obligation to make clear what we stand for which is why we cant make promises we cant keep, Mrs. Clinton said.

Immigration reform was also a major topic of discussion. Both candidates supported creating a path to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US and they decried a recent uptick in deportations by the Obama administration. Criticising the anti-immigrant positions of Republican front-runner Donald Trump, Mr. Sanders said immigrants should not be scapegoats for economic uncertainty.

BBC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has feigned ignorance of the withdrawal of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, from the Anambra central senatorial election re-run.

The new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the commission, Dr. Lawrence Azubuike, made the commissions position known yesterday while meeting with political parties and stakeholders in the state at the INEC headquarters in Awka.

Ngige, who is now Minister of Labour and Employment, had withdrawn from the race saying his ministerial appointment was of more importance than the senatorial race re-run.

However, the state secretary of the APC in Anambra state, Mr. Chukwuma Agupugo reminded INEC of the letter to that effect by the Minister, which was submitted by the party to the commission as required by the electoral act.

But Azubuike maintained that he would go into the records of INEC to find out the truth of the matter as he just resumed in the state.

According to him we are not aware that anybody has withdrawn, we have not received any statement to that effect, this election is a re-run not a bye- election.

What the electron means is essentially, going back to March 28, 2015, INEC will use that same method in conducting the election and we are going to await for further directive from the commissions headquarters in Abuja.

The political parties and the candidates for the re-run election are not in doubt, only the candidates and parties who participated in that election will participate now, excluding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of the court judgment, he said.

Fourteen parties took part in the last National Assembly election on March 28, 2015 which means that only 13 parties would take part in the re-run following the disqualification of PDP.

But INEC was yet to decide whether APC would be allowed to present a fresh candidate, if it is eventually established that Ngige had declined to contest.
Former aide-de-camp to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe has said another Dasukigate may be imminent if he reveals what transpired in that administration.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) picked up Adegbe on Wednesday in Lagos where he was interrogated before he was flown to Abuja yesterday.

It was gathered that ongoing interrogation of the former ADC by operatives of the EFCC could open up a new can of worms, which could surpass what is now called Dasukigate.

In December 2015, the Department of State Security (DSS) arrested Jonathans National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and turned him over to the EFCC over his role in the $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal.

The money, meant to purchase arms for the military fighting insurgency in the North-East, was allegedly diverted by the office of the NSA as 2015 campaign funds for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was the ruling party then.

EFCC sources said the former ADC may soon give details of all he knows with regards to financial transactions and the dramatic personae involved in the last administration.

Preliminary findings, including recovered documents, were said to have hinted of large-scale questionable expenditure with funds sourced from and outside the arms purchase deals.

Another source said most of the funds were reportedly diverted soon after the election was postponed from the originally scheduled date of February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015

Among the active participants in the alleged sleaze, was a top official of an agency set up to discourage militancy in the South-South, who is currently outside the country.

At the centre of the interrogation of the former ADC, who has been moved to Abuja, Daily Sun gathered, was the mind-boggling spending during the two weeks extension of the general election, which runs into several trillions of naira, when converted from foreign currency.

Sources said many top Nigerians, including some very close persons to the former president, may likely be called to explain and defend their roles in the handling of the funds, a chunk of which was sourced from the agency.

Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren could not be reached for comments on the arrest before press time

Col. Adegbe, who was arrested in Lagos a few days ago, was said to be attending a senior officers course outside the former capital city, but on a visit, when he was picked up for interrogation.

Before him, many serving and retired military officers had been interrogated in connection with the arms purchase deal during the Jonathan administration.

They include former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd) and the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Amosu (retd) as well as some top politicians.

After arresting Dasuki, the EFCC arrested former chairman of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond Dokpesi, former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh and former national chairman of the party, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed and his son, Abbah.

The anti-graft agency also arrested former governor of Kaduna State, Brigadier General Isa Jafaru, former minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, and the director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shauibu Salisu

Source: Sun News
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has lamented that ineffective implementation of past budgets and abandonment of projects have led to wastage that has negatively affected the nations economy in the last 16 years.

ABUJAConscious of the insinuations making the rounds that the present government of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by President Muhammadu Buhari is devoting the whole time of governance fighting corruption to the detriment of other sectors of the economy, the partys National Auditor, George Moghalu, has said that president Buhari wont spend his whole first term for the course.

Former aide-de-camp to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe has said another Dasukigate may be imminent if he reveals what transpired in that administration.

Thisday

The federal government on Thursday pledged to punish banks found to have illegally increased its wage bill by conniving with ghost workers to open salary accounts for them.

Daily Times

As demand for foreign exchange continued from importers for their due obligations, amid dollar scarcity, the nations currency has further depreciated to a new record low of N318 per one US dollar in the parallel market.
North Korea has expelled hundreds of South Korean workers from a jointly-run industrial park in response to Seouls decision to suspend operations at the complex over Pyongyangs recent rocket launch. Pyongyang ordered a military takeover of the Kaesong zone on Thursday, freezing South Korean assets and pulling out tens of thousands of North Korean employees.

Seoul said its decision to suspend operations at Kaesong was an effort to stop from using hard currency earned from the park to pay for its nuclear and missile programmes. North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb on January 6 and on Sunday launched a rocket, putting a satellite into orbit.

The United States, Japan and South Korea said Sundays launch was a ballistic missile test, and like last months nuclear test, a violation of UN resolutions. I feel horrible. If it stops operating, companies like ours have to close business. Its difficult, said Yoon Sang-Eun, a driver, heading to South Korea.

I feel sorry for the North Koreans, because they are way more worried than we are, said another worker of the complex, Kim Soo-Hee, a nurse. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from the inter-Korean border, said that the response from North Korea on Thursday was expected but still came as a surprise as Pyongyang gave Seoul only half an hour to move the workers out of the complex with only personal belongings.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, on Thursday met with APC leaders in Akwa Ibom State over the recent Supreme Court judgment on the disputed governorship election in the state.

The meeting, which held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, was also attended by the partys National Secretary, Mala Buni.

The Akwa Ibom APC delegation comprised the partys governorship candidate, Umana Umana; state APC chairman, Amadu Attai, Member APC Board of Trustees, Don Etiebet, and other APC leaders from the state.

Mr. Odigie-Oyegun told the Akwa Ibom delegation that the party was waiting for the Supreme Court to give reasons for the decisions in Akwa Ibom and other states.

The APC chairman disclosed that the partys leadership would meet at a yet-to-be announced date to deliberate and decide on the way forward.

What is paramount is how to move forward on the situation that confronts us. We should reach conclusions that will guide us as a party in the months ahead, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said.

Speaking at the meeting, the partys governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Umana, decried the Supreme Court judgment despite overwhelming evidence presented before the Apex Court confirming election fraud and violence perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Mr. Umana, local and international election monitors including the United States Embassy and the European Union (EU) and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), reached independent conclusions that the Akwa Ibom elections were marred by widespread irregularities and violence.

Mr. Umana quoted the Court of Appeal as saying: May this country never again experience the violence and thuggery found to have taken place in Akwa Ibom State during the Governorship elections held on 11th April 2015.

Mr. Umana said at the meeting: Indeed we are not happy in Akwa Ibom state with the situation. Our people were not allowed to vote. It was not just a case of card readers, even the voters register proved clear cases of over voting.

The EU, TMG and other international observer groups issued statements condemning the elections Against this background, we thought if we approach the court, we will get justice. We submitted over 350 exhibits including video proving election violence and malpractices.

It was a case of double jeopardy. During the election our people were killed. We went to court and we could not get justice.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, called on the German Government and the European Union (EU) to assist Nigeria in eliminating terrorism from the country as well as the resettlement and full integration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

Saraki, while welcoming the German President Joachim Gauck to the National Assembly, said: Your Excellencys visit would not only further cement our cordial relations but demonstrates that the international community, and in this case, that Germany, is on the same page with this Administrations stance against terrorism and its attendant insecurity as well as the fight against corruption.

Your visit to the National Assembly underscores the importance you attach to the role that the legislature plays and can influence in our drive to deepen our democracy, strengthen the rule of law and foster liberty and development, he said.

Saraki who is also the Chairman of the National Assembly, said that the National Assembly would continue to support the executive in its quest to provide a better life for the people and most especially in the fight against corruption and commitment to economic diversification. He said the National Assembly will not only make new laws but will amend existing ones to make for secured and business-friendly environment in the country.

Saraki added: This Assembly shall earnestly support the Executive in its fight against corruption, terrorism and insecurity. We urge you, to use your good office as President of Germany to promote and support our efforts in this regards.

Our country is presently experiencing the challenges of global terrorism. Notwithstanding the significant victories we have recorded, Boko Haram has continued to pose colossal national and regional security challenge.

We have a lot to learn from Germany and to gain from stronger Nigeria-Germany relation in this regard. So we call on the German government and the EU to lend us their unflinching support and solidarity in order for us to fully eliminate terrorism from the sub region.

I believe that every effort in this area is a paramount investment as the regional stability, security and development is tied to achieving global peace. We urge you to particularly help us return our Internally Displaced Persons back to their homes and fully reintegrate them into the society.

Let me use this opportunity to recognize Germanys immense contribution to the Nigeria economy so far; from construction to technology, oil and gas. The National Assembly is working hard to change our business and investment climate through several initiatives aimed at reducing the cost of doing business and the risks involved, he said.

The German President, Joachim Gauck, who was accompanied on the visit by his wife, Ms Daniela Schadt, and other German investors, said he is particularly delighted about the peaceful elections that brought about the change of guards in Nigeria.

He said Germany is ready to support the Federal Government in the ongoing fight against terrorism and corruption in the country. However, he said terror would not be defeated with military might alone. The Nigerian Government needs to further foster good governance and ensure the prospect of a better future for all its citizens.
At least six people were killed and two were wounded after an attacker opened fire at an education department building in southern Saudi Arabia, a top Saudi official and state media have said.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman General Mansour Turki said that authorities were treating Thursdays attack in the kingdoms Jizan province as criminal. He added that one suspect had been arrested. Initial reports said the attacker was a teacher who had opened fire on colleagues.

But officials did not confirm later if he was a teacher, referring to him simply as the gunman.

The identity and motive of the suspect were unclear. State TV posted a still photograph that showed ambulances gathered outside the building where the shooting took place.

Source: AJ Agencies
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday hailed the judiciary for demonstrating that it remains the major hope for the survival of democracy in the country.

The opposition party has recently received favourable judgments from Nigerias Supreme Court in various appeals challenging the election of its governors.

In the past two weeks, the apex court delivered judgments upholding the elections of Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State).

The court also on Thursday upheld the election of Darius Ishaku by affirming the judgment of the court of appeal, which had earlier also dismissed the decision of the state governorship election tribunal.

Without such landmark judgments from the Supreme Court, perhaps there would have been no Nigeria and we salute them for their courage in delivering justice to the people.

We therefore warn APC and the federal Government to stop insulting judiciary as there is nowhere in the world that a ruling party go about hauling abuses on the Judiciary, the PDP said in a statement by its acting chairman, Uche Secondus, on Thursday

According to Secondus, the outcome of Thursdays ruling has shown that all hope is not yet lost for democracy.

He added that the Supreme Court ruling not only established the judiciary as a functional arm in stabilizing the nations polity, but as the voice of the voiceless.

The ruling is a vivid reflection of the will of the people of Taraba State and goes a long way to show the strength of our party in the state, he said.

While congratulating Mr. Ishaku for his victory, Mr. Secondus charged him to remain resolute in delivering dividends of democracy to the people in line with the manifesto of the party.

He also congratulated the people of Taraba state for their resilience in standing up for democracy.

Mr. Secondus charged them to remain steadfast in their support for PDP as the All Progressives Congress, APC, has nothing to offer Nigerians.
A suspected car thief, who posed with three others as traffic officials, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

Our correspondent learnt that the suspect, John Godwin, was apprehended on Monday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while he and three others, still at large, towed a Toyota Camry in the Isheri-Oshun area of the state.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the Camry, with number plate, FKJ 555 CV, had been stolen by the gang; and the car was being towed by a Toyota Corolla when the police stopped them around the Isheri-Oshun Roundabout on the LASU-Iba Road.

Our correspondent learnt that when they were stopped, other members in the Corolla zoomed off. The rope used in pulling the stolen vehicle was torn, and Godwin was arrested.

According to the police, the syndicate, which was led by one Ndubuisi, a spare parts seller, was taking the stolen vehicle to Mile 2, before it was intercepted.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Godwin, who claimed to be a mechanic, said the gang leader, Ndubuisi, had invited him to assist him in moving the vehicle from the Isheri area.

He said, I met Ndubuisi in a hotel at about 10pm. He told me a vehicle broke down in the Isheri area, and he needed men to go with him to tow it to the Apapa area. I saw two men with him  Ade and Ebuka. We all entered a Toyota Corolla and headed for the Isheri-Oshun area.

When we got there, three of them came down from the car. Around 3.30am, they came back and told me that the vehicle would be towed. So, we started towing the Camry with the Corolla.

We tied a rope to the Camry, linked it to the Corolla, and we began to tow. We were on the LASU  Iyana-Iba Road when we saw some RRS policemen. The rope tied to the Camry broke, but to my surprise, both Ndubuisi and Ade, who were in the Toyota Corolla, didnt wait.

Ebuka, who was with me in the Camry, on sighting the RRS operatives, also took to his heels. That was how I was arrested.

I am a mechanic. I specialise in repairing Mercedez vehicles. Ndubuisi and I became friends when I was a mechanic. He buys, refurbishes and resells cars in the Mile 2 area.

The owner of the car, Joseph Inaboya, said the Camry was parked in front of his house, adding that he was not aware when the syndicate came to tow it away.

When policemen called me that my car was recovered from thieves, I said it could not be true as it was parked in front of my house. But when I went downstairs to check the car, I could not find it.

On Tuesday, the police also arrested a suspected traffic robber, Bayo Folayemi, on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, while he and an accomplice allegedly stole a motorists wallet containing N4,500.

Our correspondent learnt that the victim had raised the alarm during which policemen nabbed Folayemi while the other suspect fled.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrests, adding that the command would not tolerate crime in the state.

The separate cases of car snatching and theft have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, while efforts are being intensified to get the fleeing members of the syndicates, she added.

Source: Punch
In a new exclusive chat, Mavins First Lady, Tiwa Savage spoke at great length on her music, career, motherhood and fame.

During the interview, Tiwa Savage, 36, spoke about the first time she met her manager/hubby Tee Billz (Tunji Balogun).

Narrating her encounter with him she confessed that she thought he was a bit rude when she first had a meeting with him.

It was a few years ago in Los Angeles during a Timaya concert that Tiwa Savage met Tee Billz. Prior to that she had sent him e-mails of her music but Tee Billz who was managing Sinzu (Sauce Kid) at the time did not reply. I sent him my music and he didnt listen to it said Tiwa Savage.

When Tiwa Savage saw him, she boldly went up to him and asked why he didnt respond to her mails.

After talking at the concert, the future lovers met the next day and Tiwa Savage played her CD for him.

He told her to move to Nigeria but she was skeptical at first.

Tee Billz also bluntly told Tiwa Savage who was a tom-boy at that time to lose weight, wax her eyebrows, and use make-up.

I thought he was a bit rude said Tiwa Savage when Tee Billz told her to change her image.

She didnt call Tee Billz for a long time until one day she reached out to him for management.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the deployment of foreign ground troops in the Syrian conflict could result in a world war. Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published late on Thursday by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war.

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send in ground troops to Syria, the Russian prime minister answered that the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war. Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said Medvedevs comments were an explicit warning to the United States and its regional allies, including Saudi Arabia.

He basically told them to back off on sending troops because if they did, this might result in some sort of interminable or even a world war. Medvedev also criticised Western powers refusal to collaborate with Russia in Syria. The prime minister said ties at the level of defence departments were only sporadic. US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, meanwhile, welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role in Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. At a gathering of more than two dozen defence ministers at NATO headquarters on Thursday, Saudi Arabia renewed the possibility of sending ground forces into the conflict.

Saudi Arabias defence minister  indicated that the kingdom is reinvigorating its commitment to the coalition air campaign, which is very welcome news, and contributing in other critical ways on the ground, Carter said after the talks in Brussels. Saudi Arabias Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said his country was ready to send troops into Syria if there was a consensus in the anti-ISIL coalition. But he declined to elaborate, saying: It is too early to talk about such options.

Aljazeera.
Regardless of whether you think the attack against Sony in late 2014 was committed by North Koreans in order to stop a movie, there is new evidence that links the perpetrators to several other large attacks, including the phishing campaign using Samsung's messenger app My Single Messenger.

The attackers -- still at large -- breached Sony's networks, stole massive amounts of data, publicly dumped emails and sensitive employee data, and damaged systems badly enough that it cost Sony an estimated $35 million in IT repairs. After the U.S. government and other experts pointed fingers at North Korea, the attackers ceased their public taunting and disappeared from sight.

While there was a lot of attention on trying to figure out who was behind the attack, very few in the security industry looked at what happened afterward.

"[The attackers] didn't disappear  not at all," said Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, senior security researcher with Kaspersky Lab's Global Research and Analysis Team.

The group behind the Sony attack can be linked to several other acts of cyber espionage and malware attacks, a few going back to 2013, according to new data released at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit by Guerrero-Saade and Jaime Blasco, who heads the Lab Intelligence and Research team at AlienVault Labs.

They found that even though the attackers changed their methods and malware to avoid detection, a lot stayed the same -- such as passwords and code blocks -- which defenders can use to track them.

Guerrero-Saade and Blasco combined what they knew about the group's techniques and analyzed Destover -- the malware used in the Sony attack, which overwrote the master boot record and other critical data on infected systems -- to develop a "taxonomy" that could be used to identify similar attacks. They found quirks, such as code snippets that were reused across different malware samples, the same password reused in different parts of the attack, and similar obfuscation methods used to hide their activities. The group also repeatedly used a hardcoded user agent list where it consistently misspelled Mozilla as "Mozillar," for example.

Guerrero-Saade and Blasco felt that the patterns were unique enough that if they recurred in other attacks it would be a strong indicator the same group was behind them.

The researchers were "overwhelmed with the amount of malware" they uncovered, Guerrero-Saade said.

Yara connects the dots

They developed Yara rules based on these quirks and found 400 to 500 malware samples used in different attacks. Yara helps analysts uncover malicious files or patterns of suspicious activity on systems or networks by searching for specific strings. Analysts can write rules to find, group, and categorize related files so that they can find connections between different attacks.

During their "Yara hunting spree," Guerrero-Saade and Blasco were able to link malware samples uncovered in 2013 from the Operation Troy campaign (also known as DarkSeoul or Silent Chollima) to samples associated with Hangman (also known as Volgmer or TEMP.Hermit) discovered in 2014. They were also able to link these samples to the malware used in WildPositron and Duuzer, uncovered in 2015, and uncovered links to more recent campaigns, including New Troy.dll/AIMRAT, Sonlog/SSPPMID, SpaSPE, Hangman_Samsung/mySingleMessenger.

Hangman_Samsung is the widely reported campaign that targeted Samsung's companywide messenger app, My Single Messenger, on Samsung's My Single intranet. Guerrero-Saade and Blasco found that their Yara rules were specific enough that it had actually detected malware samples a few days before the campaign had been publicized. This was "an indication of how well we've honed in on the [hackers'] toolkit," Guerrero-Saade said.

The attackers also explicitly targeted zero-day vulnerabilities in Hangul, a South Korean word processing program used widely within the South Korean government. It was used in a spear-phishing campaign to target someone working in South Korea's nuclear industry back in September 2015. At the time, FireEye attributed the attacks to North Korean actors.

"I think we've gotten quite accurate and good at finding the work of these guys," Guerrero-Saade said.

Attackers left behind clues

Guerrero-Saade and Blasco's Yara rules showed that these attackers were reusing the tools, techniques, and practices (TTPs), which led them to find previously unknown malware samples as well as links to existing attacks.

The rules led the researchers to several versions of a dropper -- a malicious executable that installs additional malware onto the victim's computer -- that had been previously used by different malware families. Researchers had long suspected the malware families were related, but didn't have any evidence linking them. Guerrero-Saade and Blasco found the definitive link: the dropper used the same embedded password in each of the campaigns.

The attackers dynamically created .BAT files on victims' systems to erase their activities and make it hard for security teams to piece together what they'd done. While they deleted the .BAT files themselves, the machines still had evidence the files had been created and used, which was a clue for forensics investigators.

The malware also profiled the system for specific sandboxes and to stop executing if it found any of those environments on the targeted system. There were 30 to 40 sandboxes on the list, and while most were widely known ones such as Adobe's sandbox, a few weren't public knowledge. The antisandbox "was a huge red flag," Blasco said.

The attackers several times mistakenly left traces of Korean in the files when compiling their code.

Guerrero-Saade and Blasco found the attackers did not rely on sinkholes or domain-based campaigns. The attacks frequently used hacked infrastructure, such as those consisting of compromised home routers on DSL networks. The attackers were also using SSL to secure malware communications with the command-and-control servers. While the use of SSL is increasingly becoming common among different crews, Blasco said the combination of these four techniques would be a strong indicator this was the work of the same group that was behind the Sony attack.

Defenders know what to look for

It is possible the similarities in malware and attack methods could be an indicator of extensive code-sharing between multiple groups. There are some disparities in attack methods -- such as the type of tools used to wipe systems after they are done -- which lend credence to the multiple group theory, but there are too many overlaps in code and similarities in the infrastructure used, Blasco said.

While the attackers appear to be focusing on South Korean targets, Guerrero-Saade and Blasco warned their malware sample size was still too small to definitively say the attackers are not looking at other victims around the world. Further analysis could find other victims in other countries, which could mean the North Koreans weren't behind the attacks after all.

"At [Kaspersky] we do not do attribution," Guerrero-Saade said. People are "very opinionated about what happened with Sony," but their research focused on cluster of activity that appears to be related without entering the realm of speculation.

Regardless of who the attackers may be, they are leaving enough digital breadcrumbs behind that security defenders can start looking for them to detect if their systems have been breached. While attack groups frequently change their methods, especially after researchers discover them, it is unlikely they will abandon all of the tools and techniques they are using.

"They would have to dump the entire codebase," Guerrero-Saade said.
On Western Sahara, ICP Asks UN If Ban Visit by April, If UN Attends Crans Montana



By Matthew Russell Lee



UNITED NATIONS, February 11 -- After the UN Security Council convened for a closed door meeting about Western Sahara on February 10, Inner City Press asked the Council's President for the month, Venezuela's Rafael Ramirez, if the already once delayed visit by Ban Ki-moon is now "on."



Ramirez said that a visit before the Security Council conducts its April review of Western Sahara is desirable. To the side of the stakeout as he spoke, a number of Moroccan diplomats stood watching; one it seems was intent that the Polisario representative not be allowed to speak at the UNTV microphone. (That did not happen.)



On February 11, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here:



Inner City Press: On Western Sahara, there's been a statement by the President of the Republic or head of Polisario asking the Secretary-General to ensure that no UN official attend this thing, its called the Crans Montana Forum in Dajla, which previously, as you know, Douste-Blazy attended, and there was some confusion. Is the Secretary-General aware of this call, this, you know, request, and has such a message gone out?



Spokesman Dujarric: I have not seen that request.



Inner City Press: And also on Western Sahara, yesterday, it was said that that there was obviously consultations  Mr. Feltman spoke. It was said afterward that a visit by the Secretary-General before the April review would be ideal. And I know you don't announce the dates, but is that something that that that he's going to be trying to do?



Spokesman Dujarric: I'm not going to contradict the President of the Security Council.



To be fair, Inner City Press has been told that Morocco had agreed to a Ban Ki-moon visit in 2015, only to have Ban cancel it because Ban thought he might be able to go to North Korea, apparently more important to him. But now it's 2016, and April is approaching. Watch this site.



Back on December 8, 2015, neither the briefer, UN envoy Christopher Ross, nor any other official or ambassador came to speak at the televised Security Council stakeout. Inner City Press had asked the UN to ask Ross to "do a stakeout," but none happened.



Here's the text of Ross' briefing to the Council's closed door meeting, which Inner City Press has exclusively obtained and put online here .



Now on February 2, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, transcript here:



Inner City Press: I've seen a readout [not a UN readout] of a meeting the Secretary-General had with, I guess, a Polisario official about Western Sahara. Also they're reporting that there's some obstruction to the Secretary-General's long-announced intention to visit Western Sahara. One, can you confirm that a meeting took place in Addis on the issue on this issue? And, if so, what's the readout? And, two, what is his current plan to travel or not to Western Sahara?



Deputy Spokesman: First of all, no, there I wouldn't have a readout of that meeting. But, second of all, the main point is that the Secretary-General is very firm in his intention to visit Western Sahara and the region. We do not have a precise announcement on dates to give you right now, but he does intend to do that, and we will announce it when we can.



But why DIDN'T the UN issues a read out of this meeting, like it did so many others? Note that Ban canceled his trip to Western Sahara on the off chance he could get to North Korea -- which failed.



Meanwhile, on January 29, the UN Spokesman threw Inner City Press out of the UN Press Briefing Room then on February 1 made this threat, here. This was echoed on February 2.



On December 8, the Security Council meeting scheduled right after Western Sahara, about Turkey and Iraq, drew the larger crowd.



This remained true afterward, when correspondents crowded around the ambassadors of Russia, Iraq and Turkey. Behind them, Inner City Press saw and Periscoped, France's Deputy Permanent Representative Alexis Lamek whispered with the Moroccan diplomats who'd waited at the stakeout, in what's called the Turkish Lounge.

The UN itself has to some degree dropped the ball. Inner City Press got confirmed, not from the UN, that Ban Ki-moon was slated to visit on November 25-27 but then canceled, so he could go to North Korea (which he ended up not doing). Priorities. It's worth noting, and we do, that Morocco invited Ban back in November. And now, with Ross? Watch this site.





After the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy on Western Sahara Christopher Ross was quoted that Ban will travel there in early 2016, Ban's spokesman would not confirm it to Inner City Press. From the November 24 UN noon briefing, video here, transcript below.



On December 7, after UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq offered a canned answer on Western Sahara, Inner City Press asked why Ross hadn't gone there, and if Ban canceled a visit in November. Transcript here:



UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq: we provided the details of Christopher Ross recent visit to the region, where he visited Algeria, Morocco and Tindouf. The way that he proceeds with his travel, of course, is according to his own discretion, and we have defended and continue to defend his right to travel throughout, including to all of Western Sahara. There are some areas that he didn't visit this time around, but that, again, like I said, is at his discretion, and we will continue to insist upon his freedom to visit those areas.



Inner City Press: I wanted to follow up on the Western Sahara. Given that the Moroccan foreign minister was quoted publicly in EFE and there was a whole Security Council meeting basically about that quote, can you what does it mean that he didn't try to go? It seems to be kind of a concession that he couldn't go, as many people some people read it. And I wanted to ask you one separate question. You can answer them both at once. Can you confirm that the Secretary-General was, in fact, going to visit Western Sahara and had received Moroccan approval in November but, due to his own schedule, did not go?



Deputy Spokesman: First of all, on Christopher Ross, as I explained to Ali just now, we defend his right to visit throughout the territory all the places that are part of his mandate. This is a mandate, mind you, that was given to him by the Security Council, which also has defended his right to conduct his work in accordance with his mandate. In terms of the judgment calls that he makes as he goes about his travels, it's his own decisions as a professional diplomat to determine how to go about his schedule, but he knows, in doing that, that he is free to go where he is where he intends to, and that we support that. Regarding the Secretary-General, no, we don't have any plans to visit Western Sahara to announce on his behalf.



Inner City Press: And can Christopher Ross speak to the press after his briefing tomorrow? Can you at least ask him for that because there seems to be some confusion.



Deputy Spokesman: We'll certainly check. That's his choice, of course, but we'll check.



Back on November 24:



Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Western Sahara. You gave the readout of Mr. Ross being in Algeria and on the move. You may have seen it. Theres a report by EFE from Algiers saying Christopher Ross confirmed on Tuesday that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit the territory in the coming months in an attempt to give impetus to the peace process. So I know that youve said I mean, he is Mr. Ross. He is the envoy.



Spokesman: He is Mr. Ross.



Inner City Press: Was he misquoted?



Spokesman: I dont know if hes misquoted. But what I can tell you is that any travel by the Secretary-General is confirmed from this podium in a statement, and thats what I would say.



On November 18, nine days after Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman about Morocco's foreign minister saying UN envoy Christoper Ross couldn't or shouldn't visit the desert areas of Western Sahara, the UN Security Council finally met about it.



InnerCityPro.com was the first to report it, mid-afternoon on November 18, as four Moroccan diplomats huddled outside the Security Council consultations, click here for that.



When the Security Council's President for November Matthew Rycroft of the UK emerged with a "Press Element" about the Security Council supporting Ross, and after a question which did not provide any insight into what the Council was saying, Inner City Press asked Rycroft to confirm that the Moroccan minister's comments, that Ross can't visit, had been raised in the Council.



Yes, he said, and the result is the statement of support for Ross.



Inner City Press understands that Security Council member Venezuela raised the issue, stating that waiting for Ross' briefing in two or three weeks was not good enough. (Angola's Permanent Representative, it was pointed out, was in Washington DC with his minister.)



Speaking for Morocco, Inner City Press is informed, was not its main sponsor France -- they like to not be seen in this role, instead using their "implicit" veto, here -- but rather Jordan. Has Jordan been active on the Western Sahara issue? Or is this a question of Kingdoms?



Even supports of Morocco - and Inner City Press does speak with them -- have said Morocco's current foreign minister is "not the brightest bulb," as one of them put it.



The UN has been charged with holding a referendum in Western Sahara, but has yet to do it. In October, when there is usually a Security Council briefing about Western Sahara, there was none.



Inner City Press was told it was because UN Envoy Christopher Ross was "in the region." Other sources tell Inner City Press the King of Morocco declined to meet with Ross, preferring to wait out the UN, or at least under the next Secretary General (and next US President).



Still other sources told Inner City Press the King would travel to Western Sahara on November 6; they call it a provocation. Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it; he said he might have something later.



After the King did visit Western Sahara, and as summarized rejected ceding anything toward a referendum; Ban Ki-moon said... nothing.



On November 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman:



Inner City Press: the foreign minister of Morocco, Salaheddine Mezouar, told EFE that Mr. Ross cannot visit the, quote, desert regions of Western Sahara by order of the Moroccan Government. So is he going to? I guess I want to ask you to tailor this generic statement to the foreign minister saying [cross talk]



Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: What I'm saying what I said to Ali, which I will repeat, is that, while he has no immediate plans to visit Western Sahara, he has a right to do so, and that right should not be open to question, whether it's the scope of Mr. Ross' work and his range of activities are set forth by the relevant Security Council resolutions and the Secretary-General.



Inner City Press: Right. So I guess what I'm just saying is, was this statement that you're reading, this is you're aware of this Moroccan foreign minister statement?



Spokesman: You've asked me a question. I've answered it.



Inner City Press: Okay.



Spokesman: My answer is a direct response to the question you've asked.



Before the King's trip, wwhen Ban Ki-moon was touring a photo exhibition in the same UN lobby where now indicted Ng Lap Seng sponsored events (even Wednesday night there was another, trying to sell seats at Ban's table at a Wall Street event in December for $6,000), the UN issued a statement.



On November 5, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here:



Inner City Press: On the Western Sahara statement yesterday, two questions. Is the Secretary-General aware of a plan by the King of Morocco to actually visit Western Sahara on 6 November, which many people, some people call it a provocation, some people say it's totally within his rights but?



Spokesman: I've seen those press reports.



Inner City Press: Is the statement in some way related to that? What's his message to the King of Morocco in terms of actually going?



Spokesman: I think the message to the, the message to the parties, I think, is very much in the message. It's not a statement to the King of Morocco or to the Front Polisario. It's a message to the partiers to mark the sombre anniversary of 40 years of unresolved conflict.



Inner City Press: But is a visit by the king at this time helpful to what the statement is trying-- ?



Spokesman: I think we'll we may have more to say on that later.



Inner City Press: Okay. And also on this, is it true that Mr. Ross, in the course of his journeys, has been unable to meet with the King of Morocco?



Spokesman: I don't know. I will see when his last time was.





On October 9 when the UN's Fourth Committee took up the question of Western Sahara," the first order of business was a procedural fight about who could testify, on what request and on what topic. The speakers, over several rounds, were Morocco and Senegal on the one hand, Algeria and Uganda on the other.



Uganda, when on the Security Council and otherwise, believes there should be a referendum on independence in Western Sahara; Senegal apparently does not.

Inner City Press ran to cover the dispute, but UN Security said it couldn't enter through the main entrance to Conference Room 4, but to enter the gallery through the UN lobby. But that gallery door was locked. Finally from a media booth about the Conference Room, Inner City Press filmed and tweeted as Moroccan diplomats worked the room, running over to speak with Cote d'Ivoire for example.

After it was resolved - the witness would speak, but should focus on Western Sahara - two countries got up and left: Burundi and Burkina Faso. They had apparently come to support Morocco, or France. They left before the first speaker on Western Sahara (who in his first line called it Moroccan Sahara). There will be more sessions: watch this site.

There was also testimony about French nuclear tests in French Polynesia, New Caledonia and several rounds between Spain and the UK about Gibraltar: is it or is it not a tax haven? The room was emptying out. This will be continued.



In advance of the Western Sahara session in the UN's Fourth Committee, SADR Foreign Minister Ould Salak spoke and took questions at Independent Diplomat on 20th Street in Manhattan on October 8. In his opening he said France uses it veto on the UN Security Council to block human rights monitoring. Inner City Press asked him about the denial of that by France and its previous Ambassador to the UN, now to Washington. Ould Salak replied that France uses the Group of Friends -- the P5 minus China but plus Spain -- so it doesn't have to openly use its veto.

This puts France's veto restraint proposals in a different light - but we'll have more on that in a separate story. In this piece, written at ID on 20th Street, we note that Carne Ross called it the Group of Enemies of Western Sahara, and the worst form of diplomacy.

AFP asked if Ban is going to Western Sahara -- seems Morocco is blocking it (with Ban Ki-moon, it doesn't take much); a Spanish journalists asked about the role of Spain, on which he hope to have more. The Security Council was meeting about Haiti, with its own colonial history. We'll have more on this.



The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO, which has yet to hold any referendum, was unanimously "renewed" for a year back on April 28, 2015 by the UN Security Council. Inner City Press published Explanation(s) of Vote, below.

On September 25 when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Spain's King Felipe VI, the UN said Ban "emphasized the need for a renewed push to resolve the situation in Western Sahara." Full readout below. Ban also raised Western Sahara with the President of Mauritania. The word "human rights" was not in either read-out. Here's Spain:



"The Secretary-General met today with H.M. King Felipe VI of Spain. They discussed a number of global challenges, including sustainable development and climate change.The Secretary-General thanked Spain for its support for the UNs efforts in Libya. He also commended Spain for its role in the Security Council. Finally, the Secretary-General emphasized the need for a renewed push to resolve the situation in Western Sahara."



There was some "pool" color, concluding that "speaking in English, but hardly audible, Ban and the Spanish King mentioned the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. Felipe VI was wearing today a lapel pin with the logo of the event. "



And here's Mauritania:



"The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and requested Mauritanias active support in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.



"The SecretaryGeneral and President Abdel Aziz discussed the security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel and the need to enhance regional cooperation to address terrorism, displacement, migration and illegal trafficking. The Secretary-General stressed the urgency of resolving the question of Western Sahara and thanked Mauritania for its continued support to the mediation process. [He also commended Mauritanias efforts to promote an inclusive political dialogue in Niger.]"



And on human rights monitoring? And on Anders Kompass?

Update: the bracketed final line was removed two hours later by the UN.



Back in April, Venezuela said human rights monitoring should have been included, and the African Union should have been allowed to address the Council. Angola, citing Chad and Nigeria as well, echoed this.



Afterward Inner City Press asked Moroccan Permanent Representative Omar Hilale a series of questions: about what Venezuela said, about the African Union, injured protesters, and why Frente Polisario couldn't speak at the same microphone.



Hilale asked if Venezuela was the right country to speak of human rights. Here now is Inner City Press' transcription of Venezuela's explanation of vote:



"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has voted in favor of the resolution renewing the mandate of MINURSO. MINURSO, as we are convinced of its important role in supervising the cease fire, reducing the threat of unexploded ordnance and mines, fostering confidence building measures between the parties in order to bring about the referendum, that is in step with the primary mandate in step with Resolution 690 of 1991. These efforts and the facilitation and the efforts deployed by the Secretary General are aimed at bringing about an agreement between the parties. MINURSO, to support this, must continue to provide its support to a series of assistance programs aimed at addressing the difficult situation faced by the Sahrawi families that are separated, in many cases, also breathing a new life into direct negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco.



"However, we wish to express certain concerns over the procedure used in the drafting of the resolution we have adopted. We are presented a text that was previously agreed upon by the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, which did not address the legitimate concerns and proposals that were made by numerous countries that are interested in this issue, Venezuela among them. These proposals were aimed at strengthening the role of MINURSO and the promotion and protection of human rights of the population in the Western Sahara, bearing in mind the recommendations made by the Secretary General in his report and the features of all the UN missions. It is necessary, then, that the future negotiation processes on the matter before us sees an improvement in the working methods with the aim of helping to bring about a broad discussion that is inclusive and transparent.



"In the context of the proposals made, the amendment that sought to increase the regularity of the review of the topic by the Council was not taken on board. There is also one aimed at reaffirming the responsibilities of this body in bringing about a fair and lasting solution to the situation in Western Sahara, through the holding of a referendum on self determination, that would allow for a process of decolonization, a situation that has has lasted for more than four decades. It is essential that we ensure the implementation of resolution 690 of 1991, which set forth for, provided for the holding of the referendum.



"We are concerned that without a referendum, the process of colonizing Western Sahara will continue including the deterioration of human rights for the Sahrawi people and the illegal exploitation of their natural resources, all of this to the detriment of stability and peace in the region. Further, we lament that the consultations held on this topic were not proceeded by an open meeting in which we could ensure the participation of the special envoy of the African Union for Western Sahara, the former president Joaquim Chissano.



"In the light of the request from that regional organization which, together with the United Nations, is facilitating the negotiation process between the parties, it is a paradox that there is exclusion from the dialogues in this body of a strategic UN ally in the efforts to find solutions to conflicts that affect peace and security in the African continent. We hope that the Council can correct this omission in the short term.



"To conclude, we should like to reiterate the responsibility that this Council has in working with resolve toward a fair and lasting solution to the colonial situation endured by the Sahrawi people, solving it with a move towards self determination in including the option of independence pursuant to international law and working, with resolve, towards a fair and lasting solution according to to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."



And from China, as transcribed by Inner City Press:



"Thank you Madam President. China supports the extension of the mandate of the UN mission for the referendum of Western Sahara and hopes that the mission will continue to play a constructive role in stabilizing the situation in Western Sahara and assisting the implementation of confidence building measures.



Chinas position on the question of Western Sahara is consistent and remains unchanged. Based on the above, China has voted in favor of Resolution 2118, adopted by the Council just now.

China knows that some Council members have concerns about the resolution. While the council members were having consultations on this resolution there should have been more time arranged for it, and there should have been more patience, so as to listen extensively to different opinions, and through more sufficient consultations seek a maximum consensus and get the widest support. I thank you."



UNlike China, Morocco's Hilale called the African Union "toxic" on this issue, saying that having made up it mind the AU should not address the Council.



Inner City Press asked how this is different, say, from the European Union addressing the Council about Kosovo. (Hilale said every situation is different: the old "sui generis").



Inner City Press asked why Polisario couldn't speak at the UNSC stakeout where, for example, private citizen Hilary Clinton recently did. Hilale said Hilary Clinton is with a member state. But so are a lot of people.


On Western Sahara, ICP Asks Venezuela of Referendum, He on France, Spain



By Matthew Russell Lee



UNITED NATIONS, February 12 -- After the UN Security Council convened for a closed door meeting about Western Sahara on February 10, Inner City Press asked the Council's President for the month, Venezuela's Rafael Ramirez, if the already once delayed visit by Ban Ki-moon is now "on."



Ramirez said that a visit before the Security Council conducts its April review of Western Sahara is desirable. To the side of the stakeout as he spoke, a number of Moroccan diplomats stood watching; one it seems was intent that the Polisario representative not be allowed to speak at the UNTV microphone. (That did not happen.)



On February 12, Ramirez held a Q&A session at the Venezuelan Mission to the UN. Among other questions, Inner City Press asked again about Western Sahara, including if Ban can visit by April, and the UNSC's so-called Group of Friends. As fast transcribed by InnerCityPro.com:



Inner City Press: And on Western Sahara, can Ban get there by April? Etc

Amb. Ramirez: about Western Sahara, Morocco has persistence in a diplomatic way, but the Security Council will have a consensus to support the Secretary General because he has the intention to visit Western Sahara. Hes never been there. He has to go, to visit our mission there. Its very important that the special envoy [Christopher] Ross be approved to go to Western Sahara also. That issue we have to consult... The main resolution refers to the referendum. Thats 25 years trying to prepare some referendum about Western Sahara, and nothing happens. And you know, Venezuela will be chair of the [Fourth] committee about decolonization...



[Follow up on Spain] A: Spain has a lot of responsibility on this question. And when you go to Tindouf, everybody speaks Spanish. Spain has to help a little bit more. Were expecting to have this report to help the Secretary General.



We have the mandate for a resolution, asking for a resolution. And we have to do. We are insistent. Morocco is proposing some kind of alternative. No... the Sahrawi people have to decide.



[Follow up on France] A: France is pretty close to Morocco. We expect them to move...



On va voir.



On February 11, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here:



Inner City Press: On Western Sahara, there's been a statement by the President of the Republic or head of Polisario asking the Secretary-General to ensure that no UN official attend this thing, its called the Crans Montana Forum in Dajla, which previously, as you know, Douste-Blazy attended, and there was some confusion. Is the Secretary-General aware of this call, this, you know, request, and has such a message gone out?



Spokesman Dujarric: I have not seen that request.



Inner City Press: And also on Western Sahara, yesterday, it was said that that there was obviously consultations  Mr. Feltman spoke. It was said afterward that a visit by the Secretary-General before the April review would be ideal. And I know you don't announce the dates, but is that something that that that he's going to be trying to do?



Spokesman Dujarric: I'm not going to contradict the President of the Security Council.



To be fair, Inner City Press has been told that Morocco had agreed to a Ban Ki-moon visit in 2015, only to have Ban cancel it because Ban thought he might be able to go to North Korea, apparently more important to him. But now it's 2016, and April is approaching. Watch this site.



Back on December 8, 2015, neither the briefer, UN envoy Christopher Ross, nor any other official or ambassador came to speak at the televised Security Council stakeout. Inner City Press had asked the UN to ask Ross to "do a stakeout," but none happened.



Here's the text of Ross' briefing to the Council's closed door meeting, which Inner City Press has exclusively obtained and put online here .



On February 2, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, transcript here:



Inner City Press: I've seen a readout [not a UN readout] of a meeting the Secretary-General had with, I guess, a Polisario official about Western Sahara. Also they're reporting that there's some obstruction to the Secretary-General's long-announced intention to visit Western Sahara. One, can you confirm that a meeting took place in Addis on the issue on this issue? And, if so, what's the readout? And, two, what is his current plan to travel or not to Western Sahara?



Deputy Spokesman: First of all, no, there I wouldn't have a readout of that meeting. But, second of all, the main point is that the Secretary-General is very firm in his intention to visit Western Sahara and the region. We do not have a precise announcement on dates to give you right now, but he does intend to do that, and we will announce it when we can.



But why DIDN'T the UN issues a read out of this meeting, like it did so many others? Note that Ban canceled his trip to Western Sahara on the off chance he could get to North Korea -- which failed.



Meanwhile, on January 29, the UN Spokesman threw Inner City Press out of the UN Press Briefing Room then on February 1 made this threat, here. This was echoed on February 2.



On December 8, the Security Council meeting scheduled right after Western Sahara, about Turkey and Iraq, drew the larger crowd.



This remained true afterward, when correspondents crowded around the ambassadors of Russia, Iraq and Turkey. Behind them, Inner City Press saw and Periscoped, France's Deputy Permanent Representative Alexis Lamek whispered with the Moroccan diplomats who'd waited at the stakeout, in what's called the Turkish Lounge.

The UN itself has to some degree dropped the ball. Inner City Press got confirmed, not from the UN, that Ban Ki-moon was slated to visit on November 25-27 but then canceled, so he could go to North Korea (which he ended up not doing). Priorities. It's worth noting, and we do, that Morocco invited Ban back in November. And now, with Ross? Watch this site.



On November 18, nine days after Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman about Morocco's foreign minister saying UN envoy Christoper Ross couldn't or shouldn't visit the desert areas of Western Sahara, the UN Security Council finally met about it.



InnerCityPro.com was the first to report it, mid-afternoon on November 18, as four Moroccan diplomats huddled outside the Security Council consultations, click here for that.



When the Security Council's President for November Matthew Rycroft of the UK emerged with a "Press Element" about the Security Council supporting Ross, and after a question which did not provide any insight into what the Council was saying, Inner City Press asked Rycroft to confirm that the Moroccan minister's comments, that Ross can't visit, had been raised in the Council.



Yes, he said, and the result is the statement of support for Ross.



Inner City Press understands that Security Council member Venezuela raised the issue, stating that waiting for Ross' briefing in two or three weeks was not good enough. (Angola's Permanent Representative, it was pointed out, was in Washington DC with his minister.)



Speaking for Morocco, Inner City Press is informed, was not its main sponsor France -- they like to not be seen in this role, instead using their "implicit" veto, here -- but rather Jordan. Has Jordan been active on the Western Sahara issue? Or is this a question of Kingdoms?



Even supports of Morocco - and Inner City Press does speak with them -- have said Morocco's current foreign minister is "not the brightest bulb," as one of them put it.



The UN has been charged with holding a referendum in Western Sahara, but has yet to do it. In October, when there is usually a Security Council briefing about Western Sahara, there was none.



Inner City Press was told it was because UN Envoy Christopher Ross was "in the region." Other sources tell Inner City Press the King of Morocco declined to meet with Ross, preferring to wait out the UN, or at least under the next Secretary General (and next US President).



Still other sources told Inner City Press the King would travel to Western Sahara on November 6; they call it a provocation. Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it; he said he might have something later.



After the King did visit Western Sahara, and as summarized rejected ceding anything toward a referendum; Ban Ki-moon said... nothing.



On November 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman th is.



Before the King's trip, when Ban Ki-moon was touring a photo exhibition in the same UN lobby where now indicted Ng Lap Seng sponsored events (even Wednesday night there was another, trying to sell seats at Ban's table at a Wall Street event in December for $6,000), the UN issued a statement.



On November 5, Inner City Press again asked UN Spokesman Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here .



On October 9 when the UN's Fourth Committee took up the question of Western Sahara," the first order of business was a procedural fight about who could testify, on what request and on what topic. The speakers, over several rounds, were Morocco and Senegal on the one hand, Algeria and Uganda on the other.



Uganda, when on the Security Council and otherwise, believes there should be a referendum on independence in Western Sahara; Senegal apparently does not.

Inner City Press ran to cover the dispute, but UN Security said it couldn't enter through the main entrance to Conference Room 4, but to enter the gallery through the UN lobby. But that gallery door was locked. Finally from a media booth about the Conference Room, Inner City Press filmed and tweeted as Moroccan diplomats worked the room, running over to speak with Cote d'Ivoire for example.

After it was resolved - the witness would speak, but should focus on Western Sahara - two countries got up and left: Burundi and Burkina Faso. They had apparently come to support Morocco, or France. They left before the first speaker on Western Sahara (who in his first line called it Moroccan Sahara). There will be more sessions: watch this site.

There was also testimony about French nuclear tests in French Polynesia, New Caledonia and several rounds between Spain and the UK about Gibraltar: is it or is it not a tax haven? The room was emptying out. This will be continued.



In advance of the Western Sahara session in the UN's Fourth Committee, SADR Foreign Minister Ould Salak spoke and took questions at Independent Diplomat on 20th Street in Manhattan on October 8. In his opening he said France uses it veto on the UN Security Council to block human rights monitoring. Inner City Press asked him about the denial of that by France and its previous Ambassador to the UN, now to Washington. Ould Salak replied that France uses the Group of Friends -- the P5 minus China but plus Spain -- so it doesn't have to openly use its veto.

This puts France's veto restraint proposals in a different light - but we'll have more on that in a separate story. In this piece, written at ID on 20th Street, we note that Carne Ross called it the Group of Enemies of Western Sahara, and the worst form of diplomacy.

AFP asked if Ban is going to Western Sahara -- seems Morocco is blocking it (with Ban Ki-moon, it doesn't take much); a Spanish journalists asked about the role of Spain, on which he hope to have more. The Security Council was meeting about Haiti, with its own colonial history. We'll have more on this.


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Red Close for Cotton Futures Barchart - Thu Oct 20, 4:26PM CDT Front month cotton tried to reverse some of the sharp drop from yesterday, but the bounce faded and turned red. At the close futures were 18 to 89 points lower. The 2023 crop closed 29 points higher in... CTZ22 : 77.55 (+0.19%) CTH23 : 77.39 (+0.17%) CTK23 : 77.07 (+0.04%)

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Hog Futures End Firm on Thursday Barchart - Thu Oct 20, 4:26PM CDT Following 4 consecutive up days, December hogs cooled off with a 35 cent pullback on Thursday. Dec has seen 8 green candles of the past 12 sessions for a net $12.60 gain since 10/4. The other front months... HEZ22 : 87.025s (-0.40%) HEJ23 : 93.125s (+0.40%) KMZ22 : 96.875s (unch)

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Its been a while since weve checked in on the Citi Foundations financial inclusion work, but rest assured that this funding is still going strong. Citi is one of the top driving financial inclusion forces in corporate philanthropy, splitting support among North America, Latin America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Related:

One of the bank funders largest geographic focuses is India, and it recently announced a commitment of 130 million rupees through its India Innovation Grant Program. This amount equals about $1.9 million U.S. This grant money supports eight projects to boost financial education and capability programs.

The India Innovation Grant Program is a fairly new endeavor, just established in 2014, and it encourages NGOs to develop programs to teach financial decision making in low-income populations. By using technology and financial insights, the foundation aims to improve access to financial services in India and reduce the cost of delivering these services. Grantees include the following: Navya Disha Trust, Swadhaar FinAccess, Anudip Foundation for Social Welfare, American India Foundation Trust, Pratham Education Foundation, MelJol, Kalighat Society for Development Facilitation, and Grameen Foundation.

Past Coverage about the Citi Foundations Financial Inclusion Support in India:

In a statement, Pramit Jhaveri, chief executive officer of Citi India, said that the initiative carries a strong focus on producing positive and measurable financial behavioral change among women and youth by encouraging the accumulation and preservation of financial assets.

Whether in India or elsewhere in the world, these are some of the key features of Citis financial inclusion grantmaking program:

Empowering young adults to build financial assets

Enabling entrepreneurs to launch businesses

Creating jobs for low-income individuals

Strengthening community-based organizations

Promoting financial strength during times of prosperity and instability

Otherwise, Citi has been busy in the areas of urban transformation and other forms of youth economic opportunities. Under the urban transformation umbrella, affordable housing, infrastructure building, and environmental sustainability grants are provided to improve cities. In addition to financial inclusion efforts for youth, Citi always supports programs for 16- to 25-year-olds that help youth get jobs and start their own businesses. Theres been a big push for this type of support in Latin America, especially Lima, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo, where youth are feeling increasingly optimistic about the future and interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

Unfortunately for grantseekers, the Citi Foundation accepts grant proposals by invitation only and doesnt review any unsolicited letters of inquiry. The 2016 grant guidelines arent posted yet, but you can check out the 2015 guidelines for reference.

Last year, the foundation committed to making financial inclusion investments in direct service, capacity buildings, and systems change. However, it typically doesnt fund solely classroom-based financial education programs, entrepreneurship training or business development services programs that do not provide resources to access capital to actually start or expand a business, or loan capitalization/interest expense. You can also learn about past grantees and search by focus area, location, and year on the Grants Search page.

There are nine program officers and senior program officers on the foundations staff, and they all specialize in a specific funding or geographic area.
What is it about finance types and the environment? After education, this ranks as one of the top philanthropic interests of Wall Street winners. We wrote a piece looking at the top nine such donors back in 2014, and have found a number to add to the list since then.

Related: The 9 Top Finance Guys in Environmental Philanthropy

Duncan McFarland is one of the many green donors from finance who is on our radar.

After some 40 years with Wellington Management Company, including serving as CEO and chairman, investor McFarland retired in 2004. McFarland and his wife Ellen live in the Boston area and have engaged in philanthropy. It's unclear how much the couple is currently worth, but their charitable vehicle, Bromley Charitable Trust, held some $9.3 million in assets and gave away close to $2.9 million in a recent fiscal year.

We've written before about the couple's commitment to animals and land conservation, including their $1 million gift to Panthera and Rainforest Trust to protect a ranch in a part of Brazil thats home to a high-density jaguar population. McFarland is also on the board of Rare, a conservation outfit that he's supported since 2008.

Related: This Retired Investment CEO is a Big Friend to Big Cats

The McFarlands continue to be very focused in this area. One longtime grantee, Mount Grace Land Conservation, a "regional land trust that serves 23 towns in Worcester and Franklin counties... [and] has helped protect more than 29,000 acres," recently received a $100,000 matching grant from the couple through the Bromley Charitable Trust. The couple has also been heavily involved with the Marion Institute, a "nonprofit that acts as an incubator for a diverse array of programs and projects that delve into the root cause of an issue and seeks to create deep and positive change", and a spin off effort called Round the Bend Farm in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts "a living laboratory that cultivates, educates, and empowers change agents." These efforts reveal that the couple is interested in environmental education as well.

Apart from this work, the couple also earmarks funds in other areas. They've recently supported education outfits such as Beacon Academy, Colby College, Bridge Boston Charter School (which received $500,000 in the most recent fiscal year available), and Wellington Management Foundation, which "gives annual grants and catalyst gifts to programs in our communities that improve the educational opportunities of economically disadvantaged youth." McFarland and Ellen also gave William Penn Charter School $4 million in 2013. McFarland attended the school.

Additionally, McFarland is a director of New Profit, a venture philanthropy fund in Boston that focuses on increasing opportunities for mobility. New Profit has received close to $900,000 from the couple via Bromley in the two most recent available tax years. The couple has also recently funded outfits such as Greater Boston Food Bank, the Boston Foundation, antipoverty outfit LIFT, and SPAN, which "assists people who have been in prison to achieve their full potential for healthy, productive, and meaningful lives."

The couple's health philanthropy has been modest of late, but they've recently funded Peer Health Exchange and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The McFarlands also make grants to organizations that operate abroad. Asia appears to be of particular interest and recent Bromley Foundation grantees include Japan America Refugee Network, Taktse International School in India, Cambodian Living Arts, and Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association.

The couple's foundation operates with minimal staff, and unfortunately for grantseekers, does not encourage unsolicited proposals. Instead, the McFarlands seek out organizations with which to partner. Still, those working within environmental conservation, and in New England, should keep the McFarlands on their radar.

Related: Duncan McFarland
Timing matters in education giving. We've said it before and we'll say it again. I've often written about the ways in which donors are motivated to give big at the start of a campaign or at the end, in order to get the campaign started on the right foot, or end it with a big bang. Of course, these aren't the only circumstances where timing comes into play.

Related: One Final Push: Anonymous Alumni Family Bolsters Capital Campaign

Consider, for instance, University of Miami's recent inauguration of its sixth president, Julio Frenk. Born in Mexico City, Frenk received an MD from National University of Mexico, and also a master of public health and a joint Ph.D. in medical care organization and in sociology from University of Michigan. Frenk has held a number of high-ranking positions over the years, including minister of health of Mexico, and executive director in charge of evidence and information for policy at the World Health Organization.

On the higher education front, Frenk was dean of the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health, before going on to become, last August, UMiami's sixth presidentthe university's first Hispanic president, by the way, which is a big deal in Miami. (Long ago, the school barred students of color from entry, like many universities in the South.)

At Frenk's historic inauguration a few weeks ago, he spoke on issues such as diversity and innovation. Oh, and he also announced news of a big $100 million gift by billionaire couple Phillip and Patricia Frost to support basic and applied science and engineering, fields in which, as Frenk puts it, any university striving for excellence must have depth."

The Frosts are already considered one of University of Miami's top donors. In 2003, the couple gave a $33 million gift to create the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music. Timing should be considered in that gift, too, as it came just as UMiami kicked off its Momentum Campaign. This time around, the billionaire healthcare investor and wife came together with UMiami just in time for its new president to announce a huge gift.

It's also worth talking about how both Phillip Frost and Julio Frenk were trained as doctors, and the fact that the $100 million is going toward STEM efforts. So far, it's unclear what, exactly, the money will fund, but the fact that UMiami and the Frosts have come together to focus on this issue at this important moment shows once again how STEM has become a top philanthropic issue in higher education and beyond.

Student musicians from the Frost School of Music performed at the inauguration, which fits with the whole story too.
When it comes to spending money to influence public policy makers, the pharmaceutical industry has everyone beat: It's outspent every other industry in the United States on lobbying since 1998, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But few pharmaceutical executives will ever match the influence of the late Daniel C. Searle of the G.D. Searle & Company.

Searle not only poured millions into right-of-center public policy organizations every year until his death in 2007; he's continued to do so from beyond the grave. He did it all by way of the Searle Freedom Trust, a foundation that he started in 1998 to advance research and scholarship in support of a "just, prosperous, and free society." Around $14 million to $15 million (or more) in Searle money goes out to conservative think tanks and advocacy groups every a year.

Searle is less well known than other top conservative foundations, like the Sarah Scaife and Bradley foundations. But it's long been part of the cadre of funders who have patiently built and sustained a robust conservative policy infrastructure over time. We write often about these funders for a simple reason: They have been extremely effective in shifting the terms of debate in key areas of policysuch as taxes, regulation, education, healthcare, and the social safety net.

Funders like Searle have keenly understood the power of ideas, rightly seeing investing here as a high-impact leverage point for philanthropy, and they have played the long-game in terms of sticking with their main grantees for decades, often with general support grants.

In the case of the Searle Freedom Trust, though, the money won't keep flowing forever. Searle stipulated before his death that the trust must "spend itself out of existence" by 2025his way of making sure that it wouldn't end up in the hands of a later generation that didn't share his values and that might change the trust's mission to one that he wouldn't have approved of. (This is a major fear of many conservative philanthropists, and rightly so, given that their heirs are often more liberal, as are professional philanthropoids.)

The mission Searle left it with was a decisively libertarian one. In the founding statement that Searle wrote back in 1998, he put economic freedom and individual liberty front and center.

I am concerned about certain social, political, and economic trends that I see in our society. I believe that if these trends continue unabated, future generations will end up living in a world dominated by big government, devoid of ethical values, and lacking in individual initiative and responsibility, he wrote.

Searle decided to focus on research and scholarship, which is where the well-known John M. Olin Foundation had focusedbefore it spent down and closed shop in 2005. The Searle Freedom Trust retains this focus. It's an ideas-centered foundation that is more likely to pay for a new book, policy paper, or journal article than a public-outreach campaign or lobbying drive. Think tanks are its primary beneficiaries. It gave the American Enterprise Institute $3 million in 2011-2012 to publish analyses of the impacts of government regulation on economic growth. And it issued $12,500 to the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government in that same time period to host a workshop on academic entrepreneurship, as well as $175,000 to the Competitive Enterprise Institute to compile research questioning the scientific consensus on climate change.

Other beneficiaries in recent years include the American Legislative Exchange Council, whose work on state fiscal reforms got $35,000 in Searle support one year and $50,000 the year following; and the Cato Institute, which received a combined total of $225,000 in grants to publish a series of studies on financial regulation by scholars Bruce Yandle and Adam Smith. Searle additionally gave the American Family Business Foundation $50,000 to conduct a study on the estate tax and federal budget deficits.

Searle looks for some opportunities to directly influence public policy making, too, through public outreach, lobbying, and in some cases litigation. It's been a generous funder of the Pacific Research Institute's battles against Obamacare. And it funded the Project on Fair Representation's lawsuits against universities that take college applicants' race into account during the admissions process.

As we're now in 2016, the trust should have around nine years of giving left, with plenty of money likely to go out the door between now and then. It claimed $114 million in assets in 2013, and the gave out nearly $15 million in grants that year.

Related:
Thomas J. Healey, 73, is one of three principals of Healey Development in Morristown, New Jersey, a family office. Healey spent years at Goldman Sachs, joining the firm in 1985 and making partner in 1988. The Georgetown and Harvard Business School graduate was also assistant secretary of the treasury for domestic finance under then President Ronald Reagan.

Healey has been involved in philanthropy over the years and in 1989, established the Healey Family Foundation, which he runs with his wife Margaret, a psychologist, and family. While the charitable vehicle flies under the radar, with a minimal web presence, Healey Development's website provides some insights into the family's philanthropy. For starters, apart from Healey and Margaret, the couple's son-in-law John C. Hagerty plays a role. The Williams College graduate and Solomon Brothers veteran has been involved with Healey in business for years. In addition, the couple's children, Jeremy and Megan are on the books of the family foundation.

Healey Development also states that its "principals direct their charitable activities through a Private Foundation...," and they focus on these initiatives:

Educational opportunities, especially for grades K  12

Improving financial management within the U.S. Catholic church

In terms of education, the Healey family recently gave the lead gift to help create the Healey Family Student Center at Georgetown. The family has also bankrolled Lauinger Library and an endowed professorship at the university. In the most recent fiscal year for which records are available, the Healeys gave some $1.65 million to Georgetown through their foundation. The Healeys have also recently supported various Harvard outfits such as Harvard Business School Fund, Harvard Magazine, and Harvard School of Public Health.

Other recent education grantees include Teach for America, the Peck School, Rosemont College, Fordham University, Delbarton School, 50Can, and Williams College. Healey has also funded Catholic schools such as St. Pius X Catholic High School, and Cristo Rey New York High School and has written about the importance of these institutions and the need to revamp them so that they run more efficiently: "the system that manages Catholic education has become so outdated and sclerotic that only by tackling a range of fundamental issues can parochial schools hope to thrive again." Healey, in fact, has penned several articles for America, a national Catholic weekly magazine.

The Healey family's support of Catholic institutions doesn't stop at schools, either. Thomas Healey is a director of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, whose mission is "to promote excellence and best practices in the management, finances, and human resource development of the Catholic Church in the U.S. through the greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity." The Healey family gave that outfit some $120,000 in the 2014 fiscal year through their foundation, with similar strong support in other recent years.

Other grantees include Diocese of Metuchen, Carmelite Sisters of Baltimore, Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Diocese of Paterson, Archdiocese of Newark, Foundations and Donors Interest in Catholic Activities (FADICA), Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, and RENEW International, which "fosters spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition by empowering individuals and communities to encounter God in everyday life, deepen and share faith, and connect faith with action."

Apart from these two grantmaking areas, the Healey family through their foundation also earmarks sums for health and for policy outfits. The Healeys have bankrolled policy outfits such as Hoover Institution, Cato Institute, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Healey, as well, is a senior fellow at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government.

Related: Thomas J. Healey
Members of the Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA) raised more than $150,000 through various charity events in 2015 for Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, Texas. This is the largest contribution TSSA has made since it began supporting the hospital 15 years ago, according to a press release. To date, the association has raised more than $850,000 in support of the hospitals work to help burn victims and their families.

TSSA Fundraising Committee Co-Chairs David and Doug Hunt presented the hospital with a check for $152,364 on Jan. 25. Additional attendees of the event included:

TSSA Board Member Bill Bellomy, principal of Bellomy & Co.

Cindy Bellomy of Regal Storage in Lake Jackson, Texas

Ted Culbreth, vice president of sales and marketing of SBS Construction

Megan Gilbert, property manager of Amazing Spaces Storage Centers in The Woodlands

Paul Glover, volunteer president and vice president of Storage Choice

Jerry Hendrix, owner of Cubby Hole Texas Storage in Hallsville, Texas

Donna Hunt of OMC Gate Service Inc.

Trena Hunt of OMC Gate Service Inc.

Kelsey Morrill, director of marketing for Amazing Spaces Storage Centers

TSSA Immediate Past President Amy Nolan

Pat Nolan, owner of The Storage Place

Ann Parham, CEO of The Parham Group

TSSA Executive Director Ginny Sutton

The group toured the hospital, including treatment areas and labs, and were introduced to doctors, nurses and burn-treatment researchers.

When you see the way the hospital approaches care, treating the whole child, both body and mind, with the goal of returning their life to normalcy, you cant help but be profoundly affected, Doug Hunt said.

The Hunt Brothers have already set their sights on next years fundraising, with the goal of reaching the $1 million mark in total funds raised. I definitely think its within our reach. TSSA members are incredibly generous and this is such a worthy cause. Its an honor to raise funds for this hospital, Doug Hunt said.

The TSSA Fundraising Committee is making plans for its next campaign, which will largely be executed at the associations 2016 conference. The event is scheduled for Oct. 9-11 in The Woodlands.

Established in 1986, the TSSA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to enhancing the quality of the self-storage industry in Texas. The association provides opportunities for members to increase their knowledge of the self-storage industry through education, research, discussion and exchange of information.

Shriners Hospitals for Children includes 22 hospitals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, providing advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.
Preliminary gross-domestic-product data released by Eurostat this morning indicated that the common currency zone maintained positive growth during the final months of 2015 despite sluggish global demand. While the 0.3 percent expansion versus the prior quarter exceeded consensus economist forecasts, the fact that Germany was the primary driver of expansion for the region raised concerns among some investors over a growing divergence between European Union economies. One unwelcome development in the flurry of data was the return of recession in Greece, which suffered a 0.6 percent contraction for the three-month period ending in December.

Ceasefire draws mixed reaction. A joint statement by the U.S., Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran regarding a ceasefire for hostilities in Syria was received with some skepticism by observers Thursday evening. A recent step up in the Russian bombing campaign has resulted in gains against both the Islamic State and forces that opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Geopolitical analysts have concluded that Russias successes have compelled the U.S. to broker an accord.

AIG names Icahn and Paulson as directors. On Thursday, American International Group announced that activist investors Carl Icahn, via proxy, and hedge fund manager John Paulson directly would join the board of directors at the global insurer. The company reported a loss of $1.10 per share for the final quarter of 2015, in line with analyst estimates, and announced a $5 billion share-repurchase program.

Democratic contenders spar over Obama legacy. The leading Democratic presidential nominees traded jabs in a debate in Milwaukee Thursday evening. As the primaries moved into more racially diverse states, both candidates have focused on seeking support of minority groups. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Sen. Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, addressed those communities directly in advance of the South Carolina primary. Clinton particularly attacked Sanders criticisms of President Barack Obama.
New Day Underwriting Managers LLC has hired Alyson Lupinetti as account manager in the Construction Group. She is based in New Days main office in Hamilton, New Jersey.



In her new role, Lupinetti is responsible for providing detailed risk management and insurance information to New Day Underwriting Managers agents nationwide.



Lupinetti previously served as client analyst at insurance broker ECBM.



New Day Underwriting Managers is a specialty intermediary to broker partners and their clients for construction-related professional liability and environmental liability insurance. Based in New Jersey, New Day has an additional location in Atlanta, Georgia.

Topics New Jersey
George Banyas is self-employed, having run a successful optometry business in Richland, Pennsylvania, for the past 15 years. He and his wife have two children, both in their early 20s and attending college.

While his business has afforded his family a stable living, it also has left him ineligible for a health insurance subsidy under the Affordable Care Act. And Banyas is increasingly worried about the rising cost of insuring his family of four.

The Affordable Care Act, he said, is looking increasingly unaffordable for him.

For the estimated 10 million self-employed Americans, health insurance post-ACA has provided a wider array of health plan choices. At the same time, it has sometimes created hefty financial and administrative headaches for the sole proprietor.

Six years in, a top official for a national group representing the self-employed said many professionals find themselves snagged by either higher premiums, less coverage or both, but also ineligible for subsidy relief capped at 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $97,000 for a family of four.

Its very common and a huge frustration for the self-employed who came to the Affordable Care Act kind of optimistic about what they were going to get, said Katie Vlietstra, vice president for public affairs and government relations at the Washington, D.C.-based National Association for the Self-Employed.

There have been benefits with the ACA, she said, but there is also vast room for improvement such as the ability to customize plans and to purchase plans across state lines.

Before the ACA was enacted, Banyas said his monthly insurance premium with Highmark was $625 with a yearly out-of-pocket maximum cost of $5,000, so the most I could spend was around $12,000 per year under the worst-case scenario.

Once the federal act went into effect, his monthly premiums for a similar Highmark plan jumped to $1,100. Between the ACA-mandated yearly maximum family cost of $13,700 and the $13,200 he pays in premiums, he faces a possible one-year outlay of $26,900 if someone in the family falls ill or is seriously injured.

Youre looking at a quarter of your income just gone. Its insane, said the Cranberry, Pennsylvania, resident, who opted for another insurer this year. He declined to identify his new insurer.

The self-employed as a rule are better off under the act because they have instant access to insurance that they didnt have before, said health benefits specialist James McTiernan of Arthur J. Gallagher Co., Downtown.

What has changed is just the benefit structure. Were all used to having a higher benefit level.

Banyas, 55, said he does not oppose the Affordable Care Act, which he has seen help some of his patients.

In his own situation, Its still at a point where its just manageable, he acknowledged.

But if they can take my rate and double it from the end of December to the beginning of January, what if my costs go up $30,000 or $35,000? I just dont get a sense from the government that theres a foreseeable end.

Highmarks rates, in particular, rose substantially after the insurer suffered a $318 million operating loss from its marketplace offerings in the first half of 2015.

While marketplace forces may stabilize in coming years, theres no guarantee when or if that will happen.

Nothing else makes me more nervous than health insurance, Banyas said. I can downsize my house, I can drive older cars but if it keeps going at this rate, what am I going to do?

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Norwegian Hull Club, one of the worlds largest pure marine insurers, is planning to plug into London with the opening of its first office outside Norway.

The clubs board confirmed this week that it intends to open a branch office this year in the City of Londons EC3 district, close to the Lloyds market. Currently, the club operates from three Norwegian cities, Bergen, Oslo and Kristiansand, while its marine benefits medical insurance business is located in Manila, the Philippines.

At launch, the office will be staffed by a team of three, two of whom will be underwriters, although this headcount is expected to rise during the first year.

A London office presents considerable benefits for NHC. For some time, our major London-based brokers have told us they would be extremely supportive of the club having a presence here, said the clubs Chief Executive Faz Peermohamed.

It also makes much sense from our perspective as the bulk of our business is via the broker markets, and London has the greatest concentration of those brokers. Peermohamed added. Being in the Square Mile, allows us to strengthen our broker relationships and plug into the London market more effectively. Additionally, a London office offers the potential for growth, for developing new products and new business.

Norwegian Hull Club said it ranks as one of the worlds largest pure marine underwriters, insuring more than 10,000 unique vessels and units.

Source: Norwegian Hull Club

Topics London
Sompo Canopius AG has entered into a license agreement with SSBN, which will provide it with flood models and hazard maps for the United States.

SSBN works within the insurance sector, providing global flood risk analytics, which are based on cutting-edge research methods that provide robust estimates of risk, said Sompo Canopius in a statement.

Founded by members of the Hydrology Research Group at Englands University of Bristol, SSBN is led by Professor Paul Bates, an authority in the field of flood risk.

To date, Bates has obtained over 29 million ($41.6 million) in national and international research grants and is a recent winner of the prestigious Lloyds Science of Risk Prize, the company continued.

Understanding flood risk in some areas of the US can be notoriously difficult, said Marek Shafer, head of Catastrophe Management, Sompo Canopius.

SSBN, which offers a range of modelling tools at the forefront of flood risk research, is an innovative and dynamic organization with a clear and impressive methodology, added Shafer.

This relationship will give us significantly greater clarity about these risks across north America, providing a more robust scientific basis for underwriting existing risks and allowing us to consider new locations and products to offer our brokers and clients.

Source: Sompo Canopius

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA Flood
Three Ohio women who filed a federal lawsuit accusing Chipotle Mexican Grill of gender discrimination have been awarded a total of about $600,000 in damages.

A U.S. District Court jury in Cincinnati found the Denver-based chain liable after determining it terminated the three former general managers on the basis of gender and violated the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. The Cincinnati-area women were awarded about $200,000 each.

A former manager was described in court as telling at least one of the women that there sure are a lot of overweight women working here.

An attorney for the women said that they hope the decision will help other working women.

There was no response to a call and an email seeking comment from the company.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Ohio
Two influential U.S. lawmakers on Thursday criticized the financial industry for saying in public that a new rule on retirement advice could have dire consequences, but then speaking optimistically about it with shareholders.

The proposed rule would create a fiduciary standard, meaning that brokers who give retirement must act in their clients best interest. The goal is to protect retirees from buying unnecessary products that line their brokers pockets.

In public, financial and insurance companies have warned the proposal could drive up costs and stop them from offering retirement services such as annuities to middle- and lower-income people.

Some of these same companies are providing very different assessments to their own investors, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat pushing for financial reform, and Representative Elijah Cummings, the most powerful Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote in a letter to the White House and Labor Department.

Quoting from company earnings calls, the lawmakers said firms have given a much more sanguine view of the impact of the rule, explaining that it will have few, if any, negative impacts on their financial advisers, their clients, or their bottom line, and may even create new business opportunities.

Most of the insurers highlighted in the letter said their public warnings that the proposal could limit customers access to services did not contradict reassurances to investors that they could withstand regulatory changes.

We have a business mix and business strategies that enable us to navigate that potential disruption better than most of our competitors, but that does not lessen our concerns about unintended consequences for American households, said Scot Hoffman, a spokesman for Prudential Financial Inc.

A spokesman for Transamerica, Gregory Tucker, said the unit of Aegon NV has been very consistent in its view the rule would not be in customers best interests and would deprive many middle-income Americans of professional advice.

He added that Aegon CEO Alex Wynaendt, on an earnings call, noted that its companies have managed to adjust to various market requirements.

Lincoln Financial Group spokesman Michael Arcaro, said the company supported the standard but wanted variable annuities to continue to be regulated like other insurance products or that the rule address the difference between insurance products and mutual funds.

The company told shareholders it could have to sell other products that would not be affected by the rule.

The products that Lincoln would pivot toward, however, may not provide the same flexibility and opportunity for growing income as variable annuities, he said.

The fiduciary standard is part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. Regulators have not yet turned it into an enforceable rule.

The Labor Department, which regulates retirement plan advice, withdrew its initial proposal in 2011 after widespread criticism. Last month it sent a new version to the White Houses Office of Management and Budget. The text will become public after that office finishes its review.

The House of Representatives is advancing legislation for an alternative. A corresponding bill was introduced in the Senate last week.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by David Gregorio)

Topics Legislation
South Carolina farmers devastated by last falls flooding could get up to $40 million in state aid to stay afloat under legislation advanced Wednesday to the House floor.

The legislation approved 21-0 by the Ways and Means Committee allows farmers in disaster-declared counties to apply for grants of up to $100,000 each. The grants could equal 20 percent of a farmers total loss.

We cant make them whole, Chairman Brian White, R-Anderson, said of his bill. This may not be everything they want but its something to keep the industry going.

Last Octobers torrential rains wiped out $330 million worth of crops at harvest time. Farmers lost an additional $45 million because they couldnt plant winter crops in bogs, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Those figures dont include losses from last years spring freeze and summer drought.

Farmers essentially lost their entire inventory after incurring a years worth of expenses, leaving many unable to pay operating loans that came due Dec. 31. Hopefully, next seasons harvest will be profitable, but many family farms wont survive in the meantime, said State Farm Bureau President Harry Ott.

About 30 percent of farm loans through the Farm Service Agency in South Carolina are already delinquent, he said.

We were totally exposed and had an event nobody could plan for, Ott, the Houses former minority leader, told the committee. The only way out of this quagmire is to put a crop in the ground and plant it forward.

The measure is meant to provide a revenue bridge so farmers arent forced to literally sell the farm. It specifies the grant cant be used to pay down debt. Instead, it must be spent on seeds, fertilizer and other expenses toward planting this years crops.

It helps them on the back side and helps grow the economy, since farmers will be spending money that keeps local supply stores open, said Rep. Kenny Bingham, R-Cayce. Its not going to do any good just to pay off bankruptcy debt.

Legislators said some have already given up on farming. Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said that includes a sixth-generation farmer in his area.

Legislators in both chambers and parties have said the state needs to help farmers survive.

In December, hundreds of farmers packed the Statehouse to beg Gov. Nikki Haley to ask for federal money to offset losses. But the Republican governor has refused, saying farmers shouldnt be treated differently than other businesses beyond whats already available, such as subsidized flood insurance.

But GOP Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers has said even farmers who paid for the most insurance available didnt recoup enough money to even cover what it cost them to plant the crops. Flood insurance for farms is far more complicated than insurance for homes and other businesses, and a change in the last federal farm bill means farmers are no longer eligible for other disaster aid, hes explained.

The bills $40 million would come from state surpluses, so the money would not have to wait on the budget process.

But that doesnt mean help will come quickly. The House will take up the bill in two weeks, following next weeks furlough. The bill could then stall in the Senate. If it passes, a board the measure creates to evaluate applications and dole out the grants has 20 days to hold its first meeting.

Ott said ideally the money would be available in March, when corn planting begins. But supply stores should be willing to extend short-term credit to farmers if they know the moneys coming, he said.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Flood Agribusiness South Carolina
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has launched a multi-faceted education campaign in an attempt to improve customer claims handling while taking steps to combat what it has called a disturbing increase of fraud and abuse that threatens to drive up premiums across the state, the company said in a statement.

The Call Citizens First campaign will focus on educating policyholders and agents about contacting Citizens immediately after any type of loss to their property while reminding customers that fraud, abuse and other factors can increase property insurance costs.

Call Citizens First benefits our policyholders by keeping them in the drivers seat regarding their claims while proving long-term savings that helps everyone, said Chris Gardner, chairman of Citizens Board of Governors.

The campaign, which kicked off at the beginning of the year, will include policyholder mailings, social media messages and additional public outreach.

Recovering from a loss to your property is a difficult time for anyone, said Christine Ashburn, Citizens vice president of Communications, Legislative and External Affairs. Call Citizens First is an effort to ensure that the first step gets everything on track for our policyholders. Making that one call puts the policyholder in touch with a person to report their claim and instills trust that the report will be handled professionally and correctly from start to finish.

In February, all new and renewal personal lines policies will begin receiving a Citizens ID card with their policy declaration packets. The wallet-sized card will include policy and agent information, along with claims hotline and customer care numbers.

A brochure which explains the claims reporting process will also be included with policy documents. Citizens said the brochure provides an overview of what to expect once a claim has been filed. It is available in both English and Spanish on the state-run insurers website.

Calling Citizens first not only ensures covered damage is repaired quickly bringing peace of mind to our policyholders in times of need, Ashburn said, But it also helps to keep costs as low as possible to reduce the need for rate increases for everyone and guarantees Citizens will remain a stable and affordable insurer for those who need us.

In recent years, the company said it has seen a flood of water-damage claims and associated litigation, particularly in Miami-Dade County, where water-loss claims now account for more than half of every premium dollar collected. Citizens said the issue, though concentrated in South Florida, is spreading throughout the state.

In 2014, Citizens said about 40 percent of policyholders filing water-loss claims in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties hired third parties such as attorneys and/or public adjusters even before filing an initial claim with the insurer, and they often signed agreements assigning benefits to the third party.

A review conducted for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation found that such assignment of benefit agreements lead more frequently to litigation, which increases the cost of the claim to nearly four times that of a non-litigated, non-assigned claim, the insurer said.

Related:

Topics Florida Claims
The Tennessee State Fire Marshals Office (SFMO) has renewed a consumer alert about the potential fire hazards of so-called hoverboard toys after two fires were caused by these devices in the past three months in Nashville. One of the fires destroyed a $1 million home, which is first confirmed house fire caused by a hoverboard in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance and the Tennessee State Fire Marshals Office renew our strong warning to Tennessee consumers about so-called hoverboard devices becoming potential fire hazards to Tennessee consumers, Tennessee Commerce & Insurance Deputy Commissioner Gary West said. The recent fire in Nashville is the first reported fire in Tennessee caused by one of these devices. One hoverboard-related fire is one fire too many.

Nashville Fire investigators shared details and photos of their investigation.

At 11:40 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2016, on Radcliff Drive in Nashville, two teens hid upstairs in a home after hearing noises downstairs. Unbeknownst to them, a FITURBO F1 hoverboard had burst into flames on the first floor. Upon being confronted with smoke, a 16-year-old girl kicked out a second-floor window and leapt into her fathers arms. Both received minor injuries in the process. The father then helped the 14-year-old boy out a second-story window with a ladder.

The two teens were both taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt with minor injuries. The father, who injured his arm while trying to catch his daughter, said he would drive himself to the emergency room.

The fire destroyed the 4,000-plus square-foot home.

The Nashville Fire Department investigators determined that the fire was caused by the FITURBO F1 hoverboard. A subsequent investigation revealed that friends of the family who lost their home on Jan. 9 also experienced a small fire when their FITURBO F1 hoverboard  purchased in the same batch  caught fire in its battery compartment. Fortunately, only the hoverboard was damaged in that fire.

We are fortunate that there were only minor injuries in what was an extremely dangerous fire, said Nashville Fire Chief Rick White. We hope Nashvillians use extreme caution before purchasing or using these hoverboards.

TDCI offered the following hoverboard safety tips:

If you do own a hoverboard, always use the manufacturer-supplied charge.

Do not leave it unattended while charging or plugged into an outlet overnight.

Do not overcharge the device and follow the manufacturers recommended charging times.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating dozens of such fires across the United States thought to be caused by hoverboards. The Radcliff Drive fire is now among those being investigated.

Source: Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance

Topics Tennessee
A Northern California man has pleaded guilty to defrauding an Indian tribe for millions of dollars as part of a workers compensation scam.

The Sacramento Bee reported that 46-year-old Gregory Chmielewski last month pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud. He is accused of taking millions of dollars from the Fort Independence Community of Paiute Indians, in Inyo County.

Chmielewski convinced the tribe to pay for a company that offered discount workers compensation coverage by using tribal laws to avoid red tape in the state-run system.

Chmielewski says he siphoned $7.3 million from his company Independent Staffing Solutions of Roseville leaving injured workers without compensation.

As part of his plea agreement he is facing 41 to 51 months when hes sentenced in April.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Workers' Compensation
This News Anchor Broke Down Into Tears On Live TV. When You See Why, You Will Too!
Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.
Our two organisations have cooperated exemplarily and quickly to respond to the call of G20 leaders and our members to update the Convention and make it available to all countries, said Thorbjrn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe and Angel Gurria, secretary general of the OECD.

As their secretaries general, we now urge all countries interested in countering cross-border tax evasion and ensuring compliance with their tax laws to join this multifaceted instrument, they added.

The OECD and the Council of Europe jointly launched the Convention in January 1988. It was designed to facilitate administrative cooperation among member countries to more effectively counter international tax evasion and other forms of non-compliance.

So far, 94 jurisdictions participate in the Convention and its extension means it now includes all G20 countries, each of the BRICS, almost all OECD countries, most major financial centres and a growing number of developing countries.

In the first six weeks of 2016, Senegal and Kenya have both already signed the Convention, with China, Singapore and Saudi Arabias adoption entering into force this year as well.

The Swiss Federal Council also signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for CbCR in Paris, along with numerous states and territories on January 27 2016.

Senegal became the 93rd jurisdiction to sign the Convention on February 4, as well as becoming the 32nd to sign the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for the automatic exchange of country-by-country reports.

China confirmed that it had adopted the Convention on February 1 2016.

It indicated that the first tax information exchanges will take place in January 2017, applying to 16 Chinese taxes including individual income tax, corporate income tax, VAT, business tax, and consumption duty.

However, China clarified in its announcement that it would not assist other signatories in pursuing unpaid taxes.

The Convention was altered in 2010  triggered by G20 discussions  because of a protocol that required the adoption of the international standard on exchange of information on request and to further expand the agreement to developing countries.

We call on all countries to join the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters without further delay, said a statement from the G20 leaders summit in September 2013.

The Convention provides the tool for countries to swiftly implement mechanisms for automatic information exchange. Authorities from 79 jurisdictions have taken advantage of this and have signed a multilateral agreement under Article 6 of the Convention.

Countries that do not want to fully participate in the Convention are able to lodge reservations in certain areas, such as assistance in recovery of taxes, which may be withdrawn at a later stage if the country requests.

Rights and safeguards in place under national and international law remain applicable under the Convention.

A coordinating body has been set up to monitor the Conventions implementation across countries.

All countries that have joined the Convention so far are able to participate on an equal basis in the coordinating body, which encourages them to work together and operate more effectively.
Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese.

Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa.

Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista.

E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa  ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta.

A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito.
Aspiring financial advisors may find that time is on their side. The average age of advisors now in the field is 55, and about one-fifth are over age 65, according to a 2019 J.D. Power study.

Clearly, the wealth management industry is going to be looking for some younger talent over the next few years. With those under the age of 40 comprising only about 11% of the advisor population, the search should be well underway for young talent.

Young financial advisors may soon experience a job seeker's market as financial services firms rush to bolster their practices. You should start thinking about how to set yourself apart as a candidate and as a professional in the field.

Key Takeaways The financial advisory field is graying, with many now close to retirement age.

Young entrants have a big advantage in their comfort with social media tools and technology change.

At any age, a financial advisor needs to stay on top of financial industry trends and news.

Never Stop Learning

The new generation is expected to shake up an industry that is fairly tradition-bound. Younger advisors, in the J.D. Power survey, said they see social media as a powerful tool for communicating with clients and prospects, but their employers sometimes explicitly forbid its use. They also are knowledgeable about the latest technology used in their industry and expect their firms to use it.

Meanwhile, the global financial markets are constantly evolving, which means that financial advisors must continuously be learning to avoid falling behind. Even financial advisors who would never recommend that a client dabble in emerging markets, cryptocurrencies, or ruthenium must be able to discuss them in-depth.

Financial advisors should also keep on top of financial news and trends by subscribing to industry publications, attending conferences, and engaging in other activities designed to improve the value proposition to clients. By keeping on top of these changes, young financial advisors can ensure that theyre positioning themselves for the future while helping their employers adapt to new and upcoming trends.

Last but not least, financial advisors need to keep on top of current regulatory trends.

Connect Personally With Your Clients

There have never been more options for someone looking for financial advice. Exchange-traded funds make a do-it-yourself approach easier and robo-advisors are available to take care of the details.

Young financial advisors shouldnt forget the importance of relationships in an increasingly digitized society. Financial advisors set themselves apart by connecting with clients on a personal level to deliver better value over the long run.

The need for personal connections is much more than a nice-to-have feature of any practice. By 2024, robo-advisers are expected to have about $1.2 trillion in assets under management worldwide.

Incoming financial advisors will have to grapple with these trends over time much more than their predecessors in the business.

Young advisors can best position themselves by focusing on the areas where they can add value rather than trying to compete directly. They may even want to consider partnering with robo-advisors to handle the automated aspects of financial planning, while they keep control over the big picture, respond to unexpected events, and communicate personally with their clients.

Invest in Your Professional Growth

Financial advisors are familiar with the concept of compounding interest. The same principles apply to time spent on professional growth.

Young advisors should always be reading books and articles, taking online training courses, volunteering with professional organizations, and securing new educational credentials to continue enhancing their value to both clients and employers.

In addition to building up their own worth, young advisors should look to give back to others early and often. Mentoring younger financial advisors or students is a great way to keep up on basic knowledge. Participating in government requests for input on policy is another great way to give back to society.

Why Are There So Many Financial Advisor Jobs? Like all high-stress jobs, there's always a fair amount of turnover among financial advisory firms. That aside, there's a generational change underway as well. The average age of advisors now is 55, and about one-fifth are over age 65, according to a J.D. Power study. That's good news for the younger generation of newly-minted financial advisors, whose skills are in demand.

How Can I Succeed as a Financial Advisor Just Starting Out? Veterans of the financial services business will tell you that the first and most difficult task is to build a book of clients. You might consider using your youth as an asset. Many financial advisors go for a niche clientele. Your niche might be people like you: young, well-paid professionals just beginning to build long-term wealth.

Do I Have to Be Tech-Savvy to Be a Financial Advisor? These days, a financial advisor is expected to be adept at the software packages most commonly used by advisors and their savviest clients, like MoneyGuidePro and eMoneyPro. Moreover, you need to be looking ahead to see what's coming that can give you and your clients an edge.

The Bottom Line

The aging financial advisory business will soon be creating many job opportunities for young aspiring advisors looking for a spot in the business. When the time comes, these young advisors can set themselves up for success by always learning, maintaining a personal touch, and investing in themselves and others.
On Sept. 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers, a well-known and respected investment bank, filed for bankruptcy protection after the Bush Administration's Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, refused to grant them a bailout. While there had been market volatility during the preceding months, the fall of Lehman Brothers marks what many consider the beginning of a global financial crisis.

After the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 504 pointsroughly 4.4%and the Nasdaq lost 3.6% in response to the Lehman bankruptcy, policymakers reversed their stance on bailouts and initiated a $700 billion program to stabilize financial markets. Companies deemed "too big to fail" received cash infusions in exchange for stock, commercial bank status, and access to discounted loans from the Federal Reserve.

So, what were the financial companies that received help from the government, and 13 years later, where are they?

Key Takeaways The financial crisis started with Bear Stearns and Lehman brothers. The U.S. government did not bailout Lehman and the institution filed for bankruptcy and eventually closed. Bear Stearns was picked up by JP Morgan and no longer exists.

As the financial crisis got worse, the U.S. government approved a $700 billion program to bailout institutions that were considered "too big to fail." Some analysts put the real number at $12.8 trillion.

AIG, which received the biggest bailout in history at $180 billion continues to operate today, though is a shell of its former self that is struggling in today's marketplace.

Other large banks that received some sort of government benefit are continuing to do well, including JP Morgan, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs.

Bear Stearns: The Harbinger of Too Big to Fail That Failed

The first "too big to fail" moment occurred months before the Lehman Brothers failure. The Bear Stearns deal was meant to shore up financial markets and promote stability in a system increasingly recognized as unstable since the middle of 2007.

In March 2008, the Federal Reserve agreed to lend up to $30 billion to JPMorgan Chase so they could buy Bear Stearns. JPMorgan did so; paying only $10 a share for the ailing investment bank. Rather than stopping the panic, the deal did little to allay fears, and ultimately more bailouts followed.

Seven years later, in 2015, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said he regretted the decision to buy Bear Stearns, even at the discounted price. "No, we would not do something like Bear Stearns again," he wrote in a shareholder letter, citing billions in losses and legal bills stemming from crisis-era acquisitions Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual.

JPMorgan isn't suffering too much, though. It is the largest bank in the U.S. in terms of assets at the end of 2020, with just over three trillion dollars in assets.

AIG: The Biggest Bailout in History

Just after letting Lehman Brothers fail, the government stepped in when it became clear that American International Group (AIG) would fail due to its heavy investments in credit default swaps and potentially bring down the entire financial system. With AIG, the infusions came in multiple stages, including a low-cost loan, preferred share purchases, and mortgage-backed securities. In the end, the government poured more than $180 billion into AIG.

However, because the government took on a stake of nearly 80% of the company, the money spent was recovered by 2012, with a net profit to U.S. taxpayers.

Today, after a few years of profits, AIG is once again struggling. In 2020, the company had $730 million in losses related to the Covid pandemic. The company used to have a triple A credit rating and now its senior debt has a BBB+ rating. Even before the pandemic, the company was having a tough time. In 2016, investing legends Carl Ichan and John Paulson called for its breakup. Since 2016, its profit margins have been either flat or negative, without any real growth. It's revenues in 2019 were only a 5% increase from 2018.The company is chugging along.

Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs: Becoming Commercial Banks

The bailouts of 2008 weren't just about the government buying shares, but also about changing the face of banking. Investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs couldn't get involved with commercial consumer banking until the financial crisis. At that point, the Federal Reserve allowed them to become commercial banks so they could access funds by borrowing heavily, using the discount window the Fed offers commercial banks, as well as access to other government guarantee programs extended to these types of banks.

Both Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs borrowed billions at these low rates to help stabilize their operations. On top of that, becoming commercial banks has allowed them to tap into the consumer market in a way that they were unable to do before.

Today, Morgan Stanley offers a variety of banking services in addition to investment banking. For the full year ending 2020, the company had record revenues of $48.2 billion with an EPS of $6.46. Total net income for the year was $11 billion, up from $9 billion the previous year; a 22% increase. And revenues increased 16% from the previous year.

Goldman Sachs is still one of the most powerful banks in the world with an esteemed reputation. In 2020, net revenues increased to $44.5 billion from $36.5 billion the year before. Earnings witnessed a slimmer growth to $9.5 billion from $8.5 billion. All core business units witnessed growth.

Bank of America: Bailed out to Buy Failing Financial Institutions

Bank of America also received bailout money from the government, including more than $100 billion in guarantees, so that it could buy failing financial companies Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch. Bank of America had to take on losses related to those companies, including shouldering legal fees associated with Countrywide's questionable mortgage lending practices.

Even with these costs, though, Bank of America is booming today. It's America's second-largest bank. It did struggle during the pandemic, with both revenues and income down in 2020 from 2019. However, its assets and deposits continue to steadily grow.

Is "Too Big to Fail" Alive and Well?

More than a decade after the financial crisis, there's a good chance that facing a similar situation, the government would pledge money to bail out financial institutions. Even though Congress passed a $700 billion bailout package during the global financial crisis, some estimates indicate that the U.S. spent, lent, or guaranteed up to $12.8 trillion to rescue the economy. While that much money might not have been spent directly, the government essentially offered itself as a backstop to dozens of banks considered essential to the U.S. financial system and economy.

Following the financial crisis, "too big to fail" put additional regulatory requirements on 44 banks with more than $50 billion in assets. Earlier in 2018, Congress changed the definition of "too big to fail" to banks with at least $250 billion in assets, reducing the list to 13 banks. However, if faced with another meltdown, it's doubtful that the government would stop at propping up so few financial institutions.

The Bottom Line

The financial crisis threatened to wipe out trillions of assets in the U.S. economy with the expected closure of some of the nation's largest institutions. The government stepped in with a massive bailout package to prevent these institutions from going under and further damaging the economy. Though a few of these institutions were allowed to fail, such as Lehman and Bear, the government prevented the collapse of other large banks, all of which continue to thrive today.
An Irish dance school in Berlin, Germany will be without a home from March 1 as the landlord of their studio is converting the space into a refugee center.

Sandra Kuhnert has been teaching Irish dance on and off since she was 18, establishing the Jigs and Reels Irish Dance Academy in Berlin, with another branch in Dresden. Its 80 Berlin dancers are now to be left without a space to practice, however, as the Berlin Arts Studio 118 is allegedly forceing them out to make way for a refugee shelter.

Kuhnert claims that after receiving a tip at the end of 2015 that the space was to be renovated, the landlord sent a note of official notice to vacate the space within a few weeks to all the artists, musicians and dancers using the studio.

Read more: Irish Americans must remember their own past in the Syrian refugee crisis

Despite the short notice and the normal requirement within a commercial lease that six months notice be given, many of the other artists relocated after Christmas, leaving the dance academy and another music school to battle the construction taking place within their practice space.

The good relationship the dance school had with the management is no more and Kuhnert feels that they must relocate by March 1 before conditions worsen or the landlord attempts to change the locks.

The Jigs and Reels Academy has practiced in the space for a number of years, installing a specially-designed wooden floor to protect the dancers joints just 18 months ago, a floor which now must be left behind. A full-time dance teacher, Kuhnert worries about the effects the upset and the loss of the new 4,000 floor will have on her business.

We were supposed to be there for four to five years, she said. It was built to last, but the floor cant come with us. Its fixed in there now, glued to the floor so the wood doesnt get damaged by things like water and it cant be taken out.

Legally, the dance school has every right to stay in the studio until the summer, but Kuhnert has concerns for her students who are already coming to class through a working construction site. There is no lighting in the bathrooms, debris is being dumped outside their door and recently they had no heat in their room during a three-day intensive workshop. She is also uneasy about the number of construction workers able to enter the practice room, gaining access to her equipment and ruining a floor that must be kept clean to avoid injuries.

Kuhnert tells IrishCentral that despite her legal rights she has been advised not to attempt suing the landlord as this could result in an even worse situation than they are in now.

It's not just for myself, it's for the dancers, Kuhnert said.

Its clear they [the landlord] want it to be unpleasant. Legally we could stay but conditions would be so terrible that I feel parents would say its not a safe place.

The construction work being undertaken in the studio is to refurbish the building to accommodate refugees. Kuhnert explains that the landlord could be a millionaire within the year hosting refugees for $56 (50) per person per day. In a building that could fit a few hundred refugees, she claims, the opportunity is too good to pass up.

The German government do not have many requirements [to turn a building into a refugee center], you dont have to do all that much but there is heavy construction in the building right now.

Its happening everywhere [in Germany] and especially in Berlin and with musicians and dancers who can't afford the fancy lawyers. Ive heard the story over and over, she continues.

Actions such as this do nothing to quell the growing anti-refugee feeling in Germany and in other parts of Europe, especially after the events in the German city of Cologne on New Years Eve when links were made between the influx of refugees and the sexual harassment of hundreds of women.

Unfortunately, it does [affect how the German people feel about refugees], Kuhnert said.

Initially everybody was very welcoming. Of course, theres always the people who are stupid but now people are saying this is enough. There's no real management for the thing so now were dealing with the fallout - it's winter and we have to put them in tents.

Read more: Irish American couple host 17 Syrian refugee families for Thanksgiving

As with the rise of the National Front in France, this is helping feed the growth of right wing parties such as the AfD in Germany, she believes.

AfD were practically non-existent in last election and now they may make close to 20 percent in the election next year. Nobody cared about them before. They were very specific, get rid of the euro, and now very anti-refugee but a lot of people are saying it's enough.

Germany has accepted more refugees than any other country in Europe, taking in 1.1 million in 2015. With a major backlog in processing requests, Merkel's cabinet recently approved a move to fast-track asylum requests and delay family reunions for refugees who were not personally, urgently persecuted, in an attempt to slow down the number entering the country.

Asylum seekers will now also be processed in special reception centers at the border where they will be returned to their home countries if they of a nation deemed to be a country of safe origin.

Kuhnert believes, Its hard to predict what will happen. Everybody fees theres a change in the atmosphere in the country,

Were uneasy, she continued, comparing the current atmosphere 1933.

The government should get this [the refugee housing crisis] under control and live up to their responsibility. Its been left to local governments and some cope with it better than others, but Angela Merkel invited them here [her government should be dealing with it]

Although Kuhnert has made the decision that Jigs and Reels must find a new home, the process is not a simple one. She learned of her school's looming eviction just before Christmas. It was not the best time to look for a new workspace. Slthough she has found a possible new studio it is more expensive and something she would only have hoped to have moved into when she had grown to 120 plus students.

Once a new premises is found, the dance academy must still acquire a license before classes can begin, another delay threatening her business.

In order to afford a new studio, the academy is currently hoping to raise $5,662 (5,000) which they can use to put a deposit on a new place and to install the all important floor to save dancer injuries.

The dance group has established a GoFundMe page and will also host a fundraiser night this evening in the Oscar Wilde Pub in Berlin, where Kunert's dancers will show off their talent, joined by local Irish music groups.

For now, Jigs and Reels Dance Academy, Berlin, must just keep their fingers crossed and their toes pointed in the hope that a new space and license can be quickly acquired.

Attempts were made to contact Berlin Art Studios 118 for comment.

If you wish to contribute to the dance academy as they attempt to find a new space, you can visit their GoFundMe page here. The fundraising event page can also be viewed here.
Despite successive stunning defeats on banning or partial banning of the Central Park horse carriages, he is once again insisting that he will try to revive a plan to limit carriage horses even though the City Council, citing a lack of support, dropped a bill last Friday that would have slashed the number of horses and housed the remainder in a Central Park stable that doesnt even exist yet.

It is passing strange just how dedicated de Blasio is to ending the livelihoods of the 200 or so drivers of the carriage horses, a large percentage of them Irish-born or Irish American.

The latest attempt saw the Teamsters union back away from agreeing a partial ban with the mayor after pressure from the drivers and horse owners. That should have settled the issue once and for all, but de Blasio seems certain to continue his witch hunt against a business that has, in many cases, been handed down the generations by families.

At this stage there are serious questions for the mayor to answer and an inquiry, as called for by the Transport Workers Union, should be initiated.

We are certain that very few voters thought they were supporting this kind of job losing vendetta when they voted de Blasio into office. Placing 200 jobs on the line in one of New Yorks most popular tourist attractions was hardly what they envisaged as progress or priority.

The Teamsters saw the light as did the City Council which nixed the one sided compromise after the Teamsters pulled out. Many council members had serious reservations about the bill even before Fridays dropped vote.

Now the Transport Workers Union is accusing the mayor of a relentless quest to kill the horse carriage industry.

TWU leader John Samuelson, in a letter obtained by the New York Daily News, stated that the mayor was on a vendetta and asked State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, along with the Campaign Finance Board, to investigate whether campaign contributions and real estate interests have influenced de Blasios position.

De Blasio says it is all just politics as usual, but the fact that the carriage horse opponents were also among his biggest campaign givers gives pause for thought.

Why is this mayor with so much at stake in so many areas for New York City -- schools, transportation, homeless, police oversight -- spending so much time on an issue that very few comparatively give a horses carrot about?

The hooves de Blasio hears in the distance may be the thunder of a major inquiry looming nearer, and not the carriage horses departing Central Park.

There seems to be no other reason than political payback to supporters of the mayors vicious vendetta against an industry that is the pride and joy of many New Yorkers.

A cursory look at the horses, who get five weeks vacation and several veterinary examinations every year, reveal they are hale and hearty. The abuse accusation simply does not stand up. And the mayor hasnt even bothered to visit a stable where the horses are kept, despite many offers to do so.

This entire exercise should be known as de Blasios folly, so stupid is it in terms of city priorities.

He surely must know how naked and exposed he looks when his own City Council dumps his bill. His attempts at explanations are just horse manure.

De Blasio needs to catch himself on, save jobs and end the uncertainty before an inquiry does.
The parents of Rehma Sabir, the one-year-old baby who died in 2013 while under the care of Irish nanny Aisling Brady McCarthy, have filed a wrongful death suit against her.

The suit comes just when McCarthy, who has been back home in Ireland since the charges against her were dropped five months ago, seemed to be on the path towards putting her life back together.

McCarthy, a Co Cavan native, spent two and a half years in prison in Massachusetts, charged with murdering Sabir. The Medical Examiner had initially determined Sabirs injuries to be consistent with Shaken Infant Syndrome. However, the case was thrown out at the end of August following the presentation of evidence from nine outside experts attesting that the death was not homicide. As McCarthy had been in the US illegally after the tourist visa on which she entered in 2002 expired, she was immediately repatriated to Ireland.

The new lawsuit, filed in Middlesex County Superior Court, claims that McCarthy caused Rehmas death due to her negligent, malicious, willful, wonton, reckless and/or grossly negligent acts.

Speaking with the Boston Globe, Rehmas parents, Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui, said that they were filing the suit as a way of ensuring that McCarthy would not attempt to profit from the story of their childs death  through a book or film deal, for example  and claimed that this is the only way to do so.

Sameer and I want to emphasize that our purpose in filing this suit is to prevent Aisling McCarthy from profiting from our daughters death, Siddiqui said. We lost our beautiful little girl in very difficult circumstances, and feel compelled to bring this suit to protect her memory.

McCarthy had been taking care of Rehma Sabir for six months when the baby was found unconscious in her crib and rushed to the hospital with head injuries on January 14, 2013. She died two days later on her first birthday and McCarthy was charged with her murder.

The original medical report found that Rehma died from blunt-force head injuries, but also that the child had pre-existing bone fractures. McCarthy always maintained her innocence and claimed that Rehma died from injuries sustained on a family holiday while not in her care and proclaimed her innocence. Expert witnesses for the defense also noted that Rehma was often sick and had suffered bone fractures in her spine weeks before her death while traveling with her mother and not in the nannys care.

We believe not only that she was negligent but that she was liable for the death, the Sabirs attorney Jonathan Friedman, told the Globe. There is reason for us to be concerned that the defendant intends to profit from the babys death while professing publicly to be grieving over it, he added.

The Sabirs, who have had two sons in the years since the tragic death of their first-born child, are seeking at least $25,000 in damages  the minimum amount permissible in a wrongful death suit.

Melinda Thompson, one of the attorneys who defended McCarthy, called the lawsuit shocking and disturbing.

To sue someone for money, for someone who is literally trying to get back on her feet, its shocking, she said.

In McCarthys first interview since returning to Ireland, she had discussed the possibility of taking a civil action against Dr. Alice Newton, the doctor who first implicated her in Sabirs death, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and prosecutors for the way in which her trial was handled.
Molly Martens, 32, and her father, former FBI agent Thomas Martens, 69, plead not guilty to second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges in the August 2 death of Mollys husband, Limerick man Jason Corbett.

Corbett, 39, died of blunt force trauma to the head following a domestic dispute at their North Carolina home.

He and Molly Martens had married in 2011. They became close after she was hired as an au pair for his children in Ireland in 2008. Their mother, his first wife, died following a severe asthma attack in 2006.

Martens was originally from Tennessee. The couple had moved to North Carolina, where Corbett worked as an executive at a pharmaceutical company.

The pleas were filed yesterday in Davidson County, North Carolina. A further administrative hearing will take place on April 4.

Greg Brown, with the state prosecution team, requested a court order that would allow him to obtain Thomas Martens FBI files, the Irish Independent reported.

The lawyer for Molly Martens, Walter Holton, moved to subpoena records from the Department of Social Services in Davidson County and Union County.

As part of their $200,000 bond deals, the Martens have been forbidden from contacting Corbetts children, who are now in Ireland following a custody battle between Molly Martens and Corbetts sister.

Thomas Martens claims that on the night of August 2 he intervened in a confrontation between Corbett and Martens to defend his daughter and then immediately called 9-1-1 when it became apparent that he had wounded his son-in-law.

A recording of the 911 call was released in early January:

The Martens trial is not expected to begin until late 2016 or early 2017, the Irish Independent reported.
Donald Trumps anti-Catholic comments about the Pope on Thursday were no accident.

Trump never speaks without knowing the impact of his words, despite his sometimes careless demeanor.

He has dragged anti-Catholic and anti-papal rhetoric into an election for the first time since John F. Kennedys campaign, in 1960, when JFK was forced to explain his faith.

Yesterday, Trump ripped the Pope and his view on immigrants on the eve of the pontiffs trip to Mexico.

There the beloved pontiff will see first-hand the misery, pain and suffering that drugs and border violence have caused.

Trump rips Pope Francis for visiting Mexican border https://t.co/ZOlAlJJCCB | Getty pic.twitter.com/lhKlq7Q4q1  POLITICO (@politico) February 12, 2016

Trump said the Pope is a very political person and that he totally misunderstood America. He criticized him strongly for going to Mexico.

It is not the first time that Trump has raised Catholic ire. Cardinal Timothy Dolan in New York spoke out fearlessly when Trump first began mouthing anti-immigrant slogans.

Cardinal Dolan wrote in Catholic New York, I am not in the business of telling people what candidates they should support or who deserves their vote. But as a Catholic, I take seriously the Bibles teaching that we are to welcome the stranger, one of the most frequently mentioned moral imperatives in both the Old and New Testament.

The latest comments by the billionaire must be seen in the light of Trump going to compete in the GOP primary in South Carolina, perhaps the most anti-Catholic state in America.

Read more: Not a billionaire? Why would you vote for one?

It is home to Bob Jones University, long a bastion of anti-Catholic and racist commentary.

In fact, so anti-Catholic is South Carolina that the Reverend Ian Paisley, at the height of his anti-Catholic career, traveled frequently to Bob Jones University, which gave him an honorary doctorate and praised him for calling the pope the whore of Babylon.

As for Bob Jones himself, the following comment is all you need to read: "Pope Paul VI, archpriest of Satan, a deceiver and an anti-Christ, has, like Judas, gone to his own place  A pope must be an opportunist, a tyrant, a hypocrite, and a deceiver or he cannot be a pope.

By attacking the Pope on Mexican immigration, Trump is sending the dog whistle to two of his most important constituencies: those who are anti-immigration, and the many who are still anti-Catholic.

Throw in the KKK roots of many good old boys in the state and you have the perfect trifecta of hatred.

Of course it has all been gussied up in recent months and years. Bob Jones University apologized for its past transgressions, and the Confederate flag no longer flies at the statehouse despite 50 KKK followers showing up to hurl racist insults.

Read more: Donald Trump reminds Holocaust survivors of Adolf Hitler

But the mass murder last year of nine African American worshipers by the racist Dylann Roof shook up the echoes.

We are told to expect a long and dirty campaign in South Carolina this year. Trump, God bless him, has already kicked it off.

Pope Francis seems tolerant, caring, saintly even. What a wonderful target for a demagogue like Trump to attack.

Trump would be better off celebrating amazing South Carolina residents like Bishop Richard England, a Cork native, who established schools for slaves, became a leading abolitionist and preferred to live and preach among the slaves than dally with high society.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump rips Pope Francis for visiting Mexican border <a href="https://t.co/ZOlAlJJCCB">https://t.co/ZOlAlJJCCB</a> | Getty <a href="https://t.co/lhKlq7Q4q1">pic.twitter.com/lhKlq7Q4q1</a></p> POLITICO (@politico) <a href="https://twitter.com/politico/status/697960081749602304">February 12, 2016</a></blockquote>

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Findmypast is working in partnership with IrishCentral to share fascinating insights into your Irish ancestors. Click here to get a special half price subscription, and discover your Irish roots today!

Eneclanns Irish Genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons explains Irish Marriage Licence Bonds.

By the 17th century marriage was fairly well defined, but there were still many ways of entering into it. For persons of property it involved a series of distinct steps.

The first was a written legal contract between the two parties about any financial arrangements between the bride and groom and their families.

The second was the espousals, a formal exchange of vows before witnesses.

The third step was the public proclamation, by banns or by licence. The purpose of marriage banns and marriage licences, was to protect the church from being sued, if any marriage should later be proven invalid because of pre-contract, or consanguinity.

The fourth step was the wedding in church.

The fifth and final step was sexual consummation of the marriage.

In Ireland by the 18th Century Protestants of any substance were usually married by a marriage licence bond issued by the consistorial court of the diocese. This is true of all religious denominations with the possible exception of Quakers, for rural and urban dwellers right up to the second half of the 19th Century.

It is true however that in the 17th and 18th centuries when the Penal Laws were in place, many Quakers, particularly those with property, also married by licence within the Established Church, to secure succession / inheritance rights for any children of the marriage.

The marriage licence bond was issued ahead of the marriage by the Established Church as an alternative to the public proclamation of banns in church. A marriage licence was a popular alternative to banns, as it guaranteed the bride and groom a greater measure of privacy. Unfortunately, almost all original marriage licences for the Irish dioceses were destroyed in 1922, however, index books for most of the Irish dioceses survive and can be consulted in the National Archives of Ireland.

Marriage Licence bonds for some of the Irish dioceses can be found online here:

Clonfert Marriage Bonds 1663-1857

Raphoe Marriage Licence Bonds 1710-55 and 1817-30

Cloyne Marriage Licence Bonds 1630-1800

Reference: Stone, Laurence (1979) The Family, Sex and Marriage, London pp. 30-31.

For more stories on tracing your Irish heritage from Findmypast click here.
Findmypast is working in partnership with IrishCentral to share fascinating insights into your Irish ancestors. Click here to get a special half price subscription, and discover your Irish roots today!

Findmypasts collection of U.S. marriage records will be free until Valentines Day, so time is running out to get the most of them. Register (no credit card needed) and begin exploring today!

In 2016, Findmypast will release more North American records than ever before, including 100 million marriage records - many of which have never been indexed and available online.

The first batch hit the site last week, totaling 33 million records. In honor of the true love that united your ancestors, the entire set has been opened up for free until Valentine's Day.

What states have the most records?

Once all is said and done, all states except South Dakota will be represented in the 100 million records. Approximately 450 million names in total will be included.

In this first batch of 33 million records, here are the top ten states with the most records:

 Tennessee (1790-1950)

 Ohio (1789-2013)

 Pennsylvania (1885-1950)

 Iowa (1838-1934)

 Alabama (1809-1950)

 North Carolina (1762-1979)

 Texas (1837-1977)

 Florida (1830-1993)

 Massachusetts (1841-1915)

 Oklahoma (1890-1995)

In total, 26 U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) are included in this release:

Information found in these marriage records could also be key to tracing your heritage beyond America. If you have ancestry from Ireland, Findmypast Irish records, the largest collection available online, will be vital to tracing your family's history further back than ever before.

The key link here is using our passenger lists and other immigration records to link your family history to the other side of the Atlantic.

Remember, if you didn't find anything today, Findmypast will be releasing another 70 million records in this set in the coming months and are confident your family will be included once the set is complete.

For more stories on tracing your Irish heritage from Findmypast click here.
A number of staff working for AXA Insurance in Dublin city centre have been told their jobs are moving to Derry.

The workers, who are currently based at Wolfe Tone Street in Dublin, have been informed by the company.
Outspoken academic and writer Richard Dawkins has pulled out of a tour of Australia and New Zealand after suffering a minor stroke.

The 74-year-old was taken ill on Saturday but is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement on the Sydney Opera House website.
The State agency has put plans in motion for two separate visits to the 360bn Middle Eastern marketplace in the first half of the year.

The visits will centre on promoting Irish interests in the areas of healthcare, information technology, and communications (ICT).

Those visits will follow preparatory work carried out by Enterprise Ireland in advance of sanctions being lifted last month, according to Enterprise Ireland Middle East and North America regional director Sean Davis.

We did some exploratory visits in 2015 assessing market opportunities for client companies in Iran, said Mr Davis.

Some of those areas identified included healthcare, financial technology, and agricultural technology. Of course, any activities we engaged in were subject to sanctions being lifted, a significant phase of which was finalised on January 17, 2016.

Shortly after sanctions were lifted, EI held an Iran healthcare seminar in Dubai.

That seminar was given by our Iran honorary consul general and two Tehran-based managing directors, said Mr Davis.

It was well received by clients and hence we are moving to the next phase with healthcare, which is a market visit to Iran during Iran Health [International Exhibition] in May 2016.

Enterprise Ireland staff also visited Tehran to explore ICT and technology opportunities for client companies.

That work will be followed in March by a forum to be held in Dublin and a subsequent market visit to Iran before the second half of the year.

Mr Davis also said that Enterprise Irelands agricultural technology plan is less developed as it plans on using a major conference in Dubai later this year as a launchpad for the sector.

It has, however, been developing ag tech in the gulf states for the past four years, he added.

State agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia came under fire earlier this week by Irish Exporters Association chief executive Simon McKeever, who said they had been slow to make inroads into the Iranian market.

Mr McKeever said Ireland was the only country in the EU without a trade mission in the country and also called for the reopening of the Irish embassy.

What are we doing about Iran? he said.
However, a growing number of experts at home and abroad are starting to question that regardless of any slowdown facing the world economy, the scale of the stock market rout since the start of the year was not justified.

The rout for European banks spread to Societe Generale amid growing concern that central banks are powerless to stem a slowdown in the global economy.

A slide in energy producers deepened as oil fell further.

In his market commentary, IG analyst Alastair McCraig said markets were going crazy, as fear trumps analysis.

Financial stocks were under pressure, including Deutsche and Societe Generale.

And with Commerzbank due to post its figures later today things could still get worse before they get better, said Mr McCraig.

Philip OSullivan, chief economist at Investec Ireland, said the rout had been overdone.

Mr OSullivan said there were pressures facing the world economy, but added that only last month the IMF had forecast that the world economy would expand this year and in 2017.

In Dublin, Bank of Ireland fell by 0.4% to around 26 cent and CRH shed almost 4%.

Its hard to remain bullish when you get washed away with every wave every day, said Patrick Spencer, equities vice chairman at Robert W Baird.

Theres plenty of capital around but also a lot of fear. Its human emotion here.

European shares have dropped 17% this year and reached their lowest levels since October 2013 on February 9, before rebounding on Wednesday 1.9%.

This week alone, Europes Stoxx 600 has lost 6.9%, heading for its biggest plunge since 2011.

With a valuation of 13.4 times estimated profits, the gauge trades at a more than one-year low relative to the Standard & Poors 500 Index.

Its multiple was above 17 last April. At least five of the 10 worst-performing equity gauges are from western Europe, with Germanys Dax down 19% in 2016 and Italys Ftse MIB Index sinking 26%.

A measure of volatility expectations for the regions stocks jumped to its highest level since August.

While all industry groups have suffered, banks have been hit the hardest  theyve plunged 29% this year amid disappointing earnings results and worries over bad loans and creditworthiness.

They extended their losses yesterday, falling 6.3% as a group, the most since 2011.

Societe Generale tumbled 13% after reporting that quarterly profit missed estimates as earnings at the investment bank fell and it set aside provisions for potential legal costs.

While Italian and Greek lenders had notable losses, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse dropped more than 6%, at or near a record low.

With a 5.1% decline, Standard Chartered was at its lowest price since 1998. Rio Tinto fell 3.4% as it scrapped its progressive dividend policy.

Among other companies moving after earnings, Zurich Insurance dropped 2.7% after posting a loss following damage claims ranging from the Tianjin disaster in China to storms in Britain and here.

Adidas bucked the trend, rising 2.3% after increasing its sales and earnings outlook.
The Swede has headed Pernod Ricards Irish operations for the past four and a half years but will now take on the lead role at the Absolut Company which is also owned by the French drinks giant.

Ms Malmhake, who served as global brand director and then marketing director at Absolut between 2007 and 2011, will be replaced in Dublin by Jean-Christophe Coutures. He joins Irish Distillers from Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

At Absolut, Ms Malmhake will be replacing Irishman Paul Duffy, who will take up the role of chairman and chief executive of Pernod Ricard north America and CEO of Pernod Ricard USA.

Yesterdays new appointment announcements coincided with Pernod Ricards first half financial results  covering the six months to the end of December  which showed a 7% annualised jump in reported sales to just under 5bn.

The strong showing was driven by a good performance in the Americas and Asia, in particular, with Spain and Britain helping the European operations sales inch up 1%.

Sales of Jameson Irish Whiskey, one of Pernod Ricards premier global brands, grew 11%, year-on-year in value terms.

The product now has double-to-triple digit percentage growth in sales in more than 50 markets.

Regarding Irish Distillers performance, Ms Malmhake said: Our portfolio of prestige whiskey brands  Redbreast, Green Spot, Midleton Very Rare  posted impressive volume growth of 30% and value growth of 32%.

Globally, consumers are increasingly more interested in the single pot-still style of whiskey unique to Ireland.

Ms Malmhake also criticised latest legislation here, saying the current legislative proposals contained in the Alcohol Bill are a disproportionate and ineffective response [to tackling alcohol misuse] and will have unintended consequences.

"A stable and supportive home market is the foundation for export success.

She said Irish Distillers is fully committed to tackling alcohol misuse, but that the current environment in Ireland is very difficult for indigenous producers.
He said the grid, in current form, was stacked in the factories favour and had lost farmer support.

He called for a return to a single base price for all stock as a first step to restoring farmer confidence in the system.
However, Ryan McGrath, senior trader at Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, said that there was evidence of decreased demand in the latest auction, also reflecting the extent to which investors of all asset classes have become spooked.

The NTMA sold the bonds at a yield of 0.999%, and there was 1.8bn worth of bids for the auction.

That compares with a yield of 1.15% when the agency last month sold 3bn of the 10-year bonds.

The Irish 10-year at one stage traded at 1.03%, which compares with the 0.18% yield for the German 10-year bond.

Meanwhile, the price of UK government bonds advanced, sending its 10-year gilt yield to the lowest on record, as global stock markets resumed declines and boosted demand for the relative safety of sovereign debt.

The UK 10-year gilt yield dropped 10 basis points, or 0.1%, to 1.31% at one stage.

The opposite was true in Portugal, where its 10-year government bonds plunged, pushing the yield to the highest level seen since the country exited its bailout in May 2014, and adding pressure on prime minister Antonio Costa less than three months after his minority Socialist government took office.

The security fell for a sixth day, pushing the yield up to 4.53%, the highest since March 2014.

It was at 2.3% just before an inconclusive October 4 general election and peaked at 18% in 2012 at the height of the eurozones debt crisis.

Mr Costa was sworn in at the end of November and plans to reverse state salary cuts faster than the previous administration proposed, while increasing indirect taxes.

The European Commission last week told Portugal to adopt measures to ensure its 2016 budget complies with the provisions of the EUs stability and growth pact.

Gains in British gilts came after US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen added to caution in the markets. Global equity markets have declined $7.6trn (6.7trn) this year.

Its difficult to see what breaks the trend near-term, said Jason Simpson, a strategist at Societe Generale in London.
Carl Tannenbaum warned that such is the oversupply of oil at the moment it is almost impossible that prices will recover to $50 by the end of the year.

Crude oil prices continued to hover around $30 a barrel yesterday after prices saw their third biggest daily fall in eight years earlier in the week.

The pain oil producers are feeling as they compete for global market share will eventually lead to a compromise being found but not for quite some time, the former Federal Reserve vice president predicted.

I believe producers are feeling so much pain that theyll eventually come together and get the price back to a more normal level, Mr Tannenbaum said.

I dont see that happening this year, the supplies of crude that are sitting around are so large its almost impossible to think that Brent will be back at $50 by the end of the year.

Prices recovered slightly yesterday as reports suggested the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries countries were considering freezing production levels in an attempt to curb the growing glut of oil, but remain only slightly above the 12-year low of $28 a barrel seen last month.

In a sign that the fight for market share is continuing though, Iran offered crude supplies to Asia at a discount to their rival Saudi Arabia.

Tullow Oil chief executive, Aidan Heavey was somewhat more optimistic than Mr Tannenbaum when announcing losses of $1.04bn for 2015 earlier in the week in predicting oil prices could recover to between $60 and $65 per barrel in the second half of the year.

Mr Tannenbaum also said he did not anticipate China would have a disastrous hard landing given the huge dollar reserves it has to stimulate its economy.

He warned, however, that the task of refocusing its economy on services as opposed to manufacturing was a significant challenge, adding that it took the US almost 100 years to change its economy from being 70% manufacturing, mining and agriculture to 70% services.
A judge said a continuous campaign of deception against insurance companies, through fake accidents, would end up being paid for by Sean Citizen.

Former insurance consultant Tommy Maher, aged 51, of Scarteen, Newmarket, Co Cork, had one year of a three-year jail sentence suspended for his role in organising six fraudulent car crashes at the centre of a garda investigation, code-named Operation Nascar.

The operation had been co-ordinated by the Organised Crime Unit at Anglesea Street Garda Station.

The same modus operandi was used in each case. Eight or nine people met up before an accident, travelled to the scene in two cars, everyone got out except the driver of one car who crashed into an empty car in front.

The passengers then jumped in and calls were made to gardai and the ambulance service and complaints of soft tissue injuries such as whiplash were reported to the emergency services who arrived at the scene. This was followed up by claims against insurance companies including, Axa, Aviva and Quinn (Liberty).

Judge Sean O Donnabhain, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, said Maher was deeply and continuously involved so there was no option other than impose a custodial sentence.

His plea of guilty has to be taken into account. These cases, if they went on would have been particularly difficult to prove, they would have been long and complex cases. All of that did not have to happen because of his admission of guilt. He is entitled to a significant deduction for that.

He has expressed considerable remorse. He has put meat on that bone by providing 25,000 from his own resources by way of compensation.

It is not as if insurance companies want an invitation to attack the innocent. They are well able to use crimes like this to protect themselves and play on the public. But in this case there was an active, continuous campaign to deceive insurance companies and the ultimate victim is Sean Citizen.

Had he not pleaded guilty then I think a sentence of five years would certainly be in order. He has been involved in another set of offences, of which the sergeant gave me video evidence of this man bringing people to the scene, collecting people before that.

It was very clear from that evidence as described that Mr Maher was a principal offender at [those three staged accidents], the judge said. He pleaded guilty to making false reports of accidents to gardai and making fraudulent claims.

Maher put his knowledge of the insurance industry into the organisation of the fake car accidents and one time was seen directing a rogue driver to reverse and drive into the car ahead a second time to cause more damage.

Det Sgt Sean Leahy said there were staged accidents at Redbarn Cross in Youghal on April 20, 2011, at Clash West in Leamlara on June 18, 2011 and at Model Farm Road in Cork city on February 17, 2011.

Sgt Noel Madden gave evidence of staged accidents at Monastery Hill, Rochestown, Cork, on December 6, 2011; Carrigane, Mitchelstown, on August 28, 2012, and at Clyda Bridge, Mallow, on September 26, 2012.

As soon as the insurers agreed to settle the cases and pay out various sums rather than having the cases contested in court the passengers were advised to take what was offered and pass it on to the organisers who would give them a percentage of the payment.

They were recruited prior to the traffic accident and told to go to the scene where the cars would collide and they would hop in after the accident, Det Sgt Leahy said.

Donal OSullivan, defending, said Maher was not saying he was a foot soldier in the crimes, he was admitting to playing a role as an organiser but did so with others who also organised the crimes.

Character evidence on Mahers behalf came from former curate at Doneraile, Anthony Sheehan.

Fifty arrests were made in the investigation. Robert Smyth, head of fraud at Aviva General Insurance said: We have a duty to our customers to fight fraud relentlessly and we will continue to collaborate with An Garda Siochana in tackling this problem.

However the key to reducing this type of fraud is to eliminate the financial incentive; this can be achieved by replacing monetary compensation with medical care for whiplash type injuries.

These criminals are clearly not injured and have no interest in receiving medical attention. We estimate that fraudulent claims cost our customers at least 50 per private motor insurance policy.
The man, who is in his 50s, can now be held for questioning until tomorrow  a full week since his arrest.

A second man, aged in his 30s, who was also arrested last Saturday was released without charge yesterday and a file in relation to him is being prepared for the DPP.

Mr OBrien, 33, from Clondalkin, Dublin, was murdered sometime on the night of Friday-Saturday, January 16-17, and his body dismembered and dumped.

His torso was found on the Saturday afternoon in a suitcase floating in the Grand Canal at Ardclough, Co Kildare. Follow-up searches led to the discovery of other body parts in bags further along the canal near Sallins.

DNA tests matched them to Mr OBrien who had been reported missing by his family on the Saturday. His funeral was held last week.

Since then gardai have also begun searching a landfill at Ballynagran near Wicklow town for the remaining missing body parts.

Their inquiries have also led them to a house in north Dublin which was sealed off for forensic examination following information that Mr OBrien may have been there prior to his death.

Mr OBrien, who was the father of a young son, had been working in Australia for extended periods in recent years but had returned at Christmas and hoped to be back for good. He worked as a JCB driver and told his partner he was going down the country to work on the Friday he disappeared.

He had no known involvement with criminals and no prior convictions apart from motoring offences. Gardai believe he may have been shot after a relatively minor dispute got out of hand but also sent detectives to Australia to see if any of his activities there could have made him a target.
Brian Veale, aged 31, with an address at Dominic St, near Shandon, in Cork City, and originally from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, was charged with the single count of murder.

Detective Garda Eimear Brennan arrested Mr Veale at 10.30am yesterday at Cork District Court and charged him with the murder of Graham Johnson at Cork Prison, Rathmore Road, in Cork City on May 16, 2015. The late Mr Johnson was 41 at the time of his death.

The detective gave evidence to Judge Con OLeary of arresting, charging and cautioning the accused that he did not have to reply but that anything he might say would be taken down and given in evidence.

Det Garda Brennan said Mr Veale made no reply to the single charge when it was put to him.

Detective Sergeant Vincent OSullivan then served the book of evidence on Mr Veale.

CorkPrison2016_large

Inspector Mary King applied to have the case returned for trial to the current sittings of the Central Criminal Court and Judge OLeary granted the application.

Judge OLeary said the issue of bail did not arise as only the High Court could deal with bail applications in murder cases.

He remanded Mr Veale in custody on the single charge while he also granted him free legal aid after being informed by Mr Veales solicitor, Eddie Burke, that his client was unemployed.

An inquest at Cork City Coroners Court in October heard that Mr Johnson, a native of Ardan in Bandon in West Cork, died from a single stab wound to the chest on May 16 last.

A father of three, Mr Johnson was nearing the end of a prison sentence after he was given a five-year term with one year suspended in November 2011 for robbery and larceny offences.
Two men, dressed as masked elite gardai, each brandishing military assault weapons, were photographed entering the Regency Hotel in north Dublin.

Also captured, a few minutes later, was the extraordinary sight of two men, one dressed as a woman and both armed with a handgun, running from the scene.

A young man, fully made up, was caught on camera pulling off his blonde wig. Beside him was an older man, stocky in build, with a flat cap.

Both of their faces  thanks to the Sunday World photographer  were clearly visible.

Inside the Drumcondra hotel, amidst panic and terror among the adults and children present, lay the lifeless body of David Byrne, a well-known criminal from Crumlin, south Dublin.

He was murdered in suspected revenge for the shooting dead of Gary Hutch in Spain last September.

That was blamed on the Kinahan crime cartel, of which Byrne was a senior member.

His murder led, in turn, to the shooting dead of Eddie Hutch Snr  brother of Gerry The Monk Hutch  in the north inner city on Monday night.

A week on from Byrnes murder, and three days on from Hutchs killing, gardai are said to be making significant progress.

But a long road remains.

The main progress in the Byrne case has been with the young man disguised as a woman  thanks to that photograph.

Sources have told the Irish Examiner that they have a couple of suspects in mind.

Detectives are working through their leads to determine which suspect it is, but are fingering a friend of murdered Gary Hutch.

Report: Dissidents claim responsibility for Regency Hotel shooting https://t.co/0jjeu3sTYk pic.twitter.com/3I4bTTkwbu  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 8, 2016

But the man with the cap has baffled officers.

Hes not a regular guy that anybody knows, said one source. He was cocky enough not to be bothered who in the Kinahan gang recognised him, which suggests they would have no idea who he was.

Gardai suspect the man is Irish, possibly someone who has lived from an early age in Britain, or is second-generation Irish.

Officers believe both he and the young man are long gone, Britain being a likely destination.

Detectives have been investigating linkages and connections between members of the Hutches  including Gerry Hutch and criminal organisations in Britain, including in Birmingham.

Senior officers are going through the established procedures seeking assistance from British police forces.

Its not like ringing them up on the phone, sending them the photo and asking them to check the guy out, said one garda.

You have to go through protocols, theres a whole rigmarole, and you depend on them to investigate it and sometimes they dont get too excited.

Eddie Hutch senior shot in suspected Dublin gangland killing https://t.co/TMaCkIW4y8 pic.twitter.com/3suMxSJpK8  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 8, 2016

But officers do believe they will identify them: Theres no doubt we will get them, its a matter of time, but it could be a long haul finding them and getting them back [to Ireland].

As regards the three police-clad AK47 squad (there was a third with the two photographed), gardai say they have no idea.

Investigators have labelled them tactical one, two, and three. A source said: We dont know who they are. There are no IDs coming in, theres no forensics on them, and there was nothing in the car.

That was the silver grey van used in the getaway and found burned out nearby.

Investigators are happy that all of the gang members are Irish and, at least a number of them, Dubliners.

If investigators can identify the couple, that will open up lines of inquiry which may help them close in on the tactical trio.

Sources stress its going to be a long investigation, involving the viewing of extensive CCTV, the taking and examining of statements, and investigating how the gang got a fob to open private apartment gates at the hotel to escape.

In the Eddie Hutch investigation, detectives are also drawing up lists of possible suspects for the four-man gang. Two of them, both armed, burst into his home on Poplar Row and shot him nine to ten times, half of them into his head.

What will assist investigators is that their getaway car, a silver BMW reg 06 G8965, was not burned out. It also contained a plastic bottle filled with petrol and a balaclava.

Gardai are hoping that forensic and DNA analysis will provide them with crucial evidence, as well as public sightings of the vehicle.

If we get any forensics from the car, the bottle or the balaclava, it could be critical, said one garda.

Assistant Commissioner for Dublin Jack Nolan last night told Prime Time arrests could take days, weeks, or months, and said the Veronica Guerin murder team took up to four months before they made an arrest.

The most important thing, he said, was to get it right.
A Red C poll, commissioned by Newstalk Radio, shows 76% of the Irish electorate agree with abortion in the case of fatal fetal abnormality and 78% in cases of rape and incest. A smaller majority of 59% support abortion where the woman is suicidal. This means there is less support for abortion on grounds already permitted in Irish law, suicide ideation, than on certain other grounds.

Despite high support for abortion in the specified hard cases, only 48% of respondents favour the repeal of the 8th Amendment.

It appears then, on the evidence of this poll, that the electorate supports abortion on restricted grounds within a constitutional framework that upholds the right to life of the unborn in a general sense.

Those polled also express the view that abortion, where permitted, should take place before 210 weeks, in other words well within the first trimester of pregnancy. This is a view we hear from politicians as well as from many pro-choice campaigners. But can these two objectives hold together?

We know that rape prosecutions are a long, painful, and often futile process for the victims. Ivana Bacik, who heads the Labour Womens Group calling for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, is campaigning for first-trimester abortion in cases of rape, as well as fatal fetal abnormality. Lawyers like Ms Bacik need to clarify how they would establish that rape has taken place in a way that satisfies the demands of both justice and compassion in such a short timeframe.

Those who are pro-choice at the more restrictive end of the scale need to be aware that it may be much more difficult than they think to have abortion that is both rare and early.

From the pro-life perspective, of course, abortion is not more or less wrong because it takes place before or after a given point of gestation.

Rape is a horrific violation of a womans body in everyones book. But abortion is a greater violation for the unborn child who pays the ultimate price for a crime he or she is wholly innocent of. By comparison, the rapist, if convicted, will probably serve four or so years in prison.

Fatal fetal abnormality is even more problematic. With advances in embryology and medical scanning, more and more can be known about the genetic profile of the unborn child but it can take considerably longer than the first trimester to discover the extent and nature of abnormality.

There is also the question of what exactly constitutes fatal fetal abnormality. Just how inevitable and how imminent must death be and how accurate must the diagnosis be?

Any case based on compassion is compelling but it must be assessed within a wider frame of values and with due consideration of unintended and unacceptable consequences.

There are undoubtedly far worse outcomes for a pregnant woman and her family than fatal fetal abnormality. The child who will need a lifetime of care because of severe disability demands more emotionally, psychologically, and financially of his or her family than the child who lives outside the womb for a matter of hours or days.

There are women who will seek abortion in such cases because of the frightening and daunting prospect of having a child with a severe life-limiting condition.

If compassion is good and sufficient grounds for abortion in a case of fatal fetal abnormality, on what basis can such women be denied? What of all the other hard cases that will emerge in Russian doll sequence once the first two or three are unpacked? Think of an unborn baby girl carrying a BRCA gene mutation, as Angelina Jolie does, that leads to an 85% or more risk of developing an aggressive, genetic breast cancer.

For Jolie, the appropriate treatment was a double mastectomy followed very recently by further surgery to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries. Some women pregnant with a baby girl carrying that mutation may feel justified in seeking abortion, all the more so if their family and medical advisors take this view too.

Again, if compassion for a woman, distressed at the prospect of having a baby with a significant genetic flaw, is grounds for abortion, it will be hard to find a rationale for refusing anyone on this basis. After all, the true scale of any problem is the scale of its impact on the person concerned.

The world may or may not lose a future Hollywood star or humanitarian campaigner, but the real issue here for pro-choice supporters is that eugenics and discrimination on grounds of disability and function are the underbelly of the argument for choice.

What message is this giving to the disabled and those enfeebled by illness or age?

There is no doubt that developments in embryonic screening are going to raise tough, deep questions for future generations. Ethics has long been outpaced by scientific knowledge and medical technology.

In an age that extols control in every area of life the incoherence of our moral and ethical thinking can reach the absurd and risable. In the UK, one in every five pregnancies ends in abortion. In the same country, a man was fined for animal cruelty after he swallowed a live goldfish in a fairground competition.

One of the positive things, however, about advances in embryonic screening is that it is more and more difficult to reduce the unborn to a pre-human or sub-human state, a mere collection of cells. We know, for instance, that a babys heart starts to beat between 18 and 21 days after conception, when many women will still be unaware they are pregnant.

The notorious Kermit Gosnells trial showed how thin the line is between infanticide and abortion. However, it was the testimony that described good practice in late abortions that was most chilling of all.

Good practice, the court, was told meant that babies delivered alive received comfort care. When asked what this involved, the witness said: You wrap it in a blanket... it will soon pass.

Perhaps, more a comfort blanket for the uneasy consciences of those who had participated in the destruction of a helpless, fragile, human life.

Our own legislators must look at this question in all its complexity.

It is not good enough for them to block their ears as they did in Seanad Eireann when Senator Jim Walsh described in grim detail how abortions are performed. It is their responsibility to vote in an informed and well briefed way on all issues and abortion should not be an exception to this rule.

Before any legislation comes to the Oireachtas, however, it will be the peoples choice whether or not to repeal the Eighth Amendment. There are many ways of being pro-choice, ranging from the out and out libertarian to the highly restrictive. So the battle for the Eighth Amendment will be fought over wide ground.

It is likely to be emotive, anecdotal, personalised, making heavy use of scientific data and statistics, the usual flexible friends in any moral debate. The media, rights bodies, and many celebrities will weigh in on the side of choice and the pro-life opposition will do their best to to be heard.

The issue deserves a full and fair debate. It touches the most core value of a civilised society, the value we place on human life simply because it is human, not because it is strong or healthy or able-bodied, or young or self-supporting or anything else. There are no sub-categories of humans.

The unborn are not a group apart from the rest of us. Being unborn is simply one of the many stages of our lives. We were all unborn just as we were all infants and adolescents and, eventually, many of us will be humans of great frailty and advanced years. But throughout our life journey, we retain the status and dignity of our humanity.

Can we make exceptions to this principle without weakening it fatally? We have a right to ensure our core values as a community are enshrined in our laws and in the freedoms we give our citizens.
Leon Schwarzbaum, who lost 35 family members during the Holocaust, calmly recalled the camps horrors and when he had finished he directly addressed the accused, Reinhold Hanning, also 94, on the first day of his trial.

I want to know why millions of Jews were killed and here we both are, Mr Schwarzbaum said, his voice beginning to tremble.

Soon we will both stand in front of the highest judge. Tell everyone here what happened, the way Ive done just now.

Mr Hanning avoided eye contact throughout, showing no reaction to Mr Schwarz-baums account. He had shuffled slowly into court and sat hunched and motionless in what is is likely to be one of Germanys last Nazi war crimes trials.

The former guard was 20 in 1942 when he joined the SS Death Head Unit at the concentration camp in occupied Poland, where more than 1.1million Jews were killed.

The international media frenzy surrounding the case forced authorities to move the trial from the court house in Detmold, a small town in western Germany, to a bigger venue in the suburbs.

There was a heavy police presence around the building with a squad of officers on horseback, as Mr Hanning walked in.

Prosecutors said Mr Hanning had joined the Death Head Unit, the Nazi organisation overseeing death camps, voluntarily at the age of 18 and fought in eastern Europe in the early stages ofthe Second World War before being transferred to Auschwitz in January 1942.

He is accused by the prosecutors office in Dortmund as well as by 40 joint plaintiffs from Hungary, Israel, Canada, Britain, the US, and Germany.

Mr Hanning will not speak himself but his lawyer may read out a statement once all the witnesses have testified.

Germanys Nazi war crimes office in Ludwigsburg has established that Mr Hanning served in Auschwitz until at least June 1944.

He has admitted to having been a guard in a statement to the prosecution, but has denied involvement in the mass killings.
The unsolved killing of Irene Garza, 25, who was last seen at church, has haunted the city of McAllen.

Her bludgeoned body was pulled from an irrigation canal and now, nearly 56 years later, police have arrested the man long suspected of her murder.

Using a walker, a frail-looking John Feit, 83, appeared in court in Phoenix a day after being arrested at home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on a murder charge.

He is in custody on $750,000 bail while he waits to be transferred to Texas, but has vowed to fight extradition.

This whole thing makes no sense to me because the crime in question took place in 1960, he said.

Mr Feits arrest followed other investigations over the years, including a grand jury probe in 2004 that concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

McAllen police would not comment on what evidence was gathered or presented to the grand jury that finally brought the charge.

The arrest of John Feit is the first step in providing justice for the murder of Ms Irene Garza, said Hidalgo County district attorney Ricardo Rodriguez.

After nearly 56 years, Ms Garzas family and our community will finally see that justice is served.

Authorities said Ms Garza visited Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Mr Feit was a priest, on April 16, 1960. Ms Garza, who was Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, had planned to go to confession that evening.

She never returned home.

Her body was found days later and an examination found she had been raped while unconscious, beaten, and suffocated.

Mr Feit came under suspicion early on, telling police he heard Ms Garzas confession  in the church rectory rather than the confessional  but denied killing her.

He later spent time at a treatment centre for troubled priests, and then became a supervisor and had a part in clearing priests for assignments to parishes.

Among the men Mr Feit helped keep in ministry was child molester James Porter, who assaulted more than 100 victims before he was defrocked and sent to prison.

Mr Feit left the priesthood in 1972, married, and went on to work at the St Vincent de Paul charity in Phoenix.

Among the evidence that pointed to Mr Feit as a suspect was his portable photographic slide viewer, found near Ms Garzas body.

Two fellow priests told authorities Mr Feit confessed to them and one said he saw scratches on Mr Feit soon after Ms Garzas disappearance.

Mr Feit had also been accused of attacking another young woman in a church in a nearby town just weeks before Ms Garzas death.
The discovery, made in the US, was described by one British member of the international team as the biggest scientific breakthrough of the century.

Capturing gravitational waves could open a new window to the universe and even help scientists to watch the cosmos being born.

The subtle distortions of spacetime are generated by cataclysmic events such as the collision of black holes or super-dense neutron stars, or powerful stellar explosions. As the waves spread out, they compress and stretch the very fabric of the universe.

Although astronomical observations have hinted at their presence, until now they have remained a theoretical concept based on Einsteins mathematics.

Scientists detected them using laser beams fired through two perpendicular pipes, each 4km long, situated more than 3,000km apart in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana.

Together they make up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (Ligo), where the hunt for gravitational waves only began in earnest last September.

Breaking the news at the National Press Club in Washington DC, laser physicist David Reitze, from the University of Florida, said: Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it. He was greeted with loud applause.

British expert James Hough, from the University of Glasgow, claimed the breakthrough was more important than the discovery of the missing Higgs boson, the God particle linked to mass, in 2012.

To say gravitational waves are hard to detect is a gross understatement.

The Ligo lasers are designed to detect the way a passing wave causes minute changes in the lengths of the pipes. This results in the two lasers being slightly out of step, creating an interference pattern that can be measured. The effect is very, very small  the equivalent of about one 10,000th the width of a proton, the heart of an atom.

Gravitational waves are predicted in Einsteins General Theory of Relativity, published in 1916, which links gravity to the curvature of spacetime by massive objects. They can be produced in different ways  for instance, by black holes or neutron stars spiralling towards each other on a collision course, a titanic supernova, or exploding star, or even the Big Bang that gave birth to the universe.

The last possibility raises the prospect of peering behind the veil of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), a relic of radiation from about 4,000 years after the Big Bang. Gravity waves could allow scientists to see what happened even before the CMB came into being.

The gravity waves detected by the Ligo team were from two colliding black holes 1.3bn light years away.

Ligo scientist Gabriela Gonzalez, from Louisiana State University, compared the achievement to that of the 16th century pioneer of modern astronomy, Galileo Galilei.

She said: Its monumental  like Galileo using the telescope for the first time.
Hours after Nato defence ministers agreed to use their maritime force in the eastern Mediterranean to help combat traffickers, said Supreme Allied Commander General Philip Breedlove he was working quickly to design the mission.

We are sailing the ships in the appropriate direction, Gen Breedlove told a news conference, and the mission plan would be refined during the time they were en route.

Thats about 24 hours.

The plan, which was first raised only on Monday by Germany and Turkey, took Nato by surprise and is aimed at helping the continent tackle its worst migration crisis since the Second World War . More than 1m asylum-seekers arrived last year.

Gen Breedlove said Nato would also monitor the Turkey-Syria land border.

Although the plan is still to be detailed by Nato generals, the allies are likely to use the ships to work with Turkish and Greek coastguards and the European Union border agency Frontex.

There is now a criminal syndicate that is exploiting these poor people and this is an organised smuggling operation, US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter told reporters.

Targeting that is the way that the greatest effect can be had... That is the principal intent of this.

The numbers of people fleeing war and failing states, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, show little sign of falling, despite winter weather that makes sea crossings more perilous.

A 3bn deal between the EU and Turkey to stem the flows has yet to have a big impact.

Germany said that it would take part in the Nato mission along with Greece and Turkey, while the US, Natos most powerful member, said it fully supported the plan.

The alliances so-called Standing Nato Maritime Group Two has five ships near Cyprus, led by Germany and with vessels from Canada, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

Nato and the EU are eager to avoid the impression that the 28-nation military alliance is now tasked to stop refugees or treat them as a threat.
Burma Burmas Health Ministry Deems Thai Cosmetic Products Unfit for Use

Two products of popular Thai brand Forever Young were found to contain a potentially harmful topical steroid, Burmas health ministry announced Wednesday.

RANGOON  Products of a popular Thai cosmetics brand were found to be unfit for use, according to an official announcement by Burmas Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

Two products of Forever Young cosmetics were found to contain prohibited chemical ingredients that can harm peoples health and [we] announce that these two products are unfit for use, the statement read.

The two products in question are the Facial cell boosting mask and the White active radiance day cream, according to the statement, which were found to contain Clobetasol propionate, a topical steroid used to treat various skin disorders.

Clobetasol propionate, which can be found in some skin whitening products, is banned in several countries as an ingredient in cosmetics due to potentially harmful side effects.

Forever Young cosmetics are produced in Thailand and its local distributor took to Facebook on Wednesday to affirm that the two products hold an official certificate issued by Thailands Food and Drug Administration, dated October 5 last year.

An announcement that has been spread online which stated that two products of Forever Young cosmetics were found unfit for use, has no official endorsement or signature by respective authorized officials, the post reads.

However, the deputy director of Burmas Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Tun Lin Aung, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the statement was official and that the health ministry would soon run the announcement in state-run media.

The local distributor denied the products contained Clobetasol propionate in the Facebook post this week, and claimed the brand had a presence inside the country for three years.

Tun Lin Aung said his department had received many complaints from Forever Youngs consumers and that no certificate or distribution license had been issued to the company.

In Wednesdays announcement, the health ministry ordered retailers to stop selling the products and cited Burmas 1972 Public Health Law that authorizes authorities to destroy harmful goods.
Asia Burmas Outgoing President Cancels Visit to US-ASEAN Summit Next Week

Outgoing President Thein Sein has at the last minute canceled plans to attend the US-ASEAN summit in California next week, his office said late on Thursday.

Burmas outgoing President Thein Sein has at the last minute canceled plans to attend the US-ASEAN summit in California next week, his office said late on Thursday, giving no reasons for the decision.

While no official delegation from the Burmese side had been announced before, experts expected the trip to be Thein Seins last chance to highlight his reformist legacy in front of President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders.

Thein Seins Union Solidarity and Development Party was crushed by Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy in a November election, kicking off a lengthy transition process that will end on April 1 when the new governments term begins.

Vice president Nyan Htun will visit the United States on behalf of president Thein Sein, an announcement by the Presidents Office read.

President Thein Sein is not visiting the US because he has other business to attend to, thats all we can say, said Zaw Htay, a senior official at the Presidents Office contacted by phone.

Burmas military, which is guaranteed 25 percent of seats in parliament and three security ministries under the Constitution, is negotiating the terms of the transition with Suu Kyi. Details of those talks remain murky.

Thein Seins decision will likely intensify already frantic speculation over the state of behind-the-scenes negotiations in Burmas capital, Naypyidaw.

The parliament decided on Monday to begin its election process for the new president on March 17, pushing back the NLDs original plans by about three weeks and suggesting talks between the party and the military have hit a snag.

In 2011, Thein Seins semi-civilian government replaced a military regime that had ruled Burma for 49 years, ushering in political and economic reforms. International observers lauded Thein Sein for organizing credible elections.

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will meet Obama at a summit in the Californian resort of Sunnylands on Feb. 15-16.
Burma ILO: Current Govt Reluctant Partners in Fight Against Forced Labor

Forced labor has continued across Burma despite an agreement with the International Labour Organization to eliminate the practice by 2015.

Forced labor has continued across Burma at the hands of the military, despite the signing of an agreement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to eliminate the practice by 2015, according to the ILOs in-country liaison officer.

The outgoing government, led by President Thein Sein, signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN agency in 2012, promising to ultimately end all forms of forced labor over the next three years.

According to the ILO liaison officer in Burma, Piyamal Pichaiwongse, forced labor practices vary by region. In central Burmas dry zone, the incidents are mostly related to the harvesting of crops. Pichaiwongse explained that cases of this type often occur in Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing divisions, as well as in Arakan, Chin and Shan states.

That adds more difficulty to the farmers already hard lives, she told The Irrawaddy this week, adding that if the farmers do not grow the crops that the military and the authorities demand, they are often evicted from their land as punishment. In many cases, farmers return to their fields, but they are not allowed to register the land as theirs at the local administration departments without the militarys approval.

The major stakeholder in forced labor is the military, because they are the main perpetrators, said Pichaiwongse, a Thai national and former lawyer who has worked in Burma for decades. Another responsible party, she explained, is the General Administration Department (GAD), which operates local governments in every state, division and township.

The government agreed to stop forced labor when we shared reports of cases that reached our complaints mechanism but when farmers return to their farmland, the military says no, you cannot return, it is our land [now], she said.

In northern and eastern Burma, forced labor is frequently documented as portering for military camps. In western Burma, it commonly involves forced army recruitment and the construction of border fences.

Since the establishment of the ILOs Supplementary Understanding Complaints Mechanism in 2007, the organization has been receiving reports from people who are being subjected to forced labor across the country, but few of the cases are able to receive appropriate legal redress.

After forming a Ministry of Labor-backed working group on the issue, the ILO has collaborated with government institutions to take action to end forced labor. The group is comprised of representatives from the military, the GAD, the foreign affairs department, the attorney generals office, the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Agriculture.

But the working group lacks a willingness to resolve the problem, Pichaiwongse explained, as the current government is backed by the military.

They are our partners, but they are reluctant, she said.

The ILO is hopeful that under a National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government, it will be possible to finally eliminate forced labor, as local NLD members have been working closely with the organization for years on land issues and ways of combating the practice.

What I would expect to happen is that the new minister and deputy minister within the Ministry of Labor will lead the fight in a much more positive fashion, because [the NLD] understands the problem, Pichaiwongse said.

Burma initially ratified the ILOs forced labor convention in 1955, pledging to abolish the practice, but the number of cases escalated under Burmas 50-year military regime.
Burma Political Mood Sours as Transition Talks Hit a Snag

The goodwill evident during early post-election talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the army has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power.

The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmas military over the countrys transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule.

The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by Parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term.

While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month.

The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Burmas new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government.

It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the militarys weight to protect themselves, said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Suu Kyis NLD won a landslide in Burmas first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years.

That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about national reconciliation, but as the talks drag on the tone of public debateand that of legislators speaking privatelyhas changed.

In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Burmas junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office.

Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the countrys second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform.

Looking Forward, or Back?

Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation.

This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Seins government if the NLD decided to use the commissions expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration.

The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the Constitution retains a bloc of seats in Parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus.

When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future leader of the country.

Days before disbanding at the end of January, the Parliament dominated by Thein Seins USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organizations.

That law only protects the president, but not his ministers, said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Manns panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets.

Military Demands

The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Arakan, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Rangoon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Burmas economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said.

Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining.

Control over these states, which also include Special Regionssemi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armiesis key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority.

China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Burma, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said.

Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals, said Win Htein.
Burma Private Dailies Face Ongoing Struggle with Competition, Costs and Online Options

The outlook for private dailies remains grim in the near-term, observers say, with outlets struggling for relevance against online platforms.

RANGOON  The outlook for print media in Burma remains grim in the near-term, industry experts contend, with private outlets still grappling with how to make their ventures financially secure in a market where online platforms have gained prominence.

Publishing costs have risen while sales are down, according to Aung Paw Tun, former managing editor of the Messenger Daily which was freely distributed to readers before closing in December. The Messenger continues to run a weekly journal.

If copies sell for under 5,000 kyat per day and there are not enough advertisements, [dailies] wont survive in the market, Aung Paw Tun said.

There are only four or five daily newspapers with better circulation which can [compete] right now, but most cant compete against government-run newspapers.

There are currently less than 10 private dailies in circulation, including 7Day Day; Daily Eleven; The Voice; The Standard Times; Democracy Today; Pyi Myanmar; Mandalay Ahlin; and the Myanmar Times.

They compete against three amply resourced state-run daily newspapers, The Global New Light of Myanmar, Myanma Alinn and The Mirror.

Under the administration of President Thein Sein, pre-publication censorship was abolished in August 2012 and the lifting of a ban on private dailies came into effect in April 2013. By the end of that year, 26 private dailies were on the marketa number that has since dramatically fallen.

The state-run dailies often distribute more than 200,000 copies per day, while private dailies maximum circulation only infrequently reaches 100,000 copies.

Min Zaw, former deputy managing editor of The Trade Times Journal, which ceased publication last year, explained the papers demise.

Here the newspaper market is very small, we cant compete with online media. Social media is used more by people now; they dont want a paper, they just want to read quick news via social media, he said.

Internet connectivity and mobile phone use has soared in Burma under the administration of President Thein Sein, with many nationals now turning to online sources of news.

According to Myanmar Now, citing Facebook figures, from March 2014 to March 2015, the number of Facebook users in Burma grew by over 200 percent to 6-7 million monthly users. Prominent officials such as army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and former Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann now have widely-followed Facebook accounts.

Min Zaw also identified a lack of human resources as contributing to local print medias woes, while stressing the importance of enabling an independent press.

The media should not be used as a tool by anyone or any organizations, he said.

Kyaw Min Swe, chief editor of The Voice, said he had considered pulling the plug several times since launching the daily newspaper in 2013.

I can say our newspaper is still losing money, he said.

Currently, due to the high expense of printing, newspapers and journals have increased their sales price, but are still losing money.

Private daily newspapers are typically priced at around 200-300 kyat, while the state-run dailies are priced at around 100 kyat.

When I worked for the former Interim Press Council, I urged the government to help private newspapers if they were going to [enable a] democratic country. But they just tried to monopolize the market, Kyaw Min Swe said.

Since late 2012, the information ministry has championed a plan to transform state-owned newspapers into public service media, a proposal criticized by many industry experts who contend state-backed print media is unnecessary, with few comparable initiatives around the world.

However, with the National League for Democracy (NLD) preparing to form government from April, the state-owned dailies, which are run by the Ministry of Information, face an uncertain future.

I hope a democratic government can create a better media industry, said Aung Paw Tun of the political changes ahead.

Despite the challenges, more new media outlets may be around the corner. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Information approved 28 new publishing licenses, including for newspapers, magazines and journals.
Burma Rangoon Authorities Deny Permission for Ethnic National Day Celebrations

Rangoon Division authorities claim the Chin and Karen national day events were to be hosted by illegal organizations.

RANGOON  Rangoon Division authorities have prohibited events marking the respective national days of ethnic Karen and Chin, according to leaders from both communities.

In a statement issued on February 3, divisional authorities claimed that the organizations who had applied for permission to host the national day eventsethnic literature and culture associationswere illegal.

The letter was signed on behalf of the chief minister of Rangoon Division and sent to township authorities, as well as Karen and Chin literature and culture committees.

The Karen typically celebrate their national day annually on February 11, and the Chin on February 20.

Today is our Karen national day, but we could not celebrate it, said Saw Kyaw Zwa, a leader of the Karen Literature and Culture Committee, on Thursday.

The ban came as a shock, particularly since members of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of eight ethnic armed groups to sign a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government last year, had participated in the Karen National Day working committee in Rangoon. After decades of armed struggle, the signing of the NCA removed the KNU from Burmas list of unlawful organizations in October.

If one Karen minister had gone to apply for permission, we may have gotten it. But we did not do it properly, and I think thats why [the government] did not give us permission, he said.

There were politics behind their reason for not giving permission, the leader added.

Chin community leaders said they would still mark their 68th national day in Rangoon next week even though the Rangoon Division government had denied approval for their proposed events.

It is hard to understand why they did not give permission. This was meaningless. We celebrate our national day every year, said Salai Isaac Khen, who has acted as moderator for the Chin political parties and as an advisor to the Chin Literature and Culture Committee.

Whatever they do, we will celebrate it, he said.

Ethnic groups in Burma typically commemorate their national days by hosting traditional dance and music performances, presenting talks by political leaders, and reserving a venue in which people can meet and share in a celebration of their culture and history.
Burma Taungoo Farmers Restate Claims of Land Grabbing Against Well-Known Businessman

Locals claim that 5,000 acres of land in Pegu Divisions Taungoo Township were seized over the last six years by Khin Maung Ayes KMA group.

RANGOON  Twelve farmers from Pegu Divisions Taungoo Township publicly demanded on Thursday that charges against them be dropped and thousands of acres of land allegedly confiscated by a major Burmese company be returned.

Since 2009, locals claim that about 5,000 acres in Ngaga Mouk village tract have been seized by the Kaung Myanmar Aung (KMA) group of companies. The conglomerate includes mining, construction, forestry and hospitality enterprises, and is owned by prominent businessman Khin Maung Aye, the chairman of Burmas Co-operative Bank.

The farmers held a press conference led by prominent labor activists Myint Soe and Saw Do Htoo at the Myanmar Journalist Network on Thursday morning. Saw Do Htoo said that the farmers have faced criminal charges of trespassing, defamation and peaceful protest in the Taungoo courts over the last seven years as they try to regain ownership of the land.

He explained that Burmas former military government had granted KMA a license to open a 2,400-acre teak plantation located between four villages in the tractHtone Bo, Ngaga Mouk, Yay Ohe Zin and Kyatchae Chaung. Farmers and the local land registration department were surprised when the company then reportedly confiscated more than 5,000 acres of land.

I dont even want to hear the name of Kaung Myanmar Aung, said Daw Nyunt, a 60-year-old villager from Ngaga Mauk.

She described the company as very cunning and said that they had tried to offer an unfair amount of compensation for the villagers landfields which they say they have farmed for more than three generations. Not all of the farmers possess ownership documents for the land, prompting businessmen from KMA to reportedly purchase the vacant area from the government.

Earlier this year, farmers from four villages say that a verbal consensus was reached with the companys deputy general manager, Saw Maung. Seven key demands were allegedly presented and the meeting concluded when the company promised to release the land, according to one local, Saw Kha Hpaw.

However, since the agreement was not in writing, villagers are concerned about its validity.

We dont believe them, said Saw Kha Hpaw. We requested that they deliver an official statement with the signature of Khin Maung Win, because his name was on the teak plantation license.

Deputy general manager Saw Maung acknowledged that KMA had met with the farmers in January. He confirmed that the villagers had made clear their demands, including the dismissal of charges against them, compensation for farmland, and a promise to return the land, signed by Khin Maung Aye. Of these, Saw Maung agreed that the company would give back the land and drop the charges, but said land compensation should be left up to the owner.

I told them to meet with the landowner to discuss the compensation but they said they didnt trust me, he said.

Saw Maung estimates that his company has compensated the villagers with more than two billion kyats (US$1.6 million) from 2009 until the present. He said that the license for the teak project was obtained officially and that no additional land was confiscated, as the farmers allege; he suggested that their demand for further funds was motivated by greed.

The deputy general manager also claimed that the establishment of a teak plantation in the area was aimed at preventing climate change.
Commentary Burmas Peace Process Needs a Fresh Start

On Union Day, let a new and truly nationwide peace process commence: one which mobilizes women and recognizes ethnic communities as primary stakeholders.

On Union Day, 69 years since the signing of the Panglong Agreement, it is time for a reappraisal and a new start to what has ultimately been an unsuccessful peace process. Key elements toward achieving a successful peace agreement have been missing throughout the past five years: inclusivity, trust, the meaningful and full participation of women, andperhaps key to the whole processpolitical will from the Burma Army. It is the latter that will be the biggest challenge facing the incoming NLD government as it contemplates how to address both the faltering peace efforts and the civil war that has plagued Burmas ethnic communities since independence.

The much-touted Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signed in October 2015 and the subsequent Union Peace Conference (UPC) in January 2016 were boycotted by many powerful ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), while the UPC was condemned by civil society in a damning statement. The term nationwide, used with a complete lack of irony by the Burma government, excluded EAOs in many parts of the country, including the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the ethnic Kokangs Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). Civil society cited ongoing military offensives in Kachin State and northern Shan State as a key factor in their decision to call for the postponement of the UPC.

It is these ongoing offensivesin some of the most ferocious military operations since World War IIthat perpetuate ethnic communities and EAOs lack of trust in the Burma Army and the Burma government. Furthermore, human rights violations including sexual violence, torture, arbitrary arrest and extrajudicial killings have continued as perpetrators from the Burma Army act with complete impunity. The governments peace negotiators have talked a good game, sugar-coating their words throughout Thein Seins administration, but if the military continues as it always hasunreformed, abusive, unremorsefulsuch words are empty and efforts will have been ineffective.

Throughout the whole peace process, as is often the case, womens voices have been limited to mere token inclusion. The meaningful and full participation of women is vital, as their experiences of armed conflict are often very different to those of men. The burdens, responsibilities, coping mechanisms and perspectives they could bring to the negotiating table would broaden and deepen the peace process, and it is well established that womens participation in peace processes ensures a more sustainable long-term peace. Yet despite a strong presence in civil society leadership, women have continued to be marginalized in the peace process.

Underlying many factors contributing to the failed peace process in Burma is the lack of political will by the Thein Sein government and the Burma Army to truly address the aspirations of ethnic people: self-determination, ethnic equality, and a federal system of governance. The military is still the most powerful institution in the country and any moves toward reforming their dominance are flatly refused by the military itself through its constitutional veto powers.

This will be the biggest challenge for Daw Aung San Suu Kyis NLD government: persuading the military to reach a middle ground, to compromise, and to participate on equal terms with EAOs based on the Panglong spirit of equality and self-determination. Yet there are some positives on her sideshe is trusted by the ethnic communities and EAOs much more than the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). This was demonstrated by the NLDs overwhelming electoral victory in Novembers national pollsnot just in central Burma, but in ethnic regions, too. The NLDs stated position towards ethnic equality and power sharing, while yet to be demonstrated in action, is much more amenable to ethnic aspirations than any other time in the past fifty years. Furthermore, the election victory gives the NLD a moral authority and popular legitimacy that no other ruling body in Burma has had since the time of independence.

The new government, while institutionally restricted by the Burma Armys veto powers and continued control over many national affairs, thus has some space to maneuver. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the political will needed to confront issues currently lacking in the peace process, such as an end to the marginalization of women and the demand that anything with nationwide in the title actually be as such. While the NLD will not be able to stop the Burma Army from launching devastating military offensives in ethnic areas and abusing local populations, it can use its popular legitimacy both at home and abroad to pressure the Burma Army in a way that the USDP never did or could.

Finally the international community, and especially the peace donors that have poured millions into this unsuccessful process, must also undergo a reappraisal of their priorities. EAOs and ethnic rights-based civil society must benefit from this financial and technical assistance in equal measure to the Burma government. This may involve a certain swallowing of pride. But, after all, it is the ethnic communities they represent that have led a generations-long struggle for real peace and equality, in spite of bearing the burden of social, economic and political injustices enabled by a centralized Burman monopoly on power and resources. These ethnic communities must now be recognized as the primary stakeholders in any future peace process; it is to them that the international community and the peace donors must be held accountable.

Khin Ohmar is the Coordinator of Burma Partnership, a network of regional and Burma civil society organizations supporting the collective efforts of all peoples working towards democracy, peace, justice and human rights in Burma. Alex Moodie is the Advocacy and Research Officer at Burma Partnership.
Major: Communication

Hometown: Brazil, IN

Student Media Involvement: Syc Creations

Favorite Food: Burgers with everything but mustard

Fun Fact: He really loves superhero movies, and wants to make his own someday
Land and Space Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about commercial real estate and development. SHARE

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An industrial building on Milwaukee's north side would be demolished by a local investors group, which plans to redevelop the site, according to a new proposal.

The city plans to sell its right to foreclose on the tax-delinquent, 146,500-square-foot building, 4041-4051 N. 27th St., to Phoenix Citation LLC for $10,000, according to the proposal, which needs Common Council approval.

Phoenix Citation, led by David Marks, could then demolish the dilapidated building and do an environmental cleanup to create a future development site. The lot is 8.3 acres, according to city assessment records.

The building is now owned by 27th Street Industrial LLC, which shares common ownership with Phoenix Citation. 27th Street Industrial recently acquired the property to "take control of the criminal element and disorder at the property caused by the preceding owner, who neglected to monitor the property," according to the city resolution.

Marks is the managing member of Phoenix Investors LLC, which operates industrial buildings and other commercial properties in the Milwaukee area.
MKE Diner News and notes on the restaurant scene from dining critic Carol Deptolla SHARE

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After training in Italy with pizza-makers and a baker, downtown Calderone Club operator Gino Fazzari plans to open an Italian restaurant in the vacant Thai Palace building at 838 N. Old World 3rd St., this one selling different kinds of pizzas, rotisserie meats, salumi and cheese.

Thats next door to Calderone Club, 842 N. Old World 3rd. Fazzari bought the vacant building on a land contract.

Work has already begun on the 1904 building, removing plaster walls to expose the Chicago Pink bricks behind them.

Changes to the facade of the building will have to be timed to coincide with the arrival of a brick oven, Fazzari said  a 6,000-pound oven cant just be carried through the front door. It also will require reinforcing the floor first.

The new menu is still being developed, but Fazzari said he wants it to be simple, traditional Italian food at an approachable price.

Hes trying to replicate some of the foods he grew up with, made by his immigrant parents, and inspired by the food of a cousin who was a chef in Italy and was rooted in seasonal cooking.

He expects to sell more than one style of pizza; one will be Neapolitan style, he said.

He also plans to offer items such as olives, marinated artichokes and rotisserie meats like those sold at an Italian rosticceria.

Every time I go back to Italy, he said, those smells, I remember them long after I get back.

Fazzari is still weighing whether the restaurant will be counter service or full service, but is leaning toward full service.

He hopes to open the restaurant in summer.
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Wisconsin state government stands to lose about $125 million a year starting in 2021 under legislation passed by Congress to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet.

On a vote of 75-20 Thursday, the U.S. Senate gave final congressional approval to a wide-ranging bill that included the Internet tax ban and a revision of trade laws. The White House said President Barack Obama will sign the bill, The Associated Press reported.

Until now, states that imposed Internet access taxes have been allowed to continue. Seven states  Wisconsin, Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas  have been collecting a combined $563 million yearly from Internet access taxes, according to information gathered by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Now those states, including Wisconsin, would have to phase out their Internet-access tax.

"Wisconsin is grandfathered in until June 30, 2020, which means we will stop collecting the tax with the start of fiscal year 2021," said Stephanie Marquis, Wisconsin Department of Revenue communications director.

The money goes into the state's general fund as general program revenue. For fiscal year 2016, it is estimated at $125.8 million, with counties and other local jurisdictions with sales taxes collecting about $10.3 million, according to the Department of Revenue.

In some cases, the Internet tax on a consumer's monthly telecom bill is less than a dollar or is only a few dollars, depending on their services.

Still, "in general, the reduction in taxes will give consumers the opportunity to put more of their money directly into the acquisition of products and services, as opposed to the additional taxes that were levied on those products and services," said Bill Esbeck, executive director of the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association, which represents telecom providers.

The ban on local Internet access taxes had broad support. Since 1998, in the Internet's early days, Congress has passed a series of bills temporarily prohibiting state and local governments from imposing the types of monthly levies for online access that are common for telephone service.

"Internet tax freedom is one of those provisions that Congress has been extending every year in fits and starts. People in southern Wisconsin should not have to worry about something as vital as Internet access being taxed by any government at any level," said Ian Martorana, press secretary for House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville.

For years, the drive in Congress to permanently bar taxes on Internet service has languished alongside another effort to empower states to require online retailers to collect state and local sales taxes for online purchases. Supporters of enhancing the collection of online sales taxes say without that, brick-and-mortar stores face a competitive disadvantage.

In hopes of gaining leverage, senators backing the collection of online state sales taxes have long linked the two efforts.

A breakthrough came this week when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agreed to hold a vote this year on the online state sales tax proposal. He reached that deal with No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois, a strong advocate of the separate Internet sales tax measure.

Even so, some lawmakers were upset that the sales tax measure would be considered later, with no guarantee of success.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Albany, N.Y.  Morgan Stanley will pay $3.2 billion in a settlement over bank practices that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, including misrepresentations about the value of mortgage-backed securities, authorities announced Thursday.

The nationwide settlement, negotiated by the working group appointed by President Barack Obama in 2012, says the bank acknowledges that it increased the acceptable risk levels for mortgage loans pooled and sold to investors without telling them. Loans with material defects were included, packaged into the securities and sold.

Morgan Stanley said it previously reserved funds for all related amounts. The bank acknowledged an agreement in principle for the federal settlement of $2.6 billion in a regulatory filing a year ago.

'We are pleased to have finalized these settlements involving legacy residential mortgage-backed securities matters,' spokesman Mark Lake said Thursday.

The Justice Department said the $2.6 billion federal penalty to resolve claims about the bank's marketing, sale and issuance of those securities is the largest piece of settlements with the working group that have totaled approximately $5 billion. Illinois will get $22.5 million in the settlements.

'Our work is far from over,' said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who co-chairs the group. 'Communities across the country have not gotten back to where they were before the crash.'

Total settlements so far are about $64 billion, Schneiderman said.

The working group previously reached major settlements with Citigroup for $7 billion, JPMorgan for $13 billion and Bank of America for $16.65 billion.

For New York state, Thursday's settlement includes $400 million of mortgage reductions and other consumer and community relief, as well as $150 million in cash.

The $400 million will go toward the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing, land banks, code enforcement, communities purchasing distressed properties, and principal reductions for homeowners, according to the attorney general's office.

The investment bank reported a fourth-quarter profit of $908 million. It recorded $3.1 billion in legal expenses in 2014 for settlements with state and federal regulators over its role in the housing bubble and subsequent financial crisis.
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Public housing programs in Wisconsin will receive more than $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to repair and improve their properties.

The Wisconsin grants, announced Friday by HUD, are part of $1.8 billion being allocated nationwide and in Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to about 3,100 public housing authorities.

In Wisconsin, the largest grant, more than $6.7 million, will go to the Housing Authority of Milwaukee, HUD said. Next are the Madison Community Development Authority, which will receive more than $1 million, and the La Crosse Housing Authority, with a nearly $782,000 HUD grant.

In all, more than 90 housing organizations in Wisconsin will receive HUD grants, the agency said.

HUD also announced separately Friday it is awarding more than $2.2 million to four Wisconsin Native American communities to improve housing conditions and stimulate local development and jobs. Grant recipients are: Ho-Chunk Nation, $600,000; Lac du Flambeau Tribe, $600,000; Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, $448,764; and Sokaogon Chippewa Community, $600,000.
Mary Louise Schumacher Art City An online journal about visual art, the urban landscape and design. Mary Louise Schumacher, the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic, leads the discussion and a community of writers contribute to the dialogue. SHARE Ball-Grained Heart by Jim Dine. Its a landscape for everything Pop artist Dine once said of the symbol. Spider Queen painting by Prefete Duffaut in the Haitian collection. The heart in Haitian art is representative of Erzulie, the Goddess of Love. Prefete Duffaut (Haitian, 1923-2012) Spider Queen [La Reine d'Araignee], ca. 1958 Oil on Masonite.

I dropped into a Hudson News at LaGuardia Airport the other day, grabbing a magazine to page through while I waited for my flight back to Milwaukee.

Milton Glaser's I  NY logo with its cheery, cherry-red hearts popped everywhere  on mugs, refrigerator magnets and T-shirts. Either it's almost Valentine's Day or this is New York, I thought. It was both, of course.

With two bumps and a pretty point, that cute and plump heart is one of the most recognizable symbols humankind has ever made.

This is the time of year when candies and cakes take its form, as do plush toys and pendants. Emoticon versions will carry affections to digital devices. Heart-shaped cards, handmade and drug store-bought, will be shared with classmates, besties and lovers.

And yet, when we stop to consider it, the adorable symbol looks nothing at all like the fierce, muscular, fist-like organ pounding inside our chest cavities.

So where did the emo icon, recognized across cultures and centuries, come from?

In literature, art and philosophy the heart has been considered the seat of life force, love, faith and intelligence in ancient Chinese, Sumerian, Hindu, Egyptian, Hebraic, Greek and Roman cultures.

Long before Nirvana's heart-shaped box, Aristotle called it the most important of organs, Edgar Allan Poe haunted us with one ceaselessly thumping beneath the floorboards, Frida Kahlo exposed hers in self-portraits and Blondie crooned about one made of glass.

"In fathomless space and changing time, hearts are churning out the blood of origins," wrote Luc Norin in introducing "The Heart" (Esco Books, 1985), an effusive history of the symbol as told by Belgian cardiologist N. Boyadjian, who collected heart-related art objects.

"Everything is in the heart," Norin wrote.

"It's a strong, strong symbol," said George Mireles, one of the owners of Cafe Corazon, where a collection of religious and folk art objects, many of them bearing a heart symbol, are on display. Mireles named his taquerias, one in Riverwest and another location about to open in Bay View, after a heart card in the Mexican Loteria game.

Origin a mystery

While love for the heart abounds in culture, the origins of the familiar graphic symbol, fashioned from two curved lines, is harder to pinpoint. I found few scholarly works about it, but theories and speculation with sketchy documentation course wildly through the Internet.

Some point to the Egyptian "Papyrus of Ani," or a book of the dead, from the 13th century B.C. as one of the earliest depictions of the heart. The manuscript, filled with hieroglyphs and illustrations, depicts the weighing of the Tibetan scribe's heart to see if he's fit for the afterlife.

Others speculate the shape could be related to a now-extinct North African plant that, while used for seasoning, had a secondary use as a form of birth control, giving it a connection to sex. The silphium plant's seed, which appeared on 7th-century coins minted by the city-state of Cyrene, looks very much like the cheery heart we know today.

Many suggest the heart was an invention of the Middle Ages.

"It has an early medieval origin, for sure," says Laurie Winters, director of the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend and an expert on earlier European art, echoing other art historians.

"If the heart of an apostle or martyr was found in a religious reliquary, it was a very important part of the body to have ... to be venerated," Winters said.

"(The symbol) goes back to and relates to feudal familial lines in early aristocratic families," Winters added. "I've seen it in medieval manuscripts denoting royal family lineages."

An intriguing miniature of a kneeling lover presenting what looks rather like a dull corporate award to his lover in a 13th-century French manuscript is mentioned in several accounts, including Wikipedia, as the first known depiction of the heart as a symbol of romantic love. The crowned damsel, with her furrowed brows, looks terribly displeased to my eyes.

Decks of cards, dating to at least the 15th century and including heart-like suits, probably played a part in carrying the images to various cultures and classes, too.

The Sacred Heart

A few centuries later, Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is credited with popularizing the image widely among Christendom. The Sacred Heart dates at least to the 17th century and the writings of the French nun Margaret Mary Alacoque. The nun's letters tell of mystical visitations from Jesus in which he presents her with a heart, surrounded in thorns, bleeding and aflame.

"Here is that heart which has loved men so much...," she wrote of Christ's words to her in one of her ecstatic visions. The Sacred Heart is embraced to this day as an image of passion and love for God, and some believe its origins predate Alacoque by centuries.

The depth to which the heart became embedded within Christian art and art objects is documented in Boyadjian's book, which features the cardiologist's collection of lace-edged holy cards, reliquaries, embroidered scapulars, holy water stoups, tapestries, hand-tinted engravings, paintings and other objects.

In his book, Boyadjian gives passing credit to the hippie movement for pollinating the planet with hearts, too. As a child of the "flower power" era, this rings true for me. I can attest to the potent iconography of happy faces, hitchhikers and hearts. It seemed to emanate even from the TV screens of my youth with "Love American Style," "Love Boat" and "I Love Lucy," even if the latter is a product of the 1950s.

That was just a few years before Glaser's logo for New York and the Big Apple proliferated. For a while, it seemed like Manhattan owned the heart, and Glaser's logo became especially poignant after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"The logo is powerful in its simplicity," Phil Belair, a professor of communication design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, said of Glaser's little puzzle. "There is no greater symbol of the love of a people for its city."

More recently, the heart became the first symbol to be entered into the Oxford English Dictionary, inducing heartburn for purist linguaphiles I'm sure. The OED nod confirms the heart's 21st-century digital dominance.

Social media giants Facebook and Twitter have in fact recently ended their flirtations with the heart and entered into long-term commitments to the cutesy symbol. In November, Twitter got rid of the star used to "favorite" posts and replaced it with the heart, which turns a bright red when users "like" tweets.

For its part, Facebook will upend the reign of its "like" button, the driving engine of its News Feed algorithms, by introducing a range of emoticons users can click to respond to posts. The feature, called Facebook Reactions, was announced in the fall and is due to be unveiled any day now, according to Bloomberg. Might Valentine's Day be the day, a natural moment to unleash torrents of feelings online?

Images on Instagram are liked with social media's plumpest heart, which turns fire engine red with a quick touch. Human curators at the image-sharing site are bound to offer up creative heart images for Valentine's Day.

The heart is at the center of what's been called the "emojification" of the web  symbolic, visual embellishments to language that can be nuanced or nitwitted, depending on how they're employed.

Artists  the simple 

The heart as a simple, graphic form has also been a fascination for artists.

"It's a landscape for everything," Pop artist Jim Dine once said of the symbol that he returned to so often. "It's like Indian classical music  based on something very simple but building to a complicated structure. Within that you can do anything in the world. And that's how I feel about my hearts."

In Philip Guston's "Couple in Bed" at the Art Institute of Chicago, the bumps of the familiar heart appear as the heads of two lovers, curled against each other beneath the covers, one poignantly clutching his paint brushes.

In Paul Klee's "Magic Mirror," a tiny, black heart near the bottom of the canvas casts a pall over a figure, whose bright, thoughtful face is defined by a nomadic, red line. The painting is also at the Art Institute.

The Guston and Klee artworks were two of several examples pointed out to me in a lively Facebook query about favorite works employing the symbol. They were mentioned by Portrait Society Gallery owner Debra Brehmer and Shelleen Greene, an associate professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.

As I boarded my plane at LaGuardia to make my way home, glancing up at the Southwest symbol, a jaunty metallic heart with wings, I thought about how common and friendly the heart symbol has become. I wondered how many trees have been carved with its shape and declarations of love.

Still, as everyday as it is, perhaps more than any other manmade symbol, it serves as stand-in for who we are, too, a vessel to contain our mysterious selves.

"I don't know, man, everything we do takes heart and soul," Mireles said. "That's what drives everybody."

Mary Louise Schumacher is the Journal Sentinel's art critic. Follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/artcity), Twitter (@artcity) and Instagram (marylouises).
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Two small towns  Park City, Utah, and Beloit, Wis.  have more in common than snow. Both also host film festivals.

Park City is known for the Sundance Film Festival, a giant in the field. But the Beloit International Film Festival is a spunky, funky David to Sundance's Goliath.

The New York Times even recommended it as an alternative to Sundance. The day the Times reporter visited, "there was a light dusting of snow" and "people were walking up and down the streets. It was right out of a Frank Capra movie," said festival director and co-founder Rod Beaudoin.

The Times reporter called it a "return to the spirit of film festivals' golden era" when filmmakers and audiences "talked film all night."

BIFF, the festival acronym, has been dining out on that story since 2006. But it has not been standing still.

In 2015, the film festival drew 8,000 customers. Its 11th season begins Feb. 19 and runs through Feb. 28, a.k.a. Oscar night.

This year, the festival will show 100 films, including 21 narrative and 26 documentary features, at eight venues, "five of them downtown within three blocks of each other," said Marty Densch, president of the festival's board of directors, former president of the city council and lifelong Beloit resident.

The festival promotes this neighborhood feeling among audiences and filmmakers.

When Sabrina Kahler of Milwaukee bought tickets online, "I got a reply email from an actual person" who gave her tips "on where to park and eat," she said in an email. He told her "they don't usually have lines to get into the films," which she said was her "biggest pet peeve" about the Milwaukee Film Festival "and why I stopped going two years ago."

Kahler bought tickets at the Beloit festival for "Clarence," a documentary that showed at the Milwaukee festival last fall.

Raising Beloit's profile

Beloit is about 70 miles south of Milwaukee on Highway 43. The festival draws largely from Beloit and Janesville, with some visitors from Madison and the Chicago area.

"The Milwaukee market is hard to crack," said Beaudoin.

Since "literally thousands of people" frequent hotels and restaurants during the festival, "there is some economic benefit" to the city, said Charles Haynes, Beloit City Council president. "But in a less tangible fashion, it raises our profile in cultural affairs...and enriches the culture of the city and the region."

During the festival, filmmakers mingle "with the people they made the film for" in "much more intimate settings," said Densch. Audience members "take filmmakers out to dinner or buy them a coffee or beer" at places like Suds O'Hanahan's Irish Pub on Grand Ave., downtown Beloit's main drag, Densch said.

"We do what Sundance did originally," said Beaudoin. "We go into bars and restaurants and turn them into theaters" by bringing in projectors, screens and sound systems. "And we fill up with social events during the week."

Films are shown on Blu-ray, and regular venues range from 40 to 60 seats. Last year, 188 filmmakers attended.

The festival, formed in collaboration with Beloit College, has one screening at the school's 600-seat Eaton Chapel. (This year's is the silent film showcase featuring the 1925 version of "The Wizard of Oz," showing Feb. 27.)

And the film festival's headquarters are a downtown basement suite of offices owned by the college. Beaudoin operates out of a cluttered main office with leather couches, a desk, a glass coffee table and a whiteboard with names of filmmakers attending.

Last year, Beaudoin also became executive director of the Hollywood Film Festival, which became BIFF's sister festival. Held in August, the Hollywood festival highlights socially conscious films  "see good, do good, feel good" films, said Beaudoin.

Political baggage

It's not unusual for festivals to have political baggage, and BIFF is no exception. Conservative businesswoman Diane Hendricks, who donated $5 million to a super PAC supporting Gov. Scott Walker's presidential campaign, helped found the festival, and her photo is featured prominently on its website.

Beaudoin said Hendricks attends the festival and, in 2008, she was executive producer of two films shown: David Zucker's right-wing political spoof "An American Carol" and "The Stoning of Soraya M.," about the death of an Iranian woman. She also was portrayed, unflatteringly, in the documentary "As Goes Janesville."

Hendricks and her late husband donated $40,000 in seed money to the first Beloit film festival. This year she contributed $25,000.

But Beaudoin said it's a mistake to overestimate her influence. Any perception that her politics are reflected in the films is "totally incorrect."

"We've shown lots of controversial films and never had any slap-back," he said.

"We tend to stretch the limits" in subject matter "because we're concerned about our credibility." Among the films in this year's lineup is the transgender rom-com "Two 4 One," an LGBT festival prize winner.

But there are also plenty of feel-good films, like "Cheeseheads: The Documentary" and "Right Footed," a documentary about a woman without arms who flies planes with her feet. Beaudoin said the latter received the highest score of any film when it was shown during earlier member screenings.

IF YOU GO

A complete schedule and ticket information for the Beloit International Film Festival can be found at beloitfilmfest.org. Adult tickets are $9, student tickets are $5.
You may be used to renting a car during your vacation, but you could save money  and parking hassles  by skipping the rental.

Depending on your destination, and how much you'd be driving, it may make more sense to use an alternative form of transportation.

Many cities are easy to get around without a car, and if you are going to San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., or New York, you can pay outrageous amounts for hotel parking.

For example, the daily parking rate at the Westin Copley Place Boston is $53, and the Hilton San Francisco Union Square is $54 for self-parking and $63 for valet parking.

The Omni Berkshire Place in New York is $55 for self-parking and $65 for valet parking, with no in and out privileges.

The Park Hyatt in Chicago is $69.

Also factor in parking fees at destinations throughout the city you'll be visiting.

The amount you can save on parking, combined with good public transportation and access to taxis and car-sharing companies, can make it easy to skip renting a car.

Many travelers are turning to Uber and Lyft instead of paying for a rental car that will get little use.

You can request a car through the app, get an estimate of the cost and locate nearby cars through a map.

Payment is done through the app, so you can hop out of the vehicle at the end of the ride without having to fumble for your wallet.

Another advantage is that you plug in your destination address so there won't be confusion about directions.

If you will be visiting a city, check public transportation maps before you book a car rental. Most of these websites will allow you to plug in addresses to find routes, times and fares.

If you want to do some sightseeing away from the city, rent a car for a day or two instead of the whole trip.

You'll save money on the rental car fee and parking fees.

Off-airport rental locations often have cheaper rates, and they don't have some of the taxes and fees.

Even if you want a car for your whole trip, you may want to look at off-airport rental rates.

If you must have a car in a city with expensive hotel parking fees, there are ways to save money.

Look for a hotel package that includes free parking in the rate, and compare it to the regular rate.

Also, if you stay farther from the city center, the hotel's parking may be free.

The Dallas Morning

News
Public Defender Alejandro Lockwood is expected to face a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

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A veteran assistant public defender who supervises other lawyers in the State Public Defender's Milwaukee office and teaches at the Marquette University Law School was arrested Feb. 5 in Racine County when police served a drug search warrant at his home.

Alejandro "Alex" Lockwood, 51, is taking vacation time to address his situation, said Randy Kraft, spokesman for the State Public Defender, which provides attorneys for indigent criminal defendants. Kraft said Lockwood's cases and other responsibilities have been reassigned pending the outcome of the arrest.

Lockwood, of Caledonia, was arrested by Caledonia police, who referred possible charges to the Racine County district attorney's office.

Lockwood's attorney, Patrick Cafferty of Racine, said Friday that prosecutors have declined to file a felony charge of keeping a drug house, and Lockwood would plead not guilty to an expected misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.

As of Friday, no formal charges had been filed against Lockwood, but a criminal complaint naming his 23-year-old daughter describes the incident.

Alexandria Lockwood is charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia both as party to a crime in Racine on Jan. 12. Both counts are misdemeanors.

According to the complaint:

Caledonia police arrived to serve a search warrant at the Lockwood home on Feb. 5, and took Lockwood to the floor and handcuffed him after he refused orders to get on the floor. His wife and two younger children were in the house. Alexandria's boyfriend, Scott Straka, and another person were in the basement.

Police found a muscle relaxant, without a prescription, marijuana and paraphernalia in the bedroom of Lockwood's wife. She told police she uses it to treat arthritis, and gets the marijuana from Straka.

Lockwood told police he does not share a bedroom with his wife, works 12- to 13-hour days and had no idea there was drug use in his home. Police then searched Lockwood's bedroom and found an unloaded handgun in a locked box and a rifle under the bed.

In his car, they found two smoked marijuana "blunts," a blue pill cut into four pieces in a contact lens case and in the trunk a bag with a small amount of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia. Cafferty also said other people have access to Lockwood's car.

Police found extensive drug paraphernalia in the basement. Straka said he only occasionally stays at the residence and denied owning the contraband, or using or selling drugs.

Straka is also charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Alexandria Lockwood is free on a $400 signature bond and is ordered to have no contact with Lockwood, his wife or Straka.
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Republicans in the state Senate approved and sent to the Assembly this week a bill designed to modernize Wisconsin's voter registration process. The Assembly should pass the measure  with one caveat.

First, the good: The bill would implement online registration for voters by the spring of 2017. Those seeking to register could use their computers or tablets to register with a valid state driver's license or ID card, as long as they use the same name for voter registration that they use on their license or ID.

Online registration is at the front edge of modernizing the country's voting process. The Brennan Center for Justice reports that more than 30 states already or will soon allow citizens to register to vote online. "Online registration reaches voters where they are  especially young people. In Arizona, registration rates for 18- to 24-year-olds doubled in two years from 29% to 48% in 2004 and to 53% in 2008," according to the center.

Younger voters' use of the Internet is second nature, so that makes sense. But online registration also can make things simpler for older citizens who may have trouble getting out of the house.

State Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), who proposed the measure, said in an emailed commentary on the bill that registering online with an ID will also count as one's proof of residency. "Combined with our current practices of same day registration and in-person absentee voting, electronic registration will make it even easier for eligible citizens to register to vote in Wisconsin," he said. We agree.

Among other things, the bill also will permit the use of a veterans ID card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as an acceptable form of photo identification for obtaining a ballot, and will enroll Wisconsin in the Electronic Registration Information Center, a nonprofit organization run by a collection of member states to share voter data securely. Joining ERIC will provide Wisconsin with valuable information to help us identify duplicate registrations and voters who have moved, passed away, or are registered in neighboring states such as Illinois and Minnesota, LeMahieu says.

These are all good things.

Now to the caveat: The bill also will eliminate the use of special registration deputies now authorized and used by municipalities and groups such as the League of Women Voters and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign in voter registration drives. The league and other groups say that will eliminate their ability to run those drives. We're not convinced that will happen, although the drives may take other forms.

Still, more than a dozen local, state and national groups came out against the proposal Tuesday before the Senate vote, saying that it needlessly restricted voters' access to the ballot, the Journal Sentinel reported. The groups included the League of Women Voters, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Common Cause and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

A letter from groups critical of that part of the bill says that "No other state that has passed online voter registration has tied its passage to such severely restrictive measures on other methods of voter registration."

LeMahieu disagrees with the criticism: "The creation of online registration empowers everyone to go out into their communities and help citizens register to vote securely with a smartphone or tablet. Registering people to vote will no longer be limited to those deputized and trained by a municipal clerk."

But the critics have a point: Not everyone has access to a computer, and Internet connections are spotty and unreliable in some areas of the state. Why not keep the deputies as one more tool that can reach out to where people are and help them register? There doesn't seem to be a strong rationale for getting rid of them beyond the fact that some legislators don't like the groups running the drives.

Overall, the bill deserves passage, and Democrats who oppose the measure should recognize that. But reinstating the special registration deputies would be a good move by the Assembly.
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Be thankful for Clarke

Ministers Darryl Williams and Steve Jerbi complain that Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. does not represent "the causes espoused by our community" ("What's Clarke's problem?" Crossroads, Feb. 7).

That is an absurd and reckless smear. Clarke was elected by the citizens of Milwaukee County to represent and protect the people of the Milwaukee community. He has done so. Left-wingers who espouse and support the pro-crime policies and criminal acts by anti-law enforcement protestors do not represent the Milwaukee community. If so, they would have defeated Clarke when he sought re-election. They lost; Clarke won.

The fanatical "communities" of Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, anarchists and lawlessness do not represent Milwaukee. Clarke does, and we should be proud of his sensible approach in defending those who defend us all  the lawmen and women who risk their lives to protect our lives and property.

All law-abiding residents of Milwaukee should be thankful we have a spokesman to stand up against the lawbreaking left wingers who cloak their pro-crime efforts with phrases of "social justice" and now even racial smears against Clarke.

The ministers asked, "What's Clarke's problem?" The answer: Criminals and those who support them.

Hugh Murray

Milwaukee



Other blank slates in Senate

I read Emily Mills' column about Sen. Ron Johnson, and I have to agree that he is close to a blank slate ("Ron Johnson is still a blank slate," Crossroads, Feb. 7).

Our other senator, Tammy Baldwin, was just as blank until the VA scandal at Tomah made the news and she reluctantly was spotlighted. Johnson is in the process of completing his first term and has a long road ahead to match the king of blank slates, Herb Kohl. During his 24 years as a U.S. senator, the only time we knew he was still in office was when he returned to the state to remind us that he was up for re-election. On other occasions, he would return to donate some of his fortune, most notably to build the University of Wisconsin-Madison Fieldhouse, listen to the accolades and then return to obscurity.

Perhaps Johnson, if re-elected, will do more with a Republican in the White House. Or not. This brings me to a larger point. I believe the majority of U.S. senators and representatives are largely blank slates to their constituents, because nothing of note seems to ever get done in the Congress.

Neither side is willing to work with the other. All they seem to pass are continuing resolutions and other mostly meaningless legislation. The Republicans in the House are afraid to pass anything meaningful because it will die in the Senate, which is still run by President Barack Obama's gatekeeper, Harry Reid. The Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is nothing more than a placeholder.

All of this makes each succeeding election more pitiable than the last. Those running for national office promise much, but if elected, deliver little, while our nation continues to flounder on the rocks of history.

M.D. Radke

Glendale



DNR and open records

So, let me get this straight. The Department of Natural Resources doesn't have the money so that we living in Lincoln County can have our resources properly managed and/or protected. There is no wildlife manager here and our warden's budget does not allow him to get into the field on a consistent basis.

But, according to the Journal Sentinel front-page article on Feb. 26, my license dollar is going to pay salaries of politicos who work at the DNR to slow or hinder open records requests from journalists and environmental groups ("DNR screening records requests").

What a joke. It stands to reason that if the DNR was actually protecting our natural resources, there wouldn't be an issue with open records requests.

Joe Ryder

Merrill

Please email your letters to jsedit@jrn.com, or mail them to Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201-0371. Letters are generally limited to 200 words and are subject to editing.
The Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts is across the street from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union. The candidates debated in the Zelazo Center. Reporters watched it on television in the Union. Credit: David Haynes

David D. Haynes Editorial Page Editor SHARE Facebook was a cosponsor of the PBS NewsHour Debate on Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The media giant even fed journalists Facebook cookies. David Haynes Heres how I covered the PBS NewsHour Debate on Thursday night. I watched it on television with dozens of my colleagues inside the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union. David Haynes Teamsters protest cuts to their pensions outside the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee prior to the PBS NewsHour Facebook Democratic Debate Thursday. David D. Haynes

I covered the big debate in Milwaukee Thursday night. I was on the same campus with the Democratic candidates for president, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. They were in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. I was in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union across Kenwood Ave. with more than 400 of my associates in the business of journalism.

Did I mention that I was in the Student Union?

Did I mention that it was across the street from the debate hall?

I am sure the Democratic Party and debate sponsors think they have very good reasons for warehousing 400 reporters in a ballroom and not inside the hall. I am sure the Republicans also had very good reasons for doing something similar back in November. (This has been, in fact, the way things work at debates for a while now). Sheer size of the press corp may be the main reason.

Even so, I can't think of a good reason for keeping them out. Rhetorical question: How does one cover an event without actually being at the event? I guess now we know.

I arrived about 5 p.m. Before going inside, I stopped to chat briefly with a group of shivering pensioners who were working the barricades in front of the Zelazo Center. They were members of the Teamsters union and were worried about their retirement. They've been told that their pensions, which most of them worked decades to earn, will be cut. This group had been to the state Capitol to hand out leaflets to legislators. They weren't sure if any actual legislators got the leaflets.

At one point, a gasoline-fired generator nearby belched a cloud of acrid smoke into the bundled-up crowd, and a retired man covered his face and patiently tried to explain why he was so angry with the Central States Pension Fund. There are still billions of dollars in the fund, he told me: "We just hope (Clinton and Sanders) notice we're here."

I wish I could tell him that they did. What people have to go through these days to get something that is due them.

When reporters covered the Lincoln-Douglas debates, they had to get close to the platform to make sure they heard every word. Reporters in those days used shorthand to transcribe the debates. Fortunately for us, newspapers printed the transcripts so we can still see how the Rail Splitter and the Little Giant skewered one another.

As when Stephen A. Douglas noted: "I do not question Mr. Lincoln's conscientious belief that the Negro was made his equal, and hence is his brother, (laughter,) but for my own part, I do not regard the Negro as my equal, and positively deny that he is my brother or any kin to me whatever. ("Never." "Hit him again," and cheers.)"

The modern debate is different. I covered it for a column in this morning's Journal Sentinel by getting really close to a widescreen television screen in the Union Ballroom and listening carefully to the sound system. The grand old hall across the street was filled with dignitaries and supporters of the candidates. From where I was sitting, it sure sounded as if the crowd was into the punching and counter punching. I just wasn't able to ask anyone who was there.

At the modern debate (this one was sponsored by PBS NewsHour and Facebook), you get free food. Who paid for that? George Soros? Mark Zuckerberg? If so, please send me the bill for my share, George and Mark. More cheese bratwurst next time.

At the modern debate, there is a "spin room" where reporters go when the debate is over. They go to designated areas, marked by signs held by volunteers, as in "Martha Laning." She's the state chair of the Democratic Party. Reporters listen carefully to what Martha Laning has to say about what we just watched on TV, and perhaps a few of her words find their way into dispatches.

Finally, at the modern debate, reporters do not need to leave their chairs to cover the inevitable protests. OK, I exaggerate. They do need to leave their chairs. They need to go to the double-glass doors at the ballroom entrance and raise their cellphones to record the protest, a raucous, drumbeating Black Lives Matter, $15 Minimum Wage protest that had come to the press room. This is not at all like Chicago 1968.

I actually left the glass enclosure and followed the protesters down the stairs to the foyer of the Union. There, they chanted and raised a ruckus. I spoke with a few of the protesters who said they wanted a "family supporting" minimum wage. To them, that's $15 an hour. Some of them said they supported Bernie Sanders, who also supports the $15-an-hour minimum wage. Others said they would decide who to support later. I do not support their cause but I do support their right to advocate forcefully for it, and the protesters I spoke with seemed glad that I heard them out.

So there you have it: the modern debate. Cloistered reporters. Spin rooms. Roving protests that do home delivery for the media.

But I can't complain too much. The food wasn't bad. I made a few friends. The debate was mildly more informative than the Republican melees, although perhaps less entertaining. And there was not a "low energy" candidate to be found.

I just wonder what really went on across the street.

David D. Haynes is editorial page editor for the Journal Sentinel. Email dhaynes@jrn.com Twitter: @DavidDHaynes
Steven Magritz (right) is shown in January of 2003 when he was sentenced to five years in prison for filing a blizzard of false legal papers against a number of Ozaukee County officials. Thirteen years later, Magritz was back in court, sentenced to more than a year in prison again for a similar action. Since being in custody in September Magritz has refused to allow jailers to take his photograph. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

By of the

Port Washington  A 70-year-old man with a long-standing legal grudge against Ozaukee County government was sentenced Thursday to 11/2 years in prison for what a prosecutor called acts of paper terrorism.

It's the second time Steven A. Magritz will go to prison for his unceasing efforts to get even with county officials.

Ozaukee County foreclosed on Magritz's 62.5-acre Town of Fredonia homestead in August 2001 for nonpayment of about $30,000 in back taxes.

Magritz retaliated by filing involuntary bankruptcy petitions and other bogus legal documents against 36 county officials, including false liens alleging they owed him $15 million. He was charged in 2002, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison and 18 months of extended supervision.

But according to Ozaukee District Attorney Adam Gerol, as soon as he was off supervision, Magritz filed another bogus deed to cloud the title of the land and he was charged again with the same offense  formally, criminal slander of title  in 2011.

When he got the summons to appear, Magritz sent it back, stamped in red, "Refused for fraud." Officials then put out a warrant for his arrest but Magritz went off the grid until last fall, when deputies who stopped a car that Magritz was in ran his name and the warrant came up. Magritz has been in the Ozaukee County Jail ever since and was given credit for 143 days served against his sentence.

Gerol said Magritz refused a pre-sentence report, or even to be fingerprinted or photographed, as part of his "sovereign citizen" ideology that rejects the authority of society's laws.

Magritz's only words at sentencing were that he has not and will never consent to the proceedings. "I demand to be set at liberty immediately," he said.

Circuit Judge Sandy Williams, who presided over Magritz's trial last year, where he represented himself, reminded him "the jury didn't buy your beliefs. It was just gibberish."

As a condition of his extended supervision, Magritz can't file any court papers or send letters to any public officials without approval from his probation officer.

All but seven acres of Magritz's former land, immediately north of Hawthorne Hills County Park, is within a forested corridor along the Milwaukee River.
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When it comes to the 2016 presidential race there's a generation gap in Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's household, one that may mirror the split among Democratic primary voters.

Barrett has already endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But it turns out his college-aged daughter, Annie, is for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Barrett said Thursday.

"My advice to Hillary is get on those college campuses, get to those technical schools, talk to those kids," Barrett said at a panel discussion sponsored by RealClear Politics.

In Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, Sanders was backed by 83% of Democratic voters aged 18 to 29, while Clinton received 16% support, according to exit polls.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) said that with time, Clinton can win over younger voters.

"As young people stay engaged and get educated they'll come around and see that Hillary Clinton is overall the better choice for them," Moore said in a telephone interview.

On Thursday, the Clinton campaign received an important endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee.

Moore said that Clinton has a long relationship with the African-American community, a vital voting bloc heading into the Feb. 27 South Carolina Democratic Party primary. Moore said she'll campaign in that state for Clinton.

"We know her," Moore said. "We know when she's elected, we'll have access to her. We know when she's elected she'll get our particular struggle, that it won't be just something philosophical."

Moore added that she saw a lot of "anti-Hillary ads" in Iowa and said they were run by Republican groups who want to bring down Clinton.

"They know that she's the most qualified," Moore said. "They know she's the one to beat. They welcome running against a socialist."
We Energies doubles rate increase sought for residential customers

We Energies is seeking a 13% increase in residential electric rates in 2023, about twice the increase it is seeking for large industrial energy users.
Ralph Ticcioni holds a photo of himself taken in 1944 in Belgium while he was serving with the 573rd Signal Air Warning Battalion assigned to the 82nd Airborne. Ticcioni, a Normandy paratrooper on D-Day, is making his first return to France. Credit: Mike De Sisti

By of the

Ralph Ticcioni's first steps on French soil were soft and fragrant.

Ticcioni arrived in France like thousands of other Americans  via parachute on D-Day. He sat in the back of a transport plane, weighed down with around 80 pounds of gear, his face darkened with charcoal, and waited for the light on the wall to turn yellow.

When it did, he stood up with the rest of his 82nd Airborne unit and clipped his static line hook to a wire overhead. He checked the man in front of him while the soldier behind Ticcioni checked to ensure his static line hook was secure.

Then the light turned green.

Before June 6, 1944, Ticcioni had made three practice jumps in England. D-Day was his first taste of combat.

"Of all places, I landed on top of a barn. The barns in this area of Normandy were thatch, so it was a soft landing. My parachute was caught on a weather vane," recalled Ticcioni, 93, of New Berlin. "I hung there for a while and got my thoughts together, got out my knife and cut myself down. I slid down into some horse manure."

Ticcioni fought his way across Europe, helping to liberate a continent devastated by war. Then he returned home to Milwaukee and got a job at a dairy, working his way up to plant manager and retiring after 40 years. After his first wife died, he remarried. His second wife died six years ago. He has a stepson and stepdaughter.

He never returned to France.

Return to Normandy

But Ticcioni has been invited to return in June to take part in the D-Day anniversary commemoration in the French village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first community in Normandy liberated on D-Day.

He's thrilled to get the chance to return and hopes to see the large church in Sainte-Mere-Eglise featuring stained glass windows of paratroopers and a mannequin hanging from the roof that re-creates the paratrooper who landed on the roof and dangled from his harness. He also wants to visit a museum in the village that's dedicated to the American Airborne troops.

"They say they're still very appreciative for what the Allies did. I don't feel I should be treated royally," said Ticcioni, who lost close buddies in the war. "I believed then and I believe now the real heroes are buried over there."

So in a way, the modest veteran who lives in a neatly tended apartment with family pictures on his wall at a New Berlin senior living center will represent the American soldiers who didn't come home. He went to the post office recently to apply for a passport, something he didn't need when he parachuted into France in 1944.

In January, Karyn Roelke from Stars and Stripes Honor Flight visited Ticcioni to drop off a thank-you letter from schoolchildren in Normandy. For several years, children in Normandy have participated in a peace project in which they decorate envelopes to send thank you notes to veterans. The letters were sent to veterans organizations in the United States, and several found their way to Roelke at Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.

Roelke sent pictures of the southeastern Wisconsin veterans holding their thank you notes to Michelle Coupey from Friends of American Veterans  in French it's Amis des Veterans Americains  in Sainte-Mere-Eglise. When Coupey learned Ticcioni served in the 82nd Airborne, was in good health and had never returned to France, the Friends of American Veterans group offered to pay the travel expenses of Ticcioni and a companion.

"The French are so grateful to the Allied soldiers who liberated them," said Coupey, an American who married a Frenchman and lives with her family near Sainte-Mere-Eglise.

Ticcioni will be an honored guest at banquets, memorial services and ceremonies during the weeklong celebration and watch a parachute jump of hundreds of military paratroopers from the U.S. and European countries as well as World War II re-enactors. He'll stay with a family in the village and attend all or as many events as he wants to, said Coupey, and if he wants to try to find the spot where he landed in his parachute, efforts will be made to do that.

In the years after the end of World War II, hundreds of American veterans returned to Normandy for D-Day observances. Those numbers have dwindled sharply. Though there was a large turnout in 2014 for the 70th anniversary, few attended last year, Coupey said.

"When veterans come back, they're like rock stars. They're bigger than rock stars. Everyone wants to shake their hand, take their picture with them," Coupey said.

Accompanying Ticcioni will be his physician, Edward Smith, a first Gulf War veteran who helped Ticcioni fill out an application for a Stars and Stripes Honor Flight in 2012 and was his guardian on the flight.

"He doesn't dwell on the risks that he took and all the courage that it took to jump out of that plane hatch. He also feels strongly the loss of his buddies who are still over there," Smith said. "The people buried in the cemeteries can't speak and the people in Normandy can't thank them face to face. When he goes over there he'll be representing all those boys who couldn't come back."
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Maan News Agency |  

TUBAS (Maan)  Israeli forces on Thursday destroyed over 40 Palestinian homes and structures in the Tubas district of the occupied West Bank as ongoing Israeli policies in the Jordan Valley continue to drive Palestinians out of their homes.

A Palestinian official from the governors office in Tubas, Mutaz Bsharat, told Maan that Israeli forces and bulldozers stormed the Palestinian communities of al-Farisiya and Khallet al-Khader and demolished seven homes, displacing seven families.

Forces also demolished 35 structures in the Bardala and Ein al-Baida communities, Bsharat added.

Courtesy Maan Images

Tubas Mayor Rabih Khandaqji told Maan that local and international organizations were carrying out efforts to aid Palestinians displaced during the demolitions and to rebuild destroyed structures.

A spokesperson for Israels Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) did not have immediate information on the demolitions.

Israel has carried out near-daily demolitions in the occupied Palestinian territory since the start of this month and destroyed 42 Palestinian-owned structures in the last week of January alone, displacing 168 people, including 94 children.

The communities targeted in Thursdays demolitions are all located in Area C, the over 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli military control where building permits are near-impossible for Palestinians to obtain from Israel.

As a result, Palestinian communities are forced to build illegally and face the constant threat of demolition and displacement.

Threats of displacement for the thousands of Palestinian Bedouins living in the Jordan Valley in particular have reportedly increased dramatically since 2012.

Rights groups argue that Israel aims to fully annex the strategic area of land and is unlikely to return the occupied area to Palestinians.

In addition to demolition, Israeli rights group BTselem earlier this month pointed to the use of Israeli military training exercises as a means of forcible displacement of Palestinians from the Jordan Valley.

Palestinians are frequently ordered to evacuate their villages during military trainings, and BTselem reported that military exercises carried out last month caused severe damage to crops belonging to Palestinian communities.

The group said that while no Israeli official has ever issued statement regarding how military training grounds are chosen, the apparent selectiveness uncovers the motivation behind it  dispossession.

Via Maan News Agency
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Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani | ( The Conversation |  

After years of isolation, Iran is slowly coming back in from the cold after the deal to curb its nuclear programme. And as it starts to reassert itself more openly in the world order, its rekindling a stormy affair with an old flame: Russia.

The two countries have discussed opening a joint bank, co-operation in space research, and undertaking preparations for establishing a free trade area between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran under Putins direct order. Theyve also joined forces in fighting anti-government groups in Syria, where they both view shoring up the Assad government as perhaps the least worst way to stabilise the conflict there.

All seems rosy then. But not so fast: these are two countries with a long history of acrimony and suspicion, and based on all historical precedent, they could well find themselves at odds again soon.

Difficult history

Over the last four centuries, the two countries relations have fluctuated between adversarial rivalry and friendly partnership. For ordinary Iranians, Russia is a reminder of defeat. National pride is still wounded from the loss of the Caucasian Khanates, significant territories on the northern parts of the Aras River which were ceded to Russia after what was then Persia was defeated in two Russia-Persian wars in the 19th century.

To older generations of Iranians, Russia is also a reminder of occupation; as a consequence of Russias initial refusal to withdraw the Red Army from Iran, which both Moscow and the Allies had occupied during World War II to create a route to send supplies for the Soviet Unions war effort.

Throughout this long history, in addition to ideological influences of Russian political trends over Iranian elites, Russia has exerted a gravitational pull on Irans foreign policy calculations. It was a big factor in Irans decision to claim neutrality for two centuries  a policy that ended in 1955, when Tehran took the plunge to join the pro-Western/anti-Soviet Baghdad Pact, modelled after NATO, which provided incentive for member countries to commit to mutual co-operation and protection, as well as non-intervention in one anothers affairs.

Equally, Moscow has always been an important factor in the way other countries approach Iran. Throughout the 19th century, Persia was affected by Anglo-Russian conflict of interests; that pressure eventually resulted in the separation of Herat from Persia, to work as a buffer zone which would keep the British-controlled India away from the Russians agitations and possible encroachment. And throughout the Cold War, Iran was valued as a major bulwark against the Soviets potential expansion to the Middle East and a check on its influence there.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution introduced a strongly ideological dimension to the two countries relations. The Soviet Union initially welcomed the revolution, hoping that the anti-imperialist and anti-American bent of the new government could flatter Soviet interests in the region. But that calculation soon proved wrong.

With the revolutionary governments neither east, nor west policy, relations turned cold, particularly due to Moscows provision of extensive military assistance to Iraq during its 1980-1988 war with Iran. Things got even worse when top-rank members of Irans Soviet-supported Tudeh party were arrested and 18 Russian diplomats were deported in 1983. There were no significant improvements till the end of Iran-Iraq war, when reciprocal high-level diplomatic visits initiated something of a thaw.

Marriage of convenience

Russia and Iran have been mostly friendly ever since, though their relations are still subject to a good deal of flux. Iran continuously has tried to respect Russias sensitivities, particularly regarding its regional policies: it held back on recognising the former Soviet Republics independence before the official dissolution of the USSR, refused to get involved in the Chechnya conflict, and has consistently kept its relations with the former Soviet republics within the confines of Moscows worldview.

Tehrans regional and international isolation has been pushing it towards Moscow, in the hope that the Russians would shield Iran from further pressure. That strategy paid off at times, particularly during the saga over Irans nuclear enrichment programme: in 2005, Moscow tried to mediate between Tehran and the West while sticking to the line that there was no definitive proof that Irans nuclear activities were being militarised.

But just as Iran must always factor Russia into its dealings with the West, Russia always factors its relations with the West into its dealings with Iran.

Whenever Russias relations with Western countries have warmed up, it has generally taken a tougher line with Iran. This was made plain in 2011 when it publicly refused to supply Iran with S-300 surface-to-air missiles. On the other hand, when in trouble with the West, Russia warms towards Iran. Now that its struggling under sanctions imposed over its role in the Ukraine crisis, the S-300 missiles have reportedly been delivered to Iran after all.

So for all that Iran is Russias biggest trade partner in the Middle East, and for all that they seem to have found a common cause in backing the Syrian government, the two countries will never be mutually devoted partners. Alongside their long history of mutual suspicion, they are still rivals for security influence and energy resources in Central Asia and the Caucasus. They also still have great differences over the Caspian Sea, even as they work together to keep it beyond NATOs influence.

So what the world sees between the two countries is something much more complicated than a strategic partnership. Its an on-off marriage of convenience  albeit one that tends to heat up when it suits the partners.

Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani, PhD student, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Press TV: Iran, Russia looking to develop strategic partnership
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TeleSur |  

Saudi Arabias decision to send troops to Syria is final and irreversible, Saudi military spokesman Ahmed Al-Assiri told reporters Thursday evening as he confirmed earlier comments about sending troops to the country. But Russia has warned the move could mark the beginning of a new world war.

Assiri added that Riyadh is ready and will fight with the United States-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. When asked about the timing of sending the troops, he said that Washington is more suitable to answer that question.

The Saudi comments Thursday come just one week after Riyadh said it was ready to send thousands of troops to Syria if the U.S.-led coalition decides on a ground operation in the country.

Thursdays comments confirm the existence of the plan and the Saudis are expected to dispatch troops to Syria at some time in the future.

Responding to the Saudi comments, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the German Handelsblatt business daily that Saudi Arabia and its Western allies must sit at the negotiating table "instead of unleashing a new World War."

Observers of the Syrian conflict say a ground intervention will be framed as a humanitarian intervention to help civilians and would involve Turkey and Saudi Arabia along with U.S. troops in Syria.

Armed intervention by the Sunni states could be presented as the creation of a safe zone for the tens of thousands of displaced people in the area, though it certainly would not be safe as it would be in the center of a battle zone, Patrick Cockburn, award-winning Middle East journalist and correspondent, wrote for The Independent Thursday.

If Saudi Arabia does intervene in this part of Syria it will become yet one more combatant in the most complex and dangerous battlefield in the world, he concluded.

A new report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research released Thursday says 11.5 percent of Syrias 22.5 million population has been killed or injured since the beginning of the conflict in 2011. Almost 500,000 people have been killed, doubling previous estimates.

Via TeleSur

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

RT: Pretext to involve US: UAE joins Gulf monarchies ready to send troops to Syria
Montreal, Canada / TheNewswire / February 12, 2016 - ALGOLD RESOURCES LTD. (ALG: TSXV - "Algold" or the "Corporation" www.algold.com) is pleased to announce that Gryphon Minerals Limited (ASX:GRY) ("Gryphon") has agreed to an extension of the option granted to Algold in October 2015 (the "Option"). Under the Option, Algold's wholly-owned subsidiary, Kanosak Barbados Inc., may acquire Gryphon's Mauritanian Tijirit and Akjoujt exploration licences (permit numbers EL447, EL1117 and EL448), which are approximately 2,200km2 in size, as well as Gryphon's 60% interest in Shield Saboussiri Mining Mauritania SA ("Shield"), an entity that owns a joint venture with respect to the Saboussiri project (permit numbers EL236, EL879 and EL1074). Algold may now exercise the Option at any time on or before March 23, 2016.

As consideration for this extension, Algold has issued 300,000 common shares to Gryphon.

For more information on the Option, please see Algold's press release dated October 28, 2015.

ABOUT ALGOLD

Algold Resources Ltd is focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in West Africa. The board of directors and management team are seasoned resource industry professionals with extensive experience in the exploration and development of world-class gold projects in Africa.

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release discusses items that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws and that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements include those with respect to the completion of the acquisition of Gryphon's properties (the "Properties") and share issuances to be made. Although Algold believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they can give no assurances that those expectations will be achieved and actual results may differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements and information. Such assumptions, which may prove incorrect, include that the acquisition of the Properties will obtain all required regulatory approvals and that Gryphon will complete the sale of the Properties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include Algold's inability to obtain the required approvals or Gryphon's refusal to proceed, for whatever reason, either on a timely basis or at all. These factors and others are more fully discussed in Algold's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Algold Resources Ltd.

1320, boul. Graham, bureau 132, Mont-Royal, Quebec, H3P 3C8, www.algold.com

Francois Auclair M.Sc., PGeo Yves Grou, CPA CA

President & CEO Executive Vice Chairman

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(514) 889 5089 (514) 237 7757

Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Eating at Providence is always a treat, but so is cooking something outside of your usual repertoire. These fancy pancakes are thin and crispy, held together by the crab meat. Chef Michael Cimarusti suggests serving it with a salad of shredded carrots, bean sprouts, mint leaves, and shredded Napa cabbage with a spicy lime vinaigrette. Divide the batter into smaller portions if you're serving it as an appetizer, or make the pancakes bigger if you're eating it as a main. Enjoy!

Thai Style Crab Pancakes

4 tablespoons flour

1  tablespoons cornstarch

 cup ice water

2 whole eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

 stalk lemongrass, finely minced

1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

 jalapeno, finely minced

1 cup cured pork belly

 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

4 whole green onions, finely sliced

1 pound freshly cooked Dungeness or blue crab meat

 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Mix the flour, cornstarch, water, eggs, salt, and pepper. This result should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Mix in the chopped lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Steep the mixture for 10 minutes, then strain the batter. Add the chopped pork, cilantro, and green onions to the batter.

Heat oil in a pan until very hot and pour batter into oil. Add crab on top of batter. Cook for two minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook the pancake for approximately one minute. Serve and garnish with salad.
OMAHA -- One person reportedly was killed and another person was being held hostage at midday inside a house near 140th and Miami Streets.

Omaha police and Douglas County sheriffs deputies had surrounded a house at 2511 N. 140th St. in the Autumn Heights neighborhood and still were there after noon. Officers told people who live near the house to stay inside, lock their doors and stay away from windows.

Chief Deputy Tom Wheeler of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office told reporters at the scene that a man had called 911 and said he had been shot and his girlfriend was being held hostage.

Police headed to an area near 150th and Blondo Streets around 10:25 a.m. They searched inside and outside Covenant Presbyterian Church, 15002 Blondo St. Stephanie Hawks, the churchs business manager, said a 911 call had come in that had been transmitted by a nearby cellphone tower.

Officers didnt find anyone inside the church or on the grounds outside, Hawks said.

Police then searched the Eldorado and Nelsons Creek neighborhoods west of 144th and Blondo, but found nothing.

After 11:15 a.m., they headed to the 140th Street address. Officers then reported that someone had been killed and another person had been taken hostage inside the house.

Neighbors described the street as a quiet one made up of longtime residents.

More than 10 Omaha Police Department and Douglas County Sheriffs Office cruisers, plus an Omaha Fire Department truck and two ambulances were outside the house.
FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2015 file photo, Alex Timbers attends the Broadway opening night for "Therese Raquin" in New York. Disney Theatrical Productions announced Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, on Twitter that Timbers will helm the musical, "Frozen," which is expected to land on Broadway in 2018 alongside its hits Aladdin and The Lion King. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)
The domain has expired and may be available at auction. If this is your domain, you can still renew it. Register or transfer domains to Dynadot.com to save more and build your website for free!
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Today is a remarkable day for me. Im officially leaving private practice after almost 18 years, to return to academic medicine with a faculty position in a highly regarded California department of anesthesiology.

Why would I do that?

There are many positive reasons. I believe in the teaching mission of academic medicine: to train the anesthesiologists of the future, and the scientists who will advance medical care. I enjoy teaching. The years Ive spent at the head of the operating room table, anesthetizing patients every day, have given me a great deal of hands-on experience (and at least some wisdom) that Im happy to pass along to the next generation.

But the other, more pragmatic reason is this. Ive lost confidence in the ability of private-practice anesthesiology in California to survive in its prevalent form  physician-only, personally provided anesthesiology care.

MD-only: A viable model?

California is an outlier among all other states in its ratio of physicians to non-physicians in the practice of clinical anesthesia. Nationally, there are slightly more non-physicians  including nurse anesthetists (about 47,000) and anesthesiologist assistants (about 1,700)  than physician anesthesiologists (about 46,000) in the workforce, according to 2015 National Provider Identifier (NPI) data.

But in California, there are about 5,500 physician anesthesiologists and only 1,500 nurse anesthetists in the workforce, while anesthesiologist assistants cant yet be licensed here at all. Though some other states, chiefly in the western half of the U.S., also have more physicians than nurses in the anesthesia workforce, none tops Californias ratio of more than 3.5 to 1.

Its hard to see how such a physician-skewed model of anesthesia care can continue to be financially viable, no matter how much affection I have for it. I genuinely love safeguarding my patients through anesthesia for complex surgical procedures, from beginning to end. But theres no way that it makes sense for many of the tasks involved to be performed directly by a physician. If the Institute of Medicine advocates for nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training in order to provide cost-effective care, it stands to reason that physicians ought to work at the top of their licenses too.

Many of the daily tasks involved in MD-only, personally-provided anesthesia care could and should be delegated to nurses, pharmacists, and technicians. Easy examples include starting IVs, drawing up medications, labeling syringes, and monitoring a patients blood pressure. Surgeons dont perform these tasks during surgery, intensive care physicians dont perform them in ICUs, and hospitalists dont perform them on the inpatient wards. And we havent even mentioned other routine tasks such as changing the suction tubing on the anesthesia machine between cases  a duty that is well within the skill set of the OR clean-up crew. It makes no fiscal sense, in our cost-conscious time, for physicians to be performing these tasks personally.

Logically, its an appropriate use of physician anesthesiologist skills to decide, for example, if a patients heart condition has been adequately optimized prior to proceeding with surgery. If theres a problem during anesthesia with a sudden change in blood pressure, an abnormal heart rhythm, or any other severe medical problem, a physician is the logical person to diagnose the problem and prescribe treatment. The duty of the nurse or any other non-physician practitioner is to monitor the patient, administer prescribed care, and alert the physician to any new problems.

The new multidisciplinary world

The best solution to cost-effective medical care is the use of teams. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) endorses the concept of the anesthesia care team, a model in which a physician anesthesiologist supervises anesthesiologist assistants, residents, and/or nurse anesthetists in the delivery of anesthesia care, just as an intensive care physician supervises a clinical team in the care of multiple patients.

A January 6, 2016, editorial in JAMA, written by two anesthesiologists and a surgeon, describes how the concept of captain of the ship has become antiquated in an era of complex perioperative care requiring multiple specialists. When done properly, the authors believe, multidisciplinary team-based care is the key to good health care delivery. That care is likely to involve intensivists, fellows, residents, midlevel professionals, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, nutritionists, and others. All right, fine; that statement seems inarguable, and may even qualify as old news.

The real surprise in the JAMA article, though, is this. The authors advocate changing the administrative structure in which the teams work. They favor institutes, centers, or other consolidations that focus on a specific disease process, e.g., a heart institute that houses cardiac surgery, cardiology, cardiac anesthesiology, and cardiac ICU. In other words, a traditional department structure  such as a private, MD-only anesthesiology practice  would have no place in this brave new multidisciplinary world. The remarkable fact to me is that two out of three of the authors of this editorial (Michael Nurok, MBChB, PhD, and Bruce Gewertz, MD) hail from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where I worked up until today.

Is there any hope for physician-only anesthesia groups?

It may be that the MD-only anesthesiology practice is about to become an endangered species. In the last few years, we have witnessed numerous examples of formerly successful practices succumbing to market forces they didnt expect. In 2011, for instance, New York-based Somnia Anesthesia Services won the contract to provide anesthesiology services at Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, California, displacing the physician-only group that had held the contract for 16 years. Somnia brought in a new chief of anesthesiology from outside, and proceeded to recruit nurse anesthetists to complete the switchover to a more cost-effective care team model.

The Kaiser Permanente system, Californias largest nonprofit health plan, for decades has staffed its operating rooms and procedure locations according to an anesthesia care team model. The major academic medical centers in California, including the University of California hospitals, Loma Linda University, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California, all utilize the care team model with physician anesthesiologists supervising residents and nurse anesthetists. Without fanfare, these programs are all teaching their residents how to practice anesthesiology in a team-based environment.

Yet its too early to ring the death knell for Californias private anesthesiology groups. The smart ones are already making changes to increase the likelihood of their survival. They are getting more involved outside the operating room, in the overall management and financial success of their hospitals.

In the San Francisco Bay area, Keith Chamberlin, MD, MBA, a physician anesthesiologist, has led the formation of an accountable care organization (ACO) at Marin General Hospital, and is currently the president of the ACOs board of directors.

In Pasadena, anesthesiologist Rick Bushnell, MD, MBA, is leading Huntington Memorial Hospital in a perioperative surgical home project designed to improve the patient experience and outcome. As Dr. Bushnell explained recently in the Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique, the physician anesthesiologists will focus their attention on the most complicated 20 percent of patients, seeing them both preoperatively and after discharge in order to prevent costly readmissions.

If our specialty is to maintain its relevance, Dr. Bushnell said, as anesthesiologists we must assume more responsibility. We must extend and improve our management to include the complete perioperative process, a continuum from the moment of decision to operate to the completion of recovery. The anesthesiologists work with intervention teams of nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists, as he explained in his article, to improve post-op and post-discharge surveillance and intervention on the hospital floor, in the home setting, in the emergency department, and in the post-discharge clinic.

Would care be even cheaper without physicians?

Certainly health care would be cheaper if we didnt utilize physicians at all, and simply allowed non-physician practitioners  nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants  to practice independently. But that idea carries its own risks. Perhaps it has some merit for primary care in underserved areas. The acute-care environment of the operating room, however, is different and much more hazardous.

In my opinion, the answer to rising health care costs is not to give non-physicians such as nurse anesthetists the regulatory authority to practice medicine without a license, and to administer anesthesia without consulting with or accepting advice from a physician anesthesiologist. Patients want a fully licensed physician in charge of their care, just as they want a lawyer  not a paralegal  managing their legal affairs, and an experienced, fully qualified pilot flying the jet plane.

Im placing my bet on the likelihood that Californias anesthesia practices will continue to move away from physician-only, one-to-one anesthesia care, and more in the direction of the anesthesia care team model. The CSAs efforts to gain the right for anesthesiologist assistants to work in California, it seems to me, will give us an excellent additional option for expanding the anesthesia care team. It will be fascinating, and possibly alarming, to watch how the anesthesia marketplace in California continues to evolve.

Karen S. Sibert is an anesthesiologist who blogs at A Penned Point.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Burnout, burnout, burnout. It seems like that is all anyone wants to talk about these days. And I admit, some days, I can get burnt out on burnout. But, all the attention on the subject got me thinking. Did burnout not exist 30 years ago? Why is this such a hot topic now?

And that is what brings me to this post; I came to the realization that burnout very much existed 30 years ago, but that the current write-up culture, and what I affectionately refer to as the Twitter effect, that is now prevalent in healthcare and most U.S. hospitals has made it infinitely worse.

Lets face it. Surgeons have a reputation: bossy, mean, rude, impersonal, hard to work with, and difficult. And, this reputation, just like Rome, wasnt built in a day. It wasnt even that long ago (during my training years) that surgeons would throw instruments, throw nurses, medical students, even anesthesiologists out of their operating rooms, or yell, scream, and curse to their hearts content. Infidelity and extramarital affairs were rampant, paperwork wouldnt be completed on time, and bad outcomes only had to be discussed at a weekly morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference and only with other surgical colleagues.

Clearly, most of the above-described behavior is unprofessional, inappropriate, and unacceptable. But, what it did do was provide a mechanism, a valve so to speak, with which to vent anger, frustration, sadness and fatigue. And, for a very long time, this behavior was viewed as a fact of life. Nurses would talk amongst themselves, junior residents would get stuck having to operate frequently with the most malignant personalities, clerks, and environmental services staff would just look the other way.

But then, over time, we became enlightened. We became proactive in empowering any and everyone to speak up against unprofessional behavior, sexual harassment, or profane language. We began to focus more and more on ways to measure performance. How long does it take for a physician to complete their paperwork? How many patients are you seeing in a day compared to your peers? Hospital complications are now labeled as never events. M&Ms have become Disney World vacations when compared to having to relive bad outcomes over and over again in hospital-run root cause analyses and peer review sessions to examine the role of the physician in bad outcomes.

But somewhere in all this enlightenment, we have lost the true message of health care.

Health care is about relationships, not write-ups.

We have now cultured a culture in which having a bad day, losing ones patience, or not smiling enough can now lead to getting written up by anyone in the hospital  student, resident, nurse, clerk, patient, etc. The filling out of paperwork, and the careful coding of certain physical conditions so as not to get dinged by the hospital for providing suboptimal care, are now fodder for write-ups. Physicians are held captive and measured by the electronic medical record, NSQIP, 360-degree evaluations, and quality metrics.

So what does being written up mean exactly? It means meetings (often multiple) to discuss said incident or incidents, papers being placed in personnel files, and sometimes poor job evaluations. I call this the Twitter effect: anyone can say anything at all about you, true or false, whether you have worked somewhere for 15 years or 15 minutes  and it gets attention.

Dont get me wrong here. Professional behavior should be expected at work, and we should always strive to be better physicians, nurses, healthcare workers and humans tomorrow than we are today.

But, punitive attitudes and actions are not going to result in any of that. I have never written anyone up in 11 years, and I pride myself on that because it does not change behavior.

Bottom line, if someone is a jerk, writing them up is not going to change that. And, if someone just had a bad day, or is having a rough week, having a relationship with them, being able to engage them in a conversation, will change their future behavior. A piece of paper will not. Most times, people already know when they messed up, giving it undue amounts of attention only lead to feelings of defensiveness and self-doubt. And the truth of the matter is bad days happen to all of us.

I am human. Am I at my best after 36 hours of call inside the hospital with 60 patients on service, back to back emergency surgeries and emotional discussions with families about poor outcomes for their loved ones? Absolutely not. But am I still expected to smile, teach residents, make the medical students feel comfortable, get daily paperwork done within 24 hours, have the patience of Gandhi and not make any errors in clinical judgment? You better believe it. And, for the most part, Im 100 percent OK with that. I signed up to be a surgeon; I didnt draw it out of a hat. However, the feeling of walking on eggshells, the inability to have a bad day, lose ones patience, or be anything other than perfect is soul-crushing.

I feel this, especially as a trauma surgeon. Surgeons, in general, are at a national shortage, and especially so with trauma surgeons. Most institutions are not running fully staffed, leading to more call nights, longer hours, and more fatigue. And no, this isnt subjective. Being a trauma surgeon and the amount of call a physician takes have both been directly associated with the development of burnout.

Gone are the days where a surgeon can throw an instrument or curse out an entire operating room. And good riddance, quite frankly. But also gone are the days in which anyone can have a bad day, get frustrated, or maybe say the wrong thing, and have it understood or handled without a paper trail. The relationships we form at work are meaning less and less, and paperwork is meaning more and more. And, until we change this  until we change the punitive and negative culture within health care  we will continue talking about, and becoming, burned out.

Jamie Jones is a trauma surgeon who blogs at Hot Heels, Cool Kicks, & a Scalpel.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
I read your article about 529 withdrawals for a computer and had a question about eligible expenses. My daughter goes to a community college. Can I withdraw money from her 529 for her tuition and other expenses, or does she have to attend a four-year college to be eligible? Also, does she need to be a full-time student to qualify?

You can use your 529 savings to pay eligible expenses at a community college, even if your daughter attends part-time. Money from the account can be used at any college, university, vocational school or other postsecondary educational institution thats eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. That includes virtually all accredited postsecondary institutions in the U.S. and some colleges outside of the U.S., too, says Mary Morris, chairman of the College Savings Foundation and CEO of the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan. You can look up eligible schools using the Department of Educations federal school code database, or ask the school if it is eligible.

A student doesnt need to attend full-time to use 529 money for tuition, fees, and required books and supplies. And the new law lets you withdraw 529 money tax-free to purchase a computer, printer, scanner, related equipment and software, and Internet access. The computer-related items qualify as long as they are used primarily by the 529 beneficiary while enrolled at the eligible institution.

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To use 529 withdrawals for room and board, however, the student needs to be enrolled in at least half of the full-time academic workload for the course of study he or she is pursuing (as determined by the school). As long as your daughter is at least a half-time student, you can use 529 money to pay for her expenses, even if she lives off campus. Eligible expenses cant exceed the colleges allowance for room and board included in the cost of attendance for federal financial aid purposes. You can usually find that figure on the colleges website, or you can get it from the financial aid office.

For more information about 529 plans, see The Best 529 College-Savings Plans. Also see IRS Publication 970 (opens in new tab), Tax Benefits for Education (the Qualified Tuition Program section covers the 529 rules).
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By Rachel Anne Seymour

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND  Bainbridge Island narrowed its search for a planning and community development director to five candidates: Patricia Charnas, Gary Christensen, Hal Hart, Jacqueline Reid and David Sherrard.

Residents can meet the candidates 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, when each candidate also will give a short presentation of their professional background and achievements.

The next day, candidates will participate in three interview panels before City Manager Doug Schulze makes the final hiring decision.

Patricia Charnas

Charnas has more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in strategic and long-range comprehensive growth management, shoreline and environmental planning and development permitting. She is Kitsap County's division manager of planning and environmental programs and was previously the county's senior planner for land use and environmental planning.

Gary Christensen

Christensen has 30 years of public sector planning and development experience in the Pacific Northwest. He is the administrator/manager of Skagit County Planning and Development Services. His experience includes regional planning, growth management, public policy and economic development.

Hal Hart

Hart is the planning director for Anchorage, Alaska. He was the director of community development for Juneau, Alaska, and development services director for Woodinville. His experience includes more than 20 years of work in city and county planning, as well as economic and community development.

Jacqueline Reid

Reid has more than 20 years of experience in the Puget Sound area and the United Kingdom. She is the long-range planning division supervisor for Snohomish County. Her experience includes regional and local land-use planning, resource management and grant development.

David Sherrard

Sherrard is a senior project manager at Parametrix, a Seattle-based engineering, planning and environmental sciences consultant agency. He worked for Bellevue for 17 years, most recently as a senior planner. Sherrard's 35 years of planning experience includes local land-use planning and project review, as well as comprehensive plan updates and development of shoreline master programs.
An interesting profile in Stuff of Auditor-General Lyn Provost. An interesting extract:

Police Association president Greg OConnor initially supported Provosts appointment, until she was given operational command of three police districts. That, he said, was like an army contingent in East Timor being run by a bureaucrat. On reflection, though, he thinks she did a remarkable job.

Having a civilian in charge of three districts was controversial at the time, but for OConnor to say she did a remarkable job is high praise.

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Stuff reports:

Tara Nettleton, the widow of Australian Islamic State terrorist Khaled Sharrouf, has died in Syria from complications associated with appendicitis. The former Sydney woman is believed to have died some time ago after she was unable to access life-saving health services. It is believed that the mother of five was living in Raqqa with four of her children and one grandchild after the death of her husband as recently as last year. Taras husband Khaled Sharrouf slipped out of Australia in December 2013 using his brothers passport and joined Islamic State, meeting up with his friend and fellow terrorist, Mohamed Elomar. Tara and their children followed via Turkey soon afterwards.

So she willingly chose to go t Syria from Australia. She was not forced or coerced.

Sad that she is dead, but bad decisons often have consequences. She chose to leave a country with excellent health care to go live in the Islamic State.

Mr Van Alst told Fairfax Media that Karen said the second worst day of her life was knowing her grandchildren and great grandchild didnt have her there to look after them. He and Karen are now most concerned about Taras children, who are just innocent Australian kids, he said.

They were once.Are they today?

Sharrouf achieved global notoriety when he tweeted a picture of his son holding the severed head of a Syrian solider captioned thats my boy. The photo, posted by a Twitter account then believed to belong to Elomar, spruiks him as the young cub of the Islamic State. In June last year, Karen Nettleton told Fairfax Media how she was watching television at home when she received a text message from Taras eldest daughter Zaynab. The teenager had just become the widow of her husband Elomar. Hello Nana, how are you? My husband got hit by a drone yesterday and got killed. When I found out I was happy for him to get what he wanted and go to paradise but at the same time I was devastated because I loved him so much and I knew I was never gonna see him again in this life.

There may be hope for the kids, but they may now be fully radicalised.

Nettleton said last June her daughter and grandchildren were in need of help more than ever. [They] more than ever need the love and care of their family to help them recover from the trauma, abuse and terrors of war they have experienced, she said.

Their family havent done a great job to date.

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A new clause to be inserted into all new and renewed grant agreements will make sure that taxpayer funds are spent on improving peoples lives and good causes, rather than covering lobbying for new regulation or using taxpayers money to lobby for more government funding.

We need to do this in NZ also. In theory NGOs are not allowed to use taxpayer funds to lobby, but the rules are so loose, they get easily avoided by just calling their lobbying campaigns information campaigns.

The Institute of Economic Affairs, a right of centre thinkank, has undertaken extensive research on so-called sock puppets, exposing how taxpayers money given to pressure groups is paid to fund lobbying campaigns on policies such as a sugar tax and the environment.

Officials are hoping that the clause will ensure that freedom of speech is protected, while stopping taxpayers money being diverted away from good causes.

Matt Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, told The Telegraph: Taxpayers money must be spent on improving peoples lives and spreading opportunities, not wasted on the farce of government lobbying government.

It is constitutionally repugnant for the Government to spend money funding campaigns to tell Parliament and the Government what the law should be.

The exact phrase that will be inserted into all new and renewed grant agreements reads: The following costs are not Eligible Expenditure:- Payments that support activity intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, Government or political parties, or attempting to influence the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants, or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action.

At a minimum this should go into all contracts here.

Id go further and deem any NGO that is 90% or more taxpayer funded as a de facto public organisation that the OIA applies to.
Dr. Phillip Kronk is a semiretired Knoxville psychologist.

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"If I were asked for the single most striking insight into human nature and the human condition, it would be this: that no person is strong enough to support the meaning of his life unaided by something outside him." -- Ernest Becker, winner of the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.

My most personal encounter with Rene Spitz, M.D. occurred three years after his death.

Dr. Spitz had died three years before my 1977 yearlong internship in Clinical Psychology at the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver. During an estate sale of his personal books, I discovered that in his final years he had been affiliated with the medical school. To this day, I cherish the volume I purchased, although with the understanding that all our possessions and accomplishments are limited by time and the memories of others.

Dr. Spitz's name may be long forgotten, but what he taught physicians, hospitals and parents will live on in the many lives of infants that he continues to save each year.

Dr. Spitz began his research interests of children in 1935, but 10 years afterward, he made a major discovery that would impact on infants and children being cared for in institutions and in the home around the world for generations to come.

Medicine, psychology and generally-accepted child care advice is based on the theories and beliefs of the period of history that we live in at the time. Unfortunately, at that time, infants in hospitals and foundling home settings were rarely picked up or touched. It was considered important to have a sterile environment.

Dr. Spitz observed that these infants failed to grow, thrive or develop. More than a third of them died. Most were intellectually and socially 'retarded.' Forty years later, some still could not care for themselves.

I cannot even begin to share with you how depressed and hopeless these children were. You can see them for yourself.

Dr. Spitz recorded what he called the effects of "hospitalism" on the children in his film called Psychogenic Disease in Infancy. The film is available for viewing on the Internet and it will break your heart as these children give up the will to live.

Please remember that the children were well fed. They were in safe and hygienic hospital settings under eight-hour nursing shifts and ongoing medical care.

The children are obviously in great emotional and physical pain and suffering, and soon they will stop moving. Dr. Spitz, knowing that many would soon die, tried to figure out how to save them.

And he did. The human person, whether infant or adult, needs to be touched and responded to, especially when very young. Dr. Spitz learned that the infants who were emotionally deprived for more than five months of needed human touch and contact showed the very strong level of deterioration he would call hospitalism.

His findings, articles and film saved a generation of children and taught us the value of physical touch.

During my internship year at the medical school, I sought out senior medical and psychology staff who had interacted with Dr. Spitz in his final years before he died at age 87. There is one story I was told that helped me understand Dr. Spitz more than any other. It helped me understand this caring physician who saw things in a common-sense fashion, devoid of theories and professional truths.

Dr. Spitz had been asked to consult on a boy, around 10 years old, who was having emotional difficulties. I was told that the current medical and psychology staff were a little uneasy about being around such a world-famous clinician. They gave many scientific and clinical explanations for the boy's problems, using arcane and intellectual psychoanalytic phrases and ideas to support the treatment plan that they were advocating.

At some point, they fell silent and looked to this elderly clinician and asked for his thoughts and recommendations.

Dr. Spitz merely said, "I think he needs a dog."

---

Philip Kronk, M.S., Ph.D. is a semiretired child and adult Clinical Psychologist and a child and adult Clinical Neuropsychologist. Dr. Kronk has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a post-doctorate degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology (the use of drugs to treat mental disorders.) He writes a weekly online column for the Knoxville News Sentinel's website, knoxnews.com. Dr. Kronk can be reached at (865) 330-3633.
Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS St. Andrews State Park in Pensacola Beach, Fla., one of the highlight beaches of the Florida panhandle.

SHARE Navarre Beach on the Florida panhandle, where the sand is pure white quartz.

By Ellen Creager

NAVARRE BEACH, Fla.  Dolphins leaping in the sea. Shells glistening on the shore. Perfect miles of white sand beaches that make you happy to be alive.

The treasures of the Florida Panhandle belong to all of us and none of us.

And whether you respond to this place with parties or solitude, it's up to you.

The Florida Panhandle, if you look on a map, is actually south of Alabama. It has a southern feel in its pace, attitude and food. Known for huge spring break crowds in March, it also attracts snowbirds in winter and family vacationers in summer. The Panhandle is anchored by Pensacola on the west and Panama City on the east.

Drive it, and you will definitely see some manmade mischief here. There are too many looming, out-of-scale condo towers, too many sprawling shopping centers and way too many chain restaurants, plus the usual assortment of junky gift shops and tattoo parlors. But in my mind, those things cannot ruin nature's fine handiwork or the Panhandle's charm.

The trick is to pick not only the right time but the right spot for what you want to do. Serious fishing? Base yourself in Destin. A family wanting a beach vacation? I like Pensacola Beach. Privacy? Try Navarre Beach or a planned community like Seaside. Resort your style? Try the Hilton Sandestin. Wild parties and spring break? Panama City Beach, no question.

A word about spring break. This year, it collides with Easter. College spring breaks begin the week of Feb. 27 (University of Michigan), then March 5 (Michigan State, Western Michigan, Central Michigan) and continue through the week of March 17. Easter immediately follows on March 27, with most public school holidays beginning March 25.

Panama City Beach is the top destination in the country for spring break, with an estimated 300,000 students descending on the city. Besides the beaches, its draw is the country's largest nightclub, Club La Vela, and the fact that Florida is a whole lot easier to reach and cheaper than Cancun, Punta Cana or Nassau. (One company, Student City, offers a typical 7-day packages for $499 per person, with 6 people in each one-bedroom condo.) The drinking age is 21 in Florida. Panama City Beach is basically 15 miles of bars, jet skis, Ripley's Believe it or Not and condo towers.

But don't think that the Panhandle is one big crazed party. It's not. In fact, Florida has done a great job of ensuring that much of nature is protected on this part of the Gulf Coast so that everyone can enjoy the views, the sand and the sweep of gorgeous beauty Florida is blessed to have.

My favorite spots for that? Opal Beach on the glistening Gulf Islands National Seashore, west of Navarre Beach. Pensacola Beach and its scenic pier. St. Andrews State Park, just east of Panama City Beach. Henderson State Park near Destin. Many state parks here have camping for those who want to be closer to nature than a night club

This region is also home to intriguing sights, chiefly the National Naval Aviation Museum, home to the acrobatic flying team the Blue Angels. The nicely cared for Pensacola historic district has architecture dating back to 1805. Families with young children should try the small Gulf Breeze zoo.

Mostly, though, the Panhandle is all about the beach. It has been given two nicknames, the Redneck Riviera and The Emerald Coast. I guess both are true. I winced when I saw a Confederate flag for sale in an Alvin's Island gift shop. You can get fried green tomatoes in the restaurants. Cheese grits are a big thing. A bar straddling the state line with Alabama has a mullet-throwing contest. Emerald Coast? The water here really is clear and crystalline with a natural emerald color not caused by algae or man but by a miracle of nature.

In the Panhandle, like the Florida Keys, the southern-facing beaches mean you get to see the sunrise and the sunset. Not bad.

Even in January when the average high is just 60, it feels like summer here.

IF YOU GO

Getting here: It's 977 miles, about a 16-hour drive from Detroit to Navarre Beach and the Panhandle. You also can fly from Detroit to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport or Pensacola airport for about $350 round trip, stopping in Atlanta en-route.

Lodging: Most lodging here is vacation rentals. Low season here is October-February. High season is Memorial Day to mid-August. The rest is shoulder season, except for the deluge of visitors for spring break. Book through VRBO.com or a local company, like Blue Moon Rentals. If you prefer a resort hotel, try the Hilton Sandestin Resort (www.hiltonsandestinbeach.com). There are also nice resort hotels in Pensacola Beach.

Dining: Look for local restaurants, not chains you could find at home. Three fun spots: The Five Sisters Blues Cafe in Pensacola serves Southern food, fried green tomatoes, cornbread stuffing, crabcakes, shrimp. (www.fivesistersbluescafe.com). Try the local chain Shrimp Basket in Navarre for poboys and oysters; Mike's Cafe and Oyster Bar in Panama City Beach for soup and seafood.

Attractions: National Naval Aviation Museum (www.navalaviationmuseum.org). Downtown Pensacola historic sights, (www.visit-pensacola.com) and the Gulf Breeze Zoo (www.gulfbreezezoo.org.)

Beaches: Opal Beach and other sights on the Gulf Islands National Seashore (www.nps.gov/guis), and Henderson State Park: St. Andrews State Park and Grayton Beach State Park (www.floridastateparks.org), Navarre County Park Beach.

For more: www.visitflorida.com, I also like the new guidebook "Moon Spotlight Pensacola" (Moon, $8.99.)
SHARE Joan Wright Michelle Stacy

Speaker and business consultant Michelle Stacy and author and mountain climber Joan Wright will speak at the East Tennessee Women's Leadership Summit on June 10 at the Hilton Knoxville Airport.

Stacy, who is the luncheon speaker, has a 35-year career that culminated as president of Keurig, Inc. During a morning session, attendees will hear from Joan Wright, who led the executive leadership development program at Wachovia. Wright understands all about taking action, as she demonstrated when she summited Mount Kilimanjaro.

The summit is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participants will be able to mingle with speakers and learn more about their personal stories at a VIP Reception on Thursday evening, June 9.

Now a professional speaker and business consultant, Stacy serves on the boards of iRobot, the Tervis Tumbler Company, Young Innovations Inc., and The Cambridge Group. In all that she does, Stacy focuses on the need for leaders to be able to be a whole person. According to Stacey, "Our employees need to relate to us. They need to understand who we are  not just at work, but as a whole human being."

Executive, author, and mountain climber Wright will bring to the summit her experience as an international speaker and leadership consultant for Fortune 500 companies. Her book, "UP  Pursuing Significance in Leadership and Life," showcases her Summit Advance Model and was her inspiration to summit Mount Kilimanjaro with her husband. Their climb raised $23,000 to enable safe water, orphan care, and agricultural production for Africa's most impoverished communities.

Registration for the summit is $99 until April 30th; $129 from May 1-June 3; $200 after June 3rd.

To register, or for info: www.easttnwomensls.com
Michael Moore travels through Europe in his latest documentary Where to Invade Next.

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By Jocelyn Noveck

Of course Michael Moore exaggerates. Of course he engages in cheerful, unabashed cherry-picking. Of course he sees black and white where most of us see shades of gray.

That doesn't necessarily mean he's wrong.

It just means he's being Michael Moore  and in his latest documentary, "Where to Invade Next," it's a more impishly entertaining Moore than usual, using comedy and even a bit of fantasy to prove his point. Which is, basically, that Europe has some ideas on how to run a society that Americans should plunder and pillage  er, adopt!  forthwith. But lest that seem an overly harsh indictment of the United States, Moore also seeks to remind us that many of these admirable ideas originated in America in the first place.

A jocular tone is set from the start, when Moore is "summoned" to the Pentagon. In this fantasy, U.S. military leaders beg him for help. "Michael, we don't know what the (expletive) we're doing," they say. "We've lost all the wars since World War II."

Can Moore help? Why yes, Moore replies. Yes he can.

Here's the plan: Moore himself will "invade" other countries to bring home what's useful. The first "target" is Italy. "Have you ever noticed that Italians all look like they've just had sex?" Moore begins. In his opening camera shot, they sure do.

He zooms in on a working-class Italian couple that seems to truly have it all: good jobs, plenty of leisure time, and the money to enjoy it, thanks to seven weeks of paid vacation, an extra month's pay each year, and oh, two-hour lunch breaks. Maternity leave, you ask? Five months paid. To twist the knife, Moore reminds us there are only two countries in the world that don't have mandated maternity leave: Papua New Guinea, and, yes, the USA.

Next stop: France. "As usual, the French offered little resistance," Moore quips. But soon you won't be laughing at France's expense  not when you see how well they feed their schoolchildren. An average district in Normandy serves four-course lunches with scallops to start, followed by lamb on skewers and a cheese course  camembert is just one option  before dessert. Moore brings a can of Coke. Nah, the kids say.

On to Finland, where a forward-looking education system sees excessive homework as a hindrance to learning, and even eschews multiple-choice questions. Getting the picture? In Slovenia, which looks here like a fairytale kingdom, university tuition is free even for Americans, some of whom come over to avoid the burden of student debt back home. Eager to question the country's leadership, Moore doesn't need to barge in unannounced: the president of Slovenia welcomes him into his office.

In Germany, Moore marvels at worker benefits, like three weeks at a spa to combat stress. In Portugal, the country's drug czar patiently explains that it's not illegal to carry or use drugs; they've found this approach reduces drug-related crimes. In Iceland, the strong leadership of women  in government and business  is extolled. In Norway, Moore visits a prison where guards don't carry weapons, and inmates live in well-furnished apartments. Shifting tone, Moore conducts a heartbreaking interview with the father of a boy killed in Norway's horrendous 2011 mass shooting. The father tells Moore he wouldn't change Norway's criminal justice system (maximum sentence 21 years) even to see his son's murderer punished more severely.

Near the end, Moore detours to Tunisia, where he finds a young radio journalist wondering eloquently why Americans know so little about others.

"Why aren't you curious about US?" she asks. "We deserve your attention."

It's the heart of Moore's argument, actually: that wherever we stand on the issues, we could stand to learn from others. And it's pretty hard to argue with.
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By Hugh G. Willett

After a litany of negative public comments, the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen withdrew from consideration Thursday a controversial vote on $600,000 in funding for the Farragut Business Alliance.

"I'm not comfortable with it," said Alderman Bob Markli before making the motion to withdraw.

He said he wanted to study the issue further but didn't say when the board might take up the issue again.

The board also declined to vote on an alternate proposal that would have provided $75,000 per year in funding to the alliance.

The meeting was preceded by a workshop during which town manager David Smoak explained the town looked to the alliance to provide expertise and manpower in support of a branding program created by Nashville marketing consultancy Northstar. The cost of providing such support in-house would have been about $237,000 per year, he said.

FBA president David Purvis provided a history of the alliance and the events the organization has hosted. He explained the goals of the proposed marketing program, including increased promotion through advertising, mentoring of new businesses, partnerships with other business development organizations and expansion of the Shop in Farragut program.

He also said the town would have the option of modifying or terminating the program at any time.

In the following hour of public comment, the board heard from residents strongly opposed to funding the alliance's efforts.

David Freeman criticized the branding campaign and the resulting tagline, "Live Closer, Go Further."

"It makes no sense," he said.

Carol Christofferson, president of the Sweetbriar neighborhood homeowners association, criticized the board and the FBA, accusing both of cronyism and conflicts of interest.

Harry Moskos, former editor of the News Sentinel, criticized the FBA for siding against residents in a rezoning issue last year that would have allowed apartments to be built on Smith Road.

Mike Mitchell said he liked the FBA and would support a lower amount of funding  perhaps in the $50,000 range  as long as the contracts for implementation were put out to bid.

Phil Dangel, a member of the Economic Development Committee, which last week voted to recommend approval of the FBA funding, defended FBA board members as dedicated volunteers.

Alderman Ron Pinchok suggested the town approve the $140,000 per year promotional budget on the condition that it be administered by the town under the standard request for proposal process used to make other purchases.

Town attorney Tom Hale told the board providing the money to the non-profit FBA and allowing the organization to spend the money on marketing services was not in violation of municipal procurement laws.
Greg Johnson, KNS columnist.

Show of hands: Who thinks the recent protests at the University of Tennessee are about social justice? Who thinks this mob of unionists, professors and fragile students should grow up and go back to class?

Jonathan Haidt, professor of social psychology at New York University's Stern School of Business, set off a national conversation five years ago when he asked psychologists at a conference to raise their hands to identify their political leanings. The results came as no surprise.

"Roughly 80 percent of the thousand or so in the room self-identified as 'liberal or left of center,' 2 percent (I counted exactly 20 hands) identified as 'centrist or moderate,' 1 percent (12 hands) identified as libertarian, and, rounding to the nearest integer, zero percent (3 hands) identified as 'conservative,' " Haidt said in a recent interview with John Leo of "Minding the Campus." Haidt suspected as much.

"I was getting more and more concerned about how moral communities bind themselves together in ways that block open-minded thinking," Haidt said. "I began to see the social sciences as tribal moral communities, becoming ever more committed to social justice, and ever less hospitable to dissenting views." Others picked up on Haidt's observations.

"Two (Dutch) social psychologists  Yoel Inbar and Joris Lammers  did a more formal survey," Haidt said. Inbar and Lammers document the obvious to the observant. "In decisions ranging from paper reviews to hiring, many social and personality psychologists said that they would discriminate against openly conservative colleagues," Inbar and Lammers wrote. "The more liberal respondents were, the more they said they would discriminate."

Those attitudes explain why the UT Office for Diversity and Inclusion predictably discriminated against Christians and Jews by "suggesting" holiday party "guidelines" to suppress expression of Christmas or Hanukkah.

"For many years now, there have been six sacred groups," Haidt said. "The big three are African-Americans, women and LGBT.  Then there are three other groups: Latinos, Native Americans  and people with disabilities. But now we have a seventh  Muslims."

UT Faculty Senate President Bruce MacLennan said Tennessee legislators overreached in the diversity dust-up to make political points, "taking miniscule issues, really, like gender pronouns, like office party policies, that if anyone had disagreed with, there could have been a discussion within the university."

Any "discussion within the university," though, according to the research, would be dominated by leftist professors and their impressionable acolytes. Now the diversity crowd presents demands to UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek. At Yale and other universities, administrators capitulated to demands.

Essentially, UT's moral mob of fragile leftists viciously defends sacred groups from ideas alien to their groupthink, thereby discriminating against us unwashed.

Show of hands: Who thinks Cheek should tell the moral mob to grow up and embrace true diversity?
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Knoxville's 225th birthday party already has begun, and it will continue for another 10 months. The observance calls for everyone  neighborhoods, organizations and individuals  to participate and enjoy a slice of the birthday cake. Certainly there is much to appreciate and a lot to celebrate about our city.

The city already has an anniversary logo, a hashtag (#Knox225) and an email address (225.Knoxville.com). Festivities began on Feb. 5 with a press conference involving Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and representatives of Visit Knoxville, the tourism organization that will be coordinating all events and information about the anniversary celebration.

Events the day after the press conference provided a jumpstart to the celebration, since Feb. 6, 1796, is the date when delegates to a constitutional convention in Knoxville signed the state constitution at the Gay Street office of Col. David Henley.

Future events will be held near June 1, the 225th anniversary of Tennessee's admission to the United States as the 16th state in the Union. During that week, the East Tennessee Historical Society will host a meeting of First Families of Tennessee, a program that began in 1993.

The period from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 will be the central focus of the celebration. A program in the planning stages involves the arts and historic groups and perhaps neighborhoods and communities as well. The call already has gone out for neighborhood participation, and since the city's neighborhoods and communities have a rich history and long-time connection to Knoxville, they should welcome the opportunity.

Oct. 3, 1791, was the official date of the city's birth. As Jack Neely, Knoxville History Project executive director, noted, Knoxville probably was not much to look at that year, but "it was the capital of the Southwest Territory, and therefore one of only 17 capital cities in the new United States. It soon hosted one of the first American newspapers and one of the first American colleges west of the Appalachians."

Launching the anniversary celebration on Feb. 5, Rogero said she had just returned from a budget workshop at the Convention Center. "If you've ever been to our budget retreats," she said, "you know they're not exactly a big tourist draw. Lots of numbers. Lots of charts."

Then, taking the long view, she added, "If you step back from it a little bit, it's amazing to think about what those numbers and charts really represent  everything that we have built together as a city in the past 225 years."

The mayor talked about the city's streets, neighborhoods, businesses, parks, police and fire departments, concerts at Market Square, festivals in World's Fair Park, the Tennessee and Bijou theaters and the history center. She even mentioned the 3-1-1 number to call if one is dissatisfied with city services. All are part of the city's rich past, what the mayor called "the fabric of the life of a city."

So, let the festivities continue.

This is a good time for renewal of our common Knoxville heritage and a good time to help visitors understand and appreciate what the city's residents have known all along.
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I would like to commend the writer of the letter "Obama took on Bush's mess." From my perspective, he set the record straight on President Barack Obama's record cleaning up the Bush mess. It is always refreshing to hear someone else's opinion, other than the local and national radio media. They spoon-feed their hyper-conservative message through hawkish, sexist, anti-labor and religious posturing. Like the letter writer, those who served during the Vietnam era are entitled to some bitterness. Seeing chicken-hawk presidential candidates who dodged the draft is sickening. Memories of friends dying in Vietnam bring back thoughts of the military draft. Thousands of local boys were taken. Locally and nationally, a lot of men used college deferment, marriage or running to Canada to change their draft status and avoid death or injury in Vietnam. A large number of people want to send troops back to the middle East to fight the Islamic State in a ground war. If everyone up to age 55 were subject to the draft, I wonder how popular this would be.

In Tennessee you see a lot of locals openly carrying large handguns. I also see them posing on Facebook with guns and assault rifles in a bravado, macho stance. It might be different open carrying in the Middle East than at the local Cracker Barrel.

Jim Winston, Knoxville
11:10 a.m. February 12, 2016

Defense Secretary Carter conducts Counter-ISIL meeting with world defense ministers









Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses efforts to accelerate the counter-ISIL operation in Iraq and Syria during a meeting he hosted at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Feb. 11, 2016. Image courtesy of DoD by U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.



WASHINGTON  U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter conducted a meeting in Brussels yesterday with defense ministers of nations involved in the coalition to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This was the first meeting of its kind.



Participating in the meeting were Carter and the defense ministers of Belgium, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. They were joined by senior representatives from Australia, the Czech Republic and Singapore, three nations that provide or intend to provide forces or other support to the campaign.



The ministers paid tribute to the efforts of all Iraqi security forces, including the peshmerga and Sunni tribal forces, and moderate Syrian opposition forces who are fighting ISIL and have caused numerous tactical defeats of the terror organization in recent months. The ministers also acknowledged the coalition force commander's assessment that these successes mark the transition of the Counter-ISIL campaign.



The ministers indicated that significant work remains to be done to ensure ISILs lasting defeat and the restoration of stability in Iraq and Syria. They further called on states playing a counterproductive role in the fight  and the Syrian peace process to play a more constructive role.



As a matter of urgency, to accelerate and intensify the campaign, in order to deliver a lasting defeat to this barbaric organization as quickly as possible, the ministers said. We also recognized that recent battlefield successes provide an opportunity to gather additional momentum in our campaign as we enter the next phase of dismantling [ISIL's] operating capability throughout Iraq and Syria.



Coalition members highlighted the importance of turning ISIL's purported strengths into its greatest weaknesses. They underlined the importance of collapsing its two power centers in Raqqah, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq, and continuing to target its underlying infrastructure, including its financial capability.



We took note of the substantial resources provided by coalition members that have enabled progress in the military campaign, and thanked those nations that have, from the start of the campaign, demonstrated leadership and support. We also welcomed the many countries that have increased their contributions since the horrific attacks in Paris, Turkey, and other locations since the last quarter of 2015.



The ministers said they recognized the nations that joined the air campaign, increased commitments or extended operations to Syria and those that committed to restart flights in the near future. They also stated that nations have committed additional trainers, special operations forces, personnel recovery assets, and additional material support.



They agreed to review regularly the coalition's campaign plan and the progress in its implementation and agreed to meet again before the end of the year.

Published February 12, 2016










A general view of Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southern city of Ulsan is seen in this photo.

/ Korea Times file



By Park Si-soo



Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is considering listing its profitable oil refiner affiliate, Hyundai Oilbank, to escape its deepening cash shortage.

It is uncertain when HHI will let the affiliate go public. The world's biggest shipbuilder has not yet selected a lead manager for the float. But analysts said HHI will unveil a concrete plan for the initial public offering (IPO) soon. HHI has a 91.13 percent stake in Oilbank.

Oilbank delayed its IPO plan in 2012 due to Western sanctions against Iran, its biggest crude oil supplier.

"We have considered Hyundai Oilbank's IPO in recent years," a HHI spokesman told The Korea Times, Friday. "But there is nothing decided yet. We will push forward with the IPO when the market situation becomes favorable."

HHI is wrestling with tumbling sales and snowballing debt, with only a few options to tackle the difficulty. The shipbuilder, hit by the protracted global economic downturn, posted a staggering 1.54 trillion won operating loss last year. Analysts said the most effective tool to tide over the rough water may be listing Oilbank.

Taken over by HHI in 2010, the refiner remained profitable last year when its bigger rivals had money-losing operations due to reduced demand for oil and petrochemical products at home and abroad. The company's operating profit hit a record high of 629.3 billion won in 2015, up 178 percent year-on-year. The company's impressive performance is expected to continue this year.

Experts say HHI will be able to raise 2 million or 3 trillion won by selling a 30 percent stake in the refiner, and this will give HHI fresh momentum to improve its financial health. But some say it will take some time for HHI to push forward with the IPO, citing relatively undervalued stock prices of listed refiners here.

"Rival refiners are relatively undervalued at the moment due to their poor performance last year," said an analyst. "The ideal time (for Oilbank's IPO) will come when their valuation comes into a reasonable range."

Hyundai Oilbank is the smallest oil refiner here, with nearly 2,500 gas stations across the country. It posted 13.96 trillion won in sales and 629.3 billion won in operating profit in 2015.
By Yoon Ja-young



Heightening geopolitical tension on the Korean Peninsula are casting a shadow over the already weak economy, and will make it harder for the government to achieve its growth target for this year, analysts said Friday.



They expressed concern that it could also hurt Korea's sovereign credit rating and damage exports to China.



"As the government says, businesses in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) make up a tiny part of Korea's gross domestic product (GDP). However, if the current situation continues, there could be an additional exodus of foreign funds from Korea's capital market," said Park Sang-hyun, chief economist at Hi Investment and Securities.



Park said that escalating military tension could work negatively on the nation's sovereign credit rating as well



The government has said that economic losses from the closure of the GIC will be negligible, as its annual $500 million output is only 0.04 percent of GDP.



However, Hong Soon-jick, a senior researcher at the Hyundai Research Institute, pointed out that the geopolitical issue comes at a time when the economy is already in trouble.



"Previously, issues such as North's nuclear tests or the conflict between South and North Korea lasted only two or three days, or 10 days at the longest. But it is different this time," he said.



He and other analysts said geopolitical risks will worsen consumer and investor sentiment. They said weaker stock prices and the swooning real estate market will add further downward pressure on consumer spending.



The issue is more complicatedly linked with the economy as it is likely to affect South Korea's trade with its biggest trading partner, China.



The United States and Korea are to set up Lockheed Martin's terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system on the peninsula to counter any provocative moves by North Korea, but China regards it as a threat. This has ignited concern that China could take retaliatory economic measures.



The government, however, appears undeterred, with Strategy and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho saying that the economy will weather temporary geopolitical risks.



Prof. Kim Heung-kyu, who heads the China Policy Institute at Ajou University, said that economic retaliation by China will naturally follow THAAD deployment.



"It will not impose immediate restrictions or retaliate straight away, but there are diverse unofficial measures China can take. If it takes any of these, Korea would be in a troublesome situation."



He cited travel as one such option. "Travel agencies in China are state-run. If it restricts travel to Korea, the number of tourists will nosedive."



Kim also cited batteries made by Samsung and LG. Electric buses using Samsung and LG-manufactured batteries will not be given Chinese government subsidies.



"China can just slightly change the standard. For us, the tens of billions won investment will then be futile. If China continues taking such measures, it will be a serious blow to Korea."



He pointed out that the government seems to be setting up strategies only from the narrow viewpoint of security.



Hong at Hyundai Research Institute also said China could raise non-tariff barriers.



"China is Korea's biggest trading partner, taking 25 percent of Korea's exports. It cannot avoid damage if China raises barriers in trade, such as customs procedures."



He hopes that South and North Korea will resume dialogue when political events such as the general election in April are over.




Victims of military sexual slavery, activists and citizens gather in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Feb. 10 for the peaceful resolution of the World War II issue. / Yonhap







"Every Wednesday for 25 years" by Yoon Mee-hyang

By Kim Se-jeong

Yoon Mee-hyang's book, "Every Wednesday for 25 Years  A Story of the Bold Hope of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Survivors," cannot be timelier.

It came almost a month after the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan announced an agreement on the issue of sexual slavery during World War II. Under the agreement on Dec. 28, Korea's 46 known survivors of the atrocity will receive care funded by the Japanese government. On the other hand, the Korean government will also take action regarding a girl's statue that was erected by protesters in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul that the Korean government said is considered a security threat to the embassy. The Korean government also agreed not to raise the issue on the international stage, as the two countries are understood to have resolved the matter "finally and irreversibly" under the agreement.

Yoon is a passionate activist who is on the frontline of the campaign to nullify the agreement. She has also been organizing for the past 25 years a weekly rally in front of the Japanese embassy for the peaceful resolution of the military sexual slavery issue.

The book, which was published to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the famous weekly rally on Wednesday, touches briefly on the recently concluded agreement. And the 303-page book does remind readers of what victims, as well as activists like Yoon, have done about the tragedy. Also, it reminds readers of interesting facts and numbers about the issue and violence against women, which are timely in light of the renewed spotlight on the issue.

* 238  The number of Korean women who have come forward as sexual slavery victims so far. Among them, only 46 are still alive.

* Dec. 14, 2011  The date of the 1,000th weekly rally. On the same day, the girl's statue was also erected at the rally site as a symbol of peace and of the victims' plight. The statue was designed by two sculptors  Kim Se-kyung and Kim Woon-seong.

* Tomiichi Murayama  The Japanese prime minister known for the Murayama Statement released in 1995. He became the prime minister in 1994, and his appointment was highly welcomed by Korea at the time because of his previous demand for Japan's official apology and reparations for sexual slavery victims. As incumbent prime minister, however, he did not deliver any of what he had promised. Instead of apologizing and making reparations, Murayama established the Asian Women's Fund, which aimed to provide compensation to the victims. The fund representatives met seven victims in Seoul in 1997 and forced them to accept the money, according to the book. Some received the money without their knowledge. In 2007, the fund announced that it had paid compensation to 258 women from Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines.

* Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA)  The Japanese government established RAA in 1945 to provide prostitutes to U.S. troops remaining in Japan after World War II. Members of the RAA consisted of war orphans, unemployed women, widows and prostitutes. In a letter to the members, the Japanese government stated that the women needed to make sacrifices to protect Japan's "pure blood." In the book, Yoon lamented that the women's dignity had to be ignored often by the state, and criticized the Japanese government. She also criticized the Korean government for doing the same thing in Korea for the U.S. troops.

* Tay Vinh Massacre  A series of massacres of unarmed Tay Vinh citizens in 1966 during the Vietnam War by the Korean Army that killed almost 1,200. Women were raped before being killed. According to Yoon, in 2000, the Korean commander-in-chief, surname Chae, said the Korean Army had considered recruiting prostitutes for the Korean troops during the war in an attempt to curb sexual violence against civilian women, but failed to implement it.

The publisher is Sai Planet, and copies are available in bookstores for 15,000 won.
By Choi Yearn-hong



Veronica Li, the author, of "Confucius Says: A Novel," is the youngest child of a couple who immigrated from Hong Kong to the United States and whose last 10 years were a series of continuous struggles with medical care. In addition to her job, she took care of her aging parents in Northern Virginia. Taking care of one's aging parents, especially when they're in their eighties, and in the American setting, is not easy. "Hyo," or filial piety, is the virtue of honor and love for one's parents. It was taught by Confucius 2,000 years ago, as did the Old Testament, which said "honor and love thy parents." Confucius extended hyo from familial relationships to social relationships, in the form of "choong" for the king or governor. East Asian nations embrace Confucius' teachings. The Chinese, Japanese and Koreans value filial piety highly, as much as Confucius did.



Li, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, wrote about her simultaneously happy and agonizing years taking care of her aging parents in a novel. But even if her work was published as fiction, the experiences described therein where not any less real. Li is a good writer, and her book touched my heart. I too followed the virtue of filial piety, returning to Korea from the United States in order to take care of my aging mother, a decision that my friends praised.



It was my choice, but I did not really have any other choice. I was the eldest son, and my brother and sisters assumed that taking care of her was my duty and responsibility. Fortunately, I was able to get a teaching position at the University of Seoul, which enabled me to be close to her in her last seven years. I employed a caretaker who watched over my mother full time while I was at work. She was not trained as a nurse or a nurse aid, but she looked after my mother and cooked her meals three times a day. While I was not at home, she had full authority and responsibility of taking care of my mother. The quality of her care was not high, but I could not find a better caretaker, even when I looked. I did not know how to take care of my mother, other than showing my abundant love and affection. Finally, she was sent to a hospital, where she died six months later from pneumonia and an abscess on her back.



I was totally guilty for the abscess on her back. The amateur caretaker and I should have massaged her back constantly when she was not able to walk. I did not know that the abscess on her back could be a cause of death. In a nutshell, I was not medically knowledgeable to cope with my mother's illness, Parkinson's disease. I later educated myself on her illness, but it was too late. The medication for Parkinson's disease had a side effect  dementia. Parkinson's disease deteriorates the midbrain, and the medicine only slowed down the deterioration. Under the circumstances, she could neither drink nor eat. At last, her pain had become mine, and I arranged for her hospitalization. The hospital asked me to bring two caretakers  one for the weekdays and another for the weekends. Unbelievable hospital in Korea! I agonized over the caretakers even at the hospital. I sinned to my mother, because I did not provide her proper care when she was dying. That was my fundamental regret.



I do not know whether Confucius' teachings were what prompted me to return to Korea to take care of my mother. I do not think so. I simply wanted to take care of my mother, who had sacrificed her life for my education, career and decent life in the United States. Her daily prayers and letters sustained my life inside and outside of Korea. I did not have a choice, other than to go to Korea to be with her. I gave up my U.S. citizenship in order to take the teaching job in Seoul and be close to her, but my sacrifice was minimal compared to hers. I was happy living with my mother during her last seven years. This love of a child for his mother should be a universal virtue, a common virtue among humankind.



By treating people with love and humanity, life can be eternal.



In today's world, Confucius' teachings have either been replaced or supplemented by practicality. For example, instead of taking care of our parents ourselves, we can hire professional caretakers, put them in assisted living care or avail a nursing home care service. Aging parents should not expect hyo or filial piety from their children, however, for their children to sacrifice their lives in order to take care of them. A modern-day Confucius would agree with me. I respect what Li did for her parents, but there are limits. While I gladly left my own life in the United States to take care of that of my mother's, I think in this day and age, it would be unfair to assume all children to take on this responsibility.



Dr. Choi is a poet based in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at yearnhchoi@gmail.com.






Actor Seo Kang-joon, 23, starring in the popular tvN drama "Cheese in the Trap," is enjoying growing popularity in Singapore.

The actor has been invited to an event to meet fans in the country next week, Fantagio, Seo's management company said Friday.

Titled "Meet and Greet," the fan meeting will be held at Suntec in Singapore on Feb. 19.

The drama was first aired on Sunday there.

Beginning with Singapore, Seo will meet fans in Asia, including Japan, China and Thailand, Fantagio said.

The drama, based on a popular webtoon, is about the campus life and the relationship among four leading characters _ Hong Sul, played by Kim Go-eun, her boyfriend Yoo Jung (actor Park Hae-jin), Baek In-ho (Seo) and Baek In-ha (actress Lee Sung-kyung).

Seo debuted in 2012 with a minor role in the SBS TV drama "To the Beautiful You" in 2012, and gains popularity by starring in the KBS TV drama "What Happens to My Family?" in 2014.
South Korean companies at a jointly run factory park in a North Korean border city urged Seoul Friday to roll out full support measures as their losses from the park's shutdown are unimaginable.

On Thursday, North Korea expelled South Korean workers from the Kaesong Industrial Complex and froze the assets of companies operating there, a day after the South suspended operations in retaliation for Pyongyang's rocket launch.

The shutdown of the industrial park, regarded as the top achievement of inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation efforts, is feared to deal a hard blow to the South Korean firms involved.

Some estimate that 124 South Korean firms operating there may shoulder massive losses following the factory shutdown.

When the industrial park was closed in 2013 for 160 days, South Korean firms reported a combined loss of 1.05 trillion won.

The companies, however, claim the actual damage will be greater considering the loss of business partners and credibility.

Earlier in the day, the chief of the association of 124 South Korean firms and other representatives met with lawmakers to call for measures to help compensate for the potential damage.

On Thursday, the association said it may seek a lawsuit if the government fails to offer proper compensation for damages from the decision.

The association plans to kick off a special team that will assess the damage as well as take charge of compensation demands to the South Korean government. (Yonhap)
Frozen period expected after shutdown

By Kim Jae-kyoung





Kongdan Oh

South Korea's shutdown of the joint industrial complex in North Korea is a step in the right direction to deter further provocations, and it sends a clear message to all neighbors, according to a noted North Korea expert.

"South Korea is not a toothless beast," Kongdan Oh, an Asian studies specialist at the Institute for Defense Analyses in the U.S., said. "Sometimes it can bite, a nice change to all its neighbors.

"Gaeseong income is a slush fund source for the Kim Jong-un regime, so its closure is good, and gradually small and mid-sized companies invested in Gaeseong should find alternative places to conduct business, such as in Vietnam or Laos. They will bleed, but this initial bleeding is better than slow death."

Late Wednesday, the South Korean government said it had decided to shut down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea, in response to the North's fourth nuclear test and long-range missile launch.

She said discussions on the placement of the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system with the U.S. can provide leverage for Seoul in talks with China over Pyongyang.

"THAAD will tell China that South Korea can make strategic choices in the interests of its national security," she said.

The expert, based in Virginia, expects no further immediate provocative acts from Pyongyang.












THAAD is more of protection for US than South Korea

By Kim Jae-kyoung





Tony Michell

South Korea's closure of a joint industrial complex in North Korea and discuss the U.S. deployment of the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system will do more harm than good to resolving the nuclear issue, according to a Korean Peninsula expert.

"I regard the shutdown as shortsighted and disastrous for the long-term outlook for the peninsula, closing the one door which could lead from the mess we are in today to a long-term, prosperous future," Tony Michell, managing director of Euro-Asian Business Consultancy (EABC), said.

He said the lack of a realistic exit plan on the side of South Korea makes the country seem extremely shortsighted and that Seoul's decision is based on an incorrect analysis of the North and its motivations.

The head of the British firm that provides consulting on foreign investment in South and North Korea also said neither the Gaesong shutdown nor the deployment of THAAD will help solve the problem, which is to get the North to talk and find a way out of the impasse.

"I understand THAAD technology is more of a protection for the U.S. than for South Korea," the longtime British business consultant in Korea said. "It also marks a decoupling from China, and therefore a step back from a negotiated future.












South Korea said Friday it will push for expanding a system for prescreening passengers to keep potential terrorists from entering the country.

The move is designed to analyze passenger information before airlines issue boarding passes to restrict potential terrorists and other dangerous passengers from flying into South Korea, the Justice Ministry reported in a meeting with the ruling party.

South Korea has been running a test operation of the prescreening system in several airports, including Nagoya Airport in Japan, since February 2015.

During the period, the ministry said it banned 358 people, including sex and drug offenders, from boarding flights bound for South Korea by checking some 1.06 million passengers in advance.

The government and the ruling Saenuri Party also agreed to push for an amendment of the Immigration Control Act to intensify control over individuals considered to be security risks and to prepare grounds to collect foreigners' fingerprints.

They also plan to strengthen cooperation among the state intelligence agency, the police and the immigration bureau, and build a stronger international network to counter terrorism.

In recent months, Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, has been hit hard by a series of security breaches.

A warning message printed in Arabic was found inside a box in a men's bathroom in the airport last month, though it was later found that the culprit was a South Korean man angry over his unemployment.

During the meeting, the ruling party chief Kim Moo-sung called for the swift passage of anti-terrorism bills, denouncing the main opposition party for disapproving them.

"Without the bills, we cannot help but be helpless when North Korea plots a terror attack in collaboration with a terrorism organization," Kim said in the meeting at Incheon International Airport.

The main opposition Minjoo Party has been critical of the bills over concerns about giving more authority to the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's top spy agency.

South Korea has deported 53 foreigners in recent months for allegedly following terrorist groups. (Yonhap)
An appeals court on Friday handed down a four-year prison term to a former Navy chief for taking bribes from local firms in return for business favors while in office.

The Seoul High Court convicted retired Adm. Jung Ok-geun for pocketing kickbacks from two former affiliates of STX Group in 2008, but said the amount he received cannot be calculated.

A lower court previously sentenced him to 10 years in jail for receiving 770 million won (US$636,000), which was transferred to the bank account of his eldest son's alleged paper yacht company.

The appeals court, however, said a total of three people held the company's shares, acknowledging it as a legitimate corporate body.

The amount transferred to the account cannot be deemed as what Jung received and the exact economic benefits he earned through the money cannot be calculated, the court said.

He was also acquitted of receiving 60 million won from a defense firm for business favors, citing a lack of credibility in the testimonies provided.

"The nature of the crime is bad in that Jung made companies support his son's firm using his status as Navy chief," the court said.

The court also said there is a need to eradicate unlawful relationships between defense firms and the Navy.

Jung, who served as the Navy Chief of Staff from 2008 to 2010, was indicted in March 2015 on charges of pocketing bribes in return for promising contracts to build the nation's guided missile patrol boat and next-generation frigate.

Jung's eldest son, who actually established the yacht company, also received a two-year jail term, suspended for three years, for his involvement in the crime. (Yonhap)
By Yi Whan-woo

The ruling and opposition parties collided Friday over the government's decision to shut down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC).

The ruling Saenuri Party criticized the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) and others for fueling a rift over the decision, claiming they are deliberately highlighting financial damage with regard to the GIC ahead of the general election scheduled for April. 13

The opposition parties accused the ruling party of "sucking up to" the Park Geun-hye administration by defending a decision that could increase inter-Korean military tension. They argued that the conservative government is stirring up security concerns to win the elections amid North Korea's growing military aggression.

"Our government has solely focused on ensuring the national order and the people's safety amid North Korea's nuclear threats, while the opposition parties are just obsessed with criticizing the government," said Saenuri Party floor leader Won Yoo-chul.

Rep. Choung Byoung-gug, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said, "The shutdown of the GIC was the only remaining option that Soul could take against Pyongyang and the opposition should not try to cause a domestic rift."

The government was preparing to pull out 124 South Korean enterprises at the GIC in North Korea, Thursday, before the reclusive state abruptly expelled them and froze all South Korean assets there.

The Park administration suspects the GIC has been used to fund the Kim Jong-un regime's U.N.-banned nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Kim Jong-in, the interim leader of the MPK, disagreed.

"Closing down the GIC will deal a blow to our economy but will leave little impact on North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and missiles. I believe the government had something else in its mind in its decision," he said.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who leads the minor opposition People's Party, said "The government's measure is the infringement of property rights against 124 enterprises."
Over 100 people found infected with hepatitis C due to syringe re-use



By Lee Kyung-min



Health authorities have come under fire over yet another massive hepatitis C infection caused by the re-use of syringes.



The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Friday that 101 out of 927 patients who visited Hanyang Orthopedics Clinic in Wonju, Gangwon Province, from 2011-14 are suspected to have contracted the disease due to the re-use of syringes. The patients received the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment.



This comes only four months after 95 people were infected with the disease after a doctor reused syringes at Dana Hyeondae Clinic in Yngcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul.



The health authorities have been criticized for belatedly launched an investigation into the clinic in November last year, four months after receiving a report from 14 infected patients.



The 59-year-old doctor shut down the clinic.



They initially dismissed the case citing a lack of a causal relationship between the infection and sanitation at the clinic.



Hepatitis C occurs through blood-to-blood contact associated with intravenous injections. Transmission through physical contact or bodily fluids is unlikely.



It is curable if detected early, but sufferers can develop complications such as scarring of the liver and cirrhosis, or liver malfunction.



Meanwhile, the authorities said blood sample tests are underway for 3,996 patients who received injections last year for possible infection via the re-use of syringes at Yang Clinic in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province.



In a belated move to crack down on such blatant medical malpractice, the ministry said it plans to toughen regulations of the medical licensing system.



It will seek criminal punishment for doctors who inflict irrevocable damage on patients.



Pending at the National Assembly is a revision of a law allowing license revocation of such doctors, and imposing a fine of up to 5 million won on those who reuse disposable medical equipment.



Currently, those reusing such equipment face a mere 1-month suspension of operations.



The ministry said it will prevent similar incidents from recurring through setting up a management data storage system to match the number of purchased syringes with the number disposed of.



The ministry said it plans to reward people who report suspected reuse of disposable medical equipment, adding that it will conduct an immediate on-site inspection when such cases are reported.








The former vice president of Tokyo-based Lotte Holdings Co. on Friday called for a major reshuffle at the company to form new leadership, saying he will push for the listing of the company on the Tokyo bourse if he becomes the new chief.



Shin Dong-joo, the first son of 94-year-old Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-ho, said he will convene an emergency shareholders' meeting to push for the firing of the current board of directors at the de-facto holding firm of Lotte Group and re-elect new executives.



The 62-year-old has been mired in a succession battle with his younger brother, Dong-bin, after being stripped of his executive titles at three of Lotte's Japanese affiliates in early 2015. After a months-long succession feud, Shin's second son, Dong-bin, took control of the nation's fifth-largest conglomerate last year.



"I will push for the listing of Lotte Holdings on (the Japanese stock market) to make Lotte Group a global company," Shin said in a press conference held in Tokyo. "I will diversify funding sources and improve management transparency through the listing."



Although the elder son claims Lotte Group founder handpicked him as his successor, he faces an uphill battle to take control of the retail giant as he holds about 30 percent of Lotte Holdings. Without support from the employee shareholders, he cannot replace the current board of directors.



His latest move comes after the founder appeared in a Seoul court hearing last week to prove that he still remains mentally sound, which has emerged as a critical factor in the bitter family feud between his two sons.



Since the hearing, Dong-joo released a series of video interviews to show him explaining his business philosophy and playing a Korean checkers game, seen as part of an effort to prove his mental capacity.



Lotte Group chairman Dong-bin has claimed that his father is unable to make reasonable judgments due to mental health problems.



The founder and his family members have come under fire for exerting uncontrolled power over the retail giant with a meager stake, tarnishing the corporate image with the nasty succession brawl.



Earlier this month, South Korea's antitrust watchdog said the founder and immediate family members of Lotte Group own just 2.4 percent of a stake in the businesses they run, which include food, leisure, construction and chemical businesses. (Yonhap)




By Jhoo Dong-chan

The Ministry of Education has raised questions over the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's (SMOE) campaign to distribute a directory of alleged pro-Japanese collaborators to some 500 middle and high schools in Seoul, claiming that it "may violate the schools' rights of choosing educational material."

The ministry said Friday that it asked the SMOE to submit a report on whether it went through the proper consultation process with each school before distributing the directories, Feb. 29. Seoul Digitech High School has refused to use the material.

Under the School Libraries Promotion Act, books and documents should go through a week-long proclamation period after a review by each school's library committee before buying them.

Citing neutrality in education, the ministry also accused the SMOE of wasting its budget by allocating money for writing and distributing the list to schools in Seoul.

"Subsidizing and pressing schools to buy such a controversial list may violate each school's right to choose educational material," an official said. "It would also profit certain political groups."

Earlier this month, the SMOE decided to distribute the directory of pro-Japanese collaborators during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45) to 583 middle and high schools in Seoul and allocated 300,000 won ($250) to the budget of each school toward purchasing the directory.

The directory includes a list of 4,389 pro-Japanese figures that allegedly praised Japanese imperialism on the Korean Peninsula or committed anti-national activities against their own people.

Due to its political inclination, however, a number of conservative groups questioned the list's authenticity.

Opposing the SMOEs move to distribute the list, a conservative parents' group filed a petition with the Seoul Administrative Court, Thursday.

"Such a list won't be helpful in settling past affairs but only cause political confusion and split public opinion," the group leader said.
The road to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea is empty, Friday. All South Korean workers left the industrial park safely Thursday after North Korea closed the area and froze all South Korean assets there. / Yonhap



Talks will start next week



By Rachel Lee

South Korea will allow the United States to deploy at least one terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) battery for defense against North Korean missiles, a senior military official said Friday.

A Korea-U.S. joint working group for the deployment of THAAD will hold its first meeting next week. Topics will include possible candidate sites to host the battery, how to share operational costs and the exact schedule for deployment, the official said.

"South Korea and the U.S. are in the final stages of talks on how to operate the joint working group," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The team should be able to discuss the deployment as early as next week."

Apart from bases of the United States Forces Korea, the team will come up with other possible locations for the battery that will "maximize military efficacy while ensuring the safety of residents," said the official.

He said that any relations with neighboring countries  including China  will not be considered in the decision-making process.

"South Korea will take charge of the site and other infrastructure, while the U.S. will bear the cost of deployment and operation," the official said.

A THAAD battery consists of six launcher vehicles, each equipped with eight missiles, with two mobile tactical operations centers and a ground based radar.












South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se urged China to play a "responsible" role in the push for a "terminating" U.N. resolution against North Korea.



In a 40-minute talk with his Chinese counterpart that Wang Yi held on the sidelines of a security meeting in Munich Thursday (local time), Yun briefed him on Seoul's decision to halt the operation of the inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong, a North Korean border city, according to the Foreign Ministry.



It was a "difficult decision made to show South Korea's resolute will and cooperate with the U.N. Security Council and the international community," Yun was quoted as telling Wang.



The Chinese minister agreed on the need for accelerating consultations on a new resolution against Pyongyang for its latest nuclear and long-range rocket tests.



He cited the "joint goal" of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability in the region.



Wang also agreed that the North's back-to-back provocations have worsened and complicated the security conditions on the peninsula.



But he emphasized the importance of a "prudent response" in consideration of interests and concern of neighboring nations, said the ministry.



Beijing is unnerved by Seoul's announcement that it would begin formal talks with Washington on the deployment of the THAAD advanced missile defense system on its soil.



Chinese officials view it as aimed not only at countering North Korea's threats but also at curbing Beijing's military influence.



When addressing the German Atlantic Association, Yun called for "zero tolerance" to the North's misconduct.



"I believe that it is time for the international community to show zero tolerance for North Korea's unbridled provocations," he said. "Now is the time to put unbearable pain on Pyongyang so it will make the right strategic choice, as Iran has already done."



Introducing the outcome of his meetings with U.N. envoys in New York earlier this week, Yun said the U.N. council must take tough and effective sanctions on Pyongyang.



"This should be the 'terminating resolution' to ensure that North Korea does not venture to conduct its fifth and sixth nuclear tests," he said, describing the North as an "unprecedented serial offender."



He stressed that the Park Geun-hye administration is committed to improving ties with Europe, including closer partnerships with NATO on regional and global security affairs. (Yonhap)




Marines from South Korea, the United States and Thailand jointly carried out large-scale landing drills on the Thai beach of Hat Yao as part of the Cobra Gold military exercise, the Marine Corps here said Friday.

South Korea mobilized the 4,900-ton Cheon Wang Bong-class amphibious landing ship along with eight amphibious assault vehicles and one tank for the trilateral drills. About 440 marine and navy forces joined as well.

Another 400 forces joined from the U.S and Thailand, along with three warships, 16 landing vehicles and 14 combat airplanes, according to the Marine Corps.

The drills were designed to boost multinational forces' capacities to carry out peacekeeping operations and it conducted a scenario in which the combined forces infiltrated the enemy's shore to help land large-scale amphibious forces, the Marine Corps said.

First launched in 1981, the U.S.-Thailand exercise has engaged an increasing number of regional participants to build regional war readiness through drills, including staff exercises and humanitarian and civil action projects.

In this year's gathering, some 7,900 forces will also take part from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. (Yonhap)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed "serious concern" over a decision by South Korea to begin formal talks with the United States to adopt an advanced U.S. missile defense system, according to China's foreign ministry on Friday.

Wang conveyed the concern to South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se during their meeting in Munich on the sidelines of international talks on Syria on Thursday, the Chinese ministry said in a statement.

"Minister Wang Yi expresses serious concern," the statement said.

Wang also told Yun that the possible deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea is "not conducive to taking the proper response to the current situation and is not conducive to maintaining peace and stability in the region."

Earlier this week, South Korea decided to begin talks with the U.S. about the deployment of the THAAD battery after North Korea defiantly launch a long-range rocket following its fourth nuclear test last month.

With North Korea continuing to develop its nuclear and missile arsenals, analysts in Seoul say South Korea has no choice but to adopt the THAAD battery, which would be deployed at a U.S. base in South Korea, home to about 28,500 American troops.

U.N. Security Council members remain divided over how to punish North Korea for its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, with China, one of five veto-wielding council members, reluctant to put crippling sanctions on North Korea.

During the meeting with Yun, Wang repeated China's lukewarm stance about imposing harsher penalties against North Korea.

"Sanctions are not an end in themselves," Wang told Yun, according to the statement.

China is North Korea's diplomatic and economic lifeline, but analysts say China's leadership is reluctant to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea because a sudden collapse of the regime could spark a refugee crisis at its border and lead to a pro-U.S., democratic Korea on its doorstep.

China's U.N. ambassador, Liu Jieyi, also made it clear that Beijing's priority is not imposing tougher sanctions against North Korea.

Liu told a U.N. meeting on Thursday that discussions about new sanctions against North Korea's nuclear test and rocket launch should be dealt with "in an objective, fair and neutral manner," according to a separate statement by the Chinese foreign ministry. (Yonhap)
By Yi Whan-woo

After pulling the plug on the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) in North Korea, South Korea is making strong diplomatic efforts to put pressure on North Korea to pay the price for its latest nuclear and missile tests.

The measures appear to be in line with international efforts to block the flow of hard currency to the Kim Jong-un regime and put pressure on China for being reluctant to exercise its leverage on Pyongyang despite international demands, analysts said Friday.

"I'd say Seoul's actions are seen as a move to set an example on the international stage while urging its neighbors to take similar sanctions against Pyongyang," said An Chan-il, head of the World North Korea Research Center.

Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University, said "Seoul is making sure it is a key player in international sanctions placed on North Korea, especially the secondary boycott."

Seoul shut down the inter-Korean industrial complex, Wednesday, although it was foreseeable, as claimed by a Cheong Wa Dae official, that Pyongyang would retaliate by expelling South Korean workers and freezing all assets there. North Korea did so, Thursday.

The Park Geun-hye administration suspects the industrial park in Gaeseong has been a major source of income for the reclusive state to pursue U.N.-banned nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

South Korea has also indefinitely suspended participation in the Rajin-Khasan logistics project, involving the two Koreas and Russia. The U.N. has been discussing imposing tougher sanctions against North Korea for its long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7, which is considered a ballistic missile test. The launch also comes after the secretive state's latest nuclear test on Jan. 6.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill for a secondary boycott of North Korea while Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also announced restrictive measures.












By Lee Hyon-soo

Since time immemorial men (this masculine word covers the whole human species) have been agonizing over mortality. As a consequence, they needed to find a way to overcome the fear of death which deadens all emotions. They also needed to give meaning and purpose to the puzzle that is life on earth. Furthermore, they had to explain strange and irregular phenomena of nature, haphazard events, and irrational human conduct. So men invented religion.

In the beginning there had been primitive religions, many of which later vanished while some evolved into more enhanced forms of worship. Now there are five dominant religions in the world  namely, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam (Confucianism is not a religion; it is philosophy). Great though these religions are, none of them are free from outdated ideas, irrational assertions, superstitions, myth, and self-contradiction in terms of scriptures and practices.

Since the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment quite a few renowned philosophers and theologians have argued that many traditional religious beliefs defy human rationality. Thinking believers of today acknowledge that there are some conceptual problems in the essential doctrines of their religions. Nevertheless, they remain faithful because they believe that faith is a way of life rather than a theory and find a certain growth in the spiritual life which they do not find elsewhere.

Religious beliefs tend to produce a narrowness of perspective, and everybody believes that his or her own religion is the only true faith. Furthermore, people of faith have a feeling of superiority vis-a-vis unbelievers who they think have not seen the light. Conversely, unbelievers frown on zealous believers' bigotry.

Generally speaking, the religion which people accept is that of the community in which they live. The influence of environment is what leads them to accept their religion. Therefore, by and large, Thais and Tibetans are Buddhists, Israelites are Jews, Arabs are Muslims, Indians are Hindus, Europeans and Americans are Christians, and so on.

In Korea (meaning South Korea) there does not exist any influence of environment that leads people to choose any particular religion. Korea may be one of the few countries in the world where religion is purely a matter of personal choice. This explains why there are roughly 10 million Buddhists, 8 million Protestants, 5 million Catholics and a small number of Muslims in Korea. The fact that they all co-exist peacefully is a testament to freedom of religious belief, religious diversity and, above all, commendable religious tolerance prevailing in Korea. This is the way it should be throughout the world.

Unfortunately, in human history there were times when religion was taken too seriously. Not only were wars fought, but many people were persecuted, killed or burned at the stake for religious reasons. However, we should let bygones be bygones as long as we have learned valuable lessons from history. What really matters now is the fact that the great religions preach compassion, mercy, love and charity. People of faith are supposed to practice these universal religious teachings, and those who actually do so deserve to be commended.

Religion is one of social institutions which govern human behavior. Regardless of one's faith, it is definitely unwise to ill-use or waste one's precious life here on earth in order to win reward after death, no matter what one may wish for (For instance, isn't it madness that young Muslims carry out suicide bombings in the misguided belief that, by so doing, they will go straight to the paradise?). Instead, one should live as full and meaningful a life as possible. After all, we live only once.

The writer is a retired international banker who lives in Toronto, Canada. His other writings are posted on http://blog.daum.net/tom_hslee.
By John J. Metzler

UNITED NATIONS  While recessionary winds continue to buffet the world economy, many countries are still prospering due to innovative policies which have embraced economic growth and expanded economic opportunities and grown the middle class in places as disparate as East Asia and South America. Yet, the United States, the world's largest economy, has slipped downward yet again in economic freedom according to a significant new survey.

In a review of world economies, the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, and the Wall Street Journal asserts that the American economy has declined in relative economic freedom and now ranks eleventh globally, just behind the United Kingdom. The survey used an extensive list of comparators which effect Entrepreneurship such as Regulatory Efficiency, Rule of Law, Limited Government, and Open Markets,

According to Anthony Kim, a policy analyst at Heritage, "The U.S. has fallen from the 6th freest economy in the world, when President Barack Obama took office, to 11th place today in 2016. America's decliningscore in the index is closely related to rapidly rising government spending, subsidies, and bailouts."

Regarding the survey Heritage says, "For over two decades, the Index of Economic Freedom has measured the impact of liberty and free markets around the globe, and the 2016 Index confirms the formidable positive relationship between economic freedom and progress."

So let's look at the numbers. The top five freest economies are Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia. Hong Kong, despite being a Special Autonomous Regions of the People's Republic of China, still excels at entrepreneurship and retains the coveted number one ranking. Singapore, not surprisingly, comes in second and New Zealand third.

Canada, Chile, Ireland, Estonia and the United Kingdom fill out the top ten. In all these countries a commitment to open markets and rule of law has reinforced economic freedom. Estonia, the tiny Baltic nation once ruled by the former Soviet union, is a particular success as a market economy given that the country had suffered so long under a static socialist system.

The USA ranks in eleventh place. The report adds, "Americans continue to lose economic freedom. Following declines in seven of the past eight years, the United States this year has equaled its worst score ever in the Index of Economic Freedom. Ratings for labor freedom, business freedom, and fiscal freedom have flagged notably, and the regulatory burden is increasingly costly." The survey adds however, that on the positive side, the U.S. prospers from open markets. Yet, free market capitalism, the elixir of growth, is under assault on many sides.

The report cites massive government spending and the rise of a regulatory state as hampering American efficiency and growth potential.

Following the two top ranked Chinese ethnic "city state" economies of Hong Kong and Singapore, Taiwan, a thriving and prosperous East Asian democracy ranks 14th , followed by Japan who comes in at 22nd and South Korea at 27th. The index cites South Korea as expanding economic freedoms thus allowing for open markets and monetary stability.

Columbia at 33 is the second highest ranked country in Latin America.

Looking at what's often viewed as the BRICS economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the index takes on a different dimension. Almost all fall under the "Mostly Unfree" category largely due to uneven reforms, rife corruption and over dependency on commodity prices. Brazil ranks 122, while India comes in at 123.

The Indian case it instructive. Despite the election of Prime Minister Modi's pro-business and reformist government, India still suffers from entrenched political and economic corruption. Equally, a burdensome and complex regulatory environment still serves as a counterweight to a smooth and efficient business environment. Nonetheless, India's economy has come a long way since the legacy of state socialism and its anemic "Hindu rate of growth."

Russia's prospects remain "bleak" according to the survey given that despite being resource rich, the country lacks an"efficiently functioning legal framework" and "government continues to interfere in the private sector through myriad state-owned enterprises." Corruption is pervasive.

China which ranks 144, is undergoing an economic slowdown. Despite government efforts to curtail pervasive corruption, nonetheless since 1978, China's economy, despite crony capitalism, was increasingly lifted from the morass of socialism into years of impressive if unequal growth.

Ranked highest among the BRICS, South Africa ranks as Moderately Free and to its credit comes in at 80 out of the 178 comparators.Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea stand at the bottom of the list. That's hardly surprising.
By Michael Krepon

WASHINGTON  With China, Russia, and the United States fine-tuning anti-satellite (ASAT) warfare capabilities, the third round of competition to "seize the high ground" of space is well underway. This round is distinctive, because it has three contestants, whereas the first and second rounds, which occurred during the Cold War, had only two. But, like its predecessors, today's space race poses the risks of quick escalation and intensification of conflict among major powers. A set of common-sense rules could help defuse and prevent conflict in space. Unfortunately, Russia and China seem uninterested in negotiating a code of conduct for responsible space-faring countries.

The first space race began in 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite. US President Dwight Eisenhower's administration opted to leave Sputnik and its successors alone, recognizing that the US could outpace Soviet space programs and had more to gain from not destroying them.

Eisenhower's successor, John F. Kennedy, arrived at the same conclusion. But he went a step further, joining with the Soviet Union to champion a United Nations resolution on cooperation in space. Kennedy's eyes had been opened by a July 1962 US atmospheric nuclear test that inadvertently destroyed at least six satellites, including some belonging to the USSR. A few months later, the Cuban missile crisis spurred agreement on a ban on atmospheric testing . In 1967, US President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev turned UN resolutions into the Outer Space Treaty , which marked the end of the first military space competition.

The second round of competition emerged in the mid-1970s. Brezhnev's Soviet Union tested a new type of ASAT weapon, and President Gerald Ford's administration decided to respond in kind. Under President Jimmy Carter, the US tried diplomacy to limit ASAT programs, but the superpowers couldn't begin to agree on how to define a space weapon.

Then, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan's administration launched its Strategic Defense Initiative, which ratcheted up the competition. The second wave of competition ebbed in 1987, when Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to a treaty eliminating intermediate-range missiles, and ended when the Soviet Union dissolved.

The latest round of military competition in space began in 2001, when the US, under President George W. Bush, withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and demonstrated advanced space-enabled military targeting in its war in Iraq. At that time, Russia was in no position to compete. But the Kremlin gradually boosted investment in "counter-space" capabilities. China did the same, demonstrating a new "hit-to-kill" ASAT weapon system in 2007. China's test, like the US atmospheric nuclear test in 1962, was highly damaging to the space environment, creating a vast, indiscriminate, and lethal debris field.

In 2008, the US used a specially adapted sea-based interceptor missile to shoot down a malfunctioning US intelligence satellite just before its reentry into the atmosphere. The US now uses an unmanned miniature version of the space shuttle to practice "proximity operations": approaching other satellites without harming them. Russia has launched three satellites for proximity operations. Chinese ASAT tests have succeeded to the point that they are now designed to miss their targets.

The third round of military competition in space remains less intense than the first two, but it is gathering momentum. The question is how to defuse it.

Russia and China support an international treaty to prevent the weaponization of space. But their proposal has significant drawbacks, including the same old difficulty of agreeing on what constitutes a space weapon. Most space-related capabilities, like lasers and proximity operations, have both peaceful and military applications. Monitoring and verifying compliance is another challenge. And even if provisions could be agreed, ratifying and implementing a treaty could take decades, as with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

A simpler  though by no means easy  approach would be to agree on a code of conduct for space. The good news is that the framework for such an international code  conceptualized by the Stimson Center (which I co-founded) in 2002  already exists, drafted in detail by the European Union. The bad news is that China and Russia, along with many developing countries, have voiced strong objections.

Developing countries disapprove of the EU's attempt to avoid a UN-based drafting process. And they have balked at the draft code's affirmation of a national and collective right to self-defense  a right enshrined in the UN Charter. China and Russia would like to limit the code to civilian and commercial space activities  even though military space programs are the crux of the problem and the main impetus for developing a code in the first place. The draft treaty supported by Russia and China would constrain only weapons in space, not their ground-based ASAT programs.

Russia and China are clearly not ready to curtail their ASAT capabilities; and the US is ramping up its own. Transparency and confidence-building measures can help. So can guidelines for the sustainable use of outer space, which may emerge from the UN's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. But the third round of space competition will not end until all major powers are ready to endorse a code of conduct for responsible behavior.

Michael Krepon is co-founder of the Stimson Center in Washington, DC. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.
By Frank Ching

North Korea's provocative launch of a rocket on Sunday, triggering off another emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, came barely a month after Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test. The rocket launch added urgency to the Security Council's latest efforts to put in place additional economic sanctions after the January nuclear test.

The launch is also likely to further strain the China-U.S. relationship. While China says that its goal is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it doesn't want to risk putting too much pressure on North Korea that it will bring instability to the region and possibly cause the collapse of the Pyongyang regime.

Even before the rocket launch, the U.S. had been telling China that its North Korea policy was not working. When North Korea announced on Jan. 6 that it had once again conducted a nuclear test, this time of a hydrogen bomb, China and the U.S. both denounced the action and urged North Korea to honor its international commitments.

However, the two countries were clearly not united. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held a telephone discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the next day and, afterward, the American official told the media: "China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, that we agreed and respected to give them space to implement that." However, Kerry said, "Today, in my conversation with the Chinese I made it clear that has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual."

Later, at a joint press conference with Wang in Beijing, Kerry pointed out that the sanctions against Iran, which did not have a nuclear weapon, were "more significant and impactful" than those currently imposed on North Korea, which does have nuclear weapons.

China's policy regarding North Korea's nuclear program include weakening UN economic sanctions and strengthening China's ties with the North. In October, China sent a senior official, Politburo member Liu Yunshan, to Pyongyang where he met the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two together viewed a military parade, where Kim said that his country was "ready for any kind of war against the U.S."

Whatever else the visit may have achieved, it clearly did not deter North Korea from nuclearization because, in early January, Pyongyang conducted what it claimed was its first test of a hydrogen bomb.

Whatever else he may have done, Kim Jong-un, leader of one of the world's smallest and poorest nations, has successfully pitted China against the U.S.

A senior American official, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, remarked that North Korea's latest nuclear test was a slap in the face of those arguing against more sanctions, clearly an allusion to China.

China's foreign ministry, stung, asserted that "in response to relevant countries' constant outcry for pressure and sanctions," North Korea started nuclear testing again and, "in this sense" it did "slap the relevant country across the face." As to whose face was slapped, "the country itself knows well."

So there seems to be agreement that someone was slapped and that North Korea did the slapping, but there was no agreement as to whose face was slapped. But there is no doubt that neither the U.S. nor China emerged from this dispute covered in glory.

In the wake of the new test, the U.S., Japan and South Korea drew up a list of additional sanctions against North Korea. However, China, which has right of veto, demurred.

China then sent another official, Wu Dawei, to Pyongyang for talks. The rocket launch came days after Wu's return to China. Clearly, China had again failed to persuade Pyongyang to change its course.

In the UN debate on Sunday, Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador, called for sanctions that would "break new ground." She told reporters that "there cannot be business as usual after two successive acts."

But the Chinese delegate, Liu Jieyi, said any new resolution should reduce tensions, work toward denuclearization, maintain peace and stability and encourage a negotiated solution.

So, it appears, China is still giving priority to maintaining stability, which essentially means keeping the Kim regime in power.

But China should recognize that its policy of withholding sticks while proffering carrots is slowly but surely turning North Korea into a more formidable nuclear power. Is this in China's interests? If it isn't, then surely a different tack needs to be tried. Before doing so, however, China needs to discuss quietly with the U.S. how to cope with the possibility of Pyongyang's collapse. So far, China has refused to hold any such discussions.

Frank Ching is a freelance columnist based in Hong Kong. Contact him at Frank.ching@gmail.com.
Following a cabinet reshuffle this week, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has something many countries do not have  a minister for happiness. This new post is noteworthy because it is a visible sign that the UAE government seriously takes its role to develop and promote policies for people's happiness. The UAE's refreshing example resonates particularly with many Koreans who feel their happiness is sitting on the government's back-burner.



As demonstrated by the pervasive use of the term "Hell Joseon," many young Koreans are desperately unhappy. The nation's suicide rate is one of the highest among OECD countries. More young people are reluctant to get married and raise a family because of unstable job conditions. Unfortunately, more people are losing hope for a future in this country. So it provided little consolation for Koreans when President Park Geun-hye said that her New Year wish was the people's happiness, because her administration so far has done little for it.



The UAE provides a timely reference for Korean policymakers. In a cabinet reshuffle Wednesday, the UAE appointed Ohoud al-Roumi as "minister of state for happiness." She will be responsible for conducting programs and indices for people's happiness and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction in connection with all ministries. The new post was the highlight of the country's largest structural change in the history of its government.



There is surely a possibility that some will criticize it as a budgetary waste to create a government ministry centered on a concept as relative and personal as happiness. But Korea should at least learn the spirit of the UAE government to place the people's happiness at the core of its national agenda. We hope that Park will make use of the rest of her term to act on her previous slogan of opening an "era of people's happiness." This will require more determination and innovative thinking from policymakers as well as cooperation among relevant ministries in employment, health care, education and family issues.






By Lee Min-hyung



Calls are growing for the government to scrutinize SK Telecom's proposed takeover of CJ HelloVision (CJH) more carefully.

The proposal  which would combine Korea's top telecom operator with the leading pay-tv operator  has caused heated debate.

Three government agencies that have the authority to handle the deal  the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP), the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC)  are expected to complete their toughened screening process for the deal by April at the earliest.

SK Telecom submitted documents and requested approval from the government agencies on Dec. 1.

However, the watchdogs are yet to make any official announcement on when they will rule on the deal. They have only hinted at the possibility of delaying the process, saying they may need more time to scrutinize submitted documents and the ensuing effects.

"SK Telecom is not in a position to make comments on the timing of the approval," an SK Telecom official said. "Since we submitted documents, the government holds the key for the issue. We will follow the decision made by the three regulatory bodies and continue to cooperate with their screening processes."

The MSIP previously said it is looking through submitted documents, but declined to comment on the specific time frame for the process.

Rival mobile carriers  KT and LG Uplus  want the deal's approval delayed.

"We ask regulation bodies to make careful consideration over the issue by conducting thorough screening measures over possible effects that the deal may bring on customers' benefits," said a KT official. "We believe the investigation will take more time than expected."





Cases in other countries

Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority in England approved telecommunication company BT's acquisition of mobile carrier EE. BT had waited for the green light since February last year.

The European Commission (EC) conditionally approved the proposed acquisition of Spanish telecommunication service operator Jazztel by its French counterpart, Orange SA, in May last year, after investigating the issue from December 2014.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. granted permission for AT&T, the country's No.1 telecom, to buy DirecTV, a broadcast satellite service operator, in July last year. It took more than a year to get approval after AT&T announced its proposed takeover in May 2014.

"Foreign regulatory authorities take ample time to conduct thorough scrutiny about M&A deals in the media industry," an LG Uplus official said. "For a thorough investigation over the issue, Korean regulation authorities may also need careful screening procedures, as this deal can significantly alter the competitive landscape in the media industry."

But SK Telecom said a takeover between Vodafone and Kabel Deutschland took only three months to approve. The UK-based mobile phone operator announced its takeover plan in June 2013 and was given approval in September of the same year. SK Telecom says the deal is an example of the combination of a telecom operator and cable TV operator in Germany.

The MSIP is also taking a cautious approach to the issue. The watchdog is receiving comments from the public until Feb. 15. Earlier this month, the agency held a discussion, inviting professors from both sides and civic groups to gather opinions from a broader perspective.





CJH mired in controversy

On Friday, CJH was mired in controversy after announcing that it will hold a shareholders' meeting on Feb. 26 to discuss details of the deal with SK Telecom.

This comes about three months after SK Telecom announced its decision to buy a 30 percent stake in CJH, held by CJ O Shopping, for 500 billion won. The deal will allow the mobile carrier to acquire CJ O Shopping's remaining 23.9 percent stake in CJH at a later date.

Expectations are that CJ O Shopping will vote in favor of the takeover. But opposition sides have claimed this is against the law, because the nation's broadcasting act stipulates that a de facto owner for a merged entity is banned from voting before the government grants approval for a takeover.

LG Uplus said: "The shareholders' meeting is a clear breach of broadcasting acts, as SK Telecom, the de facto owner of CJH, will exercise voting rights during the meeting."

But CJH said the decision that will be made at the meeting will not take effect unless the government approves the deal, and the meeting will be held within legal boundaries
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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One of the ways, sadly, that the Los Angeles Times has decided to be different than other media outlets is that editors will tweak online headlines hoping to score more clicks even though the headlines are untrue. I've been hearing more complaints about headline overreach, from readers and internally, but tonight the headline about supposed traffic "gridlock" generated by President Obama's visit was pure fiction.

This was not the early advance story predicting traffic snarls, but a rewrite that carried a time stamp of 9:55 p.m.  ten minutes after Obama had left the streets and arrived at the W Hotel in Westwood for his overnight stay, per the official pool reporter, the Times' own Sarah Wire. Her pool reports through the evening contained no reports of any gridlock, or any traffic snarls at all. She's not in the best position to know about traffic jams, being in the cocoon of the presidential motorcade, but the double-bylined story under that Times headline reporting that "gridlock" did occur contains no mention of any traffic problems. None.

The only evidence of any problems was the LAPD's advisory warning of street closures, and that was 24 hours old and already published by the Times. Did those closures cause any major traffic complaints? We don't know from the LA Times story.

Gridlock has become one of those hype words that less precise journalists use to mean any kind of traffic congestion, no matter how light or heavy. It's lazy and almost always inaccurate, but I get it. Still, if you headline a story screaming to the world that Obama's visit created "gridlock" in Los Angeles, there should at least be some evidence included of a bad traffic jam somewhere.

What's really going on is that threatening "Obamajam" havoc has become a Los Angeles media trope  unfortunately started by us blogs, back when these presidential fundraising visits actually did cause a lot of disruption and upset. It's not just an LA Times reflex  the Hollywood site Deadline warned of Obamageddon  but Times online editors show a lack of local savvy and disregard for news standards by participating gleefully, even though there hasn't been an outrageous example of Obama-spawned traffic jams in awhile now.

A quick search of Google News shows the LA Times is the only mainstream media outlet that ended the night with a headline reporting as fact that "gridlock" did indeed occur, and I guess that's the point  grab a few clicks and worry about your newspaper's reputation with readers later. It doesn't have to be that way, and shouldn't be.

This week, the former Boston Globe editor made famous by the current movie "Spotlight," Martin Baron, was in town to speak about the future of journalism. Baron, now the editor of the Washington Post, is a former senior editor at the LA Times, and the event happened to be at the home of the fired LA Times publisher Austin Beutner. Both Beutner and Baron, and moderator Steve Coll of the Columbia School of Journalism, emphasized that the shift to digital is no reason for newspapers to abandon journalism values such as fairness and reporting the truth. Baron and Beutner have both spoken before about how the newspaper brands that will succeed in the digital future will be those that manage to keep their standards high as they evolve. There's nothing about the digital transformation of news reporting that calls for over-hyping headlines or posting stories that over-reach. That's a choice.

Maybe it's a small thing to gin up a generic "gridlock" headline on a story that doesn't actually report any gridlock, but it's the small things that add up to a brand image in the news business, especially these days. The LA Times has so many advantages and talented reporters and editors, and could choose to earn and own the identity of being the news outlet that is smarter about Los Angeles than the herd, and earning clicks that way. But that branding choice doesn't seem to be ingrained in the paper's DNA right now.

Tim Rutten, the former Times columnist, editor and reporter, has started a new blog in which he also sees an unnecesary slide in these values at the Times. The piece this excerpt comes from is more about his view of Tribune management of the Times, but Rutten also has some thoughts about the state of the paper:

Today, circulation is half what it was and the staff more than 50% smaller; its news report grows narrower and more parochial by the week in a city and region ever more cosmopolitan and diverse. Physically, the daily and Sunday editions are hollow shadows of their former selves with sections of 12 or fewer pages common.... If you want to get really depressed, go through the paper on any average day and count the number of house adsthose that actually are placed by the paper itself for promotional purposes. Their current number in the Times is unpreceded and, from a revenue standpoint, unsustainable.

The handful of experienced journalists whove hung on through the Times painful decline continue to produce some remarkable work of real service to their readers, but those pieces seem rarer with each passing month. The shrinking paper mostly serves up the predictable, the shallow, the police blotter and the sort of callow, underreported, poorly written stories you get when too many young, poorly paid reporters are working with too little instruction and direction from too few editors. [skip] One of the myths of the wrenching transformation through which American journalism is passing is that the difficulties have been compounded by print journalists resistance to change. That may have been somewhat true a decade or more ago, but the facts show that reporters, editors and photographers have repeatedly reinvented their roles in response to the demands of the digital environment and continue to do so. The best of themeditors like Dean Baquet at the New York Times and Marty Baron at the Washington Post, both of whom were forced out of the LA Timeshave insisted that that while change is mandatory, the ethics of good journalism must remain the same, no matter what its format or presentation. Thats not resistance; thats principleand, some of us would say, sanity.



I don't agree with Rutten on everything, but that last part for sure. He's calling his blog Tim Rutten Regarding Politics and Media

* Morning update: The Times salts its morning follow-up story with three examples of drivers who vented mildly on Twitter about #Obamajam traffic.
This article appears in the Februuary 12, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Chinas Mission to Lunar Far Side

Opens New Frontier for Mankind

by William Jones and Marsha Freeman

[PDF version of this article]

. . . If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join it or not, and it is one of the greatest adventures of all times, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space. John F. Kennedy,

speaking at Rice University,

September 12, 1962

Feb. 6China announced Jan. 14 that it was committed to landing a rover on the far side of the Moon in order to make in situ surveys of the lunar surface. In this way, China is on the verge of opening up a new frontier for mankinds exploration of the Galaxy. While China has only been a space-faring nation since the 1990s, its pace of developmentas with Chinas economic development generallyhas been mind boggling. While the United States, under George W. Bush, and even more under Barack Obama, has been dismantling space capabilities built up over four decades, China is proceeding by leaps and bounds, not just to repeat what other space-faring nations have done, but now to chart new paths.

The mission of Change-4 to land on the far side of the Moon before 2020 is indeed going above and beyond what other nations have achieved. The implementation of the Change-4 mission has helped our country make the leap from following to leading in the field of lunar exploration, said Liu Jizhong, chief of the lunar exploration center of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

In fact, Chinese scientists decided at the start of their lunar exploration program that each new mission would break new ground. Chinas Change-3 mission, which soft-landed the Yutu rover on the Moon in 2013the first spacecraft to do so in almost 40 yearshas taken the first deep subsurface lunar radar measurements ever, and made the first astronomical observations from the lunar surface. The latter were obtained with its ultraviolet telescope, called a cosmic observatory. A second ultraviolet instrument will study Earths ionosphere.

The next lunar mission, the Change-5 craft, now being developed for a 2017 launch, will be the star of an even more ambitious missionlanding on the Moon and then returning lunar samples to the Earth.

Mission to the Far Side

The follow-on Change-4 mission to the far side of the Moon, to be launched before 2020, possibly as early as 2018, has generated great interest in the space science community. While the lunar far side was first photographed by Russias Luna 4 spacecraft in 1959and was seen and photographed by Apollo astronauts as they orbited the Moonwe have yet to investigate the soil and understand the evolutionary history of this mysterious, crater-filled landscape.

Chinese National Space Administration

Because the far side of the Moon never faces Earth, due to its synchronous orbit, the radio waves it receives from outer space can be detected without interference from the radio waves we produce on Earth. And the radio waves which cannot even be detected by ground-based radiotelescopessince they do not penetrate Earths ionospherewill be detectable.

Speaking to the Yangguang network, Liu Jizhong said, Change-4 will utilize the distinctive features of the far side which are screened from the Earths radio waves to develop a space science region in a forward position for a low frequency radio astronomy survey that hopefully will fill in some of the blanks in our knowledge.

Chinese National Space Administration

The mission will study the geology and the dust features, and how they were formed. Liu explained, Utilizing the very old rock of the lunar crust preserved on the far side of the Moon, we can investigate its geological characteristics, and hopefully by doing that, pull together for the first time a topographical configuration of the far side, its shallow structure, the composition of the lunar material of a particular cross-section, and attain a picture of its evolution, creating new knowledge about the history of the planet. Russian scientists have contributed a lunar dust surveyor.

The mission will also measure lunar surface residual magnetism and study its interaction with the solar winda magnetized plasma consisting primarily of protons and electrons.

China will send a relay satellite to orbit the Moon, enabling communication with the lander and rover from mission control, and for sending data back to Earth. The relay satellite will be launched from Earth orbit into a lunar transfer orbit first, followed by the lander and rover. The relay satellite will enter a halo orbit around the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange point (see Figure 1), located about 37,000 miles (60,000 km) beyond the Moon. This is considered the best location for a near-stationary communications satellite covering the Moons far side, while the line of sight to Earth for radiowave communication is never blocked by the Moon. The satellite is expected to be operational for three years.

Figure 1 STScI

International Support for Change-4

While the usual suspects in Washington are unnerved by the prospects of Communist China making such progress, the U.S. and international scientific community is extremely excited. One of the largest known impact craters in the Solar System, the Moons South-Pole Aitken Basin, may feature exposed mantle materials, according to Clive Neal of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group affiliated with NASA. There has been no surface exploration of the far side, Neal told Agence France Presse. I am sure the international lunar science community will be very excited about this mission. I know I am.

In 2015, China sent out invitations internationally to institutions that might wish to take advantage of this mission by making proposals for experiments to be carried out on the lunar far side. While Chinas space program began, as did the U.S. and Soviet programs, as primarily a military venture, it has been placed in a civilian agency. The China National Space Administration has expressed great interest in cooperating with other space agencies, and many agencies have shown a great deal of interest in such cooperation. The only outlier is the United States, where legislation passed by Congress has placed draconian restrictions on cooperation with China in space. In many respects, the Chinese program has replaced the role the U.S. program traditionally played, in encouraging space activities in all the countries of the world. For the Change-4 mission, China has invited private enterprises to take part, and is conducting a competition to fly a small scientific instrument on the orbiter or lander, which will undoubtedly engage the interest of students.

China-Russia Collaboration

The success of the Chinese space program has been greatly assisted by Russia, its great neighbor to the north, which inherited the bulk of the Soviet space program. And as the Change-4 mission shows, their cooperation continues. While Russia is rebuilding much of the capabilities destroyed during the Yeltsin period, it is continually under fire from the United States and its British friends, intent on keeping Russia down.

But Russias collaboration with China has been mutually beneficial, with Russia contributing its expertise in space and China prepared to invest in the development of the Russian Far East. The close relationship between China and Russia has also served to help China assume its rightful role in the world, even in an environment in which China is still seen by the West as a potentially hostile power. Chinese efforts to counter this impression are coming up against decades of Cold War propaganda, which have left its traces in the fears and antagonisms of the Western population, propaganda which is being consciously revived to serve the war-mongering stance of the Obama Administration.

The U.S. color revolution in Ukraine and the pivot to Asia have together soured the relationships between these two important nationsRussia and Chinaand the United States, and have placed them both on a war footing.

Nevertheless, China has continued to progress and has very successfully mobilized its neighbors and the world to participate in President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road, a program of infrastructure investment that promises to transform the region into a transmission belt of industrial and agricultural production and cooperation between East and West.

A Stark Choice for the West

At the same time, when viewing the condition of the Western economies, one is reminded of Edward Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The U.S. economy has become a veritable rust belt, and that includes our transportation system and overall infrastructure.

The submission to Wall Streets demands that shareholder prices be maintained at the cost of productive investments, including infrastructure, has driven the living standards of what were considered middle class families into bankruptcy and even homelessness. As a result, the suicide rate is increasing exponentially. And our failure to continue a war on drugs has condemned an ever-increasing proportion of our youth population to a lifelong addiction and, in many instances, to an early grave.

The wars of the Bush and Obama administrations have created a flood of refugees from the war-torn Middle East into a Europe already savaged by murderous austerity administered by that satrapy of the London banking system, the European Union.

The direction that the Obama Administration and the European powers have taken by meekly submitting to the dictates of a bankrupt financial systemrather than taking measures to protect the people from the depredations of an out-of-control financial oligarchy through an immediate return to the Glass-Steagall firewallhas condemned the populations of these countries to an early death, perhaps even through the nuclear holocaust that the oligarchs are intent on provoking.

It doesnt have to be that way. The alternative has been laid out by China, Russia, and India in the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Twenty-first Century Maritime Silk Road, and the program of space exploration. We can depart from the dangerous game of geopolitics and join in a win-win effort to begin to rebuild the worlds crumbling physical economy.

As economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche noted in conversations with colleagues on February 1: Now if you look at the picture of a map of society, you will say that most of the society we talk about, the trans-Atlantic community is a failure. It has been a failure. As of now, it continues to be a failure. And we are trying to kick it back into some kind of effectiveness. But, the fact is, we need to depend on the leading role of Russia and China. Now Russia and China are a different part of the whole planet than the other parts in general. India is part of this group of interest.

What China has launched in Asia could become the path for moving humanity away from the imminent war danger and toward the new frontier of space, of which President Kennedy was an early leader, this time not as a space race, but rather as a collaborative effort of all nations to achieve the common aims of mankind.
This article appears in the Februuary 12, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Escalating Toward World War III

by Robert Ingraham

[PDF version of this article]

Feb. 7If they desire to live, well-meaning political leaders, military commanders, and the people of Europe and the United States must wake up from their self-imposed fantastical dreamworld. The ruthless crushing of the Martin OMalley presidential campaign, an action taken by the Obama White House together with its masters in London and Wall Street, has now signaled a commitment by the British Empire and the Obama administration to rapidly escalate the war confrontation with both Russia and China. Everything which has happened so farfrom Ukraine, to Syria to the South China Seais a mere prelude, a preface to what is now about to unfold. A terrifying scenario is upon us.

As Matthew Ogden characterized recent remarks by Lyndon LaRouche in the Feb. 5, 2016 LPAC Webcast, the abrupt termination of the OMalley presidential campaign, even before the final Iowa results were announced, was [a signal] that leading British circles, controlling the Barack Obama Presidency, are desperately escalating their preparations for war against Russia and China. The actions against OMalley were, in effect, a red-dye indication of the war preparations already well underway. The fact that there were escalating British Crown provocations against Russian President Vladimir Putin, coincident with the actions against OMalley, sealed the case.

The top-down decision to force OMalley from the presidential race was taken mere days after Lyndon LaRouche had identified OMalley as the only viable candidate around whom a new Presidency could coalesce, a Presidency whose first order of business would be to terminate the murderous speculative activities of Wall Street. It was the specter of a LaRouche-influenced OMalley Presidency which forced the hand of Obama and his friends, and which has now catapulted them into a desperate flight forward.

I. Casus Belli

Some analysts offer the opinion that it is the crisis and disintegration within the trans-Atlantic banking and financial system which is propelling Western leaders to opt for war. That is only apparently true, and ultimately represents misinformed opinion. Rather, there are two far more urgent considerations confronting the oligarchs and pseudo-oligarchs of London and Wall Street. The first of these is the reality of the catastrophic collapse of the productive economies of both Europe and the United States, a collapse that began in the 1970s but which has escalated non-linearly, since the repeal of Glass-Steagall, during the last fifteen years of the Bush and Obama presidencies. This collapse includes both an ongoing destruction of the physical economy, that is, industry, infrastructure, and science, as well as the destruction of the cognitive powers of the workforce, in terms of skills, education, and culture. The starkest example of this take-down of productive potential has been the almost complete annihilation of the remaining U.S. space program by Barack Obama.

This ongoing, escalating collapse of productive capabilities has created two problems for the forces of Empire. On the one hand, since the repeal of Glass-Steagall, the entire trans-Atlantic financial system has been transformed into a speculative house of cards, with gambling bets being multiplied daily and hourly, the whole multi-quadrillion dollar edifice of paper becoming ever more precarious by the minute. Yet, at the end of the day, those financial obligations rest on top of a physical economy which is disappearing and a workforce which is being driven into the ground. The physical means to sustain the gamblers carnival no longer exists as of 2016. The U.S. and European physical economyand the humongous financial parasite which feeds off of itis going, going, gone. In response to this reality, some people will jump out of windows; others will go to war.

The second, and from the imperial viewpoint, more urgent problem associated with the collapse of the trans-Atlantic economy is that, simultaneous with this process of western physical decay and death, the world has also witnessed the explosive economic and scientific emergence of Russia and China, as well as several other nations associated with them through the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Chinese One Belt, One Road policy. China, Russia, and their allies are now surpassing the West in terms of manufacturing, energy production, basic science, and space technology and exploration, and this gap is widening rapidly. The reality that a new China/Russia-led world is coming into existencea world directionality which is increasingly determined by this explosive growth of productive potentialis a mortal threat to the interests of the British Empire and Britains self-obsessed puppet Barack Obama. A future world, wherein the outlook of the win-win philosophy of Xi Jinping becomes hegemonic, is a world in which the British Empire will no longer exist and the oligarchical outlook will be obliterated.

To put the reality of the strategic disparity into tangible terms, consider:

China is now the largest manufacturing economy in the world, with a 22% share of manufacturing activity. The United States is in second place with a 17.4% share. Between 1992 and 2012 China has gone from 7th to 1st place; Russia went from 17th place in 2002 to 7th in 2012; and India went from 16th to 9th place. During this same period, manufacturing output in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy dropped, and dropped precipitously in some cases.

In 2000, the United States produced 102 million metric tons (mmt) of steel. China, India, and Russia combined produced 214 mmt. By 2014, U.S. production had dropped to 88 mmt, while the production of China, India, and Russia leaped to 1,001 mmt, a 500% increase. China now produces ten times as much steel as the United States. (An even starker picture emerges if one looks at the 1967 figures, when the U.S. produced 115 mmt, and China and India combined produced only 20 mmt.) As of 2015, the United States is now the largest steel importer in the world.

There were almost 18 million Americans employed in manufacturing jobs in 1998 (already substantially down from the post-World War II peak in 1979 of 20 million). By 2010, this figure had declined to slightly over 11 million, a decline of more than 35% in twelve years. Despite the much ballyhooed Obama campaign (and its phony statistics) to bring manufacturing jobs back to America, this picture has not changed in the last six years. Seven million American factory jobs have simply vanished in the post-Glass-Steagall era since 1999, many from the most advanced U.S. industries and machine tool sectors. Today, public services, as well as finance, insurance, and real estate all surpass manufacturing in employment.

Even more dramatic has been the ongoing decay and collapse in education, water delivery systems, electricity generation, transportation, and other crucial infrastructure in America. Space does not permit a full description of all of the particulars of this collapse in productive capabilities here, nor an examination of the ongoing destruction of the culture, cognitive levels, and productive skills of the American population. One has only to look at the possibility that Flint, Michigan, could soon vanish as a city due to the lead poisoning of its residents from untreated local river water, to gain insight into the current state of physical breakdown in the United States.

Meanwhile, since 2007i.e., in only nine yearsChina has built over 12,000 miles of high-speed rail lines, with 7,000 additional miles planned for completion by 2020. In nuclear technology, in addition to Chinas already operating 31 nuclear power plants, there are now 23 more plants under construction, which will bring the total to 54. Additional reactors are also planned, including some of the worlds most advanced. Chinas current Five Year Plan includes provisions for building six to eight new nuclear power plants a year up to 2020, at which time it will increase to ten new plants a year.

In the field of nuclear fusion, on Feb. 3, 2016 Chinas Institute of Plasma Physics reported that experiments on its EAST superconducting tokamak had successfully created a sustained hydrogen plasma for a record 102 seconds. The goal of EAST is to reach 100 million degrees in the plasma and operate for 1,000 seconds, towards an eventual steady-state operation, which will be required for commercial fusion power production.

Space Exploration and the Galaxy

As LaRouche PAC leader Kesha Rogers has declared, in terms of a national policy orientation that provides the platform for the future generation of new scientific and productive potentials, the greatest crime of the Obama administration has been the take-down of the U.S. space program. When Obama ended the Constellation Project in 2009, he effectively terminated the fifty-year U.S. space effort.

On Feb. 3, 2016, the same day as the breakthrough in fusion energy research was announced, Chinas Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation announced that China is planning its next manned space launch, the Shenzhou-11 mission, for later this year. Also, in 2016, China will launch its second orbiting module, Tiangong-2. The Tiangong series is designed to develop and test the technology that will be needed for the full-sized, manned station in the next decade. There will be further test launches of Chinas rockets this year, including the heavy-lift Long March 5, which is needed to launch the station modules and other heavy payloads, and the medium-lift Long March 7, which will launch the future unmanned cargo vehicle, Tianzhou.

Earlier this year, on January 14, China announced the Change-4 mission, a project to land a rover on the far side of the Moon, possibly as early as 2018 (see accompanying articles in this issue). Another lunar mission, the Change-5, is scheduled to land on the Moon in 2017 and return lunar samples to Earth.

Meanwhile, the Feb. 3 issue of Popular Mechanics reports that Russian engineers are creating increasingly detailed designs for a future manned lunar lander.

Let there be no unclarity. These Chinese and Russian space efforts represent the future of the human race, because they represent what the human being actually is, in his innermost nature, as different from and opposed to any animal. Discoveries about the processes of our solar system and our galaxy, new scientific breakthroughs, new technologies and inventions that can revolutionize human affairs on Earththis endeavor is now being aggressively pursued by China, Russia, and their friends. If allowed to develop, this future will leave the institutions and axioms of the British Empire in the dustbin of history.

The Bigger Issue for the Monarchy

Please take note: None of what has been discussed so far is occurring in a timeless vacuum. To understand the why and the how of how world events are proceeding, it is absolutely necessary to view the current state of affairs through the eyes of the last three to four generations of British oligarchs.

Beginning in 1900 Bertrand Russell authored a battle-plan, on behalf of the British Empire, to put the Renaissance Genie of human development back inside the lamp. Together with his allies, such as David Hilbert, Russell launched attacks on Gottfried Leibniz, Bernard Riemann, Albert Einstein, and others. His intention was to destroy the Renaissance tradition in science and to impose a linear, logical view of the universe, one in which human creativitythat is, actual human natureis deemed not to exist. Russells view is that of the Malthusian British imperialist, of the type that has always hated the human species.

This is not simply a topic for scientists or mathematicians. The Florentine Renaissance of Brunelleschi and Cusa had created the culture from which the founding of the United States of America sprang, and the republican virus of the American Revolution had led, particularly after the Union victory in the U.S. Civil War, to the spread of American Ideals throughout the world. The Russia of Alexander II, the Meiji Restoration in Japan, andmost importantlythe Germany of Bismarck all represented, in their own ways, the American policy to eradicate the bestiality of Empire.

Russells job was to turn back the tide. Joined by others, such as H.G. Wells and Prince Philip, Russell battled throughout the Twentieth Century to destroy science, destroy classical culture, and to impose a policy of worldwide population reduction which would end human progress forever.

Unfortunately for the Monarchy, things dont always go their way, as seen in the case of Franklin Roosevelt or the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany. And things are not going their way right now. If the progress and optimism engendered by China and Russia are allowed to proceed, rule by empire is finished. Yet, the British, with their puppet-on-a-string Obama, are fiercely committed to their own agenda, the agenda defined by Russell. They will not yield. Thus, the stage is set. The drama proceeds. It is not that everyone wants world war. But that, most certainly, is the trajectory. Blunders, bluffs, and miscalculations will all add to the danger.

II. Financial Armageddon and Rearmament

Since January 1, 2016, that is, within just the last 38 days, major U.S. and European bank stock values have crashed by more than 30%. On February 1, the German financial mouthpiece Handelsblatt declared that Deutsche Bank is in a free-fall, adding that the real center of the collapse of European finance is not on the periphery, i.e., Greece, Portugal, or Spain, but is centered in Germany and France, the industrial heartland of Europe. One financial publication estimates that Deutsche Bank, the largest foreign exchange dealer in the world, is sitting on a pile of debt that is 70% impaired. On Feb. 4, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that BlackRock and Qatar, the two largest shareholders of Deutsche Bank, might pull out if things get worse. Other institutional investors have long since sold their shares. Union Investment, a German fund owned by the Raffeisen (cooperative) banks and credit unions, has halved its Deutsche Bank equities and warns of investing in shares altogether. One analyst stated that European leaders are now desperate to hide the actual nature of the crisis, the real European problem: a giant financial black hole being created in Germany. Deutsche Bank alone holds 64 trillion Euros of derivative investments, five times the GDP of the 19-country Eurozone.

The banking sector on both sides of the Atlantic is crashing down. While Deutsche Bank shares have fallen by 35%, those of Citicorp have sunk by 22%, Goldman Sachs by 6%, JP Morgan Chase by 14%, Morgan Stanley by 23%, Bank of America by 22%, and Credit Suisse by 22%.

As financial expert Claudio Celani reported in the Feb. 5, 2016 issue of EIR, on Jan. 26 the entire European banking system came within a hairs breadth of collapse, which was only prevented by a decision of the European Commission to allow a bail-out of bad Italian bank loans, in violation of its own explicit rules.

As to the real physical economy, in the United States, mass layoffs in January were 42% higher than in January 2015, and a whopping 218% more than in December 2015. Retail cut the most jobs, with 22,246 announced mass layoffsa seven-year highand the energy sector was a close second, with the 20,246 mass layoffs. Texas was the state worst hit in the nation, followed by Arkansas, Ohio, and Virginia.

Meanwhile, the January monthly survey by the U.S. Federal Reserve of loan requests from the manufacturing and commercial sector shows a dramatic declinemore than 11%.

On the Hair Trigger

On Feb. 2, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter delivered a speech to the Economic Club of Washington, a speech wherein he presented what can only be characterized as a military budget for World War III. Naming both Russia and China as the two primary strategic threats to the United States, Carter announced that the Obama administration will be requesting $3.4 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative, way up from the current $789 million, to fund an expanded U.S. military presence in Europe, more training, more exercises, and more pre-positioned equipment, all designed to respond theater-wide if necessary. At the same time, the Carter/Obama budget plan also calls for $13 billion for a new ballistic missile submarine over the next five years, to replace the current fleet of Ohio-class submarines, and it stresses the need to fund all three legs of the U.S. strategic deterrent triadnot only the new submarines but also new nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles and a new bomber for the Air Force.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Siuta B. Ika

Other Obama Administration spokesmen have also emphasized that it is the targeting of Russia and China, not the war on terror, which dominates what passes for thinking in the White House. On Feb. 4, an interview with Obamas Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, was broadcast over all major TV and radio outlets in the Washington, D.C. area. Clapper bluntly declared, ISIL is not a mortal enemy of the United States. It causes harm and can kill our people. But it cant inflict mortal damage to the United States. Russia can. He stressed the nuclear capability that could render great harm to this country, and warned that Russia is on a very impressive campaign to modernize its military in all its dimensions.

On Feb. 4, Obamas lapdog, the bitch-in-heat Hillary Clinton, went all in for a confrontation with Russia. Asked about Defense Secretary Ashton Carters plan to massively build up advanced nuclear military forces on Russias borders, Hillary said, What Secretary Carter is looking at is the constant pressure that Russias putting on our European allies. The way that Russia is trying to move the boundaries of the post-World War II Europe. The way that he [Putin] is trying to set European countries against one another, seizing territory, holding it in Crimea. Beginning to explore whether they could make some inroads in the Baltics . . . Weve got to do more to support our partners in NATO, and we have to send a very clear message to Putin that this kind of belligerence, that this kind of testing of boundaries will have to be responded to. The best way to do that is to put more armor in, put more money from the Europeans in so theyre actually contributing more to their own defense.

On the same day as the Clinton speech, the Turkish government, in defiance of the Open Skies Treaty, blocked a Russian crew from flying an observation flight over Turkey. The next morning, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov tied the Turkish refusal to evidence that shows Turkish troops are in the midst of preparations to invade Syria. Konashenkov stated, The Russian Defense Ministry regards these actions of the Turkish party as a dangerous precedent and an attempt to hide the illegal military activity near the Syrian border. Moreover, the Russian party has reasonable grounds to suspect intensive preparation of Turkey for a military invasion of the territory of a sovereign statethe Syrian Arab Republic. Russia is in possession of a video that shows the Turkish military shelling Syrian territory using heavy artillery positioned close to the border. Konashenkov stated, This is what we call a fact. This is irrefutable proof that Turkish armed forces shell borderline Syrian settlements with large-caliber artillery systems.

Russian Ministry of Defense

Escalation in the region is not merely coming from Turkey. Recent decisions have been announced by the Obama administration to send more troops and military equipment to both Iraq and Syria, which in the case of Syria is a direct violation of both Syrian sovereignty and international law. Additionally, on Feb. 5 the government of Saudi Arabia announced its desire to send ground troops to Syria to aid the anti-Assad rebels in their efforts to topple the Syrian government, an action which would put them in direct military conflict with Russia.

Desperate diplomatic efforts to diffuse the escalating conflictmost particularly those of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in pushing forward Syrian peace talks in Genevaare being sabotaged by Obama and Obamas controllers in London. Under direct pressure from Obama, Kerrys State Department was forced to add five names to the so-called Magnitsky Lista list of leading Russian individuals sanctioned by the U.S. government for supposed human rights violations. This act, a blatant affront to Putin and the Russian government, came just days after the Treasury Department issued the scurrilous attack on Putin personally, as corrupt, and the simultaneous release in London of a judges report which states that the 2006 death of Alexander Litvinenko was probably ordered directly by Putin. All of this is intended by the murderer Obama and Buckingham Palace to poison the well in Geneva and destroy the peace talks.

On the Other Side of the World

On Feb. 1, Global Times, a publication put out by Peoples Daily, the newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, published a lead editorial warning that the United States is preparing for war, nuclear war, against China. It called for China to accelerate its speed of building up strategic strike capabilities, including a nuclear second-strike capability.

The Global Times editorial references the U.S. deployment of a warship within the 12-mile limit of one of its islands in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands on Jan. 30, noting that this is not an unoccupied island, nor an artificially created island, but rather the Zhongjian Island under Chinas actual control, and China has released the territorial sea baseline of the Xisha Islands, including Zhongjian Island. Therefore, the U.S. provocation this time is more vicious. The editorial goes on to state that this violation of Chines territory by the U.S. military has to be seen within the context of both the ongoing U.S. military occupation of the Philippines as well as a direct threat to the enormous sea trade by China through the South China Sea.

On the same day as the appearance of the Global Times editorial, Chinese President Xi Jinping participated in a grand inauguration ceremony in which he awarded the ceremonial flags of the five reconstituted military theaters. After the singing of the national anthem, President Xi spoke, saying, The establishment of the five theater commands and their joint operational institutions is of great and far-reaching significance in ensuring the Peoples Liberation Army to be capable of fighting and winning battles and effectively safeguarding Chinas national security. Xi said the move to establish the theater commands and form the joint battle command system is a strategic decision by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Central Military Commission aimed at creating a strong military. He concluded by stating that the Chinese military should always be prepared for war, so as to safeguard Chinas national sovereignty, security and development interests.

III. History to Consider

In his autobiography, Marshal of Victory, General Georgy Zhukov documents how the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in June 1941 was an action taken, to a large degree, out of fear, weakness, and desperation. By 1941 the economy of the German Reich was collapsing, held together largely by slave labor and raw materials looted from conquered territory. German industrial output actually declined from 1936 to 1940. The ability of the Hitler government to fund and resupply the German military regime was actually disappearing. Despite intensive efforts by the British ruling class to entice Germany into attacking the Soviet Union, almost all of Hitlers military advisors warned that this was a war Germany could not win.

Conversely, between 1938 and 1941, Soviet industrial output overtook and surpassed German production. The same is true for military armament. By 1941 the Soviets were outproducing Germany in tanks and other key equipment, and the gap was growing. The newer Soviet tanks and aircraft were also superior to their German equivalents. By June of 1941, the situation facing Hitlerin regard to going to war with Russiawas essentially now or never, as any further delay would only increase the growing gap in industrial and military capabilities.

A very similar situation existed in 1914. Between 1880 and 1913, German coal production increased by 400%; steel production increased 500%; German rail lines increased from 5,000 km to 47,000 km; 50% of all European electric power generation was in Germany; other German manufacturing increased by 500%. A physical-economic-scientific power was developing that posed a direct threat to the global hegemony of the British Empire, an empire whose power was waning, and one which was largely sustained through colonial wars of extermination, drug-trafficking, and financial speculation. It was the growing weakness and fear within the Empire which impelled it to act.

So today, we see the collapse of the trans-Atlantic region proceeding apace with the industrial and scientific Renaissance emerging from China and Russia. Will London respond any differently than in 1914 or than as Hitler acted in 1941? Under the Putin leadership, over a relatively very brief time span, Russia has achieved a startling revolution in its war-fighting and war-avoidance capabilities. That includes new generations of military equipment and well-trained personnel. Even the top NATO maritime commander recently congratulated the Russians on the technological leap in their submarine warfare capabilities.

On Feb. 2, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a teleconference with the leadership of the Russian military leadership to review the progress of its modernization programs. The proportion of modern equipment in the Aerospace Forces has now reached 52%, with further deliveries of Su-35 fighters and Su-34 bombers, and Ka-52 and Mi-28N strike helicopters. They also discussed the resumption of production of Tu-160 strategic bombers and the implementation of automated planning systems and programs to improve the manning of the armed forces in general, among other things.

Reviewing the staggering accomplishments of this effort for military modernization, one is struck forcefully by the similarity to what was accomplished under Stalin from 1938 to 1941.

Responses to these developments from U.S. military analysts have been somber. Russias submarine fleet is now particularly feared, much more so than during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union had many more submarines. NATO submarines are seeing more activity from Russian submarines than weve seen since the days of the Cold War, Royal Navy Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, commander of NATOs Maritime Command stated in an interview. He added that NATO submarines are encountering a level of Russian capability that we havent seen before . . . the submarines the Russians are building are much better than anything they had before . . . Russia has made technology leaps that [are] remarkable, and a credit to them.

Johnstones comments followed, by days, an article in the Jan. 31 London Independent, which reported on the shock felt by Western military leaders who expected Russias military deployment to Syria to fail in short order, but instead have watched the Russian military sustain a complex operation at a high operational tempo for four months now. Russian military jets have, at times, been carrying out more sorties in a day in Syria than the U.S.-led coalition has done in a month, the Independent reported. The Russian navy has launched ballistic missiles from the Caspian Sea, 900 miles way, and kept supply lines going to Syria. The air defenses installed by the Russians in Syria and eastern Ukraine would make it extremely hazardous for the West to carry out strikes against the Assad regime or Ukrainian separatists.

* * *

The American and European physical economies and productive capabilities are in a shambles, declining and dying day by day. The trans-Atlantic banking system and financial empire of derivatives is at the point of vaporizing. What will Obama do? What will Queen Elizabeth do? What do you think they might do?

Lyndon LaRouche stated during his Feb. 4 national Fireside Chat:

The question is this: Theres things we dont know, but they are going to happen anyway. But we just have a lack of certainty among some issues, because were not in an effective place to take on everything all at the same time. But theres no question that those of us who are intent on surviving this situation, surviving this period of history, are going to work with us, because its the only way we have available, to do any good.

Im not being pessimistic at all, because its possible that we could bring off, which would actually shut down some of the things that are actually being put into place; its possible. What we have to do, is concentrate on those conceptions, those options which do exist, and concentrate our attention on those options which we know are of a type which would be perfected, rather than trying to swarm around and trying to feel your way through the darkness. I dont believe in feeling through the darkness. I believe in finding loopholes in which we can make a progress.

Its like the military thing, you know; troops were out there on the field sometimes, waiting for the signal to enter combat, and it probably didnt happen at that time. But the point is, whenever this thing is in place, whenever its in place as it is now; and then you have to react accordingly. And Im ready to react accordingly.

There are things that can be done, which should be effective, in dumping Obama from the Presidency of the United States. That is the only thing, which will save the United States from self-destruction. So thats what Im working on, and thats what Im concentrating: Its the only thing that could work, and should work.
This editorial appears in the Februuary 12, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Leadership for a Nation in Turmoil

[PDF version of this editorial]

Feb. 7Lyndon LaRouche addressed associates in these terms on today.

I think the problem is, there is no will to solve the problem. The problem can be solved. First of all, the primary thing is that the financial system, the way its operating now, is hopelessly bankrupt. Now, therefore, if the United States government were to foreclose against the fraudulent elements of investment, and just cancel them, we would have a solution. But the issue is that all the rich, shall we say, the rich demand that they have the first say in who gets paid and who does not. Well, if we say, we just cancelled all the pure speculators, who make no real contribution, no physically meaningful progress, then, if we got rid of them, we could handle the problem. And, in point of fact, not only is that a possibility, but unless we do that, that is shut down the Obama Administration on account of their frauds, then we could all go down in chaos.

If we, on the other hand, are willing to admit reality . . . For example, weve got the case of Hillary and Sanders and so forth, all those people who are in the campaign, well, theyre all worthless. Theyre all intrinsically worthless. What we have to do is cancel the worthless accounts, and build in a support system for funding which will allow us to create real productive steps. That can do it. And it can be done internationally. It can be done partly by help of Russia, in a very important political way; in China, with what China is building up around itself. All of these things are things which represent immediate forms of recovery of the global economy, just by simply cashing in and cancelling the trash. Thats all we have to do. If we control the cash, what is considered to be the cash. If we decide to do it, it will work. And when people say it wont work, its because theyve decided to cling to something worthless, like Wall Street. Wall Street and its organization is an intrinsically bankrupt institution. It has to be cancelled!

And if that were done with an understanding that were doing that, that would solve the problem for the people of the United States and elsewhere.

Increasing Productive Powers of Labor

When people say they want this mysterious explanation of how the economy will work, I am fully aware of what the standards are that are needed to solve the problem. I think that people are just ducking the issue, and hoping that theres some mysterious solution. The problem is that if people understand what I have been telling them for years, and Ive always been accurate on this one, if they just pay attention to what Ive been saying, and dont change the subject, we can deal with this thing. We can deal with it. But we are not the only force in play. I have the knowledge of how to deal with this problem. Others are trying to fish around and demanding an explanation of some unknown means of trying to solve the problem. I already know what the solution is. But I also know that the government, in its present form, is not willing, by any means, to save the economy. The government of the United States is not willing to tolerate, not willing to deal with the issue which has to be applied. We dont need a mysterious explanation of how this thing can be dealt with. Im fully aware of this, and Ive been aware of this for years. But weve got to get back to what the real issue is. And the real issue is what our people, themselves, often try to avoid taking up, and then they hope that some mysterious force will actually provide a solution. It wont. Ive been specifying that solution for years, and if you dont use that solution, youre wasting your time in trying to save anything.

The whole nation is bankrupt. The whole United States system is bankrupted entirely. Now, I could deal with that problem if I had the authority to do so, because I know exactly what I would have to cancel, and how I would have to cancel it, to get a viable United States economy. I know how to do that, and other people also do, they know about it, but they dont dare to present the solution, because somebody might be unhappy. Because we would have to strip down much of what is called the wealth area of the United States, we would have to strip it down, because it has no intrinsic value. And we desperately need real value now. The reason people come up with other questions is because theyre ducking the issue; theyre denying reality. Reality is that you have to shut down Wall Street. Shut it down, flat, empty. Terminate it.

Then you have all these kinds things that go on which are listed as wealth matters, and they all are worthless. Most of Manhattan is full of worthlessness. But the people who want to have the wealth, or the appearance of wealth, will go around and demand special legislation, all kinds of things, to reward the useless. And thats what they do.

So the problem is when most people are talking about this issue, about how to deal with finances, theyre just kidding themselves; they are blinding themselves to the fact that everything theyre saying is damn silly. And weve got to get into reality. We have to cancel worthless values, intrinsically worthless values. We have to put people into productive work, and creative forces of work. You have to change things by dumping most of what passes for the official wealth of the rich. If you arent willing to do that, you dont have a solution; youre just making it worse.

Ive always been right on that, as against those who disagreed, or who had other ways of approaching it. You have to be productive, rather than speculative. People who have accepted other voices are rejecting what the meaning of income is, the productive kind of income and what it means. They have ignored that fact, or they give lip-service for it, but then they turn around immediately and try to avoid it.

What Is Leadership?

Those who are looking for other solutions are making fools of themselves; I know what the solution is. The solution is, you shut down Wall Street, and everything that represents Wall Street. Then Wall Street has no income. Why is that so? Because its worthless.

But we refuse to do the things which will actually create wealth. The solution is the one thats being carried forward by Putin, himself, and by China, and by the nations which are coming together around cooperation with China, in economic and related matters. That works. What doesnt work is the trans-Atlantic region. The trans-Atlantic community is bankrupt, and its based on financial systems which are intrinsically bankrupt. And therefore you have to change the way you function in terms of economy, to come back to a real economy, around an increase of the productive powers of labor. This doesnt mean being a socialist, and calling yourself a laborer. This means that you have to create progress, per capita, per person, all the way through. Tomorrow has to be better than today, in terms of productivity, the powers of productivity. And people are not concerned about productivity. Theyre concerned about getting money. And thats where the problem comes up. We dont need money as such; thats not the solution; its not a solution.

What you have to do is what Franklin Roosevelt did with his program, and thats the same thing. Of course, he was sabotaged when the right wing came in, and took over the majority. But what Franklin Roosevelt had done, in fact, before the crazy 1944 election, was a perfect conception of economic progress for the benefit of mankind. And anyone since then that doesnt agree with what I insist on in this, is an idiot. Or, they dont like to be called an idiot so they call themselves something else, but the fact is theyre an idiot.

Weve got to take what Ive just said: thats the truth. And youve got to get yourself in accord with the truth.

MacArthurs Inchon landing decision was right, in lonely opposition to the whole government, just as what Im saying is right. I find myself often in that position, like the decision that confronted Douglas MacArthur. And I resonate with my memory of what he did, in terms of warfare and so forth. Its true: I have great respect for the memory of Douglas MacArthur, because Douglas MacArthur was the outstanding emblem of exactly what a nation in turmoil must do, as opposed to those who say there must be a practical solution. Whenever I hear that, I get angry, because youre selling yourselves out.

These are not abstract things or generalities; the point is that anything that wins, actually depends on decisions which provide the possibility to win. I know this thing cold; I know all the tricks about explanations and so forth, it never works. You have to get creativity in effect; true creativity. Which is what I use as a measure for me every day of the week, every day of the year. Others want a practical solution; therefore they subtract from truth, rather than add to it.

Im not just a figurehead; Im committed all the way through, to what I represent. So I dont have any options, different options. I dont have any.
PRESS RELEASE

Neocons Embrace Obama's Effort to Turn ASEAN Against China

Feb. 11, 2016 (EIRNS)The neocon Center for a New American Security's Asia-Pacific Security program director, Patrick Cronin, and Indonesia Initiative director Derwin Pereira, issued a warm embrace to President Obama's effort to turn Southeast Asia against China. Obama will bring all ten ASEAN leaders to Sunnylands, California, next Monday, Feb. 15, for a two-day Summit. The CNAS crew issued a commentary called "High Stakes at the Sunnylands Summit," making clear that Obama is their pal, and China the enemy and the target of their cooperation.

"President Obama's pivot to Asia was a declaration of American will and power to prevent the Indo-Pacific from coming under the exclusive sway of an expansionist power,"

the report reads.

"How [Southeast Asia] tiltsor does not tilt toward the United States will help determine the degree of American leverage vis-a-vis China."

"Sunnylands will tell China," they continue,

"that America takes international freedom of navigation and the rule of law seriously, even though the United States is not a claimant state in the maritime dispute. Beijing cannot deal with Southeast Asia without factoring in the American response."

Also, on the economy:

"Sunnylands will provide President Obama an opportunity to showcase the TPP's benefits to other Southeast Asian nations. Indeed, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have expressed interest in joining it. The American outreach will be important especially because China has moved quickly to expand its own economic sphere. This is through the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is seen as a rival to a U.S.-dominated system embodied by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. In spite of American pressure on countries to not join the China-led bank, all ASEAN members have done so."

Therefore, they conclude:
PRESS RELEASE

South Korea Being Destroyed by Capitulation to Obamas War on China

Feb 11, 2016 (EIRNS)South Koreas President Park Geun-hye has capitulated to President Obamas massive pressure to end her collaboration with China and Russia ("Koreas Eurasian Vision" she called it), and under the guise of joining Obamas belligerence toward North Korea, essentially joined Obamas war plans against China. This comes at the same time that the Korean economy is in a precipitous decline, battered by the global crisis and trade collapse.

President Park Wednesday announced that she was suspending all work at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, set up in 2004 as a step toward cooperation between North and South. About 124 South Korean companies have factories in the Complex, hiring about 54,000 North Korean workers at relatively low wages. There are more than 5,000 South Korean suppliers that sell intermediary materials and parts to the 124 companies in Kaesong, according to the Korea Federation of SMEs.

Parks government made the ridiculous argument that the income to these workers, a total of $560 million in 11 years, was being used to build nuclear weapons and missiles.

Pyongyang responded by demanding all South Koreans out of Kaesong within 24 hours, seizing all properties, and placing the area under military occupation.a

North Koreas successful satellite launch on Feb. 7, following a test of a hydrogen-type nuclear weapon in January, has provided Obama with the excuse to massively build up strategic forces in South Korea and in the region, expanding its military "ring around China," the so-called pivot to Asia.

Until this week, the Park government has strongly opposed Obamas demand that the US be allowed to set up a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, based on the obvious fact that such missiles and radar are not needed against near-by North Korea, but are only intended to target China and the Russian Far East. Now she has capitulated, announcing that formal talks with the US on the THAAD System have begun.

South Korean firms are concerned that China may retaliate against the THAAD deployment by reducing business ties. About 26% of South Koreas exports go to China, and the large firms like Samsung and LG have huge investments in China. The first "Silk Road" train which reached Germany last week from China carried mostly Samsung goods produced in China. Korea Times reported that "Officials in the tourism, technology, retail and automotive industries said Wednesday that the companies are closely monitoring on how the escalating political tension in Northeast Asia will affect their businesses Chinathe most crucial market for all of them."

The two largest stock exchanges in Seoul fell by 3% and 5% respectively today after being closed for three days for the Chinese New Yearthe largest declines since 2012.
Halfway through Ethan Canins weighty, blazingly intelligent new novel, his main character, a brilliant, flamed-out mathematician, tells his 12-year-old son that when it comes to success, determination trumps talent. Milo Andret urges his son  who unfortunately has inherited his mathematical abilities and liabilities  to repeat after him: The will is everything. I will never give up. The boy adamantly refuses. The father wheedles him, to no avail. Faced with his sons persistent intransigence, Canin writes, Milo thought for a moment. Then he smiled. Good, he said.

This head-butting interchange encapsulates Canins nuanced handling of the novels convoluted family dynamics. A Doubters Almanac is an emotionally explosive exploration of success and failure in a family roiled by genius.

The book, which takes its title from a Descartes quote stressing the importance of doubt in the pursuit of truth, is a more tightly focused and ultimately more powerful book than America, America (2008), Canins more expansive attempt at a Great American Novel that encompassed politics, ambition, the social divide between classes and the American Dream run amok.

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Canin has long been interested in the boons and busts of ambition, the tension between creativity and practicality and what constitutes a successful life. These are not surprising preoccupations for an author who chose the uncertainty of a literary career over medicine after the success of his first collection of stories, Emperor of the Air, published in 1988 while he was a student at Harvard Medical School.

Although A Doubters Almanac concerns the torment of elite mathematicians trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe by solving impossibly abstruse problems, it is not farfetched to see in it an extended metaphor for the challenges and frustrations of a writer trying to do the same through literature. As with mathematical proofs, its ultimately the results that matter: The struggle vanishes. What remains is the work, and the work either stands or falls.

Beginning with his earliest books, Canin has demonstrated an almost uncanny ability to capture the complexities of fraternal bonds and rivalry. A Doubters Almanac features two generations of jockeying but relatively supportive brother-sister pairs who have inherited, to different degrees, Milo Andrets cerebral gifts along with some of his behavioral quirks. But the narratives primary focus is on the enormous, punishing pressure of exceptionality on individuals rather than competition between siblings.

The novel tells the story of Milos life, from a solitary 1950s childhood in the woods of northern Michigan through his academic years of feverish productivity and being awarded the prestigious Fields Medal. It also tracks his frustrations, thwarted in love at Berkeley and confounded by a devilishly difficult problem at Princeton before a disgraced return to the Midwest.

The Princeton period inevitably calls to mind John Nash, the brilliant mathematician who, after years of struggles with schizophrenia, belatedly shared the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics for his earlier contributions to game theory.

Canin spills a lot of ink describing Milos mind, but he never calls it beautiful. His mind was a jar of marbles tilted onto a table, he writes; elsewhere he compares it to an emptied out paper bag. At Princeton, Milo, arrogant and belligerent, desperately tries to match his earlier achievement. He self-medicates  imbibing while deriving, a journalist quips  with a ruinous stream of bourbon, cigarettes, faculty wives and Ativan. The result, which Canin dwells on at length, isnt pretty.

The novels mathematical explanations are easier to read than to grasp. Does it matter that the books proofs, conjectures and equations are liable to be pretty much incomprehensible to most readers? Not much. This is a book about people struggling with difficult problems (both mathematical and personal) rather than about mathematics.

Plus, Canin gives us a pass: There were probably no more than a dozen people in the world who were even capable of understanding the question that the problem necessitated solving. Fortunately, what comes through with utter clarity is the driving passion to plumb deeper meaning and solve the great unsolved puzzles, including the mystery of time.

Milos life story is refracted through his sons perspective; Hans hopes to understand the truth about him and come to terms with his extravagantly sad family. His quest turns the book into a surprisingly gripping mystery. Does one grow wise in increments? By fractioning a life and then summing it? Hans asks. Like his father, he has struggled with substance abuse. But, having learned from his fathers tragic trajectory, he is determined to strike a different path.

A Doubters Almanac recalls the meaty novels of Richard Powers as well as David Leavitts The Indian Clerk (2007), a novel about two great early 20th century mathematicians, G.H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan  though Canins family saga, packed with near operatic drama, is far more emotional.

While it hits some notes too often  the granddaughters similarity to her grandfather, the degenerative effects of too much alcohol  it strikes many more dead on. Hans sister comments about their unreliable father, Hes the quicksand I grew up on.

Yet A Doubters Almanac refuses to remain mired in bitterness. Instead, it movingly confronts the challenges of outsized ability, overwhelming ambition and calamitous inheritance with brio and feeling.

McAlpin reviews books regularly for NPR.org, Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and other publications.

::

A Doubters Almanac

Ethan Canin

Random House: 553 pp., $28
Chris Offutt places his literary beginning at age 9, when his father gave him his worn copy of Treasure Island. But his powerful, gracefully written memoir My Father, the Pornographer shows that it was something he was born into.

Offutts father, Andrew Jefferson Offutt V, published approximately 400 pornographic pulp novels (plus six science-fiction books, a thriller and 24 fantasy novels) under 18 pseudonyms. He often churned out a book a month, with titles like The Sexorcist, Dianas Dirty Doings and The Girl in the Iron Mask (Vols. 1-8). His wife, Chris mother, typed every one.

When his father died in 2013, Chris began to clear out his office in the attic  forbidden ground to him and his siblings when they were kids  and uncovered hundreds of books, published and unpublished, under a sheen of dust, mouse nests and the shed skins of snakes.

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His three siblings dismissed the possessions  worn silver dollars, mail-ordered precious stones, a gold Cross pen, four gold-painted robin eggs  as worthless, evidence of his distorted view of the world. They encouraged him to trash everything and bow out  and he never names his siblings in the book, which heightens a sense of his personal isolation within his family.

A recipient of the Whiting writers award and author of two books of short stories, one novel, television scripts and three memoirs, Offutt grapples with his life growing up in Kentucky under a domineering, narcissistic father. At 55, he sits at his fathers desk  a treasure chest of valuables that is also a Pandoras box  and reckons with the man who was both a writer and his father.

Andrew Offutt earned a good living as an insurance salesman; he drove a Mercedes and bought the biggest house in the poorest of towns in Kentucky. Keeping up appearances was important to him. He traveled frequently for work and, when home, continued to make house calls after dinner. He was fun, even when he controlled the play. When his father, with his mothers support, decided to quit selling insurance and earn a living as a writer, he worked at home, locking himself in the attic. He saw his kids even less, becoming increasingly moody and controlling. At one point he seems to evolve into Jack Nicholson of The Shining, threatening to kill Chris in the basement by hanging him by his thumbs. Luckily for his family, his threats never became physical.

As a boy, Offutt hung out with local hill kids  we loved each other in a pure way that none of us was loved at home  tramping through the woods or buying whiskey for their fathers from the local bootlegger. In school, Offutt was viewed as defiant, a smart-ass forced to sit apart from his fellow students, opposite a kid deemed retarded.

Offutt beautifully captures the cultural and subcultural mores of the 1960s and 70s, including a peek into the burgeoning world of science-fiction conventions. His father had received accolades for his early science-fiction work  he was part of the same circle as science-fiction writers Piers Anthony and Harlan Ellison  and was invited to his first sci-fi con in the early 1970s.

But he got more attention for his pornographic novels, which he mostly wrote under the name John Cleve. In fact, he became a minor celebrity attending the shows in character as Cleve. To conventions in other states, he brought the entire family (Chris was the oldest at 12). At the hotel, the kids were placed in a room on one floor, largely ignored, while on another his mother and father would get separate, adjoining rooms to entertain others. A year before, Chris had sneaked into the attic and read his fathers books: He knew what entertaining meant.

Offutts prose is clear-eyed and unflinching, even in the face of great conflict and pain. As a freshman in high school, Offutt joins the school theater company and is excused from many classes and eventually starts ditching class altogether (though he still scores well on tests, which is the only thing important to his father) and roams the town. Then he meets the fat man.

The fat man invites teenage Chris to his apartment and has him lie down naked on his bed while he performs sexual acts on him. Offutt visits the fat man frequently, until he disappears. Offutt tries to make sense of his own actions: My parents would be proud of my open-mindedness in such a small town, he speculates. I believed that what I was doing with the fat man made me similar to them. They wrote porn and had affairs. But he kept the encounters secret for 25 years.

Offutt later attends Morehead State University and eventually gets accepted to the prestigious University of Iowa MFA program, where he studied with writer James Salter, who he initially figured would be like Andrew  controlling, pretentious, cruel, and overbearing. He marries and has kids and talks of the itinerant life of a visiting professor where he makes little money. To earn more he learns screenwriting and in time writes for Treme, True Blood and Weeds.

Going though his fathers mountains of porn  1,800 pounds of materials he had shipped home  he himself becomes sexually numb, which impacts his relationship with his wife. He steps away from his fathers work and only after his death began asking questions of his mother, who became a kind of touchstone for him.

Offutt recalls the excitement he felt when his first book, the short-story collection Kentucky Straight, was bought in 1990. When he called home in with the news, his father responded: Im sorry.  I didnt know Id given you a childhood terrible enough to make you a writer.

Rotella is the author of Stolen Figs: And Other Adventures in Calabria and Amore: The Story of Italian American Song.

::

My Father, the Pornographer

Chris Offutt

Atria: 272pp., $26
Ducatis new Scrambler has a lot going for it. Maybe thats why the Italian bike builder is selling so many.

Packaging retro styling with ease of use and a price point thats low for a Bologna-built two-wheeler, Ducati credits the Scrambler with making 2015 its best North American retail year.

As is appropriate for an entry-level machine  the least expensive in the Ducati line  the Scrambler offers a low 31-inch seat height, wide seat and wide handlebars.

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The soft clutch pull, 410 pounds wet weight and low center of gravity give an easy, small-bike feeling to this mid-sized motorcycle.

But its no scooter. The air-cooled 803cc twin-cylinder engine puts out a claimed 75 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque, giving the Scrambler plenty of pep and corner-to-corner acceleration. It decelerates well, too: The ABS-enabled Brembo brakes provide sharp, responsive stopping power.

The Scrambler is a comfortable cruise at higher speeds, too, thanks in part to the very good six-speed transmission. You may wish you had a windshield on the freeway, but you wont need more motor.

Ducati also says the Scrambler will go 8,000 miles between maintenance intervals, which comes as welcome news for the casual rider who doesnt want to spend a lot of time or money at the dealership. It also goes a long way toward reassuring consumers spooked by Ducatis reputation for high-maintenance bikes that cost a lot to service and repair.

The Scrambler is an important effort for Ducati. Its previous entry-level bike, the Monster, has been in production since 1993.

So Ducati is going all in. To the original Icon model, Ducati added a trio of slightly more expensive variations  the Classic, the Full Throttle and the Urban Enduro.

I spent a week riding the Enduro around town, and took Ducati up on its offer to switch from city streets to country back roads in an instant. But I kept wondering: Is it actually an Enduro, and is the Scrambler really a scrambler?

That moniker traditionally was applied to road bikes that had been made off-road worthy, particularly for off-road competition. The Enduro badge generally was given to models that did well in long-haul races that tested a motorcycles endurance.

With the Urban Enduro name and styling, Ducati is evoking the 1950s and 60s, when Triumph, BSA, AJS and others dominated the dirt. It also recalls Ducatis own Scramblers  single-cylinder thumpers the Italian company made and exported from 1962 to 1974.

To get there, Ducati has decorated this modern version with off-road elements such as headlight protection, an aluminum skid plate, dual sport tires, a chopped rear fender, high front fender, spoked wheels and a handlebar cross brace.

But to comply with the laws of the road and the laws of economics, Ducati also has included other elements that would hinder really rough riding. The license plate and back fender wouldnt last long on a rocky road. Neither would the add-on technology required to meet tough U.S. emissions standards.

Ducati has included some helpful modern amenities, but has made concessions, too. Theres a tachometer, but no fuel gauge. The Kayaba suspension is adjustable in the rear, but not up front. The perky engine pulls hard, but I found the choppy throttle took some getting used to. The engine also puts out a lot of heat. Under the seat, meanwhile, an old-school canvas tool kit shares space with a plug-in for electronic devices.

On the pavement, I liked this Scrambler a lot. Even though two hours in the saddle had me ready to sit on something more forgiving, the upright riding position and ergonomics were comfortable. The low-end torque and generous power band provided an energetic platform for riding around town and hitting the highway.

Off the pavement, though, my experience was mixed. With the soft suspension and limited travel and ground clearance, its not up to anything daring. Unlike real scramblers of old, the exhaust pipes are tucked under the bike, not swept up. The ABS switches off, for riding in the dirt, but even with the dual purpose Pirelli rubber, off-road attributes and Enduro badging, the Scrambler wont be competing in any enduro events.

So, really, the Ducati Scrambler isnt much of a scrambler, and the Urban Enduro wont be headed for the Dakar Rally. But for most people wholl buy one, it doesnt need to be.

This is a great around-town bike, and a great starter bike. At $10,495 its more expensive than the $8,895 Ducati gets for the basic Scrambler.

At that price, the Scrambler has done well by Ducati. Although the company wont say how many units it sold last year, it says the Scrambler contributed materially to record sales in 2015, with total numbers up 14% in North America, during a period that did not see similar upticks for Japanese companies producing more affordable mid-sized motorcycles.

Buyers attracted by the styling but put off by the price tag will have another option this year, when Ducati begins importing its Baby Scrambler, the 400cc Sixty2 version that will sell for a promised $7,995. The Scrambler Urban Enduro is already in dealerships, and the Sixty2s will join them this spring.

charles.fleming@latimes.com
Amazon is coming to town. But instead of catering to couch potatoes, the company is targeting people who prefer to browse or shop in actual stores.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant is hiring store managers, booksellers and gadget enthusiasts for an Amazon Books retail store in the La Jolla or San Diego area, according to multiple job listings posted online this month.

The job posts signal Amazon.com Inc.'s growing interest in the offline world, thus far a mostly untouched region for the company where it can extend its customer service prowess to face-to-face encounters, create shelf space for its growing lineup of hardware products and more efficiently handle returns.

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To date, Amazon has publicly announced only one brick-and-mortar bookstore, a Seattle location spanning 7,500 square feet, with approximately 5,500 square feet of retail space. It opened in November at University Village, an upscale outdoor mall.

The singular bookstore, which sells a limited selection of the sites most popular and best-reviewed titles, doubles as a showroom for Amazon gadgets, including its Kindle, Fire TV, Fire tablets and Echo.

The companys broader brick-and-mortar ambitions became a topic of debate this month after Sandeep Mathrani, chief executive of General Growth Properties Inc., said in a conference call with investors that Amazons goal is to open between 300 and 400 bookstores. General Growth Properties owns, leases and manages various retail locations across the U.S., but Mathrani is not directly affiliated with Amazon. After the comments garnered widespread attention, he backpedaled.

John Mutter, editor in chief of industry trade publication Shelf Awareness, believes Amazon is more likely targeting about a dozen physical locations to open in the next year or two.

Amazons exact plans for San Diego are unknown, and the company, when reached for comment, declined to discuss its intentions for the area. The local job postings, however, suggest that it is already in the staffing stages for at least one store in the region.

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In an email exchange, Reg Kobzi, senior vice president for commercial real estate brokerage CBRE, indicated that Amazon had been looking for retail space, but he would not comment further, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Should the e-commerce juggernaut open up shop in Southern California, customers can expect an unusual twist on the book-buying experience. Titles, chosen based on online appeal, are all displayed face out, emphasizing cover appeal instead of maximizing selection. That means familiar books in many genres may not make the shelves. This isnt the store for aficionados of fine literature. And in a seeming nod to Apple Inc.'s retail strategy, Amazons Seattle bookstore displays its name-brand gadgets front and center for shoppers to pick up and play with.

For the amount of space Amazon has, [the Seattle stores book selection] felt kind of skimpy, said Mutter. Any other bookstore of that size would have five to 10 times the number of books.

Meanwhile, independent bookstores are enjoying something of a resurgence after years of decline. Over the last six years, the number of bookstores has grown each year, surpassing 2,200 in 2015. Thats up from just 1,400 in 2009, based on membership numbers provided by the American Booksellers Assn.

Equally heartening, the group says, is the 10% increase in sales reported last year by independent book sellers.

That growth doesnt make up for the costly effect that Amazons expansion has had on small business and jobs, concludes a report released last month by the booksellers group. The report found that the shift to online sales has led to a decrease in demand for retail space of more than 100 million square feet, the equivalent of 30,000 traditional storefronts employing 136,000 workers.

Mutter of Shelf Awareness attributes the recent resurgence of independent bookstores, in part, to their efforts around emphasizing in-store perks, such as author events, that Amazon hasnt been able to copy. Its bricks-and-mortar business plans, then, are sure to make it even less popular with this group.

In the book world, Amazon is an evil empire, Mutter said.

Powells Books, a Portland, Ore.-based chain with five locations, is not overly concerned.

We did check out the store in Seattle, and found their model not very compelling to us, said co-founder Michael Powell, whose 70,000-square-foot flagship store has an inventory of a million volumes.

Im not in any panic mode, he said. Weve survived Barnes and Noble, I think we can survive Amazon.

jennifer.vangrove@utsandiego.com

lori.weisberg@utsandiego.com

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A California agency funded by taxpayers is considering whether it should support scientific research aimed at genetically modifying human embryos  work so controversial that the federal government wont pay for it.

The states stem cell institute is reviewing its ethics guidelines to determine whether they are strong enough to safely allow studies in which scientists would attempt to edit the genes of embryos.

Just this month, Britain became the first government to approve such an experiment, where a powerful new technology known as CRISPR will be used to edit genes in human embryos.

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In the British research, the early-stage embryos will be studied and destroyed

after 14 days. The work is aimed at looking at the genes that are active just after fertilization.

It is illegal in Britain  but not in the United States  to use genetically modified embryos to start a pregnancy.

Kevin McCormack, a spokesman for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, said a committee is debating whether the institute should fund similar human gene-editing research using CRISPR.

The controversial technology, developed with the help of scientists at UC Berkeley, allows DNA to be edited with unparalleled precision. It has set off a biotech gold rush as scientists imagine its commercial uses and found start-up companies that are attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital.

The 3-year-old technology allows for the genomes of all living things to be spliced and revised. It has already been used to create wheat resistant to fungal diseases, correct genetic errors that cause muscular dystrophy in mice and engineer monkeys to have targeted mutations.

In medicine, scientists say it has the potential to help cure devastating hereditary disorders such as Huntingtons disease.

But it has also set off widespread alarm about the possibility that scientists could use it to genetically modify children and change the human race.

This is not safe, said Marcy Darnovsky at the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley. Its still way too early to try such an experiment on a human being.

Last April, Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said that the federal agency would not fund such research.

Altering the human germ line in embryos for clinical purposes  has been viewed almost universally as a line that should not be crossed, Collins explained in making the announcement.

In December, an international group of scientists called for what effectively would be a moratorium on making permanent changes to the human genome.

The group, convened by the National Academy of Sciences and scientists from China and Britain, said it would be irresponsible to proceed with such research until there was broad societal consensus on whether making inheritable changes to the human genome was appropriate.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was created by voter approval of Proposition 71 in 2004. The agency is distributing

$3 billion from state taxpayers to stem cell researchers in the hope of discovering promising new cures for Parkinsons, diabetes and a host of other diseases. The agency has about $900 million left to distribute.

The agencys current regulations say that no money can be used to transfer a genetically modified human embryo to a woman to start a pregnancy. But some experts worry that agency-funded researchers could later turn to other sources to finance the reproductive stage of their work.

If you have genetically modified embryos in labs around the state, Darnovsky said, whats to stop them from being used to initiate a pregnancy?

Many other questions were raised last week when the stem cell agencys committee met in Los Angeles to review its policies on the editing of human genes.

Do we need to think about the rights of the embryo donor? asked board member Jeff Sheehy. If they have a severe inheritable disease and the embryo they donated for research has been edited with CRISPR or other tools to remove that potential, do they have a right to know about that or even access to that technology for their own use?

McCormack, the agencys spokesman, said the committee will try to answer such questions and come back with recommendations that will go to the full board for consideration  a process expected to take a couple of months.

So far we have not funded any research that involves CRISPR, nor have we received any proposals for funding using that technology, McCormack said. But thats probably just a matter of time.

Last year, Chinese scientists stunned the scientific community by revealing that they had already used CRISPR to genetically modify human embryos. To try to head off ethical concerns, the scientists had used embryos they said were non-viable and could not result in a live birth.

In their experiment, the researchers had attempted to modify a gene responsible for a potentially fatal blood disorder. But they experienced multiple problems, including finding a surprising number of off-target mutations in other parts of the genome.

The Chinese team said their results showed the serious barriers to using the gene-editing technique in humans.

melody.petersen@latimes.com

Twitter: @melodypetersen
Uber has agreed to pay $28.5 million to roughly 25 million customers to settle two class-action lawsuits related to the way the company represented its background checks and the fees it charged passengers.

As part of the settlement, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, the San Francisco company will change the language of its safety-related advertising and stop using the term Safe Ride Fee.

If the settlement is approved by a judge, the class  which includes anyone who took an Uber ride in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2013, and Jan. 31, 2016  will be notified via email and given the option to be paid by credit card or receive a credit to their rider account. The amount that individuals in the class will receive is not yet known.

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The company was sued in two separate cases by customers who alleged it misled them by advertising that Uber rides are safer than a taxi and that its background checks were industry leading.

The court filings said Uber made these claims in its marketing materials, despite its background check process not including fingerprints or requiring applicants to appear in person. In comparison, taxi regulators use fingerprint technology in their background checks.

The district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles filed similar lawsuits against the ride-hailing company in late 2014. Those cases are ongoing.

Uber has remained steadfast that its technology improves safety before, during and after rides by enabling drivers and passengers to know who theyre riding with. Rides booked through the Uber app are also tracked via GPS, and all passengers receive a digital record of the trip.

However no means of transportation can ever be 100 percent safe, the company said in a blog post Thursday. We are glad to put these cases behind us and we will continue to invest in new technology and great customer services so that we can help improve safety in the cities we serve.

Separately, Uber also announced Thursday a partnership with American Airlines at 11 U.S. airports. The partnership will offer passengers of both services rider and mileage promotions.

Twitter: @traceylien

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There was a time when Americans went to the movies to escape the workplace. These days, in keeping with the way our offices have taken over our lives, filmmakers have turned the big screen into one long career day.

Audiences have been invited to experience first-hand the everyday grind of being a journalist (Spotlight), an astronaut (The Martian), a screenwriter (Trumbo), a fur trapper (The Revenant) and even an inventor of kitchen mops (Joy).

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Ever wonder what it was like to be a retail clerk in a fancy old New York department store? Carol and Brooklyn will happily fill you in on the conversational etiquette of ringing up a purchase.

Moviegoers anxious about what urgent email the boss might be firing off while theyre sitting in the dark for two unforgivably leisurely hours probably wont be comforted by the sight of Christian Bales hedge-fund manager character in The Big Short sifting through complaints in his inbox from angry clients. But at least theyll know theyre not the only ones bouncing from screen to screen in the informational pingpong of the 24-7 workday.

Taken collectively, the somber message of these movies  most of them contenders for best film or acting honors in this years Oscar race  is that we have become our jobs. I think, therefore I am has been updated to I work, therefore I exist.

Not only has private life been squeezed out, but personal happiness, when it is captured, is also celebrated as a boon for productivity.

Saoirse Ronan at work in a scene from Brooklyn. (Kerry Brown / AP)

When Saoirse Ronans Irish immigrant character in Brooklyn falls in love with a handsome Italian American plumber, you know its the real deal because even her supervisor is impressed with her newfound confidence in handling customers. In Carol, Rooney Maras character comes into her own not so much by embracing her sexuality as by switching professions from daydreaming retail drone to driven photojournalist.

Jennifer Lawrence in Joy. (Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox / AP)

Jobs arent simply jobs. Theyre manifestations of well-being. As the title character of David O. Russells Joy, Jennifer Lawrence doesnt forcefully question the fuzzy boundaries of her relationships or the way shes being exploited by her family. Instead, this former high school valedictorian bemoans her lack of achievement. If shes miserable, its because she hasnt realized her potential in a career commensurate with her high IQ.

This isnt a commentary on the quality of the films competing right now for awards bric-a-brac. Movies, a sociological mirror, simply reflect the harried way we live now.

Comic actor Steve Carell plays it more or less straight as money manager Mark Baum in The Big Short. But he has the audience raucously laughing in recognition when he makes his boisterous entrance, pounding the city pavement like a storm trooper and treating his cellphone like a physical appendage. His body language provides its own screaming supertitles: Get out of my way, you nobodies! Cant you see Im working!

Movies about lawyers have long been a Hollywood staple. But Bridge of Spies tracks the painstaking negotiations of a New York attorney (played by Tom Hanks) as he wanders through the labyrinth of Cold War Berlin with a bad head cold trying to exchange a Russian spy for two imprisoned Americans. Steven Spielberg and his screenwriters find drama in the bureaucratic intrigue.

Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo in Jay Roachs Trumbo. (Hilary Bronwyn Gayle / AP)

Less successful is the way Trumbo tries to turn the act of screenwriting into a spectator sport. The story of Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten blacklisted for suspected political affiliations, is historically fascinating, but even the great Bryan Cranston has trouble making typing at home and shushing noisy kids dramatically thrilling.

As an ink-stained wretch, I couldnt help being enthralled by Spotlight, Tom McCarthys stirring re-creation of the Boston Globe investigation of the Catholic Churchs sex abuse scandal, and Truth, James Vanderbilts inside-journalism expose on the controversial 2004 60 Minutes II report about President George W. Bushs military record. These were superbly acted films, and Spotlight would probably get my vote for best picture. But it did surprise me that some of the more banal aspects of news reporting received so much attention.

If Truth were storyboarded, there would be panel after panel of meetings and anxious waiting around for important phone calls. Sure, All the Presidents Men tracked Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they cracked the Watergate story, but Spotlight doesnt merely depict the flash points in the Boston Globe investigation  it fills us in on the archival drudgery and the bureaucratic challenges of copying official documents.

Kitchen-sink realism has apparently morphed into mail-room naturalism, where the aroma of a colleagues microwaved lunch practically wafts through the screen. Whereas in days gone by a film got its authenticity from a dumpy Brooklyn apartment and a bickering ethnic family, today a movie earns its grit through corporate tedium and an unappeasable boss.

The movies once provided a refuge from the pressures of earning a living. But now, even a film like the The Danish Girl, the story of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe, is dominated by occupational concerns  in this case, the business of art. And not just the posing and the painting but the cocktail party schmoozing, the jockeying with dealers and even the carting of work around town.

The idea, often attributed to Freud, that love and work are the keys to human happiness is hardly new. A drama concentrating exclusively on romance, without the least concern for how a character keeps a roof over her head, would seem incomplete in an age in which mortgages (and the complex financing system built around them) have become prime subjects of documentaries and features.

But theres something a little disturbing about the giddy subordination of private to professional life. This isnt just the price one pays for having a relatively interesting job. Workaholics have become our modern-day heroes.

This sentiment reached a near comic crescendo in Ridley Scotts The Martian when the members of the Hermes crew unanimously agree to rescue the astronaut they left stranded on Mars even though it will add 533 days of unplanned space travel to their mission with no guarantee of success or even safe return. Tough luck for their spouses, kids and pets waiting back home. These gung-ho space cowboys might have had a more agonizing time deciding on their evening meal packets.

Layabouts beware: Moral character is now revealed in our refusal to stop working. Of course, Mark Ruffalos journalist in Spotlight deserves a Pulitzer: Hes so dedicated he cant bother to furnish an apartment or stock his fridge. The authenticating mark of the financial genius Bale portrays in The Big Short is his inability to socially interact.

These characters, based on real-life figures, arent presented as psychological ideals. But what distinguishes them from their colleagues is what alienates them from nearly everyone else: their ability to subsume themselves entirely in their work.

Neither Spotlight nor The Big Short endorses such a single-minded focus. Ruffalo tinges his portrayal with a haunting loneliness. And in The Big Short, the characters played by Carell and Bale are left deeply troubled by their success in out-maneuvering the rigged financial system. Theyre vastly richer yet morally spent after the crash hits. But the sense that life is larger than our professional identities flickers only faintly, the shadow of some distant, hard-to-discern object on the periphery of these cinematic stories.

It was a better-than-average year for intelligent American movies, and its good to see screenwriters and directors grappling with the value of our labor. But at a time when wages have stagnated despite productivity gains, when wealth is being amassed only at the very top and the rest of us are having to scratch and claw merely to hang on, filmmakers might want to cast a more critical eye on the way we have come to define ourselves through our work.

The movies dont have to simply mirror our compulsive busyness. They can provide an opportunity for us to get off the relentless merry-go-round and take in the bigger picture. They can also enhance our appreciation for what the Italians call dolce far niente  that sweet idleness overworked Americans might start finding less objectionable as the dream for which they have been slaving away slips only further out of reach.

charles.mcnulty@latimes.com
Taking a break from promoting his latest film, Hail, Caesar!, in Germany, George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, paid a visit to Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

The actor-activist and the human-rights attorney sat down for a private meeting with Merkel to discuss the crisis in Syria and Europes efforts to help the Middle Eastern nations refugees, the Associated Press reported.

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They talked about the responsibilities of all states, not just European states but states around the world, to deal with what is a global problem, not just a Syrian problem or a German issue, said former British foreign secretary David Miliband, who now helms the International Rescue Committee aid group and joined the couple for the 40-minute sit-down.

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Miliband said the Clooneys wanted to hear from the chancellor and support what shes doing as a leader to help eradicate the crisis by opening Germanys borders to numerous refugees in the past year -- 1.1 million in 2015, according to the Guardian.

George Clooney, who has been vocal about Sudans Darfur crisis since 2006 and has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2008, asked for the meeting, Miliband said.

The Clooneys also plan to meet with some Syrian refugees on Friday.

Actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, attend the Hail, Caesar! premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival at Berlinale Palace on Thursday. (Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)

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Merkel, who has been praised and criticized for her policies, later told reporters that she had a very good conversation with the couple, AP said, and swapped ideas with them on how to help groups and governments in aiding refugees.

The meeting comes just a day after the Oscar-winning producer snapped at a reporter during a news conference at the Berlin Film Festival when he was asked what he was doing, beyond making movies, to ease the refugee crisis in Europe. The refugee situation has been a hot topic during the festival, according to several reports.

I spend a lot of time working on these things, and its an odd thing to have someone stand up and say, What do you do? Thats fine, knock yourself out, the irritated actor quipped (via THR). I have gone to places that are very dangerous and I work a lot on these things.

He also announced then that he would be meeting with Merkel.

In May, the actor told the BBC that he planned to help the people of Syria without getting involved in the politics. That decision came about because of his marriage to Lebanese-born Amal Clooney, who influenced his views about Syria.

Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad.

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Toke.

Im definitely feeling a little stoned.

Exhale. Toke.

Im feeling a little goofy.

Toke.

As far as dream jobs go"

Such is the happy life of Brittany Driver, pot columnist for the Denver Post. She riffs on taste and aroma, is intimate with THC potency, and would never confuse the Ghost Train Haze blend with Tahoe Original Gangster. She is one of a chilled yet intense cast of characters in Rolling Papers, a documentary about how the Post covered the fallout, bliss, chicanery and commercialization that emerged in 2014 when recreational marijuana could be sold legally in licensed shops.

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The film, which opens Feb. 19, is not quite All the Presidents Men meets Sicario. But it is an amusing tale of a newspaper dispatching reporters, critics and editors to cover a seminal moment in a nation whose attitudes on marijuana have shifted from the scary days of Reefer Madness to the sublime hilarity of Cheech & Chongs Up in Smoke to a widening acceptance that weed deserves a place on the store shelf.

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Our guide through the tangy haze is Ricardo Baca, a hushed-voiced scribe with an inquisitive streak and the disarming nature of a pretty mild-mannered dude. A former music critic, Baca was chosen by Post editor Gregory L. Moore to be the papers new pot editor and preside over the Cannabist Web page. The job drew quick national attention, notably from Stephen Colbert, who with mock alarm noted: A pot editor is just a gateway job to a meth editor.

But Baca is serious in pursuing the customs and fascinations of what had long been an underground culture while also asking deeper questions about licensing, medicinal purposes, fraudulent dealers, the long-term effects of smoking, THC levels and the regulation of marijuana edibles. His staff glides on subtle ponderings and investigative doggedness in parsing a phenomenon that has progressives cheering and conservatives lamenting what they see as the countrys perilous permissiveness.

One of the greatest gifts you can be given as a journalist is starting from scratch, Baca said. Im proud of the work weve done.... I just love the conversation about normalization and how our culture looks differently at this new, legal plant.

The fun of Rolling Papers is following Baca and his team. One critic new to the newspaper business mentions while driving to an interview: I should Google investigative reporting. Another reporter with a Spock-like demeanor seems out of sorts around stoners. And Driver, ever the stream of consciousness, worries that Child Protective Services may question her parenting choices: They dont want you smoking weed, pretty much. Theyre still not on the trip that its legal.

That dilemma contains both humor and anxiety regarding healthcare, civil rights and other issues arising around a substance the federal government still lists as an illegal drug. Such concerns are likely to multiply if California, Nevada and other states legalize recreational pot; the question will get to voters in Nevada this year and has been proposed for the California ballot in November. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana, but initiatives for recreational use have failed.

If California goes recreational it throws an atom bomb into marijuana normalization, Baca said, noting the commercial effect it would have on the states large economy. It will change everything. He added that he and his writers are tracking the commercialization of pot in Colorado.

Its inevitable. This is America, he said. We are beginning to see the rise of these massive chains.

The legal marijuana industry in the U.S. was $5.4 billion last year and is expected to grow to $6.7 billion this year, according to ArcView Market Research, which monitors the cannabis business. Much of the growth is propelled by medicinal marijuana sales. But in coming years the industry is likely to further expand as more states are expected to join Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington in legalizing recreational use.

While support for cannabis law reform has risen across all age groups, it is highest among adults ages 18-34, 74% of whom now support legalization of adult use, states ArcViews new report The State of Legal Marijuana Markets, co-produced with New Frontier, an analytics firm. This broad base of support among younger voters portends a generational shift in views that will fundamentally reshape the countrys approach to cannabis regulation.

Such societal shifts present challenges to newspapers, including the Post, to develop Web pages and tell stories central to changing times and controversial narratives. The film offers a cursory view of the struggling newspaper business and suggests publications have to be more nimble and imaginative in what they cover, such as a story in the Cannabist with the headline Smoker Supply Kit: The Necessary, Stylish Accessories for a High Night Out.

We knew we had a situation that was unprecedented happening in Colorado, said director Mitch Dickman. We wanted to see it through that lens. I didnt realize how rich the culture of it was. I didnt know about the Cannabis Cup.

Sponsored by High Times magazine, the Cannabis Cup is a sprawling marijuana trade show  the Olympics, if you will  of ganja: How its manufactured, marketed and celebrated with T-shirts like, Bong Hits 4 Jesus. Bacas team covered the event, and later in the film Driver, who writes a pot and parenting column, interviewed a family that was treating a boys leukemia with the marijuana compound known as Cannabidiol or CBD.

Baca then traveled to Uruguay, the first country to legalize marijuana. He poked around for a while with the curiosity of Hunter S. Thompson, sans guns, wild gestures and vicious streams of prose. He ate doped-up sweets, interviewed the presidents wife, sampled the local product, pondered leftist politics and flew home.

Colorado was legalized but restive. At a forum sponsored by the Post, doctors, parents, marijuana manufacturers and others spoke for and against hemp, its economic potential, regulation and what it might do to children. When asked about the effects of occasional marijuana use, a doctor noted, This is an issue we dont know a lot about.

Tipping appears to be one of the drugs many uses. Baca said that people are tipping Uber drivers, bed-and-breakfast staffs and others with pot. It fits well, he said, into a shared economy. It also conjures vivid, off-kilter imagery, such as when a pot seller told critic Jake Browne that a particular blend was so good, I got melted to the couch, which was cool because he was ready to stream House of Cards.
Its only a matter of time before Jack Reynor becomes a major movie star. The 24-year-old Irish actor first grabbed Hollywoods attention in the 2012 indie What Richard Did. Since then, hes been a standout in smaller parts, such as Transformers: Age of Extinction and John Carneys upcoming rock musical, Sing Street.

But its in writer-director Gerard Barretts Glassland that Reynor really shows what he can do.

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Reynor stars as John, an affable Dublin cab driver who doesnt get to be as carefree as his mates, because he has to keep tabs on two people: his institutionalized brother Kit (Harry Nagle), who has Down syndrome; and his alcoholic mother Jean (Toni Collette), who frequently disappears for days on benders, leaving their flat trashed and their bills unpaid.

In Glassland, the situation reaches a crisis point when a doctor recommends a life-saving rehab stint for Jean that John cant afford. With his best friend Shane (Will Poulter) getting ready to leave town and his mother also in danger of slipping away, a lonely, desperate John considers selling his services to the mob.

Barrett  a filmmaker in his 20s  cant avoid some of the cliches of miserablist kitchen sink drama. British and Irish cinema are filled with stories of working-class families torn apart by excessive drinking. For the most part, Glassland doesnt bring anything new to the genre. Even when Jean delivers a long monologue explaining why shes cant quit boozing, her reasons sound a little pat ... more like a clinical case-study than a rich back story.

But Collette delivers that speech with real nuance and pathos. Shes matched beat-for-beat by Reynor, who plays John as someone deeply enraged by what his life has become, yet trying hard not to let it show. His performance  fractured yet strong  is a big reason why Glassland works so well.

Its not the only reason, though. Barrett makes great use of his lead, crafting a character sketch about a young man who is hobbled in some ways by his memories of better times.

In the movies best scene, as mother and son dance to an old pop song, the look on Reynors face speaks volumes about loss and hope. Its a look thats going to be breaking hearts on screen for decades to come.

------------

Glassland

MPAA rating: None

Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

calendar@latimes.com
Yes, its a comedy. And, yes, romance is involved.

But dont call the new film How to Be Single, which opens Friday in time for Valentines Day, a romantic comedy (or its familiar abbreviation, a rom-com).

I feel like its a tiny bit sexist and gets applied to movies that women are in, said Dana Fox, who co-wrote the screenplay for the Warner Bros. film. The classic rom-com is not what this movie is about. Its about everything else but that. Its a comedy about what it means to be single in a very weird time to be single.

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Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann, who star in the film along with Rebel Wilson and Alison Brie, agreed that How to Be Single defies easy classification.

Theres not the typical guy-meets-girl, it-doesnt-work-out-but-then-it-does story line, noted Johnson, best known to film fans as the love interest Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey. Its about the relationships between sisters and best friends and old loves and what the real story is when youre single.

And about what that period of time in your life is like when people used to think that they had to go to college and find a man, then get married and have kids, said Mann, who joined Johnson for the interview. This movie is saying you need to enjoy that time you have when youre single, and theres no pressure to get married right away.

Added Johnson: And its OK to take the time to cultivate your personality only for yourself.

How to Be Single centers on a new college graduate named Alice (Johnson) who breaks off her four-year relationship to explore what life has to offer in New York City. Once she arrives in the Big Apple, her party-girl coworker Robin (Wilson) vows to teach her how to be single. Mann plays Alices sister, Meg, who is on the fast track in her career as an OB-GYN. But shes feeling qualms about not being married or having children and fears that her time is running out.

The film also stars Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm and Jason Mantzoukas as some of the men who come into the womens lives.

Its about the relationships between sisters and best friends and old loves and what the real story is when youre single.  Dakota Johnson

The script for the film is, in part, inspired by Foxs life and that of the women and men around her. Her goal while writing was to be authentic about dating in an app-based world where cultural pressure often dictates romantic encounters.

Society forces you to rush through [being single] because there is a stigma attached to it, she said. But married life changes you. You wish you were back in [the single life] when youre not in it, and when youre in it, you just want to be out of it. We should look at being single as something that is fun, and you should cherish it.

Johnson, who describes herself as a person who tends to be in long-term relationships, said that Alices single life was not my vibe but that she enjoyed the challenge of lending a hand to the exploration Alice has.

The comedy-based role was a welcome change for Johnson after the drama (both on-screen and off-screen) of Fifty Shades of Grey and her small role in the Whitey Bulger film Black Mass. She enjoyed returning to her comedic roots seen most recently in the short-lived series Ben and Kate. And being paired up with Mann, a veteran actress best known for comedies directed by her husband, Judd Apatow, including Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, made for a memorable bedroom scene and liberating experience overall, the duo said.

It really makes a difference when you have an emotional connection with the person youre working with, Johnson said. Like, I love her so much and I was able to do so many more things. You feel understood and then capable"

And free, Mann said.

But the question remains, how does one be single? Dont expect a cut-and-dried answer from the film or its leading ladies.

I both crave and fear emotional intimacy, so I really cant answer that question, said Johnson, looking to Mann.

I dont know anything most of the time. So I cant answer that question, said Mann, whos been married to Apatow for almost 20 years and has two children. Wed sound like idiots if we did pretend to have an answer to that. Its an individual thing, and everybody does things differently, but maybe you can take some of the pressure off of yourself and enjoy the time before you commit to something, or you dont.

Manns advice: Enjoy being single. Dont waste that time moving on to the next thing.
After camping with famed naturalist John Muir in Yosemite in 1903, President Roosevelt realized the need to preserve the American wilderness. So during his tenure in the White House, Roosevelt created five national parks and 18 national monuments.

Thirteen years after that camping trip, President Wilson signed an act making the National Park Service a U.S. government agency. There are currently 407 National Park sites, and in 2015 a record 292.8 million people visited parks.

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National Parks Adventure, a new Imax 3-D documentary celebrating the centenary of the service, opens Friday at the California Science Center. The MacGillivray Freeman Films production is narrated by actor, filmmaker and environmental activist Robert Redford.

I have got a love for nature and parks, said director Greg MacGillivray, who has made 38 giant-screen films and was Oscar-nominated for The Living Sea and Dolphins. When we heard it was going to be the 100th anniversary, we teamed with a few groups that had the same interest of preserving the national parks. 

The mission of National Parks Adventure is simple, according to MacGillivray: Its not only to make sure that people appreciate [the parks], understand them and learn a little bit more about the parks that are not as well known, but to protect these wonderful locations.

National Parks Adventure was over two years in production. We were out on location for about a year, said producer Shaun MacGillivray, Gregs son and president of the company. We filmed in parks all across the U.S. I think there may be 40 parks in the film over all.

Though favorite parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone are featured in the movie, National Parks Adventure also shines the spotlight on such breathtaking and lesser-known parks as Wyomings Devils Tower National Monument; Arches National Park in Utah, which features the worlds largest collection of natural sandstone archways; and the frozen marvels of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in upper Michigan which boasts sandstone cliffs, caves, natural archways and dunes.

This undated image provided shows a brown bear catching salmon in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, shot in slow motion with a telephoto lens. The image appears in National Parks Adventure. (Brad Ohlund / AP)

The production had incredible access to the parks, Shaun MacGillivray said. . Though each park is its own kind of separate entity in a way and has its own jurisdiction, the people in Washington, D.C., were able to help us a lot as far as navigating and working with each park to get the best possible shots.

National Parks Adventure also explores the animals at various locations, including an adorable colony of prairie dogs that are protected at Devils Tower. We shot this charming sequence with these super-cute little animals who turn out to be quite intelligent, Greg MacGillivray said of the prairie dogs. They have a sophisticated language.

Initially, said Greg MacGillivray, the scripts for National Parks Adventure focused more on the history of the service. It was kind of all wrapped up in Muir and Roosevelt. I thought it was too dry.

One person he knew could bring the story to life was noted climber Conrad Anker, who has climbed everything from Rakekniven in Queen Maud Land in Antarctica to Everest, where during a climb in 1999 he found the body of early Everest explorer George Mallory. He was also one of the stars of the acclaimed 2015 documentary Meru.

He is one of the most honest, straightforward caring people I have ever met, which is kind of rare in a climber, the director said. Climbers, except for Conrad, are kind of egomaniacs. Part of what makes them successful with climbing is that they climb to fulfill their own ego.

Not only was Anker interested in participating in the movie; he also gave the filmmaker the idea of turning it into primarily a road movie.

He said, I am a National Parks ambassador,  Greg MacGillivray said.  I take trips every time I come back from a project and climb through the national parks. It is what I do. It is part of me. I grew up right outside Yosemite.

Road films are always fun, said Greg MacGillivray. So thats when I decided to have these two parallel stories  the historical story of John Muir and establishing the parks and these modern-day explorers on a road trip to go to as many parks as they can.

Joining Anker on the trip are his stepson, Max Lowe, a photographer, and longtime family friend Rachel Pohl, who had gone on many trips with them in the past. The Bozeman, Mont. native hopes to go to all the parks in the U.S.

National Parks Adventure is essentially eye candy, Pohl said. It is so beautiful visually. It makes you fall in love with these places. And it also shows you how fragile these places are and reminds people of the importance of our public lands.

------------

National Parks Adventure

California Science Center

700 Exhibiton Park Drive, Los Angeles

Admission: $5.25 to $8.50

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It feels odd to congratulate an awards ceremony that is already an exercise in self-congratulation. Its a bit like saying, Thank you for cashing the check I sent you!

But the 58th Grammy Awards deserve applause, no matter which musicians take home Grammys on Monday night. The Grammys stand out by comparison with their cinematic sibling, the Oscars. The #OscarsSoWhite controversy revealed an academy so out of touch it was practically crying out for an intervention.

The Grammys are in touch, mostly.

FULL COVERAGE: Grammy Awards 2016

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The major nominees this year are popular, respected and involved in the work of writing, and updating, the language of popular music.

Kendrick Lamar has been nominated 11 times for To Pimp a Butterfly, one shy of the record for one album set by Michael Jacksons for Thriller in 1984. That makes sense. I grew up watching light rock acts like Christopher Cross beat Aerosmith and waiting for the Recording Academy to realize rap not only existed but also was important.

1 / 16 Click through the gallery to see some of the top Grammys 2016 winners and nominees including Taylor Swift, the Weeknd and Ed Sheeran. Make sure to check out The Times complete Grammys coverage. (From left: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Matt Sayles / Invision / AP) 2 / 16 WINNER: Album of the year, pop vocal album and music video; NOMINATED: Record of the year, song of the year, pop solo performance, pop duo/group performance. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 16 WINNER: Record of the year and Pop duo/group performance; NOMINATIONS: Pop vocal album (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 16 WINNER: Best New Artist (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 16 WINNER: Rock song, rock performance and alternative music album; NOMINATIONS: Album of the year. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 16 WINNER: Song of the year and pop solo performance. NOMINATIONS: Record of the year, album of the year. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 16 WINNER: rap album, rap performance, rap song, rap/sung collaboration, and music video; NOMINATED: album of the year, song of the year. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 16 WINNER: R&B performance, urban contemporary album; NOMINATIONS: Record of the year, album of the year, pop solo performance, R&B song, and song written for visual media. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 16 WINNER: R&B song and R&B album; NOMINATIONS: Record of the year. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 16 WINNER: Country solo performance, country album; NOMINATIONS: Album of the year, country song. (Jenna Schoenefeld / For The Times) 11 / 16 NOMINATIONS: Rap performance, rap/sung collaboration, rap song and rap album (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 16 NOMINATIONS: Pop duo/group performance, pop vocal album, rock performance and rock song (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 16 Nominations: Rap performance, rap/sung collaboration and rap album (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for A+E Networks) 14 / 16 WINNER: Country duo/group performance; NOMINATIONS: Country album. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 16 NOMINATIONS: New artist and country album (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 16 NOMINATIONS: R&B performance and R&B album (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Now the worst thing that could happen Monday night is that the Weeknd wins album of the year. Would that be bad because I dont love the album? No, all five nominees for album of the year, as in most categories, are good and relevant, and thats the point. The Grammys would have to do something really odd to screw this one up.

Since 2012, artists have been winning Grammys while they are having an influence. That year, an overhaul streamlined the categories with consumer tastes in mind. No longer do we have Herbie Hancock winning album of the year for a set of Joni Mitchell covers. River: The Joni Letters from 2008 is an intermittently inspired album, especially when Hancocks piano is channeling Mitchells melodies, but it was not the album of 2008 in any popular, critical or spiritual way.

More to the point, it suffered the age-old Oscars problem, in musical terms. Instead of winning for something as uncanny and unprecedented as 1976s Taxi Driver, Martin Scorsese had to wait 30 years to win the best picture Oscar in 2006 for The Departed, a capable genre movie.

In 1961, a 21-year-old Hancock appeared on Donald Byrds taut Free Form, which did not win album of the year or any other Grammy. That year, Bob Newharts The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart won album of the year. (Its on Spotify, if youre curious.)

Neither Mitchells Hejira and Blue won album of the year when they were eligible, nor did Hancocks classic 60s albums Maiden Voyage or Speak Like a Child win any Grammys.

The 2008 awards  Hancock also won for contemporary jazz album  felt like an apology to Mitchell and Hancock and baffling to the rest of us. One has to assume that the win by River was a ballot bottleneck, with votes being split among too many overly specific categories, sort of a Ralph Nader moment for the Grammys.

The categories are now easier to understand, but the music business has never been trickier to understand: Blame the new, tortured path from a listen to a royalty.

Popularity, though, is now easier to measure: Thank the easily tracked Web click. These may be major keys to understanding why the Grammys have figured out how to host an awards show.

The Los Angeles Times has reported on the alarming demographics of the Oscars voting bloc  more than 90% white with a median age over 60, and able to vote unto death before rule changes just announced.

Popularity is now easier to measure: Thank the easily tracked Web click.  Sasha Frere-Jones, Los Angeles Times Critic at Large

We know less about the Grammy voters. It is a much larger cohort; with 20,000 people eligible to vote, compared with about 6,300 for the film academy. According to Recording Academy rules, those Grammy voters must be pros with credits on at least six commercially released tracks.

Maybe to vote on the Oscars you can be some random suit, or a guy who walked across the screen once in Point Break. But not the Grammys. The voters are people in the act of making records, consistently. A 300-person screening committee then goes through the 20,000 ballots, under the supervision of the Deloitte accounting firm. What comes out the other end? The nominations.

Aside from being an awards ceremony, the Grammys are an old-fashioned spectacle, where set pieces and musical numbers can fill in the blanks missed by nominations. Because every awards fandango has a chronological eligibility bracket, there is always the slightly old material that feels out of place and the obvious absence of something popular  say, Adeles 25"  that was released right after the cutoff.

This is where performances come in. Rihannas Anti was just released but is playing pretty much everywhere. Whether it is the best Anti it could be  its close  it is deeply relevant. So Rihanna will be performing.

The old Recording Academy might have been too confused by the nature of sales nowadays to figure out what to do with Rihanna. One cannot be blamed  here is how Anti came out.

On Jan. 27, Samsung sponsored a limited giveaway of Anti, which I happened to learn about because I saw a tweet and was awake. (Thank you, Pacific Standard Time.) For reasons I did not entirely understand, I was allowed to download a FLAC version (a high-quality digital format) of Anti for no money, as did 1.27 million other people. The free downloads stopped the next day.

On Jan. 29, Anti starting being sold through digital retailers, and on Feb. 5, the physical version became available. Back up, though  on Feb. 1, the New York Times questioned Anti with this headline: Rihannas Anti Sells Fewer Than 1,000 Copies in U.S., but Some Call It a Hit. The next day, Rihannas Instagram account announced "#ANTI is now officially PLATINUM!!!

So theres the problem that the music industry and the Grammys are always up against. Is there any way to accurately count music sales anymore? The New York Times reported that those 1 million Samsung downloads had led the Recording Industry Assn. of America to award Rihanna a platinum plaque. This was true. But Nielsen Music did not count those Samsung-sponsored downloads as sales.

Billboard, yet a third organization, now has Anti at No. 1 on the album charts, based on what it calls multi-metric consumption. This means that Billboard takes into account a combination of digital sales, physical sales and streaming numbers. The result is fairly accurate, in terms of what people are doing with their listening time; that No. 1 on the Billboard 200 makes more sense than Bob Newharts 1961 album of the year.

But the math is dizzy across the board. According to Nielsen Music, Anti has been credited with 180,000 total consumption units. This includes 124,000 album sales, 456,000 individual track sales and 15.6 million on-demand streams (500 streams are equivalent to one album sale, as Nielsen counts it).

In the old days, 180,000 wasnt halfway to gold status. But maybe the Recording Academy has realized the Old World is old.

What will happen on Monday? Lamar, Taylor Swift and Chris Stapleton will likely divide most of the awards, with Lamar taking home the lions share. The rock categories and new artist category look dodgy, and there could be an unfortunate appearance by Seth MacFarlane, traditional pop vocalist.

The ghost of Bob Newhart, recording artist, haunts the building. But Rihanna can put the ghosts to bed, at least for a year.

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Returning to the message of hope that propelled him from the Illinois state capital to the White House, President Obama on Wednesday invoked Abraham Lincolns warning that a house divided could not stand and called for structural changes to improve the countrys political discourse.

In an address to the same Illinois Legislature where he once served, and in the city where nine years earlier to the day he had launched his presidential bid, Obama accepted responsibility for his failure to reduce the polarization and meanness in our politics, even as he fondly recalled the collaborative nature of his work as a state senator.

He warned that the poisonous political climate was a growing threat and said he still believed in a politics of hope.

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In a big, complicated democracy like ours, if we cant compromise, by definition we cant govern ourselves, he said.

The presidents trip to Springfield was a nostalgic one, including a stop at a restaurant he frequented during his legislative service and recollections about some of the hazing he faced in his early days under the dome.

He spoke privately to aides about the good old days in Illinois when Republicans and Democrats worked together  and when he, a liberal black urban lawmaker, reached a deal on a law to fight racial profiling with the white Republican ex-Marine who ran the Senate with an iron fist.

In his speech, Obama bemoaned how political insults have become the norm, how bipartisanship is penalized rather than rewarded, and spoke of other challenges posed by the influence of money and a balkanized media environment.

Weve always gone through periods when our democracy seems stuck, and when that happens we have to find a new way of doing business, he said. Were in one of those moments.

He said his message was meant for both parties, and at times playfully admonished the Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the chamber for applauding his comments only when they served their own goals.

Twelve years after Obama left Springfield, the state body has turned radically partisan, to the point that Republican lawmakers march in lockstep with their GOP governor in stolid opposition to the Democratic-led House and Senate.

Even in this rural capital famous for wheeling and dealing among partisans of all demographics, the reality today is a far cry from the hopeful picture Obama presented during his first presidential campaign, when he declared that America is neither red nor blue, and not as divided as our politics would suggest.

While he did not directly address the presidential campaign, at times he seemed to refer to the rise of candidates challenging the party establishment.

Weve got to build a better politics, one thats less of a spectacle and more of a battle of ideas, he said.

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At one point, he seemed to echo Hillary Clintons criticism that Sen. Bernie Sanders ideas are admirable, but often unrealistic.

When either side makes blanket promises to their base that it cant possibly meet, he said, that kind of politics means that the supporters will be perennially disappointed. It only adds to folks sense that the system is rigged, and its one of the reasons why we see these big electoral swings every few years.

Building on the message of his State of the Union address last month, Obama called for specific changes in the political system, including campaign finance reform, national redistricting and expanded voting rights, like same-day registration and early voting.

But that would do only so much, Obama said, calling for a modicum of civility between the parties.

The way we respect  or dont  each other as citizens will determine whether or not the hard, frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government continues, he said.

michael.memoli@latimes.com

christi.parsons@latimes.com

Memoli reported from Manchester, N.H., and Parsons from Springfield.

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President Obama appeared Thursday night at the Hancock Park home of entertainment lawyer Aaron Rosenberg and Scorpion executive producer Danny Rose for a reception, concert and fundraiser for about 340 people.

I still have an enormous amount I want to get done, Obama said, rattling off different lengths of time for how much longer hell be in office and joking that someone is keeping track.

Obama said he keeps a checklist in his desk of campaign promises he made. We havent gotten 100% of what I wanted to get done. But we got about 80, he said.

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Our work is not done, Obama told the donors, but if we look at what weve accomplished over the last seven years, it should fortify us.

The president cited climate change, health insurance, and lesbian and gay rights as areas where there was work still to be done.

The event took place as the Democrats hoping to replace Obama in the White House were debating in Wisconsin and arguing over who had been more loyal to the president.

Obama chose instead to address the rhetoric coming from Republican hopefuls in the race.

Youre seeing in our election cycle a lot of anger and frustration, he said. Some of it is manufactured for political purposes, some of it is hype. But the frustrations are there, and they are real.

There are people who are afraid, he continued in what was a 19-minute speech. They watch the evening news: whats happening in Syria and other troubled parts of the world. ... Fear, if not unaddressed, if not channeled, can result in some pretty ugly politics.

Read our interview with President Obama >>

Guests sat under white tents in the yard of Rose and Rosenbergs home on Rossmore Avenue. Each tent had a chandelier hanging from the peak.

Before the president spoke, all talking came to an abrupt stop as John Legend, a longtime Obama supporter, took a seat behind a baby grand piano and sang Bob Marleys Redemption Song and his own hit All of Me.

Before Obama came to the stage, Rose and Rosenberg welcomed the guests and praised the president.

Mr. President, on behalf of all of us here, thank you, Rosenberg said.

Obama got a standing ovation from the crowd before he even took the stage. People held their cellphones above the crowd for a photo as other clapped above their heads. A small child yelled, Hi! Hi!

When outlining the work that he considers unfinished, Obama pointed to needs in Los Angeles. Right now as we speak there are children in this city who have no place to sleep, he said.

Obama thanked Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, for their support.

Hes just a good man and Chrissy is just a wonderful woman, he said. And Im going to give him tips about raising girls.

He also pointed out other long-term supporters in attendance. There are a lot of people here who invested early in me, he said.

Reporters observing the event spotted about a dozen well-dressed children among the crowd, gold linen cloths on the tables and a purple backlit stage where Legend performed.

A guest who spoke with The Times complimented the French Rose wine and the appetizers. She said that Legend came out to mingle with the crowd and took photos before the president arrived.

According to a copy of an invitation obtained by The Times, the Democratic National Committee event has a range of prices, starting at $1,000 as a guest and going up to $33,400 for a couple to be co-hosts, have VIP seating and attend a reception with a presidential photo line.

Some of the money goes to the Democratic Hope Fund and to help retire Obamas campaign debt.

Obama went next to another Hancock Park fundraiser hosted at the home of Leah and Sam Fischer. This was a more intimate $10,000-per-person discussion and dinner.

According to a copy of an invitation obtained by The Times, the Democratic National Committee event is described as a thoughtful and informative experience.

At the start of the event, Obama joked that hes been to a lot of Southern California homes, but this one he would like to buy. Sold! a woman in the crowd repeatedly yelled.

A few dozen people sat in the small wood-paneled room with linen-covered tables spaced tighter together than tables at an official White House state dinner.

In brief remarks before taking questions, Obama said the United States is better off now than when he took office. We have moved that needle forward, he said. He said to sustain that, Democrats needed to win back the Senate, reduce the Republican majority in the House and hold onto the White House.

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Imagine a chocolate factory, and you probably think of Valrhona or Godiva, Hersheys or Cadbury or even Roald Dahls fictional playhouse: a massive wonderland built of cacao. By contrast, David and Corey Menkes run LetterPress Chocolate out of their two-bedroom, 900-square-foot, second-floor apartment in Cheviot Hills. In that cramped space, the couple operates their minuscule bean-to-bar chocolate factory, making outstanding bars of chocolate in their kitchen, laundry room and living room.

Founded in 2014, LetterPress Chocolate produces micro-batches of single origin chocolate, with beans that David Menkes sources from mostly Central and South America. Menkes, who spends a lot of time at origin, finds and brings back fermented cocoa beans, then roasts them and grinds them in LetterPress main nerve, also known as his laundry room.

Needless to say, says David, were actively looking for a warehouse. At the moment, the couple -- they do not yet have other employees -- makes about 60 bars a day. Not bad, considering that Corey has an e-commerce day job, and that, before she had what might best be described as a chocolate epiphany, David spent 17 years as a graphic designer.

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LetterPress operates in the Menkes apartment under an L.A. County Cottage Food permit. I really think that was set up for someone who baked cupcakes or something, says David, as he catalogs what bars are left, kept at 60 degrees in a wine refrigerator in the living room.

Jigsawed along the Menkes washer and dryer is a winnowing machine, designed by Santa Barbara chocolatier Michael Orlando of Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate, which looks kind of like a MacGuyvered dryer instead of a crucial part of the chocolate-making process. In the kitchen, where neither David nor Corey has cooked anything for about two years, theres no real food, but containers of cocoa nibs. One bedroom functions as a wrapping room.

On the large table that dominates the living room, there are three grinders  called melangers, these are actually made to be chickpea grinders for Indian dosas  churning chocolate; theyll run for about 48 hours, during which David will add sugar, although he wont be specific about when and how much (trade secrets!). The chocolate is then aged, which is done in a series of metal containers that are lined up on the table in front of a large flatscreen television, so that, presumably, the Menkes can check on their chocolate during commercial breaks. A blue Post-It note on one container reads Temper me next!

Theres a little bit of alchemy to this, says David as he watches the chocolate spin around the grinders, as some people would watch their laundry in a laundromat.

The Menkes did not set out to be chocolatiers, but a few years ago, they started getting into chocolate. They visited their first cacao plantation in 2012. I became the guy at work, says David, who worked for DreamWorks at the time, who always had a bunch of chocolate on my desk. In 2012, he and Corey started a chocolate blog, called Little Brown Squares, where they wrote about chocolate, eventually doing ad hoc tastings at work, as part of the DreamWorks Chocolate Society, because chocolate makers started sending us all this chocolate.

As a graphics designer, Davids next idea was not to make chocolate, but to make a documentary on cacao production. While he was discussing the project with Juan Bronson, a colleague and friend, Bronson told David that hed quit the business  to take over his fathers cacao plantation in Guatemala. Kismet, maybe. Bronsons farm is Izabal Agro Forest, a hardwood and cacao farm in Guatemalas Lake Izabal basin, and its the origin not only for much of LetterPress chocolates, but LetterPress itself. I liked the idea of getting involved at the very beginning, says David.

But he first had to learn how to make the stuff, so he took a one-week long class in Hawaii run by Madre Chocolate called the Cacao Boot Camp. And then he came home to Cheviot Hills and started making his own chocolate, getting feedback by including his own stuff in the chocolate tastings at work.

We did it totally blind. And everybody told us they hated it. The Menkes kept experimenting, and six months later, people at the tastings started asking to buy their chocolate.

Now David, who is from Wrightwood, up in the San Gabriel Mountains, and his wife, who is from Highland, near San Bernardino  the couple met in high school  spend most of their time making chocolate.

The bars are mostly 70% cocoa, made from beans from farms in not only Guatemala, but Trinidad, Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, and they sell from $10 to $15 a bar, or $45 or $55 for a limited edition pack of four. If that seems like a lot for a bar of chocolate, consider how the Menkes create these bars. And also what they taste like: This is extraordinary chocolate, intense and fruity, grassy or nutty, depending on the bean, and incredibly smooth, without the bitter finish that many high-percentage dark chocolates can have.

As for where to find it, you mostly have to order online, though you can buy it at Wallys wine shop in West Los Angeles, at a few small shops in Eagle Rock, at the Nordstroms in San Francisco  and in the Netherlands, thanks to a Dutch supplier who tasted the stuff and fell in love with it.

David, who quit his graphics design job, says hes better at wrapping the chocolate than his wife, so he does it all himself, wrapping each LetterPress bar (it takes me 70 seconds) by hand. And that wrapping? David designed that too, using a South American 1920s-era air mail stamp as a prototype, and printing the labels at a nearby office supply store. (For some single origin bars, he has actual stamps made on a 19th century perforating machine.)

If this all sounds terribly old school, check out LetterPress Instagram feed and youll find not only pictures of chocolate, but photos of printing presses: Both Menkes are docents at the International Printing Museum in Carson, the largest of its kind in the world. Which is why, of course, this apartment chocolate factory is called LetterPress in the first place.

As David sits on the unused bed in his wrapping room, he pulls out a few bars of chocolate from a square beer fridge in the corner, called an OPC fridge. This is where he houses other peoples chocolate, the stuff he keeps around for context and, presumably, if he and his wife get tired of all that take-out. There are bars of what he considers to be chocolate thats way better than his, bars from Hungary and Missouri, many made from Venezuelan cacao  which he considers the best in the world.

We dont touch any beans from Venezuela, because Id just screw it up. In the meantime, he says, he and Corey eat other peoples Venezuelan chocolate and continue making their own. Weve been doing this for two years. I just want to get better.

Because taking pictures of food is almost as much fun as eating it, on Instagram @latimesfood.

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Not many wine programs show off their wine racks quite like Otium, the lavish new restaurant flanking the Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles. Its wine stash isnt tucked away in an air-conditioned closet. Instead, its virtually a centerpiece, adjacent the open-air kitchen, a glass walled, temperature-controlled room equipped with rolling ladders and towering racks  a two-story, above-ground cellar.

Otiums multifunction wine program consists of a medium to large selection (300 and counting) that bridges new and old Old World and the newest of the New World, staying abreast of chef Timothy Hollingsworths eclectic menu while forging new territory all its own. Elizabeth Huettingers list is grand in spots  deep in white and red Burgundy, in American Pinot Noir, respectable in Bordeaux and in Napa Cabernet. Many other wine regions get a nod, including Argentina, Austria, Slovenia and Spain, with a special fondness, it would seem, for South Africa, in particular the spectacular wines of Eben Sadie.

Huettinger is an alumna of Spago, where she assisted master sommelier Christopher Miller. Huettinger herself is credentialed and is sitting for her masters theory test in March. Prior to Spago, she directed the wine program at the Addison at the Grand Del Mar in San Diego and at Aubergine at lAuberge in Carmel  every one of these a flashy, award-winning or award-worthy wine program.

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Otiums is no different. And yet Huettingers two-pronged list is only half highfalutin  the intention, it seems, with both the food menu and the wine list is to attract the well-heeled and the flip-flopped, to reflect, in part, the zeitgeist of Angeleno dining. Among Loire whites, for example, the wines of Loire legend Didier Dagueneau are represented. On such a high-profile wine program youd expect this, but you wouldnt expect a Saumur such as the Domaine des Roches Neuves LInsolite (insolite means unusual), a razor sharp, natural-leaning, bistro-style Chenin Blanc that might indeed be considered unusual for such a high-profile list.

Two other things make the wine service at Otium stand out. The first is simple but helpful: If you order a wine by the glass, Huettinger or one of her floor sommeliers, Jessica Edson, Ryli Bose or Blair Power, pours it tableside so you can see what youre drinking and make a connection with the wine youve selected. Obviously this takes more time, but its a wonder more restaurants dont do this.

Inside the wine cellar at Otium. (Christina House / For The Times)

The other innovation is subtler and possibly more controversial. When you arrive at Otium, youre presented with a menu and a beverage card, a four-fold list of spirits, cocktails, beers and ciders, and wine  not just by the glass, but an abridged sampling  about one-fifth of the full wine list appears there. Its neither the most accessible nor the least expensive  the Little List amounts to a littler cross section of the Big List. Is this helpful? To the guest who doesnt want to spend time poring over a longer document, sure. To others, it may seem short shrift, a book that invites you to judge it by its cover.

food@latimes.com

::

The wines and staff of Otium restaurant

Wine director: Elizabeth Huettinger

Floor sommeliers: Jessica Edson, Ryli Bose, Blair Power

Number of wines on the list: approximately 300, 60% red, 40% white, 20% domestic.

Least expensive: $40 (2013 Hugel Pinot Blanc and others)

Most expensive: $2,400 (2012 Chateau Petrus)

Median bottle price: $85

Number of wines by the glass: 21

Sommelier Elizabeth Huettinger inspects the wine cellar. (Christina House / For The Times)

Particular strengths: Red and white Burgundy, Oregon and California Pinot Noir, top tier South African wines.

Food-wine pairing: Huettinger pairs chef Timothy Hollingsworths foie gras on funnel cake and strawberries with a sparkling, off-dry Patrick Bottex Bugey-Cerdon from the Savoie region of France. It echoes some of those balsamic strawberry notes of the dish while breaking up the fat with a hit of acidity, she says.

Most exciting wines by the glass: A delicate, dry Chenin Blanc from 2013 Beaumont in the Bot River region of South Africa; a splendid Nero dAvola from the esteemed Sicilian producer Cos, a saturated red with gorgeous cherry fruit, firmly expressed, with lip-smacking acidity.

Wine the chef has with his/her meal: Riesling of all kinds, Huettinger says. Recently Ive been pouring him Ovum Memorista from Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon; it really works with his food, plus its super clean and refreshing after the shift, very easy to drink.

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Farinata: The focaccia is great and the fritters are justly renowned, but the most popular street food in Genoa, Italy, is probably farinata: a warm slice of a massive crepe, nearly identical to the socca you find in Nice, France. Farinata should be easy enough to make  the classic ingredients include not much beyond chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt  but for some reason it isnt. Neither the moist, puddingy kind with a lightly crisped crust nor the slightly drier kind with a more profound crunch. Could it be because the best versions in Italy tend to involve both a wood oven and a pan as big around as a truck tire? Hard to say. But Angelo Aurianas farinata at downtown L.A.'s new Officine Brera is pretty spectacular, softer than it is crunchy, with a vague tartness from what I imagine is slightly fermented batter and served from a wheeled cart barely big enough to hold the heavy metal pan. It is exactly what you want to be snacking on when the Negronis arrive.

 Jonathan Gold

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LetterPress Chocolate: David and Corey Menkes run LetterPress Chocolate out of their two-bedroom, 900-square-foot, second-floor apartment in Cheviot Hills. In that cramped space, the couple operates its minuscule bean-to-bar chocolate factory, making outstanding bars in the kitchen, laundry room and living room. Founded in 2014, the company produces micro-batches of single origin chocolate, with beans sourced from mostly Central and South America. David, who spends a lot of time at origin, finds and brings back fermented cocoa beans, then roasts them and grinds them in LetterPress main nerve  the couples laundry room. The pair make about 60 bars a day  not bad, considering that Corey has an e-commerce day job, and that David spent 17 years as a graphic designer. When theyre not making chocolate, theyre also docents at the International Printing Museum in Carson. Which is why this apartment chocolate factory is called LetterPress in the first place.

 Amy Scattergood

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The lonches from Primera Taza in Boyle Heights. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Lonches: If youre looking for a truly great sandwich, head to Primera Taza Coffee House across from Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, where co-owner Chuy Tovar and his wife, Rosalinda Hernandez, are making lonches. The catch? You can get them only about once a month, when Tovar gets torpedo-shaped loaves of bread flown in from Guadalajara. It has to be this bread, or there will be no sandwiches. The pork lonche is packed with thick slabs of pan-seared pork loin, cooked at Corazon y Miel in Bell, plus Mexican crema, tomato, red onion and a hot red salsa made by Hernandez. The breads crunchy exterior gives way to a chewy core, creating the perfect shell for the tender meat and what seems like a ladle-full of spicy salsa and crema. Tovar is using that same bread for a cheese lonche, layered with avocado, crema, pickled jalapenos and a creamy panela cheese made by a vendor he found at a local farmers market. Call ahead, or check the shops Instagram account for availability.

 Jenn Harris

Power Lunch cocktail at Spring in downtown L.A. (Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)

Drink this now: In Los Angeles you can either take a lunch, or you can take a power lunch. If youre someone who prefers the latter, the newest place to do so is at Spring in downtown L.A., the French restaurant from chef Tony Esnault and partner Yassmin Sarmadi, the team behind Church & State. This is where youll find a spacious sunlit room with a skylight, lush trees and a running fountain in the middle of the dining room. Its the perfect setting for a power lunch (or a romantic date), where you can lounge and sip the restaurants appropriately named Power Lunch cocktail. Burnetts gin, Salers Gentiane liqueur, Pastis and triple sec are combined then served up in a beautiful antique glass, garnished with just two leaves of tarragon. Theres a strong, calming anise flavor from the Pastis and the Salers, and the two leaves of tarragon succeed in extenuating the flavor. And with the sound of the water trickling in the fountain, the sunlight filtering down and a cheese plate on the table in front of you, its all too easy to appreciate the lunchtime cocktail.

Cookbook of the week: Koreatown: A Cookbook, by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard (Clarkson Potter, $39). For food enthusiasts  and people who watch a lot of Anthony Bourdains shows  Koreatown is arguably the epicenter of Los Angeles these days, between all the barbecue joints and bibimbap specialists and Roy Chois headquarters at the Line Hotel. So a cookbook called Koreatown is likely to stand out, and justifiably so. It is not L.A.-specific, although there is a lot on our Koreatown, but rather a guide to many Koreatowns in America, from L.A. to New York City to Duluth, Ga. Chef Deuki Hong, a Momofuku alum who has a restaurant in Manhattans K-town, and food writer Matt Rodbard have woven together more than 100 recipes and many anecdotes, Q&As and sidebars, to assemble a book that is as diverse and multifaceted as its subject. Thus theres a recipe for Our Mildly Insane Kimchi Bokkeumbap (bacon!) and a section titled Eric Ripert really likes Korea, and we really like Eric Ripert, along with a detour into an Atlanta Korean barbecue restaurant and a method for 100-Year Punch, plus another subtitled the soju bomb on steroids. Will you have an almost unbearable craving for bibimbap soon after you start reading this book? Yes, you will. So turn to page 78  or head to Koreatown. Or maybe, do both.

 Amy Scattergood

food@latimes.com

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Charles Lester was unanimously voted in as executive director of the California Coastal Commission in September 2011. As the executive director, he was influential in bringing numerous issues to a resolution. After closed-door deliberations, the commission voted 7-5 Wednesday to fire Lester. Here are some notable decisions made during Lester's 4-year tenure:

Beach access: Carbon Beach, part of a mile-long stretch of Malibu known as Billionaires' Beach, has been at the center of a decades-long battle over access. The commission approved the opening of another public pathway to the beach last July.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Malibu development: U2 guitarist the Edge (David Evans) had sought to build a cluster of five homes atop an undeveloped ridge in an unincorporated area of Malibu. Initially proposed in 2011 and after numerous changes, the project won the commission's unanimous approval last December. Evans agreed to conserve 140 acres of the property as open land and allow a hiking and equestrian easement linking to the Coastal Slope Trail.

Pebble Beach: Mark Stilwell, executive vice president of Pebble Beach Co., stands on land to be used for the luxurious Monterey Peninsula resort in Pebble Beach, Calif. After years of clashing over the proposal, the commission approved the development four years ago.

(Patrick Tehan / San Jose Mercury News)

Fire rings: Newport Beach was allowed to reconfigure 64 beach fire rings at Balboa Pier, Corona del Mar State Beach and Newport Dunes in June 2015.

Navy sonar: Citing the danger to whales and other sea life, the commission unanimously voted in 2013 to reject a Navy plan that increased use of sonar and underwater explosives for training.

(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

SeaWorld orca tanks: Last October, the commission approved SeaWorld's application for a $100-million expanded whale enclosure but added conditions that ban captive whale breeding and drastically restrict the movement of whales in and out of the park.
Koreatowns skyline has been defined in recent years by ritzy high-rises with $1.6-million chandeliers, rooftop lap pools and vertigo-inducing rents.

Thursday morning, on the neighborhoods northern edge, community activists cheered the groundbreaking for a different kind of development.

On a block with a pawn shop, a hookah lounge and a $2.99-and-up discount store, a new apartment building is slated to house 100 low-income families.

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The studio-size to three-bedroom apartments at the corner of Vermont Avenue and Second Street will be available to families making between $17,000 and $61,000.

They will pay as little as $560 for a two-bedroom apartment, with on-site social services and after-school activities included, developers said Thursday.

Residents will also annually receive a transit pass to use the Metro line that passes half a block away.



The project, called the Meridian Apartments, marks a milestone for civic activism in Koreatown, community members said.

The new housing was set into motion as part of a deal with the developers of the Vermont, a 464-unit, upscale, two-tower high-rise in the heart of Koreatown, and a coalition of community groups.

Those groups demanded that the neighborhood get something in exchange for the more than $17 million in taxpayer-funded benefits the luxury project received through the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Rents at the Vermont, which was sold in 2014 for $283 million, top $4,500 for a two-bedroom, according to recent listings.

The developer, J.H. Snyder, agreed to partner with a community organization to get affordable housing units built in lieu of including low-income units at the Vermont, in addition to providing $1 million toward a community center.

Snyder ultimately turned over the affordable housing project to AMCAL Multi-Housing Inc., which partnered with the nonprofit Korean Churches for Community Development to get the apartments built.

Four years ago, the Korean community for the first time organized together, KCCD President Hyepin Im said. It was a new day for the community.

Im said that the tents lining the block highlight the need for more apartments that poor people can afford.

We really cant build enough of them, said Councilman Mitch OFarrell, whose district includes the northeast corner of Koreatown.

OFarrell said the Vermont/Beverly metro stop, which opened in 1999, never brought the development and density to the area that planners had hoped for, adding that the new apartments may mark the beginning of a transit-oriented transformation for the area.



The $45.9-million project, which will also include 4,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space, is slated to be completed by the fall of 2017.

For more California news, follow @vicjkim.

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When the earth shakes in California, the first place you are likely to hear about it is on social media.

Earthquake! Did you feel that? How big? are common messages on Twitter and Facebook as Californians try to share information on their mobile phones in real time.

Now, UC Berkeley scientists are hoping to capture that sharing impulse in a massive science experiment: Using cellphones to detect earthquakes as soon as they start. They hope that by turning mobile phones into vast data collection points, they can quickly glean information about the quakes and warn those farther away from the epicenter that shaking is on the way.

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On Friday, scientists unveiled an app that will test this idea with anyone around the world who wants to participate. Named MyShake, the free app, available on Google Android phones and at myshake.berkeley.edu, uses smartphone sensors to detect movement caused by an earthquake.

Users who download the app will be sending data to scientists when an earthquake as small as a magnitude 5 hits.

By harvesting information from hundreds of phones closest to the earthquake, scientists will be able to test a computer system that could, in the future, dispatch early warnings that shaking is seconds or minutes away to people farther away from the earthquakes origin. For instance, if a quake started in San Bernardino, cell phones there could register the quake and quickly help send warnings to smartphone users in Los Angeles.

This is a citizen science project, said Richard Allen, director of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory at UC Berkeley. This is an app that provides information, education, motivation  to the people whove downloaded it  to get ready for earthquakes. Those same people are contributing to our further understanding of earthquakes, because theyre collecting data that will help us better understand the earthquake process.

 Richard Allen, director of UC Berkeleys Seismology Laboratory, demonstrates how the MyShake app collects data and discusses the importance of this crowdsourced seismological network. (Roxanne Makasdjian and Stephen McNally / UC Berkeley)

The app uses a common sensor found in smartphones, called accelerometers, that determine if the phone is being used vertically or horizontally. For instance, it makes the phone capable of being a steering wheel in a racing game. Fitness trackers, such as pedometer apps, also use these sensors.

The apps algorithm is designed to ignore ordinary shaking, like a phone jiggling in a purse, and detect unique vibrations felt during earthquakes. If the phone detects what it thinks is an earthquake  usually something at a magnitude 5 or greater  it sends a message to a central server.

If there are at least 300 phones sending warnings in the same 60-mile-by-60-mile zone, simulation tests show thats good enough to tell the system that the shaking was an earthquake, Allen said.

Allen is also part of a larger team of scientists building a $38-million system along the West Coast that will provide early warnings before the worst shaking from an earthquake arrives. The U.S. Geological Surveys ShakeAlert prototype has had successful tests  one gave researchers in San Francisco eight seconds of warning before the shaking from a magnitude 6.0 earthquake from Napa arrived.

The warnings will eventually give trains time to slow down, decreasing a risk of derailment before shaking arrives, sound an alert in hospitals to warn surgeons to halt surgery, and have elevators open their doors at the nearest floor, preventing people from becoming trapped.

A rollout of the early warning system to the public has been stymied by a lack of full funding. Only about half of the annual $16-million operating cost has been paid for by the federal government. So far, West Coast states have yet to pledge contributions for the systems operating costs, but several lawmakers in Sacramento proposed this week that California help fund completion of the system.

The cellphone MyShake app would not replace the USGS early warning system, Allen said. Smartphones will never be as effective as hundreds of sophisticated earthquake sensor stations installed underground to detect the first subtle signs that an earthquake has begun.

Still, a successful smartphone app, woven into the USGS system, could make the overall warning network even faster in California, Oregon and Washington state, he said. And it would enable the technology to be used in other areas of the world with few or no earthquake sensors.

Nepal has almost no seismic stations. But they have 6 million smartphones. There are 600,000 smartphones in Kathmandu alone, Allen said. So if we can get MyShake working, then we could potentially be providing early warning in Kathmandu.

The app was released by the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory and developers with Deutsche Telekom Silicon Valley Innovation Laboratories of Mountain View, Calif. Allen said the team will consider creating an iPhone version of the app if many people download the Android version.

The announcement of the apps release was made in the journal Science Advances, and is being presented at the annual meeting of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

Scientists not involved with the app say it is a welcome development for early warnings in the United States, and represents a great use of crowdsourcing  using information gathered by the public  for science.

There are already indications that the approach is valuable to scientists. Twitter, for instance, is so fast that people tweeting about an earthquake can outpace the official seismic detection network in parts of the world with very few sensor stations, said USGS research geophysicist Sarah Minson.

Minson has been using similar smartphone technology to bring a less costly early warning system to Chile. She is working with a team to install about 200 smartphones -- programmed with a GPS sensor-based quake-detection app -- in boxes and placing them on roofs to act as seismic sensor stations.

Smartphones are fantastic. And theyre cheap, and theyre ubiquitous, Minson said. The sheer number of smartphone users around the world gets us so much more data than we can get just from scientific instruments. Scientific instruments are obviously much higher quality, but we are limited in terms of numbers by their expense.

Allen said the new Android app runs silently in the background, and sends a tiny amount of data as the earthquake is happening. Five minutes worth of shaking data, for research purposes, is transmitted later, when the phone is charging and is connected to Wi-Fi.

There are benefits to having the cellphone app and the traditional, ground-based sensor system working together, Allen said.

The ground system is so sensitive it can detect even the lightest preliminary shaking waves that may not be felt by humans. Theyre called P waves, and the USGS system currently requires at least four ground stations to go off to trigger an alert.

Cellphones are more likely to detect the second, slower set of earthquake waves that arrive  S waves, the kind that bring severe destruction and brings the shaking that humans feel.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

In the future, Allen envisions a more integrated network that might only require one or two ground sensors to detect an earthquake, and confirmation from cellphones to trigger an alert faster than the current system of relying on four traditional sensors.

Crowdsourcing data from citizen scientists are part of a growing trend in many fields of research.

Consider the labor-intensive task of monitoring a streams levels. If you only have scientists doing that, that limits how much data you get in, Minson said. But if you just put a sign next to your stream gauge saying, Please text me what the stream gauge says, you get a lot more measurements without having to pay for telemetry.

Minson said shes excited to see how the public will respond to Fridays new earthquake app.

Theres something about the smartphone idea that makes it just so much more personal to people, she said.

rosanna.xia@latimes.com

Twitter: @RosannaXia

ron.lin@latimes.com

Twitter: @ronlin

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A man and his pregnant girlfriend who died this week after an unprovoked shooting in Boyle Heights have been identified as a teenage couple from El Monte, authorities said.

The L.A. County Coroner said that the victims from Sundays shooting and subsequent car crash were Maria Cordova, 18, who relatives said was three months pregnant, and Henry Sanchez, 19.

According to police, the couple and Sanchezs friend planned to pick up food at a local, popular market then hang out at a local park until they had to drop off Cordova at work about 4 p.m.

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The group got their food and went to the park, but their time there was cut short because of a dark SUV that roamed the area and made Sanchezs friend nervous, said Det. David Alvarez.

Sanchez may have been mistaken as a rival gang member by people in the car for no other reason than his age and physical appearance, Alvarez said.

Being that area is known for a male, Hispanic gang  being a male Hispanic from another area  you can be a target, Alvarez said. Even wearing your favorite [article of clothing] and being in the wrong area, that can trigger something.

Neither Sanchez, Cordova nor their friend had any gang ties or police records, Alvarez said. The three packed up their things and left the park in a white sedan, police said, but they did not know that the SUV followed them.

At about 11 a.m., the white sedan stopped at a red light at East Cesar Chavez Avenue and Echandia Street. The SUV pulled up alongside it.

Police said it was at that moment that someone stepped outside the SUV and began firing at the drivers side of the sedan. The shooter then got back into the SUV and the vehicle sped west down Cesar Chavez while the sedan sped down Echandia, Alvarez said.

Juicho Ortiz was on the porch of his Boyle Heights home when he and a friend looked up the hill and spotted the white car barreling toward them.

It was coming down fast and swerving on the wrong side of the street, the 59-year-old recalled. The men wanted to bolt, he said, but their legs froze.

It was going to crash but [we] didnt know which way to run because of the way it was moving, Ortiz said.

The men watched as the vehicle sank into a dip and then launched itself into the air for several seconds. They braced for impact as the car plowed into a parked van, shattered an avocado tree and then exploded through the porch of a century-old home next door.

It was very violent, like those crashes you see in the movies, Ortiz said. I felt the ground shake.

As smoke poured from the crumpled sedan, Ortiz said, he heard a woman screaming, Help, get me out! Get me out!

As bystanders rushed to free her, another passenger crawled from the wreckage. He was bleeding from the head and arm, Ortiz said. He was in shock.

Cordova died at the scene, and Sanchez died later at a hospital. Only the man in the vehicles rear seat survived. Cordova died of blunt force trauma. An autopsy for Sanchez was pending, officials said Thursday.

They didnt know the area and they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Alvarez said of the victims. When they realized they had to get out of the area they were shot at. There were no words exchanged.

Times staff writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.

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Police are investigating the death of a Whittier College student after her body was found Thursday in a campus dorm room.

Officers received a report of an unresponsive woman and arrived to find the student dead about 4:30 p.m. inside the dorm room at Johnson Hall, a first-year residential housing building on campus, according to the Whittier Police Department. The cause of her death has not been determined.

Police advised students and staff that there was no need to be frightened about the sudden death.

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Though it is early in the investigation, there does not appear to be any sign of foul play, the Police Department said in a statement. We are not searching for any suspects at this time and there is no known threat to the community.

In a letter on the colleges website, school administrators said the students parents had been notified.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the students loved ones, the college said in its letter.

School officials encouraged students to attend classes Friday and offered counseling services. Students who missed class or did not participate would not be penalized, school officials said.

We believe it is best for our community -- and especially our students -- to have classes meet tomorrow, the college said Thursday. We feel that having the community be present; to be together in support of each other is important.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar urged state officials Friday to accelerate the removal of toxic lead contamination surrounding a shuttered battery recycling plant in nearby Vernon, saying he was astounded that the state agency overseeing the testing and cleanup of up to 10,000 homes had not acted more swiftly.

Our residents are in danger of toxic contamination -- yet the state goes at a snails pace to do anything about this, Huizar said at a news conference at City Hall.

Huizar, who lives in Boyle Heights and represents the area, said the California Department of Toxic Substances Control had failed to clearly address how quickly the cleanup surrounding the Exide Technologies plant would happen or where all the money for the cleanup would come from.

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Last March, the Vernon facility agreed to permanently shut down in a deal with the U.S. attorneys office that allowed Exide to avoid criminal charges even as it admitted to years of criminal conduct.

Before it was shuttered, the Exide plant had been repeatedly cited for violating hazardous waste laws and emitting too much lead and arsenic, yet state regulators had allowed it to operate for decades without a full permit.

In a resolution introduced Friday, Huizar called for Gov. Jerry Brown or the Legislature to take swift action to ensure that the state agency had a fully funded plan to test and quickly clean the homes surrounding the Vernon plant. Huizar said he had little faith that Exide, which had gone into bankruptcy when it struck its deal with the U.S. attorneys office, would pony up the money it needed.

Huizar also introduced a proposal Friday at City Hall calling on City Atty. Mike Feuer to investigate whether the city could go to court if the state agency fails to speed up its efforts.

L.A. should not be at odds with the state agency responsible for protecting the environmental well-being of the citizens of California, Huizar said. Unfortunately, it has come to that point.

In reaction, Jim Marxen, deputy director of communications for the Department of Toxic Substances Control, issued a statement Friday saying that the [Brown] administration continues to make the cleanup of contamination created by Exide Technologies a top priority.

We are committed to protecting the community and are currently working on a comprehensive plan that will include more resources to expedite our ongoing testing and cleanup, Marxen said.

So far, roughly 200 of the up to 10,000 homes estimated to potentially have been affected by the contamination have been cleaned up, at an average cost of about $45,000 per home, according to the state agency. More than 10,000 tons of contaminated soil have been removed.

Exide provided $9 million to clean up homes and the state added $7 million last year. County supervisors also earmarked an additional $2 million last fall to do their own soil testing and reach out to residents. And Huizar said Friday that the city is currently examining how its public parks and rights-of-way have been affected and assessing what city funding is available to test them for contamination.

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State and county politicians, including State Assembly Speaker-Elect Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, have also pushed for a more urgent response. Some state lawmakers are pressing for $70 million in state funding next year to accelerate the cleanup efforts.

As Boyle Heights families wait for their homes to be cleaned, some have complained that state officials have seemed to react more quickly to the massive gas leak near Porter Ranch -- a wealthier community -- than the crisis in their largely Latino, lower-income neighborhood.

It makes no sense why we are allowed to die ... and nothing has been done, said Terry Gonzalez-Cano, a lifelong resident of Boyle Heights who said cancer and other illnesses had afflicted both of her parents, now deceased, her brother, friends and neighbors. Dont us minorities matter? Dont our lives matter?

Exide representatives did not immediately provide comment Friday on the proposal by Huizar.

Follow @latimesemily on Twitter for whats happening at Los Angeles City Hall.

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Scores of Cubans crossed the border bridge here from Mexico on a recent week day, pregnant women in fluorescent rhinestone-studded T-shirts, men in tight jeans towing suitcases  all in search of Alejandro Ruiz.

Many of the migrants find Ruiz via his cellphone or by navigating his Facebook page. But on this day, those searching for Ruiz came up empty when they reached his storefront office. He was on the other side of town, busy helping new arrivals at one of two temporary shelters he operates.

Ruiz, 49, a Cuban American auto body shop owner, noticed the need here years ago as the influx was just starting. He encountered Cuban migrants at the border checkpoint who seemed to have no idea what to do once they stepped into America, the same overwhelming feeling he had when he flew from Havana to New Jersey in 1992. Back then, a Cuban womens group helped him navigate the system.

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Alejandro Ruiz, in tie, at one of the homes he runs for newly arrived Cuban migrants. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

Now a citizen, Ruiz founded Cubanos en Libertad, a nonprofit that provides transportation, shelter and assistance to Cuban migrants.

The number of Cubans arriving in the U.S. has steadily increased since 2009 but nearly doubled in the fiscal year that ended in September to more than 43,000, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

At Ruizs transit shelter, a white corner house on a run-down stretch of Hidalgo Street near the San Augustin de Laredo historic district, new arrivals chatted in rapid-fire Cuban Spanish in a rear courtyard. On the living room couch, next to a pile of luggage, teenagers listened to Dos Copas de Mas, by the pop duo Ha*Ash, on Spanish-language radio on their cellphones. In a darkened back bedroom, two women slept.

In the kitchen, a cook served Cuban fricase de pollo, stewed chicken and potatoes with black beans on rice, and a desert of dulce de toronja, candied grapefruit rind sprinkled with Mexican white cheese.

I only help the people who dont have money. I have a little house, and I help them get documents, Ruiz said as he sat down at the kitchen table for lunch.

Of course, its more complicated than that.

Thanks to the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, Cubans who arrive in America are granted permission to stay legally. Unlike the tens of thousands of Central Americans who have poured into south Texas in recent years, the immigrants from Cuba are also eligible for federal welfare benefits and permanent residency, a path to citizenship.

But as relations between the U.S. and Cuba began to normalize in 2014, thousands fled toward America, afraid their window of opportunity would close.

Most of the Cuban migrants fly to Ecuador, then travel north through Central America and Mexico to this Texas border town. Its a longer trip than the traditional overseas route to Florida but considered a better bet.

A Cuban migrant carries a bucket of water at a temporary shelter in La Cruz, Costa Rica. (Enrique Martinez / Associated Press)

Once they arrive, Ruiz  a heavyset man with gray hair and a goatee -- is there to help. He provides temporary shelter and arranges drivers and vans to ferry many of the new arrivals to Miami, a top destination. Others stay for months at one of the houses while he helps them get Social Security numbers, food stamps, work permits, Medicaid and other benefits.

Then when they get their permit for work I say, Youre on your own!, Ruiz said.

Many arrive hoping to join relatives, some of whom came during past mass migrations.

Those who dont go to Cuban enclaves in Florida migrate to Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Louisville, Ky. -- the last the home to a host of immigrant resettlement groups. Others go to New Jersey or to Omaha and slaughterhouses that are hiring.

About 600 arrived last weekend, and more than 100 more were expected soon, Ruiz said, clicking through emails on his smartphone. A friend was emailing him updates from Costa Rica, where an estimated 8,000 Cuban migrants have been stranded since late last year after Nicaragua closed its border.

Central American leaders announced a deal last month that allowed the stranded Cubans to fly from Costa Rica to El Salvador, then travel by bus to the border  for $550. On Tuesday, officials added the first direct flight to Laredos sister city, Nuevo Laredo.

But many of the migrants Ruiz was aiding were not on that plane.

When they said they were going to have only two flights per week, the Cubans said we will be here another six months! So they contacted coyotes to cross, Ruiz said, adding to the influx here.

One of them was Ernesto Rosales, 23, a barber with rhinestone studs in his ears who fled Matanzas, Cuba, in early December, leaving behind his mother and 18-year-old brother. After landing in Ecuador, he traveled to Costa Rica, where he was stuck for months, working as a barber.

A handout photo released by National Institute of Migration shows a group of Cubans crossing a border passage between Nuevo Laredo into the U.S. (National Institute of Migration / EPA)

When Rosales heard about the new flight limits, he knew it was time to go. He paid a coyote $650 to get him to Honduras, another $300 to reach southern Mexico.

I didnt want to be stuck another five months, he said.

Next week, Rosales and three other men will go with Ruiz to get Social Security cards, Medicaid and food stamps.

Rosales plans to find work as a barber in Miami or New Jersey, become a citizen and bring the rest of his family to America

Sulen Marrero, a 15-year-old bottle blond wearing a pink tank top, also turned to a coyote after spending three months stuck with her mother and 27-year-old sister in Costa Rica, living in a partitioned room with more than 100 others and working as a stylist. Now theyre headed to Miami to join her stepfather.

Marrero recalled the most dangerous part of the trip was traveling through Colombia, where she saw armed men in the streets.

There were some others who got kidnapped, robbed. They just want money. If you dont give it, they kill you, she said.

Another migrant, one of the first passengers from the Costa Rica flight, is six months pregnant and said she has yet to see a doctor.

I want it to be free, Janey Saque, 27, said of her unborn baby.

Saque said she spent three months in Costa Rica and that she and her mechanic husband paid $38,000 for the trip after leaving Havana.

On the plane with them from Costa Rica were about 40 other pregnant women, she said.

That worried Ruiz. He has been trying to get the government to provide more assistance here and in Florida, where at least one lawmaker has proposed a job training and placement program for them. Tomorrow he is meeting with officials from a local Methodist church who may help.

If more people start coming, Ruiz said, we are going to be in trouble.

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Christy ODonnell, a former LAPD sergeant and lawyer whose difficult battle with lung cancer drove her to advocate for Californias new right-to-die law, has died. She was 47.

ODonnell, a single mother motivated partly by her desire to spare her daughter the trauma of watching her die painfully, was prominent among the activists who campaigned for the bill signed into law last year. It will make it legal for the terminally ill to seek medical aid to die.

She died  as she thought she would  before the laws anticipated enactment later this year, according to a statement released by the advocacy group Compassion and Choices.

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A family photo shows Christy ODonnell, left, with her daughter Bailey, who is now 21. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A Valencia resident, ODonnell continued traveling and giving interviews in support of the bill as her Stage 4 lung cancer spread throughout her body and her illness grew dire.

T. Katz, afternoon drive-time hostess on Santa Clarita Valleys KHTS-AM (1220), said it was clear ODonnell was suffering in the studio during on-air interviews at the station as the campaign waged on.

She was very uncomfortable and  because she was morphine intolerant  there was nothing she could do to make herself feel better. That was part of her drive to do what she did, Katz said.

ODonnell spoke explicitly of her sufferings to KHTS listeners, and in public statements. The pain is pretty significant now, she told Katz in one interview. She said Percocet was her last-ditch option, but I take a lot of it and it barely takes the edge off the pain.

ODonnell was born July 24, 1968, according to the Compassion and Choices statement. She attended law school while working as a police officer, and was admitted to the state bar in 2003. She had been promoted to sergeant and detective before shifting to teaching, and then to legal practice.

She was tall  6-foot-1  with auburn hair, and cut a striking figure in courtrooms where her composure under pressure made her a proficient lawyer, said colleague Steve Harber, partner with the McCune & Harber law firm of Los Angeles, which represents, among others, the city and county, and local police and firefighters.

ODonnell joined the firm in 2009, Harber said, after one of its attorneys described struggling in a trial.

He said there was this attorney on the other side who was just great and was giving him fits, Harber recalled. The attorney in question was ODonnell, who proved so good  and so problematic for their case  they decided to hire her, he said.

ODonnell became one of six partners in the firm, and specialized in employment cases involving firefighters. She remained until her worsening condition made it difficult for her to shoulder a full load. But she carried on her advocacy work.

On her travels, ODonnell was often accompanied by her daughter, Bailey Donorovich, 21, who also appeared by her side in interviews.

ODonnell dreaded the possibility that her illness and impending death would cause the young woman distress, Harber said.

She saw to the practical details, he said, compiling a large binder for her daughter labeled When I Die. It had tabs for subjects such as the family insurance, and how the mortgage worked  Everything she needs to know, he said. But ODonnell remained worried that, if she lingered in great pain, her daughter would just see her suffering, day by day, Harber said.

She told him, Im afraid, but I am really afraid of my daughter going through that, he said.

ODonnell filed a lawsuit in a state court last year seeking legal access to life-ending drugs for terminally-ill Californians. She also testified before legislators, and spoke one-on-one with a top advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown in the days before he signed the bill.

Opposed by religious groups and advocates for people with disabilities, the California law will permit physicians to provide lethal prescriptions to mentally competent adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and are expected to die within six months. It is slated to take effect 90 days after a planned legislative special session later this year. ODonnell died Saturday, her colleagues confirmed.

Described as a devout Christian and lifelong Republican, ODonnell had said she did not want to be a law-breaker. In interviews, she characterized the right-to-die campaign as a civil rights movement, and framed it in terms of individual choice.

Even if there is one person, just one, in the state of California that needs this and wants this, this should become law, she said.

She seemed particularly intent on reaching those of her own political bent. Harber, for example, said he was struck at how ODonnell sought to explain her motivations to him, rather than avoid the potentially controversial topic.

As a Christian Republican, Im not even sure how I feel, he said. But hearing ODonnells concerns for her daughter, I could understand and respect that, he said.

I think Im going to think about her every day for the rest of my life, he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

jill.leovy@latimes.com
The California bullet train project violates state law because it is not financially viable, will operate slower than promised and has compromised its design by using existing shared tracks in the Bay Area, attorneys for Kings County and two Central Valley farmers argued Thursday in Sacramento County Superior Court.

The lawsuit asserts that the states plans for the Los Angeles to San Francisco high-speed rail link violate restrictions placed on the project under the $9-billion bond act that voters approved in 2008.

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The project has faced more than a dozen lawsuits, brought by churches, corporations, farmers, irrigation districts and government agencies. But the suit by Kings County and farmers John Tos and Aaron Fukuda has emerged as the most serious challenge to the entire project. The legal challenges have contributed to delays that have now put the project more than two years behind schedule.

The suit asks to halt funding for construction and land acquisition, allowing spending only to develop an alternative plan. A ruling is supposed to be issued within 90 days.

Judge Michael Kenny had asked the attorneys to focus on five technical questions revolving around the states compliance with the bond act.

Stuart Flashman, who represented the plaintiffs, described a number of alleged violations of the bond act restrictions.

One involved the rail authoritys plan to use existing commuter and freight rail tracks through the San Francisco Bay Area rather than the dedicated high-speed rail tracks it had planned and featured in its 2005 and 2008 environmental reports. Flashman said the bond act required that the system be consistent with those environmental reports.

Arguing for the state, Deputy Atty. Gen. Sharon OGrady denied that the project is violating the restrictions, arguing that voters were probably not familiar with whether the system would have its own tracks or share existing tracks in the Bay Area.

OGrady said the possibility of using shared tracks was raised in the environmental reports, and she noted that the change in plans cut the cost to its current $68 billion from $98 billion.

Flashman contended that the completed system on the shared tracks will never meet the requirement to travel between San Francisco and San Jose in 30 minutes, arguing that the state also tried to save three minutes by having the train stop short of the Transbay Terminal in downtown San Francisco.

He said the completed system would also fail to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles in two hours and 40 minutes. The only way the state could meet that would be to travel through cities at 220 mph, when it had assured local communities that the train would slow to a maximum of 125 mph, and to travel at full speed as it descended thousands of feet to the Central Valley from the Tehachapi Mountains.

OGrady dismissed a number of Flashmans assertions, saying Flashman simply disagreed with the rail authority experts. OGrady also suggested that the Legislature did not need to satisfy the trip time requirements when it approved the track sharing. Flashman said a bond act can only be changed by voters.

The bond act placed a number of financial requirements on the project, including a prohibition on operating subsidies and a stipulation that it had to identify all the money to build an operating segment before it could begin construction.

Until you have money that says we can build this, its not financially viable, Flashman told the court.

Flashman argued that the states ridership studies never examined the economics of an initial operating segment that would run from Burbank to Merced, but instead used ridership estimates for the entire system.

Rail authority spokeswoman Lisa Marie Alley said the suit was brought by a handful of opponents to stop the project and cause delays and cost overruns at the expense of taxpayers.

Alley said that the authority is building a system that complies with the voter-approved requirements of the bond act and that the system will meet the required travel times and have sufficient revenue to cover operating costs.

One other legal issue debated Thursday involved whether the legislation that authorized the bond act, AB 3034, applied only to the use of the bond money or restricted the design no matter what source of funds were used. Flashman contended the restrictions should apply to all sources of money, including federal grants and greenhouse gas fees that the state now taps.

During an earlier phase of the case in 2013, Kenny had ruled that the state lacked an adequate funding plan necessary to sell the bonds. An appeals ruling the following year reversed that finding, but warned that substantial legal issues still loomed. The state has not attempted to sell the bonds for construction since then.

ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com

Ralph Vartabedian reported from Los Angeles and special correspondent Marc Vartabedian reported from Sacramento.

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The California Coastal Commission, born of a populist movement more than four decades ago, has long maintained the respect of environmentalists and residents fighting to protect the states 1,100-mile shoreline.

Conservation-minded Californians have largely supported the agency as responsive to public concerns and transparent in its mission.

But on Wednesday, all that changed. And some now see deep divisions between the two traditional allies.

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The commission fired Charles Lester, its executive director, in a secret session Wednesday, with little public explanation, after hearing from more than 200 people who opposed his dismissal and virtually none who favored it.

Given the long history of the commission as a unique agency created out of the initiative process and the additional sense that this is the publics commission in a way that any other state agency is not, commissioners owe the public a good explanation as to why they did what they did, said Mel Nutter, a Long Beach attorney and a member of the Coastal Commission from 1977 to 1985.

The public thinks its their coast, not just the coast of a few folks, Nutter said.

The commission voted 7 to 5 during its regular meeting in Morro Bay to fire Lester, the first time an executive director has been ousted in its 44-year history. Panelists deliberated his fate and took the action in closed session, saying that Lester had not waived his privacy rights related to his personnel evaluations, which are confidential.

 The California Coastal Commissions decision to fire its executive director, Charles Lester, after closed-door deliberations sparked outrage by environmentalists and is expected to leave deep divisions.

You made a mockery of the public process when theres overwhelming support for retaining Dr. Lester, Robin Rudisill of Venice told commissioners as they continued their regular meeting Thursday. It just felt like the decision was made long ago and no matter what happened it wasnt going to change.

By deliberating and voting in private, commissioners did not act transparently, Rudisill said, adding that their stated reasons for firing Lester didnt add up.

Mary Shallenberger, the longest-sitting member on the commission, called the panels closed-door action a total disregard for the public  the worst Ive seen in 40 years.

It was shameful and despicable for a public agency charged with protecting our coast, said Shallenberger, who voted to keep Lester.

While not discussing any specifics, some commissioners have said publicly that there were management, trust, confidence and communication problems with Lester and the agencys staff.

Several commissioners alluded to trouble they have had getting information and complained that they had not been included in agency processes and were often left in the dark about how staff members had come to conclusions related to projects. They also criticized a lack of diversity on the staff.

But absent any details, the hundreds who testified at the hearing were skeptical. They argued that the true motive was to tilt the commission more toward coastal development. In an interview Thursday, Lester echoed their concerns for the first time.

This commission seems to be more interested in and receptive to the concerns of the development community as a general rule, Lester said in his first remarks beyond a brief reaction Wednesday night. There is less focus on how we can make decisions to implement the Coastal Act. ... It remains to be seen how it will unfold.

Lester suspects he was fired because he was too independent. He is concerned about the direction of the agency if it chooses to replace him with an executive more amenable to the suggestions of commissioners and outside interests.

1 / 11 Protestors meet to support Charles Lester before the start of the California Coastal Commission meeting Wednesday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 11 Mark Palmer holds a sign in support of Charles Lester at a California Coastal Commission hearing on his position as executive director. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 11 Members of the California Coastal Commission listen to speakers in support of Charles Lester. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 11 Alex Lowe, left, and Rob Moddlemog from Orange County hold a surf board as members of the California Coastal Commission listen to speakers in support of Charles Lester. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 11 Charles Lester listens to speakers at a California Coastal Commission hearing on whether to dismiss him as executive director. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 11 Charles Lester signs an autograph for Gordana Kajer, right, during a break in speakers. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 11 Charles Lester gets a hug from Lennie Roberts, left, from the Committee for Green Foothills in San Mateo County, during a break in speakers. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 11 Supporters of Charles Lester fill the room with waving signs. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 11 Members of the California Coastal Commission listen to speakers in support of Charles Lester. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 11 Charles Lester reacts to speakers during a long commission hearing on a vote for his dismissal. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 11 Charles Lester, left, reacts as he hears the vote to fire him effective immediately. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Before voting to dismiss him Wednesday, several commissioners vigorously denied that they were trying to appease developers or send a signal to the staff to be more flexible on coastal development. But they then debated the issue in closed session  a step their own attorney said was unnecessary.

Chief Counsel Chris Pederson advised commissioners that they were free to discuss any current issues involving Lesters performance because he had chosen a public hearing to defend himself.

In an interview Thursday, Pederson said it had been clear since Saturday that commissioners were able to publicly discuss their views on Lesters performance.

A Feb. 6 memo by Pederson said commissioners may discuss points raised during the public hearing, other matters of public record, their own current thoughts regarding the executive director and management of the agency, and any other issues that they think are relevant, aside from the executive directors past performance evaluations.

Pederson said he could not answer whether commissioners knew they were cleared to speak about the matter before then, citing attorney-client privilege.

In the days before the vote, commissioners repeatedly told reporters they were prohibited from speaking about Lesters performance at the agency.

Sean Hecht, an environmental law professor at UCLA, agreed with Pedersons interpretation of the law. He said commissioners could have provided statistics or anecdotes about the pace of processing applications or the pace of other commission initiatives.

Their failure to do so does not make the commissioners look good and leaves the action open to alternative explanations, Hecht said.

On Thursday, members of the public confronted commissioners again as they continued their regular meeting. They demanded answers and said they were not satisfied with commissioners explanations of why they secretly discussed Lesters fate.

In response to the criticisms, Wendy Mitchell, one of four governors appointees who voted to fire Lester, apologized for the ordeal but assured the public that we are committed to the Coastal Act. We are committed to the coast.

The coast is not saved by one person, Mitchell said.

She vowed that the commission would select a replacement with impeccable environmental credentials who would protect the coast for all Californians.

Coastal Commission Chairman Steve Kinsey on Thursday reiterated that the decision was not about the agencys outlook toward coastal development, but managerial problems with Lester and his staffs communication with commissioners and fairness toward applicants.

There has been a slow divide building over trust and respect between commissioners and staff, he said, including complaints about staff reports that members of the panel believe were designed to manipulate their decisions.

It was an erosion over time, not a blatant, singular incident, Kinsey said, noting that the commission held some 25 hours of performance reviews of Lester over the last few years.

Steven Blank, a former coastal commissioner, and Susan Jordan, director of the California Coastal Protection Network, predicted Lesters dismissal would elicit a strong and sustained response from environmental groups, elected officials, supporters of the agency and the general public.

On the downside, its a tragic loss for all Californians, but it will be a lightning rod for the coast, said Blank, who served on the commission from 2007 to 2013. This has been a civics lesson for the public in how regulatory bodies get captured by developers.

Blank contended that the general concerns expressed about Lester from some commissioners were not serious and did not amount to fireable offenses.

Jordan said her group is working with other environmental organizations to develop a response to Lesters dismissal.

The coastal protection network plans to redouble its efforts to scrutinize the panels decisions, fact-check the statements of commissioners and rate their decisions, she added.

It was really a shameful display, Jordan said. They retreated behind closed doors and put yellow paper over the windows. They voted to terminate him and never, ever told the public the reason why. It was clear they did not have anything of substance.

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But attorney Jana Zimmer of Santa Barbara, a coastal commissioner from June 2011 to July 2015 and a former vice chairwoman, said she was sorry that Lester did not waive his privacy rights related to his personnel records so people could openly evaluate them and his accomplishments.

There was a lot of truth to what people were saying on both sides, but there was lots of exaggeration on both sides too, said Zimmer, who added that she had a good relationship with the agencys staff but could not say whether she would have fired Lester.

She contended that commissioners might have benefited from legal advice that clearly advised them on exactly what they could and could not say about Lesters performance. One of the things that was not addressed, Zimmer said, was whether Lester, in effect, had waived his privacy rights by touting his record at a public hearing.

What Lester did was set up as a piece of theater, Zimmer said. Had commissioners been invited to be specific, they would have had to go into the evaluations and say this, this and this about specific problems over the years and say whether these issues outweigh everything you [Lester] have done. Now people are screaming about a lack of transparency.

tony.barboza@latimes.com | Twitter: @tonybarboza

dan.weikel@latimes.com | Twitter: @LADeadline16

Barboza reported from Morro Bay and Weikel from Los Angeles.

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The newly fired executive director of the California Coastal Commission said Thursday that commissioners have shifted in recent years to be more accommodating to coastal developers and to exert tighter control over day-to-day activities at the agency.

This commission seems to be more interested in and receptive to the concerns of the development community as a general rule, Charles Lester said in comments similar to those expressed by hundreds of supporters who spoke at a public hearing before his dismissal. There is less focus on how we can make decisions to implement the Coastal Act.

Thats different than saying its development versus environment, he said. Its more nuanced. But I think it remains to be seen how it will unfold.

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Lester, 53, spoke in a hotel room a few hundred feet from where the agency he ran for more than four years continued a regular meeting without him. Acting under one of the nations strongest coastal protection laws, the 1976 Coastal Act, the agency is charged with protecting the states 1,100-mile shoreline from overdevelopment, threats to public access and environmental damage.

 The California Coastal Commissions decision to fire its executive director, Charles Lester, after closed-door deliberations sparked outrage by environmentalists and is expected to leave deep divisions.

For the first time in the agencys history, coastal commissioners have dismissed an executive director. Commissioners voted 7 to 5 in a closed session late Wednesday to fire their executive following a long and emotional hearing in which hundreds of speakers, including environmentalists, elected officials and former commissioners came out in Lesters defense.

Commissioners have not specified the reasons for their action, saying they are prevented from discussing the contents of past performance reviews that are confidential. But several have cited problems with management, trust and communications, including a lack of follow-through on commissioners directions and staff not returning phone calls.

It was like pulling teeth, Commissioner Roberto Uranga said Thursday. We had an executive director who wasnt working with the commission.

In the hourlong interview Lester, his suitcase already packed to return to his home outside Santa Cruz, spoke calmly and carefully as he detailed his long-brewing tensions with the commission and his worries over the future of its work.

By Lesters account, when he took over at the agency in 2011, about half the commission was new, having been on the panel for less than a year. He said they began to intrude more into what are traditionally staff-managed affairs, including new hires, agendas, budgets and meeting locations. They also demanded that agency employees be more responsive to members of the panel.

He called those typical management issues that he had worked to address.

Lester cited what he said were some commissioners obsessive focus on the complaints about how long things take and not filing things on projects including Newport Banning Ranch, a controversial proposal to build hundreds of homes on a 401-acre parcel that is the largest remaining privately held piece of coastal land in Orange County.

Last fall, Lester and his staff recommended denying the project on the grounds that it would destroy environmentally sensitive habitat. The project will be under consideration again by the panel in March.

Was his ouster an effort by pro-development forces to take control of the commission?

Yes and no, said Lester, who sees the notion of a stark divide between development and the environment as an oversimplification.

Lester suspects he was fired because he was too independent. He is concerned about the direction of the panel if it chooses to replace him with an executive more amenable to the suggestions of commissioners and development interests.

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Lester said the public response to his ouster has touched a nerve about this program that I dont think is fully appreciated yet. It may be that we are at a watershed moment. Unless the political system in California recommits to the spirit and intent of the Coastal Act, it may be a fundamental shift in direction.

This is a powerful land use agency, theres a lot at stake and there are vested interests that want things done, he said. But the agencys staff, he stressed, must remain independent and at an arms length from political appointees in order to make impartial recommendations on projects large and small.

Lester said commissioners had long kept him on a pretty tight leash, conducting many evaluations and quarterly check-ins on his performance over the last year. But he said he addressed the concerns raised and called commissioners focus on the confidentiality of his written reviews a smokescreen.

They could talk about whatever performance issues they wanted, Lester said. That was just a way to enable them to go into closed session.

Lester said he is considering waiving his rights to privacy over those documents to dispel the notion that they contained anything that rises to the level of doing what they did and taking the kind of action that they did.

Such a disclosure would also have to be approved by the commission, he said.

Lester said that when he was appointed head of the politically charged agency in 2011, he understood that some would see it as an opportunity to try to wrest the program from its historic direction, which he says has been to err on the side of coastal protection, public access and broad participation in its decision making.

I knew people would try to take me out, or reorient the program, he said. I think there have been people interested in doing that from the beginning.

Twitter: @tonybarboza

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A rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted Thursday of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations. Liang is the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty death since 2005.

The manslaughter charge, a felony, carries up to 15 years in prison, though no requirement for any prison time. Liang was dismissed from the New York Police Department right after the verdict. His sentencing is April 14.

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But an uncertainty remains: Brooklyn state Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun has yet to rule on Liangs lawyers request to dismiss the charges. Liang also was convicted of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said justice was done for Gurley.

He was an innocent man who was killed by a police officer who violated his training, said Thompson, whose mother was a police officer.

But Liangs lawyers said they struggled to understand how the jury could find him guilty in a shooting he said happened accidentally in a pitch-dark stairway.

If thats not a time to pull out your gun, I dont know when is, said defense lawyer Robert Brown. He said Liang would appeal.

Liang, who remains free on bail, left the courthouse without comment.

The shooting happened in a year of debate nationwide about police killings of black men. Activists have looked to Liangs trial as a counterweight to cases in which grand juries have declined to indict officers, including the cases of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York. Like Gurley, Brown and Garner were black and unarmed. Liang is Chinese American.

Thompson cautioned that Liangs case shouldnt be commingled with others. But relatives of other New Yorkers killed in police encounters had joined Gurleys family outside court during the trial to call for police accountability.

I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone, Gurleys mother, Sylvia Palmer, said after the officers conviction.

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Meanwhile, Liangs supporters have said he was scapegoated for past injustices.

And the head of Liangs union, Patrolmens Benevolent Assn. President Patrick Lynch, said the verdict will have a chilling effect on police officers across the city because it criminalizes a tragic accident.

Lynch wasnt in court for the verdict. While New York police officers often fill rows of courtroom seats when one of their own faces charges, few officers appeared during Liangs trial.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said he respected the jurys decision and hoped it would bring Gurleys family some sense of finality.

The last officer convicted in a killing in the line of duty was Brian Conroy. He was found guilty in 2005 of criminally negligent homicide in the shooting of Ousmane Zongo, an African immigrant, during a police raid. Conroy was sentenced to probation and 500 hours of community service.

Liang was patrolling a public housing high-rise with his gun drawn when he fired. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit 28-year-old Gurley on a lower floor.

Liang, 28, said he had been holding his weapon safely, with his finger on the side and not the trigger, when a sudden sound jarred him and his body tensed.

I just turned, and the gun went off, he testified.

Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly, must have realized from the noise that someone was nearby and did almost nothing to help Gurley.

Liang said he initially looked with his flashlight, saw no one and didnt immediately report the shot, instead quarreling with his partner about who would call their sergeant. Liang thought he might get fired.

But then, he said, he went to look for the bullet, heard cries and found the wounded Gurley and his distraught girlfriend.

Liang then radioed for an ambulance, but he acknowledged not helping Gurleys girlfriend try to revive him. Liang explained he thought it was wiser to wait for professional medical aid.

I was panicking. I was shocked and in disbelief that someone was hit, Liang said.

Liangs partner, who was not charged criminally and testified in the case, faces internal disciplinary proceedings.

While Liangs trial unfolded, city Officers Patrick Espeut and Diara Cruz were shot and wounded during a similar stairwell patrol in a different public housing complex. The gunman later killed himself.

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The mayor of Cleveland apologized Thursday to the family of Tamir Rice  a black 12-year-old boy fatally shot by a white Cleveland police officer  after the city billed the boys estate $500 for ambulance services.

We want to start off again apologizing to the Rice family if in fact this has added to any grief or pain they may have, Mayor Frank Jackson said at a news conference.

Jackson said the claim was a routine matter but that supervisors should have been alerted to whom it involved and that it shouldnt have been filed. He said the claim would be withdrawn.

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Demonstrators block traffic in Cleveland after a grand jury declined in December to indict Officer Timothy Loehmann in the fatal shooting of Tamir Rice. (Angelo Merendino / Getty Images)

It was a mistake in terms of us flagging it, but not a mistake in terms of the legal process, Jackson said.

Tamir was shot outside a city recreation center by a then-rookie patrolman, Timothy Loehmann, in November 2014 while playing with a pellet gun. Loehmann and his training officer, Frank Garmback, responded to a 911 call about a man waving a gun and pointing it at people. A grand jury in late December declined to indict Loehmann and Garmback on criminal charges.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

The administrator for Tamirs estate, Douglas Winston, said he had asked Cleveland for documents related to Tamirs medical care and had never previously seen such a request result in a claim being filed in probate court, which is what occurred on Wednesday.

I just wanted to know what the bill was and who might have paid it, Winston said.

Winston added that he would have rejected the claim because it was filed too late. Ohio law says such claims must be filed within six months of a person dying.

Loria Edwards protests outside court in Cleveland after a grand jury in December decided not to indict. (Tony Dejak / Associated Press)

Clevelands finance director said at the news conference that the file for the ambulance bill was closed in February 2015 after Medicaid paid $179 of the $500 cost. The city wrote off the balance, she said.

Rice family attorney Subodh Chandra, who also represents the estate, said the filing of the claim made no sense to the family. Both the family and the estate have sued the city and the police officers in federal court over Tamirs death.

This was a deeply disturbing incident to them, Chandra said.

Its not the first time that Jackson has held a news conference to apologize to the Rice family. He apologized in March 2015 after city attorneys filed response to the lawsuit blamed Tamir for his own death. Jackson called the response insensitive at the time and ordered it altered and refiled.

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Legislation to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in the workplace has languished for years on Capitol Hill, even as the Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples may marry and Congress has voted to allow gay Americans to serve openly in the military.

But now, while they continue to press for federal legislation that explicitly outlaws discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, some gay-rights supporters want the Obama administration to declare that such protection already exists in the Civil Rights Acts ban on discrimination based on an individuals sex.

Its an audacious approach to overcoming legislative gridlock, but its also a defensible reading of the law in light of an evolving understanding of sexuality, gender and the harm inflicted by stereotypes about both aspects of human existence.

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Generations ago, it would have seemed obvious that sex discrimination referred only to treating male employees or job applicants better than female ones (or vice versa). But discrimination against women and discrimination against gays and lesbians (and transgender people) all are rooted in stereotypes about proper expressions of gender and sexuality.

Moreover, the Supreme Court already has recognized that on-the-job sexual harassment  a form of sex discrimination that violates the Civil Rights Act  can occur even when both the aggressor and the victim are of the same sex. In 1998, the court ruled in favor of a male oil-rig worker who alleged that he had been the target of sexually oriented touching and rape threats from male co-workers.

Writing for a unanimous court in that case, Justice Antonin Scalia acknowledged that male-on-male sexual harassment in the workplace was assuredly not the principal evil Congress was concerned with when it enacted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. But he added that statutory prohibitions often go beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils.

Likewise, even if the members of Congress who voted to ban sex discrimination were primarily concerned with discrimination against women by men, the legal protections they established can be interpreted more broadly.

That is what the American Civil Liberties Union wants the Obama administration to do. In a letter to Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch, the ACLU called for a formal announcement that the Justice Department will take the position in litigation that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation constitutes sex stereotyping and amounts to sex discrimination under current law.

The administration has yet to issue such a sweeping statement, although it has made clear that it regards discrimination against transgender employees as a form of sex discrimination. But the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has endorsed the view that discrimination against gays and lesbians also amounts to sex discrimination, and the Justice Department may be inching toward the same position. Last month, BuzzFeed reported that department lawyers, in disputing a claim of discrimination by a gay former Federal Aviation Administration employee, focused on the facts in the case rather than arguing that the law against sex discrimination didnt apply to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Ideally, Congress would approve legislation explicitly outlawing employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Equality Act introduced in Congress last year would accomplish that objective, along with prohibiting discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender Americans in housing and public accommodations. But, given Republican control of Congress and the fact that this is an election year, its unlikely that any such legislation will be enacted in the near future.

President Obama has endorsed the Equality Act, but that doesnt mean his administration cant also embrace a broad definition of sex discrimination under current law and defend that understanding in court. If members of Congress are uneasy about the administration reinterpreting the Civil Rights Act in this way, they have an easy alternative: Pass legislation making it clear that no one may be denied a job or a promotion because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Two exchanges at Thursday nights debate between finger-pointing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and endlessly scandal-plagued former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton nicely summed up the difference between the two White House wannabes  while also explaining why Sanders has momentum in the primaries and Clintons doesnt.

The first came in response to a question about the Obama administrations practice of deporting children (and their mothers) back to Central Americas Northern Triangle after their bids for asylum are rejected. Clinton and Sanders both said they wanted to provide a refuge to those fleeing gang violence in the region. But while Clintons solution was to make sure kids seeking asylum had attorneys to help make their case  only a small percentage do, and they win asylum at a dramatically higher rate than the kids who dont  Sanders flatly pledged to open the border to any child from the region.

One candidate presents a complex, nuanced view of a complex, nuanced world. The other grasps the problem with both hands and shakes it, hard.

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That dynamic has repeated itself again and again in the campaign. Clinton will sink into the policy weeds to look for specific things to change in the governments approach to a problem. Sanders will sink into the emotional core of an issue and vow to stop the madness.

One candidate presents a complex, nuanced view of a complex, nuanced world. The other grasps the problem with both hands and shakes it, hard.

Shortly thereafter, Clinton rapped Sanders for opposing a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2007 (S 1348) that would have provided a path to legalization or citizenship for those already in the country illegally. The measure was sponsored by liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy, whom conservatives had been branding a socialist long before Vermont actually elected one.

Sanders explained that the measure was opposed by several groups representing immigrants, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, because it would expand the visa program for migrants seeking to work in the U.S. but not stay here (guest workers). The program would have allowed U.S. corporations to treat migrants practically like slaves, he argued.

Thats the same critique offered by some (but not all) U.S. unions, which complain that guest workers take jobs from American citizens  a more nativist angle than a human-rights concern. And in fact, thats the angle that Sanders took in 2007 when he explained his position to a popular cable news host who favors strict immigration limits. According to BuzzFeed, Sanders told Lou Dobbs that he didnt know why we need millions of people to be coming into this country as guest workers who will work for lower wages than American workers and drive wages down even lower than they are right now.

But then as now, the failure to compromise spelled doom for the immigration reform effort. Sanders joined Democrats in supporting an amendment that would have ended the guest-working program in five years. That amendment led Republicans to oppose the bill; Sanders then joined them in killing the measure with a filibuster.

Similarly, Sanders has backed away from the bipartisan, comprehensive immigration bill he voted for in 2013. That legislation, Sanders says on his website, contained a series of compromises that should now be rejected.

This all-or-nothing approach simply doesnt work in Washington, and Sanders acknowledges as much on his site. While he pledges to act unilaterally to prevent the deportation of relatives of citizens and lawful permanent residents, the rest of those in the country illegally will have to wait for the political revolution needed to pass legislation giving them a path to citizenship. Good luck with pulling that off in the majority of state legislatures that Republicans control today and are likely to control for years because they hold the power to draw congressional districts.

But while winning a legislative battle in Washington requires a willingness to compromise, its not clear that winning a primary does. Clinton has recently hammered on Sanders for being unrealistic, and she got hammered in New Hampshire, losing almost every county. Her challenge is that shes trying to sell voters on her mastery of policy while Sanders is feeling their pain and demanding the maximum in relief.

Email Jon Healey

Follow Healeys intermittent Twitter feed: @jcahealey
The results of a big physics experiment have delivered a long-sought, hard-won and resounding victory to Albert Einstein, confirming yet again that the revolutionary theory of gravitation he put forward a century ago is the real deal. The findings cement Einsteins near-mythical stature as one of the greatest scientists of all time.

In 1915, after almost a decade of work, Albert Einstein outlined his sensational gravitation theory, which he called general relativity. It characterized gravity as the result of the curved geometry of space and time, and it predicted the existence of gravitational waves. After years of searching, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, finally observed gravitational waves from two colliding black holes.

The discovery was announced Thursday by the 1,000-strong team of LIGO scientists. To make the discovery more tangible, the team had converted its gravitational wave signal into audio, and the world heard the sound of two black holes merging. This was a scientific moonshot, said David Reitze, LIGOs executive director, and we did it. We landed on the moon.

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Scientists knew ... they would have to build an extremely delicate instrument and look for the most violent phenomena in the universe.

Gravity was discovered and first explained by Isaac Newton in the 17th century. (Every schoolchild has heard the story, most likely apocryphal, of Newton and the falling apple.) Newtons theory provided the framework for explaining Galileos observations of the moons of Jupiter and Johannes Keplers planetary laws. It also proved to be great at explaining lunar tides, the orbits of comets, the gradual change in the orientation of the Earths axis  and why we dont fall off the Earth. It led the French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier to infer the existence of a unseen planet in the 19th century; it turned out to be Neptune.

Yet Newtonian gravity had its limitations. The planet Mercurys point of closest approach (called perihelion) changed as it orbited the sun. For 150 years, astronomers noticed this anomaly and couldnt explain it using Newtons law.

But Einstein was able to explain Mercurys odd behavior as a result of space-time curvature near the Sun. Einsteins theory also predicted that the apparent positions of distant stars would change during a solar eclipse, as the suns gravity bent the light from the stars. British astronomer Arthur Eddingtons experimental confirmation of this effect during the solar eclipse of May 1919 catapulted Einstein to global fame.

Einstein said gravity is basically acceleration in a four-dimensional fabric called space-time. Space-time has the three familiar spatial dimensions  length, breadth and width  and time makes up the fourth dimension. A massive object such as a star distorts the fabric of space-time by producing a dip, just as a lead ball would produce a dip in an elastic sheet of rubber. The heavier the ball, the bigger the dip; the more massive the object, the bigger the distortion of space-time. As any other body approaches a star, its path would follow the contours of the curvature of space-time, which is perceived as an acceleration: gravity. And when a massive object accelerates, Einstein said, it would produce gravitational waves, ripples in space-time.

The theory was elegant, but actual detection of gravitational waves proved to be extremely difficult. Gravity is an extremely weak force compared with other forces in physics, such as electromagnetism. The gravitational attraction between a proton and an electron is one thousand trillion trillion trillion times smaller than the electrical attraction between them. So gravitational wave experiments had to be incredibly sensitive.

In the 1960s, American physicist Joseph Weber claimed to have detected gravitational waves, but his claim was later discredited.

Yet there was indirect evidence for their existence. In 1974, Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor, found a system of two extremely dense stars orbiting each other. Their orbits evolved in a way that could be explained only if gravitational waves were carrying off some of their energy.

Scientists knew that if they were to try to observe gravitational waves from Earth, they would have to build an extremely delicate instrument and look for the most violent phenomena in the universe. Theory predicted that two colliding black holes would produce a cataclysmic burst of gravitational waves.

This is exactly what they have found using LIGO. LIGO (or, more accurately, Advanced LIGO, because the observatory was recently updated) operates on the principle that a gravitational wave stretches space in one direction while compressing it in another. LIGO has two locations, in Livingston, La., and nearly 2,000 miles away in Hanford, Wash. Two tubes are arranged in the shape of an L at each site. Scientists split a laser beam and send half of it along each tube. After being amplified within the tube, each split beam strikes a mirror at the end. The light is then reflected back and forth down the tubes a few hundred times before being sent back to where it originated. When the two light beams return, under ordinary circumstances, they should cancel each other out (the peaks of one half beam should coincide with the troughs of the other half). The situation changes if a gravitational wave arrives. The half-beams no longer cancel each other, instead producing a spike of light.

LIGO saw this telltale spike of light on Sept. 14, emanating from the merger of two black holes about 1.3 billion light-years away. With the memory of Weber never far away, the team checked and rechecked its findings. The signal withstood all checks.

Scientists had finally found gravitational waves, and vindicated Einstein. Again.

As he refined his theory, even Einstein had some doubts about gravitational waves, but he remained supremely confident about the underlying general theory of relativity.

Shortly after Eddingtons observations confirmed that light was indeed bent by gravity, a student asked Einstein what he would have done if general relativity had failed in its description of nature. Einstein, invoking the Almighty, is supposed to have said, Then I would have been sorry for the dear Lord. The theory is correct.

Saswato R. Das writes about science and technology.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
The New Hampshire primary earlier this week laid bare a potentially damaging weakness for Hillary Clinton  her lack of support among millennial women. In Tuesdays exit polls, Bernie Sanders won over a stunning 82% of liberal women under 30. That helped him earn 53% of the female vote at large, compared to Clintons 46. It also helped him win the primary decisively, by 22 points.

For Clinton, a longtime feminist and the only female candidate left in the presidential race, rejection from young women seems unexpected. Why turn away the one candidate who, by her very identity, represents and advocates for our population?

The Times David Horsey suggested in a cartoon and column this week that Clinton is too familiar and not radical enough for young voters:

These young women adore Bernie because he is honest, idealistic and bravely radical. They are shunning Hillary because, in their eyes, she is devious, boringly pragmatic and as conventional as mom jeans.

David Horsey / Los Angeles Times

When Politico asked young women to weigh in on Clintons problem, many stressed that, increasingly, their demographic isnt making decisions based on gender:

To many on the left, then, Clintons gender is simply not enough to make her exciting. She doesnt belong to enough categories of disenfranchised people, wrote Molly Roberts, a columnist at the Harvard Crimson.

Women dont like to be told that they should support Hillary because shes a woman, said journalist Elizabeth Drew.

Younger women, who in life have experienced something closer to gender equality than their mothers or grandmothers experienced, arguably dont see the importance of getting a woman into the White House. As an NPR recap of Thursdays Democratic debate points out, millennials are put off by Clintons tendency to speak with reason rather than vision:

It was Sanders' big vision versus Hillary Clinton's store of knowledge. It was Sanders' idealism soaring and Clinton's realism bringing it to earth. It was his inspiration versus her preparation.

But looking ahead, one strategy Clinton employed in Thursdays Democratic debate has the potential to be her saving grace: painting Sanders as a one-trick pony. When the two candidates finally dug into a foreign affairs discussion, Clinton stood strong, knocking Sanders for repeatedly nitpicking past issues rather than discussing the bigger picture. When Sanders mentioned Clintons Iraq War vote  as he had multiple times previously  Clinton fought back:

"I do not believe a vote in 2002 is a plan to defeat ISIS in 2016," she said. "It's very important we focus on the threats we face today, and that we understand the complicated and dangerous world we are in."

After emphasizing her superior understanding of foreign affairs as a whole, Clinton used her closing statement to make her point even clearer:

Here's the point I want to make tonight, she said. I am not a single-issue candidate, and I do not believe we live in a single-issue country.

Therein lies the argument that could solve Clintons problem. Yes, millennials may be disenchanted by Clintons pragmatic language. Yes, we are drawn to large-scale changes rather than Clintons incremental moves. But, overall, we generally agree with Clinton on one thing: Our countrys issues are complicated, and simplistic solutions wont cut it.

Clinton is losing the young female vote because shes viewed as yesterdays news. Convincing millennials that the world is more complex than Sanders enchanting, but ultimately reductive, world-view could be her best shot at showing them (us) shes relevant.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: No more than six months in prison? Possible probation? Really? And those in positions to fix the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department permanently are holding meetings to figure out how it got so corrupt? (Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca pleads guilty in jail scandal, Feb. 10)

Could it be that the unwillingness to impose the maximum penalty under the law is what enables such embarrassing and visibly disdainful behavior?

Lee Baca was the image and the leader of the sheriffs department. For him to lie about allowing his deputies to threaten a federal agent who was investigating inmate abuse at L.A. County jails demonstrates knowledge of malice aforethought, and for him to get a tap on the wrist is sickening.

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Federal officials should make an example of him as a way to show no one is above the law, not even the head of a law enforcement agency. For him to essentially escape accountability sends the clear message that, indeed, this criminal behavior is and will continue to be tolerated.

Lincoln Gable Riley, Culver City

..

To the editor: In spite of the fact that he will likely serve (inappropriately short) prison time, it is my understanding that Baca will continue to receive almost all of his pension, even while incarcerated.

In a logical society, any government employee (elected or not) should be entirely deprived of his government pension if found to have been committing a crime while working. Officials seem to be convicted regularly, so we are obviously not getting honest government service. Perhaps a consideration of their own financial interest will force these people to reform.

Of course, this would require a change in the law by those who stand to gain from corruption, so we should not hold our breath. However, perhaps one of those dot-com millionaires will divert attention from the environment for a bit (though a worthy subject) and finance an initiative that will eliminate pensions for those who act criminally while supposedly serving the public.

Joel Drum, Van Nuys

..

To the editor: Oh my goodness. Guilty? A sheriff? In reality, abuse by the sheriffs department started way back in East Los Angeles in the 1960s and continued through the 2000s. It took decades finally to print what my family has known all along.

My parents are celebrating at Calvary Cemetery.

Myrna Villegas Tellez, South Pasadena

..

To the editor: Im disappointed in the editorial hatchet job on Baca. More than any other police officer I ever met in North America, Baca understood community policing and what it meant to be a peace officer.

To reduce his legacy to a simple gotcha moment is to do a disservice to a man who spent almost 50 years in public service.

Amir Hussain, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Without a convincing victory in the first two presidential contests, Hillary Clinton has moved to a two-part strategy to try to knock off-stride the galloping candidacy of Bernie Sanders.

To African American, Latino and intensely loyal Democratic voters, she is casting President Obama as her running mate. She talked about Obama and their shared views 21 times during Thursday nights two-hour presidential debate in Milwaukee. That was aimed at voters in Nevada and South Carolina, the next two states to vote, and racially diverse states further down the calendar.

At the same time, she is laying the groundwork to attract another key group of voters who will be crucial in later spring contestswhite and more moderate Democrats. She hopes to convince them that Sanders proposals, if well-intended, would be impossible to achieve and potentially very costly. In her view, neither the Republican Congress nor American voters would accept the massive expansion of government that Sanders proposals would require.

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Taken together, the dual appeals mark an attempted end run around the enthusiasm that Sanders campaign has generated and that Clinton, with her more pragmatic and incremental approach, has had a difficult time matching.

Clintons vehement defense of Obama reflects a reality in todays polarized political environment: Despite his middling numbers overall, Obama remains very popular among Democrats, particularly minority Democrats. A Pew Research poll released last month showed Obama with a 46% approval rating among all Americansbut an 80% approval among Democrats.

Today, Sen. Sanders said that President Obama failed the presidential leadership test, Clinton said Thursday night. And this is not the first time that he has criticized President Obama. In the past he has called him weak. He has called him a disappointment. He wrote a forward for a book that basically argued voters should have buyers remorse when it comes to President Obamas leadership and legacy.

I dont think he gets the credit he deserves for being a president, she said, to a sustained roar from the audience.

Sanders grew angry. Madam Secretary, that is a low blow, he said, adding that he had supported Obama, if not at all times. Last I heard we lived in a democratic society, he said. Last I heard, a United States senator had the right to disagree with the president, including a president who has done such an extraordinary job.

Obama loyalists have piled on. After Sanders rejoinder, David Plouffe, who ran Obamas 2008 campaign, sent out a tweet that included a picture of the book Clinton referred to. His caption  Low Blow  indicated he thought Sanders was the perpetrator, not the victim.

In South Carolina and other Southern states where African Americans make up a big share of the Democratic vote, Priorities USA, the big super PAC backing Clinton, has launched a $4.5 million campaign to bolster turnout of blacks, Latinos and women  groups that Clinton is strongest among. The ads will not attack Sanders, the groups officials said, but will tout Clintons close ties to Obama.

Clinton made a quick trip to South Carolina on Friday for a town hall meeting before a largely African American audience in which she repeated her criticism of Sanders for being unsupportive of Obama and said his advocacy of banning big-dollar contributions from politics would not be a panacea for the problems facing low-income communities around the country.

Heres what I want you to know. I am not a single-issue candidate and this is not a single-issue country, she said. Even if Sanders could get his way on campaign spending, I worry that wed still have lead in the water in Flint, Mich., and deteriorating schools here in South Carolina, she said.

Sanders also was reaching out to minority voters by appearing at a conference in Minneapolis on race and economic opportunity.

The second strategy Clinton is employing is a a none-too-subtle suggestion that Sanders has not backed up his proposals with either funding or explanations of how he would push them through a Republican House and Senate. She agrees with many of his goals, she says, just not the way he seeks to achieve them.

Sanders has insisted that taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations overseas would pay for much of what he has proposed; the rest, he indicates, is an investment that Americans would be happy to finance if it meant better healthcare, roads and jobs. But many of his planslike his proposal for a single-payer, Medicare-style healthcare plan for all Americans, would be government-run, a fact Clinton seized on Thursday night.

The best analysis that Ive seen based on Sen. Sanders plans is that it would probably increase the size of the federal government by about 40%, Clinton said.

The sideways approach is meant to diminish the antagonism Clinton would generate from Sanders voters if she employed a frontal assault; she does, after all, need them not just to lose faith in him but to come to her side and to stay with her in the fall if she becomes the nominee. Sanders upside, she is saying, is really his downside, and a narrow focus on campaign finance reform, a single-payer healthcare program and bashing Wall Street is not enough.

I have been very specific about where I would raise the money, how much it would cost, and how I would move this agenda forward, Clinton said. Ive tried to be as specific to answer questions so that my proposals can be vetted, because I feel like we have to level with people We have a special obligation to make clear what we stand for, which is why I think we should not make promises we cant keep.

Surrogates for Clinton are pressing that message as well. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said Friday that Sanders was a risky bet on foreign policy because his campaign was based on a small list of domestic concerns.

The challenge of Clintons two approaches is that they inevitably collide.

White Democrats who are low income or less educated have been the source of support for Clinton in past campaigns, although Sanders was extremely successful in attracting them in New Hampshire. Some of them historically have objected to what they see as Democrats bending over backward to help out African Americans or immigrants, including Latinos. And they are not fond of government, which they see as taking money and offering little in return.

Indeed, Clintons husband, Bill, faced the same dilemma when he ran for president in 1992. He helped keep that eras moderate Democrats from abandoning his campaign with some high-profile centrist moves, like advocating reform of the welfare system.

With a firm hold on those voters, at least in the early states, Sanders will inevitably face the mirror image of Clintons challenge: how to hold on to economically stressed white voters while expanding his grasp on African Americans and Latinos. His entree is the young. Young white voters have flocked to his campaign in heavily white early states and he is trying to convince young minority voters to join his self-styled revolution.

The demands ahead for both candidates suggest that the solutions will not be found quickly, and that a long and arduous campaign season awaits.

For more on politics, follow @CathleenDecker

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Clinton mentioned President Obamas name 21 times in her debate with Sanders

Nevada will be a crucial test for both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns

President Obama: Its not like Ive changed since I entered politics
By the time Bernie Sanders launched his challenge to Hillary Clinton in May, her campaign team had already been in Nevada for a month, knocking on doors, dialing voters and cajoling endorsements from local leaders.

Nevada was supposed to be Clintons firewall, a state where she could stop Sanders progress no matter what happened in Iowa or New Hampshire. But with both presidential hopefuls headed to the state this weekend to campaign before the Feb. 20 Democratic caucus, Clintons sure bet is off.

After suffering a double-digit defeat to Sanders in New Hampshire, Clintons campaign staffers are quietly lowering expectations here, saying they are preparing for a race that is going to be close. They acknowledge that Sanders has caught up quickly since launching his Nevada effort in November, opening nearly twice as many field offices as Clinton and outspending her on television.

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Although the number of convention delegates at stake is small, a loss for Clinton here would be big.

Clintons campaign wrote off her New Hampshire defeat to circumstances that uniquely favored Sanders: The electorate was dominated by the white liberal voters who make up the core of his support; rules allowed independents to vote in the primary; Sanders hails from neighboring Vermont.

In Nevada, her team has no excuses.

About a third of Democratic caucus-goers are Latino or African American, two groups among which Clinton has historically done well. And her top aides have extensive experience in the state. Her national campaign manager, Robby Mook, ran Clintons Nevada operation in 2008 and has hired several veterans of Barack Obamas campaign that year. In 2008, Clinton won the popular vote in the states caucuses, but Obama ended with one more delegate.

The race is also a test for Sanders, who must prove he can appeal to nonwhite audiences who are crucial to winning a Democratic nomination and the general election. A win here would show that he can go beyond the Ben & Jerrys constituency that has flocked to his campaign.

Were the first state in the contest that actually reflects what this country looks like and where this country is heading, said Leo Murrieta, a political consultant who specializes in outreach to the states growing Latino population and who is backing Clinton. Nevada is a perfect case study.

The winner in Nevada will gain momentum going into the South Carolina Democratic primary Feb. 27 and the March 1 primaries, when a dozen states vote, including several in the South with large African American Democratic electorates.

Momentum is a huge deal in presidential campaigns, said Bill Carrick, a Democratic strategist who is not working for either candidate, although he once worked for Bill Clinton. Whoever captures it has got a big advantage.

With little reliable public polling in Nevada, its hard to say who has that momentum now.

She has people who know the state and know what theyre doing, Jon Ralston, a longtime political analyst in Nevada, said of Clinton. He said the Clinton campaign is paying close attention this year to rural Nevada counties that have smaller populations but can supply crucial delegates. Former President Clinton was recently dispatched to the small Mojave Desert city of Pahrump to campaign for his wife.

Clinton is also making an overt pitch to Nevada Latinos, who could make up as much as 20% of this years Democratic electorate, Ralston predicts. Many of her campaign stops in the state have been geared to Latinos, and her campaign has launched a Latina-to-Latina phone bank program as well as a Spanish-language caucus-training program called Caucus Conmigo.

Our strategy has been to build a campaign that really looks and feels like Nevada, said Clinton campaign spokesman Tim Hogan, who said he expects Clinton to prevail after a close race.

But several aspects of the Nevada caucus process may work to Sanders advantage.

The state offers same-day registration for voters; in 2008 a quarter of voters registered on caucus day. The prospect that a hotly contested caucus will cause more voters to show up and register as Democrats is one reason the states most powerful Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, has held out on endorsing either candidate, he said recently.

I think it will be very close, Reid said when asked about the contest during a CNN interview Thursday.

The caucuses also allow voting by 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the time of the November election. For a campaign like Sanders, powered in part by the energy of young, first-time voters, thats a good thing.

The Sanders team also believes his campaign promises to tax Wall Street will connect with voters in Nevada, a state that is only now recovering from the home foreclosure crisis and the Great Recession.

Sanders spokeswoman Rania Batrice, one of dozens of Sanders staffers to land in the state in recent days, said their campaign is ready to make up for lost time with enthusiasm.

Hillary got a big, big head start, Batrice said. But as weve seen in other parts of the country, that doesnt necessarily make a difference.

For more on campaign 2016, follow @KateLinthicum.

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President Obama designated three new national monuments in the California desert Thursday, expanding federal protection to 1.8 million acres of landscapes that have retained their natural beauty despite decades of heavy mining, cattle ranching and off-roading.

The designation was requested by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who for a decade has sought to protect land that wasnt included in the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. That measure covered nearly 7.6 million acres, elevated Death Valley and Joshua Tree to national park status and created the Mojave National Preserve.

Unable to gain momentum on her California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act last year, Feinstein and conservation groups asked Obama to act unilaterally to create the three monuments overlapping biological zones between roughly Palm Springs and the Nevada border.

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The areas embrace volcanic spires, dunes, ribbons of wetlands wedged between steep canyon walls, grasslands, Joshua tree forests, historic roadways and petroglyphs. They are home to species that thrive despite withering heat and scant rainfall: bighorn sheep, tortoises, fringe-toed lizards and more than 250 types of birds.

The effort to preserve the California desert has been a long one, and today is a major milestone, Feinstein said. This kind of landscape is so much a part of what the West once was, and these monuments are icons of our cultural heritage. Simply put, the California desert is a national treasure. This designation only reaffirms that fact.

 The Castle Mountains encompass native desert grasslands and wildlife habitat for Golden Eagles, and some of the finest Joshua tree forests in the California Desert.

Concern over the long-term health of the deceptively delicate terrain spurred Obama to designate the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which authorizes presidents to create national monuments on federal land to protect objects of historic and scientific interest.

With his second term winding down, Obama has now protected more than 265 million acres of land and water, more than any other administration. A year ago, Obama designated much of the Angeles National Forest as the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

The designations, which do not include funding, were supported by groups including the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn., the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

Much of the land was purchased more than a decade ago by private citizens and the Wildlands Conservancy, then donated to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in anticipation of its eventually receiving the protection of national monument status.

This is the pinnacle of a 15-year effort to preserve the physical heart of the Mojave Desert for conservation, recreation and unparalleled inspiration, said David Myers, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy.

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The designations preserve unique natural and cultural resources and enhance the regions economic activity by attracting visitors, increasing tourism and ensuring public access for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, rock climbing and other outdoor recreational activities.

Mojave Trails National Monument encompasses 1.6 million acres of federal land and former railroad property along a 105-mile stretch of old Route 66 between Ludlow and Needles. It protects wildlife corridors linking Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve.

Sand to Snow National Monument, about 45 miles east of Riverside, includes about 154,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The area includes 24 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, an estimated 1,700 petroglyphs and Big Morongo Canyon, a bird-watching destination along a perennial stream designated a federal Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1982.

Castle Mountains National Monument encompasses 20,920 acres featuring a row of jagged peaks rising above contorted Joshua trees and rare native desert grasslands between Interstates 15 and 40, about 100 miles south of Las Vegas. The area includes the historic mining camp of Hart, about 10 miles from the Nevada border.

It surrounds  but does not include  an open-pit mine at the southern end of the Castle Mountains owned by NewCastle Gold Ltd., of Canada, which has a permit allowing it to excavate nearly 10 million tons of ore through 2025. Mining at the site was suspended in 2001 because of low gold prices.

David Lamfrom, director of California desert and wildlife programs for the National Parks Conservation Assn., has spent nearly a decade arguing the cause of conservation in the Castle Mountains.

On a recent visit, Lamfroms pickup truck was the only vehicle in sight along a washboard dirt road lined with pinyon pine trees and barrel and cholla cactus on the northern flanks of the range he calls one of Californias greatest scenic attractions.

Lamfrom brought his truck to a stop on a ridge overlooking a prairie of native grasses stretching for miles in all directions. Giving the vista an approving nod, he said, A few centuries ago, Mexican wolves chased pronghorn antelope across this very landscape.

Were already in discussions with federal wildlife authorities, he added, about taking the next step: reintroducing species of a bygone era, starting with pronghorn antelope.

louis.sahagun@latimes.com

Twitter: @louissahagun

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Scientists have announced the first detection of gravitational waves, a finding that will give astronomers an entirely new window to the universe. But how are these waves observed and why have we never seen them before?

Gravitational waves are ripples in the space-time continuum first predicted by Albert Einstein 100 years ago.

They can be produced in many ways, but their effect on time and space is so infinitesimal that it requires the motion of massive and dense objects like black holes and neutron stars to create gravitational waves strong enough to be observed by instruments on Earth.

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Scientists say the first gravitational waves to be detected were caused by two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of the sun, smashing into each other and merging.

But even then, the resulting waves were barely perceptible. For example, they caused the arm of a 2.5-mile instrument designed to measure them to lengthen by just 1/1000th the diameter of a proton.

No wonder Einstein never thought they would be measured.

It took several decades for researchers in the United States to design and build two observatories that were sensitive enough to hear gravitational waves. One is located in Louisiana, the other in Washington state. They are run by a consortium of scientists in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. (LIGO stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.)

The observatories consist of two tubes, each 2.5 miles long, arranged in an L shape.

When the experiment is running, a laser beam is emitted from the corner of the L, where the two tubes meet. A beam splitter directs half the light from the beam down one tube, while the other half is sent down the second tube. At the end of each tube is a mirror that reflects the light back to the point where it was split.

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If the tubes are the exact same length, the light should take the same amount of time to travel down each arm. However, if a gravitational wave should happen to pass through the instrument, it would stretch one arm of the L just a teeny bit, while compressing the other arm just a teeny bit.

In that case, it would take one beam of light a bit longer to make it down the tube and back, while the other beam of light would take just a bit shorter.

The remarkable fact is that the gravitational wave is stretching the space between the mirrors, said Jonah Kanner, a research scientists at the LIGO laboratory at Caltech. Its not that the mirrors move, its that the space between them gets stretched. But because the speed of light is constant, it takes the light a longer time to make the trip.

The trouble is, it isnt just gravitational waves that can cause a length change in one of the arms. The instruments are so sensitive that they will also detect a truck rumbling down the street, a storm brewing in the distance, or a dropped book in the control room.

Thats why having two observatories is essential, researchers said.

You need two detectors because what you are looking for is coincidence, said Surabhi Sachdev, a graduate student at Caltech who works on LIGO data. If you see the same signal at the same time in both locations it is more likely real. You dont expect the noise to randomly be the same.

The instruments record a data point 16,000 times a second, and that too is necessary. The first signal to be detected lasted just 200 milliseconds.

Once a signal is identified, scientists can determine what caused it by checking it against computer simulations of different types of wave forms.

Computer theorists produced a library of different kinds of signals you can expect if you change the mass and the spin of the objects involved, said Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist at Harvard University who was not involved in the research. It is like a fingerprint. Its not as if you can fit the data with anything.

And that, said Max Isi, a graduate student at Caltech working with LIGO, is what is so thrilling about the project.

It is really mind-boggling that an equation written by someone 100 years ago predicts exactly what happened 1 billion years ago, and which we only just detected, he said. To describe an event so remote in time and space and so far away from our own experience is really amazing.

Do you love science? I do! Follow me @DeborahNetburn and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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Newport Beachs city manager plans to work with John Wayne Airport staff and the Federal Aviation Administration during the next few months to analyze whether changing the airports flight departure pattern to match the contours of Newport Bay could result in less noise for more residents.

The City Council gave Dave Kiff approval Tuesday to move forward with airport and FAA officials. The decision comes as the FAA is floating a proposal to narrow flight paths at 11 Southern California airports, including John Wayne, which sits on unincorporated land adjacent to Newport Beach, Irvine and Santa Ana.

The possible change is part of the FAAs efforts to replace traditional ground-based air traffic procedures with satellite-based technology at those airports.

The agency believes the Next Generation Air Transportation System could save fuel, reduce emissions and delays and shorten flight times by establishing flight plans that are less dispersed than they have been. The FAA plans to roll out NextGen at John Wayne Airport within a year.

The effort has ignited conversation among the Newport Beach Aviation Committee and some community members who are concerned that airplane noise over their homes, which has been an issue for decades in areas such as Newport Heights, Balboa Island and Peninsula Point, could become worse.

Most of the planes departing John Wayne Airport follow a route that takes them across Upper Newport Bay before bisecting Balboa Island and the end of the Balboa Peninsula and turning around a few miles over the ocean.

Under the current system, the pilot has more control of the takeoff route. Under the new system, a precise takeoff path can be programmed into the planes flight plan, which could further concentrate flights over residential areas. Residents fear that could increase pollution and noise.

The NextGen system using GPS has increased the accuracy of the departures to keep planes in their exact lane, the Balboa Island Improvement Assn. wrote in a letter to the FAA last year. This technology may actually be increasing the negative environmental impacts on those directly under the departure pattern.

Though Newport Beach officials have previously advocated keeping existing flight patterns, the councils action Tuesday allows Kiff to suggest that the FAA consider allowing pilots to use navigation technology to create precisely engineered paths consisting of a series of curves across the center of Newport Bay from the end of the runway to open water.

Having more curves in the Upper Bay departure paths might keep more planes further from homes on each side of the bay and may further reduce noise impacts, Kiff wrote in a staff report.

Kiff said the curved departure path also might help reduce the frequency of airplanes flying over specific neighborhoods like Ruby Avenue on Balboa Island, where residents say they see planes a few minutes apart at peak travel times.

Members of the Balboa Island Improvement Assn. expressed support for such a plan, which was first outlined in a 2012 city-commissioned study.

Were very pleased the city is moving forward with this plan and taking action on this issue, said Lee Pearl, the association president. They took a positive step.

Decades ago, the city, John Wayne Airport, Orange County and two community groups entered an agreement that established a flight curfew and limits on noise and the number of passengers and departures. The noise-abatement agreement stemmed in part from residents complaints. In 2014, the parties extended the agreement through December 2030.

As part of the pact, the county established seven noise monitors along the airports departure corridor. For years, air carriers used noise-abatement procedures during departures, such as ascending rapidly and throttling back the engines when flying over homes. More recently, planes have technology that reduces the sound of the engines, and many airlines no longer need to use the abatement measures to meet sound requirements.

Kiff plans to work with the airport and the FAA to determine how the altitude of planes departing from John Wayne has changed over the years.

Planes that depart from JWA currently use whats known as a close-in noise-abatement procedure, in which the pilot initiates a thrust cutback at 800 feet or higher and then retracts flaps  which give planes a slower stalling speed, allowing them to take off on a shorter runway  and slats, which allow planes to fly at slower speeds.

Kiff plans to study whether a distant noise-abatement departure, in which the pilot retracts the flaps and slats before the thrust cutback at around 1,500 feet in the air, would be quieter for more residents than the current procedure.

Still, Kiff cautioned residents and city leaders against getting their hopes up about influencing the FAAs decision making.

The FAA doesnt have to listen to us, Kiff said. It could die on the vine, but they have been willing to listen to communities, including ours, in the past.
The city Housing Authority could soon get a sizeable chunk of millions of dollars lost to a development company that inflated construction costs on affordable housing projects.

City Manager Scott Ochoa couldnt say exactly how much the city would receive, but he expects a court-appointed receiver to the developer, Advancement Development Investment Inc., to reach an agreement with the city in the coming months.

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City Attorney Mike Garcia said Glendale is closer to a resolution of our claims than we ever have been.

The announcement comes almost six years after the city learned ADI, which built four affordable housing projects in Glendale, overcharged for construction services.

About half of the $34 million in Housing Authority funds paid to ADI were for fraudulent charges, Ochoa said.

A few years ago, the city was paid back about $6.5 million in civic settlements, including $3.5 million from PNC Multifamily Capital, a banker and investor in the ADI debacle.

Salim Karimi, the former president and co-owner of ADI, was arrested in India in December and released on bail, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Five former ADI executives are still at large.

The federal government is working to extradite Karimi to the United States, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney.

Once that happens, the city plans to seek a separate trial to seek damages, though the process could be lengthy , Ochoa said.

We will be hopeful and vigilant through the court-restitution process and hopefully we can deliver more funds back to the Housing Authority, he said.

That money would be reallocated to a fund for affordable housing projects, Ochoa said.

In 2011, the Housing Authority  composed of the City Council members and two community members  passed a resolution that made voluntary disclosures mandatory.

This includes providing three years worth of audited financial statements, three years of business income tax returns, letters of recommendation and lawsuit disclosures.

Most of these practices were already in place, but documentation of these best practices helps the city ensure the development of quality affordable housing in a fair and transparent manner that is beneficial to the residents of these developments and protective (of) taxpayer dollars, Garcia said in an email.

However, Mayor Ara Najarian sees room for improvement.

We really dont have a project auditor that can confirm invoices are legitimate, he said.

Also in the aftermath of the ADI scandal, a Los Angeles Times and Glendale News-Press investigation revealed that ADI pressured its subcontractors to donate to the campaigns of four people running for the City Council in 2009.

In the two years leading up the race, nearly one of every four dollars received by the top four candidates  more than $100,000  was from ADI subcontractors.

Two of those candidates included Najarian and Councilwoman Laura Friedman, who both claimed in 2011 they were unaware the subcontractors were pressured into donating.

Najarian said he believed the subcontractors that supported his campaign were local tradesmen. He also recalled the 2009 election cycle as the beginning of a period of growth in Glendale, which included the opening of the Americana at Brand the year prior.

I thought they were either folks who had ongoing jobs in the city who were happy that they had found a pro-development council, Najarian said.

Friedman said the contractors who contributed to her first successful council bid were businesses in Glendale, so she thought they were supportive of her stance on affordable housing.

Also in 2011, the city enacted a policy that would prohibit a project applicant from contributing to a campaign while an application is pending and for a year after.

As for sitting council members, they must abstain from voting on an applicants project if they received a donation from them up to 12 months before their application goes for consideration.

City Clerk Ardy Kassahkian, whose role entails organizing and overseeing municipal elections, said its up the candidates to keep track of whos funding their bids.

Its not the city staffs responsibility to account for the political actions of an elected official  I think that at the end of the day, the responsibility lies with the person who is the candidate, he said.

Though the city lost about $17 million to the fraud, the state governments dissolution of redevelopment agencies statewide hurt Glendale more, Ochoa said.

--

Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com

Twitter: @ArinMikailian
The news that a cease-fire agreement had been reached among warring parties in Syria came as a relief to refugees from the conflict who have made their way to Germany. But it isnt likely to prompt any mass return  certainly not yet.

As long as [President Bashar] Assad is still there, I wouldnt dream of going back, said Ahmed al Hanawi, a 28-year-old refugee who arrived in Berlin eight months ago after fleeing his hometown of Damascus. He shook his head. Id rather be shot to death here in Germany than go back to Syria under Assad, he said.

As much as some of the 480,000 Syrian refugees in Germany may want to return home, the proposed cease-fire still looks too fragile and riddled with uncertainties, refugees said. And the fact that Assad will remain in power was a deal-breaker for many.

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I dont think many people will go home based on talk alone, said one 25-year-old Syrian man, who gave his name only as Dalil  like many, he was nervous about giving his full name. No one trusts this cease-fire. And as long as Assads still in control, its unrealistic to think many will go back.

Over the last few months, there has been a trickle of a few thousand refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan returning home on their own after giving up on Germany. Many had exaggerated expectations of getting houses and well-paying jobs in Germany right away. Instead, many are housed in mass shelters and stuck in a holding pattern without hopes of finding a job or being reunited with their families.

Some also cite frustration with the slow-moving German bureaucracy, an aversion to German food, and difficulties adapting to the dark, wet weather and the increasingly frosty reception from Germans.

But more than 3,000 refugees a day continue to arrive in Germany, putting strains on social services. Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under pressure in her conservative party to close the door to more refugees.

We all know from the past experience, so its too early to say if this is a breakthrough or not, said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was involved in some of the talks in Munich with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. The war has killed more than 200,000 people and triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. We wont know for a few days if this was a breakthrough or not.

Sylvia Glaser, a staff worker at the Coming Home project in Munich, which offers refugees financial and logistical support to return home, said that many Syrians would like nothing more than to return to their country.

I think there are lots of Syrians ready to go home as soon as possible, Glaser said, adding that many are single men came to Germany to flee the war but are homesick and miss their families now. But I dont think they have a lot of faith yet in this agreement.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.

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6:32 P.M. Adios, Papa Francisco Pope Francis boards a plane for Rome. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP-Getty Images)



5:53 P.M. Forget the miter - give the pope a sombrero! It appears that no papal journey to Mexico is complete without someone handing the leader of the 1.2-billion-member Roman Catholic Church a sombrero. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI donned them during their visits. Now its Pope Francis turn. By our count, hes worn at least three during his trip. Pope Francis dons a sombrero he received from a Mexican journalist aboard the plane to Cuba and Mexico. (Alessandro Di Meo / Pool Photo) Pope Francis wears a sombrero upon arrival in Mexico City. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images) Pope Francis dons a Mexican charro-style sombrero given to him by a person in the crowd in Mexico Citys main square, the Zocalo. (Christian Palma / Associated Press) Steve Padilla



6:00 P.M. A farewell party fit for a pope (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP-Getty Images) Dancers perform for Pope Francis at the airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

5:31 P.M. Thousands line streets to bid farewell to Pope Francis

5:30 P.M. Tribute to a son lost to narco violence

Sara Hernandez came to the papal Mass clutching half a dozen yellow balloons. As she got closer to the Juarez fairgrounds, the homemaker bought a dozen papal key chains to keep the bunch from floating away. Her 8-year-old grandson, Kevin, had inscribed one of the balloons with an important message -- not for the pope, but rather for his dead father. I wish that you were here with us dad, he wrote, misspelling wish in Spanish. Kevins mother works in the Juarez maquiladoras. His dad, Pelon Hernandez, cleaned houses in El Paso. Five years ago, he was shot and killed in front of a Juarez supermarket. His mother said he was killed by drug traffickers. Police have yet to find his killer. So she came to see the pope wearing a T-shirt bearing her sons name, photo and a message: I will always remember you. Hernandez released the balloons at the end of the Mass -- all but one, which she tied to a barricade. Passers-by stopped to hug her and hear her story. She knows many others who have lost sons here. I hope it helps end the violence, Hernandez said of the popes visit, her eyes tearing up. Because of the violence, I suffer. All of us mothers; the pain never ends. Molly Hennessy-Fiske

5:13 P.M. Cardinal Roger Mahony gives communion to pilgrims on U.S. side of the border

4:52 P.M. Pope Francis: Thanks to technology, no border can prevent us from sharing

The pope saluted our brothers and sisters in El Paso, who were following a live broadcast of the Mass at the Sun Bowl stadium, adding that thanks to technology, we can pray, sing and celebrate together ... and that no border can prevent us from sharing. Gracias a la ayuda de la tecnologia, podemos orar, cantar y celebrar juntos ese amor misericordioso que el Senor nos da, y el que ninguna frontera podra impedirnos de compartir. El Papa Francisco Tracy Wilkinson Read more



4:42 P.M. Joy, then sadness among pilgrims who cant cross into Mexico Pilgrims stand at a levee on the U.S. side of the border during the popes Mass in Ciudad Juarez. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Some of those gathered on the levee on the U.S. side of the border were overcome with emotion when Pope Francis waved to them and blessed them. It really was beautiful, Claudia Diaz said, crying. But joy turned to sadness when the pontiff got back in his popemobile and headed toward the Juarez fairgrounds. Most sat quietly but couldnt hear much of the Mass from their vantage point. This is so unjust, being here on this side and not to be able to cross and be over there with him, said Diaz, gesturing toward Mexico. We just have to be content with being on this side. Diaz, who is from Juarez and does not have legal status in the U.S., said many of her cousins, friends and her mother-in-law attended the Mass in Mexico. Its sad here on our side because we cant even hear the Mass, she said. They couldnt even put a speaker here so we could hear it. Cindy Carcamo Read more

4:17 P.M. Pope decries human tragedy that forces people to migrate, risking death

Pope Francis did not cross into the United States but stayed in the scruffy city of Ciudad Juarez, once infamous for a sky-high murder rate, especially of young women. But his message was clearly intended for both sides. He decried the global human tragedy that forces people to migrate unwillingly, risking death -- each step, a journey laden with grave injustices: the enslaved, the imprisoned and extorted. Reserving special mention for women unjustly robbed of their lives, Francis said migrants are the brothers and sisters of those expelled by poverty and violence, by drug trafficking and criminal organizations. Injustice is radicalized in the young, the first pontiff from the Americas continued. They are cannon fodder, persecuted and threatened when they try to flee the spiral of violence and the hell of drugs. Tracy Wilkinson Read more

4:06 P.M. Pope Francis waves across the Rio Grande to people in the U.S.

3:47 P.M. A view of the human chain formed for the pope

An estimated 70,000 people formed a human chain to protect the papal motorcade along the 25-mile route from the airport to the border. Tracy Wilkinson Read more

3:29 P.M.

At the start of the border Mass, Pope Francis mounted a ramp where one large cross and several smaller ones were posed to represent migrants killed in their attempts to reach the U.S. He said a blessing, with Texas on the nearby horizon. Those gathered on the levee waved and shouted, te queremos, papa -- We love you, pope. Cindy Carcamo

3:21 P.M. Crowds waiting at U.S.-Mexico border erupt in cheers for Pope Francis

The waiting crowds erupted in cheers as the popemobile entered the Ciudad Juarez fairgrounds. Elderly men, overcome with emotion, wept. Molly Hennessy-Fiske

2:50 P.M. Watch Pope Francis cross-border Mass



2:46 P.M. For one migrant, What the pope is doing is a miracle (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Claudia Diaz, a 44-year-old woman who lives in New Mexico, where she does not have legal status, walked onto a levee on the U.S. side of the border, past Border Patrol agents and a highly fortified fence. She said she wasnt scared and instead focused on finding her seat in a VIP section -- the closest spot to the pope on this side of the border. This right here, what the pope is doing, is a miracle because he has permitted for people like us to be at this place -- in these lands that are so vigilados, so militarized, where so many have died trying to cross this river, she said, pointing to the mostly parched Rio Grande. For us to be here at this moment is very big. Cindy Carcamo Read more

2:04 P.M. A pilgrimage to the border to receive a papal blessing About 400 people, including local officials, religious leaders, migrants and activists, were bused from El Paso to a levee near the Mexican border to receive a blessing from Pope Francis. Cindy Carcamo Read more

1:45 P.M. Crowds stream into Juarez fairgrounds for popes Mass

People are streaming into the old fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez for the popes open-air Mass. Ticket holders are given color-coded wristbands, and volunteers steer them into barricaded areas, some at the foot of massive screens broadcasting musical performances and imagex of the pontiffs progress through town. Are we ready for the pope? Raise your hands! an announcer called. Hundreds of hands went up, then applauded. In a section near the back of the gravelly field, Jorge Balderrama claimed a spot with three relatives, laying blankets on a section of blacktop hours before the Mass was due to start. There was no shade, no way to avoid the intense sun as the day went on, but the sales manager didnt mind. We came to get his blessing, said Balderrama, 45. Its a way to give us hope, having him with us. Though he said he doesnt expect the Mass to bring an end to the violence in his native Chihuahua state, in the long run, this will change a lot of peoples consciences. Molly Hennessy-Fiske Read more

1:33 P.M. A pilgrim on the popes visit to Mexico: Hes trying to change things for us

Martina Miguel Martinez, 40, brought her 5-year-old son, Angel Gabriel Anaya Miguel, to see the pope. She moved to Ciudad Juarez from Oaxaca years ago to work in the maquiladora industries that supply the U.S. with clothing, television sets, snacks and other consumer products. She returned to Oaxaca in 2008 to aid her ailing mother, and stayed away once she had her son as the violence escalated. The two returned in August, and she went back to work. It seems safer. I see news and hear stories about assaults, but no one has touched me, she said. Shes Catholic, and has noticed the attention Pope Francis pays to immigrants. I think hes trying to understand, because he doesnt live it, she said as she walked her son along the long line to enter Mass. Hes trying to change things for us. Molly Hennessy-Fiske Read more



1:12 P.M. Variations on the popemobile Pope Francis waves from the popemobile as he heads to the airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to return to the Vatican. (Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP/Getty Images) Pope Francis waves from a Fiat on his way to the Vaticans diplomatic mission in Mexico City. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) Pope Francis visits a prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Gabriel Bouys / Pool Photo)
Before his journey to Mexico, Pope Francis had a favor to ask.

Before his first trip as pontiff to a place with more Catholics than any other Spanish-speaking country, where he will surely be mobbed by the thousands night and day, the pope requested something likely to be in short supply  a few minutes alone.

His only company will be perhaps the most revered religious artifact in the Western Hemisphere, a piece of fabric bearing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

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The request for a few minutes by himself with the image was a stunningly personal one from the pope. But he knows the Virgin well, he said, because she has seen him through difficult times.

How many times I have been fearful of a problem or that something bad has happened and I dont know how to react, and I pray to her, said the pope in September, according to quotes distributed by Catholic News Service. Francis celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, the second day of a six-day tour of the country.

As a man born in Argentina and the first pope from the New World, it should not be surprising that Francis turns for comfort to the Empress of the Americas.

In Mexico and Latin America, as well as the southwestern U.S., this image of the Virgin Mary is dynamic, ubiquitous and powerful. She is everywhere, on everything  stenciled on buildings, sprayed onto the sides of trucks, inked into peoples arms and legs and even the sides of their necks.

She appears among Americas Christian right and Catholic gang members too. Once tattooed [with the Virgin of Guadalupe], the gangster is both sinner and saint, holding in visual tension the spectrum of human behaviors and hopes, religion scholar Judith Dupre wrote.

The Virgin offers adherents her protection, listens to their sorrows and alleviates their pain. She cannot herself perform the miraculous, according to Catholic teaching, but she may intercede on behalf of those who ask her blessing.

Though it has not been declared a miracle within the Roman Catholic Church, the reports of her first appearance forever changed the Western world.

In the early 16th century, Spanish missionaries were having trouble converting the local Aztecs, who worshiped a pantheon of gods, both male and female.

The story of the Virgin of Guadalupe, told countless times in churches and from parents to children, unfolded in the winter of 1531: A peasant crossing a hillside called Tepeyac, near Mexico City, was visited by the Virgin, who appeared to him as dark skinned and spoke his language, Nahuatl. She asked him to build a church on the hill.

The peasant, named Juan Diego by the Spanish, rushed to tell the archbishop of Mexico City the good news. But the archbishop sent him away. Juan Diego returned to the hill, where the Virgin appeared to him once more.

The archbishop wouldnt listen, Juan Diego told her.

Try again, she responded.

And once again Juan Diego went to the archbishop to report the apparition, and once again he was turned away.

Bring me a miracle, the archbishop told him.

He needs a miracle, Juan Diego told the Virgin.

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So, according to tradition, she provided it to him: a handful of Castilian roses  flowers from Spain, not native to Mexico, fully bloomed in the dead of winter. Juan Diego gathered up the flowers in his cloak, or tilma, and rushed to the archbishop. He let the flowers tumble out. There, on the fabric, was the image of the Virgin so familiar today: the slight incline of the head, the expression of compassion, the blue cloak studded with stars, the crescent moon at her feet held up by an angel, also dark skinned.

The date was Dec. 12, and for nearly 500 years, there it has remained, the most visited Marian shrine in the world.

The effect was swift. Although some Catholics did not immediately believe the image was miraculous, the Aztecs quickly took to a female figure worthy of worship and capable of interceding on their behalf, and began to convert to Christianity at a rate unseen before.

Francis acknowledges that in Mexico, belief in the Virgin sometimes reaches deeper than even ones belief in religion.

You all know the joke of that Mexican man who would say, I am an atheist, but I am Guadalupan, Francis said in comments from Catholic News Service. It makes sense.

Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002 before a crowd of 12 million in Mexico City. Now, Dec. 12 is the feast for Our Lady of Guadalupe and is regarded as an auspicious birthday for Mexicans. It certainly was to Cristofer Pereyra, born Dec. 12 and now spokesman for the Archdiocese of Phoenix (where the patron saint is  yes  the Virgin of Guadalupe).

I feel shes always been with me, Pereyra said. I know its not exclusive to me, but I feel it.

Mexicans often refer to her as la virgencita, literally the little virgin but a warm term of endearment. In recent years her appeal has gone beyond the Mexican community. At an annual march on her feast day in Los Angeles, marchers include members of ethnic Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Tongan and Vietnamese congregations.

The Virgin indeed provides some direct, if unintended, protection. In Los Angeles, store owners who want to protect their buildings from graffiti have learned to decorate them with images of the virgin  taggers wont deface her.

You know, Catholics, were big on images, Pereyra said, mentally counting the representations of the Virgin he has in his house and office. He settled on four.

Oh wait, I have another one here, he said.

The images of the Virgin have a purpose beyond proclaiming faith, Pereyra said.

We feel that through life, its difficult to have something close at hand without being able to see it. It brings us closer when its there in front of us, he said. We like to be reminded.

Follow @nigelduara on Twitter.

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Noel Diaz is over the moon. On Friday hes traveling from the Vatican to Mexico with Pope Francis on a plane that left from Rome.

Diaz is the only Los Angeles resident traveling with the pope as he flies to Mexico, which begins Friday after a stop in Cuba, where Francis will meet with the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Diaz, 59, is very aware of the privilege hes garnered to travel with the pope, who will arrive in Mexico City on Friday night. If I have the chance to share my words with him, I will ask him to champion the cause of migrants, not to forget them and the policies that separate hundreds and thousands of families and the enormous pain they suffer. Its not just, he said.

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Diaz knows about these issues firsthand. As a child, alongside his mother, he was deported on two occasions while living in California.

My mother needed to support me, and the only thing she was doing was to work to give me a better future, he recalled. This is the same story for millions of families that are separated by deportations. These must be stopped, and I am hopeful that the pope can help us. I hope he can hear our call.

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To be accepted on the popes plane, Diaz sent a request through the Vaticans Web page. He was able to include in his application his work as founder of the Catholic television network called El Sembrador, which means the sower. The station has viewers from Mexico to Argentina  more than 8 million a month.

El Sembrador is a Catholic television chain, but its not like the religious chains that aggrandize their founders or presidents who get rich from programming. In my case, I have a job to make a living, but more important is our mission to transmit the churchs message to all corners of the continent, Diaz said.

The network, known as ESNE for El Sembrador New Evangelization, is based in San Fernando and began transmitting to Latin America via satellite on Jan. 31, 2002, the day Pope John Paul II presided over the canonization of Juan Diego, the peasant who reported the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico in 1531. According to the networks website, it is the only Catholic channel with a studio inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Diaz also would like to hear the pope speak against corruption, violence and drug trafficking.

The pope said recently that hes not here to solve problems but rather bring a message like a pilgrim, but even so, were hopeful that his messages help us find much-needed peace in Mexico, he said.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

In recent days Diaz had been thinking about what gift he could offer the pope. Im not going to give him anything materially valuable, he said. Im going to give him a box used to shine shoes.

This box has been a work tool for hundreds of thousands of children who work to survive.

I myself shined shoes in Tijuana and the pesos I brought home helped my mother. The money from shoe shines even paid for my first Communion. For that reason, I want to give him this particular item. Im sure he will very much appreciate it because he is a man who truly understands the poor, Diaz said.

Twitter: @amaciel58

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Pope Francis on Friday crossed the Atlantic Ocean and then a millennium of division and distrust when he traveled to Cuba and met with the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It was the first encounter ever between the heads of two of the largest branches of the Christian faith, whose estrangement for 1,000 years represents the deepest East-West divide in Christianity.

It came about partly to draw urgent attention to the increasingly dire plight of Christians of all stripes in the Middle East and Africa, where they are being murdered and displaced by Islamic fundamentalists.

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Cuban President Raul Castro received Francis after his plane touched down; shortly thereafter, the pope and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began their meeting with an embrace, three kisses on their cheeks, and then settled into large side-by-side chairs.

Finally, brother, Francis said to Kirill, bearded and dressed in flowing black robes.

After the 2 1/2-hour meeting, both said they had talks about unity and their responsibility for the future of Christianity and of civilization itself, as Kirill, speaking in Russian, put it.

We spoke as brothers. We share the same baptism. We are both bishops, Francis said, speaking in Spanish and addressing the patriarch as your holiness.

Afterward, Pope Francis continued his trip to Mexico City, where he will spend nearly a week symbolically tracing the path of migrants and bringing comfort to an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Mexican population besieged by violence, drug war and official corruption.

The first pontiff from the Americas has made rapprochement a cornerstone of his three-year-old papacy, and mending rifts among Christians is key to that mission.

The pope is nurturing a culture of encounter and dialogue, said the Rev. Jean-Pierre Ruiz, associate professor of theology and religious studies at St. Johns University in New York. He wants to show that this is really the only alternative to the adversarial relationship that leads to conflict.

The Russian patriarchs motives, however, may be more complicated. Serious disputes remain between the two religions, including the primacy of the pope. It is widely assumed that Kirill would not have agreed to the meeting without the approval, perhaps even the urging, of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has largely coopted the church to his political needs.

The Russian church may be hoping to give a boost to Putin at a time when he is facing ostracizing and bitter criticism by much of the West because of Moscows military operations in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.

To have the Roman pope, with his internationally recognized authority, not as a critic but as an ally or at least simply as a neutrally silent figure, is highly attractive to Putin and his associates, said Yury Avvakumov, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and specialist in Russian and Ukrainian theology.

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The Moscow Patriarchate has always been an instrument of Russian international policy. Today  [it] remains an effective transmitter worldwide of the political interests of the Russian rulers.

The rivalry between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy dates to the early centuries of Christianity as it spread across the Roman Empire, with Latin rites dominating Europe, while Greek-speaking clerics moving eastward from what is today Turkey. Eventually states throughout the Byzantine Empire, from the Balkans all the way to the far reaches of Russia, had Orthodox patriarchs.

By the 11th century, the rivalry had become bitter and at times violent. In 1054, in what is known as the Great Schism, the Catholic Church loyal to the pope in Rome split from the Orthodox Church, led by the patriarch in what was then Constantinople. Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius issued mutual excommunications, and the division was complete.

At the heart of the dispute was papal primacy  the idea that the pope be considered a sort of supreme leader of all Christians  as well as doctrinal disagreements. Even today, the churches have different practices. Roman Catholic priests, for example, take a vow of celibacy, while Orthodox churches allowed married men to be ordained into the priesthood.

Over the centuries that followed, Orthodox churches often became allied with governments or with nationalistic causes. Hence, the Russian Orthodox Churchs close ties with Putin. During the Balkan wars of the 1990s, it was not unusual to see Serbian Orthodox priests in the battlefield blessing Serbian troops.

There have been periodic, usually thwarted efforts to heal the schism. The first most successful step came in 1964, when Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople (now Istanbul) visited Jerusalem together and, the following year, lifted the excommunications.

That allowed significant progress in relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. Leaders attended the others religious holiday ceremonies, and current Patriarch Bartholomew I of Istanbul, first among equals of the Orthodox patriarchs, has had friendly ties with Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

The Russians have always kept their distance, however, and detente only soured in the 1990s with the fall of the Soviet Union, which opened Russia to other faiths and, in the Russian Orthodox view, unwanted proselytizing.

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For years, theyve talked about this, and come close a couple of times, said the Rev. Ron Roberson, who handles ecumenical affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. All along, the Catholics were more positive than the Russians. The Russians kept saying more issues needed to be resolved for any meeting to be fruitful.

A key problem were the Catholic churches that maintained Eastern rites and, in one case, were particularly active in Ukraine. While the Vatican insisted they were merely ministering to small Catholic communities in Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church accused them of stealing converts.

Even as it joined the Vatican last week in announcing Fridays historic meeting, the Russian Orthodox Church cited the Roman Catholic churches in Ukraine as a never-healing, bleeding wound that prevents full normalization of relations between the two faiths.

The Russian Orthodox Church became especially politicized under Putin. He used the church to bulk up his standing at home, portraying himself as pious while using the church to crush dissent through laws that punished those who had purportedly offended the church but who in fact were being critical of the Russian leadership. Putin also met with Francis, in another effort to erode his isolation by the West; he may see reconciliation between the churches as another step in his positioning as a world power to be respected.

Around two-thirds of the worlds Orthodox Christians, roughly 200 million people, belong to the Russian church, making it the largest as well as the wealthiest. The Roman Catholic Church claims 1.2 billion adherents worldwide.

The selection of Cuba as the venue for Fridays meeting also spoke volumes. Far from both Rome and Moscow, a neutral territory that is nevertheless of special importance to both sides, the communist-ruled island is officially atheistic. But it has been trying to burnish a reputation of late as being more tolerant of religious practices, and of importance to the world of diplomacy.

Francis was instrumental in bringing Washington and Havana together to agree to restore diplomatic ties in late 2014 after a half-century of animosity. And Cuba, once a client state of the Soviet Union, continues to have close ties to Russia.

After years of attempting to make Fridays meeting come about, the schedules of the two religious leaders coincided, with Kirill on a previously scheduled tour of Latin America and Francis on his way to Mexico, Vatican officials said.

After 1,000 years, Roberson said, It was the right place, the right time.

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson

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As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the future Pope Francis was a thorn in the side of the Argentine leadership, especially the husband and wife presidency of Nestor and Christina Kirchner.

A major part of their platform was that they were in favor of the poor, said Father Arthur F. Liebscher, chairman of the history department at Santa Clara University, and he came along and said, Well, what are you doing about it? Youre getting rich, your friends are getting rich, and nothing is happening in the country.

Liebscher remembers the pope when he was still Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a fellow Jesuit priest; the two men washed dishes together at a school in Argentina. Now, as Francis launches an ambitious trip to Mexico, Liebscher expects that the first Latin American pontiff will give the Mexican government of President Enrique Pena Nieto a taste of what the Kirchners once experienced.

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Wending his way through the country, from the southern frontier with Guatemala to the northern border with the United States, Francis can be expected to make a far different imprint than his European predecessors, Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II, both of whom also visited Mexico.

Part of that is cultural: Francis is Latin American to his core, a native Spanish speaker who has grappled with entrenched poverty and authoritarian governments for much of his life. Part of it may also be generational: The 79-year-old Francis was still a young priest when the Roman Catholic Church was profoundly changed by the Second Vatican Council, and he has shown far more allegiance to those reforms than did John Paul or Benedict.

Pope John Paul II is greeted by the crowds as he makes his way to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Jan. 23, 1999. (Dario Lopez-Mills / AP)

Francis is no radical. His theology is doctrinaire Catholicism, and he has disappointed those who hoped he might revisit Catholic positions on birth control, abortion and the role of women in the church. Advocates for the victims of sexual abuse by priests say he has not done enough to end that scourge and punish bishops who turned a blind eye to it.

But reformers give him credit for taking on the Vatican bureaucracy, demanding that clerics live more simply, and offering a more positive vision of Christianity  one focused more on redemption than on sin.

John Paul visited Mexico on his first international trip as pope in 1979 and returned four times over the next 20 years. His visits were largely pastoral, drawing some of the largest crowds in human history. But they also were cautionary. Time and again, John Paul warned against the dangers of liberation theology, which called for the church to play a more activist role in bringing justice to the poor.

Benedict visited Mexico once, in 2012, inveighing against drug war violence and saying that faith in God was the way to overcome all evil and to establish a more just and fraternal society. The German-born pontiff, who had been the churchs doctrinal overseer under John Paul and had a reputation as a theological conservative, cerebral and reserved, resigned the next year, paving the way for Francis.

Pope Francis is a new kind of pope. Or, let me put it another way: Hes a return to an earlier way of being pope.  Sally Vance-Trembath, a lecturer in religious studies at Santa Clara University

Francis trip promises to be a more intimate dive into Mexican society, a visit from a neighbor, albeit one who speaks an oddly accented Spanish and comes from a country, Argentina, that Mexicans view as aloof, even arrogant, and suspiciously European.

Francis has never been seen as a liberation theologist, but he is clearly more open to its ideas than were John Paul or Benedict. As a Latin American, he has more communitarian values than his predecessors and is single-mindedly devoted to the poor, said Timothy Matovina, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and co-director of the schools Institute for Latino Studies.

John Paul, the first pope from Poland, was adamantly opposed to communism in Eastern Europe and is widely credited with helping to foment its fall. Francis is not going to disagree with the form of government in Mexico, Matovina said, but hes going to talk about how, if government isnt serving the needs of the people, what good is it?

He also can be expected to excoriate the practice of Mexican churches accepting narco-limosnas  donations, often quite generous, from drug traffickers.

Pope Benedict XVI waves to well wishers from the Popemobile in Leon, Mexico, on March 23, 2012. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

More than anything, said Sally Vance-Trembath, a lecturer in religious studies at Santa Clara University, Francis can be expected to take time to listen to Mexican Catholics and learn from them. That, she said, may be the greatest difference between him and his recent predecessors.

Pope Francis is a new kind of pope, she said. Or, let me put it another way: Hes a return to an earlier way of being pope from the ancient church. Hes not a monarch, hes not the CEO, hes not the head of the church in the way that Benedict and John Paul II were. Hes the bishop of Rome, first and foremost.

As such, she said, he sees himself as one bishop among many, presiding over a church that has universal values but diverse ways of expressing them.

The popes itinerary may be a reflection of his intent. Although he will base himself in Mexico City, he will radiate out each day to places that are associated with marginalized people  indigenous groups, victims of violence and, perhaps most pronounced, migrants who cross Mexico along a path from Guatemala to the heavily fortified U.S. border that divides Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas.

Hes doing the path, hes going into the problem areas, and hes said, Im coming to pray with you, Im coming to learn more about the Mexican way of being Catholic, Vance-Trembath said.

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Mexico's environmental authorities will fine a wildlife company for the fatal suffocation of 124 crocodiles in a transport truck.

The wildlife firm Cocodrilos Exoticos, which is based in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo, could be fined up to $193,000, according to the environmental prosecutor's office, AFP reported (via Yahoo! News). The reptiles belonged to the 350 Morelet's crocodiles from another farm, Cocodrilos Mexicanos, which is situated in the northwestern city of Culiacan, Sinaloa's capital.

The 124 crocodiles died because of the irregularities in their handling during the length cross-country transfer from Sinaloa to the Yucatan Peninsula, according to EFE (via Fox News Latino).

Inspectors found that 124 of the 350 crocodiles were lifeless when they arrived at the Cocodrilia wildlife conservation facility in Chetumal, a Caribbean coast town, AFP further reported. Sinaloa and Chetumal have 2,550 kilometers (1,580 miles) between them.

The crocodiles "presumably died from suffocation and being crushed during the trip," the statement added, as reported by AFP. The prosecutor's office has released photographs showing the large truck and a set of dead crocodiles lying on the ground, including one with its neck twisted.

Federal police stopped the truck for inspection when it reached the central state of Guanajato, but permitted it to continue its passage after not detecting any anomalies, EFE noted.

The Profepa environmental agency said in a statement that the wildlife company will be fined for not ensuring the "dignified and respectful" management of the crocodiles, which is a violation of Mexico's General Wildlife Law, the news outlet added.

The Cocodrilia conservation site obtained about 5,000 crocodiles from the Cocodrilos Mexicanos, the farm in Sinaloa, AFP wrote.

Mexico Improves Crocodile Population

Mexico has conducted conservation efforts to boost the crocodile population in the country.

Wildlife Conservation Management Units, also known as UMAS, is responsible for the recovery of the Morelets crocodile, or Mexican crocodile, Mexico News Daily reported last September. The species was in risk of extinction due to the loss of their habitat, as well as hunting in the 1940s to 50s.

Now, the crocodiles' population has bounced back at a healthy rate in Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, San Luis Potosi, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Veracruz, the news outlet listed.

Conservation efforts are focused entirely on maintaining the wild population, Mexico News Daily noted. Farm crocodiles are the source of products like oil, meat, and leather, which is used to make bags, shoes, belts, and wallets, among others. Farm crocodiles' organs are also used to manufacture pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, as well as their oil, which can treat respiratory problems when used as an alternative medication.

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Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill will hold a meeting in Cuba to settle a century-old dispute between their churches.

The historic meeting on Friday will be held in Havana's Jose Marti International Airport and will center entirely on religious reconciliation, according to the Associated Press (via Yahoo! News).

The Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox parted ways during the Great Schism of 1054 and have remained distant over a number of disagreements, which includes the primacy of the pope and the Russian Orthodox accusing the Catholic Church for poaching converts in former Soviet territories, the news outlet further reported.

"The intersection of the routes allowed this meeting to be organized," Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church's Foreign Relations Department, said ahead of the meeting, as quoted by RT.

The Vatican and Moscow spent about 20 years to settle on a neutral country suitable for the meeting, the news outlet added. Austria and Hungary were both up for consideration, but Cuba was ultimately picked.

The two churches' meeting will be the first ever between the religious leaders, the AP noted. It is expect to have a positive effect on Cuban President Raul Castro as his country is thawing diplomatic relations with the United States. Advocates of the detente are speeding up the process to make it irreversible, especially now that there's only a year remaining in Barack Obama's presidency.

This is also a sign that Castro is shaping Cuba as a more neutral ground, a stark contrast from its previous controversial stance, the AP added.

According to Hilarion, the murder of Christians was another reason why a meeting was decided upon.

As quoted by the Catholic News Agency, he said that "the situation as it has developed today in the Middle East, in North and Central Africa and in some other regions, in which extremists are perpetrating a real genocide of the Christian population, has required urgent measures and closer cooperation between Christian Churches."

Hilarion continued that "in the present tragic situation, it is necessary to put aside internal disagreements and unite efforts to save Christianity in the regions where it is subjected to the most severe persecution."

It is also expected that the two churches will discuss overcoming global immorality, as well as Russia's need for a foreign affairs boost as it faces diplomatic isolation, the CNA added.

Cuba offers a secure and mostly leak-proof, if undemocratic, location for sensitive meetings, the AP reported. The country boasts of heavy police activities and monitored single-party system, in which nothing pushes through unless an approval from the highest levels of government was issued.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Brazil and a Texas research hospital have signed an agreement to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus.

The vaccine is expected to be ready for clinical testing within 12 months, Brazil's Health Minister Marcelo Castro announced at a news conference on Thursday, the Associated Press reported (via Yahoo! News).

The South American country's government will invest $1.9 million in the study, which will be a joint effort by the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and the Evandro Chagas Institute, located in the Amazonian city of Belem, the AP added. The two facilities are both specializing in the research of mosquito viruses.

According to Castro, the Health Ministry has also arrived at vaccine partnerships with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the news outlet further reported. Brazil is also seeking to work with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which developed a vaccine against Ebola after an outbreak killed many in West Africa in 2014.

The Zika outbreak in Brazil has turned into a public health crisis. Researchers believed that the virus, which is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, can be transferred from an infected pregnant woman to the fetus in her womb, which then leads to the baby having microcephaly. It is a congenital condition where newborns have smaller heads and incomplete brain development.

Health officials in Brazil said that any vaccine for Zika could take as many as five years to be developed. Castro, however, announced on Thursday that they are hoping for a vaccine to be publicly distributed within three years, the AP reported.

Foreign researchers and regulators are set to arrive in Brazil in the coming days. Representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are expected as well. They will hold meetings with their Brazilian counterparts to make sure that the vaccine's clinical testing process will have no delays, the news outlet noted.

The country's Ministry of Health said that health workers and members of the armed forces have paid a visit to 20.7m homes in Brazil, which equals 30 percent of all the nation's private residences, the Guardian wrote. The Ministry believes that 80 percent of the breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito are located on private properties.

Health officials advised Brazilians to inspect their properties at least once a week, according to the Guardian. Among the precautions recommended are clearing gutters, upturning bottles, firmly closing trash containers, and sealing water tanks. A hatched mosquito egg takes seven to 10 days to develop into adulthood.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Dozens of detainees died in a riot in the northern Mexico city of Monterrey on Thursday after rival groups joined in a "pitched battle" in an overcrowded prison.

Based on a CNN report, the riot began as a late-night bout between leaders of rival groups and grew into a massive prison-wide riot that left at least 49 people dead and 12 others injured, five of which are in critical condition.

According to Nuevo Leon state Governor Jaime Rodriguez, the inmates used bats, sharp weapons and sticks during the brawl that lasted for about 30 to 40 minutes and ended at about 1:30 AM on Thursday.

It lasted that long due to a fire that had reportedly begun in one of the supply rooms which was ignited by some of the prisoners involved in the riot.

According to Reuters, the brawl involved members of the notorious drug cartel known as the "Zeta 27" and their rivals at the old and highly populated Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, Mexico.

Authorities told BBC News that the conflict between Juan Pedro Zaldivar Farias of the Zetas 27 and Jorge Ivan Hernandez Cantu of their rival Gulf cartel sparked the deadly riot which is now being dubbed as one of the worst in the country.

"Topo Chico is a ... very old prison. A prison with very difficult security conditions," Rodriguez explained.

According to AFP as posted in Tico Times, the 60-year-old prison accommodates a total of 3,800 inmates which is twice its actual capacity.

"We are experiencing a tragedy stemming from the difficult situation that they are living through at penitentiary facilities," the Nuevo Leon state governor explained.

He further assured that they are doing everything they can to determine the identities of the casualties of the riot. 40 out of 49 of the victims have already been identified.

Relatives of inmates remain uneasy as some reportedly threw sticks and rocks while trying to pry open the gates to the establishment.

In an interview with BBC News, Ernestina Grimaldo, a mother of an inmate, claims that they were not informed of anything since they got there.

"They said that until there is order they won't let us in. Everything is in disorder, and nobody is telling us anything," she told BBC.

In a separate interview with AFP, Mrs. Grimaldo said she and the other relatives of the inmates will remain in the area until authorities provide them with information about their loved ones.

After the incident, some 20 inmates were evacuated per a statement from an unnamed state official.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
El Salvador ex-president Mauricio Funes' bank accounts are now inaccessible to the former leader after the country's Supreme Court ordered a freeze on all his personal accounts due to an unverified $700,000 deposit.

According to Tico Times, the El Salvador high court ordered Funes' accounts to be frozen because he was unable to verify where the huge amount came from.

The court further revealed that they are currently considering a possible "preventive seizure" order for the Salvadoran ex-president's other properties and assets in relation to the civil case filed against him.

Funes, a journalist-turned-politician who reigned over the Central American country between 2009 and 2014, is facing trial for a constitutional case filed against him during his final days as president.

The former president strongly denied the accusations, claiming that his lawyer already sent the necessary documents to prove to the court of his innocence, according to Reuters.

Furthermore, he declared that he is a victim of a "political vendetta" in relation to the embezzlement case filed during his administration against his predecessor, Francisco Flores, who died of a stroke while under house arrest last month.

In May 2014, Panam Post reported about Funes' final days, which have been stained by the pending case filed in El Salvador's Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court.

Citing the El Salvador media outlet El Faro, Panam Post revealed how Funes and his collaborators, a group called "Mauricio's Friends," benefitted from the "crony relationships" created under his reign.

According to the outlet, Mauricio's Friends was formed to help Funes gain power and to ultimately control the country by placing his allies in many valuable government positions.

Some of the pinpointed members of the group included Ada Luz Siguenza Guzman and Miguel Menendez, who owns "Mecafe," a private business that was granted a loan from the state-run Banco Hipotecario or 'mortgage bank.'

Apparently, the loan given to Mecafe was used to form the firm Latin America Spas.

Through the firm, Mecafe purchased a house in a wealthy neighborhood in El Salvador at only a quarter of its actual market value.

Mecafe then bought another property -- a vacant lot in another rich neighborhood, where a luxurious mansion was constructed.

Amidst all of this, Funes planned to join the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) as a congressman but failed due to the case filed against him.

According to Panam Post, the position would have granted the former Salvadoran leader immunity against cases such as the one he faces now.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Latino celebrities have signed a letter urging their fellow Latino voters not to elect any Republican candidate for this year's presidential election.

The letter was drafted and posted online by the advocacy group, People for the American Way, or PFAW. Among the 22 signatories of the letter are Zoe Saldana, George Lopez, America Ferrera, Aubrey Plaza, Steven Michael Quezada, Carlos Santana, and Ivonne Coll, PFAW's website listed.

PFAW President Michael Keegan said that the letter addresses the anti-immigrant policies planned by the Republican presidential candidates, led by Donald Trump and followed by Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush.

"From accusing Mexicans of being rapists to kicking Jorge Ramos out of his press conference, Trump has spent the entirety of his presidential bid stoking unfounded anti-immigrant fears and deeply offending our communities," the letter reads.

"We must not, though, let Trump's xenophobia overshadow the extreme policies being pushed by every single one of the GOP's leading presidential candidates. Latinos should understand that Donald Trump embodies the true face of the entire Republican Party. Sadly, he speaks for the GOP's anti-immigrant, anti-Latino agenda."

Civil rights leader and PFAW board member Dolores Huerta said it sickens her "to hear them paint immigrants as terrorists, commit to deporting DREAMers and separating families, and ignore the critical contributions of Latinos and immigrants to our nation," the group's website added.

Puerto Rican actress Coll condemned Trump for comparing Mexicans to rapists and Rubio for depicting immigrants as budding terrorists. The letter also criticized Bush for using the term "anchor babies," which goes along with his belief that all immigrants should not be granted paths to American citizenship, saying that the United States "should not have a multicultural society."

The letter went on to decry Rubio for ruling out any path to citizenship or legal status if he gets elected as president, and Chris Christie for suggesting that immigrants should be tracked like FedEx packages.

Ferrera urged young Latinos to register and vote in the upcoming elections.

"We have the numbers and potential to make a difference," the "Superstore" star said, as quoted on PFAW's website.

Huerta, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, has served as an advocate for the Latino community since the 1950s. She told Huffington Post that she has never seen such rampant racist and blatant views about immigration like what she's seeing now among national political candidates.

A report released by the Pew Research Center last month revealed that eligible Latino voters have reached 27.3 million in number. 44 percent of these potential voters are millennials, which are adults with ages ranging from 18 to 35.

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Between the years 2004 to 2010, almost a thousand women were recorded to have been murdered in Mexico alone. These "femicides," as classified under Mexican law, are pointless deaths of women who were killed because of their gender.

It is not just Mexico that is taking lives of women. According to InSight Crime, the Latin American region has the most female murders on the planet. While many of these can be accounted for through domestic abuse, organized crimes such as human trafficking and gang violence are also taken into account.

Mexicans call out their woes to Pope Francis, who is going to visit the country on Friday. But while they cry out for justice for the brutal murders, Mexico is not yet the most dangerous for women in Latin America. Reports revealed El Salvador actually tops the list of the most female murders, with a rate of 8.9 homicides per 100,000 women in 2012. It is then followed by Colombia and Guatemala with rates of 6.3 and 6.2 respectively. Russia came in fourth on the list with a rate of 5.4. Brazil takes the fifth spot with a rate of 4.8.

Buzzfeed reported that Maria Antonia Marquez, whose daughter was murdered in 2004 said, "We deserve that the pope makes a statement about femicides."

She also added that if he fails to acknowledge the presence of this nightmare in the area, he will be "one more that does not listen to us, dead or alive... it's like we are second-class citizens."

Guatemalan Attorney General Thelma Aldana also mentioned that of the 854 women murdered in her country, as many as 50 percent were killed due to organized crimes such as human trafficking. Many women between the ages of 18 and 28 are tricked into working in the sex trade and are later tortured, raped, and often murdered.

Amando Philip de Andres, a representative of the UN Office of Drugs And Crime for Central America and the Carribean said, "The femicide rate in cases of human trafficking for victims is very, very high. Especially for the purposes of sexual exploitation, which ... might account for 91 or 92 percent of the cases."

Then there's gang violence where women are often considered to be the property of gang members. InSight Crime noted that during gang disputes and wars, women are caught in the crossfire as rival gangs target their rivals' mothers, sisters, girlfriends, and wives. What's more, as the property of gang members, a woman's infidelity is severely punished. Women are often killed for it.

Activists in Mexico said that the church watched quietly as women were targeted in their Catholic country, and it's time for the Pope to address such difficult topics. Ana Yeli Perez, a legal advisor at the National Citizen's Observatory on Femicide said, "The one who has not recognized, who makes invisible, who has not made a statement, who has in a way been an accomplice, is the Catholic hierarchy in Mexico."

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Puerto Rico's economic crisis now has the government trying to talk wealthy investors into putting money into their country.

In a report from The Associated Press, officials promoted local tax incentives during the investors meeting on Thursday in a move to lure the wealthy into putting their businesses in the US Territory.

Speakers at the meeting included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York hedge fund billionaire Joh Paulson, who already bought some of the mist upscale resorts on the island to help with its economic slump. However, Paulson did note that to encourage more investment, the island itself should improve its fiscal situation.

Paulson is not the only billionaire to invest in the island, but critics still question the amount of jobs created by the people who put up businesses, questioning how much of a boost they actually have in the economy. Bloomberg Business noted that Belle Haven Investments, which oversees about $3.9 billion of Puerto Rican bonds and securities, is not confident about the government's proposals either. Matt Dalton, the chief executive officer said, "Without Congress passing a bill, all these proposals are worthless."

The Washington Post reported that Susheel Kirpalani, a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and representing investors said, "Rather than be just another creditor group that's whining and complaining and saying -- 'we don't like, we won't give, we won't do,' -- we're trying to meet the commonwealth where they are."

Nader Tavakoli, CEO of Ambac, recently filed a lawsuit against the Puerto Rican government, saying that they shifted funds to meet their bond payments amid the difficulty.

However, Puerto Rican governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said that the government is still trying to resolve their crisis, emphasizing the need for restructuring. He said, "Despite whatever you may have heard about doing business in Puerto Rico, our commitment to the costs of utilities will be the last of your concerns."

While there are a lot of concerns, there are also a few investors who are not bothered about Puerto Rico's economic crisis. Head fund manager Michael Tennenbaum, who recently moved to Puerto Rico from LA, said that citizens protesting and accusing the government of giving preferential treatment to wealthy investors have a point to their protest, but he thinks the island's default on their debt may be a good thing. He told investors at the meeting that "One of the reasons I came here is because I thought you'd hit bottom. When you run out of cash, I think that brings change."

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Titanic is not the only luxury liner in the world, but it was certainly the first of its size in 1912. It's been over a hundred years since the luxury liner sank in the Atlantic, but people still remain fascinated by it, so much so that a billionaire is recreating the famous ship.

Buzzfeed noted that Blue Star Line, an Australian-based company owned by Clive Palmer, is recreating the original ship in all its 840-cabin, 2,400 passenger capacity glory. Unlike the original Titanic, though, this version will have modern amenities and better safety standards (meaning it will have more lifeboats, among other things).

Palmer originally announced plans of building the ship in 2012, but there have been delays. It is currently set to set off on its maiden voyage from Jiangsu, China to Dubai, UAE in 2018.

While romantics and Titanic enthusiasts will love to be taken back in time and experience the luxury, there is one little catch:

Titanic has been doomed to fail from the beginning, so would anyone really want to risk it?

In 1898, Morgan Robertson wrote a novella titled "Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan" which is about a fictional ocean liner called the "Titan."

In the story, the Titan sank in the Atlantic Ocean one night in April after striking an iceberg.

While that is coincidence enough, that's not all of it. The novel was written fourteen years before the voyage of the Titanic and way before the luxury ship was even conceptualized. However, there are a lot of uncanny similarities between the fictional and the real-life versions. Here are some of them:

Both have triple-screw propellers. Both were said to be "unsinkable" and were almost the same size. Time Magazine noted that the Titanic measured only 25 meters longer than the Titan. Both had a shortage of lifeboats: The Titan carried only 24 for its 3,000 passenger and crew capacity, while the Titanic had only 16 lifeboats and four folding lifeboats for its over 2,400 passengers and almost 900 crew members.

Then of course, both struck an iceberg. What's more, both ships were hit on the starboard side in April, and sank 400 nautical miles away from Newfoundland.

Creepy, right? And remember that this book was written fourteen years before the Titanic set sail.

Paul Heyer, a Titanic scholar from Wilfrid Laurier University noted, however, that the similarities between the book and the actual historical event can be explained by the author's biography."He was someone who wrote about maritime affairs. He was an experienced seaman, and he saw ships as getting very large and the possible danger that one of these behemoths would hit an iceberg."

The Titan and the Titanic sank in the Atlantic, but Titanic II will not be taking the same route. Still, would you really want to risk getting on another boat with the name "Titan" on it?

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Culinary wizard Jose Andres was in Las Vegas this week to host a dine-around party with Aussie celebrity chef Curtis Stone. At the event, the renowned Spanish-American restaurateur revealed that his next venture will involve Spanish-Filipino dishes.

In an interview with Robin Leach from Las Vegas Sun, Andres said he is eager to fuse the rich tastes from Spain and the Philippines. He said Spain played a big part in introducing Latin-American food concepts to South East Asia.

"Listen, the next cuisine I'm going to marry is Spanish and Filipino. It's a story that needs to be told, it's a story that people are unaware of," said the 46-year old food connoisseur. "Spain I don't think ever got enough credit enough to bring in the Asian ingredients. It's not obvious in our cooking, nobody will disagree anymore that tempura was a Portuguese Spanish influence in Japan and in all Asia."

We can only speculate for now what Andres will serve at his upcoming Spanish-Filipino restaurant as his venture is still in the conceptual phase. One dish that will likely be part of the menu, however, is Adobo.

According to Tagalog Lang, the dish is derived from the Spanish word "adobo" which means to season and marinade before cooking. It often features pork, chicken meat or vegetables drowned in a homemade sauce usually consisting of salt, garlic, pepper, vinegar and soy sauce.

When the first batch of Spanish colonizers arrived in the Philippines some 500 years ago, they observed that locals stored their food in containers drenched in vinegar. They immediately recognized the process as "adobo." The name eventually stuck and countless variations of Adobo were created and perfected across the country's 18 regions.

Any Spanish-Filipino restaurant wouldn't be complete without the crispy and flavourful Lechon and the perfect beer party companion Sisig. The former is a stuffed and roasted whole pig which American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain calls the best slow-cooked pig he has ever tasted. Meanwhile, the latter is a hodgepodge of minced and seasoned pig parts served on a sizzling plate, Inter Aksyon reported.

Another Spanish-influenced Filipino dish is the Bistek Tagalog. It's similar to the American beef steak but with smaller slices of beef. The Bistek Tagalog is cooked in a homemade sauce made from salt, garlic, onions, soy sauce and calamansi (or lemon) juice, as per Authentic Filipino Recipes.

There's also a dish called Laing, a kind of mushy soup featuring dried taro leaves, shrimp paste and coconut milk. Panlasang Pinoy pointed out that Laing can be eaten as it is or it can be turned into a meaty viand with the addition of thin pork cutlets or shrimp.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Asthma Risk for Kids Linked to Mother's Exposure to Pollution: Study

media@latinoshealth.com By Staff Reporter Feb 11, 2016 07:33 AM EST

Babies born from mothers exposed to air pollution have high chances of developing asthma before the age of five, according to a new study. Researchers recommend that women should steer clear of air pollution during pregnancy.

The findings published in the European Respiratory Journal suggested that the mothers' exposure to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy increases the chances of babies to develop asthma by 25 percent, Med Page Today reports. It's one of the largest population-based birth studies to examine pollution differences. Researchers said that this increase in probability is found on babies whose mothers lived near freeways during pregnancy.

For the study, researchers analyzed more than 65,000 children born in Vancouver from 1999 until 2002 to identify the link between asthma and their mothers' exposure to air pollution during the pregnancy. According to Tech Times, children were monitored for 10 years through linked administrative health databases.

The mothers' exposure to air pollution was determined based on a number of factors such as smog levels of major roads and cities. The team used land-use regression models which linked traffic-related air pollution with the mother's home address.

Moreover, the team focused on traffic-related air contaminants like nitric oxide, nitrogen oxide, black carbon and fine particulate matter. They measured air pollutants from monitoring stations near the mothers' residence.

The results showed that children with low birth weights were found to have greater asthma risk compared to those who had normal weight during birth. Preschool-age children who weighed less than 5.5 lbs at birth consistently showed a higher risk for asthma associated with air pollution exposure. This also goes true for babies born prematurely, reports Med Page Today.

Those children who developed asthma were found to be born from younger mothers who had shorter gestation periods. The children were not likely to have been breastfed and lived in poor conditions.

The average age when asthma is first diagnosed is 2.6 years old. More so, children diagnosed with asthma between ages six and ten have not shown any consistent asthma risk associated with air pollution.

According to researchers, these findings are universal. The sudden increase of asthma development is even found in cities where air pollution levels are comparatively low. Meaning, regardless if the city has low levels of pollution, there's still high risk for the baby to develop asthma if the mother is still constantly exposed to pollution.

"Our study results highlight the importance of exposure to pollution while babies are still in the womb," lead author Hind Sbihi from the University of British Columbia was quoted by Tech Times.

Sbihi suggested several measures to lower the risk of asthma in babies during pregnancy like installing high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA filters) at home. Pregnant women are also advised to stay clear of busy roads when taking for a walk. It also suggested checking air quality online before heading out.

To know more about asthma in children, check out the video below:

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Marijuana Facts: 5 Pot Myths & Truths You Need to Know

media@latinoshealth.com By Staff Reporter Feb 12, 2016 11:00 AM EST

Marijuana is a highly misunderstood substance for which many people have developed adversity without knowing the facts. Now that a lot of states are pushing for its legalization, here are five facts about marijuana that you need to know:

You can't smoke the entire plant.

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves of the hemp plant, reports Ppcorn. It is also known as cannabis, "Mary Jane" or weed, among others. When the plant is eaten or its burning fumes are inhaled, its non-narcotic chemical compound known as THC increases production of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It also produces other sensual effects, ranging from sedation to stimulation and decreased sensitivity.

THC and CBD found Marijuana are cancer killers.

Chicago Now reports that the primary cannabinoids in marijuana are found to kill cancer according to a recent research published in the April issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Study co-author Guillermo Velasco claims that marijuana's psychoactive ingredient kills cancer cells in the brain. He added that, while cancer cells were killed, the healthy ones were left alone.

More so, previous studies have also supported the same claims. A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco spent about 20 years to prove how marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer.

Nobody has died from using it.

Remarkably, there's no evidence that a person has died from the use of marijuana, Ppcorn reports. In fact, the artificial substance to mimic marijuana known as spice or "K2" has killed more people than the natural drug. More so, alcohol kills the most people 85,000 annually. Following are prescription drugs, killing 18,675 annually.

There is also no evidence to prove that marijuana causes significant lung damage or worse, lung cancer. Smokers of marijuana inhale the substance in such small amounts that there is virtually no health risk. Although, the same carcinogenic chemicals are marijuana smoke as in cigarette smoke, the plant seems to have an offsetting effect on the harmful properties of smoke, reports Chicago Now.

All sorts of people use it - not just stoners.

According to The Motley Fool, most Americans favor legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. It has been found to be useful in treating glaucoma, epilepsy, stroke and inflammatory bowel diseases among others. It is a pain reliever for the majority of its users and has been proven to have less addictive levels than chocolate or even sugar. The U.S. Shafer Commission conducted a research showing marijuana users tend to be less violent than people who are not under the influence of any substance.

There are two types of Marijuana.

Although there may be hundreds of different marijuana strains, they all fall in one of the two categories: "Sativa" or "Indica". Sativas are usually day-time strains that enhance the experience in social events, nature or listening to music. Caregivers recommend this type to patients seeking relief from depression, PTSD or fatigue. It often produces an enjoyable effect.

Meanwhile, Indicas are often smoked at night due to its lethargic effect. These are perfect for users suffering from any type of pain, nausea and anxiety.

Check out the video below on how to obtain medical marijuana card:

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7 Fitness Facts Debunked by Experts

media@latinoshealth.com By Staff Reporter Feb 12, 2016 05:58 AM EST

Tags Nicole Chaplin

A lot of misinformation is circulating the web when it comes to fitness. We give you a list of what are facts about fitness as proven by experts in the industry:

Myth: Crunches are the key to flat abs.

Fact: They may be the most popular abdominal exercise around, but doing crunches is not the best way to lose that flabby stomach, reports Health. They are said to burn few calories so they don't aid much in fat loss. According to a study from Pennsylvania State University, crunches actually tone a small portion of your abs while more effectively engaging your entire core. You'll trim your waist more effectively by doing planks and bridges

Myth: The more you sweat, the more you burn.

Fact: Bodybuilding states that sweat has nothing to do with intensity. Rather, it's the body's way of regulating internal body temperature and cooling your skin. Sweating doesn't mean you burn more calories than usual. This is also supported by celebrity fitness trainer Nicole Chaplin, as reported in The Huffington Post. Lack of sweat does not indicate not enough effort.

Myth: Running is bad for your knees.

Fact: According to a study in Stanford University, older runners' knees were no less healthy than those of people who don't run, reports Health. Experts recommend doing a total-body strength workout at least twice a week in addition to your regular jogs to build up the muscles that support the knees. This will enhance running experience and prevent injuries.

Myth: Stretching helps your body recover faster.

Fact: While Chaplin confirms that stretching can improve flexibility, a recent study on the effects of post-workout recovery methods found no significant changes in blood lactate levels in individuals who stretch after exercise. Doing it right after a workout, when the body is still warm, is the best way to increase joint flexibility, reports Health.

Myth: You need to sweat for 45 minutes to get a health benefit.

Fact: Ideally, it takes 20 minutes per day of cardiovascular exercise to benefit the heart, says Chaplin. However, more studies are revealing the power of short workouts. A research conducted by Arizona State University found that people had consistent low blood pressure readings when they divide their daily walk into three 10-minute segments rather than taking a whole 30-minute stroll, reports Health. While this may be enough to keep up your general health, you'd still need to get more active if you're trying to lose weight.

Myth: A protein bar is a good substitute for a meal.

Fact: Protein bars are highly processed unless you make them yourself, reports Body Building. Highly processed food requires fewer calories to digest, so that benefit is diminished. It would be best to eat them as a treat instead of indulging in real dessert, like sneakers.

Myth: Yoga will get you ripped.

Fact: Yoga doesn't burn many calories because it doesn't require much oxygen. Unless you're doing hot yoga, reports Body Building. It also doesn't stimulate muscle growth in the same way that weight training does. Those who practice yoga that is buff often weight train too.

Check out a video from Buzzfeed for more fitness myths:

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Birth Control Options: IUD -- 5 Things You Need to Know

media@latinoshealth.com By Ivan Menchavez Feb 12, 2016 05:26 AM EST

There are several different contraceptive methods that exist in the market, but the one that is gaining popularity amongst women these days is IUD or Intrauterine Device.

What's special about the Intrauterine Device and what makes it different from the other birth control options? Here are things you need to know about.

How do IUDs work?

According to Yahoo! News, IUD is made of two types: copper IUD and Hormonal IUD. The doctor then inserts the IUD of your choice to your uterus through the cervix. It prevents the sperm from travelling to the egg. Copper IUD can actually last up to 10 years and, when a woman decides to take it off of her, she can get pregnant right away.

Like most contraceptives, IUD has its side effects.

This contraceptive method may cause irregular menstrual period, back pain, headache, mild dizziness, nervousness, vomiting, nausea, breast tenderness and vaginal bleeding. These are just the minor effects of IUD. According to Rx List, there are serious side effects women should remember about such as pelvic pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, severe headache, difficulty breathing, any allergic reaction, extreme dizziness, vaginal sores that comes with severe vaginal bleeding, pale skin, chills, pain during sexual intercourse and foul-smelling discharge.

If a woman starts to feel or suffer any of these symptoms, it is best to see your doctor right away. This may lead to a serious illness cause by infection.

According to Women's Health Mag, any women can get IUD even those who do not have children.

There is no age restriction for IUD, as long as you are willing to go through this contraceptive method. A professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Missouri-Kansas City, Julie Strickland, said that restriction were implemented by the World Health Organization a long time ago with regard to who gets it or not.

"In the 1980s and beyond, the World Health Organization has loosened those restrictions because we understand IUDs much better. We screen patients very closely to decrease the risk of pelvic infections caused by IUDs, and we know they don't affect fertility after you have them removed," she said.

Your partner should not be able to feel it.

IUD is made of a material that is very soft, making it impossible to be felt by your partner during sexual intercourse. In case, it bothers you or your partner, go see a doctor right away.

Do IUDs prevent sexually transmitted infections?

Certainly not, condom is still the best protection for STDs.

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Even Sean Penn is not exempted from framing.

Sinaloa drug cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was arrested last week and brought back to the prison he escaped from. While this is considered a success for the Mexican government, actor and producer Penn made headlines following his capture when famous magazine Rolling Stone published his account of visiting the most wanted drug lord last October.

"There is this myth about the visit that we made, my colleagues and I with El Chapo, that it was -- as the Attorney General of Mexico is quoted -- 'essential' to his capture," Penn shares as per CBS News. "We had met with him many weeks earlier...on October 2nd, in a place nowhere near where he was captured," Penn clarifies as per the same report.

According to Fox News Latino, Penn's interview with Guzman "was meant to begin a conversation about the war on drugs." Penn also took the interview as an opportunity to express that he is upset about the coverage it has received after the Sinaloa drug lord was arrested.

"I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores its purpose, which was to try to contribute to this discussion about the policy in the War on Drugs," Penn says as told by Fox News Latino. "My article failed."

Penn encouraged viewers to look at the big picture of what everyone wants: "We all want this drug problem to stop. We all want them - the killings in Chicago to stop," He adds, as per Fox News Latino: "We are the consumer. Whether you agree with Sean Penn or not, there is a complicity there. And if you are in the moral right, or on the far left, just as many of your children are doing these drugs ... And how much time have they spent in the last week since this article come [sic] out, talking about that? One percent? I think that'd be generous."

According to Penn, the Mexican government is to blame for the stories swirling online as they wanted him blamed for El Chapo's capture as well as to encourage the uncaptured Sinaloa cartel leaders to target him. However, he is not at all fearful for what might happen to him.

"Here's the things that we know: We know that the Mexican government ... they were clearly very humiliated by the notion that someone found him before they did," Penn says, as per Fox News Latino. He also notes that nobody found "El Chapo" before they did. "We didn't - we're not smarter than the DEA or the Mexican intelligence. We had a contact upon which we were able to facilitate an invitation," he clarifies according to the same report.

Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone's publisher, defends Penn and the publication saying "it was a small price to pay" for an exclusive interview with Guzman - the world's most wanted drug cartel lord.

 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Peruvian beaches are known to have one of the most amazing and remarkable features in terms of beauty and tourism, but sadly, it also holds the record of having the dirtiest beach in Latin America. According to EFE, Peru's Carpayo Beach collects tons of waste from the Pacific Ocean, leading to numerous comments of being the dirtiest in the region.

A summary of its collected trash accounts to at least 2.8 kilos of trash for every square meter in the Carpayo beach area. Arturo Alfaro from the environmental organization VIDA said, "We left the beach clean, but the next day there was trash again. We compared the results with other places where similar campaigns are conducted, such as the Philippines and Hawaii, and none of them have Carpayo's waste density. It is unique."

Located at the western tip of the Peruvian capital, Carpayo according to the Latino Fox News is unfortunate enough to be the recipient of massive waste from Lima's building waste materials. Sadly, the type of waste that you can find in the Peruvian beach includes auto parts, furniture and even human skulls. Magdalena del Mar and San Miguel, Lima's popular suburbs are now immune to the three-decade battle on waste materials overflowing in Peru's Carpayo Beach.

VIDA has worked on cleaning Peruvian beaches for 17 years now. The company said that much of Peru's Carpayo beach trash can be attributed to Lima's booming construction business. Alfaro also said, "Between 40 percent and 50 percent of the trash landing on Carpayo are materials that could be recycled. The most dangerous are small objects, like polystyrene items that fish and birds mistake for food."

The extent of waste that started to pile up in Peru's Carpayo Beach can be seen after 1,000 volunteers were able to collect at least 60 tons of waste in just three hours, the publication reports.

Meanwhile, Living in Peru cited some of the most amazing Peruvian beaches, which include the white sands of Jihuay in Arequipa, Lampay. The said beach is very close to Lima and Caleta San Jose in Alequipa that features animal viewing of penguins and sea lions.

Cantos Rodados in Santa Island features a rocky landscape that is perfect for bird watching. The island has at least 17 species of birds. Meanwhile, Caleta Ancumpita offers scenic views of rock formations with a huge pool in the middle of the formations.
After Havana and Washington recently patched its long estranged diplomatic ties, the city of Havana in Cuba is reaping the fruit of having economic ties with powerful countries like the U.S. However, according to Thompson Reuters Foundation, despite the development on Cuba's tourism, some black Cubans still feel the effect of racial inequality as white people and those who are well-off are the only ones benefiting from it.

Miguel Campuzano Perez, a former soldier and a musician, said, "The black people don't have powerful families, and that continues generation to generation. The people benefiting from remittances are white; the landlords are white."

Despite the emergences of new hotels and restaurants in Cuba's capital, black Cubans believe that only those with money have the actual ability to invest on such type of structures. They also believe that the economic liberalization in Cuba has not worked for the benefit of those who are below poverty line.

Havana residents believe that time has changed and discrimination plays a very small impact on the inequality felt, but rather remittances, migration network and the massive change in the economic structure. The three factors are known to have a big impact in the growing gap between the rich and poor in Havana.

Canadian University professor Isaac Saney said, "The vast majority who left to live abroad happened to be white Cubans. They are sending remittances home and their relatives can invest in small businesses. This has led to an increase in racial inequality."

According to Learning English, the surge of U.S. tourists in Cuba has recently grown, and the Cuban tourism board has been unable to accommodate most of these tourists with small number of hotels. As a result, the government of Cuba has allowed its local residents to rent out their own homes for U.S. tourists.

Despite the positive influx, Cubans are mostly concerned about the preservation of its Old Havana. Questions about being able to maintain its concept and not to let it overcome by the U.S. culture surround their tourism business.

If worries about the influx of U.S. tourists are currently one of the issues, this might also change if in the future, one of the two Republican candidates' Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz wins the U.S. presidential elections. Apparently, both candidates criticized Obama's move to iron the country's relationship with Cuba.

Juan Carlos Dominguez of Cuba said, "If Americans are permitted to come to Cuba as tourists, it could be great. We are going to share with you what we have.. The future is bright."
In the first debate since the New Hampshire primary, Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton debated on a series of topics with answers attempting to sway Latino and African-American voters.

Immigration

Clinton and Sanders spoke in support of President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions, which are the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), and the candidates reiterated their platform to go beyond Obama's action, if necessary, if Congress does not act on comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.

Clinton acknowledged Sanders' "no" vote on the 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill, which was introduced by late-Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. Sanders, at previous debates and forums, had explained his reasons and spoke again at length on the decision.

"I voted against it because the Southern Poverty Law Center, among other groups said that the guest worker programs that were embedded in this agreement were akin to slavery, where people came into this country to do guest work were abused, were exploited and if they stood up for their rights, they were thrown out of this country. So it wasn't just me who opposed it. It was LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), one of the large Latino organizations in this country, it was the AFL-CIO, some of the most progressive members of the United States Congress," Sanders said.

Sanders and Clinton, both, have called for the end of immigrant family detention and the closure of privately-run detention facilities. Clinton, on the topic of immigrant children, said she has "made it very clear that those children needed to be processed appropriately, but we also had to send a message to the families and the communities in Central America not to send their children on this dangerous journey in the hands of smugglers."

"But in terms of the children, I don't know to whom you're sending a message," Sanders later said to Clinton. "Who are you sending a message to? These are children who are leaving countries and neighborhoods where their lives are at stake. I don't think I would use them to send a message. I think we welcome them into this country and do the best we can to help get their lives together."

Race Relations

According to Sanders, race relations would improve during his presidential administration, even compared to Obama.

"Because what we will do is instead of giving tax breaks to billionaires, we are going to create millions of jobs for low-income kids so they're not hanging out on street corners. We're going to make sure those kids stay in school are able to get a college education," said Sanders, adding that Wall Street's decisions have disproportionately affected Latino and African-American communities.

Sanders acknowledged, "So when you have childhood African American poverty rates of 35 percent, when you have youth unemployment at 51 percent, when you have unbelievable rates of incarceration which by the way leaves the children back at home without a dad or even a mother, clearly we are looking at institutional racism. We are looking at an economy in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And sadly in America today, in our economy, a whole lot of those people are African American."

Clinton commended Obama and his efforts on improving race relations, noting the obvious that he's the first black president but also helping pass the Affordable Care Act, which provided many people of color with health insurance, including more than four million Latinos.

President Barack Obama

As seen in previous debates, Clinton has consistently spoken in support of Obama, and had criticized Sanders for not supporting his policies. She continued to attack Sanders' view on Obama on Thursday night, stating the president does not get the credit he deserves.

"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our president I expect from Republicans, I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama."

Sanders responded, "Madame secretary, that is a low blow," later adding that they live in a democratic society, which enables freedom of opinion. "Last I heard, a United States senator had a right to disagree with a president, especially a president who has done such an extraordinary job," Sanders said.

Sanders would then deliver one of the most memorable lines of the night during at the opening of his closing remarks: "One of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate," referring to Clinton's presidential run against Obama during the 2008 election.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
This week HP announced the appointment of former Small Business Administrator chief Aida Alvarez to its board of directors, a decision that has drawn much praise from diversity advocates around the country.

Tech's Stubborn Status Quo: Leadership

Silicon Valley has been working on its diversity problem for nearly two years, ever since the Rev. Jesse Jackson challenged the industry from the podium at HP's shareholder meeting in early 2014.

But while there have been some slight improvements across the industry toward building a more inclusive workforce, some have recently drawn attention to the fact that top leadership of most tech companies has remained mostly unchanged and as homogeneous as ever.

Much like Jackson's initial call for transparency regarding the diversity -- or lack thereof -- in big Silicon Valley companies, calls for reshaping the executive and board level have met resistance.

For example, Apple has demonstrated a commitment to diversity in its own company. The company has also promised to open opportunities to underprivileged students to get early exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Nevertheless, the company strongly criticized a recent proposal by a Latino shareholder to institute an accelerated recruitment policy to appoint more minorities to the company's executive and board positions. Apple's top senior management is entirely white and includes just one woman.

Latina on the Board

HP took another step toward diversity in technology industry leadership with its appointment of Alvarez to the company's board of directors, as CNN reported.

Alvarez, who is also currently a board member of Walmart, will bring a lot of experience to the position. Beginning her career as a journalist, Alvarez spent more than a decade in investment banking and finance. She then went into public affairs, directing community relations for New York City's Health and Hospitals Corporation, the largest public healthcare system in the country.

She was also the first Latina ever to hold a cabinet-level position in the federal government. President Bill Clinton appointed her as administrator of the Small Business Administration for his second term.

"Aida is a tremendously talented individual with unmatched experience spanning both public and private sectors. Our board, company, shareholders and ultimately our customers will benefit from her diverse background, financial acumen, and ability to guide and govern large institutions," said Meg Whitman, chairwoman of HP Inc.'s board of directors.

"My fellow directors and I are thrilled to welcome Aida to the HP family and look forward to working with her as we keep reinventing HP."

Wave of Praise for HP

Alvarez's appointment brought praise from Latino organizations and public figures of all persuasions.

"In announcing its appointment of Aida Alvarez to its board of directors, HP Inc. becomes one of the latest examples of a top technology company working to increase its diversity," said U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-CA., chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

"Alvarez is a great choice for its bench of senior talent -- not because of her background but because of her experience: she is the former administrator of the Small Business Administration and she was the first Latina to hold a U.S. Cabinet-level position," he added. "I hope more businesses take similar steps to prioritize their board and workforce diversity in 2016."

Charlie Garcia, CEO of the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) -- the largest Latino membership-based organization for Latino business leaders, which collaborated with Whitman to help identify prospective Latino board appointees -- also congratulated HP's choice of Alvarez.

"Meg [Whitman] showed the world how easy it is for a technology company, which actually cares about diversity, to form a high performing, diverse board of directors," Garcia said in a statement.

On the other end, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's (USHCC) President and CEO Javier Palomarez pledged his organization's support while applauding the appointment.

"While we recognize the need for Silicon Valley to increase diversity in the boardroom, this appointment represents an important first step for HP," he said in a release. "We have no doubt the company will benefit from Aida's expertise, as well as enhance its services and market penetration to diverse consumers as a result. The USHCC looks forward to supporting her in this new role and working with HP to continue recruiting qualified Hispanic executives to its board and leadership."

HP's Women, Latina & Latino Leaders

The appointment marks an important step for diversity at the top level of HP, but it's worth noting that HP has been a leader in its inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities before diversity was a buzzword in Silicon Valley.

In fact, HP's long-running ahead-of-the-curve stance on diversity was one of the reasons Jackson chose to kick off his campaign at the company's shareholders meeting. In calling out Silicon Valley for its lack of transparency, inclusion, and diversity, Jackson duly noted HP's effort in the area, saying, "HP is uniquely positioned to lead this new era. Inclusion and fairness is part of the DNA of HP's history."

For example, a half a century ago, when it was still called Hewlett-Packard, the company established the first minority business program in the U.S. In more recent years, several women have served in leadership positions at the company, including former CEO Carly Fiorina, the first woman to lead a Fortune top-20 company; former chairwoman Patricia Dunn; and current chairwoman, President and CEO Meg Whitman.

Now, as Garcia noted, Alvarez will be joining several Latinas and Latinos in the upper levels of HP Inc. and its recent split-off, Hewlet-Packard Enterprise (HPE).

"To put an exclamation point on it for the Latino community, " Garcia stated. "Meg's authenticity is exemplified by the C-Suite roles of HP's General Counsel Kim Rivera, Chief Marketing Officer Antonio Lucio, HPE's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Henry Gomez, and HPE's General Manager Antonio Neri."

"HP has always led the industry with a culture of innovation and diversity," said Raj Gupta, lead independent director of HP. "We are proud to continue that leadership with a diverse range of expertise, gender and cultural perspectives."

"Today's announcement helps support what we have been architecting -- to ensure we are reflective of the markets and customers we serve, starting at the very top," he added.
United Airlines will make the Australian market the first to have all of its flight in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at the end of March. The Chicago-based company decided to upgrade the route from Sydney to Los Angeles and San Francisco that still flies in a Boeing 747, as reported by the Australian Business Traveller.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner

According to Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner was made to improve the travellers' experience as it assures more comfort and less fatigue due to its so-called "Dreamliner Effect." The jet liner was designed to have better fuel efficiency, range flexibility and top-notch network performance.

The airlines' Managing Director of Sales for Asia Alison Espley told the Australian Business Traveller that she feels much comfortable inside the Dreamliner based from her experience. She added that the cabin has more space for passengers in addition to the bigger bathrooms inside the Boeing 787.

"Passengers will appreciate the feeling of space in the cabin, the fact that wherever you're sitting you can see out of the window, and the pressurisation that reduces and in some instance, people say, completely removes that feeling of jetlag," Espley said.

Those flights still make stops in Honolulu, Hawaii and Auckland, New Zealand four days a week to accommodate the market in those areas. United also recently celebrated its 30th Anniversary of its first flights to Australia this week.

WiFi and 2-2-2 Seating Configuration

The Australian Business Traveller also noted that United will continue to charge $17 for their Wi-Fi connection that covers up the whole flight as Espley explains that the passengers are now expecting to have the internet wherever they are. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will also have a spacey 2-2-2 seating configuration compared to the Boeing 777 that has a much stocked 2-4-2 layout.

Competition with Australia's Own Qantas Airlines

United Airlines is also facing competition in the form of Qantas Airlines that also have flight routes from Sydney to the Bay Area. However, Espley believes that it will not have any impact on United's expected number of bookings and customers as the San Francisco hub is considered one the airline carrier's strength.

"We believe the mixture of our network, our schedule, the on-board product, connectivity through our west coast gateway and the superiority of the Boeing 787 will continue to win over our customers. Bookings are still very strong and we have strong relationships with a number of corporations based in the San Francisco area," the Espley said.
A survey conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found out that majority of Americans thinks Alexander Hamilton was a former president of the U.S., per Newser. A total of 326 participants were told to pick out the presidents they know in a list of 123 names with 41 actual presidents and 82 others individuals like Benjamin Franklin and Hamilton.

Who is Alexander Hamilton?

According to PBS, Hamilton is one of the Founding Fathers as well as the founder of the Bank of New York. He is also known as the father of the U.S. Coast Guard, the first Secretary of the Treasury and famously appeared on the $10 bill. He died at age 49 on July 12, 1804, a day after he lost a pistol duel with Aaron Burr at Weehawken, New Jersey.

Alexander Hamilton over Benjamin Franklin

"Our findings from a recent survey suggest that about 71 percent of Americans are fairly certain that Alexander Hamilton is among our nation's past presidents. I had predicted that Benjamin Franklin would be the person most falsely recognized as a president, but Hamilton beat him by a mile," said Henry L. Roediger III on Washington University's official website.

Roediger, a human memory expert at Washington University, is very interested in how those people who answered Hamilton showed confidence during their research. He added that Hamilton got more votes than six other former U.S. presidents.

Poor Former Presidents

The study published in the journal of Psychological Science also found out that Hamilton is more famous and recognized by Americans than former U.S. presidents Franklin Pierce and Chester Arthur. Both Pierce and Arthur were recognized for less than 60 percent of the survey, but many still can name 88 percent of the past presidents found in the survey list.

Roediger and his co-author K. Andrew DeSoto also found out that prominent names from American history such as John Calhoun, Hubert Humphrey and surprisingly, Thomas Moore, were also recognized in the survey as former presidents.

Calhoun was a former senator and vice president for seven years, while Humphrey served as vice president for Lyndon B. Johnson and ran for president in 1968. On the other hand, Moore only served in the U.S. House of Representatives but not as famous as other names on the list, per WUSTL.edu.

"Our best guess is that the Anglo-Saxon structure of his name, the frequency of both parts of the name, and possibly his confusability with Sir Thomas More, the counselor to King Henry VIII, may have contributed to the name's familiarity and false recognition," Roediger on why Americans thought Moore was a former president.
The replica of the world-famous luxury liner Titanic is set to navigate the seas soon. Unfortunately, the first voyage of the new ship called, Titanic II, has been postponed to 2018, instead of its original plan this 2016, CNN noted.

More than a century after RMS Titanic met its tragic end when it struck an iceberg in April 1912 on its maiden voyage, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer decided to create a replica of the doomed ship that claimed over 1,500 lives.

While Titanic II will have a similar appearance to the original ship, Blue Star Line's version will be four meters wider, have a welded and not riveted hull, more life jackets and lifeboats as well as updated technology to meet the 21st century maritime safety regulations.

"The new Titanic will of course have modern evacuation procedures, satellite controls, digital navigation and radar systems and all those things you'd expect on a 21st century ship," Blue Star Line Global Marketing Director James McDonald told the Belfast Telegraph.

In addition, the size of the replica Titanic ship will be 270 meters long and 53 meters high. Mental Floss also added that the 40,000-ton ship will have nine floors and will contain 840 cabins to accommodate 2400 passengers and 900 crew members.

The ship also features Turkish baths, a swimming pool, gyms and other amenities modeled after the original restaurants and dining rooms, CNBC has learned. And similar to the original Titanic, the latest version of the ship offers ticket classifications in first-, second- and third-class tickets.

As for the cost of the voyage, the exact prices have not been announced yet but Palmer's Blue Star Line has reportedly received a multitude of inquiries from interested parties with offers as high as $925,600 (640,000) for a ticket.

Titanic II's inaugural journey will also take a different route from the originally scheduled 2016 trip. According to The Telegraph, instead of cruising from Southampton, England to New York, the replica ship will travel from Jiangsu, China to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where the company reportedly been developing business partnerships.

Meanwhile, the replica ship did not go without any controversy. In fact, relatives of some of the Titanic's lost passengers have spoken out against the project. And while the makers of the replica have been called "insensitive," McDonald insisted that they've received positive responses in general.

With Titanic II's modern safety and navigational features, the ship reportedly cost almost $434 million, Yahoo! Travel revealed.
The emotional David Lovell, Nicole Lovell's father, opened up in an interview with "Dr. Phil" aired Wednesday, Feb. 11, as he shared how he felt toward the incident that cost his daughter's life.

"I would have locked her down and grabbed her up and hugged her and told her, 'You're so loved, you don't need to be worrying about all these boys. You're beautiful,'" David Lovell told Dr. Phil.

Lovell said that the cops were unable to inform him about his daughter's death before the news was brought out to the media the very day the incident was discovered. He learned about it unfortunately while watching TV, as posted by CBS News.

The devastated father has confirmed that Nicole's death was due to multiple injuries she had when she was stabbed to death by David Eisenhauer, an engineering student at Virginia Tech. According to him, the cops have yet to give more details behind the motive of the "senseless" killing or any information whether Nicole was sexually abused by her murderer or not.

As reported in the Daily News, Police told Lovell that the suspects had plans of slitting Nicole's throat, but they never succeeded. Lovell believed that his daughter, who was still taking her daily dose of medication when she disappeared from her mom's apartment in Blacksburg, has fought bravely for her life.

Lovell said, "I bet she fought like a wildcat. She's my kid. I know she fought like a wildcat."

He also shared how broken he felt when Nicole's body was brought to the funeral home. He doesn't even have the guts to handle the situation that's why he was unable to determine where her stab wounds were.

"When they brought her to the funeral home, I couldn't look at her body. I know that she was murdered, and I know that I want justice for that. But as far as going in and seeing the wounds, I'm not man enough to handle that," the grieving father added.

Nicole's father broke down crying and said he had "so many regrets" for not investing so much time with his daughter that's why he can't help but to blame himself for Nicole's death. He also added that with the regrets he has right now, he's not sure if he will still be able to get over it.

"If I would have been there, maybe she wouldn't have went looking for acceptance from older guys," he said.
Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt revealed on Thursday that states could now choose to implement drug tests on its food stamp recipients. According to the ABC News, the initiative to give states the option to do the drug test came to light after it was noted that it would make a significant change on food stamp savings.

Aderholt, chairman of the House subcommittee, said, "This is a compassionate way to try and help these people who have issues, instead of turning the head."

According to the publication, although Aderholt strongly believes that it is normal to conduct such tests for people who seek help, he also explained that the push for drug testing is definitely not a mandate. It will instead serve as an option to states to help increase savings on the program. Aderholt's office noted that approximatedly $1.2 billion can be saved from the program if the drug testing act pushes through. In 2008, at least 46 million Americans benefited from the food stamp program.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, on the other hand, has not made any comments about Aderholt's proposal. In the past, Ryan envisioned a legislation that would introduce food stamps being turned into block grants in order to cover more programs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture policy contradicts laws that require food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing. According to AJC, federal officials objected the legislation passed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, saying that they cannot impose a law that connects drug testing to food stamp recipients. Drug testing, according to officials, is only deemed necessary if there is any suspicion on the program's members.

Several states have previously tried to impose the drug testing rule for beneficiaries of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The state of Georgia, on the other hand, didn't limit the law on the said program but extended it to food stamps or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In a recent proposal by the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform, Gov. Nathan Deal may get the opportunity to change and possibly remove the lifetime ban on SNAP for drug convicts. He said, "While it is important that our criminal justice system punish those who have harmed the lives and property of our citizens, it should also see to change the direction of their lives so that they will not repeat their criminal conduct upon release."
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has taken the responsibility of securing migrants in the Aegean Sea to avoid being victims of human smuggling in Turkey to Greece. According to BBC, NATO ships have already been deployed to secure the area and prevent smugglers from entering it.

As part of NATO's assurance that their presence is not about driving away migrants, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that their primary responsibility is to conduct surveillance and gather information that will significantly help intercept human smugglers.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter implied that the act of protecting poor migrants from smugglers will make a huge impact on the humanitarian mission. Human smuggling may not be on NATO's list of responsibilities, but its current coalitions and responsibility of averting illegal activities at sea basically covers the similar mission.

NATO is also believed to be the perfect agency to hold the job because of its ability to patrol on each country's waters. Unlike delegating the job to both countries, certain provisions will prevent them from entering each other's territory. NATO can do both and will extensively show more capability in terms of surveillance.

The current distress on human smuggling has raised alarm between Turkey and Greece. These smugglers allegedly take migrants from Turkey and transport them to Greece. Currently, NATO has its Standing Maritime Group 2 at the Aegean Seas under its German command. Despite expecting five patrol ships to survey and secure the area, only three have been currently been deployed.

According to USA Today, the details of the security request are currently being worked out. The European Union (EU) and coast guard must first be taken into consideration before plans are laid out.

"This is about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and refugees and coping with a very demanding situation," Stoltenberg said.

He also disclosed that this is not the only mission that NATO has stepped in lately. They have also agreed to provide support on the surveillance of the ISIS.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration has recorded roughly around 76,000 migrants arriving in Europe in the early part of 2016. As of Monday, a combined record of dead or missing migrants have reached 319.

The Syrian war has driven thousands of people from their own homes and now traveling the perilous Aegean Sea to get to Europe.
Mexico has earned its spot as one of the hottest destinations in this side of the world, but most tourists are limited to the best-known hotspots in the country. There are idyllic islands here beyond the fan favorite Cozumel and these secret hideaways can give travelers a taste of picturesque shores, adventure and fewer people around to mess up a well-deserved vacation.

A report from Yahoo! Travel revealed the lesser-known islands of Mexico that are perfect for beach-goers who want to avoid the maddening crowds that often occupy the world's most famous ocean strips. One such destination is Isla Holbox, which boasts a relaxed and low-key vibe that visitors fall in love with.

Getting to Isla Holbox is not an easy feat, but it's a trip that is entirely worth it, according to a report from Travel Pulse. From the whale sharks in summer to the lobster pizza, this is a destination that can grant travelers the much-needed peace -- for a few days, at least. An off-the-grid island absent of commercialization and excessive luxury, Isla Holbox is ideal for people seeking the refuge of nature, wildlife and tropical life.

Those who don't mind roughing it can also visit the El Arrecife Alacranes or Scorpion Reef, a well-known spot for fishermen but also a great place to snorkel, dive or just enjoy the raw beauty of the tropics, according to Yahoo! Travel. It consists of five islands, but Isla Perez is the biggest and the only one with a handful of inhabitants (some marines and a lighthouse keeper). There are no resorts or hotels here so backpackers will have to camp or sleep on the boat.

Other secret islands for divers and snorkelers are Chinchorro Atoll with its 600 square miles of dense reef, volcanic island Isla Isabel and San Pedro Nolasco Island with wrecks and marine wildlife.

Another island, Guadalupe Island, offers a different kind of underwater experience: diving with great white sharks. Tourists are encased in metal shark cages to look the majestic creatures straight in the eyes. It's only accessible on a live-aboard boat.

The Hidden Beach in the Marietas Islands is a paradise that's only beginning to get discovered by the mainstream crowd. This secret tidal pool looks straight out of a movie enclosed in a rocky ampitheater; a picturesque scenery that's a must-visit for every beach-lover in Mexico. Visitors can only get to the Hidden Beach by wading to the "beach within an island" during low tide, so this helps limit the tourists despite its growing popularity.
Some students in Colombia got an unlikely surprise Wednesday when they experienced a burning sensation on their foreheads after being marked with ashes in an effort to acknowledge the beginning of the Catholic Church's Lenten season.

According to Fox News Latino, around 20 students from the Rio Negro, Medellin's Institucion Educativa Gilberto Echeverri Mejia got rashes on their foreheads after receiving the ashes. They reportedly splashed water on themselves for relief and noticed they sustained burn marks.

Further, this incident isn't the first to happen in Colombia. Just last year, San Antonio de Pereira parishioners also sustained burns after getting marked with ashes on Ash Wednesday. The vicar, Andres Felipe Vasquez, believed it must have been due to an allergic reaction and dismissed superstitious speculations about the incident.

A similar incident also happened in 2014 in Ireland, specifically Newtownshandrum in north Cork. About 30 parishioners also experienced burns on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday after receiving the traditional ash marking. Fr. Eugene Baker had to stop the mass to help the ones affected seek relief, advising them to wash the ashes off in the church's sacristy.

"It has never happened to me before. Has it happened to other people? I don't know," he said.

"It happened immediately. There was a tingling sensation really - those who came to me afterwards said it was a tingling sensation," he added. "They wiped it off immediately and they alerted me and I told people to go to the sacristy and wash it off."

Fr. Baker did not stop there - he sent the ashes for testing at a public health laboratory, Independent.ie reported.

Another such incident also occurred at another County Cork parish within the same year. Upon investigation, Westside Parish's Monsignor Malachy Hallinan said that the burning effect was most likely due to the fact that the leaves used to make the ash was too dry and became caustic after mixing it with water.

He noted that the ash was dry, clear, and white, and when added, it "fizzed a bit," the BBC quoted him as saying.

"I examined it and didn't find anything wrong, although I didn't put it on my own forehead, which I should have done," he noted.

"The material was strongly caustic - the reason for it was total combustion of organic material, where all the carbon material was burned away and all that remained was ash," he explained further. "Once this ash is mixed with water, the chemicals react to produce potassium hydroxide and similar caustic material."

He went on to recommend that the palm leaves burned for the Ash Wednesday rite should be green and fresh so it has a lower pH level when turned to ash.

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Although the U.S. Supreme Court blocked its implementation recently, President Barack Obama remains confident that his legacy climate change rule will move forward.

According to a report from TIME, Obama spoke at a Democratic fundraiser in California to assure donors and the public that the rule the administration put forward for the regulation of coal emissions from power plants still has a chance for survival.

"In the last couple of days I've heard people say, 'The Supreme Court struck down the clean power plant rule,'" the president said in a White House pool report via TIME. "That's not true, so don't despair people. This a legal decision that says, 'Hold on until we review the legality.' We are very firm in terms of the legal footing here."

He added, "We need to be investing in the future, not the past. We should be investing in solar and wind and battery technology -- all the things that promise us we can generate enormous power without destroying the planet for our kids and grandkids."

According to a report from CNN, the Supreme Court blocked the Obama-led Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan after 29 states pursued legal action against the rule that aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions. A lower court has previously declined to block the action, which is one of the reasons why some administration officials were surprised that the Supreme Court intervened.

The controversial EPA has drawn the divide between the administration and the Republican party even more starkly as they find themselves on opposite sides of the debate. It's a rule that would require the states to meet specific carbon emission reduction standards depending on their energy consumption. While its supporters deem it necessary as a major contribution to climate change, the critics have countered that the rules will be bad for the industry and economy.

The congressional Republicans were pleased with the court was confirmed to halt the rule and they expressed their approval after the decision was announced. House Speaker Paul Ryan has been outspoken about the controversial rule and said in a statement, "This rule should be struck down permanently before coal country is destroyed completely, and American consumers are consigned to higher energy prices."

Sen. John Barrasso of R-Wyoming also went on Twitter to talk about the "great news," adding that the Republicans will continue to work towards the rule is permanently blocked from implementation in the future.
Scientists have recently confirmed what legendary physicist Albert Einstein had already theorized a century ago.

Einstein's general theory of relativity had then predicted the presence of gravitational waves. Researchers working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) found this speculation to be valid as they had finally detected the said waves.

LIGO scientist Szabolcs Marka described the significance of the theory as "like how X-ray changed medicine," as reported by Mashable.

"We have detected gravitational waves. We did it," declared David Reitze of Caltech, LIGO's executive director, during a Washington, D.C. press conference.

The gravitational waves, also known as "ripples" in space-time, were the result of a collision made by two black holes, both at least 30 times bigger than the sun, around 1.3 billion years ago. The waves were detected on Sept. 14, 2015. This breakthrough was only announced this week Thursday as the scientists involved had to evaluate their findings to ensure their accuracy.

Reitze went on to say that the ripples, which travelled rather slowly than usual at half the speed of light, that finally reached Earth affected the space around the planet, stretching and compressing the surrounding space "like Jell-O," as per CNN.

Despite being created by a powerful event, the waves are hard to detect as they were very small. Only an instrument like LIGO can accomplish this as it can measure distortions as small as a thousandth of a proton's size.

The hard evidence of the gravitational waves touted by Reitze was the notable "chirp" that only lasted a fifth of a second.

The scientists had showcased the images of the waves and the audio version of the ripples, which were described by Louisiana State University physics professor Gabriela Gonzalez, who also acted as a LIGO spokesperson, as coming after a "rumbling noise" before culminating to a "chirp," according to The Washington Post.

Those doubting the accuracy of the findings, considering there were previous false identifications in the past, would be given an explanation of how the researchers took pains to ensure that the findings were indeed authentic. They had used a "five-sigma" standard of proof, which the finding passed with flying colors.

"Imagine having never been able to hear before and all you can do is see," said Georgia Tech physicist Deirdre Shoemaker. "Now we can listen to the universe where we were deaf before."

This breakthrough has been said to potentially usher a new wave of discoveries, "opening a window on the universe -- a window of gravitational wave astronomy," Reitze said, as noted by CNN.

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Global warming is the greatest environmental threat the world is facing at present. It is a phenomenon that can cause raging storms, ferocious fires, rising sea levels, severe drought, searing heat and harrowing floods. The dangerous effects it brings can be a threat to the world's economy, communities, national security and health. Time is slowly running out; that's why experts are now working hard to combat this problem.

With this reason, Michele Mole, a Roman architect and founder and creative director of Nemesi, designed Palazzo Italia, a building which can be the solution to the global threat.

"This is the idea behind our 'urban forest': architecture becomes a tree, a mass of logs that touch the ground and draw nourishment from it, and a twist of branches that aim at the sky, shaping the spaces and volumes of Palazzo Italia," said Michele Mole in an interview with Italo-Americano.

The "symbol of the Italian excellence, modern creativity, and technological innovation," Palazzo Italia is more than just an ordinary luxurious building. Designed by Nemesi Studio, the 13,000 square meter building was constructed using bioactive cement and energy-efficient photovoltaic glass. What's unique about the materials used in building this masterpiece is the ability of this bio-active cement to purify the air from pollutants -- some of the elements that contribute to global warming.

"One of its most innovative features is the photo-catalytic bio-cement that reacts to sunlight and transforms pollution into clean air, keeping also the building's walls white and clean," Mole added.

Made by Italcementi, the bio-cement is made of recycled materials which can "inhale" pollutants like nitrogen oxide and sulfur pollution in the air automatically. Then it converts these negative elements into harmless salts which is eventually wash out by the rain.

"In direct sunlight, the active ingredient in the material 'captures' certain pollutants present in the air and converts them into inert salts, helping to purify the atmosphere of smog," Italcementi said in a statement.

Michele Mole has adapted the idea of Palazzo Italia from what the leaves of real trees do to the environment. The Palazzo Italia has these photovoltaic panels which produce all the energy the building needs. With this energy, the building is capable of literally breathing with the environment.

Carlo Pesenti, chief executive of Italcementi, said, "With this product we feel we can provide a proactive solution for at least one of those problems which are seen every day in the air quality of our cities."
Several families and students are concerned about the possibility of raids conducted by immigration and customs agents in schools. A new resolution recently prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering campuses to search for undocumented students.

According to Latina, immigration agents are no longer allowed to enter the premises of the Los Angeles Unified School District after the school board voted unanimously. The board resolution will require an ICE official to have their request cleared by the superintendent and lawyers of the school district before being allowed access.

An article on the Los Angeles Times stated that the resolution also provides the superintendent with 90 days to come up with a plan to offer resources and information regarding undocumented families and students. The plan would include a quick response network to help children whose family members have been detained. A procedure would be followed for students who are attending school while a parent is being deported or if there is no person who will take the student to and from campus.

In January 2016, agents conducted several raids, targeting undocumented individuals from Central America. Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for ICE, told the Los Angeles Times that students are not at risk of being targeted while attending school since schools and churches are deemed by the agency to be sensitive locations. However, families are still cautious about sending their children to school.

L.A. Unified follows other counties and districts around the country. The San Francisco Unified School District also issued a statement to remind families that ICE officials are not allowed to enter school premises without going through a review process first. The SFUSD stated that it is a sanctuary, similar to the City of San Francisco, so they do not ask students or families about their immigration status. In Montgomery County, Maryland, county leaders stated that they will not cooperate with the Obama administrations deportation activities.

Aside from looking for ways to attend to children if their parents should be deported, schools should also train teachers and staff to educate parents about their immigrant rights because the home environment of children can significantly affect their performance in school. It can be very stressful for children and families to constantly worry about deportation and access to resources. Board members were also asking about the limits of schools offering protection to immigrants.

More updates and details on the ban on ICE agents in schools are expected soon.
Nevada Senator and Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid on Feb. 11 introduced a bill aimed at protecting unaccompanied minors attempting to enter the U.S. in hopes of escaping the violence and harsh conditions that grip their homelands.

The "Fair Day in Court for Kids Act" was co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; and Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

Reid described the conditions necessitating the legislation as a "humanitarian crisis." He emphasized many of the victims fleeing to the U.S. and other countries are women and children trapped in the Northern Triangle -- the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, where crime and lawlessness have increased exponentially.

Reid Defends Refugees Coming to Border

"These refugees in our hemisphere are seeking protection," Reid added in a statement released to Latin Post. "They are escaping to neighboring countries, desperate to find someplace to hide, someplace to find sanctuary. Many make the trek all the way through Mexico to our Southern border."

Yet, according to Reid, when refugees go before a judge seeking asylum, they often have no legal representation and are forced to represent themselves. The senator insisted even young children are forced to fight to remain in the U.S. in order to escape violence.

"These children, who don't speak English and are in a new country, are unreasonably expected to represent themselves in a court of law?" he said. "Approximately 70 percent of women with children, and 50 percent of unaccompanied children, who enter the United States do not have a lawyer when standing before a judge in deportation proceedings."

Reid hoped his "Fair Day in Court for Kids Act" will change all that by requiring the U.S. government to appoint counsel for unaccompanied children and other vulnerable individuals.

"My bill would also require the Department of Homeland Security to make legal orientation programs available at all detention centers, so people know their rights and responsibilities under immigration law," he added.

Reid's efforts were commended by Mary Meg McCarthy, the executive director of the Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center.

"Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center applauds the actions by U.S. senators and Cook County Board of Commissioners to protect Central American refugee families," she said in a statement.

El Salvador: World's Murder Capital

According to Reid, El Salvador is now considered the murder capital of the world, with more murders per capita than any other nation. Currently, the murder rate is 26 times higher than that of the United States. Latin Post previously reported that 2015 was on pace to be the most violent year there on record, with killings at one point averaging around 16 per day.

In all, Reid contended El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala now rank first, third, and seventh, respectively, for rates of female homicides.

"That's why you see these women and children fleeing for their lives," he added. "But it's not just murder that these desperate people are trying to escape. People in these countries are imperiled by high rates of human trafficking, drug trafficking, sexual assaults, and widespread corruption. It is an understatement to say that these are not safe places to live."
China continues to pour money into Latin America, a trend that will continue in 2016 with new investments in the region.

China has begun to financially support Latin America as the United States has decreased much of their government and private assistance in the region. Last year, Chinese banks sent almost $30 billion to Latin American governments, more than twice the amount sent in 2014. That amount is more than the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank sent to Latin America combined, CNN Money reports.

Financial Assistance for Transportation

Infrastructure is particularly important. China is helping Latin America with financial assistance to build roads, bridges and railways. The country offered $35 billion to Latin America for these projects. In all, China is making its biggest investment ever.

"What we're seeing is a proliferation of Chinese finance in Latin America," Margaret Myers, a director at the Inter-American Dialogue said.

US Pulling Money Out of Latin America

While China increases their financial assistance and investments in Latin America, the U.S. continues to reduce aid. In the past three years, the amount of U.S. government aid and private investments to Latin America has declined.

China is improving its relations with Latin America as well. For the first time, the Asian giant invited each of Latin America's presidents to Beijing.

President Xi Jinping also promised to invest $250 billion in Latin America in the next 10 years.

China has greatly expanded its exports to Latin America as well. In 2014, Chinese exports to Latin America were worth $130 billion, compared to just $6 billion in 2000. Peru, Chile and Brazil are now top trade partners with China and not the U.S.

Latin America Prefers Two Country Agreements

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement that would make free trade even easier, left out many Latin American countries. Latin American countries have preferred to sign bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) instead of multilateral agreements, according to Americas Quarterly. The TPP only involves Mexico, Chile and Peru.

Latin American countries favor dealing with China and other Asian countries for trade. In 2012, Brazil and China agreed to a $30 billion currency swap.

"What [the Chinese are] going for is influence -- strategic power in the region to create dependence," Ilan Berman, vice president at American Foreign Policy Council said.

With Chinese influence in the region, Latin America is noticing the United States even less. The United States' investors have pulled out $700 million from Latin America in the past year.

Chinese-Funded Railway

China wants to continue to help Latin America in 2016. China, Brazil and Peru are looking into building a long distance railway, which will stretch 3,300 miles from the Atlantic coast of Brazil to the Pacific coast of Peru. With the help of infrastructure investments from China, a huge project like that is very possible.

Even though the Chinese economy had its worst year of growth in 25 years, China increased its investments to Latin America. Latin American countries were similarly affected by a poor economy. China helped countries like Venezuela, which it gave a $10 billion loan.

China is staying close to Latin America because they have many of the raw materials the Asian nation seeks, including iron, oil and food. Latin America is happy to deal with China because it is not involved in the region's politics, while the U.S. has a history of intervening.

China has seen some of its projects and plans in Latin America fall through or get delayed, but they still are insisting on increasing their investment in the region.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is criticizing Pope Francis as a "very political person" in light of the pontiff's plan to visit areas ravaged by the ongoing drug war and the border during his trip to Mexico.

Trump used a recent phone interview on the Fox News show "Varney & Company" to raise his objection, Beyond criticizing the Pope for "lacking an understanding of the U.S' immigration situation," Trump added, "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico."

"Mexico got him to do it because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is because they're making a fortune and we're losing," he added later.

The Pope is expected to formally start his trip on Feb. 12, and he has already committed to visiting a region of the country that has been greatly decimated by the raging drug wars of the past decade.

"The Mexico of violence, the Mexico of corruption, the Mexico of drugs trafficking, the Mexico of cartels, is not the Mexico our Mother wants," he previously said in a statement released earlier this month.

As part of the visit, the Pope plans to hold a mass near the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday Feb. 17 to call for a more humane approach to immigration.

"He will be calling on us to look with compassion on a group of people who have suffered terribly," Bishop Mark Seitz of Texas told Salon. "And perhaps that will lead people to seek out some different solutions than are now being proposed."

Meanwhile, Trump has made the issue of immigration reform one of his campaign's staples, calling for greater border control. Beyond once vilifying Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, Trump has vowed to build a massive wall along the Mexican border to keep out immigrants. He has also promised to deport as many as 11 million immigrants over his first two years in office.

Latin Post previously reported a group of Latino leaders recently banded together to respond to the fiery rhetoric by Trump and other GOP candidates. The group penned an open letter, published by the People for the American Way (PFAW), in which they claimed the candidates had "crossed a line."

Actors America Ferrera, Aubrey Plaza, Benjamin Bratt, George Lopez and Zoe Saldana were among those who signed the letter, which stressed there was no way the GOP candidates could return to the good graces of outraged Latinos.

Latin Post reached out to the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for comment, but has received no response by press time.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to settle the garbage dumping issue with the Philippines. But then, as far as the Canadian ministry of environment is concerned, the trash dumped on the Philippines were not illegal under Canadian rules.

According to INQUIRER, the Canadian Environmental Ministry claimed that the buck stops with the Philippine government for the nearly 3-year-old problem of garbage being shipped from Canada. In fact, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna was not even available for comment regarding a recent petition sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the problem.

The ministry's spokesperson gave a statement that the trash shipment from Canada to the Philippines are legal. Barbara Harvey, spokesperson for the Environment Ministry, recapped that the wastes that ended up on Philippine shores were not illegal under Canadian rules.

"Since the contents of the shipment to the Philippines were materials collected from households, the shipment was not illegal under Canadian regulations," she insisted. She went on to explain, "Consistent with our obligations under the Basel Convention, Canada requires exporters of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable materials to obtain a valid export permit from Environment Canada before they proceed with any international shipment of these materials."

However, IPEN reported that over thousands of Filipinos raised some questions to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a petition on Monday to resolve the trash problem in the Philippines. As previously reported, the garbage was discovered sealed in 103 container vans that were abandoned in Manila, transferred to the Subic Bay Freeport and dumped in Tarlac province.

About 1,375 petitioners stated to Trudeau, "When you visited our country last November 2015 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, we expected you to at least announce that Canada would take responsibility for its garbage. You disappointed us when you vaguely stated that a 'Canadian solution' is being developed and made no firm declaration [that you would] re-import your garbage."

The petition was sent by email to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Canadian Embassy in Makati City, Manny Calonzo, public information head of the EcoWaste Coalition. They updated the Canadian government that the Philippine government, church, labor and environmental leaders have already claimed that the country "is not a global landfill.".

Moreover, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau already vowed to settle the garbage dumping issue with the Philippines. But the environmentalists insist that the trash should be returned immediately to Canada to ensure that similar incidents in the future will not happen, as reported by Gulf News Philippines.

Meanwhile, it is said that even though Trudeau knows about the trash-dumping incident, he was non-committal on the issue of taking the garbage back to Canada. The Canadian Environmental Ministry is also showing that the materials shipped were neither hazardous nor toxic and that the exporters did not really require a valid permit from Environment Canada to ship the wastes.
The prosecutors presiding the trial of former dictator Hissene Habre have said that the verdict will be given on May 30. Habre will face life in prison if proven guilty of charges that include torture, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Last July, the former dictator who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990 and went on trial in the Senegalese capital. The court announced to the public that the verdict is expected to be given this year. According to Yahoo News, the trial is unprecedented since it is the first time a domestic court system in one nation has tried a former leader of another on rights charges.

The majority of the leaders in Africa expressed their skepticism about the International Criminal Court based in Hague. The leaders raised questions on the ground that it has investigated abuses primarily in Africa.

In 1990, Hissene Habre deposed in a coup and fled into exile in Senegal. Between 2000 and 2012, he was placed in prison by a Belgian judge who obtained a ruling from the United Nation's top court. Senegal founded The Extraordinary African Chambers and the African Union (AU) to get Habre in a trial in Dakar.

While Habre sat silently in court, one of the three attorneys of Habre who is Mounir Ballal, pleaded not guilty on behalf of him. ABC News reported that Habre remained silent throughout the proceeding while sporting sunglasses and wrapped in a crisp white turban that covers his mouth.

NDTV reported that Mbaye Sene, who is also defending Habre called for a pure and simple acquittal. "There have been no crimes against humanity, crimes of torture and even less war crimes," says Sene.

Hissene Habre, 74, refused to address the court and does not acknowledge its authority. Once Habre gets back to France, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment with forced labor.
Fifty new jobs for Portarlington, announced in a fanfare of publicity by Taoiseach Enda Kenny last July, have been lost to Mallow in Cork.

Fifty new jobs for Portarlington, announced in a fanfare of publicity by Taoiseach Enda Kenny last July, have been lost to Mallow in Cork.

American automotive coating company Magni have abandoned plans to build a 40,000 sq ft factory in Botley Lane Industrial Park, opting instead to take the project to Cork.

Magni declined to speak to the Leinster Express, but the CEO of Connect Ireland, Michael McLoughlin has confirmed that the company have bought an empty unit in Mallow, close to an expanding IDA backed business they already own there, Magh Nala Limited, to meet urgent customer demand for their product.

Meanwhile several large empty factory units sit in Portarlington, another IDA factory is empty in Portlaoise, and the IDA are currently building another in Athlone.

IDAs head of business for this region, Breda OToole, said Magni was a connect Ireland client, not the IDAs.

The location of specific Connect Ireland projects is really a matter for Connect Ireland and the client company involved, she said.

Last year Magh Nala, who manufacture zinc pigments for export to parent company Magni, applied for permission to expand their operation.

Last October Magni applied to Offaly County Council to build their factory in Botley Lane Industrial Park in Port, and were granted permission in February, with conditions.

They appealed several onerous conditions to An Bord Pleanala, including a development levy of 51,000, the lack of a 20 percent discount, and the level of discretion given to Irish Water for water charges, since withdrawing the appeal.

CEO of Connect Ireland Michael McLoughlin denied that the delays were to blame for Magni opting elsewhere.

Even if everything had gone smoothly, the customer pressure would still have been there. Magni were hit with customer demand, and we found ourselves back in a fight, competing with a pre-existing facility in the Czech republic. Thankfully they stuck with their decision to come to Ireland, he said.

He understands the disappointment felt in Port.

The company will share in that disappointment. We had a very positive experience dealing with the people of Port and we will continue to do what we can. I would urge people to use their contacts at home and abroad, he said.

Connect Ireland, established two years ago, encourages individuals and groups, connectors, to pass on contacts in foreign companies in expansion. They then assist the companies to set up in Ireland, with an award for the connector of 1,500 per job.

Port man Kieran Leavy had introduced Magni to his town, and will receive a 75,000 reward for the 50 jobs, in his role as a connector.

The managing director Ted Berry did his utmost to come here, he left no stone unturned. Everyone is disappointed but it was beyond my control. We did our best for Port, but the jobs are still coming to Ireland, he said.

The money is irrelevent to me. I am only disappointed the jobs are not coming to Port, he added.

Last July Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the jobs were an expression of confidence by companies in what they know they will have available to them in these locations.
Almost 30 people appeared in Portlaoise District Court, last week, charged with possession of drugs at Electric Picnic, last year.

Almost 30 people appeared in Portlaoise District Court, last week, charged with possession of drugs at Electric Picnic, last year.

Garda Patrick Scully, explained to the court that all the defendants had been stopped and searched on their way into Cosby Hall on Friday, September 2, last year.

In total, contributions totalling over 9,000 were made to the Court Poor Box, the defendants had their charge struck out or were given a second chance through the probation act.

Before last years festival, Judge Catherine Staines warned the promoter, Mr John Reynolds to adopt a zero-tolerance drugs policy.

Among the drugs found at this years picnic were canabis herb and canabis resin, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine varying in amounts from 5 to 140.

Judge Catherine Staines warned many of the defendants of the dangers of taking even one ecstasy tablet.

She said the message should go out from last weeks court that there was no point bring drugs into the festival as they would be seized by Gardai who also carried out searches inside the campsites.

In the case of Derek Byrne, 22 The Grove, Haydens Park, Lucan, who was found with 70 worth of cocaine, Judge Staines told him that he was helping to fund criminal gangs who were behind the selling of such drugs.

This is a serious drug. People selling these drugs are criminal gangs involved in intimidation and violence, you are helping to fund that when you buy these drugs. You should consider carefully what you are doing, she said.

Philip Gorman, 35 McKee Avenue, Finglas, Dublin 11, was at the picnic as both a musician playing at the festival and as a spectator. The 29-year-old was found with 80 of canabis herb.

Judge Staines told Gorman that he would play far better when he is not under the influence of drugs. Both defendants made contributions of 300 to the Court Poor Box.

Adam Purcell, 6 Kent Terrace, Barnhill Road, Dalkey, Dublin was ordered to make a contribution of 800 to the poor box after he was found to have 140 of cocaine and ecstasy to the value of 120. Mr Purcell told Gardai that the drugs were for personal use to be shared between himself and his friends.
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Moreover, the Syrian issue has raised a number of questions. Decimated since 2011 by the conflict between the Bashar Al-Assads regime and the opposing rebels, Syria has not yet suffered from an electricity shortage, even though the principal oil sites are in the hands of the terrorists. As Derek El-Zein explains, one should not think that a country at war necessarily ceases to function; instead it organises itself differently within the new constraints. Lebanon, which experienced almost twenty years of civil war, found itself in this position and adapted accordingly. The interests at play are so important that they generate new provisions and production cycles, which often forces belligerents to cooperate in certain areas and fight in others. Thus, although they are enemies on the battle field, the Syrian regime and the so-called Islamic State are partners in the oil market.


Throughout last week Baroness Shas Sheehan and I have been collecting vital items needed in the camp in Dunkirk. From a list of items approved by volunteers on the ground we asked Lib Dems and local residents to come together and purchase what they could. The list included brand new sleeping bags, tents, blankets, food, gas, warm and waterproof clothes as well as sturdy, waterproof shoes. We were overwhelmed with the response and managed to fill a van to the brim with these essential donations.

On Sunday, we drove the van across to northern France to the camp in Dunkirk. The conditions in Dunkirk are in many ways worse than in Calais. The mud is particularly problematic for the 2,500 mainly Kurdish refugees living there. Local authorities are disallowing any construction of more sturdy wooden shelters so most people live in tents. This does not offer much protection and makes the weather a real problem with high winds, cold temperatures and large rainfall, especially in the last few days. It is also the case that there are more families and children in this camp.

As we walked around the camp we distributed fresh oranges. We learned of the journeys, stories and aspirations of many who live there. Our vanload of essential supplies was directed specifically to the relevant distribution points and was welcomed by the volunteers who work tirelessly. In total we dropped off around 40 brand new sleeping bags, 10 tents, 5 sacks of warm blankets, 5 duvets, 50 gas canisters, hundreds of batteries, sacks of warm clothes, jackets and shoes as well as tinned food. This, we were told, meant that the volunteers were well stocked for the evening ahead. Of course, more is needed.

Baroness Shas Sheehan has led this campaign to collect and provide charitable aid to those in Dunkirk. She has worked tirelessly in and out of the House of Lords to campaign and speak up for refugees to find a political solution. As we know Tim Farron has also been leading on putting pressure on David Cameron to take in more refugees.

This is on top of a series of successful Help Refugee Action Days held by Camden Liberal Democrats who have gathered vanloads of food, clothes and blanket donations from generous local residents, raised hundreds of pounds to buy essential items and gained hundreds of signatures backing the Lib Dem and Save The Children Campaign for the UK to take in 3000 unaccompanied refugee children.

This action shows that as Lib Dems we can do more than simply criticise the governments response to the refugee crisis, we can stand up in support and help raise vital aid for refugees and campaign for a political solution. We will be putting out further calls for item donations in the future so keep an eye out. We also warmly encourage any Lib Dems to email [email protected] to find out how they can be a part of this growing liberal movement to help refugees.

* Bradley is an active member of the Lib Dems as a council member for both the SLF and LD4SOS, standing for local elections in 2014 and 2016 and as borough organiser for Camden in 2016. He also has a leading role in the Lib Dem campaign to raise donations for refugees and lobbying the government to settle more refugees. He is currently studying for his PhD in moral and political philosophy specialising in the philosophy of migration, borders and refugees.
Catherine Bearder has written for the New Statesmans Staggers blog to castigate both sides of the EU Referendum debate for negativity, citing the example of Scotland:

On the one hand, Ukip and the feuding Leave campaigns have shamelessly seized on the events in Cologne at New Year to claim that British women will be at risk if the UK stays in Europe. On the other, David Cameron claims that the refugees he derides as a bunch of migrants in Calais will all descend on the other side of the Channel the minute Britain leaves the EU. The British public deserve better than this. Rather than constant mud-slinging and politicising of the worlds biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, we need a frank and honest debate about what is really at stake. Most importantly this should be a positive campaign, one that is fought on hope and not on fear. As we have a seen in Scotland, a referendum won through scare tactics alone risks winning the battle but losing the war.

So whats the alternative?

This leaves the field open to put forward a united vision of Britains place in Europe and the world. Liberal Democrats are clear what we believe in: an open, inclusive and tolerant nation that stands tall in the world and doesnt hide from it. We are not uncritical of the EUs institutions. Indeed as Liberals, we fiercely believe that power must be devolved to the lowest possible level, empowering communities and individuals wherever possible to make decisions for themselves. But we recognise that staying in Europe is the best way to find the solutions to the problems that dont stop at borders, rather than leaving them to our children and grandchildren. We believe Britain must put itself at the heart of our continents future and shape a more effective and more accountable Europe, focused on responding to major global challenges we face.

You can read the whole article here.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
Darlington Borough Council is skint. One of the smallest local authorities in the country, Darlington was created as a Unitary Authority in 1997. Since then, it has been governed (like many Northern councils) exclusively by Labour, and it now stands on the verge of bankruptcy (the two facts may not be unrelated).

Specifically, the Council have calculated the need for 12.5m in spending cuts over the next four years. To go: Darlingtons historic indoor market, the public library (both of which were donated to the town by the Pease family), the town centres Christmas lights and floral displays, several childrens centres, and multiple other social, environmental and cultural services. Streets will be swept less frequently. Charges will be introduced for blue badge holders.

Are these cuts to local services best blamed on central government, with its reduction in funding for local authorities, or on incompetent and profligate local councils? Certainly, cuts in central government funding have been made, with the provision of local services affected; certainly, other local authorities facing similar cuts are not broke. The truth of the matter is probably somewhere between the two!

What is undeniable, however, is the limited imagination of Darlington Borough Council in dealing with the situation it faces, and the lack of trust it places in its citizens being able to independently play a positive role in shaping and managing their town.The Council is taking the attitude that only it can provide municipal services  of any kind  and thats all there is to it. It seems that nobody has asked the obvious question: outside of providing statutory services, why do local authorities need to have such strong control  financially and strategically  over local action? Services founded on central government remittances will always be at risk; services directly funded and supported by locals are sustainable for as long as denizens want to maintain them. Local authorities are unlikely to have a monopoly on wisdom: with low levels of democratic engagement in local politics all too common across the country, many authorities also lack popular accountability for the decisions they make.

With the growing decentralisation of project financing in the private sector, through crowdfunding and similar approaches, there exist (for the brave local authority) methods which can allow locals to determine  and fund  the projects and services which matter the most to them, in an entirely democratic and accountable fashion. With direct engagement and a personal stake in community development, local citizens may well develop a greater sense of civic pride  the same civic pride that allowed public subscription to raise the great town halls of Manchester and Bradford. Authorities can content themselves with providing a framework and, if they must, a veto. And council taxes and business rates can be reduced, increasing residents spending power and the attractiveness of the local area for businesses investment.

At the heart of our approach to local government should be the ideas of the decentralisation of power and allowing local residents to take control of their own civic affairs. Our strength in local administration is tied into our ability to bring local residents into the decision-making process, both directly and indirectly; and its no secret that effective local organisation is the foundation on which national success is built. Perhaps we can lead the way  by actively governing less  and show councils like Darlington that there is a way to develop prosperous, stable and proud local communities that relies less on central government largesse and more on the skills and priorities of local communities themselves.

* Simon Thornley is a member in Greenwich and joined the party after the General Election 2015. He is originally from Darlington.
IRISH Rail have apologised over an incident where a local man was wrongfully issued a fine, after his student ID was confiscated while on a return journey from Cork.

Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) student, Philip Desmond, of Adare, complained via social media about how an officer aboard a train would not recognise his LIT student card, after he had purchased a student return ticket.

His Facebook statement, which was shared by hundreds of people online, said: According to the officer that has now confiscated my student card, valid from the 20 September 2012 (still in date for my four year course) which is my property and apparently only a student attending UCD could be in a course for four years according to the officer concerned.

He added that he had no problem in presenting his ID at Colbert Station when purchasing his return ticket.

The 22-year-old said he was then forced to purchase another ticket. When he asked the officer if he could make an appeal for his student ID to be returned or to get his ticket reimbursed, he said there were no answers the officer could offer me.

I'm stressed beyond belief as I try to complete my final year of my course with a deadline for my thesis this coming Monday. My personal property was taken off me before been given a reasonable explanation, without my consent and with no warrant or paper work, he wrote on Facebook.

In response to Mr Desmonds claims, a spokesperson for Irish Rail stated: We are extremely sorry this penalty was issued in error, a mistake on the part of the individual involved.

Mr Desmond has since retrieved his student ID and a reimbursement, and is due to meet with Irish Rail officials  with LIT Students Union representatives  over the weekend incident. He said that he feels IT students are being ill-treated, which he will raise at the meeting.
THE solicitor representing two whistleblowers who remain suspended from by the University of Limerick, has said that while his clients have been vindicated, it is their belief that the review into their allegations regarding financial practices and their treatment by the university does not go far enough.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) appointed independent consultants Mazars last October to review the allegations of three female whistleblowers, all of whom had worked in the finance department in UL, after their claims regarding questionable financial practices were first aired in the Limerick Leader.

That front-page report gave rise to Fianna Fail deputies Willie ODea and Niall Collins raising the cases of the three women in the Dail, and led to the review. It was published this week and welcomed by the whistleblowers.

However, they have expressed some concerns that not all matters were investigated as fully as they would have liked, and have also expressed disappointment at ULs public reaction to the review.

UL has welcomed the fact that the review is consistent with the universitys position that no financial mismanagement or financial wrongdoing took place.

However, the report states that instances of irregular claims by staff occurred in the university, but were properly challenged by the employees concerned, and no inappropriate payments were made. But the HEA has now expressed concerns that there may have been, or may still be, a culture in the university of inappropriate claims being made, until challenged.

UL has rejected this assertion, describing it as offensive to past and present staff of the university.

In addition, the HEA said that it believes that an investigation - as opposed to a review  should now take place, within the shortest possible time-frame, into "whether financial issues identified are indicative of wider practices within the institution when any such issues are raised.

One of the three women, who has since left UL, brought instances of her claims to the Public Accounts Committee in 2012, but felt they fell on deaf ears. They were not made public at that time.

This week that employee  Leona OCallaghan, who has waived her right to anonymity  wrote to Minister for Education Jan OSullivan as well as the UL president, Don Barry and Tom Boland, chief executive of the HEA.

She has stated that she is displeased with what she describes as the defensive tone adopted by UL in relation to the Mazars report. Describing it as inappropriate and insensitive, she urged Minister O'Sullivan to intervene.

UL cannot argue with the cold facts as discovered by Mazars, wrote Ms OCallaghan.

The two other employees, referred to as Persons B and C in the review, remain suspended nine months on. Galway-based solicitor Gerard ODonnell  who previously represented Praveen Halappanavar following his wife Savitas death at Galway University Hospital  now represents the two suspended employees, said his clients have to wait for UL to recognise the importance of their honesty and integrity in fulfilling their duties and constructively engage with their employees concerning their suspension.

In response to queries from the Limerick Leader, UL said it cannot comment on how they plan to proceed with the employment status of the two employees  both women worked in the finance department for more than five years  as there are ongoing internal employment processes related to this matter.

Asked whether they intend to drop their proceedings against the Limerick Leader newspaper, and its editor Alan English, following the review, UL said it cannot comment on legal proceedings.

When the Leader reported the story in September last regarding the claims of the two suspended employees, UL issued High Court proceedings against the paper and Mr English. UL said it had been left with no choice but to sue when the Leader refused to retract the allegations and issue a front-page apology of equal prominence to the original article.

There have been a number of calls by local deputies for UL to drop its legal case, which has been heavily criticised as an attempt to gag a free press with the use of taxpayers money, and also to reinstate the employees in their roles.

UL issued a response to the review this week, which was described by Fianna Fail deputy Willie ODea, who has been in lengthy discussions with the whistleblowers, as bland, self-serving and no doubt written under heavy legal advice.

He added: Theyre not giving any hostages to fortune, and are trying to put the best possible picture on it. Everybodys entitled to their own interpretation, but the report says it [that instances of irregular claims did occur]. 

Im surprised they havent addressed the issue of the two staff who are currently suspended, he added.

Minister for Education, Jan OSullivan, said that while she is somewhat limited in what she can say as Minister, she said the report shows that there was merit in the issues raised by the people who came forward. It does indicate that they were correct to come forward, and for them I think that must be a great relief.

The Minister continued: For the University of Limerick, there are clearly procedures now that need to be very carefully examined and reformed. The HEA will be engaging intensively with the University of Limerick on these issues, and I think overall, this will be a positive in terms of clarity about how UL does its business in this regard, improvements in terms of transparency and in terms of people feeling secure in the way in which they are asked to do their jobs. Overall I think this is an important report and one that well have to learn from in general, but in particular the University of Limerick.

Mazars outlined that its review does not constitute an investigation of the allegations, but as per the terms of reference, reviewed the process employed by the university to inquire into the allegations made.

The review did not reference that the two current employees were offered severance packages amounting to two years salary, or nearly 60,000 each, in return for signing of confidentiality agreements.

Deputy ODea has also repeatedly queried why employees would be offered such a severance package if they were found to be acting maliciously, a conclusion reached an independent investigator appointed by UL.

The review outlined more than a dozens areas for UL to address across a wide range of areas (see above).

The HEA said it is concerned by the absence of policies in relation to key financial transactions at the time that they occurred in UL  while noting that the situation has been addressed in the meantime.

The HEA is also concerned by the weaknesses identified, and acknowledged by the university, in areas including sabbatical expenses, procurement of equipment, travel and subsistence; failures in the management approach to, and application of, HR policies around management of the absence of Persons A, B and C, and the processes relating to return to work of staff on sick leave."

Commenting on the review, the ODonnell Waters firm added: Our clients B and C have reviewed a report prepared by Mazars and accept its content, but due to the restrictive nature of the terms of reference and other matters of concern which they raised, do not feel it goes far enough.

Our clients welcome the report in that it vindicates for them the findings by Mazars that there were a number of shortcomings in policies, procedures and practices at UL, including identifying certain financial irregularities. Our clients were disappointed with the limited terms of reference which they feel excluded certain matters which were of a concern to them and which they raised with their employers. Our clients will be meeting with the HEA during the weeks ahead to discuss the report, its findings and matters which were not addressed in the report.

Our clients whom have been long standing employees of UL have been significantly upset and distressed at their treatment of them by the university when bringing matters which are of a serious concern to them and should be of a concern to the university. Our clients are happy that the report identifies that their concerns were well justified and well founded and that they have at all times been proven to be honest and to have the upmost integrity in fulfilling their duties for their employer, they state.
MEDICAL devices manu-facturer Cook Ireland has unveiled plans which will see it build a new facility in the National Technology Park to create a campus for the firm.

Cook Ireland, which employs 850 people in Limerick, is set to add around 50 new staff to the company in 2018, following the building of a new three storey data centre on a 2.7 hectare site opposite its current headquarters.

It is seeking planning permission from Limerick City and County Council for the development on the site at the OHalloran Road.

Cook Medicals customer facing workers, including regulatory staff, IT support and financial staff will move into the new building once it is completed, with construction expected next year.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Bill Doherty, the firms managing director in Ireland, and vice-president for Europe the Middle East and Asia (Emea) said the expansion is necessary because many of Cook Medicals staff are in leased accommodation at Hamilton House.

This new office development will ensure the company no longer has to rent.

The reason we have gone for planning permission is, over the years, we have continued to grow, but we have been leasing accommodation, and we feel the time is right to build ourselves. We will be building opposite the main plant, so we would be integrating this customer service centre with the plant into a campus type set-up, Mr Doherty explained.

In supporting documents submitted to the planning authority, it is stated that the firm will add an additional 46 new staff after the proposed operational opening year.

Mr Doherty added: This is the reason we are building this. We have continued to grow organically over the years. We are out of space, as we continue to grow. We are constructing this new building as we continue to expand.

Cook Medical opened in Limerick in 1997, with staff there designing and distributing medical devices to customers across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa in the areas of gastroenterology, urology, obstetrics and gynaecology.

Mr Doherty said: Our business in Limerick is very good. We did have some challenges over the last number of years, but we are in a very challenging market. Our sales are continuing to grow globally, particularly in Emea. We are seeing strong growth in areas like the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. Our core market in Western Europe in the healthcare services is challenged  but we are still seeing growth.

Limerick City and County Council is expected to make a decision on the application in the next three months.
ON VALENTINES eve Limericks own Elvis Presley is putting on a special concert that attendees Cant Help Falling in Love with.

There will be no Suspicious Minds at the Heartbreak Hotel on Saturday, February 13, which on this occasion is the Deebert House Hotel in Kilmallock.

Award winning Elvis Presley tribute act, Tim Ryan, from Caherconlish, is headlining a special Valentines dinner and show. It is limited to 100 and proceeds will go to the Irish Cancer Society.

Tim, aged 52, has been an Elvis fan since he was a boy and has been performing a tribute act for almost 20 years. 2015 was a big year for him as he won first prize in a competition at the biggest Elvis festival in the world in Portcawl, Wales. He also came second at the Roots festival in Carlow. To mark his achievements his family and friends threw a surprise party for him in Mulcahys pub in Caherconlish.

Domiciled in Athboy, Tim is a regular visitor to east Limerick to see his mum and dad Maureen and Pat, and sister Eileen.

"When I was about six or seven my father had a few Elvis LPs and I used to play them. I'm a fan since then. I'm in the tribute scene since 1998/1999. Last year was one of my best years. I was playing the Millennium Centre in Caherconlish and Claire OBrien [president of the Flamingstar Official Elvis Fan club Ireland] spotted me.

She asked me if I would be interested in doing bigger gigs and festivals. I never looked at doing those because I was just enjoying the pub scene. She probably heard that the voice wasnt too bad and encouraged me to spread my wings as they say, said Tim. So what makes a good Elvis impersonator?

Number one, for me, is he has to sound like Elvis, and secondly its the way you get up there and get people to relive their happy Elvis memories and really enjoy it."

And the judges agreed.

I was thrilled with the win in Wales. It was big, big competition from all over the world. It was my first time going to any Elvis festival and I couldn't get over the amount of people - there was 30,000 at it. You couldn't turn a corner but there was dozens of Elvis standing in front of you!

Tim has never been to Graceland but it is his dream to go there one day. The father of three has a number of favourite songs including An American Trilogy and My Boy.

"Suspicious Minds is a great song, The Wonder of You always goes down well everyone gets up on the floor for Return to Sender."

Tim was a block layer until the downturn but now is making a living from singing.

"Claire is looking after my bookings and its getting pretty full. Im really looking forward to Kilmallock this weekend and back to Caherconlish in May The surprise party in Mulcahys was a great night. I knew nothing about it! Everybody was very good to organise it, said Tim.

Doors open at 7.15pm on Saturday night in the Deebert House Hotel with the show due to start at 10pm after the meal. Contact 087-9242613 for tickets.
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Love in the final innings The romance of sex over 70; the romance of solitude over 70it's all good as long as we have the choice /relationships/it-s-complicated/love-in-the-final-innings-111651822658954.html 111651822658954 story

he dared to explore her withered neck w/his fingertipsher hips w/their decaying bones, her thighs with their aging veins."

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love In The Time Of Cholera

I was 25 when the English translation of Love In The Time of Cholera came out. I swallowed it in one rapturous gulp, drunk on the language, the magic, the parrot, the drama, the jungle, the woman who hated eggplants, the man who waited and waited. When I read it again at 50, having loved and lost and loved and lost and loved in my own life in the meantime, I was riveted anew by the love story at its heart. If youve read it, surely you remember this:

With her Florentino Ariza learned what he had already experienced many times without realizing it: that one can be in love with several people at the same time, feel the same sorrow with each, and not betray any of them. Alone in the midst of the crowd on the pier, he said to himself in a flash of anger: My heart has more rooms than a whorehouse."

Teenagers tend to think they have a monopoly on passion. I know I did. When youre 17, everyone over 30 seems faintly ridiculous. Only we smooth-limbed grandiose hormone-ridden narcissists understood romancethe oldies were too desiccated. What idiots we were.

True, theres no love like 17-year-old love. Luckily, 52-year-old love is also pretty damn fabulous, Im pleased to report. And, just to see what might be waiting down the line, I talked to a couple of people who no longer get asked for their ID cards in clubsif they go to clubs.

Blanche Perkins is 73. She runs her own therapy practice in New Jersey. She was married at 18, and had her first child at 19. Now she has two children in their 50s, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She has been married twice, and was divorced for the second time when she was in her late 40s. A year later, she met a man 15 years younger than her at a play, and was with him for three years. We both knew it was temporary," she told me.

He wanted to get married and I did not. It was nice enough but wasnt for me. I didnt want to live with him, share my life, and everything that marriage implied."

After that, she put a personal ad in the local paper, and met her next boyfriend, whom she was with for a year. When Internet dating arrived, she became a regular on Match.com, and has never looked back.

She has had four major relationships through Match.com, and describes all the men as lovely, interesting and accomplished. Almost by definition, over-50 people have had a lifeinterests and passions and careers. You bring a lot to a relationship, including peopleyour children and your grandchildren and friends".

In her experience, men have far fewer friends than women. I have a huge network. Men are delighted to be swept up in my social life. In every one of the cases, it ended when the man wanted to get married, and I didnt. I had thought I would want to get married at first. But marriage is hugeit has to be someone you want to talk to more than anybody else. Also, the money has to work properly. I need enough money and enough insurance that I wont be a burden on my children. You need to have taken care of business in terms of long-term security and care. Most of these men havent. Its dangerous. They get sick before you do. You have to take care of you! The feeling you get is that they want to be swept up in your life, and you to take care of them. Theyre looking for someone younger. Im not alone in my stance of being very cautious about making a legal commitment.

It is completely clear to me," she continued, that at any age a woman can go on this site and find men who are decent, perfectly fine people, and want to get married. Anybody can get marriedthats not hard!

All these people have been in marriages and they know how it goesthe women do more of the housework, managing, social lifethe women dont want it, and the men want more of it. If I were deeply in love now, I would marry with no problem. All these men, I liked them, sex was great, but I wasnt madly in love."

Ah yes, sex. Perkins said, In my experience, many men on Match.com who are in their 60s and 70s arent interested any more. Their testosterone is low. But many are! And the same goes for women. Theres a group of us who are alive and vital and interested and want to have sex."

The weird cultural stereotype that only the young have sex has meant that sex among older people hasnt received much attention. That doesnt mean it doesnt happen. HIV and other STD rates among geriatric nursing-home patients have soared lately (I dont know about you, but I plan to get frisky until Im 103. Okay, okay, lets be realistic102).

Perkins said she enjoys sex and wants it to be part of her life, even if shes not necessarily madly in love with the man. Dating in your 70s can be as fraught with peril as in your 20s. Its wonderful not to worry about birth control!" she said, But you still have to have The Talk, after three or four dates. We each need to be medically tested for HIV, thats routine. They also test for other STDs. If anyone is hesitant, you would not see them again. After the results, you go ahead."

Then theres the other Talk, the one you dont necessarily have in your 20s if everything is in working order. This is the reveal of the physical problems: Nobody is 75 without some minor or major physical issues," said Perkins. Do you mention your mastectomy on the second or third date? Does it hurt to get into certain positions because you had an accident or surgery or a disease or just because your body has gone through this world for a long time and has the scars to prove it? Men tend to worry about performance, despite the wonders of Viagra.

Thats how it goes at this age," philosophized Perkins.

Whats the incentive to get married? I asked. Not much, she said. I dont need a man to take care of me. It creates certain obligations. But it would be different if I were in love. I would want to show the world that I want to be connected to this person until we die. The urge doesnt go away to say to the world, This is my husband, just because youre old. It doesnt go away. It also means youre brave enough to commit everything youve got to this person. It just seems so brave!"

Happily for her (and for this column), Perkins recently met a man who might make her rethink her determination to remain single. He just seems lovely. All the major boxes are checked off. Hes nice to his children and grandchildren. He has enough money to take care of himself. He has friends. Hes smart and interesting and funny. Im very thrilled!"

Perkins is fun to talk with. She is sensible and fun and willing to take a chance: on men, on life, on Match.com. And she personifies the best part of growing up: choice.

I talked to another sensible, fun and adventurous woman in her mid-70s. She is Indian. She was married at 20, and had a fantastic marriage. Her husband died a few years ago, and the thought of a new lover or another marriage completely revolts her. The thought of sex with anyone else is too boring!" she told me. And marriage to anyone else would be frightful." For her, the big adventure, her choice for an exciting old age, is actually having the chance to be alone for the first time in her life. Im relishing it!" she said.

The romance of sex over 70; the romance of solitude over 70. Too many people, hobbled by circumstance, society or ill health, dont have the luxury of either. May we all have the choice. The heart, after all, has more rooms than a whorehouse.

Sohaila Abdulali has been madly in love with the same person for 18 years, much to her shock and wonder.
The lustful years Prising apart love from sex at 52, and finding meaning in the gap /news/talking-point/the-lustful-years-111651823229009.html 111651823229009 story

At the risk of being normative, Ill say that Im a late bloomer. The first time I had sex was well after I finished college. It was at the age of 35 that I first felt attracted to a woman and at the age of 47 that I first encountered the world of Bondage Domination Sado Masochism (BDSM). I guess Im still making up for the late start. And I hope that will continue till the day I die.

My 40s were amazing in terms of my erotic life. I remember a lover once told me, You are so generous." And without a pause I said, Im just driven." Fortunately, the BDSM community offered me a sense of safety and trust to be able to have highly intense experiences with strangers. These were people I had never met before but whom I had references for, i.e. someone I knew and trusted knew them or had played" with them (Play" is the term we use in the BDSM community for erotic activities). Other than the intensity of the experiences, which is almost impossible to describe in words, playing with strangers is liberating. I had finally become a slut. And as a hard-core feminist, I say that with pride.

I had also managed to prise apart love and lust.

So much of what we suffer in our romantic sexual relationships stems from the entanglement of love and sex. We place sex plus love" at the top of the hierarchy and just sex" at the bottom. I do not mean that we do this necessarily in a conscious way. Many of us will go all out to defend a womans right to have casual sex; we might even join the slut walk. But perhaps in our own sexuality, we still place great value on the sex plus love" combo.

Im not saying the two should not coexistthey do in my life toobut I feel it is important to be able to also experience (not just theoretically understand or politically support) love and sex separately. This might help reduce some of the suffering related to sexual insecurities or any mismatch of sexual interests with the ones we love and help us in these romantic and sexual dynamics. Unfettered by having to be in love with those we have sex with might make for great sexual experiences. Especially in a context in which it is often assumed that older" women dont have sex, or dont wish to have sex.

I think one of the reasons why the love plus sex combo" is so deeply entrenched in many women, especially us feminists, is because in our fight against very real and rampant sexual violations, we have confused sex minus love" with just sex", with what those men who violate us experience. There is, for example, the business of objectification. In a patriarchal society, men have much greater space for sexual expression. The advertising world and film industry look at womens bodies from a male gaze, for the gratification of men. But could it be that a woman (in my case, a woman of 52) might want her body to be objectified"? No, not to enhance the sales of cars or TVs, which in any case wont happen given that I am fat (no, I dont want to say large"), but to have my body admired not just by lovers and friends but by strangers, which is why posting selfies online is so delicious. And I dont mean just photos of my face, I mean also other parts of my body. Sex minus love is pleasure for the sake of pleasure, selfies of my body parts are also pleasure for the sake of pleasuremy pleasure in eroticizing my body, or parts of it, and hopefully the pleasure of those who see my body, or parts of it.

Dont get me wrong. Im a sucker for romance and love. And Im terribly needy. The urge to merge was a term invented for me and the likes of me. But I have also experienced the horrors of this urge to merge. Its not just the waiting for that message, the longing, the yearning, the despair, the feeling that one doesnt exist if the gaze moves away, or is imagined to move away, that never enoughness, I could go on and on, but most of all its the horror of the default setting not being oneself. Its also of course terrible for the other" who is harassed, accused, framed, attacked and stalked thanks to the incessant need for attention. I might be a more extreme" example, but I do believe it is the nature of romantic sexual love, which is essentially two peoples fantasies trying to meet, for there to be logic-defying insecurities and the never-enoughness which causes much stress and misery all around.

There is the real dread of the day I will cease to be desirable. Erotic death seems to me to be death itself-

Much of this, maybe all of it, is about being a child. I could say in child mode", I could say times when I connect with the child in me". But when the neediness strikes, I am the child. Im not saying its all bad. I think its the child that has also driven me, and if I may say so myself, given me freshness, which others also have said exists. Sometimes I can see it clearly in the selfies I take. That expression in the eyes. I rather like it. But then there are the horrors listed above. The endless chase.

So at 52, I feel Im no longer on that chase. Dont get me wrong. I still have amazing sex. And am deeply in love. But I no longer play with random people in hotel rooms, although I still encourage others to. Its not just age. Its also because I have been able to afford giving up my job and the psychoanalysis Im undergoing (tragically and unfairly expensive). I do believe we want to be constantly busy, not only because we need to" earn enough or because the team will fall apart if we do not lead it or because the world is the horribly unjust place that it is. We also want to be constantly buzzing because we, subconsciously, fear stillness and, perhaps, what it may reveal.

What does this have to do with sexuality? Well, at least in my case, being less in a tizzy about work and delving deeper within myself, I feel, is having profound implications for my sexuality. Its still work in progress but I feel less driven". I am also better able to see that my desperate neediness and jealousy have little to do with the other person and everything to do with myself. The growing ability to see the other as a human being with her/his own needs. And with this the promise of greater calm all round. But also the fear, panic almost, of what the disappearance of the child will mean. Will I become dull and boring? Its not easy when the storyline falls apart. When one is still, it all feels raw. Like there is no escape.

There are also more tangible fears about changes in the body. The parts of my body I used to love were my hands, feet, lips, wrists and nipples. Im hoping age cant do much to the others, but the hands and feet, Im very sad to say, have already betrayed me. Even the palms. I used to have just those three neat lines. What are all these other messy, criss-crossing lines doing on my palms? And these awful veins. I wish they would subside and leave my hands and feet as smooth as they were. Friends say they dont know what Im talking about. We have always had veins showing on our hands and feet, they say. But thats no consolation to me, is it.

There is the real dread of the day I will cease to be desirable. Erotic death seems to me to be death itself. The day the skin will be too wrinkled. And no, it is no comfort to me when my dear friend in the BDSM community reminds me that there will always be someone out there whose desires will meet mine. I dont want to be the older" woman, the cougar. I want to continue to be desired, forever, for who I am!

When the fear of erotic death grips me, I remember the only time I have been to a BDSM dungeon. I saw a woman who must have been in her 80s at the least. She looked like a delicate bird. She was there in her short leather skirt. And with her partner, who must have been touching 90, although his hair was as black as the leather he also wore. And I think that if they could be playing at that age, there is no reason why I wont.

And I think of Zohra Sehgal. And in particular a shot of her face in a documentary on her that I had once seen. She must have been well into her 80s. What playful, gleaming eyes. They make me feel so much better.

Jaya Sharma, a queer feminist, is a member of the BDSM awareness-raising group, the Kinky Collective. Her latest achievement was to walk the 2015 Delhi Queer Pride in front of a Kinky is Queer placard, with a supportive lumbar belt under her butterfly dress.
Film Review: Fitoor A lush adaptation of 'Great Expectations' with a gaping hole at its centre /how-to-lounge/movies-tv/film-review-fitoor-111651823117278.html 111651823117278 story

Charles Dickens Great Expectations has been adapted for screens big and small over a dozen times. At least two of these attempts have proved memorable: David Leans 1946 version, with its expressionist touches, and Alfonso Cuarons sensuous modern-day adaptation, with Gwyneth Paltrow as the enigmatic, unattainable Estella. Whether Abhishek Kapoor has seen these films isnt clear, but what is undeniable is that he has made a version thats uniquely his. Fitoor is lush and aching, more Regency novel than Dickens. And it works, but only up to a point.

We will come to that point shortly, but first, lets take a moment to dwell on Fitoors glorious opening stretch, half an hour of beauty for beautys sake. It unfolds in Srinagarnot the scarred war zone of Haider but a snowy cinematic dreamland. Buoyed by Amit Trivedis hushed soundtrack and Anay Goswamis elegant, gliding camera, we receive fragments of a story as if in a dream. A young boy called Noor is accosted by a wild-looking convict and is scared into bringing him food. Later, the same boy visits a rich recluse, Begum Hazrat. He meets her daughter, Firdaus, and instantly falls for her. She, however, keeps him at arms length, something Begum notices and seems to delight in.

The idea that a single small event might set the course of our lives is at the heart of Great Expectations. In Fitoor, as in the book, this first link is made when Noor lays eyes on Firdausthough there are other fateful encounters he will learn about in due course. After Firdaus is sent away to London and Begum (Tabu) tells Noor that he must become worthy of her, the film skips forward 15 years. Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor), now a budding artist, is offered a residency in Delhi. His benefactor remains unnamed, but he assumes that its Begum helping him win over her daughter. Soon, we meet the grown-up Firdaus, which is when the film starts losing its grip.

Firdaus is played by Katrina Kaif, and one can see why, on paper, this might make sense. Estella keeps a tight lid on her emotions, which would seem to suit Kaifs range, which has broadened only slightly in the last 12 years. But Estella, raised by Miss Havisham as her revenge on men, is a difficult part, and Kaif, hard as she might try, isnt the right actor to get to convey complicated emotional states. The problem isnt just the actors familiar undisturbed surface, but her inability to suggest that something is going on underneath. Roy Kapoor does make you feel for Noor intermittently, but his character exists only to love Firdaus, and no matter what he does, shes never as interesting to us as she is to him.

It is left to Tabu to keep pulling the viewer back into the film. Her Begum is less decrepit than Dickens Miss Havisham, but the ruin is plain in Tabus eyes and body. Dark circles under her eyes, her voice a perpetual sigh, Begumfor all her manipulation of Nooris a tragic figure, something the film accentuates by giving her a flashback of her own. The normally understated Tabu embraces Begums theatricality, playing her with a building hysteria that soon outpaces the rest of the film in emotional intensity.

It would be unfair to lay all the problems of the film at Kaifs doorstep. Certain essential passages are fumbled; when the grown-up Noor meets the convict, the scene barely registers, even though its a dramatic high point in the novel. The scenes set in Delhis art world are unbearably pretentiousthe contrast between their insider lingo and the Urdu thats spoken in the rest of the film is jarring. But these drawbacks might have seemed minor if the actor playing Firdaus had the right mixture of sadness and sadism. As it stands, Fitoor is about Noor, Noor is all about Firdaus, and Firdaus is a beautiful blank.

Fitoor released in theatres on Friday
Game, reset, match When dating is a romantic expression of the self, a luscious right-now, and not a means to an end /smart-living/innovation/game-reset-match-111651823192878.html 111651823192878 story

Men, unlike women, seem to be paralysed by the need for internal change and are at odds when it comes to being alone. Photo: Pranab Jyoti Gogoi/Mint

There are some options when you talk about dating after 50 in this country. You can talk about the revolution of the dating apps. Just like you talked about the revolution of the chatroom and before that the friend finder" magazine personals, and before that the telephone, and before that the postal system. Isnt it cool how the revolution keeps brewing, while talk about it/dating never evolves?

You could talk about the Jeevan Saathi Sammelansmatrimonial meets for older peopleslowly gaining ground around us. The stories emerging from these are beautiful and interesting, as some older people meet and choose not to marry, but simply be together. They are also replete with a genteel moral policingthe distaste of adult children at their adult parents desire for another go at life and, by implication, sex.

Discomfort about sex is higher when people think of those who have apparently completed their reproductive requirements. Think of a film like Life In A... Metro, where the love story of Nafisa Ali and Dharmendra basically ends in deaththe sex here is implied. Now thats what I call uneasy.

Those who approve of such events, i.e. senior singles meet-ups, also think of these meetings as a way for older people to have long-term companionship. This response is in the realm of the sociological, not the individual, and mirrors a larger cultural tendency where we may demonstrate sentimentality but speak little of emotional life.

Nowhere has the meaning of this been clearer than in my conversations with women over 50, about their love lives. At 71.4 million in 2011, single women are now 12% of Indias female population according to the data journalism site IndiaSpend23% of them are in their early 20s, perhaps postponing marriage for other goals. But with the increase in divorce rates, the number of single middle-aged women is also slowly increasing, with many, especially urban, professional women with children now grown up, not looking to marry again.

A 57-year-old womens rights activist from Hyderabad, divorced for 15 years, told me: Women of my generation, young in the 1970s and 1980s, had a sense of individuality but also grew up with the paradigm of marriage. By our 40s, our children were grown up and many of us felt marriage curtailed and suffocated us. We changed, but men found it hard to. You take a long time to decide on divorcethere is a mesh of domestic entanglements and friendships and you feel you will be disliked and seen as selfish for disturbing this. But once you decide, then youre out. And yes, its not easy, but its freer and free is a different type of easy, you know?"

For women who have completed the arc of domestic life and motherhood especially, there is a sense of time ticking, and another limited-window chance to live a second lifeof study, work, of being less accountable, but most of all, of self-expression, of another chance to be that person they feel was somehow submerged or unappreciated during married life.

Boredom comes as men define relationships through the templates of domesticity or man about town

Out in the world, breathing away, again, they take to social media with radiant selfies, new jobs, new clothes, new networks.

That is how I met a 55-year-old, twice-divorced editor from Pune, through Facebook. Within 5 minutes of meeting, she told me, pretty much unsolicited, the story of her entire romantic life. How, after a long, increasingly sterile marriage, she decided to go on a trip with some friends. On the trip, she met a man who charmed the sari off her. It was the soul of romance" and, as romances can, it came undone faster than a sari without a pact. He was feckless and unreliable and eventually he bankrupted me. But it was so passionate and romantic, I tell you!" Despite the alarming details of the adventure, I took away from the meeting the sparkling enjoyment of the idea of romance in her eyes. It was that rare, joyfully innocent admission of loving love.

It reminded me of a 55-year-old corporate trainer, also twice-divorced, whom I had met while making a TV series about women at turning points in their personal lives. She recounted her love story with the same voluptuous enjoyment of romantic adventure as the Pune editor.

She too got out of her first marriage when it became mundane rather than living up to its romantic beginnings. She later married a worthless charmer, who bankrupted her. As she began life afresh, her first ex-husband came around, wanting to get back together.

Im in two minds," she would say. Its practical, to have someone now Im ageing. But do I want to go back? Im not the accommodating character I was once." Finally, she decided against it because, as she said, her ex-husband had not changed one bit. She thought there would be dates, but he seemed to want only a return to domestic comfort.

Its a bore! He comes here, doesnt talk, just wants to sit, eat, sleep, like nothings changed! "

The Pune editor echoes her. Of course I would like to date, and have been out with a few men, but its not all that great." What is the issue? You know the thing about men, na," she explains kindly, is that they dont know how to be alone. When they get divorced, they feel at a loose end. Theyre just trying to fill that space somehow. Some of them want to be seen to party a lot and be socially successful. Others want you to be a quasi wife. Its a big bore."

The word bore" comes up a lot in my conversations with many such women.

When I probe it, the boredom comes from the feeling that men dont want to explore a new space of relationships opening up as lives change, but define it either through the template of domesticity or the template of man about town. The women, neither young nor old, want neither absolute coupledom nor absolute solitude, but something in between. Dating for them is a romantic expression of the self, something to be enjoyed, a way of being attentive to each other, not a means to an end, but a luscious right-now and lets see where its going. Its a way of taking what youve learnt from life with you down an unknown path, a rich vein of intimate possibilities waiting to be mined by romance. Its like these women have taken off on the open road of a new emotional life, but find travelling companions are few.

Men see it too functionally," says the editor from Pune, as if finally arriving at the nub of the issue. They want a fixed outcomecasual sex or long-term commitment or nothing. They are uneasy with the open-ended but somewhat committed, playful, maybe, romantic-sexual kind of space."

In other words, though sweeping generalizations are politically incorrect and branded as man-hating, what these women are saying is that men have difficulty not just relating to women as individuals, but perhaps to themselves too, in a culture that has not really encouraged the art of conversation or the discussion of interiority. Were very invested in social identities and the fashioning of public rather than private selves. The emergence of a private self, apart from the ordained social role, always seems to cause unease. This we see routinely, in many responses, social and individual, to matters of love and relationships of choice.

As a woman who is considering making an art installation from my many screenshots (sorry, boys) of eye-roll-inducing Internet chats and Tinder conversations, I regret to say that the evidence for this generalization is overwhelming. As someone who has spent hours making typologies of Tinder profiles (no, Im not crazy, I do it for a living. Really!) I have to agree with these women, that most mens profiles involve a lot of propping. Pictures with vehicles, large alcohol containers, water bodies, watches, gizmos, puppies and cars abound. Descriptions are often as boastful as a bio-data; they may even be copy-pasted.

Or to put it in a cliche, women are changing faster than men, who seem to be paralysed by the need for internal change, never having been given much training in the art of being a person rather than an achiever.

But, as the hashtag goes, surely, not all men? I think of my friend Rohit, 54, charming, funny, interested in people, and with more discussion about his inner life than most people I know.

The Pune editor snorts: Does he go out with women like me? Whove let their hair go white and dont look young"?" Its true, I cannot remember Rohit seeing too many women near his age.

Yaar, its like that film Cheeni Kum," she sighs. Frankly, once more the whole older man-younger woman film thing. Its a big B-O-R-E!" As if to prove he is young at heart, a man must be with women who are young in body.

Women like us are invisible in popular culture," agrees the Hyderabad activist. Where do you see stories of middle-aged women in relationships with their peers or younger men?" Yes, thats definitely cheeni zyada for many.

But older women and younger men is not such a rarity, being more common than is evident, and increasingly so. People work together, they form attachments, you join classes where men are mostly youngso yes, it happens a lot," agrees the Pune editor.

For a lot of these women, dating younger men is certainly more fun. The age difference absorbs the authoritativeness and experience of older women without much insecurity, while the curiosity and sizzle of a man-woman relationship remains."

Its easier done than said, though," says the corporate trainer. Its changing but theres a way to go. Eventually, it is unconventionalit has always happened, but it takes a lot to be very open about those relationships socially and really, I am done with hiding anything about myself now!"

Arent these women asking for too much? I wonder. We settled once and saw how that goes, right? Its okay, now well keep asking and see where it goes."

Paromita Vohra has been on many dates, is considering starting a conversational school for men and wants to be paid more than them for her writing.
Book excerpt: A Handbook For My Lover A new book about a young writer in love with an older man /how-to-lounge/books/book-excerpt-a-handbook-for-my-lover-111651822812509.html 111651822812509 story

As my body melts into sweat, as sweat mingles with dust, as heat and dust collide, as the floor reveals itself with each stroke of broom and cloth, Im convinced that love isnt many-splendoured or virtuous. It is a dirty, beleaguered thing. I wonder if Jimmy Porter, the angry young man in John Osbornes play Look Back in Anger, was right when he told his wife Alison, Its no good fooling about with love, you know. You cant fall into it like a soft job without dirtying your hands. It takes muscle and guts. If you cant bear the thought of messing up your nice, tidy soul, you better give up the whole idea of life and become a saint, because youll never make it as a human being.

***

Day two.

It was evening all afternoon. It was raining and it was about to rain. My back had given way after all the sprucing. I took a pill and fell asleep on the bed while you worked in your study. I woke up and made a pot of Castleton.

What else can I do?" I asked.

If you could just wave a magic wand and make all of this go away? Like in the movies, just a single swoosh and everything that was messy is suddenly in order," you said.

Youre confusing me with Mary Poppins," I said and smiled and meant it.

Three hours later, when we reconvened on the marble-top table-for-two for some single malt, you were amazed by the transformation.

I see you waved your magic wand." you said. Are you working?" you asked.

Yes, I was writing about the rats."

Why?"

Because you told me to."

Last evening two rats had walked into your trap. Youd called me to see for myself. I was afraid if I made conversation with them, I might feel the urge to adopt them.

Come on, say hello," you said. Maybe you can write about them."

Is that a challenge?"

Maybe."

I watched the two rats. One of them was resigned to his captivity. Maybe that one was your embodiment. He sat idly in a corner and awaited his fate while his companion who, I imagined was my animal counterpart, seemed determined to push herself through the narrow bars and escape.

Later, when we went to release the couple in the wilderness behind your house, I wasnt surprised when one rat made a quick getaway and pranced out of the cage while the other had to be cajoled into leaving.

Come on," you urged him.

Stockholm syndrome," I said.

I thought of Barthes definition of Catastrophe: Violent crisis during which the subject, experiencing the amorous situation as a definitive impasse, a trap from which he can never escape, sees himself doomed to total destruction.

As we sipped the peaty Ardbeg youd bought, duty-free, I wanted to ask you if you felt the same way about the rats; if, like me, you saw in them a reflection of our catastrophe. But you distracted me.

So, if Id told you not to write about the rats, would you not have written about them?"

No. You cant control what I dont write just as I cant control what I write."

Do I figure prominently in what youre writing?" you asked.

Maybe."

So when youre done, should I go through it with red ink and cross off the parts that misrepresent me?"

You could, but it wouldnt deter me. Dont worry; I havent revealed your identity. I havent used your name. Just your initials, and only once, in the dedication.

I have my doubts about whether youll even read this from start to finish. I debated writing it to begin with, especially since youre such a reluctant reader. But I took Barthes advice. To know that one does not write for the other, to know that these things I am going to write will never cause me to be loved by the one I love, to know that writing compensates for nothing, sublimates nothing, that it is precisely there where you are notthis is the beginning of writing.

Its a peculiar book Im writing. It isnt a love letter. It isnt an ode. It pretends to be an instruction manual, but only succeeds in parts. I prefer to call it a handbook, or a survival kit, or an episode of language. I know I said it was, but it isnt quite dedicated to you.

Rather, it is directed at you.

It was something I started a year ago, after a conversation with you over the phone after midnight, a few months after we first began, long-distance. I was in Bombay, the city of my childhood.

You were home in Delhi. I heard my phone ring just as I was about to sleep. It was the ringtone Id reserved for your calls, Madeleine Peyrouxs version of Cohens Dance me to the end of love. We exchanged details about the day. Mine was charmed as usual. Id spent hours staring into the sea, as if in search of some epiphany. Your body burned in Delhis afternoon heat and the sky sent no breezes to quell you at twilight.

I cant recall exactly how it came to pass, but the conversation drifted to an old flame of mine (he who could make the violins come). Yes, I had spotted him that morning and he had appeared luminous, as if he had swallowed all of last nights stars and his skin had begun to gleam. You were confused. Justifiably. Who was this ex-flame? What was his co-ordinate on my map of lost lovers? Did he come before or after you? Did he like my taste? Was he still attuned to my scent? Had I mentioned him before or had I just constructed him out of thin air?

How many lovers have you had? you asked, your voice carefully disguising each word so that the question mark at the end of your statement would seem like genuine curiosity. Except, it wasnt really a question. There was a tinge of sarcasm and an unmistakable hint of jealousy.

Youre one to talk!"

Well, Im much older than you. Its only natural that Ive had a few."

Maybe someday Ill tell you. When youve earned the right to know."

Excerpted with permission from HarperCollins India from A Handbook For My Lover, 231 pages,  499.
Subsidies dont make a music class Those desirous of setting up a cultural institution must first have a plan for raising and securing funds to run it in accordance with their vision /how-to-lounge/movies-tv/subsidies-don-t-make-a-music-class-111651822966935.html 111651822966935 story

The idea of establishing schools and institutions exclusively for the purpose of teaching performing arts such as Indian music and dance is by no means new. Anyone with the dream of founding and funding a new art or cultural institution could perhaps study historical information and analyses that detail the strategies and directions taken by pioneers in the field of music education in India. Greatly eulogized by followers and severely criticized by dissenters is the case of Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, who set up the first Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore in 1901. Paluskar is said to have rented a decrepit and dark building for  13 per month" where he was able to gather 60-70 students in the first year itself. Paluskar utilized several methods to raise money for the Mahavidyalaya, which scholar Bonnie C. Wade describes as the first music institution to be supported by public rather than royal patronage". Writer and musician James Kippen notes that Paluskar raised funds by sending his students to perform at weddings and other functions, utilizing the fee from these performances for the impoverished institution. Paluskars vision was grand and, perhaps, both overly ambitious and impractical. From establishing a press to print textbooks on music to running a gaushala (cow shelter) to provide adequate milk for students, Paluskars elaborate plans ran into a financial crunch and led him to bankruptcy.

Other institutions too, such as the prestigious Bhatkhande Music Institute University in Lucknow, established by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande in 1926 as the Marris College of Music, have also faced severe monetary problems. And if a recent report in The Times Of India about land allotments to cultural complexes in Mumbai is to be believed, more recent establishments in the city also face a financial crunch. In the report, star vocalist Suresh Wadkar and flute legend Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, when questioned about violations of the rules governing allotment of land for cultural institutions, cited lack of financial support for running their institutions on prime land that is essentially public property.

Perhaps, then, Hema Malini, actor and member of Parliament from Mathura, could consider the history of cultural institutions in the country before embarking on her plan to establish a dance academy in Mumbai on land allotted to her at throwaway prices. Is the government also going to provide her with the funds to pay salaries to teachers, or will those funds be raised by some other method? What pay scales will be offered to gurus and instructors at the academy? Will they be on contract or will they be permanent employees, and will they receive medical insurance cover, maternity leave, study leave, and other benefits mandated by the government for its own institutions? Will the academy follow the Vishaka guidelines on sexual harassment at the workplace and other procedural guidelines? If the government sees fit to allot land at subsidized rates or even throwaway prices, it must also ensure that its own rules with regard to such establishments are adhered to by its grantees. Else, following in the footsteps of many gurus today and in the past, artistes too must abandon the idea of establishing institutions by seeking subsidies and land allotments, and instead open their doors to students to share with them the boon of knowledge that they have inherited from their own masters in the spirit of vidya daan. For decades, I sat on the mud floor of my guru Pandit Ramashreya Jhas very modest home in Allahabad, as did scores of other students, crowding the small room where he taught freely and without charging a fee. I know for a fact that my guru was not alone in opening his doors to seekers, and that the scene is repeated even today in the homes of many gurus across the country. If Hema Malini wishes to start a dance academy she could follow the tradition of the guru shishya parampara and open her home to her students. Or better still, establish a dance academy in her own constituency, Mathura, which was once a centre for the arts, particularly under the Kushan rulers.

Without wishing to contest the intentions and contribution of artistes who have in the past received land for setting up cultural institutions, or currently face scrutiny in the face of controversies, there is one fact that cannot be wished awaynamely, that those desirous of taking up this challenge in the future must first have a plan for raising and securing funds to run the institution in accordance with their vision. Land allotment alone will not serve their purpose.

Shubha Mudgal tweets at @smudgal and posts on Instagram as shubhamudgal.
Maneka Gandhis department of speculation Why worry about the abysmal access our women have to healthcare and their maternal rights when we can put them on the hot seat with a simple test? /news/talking-point/maneka-gandhi-s-department-of-speculation-111651823163623.html 111651823163623 story

Maneka Gandhi should spare us her theories about fixing Indias gender imbalance and stick to channelling her love for animals. First Aid For Animals, the book she co-authored, sounds like a great guide to quick, life-saving fixes for animals injured in accidents. Gandhis idea of using sex determination to build a database of Indian foetuses to save unborn girls, on the other hand, makes me believe she has been reading too much Margaret Atwood.

The Union minister for women and child development wants to reverse everything gender activists have fought for these past decades. Imagine an India where people are encouraged/required to find out the sex of their unborn child.

This is illegal thanks to the PC-PNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act, which came into existence precisely because Indian couples were using the sex determination test for a sick culling that has been extensively recorded, researched and publicized.

But Gandhi proposes to welcome back the Spend  500 today to save  5 lakh tomorrow" industry. Dont worry, she says, tracking technology will help ensure mothers carry their foetuses to full term.

Theres nothing wrong with the PC-PNDT Act, as anyone in the know will tell you. Gandhi should have thought several times before saying something like this. Its a well-designed Act in terms of content and spirit. Lots of labour has gone into building this act. Only implementation is lacking," says Bengaluru-based medical anthropologist Arima Mishra.

But why waste energy policing the medical community and worrying about the abysmal access our women have to public healthcare and their maternal rights when we can just put them in the hot seat with a simple test? Its hardly surprising that radiologists and doctors have already gone on record saying they support Gandhis idea, even though the minister subsequently indicated she was just expressing an opinion.

Gandhis brainwave would make it easier also for the judiciary to prosecute these mothers, without worrying about cultural context and individual rights. Maybe Gandhi was inspired by Purvi Patel, the Indiana mom who is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for ending her own pregnancy.

Unless Gandhi is planning to confine all the future mothers of girls until they deliver, I dont see how she can monitor all these pregnancies. That too in a country where a baby is born almost every second, where at least 25 million women are pregnant every year, and where our jails are already overflowing. Its impossible for the state to track all these pregnancies," says Mishra.

At present, we dont even keep track of all our births and deaths. Each year about 42% of births, or about 10 million births, go unregistered, according to Unicef. One reason for this, according to the organization, is lack of interdepartmental coordination".

Forget births, we cant keep track of the machines misused for sex selection. Under existing law, these must be registered but of course this doesnt happen. I wonder why Gandhi thinks the flailing system will be able to keep track of millions of mothers after a mandatory sex determination?

If the minister has already got a killer monitoring plan in place, she should go the extra mile and track the number of girls abandoned after birth, and the number of girls who dont get equal opportunities growing up. Im sure the Bengaluru techie she is depending on to do her data crunching can add a couple of algorithms to include these parameters. India can really lead the way then. So what if citizenseven childless onesget the bill in a small sex-determination surcharge.

Sex selection, as Gandhi should know, is more than just a debate about girl children. Its about the value a society places on adult women. Its about dowry and violence and a changing India. As long as we believe women must marry to survive (that women need to be looked after" and are dependent"), we will be at a disadvantage.

Mishra says we cant depend on a single law to change the pervasive mindset that favours the birth of male children. Imagine what a woman will go through if family members find out she is going to bear a girl child all those months ahead of her delivery, she adds. Instead of striking down a perfectly valid law, recommends Mishra, Gandhi should focus on integrating the PC-PNDT Act and the MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) Act into the maternal healthcare system and all the promotional activity around the girl child across various states.

Personally, Im all for identifying girl champions like Sunil Jaglan (the Haryana panchayat head who came up with the selfie-with-daughter idea) and giving them the green signal to go forth and propagate. Since were talking of monitoring, says Jaglan, why not get women from each village to keep a close eye on families who already have daughters and are expecting again? Ensure a health worker goes along with the expectant mother every time she visits the clinic, he adds. Co-opt village midwives and older women in the village who specialize in keeping track of the goings-on in their neighbourhood. Register pregnant women in their first month, instead of waiting until the third or fourth month. Enforce rules to register existing machines used for sex determination.

And the simplest idea of them all, one that every minister in charge of such things should surely know: Focus on empowering rather than monitoring. Organize special transport for girls who want to go to school and encourage rural women to make and sell products so they can be financially independent, says Jaglan.

Maybe Gandhi should try sourcing her ideas from outside the medical community.

Priya Ramani will share whats making her feel angsty/agreeable every fortnight. She tweets at @priyaramani and posts on Instagram as babyjaanramani.
At 53-54, you dont up and leave A love story spanning decades, relocations, an adoption and a marriage /news/talking-point/at-53-54-you-don-t-up-and-leave-111651822843448.html 111651822843448 story

Mandira Malik and John Hogenes love story is fit for a film script. They often laugh about it themselves. They first met when Malik, known to her friends and family as Ruma, was 19 and studying in Paris. They spent a day walking across the city, much like Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in the film Before Sunrise, except that Hogenes then girlfriend, Fetsje Bernard, was with them. Their love wasnt a possibility then. It took at least 30 more years for them to recognize that they were made for each other. However much of a cliche that sounds, they are convinced of it. As also of the fact that there is a layer of constancy and maturity to their relationship because it got cemented when they were both in their 50s, with the experiences of a lifetime behind them.

Their story is tremendous, filled with impossibilities and roadblocks and miracles. Malik, a 15-year-old in India, and Bernard, who lived in Holland, were pen pals in those pre-Internet years. Soon after school, when Malik went to Paris to study design, they decided to meet. She came over for a weekend, and brought John along," says Malik. Fetsje and I became instant friends," she adds, the snap of her finger emphasizing the connection the two of them felt. From the northernmost tip of Paris, she walked them down to the Sienne. For me, he was my friends boyfriend. Fetsje and I were these two giggly girls. We used to laugh our guts out because he would be following us around like a little puppy. He didnt speak English then. He had two words of English, and I had two words of Dutch."

After that weekend, they didnt meet for some years. Malik graduated and returned to India, where she set up her company, Something Else, that exports Indian handicrafts. The work took her to Holland. By then, Hogenes and Bernard were married, with two young children. The family even visited India at her invitation; they went backpacking around the country. It was like stepping into a totally different world," says Hogenes. John has vivid memories of that trip," laughs Malik, and I have none. I was their first and last port of call."

You know, life happened, and we never contacted each other," says Malik. She got busy with her young company, and the Dutch couple went back to their country. They were acquaintances living in different countries who had met a few times and then got immersed in their individual lives. Fifteen years ago, Hogenes and Bernard separated; eight years ago, Malik adopted a baby girl and became a single mother.

It was five years ago, in 2010, that Hogenes started wondering what had become of their old friend. A Google search threw up millions of Ruma Maliks, and he gave up. About six months later, he picked up a scrapbook of their holidays that Bernard had made, and out fell Maliks business card, with the name of her company. He went on to Google again, found Something Else listed on the IndiaMART website, and sent her an email.

That mail went into spam," says Malik. He didnt hear from me and probably thought shes forgotten me." Four-five months later, when there was a fault with the company server, the IT department started cleaning the system, and asked one of the administration staff to look into the IndiaMART mail lying in the junk folder. Credit to herif it had been me, I would have just pressed deleteshe went through 200 mails," says Malik, and found Hogenes email, addressed in a rather non-businesslike fashion to Ruma, rather than Mandira. I was like, yeah, I met this couple a long time ago, what happened to them?"

It took at least 30 more years for them to recognize that they were made for each other

They started exchanging emails and catching up on each others lives, and in November that year, when she had to travel to Europe on work, Malik decided to go to Holland too. She went across to Hogenes home; he had called Bernard over too, and they spent the day together, as they had done in Paris. That would have been it had Hogenes not persuaded her to meet him for dinner. So we went out once, one kind of a date, the first date after 30 years. We had dinner, I finished my work in Europe and came back and that was it," says Malik.

Then we started Skyping, after a series of emails and WhatsApp messages," says Hogenes. For a story that began when there was no Internet, technology sure did end up playing match-maker. For days, and weeks, they Skyped for 3-4 hours every day, chatting and filling in what seemed like missing parts of the puzzle" about each other. Imagine what it did to me," smiles Malik. I had a daughter, this little mite, and I had to wake at 6.30 in the morning. She was 3 then, and was anyway keeping me awake at night. And this man, till 4 in the morning, every day."

Malik, however, decided she was not interested in a long-distance relationship. I am about 50 years old, I have a child, work to manage, I have no time for bullshit. If we are looking at knowing each other, then India has to be a comfortable space for you. If it is not, and my daughter is not, then it is not going to work," she told him, asking him to come over to India for a week. The problem was that during his first visit to India, Hogenes had had a severe bout of Delhi belly, and had returned home promising never to step out of Europe again, and certainly never to India. But he did, for herand the pieces just fell into place.

Malik believes that every relationship is governed by some rules. For her, it is to keep things as simple as possible. But initially it did get a bit more complicated.

They decided to cut off all links with each other for about six months. It was a test, and a way ultimately to be safe rather than sorry. Every relationship starts with so much intensity, and what if it peters off. I have a young daughter, and the effect on her would be disastrousto have someone come in, take on the role of her father, and then disappear. That was not something I was willing to trade upon. And for him, it was his job, home, 92-year-old mother, kids, friendsto give those up and come here and figure that it didnt work would be disastrous. At 53-54, you dont up and leave and come back and slide in. It doesnt happen," says Malik.

This practicality in their thought process stemmed evidently from the maturity of their years, and the difficulty in making any decision about themselves without thinking about how it would affect others who were a part of their lives. Possibly this was also the reason that neither really considered this particular exercise excruciating and futile, living through it with rather sage-like wisdom and belief. When you are made for each other, you meet each other again," says Hogenes.

When the six months were up, he sent Malik an SMS, relocated, and they have now been married for three years. If Maliks relationship rule is to keep things simple, Hogenes too has one: Give what you have and ask what you want. If you dont ask, how will the other know what is going on with you? A lot of people struggle with this, but its the base of a relationship." It removes all masks, says Malik, in complete agreement. It makes being in a relationship easy. And keeps power play at bay, adds Hogenes.

Both are bemused when people say that relationships require work or that couples need to give each other space. You give yourself naked to the other person. Then you get the energy of the relationship. The moment you wear a scarf, it starts getting affected. Thats what we want, all or nothing," says Hogenes.
A farmer in Australia who lives "in the middle of nowhere" got a creepy treat over the weekend when he came upon a dead snake dangling like a titanic trophy from the web of a daddy longlegs.

Turns out, the spindly spider may have given the snake a run for its money.

"When I walked out to the shed on Sunday and saw this brown snake strung up by a daddy longlegs in its web, I couldn't believe it," said Patrick Lees, who runs a farm of cereal crops in Weethalle, New South Wales. "So I took some photos and shared them on a Facebook page I've started called 'the Aussie farmer,'" said Lees, who captured the snake-spider encounter on video.

"I'd never seen anything like it before," Lees told Live Science. "People have this idea that everything in the bush is trying to kill you, but this took it to the next level. I just thought it was a classic Australia moment and had to share it." [See Photos of Spiders Ensnaring Bats in their Webs]

This daddy longlegs was likely a type of cellar spider in the Pholcidae family; the mild venom of such spiders could've been potent enough to kill the snake, one expert said. (The term "daddy longlegs" is also used to refer to harvestmen, which are not spiders, don't have venom and don't spin webs.)

"I have never seen a pholcid spider catch a snake or other vertebrate in its web, but I have seen lizards caught in the webs of other spiders," such as widow spiders, said Lorenzo Prendini, curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Though mild, "their venom may be powerful enough to subdue a small vertebrate like this snake," Prendini told Live Science in an email.

Another spider expert, James Starrett, has also heard of black widow spiders, but not daddy longlegs, killing vertebrates with their venom.

"I guess it is possible that the spider was able to injure the snake with a bite, but it could also be that the snake just got tangled in the web and wore itself out trying to get free," Starrett, of San Diego State University, told Live Science. "I can't really say with out witnessing it."

What's in store for the dangling snake? "The snake was dead when I found it, but I left it there because I couldn't take down his trophy," Lees said.

The spider may have plans beyond keeping the slithery corpse for show: "The spider will slowly feed on it over a period of days. This will involve a process of external digestion: The spider will release digestive enzymes onto the snake flesh, which will effectively liquefy it," Prendini said. "The spider will then suck up the digested juices, ultimately leaving a dry husk of undigested skin and bone. It is highly unlikely the spider would digest and eat an entire snake of this size, however."

Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
The case of a man in the United Kingdom who had Zika virus a few years ago provides even more evidence that the virus can be transmitted through sex, according to a new report.

Researchers found the virus in the man's semen nearly nine weeks after he became ill, the report said.

"Our data may indicate prolonged presence of [Zika] virus in semen, which, in turn, could indicate a prolonged potential for sexual transmission," the researchers, from Public Health England, part of the U.K.'s Department of Health, write in an article to be published in the May issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The Zika virus, which is currently spreading in more than 20 countries in Central and South America, is usually transmitted by mosquitoes. But several recent reports suggest that in rare cases, the virus can be transmitted through sex. Earlier this month, health officials said a person in Dallas appeared to have contracted the virus after having sex with a man who had recently traveled to Venezuela, where Zika is spreading.

Health officials are concerned about a strong link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and a birth defect called microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and face lifelong cognitive impairments. [Zika Virus FAQs: Top Questions Answered]

The new report describes the case of a 68-year-old British man who traveled to the Pacific islands in 2014, when an outbreak of Zika virus was occuring there. When he returned home, he developed a fever, fatigue and a rash. The man tested negative for dengue fever and chikungunya virus, but positive for Zika virus.

After the man recovered, the researchers conducted follow-up tests for the virus, to see if it had lingered in his blood, urine or semen. The virus had disappeared from his blood and urine, but it could still be found in the semen 62 days after the man's illness started.

"These findings could inform decisions regarding what control methods are implemented and which specimen types are best suited for diagnostic detection," the researchers said.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning about the potential for Zika virus to spread during sex. The agency said that men who have pregnant partners, and have recently traveled to an area where Zika is spreading, should should abstain from sex or use condoms until the end of their partner's pregnancy.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. FollowLive Science @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article on Live Science.
From the high of beating Dublin in the OByrne Cup to the low of losing to Offaly in Round 1 of the National League, Longford showed great character to get back on track with a vital victory over Limerick in extremely difficult conditions at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday last.

With both sides badly hampered by the wind and rain that spoiled the Division 3 clash watched by a small attendance in the region of 300 who braved the bad weather on a terrible day, the battle for the league points developed into a real war of attrition due to the stamina sapping underfoot conditions.

And while Longford looked in big trouble when Limerick substitute Tom Lee scrambled the ball over the line for a goal midway through the second half to leave the visitors five points in front, 1-8 to 0-6, this proved to be a wake up call for the gutsy home side who eventually got their act together to stage a terrific comeback.

Already robbed of suspended captain Michael Quinn (the victim of a straight red card against Offaly the previous week), a further setback was suffered when Diarmuid Masterson (back on the team after serving a one match suspension carried over from last season) was dismissed after receiving a black card in the 46th minute.

Ian Ryan fired over the resulting free to put Limerick back in front and the visitors, showing the greater urgency, extended their advantage when Peter Nash shot over the bar in the 49th minute. Then came the Tom Lee goal, who appeared to be in the square when he finished a half-hit Nash shot to the net in the 52nd minute.

The pressure was firmly on Longford, who suffered from some harsh decisions made by referee James Molloy in the second half, but they proceeded to enjoy a new lease of life in dominating the final quarter of this gritty contest. The gap was gradually closed, with influential substitute Mark Hughes landing the first of seven points in a row with 53 minutes gone on the clock.

Liam Connerton then shot wide in a goal attempt and a brace of inspirational scores quickly followed from Barry McKeon and lively wing back Dessie Reynolds to give the entire team a great lift, led by the driving force of Dermot Brady in the centre of the defence and who was continually in the thick of the action throughout what was really a must win game for Longford.

Just a solitary point separated the sides when Brian Kavanagh converted a free in the 60th minute and the momentum was firmly with the home county, cheered on by their small band of loyal supporters.

A vital tackle by Barry Gilleran broke up a dangerous Limerick attack in the 65th minute and Longford launched an immediate counter-attack which yielded a superb equalising point from James McGivney who landed a shot from near the sideline.

Limerick were reeling on the ropes and they fell behind in the 69th minute when Brian Kavanagh kept his composure to land a long range free. Moments later Kavanagh was dismissed for a black card and when Robbie Smyth was sent-off for a similar offence in the second minute of stoppage time Longford were down to 14 players having used the maximum of six substitutes.

But the total of three black cards were not going to deny Denis Connertons side at this late stage and when another of the replacements, Brian Farrell, kicked the ball over the bar in the third additional minute the courageous comeback was complete.

In such a competitive league this was a very important result in the quest to consolidate the Division 3 status and relieved manager Connerton was delighted with the determined manner in which Longford battled back to come out on top in the finish.

The players can now enjoy a well deserved break from competitive action until the next league fixture at home to Kildare on Sunday February 28th after the gruelling schedule of seven games in the space of five weeks on the back of reaching the OByrne Cup final.

Collecting the first league points will be a considerable boost for the confidence factor and a couple of more wins will probably be good enough to keep Longford in Division 3.

That is the main target for Connerton and the other members of the management team and they will be pleased with the overall resolute team effort that was rewarded with a win over Limerick with the Munster men now looking like prime candidates for relegation.

However, it might have been a different story on Sunday last had the visitors not kicked a total of six wides after having the better of the exchanges in the first half. And Limerick could have snatched a goal when Gearoid Hegarty fisted the ball against the crossbar in his attempt for a point in the 15th minute.

The ball was almost deflected into the back of the net by a Longford defender but Limerick had a very lucky escape moments later when the clean through Robbie Smyth had the goals at his mercy but be blasted a rasping shot against the crossbar and the danger was cleared.

With just two wides in the first half, Longford were rather fortunate to be on level terms at the break (0-5 to 0-5) with three of the points coming from Brian Kavanagh (two frees). Francis McGee was proving to be a big threat in attack, kicking over the other two scores (both from play) with right-half-back Donal McElligott another player to figure prominently.

Ian Ryan (three frees), Danny Neville and Peter Nash accounted for the Limerick scores in the first half and after doing well to be drawing at half-time, Longford appeared to be in a good position with the advantage of the stiff wind on the changeover.

A bright start to the second half yielded the lead point from Liam Connerton with three minutes gone but Limerick continued to pose problems with a couple of goals attempts - the second of which was stopped on the line by Longford keeper Paddy Collum.

Limerick then stepped up another gear to land three points in a row through Ian Ryan (two frees) and Peter Nash and when the Tom Lee goal materialised Longford were left to fight a real uphill battle.

But they opened up to break free from the defensive gameplan from there until the finish and had to be a lot more adventurous in a more direct approach to rescue the situation in a great recovery that yielded those seven precious points and the eventual victory.

LONGFORD: Paddy Collum (Fr Manning Gaels); Diarmuid Masterson (Dromard), Barry Gilleran (Longford Slashers), Colm P Smyth (Abbeylara); Donal McElligott (Mullinalaghta St Columbas), Dermot Brady (Longford Slashers), Dessie Reynolds (Sean Connollys, 0-1); Michael Brady (Longford Slashers), Barry McKeon (Colmcille, 0-1); Darren Gallagher (St Marys Granard), James McGivney (Mullinalaghta St Columbas, 0-1), Robbie Smyth (Abbeylara); Francis McGee (Dromard, 0-2), Brian Kavanagh (Kilmacud Crokes, 0-5, 4 frees), Liam Connerton (Rathcline, 0-1).

Subs:- Mark Hughes (Killoe Emmet Og, 0-1) for M Brady (injured, half-time); Andrew Dalton (Longford Slashers) for D Masterson (black card, 46 mins); Brian Farrell (Mostrim, 0-1) for B McKeon (63 mins); Paul McKeon (Colmcille) for D Gallagher (injured, 66 mins); Rory Connor (Kenagh) for F McGee (67 mins); F McGee for B Kavanagh (black card, 71 mins).

LIMERICK: Donal OSullivan; Johnny McCarthy, Paudie Browne, Sean ODea; Stephen Cahill, Iain Corbett, Brian Fanning; Gearoid Hegarty, Seanie Buckley; Cian Sheehan, Pa Ranahan, Darragh Treacy; Danny Neville (0-1), Ian Ryan (0-5, 5 frees), Peter Nash (0-2).

Subs:- Michael ODonovan for D Treacy (26 mins); Tom Lee (1-0) for P Ranahan (half-time); Tommy Childs for G Hegarty (63 mins).

Referee: James Molloy (Galway).
Election fever took a tight grip on proceedings at the outset of this weeks county council meeting as councillors from both sides of the floor hurled insults at one another.

In the thick of the action was Independent Councillor Mark Case sought to suspend standing orders to discuss what claims made in James Bannons election literature.

Cllr Casey referred to the Fine Gael TDs claim on his pre-election literature surrounding his central role in bring UK leisure giant Center Parcs to Longford.

As he individually handed a photocopy of Mr Bannons election leaflet to all 18 members, Cllr Casey said: There is a lie going around and I want to clarify it here today once and for all.

It says on it (literature) he has played a central role in bringing Center Parcs to our constituency.

It was an outburst which led to an angry reaction from those sitting in the Fine Gael bench.

Leading the charge was Cllr Paraic Brady.

You are canvassing, he shouted across the floor at Cllr Casey.I didnt think there was anybody allowed to canvass in the chamber.

Cllr Brady said the enormity of last Aprils announcement in Ballymahon meant there had to be some form of government intervention.

Cllr John Duffy likewise joined in and challenged Cllr Casey as to who he believed brought Center Parcs to Longford.. Full report in this weeks Longford Leader

Meanwhile, as the election gets closer candidates have started to have a swipe at each others parties and we saw James Bannon hit out at Fianna Fail and Robert Troy hit out at Labour:

Fine Gael TD James Bannon has said that people in Longford and Westmeath could lose their free GP care if Fianna Failare elected to government. Deputy Bannon issued a statement after the launch of the Fianna Failelection manifesto in which they set out their plans to means test free GP care and to re-evaluate the decision to provide free GP care for under sixes.

Fianna Fail want to take away free GP care just as people in Longford and Westmeath are beginning to feel the benefits of it. In their manifesto launch this week, Fianna Fail announced that they would means test free GP care and re-evaluate the decision to provide free GP care for under sixes.

This Government has made free GP care available to all people over 70 and under six years of age. This has made a real difference to older people and parents with young children. We have also committed to extending free GP care to all children, he explained.

Fianna Fail TD for Longford-Westmeath Robert Troy said that Brendan Howlins assertion that hes "proud of the role Labour played in turning things around" shows how out of touch he is with reality.

Deputy Troy explained, Brendan Howlin needs a reality check. He talks about Labour turning the country around at a time when 1600 children are emergency accommodation and we are experiencing one of the worst crises in our health system. How can he be proud of presiding over a situation where children are being brought up in hotel rooms and older people are lying on trolleys for hours on end?

Labour TDs are in denial about their policies over the past five years. They promised to protect the vulnerable but did the exact opposite. They allowed Fine Gael prioritise the wealthiest at the expense of everyone else, he stated.

Meanwhile Longford/Westmeath Fine Gael election candidate, Deputy Gabrielle McFadden, has said that the new Burglary Act enacted recently will make Longford and Westmeath homes safer along with the Governments significant investment in An Garda Siochana.

The Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015 has now come into operation, meaning that bail can be denied to repeat offenders who come before the courts.

Having had victims of burglaries visit my clinics, I have seen at first hand the horrendous effects this crime can have on people and families. Home is the place where we should all feel most safe and secure and that is why Minister Fitzgerald is targeting those who commit burglaries. This Bill will help to keep repeat burglars off the streets and to improve the safety of our communities. Deputy McFadden said.

Finally this Friday evening, Green candidate Manchan Magan has come up with some ways to rejuvenate the Longford-Westmeath constituency

The Green candidate proposes the establishment of community-supported farms in each townland growing fruit, nuts & veg; with both the risk and the rewards shared by all.He would also like to see the creation of a local tourism brand offering outdoor activities, genuine communityengagement and cultural insight for discerning tourists  setting ourselves apart from Irelands more over-developed, impersonal tourist centres.

Mr Magan is demanding that enterprise hubs be created in prestigious buildings in Longford, Athlone and Mullingar (Columb & Connelly Barracks) with mentors to encourage small scale start-ups and creative entrepreneurs.

More in this weeks Longford Leader plus dont miss next weeks edition for details of our Fantasy General Election contest which will determine who the greatest political anorak in Longford really is..
Born three months premature, weighing just one pound, ten ounces, few could predict the path that Bernard Reillys life would take.

Born three months premature, weighing just one pound, ten ounces, few could predict the path that Bernard Reillys life would take.

A key figure behind local fundraisers for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Bernard has become one of the countys most qualified fundraisers. Whats more, Bernard is blind.

With three brothers and two sisters, Bernards mother Roisin explained that while Bernard needed a lot more care and attention, it didnt phase his siblings, particularly his younger brother Padraig, as the two brothers were like twins.

As a young boy, Bernard attended a Montessori school in Melview, and learned braille before attending St Colmcilles NS, Aughnacliffe until the age of eleven. Then, Bernard went to St Josephs School for the Blind in Dublin. Attending the Drumcondra school meant that Bernard had to live there from Sunday to Friday, returning home at weekends. Initially, I found it difficult, but I then found out I had no other choice so I had to adapt Bernard says, explaining that when he did adapt, he really enjoyed school. Bernard then studied in Pobalscoil Ros Mini.

Completing his Leaving Certificate in 2005, Bernard took on a course in Roslin Park, Sandymount as part of the Rehab Group, where he completed an ECDL course. It gave me a better grasp of computers the Aughnacliffe man explains.

If I hadnt have done it at that time, I probably wouldnt have ended up doing it.

From 2007-2008, Bernard undertook a course in Ballsbridge in International Events Management. Following on from that course, Bernard was given the opportunity to study in Swansea, Wales, thanks to a link between the two colleges. Swansea is a lovely city Bernard smiles.

Id go back in the morning if I could!

Earning a Diploma in Business Management from the Swansea Metropolitan University, Bernard returned home in 2009 to work on FETAC Level 5 and 6 courses in Radio Broadcasting in Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education.

The Aughnacliffe native also travelled to Manhattan about a year and a half ago to speak to a group of bankers from Standard Chartered Banks.

I was invited to give a talk to them about how I coped with being blind Bernard says, explaining that his cousin works there, and they were setting up a charity called Seeing is Believing.

Bernard currently works part-time, doing relief work on a switch board, but when hes not working, he visits the Irish Wheelchair Association Resource Centre in Kenagh to spend time with the people there.

Bernard took on a unique challenge last year in memory of his uncle Tommy, sporting a green mohawk for a week as part of the annual Shave or Dye campaign.

Getting involved with the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind fundraisers thanks to locals Tom and Breege ONeill, Bernard has been helping to organise the events for around ten years.

The most recent event took place just after Christmas and around 3,0 00 was raised.

This was just another success for Bernard to add to his long list of achievements .

ernard loves helping to organise the fundraisers, and its clear from his qualifications, in particular in events management, that the Longford man is a great asset to any event!
Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 12 2016

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves and Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams announced today $3 million in new funding for NICE Bus operations in 2016 and will work with NICE Bus CEO ...

Nassau County, NY - February 12th, 2016 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves and Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams announced today $3 million in new funding for NICE Bus operations in 2016 and will work with NICE Bus CEO Mike Setzer to develop a restoration plan.



County Executive Mangano stated, Im proud to announce $3 million in additional county funding for NICE Bus operations in 2016. NICE Bus is a critical to the thousands of residents who rely on its service for rides to work, school and medical appointments and these funds should allow NICE Bus to restore route and service cuts made earlier this year.



I look forward to meeting with the NICE CEO with the hopes of restoring eliminated services, said Presiding Officer Gonsalves.



Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams added, The restoration of these routes is so important. When it comes down to Nassaus only mass transit option that ensures our working families get to work, school and important health care appointments, we must be taking steps forward, not backwards.



NICE Bus must be treated as a top priority in this County and today Im glad that the County Executive joined myself and my fellow Democratic legislators and did just that."
Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 12 2016

Candlelight Vigil & Ceremony to be held for Loved-Ones Lost to Heroin Abuse.

Nassau County, NY - February 12th, 2016 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas, in partnership with Nassau and Suffolk County Police, EMS and Health officials, will host a Heroin Educational Summit on Thursday, February 18th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coral House in Baldwin to discuss possible solutions to the heroin epidemic on Long Island.

Hundreds of students, school officials and community leaders from throughout the region are expected to attend the summit and free luncheon - which is open to the public and sponsored by 1010 WINS radio and the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association. In Nassau County, heroin deaths rose from 38 in 2012, to 44 in 2013 and 53 in 2014.



Nassau Countys first-ever Heroin Educational Summit will bring together government, school and community leaders to address drug addiction and our four-pronged approach to battle the epidemic: awareness, education, enforcement and treatment, said County Executive Mangano.



Together, we will raise awareness among residents, assist those combatting addiction and save lives by offering a shot at life recovery programs.



Summit attendees will learn about Nassau Countys efforts to combat the deadly heroin crisis, and what friends or family of those addicted to heroin or prescription painkillers can do to help prevent, respond to, find treatment for and save their loved ones life.



Topics include: free Narcan training; accessing counseling and treatment  including the medication Vivitrol which cuts users cravings for opiates and blocks its euphoric effects; untreated issues at the core of drug addiction; and advocacy efforts to change laws concerning treatment for substance use disorder. Attendees will also hear directly from individuals impacted by addiction and have an opportunity to join the Stop the Stigma Awareness Campaign.





District Attorney Singas stated, Heroin abuse affects people of all ages, backgrounds and communities. My office is working hard to hold heroin dealers accountable, and we are also working with law enforcement, school and health partners in a multi-pronged, preventative approach involving education and treatment. Together we are fighting back and together we will overcome this epidemic.



At the conclusion of the summit, a candlelight vigil will be held in remembrance of those lost to the disease of addiction. To attend the free Heroin Educational Summit, please RSVP at www.heroinsummit.net or call (631) 741-5616 for more information.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 12 2016

On February 4th, Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) honored a trio of truly exceptional local heroes

Babylon, NY - February 12th, 2016 - On February 4th, Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) honored a trio of truly exceptional local heroes. At a ceremony taking place at Babylon Town Hall, Finn Chatterton, Patrick Chatterton, and Police Officer Kristen Derkevics, were officially recognized for their recent lifesaving efforts. The event was attended by the proud families and friends of the heroes, in addition to town and county officials.



The events leading up to this celebration took place just one week earlier at the docks along a canal in Babylon Village. A twelve-year-old boy was playing just a little too close to the water when he lost his footing and fell into the frigid water. The boy struggled to free himself and began to scream for help in desperation. Fortunately, seven-year-old Finn Chatterton and his father, Patrick, were not too far away. Finn heard the faint sound of screams and alerted his father, and together they were led to the docks. Soon thereafter, Officer Derkevics arrived on the scene, as did a number of Village personnel.



Patrick explained how he used a shovel to help pull the twelve-year-old out from the water, as Officer Derkevics kept the boy as calm as possible. By working together, they succeeded in getting the boy to safety and averted what would likely have been a devastating tragedy to the community.



I am just so thankful that we have such caring and quick-thinking people here in Suffolk County, said McCaffrey. We would not have had this happy conclusion if it were not for these three individuals. I hope that this incident serves to remind all of us just how dangerous it is to be by bodies of water alone, especially for a child.



To learn more about Legislator Kevin McCaffreys work in both the Suffolk County Legislature and the community, those interested are strongly encouraged to visit his website.



About Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey

Legislator McCaffrey represents Suffolk Countys 14th Legislative District which encompasses the Village of Lindenhurst, Babylon Village, the hamlets of West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, portions of Copiague, North Babylon, and Babylons barrier beach communities.
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The US Treasury Department announced today that three Islamic State officials have been sanctioned for their role supporting the caliphates operations. The newly designated jihadists are: Faysal Ahmad Ali al Zahrani (a senior official in the Islamic States oil division), Husayn Juaythini (a facilitator for foreign fighters), and Turki Mubarak Abdullah Ahmad al Binali (the groups chief religious advisor).

Treasurys announcement provides new details concerning the caliphates oil infrastructure in eastern Syria, as well as the organizations attempt to build a presence in Gaza.

Lucrative oil revenues

Zahrani, a Saudi, controlled at least five oil fields in northeastern Syria as of early 2015 and also oversaw the activities of seven [Islamic State] oil and gas officials. The facilities under his command have produced a lucrative business, generating tens of millions of dollars in oil and gas revenues during the seven month period between September 2014 and March 2015.

Zahrani joined the Islamic States natural resources ministry, which oversees the jihadists trade in oil and gas, in July 2014. He was appointed to serve as the oil and gas division official for the Al Barakah Governorate (Al Hasakah Province) located in northeastern Syria.

In this capacity, he served directly under and regularly transferred funds to Fathi Awn al Murad al Tunisi (also known as Abu Sayyaf), who was the Islamic States emir for all of its oil and gas operations in Syria until his demise.

Delta Force commandos killed Tunisi during a raid on his compound in Syria in May 2015. The Americans recovered a treasure trove of information. The New York Times reported that the haul netted four to seven terabytes of data, which revealed new intelligence on the caliphates leadership structure and tactics.

It is not clear from Treasurys announcement what position Zahrani currently holds within Abu Bakr al Baghdadis enterprise. He remained responsible for oil and gas activities in the areas around Shaddadi, Al Hasakah Province as of December 2015. And earlier in 2015, he assumed control and oversight of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) production site that was located at an oil production plant compound, making for a potentially combustible mixture of responsibilities.

In addition to the native Iraqis and Syrians who serve in the Islamic States senior ranks, Baghdadi has also entrusted key positions to foreign nationals. At one point, for instance, the Saudi Zahrani was reporting to a Tunisian. (Fathi Awn al Murad al Tunisis name implies that he was originally from Tunisia.)

The Department of Justice charged Tunisis wife, Nisreen Assad Ibrahim Bahar (also known as Umm Sayyaf), earlier this week. Bahar allegedly admitted that she and her husband kept Kayla Mueller, an American, hostage in their compound prior to Muellers death. Bahar is not slated to stand trial in the US, however, as she is currently in Iraqi custody.

The Islamic States man in Gaza

In early February 2014, a coalition of jihadists known as the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) in the Environs of Jerusalem released a statement expressing support for Baghdadis caliphate. It was not clear at the time whether the MSC had any operational ties to the Islamic State, or if its message was merely a rhetorical show of support.

Treasurys announcement reveals that at least one key figure in the MSC did forge a working relationship with Baghdadis men.

As of mid-2014, according to Treasury, Husayn Juaythini was the deputy head of the MSC. He had previously attempted to acquire supplies for the MSCto conduct attacks against Israel and help the group overcome financial difficulties.

But in September 2014 he travelled to Syria to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State. Juaythini was tasked to return to Gaza and establish a foothold for Baghdadis global network there. Juaythini then became the link between Baghdadi and armed groups in Gaza, using funds he received (presumably from Baghdadi or his subordinates) to build a presence for the caliphate in his home turf.

Juaythini has been designated for facilitating the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and conducting financial activities on behalf of the Islamic State. His network stretches into North Africa.

Juaythini has worked with a Libya-based facilitator, who served as the primary money and weapons facilitator for his activities in Gaza. As of January 2015, Treasury adds, Juaythini was instrumental in fostering connections between Gaza and Libya-based terrorists, and facilitating their travel to Syria.

According to Treasury, therefore, the Islamic State has a facilitation node in Gaza that is funneling fighters into Syria from North Africa.

The MSC was designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department in August 2014. Another MSC leader, Abdallah al Ashqar, was also designated as a terrorist by Foggy Bottom in January 2015.

While Juaythini joined Baghdadis camp, it is likely that other members did not break from al Qaedas network. Prior to the Islamic States caliphate declaration in June 2014, the MSC dedicated some of its attacks to al Qaedas leaders. [See LWJ report, US government adds Gaza-based jihadist umbrella group to terrorist designation lists.]

A prominent ideologue

The third and final jihadist designated today is Turki Mubarak Abdullah Ahmad al Binali, who is a prolific jihadist ideologue. Treasury describes him as a recruiter forforeign fighters, who also authors literature and fatwas for the Islamic States training camps.

Binali has written several pamphlets to recruit more fighters, including the first call for Muslims to pledge allegiance to Baghdadi as caliph. He is in charge of a support network that recruits Gulf nationals to join the Islamic State in Syria. Binali was was appointed to the post of chief religious advisor for Baghdadis group in November 2014.

The Bahraini government stripped Binali of his citizenship on Jan. 31, 2015.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

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Manufacturers of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine could reduce prices for low- and middle-income countries and still retain most profits, according to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the World Health Organization created an economic model to assess the financial benefits of vaccinating 80% of the world's 12-year old females against HPV, which is a cause of cervical cancer. They found that this could generate economic returns worth up to $12.5 billion a year.

Manufacturers were estimated to have received economic returns worth five times their original investment in HPV vaccine development. Furthermore, vaccinating an individual in a high-income country returned economic benefits five times greater than in a low-income country - this is a result of savings on health costs, such as cervical cancer treatment, as well as averting larger economic losses when women become ill or die from cancer.

The researchers also believe non-transparent pricing schemes that fail to consider the economic and health benefits of vaccination, are dissuading lower-income countries from buying the HPV vaccine.

Dr Mark Jit, Reader in Vaccine Epidemiology at the School who led the study, said: "Vaccinating females against HPV prior to the debut of sexual activity is touted as a global health success story, with good reason. The vaccine is highly effective at preventing HPV infection that can lead to cancer. However, although most developed countries have already incorporated HPV vaccines into their national immunisation schedules, cervical cancer still kills more than 250,000 women annually around the world - 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and many of these nations can't afford the vaccine."

In this study the researchers analysed the economic surplus-the sum of all health and economic benefits minus the costs of development, production and distribution-for HPV vaccination of 12-year-old females. They also analysed the consumer surplus, calculating the difference between improved health and reduced cervical cancer treatment costs resulting from vaccination, and the cost of purchasing and delivering the vaccine.

Dr Jit said: "Both vaccine manufacturers and high-income countries have received large economic surpluses from the development of HPV vaccines. Developing countries have the potential to do the same. Alternative pricing schemes that explicitly and transparently take into account the health and economic value of HPV vaccination in different countries, instead of relying on market forces alone, could increase vaccine pick-up in these settings.

"Such schemes would still enable high-income countries to reap the benefits and manufacturers to generate the profits they need. While some countries benefit from vaccine purchasing schemes, such as those organised by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, many others do not. In the interim, providing countries with accurate and comprehensive information on vaccine prices and values, could improve the bargaining position of countries that are not currently part of pooled procurement schemes.

"One thing is clear though - it's time for higher-income countries and manufacturers to put their hands deeper into their pockets. Further subsidising vaccine prices in poorer countries will increase vaccine uptake, and in the long-term save more lives."

The researchers note that the model did not take into account indirect immunity and that some countries vaccinate older females and males. Reduced cancer screenings and treatment of precancerous neoplasias or genital warts was not considered, and the model assumed that manufacturers captured the entire producer surplus, but part of this may actually go to distributors.

Publication
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Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Melbourne is returning home to Australia after completing more than 50 boarding operations and seizing almost a tonne of heroin during a Middle Eastern deployment.



The guided missile frigate handed over maritime security responsibilities to sister ship, HMAS Darwin, after five months of operations in support of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and more than six months away from home.



Commander Bill Waters, Commanding Officer of Melbourne, commended the ships company of 223 officers and sailors for their commitment and efforts that ensured a successful deployment.



During the five months on operations we confiscated and destroyed 977 kilograms of high grade heroin seized from five different vessels suspected of smuggling illegal narcotics, he said.



To put it in perspective, these drugs weighed almost as a much as a small car and had an Australian street value of around $390 million.



These searches are not easy as the drugs are concealed within difficult to access compartments in small dhows and boarding teams work incredibly hard in arduous conditions to find these drugs.



The work we are doing with our international CMF partners is making a positive and tangible difference to the security in the Middle East region and is impacting the ability of international terrorist organisations to fund their illegal activities.



Im incredibly proud of my ships company and their performance over the six months we have been deployed. They have never waivered in their dedication to making meaningful differences in the region.



During the deployment, Melbourne patrolled more than 37,000 nautical miles, her embarked S-70B Seahawk helicopter flew 350 hours and the galley served more than 100,000 meals to keep the ship operating 24 hours per day.



Additionally, Melbourne was awarded the 2015 Duke of Gloucester Cup for being the best unit across the Royal Australian Navy. This is further testimony to the level of professionalism and dedication Melbournes crew has shown throughout the year.



Melbourne has been conducting maritime security operations with the multinational force as part of Combined Task Force 150. The ships operations have encompassed the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf during her deployment.



Melbourne tasking was her eighth deployment to the Middle East region and the 61st rotation of a Royal Australian Navy vessel to the region since 1990.


After more than 92 years of operating from various locations in Wilmington, Calif., Nautilus International Holding Corp., along with its subsidiaries Metro Ports, Metro Cruise Services, Metro Shore Services and Metro Risk Management, is moving its headquarters into a new Long Beach facility on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.



The new address is 3806 Worsham Ave., Long Beach, Calif., 90808. The post office box address is P.O. Box 93121, Long Beach, Calif., 90809-3121. General phone number is 310.816.6500 310.816.6500 FREE.



The new 40,000-square-foot headquarters is located on 2.57 acres at Pacific Pointe at Douglas Park. The company will shift approximately 65 executive and administrative personnel (with capacity to exceed 120) for the holding corporation and each of its subsidiaries.



Nautilus is proud the new building satisfies the California Green Building Standards Code. The building is LEED Gold Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), with 170 parking spaces, which include 10 electric vehicles charging stations. The parking area encompasses a carport structure utilizing solar panels as the cover to power the building.
Within the framework of the international project Reeh, Tyumen State University in cooperation with the University of Helsinki are planning to create a unique Arctic observation stations.



Arctic station of the two universities will be part of a global network of observation points, thanks to which will be able to record all occurring changes in the environment. This was stated by Professor University of Helsinki, a renowned scholar in the field of Earth Sciences Markku Kulmala at the meeting with the governor of the Tyumen region Vladimir Yakushev and guidance of a Russian university, the official portal of the government authorities of the Tyumen region.



Scientists believe in the success of a joint operation with the Tyumen researchers. "We have a lot of common interests, our project will help achieve a breakthrough in the understanding of climate processes, taking place in the world", - said Markku Kulmala. In addition, under the "Five top hundred" at Tyumen State University created Academic Department kriosofii, which should become the basis for the formation of an international institute TSU. The agreement to work within it have already given authoritative experts of Tyumen, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Finland, USA, Israel.



Vladimir Yakushev said that the government is seriously engaged in the field of development of high school, with one of the priorities is to support the Tyumen State University projects. "We understand that one of the main components of success is to build up the scientific base, we are very interested in working together, will render the necessary assistance to the idea became reality, because this work is very important for the Tyumen region, Russia and Finland," - said governor.



PEEX - a long-term multidisciplinary project including environmental basic research environmental, economic and technological development.



Its practical purpose is to obtain the knowledge necessary to maintain normal living conditions of people who are threatened by climate change. One of the aspects of the project - improving early warning systems for extreme weather events.


Marines with Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting practiced extinguishing a burning aircraft on Feb. 9, 2016, on the West field aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.



Marine Corps Air Stations ARFF Marines are on constant alert and ready to mobilize within minutes when an emergency strikes.



The mission of ARFF is to protect property and save lives, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Maness, the officer in charge for ARFF. The main thing we do is train for the worst, train for aircraft crashes and train for everything that could go wrong when people are injured. We are constantly prepared for emergencies for all aircraft across every branch of the military.



Maness, a Havelock, N.C., native, says the training benefits the Marines when there is a real-life situation.



For instance, the last V-22 fire we had Marines fighting the fire for 10 to 15 minutes, said Maness. They were breathing in nothing but compressed air for that whole duration. It was proven that during that crash, our guys can last.



Maness said the training prepared the Marines to properly conduct hand line operations and extinguish multiple fires inside an aircraft. They wore full firefighting gear helping to boost their endurance.



We train every day and if we dont, then theres going to be a situation that we will not be prepared for, Sgt. Alex Blackwell, an ARFF section leader said. The training done today and the training we do overall helps prepare our Marines.



Blackwell, an Eaton Rapids, Mich., native said that one of the challenges that they face is the uncertainty of what to expect because no emergency is the same.



Everything is different and not knowing what youre up against is definitely a big challenge, said Blackwell. You are going to be going up against a fire for up to 20 minutes then you have to switch out because your oxygen tank is running low; then attack the fire again.



Blackwell said their course is very physically demanding, pulling other Marines and other people out of an aircraft, running back and forth trying to fight a fire and doing it wearing a firefighting suit.



I love my job, said Lance Cpl. Michael Cole, an ARFF hand lineman. Its a lot different than the rest of the Marine Corps. Its a crazy adrenaline rush.



Cole said that the most exciting part of his job is not knowing whats going to happen when you come into work.



You could be playing video games one second and the next second the crash phone is going off, Cole said. So now you have to quickly get dressed and go off to see whatever happened.



Cole said its nice to share the experience with people he calls family.



ARFF is like a family to me, said Cole. A lot of these guys I just met but now that I do know them, I feel very close with them in a way I dont feel anywhere else. I think its amazing that I get this opportunity to not only be a Marine, but also be a fire fighter in the Marine Corps. Im very proud of my job and I feel ARFF is something very few people can get to be. I am very proud to be one of those people.





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Norwegian soldiers and U.S. Marines are rolling out main battle tanks, artillery, and logistics equipment out of Norwegian caves to support the upcoming exercise, Cold Response 16, later this month.



We have pre-positioned gear, both in caves and on ships, and it allows forces from the United States to come on out and fall in on gear that is already forward-deployed versus bringing all that gear with us, said Col. William Bentley, operations officer for 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.



The armored vehicles and equipment is part of the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway, an enduring partnership between the two nations to store equipment forward and support rapid-response to a broad spectrum of military operations in support of NATO allies and partners.



Any gear that is forward-deployed both reduces cost and speeds up our ability to support operations in crisis, so were able to fall in on gear that is ready-to-go and respond to whatever that crisis may be, said Bentley.



The gear is kept in climate-controlled caves strewn throughout central Norway, alleviating logistics costs and movement that has supported numerous missions, from the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Russian wildfires of 2010, to humanitarian assistance mission for the Turkey earthquakes in 2011.



It always takes time to deploy forces to a certain area; when you have the equipment pre-positioned, you can fly in the personnel and you will be faster and ready to conduct operations, so thats always the advantage of having [the stocks] in Norway, said Maj. Gen. Yngue Odlo, chief of Norwegian Defense Staff Operations.



The equipment that greatly increase the program's readiness includes M1A1 Main Battle Tanks, Tank Retrievers, Armored Breeching Vehicles, Amphibious Assault Vehicles, Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV) Gun Trucks, and several variants of the MTVR 7-1/2 ton trucks.



The program started under a Cold War plan in 1981 to work with the Norwegian allies and store Marine Corps equipment in Europe to defend NATO. Its first mission was to support Operation Noble Anvil in 1999; since then, MCPPN-N support contingencies and operations throughout the world.



The program will provide approximately 6,500 pieces of equipment for Cold Response 16, hosted by Norway that includes 12 NATO allies and partners and more than 16,000 troops.



We fit easily together when we are operating, said Odlo. The last 10-15 years weve operated together When we come to Norway, we always operate in three dimensions because we have a long coastline, we have land territory, and air; thats the U.S. Marine Corps, basically.



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RICHMOND  A bill that could lead to a state inspection program for interstate natural gas pipelines is moving through the House of Delegates with no opposition.

HB 1261, sponsored by Del. Greg Habeeb, R-Salem, authorizes state regulators to seek federal permission to conduct their own pipeline inspections.

The State Corporation Commission already inspects all intrastate pipelines as well as interstate oil lines.

But its not yet empowered to evaluate interstate natural gas lines. Virginia is currently crisscrossed by more than 2,500 miles of interstate natural gas pipelines, and proposals like the Mountain Valley Pipeline and Atlantic Coast Pipeline could usher in more.

If the state seeks and receives federal authorization, it would be able to inspect pipelines both during and after construction.

The authority would be limited to inspections. Under federal rules, violations found by state inspectors must be referred to federal regulators for follow-up and enforcement action.

Currently, about nine states are authorized to undertake their own inspections of interstate natural gas pipelines.

HB 1261 was unanimously approved in committee on Thursday. No parties spoke against it. The bill is now set to advance to the full House for a vote next week.

Senate advances bill to raise reckless driving threshold

The Senate backed a bill this week to raise the trigger for reckless driving by speeding.

SB 768, sponsored by Sen. David Suetterlein, would raise the threshold to over 85 mph  up from the current standard of over 80 mph.

Some Virginia interstates allow speeds of 70 mph, meaning under current law a driver could be charged with reckless driving for going 11 miles over the limit, said Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County.

His bill does not change a second part of the law that makes driving 20 miles or more over the speed limit a reckless driving offense. Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

SB 768 was passed on a 26-14 vote Wednesday after an extended debate about whether driving 85 mph is safe.

The bill now advances to the House of Delegates, which already killed two identical House bills  including one patroned by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke  last month.
A former patrol lieutenant for the Bedford Police Department who now lives in Collinsville was indicted recently by a Bedford County grand jury on, according to court records, one count of distributing child pornography and five counts of distributing child pornography second+ offense.

Brian L. McAlexander, 54, of 3225 Longview Drive, Collinsville, was both indicted in Bedford County and arrested in Henry County on Feb. 5, according to records at the Henry County Sheriffs Office and online court case information.

The offenses are alleged to have happened on Nov. 29, 2014, at an apartment on Second Street in Bedford, according to HCSO records and online court case information.

McAlexander worked for the police department 26 years before resigning on April 27, 2015, according to Todd Foreman, chief of police for Bedford Police Department, and news releases from the police department. McAlexander, then of Bedford, resigned after the police department began an administrative investigation after being notified that investigators with the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were conducting an investigation involving an officer of the police department.

After learning last weekend that McAlexander had been arrested on six indictments, the police department issued a news release saying, in part: "The staff and officers want the citizens to know the actions of this person if found guilty do not represent the members of this department. We are disappointed that this individual damaged the trust of the public between the police department and the citizens we serve. We strive to be a professional organization and want to continue to earn the trust of the citizens we serve."

"Misconduct can make the whole department look bad," Foreman said in an interview Wednesday.

Asked about McAlexanders job performance with the police department over the years, Foreman said, "He did a good job. He worked his way up through the ranks" from patrolman to patrol sergeant to patrol lieutenant.

A news release on Sunday from the Bedford County Sheriffs Office stated that McAlexander became the target of a child exploitation case in April 2015 when an investigator from the Franklin Sheriffs Office assigned to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force perfected a case.

SOVA-ICAC is a Bedford County Sheriffs Office initiative funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Programs. Task force members include representatives from local, state and federal agencies.

Gene Fishel, section chief of the Virginia Attorney Generals Offices computer crime section, will handle the prosecution of the case, according to the Bedford County Commonwealths Attorneys Office. Fishel could not be reached Thursday.

McAlexander is scheduled to appear in Bedford County Circuit Court on Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m. for an attorney advisement, according to online court case information.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)  Martinsville area native and University of South Florida professor Eric Hodges wasnt satisfied with simply lecturing his students about public policy, as part of his Intro to U.S. Government class.

He wanted them to change public policy, or at least learn that they had to power to try.

Hodges small class mulled over several possible ideas before deciding to champion an important environmental concern  to raise public awareness about the need to protect nesting sea turtles from the dangers posed by beach raking.

The students collaborated with biologists from Sarasotas Mote Marine Laboratory, and learned that by removing seaweed from the beach, workers could hazard turtle eggs and hatchlings even if they didnt disturb an actual nest.

The students also worked with local power-brokers, hoping to garner support, including former Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson.

They were bright young people who had chosen a unique topic, and they were really sincere and interested in the fate of the baby sea turtles, Patterson said.

Patterson took the group to lunch and explained the regulatory aspects of their project while the group was in the beginning stages of their work.

Were in the advocacy stage of the project now, said Hodges, who graduated from Magna Vista High School and Patrick Henry Community College, then served as a Marine infantryman before entering academia. For me, having been in the military, I realize how fortunate we are to live in a society with an open political system. To get them out to experience this firsthand  its almost as if we have a laboratory in our society.

His students loved the real-world nature of the assignment, and devoted hours of their free time to the cause.

Its very innovative, this project, said Jacqueline Knake, 22, an interdisciplinary social sciences major. Hes teaching what we can take and use in the practical sense. The public reaction has been fairly supportive of our cause.

Alexis Bolz, an 18-year-old biology major, said the experience, will be really useful in my future.

Dennis Metz, a 45-year-old psychology major, was a paid lobbyist in New Jersey before moving to Florida.

Metz, who led the student team, was effusive with praise for the project and for Hodges.

Not one of his classes is ever boiler-plate. I didnt want to miss a single class, and I didnt, Metz said. Even though I knew a lot about the process, I learned so much more. Dr. Hodges  to find someone who wants us to succeed not only in the classroom but in life, its really rare. And he wants us all to succeed.
Although it had been widely predicted, the landslide victory of Bernie sanders in the New Hampshire primary produced shock waves. After narrowly losing in Iowa (and it is quite likely the result was rigged), Sanders beat Clinton by a margin of more than 20 last Tuesday. This result has produced bewilderment among the commentators. That was something that was not supposed to happen.

Theory is grey, my friend, but the tree of life is evergreen (Goethes Faust)

Although it had been widely predicted, the landslide victory of Bernie sanders in the New Hampshire primary produced shock waves. After narrowly losing in Iowa (and it is quite likely the result was rigged), Sanders beat Clinton by a margin of more than 20 last Tuesday. This result has produced bewilderment among the commentators. That was something that was not supposed to happen.

That a 74-year-old socialist could win in both Iowa and New Hampshire seemed unthinkable in a primary campaign that was supposed to be a shoo-in for Hillary Clinton. Democratic voters were surely too practical to embrace a candidate who pushed policies such as a single-payer health insurance, attacked Wall Street, called for a political revolution and even called himself a democratic socialist.

For months the news media tried to ignore the Sanders' candidacy. All the attention was devoted to Donald Trump, while it was taken for granted that Hillary Clinton would dominate the race for the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. But things did not turn out like that. As it becomes clear that Sanders is becoming a serious contender, the whole weight of the Democratic Party machine will be deployed to in a determined attempt to stop him.

Hillary Clinton has the support of the Democratic elite, from elected officials to leaders of key activist groups. She was backed by an army of celebrities and wealthy endorsers and all the rest of the well-heeled gang that constitute the bourgeois Democrat Establishment. Barack Obama threw his weight behind Clinton, lavishing praise on her and rubbishing Sanders' ideas as unrealistic. By all the laws, then, Sanders should have stood little or no chance. But it was all in vain. Both nationwide, and in the early primary states, Bernie Sanders succeeded in trouncing Clinton. How could this happen?

Part of the explanation consists in the fact that Sanders succeeded in mobilising mass support. He based himself on a huge grassroots network and fundraising base. Sanders has held some of the biggest rallies of any of the candidates - Democratic or Republican. Hundreds of events were held, often with overflow crowds that heard him call for a "political revolution" in America. His Facebook likes vastly outnumber those of Hillary Clinton. The main driving force for this was the youth. That much must be clear to the blindest of the blind. But this explanation itself needs to be explained.

It cannot be explained by the personal qualities of Sanders, although he has certainly shown great courage and resilience in the face of a barrage of attacks and insults. Yet he is an elderly white man with a somewhat eccentric air. The main reason is to be found in profound changes in consciousness that are taking place in American society.

Democracy for the billionaires

In the USA there was already a sense of alienation from the political parties. Now that alienation is turning into hatred. It is here that we must find the explanation for the rapid ascent of Bernie Sanders. Beneath the surface of American society there is a seething discontent, anger and above all frustration. Like the tremendous forces that build up beneath the earths crust, this discontent is seeking an outlet. Sooner or later that outlet will be found, and it may be in the most unexpected places.

The economic crash of 2008 and its aftermath turned the American Dream into an American Nightmare for millions. That affects the youth above all, but increasingly there is a questioning of capitalism among broad layers of society. The vast amounts of public money handed over to the super-rich one percent; the glaring contrast between obscene wealth and degrading poverty; the arrogance of the political elites: all these things have created a burning sense of injustice that finds no expression in the existing political parties. We see the same phenomenon everywhere.

In the USA, elections are won or lost and presidential candidates are selected or rejected, not on the basis of their ideas or superior personal qualities, but solely on the size of their bank balances and campaign war chest. To be the President of the worlds richest country, one has either to be a billionaire or else have the backing of several billionaires. Democracy is turned into an empty word. It is government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. Hillary Clinton started the year 2016 with a war chest of 100 million from Big Business backers.

In contrast, Sanders has raised more than $100 million in donations, the vast majority of which are below $100, from the public. After his success in New Hampshire his website for fund-raising crashed because so many people were sending in money. Asked in a debate to spell out the difference between his and Clintons plans for dealing with big banks, Sanders responded: "The first difference is, I don't take money from big banks, I don't get personal speaking fees from Goldman Sachs.

Clinton received $675,000 in speaking fees in 2015 alone from Goldman Sachs, and that is only the tip of the iceberg. Bill and Hillary Clinton have made more than $153m from paid speeches over the last 15 yearsaccording to a CNN study. This includes at least $7.7m from 39 speeches to Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs, UBS and Bank of America. Naturally Hillary indignantly denied that this corporate generosity had exercised any influence on her political preferences, but as we know, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Hillary Clinton personifies all that people most dislike in American politics. She is the consummate expression of the Establishment. Not a single hair is out of place. The simpering smile is fixed at all times. The speeches are carefully scripted, the public appearances choreographed as in a ballet. In complete contrast, Sanders gives the impression of a man who doesnt give a damn about his appearance. And it is precisely this that endears him to his young fans. As one journalist put it: his unkempt hair, his ill-fitting suits, his unpolished Brooklyn accent, his propensity to yell and wave his hands maniacally. Sanders, it appears, woke up like this. These qualities are what make him seem authentic, sincere even.

We will ignore the insinuation that Sanders poor dress sense is merely a device to make him look authentic (whatever this might mean) or that his sincerity is somehow contrived. We have no reason to doubt Bernie Sanders sincerity, although we do not necessarily agree with all his ideas. As for Hillary Clinton and the other Democratic marionettes of Wall Street, insincerity has always been second nature to them. It is absolutely essential for one that must appear to stand for the interests of the common people, while in fact carrying out policies that favour the rich and powerful. And they all naturally have impeccable dress sense, as indeed does any lackey. It goes with the job.

Trump and Sanders

Bernie Sanders has tapped into a mood of discontent in American society. There is a growing revulsion against the Establishment, the politicians in sharp suits who cosy up to the bankers, handing out vast sums of public money to the rich, while imposing vicious cuts of welfare spending on the poor. People are tired of it and want a change. The Financial Times on 9 February commented:

What is already clear, however, is that Americas political class is only beginning to grasp the depth of the anti-establishment mood that is gripping the US. Almost eight years after the financial crisis, this mood seems to be growing in strength, not weakening. President Barack Obamas announcement last week that the US unemployment rate is now below 5 per cent barely registered on the campaign trail.

The attention of the media in these primaries has centred almost exclusively on Donald Trump. In a twisted and reactionary way, even he expresses this mood. He cultivates a blunt plebeian style of speaking that contrasts with the stilted, anodyne Washington-speak of the other candidates, who specialise in empty platitudes. That explains his popularity in the Republican ranks and his trouncing all his rivals in New Hampshire to the dismay of the Party Establishment.

This billionaire with a big mouth and an even bigger bank balance stands for Big Business just as much as Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush. The difference is that some of them attempt to conceal their reactionary policies beneath a thin veneer of moderation, while Trump uses populist demagogy and pretends to stand for the small guy as a means of delivering the small guys, bound hand and foot, to the tender mercies of Big Business. He presents himself in the role of a rebellious maverick, fighting against the Washington Establishment. The difference between Trump and the others is one of style, not content. But with a public that is tired of carefully manicured politicians uttering carefully manicured speeches, differences in style can easily be mistaken for a radical difference in content. Here, as in the art of prestidigitation, the quickness of the hand deceives the eye.

Like Trump, Bernie Sanders speaks in a way that is very different to the manner of the political elite. But unlike Trump, he advocates policies that strike a note with underprivileged and underpaid American workers. He rages against economic and social injustice and rails against the Establishment. Students are struggling to pay off unpayable debts and parents have to work in two or three low-paid jobs to make ends meet. The idea that the economy is rigged in favour of the rich elite has struck a chord with millions of people.

Many Republican voters have been impressed by Sanders. Writing in the Financial Times, Gideon Rachman points out that both Trump and Sanders are saying things that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Yet the fact that both men are happy to smash rhetorical taboos has strengthened their respective claims to be genuine outsiders. That seems to be what voters are looking for. (Our emphasis)

The Youth

Young people in the USA were not supposed to be interested in politics. That is hardly surprising. What was there to be interested in? Politics was boring: a senseless circus in which Democrats changed places with Republicans with monotonous regularity without anybody noticing the slightest difference. But now all that has changed. American politics have suddenly become interesting.

The main force that is propelling the change is the youth. One British observer described the support for Sanders among the young as stunning. The movement, at least initially, was not so much the result of an organized effort by the Sanders campaign, but more of a visceral response to the candidate himself. A generation that has been the most bombarded with marketing slogans and slick advertising now sees in Sanders something different and strangely attractive. In interviews, young supporters of the Vermont senators presidential bid almost all offer some version of the same response when asked why they like him: Here is a man who seems sincere.

Armies of young people are turning what seemed like a hopeless cause into a very effective campaign. One volunteer says: Things that you would never expect from a traditional campaign. Its mind-blowing to see. Most young voters (and many older ones) have a deep-seated distrust of politicians. The hostility toward Ms. Clinton among young voters is striking. Suffering from economic hardship and the burden of college loans, they can see that she is too cosy with big banks and corporate America. But Sanders is seen as something different.

It seems like he is at the point in his life when he is really saying what he is thinking, said Olivia Sauer, 18, a college freshman who returned to her hometown, Ames, Iowa, to caucus for Bernie Sanders. With Hillary, she said, sometimes you get this feeling that all of her sentences are owned by someone. That is very perceptive observation. These sentences are not her own. They are written by someone else. But it is not only her speeches that are not her own. Her heart, soul, mind and conscience are all owned by someone else, and that someone is called Wall Street.

Growing support for socialism

The growing support for Bernie Sanders signals a dramatic change in the political landscape in the United States, and therefore, the world. It is all the more remarkable in a country where socialist ideas have been suppressed and demonized. As Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell grudgingly admitted on Friday 29th January, the current generation of youth, to which she belongs, "love Sanders not despite his socialism, but because of it Many of us also entered the job market just as unbridled capitalism appeared to blow up the world economy. Perhaps for this reason, millennials actually seem to prefer socialism to capitalism."

In my column today, I mentioned that one reason millennials prefer Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton is that theyre not just willing to look past Sanderss socialism  they actually like his socialism. Its a feature, not a bug.

A YouGov survey asked people whether they had a favourable or unfavourable opinion of socialism and of capitalism, and the results were broken down by various demographic groups:

52 percent expressed a favourable view of capitalism, compared with 29 percent for socialism. But this does not tell the whole story. Republicans, those in families earning more than $100,000, and people age 65-plus were more strongly in favour of capitalism compared with socialism. However, Democrats rated socialism and capitalism equally positively (both at 42 percent favourability). And the under 30s rated socialism more favourably than capitalism (43 percent vs. 32 percent, respectively).

While socialist was the only category for which a majority of respondents said theyd be unwilling to vote, the most striking fact is that 47 percent said they would vote for a socialist.

Young people proved to be about equally or more open-minded than their elders on all the categories Gallup tested, but the biggest gap between young and old was on socialist candidates: Here too the difference is in line with the age of the respondents: While 34 percent of respondents age 65 and older said they would be willing to vote for a socialist, the number among respondents younger than 30 was almost double  69 percent.

This indicates a major shift in consciousness that is striking in the youth but is not confined to them. Despite the colossal barrage of anti-socialist propaganda to which the American public has been subjected for many decades, the fact that over a third of older people are willing to vote socialist is itself quite remarkable. And we should bear in mind that these figures are from last June, before the Sanders campaign had gathered momentum. There can be no doubt that support for socialism has increased since then. The Iowa result was already an indication of that, and it is confirmed by the result in New Hampshire.

The Establishment is alarmed

For as long as anyone can remember American capitalism was based on two solid props: the Democrats and Republicans. Now that apparently solid edifice is showing cracks in its foundations and the bourgeois are getting alarmed. Bloomberg View on 5 Feb carried an article with the heading: Bernie Sanders, Public Menace. It says the following: Senator Bernie Sanders is a decent human being and a passionate politician. He is also a grave threat to moderation and rational empiricism. Sanders's robust campaign for president is consequently a threat to the U.S. as well.

But things are not much better with the other party of Big Business:

The Republican Party has been debilitated, as a source of policies and as a governing party, by the ever more stringent ideological demands that the party's powerful and adamant fringe imposes on its diminished and enfeebled center. It has succumbed so thoroughly to the paranoid style of politics that the leading Republican presidential candidate from the so-called establishment wing routinely suggests that President Barack Obama is a nefarious agent of the nation's doom. Delusional, rancid talk has become so commonplace on the right that it rarely merits notice anymore.

The greatest fear of the strategists of US Capital is that the crisis of capitalism will lead to a sharp polarization to the left and right, that is to say, a class polarization. That is what they mean when they refer to a diminished and enfeebled center. Above all they fear Bernie Sanders, not so much for the man himself (they have many ways of destroying or annulling individual politicians) but the forces he has unleashed.

Sanders, the article says, has unwelcome attributes. What are these? He is almost exclusively animated by economic inequality and injustice. What a terrible thing! A presidential candidate who is opposed to inequality and injustice! It goes on:

The American economy, a sprawling, $18 trillion behemoth stretching and contracting in more directions at once than anyone can possibly comprehend, much less control, is rigged, Sanders says. This claim, too, owes much to a paranoid style. Who has rigged this giganotosaurus of disparate goods and endlessly varied services? Perhaps "Wall Street." Or maybe corporations.

The indignation of Bloomberg View knows no bounds. How could anyone in their right mind believe that the big banks and corporations have rigged the economy in their own interest? To which we reply: How could anyone in their right mind believe anything else? But the real fears of corporate America are expressed in the following:

In politics, any force too spectral to wear a proper name is too elusive to be contained by government or law. Sanders all but admits as much. He posits that his election to the White House, where he would command the vast levers of the executive branch, would be insufficient to unrig things. A majority of electoral votes might suffice for a "moderate" like Hillary Clinton; Sanders, however, requires a "revolution." (Our emphasis)

One may say that Sanders call for a political revolution is unclear. Maybe so, but its meaning is very clear to the strategists of Capital. If Sanders were ever to be elected President he would be faced with a hostile Congress  not least among the Democrats, most of whom hate and fear him. They would first try to buy him off, recruit him to their side, a tactic they have developed to a fine art for generations. But what if that did not succeed? The problem is spelt out here with the most astonishing cynicism:

None of these problems is a hindrance to Sanders in the Senate, where he is one of 100. But Sanders is no longer content there. He is trying to build a movement to dominate the Democratic Party and go on to win the White House. Democrats can ill afford either outcome.

By constantly raising the idea of revolution, Sanders has struck a chord with many people who feel that the present system is rotten and corrupt to the marrow. This has planted seeds in the minds of people that will grow and acquire a mass expression in the measure that the crisis of capitalism deepens. The consequences are incalculable. Gideon Rachman underlines the dangers for the ruling class  and not only in the USA:

If Americas yearning for anti-establishment leaders from the political fringes continues, the implications will be profound  for the US and for the world. The system, dominated by the Democrats and Republicans, has always rejected the political extremes. That means that, behind the day-to-day dramas, the nation has benefited from a deep political stability, which has contributed greatly to its economic strength and global power. If Americas immunity to extremism is ending, the whole world will feel the consequences.

Sexism

Women were expected to help power Hillary Clinton to the Democratic nomination, but young women have been drawn to the cause of Bernie Sanders. This has caused outrage and resentment among feminists like author Gloria Steinem. She is a devout supporter of Hillary Clinton. Together with other older feminists she has been waging a campaign against Sanders for alleged sexism. Here, however, Ms. Steinem has come up against a thorny problem: a very large number of young women are actively campaigning for Bernie sanders.

A dirty smear campaign has been launched by the Clinton camp to suggest that the independent socialists enthusiastic social media army (the Bernie Bros) alienates female voters. The latest of these creatures to crawl out of the woodwork is Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who recently appeared at a rally for Clinton where she all but accused young women of betraying their gender. Theres a special place in hell for women who dont help each other! she announced, in the hope that this most imaginative threat to send all females who supported Bernie to an uncomfortably warm place would do the trick where all else had failed.

What special place in hell is reserved for a woman who has served the cause of US imperialism all her life and maintained that the deaths of half a million Iraqi children as a result of US sanctions was "worth it", Ms. Albright did not deign to inform us. These smears immediately provoked a storm of protest from many women. Although many would naturally like to see a woman standing for President, they understand that one should not vote for a candidate based solely on gender. They far prefer Bernie Sanders to the likes Hillary Clinton, and Madeleine Albright. And who can blame them for that?

The beleaguered Steinem and Albright, however, were soon to receive reinforcement from somebody who is well known for his friendly attitude to women - William Jefferson Clinton, also known as Bill. The former occupant of the White House is now enjoying a moderately comfortable retirement, having amassed an estimated $80 million for services rendered to America (that is, to the American bankers and capitalists). Since Hillary Clinton's net worth is in the region of $31.3 million, the combined net worth of Bill and Hillary mounts to around 111 million dollars. Of course, if Hillary gets back into the White House, the fortunes of the Clinton family would be considerably improved. So it is no real surprise that Old Bill emerges from retirement to express his fervent support for his wife.

The former president spoke for nearly 50 minutes, and the longer he spoke, the more heated he became. The heated nature of his remarks clearly expressed the frustration the Clintons felt two days before the primary in New Hampshire - a state that has rewarded them in the past, but that was preparing to deliver them a hearty slap in the face. Old Bill seemed especially irritated that New Hampshire, after lifting his 1992 bid for the Democratic nomination and handing her a comeback win in 2008, was ready now ditch his wife. His rage at the thought reached its paroxysm when he finally pulled out what he must have seen as his most effective weapon: the gender issue. Sanders supporters, he said, use misogynistic language in attacking Mrs. Clinton.

We do not know what the audience made of this performance. But as far as the voters of New Hampshire were concerned, it did not have any effect at all. What the Bernie Sanders campaign proves is that once the masses begin to move, they will cut across all the divisive issues of race, gender, religion and nationality. Those who try to split and disorient the movement will be mercilessly thrust aside. The working class and the revolutionary youth need unity to change society.

Sanders programme

While all the other candidates continue to sing the praises of capitalism, Bernie Sanders poses awkward questions about the existing model of society. He has mercilessly attacked the big banks and Wall Street, pointing out that the vast majority of all the wealth produced by the American working class goes to the one percent of the richest. He advocates increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and breaking up big Wall Street banks. He describes Wal-Mart as a beneficiary of the welfare state. The same can be said of all US banks and big corporations.

This is what he refers to as a rigged economy, a system in which a powerful wealthy elite exercise domination over everyday people, not just economically but politically. That is a fair description of 21st century capitalism in the USA and everywhere else where Capital rules the roost. Sanders would increase income tax rates for those earning over $250,000, boosting their rate to 37 percent. Those at the top end of the income scale  earning more than $10 million a year  would pay 52 percent in income taxes. Sanders would also increase other fees or taxes, including Social Security taxes for higher incomes. In addition, he would tax capital gains at the same percentage as income a taxpayer makes from work.

He says all young people should have the opportunity to receive an education, find employment, and earn an income; that there should be free and appropriate education for every individual in America. He asserts that through education, youth in America can have access to a wider range of jobs and can become more productive members of society. His proposal for single-payer healthcare goes far further than Obamacare scheme.

There are many things in Sanders programme that will be very attractive to many people in the USA. Many of these things we agree with, such as universal health care, free education, the reduction of student debt and a $15 per hour minimum wage. The big question that has to be answered, however, is how are these things to be achieved without breaking the power of the big banks and monopolies?

He has proposed breaking up the nations largest banks, saying the six biggest ones wield too much control over the economy. He has also proposed barring banks chief executives from serving on the Federal Reserves 12 regional boards of directors, saying their membership on those boards poses a conflict of interest and undermines regulation of the financial services industry. But similar proposals have been made many times before, notably by Theodore Roosevelt a hundred years ago, without the slightest long-term effect.

The idea of breaking up the big trusts is even older than that. This idea flies in the face of the most fundamental laws of capitalism that Karl Marx explained in the Communist Manifesto. Marx explains that competition inevitably leads to monopoly. The bigger firms will always swallow up the smaller ones. Marxists say that this control is only possible by expropriating the big banks and corporations. But Bernie Sanders does not advocate that. Instead he advocates breaking up the big banks and regulating capitalism. He says Franklin D. Roosevelt is his favourite president.

This is a significant remark, as is his statement that the socialism he has in mind is like that of Scandinavia, that is to say, a kind of regulated capitalism with a welfare state and less inequality. The problem with this idea is that it no longer exists, even in Scandinavia. We Marxists say: we will fight for every reform that represents a genuine improvement of the lives of workers and youth, but we must be prepared to draw all the necessary conclusions.

When the bourgeois critics of Sanders warn that his programme can only be carried out by a revolution from below, they are quite right. If this fight is to be successful, it must end in the overthrow of the dictatorship of Wall Street and the big banks and corporations. The only way to break the power of big private monopolies is to replace private monopolies with a state monopoly of the banks and big corporations. Instead of the dictatorship of a tiny handful of boardroom bosses, a socialist planned economy would be under the democratic control and management of the working class.

Can he win?

The battle for the US presidency has shifted into a new gear as caucuses and primary elections are held state by state until June. So could Sanders win the nomination for president? That depends on many things. His victory in New Hampshire will not necessarily be repeated in other states, particularly in the South where, at least for the moment, Sanders is in a weaker position relative to his opponent.

After the New Hampshire victory Sanders said: They're throwing everything at me except the kitchen sink, and I have the feeling that kitchen sink is coming pretty soon as well." That feeling is well founded. They will pull every dirty trick in the book and mobilize all their resources to stop him. Hillary Clinton says she will fight for every vote in every state, and we do not doubt that this is the truth. She has the backing of the powerful Democratic Party machine.

The so-called system of super delegates means that Sanders is likely to need 60-70 percent to win. That is a mammoth task. Nevertheless, in the end it is not inconceivable that he might win. The mood of anger against the Establishment is so strong that the Party machine may not be as formidable an obstacle as it seems. The situation is so volatile that almost anything can happen.

What will occur if Bernie Sanders does not win the nomination? That depends on how he will react. He has stated publicly that if defeated he would support Hillary or any other candidate the Party should choose. If he does that it would provoke a wave of disappointment among his followers. The movement he has inspired could evaporate like a drop of hot water on a hot stove. But that is by no means the only possibility.

The movement around Bernie Sanders has built up a great head of steam and this will tend to accelerate and grow in the coming months. There is a dynamic interaction between Sanders and the growing movement he heads. If in the end they are cheated of victory by the manoeuvres of the Party machine, there will be an explosion of anger that must have an effect on Sanders who will be under immense pressure not to accept the result.

What this campaign has already proved is that what were assumed to be the laws of politics in the USA were in fact only customs and traditions that can be broken and are in fact being broken. It cannot therefore be excluded that this could lead to Sanders breaking with the Democratic Party and moving in the direction of setting up a new party to the left of the Democrats. That would represent a fundamental change in the whole situation.

Sanders and the Democratic Party

Lenin pointed out that history knows all kinds of peculiar transformations and there have been many such transformations lately. The mould of politics has been broken in one country after another: Greece, Spain, and Britain to cite only the most obvious examples. This is no accident. The crisis that began in 2008 and still continues has had a profound effect on consciousness. Traditional political structures have been subjected to irresistible pressures and in many cases have been shattered by these pressures.

In such a situation it is necessary to examine the processes very carefully and make sure that our tactics, slogans and orientation are in tune with a situation that is changing rapidly. That is as true of the USA as any other country. We have said many times that there is no real difference between Republicans and Democrats. Is that still the case? Of course, it is. In the words of the great American writer Gore Vidal: Our Republic has only one party  the Property Party  with two right wings. That is absolutely correct and needs to be made clear as the starting point of any Marxist analysis.

However, the starting point is not yet the end of the journey, and this journey can take all kinds of strange paths that were not expected by us  or anyone else. The Sanders campaign definitely represents an important new factor in the equation. One thing is the Democratic Party and another thing is the mass campaign that has developed around the person of Bernie Sanders. We must be careful to make this distinction. It has already made by many of those who follow Sanders, not because he is a Democrat but because he says he is a socialist.

Sanders has not been a Democrat for long. He was an independent socialist, a former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, who caucused with Democrats on Capitol Hill. The Democratic Party Establishment clearly accepted him as a candidate because they thought he could be used to pull a few progressives into the Party and there seemed to be no possibility of his being elected. A similar mistake was made in Britain by the leaders of the Labour Party when they allowed Jeremy Corbyns name to be put on the ballot paper for Party leader. It was made for exactly the same reason: these people are completely out of touch with the real mood of society. As in other countries, the political elite in the USA is utterly remote from reality.

We stand for the creation of a Labour Party in the USA. We say that the Democratic Party is a bourgeois party that cannot be changed. That is true as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. It is necessary to say concretely how a Labour Party can be formed. In the past we maintained that it would probably come from the trade unions that would break their political ties with the Democrats. That was a reasonable hypothesis to make. But like any other hypothesis it must be tested against experience.

There have been many attempts to campaign for a labour Party based on the unions, but they have led nowhere. The degeneration of the union leadership in the USA has probably gone further than anywhere else. The union leaders have absolutely no intention of either breaking with the Democrats or setting up a Labour Party. In fact, the very idea fills them with terror.

The movement for a left alternative to the Democrats, blocked by the union bureaucracy, has not gone away. The discontent with the Democratic Party leadership has never been as intense as it is today. But it has surfaced in the movement around Bernie Sanders. Of course, we must always proceed from the fundamentals if we are not to be blown off course by ephemeral developments. But it is perfectly clear that something is changing in US politics and we need to analyse it carefully and draw the necessary conclusions.

One thing is the finished programme and ideas of Marxism, but another thing, altogether different, is the necessarily unfinished, confused and contradictory consciousness of the masses. We cannot expect that young people who are only just awakening to political life will have a clear understanding of the nature of things. It is the task of the Marxists to provide the necessary clarity. But this cannot be done by merely reiterating the general propositions of Marxism (although they may be one hundred percent correct). It is necessary to actively engage with the movement, enter into a meaningful dialogue with it, share in its collective experience, and of course, to patiently explain in terms that can be understood.

The work of the Marxists would be very simple indeed if the masses would enter the political struggle with a ready-made socialist consciousness. In that case there would be no need to take the trouble to build a Marxist organization. But we know that this is not the case, that the masses enter the struggle with very confused ideas and only slowly, on the basis of experience, do they begin to understand the realities of the situation.

While patiently explaining the limitations of left reformism and defending the ideas of revolutionary Marxism, it is essential that we build bridges to the young people who support Bernie Sanders. The comrades of the WIL have correctly pointed out that in this epoch of capitalist crisis, it is only a short step from an amorphous striving for basic rights and modest reforms to drawing fully revolutionary conclusions. The rising interest in socialism is a worldwide phenomenon, with different versions flowing from each countrys traditions and history: Jeremy Corbyns bid for leader of the Labour Party in Britain; Pablo Iglesias and the rise of Podemos in Spain; Tsipras and Syrizas election in Greece. Here in the US we are experiencing our own variant, distorted through the prism of a country with an anti-Communist past and without a traditional mass workers party.

For lack of a viable alternative, and with the labour leaders not offering a class-independent way forward, many workers find themselves voting Democrat when election season rolls around. Bernie Sanders, the independent Senator from Vermont, is running as a Democrat for that partys presidential nomination. His call for a political revolution and for democratic socialism resonates with millions of Americans disappointed with Obamas false promise of change. After years of anaemic recovery, austerity, and outrageous inequality, his railing against the billionaire class has struck a chord from Minneapolis to Maine.

All this shows that beneath the surface of American politics the tectonic plates are moving. Sooner or later this will produce an earthquake. What we are witnessing are the first tremors that announce the arrival of a cataclysm.

London 12 February
CHICOPEE - Chemex Corp., makers of the elegant hourglass-shaped glass coffee makers with a cult-like following, has seen sales grow 41 percent year-over-year for the past three years.

The family-owned company has also seen its backlog wait time to get coffee makers delivered through high-end distributors like Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware grow to an admittedly unreasonable eight to 10 weeks, said Jennifer Grassy, the director of organizational development.

"We aren't doing it to be snobs," she said. "This is as fast as we can get them out the door. We swear. We'd love to fill the orders faster."

The White House did recently get its shipment of 150 Chemex coffee makers all etched with the Presidential Seal. The order came to Chemex through a specialty coffee roaster in Washington that uses Chemex coffee makers, Grassy said.

Chemex has grown in recent years without a traditional sales force. There are no sales people and Grassy is one of two people who who do marketing along with other duties. It's not due to celebrity spokespeople or endorsement. The only sporting event Chemex sponsors is an annual competition for coffee baristas.

So what's at least part of the secret to the company's success?

"It's hipsters," she said.

More specifically, its the type hipster who has elevated coffee from beverage to a lifestyle expression. Were talking the kind of person who's elevated making that morning cup of Joe from chore to ritual and the task of making a pot of coffee after a dinner party from routine host duty to performance art.

This of course is not the first time the Chemex has been cool. Author Ian Fleming described James Bond having his very strong coffee brewed with a Chemex in "From Russia with Love." For the record, Bond drank his coffee black, no sugar so there is no shaking and certainly no stirring.

It's this ethos, and a lot of chatter on social media like Facebook and Twitter, that has a 75-year-old coffee makers squarely on trend and of the moment. Search for Chemex on the site Pinterest and be flooded with hundreds of images of people making Chemex coffee on distressed barn-wood tables in tastefully earth-toned kitchens.

The Coffee makers sell for $39 to $110 depending on size and if a customer wants one hand blown by a glassblower without aid of a mold.

"It's all natural, our coffee makers are glass, wood and a leather tie. The filter is paper. They are not made in a machine. Everything is touched by human hands," Grassy said. "There isn't any funny gurgling noise when you use them. It's for people who want to know what they are eating, what they are drinking and how it is made."

The wood and leather tie -- sometimes called a girdle -- helps the user pick up the coffee maker by insulating the hand form the heat. The hourglass and girdle shape becomes even more of a metaphor for the female form because each Chemex has a belly button, a small nob that marks the half-full point of the flask.

That's because, with the exception of Chemex's "Ottomatic" coffee maker that pumps heated water over the grounds, Chemex Coffee makers make people do most of the work.

The coffee maker is an hourglass-shaped carafe of Borosilicate glass similar to the stuff lab equipment is made of. Chemex users insert their special Chemex-made filters, 2-to-30 percent thicker than normal coffee filters, then their coffee grounds (a "sea salt" grind is perfect, not too fine and not too coarse), before pouring hot water over the grounds.

Just how to pour that water is a point of some debate. Do you pick one spot? Move the kettle spout around?

"Check out the videos on Youtube," Grassy said. "There are dozen s of techniques. Some people make a little pool in the middle of the grounds for the water. Some people go in a pattern."

As the water pours, the grounds changes color or "blossoms" in Chemex parlance and bubbles form as gas leaves the carafe.

"Then its magic and your whole hose smells wonderful," Grassy said.

That's the effect Chemex's inventor Peter Schlumbohm, was going for. An eccentric German scientist and inventor living in Brooklyn, Schlumbohm turned to borosilicate glass and an unbleached paper filter as a way of making coffee that would impart no outside flavors. but would remove oils fromthe coffee that can give it a bitter or burnt taste.

Borosilicate glass can go on the stove top as well.

"He was a scientist who enjoyed the good things in life," Grassy said of Schlumbohm. "He had more than 300 patents, everything from cocktail shakers to automobiles."

He pushed the Chemex relentlessly, giving it to presidents and demonstrating it for housewives at Macy's. The Chemex got so popular that coffee grinders in grocery stores had a "Chemex" settings with an hourglass picture to make it easier for users to get the right grind.

The Chemex became part of the permanent design collections at the Brooklyn Museum, the Corning Glass Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Chicopee plant is filled with Mad Men-era mid-century modern advertisements for the product.

When the childless Schlumbohm died 1962, he gave the company to his secretary. It changed hands and locations a few times before the Grassy family took over in 1980 and established it in Pittsfield.

Jennifer Grassy is an in-law of the owner, working with her husband and mother-in-law in the family business.

By 2012, Chemex had outgrown its 7,000-square foot space in Pittsfield. It moved to Veterans Drive in Chicopee in 2013 with just two employees. The Chicopee location has 17,000 square feet.

Soon, Chemex had hired 12. Now its up to 28 employees having added a second shift, Grassy said.

Little is manufactured in Chicopee, however. The glass comes from sand mined in New Jersey but shipped to plants in Taiwan and Germany to be turned into glass. Each carafe is mouth blown, either by hand or with the aid of a mold.

"We have tried to get them manufactured in the United States," she said. "It's just not possible. No one does it. All the manufacturers here want to do it with a machine."

The glass comes into the country through the ports of Boston and New York City.

In Chicopee, workers inspect the glass and tie the wood -- also from Taiwan -- with a leather tie from Tennessee, package the coffee maker and add instructions. Chemex uses local packaging manufacturers and printing houses.

The filters come from specially made paper. In Chicopee, workers convert desk-sized rolls of filter paper into stacks of round filters, then run those filters through folding and packaging machines.

Some customers come by and pick up more filters in person. Chemex would like to create a cafe and retail area in its Veterans Drive location. Grassy said some folks show up unexpectedly and ask for tours.

"We've already outgrown the space," Grassy said. "We've already met with a contractor about expanding. We are also looking at more warehouse space."

But what happens to Chemex when and if the craze dies down? If the hipsters move on to a new trend?

Grassy said Chemex is already branching out to explore diversifying its product lineup.

"We are also making t-shirts and accessories," she said. "We have a lot of fans."

For more information, visit the company's official website at www.chemexcoffeemaker.com.
MassLive hosted an Insider Breakfast with Google Friday morning, giving Massachusetts business partners a look at Google's latest research on the growing mobile marketing industry.

MassLive President Allison Werder welcomed about 35 local business and marketing professionals to the event, which saw Google and MassLive marketing staff extolling the virtues of mobile-friendly design, attentive, targeted web advertising and content marketing.

"We have the website and that's obviously very important, but we also have a full suite of digital marketing solutions and services," Werder said. "That ability to do all of those inclusive - video, mobile, social whatever you would want to do to reach your customers online or on their devices - provides a whole set of opportunities but well as a set of learning and complications."

Advance Digital, MassLive's parent company, is one of 31 Google Premier SMB Partners, a status which requires certification for all marketing staff on Google's marketing tools and gives the company access to Google experts when selling campaigns to clients, MassLive Marketing Manager Sally Azar said.

Thursday's event, which included MassLive staff, local business people and Google Digital Marketing Strategist Sheldon Bernstein, featured presentations designed to spotlight changes in the digital marketing industry.

"Google will be speaking to digital marketing trends in the industry, boiling down to micro-moments where you can reach a customer at a specific point in time when they're actively searching for specific information," Azar said.

In his presentation, Bernstein emphasized that the future of business on the web fits in a customer's pocket. Mobile traffic is projected to be main source of growth for digital businesses going forward, and Google has been adjusting its mobile search presentation to cater to smartphone users, he said.

"What we see a lot of businesses doing is making it look like it's mobile friendly. But don't stop there," Bernstein said.

He urged businesses to make sure that their mobile websites are clean, efficient, functional and quick, citing statistics showing that users often abandon websites if they load slowly or do not allow users to quickly access information.

Businesses - whether primarily online or using the web to direct customers to a brick-and-mortar business - should think about how customers research decisions on their smart phones, and position themselves to be ready when people Google things like which car to buy or where to attend college.
SPRINGFIELD - Millennials, members of Generation Y born from 1982 to about the year 2000, have been called the biggest age cohort in the country, and they are growing up and coming into their own.

The question, asked Friday by state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, state Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, and others, is how to make sure these Generation Y members do their growing, developing and innovating in Massachusetts and specifically here in Springfield and Western Massachusetts.

"We are a generation that is growing up," said Lesser, who turns 31 himself later this month putting him squarely in the demographic. "Millennials are starting to take on their rolls as leaders in their communities and builders of the future."

But stumbling blocks exist, including the rising cost of college educations and attendant high levels of student debt as well as a government that is often unresponsive and not plugged-in or data driven.

In the last 30 years nearly every aspect of American life has changed. Technology has touched the way people shop, bank, travel, work, meet people and socialize.

"The only thing that hasn't changed in all those years is government," he said.

So the Massachusetts Senate's "Millennial Engagement Initiative" is looking at things like using data analytics to -- everything from sewer flows to arrest locations -- to make government smarter and more responsive. He praised efforts to make the Registry of Motor Vehicles more accessible to people online.

"One of our big topics on Beacon Hill is how to regulate the ride sharing service Uber," Lesser said. "Uber started out as this niche service. Now my parents use Uber."

Rosenberg, Lesser and others met Friday afternoon with a panel of millennials at TechSpring, a health care innovation accelerator run by Baystate Health.

Earlier in the day, Lesser spoke to a group gathered at Valley Venture Mentors to brainstorm on the question: "How might we make Springfeild a model city for innovation?"

The question is part of a cooperative effort by DevelopSpringfield, a public-private economic development partnership, the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce and the city to develop an economic strategy for Springfield, said Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield.

This plan, due by late summer, will be data driven looking at how employment, wages and at what industries are growing or have the potential to grow here.

"Numbers after numbers. Deep dives," Minkarah said. "Where should we look in terms of business retention.? Where should we look in terms of innovation and entrepreneurship? Where should we look in terms of attraction?"

Valley Venture Mentors has about 100 companies working with Valley Venture Mentors now, said Paul Silva, executive director. That includes startups in its accelerator program and those working with mentors to develop their businesses.

In 2015, Valley Venture Mentors companies and graduated alumni companies created 200 jobs and generated $10 million in revenue and investment.

Suggestions from the group included more ad higher quality transit services and the addition of amenities like restaurant test kitchens where food entrepreneurs can work out menus.

Lesser said high student loan debt among millennials makes it hard for them start businesses. They don't have capital. They also are drawn to "safe" jobs, afraid of risks because they have payments to make.

Lesser also spoke of a senate bill that would give tax incentives to those investing in businesses in Gateway Cities like Springfield, Holyoke and Greenfield. The tax incentive might tip the scales when it comes time to go to investors for funding.

"No one is going to throw good money after bad. It's won;t make people invest if the idea isn't good," Lesser said. "But if you are in competition for backing, a tax credit like this can make you stand out."
UHaulLogoMedium1.jpg

WILBRAHAM -- U-Haul Company of Massachusetts and Ohio has announced that Package Depot has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Wilbraham community.

Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.



Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling (413) 599-0964 or visiting https://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Wilbraham-MA-01095/011650/ .

Package Depot owner Joe Scibelli said in a news release that he is proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage to better meet the demands of Hampden County.

U-Haul and Package Depot are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.

Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.
fibermap.jpg

(Whip City Fiber)

Whip City Fiber, Westfield Gas & Electric's foray into high-speed Internet service, is expanding its network following a successful pilot program last summer and fall, the company announced this week.

Which neighborhoods will get it next? The answer to that question is up to Westfield residents.

The company is asking residents to visit its website and indicate their interest in its service, which offers 1 gigabit speeds for $69.95 per month. Residents can provide their address, and the six neighborhoods which get the most support will be targeted for the expansion, Westfield Gas & Electric General Manager Dan Howard said.

It's going to be a challenge to choose neighborhoods one over another," Howard said. "We're trying to, number one, one gauge the interest, and secondly get to the people where the demand for the service is the highest."

The pilot launched in October to about 240 business and residential customers in an area bordered by East Mountain Road, Route 20 and Rachael Terrace over the summer. The speed is high enough to download a two-hour movie in about eight seconds.

"This pilot went extremely well," Howard said. "The demand for it was very strong. The reliability of what we have out there is extremely solid in nature."

The move into broadband may appear unexpected; the largest Internet providers in the United States, like Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner, got their starts as cable or phone companies, not gas and electric utilities. But Howard said in May that the expansion builds on decades of infrastructure which the company has used for internal communications and limited clients.

For about 20 years, Westfield Gas and Electric has run fiber optic cable to its substations and municipal facilities like schools and the Department of Public Works, Howard said. While he declined to say how much the company was spending on bringing that service to the public, Howard described the plan as an investment based on years of experience with communications.

In 2016, the company plans to launch service in about six additional neighborhoods. Residents hoping for service should weigh in soon, Howard said -- the company hopes to begin initial construction in six to eight weeks.

"Realistically, the sooner the better," Howard said.
Bullock Holds Roundtable Discussion on Montana Techs New Nursing Program

Today Governor Steve Bullock was joined by Montana Tech Chancellor Donald Blackketter, Montana Department of Labor & Industry Commissioner Pam Bucy and Montana Tech Director of Nursing Karen VanDaveer for a tour of their nursing program, which recently added a four-year nursing degree. The tour was followed by a roundtable discussion on efforts to prepare Montana students for the high-paying jobs of the growing health care industry http://www.healthcaremontana.org/

"Montanas health care industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds and as a result is creating more high-wage jobs for our students," said Governor Bullock. "In the coming years we will see thousands of new high wage jobs being added to this industry, which will only strengthen Montanas already vibrant economy."

Full Story: https://governor.mt.gov/Newsroom/ArtMID/28487/ArticleID/3122
Les membres du gouvernement se sont reunis comme chaque vendredi et ont pris note de la prochaine visiter dune delegation scientifique dans les Chagos, ds avancees dans la construction de 12,000 maisons par la New Social Living Development Ltd, aussi sir le projet du New Bel Air Market Fair project, de lelaboration dun National Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Strategic Plan, que le 8 fevrier est desormais le qu ele 8 fevrier le Bhojpuri Gammat Day et le 21 le Seggae Day, entre autres.

1. Cabinet has taken note of the visit being undertaken by a Mauritius delegation to the Chagos Archipelago as from 08 February 2022 for the conduct of a scientific survey of Blenheim Reef in the context of the maritime delimitation case brought by Mauritius against Maldives under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Mauritius delegation is led by Ambassador J.D. Koonjul, the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN in New York, and comprises technicians from Mauritius, foreign surveyors, some of the external lawyers of Mauritius, representatives of the Chagossian community as well as journalists. The trip to the Chagos Archipelago is expected to last for about 15 days.

2. Cabinet has taken note of the status regarding the implementation of the project for the construction of 12,000 residential units by the New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD) including the identification of the sites across the island. Project Management Consultants in Construction have been appointed and they are in the process of finalising the housing models for the project, in line with international norms.

3. Cabinet has taken note of the latest development regarding the New Bel Air Market Fair project. An additional block of 225 stalls for the fruits and vegetables section would be constructed at the New Bel Air Market Fair.

4. Cabinet has taken note of the elaboration of a National Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Strategic Plan by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which is in line with the Health Sector Strategic Plan 2020-2024 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In the context of the rapid ageing of the world population, in 2017 the World Health Organization has developed the ICOPE approach, which recommends that the health and social care systems as well as services be aligned to the needs and rights of older people so as to ensure that such care is integrated, accessible and of high quality. A National ICOPE Technical Committee has been set up with relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare. The Committee would be responsible for:

(a) coordinating the development of the National ICOPE Strategic Plan;

(b) organising meetings of the ICOPE Technical Working Group;

(c) ensuring preparation of the ICOPE strategy document;

(d) developing a short term roadmap for advancing healthy ageing including institutionalisation and scaling-up implementation of the ICOPE approach; and

(e) preparing reports as and when required.

The World Health Organization would provide financial and technical support to develop the Strategic Plan.

5. Cabinet has agreed:

(a) to declare 08 February as the Bhojpuri Gammat Day, the day on which Sona Noyan passed away; and

(b) 21 February as the Seggae Day, the day on which Joseph Reginald Topize (Kaya) passed away.

Seggae and Bhojpuri Gammat have enhanced the Mauritian music landscape for decades and the intangible cultural heritage has to be preserved at national level. Seggae is a creative blending of Jamaican Reggae and Mauritian Sega. Late Joseph Reginald Topize, is popularly known to be a creator of Seggae. Gammat is a lively genre of Bhojpuri music brought by the Girmitiya forefathers from the Bhojpuri belt of India. Late Sona Noyan, known as the King of Gammat kept the flame of creative Bhojpuri singing alive for over five decades, until 2013.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Motorways and Main Roads (Amendment) Regulations 2022 which aim at amending the Motorways and Main Roads Regulations to enable the classification of the newly constructed Riche Terre Link as a Main Road A, namely A21.

7. Cabinet has taken note of the Technical Assistance Facility that would be provided by the European Union to prepare a strategy for the development of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector in Mauritius. The comprehensive feasibility study, besides the strategic positioning of Mauritius as a regional medical hub, would also contribute towards maximising the value proposition for potential investors and laying the basis for a sustainable ecosystem for production of bio-pharmaceutical products. The deliverables include the following:

(a) conduct a market analysis to provide most appropriate strategic options on bio-pharmaceutical products to be developed, identification of potential targeted investors as well as value proposition and export potentials;

(b) review of the legislative and regulatory framework to identify and address legislative gaps including Intellectual Property issues;

(c) conduct a capacity and skills gap to promote employment in this sector; and

(d) advise on the governance and institutional structure required to oversee the proper functioning of this sector, including an appropriate investment framework in respect to joint public and private financing.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the forthcoming visit of a delegation from the National Informatics Centre, a department operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India, from 21 to 25 February 2022, to assist the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation in working out a Digital Government blueprint.

During the visit, the delegation would be having meetings with the key departments of the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, to gather information on the present situation in Mauritius in terms of online services being offered, projects already implemented and those in the pipeline. The collaboration of various Ministries/Departments which already offer a number of e-services has been sought for the indian team to better understand and/or identify gaps in the existing ICT ecosystem of Mauritius in terms of service delivery.

9. Cabinet has taken note that the African Development Bank (AfDB) had carried out an assessment of the Non-Sugar Sector wherein it was recommended that a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SPAZ) be set up at Wooton so as to increase production and competitiveness of the Non-Sugar Sector and a feasibility study was recommended. The AfDB has conveyed its approval for a Middle-Income Country Technical Assistance Fund (MIC TAF) Grant of approximately USD143,927 to cover the following components of the SPAZ Project, namely:

(a) full Feasibility Study and Master Plans for the SAPZ;

(b) presentation of the full Feasibility Report and Master Plans to Government and stakeholders; and

(c) project coordination and management.

A delegation from the AfDB would be in Mauritius from 14 to 18 February 2022 to launch the MIC TAF Grant for the Feasibility Study of a SAPZ in Mauritius.

10. Cabinet has taken note of the designation of Buffer zones surrounding the Black River Gorges-Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve. The application of Mauritius for the extension and renaming of the Macchabee  Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve into the Black River Gorges  Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve was approved on 28 October 2020. One of the criteria of a Man and Biosphere Reserve is the designation of Buffer zones surrounding the core zone (Black River Gorges  Bel Ombre).

The Native Terrestrial Biodiversity and National Parks Act provides that the Minister may declare any land adjoining a private or reserved land within an area not exceeding 200 metres to be a buffer zone for that Man and Biosphere Reserve. The description of 100 metres (private properties) and 200 metres (State Land) buffers has accordingly been worked out by the Forestry Service of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security.

11. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 406.6 million cases have been reported globally, of which 326.8 million persons have been successfully treated.

With regard to Mauritius, as at 09 January 2022, there were 1,372 active cases of COVID-19, out of which seven were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 03 February 2022 to 09 February 2022, 12 deaths were attributed to COVID-19.

Cabinet has also taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, including the administration of the booster dose in the Republic of Mauritius. As at 10 February 2022, 991,281 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 78.3 percent of the population). 943,742 persons were fully vaccinated (representing 74.5 percent of the population). 406,000 persons had received a booster dose (representing 32.1 percent of the population). 73.4 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years had received a first dose of vaccine and 53.1 percent had received a second dose.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the COVID-19 situation prevailing in Rodrigues. As at 09 February 2022, there were 3,976 active cases. 22 persons were admitted at Mont Lubin Treatment Centre. The Ministry of Health and Wellness would deploy three additional Nursing Officers, one Anaesthetist and five Medical Health Officers to Rodrigues. An additional consignment of COVID-19 drugs has been sent to Rodrigues.

Cabinet has also taken note that the Prime Minister made the Temporary Restrictions of Movement Order on 09 February 2022 to extend the curfew in Rodrigues from 19 00 hours to 06 00 hours until 24 February 2022.

13. Cabinet has taken note that the French Government has donated 100,000 doses of moderna vaccines to Mauritius on 5 February 2022. Another consignment of 100,000 doses was expected on 12 February 2022.

14. Cabinet has taken note that in view of the COVID-19 situation prevailing in Rodrigues and to prevent the further spread of the virus, the President of the Republic has, after necessary consultations, postponed the Rodrigues Regional Assembly Elections to Sunday 27 February 2022.

15. Cabinet has taken note of the status on the wreck of the Motor Tanker (MT) Tresta Star. A preliminary inquiry would be conducted by Capt. Hubert Noel, Principal Nautical Surveyor who would be assisted by Capt. Asiva Coopen, Deputy Director of Shipping at the Shipping Division of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping.

16. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent meeting the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade had with Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, United Kingdom, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth and the Prime Ministers Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict during his visit to Mauritius. Discussions were held on Commonwealth issues, namely:

(a) Commonwealth increasing importance;

(b) the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub;

(c) engagements of Mauritius with the Commonwealth;

(d) the need to activate the Small States Trade Finance Facility; and

(e) the Commonwealth Universal Vulnerability Index.

17. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the Eighth Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) held recently in Accra, Ghana. The AfCFTA Agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019. The Council of Ministers noted that, with regard to the Phase I negotiations, 44 tariff offers from Member States have been received, while services offers received from Member States increased to 46. On Phase II Negotiations, the Council of Ministers established the Phase II Committees to facilitate negotiations on the Protocols on Investment, Competition Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Digital Trade and Women and Youth in Trade. These were at different stages of progress. The Council of Ministers took note of the progress made and the considerable challenges in both Phase I and II negotiations. Decisions were taken regarding Trade in Services, Trade in Goods, Investment, the Competition Policy and the Dispute Settlement Body.

18. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade would, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), organise a national workshop to validate the Report on the AfCFTA National Response Strategy on 21 March 2022. The Report, entitled the Mauritian Strategy to leverage the opportunities in the AfCFTA, which would be presented at the workshop has been prepared with the technical assistance from UNECA.

The Report identifies key areas where Mauritius could develop strategies to take advantage of the AfCFTA, particularly in sectors where the country currently possesses competitive strength. The Report further sets out an action plan with respect to key intervention areas required at the national level to enhance economic diversification in Mauritius and expand trade in both goods and services with other African countries. The workshop would bring together a maximum of 50 participants from different Ministries, private sector representatives and the Economic Development Board.

19. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Mauritius delegation in the 40th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union held recently in Addis Ababa. HE Mr D. Busgeeth, Ambassador of Mauritius to the African Union Commission participated in both the Executive Council and the Assembly Sessions. Mauritius also participated in the following virtual meetings which were held in the margins of the above-mentioned sessions:

(a) African Union Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063. Mauritius was among the ten countries selected to present their Country-level Report;

(b) 39th Session of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee; and

(c) 31st Summit of the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade represented the Prime Minister during the video-conference held on 04 February 2022 and presented the Progress Report on the Implementation of the APRM National Programme of Action of Mauritius.

During the 40th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, the Council recommended to the AU Assembly a decision reaffirming the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago. This was subsequently endorsed by the AU Assembly. The elections of 15 Members of the African Union Peace and Security Council were conducted during the Executive Council.

During the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, HE Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, was elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union.

20. Cabinet has taken note of the appointment of Mrs C. R. Seewooruthun, Senior Chief Executive at the Ministry of Health and Wellness as Chairperson of the Mauritius Institute of Health Board.

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Local hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and county officials alike are concerned about the U.S. Forest Service revising its forest plan and how those changes could affect public access to national forest areas in McDowell County and other places in western North Carolina.

Monday evening, the boardroom of the McDowell County Commissioners was full of people who wanted to hear more about it and discuss the details with Nicholas Larson, ranger with the Grandfather District of the U.S. Forest Service.

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are in the process of revising their forest plan, which will guide the use of Forest Service land for the next 10 to 15 years. The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976 requires that forest plans be periodically revised, usually every 15 years.

Revisions to the current are overdue, as a lot has changed on the Forest and surrounding areas since the original plan was adopted in 1987 and significantly amended in 1994, reads the website for the Forest Service. The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests will share a combined forest plan.

The work on this plan started more than two years ago and is still being developed.

What are the publics expectations for national forest? said Larson of the idea behind it. What is it you would like to see out the national forest?

As part of this process, the U.S. Forest Service has to identify and evaluate lands that may be suitable to be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System and identify eligibility of rivers to be included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This would include places in McDowell since 29 percent of the county is national forest land.

The Pisgah National Forest covers 12 counties, including McDowell. It has three federally designated wilderness areas. This national forest is further divided into three districts. Larson is the ranger for the Grandfather District, which is based in Nebo.

The Grandfather District covers five counties and 185,000 acres. It also has one of the three federally designated wilderness areas, the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area.

The U.S. Congress would designate a wilderness area.

The revisions in the plan will guide how the national forests are maintained and regulated. The public enjoys the national forests for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, off-road riding of motorcycles and ATVs, horseback riding and other outdoor recreation. The national forest has a timber sale program.

Larson spoke to the McDowell County Board of Commissioners in November about this ongoing revision of the forest plan. Two public meetings were held that same month in Franklin and at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

In the past, Larson indicated to county officials the plan revision requires roadless areas to be evaluated for designation as wilderness. He has noted that the evaluation is a requirement and does not necessarily mean an area will be recommended to Congress for the designation, according to county officials.

Four areas in McDowell County are already classified as roadless areas by the Forest Service. They are Dobson Knob, Woods Mountain, Mackey Mountain and Jarrett Creek. There are other roadless areas within the Grandfather District.

Those four roadless areas are being evaluated now for their wilderness characteristics. This could mean that they may be recommended for wilderness designation, said Larson.

Residents and officials in several western North Carolina counties are concerned about the possibility of Congress designating additional wilderness areas within the existing forestland. The reason for their opposition is loss of timber sales, restriction of access (wilderness areas limit vehicle access) and other factors, said county officials.

Likewise, U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows has voiced his opposition. In a November letter to Graham County Commissioners, Meadows wrote he supports conservation policies that protect natural resources but the additional wilderness designations would have a negative impact on wildlife, forest health, recreation and the local economy.

Counties across Western North Carolina contribute a great deal to managing national forest lands by providing local access and municipal services, while also struggling to generate sufficient revenues to do so, wrote Meadows in the letter. Adding wilderness designations would further and permanently prohibit revenue-generating activities. Additionally, once an area is designated as wilderness, it cannot be used by mountain bikers, horseback riders or sportsmen. Adding more wilderness to our forestlands not only fails to promote healthy growth, it dramatically limits the ability of local residents and visitors from across the country to enjoy them.

Other counties in western North Carolina have passed resolutions asking that these wilderness designations not occur. The McDowell County Commissioners agreed Monday to adopt a similar one.

At the meeting, Larson said public comments are still being accepted by the U.S. Forest Service. The draft plan will be released this fall.

Were continuing to take information, he added. Larson said the plan should be finalized by 2017.

Commission Chairman David Walker asked how the public can give their input to federal officials. Larson said the public can go to the U.S. Forest Services Website and submit their comments. They can visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/home/?cid=STELPRDB5397660

Its a big bear, he said to The McDowell News. Theres a lot of moving parts to it.

Even though the boardroom was packed with people interested in this topic, the commissioners did not take comments from them and continued on with other business.

We appreciate you coming here tonight, said Walker to the crowd. It shows you care about whats happening.

Instead, those people talked with Larson out in the hallway and the lobby of the County Administration Building.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
Request for Proposals (RFP)

to Conduct a Baseline Evaluation of Transforming Masculinities in

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Date of Issuance : 9 February 2016

Due Date for Questions : 15 February 2016. Submission of Questions or requests for clarification in writing via email to cjm296@georgetown.edu by 17:00 Hours[local DRC time]

Deadline for Proposals : 22 February, 2016. Proposals (including detailed technical and financial proposal) are due 17:00 Hours Washington DC time. No late submissions will be accepted. Proposals are to be submitted electronically to cjm296@georgetown.edu and CC-ed to tjs248@georgetown.edu and kaa82@georgetown.edu. Emailed submissions must contain the subject line Transforming Mascutlinities Baseline. The successful consultant/firm will be notified within 10 days of the deadline.

Purpose



Georgetown Universitys Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) has received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement the Transforming Masculinities study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). IRH is seeking a qualified, local DRC evaluation subcontractor to conduct and manage baseline evaluation aspects of a USAID-funded program, Transforming Masculinities.

This scope of work sets forth the background and objective for the evaluation and the scope of work for the evaluation subcontractor.

Period of Performance: March 15, 2016 September 15, 2016

Location: Kinshasa, DRC

Background

In partnership with Population Services International (PSI), Association de Sante Familiale (ASF), Tearfund, and FHI 360, IRH is implementing Transforming Masculinities, a gender transformative program, in Kinshasa, DRC. Transforming Masculinities is part of the multi-initiative USAID-funded Passages project. The overall goal of Passages is improved family planning (FP) use and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among youth, especially very young adolescents (VYA), newly-married youth and first-time parents. Specifically, Passages aims to transform social norms for adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health, including impediments in accessing health services and prevalent social norms.

Within the Passages context, IRH and its partners will implement Transforming Masculinities through faith-based organizations (FBOs) and religious leaders. Tearfund developed the Transforming Masculinities approach as an evidence-based intervention for religious leaders and faith communities to promote positive masculinities and gender equality. Gender inequality is embedded in culturally constructed roles of men and women, boys and girls, and enforced through social structures, including religion and biblical strictures. Transforming Masculinities is a program for religious leaders and congregants, which uses a process of participatory scriptural reflection and dialogue to identify, create, and embrace new, positive masculine identities. IRH and partners will build on the original Transforming Masculinities curriculum to include components on FP/SRH education. In addition, the Transforming Masculinities study applied here will include a link to PSI/ASFs Confiance clinics, pharmacies, community health workers (CHW) services, and free FP hotline. This will roll out in 28 mixed denominational congregations in Kinshasa. Within this study, the Transforming Masculinities approach will be adapted with the goal to reduce social acceptance of gender-based violence (GBV) and other gender inequalities, which support early childbearing and high fertility rates and prevent women from accessing and using modern FP, and increase mens role as supportive partners. In doing so, the project aims to create a normative environment supportive of FP up take, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) generally, among newly married youth and first-time parent swithin the 18 to 24 age range.

Transforming Masculinities consists of multiple intervention components including workshops and trainings that guide religious leaders and congregation members through a process of scriptural reflections to identify, create, disseminate, and embrace new, positive masculinities, and then take action. The hoped for outcome is community-wide attitude and behavior change that leads to normative masculine identities supportive of non-violence, shared decision-making, gender equality and FP and SRH use, reduced social acceptance of GBV and other gender inequalities, increased engagement around GBV prevention, reduced GBV perpetration, and increased modern FP uptake. The intervention also aims to diffuse these GBV- and FP-related social norms beyond direct participants. Intervention components include:

1) Training with national/regional level faith leaders

2) 2-3 day orientation workshops with community/parish faith level leaders

3) 3-5 day Gender Champions training male and female community members who in turn conduct a series of six-week long community dialogue sessions in their congregations around gender roles and inequalities.

4) Community dialogues  six-week long small group discussions (two-hour dialogue per week) with couples facilitated by the Gender Champion to explore harmful notions around gender and identify positive gender identities through scriptural reflections. During the first five weeks, these participants will be divided into two same sex groups. On the sixth week men and women will come together in one group to share and reflect as one group.

5) Health Talks on FP/SRH by trained PSI/ASF community health workers to the assembled community dialogues groups, and broader congregation members, at intervention site congregations. The community health worker will also hand out referral cards with the information of the nearest Confiance clinic and ask participants to leave it in a box at the clinic reception should they visit the clinic.

Baseline Evaluation details:

Anticipated start date for the evaluation data collection is April 15, 2016 (TBD). The evaluation consists of a prospective, experimental two group, pretest/post-test design with 28 congregations randomly assigned to either a control or intervention group. The congregations will be matched on religious affiliation (e.g. Catholic, Anglican, Islam), and demographic characteristics such as size, location (peri urban/urban), denomination, and ethnicity of congregants. The intervention group receives the Transforming Masculinities intervention with added FP and SRH components, whereas the control group receives no intervention.

The aim of this evaluation is to provide a baseline from which to assess the effectiveness of the Transforming Masculinities intervention in meeting its stated aims among 14 congregations in Kinshasa, DRC.

The evaluation subcontractor will oversee and conduct all components related to the baseline, which has the following research components:

Research activity 1 : 1,344 orally administered baseline questionnaires with a randomly selected cohort of couples (male and female members) in 14 control and 14 experimental congregations. This will assess individual and community level changes in: GBV/IPV acceptance, masculine identities, gender roles, FP acceptance and use and SRH more generally.

: 1,344 orally administered baseline questionnaires with a randomly selected cohort of couples (male and female members) in 14 control and 14 experimental congregations. This will assess individual and community level changes in: GBV/IPV acceptance, masculine identities, gender roles, FP acceptance and use and SRH more generally. Research activity 2 : Social network mapping in six experimental congregations among 600 conveniently selected couples (male and female congregation members), pre intervention, to identify mechanisms of social norm diffusion in faith communities.

: Social network mapping in six experimental congregations among 600 conveniently selected couples (male and female congregation members), pre intervention, to identify mechanisms of social norm diffusion in faith communities. Research activity 3: 68 semi-structured in-depth interviews with purposely selected faith leaders, gender champions and influential members in 8experimental and 4 control congregations, and selected regional/national faith leaders, at baseline to explore attitudes regarding GBV and FP.

Recruitment criteria.

Criteria for selecting participants for research activity 1 and 2 include:

Married couples

Reside in one of 28 Kinshasa congregations identified for the intervention

Are newly married or first-time parents

Are between the ages of 18 and 24years old

Criteria for selecting participants for research study 3 will be those fulfilling the identified positions

Locations. The 28 congregations are in the following communities: Gombe, Kinshasa, Barumbu, Lingwala, Kintambo, Ngaliema I, Ngaliema II, Mont Ngafula, Makala, Bumbu, Matete, Masina I, Masina II, Ndjili I, Selembao I, Kimbanseke I, Kimbanseke II, Maluku, Kinsenso, Ngiringiri, Bandalungwa, Kalamu I, Kasavubu, Limete I, Limete II, Ngaba, Lemba I, and Nsele.

Methodology. The IRH research protocol details the execution of the methodology, including: sampling and recruitment of study respondents, obtaining informed consent, questionnaire, social network mapping and in-depth interview procedures and data collection, research tools, data management and analysis. IRH will provide the subcontractor with a copy of this research protocol and any accompanying documents on the research process, draft data collection instruments and data analysis plans. IRH will provide orientation and support on these instruments for the subcontractor.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. The Transforming Masculinities research protocol and all associated data collection instruments will be provided by IRH, and reviewed and approved by the Georgetown University IRB and a local DRC IRB prior to the start of any research activities. IRH will prepare and submit all DRC national IRB application materials and manage the correspondence with both Georgetown and DRC IRBs. Some support to the DRC IRB process, may be needed.
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 11, 2016

Google will begin censoring search query results across its network of Web sites when accessing the information from European countries where requests were made as part of the "Right To Be Forgotten" privacy ruling.

This compromise closes a "loophole" to the original ruling allowing Europeans to sidestep the censorship of their search results by going to google.com to get the unedited version.

Under Europe's Right To Be Forgotten ruling, Europeans can request that Google and other search engines remove links that are considered to violate their privacy or deemed harmful and no longer relevant to public interest. Those requesting the removal of data must specify both the links they want removed and the specific search terms linked to the content.

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The initial fine was set at 300,000 ($338,610), but it could rise to 5% of global operating costs under new data protection legislation set to come in next year.

Since the ruling in 2014, Google has received 386,038 requests for removal -- but has accepted only 42%, according to its transparency web site.

There are several ways to determine the origin of a search. Google will filter search results using the machine's IP address, which means that people accessing Google from outside Europe will not be affected.

Prior to the change, links were only removed from the originating country. If you were in Germany, only the links were removed from Google search results in Germany. The link will not be visible on any version of Google's Web site if a German resident asks Google to de-list a link serving in the searches connected to his or her name when the search engine is accessed from Germany. Using the IP address makes this possible.

On the other hand, the IP address will allow anyone outside of the European countries to have free-flow access to information.
Airport-Technology.com, Friday, February 12, 2016 9:05 AM

Miami International Airport (MIA) has introduced its mobile app, which has been developed by IT provider SITA and is intended for passengers and all airport users.

Claimed to be the first airport app in the US to use the latest technologies, including Bluetooth beacons, it provides information to people, when and where they need it. The app, called 'Your Personal Travel Assistant', offers an easy-to-use interface and provides travellers personalised updates, directions and tips based on their requirements and location. "What this means is that anyone who uses Miami International Airport will find this app incredibly useful."

Read the whole story at Airport-Technology.com 
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, February 11, 2016

Among its many other remarkable aspects, Donald Trumps presidential campaign will long be remembered for the amount of attention paid to the long-term viability of legacy publications confronted with declining print circulation and advertising revenues.

Thats because every time a newspaper or magazine criticizes the irrepressible real estate mogul, rather than the trying to refute its arguments, he responds with ad hominem attacks on the publication itself.

The latest victim of Trumps impromptu media critiques is the New York Daily News.

It aroused his wrath on Wednesday by depicting him as a clown following his victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary, under the headline, Dawn of the Brain Dead, in reference to people who voted for him. Te accompanying caption read: Clown comes back to life with N.H. win as mindless zombies turn out in droves.

In the article recounting Trumps victory, NYDN reporter Adam Edelman wrote that Clueless, brainless voters handed the mad mogul despite his outrageous comments and bizarre endorsements, in a result it called stupefying.

OK, so the NYDN isnt exactly known for its subtlety either, and its Democratic political leanings are hardly a secret. Indeed, of all his adversaries in the media, the brash Big Apple tabloid its probably the best match for the vulgar titan in tone and content. Therefore, it's the most deserving of the Trump Treatment.

Which it duly received: Trump responded to the NYDN cover with a ferocious counterattack on the newspaper itself, asserting that owner Mort Zuckerman is jealous as hell of his fellow tycoon. He called him a loser with an inferiority complex presiding over a dying publication.

Noting Zuckermans repeated attempts to sell the NYDN, Trump argued that it is a totally failing paper and predicted it is going to be closing soon, Im pretty sure.

Twisting the knife, Trump also tweeted: Worthless @NYDailyNews, which dopey Mort Zuckerman, is desperately trying to sell, has no buyer! Massive liabilities!

Trump previously savaged the New Hampshire Union Leader and The National Review after they attacked him.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 11, 2016

Internet service providers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to reject privacy advocates' requests for rules that could restrict broadband providers' ability to serve targeted ads to subscribers.

Instead, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, CTIA and other organizations representing Internet access providers argue that any new FCC privacy rules should be consistent with the Federal Trade Communications' approach.

"We believe it is important to maintain a consistent privacy framework for the Internet," the organizations write today in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. "Such an approach will protect consumers and avoid entity-based regulation that would create consumer confusion and stifle innovation."

The FTC enforces laws against deception and unfairness, but doesn't generally require ad-tech companies that collect data about adults to follow specific privacy standards. Historically, when the FTC has brought privacy lawsuits against online ad companies, the cases stem from allegations that the companies didn't follow their own privacy policies.

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"To achieve parity across the Internet ecosystem, any FCC framework for Internet service providers should be reflective of the deception and unfairness standard, consistent with the existing protections consumers receive when they engage with other companies in the Internet ecosystem," the organizations state.

The broadband providers add that consumers expect "consistent privacy standards based upon the sensitivity of the information and how it is used regardless of which entity in the Internet ecosystem uses that data."

Not everyone agrees that ISPs should be held to the same privacy standards as other companies.

Jason Kint, CEO of the publishers' group Digital Content Next, points out that ISPs have unique abilities to track people. "I believe Verizon made it fairly clear last year that ISPs are in a unique position to collect and disseminate tracking data across their networks and expose it to even more external third parties. So no, I don't think this is enough to protect consumers and maintain trust in a digital age," he says.

Kint was referring to Verizon's decision to insert unique headers -- a type of supercookie -- into all mobile traffic. The ad network Turn was able to draw on these headers to compile profiles of users who deleted their cookies.

The broadband providers' letter comes as the FCC appears ready to move forward with new privacy rules. The agency's authority to issue those rules comes from its recent decision to reclassify Internet service providers as common carriers -- a move that subjects broadband providers to some of the same confidentiality requirements rules as telephone companies.

When the FCC issued the net neutrality rules last year, it said it would consider issuing new broadband-specific rules, as opposed to applying the same rules imposed on telephone companies. Since then, regulators have advised broadband providers to follow the core tenets of basic privacy protections, but haven't suggested specific regulations.

Last month, around 60 advocacy groups asked the FCC to prohibit broadband providers from collecting and sharing data about consumers without their explicit consent. The organizations -- including the Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Free Press -- argued that broadband providers' role in the Internet gives them a "comprehensive view of consumer behavior."

Several days later, the Open Technology Institute at New America warned in a report that broadband providers pose unique risks to consumers' privacy. That group pointed out that ISPs have access to nearly all sites users visit -- including doctors' sites -- as well as people's usage patterns.

On Thursday, privacy advocates panned the broadband carriers' proposal. Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, characterized the industry's letter as "an attempt by the phone and cable giants to stop the FCC from protecting the privacy of broadband consumers."

He added: "Whats needed now are proposed strong safeguards and a public process so consumer and privacy groups can put on the record all the ways the phone and cable companies undermine consumer privacy."

Claire Gartland, consumer protection counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, points out that the FTC's powers regarding privacy are limited because the agency lacks rule-making authority. Instead, it polices companies by determining after the fact whether they duped consumers by failing to honor privacy policies, or engaging in other deceptive and unfair practices.

Gartland says EPIC is hoping that the FCC issues "strong rules" regarding privacy.

Katharina Kopp, director of privacy and data for the Center for Democracy & Technology, adds that broadband providers have access to "particularly sensitive data, which warrants particular privacy protections."

At the same time, she says the organization will urge the FCC to consider broadband regulations that are more flexible than the existing privacy rules governing telephone-service providers.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 12, 2016

Adware company Superfish has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a class-action privacy lawsuit on behalf of consumers who purchased Lenovo notebooks in late 2014 and early 2015, according to court papers filed on Thursday.

Lenovo, which allegedly bundled Superfish's "VisualDiscovery" ad-serving software with notebooks, is still fighting the lawsuit. Superfish closed last year, but reportedly re-launched as the company Just Visual.

The litigation stems from last year's revelations about security flaws in Superfish -- a program that inserts ads into a variety of Web pages -- including secure HTTPS pages. To do so, Superfish tinkers with Windows' cryptographic security, according to numerous reports. But breaking encryption also paves the way for hackers to intercept sensitive data, including passwords and online banking credentials.

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News about the technology spurred digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation to characterize Lenovo's bundling decision as catastrophically irresponsible.

Last year, Lenovo posted a notice on its site saying that it wasn't originally aware of the potential security vulnerability created by Superfish. The company also said it had server connections shut down in January of 2014. Lenovo posted instructions telling people how to remove Superfish, and said it was working with McAfee and Microsoft to fix the security vulnerability created by the software.

If accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Whyte in San Jose, the settlement will resolve allegations that Superfish violated various laws, including the federal wiretap law, a California law regarding spyware and a New York law regarding deceptive business practices.

Lenovo last month asked Whyte to dismiss the lawsuit. Among other arguments, the manufacturer says the consumers can't proceed in federal court because they weren't injured by the software.
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, February 12, 2016

Google's decision to censor its site more broadly in response to Europeans' requests to delete information about themselves sets a dangerous precedent, the digital rights group Center for Democracy & Technology says.

"We fear that in countries that engage in more severe online censorship and routinely restrict access to information, governments will demand that their censorship laws should be applied to global domains when accessed from their countries," writes Jens-Henrik Jeppesen, CDT's European affairs director.

He adds that this prospect could harm dissidents and other reformers who want to use the Web to advance democracy. "If this approach becomes standard practice for Internet companies, it will also serve as a barrier for new entrants to the online search and content-hosting business, as individual speakers and small businesses would struggle to implement geo-targeted availability of content based on several hundred countries laws," he writes.

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Jeppesen's commentary comes in response to news that Google will now respond to some EU residents' requests to delete information by blocking Europeans from accessing search results.

Google will determine users' countries by their IP addresses -- a system that is far from foolproof. Netflix, for one, also tries to prevent people in some countries from accessing videos, but Netflix users have been able to circumvent the geo-blocking by connecting to the Web via virtual private networks.

Google's move, which came to light this week, marks an obvious attempt by the company to compromise with European privacy regulators, who have been pressing the company to broaden the "right to be forgotten" by censoring search results worldwide.

The development marks the newest twist in the company's long-running conflict with European officials over privacy. In 2014, Europe's highest court ruled that Google and other search engines must allow residents of European countries to delete links to certain embarrassing information about themselves from search results.

That decision empowers EU residents to ask Google to remove links to news articles, social media posts, and other material, but doesn't require Google to automatically grant those requests. Instead, Google is supposed to weigh people's rights to privacy against the public interest in the information.

The European court's ruling only affects search engines, and not the original source of the information. In some cases, Google has removed links to old news articles, but the original pieces are still available on sites like BBC.com and TheGuardian.com.

Last June, France's data protection unit, CNIL, said Google must remove links from all of its results pages -- including Google.com in the U.S. -- and not just pages geared for European countries, like Google.fr.

The French authorities gave Google 15 days to comply or face the possibility of a $340,000 fine.

Google initially pushed back, arguing that allowing one country to censor the Web worldwide would result in a "race to the bottom."

"In the end, the Internet would only be as free as the worlds least free place," global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer said, noting that content that is legal in one country might be illegal in another. "Thailand criminalizes some speech that is critical of its King, Turkey criminalizes some speech that is critical of Ataturk, and Russia outlaws some speech that is deemed to be 'gay propaganda.'"

In September, France's data regulator rejected the company's appeal, potentially setting up a new court battle between Google and privacy regulators.

That battle could still occur, given that EU privacy officials haven't yet indicated whether they'll accept Google's partial concession.
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, February 12, 2016

Long-time ad executive David Webster Dole, who was responsible for developing the industrys ISCI codes enabling advertising to be tracked, died Jan. 28. He was 101.

Dole was a key player in the development of ISCI (Industry Standard Coding Identification) advertising codes in 1970, which played a vital role in trafficking ads and creative development until they were replaced in recent years by the industrys digital Ad-ID codes.

Dole began his ad career in 1937 when he joined Chicago-based agency Henri Hurst & McDonald, Inc., where he became broadcast administrator, program producer and media buyer; and eventually associate radio director.

From 1937-1946 Dole was the radio voice of "Red Heart, The Amazing Talking Dog" for John Morrell & Co.'s "Red Heart" dog food. Some ad historians believe the commercials dog barking sound was the first sound logo ever created for a product, preceding Bromo-Seltzer's "talking steam engine" sound logo by five years.

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In 1950 Dole joined Leo Burnett New York as program producer, then moved to Chicago as operations manager of the agencys broadcasting department, where he supervised commercial traffic, talent payments, commercial advertising budgets, network orders, program negotiation and talent contracts. He became Burnetts vice president-broadcast business in 1955.

In June, 1969 Dole was named chair of the Broadcast Administration Technical Developments committee of the 4As and it was at one of the committees meetings in 1969 that it was decided agencies and the advertisers needed to establish a single common standard TV commercial identity, which would become ISCI. The concern at the time was that stations (who were already technologically sophisticated) would each establish identification standards, and confusion would reign.

Dole retired from Leo Burnett in 1974, but continued to manage ISCI until it he sold it to the ANA and 4As in 1992.

Dole was a vital, active, and brilliant man right up to the end, said Ad-ID Chief Growth Officer Harold Geller, adding that Dole had a passion for making things better.

David had a wonderful life and filled it with love and hard work, said Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Levy, adding, I was struck by the tone of his communications, the energy and intellect behind them. If I did not know I would never believe that the letters were written by a man of hundred years of age. He has left his friends and family with a remarkable legacy: his values.
Further complicating Facebooks global expansion plans, Kirthiga Reddy is stepping down as the social giants managing director in India.

Rather than leaving Facebook, Reddy will be returning to the companys global headquarters in Menlo Park, California. The timing is terrible for Facebook, and follows a string of negative news from India.

As part of a ruling in favor of Net neutrality, Indian telecom regulators decided to block Facebooks Free Basics Web service, earlier this week. The move made good on a threat issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India -- an independent regulator of the countrys telecom industry -- late last year.

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In response, Marc Andreessen -- a venture capitalist and member of Facebooks board -- sparked outrage by calling the regulators move a form of anti-colonialism.

In a tweet, Andreessen said: Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for the Indian people for decades. Why stop now?

Rather than anti-colonialist, Indian regulators said they wanted to have Facebooks Free Basics service suspended because the program violated net neutrality principles by giving people incentives to use certain Web services over others.

In a Facebook post, Reddy said: Its a bittersweet moment to share that the return time frame is coming up in the next six to 12 months.

She is working closely with William Easton and Dan Neary "as we search for my successor in India,said Reddy. I have also begun to explore new opportunities at Facebook back at Menlo Park."

According to Facebook, Kirthiga was not involved in its Free Basic initiative during her roughly six years in India.

Critics of Facebooks program applauded India regulators, earlier this week.

Todays decision is a major victory for free speech and for Internet users everywhere, no matter what Mark Zuckerbergs well-paid public relations team might tell you, said Evan Greer, campaign director for U.S.-based digital rights group Fight for the Future.

Late last year, Egyptian authorities also pulled the plug on the free Internet service for reasons that they never fully articulated.

Last May, nearly 70 advocacy groups released a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing their opposition to the program.

Formerly known to the world as Internet.org, Free Basics offers broadband access to cell phone users in developing countries, but only lets them visit certain sites -- including Facebook -- for free. As such, critics have accused the social giant of using the service to expand its own footprint, while circumventing the principles of Net neutrality.

Key to Facebooks long-term strategy, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly defended the Free Basics program.

In a letter published in the Times of India, last December, Zuckerberg wrote: If we accept that everyone deserves access to the Internet, then we must surely support free basic Internet services.
Ulcerative colitis is a relatively common long-term condition that causes inflammation in the colon. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that is similar to Crohns disease. The colon removes nutrients from undigested food and eliminates waste products through the rectum and anus as feces. In severe cases, ulcers form on the lining of the colon. These ulcers may bleed, which produces pus and mucus. Various medication options are available, and doctors can tailor treatment to meet individual needs. In this article, we cover the symptoms, risk factors, and possible causes of ulcerative colitis, as well as some treatment options.

Symptoms Share on Pinterest Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images The first symptom of ulcerative colitis is usually diarrhea. Stools become progressively looser, and some people may experience abdominal pain with cramps and a severe urge to go to the bathroom. Diarrhea may begin slowly or suddenly. Symptoms depend on the extent and spread of inflammation. The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis include: abdominal pain

bloody diarrhea with mucus Some people may also experience: fatigue or tiredness

weight loss

loss of appetite

anemia

elevated temperature

dehydration

a constant urge to pass stools Symptoms are often worse early in the morning. Symptoms may be mild or absent for months or years at a time. However, they will usually return without treatment and vary depending on the affected part of the colon. What causes red diarrhea?

Types Symptoms may vary depending on the area of inflammation. The sections below discuss the various types of ulcerative colitis, many of which affect different parts of the colon: Ulcerative proctitis This type affects only the end of the colon, or the rectum. Symptoms tend to include: rectal bleeding, which may be the only symptom

rectal pain

an inability to pass stools despite frequent urges Ulcerative proctitis is usually the mildest type of ulcerative colitis. Proctosigmoiditis This involves the rectum and the sigmoid colon, which is the lower end of the colon. Symptoms include: bloody diarrhea

abdominal cramps

abdominal pain

a constant urge to pass stool Left-sided colitis This affects the rectum and the left side of the sigmoid and descending colon. Symptoms usually include: bloody diarrhea

abdominal cramping on the left side

weight loss Pancolitis This affects the whole colon. Symptoms include: occasionally severe, bloody diarrhea

abdominal pain and cramps

fatigue

considerable weight loss Fulminant colitis This is a rare, potentially life threatening form of colitis that affects the whole colon. Symptoms tend to include severe pain and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and shock. Fulminant colitis can present a risk of colon rupture and toxic megacolon, which causes the colon to become severely distended.

Diet According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), some dietary measures may help relieve symptoms, including: eating smaller, more regular meals, such as five or six small meals per day

drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, to prevent dehydration

avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can both increase diarrhea

avoiding sodas, which can increase gas

keeping a food diary to identify which foods make symptoms worse A doctor may suggest temporarily following a specific diet depending on symptoms, such as: a low fiber diet

a lactose-free diet

a low fat diet

a low salt diet It may help to take supplements or eliminate particular foods from the diet. However, a person should discuss any complementary or alternative measures with a doctor before trying them. Here, find out more about what to eat and avoid with ulcerative colitis.

Causes The exact causes of ulcerative colitis are unclear. However, they may involve the following: Genetic factors Research suggests that people with ulcerative colitis are more likely to have certain genetic features. The specific genetic feature that a person has may affect the age at which the disease appears. Environment The following environmental factors might affect the onset of ulcerative colitis: diet

air pollution

cigarette smoke Immune system The body might respond to a viral or bacterial infection in a way that causes the inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis. Once the infection resolves, the immune system continues to respond, which leads to ongoing inflammation. Another theory suggests that ulcerative colitis may be an autoimmune condition. A fault in the immune system may cause it to fight nonexistent infections, leading to inflammation in the colon.

Risk factors Some known risk factors for ulcerative colitis include: Age: Ulcerative colitis can affect people at any age but is more common at 1530 years of age.

Ulcerative colitis can affect people at any age but is more common at 1530 years of age. Ethnicity: White people and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have a higher risk of developing the condition.

White people and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have a higher risk of developing the condition. Genetics: Although recent studies have identified specific genes that may play a role in ulcerative colitis, the link is unclear due to the role of environmental factors.

Diagnosis A doctor will ask about a persons symptoms and medical history. They will also ask whether any close relatives have had ulcerative colitis, IBD, or Crohns disease. They will also check for signs of anemia, or low iron levels in the blood, and tenderness around the abdomen. Several tests can help rule out other possible conditions and diseases, including Crohns disease, infection, and irritable bowel syndrome. These include: blood tests

stool tests

X-ray

barium enema, during which a healthcare professional passes a fluid called barium through the colon to show any changes or anomalies in a scan

sigmoidoscopy, in which a healthcare professional inserts a flexible tube with a camera at the end, called an endoscope, into the rectum

colonoscopy, wherein a doctor examines the whole colon using an endoscope

a CT scan of the abdomen or pelvis A person with ulcerative colitis will need to see a doctor who specializes in treating conditions of the digestive system, or a gastroenterologist. They will assess the type and severity of the condition and create a treatment plan.

Treatment Ulcerative colitis symptoms can range from mild to severe, but it needs treatment. Without treatment, the symptoms may go away, but there is a higher chance of them coming back. Most people will receive outpatient treatment. However, around 15% of people with the disease have a severe form. Of these, 1 in 5 may need to spend time in the hospital. Treatment will focus on: maintaining remission to prevent further symptoms

managing a flare until symptoms go into remission Various medications are available, and a doctor will make a treatment plan that takes individual needs and wishes into account. Natural approaches can support medical treatment, but they cannot replace it. Long-term treatment to maintain remission The first aim of treatment is to reduce the risk of a flare and its severity if a flare does occur. Long-term therapy can help achieve this. There are several types of medication, and a doctor will make a treatment plan to suit the individual. Ulcerative colitis results from a problem with the immune system. Three types of drugs that can help are biologics, immunomodulators, and small molecules. These target the way the immune system works. They include: TNF- antagonists, such as infliximab (Remicade) or adalimumab (Humira)

anti-integrin agents, such as vedolizumab (Entyvio)

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, such as tofacitinib (Xeljanz) or upadacitinib (Rinvoq)

interleukin 12/23 antagonists, such as ustekinumab (Stelara)

immunomodulators, for instance, thiopurines (azathioprines) and methotrexate These drugs can help people with moderate to severe symptoms, but they may have adverse effects. People should talk to their doctor about the options available and the benefits and risks of each drug. However, for mild to moderate symptoms, guidelines suggest 5-aminosalicylic acid, or aminosalicylates (5-ASA), as a first-line treatment. Examples include: mesalamine

balsalazide

sulfasalazine Other options Aminosalicylates: In the past, 5-ASA played a key role in treating the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. These are still an option, but current guidelines recommend focusing on long-term treatment to prevent symptoms from occurring in the first place. Steroids: These can help manage inflammation if aminosalicylates do not help. However, long-term use can have adverse effects, and experts recommend minimizing their use. Managing severe active ulcerative colitis A person with severe symptoms may need to spend time in the hospital. Hospital treatment can reduce the risk of malnutrition, dehydration, and life threatening complications, such as colon rupture. Treatment will include intravenous fluids and medications. Surgery If other treatments do not provide relief, surgery may be an option. Some surgical options include: Colectomy: A surgeon removes part or all of the colon.

A surgeon removes part or all of the colon. Ileostomy : A surgeon makes an incision in the stomach, extracts the end of the small intestine, and connects it to an external pouch, called a Kock pouch. The pouch then collects waste material from the intestine.

: A surgeon makes an incision in the stomach, extracts the end of the small intestine, and connects it to an external pouch, called a Kock pouch. The pouch then collects waste material from the intestine. Ileoanal pouch: A surgeon constructs a pouch from the small intestine and connects it to the muscles surrounding the anus. The ileoanal pouch is not an external pouch. Sometimes it is called a J-pouch. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, around 1015% of people with ulcerative colitis will need a colectomy.

Complications The possible complications of ulcerative colitis can range from a lack of nutrients to potentially fatal bleeding from the rectum. Possible complications include: Colorectal cancer Ulcerative colitis, especially if symptoms are severe or extensive, increases the risk of developing colon cancer. According to the NIDDK, colon cancer risk is highest when ulcerative colitis affects the entire colon for longer than 8 years . Toxic megacolon This complication occurs in a few cases of severe ulcerative colitis. In toxic megacolon, gas becomes trapped, causing the colon to swell. When this occurs, there is a risk of colon rupture, septicemia, and shock. Other complications Other possible complications of ulcerative colitis include: inflammation of the skin, joints, and eyes

liver disease

osteoporosis

perforated colon

severe bleeding

severe dehydration To prevent bone density loss, a doctor may prescribe vitamin D supplements, calcium, or other medications. Attending regular medical appointments, closely following a doctors advice, and being aware of symptoms can help prevent these complications.
Social animals, such as mice, are neurologically programmed to seek out the company of others, especially after periods of being alone, says a study published in Cell. Share on Pinterest Mice that are separated from their cagemates crave company after 24 hours. Previous studies have looked at social reward but not the motivation to seek social contact. Study co-authors Gillian Matthews and Mark Ungless, of Imperial College London in the UK, were using mice to study the effects of cocaine in some little-studied dopamine-releasing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of the brainstem. They were surprised to observe that the properties of the neurons changed when mice were separated from their cagemates, regardless of cocaine exposure. The findings led to a new research area: the neuroadaptations of acute social isolation. The team housed mice either in groups or in social isolation for 24 hours, and then they measured the activity of DRN dopamine neurons. When the isolated mice came out of solitude and met a young mouse, they experienced an increase in DRN dopamine neuron activity. The communally housed mice did not have the same reaction. This suggests that the DRN dopamine neurons respond to the effects of social contact after being isolated.

Activating or inhibiting neurons changes behavior Next, a team led by Kay Tye, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, used optogenetics to find out whether the neurons actively motivate social behavior. The scientists took some genetically modified neurons that would express the light-sensitive proteins that control neural excitability, to which they delivered light through an optic fiber: blue light to activate the cells and yellow light to inhibit them. When they activated the DRN dopamine neurons, the mice chose to spend more time in company; when they inhibited the neurons, even mice that had been isolated for 24 hours appeared less inclined to spend time with other mice. The results imply that DRN dopamine neurons are a key driver of social behavior following time spent in isolation. Moreover, the extent to which the neurons change social behavior appears to reflect social rank. In more dominant mice, stimulating DRN dopamine neurons was more likely to lead to social activity. Inhibiting the neurons, however, made dominant males even less likely to seek company after isolation.
Zika virus continues to dominate world news, and as awareness of this little-known virus grows, more and more people are wondering if they should be concerned about it. Do the rising numbers of reported cases across the Americas indicate that the general public should be worried about Zika?

Share on Pinterest Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is transmitted by the Aedes species of mosquito.

The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that relatively little is understood about Zika, and that although a causal link between the virus and microcephaly is strongly suspected, there is as yet no scientific evidence to confirm it.

Zika has not really been in the media limelight or indeed that of the medical profession, because symptoms are relatively minor and deaths have only very rarely been reported, Dr. Helen Webberley, a general practitioner with the British National Health Service (NHS), told Medical News Today.

It is a self-limiting infection with only 1 in 5 patients complaining of any symptoms, she added, these being mild fever, conjunctivitis, headache, joint pain and rash. A rare neurological condition called Guillain Barre syndrome has also been associated.

Regions experiencing a Zika outbreak are looking to collect as much information as possible while attempting to deal with the Aedes species of mosquito that is known to transmit the virus, along with other diseases in the flavivirus family such as dengue fever.

The reason why Zika has suddenly become so important and why the World Health Organization (WHO) is so concerned are the reports of rapidly escalating fetal abnormalities associated with the virus  in particular, cases of microcephalus seen in Brazilian babies, explained Dr. Webberley.

Whereas Brazil reported only 150 cases of microcephalus in 2014, there have been over 4,700 cases reported since 22 October 2015, and Zika virus has been demonstrated in the brain in some of those babies who have died. It has also been identified in placenta and amniotic fluid.

Brazil faces additional complications as it continues to make preparations for hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. Over the past week, some countries have expressed concern over attending the multi-sport event.

The head of Kenyas Olympic Committee suggested that their athletes could pull out of the competition. We are not going to risk taking Kenyans there if this Zika virus reaches epidemic levels, said Kipchoge Keino.

The US Olympic Committee have also reportedly stated that any athletes or staff who are concerned about the Zika virus should not go to Brazil if they do not feel comfortable.

But it is not just people who are scheduled to travel to Brazil who are wary and worried about the mosquito-borne virus; a recent poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos has shown that a growing number of Americans are being discouraged from traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The poll, conducted at the start of the month, found that 41% of people who were aware of the virus were now less likely to take a trip to the region.

Awareness of the virus was also demonstrated to be increasing, rising from 45% in a poll conducted in late January to 6 out of 10 of the 1,595 adults surveyed. A total of 18% of participants expressed that they were very concerned about Zika.

But are these people right to be so concerned about the virus, a disease that has only recently come to prominence since 2007?
Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer, with more than 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year in Spain. Lung adenocarcinomas carrying oncogenic KRAS, the engine driving these tumours in 30% of cases, constitute the most aggressive sub-type because, unlike other types of lung cancer, there are no targeted therapies beyond the standard cisplatin-based treatment.

Researchers of the Experimental Oncology Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by Mariano Barbacid, director of the Group, and the researcher David Santamaria, will be publishing a paper in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine this week explaining how the combination of dasatinib -- DDR1 protein inhibitor -- and demcizumab -- a Notch pathway inhibitor antibody -- specifically and effectively reduces lung adenocarcinomas and improves prognosis and survival rates substantially. Once the preclinical studies have been completed, "the next step in this research would be the clinical trials to validate the combination of these drugs as the first therapy directed against these aggressive tumours," says Chiara Ambrogio, first author of the paper.

A NEW APPROACH

One of the most important barriers in the study of lung adenocarcinomas is their great heterogeneity when they reach advanced stages: tumour cells evolve over time, learn to adapt to the environment in order to grow and survive and form sub-populations within the same tumour. This heterogeneity explains why many patients stop responding to cancer treatments.

"Classically, tumours have been studied at advanced stages, but we were interested in studying the initial stages of tumour formation. We followed this approach to avoid the heterogeneity issue and try to identify new essential mechanisms that sustain tumour development with potential therapeutic uses," says Ambrogio.

The researchers analysed the gene signature of these tumours through large-scale gene analysis techniques. "We discovered that these tumours display high levels of activity of the DDR1 gene, so we decided to validate its inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy for this type of tumour."

Recent data indicate that combined therapies using two or more drugs can prevent, or at least delay, relapses in the case of cancer patients; thus, the experts simultaneously used dasatinib, which inhibits the DDR1 protein, together with demcizumab, an antiboby inhibiting the Notch pathway that is functionally related to DDR1 in this tumour type.

After five years of research, the experts conclude that the combination of the two drugs has additive effects on tumours, reducing their size, preventing their progression and significantly increasing survival rates. "One of the advantages of the project is that the two drugs employed have already been approved by the regulatory agencies, which will significantly speed-up studies on human patients. The next steps are clinical trials to validate the combination of these drugs as the first targeted therapy for the treatment of these tumours."

The authors of the paper have used preclinical models of genetically modified mice. In collaboration with the team of Alberto Villanueva in the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), they generated orthotopic mouse models by implanting lung tumours from patients in order to validate the effectiveness of the drugs directly on human samples. The teams of Manuel Serrano and Manuel Hidalgo from the CNIO have also participated in the study.
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Claudio Maierovitch, director of the ministry's communicable disease surveillance department, cautioned against drawing conclusions."It's not possible at this point to say that Zika was the sole cause of death," he said.Pedro Vasconcelos, a doctor at the Evandro Chagas Institute, which is analyzing samples from the victim, said the woman had "very unusual respiratory symptoms" for Zika."It's possible she had pneumonia that was aggravated by Zika and she eventually died," he said.Brazil last year announced that an adult and a teenager infected by Zika were known to have died.The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes only mild symptoms in most people.However, Zika has been linked to a rapid rise in the number of children born with microcephaly -- abnormally small heads and brains -- to mothers infected during pregnancy. There is currently no cure or vaccine for Zika.Brazil has been most affected by the outbreak, with 1.5 million people infected since early 2015. The country has confirmed 404 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly and 3,670 others are under study.The WHO has declared the rise in Zika-linked birth defects an international emergency.Confirmed cases have been found in 26 countries, spanning 7,000 kilometers (4,400 miles) from Mexico to Paraguay, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.President Barack Obama asked for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funds to tackle the fast-spreading virus in the United States and beyond.The second most-affected country, Colombia, announced three deaths of Zika-infected patients who had also contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome -- a neurological disease that can cause paralysis in humans.Colombia has reported more than 22,600 confirmed Zika cases. However, the WHO has urged caution over linking the virus to Guillain-Barre syndrome.Individual countries and regions are beginning to mobilize to limit the spread of Zika and are cooperating on developing a vaccine.Castro, the Brazilian health minister, said 15 American experts arrived in the country to study Zika this week."The vaccine is not a Brazilian concern, but global. We could have a pandemic in the Americas with four million people infected by the Zika virus," he said.Despite fears about Zika in Brazil, experts say the Aedes aegypti mosquito also transmits dengue, which is endemic in the country and even more dangerous. Some 863 people died from dengue in Brazil last year, up 82.4 percent from the year before, the government says.Source: AFP
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Some 17,000, if not more, are estimated to have been killed since then. At least as many have been injured.Tesfaye Makonnen and his team deal with many of the so-called "weapon-wounded" at the Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri and as they recover in a newly opened 33-bed ward.On any given day the senior trauma surgeon with the International Red Cross (ICRC) can be found in the operating theatre, repairing the damage caused by bullets and bombs.But the fact the severely wounded are alive at all is a positive sign and testament to the increasing skills in "battlefield surgery" of doctors working in the much-targeted city, he said."Most of these patients whom you have seen on the ward who have been here for a couple of months, they would have died," he told AFP as he prepared to operate on a gunshot wound."Either they would have died from the primary injury, from bleeding, or they would have died from sepsis, infection."- Breadwinners -Baba Ali Bukar, a 34-year-old food trader, has been in hospital since June last year when both his legs were badly damaged by a bomb blast in the Borno town of Monguno."They (the doctors) had lost hope in the right leg. I had three surgeries. Some of the bones were shattered," he said."They had to remove them to allow the bones to form again before finally they put it in a cast. If it wasn't for the ICRC my leg would have had to be amputated... I would have been finished."Bukar's fears aren't unusual among patients. Earning a living is everything in Nigeria, where the only financial safety net is the generosity of family and friends.Usman Bukar Isyaku's legs are still in plaster five months after an explosion at a mosque. Daniel Auta stumbled across a group of militants in December last year and was shot.Falmata Mustapha is at the start of her journey to recovery after being injured in an attack just outside Maiduguri last month that also killed her two-year-old daughter.Getting better and back to work unites them all."I have people I take care of," said Isyaku, a 30-year-old builder, from his bed on the male orthopaedic ward at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH)."I have a wife and four kids and of course I'm the breadwinner. Now this has happened to me, I'm just praying that I will recover and continue with my job."- Long-term care -For the injured, the cost of care is at least free. The hospitals, state government or international agencies such as ICRC and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) pick up the tab.Additional finance comes from various support funds but the burden of repeated attacks has been heavy, stretching overworked staff and meagre resources.Behind the iron gates and security guards in the UMTH accident and emergency unit, mattresses have been put on the floor on one side of the 30-bed ward to allow more people to be treated.All are occupied by patients, their sleeping children and families, surrounded by overflowing bins of bloodied bandages, dressings, discarded surgical gloves and empty medicine boxes.Staff describe the influx of newly wounded into such a situation as "mayhem" after a fresh attack.Helping those affected requires longer term, specialist attention in an impoverished region that was lacking basic medical care, equipment and doctors even before the insurgency.Even if the conflict ends tomorrow, its physical and psychological legacy will last a lifetime.Children like 12-year-old Isa Lawan, who lost his right hand, not only fear for a future with a disability but appear to have little or no understanding of why it happened to them."It was after evening prayers," he said quietly from his bed on the ICRC ward, trying hard to fight back tears. "A woman came in. There was a sort of laser light beeping on her chest."When my father asked her to leave she kept advancing towards him. My father stepped back and she exploded... She killed 19 people."Source: Medindia


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At a January 19, 2016 meeting in Moscow with representatives of the European Jewish Congress, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested with a smile that Western Jews could come to Russia to find refuge from the growing antisemitism in the West.[1] According to the Russian paper Kommersant, Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, responded by promising Putin that, if the Jews did return to Russia, this would not compromise the country's sovereignty.[2] Kantor also noted that antisemitism in Russia has dropped, unlike in Europe, and expressed hope that it would continue to do so. "We would like to thank the Russian leadership for waging a struggle against those who have chosen Jews as their target," he added. [3]

Putin replied that Russia considers the European Jewish Congress an ally in the struggle against antisemitism; "We consider your organization, one of the most representative non-governmental organizations in Europe, to be Russia's natural ally in the struggle against xenophobia, antisemitism and [the] manifestation of extreme views... We certainly regard you as our direct allies in preserving the memory of WWII, which was disastrous for all humanity, and [of] the Holocaust."[4]

He stated further that the handover of the famous Schneerson Library to the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow[5] will enable to end the controversy which previously arose over the historical collection.[6] The Russian president also promised to visit a new synagogue that had recently opened in Moscow.[7]

In response to the invitation extended by Putin to the Jews, the online paper Gazeta.ru published an editorial titled "You'd Better Come Over to Us," about the situation of Jews in Russia today. The editorial stated that conditions for Jews in Russia are indeed better today than they were in the past, because antisemitism is largely "confined to people's kitchens and is not being used as a state policy." It added, however, that Jews are nevertheless unlikely to flock back to Russia. This, first of all because of the deep economic crisis there, and also because the improvement in the condition of the Jews is merely a reflection of the political trends of the moment. It does not result from any deep changes in social attitudes towards Jews, or from any change in the authorities' fundamental tendency to see ethnic minorities as enemies, said the editorial.

The following are excerpts from it:[8]



Putin with representatives of the European Jewish Congress (Image: Sputniknews, January 19, 2016)

Putin: "Let Them Come Here. They Left The Soviet Union, Now They Can Come Back"; Kantor: "This Is A Brand New Idea"

"'Let them come here. They left the Soviet Union, now they can come back.' This was Vladimir Putin's smiling response to the statement made by Viatcheslav Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, that the situation of Jews in Europe is now 'the worst since the Second World War.' Kantor didn't lose his cool: 'This is a brand new idea. We will definitely discuss it at the Congress. I hope we will support you,' [he said].

"Although it appeared to be a joke, the president's invitation was picked up by the head of [Russia's] Jewish Autonomous Region,[9] Alexander Levintal, who reported that the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia [of which the autonomous region is a part] was ready to absorb European Jews who have been suffering from creeping antisemitism.[10] What else could he [Levintal] do? You do not argue with your president - although even the press agencies that usually practice strict self-restraint in describing emotions reported that Putin had made this offer 'with a smile on his face.' It was the president's usual tongue-in-cheek smile, which some might find it odd and even inappropriate, considering that the Jews left the Soviet Union in desperation, fleeing the 'fifth clause' which identified them [as Jews] in their internal passports, the unspoken ban [on Jews] in many universities and certain governmental positions, as well as other expressions of antisemitic official policy. According to certain sources, before its fall, Stalin's regime was planning a mass-deportation of Jews to Birobidzhan [the Jewish Autonomous Region's administrative center].

"The smile was probably meant to signal that the president himself is aware that European Jews will be in no great hurry to take him up on his generous offer, hence the answering smiles. But [the fact is that] today, Russian Jews, as an ethnic group, are probably enjoying the most stable period in history of the country...

"One of the largest Jewish museums in the world [the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre] has been opened in Moscow and is operating successfully; the president himself visits it regularly... The president is often reproached [for many things], but he cannot be accused of having a negative attitude towards Jews. Simply look at the names of many figures, who have surrounded him at different stages of his life. Even protests by [Russian] nationalists have lately been aimed mainly at immigrants from the Northern Caucasus, not at Jews, who were targets in the Perestroika years and in the early 90s."

On The Same Day Putin Offered The Jews To Come Back To Russia, It Was Reported That The Moscow Municipality's Education Dpt Was Listing Students Who Have A Dual Citizenship

"Europe, on the other hand, is becoming less and less attractive for Jews to live in. The new wave of Islamic immigration from the Middle East is a source of concern for the leaders of European Jewish communities, who see [these immigrants] as young jihadists with strong anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiments...

"However, even against this backdrop, a massive exodus of Jews back to Russia seems to be a fantasy. There are several reasons why neither Jews nor any other group of people are in a hurry to immigrate to Russia...

"On the same very day Putin offered the Jews to come back [to Russia], it was reported that the Moscow Municipality's Education Department was listing students who have a dual citizenship. It's not hard to guess what historical connotations this, and other acts stigmatizing minorities, have for members of a people that was outcast for centuries.

"Furthermore, consider the comprehensive [Russian] crisis, which will not end in the foreseeable future. On top of that, there is the opaque economic policy, which [OC] is unable to overcome this [economic] crisis by opening up the economy and encouraging new independent ventures. All this contributes to Russia's image as a country that is isolating itself from the developed world and has no intention of competing with it in any field except the military one. Would anybody see any positive prospects for himself in such a situation?

"Finally, [consider] what is perhaps the most important issue of all. Yes, Russia is now at a rare historic moment when domestic antisemitism is confined to people's kitchens and is not used as a state policy, even though the authorities are [always] inclined to look for new 'enemies.' However, this very example perhaps demonstrates better than anything else that the improvement in the social climate is merely a reflection of the political trends of the moment, and does not reflect any deep changes in social attitudes.

"A high-ranking Russian official said: 'Without Putin not only will there not be Russia, there won't be peaceful coexistence between ethnic groups.' [Consider] just one tiny detail in this unpleasant prospect: A headline in an official [pro-government] Chechen media outlet emphasized the Jewish roots of the poet Dmitry Bykov, an oppositionist journalist.

"There is no doubt that Jews from abroad will not be flocking to Russia. Rather, our own [Russian] Jews will be leaving the country, which is very sad for many reasons, including pragmatic ones..."

Endnotes:
In his January 31, 2016 column in the pro-AKP government, radical Islamist daily Vahdet, journalist Seyfi Sahin wrote that the evolutionary theory of "the Jew" Darwin contradicts Allah's word in the Koran. Claiming to be a physician, Sahin argued that humans did not evolve from monkeys, but rather that monkeys evolved from perverted Jews whom Allah cursed and punished.[1] The column was widely criticized by Turkey's independent opposition media.



Sahin. Vahdet, January 31, 2016.

Following are excerpts from Sahin's article, titled "Monkeys Evolved from Humans." [2]

"Chromosomal Anomalies" In Monkeys "Have Never Led To The Birth Of Human Beings Or Of Monkeys Resembling Human Beings"

"Monkeys are animals that look like humans. Humans have 46 chromosomes and monkeys have 48. Since these chromosomes are similar in structure, these species can transfer from one to the other. When we, physicians, examine anomalies in chromosomes, we find that human chromosomal anomalies lead to the birth of humans similar to monkeys, as in cases of microcephaly, in which newborns resemble monkeys in form, intelligence, behavior, and social life. Such [deformed humans] must be kept under strict control. The numbers of such cases is not negligible.

"In monkeys too there are chromosomal anomalies, but these have never led to the birth of human beings or of monkeys resembling human beings. We understand from this that humans are not derived from monkeys, but that monkeys come from humans. There are many factors in the creation of such anomalies, among them divine, environmental, and chemical."

"Those Among You Who Violated The Saturday [Sabbath] Prohibitions... Will Become Miserable Monkeys [Koran 5:60]"

"Our God, the Creator of the universe, has also confirmed these truths. 'You know those among you who violated the Saturday [Sabbath] prohibitions. For them it is said that they will become miserable monkeys [Koran 2:65].'

"Also: 'Whomever Allah has cursed and punished, and those He turned into monkeys, pigs, and Satan worshippers, occupy the worst place [in His eyes], and they are perverts that have deviated from their path [Koran 5:60].'

"'And when they became arrogant and did not change their ways, they were told to become low and contemptible monkeys [Koran 7:166].'

"The [Koranic] verses above show us that monkeys have come from humans. Allah always tells the truth."

The Theory Of Evolution Is "An Opinion" By "A Jew Called Darwin"; "The Gorillas And Chimps Living Today In The Forests Of North Africa Are Cursed Jews"

"The theory of evolution was put forward by a Jew called Darwin. Therefore, it is an opinion. The aim of this theory is to turn the non-Jews away from their religion, to harm their faith, and to make them suspicious about their religion. Darwin, being a Jew, believed, lived, and was buried according to his religion. His real targets were the Muslims. Most likely, Darwin knew about these Koranic verses. In the Holy Koran, Allah responded very well to these perverts.

"Jews, who are well organized in the world's financial and scientific institutions, are so powerful that they terrorize the world of science. Through propaganda and through the reiteration of this nonsense, they have brainwashed and imposed this opinion as a rule, and sold this deception as scientific reality. Even some ignorant theologians have believed the propaganda of this theory...

"I believe that the gorillas and chimps living today in the forests of North Africa are cursed Jews. They are perverted humans that have mutated. This thought is much stronger and scientific than Darwin's theory. But we the Muslims, who believe this, do not have banks, money, or the organization inside the world of science [like the Jews have]. Neither do we have propaganda outlets, in order to scream this truth. But we have our intellect, we have our faith, and we have our Allah. Alhamdullillah [with the grace of Allah]."

Endnotes:
The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to [email protected] with "Membership" in the subject line.)

Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to [email protected]. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.

EXCLUSIVE: Jihadi 'Help Desk,' Tech Channels On Telegram And Twitter Offer Tech Support, Tutorials, Up-To-Date Cyber Security Info

By: M. Khayat*

Introduction

Jihadis are enjoying, it appears, the services of a technical "help desk" on the secure messaging app Telegram and on Twitter. The help desk is part of a larger network that caters to jihadis' technical needs, and includes channels and accounts on those platforms and on a forum dedicated to technical matters as well.

In the last year jihadis have intensified their effort to provide their counterparts with technical know-how on a variety of topics such as mobile phone security, and cyber security-related information in general. The information has generally focused on raising jihadis' cyber security knowledge and awareness with regard to their operations online. Most recently, these efforts have culminated in the establishment of the Electronic Horizon Foundation (EHF), a joint effort of several entities like Tiqani Al-Dawla Al-Islamiyya (the "Islamic State Technician") and the Information Security channel, a top disseminator of cyber security information, and a technical channel on Telegram, respectively. One of the EHF's top goals is to hamper electronic surveillance of the mujahideen by Western intelligence services.

EXCLUSIVE: Selfies And Salafis: Instagram Use Among Jihadis And Their Supporters

Instagram, the online mobile photo- and video-sharing app, is a popular platform for jihadis fighting in Syria, as well as for their sympathizers, for propagating the message of the Islamic State (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and other jihadi groups. It is one of the host of social media platforms that jihadis are adept at using, and by means of which they leave their indelible mark online. Instagram appears to be used by jihadis mainly to chronicle life on the battlefield, or for public, and private one-on-one communications. Fighters appear to use it for small talk or as an initial point of contact before moving on to other, encrypted platforms such as Surespot or Telegram.

EXCLUSIVE: ISIS In Libya To Egyptians: Rise Up Against Al-Sisi, Burn The Slaves Of The Cross, Terrorize The Jews

On February 7, 2016, the information office for the Islamic State (ISIS) in Tripoli province, Libya published a 13-minute video titled "Your [Nonviolent Protest] - Whose Religion Does It Belong To?!"

Top ISIS Propagandist 'Turjiman Al-Asawirti' Launches Telegram Channel

Top Islamic State (ISIS) propagandist "Turjiman Al-Asawirti" has launched a channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. The account, opened in February 10, already has over 1,100 members.

ISIS Raqqa Holds Preaching Event For Christians

On February 9, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Raqqa Province published a series of photos from an event held by its preaching bureau for the city's remaining Christians, in which they were called to convert to Islam. The photos were titled "The Preaching Bureau - Inviting the People of Dhimma to Islam"; the date of the event was not given. It should be mentioned that shortly after it took over the city of Raqqa, ISIS signed a dhimma pact with the city's Christians, forcing them to pay a poll tax.

New Nashid In French Glorifies Self-Sacrifice, Martyrdom

On February 8, 2016, The Islamic State (ISIS) distributed a new nashid (song) in French which glorifies martyrdom for the sake of Allah. The song, produced by ISIS's Al-Hayat Media Center, was distributed through Twitter and Telegram and hosted mainly on Archive.org. The following are its lyrics and some details about it.

Titled "Out of Love," the song is styled as the final statement of a fighter who is about to die out of love for Allah and attain the rewards of the martyr in Paradise.

In Video Showing Execution Of Spies, ISIS Threatens David Cameron: 'Today We're Going To Kill Your Spies The Same Way They Helped You Kill Our Brothers'

On February 10, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Al-Raqqa province released an 8-minute video titled "They Are The Enemy So Beware Of Them - 4" (a reference to Koran 63:4). This is the fourth video in a series depicting the confessions and executions of spy cells by ISIS.

The current video documents the execution of three men accused of spying on and targeting ISIS members in Al-Raqqa.

English-Speaking Boy Executes Apostates' In An ISIS Video

Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV

Issue 8 Of ISIS' French Magazine 'Dar Al-Islam' Presents Religious Justification For Paris Attacks, Threatens More Terror To Come

On February 7, 2016, Al-Hayat, the media company of the Islamic State (ISIS), released the eighth issue of the organization's French-language magazine Dar Al-Islam, which is concerned mostly with the November 13 attacks in Paris. The issue, 114 pages long, was distributed via jihadi forums (e.g., Shumoukh Sl-Islam) as well as Twitter and Telegram accounts, and hosted mainly on Archive.org. The following is a brief overview of it; more comprehensive reports are pending.

Former Gitmo Detainee Ibrahim Al-Qusi Extols Prisoners Executed In Saudi Arabia, Calls On Muslims To Join AQAP

On February 8, 2016, Al-Malahem, the media arm of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), published an audio statement in which Ibrahim Al-Qusi, a Sudanese national and former Guantanamo Bay detainee who joined the group last year, praised the 43 prisoners recently executed in Saudi Arabia, and extolled them for taking part in the fight against the U.S. presence in the Arabian Peninsula. In the statement, which was posted on leading Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi forum Al-Fida', Al-Qusi stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia to Al-Qaeda, condemned the ruling family's alliance with the U.S., and called on Muslims living there to rebel against them and join and support the mujahideen.

AQAP Factions Clash Over Leadership Following Death Of Senior Commander Hamza Al-Zinjbari

On February 11, 2016, Yemeni activists and newspapers reported that two factions of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have clashed over the group's leadership of Abyan province, following the February 4, 2016 death of senior commander Jalal Bal'idi, aka Hamza Al-Zinjbari, in an airstrike.

Uyghur Fighters Recount Long Odyssey From Turkestan To Syria

On February 10, 2016, Abu-Israa' a member of the jihadi forum Al-Fida' posted the saga of the journey made by Malek and his companions, a group of Uyghurs who left Turkestan for Syria to join the fighting there apparently in the ranks of a TIP (Turkestan Islamic Party) offshoot in Syria fighting alongside Jabhat Al-Nusra.

Indian Newspaper Profiles Nine Indian Nationals Who Established ISIS Branch In India

Following are excerpts from a report profiling nine Indian nationals who established a branch of the Islamic State (ISIS) in India by journalist Rahul Tripathi of The Economic Times daily:



In 2014, 26 Indian youths posed for a group photograph in ISIS t-shirts in Tamil Nadu state

1. Nafees Khan, 21

"He is described as the 'head of finance' at Islamic State-inspired Janood-ul-Khalifa-al-Hind. Nafees... was working as a salesman at a tile shop in [the southern Indian city of] Hyderabad on a monthly salary of Rs. 11,000. He hails from Mumbai's Nalasopara [area] and came to Hyderabad in 2012 in search of a job. His primary education was at a Telugu [language-learning] camp and later did Islamic studies at a madrassa for four years."
In a December 16, 2015 speech at the second Basij Supreme Assembly in Mashhad, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deputy commander Hossein Salami reviewed the geopolitical developments in the Middle East in the wake of the Russian intervention in Syria. Emphasizing that Iran has triumphed in the Middle East and that its "offspring," that is, its emissaries, are in the eastern Mediterranean, he said that Iran has built great capabilities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Conversely, he said, Iran's enemies are floundering: Turkey wished to become a regional power but in reality it cannot make an impact "even 10 meters away" from its borders; Saudi Arabia's policies are failing in Yemen, Iraq and Syria; and America has lost much of its influence in the Middle East and has become nothing more than a "regular player." He also noted that the power of Iran and its allies "benefited the Iranian nuclear team at the negotiating table."

The following are excerpts from his statements: [1]



Hossein Salami (Image: Tasnimnews.com)

Salami Criticizes Turkey, Saudi Arabia, And America

"Every time that Islam rose, all the polytheists and enemies of Islam launched a military expedition against God's religion - but despite all of these obstacles, Islam found its path of jihad, its arena of influence, and its range of impact.

"It was those who experienced economic sanctions during the Shaab Abi Taleb era and immigrated to Al-Madina from Mecca with Muhammad who spread Islam.[2] All the great global wars that have occurred in the region of the Islamic world were in order to change the destiny of Islam. Wars were even shaped in Europe to topple the Muslims.

"From the day the Islamic Revolution [in Iran] was victorious [in 1979], the U.S. and the Zionist regime attacked 14 Muslim countries, and the U.S. alone attacked seven Muslim countries - but with the grace of God and the blessing of the Jurisprudent [Iran's ruler], in the era of [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini and in the grand era of [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, Iran thwarted the focus of the enemy's strategy on the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was an artistic performance, and a divine wonder, that at the peak of the military blockade [against Iran] all of these focuses [on Iran] were thwarted. At one point, their artillery shells targeted Ahvaz, and our cities, in order to eliminate the concept called Islam from the political geography of the Islamic world. But Islam, and revolution, were able to change the battlefield.

"Look at the radius of our action today. Our offspring in the eastern Mediterranean are monitoring the developments. The order built by the great powers has completely collapsed. The Red Sea and the Mediterranean, Lebanon, Syria, and Bahrain [were once under] U.S. [influence, but] are no longer so. They [the Americans] have lost huge areas. Today, we are facing complicated developments. But when we study these developments, we realize this divine reality: Victory is in our hands.

"All our enemies have something in common: all of them faced a strategic dead end, and are wandering around, [not knowing how] to continue their policies. Look at Turkey. This country wanted to play the role of the great regional power - but it is incapable of making an impact even 10 meters away from it. [Turkey] felt that the atmosphere was ready for it to reclaim an expanded role. But after five years of financial, political, and economic efforts, it has not succeeded in any area. We consider Turkey strategically incapable, [even] with a fancy army. [All its] bluffing and threats [are based on] the support of the Americans. Turkey is incapable of expanding its power; it has a fancy army with stylish equipment, but it has never [even] fought the Kurds.

"Look at Saudi Arabia. It [too] is dependent on American power. Now, look at the power of Islamic Iran, which has rapidly expanded, and which has built huge capabilities beyond [Iran's] borders, in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Look at the geography of Iran's power vis-a-vis the deployment of the arrogance [i.e. the U.S.], and at how [Iran] has forced the U.S. to change [its] strategy.

"Saudi Arabia has halted the price of oil at $35/bbl, in order to fight Yemen. But it is stuck in the Yemeni arena too. The Yemeni arena has become to a deadly swamp for Saudi Arabia. [Saudi] policies have failed in Iraq and Syria as well, and this is a sorry end for the Saudis, who think they can have influence in the Islamic world in the proxy war with our holy regime. They live in glass palaces, and cannot confront us in tough arenas. The drop in oil prices has caused them the greatest of losses; their currency reserves have decreased dramatically.

"Look at America. ISIS's increased power has become a threat to America. It is interesting that [the Americans] attack ISIS - but that when we [attack ISIS], they support ISIS... [America's] strategy in Syria has become a problem for it, and [the Americans] do not know whether Bashar Al-Assad should stay or go. With regard to Iraq, America is [also] wondering whether to stay or go.

"America has become a [mere] regular player, and we are assessing its activity in the arena. Its ground forces are not that powerful. The balance [of forces] in the arena is beneficial to us. He who can take initiative can assert himself in the political arena, and we saw this initiative in the nuclear negotiations - the offspring of [Iran's Islamic] Revolution have created an exceptional capability in the resistance axis, which benefited the Iranian nuclear team at the negotiating table.

"The terrorists and their supporters need to know that the era during which it was possible for someone to slap the Prophet Zaynab[3] is over. We will cut their throats... cut off their fingers, and not allow such boldness."

Endnotes:
The Valentines Day countdown has begun and we are sure that by now you might have that super-special-romantic-awesome-memorable plan in hand to impress your date. But some surprises often turn out to be nightmarish and disastrous to say the least!

Here are some classic examples of how not to ruin your Valentines Day.

1. This Guy Sure Did Keep The Relationship Fire Burning!

'I was really excited for Valentines Day because I was planning to propose to her. I wanted it to be really special so, I made reservations at a rooftop restaurant for a candlelight dinner, wine and exotic Italian cuisineeverything seemed perfect. When we reached, the manager told me there were no bookings made for us. Thats when I realized that I had accidently booked a table for 14th March, instead of February. We still managed to get a last minute table and halfway through the dinner, my elbow accidentally toppled the candle over and it ended up burning her scarf. After a panic attack, we managed to extinguish the fire, but her scarf was ruined and the guests and we were terrified! It was so embarrassing we had to leave. I still cant forget that day!'

- Kabir Arora

 rent (dot) com

2. To Puke Or Not To Puke!

'I had been dating this cute guy from my college for two months now and since it was our first Valentines Day, we decided to not celebrate in a lavish way. Instead, we went out drinking with some friends. Generally, I dont pass out after getting drunk but, that day we all played a few drinking games for fun and I drank way too much. So my boyfriend tried getting all cozy and wanted to dance with me. The moment he pulled me close, I puked on his clothes and ran towards the washroom. We left immediately and did not speak to each other in the car. Its been 4 years that we are in a relationship, and even today, I laugh at that incident while he frowns. Our Valentine date was a disaster.'

 Jyotsna Roy

 Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

3. Bottoms Up!

'I had been planning to propose to my girl for a long time. So, I invited her over for a special lunch on Valentines Day and told her that it would just be the two of us, although it was a party with our friends who had been hiding at my place before she arrived. I was hoping that she would say yes and we would have a great time with all our friends. In total filmy-style, I dropped the ring in her whiskey but she seemed to be in the mood for some fun. She shouted Bottoms up! and before I could stop her, she gulped the drink down and choked on the ring. I got scared and all my friends came out from their hiding places which surprised her further. We rushed her to the hospital where she puked out the ring.'

 Riddhesh Singh

 funnfun

4. Booby Trap!

'As usual I was single on Valentines Day, so my friends and I decided to play a prank on random people for fun. My friend gave me his friends number who did not know me. I called her up and started flirting with her. Initially, she assumed me to be a friend playing a prank but later, she freaked out and started cursing me. While we all were having a good laugh, we didnt realize that one of our friends had shouted out our address. She hung up yelling and 10 minutes later, her boyfriend calls and threatens us about complaining to the police. We screwed up big time because her boyfriend was standing in front of our apartment. I got scared and ran down to apologize and even paid for their date that supposedly got ruined because of me. It was only a day after that I realized that all this while a big prank was being played on me and I had to pay a hefty amount for nothing. A disaster I cannot forget.'

 Rohan Mitra

 imgkid

5. Valentines Day With The Ex And The Current!

'I saved my ex-boyfriends number as one of my friends name to avoid raising eyebrows. But, after breaking up, I forgot to change it back. After a month, I started seeing this cool guy who happened to be my friends colleague. During the same time my friend texted me, saying Hi. So, I called her up, put the phone on speaker and before letting her say a word, blurted out my entire plan for Valentines Day and asked what she thought of it. Last time we ordered the same food on our date and it was not good. Try something else this time. It was my ex! I was so embarrassed; all this happened in front of my boyfriend. We both went back home silently without celebrating Valentines Day.'

 Stuti Mehra

 1 (dot) bp (dot) blogspot

So now you know how not to celebrate your Valentines Day this time.
Umar Khalid, a student from JNU and one of the protestors who shouted slogans and organized a march against the hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru on his death anniversary, was invited to The Newshour show.

Before I tell you what exactly happened, let me clarify something. These are the protesters who said things like We will keep fighting our battle till we destroy India and called this behaviour cultural. These are the people against which police has registered a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy, and rightly so. Because if this is not anti-nationalism, then we dont know what is!

 NDTV

So, an angry and patriotic Arnab Goswami was obviously waiting at his studio, ready to rip these student activists apart; and things were made easier when Umar dared to question and interrupt Arnab when he was talking about Siachen braveheart Lance Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad.

Its scary to think that a lot of students from JNU go on to become media professionals, authors, politicians and activists. So, if things like India ki Barbaadi tak jung rahegi is actually part of their social agenda, then imagine the kind of damage they are capable of causing to the country and the mentality they are propagating when they enter powerful and influential positions.

You deserve nothing better than this, JNU protestors.
We often see astronauts taking off in their orange spacesuits in space shuttles and never think about why only bright orange? Why not bright neon or blue for that matter? For a community which is smarter than us in every sense, there has to be a reason as to why bright orange is their preferred choice.

The reason or should we say the science behind this is really simple. NASA isnt trying to make a fashion statement, and like every other component of the astronauts suit and the spacecraft, there is a rational explanation for the colour of their suit too.

 Reuters

The bright orange or International Orange, as it is called in space lingo, is one of the most visible colours which are important for search and rescue. It is really important during a search rescue to identify the astronaut as early as possible because every minute makes a difference between life and death.

The suit, as of now, consists of a pressurized shell which saves them from an accident which might occur during a botched landing or takeoff. One of the astronauts in Kalpana Chawlas flight had a shell suit which was broken during entry and made him the first victim of the explosion when the aircraft entered earths atmosphere. ACES or Advanced Crew Escape Suit also contains a steady supply of water and air along with parachutes.

 Reuters

The other kind of suit of an astronauts wardrobe is the one used for spacewalks and Extravehicular activities (EVAs). These white suits are designed for an astronauts survival in space rather than on earth. The black vacuum of space requires a pure white suit which is easily visible to trace an astronaut. Also, the white suit reflects the excessive heat of the sun.

These EVA suits are heavier than the ACES and are equipped with temperature control mechanism, breathable air and clean water. Russia has its own indigenously developed space suits called the Orlan suits. China also uses the same design as followed by Russia to prepare their Feitian spacewalk suits.
Its time to celebrate and take our love for tea and travel to a whole other level as Chaayos, the much-loved contemporary version of Indias chai adda, has teamed up with IRCTCThe Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Cooperationto serve tea and snacks to all train passengers. The tie-up, which came to effect last week, has been gaining traction slowly and is already being talked about!

 Chaayos

This is literally the next step for all the teetotalers of the country, as well as the Indian railways, because through this move, Chaayos aims to revolutionise the modern Indians travel habits. So, in order to get a better picture on what this tie-up means and how it came about, we spoke to Raghav Verma, one of the brains behind Chaayos.

Tea And Travel

Chai and travel as a combination always goes together, says the co-founder. Everyone wants to have that railways station wali chai and the whole idea behind this collaboration was to offer the people more options and quality in terms of tea, he adds.

How To Order Your Favourite Chai At The Railway Station

The brand has made it exceptionally easy to order and consume their cuppa tea while travelling. One simply places their order from the menu provided and their tea and snacks get delivered either at the station or in the train.

 Telegraph India

To start with, we have a limited menu that comprises of our signature topsellersAdrak Tulsi Chai, Ginger Honey Lemon and Kulhad Chaithat are teamed with snacks like Vada Pao, Poha and Bun Maska. In the very near future, we will be elaborating the menu and it will comprise of all our original offerings, says Raghav.

Just a week into sales, Raghav tells us that appreciation has come early from the passengers who were impressed with the quality, quantity, presentation and packaging. As it turns out, there was already a growing demand from travellers to serve good tea in the trains. So when we approached IRCTC with our plan, they were already game to get onboard at the earliest, he tells us.

The team at Chaayos is just really happy to have been able to fulfill their target and complete all the orders within 20 minutes of them being made, the co-founder goes on to reveal.

Chai And Chaayos

 Chaayos

The cafe is steady at 20 properties across Delhi and looks at increasing that number to 50 by May this year. Chaayos serves up to 12 add-ons for tea so that people can get to customize their pairings based on their individual preferencesextra milk, extra sugar, a particular spice; you name it! We want to be able to provide everyone with the privilege of Meri Waali Chai, Raghav explains. We have discovered around 12,000 ways to make and have tea, he adds in a matter-of-fact tone which I find is pretty impressive!

And while the Chaayos experience is presently available on all Delhi-borne trains, one will soon get to make the most of their customized tea on all trains.

Chaayos is one of the few F&B ventures that has grown tenfold in recent times, creating a culture and a loyal following for itself. Tea is in our DNA, Raghav quips. In India, the average commoner drinks at least 2 to 3 cups a day. We are just trying to give tea a contemporary twist with a host of unique options. We dont just aim to be a cafe but a part of every tea-drinking occasion and conversation, he signs off.
Moldova interested in Georgias anti-hail system

A revolutionary anti-hail system developed by Georgias State Military Scientific Centre Delta to save crops from harmful hail is attracting global interest.Delta exclusively told Agenda.ge Moldova was among the "many countries that were interested in installing Georgias unique anti-hail system in their own nations. The anti-hail system has proven to have a positive effect in reducing crop damage caused by hail.A spokesperson from Deltas press centre said negotiations were currently underway and the sides were defining the cooperation details.Moldova first learned about Georgias anti-hail system when a delegation from Moldovas Agriculture Ministry visited Georgia in October 2015. During the visit the guests discovered the anti-hail system designed by Delta. The concept attracted the immediate attention of the Moldavian officials.Negotiations between Georgia and Moldova started shortly after this however the technical aspect of the talks had not started yet, said Delta.The company told Agenda.ge a working group from Delta will depart for Moldova in February to assist the country implement the first stage of its own anti-hail system.While there, Delta experts will explore the planned sites where the anti-hail devices will be installed. The Georgian experts will examine how many launching points would be necessary to reduce crop damage in Moldova.After this, the sides will sit down again to begin deeper negotiations.Georgias Ministry of Agriculture told Agenda.ge Moldova again expressed its interest in the anti-hail system earlier this month in Berlin, where Georgias Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia met his Moldavian counterpart during the Green Week (Grune Woche) 2016 exhibition.Georgias anti-hail system was first installed in Kakheti in March 2015. The system underwent its first test in April last year.More than 80 anti-hail firing points in Kakheti were identified and the system became operational in the middle of last year.Minister Danelia said installation of anti-hail devices had significantly reduced the effects of 32 hail storms last year.The anti-hail system aimed to reduce hail damage on crops by almost 95 percent. The state allocated about 15 million GEL to fund the project.The anti-hail system worked by launching an unguided 60mm rocket into the air. Each rocket has the capacity to carry 50-70g of silver iodide reagent.When the rocket reached the appropriate height, the silver iodine reagent was dispersed at an altitude of 2.5-4.5km above ground for 30-35 seconds.The Ministry estimated about 5,000 rockets would be needed in Georgia per year.
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will be in Brussels on Monday, 15 February, to attend a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).



The FAC agenda includes EU-Belarus relations and the situation in Moldova. Discussion will also focus on issues of North Africa and Libya in light of the latest political developments and the deteriorating security situation resulting from the advance of Daesh.



The FAC will also consider issues of climate diplomacy and the EUs role in the situation taking shape following the Paris Conference on climate change (COP 21).



Finally, the Foreign Ministers will have a working luncheon with the Foreign Minister of Lebanon, Gebran Bassil, during which there will be a discussion of the latest developments in the Middle East and of ways to support Lebanon as a country of first reception of refugee flows.



Before the opening of the FAC meeting, Mr. Kotzias will participate in a meeting with his colleagues from Cyprus and Lebanon, inaugurating a new trilateral cooperation configuration following the Greece-Cyprus-Egypt, Greece-Cyprus-Jordan, and Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral meetings on the level of Foreign Ministers.
The butt receptacles, with two disposal holes each, will be placed in seven areas of the city.

Each is decorated with a question that has two possible answers.

For example, one butt receptacle asks smokers: "Which superpower would you want?" Smokers can deposit their butts in an opening for "Flight" or for "Invisibility."

The receptacles, which are costing the city about $3,000, are part of the Neat Streets program. They will be installed later this month and residents are encouraged to tweet their own suggestions for questions at #NeatStreetsBos.
HURON COUNTY  Slow down.

The two words have been pounded into our heads since drivers training.

But officials say signs, cones, barrels, lights, barriers, traffic controllers and other means sometimes arent enough for people to heed the warning and move over for emergency and tow vehicles, which is also inked in Michigans Move Over Law.

Slow down, just give us room to work, thats all were asking, said Bill Simmons, who owns Oak Beach Auto Repair in Port Austin.

Simmons called the Tribune this week, frustrated.

He said it was bright and sunny with good visibility when he arrived to tow a vehicle out of a ditch on Caseville Road on Thursday morning. The road was icy. Cones were out and his lights were on, he said. The winch cable between the tow truck and the car was in the road.

We just had someone hit our cable, Simmons said. It scraped the roof of their car.

He said the car never stopped. So he called police.

Simmons says hes been in the business 22 years, and its one of two recent incidents in which a vehicle has run into a tow cable.

Local officials are familiar with the problem, but, like Simmons, are stuck when it comes to finding a realistic solution.

Michigans Move Over Law requires drivers to make room for stationary emergency vehicles when their lights are activated.

If thats not possible, drivers must slow down and pass with caution.

The law applies to police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service  which include tow trucks or courtesy vehicles operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

There are people who still dont abide by what that law really says, Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson said.

When a car goes off the road and into a ditch, a tow truck may block one lane or sometimes two to retrieve it, he said.

In the family business, many years ago, we had a wrecker service, Hanson said. I know what (Simmons) is talking about.

But officials say cones and lights might not be enough on the towers end  and drivers need to do more than simply slow down.

I understand the problem, said Neal Hentschl, secretary-manager of the Huron County Road Commission.

Hentschl says people dont always use the proper caution thats needed. As a former tow truck driver, Hentschl says it can be scary when on the job  you hope people see you.

In a perfect world, (tow truck drivers) should have a traffic control person  or another vehicle with flashing lights ahead or flares set down, Hanson said.

Sometimes, the road commission can help  Hentschl says they respond to crashes and fire scenes to control traffic.

But when traffic isnt being directed, the lights and signs should still send a message.

The yellow lights are telling you to exercise caution; theyre not telling you what exactly is going on  you need to use caution to figure out what is actually going on, the sheriff said.

The issue has lingered: in September, Hanson said tow companies were calling the sheriffs office with complaints about drivers not moving over.

A lot of the officers have said it happens near township roads where the drivers will want to continue out of impatience and vehicles pass where the road is the narrowest, Hanson said last fall.

Both Hentschl and Simmons said they knew Jason Schultz, the 28-year-old owner of Preferred Towing near Port Huron who was killed in January when he was struck by a vehicle. Officials said Schultz was pulling a vehicle out of a ditch at the time of the incident.

We were friends; we knew each other and we talked to each other, Simmons said. I couldnt believe it when my wife told me.

Were out there doing a job, and were not trying to be mean to block the roads off. Were trying to make it safe for everybody. Were trying to figure out whats going to help people realize theres a tow truck in the road and a car in the ditch.
We are going to make America great again, perhaps better than ever before announced the leader of the Republican pack after New Hampshire residents cast their ballots. If you missed Donald Trumps triumphant victory speech, that statement was made over the roar of his supporters as soon as he appeared on stage.

Last Tuesdays tally for Trump of 35 percent of the Republican votes cast placed him far ahead of his opponents. The Iowa Caucus had allowed doubts to surface regarding his viability, but they were put to rest in New Hampshire. It seems like only yesterday the GOP party heads were declaring Trump wouldnt make it to the primaries. Wonder how they feel about his position now? It has been heard however: The five are still alive referring to all Trumps opponents.

The Democratic Party experts batting average with candidates is no better and they started with only three candidates. They had announced Bernie Sanders would not be around after the first primary votes were cast and many of them declared Hillary Clinton the winner before campaigning even started.

Who knew a declared socialist, admittedly a senior and looking the part, would fire up young people all over the country. His gathering of 60 percent of the Democratic vote resounded throughout the party and sent Clinton campaigners scrambling. John Kasich amusingly announced after Bernies victory speech, He spoke so long I was afraid he would turn 75 before it was over, as he waited his turn to address his supporters.

Bernie laid his groundwork early by introducing a Senate bill allowing free public college tuition. He said, Hundreds of thousands of bright, qualified students were not continuing their educations because their families could not afford to send them. His initiative produced a ground swell of support by younger voters, many who had never cast a ballot in any election. Bernie also assured all those people drawing Social Security he had a plan to ensure its viability for many years to come. He even suggested he would support an increase in amounts being paid. Hello Bernie! Appealing to young and old and they are joining his ranks by the thousands.

As I see it, the younger generation is ready and willing to get involved and cast their votes along with sending Bernie his requested $27donation. According to what I can determine, both party leaders, Trump and Sanders, are the only candidates not accepting super pac support. Trump has plenty of money to fund his campaign and he and Bernie insist they will not be obliged to anyone but the electorate.

If you wonder just how much money is stuffed in the super pacs, go to opensecrets.org or just look at 2016 outside spending. The amounts are staggering, they sure could put a big dent in our countrys national debt. I am appalled that candidates are having billions of dollars spent in their support and against their opponents. It really would be refreshing to have a president elected who carries no IOUs into the White House.

I stated in my column last week, There was a Circus in Iowa and in spite of all the cold and snow, the tents were even larger in New Hampshire. Although the electorate in the northeast, especially the large number of undecided, appeared a bit more serious about whom they would be supporting they turned out in record numbers. Over a half million voters, representing 62 percent of all registered voters, cast ballots with the undecided apparently waiting until they entered the booths to decide. The vote was split almost right down the middle between Democrats and Republicans.

I also plan on waiting until the last minute to cast my ballot because each day brings new revelations about the candidates qualifications to lead our nation. This election is perhaps the most important one we will ever participate in and the general public seems well aware of that fact as evidenced by the turnouts thus far.

Our country is in a state of change, we all feel it and young voices will be heard. Education will be accessible and perhaps old timers wont have to live in fear of losing their benefits. Best of all  the White House will not be for sale.

Capt. Fred Davis is a retired charter captain and nationally published author of boating articles. As I See It columns appear Saturday in the Huron Daily Tribune and his Boat Smart articles are published online at www.captainfredsboattips.com.
Air Force Gets Its Own Combat Dive Badge After Using the Navy's for Years

Air Force officials said there is a notable distinction between Navy divers and their divers, which was a key reason for...
The U.S. has increased airstrikes against the Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan while preparing to send hundreds of 10th Mountain Division troops into southwestern Helmand province on a "force protection" mission to shore up an Afghan Army Corps battered by the Taliban, a U.S. military spokesman said Thursday.

In the last three weeks, American F-16 fighter jets have "significantly increased pressure and the number of strikes" in eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan, where fighters pledging allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, were believed to number 1,000-3,000, said Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, chief spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.

In a video briefing from Kabul to the Pentagon, Shoffner declined to say how many U.S. airstrikes were conducted in Nangarhar but cited the lack of operational fixed-wing aircraft in the Afghan Air Force for ground attack.

In January, the U.S. sent the first four of 20 Brazilian-made A-29 Super Tucano turboprop ground attack planes to Afghanistan but the struggling Afghan Air Force will probably not be able to put them to use until the summer, Shoffner said.

One reason was the lack of Afghan tactical air controllers to guide the A-29s to targets, Shoffner said. Currently, there are a total of about 18 TACs in the entire Afghan National Security Forces of 352,000, he said.

"The A-29s should be coming into operational status this summer," he said, but "We've got to have TACs on the ground, we've got to know where they can't strike" to avoid civilian casualties. "That's one of the key challenges."

The stepped up airstrikes against ISIS came about under loosened rules of engagement authorized by President Barack Obama in December to allow targeting of the terror group.

The Taliban currently are excluded under the rules of engagement. "We don't have targeting authority to target the Taliban and we don't," except in self-defense when U.S. troops come under attack, Shoffner said.

ISIS announced its presence in Afghanistan in January 2015 and is now seen by the U.S. as "operationally emergent" and seeking to set up a base in Nangarhar while failing to attract recruits in other areas, Shoffner said.

"We are seeing (ISIS) attempting to do low-level recruiting and propaganda in various places," he said. "Almost all of those with the exception of Nangarhar province in the east are unsuccessful. So, very, very low level activity with the exception of the east. And in the east, in Nangarhar province, we are seeing (ISIS) attempting to establish a base of operations there."

Many of those drawn to ISIS were believed to be "rebranded" Taliban from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Pakistani Taliban group which operates on both sides of the border, Shoffner said.

"In terms of motivation, what we see are generally former TTP who believe that associating with Daesh or pledging to Daesh will further their interests in some way," he said, referring to another term for ISIS.

In Helmand and elsewhere, the relatively mild winter weather in Afghanistan has been a factor in the resurgence of the Taliban, as light snowfalls have kept open mountain pass re-supply routes from Pakistan, Shoffner said. "The mild weather has worked to their advantage," he said.

The Taliban began major offensives in Helmand last October and the counter-offensive by the Afghan National Army's 215th Corps that started in November has struggled to gain momentum as leaders were sacked and troops deserted.

The plight of the 215th Corps was underlined by the Taliban attack near Marjah, which U.S. Marines took in a major campaign in 2010. A U.S. Special Forces team training and advising the 215th became involved in an hours-long firefight and Sgt. 1st Class Matthew McClintock was killed.

The additional U.S. troops being sent in the coming weeks into Helmand would mainly be assigned to a force protection mission for the U.S. trainers and advisors already there, Shoffner said. The troops would come from the 500 from the 2nd Battalion, 87th Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York.

The 500 were on a routine rotation to switch out with an equal number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and they will not boost the current U.S. troop level in Afghanistan of about 9,800.

The 10th Mountain troops had originally been scheduled to be based at Bagram airfield north of Kabul but many of them -- Shoffner would not say how many -- will now be sent to Helmand.

"Some elements of that battalion will be in Helmand," he said, to help in rebuilding the 215th Corps and they will stay there "until that Corps is combat ready." The general stressed that the U.S. troops would not be involved in combat operations.

The problems experienced by the 215th Corps extended through the entire Afghan National Army and typified the major changes that were needed in leadership and training to improve readiness even after 14 years of training, advising and assisting by the U.S., Shoffner said.

He said 92 Afghan generals recently were fired, including the leader of the 215th Crops who was ousted because of corruption, but "in some cases they put a guy in who turns out not to be the right leader."

The Afghan forces also have yet to get into what Shoffner called a "force readiness cycle" of training, combat operations and then reset. As a result, "Some of their forces are worn down," he said.

Note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of the general's first name in the second paragraph.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com
The U.S. Air Force has removed its top weapons buyer for failing to disclose a financial connection to defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp.

The service on Thursday announced that Richard Lombardi, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, "was reassigned to duties outside of the Air Force acquisition portfolio" after failing to report "a Northrop Grumman retirement account held by his spouse in his annual public financial disclosure form," according to a statement from Lt. Col. Christopher Karns, a spokesman for the service at the Pentagon.

Northrop in October won a major contract to build the U.S. military's future fleet of stealth bombers.

A team led by Northrop, maker of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and drone aircraft, beat out another led by Boeing Co., the world's largest aerospace company, and Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest defense contractor, for the $21.4 billion initial contract as part of the Air Force's Long Range Strike Bomber, or LRS-B, program.

Indeed, the Air Force's decision to reassign Lombardi came days before the Feb. 16 deadline for government auditors to rule on a protest of the decision from the losing bidders, according to an article by Tony Capaccio, a reporter at Bloomberg News.

In an email to Military.com on Friday, Karns said Lombardi didn't play any role in the service's decision to award the contract to Northrop.

"It is important to note, Mr. Lombardi was not a member of the LRS-B source selection team and was not serving as the Service Acquisition Executive during that contract award process," he said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Lombardi's financial connection to Northrop was raised in the complaint filed by Boeing and Lockheed with the Government Accountability Office. A spokesman for the office didn't immediately return a call requesting comment.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has tapped Darlene Costello, a senior acquisition official in the office of the undersecretary of defense, acquisition, technology and logistics, to assume Lombardi's duties as principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and logistics, Karns said.

James has also referred the matter involving to Lombardi to the Pentagon's inspector general's office, Karns said. "The Air Force places a tremendous emphasis on accountability and professional responsibility," he said.

James was informed about this matter on Feb. 3 and removed Lombardi from the acquisition portfolio the following day, Karns said. "Finding a replacement and congressional notifications took place prior to public announcement," he said.

Lombardi is now serving as the special assistant for the Invisible Wounds Initiative in the office of the undersecretary of the Air Force, Karns said. He previously served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and logistics from May 2014 through November 2015, and as the deputy assistant secretary for acquisition integration from September 2012 to April 2014, he said.

The Air Force has been criticized in the past for acquisition wrongdoing.

The service's initial deal with Chicago-based Boeing for a fleet of new refueling aircraft was canceled in 2004 amid a scandal involving Boeing's chief financial officer, Michael Sears, who offered a job to the Air Force's top procurement official, Darleen Druyun, during negotiations. Both were sentenced to serve jail time.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BrendanMcGarry.

Related video:
FALLS CHURCH, Va.  Navy Medicine released Zika Virus Infection guidance in NAVADMIN 032/16, Feb. 10, communicating force health protection measures and travel precautions to Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

"Our first priority is to ensure we offer the best possible care to any Navy Medicine patient in the safest way possible," said Cmdr. Eric Deussing, head, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) public health, emergency preparedness and response.

BUMED has instructed Navy Medicine providers to follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center issued an information sheet and trifold pamphlet on their public website for Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with our public health partners to protect our patients and our communities," said Deussing.

Zika is a viral infection spread by mosquito bites. The virus is spread by a bite from an infected mosquito or possibly by a mother to her fetus during pregnancy. According to the CDC, spread of the virus through blood transfusion and sexual contact has also been reported. Typical symptoms include fever, conjunctivitis, muscle pain, rash, headache, and joint pain.

Recently, Zika virus infections in pregnant women have been linked to infants born with birth defects. Zika virus transmission is predominantly occurring in South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Navy and Marine Corps personnel are at risk when travelling to areas experiencing ongoing Zika virus transmission. Infection risk is reduced by taking measures to avoid mosquito bites.

"Prevention amongst the Navy and Marine Corps personnel is paramount," Deussing said. "The most effective way to prevent infection is avoiding unnecessary travel to Zika affected areas. If traveling to Zika affected areas, avoid mosquito bites."

No vaccine or drug is currently available to prevent Zika virus infection, and there is currently no specific anti-viral treatment for the disease. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites while in areas of ongoing transmission. Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime, but bites should be avoided day and night.

Until more is known, and out of an abundance of caution, the CDC recommends pregnant women consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is occurring  currently in the Western Hemisphere. Pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant, who do travel to these areas should talk to their health care provider first, and they should take strict steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip.

The following steps are recommended for those traveling to an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission:

Choose a hotel or lodging with air conditioning or with screens on windows and doors.

Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are outside or in a room that is not well screened.

Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535. These are safe for pregnant women when used as directed.

Use permethrin-treated clothing and equipment.

"If you or someone you know develops sudden fever, rash, joint aches, or red, irritated eyes within two weeks of travelling to an area of ongoing Zika virus transmission, see your Navy Medicine health care provider immediately, and report your symptoms and travel history," Deussing said.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provide health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.
The U.S. military denied Thursday Moscow's charges that A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft hit Aleppo, where Syrian regime forces backed by Russian airstrikes have triggered a humanitarian crisis.

"There were no Coalition airstrikes in or near Aleppo on Wednesday. Any claim that the coalition had aircraft in the area is a fabrication," Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said in an e-mail statement.

In a later e-mail statement from Baghdad, Warren said that the only U.S. airstrikes ever carried out near Aleppo were in the beginning of the U.S. air campaign in August 2014 and were aimed at the Khorasan group, an Al Qaeda affiliate operating in Syria.

The Russian charges came a day after Warren gave a video briefing to the Pentagon in which he railed against the indiscriminate airstrikes using "dumb bombs" carried out in and around Aleppo by Russian warplanes to support the forces of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Warren singled out Russian strikes that he said hit two hospitals Wednesday, depriving an estimated 50,000 civilians of medical care.

In Moscow, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement that "only aviation of the anti-ISIS coalition flew over the city yesterday (Wednesday)", referring to the U.S.-led alliance of countries fighting the Islamic State terror group.

"Two U.S. Air Force A-10 attack aircraft entered Syrian airspace from Turkish territory. Reaching Aleppo by the most direct path, they made strikes against objects in the city," Kornashenkov said.

The Russian charges came as Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met in Brussels with allied defense ministers to discuss accelerating the campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Carter said that NATO itself may soon become part of the coalition against ISIS.

"Thanks to the leadership of NATO (Secretary General) Jens Stoltenberg, we are exploring the possibility of NATO joining the coalition as a member itself," Carter said after a round of meetings.

Several NATO member states are already part of the anti-ISIS coalition, but having the alliance itself on board would be a "significant development," Carter said. NATO has long been part of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan.

"NATO as a new member would bring unique capabilities," Carter said, "including experience in building partner capacity, training ground forces and providing stabilization support. I look forward to discussing NATO's appropriate role with fellow NATO allies in the days and weeks ahead."

Earlier Thursday, Stoltenberg said that NATO had agreed in principle to a plan to use the alliance's fleet of E-3A Boeing Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) aircraft to substitute for missions now flown by U.S. AWACS. The move would free up U.S. AWACS for surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria.

"We are looking at how we can step up our support," Stoltenberg said. "We will provide AWACS which will increase capabilities for the coalition to fight ISIL (another acronym for ISIS) and we will, of course, assess constantly if we should do more."

Stoltenberg also said NATO had agreed to send its Standing Maritime Group 2 of three warships to the Aegean Sea to monitor the flow of migrants fleeing Syria as part of a plan put forth by Greece, Turkey and Germany.

Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Commander of NATO and also commander of U.S. European Command, said several other nations were ready to contribute ships to the NATO monitoring naval group.

Without naming them, Breedlove said "several of our very high-end, very capable nations" were ready to make contributions to the naval group "and this will be required to sustain this mission and to get the right kind of capabilities into the area. Picking up small, sometimes non-metallic boats in an ocean is hard work."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com
The Department of Veterans Affairs is asking Congress to pass legislation prohibiting veterans charged with the most serious category of sex crimes from interment in veterans' cemeteries.

The proposed ban would go further than current law prohibiting convicted and registered Tier III sex offenders from being buried in VA cemeteries by barring those who die before being convicted or who flee to avoid prosecution.

Tier III sex offenders are those convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, or sexual abuse or abusive sexual contact against a minor under age 13, according to federal statute.

In 2011, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Missouri, sponsored the Hallowed Grounds Act, which was signed by President Obama in January 2013.

The law put Tier III sex offenders in the same category as veterans convicted of capital crimes, who have been barred from veteran cemetery burials since 1997. That year, President Clinton signed legislation to ensure Army veteran Timothy McVeigh, convicted of blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma, would not be eligible for such interment.

Veterans groups backed the intent of Hartzler's bill.

According to VA spokesman James Hutton, a veteran already may be forbidden a VA cemetery or Arlington National Cemetery burial in the event he dies before being convicted if he is being prosecuted for a Tier III sex offense under federal statute.

"In other words, the deciding factor is whether prosecution would have occurred at the federal or state level ... and the choice of which body of law is applied depends solely on law enforcement and prosecutorial discretion," Hutton said.

The VA's legislative proposal would amend the definition of a state capital crime to include Tier III sex offenses, Hutton said, thereby filling a statutory gap and eliminating inconsistent -- federal or state -- application of the law for the same offense.

The VA is not the first to ask for the change. The U.S. Army appealed to Congress for the same kind of bill during a 2012 hearing to consider Hartzler's bill. "There is no provision in the [Hallowed Grounds Act] for those accused but not yet convicted," Kathryn Condon, executive director of the Army National Cemeteries Program, told lawmakers. "And we would like to work with the [Congress] if we could ... to insert suitable language in the bill that would address this concern."

The ban on burying accused Tier III sex offenders in VA cemeteries is one of more than a dozen legislative proposals being sought by the VA as part of its budget request for next year. These include proposals to allow the VA to furnish government headstones and markers for the privately marked graves of all Medal of Honor recipients; tie the authorized burial allowance to the Consumer Price Index; expand eligibility for grave medallions; and expand certain benefits to veterans buried on tribal lands.

The VA said the costs associated with providing government headstones and markers for privately marked MoH recipient graves would be insignificant.

Currently, the VA may pay no more than a $300 burial allowance. Tying the allowance to the CPI would cost $471,000 in 2017. Over a 10-year period, the VA expects the allowance will total $83 million.

The VA also wants to honor requests for grave medallions from families of veterans who died before Nov. 1, 1990, and were buried with a government headstone. Before that date, the medallions were available only for vets buried with a privately bought headstone, said Raymond Kelly, legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

If you were buried with a government headstone, you were not eligible, he said, but there has long been a demand for the medallions among veterans' families.

"They're doing the right thing" with this, he said.

The VA estimates it will cost about $480,000 in 2017 and just over $5 million over a 10-year period.

In other proposed legislation, the VA is looking for expanded or new authorities to provide benefits to veterans buried on tribal lands.

Among these: authority to provide headstones and markers to the eligible spouses and dependents at tribal veteran cemeteries; provide caskets and urns for the unclaimed remains of eligible veterans buried in state and tribal cemeteries; and provide an allowance to transport certain deceased veterans to state and tribal veterans cemeteries

VA officials said the first provision would cost VA about $890,000 over 10 years.

Officials said there "are no benefit costs or savings associated" with the proposals to provide caskets and urns, or to transport some veterans to state or tribal cemeteries.

-- Bryant Jordan can be reached at bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bryantjordan.
A team of West Point cadets has found a better use for social media than posting selfies and 140-character witticisms: going undercover and online to steer young Muslims away from terrorist recruiters. The cadets crafted an online strategy to stem the flow of disaffected young people to Islamic State as an entry in an international contest sponsored by a group of federal agencies and tech companies. Unlike the competing teams from universities all over the world, the West Point contingent, which took second place, worked undercover.

"Since our website was targeting what we called fence-sitters,' I think if individuals who visited our social media platforms knew that they were being produced by anyone in the U.S. government, then the site would lose credibility," Lt. Col. Bryan Price, director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, told FoxNews.com in an email. Under Price's direction, the team designed a recruiting strategy of its own, in which members go into chatrooms and websites where potential targets gather, engage and guide them toward websites and Twitter pages containing moderate Muslim voices. Those sites include a website, Facebook page and Twitter account the team created, which remain in effect and secret even now that the contest is over.

"We post after Friday prayer, when many people would be home and at their computers," Cadet C.J. Drew told Christian Headlines. The campaign was part of the "Peer to Peer [P2P]: Challenging Extremism" initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Facebook and EdVenture Partners and hosted by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The task was to use digital tools to counter violent extremist narratives and reach those most likely to get sucked in by the dark vision.

"One of the U.S. Government's highest priorities is preventing and challenging violent extremism, and we realize we cannot do this alone," said Evan Ryan, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. "We need civil society, in particular students like those involved in this initiative." West Point competed against 44 other U.S. and international universitiesmore than 900 students in alland received a scholarship of $3,000 for placing second. Team members include Austin Montgomery, Brittany Scofield, C.J. Drew, Jordan Isham and David Weinmann, and the project will be passed on to a new class of cadets when the graduate. While two of the cadets involved with the project have studied Arabic, they turned to fellow cadets of the Muslim faith for help identifying and understanding ISIS' target audience, cadets told Religion News. Interviewing psychologists helped them determine which colors to use on their Facebook page. They found that green and black would be effective colors to use; green because of its sacred nature in the religion of Islam and black because it is a commonly worn color among terrorists groups. In two months, the cadets' Facebook page gained more than 900,000 users in more than 25 countries, according to Christian Headlines. The first-place winner was Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, while the bronze went to Universita della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. Each group was given a $2,000 budget and a semester-long timeframe to complete their projects. The basic instructions were to create an effective online campaign to stem digital radicalization. The fact that West Point's project continues is testament to its effectiveness, and importance. "These students are helping us reach those who are most vulnerable to extremist recruiting," said Ryan.
The Love 2 Love collection of perfumes, created in collaboration with Walmart, was launched to coincide with Valentine's Day 2014.

Two years later, we take stock and assess the olfactory personalities of the fragrances. But before, let's trace back a bit to the more general commercial and cultural context.

Facts to Ponder - On the State of the Fragrance Mass-Market ca. 2014

From WWD (2014):

"Products for men also propel the body-spray category, a subsegment of fragrance, giving retailers reason for hope. Men's body mist sales gained 49 percent over the 52-week period ended Dec. 28, ignited by products such as Axe Peace, according to IRI. Women's mists are gaining at a slower pace, growing at 11 percent, but appear to be gaining traction. Among the spray logos with double-digit sales increases were Body Fantasies Signature, Calgon, Bodycology, Axe Anarchy and Secret, according to IRI. These scents are thought to appeal to pocketbooks, as well as those looking for lighter, everyday options.

To bring newness to mass, Luby at Instyle said his firm has a new time-release body fragrance in eight scents that lasts up to 12 hours. Walgreens will launch four of the scents next month."

A Cultural Approach to Shopping Everywoman's Perfumes

The mass-market for perfumes is one of the best arenas in which to give leeway to your instinct for reverse snobbery. This statement becomes even more painfully obvious when you start taking an international and cosmopolitan approach to beauty and fragrance purchases across borders. It soon comes to your realization that, in fact, mass-marketed perfumes and beauty cream jars are more difficult to access from abroad than designer brands...

The perfume mass-market is paradoxically and culturally a mostly local, well, let's say, domestic, or national playing field. The icons of your drugstore shelves in the US will seldom be found elsewhere. I am talking from an European vantage point. Stetson, Chantilly, White Shoulders, Wind Song and such are far out of reach from your shopping arm when you have crossed the pond. Yes, there is Avon and some of their perfumes are multi-markets. Yes, there is Yves Rocher and their scents are distributed worldwide mostly. But we're talking hardcore mass-market, with an overdose of parking-lot authenticity. The kind you're most likely to be able to buy at Target or Walmart. Those "hidden gems" are well-relegated to the exclusivity of a provincial distribution... on a huge, mass scale nevertheless.

I sometimes happen on a bottle of Jovan musk in so-called ethnic food stores in Paris. Alyssa Ashley if I really need to exhume one of their scents, I might be able to thanks to the Internet. But Blue Waltz or Lady Stetson? But Sonia Kashuk Red Promisia or Pink Innocentia? - It's only available at Target (please pronounce Thar - Zhay, if you're really in the know).

If you live in the States, I am sure that reading about the Solinotes range, Bien-Etre eaux de cologne, Durance, Le Couvent des Minimes or Pierre Cardin can set you on edge. They are everywhere, almost, except very far away from you and not within reach of your inquiring nose.

In truth, the paradox is also experienced at home for those cited perfumes. Even from where I am, i.e., in Paris, France, some of those fragrances are well-nigh impossible to find. If you make a trip to the suburbs and to huge hyper-markets beyond the peripherique, then you will discover a new array of scents almost impossible to find in Paris intra-muros. I was this able to find a perfume by renowned perfumer Dominique Ropion, L'Echappee Belle, on such an outing. It took something like 2 years to see it finally appear on downtown shelves.

So, your curiosity as a perfumista can more often than not be piqued by those Drugstore beauties. I was glad therefore to be able to receive the Love 2 Love collection for last year Valentine's Day, which is only available in Walmart territory, which I started exploring very late as sociologically speaking it was another out-of-the-way world, to which you need to drive on top of that.

As it took some time, a year later, I am again seeing V-Day approach as a good opportunity to review the scents. Their common trait is that they were all composed by great perfumers while being very accessible from a price point perspective.

Goal: "Perfectly Paired Fragrances for Perfect Pairs in Love"...

Les Perfume Reviews

Fresh Rose + Peach by Calice Becker for Givaudan

A delicate fruity rose opens up reminiscent for me of rain-wet English countryside. Then more resinous, darker accents appear to the point of suggesting a creme de cassis liqueur, but always with a light touch. This fresh and dewy rose is inflected by cassis buds and white musk making it almost inky then transparent and veil-like, with a floating hologram of sugared plums. The white musks are never heavily soapy; it's more like the trace of a clean morning shower later in the afternoon. A very pretty scent with an authentic brand of sublety. It has a light aura, which nevertheless deepens but which some might find too fleeting. That latter aspect can be remedied to with multiple applications, a good moisturizing lotion and clement weather, none too dry. The drydown is peachy, creamy and powdery making you think of velvety peach skins.

Orange Blossom + White Musk by Maurice Roucel for Symrise

It starts off powdery and a little raspy. It soon evolves into a heady, sensuous and even carnal honeyed orange blossom with fresh, light eau de Cologne accents. The white musk is more about soapy sensuality than prosaic albeit arguably comforting memories of loading your laundry machine. The composition becomes solar, sunny and blond like a field in hay in the summer. Always lurking beneath it all is an animalic note of clean sweat kissed by orange blossom. We are not yet robots, we are humans. Did futurists by the way address the problem of robots and olfaction? How will robots smell, and do they need to smell? But we digress. This is a lovely, summery and clean orange blossom scent with a hint of pungency. Once we smelled the sillage of a gentleman who was wearing an orange blossom scent with a certain clout. This makes us think that some men might actually enjoy this scent.

Jasmine + Sparkling Mimosa by Richard Herpin for Firmenich



This opens up on a fresh, green note hesitating between angelica and newly cut grass. There is a tea-like impression which is not too far removed from the well-known Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. Soon however, it deepens in a more complex fashion, intensifying and offering multivariegated green nuance, more in the directions of galbanum and mastic; a hint of green then yellow banana scent adds fleshiness and suggests overripeness.

This is a green fruity scent with a fresh, tropical personality. For some reason, I think of the Amazon river and Brazil - not the French Riviera where both jasmine and mimosa are lush. An interesting, high-pitched note of salty sweat is what transpires here as the advertized "skin musk." Th drydown is wlightly woody and soft.

Freesia + Violet Petals by Sophia Grojsman and Bruno Jovanovic for IFF

The beginning is almost leathery, slightly dry, aromatic and violet-y - then fades into a note of grape-colored nail-polish. We smell a deep, dark, gray and fruity violet, more woody than sweet. Soon, a more orris-y impression follows which adds an elegant nuance to the perfume. This is a soft violet thanks to the peach note which adds a tender tonality.

The composition hovers between the colors purple and gray which confers it a sophisticated signature. It makes you realize that perfumers can play upon synesthesia and a range of rarer colors to convey a sense of distinction. This might be a violet perfume slightly influenced by the venerated Iris Gris by Fath. The drydown is creamy, woody, with a slight nuance of floated woods and a hint of abstract gourmandise. This composition is probably the one which comes across as the least casual and dressiest. It is also the most inscrutable of the four in terms of its apparent personality, which is a compliment in perfumery where mystery is an intangible yet certain quality.

We think that seeing great perfumers visibly lending their names and more importantly their expertise to the fragrance mass-market is an interesting experiment which is beneficial to all parties involved. The perfumers received a challenge, a responsibility to fulfill, marketed their names, and the customers can find seriously composed perfumes relying on centuries-old tradition at an incredible price point, less than $10 for the eaux de toilette and less than $7 for the body mists, thanks to the economy of scale.

The most V-Day-like perfume of the quatuor to our mind is Freesia + Violet Petals, if that's what you're looking for. From most simple to most complex on the perfume-personality scale, we'd say: Jasmine + Sparkling Mimosa, followed by Orange Blossom + White Musk, then Fresh Rose + Peach & finally Freesia + Violet Petals.

Fragrance notes are available here
The Voice season 9 winner Jordan Smith has just released the first single off of his debut album, Something Beautiful. The new song, Stand in the Light,is my own story set to music, the singer told People magazine about the song. It was a joy to work alongside Stephan Moccio to bring such a beautiful song with such an important, powerful message to life.

When you hear Jordan Smiths beautiful debut album Something Beautiful you will be transported. said executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett of Lightworkers Media in a statement. These amazing song choices combined with his beautiful voice will take you on a heartfelt and hope filled emotional journey. It is our hope that you allow this special album from this extraordinary young man to wash over you and renew your spirit.

The Voice executive producer Mark Burnett and his wife actress Roma Downey are co-producing the album with Republic Records. Their company, Lightworks Media is described as an American faith and family film and television production company which is also responsible for the television miniseries The Bible and AD. With Burnett backing him, Jordan will have television opportunities not available to prior The Voice winners. Can Jordan break out of the pack and become the shows first big star?

This Republic Records quote from the press release is interesting: Were honored to expand our relationship with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and LightWorkers Media, says Republic Records Executive Vice President / General Manager of West Coast, Tom Mackay. We all recognize Jordan Smiths immense talent, presence, and charisma, and were going to collectively ensure that unmistakable voice of his is heard everywhere.

Republic Records is ready to fully promote a The Voice winner?

Stand In The Light showcases Jordans powerhouse vocals with a thought-provoking verse and uplifting refrain. Throughout the album, his undeniable delivery and instantly recognizable range drive originals and covers produced by legends such as Grammy Award winning producer David Foster [Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Josh Groban] and modern hitmaker Stephan Moccio [The Weeknd, Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus].

Every decade or so, a voice comes along that rises above the fray, David Foster praised Jordan. That stands alone in its greatness, its uniqueness and the heartbreaking sound that comes so effortlessly and brings millions of people to their knees in the first few seconds. Jordan Smith is in rare air where few have ever been.

So far, the artist is the shows biggest seller, with 1.2 million tracks sold to date and 50,000 albums sold of his Voice compilation CD Jordan Smith: The Complete Season 9 Collection, according to Billboard. He was also the first artist from any season of The Voice to hit the iTunes top 10 every single week of the Live Rounds, with a total of eight songs in the top 10 on the iTunes chart, and he made history on the Hot Christian Songs chart.

Here is the tracklist for Jordan debut album, Something beautiful. It is a mixture of originals and covers as we speculated. Its due out March 18.

1. Over the Rainbow

2. Stand in the Light

3. You Are So Beautiful

4. Beautiful

5. Angel

6. And So it Goes

7. Amazing Grace

8. I Got To Be Me

9. Settle

10. What Now

11. Aint Got Far to Go

12. Beautiful Thing

As far as the new song is concerned, Stand in the Light is a soaring ballad, that trades in on Jordans The Voice backstory as an artist who may not look or act like a pop star, but will remain steadfast and true to himself and his artistry, regardless, giving hope to others like him. If you watched Jordans season, you know the drill.

Pre-order available NOW. Digital pre-order includes an instant download of the first single Stand In The Light. Fans who pre-order the album on Jordans website HERE, will also receive an official autographed Jordan Smith poster. Listen to and share JORDANs brand new original song, produced by Grammy and Oscar nominated Stephan Moccio, Stand In The Light HERE.
The Rays are in advanced talks with free agent righty Tommy Hunter, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. But Topkin cautions that Hunter is still also holding chats with other teams, possibly in search of a multi-year guarantee, suggesting that a signing with Tampa Bay is not imminent. And ESPN.coms Jerry Crasnick notes that Hunter is still rehabbing after needing core muscle surgery this winter (Twitter links). The club is working on other possibilities as it looks to beef up a pen that has lost some options to trade. Ryan Webb is also under consideration, per the report, and the Rays have looked elsewhere as well  both on the free agent and trade markets.

Heres more from the AL East:
DETROIT, MI - The refreshed-for-2017 Hyundai Santa Fe made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday.

On the exterior, it has a redesigned front fascia, bringing it more in line with the looks of fellow Hyundai SUV the Tuscon. Its rear fascia has new taillights and a new, dual exhaust outlet design.

The 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels available also have been redesigned. And new rocker panel trim comes with integrated silver accents.

LED daytime running lights and fog lights are available on certain models.



Inside, a seven-inch touchscreen display comes standard and an eight-inch one is optional. The Santa Fe comes with seating options for five, six or seven passengers, and a USB port has been added in the back row.



The 2017 Santa Fe Sport is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower, or a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower.

The three-row 2017 Santa Fe has a 3.3-liter V-6 engine with 290 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard on all models .

All powertrains now come with Sport, Eco and Normal drive mode options.

The SUV is available in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations.



Pricing for the Santa Fe Sport ranges from $25,350 to $38,250, and the standard Santa Fe runs from $30,800 to $41,150. A full pricing breakdown and further info is here.

The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe is arriving at dealers now.

Press preview days for the 2016 Chicago Auto Show are Thursday and Friday. The show, at Chicago's McCormick Place, is open to the public Feb. 13-21. More info: www.chicagoautoshow.com.

David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.
GAINES TOWNSHIP, MI - After six years of dormancy, the former Steelcase pyramid is once again busy as its new owner, Switch, begins a $400 million buildout of its Supernap Michigan Data Center.

More than 70 workers from 25 West Michigan companies are working at the former Steelcase Corporate Development Center, at 4200 60th Street SE, according to Switch's Michigan spokesman, Roger Martin.

"Supernap Michigan's initial construction budget remains $400 million, which likely will exceed $1 billion over time," Martin said. "We are meeting build-out goals and timelines and are on schedule to open later this year."

When completed, Supernap Michigan will be the largest data center in the eastern United States with more than 2 million square feet. Switch executives have said the project will create 1,000 jobs over the next 10 years.

Steelcase built its Corporate Development Center in the late 1980s for more than $100 million. After abandoning the 663,000 square-foot structure in 2011, the company sold it for $4 million last year to California-based Norman Properties, which is selling the property to Switch.

Switch's general contractor for the project will be The Christman Co., the Lansing-based contractor whose West Michigan projects include the $150 million Michigan Street Medical Development, the $90 million Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, the $50 million Michigan State University College of Medicine's Secchia Center and the $35 million expansion of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

According to its website, The Christman Co. has built data centers for Auto-Owners Insurance Co. in Lansing and Traverse City and for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Jackson National Life Insurance Company.

Progressive AE of Grand Rapids is working on a demolition contract in the interior of the office building along with Triad Fire Suppression Inc., according to building permit records at Gaines Township Hall.

"All contractors working at the Switch Pyramid are from West Michigan, honoring Switch's commitment to hire locally," Martin said.

Switch also is working with Consumers Energy to purchase 100 percent renewable energy for the facility, Martin said.

Nevada-based Switch moved ahead on its plans to acquire the pyramid after it convinced the state legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder to waive sales taxes and property taxes on equipment it will install in the building.

Jim Harger covers business for Mlive Media Group. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.
Try these Michigan desserts

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Sanders Bumpy Cake was created in Detroit. (Courtesy | Sanders)

Sanders Bumpy Cake

If you've never tried a Sanders Bumpy Cake, you are missing out on perhaps the most decadent Michigan dessert ever created.

The creation, made of devil's food cake topped with buttercream bumps covered in chocolate ganache, is the brainchild of confectioner Fred Sanders Schmidt, who opened a confectionery shop in 1875 on Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

You can now find Bumpy Cake at any of the 10 Sanders locations in Michigan or at Kroger stores.

For more on the bumpy cake or to locate the Sanders nearest to you, visit sanderscandy.com.

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The Boston Cooler is a blended mixture of Haagen-Daz vanilla ice cream and Vernor's Ginger Ale at SmashBurger, 4315 W. Main St. in Kalamazoo. (Bradley S. Pines | MLive.com)

Boston cooler

Vernors is a beloved Michigan beverage. The ginger ale was created in Detroit and it's said the Boston cooler also was thought up in the Motor City.

If you aren't familiar, a Boston cooler is a simple but delicious treat made of vanilla ice cream and Vernors. It's a specific variation of the ice cream float. Some say the only authentic Boston cooler is made with Stroh's vanilla ice cream, which also was orignally made in Detroit.

Is the name confusing you? Legend has it that the term "Boston" in the beverage's name is not referring to the Massachusetts city but instead to Boston Boulevard in Detroit.

Want to try one? Head to Stroh's Ice Cream Parlour in Bloomfield Hills, make your way to a Halo Burger or just grab the two key ingredients and make one at home.

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Mackinac Island's first candy shop Murdick's Candy Kitchen opened in 1887. (Sally Finneran | MLive)

Mackinac Island fudge

While fudge wasn't created in Michigan, it certainly has been perfected here.

Called the "fudge capital of the world," Mackinac Island is a small place with a big selection of fudge.

Murdick's Candy Kitchen was the first to open on Mackinac Island in 1887 and the shop still makes delicious fudge. If you've never tried the treat, a trip to the island is in order.

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Detroit Tigers players Al Alburquerque, left, and Nick Castellanos sample Tiger Traxx ice cream during a tour of the Hudsonville Ice Cream plant in Holland. (Mark Copier | MLive.com)

Michigan-inspired ice cream

Michigan has some serious love for ice cream. From Stroh's to Hudsonville, the state has birthed some great ice cream companies.

Speaking of Mackinac Island fudge, Stroh's and Hudsonville are two companies that used the delicious treat as inspiration for an ice cream flavor.

Hudsonville, based in Holland, also aims to honor Michigan with other flavors, from Grand Traverse Bay cherry fudge to Michigan deer traxx. The company has also created a seasonal flavor, Tiger Traxx, in honor of the Detroit Tigers.

Related: Check out our list of Michigan's Best Ice Cream Parlors

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A Superman fan shows off his Superman ice cream cone at Washtenaw Dairy. (Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

Superman ice cream

Specifically, when discussing Michigan ice cream, you have to mention Superman ice cream.

A mixture of blue moon, red pop and lemon flavors, the ice cream is said to have originated in Michigan at a Stroh's ice cream shop. The Stroh's brand is still the pinnacle of Superman ice cream, though many other ice cream companies have their own versions of the flavor.

Keep in mind that you should never tell a Michigander that Superman ice cream is gross.

Related: 15 things you should never say to a Michigander

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Jiffy baking mix boxes make their way through the plant on a conveyor belt on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. (Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

Jiffy mix

Perhaps you are saying, "Jiffy mix isn't a dessert!" While you are right and the mix itself is not a dessert, you can make an unprecedented number of desserts using the mix.

Founded and still based in Chelsea, Michigan, Jiffy makes baking mixes that you can use in cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins and more.

Check out a bunch of dessert recipes on the Jiffy website.

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Trays of Trenary Toast lie on a rack after being dunked in a milk mixture and a brushing of cinnamon Feb. 20, 2003, in Trenary, Mich. The toast is them baked one last time and packaged for sale. (AP Photo/Pat Goddard)

Trenary toast

If you live in Trenary, an unincorporated community in the central Upper Peninsula's Mathias Township, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Trenary toast is dry toast with a cinnamon sugar topping sold at Trenary Home Bakery.

If you can't make it to the U.P., don't worry, you can order the traditional paper bags of Trenary toast on the bakery's website. While you're there, you can also buy some Yooper bars.

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Paczki are made at the European Bakery in Jackson on Tuesday morning, Feb. 9, 2016. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com)

Paczki

If you are originally from Michigan and you move to another state, you might get a surprise once Fat Tuesday rolls around. Apparently, Paczki aren't a thing in other parts of the country.

If you do live in Michigan, there's a good chance you celebrate the day before Lent with delicious Polish pastries called Paczki. No, they weren't created in Michigan, but we have adopted the doughnut-like creations as our own.

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In this July 2, 2011, file photo, cherries from Edmondson Orchards are sold near the Open Space during the opening day of the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Mich. The week-long National Cherry Festival in Traverse City pays homage to the region's signature fruit. Michigan is the nation's top producer of tart cherries  the ones used for pie filling. (AP Photo/The Record-Eagle, Keith King)

Traverse City cherries

Michigan grows more tart cherries than any other state. That means cherries from Traverse City are used in a ton of pastries, jellies and juices.

They also grow sweet cherries, which are delicious to eat by themselves.

Here's a look at some cherry recipes courtesy of michigan.org.

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Cherry pasties (Mary Bilyeu | MLive.com)

Dessert pasties

While pasties are usually savory, there is no reason you can't make the beloved Michigan food as a sweet treat.

A pasty, for those who aren't familiar, is a folded pastry typically filled with vegetables and meat. But, why not try a dessert pasty for a change?

Need some inspiration? Here's a recipe for cherry pasties. You can even use those Traverse City cherries.

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Bavarian Inn Restaurant's Dorothy's Sampler - From left to right - Schwarzwalder Cheesecake, Apfel Strudel and Frankenmuth Torte. (John Gonzalez | gonzo@mlive.com)

Michigan's Best Dessert

While you're thinking of desserts, check out our search for Michigan's Best Dessert. Follow our journey here.
Delonis_Center_121713_RJS_003.jpg

The Delonis Center homeless shelter on Huron Street just west of downtown Ann Arbor.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

A blast of the Polar Vortex has returned to Michigan, bringing with it dangerous wind chills.

Ann Arbor-area organizations and churches are prepared to help those in need of a shelter throughout the weekend.

The wind chill in Ann Arbor could reach 11 below zero on Saturday, Feb. 13, the National Weather Service reports.

Prolonged exposure to temperatures and wind chills this cold can lead to hypothermia, frostbite and even death, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

Here are places homeless individuals can go this weekend during the extreme winter chill:

Delonis Center, 312 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday

8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (lunch at 3 p.m.)

For overnight visits to the Delonis Center, individuals must have a one-time referral from the Housing Access for Washtenaw County. Call 734-961-1999 to seek a referal.

Sign-in at Delonis Center is 9 p.m., and clients must leave by 7 a.m. Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 304 N. Division St., serves breakfast at 7:30 a.m.



First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor, 608 E. William St., Ann Arbor

Daytime warming center Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com.
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Ann Arbor's retiring police chief John Seto, left, next to incoming interim police chief Jim Baird at Seto's retirement party inside city hall on Friday, July 31, 2015.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

After serving as Ann Arbor's interim police chief since last summer, Jim Baird is in line to take over the position on a more permanent basis.

The City Council is set to vote Tuesday night on the appointment of Baird as the city's police chief, according to a resolution on the agenda.

Baird has served as interim police chief since August 2015. He was hired by the city as a patrol officer in January 1993 and rose to deputy chief in May 2013.

Baird was one of three finalists for the police chief position last year following a national search after Police Chief John Seto retired and took a job with the University of Michigan, but the city decided to offer the job to James White, Detroit's assistant police chief. White later turned down the job, causing the city to look to Baird again.

Baird was chosen for the position by Tom Crawford, interim city administrator, after a thorough selection process with participation by police department personnel, community members, city managers, service area administrators, the city attorney and the former city administrator, according to the resolution.

Once the council confirms Crawford's choice, Baird will be appointed police chief effective Feb. 22.

"Mr. Baird's law enforcement experiences include basic patrol duties, county responsibilities such as SWAT, command management and operational responsibilities as a sergeant and as a lieutenant," Crawford wrote in a memo to council, explaining Baird's qualifications for the position.

"Mr. Baird's administrative experience includes Professional Standards lieutenant, Crime Response Unit sergeant, and Command management as a sergeant and lieutenant. While interim police chief, Mr. Baird has also effectively operated as a member of the city's administrative leadership team."

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
In October, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority sent a letter the city of Ypsilanti stating that high levels of contamination, including PCBs and metals like lead and arsenic, appear to remain on the 38-acre Water Street property.

The letter was in response to the city and its environmental consultant, AKT Peerless, reporting to MSHDA that "areas of concern," along with other polluted Water Street soil, were remediated.

Ypsilanti officials pushed back hard against the MSHDA letter, calling it "absurd and overreaching," "disturbing", and "not based in fact."

However, Water Street contamination maps and documents created between 2003 and 2015, some of which weren't previously considered or were ignored, indicate that two "areas of concern" that contain lead, arsenic and PCBs were never remediated. That includes documents available on the city's website.

Several county officials who used to work for the city also recently told The Ann Arbor News they have no recollection of the two areas in question being cleared of contaminated soil, though other parts of the property were remediated.

The two areas that appear to still be contaminated with lead, arsenic and PCBs include land in and around the three-acre site of the proposed 80-unit Riverwalk Commons affordable housing complex. The problem has already delayed the project.

On Monday a MSHDA official confirmed that the city reported the two areas had been remediated, though MSHDA found no evidence to support that in its examination of 20 years' worth of Water Street records.

"That's why we called that out as a discrepancy and asked for more detail," said Michael Vollick, a MSHDA environmental officer.

MSHDA's assessment of the site was presented in a letter to stakeholders by Dan Lince, the authority's environmental manager. The city, Riverwalk developer Herman Kittle and any future Water Street developer are required to describe measures taken to keep residents safe from the contamination in what's called a "document of due care compliance." It's submitted to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and, in this case, MSHDA.

A significant portion of Riverwalk Commons' funding comes from MSHDA, so the authority must be satisfied that the site is safe enough for human habitation. That's a requirement for it to provide loans and protect itself legally, Lince previously said.

Without those loans, there is no development.

Aside from the two areas of concern, MSHDA also found that contamination boundary lines delineating contaminated areas aren't accurate. Lince stated that reports show that soil outside the marked land are just as, if not more, contaminated. Contamination on the site is 10 to 40 times what's considered safe by state and federal regulations in some spots.

In early November, some Ypsilanti officials insisted they knew of the issues and said the site was remediated. But they said the city didn't have the proper documentation on hand and it would be requesting proof of the work from state and federal environmental agencies.

Beth Ernat, Ypsilanti's economic development director, said she had no comment beyond to say that the investigation is ongoing and she can't discuss the issue.

In late November, Ypsilanti launched an investigation into its records and sent FOIA requests to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Environmental Protection Agency. The city is also conducting soil tests. The effort doesn't appear to have turned up any evidence that the sites were remediated, though the city is waiting on documents from the EPA.

Mayor Amanda Edmonds, who criticized MSHDA, said there are other pieces of the report, such as concerns about contaminated "fugitive dust" blowing around the property, or the need to fence off the development, that she still doesn't find within reason.

She added that the current staff and council inherited the a highly complex situation, and no one now involved with the project has been on it since the beginning.

"There's a lot of information gathering we're doing now, and the FOIA request, etc., will help," she said. "Water Street is a long, complicated project, with a lot of history and a lot of people internally and externally have been a part of it. FOIA'ing will help put the pieces of the puzzle together."

Four maps that were a part of various city reports indicate the presence of lead, arsenic and PCBs between zero and eleven feet. Vollick said contamination at 11 feet wouldn't be as much of a concern because workers and residents wouldn't come into contact with it. But any contaminants near the surface would likely need to be removed before work on the Riverwalk development starts.

"We ask that the due care plan address potential exposures prior to our approval, and prior to site redevelopment," he said.

Nathan Voight, Washtenaw County's Brownfield redevelopment director, and a city planner between 2001 and 2008, helped write the February 2015 Brownfield plan that includes a map indicating the areas of concern still need to be remediated. He said the plan is "not gospel," but reflects what is known about the site at the time it's put together.

"The maps are not intended to be absolute of what's there. This is what we think we'll have to do," he said.

Brett Lenart, interim director of community and economic development for the county, worked for the city in different capacities between 1998 and 2005. A 2005 Water Street report he developed includes a map similar to that in the 2015 Brownfield plan that shows the two areas of lead, arsenic and PCB contamination. It also states that the areas need to be remediated.

He said he doesn't have a clear recollection of the situation, but the city may have thought that the contamination levels didn't warrant a cleanup. He added that the process of remediating such a site is a complicated project.

"It's a bit of an evolution. You do the investigation, do the remediation, learn new things, and so it's kind of an evolving process," he said.

City officials were also upset with MSHDA because the report they sent was a draft, and they felt the response from Lince was harsh. Ernat maintained in November that the draft report is part of the process and not out of the ordinary.

The city received a copy of the MSHDA material on Oct. 22 but kept the information confidential. A concerned party not affiliated with city hall sent a copy of Lince's letter to The Ann Arbor News. An official said the city delayed going public with the issue because it wanted to wait until Ypsilanti City Council members received a copy of the letter and had a chance to respond.

The Riverwalk Commons development is a key piece of Water Street's redevelopment plans, which so far only has a Family Dollar on it.

Ypsilanti is facing a $1.32 million general fund shortfall while paying $1.376 million toward Water Street bonds in fiscal year 2016. Without Water Street debt, on which it still owes around $13 million, the city would be looking at a $40,000 surplus this coming fiscal year.

Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for The Ann Arbor News.
Police are looking for a suspect who stole $900 in cash from an Ypsilanti car wash.

At 7:55 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies responded to the report of a burglary at Mr. Bubble Auto Spa, 3265 S. Grove Road in Ypsilanti Township.

An unknown suspect had forced their way into a bay door, smashed the office window and stole several lock boxes containing $900 in cash.

Police have no suspects at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.

If anyone has information about the incident, they can contact the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office confidential tip line at 734-973-7711 or 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com.
The University of Michigan is temporarily banning the use of drones both indoors and outdoors on its Ann Arbor campus, it announced Friday.

The ban applies to all faculty,students, staff, guests and visitors on the campus until a finalized policy on drone use is created. The ban does not apply to laboratories or designated areas where research takes place.

U-M is also in the process of building a netted, outdoor facility that will allow for testing of drones for research and educational uses.

The announcement was made in a joint email sent to U-M staff by provost and executive vice president Martha Pollack, executive vice president for Medical Affairs Marschall Runge, executive vice president and chief financial officer Kevin Hegarty, and vice president for Research S. Jack Hu.

"It has become essential to address the challenges to the safety and security of our campus and the surrounding community that may arise from the unsafe operation of these devices on or above our campus," the executives wrote.

"Drones can interfere with the air-medical transport helicopters that regularly land at our medical center for example, potentially causing injury or loss of life. In fact, an unauthorized drone landed on the helipad in 2015, though thankfully, no injuries resulted."

U-M spokesman Rick Fitzgerald confirmed an unauthorized drone landed near the helipad at the U-M health system last year and that incident played a role in the ban, but was not the exclusive cause.

In December, Tom Sherony, the aviation site manager for the U-M Survival Flight team penned a letter pointing out the potential dangers of drones when trying to help save lives of the scene of an accident.

"We certainly wouldn't want anything to interfere with the life-saving efforts of survival flight," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald went on to say the ban was more like "hitting the pause button" while a formal policy can be created and the outdoor testing facility is built.

The university has formed a committee that will determine the proper policies and procedures for drone use on all of U-M's campuses called the Institutional Autonomous Systems Committee.

That committee is comprised of faculty, university staff, and student representatives. It will report to Hegarty and Hu.

But as the university figures out its policy, one local drone pilot is questioning the legality of the ban in the first place.

Steve Winchester, of Ann Arbor says he completely understands why the university may want to ban drones on campus, however he doesn't believe U-M has the right to do so.

"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the ultimate say in all airspace from ground to space and technically they are the only ones who can make that kind of law," Winchester said.

FAA regulations state that drones cannot be flown within five miles of an airport without permission from the airport. Drones are also required to be registered if they weigh more than .55 pounds.

The majority of the U-M campus is within five miles from Ann Arbor Municipal Airport.

Winchester went on to say drone pilots are instructed not to fly a drone more than 400 feet above ground level.

As long as the drone does not takeoff or land on U-M property, Winchester doesn't believe the university has any right to limit drone usage.

"I do understand where they're coming from. I'm quite sure U-M has a lot of sensitive or private information going on there," Winchester said. "But my personal feeling is you don't have the authority to do this."

Fitzgerald said the university is aware of FAA regulations regarding drone usage and is monitoring the progress on federal regulations.

In the announcement issued Friday, university executives said that failure to comply with the ban could lead to confiscation of the drone, removal of future flight privileges, and possible state and/or federal penalties.

"Certainly our hope is that that sort of enforcement action would never be needed," Fitzgerald said. "We want the campus community to be a safe environment until we can further clarify some rules about this."

Matt Durr is a reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.
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John A. Rapanos stands on the land in Williams Township where state and federal regulators claimed he filled in wetlands. He took that fight to the U.S. Supreme Court and changed Clean Water Act enforcement.

(MLive.com)

John Rapanos

MIDLAND, MI -- John A. Rapanos, the feisty developer from Midland whose war with state and federal environmental regulators gained national attention a decade ago and changed U.S. Clean Water Act enforcement, has died. He was 80 years old.

Rapanos' decades-long fight over 54 acres he owned in Bay County's Williams Township and Midland County brought him a criminal conviction in federal court and saw a lawsuit over the U.S. Clean Water Act go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He was hailed as a hero to property rights advocates.

"John Rapanos was a courageous man who was unafraid to stand up for property owner rights," said U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, in a statement issued Thursday, Feb. 11.

"As a Midland native, I was honored to know John," he said "He was a dedicated member of the community whose love and commitment to his family and quiet generosity toward others will long be remembered."

His son Michael Rapanos said his dad "liked the simplest things" such as fast food and his Yukon SUV. "I would say his best friends were his five boys and his friends," he said, and his wife, Judith Rapanos.

"For the right causes, he fought the good fight," said Michael Rapanos, who now runs Rapanos Investment Group, the business his father started. "He was a capitalist at his finest."

People in Midland still recall the billboards he took out to harshly criticize the late Circuit Judge Thomas A. Beale, who several years later slapped him with a contempt of court citation and threw Rapanos in jail for a night in 1995.

But it was a landmark environmental lawsuit that got Rapanos into the history books as the man who challenged the reach and authority of the Clean Water Act.

It was over 54 acres where Rapanos said he pulled some trees and filled the stump holes with sand in 1989.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claimed he had filled in wetlands. Rapanos said he did not.

In 1995, a U.S. District Court jury sided with the EPA's contention, and found him guilty in a criminal case of destroying 54 acres of wetlands. In 1998, he was fined $185,000 and sentenced to three years probation and 200 hours of community service.

Rapanos' most lasting impact on the nation came when the Michigan DEQ sued him on claims he filled in wetlands. He fought the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming his land was too far from a navigable waterway to be under jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.

The high court in a 5-4 decision in 2006 overturned rulings against Rapanos and sent the case back to U.S. District Court in Detroit for reconsideration, saying regulators might have exceeded their authority in preventing Rapanos and another Michigan businessman to develop their land.

Michigan, the U.S. government and 34 other states faced off against Rapanos and a raft of Republican and property rights groups in the case.

That ruling has since been informally known as the Rapanos rule in Clean Water Act cases.

In 2007, the Bush administration issued guidance for the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers making it more difficult to gain Clean Water Act protection for non-permanent streams and nearby wetlands.

In 2008, Rapanos and another Michigan developer involved in the Supreme Court case settled the suit with the government. Rapanos agreed to construct 100 acres of wetlands and buffer areas in Arenac and Midland counties. In 2011, the Arenac land on the Bay County border became the Wah Sash Kah Moqua Nature Preserve overseen by the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.

In a 2006 interview as the case entered the Supreme Court, Rapanos said his parents would have approved of his fight.

"

I don't think you should just lie down for the federal government," he said at that time. "My father and mother would say, 'Johnny, fight to the death for what's right. Fight to the death against those bastards.'"

Rapanos was born Oct. 24, 1935, in Chicago to Alexandros and Nicoleta Rapanos, Greek immigrants. He and his wife Judith A. Rapanos had five sons, Matthew, Mark, David, Michael and Steven. His company, Rapanos Investment Group of Midland, is still in the family.

Funeral arrangements were pending.
DETROIT, MI -- Democrats on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee have called for a congressional hearing on Michigan's emergency manager law and its role in Flint's water crisis and the deterioration of Detroit Public Schools.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) and 15 other members argue in a letter requesting the hearing that emergency managers have "egregiously failed the citizens of Flint and Detroit."

"We are asking for these hearings because there are a number of federal constitutional and legal issues raised by the Michigan Emergency Manger Law and its implementation that fall within the House Judiciary Committee's purview," the letter reads.

(Full letter embedded below)

The request specifically names Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, who also ran Flint government during it's ill-fated switch in water sources.

Earley was one of four different state-appointed emergency managers who controlled Flint government between 2011 and 2015.

He plans to step down from leading the school district at the end of the month.

Earley was preceded by three other emergency managers of the district going back to 2009.

His resignation comes amid an uproar over extraordinarily poor school conditions -- including widespread rodent and mold infestations -- while outrage over Flint's water crisis continues to grow.

Earley did manage to balance the district's structural budget, but years of austerity measures have angered teachers and parents, who filed a lawsuit over school conditions earlier this month.

And the district is still facing massive long-term debt projected at over $500 million.

Gov. Rick Snyder, Earley and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan have been urging the state legislature to approve a proposal to pay off the debt.

Meanwhile, the governor's office on Friday released thousands of emails related to the water crisis, and Snyder has asked to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Earley has been subpoenaed to testify before that committee on Feb. 25 .

Card
PONTIAC, MI -- Police confirmed Thursday night that Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown filed an assault and battery complaint against state Sen. Marty Knollenberg.

Brown claimed in the police report that Knollenberg painfully grabbed her by the arm before a verbal exchange between the two shortly after Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson completed his State of the County address Wednesday night in a hotel ballroom in Pontiac.

Investigators planned to interview three witnesses before forwarding the information to the Oakland County prosecutor's office for a decision on whether the incident warrants criminal charges, said Undersheriff Mike McCabe.

Brown told police that as the speech ended and she was picking up her coat, Knollenberg tried to speak with her, and when she declined, Knollenberg firmly grabbed her by the arm.

After the exchange, an Oakland County sheriff's deputy escorted Brown to her car because she said she didn't feel safe, McCabe said.

Brown, a Democrat, and Knollenberg, a Republican, used to serve together in the state House.

A message seeking comment was left with spokespeople for Knollenberg.

Amber McCann, a spokesperson for Senate Republicans, told the Detroit News earlier in the day that Knollenberg "denies any aggressive behavior."
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12.02.2016 LISTEN



Twenty-four-year-old songstress Sista Afia has said she abandoned her nursing career in the United Kingdom (UK) and came to Ghana to pursue a music career.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with NEWS-ONE on Thursday, she said music is her passion and that she will go to any length to fulfil it.

I grew up in Accra and Kumasi. I went to Reverend John Teye Memorial Institute and also Angel Educational Complex before relocating to the UK. They dragged me to the UK by force. I was 15 then and I did my high school and university in the UK. I read Nursing but I came to Ghana because of music. That is how serious I am about my music career, she said.

The first thing I have in mind is to link up with my country. When I was a kid, I wanted to sing in Ghana. I wanted to be someone who can inspire other people. I just wanted to be in Ghana. Hopefully when things go well, I can go back, she added.

I am just a regular girl who likes to sing and do something with my music career. I love music. That's all I can say, she also said.

Born Franchesca Duncan Williams, Afia started singing at church programmes and wedding ceremonies while in London. That caught the attention of her manager who later introduced her to Bisa Kdei who has since been helping her.

I met Bisa Kdei through my manager and he is a lovely guy. We are just friends. We are cool and we care for each other. Nothing really; we are just working together basically. I have nothing amorously going on with him. We just care for each other; we care as far as caring could reach. He helps me out musically. He produced my songs and did the beats, she said, dispelling rumours that she is dating Kdei.

Currently, Afia has two highlife singles titled Krokro No and Are You Ready, which was released on February 1. She hopes to drop an album sometime soon.

However, she craves for women empowerment in Ghana's music industry as she says she is shocked that no Ghanaian female artiste has ever won artiste of the year award at the annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

She described it as unfair and said it was about time the ladies in the industry came together and worked extra hard.

Ghana music, the girls' category is missing a lot (sic). Even though it is there, it is not there. I think we need to come up and fight and talk more good stuff in our music. We need to run ourselves properly; that's what I can say when it comes to the girls' category because the men have overtaken us and it is not fair. We need to come together, work together and push ourselves up.

I don't understand why no female artiste has ever won artiste of the year. There were years when top notch female musicians like Akosua Agyapong were getting awards for what they did. I don't understand why female artistes these days don't get it [the artiste of the year award].

She noted that the music industry could not solely be faulted for the inability of female artistes to win the artiste of the year award in recent times, but female artistes themselves, compounded by the mindset of Ghanaians, were equally responsible for the unfortunate situation.

It is always about the men. The people are not focusing on the women and I blame the ladiesI also blame the industry because they are not giving the women chances [to] come up, Afia said.

Listen to her new single produced by Bisa Kdei below.
He was as popular then as he is now; roamed the streets of Kumasi, reveled in the popularity of their hit song "masa na aba" swept many women off their feet with his raps and breathtaking performances but when love calls something must give.

He gave up his dreadlocks, the one thing he cherished so much at the time. The thing that gave him some identity. He removed it on his own volition without the trappings of Samson's Delilah.

The man who swept women off their feet with his lyrical dexterity was carried away in the ocean of love by the striking beauty of a woman- Annica.

In the month of love and on Lexis Bills' Personality Profile on Joy FM, the Linguist Okyeame Kwame and his wife Annica sat in the glorious hall of fame to sing the profound story of love to millions of listeners home and abroad.

He recounted how he met the queen of his heart in front of a Law firm close to Luv FM in Kumasi and how that queen in black with a "waist of a wasp and a hip of an elephant" mesmerized him.

He was attracted by her demure figure and "Eastern African look." The queen was desperate for job that fine morning but went home with a prize, a man and later a happy marriage.

It was just the kind of marriage Okyeame Kwame dreamt of, fantasized about in the early years of boyhood but is now living the dream in his manhood.

The month gone by marked the celebration of seven short years of marital bliss between the two; a marriage without a single fight but with many disagreements over differences in ideologies.

A marriage in which the man, Okyeame Kwame is the head of the house, but the woman, Annica, is the manager at home and manager at work.

Annica is the brands manager of the institution-Okyeame Kwame- and has been running the institution with an eye of a professional and a heart of a woman, a wife.

Play the video for the love story.
Akim Oda (E/R), Feb. 11, GNA - The Akim Oda Divisional Police Command has inaugurated a Divisional Election Security Taskforce to ensure peaceful coexistence for the November General Election.

The members of the taskforce are from the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), the National Commission for Civic Education, the Electoral Commission, the Immigration Service, and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, among others.

Chief Superintendent Ebenezer Ampofo, the Akim Oda Divisional Police Commander, the leader of the Taskforce, said it would assist the security agencies to ensure prevent intimidation and violence.

He said the members would plan, monitor, co-ordinate and organise training programmes for security agencies to build the capacity of their personnel on Public Order Management and other related duties toward the election.

Chief Superintendent Ampofo said the taskforce would have seven Sub-committees namely; Joint Operations Centre, Media and Communication, Personnel Mobilisation and Deployment, Ballot Security, Intelligence-Legal, Investigation and Prosecution, and Transport and Logistics.

GNA
London, Feb. 11, GNA - Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh is in the sights of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which has told the GNA exclusively that the Office of the Prosecutor is monitoring events in the country where violence is escalating during the run-up to a presidential election in May.

President Guelleh, who is going for a controversial fourth term, has been accused by the opposition of targeting is members, 19 of whom were killed on December 21.

In the light of the start of the trial at the ICC of the former president of Cote d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, as a result of election violence, the GNA's London Bureau contacted the ICC by email to ask about its position on political violence in Djibouti.

The OTP sent a terse but no-nonsense reply: 'Djibouti is a State Party to the International Criminal Court and The Office of the Prosecutor is following up on the developments in the country.'

At the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Kenya, one of the situation countries at the ICC, led a call for African countries to walk out of the court, arguing that it is unfairly targeting countries on the continent.

But ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told London Bureau Chief Desmond Davies in The Hague last May that the cases relating to Africa were not made up.

'After all, the crimes committed by those Africans accused by the ICC were real crimes,' she said.

'What is happening is that the ICC is helping African countries to strengthen the rule of law on the continent.'

The situation in Djibouti is beginning to warrant international comment.

For instance, Prof Gregory Stanton, the founder of Genocide Watch and who drafted the UN resolution that created the International Criminal Tribunal Rwanda (ICTR), wrote last month that despite the ICC, 'in Africa [today], I see worrying signs of [the] return [of genocide]'.

Writing in South Africa's Mail and Guardian, the American noted: 'Thousands of American service personnel live [in Djibouti], and we have more influence with President IsmaAl Guelleh than perhaps any other country.

'So I hang my head in shame that, after Guelleh's troops opened fire on civilians on 21 December last year, neither the State Department nor the White House would condemn the massacre.'

Prof Stanton pointed that as in Burundi, the problem in Djibouti was 'an unpopular president refusing to step down. Guelleh has already served three terms in breach of his own constitution and will stand again for election this year'.

He added: 'Freedom and democracy are not about being in power. They only mean something when the ruling party shows it's not afraid to spend a few years in opposition, regrouping and putting up a better show at the next election.

'It is often said we lament genocide in the aftermath, but not in the lead up when something could have been done.'

Prof Stanton went on: 'Well, here we are, with the red flag of danger flying high in Burundi, and flapping to a softer but equally menacing breeze in Djibouti.

'The UN and the AU avoid taking forceful, preventive action by calling the massacres, 'crimes against humanity'.

'The term that demands action - genocide - has been narrowed by international lawyers to cases of wholesale murder like the Holocaust, Cambodia, Guatemala, Rwanda, or Darfur.'

The Head of External Relations for Djibouti's opposition Union pour le Salut National (USN), Abdourahman Boreh, told the GNA in London that he welcomed the ICC's 'notice to the government of Djibouti to observe the rule of law'.

'We at the USN hope that President Guelleh will listen to the ICC and allow Djiboutians to go to the polls without fear of intimidation from government forces,' he said.

Last December, after the killing of 19 people, including a six-year-old girl, by government forces, Mr Boreh said in a statement: 'We must get to the root causes and hold those responsible to account.

'The world has a duty to intervene to ensure justice is done - and the people of Djibouti can look to a free and democratic future with confidence.'

GNA
12.02.2016 LISTEN

One of the key suspects in the murder of the late Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North has been identified as Daniel Asiedu, Starrfmonline.com can confirm.

Asiedu, who is currently in police custody, was rounded up on Thursday in an operation led by the Accra Regional Police Commander DCOP George Dampare when he went to Agbogbloshie in Accra to decode the phones of the late Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu.

According to highly placed police sources at the Accra Regional Police Command, one of the three phones which were taken for decoding had the picture of the late MP as screen saver and that of former President John Kufuor as screen lock.

The repairer alerted the police and they picked Asiedu up, the source confided in Starrfmonline.com.

Danquah Adu was stabbed to death at his residence at Shiashi in Accra early Tuesday by unknown assailants.

Starrfmonline.com is being told that the suspect, who will be transferred to the Homicide Unit at the Police Headquarters for questioning, is assisting the law enforcement agency to track two other accomplices known as Avenger and Agogo Junior.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the assailants may have used a ladder to enter the MPs room via his window to kill him.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the bloody murder as shocking.

The acting national chairman of the main opposition NPP Freddie Blay said the party is in a state of shock, adding that the death is an unfortunate situation.

It has ordered all party flags at district, regional and national headquarters to fly at half-mast.

Biography

The Abuakwa North MP was the grandson of late J.B Danquah, a Ghanaian statesman, pan-Africanist, scholar and historian, who played a significant role in pre- and post-colonial Ghana.

Danquah, a chartered accountant, would have been 51 in July.

He was a deputy women and childrens affairs minister under the John Agyekum Kufuor administration.

Prior to becoming an MP, he was the Executive Director, Automotive Springs (Ghana) Limited, Accra.

He left behind a wife and two children.
President of Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), Ing. Kwaku Boampong has told Engineers in the country to ensure that they incorporate principles of sustainable development in their work.

He admonished them to adopt the triple bottom line approach to their projects  that is projects must secure environmental protection, meet economic needs and serve society.

Ing. Boampong said this during his opening remarks at the second in the series of the Ghana Institution of Engineers Annual Lecture on Leadership and Ethics on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge, Accra.

Continuous Professional Development of our members is a top priority of the GhIE. The Council of the Institution therefore instituted this Annual Leadership and Ethics Lecture to promote engineering excellence and raise the bar of the practice of the Engineering Profession so that Engineers will be leaders of the development of Science, Engineering and Technology at all levels of society, Ing. Boampong explained.

Under the theme Quality of Life and Infrastructure: Do we owe the Poor? Ing. Boampong, who was the Chairman of the program, noted the world has seen an unprecedented acceleration in technological development that has had far reaching effects on our profession.

Today, Engineers are responsible for incorporating the principles of sustainable development into every phase of the projects, that is, whilst ensuring that the project meets the economic needs of society, they should be stewards of the environment, protect the poor and the vulnerable in society, he said.

Guest Speaker, Dr. Nishan de Mel, who is the Executive Director and Head of Verite Research, a think tank that provides analytical research and advisory services on economic, political and legal issues in Sri Lanka and Asia, said corruption has been perceived to be endemic in the construction sector.

He said Engineers are involved in the Engineering Procurement and Construction of mega projects around the world, and in performing their duties they should remember the following:

1. The poor and the vulnerable require protection. Morally the powerful and people in authority should protect the poor.

2. Recognition that we have received more because we are blessed. It was not by choice.

3. There is the need to give back to society. Duty of reciprocity

4. The poor are what they are because the powerful and those in authority have stolen from them.

Dr. Nishan added that to be leaders we should be part of the process that would build our nation, Ghana, to be a model for Africa and the world. He hinted that Ghana and Sri Lanka have so many things in common, ranging from Independence, which Sri Lanka attained in 1948 whilst Ghana got Independence in 1957; Sri Lankas population is 21 million with Ghanas population of 25 million. Both Ghana and Sri Lanka have similar Political structure with Corruption issues similar in both countries.

The Evening lecture was well-attended by some Past Presidents of the GhIE, Council Members, Ing. Owura K Sarfo  CEO of MiDA, Ing. Dr. Benjamin Ofosu Adoo, Chairman of Keegan Resources, Engineers, other sister Professional bodies and the media.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

THE IMPLICATIONS OF KEN-AGYAPONG-ESQUE POLITICAL PORNOGRAPHY

In Ghana freedom of speech has gone to the dogs. There are in fact many Ghanaians who think freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of conscience, and our dubious democratic capitalism give them the license to open their traps anyhow and unpack their bacterial and viral nonsense without so much as a high regard for public decency, self-respect, and decorum. Both Afia and Ken are guilty of this, but more so of Ken given his stature as a legislator.

Granted, their lack of respect for the doctrine of public diplomacy is not merely a casual symptom of public decay per se, but rather a causative intrinsicality of anomie itself. That is, their behavior in the public space constitutes a normative fixture of the institutional bias of Ghanas uncritically imported democratic culture.

Recently, the National Media Commissions Chairman Kwasi Gyang-Apenteng has formally acknowledged the seriousness of the problem and how Afias and Kens defamatory insults in the public space and their self-conceited media wars are casting a pall over journalistic ethical standards and freedom of the press as well as of speech.

In other words they (Afia & Ken) are not unique in this sweeping indictment. Having said that, let us try and see how Ken variously manifests himself in the depraved DNA of the Ghanaian public character:

LAWYER MAURICES PUBLICITY STUNTS

The publicity stunts pulled by lawyer Maurice Ampau against the background of Asamoah Gyans alleged sodomizing of Sarah Kwablah in the full glare of the media represent model instances of what it actually means for a lawyer to idolize his exposed genitals in Afias hippo-mouth. The unserious tough-talking lawyer Ampau is yet to produce the bodies of Castro and Janet Bandu.

THE QUACKERY OF KWEKU BONSAM

The quack prophesier Kweku Bonsam failed to use his powers to physically locate or identify Anas Aremeyaw Anas. And for this reason, he made a public offer to anyone who could help him trace Anas.

Apparently, he had been so deeply impressed with Anas investigative expose on judicial corruption as to make him think he needed to perform certain rituals in order to protect him from his enemies, perhaps in accordance with a specific augury to that effect revealed through his oracle. Kweku Bonsam could not also use his powers to charm the kind of model-looking women he always wanted for wives. He had to appear on radio to make a sympathetic appeal to the public to help him gain direct access to his kind of model-looking woman.

PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA & GEORGE BOATENG

Asiedu Nketia (General Mosquito), Koku Anyidoho, and other leading figures in the executive hierarchy of the NDC chased George Boateng, Mr. John Mahamas potential rival in the presidential primaries, to the political oblivion of an insane asylum. It has however been speculated that the NDC leadership paid him off to keep him quiet, thus cajoling him to stay away from Mr. Mahama and the primaries.

George Boateng happens to be the transmogrified punching-bag versions of Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyapong, and Sammy Crabbe of the NPP. But the story does not end there. Then also Samia Nkrumah also alleged that Mr. Ivor Greenstreet bought the delegates who, in turn, voted massively for him. Fuhrer Akufo-Addo was alleged to have done same. Universal bribing of delegates and more particularly of the electorate before and during general elections is what misguided and many well-educated Ghanaians call democracy.

Notwithstanding the above, President Mahamas government is generally not doing well but Fuhrer Akufo-Addo, his potential rival, has not proven to be a better substitute for or alternative to the man he is so desperately trying to unseat, either. Fuhrer Akufo-Addo is fighting President Mahama in the shadows just as Fulanis are fighting Ghanaians in the open. Ghanaians then have the biggest dilemma to unknot as the 2016 general elections draw nigh.

Finally, Mugabe Maase says Fuhrer Akufo-Addo will die before the general elections. Rev. Owusu Bempah also says President Mahama will die. If this is true, what are the presidential candidates of a likely third force coalition waiting for? A third political force is a far more likely alternative or better mediating choice than either of the dead horses in the nations entrenched duopoly.

KEN AND AFIA IN THE IMAGE OF MEMBERS OF THE GHANAIAN CLERGY

These controversial characters are actually Kennedy Agyapong appearing in many disguises:

Ghanaian Shiites and Sunnis fight over the fate of the Gitmo 2. Ghanaian Christians and Muslims battle out over the fate of the Gitmo 2.

Sheikh Ustaz Sham-un Jibril says President Mahama will lose the elections. Prophet Dr. Agyeman Prempeh, on the other hand, thinks President Mahama has the potential to win the elections.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams prays for the Ghanaian Cedi on behalf of the NDC.

Rev. Mensah Otabil appropriates the mouth of God for partisan politics on behalf of the NPP.

Bishop Obinim insults Rawlings. Kweku Bonsam advises Bishop Obinim to apologize to Rawlings.

Bishop Obinim says he can transform himself into either a snake or a dog and bite his enemies. Christian organizations come out strongly against Obinims charlatanry. Then also he sleeps adulterously with Gifty Pokou, one of his junior pastors wives, and sees nothing wrong with it. He also claimed to have crippled and made Giftys child mad. And he calls himself the apple of Jesus eye.

Kweku Bonsam makes the case that T.B. Joshua is fake, that he killed Pres. John Atta Mills and that he will petition Pope Francis to call him [T.B. Joshua] to order.

Dag Heward-Mills does not see anything objectionable with oral sex between married couples.

Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha), the founding leader of Heavens Gate Ministry International, threatens to beat Kweku Bonsam to a pulp until he succeeds in exorcizing the devil from him.

Odifuo Kwabena Tawiah says Ghanaian politicians will sacrifice children for the 2016 general elections.

The apocalyptic prophesier Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah has told the world that some persons close to Fuhrer Akufo-Addo intend to kill him. Rev. Bempah threatens to behead Kweku Bonsam.

The government welcomes Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (nee Dennis Bradley Philips), the spiritual father of the Gitmo 2, to Ghana.

The Ghana Police Service blocks some major roads for Pastor Chris Oyakhilomes passage.

Nana Ampadu, Ofori Amponsah, Aziziga, Jr., Lord Kenya, K.K. Kabobobecome pastors and evangelists.

Thieves steal from the strong room of Antoa Nyame

ARE KEN AGYAPONG & AFIA SCHWARZENEGGAR ROLE MODELS?

We will not volunteer an answer because it is a rhetorical question. More so Suge Knight for instance, ex-CEO of Death Row Records who is now in court on murder charges, once proclaimed on national television that he was not a role model for the American youth. Rather ironically, he chose Jesus Christ as a role model for the American youth. Which Jesus did he refer to?

Was it the Jesus orthodox Jews never acknowledge? The meek Jesus who loved children, the one rapper Kanye West sang about so delightfully and controversially in Jesus Walks? The self-confident Jesus who stood up against Roman corruption and pharisaical tyranny? Or the man who sacked the temple, the one Reza Aslan called a zealot? Was he the historical Jesus or the Biblical Jesus? Knight did not exactly say any of these.

Perhaps, his primary reason for evading the question in the first place had to do with the perceived imperfection or incorruptibility of man. But, the profile of his own violent past and of the culture of real-life violence and gang-star rap his music label and artistes promoted could explain the illusive complexity of his telegenic response, a view not lost on us. Then the Jesus he may have referred to did not share his brand of rap sheet, violent projections, and gang-star radicalism. Neither was Jesus a producer of the class of gang-star rap he promoted nor was he a dreadful public figure that Knight was and is.

On the other hand, as far as Knights understanding of human incorruptibility is concerned the frankness and projective bluntness of his evasive response potentially buried any sense of introspective tendency toward sanctimonious self-importance, opinionatedness, and arrogance, all of which he may have harbored. That is to say, Ken and Afia are the very antithesis of Knights philosophical pontifications insofar as the Christological humanizing of model mortality.

In the end what Knight seems to be saying, in effect, is that there is no such thing as a role model in the corrupt bones of human beings and that such a model threshold properly belongs in the realm of paranormality. Against this background, we move to acknowledge the corruptible humanity of Afia and Ken. However this acknowledgement does not, in and of itself, absolutely exonerate them from the grudging oversight of public reprimand and self-flagellation.

On the other hand the fact of Afia calling Ken an idiot is an interesting one. This may confirm Ahmed Simba Toures claim that Ken is an elderly man with little brains. And also when one acknowledges that Kens bed-wetting and philandering tongue is his personality signature it then becomes eloquently clear why Afia will say to him: I defecate in your mouth. Now we know the provenance of the foul exposed genitals of Kens endarkened gingivitis-mouth and its toxic waste products.

We also now know that Afia is strategically deploying her bed-wetting and philandering hippo-mouth, not the infamous cleavage of her intrusive and omniscient backside, as the point of defecation contact with the exposed genitals of Kens bed-wetting and philandering slimy mouth.

There is no doubt in our minds that Ken loses to become an agent of influence in our society because he has become a grotesque caricature of himself.

Such Orwellian characters are therefore agents of negative influence.

We shall return with the concluding part: Ken Agyapong: The Vulgar Politics Of Exposed Genitals & Bad-Mouthing 4.
Lagos, Nigeria; 10 February 2016: The winners of this years DStv Eutelsat Star Awards were announced tonight during a ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya, that also celebrated rising student interest in science and technology.

The fifth edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, organised by MultiChoice and Eutelsat, reached a record participation with nearly 2,000 entries from 18 countries. The winner in the essay category, Ayawen Asuinura from Ghana has won a trip to Paris and onwards to a launch site to witness a rocket blast into space to place a satellite into orbit. This is the first win in the essay category for Ghana that has already produced two winners in the poster category.

The runner-up in the essay category was Sara Eribo from Equatorial Guinea who wins a trip for two to visit MultiChoice facilities and the South African National Space Agency near Johannesburg. In the essay category, students were asked to interpret the quote by Socrates Man must rise above the Earth, to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives and to show how satellites help understand and take care of our planet.

In the poster category, Mallon Marume from Zimbabwe scooped the first prize for artistic creativity and will visit Eutelsat in Paris to understand how satellites are operated and piloted in space and the many ways they benefit users. This is a consecutive win for Zimbabwe as Joseph Mahiya won top honours in the essay category last year. Benjamin Ibanda from Uganda was the runner up in the same category. The four winning schools attended by the overall award winners and runners-up were also rewarded with a DStv installation, including dish, TV set, PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet.

Paolo Nespoli, an ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut chaired the jury of the Awards for the third year in a row, assisted by an international panel of skilled industry experts: Ronke Bello, CEO at Innovative Technology Literacy Services Ltd, Nigeria; Dr Jane Munga, Policy Advisor, Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and Research, Kenya; Dr Perkins Muredzi, Dean of School of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), Zimbabwe; Melt Loubser, GM: Broadcast Technology, MultiChoice Africa and Rodney Benn, Regional Director, Eutelsat.

Commenting on the entries, Paolo Nespoli said: As the Jury Chairman of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards over the last three years, I confirm that this years entries reaffirm the high standard of this unique competition. The quality and creativity of the finalists essays and artwork underscore the deep interest of Africa's young generation in science and technology. I am truly honoured to be part of a competition that reveals some of Africa's future thought leaders."

The keynote speaker was Kenyas Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Hon. Joe Mucheru who said: It is important to note that His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government is determined to promote holistic development of the country covering all sectors with particular focus on leveraging science and technology in the delivery of services in all sectors of the economy including ICT and education. Therefore, it is gratifying to note the effort by both MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat in ensuring that we nurture interest and build capacities in science and technology.

About the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards

In 2010 MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat combined their expertise to initiate an annual pan-African student competition called the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards. The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards encourages 14-19 year-old students to write an essay or design a poster on a satellite-related topic. Country winners from across Africa then compete in the overall awards for a trip to the Eutelsat facilities in Paris, with the essay winner travelling onwards to witness a live rocket launch. Runners-up win a trip to South Africa as guests of MultiChoice Africa and the South African National Space Agency at Hartebeesthoek. Schools attended by the overall winners also receive a DStv installation, including dish, television, state-of-the-art PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet. Winners at national levels win prizes such as computers or tablets.
Tunis (AFP) - A love story set against the aftermath of Tunisia's watershed revolution will kick off the competition at the Berlin film festival Friday as the first Arab contender in two decades.

Hailing from the North African country that triggered the Arab Spring, "Hedi" is the debut feature-length film of Tunisian filmmaker Mohamed Ben Attia.

It is the first film in Arabic and set in the Arab world since 1996 to vie for prizes at Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year.

"It's not that I'm not ambitious, but I never imagined going to Berlin! All of us are surprised," Ben Attia told AFP.

It is a rare achievement for any first-time filmmaker to be invited to the Berlinale competition.

The only other debut feature in the race this year -- British theatre director Michael Grandage's "Genius" -- has an all-star cast including Colin Firth, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

"Hedi" will have its world premiere as one of 18 films from around the world vying for the festival's Golden Bear top prize, with three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep heading up the jury.

Its tale of "emotional upheaval" echoes Tunisia's recent history, said Ben Attia, who turns 40 this year. But rather than impart a political "message", his movie describes a kind of personal revolution.

- Wake-up call -

The film's main character Hedi -- whose name means "serene" in Arabic -- "isn't unemployed, his family doesn't have any money problems... but he feels out of place in society", Ben Attia said.

When he meets a tour guide called Rim and love strikes, Hedi (played by Majd Mastoura) begins to ask serious questions about the man he wants to be and his role in society.

Ben Attia said he himself used to be a "conformist", selling cars for a living before launching into filmmaking.

The wake-up call came on January 14, 2011 standing in the crowd outside the interior ministry demanding the removal of longtime dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

It was the end of an era "under censorship that we thought was only political, but in fact was (also) sedating everybody", he said.

Protests swept Tunisia in late 2010 after the death of a street vendor who set himself on fire in protest at unemployment and police harassment, leading Ben Ali to flee the country.

In his own "emotional upheaval" alongside the tumult wrought by the revolution, Hedi "discovers himself through a love story" and "detaches himself from conventions".

He realises "he has another choice -- but then, after the euphoria, he discovers it's not all that easy", Ben Attia said.

- 'Bit of a hangover' -

Tunisia is hailed as a rare success story of the Arab Spring, although authorities have failed to improve the economy or do much to ease social exclusion.

Authorities last month imposed a nationwide curfew to curb some of the worst social unrest since the revolution.

"It's true we have a bit of a hangover," Ben Attia said. "We thought he (Ben Ali) just needed to leave for it all to get better.

"We truly believed in this radical change, just as Hedi wants to believe in his love story."

Political instability and jihadist attacks have taken their toll on Tunisia's vital tourism sector.

In the film, after Rim (played by Rim Ben Messaoud) loses her job, the lovers start thinking about quitting the country.

But the director said he has never contemplated leaving, especially as Tunisian films make waves abroad.

"Tunisian cinema has been on the move. We've seen films that stand out, that are well received abroad and at home," he said.

Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid's film "As I Open My Eyes" won the top award for fiction feature at the Dubai Film Festival in December.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

Ongoing developments on the Jubilee and Tweneboa Enyenra, Ntomme oil fields will not be affected despite cuts in funds set aside for the infrastructure projects.

That is the assurance coming from Tullow Oil PLC.

The exploration firm on Thursday announced cuts in budget allocated for capital expenditure for this year and 2017.

Tullow says some 600 million dollars allocated for the TEN project, Ghana second biggest oil field will not be affected, will the project through.

Tullow Oil for the second year running recorded a loss in its operations.

The oil exploration company lost 1 billion dollars in 2015 and 1.6 billion dollars posted in 2014. The loses have been due mainly to falling crude prices on the international market.

The current development at Tullow has affected its share price, which has declined by 6 pesewas as at Thursday and its now worth 27 Ghana cedis , 93 pesewas.

In a related development, Tullow Oil PLC says it is hoping to start recording an improved financial position from next year.

Audio: Chief Executive of Tullow Oil, Aidan Heavey, spoke to investors in London about the TEN project.
Police have picked up more than 40 people suspected to be involved in clashes that claimed one life in Old Tafo, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The weapon-wielding youth had been threatening to launch a reprisal attack.

They were spotted by security forces when the Ashanti Regional Security Council called on the Chief of the area as part of efforts to restore peace, Luv FMs Erastus Asare Donkor said Friday.

He said a team of police and military personnel chased after them and arrested them.

Roads were closed and business activities came to a standstill during the operation to arrest of the suspects.

They will be processed for court Friday, according to Police.

Churches and a mosque have been torched in the violent clashes, destroying their contents according to Joy News Mohammed Nurudeen.

The Regional Security Council has already extended to Monday February 15 a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the community Wednesday.

Meanwhile the Old Tafo Zongo Chief, Alhaji Seidu Chibsah, has condemned the clashes .

Alhaji Chibsah said on Adom FMs Morning Show Dwaso Nsem that the action of the youth groups was unacceptable and unjustifiable.

Clashes between the youth and some supporters of traditional leaders of the area over a piece of land on Wednesday caused an imposition of a 6:00pm to 6:00am curfew.

The man killed in the clashes was buried Thursday amid a heavy security presence.
ALLEGED KILLER OF MP ARRESTED

The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested a man suspected to have killed the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Joseph Boakey Danquah-Adu, following a tip-off.

Supreme Court THROWS OUT CASE CHALLENGING RULING ON WOYOME

The controversial case in which a businessman, Abdulai Yusif Fanash Muhammed asked the Supreme Court to reverse its earlier ruling that ordered businessman Alfred Abgesi Woyome to refund to the state a51.2 million paid to him as judgement debt, was yesterday thrown out.

NO FRAUD IN AWARD OF AFRIWAVE CONTRACT

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has refuted allegations by a local think tank, IMANI Ghana, that the authority fraudulently skewed the process to favour Afriwave Telecoms in the award of a licence for an Interconnect Clearing House (ICH).

MP KILLER ARRESTED AT AGBOGBLOSHIE

A young man suspected to be the killer of the Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, was arrested on Thursday at his hideout at Agbogbloshie in Accra, three days after his murder.

CASE CHALLENGING WOYOME THROWN OUT

Lawyers for embattled National Democratic Congress financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome are heading to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for arbitration over the controversial a51.2 million judgement debt paid to him by the state.

NDC PAYS EC a5.4M

The governing National Democratic Congress accountant who was fired recently by the party has revealed that the party paid huge sums of money to the Electoral Commission.

UNSOLVED MURDERS: WHEN SHALL WE HAVE ANSWERS?

There has been a renewed call by many Ghanaians for the Ghana Police Service to up their game in the bringing closure to the numerous unsolved killings that have occurred in the country in recent past, to restore a sense of security among the citizenry.

NAME AND SHAME MEN WHO MARRY YOUNG GIRLS

The Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin has indicated that African governments can do more in the fight against child marriages by naming and shaming men who sleep with and marry young girls.

POLICE GRABS SUSPECTED KILLER OF MP

The General Telegraph can report that a man suspected to have hatched the dastardly killing of the late New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu has been grabbed by the police.

NPP NEEDS PRAYERS - KUFUOR

On the recurrence of unfortunate recent deaths in the New Patriotic Party, former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged members of the party and nation at large to embark upon serious prayers.

MINIMUM WAGE LUXURY IN INFORMAL SECTOR

Although Ghana Living Standards Survey (6) estimates that 88% of all employment is to be found in the informal economy, the national minimum wage of a8.00 per day of a240 per month for formal sector workers is beyond the reach of many in the sector, a survey report has shown.

NCA DENIES FRAUD IN ICH DEAL

The National Communication Authority ha tagged as misleading allegations that it deliberately rigged the evaluation process that led to the award of a licence to Afriwave Telecom to operate the Interconnect Clearing House.
Lawyers for embattled National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier Alfred Woyome are heading to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for arbitration over the controversial a51.2 million judgement debt paid to him by the state.

This follows the dismissal of a suit brought against the state by Abdulai Yusif Fanash Muhammed, a resident of Hohoe Zongo in the Volta Region, asking the Supreme Court to declare the decision asking Woyome to return the money null and void.

Muhammed, after a barrage of questions from the nine-member panel presided over the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, withdrew the suit.

Muhammed filed a writ in which he argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case involving Woyome.

He had wanted a "declaration that the financial engineering claims by Woyome arising out of the tender bid by Vamed Engineering GmbH/Waterville Holdings during the procurement process from June 2005 until its wrongful abrogation in August 2005 was not an international business transaction within the meaning of Article 181 of the Constitution, 1992."

After an earlier Supreme Court ruling, Woyome promised to pay back to the state the GH551.2 million. The court ruled that the money was obtained fraudulently in the name of a judgement debt.

A week to the self-imposed deadline for the payment of the money,

Muhammed went to the Supreme Court arguing that the court was wrong, scuttling a process to commence retrieval of the money.

Martin Amidu aka Citizen Vigilante, former Attorney General, as a result, stated that the court should not allow Muhammed to escape through the other door.

This, he believed, would prevent the plaintiff or another person from dreaming of coming back to court with the same issue.

The judges accordingly dismissed the suit, awarding a a51,000 cost against the plaintiff and set March 3, 2016 to give its reasons for the dismissal of the suit.

In an interaction with journalists after the case, lawyer for the businessman, Stephen Ken Anku said the action was not commenced by Woyome but rather by a citizen of Ghana.

He said the citizen having withdrawn the suit, it was just legally wise for Woyome as a defendant to withdraw it because the reliefs that the plaintiff sought from the court were to the benefit of his client.

ICC Hint

"If the plaintiff, having evaluated what the proceedings have been and decided that he wants to withdraw his suit against us, we will also just withdraw all other applications that are founded and all other processes that have been founded on our statement of case," he posited.

Mr Anku further disclosed, "we did not commence this action; this is not the end of it for us. Within the next couple of days, we will be at the International Chamber of Commerce for arbitrationI can assure you that within the next couple of day we will file."
Thursday, February 11, 2016

Folks, we have said a lot already about the threat posed to national security by the activities of the Fulani nomadic herdsmen that are being fiercely resisted by Ghanaians in the affected areas all over the country. Notably, the residents of the Agogo area in the Ashanti Region have been in the forefront, resisting these Fulani nomads and indicating their resolve to do all they can to secure their sources of livelihood that are being destroyed by the cattle reared by the Fulani nomads.

We have had too much already from that area to know the depth of the anger against the Fulanis and the explosive nature of whatever their action begets as reaction from the indigenes. We have also had assurances upon assurances from the government, the regional, and local authorities that the problem would be solved expeditiously to curtail any bloody development. So far, nothing concrete has been achieved to allay fears and doubts.

The problem is spreading really fastindeed, too fast for comfortto other parts of the country. We are now being told that the natives of the Krobo area are also angry at the Fulani nomads for herding their cattle there to destroy crops. There are many other parts of the country at risk from the activities of these Fulanis (be it cattle rearing or armed robbery).

In the Kintampo area too, that problem has surfaced. Unlike what is happening in other affected areas, those in Kintampo have gone the extra mile by killing 80 herds of cattle to prove to the Fulanis that their nuisance wont be tolerated at all. (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Tension-mounts-at-Kintampo-as-irate-youth-kill-80-cattle-414704 ).

Will there be a reprisal from the Fulanis? What the enraged people of Kintampo have done is likely to be emulated in other parts of the country.

Folks, it is now clear that wherever the Fulani nomads go, tension surfaces. While they move their cattle about to graze indiscriminately in the hope of reaping benefits, they disregard the economic activities and interests of the owners of farms that nourish their cattle. No one will tolerate this kind of callousness.

Primarily, farming is predominant in Ghana, meaning that if the activities of the Fulani nomads and their prized cattle endanger the farms (and the main source of livelihood for the impoverished Ghanaian farmers), they wont be tolerated. Not tolerating them means a lot. What is emerging is terrible.

Clearly, economic interests clash here. Do the Fulanis think that they can exploit the resources of farms for their own benefits while the victims of their cattle rearing go about empty-handed? What is good for them in their cattle-rearing occupation shouldnt supersede the benefits that the local farmers get from their vocation. It is matter of choice. Cattle rearing may be good but is not the preference of all interested in agriculture. That is why something has to be done by the government to solve this problem.

Just a niggling point here. At the National Farmers Day celebration, which Fulani is recognized and rewarded as an accomplished cattle rearer? Over the years, awardees have been Ghanaian farmers and fishermen. So, where do the Fulani cattle rearers come in? I dont see it (even though beef from their cattle could be available but not affordable to all). The problem thickens as the government snoops and cannot tackle it head-on.

There are many ways to tackle this challenge. First, the government must be bold enough to begin an exercise to locate the various groups of these Fulani herdsmen and where they operate in the country. Proper records have to be prepared and kept on them for us to know who exactly they are and where they operate. It shouldnt be difficult to know them and their areas of operation so they can be monitored and tracked. Is it possible to allocate specific areas to them so they dont just move about the perimeters of the country at will? I will come to this part later.

Second, the government must use the Ministry of Agriculture to scrutinize the activities of these Fulani nomads, even as the national, regional, and local security apparatuses are positioned to mount surveillance on them.

Third, the government should devise plans to curtail the indiscriminate grazing by the cattle belonging to these Fulanis. Isnt it possible to confine them to ranches where the cattle can be fed on hay grown and served to them? In civilized societies, that is what happens. I am by this opinion suggesting that a drastic change be made to confine the cattle and ranches created to contain them for the better.

If grass (hay) eaten by the cattle can be grown to sustain the industry, so must it be. By going that way, a new meaning should be given to cattle-rearing and opportunities created for hay farming in the country. It will be a viable avenue for employment. Then, the Fulanis will also undergo a drastic transformation from their nomadic lifestyle to a more permanent one that will make them more attractive and relevant to the Ghanaian communities. They need to change with the times.

More importantly, introducing innovative ways of rearing cattle will also encourage better management of health-related problems (anthrax, particularly).

In putting forth our opinion, we acknowledge the fact that cattle rearing is not restricted to the Fulanis alone. Many people in many parts of the country own herds of cattle and ply their trade. They have been doing so for years and are known to have incurred the displeasure of people whose property (mostly farms) have been destroyed by their cattle. Interestingly, matters dont get out of hand as they are doing now in the case of the Fulanis, apparently because the local communities have ways of dealing with breaches. I know of situations when owners of cattle that cause havoc are fined by the local chiefs and peace is restored.

It is not so in the case of the Fulanis because of their intransigence/belligerence and bellicose posture. They are behaving as if the owners of farms destroyed by their cattle have no right to protect or as if their economic interests mean nothing. It shouldnt be so. Such belligerence wont ensure peaceful co-existence. The question, then, is: Why are the Fulani nomads acting with so much impudence?

Some have suggested that they are doing so because they have the backing of some political authorities, chiefs in areas in which they operate, or some faceless people whose cattle they herd. That kind of backing makes them feel that they are untouchable. If it were so, it would be a grievous mistake.

As has happened in Kintampo, we should be poised for more action by embittered residents against the Fulanis. We note that the Fulanis have been rearing cattle in Ghana since time out-of-mind. But why is it that their activities are now endangering everything, including their own lives? Are they becoming too cocksure to go overboard?

Some have even questioned the nationality of these Fulanis only to be told that they are fit to be considered as Ghanaians. True or not, should they trample on the economic rights of fellow Ghanaians the way they are moving their cattle about to do?

Folks, we can continue raising concerns; but the solution to this problem lies with the government. It must act decisively before the situation worsens. Let the Fulanis rear their cattle to profit from and allow the owners of farmlands to enjoy what they do so they can enjoy the fruit of their labour! No crossing of boundaries here!!

From the lukewarm attitude that the authorities have adopted so far, I am afraid the problem will escalate and add to what is already brewing to jeopardize national security and stability. The hard fact is that the Fulanis cannot be deported en mass from Ghana, which accentuates the need for a policy of containment to deal with them. Containing them means establishing a framework that will deal with the danger that their economic activity poses and blending such an activity with those by other people for the good of the country and its people. Not until they are contained, the menace will persist. What more?

I shall return
The NDC Member of Parliament for Agona West constituency in the Central Region, Hon. Lawyer Charles Obeng-Inkoom has handed over a renovated two storey classroom block to the Swedru School of Business to enhance effective teaching and learning.

The Ghc 65,000 renovated classroom block was funded by the MP through his common fund with Ghc 15,000 support from Ecobank Ghana Limited.

At the inaugural ceremony held at the school premises to hand over the block to the school authorities, Hon. Lawyer Charles Obeng-Inkoom, a former student of the school stated that he decided to renovate the 18 classroom block to ease the congestion in the classrooms. According to him, Swedru School of Business has produced quality human resources who are contributing their quota towards national development.

He called on authorities of the school to ensure that the edifice was properly maintained to serve its purpose. Hon. Lawyer Charles Obeng-Inkoom commended teachers of the school for their hard work and dedication.

"I want to advise students in this noble school to take advantage of facilities made available to enable you attain height in the educational ladder. You should try to be discipline to be abreast with wherever you may find yourselves when you leave the four walls of the school.

"You will not feel it when you are here (campus) but would feel it when you fail to get the needed results to attain height in education so strive to study extra harder"

The Headmaster of Swedru School of Business, Mr. Samuel Afrifa Appiagyei on behalf of the school lauded the MP for the kind gesture.

The Headmaster disclosed that the population of the school has reached all time high of over 2,600 thus congesting the few classrooms available.

"While thanking the MP for this edifice, I would like to appealed to the Agona West Municipal Assembly to assist us with more furniture to enhance effective teaching and learning"

Hon. Samuel Oppong, the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive promised to give the school the needed infrastructure to raise standard of education in the Municipality.

The Nifahene of Agona Swedru, Nana Kweku Essienyi V expressed the hope that culture of maintenance would be carried out on the building noting it has not seen proper maintenance since it was constructed by Cocobod in 1975

Attached is the renovated building
12.02.2016 LISTEN

Police at Cantonments here in Accra are investigating circumstances under which security operatives at the US Embassy allegedly assaulted a soldier Raymond Amezado Thursday morning.

The victim, a Ghanaian born who is serving in the US Army, sustained deep cuts on the forehead and legs, and lost lots of blood, Joy News Joseph Opoku Gakpo reported.

He is said to have challenged US Embassy officials over their decision to deny his friends visa.

An eyewitness named only as Jerry said the victim demanded that the monies of his friends be refunded if the US Embassy was not going to grant them the visa.

But that did not go down well with the officials some of whom allegedly pounced on the soldier.

They really beat the guy to the extent that the guy was wounded and had severe cut on the eye About ten intercom security men and about two police men. There was another cut on the leg. We had to rush him to the hospital, he said.

.

Raymond is being held at the Cantonments Police Station after being treated at the Police Hospital.

Joseph Opoku Gakpo reported further that the victim looked frail and upset with a huge plaster on his forehead while in custody at the police station.

The victim who is holding an American citizenship is said to have served in Afghanistan and other areas of combat.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy has confirmed the incident.

We can confirm there was an incident in consular session this morning. Local law enforcement responded and we thank them for their assistance. We refer you to local law enforcement for further information, Sarah Stealey Press Attache Officer at the US Embassy said in a brief statement to Joy News.

myjoyonline


12.02.2016 LISTEN

The Ghana Institute of Governance and Security (GIGS) wishes to condemn with no uncertain terms the attack and murder of Hon. J.B. Danquah-Adu the Abuakwah North Member of Parliament.

We believe the incident calls for a greater security concerns not to the legislators alone but to the entire citizenry of this country especially as we are going into a crucial general elections this year.

Our most concern is that, recent homegrown acts of terrorism undermine the entire democratic processes if political figures are attacked by extremists with or without provocation which could have been suppressed through constant security intelligence and surveillance by our security agencies.

There is the propensity that the motivation for the attack on the former lawmaker is politically loaded or emotionally charged. However, our assertion is not to preempt the investigation processes initiated by the security forces, but we particularly urge the security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators of this act of terrorism into book.

Going forward, the security agencies must be extremely proactive in combating such crimes and attacks on innocent citizens by making good use of security installations and exercising their constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property in the country.

GIGS also wish to recommend that, members of parliament should take their personal security very serious.

Also government should consider building an "MP village" where members of parliament can be housed under a heavy security watch to avert further possible attacks.

David Agbee,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (GIGS)

Www.gigsgh.org

Email: [email protected] gmail.com/ [email protected]
Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings [FONKAR] has officially inaugurated new executives to rally support for the founder of the National Democratic Party [NDP].

Spokesperson for the group, Christina Bosu, said, FONKAR has been re-launched to defend and protect the image and work of the Former First Lady Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings through her hard work both locally and internationally.

She added that the Former First Lady has contributed to economic of Ghana through the establishment of Day Care Centers at all levels in the various regions.

According to the Spokesperson, FONKAR will continue to support the Former First Lady and encourage her to push for the continuity of such developmental projects.

Christina Abosu urged all political parties to stop the politics of insults and falsehood peddling against each other especially in the upcoming 2016 general elections.

Speaking at the re-launch of FONKAR, the National Coordinator, Joseph Kofi Owusu Bediako noted that the coming back of this group was as result of the fact that the old executives failed to abide by the rules that govern the group.

The National Coordinator described the old as thieves and rapists who were accused of running the group for their own selfish interests.

About 90 percent of the old members were thieves and rapists. They set up the group for their own personal interests and as a result failed to register the group name, he stated.

He added that their selfish acts, as it were, failed to yield victory for Nana Konadu who was contesting for the Presidential slot in the 2012 general elections.

The Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the Founder of the National Democratic Party [NDP] expressed her gratitude to the new group who have reaffirmed their support for her and the party.

She urged the new members, which is dominated by women to emulate her exemplary life in both her character and confidence.

The Former First Lady admonished the new executives to desist from acts that will undermine the unity and the focus of the group as they rally political support for the party.

According to her, the NDP has been putting structures together with the aim of strengthening the grass root of the party to capture victory come November 7.

She urged the new executives to build their confidence and stand strong a group that will enable them to succeed in their fight for the victory of party.

IMG 20160210 134242

IMG 20160210 132751
A meeting on the implementation of the Valletta Action Plan by Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) member states has been held in Accra to deliberate on relevant issues on how to maximise the positives of migration to impact on development of countries among others.

The Valletta Action Plan is built around five priority areas, which are development benefits of migration and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; legal migration and mobility; protection and asylum.

The others are prevention of and fight against irregular migration; migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings and return; readmission and reintegration.

In 2015, records indicate that one million migrants arrived in Europe, with more than 2,000 of them losing their lives in the process and when the migrants were grouped West Africans featured in the top five countries of origin.

Representing the Director/Africa and Regional Integration Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs Sena Siaw-Boateng-Mr Eric Persah, Migration Policy and Advocacy Network stated that migration is a multifaceted global issue which has increasingly become a matter of international concern.

The phenomenon has been a very longstanding and common one in Africa generally and in West Africa in particular, with approximately 19.3 million people on the move on the continent, according to World Bank estimates, he added.

Per his stance, migration from Africa to Europe has been triggered by multiple factors such as conflict and civil strife, political instability and persecution, poor government, corruption, financial crises and others.

Many of those that are compelled to migrate for these reasons have only the irregular route through the Savannah, Sahara and sea available to them, he said.

According to him, he hoped the meeting would birth discussions on migration, regular or irregular route to safeguard the rights of migrants, especially vulnerable groups such as women, children and the aged, adding that it is vital that all stakeholders work as a team so that interests in the implementation of the Valleta Action Plan are respected.

Mr William Hanna, Head of European Union in Ghana, noted that the EU would support the implementation of the Valletta Action Plan through its EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and address the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in African.

He added that unemployment is one of the underpinning reasons why people move from one place to the other in hopes of securing an economic activity to support themselves.

Mr Hanna appealed to government to adequately address the issues of unemployment and other pertinent ones that compel people to go through dangerous routes and ordeal to relocate.

Ms Emmerentia Erasmus, Co-ordinator, International Centre for Policy Migration and Development (ICMPD), opined that with appropriate initiatives, migration can impact development positively.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

When the hunter returned home that evening, the sight that met his eyes was very dismal indeed.

Instead of the cheerful boy who smiled broadly on seeing him return safely home, he saw his son sitting on the bare floor, his hand on his cheek and presenting a most forlorn picture.

There was no food laid on the table for the hunter, as usually happened.,

Indeed, the fire in the hearth in the kitchen had gone out.

Why, what's happened? the hunter cried in anguish, as he threw his load of meat on the floor and clutched his little boy in his arms.

Stop crying! he told the boy. Whoever messed with you will have me -- band my gun -- to answer to. Just stop crying.

The boy allowed his father to wipe the tears from his face and then began his story thus::

About three hours after you had left, I was busy in the kitchen when I heard a loud bang on the kitchen door. My heart jumped! What could that be? Before I knew what was happening, the kitchen door was ajar. And out there, behind the door stood a....a....a  .a....leopard! A fully-grown leopard.!say a fully-grown leopard?

WHAAAAAAT? said the hunter. Did you just say a fully-grown leopard came here?

Yes! said the boy. He said he wanted to kill me because you, my father, had killed all the animals in the forest that he, the leopard, feeds on

My word! And what did you say to him?

I said that you only killed enough animals to feed the two of us, so if the animals were getting scarce in the the forest, then it couldn't be your fault. This annoyed him. He said he didn't like being contradicted when he spoke. He asked me if I didn't known that because of his bad temper and ferocity, many kings of men named themselves after him to frighten other chiefs  he, Kurotwiamansa, who was known to be capable of finishing off all the people in a whole nation.

I told him I was too young to know about such things and that I had only told him what I knew to be the truth. He then changed tack. He became conciliatory and asked me, Ei, is it true what they say about your father, that he has a special room in which he keeps the skulls of all the animals he kills? I wanted to deny it, but I realised he might break down all the doors in the house in order to satisfy himself that I was telling the truth. So I said yes, you had such a room full of animal trophies.

He then ordered me to go and bring all the skulls from the room and assemble them on the floor. Next, he asked me to name each of them. I did as he asked....

You didn't? You didn't name the leopard whose skull is in the room with the others?????? The hunter placed his hand on his heart in anticipation of the answer his son was about to give him.

No! the boy e said. The hunter heaved a sigh of relief.

No! the boy continued, when I reached the skull of the leopard, I said that you hadn't told me what animal that was. The leopard asked me why. I said that you has told me that some animals were the sacred totem of my mother's clan, and that if you killed them and told me about them, I would meet with a terrible misfortune when I grew up. So you hid the skulls of such animals from me. But (I said) since Mr Leopard was so interested in finding out what that particular animal was, I would ask you when you came back home, and Mr Leopard could come back tomorrow and hear what it is.

The leopard then swore me to secrecy, saying I shouldn't tell you that he wanted to know the name of that particular animal from you so that I could tell the leopard, but that I just wanted to know to satisfy my own curiosity.. So I swore that I would not reveal anything about his visit here today to you. He was pleased that I was playing along with him. We parted as friends.

Now, you would have noticed that the boy had embellished the story of his meeting with the leopard quite a bit. He had no qualms about ding this, for he wanted his father to thunk him very clever  just as all little boys do!

Having heard his son out, the hunter told the boy So the leopard said he'd be back tomorrow, did he? Okay, when he comes, pretend that I refused to name the skull for you. Its reaction will let us know whether it was bluffing or not.

The next day, the hunter went into the forest as usual, leaving his son behind. The boy was incandescent with fear, but he decided to stay and see what would happen.

At exactly the same time as it had done the previous day, the leopard appeared. And it took the boy through the drill of naming the animals' skulls again. Again, when it reached the skull of the leopard, the boy stalled the leopard, saying, I told my father to tell me what animal it was. But he said that it was the sacred day of that particular animal and that if he mentioned its name to me , both of us could die.

What? Is he that superstitious? He goes into the forest with a gun and is such a coward that he uses the gun even on such a small animal as a squirrel. Yet he is afraid to name an animal on a particular day, because he is afraid of the ghost of than animal! Who told him we animals have ghosts? All right  I shall come back tomorrow. And I shall accept no excuse then  no excuse. If you are unable to tell me what I want to know, I I shall bite your head off. The leopard tried to smile at the implied joke, but the intended smile turned into a snarl. It is difficult to change one's nature to make it fit into one's moods.

When the hunter returned from hunting that evening, he found the boy was beside himself with rage.

What at all have I done to you? he asked his father. Must you expose me to such a hideous creature twice in a row? When it speaks, it is as if a covered dead body had been unwrapped! Its breath stinks. And it never stands still, so you never know whether it is going to spring at you and make short work of you or not. Well, I don't want to go through it all again. He says that as for tomorrow, he will bite my head off if I am unable to name the animal he wants me to name. So please tell me what you intend to do about it. For if you cannot prevent the leopard cutting my head off, then I shall have to move from this cottage and go and live elsewhere, wherever that might be.

The hunter said to the boy, Don't worry. And he went into the bush and brought some herbs, leaves and roots with which he bathed his gun, whilst murmuring some incantations which the boy didn't understand. He then told the boy: Tomorrow, when the leopard comes, there are just two things you have to do. Do tell him that the name of the animal is the leopard. But as soon as you do so, don't wait even for half a second, but move away when you hear me whistle. Stand aside very very quickly and make sure you don't stand where the leopard will spring from  his left side.. Have you got that? The boy nodded.

The next morning, the hunter made all his preparations, as if he was going into the bush to hunt, as usual. But instead of going into the forest, he walked a little way out of the cottage and then circled back to hide behind a tree from which he could see the entire cottage within his gun-sights. He hid behind a tree. He put some extraordinarily powerful bullets in his gun, cocked it, and put it beside him. Then he waited.

The hunter did not have too long to wait. Very soon, the leopard arrived. It went through the drill of asking the boy to assemble the skulls on the ground and naming each animal in turn.

In due course, the skull of the leopard came up.

And the boy named it! He said:

This is:

Gyahene! [King of Fire] Etwie [The one who can scratch you to death!] Osebor! [The one who can deliver a death-blow!]

The leopard growled as if he was about to attack the boy. But he felt like memorising the words the boy had uttered in praise of leopards, so he said: I only heard what you said with my left ear. Say it again so that my right ear too can hear!

The boy did as he was told.

As he was finishing the sentence, the leopard moved leftwards, into its springing position.

At the same time, the hunter whistled to his son,  Twe wo ho!(Move aside!)

The leopard hesitated for just half a second to adjust his position, as the boy moved.

The hunter had been anticipating this and aimed his gun at the springing leopard:

TENGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

And the leopard fell in mid-spring, dead at the feet of the hunter's son.

It was from that day on that hunters began to take their young boys with them into the forest, to apprentice them in the craft of hunting. For they heard from the hunter in this story, how he left his son alone in his cottage whilst out hunting, and nearly lost his dear son to a wicked leopard.

What is the moral of this story? It is that when it comes to the security of ourselves and our families, we should not hesitate to think out of the box and use our God-given intelligence to ensure their safety, instead of following our own predilections. By leaving his son in the hut alone because of his own fears, the hunter nearly lost the boy for good  to a ferocious, merciless leopard which would have unjustly killed the boy for something his father had done, not what the boy himself had done.

Talking of security, I am incredulous that the Parliament of Ghana has, so far, not found it necessary to discuss the issue of the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees,whom the Americas have sent to Ghana for resettlement. The action of the Ghana Government, in accepting the detainees, has placed Ghana on the enemy list of Al Qaeda and its terrorist branches, as a partner' in America's self-declared war on terror against Al Qaeda and Isis.

Yet Parliament has not discussed the issue, but has, instead, been busy vetting new Ministers,who will serve in a Cabinet that the President can ignore on serious matters of national security. What mandate are our MPs going to give to these Ministers, regarding how they should behave, if the presidential presents his Cabinet with unreasonable fiats-accompli and/or fiats? If the President's action on the Gitmo-2, is illegal, as the NPP says it is, is our Parliament going to condone such illegality on the part of the President, by keeping mum about the illegality?

American Senators for their part, have not hesitated to insult Ghana by suggesting that Ghana's prisons are worthless and that $10 million should be cut from US foreign aid to Ghana for each ex-Gitmo detainee that Ghana is not able to incarcerate securely. Whilst the Senators rubbished our prison system, their Government did not care to defend Ghana! And the Senators didn't care a hoot about whether there could be diplomatic consequences as a result of their insulting another sovereign state.

Why did the US Senators do that? They did it because they are not afraid to carry out their duty of representing the interests of the people of their country, as they see it. They do what they believe is in the interest of the people of their country. Can't our Parliamentarians at least learn something from the action of these US Senators?

Our Parliament is full of people who have been educated. Many of them possess qualifications relating to the acquisition of 'knowledge' in all manner of subjects. But do they also have wisdom?Could they explain their inaction, vis-a-vis the Gitmo issue, to the people who created the folk tale I have narrated in this article, and who voted for these educated people to represent them in Parliament?

My late father, for one, would write me off if I behaved like our MPs. He would say to me: You educated people are clothed in the skin of human beings, but you act as if you do not have the brains of humans.
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington DC and the Mayors Office on African Affairs (MOAA) will hold an event in connection to the Black History Month celebration themed Conversations, Community & ConneXions in Washington DC.

The event will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities located on 200 I St SE #1400, Washington, DC 20003.

The program will feature a screening of Diaspora in Dialogue: A Profile of Africans in the District of Columbia, a film produced by the Mayors Office on African Affairs, in partnership with the Office of Motion Television Picture Development and the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities.

Aimed at shining a spotlight on the growing diversity of African immigrants, this film captures personal accounts of six individuals from diverse backgrounds and represent the cultural diversity of the Africans community residing in the District of Columbia.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on the historical and contemporary ties between African and African-American communities, and a focus on the opportunities created for immigrant communities through the persistent advocacy of the civil rights movement.

Also the DC Mayors Office on African Affairs will hold a Know Your Rights Community Town Hall meeting and a conversation on Public Safety, Language Access, Tenant Rights, and Consumer Protection Tips on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EST) at Edna Community Room  Franklin D. Reeves Center 2000 14th Street NW . 2nd Floor. Washington , DC 20004.

The events speakers will include: Cathy Lanier, Chief of Police, Metropolitan Police Department, Winta Teferi, Director of Language Access, Office of Human Rights in DC, Delores Anderson, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Office of Tenants Advocate and Sylvia Garrick, Consumer Education and Outreach Specialist, Office of Peoples Counsel, all of Washington DC respectively.

Below is a teaser video of Africans impacting the Washington DC area of the USA. Find out more about the Mayors Office on African Affairs .
12.02.2016 LISTEN

The Ghanaian Security set up comprising of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Ghana Police Service (GPS) have served in diverse United Nation (UN) peacekeeping operations since the early 1960s. Since their first contribution to the UN Operation in the Congo over 80,000 Ghanaian military, police and civilian personnel have served in various capacities in more than 30 UN missions.

Ghana is ranked among the top ten contributors to UN operation and ranked 8th with total personnel of 3,247 made up of diverse disciplines and skills that form the unique embodiment of the Ghanaian security services. The Ghanaian security services is no stranger to conflicts around the globe and is equally well resourced to carry out these interventions, which has become a source of pride and envy for others who aspire to achieve such accolades and recognitions accorded the Ghanaian security set up.

The quest to achieve such enviable record and recognition around the globe, have seen the influx of other neighbouring countries both near and afar training their senior officers in Ghanas prestigious Military Academy and Training School. One will be wondering why the praises and motive? The motive being the recent temporary hosting of (GUANTANMO BAY DETAINEES) for a limited period of two years per information making news round on mainstream media, social media and diverse narratives among concerned citizenry.

The euphoria this statement have generated among the citizenry is an indication, Ghanaians cherishes and enjoy the peace, security and safety environment they dwell inn, but also have to come to the realisation that, we live in a global community in which Ghana as a country has a responsibility to step up and deliver when called upon in times of crises as we have always done. Ghanaians have every right to express fear of terrorist activities likely to take place on our soil due to the presence of these two detainees being housed.

But the question is What acts constitute terrorism? The UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN (USA), whom Ghana accepted these men from, do not have a universal definition for the word Terrorism so, how do we describe them from our view points as Ghanaians? Two innocent men being at the wrong place at the wrong time? One cannot determine that neither; so we have to trust the judgement of our government and security agencies to continue keeping us safe by doing what they do best. Nations have very diverse views of who is a terrorist and who is a justifiable opponent to a given government.

While all nations at least claim to oppose terrorism as they individually define it, they do not agree on who should be called a terrorist, on the relative priority for counterterrorism over human rights and civil liberties, or the priorities that should be given a specific threat. Thats why sweeping agreements and broad statements of good intentions are sometimes possible, but only because no one takes them seriously. Like any excise in diplomatic rhetoric, they survive the meeting that produces them and the public relation office that publicises them, but die upon engagement with reality.

The canon of terrorist activities in 2015, have been long and grim. In any given month, people have been killed in the name of an insidious ideology. In January, an estimated, 2000 were massacred in Baga, Nigeria; a car bomb killed 38 in Sanas Yemen; and over 60 were slaughtered while praying in a mosque in Shikarpur, Pakistan. In June, more than 300 were executed or maimed in attacks in the Diffa region in Niger, in Kuwait, and Sousse, Tunisia. And in November, nearly 2000 died at the hands of terrorists in Sarajevo, Beirut, and Paris.

Then as December began, there was the mass shooting in San Bernardo, California. This spreading terror is not confined to the atrocities committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, it is a global problem. ISIS, al Qaeda, lone wolf and their surrogates pose an existential threat because they accelerate the collapse of world order, provoke domestic and global trends that endangers our values and ways of life as a civilised society.

For that reason, the International community needs a comprehensive strategy to defeat such extremism-one in which, force, diplomacy, development and co-operation all coming together to achieve a more stable world. This is where Ghana has been called upon to be part of this strategy which we must all be proud of. The most urgent pillar of this strategy is dismantling ISIS and it other terror related affiliates, which must be eliminated not just in Syria and Iraq, but also in Libya and everywhere else it operates.

The debate about how to do it should not centre on boots on the ground. All must do what is necessary to defeat a group that has seized territory in five countries, declared it a new state and ruled by fanatical ideologues. Because ISIS and other terrorist groupings cannot be negotiated out of existence, hence broad grouping of allies-with the right political will and strategy to defeat it everywhere. Ghana housing these two men is part of that strategy which we as Ghanaians must accept and contribute our quota as members of the international community.

The level of professionalism opens our shores up as the preferred place of investment and more also solidifies our country as the Gate way to Africa. We Ghanaians must also come to the realisation that International terrorism is a now a new normality and not a new phenomenon. We need a systematic action plan against ISIS and other terrorist organisations through a combination of hard and soft approaches as well as intelligence cooperation. Absolute reliance on a hard action to fight against a group that have no respect to international laws and treaties is hardly effective.

Ghanaians have faced terrorist threats and acts before notably during the contestation for political space during the first republic so this concept is not new but rather has become every day norm that is going to live with us in our front rooms till the arrival of a new miracle where innocent people will not be maimed and scared by ill-minded ideologues. One area is when cooperation in counterterrorism deals with well focused efforts between groups of nations that really do share a common view of the threat and give it enough priority to really cooperate. A careful focus on the agreed threats is critical, and so is tailoring that focuses to avoid difference in national interest and sensitivities over intelligence and politics.

In many cases, this means the details of such cooperation are at least partially secret. There is little point in giving such details to the terrorist target, or inviting outside challenges and criticism-particularly when there are serious national differences over other issues or how counterterrorism should be conducted. Another area of cooperation of practical cooperation in dealing with violent actors where nations have not begun to use such actors as proxies to serve their own interest. Nations can disagree about given political movements and groups, but once an organisation or individual poses a broad threat of violence and acts upon it, they become easier targets to agree upon.

This is particularly true of extremist movements where no state shares the same ideology or goals. Aum Shinrikyo was a good case in point. A third area deals with prevention, although cooperation here again requires some degree of common interest. Flagging, known individual terrorists, flights and airport security, halting the movement of foreign volunteers blocking transfer of money and the sale of explosive and other tools of terrorism across borders can sometimes work. Once again, however, much depends on state to state relations and common views of the value of counterterrorism versus civil liberties.

A fourth area of cooperation lies in supporting agreed areas of cooperation in the UN, Interpol, and other international efforts. These efforts generally involve very specific area of action that do not present the same challenges as bi/multilateral, regional, or global agreements that have to deal with controversial targets and threats. It should also be seen as a viable path to advancing the prevent strategy where Ghana will be no way considered as a launching pad for terrorism and extremism. But victory over ISIS and other terrorist organisation will be only first albeit essential. Step to a just outcome in Syria and other hot spots, means a settlements that allows countries to progress and fully respect its minorities. Such a result will require leverage at the negotiating table, which is why helping our allies across the globe is essential.

Ghanaians are allowed to express fear with Ghana hosting these two detainees. Fear is healthy. Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a natural human emotion and God-given basic survival mechanisms that keeps alive and protect us from danger but for that fear to be exploited as being done be some respected bodies and other academics, civil societies and various epistemic societies is an unhealthy one. We should also know that the President have been a real advocator of the rule of law and fundamental human right.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has remarked on several occasions when the world is listening most; about ongoing hostilities in the middle East especially PalestineIsraeli crisis, instabilities within the West African sub-region and his formidable contribution during his recent meeting in Malta, and more importantly his meetings on security and cooperation with the French President Francois Holland and his European counterparts. One can assure the masses and also believe that, the signatories to this very important agreement have undertaken thorough risk assessments with the country deemed fit and have the right structures in place to contain these two detainees.

Our President will not take any decision that will endanger citizens lives knowing his care and love of his citizen and mother Ghana for that matter. Moreover, ISIS and its affiliates are merely the most virulent manifestation of an extremism that has affected the World for decades. We must all construct an international force able to fight extremist wherever and whenever they try to gain foothold. To this end, I will suggest an internationally agreed commitment to education; each and every country has the responsibility to promote cultural and religious tolerance and to eradicate cultural and religious prejudice within its educational system. We must also support those who confront extremist doctrines.

Many brave and serious theologians-like our very own Sheikh Nuru Shaributu of Ghana, Cairos al-Azhar mosque or Mauritanias Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah-are showing how the true teaching of Islam leads to reconciliation with the modern world. To remove the danger of terrorist threats coming to our shores as result of housing these two detainees and other jihadi terrorism, abstract arguments are not enough; we need a strategy for defeating it.

The challenge in my view is underscored by the fact that the jihadi phenomenon has been with us for more than generation. Indeed, gaining a proper understanding of it may be impossible. But the attempt must be made. It also important to note those orchestrating these barbaric acts are operating from a position of weakness. Whilst it is spreading fear in the world, its hold on its home ground is weakening. The United Nation Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution against it, and their leaders are aware that their days in certain countries are numbered.

This alliance with our religious leaders who are prepared to lead a fight against the perversion of their faith is crucial. But if we needed another reminder-the November 13 carnage in Paris, Mali and recently Ouagadougou our neighbours and other parts of the world showed the futility needs hands on approach and as Ghanaians, we must be part of this important journey in making the world a safer place for ourselves, our children and future generations through Co-operation and fulfilling our part of the bargain.

The fight against extremism will require force and cooperation. But it will require education too so that those coming into our country understands why our values matters, why we will defend them and why such cooperation is important and required. Sending them back to their former holding places is not going to achieve anything new nor provide any information not already known about them as being advocated by sections of our society. Alienating them from main stream society is a recipe to fuse up their ideological thoughts, an indication of encouragement to melt back into their alleged previous radical and violent ways which defeats the prevent strategy or radicalisation.

Defeating terrorist groups must be a global undertaking because terror groups are a global threat and Ghana as a country is not immune either by hosting these detainees or not. Any nation that cares about the safety of its people or the future of its civilisation must continue to contribute their quota to this course which the United States of America has vowed to fight from any corner of the globe. We as Country must step up and not only be free loaders. Such contribution could result in the acceleration of our own efforts in disrupting networks that enable the free flow of foreign fighters and materials through our borders and other entry points before it becomes a serious threat.

Housing these detainees and engaging with them, creates a sense of belongingness and shared identity leading to a reduction in real and perceived isolation, integration into the community to reduce isolation, reduction in community division, improving educational attainments, reducing their experience of discrimination, increase political participation a sense of empowerment, increase the resilience of key institutions vulnerable to radicalisation, reduce attraction of extremist groups and their messages and reduce criminality with target groupings. With the entire above taking place within the community, government will also be easing these strategies into its containment care plan which reduces any internal and external threats.

Furthermore, government needs to have distinct approaches to engagement for counter-polarisation and counter-radicalisation purposes. Whilst efforts of tackling polarisation are going to have a positive long lasting impact on radicalisation, their success will be inhibited if conducted through the lens of religious intolerance and heavy handed iron cast security measures. This will immediately reinforce the even power dynamics between government and citizen, which can hamper efforts at partnership and risk leaving communities more marginalised and fragile rather than empowered and included.

Government must also be mindful of who engages our communities and citizens on this counter radicalisation work. Heavy involvement of the police and intelligence agencies/officers in integration work, for example, is not only inappropriate, but reinforces suspicion on the part of communities that are under surveillance and undermines government messages about partnership. Much more work is needed to enhance the knowledge base, share case studies, apply lessons learned and transfer good practice.

In conclusion, it is a fight that we will win. Radical fanatics who want to end our civilization are corrupting their religion. They will succeed at neither. The overwhelming majority of people in Ghana wish to coexist as it has been from time immemorial. With our support and determination, the spirit of peace-above, ideology, politics or religion will prevail.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

It has emerged police personnel who shot a tutor of Mampong Nursing and Midwifery Training College and his brother allegedly ignored plea to take them to the hospital.

Francis Gbene and his brother who had gone to the rescue of a colleague teacher under armed robbery attack were mistaken for criminals and shot dead by police.

School authorities say the two could have survived if police had heeded plea to rush them to hospital for attention just a few meters from the school.

After shooting them, the police reportedly drove them to the residence of the female teacher to suggest they had arrested the suspected robbers.

The shocked female teacher indicated to them the two were not criminals, and joined her wounded colleague who was then alive to plead with police to take him to the hospital, just behind the walls of the college where the two were shot.

The police allegedly insisted on taking the victims first to the charge office about 10 kilometers away.

College Vice-Principal, Mercy Kporku, gave a chilling account of events preceding the death of the Anatomy and Physiology tutor at a press conference on Thursday.

The policemen on arrival ask her (tutor) and the other occupants to go inside the house and lock the gate. The police gave two warning shots at the back of the bungalow after they have searched the house and jumped into their car and drove away. She said that after an hour, the police then came back to their bungalow; searched the house again and then informed her that they have arrested the robbers. She and her daughter went to the patrol car and saw the victims lying at the back of the car and the motorbike. She shouted and said; this is my colleague tutor and not a thief and mentioned his name as Gbene. Gbene was by then not dead and pleaded with her; please send me to the hospital. I am dying

Miss Kporku described the police conduct as unprofessional, saying the school will seek justice in the case.

The policemen instead agreeing and sending him to the hospital rather said they had to send Gbene and the brother to the charge office before sending them to the hospital and then drove off. We strongly believe that on this particular occasion, if police were a little more professional, this incident wouldnt have happened. We seek for justice and we will follow this matter to its logical conclusion. She said at the press conference.

Meanwhile, school authorities have called on the Inspector- General of Police to institute independent investigations into the incident.

We call on the IGP to take this matter serious. We ask for an independent investigation team to thoroughly look into this matter.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

In the wake of the brutal stabbing death of my cousin  we never met  Mr. Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu on Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Parliamentary Minority Leader, Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, attempted to blame the government for refusing to avail all Members of the august House off-duty state-security protection in the form of 24-hour police sentry in their homes (See Osei-Kyei: State Has Failed to Protect MPs Modernghana.com/ Ghanaweb.com 2/9/16).

The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) leaders argument was that currently cabinet appointees, regional ministers and other highly placed members of the executive branch of government are provided domestic protection at the expense of the Ghanaian taxpayer. On the face of it, it perfectly makes sense for the State to extend such off-duty protection measures to the members of our National Assembly.

The problem here, though, is the impractical implication that virtually all 275 parliamentarians deserve police protection in their homes around the clock. That would mean the imperative need for the government to exponentially increase the nations budget in the sphere of security. It would, in short, translate into the recruitment of several thousand additional police and other security personnel.

Whether a country that can scarcely afford to pay the salaries of its educators and civil servants on schedule can afford such a humongous expenditure is a question that Mr. Mensah-Bonsu and his colleagues and associates ought to seriously ponder. The bottom-line, as one renowned security expert promptly pointed out, is that what needs to be done, as a matter of urgency, is for the State or government to promptly and considerably beef up the general level of the countrys security. Ghanaians cannot simply pick and choose, Animal Farm-style, who needs to be better protected than who else. Each and every citizen in the country, as well as non-citizen residents, deserve equal protection.

But what is even more significant to observe here is that in the wake of the Minority Leaders call for the immediate extension of State protection to him and his parliamentary colleagues and associates, I Googled the fact of whether Congressional Representatives, as well as Senators, right here in the United States, one of the biggest global economies, maintained the kind of security regime or measures that Mr. Mensah-Bonsu wanted Ghanaians to believe was routine throughout most of the advanced democracies, especially the West. To my pleasant surprise, it turns out that no such expensive protective measures for the Members of the United States Congress exists.

This is quite interesting because not very long ago, Mr. Mensah-Bonsu, if memory serves yours truly accurately, was either the leader or a prominent member of a Ghanaian parliamentary delegation that toured the New York State Assembly. I wonder whether Mr. Mensah-Bonsu had occasion or opportunity to enquire of his American counterparts as to whether, indeed, any taxpayer-footed domestic protection measures existed for their exclusive benefit. The answer, of course, is a resounding No!

And so why would Mr. Mensah-Bonsu so cavalierly presume to abuse the generosity of the severely strained and excruciatingly hurting Ghanaian taxpayer? It is simply because the New Patriotic Partys Member of Parliament for Kumasi-Suame believes that he can readily get away with the same! Needless to say, our parliamentarians are among the best paid public servants in the country. Even the least academically equipped Member of Parliament earns considerably more in salaries, benefits and allowances than the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, or the head of any one of our major institutions of academic, cultural and professional development.

Like here in the United States, nearly each and every Ghanaian parliamentarian is quite well-heeled enough to be able to afford for her-/himself the services of personal body guards or private security personnel in their homes around the clock. According to The Hill newspaper, published by the United States Congress, the only protective measures for Congressional Representatives and Senators required at the American taxpayers expense is the provision of security personnel within the physical confines of Capitol Hill or the buildings housing the United States Congress.

There are, of course, instances in which 24-hour security measures have been provided for some members of the United States Congress at public expense; but this has invariably been in situations where the need for such protective measures have been individually and legally and/or objectively ascertained to be of imperative necessity. So far, Mr. Mensah-Bonsu has not offered any forensically sustainable proof that all 275 members of Ghanas National Assembly are at an imminent risk of being personally harmed one way or another.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
The Head of Communications at the Presidency, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has reacted angrily to reports making rounds in a section of the the media to the effect that he engineered the murder of the late Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, John Boakye Danquah-Adu.

Mr Danquah-Adu was murdered in his home in the wee hours of Tuesday by assailants who used a ladder to access his bedroom before stabbing him several times, according to the police.

On Thursday, t he police arrested a young man whom they suspect was responsible for the MP's killing , and launched a search for who they said were his accomplices.

By Friday, social media had been inundated with news that the mastermind of the killing was Stan Dogbe and that he had been invited by the security agencies to answer questions relating to the murder.

Some of the claims sighted by Graphic Online said that information had been retrieved from the late MP's phone, which indicated that he had been threatened by Mr Dogbe a few days before his death.

But reacting to the claims in a Facebook post on Friday, Mr Dogbe denied having been involved in 'any murder or criminal act'.

He attributed the rumours to elements within the NPP, who he said were pursuing a strategy of painting President Mahama black because the NPP did not have a campaign message.

'It's their campaign strategy, probably outlined for them by their hardworking strategists- continue to publish falsehood about the President and eventual winner of the 2016 elections and his team,' he said, adding: 'I have not been invited by any security agency, I have not been involved in any murder or criminal act.'

Mr Dogbe also called on the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo to call his 'army' to order.

'let your army help design a message for you for the election instead of this [sic] disgraceful things they are engineered to engage in,' he wrote.

Follow @SamuelObour
12.02.2016 LISTEN

Tutors at Mampong Midwifery Training College have called for an independent investigation into the cause of the death of the late Francis Gbene, tutor of the college and his younger brother who were shot dead by the police on Wednesday, February 10, at the college campus.

In a press briefing at the college auditorium on Thursday, February 11, Ms. Mercy Kporku, the Vice Principal of the college called on the Inspector General of Police to take the matter serious and institute an independent investigative team to thoroughly look into the matter.

She catalogued eye-witness account of the incidence that led to the death of the deceased and said if the police were a little more professional, the incident would not have happened.

Ms. Kporku said after the incident, seven (7) bullet shelves were picked from where the victims were shot and wondered why the police patrol team kept on firing when the victims who were on motorbike were not armed.

She said Francis were conscious and pleaded to be taken to the hospital after he was shot, but the police decided to take the victims to the charge office before taken them to the hospital where they died later.

Present at the press briefing were the family of the deceased, the District Director of Ghana Health Service, the Medical Superintendent of Mampong District Hospital and Staff of the College.

The late Francis Gbene, 33, was the college Estate Officer in addition to his position as Human Anatomy, Regenerative Health and Public Health Tutor. He left behind a wife and a child.
In the year 2006, the Parliament of Ghana passed a law that brought smiles to the faces of Persons with Disability, Civil Society Organisations and the General Public. It is known as the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). One of the key provisions in this Act is Act 6 which states clearly that, The owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access shall provide appropriate facilities that make the place accessible to and available for use by a person with disability. Then Act 7 added: A person who provides service to the public shall put in place the necessary facilities that make the service available and accessible to a person with disability.

Apart from the Act making provisions on facilities and its accessibility, it also captures the requirement for persons with disability to have access to education; thereby tasking the Ministry of Education to provide the necessary facilities and equipment in learning institutions.

Then the Act directed that, henceforth, (ie. from 2006) any other public or private building, to which the public will have access to, should be built to be accessible to and available for use by a person with disability. Now, what that simply means is that, there should be a ramp purposely to facilitate access to the building by wheelchair users. Again, if the building is a storey-building, it is required that there should also be an elevator to convey a person with disability to whichever floor. In terms of services, sign-language interpreter and Braille are also required.

The 10-year moratorium given by the Act for old buildings to be renovated to disability-friendly status is due this year. Not long ago, Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate the UN-established Persons with Disability Day. On the day, The Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the disability-friendly nature of some old and new public and private institutions, in terms of infrastructure and services. Our findings revealed that, many are those who are yet to follow the directives of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715)

Today, apart from the sad fact that many private and public institutions in the country are grossly disregarding some provisions in the Act, it is sadder to realise that, the Government, which many would expect should know better, would also decide to disregard the interest of persons with disability, while putting up the promised 200 Community Senior High Schools.

Checks by the Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) with the four already-commissioned Community Day Senior High Schools revealed that, the 3-storey-building with 24 classrooms do not meet the needs of persons with disabilityboth accessibility-wise and service-wise, thereby contravening the Persons with Disability Act. These communities with the schools include the Ekumfi Otuam in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region and Bamianko in the Nzema East District in the Western Region. The rest are Nkwanta in the Nkwanta South District of the Volta Region and Kwaobaah Nyanoa in the Upper West Akyem District in the Eastern Region.

So this makes a concerned person to wonder:

What will be the fate of the persons with disability in these communities; the communities these schools are built to serve?

How would these schools be able admit students with disability?

How would these schools be able to employ teachers and workers with disability?

Did the Government make this promise without concern for Persons with Disability and the Act?

How did the duty bearers and architects ignore this at the planning stage?

How did the Ministry Of Education neglect this in awarding the contract?

How did Parliament or the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education overlook this?

Inasmuch as Ghanaians and members of the communities mentioned are with joy to have all these schools, it is unfortunate to see this joy elude the persons with disability, Civil Society Organisations and the people who have interest and concerns of Persons with Disability at heart.

So will you agree with me if I say this is tantamount to denying Persons with Disability their right to education?

But going by the saying that it is better late than never, the Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) would want to call on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to quickly alter the building plan of the rest of the schools that are yet to be built or be completed, to fit and meet the provisions of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). Not just thatwe are calling on the appropriate authorities and the Law Enforcement Agencies to ensure that, the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) is enforced. As the witty saying goes, A law without enforcement is just an advice.

Thank you.

The Writer of this article is a National Service Personnel with the Human Rights Advocacy Centre, (HRAC) Accra.
In furtherance of his desire to get to the root cause of the death of his expectant wife and child at the Madina (Kekle) Polyclinic, Bernard Otu, the aggrieved widower who lost his 38-year-old wife and unborn baby through childbirth has petitioned the Minister of Health, asking for thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate event.

He is seeking among others an inquiry into what he described as professional negligence as well as the lack of customer care and fellow feeling which resulted in the irreplaceable loss of two lives.

The three-paged petition, dated January 4, 2016 and addressed to the Health Minister has since been served with copies to other supervisory/regulatory institutions such as the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NWC), Medical and Dental Council (MDC), and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

Mr. Otu indicated that another of his motivation in pursuing the case was the need for a restructuring of the systems and a proper supervision to save more lives in our quest, as a nation, to reduce the incidence of maternal, perinatal and infant mortality.

Background

Nuworsu Cynthia, 38, a trader and a mother of four underwent an induction of labour at the Madina Kekle Polyclinic on Wednesday June 17 2015 and died in the process the following day, Thursday June 18 2015 still undelivered.

According to the grieving husband, his demands to have access to the wife and later for a referral to a hospital in the course of the prolonged labour were all ignored until the partner eventually passed away.

The corpse was later transferred to the Police hospital and subsequently buried at Dzodze in the Volta Region together with the remains of the baby (foetus).

Post mortem

A post mortem report from the Police Hospital, dated June 24, 2015, stamped and signed by one Dr. L. Edusei indicated that Cynthia died of breeched presentation explained by medical experts as a childbirth in which the baby exits the pelvis with the buttocks, feet or any other part of the body as opposed to the normal head-first presentation.

Per the report, she was also found to have suffered a uterine rupture, also explained as tear or explosion of the uterus. These followed an induced labour and nearly 24 hours of labour characterized by profuse bleeding.

Invitation by national security

Reliable information indicates that National Security has invited the officers of the Madina Police Station where the case was first reported. The Chief of Madina, Serikie Baba Amadu Seidu, who at a point was commissioned by the officers of the Polyclinic to arbitrate the case between them and the widower has also been invited.

Medical and Dental Council invite

A meeting was held in Accra on Tuesday between officials of the Medical and Dental Council and the widower, at the instance of the former.

According to Mr. Otu, he has been directed by the Registrar of the Council, Dr. Eli Atikpui, to submit an official complaint, attached with what the registrar described as a statutory declaration to enable the council take the necessary actions. He is yet to submit the complaints as requested.

Nana Aba Anamoah supports

In a related development, Nana Aba Anamoah, a broadcast journalist with GHOne Television (and formerly of TV3) has donated an amount of Thousand Ghana cedis (GHC1000.00) to support the husband and children of the deceased.

Presenting the cash to the widower in the studios of Starr FM last Tuesday shortly after their interview session on the Morning Starr, Nana Aba who was sitting in for Nii Ardey Clegg, the regular host, said This is my personal contribution to keep you and your children going in this moment of grief. I hope other individuals and institutions will do same to help sooth your sorrow.

Mr. Otu who received the cash with mixed feeling said This gesture is unexpected; it means so much to me and I know God will reward you for this gesture.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

The way the police and the media is handling the Tafo issues, I doubt if there will be lasting peace there.

I am told on Saturday, the chief went to the cemetery in the company of the district police commander, took the laws into his hands and destroyed the wall that was constructed that day. There were altercations between him and some mechanics who were there.

He went and reported to his people that the guys attacked him. On Wednesday, his supporters went there to destroy the walls.

Some Muslims heard about it and decided to go there to prevent them from doing that. In the process, there was a riot(every miscreant can join when there's a riot) two Muslims were alleged shot by the police. One died at the spot and the other is at Komfo anokye now.

Sadly, properties were destroyed. One church was also destroyed 5 mosques in the Asanteline has also been destroyed.

None of the reporters who went there reported about the mosques that were destroyed.

Now Regsec announced a curfew.

Some arrests were made yesterday. None of those who destroyed the wall that sparked out the riot was arrested.

Everyone seems to condemn the Muslims or zongo guys but think the chief was right in what he did.

I condemn the zongo guys for responding with violence because if they had reported the case to the police,I believe the chief who instructed the demolishing without any basis, would have been brought to book.

I further entreat all our Muslim youth in tafo to calm down and let peace prevail. Our religion is a religion of peace and tolerance. Let's abide by the teachings of Islam which abhors taking the laws into your hands.

#wearewatching

Awal Mohammed

[email protected]

Kumasi
12.02.2016 LISTEN

The Head of Communications at the Presidency, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has reacted angrily to reports making rounds in a section of the the media to the effect that he engineered the murder of the late Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, John Boakye Danquah-Adu.

Mr Danquah-Adu was murdered in his home in the wee hours of Tuesday by assailants who used a ladder to access his bedroom before stabbing him several times, according to the police.

On Thursday, t he police arrested a young man whom they suspect was responsible for the MP's killing , and launched a search for who they said were his accomplices.

By Friday, social media had been inundated with news that the mastermind of the killing was Stan Dogbe and that he had been invited by the security agencies to answer questions relating to the murder.

Some of the claims sighted by Graphic Online said that information had been retrieved from the late MP's phone, which indicated that he had been threatened by Mr Dogbe a few days before his death.

The New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, is said to have made reference to this on Accra-based Oman FM on Thursday, but had not mentioned Mr Dogbe by name.

Mr Agyapong reportedly added that the President, John Mahama, would be impeached if he was found to have had a hand in the MP's killing.

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But reacting to the claims in a Facebook post on Friday, Mr Dogbe denied having been involved in any murder or criminal act.

He attributed the rumours to elements within the NPP, who he said were pursuing a strategy of painting President Mahama black because the NPP did not have a campaign message.

Its their campaign strategy, probably outlined for them by their hardworking strategists- continue to publish falsehood about the President and eventual winner of the 2016 elections and his team, he said, adding: I have not been invited by any security agency, I have not been involved in any murder or criminal act.

Mr Dogbe also called on the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo to call his army to order.

let your army help design a message for you for the election instead of this [sic] disgraceful things they are engineered to engage in, he wrote.

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Daniel Obinim

12.02.2016 LISTEN

So after several curses and insults at his critics, Obinim has descended to the spiritual gutters to reveal his full stature? The viral video of Bishop Obinim is no news to me and if you are an avid reader of the bible, you will not be surprised either. He leads the pack of scandals in the religious industry ever since he came on the scene.

Though I am nowhere near spiritual expertise, I am shocked that Cwesi Oteng naively defended the flamboyant preacher who peddles gimmickry and scandals than he preaches the gospel. Cwesi tweeted that it is possible for a man of God to transform into anything since magic men do same. Mercy!

But thank God there has not been a unanimous defence or silence from Christians. Since social media became awash with the video, the magic-making pastor has largely been criticized by Christians and Im learning that Bishop Charles AgyineAsare has described Obinims operations as sorcery hiding behind church.

Forewarned is forearmed, that is why Jesus who knew the list of fake prophets that would parade the various corridors of religion forewarned the world to Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. And how about Apostle Pauls admonishing in Philippians 3? Beware of dogsfor their god is their belly. So it is scriptural that Obinim is a dogspiritually.

Bishop Obinim, you have not shocked any sane believer. You are really what you say you areat least, spiritually. I am sure the devil is not happy to transform himself into an animal anymore that, perhaps, is why the bible foretold us that the devil pretends to be an angel of light (see 2cor 11:14).So I dont believe any preacher of Christ will transform into a spiritual bottom feeder, probably to scavenge the refuse dumps, biting and doing the dirty works.

The bible and science are clear on the classification of humans as higher class beings if you would allow me. That is why I cringed with a borborigmic pain when I watched the video and promised not to watch the crap again. I was in a company with friends on the streets of Navrongo when some very dirty pigs were crossing the road and one friend exclaimed, wait Charlie, these pigs could be Obinim and his junior pastors, just let them passhahahaha. So I asked what the mischievous joke meant and I was shown the video. I have since come across a BECE question on peacefmonline.com making mockery of the pastor. This means he has elevated his status to a trivia for gossip sites and news portals, and more so, an examinable content or a case study for theological discourse. Also, the showboy has updated the boring Religious and Moral Education syllabus for our kids. He will be a good icebreaker for teachers during lessons since he likes the song our children dance to: Osofo w) krom, mi w) krom.

You see, transfiguration took place in the bible but hey, Jesus transformed himself into a heavenly being of glory on the mount of transfiguration not into a lower class animal. No! Another scene of transfiguration was King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. The king was punished by God because of arrogance. Was Obinim punished by God? Unlike Obinim who claims he transforms himself into snake , dog and any animal as a privilege for which he boasts, Nebuchadnezzar recognized his experience as a demeaning experience for which he repented. So? So Obinims powers are in so much doubt. And Moses? It was a rod that changed into a snake and not Moses himself. You see, God can breathe life into a non-living rod so it becomes a living thing and thats a miracle. On the other hand, the devil can also change you into dirty animals because he wants to debase you.

HOW DID ALL THESE COME ABOUT?

It all started because we are taught not to question spiritual things. If you dare question you are considered a spiritual weakling as they are quick to quote touch not my anointed as if the anointing is for a sacred few. Such scriptures have become the shield for many pastors who are drifting from the core message of salvation. It is therefore no wonder how people like Obinim would virtually turn humans into dummies: stepping on them, biting, and kicking the womb of pregnant women as acts of healing. I do not see almighty Jesus stepping on humans. I just cant fathom itor can you?

It all started because we are a quack people who are easily deceived. How many times havent the police arrested fake police officers, doctors, teachers, fake businessmen like owners of Little Drops and DKMs and so on? We have watched a fake Nobel Prize scientist on our national television.

Go to the streets and see how many young people are wielding rich business cards pretending to have big connections when all they do is cyber fraud. And then the politician who comes in the name of everything we ever want and after four years leaves things worse. We are surrounded by sham religions which profess peace but take to machetes, guns and clubs over issues concerning graveyard. We are a people who take anything.

Frederick K. Kofi Tse

[email protected]
Scores of aggrieved customers of the DKM Microfinance Limited in the Upper East region have vowed to vote against President John Dramani Mahama for what they described as failure on the part of government to help retrieve their investments from the company.

The disappointed depositors declared this intention during a public demonstration staged Friday in Bolgatanga, Upper East regional capital. The irate demonstrators took to the streets and the main highway that links Ghana to Burkina Faso, waving under an angry sun an assembly of placards with an emphasis that sums up their frustrations.

The inscriptions on the placards among others include: Killer government, who permitted DKM?; Upper East is burning; DKM is digging NDC grave; The suffering is too much; BoG, we need our money; No money, no vote and DKM workers must be investigated.

Whilst vowing to boycott the November 7 general elections if government fails to get their monies back from the company, the demonstrators also declared their intention to vote against the Mahama Administration for not tackling their plight as expected.

No money, no vote! We are overthrowing Mahama like how they overthrew Kwame Nkrumah back in the days. We will overthrow Mahama. Imagine Im here; Im supposed to be in school. I should have been in school, now here fighting for my money, a customer, Inusah Fuseini, told Starr News as fuming voices in the background tore the air apart with rage.

Another incensed client, Kofi Amatepey, groaned at full volume, saying: Its a serious matter! You sleep by your wife; you want to touch your wife; your wife says DKM. You want your wife to provide you tea that DKM. Im facing problem in marriage. Anything at all I want my wife to do, she says DKM because I used all my investments, my suffering of 15 years all in DKM. I can no longer eat three times a day. And Im telling Mahama that if he [doesnt] do anything about it, he knows that I am coming from Volta region, and I will go to the Volta region to campaign against him!

The DKM shock, in what reportedly has seen some disillusioned savers take their own lives and some down with stroke nationwide, is not limited to the man in the street who stashed his fortune with the microfinance company with great hopes for a life-transforming turnover. The infamous upset has not left out some eminent figures in the region, including clerics, lecturers, traditional authorities and bank managers the majority of whom, however, did not take part in the public protest.

A popular opinion leader at Gbani in the Talensi District, John Bawa, asked the President to help the grieving customers to get back at least their investments. He warned that failure to do so could spell an electoral misfortune for the President at this years polls.

The demonstrators ended their procession at the forecourt of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council block where they presented a petition to the President. Receiving the petition on behalf of the President, the Deputy Upper East regional Minister, Daniel Syme, assured the demonstrators that their grievances would be addressed.

It is unfortunate that somehow DKM has managed to swindle the system to put you in this peril. I want to assure you about the commitment of this government and His Excellency the President to see how this problem can be resolved. Indeed, you are all aware that he (the President) ordered deep investigations into this matter. And I can assure you that the processes are being taken through, since this is a country of law and order, to ensure that at the end of the day whatever investments you have made are refunded to you, the Deputy Minister said.

Charles Ayambire, who read out the petition on behalf of the demonstrators, told the Deputy Minister the demonstrators would be back in the streets if government delayed in resolving the matter as soon as expected.
Kwahu-Dwerebease, Feb 11, GNA - Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Angwubutoge Awuni, Eastern Regional Police Commander, has caution chiefs and other opinion leaders on the Kwahu Ridge not to take the law into their hands to attack Fulani herdsmen.

He urged the chiefs to form neighborhood watch committees and promptly alert the police on any Fulani invasion for swift action to be taken other than any action, which could complicates the situation.

This caution follows a report that Fulani herdsmen had invaded Dwerebease and Abotreansa in the Kwahu area, polluting the source of drinking water with their cattle and when the inhabitants protested, the normads blocked the road from Abetifi to the town and robbed them.

According to DCOP Awuni, who briefed the GNA, after a visit to the towns, people at Abotreansa had erected a barrier on the outskirts of the town to prevent any Fulani from entering the town with cattle, claiming that the normads had devastated their farms by setting fire to their cocoa farms and to allow the grass to sprout so that they can get fodder to feed their animals.

The Eastern Regional Police Commander assured the people that, the police was ready to deal with any group of persons who would threaten the peace and therefore called for information that would help the police to act swiftly and decisively in the event of any Fulani attack.

In recent times, residents of some communities in the area had clash with Fulani herdsmen who have been visiting atrocities on indigenes and also polluting water bodies, rape, murder and destroy farm produce.

The conflict between the Fulani herdsmen and the people of Agogo, appear to transcending to the Kwahu Ridge as the Fulani herdsmen have moved to seek refuge in the area.

GNA
The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Friday upheld an appeal by Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and barred the use of recanted testimonies in the crimes against humanity case brought against him.

In what will be seen as a major victory for the Kenyan government and may sound the death knell for the prosecution in its faltering case, judge Piotr Hofmanski said the court had interpreted "too narrowly" the rules on using such evidence.

This was "to the detriment" of Ruto and his co-accused radio boss Joshua arap Sang as his defence team had for example been denied the chance to cross-examine witnesses.

In a unanimous decision "the appeals chamber has decided to reverse the decision that... prior recorded testimony can be used," Hofmanski said.

Ruto, 49, and Sang, 40, face three charges of crimes against humanity namely murder, forcible deportation and persecution arising out of Kenya's disputed elections in December 2007.

Prosecutors say more than 1,300 people died and some 600,000 others were left homeless in Kenya's worst wave of violence since independence from Britain in 1963.

Ruto and Sang deny the charges and Ruto's lawyers have further argued there was no proof that he was behind the bloodshed that rocked the powerful east African nation once seen as a regional beacon of stability.

Their trial opened in September 2013.

"Today's decision is a very big victory for justice," Ruto's defence lawyer Karim Khan told AFP.

ICC prosecutors were in August given permission to use witness testimonies which had been later recanted.

The prosecution has maintained the witnesses had changed their testimonies because they were intimidated or placed under duress.

But the Kenyan government has long argued that the charges should be thrown out in the wake of a similar case against Ruto's erstwhile bitter rival and now Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In a major setback for the ICC, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda dropped the charges against Kenyatta last year.

That announcement was the ICC's biggest setback since it was established in 2002, and also came amid allegations of witness intimidation, bribery and false testimony.

In a statement late Friday, Bensouda's office said it "takes note of the decision and is currently studying it".

Ruto's case "is now on life support and may never recover," said Mark Kersten, a researcher the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, about Friday's ruling.

"There is broad consensus that the case against Ruto is rather weak, with or without this ruling," Kersten told AFP.

Under a controversially amended rule of the Rome Statute which sets out the guidelines for the tribunal, judges allowed prosecutors to use the testimony of five witnesses which had been recanted.

But Ruto and Sang's lawyers appealed, arguing the move would breach their rights to a fair and speedy trial.

- Potential to walk free -

On Friday a five-judge appeals bench agreed with the defence, saying the ICC's trial judges committed "legal errors" by allowing the testimony.

But Friday's ruling "will have the potential effect of weakening the prosecution's case and increase the odds of Ruto and Sang eventually walking free," said Aaron Matta, from the Hague Institute for Global Justice.

The decision to allow previously recanted evidence to beef up the case against Ruto had stirred anger in Kenya.

Nairobi has spearheaded a proposal for African countries to pull out of the court, which it accuses of unfairly targeting the continent for prosecution.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, who leads the ruling Jubilee party of MPs in Kenya's parliament, welcomed the ruling.

"The ICC appeal chamber has redeemed the credibility of ICC and respect of the Rome Statue," Duale said in a statement.

All but one of the ICC's current 10 full investigations are in Africa, but most have been launched after the countries themselves referring cases to the ICC or because of UN Security Council referrals.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall

Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none,

And some condemned for a fault alone

(Shakespeare, Measure for measure)

Nations are described as 'developing' when there are verifiable and broadly and systematic improvements in the lives of the people in facets of human lives. The needs of a people are both found at the micro and macro levels. At the micro level, individual needs vary from individuals or groups to individuals and groups. School children need good school buildings and qualified teachers and teaching and learning aids so they can learn better. Market women want very decent infrastructure to ply their trade, and drivers need very good roads to deliver their services to the public. At the macro level, all of the individuals and groups want good drinking water, security for themselves and their families and good education as well.

These are all the responsibilities of the state in as long as the citizenry meet their obligations towards the state by way of offering their labour in all facets of the society and pay their taxes no matter how killing those taxes might be. The biggest requirement from the state by the citizenry is security. Citizens of modern societies have offered their individual defence systems to the state in order not to create chaos. When the state fails to offer that security to the citizenry, then the individual citizen has the right to defend himself or herself as a human being. Should that happen, the nation degenerates into the jungle era where the survival would depend on the fittest and not the wealthiest.

It will be very unfair for anyone to make a claim that it is only under the Mahama administration that this nation has witnessed, such murders which, as occurred last Tuesday, has shaken the very marrows of the ordinary citizen as to the level of security available to us as a people. Shakespeare was right when he said 'there is no art to find the mind's construction from the face'. Such murders occur even in the advanced countries since the murderers' intents cannot be observed from their facial expressions before the act. However, the good news for the citizenry in the developed country is that even when it takes a century for the criminal to be arrested, justice would not only be done but openly seen to be done.

We live in a country where events as occurred on Tuesday happen, families are traumatized, children are orphaned, their sources of livelihood are curtailed and nobody is punished for it. The society complains, security agencies offer assurances of tracking those who had committed those heinous crimes, but time puts the issues in the dustbin of history, good only for reference when another of such crimes have been committed years or months later.

These kinds of crimes attract public angst because of the victims who in many instances are in the public eye and also the fact that the perpetrators of the crimes do not go away with any material assets of monetary value. What then motivate the criminals in their acts? I will not attempt to hazard guesses for the criminals' motives until the security agencies have done their work to the public's satisfaction.

This nation is gradually descending into an abyss of insecurity that will warrant individuals seeking to own arms to protect themselves or recruiting people to protect them in a very unprofessional way. While the security and safety of individual citizens in the hand of the state is questioned by the day, the nation itself is under serious threat. Illegal gold miners popularly called Galamsey operators have been given official blessings to wantonly destroy vegetation and water bodies needed for our collective survival while the security agencies either look on unconcerned or helplessly.

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There are instances where military personnel have been dispatched to deal with galamsey people, confiscate their equipment and brought the equipment to base at their peril just to be called by an anonymous big man instructing them to release the equipment to the illegal operators. The recent occurrence at Obuasi which led to the accidental death of my good old friend, John Owusu, is an example of official complicity in the illegal activities of the galamseyers, as they come to be called.

Chieftaincy conflicts and its attendant land disputes have taken and continue to take lives of citizens in this country. People get displaced and their normal lives distorted and destroyed and the perpetrators of these acts are not punished by the state. There is an incentive then for others to engage in the worst forms of these acts in the future. Lives and property are threatened everyday and those involved are emboldened because they are not punished.

The biggest threat to this nation is the level of despondency, hopelessness and helplessness among the youth of today. Job opportunities do not exist for the teeming young educated population. There are still the millions of poorly or uneducated youth without any artisanal skill to deploy for decent survival and existence as human beings. Their energies can therefore be easily mobilized by individual power seekers and brokers for selfish and mischievous purposes once a few hundreds of Ghana cedis are offered them. Youth unemployment is a major security threat to this nation. The state is doing nothing seriously to address these issues to protect the country's future.

Did it have to take the Italian Prime Minister to tell African leaders to create job opportunities for the youth so they can stay and work and make decent livelihood back home? In the midst of these difficulties facing the youth, a few public officials opulently display their ill- gotten wealth oblivious or contemptuous of mounting poverty among the majority around them. Such people are publicly exposing their safety and security to a section of the public who believe they are poor and hungry because the rich made them poor. At a certain point in the political history of this country, a government made it a policy to eliminate the rich and substitute them with the poor, a very dangerous mindset which divided the society into classes.

Over the past eight years, government has kept quiet while crimes are committed to serve political party interest. When foot soldiers vandalize public property and all the security agencies can do is to prevent further destruction, the people are encouraged to move a step further in their next action. This is officially sanctioned lawlessness. Worst still, some individuals and political parties would want to go a step further to play one religious groupings against the other, a phenomenon which has destroyed some nations. Ghana is in trouble and the state has a responsibility in halting this menace.

WHO IS BEHIND DESIMONE?

Don't get worried, Desimone is not just a fruit juice as you see on the shelves, it is also a major Italian construction firm now operating in Ghana. It is interested in the US$7 billion ENI contract at Sanzuri in the Western Region. Yours truly is informed from an unimpeachable source that the contract, as part of the grounds preparation of the main ENI project has been tendered and evaluation done after the bids were opened.

Desimone, am told was the worst among the three companies selected for the tender evaluation, the other two being WBHO and one Bilal. Desimone's bid was US$25million for a job estimated by the consultants at US$16million. It placed last at the technical evaluation process and yet an unseen hand is pushing for Desimone to the detriment of the Ghanaian tax payer. GNPC is very livid at this background manipulation to overprice the contract but more worrying is the track record of Desimone in that field of operation.

The questions being asked are; is the recent visit by the Italian Prime Minister part of the efforts to ensure that each dollar of the US$7 billion contract to ENI finds its way to Italy? Who in Ghana has interest in Desimone such that it is pushing that company through to the chagrin of GNPC and other interest groups and the state of Ghana? Can something right be done for once to save this country? Hmmmmm, only time will tell.

[email protected]


L-R: Omar Sheikh Faye, The honorable Gambian Ambassador to the United States of America, Ambassador Dr. Margaret Dureke, Founder and President of WETATi USA, WETATi International and Goodwill Ambassador to The Gambia and the Honorable Lieutenant General J

12.02.2016 LISTEN

His Excellency Ambassador LT. General Joseph Henry Smith, the Ghanaian Ambassador to the United States of America salutes Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Margaret Dureke for her global humanitarian work and for the African Continent in particular during the private reception of her appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador to the the Republic of Gambia on February 6th, 2016 at the University of Maryland College Park.

Dr. Dureke was appointed a Good will Ambassador by the Office of the Gambian Presidency.

Dr. Margaret Dureke was officially bestowed and confirmed by Her Excellency The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia, Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh as a Good will Ambassador to The Gambia and to work closely with her Foundation "Operation Save The Children" and around the world.

In the words of Her Excellency Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh, "....This auspicious occasion under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of The Gambia Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J, Jammeh will provide a platform for me to unveil the strategic document of the Foundation. I will also use this occasion to honour and award our guests with our Goodwill Ambassador Certificates for their immense contribution to humanitarian work in general and our Foundation in particular". On January 21st, 2016, Dr. Margaret Dureke was officially bestowed as a Goodwill Ambassador to the Gambia by Her Excellency Madam Zineb Jammeh in Banjul Gambia.

"Ambassador Smith thanked His Excellency Ambassador Faye the Ambasaadasor of the Republic of Gambia to the United States of America and The Republic of Gambia for recognizing Dr. Dureke and Gambia for being proud of Dr. Dureke. However, Ambassador Smith said that it is not just Gambia that is proud of Dr. Dureke for her accomplishments and the much needed great work that she is doing around the world, but that Africa is quite proud of her accomplishments as well and called her "a great daughter of Africa",.

He thanked her for the wonderful work she is doing by uplifting women, youth and children around the world. His Excellency, Lieutenant General Smith stressed how much Ambassador Dr. Dureke's work is needed everywhere and particularly in Africa.

Ambassador Smith pledged to offer his unalloyed support for the Wetati agenda declaring his understanding of it and being in agreement with the WETATi's goals of uplifting women's quest for advancement and all their endeavors. Ambassador Smith also stated that his great country of Ghana is ready to work with Ambassador Dr. Dureke and her organization WETATi.

The Great Lieutenant General Ambassador Smith ended his speech by saying "I am convinced that your appointment would further strengthen the existing cordial relations between the Republic of The Gambia and countries in the West African Sub region. I look forward to working closely with you for the continuing enhancement of our relations for the mutual benefit of our people and for the promotion of empowering the venerable in our society especially women and children."

The great Lieutenant General Ambassador Joseph Henry Smith graced the occasion with his beautiful and intellectually astute wife Mrs. Douha Yehia Smith who told Dr. Dureke that she alongside her husband is very proud of her and thanked Dr. Dureke and the WETATi organization.
President John Mahama is doing well for Ghana even though some Ghanaians still complain of difficulties, Ovation International publisher Chief Dele Momodu has said.

According to the former presidential candidate of Nigeria, Mr Mahama is more of a prophet without honour in his own home, since some Ghanaians appear not to appreciate his efforts and achievements.

Asked by Nii Arday Clegg on Starr FMs Morning Starr, on Friday February 12, if he could compare the president of his country, Muhammadu Buhari  whom he described as a man of integrity and Jesus Christ without disciples,  to Mr Mahama, Chief Momodu said: You cant compare the two because the two countries are different. Ghana is a much smaller country. You dont have the resources of Nigeria, so, if you see a man, who is able to manage such small resources, [he deserves some commendation].

I go through the airport and I see a lot of things, I think what the government of Ghana needs to do is to publicise its activities more, because anytime I pass through the airport [Kotoka International Airport], I see the changes going on there. I travel for two, three weeks, and come back, and I notice something new at the airport. You have new elevators, you have escalators, you have conveyor belts, even now you have automated immigration services and all that.

For me, we should not dismiss it. Yes, no government is perfect, but definitely, something is going on in Ghana. Ghana is a destination for a lot of investors, people are coming in, tourists are pouring in, hotels that I have not even seen in Nigeria are springing up here, Ghana has two or three of the biggest hotels that you can find in Africa today, there must be something happening in Ghana, but what happens anywhere is that a prophet is not likely to be recognised in his own home, the philanthropist added.

Chief Momodu said he admires Mr Mahama a great deal and I do tell him from time to time that I admire him.

President Mahama has come at a very difficult period, the world is in turmoil, its not just Ghana, I tell my Ghanaian friends all the time when they complain that, you see, let us thank God for little mercies. It could be worse, but I see a lot of activities going on. I just listened to the mayor, some minutes ago, talk about what they are doing in Tema, they wouldnt be doing that if you dont have someone at the top, who is able to inspire those under him. Yes there is so much work still to be done here, but I think President Mahama has put in his best and he should be encouraged and lets see what happens thereafter.
Johannesburg (AFP) - Joe Root hit his second successive century for England but again finished on the losing side after an astonishing assault by South African all-rounder Chris Morris squared the series at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.

South Africa won the fourth one-day international by one wicket to set up a series decider in Cape Town on Sunday.

Man-of-the-match Morris, dropped on 14 when South Africa were eight down and still 52 runs short of victory, slammed 62 off 38 balls.

Adil Rashid, the man who dropped Morris -- a straightforward chance at mid-off from the bowling of Reece Topley -- was brought on to bowl with the scores level and bowled Morris with a googly.

But last man Imran Tahir punched the next ball square for the winning boundary.

That the match went so deep seemed unlikely when England were floundering at 108 for six after being sent in to bat.

But Root made 109 and steered England to a total of 262.

England made two changes after losing the third match in Centurion on Tuesday and both newcomers made crucial contributions.

Batting at number eight, Chris Woakes scored 33 and helped Root put on 95 for the seventh wicket. Woakes followed up by bowling Faf du Plessis and running out AB de Villiers, South Africa's star batsman, with a superb piece of fielding off his own bowling.

Broad was brought in to strengthen what had proved an ineffectual bowling attack in Centurion and bowled Centurion century-maker Hashim Amla for nought in the first over of the South African innings.

The rest of Broad's match was less successful, although he had De Villiers dropped on nine off the first ball of his second spell, with Jason Roy diving far to his right but failing to hold on to a fiercely-struck cut.

De Villiers immediately went on the attack, hitting Broad's next two balls for four and six. He hurried to 36 off 27 balls and was threatening to swing the match back in South Africa's favour when JP Duminy pushed a ball from Woakes to leg and called for a quick single. Woakes reacted instantly, getting to the ball quickly and hitting the stumps at the batsman's end with an underarm throw.

Broad was brought back late in the match but was hit for 6,4,4 by a rampant Morris.

No South African batsman was able to score more than Farhaan Behardien's 38 until Morris took full advantage of his let-off, hitting three sixes and four fours.

Root's innings was outstanding on a pitch which, unusually for a one-day match at the Wanderers, offered some encouragement to the seam bowlers.

Leg-spinner Tahir took three wickets in seven balls to spark an England collapse after Root and Alex Hales (50) had taken the tourists to 87 for one.

Seamer Abbott followed up with two wickets in successive overs to plunge England into disarray.

But Root and Woakes batted sensibly balls to rebuild the innings.

Root, who made a career-best 125 in a losing cause in the third match in Centurion, reached his eighth one-day international century off 119 balls and faced a total of 124 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and a six.

Hales made his fourth half-century in as many innings before he was caught on the midwicket boundary off Tahir after putting on 69 for the second wicket with Root.

Adil Rashid hit a rapid 39 off 26 balls before he was last man out.

Kagiso Rabada took four for 45, while Tahir claimed three for 46. It was the first time in the series that a team was bowled out.
GJA Photojournalist of the Year David Andoh picked out some female politicians who were present during the vetting of some ministers nominated by the President, John Mahama.

Mavis Ama Frimpong is Eatern regional minister designate

Check out the hairstyle of Gifty Kleenam MP for Lower West Akim

Well, not all of them were politicians but surely you would want to know who the wife of Ashanti regional minister designate, Alexander Ackon. She was there to support her husband

Former Transport minister Dzifa Attivor - not really seen at public functions of late was nonetheless spotted during the vetting.

Outspoken Ablekuma West Ursula gave some appointees a pretty tough time

What if we throw in Daily Guide photojournalist Gifty Lawson? She was spotted with quite an afro.
12.02.2016 LISTEN

This week has been a rather sad. From the gruesome murder of the Abuakwa North MP to the bloodbath at Kumasi Old Tafo and the death of two innocent men at Mampong.

On Monday, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital announced the closure of three surgical clinics from February 6, 2016.

Medical officers at the facility have had to rely on the recovery ward of the surgical clinics  with only four beds  to admit the already tall list of patients awaiting their turn.

The closure added up to the closure of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the surgical department two years ago for renovation, to worsen the plight of patients.

Joy News Kwetey Nartey reported in some instances, the condition of some patients developed complications before their scheduled date for surgical operations, while others have died.

Recently, a 21-year-old student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) died while waiting for her appointment with doctors.

Doctors had told Abigail's parents that if she was not operated on quickly, she could suffer paralysis and eventually, death. They nonetheless booked her surgery six months away from when they made this assessment.

An earlier date could not be fixed she got paralysed and eventually died.

The hospital authorities have launched investigations into what led to the death of Abigail.

Then on Tuesday, we all woke up to the sad news of the death of the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North , Joseph Danquah-Adu.

He was stabbed by some assailants at his residence at Shiashie , a suburb of Accra at the early hours of the day.

Police investigations showed he suffered two stab wounds, one to his rib, and the other to his abdomen.

Three people including a security man, a driver and some others at the residence were picked up by the police to help with investigations on the day of the incident.

The NPP had indicated that it suspected foul play in the murder . A sandal of the assailant was later found at the house.

Parliament suspended sitting on Tuesday in honour of the late MP.

JB Danquahs death reignited calls for the provision of security for all 275 members of Parliament .

On Wednesday, JB Danquahs murder was still being discussed almost everywhere-on radio stations, in buses, at workplaces and some other public places.

Before the police in Accra could make any other arrest, their colleagues in Mampong in the Ashanti region mistakenly shot and killed two brothers at the Mampong Midwifery Training School at the early hours on Wednesday.

Francis Gbeneh, 33 and his brother Timothy Gbeneh, 28, were gunned down by the police on the school's campus after a distress call by a female teacher that armed robbers had attacked her.

The late Francis Gbeneh

The victims were answering the distress call and were rushing to the female teacher's residence when the police shot and killed them both.

Public Relations Officer the Ashanti Regional Police Command, ASP Yusif Mohammed Tanko told Joy News, the shooting was not deliberate.

Then just after midday, the Ashanti Regional Security Council imposed a curfew in Old Tafo after clashes between Muslim youth and traditional authorities over a piece of land.

One person has been confirmed dead and several others injured in the violent clashes between Muslim youth and some youths in the town who were backing the traditional authorities.

A 30-year-old man was shot by a security man and was rushed to Tafo government hospital. He was later transferred to KATH where he died.

Thursday-the day after the bloody incidents in Kumasi- was greeted with discussions on how to maintain peace at Kumasi Old Tafo.

Then broke a story of some irate youth had killed about 80 cattle of Fulani herdsmen at Dumso , a town near Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo region.

The herdsmen were reported to have called the bluff of the residents after their cattle destroyed crops in the area.

The Kintampo North District Security Council met with the Fulani herdsmen and the residents of the town to avoid reprisal attacks.

Later in the day, a man suspected to be the killer of the Abuakwa North MP, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, was arrested.

He was picked up by the police on Thursday and sent to the regional police headquarters for questioning.

He later confessed to stabbing the MP and said he did it with two other people who were subsequently picked up by the police.

On Friday, about forty people suspected to be involved in the clash were arrested by police.

The National Chief Imam and the Peace Council intervened in the Kumasi Old Tafo violence to restore peace to the area.

By the close of the day the Ashanti Regional Security Council reviewed the curfew from 6PM  6PM to 8AM to 4AM.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com| Akosua Asiedua Akuffo| [email protected]
Accra, Feb 12, GNA - Mr Prosper Bani, Minister Designate for Interior, has assured Members of Parliaments to enhance their protection on the precincts of the House, if he gets their nod.

The former Chief of Staff under President John Mahama's Administration, appearing before the Appointments Committee on Thursday for vetting, expressed concern about the seemingly lax security in the radius of the House.

His comment follows calls by MPs for enhanced security following the killing of the Abuakwa North MP by unknown assailants.

'I will tell you an observation; I drove around parliament and the State House early morning on two different occasions and nobody asked me anything.

'So one of the immediate decision I will take when given the nod is to work with leadership to secure parliament,' he added.

The Minister Designate is a specialist in International Peace-Building and Development and has worked for over 15 years with the United Nations holding various positions on both regional and international organizations across the world.

He led innovative processes in peace and development in Kosovo, Tajikistan, Senegal, Switzerland, South Africa and Afghanistan.

He did not agree that his removal from the position of Chief of Staff, and now being made to go to the Ministry of Interior was a demotion.

'I stand here as an individual offering myself to serve and my service of Chief of Staff for two years was part of serving and so if the President deems it necessary for me to serve in another capacity I can't say no.

'One should be able to serve anywhere...and that is why I am not taking this appointment as a demotion,' Mr. Bani said.

GNA
Kumasi, Feb. 12, GNA - A four-storey block being constructed by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to provide more space for its doctor of pharmacy (Pharma D) programme is expected to be ready by next month, Professor William Otoo Ellis, the Vice Chancellor, has announced.

The project, funded from the university's own internally generated funds comes with lecture halls and offices.

The job is being executed by Antartica Contractor Works Company Limited.

Conducting a joint delegation of the Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana round the project, Prof Ellis said it was going to house both students pursuing pharmacy and the Pharma D programmes.

Alongside the building, it was also providing additional structures including a research laboratory.

KNUST introduced the eight-year Pharma D programme in 2012.

Mr. Dennis Sena Awitty, Executive Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, applauded the University, for the work done so far, to promote pharmacy education and practice.

He expressed satisfaction with what they saw and underlined the determination of the two bodies to continue to support and discuss areas of collaboration to raise pharmacy education.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - Yaw Alavanyo, a carpenter, was on Thursday sentenced to three years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for defiling a nine year old girl at Nii Boi Town, Accra.

Alavanyo, who gave his age as 19, will spend his three-year jail term at a Senior Correctional Centre at Mamobi.

This was after the court had found him guilty at the end of the trial on the charge of defilement.

Prosecuting Detective Inspector Judith B. Asante told the Court that the victim's mother was the complainant in the case.

According to the prosecution, the victim and her mother reside at Nii Boi Town, while the convict also resides in the same area with his stepfather.

The victim and her younger sister go to the convict's step father house to play with other children when their mother was not around.

On January 4, this year at about 12:30 pm, the victim and her younger sister went to play in the convict's step father's house. The convict on seeing the victim gave her GH2.00 to go and buy some kenkey for him.

Alavanyo, however, followed the victim in her bid to purchase the kenkey, whilst the victim's sister was left behind.

On reaching an uncompleted house, the convict covered her mouth and had sexual intercourse with the victim.

After the ordeal, the victim went to sit at the extreme end of the house crying.

Prosecution said one Fati Abubakari saw the victim and she informed her about her ordeal. Madam Fati, therefore, examined the victim and saw blood stains in her pants.

The victim had blood all over her thighs hence she was rushed to the Hospital after a report was made to the Police.

GNA
Accra, Feb 12, GNA - Residents of Nsawam Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region are battling an acute water shortage that has hit the area due to the drying up of the Densu River.

The River is suspected to have dried up due to farming activities by the residents along the banks, which has caused sand on the farm land to be washed into the river, causing the water level in the dam to drop.

The Municipality, which had not seen a single flow of water through their taps for the past two weeks as a result of the drying up of the Densu River would have to wait for rains to increase the water level in the dam or continue to use polluted water from other sources.

Their only source of water supply is an outlet from the Densu River which they fetch and boil before they use it for cooking and drinking.

Addressing the media, Deputy Minister in Charge of Water, Mr Samuel Adusei said the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) was undergoing a geophysical survey to see if wells could be drilled to aid the crisis.

Meanwhile the GWCL would be providing water to essential service providers like hospitals and schools.

Mr Adusei said that water tankers will be provided for the residents for the time.

GNA
Takoradi, Feb.11, GNA - Government has been urged to resource the Audit Report Implementation Committee (ARIC) at the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to help them function effectively.

Mr Simon Bokor, Dean of Management, Development and Training at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), said ARIC as a statutory body backed by various legislative instruments including the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584) and Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658) was mandated to ensure the implementation of the audit recommendations of the Auditor-General.

He said to this effect, it must have a permanent secretariat and logistics in order to monitor the activities of the MMDAs to ensure judicious use of public resources.

Mr Bokor expressed these concerns at a capacity-building workshop in Takoradi for presiding members (PM) who served as chairpersons for ARIC at the MMDAs.

The training programme was aimed at enhancing the knowledge of chairpersons of ARIC to improve accountability in public institutions and transparency at the local level.

It is a mentoring programme for all PMS in the 22 MMDAs in the Region under the Ghana-France Cooperation Agreement.

The ILGS is implementing the Component Two of the Agreement which started in 2014 and would end in 2017.

Mr. Alexander Zormelo, Regional Head of the Internal Audit Units, said the Committee was supposed to establish internal control measures to ensure accountability at the MMDAs.

'You must work diligently to eliminate all the ills in the assemblies to ensure financial prudence,' he advised.

He noted that the chairpersons of ARIC convenes and presides over meetings and ensures that the minutes of the previous meetings have been distributed to all members seven clear days before the next meeting.

The Regional Internal Auditor entreated PMs to be firm, knowledgeable and understand all the accounting records of the Assembly to prevent any financial fraud.

Mr. Solomon Asiedu, Regional Chief Director, asked the PMs to work in harmony with other management members of the Assembly to avoid unhealthy audit queries.

The membership of ARIC included Presiding Members who are chairpersons, chief executives, a representative of Finance and Administrative Sub-committee, an external representative appointed by the Internal Audit Agency and coordinating director who acts as the Secretary to the Committee.

Out of 22 Presiding Members in the Region, 19 availed themselves for the training except Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi and Nzema East Municipality.

The participants expressed their appreciation to the French Government and ILGS for the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and skills to perform creditably.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - Mr Leopold Ansah, Director (Technical) of Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), has appealed for assistance from benevolent organisations and individuals to help the GPS achieve its target of 25 million Ghana cedis per year.

The amount would help the GPS to implement its 10 year development plan of improving conditions in the prisons.

He said 'we encourage every Ghanaian to donate at least one Ghana cedi per year through the short code 9050 to all networks to be able to improve upon the prevailing conditions in the country's prisons.'

'Out of 43 prison facilities only three of them were actually constructed for use as prisons. The rest were abandoned warehouses and armouries of the West African Frontier Force, whilst others were abandoned structures of clinics, cocoa sheds, among others,' Mr Ansah said.

Mr Ansah, who made the appeal at the launch of Peaceful Solution Character Education Programme (PSCEP) for officers of the GPS, said these facilities were renovated and being used as prisons.

He said the GPS was responsible for the health care needs of inmates, adding 'the GPS has introduced inmates to treatment programmes in order to help reclaim them from the path of criminality. The GPS has to help uplift and uphold the inmates worth and dignity as human beings.'

The GPS has to contend with the overcrowding situation and the myriad of challenges that come along with it.

Mr Patrick Missah, Deputy Director General, said PSCEP would mould the character of people and train them to discern good from wrong.

He said if prison inmates were given such training, they would tolerate other people, do away with abusive language, overcome anger and violence, crave for peace, learn to become productive and help make society cohesive and stable.

'If our inmates are guided to internalise these qualities they will surely overcome temptation and will not return to society to re-offend,' he added.

Mr Richard Wogodo, President of PSCEP, said PSCEP is a secular educational organisation seeking to enhance the lives of people by promoting peace through educational programmes and curricula designed to develop positive character.

GNA
Tarkwa (W/R), Feb. 12, - GNA - A Tarkwa Circuit Court has fined two persons GH480.00 each for stealing 73 kilograms of dried cocoa beans, valued at GH470.00.

In default, the convicts, Augustine Asenso, a farmer; and Theophilus Nartey, a galamsey operator; would each serve six months imprisonment in hard labour.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah, told the court that, the complainant, Abraham Wilson, was a purchasing clerk, who resided in the same vicinity with the convicts at Amanfrom, near Aboso in the Prestea Huni/Valley District of the Western Region.

He said the complainant worked with Trans Royal Cocoa Buying Company, which purchased cocoa beans from farmers, and stored them at the company's warehouse.

According to the prosecutor, on January 23, at about 1100 hours, the complainant went to the company's warehouse and noticed that 73 kilograms of cocoa bean had been stolen.

In view of this, the prosecutor said the complainant started his own investigations into the thefts and one John Mensah, a taxi driver, informed him that he saw Asenso and Nartey in a taxi with some cocoa beans heading towards Aboso.

Therefore, the complainant asked Mensah to help him locate their whereabouts, but he could not trace them, so Wilson lodged a complaint at the Aboso Police Station.

The Prosecution said while the complainant was at the Police Station, someone informed him that the convicts were returning to Amanfrom in a taxi, consequently, they pursued them to their destinations and arrested them.

Upon police investigations, the convicts were found culpable of the offence and they were arraigned, accordingly.

GNA
Accra, Feb 12, GNA - President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan of Turkey, will this year pay a state visit to Ghana, the Turkish Embassy in Accra has announced.

According to Ms Nesrin Bayazit, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Ghana, the visit is to strengthen the bilateral relation and enhance economic cooperation between the two nations.

Ms Bayazit made the disclosure in Accra at a pre-departure session of a delegation from the World Trade Centre's (WTC), Trade and Investment Mission to Istanbul, Turkey.

It was organised under auspices of the WTC Accra with the support of the Turkish Embassy in Ghana to brief delegates participating in the Trade and Investment Mission to Istanbul on the economic and cultural outlook of Turkey.

Ms Bayazit lauded the organisers for choosing Istanbul for their first Trade and Investment Mission this year.

She observed that Turkey is the 17th largest economy in the world with a GDP of about $ 800 billion in 2012.

She said Turkey has a successful economic performance, young population, qualified and competitive labour force, liberal and reformist investment climate, highly developed infrastructure, advantageous geographic position, low tax rates and incentives and large domestic market, as well as a customs union with the European Union since 1996.

The Ambassador said Turkey was playing a dynamic role towards resolving Ghana's energy crisis (dumsor).

Ms Bayzit said so far 18 economic agreements had been reach with the Government of Ghana, which were awaiting ratification and urged the delegation to take advantage of the programme to woo Turkish investors into the country.

Togbe Afede XIV, the Executive Chairman of WTC said the Centre was well positioned to support businesses and trade activities to attract investment and prosperity into the country.

He said the Centre was a member of the prestigious World Trade Centres Association in New York, which covered over 300 World Trade Centres operating in 100 countries.

He said the Centre provided services such as conference facilities, trade fairs and exhibitions, trade missions, trade information services, market research and other miscellaneous services.

Togbe Afede XIV said the Trade and Investment Mission was geared towards promoting international trade as a means of fostering global trade.

He pointed out that most of the conflicts in many countries were over limited resources; stating that 'If we can expand the wealth of many nations through trade, we can create wealth for all'.

He recounted that the Centre had organised similar Trade and Investment Missions in past in countries such as Italy and Qatar.

He urged members of the delegation to be well prepared to market Ghana to their Turkish counter parts.

The 20 member delegation would be leaving Ghana at the weekend for a five-day investment tour of Turkey.

Mr Andrews Bright Mensah of Menjes Group of Companies and a member of the delegation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency expressed his joy to be part of the trip.

He said it would enable him meet his Turkish counterparts who were into real estate industry and solar lighting.

GNA
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IVA Struggling with debt? Compare your debt options and write off up to 80% of your unsecured debts  from 80 per month Get Started for free

What is an IVA? With an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) you can make affordable monthly payments towards a percentage of your debt for 5 years. At the end of the 5 year plan, your remaining debt will be completely written off.

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Here is a list of the cost common advantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA):



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Here is a list of the cost common disadvantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA):

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You must keep up with repayments  If you do not keep up with your monthly repayments, there is a risk you will be made bankrupt

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There is no office guidelines to who qualifies for an IVA. It is a legally binding, Government legislation designed to help all people. Generally speaking, insolvency practitioners (IP) will look at your situation if they think the IVA proposal they submit is beneficial to both yourself (the debtor) and your creditors. This often restricts people to a certain criteria which you will have to meet:

Over 5000 worth of unsecured debt You must have 2 or more creditors of 2 or more lines of credit Must live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland Must be insolvent Must be willing to pay at least 70 per month into their IVA Must have some type or types of regular income

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Note: If you are a resident of Scotland, you will need to apply for a Scottish Trust Deed (legally binding). Speak to our advisors for Scottish Debt Advice.

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There is no law to tell you that you must advise your employer that you have entered an IVA or that you owe money. They will not be notified by your insolvency practitioner. If you wanted to keep it a private matter, in most cases this would be absolutely fine. With some roles such as financial advisors, solicitors or bank workers it may make up part of your contract to advise them of changes like this. In these situations we would advise to inform your employers of your intentions before you enter into any arrangements. This way there will be no nasty surprises for you later down the line. More often than not, we find that your employer would not be concerned by your IVA and that it would not affect your employment status. An IVA is a formal solution and could affect some employments, such as if you were a solicitor or accountant for example. We would always recommend that you receive approval from your employers that your job isnt affected before you sign up for anything.

Will an IVA impact my partner?

There are certain situations where you may not want to involve your partner at all in your IVA proposal due to personal reasons. Insolvency Practitioners are very aware of these circumstances and can operate solely via telephone and email and at your convenience, so rest assured that your matters can be kept completely private.

If the debts which you are looking to place into your IVA are in joint names, then this would be different. Your IP would look to place all of your debts into an IVA, including joint debts therefore you would have to inform your partner of your plans.

If your debts are solely yours, then there would be no negative impact on your partner, their credit score would remain unaffected and they would not be entered onto any registers or be tainted in any way.

Will an IVA affect my credit score/credit file?

Whilst you are in your arrangement, you will not be able to get any credit. An IVA will stay on your credit file for 6 years, so 12 months after a typical IVA. When this time has passed and your monthly payments have ended, you will be able to rebuild your credit rating.

What proof will I need to apply for an IVA?

Proof of ID  Passport/driving license/birth certificate/utility bills/national insurance identification/credit agreement Bank statements  3 months bank statements with all transactions displayed Proof of income  3 months payslips/P60/proof of benefits

How long does it take to set up an IVA?

Your initial call will only last around 5-10 minutes. The IVA process will be explained to you and you will be told what further information you will need to provide to proceed with your IVA proposal. Once you have returned the required information, an IVA will usually take between 7-14 days to get into place. You will be protected from creditors within this time, your advisor will provide you with documentation via email.

How long does an IVA last?

Most IVAs will last for a length of five years. The i v a will remain on your credit file for a period of six years and is placed on the Insolvency Register for that period. You can work out what date it will be removed from your credit file, it will be six years from the start date of the IVA term. So if the IVA started on 1 January 2000, it should be removed from your credit file six years from that date, which would be 1 January 2006. When you apply for an individual voluntary arrangement your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) will tell you if you qualify for an IVA, how long it lasts, how much it costs and provide you with any other debt advice which you may need.

How much will debt advice cost for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement?

The advice cost for individual voluntary arrangements is free of charge. Your I.V.A company will tell you if you qualify for an IVA. They will talk to you about your different debts, provide you with free debt advice and check if your creditors are likely to approve your proposal for your IVA for debt.

How does an IVA affect your life?

By taking out an IVA you may affect your overall financial position. You will not be allowed to take out credit for 6 years. You will struggle to get a mortgage or remortgage your existing property. It also may affect any future increase in earnings or windfalls you may receive, as these will need to be paid to your insolvency practitioner. Your insolvency practitioner will take control of your debts for this period, they will deal with all of your creditors and this is legally binding. That means you will not be allowed to take out any more debts whilst in the IVA.

Once the plan is completed, any debts which you accrue will be managed by yourself. Your ability to take out further debts in the future will not be impacted once the IVA has completed.

What is the IVA protocol?

The I.V.A protocol is a voluntary set of guidelines which your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) can sign up for which improves the efficiency of Individual Voluntary Arrangements. When you apply for debt advice, it is important that you understand the steps of the debt solution, so you can decide whether or not the solution is the best one for your circumstances.

How do I know if creditors will accept my IVA?

Generally speaking, most creditors will approve voluntary arrangements for unsecured debt. But some debts can not be included within one formal debt solution. Your Insolvency Practitioner will tell you how likely it is that your creditors will be willing to accept your proposal, based on the voting creditors.

Can I pay in one lump sum?

There are occasions when you may be eligible for a debt solution which is payable in a one off lump sum as a final settlement to your creditors. This is usually when the money is being gifted from some one else, or you have received inheritance or a windfall for example. With a one-off lump sum payment, the advice is usually the same as when you normally apply for an IVA. You wouldnt have to make regular payments into the solution, your IP can provide you with more advice on one off lump sum solutions for your debts. Your IP will provide you with more advice on the debt IVA and explain what is IVA to you.

Who regulates the debt industry?

At present the debt industry is not regulated. Some Insolvency Practitioners offices choose to sign up to the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA) or register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can contact the IPA using the contact details or email address on their website. Your creditors do not regulate the debt industry and your creditors will not be able to impact any decisions which the IPA or FCA make. In our experience, the regulators will take assertive action on any advisers or businesses which do not comply with their strict codes of practice. To check if a person is regulated by the FCA, enter their name into the search box in the FCA website.

Should I use a debt charity?

There are thousands of companies which provide debt help in the UK. You may be looking for an alternative to a private company. You should know that charities usually pass their fee charging products to sister companies which charge fees and disbursements, just like private companies. So what you initially thought was a good option, on further analysis could be different to what you originally thought. Charities do have their part to play though. They can help you if you have a problem with your bank accounts, maintenance arrears, living costs, credit reference agencies, child support arrears, bankruptcy, assets, accountancy issues, mortgages, creditor issues, insurance providers, mobiles, your bank account, rates arrears, PAYE contributions or if you want to work out your expenditure. They can make sure that you speak to an adviser or supervisor and look at proposals to offer your lender. A petition has started with the possibility of a debate in parliament about how charities represent themselves and their services.

Which charities help with debt?

You can contact Money Advice Service, National Debtline, Step Change, Shelter or a combination of the three. Charities are particular useful for a low debt level under 1,000. If the debt is high (such as a debt value of 10,000 or more) you would usually seek an assessment from a professional adviser. If you do decide to use a charity to guide you, make sure you check their charity number and the registration number on their website to make sure you are content that their team can answer your questions in the right ways. A lot of clients of charities have a minimum debt level which does not meet the basis for an IVA, so you could always chat to a charity that is happy to act on your behalf for low debt levels.

Although an I.V.A could be the answer to your debt problem, its important to understand the monthly payment so call us on our free phone number. Anyone customers can receive expert feedback on their rights from debt charities, if they cant help they will usually point you in the director of firms which help with IVAs.

We are homeowners, will lenders see my proposal differently?

In some cases yes. In the majority of cases, if you are a homeowner you will not need to remortgage or take out any additional finances that will effect your property. You will need to sign a additional restrictions which remove your ability to take out additional credit tied to your property, which is something that is restricted once you are in an i.v.a. There are exceptions to this, such as when you have a lot of equity in your property/properties. If you own half of a property and another party owns the other half, only your equity will be affected.

If you are landlord and you are in a position of equity, your IP may review your trading position or business to make sure the figures in question are in order. This is usually the case if you have two or more properties, as sometimes the equity can be used to form a repayment to your creditors. But this usually depends on the amount of value built up in your properties.

Banks and building societies will not change the terms of your mortgage as long as a contribution is still being made for the duration of your arrangement. Your mortgage payments will be added to your expenses and accounted for within your budget, as long as you can provide evidence that you can afford to continue to make payments into your mortgage for duration of the plan.

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business AirAsia India CEO Mittu Chandilya quits: Sources Sources say Chandilya had been unhappy with excessive micromanagement by its Malaysian parent.
business Market still not cheap; focus on capital preservation: Udayan The pain in the market is not only due to global issues, but also due to fall in the domestic system. Broken banking system and three continuous quarter of no earnings growth is responsible for the volatility, Mukherjee says.
Markets move in cycles, and things recover after a while. The total length of bull markets is historically longer than bear markets.

Today, I wrote to my New Frontier Investor readers about what I think about bears and bear markets in general.

I believe many investors have now fallen into the Bear Trap. To begin with, what is a bear trap? I describe it as when the investor becomes bearish on the market yet cannot be sure if the market will continue to fall.

Have you fallen into the bear trap? Lets use this simple test to find out.

If you are a true bear, you are not clouded by uncertainty, you are sure the market will fall further. It can be in gold, the Chinese yuan or the stock market in general. In that case, you short the asset that you are bearish on and you can benefit from the fall.

If you are in a bear trap, it means you are bearish on something without really believing it will fall. Therefore, you will not be confident enough to take a short position. In this case, you are by default believing the market has an equal chance of recovering or moving flat. If that is the case, you are not a true bear, you are just unsure.

If you are a true bear on a certain sector, such as the emerging markets or China, I suggest you to short it. Otherwise, manage your risks with the assumption that the future is at least unknown.

Markets move in cycles, and things recover after a while. The total length of bull markets is historically longer than bear markets. So unless you are betting on a total collapse of the system, in which case you should short, you want to simply wait for the bear market to end.

Some may ask, But Ken, how do you know that history will repeat and the market will recover this time like every other time? Now that is an intelligent question! The answer is I dont, nobody does. But I do know that crises only manifest themselves in one way through the stock market  going down. Thats all.

I have been digging into chaos theory (in mathematics) to find the answer. The stock market is like predicting weather patterns. We know normal weather days usually occur but we know storms only happen once in a while. Lets say normal weather days represent average or bull markets and storm represents market crisis/bear markets. We simply cannot predict when a crisis/storm will hit, but we know they hit at a seemingly random frequency.

I am not going to go into stuff like non-linear dynamic systems because it is well beyond our purpose here. However, I strongly recommend you read into chaos theory applied to investment analysis. It will be a very interesting read for you.

agg

Ken Wangdong+

Emerging Market Analyst, New Frontier Investor
Brent crude Oil, which Aussie producers receive for selling their product, is trading around US$30 per barrel.

Crudes been a terrible long term investment.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), also known as Texas light sweet, crashed to a new the 13-year low of $26.19 per barrel last night.

Brent crude, which Aussie producers receive for selling their product, is trading around US$30 per barrel. Earlier in the week, when I told you to lock in your gains, it was trading near US$35 per barrel.

Indeed, the WTI and Brent price difference is widening. Growing crude supplies in the US are to blame. According to Bloomberg, the US is now the largest oil producer in the world.

Yet, the mainstream overlooks the US shale producers. Instead, the focus is on OPEC  led by Saudi Arabia  which continues to pump more crude. OPEC is trying to defend its market share against non-OPEC supply. Lets not forget, non-OPEC includes Russia, who labelled the ongoing oil price war as irresponsible.

Looking forward, its highly unlikely well see a coordinated change in strategy between OPEC and non-OPEC nations. At least, not any time soon. So, prices will have to remain lower for longer.

Its an almighty mess  a mess that should end in total disaster.

Ill explain

I hate to be the bearer of bad news

To start, Ill discuss the crude supply story. Its important to understand whats really happening. Youll see why things should get worse before they get better.

Reports this week werent great. On Tuesday, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) lowered oil-price expectations for this year. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency (IEA) showed a wider forecast for the global supply surplus.

This is a problem

At the IP Week conference in London, BP Chief Executive Robert Dudley explained why. He said, We are very bearish for the first half of the year. In the second half, every tank and swimming pool in the world is going to fill and fundamentals are going to kick in. The market will start balancing in the second half of this year.

So, according to Dudley, its going to be a crude bloodbath. A critical turning point, when current onshore capacity will be overflowing with crude, is approaching.

You have to wonder, wheres all the excess crude going to hide?

Hellenic Shipping News has the answer. It reported,

In the case where onshore storage gets filled, the excess barrels will need to be stored in the form of floating storage, which is a more expensive option. Despite the high cost, this would not be without precedent: in 2009, trading companies stored circa 120 million barrels offshore in 64 tankers.

It seems like a good idea. But, it costs money to store crude. So, once all the swimming pools are full, perhaps the excess crude will be dumped onto the market.

If youre banking on higher crude prices soon, think again! To quote the EIA,

We suggest that the surplus of supply over demand in the early part of 2016 is even greater than we said in last months oil market report. If these numbers prove to be accurate, and with the market already awash in oil, it is very hard to see how oil prices can rise significantly in the short term. In these conditions the short-term risk to the downside has increased.

For crude to truly rally, major fundamental change is required. Something that will affect either the supply or demand side.

Unfortunately, were looking at change that should affect the demand side.

Saudi Arabias preparing for Third World War

Its not what I want. Its not what anyone wants. But the worlds facing another major war in the Middle East.

Its a trend set in motion, which could end in a total disaster. If Russia, China and the US get involved, we could be looking at a Third World War. Remember, the world economy is bankrupt, people are broke, and theyre protesting. Historically, when the economy declines, politicians drag their people into war  they need a distraction.

The Financial Times discussed the latest developments,

Saudi Arabia is discussing plans to deploy ground troops with regional allies, including Turkey, for a safe zone in Syria, in a last-ditch effort to keep alive a rebellion at risk of collapse as a Russian-backed offensive by Syrian regime forces encroaches on the northern province of Aleppo. Two people familiar with Saudi plans told the Financial Times that high-ranking Gulf officials are in Riyadh meeting Turkish officials to discuss options for deploying ground troops to head a coalition of fighters inside Syria. Aleppo city, Syrias former business hub, is the last significant urban centre controlled by the rebels. Its countryside, on the northern border with Turkey, is their lifeline. President Bashar al-Assads forces, bolstered by Iranian-funded Shia militias, advanced last week into opposition-held territory in Aleppos northern countryside under the cover of Russian air strikes. The violence prompted thousands of civilians to flee, exacerbating the already vast humanitarian crisis. Publicly, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain are calling for troops to be deployed as part of the US-led international coalition already ranged against Isis. This comes after Washington singled out Arab countries for not doing more to fight the Islamist group. But regional observers say the moves are cover for an intervention to help the Syrian rebels.

Of course, the war on terror is blamed. Yet the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey want to topple the President of Syria, Bashar Hafez al-Assad.

They want more influence over the region, where Iran is becoming more powerful. Plus, they want to build a gas pipeline from Qatar  through Syria  to Europe. This would challenge Russia, who supplies the European Union with 30% of their gas news.

Were nearing the political end game  which of course, is just the beginning to a major war. Hararetz reported,

The encirclement of Aleppo, if completed, will be not only the Assad regimes greatest accomplishment in the Syrian civil war. It will also mark the end of the U.S. Under the cover of heavy Russian airstrikes and with the aid of Shiite militias from several countries, the regimes death squads are advancing toward the siege, starvation and perhaps the eventual conquest of Syrias second-biggest city. Success there is liable to encourage the dictator in Damascus to gamble on similar measures in southern and northwest Syria. Washington looks on with a combination of worry and helplessness, while the American public is preoccupied with the presidential primaries and the Oscars.

This is getting serious. What will the Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the US do next? A war in the Middle East isnt what we want, but its is precisely what crude oil needs to stage a massive comeback.

The geopolitical events are escalating. But at the moment this is still a chess match. It will take time before we see a full on confrontation. As such, commodities are due to crash in the months ahead.

When we see a full on confrontation, commodities will boom. That time hasnt come yet. But if you want to know the best time to buy commodities, and the best miners digging them up, check out Resource Speculator. If you want to know more on this story, click here.

Regards,

Jason Stevenson
The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
Is your portfolio earning you the best possible rate of income? Are you prepared for this year's interest rate rise? We show you how to maximise yield and where to find dividend payers in our Guide to Income Investing.

Emma Wall: Hello and welcome to Morningstar. I'm Emma Wall and I'm joined today by Ben Peters, Co-Fund Manager of the Evenlode Income Fund, to give his three stock picks.

Hi, Ben.

Ben Peters: Good morning.

Wall: So, what's the first stock you'd like to highlight?

Peters: The first stock is business-to-business media company called Informa (INF). So, they operate through a number of segments. Their academic publishing business Taylor & Francis is very well known, has a number of great academic publishing names such as The Journal of Psychology. It also has a business-to-business information company and also an exhibitions and events firm as well.

We really like it because it's a very cash-generative business model. So, it's subscription-led. They have very high renewal rates on their subscriptions and they can use some of that cash flow obviously to pay their dividend, which is attractive for an income investor, but also to reinvest in the business to drive future growth.

Historically, it suffered a little bit from being a collection of businesses without perhaps a coherent back burn to it but the relatively new chief executive, Stephen Carter is doing a good job of putting that right, reinvesting in the business to drive that future growth.

Wall: It sounds a little bit like Pearson which has not exactly had the best run of it recently. I mean, nobody can really identify what went wrong with Pearson, so I suppose the risk is with this stock, is it you lose out to digital or do you just have a bad run like Pearson.

Peters: It's good question. Informa is a largely digital business. Already it's gone through that transformation particularly in its business information segment. It also addresses different market. The publishing business looks at really the academic market whereas Pearson is in more sort of college and higher education as well. So it's a slightly different kettle of fish from that perspective.

Wall: What's the second stock you'd like to highlight today?

Peters: The second stock is Diageo (DGE), which will be familiar to many as the multinational drinks company focusing on spirits and beer. It's got a portfolio of brands, which everyone will recognise from Smirnoff, John Walker, and to beer in Guinness as well. It is really the brand strength that drives the investment case there. They did get into a bit of bother a couple of years ago overselling into the distribution channel which meant that ate a bit of their cash flow and they also have been investing in their distribution and production, which has meant that their CapEx has been a bit high. But that's really feeding through the system now. They are focusing on selling out to the consumer much more and their cash flow has recovered. That's a very healthy cover on the dividend and we think that there is very good scope for dividend growth.

Wall: There has been a lot of M&A in the drinks sector, hasn't there? I mean, how much is that something you consider when investing in a stock like this?

Peters: It's obviously a factor and we're looking for really companies that can leverage their existing portfolio of brands and perhaps have some bolt-on acquisitions and Diageo has not been alone in doing that. It's also been divesting some of its less core operations like its wine business which they have recently disposed of.

Wall: Great. What's the third stock?

Peters: The third stock is a smaller company called PayPoint, which the name might be familiar, it's seen in convenient stores around the country and traditionally its business was allowing people on prepaid electricity and gas supplies to pay in cash for that supply and it developed that in the late 90s. Since then it's now got an amazing network around the country which is now layering other services on top of for consumers and for the retailers as well. So, for example, people may have used the CollectPlus service which is delivered through the same network.

Wall: The thing with PayPoint (PAY) is, as you say, it has a heritage, it has a history and it has developed and evolved over that time. But when you think of the new ways that people are paying Apple Pay, everything, Barclays Ping, all the ways that you can pay without having to move from your own home. The idea of having to go to a convenient store to do these things raises questions about the future of the company.

Peters: Yes, but I think there are two points there. One is that there is resilient consumer who will want to pay in cash. These consumers tend to not be able to get credit and so they will need to be part of the cash economy even as we move to more digital services. The second point is that PayPoint are also developing that service as well. So they have recently put together a multi-channel payments offering, which they can sell to the utilities companies, which will mean that they can accept payment through mobile, through online, but also through the store, if that's what the consumer wants.

Wall: Ben, thank you very much.

Peters: Thank you.

Wall: This is Emma Wall for Morningstar. Thank you for watching.
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Cal Lutheran awards scholarships for low- and middle-income students Cal Lutheran University recently received $2.5 million to provide scholarships to accomplished students from low- and middle-income families. The donation from the Camarillo-based TOLD Foundation is the largest that CLU...
BURNS, Ore. (AP)  Surrounded by FBI agents in armored vehicles, the last four occupiers of a national wildlife refuge surrendered Thursday, and the leader of a 2014 standoff with federal authorities was criminally charged in federal court.

The holdouts were the last remnants of the group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2 and demanded that the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires.

Meanwhile, Cliven Bundy, who was at the center of a 2014 standoff at his ranch in Nevada, was arrested late Wednesday in Portland after encouraging the Oregon occupiers not to give up. Bundy is the father of Ammon Bundy, the jailed leader of the most recent occupation.

On Thursday, the elder Bundy was charged in the 2014 standoff. Federal authorities may have feared Bundy's presence would draw sympathizers to defend the holdouts.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas charged the 69-year-old Bundy with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapons charges and other crimes. He's accused of leading supporters who pointed military-style weapons at federal agents trying to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle from federal rangeland.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to represent him ahead of a court appearance in federal court in Portland.

Federal authorities say the Bundy family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill.

The holdouts and 12 others connected with the occupation have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.

A live stream of a telephone call indicated that the last four occupiers had surrendered Thursday morning.

The occupiers were 27-year-old David Fry of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho.

In the live stream, Fry said the three others had surrendered but he refused to. He later said he was giving up. The FBI did not immediately confirm that the three surrendered.

The FBI began moving in on the holdouts Wednesday evening, surrounding their encampment with armored vehicles.Over the next several hours, the occupiers' panic and their negotiation with FBI agents could be heard live on the Internet, broadcast by a sympathizer of the occupiers who established phone contact with them.

Fry, an Ohio resident, said he was declaring war against the federal government.

"Liberty or death, I take that stance," he declared and later said he was pointing a gun at his head.

Fry could be heard yelling at an FBI negotiator: "You're going to hell. Kill me. Get it over with."

The occupiers calmed down after a while, and arrangements were made for them to surrender at an FBI checkpoint on Thursday.

A Nevada lawmaker has been key in getting that agreement. Michele Fiore is also a friend of the Bundy family. She came to Portland on Wednesday to show support for Ammon Bundy. When she heard the FBI had surrounded the refuge, she called into the online talk show to try to calm down the occupiers.

Fiore rushed to Burns to help negotiate a peaceful surrender of the occupiers.

The Oregon standoff began Jan. 2 when Ammon Bundy and his followers took over the refuge south of Burns to protest prison terms for two local ranchers accused of setting fires on federal lands, and to demand that the refuge be handed over to local residents.

Federal agents, Oregon state troopers and sheriff's deputies monitored the occupation to avoid a confrontation. There were growing calls for the FBI to act, including from Oregon's governor.

They did, on Jan. 26. On that day, Ammon Bundy and other occupation leaders were heading for the town of John Day to give a talk on federal overreach. FBI agents and Oregon state troopers stopped the group's two-vehicle convoy. Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was shot dead in that confrontation. The FBI says he was going for a pistol inside his jacket pocket. Ammon Bundy and four others were arrested.

A total of 12 people were arrested that week. Most of the occupiers fled the refuge after hearing they would be arrested if they left quickly. Four stayed behind, saying they feared they would be arrested if they left.

Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, said Wednesday night that the situation had reached a point where it "became necessary to take action" to ensure the safety of all involved.

One of the occupiers rode an ATV outside "the barricades established by the militia" at the refuge, Bretzing said in a statement. When FBI agents tried to approach the driver, Fry said he quickly returned to the camp.

The FBI placed agents at barricades around the occupiers' camp, Bretzing said.

"It has never been the FBI's desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue," he said. "And to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully."
Regulators are not the only ones closely watching how operators are producing oil and natural gas.

Investors, increasingly leaning toward social responsibility, are also watching operators, especially those involved in hydraulic fracturing operations.

And theyre grading just how transparent operators are about those operations. As You Sow, Boston Common Asset Management and the Investor Environmental Health Network in December issued its third Disclosing the Facts scorecard ranking the 30 largest oil and gas companies using hydraulic fracturing.

Topping the 2015 list was BHP Billiton, which scored 32 out of a possible 39 points. The company scored two points to rank at the bottom in the first scorecard issued in 2013.

There are several reasons for a company to be well-regarded by such investor groups, said Ed Mongan, senior manager, environment and regulatory for BHP Billiton.

The scorecard represents what large groups of investors are asking for companies to be more transparent, he explained during a visit to the area for a community meeting in Pecos.

The concerns measured in the scorecard  what toxic chemicals are possibly contained in fracturing fluid, well integrity, water and waste management, air emissions and community impact  are the same concerns held by those living in the communities where companies work, Mongan said.

Tommy Clark, head of corporate affairs, shale, said investor groups want to be comfortable (that) the companies theyre investing in are doing best practices and mitigating any impact on communities.

Its the responsibility of organizations, especially faith-based organizations, to oversee those investments, he said. They dont want to squander their money on companies that arent managing risks.

In the Permian Basin, the company transports its water by pipeline rather than truck, reducing traffic and reducing vehicle emissions, Clark said. Also in the Permian Basin, BHP has significantly reduced the amount of what could be considered fresh water in its hydraulic fracturing operation to about 20 percent. Recycled produced water from existing wells comprises 30 percent and the remaining 50 percent is low-quality brackish water.

Those investor groups want a good return on their investment but they also want to influence companies to do better, said Mongan.

Added Clark, What (the scorecard) is doing is raising the bar and getting companies to think along these lines.

The three organizations that released the report said they observed improved transparency from some companies but pointed out that 70 percent of the 30 companies ranked continued to receive failing marks. They utilize public disclosures on 39 benchmarks, including water and waste management and methane leakage, a key concern because methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The 30 companies failed to disclose methane leakage rates or how they monitor for leakage, according to the scorecard. In 2015, only five companies disclosed methane emissions from their drilling and field operations and none publicly established emission reduction goals.
Twelve candidates are vying to replace Railroad Commissioner David Porter, who has opted to not seek re-election. With such a large field comprised of seven Republicans, three Democrats and two third-party candidates competing for one spot, the Reporter-Telegram asked all candidates to briefly answer questions about key issues the Railroad Commission currently contends with and those that are anticipated in the next state legislative session.

The MRT received responses from eight candidates: Republicans Wayne Christian, Gary Gates, John Greytok, Ron Hale, Doug Jeffrey and Weston Martinez; Democrat Lon Burnam; and Libertarian Mark Miller.

All responses were limited to 200 words per answer, are presented in the order in which they were received and are presented in the format in which they were received.

Early voting for the Texas primary election starts Tuesday, and Election Day is March 1.

***

Q: Oil supplies are high and prices are low. Should the Railroad Commission go back to the days when it put stiff curbs on production in order to control supply and price?

Ron Hale: No.

Mark Miller: Free markets are most effective at generating prosperity when governments refrain from interfering. And from a practical standpoint, curbing production in Texas would likely have the adverse effect of lowering oil industry revenues during a time of severe economic stress. The modern global oil market that we enjoy today has resulted in vast amounts of oversupply, suggesting that attempts to control pricing by restricting small amounts of supply are likely to be ineffective. Fortunately, the federal government now allows oil and gas to be exported from the US, a move that should help Texas companies better compete in the global marketplace.

John Greytok: Those days are over. Today the international market sets the price of oil; any attempt by the RRC to set the price will fail.

Compare this idea to what central banks have tried to do with pushing or pulling on the markets exchange rate for their national currency. At best, a central bank that starts with hundreds of billions of dollars in cash can have only a moderate impact for a few weeks.

Look at the current conditions in the international oil market  the falling price is based on over supply. Keeping in mind that the Commission has no authority outside our states borders, can the RRC restrict oil production inside Texas to a level that will reduce long term world supply below the level of long term world demand? Obviously not. If we took Texas production all the way to zero, wouldnt Saudi (and Iran!) take up the slack? In other words, even a herculean Texas effort would have a small or temporary effect on the international price.

We would inflict massive damage on our Texas producers with nothing to show for it.

Gary Gates: I am not opposed to revisiting this topic. I am not in favor of any private entity completely dictating a private market, but the RRC does have tools at its disposal that would begin to address the current world supply. We need to begin to have conversations  with the industry, financial institutions, and other world leaders  to see what can be done to help bring oil supply and demand back into balance.

Wayne Christian: Over-regulation by government agency at any level of government  whether it is Federal or State  is bad. Its true that several decades back the Railroad Commission could determine the price of oil by allocating production because Texas dominated the market. Today the price of oil is determined by the international supply and demand. I trust the free enterprise system and oppose any effort by government to deny operators the opportunity and responsibility to make decisions regarding the operation of their business.

Doug Jeffrey: The simple answer to that is, no. I believe in the free markets and that they will eventually work themselves out. Once the market stabilizes, oil prices will increase and well have a more stabile environment in the long run.

Weston Martinez: When allowables were instituted in the past, Texas comprised a much greater share of global oil production. I think restricting Texas production at this point would hurt Texas producers and I would not be in favor of that action.

Lon Burnam: When the proration system was established by the RRC, Texas produced a large enough share of world oil production that it could, by limiting production, affect the world oil price. Today that is not the case. OPEC, and particularly Saudi Arabia, now have the ability to affect the world price by adjusting their production rates.

***

Q: Despite their low output (15 barrels a day or less), stripper wells contribute a fair amount to production. Should the Railroad Commission allow stripper wells to produce in the current price-and- supply environment?

Ron Hale: Yes.

Mark Miller: This policy would be ill advised. When re-opened, shut-in stripper wells often fail to return to prior producing rates. Consequently, this policy would mean both long-term and short-term revenue losses for many struggling oil and gas companies, many of which are some of the states smallest. Decisions about whether to produce a well or not is best left to owner/operators, not a state agency.

John Greytok: Keep stripper wells producing? Absolutely! A well that is producing is a capital asset not only for the company carrying that well on its books, but also for the citizens of Texas. Forcing operators to plug stripper wells because of a temporary price swing in a cyclical industry is short sighted and results in economic waste. The RRC has a legal duty to prevent waste whenever possible.

Gary Gates: Yes. It is not the RRCs job to tell a producer who is abiding by their permit, whether they can or cannot operate their wells.

Wayne Christian: There are thousands of small oil and gas operators in Texas and tens of thousands of our citizens who receive monthly royalty checks. Many of these small operators and royalty owners depend on stripper wells for their income. Limiting production by stripper wells would disproportionately harm small operators. That would be wrong. Again, I trust the free enterprise system and will oppose any effort by government to deny operators the opportunity and responsibility to make decisions regarding the operation and production of their business.

Doug Jeffrey: Again, as a free market conservative, I do not believe it is the RRCs job to shut down producing wells or make decisions in the industry that impact our oil supply that creates jobs and helps local economies.

Weston Martinez: Yes. Stripper wells provide valuable production and we need to produce more not less oil in Texas. We also need to re-evaluate financial security requirements so that stripper wells arent forced to be plugged prematurely.

Lon Burnam: The RRC has limited authority to dictate how stripper wells are produced. Shutting in stripper wells also risks losing the remaining reserves the well can produce, and many small operators rely on the revenue produced from these wells.

***

Q: Allocation wells are expected to be a big issue in 2017. Where do you stand on the issue?

Ron Hale: PSA are fine by me. The disadvantage is that production from one well serves to keep all of the leases in both units in effect for as long as it produces.The advantage is that the royalty owner will get royalties on production from a new well that might not be drilled unless a production sharing agreement is signed to allow drilling across lease or unit boundaries.

Mark Miller: The issue of allocation wells has arisen largely as a result of Railroad Commission rules and regulations that have failed to modernize to reflect current understandings of underground fluid movement and the newest production technologies. This is especially true in unconventional reservoirs. Regulations developed over decades for vertical wells in conventional reservoirs have been patched by the Commission to apply to horizontal wells in unconventional reservoirs. Allocation wells are just one symptom of more serious regulatory shortcomings.

Many of the rules adopted by the Railroad Commission effectively insert themselves into mineral lease agreements that should not have to be concerned with the whims of the latest governmental regulations. Important property rights issues are at stake. Commission regulations, including those for allocation wells, are in serious need of review, revision, and in some cases elimination.

Finally, my personal view is that an allocation well drilled through someones mineral interest without permission is a trespass. Texas law also does not permit forced pooling of mineral interests. Both trespass and pooling laws appear to be violated by permits for allocation wells without mineral owner concurrence. The Railroad Commission should not grant such permits.

John Greytok: The Railroad Commission should continue to process drilling permits under its present policy regarding allocation wells. If a drilling permit applicant represents that it has a present possessory mineral interest in one or more properties (which means it has the right to drill for and produce oil and gas) and if the permit application complies with the applicable spacing and density rules, then the Commission has no choice but to grant the drilling permit. The Commission performs a purely regulatory/conservation function when it processes drilling permits  it does not have any jurisdiction over the question of how royalties are to be paid to lessors or interest owners. Those issues are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts. Until such time as either the Legislature, or a court of competent jurisdiction changes the law in this area, the Commission should continue to process allocation well permits under its current policy.

Gary Gates: I know several companies supported efforts to clarify the RRCs authority for issuing allocation well permits. While I am not opposed to those efforts, the case to me is clear. The RRC has the authority it needs to issue permits for allocation wells. If companies want to pass a bill clarifying the issue, I will work to make sure the bill does no harm to our existing authority or the current permit holders. But make no mistake, if a permit for an allocation well is on the Commission docket in January 2017 when I take office, I will be seeking a second to approve the permit.

Wayne Christian: The current process at the Railroad Commission for issuing drilling permits on allocation wells is not perfect, but is it known to all parties involved in the process. I believe the Railroad Commission should wait for the Legislature to provide additional guidance regarding how mineral interests are allocated before it makes any changes in its rules or processes.

Doug Jeffrey: Allocation wells prevent waste and increase efficiencies. By reducing the need for multiple surface locations, allocation wells reduce drilling costs and encourage development which mineral owners like. The Railroad Commission has done a good job permitting these wells and I would support their continued use. It is defiantly an issue I will be following closely.

Weston Martinez: Allocation wells are a necessary tool that allows producers to reduce drilling costs and capture the maximum amount of our natural resources. We should do everything we can to expeditiously permit allocation wells that meet the requirements for such a permit.

Lon Burnam: This is a complicated issue that I have not been able to fully research and am not prepared to take a position on yet.

***

Q: With falling oil prices, there is a threat some operators will simply walk away, stressing the Clean-Up Fund that is funded by the industry. Also stressing the RRC budget is falling revenues from fees since the commission is issuing a lot fewer permits. Do you have any recommendations for preserving revenues?

Ron Hale: We have to create an atmosphere that the industry can survive and be profitable.

Mark Miller: It is not the job of any state agency to preserve revenues. Around 85 percent of the Railroad Commissions budget comes via fees collected from oil and gas operators. These operators have had to cut costs and reduce the size of their operations in response to low oil and gas prices. Government should not be immune to this economic reality. The Commissions costs need to be adjusted to align with its available revenues.

I usually support user-fees as a means of funding state-run activities. In this case, however, a state agency is incentivized to promote particular activities in order to fund itself. This creates inappropriate bureaucratic incentives. At the very least, the Commission may be tempted to increase fees to avoid down-sizing. I believe a preferable way to fund the Railroad Commission is through the general fund and thus subject to adjustment by the Texas Legislature.

Texas law now requires operators to post bonds to cover the abandonment of wells orphaned by bankruptcy. Unless these bonds are insufficient, it seems that the Cleanup Fund should be sufficient to take care of this problem.

John Greytok: Agency revenues are based on industry activity but the industry is cyclical. This means that the funding mechanism is often out of sync (either too high or too low) with the budgetary needs. The current shortfall is not just stress on the Clean-Up fund, but also the need to continue funding for the capitol improvements in the IT systems. At a minimum this is a cash flow timing problem (if not a long term funding shortfall).

We need to start by making a serious push for increased funding from outside the industry  either a supplement from General Revenue or from the Rainy Day Fund. (Yes, it is raining in the industry and, after all, those funds came from industry activity.) We also need to backstop existing funding from GR to make sure that if we raise more funds from industry that the Legislature wont just offset it with further GR cuts. Only after these steps can we look to raising fees from the industry.

In other words, we need to have some assurance that any additional money from industry will be spent to improve the situation and will produce concrete, positive results.

Gary Gates: The biggest funding issue facing the commission is an anticipated shortfall, which will make it more difficult to carry out its tasks. This will occur due to a slowed oil & natural gas industry. To remedy, the Commission needs to constantly re-assess and adjust its resource distribution including, but not limited to: employee reassignment (for example shifting staff to completion reports), regional office development, and technology development. This will be an issue in the next legislative session, approximately one year from now. Since most of the RRC budget comes from within (in the form of industry permits and fees) I would work to maximize RRC resources so that additional tax dollars arent requested from the Legislature to supplement any internal shortfalls.

Wayne Christian: I have long been an advocate of government operating more like a business. Operations of the Railroad Commission depends on the revenue it generates from the fees it charges the industries it regulates. Just like operators in the oil and gas industry are faced with tough decisions during this down cycle, so is the commission. The commission is going have to make tough decisions on staffing and other operational coasts just like the folks it regulates are doing. The commission generates upwards of $30 million in fines and gas utility taxes that go to the General Revenue Fund. I am not opposed to a portion of those funds being redirected to supplement the operations of the commission.

Doug Jeffrey: This is the nature of the industry. In good times, you need more physical and human resources and in slow times, that demand falls and the commission has to make the tough decisions of making cuts. Operators know that if they walk away, they will be hit with severe fines and will not be allowed to operate in Texas in the future. This is the process that is put in place to preserve revenue for this practice.

Weston Martinez: I think as the industry faces challenging budget times, the commission must do so as well. We need to figure out how to do more with less and flex with the industry by cross-training employees and reducing costs. I do believe we also need the legislature to look at providing more of our funding from general revenue so that during particularly difficult budget times, the agency can fulfill its core duties.

Lon Burnam: The declining prices are going to present a problem for the state budgets overall. I note the Commission has been criticized by past Sunset Commission reviews for failing to appropriately assess fines for rule violations.

***

Q: The RRC has been through sunset review the last three sessions. Why cant it pass and how will you work with legislators to help the RRC pass sunset review?

Ron Hale: Not passing because of the abolish movement. We have to get the public more involved on how important the RRC is to our schools fund and road projects funds.

Mark Miller: The Railroad Commission has been under Sunset Review since 2011. Two Sunset Commissions made many sensible recommendations for the 82nd, 83rd, and 84th Legislatures to consider for the Railroad Commission. Another review is currently underway. Unfortunately, powerful forces within the Legislature have prevented necessary legislation from passing. There has been significant resistance to even taking the minor step of changing the Commissions name to better reflect its actual duties.

Texas Railroad Commissioners have an obligation to publicly make their case with voters and legislators for or against any recommended Sunset Review reforms. Commissioners should be readily available to testify before relevant legislative committees, and to provide other written information and opinions needed for the legislative process. They should also actively make their case directly to the Texas citizenry in the run up to the 85th Legislature.

As a candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, I plan to publicly take a position on all Sunset Commissions recommendations that will be released prior to the November election. Voters will be able to judge my suitability for office based on those positions.

John Greytok: The Sunset process has become a crisis. The highest priority is to restore stability to the agency.

The challenge is that every Sunset process triggers multiple new ideas being offered by the Sunset Commissions staff, by citizens, by industry, and even by Railroad Commissioners. Those ideas may be important. But by far the most important goal is to avoid the disruption of a 4th consecutive round of Sunset review in 2018-2019. Including all the new ideas in the Sunset bill increases the controversy about the bill and lowers the chances that the bill will pass. Including controversial new ideas was an important reason why the bill failed in the past.

The best chance for passing the Sunset bill is to keep it simple, straightforward, short and with a minimum of controversy. Therefore my position is that any ideas that reduce the chance of passage need to be stripped out.

This doesnt mean that I oppose all those other ideas. It means those ideas need stand on their own two feet, or be amended to something other than the Sunset bill, or considered at a later time. I oppose risking the failure of the Sunset bill by slipping in non-essential ideas.

Gary Gates: The passage of the Sunset bill is so important, in my opinion, that I am willing to discuss some of the fundraising and office-holder issues that have derailed the bill in the past. Frankly, the agency operations have never been the sticking point. The RRC has a great staff who do a great job every day. As an elected leader if I need to have a few more fundraising requirements or some additional reporting, I am willing to accept those to get the bill passed. It is that important to this industry and it is that important to me.

Wayne Christian: My legislative experience and relationships allow me to easily navigate the sunset process in the 85th Legislature. This, in my opinion, continues to be one of the biggest fights the energy sector faces. For any other candidate in this race, there would be a significant learning curve. This is truly an opportunity for us to bridge the gap between the commission and the legislature and come up with policies that will have a positive impact on Texans.

Doug Jeffrey: The RRC will pass Sunset this session. In the past political issues and personalities have bogged down the process. With new commissioners and a new focus on transparency and efficiency and effectiveness, there is no doubt in my mind that the RRC will get through sunset. My job as a commissioner will be to communicate the work the RRC is doing and respond to legislators requests for information in a timely and comprehensive way. I am committed to doing everything in my power to help the commission have a smooth Sunset process.

Weston Martinez: RRC has struggled in the past because commissioners werent always focused on the mission at hand (they were running for other offices). We will pass Sunset this session because everyone is focused on doing the best job they can for the people of Texas. I will work hard to advocate with the legislature on behalf of the agency because it is doing a better job of doing its work and being proactive and transparent.

Lon Burnam: I was there first as a legislator, then as an advocate for a public interest non-profit and was appalled at the inability of the Commission to implement positive change. As a former legislator I will be in a position to bring these discussions out in the open and address many of the Sunset recommendations.

***

Q: Rules regarding well integrity and disposal permits have been updated in response to indications disposal wells are contributing to seismic events. Even so, the commissions seismologist remains noncommittal on the subject. Do you think the updated rules are enough or is there more that can be done to address public concerns oil and gas drilling is causing earthquakes?

Ron Hale: Finding more funding for the seismic activity study being done with the universities in Texas is a way to get more background information and proof.

Mark Miller: In 2014 I publicly commented on the Commissions rules designed to address public concerns about seismic activity caused by wastewater injection. I found the rules promulgated that year to be technically ineffective, and appearing to deceive the public into thinking otherwise. Subsequent Commission actions with regard to the link between underground injection and earthquakes seem to have proven my suspicions were well-founded. The Commission has gone so far as to ignore the well-researched findings of some of the states most capable geoscientists.

The physical and technical ramifications and uncertainties surrounding this issue are complex and profound. I am concerned that the Railroad Commissions staff does not have the requisite technical expertise to evaluate the issues and develop a suitable regulatory regime. It will be up to our Commissioners to remedy this shortcoming.

More details about my position on seismic activity from wastewater injection can be found on my blog at miller4tx.com and in my book on the Texas Railroad Commission published in November 2015.

John Greytok: Ive heard it said, if fracking caused earthquakes, Midland would never stop shaking. Well, this may not be an issue in the Permian Basin, but that doesnt mean its not an important issue in other areas with different geological formations.

The #1 duty of the RRC is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all Texans. Today we dont have sufficient data or engineering analysis to reliably determine which wells or which geologic conditions may involve seismic risk. But we cant be satisfied with that ignorance. We have to use our considerable knowledge, technology and other resources to gather the information we need. Once we have confidence that our actions will be effective, then we need to take action.

We cannot blindly pass new rules that have little hope of helping, but we cannot ignore the situation either. If the public concludes that they are not being protected, then the agency and the industry will face severe legislative pressures to address this issue. It is in the interest of everyone involved to address this serious concern in a responsible way.

Gary Gates: I have been very impressed with the Commissions response to the increased seismic activity. They have hired staff, coordinated outreach, reviewed permits, increased inspections, and participated in research on the causes. Theyve been very proactive in my opinion. Under my watch, we will not rest on our laurels. We will continue to work with institutions on research and hold permit holders to the highest standards.

Wayne Christian: I think the commission has done the right thing by using science to drive their response on this issue. Texas already has some of the toughest laws on disposal wells, before we do more, Texas must continue to research the issue (which we are doing).

Doug Jeffrey: It is my understanding that there were some flaws in the study that was done. I think we need to continue to study this issue before we resort to more regulation that can potentially hurt the industry. That being said, if over time there is a direct correlation of any activity causing harm to Texans or their property, we should immediately address the problem and fix it.

Weston Martinez: Data and science needs to drive policy making at the commission. For now, these rules are sufficient. If after additional study, it is determined that more needs to be done, I would support doing more at that time.

Lon Burnam: Although it may be difficult to prove with reasonable certainty that a particular injection well is the cause of seismic activity, the link between injection wells and seismic activity is now established.

***

Q: What can the RRC do to prevent new federal regulations from hindering development? How would you establish a relationship with federal regulators to help craft sensible regulations?

Ron Hale: Number 1 is talking with Congress and the Senate to make sure states rights are not violated. We can design rules and regulations our self.

Mark Miller: The Railroad Commission has little actual power to prevent or modify federal regulations. Where proposed federal regulations illegitimately impinge on Texas sovereignty, the Commission can, however, provide information and opinions to the Texas Attorney General to support Texas assertion of its rights. That said, the Commission should always seek to work directly with federal regulators to provide them with input as they craft federal regulations. Particular attention should be given to regulations that unnecessarily impinge on the commercial interests, property rights, and personal liberties of Texas citizens. Texas is in a far better position to monitor and protect its people and its natural resources than the federal government.

In my opinion, resistance to federal regulations is not a major issue facing the Texas Railroad Commission. Railroad Commissioner candidates should focus their attention on issues where the Commission can have a more positive direct impact on Texas. I plan to do so in the coming campaign.

John Greytok: My goal is to do for the RRC what Gregg Abbott did for the office of the Attorney General. Abbott saw that federal over reach was an ever-growing problem. And Abbott took the resources available and went to work trying to curb federal abuses. While I am in favor of suing the federal government to push back against illegal or unconstitutional activities, I believe we have to do more. We need to engage before going to court. The RRC should take on an advocacy role on behalf of all Texans by intervening at the federal level before new regulations are adopted. The RRC should offer its own evidence and analysis, object to baseless proposals, file open records requests, condemn secret or improper procedures, and generally take action to influence what kinds of regulations are being adopted and what those new rules say  with the purpose of preventing the most extreme results.

And, in those cases when we cannot avoid the adoption of a new regulation, the actions of the RRC can at least put Texas in a better position for going to court.

Gary Gates: Providing an adequate system that reduces recidivist violators will help Texas maintain its independence in this field. I would be open to working out a plan that allows for stricter punishment for any habitual violators. But, any new plan needs to be well thought-out and clearly documented, so we can maintain the consistency across the board. Additionally, I would be prepared to fight alongside (and would encourage my fellow commissioners to do the same) Governor Abbott and AG Paxton in any battle that protects Texas from Government over-reach related to the oil and natural gas industry.

Wayne Christian: The Railroad Commission should work in tandem with the Attorney General and other state agencies to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect Texas right to regulate its own natural resources. I served in the House and have relationships with many of the statewide leaders including the Attorney General and I have been endorsed by Ag. Commissioner Sid Miller. As commissioner, I will have regular meetings with the heads of other agencies to see what we can do together to protect Texas from an out-of-control federal government.

Doug Jeffrey: The EPA has already released a report that basically says that the states do a great job of handling their natural resources and that the federal government should not be involved. However, they continue to enact burdensome regulations that hurt the industry. I would aggressively lobby our federal office holders and those at the EPA to stay out of Texas business and let us run our own industry.

Weston Martinez: If the RRC does its job well, that will keep federal regulators out of Texas. If our agency focuses on protecting the public and environment while encouraging development, the feds will have no need to intervene in our state. Im hopeful that well elect a Republican president, which should greatly enhance the cooperation and communication between the RRC and federal agencies.

Lon Burnam: The Commission has a long history of working with the EPA and other federal regulatory agencies, and has been delegated the responsibility for enforcing many federal laws related to the environment. The Commission can continue to use its expertise to encourage federal regulators to limit adverse impacts on the industry while achieving federal regulatory goals.

***

Q: Should the Railroad Commission be renamed? If so, what would you change the name to?

Ron Hale: NO.We would have to reauthorize every permit from the Texas RRC and its to expensive without technology. Second all federal assets will have to be reauthorized also.

Mark Miller: Transparent government requires (at minimum) that its agencies have names that accurately reflect their responsibilities. Fewer than 5 percent of Texas voters know that the Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas. An appropriate alternative name would be the Texas Energy Resources Commission. Though Texas Energy Commission has been suggested by others, this name would continue to confuse voters by suggesting that the Commission had jurisdiction over other energy sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear power generation. Texas Oil and Gas Commission has also been suggested, but would not accurately reflect the Commissions jurisdiction over mining activities in the State.

John Greytok: Given the serious challenges that the industry faces, changing the name of the agency does not rank high on the to do list. Because it is a contentious issue and is not critical to the agency, I am against trying to change the name during the Sunset process in 2017 (see the answer to Question 5). If the issue is transparency, then that can easily be solved  with the current name  by expanding the RRCs website and online presence. Also, I dont have a new name that I would propose.

Gary Gates: Personally, I would like the name of the Commission changed to something that more accurately describes its functions. This will have a dual positive impact of increased transparency and more faith by the general public. One suggested name is The Texas Energy Commission.

Wayne Christian: While a name change would provide clarity for the public as to what the Railroad Commission does, it would be costly and potentially open the agency up to further regulation from the Federal Government. At this time I think we should leave the name alone. Regardless it is a legislative issue, not one that will go before the commission.

Doug Jeffrey: Personally, I can see how it would be confusing to folks that a commission that regulates oil and gas and other natural resources is named the Railroad Commission. That being said, I dont think its necessary to waste taxpayer dollars to provide legislation to change the name, change all of the signage and everything that goes with that around the state. I believe its a waste of time and money.

Weston Martinez: We should only change the name if its done through a constitutional amendment. I do not care what the new name is as long as it accurately reflects the mission of the agency. Transparency and good government dictate that government agencies names should accurately reflect the mission of the agency. If we make the change constitutionally, the voters of Texas would be a part of the change and get educated on the fact that there is an energy regulatory agency in Texas  which is sorely needed.

Lon Burnam: The Railroad Commission should be renamed the Texas Energy Commission. It's mission should be clarified such that there is no question that this is the agency in state government responsible for developing a comprehensive energy plan.

Trevor Hawes is assistant managing editor of business and oil for the Reporter-Telegram. He can be emailed at thawes@mrt.com and followed on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.

Mella McEwen is oil editor for the Reporter-Telegram. She can be emailed at mmcewen@mrt.com.
GALVESTON, Texas (AP)  Students attending University of Texas System

schools could be paying more for an education.

The UT System Board of Regents is expected to hold a special meeting later this month to consider increasing tuition and fees. The proposals call for increases of between 2 and 6.4 percent for resident undergraduate students.

System Chancellor William McRaven on Wednesday updated regents, meeting in Galveston, on the need to retain faculty, improve student success and continue to provide essential services.

Most UT System in-state undergraduate students have seen little to no tuition increases since 2012.

McRaven says students from low-income families could still get grants and institutional support. He says many will continue to pay little to nothing to attend a UT school.

No date was immediately set for the February tuition vote.

___

Online:

https://www.utsystem.edu/board-of-regents
Tim Fischer

A skimming device was found Thursday at the bank inside the southside Wal-Mart, according to a press release from Midland Police Department.

The skimming device -- a debit and credit card reader that illegally obtains card holders information -- was found on an ATM at First Convenience Bank, according to the release.